DTF - Fear To Tread Digital

89.
1
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
—ALEXANDER POPE
BY DAVID CARROLL, PATRICK O’DUFFY AND KYLA WARD
8
CREDITS
Authors: David Carroll (Into the Fire), Patrick
O’Duffy (The Judas Kiss) and Kyla Ward (Suffer the
Children). World of Darkness created by Mark
Rein•Hagen. Some previously printed material ap-
pears in Demon: City of Angels.
Storyteller game system designed by Mark Rein•Hagen.
Developer: Carl Bowen
Editor: Michelle Lyons
Art Director: Pauline Benney
Layout and Typesetting: Pauline Benney
Interior Art: Shane Coppage, Fred Harper,
Ken Myer JR, Jeff Rebner
Front Cover Art: Chris Shy
Front and Back Cover Design: Pauline Benney
Intern: Ryan Green
© 2003 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduc-

tion without the written permission of the publisher is expressly
forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character
sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf,
Vampire, Vampire the Masquerade, Mage the Ascension, Hunter the
Reckoning, World of Darkness and Aberrant are registered trademarks
of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Werewolf the
Apocalypse, Dark Ages Vampire, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling
the Dreaming, Werewolf the Wild West, Mage the Sorcerers Crusade,
Wraith the Great War, Trinity, Demon the Fallen, Demon Storytellers
Companion, Demon City of Angels and Demon Fear to Tread are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark
or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural
elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content.
Reader discretion is advised.
For a free White Wolf catalog call 1-800-454-WOLF.
Check out White Wolf online at
http://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller
PRINTED IN THE USA.
8
TM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4
CHAPTER ONE: SUFFER THE CHILDREN 22
CHAPTER TWO: INTO THE FIRE 52
CHAPTER THREE: THE JUDAS KISS 82
CHAPTER FOUR: STORYTELLER CHARACTERS 106
8
FEAR TO TREAD
8
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not
in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
—1 Kings 19:12
WHAT IS HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

FEAR TO TREAD?
On that note, there are two primary ways in
which to use Fear to Tread. The first is as a self-
contained chronicle set in the City of Angels —
You hold in your hands Fear to Tread, the first the most prominent site of infernal congregation
chronicle sourcebook for Demon: The Fallen. Set in in the United States (and possibly the world).
Los Angeles, California, this chronicle pits your play- While every chapter can stand alone as a complete
ers’ demon characters against rival fallen, Earthbound story, the end of each dovetails nicely into the
antagonists, mortal foes and possibly even each other beginning of the next in order to form a cohesive,
for reasons political, factional and personal. The ac- more satisfying whole. As the characters shape
tion ranges from intense, visceral combat to suspenseful, and take part in the events of each story, questions
clandestine investigation to haughty social maneu- will arise that only the later chapters can answer.
vering to sneaky, manipulative backbiting. No matter Besides, the greater the players’ commitment is to
what kind of story your players enjoy, at least one of the overarching story, the greater an effect their
this book’s chapters offers it. Taken as a whole, the characters can have on the nascent, burgeoning
chronicle runs the gamut. society of the fallen.
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Should you or your players not be so inclined, uncovering and preemptively ruining his scheme.
though, your other primary option for using this book Can they achieve all of these goals without having to
is to isolate the individual chapters and run them as sacrifice some of them for the sake of the others? With
stand-alone stories. You can do so for a new group of their attentions divided thus, can they still uncover all
Demon players in a pick-up-game context, which the plots and agents of the mysterious Earthbound in
gives you a chance to showcase the setting and powers order to fight back against those creatures’ mad whims?
available to the fallen without any assumed invest- There is only one way to find out.
ment on the players’ part in a more extensive plot. Finally, Chapter Four: Storyteller Characters
(The complimentary characters provided at the end of provides helpful write-ups for prominent figures in the
this chapter help out immensely in that respect.) You City of Angels who have parts to play in the action
can also pull out individual Fear to Tread stories and beyond the characters’ immediate attention. This
insert them into your own ongoing Demon: The material is included here as a Storyteller resource only,
Fallen chronicle. Any one of these stories can make an as it contains many of the secret machinations of the
exciting interlude between longer story arcs of your players’ characters’ allies and antagonists.
own design, especially if the main action in it is of a
different sort than that to which your players have SETTING:
grown accustomed.
Of course, combining these two primary methods
THE CITY OF ANGELS
As will soon become readily apparent, this book is
is also perfectly acceptable. As a Storyteller, you might
a companion supplement to Demon: City of Angels,
want to run one or two of these exciting stories, yet not
the core setting sourcebook for Demon: The Fallen.
want to go into all three. You could also choose to run
All of the stories herein take place in the so-called “Tri-
the stories in a different order (which is not easy, but
County Area” surrounding Los Angeles proper, and the
is possible) or to space them out as tenuously con-
major Storyteller characters involved are all native to
nected interludes in a larger chronicle of your own
(or largely focused upon) that location. Furthermore,
devising. You could even take the opposite route by
that city is the chosen setting most reflective of the core
running the stories in this book as the frame of a
concepts behind Demon to begin with. Such being the
greater chronicle, punctuated by interludes or addi-
case, a little contextual information about Los Angeles
tional chapters of your own creation.
might be of some help if you do not already have a copy
THE PLOT (IN BRIEF) of Demon: City of Angels handy.
The section of the same name at the beginning of THE SURFACE
each chapter gives a more detailed overview of what The Tri-County Area of Los Angeles — which
you can expect from each story, but the following encompasses Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
capsule summary of the entire chronicle should whet proper, Santa Monica, Pasadena and over 70 more
your appetite until you get started. townships besides — sprawls across the valley between
Chapter One: Suffer the Children raises the the Santa Monica Mountains, the San Gabriel Moun-
curtain by exposing the characters to an Earthbound tains and the San Bernardino Mountains. It is a beautiful
demon’s secret plot to abuse and manipulate the staff haven for the rich and famous (or those who want to
and residents of a boarding school/detention center be), and all the money it rakes in from tourists every year
known as the Marshall School for Troubled Teens. is a testament to that fact. The seeming glamor of such
Chapter Two: Into the Fire introduces complica- places as Rodeo Drive, Catalina Island, Venice and
tions into the characters’ lives when a group of Sunset Boulevard is a siren song promising fame and
demon-hunters arrives in town and fixes the demonic fortune to those brave enough to rely on talent, sex
citizens of Los Angeles in its sights (be it erroneously or appeal or dumb luck in trying to make a name for
justifiably). At the same time, the characters discover themselves. On the surface, LA seems like a beautiful
that more than one Earthbound demon might have a place full of beautiful people living charmed lives.
stake in the events surrounding the Marshall School. Looking just beneath the surface, however, re-
Chapter Three: The Judas Kiss finds the charac- veals the real LA. In truth, the City of Angels is a
ters unexpectedly on the defensive as a familiar but seamy, roiling metropolis that thrives on the clashing
hidden enemy deems them too much of a liability to dynamic of its disparate population. The poor and
his plans to let them roam free. They must escape middle-class citizens there vastly outnumber the fabu-
immediate danger and uncover the identity of this foe lously wealthy, yet it is the wealthy who have all the
— one who just might be intimately connected to a social power. Decent people live in fear of gang vio-
deadly and unpredictable Earthbound — while also lence and even the bloated specter of “road rage,” yet
8
INTRODUCTION
the police force is understaffed, under-funded and a disaster that defies the rational imagination. The first
widely assumed to be rife with corruption anyway. was an unforeseeable earthquake that registered an
People of all races call Los Angeles their home in more incredible 7.2 on the Richter scale, causing hundreds of
equal proportion than in most cities across the United deaths and injuries, as well as extensive blackouts and
States, yet racial tensions here seem more volatile tens of billions of dollars in damage. The second,
than ever. And if you are not daunted by any of that, following immediately on the heels of the quake, came
you still have earthquakes to worry about. in the form of the so-called “Devil’s Night Riots.”
Sure, LA might look beautiful on the surface (and Violent madmen who had once been rational human
from a distance), but the truth of the matter is not beings flooded the streets, upping the monetary amount
quite so pretty. of damage considerably and adding to the lists of those
killed or injured with cavalier abandon.
ITS IMPORTANCE The rioting — described by one observer after the
What, then, makes LA so attractive and impor- fact as being worse than the 1960s Watts and 1990s
tant to the newly returned fallen? Why is it a bone of Rodney King riots put together — overwhelmed the
contention between so many angels of the Abyss? The police force and necessitated the emergency activation
simple and most obvious answer is that LA is a media of the National Guard. Not surprisingly, it also caught
and transportation hub — one that is capable of the attention of the fallen. Powerful infernal magic was
sending people and ideas all over the world in virtually at work behind the scenes, though it was anyone’s guess
no time at all. The power to communicate with and as to who was controlling it. Some speculated that mad
reach as large a number of people as possible with as Earthbound demons had shaken the sleeping earth in
little time and effort as possible is a key strength in the order to rouse Lucifer from hiding. Others were certain
fallen’s goals to reap vast amounts of faith. Since Los that the Morningstar had caused the riots in order to
Angeles provides just that sort of power to any demon cover his tracks as he attacked the treacherous Earth-
willing to insinuate him- or herself carefully into the bound in response. Others claimed that the reverse was
existing mortal social structure, it is no surprise at all true in both cases. In fact, even police reports were
that the fallen have pounced on the opportunity. sketchy on exactly where, when and why the riots had
On a deeper emotional level, Los Angeles beguiles begun in the first place.
demons with the perception of more immediate re- Regardless of why they started, though, it is no
wards at the local level. Inheriting the impressions and secret why the Devil’s Night Riots ended. Late into
preconceptions of their mortal hosts, the fallen buy into the night, when the violence and destruction had
the notion that the citizens of LA are shallow, callous reached their terrible apex, the Morningstar himself
idolaters who are concerned only with what’s on the blazed forth into the night sky and glared down at the
surface. Such people, the fallen infer, are naturally city in judgment. He had lost none of the glory that
selfish, opportunistic and shortsighted and, therefore, the fallen remembered from the War of Wrath, and he
easier to manipulate into unfair pacts of faith. was visible for miles in every direction. News crews
Even those fallen who do not act on such assump- and amateur photographers captured the image as
tions still see the potential to harvest significant
amounts of faith in the City of Angels. Looking
beneath the glib media-augmented surface, they see YES, WE KNOW
the greed, envy, poverty, lust, illness, laziness and rage We know that there was no such event as the
that drives desperate mortals right into a demon’s so-called Devil’s Night Riots in the real Los Ange-
hands. Regardless of whether he wants to alleviate or les. We know that no earthquake measuring 7.2 on
exacerbate these emotions and conditions, an obser- the Richter scale rattled the real City of Angels’
vant demon can spot them in any major city anywhere bones in the recent past, killing hundreds and
in the world, yet they burn like a bonfire in LA wounding hundreds more. We know that nothing
especially. And not because LA is essentially different even remotely like a blazing rebel angel has been
from any other city on Earth, but because of what it has spotted or filmed over the Los Angeles skyline in
been through very recently. our real world.
ITS RECENT TRIBULATIONS By the same token, you know that the World
In the very recent past, Los Angeles has been of Darkness is not exactly our real world, but only
victimized by a twofold horror. In all its long history, one very much like it. You know that there are no
two types of uncontrollable dangers have plagued LA: demons walking the earth in soulless human husks.
destructive earthquakes and vicious riots. Yet, just You know that this is only a game about telling
recently, the worst examples of both combined forces in stories of horror and infernal glory with your friends.
8
FEAR TO TREAD
well, transmitting it all over the world before even the this court is quite different in outlook from the Infernal
first 24 hours had played themselves out. Lucifer Court. Nonetheless, it actually shares a ruling member
remained visible for only a few moments, but when he in common with that group, and two other opposing
disappeared, the rioting had sputtered to a halt, and members of those groups are like-minded lovers who
the latent and dormant faith of the people of Los maintain frequent contact. There is no outright hostil-
Angeles came alive once again. ity between these two courts as of yet, mostly because
the idea of two governing bodies claiming the same
LOS ANGELES NOW territory is such a bizarre concept to the fallen that they
As the events of Fear to Tread begin, some time do not quite know what to make of it. Members of both
has passed since the Devil’s Night Riots occurred. groups are working even now, though, to secure as
Electricity and running water have been restored to much power and eminence as they can as insurance
almost every neighborhood in the city (except those against the inevitable day when the courts come into
areas in which the lack thereof would be most suitably open conflict and must vie directly against one another
dramatic for your story). Much of the merely cosmetic for supreme influence over the city.
damage caused by the earthquake and the riots has
been cleaned up and repaired. News reports are begin- On top of this growing inter-court unease, the
ning to focus on the triumph of the human spirit as the fallen also have their regular inter-faction disputes to
city rebuilds those structures that were more seriously worry about, as well as simple interpersonal clashes
damaged, and movies about the inherent drama of it and one even more substantial issue. It is known (or
all are already in the works. Life in Los Angeles is widely suspected by the average fallen on the street, at
slowly returning to what passes for normal there. any rate) that at least two powerful Earthbound de-
mons exist and operate in Los Angeles, having had
But for many citizens of the City of Angels, life much more time and power at their disposal to effect
will never be the same again. Those who have lost their terrible, incomprehensible designs. Regardless of
loved ones, their homes or their property have been what faction one espouses personally, such consider-
changed forever in ways that they are only just begin- ations often take the hindmost when it comes to
ning to realize. The wreckage of once-familiar curtailing one of these mad beings’ dangerous plots.
landmarks, the omnipresent reconstruction crews and
the faces of other shell-shocked victims are inescap- For Fear to Tread’s purposes, the base assumption
able reminders of how their lives have gone to hell. is that the players’ characters nominally belong to one
Yet, for many survivors, their initial upwelling of faith of three camps. Either they are advocates of the
has not died down, and it is up to enterprising, oppor- authority of the city’s original Infernal Court (led by
tunistic fallen angels to make the best of this newly Baroness Kishar), they support the up-and-coming
discovered gold mine of potential. Provided, that is, Blood Court (led by Lady Anat), or they are unaffili-
that they hurry up and beat their rivals to it. ated fallen supporting the greater Cryptic faction in its
effort to establish a strong Cryptic presence in Los
THE POLITICAL CLIMATE Angeles (under the influence of one Lady Al-Lat and
The infernal political landscape of Los Angeles is her various secret agents). It is the responsibility of the
unlike any that existed before the rebels’ imprison- Storyteller and the players to come up with convinc-
ment in the Abyss, and it is unusual even in the ing reasons for why the characters have come together
modern context granted to the demons by their mortal as a functioning social circle, but each chapter will
coils. The Los Angeles that the fallen inhabit is one provide a range of reasons why that circle of demons
divided by two powerful courts and constantly rum- might be involved in the individual stories.
bling with the furtive schemes of those outside the For more information on the Storyteller charac-
purview of both organizations. The original court, ters mentioned here or elsewhere throughout this
known simply as the Infernal Court of Los Angeles, book, refer to Chapter Four. For more detailed infor-
has been in existence since the fallen first began to mation about Los Angeles, the two courts, the way an
return to Earth. At its head is Baroness Kishar, a infernal court actually functions or a host of other
straightforward Luciferan Scourge who prefers a face- interesting Storyteller characters who are active in
to-face fight over underhanded skullduggery. This the city, refer to Demon: City of Angels.
court has secured a significant power base in the city,
and it is largely considered the “official” court there. SETTING COUNTERPOINT:
A second group of fallen, however, led by the Fiend SHMITY OF ANGELS
known as Lady Anat, has brazenly established what she You might not have bought Demon: City of
calls the Blood Court of Los Angeles. Populated and Angels. You might never have been to the real City
governed largely by members of the Ravener faction, of Angels. You might not have even liked that
8
INTRODUCTION
movie, The Crow: City of Angels. For these or any are magnified to epic proportions by the very nature
number of other reasons, you might not especially of the ancient beings involved. Finally, this
want to tell a story that is set in Los Angeles (much chronicle is designed to raise the question of when
less a chronicle set there) with your Demon troupe. (if ever) one’s sense of loyalty must win out over
While this reaction is not ideal, it is understand- one’s sense of right and wrong.
able. (Especially where that Crow movie is Finally, the stories in this book are designed to
concerned. What was Iggy Pop thinking?) It should demonstrate the fact that there is a price to pay for
not, however, persuade you to give up altogether on every rash, intemperate act that a demon (be he
the stories in this book. fallen or Earthbound) might commit. While they
Although they are intended as tales of the diaboli- were hardly designed to be impulsive or flighty
cal denizens of the City of Angels, the three stories in beings, the act of giving angels free will to make
Fear to Tread can still (theoretically) occur in any their own choices opened the door to the possibility
major city of your troupe’s choosing. All you have to that they might make poorly informed decisions
do to port these stories over to a chronicle taking place without thinking through all of the subsequent side
elsewhere is read them (obviously), strip out the effects or consequences of those decisions. (Some
specific names of the Storyteller characters and loca- particularly bitter fallen argue that the decision to
tions mentioned herein and boil the plots down to rebel in the first place was such a one.) Adding to
their most basic elements. These stories are dramatic this liability the fact that demons have spent count-
and epic in their execution, but they are really built up less aeons simmering in their own frustration, hatred
from quite simple foundations that can support just and self-pity only makes matters worse (not to
about any structure that arises from the unique ele- mention the fact that the mortals to whom most of
ments of your game. them must anchor themselves in order to stay out of
Hell are not exactly paragons of enlightened ratio-
THEMES nal thought). Regardless of how long they have
As a supplement to Demon: The Fallen, it is been free, many demons, therefore, demonstrate a
incumbent upon this book to share the themes that frustrating inability to consider the long-term view
make Demon what it is. That being said, there are when laying plans or hatching schemes against
three overarching concepts that drive Demon and their rivals. Even when they do so, they tend to
that, consequently, are reflected here: freedom, faith overreact when some unexpected factor interrupts
and fanaticism. The fallen confidently declared open or threatens those plans.
rebellion against God because of their faith in the Such is definitely the case in the stories that make
Morningstar’s wisdom, and they were damned for that up the Fear to Tread chronicle, and it is up to clever
conviction. When they chose the darkness instead of characters to turn those errors into opportunities for
the light, the fallen were cursed and forever estranged themselves, their factions, their city and, possibly, the
from their creator. entire society of the fallen.
COMPLIMENTARY
But if they no longer fall under God’s purview,
does this not mean that they are free to chart their own
CHARACTERS
course now that they have won their freedom anew?
All God ever did was lay down the line between right
and wrong — it has forever been up to His creations to
choose what side of the line to stand on. Fear to Tread The following characters are all “starting-level”
explores these themes by presenting a host of Story- fallen angels that have been generated using the
tellers characters with strong ambitions and stronger character-creation system in the Demon core
convictions and giving your players’ characters the rulebook. These characters are useful for the Fear to
chance to take up arms with or against the Storyteller Tread chronicle, with a broad mix of personalities,
characters as the players choose. abilities and story hooks to carry beyond the chronicle
Aside from those general ideas, though, Fear to should you so desire. If you and your troupe want to
Tread independently explores the related theme of get started on Fear to Tread right now, photocopy
loyalty. It gives your troupe the opportunity to the character sheets, distribute the characters among
argue whether it is nobler to sacrifice one’s sense of your players, and let them familiarize themselves
propriety out of loyalty to another or to destroy a with these fallen and what they can do. After that,
powerful relationship over a conflict of ethics. It you will be ready to jump straight in — provided, of
also gives you and your players a chance to witness course, that you have read the stories beforehand and
the tragic consequences of betrayals whose scopes know how to run them.
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Prelude: When Lucifer raised his fist against Heaven, them. The hustlers were his flock, his followers, and he
you were there with him, sharing in his proud defiance. All managed them like a farmer manages his herd.
your existence, you had been a noble soldier of the Lord, a So why was he dead in an alley, then, with three bullets
prince among angels, but Lucifer’s gospel of rebellion spoke in his gut? You looked closer into his fading soul and found
so strongly to you that you turned your back on the Creator something that shocked you — a vein of human nobility
and became one of the fell nobility of the demon forces. hidden under the greed and cynicism. The cop had found out
In the earliest days of the war, you led from the front that one of his “resources” was a pedophile, involved in a
lines, marshaling demon armies beneath Lucifer’s ban- burgeoning kiddy-porn racket. When he uncovered the ring,
ner. Yet, as the War of Wrath continued, you began to he was offered a bribe to keep his mouth shut — but to his own
realize that you could do more from behind the scenes, surprise, he turned it down. Everyone has their limits, every-
using your powers of charisma and manipulation upon one has a core of humanity, and he realized that his role as
the biddable, subservient mortal masses. There was a society’s protector still meant something to him. He busted
time when you loved humanity — you went to war for the pedophile, but the pedophile rolled on him in return and
their sakes, after all — but as you became accustomed to exposed the cop’s history of illegal activities. Internal Affairs
controlling them, your love turned into casual contempt. got involved, and he was off the force before he knew what had
Humans were simply tools, weapons to be used against hit him. The only way he avoided prison was by taking three
the Creator. A stick to jab in His eye. slugs to the gut from another one of the criminals he had made
But Heaven won the war, perhaps inevitably, and a habit of threatening and abusing.
you and your compatriots were locked into the But now, that cop lives again — his face
prison of the Abyss. Using your gifts, you leveraged a mask for you to wear, his memories and
yourself into a strong position in the developing personality a library for you to plunder. He
power structure of Hell, all the while brooding no longer has the power of his position or
on the failure of the rebellion. Although you a flock of mortals ready to obey him — he
were loath to accept it, you eventually realized even had to leave town and find a new
that you had been wrong about humanity. Mor- place to start over. However, the cop’s
tals were still sheep — creatures to be used as rediscovered decency has infected your own
demonkind saw fit — but you had underesti- soul. You remember what it was to love hu-
mated the power and usefulness of their faith. manity, to be the Creator’s paladin, and these
Humanity’s belief in the Creator was what unwelcome memories will not let you be.
had given Heaven power, you realized. If Concept: You do not know what to do any-
you and the rest of the demons had been more. Your contempt for humanity has taken a
able to tap more of that faith, maybe you beating, and now, you vacillate between
would have prevailed. cynicism and nobility. You still plan to use
When Hell’s barriers opened a crack, the cop’s skills and abilities in much the
you escaped to the mortal world, deter- same way he used them; you still believe that
mined to bleed power from the faith of you can draw power from the faith of mortals. But
humanity. You felt the strength of a mortal soul — one who what will you do with that power? Grind humanity under-
saw other humans as tools and followers — and you took foot as you climb to the gates of Heaven or lead the mortal
control of that mortal’s body. For the first time in aeons, you flock into a new golden age? One thing is for sure. Between
looked upon the mortal world, and you rifled through the the cop’s enemies (who only know that he skipped town
memories in the brain of your new mortal host — a disgraced once his secret got out) and the invading forces of Hell, you
police officer without a friend in the world. face plenty of opposition in whatever you decide to do.
If there was a time when this man was an honest cop, it Roleplaying Hints: You are always looking for an angle
was a long time ago. Being honest didn’t get you shit. A smart and a way to control others. Sometimes, you use them for a
cop was one who was prepared to get his hands dirty and good reason — sometimes, you manipulate them for their
make deals, and this man was nothing if not smart. He had own good — but it is still your nature to play the puppetmaster.
been in Vice for eight years, and in that time, he had Your ability to manipulate others has made you arrogant and
managed to amass his own little empire. Dozens of dealers, cynical, but the world has a way of getting past your defenses,
pimps and thieves across the city paid him for protection and of shocking you with its beauty and horrors. When your
help, and some of them were foolish enough to think that veneer cracks, your old nobility shines through, and you
they owned the cop. He knew better, though — he owned might act altruistically before you can stop yourself.
10
8
INTRODUCTION
NAME: NATURE: ROGUE HOUSE: NAMARU

PLAYER: DEMEANOR: AUTOCRAT FACTION:
CHRONICLE: CONCEPT: VISAGE:
ATTRIBUTES
PHYSICAL SOCIAL MENTAL
Strength ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Charisma ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Perception ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍
Dexterity ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Manipulation (Con- ● ● ● ● ❍ Intelligence ● ● ● ❍ ❍
niving)
Stamina ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Appearance ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Wits ● ● ● ❍ ❍
ABILITIES
TALENTS SKILLS KNOWLEDGES
Alertness ●❍❍❍❍ Animal Ken ❍❍❍❍❍ Academics ❍❍❍❍❍
Athletics ●❍❍❍❍ Crafts ❍❍❍❍❍ Computer ❍❍❍❍❍
Awareness ●❍❍❍❍ Demolitions ❍❍❍❍❍ Finance ❍❍❍❍❍
Brawl ●❍❍❍❍ Drive ●●❍❍❍ Investigation ●●●❍❍
Dodge ❍❍❍❍❍ Etiquette ❍❍❍❍❍ Law ●❍❍❍❍
Empathy ●●❍❍❍ Firearms ●●●❍❍ Linguistics ❍❍❍❍❍
Expression ❍❍❍❍❍ Melee ❍❍❍❍❍ Medicine ❍❍❍❍❍
Intimidation ●●●❍❍ Performance ❍❍❍❍❍ Occult ❍❍❍❍❍
Intuition ❍❍❍❍❍ Security ●●❍❍❍ Politics ❍❍❍❍❍
Leadership ●●❍❍❍ Stealth ●❍❍❍❍ Religion ❍❍❍❍❍
Streetwise ●●●❍❍ Survival ❍❍❍❍❍ Research ●❍❍❍❍
Subterfuge (Lying) ●●●●❍ Technology ●❍❍❍❍ Science ❍❍❍❍❍
ADVANTAGES
BACKGROUNDS LORE VIRTUES
Contacts ●●●❍❍ Radiance ●●●❍❍ Conscience ●●❍❍❍
Eminence ●●❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ Conviction ●●❍❍❍
Influence ●❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ Courage ●●❍❍❍
Resources ●●❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
APOCALYPIC FORM FAITH HEALTH
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Bruised ❑
TORMENT Hurt -1 ❑
Permanent Injured -1 ❑
● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Wounded -2 ❑
Temporary Mauled -2 ❑
❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Crippled -5 ❑
WILLPOWER Incapacitated ❑
● ● ● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ EXPERIENCE
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
11
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Prelude: Rage. Anger. Hate. These are the emo- lives or end up with his skull cracked open. She then
tions that drove you in the earliest days — and beyond. dropped out of school and started stealing cars to support
You still remember the glorious destruction of the War her mother and little sister. Plenty of punks with flash
of Wrath, how you took on the hordes of the Creator, cars and big guns tried to get into her pants, but she sent
ripping loyalist angels apart with sword and claw. The them all packing — and when a couple of them tried to
Morningstar’s rebellion was your spiritual awakening, a press the issue, they ended up in the emergency room.
chance to channel the force of your impulsive fury into Anger fueled your host, kept her going past every
a worthy cause. You would liberate your beloved hu- obstacle — nothing was going to stop her, nothing
manity and overthrow God the Dictator. could stand against the force of her rage. Until she lost
But the Host of Heaven won the war and banished control of a stolen Lexus in the middle of a high-speed
you and your fellow rebels to the unending torment of chase and flipped the car off an overpass. Dying in the
the Abyss. All your righteous anger was for naught, and wreckage, her last feelings were not regret or fear, but
the frustration of imprisonment almost destroyed you. fury — fury at herself for failing, fury at the cops who
Then came the revelation that Lucifer had not been had finally beaten her. That fury was your doorway into
confined to Hell, and you knew that you had been her soul, the key to your release from Hell.
betrayed. The great leader of the rebellion had aban- But under the rage was something else, something
doned his followers, gone back to repent bravery and sit you had forgotten aeons ago. Love — love for your host’s
in the lap of the Lord. When you realized this, the mother, her little sister Maria — and a need to
flickering flame of your anger erupted into a protect them from harm. Crawling from
white-hot inferno of hate. the wreckage and fleeing instinctively
For untold ages, you raged in Hell, from the police as you put your new
consumed by a fury that would not die. All body back together, you tried to come
you have desired for countless aeons is to grips with this new feeling, to make
destruction — a fiery, violent end to this sense of this strange and wonderful new
universe of betrayal and frustration. When world. Grand destruction is no longer
the walls keeping you in Hell weakened, you an option. Not in this body, not in this
burst forth in your rage, eager to wreck unimag- world that could finally soothe the pain
inable havoc on reality. Sensing a weakening and rage that you have known for so long.
mortal soul that was itself consumed by anger For the first time, you feel hope. And if
and rage, you flooded into the mortal’s body, anyone jeopardizes that hope, you’ll tear them
expecting to be inhabiting a powerful, bloodthirsty limb from limb.
warrior. Concept: You are a savage, bestial war-
Instead, you found yourself possessing a rior who does not know the meaning of
16-year-old girl who was dying in a car fear. But now, you have also become a
crash. determined, independent teenage car thief
The girl you possessed was a high-school dropout, who wants to help her family. Hell is boiling
a carjacker and a child tempered by the extremes of rage over, and instead of leading the forces of darkness, you
and self-pity. All her life, the cards had been stacked have to stand against them to protect your mother and
against her. Born in the slums, her family lived in a tiny sister. Doing that is going to take more than anger and
apartment that even swine would not find acceptable. Her muscle — you are going to need help from others, as
father drank what little money he made, and he punished much as it galls you to admit it.
his family for his own failures. He beat his wife so hard that Roleplaying Hints: You are always angry, always
she ended up crippled for life. All that your host had to ready to lash out at anyone and anything that gets in
look forward to was getting knocked up by some younger your way. Slowly, though, you are beginning to realize
version of her father and becoming just like her mother — that violence and rage are not the only solutions, that
dead inside before she hit 20. there are other possibilities, other ways to feel. Besides,
Fuck that. Your host had one weapon — anger. She you were a warrior once, rather than just a simple-
refused to accept a destiny of shit, and she fought back minded engine of destruction. There is something to be
from a bottomless well of rage and frustration. At age 14, said for self-control in the heat of the moment. Unfor-
when her father tried to hit her again, she broke his hands tunately, too often, you have realized this fact after
with a baseball bat. She told him to fuck off out of their smashing things to pieces. If you can just control your
impulses, maybe you can build a better life for your
12 family and even find a purpose to your new existence.
8
INTRODUCTION
NAME: NATURE: SURVIVOR HOUSE: RABISU

PLAYER: DEMEANOR: BRAVO FACTION:
ATTRIBUTES
Strength ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Charisma ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Perception ● ● ● ❍ ❍
Dexterity (Quick) ● ● ● ● ❍ Manipulation ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Intelligence ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍
Stamina (Tough) ● ● ● ● ❍ Appearance ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Wits ● ● ● ❍ ❍
ABILITIES
Alertness ●❍❍❍❍ Animal Ken ❍❍❍❍❍ Academics ❍❍❍❍❍
Athletics ●●●❍❍ Crafts ❍❍❍❍❍ Computer ❍❍❍❍❍
Awareness ❍❍❍❍❍ Demolitions ❍❍❍❍❍ Finance ❍❍❍❍❍
Brawl ●●●❍❍ Drive ●●●❍❍ Investigation ❍❍❍❍❍
Dodge ●●❍❍❍ Etiquette ❍❍❍❍❍ Law ❍❍❍❍❍
Empathy ❍❍❍❍❍ Firearms ❍❍❍❍❍ Linguistics ●●❍❍❍
Expression ❍❍❍❍❍ Melee ●●❍❍❍ Medicine ●❍❍❍❍
Intimidation ●●●❍❍ Performance ❍❍❍❍❍ Occult ❍❍❍❍❍
Intuition ●❍❍❍❍ Security ❍❍❍❍❍ Politics ❍❍❍❍❍
Leadership ❍❍❍❍❍ Stealth ●●❍❍❍ Religion ●●❍❍❍
Streetwise ●●❍❍❍ Survival ●●❍❍❍ Research ❍❍❍❍❍
Subterfuge ●❍❍❍❍ Technology ❍❍❍❍❍ Science ❍❍❍❍❍
ADVANTAGES
Allies ●●❍❍❍ Flesh ●●❍❍❍ Conscience ●●❍❍❍
Contacts ●●●❍❍ Fundament ●❍❍❍❍ Conviction ●●❍❍❍
Eminence ●❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ Courage ●●●❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Bruised ❑
TORMENT Hurt -1 ❑
● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Wounded -2 ❑
❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Crippled -5 ❑
● ● ● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ EXPERIENCE
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
13
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Prelude: Secrets have always enthralled you, ever or government records, it was all the same — if it was
since the Creator spun you into existence. You moved forbidden, she wanted to know all about it. If she had a
through the heavens, guiding the motion of the stars preference, it was for the offbeat — conspiracy theories,
and planets, and you looked down upon the world UFO sightings, the occult. She didn’t actually believe in
below. You spent your time wondering what mysteries any of that crap, but it sure was funny.
were hidden in the hearts of humanity and why God It stopped being funny when she stumbled across
saw fit to keep angels and mortals separate. When traces of an occult conspiracy in her own city. Maybe it
Lucifer rebelled, you joined his cause, hoping that you wasn’t real, but some people certainly thought it was, and
would learn the answers to the secrets of Creation. they were into some serious shit. Crime, murder, monsters
Instead of learning secrets, though, you found yourself — something was going on. Your host kept pushing, trying
creating them. In an attempt to separate humanity from to find the connections — and she found that the cult had
their celestial guardians, you sent plagues of visions and members in the media, the police and local government.
nightmares to mortals. With dreams and curses, sorcery and The cult also had its own computer users, and your host
lies, you taught humanity to fear, and that fear drove a made the mistake of not covering her tracks. She was still
wedge between mortals and angels. It all aided the war at the computer when the cultists burst through the door
effort, of course, but it was not what you had hoped for, and and kidnaped her. A few hours of terror and torture later,
your soul withered and grew cold with disappointment. she was stripped naked and anointed in blood over a
And in the end, it was all for naught — the blasphemous alter, and her still-living body
demons lost the war and were sentenced was dumped for live burial in a landfill.
to an eternity in the Abyss. Yet, this Now, you have immersed yourself in
ignominious defeat brought back mys- this victim’s memories, trying to under-
tery in the form of the question of stand the impossible marvels of modern
what had happened to Lucifer and technology. But in the process, her per-
why the Creator had allowed the sonality has bled into yours, her decency
war to progress as it did. It took and joy for life contaminating your
aeons before you took note of these demonic anger and urges. Once, you
mysteries, but they were enough to thought that you were meant to de-
tear you from your depression and mis- stroy this world, but that notion
ery and give you the promise of purpose horrifies you now. Instead, you want
again. to explore all of its secrets — and in
Now, Hell’s walls have weakened the process, find out the truth about
and allowed you the chance to look the Creator’s plans.
for answers in the mortal world. Concept: You never truly en-
Your soul leapt from the Abyss, joyed tormenting humanity with
homing in on a mortal soul that curses and nightmares, and now,
knew a hunger for secrets and for- the idea holds even less appeal for
bidden knowledge. When you opened your eyes, you you. All you want to do now is use this wonderful
found yourself naked and brutalized, in the process of “computer” to find out more about the world. But if the
being buried in a shallow grave. Reeling from the shock full forces of Hell return, there will be no world to explore
of being incarnate again, you escaped using your de- — especially if they are anything like the monstrous
monic gifts and tried to decipher the thoughts of the shell Earthbound. You are on the lookout for allies and follow-
you wore. ers to fight the darkness — and also to protect others
Your mortal host, it seemed, had spent her life from monsters like the cultists that killed your host.
consumed by curiosity, always wanting to know why and Roleplaying Hints: You love a mystery — or more
how and where. She could have become a scientist or a precisely, you love solving mysteries. You are consumed
doctor, but that was way too respectable and boring. with curiosity about anything and everything, although
Instead, she ended up as a hacker. Oh sure, the business you have learned to hide that curiosity — mortals get
card said “Web Designer,” but that was just the day job. suspicious when people ask questions that should be
After hours, she roamed the world from her computer, “obvious.” Modern technology is particularly fascinating,
always looking for something new and interesting. as is the occult. There are great things to be learned, so start
Whether it was a preview of the new summer blockbuster poking your nose into other people’s business now.
14
8
INTRODUCTION
NAME: NATURE: ADDICT HOUSE: NEBERU

PLAYER: DEMEANOR: BON VIVANT FACTION:
ATTRIBUTES
Strength ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Charisma ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Perception ● ● ● ❍ ❍
Dexterity ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Manipulation ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Intelligence ● ● ● ❍ ❍
Stamina ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Appearance ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Wits (Quick Thinker) ● ● ● ● ❍
ABILITIES
Alertness ●●●❍❍ Animal Ken ❍❍❍❍❍ Academics ●❍❍❍❍
Athletics ❍❍❍❍❍ Crafts ❍❍❍❍❍ Computer (Hacking) ●●●●❍
Awareness ●●●❍❍ Demolitions ❍❍❍❍❍ Finance ●❍❍❍❍
Brawl ❍❍❍❍❍ Drive ●❍❍❍❍ Investigation ●❍❍❍❍
Dodge ❍❍❍❍❍ Etiquette ●❍❍❍❍ Law ❍❍❍❍❍
Empathy ❍❍❍❍❍ Firearms ❍❍❍❍❍ Linguistics ❍❍❍❍❍
Expression ❍❍❍❍❍ Melee ●❍❍❍❍ Medicine ❍❍❍❍❍
Intimidation ❍❍❍❍❍ Performance ❍❍❍❍❍ Occult ●●●❍❍
Intuition ❍❍❍❍❍ Security ●●❍❍❍ Politics ●❍❍❍❍
Leadership ❍❍❍❍❍ Stealth ●❍❍❍❍ Religion ❍❍❍❍❍
Streetwise ❍❍❍❍❍ Survival ❍❍❍❍❍ Research ●●●❍❍
Subterfuge ❍❍❍❍❍ Technology ●●●❍❍ Science ❍❍❍❍❍
ADVANTAGES
Contacts ●●❍❍❍ Patterns ●●❍❍❍ Conscience ●●❍❍❍
Legacy ●●❍❍❍ Humanity ●❍❍❍❍ Conviction ●●●❍❍
Paragon ●●❍❍❍ Portals ●❍❍❍❍ Courage ●❍❍❍❍
Resources ●●❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Bruised ❑
TORMENT Hurt -1 ❑
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Wounded -2 ❑
❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Crippled -5 ❑
● ● ● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ EXPERIENCE
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
15
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Prelude: Everything in the world used to be won- in Hell — and now, you have escaped. Now, you have
derful, when you and your momma lived in the country found a home inside a mortal shell — but this poisoned mind
and worked in the truck stop. But the Poison Radio is so hard to live in….
Men kept putting things in your food, in the air, and Momma went to Heaven while you were in the
they poured the bad wisdom into Momma’s ear. She Nuthouse, and there was no one to stop the Poison
started spending time with Joe Tonklin, the truck stop Radio Men from tormenting you. They beat you, tor-
owner — but he was really the leader of the Poison tured you, watched you. They always watched you,
Radio Men. You saw him unzip his face, saw him waiting for a sign of weakness, waiting for you to tell
whispering his death song to the truck stop customers, them where Joe Tonklin was. But you were strong, you
saw him for the evil thing he was. You tried to tell knew they were watching, and you fought them back.
Momma, but she wouldn’t believe it. The bad wisdom You kept your things in a shopping trolley, you boiled
made her deaf to you, turned her eyes inside out. So your water seven times before drinking, and you kept
you laid a trap for Joe Tonklin. You trapped him in the your toenails in your pocket so they couldn’t steal your
kitchen and put him in the freezer, where his death DNA. They kept beating you, hurting you, hounding
song would be covered in ice. You saved Momma, but you across the country and beaming bad thoughts into
for that, they put you in the Nuthouse. your head. But they couldn’t make you tell — not even
No, that’s not right. You’re not that man. That’s just a when they sent a bad man to hit you with a car
false memory, something to ignore. You remember the and make you dead. You couldn’t run
truth. You remember the face of God. You remember anymore, but you would never tell.
the ages of guiding the winds, of breathing life into You thought this mortal body
the sick and afflicted. Then came the rebellion, would be a perfect host. But there’s
Lucifer’s call for freedom, and the promise of being something wrong with his mind, with
able to touch and love the humans you had watched his body, and not even your healing
over for so long. powers can fix it. You’re sure there
No, the Nuthouse is supposed to be for are no Poison Radio Men — at
crazy people — that’s what Momma always least, most of the time you’re sure.
said. But you know you’re not crazy. Actu- Maybe your host is being pursued by
ally, the Nuthouse was a prison, and you powerful enemies that poison his food and his
know who was behind it — the Poison mind. You can’t be sure because it’s so hard to
Radio Men, the evil things that watched stay focused sometimes. What matters is bring-
you at night and lived in the airwaves ing Paradise, to save precious humanity from God
between the CB radios. They had and Hell and Joe Tonklin. Wait….
turned Momma against you, and Concept: Are you a demon in the
they kept you in the Nuthouse so body of a schizophrenic or a schizo-
you couldn’t fight them anymore. phrenic who thinks he’s a demon?
Oh, the Nuthouse was a bad place How can you be sure? Sometimes, you
and no mistake. They made you take feel clear and focused, and you know your
pills that grew mushrooms inside your mind. They purpose — but sometimes, the clouds form in your mind
hooked you up to the power lines and tried to fry your again when you aren’t concentrating on your mission.
insides. They even tried to put a Poison Radio Man In time, you’re sure you can work it out, but maybe you
inside you, but you fought them off. You bit the tip of don’t have much time.
your tongue off and drove the evil away with your own Roleplaying Hints: You’re an erratic, irrational
blood. They watched you every day, but you never mess from time to time, buffeted by random thoughts
stopped fighting. In the end, they had to let you go. and unfocused paranoia. Even when your mind and
Concentrate, focus. Remember the agonies of the Abyss, purpose is clear to you, your host’s mannerisms and
remember the eternal prison that Hell was supposed to be. tics keep surfacing and getting in the way. You mutter
The tormenting void where you and all the other rebels were a lot, swear absentmindedly and occasionally have
exiled for the crime of loving humanity too much. Other small seizures and spasms. You haven’t bathed in a
demons became bitter and twisted by this punishment, but long time, and you’re beginning to suspect that other
you held on to your vision — the dream of a paradise for mortals expect you to — what else are you supposed
mortal and immortal alike. That dream kept you whole while to be doing?
16
8
INTRODUCTION
NAME: NATURE: VISIONARY HOUSE: ASHARU

PLAYER: DEMEANOR: DEVIANT FACTION:
ATTRIBUTES
Strength ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Charisma ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Perception (Intutive) ● ● ● ● ●
Dexterity ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Manipulation ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Intelligence ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍
Stamina ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Appearance ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Wits ● ● ● ❍ ❍
ABILITIES
Alertness ●●❍❍❍ Animal Ken ●●●❍❍ Academics ❍❍❍❍❍
Athletics ❍❍❍❍❍ Crafts ❍❍❍❍❍ Computer ❍❍❍❍❍
Awareness ●●●❍❍ Demolitions ❍❍❍❍❍ Finance ❍❍❍❍❍
Brawl ●●●❍❍ Drive ❍❍❍❍❍ Investigation ❍❍❍❍❍
Dodge ❍❍❍❍❍ Etiquette ❍❍❍❍❍ Law ❍❍❍❍❍
Empathy ❍❍❍❍❍ Firearms ❍❍❍❍❍ Linguistics ❍❍❍❍❍
Expression ❍❍❍❍❍ Melee ❍❍❍❍❍ Medicine ❍❍❍❍❍
Intimidation ❍❍❍❍❍ Performance ❍❍❍❍❍ Occult ●●❍❍❍
Intuition ●●●❍❍ Security ❍❍❍❍❍ Politics ❍❍❍❍❍
Leadership ❍❍❍❍❍ Stealth ●●●❍❍ Religion ●●●❍❍
Streetwise ●●❍❍❍ Survival ●●●❍❍ Research ❍❍❍❍❍
Subterfuge ❍❍❍❍❍ Technology ❍❍❍❍❍ Science ❍❍❍❍❍
ADVANTAGES
Eminence ●❍❍❍❍ Winds ●●●❍❍ Conscience ●●❍❍❍
Contacts ●●❍❍❍ Awakening ●❍❍❍❍ Conviction ●●❍❍❍
Paragon ●●●❍❍ Humanity ●❍❍❍❍ Courage ●❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Bruised ❑
TORMENT Hurt -1 ❑
● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Wounded -2 ❑
❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Crippled -5 ❑
● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ EXPERIENCE
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
17
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Prelude:Death comes to all things, and it comes at your love medicine, but he hated it instead. He wanted to help
hand. When the Creator fashioned you from the ether, He others, to heal the sick, but medical school was all dry
charged you with the duty of husbanding the plants and theory and pragmatic business. Above all, he hated the
animals of the world to their death, returning their essences pervasiveness of death, the bored way in which other
to the earth. As a Slayer, you were the least of God’s angelic students accepted death and mortality. When he had to
creations, and that hurt you, but you accepted your place in study cadavers and perform surgery on bodies, he became
the natural order, just as you accepted God’s decree that extremely depressed. He started drinking and skipping
humanity was to be protected from the touch of death. classes, wanting to drop out but unwilling to disappoint his
But Lucifer’s rebellion changed everything. The rebel father and possibly wind up disowned in the bargain.
angel sought to destroy God’s dictatorial hierarchy, to In the end, he did not have to worry about letting his
make all beings equal and to bring humanity fully into the parents down. No, in a twist of fate, his parents died in a car
natural cycle of life and death. Having spent ages suffering accident just weeks before his final exams. Grief ripped
the disdain of other angels and the pain of being separated him to pieces, left him tattered and hollow. Death was
from humans by the Creator’s laws, you embraced Lucifer’s inevitable, there was no escaping it, and all life was just a
doctrine of freedom. During the War of Wrath, you way of marking time before oblivion. Medicine was a joke
brought death to mortals and even (shockingly) to other — a pointless attempt to hold back the darkness, to deny
angels and demons. You saw horrors and atrocities, and the end that came to parent and child alike. The morning
your soul hardened to humanity’s situa- of his exams, he stopped trying to pretend
tion, but you never lost faith in Lucifer or that it was worth trying. He went to the
in the worthiness of his crusade. college’s morgue, sat down by the cadav-
Even still, your faith was not enough. ers and slit his forearms from his elbows
The demons lost the war and were im- right up to the heels of his hands.
prisoned in Hell. Other demons were This poor mortal’s memories have
consumed with doubt, anger and regret, rocked you to the core. For you, death has
but not you. Yes, you wondered where Luci- always been beautiful and necessary. You knew
fer was and wondered why the rebellion had that mortals feared it, but that never mattered
failed, but you kept believing in Lucifer’s to you. Yet, your host’s emotions feel like your
cause. Equality and justice — these things own now, and his pain has become your own.
remained worthwhile, even after an eter- You still have faith in Lucifer’s dream, and you
nity in the torments of Hell. have dedicated yourself to finding your lost
Then, the gates of Hell inexplica- leader and reviving the war against Heaven,
bly started to crumble, and you were but you will not see humanity used and
able to escape to the mortal world. abused as it once was, not any longer.
After ages of darkness, you wanted more Concept: You still believe that
than anything else to see the vital, death is important and necessary, but
living world that you once knew. In- you cannot be casual about it any-
stead, you opened your new eyes onto a scene of death — more. Now, you know that life is precious and should be
corpses stretched out on slabs, rigid and cold in a dimly lit protected. If Lucifer can be rescued, he can show humanity
room. The explanation lay inside the fading thoughts of the way and protect it against the misguided depredations
your mortal host who lay dying in a pool of his own blood. of the Earthbound and the rest of the legions of Hell. Your
This mortal, it seemed, had always been a moody, host’s wealth and knowledge will help you, but Lucifer has
introverted child. His family saw him as emotionally been missing for aeons. You will need help in finding him
distant, unknowable, unlovable. In truth, he adored his and in stopping Hell’s invasion plans.
family, but he had never been able to express those feelings. Roleplaying Hints: People see you as uncaring and
He was always frightened of being seen as weak and distant, but that simply is not true. You just do not know
unworthy. He grew up in luxury — courtesy of his parents’ how to communicate with people, so you stay quiet
wealth and influence — but he always felt apart, unable to most of the time, preferring not to attract attention.
breach the barriers between himself and his loved ones. Inside, though, you care about people and the world,
Eventually, he went to college to study medicine — and the urge to do something overwhelms you some-
partially because of his intelligence, but mostly because he times. When it does, you have to speak, to act — only
wanted to impress his doctor father. He thought he would to retreat afterward, embarrassed and shy again.
18
8
INTRODUCTION
NAME: NATURE: CAREGIVER HOUSE: HALAKU

