Geist the Sin-Eaters - Ready-Made PCs

Ready Made Characters

Credits

Written By:

Jason Needham

Developer:

Matt McElroy

Creative Director: Richard Thomas

Editor:

Monica Valentinelli

Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney

Interior Art: Cathy Wilkins

© 2014 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Hunter, and The World of Darkness are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Storytelling System, Vampire the Requiem, Mage the Awakening, Werewolf the Forsaken, Hunter the Vigil, Mummy the Curse, Promethean the Created, Geist the Sin-Eaters, Demon the Descent, World of Darkness, and Mortal Remains are trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf. CCP North America Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of CCP hf. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Check out the Onyx Path online @ http:///www.theonyxpath.com/

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Table of Contents The Crossroads Drifters

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Bruce Haas Sonia Black Randy Curtis Minerva Brambani Ray Asoau Storyteller Advice

6 10 14 18 22 26

Ethos 5

Story Seeds

26

The Crossroads Drifters

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The Crossroads Drifters krewe was founded by a Bound named Bruce Haas. After several meetings with other SinEater krewes, Bruce felt his itch to perform on the road put him at odds with other krewes so he resolved to form his own. Guided by the King in Sequins, Bruce took to the highways and cities all across America to search for like-minded folk. In Boston, Bruce invited Sonia to travel alongside him after watching her read Tarot and play card tricks. The pair traveled down to Charleston, where they stumbled into Minerva and her unearthly voice. Eventually, the growing krewe wound up in Salt Lake City, and Randy added his musical talents to the Drifters’ performances. By the time they encountered Ray and his crowd-stealing dances in Santa Monica, their Geists had developed a Mythos to give the Drifters a mission: to give the dead one final show before they pass on. Between the worlds of the quick and the dead, a mysterious court lies waiting in the dark. The Lonesome Whistler guides the supplicants in wordlessly with an eerie melody. The haunting tune the Whistler carries is the only sound the dead

hears—until the lights go up. The music stops, the darkness fades, and the King in Sequins announces himself to preside over the court and judge the new arrivals. Lady Luck steps in to name each supplicant and share their fate by revealing what awaits them when they pass on from this world. Though the court’s attendees may, on some level, understand Lady Luck is whispering to all of them, her words are only heard by the listener she addresses. After her final message is uttered, the King in Sequins lifts his hands and starts to play a requiem. The Spider of Sound moves with the unearthly rhythm of the court, while the Queen in Tatters sings her mournful song. Finally, as the Queen in Tatters’ voice rises to a crescendo, the King in Sequins rises to bring the house down. As soon as the dirge’s final notes fade into nothingness, so do the lights. Then, there is only darkness—and the Lonesome Whistler’s phantom strain. On earth the court’s reflections, the Crossroads Drifters, perform for the living and the dead. They bring words of hope and peace and the gala to come. The spirits may be comforted enough to keep facing eternity, or may be moved on to the court. The living who stop and listen to the Drifters may feel their troubles slip away—at least for a little while. The Crossroads Drifters are talented and can draw

Ethos

The mythology of the Crossroads Drifters is grounded in the idea of the traveling performer who wanders from place to place to put on a show. Never putting down roots, the mythology offers players the chance to explore ideas related to permanence and transience. The Drifters’ ethos shapes these concepts. The Drifters are a Tier One krewe who, like any other, has a ban, duty, and destiny that make up their ethos and flush out this mythology. Unless the Storyteller requires a bigger krewe for her chronicle, the five characters listed here should suffice. If needed, this particular troupe of street performers could be one of several krewes that roam worldwide. Ban: The Crossroads Drifters perform for the dead. While performing, the krewe cannot force the dead to leave. The Drifters can corral them if they are causing trouble, silence them with threats, Manifestations, or Ceremonies, but they cannot remove them unless the dead have physically attacked the performers or other members in the audience. At official shows, the dead cannot be removed until the end of the show. If the krewe is simply whistling a tune or singing a song, they may stop their performance to allow the dead to be removed. Whether this ban applies to Undead or not is a situation the Drifters have yet to encounter.

Duty: The Crossroads Drifters are tasked with traveling and bringing peace to the dead in one of two ways: they can either help them move on or simply escape their problems for a while. Similarly, when possible the Drifters are to serve the living as well. However, their duty to help the dead supersedes their lesser duty to entertain the living. The Drifters may stay in a specific location and enjoy themselves for a while, but eventually they must move on to a new place and find new dead to assist. In this way, the Drifters truly live up to their name. Destiny: The more ghosts the Crossroads Drifters assist, the stronger and more powerful the court gets. Each member of the court was once human; when the krewe helps enough souls move on, the human form of each member will rise again. The Drifters can join with them and regain full ownership of their bodies once more. By doing so, this will effectively double their numbers and create a new type of Sin-Eater. Though this destiny will create a new way for Sin-Eaters to help their Geist become what it once was, the Drifters are forbidden from revealing this secret. To tell is to risk someone (or something) trying to stop them. If that came to pass, the court would have a great deal of difficulty convening a new krewe. Indeed, Ray, the newest member, is not even aware of this destiny, though the others assume The Spider of Sound knows. The Crossroads Drifters continue traveling the open road for now, bringing music, laughter and respite to the dead. Not all welcome their presence, but few can mistake the mark the Crossroads Drifters make wherever they go.

