PREVIEW MAY ONLY BE USED WITH PRIOR PERMISSION The Background he cold pierced my emaciated She saw me do it, staring accusingly, as if body. The windPREVIEW swirled along the she understood I had just signed her death streets, sweeping awayMAY the ONLYsnowy BE USEDwarrant. At first, I thought about leaving sheets covering countlessWITH PRIOR frozen bod PERMISSION- her there, but the reproachful gaze made ies. A twisted, white-grey hand pro- me wrap her in Yury’s coat, place her on his truded from the icy mass of corpses, sleigh, and take her with me. We crossed the beckoning to me with crumpled Griboyedov Canal and came up Dekabristov fingers. Far away, the artillery thun- Street. Two people staggered along the wall dered. But here, only the wind could of the house across the road. A patrol guarded be heard. The bitter chill dulled all the crossing by the Opera House, its stone other sounds. I stepped through steps covered with frozen corpses. the dark doorway, descending the I passed the enclosure, the sentries on the stairs. The stove stood cold when I bridge, and then turned left towards Kalenko’s entered the small cellar. I saw Yury’s twisted body house. Two sagging guards stood outside the on the floor. Dead. I turned him over to confirm. T gate. They barely looked at me when I knocked His bony face was grey-white and hollow. Magda on the door. An old man opened it. I placed the lay curled up in his lifeless arms. She glanced sleigh with Magda on it in front of the gate and up at me with empty eyes. But she was alive. I stumbled backwards. Those who entered Kalen- freed her gently from the deathly embrace and ko’s doors seldom came back out again. The old lifted her up. She said nothing. man gave me a toothless grin, lifted the girl with Two ration cards lay inside Yury’s coat. I one arm as if she were a light package, and then pocketed Yury’s cards for myself, hesitated shut the gate behind him. I staggered back over a moment, and then took Magda’s as well. the bridge through the snowy drizzle.

6 The Background Leningrad in 1941

The Black Madonna begins in the besieged city of Leningrad Empire and remained so until 1918. It was the central scene for during the Second World War. Cut off by the German Weh- the Russian ‘February’ Revolution, but eventually lost its role as rmacht for over nine hundred days, hundreds of thousands capital back to Moscow, Russia’s traditional capital. died of starvation and cold. Completely isolated, the popula- Between the years 1914–24, the city was called Petrograd. It finally tion endured ceaseless bombing raids and artillery barrages. received its current name of Leningrad. In the common tongue, it The death and suffering throughout Leningrad brought down is still called Piter. the boundaries between Inferno and Elysium. This rift in the Illusion allowed Chagidiel, the Death Angel, to incarnate. The 900 Days Chagidiel planned to physically move himself and his Citadel to Leningrad, thus recreating his Inferno in our reality. In Len- The Soviet Union in 1941 bears Stalin’s mark. The dictator has ingrad 1941, the Death Angel incarnated into three people. The cleaned out all opposition, imprisoned real and imaginary ene- three Incarnates worked to spread insanity and break down mies, and holds the country in the grip of terror. Major changes the human will in order to change the entire city into a portal occurred between 1937 and 1938, as virtually all the city’s leaders to Inferno. Already teetering on the edge of hell, the amount of are exiled to Siberia or killed by firing squad. suffering required to forever transform Leningrad was danger- On July 22, 1941, Germany invades the Soviet Union. While the ously low. attack is not unexpected, the Soviet army remains weak, and The three Incarnates focused on children, as children were the Germans rapidly drive their way deep into Russia. The Luga the last humans who allowed their dreams and hopes to die. River forms a demarcation line, 100–150 kilometers south of Aided by a former nobleman who had sunk to worshipping Leningrad. This stalemate continues until the 8th of August when Chagidiel, they opened an orphanage in the central part of the Germans cross the river and advance on the city proper. the city. There, they exposed their victims to diabolic tortures, Leningrad’s defenders quickly recognize the threat of a pro- forcing them to torment each other other and engage in acts longed siege. Finnish troops are pressing in from the north, and of cannibalism. The Incarnates raised the dead back to life and Soviet supply-lines can easily be cut off. On the 18th of July, food turned the children into monsters, which were then released rationing begins in the city and surrounding areas. into the besieged city to steal and kill. On the 30th of August, the Germans cut off any means of resup- Chagidiel could not recreate hell through his own power, so he plying the city. Heavy artillery bombardments and bombings bestowed his influence onto desperate people. Their insanity become increasingly common in September. On the 8th of Sep- spread like a disease, breaking through the barrier of death by tember, German forces encircle Leningrad and the city’s central, will alone. food warehouses are destroyed. Following this, all remaining food supplies are distributed across the city. The Germans However, Chagidiel’s Incarnates were obstructed by the Black march across the countryside south of Leningrad, where many Madonna – the Archon Binah – who had possessed a certain refugees have fled for shelter, and drive them into the city. On amount of control over Russia for the last two thousand years. the 17th of September, the Germans occupy the town of Ligovo, She viewed the Death Angel as a threat to Leningrad’s stability PREVIEWlocated just south of Leningrad. Barbed wire fences, trenches, and undermined Chagidiel’s position until he was forced to MAY ONLYand BE defensive USED lines are constructed, while anti-tank barricades retreat. However, his Incarnates hid within three of the orphan- block the streets. age’s children and remained in our world, inWITH the hope PRIORa more PERMISSION opportune moment would arise. By November, the lack of food becomes an increasing hardship for the people trapped in Leningrad. Rations are reduced to That opportune moment arrives in 1991, as the crumbling one-quarter kilogram of bread per day for workers and one- Soviet Union is threatened by civil war. The player characters eighth kilogram for normal citizens. Soldiers defending the front are ensnared in the Death Angel’s attempt to once again trans- lines receive twice as much. Famine soon sets in. form Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) into his personal hell. To stop him, they must return to the past and force him back into On November 19th, an ice-road opens across the frozen Lake Inferno. Ladoga, allowing food supplies and munitions to be trans- ported into the city. However, these meager supplies aren’t enough to relieve the rampant starvation. Over one hundred Leningrad in 1941 thousand people are evacuated from Leningrad over the ‘Road In 1941, Leningrad is a city of three million inhabitants, and is the of Life’ that winter. center of the Soviet Union’s industrial strength. From the splen- With food supplies at a minimum, most of the city’s pets, rats, did architecture and monuments at its heart, the city spreads and crows are eaten within a few weeks. It is a particularly bru- outward in enormous neighborhoods of industrial complexes tal winter and electricity is reduced to the last reserve genera- and tenement buildings. To the south, the Kirov Works factory tor. People build fires in their small stoves with minimal wood complex features the rubber-producing Krasny Treugolnik plant, rations. They stay indoors, trying to conserve the little energy as well as the city’s wharves and docks. Several train stations remaining to them. Leningrad becomes a dead city. During the connecting rail lines from all directions are located on the out- coldest winter months, two to three thousand people die each skirts of the city. day, rising to as many as ten thousand. Founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was built at Mass graves are dug at the cemeteries, but few possess the the cost of thousands of conscripted workers’ lives, earning it strength to carry the dead. Bodies are piled up in parks, the name, “the city built on bones.” By 1709, the city – commonly along the streets, and in open fields. The hospitals trans- called Piter – had become the capital of the Russian form into makeshift morgues. When spring finally arrives, the citizens quickly bury their dead to