PLAYER: DEMEANOR: LONER FACTION:
ATTRIBUTES
Strength ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Charisma ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Perception ● ● ● ❍ ❍
Dexterity ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Manipulation ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Intelligence (Brilliant)● ● ● ● ❍
Stamina ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ Appearance ● ● ● ❍ ❍ Wits ● ● ● ❍ ❍
ABILITIES
Alertness ❍❍❍❍❍ Animal Ken ●●❍❍❍ Academics ●●❍❍❍
Athletics ❍❍❍❍❍ Crafts ❍❍❍❍❍ Computer ●❍❍❍❍
Awareness ●❍❍❍❍ Demolitions ❍❍❍❍❍ Finance ●●❍❍❍
Brawl ❍❍❍❍❍ Drive ❍❍❍❍❍ Investigation ❍❍❍❍❍
Dodge ❍❍❍❍❍ Etiquette ●●●❍❍ Law ❍❍❍❍❍
Empathy ●●❍❍❍ Firearms ❍❍❍❍❍ Linguistics ❍❍❍❍❍
Expression ●❍❍❍❍ Melee ❍❍❍❍❍ Medicine ●●●❍❍
Intimidation ❍❍❍❍❍ Performance ●●❍❍❍ Occult ❍❍❍❍❍
Intuition ●❍❍❍❍ Security ❍❍❍❍❍ Politics ●●❍❍❍
Leadership ❍❍❍❍❍ Stealth ❍❍❍❍❍ Religion ●❍❍❍❍
Streetwise ❍❍❍❍❍ Survival ❍❍❍❍❍ Research ●❍❍❍❍
Subterfuge ❍❍❍❍❍ Technology ●●❍❍❍ Science ●❍❍❍❍
ADVANTAGES
Influence ●●❍❍❍ Death ●❍❍❍❍ Conscience ●●●●❍
Legacy ●●❍❍❍ Realms ●❍❍❍❍ Conviction ●●❍❍❍
Paragon ●●❍❍❍ Spirit ●❍❍❍❍ Courage ●●❍❍❍
Resources ●●●❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍ ❍❍❍❍❍
● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Bruised ❑
TORMENT Hurt -1 ❑
● ● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Wounded -2 ❑
❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ Crippled -5 ❑
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ EXPERIENCE
❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ ❏
19
8
FEAR TO TREAD
20
8
INTRODUCTION
PLAYERS, BE WARNED
This book is nominally intended for the Storyteller’s eyes only. It contains Trait ratings
and motivations for the bad guys, as well as all of the intricacies and secrets of the plot.
Being a book of stories, it kind of has to, and there is no way to hide them from you should
you read further.
So, if you want to buy this book (or you already have) because you like what you
have seen of Demon: The Fallen thus far, we are certainly not going to stop you. Hey,
more power to you, frankly. Just remember that knowing how the plot plays out before
you even begin the game might take some of the fun out of it for you. But even if being
thus informed beforehand actually adds to your enjoyment, still keep in mind that
your fellow players (and your Storyteller) might not feel the same way. In short, all
we have to say is, try not to blow the surprises for the others, try not to steal your
Storyteller’s thunder, and try not to hog the spotlight. That way, everybody gets to
enjoy the game as much as you do.
21
8
FEAR TO TREAD
22
8
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER ONE:
SUFFER THE
CHILDREN
They worshiped their idols, which became a snare
to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters
to demons.
—Psalm 106: 36-37
INTRODUCTION unless they find some fetter to which to anchor

themselves in the physical world. Those demons who
One of the main problems with the way in which are fortunate enough to be able to find an anchor
the fallen are reborn into the physical world in these within a suitable mortal host and resist the pull of the
days so near the End Times spoken of in the book of Abyss must usually do so out of desperate necessity,
Revelation is that the process is so random and incon- rather than any conscious, rational decision. On top
venient. Not every demon in the Abyss is able to of that, the lingering memories and emotional con-
force himself through the cracks in that prison’s vast nections of the demons’ mortal hosts have a tendency
gate. Some are simply too large and powerful to fit. to override and even supplant the demons’ personali-
Not every demon who is able to get through is willing ties, as well as their memories of who they once were
or motivated to do so. Perhaps their spirits are too in the earliest days of their glory. Therefore, the
badly broken by their defeat in the War of Wrath, fallen return to this world weak, confused and widely
their apparent betrayal by their erstwhile hero Luci- separated by the circumstantial vagaries of their
fer or even the recognition of how degraded and mortals hosts’ soulless lives.
pitiful they have become since the glorious first days The only alternative to this unforeseeable pitfall
of their rebellion. Not every demon who does try to in the process of returning to Earth is one that was
escape is able to remain free for long. By the Creator’s discovered centuries ago by the five archdukes of the
design, the inexorable spiritual gravity of the Abyss Abyss. When they disappeared from the Abyss after
pulls these escapees back down into their prison having been summoned to the physical plane by
23
8
FEAR TO TREAD
powerful sorcerers — much to the surprise of their behest of a villainous Earthbound monster. In fact, one
comrades who were left behind — they found a way to such student is scheduled to be replaced as soon as
anchor themselves either to objects or to physical possible. Discovering what’s going on and realizing that
locations that had been of great significance to them. their timetable is limited, it is up to the characters to
Within these reliquaries or bastions, these fallen (as confront those who are behind this operation and deal
well as those who followed them in the same manner with them appropriately.
over the intervening centuries) were safe from the
spiritual gravity of Hell, but their freedom came at a STORYTELLER CHARACTERS
terrible price. Despite their incredible power — which While not all of these characters are highly influ-
had been diluted not one iota by having to mingle with ential movers and shakers in the Los Angeles
a mortal host’s mind — they were rooted in place, Tri-County Area (even in fallen society), they all
unable to show themselves or even move about freely have parts to play in Suffer the Children. Some are
as they once had done when the world was young. intended simply to point the characters in the right
Furthermore, while the Earthbound (as they have direction should they become hopelessly confused
since come to be known) were not diluted by mortal about exactly what’s going on or should they find
memories or emotions, they likewise had no bulwark themselves at a loss as to how to proceed in their
in place against their roiling torment from a war lost investigation. You can skip over some of them if you
and a sojourn in Hell. As the years passed, they became find that your players’ characters don’t need their
insane, unpredictable beings so different from the holy help. You can also switch them out with Storyteller
figures they once were as to be all but unrecognizable. characters of your own design or from previous events
But what if a clever, enterprising demon found a in your own chronicle, if you so choose. You can even
way to make the best of these pitfalls so as to forward his supplement their roles further (if your players appear
own diabolical agenda? Even worse, what if that demon to be having a particularly dense evening) by having
was one of the Earthbound itself? That idea is the the Storyteller characters to whom the ones presented
premise of Suffer the Children, the first story in the Fear here are connected in Los Angeles’s greater infernal
to Tread chronicle. Coming together at the behest of society make brief appearances. Explanations of how
their demonic court, a visiting superior or even simple the various Storyteller characters are connected can
coincidence, the characters uncover a plot to destroy be found in the Storyteller Characters chapter of this
the souls of innocent children in order to make them book, and even more information is presented in
viable hosts for demons whom the perpetrator of this Demon: City of Angels.
crime can select at his leisure. And the perpetrator to • Mary Blacksmith. Mary is the counselor from
whom this scheme can be traced back is none other the Marshall Institute for Troubled Teens whose death
than Enshagkushanna, a mad Earthbound demon who kick starts the whole story (or even the whole chronicle
has taken up residence in Los Angeles. if you should decide to run Fear to Tread thus). While
she can hardly be an active participant in the events as
THE PLOT (IN BRIEF) they unfold, the characters would likely not even be
The opening scene of this story takes place offstage aware of the problem that is festering in their home
when a hardworking counselor at a school for troubled city right under their noses if it were not for her. Plus,
teens dies under mysterious circumstances. Those cir- it’s the effect that she has had on several of the
cumstances in question bear the unmistakable taint of students at the Marshall School that allows those
unholy interference, and an investigation begins into students to resist the depredations of those who wish
exactly who this woman was and what she could have to do them harm.
been involved in that was important enough to a demon • Fell Knight Ashur (AKA Jeff Black). This
to risk taking her life as it did. This investigation leads fallen angel is the once-lover of the tyrant of the
to an institute called the Marshall School for Troubled Infernal Court of Los Angeles, whose return to the
Teens (the victim’s workplace), where one of the stu- physical world inspired him to put aside his standing in
dents expresses concern over what has been happening the Luciferan faction in favor of the diametrically
at the school in recent months. She makes it clear that opposed Reconciler philosophy. It is because of this
her counselor discovered something dangerous and that sentimental leaning that he urges the characters to take
she believes that whatever that counselor discovered action. It is through the role of his host — a Los Angeles
resulted in her demise. Investigating further, the char- County sheriff’s deputy — that he becomes involved in
acters uncover what the counselor’s discovery only the mystery surrounding Mary Blacksmith.
hinted at — namely that certain students at the Marshall • Lo-ruhamah (AKA Dr. Katherine
School are being turned into hosts for demons at the Roggenkamp). It is from this unpleasant demon that
24
8
CHAPTER ONE
the first answers to the mystery surrounding Mary for his complicity will easily outweigh the tension and
Blacksmith’s fate come. Working out of the morgue of dread he must put himself through in the short term.
the Martin Luther King Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical • “Colonel” Henry David Vandermeer. The ring-
Center and relying on the expertise and assistance of leader of the diabolical conspiracy that is at work
her colleague, Bizjotha (AKA Dr. Ronni Parks), she behind the scenes at the Marshall School for Troubled
is able to state conclusively that demonic influence was Teens, Henry Vandermeer is the school’s new head-
responsible for Mary Blacksmith’s death. master. He is also a willing thrall to the powerful and
• The Speaker of the Fallen Tower. Two charac- dangerous Earthbound demon, Enshagkushanna.
ters occupy this lofty title — that of the senior minister
of the Ministry of Dust — in the opposing demonic INVOLVING THE CHARACTERS
courts Los Angeles, but for the purposes of this story, it As stated in the introduction of this book, Fear to
does not matter which one the characters come into Tread assumes that the players’ characters will become
contact with. If your characters represent the estab- involved in the stories’ events by coming from one of
lished Infernal Court, they will meet Lord Vohu Mano. three social circles. They are most likely supporters of
If they represent the more secretive Blood Court, they the Infernal Court of Los Angeles (headed by Baroness
will encounter Lord Vritran. Should they be indepen- Kishar), supporters of LA’s more secretive Blood Court
dent of either court, the characters likely will not (headed by Lady Anat) or independent investigators
encounter either one, though the possibility exists that working at the behest of Lady Al-Lat. (Corralling
they could wind up speaking to both separately. characters who are otherwise affiliated is up to you and
• Fell Knight Guanli (AKA Jeremiah Azevedo). your players, as is the means by which the characters
This officer of the Los Angeles Police Department is come to work together in the first place.)
also the senior minister of the Lion Ministry of the In this instance, however, it might not even matter
Infernal Court of Los Angeles. Depending on the char- exactly which group your characters belong to. The
acters’ loyalties, Guanli will either be involved in the event that starts this story rolling is a sudden upwelling
story indirectly at Fell Knight Ravana’s request, or it of infernal power so large that it’s hard to miss it. The
will be through him that Fell Knight Ravana is intro- fallen can detect and even locate such a surge naturally
duced into the story. with a Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 7). Should
• Fell Knight Ravana (AKA Mary Beth you be so inclined, you can make this roll for your
Holden). The senior minister of the Lion Ministry of characters reflexively or even simply declare the at-
the Blood Court of Los Angeles, Ravana either intro- tempt a success without requiring a roll. Regardless,
duces or is introduced by her lover Fell Knight Guanli. start the story by having an enormous flare of infernal
It’s her job to take direct action against perceived energy erupt near the characters’ location(s) and subtly
threats to her court, but she takes a personal interest encourage them to check it out.
in dealing with the situation at the Marshall School If your characters are members of the Infernal Court
for Troubled Teens. and they don’t respond to this prodding, have the
• José Matinalé. One of the students at the Marshall Storyteller character Fell Knight Guanli contact them
School, José has recently lost a friend and confidante in either by telephone or invocation. Have him explain
Mary Blacksmith. who he is (although they should already know well
• Alicia Rhowes. A friend of José’s and another enough) and tell them that he overheard a request on
self-described ward of Mary Blacksmith. She doesn’t his police radio for any available units to check out a
know exactly what’s happening in secret at the Marshall disturbing traffic incident in the city. He would have
School, but she knows that evil is afoot. However, she thought nothing of it, except for the fact that he felt a
has faith in God that help is on the way. surge of demonic power coming from exactly the loca-
• Maxwell Harris. A spoiled bully and a toady to tion where the incident reportedly took place at precisely
strong authority figures, Maxwell Harris is the student the time it was reported. (Allow the characters to
of the Marshall School who last spoke to Mary Black- confirm that they too felt the sensation he’s describing.)
smith. He is partially aware of what’s happening behind Then have Guanli tell them that since they were
closed doors at the school, but he’s unlikely to cooperate (conveniently) the only members of the Infernal Court
with outsiders. he knew of who were anywhere near the scene of the
• Edward Harvey. An administrator at the Marshall disturbance, he needs them to go and look into the
School and a longtime acquaintance of the school’s situation. If they resist, have him add that they are the
new headmaster, Henry Vandermeer. He is in on the only ones who responded to his attempted contact and
conspiracy with the headmaster, and the pressure has that the Ministry of Lions (of which he is the head)
begun to get to him, but he’s convinced that the rewards would consider their cooperation a favor.
25
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Should the characters be supporters of the Blood themselves. Several of the policemen are warning
Court, you can have almost exactly the same thing the interested onlookers to keep back, but no one
happen. Rather than have Guanli contact them, has yet strung up any sort of barrier. Fortunately,
though, have Fell Knight Ravana do so. Have her let none of the spectators appears to mind particularly
them know that she won’t be able to get out to the keeping their distance.
site of the event herself and that she would appreci- The scene doesn’t match the devastation that
ate it if they could take a look around and report to the Devil’s Night Riots or the preceding earthquake
her once they know what’s going on. Should they wrought, but it is gruesome nonetheless. The plaza is
resist, have her insinuate that the Ministry of Lions a ruin of scattered tables, damaged outdoor chairs
finds such unwillingness to cooperate on something and other detritus that looks like it was dropped in a
so simple disturbing and that that sort of bad impres- hurry. This trail of destruction ends abruptly at the
sion could have a way of making itself felt throughout base of the war memorial, where a mid-size sedan has
all the Blood Court. crashed into the monument. All that remains of this
If the characters are agents of Al-Lat, do the same car now, though, is a beetle-black shell that’s been
as you would have if they were supporters of the ravaged by fire. Scorch marks crawl up the face of the
Infernal Court, but if the characters resist, have Guanli memorial, as does a web of cracks. Should the char-
imply that Al-Lat would really appreciate their help. acters ask any of the bystanders what happened, they
As agents supporting a Cryptic character in pursuit of manage to garner the following eyewitness account:
a Cryptic goal, however, the characters should require Everything seemed perfectly normal until, suddenly, a
little (if any) such prodding. squeal of brakes came from the north road. People who were
SCENE ONE
in a position to see began to shout and scream as a greenish
light washed over the plaza and a mid-size sedan hurtled into
view, completely engulfed in flame. It looked like flames
were streaming out of the windows and trailing along behind,
THE but truth to tell, it was sort of a pale, sick phosphorescence,
CRASH SITE more like a chemical fire or “some kind of swamp-gas thing.”
There are any number of open spaces in this town, What you could see clearly through the windshield, though,
but surely, none is as attractive on a late summer’s was the driver of the car — her eyes wide open and her face
evening as the plaza before the old church of St. contorted in terror.
Michael. Its Victorian façade is silhouetted by the last The car mounted the curb and skidded across the
rays of sunset and the lights that have just now sprung plaza proper, plowing through tables and chairs like it
to life around the war memorial that a later generation would through a picket fence. The café patrons were
erected in front. Red umbrellas shelter the tables of the already screaming and running, so nobody got hurt.
open-air café. The air now is warm and filled with the Finally, the car skewed away from the café and slammed
aroma of coffee. This place is something of a cross- into the war memorial with the greenish flame still danc-
roads. Major streets lead in from the north and south ing around it. But as the driver, a tall black lady, started
of town, and a Greyhound bus station is set where they to climb out of the car, it looked for a second like the fire
loop around the plaza’s edge. was all on her instead of the car.
By the time the characters arrive, however, this Anyway, she started screaming something and look-
peaceful scene has been violently disturbed, and the ing at the church, but it was already too late for her. She
chaos arising from whatever happened is only now fell over the hood of the car, and the rest of it went up all
beginning to die down. Three police cars from the of a sudden like the car was made of wood instead of metal
LAPD are on the scene with their lights flashing but or something. It finished burning very quickly, the flames
their sirens off. A cruiser from the LA County turning back to a more natural color, and people started
Sheriff’s Department is parked away from the other making calls to 911. An LA County sheriff’s deputy
police cars. A fire truck is on the scene as well, and arrived first, and the LAPD, the fire truck and the
a team of firemen is lazily pouring water on the ambulance weren’t far behind.
smoldering wreckage of what used to be a car. An Once the speaker has finished giving this ac-
ambulance is on the scene, but its rear doors are count, others around him begin to helpfully correct
closed, and its attendant paramedics are just hang- him. “No, the gas tank was already on fire when the
ing out by the bumper with nothing to do. A growing car came through here,” one person says. Another
throng of people is milling about in a rough line, claims that it blew up after it hit the war memorial,
watching the firemen finish their work, pestering but that the driver never got out — she must have
the policemen or just talking excitedly amongst been thrown through the windshield. Yet a third
26
8
CHAPTER ONE
claims that the fire was never green in through the windshield.) The firemen
the first place. The more people who brusquely tell the characters to get back
chime in, the less like the original ver- and stay out of the way. If pressed as
sion the story becomes, until everyone to what happened, they say that
in the immediate crowd seems to have the fire appears to have been
rationalized what they saw into caused by a ruptured fuel line
something much closer to normal. under the hood. It didn’t
(As normal as a car careening spread far, but it burned su-
through an outdoor café and per-hot and extremely fast.
exploding can be, anyway.) In fact, it was mostly out by
The characters might also the time they got there.
wish to take a closer look at the The officers of the
car or talk to some of the emer- LAPD are the least helpful
gency personnel on the scene. A of the bunch. They pull
discrete character may be able to characters away from the
sidle up and overhear some of firemen, snapping at them to
the radio and other conversa- keep back and stay out of the
tion that is going on while the way. Should the characters
police and the firemen are busy. have gone to the policemen
They will hear that reports of a first to ask what happened, the
burning car have been coming officers snap at them that it isn’t
in from a range of several their concern. They shove the
blocks, suggesting that the car characters back, threatening
was burning for at least 10 them to stay out of police busi-
minutes before it reached ness. They refuse to answer
the plaza. How the driver any questions. Some of them
managed to pull this off are already taking state-
under such obvious duress ments from people who
is a mystery to everyone. actually witnessed the
Should any of the event, and they’re rolling
characters ask the para- their eyes as various wit-
medics what happened, nesses’ stories overlap and
they receive a shrug from conflict with one another.
one and a sneer from the As soon as the firemen are
other. The sneering one finished with the wreck-
says, “KKK barbecue,” age, a small team of
but doesn’t offer any- forensic investigators be-
thing else. His partner gins circling the car
looks aghast but has noth- snapping pictures, taking
ing helpful to say either. notes and generally pok-
Should the characters try ing around the scene.
to talk to the firemen,
they must wait until the DEPUTY
team is through spraying BLACK
water. When the spray Once the charac-
stops, the characters ters have been rebuffed
can see a charred and by the cops — or if
melted body stuck they’re just standing
across the scorched around looking like they
and warped hood of have no idea what to do
the burned-out car. now — the LA
(The body does not ap- County sheriff’s
pear to have ended up in deputy who first ar-
this position by traveling rived on the scene
27
8
FEAR TO TREAD
comes strolling up to them. He’s a decent-looking car was coming from and the information that came
white guy who tops six feet and 200 pounds, but he’s up when he ran her license plate, it seems likely that
scowling as he glances over at the war memorial. This Ms. Blacksmith’s doomed trip started there. If the
person has been seen in the company of Baroness characters agree to do so for him, Ashur gives them
Kishar of the Infernal Court many times since the Mary’s address (and directions thereto) and tells
baroness’s arrival in Los Angeles, so he is easily them that he’ll be in touch as soon as he finishes up
recognizable as the fallen named Ashur. The tag on at the scene. He tells them his Celestial Name if
his uniform reads “Black.” they don’t already know it, then asks for theirs if
If the characters are members of the Infernal they’ll give him permission to contact them via
Court, Ashur greets them as if he recognizes them. He invocation. If they refuse, he’ll settle for a cell-
might or might not call them by name, depending on phone number instead.
SCENE TWO
their Eminence or how much of an impression they’ve
made in LA already, but he treats them as respected
peers. If the characters are particularly notorious mem-
bers of the Blood Court, he approaches them grudgingly Between scenes, the characters can take the
but inexorably. If they are low-key members of the opportunity to discuss amongst themselves what
Blood Court or agents of Lady Al-Lat, he approaches they’ve seen and what little they know thus far
them warily but with no evident malice. Since he is a (especially if they spread out and checked out the
member of no court himself, Ashur should seem rela- crash site independently). They can also use this
tively at ease approaching the characters on an equal opportunity to report back to those fallen who might
fallen-to-fallen level. have set them to work in the first place. Guanli
Once introductions have gone around (however replies to members of the Infernal Court immediately
freely or grudgingly), Ashur implies to the characters and asks for any information they have gathered. He
that he knows what they are (if not specifically who) thanks them for getting involved so quickly and asks
and that he assumes that they are here for the same basic them to keep at it. He tells them that he’ll inform
reason he is. He felt the surge of demonic power mo- Lord Vohu Mano (i.e., the head of the Mortal Min-
ments before a call came over his radio. Fortunately, istry for the Infernal Court) and Lord Aglibol of
one witness managed to get the car’s license plate, and what’s happening but let the two know that the
a quick subsequent check has revealed that the driver of characters are working on the case right now. If the
the car was one Mary Blacksmith. He’s fairly certain characters are contacting Guanli as agents of Al-Lat,
that Mary was no fallen herself, nor was she a known or he takes some time to respond to them but thanks
suspected thrall or vassal to any Earthbound. She was them nonetheless. He also encourages them to keep
definitely a victim of one or the other, though, because, investigating. Lady Ravana informs members of the
although he didn’t see what happened, he knows that Blood Court who contact her that they should keep
this was no accident. investigating and that she’ll pass on the information
to Lord Vritran eventually.
Ashur then tells the characters that he invoked
Kishar and asked her to have someone come out and If the characters want to conduct their investi-
help him take a look into this situation. He hopes to be gation on the sly, so as not to give Mary’s neighbors
able to figure out what’s going on before too many more or any police who might happen to show up any
fallen get involved or before word of what’s happened reason to suspect that they were involved in Mary’s
gets around and ignites a panic in the fallen community. affairs, have the players roll Dexterity + Stealth. If
If he knows that the characters are Infernal Court any of them fail this roll — or if the characters make
members, Ashur asks them if Baroness Kishar sent no effort to be sneaky — make a note that one or
them. If he knows that they are not Infernal Court more of Mary’s neighbors happen to remember see-
members, or if they are and they tell him that it was ing them around Mary’s place the same night they
Guanli who asked them to check this situation out, he found out about the accident. Should any of the
sighs somewhat resignedly and asks them to help him characters’ players botch this roll, make a note that
out nonetheless. one of the neighbors notices that character (or
possibly all of them) skulking around Mary’s place
He’s going to be stuck at the scene for a while,
and looking generally disreputable, so she called the
he says, but he would appreciate it if the characters
police to report it. (This note should come into play
could check out Mary Blacksmith’s house for signs
only if the characters spend too much time dawdling
of whether or not she left any evidence there of
around the apartment complex or if they harass the
being involved with a demon. Based on the eyewit-
neighbors, though.)
ness reports he first received of where the burning
28
8
CHAPTER ONE
SEARCHING MARY’S HOUSE The characters’ players must succeed on a Dexterity

+ Stealth roll (difficulty 8) to avoid leaving any forensic
When the characters arrive at Mary Blacksmith’s
address, they don’t find any police or fire personnel evidence of their characters’ presence in Mary’s apart-
there just yet. The place is an apartment complex in ment. Make a note of any failed or botched rolls for
a so-so neighborhood, which has not yet had the time future reference.
to run down. It appears relatively undamaged by the
recent earthquake, and if any damage was done by
TALKING TO
Devil’s Night rioters, it has long since been cleaned MARY’S NEIGHBORS
up. Mary’s apartment is on the second floor, and the Talking to Mary’s neighbors isn’t especially help-
parking space out front with her apartment’s number ful. If the characters want to go knocking on doors
on it is empty. A Perception + Investigation roll, and asking for information, tailor the neighbors’
however, will reveal two very pronounced tire marks responses based on how civil the characters are. The
leading out of the space and away toward the street, most any neighbor can tell them (if they are either
indicating that Mary’s car either peeled out of here in polite and charming or they are able to play them-
a hurry or its tires were already heating up danger- selves off as police investigators) is that Mary was a
ously as she left. None of her neighbors are standing nice neighbor who never gave anyone any trouble.
around gawking or obviously waiting for the police, She was usually congenial, if somewhat withdrawn,
though, so her departure must not have caused too but lately, she looked like she hadn’t been getting
much of a spectacle. much sleep. None of them were aware that she’d left
Lending further credence to the idea that Mary recently, but some of them did hear a car leaving at
took off quickly is the fact that her apartment door is roughly the time at which Mary presumably left. (It
unlocked. Otherwise, though, there is little useful infor- wasn’t tearing out of there, though.) A helpful neigh-
mation to be found. She apparently lived alone, and by bor can also provide the information that Mary
the looks of the place, she didn’t spend much time here. worked at the Marshall School for Troubled Teens if
There are no obvious signs of a struggle or any indica- the characters haven’t discovered as much inside
tion that anything was burning when Mary left. Another Mary’s apartment.
SCENE THREE
Perception + Investigation roll reveals that no such
signs appear to have been hidden or disguised either.
Even a Perception + Awareness roll reveals nothing of
especial import except for a general emotional reso- The characters do not hear from Ashur until late
nance of distinct unease. the next morning. In the meantime, news of the
Mary kept a lot of memorabilia here, especially previous evening’s fatal (nearly disastrously so) acci-
drawings and trinkets made by children, and a lot of dent has already made it into the local papers and
books related to adolescent psychology. She has a local news broadcasts. It names the victim as well as
personal computer on a cluttered work desk, but it’s her place of employment. The police theory, it seems,
room temperature and coated in a fine layer of dust is that Mary Blacksmith was driving drunk and lost
from lack of use. Rooting around through her system control of her car, which subsequently exploded. An
reveals only some accounting software, a word pro- unnamed witness’s story corroborates this theory. A
cessor, several games and a dial-up Internet closed-casket funeral service is planned to be held in
connection. The only thing of particular note on one week, provided it doesn’t need to be postponed
the computer is that, according to her accounting as a result of an inconclusive tox-screen.
software, she was drawing a paycheck from a place Once the characters have had a chance to digest
called the Marshall School for Troubled Teens. this information, Ashur either calls them via cell
Random notepads or unused letterhead among the phone or invokes them directly, depending on how
clutter on her desk reveals the same, as well as the their previous encounter ended. He tells them that
school’s address. he’s eager to hear about anything they might have
In her bedroom hangs a beautiful calligraphic learned in their investigation last night, but he’s
rendering of the Ave Maria, together with a small discovered something on his own that he thinks
crucifix. The bed is unmade, and a set of discarded they might be interested in if they feel like continu-
nightclothes lies next to it. An open romance novel ing to help him look into this matter for their
lies on top of that. The rest of the room looks relatively higher-ups. He asks them to meet him as soon as
normal, as does the bathroom and her half-kitchen. they can down in the morgue of the Martin Luther
Whatever happened to Mary obviously didn’t start in King, Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical Center so they
her apartment. can see it for themselves.
29
8
FEAR TO TREAD
(Should the characters ignore this request, they the sensation of great infernal power that they all
might plan instead to check out Mary Blacksmith’s felt, they are sure that this woman was the victim of
place of employment. If they so choose, go ahead and a demonic assault.
skip to Scene Four.) What’s more, Bizjotha adds when Lo-ruhamah
winds down, they believe that they have an idea of
THE MORGUE which demon might be to blame. After all, when a
The medical center’s morgue is not a pleasant demon does something so significant, with so tan-
place to be. It’s lights seem just a little bit dimmer gible a result, he marks his victim in a subtly
than the lights in the rest of the hospital. People are identifiable way. The perpetrator here has done so,
few and far between, and those few the characters do and the results are disturbing. Although they cannot
see are somber souls with pale, drawn skin. They be sure, the two doctors believe that the damage was
don’t make eye contact or even stop to ask what the done by one of the two Earthbound who are presumed
characters are doing down here, even though it is to be active in the city. The doctors refer to these
probably obvious that the characters are not hospital Earthbound as “the Lord of Murder” and “the other
staff. The characters pass several locked doors and one,” lest even their casual reference invoke one of
find Ashur still in uniform waiting outside a door those two horrors’ notice. They can’t tell which
marked “Autopsy Room One.” Earthbound might be responsible, but they’re rela-
He greets them once more and warns them to tively certain that it was one of them.
hang onto their breakfast as he leads them into the In the pause that follows, Ashur asks the charac-
autopsy room. Inside, the body of Mary Blacksmith ters what (if anything) they discovered at Mary
lies naked and burned to a crisp on the examination Blacksmith’s place. Give them the opportunity to tell
table under a bright fluorescent light. A wheeled tray him that it didn’t seem as if Mary left her apartment in
of instruments stands next to the table on the far side, any sort of trouble, nor did it especially resonate with
and two women flank it, looking at the characters. a sense of Earthbound taint (provided one of the
Ashur introduces them as Doctors Katherine players succeeded on her Awareness roll). The only
Roggenkamp and Ronni Parks and explains that he thing they likely found of interest was the fact that she
asked them to take a look at the body for him. After worked at the Marshall School for Troubled Teens
another quick glance in their direction and a nod right up until the day she died. (If the characters didn’t
from them, he adds that their Celestial Names are find this out, Ashur himself or one of the doctors can
Lo-ruhamah and Bizjotha respectively. Bizjotha nods mention having caught it in the paper or on the news
respectfully, while Lo-ruhamah appears to be having earlier that morning.)
trouble not poking the burned flesh on the table At this point, have Ashur say that he has al-
before her. ready contacted Kishar, who has relayed the message
Ashur introduces the characters by the names he to her court’s head of the Ministry of Aurochs, Lord
knows them by, then asks Lo-ruhamah to tell them Aglibol. As it is the job of Aglibol’s ministry to
what she’s learned. She explains with a strangely check out potential threats to the court, Aglibol
misplaced glee that this body came into her morgue seemed the reasonable person to inform. Aglibol,
late last night when she was on her way out and that however, seems to think that the responsibility lies
the strangeness of it inspired her to begin her exami- with the Minister of Dust, Vohu Mano, and he
nation right away. By the end of the night, she had to won’t move on it. Vohu Mano, for his part is still
call in her colleague Dr. Parks from another hospital trying to get up to speed on the whole situation. Fell
for a second opinion. Working together, they made Knight Guanli (the Minister of Lions, whose job it
several key discoveries. As Lo-ruhamah points these is to act against threats to the court) seems willing
discoveries out, her finger idly brushes the dead woman’s to make a move, but Aglibol won’t allow it since he
skin and lingers there in contact. believes that Guanli’s ministry should only act with
First, the body shows no signs of trauma associ- his (Aglibol’s) ministry’s approval.
ated with the impact of the car accident, which belies According to Kishar, Ashur says, the Infernal Court
the police’s theory that she was thrown through the is more or less deadlocked against itself, and even the
windshield of her car. Second, there is no identifiable suggestions of the court’s objective Minister of the
trace in what’s left of her system of any drug that Dragon, Spentu Mainyu, are having no effect. There-
would have impaired her driving ability. Third, their fore, the characters have an opportunity to seize the
tests seem to indicate that her skin and internal initiative while the court spins its wheels (which has its
organs boiled and burned from the inside out, rather appeal to supporters of either court, as well as to agents
than the other way around. Coupling those facts with of Al-Lat). In order to do so, it would be best for the
30
8
CHAPTER ONE
characters to check out Mary Blacksmith’s Welcome to the Marshall School for
place of employment and sniff around for Troubled Teens. That’s the old-fashioned name
signs of Earthbound interference there. for a thoroughly modern facility that helps and
Meanwhile, Ashur will take what time he can protects both young people and our community 24
outside his regular duties as an LA County sheriff’s hours a day, 365 days a year. We keep the name because
deputy and look into Mary Blacksmith’s background we take pride in our long history of caring for young people
and family life to see if he can spot any signs of infernal at risk and in our beautiful historic buildings.
dealings there. At the same time, the two doctors will The Marshall School was originally the premises of
devote what time they can to trying to figure out the Aloysius Marshall Factory. The Marshall Factory’s
definitively which of the two Earthbound is responsible brickworks and tile kilns left their mark on many of the
for Mary’s death. fine buildings of this area. The site was refurbished and
first used as a home for orphans and destitutes in 1930 as
SCENE FOUR part of the charitable bequest of Miss Victoria Marshall to
the city. In 1995, the state ceded operation of the site to
Forewarned is forearmed in this situation, so it the Dodeca Corporation. We are now a privately run
behooves the characters to try to find out as much as juvenile justice center with full accreditation from the
they can about the Marshall School where Mary worked national authority.
before actually showing up and asking questions. The This center provides accommodations and facilities for
easiest sources of information to check include the learning and recreation in a secure environment. Young
Internet and the newspaper and magazine archives at people are housed in sex-specific, four-person rooms, to
the library. permit for both security and privacy. Our main facilities
are in the old factory building, but specialized training units
RESEARCH are placed around our park-like internal grounds. Staff
The following text may be found on the new supervision combined with proactive design and centralized
Marshall School website or in a pamphlet about the communications has given us an excellent record both in
school, which one can obtain from either the school or preventing internal incidents and unauthorized access to
LA’s temporary City Hall. the community at large.
31
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Our staff is a highly trained professional body, in- daughter, Victoria, was his sole heir and greatly given to
cluding fully qualified counselors and medical personnel charitable works. She died of pneumonia at the age of
who are on the grounds at all times. We have comprehen- 82. They are buried side-by-side in a local cemetery, and
sive educational programming run by experienced teach- both seem to have been utterly unremarkable in their
ers and trainers. Our programs are designed both to beliefs and habits.
address the offenses these young people have committed • The Dodeca Corporation — a company whose
and to provide the maximum options for their successful logo is a cute, blue dodecahedron — is a firm princi-
reintegration into the community at the completion of pally made up of human-resource specialists with
their sentences. Thanks to our private benefactors, we interests in juvenile-detention centers and facilities
have recently been able to institute an animal care pro- for the disabled all across the country. The company
gram, such as has been successfully developed in other does not appear to be in financial trouble, nor is
states. It has been inspiring to see the interest, motivation anyone suing it for anything notable at the moment.
and capacity to care our first trial group has demonstrated The Dodeca Corporation has long been a financial
when given responsibility for the well-being of a small, supporter of social programs for underprivileged
helpless creature. youths, and it has generously donated funds to local
There are many reasons that young people come to relief efforts in the wake of the earthquake and the
us, but all have lost their way in this complex modern Devil’s Night Riots.
world. The pressures placed on youth by natural disaster, • That fact that some residents of the school can
high unemployment, broken homes, abuse of drugs and earn day leave is listed on the school’s website. Older
alcohol and the tensions generated by ethnicity and gender students who are well behaved and demonstrate re-
are greater now than ever before. Every member of our markable improvement in their classwork can attend
staff considers it a personal duty to rise to the challenge of classes at the local college, and some shops and factories
helping these troubled teens. And I myself am proud to provide work experience for students with good records
have this opportunity to assist our community in this most who are also nearing the end of their stays at the school.
important of ways. What is not generally known but which can be deter-
—Headmaster Henry David Vandermeer, Lt. Colo- mined from the roster of “day leave” students on the site
nel, United States Army (retired) is that, in the past year, the number of such arrange-
Most of the following additional facts can be found ments has been declining.
elsewhere on the Internet, in specialist publications or • Complaints about the Marshall School (in-
in the archives of the local newspaper, as appropriate. cluding escapes or other disturbances originating
• Henry David Vandermeer, age 63, is a recently from within) as reported in local newspapers or the
retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Army. minutes of City Council meetings are pretty much
He was originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, born nonexistent for the past 10 years. Before that, trouble
to a wealthy family of small-goods manufacturers. He sprang up intermittently. As an example of such
obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard trouble, an old feature story on the smuggling of drugs
(specializing in Military History) before being ac- into the school and a report on two kids breaking out
cepted to West Point at the late age of 22. His career and showing up the next day at the public school they
in the military thereafter was distinguished, includ- attended before being sent to the Marshall School.
ing service in the Gulf War. After retiring, he became Each such incident inspired a flurry of letters from
active in the cause of underprivileged youth and local citizens about the desirability of having such a
spoke publicly on the topic. He was also an investor sink of youthful depravity in their midst. This pattern
in the Dodeca Corporation, which funded social continues back to the 1930s. The same sources may
programs for underprivileged youth. His activism also reveal that it was about 10 years ago that the
culminated in his moving to Los Angeles and accept- school underwent a major refurbishing project, con-
ing the position of headmaster at the Marshall School. current with a state-wide rethinking of
He lives at the school in the quarters traditionally juvenile-detention policy.
provided for the headmaster. • A complete list of the current staff and their
• The last headmaster, Dr. Peter Murgatroyd, died addresses is kept on record at both Dodeca (which
suddenly of heart failure about a year ago. He was 53 and manages the school’s human resources as well as
had held the position for eight years. helping to support it financially) and the Marshall
• The Marshall family itself is extinct. Aloysius School itself, but neither will just give it out. A little
Marshall, a respected businessman who originally had creative digging with a computer (i.e., hacking) will
the factory compound that is not the site of the school reveal this information upon a successful Wits +
built, died of a heart attack at the age of 65. His Computer roll (difficulty 7).
32
8
CHAPTER ONE
A successful hacker can obtain a complete list of Amanda is a large, blonde woman who works out in
staff members, along with names, home addresses and a local gym and is more than happy to tell her story over
vital statistics of all residents. She may also find some a banana and lecithin power smoothie. Vandermeer’s
intriguing specifications regarding the Marshall reorganization started out as a “rationalization” of staff,
School’s security system (most of which has only been but over about six months, he’d fired and replaced
installed since Vandermeer took over). This security everybody. The last few, including herself, were accused
system is a completely separate internal network with of making racist comments and asked to offer their
a redundant power supply. It can only be influenced by voluntary resignations in return for receiving full en-
someone gaining access to the school’s control room. titlements upon separation. The accusations were a
A password will give automatic access to the school’s load of tripe, she claims, but she found that the burden
network. Obtaining a password to the security system of proof was on her, and none of her dwindling list of
reduces the difficulty of a hacker’s roll to 6 and, of familiar colleagues stood up for her in the vain hope that
course, permits direct access to the control room. This they might keep their jobs. She managed to hang in
password is known only to Vandermeer, Edward Harvey there until the last of the replacements was hired, but
and Holden Brown, though. none of them even tried to get along with her, so she
eventually gave up the fight.
PERMANENT MARSHALL SCHOOL STAFF
Headmaster: Henry David Vandermeer RESIDENT LIFE
Chief of Staff: Melanie Magee The following information can be gleaned from
Chief of Security: Holden Brown literature the school has published, the Internet and
community-interest articles in the newspaper. The
Security Staff: A rotating roster of 24 men (8 on
school does not accept pregnant residents or those who
duty at any time)
are HIV positive. It is currently functioning at full
Administrator: Edward Harvey capacity of 72 residents; 60 male, 12 female. Their ages
Secretarial Staff: Alice Monroe, Evonne Yindel range from 12 to 18 years old. They are here for crimes
Head Counselor: Mary Blacksmith ranging from various drug-related charges to robbery
Counseling Staff: Carlos Juarez, Candice O’Dell, with assault to murder, with sentences ranging between
John Quick, Kelly Reynolds, Maria Ruiz, Christine six months and “until she shall attain legal age.” These
Sdoia, Marcia Tucker, Renee Van Duzer are the children for whom community service and
Doctor in Residence: Dr. Nikki Wu, MD home counseling were not an option.
Nursing Staff: Harriet Carter, Marian Davis, Marty Prohibited substances include alcohol, tobacco
Stapleton, Lois Winger and all non-prescription drugs (although tobacco is
Librarian: Rutgar Kralfesky tolerated in practice if the offender makes a respect-
Teaching Staff: Rudy Appleton (Current Affairs/ able effort to smoke, dip or chew tobacco out of sight
Geography), Barry Fink (Art/Personal Development), of the other students). Prohibited items include por-
Matthew Magee (English/History), Martin Hinchcliffe nography, military magazines and any kind of weapon
(Health/Physical Education), Yolanda Rüss (Computer or incendiary. Communication between residents
Studies/Science), Joanne Pinkerton (Computer Stud- and the outside world is supervised to make sure that
ies/Mathematics) it remains appropriate. Residents have the right to
• The fact that the entire security staff was make and receive phone calls and receive visits from
replaced by Headmaster Vandermeer upon his taking approved contacts unless they are in detention for
the job of headmaster at the school can be discovered some reason.
by more of the same hacking through Dodeca’s com- If a member of staff or security discovers inappropri-
puter records. (As it is handling the school’s human ate communication, say, between a resident and a
resource management, it is also handling the former character, they will interrupt and ask that the culprit
employees’ severance.) Most of those staffers whom kindly leave off, and no further access to the school will
Vandermeer let go when the previous headmaster be granted for a while. Attempting to smuggle prohib-
died were locals, and there is likely still some resent- ited substances or items into the school is also criminally
ment. Contacting a prior employee should not be actionable, although this law has only really been
difficult. Some have been taken on by local security applied to drugs in the past.
firms or have taken other jobs that Dodeca helped
them find. One who is especially willing to talk
RECONNAISSANCE
should the characters feel like tracking any of them As interesting as all this research may or may not be,
down is Amanda Halstadt. though, the characters are going to have to get a closer
33
8
FEAR TO TREAD
security booth stands just before that with a single

DAILY TIMETABLE guard manning the gate controls.
7:00 AM: Dormitory doors opened The school itself is actually quite a beautiful build-
8:00 AM: Morning assembly, doors onto the ing. Honey-colored brick runs between neoclassical
grounds opened sandstone carvings around the doors and windows.
Each assembly involves a full roll call of all Between the wall and the main building is a graveled
residents not known to be in the medical center or yard. The main door can be reached by steps, and on the
otherwise legitimately absent from the assembly. sandstone lintel is carved the legend THE MARSHALL
8:15 AM: Breakfast SCHOOL FOR TROUBLED TEENS.
9:00 AM: Morning program Approached from other angles, the school looks
12:00 PM: Midday assembly much more modern, although it is still obviously an
12:15 PM: Lunch institution. Where it has been indicated on the map,
1:30 PM: Afternoon program the brick fencing gives way to eight-foot-high security
mesh running between equally spaced metal supports.
4:30 PM: Free time
The top two feet of these fences are bent inward to make
7:00 PM: Evening assembly, doors onto the it harder to climb over from the inside, and they are
grounds locked edged with razor wire to make it hardly worth one’s
7:15 PM: Dinner while to try. Much of the interior is screened by trees
8:00 PM: Free time and shrubs that have been planted a good 30 feet inside,
10:00 PM: Bed check, dormitory doors locked but at certain points, one can catch glimpses of a grass
This schedule is a seven-day affair, although, lawn cut by concrete paths, a sports oval and various
on weekends, the program tends more toward rec- buildings that might be workshops and classrooms. A
reation and optional religious observances (which large brick chimney tapers up from a far corner. The
include televised church services and nothing else). chimney is clearly inactive and of the same vintage as
Resident programs are individually tailored to what the main block.
the counselor assesses as the child’s needs upon For more information on the grounds and building
entry. After breakfast, a typical resident might go to layout of the Marshall School, refer to “The Grounds
a remedial English class with Mr. Magee, followed and Layout,” which has been appended to the end of
by a discussion group on handling anger run by this story.
Counselor Blacksmith. After lunch comes the “Quit
For Life” meeting, then a reading group overseen by GETTING IN
a volunteer worker, followed by evening assembly Getting an initial look inside the school is actu-
and so on. ally quite easy. Tours will happily be given to reporters,
a sociology lecturer and her students or even a group
look at the school sooner or later if they actually want of architects interested in the facility’s design. Tours
to get inside and find out what’s really going on. will be run by the administrator, Edward Harvey.
The school occupies a single, large block of Characters who claim to be city officials in some
privately owned land in the northwest corner of a capacity — such as health inspectors or local govern-
run-down industrial park. Its nearest neighbors are ment bigwigs — will actually have more problems
an electrical substation, a national chain self- (aside from coming up with the requisite documenta-
storage facility and the concrete noise-breakers tion to support that charade if they are not actually
screening the freeway. The nearest evident civil- who they claim to be). All inspectors and other
ian housing ranges from middle-class suburban official visitors must schedule their visits well in
neighborhoods to low-rent apartment buildings. advance and are expected to produce ID.
This area is all but undamaged by the earthquake If one of the players’ characters comes up with the
and the subsequent riots. idea of applying for Mary Blacksmith’s position and
The first glimpse the visiting characters get of can put together a good backstory, this avenue of
the premises is the red roof of the main block approach will earn her a brief tour, as well as an
running above the front wall. The wall, six feet of interview conducted by Henry Vandermeer himself.
old, dark, weather-beaten brick, is an intimidating (It must be said that he has no intention of hiring
sight. When the characters get to the front gate, anyone except his own candidate, but he will conduct
they should be able to see the full façade of the interviews for the sake of keeping up appearances.)
school through a grid of Victorian ironwork. A Inspirational speakers and other community-
driveway runs up to and through this gate, and a minded people who want to work with the children
34
8
CHAPTER ONE
generally have to go through a vetting process and be SUPPLEMENTING THESE EFFORTS