The Crossroads Drifters

a crowd, but all too soon after they arrive, they move on to the text town or city. After all, the road is a harsh mistress.

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Bruce Haas “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna hurt ya. I’ll help you get through this.” “The king is dead. Long live the king, baby!” Virtue: Charity. Bruce is a kind soul who lives to help others. Vice: Gluttony. Bruce loves the good life, and everything that comes with it. Threshold: The Stricken. The good life caught up with Bruce eventually. Archetype: Celebrant. Life is for living, and Bruce knows it. He always lives large. Geist: The King In Sequins, who appears as an exaggerated stereotype of Elvis Presley. The King is the leader of the court and oversees all the entertainment. His sunglasses never come off, and he never fails to sparkle. The King is a fairly recent Geist and tends to communicates with Bruce in a direct fashion. Keystone: A Martin D-28 guitar, with the Passion and Phantasm keys. It looks a little rough from use. Experienced Bruce has a musical Vanitas, a guitar piece that builds to a crescendo then cuts the sound, dropping suddenly to total silence. Background: Bruce Haas was one of the best two-bit Elvis Presley impersonators in Vegas. The man lived large with good food, good drink, and good company. Though he was far from clean cut, Bruce tended to avoid doing drugs and gambling. Still, he took his performances seriously, and worked long, hard hours to make the tourists and locals smile. Unfortunately, his “work hard, play hard” motto is what led to his untimely death. Chosen by a curious Geist who similarly re s o n a t e s w i t h t h e popular images of Elvis Presley, Bruce Haas exploded back into the world. A s a S i n - E a t e r, Bruce feels that he now has the chance to do what he couldn’t in life. When he was performing twelve hours a day in the city that never sleeps, Bruce followed the traditions of his fellow Elvis impersonators at the expense of having his own life. Now, he wants to relax and see more of the world. To Bruce, this

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a dead ringer for Elvis, but a little make-up and sunglasses help the illusion. Nowadays when he’s not on the job, Bruce looks as little like Elvis as possible, and even pulls his long hair back into a ponytail on occasion. He prefers to blend into the crowd when he’s not performing, and will favor jeans and a T-shirt. Roleplaying Hints: When on stage, step into the shoes of a larger-than-life performer. Don the accent, the moves, and emulate a voice that sounds remarkably similar to Elvis Presley’s. Offstage, be gregarious and friendly most of the time, to put people at ease. Be sure your listeners would never place you as an impersonator until they have seen you in action. To play up the dichotomy between your performance as Elvis and your time away from the stage, insert an Elvis-like gesture or saying when you’re out of character, and show how annoyed you are you slipped up.

Bruce Haas

means living larger and worker harder than ever before. He understands he’s performing for a bigger cause than fame or money; he also helps the dead relax and accept when it is time to move on. And, he brings the living a sense of peace. The King pushes him to master the songs of his profession, but more and more often Bruce is stretching out to test his musical abilities. An expert guitarist, Bruce is branching out from classic rock to explore different musical genres, like techno, industrial, and heavy metal. His Geist indulges his tastes for modern music some, but their clashing desires are beginning to strain their relationship. Image: Bruce always appears in costume for shows; he is dressed like the traditional Elvis Presley stereotype, pompadour, sequined jumpsuit, and all. Bruce is far from

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Name: Bruce Haas Geist: The King in Sequins Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Charity Vice: Gluttony Concept: Elvis Impersonator

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO ● Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO

Physical (-1 unskilled)

Athletics__________● OOOOO Brawl____________●● OOOOO Drive_____________● OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO ●

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Good Listener ●● Empathy__________ OOOOO Elvis Impersonator ●●● Expression_____________ OOOOO Intimidation_________ OOOOO ● Persuasion___________ OOOOO ●● Nightclubs Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO ●

Attributes

Archetype: Celebrant Threshold: The Stricken Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits

Fame _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

Keystone Memento

Guitar _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Passion ___________ Phantasm ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Marionette _________________ OOOOO ●●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche

●●● OOOOOOOOOO

Plasm

  

Synergy

Max Synergy:___ 10______________O 9______________ O 8______________ O 7______________● O 6______________● O 5______________● O 4______________● O 3______________● O 2______________● O 1______________● O 5 Size:_____________ 9 Speed:____________ 2 Defense:__________ 0 Armor:___________ 4 Initiative Mod:______ Experience:________

Attributes: 5/4/3 • Skills 11/7/4 (+3 Specialties) • Record Archetype and Threshold • Manifestations: 3 dots • Select 1 Key from Threshold and 1 to represent Keystone Merits 7 • (Buying the fifth dot in Attributes, Skills or Merits costs two points) • Health = Stamina + Size • Willpower = Resolve + Composure • Size = 5 for adult human-sized Defense = Lowest of Dexterity or Wits • Initiative Mod = Dexterity + Composure • Speed = Strength + Dexterity + 5 • Starting Synergy = 7 • Psyche starts at 1 dot • Plasm starts at 1/2 max pool.