Leningrad in 1941 7 avoid widespread illness. Small outbreaks of cholera and The Death Angel other diseases emerge, but never reach epidemic levels. Descends The casualty rate diminishes during the spring and food rations are slightly increased. Although the worst is appar- On September 13, 1941, the German Luftwaffe penetrate Lenin- ently over, Leningrad’s population has been decimated to grad’s air defenses and heavily bombard the city. Entire neigh- only a few hundred thousand. borhoods are destroyed, hundreds killed, and starvation draws horribly closer. Desperate, Nikolay Kalenko decides to use In January of 1943, Soviet forces reclaim the town of family’s cursed Black Bible. Nikolay’s wife and daughters beg Schlüßelburg and open a railway line, allowing limited him not to use the book, reminding him of how the youngest train movement and supply shipments into Leningrad. The daughter disappeared a couple of years earlier. Nikolay suc- blockade continues until the German forces retreat in Jan- cumbs to Chagidiel’s influence anyway. In secret, he opens uary of 1944, but the mass deaths never rise to the levels the book and reads the passage his father once told him was of the siege’s first winter. the most powerful and dangerous. He drenches the book with blood, watching it disappear into the dark, leather binding. Kalenko’s Curse That night, the moon turns black over the city. Originally from Yaroslavl, Josef Kalenko lost his ancestral The following morning, a well-dressed man knocks on the lands due to a heritage dispute. Using his small fortune, he Kalenkos’ gate. He introduces himself as Ivan Sergeyevich relocated the Kalenko family to St. Petersburg in the 1740s. Pogodin, a distant relative from Yaroslavl. Nikolay greets him For the next three hundred years, the family resided in the with a warm embrace. The rest of the family sense something then Russian capital. is wrong. They are correct, as Pogodin is actually the incar- nated Death Angel, Chagidiel. Since the Middle Ages, the Kalenkos had possessed an old book written in nearly-incomprehensible, Cyrillic text. Pogodin integrates himself into the Kalenkos’ household. He According to family legend, the book was an antiquity bible uses Nikolay’s contacts to join the city council and administra- written in the early-Armenian language. Whenever the tion. After a couple of weeks, he is assigned as the coordinator family encountered any kind of danger, the family patriarch of wood supplies for the city’s inner areas. He makes contacts would take out the book. While reading chosen passages, everywhere and completely takes control over the Kalenko he would cut his hand and allow the blood to drip on the family. Nikolay’s wife, Yelena, is put to work in the black mar- book’s leather binding, where it would soak in and disap- ket, while his daughter, Katya, becomes Pogodin’s mistress. His pear. Without fail, a few hours later, a stranger appeared at father, Leonid, is thrown out of the house and dies of hunger the house and offered his assistance to the family. After the and cold. Over time, Nikolay becomes little more than a whim- danger passed, the stranger disappeared again. In payment pering servant. for his support, the family granted the stranger some of After a couple of months, Chagidiel – as Pogodin – secures his their servants, none of whom were seen again. position in Leningrad’s city government. He decides to incar- In truth, the book was an artifact, proofPREVIEW of the Kalenkos’ nate into two additional bodies as well, to wield triple the polit- pact made with Chagidiel, the Death Angel,MAY back in theONLY Dark BEical power USED during the coming winter crisis. He instructs Kalenko Ages. It was not written in Armenian orWITH Georgian, PRIOR but rather PERMISSIONhow to perform the required ritual, not hiding his glee at how the language spoken by the condemned in Inferno. The it would inflict additional pain to the man. Chagidiel chooses to family patriarch taught his eldest son which phrases to read incarnate into and replace Aleksandr Garudin and Yury Ignatiev, on different occasions, as well as the grim payment Chagi- two prominent party members. diel demanded for his services. Sometimes, the Death Angel On the evening of October 31, Nikolay invites Garudin and accepted livestock as his tribute, but typically the Death Ignatiev to his home and lures them down to the basement, Angel demanded the servants or their children. Occasion- where they are chained and handcuffed. He sacrifices his ally, he required one of the family’s own children. daughter Katya to sanctify the basement, smearing her blood With Chagidiel’s support, the Kalenkos maintained their over the walls and floor. The subsequent ritual involves Garudin wealth and privilege following the Russian Revolution. and Ignatiev being forced to consume the dismembered girl’s Nikolay Kalenko, the family patriarch, received a position in intestines. the city’s administration. In 1937, he called upon the Death That evening, Kalenko’s basement temple becomes a portal Angel’s assistance to avoid Stalin’s purges. The razide who between Chagidiel’s Citadel and Leningrad. Razides come protected the family took Nikolay’s daughter in compensa- forth and drag Garudin and Ignatiev away to be torn apart and tion. He lost a bit of his mind then, and was never quite the remade as purgatides – eternal prisoners of Inferno. Chagidiel same. himself possesses their bodies, and two new Incarnates are When the famine began in 1941, Nikolay once again des- born in Leningrad. From that moment forward, Kalenko’s house perately turned to the book for help. However, this time the remains an open portal to Inferno. answer came not from one of Chagidiel’s lowly servants. Aleksandr Garudin is responsible for the care of Leningrad’s Instead, the Death Angel himself manifested, as Leningrad’s orphaned children. He renovates Kalenko’s house into one pain and suffering had severely weakened the border of Leningrad’s largest orphanages. Hundreds of children are between our world and Inferno. Nikolay was enslaved by the brought to the old house on Vasilyevsky Island. Although they Incarnate and the family slowly destroyed, as his wife and receive enough food to survive, they are relentlessly tortured by daughters were transformed into nepharites for the Death the Incarnates and the surviving Kalenkos, who are now com- Angel’s pleasure. pletely insane.

8 The Background Yelena Kalenko organizes kidnappings to supply and sell human cousin’s seven-year-old girl Magda, barely alive. He takes her flesh on the black market. Many of the orphanage’s children to the orphanage at Kalenko’s house and leaves her there. transform into monsters, who nightly stalk Leningrad’s streets On the way home, he encounters a woman on Lieutenant to steal food, ration cards, and fuel, as well as murder and Schmidt Bridge. Her face is hidden behind a wool mask; vandalize. commonly used to protect oneself from the bitter cold. Chagidiel systematically tracks down and kills all the servants of The woman tells Nesterov he must paint one final icon other Death Angels and Archons he finds in Leningrad. Through- before he dies. “An icon of me,” she says, removing the wool out December, unaligned party members and military officers mask to reveal obsidian-dark skin. Her face reminds him are murdered. Empowered by the widespread fear, the Incar- of the Black Virgin images he saw during his childhood in nates build a strong defense against other entities attempting to the Ukraine. An instant later, the woman disappears into enter the city and disturb their work. the snowy darkness. Shaken, Nesterov returns to his small apartment on Kaznacheyskaya Street and starts working on The Night of the icon of a Black Madonna. New Year’s Eve The Man On the night of New Year’s Eve, 1941, hope aban- dons Leningrad. The few remaining lights go out in in the Cathedral churches and cathedrals. On the icons, the faces of Ivan Chezenko, a priest, resides in a 16th-century the saints turn black. Twenty priests are found cathedral dedicated to Our Lady of Kaptyeno, the following day, dead by their own located in Kaptyeno, south of Lenin- hands. grad. Chezenko refuses to aban- don it after the rest of the city’s Nikolay Kalenko sacrifices his wife, suburbs are evacuated. Soon, he Yelena, to the Death Angel, before finds himself trapped in the no summoning his two daughters man’s land between the German from Inferno – where they have and Soviet forces. Struck by artil- been tortured for an eternity. The lery-fire, the cathedral is partly three Incarnates transform the dead demolished. Soviet soldiers use women into nepharites, bound to its rooms to inter their dead, serve Chagidiel. unable to take them away. Chagidiel begins transferring his Chezenko prays and waits, Citadel, and thus his true physical helping the medics care for the shape, to Leningrad. He widens the wounded. More frequently, he portal in the Kalenko’s basement, PREVIEW finds himself walking among cracking the Illusion in the central the crypts beneath the cathe- city. The Incarnates raise the dead, MAY ONLY BE USED dral. On one trip, he discovers allowing them to roam the streets, WITH PRIOR PERMISSION a small chapel hidden behind attacking the Russian troops. They rusty, iron bars. It features a are joined by creatures from Inferno, black iron Madonna statue – a relic which pour out from the Kalenkos’ item of 18th-century pilgrims forgotten basement. for more than a century. The Madonna Awakens It is an image of Binah. The statue allows the Archon to contact Chezenko. While the priest Chagidiel can no longer keep his activities secret. The is sitting in the crypt one night, shaking from Archon Binah becomes aware Inferno is threatening the cold, the statue comes to life and speaks to to break through into Leningrad. However, she cannot him. It instructs him to go to Leningrad and to find penetrate Chagidiel’s defenses nor does she have any lictors “the children.” The statue reaches through the rusty bars remaining inside the city. She also instinctively knows children and touches the priest’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. are somehow involved. This allows the Archon to see through Chezenko’s eyes. Unable to physically affect the city, Binah utilizes her ancient Chezenko staggers from the cathedral and into the city, power as a divine figure to mentally control people in Lenin- unsure if he has been dreaming. Making his way through grad, sending them dreams and visions. She eventually finds the network of trenches and barbed-wire fences, he even- two human agents to serve her purposes; Dimi Nesterov and tually reaches Kalenko’s orphanage, the largest in Lenin- Ivan Chezenko. grad. He senses something wrong as he approaches, but is driven forward by the Archon, who wants to see what is The Painter inside its gates. An icon painter prior to the revolution, Dimi Nesterov worked Nikolay Kalenko opens the door for him. He usually never as a doll maker and poster painter for the last twenty years. On admits outsiders, but notices something strange about the New Year’s Eve, 1941, Nesterov finds his cousin Yury Solovjev priest and invites him inside. Entwined with Chagidiel’s dead in a basement by Sadovaya Street. He also discovers his Citadel in Inferno, Kalenko’s house has transformed into a

