World of Darkness - Gothic Icons

8/9/2019 World of Darkness - Gothic Icons

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Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Captain Robert Walton 6 Countess Anna Fedotovna 9

Princess Hermonthis 12

The Black Cat 15

Baron Vordenburg 18

Thomas Carnacki 21


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Gothicicons

4

Introduction

Inspired by the success of the Dark Eras Kickstarter, we at Onyx Path

Publishing have decided to overhaul every classic and new World of Darkness

game in our catalog to transport the entire line back to the nineteenth century,

during the height of Gothic literature’s popularity, to add Historical Angst™! To

highlight the new, gothtacular path we’ll be following, we’ve filed a trademark

for the phrase Historical Angst™ and have created Gothic Icons to help shed

some insight on where the line is headed.

Gothic Icons includes six characters that represent the gothiest Gothic

icons, and have been drawn from several sources found in Gothic literature.

The characters are presented in chronological order of their Historical

Angst™ appearance, and include:• Captain Robert Walton: Captain Robert Walton, a failed poet who

believed his only saving grace was to launch an expedition to the North

Pole that, unfortunately, ends with his boat getting stuck in the ice. He

originates from a Gothic novel that requires no introduction whatsoever.

If you haven’t read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, there are several copies

available for you to read in reprinted editions or in the hallowed halls

of your local library or school. And since this 1818 novel is in the public

domain, you don’t have to worry about hurting Mary Shelley’s bank ac-

count by perusing the story online for free from various sources.

• Countess Anna Fedotovna : The Queen of Spades by Aleksandr S. Pushkin

is a Gothic short story featuring the elderly Countess Anna Fedotovnain several guises (of the alive-dead-ghost variety), and was first published

in March 1834 in a Russian literary magazine. The Countess is not only

an arrogant yet absent-minded Russian royal who boasts friends like the

Comte de Saint Germaine, but is also a gamer with “the” trick to win-

ning card hands. Don’t be fooled by her elderly appearance; the Count-

ess is extremely crafty, and she figured out a unique way to stop players

from min/maxing in this moral tale of avarice. One day, the Countess’s

methodology might just prove to be the earliest (and harshest) rule ever

devised to punish power gamers.

• Princess Hermonthis: The Mummy’s Foot, written by Théophile Gautier,

describes the ordeal of a four-thousand year old Egyptian mummy named

Princess Hermonthis who has, much to her extreme disappointment, losther foot. The short story was first published in 1840 in Musée des Familles.

If you’re thinking: “No way is Hermonthis an Egyptian name!” you’d be

right. Hermonthis is a Greek name for the modern-day city of Armant,

Egypt, and that name is a derivative of lunu-Montu. Montu is the falcon-

headed Egyptian god of nomads who’s also associated with raging bulls,

war, valor, strength, and the sun. Thus, Princess Hermonthis is actually

Princess Montu, and if you’re a mummified teenage princess and some

rich dude buys your foot from an antique shop, you’d be pissed, too.


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Introduction

• The Black Cat: No collection of Gothic characters

would be complete without a terrifying Gothic crea-

ture, and for this purpose we have featured The Black

Cat or, as he’s also referred to in the short story by

the same name, Arch-Fiend. The Black Cat by Edgar

Allan Poe takes a horrifying look into the guilty mindof an afflicted animal lover who blames his cat for his

sins, and was published in 1843 in The Saturday Eve-

ning Post. At this point, we would like to reassure you

that no black cats were harmed during the research

process or writing of this character. The poor, poor

Dickensesque furballs might want to convince you

otherwise, but we can attest with vigor that yes, they

have been fed pureed, organic chicken livers, their

crystal water dishes have been filled with purified,

mineral-free water collected from the brow sweat of

a thousand archangels, and we have not bricked our

cats up in the wall accidentally or intentionally — not

even at five o’clock in the morning.

Rounding out our collection of Gothic icons, we

decided to highlight two supernatural hunters — both

mortal, and both very Goth with a capital “G.”

• Baron Vordenburg: After taking up the charge of

his vampire-hunting ancestor, Baron Vordenburg

arrives in the nick of time (or right before the story

About these Rules

The characters found in Gothic Icons are

designed for you to use in your new World

of Darkness chronicles to help you add more

Historical Angst™.

Character creation was completed using the

rules found in the World of Darkness

rulebook and The God-Machine rules

revisions on pp. 150 to 246.

ends, to be precise) with old, yellowing journals and

a stack of papers that leads him straight to the final

resting place of Mircalla, Countess Karnstein, a vam-

pire who goes by the name of Carmilla. Carmilla, by

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, is a Gothic novella that

was first published in 1871 as a serial narrative; the

unlikely Gothic hero Baron Vordenburg swoops in

at the very last moment to save the day, after readingeverything there is to know about vampires. Appar-

ently, excellent reading comprehension can save

you, your family, and your friends from all kinds of

angst — including vampires!

