Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and the only pair of pants he owns that isn't denim is reserved for weddings and funerals. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Some see him and initially dismiss him as some Yankee himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity. Veles is the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, and rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Open heirarchy Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD +0 +0 +0 +1 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and the only pair of pants he owns that isn't denim is reserved for weddings and funerals. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Some see him and initially dismiss him as some Yankee himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity. Veles is the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, and rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Open heirarchy Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and the only pair of pants he owns that isn't denim is reserved for weddings and funerals. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Some see him and initially dismiss him as some Yankee himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Open heirarchy Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and the only pair of pants he owns that isn't denim is reserved for weddings and funerals. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Open heirarchy Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Open heirarchy Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Fighting arts Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Warriors of the Unyielding God have never been a large order, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Warriors were a small group, their resources scarce and their allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Warrior of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Fighting arts Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Order of the Unyielding God has never been a large one, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Order was small, its resources scarce, and its allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Knight of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Fighting arts Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Order of the Unyielding God has never been a large one, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Order was small, its resources scarce, and its allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Knight of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. This desire to shape a more equitable world is part of why the Slavic god Veles chose him as his earthly vessel. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Fighting arts Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Silver knife 1-harm hand silver Crossbow 2-harm close slow History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrannical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. The Order of the Unyielding God has never been a large one, or a wealthy one; even during the heydey of Slavic paganism, Veles was held in low regard by the powerful. Many members of the Order all descend from the same bloodline, and Ekaterina saw the potential for a promising new recruit in her grandson. She began to encourage him towards athletic competition and martial arts, and she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. Finally, faced with her grandson's truculence, Ekaterina decided to explain everything. She told him about the Order of the Unyielding God; she told him how she'd been grooming him to join the order for years now; and she told him why he needed to attend Oxford. She could not give many specifics, because she did not know them, but occult auguries had revealed that Oxford would be the site of important events--ones so important that, were the right leverage applied, the current state of affairs in the world might be overturned and replaced with something more equitable. But the Order was small, its resources scarce, and its allies few and far between. They needed Mikhail. She needed him, because she did not know how much longer she had left to live. It was a low blow, certainly not a card she relished playing, but it worked. Mikhail agreed to be sworn into the Order, to enroll in Oxford if he could, and to fulfill the responsibilities and duties of a Knight of the Unyielding God to the best of his ability. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training with his grandmother, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubbornness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