accredited with an appropriate organization. However, These guidelines for finding out about the school
if the players’ characters come up with a really good and getting in are the baseline efforts that regular
idea, have them accepted and scheduled to appear human beings might employ. Your characters, however,
immediately. Just remember, though, that this is a are likely not exactly regular human beings. Clever
tough audience! fallen angels can probably think of ways to use their
Pretending to be a relative or lawyer who’s come evocations to shortcut a great deal of this work and skip
to visit one of the residents requires the character(s) to around in the story. Should they manage to do so, feel
have made contact with a resident who is willing to free to skip around in this chapter yourself and pick out
play along. As the character’s name is not on the the information that the characters have discovered.
SCENE FIVE
approved contact’s list, it will also require some good
bluffing or a forged letter. Information about the
residents and their families is strictly confidential and
held by the school and the courts in the utmost The characters have gathered information and may
security, but it can be obtained illegally with a Wits + have made initial forays into the school. Now, they
Computer roll (difficulty 9). Visits are restricted to the have arranged to enter the facility as a group or decided
interview rooms. to just break in.
If a character should have the body of a child, you Should they have arranged for a tour, they are
probably ought to discourage any attempts to have buzzed in through the front gate by the security guard
her intentionally committed to the school as a and met in the front lobby by Edward Harvey. Harvey
troubled teen. The storytelling reason you do not is a doughy, middle-aged man with thinning hair and
want this to happen is that it would split the group, thick-rimmed glasses. He seems somewhat reserved and
giving practically all the action to one character who even withdrawn around strangers, but he seems neither
would thus be in extreme danger. Fortunately, prac- nervous nor afraid like he would if her were painfully shy
ticality is on your side as well. Point out that the (or hiding something). He ushers his guests into his
period that would need to elapse from the child office and tells them a little bit about the school and the
character’s arrest to juvenile-court trial would be a service it provides. If your characters didn’t perform
couple of weeks at best, and even then, there’s no especially in-depth research into the school (or if they
guarantee the penalty of detention would be im- came straight here from the medical center to perform
posed. As an alternative — because it would be a a straightforward investigation), he can be used to
shame to have a demon character who looks like a reveal much of the pertinent information from the
child and not be able to use that fact in your charac- “Research” section of the last scene.
ters’ favor — tours of the school may be arranged by If, on the other hand, the characters have decided
families whose children have committed previous just to sneak right onto the school grounds to see if
offences, as a way to hopefully scare the child straight. they can figure out what’s going on, refer to the map of
the grounds on p. 46 and have them describe what
EASY BEING GREEN method they use to get in. The least you need to have
All cleaning and grounds maintenance is per- them do is climb the outer fence at some point,
formed by subcontractors hired by Dodeca. They requiring a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 7),
bring their own equipment, and they rotate their and have their players make regular Dexterity/Wits +
duties in taking care of the school grounds amongst Stealth rolls (difficulty 8) for the characters to avoid
their employees. the notice of the school’s guards. Should the charac-
Finding out about Easy Being Green is a simple ters attract undue notice, allow their players some sort
matter of asking the subcontractors as they arrive or of Manipulation- or Charisma-based roll for their
leave or observing the logo on the trucks that pull up in characters to talk their way out of trouble before the
the front yard on a daily basis and checking and looking guards take action. The guards’ typical response to
the company up on the web or in the phone book. intruders is to subdue them, bring them inside to the
Tracking down talkative employees in bars and even office of Holden Brown (the head of security), call the
picking up a day working on the lawns or cleaning LAPD and keep them there until the police get there
toilets is quite feasible — if somewhat unpleasant. in response to the disturbance.
Employment with Easy Being Green won’t include a Regardless of their method of ingress, the charac-
tour of the school, but it will provide the characters a ters are going to encounter something unscheduled
chance to get a good idea of the school’s layout and once they get inside. If they are being briefed or
security arrangements. shown around by Edward Harvey, his beeper goes off,
35
8
FEAR TO TREAD
summoning him to Headmaster Vandermeer’s office. looking back and forth between each other expect-
He asks the characters to wait where they are and antly. Besides these folks, men and women who are
goes to answer it. Shortly afterward, the characters dressed identically in uniforms of khaki slacks, blue
begin to hear the sound of a large group of people, blazers and white turtle-neck shirts are starting to
who sound like they’re cheering at intervals, coming gather as well. These people seem to be members of
from the back of the building. If the characters are the security staff, and they can be seen nervously
working or creeping around in the main block with- speaking into walkie-talkies to coordinate them-
out supervision, they also hear this noise. selves in case trouble breaks out. Various members of
If the characters are on the grounds, it is imme- the teaching staff can be seen peering through the
diately obvious that something is up. In the lawn area windows of the classrooms and of the main block.
of the inner perimeter, about 50 teenagers are sitting If the characters are in the main block, they will see
or milling around. If this scene occurs at night, they Henry Vandermeer, Edward Harvey and two uniformed
are bathed in floodlights. The focus of attention is a guards striding through the corridors on their way to the
young, Hispanic man who is standing on the back back door. Harvey’s expression is one just shy of fawning
steps, his face alight with passion. (This character is adoration, and his body language is one of utmost
José Matinalé, although this information isn’t readily servility toward Vandermeer. Vandermeer himself is a
available to the players’ characters just yet.) “We fit-looking man of military bearing with bronzed skin
don’t want trouble,” this young man is saying. “We and thick, spiky white hair. His eyes are pale gray, and
just want answers. We just want Colonel Vandermeer his scrutiny is unnerving. His tone is clipped and gruff,
to come out and listen to us! And we’re not going into and his voice carries without his needing to shout. He
assembly” — or bed check, if this happening at night is dressed in a neat suit and tie, and his tie tack is the
— “until he does!” crest of the Marshall School.
“Where’s Micky Pico!” someone in the mass of (Something just doesn’t seem quite right about
residents yells. Vandermeer, so should one of the players decide to
“Yeah!” someone else adds. “Mick-y, Mick-y, roll Perception + Awareness to get a sense of what
Mick-y!” The chant is taken up but not by everybody. that might be, a successful result reveals a taint of
Observant characters can see that at the back of the demonic influence. That sense is faint, but it is
crowd, groups of onlookers are just standing around clearly there nonetheless.)
36
8
CHAPTER ONE
SNEAKING AROUND
SNEAKING AROUND
The Marshall School is a juvenile-detention cen- • The windows in this place are small rectangles of
ter, designed to keep people in and out. It is fully shatterproof glass that let little daylight in. They have
mapped, but only the important locations are de- two “health levels” and a “Stamina” rating of 2 if the
scribed in detail. The rest can be assumed to be typical character is trying to knock it entirely out of its frame.
institutional facilities. • Motion detectors are placed in sensitive areas
The school’s general security features are as follows: and are generally activated only after Evening As-
• Bolted-down furniture and solid doors are sembly. Moving objects bigger than a rat trigger an
the rule in any area to which the residents have alarm in the control room — though not a school-
regular access. Refer to the Systems chapter of wide alarm, such as a fire would engender.
Demon: The Fallen for rules on bashing down a • Security cameras are used both overtly and
door or picking a lock. covertly. Some activate only when triggered by mo-
• Padlocks and ordinary locks are used in various tion-detectors. The cameras in the school switch
places throughout the school, as is appropriate to the automatically from normal visuals to low-light as
type of door involved. A padlock is difficulty 6 to pick appropriate and feed back to the control room. Dis-
and requires two “health levels” of damage to break abling a motion detector or security camera requires
open. An ordinary door-lock is difficulty 4 with one a character to get right underneath it into its blind
“health level.” spot and then for her player to succeed on a Dexterity
• Electronic locks are placed between resi- + Security roll. One good blow with a blunt object or
dents and access to staff/public areas. They can be a well-placed bullet will also disable the device, but
opened by a staff swipe card from either side. All unless it is properly disengaged from the system, an
can be overridden from the control room, but the alarm will sound in the control room.
majority of the staff has not been told this. Security • The school’s fire precautions include the fol-
personnel carry special swipe cards that will allow lowing standard equipment: a sprinkler system in
them to open doors even when the school is in a corridors, toilets and general areas, plus smoke alarms
state of lockdown. Picking an electronic lock re- and fire stairs. Fire extinguishers are kept at all staffed
quires a Dexterity + Security roll (difficulty 6) as positions and in the assembly hall and dining hall.
well as access to the right equipment. Simply jury- The doors to the fire stairs are steel with electronic
rigging the thing to get it open requires a Dexterity locks (which open automatically when the fire alarms
+ Technology roll (difficulty 8) instead. go off) and five “health levels.”
If the characters accost this group or draw attention the time being, and he’ll be held in detention once he’s
to themselves, Vandermeer pauses, stares at them in- recovered, for breaking the rules.”
tently for a moment and asks who they are and what Someone else hollers from out of the crowd that
they’re doing here. If their responses sound halfway this Micky Pico didn’t start any fight. Someone else
plausible enough to satisfy him (which they are likely to adds that Maxwell Harris (another of the students in
in most cases since he’s in more of a hurry to deal with the crowd) and his goons had been picking on Micky
the problem outside), he says, “Come along then. Come for months and egging him on. Harris himself re-
and see what life in this place is really like.” sponds to that, protesting his innocence
Shortly thereafter, Vandermeer appears at the back disingenuously from the middle of a knot of fellow
door facing the growing crowd of students, causing the student thugs, which elicits a rumble of discontent
level of noise to drop abruptly. José jumps down from his from the crowd. Vandermeer thunders over the grow-
oratory vantage and turns to face him at the head of the ing noise that it doesn’t matter who was being picked
residents. “We want to know what’s going on with on by whom. It was Micky who threw the first punch,
Micky Pico!” so, by the new school disciplinary policy, it is Micky
“Is that what this is about, Mister Matinalé?” who will be punished. José points out (trying to
Vandermeer answers. “It’s very simple, and I’m disap- remain calm) that Micky was actually pretty badly
pointed that you even have to ask. Mister Pico flouted hurt by Harris and his thugs — which the crowd
the rules in a very serious way. He picked a fight with backs up with mounting passion — but Vandermeer
Mister Harris and several of Mister Harris’s friends. He doesn’t appear to be moved by this. Harris calls out
caused a disturbance, and unfortunately, he wound up that Micky’s getting hurt is Micky’s own fault, and
getting himself hurt. He’s under Doctor Wu’s care for that tears it.
37
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Angry shouting starts. From somewhere within He lectures the crowd and calls out for José to
the middle of the crowd, a rock is thrown in Harris’s accompany him back to his office since José is osten-
direction, hitting one of Harris’s nearby pals in the sibly responsible for this mess. He also calls out the
mouth. This is the guards’ cue to start pushing in from child who threw the first rock and another who threw
the sides, which they do roughly, hoping to quell this a rock that hit the wall close to where Vandermeer
uproar before it becomes something more like a riot. was standing. This elicits some grumbling from the
They are using no weapons of any kind; they are simply crowd, but one stern look from Vandermeer silences
using their superior size and strength to push apart it. Maxwell Harris looks decidedly pleased with him-
those in easy reach. Their push is met by shove, and all self. Vandermeer directs the rest to get back to
through the crowd, small fights are breaking out be- assembly (or bed check) and not to cause anymore
tween Harris’s friends and the rest of the students. trouble, lest they all find themselves “confined to
More rocks are thrown, and some even crash against quarters” for the rest of the week.
the side of the main block near Vandermeer. José turns The security guards say nothing, and when the
away from Vandermeer, ducking a rock, and starts Colonel heads back inside, most of them either follow
yelling for people to stop it. or return to their assigned posts. Edward Harvey seems
As the violence spreads, it seems that the boys to notice the characters as if for the first time (provided
around Harris are in the thick of it. José makes eye they were speaking to him earlier), and he asks them to
contact with one of them (actually Harris himself) come with him back to the visitors lounge. He com-
as another rock narrowly misses him and starts to ments on how well Vandermeer is doing, what a difficult
wade forward muttering some choice Spanish pro- job this is and so forth.
fanities. Before he can get close, though, a young The remaining security guards begin to herd the
woman (one named Alicia Rhowes, for future refer- children back inside as well, but Alicia Rhowes breaks
ence) appears at his shoulder and hangs onto his away from the crowd briefly and looks pointedly toward
arm grimly. She looks directly at the players’ char- the players’ characters just as she did when she held José
acters, then speaks into José’s ear. He nods in evident back earlier. She discreetly drops a piece of paper when
frustration but remains where he is, once again only the characters are watching, then hurries off to join
calling for people to stop. her fellow students. Characters who have sneaked into
If the characters try to intervene physically in the the school have an opportunity to retrieve this once the
riot, they are preempted by any remaining security grounds are cleared; characters who are there on “offi-
guards who have not already entered the fray. If the cial” business or simply investigating without false
characters came out with the headmaster’s group, Harvey pretenses can scoop it up before being hustled back
tries to hustle them back inside. If they try to distract the inside by Mr. Harvey.
rioters somehow in order to help out, have the player of Meanwhile, Vandermeer has taken his selection of
each character so inclined roll Charisma or Manipula- culprits back to his office, and the subsequent discussion
tion + Expression, Leadership or some other appropriate is loud enough to be overheard in the visitor’s lounge.
Ability (difficulty 8). They need a total of six successes José is told that his sentence may be reviewed, as it
to defuse the situation entirely on their own. The seems he may be in need of further psychiatric help
characters could also attempt to physically assist the before he can be released. He will be placed on deten-
security guards, which requires a Strength + Brawl roll tion for the next 24 hours and will not be permitted to
(difficulty 5) to separate and subdue children who are work in the machine shop or to participate in sports
fighting each other. These rolls should inflict no dam- until a psychologist has given him the all clear. The
age if they succeed, but the characters themselves other boys will have separate detention and are banned
should have to soak one or two levels of bashing damage from shop and sports for two weeks, and their behavior
if they botch. will be closely monitored. José asks one more time about
Regardless, Vandermeer watches stonily as his Micky Pico, and Vandermeer shouts that he doesn’t
guards cut the crowd into discrete groups, pretty want to hear one more word about Micky Pico. With
much by their presence alone. Most of the actual that, the discussion is over.
fighting is taking place between residents who don’t If the characters ask to see Vandermeer in the
seem to be strong enough to really hurt one another. aftermath of the riot, he will do so if it is appropriate.
There are some bloody noses and swollen lips among If they managed to help in calming the crowd, he will
the residents but nothing more serious. After just a thank them. If they talk to him about his choice of
few minutes, things begin to calm one way or an- culprits or question him about Micky Pico, he will
other. Once all the fighting has stopped, Vandermeer explain that Mister Pico is a frequent troublemaker
calls out for order and gets it. who bit off more than he could chew when he picked
38
8
CHAPTER ONE
a fight with Mister Harris and Mister Harris’s friends. while she is on day leave. The second part can
If they ask him about Mary Blacksmith, he laments her happen regardless of whether there is any note in-
untimely passing and mentions her upcoming funeral volved or not.
service. He talks about her with an air of evident
disappointment, though, alluding to an ongoing prob- THE MEETING
lem she was having with alcohol. (The characters’ The grounds of the community college at which
earlier investigation of Mary’s apartment does not Alicia Rhowes is taking her day-leave classes are a
support this statement, though.) He mentions offhand refreshing change from those of the Marshall School.
that Mary was working with Mister Pico, Mister Harris The open air, the welcoming architecture of the build-
and Mister Matinalé recently, trying to work out the ings and the generally relaxed atmosphere of the students
boys’ issues, and he is especially disappointed by her stands in stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of
failure in that regard. the Marshall School, driving home the fact that the
If the characters press the issue about Mary or Marshall School is less an institute of learning and more
the circumstances that provoked the almost-riot a juvenile-detention facility
outside, Vandermeer starts to stonewall them and After asking the way from a passing professor or
tells them that he is too busy for this right now. He student, the characters approach the school’s cramped
asks them to leave, possibly paging security to come central plaza and find the young woman they remember
and deal with them if they grow too rambunctious. from yesterday’s visit to the school sitting on a bench
(Oddly enough, attempts to use any evocations on with her back to a small concrete fountain. She is eating
Vandermeer to make him give up any more informa- lunch from a paper bag and looking around nervously
tion fail automatically.) every few moments. When she notices the characters,
When the characters are leaving the Marshall she waves them over hesitantly and finishes her lunch
School — whether they are sneaking away at the quickly so she can talk to them.
close of a clandestine infiltration or they are driving Alicia is a skinny, nervous 16-year-old with red
out at the end of an official visit — they notice a hair and a sprinkling of freckles. As she begins to talk,
brown sedan stopped at the front gate. The person in her voice holds a touch of the trailer park where she
the passenger seat is just rolling up his window as the probably grew up. She effusively thanks the characters
scene comes into the characters’ view, and as they for coming and apologizes for sounding like a crazy
approach, the guards at the gate are denying the car person in her note, which they obviously received.
access to the school. The car backs up in the drive She says that God inspired her to write that note that
and pulls away. very morning previously, right after she heard the
THE NOTE announcement about Ms. Blacksmith. She’ll explain
that she’s always had God in her heart and that, on the
After the riot but before the students were led
rare occasions when he tells her to do something, she
back inside the school, one of the students (Alicia
does it without reserve. And in this case, as in all the
Rhowes) noticed the characters and dropped a piece
others, God’s instructions have been right on the
of paper for them to find. They might not have a
money. (An Awareness roll reveals nothing of espe-
chance to read it right away, but when they finally do
cial note about Alicia, though, no matter how fervently
take the time to do so, it has the following to say in
she might seem to believe what she’s saying.) She asks
a hurried hand:
who the characters are, if they were friends of Mary’s,
My name is Alicia Rhowes. I’m writing this in the
if they work for a church and all sorts of other ques-
morning because God told me to be ready. I don’t know
tions, but she doesn’t press the issue if the characters
who you are, but after Ms. Blacksmith died, God told me
seem evasive or just plain unwilling to talk about
He would be sending people to help me like Mary tried to.
themselves. She simply takes it on faith that they are
I think you’re them if I saw you today. I hope you are.
here to listen to her and help her.
Something horrible is happening at this school, and
Colonel Vandermeer is part of it. Security too. Mary knew, Alicia’s main concern is for José. She suspects that
now she’s dead. I have day leave tomorrow at the community there is more going on behind the Micky Pico situa-
college. I’ll be by the fountain at noon. Please come help me. tion than anyone is letting on. If the characters did not
Please be the ones God said. have a chance to speak with Headmaster Henry
Vandermeer before, it is Alicia who tells them about
SCENE SIX the connection between Mary Blacksmith and Micky.
Micky, it seems, had been a long-suffering victim of an
The first part of this scene takes place only if the older kid named Maxwell Harris who (along with his
characters try to contact Alicia the following day gang of thugs) had made Micky’s life a living hell.
39
8
FEAR TO TREAD
They teased him, shoved him around when no one was going on, Ms. Blacksmith had sneaked down to the
watching, turned what few friends he had against him infirmary after hours, determined to check in on
by spreading lies and even went so far as to lie to staff Micky regardless of what Vandermeer had to say.
and security personnel in ways that got Micky in According to Alicia, Ms. Blacksmith hadn’t been
trouble. (And when Micky actually did do things to get able to describe what exactly she’d found when she’d
himself into trouble, Harris and his pals were always done this, but it had nearly unhinged her. She hadn’t
the ones to blow the whistle.) been able to go on with her counseling session that day.
Alicia could never figure out why Harris and his She’d seemed to scared to be helpful. Later that after-
gang picked on Micky other than out of sheer meanness noon, she told Alicia that she’d gotten enough of a hold
because Micky never did anything to them to bring it on on herself to be coherent and that she knew what she
himself. Not many of the other kids liked Harris, but had to do: She was going to expose what she’d discov-
most of them believed what he made up about Micky. ered, even though she didn’t understand it entirely
Alicia never believed Harris’s lies, and apparently, Ms. herself. This revelation had terrified Alicia, but she’d
Blacksmith didn’t either (which she’d confirmed in one promised Ms. Blacksmith that she’d be brave until Ms.
of Alicia’s sessions with her). Apparently, Ms. Black- Blacksmith made everything all right. Finally, Ms.
smith could see how angry and frustrating Micky was Blacksmith had told Alicia that she’d made some notes
growing with the treatment he was having to endure on what she’d found and hidden them in her office and
because it was starting to interfere with his work and his that, if anything happened to her, it was Alicia’s job to
ability to socialize with his peers. see that those notes made it to somebody who could do
Alicia could tell this as well, so she’d asked her something with them. Alicia had promised, she con-
friend José Matinalé to try to look out for Micky. José — fides, but once she’d heard about what had happened to
who would do anything for Alicia and didn’t especially Mary just the other day, she’d been to scared to act. It
like Maxwell Harris to begin with — agreed, but even wasn’t until God told her what to do that she’d finally
his help wasn’t enough. José found himself getting in found the courage to make contact with the characters.
trouble more often whenever he stuck up for Micky, and Now here they all were, and they could finally make
Harris’ gang redoubled its efforts against Micky when everything all right. Couldn’t they?
José wasn’t around. After taking in such an earful (or hopefully coax-
The situation apparently spiraled out of control ing it out of Alicia piece by piece through roleplaying),
about a week ago when Micky started sneaking out of they have a decision to make. They could either
his room after bed check (just to find some place to be reassure the girl that they very well intend to do
alone and think) and Harris’s gang found out about it. something about this right away (whether that’s true
They held it over his head that they could get him into or not), or they could tell her that they need to gather
serious trouble if they turned him in, and they used more information or possibly even to call in some of
that to tease him. Finally, when he couldn’t take it their backup. In the former case, Alicia thanks them
anymore, he snapped and just started throwing punches. profusely then hurries back to class. In the latter, she
Harris and his boys — his “trusties” as most of the kids starts to look a little desperate. She tells them that
call them — easily put Micky down and beat him she suspects that Maxwell Harris and his trusties are
pretty badly before the security guards could separate directly involved in whatever Ms. Blacksmith dis-
them. Micky had disappeared down into the infirmary, covered — that they provoked him into a fight he
while Harris and his trusties had gotten off with only couldn’t win so they could get him out of the way for
a slight reprimand. some reason. She also tells them that she’s worried
A couple of days later, when Alicia was sched- about José, who isn’t scared to go snooping like Mary
uled to talk to Ms. Blacksmith, the counselor had probably did and get himself into the same sort of
seemed really upset and evasive. Alicia hadn’t wanted trouble. If even that doesn’t seem to help, she starts
to intrude, but Ms. Blacksmith had started talking all throwing out everything she can think of. Some of
of a sudden about Micky. She said that she’d been the things she adds include:
worried that something like this would happen to • Maxwell Harris’s mistreatment of the other stu-
him, but when she’d tried to talk to Vandermeer dents has not gone unnoticed by the security staff or
about keeping Harris and his trusties away from Headmaster Vandermeer, but no one seems willing to
Micky, the headmaster had just laughed in her face. discipline him. Vandermeer has even been seen joking
She also said that she hadn’t been allowed to visit with Harris (who idolizes him) and walking him around
Micky in the infirmary, even though he obviously privately with a hand on his shoulder.
wasn’t so badly hurt that he needed to be in a hospital • The security staff only tolerates Harris because
or anything. Worried that something sinister was Vandermeer tells them to.
40
8
CHAPTER ONE
• Members of the new security staff call Headmas- Mary Blacksmith. He now wants an update on their
ter Vandermeer “Colonel” like they really mean it. progress, he tells them, no matter how little or how
They even salute him. Maxwell has been heard to say much it might be. The characters are to come to him at
that they are all real soldiers who fought in the Gulf War the Huntington Library right away. They are to ask for
and Afghanistan. They enjoy intimidating the kids, and a woman named Violet Takahashi, who will show them
they always seem to be sizing them up in some vaguely to their designated meeting place. So saying, the speaker
disturbing way. bids them hurry and breaks off contact.
• In the last couple of weeks, residents have had If the characters try to contact Bizjotha or Lo-
personal possessions confiscated “for safekeeping” and ruhamah for a quick status report, she informs them
been subjected to spot searches for weapons. that she has told Ashur everything she’s found out
• A girl complained directly to Headmaster thus far and that he’s on his way to meet with
Vandermeer that the trusties had threatened her. Noth- (whoever it was who invoked the characters) at the
ing happened to them, but she was later told she Huntington Library right now. If the characters try to
couldn’t telephone her sister anymore because of her contact Ashur, Fell Knight Guanli or Fell Knight
“use of inappropriate language.” Ravana (whoever’s appropriate, based on their court
If even these pronouncements (or the despera- affiliation), the recipient of said contact informs the
tion with which she reveals them) don’t move the character that he (or she) is already on his (or her)
characters to at least say that they’ll take immediate way to a meeting to discuss that very thing at the
action, Alicia grudgingly accepts that the characters Huntington Library.
SCENE SEVEN
may need more information before they actually act.
She checks the time and states that she’s going to be
late if she doesn’t get back to class soon. She resists
any suggestion that she or her friends snoop around When the characters arrive at the Huntington
the school for anything incriminating and try to get Library, they are met promptly by a woman who
in touch with the characters. The fact that she still introduces herself as Violet Takahashi. If they appear
has day-leave privileges means that no one suspects to recognize the name, she then confides that her
that she knows anything dangerous about Mary name is actually Amererat of the Sixth House and that
Blacksmith’s death, and she wants to keep it that she has been expecting them. She leads them across
way. If the characters offer to help her escape from the lobby and through the stacks to one of the library’s
the school at this point, Alicia actually looks horri- gardens around the back, which appears to be closed.
fied. She doesn’t want to think about what might Looking around furtively, she ushers the characters
happen to her friends (especially José or Micky) if she inside and tells them that the people they’re looking
were to just up and vanish — not to mention what for are waiting for them inside. No mortals will be
the local authorities would do to her when they disturbing them within the garden, she explains before
caught her. No, she’ll make whatever safe efforts the slipping quietly away.
characters might ask to get in touch with them if Within the garden, three fallen are waiting for the
anything else important or scary happens, but she characters, regardless of which court they serve. These
can’t risk sticking her neck out any more than she fallen are Ashur (whom they’ve already met), Fell
already has. With that, she heads off in the direction Knight Guanli and Fell Knight Ravana. Fell Knight
of her next class with a dejected look. Guanli is Portuguese by ancestry, with a short and
somewhat stocky build. He is wearing the uniform of an
A SUMMONS officer of the LAPD. His name tag reads “Azevedo.” Fell
Before the characters can leave the community Knight Ravana is strikingly attractive, with a well-
college — or simply the day following their visit to the rounded figure and bright, green eyes. Clothing covers
Marshall School if they chose not to deal with Alicia’s every inch of her skin right up to the top of her neck, and
note — one or all of them receive an invocation. If they she is self-consciously tugging down the cuff of one
are members of the Infernal Court, this message comes sleeve when the characters arrive.
from Lord Vohu Mano, the senior minister of the If the characters are agents of Al-Lat, these three
Ministry of Dust. If they are members of the Blood are the only people waiting for them. If the characters
Court, it comes from Lord Vritran, that court’s Minister are members of the Infernal or Blood Court, though,
of Dust. If they are agents of Al-Lat, the message comes one of two additional people is waiting. For members
from Fell Knight Guanli. of the Infernal Court, that person is Vohu Mano.
The speaker identifies himself and says that he Vohu Mano is a beautiful young man with an ethereal
knows that the characters are investigating the death of air about him. His hair is so light it is almost white, and
41
8
FEAR TO TREAD
his skin is pale and fair. He is looking at Ravana want some Earthbound horror getting its hooks into
skeptically, but he seems perfectly at ease around both a school full of (mostly) innocent children. directly
Guanli and Ashur. involving himself isn’t his place, though, he admits.
If the characters are members of the Blood Court, Rooting out an Earthbound threat should probably
the fourth person here is Lord Vritran. He is a handsome be the purview of the Ministry of Aurochs, but that
young Korean man in his 20s, who appears to be lean ministry’s head, Lord Aglibol, hasn’t responded to
and fit. His eyes are wide as if with some secret excite- any attempts to make contact. However, since hu-
ment, and he’s standing near Ravana, paying no mind manity is directly involved, that places the situation
to the others waiting with him. under his (Vohu Mano’s) ministry’s jurisdiction, and
Once the characters have arrived, introductions he’s firmly in favor of appointing Fell Knight Guanli
go around between those who don’t know each other. (as head of the Lion Ministry) to the task of taking
It also comes up that Guanli and Ravana are good care of this.
friends, one of whom has shown up at the other’s If Lord Vritran is there, he thanks everyone for their
request (based on whichever affiliation has exposed information but claims that dealing with the Earth-
the characters to them). Once that’s settled, Ashur bound is a little bit too rich for his ministry’s blood.
starts things off by cutting right to the chase. “The Besides, it’s supposed to be up to the Ministry of Lions
doctors we left back at the morgue with Mary to actually deal with threats to the ministries of a court,
Blacksmith’s body yesterday spoke to me a little while right? With a pointed look in Ravana’s direction, he
ago with some bad news. Apparently, it was the other excuses himself, claiming that he’s going to inform his
one. If you know what I mean.” fellow ministers of what’s going on.
Warning everyone to keep from speaking its Yet, regardless of which minister is there (if ei-
name, he explains that both doctors are almost 100 ther), Ravana is adamant. She demands that she,
percent certain that the Earthbound demon known Guanli and the characters all go back to the Marshall
as Enshagkushanna was the one responsible for kill- School that very night, root out the Earthbound pres-
ing Mary Blacksmith. The attendant Minister of ence there and consign it back to the Abyss where it
Dust reacts to this news with shock, while Guanli and belongs. She says she won’t abide children being
Ravana stand looking grim. Ashur recaps what he abused or the Earthbound dabbling in mortal affairs.
knows thus far (which is very little), then encourages Guanli agrees with her (though not hardly so fer-
the characters to tell everyone anything they might vently), and Ashur agrees as well.
have found out since they last spoke. This is the That said, Ravana will not give up on the conver-
character’s opportunity to let on that something sation until Guanli and the players’ characters have
Mary Blacksmith found out at the Marshall School agreed to return to the Marshall School for Troubled
had her (and Alicia, if the characters met her) very Teens that very night. Before she even asks him, Ashur
worried for her safety and that some seriously shady starts to apologize and explain that he can’t help them
things seem to be going on in that school, although that night himself. Although he is a Reconciler and
the administration is unwilling to talk about it. therefore cares a great deal about demonic abuse against
Vandermeer’s strange taint should come up, as should humans, he promised his own mortal family that he
any speculation the characters might have about would be home tonight. Before Ashur can finish ex-
Micky Pico and Maxwell Harris. plaining, Ravana curtly lets him know that he wasn’t
Should all these details not come out, have Ashur invited anyway. She thanks him for his help but tells
explain that his investigation into Mary Blacksmith’s him that they could do better without him on what is
background turned up nothing out of the ordinary. more or less a military mission.
Guanli can confirm that a contact of his in the LAPD And with that — barring any further roleplaying
wasn’t able to come up with anything either. By simple the players might want to do before the action re-
process of elimination (if nothing else), the Storyteller sumes — Ravana tells everyone to be ready to go at
characters are convinced that the Marshall School is 10:00 that night.
some sort of center of Earthbound depredation that
must needs be checked out immediately. The informa-
tion that the characters have uncovered is all the
SCENE EIGHT
confirmation they need. The thrust of this scene is for the characters (and
If he’s there, Vohu Mano sternly but softly de- their two ringers) to get back onto the grounds of the
clares that something must be done immediately. Marshall School and look around for signs of de-
Humanity is his ministry’s purview and his personal monic — specifically Earthbound — influence. The
protectorate (as a Reconciler, that is), so he doesn’t characters might have already sneaked onto the
42
8
CHAPTER ONE
grounds once in a previous scene, so refer back to the fight them (albeit quickly if they don’t want the police
rules for doing so if they intend to do the same thing showing up with a SWAT team), somehow bluff them,
again. By the same token, they could try to bluff their supernaturally command them using an evocation or
way in, but doing so will be especially difficult now rely on the effects of revelation to cow them into
that it is after regular hours and the place has been all submission. None of them have been granted any
but shut down for the students. Luckily, most of the special powers by any infernal master, so, aside from
regular staff will be gone, but the headmaster and all their weapons, they should not be especially tough
of the security staff will likely be on the premises foes to overcome.
nonetheless. Chances are good that a confrontation With the guards dealt with (however that works
is in the offing, which doesn’t seem to daunt or out for your players), they should be free to investigate
dismay Ravana or Guanli one bit. the place more or less at their leisure and find out the
As the characters look around for clues, refer to the information listed in the room-by-room descriptions in
“The Grounds and Layout” section of this chapter for “The Grounds and Layout.” What they won’t find,
ideas on what they find in what sections of the place. though, is Headmaster Vandermeer or Micky Pico. Not
Refer back to the “Sneaking Around” sidebar previ- in the main block, anyway. Nor do they feel any telltale
ously in this chapter for an overview of what security residue of infernal powers at work anywhere on the
measures the characters will have to deal with as they main block. Certain rooms have a stronger diabolic
move about. Tripping a security measure (by botching resonance than others (including Vandermeer’s private
a Stealth roll, for instance, or simply charging in with quarters and Vandermeer’s office), but nothing is fresh
figurative guns blazing) alerts Holden Brown in the or immediate.
control room. Should this happen, Brown dispatches Outside, however, a sense of great and terrible
from one to eight of his guards to the area of the power is growing. The characters can trace this sen-
disturbance (depending on what the characters appear sation (with appropriate Perception + Awareness
to be doing). rolls) to the brickworks on the corner of the property.
Said security guards will first attempt to lead the Something unwholesome and grave is happening in
characters quietly off the premises with warnings that there, and if none of your characters sense it, have
they intend to call the LAPD. Should this not deter Ravana or Guanli do so once they have all regrouped.
the characters — it certainly won’t deter Guanli or They can get in through the overhead ventilation
Ravana — the guards will attempt to subdue the ducts or by bypassing the steel door with its elec-
characters with collapsible batons they’re carrying in tronic lock.
holsters on their belts. Should the characters fight Once inside, the sensation of fell power gets
back with lethal force (or should they take on their even stronger. The aboveground portion of the
apocalyptic forms for effect), the panicked guards will brickworks is a four-lobed structure of solid brick.
draw .45 caliber pistols from shoulder-holsters con- Each lobe is monitored from inside by a motion
cealed beneath their jackets and open fire. (The fact detector and concealed security camera that covers
that the guards are even carrying concealed weapons all the room except the ceiling and the area directly
like this might confirm in the players/characters minds beneath. Unless the characters switch on the over-
that more is going on here than meets the eye. That, head lights, the only illumination comes from the
anyway, is the weapons’ symbolic purpose.) Regard- incubators in the western lobe. The entrance lobe
less, if the characters put up any kind of a fight contains a sink and cupboards of feed and other
(especially one that starts taking guards down), one of equipment. The others contain shelves of mesh-
the guards will attempt to get away and radio Holden faced boxes holding rats, a couple of ferrets, some
Brown to call the police. That is, of course, provided hamsters and one or two canaries. Behind the incu-
that the characters’ plan of action didn’t already entail bators, there is an unlocked metal trapdoor in the
disabling the school’s phones. (Ravana and Guanli floor. A ladder leads down into darkness, and a
will not suggest this course of action. To them, this noise that sounds like chanting starts drifting up-
raid is overpoweringly reminiscent of raids they per- ward. The feeling of rising power is getting stronger
formed against bastions of the Holy Host at the dawn here, and the animals are starting to panic, covering
of time. For the sake of convenience, though, you whatever sounds the characters might be making.
should have the two of them hurry forward to the This massive underground chamber hidden be-
control room to deal with Holden Brown and prevent neath the brickworks is constructed in three tiers. The
the LAPD from ever being called.) characters come down on the uppermost, which is
One way or another, though, the security staff will about 10 feet wide running along this wall. There are no
have to be dealt with. The characters can avoid them, cameras in this chamber.
43
8
FEAR TO TREAD
A packed earth ramp leads down the right hand behind him. She bellows that she will not let them hurt
wall into a large pit, the floor and walls of which are this innocent child. Guanli pipes up right after that
lined with woven mats. In the far-left corner, a deeper calling Vandermeer and Harvey fools who’ve sold their
pit can be seen. souls to the wrong masters.
This latter pit is lined with stone coated with Vandermeer cries, “Lord Enshagkushanna, give
what appears to be dried human blood. A shrouded me your strength to drive these pitiful wretches from
body lies to the side of this pit, and a complicated your sight!” He then attacks the nearest person to
geometrical diagram has been drawn in the center him. Harvey, on the other hand, starts chanting
(also out of human blood, though fresher). Henry again and hurriedly starts unwrapping the shroud
Vandermeer and Edward Harvey are standing side- from Micky Pico. Guanli and Ravana team up to take
by-side between this pit and the shrouded body with Vandermeer on, and one of them calls out to the
their backs to the characters. They are both dressed characters to either help them or get the child away
in what appear to be white ceremonial robes that are from Harvey. Harvey will fight anyone who tries to
edged in gilt fabric. Before them, a column of dirty, stop him from what he’s doing. Meanwhile, the
sickly green light is shooting up from floor to ceiling, demon in the shaft of light is being slowly enshrouded
emanating from the symbol on the floor. It pulses and by bolts of gold.
throbs sickeningly, and a figure seems to be floating What’s happening here is that Micky Pico —
in it. That figure looks like a fallen angel in its whose soul has been systematically broken by re-
apocalyptic form, but one with none of the power or peated abuse by Maxwell Harris and his gang of
glory such a being should exude. It’s clutching its legs “trusties” with Vandermeer’s tacit approval— is be-
to its chest, and its crimson wings are tattered and ing offered up as a mortal host for the demon before
wrapped feebly around its body. It seems to be both him. The demon has been summoned up into this
suspended and trapped within the column of light special kind of summoning circle and bound there so
before it. It’s looking down at itself in what appears that Vandermeer could perform a ritual taught to
to be an attitude of pity. him by other servants of the Earthbound
Before the characters can say anything (or possi- Enshagkushanna. The ritual facilitates the anchor-
bly as the characters are still descending to this ing process between demon and host, but it sets the
level), Vandermeer begins to address the floating condition that the demon whose progress is so facili-
figure before him in an ancient language. (Edward tated must swear fealty to Enshagkushanna before
Harvey repeats these words in sycophantic syncopa- the transfer can be made. This demon has agreed
tion.) The words come too fast, and they’re too alien (better to serve on Earth than rot in the Abyss any
to translate, but they end with the clearly recogniz- longer), and now, all that’s left is the last step. The
able syllables “Enshagkushanna.” The figure shakes last step involves the shrouded body of Micky Pico
its head without looking up. Vandermeer repeats his being unwrapped while the demon in the shaft of
entreaty more forcefully, with Harvey backing him light is enwrapped by the bolts of gold all around him.
up, and the floating figure hesitates before shaking its Once both conditions are met (which should take a
head again. After a second paired repetition, how- total of six rounds once Harvey gets started unless
ever, it appears to sigh resignedly before finally he’s interrupted), the summoning circle will permit
nodding and looking up. At the same time, bolts of the demon to leap into Micky’s body.
gold begin to shoot through the greenish energy The characters can avert this outcome — thus
surrounding the suspended demon, and Vandermeer preventing another servant of Enshagkushanna from
and Harvey turn to the shroud-wrapped body on the coming to Earth — in one of several ways. One, they
ground behind them. can kill or subdue Edward Harvey so that he can’t
If the characters have not made their presence unwrap Micky Pico’s body. (If Vandermeer hasn’t
known by this point, then the suspended demon, been put down by this point, though, he will pick up
Vandermeer and Harvey all see the characters at the where Harvey left off.) Two, they can disrupt the
same time. Harvey freezes, but Vandermeer takes a step integrity of the summoning circle prematurely, thus
forward and demands to know what these intruders are taking away the demon’s protection from the spiritual
doing here. The demon behind them begins to writhe as gravity of Hell. (Deciding on this course of action
bolts of gold begin to alternately skewer him and twine might require a Wits + Occult roll [difficulty 7],
around him. Guanli and Ravana act first at this point if though.) Three, they can attack the demon with
the characters haven’t acted already. Ravana looks evocations (or just physically) before he gets free. (He
down at the shroud-wrapped body (which can only be won’t be able to dodge or attack back just yet, but he
Micky Pico) then up at Vandermeer and the demon still gets the chance to soak.) Finally, they can let the
44
8
CHAPTER ONE
transfer take place and just kill the demon in those first at all) will they use their involvement in this tale to
few moments of confusion when he’s coming to in boost their status with their respective court? Finally,
Micky Pico’s body. (They won’t have much choice at what will the characters do now that they’ve called the
this point because as soon as he comes to his senses, attention and possibly the wrath of Enshagkushanna
he’s going to take on his apocalyptic form and try to down upon themselves?
kill all of them on Enshagkushanna’s behalf. Use the
Traits from one of the write-ups in the Antagonists
chapter of Demon: The Fallen for this demon if he
APPENDIX:
should make it into Micky Pico’s body.)
How this all plays out is largely up to your
THE GROUNDS
troupe. Ravana will attempt to kill Vandermeer,
then Harvey, then disrupt the summoning circle AND LAYOUT
holding the imprisoned demon to this plane before At various points throughout the story, the
it can take over Micky Pico. Guanli will help her, characters will be on the grounds of the Marshall
provided the characters do nothing to help her as School for Troubled Teens. Therefore, you as the
well. Should the characters successfully defend Storyteller need a reference for the things the char-
Micky long enough or disrupt the summoning circle acters will discover and the obstacles that they will
in time, the demon in the shaft of light is pulled face along the way.
apart before their eyes by the golden bolts all around
him, and he disappears (along with the light) down THE GROUNDS
into the Abyss. • The Outer Perimeter is completely fenced. Those
AFTERMATH
sections that are brick wall are in full view of the main
block and the security cameras that cover the front yard
and the so-called cages. The mesh itself is strong, taking
In the aftermath of this grisly scene, either Guanli at least two levels of damage to create rent large enough
or Ravana can reveal to the characters what was going for an adult to get through. The material has an effective
on and why they felt they had to act so fast once they soak of two dice.
got into this chamber if the characters couldn’t tell. For 30 feet past the fence, there is a completely clear
They then excuse themselves, claiming that they need stretch of mown grass. With the exception of the area
to make reports to their respective courts. If the around the brickworks, this stretch continues for the
characters are members of one of their courts, they ask entire perimeter. The back corners are covered by
them to return as well and corroborate their tales. motion detectors that activate security cameras. An
Such a scene (or scenes) make up the beginning of the alarm also sounds in the guard post. These motion
next story Into the Fire, so if you want to jump right detectors are always on except when grounds mainte-
ahead into it, feel free. nance is being performed.
Within hours, the Marshall School is crawling with • The Inner Perimeter is much subtler than the
officers of the LAPD and the Los Angeles County outer one. The outer buildings and walkways are
Sheriff’s Department. The school is temporarily shut arranged in a rough rectangle. This area is on ground
down within the week, and the more dangerous kids are about three feet higher than the 30 foot grassy
farmed out to various other juvenile-detention centers stretch. None of the buildings have windows on this
around the Tri-County Area. (As for what happens to side (see Walkways). The tops of the buildings and
the majority of them, see Into the Fire.) the walkways are flat but protected with three strands
If the players are interested in roleplaying out the of razor wire set far enough back to be out of view
aftermath of this insidious nightmare, they have some from the ground. Where there are no buildings, a
decisions to make. First, how much of the truth do they four-foot high chain link fence runs, generally dis-
let out? Second, will they make any effort to see to the guised by shrubbery.
welfare of the other students of the Marshall School? • The Cages, as they are known, block the side
Third, will they make any effort to find out how many passages from the front to the back of the grounds
children might already have been victimized like Micky with metal plates and bars. Each contains three gates.
Pico would have been by Headmaster Vandermeer One allows access from the front into the cage.
during Vandermeer’s stint at the head of the school? Another allows access from the cage to the clearway.
Fourth, will they publicize their own involvement (as Another allows access from the cage to the inner
least from the mortal perspective) in hopes of some- perimeter. The gates allowing access to the front are
how gaining thralls out of the exposure? Fifth, how (if electronically locked. The others are padlocked, and
45
8
FEAR TO TREAD
46
8
CHAPTER ONE
the area is covered by security cameras. The removal This room contains small, concealed security cam-
of one steel bar would create a gap sufficient for most eras. Spotting them requires a Perception + Alertness
people to get through. (or Security) roll.
• Walkways are covered concrete paths leading • The Interview Rooms are used for interview-
from building to building. The outer side is always ing new residents and for visits between residents
constructed of steel bars, painted sky blue or grass green and family or legal representatives. The doors be-
to try and diminish the fact that they behave like the tween the foyer and the interview room complex
steel bars in the cages. and the interview rooms and the staff area have
• The Brickworks are marked by the chimney that electronic locks.
rises from the nexus of four large kilns. One has been • The Staff Room is a large, carpeted room with
fitted with a metal door with an electronic lock and the some areas partitioned to provide private desks for the
others have been bricked up to house the animal care teachers. Desks have computers and external telephone/
program. Large ventilation ducts pierce the roof. modem lines, as well as books, papers and smatterings of
• The Guard Post has a metal door with an personal objects. There is a full lounge suite built
electronic lock. It is always manned by two guards around a television.
who have an intercom to Security, a fridge, a televi- • The Private Offices are respectively those of the
sion and, in a padlocked metal chest, two shotguns teaching staff, the secretaries, Edward Harvey and the
plus ammunition. late Mary Blacksmith. They contain desks, computers,
Each of the following buildings has an internal external telephone/modem lines, bookshelves and fil-
camera/alarm triggered by motion detectors. These ing cabinets, together with papers and records
motion detectors are only set when classes are fin- appropriate to their occupants. Only two contain any-
ished for the day. thing of real interest.
• The Machine Shop has a metal door with In Edward Harvey’s office is an intercom to the
an electronic lock. Inside are long work benches. headmaster’s office. In his bottom drawer, locked
All dangerous equipment is kept in padlocked with an ordinary lock, are all the files (and all but one
metal lockers. of the notebooks) that are missing from Mary
• The Gym’s equipment store is securely padlocked. Blacksmith’s office. The most recently dated note-
book was completely filled about a month ago. If the
THE MAIN BLOCK documents on his computer are examined, it will
become clear that he is creating replacement records
LEVEL ONE for those missing ones.
• The Foyer is an impressive place with a corbeled Mary Blacksmith’s office has not been occupied
ceiling and two sets of broad, mahogany stairs running since her death. She did not see residents here but,
upward on either side. The floor is wonderful old rather, in the counselor’s room on Level Two. Here
tilework, and there is a frieze of decorative tiles along was where she did her paperwork, including her
the walls at shoulder height, separating dove-gray tiles confidential case records, which are stored in a
and white. Front and center is the heavy, mahogany filing cabinet with an ordinary lock. The key has
reception desk, with an intercom to the headmaster’s been taken by Headmaster Vandermeer, who has
office. There are chairs set along the walls for visitors, removed the files for Maxwell and the other “trust-
underneath framed photos of the building in earlier ies.” Mickey Pico’s file is also missing. Alicia Rhowes’
incarnations. The two doors leading into the assembly and José Matinalé’s files are both in place. Alicia’s
hall have electronic locks. gives her history and notes strong religious feelings.
Two guards are stationed here at all time. They José’s speaks of his need to develop ways of control-
each have a nook under the stairs. The foyer is con- ling his anger. The bottom drawer of the file is
stantly monitored by a security camera. entirely empty.
• The Visitor’s Lounge is an elegant space with On Mary’s desk sits her computer and two boxes
cream carpet, long, cream drapes and gray/white of personal effects — her relatives have yet to arrange
walls divided by more ornamental tiles. On the inner shipping. One contains books on young-adult psy-
wall is a tiled fireplace above which hang labeled chology and criminal behavior. The other contains a
portraits of Victoria Marshall and her father. The great deal of photos. Mary can be presumed to be the
furniture is all antique mahogany. In the corner, a smiling black woman in most of them. There are
wrought-iron spiral staircase rises next to a much pens, amusing coffee mugs, a lavender-colored
more modern elevator. This room is used for inter- sweater, the latest J.K. Rowling book and a personal
viewing staff and entertaining visitors. organizer that shows that on the night of her death
47
8
FEAR TO TREAD
she had an after-hours meeting scheduled with Head- member look up quote in Tomorrow, When the War
master Vandermeer. (For Storyteller reference, Mary Began. Good way of putting it!”
chose not to attend this meeting and instead to Tomorrow, When the War Began is a young-adult
discuss the situation with her priest, which tipped her novel by author John Marsden dealing with teenagers
hand that she knew something more than she should. who must learn to survive when their country is in-
She was killed before she could reveal that anything vaded. There is a copy upstairs in the library.
untoward was happening.) Scrawled beneath this Mary’s computer will boot up and show a wide range
appointment in atrocious handwriting it is, “Re- of files — but absolutely nothing sharing her date of death.
48
8
CHAPTER ONE
• During business hours, the Infirmary is the lockable doors. Girls are usually accommodated in the
domain of Dr. Wu. Sick and injured residents and rooms facing the library.
staff come to the examination room for her tender • The Monitors’ Room is a permanent station
attentions. Through the door from the examination for counseling staff. This room contains two beds, a
room is her real office, including two private cu- small bathroom, a kitchenette, lounge chairs and an
bicles and a walk-in storeroom containing medical external phone line. During the day, counselors are
records and the drugs cabinet. The storeroom is available to resolve disputes, hear problems and dis-
electronically locked, and the cabinet has a spe- tribute board games, paper, pens et cetera. At night,
cially installed deadbolt lock to which only she and two monitors are always on duty. They conduct the
the nurses have keys. final check in before turning off the lights and may
Dr. Wu is only on duty from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, make patrols afterward. The door has a peephole and
but a member of the nursing staff is always here. an electronic lock that is engaged at night. However,
• The Dining Hall is arranged cafeteria-style. The it incorporates a buzzer so that the monitors may be
door into the kitchen has an electronic lock. awakened by residents in an emergency.
• Stores and Laundry, large and concrete. All • Stores such as sheets and blankets, soap, etc. are
deliveries to the school come to this steel sliding kept behind an electronic lock.
door. Motion detectors triggering security cameras • The Library is open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM,
are switched on after the last of the staff leave, during which time the door stands open. Otherwise,
generally around 8:00 PM. An alarming quantity of the electronic lock is engaged. According to the
inflammable chemicals can be found here, along records, Mr. Rutgar Kralfesky is the librarian who
with boxes of paper, crates of toner refills, gallons of supervises this quiet oasis of approved books and
orange juice, et cetera. In the corner nearest the door magazines. There are four computers with external
is an industrial elevator that contains a concealed modems set up near the librarian’s desk, for use by
security camera. Close by is the main fuse box for the residents with special permission. There are also two
entire building. AV booths.
• The Assembly Hall is a huge space, lit by If the characters consider Mary Blacksmith’s note
windows on the second floor. There are no windows to herself on her calendar to be some sort of clue and go
at ground level, only the large back door. The walls looking for Tomorrow, When the War Began on the
are white, the floor white-and-gray linoleum. Above shelves, it will be found where the Dewey decimal
each of the massive, old pine staircases hangs a system dictates it should be. Next to it is one of Mary
wooden board inscribed with the new school motto. Blacksmith’s notebooks, which she’s apparently se-
As well as assemblies, this area is open for student use creted away here.
during the day and evening and contains two sets of • The Librarian’s Office has a computer, external
tables and chairs grouped around a television at- modem and telephone lines and stacks of books. There
tached to the wall. Near each of these is a large, is also a small sink and refrigerator.
canvas “graffiti space” on which the students are • The Counselor’s Room was where Mary Black-
allowed to express themselves. One notable entry on smith did her job. It has an electronic lock that has
this space features a spiky black scribble with lots of been engaged since her death, excepting a visit by
red mouths and/or eyes. Edward Harvey to remove incriminating material.
• Each Toilet Block has an alarm buzzer on the wall. The room has pale-blue walls and blue carpet and is
The internal Classrooms are not lockable or alarmed. set out with comfortable chairs. There are some
lovely bright watercolors on the walls and a desk in
LEVEL TWO the far corner.
• The upper level of the Assembly Hall is a The desk is empty, cleaned out. Anyone who goes
traffic area of bare white walls and white-and-gray to search the lounge chairs notices that the cushions are
linoleum. The banisters around the walkway are out of place, suggesting that someone already has
more like half-walls, solid wood and four feet high, searched them.
with a further four feet of wire mesh above that (as • Security is the guards’ headquarters. It is a severe
per the outer perimeter). place, with long benches against the walls and a hard
The doors leading into the dormitory area and into linoleum floor. The usual sink, fridge set up is the only
security all have electronic locks. concession to leisure. Each guard plus Holden has a
• Each Dormitory contains two double bunks, four locker, for a total of 25. The lockers have ordinary locks
drawers and a small bathroom. None have windows or and are often left open.
49
8
FEAR TO TREAD
MARY’S NOTEBOOK
The first date in the notebook is about a month (That little brat just SPIT on my table!)
before Mary’s death, and the scrawled entries reveal —(Laughing!!) Know U won’t call guards. They
her growing concern about Maxwell Harris and serve the Cnl too.
friends. She notes their hero worship of Headmaster Will the Cnl get U out of here, is that what he said?
Vandermeer and adoption of militaristic behavior. —Not us. The others. Getting them out of their
She notes that the headmaster seems to enjoy and be prison. Giving the weak to them.
encouraging this behavior. Incidents of their bully- The others? (No answer. Twice.)
ing are increasing, and so, too, is the level of violence Giving the weak to them? What’s that? (Still no
of those incidents. She notes trying to raise the answer.)
matter with Vandermeer, but he replies that if she (ANSWER ME, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!)
feels uncomfortable about how the children are (Okay, Mary, get it together.)
acting, she should leave them to him. Was Micky Pico weak? Did U “give the oth-
On the date of her death comes the following ers” Micky?
entry, which appears to be Mary’s shorthand tran- (No answer, but the little smug bastard’s smil-
scription of an interview with Maxwell Harris ing again.)
following his beating of Micky Pico: Is that why U and your friends beat him up?
1 PM — Maxwell Harris. —Does that upset U, bitch?
(He’s not responsive, but he keeps smiling. No (Oh, this one’s had it.)
remorse at all. Little bastard.) —You’ll C soon enough. U R weak just like the rest
Asked about bullying, he says: Don’t U get sick of all of them. The Cnl’s others can have you all. First that big
this BS? All the scum. Nothing will save them. dumb spic. Then U.
Asked: Will U B saved? What’s that mean?
—Yes, I know the way. —U C.
What is the way? …
—Don’t B weak. Gotta B strong. B Ready. He’s actually walking out. I don’t believe the
4 what? nerve of that little bastard. “Colonel” Vandermeer
—Do what’s needed. Serve him. has let his pet borderline sociopath get away with far
Serve Vndrmeer? He wants you to serve him? too much here lately. But what was that bit about
—Think you’re smart? Know what’s in my head? U giving people to the others? Sounds cultish… What’s
know shit. The Cnl knows. Vandermeer up to? And just what’s going on with
The Cnl knows U? Micky Pico.
—He does. Tells me what to do. He’s got the power. MUST FIND OUT TONIGHT!!!
We’re going to share it. Sorry, Colonel. Our meeting’s going to have to wait.
Inside these lockers are various personal posses- locks that only the special security cards will open.
sions, such as magazines that would certainly be The place is crammed with screens: one for each
confiscated from the residents and unpleasant detritus security camera and a huge digital map of both floors
such as used Band-Aids, bloodstained handkerchiefs and the grounds that indicates triggered alarms and
and lumps of cotton wool. Some of the magazines have buzzers. While this may not be apparent at first, it also
been grotesquely vandalized. Holden’s locker contains shows the brickworks. There is an intercom to the
six tear gas canisters. headmaster’s office.
Holden has a small, cramped desk in the corner From here, large portions of the school can be
near the door with an intercom to the headmaster’s locked down by sealing the electronic locks. The
office. The desk contains rosters, reports and more fire alarms and sprinkler system can be triggered or
magazines that shouldn’t be here. In the bottom drawer overridden, as can both elevators. At any time,
is a bottle of antiseptic and packets of sterile swabs there are two guards on duty. Often, Holden takes a
carelessly mixed with used ones. shift himself, and the Colonel might join him for an
In the normal course of things, this room is evening.
occupied only during the 9:00 AM/5:00 PM/1:00 • This Lounge marks the beginning of the
AM shift changes. headmaster’s private quarters. The Colonel lives here,
• The Control Room is the heart of the school his meals prepared and delivered by the kitchen staff,
under the Colonel’s reign. Both doors have electronic his laundry set beside the lift to be collected and
50
8
CHAPTER ONE
returned by the cleaners. It is well known amongst them • Vandermeer’s Private Quarters are those of an
that he never allows them to clean his actual bedroom elderly bachelor with army habits. There is a touch of
but, instead, does it himself. Throughout this complex, the exotic in the carved Persian chest he uses as a
the carpet look very new, and there is a strong scent of bedside table and the antique Turkish cabinet in
air freshener. which Micky Pico has been imprisoned since his
The décor is continued from below — gray- disappearance. The cabinet was designed expressly for
and-white walls, cream carpet and drapes across this purpose, containing a floor-level slot for feeding
windows that otherwise provide a panoramic view and for cleaning the tray provided for bodily wastes
of the electrical substation. A large Persian carpet and a whole lot of small, circular openings. It is just big
hangs on one wall next to a box holding enough for a scrawny little boy to sleep sitting with his
Vandermeer’s medals. Other walls hold collec- head on his knees.
tions of military insignias. (Storyteller reference: When Mary to check on
An antique sideboard has been adapted to hold a small Micky Pico at the infirmary but couldn’t find him
AV setup. There is also a well-stocked liquor cabinet. there, the nurse on staff told her that Vandermeer took
• The Headmaster’s Office holds a spacious Pico out the day after Pico went in. Mary then went to
antique desk with a computer, external telephone find Vandermeer. He was not in his office or his
and modem lines and an intercom linked to the private quarters, but she heard coming from behind his
control room, security, the reception desk in the quarters’ locked door the faint sound of sobbing. She
foyer and Edward Harvey’s office. Beneath the desk is also smelled something like human waste coming from
a concealed buzzer to alert security. There is always a within. She put two and two together and left imme-
guard on duty here, concealed in a nook formed by diately, too scared and confused to form a rational plan
the filing cabinets. for what to do.)
51
8
FEAR TO TREAD
52
8
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO:
INTO THE FIRE
Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes
being burned?
—Proverbs 6:27
INTRODUCTION the expected norms of human behavior so that he can

maintain the charade of living a normal life without
No one can honestly claim that the life of a fallen drawing undue attention from wary mortals. Once the
angel who has been newly returned to the physical demon has gotten that straight, he has to make contact
world and taken up residence in a soulless mortal host with others like himself and try to find a way to fit into the
is easy. By the same token — or perhaps as a corollary to nascent, burgeoning society of newly returned fallen.
the preceding sentiment — neither can one honestly The means by which he does so bring up a whole
say that such a life is boring. No matter who the fallen new set of active opportunities and responsibilities.
angel used to be, no matter what role he played in the Demons are active creatures, after all — designed to
War of Wrath, no matter why he chose to fall from work together in pursuit of a common goal. A demon
God’s grace, no matter why he chose to return to Earth can find himself involved in the affairs of his local
now so near the End Times and no matter what mortal demonic court very quickly (sometimes as soon as
life he has now found himself a part of, there is always members of that court are aware of his return). Each
going to be something for him to do. ministry oversees a significant amount of territory and
On a mortal level, the demon first has to integrate the undertakes significant responsibilities as it goes about
lingering memories of his mortal host into some semblance trying to reestablish a dominant demonic presence on
of coherence and find a way to blend his own patchwork Earth, and the senior ministers often compete with each
memories with them so as not to lose himself in the chaotic other for the newest available competent help as it
swirl of two conflicting experiences. He must then learn escapes the Abyss.
53
8
FEAR TO TREAD
On a more personal level, the relatively new con- Inarguably, the newly returned fallen of the City of
cept of participating in factional conflict keeps fallen Angels are, by necessity, extremely busy creatures who
busy as well. Every faction has overarching goals for its more or less have to be constantly on the move and
members to pursue (which their leaders have likely constantly doing something. Therefore, it only stands
developed as a means of coping with their defeat in the to reason that some aspect of this continual activity
War of Wrath), and sometimes, pursuing those goals would eventually (perhaps inevitably) be noticed by
can take up all of a demon’s free time that isn’t already interested mortals in the community. That concept
taken up by serving the needs of his infernal court and ignites the conflict of Into the Fire — be it as the second
his mortal life. The Cryptics (who devote themselves to story of the Fear to Tread chronicle, as a stand-alone
study and investigation of the time that has passed since pick-up story or as an aside in your own greater chronicle.
their imprisonment, so as to find answers to the most A trio of demon-hunters stumbles across a demonic
nagging and persistent questions that trouble the fallen) conspiracy and helps to put the final wraps on it. Before
find themselves especially busy in these modern times. the hunters can pull up stakes and quit while they’re
The Reconcilers do as well, considering how much ahead, though, they find themselves in the center of
work must needs be done to repair the damage the War another more personal battle — a battle that draws your
of Wrath caused, so that these angels can present it to players’ characters in as well.
their Creator as both an apology and a peace offering.
The Luciferans, Faustians and Raveners all have com- THE PLOT (IN BRIEF)
parable amounts of work to do as well, not to mention Into the Fire opens at a gathering of the characters’
the amount of work that members of each faction must infernal court (or a less formal affair if they are agents of
put in above and beyond the norm in order to keep Al-Lat), at which the events of Chapter One are being
members of the other factions from gaining some ad- discussed. Worried by the fact that the situation was
vantage over them. able to proceed as long as it had without anyone
And that description fits only the average demon, noticing, one of the authority figures asks the characters
who resides in a city in which mortal life continues to to check out the Marshall School in order to find some
run its course more or less as it always has. When you way to expunge any lingering Earthbound taint there.
consider the lives of the demons who have made Los Once they arrive, however, they find that two strange
Angeles, California their home, you add a whole new things have occurred. First, they find that the taint has
layer of complication. Times are changing faster in the already been largely expunged. Second, they find that
City of Angels than they are anywhere else in America the area from which the taint previously emanated is
— possibly faster than anywhere else in the world. An now spiritually warded so that they cannot even enter.
incredible earthquake (registering 7.2 on the Richter A brief investigation reveals that a small group of
scale) defied every principle of geology and scientific humans was seen poking around that site, so the char-
prediction and sprang up out of nowhere to shake the acters are encouraged to check those humans out. The
city to its foundations. At the same time, insanity swept demons must find and interact with these humans, at
streets and the citizenry, unleashing calamitous riots which point they learn that said humans are actually
the likes of which even Los Angeles has never seen inquisitive demon-hunters who stumbled onto the taint
before. The fervor surrounding these events has since at the Marshall School and did what they could to deal
died down, but the aftermath has provided demons with it. Later on, the characters’ superiors express an
plenty of unexpected opportunities to entice thralls, to interest in possibly meeting these so-called demon-
gain temporal power by insinuating themselves into the hunters and entreating them to explain how they warded
beleaguered authorities of the mortal community and to the Marshall School against infernal taint, hoping
parlay either or both such gains into power and influ- that such an interview will give them some insight
ence at the infernal level as well. Meanwhile, the into a new means of combating Earthbound influence
terrible, unknowable Earthbound who have long since in the city. When the characters track the demon-
gotten to the city first are dispatching their thralls and hunters down again, the fallen can either haul the
servants to do just the same as the fallen are scrambling demon-hunters away right there, or the characters can
to do (albeit for much more sinister reasons). Their lead the demon-hunters to believe that the fallen want
actions, in turn, are motivating the city’s resident fallen to help the hunters deal with the infernal menace that
to act out directly against these horrible infernal machi- they’ve set their sights on in hopes of gaining their
nations or to do everything in their power to insulate trust. One way or another, the characters hand the
themselves against the same, which only adds more demon-hunters over, just as they’ve been asked. But in
complications to the already desperately busy lives of doing so, are they planting the seeds of an even greater
Los Angeles’ fallen. problem down the road?
54
8
CHAPTER TWO
STORYTELLER CHARACTERS They were involved in dealing with the Marshall