• Thomas Carnacki: Last but not least, Thomas Car-

nacki is a ghost finder for England’s elite. He dresses

up in Victorian era clothing, pens unusual occult

tomes no one else has ever heard of, and tinkers

with strange objects like his electrified pentagram.

Carnacki is the Gothic hero of Carnacki the Ghost-

Finder , a collection of short stories by William Hope

Hodgson, and a detective to boot. A consummatestoryteller and entertainer, Carnacki spends his days

rescuing wealthy families from the spirits, both hu-

man and not, that dare to haunt them.

At this point, we feel it’s important to point out that,

unlike our other sources, Carnacki the Ghost-Finder was

technically published in the twentieth century (e.g. 1913).

However, since Thomas Carnacki is one of many figures that

represent the shifting literary landscape as it moved away

from Victorian Gothic literature toward pulp, we decided

to include him even if he wasn’t a precise, historically-

accurate fit. Or, in other words, we exercised our rights as

game designers to slightly modify the Historical Angst™timeline for the purposes of designing playable characters

that could be used in a role-playing game. Should you

choose to ignore Thomas Carnacki because you prefer to use

these melancholy characters in a more purist, historically

precise manner, we placed him last in this collection so he

can be easily dropped.


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Description: Long before Robert Walton became the captain and

leader of a scientific expedition to the North Pole, he was a dreamer

and aspiring poet who, unfortunately, did not earn the fame and

prestige he felt he richly deserved. His failure as a poet (which, in

part, was caused by the fact he gave himself one year to achieve his

success) drove him to great and unimaginable lengths, to consider

all manner of get rich quick schemes, which his sister rightly

discouraged him from.

Like many failed writers, Walton worried that he’d

be forced to take odd jobs here and there to survive,

until one day fortune smiled upon him, and hegained a sizable inheritance following the death

of his cousin. With great sums at his disposal,

Walton chose to follow the dreams of his youth

and headed north to become a great seafarer

like the legendary captains of old. Walton

greatly desired fame and fortune, and was

convinced that if no one would acknowledge his

talents were on par with the likes of Homer and

Shakespeare, he would do what all other seafarers

could not: discover all the mysteries the North Pole

had to offer and stake his claim as the greatest explorer

who ever lived.

Prior to becoming a captain, Walton spent six

miserable years putting his body through many rigors: cold,

hunger, thirst, and lack of sleep. He believed that these

trials, which he endured on many whale-fishing expeditions,

would prepare him to become the captain of his own ship.

To Walton’s credit, he often took on the role of a common

sailor, and taught himself some mathematics, medicine, and

physics applicable to seafaring, and did serve as a first mate

on two of those expeditions. Despite these preparations

and the crew, ship, and supplies his inheritance could help

“You will rejoice to hear thatno disaster has accompanied thecommencement of an enterprise

which you have regarded with suchevil forebodings.”

- Frankenstein(Or, a Modern Prometheus)

by Mary Shelley


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CaptainRobertWalton

him purchase, Walton did not have enough experience to

become a ship’s captain.

Unfortunately, Captain Walton is the very model of

angst caused by shattered idealism and foolhardy dreams.

Though he began his recent journey with the heart of a

child, he has failed and proved to be a disgrace to his family’s

name. Because he did not heed his sister’s advice, Walton

encountered a soul so wretched he will never be able to sleepagain. Captain Walton did manage to sail north — further

north than he had ever been — but his ship got stuck in the

ice. Unable to break free, Walton and his crew remained

in that spot for many days until they spotted an unlikely

figure, and rescued Victor Frankenstein not long afterward.

Now that he’s heeded the dire warnings of Victor

Frankenstein and his abominable creation, his current

aspiration is to return to London and live out the rest of

his days in peace, or until his inheritance runs out. His

last shred of dignity remains in what might happen on his

travels home. He may yet prove to be a notable personage,

for like Odysseus, Captain Walton still has a lot more to

lose, and much to learn about sailing.

Image: Though Captain Walton is unskilled as

the captain of a ship and has little training (despite his

experiences on board a whaling ship), he is certainly dressed

for the part. Walton carries a spyglass, has grown a long

beard, and wears a sailor’s hat, suspenders, wool pants,

undershirt, and boots. Occasionally, he’ll wear furs to fend

off the cold, but will wear less clothing when he runs up

and down the deck for his morning exercises. When he

wishes to impress his crew, he ties down the riggings himself.