Kavonde June 11, 2023 Basic Information NAME: Mikhail Stanislav GENDER: Male (He/Him) AGE: 18 NATIONALITY: American (Russian emigrant) PLAYBOOK: The Initiate KEY WORDS: Strong body, casual clothes. Enrollment Information CLASS: First Year COLLEGE: Hertford DEGREE: Human Sciences Appearance and Personality Mikhail Stanislav is a very tall (6'6") young Caucasian man with brown hair--currently kept shaved--and dark green eyes. He is rather imposingly muscular, though his whole demeanor radiates a laid-back, patient vibe. He favors simple clothing in earth tones, and when he's on the hunt, he dons a steel cuirass etched with ancient Slavic runes over a silver chainmail hauberk and sturdy leather boots. Mikhail is a calm, cool-headed and empathetic person. He's highly emotionally intelligent and interested in understanding and helping others, which drew him to the Human Sciences course. Many dismiss him as a bit of a himbo, but he's earned his place at Oxford with dedicated study and a sharp mind. He also possesses a strong sense of justice, which is only growing more pronounced as he comes to understand the complexities--and many failings--of the modern world. This desire to shape a more equitable world is part of why the Slavic god Veles chose him as his earthly vessel. The Warriors of the Unyielding God This ancient sect originates from ancient Slavic worshippers of Veles (or Volos), a shapeshifting nature god and trickster deity, the sworn enemy of the God of Thunder, Perun, who rises from death again and again to oppose Perun's tyrannical regime and bring justice to the world. Good Traditions: Ancient lore Fighting arts Bad Traditions: Obsolete gear Poor Crunch CHARM COOL SHARP TOUGH WEIRD -1 +0 -1 +2 +2 MOVES Act Under Pressure This covers trying to do something under conditions of particular stress or danger. Examples of acting under pressure are: staying on task while a banshee screams at you; barricading a door before the giant rats catch up; resisting the mental domination of a brain-worm; fighting on when you’re badly injured. When you act under pressure, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ you do what you set out to. • On a 7-9 the Keeper is going to give you a worse outcome, hard choice, or price to pay. • On a miss, things go to hell. Help Out When you help another hunter with a move they are making, roll +Cool. • On a 10+ your help grants them +1 to their roll. • On a 7-9 your help grants them +1 to their roll, but you also expose yourself to trouble or danger. • On a failure, you expose yourself to trouble or danger without helping. Investigate a Mystery Investigating can be done any number of ways: following tracks, interviewing witnesses, forensic analysis, looking up old folklore in a library, typing the monster’s name into Google, capturing the monster and conducting tests on it, and so on. Anything that might give you more information about what’s going on is fair game for an investigate move. When you investigate a mystery, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 2, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What happened here? • What sort of creature is it? • What can it do? • What can hurt it? • Where did it go? • What was it going to do? • What is being concealed here? On a miss, you reveal some information to the monster or whoever you are talking to. The Keeper might ask you some questions, which you have to answer. It’s important that your attempts to investigate (and the results you get from them) are plausible and consistent with what’s happening. For example, if you’re using laboratory equipment to investigate evidence, you probably won’t be able to learn anything about the monster’s magical origins. Kick Some Ass When you get into a fight and kick some ass, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., total 7 or more) you inflict harm on (and suffer harm from) whatever you’re fighting. The amount of harm is based on the established dangers in the game. That usually means you inflict the harm rating of your weapon and your enemies inflict their attack’s harm rating on you. If you roll a 10+, choose one extra effect: • You gain the advantage: take +1 forward, or give +1 forward to another hunter. • You inflict terrible harm (+1 harm). • You suffer less harm (-1 harm). • You force them where you want them. On a miss, you get your ass kicked instead. You suffer harm or get captured, but don’t inflict any harm back. Manipulate Someone This move is used when you want someone to do something for you. You’ll need a good reason for them to do it, and what counts as a good reason depends on what you are asking for and your relationship with them. For friends and allies, you might just need to ask. For witnesses to a monster attack, you could tell them you are with the police, or just offer them some cash for answering your questions. Once you have given them a reason, tell them what you want them to do and roll +Charm. For a normal person: • If you get 10+, then they’ll do it for the reason you gave them. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you the minimum it would take for them to do it (or if there’s no way they’d do it). • On a 7-9, they’ll do it, but only if you do something for them right now to show that you mean it. If you asked too much, they’ll tell you what, if anything, it would take for them to do it. • On a miss, your approach is completely wrong: you offend or anger the target. For another hunter: • On a 10+ they mark experience and get +1 forward if they do what you ask. • On a 7-9, they mark experience if they do what you ask. • On a miss, it’s up to that hunter to decide how badly you offend or annoy them. They mark experience if they do not do what you asked. Protect Someone When you prevent harm to another character, roll +Tough. On any success (i.e., 7 or more), you protect them okay, but you’ll suffer some or all of the harm they were going to get. If you got a 10+ choose an extra: • You suffer little harm (-1 harm). • All impending danger is now focused on you. • You inflict harm on the enemy. • You hold the enemy back. On a miss, then you end up making things worse. Read a Bad Situation When you look around and read a bad situation, roll +Sharp. On a 10+ hold 3, and on a 7-9 hold 1. One hold can be spent to ask the Keeper one of the following questions: • What’s my best way in? • What’s my best way out? • Are there any dangers we haven’t noticed? • What’s the biggest threat? • What’s most vulnerable to me? • What’s the best way to protect the victims? If you act on the answers, you get +1 ongoing while the information is relevant. For example, if you ask for the best way in to the monster’s lair then you’ll get +1 while you are infiltrating it. But once you’re in, the information doesn’t help you any more. On a miss, you might mis-read the situation (e.g. “Everything is fine here! It will be totally safe to go investigate alone!”), or you might reveal tactical details to your enemies (which means the Keeper can ask the questions above of you) Use Magic When you use magic, say what you’re trying to achieve and how you do the spell, then roll +Weird. • If you get a 10+, the magic works without issues: choose your effect. • On a 7-9, it works imperfectly: choose your effect and a glitch. The Keeper will decide what effect the glitch has. • On a miss, you lose control of the magic. This never ends well. By default the magic has one of the effects listed below, lasts for around thirty minutes, and does not expose you to danger, unwanted attention, or side-effects. If there’s a glitch this might change. Effects: • Inflict harm (1-harm ignore-armour magic obvious). • Enchant a weapon. It gets +1 harm and +magic. • Do one thing that is beyond human limitations. • Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature. • Trap a specific person, minion, or monster. • Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits. • Summon a monster into the world. • Communicate with something that you do not share a language with. • Observe another place or time. • Heal 1-harm from an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison. Glitches: • The effect is weakened. • The effect is of short duration. • You take 1-harm ignore-armour magic. • The magic draws immediate, unwelcome attention. • It has a problematic side effect. The Keeper may require one or more of the following: • The spell requires weird materials. • The spell will take 10 seconds, 30 seconds, or 1 minute to cast. • The spell requires ritual chanting and gestures. • The spell requires you to draw arcane symbols. • You need one or two people to help cast the spell. • You need to refer to a tome of magic for the details. Initiate When you are in good standing with your Sect, at the beginning of each mystery, roll +Charm. On a 10+ they provide some useful info or help in the field. On a 7-9 you get a mission associated with the mystery, and if you do it you’ll get some info or help too. On a miss, they ask you to do something bad. If you fail a mission or refuse an order, you’ll be in trouble with the Sect until you atone. Ancient Fighting Arts When using an old-fashioned hand weapon, you inflict +1 harm and get +1 whenever you roll protect someone. Mentor You have a mentor in the Sect: name them. When you contact your mentor for info, roll +Sharp. On a 10+, you get an answer to your question, no problem. On a 7-9 you choose: they’re either busy and can’t help, or they answer the question but you owe a favour. On a miss, your question causes trouble. Mystic Every time you successfully use magic, take +1 forward. GEAR Spear 2-harm hand/close Big sword 3-harm hand messy heavy 9mm 2-harm close loud History Mikhail Alexandrovich Stanislav was born in Moscow on Nov. 9th, 1989--the day the Berlin Wall fell. His parents immigrated to the United States just a few months later, building new lives for themselves near the small city of Peoria, Illinois. As such, despite his very traditional Russian name, Mikhail is very much an American Midwesterner in terms of accent, outlook, and grasp of cultural norms. Despite his physical and cultural distance from his nation of origin, however, destiny has conspired to tie Mikhail back to it. All his life, Mikhail has had an unusual connection with the natural world. Animals instinctively trust him, he never seems to catch his foot on an errant root, and he once walked through a patch of poison oak without suffering any rashes or irritation. His parents, Alex and Mila, never thought much of it; his mother would jokingly refer to him as "Cinderella" and ask if mice finished his chores for him, but otherwise it only seemed natural for nature