Name: Bruce Haas (Seasoned) Geist: The King in Sequins Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Charity Vice: Gluttony Concept: Elvis Impersonator

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO ● Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________● OOOOO Brawl____________●● OOOOO Drive_____________● OOOOO Firearms__________● OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO ●

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Good Listener ●● Empathy__________ OOOOO Elvis Impersonator ●●● Expression_____________ OOOOO Intimidation_________ OOOOO ● Persuasion___________ OOOOO ●●● Nightclubs Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO ● Subterfuge____________ OOOOO ●

Attributes

Archetype: Celebrant Threshold: The Stricken Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits

Fame _________________ OOOOO ● Resources _________________ OOOOO ●● Vanitas _________________ OOOOO ●● Contacts (Nightclubs) _________________ OOOOO ● Barfly _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

Keystone Memento

Guitar _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Passion ___________ Phantasm ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Marionette _________________ OOOOO ●●● Shroud _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Sonia Black

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“This whole situation is tricky, tricky, tricky. If you want to get out of this mess, listen to me. Just listen.” “You think you’ve seen it all? You haven’t seen anything yet. Watch this!” Virtue: Fortitude. Sonia does not give up. Ever. Anything can be lived through, even if it kills her. Vice: Lust. So many pretty, pretty things in the world, it is hard for Sonia to stay on task. And since she subconsciously feels all those things are prettier than her, she’ll take her pleasure with some pain, too. Threshold: The Silent. Sonia died of a drug overdose. Unfortunately, the drugs she took didn’t keep the hunger away. Not permanently, anyway. That’s twice silent. Archetype: Bonepicker. Sonia’s powers make her stronger, and though she never seems to be happy, she aims to please mostly herself. Unlike Bruce, she’s not part of this krewe for the greater good. Geist: Lady Luck, who appears as a faceless woman dressed as a colorful, late 19th century gambler who prefers pants over corsets. Lady Luck often deals Sonia cards to get her desires across. Sometimes the cards are playing cards. Sometimes the hand Lady Luck deals is filled w i t h Ta ro t c a rd s . Sometimes the cards are even more esoteric, and though Sonia has never seen them before, she usually knows how to interpret what they mean. Keystone: A worn deck of playing cards, with the TearStained and Stillness keys. The cards are stained and folded at the edges; the water stains clearly show the deck has been submerged under water. Background: The sole non-American in the Crossroads Drifters, Sonia was born in London longer ago than she cares to admit. Though her family was broke, Sonia couldn’t bring herself to resort to thieving to get the shiny things she coveted. Instead, she grabbed a deck of cards, started shuffling, and learned a few

admired. She always had a fascination with American women and their funny-sounding accents she often emulated. While she traveled alone for awhile, eventually Sonia met Bruce and was invited into the Crossroads Drifters after she read his fortune. Image: Sonia is petite and under five feet tall. Though she’s tiny, Sonia’s personality more than makes up for her lack of physical presence with her witty attitude and flamboyant style. When she performs, Sonia wears a red bowler and a black-and-red suit. While her outfit tends to be rumpled, her clothes are in good repair and—when she can afford it—she’ll buy more clothes. Sonia has black hair and wears heavy black eye makeup. She also likes to smoke. Roleplaying Hints: Be friendly, speak with an American accent to blend in, but be cautious. Use the word “tricky” a great deal. When you’re out in public, seek out attractive American women first and stammer—because you don’t flirt very well. As a performer, play up your British accent and make theatrical gestures as you manipulate the cards. When speaking privately, you are quieter and rely on your cigarettes to calm your nerves. Always stand a few feet back so you don’t have to look up to make eye contact and, when necessary, find a chair to stand on and make sure you’re seen.

Sonia Black

card tricks she could perform for tourists to earn a few coins. Unfortunately, her family’s fortunes did not change and eventually her parents died from malnutrition and pneumonia. Placed into a boarding home, Sonia vowed to never be poor again—a promise she has yet to fulfill. Eventually, Sonia had enough and ran away to join a troupe of traveling magicians. Owing her success to the cards, Sonia always had a deck by her side to play tricks, gamble, and tell fortunes while her fellow performers took the stage to perform disappearing acts. Her uncanny knack for fortune-telling didn’t win her any friends, however, for the fates she revealed were usually bad. Still, despite her humble beginnings and her growing appetites for the finer things in life she somehow managed to get by. Unfortunately, while her talents kept her off the streets, they did not make her wealthy. Her desire to have more than she could afford, coupled with the drug habits she picked up, spelled her own doom. Bankrupt, high, and starving, Sonia lost her life to an insatiable hunger she could not fill. Sonia is a survivor, however, and Lady Luck has proven whose side she’s really on—or so she claims. When she became a Sin-Eater, Sonia traveled to America to break from her traumatic past and to ply her trade alongside the glamorous American entertainers she

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Name: Sonia Black Geist: Lady Luck Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Fortitude Vice: Pride Concept: Street Magician Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO ● Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Tarot Occult _____________ OOOOO ●●● Politics____________ OOOOO ● Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive_____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Card Tricks Larceny___________ OOOOO ●●● Stealth_____________ OOOOO ● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Expression_____________ OOOOO Intimidation_________ OOOOO ● Fast Talking ●● Persuasion___________ OOOOO Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO ●●● Subterfuge____________ OOOOO ●●