Roleplaying Hints: While you originally set off on your voyage to the far north with such great vigor, you and your

crew have fallen on desolate times and are now surrounded

by ice, both literally and figuratively. Oh, how you regret

this expedition and your assumptions that your discoveries

would save you from obscurity! Now you are beginning to

understand the depths of the wisdom your beloved sister

had attempted to impart to you, and you loathe yourself for

ignoring her letters of warning. It is true that your failure

as a poet and the way you’ve squandered your inheritance

has led to disaster in all things. Your sorrow dogs at your

heels, it bites your ankles, and has led you to growl and

snap at the world around you. You have discovered a bitter

monster lurking within your chest — and your fear that you

are utterly useless is far worse than Victor Frankenstein and

his abominable progeny.


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Power

Finesse

Resistance

Attributes Intelligence

Wits

Resolve

Strength

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Presence

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Composure

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Athletics __________Brawl___________Drive_____________

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Streetwise__________Subterfuge__________

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Attributes 5/4/3 • Skills 11/7/4 (+3 Specialties) • Merits 7 • Health = Stamina + Size • Willpower = Resolve + Composure • Size = 5 for adult humansDefense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits + Athletics• Initiative Mod = Dexterity + Composure • Speed = Strength + Dexterity +5 • Starting Integrity = 7

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Size:__________________ Speed:__________________Defense:________________Armor:_________________Initiative Mod:_____________Beats:

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Equipment Durability Structure Size Cost

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Weapon /Attack Dmg Range Clip Init Str Size

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Aspirations

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Conditions

Captain Robert Walton

Mid-Thirties

Hope

Pride

Suffering Goth

(Physics)

(Ships)

(Arctic Cold)

Eye for the Strange

Hardy

Resources (Inheritance)

5

7

1

2

Broken (Persistent)

Cure my insomnia.

Return home to my sister in London.

Forget Frankenstein and his monster.

Rope 2 3 2 1 dot

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CountessAnnaFedotovna

Description: Countess Anna Fedotovna is an eighty-seven year old

Russian aristocrat from the early nineteenth century. Her entire youth is an

enigma, begging to be decoded by a worthy opponent. Many years ago, the

Countess became friends with the legendary Comte de Saint Germaine, and

discovered a card-playing secret that was foolproof and never fails to earn im-

pressive winnings. The secret she gleaned helped lift her from instant poverty,

a temporary state she suffered due to the unimaginable gambling losses that

befell her.

For many years, dozens of men and women attempted to pry the

secret of the cards from the Countess — but never could. It wasn’t

until she became an old woman that others once again tried tolearn the mystery of the cards, and a man named Hermann

almost succeeded. The Countess had other plans, however,

for while her mind wasn’t as sound as it used to be, she cared

greatly for her young ward, Lizavyeta Ivanovna, and pledged to

ensure she’d be well taken care of.

Hermann, in his zeal to glean the secret of the cards,

pretended to lust after Lizavyeta. He sent her letters that made

her blush like a schoolgirl, so he could get close to the forgetful,

yet sometimes bossy and arrogant, Countess. One fateful night,

Hermann paid a visit to the Countess in her dressing room

after her maids helped undo the trappings of her carefully-

maintained regal appearance. Gone were her rosy cheeks,

her powered wigs, and her yellow, satin gown. Gone were her

hairpins and her silver necklace and earrings. All that was left

behind was an old woman in a nightcap and a dressing gown

befitting her age.

The Countess, who was not expecting any visitors in her

dressing room, ordered the young man to identify himself. Hermann

pressed his advantage, and demanded that the Countess reveal

the secret of the cards, for he would know it or make her pay

for it. When she didn’t answer him the first or second time, the

“Three, seven, ace, will win for

you if played in succession,but only on these conditions:that you do not play more thanone card in twenty-four hours,and that you never play againduring the rest of your life.”

- “The Queen of Spades”by Aleksandr S. Pushkin


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young man pulled a pistol from his coat pocket — and the

Countess’s heart failed from the sight of it, taking her

secret to her grave.

Despite having lived a long and storied life, never

wanting for anything, the Countess entered the afterlife as

a wandering ghost who had unfinished business to attend

to. Her spirit awoke in the body of her corpse at the sight

of her murderer, and she was compelled to haunt him untilshe answered the gambling addict’s demands. Ordered by

forces more powerful than she, the Countess did reveal the

secrets of the cards, provided Hermann play three cards in

succession — 3, 7, and an ace — over the course of three

games, for three nights. At the conclusion of the third night,

the Countess warned him, Hermann was to marry her

charge and give up gambling for the rest of his life, which

he was unable to do. Driven to madness by the sight of the

Countess appearing as the Queen of Spades in his deck of

cards, Hermann was committed to an insane asylum, and

her secret has been kept safe for all time.

Though she technically fulfilled her end of the bargain,

the Countess was doomed to become a spirit, haunting

Lizavyeta Ivanovna and all her descendants, until the day

she can find a skilled card player who’s worthy enough to

learn her secret, use it properly, and then have enough

self-control to abandon gaming forever.

