 |
| Streets blessed by Our Lady of Neon. |
This is the first completed part of a mini-setting I've created, based on the weird city my imagination goes to when I listen to Tom Waits music. This isn't the entire city, it's a neighborhood in it called Noir Weights. Here is one of the notable places in Noir Weights, Mister Waylon's house. The next place I will create is 'The Old Gug Bourbon Distillery'.
In These Strange Streets -
The city is a place where reality has become senile. The
welcome sign at it's limits is blank. The records hall is filled with
so many uncertainties that it's dangerous to go in alone. The city is
an anyplace that could be anywhere. Its citizens care little for
specifics as long as they get what they want by the end of the day.
The nice parts cope with dazzle and chance, the bad parts are just
trying to get by without much thought to the state of the world.
Off, in the distance, is Downtown. The city's towering
skyline is draped in neon and flashbulb signs. Here, the more
respectable crowd roam between their casino themed offices and their
night-lounge homes. The fashionable folk strut about streets bathed
in electric pink and blue light, everyone dressed to the nines in
shark-skin suits and leopard print dresses. Their tailored clothes
all decked out with the latest arcane charms to ensure good luck, and
most of all, a perfect sense of 'cool'. Above Downtown, a metal
serpent the size of a skyscraper slides through the air, its body an
amalgam of neon, chrome, and marquee lights. The chrome god prowls
the skies to keep watch on Downtown, snatching up those who really
don't fit the 'vibe'. If the sky-serpent doesn't get 'them', its
children will. Snake boys and girls done up in silk and polyester,
their headlight eyes capable of freezing a sad-sac in place in order
to get a good shot. The seizing, foaming wrecks thrash in alleyways
and sidewalks until neon jaws swoop down to put an end to their
misery.
 |
| The motto of Noir Weights. |
Darkness at The Edge of Town -
Noir Weights is the quintessential bad part of town. The
streets alternating between cracked asphalt and broken cobbles.
Rarely, a streetlight will flicker on when the world realizes that it
should be night. A neighborhood of derelict structures and broken
downtown signage. All the roads here either lead to the old
distillery or straight out to safer places.
 |
| This is just the beginning... |
How'd
we get here? - 1D6
Traveling to the city, and Noir Weights, can occur
through a vast number of ways. Here are a few that you can roll
randomly, or just choose. You can also just make something up that
Thompson, Burroughs, or P.K. Dick would approve of.
1) The Devil's Red Convertible/Carriage: Wandering
down a forest track or hitchhiking over a forgotten highway, it found
you and The Man offered you a ride. In the old-fashioned places it's
a shining red carriage pulled by two bright, white horses, their
proportions stretched ever-so-slightly. In places where tech would
allow, it's a shiny monster of a red convertible. A man with a wide
smile, slick clothes, and pupils as big as saucers offers you a ride.
Time went wild, miles morphed into a new measurement beyond distance,
and now you're staring up at a sky moving towards evening. Red
lanterns or tail-lights wink off in the distance, stranding you in
hostile territory.
2) In The Depths of a Binge: Too many
drinks at the tavern. Too many puffs of opium tinged smoke. Too many
huffs off the ether rag. You could have woken up in Narcosa or the
Dreamlands, but the gods and fate really want you to hurt. Now,
you're in Noir Weights, and its getting toward the dark hours. Hours
where things might prowl to kill with a wide grin and a 'helping'
hand.
3) Searching Lost Highways: There are
roads that cross more than just land, back ways where someone can
shave time or just get lost. Maybe you're trying to escape yesterday,
or maybe you're just a wanderer. After taking the right dirt road,
the perfect unmarked highway exit, you ended up here. You've heard
about this place, and it may be a good idea to just keep moving.
Unfortunately, its almost night, and you're smart enough to know its
better to find shelter rather than risk wandering in the dark.
4) Empty Beds and Broken Hearts: Another
night spent with the bottle, trying to scrub out the ache with
fire-water, nicotine, and grumbled music. You stumbled to bed,
secretly hoping you didn't wake up, or maybe wanting to open your
eyes somewhere new. Awake now, you find the ache has become external,
a place of broken streets and dead neon. You feel better somehow, but
you know night always bring out the worst in you, and its coming on
quick. Deepening shadows shift, headlamp eyes stare out from the
dark, best get moving.