Attributes

Archetype: Bonepicker Threshold: The Silent Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO

Manipulation ●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits

Resources _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

Keystone Memento

Deck of Cards _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Industrial ___________ Stillness ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Curse _________________ OOOOO ●●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Name: Sonia Black (Seasoned) Geist: Lady Luck Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Fortitude Vice: Pride Concept: Street Magician

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO ● Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Tarot Occult _____________ OOOOO ●●● Politics____________ OOOOO ● Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive_____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Card Tricks Larceny___________ OOOOO ●●● Stealth_____________ OOOOO ●● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Expression_____________ OOOOO Intimidation_________ OOOOO ● Fast Talking ●●● Persuasion___________ OOOOO Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO ●●● Subterfuge____________ OOOOO ●●

Attributes

Archetype: Bonepicker Threshold: The Silent Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits


Keystone Memento

Deck of Cards _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Industrial ___________ Stillness ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Curse _________________ OOOOO ●●● Oracle _________________ OOOOO ●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy

Max Synergy:___ 10______________O 9______________ O 8______________ O 7______________● O 6______________● O 5______________● O 4______________● O 3______________● O 2______________● O 1______________● O 5 Size:_____________ 9 Speed:____________ 2 Defense:__________ 0 Armor:___________ 4 Initiative Mod:______ 2 Experience:________


Randy Curtis

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“This is an old, old song. Older than you or me. But the words mean something. Listen to ’em.” “This isn’t turnin’ out the way I expected, but improvising always was one of my gifts.” Virtue: Hope. Randy hopes everything will be all right, in the end. He just knows he has a long way to go to get there. Vice: Sloth. It’s so easy just to be lazy, to sit and play. Why bother going anywhere or getting anything done? Threshold: The Prey. Randy was thrown from a horse and broke his neck. He still has something of a crick in it, and it pops oddly and loudly sometimes. Archetype: The Advocate. Randy is quick to figure out the dead’s needs and carry them out. His kindness has helped many move on. Geist: The Lonesome Whistler. The Lonesome Whistler is a shadowy, distant man. Tall and indistinct, he can always be heard before he is seen, and his presence seems more tied to the sound of his whistling than any physical body he might possess. The Whistler is usually down the road, or walking along outside a window. Randy communicates with the Whistler by interpreting the Geist’s needs from his music. Randy also knows the Geist’s humanoid silhouette masks something that’s not at all human. Keystone: A pair of worn hiking boots, with the Grave-Dirt and Primeval keys, that have seen a lot of use. They fit Randy perfectly. His Vanitas, like Bruce’s, is musical, but his is a slow, tragic song. Background: Randy was a talented musician who could sing and play several instruments even as a boy. The guitar was his favorite, but he could also play the banjo and harmonica from an early age, before moving onto the drums and piano. While Randy started off just playing country music with a band in a small suburb outside of Salt Lake City, he branched out onto other styles like bluegrass and

because it burns him that such a talented, handsome fellow like himself is living in Bruce’s shadow. Sometimes, Randy even thinks about telling him that. He may even get around to saying so. Eventually. Image: A tall, handsome cowboy, Randy often wears a black Stetson, black shirt, and dark jeans. He is trim and athletic. He has a warm voice and a charming smile. His dark hair is long, but Randy prefers to keep it tied back in a ponytail. Roleplaying Hints: Be friendly. Your easygoing manner makes you easy to talk to, but you’ll undoubtedly be hurt when folks pass you over to talk to Bruce or other members of your krewe. You don’t show your feelings, though, and stick to playing music and helping the dead—for it’s the only thing you do that brings yourself a little peace. Sometimes, it takes the blues to get them in touch with their pain, sometimes some smooth jazz to help them relax, or a little country to make them feel good. If you stop to think about it, you might wonder if it’d be better for you to go solo. Only thing is, you’re in no rush. It’s so much easier letting Bruce make up your mind for you.

Randy Curtis

zydeco before falling in love with blues and jazz. Randy’s style is fairly eclectic, and that gave him the opportunity to join a lot of bands and try out different genres and venues. Though he’s played with dozens of bands to little or no acclaim, Randy’s talent as a blues soloist earned him a surprising amount of respect with the locals. Eventually, Randy earned enough to start traveling around Utah and Wyoming as a soloist. Though he tried getting a record deal, Randy took it pretty badly when an agent said he didn’t have much of an image to sell to the masses. His solution was to make one up, but Randy’s attempt to rebrand himself as a country western cowboy ended in tragedy when he was thrown from a horse during a photo shoot. By the time he stood back up, the photographer had already gone to get help—but it was too late. His dreams were never realized, and Randy became a Sin-Eater. Teaming up with the Drifters has given Randy a sense of purpose, something he abandoned for awhile. Now, he feels good about traveling around helping people instead of trying to help himself become famous. It’s hard, though,

15

Name: Randy Curtis Geist: Lonesome Whistler Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Hope Vice: Sloth Concept: Musician