Leningrad in 1941 9 their connections to Chezenko. Nest- maze of erov explains to the priest what is going on. As soon as he recovers torture chambers and prison cells. sufficiently enough to walk, Chezenko decides they need to go to the Chezenko is paralyzed from the shock, unable to resist cathedral in Kaptyeno. when servants drag him away. He is thrown in with the children, who are now insane and degenerated, so they After leaving Nesterov’s house, Pogodin’s servants catch their scent. can kill him. Fortunately, Binah’s protection causes the They’re forced to flee from razides, nepharites, and monstrous chil- children to fear touching him. dren on their way to the church. But, once inside the black cathe- dral, their pursuers can no longer follow. Pogodin is summoned. The Incarnate immediately becomes afraid. Although, it cannot see the source of Now a lictor, Chezenko begins planning to overcome the Death Chezenko’s power, it realizes the man is a clear and pres- Angel. He secretly contacts people of authority, slandering Chagi- ent threat. With a single blow, Pogodin breaks the priest’s diel’s Incarnates and the Kalenko family. It does not work, as Cha- back and orders him thrown out into the street. Enraged, gidiel hides his activities by erasing all memories of his existence. he punishes Nikolay Kalenko for allowing Chezenko inside Party leaders do not understand whom Chezenko is talking about the house. and dismiss him as a fool. Meanwhile, Chagidiel accelerates the process of trans- A Lictor is Born ferring his Citadel into our world. Neighborhoods around Kalenko’s house become increasingly Ivan Chezenko lies dying in the cold haunted each night, entire buildings snow outside Kalenko’s house. The wavering between the borders of Archon is pleased, having learned Leningrad and Inferno. Citizens are what she needs. But she does no longer aware the area even not wish to lose Chezenko. She exists, blind to its presence. No one sustains his dying body, forcing remembers Kalenko’s orphanage him to drag himself across the anymore. bridge and to the apartments lining Griboyedova Canal. Despite the odds against him, He eventually collapses in Chezenko continues fighting the front of Dimi Nesterov’s door, Death Angel’s machinations. How- begging the Divine for death’s ever, he cannot approach Kalen- blessed release. His pleas go ko’s house without being captured unanswered. and killed, nor can he move freely in the city without risking appre- Nesterov opens the door and PREVIEW hension by Chagidiel’s agents. The discovers Chezenko lying MAY ONLY BE USED situation appears futile. outside in the snow. His guilty conscience has gnawed at WITH PRIOR PERMISSION him since New Year’s Eve, after The Madonna stealing Magda’s ration cards Incarnates and abandoning her at the orphan- Dimi Nesterov stays in the cathedral through- age. Now, he tries to ease his guilt by out February. He works on his icon; a task taking the wounded man inside and laying demanding several weeks’ worth of work. By him on the couch. March, he has almost finished. He notices some- Frost-bitten and suffering a broken back, thing strange with the painting. The icon’s black Chezenko appears to have little hope of sur- face reminds him of Magda – his cousin’s daughter, viving. Yet, the Archon desires her new servant who he abandoned at the orphanage. Indeed, the lon- to live. Much to Nesterov’s amazement, the priest ger he gazes at the icon, the more certain he becomes it’s the recovers over the next few weeks. Blinded by the girl’s face. He goes to the crypt beneath the cathedral, where he Illusion, he remains unaware of the transformation studies the wrought-iron Madonna statue. Indeed, its features actually taking place before him. are uncannily similar to Magda’s. Chezenko, however, is forced to watch as his head and Ivan Chezenko becomes thoughtful after Nesterov tells him body swell obscenely, his hair falls out in clumps, and this. He instructs the painter to return to Kalenko’s house and the discolored skin stretches. Even his human feelings get the child back. Nesterov refuses at first, fully aware of dull and vanish. After two weeks, his transformation the danger this task poses. Chezenko reveals his true Lictor is complete and Binah possesses a new lictor inside appearance, threatening Nesterov with horrible punishment if Leningrad. he refuses. Terrified, Nesterov obeys and ventures into the city. While Chezenko recovers at Nesterov’s home, Pogo- Following the deadly winter, the people of Leningrad have din’s men search the city for the priest. Over two hun- emerged from their shelters and are cleaning up the ruined dred people are arrested, tortured, and killed; officially streets. Bodies are collected and taken to ever-growing mass ­designated as German spies, but actually because of graves at the local cemeteries. Nesterov makes his way to