5) Dates in Dark Lands: A friend of a
friend introduced you two the night before, and it was incredible.
The booze, music, and company combined to create the best night in
the history of first-dates. Now, you want more. You've been following
the directions your date gave you last night to their place, turning
down strange streets and unfamiliar alleys. Rounding that last
corner, you're in a part of town you've never seen before, and the
ink on your directions is turning into smoke. Rats the size of dogs
shift in the alleyways, and tattered people eye you with hunger
around a trash fire. Night's coming on, and you're a stranger in a
strange land.
6) Feel Good Shopping List: You travel the
ways, moving between whens and wheres as people might ride through
time zones. You're looking for a fix, and having started a collection
of concoctions that bring on altered states of bliss. Problem is,
once you get caught up in a serious drug collection, the tendency is
to push it as far as you can. You were supposed to pop out in the
middle of Downtown, where the most transcendent highs can be had
through the lever pull of a one-armed bandit. That wrong turn is
going to cost you, you're in bad place and the night is coming quick.
 |
| Watch your step... |
Savage Streets -
The streets of Noir Weights are dangerous during the
day, and downright deadly at night. While it is still light out,
characters may attempt Charisma checks to dissuade hostile humans
from attacking: Fume-Heads, Hooch-Heads, and Sugar-Junkies. The
nights in Noir Weights tend to bring out the anger and desperation in
its residents. Once the sun goes down, any possibility of non-violent
encounters go with it. During the daytime the characters have a 1 in
6 chance of an encounter. At night the encounter rate goes up to 4 in
6.
Encounter
Table
1) Crusties / Crust-Punks
2) Disties / Fume-Heads
3) Sewer Dragon / Super Croc
4) Boozers / Hooch-Heads
5) Sugar-Junkies / Candied-Killers
6) Snake-Boys / Snake-Girls
 |
| Crusty / Crust Punk |
Crusty / Crust-Punk
Red and brown carapace can be seen bursting through
torn skin beneath dirty clothing. Their left arm is a twisted pincer,
the appendage is a unsettling combination of chitin and infected
skin. Blank, black doll's eyes stare out at the world with the
vacancy of a true predator.
There are reasons why there are posters around Downtown
that warn folks not to eat things that were taken from the river.
Unfortunately, when you're hungry enough, warnings won't fill your
belly. Most of the fish are edible, though they tend to slowly push
people towards insanity due to their high levels of mercury and other
chemicals. However, sometimes a body is so hungry, they can't
bring themselves to throw away a river lobster. The sweet meat
changes folks. First a person might only get a few hard, red nodules
on the skin, but the changes get worse the more you eat the river
bugs. It's not long before the mind gets scrambled, a left arm turns
into a pincer, and the eyes start seeing colors humans aren't
fortunate enough to be able to notice. The Crust-Punks, or Crusties,
like eating folks. They say humans taste sweet, if one can understand
their clicking language. Supposedly, they have a king and queen
somewhere in the slums, God help the poor fool that encounters them.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night
Diet: You
Intelligence: A little dim by human standards.
Treasure: Not much, a few coins, rags, maybe an
old keepsake.
Alignment: Neutral (They really aren't all that
concerned about anything but food and the lobster royalty)
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor Class: 15
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 2 HD (9 HP)
To-Hit: +3
No. of Attacks: 1 - Claw or Improvised Weapon
Damage: 1D8+1(Claw) OR 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon:
Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...)
Special Attacks: None
Special Defenses: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 15
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night
Diet: You
Intelligence: A little dim by human standards.
Treasure: Not much, a few coins, rags, maybe an
old keepsake.
Alignment: Neutral (They really aren't all that
concerned about anything but food and the lobster royalty)
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor Class: 5
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 2 HD (12 HP)
Action Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Claw or Improvised Weapon
Damage: 1D8+1(Claw) OR 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon:
Board with Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...)
Special Attacks: None
Special Defenses: None
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1D6
Armor: 2
Hit-Points: 6
Damage: 1D6+1
(Claw: 1 Piercing, Close) OR 1D3+1 (Improvised Weapon: Close)
Motivations / Tactics: Attack
a single target as a group. Grab with pincers. Return meat and
valuable items to the king and queen.
 |
| Disty / Fume-Head |
Disty / Fume-Head
Normal men and women at first glance, their clothes
an indication of life on the streets. Soon, their forms lose focus,
looking like blurred humanoid smudges. Then their forms are too
focused, every pore visible, despite the distance. They move like
missing frames from a film reel, stuttering closer with every second.