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Instruments Crafts_____________ OOOOO ●● Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________●● OOOOO Brawl____________● OOOOO Drive_____________●● OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ● Survival____________ OOOOO ● Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Horses Animal Ken_________ OOOOO ● Empathy__________●● OOOOO Music Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ●● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO

Attributes

Archetype: Advocate Threshold: The Prey Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits

Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●● Vanitas _________________ OOOOO ●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

Keystone Memento

Worn Boots _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Passion ___________ Grave-Dirt ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Boneyard _________________ OOOOO ●● Caul _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche

●● OOOOOOOOOO

Plasm

  

Synergy



Name: Randy Curtis (Seasoned) Geist: Lonesome Whistler Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Hope Vice: Sloth Concept: Musician

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Instruments Crafts_____________ OOOOO ●● Investigation _________ OOOOO ● Medicine ___________ OOOOO Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________●● OOOOO Brawl____________● OOOOO Drive_____________●● OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ● Survival____________ OOOOO ●● Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Horses Animal Ken_________ OOOOO ● Empathy__________●●● OOOOO Music Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ●● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●●●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO

Attributes

Archetype: Advocate Threshold: The Prey Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits

Striking Looks _________________ OOOOO ●● Vanitas _________________ OOOOO ●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

Keystone Memento

Worn Boots _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Passion ___________ Grave-Dirt ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Boneyard _________________ OOOOO ●● Caul _________________ OOOOO ●

_________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche

●● OOOOOOOOOO

Plasm

  

Synergy



Minerva Brambani “Um, why don’t you talk to somebody else? I just work here.” “Sure, I’ll sing. You might want to be sober when I do.” Virtue: Temperance. In this group, it isn’t easy to be the one who doesn’t overindulge, but Minerva manages to exercise self-restraint just fine. Vice: Envy. Minerva envies who has the ability to let loose and forget. After all, they seem to be having such a good time... Threshold: The Forgotten. Even Minerva does not recall her death. Called to her grandmother’s house after the old woman’s death, something happened to her when she opened an old wardrobe. She remembers movement. Long h a i r. H e r ow n scream. Then nothing else. Archetype: Pilgrim. Minerva seeks to answer the riddles of life and death. Maybe if she understands another’s passing, she can piece together her own. Minerva considers herself to be between worlds. She is dead just as much as she is living. Geist: The Tattered Queen. The Queen moves silently, dressed in a long, tattered and moth-eaten gown that predates the 19th century. She wears a large hat and has long, grey hair that often conceals a face with no discernible features. The Tattered Queen does not walk so much as glide, and often twirls her parasol behind her. When she speaks, she whispers only to Minerva. Keystone: A moth-eaten parasol with the Industrial and Phantasm keys. Minerva could swear she has seen it before. Background: Minerva hails from South Carolina and her family’s history is a long and storied one. Born into a comfortable life, her family’s mansion was large

18

she uses her voice to take her as far away from that house as possible. She never wants to go back. But, she must go back. Someday. Image: A tall thin girl of Mediterranean decent, Minerva has long, black hair streaked with silver. When she’s singing, she wears her hair down and chooses to don delicate, long dresses that blow in the breeze. When she’s not performing, Minerva prefers to wear her hair to the side in a braid and prefers a T-shirt and jeans—as if she’s trying to resume some sense of normalcy in her life. Her features are angular, and her eyes are large and brown. She seems to drift almost silently, frequently humming to herself. When she sings, her eyes glaze over and her voice is haunting, almost as if her song seems to belong to someone—or something—else. Roleplaying Hints: You are a quiet girl surrounded by a gregarious group. Sometimes it is too much for you. You let others do the talking much of the time, retreating in the back to read or mess with your iPhone. If the subject of exploring older houses or historic neighborhoods comes up, you perk up and listen, trying to hide your nervousness. Sometimes you get homesick and talk about going home, but just as often you claim you’ll never go back. When you sing, though, it’s almost like you become a different person—and you tend to dress the part.

Minerva Brambani

and old. The paint cracked and peeled, the floorboards were warped, and some rooms full of covered paintings hadn’t been opened in years. As a little girl, Minerva would wander down an unused corridor and sing a strange song, never remembering the words afterwards. One day, her grandmother heard her singing and led her out without a word. Later, she nailed the doors shut and forbade her to enter them again. Soon afterward, Minerva and her parents moved to a smaller, but newer, home. Minerva had a mostly normal childhood otherwise. She did well in chorus, decided to become a singer, and attended a state college. During her first semester, she got word her grandmother had passed away, and the house and all its secrets was left in her name. The first thing she did when she returned was to reopen the abandoned wing. After exploring it for several hours, she heard a rustling sound and stumbled across an antique wardrobe. Minerva opened it expecting to find a mouse—but something else was waiting for her, something with long hair and a cold touch. Minerva heard herself scream and died of an unnatural fright. When she woke back up, Minerva found herself in a different part of the house bound to her Geist. She quickly fled and hitched a ride to Charleston, scared she’d be recognized by her beloved family and friends. In the city, Minerva met Bruce and asked to travel with him. Now,