Image: As an old woman, the Countess is a respected

member of the Russian royal court who takes great care to

maintain her appearance. She may be eighty-seven years

old, but she was once a highly attractive woman whose

company was sought after by many notable personages.

To disguise her wrinkles and her gray hair, she spends

many hours with her attendants maintaining a youthful

appearance by putting on her makeup, a powdered wig

with all manner of adornments, and an elaborate dress

and sash. She’ll never far stray far from a set of playing

cards, and her hand will almost always include a 3, 7, ace,or the Queen of Spades.

After her death, the Countess will either appear

exactly as she did when she was alive (except for the fact

her haunting image will be ghostly white) or as the visage

on a specific playing card, the Queen of Spades.

Roleplaying Hints: You are an aging Russian royal

who grew comfortable with your station in life. You do

not suffer fools, even though you may not remember all

of them, and you certainly don’t reveal your secrets to just

anyone. It is true, however, that you have in your possession

a dangerous secret that most men and women would kill

for. You have the secret to winning at cards, and the stakes

are high. While many upstarts have tried to learn it for

themselves before and after your death, you believe were

chosen by the Comte de Saint Germaine to keep it safe. You

will guard that secret even as a ghost, though you’ll bend

the rules and damn your opponent in the process. Should

you find a worthy gamer, one who can follow your strict

rules exactly as they were intended to be used in a game,

you might finally understand peace.


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Power

Finesse

Resistance


Wits

Resolve

Strength

Dexterity

Stamina

Presence

Manipulation

Composure

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Group Name:

Name:Age:

Player:

Skills OtherTraits


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Conditions

Countess Anna Fedotovna

87

Fortitude

Pride

Gamer Goth

(Card Games)

(Notable Occultists)

(Russian Court)

Allies (Russian Royal Court)

Patient

Resources (Gambling Winnings)

4

7

1

2

Fugue (Persistent)

Protect my secret.

If I find a worthy soul, share my secret.

Makeup Kit 1 2 3 3 dots

Housing 4 8 12 5 dots

Haunted Deck of Cards 2 2 1 N/A

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Description: The story of Princess Hermonthis’s angst begins after her death

over four thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, long after her young body was

mummified. Her foot broke off sometime during those long and storied years.

Through the millennia, however, tomb robbers and overzealous archaeologists

found and shipped that separated foot to curio shops all around the world.

Many times, Princess Hermonthis has tried to force these greedy, short-

sighted individuals to return what is rightfully hers. Worse, her foot has gone on

many travels without her. This singular (but incredibly necessary) piece of her

body has stepped all the way to the halls of a Chinese emperor in the pack of

a trader, hopped on rickety boats to sail to the shores of Brazil, and awkwardly

danced its way into a caravan of soldiers bound for America. Each time, theprincess cried out for her foot, but it ignored her, and began to act of its own

volition.

Princess Hermonthis was helpless. The will of her foot was too strong, and

she was forced to follow it on its many adventures. One fateful day, her foot

grew tired of the many battles that broke out up and down the Eastern coast

of the American colonies, and stowed on board a French naval vessel bound

for Europe. There, in the belly of that great ship, a French sailor discovered

the foot and snatched it up, then sold it to the owner of a curio shop after

returning home. He erroneously claimed (much to Princess Hermonthis’s

anger and dismay) that the foot was not actually a foot, but a misshapen piece

chiseled off of Plymouth Rock.

Thanks to the efforts of Princess Hermonthis — who attempted, in vain,

to communicate with the curio shop owner — the merchant didn’t fully believe

the sailor’s story, but understood the precious value of the foot and bought

it for a handsome sum. For years, the mummy’s foot was trapped, forced to

remain a solitary, accursed part of the body, often overlooked and neglected

until a young Parisian nobleman purchased it. He fell in love with the foot

and declared it shall be his for eternity.

“Well, my dear little foot, you always fleefrom me, yet I always took good care of

you. I bathed you with perfumed water in a

bowl of alabaster; I smoothed your heelwith pumice-stone mixed with palm-oil;your nails were cut with golden scissorsand polished with a hippopotamus tooth;I was careful to select tatbebs for you,painted and embroidered and turned up

at the toes, which were the envy of allthe young girls in Egypt.”

- The Mummy’s Foot by Theophile Gautier


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PrincessHermonthis

Princess Hermonthis was beside herself. Over the

millennia, she tried reasoning with her foot and its temporary

owner, but not one of her negotiations was successful. In her

most desperate hour, she even went so far as to cry and pray

to her foot, begging for it to take her back — but nothing

worked. Vowing that she would force her foot to return to

her mummified body this time, she gritted her teeth and set

aside her anger, pretending to be the nicest, prettiest, calmestteenager that had ever existed. When that effort failed,

however, she turned to her father, the Pharaoh, for help to

convince her foot and its new owner to come to where it truly

belonged. Believing that her royal daddy would help her at

last, the Princess continued her charade of pleasantry until

the foot rejoined the rest of her mummy in her sarcophagus

in the Louvre.