Within the ruins of the Old Gug Dreamland Bourbon
distillery is cult run by a fez wearing wizard/priest. The Cult of
the Isolated Enlightenment believes that through extended periods of
sensory deprivation in the distillery's old stills inhaling alcohol
fumes gone strange with age, one can convince themselves that reality
isn't real. The cult's leader, Sir Uriragu Stroref the Rafter Rogue,
usually is good about remembering to let people out of the stills
after the proscribed time. Occasionally, he gets distracted with his
city wanderings and forgets to let the poor souls out, resulting in a
state of over-enlightenment. These folks end up becoming
ultra-nihilists, not only seeing the un-reality in reality, but also
believing that there is no point to anything. Thus, they cast off the
teachings of Sir Rafter Rogue (no one knows why he calls himself
this), and wander in large real-gangs in an unreal world outside the
monastery distiller. The only thing they retain from Uriragu is the
fez, a mark of empowered-enlightenment amongst the cult. Some say
that Uriragu Stroref is actually the fez, not the man, and his
teachings are from another dimension entirely.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, reality is less
real at night.
Diet: Nothing. If food isn't real, why eat it?
Intelligence: Very intelligent, one might think
inhaling ancient alcohol fumes for days on end might kill
brain-cells, which is does. But they stay in the stills for so long
that their near brain-dead minds cycle back to intelligence, it's all
a big repeating cycle, you see.
Treasure: Not much, just cloths and a fez.
What point do things have if they aren't real?
Alignment: Chaotic (No point in rules, when you
can just make them up as you go along.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 13
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (5 HP)
To-Hit: +2
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Reality Glitch: With the
realization that reality is unreal, one may learn to manipulate it
based on their desires. Instead of attacking the Disty can manipulate
reality so that a strange something strange happens: Opponent steps
on a rusty nail (1D2 damage, save VS disease or contract Tetanus),
Opponent slips (Reduce their attack or AC by -1 for the next round),
A piece of a building falls off and hits the opponent (1D4 damage).
They can change reality in any minor way they choose, allowing the GM
to impose any minor form of damage or penalty. This ability does not
allow a save, because reality bites. All effects stack, these folks
are really dangerous in big groups.
Special Defenses: Reality Death Insurance: Their
ability to control reality also protects the Fume-Heads. Whenever
rolling damage against them, it must be rolled twice and the lower
result must be taken.
Magic Resistance: 15% Even reality breaking magic
sometimes listens to them.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves but Magic: 16
Save vs. Magic: 12
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, reality is less
real at night.
Diet: Nothing. If food isn't real, why eat it?
Intelligence: Very intelligent, one might think
inhaling ancient alcohol fumes for days on end might kill
brain-cells, which is does. But they stay in the stills for so long
that their near brain-dead minds cycle back to intelligence, it's all
a big repeating cycle, you see.
Treasure: Not much, just rags and a fez.
What point do things have if they aren't real?
Alignment: Chaotic (No point in rules, when you
can just make them up as you go along.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 1
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (6 HP)
Action Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Reality Glitch: With the
realization that reality is unreal, one may learn to manipulate it
based on their desires. Instead of attacking the Disty can manipulate
reality so that a strange something strange happens: Opponent steps
on a rusty nail (1D2 damage, save VS disease or contract Tetanus),
Opponent slips (Reduce their attack or AC by -1 for the next round),
A piece of a building falls off and hits the opponent (1D4 damage).
They can change reality in any minor way they choose, allowing the GM
to impose any minor form of damage or penalty. This ability does not
allow a save, because reality bites. All effects stack, these folks
are really dangerous in big groups.
Special Defenses: Reality Death Insurance: Their
ability to control reality also protects the Fume-Heads. Whenever
rolling damage against them, it must be rolled twice and the lower
result must be taken.
