Sample file What we call the beginning is often the end And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. —T. S. Eliot, “Little Gidding,” Four Quartets Sample file BBBYYY J JACKIEACKIEACKIE C CASSADAASSADAASSADA,, , JJ JASONASONASON F FELDSTEINELDSTEINELDSTEIN,, , EE EDWARDDWARDDWARD M MACACACGGGREGORREGORREGOR,,, NNNICKYICKYICKY R REAEAEA,, , JJ JESSEESSEESSE R ROBERTSOBERTSOBERTS,, , AA ANDREWNDREWNDREW J. J. J. SSS COTTCOTTCOTT,, , CC COLINOLINOLIN SSSULEIMANULEIMANULEIMAN,, , PP PETERETERETER W WOODWORTH ANDANDAND D DUNCANUNCANUNCAN W WYLEYYLEYYLEY... CCC REDITSREDITSREDITS Written by: Jackie Cassada (Revelations & Structure), Jason Feldstein (The Sixth Age), Edward MacGregor (Reckoning), Nicky Rea (Revelations & Troubleshooting), Jesse Roberts (Apocalypse), Andrew J. Scott (Gehenna & Stagecraft), Colin Suleiman (Armageddon) and Duncan Wyley (Ascension) Additional writing by: Peter Woodworth (Endless Winter & Doomsday) and the authors of World of Darkness: Time of Judgment Developed by: Peter Woodworth Edited by: Carl Bowen Art Direction by: Pauline Benney Layout & Typesetting by: Pauline Benney Art by: Colline Denney Front & Back Cover Design: Pauline Benney Playtesters: Scott Adams, Kerry Bayles, Fletcher Bennett, Rich Brodsky, Kristin Carlson, Mike Carlucci, Greg Curley, Jen Curtis, Dan DiFlavis, Jim Fillmore, Matt Florentine, Alyson Gaul, Lee Gelwicks, Retta Harrison, Amy Houser, Jeff Houser, Cara Jordan, Chris Jowett, Scott Katinger, Sarah McIlvaine, Kelly Niedzialek, Adolfo Rivera, Mike Rohner, Dan Schermond, Andrew J. Scott, Nick Simpson, Meg Strittmatter, Courtney Sullivan, Tim Sullivan, Jada Weaver, Tome Wilson, Andy Woodworth, Kathy Woodworth © 2004 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the pub- lisher 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 and World of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming, Kindred of the East, Mummy the Resurrection, Laws of the Night, Laws of the Wild, Laws of Ascension, Shining Host, Oblivion, Laws of the Hunt, Laws of the Reckoning, Laws of the Resurrection, Laws of the East, Dark Epics, Vampire Storytellers Guide, CamarillaSample Guide, Sabbat file Guide, Anarch Guide, Changing Breeds, Hengeyokai, Book of the Wyrm, Laws of Ascension Companion, Shining Host Players Guide, Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide, World of Darkness Sorcerer, Time of Thin Blood, Book of the Weaver, Possessed, Rage Across the Heavens, The Silver Record, Umbra, Axis Mundi, Book of the Wyrm, Freak Legion, Manifesto Transmissions from the Rogue Council, Ends of Empire, Orpheus, Mummy Players Guide, Nobles the Shining Host, Noblesse Oblige, Kingdom of Willows, Kithbook Eshu, The Fool’s Luck the Way of the Commoner, Dreams and Nightmares, Hunter Fall from Grace, Gehenna, Apocalypse, Ascension, World of Darkness Time of Judgment, Mind’s Eye Theatre and Time of Judgment 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 CANADA. TTTABLEABLEABLE OFOFOF C CONTENTSONTENTSONTENTS IIINTRODUCTION::: TT THEHEHE S IGNSIGNSIGNS A RERERE O NNN F IREIREIRE 444 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER O ONENENE:: : JJ JUDGMENTUDGMENTUDGMENT D DAYAYAY 666 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER T TWOWOWO:: : GG GEHENNAEHENNAEHENNA 161616 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER T THREEHREEHREE:: : AA APOCALYPSE 606060 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER F FOUROUROUR:: : AA ASCENSIONSCENSIONSCENSION 104104104 Sample file CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER F FIVEIVEIVE:: : EE ENDLESSNDLESSNDLESS W WINTERINTERINTER 146146146 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER S SIXIXIX:: : RR RECKONINGECKONINGECKONING 186186186 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER S SEVENEVENEVEN:: : TT THEHEHE S SIXTHIXTHIXTH A AGEGEGE 222222222 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER E EIGHTIGHTIGHT:: : AA ARMAGEDDON 240240240 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER N NINEINEINE:: : DD DOOMSDAYOOMSDAYOOMSDAY 260260260 CCCHAPTERHAPTERHAPTER T TENENEN:: : RR REVELATIONS 270270270 INTRODUCTION: THE SIGNS ARE ON FIRE To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the Devil his due. —Hob Gadling, Sandman: A Season of Mists You hold in your hands Laws of Judgment, a book that outlines the final Time of Judgment. At last the supernatural denizens of the World of Darkness find