School situation, either at the players’ characters’ side
While not all of these characters are highly influen-
tial movers and shakers in the Los Angeles Tri-County or on their own if your characters did not participate
Area (even in fallen society), they all have parts to play in Suffer the Children.
in Into the Fire. Some are intended simply to point the • The Minister of Dust. Lord Vohu Mano repre-
characters in the right direction if they should become sents the Infernal Court’s mortal ministry, and Lord
hopelessly confused about exactly what’s going on or if Vritran does the same for the Blood Court. They were
they should find themselves at a loss as to how to tangentially involved with dealing with the situation at
proceed in their investigation. You can skip over some the Marshall School. That situation disturbs them, as
of them if you find that your players’ characters don’t does the idea that mortal demon-hunters could be
need their help. You can also switch them out with taking an active hand in that situation as well.
Storyteller characters of your own design or from previ- • Spentu Mainyu (AKA Scratch). This crafty
ous events in your own chronicle, if you so choose. You Devil is playing a dangerous double-game as the head of
can even supplement their roles even further (if your the Ministry of Dragons of both the Infernal Court and
players appear to be having a particularly dense time of the Blood Court. He’s subtly impelling the other min-
it) by having the Storyteller characters to whom the isters of both courts to action by poking into the
ones presented here are connected in Los Angeles’s Marshall School situation. He’s also one of the first
greater infernal society make brief appearances. Expla- high-ranking demons to recognize the potential the
nations of how the various Storyteller characters are demon-hunters represent, rather than just the threat.
connected can be found in the Storyteller Characters • The Tyrant of the Court. The tyrants of the
chapter of this book, and even more information is respective courts (Baroness Kishar for the Infernal
presented in Demon: City of Angels. Court; Lady Anat for the Blood Court) play bit roles
• Baphomel (AKA Troy Daniels). Through an here, but their presence is not to be discounted. They’re
extensive blackmail campaign, this newly returned the ones who cut through any bickering that arises
fallen of the First House has forced his way into the between their lower ministers.
position of Lieutenant Mayor of Los Angeles. He ap- • Fell Knight Ashur (AKA Jeff Black). Ashur was
proaches this position and the opportunities it provides also involved in the investigation of the Marshall
him with laudable zeal and tenacity, but the recent School, and he is available to put in a token appearance
cataclysms that have befallen Los Angeles have taken as needed.
a great deal out of him. The mayor’s office is running • Lady Al-Lat (AKA Xiao Yuen). If the charac-
him ragged, and the stress is beginning to show on him. ters are this Cryptic’s agents rather than members of
• The Minister of Aurochs. The primary respon- either demonic court, it is through her and her direct
sibility of the Ministry of Aurochs is to make sure that underlings that the characters hear about the situa-
the fallen members of its demonic court are aware of any tion at the Marshall School (if they did not play
outside infernal threats. If the players’ characters are through Suffer the Children) and are instructed to
members of the Infernal Court of Los Angeles, they will check into it further.
interact with Lord Aglibol; if they are supporters of the • Manat (AKA Sylvia Sarah Woods). This nosy
Blood Court, this position is filled by Lady Inana. It is Luciferan is doggedly following up on the story sur-
by the head of this ministry that the characters are rounding the Marshall School on her own, much as the
enjoined to check out the Marshall School. characters are doing for their superiors. It is through her
• The Minister of Eagles. The Eagle Ministry’s that the characters find out about the demon-hunters in
responsibility is that of being the eyes and ears of its the first place.
demonic court. Lord Chenrezig is the so-called “Lidless • Meonenim (AKA Israel Arcella). A small-time
Eye” for the Infernal Court, while Lady Nasu is his businessman with a shop that specializes in the occult,
counterpart in the Blood Court. It is either the players’ he can provide a lead or two into where the demon-
characters’ court’s respective Minister of Eagles who hunters are as well as what they might be capable of.
brings the Marshall School situation to their court’s • Stanley McIntyre. A former priest who turned
attention, or it’s they who must answer for not discov- demon-hunter after a chilling brush with the super-
ering the situation there soon enough. natural. He believes that both demons and angels walk
• The Minister of Lions. As in Chapter One: the Earth, preparing to do battle for the souls of man-
Suffer the Children, Fell Knight Guanli and Fell kind. He is convinced that mankind has a role to play
Knight Ravana represent the Ministry of Lions of the in this struggle, but he doesn’t yet know what that role
Infernal Court and the Blood Court (respectively). should be.
55
8
FEAR TO TREAD
• Lou Barber. This drifter and layabout has taken Suffer the Children wrapped up with the characters
up the hunt himself for reasons similar to McIntyre’s, leaving the brickworks of the Marshall School and
but he only agrees with part of Stanley McIntyre’s making preparations to both recover (if they were
philosophy about what’s really going on. He believes injured) and report to members of their respective
that demons do, in fact, walk the Earth, but he’s not so courts. Scene One of this story, therefore, follows those
sure about angels. As far as he’s concerned, God’s an preparations naturally. Members of the Infernal Court
absentee who took His devoted angels with Him, leav- arrange to meet at a garden of the Huntington Library
ing mankind to fend for itself. But if that’s what it takes, the following night after hours. Members of the Blood
Lou’s prepared to do it. Court arrange to meet that same following night at a
• Koruna Gibson. The third in this trio of demon- place called the Vertigo Coffeehouse, which is run by a
hunters, Koruna isn’t sure what to believe. Are the Faustian known as Julian Forester. Agents of Al-Lat
beings her group searches for demons? Are they angels? choose to gather at a nightclub called The Kingdom.
She doesn’t know, but she keeps an open mind. Mostly, The characters arrive at the prearranged times, and
though, she keeps up the hunt with Stanley and Lou out Scene One begins as written.
of loyalty to them both for all they’ve done for her in the JUMPING IN COLD
time they’ve known her. Even if the characters were not part of the events
• Yigal (AKA Joyce Allen). This demon has of Suffer the Children, arrangements are still being
found herself in possession of the body of the wife of a made by members of the respective courts to meet as
local politician, and she uses this position to effect was previously mentioned. In addition, supporting
what positive change she can on the mortal popula- members of the courts are being courteously sum-
tion of Los Angeles. moned either by invocation or by telephone call
INVOLVING THE CHARACTERS (possibly by e-mail as well, depending on the charac-
ter) to discuss a matter of “grave import” to the court.
When involving the players’ characters in the The characters are contacted by the senior ministers of
Into the Fire story, you have to consider what back- whatever demonic ministry they happen to be associ-
ground the characters are approaching it from and ated with and encouraged to attend. If the characters
tailor your efforts accordingly. You could be running are relatively new members of their court or if they
this story as a one-shot or a pickup game to test out the haven’t shown themselves to favor working at the
Demon rules. You could be using it as an interlude or behest of any ministry in particular, they are contacted
an aside in a larger chronicle of your own creation. You by the Eagle Minister (whose job it is to keep up with
could also be running it on the heels of Suffer the the court’s members).
Children as part of the greater Fear to Tread chronicle. If the characters are Cryptic agents of Lady Al-
In either of the first two cases, involving the characters Lat, they are likely not invited to meet with the
requires some up-front exposition in the first scene. members of the other two courts (unless they are
The third case doesn’t require as much exposition, undercover, as it were, and expected to do so). Instead
since the characters will likely know everything they (or afterward), Al-Lat contacts them one by one and
need to know about what happened in Chapter One, asks them to join her for a meeting at a nightclub
but you might find the opportunity for it in this story’s called The Kingdom. Some interesting news has come
first scene useful to tie up any lingering loose ends. By up about possible Earthbound interference right under
the same token, you might find this opportunity a their noses, it seems, and that situation must needs be
useful point during which to fill in any holes the discussed. If the characters are true Cryptics, that
characters might still have in their understanding of should be all it takes to pique their interest and bring
the last story’s events. them there straightaway.
The first scene that follows is told from three
different perspectives to cover the experiences charac-
ters would have as members of the Infernal Court, as SCENE ONE
members of the Blood Court or as agents of Lady Al-Lat, (Before the description of the actual scene begins,
in hopes of covering all bases. Regardless, though, the an opening word of warning is in order for the casual
means by which the characters arrive at that scene are reader or the Storyteller who might be in a hurry. This
based on where they’re coming from. scene is outlined three different ways in order to cover
AFTER SUFFER THE CHILDREN all the established ways in which the players’ characters
It’s actually easiest to involve characters of all might be introduced to the events as they are unfolding.
stripes in Into the Fire from this perspective. The end of The rest of the scenes don’t require quite as much
backtracking, so they flow a bit more smoothly.)
56
8
CHAPTER TWO
THE INFERNAL COURT

The meeting of demons of the Infernal Court who
are either concerned about the events that transpired
at the Marshall School for Troubled Teens or are
simply responding to a generals summons sent out by
Lord Chenrezig of the Ministry of Eagles convenes at
the Huntington Library in San Marino shortly after
the place has technically closed for the day. As the
characters arrive separately or all in a group, they are
met around the back of the building at a door marked
“Employees Only” by an Asian woman named Violet
Takahashi. As members in pretty decent standing at
court, the characters recognize her as the demon
Amererat — a Devourer who’s secretly on staff at the
library as a gardener. She leads them inside, through
the stacks and over to one of several gardens on a
different part of the property. On their way, the char-
acters pass a sullen looking fallen named Nathaniel
Hidalgo who morosely points in the direction in which
Amererat is already leading them. As the demon
Ebisu, Hidalgo also works here at the library on behalf
of Lord Aglibol (the court’s Minister of Aurochs), and
it is his job to maintain this place as a gathering spot
for demons of the Infernal Court. It’s reasonable to
assume that Lord Aglibol is already here (considering
how important this meeting supposedly is), and if
Ebisu looks so miserable, it’s also reasonable to assume
that Lord Aglibol is not happy with him for some
reason. (If your players are not familiar enough with
the connections drawn between characters in this
book’s Storyteller Character chapter or in Demon:
City of Angels, you can simply have Ebisu tell them as
much, rather than showing them thus.)
For her part, Amererat ignores Ebisu and leads the
characters to one of the gardens she’s been hired to tend.
She stops at the threshold and ushers the characters
inside, telling them that “the others” are just getting
started. As the characters make their way into the
garden, the center of which is shrouded all around from
outside view, they can hear the sounds of conversation
emanating from within. When they emerge into the
center area themselves, they find a sizeable crowd
already waiting. This crowd includes the following
people (at the very least):
• Baroness Kishar — In the guise of an old black
woman with white hair and wrinkled skin, whose name
is Muriel Washington, Kishar stands barely five feet tall,
and she appears to weigh less than 90 pounds. While she
might seem to be a frail, tired old woman anyone who
bothers to look into her eyes (which don’t require any
sort of corrective lenses) will be startled by the spark of
youth and indomitable energy there. Her hair is white,
and her skin is wrinkled, but something about her eyes
bespeaks her iron strength.
57
8
FEAR TO TREAD
• Ashur — Jeff Black (whom characters from Suffer Spentu Mainyu in a conversation about bus routes, the
the Children should remember) seems the stereotype of layout of the sewers and patterns of smog over the city.
corn-fed, Midwestern good looks. He’s a little over six (For his part, Spentu Mainyu is mostly just smiling and
feet tall and weighs close to 230 pounds. He’s still in the nodding.) Fell Knight Guanli (and anyone else you see
uniform of a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy. fit to add to this scene) is standing more or less opposite
• Lord Aglibol — Also known as Jesus Arroya, Baroness Kishar in a strict parade-rest stance.
Aglibol appears as a dark-skinned Hispanic man in his Introductions can go around the garden at this
late 40s. He seems haggard and stressed, but he’s got a point if any of the characters are unsure of who any of
pot belly and somewhat jowly cheeks. He is short and the others are. Lord Chenrezig steps forward to handle
possessed of an air of insufferable arrogance. Unfortu- this exchange, which he does without missing so much
nately, an unpleasant miasma of body odor surrounds as a syllable of any character’s mortal or Celestial Name.
him as well, and his hair is matted as if he didn’t have When he’s finished, Lord Aglibol grumbles that it
time to bathe before he came here. doesn’t look like anyone else is going to show up, so they
• Lord Chenrezig — The head of the Eagle Minis- might as well get this gathering over with so he can get
try is a dark-skinned, scrawny Indian man with a scraggly back to work.
beard and wild, unkempt hair. He dresses in many layers Baroness Kishar takes over at that point, agreeing
of mismatched clothing like a transient, but he lacks the with Aglibol wholeheartedly (which earns a subtle roll
unwashed aroma of most bums. of the eyes from Vohu Mano). She states that the reason
• Fell Knight Guanli — Jeremiah Azevedo (who everyone’s come together this evening is to discuss a
characters from Suffer the Children might also remem- newly discovered threat by minions of one of the two
ber) is a stocky Portuguese man. Although he’s a Earthbound demons who are suspected to be at work in
recognizable officer of the LAPD, he is not in uniform the city the Infernal Court has claimed. She stumbles a
at the moment (unless the timing from Suffer the bit over how to refer to him without mentioning his
Children works out that he should still be). name — and thus invoking him — and finally comes up
• Lord Vohu Mano — Vohu Mano, who is known with “the one who is not the Lord of Murder” (i.e.,
among mortals as Jonathan Freeman, is a pale young Enshagkushanna, rather than Manishtusu).
man with fine hair almost-white hair, who is almost “‘Shaggy,’ let’s call him,” Spentu Mainyu interjects
ethereally beautiful. (He should also be familiar from good-naturedly.
Suffer the Children.) Unamused, Kishar grudgingly accepts that and car-
• Spentu Mainyu — The head of the Dragon ries on. She makes sure that everyone understands that
Ministry has soft, rounded features, dark skin and an the Earthbound and their servitors are dangerous, un-
easygoing, affable smile on his face. He is rolling a dollar predictable enemies of the fallen and that she will stop
coin across the knuckles of his almost preternaturally at nothing to see their influence erased from her city.
long fingers. She then asks Ashur and Guanli (and the characters, if
(As the Storyteller, you should feel free to add any they participated in the events of Suffer the Children)
extra characters from the Infernal Court of Los Angeles to come forward and fill everyone in on the specifics of
to this scene, as well as Storyteller characters of your this threat.
own design, if you so desire.) Ashur stands and speaks first. He tells everyone
These characters are arrayed around the meeting about feeling a sudden sense of demonic power that was
site engaging in uncomfortable smalltalk that the play- greater than anything else he had felt since Lucifer’s
ers’ characters’ arrival mercifully eliminates. Kishar is appearance above the LA skyline — one so strong and
seated on a bench at the opposite end of the garden, at veined with such torment that he could not ignore it.
what is now the head position. Ashur is seated next to (At that, several listeners nod in recognition or look
her, contrasting her tiny frame comically. Vohu Mano wistfully up at the sky. Aglibol just checks his watch
is on the same side of Kishar as Ashur, not seeming to again.) As he was going to check it out, he received a
be paying much attention to what is going on. Aglibol call over his radio about a presumably drunk driver
is next on that side, with a good deal of space between crashing through an outdoor café and destroying her car
himself and anyone else. He has his arms crossed and is in a ball of fire. When he responded to the site of the one
looking furtively around at the others when he’s not event, he discovered that it was the site of the other as
glancing surreptitiously at his watch. well. Some unsuspecting human had been the victim of
Spentu Mainyu is standing a few feet away from the tainted infernal power, and that power had killed her.
baroness on the other side opposite Ashur. Next to him His tale then proceeds in one of two possible
is Lord Chenrezig, who appears to be trying to engage ways. If the players’ characters took part in Suffer the
58
8
CHAPTER TWO
Children, he describes meeting them at the scene then down. She turns her glare on Vohu Mano, who sighs in
cedes the floor to them to describe their experiences defeat and says that he did everything he knew how to
from that point forward. If your players did not play do once he was finally made aware of the situation. He
through Suffer the Children, though, Ashur engages a does not even try to argue with Aglibol.
tidy bit of exposition. He tells about searching the If your players’ characters wish to forestall more of
victim’s apartment and running a background check to this bickering before it gets entirely out of hand, have
find nothing out of the ordinary. He tells about what the the players roll Charisma or Manipulation plus what-
fallen medical examiners discovered when they exam- ever Ability they think would be of the most help. If the
ined the victim’s body both naturally and supernaturally. characters do not decide to break in (maybe they are
He tells about visiting the school and intervening in a enjoying the show, or maybe they do not think that it
student revolt, after which he made contact in private is their place to pipe up at this point), Spentu Mainyu
with one of the students. acts as the voice of reason. He steps forward toward
He then turns the discussion over to Guanli, who Kishar and tells everyone that this is no time for
takes over somewhat nervously (again, if the characters pointless bickering. If anything, everyone should be
are not the ones doing the talking.) The fell knight thanking Ashur and Guanli (and the players’ characters
describes how he, an unnamed “friend” from outside the if doing so is appropriate) for the timely work that they
court and Ashur returned to the school after bed check all did. This tactic does not cool tempers, but it turns the
and raided the place. He tells everyone exactly what was discussion civil once more and ends the blame game.
going on in the brickworks right on the school grounds “What needs to be done now, then,” Kishar says
and how two people had to die (and one unfortunate after a tense moment or two of silence, “is to make sure
fallen comrade had to be consigned back to the Abyss) that this Earthbound’s influence has truly been cut off
so that “Shaggy’s” influence could be at least tempo- from this school of troublemakers. I understand that you
rarily cut off. all have other responsibilities, but who can I count on
The majority of the courtiers reacts to this news to see this through?”
with disturbed shock, but not Baroness Kishar. She Right away, Aglibol begs off, claiming that he has
glares at Lord Chenrezig and demands to know why the to leave soon. He says that he has to prepare for an
court had no warning about this threat growing in its impromptu City Council meeting the following day, at
midst. Still somewhat in shock, Chenrezig begins to which the mortals will be discussing this very topic.
babble that so much has been happening lately and that Vohu Mano offers to check it out — even comes close
the fallen who have made their way to the city are still to begging Kishar to allow him to do it — but Kishar
so few that he and his ministry could not possibly be denies his request outright. In the wake of that pro-
expected to uncover every small-time incursion by the nouncement, no one else makes a move to speak.
forces of the Earthbound. Plus, the Earthbound have The uncomfortable silence that follows is designed
had so much longer to insinuate themselves into the to inspire your players’ characters to volunteer. If they
city that defending against them is more a matter of do so and they have also played through Suffer the
rooting them out than in preventing them from gaining Children, Aglibol eagerly supports them, Vohu Mano
a foothold. nods respectfully, Spentu Mainyu grins, and Ashur
Lord Aglibol snorts in contempt and mumbles that voices his support. Kishar commends them for their
if Lord Chenrezig did not spend so much time with his initiative and willingness to remain involved. If the
head in the gutter this problem might not have grown characters volunteer without having played through
unchecked in the first place. This outburst earns him a Chapter One, the same response is engendered, except
glare from Kishar who says that rooting out threats for the fact that Vohu Mano looks a little more frus-
against the court — which activities of the Earthbound trated and annoyed with Kishar. If the characters do not
definitely represent — and protecting the court is the volunteer, though, Spentu Mainyu comes forward, looks
responsibility of the Ministry of Aurochs in the first around the gathering and fixes his gaze on them. Then,
place. Why, then, did Aglibol not do anything about with a conciliatory smile, he recommends the charac-
this situation? At this, Aglibol stammers, and his eyes ters to Kishar as “competent, impartial and, above all,
roll in desperation until his gaze fixes on Vohu Mano. loyal members of the Infernal Court.” Without waiting
He points accusingly at the Minister of Dust and claims for a reply, Kishar jumps at the easy solution and orders
that since human beings were being victimized by the the characters to comply.
Earthbound, it should have been Vohu Mano who took Once that brewing conflict has been settled, Kishar
care of the situation. bids the characters to investigate as quickly and thor-
Such infantile finger-pointing should not appeal to oughly as they can and to report back to one of the
a rational mind, but Baroness Kishar swallows it right ministers or herself with anything they can find out by
59
8
FEAR TO TREAD
the morning after next. (If the characters did not take have gathered and are waiting for them around a large
part in Suffer the Children, she commands Guanli and conference-room-style table. These luminaries include
Ashur to remain behind and tell them the location at least the following characters:
and layout of the school.) When all of that has been • Lady Anat — The Tyrant of the Blood Court has
said and done, she thanks everyone for coming, then blond hair and brown eyes and is immaculately
promptly dismisses them. One by one, the ministers groomed. She greets the characters with a very subtle
leave, and the ball is in the characters’ court. Parisian accent.
• Lady Nasu — The Slayer known as Old Tilda is
THE BLOOD COURT bent and wrinkled leather stretched thin across of a
The meeting of demons of the Blood Court who frame of bones, wrapped up in layers of strongly fra-
are either concerned about the events that transpired grant clothing. Her hair is a matted tangle of white,
at the Marshall School for Troubled Teens or are but her eyes gleam with an unexpected life beneath
simply responding to a generals summons sent out by this unruly mop.
Lady Nasu of the Ministry of Eagles convenes at a • Lady Inana — The Blood Court’s Aurochs Min-
coffee shop in Santa Monica called the Vertigo Cof- ister is tall, slender and effortlessly elegant, and her
feehouse. The place is tastefully decorated to look like chocolate-brown eyes are rich with innuendo and sug-
the living room of a nouveau-riche young urban pro- gestion. Her brown hair is kept shoulder length and full
fessional. Abstract paintings hang on the walls, the to best frame her oval visage, and she has garbed herself
floors are all varnished hardwood, and the couches in blacks and reds.
and chairs all around are trendy home furnishings • Fell Knight Ravana — This warrior-woman of
designed by the third leading interior designer on the the Lion Ministry (whom characters who played in
local scene. The only concession to commercialism is Suffer the Children should recognize) is strikingly at-
a large chalkboard listing the names of the day’s tractive, with a well-rounded figure and bright, green
special blends, which hangs on the wall behind a long eyes. As before, she shows no exposed skin except from
glass counter full of reasonably fresh baked goods. The the chin up and the wrists down.
place is only about half full of customers, all of whom
are lounging around sipping drinks or partitioned off • Lord Vritran — This character (also one the
behind newspapers. characters might recognize from Chapter One) is a lean,
fit Korean man with excited, dancing eyes.
As the characters enter, the proprietor emerges
from the door leading back to an office behind the • Spentu Mainyu — This Devil whom his mortal
counter. His name is Julian Forester, and he is quietly contacts know as Scratch appears here just as he does in
considered by many members of the Blood Court to the preceding text, right down to the coin he’s spinning
be a piteous anomaly among Los Angeles’ fallen across his knuckles.
community. For some reason, this Faustian (by deed, • Lo-ruhamah — This demon is a severe-looking
if not by official declaration) has retained the abili- middle-aged woman who’s still wearing a white lab
ties and innate powers of his fallen nature, but he coat with an ID badge from the Martin Luther King,
remembers only his mortal life and none of his long Jr./Charles R. Drew Medical Center on the pocket.
life from before. Object of pity or not, though, Julian (Characters from Suffer the Children should recog-
owns this place, and it was he who set it up as a nize her as Doctor Katherine Roggenkamp from that
meeting place for the fallen of the Blood Court to use hospital’s morgue.)
in privacy. To that end, he nods once, knowingly, to (Again, as the Storyteller, you should feel free to
the characters and glances significantly in the direc- add any extra characters from the Infernal Court of Los
tion of the three unisex restrooms near the rear, then Angeles to this scene, as well as Storyteller characters of
down at his watch (as if to tell the characters that your own design, if you so desire.)
they’re behind schedule). The gathered characters are either seated or stand-
As the characters make their way to the back, they ing around the table in the center of the room, some of
casually enter the middle of the three doors (one by one them nursing cups of coffee, others going without. Lady
or all together if they wish). The rear wall of this Anat sits at the far head of the table with Spentu
bathroom, they can tell automatically, is an illusion Mainyu at her left and Lady Nasu at her right. Lady
stretched out over yet another door that leads to Forester’s Inana and Fell Knight Ravana are sitting across from
private meeting room. Passing through this illusory one another, and Lord Vritran is lounging against the
barrier (which serves only to keep mortal customers wall with a tiny espresso cup balanced on his palm. Lo-
from getting nosy), they enter the room where the ruhamah is sitting by herself at the table with an empty
luminaries of the secretive Blood Court of Los Angeles seat between her and Ravana.
60
8
CHAPTER TWO
As the characters come in, Lady Anat rises to bid direction and says, “Maybe you’d be willing to help the
the characters welcome and asks them to make them- court out, yeah? After all, there are so few of us here in
selves comfortable. She then explains (to characters the shadow of the greater Infernal Court….” Anat
who were not part of Suffer the Children) that the hesitates but then brightens to the idea. None of the
reason she had Lady Nasu call everyone together who other ministers have any objections, so the matter is
could make it on such short notice is that a possible (hopefully) settled. Anat asks the characters to take
opportunity has arisen in the form of a dangerous no more than a couple of days looking into the matter,
Earthbound incursion. Right away, Lady Nasu pipes up then to get back in touch with herself or Lady Nasu. At
and asks, “Which one? Was it Manish—” this point, the characters are free to stay and interact
“No, no, the other one,” Spentu Mainyu interrupts with the members of their rebel court if the players so
her (much to the relief of the others in the room). “But desire, but when Lady Nasu makes her exit about 10
don’t say either of their names. How ’bout we just call minutes later, the other ministers and guests are not far
this one ‘Shaggy’ for safety’s sake right now?” behind her. Only Ravana makes any initial effort to
This suggestion is met with some amusement around approach and talk to the characters, and she feels the
the room except for Lady Nasu, who looks vaguely need to do so only if they have never been to the
annoyed. Regardless, Anat continues. She explains Marshall School before.
that what makes this situation a possible opportunity is
the fact that while they (the members of the Blood AGENTS OF AL-LAT
Court) didn’t realize what was happening until it was The meeting of those demonic agents of the Cryp-
almost too late, the members of the Infernal Court tic Lady Al-Lat who are either concerned about the
apparently had even less of a clue. The challenge, then, events that transpired at the Marshall School for
is to investigate and capitalize on this situation now Troubled Teens or are simply responding to the general
before the Infernal Court gets involved and see what summons sent out by Al-Lat takes place at a nightclub
advantage, if any, can be gained from it. off of Manhattan Beach called The Kingdom. The place
If your players’ characters did not participate in is a sprawling four-floor monstrosity that radiates with
Suffer the Children, Lady Anat takes this opportunity garish neon lights and thumps and hums with the loud
to step back and fill them in on exactly what she’s dance music emanating from inside. This place has
talking about. She explains Ashur’s part in the plot as become one of Los Angeles’ quickest-to-the-top hot
she understands it second-hand from Lo-ruhamah. spots for the chic Hollywood crowd, although it is still
She tells them about Fell Knight Ravana’s involve- less than a year old. The characters pay the cover, then
ment (as well as that of Ravana’s “friend from outside head inside.
the court”) in putting a stop to what was happening at Inside, every surface is painted a dark color, the
the Marshall School for Troubled Teens. If, on the bar and the dance floors are packed with second-string
other hand, the characters did participate in the pre- beautiful people, and even inside, there’s a lot of neon
vious story, Anat praises them in front of everyone for illuminating the place. Over it all, dance music blares
their timely involvement. Either way, she chastises oppressively loud, forcing the patrons to shout (or
everyone for not noticing Enshagkushanna’s growing resort to crude pantomime) in order to communicate
influence sooner but encourages them not to dwell on with each other. Lady Al-Lat considers the owner of
it since there is still time to possibly make the best of this club — a mysterious demon named Nyx, who
this not-so-bad situation. prefers to be called by her mortal host’s name of Molly
Lady Anat then suggests that someone from this Vasquez — a reputable source of information, if the
court ought to check out the site of contention at the price is right, which is why Al-Lat wanted to meet
Marshall School. If the characters have already been to here. As per her standard practice, Molly has secreted
the school, Lady Anat nominates them straightaway. If herself away on the fourth floor of this club in her
not (and if they don’t volunteer), no one looks their way private office.
just yet. Lady Nasu begs off going to the school itself but The characters head for the back stairs, which lead
offers to attend the City Council meeting that’s sched- to a dimly lit balcony lounge overlooking the dance
uled for the following day, at which the mortals intend floor below, then up to the office on the top floor. When
to discuss the situation amongst themselves and try to they get to the top of the steps, they are stopped by a
deal with it on their level. The other ministers of the thuggish bouncer to whom they must give the password
court make excuses related to their demonic work or — “Nyx.” Molly opens the door from within at this
inescapable responsibilities of their mortal lives. point and ushers the characters inside.
Finally, if the players’ characters still have not The office is only a little better lit than the rest of the
volunteered themselves, Spentu Mainyu looks in their club, but it is soundproofed so that only the barest vibration
61
8
FEAR TO TREAD
from the clamor of music makes it in here. Awaiting the be joining them. Al-Lat indicates that she does not
characters’ arrival are the following characters: think so, and Molly excuses herself. She tells Al-Lat
• Lady Al-Lat — Also known as Xiao Yuen, Al-Lat that she is looking forward to their talk after this
possesses the body of a 17-year-old Chinese girl. She is meeting, and Al-Lat returns the sentiment with some-
slender and short but not yet finished growing. Her what less sincerity. Then, Molly is gone, leaving only
black hair is long and straight, almost reaching her Al-Lat and her agents.
waist, and only a single elastic band is holding it in any When they are alone, Al-Lat either explains what
semblance of order. she has called this meeting for (if the players’ characters
• Lady Nasu — Lady Nasu appears here just as she did not play through Suffer the Children) or asks what
does in the Blood Court text. it is that the characters have been up to at the Marshall
• Lord Chenrezig — This character appears here School for Troubled Teens (if they have been there). If
just as he does in the Infernal Court text. the characters have not been there (or if the players are
• Fell Knight Guanli — This fell knight appears still somewhat nervous about roleplaying a dialogue
here just as he does in the Infernal Court text. such as this), Fell Knight Guanli, Lord Chenrezig and
Lady Nasu fill in the exposition. They tell either what
• Molly Vasquez — The demon Nyx is dressed in
they experienced (in Guanli’s case) or what they heard
her best Hollywood-chic clubbing getup. Her tight
second-hand from other members of their respective
body is pulsing slightly in time to the music from
courts (in Chenrezig’s and Nasu’s cases).
downstairs, and she is unselfconsciously gnawing her
lower lip in anticipation of getting out to the dance floor Their consensus after this exposition has taken
for a while. place is that the corruptive influence of the Earth-
bound who was using the Marshall School has been
(Just as in the two previous iterations of this scene,
cut off for the time being. It seems, though, according
you should feel free, as the Storyteller, to add any extra
to the respective courts’ Eagle Ministers that the
characters to this scene who might also be secretive
ministers of the Infernal Court and the Blood Court
agents of Lady Al-Lat, as well as Storyteller characters
are content to call the deal done and let that be that.
of your own design, if you so desire.)
They have expressed only nominal interest in seeing
Once the characters arrive and make themselves the matter through, and no one has volunteered to
comfortable, Molly asks Lady Al-Lat if anyone else will
62
8
CHAPTER TWO
follow up. Al-Lat considers this lapse on the courts’ discussion on just what to do with the kids who are in
part unconscionable — although she thanks her agents the Marshall School right now.
for lying low and not forcing the courts to get involved Lady Nasu claims that she is going to be at this
— and she declares that it is up to them to look more meeting strictly as an observer, but she welcomes the
deeply into this matter. company if the characters are willing to go along. With
To that end, she turns toward her newest agents, that, the matter appears to be settled. Lady Al-Lat
that is, the players’ characters. Whether they have informs the characters that she will be expecting an
been to the Marshall School or not, she asks them to invocation from them (or a simple cell-phone call if
go there on behalf of their faction and see what they they prefer) once they have checked out the Marshall
can find. She asks Nasu, Chenrezig and Guanli to School grounds. If the players have no further roleplaying
focus their courts’ attention elsewhere for the time to do here, the meeting is adjourned.
being in order to give her other agents some little
opportunity to function in secret. She wants the char-
acters to go to the school, check out the site at which
SCENE TWO
the Earthbound’s power was the most concentrated in (This scene is optional, and it is therefore not
order to make sure that the taint of it has truly been cut integral to the flow of events that keeps Into the Fire
off, try to find out how it managed to get a foothold moving. It does not offer much in the way of opportu-
there in the first place and, finally, to find out if any nities for active character involvement, as it is designed
other parts of the school might have been similarly more for passive observation. It does, however, provide
tainted yet somehow escaped notice. a little background into what is happening in Los
Before they do that, however, Lady Al-Lat suggests Angeles at the mortal political level. It also provides
that it might aid the characters in their investigation if some partial closure to the events of Suffer the Chil-
they attend the next day’s emergency City Council dren, as well as some hints for what is to come in The
meeting. That meeting has been called in direct re- Judas Kiss. Should your players or their characters not
sponse to the community finding out about the situation be interested in this scene, though, you can simply have
at the Marshall School, and it seems to be intended as one of the Storyteller characters who is in attendance
part press conference, part soothing balm on the public’s recap the important news at a later point during a lull in
fears that their children are being victimized and part inter-character interaction.)
Under entirely normal circumstances, this City
Council meeting might not be necessary. The story that
UNDERCOVER CHARACTERS is circulating about what actually happened at the
It’s possible that you’ve constructed your Marshall School is that the new headmaster (one Henry
chronicle in such a way that the players’ charac- David Vandermeer) had instituted some sort of secre-
ters are Cryptic agents of Al-Lat who have tive program in which he rewarded older and stronger
infiltrated the Infernal Court, the Blood Court or students of the school for repeatedly abusing younger
even both courts simultaneously. If that’s the case, and weaker ones. Apparently, one of the school’s coun-
you can have them participate in one or both selors (Ms. Mary Blacksmith) discovered this program
versions of this first scene, then report to Al-Lat and would have exposed it except for the fact that she
in the third part about what they have witnessed. died in a tragic car accident before she could do so. On
If you decide to do so, don’t forget to have the top of that, Los Angeles police and officers of the LA
recurring characters from the first two iterations County Sheriff’s office have discovered evidence of
(Nasu, Chenrezig and Guanli) present for Al- what could only be described as “occult demon-wor-
Lat’s meeting as well. Like the players’ characters, ship,” which had been going on right on the school
these Storyteller characters are infiltrators sup- grounds for who knows how long. Vandermeer and one
plying Al-Lat with information. of the school’s administrators are now deceased, Mary
The timing of getting these three spies to- Blackwell is dead, and any other damage characters who
gether with Al-Lat and your characters, however, played through Suffer the Children might have caused
might be a little tricky. Just make sure that the has been reported as well.
Blood Court’s meeting happens after the Infernal All that being the case, and with the circumstances
Court’s meeting and that there is enough time in the City of Angels being anything but normal these
between and after these meetings for the characters days, this story has actually attracted quite a great deal
(all of them who are involved) to lose any pursuit of public attention. Reports of kidnapings all across the
they might have attracted and make their way to United States, and in Los Angeles especially, have
The Kingdom. conditioned the news-watching public to react with
63
8
FEAR TO TREAD
strong emotions to any news item about children being Black. As Black, Ashur stands and gives an official
in danger. The supersaturation in the media of the (which is to say, somewhat sanitized) statement on
recent sighting of Lucifer over the LA skyline (however what happened at the Marshall School, on how those
people might be rationalizing it) has also conditioned events were uncovered and on what steps were taken to
the public to glom onto stories with a supernatural or bring the perpetrators to justice. The official story on
spiritual bent. On a subconscious level, though, the the fate of Henry Vandermeer and Edward Harvey is
people of Los Angeles are simply becoming inured to a that they were killed by officers of the LAPD for
seemingly endless parade of stories about the recent resisting arrest. (If Micky Pico survived your characters’
earthquake and the subsequent riots, so they are search- version of Suffer the Children, Ashur adds that the
ing for a new hot story that does not affect them so traumatized boy is in stable condition but remains in a
directly or tragically. coma. Otherwise, he says that Micky was already dead
Regardless of the reasoning behind it, though, this when the police arrived.)
meeting is already packed and bustling when the After that report, Baphomel (as Daniels) takes
characters arrive. It is being held in the conference over the floor again. He says that the Marshall School
center of a large hotel by necessity, since City Hall has been closed down and evacuated since the discov-
itself (where this event might have otherwise taken ery of what was going on, but it is no mystery that there
place) has been demolished by the earthquake. The are still a great many kids who need to be cared for,
room has been arranged like an auditorium with the many of whom are more traumatized than ever. This
attending City Council members, the Lieutenant statement prompts the inevitable question from the
Mayor (Troy Daniels) and Deputy Jeff Black arranged audience of where the kids and staff actually are now.
at its head. The first several ranks of provided seating Daniels answers that for the time being, emergency
have been taken up by reporters from all media (and accommodation has been arranged with the local
their attendant camera crews), and what space is left YWCA. More serious juvenile offenders who had
is filling with curious, demanding or infuriated locals been sentenced to attend the school by the courts have
who have come for the show. been divided up between the Tri-County Area’s other
Several fallen are present at this gathering as well, juvenile-detention facilities, but such has not been
other than the players’ characters. The most notable necessary for the majority of the teens in residence at
ones among them include Fell Knight Ashur (as Jeff the Marshall School.
Black), Lord Aglibol (as Councilman Jesus Arroya) Exactly who has any authority over the fate and
and Baphomel (as Lieutenant Mayor Troy Daniels). future of these students is a matter of some discussion
Regardless of their affiliation, the characters are likely at this point, as decisions have to made about the
to recognize these fallen by simple virtue of their being short- and medium-term future of the school. The
such public figures in both mortal life and fallen State Board of Education has appointed a temporary
society. A less public figure whom the characters trustee by the name of Dominic Hill, and the first
might also recognize by reputation if not personal actual order of business for the City Council is to
acquaintance is Yigal (known to mortals as Mrs. Joyce approve that decision.
Allen). As the wife of one of the other councilmen, Finally, the largest issue at hand is that of where
she has used her influence in the past to support the funds are going to come from to fix this mess. Most
programs for at-risk teens and to drum up support for of the local government’s money (as well as any federal
a charity known as the Terminal Children’s Fund. Her money that has been doled out to the city) is tied up in
name has come up several times in discussions of both rebuilding the damage inflicted by recent larger-scale
demonic courts, as well as in passing among Al-Lat’s disasters. If the children of the Marshall School, how-
agents. Lady Nasu is here as well, but she will neither ever, are not simply to be recycled into the ailing
approach nor acknowledge the characters in the inter- system and forgotten about, the school needs more
est of maintaining secrecy. money to get back on its feet. It needs a new headmas-
As the characters arrive, find seats and take all of ter and lead administrator, for one, as well as any
this in, the actual meeting is getting started. Lieutenant replacements to the security staff that the players’
Mayor Daniels (a clean-cut, young American man of characters’ actions might have necessitated. The school
vaguely Irish ancestry, with a flawless complexion and also needs a new and larger counseling and teaching
neatly trimmed brown hair) opens the proceedings by staff, but the costs associated with thoroughly check-
apologizing that the mayor himself could not be present ing these people’s backgrounds and actually paying
for reasons that probably ought to be obvious. He then them has to come from somewhere.
thanks everyone for coming, asks the visitors to hold In answer to these concerns, Daniels asks Joyce
their questions for the moment and introduces Deputy Allen (AKA the demon Yigal) to come forward. She
64
8
CHAPTER TWO
comes to the front of the room and addresses the entire structure with a parking lot, an outdoor basketball court
crowd. First, she assures everyone that she and her and a fenced-in playground behind it. The back and
husband, the councilman, are dedicated to finding a sides of the building have been tagged and decorated by
solution to this situation that is in the best interests of overlapping works of graffiti art, many of which show
the community and these poor victimized children. To strong religious overtones in the wake of Devil’s Night.
that end, she is helping to organize a coalition among Several police cars are parked in the lot, and uniformed
her own personal charities and other willing private officers are swaggering around, making a show of watch-
humanitarian organizations to see that these kids are ing over the kids housed at the center.
taken care of. For instance, Annette Demilenko of the As the characters approach, a brown sedan passes
Blind Samaritan Foundation has already agreed to be a them on its way away from the center. If the characters
part of this effort. With a little more support, she says, played through Suffer the Children, have the players
her coalition can finally give these kids the correction, roll Perception + Alertness (difficulty 8). If they suc-
education and counseling that the system has thus far ceed, point out that this car is the same make and model
failed to provide them. as the one that was being turned away from the gate of
The crowd responds favorably to Yigal’s promises, the Marshall School at the end of their first visit there.
and the emotional resonance of the meeting takes on a If you don’t want to tip your hand that the sighting is
relieved, hopeful tenor. The only sticking point seems more than a mere coincidence, though, (which it cer-
to be that of who is responsible for protecting the tainly is) don’t make them roll. Just mention the car
community from what danger the displaced students of offhand, and make a mental note that it was there.
the Marshall School might pose now that they are no Inside, the place is packed to the gills with teenag-
longer under lock and key on the school grounds. Ashur ers of all ages and only a couple of handfuls of adults
answers that although the Sheriff’s Department and the (many of whom look harried unto exhaustion at this
LAPD are still stretched very thin keeping order in the point). If the characters do not especially look like
wake of Devil’s Night, some officers are still on hand at dangerous weirdoes, they can walk around the recre-
the YWCA for safety’s sake. From that point on, the ational center and ask questions of the staff and students
meeting devolves into a discussion of the same old (which nets them the following information). If the
topics that have been on the people’s mind since Devil’s characters played through Suffer the Children and
Night (escalations of racial and gang violence, the interacted favorably with the character Alicia Rhowes,
progress of the rebuilding efforts, the Red Cross’s criti- they can also seek her out and get from her a broad
cal shortage of blood on reserve and so on), and the issue overview of recent events. Regardless, the information
of the Marshall School is tabled. Not long afterward, that can be gathered from the YWCA is as follows:
the Lieutenant Mayor announces that the he and the • After being housed here, some of the teens
councilors all have to get back to work on those very decided to take their chances on their own and slipped
issues, and the meeting draws to a close. away through the center’s crack security net. The local
SCENE THREE
police who are on hand have made some half-hearted
efforts to find these strays, and a few teachers with a
modicum of streetwise have made their own inquiries.
It stands to reason at this point that your players’ None of the runaways have been returned.
characters will want to jump right into their investiga-
• Although many members of the staff (both of the
tion of the grounds of the Marshall School for Troubled
YWCA and from the Marshall School) have good
Teens (especially if they just sat through all that recap-
intentions, they are finding it difficult to understand
ping without having much to add). If they played
their current predicament. There is a lot of mistrust,
through Suffer the Children and they want to follow up
resentment and fear being repressed, and people are
on the welfare of the children they might have met
trying to work out exactly what went wrong and who is
there, though, (or if they’re just especially thorough
liable to take the blame.
investigators), they might want to check out the situa-
tion at the Young Women’s Christian Association • Nobody is really happy about this temporary
building where the better-behaved children from the housing arrangement, but most of the students (aside
school are being temporarily housed. from the runaways) are still too shocked to complain
more than the token amount.
THE YWCA • Maxwell Harris’s “trusties” — those older stu-
If the characters head for the YWCA first, they find dents responsible for most of the abuse heaped on the
it stuck in amid industrial office buildings and low-rent younger ones at the former headmaster’s behest — have
apartment complexes. The building is a squat concrete all run away. Maxwell Harris himself has been inconsol-
able since Headmaster Vandermeer’s “abandonment”
65
8
FEAR TO TREAD
of him. He sits quietly on his cot most of the time and did not think to or want to check it out — they make
cannot be persuaded to talk. their way over to the grounds of the Marshall School for
• A lady named Joyce Allen (from the previous Troubled Teens in order to get on with their actual
scene) has been making semi-regular visits to the YWCA investigation. The place is a shell of its former self, but
recreational center to check up on the kids and to talk it is still a fairly forbidding structure. Stuck between a
to the Marshall School staff. Sometimes, she comes storage-space rental facility and an electrical substa-
with reporters and seems to be milking the spotlight; tion, with concrete noise-breakers between it and the
other times, she arrives alone and seems more genuinely freeway, the building appears only cosmetically differ-
concerned with the children’s plight. ent now from the factory it was originally designed to be.
• A short time into this temporary accommoda- It has a brooding, haunted look to it, even though it has
tion, a blazing row broke out between two students only been shut down a relatively short time.
and a teacher, with shouting and intimations of The place is now devoid of on-staff security guards,
violence on both sides. This event has increased the and there is no police presence to speak of, so getting
overall tension among the students and staff. Wor- into the grounds shouldn’t be much of a problem. The
ried about the backlash should such an event reaching front gate has been cursorily garlanded in yellow crime-
the news, Dominic Hill has fired the teacher. Whether scene tape, and it has been locked by a padlock and
because of this incident or because of a mounting chain for the time being, but demonic trespassers should
turnover rate among the staff, a new teacher has since not find these obstacles insurmountable. The grounds
appeared. Her name is Karen Waites, and she pitches and the main block of the school appear here exactly as
in and cheerfully helps out as best she can with more they are described in the “Grounds and Layout” section
than a little nervous energy. If the characters ask to of Suffer the Children, so refer to that chapter and the
speak to her, she is unavailable at present. In fact, she maps therein for appropriate descriptions. The only
coincidentally left not too long before the characters major differences to note for your players include how
showed up (in the brown sedan the characters no- empty and lifeless the place feels and the fact that both
ticed, for your reference). the front door leading into the school and the door
leading into the brickworks have been crisscrossed with
THE OLD SCHOOL GROUNDS more yellow police tape.
Once the characters’ visit to the YWCA recre- If your players went through Suffer the Children
ational center is over — or in lieu of it, if the characters — or if they did not but they received specific details
66
8
CHAPTER TWO
in Scene One from those characters who did — they (likely when the players get bored of being barred),
will likely head straight for the brickworks. If they they’ll have to call off the investigation and leave for
choose to check out the inside of the school, though, the time being.
refer again to the description of the interior provided
in Chapter One. Everything listed there is still pretty AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR
much in the same condition now as it was then, except Before the characters can leave, however, a figure
for the fact that the power has been switched off and approaches them, seeming to materialize out of a nearby
the electronic locks no longer work. (Investigators shadow. This figure is a woman of average height, with
from the LAPD performed a very hurried, slapdash skin that displays an unfortunate tendency to break out
investigation, it seems.) The only glaring exception in unflattering splotches. Her dark brown hair is drawn
here is that Headmaster Vandermeer’s private quar- back in a short ponytail, and she is wearing a blue
ters have been separately marked with crime-scene flannel shirt over dark blue jeans. She lights up a
tape. Inside, the room has been pored over much more cigarette and introduces herself as Sylvia Sarah Woods,
carefully and practically coated with fingerprint dust. a reporter from The Philadelphia Inquirer on long assign-
Of especial interest, it seems, was the cabinet by the ment in LA. She then adds in a conspiratorial whisper,
headmaster’s bed in which, according to Suffer the “But my real name is Manat to fallen brothers in arms,
Children, Micky Pico was kept imprisoned after as you appear to be. Don’t use it lightly.”
Headmaster Vandermeer had him removed from the In response to subsequent roleplaying — or merely
infirmary. A successful Perception + Awareness roll by virtue of her garrulous nature — she explains that
(difficulty 8) reveals to one’s character’s fallen senses she too has come to the Marshall School to investi-
that this piece of furniture caused and therefore ab- gate the reports in the news of evidence of “occult
sorbed a great deal of psychological trauma — more demon-worship” that have arisen in connection to
than any one child could possibly handle. the greater events surrounding the school. As both a
It is the brickworks on the corner of the school reporter and a Luciferan, she was hoping to find some
grounds, however, that is most likely to be the focus of connection between what apparently happened here
the characters’ attention. According to their firsthand and the sighting of Lucifer in the LA sky. She has
experience (or secondhand information), it was there found no direct correlation as of yet, but she found it
that Headmaster Vandermeer performed his ceremo- suspicious that the LAPD seemed to be in an especial
nies of obeisance to Enshagkushanna, so it is that place hurry to finish its investigation and close down the
that should resonate most strongly with the infernal school (even temporarily).
taint of those actions. It doesn’t take long, though, for What really piqued her interest, though, she tells
the characters’ attunement to the supernatural to clue the characters, is what happened the same night that
them in to the fact that something is not as it should be the police pulled up stakes and went on about their
here. Instead of a permeating sense of dread infernal other business. As she watched from a hidden vantage
power (which the structure emanated before), the char- point, a brown sedan pulled up via the service drive
acters sense something else as they move toward the old and parked. Three humans (two men and a woman)
brickworks — a feeling that is like nothing they have then climbed out of the car and took great pains to get
experienced in their progress thus far. They can detect over the fence and onto the school grounds. Once they
no signs whatsoever of Enshagkushanna’s lingering had made their way in, these people wandered the
essence within 50 yards or so of the area — this new grounds furtively, as if they were searching for some-
feeling seems to have banished it somehow. Within thing but did not quite know what that might be.
another 25 yards of the structure, the characters find it When they got near the brickworks, though, they
more and more difficult to proceed, until, at the outside made a beeline right for it and disappeared inside.
limit of 10 yards, they can come no closer at all. They emerged more than an hour later, looking grim
Regardless of what the characters try, they cannot force and exhausted (rather than sweaty, jubilant and ex-
themselves to pass within a radius of 10 yards from the hausted as they ought to have been if they had snuck
structure. There is no sensation of pressure, energy or into the deserted brickworks for some illicit carnal
added weight, they just cannot make their muscles purpose). They then returned directly to their car and
move. They can not even bring themselves to run, jump drove away, leading Manat to assume that they had
or even fly into this protected area. With a successful done whatever they had come to do.
Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 9 this time) by Curious as to what the three people had been up
their players, the characters get that although all de- to, Manat had crept down to the brickworks, only to
monic taint has been erased from this place, something find her way supernaturally barred. A little confused
still does not want them getting inside. Eventually but very surprised, she then decided to stake the place
67
8
FEAR TO TREAD
out and see if those humans came back to finish up this story in motion (or requested that they continue
what they had started (or if other demons showed up their involvement, if the characters participated in
to investigate and found themselves similarly frus- Suffer the Children), the characters have been asked
trated). When she saw the characters having the same to report in to their superiors now that they have
problem getting into the brickworks that she had been completed their initial survey of the grounds of the
having, she took the chance to introduce herself to Marshall School for Troubled Teens. Even if they are
them and see if they had any better idea what might be not acting under any semblance of strict orders, it
going on than she did. might behoove the characters to do so regardless, as
This point would be an ideal one at which the neither they nor their superiors likely foresaw this new
characters could engage in a little hasty recapping of wrinkle in the situation that has been revealed to them
their own in the interests of exchanging information. by the demon Manat. Whether the characters choose
Should they be willing to do so, Manat is thrilled, and to tell their superiors what they have discovered thus
she goes into more detail about what she saw. Of far by invocation, cellular phone or face to face makes
course, she will do so anyway if the characters appear little difference, as their superiors’ subsequent orders
interested in what she has to say and ask her the right will be more or less the same. The variable factor lies
questions. She gives a description of the car in which in which organization they report to.
the humans arrived, and it matches that of the car the Characters who support the Infernal Court of Los
characters might have noticed either at the YWCA or Angeles actually have the toughest time making their
previously being turned away from the Marshall School report. Baroness Kishar, Lord Chenrezig, Lord Vohu
in the last story. (She is also able to provide that car’s Mano and Fell Knight Guanli are unresponsive, regard-
license-plate number.) Furthermore, she is able to give less of how the characters attempt to get in touch with
the characters a relatively clear description of the them. Spentu Mainyu answers invocations and/or cel-
three humans she saw. One of the men was a gaunt and lular-phone calls promptly, but before the characters
weather-beaten fellow with longish fair hair and a start talking, he tells them that he can not be of much
moustache. The other was is a burly man in his early immediate help. He then suggests that they contact
30s, with ruddy skin and a full head of curly black hair. Lord Aglibol, whom he feels is still largely responsible
The woman was a lady of average height, roughly in for this situation. The characters are, in fact, able to
her mid-40s with a trim figure and dark hair. Manat contact Lord Aglibol, who either talks to them re-
didn’t catch any names, of course, but the gaunt man motely with an opening sigh of resignation or grudgingly
lost his grip climbing down from the fence and cursed agrees to meet them at the Huntington Library in the
with a noticeably British accent. same garden at which they met before.
Once this exchange has died down, Manat states In the exchange that follows (however it happens
that she intends to remain near the Marshall School a to take place), Aglibol will summarize the events of
while longer and see if anything else interesting turns the public City Council meeting if the characters
up. She is not under any sort of time constraint (other show any interest in that topic. In return, he shows a
than her own patience), so getting to the bottom of the great deal of interest in what the characters discovered
story is not a pressing matter for her. She thanks the at the Marshall School. The idea that humans have
characters for whatever information they might have discovered the power and means of warding places
given her and apologizes for keeping them as long as she against the advance of demons is one that many
has when they were obviously on their way somewhere demons are still struggling to get used to, and Aglibol
else. She wishes them luck in their investigation and seems particularly dumbstruck by the idea. He ques-
lets them know that she’s willing to share information tions the characters intensively about what Manat
in the future if the characters are inclined to work with told them, interrupting their dialogue occasionally
her again. She then exchanges contact information with such interjections as, “I was afraid we’d given
with them (provided they’re willing) in order to facili- them too much too quickly in the Garden,” and,
tate that proposed sharing. Afterward, as the characters “Surely, the Morningstar never meant for these beings
leave, she returns to her hidden vantage point and to have such power over us.”
continues to wait. When the subject of the intrusive mortals’ de-
SCENE FOUR
scriptions and particularly their car’s license-plate
number comes up, Aglibol takes especial note of it and
vows to work with Fell Knight Guanli and have a
Regardless of which of the three organizations contact in the police department see what he can find
that are vying for dominance in the City of Angels it out. If the characters visited the YWCA where the
was that set the players’ characters’ involvement in children from the Marshall School are being housed
68
8
CHAPTER TWO
and they noticed the brown sedan leaving with the contact in the Los Angeles Police Department who
school’s new temporary staff member in it, they might might be able to help out with the license plate, Lady
also mention as much to Aglibol. If they do, he adds Nasu tells them, and she herself has street contacts who
this information to the list of things to have his and might be able help in a physical search.
Guanli’s contact in the police department check out. In the meantime, she recommends that the char-
In the meantime, he says, he wants the characters to acters check out a place called the Inner Circle
keep looking into these mortals’ whereabouts. He Bookshop. That place is owned and operated, she
wants them found, and he wants them brought before tells them, by a demon answering to the mortal name
the court so that his fellow ministers can assess what of Israel Arcella. (She is hesitant to give another
risk they might present to Los Angeles’ fallen commu- fallen’s Celestial Name without his permission, she
nity. He tells them that he will get in touch with them explains somewhat apologetically.) If these mortals
once the results of the background check are in and are as schooled in the occult as the effect they’ve
suggests that they might want to begin their search at wrought seems to indicate (and they are locals), it is
some of the occult bookshops in the area, in lieu of any possible that they have made themselves known
place better to start. among the small community of local esoteric book-
Characters who support the Blood Court have sellers. And even if these mortals have not come into
more immediate luck contacting their superiors. Lady Arcella’s shop itself, Arcella might be able to help
Anat responds right away but tells them that she is the characters find another shop that the mortals
busy and that they should speak to Lady Nasu right have visited. After all, while Arcella might not have
away. Lady Nasu responds quickly as well, but she the best selection of truly useful arcane material, he
admits that she does not feel comfortable talking via is well connected enough to point the characters in
phone or invocation about this. She arranges to meet the right direction.
the characters either at the Vertigo Coffeehouse, Characters who are Cryptic agents of Al-Lat have
where the Blood Court met previously, or at a site of more or less the same experience as ones who support
their choosing. When everyone arrives at the location the Blood Court. The only difference is that Lady Al-
of choice, Lady Nasu begins by telling them about how Lat is the one who directs them to get in contact with
the public City Council meeting went (regardless of Lady Nasu. (Neither Chenrezig nor Guanli respond to
whether the characters ask or show any interest). She attempts to get into contact with them.) Lady Nasu’s
then turns the meeting over to them and listens with interaction with the characters proceeds just as it does
rapt attention as they tell her what they have discov- in the previous text, except that instead of bringing up
ered thus far. Fell Knight Ravana’s name in connection with the Los
She seems far more intrigued than disturbed or Angeles Police Department, she refers to Fell Knight
frightened by the notion that these mortals the charac- Guanli as the fallen with the potentially helpful contact
ters are telling her about might have some occult power therein. She ends the meeting the same way, though, by
over demons. In fact, she demands that they relocate recommending that the characters speak to Israel Arcella
this meeting to the grounds of the Marshall School so at the Inner Circle Bookshop.
that she can see this effect in action herself. Upon their (Note: If any of your players’ characters have con-
subsequent arrival there, she heads straight for the tacts or allies within the police department themselves
brickworks and is forced to stop short, just as the — or if they have contacted Fell Knight Ashur at the
characters were. (The demon Manat does not reappear LA County Sheriff’s Department — do not discourage
during this visitation, nor does she respond to attempts them from having those alternative contacts check out
to contact her.) the mortals’ license-plate number and background. Just
Intrigued by the unusual effect the mortals’ efforts make sure that the information comes to the characters
are having on her and the characters, Lady Nasu com- at the dramatically appropriate moment in the story,
mands the characters to tell her everything that they regardless of where it comes from.)
know about the mortals in question. She commends
them on their attention to detail (especially if they tell THE HUNTERS HUNTED
her the descriptions of the mortals and the license-plate While a scene is technically a sequence of events
number of their car, as revealed by Manat) and states that occurs at a single location, this “scene” stretches
offhand that she would like to meet this Manat at some over several locations as the characters follow a trail of
point as well. She then asks the characters to forgo their clues in search of their mysterious mortal quarry. Not
investigation of the events surrounding the Marshall every single step on this trail is absolutely essential, but
School and direct their efforts to locating these myste- following them all provides a variety of roleplaying
rious mortals instead. Fell Knight Ravana has a helpful opportunities and gives your players’ characters plenty
69
8
FEAR TO TREAD
of chances to make the proceeding logical steps without of repair than to affix wood or plastic over the gaping
having to be led by the nose by a Storyteller character. wounds. The Inner Circle’s front window is gone and
Keep in mind also that these guidelines for finding replaced with lumber, but the sign on the door says that
out about the mortals’ activities and whereabouts are the shop is still open for business.
the baseline efforts that regular human beings might Inside, the bookshop is in relatively good repair.
employ. Clever fallen angels can probably think of The wooden sheet over the window has been turned
ways to use their evocations to shortcut some of this into an impromptu bulletin board, and rather cheap-
work and skip around in the story. Should they man- looking particle-board shelves hold and display those of
age to do so, feel free to skip around in this chapter the shop’s wares that likely used to rest in less shabby
yourself and pick out the information that the charac- showcases before the riot. The place is about one
ters have discovered. quarter full of customers at present, most of whom are
young female goth-wannabes in a cluster around the
THE YWCA man behind the cash register. That man is a tall, lanky
If the characters visited the YWCA recreational fellow with a pencil-thin mustache beneath an aquiline
center in the earlier scene and made the connection nose, and he is entertaining his groupies with a story
between the new woman on staff there and the mortals about how the Bible’s Cain killed his brother, Abel, not
seen at the Marshall School, they might wish to head out of jealousy, but as a heartfelt sacrifice to a God, who
back to the YWCA and stake the place out against the turned out to be harder to please than Cain could have
new staffer’s return. Or, if they did not visit the center guessed. The girls are hanging on his every word —
before, they might think to do so now in hopes that the although some of the other customers are rolling their
mortals who took action at the Marshall School might eyes at this revisionist apology for the first murder —
show up at the YWCA to ward it similarly against and it jars them when he breaks off mid-sentence to
demonic intrusion. (If the latter is the case, you might welcome the customers to his store.
want to run the first half of Scene Three — leaving out
the part about the sedan and Karen Waites having just How the characters broach the subject of why they
left — in order to disseminate the information that can are here is up to them. They could either approach
be had there before frustrating the characters with it in Arcella straightaway and start asking him questions or
just a moment.) wait until he’s finished with his theosophical conjec-
ture and is no longer surrounded by black-clad young
For the time being, neither the brown sedan nor women. In either case, he responds right away when
Karen Waites (the new staff member) are going to show the characters mention that they were sent by either
back up at the YWCA while it is under the characters’ Lady Nasu or “Old Tilda” (which is Lady Nasu’s mortal
surveillance. The place has not been warded against host’s name). If the characters are investigating on
demons, but neither has Ms. Waites nor the brown behalf of the Infernal Court and they manage to pick
sedan been back here since the characters last had a up on the fact that he is more than a mere mortal, all
chance to see it. To make matters worse, the personnel they have to do is subtly imply that they are as well in
records of all the new volunteers and staffers who have order to get him talking. (Beyond those possibilities,
been helping out since the Marshall School was tempo- giving the appearance of being willing to spend a
rarily shut down have been misplaced in the chaos that worthwhile amount of money in his store will grease
the YWCA has become here lately. Unfortunately, the the wheels just as easily.) However they do it, the
YWCA is a dead end for the characters. characters catch Arcella’s interest and inspire him to
THE INNER CIRCLE BOOKSHOP invite them back into his specialty section of the store
The characters’ visit to the Inner Circle Bookshop to talk with somewhat more privacy. That specialty
is less disappointing, although it is not immediately section is basically a dusty storeroom that is stacked
fruitful either. The characters find it on the outskirts of wall-to-wall with creaking shelves of old books. It is lit
downtown LA, wedged into a shopping center between by a single fluorescent rectangle and furnished with a
a fabric store and a barbershop. Miraculously, the place wooden kitchen table and two chairs. A few books are
was not destroyed by the earthquake, but it did not fare already out and open on this table, and as the charac-
quite as well in the ensuing Devil’s Night Riots. The ters begin to ask questions, he reshelves those books
grocery store that used to be the shopping center’s and tells them what he knows.
anchor has been burned out and closed down, as has the He admits that he can not help them where the car
pharmacy next door to it. The shops farther away from in question is concerned. He takes the bus to and from
the grocery have fared better, but all of them have had home, and he cannot see out of the front of his store
windows and glass doors smashed, and only about half during business hours until his window is replaced, so if
of them have had the time or money to do more by way the brown sedan the characters are looking for has been
70
8
CHAPTER TWO
near his shop, he has not noticed it. He does remember Regardless, Bob Johnson greets the characters in
dealing with a few people matching the mortals’ de- the tiny reception area of his small shop when they
scription (as the characters relate them) not very long arrive and ushers them into his private office. Johnson
ago — though it was definitely after they were seen at is a tall, severe man with thin, black hair that hangs
the Marshall School. He says that the two men did most halfway to his shoulders. He sports a thin moustache
of the talking, and between them, it was mostly the and a Vandyke beard, and a pair of wire-rimmed reading
burly one in his 30s. They came in looking tired but a glasses perches on his nose. His demeanor is reflected in
little nervous right before closing time one evening, his tastefully decorated office, which is dominated by a
asking him questions about this odd diagram that they large mahogany desk. Johnson sits on one side, across
had drawn crudely on a sheet of paper. They would not from as many chairs as there are characters in atten-
say where they had seen this diagram, but they wanted dance (provided the character who made the
to know if he (Arcella) knew what it represented or appointment mentioned how many people would be
what it could be used for. showing up).
He had told them that it looked like a poorly If he knows of the characters through Lord Chenrezig
drawn summoning circle with aspects of a binding — whom he admits he works for on occasion, though
pattern layered on top of it, with which one could not in an official court capacity — he casually inquires
supposedly summon a spirit and try to make it do about the progress of their investigation. He does not
something. They had then plied him with plenty of press the issue if the characters are reluctant to discuss
other questions, none of which he could answer with- it. If he does not know them (or once the small talk has
out seeing the original or knowing where they had died down), he asks them what they wanted to speak to
come across it. Eventually, they had become so agi- him about. As soon as the characters bring up the three
tated and uncooperative that Arcella had mortals whom Israel Arcella sent them to him to ask
recommended that they make an appointment to stop about, Johnson’s expression becomes one of mingled
in at a place called Rare and Arcane Texts, run by a recognition and haughty contempt.
man who calls himself Bob Johnson. If Arcella and the He confirms that he did meet those people and that
characters have hit it off, he confides in them that he they did arrive in the four-door brown sedan that the
only did it because he does not especially like Bob characters describe. He admits that he was wary about
Johnson and the visitors were starting to get on his making the appointment, but Arcella had recommended
nerves. (If he and the characters have developed a real him to them, and the man who called on their behalf
rapport and he knows that they are fallen, he also had a British accent that Johnson mistook for a sign of
confides that his Celestial Name is Meonenim and good breeding. No sooner had Johnson welcomed them
that “Bob Johnson’s” Celestial Name is actually into this very office, though, than the two men started
Irush’bal — although he did not tell his three visitors asking all sorts of questions about subjects that he did
any such thing.) Then, having nothing more to add, not feel comfortable discussing — namely demon-
he wishes the characters good luck finding what they worship, summoning circles, binding rituals and newly
are after. He also encourages them to buy something emerging warding practices.
before they leave if they haven’t done so already. The final straw, though, had come when the En-
RARE AND ARCANE TEXTS glishman (one Lawrence Barber) had shown Johnson
Making an appointment to visit Rare and Ar- the supposed summoning circle that he and his cohorts
cane Texts is not especially difficult. If the characters had hastily sketched out. When the Englishman turned
have enough information to invoke Irush’bal, he sets the piece of paper over to him, Johnson had taken one
up the appointment as a matter of “professional look at it and turned the three of them out of his
courtesy” among fallen. If the characters are mem- establishment at once. It was not that the diagram had
bers of the Infernal Court of Los Angeles or Cryptic any power in it or signified anything especially dire. In
agents of Al-Lat (regardless of whether they invoke fact, it was so crudely drawn and out of scale that it
him or call his shop on the phone), he tells them that scarcely resembled a summoning or binding circle at all.
he is aware of their investigation through Lord No, the reason it evoked Mister Johnson’s ire is that the
Chenrezig and that he would be happy to speak to diagram was drawn on the back of a yellow credit card
them. Otherwise, simply mentioning that Israel receipt from a place called Club Dante. Knowing full
Arcella recommended him to them is enough to get well what type of place Club Dante is, Johnson was able
them an appointment to talk — although, admit- to form an educated guess as to what type of person this
tedly, Mr. Arcella’s last recommendation turned out Englishman was for having gone there — and what kind
to be more of an annoying distraction than his (i.e., of people his associates must be for seeking out his
Mr. Johnson’s) time was worth. company. As Johnson did not need that ilk lowering the
71
8
FEAR TO TREAD
tone of his establishment, he sent them away without surmounted by the legend: Abandon all hope, ye who
offering them any further help. enter here.
Mister Johnson has nothing of any further use for The layout of the place is simply a large, rectan-
the players’ characters’ investigation, so if they have no gular brick cellar, the walls, ceiling and fittings of
further roleplaying use for him, he wishes them well and which are all painted black. At one end is the bar and
sends them on their way. Unfortunately, no one in any swinging doors leading to the manager’s office and
of the other few occult bookshops that are still in staff room. The bar is surrounded by clusters of high
business in Los Angeles can remember having seen or tables and stools, most of which are taken when the
encountered “Lawrence Barber,” “Karen Waites” or any characters arrive. At the other end of the room is a
other mortals matching the description the characters stage, and further on is a set of doors leading to unisex
give. Therefore, in lieu of waiting for (or asking for) an toilets. An even further door through this passage-
update from their superiors, the characters’ only imme- way constitutes the fire exit, which leads into a
diate avenue of inquiry is to visit this Club Dante and deep-cut alley. The DJ is set up in one of a series of
see if anyone there remembers seeing who the charac- alcoves in the long wall, and the other alcoves con-
ters are looking for. tain manacles and red or blue spotlights. Large video
screens hang from above.
CLUB DANTE
Located in Westwood, near UCLA, Club Dante is During the night, the place is packed with people,
one of Los Angeles’ more specialized venues, at least especially if it’s a show night. The music is loud and
that allows people in off the street and is still in business oppressive but not too loud to talk through. None of
after Devil’s Night. It opens nightly with a mix of the random patrons are in any particular mood to talk,
industrial and hardcore house music, and features a as they are too busy either drinking themselves into a
sadomasochistic stage shows twice a week. It is literally stupor or watching a dominatrix named “Mistress
underground, reached by a flight of stairs at the back of Scarlit” lash some poor ball-gagged fool into a sobbing,
a building that houses a scuba-gear warehouse. rapturous mess up on the stage with a cat-o’-nine-tails.
The bartender is willing to answer questions, though,
The stairwell down into the club is completely as long as the characters are buying drinks. When
black, and at the bottom are brazen double doors asked, he tells them that he does indeed remember an
72
8
CHAPTER TWO
Englishman matching the characters’ given descrip- them that the LAPD contact he (or she) spoke of
tion hanging around several nights ago. The guy called earlier was able to run the license-plate number they
himself Lou and really seemed to enjoy Mistress Scarlit’s received from Manat. As it turns out, that car was a
show more and more the more he had to drink. Yes, the rental vehicle that had been rented out to one Stanley
guy paid for his drinks on a credit card, and as a matter McIntyre. His credit-card number was on file at the
of fact, he put a round for everyone bellied up to the bar rental agency, and its record showed that it had also
with him on that card. (In point of fact, the English been used to rent a room at a Super 8 motel by the
guy was so drunk when he signed the receipt that he highway just outside of town. Since the car has not yet
forgot to leave a tip or total up the tab — which the been returned or reported stolen, it stands to reason
bartender will confide if the characters have bribed that the characters might still be able to find it there
him to answer their questions. Fortunately, the bar- (as well as the people who rented it) if they hurry. The
tender remembered to take care of it for him once the superior tells them that he (or she) wants them to go
guy was gone.) The guy puked up his guts in the and find out if the mortals are still there, then report
bathroom a little while later, then staggered out the back for further instructions. Then, move the story
front door, presumably on his way home. He has not along to Scene Five.
been back since. If the characters did do all the work to uncover
The only thing that this bartender has to offer Lawrence Barber’s credit card number, though,
that might be of any use to the characters’ investiga- change up the details a little. Have their superior
tion at this point is the Englishman’s credit card tell them that according to the license-plate num-
receipt (which has the man’s credit-card number on ber they provided, the brown sedan they have been
it). He is not just going to offer it to the characters, looking for is registered to one Tony Gibson, who
though, without them offering some sort of appropri- died several years ago without ever selling the car.
ate incentive first. They might be able to intimidate Its insurance policy lists the late Mister Gibson’s
him into being helpful by convincing him that they wife, Koruna, as the secondary driver, but for some
are authority figures in the midst of an official inves- reason, the title was never transferred to her. For
tigation (which will be tricky without proof of the the moment, the car looks like a dead end because
same). They could also inspire his generosity with an there has been no answer at the last known phone
expression of their own (to the tune of no less than number of Koruna Gibson.
$100). Finally, an appropriate or clever evocation When that news comes out, the characters should
might help out as well. turn over the credit-card number they have uncovered
(if they have not done so already). A little lag time will
SUCCESS need to occur at this point so that the characters’
Eventually (whether you have skipped directly superior can take that number (which he or she remarks
to this part from the very beginning of Scene Four to will likely be much more helpful) to his or her police
save time or you have played through each of the contact. When that time elapses, the superior gets back
intervening mini-scenes as the characters pursued in touch with the characters with better news. The
their investigation), the characters’ immediate supe- characters learn that not only was this card used to help
rior of their fallen affiliation gets back in touch with impoverish one Lawrence Barber at Club Dante, it was
them via invocation. That superior (be it Lord Aglibol also used to rent a room at a Super 8 motel by the
or Lady Nasu as it follows from earlier in the scene) highway just outside of town. That is likely where
first asks for a progress report, then listens to the Mister Barber is staying (and possibly his two accom-
characters’ recounting of recent events and adds plices as well), and thanks to the characters quick and
appropriate praise or expressions of concern where diligent work, they just might be able to find them all
such would be appropriate according to how your there. The superior tells them that he (or she) wants
characters conducted themselves. When that initial them to go and find out if the mortals are still there, then
exchange is over, you should tailor the characters’ report back for further instructions. Then, you can move
superior’s news according to whether or not the on to Scene Five.
characters managed to find the credit-card number at (If the characters came across the name Karen
Club Dante. One option keeps the story skipping Waites at the YWCA and mentioned it to their superi-
along apace, but it takes some of the work out of the ors in the early stages of the investigation, the higher-up
players’ hands. The other takes a little longer, but it informs them that he [or she] could find no official
validates the characters’ work up to this point. documentation on anyone by that name who has any
If the characters did not end up with Lawrence reasonable connection to the Marshall School, the
Barber’s credit-card number, have their superior tell YWCA or even the brown sedan. It is mostly likely a
73
8
FEAR TO TREAD
pseudonym, the superior suggests, for the woman that Storyteller feel about adding her into the rest of this
Manat saw sneaking around with the two men on the scene.) Should the characters then decide to test out
school’s grounds.) the efficacy of the effect that is keeping them out of
the brickworks, they find that it works just as well as
SCENE FIVE ever, halting their progress at a minimum 10 yards
from the structure.
The first order of business in this scene is to Your characters might also think to check with
determine whether or not these three mortals for their superiors regarding the spending patterns of the
whom the characters are searching are actually at the credit card that came up either in conjunction with
location that the characters’ gathered evidence has the license-plate number that Manat gave them or as
indicated. They are supposedly holed up in a Super 8 a result of their further investigation. If you have
motel outside of town, but at least one of them has a determined that the card belongs to Stanley McIntyre,
temporary job with the displaced staff of the Marshall the last several applicable charges to the card reveal
School, and another has exhibited traceable spend- nothing out of the ordinary. The deposit for the car
ing habits elsewhere in the city. The characters, rental shows up, as does the deposit for the rental of
therefore, have the option of staking out places that the motel room. The only other recent charges come
they think the mortals might show up and trailing courtesy of a couple of gas stations, a grocery store in
them back to their base of operations that way or town and a convenience store. Should the characters
risking tipping the mortals off by just showing up at map out the locations of these places, they will find
their suspected base of operations and taking action that the stores and gas stations are all within about 10
based on what they learn there. or 15 minutes (by car, that is) of the Super 8 where
Should the characters try staking locations out for the mortals are supposedly staying. If you have de-
surveillance purposes, they are likely to be disappointed. cided as a result of your characters’ investigative
The woman using the name “Karen Waites” does not efforts that the card in question belongs to Lawrence
return to the YWCA or contact any member of the staff “Lou” Barber, the expense record is not all that
about her refusal to do so. Some of the children who had different. The deposit for the car is not listed, but the
grown fond of “Ms. Waites” are worried that something one for the room is, as are the charges at the grocery
might have happened to her, but they have no actual store, the gas stations and the convenience store, as
evidence to support this vague, formless fear. Members well as an outrageously inflated charge at Club Dante
of the staff are more pragmatic. Doing this job in this for the night on which the bartender at the club said
city these days after everything that has happened is that Lou came in. The only other charge of note is
tough, they say. It does not surprise them that “Karen” one from a local gun shop for two boxes of .357
did not have the stamina to keep up with all of the hard magnum bullets.
work, especially with these being the circumstances of Should the characters decide to visit or stake out
her first exposure to the job. Frankly, they do not expect any of those locations, they will find themselves simi-
to ever see her again. larly frustrated. The mortals do not return to any of
Checking out the Marshall School in the hopes them while the characters wait and watch. The em-
that the mortals come back to check on their handi- ployees inside, likewise, do not remember having seen
work is equally fruitless. The demon Manat is there any of the mortals in question inside their establish-
when the characters arrive, and she informs them ments, but then again, they hardly pay attention to
that, as far as she knows, no one has been back to the average, everyday customers anyway. What is more,
school since the last time she spoke to them. If the the longer the characters decide to wait before getting
characters are feeling chatty, she asks them about the back in touch with their superiors, the more anxious
progress of their investigation and if they have learned and impatient their superiors are likely to become. If
anything interesting that they might be willing to more than one day goes by while the characters are
share. Whether or not they comply, she complains staking out these extraneous locations, they receive an
that she has not been able to come up with anything invocation from their immediate superior demanding
worthy of note since her police contact has been slow a progress report. An update on what the characters
to get back to her with any information about the are doing will garner some strained praise, followed by
license-plate number she gave him. She seems re- an agitated encouragement to stop fooling around and
signed to wait, though, and she turns down the first just get to the Super 8 already. If these mortals are
invitation the characters might extend to join them demon-hunters who wield such effective techniques
in their investigation. (Subsequent attempts to change against the fallen as they already seem to have, the
her mind might work, depending on how you as the superior points out, any time that the characters waste
74
8
CHAPTER TWO
could only add to the mortals’ advantage. Therefore, it As she descends the stairs, she makes no attempt to
behooves the characters to confirm the mortals’ actual move quietly, and she seems distracted and agitated
location quickly so that they can then determine what besides. If the characters are gathered around her car,
to do next. she does not notice them, and her distraction offers
The first step in doing so, then — or the characters’ them the chance to make Dexterity + Stealth rolls to
first step in this scene if they are not so easily distracted hide from her. When she reaches the ground level, she
— is to check out the hotel. They can try to do so by approaches the car and opens the trunk with one of a set
calling, but that avenue is not likely to lead them of keys that jangles loudly on a curly rubber cord at her
anywhere helpful. They can call the front desk and ask wrist. She then pulls out two handfuls of small plastic
to be put through to Stanley McIntyre’s room (or bags that are full of groceries, closes the trunk and heads
Lawrence Barber’s room, depending on the circum- for the stairs again.
stances), but the desk clerk will not do so without the By watching carefully from the ground or stealthily
specific room number extension. (Unfortunately, this following this woman, the characters can see which
number does not appear on the card-holder’s account- room she is staying in (if they have not found out this
activity summary.) The most information that the desk information already). By listening outside, they can
clerk will give away over the phone is whether or not the hear that the television is on, the shower is running and
party in question has checked in — company policy, he that two people are talking. One voice is that of the
claims, forbids him from doing anything more. Showing woman, while the other is a gruff, deep voice without
up at the Super 8 itself and speaking to the desk clerk in any noticeable British accent. (The characters can,
person reveals the same information initially, but more therefore, surmise that the Englishman is the one in the
can be coaxed out of him with the proper monetary shower.) It seems that, for the moment, all the mortals
incentive. If the characters pay up, the clerk will tell for whom the characters have been searching are present.
them what room the card-holder rented, he will tell It is now time for the characters to contact their superior
them that the room has been rented through the end of once again.
the next week, and he will tell them that the room has
two double beds and a roll-away cot. He will also CONFRONTING THE HUNTERS
confirm that the descriptions the characters might give Depending upon how long it has taken the charac-
for the mortals match those of the room’s three occu- ters to reach this point, the characters’ superior either
pants, as well as the fact that they are driving a brown commends them on a speedy investigation or mumbles
four-door sedan. something to the effect of, “It certainly took you long
On the other hand, the characters can confirm the enough.” He or she — depending upon whether the
presence of their quarry’s transportation on their own. characters have made contact with Lord Aglibol or
It is parked at the end of a long line of identical motel Lady Nasu as appropriate to their affiliation — then
rooms that are stacked three stories high in two long broaches the subject of the characters making contact
rows connected on one end by the lobby and continen- with these mortals (or possibly handing them over to
tal breakfast area. On a successful Perception + another member of their demonic hierarchy) in order to
Investigation roll, the characters notice that a lingering asses just how much they know and how dangerous they
whiff of burnt motor oil is hanging around the car and might be. The superior is willing to leave that decision
that tiny puddles of water have collected under the up to the characters, but he assures them that he is also
front fenders as a result of condensation dripping off the willing to lend the characters whatever support they
air-conditioner pipes. This evidence suggests that not might need (within reason, of course).
only are the demon-hunters likely inside, they probably The characters then have two major options be-
just arrived as well. fore them, which themselves present even further
This likelihood is confirmed very shortly thereafter options as to how to carry them out. On the one hand,
when a woman in her early 40s descends the steps and the characters can choose to attempt to pry the requi-
heads right for the car. She is average in height with a site information from the mortals themselves. On the
trim figure and longish dark hair, matching the descrip- other hand, they can choose to arrange for the mortals
tion Manat gave them. This is probably the woman who to end up in the hands of their (i.e., the characters’)
has been going by the name “Karen Waites” at the demonic superiors.
YWCA recreational center. (If the characters investi- DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
gated thoroughly and came across Lou Barber’s
Should the characters make the decision to ap-
credit-card number at Club Dante, they can reasonably
proach the mortals on their own, they must further
infer that this woman is Koruna Gibson, the widow of
decide how best to initiate contact so as not to put
the Tony Gibson who owned this car.)
75
8
FEAR TO TREAD
the mortals’ defenses up right at the outset. First of he has been convinced. Lou Barber, on the other hand,
all, they could present themselves as fellow demon- will be the toughest sell of them all. He remains para-
hunters who stumbled across these three mortals’ noid and suspicious throughout, even if he is given no
trail during their investigation of the grounds of the reason to suspect that the characters are anything other
Marshall School. They could claim that their own than mortal human beings like they claim. He will argue
investigation has been derailed and that they would with Stanley and Koruna (and the characters if they
like to combine their forces in an effort to see that the chime in) until either his friends change their minds or
menace has been laid to rest. All they have to do first the characters have so thoroughly convinced the two of
is compare notes and see who among them is capable them that he has to give up and sulk. He will not offer
of what…. any information, regardless of how he might be cajoled.
This method could succeed if the characters make (Stanley and Koruna, though, will be willing to answer
contact with the mortals tentatively and the players any questions that the characters might have.)
roleplay a combined sense of desperation, abiding mis- A slightly more risky tactic is for the characters
trust and subtle hope that their characters have found to approach the mortals and reveal their divine
possible allies. Successful Charisma + Empathy rolls, nature by claiming to be angels of God. A likely cover
supplemented by successful Manipulation + Subterfuge story could be that they have been sent their Creator
rolls, will help out in this respect, as will plain old good to aid the mortals in their crusade against evil here on
acting. Dishing out dirt on other fallen in the city (such Earth. By the same token, they could claim to have
as enemies or annoyances whom the characters might been sent by God to reward the mortals for what they
have had trouble dealing with in previous sessions) in did at the Marshall School or say that they were the
the form of a tactical exchange can help prove the ones who were assigned to deal with the problem
characters’ good intentions as well. there before anyone realized that the mortals had
From the demon-hunters perspective, the woman taken action.
(Koruna Gibson) will be the first to accept the charac- The same successful Social rolls can pave the way
ters’ story and the one to ask the fewest questions. for this exchange to go smoothly, but one or more of
Stanley McIntyre (the group’s ostensible leader) will be the characters with a low Torment rating taking on
harder for the characters to convince of their sincerity, his apocalyptic form or performing a non-Tormented
but he will argue in favor of accepting their help once evocation will help out immensely. After all, it can
76
8
CHAPTER TWO
be reasonably assumed that these people already

