Aletheia (Different Strings) Is Published by Abstract Nova Entertainment LLC, 10633 Bent Tree Dr., Fredericksburg, VA 22407
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a l e t h e i a WRITING Werner Hager, Lee Foster, Monica Valentinelli EDITING Anita Hager COVER Storn Cook BLACK & WHITE ART Annelisa Ochoa COLOR ART Jennifer Rodgers CARTOGRAPHY Keith Curtis GRAPHICS Keith Curtis and Edward Wedig LOGO DESIGN Keith Curtis CHARACTER SHEET Edward Wedig Aletheia (Different Strings) is published by Abstract Nova Entertainment LLC, 10633 Bent Tree Dr., Fredericksburg, VA 22407. All text and graphics are © 2007 Abstract Nova Entertainment LLC. All artwork is © 2007 Storn Cook, Annelisa Ochoa, or Jennifer Rodgers. All rights reserved under international law. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, except for pur- poses of review, without the express written consent of the copyright holders with the exception of the character sheet and cartography. TABLE of contents INTRODUCTION 4 HISTORY 7 HEPTA SOPHISTAI 4 CHARACTERS 34 MECHANICS 46 ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA 68 REVELATIONS 87 GAMEMASTERING 123 FROM THE HEAVENS 161 INDEX 172 chapter one introduction 3 All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same in the universe. By investigating the little mysteries, tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling and discovering the truth behind the unexplainable, man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical the society hopes to gain a more complete picture of existence and leading the individual towards freedom. reality. – Albert Einstein The society is a small one, numbering only seven. A generous benefactor funds the society and provides each member with whatever he or she might need. With all material concerns and burdens removed, the society members can fully devote themselves to the cientists and philosophers have long search for truth. tried to make sense of existence. How did Sthe universe begin? Why are we here? Where are we going? The big questions are the most THE GAME intriguing and the most diffi cult to answer. Aletheia is a role-playing game about the weirdness Aletheia is a game of big questions. at the fringes of reality. Spontaneous Human Combustion, automatic writing, ESP, the Bermuda Over the last few centuries, mankind’s understanding Triangle, and other such mysteries are the heart of the of the universe has grown dramatically. From classical game. In Aletheia, each player portrays a member of physics to quantum physics, the blurry picture of the Seven Dogs Society. Together, they investigate the creation has come more into focus. However, there are anomalous phenomena and impossible occurrences still things in the world that remain mysterious and that defy logic and commonsense. This includes unexplained. Alien abductions, ghostly apparitions, conducting eyewitness interviews, on-site analysis crop circles, near death experiences, clairvoyance, and observation, and forming hypotheses – all in an and other unusual phenomena continue to exert attempt to answer the big questions at the heart of a stranglehold on human curiosity. Most of these the game. phenomena are hoaxes, products of overactive imaginations, or explainable by modern science. Aletheia supports three different formats of play. However, there are exceptions, things that defy Firstly, its focus on investigating mysteries makes empiricism and contradict mankind’s understanding it ideal for one-shot adventures; the Gamemaster of how the universe works. But what if these things needs only to focus on a single case of anomalous are not really unexplainable? What if humanity phenomenon, jettisoning the game’s other trappings. is only viewing these events from a limited and Secondly, everything about the game’s setting is fl awed perspective? Perhaps a simple, yet invisible, explained, and no other supplements will ever be explanation underlies all such phenomena. required. This means that the Gamemaster will be in on all the game’s secrets from the outset and can The Seven Dogs Society is a collection of scientists and run Aletheia as one single, self-contained campaign. philosophers who investigate strange phenomena, Thirdly, there are so many mysteries and plot hooks believing a single truth binds and underpins it all. in Aletheia that the Gamemaster can choose to dole They believe this truth also holds the answers to out the truth at a slow and deliberate pace, easily the big questions about our existence and meaning stretching the action out over multiple campaigns. 