themselves confronted with the End Times that they have long viewed through prophecy and shadow. Some answer with courage, others with cowardice, but all are called to an ultimate accounting for everything they have done. The signs are on fire, both epic and intimate events unfold, and no one will walk away from this one unchanged — if they walk away at all. Before we go into the details of what is contained within, however, let me tell you a secret: These words were written duringSample a hurricane. file It seems only too fitting that as I sat down to compose an introduction to the book that brings an end to Mind’s Eye Theatre, a book devoted to disasters and upheaval of all kinds, an actual disaster raged outside. A coincidence like that in fiction would be deemed implausible, but there it was. It’s little moments like that, where the two worlds seem almost too close together for comfort, that make many longtime World of Darkness visitors pause… and then smile as they realize just how much a part of themselves and their worldview it has become. Endings are never easy. Only at the last minute do we ever realize just how much remains unsaid and undone, how many more twists and turns we were expecting before reaching our destination. Many of us have found best friends or even spouses through these games, and all of us have stories that we never tire of telling. But without an ending, a story is a thing incomplete, for ultimately the conclusion puts the rest of the tale into perspective. Even if only our imaginations tell us what transpires following the “happily ever after,” we’re still more content for having been given leave to take the story in the direction we desire. This book isn’t about endings, it’s about the entire story so far, what all the characters have laughed, cried and bled for will ultimately mean when they face the greatest test of their abilities. More than just a rote translation of the Time of Judgment tabletop series — though Gehenna, Apocalypse, Ascension and Time of Judgment certainly offer additional useful 16 LLLAWSAWSAWS OFOFOF JUDGMENTUDGMENTUDGMENT information — Laws of Judgment has been specifically designed to help Storytellers take these epic tales and tell them in ways that only Mind’s Eye Theatre really can. A summary follows of each chapter and the stories it contains: Chapter One: Judgment Day explores what the masses perceive as the world slides into chaos. It also details how the brave souls of Laws of the Hunt react as their chosen enemies are destroyed — or emerge stronger than ever. Chapter Two: Gehenna confronts the vampires of Laws of the Night with tales of elders rising, cities crumbling and what is a blessing as well as their greatest fear: the end of the Curse of Caine. Chapter Three: Apocalypse heads to the front lines of the Final Battle to save Gaia, as the were-creatures of Laws of the Wild, Hengeyokai and the Changing Breeds series make their last stand. Chapter Four: Ascension centers around the mages of Laws of Ascension and their desperate efforts to reach enlightenment before reality calcifies into faceless stasis — or unravels into nothingness. Chapter Five: Endless Winter places the fae of The Shining Host at the heart of stories involving fantastic quests, deadly intrigue, terrifying monsters, and the hardest task of all: keeping hope alive. Chapter Six: Reckoning pushes the imbued of Laws of the Reckoning to their limits, as their strange destiny is revealed and the supernatural makes a last push for control — or destruction. Chapter Seven: The Sixth Age travels to the courts of the Kuei-jin vampires of Laws of the East as ancient karmic debts are collected and the Demon Emperor at last ascends its throne. Chapter Eight: Armageddon concerns the undying mummies of Laws of the Resurrection and their noble struggle to return Balance to the universe before it is consumed by its own darkness. Chapter Nine: Doomsday descends one last time into the dark Underworld of Oblivion, where a great war and greater storm of the dead combine to change the nature of the afterlife forever.Sample file Chapter Ten: Revelations presents material that a Storyteller can apply to any kind of End-Times chronicle. From advice on structuring the final plots for maximum impact to troubleshooting difficult scenarios to creating props that help the players feel as though they are truly experiencing the End Times, it’s all here and ready for use.