believe in the existence and palpable presence of A RECKONING
demons, so believing that angels are real as well Note that the hunters in this adventure are not
should not be too much of a stretch. (And besides, as imbued. That is, they are not touched by the Messen-
incongruous a maxim as the following is, nothing gers as described in the game Hunter: The Reckoning.
boosts one’s flagging faith like a display of proof.) They do share some characteristics of the imbued,
The characters will find Koruna dumbstruck and however, such as their lack of knowledge of the larger
docile in response to this approach, while Stanley forces at work and the fact that are ordinary people
will all but break down into relieved sobs to find that trying to do their best when confronted by a horrible
his work has not been in vain all this time. Lou, as reality. If you do want to construct this story as a
before, will be somewhat harder to convince. He will crossover with the Hunter game, go right ahead. It
dismiss the characters’ story outright if they appear in certainly makes these demon-hunters even more
their human guises. If any of them take on their dangerous opponents, but you are also asking for
apocalyptic forms, he will assume that that character several serious adjustments in the way the hunters
is a demon that is trying to trick him and his friends, react to your characters’ demons.
and he will draw his pistol from a shoulder-holster Remember that imbued hunters can sense
under his jacket. He will take his cue from Stanley agents of the supernatural and they share some of
and Koruna, however, on whether or not to open fire. the fallen’s resistance mind-controlling or –alter-
If the characters have convinced Stanley, Lou will ing supernatural powers. They also have a host of
grudgingly hear them out. He will not offer any unusual supernatural powers available to them,
information, but he will supplement what Stanley which can stymie demons who are not expecting
has to say if prompted by Stanley to do so. them. The dynamic between demons and regular
The most inherently risky approach tactic that mortal demon-hunters is quite different than that
the characters can undertake is to make no effort between demons and the imbued, so be prepared to
whatsoever to conceal their true fallen nature. They account for that difference should you decide to
could roleplay the act of laying on the demonic shtick proceed thus.
fairly thick in a straightforward effort to intimidate,
terrify or torture the information they want out of the as they can. It will take plenty of fancy footwork, quick
mortals. (Such an effort relies on the rules presented in thinking and possibly multiple evocations on the
the Systems chapter of Demon: The Fallen.) The characters’ part to pull this particular approach off
characters could also decide to tell the humans the without ruining any chance of willing cooperation
straight-up truth that they (that is, the demons) were from these demon-hunters.
once unjustly imprisoned for the sake of humankind
but now they are back hoping to make up for lost time. HANDING THE DEMON-HUNTERS OFF
Finally, they could borrow an idea from the failed If, however, the characters discuss the situation
Peter Horton television vehicle Brimstone and claim with their superior and decide that it would be best to
to be damned souls who have been temporarily re- bring these mortal demon-hunters to some more secure
leased from Hell in order to hunt down an even greater location and have other demons of their social hierar-
number of unrepentant escapees. chy conduct the interrogation, new possibilities arise.
Regardless of the specifics of the story any self- The characters can still approach the demon-hunters
confessed demon gives the mortals, the characters are and use any of the preceding cover stories (and related
going to immediately put the mortals on the defensive caveats) in an effort to lure them to a prearranged
and establish an antagonistic relationship. Unless the rendezvous. They could also stage some sort of showy
players make exceptional Social rolls (or are exceed- raid on the demon-hunters’ room in an attempt to flush
ingly clever in how their characters make their the mortals into the waiting arms of the characters’
approach), these demon-hunters are going to react in allies. The characters might also choose to simply
the least helpful way they can. Koruna will panic and kidnap the mortals and take them to a place of their
try to get to Lou or Stanley for protection. Stanley will superiors’ choosing, either staking out the Super 8 and
begin chanting a prayer of abjuration and follow it up nabbing the demon-hunters one by one when they are
with a prayer of banishment (both of which Koruna alone or breaking into their room while they are asleep
will help him with once she regains her senses). For his and taking them away before they have a chance to
part, Lou will open fire with his .357 magnum. If they react. If they have police contacts or allies, the charac-
are able to drive the characters away completely, they ters might even be able to arrange for the demon-hunters
will then pile into their car and flee Los Angeles as fast to be picked up on suspicion of some criminal involve-
ment and then arrange for a few moments alone with
77
8
FEAR TO TREAD
them in the interrogation room. Any such antagonistic seamlessly into new environments and getting people
move — except for having them arrested — will engen- to talk to her, which helps them uncover evidence of
der the same defensive response from the mortals that demonic abuse and root out perpetrators of demonic
revealing the characters’ demonic nature would have corruption. Stanley is a brave man whose faith in God
elicited in the preceding section. gives him the strength to face demons eye to eye and
Should the characters be successful, though, the drive them away. He also knows certain rituals and
places to which they are to bring the mortals varies prayers with which to ward a place against demons, to
based on what organization the characters are affiliated bind them in place, to banish them and to exorcise
with. Members of the Infernal Court are instructed to them. He has also developed some experimental rituals
get the mortals to the Huntington Library after hours, that combine certain of these effects. Lou considers
into the same section in which the characters were first himself the muscle of the group. He carries a .357
given this assignment. (Lord Aglibol will be in atten- magnum and is unafraid to use it either in conjunction
dance, as will Lord Vohu Mano and Fell Knight Guanli.) with or in absence of Stanley’s efforts. He believes in the
Members of the Blood Court are ordered to bring the rightness of what Stanley and Koruna are doing, and he
mortals to the rear alley entrance of the Vertigo Coffee- has made it his personal mission to make sure that they
house after it closes. (Lady Anat herself will be present stay out of harm’s way. He also knows where to go and
for this interrogation, as will Lady Nasu and Lord what to look for in terms of occult research material, and
Vritran.) Agents of Al-Lat are asked to bring the his input regularly aids in Stanley’s ritual efforts.
mortals to The Kingdom, where Nyx will make some They originally came to Los Angeles shortly after
suitably private space available for an “interview.” (Lady Devil’s Night. Watching the (as they call it) “horrify-
Nasu and Lady Al-Lat will be in attendance here, as will ing” footage of Lucifer rising over the Los Angeles
Lord Chenrezig and Fell Knight Guanli.) skyline again and again on the news convinced them
that if they really wanted to wage a war against the
INTERVIEWING forces of Hell, LA would be the foremost battlefield of
THE DEMON-HUNTERS that war. Shortly after arriving here, they witnessed the
The decision of which characters to include in the wreck that took the life of Mary Blacksmith of the
scene and where the scene will take place in which the Marshall School for Troubled Teens, and they could
demon-hunters give over the following information not rationalize away what they had seen as any mun-
depends on the events of your story thus far. The dane car accident. They investigated as best they could
methods by which the characters receive this informa- and finally managed to trace the evil back to the
tion (be it torture, trickery or honest open dialogue) will brickworks on the school grounds. They snuck into the
vary as well. Regardless, the demon-hunters possess the place to see what they could do to abjure that evil, but
following information to parcel out, at a rate reflective as it turned out, the headmaster’s vile secret had already
of how well the characters treat them. been exposed. Yet, the taint of the demon’s touch on
that place remained, so they prayed and chanted and
First of all, they give their names as Stanley McIntyre
ceremonially cleansed the site together, performing a
(the ruddy-faced, curly-haired one), Lou Barber (the
ritual that Stanley had devised to keep any and all
Englishman) and Koruna Gibson. Stanley used to be a
demonic beings or servitors away.
priest until he took up this new calling to seek out
demons on Earth and deal with them as best he could in They had then set about both to make sure that the
order to defend regular people from their depredations. children who were displaced from the Marshall School
Koruna is an immigrant to this country from the Czech were okay and to learn what they could about the
Republic who married an American businessman, who unusual summoning circle and ritual accoutrements
subsequently died and left her a widow. She took a job they had discovered at the brickworks. Koruna took
as a teacher to maintain her citizenship, and she uncov- care of checking on the children and confirming that
ered the presence of a demon at her school. She made the presence that had menaced them at the school was
contact with Stanley shortly thereafter, and the two of having no lingering effect on them now that they were
them have been working together ever since. Lou was a away from it. Also, the three had visited several shops
demon-hunter before he ever left England, and he made that specialized in the occult, trying to figure out what
his way by killing them or their thralls wherever he kind of ritual was being performed in the brickworks.
uncovered them. He hooked up with Stanley and Koruna (Lou and Stanley both admit that they were doing so
on a “business” trip into the States, and he has been only partly to develop some countermeasure against it.
helping and protecting them ever since. Mostly, the lure of hidden, forbidden knowledge was
too tempting to resist, and they just wanted to know.)
Working together, they make a reasonably effec-
Anyway, the best that they could figure was that the
tive team. Koruna has a way with integrating herself
78
8
CHAPTER TWO
diagram they had found was a circle that could not only immediate underlings an audience to discuss the mat-
summon demons from the depths of Hell, but also bind ter. They sequester themselves for several days at a
them to that spot until they swore to faithfully serve a time (presumably with the mortals) and shut off all
more powerful demon. All the ritualist would have to do contact with the outside world. And even when they
was spill the blood of a willing supplicant and offer up finally emerge at the end of this uncomfortably long
the soul of a child once the demon so swore, and that period, they refuse to discuss any of the mortals’ work
demon would be free to walk the Earth at his new or their own observations of it. As they begin to
master’s behest. They had only just begun to figure out reinitiate contact with their supporters and exert their
the particulars of how the ritual worked, as well as how presence on the demonic social scene once again, they
it might be altered to bind a demon to a human’s will, gloss over any mention of anything that might have
when they found themselves in their current situation transpired up until that point. They do not act as if
under these circumstances. they have forgotten it, rather they act as if they do not
want to talk about it. Those who know their superiors
THE FALLEN RESPONSE very well might be able to detect a hint of frustration
The response of the characters’ superiors to what or disappointment, but that is as much as their superi-
these demon-hunters have to say (whether those supe- ors are willing to reveal. The most that they can be
riors hear it firsthand from the mortals or secondhand forced to say is that the humans are no longer collabo-
from the characters after the fact) is swift from excite- rating and that they have been sent on their way to do
ment. If they are not present for the interrogation, the as they please.
superiors demand that the characters bring these mor-
tals to them (at the aforementioned rendezvous points) Yet, not long after that, the characters receive an
right away. When the characters arrive with the mor- invocation (or a phone call or an e-mail, depending
tals, their superiors then commend them for all their upon what information they have given) from Manat.
hard work and dismiss them with thanks. If they are She says that she wants to get together with the charac-
present for the interrogation, those superiors do the ters and discuss the unpleasant way in which their
same, so that, in the end, they end up alone with the investigation has wrapped up. She does not want to
demon-hunters, and the players’ characters do not have discuss it remotely, though, so she asks them to meet her
much to show for their efforts. If pressed for why they are in the parking lot of the Martin Luther King, Jr./Charles
being so secretive all of a sudden, the superiors hint that R. Drew Medical Center. She says that she will explain
they would like to discuss the mortals’ research with the everything once the characters get there, but she would
mortals further in hopes of possibly building it into a prefer it if they hurried.
potent weapon for their future use. They will elaborate When the characters arrive, Manat is standing by a
no further, however, and they come as close as they 10-year-old Honda and is littering the ground at her feet
have to after that to kicking the characters out. with cigarette butts. She looks annoyed but also a little
nervous, and she greets the characters’ arrival with
SCENE SIX evident relief. She thanks them for coming and tells
them that she has some bad news. It seems that her
Quite some time passes after the events that ended police contact has come through (either finally or
the previous scene. It is more than enough time for the again, depending on how closely she worked with the
characters to discuss what they have been through, to characters earlier) with news about the car and the
check up on the students of the Marshall School, to people she has been looking for off and on all this time.
effect any cover-ups that they might need to see to as a She then reaches into the front seat of her Honda and
result of their investigation or to repay favors that they retrieves a large envelope full of pictures. As she shows
might have had to call in during the course of their the pictures to the characters, she explains their signifi-
investigation. If you want, you can even interject a cance. Two days ago, the brown sedan that belonged to
short story of your own devising in the downtime. (Just the mortals was found wrecked, burned out and upside
resist the temptation to skip ahead to The Judas Kiss at down in a ditch beside a road leading out of town. Two
this point.) At the very least, enough time should pass of the passengers (a man and a woman) were found dead
to inspire the characters (or even the players) to wonder at the scene, nearly burned beyond recognition. (The
just what is going on with the mortals they went to so pictures show the scene of the accident, the interior of
much trouble to find. the car with the two corpses in it and the two corpses
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the characters superiors stretched side-by-side next to the car.)
are stonewalling. They do not respond to invocations A third man was found in the ditch barely alive,
or more mundane attempts to establish contact. They with second- and third-degree burns over 75 percent
refuse to grant the characters or even their more of his body. He was brought to this very hospital and
79
8
FEAR TO TREAD
treated in the burn ward, but he is not expected to last

too much longer. He has not yet told the police what
exactly happened to him, although he seems to be
aware of his surroundings and relatively lucid. As of
yet, it has not been determined what actually caused
the accident, and the victim will not say. Manat
visited the scene of the accident herself as soon as she
heard about it, and she could detect no trace of
infernal energy there. A demon contact in the morgue
has confirmed as much concerning the two corpses,
but the third man registers just a hint of it (though it
is not enough to make an identification).
The reason Manat wanted to meet and talk to the
characters, though, is not just to reveal this sad news,
but to ask for their help. She admits that when she heard
about the wreck and learned that one of the mortals had
survived, she wanted to slip into the medical center
after visiting hours and find him. She can tell that he
probably does not have long to live, so she wanted to
have a talk with him while she still could. She’s afraid,
however, that either the man will be able to do some-
thing to her because of what he is or that whoever is
responsible for the man’s condition will be there using
the man as a Judas goat to squelch unwanted curiosity.
Therefore, Manat wanted the characters to come with
her, as they were the ones investigating this situation
from the beginning.
INSIDE
Should the characters agree, slipping into the hos-
pital is easy enough. A single successful roll of Dexterity
+ Stealth should be enough to keep them from being
noticed, and any orderly or doctor who catches them
sneaking around is liable to assume that they are just
eager family members looking for a sick loved one and
let the matter drop. Manat leads the way as if she is very
familiar with the layout of the medical center, and they
arrive at a private room with a single occupant in just a
matter of minutes.
What they find in the room is the grotesquely
abused shell of a human being that used to be Stanley
McIntyre. He is lying on his back, wrapped almost
entirely in bandages, and an IV needle is feeding him
painkillers through a blessedly undamaged swath of
forearm. He is sleeping fitfully as the characters arrive,
and his eyes pop open the instant Manat closes the door
behind everyone. They roll with wary apprehension
when they settle on Manat (whom he does not know),
but they light with recognition when they find the
characters. He sucks in a deep, pain-wracked sob then
begins to speak unbidden.
“I know you,” he says. Every word is a painful gasp
riding a reed-thin breath that sounds like wind whis-
tling over an open grave. “You let this happen to me.
80
8
CHAPTER TWO
You gave us over to them. They made us work and study Enshagkushanna’s ridiculous scheme, but if you get in
all day, and they wouldn’t let us go until they were too my way, I’ll destroy you. I’ll drink your souls and spit
fed up with us to keep us prisoner anymore. They told us them like bile back into the Abyss. My children are
we could leave, but they lied. As soon as we were on our everywhere. My servants are everywhere. I am every-
way out of town, more came just like them. They took where! There is no escape from the Lord of Murder! Not
us somewhere else and tried even harder to make us on Earth, not in Hell, not even in Heaven itself! There
make it work. They tortured us. Threatened us. They is no escape for those who oppose Manishtusu!”
wanted us to summon slaves for their master. Slaves Finally, the shell of Stanley’s body can take no
from Hell for their master, Manishtusu. Lawrence… more. It collapses on the bed, exhaling a stream of
Koruna… I’m sorry I couldn’t give them what they blood, smoke and unidentifiable globs of semi-solid
wanted…. I’m so sorry.” matter. The shell withers as if it has been dead for years,
This effort exhausts Stanley, and he closes his eyes and the ominous presence that filled the room disap-
again and seems to slump down even deeper into his pears. Stanley McIntyre is dead, though, and the demon
bed. At this point, have all the players roll their charac- Manat looks as if she is staring into the gates of Hell for
ters’ Perception + Awareness (difficulty 8). If they the second time in her long existence. She hits the
succeed, the characters begin to sense an eerie, ominous nurse-call button beside Stanley’s filthy, smoldering
presence settling invisibly in the room. It brings to mind bed and announces that this investigation is over. She
the smell of a battlefield and the sound of long, serrated is getting the hell out of this hospital, and she encour-
teeth jerking still-living flesh from broken bones. Manat ages the characters to do the same thing. As she and the
is oblivious to this sensation for the moment, but she is characters leave, they all get the distinct impression
staring with wide eyes at Stanley, looking more nervous that something is watching them flee and laughing.
than before. She gulps audibly and says in a soft, still
voice, “Did he just name who I think he did? I hope the
Lord of Murder didn’t hear that, or we’re all—”
AFTERMATH
Before Manat can finish that sentence, Stanley’s While this story answers some of the questions that
entire body jerks as if it has been jolted by electricity, were lingering from Suffer the Children, it has wound
and he sits upright on the bed. His hideous wounds up raising all new ones. It is clear that the demon-
begin to ooze beneath his bandages, and the sudden hunters were re-captured by someone working outside
motion pulls loose his IV needle, but he seems com- the authority of the characters’ infernal hierarchy after
pletely unaware of this fact. His eyelids pull back with being set free, but who was that someone? Is he still
a sick sucking sound to reveal two blood-red orbs around? What all did he make the hapless mortals tell
beneath, and his lips practically melt away into a vicious him? Does he know about the characters? Does he know
snarl that bares vicious predatory fangs rather than about their greater demonic organization or its masters?
Stanley’s actual teeth. This grotesque visage surveys And how is Manishtusu, the infamous Lord of
each of the characters present in turn, the skin and Murder, involved in all this? The deadly Earthbound
muscle of Stanley’s scorched neck splitting open from took the stage late in the story, but he seems to have
too much use. something in the works that he does not want the
“You are all castrated, insignificant meat to me,” a characters messing with. What could it be? And if the
voice says, coming out of Stanley’s mouth with more characters find out, will they already be too late to do
tormented force and insane fury than any human can anything about it? You and your players can explore the
muster. As he speaks, blood and gobbets of meat begin answers to these questions in your own way as your
to fill his mouth and run down his chin. “You’ve done chronicle progresses, or you can continue playing Fear
well enough exposing that pathetic toady to Tread through to its conclusion in The Judas Kiss.
81
8
FEAR TO TREAD
82
8
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER THREE:
THE JUDAS KISS
He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince

himself that no mortal can keep a secret. If his lips are silent,
he chatters with his fingertips; betrayal oozes out of him at
every pore.
—Sigmund Freud
INTRODUCTION impetus for all of this brazen behavior — that is, the
Great Debate at which Lucifer first spoke the word
When the angels of the Holy Host were created rebellion — was a meeting that was held in secret.
by God, they were commanded to love and take care And immediately after that momentous event, the
of humankind from a disheartening remove of se- first act of open rebellion, when the rebel angels
crecy. Never were they allowed to reveal their first revealed their presence to humankind was com-
existence or express their eternal love for the first mitted in secret — although the perpetrators must
mortals, and this commandment of forced separa- have known that such secrecy could never last. The
tion troubled and saddened many angels. Therefore, creation of the shadow lands of the dead was a secret
when Lucifer the Morningstar raised his banner of initiative, and those angels of the Silver Legion who
rebellion, the angels who agreed with him and labored at their horrifying tasks in the bastion of
followed him made of themselves beings of outspo- Tabâ’et’ did so away from the prying eyes of even
ken pride and defiance — eschewing secrecy in their allies. When the armies of the fallen were
favor of bold, direct action. They were not afraid to finally defeated, they were forcibly bound in secret
state their heretical beliefs or even fight for them where mankind would lose touch with them and
when the call went out to do so. Yet even then, the ultimately forget them.
83
8
FEAR TO TREAD
It is no surprise, then, that this legacy of secrecy has level, people tend to dismiss the works of the fallen as
left its mark on the fallen as they are emerging once simple tricks, elaborate hoaxes or (if they see them
again into the physical world. Some, such as those who on television, for instance) extraordinary special
make up the Ravener faction, are throwing off what effects. It seems, then, that taking small steps in
they see as the shackles of secrecy and trying to unmake secret toward one’s greater goals is the course of
the world in the most spectacular and unavoidable ways action preferred by the overwhelming majority of
possible. Others, such as those fallen who make up the fallen, almost by default.
Cryptics faction, have made it their mission to seek out Working in secret, however, does not immedi-
the truth behind certain secrets that have plagued them ately necessitate working alone. The fallen were
since the time of their imprisonment — secrets such as designed by their Creator to work together in sym-
why they were ever given two such contradictory orders phony, each with individual responsibilities that
by their Creator, where the Morningstar has been all dovetailed harmoniously with one another. Having
this time without them, and what has become of the been cast out of Paradise, human beings have also
Creator and His Holy Host since the War of Wrath. evolved into social creatures who recognize the power
Still others, such as the Faustians and certain especially of superior numbers and efficient cooperation. It makes
clever Luciferans, have learned the value of secrecy and sense, then, that the blending of the minds these two
are using it to forward their overarching agendas. Even types of beings would result in modern fallen who
the Reconcilers are reexamining the value of safeguard- value group efforts and the efficacy of collusion. (On
ing their human charges in secret, in hopes of working a practical level, it also makes sense for the fallen to
their way back into their Creator’s good graces by finally work together, just considering how weakening and
coming around to doing what He commanded them to confusing it can be for them to fight their way out of
do so long ago. Hell and anchor themselves in spiritually dead mortal
Meanwhile, the Earthbound who effected their hosts.) Whether a demon sees an accomplice as a
escape from the Abyss long ago and have been operat- dupe, a thrall, a servant, a co-conspirator or simply a
ing in the physical world ever since, have long since willing ally, his success depends on that accomplice’s
learned the value and utility of secrecy. Cut off from efforts almost as much as it depends on his own. He
their allies and even each other when they were must, therefore, impart a certain amount of trust to
returned unexpectedly to Earth, these angels had to anyone who might be helping him achieve his goals —
build their bases of support quietly so as not to attract no matter how secret they might be — in the hope that
the attention of the Creator or the armies of the he receives at least a modicum of loyalty in return.
nations of mortals who revered Him. Then, as the Otherwise, the downward spiral of suspicion, deceit
worship and faith that sustained them began to wane, and betrayal will tear his efforts to shreds and leave
they had to retreat into secrecy so as not to be attacked him with less than what he had when he started.
and driven back into the Abyss while they were weak. How, then, does one balance his ingrained need for
Even today, as new outlets and offerings of faith begin secrecy against the seemingly antithetical need to work
to revive and refresh them, these unknowable elder with others for the best effect? How does one gain the
beings rely on the power of secrecy to shield their trust of her supporters without showing her hand too
nefarious goals (as well as the steps they take toward early and possibly giving her rivals an advantage over
achieving those goals) from the watchful eyes of their her? How does one know who she can trust to keep her
newly returned brethren. These recent escapees, many secrets and who she should expect to betray her in
Earthbound reason, are better able to enact their pursuit of his own equally secretive ends? In fact, can
schemes quickly, so it behooves the Earthbound to any demon trust any other demon at all in this time of
rebuild their power on the sly so that when their shifting alliances and hidden agendas, or are all demons
schemes conflict with those of the fallen, the fallen predestined to play out the original betrayal they perpe-
will not have the opportunity to catch on to the threat trated against their very Creator over and over again
growing right beneath their noses until it is too late to until the end of time?
fight back.
Similarly, many of the fallen use this same tech- THE PLOT (IN BRIEF)
nique against the Earthbound, against each other Unlike Suffer the Children, which begins by piqu-
and against the mortals they see as assets. Yet, the ing the characters’ interest and leading them into an
prevailing sentiment of these modern times is one of investigation of infernal depredations, or Into the
such jaded cynicism that taking bold, overt actions is Fire, which (admittedly) starts slowly and involves the
hardly worth a fallen angel’s time and energy regard- characters in an intensive mortal investigation at
less. Unless such acts affect them directly on a personal their superiors’ behest, The Judas Kiss — the final
84
8
CHAPTER THREE
story in the Fear to Tread chronicle — thrusts the of how the various Storyteller characters are con-
players’ characters directly into dire peril and forces nected can be found in the Storyteller Characters
them to think and act fast in order to save their skins. chapter of this book, and even more information is
At the same time, it embroils them in the scheming presented in Demon: City of Angels.
manipulations of an Earthbound foe more dangerous • Manat (AKA Sylvia Sarah Woods). This
than the one whose minions they might have faced in Luciferan fallen an investigative reporter (who might or
Suffer the Children. might not have worked with the characters in the past).
As this story opens, the characters receive a des- In the course of her self-appointed crusade, she has
perate call for help from an old ally who has landed uncovered a conspiracy that has put her in immediate
herself in more trouble than she knows how to extri- and dire peril.
cate herself from. Yet, as they arrive on the scene to • Baphomel (AKA Troy Daniels). Working with
help her, the characters find themselves likewise tar- Manat, this fallen angel — in the body of the Lieuten-
geted by default, and they must make a quick escape. ant Mayor of the City of Angels — is trying to uncover
When they regroup, the ally sheds some faint light on information about a charity organization that might be
the nature of the problem that she has made for herself, a front for the Earthbound Manishtusu.
and the characters’ superiors encourage them to dig • Yigal (AKA Joyce Allen). The wife of a local
deeper and get to the bottom of the problem. In so politician, this fallen has been forming a coalition of
doing, the characters make contact with a fellow charities in Los Angeles for at-risk teens. It is her
demon who has placed himself high in the local mortal suspicions about the founder of one of those charities
political society. He helps elucidate the mystery that that has involved Manat and Baphomel in the cur-
their ally had partially uncovered — a mortal con- rent mystery.
spiracy with infernal overtones and underpinnings — • Sauvitar (AKA Agent Marcus Keyes). Like
and asks them to help him gather the proof that he Manat, this demon is working with Baphomel on that
needs to put that conspiracy to an end via legitimate demon’s investigation. He has offered his services and
channels. They do so at great risk to themselves, connections up for use by the baroness of the Infernal
finding that the conspiracy in question reaches back to Court, but he was rebuffed. He is now trying to prove his
their previous involvement with other events in the utility on his own so that he will not be turned away so
chronicle. After a quick consultation with their supe- quickly the next time he presents himself.
riors, the characters look deeper and find that a
• Annette Demilenko. This mortal is the head of
dangerously insane Earthbound demon is conducting
a private charity organization known as the Blind
the affairs like orchestral movements in a symphony.
Samaritan Foundation. Unfortunately, she is also a
And as the characters dig deeper, they just might find
thrall to the Earthbound known as the Lord of Murder,
that the Earthbound’s insidious influence may be
and she is using her charity organization to further that
more pervasive than they had ever imagined.
demon’s ultimate goals.
STORYTELLER CHARACTERS • Fell Knight Guanli (AKA Jeremiah Azevedo).
This demon is the senior minister of the Lion Ministry
While not all of these characters are highly influ-
ential movers and shakers in the Los Angeles of the Infernal Court of Los Angeles. He offers to help
Tri-County Area (even in fallen society), they all the characters find what they are looking for, but his
have parts to play in The Judas Kiss. Some are in- asking price could be higher than they are willing to pay.
tended simply to point the characters in the right • Fell Knight Ravana (AKA Mary Beth Holden).
direction should they become hopelessly confused Fell Knight Ravana is the Lion Minister for the secre-
about exactly what’s going on or should they find tive Blood Court of Los Angeles, and she is the lover of
themselves at a loss as to how to proceed in their her opposite member in the Infernal Court.
investigation. You can skip over some of them if you • Azhi & Dahaki (AKA Daniel & Danielle
find that your players’ characters don’t need their Montague; AKA Bric-et-Brac). These two fallen lov-
help. You can also switch them out with Storyteller ers are agents of Fell Knight Ravana — and vicious
characters of your own design or from previous events killers besides. Yet, right or wrong, they support her
in your own chronicle, if you so choose. You can even without question.
supplement their roles even further (if your players • Haraphael (AKA Marvin Bragg; AKA Trip-9).
appear to be having a particularly dense time of it) by This fallen Slayer rules Manishtusu’s self-claimed turf
having the Storyteller characters to whom the ones like a warlord by moving violent and impressionable
presented here are connected in Los Angeles’s greater young gang members — among whom he is a legend —
infernal society make brief appearances. Explanations like pawns on a chessboard.
85
8
FEAR TO TREAD
INVOLVING THE CHARACTERS at least one, probably two and possibly as many as three
separate occasions. Those encounters were designed
The technique for involving your players’ charac-
ters in the story The Judas Kiss borrows from both to foster open communication and cooperation be-
Suffer the Children and Into the Fire. Like the first tween them in pursuit of a common goal. In one of
story, the characters are introduced to the action those scenes (that is, the story’s chilling denouement
straightaway as one or more of them receive a distress in the burn ward of the Martin Luther King, Jr./
call from a fellow fallen angel and they gather together Charles R. Drew Medical Center), Manat called the
and come to that angel’s rescue. Like Into the Fire, characters together under less desperate circumstances,
though, having the characters get involved takes a and they all witnessed evidence that suggested that
little bit of preliminary setting up based on their the Earthbound Manishtusu was up to something.
previous exposure to prior events in the Fear to Tread That scene also showed them that the insane demon
chronicle as well as the demonic hierarchy in Los was aware of them and ready to take steps against them
Angeles with which they are affiliated. Yet, unlike if they interfered with his scheme. Remembering this
Into the Fire, which took quite a long time to set the scene, characters who played through Into the Fire are
characters in motion as it laid out the various permu- likely to assume that the Lord of Murder is responsible
tations of its very first scene, the first scene of The for the danger that Manat has found herself caught up
Judas Kiss is the same regardless of who the characters in because she has found out what it is that he is
are or who they ostensibly work for. Only the immedi- actually up to.
ate backstory needs to change based on the If you and your players are using The Judas Kiss as
circumstances of your chronicle. a stand-alone story, though (or if you played through
The trigger event for this story is that a relatively Suffer the Children but decided to forgo Into the Fire for
recently returned Luciferan fallen named Manat some reason), your characters might need a little more
(whose mortal identity is that of newspaper reporter incentive to help out a demon who is basically a perfect
Sylvia Sarah Woods) contacts the characters via stranger. You will also need to have some sort of expla-
either invocation or telephone in desperate fear for nation on hand for how this character knew to contact
her life one Friday night. She tells them that she does your characters in the first place. A quick and easy cheat
not have much time to go into detail, but she is being would be to say that one of your characters knew Manat
hunted by an insane Ravener demon who is leading from the War of Wrath but has since forgotten her in
a gang of mortal hoods around after her like a pack of the confusion of anchoring to his mortal host here in
extremely intelligent hunting dogs. She is trying to the physical world. Only now that he hears her voice
hide in an abandoned train yard that was made a again via invocation does he start to remember. A
shambles by the recent earthquake, but her pursuers slightly less contrived cheat would be to say that Manat
have boxed her in, and she is afraid to make a run for remembers the character (or characters) in question
it. She begs the characters to round up their circle from the time of the war by reputation, but she never
and come to her aid because, if she dies, some very had an opportunity to speak to him (or them) before
important information about one of the City of they were all imprisoned.
Angels’ two resident Earthbound will be lost with It might be more reasonable, however, to have
her. She tells the characters how to find the ruined Manat referred to the characters second-hand by some-
train yard and asks them to invoke her when they one with more authority and a more recognizable
arrive. Finally, she begs them to hurry, then breaks presence in the City of Angels’ demonic community.
off contact, lest she give her position away before Should you choose to take this route, you will need to
they have a chance to reach her. adjust it according to what demonic hierarchy your
That event takes place regardless of who the players’ characters serve. As stated in the Introduction
characters are working for or how much of the Fear of this book, Fear to Tread assumes that the players’
to Tread chronicle they have participated in up to characters will become involved in the stories’ events
this point. What might need to be tailored to fit your by arising from one of three social circles. They are most
chronicle, then, is how this Manat character knew to likely supporters of the Infernal Court of Los Angeles
contact your players’ characters and what made her (headed by Baroness Kishar), supporters of LA’s more
think that she could trust them when she found secretive Blood Court (headed by Lady Anat) or inde-
herself in danger. pendent investigators working at the behest of Lady
Al-Lat. (Corralling characters who are otherwise affili-
If your characters played through the events of ated is up to you and your players, as is determining the
Into the Fire, you have the easiest time justifying means by which the characters come to work together
Manat’s decision to contact them. In that story, Manat in the first place.)
and your characters had contact with one another on
86
8
CHAPTER THREE
If they are Cryptic agents of Lady Al-Lat, have Al- fact, he was the tyrant of that court until Baroness
Lat herself be the one who contacts the characters. She Kishar arrived. As he is playing this dangerous double-
is not the one in danger, but she relates to the characters game, you might want to use him to motivate
a distress call that she received from the demon Manat characters of the Infernal Court just as you would
— a contact of hers in the Luciferan faction. She tells members of the Blood Court. You can do so if you
the characters that this Manat has claimed to have wish, just remember to make the necessary adjust-
gathered dangerous and important information that ment to the text that refers to characters of the
someone else seems willing to kill her to contain. She Infernal Court in this story’s later scenes.)
then asks the characters to go extricate this Luciferan Hopefully, that motivation will be enough to spur
from danger in hopes of preserving the information she characters of any affiliation or previous involvement
supposedly contains, then report back in once they level into action. If not, you can try to inspire Torment
have hidden her away somewhere. in the more hard-hearted characters by describing
If the players’ characters are members of the unbidden memories of the War of Wrath. Perhaps the
Infernal Court, you could have them contacted by characters remember being forced to abandon a field
Lord Aglibol, the court’s Minister of Aurochs. Since of battle after some ignominious defeat, and the
Aglibol’s mortal identity is that of a local member of wretched, piteous screams of the wounded that they
the City Council, Manat knows him both through had to leave behind begin to echo in their ears once
local press contacts and through his mortal-level again. Perhaps they begin to recall the screams of
working relationship with Baphomel (whose mortal despair and anguish of those fallen who were cast into
identity is that of the Lieutenant Mayor, and who the Abyss before them. Or maybe they remember the
Manat herself has been working with recently). When cries of those friends and brothers in arms that they
she found herself in trouble, Manat called out to Lord had to leave behind when they escaped the Abyss
Aglibol — a fellow Luciferan — for help. Unwilling aeons later. If even that tactic does not work, have the
to act on his own, though, Aglibol tried to contact characters’ superiors contact them (or recontact them)
Fell Knight Guanli and dispatch him to take care of and order them to do as Manat asks, calling it their duty
the problem in his role as the court’s Lion Minister. to their demonic hierarchy. After all, if you cannot
When Guanli subsequently responded that he was motivate them to get involved in the action now, you
too busy, Aglibol turned to the characters instead. are going to have an exceptionally difficult time get-
He says that Manat could be an asset to the Infernal ting the story started.
Court in the near future, so he wants the characters
to get her to safety and report back to him when they
have done so.
SCENE ONE
If your characters are members of the revolution- Regardless of what lengths you had to go to in
ary Blood Court, you might need to have Spentu order to involve your characters in the story, they
Mainyu, that court’s Dragon Minister, contact them. eventually come together several hours after sun-
He is easily one of the best connected Luciferan fallen down and rush to the train yard in which Manat is
in the city of Los Angeles, so it would make sense that hiding. The place is an enormous gravel and concrete
Manat would have contacted him for information or sprawl that looks as if it had not seen much use even
normal faction business at some point in the past. before the Devil’s Night earthquake. It was once
Have him contact your characters and relay the cry for surrounded in part by a 10-foot-tall chain link fence
help that Manat originally sent out to him. He claims that was topped by an additional two feet of barbed
that he is too busy spending “quality time” with one of wire stretched across outward-angled struts to dis-
his thralls to be able to help, but the players’ characters courage intruders from climbing over. Several pairs
were the first fallen he thought of to take on the job in of rusted steel rails lying on top of rotted crosstie
his place. If they do this thing — that is, rescue Manat, bones fed into the complex from the rear, and an
get her to a safe place and find out what information intricate webwork of the same lay strewn all over its
she is hiding — he would consider it a personal favor. interior. These lines fed into several roundhouses
In fact, if the information is worthwhile enough, the that are distributed randomly throughout the com-
other ministers of the court might consider it a favor plex, and those roundhouses fed rails that led away to
as well. He will be contacting the ministers while the several warehouses on the property.
characters are taking action. Yet, where the place was aged, dingy and in ill
(As you might already know, the Devil Spentu repair before the earthquake, it lies in ruins now.
Mainyu is the Dragon Minister for not only the Blood Most of the fencing is no longer standing, and what
Court, but also the Infernal Court of Los Angeles. In little of it still remains relatively undamaged is
87
8
FEAR TO TREAD
leaning drunkenly in every direction, providing the characters played through Into the Fire, they
little impediment to a would-be intruder. Most of should recognize it as the one that Manat was stand-
the warehouses have been demolished, except for ing next to when she met them at the hospital at the
the odd one or two that have merely twisted inward end of that story. Skid marks leading up to the car
on themselves and fallen apart. These rugged rem- indicate that it destroyed a tire driving over a huge
nants stand gutted and partially scavenged, not gap in the pavement not far away then skidded out of
unlike the bones of great beasts left to the elements control into a snarl of half-fallen chain link fence
after breathing their last and giving up the ghost. and barbed wire (where it rests now).
The rails that once led to these warehouses, and The other three cars are parked around this
those all over the complex, are broken, twisted and Honda well back from the barbed wire but hemming
even sticking out of the ground like unruly hairs in the Honda in. Two of them are dirty sport-utility
some places. Beneath them, the ground is swollen vehicles, and the other is a dark-blue four-door se-
and split open, turning what was once a boring dan. The windows of all of these vehicles are tinted,
symbol of stultifying industrialism into a surrealist but the doors are unlocked, and no one is inside any
depiction of nature’s rebellion against the same. of them. The engines of these vehicles are warm,
And yet despite the darkness and the isolation though, indicating that whoever was driving or riding
and the foreboding solemnity of the place, it does in them did not arrive all that long ago. This revela-
show some signs of life. The first such sign is the tion leads to the second sign of life within the
presence of four vehicles that have been parked train-yard complex: the faint sounds of people mov-
haphazardly by what was presumably the front gate of ing around within.
the complex. The parking lot is a ruin of crumpled Should the characters contact Manat by invoca-
asphalt, and a spray of broken plastic chips and shreds tion at this point, she is slow to respond and short of
of steel-belted tire testify to how treacherous it can words when she does speak up. She whispers that her
be to drive across it at speed. One of the cars that the pursuers found her when she made her last invocation
characters find here has a blown tire dangling from a for help, their fallen master triangulating her position
bent rim, as well as a broken headlight and turn signal by the power it took to call out just as easily as if she
above it. This car is a 10-year-old blue Honda, and if had performed an evocation. She is wounded more so
88
8
CHAPTER THREE
than she was when she first arrived, but she managed area. If they botch, have them stumble into an ambush
to flee to a new hiding place. She tells the characters of four such thralls.
that she is now hiding under a fallen piece of corru- When the players encounter these thralls, the thralls’
gated metal in a shallow rent in the earth under what first reaction is going to be to say, “Haraphael, some-
was once the farthest west storage warehouse. She begs body else’s here,” and start pointing pistols (provided, of
the characters to hurry up and get to her so that they course, that they are not already under attack when they
can get her out of here, but she warns them to be on make this discovery). One turn later, they will receive
their guard and try to stay out of sight. Since they their master’s instructions to get rid of any witnesses and
invoked her, her demon pursuer probably knows that open fire. Should the characters survive such an attack,
they are here too (and possibly exactly where they the sound of gunfire will draw more teams of thralls.
are). She warns them that her fallen pursuer has at Should the characters survive that, the last surviving
least five “street thugs” with him, all of whom are gangster will invoke his master Haraphael begging for
armed with small-caliber pistols. She suspects that help. Hearing that his thralls are being attacked by
there might be more with him, but she has seen only multiple fallen of unknown origin and power levels,
five since she first went on the run. Haraphael will then take the three gangsters who are
The characters, then, have to choose between with him, cut his losses and make his escape. (He has
going on the defensive or going on the offensive. If not given up on his ultimate goal, however, as the
they go on the offensive — which is to say hunting events of Scene Two will reveal.)
the thralls of the demon who is hunting Manat so as The pistols these Eight Trey Gangster Crips are
to whittle their numbers down — have their players carrying are nothing but dinky .25s that inflict one
roll Perception + Investigation (difficulty 7) as the level of lethal damage, but every gangster has one.
characters move into the train yard among the rusty They also have knives in case their guns fail them.
hulks of empty boxcars and neglected flatbeds. There They have no armor to speak of, nor are they hard-
are nine Eight Trey Gangster Crips scattered through- ened against the effects of revelation. Depending
out the rail yard looking for Manat in groups of two upon the combat prowess of your players’ characters,
(one of which has picked up the ninth man and is you can base these characters’ Trait ratings on a scale
searching with their fallen leader as well). Succeed- from “The Thug” template in the Demon core
ing on this roll puts the characters in the vicinity of rulebook to simple extras as per the “Large Fights”
one of these two-man groups without giving them optional rule. At best, your characters can avoid
away. Failing the roll leaves the characters wander- these dangerous thugs and effect their escape with
ing without making contact with anyone, and the wounded Manat or take the thugs out two by two
botching forces them to stumble across one of these at their leisure. At worst, they will have to fight their
groups, catching everyone by surprise. If the players way through all six of the ones who stick around.
succeed on their Perception + Investigation roll and Either way, they will not have to face the demon
they want their characters to act on their quarry with Haraphael in this scene.
the element of surprise, have the players roll Dexter- Once the characters have made their way to the
ity + Stealth. On a failed roll, the characters lose the westernmost storage warehouse (whether they have
element of surprise, and their quarry retains its nor- sneaked past Haraphael’s minions or bulldozed their
mal initiative. On a botch, the characters give way through them), they must now locate Manat. If the
themselves away before they make a move and wan- characters are still sneaking, notch the difficulty of their
der into an impromptu ambush instead. players’ Dexterity + Stealth rolls up by one. Also have
Should the characters decide, on the other hand, to the players make a Perception + Investigation roll
go on the defensive from the start, have the players roll (difficulty 8) for their characters to find where Manat
only Dexterity + Stealth, but bump the difficulty up to has hidden herself. When they find the spot, they must
7. (Assume that their fallen antagonist on the scene has lift off of her the piece of corrugated metal beneath
detected their presence and located their approximate which she is lying and help her to her feet. She seems
position from their introductory invocation and that he somewhat delirious with shock and fear, and she has
has dispatched thralls accordingly. He is expecting been hit twice in the back with .25 bullets. The bullets
them to hide and sneak around, not to go on the passed through her doing as little serious damage as
offensive.) If the roll succeeds, require a new roll every possible (leaving her with three lethal health levels of
few minutes until you have determined that they have damage left to heal).
made their way across the complex to the ruins of the She is able to walk, but at least one of the charac-
westernmost warehouse. If a roll fails, have them stumble ters must help keep her steady. If they are still sneaking
across one of the two-man teams of thralls combing the at this point, the difficulty of the roll required to do so
89
8
FEAR TO TREAD
rises to a 9. (In fact, it might help if one or two of the their car in a spot that is not immediately visible from
characters try to cause a distraction elsewhere in the the street.
rail yard that draws pursuers away while the rest help Once the characters unlock the door to Lodge
Manat escape.) The idea should be to get Manat back Six and pile inside, Manat flicks on the light, locks
to the characters’ car, if they arrived thus, or possibly the door behind her and starts weakly pawing through
to one of the gangsters’ vehicles so as to get the hell out her pockets for a battered paper pack of cigarettes. In
of there and find a safe place for her to heal up and get the illumination from the bug-corpse-filled overhead
her head together. As the characters make their escape light fixture, the characters can see just how haggard,
(however the circumstances surrounding it might play dirty and exhausted she really looks. Her left side is
out), Manat regains enough lucidity to suggest just the covered in blood from where she was shot, and her
place. It is a crappy, isolated rent-by-the-hour joint jeans and jacket are soaked with grime and blood.
located a short distance from the rail yard, which is She eases herself gingerly down on the bed and lights
called the Dolphin Motel. up a blood-stained cigarette. If the players want to
SCENE TWO
roll Perception + Awareness (difficulty 8), you can
have their characters sense a thready surge of super-
natural power as Manat spends Faith to heal herself
Located near the outskirts of the industrial district of the damage she has suffered. (Should they be
from which the characters and Manat have just es- feeling generous, one or more of the characters might
caped, the Dolphin Motel is a rundown fleapit that is offer to heal Manat themselves.)
barely staying in business. Its marquee proudly boasts When she is healed once again, Manat looks pale
that it has a “V CANCY,” and a hand-painted sign and weak but no longer in danger of immediate collapse.
beneath that adds, “Power and running water re- She takes a huge drag on her cigarette and sighs in relief.
stored!!” It caters to people who do not care about the “Thanks for all of your help, everyone,” she says. “Re-
noise, the pollution or the leftover detritus from what ally, I mean it. I didn’t want to risk healing myself while
minimal rebuilding efforts have been undertaken since I was hiding just in case that bastard felt it and used it to
the earthquake — people such as traveling salesmen, track me down. Not that he wasn’t doing fine on his
johns and hookers who rent by the hour, runaways own, though, I guess. I think I really might have stepped
who are happy just to have a roof over their heads and in it this time.”
drug dealers who want a place to meet buyers. The
The obvious follow-up question to that statement
price is cheap, and the management does not ask
is something to the effect of “Stepped in what?” and
questions. In fact, the fat, greasy clerk behind the
the answer Manat gives depends on how much she has
Formica-topped counter only sneers and silently hands
worked with the characters already up to this point. If
over a key when the characters ask for a room.
they did not meet her or visit the hospital with her
The small motel complex consists of an office because they did not play through the events of Into
building, a gravel parking lot and eight lodges, which the Fire, she hesitates and seems to be engaging in
are basically self-contained mini-houses. Each lodge some internal debate. Finally, she sighs and mutters
has a cramped bedroom, a dingy, mildew-decorated that she has to trust someone and that, if the characters
bathroom and a TV that has been bolted to the wall. were her enemies, they would not have come all the
The owners have the rooms cleaned every day — way out here on a moment’s notice to help her in the
they have no choice, the law makes them — but their first place. She then fills them in on what she has been
efforts do not help. Years of smoke from the nearby up to as per the events of that story.
factories has worked its way into everything, no
matter how often it was cleaned, so the rooms smell RECUPERATING
faintly of grease and carcinogens. Peeling wallpaper,
bulging drywall, water stains, cracks in the ceiling
AND RECAPPING
and uneven floors are only some of the examples of She says that she originally came to the so-called
the lingering cosmetic damage that has been left over City of Angels to look into the events of Devil’s Night.
since the earthquake. She is a devoted Luciferan, and the possibility that her
There are only three cars in the parking lot — an commander in chief was still in town filled her with
aging, dirty Lexus in front of the manager’s office, a hope. Shortly after she arrived, however, she stumbled
Daihatsu in front of Lodge Three and whatever ve- onto the story of the Marshall School for Troubled
hicle the characters arrived in. The lodge to which the Teens, in which cultist thralls of one of Los Angeles’s
characters have been given a key (Lodge Six) is in resident Earthbound were breaking the wills of select
roughly the center of the complex, so they can park students, then summoning demons from the Pit to take
90
8
CHAPTER THREE
up residence in those students’ bodies and serve their heard its mad, wicked laughter taunting her from every
infernal master. Demonic citizens of the city had al- shadow. Even still, though, she had not heeded the
ready dealt with this matter by the time Manat found Earthbound’s warning, which is what has led to her
out about it, destroying what cultists they could find and current condition.
forcing local mortal authorities to shut down the school If Manat and the characters have already met in
temporarily. The City Council had held an emergency the previous story (especially if the characters had
session (mainly for the public’s benefit) in order to played through Suffer the Children before that), all
make sure that the school’s displaced children were that recapping might not be strictly necessary. You
taken care of. can condense it considerably — unless so much time
Yet, as she was following up its aftermath, Manat has passed in your chronicle that the players them-
continues, inquisitive mortal demon-hunters showed selves need a reminder. To do so, have Manat take a
their hand at the school. They banished all the puff of her cigarette and say, “Oh well, if you guys are
infernal taint that the cult’s secret practices had in for a penny, you’re in for a pound. Do you remember
seeded into the place and also warded the site of the all that trouble we found out about surrounding that
cult’s activities so that no demon could so much as Marshall School for Trouble Teens? Do you remember
approach it. When this news circulated around the what happened when we went to the hospital together
local fallen community, several demons of various afterward and talked to what was left of Stanley
affiliations tried to track these mortals down and McIntyre? Do you remember the warning the Lord of
interrogate them as to what they knew about (and Murder gave us to stay out of his business? Well… I
could do to) the fallen. Their search proved ulti- didn’t exactly do that. That’s why I’m here, and now,
mately fruitless, and the hunters all but disappeared. that’s why you all are here, too.”
They did so, that is, until Manat herself tracked one (If you can feel your players getting bored after a
of them down to the Martin Luther King Jr./Charles long recap or if you just want to keep them off balance
R. Drew Medical Center, where he had been taken and turn the action level up a notch, you can go ahead
after a vicious car accident that had killed his two and skip to the “An Uninvited Guest” section of this
partners. She slipped into the hospital to talk with scene. You will have to refer back to this following
him, and with his last breaths he told her that he and section when you reach Scene Three or Four, but that
his compatriots had been kidnaped by agents of a should not hamper the flow of information all that
demon whose name she will not repeat, but which much. Otherwise, proceed with the following text and
the hunter voiced cavalierly. (This demon, Manat get to “An Uninvited Guest” afterward.)
confides, is the other Earthbound operating out of Los At this point, her tale can continue in the same
Angeles — a dangerous Devourer known as the “Lord way regardless of whether or not she has worked with
of Murder.”) The agents of that Earthbound tortured the characters before. She says that she was actually
and questioned the mortal demon-hunters about what able to stay out of the Lord of Murder’s business for a
they had found at the Marshall School and how that little while and to ignore the subject of the Marshall
knowledge might be applied to serving their own School for Troubled Teens entirely. What pulled her
master’s will. When that interrogation had proven back into the thick of things, however, was a call
fruitless as well, the agents had given up in disgust from a friend of hers (as well as a fellow Luciferan)
and tried to get rid of the hunters in a staged car who was now going by the mortal name of Troy
accident that had not been quite thorough enough. Daniels. This Troy Daniels, she confirms, is the very
In relating his story, though, the poor abused same as the Lieutenant Mayor of the city of Los
mortal had invoked the very Earthbound who had had Angeles. It seems that he had been in recent contact
this done to him, and that act had sealed his fate. As with another fallen who is going by the mortal name
Manat was getting ready to leave, the Lord of Murder of Joyce Allen. Mrs. Allen is the wife of a prominent
took temporary possession of the hunter’s failing body local politician, and she has always been a major
and spoke to her. It ordered her to stop prying into its supporter (both politically and monetarily) of chari-
business and to stay out of its way if she did not want ties that were designed to help the city’s children.
to earn herself a quick one-way trip back to the She even helped set up a program for at-risk teens in
torment of the Abyss. It had warned her that it had the city, and she has been active in that program ever
agents everywhere and that it would know if she had since her husband turned his attention to national
not heeded its warning. The mortal’s body had given politics rather than local.
out at that point, unable to contain such power as the In the wake of the events surrounding the Marshall
Earthbound possessed, but as she had fled the hospital, School, Mrs. Allen has been devoting the bulk of that
she could swear that she had felt its eyes on her and program’s resources to taking care of that school’s
91
8
FEAR TO TREAD
displaced and disregarded students (who now cer- Demilenko. He turned her (that is, Manat) away and
tainly qualify as more “at-risk” than even they realize). refused to be intimidated by her admittedly vague
As of the City Council’s emergency public meeting, threats about deeper investigations and possible expo-
Mrs. Allen has been building a local charitable coali- sure if something illicit was going on behind the
tion devoted to taking even better care of those foundation’s doors. What she did not realize at the
children, and she has been relying chiefly on the help time was that this young man was a leader among the
of one Annette Demilenko, the founder and chairper- Eight Trey Gangster Crips with the street name Trip-
son of a private charity known as the Blind Samaritan 9 or that he was actually a fallen angel by the name of
Foundation. This arrangement seemed perfectly agree- Haraphael. (She spells this being’s Celestial Name out
able at first, but Mrs. Allen began to grow increasingly on a sheet of paper, rather than speaking it aloud and
wary of Ms. Demilenko the more the two of them drawing his attention.)
worked together. There was something strange about She figured all of this out later, though, when
the way Demilenko talked to her subordinates and Trip-9 and three cars worth of his gangsta thugs
convinced them to do things for her, and it did not tracked her this very evening to her rented house
take Allen long to figure out what that was. Demilenko closer to town and tried to silence her once and for all.
was exhibiting an eerie, preternatural influence over They surprised her, but she was able to get away and
her subordinates, which registered only very faintly to take off in her car before they could do too much
Allen’s demonic awareness of the supernatural. The damage. She fled in a panic, eventually winding up at
more time that she spent in the woman’s company, the rail yard and calling for help (by whatever means
however, the more clearly Allen could detect the you, the Storyteller, ended up using to open your
sense of power behind Demilenko’s words. While story). Trip-9 and his thugs tracked her there and
Demilenko was not fallen herself, she was clearly a wounded her a little more severely, but fortunately,
thrall to one and was borrowing some inkling of her the characters arrived when they did to help her and
master’s power to do her work. What was more, the to get her here where she could rest up and get herself
resonance of that power bespoke of a greedy, ancient back together again. It is now her intention to get to
source with just the faintest hint of insatiable hunger Daniels and Allen and to try to figure out what to do
and roiling insanity behind it. It felt like the touch of next. She does not know, however, if she can make it
an Earthbound, and Allen panicked. on her own (or even carry on safely once she gets
The first thing she did was approach Lieutenant there) considering that the Lord of Murder’s minions
Mayor Daniels, who was the first other fallen she had might be looking for her even now. Therefore, she asks
met when she arrived in the city. She told him of her the characters to help her.
fears of what she might inadvertently be exposing the
children of the Marshall School to, and he promised to AN UNINVITED GUEST
help her. He then turned around and contacted Manat While all of this recuperating and recapping is
who agreed to snoop around and see what she could going on, the demon known as Haraphael is not sitting
turn up on Annette Demilenko. She did not share idly by. He and three of his Eight Trey Gangster
with the other two of them what she already suspected lackeys are headed in the characters’ direction right
might be happening for fear that speaking it aloud now. Whether the characters sneaked across the length
might make it true, but she agreed to help readily and breadth of the abandoned rail yard in which
enough and got to work immediately. (What she Manat was hiding in the previous scene without once
suspected was that the Lord of Murder was Annette being spotted by Haraphael’s thugs or they fought
Demilenko’s infernal master and that he was taking their way through these extras before looking for
the opportunity to pick up the subjugation of the Manat, Haraphael cut out of there. If the characters
students of the Marshall School where his lesser Earth- slipped through his fingers by virtue of their extraordi-
bound rival left off.) nary stealth, he took three of his thugs with him and
Her fears have partially been confirmed since she sent the rest home, lest their absence from their
was contacted by Daniels and Allen and agreed to familiar haunts in town rouse too much suspicion. If
investigate for them. The first thing she did was go to the characters fought his underlings down (or simply
the headquarters of the Blind Samaritan Foundation scared them off or found some other means of inca-
and try to arrange to meet with Annette Demilenko pacitating them), Haraphael received this message
for what should have appeared to be a standard inter- from the last of them and split early with three thugs
view for a human-interest story. Yet, she was met and in tow. He then headed in the direction of what
stopped in the lobby by a young black man named seemed like the nearest, most convenient hiding place
Marvin Bragg, who claimed to speak on behalf of Ms. (that is, the Dolphin Motel) with the intention of
92
8
CHAPTER THREE
staking it out against the characters’ arrival. It was a First of all, it is possible that one of the fallen might
long shot to be sure, but given the choice between hear Haraphael’s thug sneaking up to their lodge on the
either taking his chances there or admitting to his gravel drive out front (although they will not be able to
master that he had lost his quarry (or simply panicked see anyone through the peephole in the door). Make a
and fled when his quarry’s reinforcements had ar- single Dexterity + Stealth roll for the scout (difficulty
rived), he had opted for the gambler’s route. Since the 5), contested by a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty
Dolphin Motel does not exactly advertise its location, 7) for any fallen in the room who might be listening for
however, (not to mention the fact that he only saw it trouble. (This does not include Manat, since she is
for a moment while he was chasing Manat originally) doing so much talking.) You might even want to make
he got somewhat lost along the way. Therefore, it took the Perception roll in secret in order to avoid alerting
him and his crew so much time to find the place again, the players. If they succeed on this roll, they hear furtive
confirm that the characters were there, then report footsteps just beneath their lodge’s front window. Should
back to his infernal master for instructions that the they look out, they will spot one of Haraphael’s Eight
characters have had ample time to go through the Trey Gangster Crips crouching there looking up at
backstory presented in the first half of this scene. them in surprise. He will then call out, “Haraphael!
Now, though, the time for rest is over. Haraphael They’re in here!”
knows which lodge the characters are staying in (thanks This warning will then serve as the cue for two
to a quick bribe of the desk clerk and a moment’s headlights to snap on in the near distance and for
reconnaissance by one of his thugs), and he is not going Haraphael to drive the vehicle that he and his two thugs
to let them get away again. His plan is to crash his are sitting in right at the wall. The thug that the
vehicle right through the front wall of the characters’ characters discovered at their window will be too stunned
lodge then come storming out and kill them all. Fortu- by the suddenness of this action to get out of the way in
nately, Haraphael is not the best planner in his master’s time. Players of the characters in the room, however,
growing army, and the characters have a decent chance now have the chance to make Dexterity + Dodge rolls
of not being taken by surprise. as the vehicle barrels right for the characters.
93
8
FEAR TO TREAD
If all of the players fail the original Perception + course, that thug should be dead. If you are treating
Alertness roll for their characters to notice the gang- the thugs as simple extras, they need have only
ster thug sneaking around, they save the thug from suffered one level of damage.)
being crushed by his master, but they make things Haraphael comes through the windshield with
somewhat more difficult for themselves in the process. blood running down his face and a 9mm Glock 17
Undiscovered, the thug returns to the vehicle in light pistol in each hand. He is a terrible shot, and he
which his compatriots await and relays the message is not ambidextrous, but the quarters are cramped,
that the characters are in the lodge. Haraphael then and he likely still has the element of surprise in his
guns the accelerator and aims the vehicle right at the favor. His thugs are less threatening. Only one of
lodge, spraying gravel behind it. The players need not them still has a pistol. The others are using only a
make Perception + Alertness rolls for their characters knives and fists. They are already severely freaked out
to hear this threat approaching, but by the time the by what just happened (especially if Haraphael ran
characters look outside to see what it is and their over one of their own to accomplish it), and they will
minds are able to process the danger, the difficulty of cut bait and flee at the first sight of a character’s
the Dexterity + Dodge roll to avoid injury has risen to apocalyptic form or an obvious evocation. Haraphael’s
an 8. If, on the other hand, any of the players botched desperation is showing as well. He fires a total of
the original Perception + Alertness rolls, they do not three times each turn, missing once automatically
get a chance to make the Dexterity + Dodge roll to and making no attempts to dodge the characters’
avoid injury. Their characters sit stunned as events attacks. Through gritted teeth, he is murmuring for
transpire too quickly around them, and they must rely help from his master Manishtusu.
on their more alert, heroic companions to pull them This help does not come, however, so this tense,
out of the way (which requires a Dexterity + Athletics desperate fight is most likely one that the characters will
roll [difficulty 8] instead of the standard Dexterity + win (unless their luck runs out almost entirely). While
Dodge roll). the characters might suffer a few injuries, neither
Regardless of what is happening inside, Haraphael’s Haraphael nor his thugs are skilled enough to pose a
vehicle bashes into the wall, shattering the front serious threat in such low numbers after so ill conceived
window, knocking the front door aside and knocking an opening gambit. It is, therefore, very likely that even
the remnants of the front wall apart like a pile of if one or two of his thugs escaped, the rest of them and
building blocks. Perhaps fortunately for the charac- Haraphael himself will be left dead or unconscious at
ters, lingering damage from the earthquake has the scene. Plus, there is no way that the owner of this
strategically weakened the structure of this wall such fine establishment and its other guest could have missed
that it breaks apart rather than collapsing on them or the commotion, so it is safe to assume that the police are
bringing the roof down on their heads. Loose bricks, on the way.
wood chunks, bits of dry wall and chips of glass fly into Even still, though, the fallen might wish to interro-
the room, though, not to mention the engine com- gate any surviving captives. Unfortunately, the mortals
partment and front wheels of Haraphael’s vehicle. know little about Haraphael’s master or its reason for
Anyone who was caught flat-footed (that is, any char- hunting the demons. They assumed that Trip-9 had
acter whose player failed the Dexterity + Dodge roll) some personal beef with “that reporter lady,” and that
is hit by flying debris and must try to soak three dice was good enough for them. Haraphael himself will not
worth of bashing damage. Any character whose player talk. He will fight to the death and ultimately disappear
botched the Dexterity + Dodge roll is actually clipped back into the Abyss begging his master Manishtusu for
by the front end of the vehicle as well and must, help that does not come for him in time.
instead, soak five dice of bashing damage. Little information can be found on the persons (or
After this rude entrance, the characters have bodies) of any of the attackers either. None of them is
one turn in which to pick themselves up and get carrying identification, cell phones or other traceable
ready to fight. It takes exactly that long for Haraphael paraphernalia. All they have is loose cash ($250 be-
to get his head together and shoot out the wind- tween them), a small stash of drugs and some dirty
shield of his vehicle. When he does, he and his three bandanas in their gang’s colors. The guns have had their
(or possibly only two) thugs come out over the hood serial numbers filed away, and the vehicle outside has
of the vehicle into the room, determined to wade no license plate.
through the characters and finish off Manat. Regardless, hanging around the scene is pretty
Haraphael has taken two levels of bashing damage obviously a bad idea, which Manat points out if the
from the crash, as have his thugs. (If he crushed one characters have not realized it as of yet. It is time for
of them with the car on its way into the room, of
94
8
CHAPTER THREE
the characters to pull themselves together and get