Sadly, the Princess could not keep her anger in check,

and unleashed her wrath on the foot after it returned to

her body. The foot, not wanting to put up with her angst

any longer than it had to, escaped the first chance it got. It

has undertaken a new quest, hoping to be rid of his angst-

ridden owner for all eternity.

Image: Princess Hermonthis is a young, Egyptian princess

who’s been mummified for over four thousand years. She is

in her late teens, and is missing a mummified foot. When her

ghost takes on the guise of her mortal self, the princess wears

her black hair braided, dons gold arm bracelets, and favors a

green pendant of the goddess Isis. She has tan skin, almond-

shaped eyes, a chiseled nose, and is very slender.

Roleplaying Hints: You are the ghost of an Egyptian

princess who has led a fairly uneventful afterlife for the

most part, but you’re pretending to be a human teenager. At some point within the last four thousand years, you — or

more to the point, your mummified corpse — lost a foot.

You’re not sure why, but that missing foot of yours has

taken on a life of its own, and you’re loathe to admit that

you lost it in the first place. Technically, your separated foot

is still a part of you, but no matter what you do it finds a

way argue with you, make deals, and often winds up getting

bought, traded, or sold. When you do manage to discover

where your foot is, you attempt to reason with its owner by

presenting him with visions of your beloved Egypt and by

introducing him to your father, the Pharaoh. Unfortunately,

you are keeping a secret from dear old dad: the rest of your

mummified corpse isn’t in the greatest shape either, and it’s

just a matter of time before another body part suffers the

same fate as your foot. And you’re really, really mad about it.


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Power

Finesse

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Wits

Resolve

Strength

Dexterity

Stamina

Presence

Manipulation

Composure

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Concept:

Chronicle:Faction:

Group Name:

Name:Age:

Player:

Skills OtherTraits


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Attributes 5/4/3 • Skills 11/7/4 (+3 Specialties) • Merits 7 • Health = Stamina + SizeDefense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits + Athletics• Initiative Mod = Dexterity +

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OOOOO

OOOOO

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Aspirations

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Conditions

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16/25

1

TheBlackCat

Description: No one knows much about

the black cat’s journey from a tiny kitten with

brilliant green eyes to a heavyset adult who only

had one. While he’s big-boned, this particular

cat is decorated with a strange white marking

on his chest, a pattern others with a guilty

conscious have interpreted as the image of a

hangman’s noose. The tale describing

the black cat’s mysterious and storied

origins, including the tragic memory

of how he lost the one eye, may shedsome light on what drove the black cat

to become the proud feline he is today.

What has been confirmed is that

the black cat came into the possession

of a childless couple who loved and

cared for many animals. It was one of

several pets in the house. Despite the

male’s attempts to rein in his fear of it,

he wound up becoming suspicious of

the onyx-colored feline, succumbing to

hundreds of years of silly superstition

that claimed the color of the cat’s fur

meant the cat was an agent of the devil

and a witch’s familiar.

While the black cat and his female

owner grew to like each other very much,

her husband could not stand the feline,

and became increasingly convinced that the

black cat was a hellspawn he referred to as

the Arch-Fiend. Eventually, the cat succumbed

to desperation and opted to ignore the human

male’s ignorance by rubbing up against his leg,

purring loudly, and following him wherever he

went — but despite these careful and well-timed

affections, the human male could not be convinced

“The cat followed me downthe steep stairs, and, nearly

throwing me headlong,exasperated me to madness.”

- “The Black Cat”by Edgar Allan Poe


17/25

GothicIcons

16

that the cat was, in fact, not trying to drive him mad.

Much to the black cat’s surprise and dismay, the

human male grabbed an axe and attempted to murder

him. He swung and swung and swung, but the cat proved

to be too agile and quickly dived out of the madman’s way,

leaping toward the human female. The male would not be

dissuaded, however, and continued to slice at the black cat,

to ensure it met an untimely death. Unfortunately for themboth, the husband’s axe did eventually land — in the skull

of his own wife who died protecting her beloved feline.

Following the death of the human female and the

disappearance of her body behind a wall, the black cat finally

understood its purpose in life: to avenge the only, kind soul

who ever loved him, and ensure that particular human

male would never hurt anyone again. Over many weeks, the

cat became obsessed with learning all he could about the

human body in its various states, both living and dead. Then,

unbeknownst to the murderer, the black cat snuck out of the

house and slowly drew other, (hopefully) saner humans to the

door of that Victorian home, pointing the way to that wall of

doom to ensure that justice would be met upon the human

responsible for killing the female he preferred.