Magic Resistance: 15% Even reality breaking magic
sometimes listens to them.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 4
Damage: 1D3+1
(Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics:
Sow chaos and have fun doing. Break reality to hurt or destroy unreal
people (everyone but them). Impede the work of others through minor
reality glitches.
 |
| Sewer Dragon improved by a few more cycles of its urban legend. |
Sewer Dragon / Super Croc
It crawls from a storm-drain or open manhole, its
movements slow and graceful. It looks like a crocodile with elongated
legs, a much more supple tail than normal, and a folded set of wings.
The crocodile's body is covered in slime and excrement with trash
sticking to its hide in places. Given the open space, it stretches
out its vestigial wings to their full four foot wing-span. It opens
its maw and lets out a sound between a growl and a hiss, its eyes
shifting about to lock onto the croc's next meal.
This is what happens when someone makes up an urban
legend about crocodiles living in the sewers. When reality comes down
with a case of Alzheimer's dementia, it gets confused about what was
real and what wasn't. Now, they're wandering the sewers, eating the
unwary or unlucky. Problem is, the urban legend has begun to change.
People catch brief glimpses of them in the dark, and claim there are
dragons living in the sewers. Now, they've begun to grow wings, and
have developed a level of cunning they lacked before. Today, they're
eating those unlucky enough to get too close to storm-drains and
manholes. Tomorrow, if the legend keeps changing, they could be
cruising the skies hunting for lounge-singers and gold Rolex watches.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the creepy
lizards see better in the dark.
Diet: People wandering by manholes. Street-folk
sleeping in the wrong place at the wrong time. Beloved pets left
outside for too long.
Intelligence: Equivalent to a particularly
intelligent dog. The problem is, they get smarter with each new
iteration of the legend.
Treasure: Not much. They haven't gotten into the
habit of collecting shiny things, yet.
Alignment: Neutral (They aren't capable of cogent
thought, for now.)
No. Appearing: 1 (Luckily, they are very
territorial when it comes to their own kind)
Armor Class: 19
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
To-Hit: +6
No. of Attacks: 3 – One Bite and Two Claws
Damage: Bite – 1D10+3 / Claw – 1D6+1
Special Attacks: Sewer Spew 3/Day – The
sewer-thing can vomit a 40-foot line of sewage and stomach acid at
targets. Those that are attacked with the spew must save versus
breath for half-damage from the vomit, then they must save versus
poison against the disease within the spew. Each time a creature is
hit by the spew, they must save versus poison again to avoid the
disease. The spew does 4D6 acid damage, and another 1D6 continuous
damage for another 3 rounds. The vomit infects targets with Sewer
Shakes: Onset – 1D3 Days. Symptoms – Severe fever
and shaking. Game-Effects – 1D3 Constitution Damage. Cure
Requirements – 2 Consecutive Saves, 1/Day if active 2/Day if
resting.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are
immune to all poisons and diseases. These things live in the most
toxic sewers in all of reality without any detrimental effects.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Large (10' Long)
All Saves: 13
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the creepy
lizards see better in the dark.
Diet: People wandering by manholes. Street-folk
sleeping in the wrong place at the wrong time. Beloved pets left
outside for too long.
Intelligence: Equivalent to a particularly
intelligent dog. The problem is, they get smarter with each new
iteration of the legend.
Treasure: Not much. They haven't gotten into the
habit of collecting shiny things, yet.
Alignment: Neutral (They aren't capable of cogent
thought, for now.)
No. Appearing: 1 (Luckily, they are very
territorial when it comes to their own kind)
Armor Class: 9
Movement: 40 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (36 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6
No. of Attacks: 3 – One Bite and Two Claws
Damage: Bite – 1D10+3 / Claw – 1D6+1
Special Attacks: Sewer Spew 3/Day – The
sewer-thing can vomit a 40-foot line of sewage and stomach acid at
targets. Those that are attacked with the spew must make a dexterity
based save for half-damage from the vomit, then they must make a
constitution based save against the disease within the spew. Each
time a creature is hit by the spew, they must save versus poison
again to avoid the disease. The spew does 4D6 acid damage, and
another 1D6 continuous damage for another 3 rounds. The vomit infects
targets with Sewer Shakes: Onset – 1D3 Days. Symptoms –
Severe fever and shaking. Game-Effects – 1D3
Constitution Damage. Cure Requirements – 2 Consecutive
Saves, 1/Day if active 2/Day if resting.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are
immune to all poisons and diseases. These things live in the most
toxic sewers in all of reality without any detrimental effects.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Large (10' Long)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1
Armor: 4
Hit-Points: 10
Damage: [B
(1D10) +2 Reach, Messy,
Forceful, Piercing 4]
Motivations / Tactics:
Breathe forth acid and disease. Eat someone alive. Drag carcass back
to lair.