10 The Background Bolshaya Neva and crosses the bridge to Kalenko’s house. He are the three children containing Chagidiel’s Incarnates: Anatoly, notices how the cleaning crews unconsciously avoid the area, Sasha, and Filip. moving in circles, and behaving as if it did not exist. Nesterov When Chagidiel’s Citadel fades away from Leningrad, Kalenko’s approaches a group of women and soldiers who are clearing house also disappears. The two adjoining houses sides slide along the river, and explains to them there is a house nearby together, as if there’d never been a house between them. Left requiring their attention before the temperature rises. Finally, remaining on the street are Nesterov, Chezenko, and some hun- he manages to convince the group to accompany him to dred starved and tortured children. Magda lays nearby, uncon- Kalenko’s house. scious. Upon awakening, she suffers complete amnesia. The They enter the area bordering on Inferno and arrive at Kalen- Archon has gone. ko’s house. It is guarded by two men, actually razides in The children are transported to a temporary camp at St. John’s human guise. They try to prevent the group from entering, Church. Chezenko purges Leningrad of razides and other creatures but are defeated after a brief fight. Inside the house, Nesterov of Inferno. He enlists additional lictors in the city to regain control and the others discover Chagidiel’s Citadel has started to fully over the Soviet party. Dimi Nesterov returns to making his figu- manifest. They are forced into an intense struggle against the rines, creating a series of dolls with Black Madonna faces. house’s nightmarish inhabitants. Eventually, Nesterov locates Magda, half-dead and barely recognizable. He manages to In January 1943, the railway to Schlüßelburg opens. The children escape from the house with her, but barely understands what are evacuated and end up in a refugee camp outside Moscow. just happened. Aside from them, only two badly wounded women are able to escape the house while the others are left Camp S-17 behind. The survivors say nothing to each other; simply going Refugee Camp S-17 in Vladykino is located outside Moscow, built their separate ways, as if nothing happened. for civilians escaping from the German offensive. The children Nesterov and Magda manage to return to the black cathedral, from Kalenko’s house remain here until after the war ends. Most where Chezenko greets them. Magda has been transformed of them are severely psychologically disturbed; several suffer from into a half-human predator. She fails to recognize Nesterov physical changes, so they barely appear human. The camp admin- when he tries to calm her. However, she can see through the istration is frightened by these disfigured, aggressive children, and Illusion, allowing her to view Chezenko’s true form. has no idea how to care for them after what they have endured. Meanwhile, Chagidiel becomes aware someone has entered As such, the children are locked in cages and treated like animals. his Citadel’s inner rooms. He sends his servants out into Some fall into apathy, while others become aggressive and start Leningrad to them hunt down. However, he cannot see the abusing their comrades, just as they did at Chagidiel’s prompting. black cathedral, which is hidden by the Archon’s power. This alarms the camp administration even further, and the children are eventually segregated in a guarded barrack on the camp’s Chezenko takes Magda down to the cathedral’s crypt, where perimeter. the black-iron statue waits. He locks the door, leaving her in the crypt for three days and nights. She PREVIEWis not frightened, simply relieved to have escaped from hell. DuringMAY the next ONLY BE USEDThe Clinic three days, the Archon opens a mental link to the cathedral. Ultimately, the most disturbed children are transferred to a psychi- Magda’s shattered mind allows her to open aWITH portal. On PRIOR atric PERMISSION clinic in Moscow. Dr. Natalya Tatlina, who specializes in war the third night, the wall between worlds collapses and the injuries in children, operates the clinic. The treatment methods Archon’s presence enters the girl’s body. She has become an are primitive, involving electrical shocks and use of experimental incarnate of the Black Madonna. She breaks the crypt’s door drugs. Patients make very little progress in the years following the into pieces and walks up into the cathedral. war. In 1951, the East German government invites Dr. Tatlina to start a The Death Angel’s special mental clinic for the incurably ill in Frankfurt. She accepts Escape the offer and brings most of her current patients to Germany, Binah’s Incarnate goes to Kalenko’s house, together with including forty-four children from Kalenko’s house. By now, they Chezenko and Nesterov. When they cross Lieutenant Schmidt are between 12 and 20 years old. Among the transferred patients Bridge, Chagidiel senses the Archon approaching. It prepares is Magda, as well as Anatoly, Sasha, and Filip – the three children to hide, if it becomes necessary to do so. After they enter containing Chagidiel’s hidden Incarnates. the house, the Madonna orders Nesterov and Chezenko to In the Frankfurt clinic, some of the children begin exhibiting signs prevent anyone from leaving the house, even the children. of recovery. Although having lost the Archon’s mental strength, The Archon forces the Death Angel’s Citadel out of Lenin- Magda manages far better than most of them. Anatoly, Sasha, and grad, and then searches for the three Incarnates. But she Filip are seriously deformed and incurably insane, but their Incar- cannot find them. They have hidden themselves inside three nates remain conscious enough for them to act normally. As such, children, and suppressed their true natures so Binah cannot the four children are discharged in 1958, and then move to Berlin. detect them. At first, they meet together regularly. Later, Magda is repelled by the Dimi Nesterov does not obey the Archon’s commands. He other three, who are becoming increasingly violent as Chagidiel’s discovers rooms filled with children living in terrible condi- Incarnates fully awaken. tions. Sympathetic, he leads as many of them as possible out of the house. Among these escapees

Leningrad in 1941 11 ◊◊In 1961, he founds the Slavic Association together with Four Destinies Sasha, Filip, and Magda. ◊By 1965, he becomes an investigator for the Stasi – East Anatoly, Sasha and Filip, all carrying the Death Angel’s Incarnates ◊ Germany’s secret police. within them, never lose contact with each other. Sometimes, they also contact Magda. Their intertwined destinies gradually drag ◊◊In 1967, he is investigated on allegations of having tor- the player characters into the campaign’s plot. tured and sexually abused prisoners. The case is hushed up and no charges are pressed. Magda Orlova ◊◊In 1969, he is promoted to department chief within the Stasi. ◊◊In 1958, Magda leaves the mental hospital and moves to ­Berlin. While in her mid-twenties, she settles in the ◊◊In 1972, he arranges for Magda’s imprisonment, fearful Prenzlauer­straße district and starts working at an antique she will cause trouble for him and the other two. He bookstore specializing in Slavic literature. She often sees arranges for her to be murdered in prison, but she mirac- Anatoly, Sasha and Filip. ulously escapes death. ◊In 1978, he is promoted to Chief of Stasi’s Internal Affairs. ◊◊In 1961, she begins a brief relationship with Filip. Together ◊ with the three friends, Magda participates in the founding of He becomes interested in black magic and studies under the Slavic Association. Nigel Harcombe, an English death magician living in exile. The Slavic Association gradually becomes an occult ◊◊By 1962, Magda’s relationship with Filip enters a destructive organization. period; she loses her job and they begin drinking heavily. It ends after Filip opens a portal to Inferno, destroying an ◊◊In 1984, he begins collaborating with the Germanische entire apartment building in a huge conflagration. Both of Gemeinschaft – a German, neopagan organization. He them are committed to a mental hospital. functions as a link between neo-Nazis in East and West Germany. ◊◊In 1964, Magda is discharged from the hospital and returns to her former job. She marries Lev Orlov, the bookstore’s ◊◊In 1986, he is warned by the Stasi leadership to keep his owner, and moves into a large apartment near Spandau- occult activities quiet so he does not damage the organi- erstraße. Over the next few years, the couple is frequently zation’s reputation. terrorized by the jealous Filip, who threatens to kill Lev. ◊◊By 1989, realizing East Germany is collapsing, he leaves ◊◊In 1968, Lev is found dead with black boils all over his body. his post in the Stasi and deletes all files regarding his Magda is institutionalized from the mental shock. past. He fabricates a new life for himself. Falsified doc- uments list him as having been an investigator for the ◊◊In 1971, Magda is discharged and reopens the bookstore. city’s agricultural administration since the 1960s. She suspects that Filip may have caused Lev’s death, avoid- ing him – as well as Anatoly and SashaPREVIEW – at all costs. She ◊◊In 1990, the Incarnate within him fully awakens. Anton becomes active in oppositional circuits andMAY writes ONLYa book BE USEDsuffers from nightmares and his old memories resurface. about reviving Nazism in East Germany, which receives a lot He contacts Magda Orlova. of attention in the West, where it is published.WITH PRIOR PERMISSION ◊◊In 1972, she is arrested as a threat to national security. Aleksandr Pogodin (Sasha) ◊◊In 1977, Magda is released from prison and deported to West Germany. ◊◊In 1958, Sasha leaves the mental hospital. He moves to Berlin where he adopts the surname of Pogodin, the only ◊By 1978, she opens a new antique bookstore in West Berlin. ◊ name he remembers from his childhood. Initially, he She occasionally works for West Germany’s intelligence makes his living through petty theft and fencing stolen service, and studies economics and political science. goods. ◊In 1980, she moves to Hamburg. During the 1980s, she earns ◊ In 1961, he participates in the founding of the Slavic a living as a freelance journalist and political reporter. She ◊◊ Association. publishes a thesis on the black market economy in East Germany in 1986, which receives some public attention. ◊◊In 1962, he starts fencing on a larger scale for the black market. By year’s end, he becomes one of East Berlin’s ◊In 1990, she returns to Berlin following the fall of the Berlin ◊ prominent black-marketers. He starts dealing in drugs. Wall. There she meets Anton, Sasha, and Filip for the first time in fifteen years. They convince her to become active ◊◊In the 1970s, he builds a lucrative, criminal organization in the Slavic Association again. She renews her relationship with ties to the Russian mafia. With Anton’s help, he with Filip. avoids intervention from the Stasi and local authorities. ◊◊In 1978, he meets Nigel Harcombe and becomes inter- Anton Mahler (Anatoly) ested in black magic. ◊◊In 1958, Anatoly leaves the mental hospital and moves to ◊◊In 1990, much of Sasha’s criminal enterprise collapses Berlin, where he assumes the name Anton Mahler. He lives with the fall of the Berlin Wall. The Incarnate awakens, near Alexanderplatz and begins working as a nightshift plaguing him with nightmares. Suppressed memories guard in an industrial area belonging to Spandau Werken. rise to the surface. During the day, he studies and acquires a decent education.