19

Name: Minerva Brambani Geist: The Tattered Queen Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Temperance Vice: Envy Concept: Southern Belle

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

History Academics __________ OOOOO ●●● Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO ●● UE Investigation _________ OOOOO ●● Medicine ___________ OOOOO Occult _____________ OOOOO ●●●● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive_____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________● OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ●●● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Singing Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO

Attributes

Archetype: Pilgrim Threshold: The Forgotten Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO


●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits


Keystone Memento

Parasol _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Industrial ___________ Stigmata ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Oracle _________________ OOOOO ●● Curse _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Name: Minerva Brambani (Seasoned) Virtue: Temperance Geist: The Tattered Queen Vice: Envy Chronicle: Concept: Southern Belle POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Intelligence

●●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

History Academics __________ OOOOO ●●● Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO ●● UE Investigation _________ OOOOO ●● Medicine ___________ OOOOO Occult _____________ OOOOO ●●●● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________OOOOO Brawl____________OOOOO Drive_____________OOOOO Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________● OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ●●● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Singing Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO ●

Attributes

Archetype: Pilgrim Threshold: The Forgotten Krewe: Crossroads Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●● OOOOO


●●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits


Keystone Memento

Parasol _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Industrial ___________ Stigmata ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Oracle _________________ OOOOO ●●● Curse _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Ray Asoau “It is a pleasure to be here tonight. Let the spirit move us together.” “Upsetting my friends would be a big mistake.” Virtue: Fortitude. Ray never gives up. He can deal with anything given time, and time is on his side. Vice: Wrath. Admittedly, sometimes dealing with a problem means breaking a few bones. Threshold: The Torn. Ray was murdered for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is angry about it, and the Spider is eager to be fed. Archetype: Necromancer. Ray seeks power and knowledge, that he may never be helpless again. Geist: The Spider of Sound. A spider the size of a small car, the Spider of Sound has human eyes—eight of them—on a large, black hairy body. It shifts and moves, dancing in rhythm to any audible music. The Spider is never still, and twitches if things are quiet for too long. It rarely talks, and when it speaks it uses the voice of a child. Ray tries not to think about that too hard. Keystone: A necklace bearing a tooth of a great white shark, with the Phantasm and Passion keys. The tooth has the initials J.N. lightly carved into it. Background: Ray lived and died in Los Angeles. While his friends wanted to become actors or stunt doubles, his heart was set on becoming a professional dancer. He often worked with bands or at clubs, performing on stage while others played or sang, and occasionally earned a few spots on TV. While he was rarely paid what he was worth, Raymond had a striking look that was easily recognizable. That recognition helped Raymond get more work and open doors to a bright future in show business. One night at a club, Ray was backstage with two other dancers when a man knocked out the bouncer in the back and burst inside to accuse the trio of having a fling with his girlfriend.

22

strong and chiseled. Most clothes look great on Ray; he prefers to wear outfits that allow him to move freely. Ray has gentle brown eyes and short, cropped hair. Though he seems friendly enough, Ray always keeps an eye out for trouble and he’s very protective of his krewe. His moves are graceful and quick, and he can be deceptively nimble. Few people expect a man his size to be limber, and that often works to his advantage. Roleplaying Hints: Be cheerful, but wary. You are a friendly fellow and a natural showman. You are not a natural speaker, however, and lack a certain amount of charisma. To show your feelings, you use your body to speak volumes about you and your personality during your performances. Be very protective of people in general—especially those who seem weak and vulnerable, like Minerva. Use your stature to go from friendly to intimidating in the span of a heartbeat. Maybe this way, you’ll wind up saving lives and atone for the deep-seated guilt you feel for watching your fellow performers die.

Ray Asoau

Startled, Ray and the other dancers tried to calm the man down when he pulled out a gun and shot all three of them. The jealous boyfriend tried to flee, but didn’t get very far. Ray stood back up and ran to catch the shooter in the alleyway. Without hesitation, Ray knocked him out cold and moved his unconscious body back with the others. The police let him go after questioning, and recognized him as a hero. To this day, Ray regrets what happened, and hasn’t been able to deal with the guilt of “surviving” the incident. Now a Sin-Eater, Ray decided to get out of L.A. and drive up and down the coast until he figured out what to do with his life. Eventually, he met Randy while he was in Santa Monica. Figuring it was fate that led him to the travelers, Ray joined up with the group. He has been their self-appointed friend and protector ever since—and the Spider hasn’t stopped dancing. Yet. Image: Ray is over six feet tall and of Samoan descent. The years he spent practicing different forms of dance is apparent; his body is lean muscle and his features are

23

Name: Ray Asoau Geist: The Spider of Sound Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Fortitude Vice: Wrath Concept: Dancer

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO Investigation _________ OOOOO ●● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________●●● OOOOO Sudden Movements ●●●● Brawl____________ OOOOO Muscle Cars Drive_____________ OOOOO ●● Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ●● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Dance Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO

Attributes

Archetype: Necromancer Threshold: The Torn Krewe: Crossroad Drifters

Strength

●● OOOOO

Presence

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits


Keystone Memento

Necklace _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Phantasm ___________ Stigmata ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Caul _________________ OOOOO ●●● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Name: Ray Asoau (Seasoned) Geist: The Spider of Sound Chronicle: POWER FINESSE RESISTANCE