Fortunately for the cat, his perseverance was rewarded

after a fashion, and he did find a way to incriminate the

murderer so he would be hung for his appalling crime.

However, the sight of a one-eyed black cat standing on the

head of a rotting corpse so greatly disturbed the humans

who brought her murderer to justice that the poor,

downtrodden feline was shooed out of the house, never

to be seen again.

It is rumored the black cat now spends his days

wandering the streets, hopelessly and endlessly searching

for an owner who won’t fear or try to kill him.

Image: The Black Cat is missing one eye and has apatch of white fur on his belly. The other eye is bright

green, and the rest of the cat’s fur is onyx-colored. Rumor

has it that if a sinner stares too long at that patch of white

fur, he’ll see the image of a hangman’s noose.

Roleplaying Hints: You are a cat who has lost

everything except the will to live. You like to be petted, eat

well, and drink fresh water. Unfortunately, you’re also a

one-eyed black cat with a patch of unusual white fur — which

means some people will fear you for no reason whatsoever.

You approve of any humans who like cats and treat you

well, and will do whatever it takes to get off the streets. If

your human guardians don’t like you, you’ll make them

pay. Oh, how you’ll make them suffer. You might point out

their treacherous crimes other humans, use the knowledge

you’ve gained to exploit weaknesses in human anatomy,

or you might play up to your reputation as a spawn of the

devil. Either way, you refuse to ignored, and don’t plan on

being homeless for long.


18/25

_______________

_______________

Power

Finesse

Resistance


Wits

Resolve

Strength

Dexterity

Stamina

Presence

Manipulation

Composure

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Virtue:Vice:

Concept:

Chronicle:Faction:

Group Name:

Name:Age:

Player:

Skills OtherTraits


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Merits

_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Health

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

OOOOOOOOOO

Willpower

OOOOOOOOOO

Integrity


_________________Experiences:______________

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___


_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____


____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _______________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

OOOOO

OOOOO

_________________

_________________

_________________

Aspirations

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

Conditions

Black Cat a.k.a. Arch-Fiend

Unknown

Justice

Sloth

Emo Goth

(Hairballs)

(Claws)

Fleet of Foot

Fast Reflexes

1

8

2

1 (Fur Coat)

4

Lost

Blind in One Eye (Persistent)

Find a loving owner if I can.

Protect my good owner's corpse.

Sharp Claws (Built-In) 1 N/A N/A 0 1 1

Ear-splitting Howl of Doom 2 1/5/10 N/A -1 0 N/A

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GothicIcons

18

Description: Some vampire hunters learn the art of their

trade through many years of trial and error — but not this

one. Baron Vordenburg is related to a heroic vampire hunter,

renowned for his knowledge and prowess in ridding small towns

of the fanged creatures.

The Baron grew up in his ancestor’s shadow. His parents

constantly reminded him of his worth, and he was pushed to

study swordfighting (which he never mastered) and literature

(which he took to like a moth to a flame). At first, the Baron

believed he was destined to become a vampire hunter and

pretended he was just like his forefather, but as a young manhe began to doubt his abilities after reading the many journals

and papers carefully kept in his family’s library along with

the Magia Posthuma, Phlegon de Mirabilibus, Augustinus de

cura pro Mortuis, Philosophicae et Christianae Cogitationes de

Vampiris, alongside many other rare and weird books.

These books, journals, and maps reflected the life-

long obsession of a madman, a jilted lover

who died before he could murder his

undead lover. They were filled with

strange, cryptic messages describing

corpse-like hands, iron grips, the graves

of suicide victims, and wild theories on the

origin of blood-drinkers. The Baron read each passage

carefully, but could not decipher conclusive fact from

fiction — and had no desire to find out the truth for

himself. Why should he put himself and his title

at risk? What did he have to gain by becoming a

hero for a people who knew nothing about him?

For a decade following the realization that

he did not want to become a vampire hunter,

“One sign of the vampire

is the power of the hand. The slender hand of Mircalla closedlike a vice of steel on the General’swrist when he raised the hatchet tostrike. But its power is not confined

to its grasp; it leaves a numbnessin the limb it seizes, which is slowly,

if ever, recovered from.”

- Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu


20/25

1

BaronVordenburg

Baron Vordenburg forgot all about his forefather and his

obsession, and pledged to do as his father had done: marry

well, live idly, and fade into the background. Unfortunately,

the reputation and the promise of his ancestor to rid the

world of vampires pursued him wherever he went. It is

this desperate pledge that led the Baron to receive a letter

he could not ignore. The request for aid came from a

reputable but ailing general who hailed from the very townhis forefather had rescued from the bloodsuckers. The letter

begged for his assistance, claiming that he was the only one

to help him. The Baron could not refuse. His forefather

had done so much research, so he believed that finding the

vampire would be an easy task. Though he knew he was

out of his depth, the Baron turned the instructions left by

his ancestor, tracing the path of the vampire through many

dates, maps, and entries, to come to a decisive conclusion.