12 The Background Filip Kramer Association. The three Russians do not know they have infected her, unaware of the Incarnates’ increasing ◊◊In 1958, Filip leaves the mental hospital. Assuming the surname influence over them. Magda unknowingly transmits the Kramer, he moves to East Berlin, where he ends up living in same infection to the characters, as they are chosen by the roughest section of Prenzlauer Berg. He tries to make ends Chagidiel to free his Incarnates. meet through begging and petty theft. Over the course of the campaign, the characters ◊◊In 1961, he participates in the founding of the Slavic Associa- become aware the three men are highly immoral and tion. He also begins a brief relationship with Magda. have committed a number of major crimes. Everything ◊◊In 1962, at the end of his turbulent relationship with Magda, directs the characters into fighting back before they end he successfully opens a portal to Inferno. Twenty-two people up in serious trouble themselves. At the same time, Cha- die in the resulting tenement fire. This tragedy results in Filip’s gidiel influences the three men with dreams and visions incarceration at a mental hospital. During his hospitalization, of the characters trying to kill them. This leads them to he meets an insane death magician and becomes interested believe they must attack the player characters before it is in magic. too late. Filip knows the characters through Magda. ◊◊In 1965, after his discharge from the hospital, he discovers A magic ritual exists allowing the three Incarnates Magda has married. He becomes tremendously jealous and to leave their host bodies without alerting the Black begins stalking her. He starts using heroin and frequently Madonna, by utilizing mortal fear and pain. Chagidiel experiments with magic rituals. wishes to deceive the player characters into performing this ritual, thus allowing the Incarnates to be released. If ◊In 1968, he murders Magda’s husband, Lev Orlov, with a curse. ◊ the Black Madonna becomes aware of what is transpiring, ◊◊Between 1968 and 1971, he periodically works as an enforcer the ritual’s effect deceives her into believing the characters for Sasha Pogodin. He visits Magda in the hospital and tries to are the Incarnates, so she hunts them instead. The ritual is convince her to forgive him. written within books found at either Magda’s home or with ◊◊In 1978, he convinces Anton to provide Nigel Harcombe free the three Russians. haven in East Berlin. The death magician is wanted in con- Chagidiel recognizes how potentially dangerous the player nection to several ritualistic murders across Western Europe. characters are to him. He also knows Magda once served ◊◊During the 1980s, Filip leads a large group of Satanists in East as the Archon’s tool to foil his plans. Now, he is trying to Berlin. His heroin addiction becomes increasingly difficult to eliminate both threats – Magda and the characters – while control. simultaneously freeing his Incarnates. Once the Incarnates have been released, he plans to trick the Black Madonna’s In 1990, the Incarnate awakens and he begins suffering ◊◊ lictor into pursuing the player characters. As the characters terrible nightmares. As his suppressed memories resurface, bear Chagidiel’s Mark, the lictor will wrongly believe they Filip contacts Magda in an attempt to talk her about them. are the Incarnates’ host bodies. Thus, he diverts the lictor and He convinces her to visit him and thePREVIEW others at the Slavic eliminates the player characters simultaneously. Association. MAY ONLY BE USED WITH PRIOR PERMISSIONThe Incarnates’ Plans After the Incarnates are set loose through the ritual, they begin working toward the physical manifestation of Chagidiel The Return of and his Citadel in Leningrad. They each follow a different path toward achieving this shared goal. the Death Angel One Incarnate enters the Dream-Inferno, where the dreams of The Incarnates remain in their dormant hibernation for several the Leningrad children are held captive. These torturous night- years, consciously waiting until the Black Madonna’s attention mares continually feed the Death Angel’s power. has turned elsewhere. They plan to gradually awaken their Another travels to Russia to prepare a military coup, paving consciousness, as to not warn the Madonna. Then, they will the way for Chagidiel’s political takeover. Assuming the name engineer events so the bodies hiding them are killed. Strelkov, he obtains a post as a lieutenant general in the Soviet Unfortunately, they cannot drive Anton, Sasha, and Filip to sui- Air Forces, taking control of considerable military resources. cide without possibly alerting the Madonna. It is more practical The last and most powerful Incarnate travels to contemporary to arrange events so someone else kills their hosts for them. Leningrad. He creates a mystic link between 1941, present day, This is where the player characters enter the plot. Chagidiel and Inferno. By transporting the war-children from the past wants to trick them into killing the three host bodies his Incar- into the present, he utilizes their suffering to tear down the nates reside within. Illusion; thus opening the way for his Citadel to enter Elysium. As the adventure begins, the three Incarnates have recently To prevent Chagidiel’s Citadel from physically manifesting in awoken to full consciousness. Through the use of dreams and Leningrad, the player characters must defeat his three Incar- false evidence, they intend to deceive the characters into killing nates. To stop them, the characters need to free the captive Anton, Sasha, and Filip. They frame the three men for the death children from both Inferno and Dream, as their physical and of Magda Orlova after killing her through a mystical disease; spiritual anguish provides the Incarnates with unspeakable this is the same illness which soon afflicts the characters. power. If they fail, hundreds of thousands of people will be con- Magda has been infected during a magic ritual at the Slavic demned to endless torment – as Hell literally comes to Earth.

The Return of the Death Angel 13 The World of 1991

Introduction PREVIEW MAY ONLY BE USED The World of 1991 WITH PRIOR PERMISSION­creates ­headlines The decade of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher has ended. around the world, raising public concerns about We have left behind the big beats, the big hair, and big fashion the police’s treatment of minorities. Environmental destruction trends, all of which seemed like a good idea at the time. gains media attention with the ozone hole, global warming, The Cold War is in its final stretch. President Mikhail Gorbachev, nuclear power plant safety, and oil spills in the news. Mean- leader of the Soviet Union, averts a coup d’etat attempt by com- while, people try to tune out the world, losing themselves munist party hardliners, known as the August Putsch. Although in popular TV shows such as Beverly Hills 90210 and The Jerry unsuccessful, the coup ultimately ends Gorbachev’s attempt at Springer Show. political reform, beginning the USSR’s rapid dissolution. Under In the laboratories, the mysteries of our DNA are being President George H. W. Bush, the United States emerges victo- unlocked. We gaze toward the heavens, launching both the rious as the only remaining global superpower. Some political Space Station Freedom and the Hubble Telescope into orbit. scientists, such as Francis Fukuyama, go as far as to proclaim Music is enjoyed on CD, cassette tapes, and vinyl. New, edgy this era as “the end of history,” the endpoint of mankind’s ideo- styles like alt-rock, grunge, and gangsta rap are moving up the logical evolution with liberal democracy as its final, crowning charts. Less avant-garde, but overly popular, eurodance and achievement. europop dominate the airwaves and dancefloors in many parts The Persian Gulf War dominates the headlines and television; of Europe, gaining international attention. Movies are watched a new kind of war with stealth bombers and computer-guided in the cinemas or on rented videotapes, as blockbusters like missiles. The HIV/AIDS epidemic seems impossible to contain Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Ghost capture the world’s and constantly remains in people’s minds. Following the Roma- imagination. nian Revolution, the world becomes aware of the suffering Cell phones exist, but they are rare, prohibitively expensive, and summary mistreatment of children in the country’s packed and as big as bricks. Mobile coverage is limited. Phone booths orphanages. are common, and finding someone’s number requires search- In the United States, the crack epidemic continues ravag- ing the phone book. The Internet is still an experiment in ing inner-city communities. The beating of Rodney ­ King its very early stages. Primitive networks using modems and phone lines exist only for the tech savvy and early adopters.