Virtue: Fortitude Vice: Wrath Concept: Dancer

Intelligence

●● OOOOO

Wits Resolve

Skills

Mental

(-3 unskilled)

Academics __________ OOOOO Computer__________ OOOOO Crafts_____________ OOOOO Investigation _________ OOOOO ●● Medicine ___________ OOOOO ● Occult _____________ OOOOO ● Politics____________ OOOOO Science _____________ OOOOO


Athletics__________●●● OOOOO Sudden Movements ●●●● Brawl____________ OOOOO Muscle Cars Drive_____________ OOOOO ●● Firearms__________OOOOO Larceny___________OOOOO Stealth_____________ OOOOO ●● Survival____________ OOOOO Weaponry____________ OOOOO

Social

(-1 unskilled)

Animal Ken_________ OOOOO Empathy__________● OOOOO Dance Expression_____________ OOOOO ●●● Intimidation_________ OOOOO Persuasion___________ OOOOO ● Socialize_____________ OOOOO ●● Streetwise____________ OOOOO Subterfuge____________ OOOOO

Attributes

Archetype: Necromancer Threshold: The Torn Krewe: Crossroad Drifters

Strength

●●● OOOOO

Presence

●● OOOOO

Dexterity

●●●● OOOOO


●● OOOOO

Stamina

●●● OOOOO

Composure

Other Traits

Merits


Keystone Memento

Necklace _______________________ _______________________ _______________________

Keys

Phantasm ___________ Stigmata ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

Manifestations

Caul _________________ OOOOO ●●● Shroud _________________ OOOOO ● _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO _________________OOOOO

●●● OOOOO

●● OOOOO

Health

OOOOOOOOOOOO ●●●●●●●● 

Willpower

●●●● OOOOOOOOOO 

Psyche


Plasm

  

Synergy



Storyteller Advice

The Crossroads Drifters are designed to be a krewe that is easy to plug into any chronicle that takes place in North America. Though this krewe is not designed for heavy combat, they can work well for Through the Ebon Gates. Storytellers using the Drifters in a long-term campaign should consider picking up Midnight Roads; it is an excellent resource to use this krewe in particular. As travelers and entertainers, the Crossroads Drifters will often frequent clubs, bars, street corners, and other crowded places that could easily be filled with story hooks. They tend to keep an ear out for anything strange, and feel a duty to entertain (and possibly help) any ghosts they encounter. The Drifters do tend to work better in a game that’s grounded in the world of the living than in the Underworld, but with a little experience they may find themselves quite busy in the Autochthonous Depths. When running a game with the Drifters, remember that this group has a very heavy social slant. Minerva may appear to be lurking in the background, but the rest of the krewe has good social skills and, more importantly, wants to interact with the living and the dead. As such, don’t be afraid to place themselves into situations that call for a creative approach to enter a locked building. The Drifters don’t need to kick down the door where they’re not invited, but if a violent approach is needed then characters like Ray and Bruce are more than capable of doing just that. None of the Crossroads Drifters were designed to have Ceremonies. This was a design choice to make these characters easier to use for groups that are new to Geist. Remember that once players are comfortable using this group and the keys/ manifestations system, the Storyteller may want to encourage their use. Note that The House Always Wins has a new Ceremony in it these characters in particular may discover.

Story Seeds

The story seeds presented here may also be used for Seasoned characters.

Bruce Haas

• Bruce Haas has a good deal of history wrapped up in Las Vegas that is not really expanded upon here. He is the eldest of the group (though Sonia is close to him in age) and has the most history. Bruce was no drug addict, but he did gamble on occasion and has a few unsavory creditors and unhappy customers he wants to avoid. What happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas, however, and it’s very possibly he might be found by someone who looking to cash in his debts—with interest. This vendetta puts Bruce at odds with the rest of the krewe. Will Bruce try to make good on what he owes? Or will he solve his problem on his own?

26

• Bruce meets up with an old flame who’s now a mother. She talks to him about her son, which Bruce may slowly

realize could be his. But, she also talks about how the little boy claims to see ghosts. Could he have inherited something from Bruce? What will his krewe do about that? Is he really the father? Or is there something else, some other dark reason why he’s connected to this child? • A town the krewe passes through has had a horrifying double murder that left no ghosts behind. The eyes and tongue were removed from both bodies, and the pair was posed in a church pew as if they died praying. Bruce recalls that something like that happened in Vegas or Utah. What message could the killer be trying to send? Will he start asking the dead for help to find the missing ghosts? Where will he turn for help? There are none so blind as those who will not see.