Emboldened by the powers granted to him through

his excellent reading comprehension, Baron Vordenburg

dressed the part of a vampire hunter, bringing along his

trusty saber and a single piece of paper that revealed the

location of the vampire’s tomb. The Baron instructed a

team of inspectors, and quickly found the gravesite. Then he

simply left, basking in the gratitude of the old general who

believed he was the vampire’s great and worthy adversary.

Now, the Baron is forced to pretend he knows much

more than he actually does, for the old general has said

many things about his deeds, but there is little truth to

those stories. Not only has the Baron attracted the attention

of commoners and nobles alike, from Stygia to Moravia

and every town in between, he has also become an object

of curiosity to the vampires in the area, the very creatures

the General claims he can behead with the single stroke

of his trusty saber.

Image: Baron Vordenburg is tall and narrow-chested.

He tends to walk with a stoop, and often dresses in black.

On occasion, he’ll wear an oddly-shaped hat and may forgetto shave or cut his hair, depending upon what stage of

research he’s conducting. To read his ancestor’s journals,

he’ll wear a pair of gold spectacles.

Roleplaying Hints: You have never met a vampire,

ghost, werewolf, or any other supernatural creature, and

you hold this secret close to your heart. You have a small

fortune, which you haven’t had time to squander, and spend

the majority of your time poring over your ancestor’s books,

journals, and papers which describe the various properties

(both real and imagined) of the vampire. You have some

idea of what a vampire might be, but truth be told, you rely

on your charm and station in life to convince others you

know how to hunt vampires. You don’t want to admit it,

but there’s been a few times where you’ve mistaken a strong

woman who had icy cold hands for a monster. Sometimes,

you tell other hunters to dig up the corpses of suicide

victims and cut off their heads, just to appear knowledgable.

Should you ever meet a real vampire, you’re not sure what

you’d do — which is why you carry a saber, just in case. It’s

much easier, you think, to find their graves.


21/25

_______________

_______________

Power

Finesse

Resistance


Wits

Resolve

Strength

Dexterity

Stamina

Presence

Manipulation

Composure

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Virtue:Vice:

Concept:

Chronicle:Faction:

Group Name:

Name:Age:

Player:

Skills OtherTraits


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Merits

_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Health

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

OOOOOOOOOO

Willpower

OOOOOOOOOO

Integrity


_________________Experiences:______________

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___


_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____


____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _______________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

OOOOO

OOOOO

_________________

_________________

_________________

Aspirations

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

Conditions

Baron Vordenburg

Middle-Aged

Charity

Envy

Wannabe Goth

(Ancestor's Journals)

(Vampires)

(Saber)

Encyclopedic Knowledge (Vampires)

Library (Family Home)

Quick Draw (Trusty Saber)

5

7

2

3

Embarrassing Secret (N00b)

Notoriety (Family Name)

Actually hunt and kill vampires.

Live up to my family name.

Saber 1 N/A N/A -2 1 2

Worn Vampire Hunting Manual 2 2 1 3 Dots

Iron Crucifix 4 3 2 2 Dots

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22/25

2

ThomasCarnacki

Description: Thomas Carnacki, like Fanu’s Dr. Martin Hesselius before

him, is an occult investigator who revels in the use of his intellect, and favors

logic and clear reasoning above all else. He is a likeable fellow who enjoys sharing

the tales of his exploits with his friends, and often invites his friends to dinner by

sending them an invitation. During the meal, Carnacki engages in pleasantries

and strictly forbids the discussion of his cases — no doubt to avoid spoiling

the appetite of his friends — but quickly ushers them into his study shortly

afterward. There, in his tall, wing-backed chair, Carnacki lights his

pipe, but before the match’s flame is put out, the ghost

detective calmly begins to regale his guests with the story

of a particular case chosen for the occasion. He addressesthe finer details of his subject matter carefully, to avoid

upsetting the genteel nature of the fine and upstanding

gentlemen invited into his humble home.

Often, Carnacki reveals the very human reason why the

home of a wealthy widower or noblewoman was haunted. On

occasion, a great house might be plagued by rats or common

bandits attempting to rid the home of its unsuspecting owners

in order to rob them from the treasures that lie within. Though

he is loathe to admit the truth, Carnacki often feels grateful when

the culprit turns out to be human, for despite all his writings and

inventions, he is afraid of the dark.