14 Introduction Movies of 1990–91: Ghost, Pretty Woman, Dances with Wolves, Total Recall, Die Hard 2, Terminator 2: Judge- ment Day, The Silence of the Lambs. [7] Features: Outline the distinguishing features for the character’s appearance. Music of 1990–91: Sinéad O’Connor – Nothing Compares 2 U, Madonna – Vogue, Roxette – It Must Have Been Love, [8] Name: Pick a name. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit, Ice T – New Jack Hustler, [9] Family: Choose a family from the Black Madonna (p. 17). C & C Music Factory – Everybody Dance Now, Depeche [10] Relationship with Magda Orlova: Choose the char- Mode – Violator. acter’s relationship with Magda Orlova from the Black Madonna (p. 18). [11] Possessions: Determine what personal property the Germany in 1991 character owns and their current standard of living. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Germany became a divided nation. In the East, the German Democratic Republic was Dark Secrets a part of the Warsaw Pact, allied with the Soviet Union. In the West, the Federal Republic of Germany was part of the precursor Each player character should possess one Dark Secret from to the European Union (EU), NATO member, and close ally of the the following list. United States. Due to social and political change, the East German regime started to falter together with the Soviet Union, dissolving Broken Childhood not long after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. You are the victim of child abuse and suffer from chronic Despite its reunification in October 1990, the German nation nightmares and periods of melancholy. You are plagued by remains torn. The former East Germany is economically on its the recurring memory of your foster parents trapping you knees, and people divided by two political systems for more than inside a dark closet. As the walls closed in, you screamed 40 years must now accept Chancellor Helmut Kohl as their com- and screamed, clawing your fingers bloody against the mon leader. Citizens are coming to grips with the dramatic changes, door – but they did not let you out. as well as struggling with ingrained suspicions, old grudges, and ◊Have you forgiven your foster parents? an “Us-versus-Them” mentality. But there is also a growing sense of ◊ hope. Long-separated families are reunited, and Germany is becom- ◊◊What marks of abuse do you still have on your body? ing a sovereign nation once more. Mental Illness

You have suffered psychotic episodes, leading to several periods of institutionalization. You now have your regu- lar medication, but still fear losing your grip on the real Player Characters world. You possess few memories from these mental PREVIEWbreakdowns. They’re little more than a blur of padded in the CampaignMAY ONLY BEcells, USED horrible creatures, needles and medication, and an endless cacophony of screams from suffering children. Instead of using the character creation processWITH detailed PRIOR in the KULT: PERMISSION Divinity Lost core rulebook, players should employ the system pre- ◊Who knows about your psychotic episodes? sented below. This is to tie the player characters to the campaign’s set- ◊ ting and theme. A character does not need to be German, but should, ◊◊You always carry your meds with you. What do you at the very least, live and work in Germany. fear might happen should you lose them? Proceed through the following steps and allow the player to choose Secret Past one option from each category. The options under Family and Rela- tionship with Magda Orlova are unique to the Black Madonna, and are You were a secret informer for the Stasi and exposed detailed later in this chapter. Each of these options has questions the “deserters” trying to flee to the West. Now the Berlin Wall player should answer to further define their character. has fallen, you are afraid your secret could come out and people will know you sent entire families to their [1] Dark Secrets: Choose one Dark Secret from the Black Madonna death. (below). Who were the innocents you condemned? [2] Occupation: Choose an Occupation from the Black Madonna (p. 16). ◊◊ Each Occupation corresponds with an Archetype, as detailed in the ◊◊Did anyone you exposed manage to escape? core rulebook. Would they seek revenge? [3] Disadvantages: Select 2 Disadvantages from the core rulebook. Strange Death [4] Advantages: Select 3 Advantages according to the character’s Archetype. Someone close to you died under mysterious circum- stances while in Berlin. Your investigations suggest the [5] Passive Attributes: Assign the modifiers +2, +1, and +0 to Fortitude, cause of your friend’s death was supernatural. They Reflexes, and Willpower. were found with black boils all over their body, and [6] Active Attributes: Assign the modifiers +3, +2, +1, +1, +0, −1, and −2 before dying they told you they were being followed. to Charisma, Coolness, Intuition, Perception, Reason, Soul, and Why was he/she so important for you? Violence. ◊◊ ◊◊Why do you blame yourself?

Player Characters in the Campaign 15 Occult Fascination Diplomatic Attaché [The Careerist]

You possess a deep fixation with the occult. You have read sev- You are a staff member of your country’s embassy in Berlin. It eral books and obscure articles. Thus far, all the rituals you’ve has been a busy time since the fall of the Berlin Wall in Novem- tried to perform have failed. But this has not quenched your ber 1989. You spend your days typing reports, reading docu- obsession. ments, arranging schedules, and organizing meetings. ◊◊What sparked your interest in the occult? ◊◊What is your country of origin and where were you sta- tioned before the Berlin posting? ◊◊Who has suffered for your obsession? ◊◊What illegal activity were you doing on the side, and why Guilty did you stop?

You have committed a crime against a child and are haunted by Languages: Choose native tongue, German (fluent) an unbearable guilt. Professor of History [The Academic] ◊◊Who was the victim? You teach and research military history at the Humboldt Uni- ◊What did you do and why? ◊ versity in former East Berlin. Your focus is the Second World War, and you are revered for your published works regarding Addict the Eastern Front. Your duties include frequent travel and You were addicted to heroin, but managed to get clean. You live research in local archives and official records. with the guilt of the broken relationships, lies, and the crimes you ◊What are you currently working on? committed while sustaining your addiction. Despite your sobriety, ◊ the hunger is never silent. ◊◊How did acquire secret documents from the Soviet War Ministry, whose content made you known in academic ◊◊Who or what saved you? circles? ◊◊Which relationship are you trying to mend? Languages: German (native), Russian (fluent), English (bro- ken), Polish (broken) Flashbacks

Strange memories continually flash before you. They are of peo- Black Marketeer [The Fixer] ple and places you do not know. You have glimpses of a frozen You make sure people get anything they need. During the city, the feeling of terrible hunger, the sounds of explosions in the time of the Berlin Wall, you operated a lucrative business distance, and a haunting, uncontrollable fear. smuggling western contraband into the Eastern Bloc. You ◊◊What situations tend to trigger these memories? could get the latest Michael Jackson album (on cassette or LP), banned literature, fashion magazines, and por- ◊What frightens you the most aboutPREVIEW them? ◊ MAY ONLY BEnographic USED photos. However, the political and economic cli- mate has changed and you are adapting to this new reality. OccupationsWITH PRIOR PERMISSION ◊◊How is your illicit business now? The following Occupations and Archetypes are suitable for the ◊Who do did you betray to escape imprisonment, and Black Madonna campaign. They should all be Aware, rather than ◊ what happened to them? Sleepers or Enlightened. Archetypes with strong personal agendas or are living outside of society (such as The Avenger, The Cursed, The Languages: German (native), Russian (broken), English Broken, etc.) are not recommended, due to the focus of the cam- (broken), Swedish (broken) paign. Also, some Advantages associated with the Internet are not available in 1991. Foreign Legionnaire [The Veteran]

You were a member of the French Foreign Legion (2e REP) Former Stasi Officer [The Agent] between 1983–1988. You participated in peacekeeping You were a low-ranking, intelligence officer for the Stasi, East Ger- operations in Lebanon, as well as several classified mis- many’s notorious secret police. You worked for Administration 12, sions in North Africa. You have been living as a civilian which was responsible for the surveillance of mail and telephone for several years now. communications. After your department was dismantled, you ◊◊What happened to make you join the French For- silently faded into normal society and no one knows your past. eign Legion? ◊◊What kind of job do you have now. Do you miss your old job? ◊◊What line of work (if any) have you pursued lately? ◊◊How do you feel knowing your work resulted in the imprison- Languages: Choose your native tongue, German (flu- ment and/or death of the people you monitored? ent), French (fluent), English (broken) Languages: German (native), English (broken)