to recognize the goodness in their bright, compassionate boy. When Mikhail ("Mikey" to most) was ten years old, his Babushka Ekaterina came to stay with the family following a cancer diagnosis. She and Mikey bonded immediately, spending afternoons baking tea cakes or reading ancient Eastern European folktales. In fact, Ekaterina was more than just another wizened Russian grandmother; she, like many of her ancestors before her, was secretly a priestess dedicated to the old Slavic gods, or rather, one in particular: Veles, or Volos, the enemy of the God of Thunder Perun, a shapeshifting nature deity who committed the crime of, as Ekaterina put it, trying to make the world more just. Every year, she said, Veles went forth to challenge Perun and topple his tyrranical regime; and though Velen was smote each time, he always rose again, ready to challenge the established order anew. And she recognized something in her young grandson. His connection with the natural world wasn't simply a result of his kind heart; he bore Veles' blessings. She began to mold him, building in him an interest in athletic competition and martial arts, encouraging him to spend more time outdoors and in the wilds. And she told him the story of Veles' eternal struggle against Perun over and over, emphasizing Veles' unyielding hope and resolve, how he never stopped striving to create a better world, and how Perun and, later, Christian missionaries demonized him for it. Ekaterina was also the person responsible for planting the idea that Mikhail might want to study overseas. She encouraged an interest in European history and romanticized the idea of striding the same paths that ancient philosophers and inventors once walked. Mikhail, however, was unconvinced. He was a valedictorian with an impeccable academic resume, and he knew he had at least a chance of being accepted by far-off prestigious universities like Oxford, but he didn't like the idea of being so far from his family--especially given that Ektaterina's cancer had returned. And this was, perhaps, why more direct intervention was needed. One stormy spring evening, when Mikhail was sixteen years old, he saw something out his window: an old man with long, tangled gray hair and a matching beard, wearing robes and looking like he'd been pulled straight from the pages of a Dungeon's & Dragons book, watching him with an enigmatic smile. The stranger beckoned him, then turned and walked off towards the nearby woods. Mikhail followed, knowing deep within his soul that this was an Event, the sort of thing that could change his life forever. He followed the old man into the woods, and there he found a tree that had just been struck by lightning, still burning even as the cold rain pounded down on it. At the base of the tree was a long, straight, burnt branch, seemingly fallen from the stricken tree. It almost looked man-made, like a crude spear. Mikhail knelt to pick it up, and then... He woke up the next morning, somehow dry despite the damp forest around him. He'd seen visions, though he when he tried to focus on and recall them, they slipped out of his grip and danced away. Despite not knowing the specifics, however, Mikhail knew what he needed to do. He needed to attend Oxford. He needed to find someone, some very particular person, and he needed to protect them and fight beside them. Upon hearing this from her grandson, Ekaterina finally revealed her motivations and the full extent of her knowledge. She began training Mikhail as best she could with her limited resources. Much had been lost during the years of the Soviet Union, but one artifact had managed to survive, if only through magic: a suit of ancient Slavic armor, enchanted and blessed, guarded and passed down from priest to priestess for generations. Armed with the blessed, lightning-seared spear (a sign of Velen's resilience, she said) and protected by enchanted steel and silver, and sanctified through a ritual a thousand years old, Mikhail accepted his duties and title as the Champion of Veles. Of course, to perform those duties, he would need to get into Oxford. The next year of Mikhail's life was an almost constant blur of school, studying, sports, training, and fighting the occasional monster. (Also, monsters existed, apparently.) He battled a werewolf in the woods near his home, managing to subdue the beast before handing it over to the authorities. (Also, there were authorities for this sort of thing, apparently.) He investigated and cured a strange curse that was driving the local deer to throw themselves into oncoming traffic, the result of a cranky old witch being very tired of having her begonias eaten, and convinced her to lift it. (Also, there were actual witches, apparently.) Through the sheer mule-headed stubborness (or, as Ekaterina would put it, the unending optimism and determination) of Veles, Mikhail somehow managed to balance all of this. He graduated at the top of his class and was accepted into Oxford. Now, leaving his parents and his gradually diminishing babushka behind, he's boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean and meet his destiny.