To cope with his fears, Carnacki relies on the adoration of his friends,

and enjoys his dinner parties to such a degree that he often plans out his

performance in the study after the conclusion of each case. It’s better for

him if his client is wealthy — and many of them are — for the gentlemen

and ladies of Victorian England are grateful to be talked about in such a

manner. Indeed, some of the nobles secretly wish their homes were haunted,

too, so that Carnacki would grace their doors with his presence. To that end,

the detective does offer a bevy of services for handsome sums, including the

purchase of certain protective rites and sigils, to prevent a haunting before a

spirit has a chance to take up residence.

“You all know I am not really acowardly chap. I ’ve gone into too many

cases connected with ghostly things, to beaccused of that; but I tell you I funked it;simply funked it, just like any blessed kid. There was something precious unholy in

the air that night.”

- Carnacki, the Ghost-Finderby William Hope Hodgson


23/25

GothicIcons

22

Carnacki is the picture of a Victorian gentleman. He

is never seen with a hair out of place, and spends his time

perfecting his trade. He favors schools of study relevant

to the period, like photography, and holds himself to

the highest standard, each time relying on the methods

of scientific discovery to uncover the truth about ghosts.

When he is not tinkering with technology or devising new

implements like the electric pentacle, Carnacki spendshis time collecting stories of folklore, writing down his

occult theories in books like the Sigsand Manuscript and

Incantation of Raaaee, or devising new rites of magic like

the Saaamaaa Ritual.

Despite the fact that many skeptics have attempted to

glean the secrets of his trade, Carnacki the ghost-finder is

tight-lipped and does not open his home or study to just

anyone. He has yet to meet another gentleman (or genteel

lady) that shares his lifestyle and desire for truth, which

may damn him eventually, forcing him to experience great

tragedy and misfortune. After all, while Carnacki may

experience many financial and social comforts serving

England’s elite in their supernatural needs, these are the

ephemeral trappings of mortals that will not follow him to

the grave. The ghost-finder may yet faint and hit his head

at the sight of a ghost who haunts a pauper — or worse, his

own study — with nary a brave soul to rescue him.

Image: Thomas Carnacki is a middle-aged gentleman

who dresses in Victorian or Edwardian era suits. He has a

pocket watch, tends to wear round, gold-rimmed spectacles,

and is often accompanied by any number of relics befitting

a scientifically-minded spiritualist like a camera, salt, crystal

ball, Ouija board, occult tomes, and the like. Carnacki

does not fear technology, and occasionally uses the art of

photography or mysterious devices of his own creation,

like the “electric pentacle” he claims he’s invented, to solve

his cases and track ghosts. At this time, no one else, save

for Carnacki himself, has been able to confirm how histechnological wonders actually work.

Roleplaying Hints: You are an expert on ghosts who

enjoys telling stories as much as being the star of one. Your

wealthy friends are important to you, and you often send

them invitations to regale them with your deeds over a fine

meal. You rely on your keen mind and your wits to help you,

but you aren’t afraid of technology and the uses it offers you,

either. On occasion, you do talk about the all-too-human

villains who dare to try and trick you, masquerading as a

ghost to commit crimes against the innocent. Though some

might find you unsufferable, most believe you’re a stunning

example of what the rational mind can accomplish when

put to the task. You follow wherever a trail of clues might

lead you, and trust that you will always find the evidence

needed to solve your mysteries. Your only fear is what might

happen if you are presented with a case that cannot be

solved, or worse — a client who cannot pay you. Would you

fall into madness, obsessing over minute details to find a

solution? Or, would your faith in yourself be so irreparably

shaken you’d give up hunting ghosts?


24/25

_______________

_______________

Power

Finesse

Resistance


Wits

Resolve

Strength

Dexterity

Stamina

Presence

Manipulation

Composure

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Virtue:Vice:

Concept:

Chronicle:Faction:

Group Name:

Name:Age:

Player:

Skills OtherTraits


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO



OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO


OOOOO

OOOOO


_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

Merits

_______________

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

_______________

_______________

OOOOO

OOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Health

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

OOOOOOOOOO

Willpower

OOOOOOOOOO

Integrity


_________________Experiences:______________

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___


_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____

_________________ ______ _____ ____ ____


____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ _______________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

____________ ___ ______ ____ ___ ___ ___

OOOOO

OOOOO

_________________

_________________

_________________

Aspirations

_________________

_________________

_________________

_________________

Conditions

Thomas Carnacki

Middle-Aged

Prudence

Pride

Victorian Goth

(Odd Inventions)

(Con Artists)

(Ghosts)

Area of Expertise (Ghosts)

Eidetic Memory

Pro Training (Occultist)

5

6

1

3

Spooked

Use my logic to investigate ghosts.

Tell stories to mask my fear.

Don't die.

Electric Pentacle 2 1 1 2 Dots

Photographic Chemicals and Camera 3 2 2 1 Dot

Sigsand Manuscript 2 1 1 1 Dot

Salt 1 1 1 1 Dot

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Documents

World of Darkness - Gothic Icons