16 Introduction Freelance Journalist [The Detective] Family You are a freelance, investigative journalist with articles published Use these rules instead of the ones found in the in several of the major German newspapers and magazines. You KULT: Divinity Lost core rulebook when establishing have insights into many levels of German society – both high and Relations. low. ◊◊What is the pathos of your journalism? Alone with Few Friends ◊What was your biggest professional mistake? You have no family and have always had a hard ◊ time making relationships work. What few friends Languages: German (native), English (fluent) you have remain very dear to you. You have a pet and it gives you some small comfort. Horror Writer [The Artist] ◊Why can’t you handle relationships? You are a writer of horror stories. You strive to reach the heights ◊ What kind of pet do you have? of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, James Herbert, and Peter Straub. ◊◊ You have had two short stories published and are struggling with [Create the pet as meaningful (1) Relation] your first novel. ◊◊Why can’t you finish your novel? Fiancé/Fiancée with a Child on the Way ◊Where do you find your inspiration? You are engaged to be married and have a child ◊ on the way. Your relationship has had its ups Languages: German (native), English (fluent) and downs, but you both dream of a new future together. Rare Book Dealer [The Occultist] ◊Who is your partner? You search for rare books in antique shops, used bookstores, ◊ How do you feel about becoming a parent? estate sales, or on the black market. You then sell these books to ◊◊ private collectors and clients with particular interests. Along the [Create your Fiancé/Fiancée as vital (2) Relation] way, you have come across occult texts and gained insight into the hidden world. Divorced, but Feelings Remain ◊◊What are you hoping to discover in these obscure tomes? You are divorced, but are still in love with your for- ◊Why did your last deal go sideways? mer partner and have been unable to move on with ◊ your life. Languages: German (native), English (fluent), French (bro- ken), Hebrew (broken), Latin (broken), Greek (broken), Arabic ◊◊Who was your spouse? (broken) PREVIEWWhat finally ended your marriage? ◊◊ MAY ONLY[Create BE yourUSED ex as vital (2) Relation] Defected KGB Operative [The Ronin]WITH PRIOR PERMISSION You had a chance to disappear and took it. When the Berlin Family Died in an Accident Wall fell, you faked your death and assumed a West Berliner’s identity. After looking over your shoulder for so long, you have You had the perfect life – a happy family and bright begun to relax and find your stride as a civilian living a normal future. All of a sudden, everything was stolen from you. life. A terrible accident left you alone in the world. You still have their things packed in boxes in your home. ◊◊Why did you choose to defect? ◊◊Who were they? ◊◊Who’s identity did you assume? What did he/she do? And what did you do to them? ◊◊Who was responsible for the accident? Languages: Russian (native), German (fluent), English (fluent) [Create a supportive friend as meaningful (1) Relation]

Literary Agent [The Deceiver] Single with Lots of Casual Sex

You are a literary agent working for Goldmann Arkana, a You spend much of your free time in the bars and clubs publishing company which specializes in esoteric and “New of Hamburg and Berlin. You frequent the new techno Age” literature. You recently started your new position and are clubs, such as Tresor, as well as far seedier establish- eager, some would say desperate, to prove yourself. ments. Accompanied by beats, strobes, and smoke, you constantly prowl for carnal pleasures. ◊◊What did you do to get your position at Goldmann Arkana? ◊◊What kind of lovers do you wake up next to in the mornings? ◊What keeps you awake at night? ◊ ◊Who broke your heart? Languages: German (native), English (fluent), French (fluent), ◊ Russian (broken) [Create your favorite party friend as meaningful (1) Relation]

Player Characters in the Campaign 17 Joyless Marriage Knows Her through Her Journalism

You live in a cold and joyless marriage. You have found an You got to know Magda Orlova in the 1980s, during her time uneasy peace with your spouse, but there are more things as a freelance journalist and political reporter in Hamburg. separating you than holding you together. It has been months She wrote several articles about the black market in East or years since you have been intimate. Germany. Since then, you have kept a friendly, if irregular, correspondence. ◊◊Why haven’t you left? [Neutral (0) Relation] ◊◊What aspects of your marriage do you loathe the most? Requirement: You were in Germany during the 1980s and [Create your spouse as a meaningful (1) Relation] have a connection to either the black market or the journal- ism profession. Destructive Relationship You are in a passionate, yet destructive, relationship. There are Got to Know Her through endless conflicts, heated arguments, and hurt feelings. Somehow, Her Antique Bookstore though, you always wind up together again. Plus, the sex is great. Magda owned an antique bookstore in East Berlin between ◊◊What did you have to give up for the relationship? 1971–72, and then reopened it in West Berlin between 1977– ◊◊What was the unlikely place where you met the first time? 1980. You came to know her during your many visits. [Create your significant other as a vital (2) Relation] [Neutral (0) Relation] Requirement: You were in East or West Berlin at some Abusive Marriage point during the bookstore’s existence.

You are in an abusive marriage. Minor disagreements or simply a bad day at work tend to result in physical violence or even hospi- Friend of a Friend tal visits. Your relationship is fueled by anger and fear. Your friend, or partner, knows Magda Orlova and you have ◊Are you the victim or the perpetrator? met her a number of times, but haven’t developed any close ◊ personal relationship. ◊You had a child, but it is deceased. What happened? ◊ [Neutral (0) Relation] [Create your spouse as a vital (2) Relation] Requirement: Have spent a couple of years in Germany. Happy Marriage Helped You Out You live in a happy and giving marriage. It feels like the world is on your side and nothing can go wrong.PREVIEW The only cloud in the sky Magda helped you during a bad time of your life. Perhaps is you have been unable to have children, but you keep trying. she took you in and let you stay with her, she helped you People look at your marriage with great envy.MAY ONLY BEwith USED financial problems, or made a similar gesture of com- passion. You have a strong sense of gratitude toward her. ◊Who is your spouse and what makesWITH her/him soPRIOR wonderful? PERMISSION ◊ [Meaningful (1) Relation] ◊What is your favorite thing to do together? ◊ Requirement: Have spent a couple of years in Germany. [Create your spouse as a vital (2) Relation] Former Lover Relation with You and Magda were once lovers. It was a troubled affair, Magda Orlova but came to an amicable conclusion. You still remember Magda Orlova plays an essential role at start of the campaign, as her with great fondness and have kept in touch ever since. meeting with her pulls the player characters into its unfolding [Meaningful (1) Relation] events. There are several options for how they know her. The dif- ferent alternatives also have certain specifications that make them Requirement: You were in East Berlin in between 1958–62 work with Magda’s backstory. The same backstory with Magda can and of appropriate age for a love affair. be chosen by several characters, if suitable. Literary Circles in Berlin and Hamburg

Child of Magda Orlova Magda frequents release parties, book signings, and other Magda is your mother, but you were taken by social services when literary events, and has made many friends among fellow you were very young, the same time Magda was institutionalized. You writers and publishers. You have met her several times. never knew your father (likely Lev Orlov or Filip Kramer), and you’ve [Neutral (0) Relation] only just reconnected with your mother over the last few years. Requirement: Either lived in or visited Germany several [Meaningful (1) Relation] times. Requirement: You are between 23 and 29 years old. You were born in East Germany.

18 Introduction MAKE A DECISION Tips for ABOUT CELLPHONES As discussed in the World of 1991 section (p. 14), cell- phones did exist during this era, but were generally rare. the Gamemaster It’s important the GM decide whether or not the characters UNDERSTANDING have access to cellphones, as this can greatly affect their THE BLACK MADONNA problem-solving capabilities. Should the GM make them available, both they and the players must remember cellular The Black Madonna campaign was released in 1991 for Kult (1st coverage was quite limited – something that can be used for edition). It has a linear plot and offers numerous opportunities dramatic effect. for combat and action. To encourage the right expectations, it is a good idea for the gamemaster (GM) and the players to THE DRAMATIC HOOKS remember the campaign’s unique nature and style of play. This campaign requires the player characters to take direct When using the Dramatic Hooks, the GM should adapt them to action, abandon their old lives, and investigate the mysteries this style of campaign. Hooks should be connected to the here that have placed them in ever-growing danger. and now, and can be personal and psychological in nature. Examples of good Hooks for Black Madonna are “I would THIS IS A VIOLENT CAMPAIGN like you to explore your feelings for the nepharite,” or “I would like you to tell [another PC] about your Many scenes are populated with heavily armed feelings for her.” These hooks are easy to fulfill adversaries, as well as powerful, super- and still create dramatic situations in natural entities. Ensuring at least a game. Dramatic hooks connected to few of the characters have high the character’s family situation and values in Violence will make these other aspects of their personal life portions more enjoyable and eas- should be avoided, as such hooks ier to survive. If the players prefer can diverge too much from the non-violent solutions and roleplay, main plot. the GM may wish to adjust these areas accordingly.