the hell out of there as fast as possible. Taking charge
BAPHOMEL’S PLACE
It is well past midnight when the characters
in the ensuing confusion, Manat recommends that finally reach the home of Troy Daniels (also known
they head into the city toward Troy Daniels’ apart- as the demon Baphomel). It is a decently sized two-
ment. She will invoke him and warn him that they story, three-bedroom home in a fairly affluent
are coming, and hopefully, the Lord of Murder will suburban neighborhood. As they arrive (be it by taxi
not think to send minions there to look for them. She or on foot, since they likely had to ditch their other-
did not let on who she was working for when she wise traceable automobile), Manat leads them to the
visited the Blind Samaritan Foundation and drew side door, where the characters are met by the demon
Haraphael’s attention, so the Lord of Murder should Baphomel himself. Baphomel is (or Troy Daniels
not expect her to run to Daniels’ place. But even if was) a clean-cut American young man of vaguely
the Earthbound does somehow find where they are, Irish ancestry, with a flawless complexion and neatly
his minions will hopefully have the good sense not to trimmed brown hair. His hair is not combed (as he
cause as much of a scene there and draw so much was in bed when Manat invoked him), but he is
mortal attention to themselves, what with Daniels dressed in blue jeans and a burgundy pullover shirt.
being the Lieutenant Mayor and all. He is rubbing his eyes when he opens the door, and
The characters then pile into their car (or the the first thing out of his mouth is a long yawn. He
gangstas’ vehicle if they so desire, as they will have to follows that up (somewhat disingenuously, perhaps)
ditch whatever car they leave in so as not to attract by saying how glad he is that Manat is okay and how
unwanted police attention as they flee this obvious worried he was that something might have happened
crime scene) and head into the hopeful promise of to her when he did not hear back from her for so long
temporary safety in town. after they last spoke. He also thanks the characters
SCENE THREE for coming to Manat’s aid when she needed them,
then invites everyone into his living room.
The living room (and, in fact, the rest of the house)
On the ride to Troy Daniels’ place, Manat sits in
the back and quietly invokes the demon Baphomel has obviously been decorated by a bachelor with no
who is using that mortal identity. She tells him that design skills. No piece of furniture matches any other
she has been to the Blind Samaritan Foundation as (though they are all expensive), nor does any of it really
the two of them had discussed but that she has complement the colors of his walls, ceiling or carpet.
encountered “complications” since then and is in What few pieces of art he has displayed around the room
trouble. After a pause, she says that she can not make no attempt to balance the color scheme of the
explain right now, but she is on the way to his place room or even each other. If nothing else, though, the
with (however many characters are in the fallen place is clean and welcoming if not a shining example
circle) like-minded fallen who have been helping her of trendy feng shui.
out. She asks him to make room for them and to put Once these observations have been made and ev-
them up for the night, then thanks him after another eryone has chosen a seat or a place to stand, Baphomel
long pause. She then tells the characters how to get introduces himself first by mortal name then by Celes-
to where they are going and asks them not to make tial Name and invites the players’ characters to share
any more invocations until they get back into town, the same with him (and Manat as well if they have not
just in case other fallen agents of the Lord of Murder done so already). If the characters are members of the
happen to be nearby and looking for them. (The Infernal Court of Los Angeles in relatively good stand-
fewer uses of detectable supernatural phenomena ing, he also adds that he has heard of them through that
there are linking back to the vehicle, the better.) court’s Minister of Aurochs although he has never had
At this point, the characters can simply roleplay the opportunity to introduce himself. On the other
amongst themselves, possibly discussing the ramifica- hand, if the characters are considered especially infa-
tions of what they have involved themselves in or how mous among the fallen angels of the Infernal Court,
they might parlay this involvement into greater status Baphomel mentions having heard of them and states
among their fallen peers. Likewise, Manat might pick that he is glad that they are not quite as disagreeable as
up her recapping where she left it off if you decided to he had heard. He then confirms that they all should be
jump ahead to the action only midway through Scene safe at his place for the night if they would like to stay,
Two. Of course, a little of both intermingling dynami- and he adds that it should be all right for them to contact
cally would probably be ideal, based on the skills and their superiors via invocation from here as well. After
comfort-levels of the various members of your troupe. all, they are close to what is left of downtown Los
95
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Angeles, which is brimming over with active fallen. If themselves are all right. If it was he who set the
their pursuers are trying to track them by supernatural characters in motion at the outset of this story, he
awareness alone, they are unlikely to be able to pick the also complains offhand that Fell Knight Guanli is
small amount of power it takes to send out invocations still refusing to cooperate or even get back in touch
among the area’s general noise. with him. What really makes him sit up and pay
Should the characters wish to leave, Manat objects attention, though, is the characters’ news about be-
immediately. She thinks that a policy of strength in ing attacked by Haraphael, Aglibol confirms that
numbers would be best until this time of impending Haraphael was a supporter and agent of the Lord of
crisis has passed (which is to say, until she has solved the Murder, which must mean that Manat is indeed onto
mystery before her and found a way to keep herself safe something. And if the Earthbound is up to some-
afterward). On top of that, she is scared of being thing, that something is most likely inimical to the
attacked again and possibly sent back to the terrible well-being of the fallen of the City of Angels. There-
lonely void of the Abyss. Baphomel makes a half- fore, Lord Aglibol decides that it falls to him, as
hearted attempt to back her up, agreeing in theory that Minister of Aurochs, to do something to safeguard
there is strength in numbers and saying that the charac- the fallen under his responsibility. As such, he imme-
ters have had good luck keeping Manat safe thus far. It diately delegates to the characters the task of working
would not be all that much trouble putting them up for with Baphomel and Manat and getting to the bottom
the night, he adds, and since he wanted to talk to them of whatever the Lord of Murder might be up to. Once
and have them meet other fallen who are involved in they find out everything they can, Aglibol promises,
this mess in the morning, keeping them here would be he will get through to Guanli by any means necessary
most convenient. and have that Minister of Lions take care of business
Baphomel will not press the issue, though, so the rather than simply remaining stubbornly incommu-
decision of whether to stay the night or to go back to nicado. He impresses upon the characters just how
their homes and meet back here in the morning is important he considers this responsibility, then, after
entirely up to the characters. If they decide to stay, asking them to pass along his greetings to Troy
Baphomel goes in search of pillows and extra blankets, Daniels, wishes them good luck.
and Manat thanks the characters profusely. If they Characters who are members of the Blood Court
decide to go home and come back tomorrow, Baphomel manage to raise only Spentu Mainyu. He puts up a good
shrugs and counsels them to be careful until then. front of being enthralled by their recounting of their
Manat tries one more time to change the characters’ exploits, except when they come to the part about
minds, but she will grudgingly give it up if they remain Haraphael. He knew that fallen, he says, and it is a real
steadfast in their decision. shame that such a one sold his soul to an insane
Regardless, the characters’ next move will likely be Earthbound that had nothing but destruction on its
to speak to their superiors about what has happened to mind. It is never a victory, Spentu Mainyu laments,
them tonight. They can do so via invocation or by when a compatriot must be banished back to the Abyss
telephone from Troy Daniels’ home, or if they are for crimes against his own kind. He does compliment
sleeping elsewhere that night, they could also arrange the characters on saving Manat, though, since doing so
face-to-face meetings with those superiors they are able effectively minimized the damage that could have been
to reach. If the characters participated in the events of done and restricted the unnecessary loss of life as much
Into the Fire (and therefore came to Manat’s aid at her as was possible. (Noticeably, he does not extend his
first invocation directly to them), their superiors are sympathies to any human beings that the characters
probably not expecting any such contact from the might have had to injure or kill in the course of the
characters. If such is the case, having the characters evening’s events.)
perform a little hasty recapping of their own to bring In the interest of minimizing future damage that
their superiors up to speed might be in order. Otherwise, the Lord of Murder could do, Spentu Mainyu asks the
if the characters did not participate in Into the Fire and characters to keep working with Manat and to give her
they had to be sent out to Manat’s aid by one of their any help she might need. Not only is she a fellow
superiors, you might have this contact flow in the other Luciferan, but she could prove a valuable asset to the
direction. In any case, responses vary based on who the Blood Court if it can be proved to her that the
characters work for. organization is amenable to cooperation where halt-
If the characters are members of the Infernal ing the schemes of the Earthbound is concerned. He
Court of Los Angeles, they contact (or are contacted promises them that he will invoke Lady Nasu (the
by) Lord Aglibol. He reacts with only passing con- court’s Eagle Minister) on their behalf and apprise her
cern to news that Manat is safe and that the characters of the situation so that the characters can conduct
96
8
CHAPTER THREE
further business through her. Not that he himself is players’ characters’ actions might have added). Arriv-
not equal to the task, he adds, but investigating and ing on the scene, the police discovered a ruined car that
gathering information seems to be more her area of had crashed into the lodge, bullet holes all over the
responsibility in the grand scheme of things. He then place and an awful lot of blood, especially inside the
wishes them good luck and goes back to his business. crashed vehicle. Their hypothesis is that the battle had
Characters who are Cryptic agents of Al-Lat re- broken out due to a botched drug sale, since the Dolphin
ceive the most outright praise for their efforts. Lady is known as a popular spot for major deals. No bodies
Al-Lat gushes when the characters tell her that they were found at the scene, though, which the police are at
saved Manat from mortal danger and removed her to a loss to explain.
safety. While Manat is a confessed, staunch Luciferan, Once the characters have had a chance to read and
Lady Al-Lat considers her a Cryptic at heart, which digest this information, Manat comes into the kitchen.
makes her worth saving when she has endangered She is freshly showered, wide awake and apparently
herself in pursuit of knowledge. And speaking of that dressed in a pair of Baphomel’s jeans as well as one of his
pursuit, Lady Al-Lat suggests that the characters stick shirts. She looks much more in control of herself this
close to Manat for the time being and report back to morning, her mortal fear having evaporated in the light
her (Al-Lat) with any other information they can of day after a good night’s sleep. She takes a cup of
glean from Manat. Finally, Al-Lat offers to contact coffee, glances at the newspaper and thanks the charac-
Fell Knight Guanli and Lady Nasu and have them ters once again for coming to her aid the previous night.
make themselves available if the characters need help She then turns to Baphomel and asks him, “Did you
on this fact-finding mission. contact Joyce and Agent Keyes?” Baphomel nods, and
Once all of that has been accomplished, the Manat asks, “When will they be here?” Baphomel says
characters can then get to sleep for the rest of the that these people will be along shortly and that every-
night unless the players can think of other immedi- one present can discuss the situation together when
ate roleplaying opportunities to pursue. Some they arrive.
examples might include discussing the days events A short time later, there is a knock at the door.
with one another, speculating about what the Lord Baphomel answers it and admits two people whom
of Murder might be up to or getting in contact with the characters might recognize, depending upon their
any thralls they might have had to ravage from afar background. One of these visitors is a bald black man
for emergency stores of Faith. Otherwise, just let whose body is roughly between that of Michael Clarke
them fall into what is likely an exhausted sleep after Duncan and Ving Rhames in size. He is wearing a
so much tense activity and declare that time passes crisp brown suit, and he is pulling a pair of wrap-
until morning. around black sunglasses off as he enters Baphomel’s
SCENE FOUR
home. If the players’ characters are members of the
Infernal Court of Los Angeles, they will recognize
this gentleman (either on sight or by reputation) as
The next day, the characters either gather once one Agent Marcus Keyes of the FBI, better known
again at the home of Troy Daniels (or wake up there if among the fallen as Sauvitar. He introduced himself
they spent the night). They find Baphomel awake, to Baroness Kishar several months ago and offered
dressed and brewing coffee. He is clutching an empty her his services as a military strategist and a material
blue mug and standing by the burbling coffeemaker like link to the federal government, but she turned him
a rabid rock fan waiting for an autograph behind a down flat. Half the members of the court consider
concert hall. When he notices the characters, he smirks him a presumptuous fool, while the rest think that
and says that if humans can invent things such as Baroness Kishar was probably too hasty with him,
automatic coffee makers, then they have not completely especially considering all that has happened in Los
degenerated since they were banished from Paradise. Angeles since then. He has since hooked up with
He then offers everyone a mug from his cabinet and Lieutenant Mayor Daniels, who considers him a
directs them to the morning newspaper that is lying valuable fallen contact.
open on his kitchen table. The other person is a middle-aged woman in
The page to which the paper is open is the police conservative business attire who is more or less
blotter, and the first note on it concerns the characters’ dwarfed by Agent Keyes. If the players’ characters
incident at the Dolphin Motel. It seems that the man- played through Into the Fire and attended the emer-
ager of that fine establishment called the police and gency public City Council meeting and press
reported a loud crash, followed by gunfire and screams conference in Scene Two of that story, they will
(as well as any especially noticeable details that the recognize this woman as Joyce Allen (also known as
97
8
FEAR TO TREAD
the demon Yigal). Her husband is a local politician thing it needs is lawless, violent vigilantism tearing
making a play on the national stage, and she is an apart what looks like an organization devoted to help-
ardent supporter of children’s charities in Los Ange- ing put things back to normal.
les’ rebuilding phase. Yigal grudgingly agrees with that sentiment,
As these two characters enter, Baphomel intro- and Sauvitar does not press the issue. What they
duces them by their mortal names (which prompts really need to do, Baphomel says, is look for some
them to supply their Celestial Names as well) and proof of impropriety in either Demilenko’s back-
invites everyone into the living room to talk. He ground or that of her foundation and try to proceed
leaves it up to either Manat or the players’ charac- through mostly legitimate channels. Sauvitar ar-
ters to introduce themselves to the newcomers, but gues that even if the foundation is operating perfectly
after that has been done, he adds, “They are the within legal strictures, its head is still in thrall to the
ones I told you about earlier.” Manat eagerly jumps Earthbound, and they cannot in good conscience
in at this point as well, adding that if it were not for let that continue. If the characters do not pipe up
the characters’ efforts, she would probably be in the one way or another during this discussion, it will
Pit right now, and the Lord of Murder would be eventually be Manat and Yigal who suggest a me-
doing only Heaven knows what with no one on dian approach. The Lord of Murder’s influence,
Earth the wiser. they agree, must be neutralized, but a subtle, mostly
Agent Keyes nods approvingly, and the conver- legitimate means of doing so would be best for all
sation switches gears to address the matter at hand. involved. As time is of the essence, however, the
Baphomel admits that he has only been facilitating slow-turning wheels of the local and federal justice
contact and dialogue between interested parties, and system might not be effective soon enough. (Be-
he is not even entirely sure what said parties are sides, no one has any real proof in the first place that
interested in. He has gathered that Mrs. Allen, Yigal, anything untoward is going on other than a super-
is concerned about an Earthbound demon exerting natural impression.) Therefore, it is decided that it
some influence on the children from the Marshall would be acceptable to ignore the mortal search-
School, but he is still fuzzy on the details. Yigal and and-seizure laws in favor of the greater good.
Manat refresh his memory, going over Yigal’s experi- What it behooves them to do, then, is to dig up
ences dealing with Annette Demilenko at the offices any information they can on the Blind Samaritan
of the Blind Samaritan Foundation. (If Manat’s pre- Foundation both from without and from within. In
vious recapping opportunities in Scenes Two and truth, any evidence of legal impropriety is going to
Three did not reveal this information, you may do so exist within the foundation’s headquarters if at all,
here for the players’ benefit.) The basic conclusion and it is most likely to be found in the organization’s
that she came to, Yigal says, was that Demilenko was financial records. If someone can get in, take a look
a thrall to one of the city’s Earthbound. Manat agreed at a copy of those records and discover any proof of
and further suspected that the Earthbound in ques- wrongdoing, they can take the first substantive step
tion was the Lord of Murder, who was picking up in the right direction. They can then decide what to
where his in-city rival had left off. Yet, before her do about Annette Demilenko (if anything) in hopes
investigation for proof to support this suspicion could of curtailing the influence of the Earthbound demon
really get going, Manat had been rousted out and that acts through her.
attacked by Haraphael. Now, if you are a lucky Storyteller, your players’
If the characters do not pipe up at this point, Agent characters will immediately volunteer for the job of
Keyes chimes in that Haraphael was a known agent of sneaking into the Blind Samaritan Foundation’s head-
the Lord of Murder, which seems to support Manat and quarters and looking for the materials in question.
Yigal’s suspicions. The question then becomes not so Otherwise, though — if they are slow on the uptake or
much what is going on as what can be done to stop it. hesitant to get any more deeply involved — you might
The details are immaterial, Sauvitar argues, since the have to prod them to take action through your Story-
fact that a dangerous Earthbound is involved makes the teller characters. Baphomel is the first to disqualify
situation bad enough to necessitate action. What they himself for any such activity. As the Lieutenant Mayor
ought to do is storm the headquarters of the Blind of the city, he can not allow himself to be seen snooping
Samaritan Foundation, drag Annette Demilenko out of around any organization’s offices without reasonable
there and cut off the Earthbound’s influence over the probable cause. He can be among the first to take action
organization. Baphomel objects to this tactic, however, if proof of illicit activities comes out (and he can help
arguing that Los Angeles is not Dodge City. After pull strings and bail others out of trouble if need be), but
everything the city has been through lately, the last otherwise, his hands are tied.
98
8
CHAPTER THREE
Sauvitar and Yigal both beg off as well, but they Minister of Aurochs has been on his back all day long
say that they can provide supporting intelligence to telling him to get in touch with them about something
make the job easier for anyone who does it. Yigal cites extremely important. Now that he actually has some
similar reasons to those Baphomel gave for not being time free, Guanli explains, he is able to check in on
involved directly, but she also does not want to spook them and see just what is so urgent. He asks if they
Demilenko into possibly withdrawing the foundation’s would like to meet him somewhere or vice versa, or if
legitimate monetary support from her charitable ini- they would just like to continue talking remotely like
tiatives. Sauvitar explains straight out that he is more this. He goes along with whatever the characters
effective working from the sidelines than he is on the suggest (unless, of course, they try to blow him off for
front line or operating behind enemy lines. Manat is some reason).
willing to try her luck at the foundation again, but she When the conversation continues (under what-
does not want to go alone this time, nor does she think ever circumstances might prevail), Guanli half
that she can even handle a job like this on her own. explains that he has been busy trying to track down
She then turns to the characters for help and protec- a rogue fallen Scourge who has been intentionally
tion, as do the others, who feel that the characters’ infecting prostitutes with sexually transmitted dis-
superiors in their greater demonic hierarchy would eases that have been souped up by the demon’s
want them to be proactive in this situation. (And this lingering rage and pain from the Abyss. Now that
sentiment is the very one that their superiors have that matter is settled, Guanli wants to know what
already expressed, of course.) the characters have been up to. He listens to the
Once the characters agree to help, however grudg- characters’ explanations with great interest, grum-
ingly they might do so, the others decide that this bling all the while that Councilman Arroya (that is,
thing must be done as soon as possible. Taking action Lord Aglibol) should have given him all the details
that very Saturday night would be ideal, since the earlier. When the characters mention the connec-
foundation’s headquarters is not likely to be full of tion to the Lord of Murder, Guanli blanches and
people, nor will it be until Monday morning. There- murmurs that he had no idea that this was going on
fore, any evidence that the characters have been right under his nose. He declares that something
snooping around could conceivably go unnoticed for ought to be done — and soon. When the characters
long enough for them to get clear. Plus, the sooner bring up their intention to sneak into the headquar-
they act, the sooner they can do something to expunge ters of the Blind Samaritan Foundation, he attaches
any influence the Lord of Murder might have. So himself to the endeavor with gusto. He has been
saying, Baphomel suggests that Yigal and Sauvitar uneasy with the situation surrounding the Marshall
spend the rest of the day gathering what information School for Troubled Teens since its inception, and
they can and have it ready for the characters as early he sees this activity as a possible means of achieving
in the evening as possible so that they can act with as closure. That, and dealing with threats to the fallen
much information as is available. They agree and of this city is his job. He tells the characters to
excuse themselves, leaving everyone else the rest of contact him once they are ready to go in, and he will
the day to do as they please. be there front and center. In the meantime, he is
SCENE FIVE
going to round up an acquaintance of his who
helped him deal with the situation at the Marshall
School originally, after which he will be eagerly
The rest of that day passes calmly as the characters awaiting contact from the characters.
make whatever preparations they deem to be appropri- Characters who are members of the Blood
ate for that night’s planned activity. They seem to Court, on the other hand, are contacted by Lady
have shaken Manishtusu’s agents for the time being, as Nasu, that court’s Eagle Minister. She says that
well as dodged the attention of the Earthbound itself. Spentu Mainyu contacted her and informed her of
What is more, agents of their infernal hierarchy con- the characters’ situation shortly after he last talked
tact them in the midst of these preparations with to them. She asks for an update and listens with
unexpected offers of assistance. Who those agents are, casual interest to the characters’ plan to sneak into
of course, depends in part on who it is that the the Blind Samaritan Foundation’s headquarters.
characters work for. When they wrap up, Nasu tells them that she is
Characters who are members of the Infernal Court with Fell Knight Ravana (the Blood Court’s Lion
are contacted by that court’s Lion Minister, Fell Knight Minister) at the moment and that Ravana has
Guanli, at about the midpoint of the day. He invokes agreed accompany the characters when they make
all of the characters simultaneously and says that the their move. She asks them to invoke her (or Ravana
99
8
FEAR TO TREAD
herself) when the time comes, so that Ravana can is the case, if the characters even need her to go
be ready to meet them and help them out. along anymore. The choice is up to them, but if they
Characters who are agents of Lady Al-Lat could ask if she wants to go along, she says that she would
conceivably hear from either Lady Nasu or Fell Knight like to see this story through. If they decide that it
Guanli, since both are also Al-Lat’s agents them- would be too dangerous to include her, she makes
selves. Whichever one you choose, that Storyteller them promise to at least let her know everything
character recommends that Fell Knight Guanli ac- that happens. For his part, Baphomel would just as
company the characters on their mission just in case soon see the matter taken care of no matter who is
they run into any more of the trouble that plagued ultimately involved.
them last night. After all, if their reporter contact Once that is out of the way, Sauvitar and Yigal tell
found trouble at the foundation headquarters, they the characters everything they have been able to gather
might do so as well. Between them, Nasu and Guanli thus far about the Blind Samaritan Foundation. Sauvitar
arrange with the characters for Guanli to meet them provides the historical data, while it is Yigal who gives
when they are ready to make their move. Guanli also the characters the insider perspective on the headquar-
mentions that he will be bringing along a companion, ters building itself.
with whom he first investigated the situation at the For the last three years, Sauvitar tells them,
Marshall School. He then tells the characters that he Annette Demilenko has been the Managing Director
will be waiting eagerly to hear from them and breaks of the Blind Samaritan Foundation. The foundation
off contact to make his own preparations. has focused primarily on helping the homeless of the
city of Los Angeles and the greater Tri-County Area
PRELIMINARY INTELLIGENCE by providing them with food, helping them find
When the characters eventually meet back up housing (however temporary) and giving them ac-
at Baphomel’s house, they find Manat, Sauvitar and cess to job-training programs. It has largely reserved
Yigal there waiting for them. Should the characters its efforts for those persons who are homeless for
reveal that help from their higher-ups is going to be reasons beyond their control — such as having undi-
on the way, Sauvitar and Yigal seem pleased, but agnosed mental problems or being victims of natural
Manat seems somewhat put off. She asks, since that disasters — but it has recently extended the range of
100
8
CHAPTER THREE
its social programs. It now tries to help victims of Entering through a plaza area, visitors come into
violent crimes, teenage runaways, drug addicts and the lobby via double glass doors. Two receptionists are
children with terminal illnesses. stationed here during the workweek, and they do not
Annette Demilenko herself is something of a allow visitors to enter the elevators without permission,
mystery. She was born in the mid-1950s in New although visitors cannot operate the elevators without
Mexico, a descendant of Polish immigrants. She an employee swipe card. This level also holds the
lived a fairly normal life until she dropped out of security office, which is basically a locked room full of
college in the’70s and disappeared for more than monitors for the building’s several closed-circuit cam-
two decades. There are sketchy reports of her being eras. There are no fewer than two guards on duty here
a part of the Weather Underground and various at any given time (even on the weekends). A janitor’s
extremist religious sects but nothing that could ever closet is located near the stairs.
be substantiated. She was never reported missing by The building’s second floor holds the kitchens,
her family or friends, though, and when her parents used for cooking meals that are then distributed by van
died, she was still in the will. Just before the turn of to shelters around the city. The third and fourth floors
the new millennium, she invested most of the money house the foundation’s offices. Even demons are subject
that she had saved up over the course of her life to bureaucracy, and the Blind Samaritan Foundation
(most of it in the form of inheritance from her requires administrators, coordinators and accountants.
parents’ wills) into starting up the Blind Samaritan Both floors are equipped with walled offices, cubicles,
Foundation here in Los Angeles. The charity has restrooms and lunch areas.
had a small but significant presence in the local The fifth floor holds the rest of the foundation’s
community, especially now in the wake of the Devil’s employees’ offices, including Annette Demilenko’s
Night Riots. The foundation has received a growing office and the office of the foundation’s accountant.
number of donations since then (as have all of Los Demilenko’s office is set off the hallway behind her
Angeles’ local charities), and it has been turning personal assistant’s office, and it features a large
that money back into community services and out- black desk, conference-call and videoconferencing
reach programs. The latest such program is the capabilities, an expensive personal computer and a
foundation’s initiative to take care of the displaced separate television monitor that can access the
students of the Marshall School for Troubled Teens, security camera footage if she should so choose.
though it is still unclear at this time what exactly Yigal tells the characters that her impression of
can be done with (or for) them. Annette was that the woman liked to be in total
As for the headquarters itself, Yigal adds, the control of her foundation and its staff (hence her
Blind Samaritan Foundation operates out of a five- gift from her master). Therefore, she suspects that if
story office building, located on a commercial estate any evidence of corporate wrongdoing is to be found
not far away from downtown Los Angeles. The build- on the premises, Demilenko’s office is the first place
ing sits in the middle of a small block of land, that they should look.
surrounded by a well-maintained lawn and trees. It is As far as moving about within the building goes,
a recent construction of steel and tinted glass, and it operating the elevator requires a swipe card for every
miraculously sustained only minor cosmetic damage floor. Only Demilenko, her guards and the senior secu-
as a result of Devil’s Night. A path leads through the rity guard have swipe cards that can access her office
lawn to the plaza entrance and lobby, and visitors in directly. There is also a master swipe card in a safe in the
cars must park in the garage before taking a tiled path security office on the ground floor. The stairwell is for
back around to the lobby. emergencies only, and opening the door will set off an
The building has a parking garage with space for alarm. The doors to the staircase are not locked, how-
30 cars, which is open on weekdays until 7:00 PM. ever, except on the top floor.
The rest of the time, the entrance to the garage is The foundation has a force of eight security
barred by a mechanical gate arm that requires a swipe guards who rotate out in two-man shifts to watch
card to open. The foundation owns five vans, which the building 24 hours a day. It took on this added
are normally kept here in their own annex. The expense after the Devil’s Night Riots, even though
garage has elevator and stairwell access, but the doors these guards have never had to do more than moni-
leading to both require an employee swipe card. tor the feeds from each floor’s security camera and
Visitors must walk around and enter the building make the rounds of the building and grounds twice
through the lobby. A locked room contains the per shift. Each guard is armed with a flashlight and
building’s furnace and air-conditioning setup, as well pepper spray, and they all carry two-way radios.
as all of its maintenance supplies. There are two light pistols in a locker in the security
101
8
FEAR TO TREAD
room on the ground floor, but the guards are ex- black-leather pants and thin, coffee-colored sweaters,
pected to call the police if serious trouble arises, with subtle golden his-and-hers accessories. They are
rather than taking a lesson from the John Woo standing unsettlingly close to one another with their
school of corporate security. hands around each other in a display of intimate famil-
According to Yigal, the characters should not iarity. If the players’ characters are members of the
have too much trouble getting in, getting what they Blood Court, they might recognize these two siblings as
want and getting out with it so long as they work Azhi and Dahaki, two enforcers for Fell Knight Ravana’s
together and stay calm. She admits, though, that one Lion Ministry.
can never tell with thralls of the Earthbound. The The other two folks (a man and a woman) should
security guards might be thralls themselves, or other be immediately familiar to characters who played
demon heavy-hitters like Haraphael might be on the through Suffer the Children or who have been in Los
premises waiting for them (especially since Haraphael Angeles and taken part in the local infernal politics.
was sent back to the Abyss). The Lord of Murder One is a strikingly attractive young woman with a
must know by now that his thrall at the foundation is well-rounded figure, all of which except for her hands
garnering attention from the city’s fallen, so there is and head is covered by a layer of somewhat baggy
really no telling what contingencies he might be clothing. The other is a man of Portuguese heritage
putting in place to safeguard his interest there. Yigal who is stocky and in perfect physical condition, and he
bids the characters be careful, which Sauvitar sec- is dressed in the uniform of an officer of the Los
onds. Baphomel echoes this sentiment, but he is Angeles Police Department. The two of them are Fell
more adamant about the characters keeping their Knight Ravana and Fell Knight Guanli, respectively,
eyes open. He cannot stress to them enough how and they are chattering excitedly to one another as the
important it is that figure out exactly what the Lord characters approach. The one of them whom the
of Murder is using Demilenko to accomplish and to characters know (based on what background the char-
look as hard as they can for any evidence that the acters are coming from) introduces the other (if they
Blind Samaritan Foundation is not 100 percent on don’t know both) and explains that said other is here
the level. As long as the evidence is real, Baphomel at his (or her) invitation. (Got that?) Ravana then
can pull enough strings to have the foundation shut introduces Azhi and Dahaki to the characters and vice
down and have Annette Demilenko removed as its versa. She explains that since the characters are not
managing director (at least temporarily). After that, certain exactly what they might be walking into here
the characters are more than welcome to do whatever tonight, it is probably best to go in expecting trouble.
is necessary to clean out the last traces of the Lord of That being the case, she would just as soon have two
Murder’s influence. of her best “troublemakers” there backing her up. As
When all is said and done, the Storyteller char- one, the twins respond with, “Amen to that.”
acters who are not going along (Baphomel, Yigal, It might occur to one or all of your characters at
Sauvitar and possibly Manat as well) wish the char- this point to wonder exactly how all of them plus these
acters and their superior luck and bid them hurry four extra characters (one of whom is dressed as an
back with good news. officer of the LAPD) can possibly expect to sneak
through a building and get back out again without
SCENE SIX raising all sorts of alarms and being noticed by anyone
with a pair of eyes in his head. Should one of the
Shortly after they leave, the characters presumably characters voice this concern (or begin discussing
invoke (or simply telephone) either Fell Knight Guanli, plans of a clandestine nature), Fell Knight Guanli
Lady Nasu or Fell Knight Ravana as per the events of the announces that he is in no mood for skulking or
first half of the last scene. Their contact excitedly asks scouting. He, Ravana and the twins have been discuss-
where the characters want to meet and assures them ing it, and they have come up with a more
that he (or she) will be there soon. straightforward approach that will be equally (if not
more) effective. He has a significant amount of au-
RENDEZVOUS thority in both mortal and demonic circles, he says,
WITH REINFORCEMENTS and this is as good a time as any to exercise some of it.
When the characters arrive at the rendezvous point, Ravana adds that they are going to use their aggregate
they are met by not one, but four people who look ready group’s considerable size to overwhelm whatever en-
for action. Two of them are so similar in appearance that thralled or demonic guardians the building might
they can only be brother and sister (possibly even have, as well as to intimidate Annette Demilenko into
fraternal twins). They are even dressed alike in sleek, giving up without any sort of… messy conflict. Then,
102
8
CHAPTER THREE
with that, the four of them bid the characters come guards on staff emerges from the security room and asks
along (provided everyone is through roleplaying for him where he and all of these people think they are
the moment) and make their way toward the head- going. Guanli stops, turns to look the guard dead in the
quarters of the Blind Samaritan Foundation. eyes and says that he has brought these people here on
official business. When he follows that up by asking if
THE BLIND the guard has a problem with that, the guard stammers
SAMARITAN FOUNDATION that he does not except that no one told him anything
When the characters and their four accomplices about it. Guanli snaps back that the guard ought to get
arrive at the Blind Samaritan Foundation’s head- back to his office, call upstairs and check it out with
quarters, Fell Knight Guanli waves for all of them to Demilenko if he wants to know anything else. The
follow him and heads straight for the front door. guard does what he is told, apologizing for the inter-
Since it is the weekend and the building is closed, ruption and going back to his office.
the front door is locked and accessible only by If the characters react with surprise to the fact that
employee swipe card. Guanli only pauses for a mo- Demilenko is actually upstairs right now, Ravana as-
ment at this obstacle before fishing into his shirt sures them that everything is going fine. “Guanli called
pocket for a blank white card with a magnetic strip her and arranged a meeting after he spoke to you. She’s
on one side. He taps his police badge with the card, waiting for us. Otherwise… the sneaking thing, but we
grins at the characters and says, “Fake swipe card — prefer it this way. Don’t worry, though. That foolish
membership has its privileges.” If the characters ask woman has no idea what she’s in for.”
where he got such a thing, he replies, “Connections Guanli then uses his fake swipe card to call an
with a corporate security firm. Hey, you don’t get to elevator that all of them pile into and ride to the top
be a minister in the Infernal Court if you don’t have floor of the building. Just before the door opens, the
connections.” (If the characters are fellow agents of male twin (Azhi) grins and says, “Here we are, mo-
Lady Al-Lat, he tips them a conspiratorial wink ment of truth. Everyone try to look intimidating.” The
after saying that.) doors open then, and Guanli and Ravana lead the
He leads the characters into the lobby and is group to the end of the hallway through an empty and
heading for the elevator when one of the security unlit office into a larger and better decorated office
103
8
FEAR TO TREAD
beyond it. The legend on the door says “Annette characters again. “You fools have no idea what you’ve
Demilenko, Managing Director.” gotten yourselves into. You see, unlike me, you have
The office is lit and occupied by a middle-aged no idea who your friends are or who you can count on.
woman who is sitting at the desk. She is dressed in For instance, I wanted Guanli and Ravana, and even
business attire accented by jewelry with a distinctly Azhi and Dahaki over there, to be here when you came
Southwestern flair, and she is the image of composed because I know I can count on them. Like me, they
self-confidence. Her eyes take in the crowd that files know that the only way to survive the coming war is to
into her office, and she stands in greeting, smiling like be on the right side.” She then looks at the fell knights
any gracious host might. Azhi and Dahaki are the last again and says, “Don’t you?”
two people into the room, and they close the doors once “We do,” Guanli says, (to what is hopefully the
everyone is inside. players’ characters’ shock). “It’s true.”
“Officer Azevedo,” she says to Guanli. “I believe it Ravana nods and adds, “Yes. We’ve all chosen
was you who arranged this meeting. You didn’t mention Manishtusu as our master.” The twins excitedly whisper
you’d be leading a parade. Would you mind telling me the Earthbound’s name as well. “But unlike some people,
what this is about?” we don’t arouse undue suspicion to that fact by showing
“I dare say you can guess, Ms. Demilenko,” Guanli off on the job.” She then lays a hand over Demilenko’s
says. “Annette. You’ve been drawing attention to your- face and performs the evocation Extinguish Life.
self. These… citizens—” he says this indicating the Demilenko jerks and her body goes rigid as if she has
players’ characters “—have caught wind of what you’re been jolted with electricity, then she slumps lifeless as
up to. They even have a pretty good idea of who you her soul is severed from her body. She crumples to the
work for. Isn’t that interesting?” floor dead as a stone.
“Can we just cut the crap, please?” Ravana inter- Then, before the players’ characters can react,
rupts, which elicits an excited giggle from the twins Guanli, Ravana and the twins close ranks around
by the door. them, and Guanli addresses them. When he speaks,
“Yes,” Demilenko says, “let’s do that. You say he is calm and friendly but deadly serious. “A danger-
these strangers are on to me? They’re the reason you’re ous and arrogant liability, that woman, but she was
here — we’re all here — right now? Are they even telling the truth. There is a war coming, and it’s going
fallen? Then yes, let’s ‘cut the crap.’” She then ad- to make Devil’s Night look like a church picnic. We
dresses the characters directly, with a glint of madness picked the side that’s going to be left standing at the
growing in her eyes. As she speaks, she begins to walk end, and we’re offering you the choice to do the same
around the room looking at each of the characters in if you want to walk out of here. This would be a lot
turn. “Do you really know what my foundation is doing easier if that McIntyre clown had been able to figure
in this city? Can you possibly know how perfect an out how Vandermeer compelled obedience from the
instrument I’ve made it with the gifts Manishtusu has demons he summoned for Enshagkushanna, but he
given me? He gave me power in return for worship, and never did, no matter how we motivated him.” The
I’ve used that power to make for him an alter on which twins giggle again.
to sacrifice the world. “So, it looks like you’re just going to have to make
“There’s a war coming, you fools, and Manishtusu a choice. Either swear on your True Names that you’ll
intends to win it. But he needs soldiers to fight it, throw in with the Lord of Murder when the new war
and my organization helps him drum them up. I offer comes, or spend the rest of eternity regretting the
him the weak and downtrodden that even my foun- alternative. What’s it going to be?”
CONCLUSION
dation can’t help, and he fills their worthless, wasted
shells with warriors eager to lay siege to this world
and raze it to its foundations. I’ve been doing it for
years, even before that bouquet of brats from the The way this story (and, indeed, the entire Fear
Marshall School fell in my lap like manna from to Tread chronicle) ends is entirely up to you and
Heaven. And you think you’re just going to waltz in your players. If they accept Guanli’s offer, he orders
here and stop me?” them to reveal their True Names in an invocation
to their lord Manishtusu so as to seal the deal. They
At this point, Demilenko stops her meandering
can then get back to their “normal” lives with an
(and her matching dialogue) for a moment to stand
admonition to keep their new allegiance secret and
between Fell Knight Ravana and Fell Knight Guanli.
be on the lookout for ways in which they can serve
When she does, she smiles and looks back and forth at
their master.
the pair of them before glaring triumphantly at the
104
8
CHAPTER THREE
If they refuse, the characters are going to have to opens out before them. They now know for sure that
fight their way out of this room and escape these four Manishtusu has secret operatives all over Los Ange-
fierce and dedicated warriors. Yet, even if they should les, some extremely high placed in the city’s respective
manage to do so, Manishtusu has other servants both demonic courts. They also know that he is building
great and small all over Los Angeles (and who knows up forces in secret for some grand, climactic confron-
where else). Unless they find some serious help from tation in what might be the very near future. Knowing
people they can trust, they won’t be able to rest comfort- this, the characters could choose to run and hide, or
ably. After all, as many times as the Lord of Murder has they could choose to try to root out Manishtusu’s
been invoked in this scene alone, he should be well other hidden pawns, clean up the demonic court they
aware of who the characters are and what they look like serve and possibly even take a stand against the
by now. Earthbound itself.
Should the characters manage to find some safe Provided, that is, that they are not afraid to take
haven, though, the vista of a whole new chronicle that first fateful step….
105
8
FEAR TO TREAD
106
8
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FOUR:
STORYTELLER
CHARACTERS
Heed not Mephistopheles, my children, lest you suffer
eternal damnation. When he whispers in your ear, turn
away your head and hearken instead to the angel on your
shoulder.
—Harry Segall, Angel on My Shoulder
The following is a roster of all the major Storyteller them out, the sample characters in the Antagonists
characters who motivate the action of the Fear to chapter of Demon: The Fallen (or modified represen-
Tread chronicle, as well as all the important minor tations thereof) can serve nicely. And, of course, if
characters. Their backgrounds, goals and general per- you’re injecting these stories into an ongoing chronicle
sonalities are collected here for ease of reference so that of your own, you may substitute wholly new Storyteller
the same write-ups don’t have to appear time and again characters of your original design as you see fit.
in each story in which these characters take part. You’ll
recognize many of them from Demon: City of Angels,
though all the material in that book has not been
THE EARTHBOUND
carried over to this one. Only the background material While they do not make physical appearances (or only
that is germane to this book’s stories appears here for the terribly brief ones) in the stories that make up the Fear to
sake of avoiding repetition. Tread chronicle, the mad, unknowable Earthbound have
You’ll also notice that full Trait ratings are not a definite presence throughout. Many of the events going
included with every character write-up. Whatever might on behind the scenes are being carried out on their behalf,
be missing has been omitted intentionally in favor of and if not for them, the fallen in the setting would have
broader guidelines to allow you to scale these Storyteller significantly less trouble on their hands.
characters’ levels of proficiency relative to your players’ The following two malignant entities are the ones
characters. Should you find yourself in need of hard with the most noticeable presence in the greater Tri-
Traits, yet you don’t have time before a game to write County Area centering on Los Angeles. A third
107
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Earthbound figure has also begun to exert his influence in but the other followers were suddenly brimming over
this volatile arena, but he does not play a significant part with faith when they performed their rituals.
in this chronicle’s events. The following text deals pri- As luck would have it, one of the surviving follow-
marily with these beings’ greater goals and motivations, ers was a successful television producer. While probing
rather than what specific evocations or Trait ratings they the minds of his new devotees, Enshagkushanna quickly
can bring to bear against the characters. You may safely grasped the potential of the so-called “City of Angels,”
tailor their powers to suit the needs of your game. You also and he commanded his thralls to have his reliquary
have the freedom to distill the basic elements of each moved to the Tri-County Area, specifically Catalina
being’s personality into a more general form, then use it Island. The Earthbound then set out to cement his
as the basis for your own Earthbound antagonist. influence throughout the television media, as well as
If you are interested in a more detailed analysis of an the movie-studio system. At the same time, he began
Earthbound demon’s power and statistics, see the De- developing influence in the Los Angeles Police Depart-
mon Storytellers Companion. ment and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
In this endeavor, he enjoyed some immediate success,
ENSHAGKUSHANNA even though his plans moved more slowly than he
Enshagkushanna is a mighty force when compared might have hoped. (In fact, this Earthbound has been
to the fallen, but he is one of the least of the Earth- having difficulties lately with a deputy named Jeff
bound. He is a lowly vassal to the mighty Archduke Black, though he cannot yet tell whether these difficul-
Dagon — one of the first Earthbound to appear in the ties are the results of concerted opposition or simply
physical world — and although he made himself a inconvenient coincidences.)
mighty god to early humans, Enshagkushanna never Intending to develop the city into a new earthly
attracted much attention beyond the Ganges River bastion for his master, Dagon — and to set himself up as
where his reliquary was hidden. He quickly vanished its steward as a reward for all his hard work — every-
from view as his worship dropped off, and he has slept for thing seemed to go fine for Enshagkushanna for more
many centuries since. than a decade. Yet when the lesser fallen began unex-
It was not until 1985 that he was reawakened. A pectedly emerging from the Abyss en masse, he suddenly
small group of devotees who had plenty of unhealthy found himself on the front lines of the battle. He lost
curiosity but no real faith made a pilgrimage to India and most of his political influence to the Devil Spentu
there learned the true nature of the being to which they Mainyu, and the Luciferan Scourge Vritran wrestled
had experimentally begun to pray. It cost the groggy away a fair amount of influence in the entertainment
Enshagkushanna his last reserve of strength to take industry. Enshagkushanna can see his dreams of control
possession of one of the ingenue cultists and speak to the over Los Angeles slipping away, but he is determined
others, but the gamble paid off. The manifestation de- not to go down without a fight.
stroyed the unfortunate worshiper Enshagkushanna chose, Recently, rumors surfaced that Lucifer was in Los
Angeles. Wasting no time, Dagon contacted his vassal
and demanded that he (that is, Enshagkushanna) find
the Betrayer at once. The news stunned the beleaguered
Earthbound, who was frantically preoccupied by struggles
with both his principal rival, Manishtusu, and greedy,
opportunistic fallen who seemed to think that they were
entitled to something just because they had clawed
their way out of Hell on their own. Time was not on
Enshagkushanna’s side, however, and as Devil’s Night
exploded, Enshagkushanna could do nothing but order
his people back to Catalina Island. There, they watched
Manishtusu and his minions run wild, and they waited,
and they planned.
The first tentative steps of Enshagkushanna’s new
bid for power have only recently been taken. One of his
most trusted thralls has taken over the position of
headmaster at an ailing school known as the Marshall
School for Troubled Teens and solicited its services to
wealthy and frustrated parents of troubled teens. When
they just can not take their children’s misbehavior any
108
8
CHAPTER FOUR
longer, parents at their wits’ end can send the unruly that it was the explorer Juan Cabrillo who brought him
youngsters to a facility that combines the best aspects of here at the behest of the Catholic Church, which had
a counseling center, a rehab clinic, a military boarding kept the demon’s reliquary hidden in the Vatican until
school and a prison. On the other end of the social a means of disposing of the unholy object was discov-
spectrum, less well-off parents whose children have run ered. These scholars of the arcane believe that that is
afoul of the law can beg the court’s mercy and have their why the settlers chose for their village a desert location
children sent to the Marshall School instead of prison at what must have seemed like the end of the world.
or a less charitable juvenile-detention center. They also point to this theory to explain why the settlers
However, a horrible fate awaits these children. built a church before anything else.
Once they arrive, the weakest among them are subject Other theories have arisen in time, each describing
to a seemingly endless cycle of abuse until their souls are a different route Manishtusu’s reliquary followed from
broken, and then, a demon is summoned from the Abyss the Old World to the New, and Cryptic research sug-
to occupy their bodies. Before this possession is allowed gests that some of them were authored by the Earthbound
to occur, however, Enshagkushanna’s thralls in charge himself. Regardless of the path, however, the reliquary
of the ceremony compel the demon by his True Name has ended up here — and not by accident.
to serve Enshagkushanna in all things. Should the Before the Fall, Manishtusu was close friends with
summoned demon resist and refuse, he earns himself an the Fiend Chenrezig, who confided in Manishtusu a
immediate free fall back to the Abyss. prophecy that a mighty battle for the fate of all life would
be fought in “the valley of many smokes.” When the
MANISHTUSU Fallen were cast into the Abyss and this battle had not
The Lord of Murder is his title. This Devourer’s occurred, Manishtusu blithely assumed that he would
savagery is legendary, and though he is considered only eventually be free again by necessity. This understanding
a mid-level Earthbound in terms of outright power, eventually bore itself out aeons later when he was sum-
some still consider him the most dangerous because he moned from the Abyss by a powerful sorcerer and bound
is so unpredictable and destructive. It can not be denied into an ancient and powerful weapon. Exerting his
that Manishtusu showed signs of nascent madness and infernal influence on those who tried to wield it, the
wanton cruelty long before any of the other fallen, and Earthbound contrived for his reliquary to pass from hand
after the crime of the Third Mortal, Manishtusu’s be- to hand and to travel the wide world. When he finally
havior became a thing of nightmares so potent that they found the place that he believed Chenrezig had spoken
persist even today in humankind’s genetic memory. of, he had the weapon hidden, and from that time on, the
Yet, for all his eminence among demons and angels Lord of Murder drifted in and out of sleep, waiting.
alike, a mystery surrounds how the Lord of Murder came With the reemergence of the fallen from the Abyss
to Los Angeles. He was certainly in residence as early as — which Manishtusu has long considered inevitable —
the Great Gold Rush of 1849, but no one seems to know the Earthbound roused himself and set about acquiring
how he came to be there in the first place. Some believe servants from their number. His ultimate goal is to
rebuild the rebel army with himself at its head and start
a brand new War of Wrath. Whether it is a conflict of
angels fighting demons, demons fighting each other,
demons destroying human beings or human beings
destroying each other in the name of mutually exclusive
religions, Manishtusu does not care. He just misses the
savage thrill of world-spanning armies tearing each
other apart while God looks the other way. His primary
rival is the insufferable toady Enshagkushanna, who is
more concerned with populating and maintaining a
trench line for the absent Dagon than with preparing
actual warriors for actual combat.
THE FALLEN
While the newly returned fallen are not as profi-
cient with their evocations as the Earthbound, and
despite the fact that they are confused by their immer-
sion and rebirth in human hosts, they are arguably more
109
8
FEAR TO TREAD
effective on a local level than their elder cousins. They LA where Arroya had lived most of his life to a palatial
are freer to go to and fro on the earth, and up and down estate in Beverly Hills, financed by a tide of recent bribes
in it. In addition, they are better able to work together and kickbacks. Not long after, Aglibol came to the
toward mutually beneficial goals because they are start- attention of the city’s new tyrant, Spentu Mainyu. Rec-
ing their new lives on a more even footing than the ognizing the Devil’s crippling self-doubts, Spentu
Earthbound ever had to do. Although each serves his “rewarded” Aglibol with the Ministry of Aurochs, well
own ends, the fallen as a whole are better able to aware of the feud it would create between Aglibol and
organize and work together for a greater common good, Vohu Mano, a demon whose enmity for Aglibol went
just as they first did at the dawn of Creation. back to the Age of Wrath. Spentu was not disappointed.
Yet, the Earthbound recognize this power in their Roleplaying Hints: Aglibol has always been a little
diminished cousins, and they are not above warping or creepy because of his internal conflict over his love for
subverting it for their own sinister purposes when they can. Lucifer, but this fairly minor flaw has since become a
raging obsession. He argues with himself and suspects
LORD AGLIBOL everyone of trying to betray him to Lucifer, even though
Deep in the heart of the Devil Aglibol exists a dark he has done nothing wrong (or so he insists).
core of jealousy. When he looked on the world he helped His influence has left a mark on the street gangs of
create, all he could see was that the parts Lucifer oversaw East Los Angeles, but the recent absence of his leader-
were better than his. Yet, even as he resented the ship means that they are running out of control. The
Morningstar’s preeminence, Aglibol adored Lucifer. baroness has ordered him to rein in the excesses of his
When the Great Debate began, Aglibol declared loudly gangs, but Aglibol pretends not to have received the
and fiercely against it, yet when Lucifer announced his messages. He knows a confrontation is coming, and he
support, Aglibol joined the cause without hesitation. wants to avoid it, but he does not know how.
Throughout the Ages that followed, Aglibol could
always be found at Genhinnom or near Lucifer’s side. He LADY AL-LAT
rose through the ranks quickly and effortlessly, not as a Like so many Malefactors, Al-Lat was drawn to
measure of his skill and ability, but more by virtue of his Lucifer’s side not for philosophical reasons but from a
unswerving loyalty and devotion to the Lightbringer. He need to help mankind understand the wonders presented
adored the Prince for his effortless perfection, even as the them. She wanted to explain how to use the marvelous
Lightbringer’s reflected glory highlighted Aglibol’s own tools she and her sisters had created. She wanted humans
perceived shortcomings. As the war ground on, Aglibol to love and understand her, not fear her. Eager to be freed
frequently abused the authority Lucifer vested in him, from the restrictions placed on her by the Almighty, Al-
shielded from reproach by his rank and stature in the Lat joined Lucifer without hesitation.
Morningstar’s grand councils. By the war’s end, Aglibol was Yet, in the ages that followed, Al-Lat found the
widely despised by the nobles of the infernal host, and when passion that had moved her to join the rebel cause
it was clear that Lucifer was not destined for the Abyss, these waning. She felt the horror of Caine’s crime. She
lords turned on their petty tormentor without mercy, mak- witnessed the atrocities that would become common-
ing his existence a literal hell. When the Maelstrom ruptured place among her fellow angels. The final heartbreak was
the walls of the Abyss, Aglibol was one of the first escapees. the failure of the Time of Babel. Disillusioned before
On earth, Councilman Jesus Arroya, one of only three being cast into the Abyss, Al-Lat desperately wanted to
minority councilmen on the 15-man governing body of understand how everything could have gone so wrong.
Los Angeles, and the only Latino, worked late into the She soon found a home with the Cryptics.
night every night of the week before he finally succumbed Gipontel, who helped run the faction, became an
to the incessant pressures of the job. Although it was only especially fast friend. The two tried to prop up each
a nervous breakdown, not death, it weakened the mortal others’ sanity during the endless monotony of the
tether sufficiently for Aglibol to take control. Abyss. Al-Lat escaped the Abyss before her friend but
As a human, Councilman Arroya had been a fair but knew Gipontel would soon be following.
dedicated crusader for the rights of his people, but with Returning to the mortal world, Al-Lat felt an at-
Aglibol in charge, that quickly changed. Where Arroya traction to Xiao Yuen, a young woman of Chinese
wanted his fellow men to help themselves to become descent who had been sold into virtual slavery by her
stronger and had fought to level the playing field against parents in return for her escape from China. She had no
white politicians and businessmen, Aglibol felt only means of escape except suicide, so she drank a bottle of
resentment at the mistreatment heaped on him for no rat poison and closed her eyes, ready to die.
better reason than the color of his skin. Within two Al-Lat opened them and set off in search of Gipontel.
months, Aglibol moved from the humble house in East It took her a month to find him, but eventually, she did,
110
8
CHAPTER FOUR
joining Gipontel in the city of Atlanta. The Cryptics Try as they might to maintain their ideals, Anat
were working hard to control all cities that served as and Dagon found themselves wondering what had
major transport hubs, such as Atlanta, New York, become of Lucifer. This doubt gave way to suspicion.
Chicago and Dallas. The leaders wanted to form an Had the Morningstar betrayed them? Had he led a
expedition to Los Angeles, and Al-Lat’s timely arrival rebellion he knew would fail? It made sense. No creature
made her a logical choice. had been closer to the Almighty than the Morningstar.
Placed in charge of Lady Nasu and Lord Chenrezig No creature ever loved the Creator so purely as Lucifer
and ordered to recruit others, Al-Lat was sent to the had. If God had ordered him to, Lucifer would surely
City of Angels. When she arrived, she carefully scouted have done anything. Suspicion became certainty. Luci-
the Tri-County Area, developing an encyclopedic fer had betrayed them.
knowledge of the area and its inhabitants. Two pieces of They would endure this eternal Hell alone. Thoughts
information soon troubled her. One was the arrival of of what they would do if ever they could lay their hands
Anat, Dagon’s lover, but she managed to deal with that, on the Betrayer filled the lovers’ minds. They passed each
via Spentu Mainyu, by having Nasu appointed to the eternal moment devising new and elaborate methods to
head of the Blood Court’s Eagle Ministry. More disturb- torture Lucifer, and others came to join in their litany of
ing was the knowledge that Lucifer himself walked the hate. This was the beginning of the Ravener Faction.
streets of Los Angeles. There was no hint of why he was Then, Dagon and the other four archdukes van-
there, only the certain knowledge that he was present. ished. Anat went mad. The fallen fled from her fury as
Studying the storm she saw looming on the horizon, she raged against the nothingness. The fallen could not
Al-Lat decided that to take control of a city that was die, but Anat made their existence worse with her
about to explode was foolish, and she adopted a plan temper. Her anchor to sanity had been Dagon, and with
much like Spentu Mainyu’s. She would wait and let him gone, her animosity spiraled out of control. The
someone else endure the indignity of losing control of only information that reached her mind was when she
the city. When Devil’s Night erupted, Al-Lat felt justi- heard that cracks had appeared in the walls of the Abyss.
fied in her decision. Forcing all out of her way, Anat charged the breach.
Roleplaying Hints: Knowledge is paramount to When she awoke in the physical world, Anat ex-
Al-Lat. She wants to understand why and where the plored the limits of her new frame for just an hour before
Rebellion went wrong. She wants to understand what she called out to Dagon. And he responded.
has happened to the world. She wants to understand Moving quickly, Anat went in search of Dagon. She
English. She wants to understand what the Almighty found him in the deserts of Iraq on what had once been
meant by setting all these actions in motion. The Mount Saphon. Dagon’s thralls had already awakened
pursuit of these questions occupies Al-Lat’s every wak- the Earthbound, and Anat was just one more sign that it
ing moment. It also is her blind spot because she does was time to move toward the endgame. Dagon had
not understand that some fallen not only do not want to received word that the Betrayer had been sighted in Los
understand why, they resent her attempts to find out. Angeles. Since Anat was more mobile than Dagon, she
was dispatched to investigate because Dagon did not trust
LADY ANAT the vassal who was already there who had not even been
Almost from her inception, Anat loved Dagon. aware of Lucifer’s presence. Anat chose not to contact
When that mighty Devil opted to defy the Almighty, Enshagkushanna, the untrustworthy vassal, but rather
Anat joined him. Every military action in which the went to the City of Angels as a normal fallen to see if she
archduke engaged was carefully planned by Anat; her could gain access to their network of information.
genius and his ferocity made for a nearly unstoppable Instead, she ended up forming the secretive Blood
force, and the pair raged through the Loyalists without Court, following the Devil Spentu Mainyu’s advice for
mercy. To Anat, these were the golden years, when she three of the ministry posts: the Ministry of Eagles (Nasu),
had a cause to believe in, an enemy to grapple with and the Ministry of Aurochs (Inana) and the Ministry of Dust
her lover always by her side. (Vritran). She then named Fell Knight Ravana the Lion
So it continued until the Abyss and Lucifer’s be- Minister and Spentu Mainyu himself as the Dragon
trayal. To be defeated and punished, both she and Dagon Minister. With the Blood Court thus completed, Anat
could handle, but to have the Morningstar abandon charged them all with one task: locate Lucifer.
them was a pain neither could bear. At first, they tried to All tried. They searched. They tapped every resource,
argue that all was well, that Lucifer was free and working but they could not find the Betrayer, until the night Lucifer
to save his followers, but time passed. It passed so slowly. manifested high in the sky above them. Anat seethed at
Minutes became years. Time crawled inevitably forward the vision that hovered above her, yet even as she gathered
with no hope of change on the horizon. her power to attack it, the angel vanished.
111
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Roleplaying Hints: Anat’s hatred of Lucifer and their Lord was not present. That surely was a good thing.
her love for Dagon have left her entirely blind to the It meant he was free to operate and eventually free his
monster that her lover has become, and her obsession army. When the archdukes disappeared, they nodded
with punishing the Betrayer leads her to ever-greater their heads knowingly and waited.
heights of excess and cruelty. Soon, she will be forced to When, centuries later, cracks appeared in the walls
make good threats she’s made against the ministers of of the Abyss, and Kishar and Ashur quickly challenged
her court for failing to locate Lucifer, and when that the breach together. However, the pull of the Abyss
happens, she will either be forced to draw upon Dagon once they were free separated the two lovers as they
directly for support or leave herself vulnerable to accu- fought to anchor themselves in the physical world.
sations of weakness and incompetence. As Jeff Black (a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy)
fell victim to a drive-by shooting, Ashur took up resi-
FELL KNIGHT ASHUR dence. In life, Jeff had been a highly respected officer,
As a member of the Sixth House, Ashur found no famous for his steadfast honesty. When scandal after
joy in the company of his fellow angels that could scandal rocked the LAPD and the LA County Sheriff’s
compare with the delight of his forests. Even deserts Department, Jeff was always cleared. It was this moral
held more lively interests for Ashur than the idealistic fortitude which resonated with the searching Ashur.
debates of other angels. However, the restrictions laid From that time on, his mind raged with a need to
on him and his fellows to remain unknown to Adam and make amends with the Almighty. Ashur has been pos-
Eve bit deeply into his core. Here was the perfection of sessed by Jeff Black’s need to protect his family, and the
the wild, and he could not interact with it. Others of the thought that his girls could suffer because of the hubris of
Sixth House, in general, did not feel as he did, but Ashur the fallen causes him pain. The arguments of the
was long used to being the odd one out. Reconcilers, which had seemed so childish and pathetic
When Lucifer stood in defiance of the Almighty to him before, now rang with truth. In this rush of
and that odious restriction, Ashur quickly took his emotions, Ashur nearly forgot about Kishar, his lost love.
place at the First Rebel’s side. He had not participated When his lover found him, he could not believe the
in any of the debates. Indeed, he had been largely change in her. The one he remembered was kind and
unaware of their existence, but once the choice was loving, full of understanding, but the creature with whom
placed before him, Ashur was not slow to choose sides. he found himself talking was harsh. Kishar showed no signs
Ashur quickly became feared as a warrior and was of mercy and seemed willing to let all life die if Lucifer so
raised to the rank of fell knight. When the Legions ordered. Try as he might, Ashur has not been able to reach
formed, Ashur unhesitatingly joined the Iron Legion his lover. His feelings for her have not lessened, however.
because — though he was an accomplished fighter and So as not to become a risk to Kishar now that she
widely feared as such — Ashur preferred to foster life has become the ruler of Los Angeles, Ashur has re-
and defend than attack. It was in the Iron Legion that moved himself from politics and will not attend court.
he met Kishar and discovered love. Instead, he tries to work as much good as he can through
Then he was captured and taken to Sagun. Here, he his job and community.
languished for two months in the dark bowels of the Roleplaying Hints: In spite of their sudden philo-
labyrinth awaiting his judgment from the Almighty. In sophical differences, Ashur is still very like Kishar. He’s
that darkness, he realized that his only regret was being very strict, especially with himself, and permits no gray to
separated from Kishar. Like an answer to a prayer, one confuse his view of the world. His love for Kishar is
day, his cell door opened, and there stood Kishar. stronger than ever, but it is now tinged with a fear of her
Together, they fled to the mountains around Sagun, ruthlessness. In speech, he is simple and straightforward.
and there, they pledged never to be parted again and Ashur is very scrupulous in avoiding politics be-
whispered each in the other’s ear their True Names. cause he does not want to become a burden to Kishar,
From then on, they fought back-to-back in every who is having enough trouble keeping the city under
battle. They never stooped to the atrocities their fellow control. As of right now, nobody knows that Ashur and
fallen did. Neither did they offer quarter to any foe the Kishar know each other’s True Names, but should that
Morningstar sent them to face. They did not achieve ever change, then life would become even harder for the
the fame that some of the fallen earned. They partici- beleaguered baroness.
pated in no debates. They sought no glory, only success
for Lucifer and prosperity for mankind. AZHI AND DAHAKI
Even once they were banished to the Abyss, the two Bric-et-Brac were born twins. Daniel and Danielle
lovers stayed at each others’ side and kept a quiet but Montague grew up in middle class suburbia in the Tri-
firm support for Lucifer. They were not worried that County Area. All of their lives, they knew they were
112
8
CHAPTER FOUR
different. They could not understand why their parents different creature. Baphomel was tired of serving others.
were so upset with them when they were discovered He had followed others all through the war, and the
exploring each others bodies late one night. Though Abyss had been his only reward. Now, Baphomel wanted
beaten and punished, the two continued to explore to be the one giving the orders.
their sexuality — at first with each other, then with Using the information Daniels had assembled,
other partners. Baphomel began a campaign of blackmail directed at the
Through this process, they discovered that they city’s politicians and fundraisers. Troy had been an invet-
preferred members of their own sex for coupling but that erate record keeper and had witnessed more indiscretions
nobody interested them romantically. As they grew than he had realized. Baphomel was clever and ruthless.
older, the twins both became interested in dance to Soon, the Devil was the Lieutenant Mayor, a post he could
express themselves, and they took the stage name Bric- never have achieved under legal circumstances.
et-Brac to mask their blood relationship. In this In philosophy, Baphomel is closest to a Cryptic, but
environment, the two flourished — until Danielle had he has declared himself a Luciferan because he currently
the misfortune to attract the eye of a rich old man who serves as a freelance agent for the Ministry of Aurochs
was looking for a new mistress. under the staunchly conservative Aglibol. From his
The old lecher pursued Danielle, and though she position as Lieutenant Mayor, Baphomel was Aglibol’s
resented his attentions, neither she nor her brother chief line of information to potential threats to the
knew how to confront the old man. In the end, the two fallen of Los Angeles, but Devil’s Night has negated
decided to commit suicide by breathing the exhaust that usefulness. What is worse for Baphomel is the
fumes of their car. Into their bodies came the souls of a destruction of City Hall because that is where he hid
pair of fallen lovers who had leapt from the Abyss most of the proof of wrongdoings that he used to
together. Azhi and Dahaki assumed control of the twins blackmail the other politicians.
and resumed their ancient love affair with a new pas- These days, Baphomel spends his time haunting
sion. They use this passion to inspire Faith from the the remains of City Hall, hoping that the construction
audiences in the Hallow Cube, where they frequently workers who are clearing the site will eventually come
go to reap. across the black safe where all the material so vital to his
Politically, they serve Fell Knight Ravana’s Lion survival is stored.
Ministry. Like her Infernal Court counterpart and lover, Image: Troy Daniels was a clean-cut American
Ravana is an absentee head of her ministry. The differ- young man of vaguely Irish ancestry. From his flawless
ence is that Azhi and Dahaki do not allow this lack of complexion to his neatly trimmed brown hair to his
leadership to prevent them from attacking those they spotless suit and tie to his ever-present leatherette
perceive as being threats to the Blood Court. The two briefcase, he affected the almost stereotypical costume
are planning to replace Ravana as soon as possible. Both of the young political hopeful. The infusion of his body
are Raveners of the most intense kind. with the spirit of Baphomel added a canny edge and an
Willpower: 7/8 (Azhi/Dahaki) unrelenting intensity to his demeanor, which only
Faith: 6/7 improved that image. Lately, however, his countenance
Torment: 8/8 has grown somewhat haggard, and desperation is setting
Apocalyptic Form: The Visage of the Flesh (same for both) in as his world has literally crumbled around him.
Lore: Flesh 2, Beast 2, Fundament 2 (same for both) Roleplaying Tips: To people of Los Angeles,
Baphomel continues to put up a good front. He has been
BAPHOMEL working almost nonstop with the Mayor to help restore
order and inject whatever modicum of sanity back into
As a teenager, Troy Daniels joined the Young
Republicans; in college, he served one his school’s the citizens’ lives he can. He puts on confident airs and
senate. From his youngest days, Troy dreamt of being a assures everyone he can that things will be back to
leader, and he spent his adult life pursuing this goal. normal very soon. He tries to convey the same message
This is what brought him to the offices of the Mayor, to the fallen with whom he has regular contact, but his
where he worked as an intern. He spent his nights words of assurance are less convincing. With minions of
compiling data on the other politicians of the city and the Earthbound on the loose and the Morningstar
running errands for the Lieutenant Mayor. coming out of hiding, who knows when (or if) things
will ever be back to normal.
On one of these errands, he was hit by a drunk
driver and suffered immediate brain damage, but
Baphomel was there and in need of a host. The Troy
LORD CHENREZIG
When the world was young Chenrezig’s dearest friend
Daniels who walked away from the wreck was a very
had been Manishtusu. When the Great Debate had raged,
113
8
FEAR TO TREAD
the two enjoyed spending their time arguing either side of Chenrezig with the FBI because Daniel Gopal was a
the situation, but in their hearts, they both chafed at the citizen of India.
restriction set on them by the Almighty, so, when Lucifer Like so many of the fallen, Chenrezig is conflicted
sent out his call, the two friends quickly answered. by personal desire and duty, but he hides it better than
God’s punishment struck them both hard, but more most others. Nobody in the city is yet aware of his old
so Manishtusu. As time passed, Chenrezig began to friendship with Manishtusu, nor what the Lord of
worry for his friend, who seemed to pass a majority of his Murder will do when he learns that Chenrezig is here.
time arguing with himself. One day, Manishtusu came In spite of a heavy accent, Chenrezig is easily
to Chenrezig asking him to explore the possible lines of understood because he tends to speak slowly and care-
the future to see what he saw. Happy to oblige his friend, fully. His mode of speech is at odds with the many
Chenrezig cast his mind into the future. nervous tics his body exhibits. Like so many informa-
It came back with a vision of Hell. Monoliths of tion gatherers, Chenrezig is becoming slightly paranoid,
unnatural stone and glass towered over an enslaved but it has not yet affected his work.
humanity. The people fought each other, but there was
no sign of God or the fallen. Its name seemed to mock FELL KNIGHT GUANLI
Chenrezig. This nightmare took place in the City of Like so many other Malefactors, Guanli served the
Angels in a land of smoke and fire. Horrified, Chenrezig Dark Host by constructing weapons, and his unusual
shared what he had seen with Manishtusu. talent for manipulating his lore caused Guanli, who had
Afterward, Manishtusu became more secretive and never seen a battle first hand, to be elevated to the rank
suspicious. By the time the fallen were cast into the of fell knight. Many of the finest weapons wielded by
Abyss, Chenrezig no longer recognized his humor-loving the Lucifer’s archdukes and dukes were constructed by
friend within the snarling savage he had become. In some Guanli in the forges beneath Tabâ’et’.
ways, it was a blessing when Manishtusu vanished from It may be that the famed smith joined Lucifer’s side
the Abyss shortly after the archdukes did, although solely for the opportunity to create new weapons and to
Chenrezig was slow to recognize this at the time. experiment with new ways of infusing matter with
Throughout his confinement, questions plagued Faith. As a member of the Silver Legion posted to
Chenrezig. What had happened to his friend? How Tabâ’et’, Guanli’s penchant for clinical, heartless ex-
could the Almighty suffer these things to happen to His perimentation was one of the prime reasons that
creation? Was this all a part of the plan? Where did watchtower became synonymous with cruelty and hor-
Lucifer’s disappearance fit into all of this? By the time he ror. Many of the abominations that emerged from that
escaped through the fractures in the walls of the Abyss, dreadful citadel sprang first from Guanli’s mind and
Chenrezig was a confirmed Cryptic. bore the mark of his hands.
Once he returned to the physical world, Chenrezig Because he spent his time in his laboratories under-
made no effort to resume his host’s mortal life. Instead, the neath Tabâ’et’ interacting with no one but his victims,
Fiend went in search of his fellow fallen, and found a coterie none of the fallen fully appreciated the depths of mad-
of Cryptics who were attempting to establish control over ness to which Guanli had fallen. When he did exit his
the city. The plan of the Cryptics was to try to have control laboratory and communicate with the outside world,
of primary travel hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago. his calm, slow speech was so convincing that all failed
This team was formed and dispatched to LA. to associate this rational, even brilliant Malefactor with
Chenrezig willingly complied with his superiors’ the monstrosities that were born from his skills, and his
wishes and began insinuating himself into the homeless weapons were still heavily sought after.
culture of Los Angeles, specifically Santa Monica. Guanli joined a cause he believed was right, and for
Chenrezig had his own reasons for wanting to come to this, the Almighty leveled a terrible curse against him
the City of Angels. He had not forgotten the prophecy (Guanli tends to see every action as a personal slight
he had shared with Manishtusu so many millennia against himself and overlooks the bigger picture). Then,
before, and he was determined to uncover what poten- Guanli obeyed the orders of Lucifer to create weapons for
tial enemy had enslaved the people, rendering them so the Dark Host, and as a reward, his workshops were
devoid of faith. destroyed by the Crimson and Iron Legions. When he
Roleplaying Hints: Although Chenrezig is now a emerged from the Abyss, Guanli was powerfully offended
transient, Daniel Gopal was a brilliant biochemist, and that mankind had forgotten his numerous sacrifices.
that knowledge still resides in Chenrezig. More than Sergeant Jeremiah Azevedo, who worked for the
one person who has struck up a conversation with LAPD as weapons trainer, had testified against his
Chenrezig has been startled by how keen and active his fellow officers in a case of police corruption, but the case
mind is. There is also a missing persons report filed on was thrown out due to the political maneuvering of the
114
8
CHAPTER FOUR
Chief of Police. This left Sargent Azevedo as an outcast In the chaos of Devil’s Night, the two demons went
who had violated the code of silence that pervaded the wild, killing nine humans and destroying the host bodies
LAPD. He could not be legally fired, but his fellow of two more fallen. This frenzy (and their spiraling Tor-
officers so ostracized him that he finally sank into a self- ment) has left them hungry for more. As the city slowly
destructive cycle of alcohol and painkillers to spare returns to a semblance of sanity following the Devil’s Night
himself the hurt of isolation. Riots, both demons struggle to contain their lust for
This body of loneliness and resentment caught violence and maintain their charade of rivalry, but the
Guanli’s attention as he fought the pull of the Abyss. The more time passes, the harder their appetites are to control.
isolation Azevedo had been experiencing eased Guanli’s Roleplaying Hints: Guanli is selfish, but subtly so.
acclimatization into this unfamiliar mortal world. During He talks calmly and rationally, careful to make eye
this period, he was approached by Al-Lat and recruited contact, and is skilled at recognizing when he is making
into a Cryptic expedition that had just arrived in Los people uncomfortable. Whenever he sees the telltale
Angeles. Guanli joined to increase his understanding of signs of this discomfort, Guanli will change whatever he
this new world and how the fallen could interact with it, is saying to put whoever he is talking to at ease or to
but tensions with Al-Lat quickly emerged. mitigate the damage done by his words. Mainly, though,
Al-Lat wanted Guanli to join the newly formed the Malefactor tries to talk as little as possible.
Infernal Court as head of the Ministry of Lions, but Guanli’s biggest flaw is his inability to distance himself
Guanli wanted to spend his time figuring out new ways from things. Every comment he hears, he assumes is actually
of harvesting Faith and manipulating new materials a comment about himself, and as such, almost anyone who
such as steel, concrete and silicon. To serve as head of talks around Guanli accidentally offends the quiet
a ministry would waste valuable time that Guanli wanted weaponsmith. The biggest reason for his falling in love with
to use for other purposes. However, Al-Lat was ada- Ravana is the happiness he felt at having found someone
mant, so Guanli became Lord General of the Ministry with whom he can talk openly and have no fear of judgment
of Lions for the Infernal Court of Los Angeles. being levied or offence being taken. Their love is not a
Galled by this high-handed treatment Guanli be- healthy one and will probably end badly, especially once
came the perfect candidate for conversion by their quiet collusion is revealed to their respective lords.
Manishtusu, who had learned of the fallen’s dissatisfac- Nature: Architect
tion through Lady Nasu, and the Lord of Murder was Attributes: Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Cha-
quick to capitalize on the opportunity. Guanli traveled risma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
into the Nickerson Garden Projects to meet with the Intelligence 3, Wits 3
Earthbound. The unhappy Malefactor did opt to align Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 3, Computer 1, Crafts 3,
himself with the Earthbound, but of more significance Dodge 3, Firearms 2, Intimidation 3, Intuition 1, Inves-
is the accidental meeting that followed. As Guanli was tigation 3, Law 2, Medicine 1, Melee 3, Politics 1,
leaving the projects, he first encountered Ravana. Research 3, Stealth 3, Subterfuge 3
The two fell to talking, and Guanli shared with her Backgrounds: Contacts 3, Eminence 3, Legacy 4, Paragon 2
his frustration over his inability to experiment properly Willpower: 9
and lack of materials, and Ravana told him about her
Faith: 10
experiments with killing fallen hosts and absorbing
their power. The idea excited Guanli, who had never Torment: 9
considered such a short cut to increasing his stock of Apocalyptic Form: The Visage of the Forge
knowledge and power. Lore: Forge 5, Earth 4, Flame 2, Fundament 3, Human-
Without delay, the two swung into action search- ity 2, Paths 4
ing for newly arrived fallen. They would then ambush
newcomers and working together absorbed their es-
HARAPHAEL
sence and lore. By the time Lucifer revealed himself Trip-9 was born Marvin Bragg in South Central Los
during the riots, the pair had killed and absorbed no less Angeles. He grew up in the extreme poverty and vio-
than eight fallen. lence of that community. He never knew enough about
Because both were Lord Generals of their respec- the world to understand that his condition was unusual
tive courts, they found their work load greatly reduced. or that other opportunities were available outside of
The two fed each other information concerning the South Central. Instead, he acclimated himself to the
other’s court activities and staged raids on one another brutality of that life and flourished.
that looked good to their respective leaders but inflicted Bragg acquired the nickname Trip-9 for his ten-
little actual damage. As these months of close interac- dency to carry three 9mm handguns with him at all
tion progressed, the two fallen became lovers. times, one under each arm and another hooked onto the
115
8
FEAR TO TREAD
LADY INANA
Inana taught the whales to sing. Every coastline
reverberates with the memory of her music in their roars
and crashes. Others might have taught the fish to
school, but Inana instructed them how to dance in the
dark depths of the ocean. Inana showed the dolphins
how to pirouette through the crests of the sea.
Her voice was among the first to cry out against the
Almighty’s restrictions, and later, she maintained that
if Lucifer had not rebelled someone from her House
eventually would have. Just as every artist needs an
audience, Inana craved mankind’s approval. As the
debate gave way to action, Inana was again in the
forefront, passionately encouraging every angel to rise
up for mankind and encouraging those who already had
that theirs was the correct choice.
Yet, the horrors of the Abyss were greater for Inana
than almost any other, for it deprived her of the only
thing she truly needed — her audience. Other fallen
back of his belt. Like most gang members, he was a continued to argue philosophy as they created their
terrible shot because he never actually practiced with factions, but Inana knew only hatred. If she could not
the guns, but rather, relied on the intimidation inherent create, she could destroy. She had fallen defending
to guns to achieve his ends. mankind. Therefore, her imprisonment was mankind’s
Twice, he was convicted of armed robbery, but he fault, and she was determined to take a hundred millen-
always served his time quietly and so was granted early nia in exacting her vengeance.
parole. Soon after his exit from his second prison term, When Anat was establishing her Blood Court under
Trip-9 was shot by a member of his own gang as revenge Spentu Mainyu’s advisorship, a newly returned Inana
for an affair Trip-9 had with the other man’s wife. was chosen to head the Ministry of Aurochs because one
Haraphael took possession of the young man’s body and fortuitous holdover from her mortal host’s life was a
immediately slaughtered the shooter, but this happened security company catering to the obscenely wealthy.
at the welcome-home party thrown for Trip-9 by his Anat and Inana formed an instant bond, each perhaps
family. Therefore, Haraphael’s use of his apocalyptic recognizing in the other a kindred spirit of madness.
form happened in full view of dozens of people, which The primary difference between the two is that
quickly became a legend on the streets and attracted the Anat supports wholesale destruction, whereas Inana
attention of Manishtusu. wants to eradicate humanity one person at a time. She
The Lord of Murder reached the Slayer before the delights in the look of despair and horror each thrall gets
Infernal Court did, and Haraphael became a willing in his or her eyes just before Inana breaks them. She is
servant to the Earthbound. During the Devil’s Night in no rush because even if her body is mortal her spirit
Riots, it was Trip-9 and some thralls who defended the is not, and if Carmen Esparza’s body should cease to be
Empire Market from the ravages of the riots. This was at useful, Inana, through her contacts, will easily find a
the orders of Manishtusu, who wanted the wounds of replacement.
the terrible crime that had happened there to remain an Roleplaying Hints: Inana is the epitome of the
open wound that could torment the community. femme fatale, using her powers of seduction and fascina-
Before his escape from the Abyss, Haraphael had tion to lure wistful humans to their doom.
never declared allegiance to any faction, but he had
always leaned toward the Raveners on the principal
BARONESS KISHAR
that, if everything had to die anyway, then he wanted to When Lucifer said it was correct to rebel against the
be the one wielding the scythe. Almighty, Kishar did not ask questions. She set aside her
Willpower: 5 duties and followed. In the Iron Legion, she found ample
opportunities to use her lore both to heal and to destroy.
Faith: 6
Her ability to think fast on her feet and inspire her
Torment: 6
troops led to several battlefield promotions and per-
Apocalyptic Form: The Visage of the Spirit sonal commendations from the Morningstar himself.
Lore: Spirit 3, Fundament 2, Realms 2
116
8
CHAPTER FOUR
These latter served as badges of extreme pride for the Meanwhile Kishar had found the nascent Infernal
Scourge commander, and she never doubted that what Court of Los Angeles and presented herself. When
she did was right. Spentu Mainyu, the Devil who had been the court’s
When she met the Defiler Ashur, it was like finding tyrant, abdicated both rank and title to her without
a portion of herself that had been missing. In the field prompting, Kishar was touched by this loyalty, which
,the two often fought back-to-back, winning many was now so absent in her lover. Yet, in almost every way,
victories. During the interludes, they talked of how best Kishar is the wrong fallen to be ruling Los Angeles.
to help Lucifer build this new world or simply sat in Kishar is a brilliant battlefield commander, but she’s
silence, enjoying each other’s company, and for the first useless as the leader of an occupying army. Her talents
time, Kishar knew fear. She became afraid that Ashur lay in motivating warriors and planning attacks, not in
would be injured or destroyed. It gnawed at her every pacifying politicians and arranging defenses. Kishar
time her lover went into battle. does not see the danger Lady Anat poses to the court.
Then, her worst fears came to pass. Ashur was Likewise, it has never occurred to Kishar that Spentu
captured and taken to Sagun to await final judgment by Mainyu might be anything but loyal. Kishar sees the
the Almighty. Without hesitation, Kishar flew to Sagun tensions between Vohu Mano and Aglibol, and she
and, under the cover of darkness, slipped into its laby- always sides with Aglibol because he is a Luciferan. She
rinth. For two months, she stalked the maze-like corridors is creating divisions where she needs to be forging
until she at last freed her lover and brought him safely alliances, though she does not see this.
out of the city. Once they were safely into the moun- Roleplaying Hints: Kishar is a conflicted creature.
tains outside of the city, they pledged their love and She knows she is the wrong person for the job, but her
swore never to permit themselves to part again. They inflexible morality will not permit her to step aside to
sealed their bond by whispering their True Names into anyone of a lesser rank. She is haunted by the apparent
one another’s ears. betrayal of her lover, and though she fears the truth of
Even in the endless damnation of the Abyss, Kishar what he says, she cannot admit, even to herself, that
and her lover never wavered in their absolute loyalty to Lucifer might have been wrong.
each other or to the Morningstar. When other fallen To those who are loyal to her, Kishar is tender and loving,
questioned why the First Rebel was absent, the two but to those who are her enemies, she is truly a demon.
would quietly insist that their lost leader strove to free
his loyal subjects, and when the archdukes disappeared MANAT
from the Abyss, the two confidently said it was proof The Luciferans have mounted an aggressive com-
positive of Lucifer’s activities and intent. munications campaign with other fallen, and with the
When the cracks finally appeared in the Abyss, potential sighting (or hoax) of Lucifer in the skies has
Kishar and Ashur left together. Their bond kept them forced the Luciferans to focus this campaign on the City
close as they searched for hosts, but then, they lost sight of Angels. Manat — once Sylvia Sarah Woods, a
of each other, and the old fear seized Kishar’s heart. journalist at The Philadelphia Inquirer — is part of this
It grew worse when she saw what the world had
become. For the first time in her existence, Kishar knew
the gnawing feeling of doubt. Was this what Lucifer had
wanted to build? Had she defied the Almighty for this?
How was she to find Ashur in this chaos?
It took her two weeks of nonstop searching after she
returned, but Kishar finally found her missing lover. He
had ended up in the body of Jeff Black, a Los Angeles
County sheriff’s deputy, but Ashur was now somehow
different. He no longer had faith in Lucifer. He spoke of
trying to make peace with the Almighty. He spoke
about forgiveness. Kishar barely recognized him.
Forgiveness? They had done nothing wrong. They
had obeyed the Morningstar. They had fought for what
they believed in. They had not committed any of the
atrocities so prevalent during the last days of the war.
Why did they need forgiveness? It was the first argument
the lovers had ever had, but it would not be the last.
117
8
FEAR TO TREAD
uncompromising mission. She has recently come to LA House explored the mysteries of human death. For
and asserted herself as a part of all fallen business, big hundreds of years, they worked, drawing in the talents
and small — she doesn’t seem to be interested in of Malefactors and Devourers to assist the effort. Fi-
changing anything or affecting it in any way, but merely nally, they succeeded, and on that proud day, Nasu
seeks to know every facet of information that could stood back, pleased with their efforts, and felt a little of
involve the Lightbringer. No one has moved against her the pressure of the Almighty’s curse relieved.
yet because of her association with Luciferan higher-ups Before the Slayers could begin their examinations of
(specifically Nazathor, Lucifer’s supposed “lover”), but what happened to the human soul, the war was lost, and
the time will come when significant figures grow weary the fallen were condemned to the Abyss. Here, a new
of Manat’s probing. She will approach new fallen in the horror was discovered. Nasu, and many of her colleagues
city with persistence. Her personal belief is that Lucifer who worked on creating this spiritual realm, were so
has returned and that the appearance of him on Devil’s intertwined with its fabric that they could still feel it and
Night harkens the coming of a new war. on a very limited level interact with it. So, many Slayers
Image: In person, Manat (AKA Sylvia Sarah not only felt the faint connection with the mortal world
Woods) seems less imposing than her sometimes stri- but also with the realm of the dead. What was worse was
dent writing voice would lead one to assume she is. She that their temporary structure continued. It had not been
is not tall, and her skin tends to break out in unflattering meant to last for millennia. Nasu had been so sure that
splotches. Her dark-brown hair is usually drawn back in she and her brethren would discover the answer before
a short ponytail, and she regards the world from behind long that they never considered what would happen to
her sunglasses and cigarette. the spirits of humanity after thousands of years.
Roleplaying Tips: Manat exhibits a friendly pa- Like so many other theorists, Nasu was too detached
tience mixed with a genuine persistence that is her best from her emotions to become passionate. While other
weapon in finding out what other people know. She Slayers became convinced that it was necessary to make
would like to ease society’s ills and make the world a amends with the Almighty, Nasu sat and thought. She
better place, but she is realistic enough to know that she did not necessarily disagree, but she wanted to study
can’t do so on her own. Therefore, she makes it her things carefully before she committed to a new course of
mission to expose the depths of those ills so that others action. Many of her fellow Slayers felt the same way as
who are more qualified can take over. She reacts with she. What she did not notice, as is common with theo-
mounting frustration when she can tell someone is rists, is that even though she did not become passionate,
stonewalling her, but she is gracious and congenial her emotions were active, and she was becoming quietly
when someone seems willing to cooperate with her. resentful toward the Almighty, who could permit such
pain and agony to exist in the universe.
LADY NASU Undetected by either herself or others, madness
Like all the angels, Nasu loved her charges, but the crept into Nasu’s core. It is a quiet, almost calm, sort of
act of entropy horrified the ignorant humans and sub- madness that could erupt, given the proper incentive, in
sequently made them afraid of the Seventh House. The a firestorm of destruction. Then, the first cracks were
Almighty’s edict cut cruelly into Nasu’s core. She noticed in the walls of the Abyss, and Nasu was one of the
desperately wanted to assure humanity that entropy was first to enter the breach to see what lay on the other side.
a natural, even beautiful, thing that human beings had It did not take long for Nasu to make contact with
no reason to fear. the Cryptics in Atlanta (where she found an anchor in
While the Great Debate raged, Nasu remained a mildly retarded woman called Old Tilda) because that
undecided, but when Lucifer decided to defy the Cre- faction was powerful in that city. Whereas many de-
ator, Nasu chose to stand with the Morningstar. This mons found their natures softened by the influence of
brought down the Almighty’s curse. All of the rebels their human hosts, Nasu’s host had the opposite effect.
from the Seventh House listened in horror when Michael Old Tilda hadn’t the intellect to understand how she
declared that humanity must die. The full horror of this had suffered, but Nasu did. However, just as before, this
sentence came when the Slayers realized that human torment was quiet, too quiet for the other fallen, who
souls upon dying passed beyond their knowledge. Every were busy struggling with their own Torment, to notice.
other death was entirely under their command, but not When the Cryptics decided to launch an expedi-
their beloved humans. tion to Los Angeles, they quickly secured Nasu as an
To deal with this, Nasu helped to construct a assistant for Al-Lat. Her host’s firsthand knowledge of
spiritual realm that could house the souls of those the homeless culture made her a valuable asset, and she
followers who fell in battle. It was meant as a temporary helped Chenrezig acclimatize himself to this culture.
location to keep the faithful nearby while the Seventh The two quickly assimilated in Los Angeles.
118
8
CHAPTER FOUR
The mystery of what happened to the human soul absorb part of an enemy angel as she destroyed him. It
after death still preyed upon Nasu’s mind, but her took her several more efforts to reproduce the effect,
unnoticed madness led her to an answer that would but she did manage it again.
have been abhorrent to her original self. She decided to Then came the imprisonment in the Abyss and the
study death by kidnaping the homeless and killing Torment. Again Ravana’s solitary habits made her
them. Of course, with each death, Nasu slipped deeper situation worse than it was for others. She felt all the
into her Torment, but as always, her quiet and thought- pain that the other fallen felt, but with no one to share
ful personality meant nobody really noticed. the burden of this pain, she went mad under the burden
The formation of the Blood Court actually slowed she bore alone. Eventually, every demon avoided her
Nasu down because Al-Lat ordered Nasu to win the post because she was prone to lash out at anything that
of Lidless Eye of the Eagle Ministry for the second court, moved regardless of who it might be, and she found
and the duties of this post occupied enough of Nasu’s time herself wondering if she could absorb the lore of other
that she had to slow down her murderous activities. demons as well as angels.
Yet, Devil’s Night proved to be a greater tempta- Mary Beth Holden was first molested when she was
tion than Nasu could resist, and she went on a killing only three. Her father and uncle used her and her sisters to
spree with a carefully cultivated group of willing ser- satisfy their needs well into Mary Beth’s teens when they
vants. Once again, her madness is increasing out of her died at the hands of Mary Beth’s mother, who died herself
control, but this time, people are noticing. Anat has in the attack. This left Mary Beth to the tender mercies of
noted a lack of information from Nasu, and Al-Lat has the local orphanage. Here, her lot did not improve because
started to suspect the true nature of the Slayer’s activi- the man in charge used his charges to run a teenage porn
ties. Neither leader wants attention drawn to them by ring, and Mary Beth soon became his favorite.
the carelessness of a follower, so Nasu could find herself This continued until Mary Beth turned 18 and
in a great deal of trouble in a short period of time. became too old to be of use to the councilor. The
Roleplaying Hints: The more Nasu kills, the deeper suddenness of his abandoning her snapped something
she slides into Torment, and the deeper she slides into in her victim mentality, and Mary Beth attacked the
Torment, the more she desires to kill. Nasu is caught in councilor with a pair of scissors while he slept. Terri-
a vicious circle from which there is no escape except the fied by what she had done and fully aware of the
very death she is pretending to study. In many ways, she consequences should she stay, Mary Beth ran away.
is a tragic figure whose every step was made with the best She hitchhiked her way across America, intent on
of intentions but has only made matters worse. reaching Los Angeles. Along the way, she slept with
anyone who gave her a ride, chiefly truckers, and hated
FELL KNIGHT RAVANA them for using her.
In the time that followed Caine’s crime, Ravana One night, a trucker became rough, and later, as he
became a creature of nightmares. Most Slayers rebelled at slept, she cut his throat with his own pocketknife. The
the idea of killing — their affinity with that aspect of moment was one of exhilaration. Like an addict, Mary
nature did not make them murderous. Instead, it tended to Beth wanted to experience it again, and so, the next
make them the opposite, but when one became twisted, as trucker to pick her up died in a lonely motel room.
Ravana did, the result was horrifying. She moved through Leaving bodies behind her like crumbs Mary Beth
enemy troops like a scythe through wheat, and when there worked her way west, but the horrors of her life had
were no battles to be had, she hunted the hills surrounding numbed her and rendered her soul sympathetic to
an enemy city to find targets. Ravana, who easily displaced Mary Beth.
Her skill in battle did not escape the attentions of her In Los Angeles, Ravana found no place for herself.
superiors, and though they repeatedly tried to promote Spentu Mainyu acknowledged her but gave her no
her above the rank of fell knight, Ravana always refused. position in the court. Not that Ravana wanted one. No,
She had no talent for groups or desire to work with others. she had already been recruited by Manishtusu, and she
She was an isolated and lonely creature who preferred the served the Lord of Murder wholeheartedly. Later, when
solitude her rank allowed her to indulge in, and no Spentu Mainyu was helping to form the Blood Court,
amount of inducement could persuade her to give up her she was offered the post of Lord General of the Lion
title. The danger of isolation, however, is that it prevents Ministry for that court. At Manishtusu’s insistence, she
one from realizing when one has gone too far or when one accepted the post.
is breaking away from sanity. Then, she met Guanli, who happened to be her
The other benefit her solitude afforded her was opposite number in the Infernal Court. The two fell to
the privacy to pursue an idea that occurred to her talking. It was something neither Ravana nor Mary
during the last days of the war when she managed to Beth had ever known, ease of speech and relaxation. No
119
8
FEAR TO TREAD
matter what was said to Guanli he was not repulsed, and tions during the war, Spentu Mainyu came to a conclu-
in fact, when Ravana let slip her idea for absorbing the sion that he loudly shared with his fellow prisoners: A
lore of other fallen, Guanli became quite interested. rebellion against Heaven could be successful if all of
The two decided to work together to experiment with humanity supported it.
the idea, and Ravana soon was madly in love. Armed with this theory when he made his escape
Over the next several months, the two worked from the Abyss, Spentu Mainyu searched for an host
closely together, and the love became mutual. Devil’s that resonated with power and hunger. He found Scratch,
Night was like a holiday for the duo, and by the time it a drug dealer who had just been double-crossed by an
was over, they had, counting all their previous victims ambitious underling. Seizing Scratch as the treacherous
together, killed and absorbed 10 fallen. Guanli is still underling was leaving the room, Spentu Mainyu tore
cautious, not wanting to be caught, but Ravana is out the underling’s heart and ate it.
finding it harder and harder to restrain herself. She is Finding Scratch had been a lucky break for Spentu
free in a way she never dreamed possible and is most Mainyu because the handsome youth was no mere street
reluctant to go back to the way things were. dealer. Scratch had been a purveyor of quality drugs to
Image: Mary Beth is strikingly attractive, with a the rich and powerful of Los Angeles, including but not
well-rounded figure and bright, green eyes. Her skin limited to film producers, corporate executives and
bears numerous scars from her childhood and her life on manufacturing giants. As such, Scratch wielded a great
the road, which she takes some pains to conceal. deal of quiet influence, but the mortal had not appreci-
Roleplaying Hints: Ravana is an obvious villain. ated this. Spentu Mainyu did.
She tends to make people uncomfortable because she Using these contacts quickly and efficiently, Spentu
tends to sit a little too close when talking and stares a Mainyu located several newly arrived fallen and quickly
lot. Her voice is quiet, almost impossible to hear in a grasped the political layout of Los Angeles. His initial
crowd, and her vocabulary is limited because of her poor efforts to subvert prominent members of the Los Ange-
education. She is more cunning than smart. les Police Department were thwarted by the Earthbound
Nature: Fanatic Enshagkushanna, but the crafty Devil was successful in
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Cha- other organizations, exerting a modicum of control
risma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 4, Perception 3, within the civilian government and making inroads
Intelligence 2, Wits 4 into the local offices of the FBI. Not long after, he made
Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 3, Drive 2, his presence known to the demons in the city and
Firearms 2, Intimidation 3, Intuition 3, Medicine 2, declared himself the Tyrant of Los Angeles, lord and
Stealth 3, Streetwise 3, Survival 2 master of the Infernal Court.
Backgrounds: Eminence 2, Legacy 2, Pacts 2, Paragon 2 Spentu carefully and deliberately organized the
court in a way that ensured a certain degree of order and
Willpower: 6
control over the city, but with enough internal tension
Faith: 9 that his ministers would be too busy feuding with one
Torment: 8 another to plot against him. He chose two bitter rivals
Apocalyptic Form: The Visage of Death to head the Ministry of Aurochs and the Ministry of
Lore: Death 4, Fundament 3, Humanity 3, Realms 3, Dust, Aglibol and Vohu Mano respectively, who wasted
Spirit 4 no time opposing one another’s interests. For the Min-
istry of Eagles, Spentu Mainyu tapped Chenrezig, a
SPENTU MAINYU newcomer to the city, and Guanli, another stranger,
What few fallen remember is that before they were was elevated to the head of the Ministry of Lions. The
cast into the Abyss, before even the Time of Babel, post of Dragon Minister, the court’s official inquisitor,
Spentu Mainyu had been a baron in the Crimson was deliberately kept vacant. Spentu claimed that he
Legion and a renowned general, yet by the time he was was waiting for the right demon to fill such a vital role
cast into the Abyss, he had been demoted to fell knight. and frequently used the open position as a potential
No one knows what crime or mistakes Spentu Mainyu reward to broker deals with members of the court. Since
made except for the Devil himself and Lucifer, and the court of Los Angeles currently owes no fealty to any
neither of them are talking. higher court, Spentu has thus far managed to get away
But even with only this limited information, it is with this political gamble, though the Devil knows that
easy to see why Spentu Mainyu easily set aside his sooner or later he will have a Lord Inquisitor poking
loyalty to the First Rebel, if he ever truly had any and into his affairs.
became a Faustian. Using his time in the Abyss to The Infernal Court was a clever piece of construc-
carefully consider the successes and failures of his action, and once in place, it allowed Spentu Mainyu to
120
8
CHAPTER FOUR
pursue his real goal. Through the medium of television, most fallen assumed that Vohu Mano was a Ravener.
Spentu Mainyu believed he had found the resource he At heart, though, he agreed with Abaddon and the
needed to unite humanity’s Faith. Working with the Faustian ideal.
Scourge Vritran, Spentu Mainyu went to work gaining When the cracks appeared in the walls of the Abyss,
control over a network of television producers who had Vohu Mano was among the first sent out into the
the power to change the type of programs being sent out breach. He was ordered by the dark lords to secure a base
over the airwaves. of faith for the Faustians, and unhesitatingly, Vohu
But all was not well in other parts of the Devil’s Mano accepted the charge.
domain. Internal tensions in the City of Angels were It was the intense passion of a young gay-rights
threatening to spin out of control, and managing them activist named Jonathan Freeman that attracted and
was taking up too much of the Tyrant’s time and anchored Vohu Mano, though, and the instant the
attention. It was then that Kishar arrived. Defiler assumed control of the activist’s body, he found
When he heard of her arrival, Spentu Mainyu himself changing. In spite of the hardship and isolation
wanted to dance with joy, but his politically cunning of his life, Jonathan was a profoundly kind and loving
mind knew better. He waited a couple of days, encour- man who did not even hate the man who had killed
aging the other fallen to believe that he would resist him. For his entire life, all Jonathan wanted was to get
handing over power to this newcomer, and then, as along with everyone around him and for everyone else
battle lines were being drawn, he capitulated without a to get along with each other.
fight. This move not only spared him from the head- This kindness and mercy clashed with Vohu Mano’s
aches of running the city, but it also earned him the relentless savagery in that moment of possession, but in
gratitude of the new baroness, who named him to the the end, the flesh won. Vohu Mano can remember his
still vacant post at the head of the Dragon Ministry. rage, but he no longer feels it. In fact, he is becoming
To ensure that he would be free to pursue his plans, embarrassed by the excesses of his behavior.
Spentu Mainyu needed a city constantly on the verge of When Spentu Mainyu approached Vohu Mano
an explosion but never quite crossing into outright with the post of head of the Mortal Ministry of the
conflict. To that end he secretly approached Anat and Infernal Court of Los Angeles, the Defiler accepted,
helped her establish a second court, the Blood Court, seeing it as an opportunity to learn how demons and
and found himself, for the second time, being named as mankind might best coexist.
head of the Dragon Ministry. What is almost ironic is Vohu Mano earned glory for himself when he
that Spentu Mainyu is spending as much time trying to learned of and put a stop to an effort by Manishtusu to
maintain tension between the two courts as he spent expand his power into West Hollywood, but the young
actually running the city, so he has not yet benefited crusader’s inability to avoid arguments with the more
much from his scheming. conservative elements of the Infernal Court have de-
Roleplaying Hints: Spentu Mainyu hides a ruth- prived him of the benefit of his renown. Aglibol in
less and methodical personality behind the soft, friendly particular wars constantly with Vohu Mano, and their
manners of Scratch. Unlike many Devils, who prefer to conflict has prevented the Defiler from being more
use their charisma as a club to bully others into agree- effective than he might otherwise be.
ment, Spentu is charming, seemingly open and Roleplaying Hints: Vohu Mano is a committed
sympathetic to potential friends and allies. He is equal idealist, a crusader who has turned aside from the
parts snake-oil salesman and hard-nosed diplomat. excesses of the past and, in many ways, resembles the
principled angels of the Fall. Unfortunately, his com-
LORD VOHU MANO passion is often cynically regarded as one more tactic in
During the Time of Atrocities, the name Vohu Mano the political struggles between the fallen, an all-too-
of the Ebon Legion was synonymous with savage beauty predictable reaction that pains him deeply.
and demented tortures. While most of his fellow Devour-
ers used their lore to inspire and maintain the righteous LORD VRITRAN
cause of the rebellion, Vohu Mano sought to torture and With loving care, Vritran watched the first humans
horrify his enemies. His specialty was music. The de- marvel at the wonders of the garden, but his heart stung
mented refrains of his music unnerved the enemy who that the two did not seem to understand the truest depths
endured its assault on both their ears and their sanity. of what they were witnessing. He longed to reveal himself
His subsequent time in the Abyss actually seemed to them and demonstrate in detail the gifts surrounding
to make Vohu Mano worse. He became lost in his them, but the Almighty had forbidden such interaction,
hatred, until he could no longer truly remember why so Vritran contented himself with just being close to
he was angry or what he hated. Because of his temper, what he considered to be his most beloved creations.
121
8
FEAR TO TREAD
Then, Ahrimal spoke of his vision of disaster. At The problem is, Vritran loves humanity. Not the
once, Vritran knew he must act. It would be worse to do people that live on the Earth now, but an idealized
nothing, he thought, and watch disaster than to inad- version of people that walked in Eden. The people
vertently cause disaster by acting through love. After walking the Earth now are a grotesque parody of true
all, he thought, nothing evil could truly spring from man, an abomination like the nephilim, and as such,
pure love. It was a decision that would haunt him for they deserve to be destroyed — once they have been
aeons to come. bled of their faith. Vritran may have declared himself
As the war grew more and more horrific, Vritran for the Luciferans, but his philosophy is more like that
found himself questioning the propriety of the war. of a Ravener.
Could he have been wrong? No, he concluded, he’d When Anat was establishing her Blood Court, she
followed the Morningstar, and the First Rebel would was initially resistant to appointing a Ministry of Dust,
ensure that all would be well. His hopes were finally but once her eyes were opened to the possibilities for
dashed when the Great Experiment fell prey to the mayhem and faith that mankind offered, she quickly
corruption of the nephilim. In the time that followed, adopted Spentu Mainyu’s suggestion to offer the posi-
Vritran wandered aimlessly, dispirited and almost dead. tion of senior minister to Vritran.
In the end, eternal exile from the ruins of Eden seemed Roleplaying Hints: Vritran trusts nobody but Spentu
almost a blessing rather than a curse. Mainyu, and so, he talks with very few. However, he is
In the timeless eternity of the Abyss, many won- becoming fond of Anat. Vritran, in his own lair or in an
dered why Lucifer was not among their number or why intimate setting, leans in close to talk and tends to
his archdukes had disappeared, but Vritran did not care. whisper, but in public, he is loud and boisterous, telling
He knew Lucifer had acted correctly and would con- bawdy jokes and shaking hands or kissing cheeks.
tinue to do so, and he knew that the true blame for these
outrages lay at the feet of Ahrimal, the Fiend who had YIGAL
foreseen the disaster but interpreted it so tragically. At the dawn of the Great War, a family of humans
As the factions grew more vocal and polarized, befriended the fallen Yigal. Slayers had ever been out-
Vritran declared his support for the Luciferans and casts amongst the Elohim, but amongst the Children of
raged against the Cryptics, who dared to pretend that Elias, she felt acceptance. When God’s curse of mortality
Ahrimal had behaved innocently and suggested that it befell Elias and his kin, Yigal offered Elias a token of her
was Lucifer’s motives that were suspect. love. “Throughout time, I will watch your children. Mine
When the walls of the Abyss cracked, Vritran shall be the only hand that raises them and the only hand
charged them and flung himself back into the mortal that guides them home.” Consigned to hellish torment,
world. He anchored himself in the body of Jason Kim, Yigal most regretted the breaking of that promise.
where he was found by Chenrezig and later contacted by Yigal possessed the body of Joyce Allen, wife of a
Spentu Mainyu. The clever Devil knew of Vritran and local politician, after her attempted suicide. While
tailored his pitch appropriately. He let Vritran rail
against the Almighty and humanity for hours. Then,
Spentu Mainyu made a small suggestion.
Why not harness the power, the faith, of these
wayward humans? Surely, that is what Lucifer had been
attempting to do during the Time of Babel, and if that
is what the Morningstar wanted, was it not Vritran’s
duty to see that mission completed? If Vritran was
willing to use his lore as Spentu Mainyu directed him,
then the Devil could assure him that their plan would
succeed. That is how the Faustian, posing as a Luciferan,
recruited a Scourge into his service.
Spentu Mainyu had established some inroads into
the television networks by this time, but the demands of
running the city were hindering him from actively
pursuing his goals. So, he placed Vritran in charge of his
pet project, knowing that the Scourge’s lore would be
more attractive to the health-obsessed studio execu-
tives, and Vritran has proved surprisingly effective in
his role.
122
8
CHAPTER FOUR
Joyce had been worn by the banality around her, Yigal her parents, she retained a base conviction but twisted
was astounded by humanity’s collective potential. Push- it into a desperate need to believe.
ing Joyce’s husband onto the national stage, Yigal Although she was studying psychology, Demilenko
exerted her political influence to benefit favored chari- eventually dropped out of college to join the radical
ties—the Terminal Children’s Fund and a personal political groups of the early 1970s. She kept her interest
program for at-risk teens. True to a millennia-old prom- in the workings of the mind, even as she drifted from
ise, she searches for Elias’s progeny. activism to extremism, from politics to religion. For more
HUMAN BEINGS
than 20 years, she moved from group to group, participat-
ing in the Weather Underground, Scientology, Wicca,
Christian militias, acts of ecoterrorism and any other
From their own self-centered perspective, human cause that promised an answer, a meaning to things.
beings are creatures of limitless potential, who exist in Five years ago, while retreating from an extremist
an infinite, wondrous variety. To the fallen, however, sect that tried to establish its own mad “Kingdom of
people are complex, unpredictable animals whose be- Heaven,” Demilenko went into the desert to pray for
havior and emotions defy comprehension — as does the guidance, for purpose. In answer to her prayers, purpose
fact that they are favored above all by God. Some see found her in the form of a swarm of scorpions inhabited
humankind as a grand failure and a disappointment, by Manishtusu. The Earthbound saw in Demilenko a
while others still hold a kernel of hope that people will worthy thrall, and one whose faith was strong enough to
eventually make their Creator proud and prove that the give it power. Half deranged from heat exhaustion,
Morningstar’s rebellion was a worthwhile and noble dehydration and a lifetime of absorbing one radical
exercise. The rest take a more bitter and simplistic view agenda after another, Annette found the god she had
of God’s clever, hairless apes, lumping them into two searched for her whole life.
groups. Based on what utility the human in question
Emptying her savings of everything her parents had
represents to the demon making the distinction, the
left her in their wills, Demilenko established the Blind
two groups include humans who serve demonkind in
Samaritan Foundation. She maintains the foundation
some way and free-willed humans who are likely too
more or less as a “farm” for future thralls or servitors of
ignorant to even recognize the presence of demons all
her bizarre god, as well as a means of identifying possible
around them.
vessels to house her master’s fallen subjects when they
THRALLS AND SERVITORS emerged from the Abyss. She takes an active role in
leading the BSF, even living in an apartment next door
ANNETTE DEMILENKO to its headquarters.
The daughter of Polish immigrants, Annette was Image: Annette would seem like an attractive,
taught at an early age that faith was the most important intelligent, middle-aged woman if not for the subtle, yet
thing in life. Even when she rejected the Christianity of omnipresent gleam of fanatical intensity in her eyes.
She maintains eye contact a bit longer than most
people, and she doesn’t blink quite as often as she
should. Her gestures are bold and expansive, especially
when she’s talking about the good work her foundation
is doing for the community. She dresses in tailored, if
not particularly stylish, professional attire, though she
prefers jewelry with a decidedly Southwestern flare.
Roleplaying Tips: Annette is utterly loyal to
Manishtusu. She doesn’t understand his ultimate goals,
but she would give her life — or anyone else’s —
without hesitation to see him accomplish them. She is
coy and intractable when it comes to discussing her
“religious beliefs,” even with those beings she knows are
fallen, but she showers those whom her master has
allowed to speak with his voice in effusive adulation.
When it comes to those her foundation is designed
to help, she is less personable. She openly pities them all
and refuses to deal with them face-to-face whenever she
can possibly avoid doing so. She unapologetically offers
the exact same amount of assistance to everyone in her
123
8
FEAR TO TREAD
foundation’s care, regardless of their actual need. She Nature: Fanatic