4 Eight other chapters round out this book. Players and suggestions for gamemastering Aletheia. The fi nal gamemasters alike should read the next four chapters. chapter is a sample adventure suitable as a one-shot They cover the history of the Seven Dogs Society, investigation or as a campaign leadoff. the society’s headquarters, character generation, and game mechanics. The sixth chapter provides case studies of various anomalous phenomena. READER’S CAVEAT Though this chapter is primarily designed to spark the Gamemaster’s imagination, it lacks any spoilers, Aletheia touches on two subjects that may offend some making it safe for players to read. The fi nal three people: religion and drugs. If you are sensitive to chapters are intended for the Gamemaster only. One these subjects, you should stop reading at this time. details the game’s background material, including its many mysteries, and another provides tips and WHAT IS A ROLE-PLAYING GAME? A role-playing game is akin to improvisational theater. Players assume the roles of characters (referred to as player characters or PCs) who are the protagonists of the play. In some regards, a role-playing game is like Radio Theater in that the story is told verbally and not physically acted out. Players are the actors and actresses of Aletheia. They are the ones who bring its stories to life. Their characters are the principals of the drama. The players decide who their characters are, what they look like, what they do, and how they act; they fuel the dynamic that drives the game via the actions of their characters. Being a player is more than being an actor because there is no script. In a play, the script tells the actor what to do. In contrast, a role-playing game is wholly freeform and improvisational. The player must decide what the character does and says. In a role-playing game, one participant assumes the role of Gamemaster (GM). He or she acts as the director, establishing the setting, plot, and mood. The Gamemaster must set the stage for the story being told, creating the framework in which the players act. It is the GM’s responsibility to relate the environment to the players; the GM is their eyes and ears, describing the world of Aletheia to the players. The Gamemaster also assumes the roles of all the characters with which the players interact outside their group. These GM controlled characters are known as non-player characters (NPCs). While the GM must create the initial framework of the story, the players will determine the ultimate direction of the plot. In addition to helping the player characters interact with their environment, the GM also acts as referee. The GM must interpret the rules of the game in a fair and impartial manner to facilitate play. Thus, the Gamemaster should be familiar with the rules beforehand so that informed rulings can be made. 5 CHAPTER TWO HISTORY 6 errance Chastain founded the Seven Dogs Stargardt’s disease, a macular degenerative condition Society in 1970. However, the seeds of its that gradually destroys the vision of those affl icted. Tgenesis were planted decades earlier. The A horrifying side effect of the disease included a society’s work is built on the vision and labors of yearlong struggle with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, a man named Jericho Usher. It is with him that the an odd condition marked by complex visual history of the Seven Dogs Society truly begins. hallucinations that interfere with normal perception. In fact, Jericho’s hallucinations were so vivid and persistent that he feared he was going mad. PRODIGY AND MADMAN In 1923, Jericho became friends with Charles Fort, Jericho Nathaniel Usher was born on January 9th, 1900 an American writer and researcher of paranormal in Boston, Massachusetts. A child prodigy, Jericho phenomena. Jericho became so fascinated by Fort’s demonstrated his incredible gifts at an early age. By work that he opted to follow in his footsteps, seven, he was a world-renowned violin virtuoso, zealously pursuing all manner of pseudoscientifi c performing in dozens of countries. By nine, Jericho research. While this period was personally satisfying was solving calculus problems. At age thirteen, he was for Jericho, it eroded his credibility among the an accomplished painter… and also demonstrated scientifi c community and the world’s intelligentsia. startling expertise in myriad and diverse subjects In no time fl at, Jericho Usher went from wunderkind such as botany, architecture, and philosophy. Jericho to crackpot. was also an exceptional athlete, though he seldom pursued competitive activities that would have won The next twenty years were diffi cult. For a time, him fame in this arena. In 1919, Scientifi c American Jericho made a living as an architect, but boredom dubbed him the “Renaissance Man of the 20th with current architectural trends drove him from the Century.” Jericho traveled the United States and the profession. Worse yet, every major university and world, corresponding with the brightest minds of the scientifi c think-tank looked upon him with disdain. scientifi c and artistic communities. The entire world Though disheartened by his pariah status, Jericho’s was at his feet. Unfortunately, in just a few short passion for learning never diminished. With his years, everything would change. eyesight worsening each passing year, Jericho knew it was only a matter of time before the simple act of In the fall of 1922, Jericho was diagnosed with reading a book would become impossible.