DO SOME RESEARCH Chain GM should familiarize themselves with the world of 1991 to gain a of Events sense of the era. Suggested top- PREVIEW ics are the collapse of the Soviet MAY ONLY BE USED Although the player characters’ Union, the German Reunification, actions and unforeseen circum- and the Siege of Leningrad. Great WITH PRIOR PERMISSION stances may alter the chain of movies to watch on these topics are events, the campaign’s general My Perestroika, Atomic Blonde, Good Bye progression is outlined below. Lenin!, and 900 Days: The Myth and Reality of the Leningrad Blockade. The amount of research Chapter 1 – time depends on how much backstory the GM The Killers’ Dance feels necessary to effectively run their campaign. The characters meet up with their old friend, Magda RECREATING 1991 Orlova, who inadvertently passes a curse onto them. They fall ill due to an unusual, parasitic disease. A few Providing pictures from 1991 Germany and Russia is days later, Magda succumbs to the disease. The charac- an excellent way to inspire the players, reinforcing the ters have reason to believe three acquaintances of Magda are impression their characters are in environments quite differ- responsible for her death and their current predicament. They ent from present day. For example, the GM can show them discover a ritual capable of turning the cursed disease back Stalinist architecture, Trabant and Lada cars, statues of Lenin, onto those responsible for it. By investigating the Slavic Associa- and early-1990s Soviet fashion. If used properly, the GM can tion, an occult organization of which Magda was a member, the also introduce music from the era in the background to great characters uncover where the three men are and how to use the effect – especially German and Russian music the players ritual against them. They travel to the home of one of the men, may not directly associate with something outside of the where a dark communion is taking place. After the characters campaign. The GM should pick songs that enhance the scene, perform the ritual, the Death Angel’s three Incarnates are freed rather than distracting from it. and the characters realize they have been misled. The characters who performed the ritual receive Chagidiel’s Mark and are now bound to the Death Angel.

Tips for the Gamemaster 19 Chapter 2 – Chapter 6 – Shadows from the Past To Hell and Back Chezenko, Archon Binah’s lictor in Leningrad, hunts down The player characters leave for the black cathedral in Leningrad. the player characters and attacks them in the mistaken Once there, they meet with Dimi Nesterov again. With his assis- belief they are Chagidiel’s Incarnates. After realizing his tance, the Black Madonna – an Incarnate of the Archon Binah error, he backs off and provides the characters with informa- – inhabits one of the characters. They make their way through tion on the three Incarnates. the city, which increasingly merges into an amalgamation of The characters visit the Frankfurt Clinic, where Magda and 1941 Leningrad and Inferno. Chagidiel’s Citadel is manifesting the three Russians once stayed. They obtain a Madonna doll throughout the city. Upon entering Kalenko’s house, the Black from Pyotr, a patient who came from Leningrad at the same Madonna emerges from the host character and attacks Chagi- time as Magda and the other three. A doctor tells them Magda diel’s Incarnate; the pair becoming locked in a violent battle. and the others arrived from a concentration camp outside The characters must free the captive children so the Death Angel Moscow in 1946. can be banished. Otherwise, they are trapped in Inferno forever. If they succeed, Kalenko’s house and Leningrad are restored to their original forms. Everything returns to normal and the world Chapter 3 – is saved from Inferno. Dark Dreams Pyotr from the Frankfurt Clinic reveals himself to be a dream wanderer. He contacts the player characters in their dreams, and begins teaching them the Art of Dreaming. After they master the Art of Dreaming, Pyotr pulls them into his dreams, Timeline for which verge on Chagidiel’s Inferno. They travel backwards through Time into Pyotr’s memories of the Frankfurt Clinic, the the Parasite camp outside Moscow, and finally to Kalenko’s dream-house in The following timeline outlines the progress of the parasitic Leningrad. disease affecting the player characters. No matter what they do, One of the freed Incarnates resides in Kalenko’s dream-house. the disease progresses until they kill the three Incarnates and The children have been held captive here since the building the campaign is completed. disappeared into Limbo. The characters defeat the Incarnate Night of the Gold Plaque award: The characters are infected and free the children’s dream-selves. If they travel to the real by Magda Orlova. Leningrad, the characters discover Kalenko’s house has van- The two days following infection the characters suffer from ished without a trace. They can meet with an icon-painter, Dimi high fever, reaching up to 40 °C. While in Hamburg, the fever Nesterov, who is working on an image of the Madonna that falls slightly, hovering above 37 °C. They feel weak and itchy all bears an uncanny resemblance to onePREVIEW of the characters. over. This is the parasite reproducing and spreading through- MAY ONLY BEout USEDtheir bodies. Chapter 4 – WITH PRIOR PERMISSIONThey suffer nightmares where they are children trapped in a German Autumn dark room, lying on a hard floor. It is bitterly cold, the walls The Slavic Association and the three (now dead) Russians had are covered in frost and dripping water. An unpleasant, sweet close ties to the far-right, extremist organization Germanische smell hangs in the air. The darkness surrounding them is so Gemeinschaft. The player characters uncover the organization’s dense they can almost touch it. Something moves out there, relationship with the Russian patriotic coalition, Slava. The Ger- something they can only vaguely sense. Scraping and hissing mans buy weapons and drugs from Slava. The characters dis- noises encircle them, forcing them to crawl into a corner, cover one of Chagidiel’s Incarnates is closely connected to Slava. shaking. Night after having found Magda: Rashes develop and Chapter 5 – appear on the player characters’ bodies. Their nightmares Mother Russia progress: the creature in the darkness stalks closer until the characters sense its shape. Pain ignites within the charac- The player characters travel to Moscow to investigate Slava. They ters, a sickening, indefinite burning throughout their bodies. realize an Incarnate has taken over the organization. A death They sense how the shape dwelling in the darkness enjoys conjurer who belonged to the Slavic Association also fled to their pain. Somehow, they know it has tortured them before Russia and has allied with Slava. Before the characters can do without ever revealing its face. It draws closer, but they still anything, they are captured by Slava and transported to their cannot see its true nature. base for interrogation. They escape from the base, but not before discovering the Incarnate is located at a missile base north of For the remainder of Chapter 1: The rashes erupt into cen- Moscow. timeter-sized boils on the loins, under the arms and armpits, and in the hollows of the knees. The boils are bluish-red and The missile base is completely distorted by the Incarnate’s pres- covered with a thin, yellowish membrane, which emit an ence, as well as guarded by legionnaires from Kalenko’s house. acrid smell. Only the characters can see the boils or sense The characters defeat the Incarnate. They soon discover some- the smell. The rashes slowly spread across their bodies. thing peculiar is going on in Leningrad; martial law has been declared and the city is cordoned off by the military.

20 Introduction During ­Chapter 2: Something begins moving inside the boils, especially those located on the loins and armpits. The sensation remains a diffuse tingling or tickle. During Chapters 3 and 4: The boils spread outwardly from their original locations. The rashes now cover most of the char- acters’ bodies. Inside the boils, the sen- sation of movement intensifies, itching tremendously. During Chapter 5: Some of the boils burst open during the night. Yellow larvae emerge from the wounds, emitting a droning sound, almost like chanting. During Chapter 6: The boils spread until they cover the characters’ entire bodies. The larvae burst out each night, and their droning, chanting sounds prevent the characters from sleeping. If the characters succeed in sleeping, their nightmares are truly terri- fying – focused on their tormentor. This stage of the disease persists until the campaign’s comple- tion. From this point forward, the charac- ters will not die as a direct result of the PREVIEW disease, although MAY ONLY BE USED they might wish they could… WITH PRIOR PERMISSION

Berlin

Timeline for the Parasite 21