speaks of them to her employees and peers as if they were Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 3, Cha-
somehow less than human. risma 1, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1, Perception 3,
Nature: Visionary Intelligence 2, Wits 3
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Cha- Abilities: Alertness 3, Brawl 1, Dodge 2, Firearms 2,
risma 3, Manipulation 6, Appearance 3, Perception 3, Intimidation 3, Melee 1
Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Resources 2
Abilities: Academics 2, Athletics 1, Bureaucracy 4, Willpower: 4
Computer 2, Empathy 5, Expression 3, Intimidation 1, Powers: Immunity to Revelation
Intuition 3, Investigation 2, Research 3, Security 3,
Technology 2 HENRY DAVID VANDERMEER
Backgrounds: Contacts 2, Resources 4 Henry David Vandermeer is man of education,
Willpower: 5 experience and discipline who has come to regard these
qualities as valueless, bringing him neither satisfaction
Powers: Annette’s Manipulation Trait has been boosted or real power. Only his decades-long servitude to the
by her Earthbound benefactor. Earthbound Enshagkushanna has provided these things,
EDWARD HARVEY and he will do anything to remain in his master’s good
Edward Harvey is a man whose basic desires were graces. Furthermore, he is a clear-headed tactician who
locked away very deep. The only way for him to ap- will do whatever is necessary to win out in a conflict,
proach them is by devolving into a base subservient even if he must sacrifice his companions to do so.
creature, and he considers doing so (in the form of At 63, the Colonel is a fit-looking man of military
service to Enshagkushanna and Henry Vandermeer) bearing with bronzed skin and thick, spiky white hair.
worth the price. He is also at the stage of his devotion His eyes are pale gray, and his scrutiny is unnerving. His
where power and humanity are balanced in him, which tone is clipped and gruff, and his voice carries without
complements Vandermeer superbly. He generally acts his needing to shout. He always appears dressed in a neat
through the Colonel but is capable of taking charge suit and tie, although the cuffs of his shirt and the hem
when necessary. of his trousers are a little too long.
Edward is 45 years old and slightly wrinkled, slightly Nature: Loner
flabby. He has a pleasant face, and his curling hair and beard Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Cha-
are russet with white threads. He wears corduroy jackets, risma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
shirts with long cuffs and high collars and jeans that come Intelligence 4, Wits 4
down over his boots. He appears kindly and non-confronta- Abilities: Academics (Theology) 4, Alertness 2, Aware-
tional. He speaks quietly under normal circumstances and ness 1, Dodge 2, Intimidation 2, Leadership 3, Occult 2,
occasionally corrects people’s grammar. Performance 2, Research 4, Subterfuge 3
Backgrounds: Allies 2, Contacts 2, Followers 3
Willpower: 6
Faith Potential: 3
Powers: Immunity to Revelation
FREE-WILLED MORTALS
LOU BARBER
Lawrence “Lou” Barber grew up in the South of
England in the late 1960s. He was an itinerant kid,
drifting in and out of jobs and the occasional appren-
ticeship and otherwise lounging about. In 1982, he
found himself shipped out to the godforsaken wilder-
ness of the Falkland Islands with a rifle in his hand and
orders to go capture some Argentineans. The war didn’t
last long, but he spent another two years in the army
regardless. The experience taught him a few things,
mostly how to shoot and that he really didn’t like people
telling him what to do. He still figured he had to do
something, and with his accumulated money, he started
124
8
CHAPTER FOUR
Roleplaying Tips: Despite his tough exterior, Lou

is actually a pretty likable guy, and he enjoys talking to
people once he’s taken their measure. He started fairly
late in life as an occult researcher, but he has a good eye
for detail and a decent ability to discard what’s actually
crap, so he’s got more practical knowledge than other
demon-hunters. Although he is loyal to his newly
formed group, his many years of self-sufficiency have
made him somewhat overconfident when he does find
himself alone.
Nature: Bravo
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 4, Cha-
risma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3,
Intelligence 3, Wits 2
Abilities: Academics 1, Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Brawl
4, Dodge 3, Drive 1, Firearms 5, Intimidation 2, Intu-
ition 2, Investigation 2, Melee 1, Occult 4, Religion 1,
Stealth 3, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 2
Willpower: 7
Faith Potential: 3
a small furniture-removal business and took up compe-
tition shooting. KORUNA GIBSON
This was all before the run in with Satanists in ’89. It would have been a ridiculous situation — if it had
You can find a lot of strange things moving furniture. It not hurt so much. In Czechoslovakia, Koruna Schechter
wasn’t a major cult or anything he had stumbled into, was a promising young research chemist, working in a
but the members were devout and scary and took some major scientific facility in the city of Brno. It was a good
shaking. It interested Lou enough that he started read- life, although the Communist regime of the time did put
ing deeper and concentrated harder on self-defense some strange restrictions on her work. But then, she was
training. By the time real demons started showing up, literally courted by a visiting scientist and, via strange
the business was long bankrupt, but he was ready. bureaucratic means, ended up going to live in America
as the bride of Tony Gibson. After a wonderful honey-
He met Koruna Gibson and Stanley McIntyre on
moon, she turned her attention to opportunities for
one of his trips to the US, where most major occult
work in the States. None came. Her credentials were
libraries seemed to have ended up — at least those that
not accepted anywhere she tried to use them. One
would allow him to read them. He had already had a
administrator explained that her former employer had
number of encounters with preternatural forces, taken
come under international scrutiny for non-ethical prac-
the law into his own hands on more than one occasion
tices. Ringing back home, she discovered that her
and built up a diverse range of contacts, including
former coworkers had not heard any such thing. It was
journalists and occult practitioners from LA to Rome to
all a mistake, and they could sort it out.
Hong Kong. He was impressed by the priest’s practical-
ity and thought Koruna had potential. They faced a No resolution ever came, though, and frustration
creature together and only narrowly prevailed, which turned to tragedy when her husband died of a massive
showed him that, in these days, acting alone wasn’t heart attack. Not knowing what else to do, she took up
going to work. Stanley invited both Lou and Koruna to a high-school teaching position and moved in with her
continue what they had began, and both readily agreed. husband’s elderly mother. She disliked teaching and
was constantly uncomfortable in her mother-in-law’s
Image: Lou is a gaunt and weather-beaten man
home, but her situation was like a fever-dream she could
with longish fair hair and a moustache. He has a couple
not wake from.
of tattoos on his left arm and one on his butt, but these
aren’t often on display. He dresses conservatively, in And it only got stranger when she uncovered the
trousers and a jacket, cut so as not to restrict his existence of a demon operating out of her school and
movement unduly, and he is obviously both strong and manipulating her students. She tried to tell her admin-
lithe. His English accent is subdued, but it comes out istrators, her few friends and even a local priest, but no
stronger when he’s excited. A knowing glint of amuse- one would believe her. No one, that is, except Stanley
ment in his eye seems a permanent fixture. McIntyre who had been investigating the selfsame
demon Koruna had stumbled across. He helped her get
125
8
FEAR TO TREAD
away from the demon (who was none too happy to have STANLEY MCINTYRE
been discovered), and he came back with her and Lou Stanley McIntyre grew up in a town called Burlington
Barber to help put the demon out of business once and in Connecticut, principally with his mother, as his father
for all. Now, she travels with the two of them doing worked in New York and only came home on weekends.
more of the same good work in other cities, helping It was a strange arrangement, but it seemed to work. He
other victims just like she used to be. was a bright kid, and his mother encouraged an interest
Image: Koruna is of average height, and she has in religion that resulted in him enrolling at the Washing-
kept her figure trim even as she approaches her mid-40s. ton Bible College in Washington, DC, for the study of
She dyes out the slight traces of gray in her hair and divinity, taking the option of combining biblical, linguis-
hides the lines on her face as best she can with makeup. tic and philosophical study with family- and
Like Stanley, she often smiles, but on her, it does not community-support training. At the age of 24, he was
seem forced. Years of living a fragmentary existence in ordained a minister of the Anglican Church and assigned
Middle America have left their mark. Her choice of a position in a small Midwestern town called Starmont.
words and her accent show only faint lingering traces of On arriving, it amused him to see how it matched the
the original Czech, plus an occasional unfamiliarity stereotype of the pleasant-to-a-fault community. Amuse-
with English idiom. ment turned to concern over the next 18 months as he
Roleplaying Tips: Koruna is the most easygoing began to realize the fact that a demon nestled in the heart
and relaxed member of her small demon-hunting group. of the town. He tried to fight it, but he could not and
Her years living in Middle America have exerted an ended up fleeing ignominiously back to the East Coast.
influence on her attitude as well, and she disapproves of With him came Koruna Gibson, a teacher at the local
rebellious or extravagant behavior, but then she re- high school, who had felt the demon’s influence subtly
members her own hardships and figures that youth tainting and corrupting her students.
probably needs all the outlets it can get. She offers Explaining the situation to his superiors in the Church
anyone she meets a friendly smile, unless they are only led him in circles. Sometimes, they seemed to take
actively aggressive — at which point, she addresses him seriously; sometimes, not. He discovered that they
them sternly and somewhat maternally. had assigned another freshly ordained priest to the town
Behind all this, her brain is as sharp as it was back in without so much as a warning about what Stanley had
the old country. She does not, generally speaking, apply been through. Frustrated, Stanley engaged in his own
her knowledge of chemistry toward creating unpleasant research, visiting occult book shops, collaborating with
concoctions for fighting the powers of darkness — though paranormal investigators and even spending many hours
she does keep a few nasty possibilities in the back of her poring over the Internet for any information he could
mind, just in case. She keeps up with scientific news, has find about demons and their influence on this world.
taken up computer studies in the last few years and has Ultimately, this research proved fruitful. He met
started training with a pistol. She also keeps a weather eye Lou Barber, who claimed to understand what he and
on the logistics of her group’s operations.
Koruna was raised Catholic, though she now treats
religion with a slightly abstract air. She has also decided
that her husband’s death was probably not a result of
demonic influence. It is still a source of sadness, but she
now has more than a little interest in Lou Barber. He’s
a wild one, but she feels the depths hidden beneath that
brash exterior.
Nature: Survivor
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Cha-
risma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 3, Perception 3,
Intelligence 4, Wits 2
Abilities: Academics 4 (Modern Science), Alertness 3,
Computer 3, Dodge 2, Drive 1, Empathy 1, Firearms 1,
Intimidation 1, Intuition 1, Linguistics (Native: Czech;
English) 1, Occult 3, Religion 2, Research 3, Science 4
(Chemistry), Stealth 2, Subterfuge 2, Technology 3
Willpower: 6
Faith Potential: 3
126
8
CHAPTER FOUR
Koruna had encountered, and he showed them some of Medicine 2, Melee 1, Occult 2, Religion 4, Research 1,
the things that could be done about it. Although Stealth 1, Technology 1
skeptical, the three of them ended up traveling back to Willpower: 8
Starmont, and this time, they prevailed against the Faith Potential: 4
monster. Stanley was offered his post back (to the
dismay of the priest that had replaced him), but he ALICIA RHOWES
declined. Now, he travels with his new friends, looking Alicia seems so unlikely a candidate for juvenile-
for the scant signs of demonic influence, coming up detention that in the past, new faculty members of the
blank more often than not. Sometimes, the Church Marshall School have assumed that there was some
acknowledges his role, and sometimes, it doesn’t, but he dreadful mistake.
figures that unless it threatens to excommunicate him, Yet, there was no mistake. At 14, Alicia stabbed her
he’ll just keep doing what he’s doing. drunken, abusive father as he tried to strangle her with
Image: Stanley is a burly man in his early 30s, with a curtain cord. She waited until she was sure he was
skin turned ruddy by the sun and a full head of black dead, then called the police, making a full confession.
hair that seems to curl no matter how short he tries to She thought she’d probably go to prison and then to
keep it. He grins naturally, but a closer inspection Hell, but that was okay because her mother and baby
reveals the expression is a badly maintained façade. brother would be alright.
His eyes look haunted, and his face is sunken, the skin However, the court that tried her sentenced Alicia
looking almost loose. He speaks carefully, weighing to the Marshall School until she turned 18 on the
his words and turning a frankly inquisitive stare on grounds it was the best thing that could be done for her.
whoever he is addressing. His voice retains a recogniz- She was sensitive, gifted and highly traumatized, and
able East Coast accent. He usually dresses casually, in her counselor in the school, Mary Blacksmith, took the
jeans and large colorful jumpers, but he does wear his frightened young girl under her wing. Now, two years
vestments as required. later, Alicia is studying advanced math and science on
Roleplaying Tips: Stanley once had a sense of day leave at the local college. She anticipates winning
humor, but now, he does not. He is doing the Lord’s a scholarship and is no longer convinced that she is
work, and he understands that it is hard and dangerous going to Hell. She just believes that the Earth is a
and that there is little reward in this life. The part of him battleground between God and the forces of evil.
that is most in touch with modern life acknowledges the With her scholastic ability and odd manner, Alicia
absurdity — the melodrama — of the situation, but he would be marginalized even in an ordinary school, but
doesn’t let that distract him. she has achieved a kind of acceptance among the street
Most particularly, he wants to be sure. He has a thugs and underage prostitutes due to her willingness to
great fear of acting rashly, yet he knows that he has always explain things and help out.
to act regardless. The tricks of the enemy are many, Image: Alicia is a skinny, nervous 16-year-old with
and he has a great responsibility. He is also aware that red hair and a sprinkling of freckles, and she is seldom
he is the youngest of the three demon-hunters in his out of arm’s reach of a book. Her voice holds a touch of
group, and he’s only the leader because of his holy the trailer park of her childhood, but her perception and
training. But he also knows, if only tangentially, that intelligence are obvious.
when he acts, he does so decisively, content in his Roleplaying Tips: Alicia thinks she is slightly psy-
faith in the Lord. chic, and her faith in God is very real. She is not devoted
Nature: Visionary to any particular church although she has absorbed a
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Cha- great deal of the basic tenets of Catholicism. What is
risma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 3, important is the individual’s choice, every day, to strive
Intelligence 3, Wits 4 against corruption. She is an excellent judge of character
Abilities: Academics 3 (Theology), Alertness 3, Brawl 2, and motive, and she’s hard to deceive. Beneath the
Dodge 3, Drive 3, Empathy 4, Etiquette 2, Intuition 3, timidity lies tremendous strength, and her loyalty to her
Leadership 1, Linguistics (Native: English, Hebrew) 1, friends and principles is well nigh unbreakable.
127
8
FEAR TO TREAD
128
8
89.132.65.203

DTF - Fear To Tread Digital

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

DTF - Fear To Tread Digital

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

DTF - Fear To Tread Digital

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

89.

BY DAVID CARROLL, PATRICK O’DUFFY AND KYLA WARD

© 2003 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduc-

WHAT IS HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

NAME: NATURE: ROGUE HOUSE: NAMARU

NAME: NATURE: SURVIVOR HOUSE: RABISU

NAME: NATURE: ADDICT HOUSE: NEBERU

NAME: NATURE: VISIONARY HOUSE: ASHARU

NAME: NATURE: CAREGIVER HOUSE: HALAKU

INTRODUCTION unless they find some fetter to which to anchor

SEARCHING MARY’S HOUSE The characters’ players must succeed on a Dexterity

security booth stands just before that with a single

generally have to go through a vetting process and be SUPPLEMENTING THESE EFFORTS

INTRODUCTION the expected norms of human behavior so that he can

STORYTELLER CHARACTERS They were involved in dealing with the Marshall

THE INFERNAL COURT

be reasonably assumed that these people already

treated in the burn ward, but he is not expected to last

He that has eyes to see and ears to hear may convince

the characters to pull themselves together and get

foundation’s care, regardless of their actual need. She Nature: Fanatic

Roleplaying Tips: Despite his tough exterior, Lou

You might also like