Sonia Black • One night, Sonia is laying out the Celtic Cross spread for her customers when she starts to notice an eerie pattern. The same Tarot cards keep appearing over and over again in the same positions. The Hanged Man. The Star. The Tower. Death. The Devil. Even when she reshuffles, cleanses, and reshuffles the deck again, the results do not change. Are the cards trying to warn her? What does the spread mean and, more importantly, who are the cards describing? Customize the spread to the needs of the story. • Sonia gets word from London that an old girlfriend of hers has been arrested and needs help to clear her name. When Sonia and the krewe arrive in the city, however, her girlfriend is nowhere to be seen. After they start asking questions, the krewe find out that a mysterious group snatched her right out of jail. The officers who saw them either don’t remember their faces clearly or have gone missing. What can Sonia do? Could it be vampires who took her? Mages? Something worse? • Sonia finds an old deck of cards at an antique sale that are of an unusual origin. A collector’s item, the esoteric cards each have a separate soul bound into them. The soul manifests as part of the face depicted on each card. The face cards seem to move, to whisper for help. The origin clearly has to do with something from deep in Dead Dominions, but what? Sonia is also an easy character to use to introduce the Drifters to The House Always Wins.

Randy Curtis

• A likeable fellow, Randy makes friends wherever he goes. On a stop in a small town, one of his friends has disappeared and his daughter—who’s now an awkward teenager—approaches Randy to help her find her missing father. Her dad was particularly interested in one of Randy’s songs just before he disappeared, but it’s not one Randy wrote. What connection does Randy have to this mysterious tune? Is it the song itself that’s sinister or is his friend’s disappearance just an unhappy coincidence?

• Several of Randy’s fans, all coal miners from a town in West Virginia, send him a letter asking for help. The company running their town has begun to make sinister changes, and they seem to have had their orders changed to have them digging down into deep, dark, dangerous places for something other than coal. Their bosses are increasingly aloof and pushing them to dig deeper than they ever have before, and have all but given up the pretense of looking for coal. They know Randy has some influence, and no one else will listen. Can he help? Given Randy’s social nature, he is an ideal character to introduce the brethren to in Through the Ebon Gate.

Minerva Bambini

Minerva Bambini’s background is a huge mystery. Just what was in her house? Why did her grandmother leave the mansion to her? What was her family’s secret? Her past is littered with questions. Discovering the answers could almost be a chronicle in and of itself. • What if the Tattered Queen did not opportunistically stumble over Minerva, but is actually her ancestor? What if it was her hair Minerva felt across her face before she died? The Queen could have plans of her own for Minerva, and was willing to kill her to trigger them. Nothing says a Geist needs to be honest with their Bound, after all. If that’s the case, the Queen has her own goals for the krewe. And those goals are undoubtedly sinister—potentially undermining all the good that the Drifters are trying to do. • Alternately, the Queen could be a more benign presence. Perhaps she was connected to the family, but seeks to protect Minerva from the secret that threatens her safety even now. If so, what does a powerful Geist like the Queen fear? What would force her to send Minerva away from that house never to return? Or perhaps she just wanted Minerva to get allies powerful enough to deal with her secret as a group.

• Finally, it’s also a possibility Minerva’s sinister Geist has no connection to the family history. If so, what secrets lie within the house? Such a place could be tainted by abyssal infections, after all, and who know what was frightening enough to kill Minerva and stop her heart. Or, perhaps the culprits aren’t human or ghosts—but Vampires or some other supernaturals. Instead of one threat, there could be many, like the Ivory Claws’ kin who escaped or had their “patrons” killed by Uratha.

Ray Asoau • Ray chased down and almost killed a man in LA. While the courts found it was self defense, someone who took an interest in the crime may be skeptical that Ray survived. There could still be people out there who realize more happened there than the defense wanted them to believe. A picture on a cell phone may emerge or a Facebook update reveals a strange truth. Of course, Ray can’t say he died and “woke up” to avenge his own murder, so what will he do if he’s identified by a Hunter or oh-so-curious mortal? A sister or father of one of the murdered men might even want to take justice into his own hands, misplacing their blame onto the one man who supposedly survived.

Storyteller Advice

• Randy is playing an old, old song about a man who finds a mine that proves to be something of a monkey’s paw, when he remembers he has seen some of the landmarks he’s sung about in the lyrics. Looking harder, Randy realizes there might be a secret code hidden in the song itself, telling listeners where the mine is located. But the song isn’t a treasure map leading to a mine filled with silver or gold. It’s a warning...right?

• Ray’s cousin, who he hasn’t seen in years, calls him up from L.A. and asks him to help her leave her abusive boyfriend. The bus stop where he’s supposed to meet her is hours away, and when Ray shows up she is not there. Two days later they read that her body was found in the ocean, but she had been dead for several days before Ray got the call. Was his cousin killed by her boyfriend? Why did the ghost wait to call? Was it a ghost at all, or was someone else trying to draw Ray’s attention? • Ray’s Geist, the Spider of Sound, was added to the krewe later and hasn’t had time to blend in with the others. This could lead to some resentment on the Spider’s part, as it desires a bigger role. Perhaps it encourages Ray to stop protecting everyone in the group and take center stage. Perhaps the Spider is plotting against other members to undermine them. Or, perhaps the Spider is acting of its own accord, and seeks to betray them. How does Ray feel? What happens when one of the other members starts to suspect something’s wrong—and loses trust in the krewe’s protector? Ray is also an excellent character to confront Dem Bones from the SAS of that same name.

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Geist the Sin-Eaters - Ready-Made PCs

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