A thing in our Blades game crossed over into S&V…
So, in our game of “Scum & Villainy”, the Nightspeakers believe that true potential resides in mastering the Night (the void realm where hyperspace resides). Crucial to this is staring into the Black Mirror, which is the spiritual barrier between the Light (real-space) and the Night (void-space). It is within the Black Mirror that one must face the deepest darkness by calling to their Night-touched soul, bringing it into reflection. This reflection is the avatar a Nightspeaker uses to delve into the Night and through which dark powers can be learned.
One such power is the Night Voice. The initiate learns this by studying their reflection deeply, coaxing the Night into it until its black eyes and dissonant voice both cross the Black Mirror and take root in their flesh. After this, they are truly Nightspeakers.
As a Nightspeaker studies their reflection more, they draw closer to the Night. They must be careful however, for they can lose control and draw too much of the darkness, snuffing out their Light. At best, they are brain-dead husks whose minds are lost to the Night. At worst, they’re possessed by a darkling creature of the void and create ruin in the Light.
It struck me that perhaps a Weird vice of powerful, Nightspeakers is to drain the void energies roiling within through rituals that create liquid shadow or a living, inky blood. Perhaps these can be used in stronger rituals, some requiring the “Night Blood” of several Nightspeakers as well as other esoteric components.
It also spurned me to imagine renaming “Ghost Veil” into “The Night Veil”, which feels appropriate. Another idea I particularly like is to rename “Venomous” as “The Night Kiss”. These would both be veteran advances of high-ranking cultists.
We also have a rare ritual called “Pilgrim of the Night Roads” which creates shadow-gates in secluded places and allows a Nightspeaker to traverse the Night Roads (i.e.-use the hyperspace lanes) without a vessel. Needless to say, knowledge of this ritual is jealousy guarded and legends say that the Raiment of Night allows its bonded master to walk the Night Roads at will…
Anyhoo…stuff. (can you tell I love The Nightspeakers?) 😀
That’s awesome. I can hear the Sword albums playing in the background.
Adam Schwaninger, thanks, man. It’s going really well.
This is some good stuff!
Stras Acimovic, that’s high praise coming from you. Thank you. The Black Mirror factored heavily into the origin story of my wife’s mystic, Iris. And because I feel like rambling…
Iris had worn the Silent Shroud (the year in the dark) and excelled in the Way. She was preparing to take her place as a full member of the cult, staring at herself in the Black Mirror. She stared into the reflection’s black eyes and listened to its dissonant voice. Suddenly, the reflection lunged at her, grabbing her face as black veins surged through its forehead, coming together to form a cold, black gem over its skin. Time wavered as the reflection mouthed countless words in countless ways. Iris struggled as her reflection pulled her closer and closer. The last thing she remembers is the reflection smashing its forehead into hers. In a burst of freezing pain Iris saw time fracture as past, present and future collided.
She woke days later, unable to clearly recall what happened. The only proof it wasn’t a trick of the Night is the black gem in her forehead she can call forth. Soon after, she ran, forsaking the completion of her training as well as the cult. The masters simply watched, for they had listened to her fevered ramblings as she dreamt. The meanings aren’t clear, to Iris or her masters, but one thing is known to be true: the young Nightspeaker has a powerful destiny.
(The gem can give glimpses of time and eventually, its keeper can control time. Did Iris’ reflection get it in the past? Or is it a gift from her future? We shall see!)
Shit like that. Word. 🙂
Edit: Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff.
Pilgrim of the Night Roads?
Please tell me there is a Godbound mashup in the works…
Omari Brooks, I know of Godbound but not much other than it’s a popular alternative to Exalted. I assume the Night Roads are a thing in it?
Adam Schwaninger, I meant to also thank you for pointing me to The Sword. My ears were happy.
You’re welcome!
Ben Liepis
“The Night Roads are the connections between the scattered realms of the former world, the broken shards of Heaven, and the smoldering pits of Hell. Some were fabricated intentionally by the Former Empires as roads to reach their enemies while others precipitate naturally out of the void of Unending Night. They most commonly pierce the skin of a realm in lonely or desolate places.”
Omari Brooks, that’s really neat! I like the idea of bushwhacking enemies through hyperspace.