 |
| Boozer / Hooch-Head |
Boozer / Hooch-Head
Staggering about the street, these poor folks are
dressed in rags and suffer from poor hygiene. They can be seen
standing around mumbling to themselves, or scrounging for spare
change. However, when they get desperate for drink, they can become
very mean indeed. Don't let them breathe on you, their breath can
strip paint off walls. Really, it can.
Sometimes life is rough, and the only way to cope with
it is to let the booze numb all the pain. As money runs low, people
become less choosey about the rot-gut they drink. Eventually, they
start drinking the stuff made in back alleys and abandoned
warehouses, the kind of hooch that's been ran through a car-radiator
a few times. Now, all that's left to these tragic folk is the hunger
for booze and the inclination to do whatever it takes to get it.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the thirst is
less during the day.
Diet: Booze, they live on the stuff now.
Intelligence: Low intelligence by human
standards. Most of them were normal at one time, before booze pickled
their brain.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a
bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (No rules but the thirst.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 12
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (5 HP)
To-Hit: +2
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Booze Breath 1/Day –
The boozer belches out a burning cloud of poison and alcohol fumes.
The target must be within melee range of the hooch-head, and may make
a save versus breath for half-damage. The breath does 2D4 damage, and
another 1D4 continuing damage for another round.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are
immune to all forms of poison from the years of drinking back-alley
hooch.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 16
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Primarily Night, the thirst is
less during the day.
Diet: Booze, they live on the stuff now.
Intelligence: Low intelligence by human
standards. Most of them were normal at one time, before booze pickled
their brain.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a
bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (No rules but the thirst.)
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 1 HD (6 HP)
Action-Dice: 1D6
No. of Attacks: 1 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Booze Breath 1/Day –
The boozer belches out a burning cloud of poison and alcohol fumes.
The target must be within melee range of the hooch-head, and may make
a dexterity based save for half-damage. The breath does 2D4 damage,
and another 1D4 continuing damage for another round.
Special Defenses: Immunity – They are
immune to all forms of poison from the years of drinking back-alley
hooch.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1D10
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 4
Damage: 1D3+1
(Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics:
Belch forth a small cloud of caustic chemicals. Beg, barter, and
steal to get their next drink. Search dead or sleeping bodies for
money and other valuables.
 |
| Sugar-Junky / Candied Killer |
Sugar-Junky / Candied-Killer
Twitching and overly energetic, they rush about the
street overturning everything in sight, searching for something.
Their faces and clothes are smeared with chocolate, their fingers
sticky with sugar residue. All of them are dressed in rags, their
bodies emaciated from near ceaseless activity. They smile when they
see a source of money and things to pawn, their mouths full of rotten
teeth and empty holes. The air around them is filled with the
sickeningly sweet scent of rotten candy.
The source of their addiction is the sweet confections
found at the Temple Candy Store. The store, while dilapidated on the
outside, is expensively decorated in dark woods, marble, and brass on
the inside. The store is filled with candy versions of every god,
goddess, or old-one imaginable, even a few no one has heard of. On
sale are candied divinities, sugar soaked bits of divine power to be
had for a price. Those that eat the stuff are filled with a sense of
divine purpose, as well as granted a number of minor miracles.
Repeated consumption leads to addiction as well as metabolic changes.
The sugar-junkies are able to move with incredible speeds as well as
cast a number of divine spells, however, their lives are consumed
with the need for more divine sweetness. Mister Fogler runs the
store, a tall and handsome man. His skin in tinged blue, and sticking
out from his immaculate three-piece suit is a pair of silver metal
wings. The junkies mind their manners while in Fogler's store, the
last person to anger him was crucified above the entrance for a week,
it took him that long to die. As to how he injects the divinity of
various deities into his candy, he refuses to say.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Whenever the sugar rush wears
off.
Diet: Divine sweets.
Intelligence: They can be very intelligent, but
they only think of the candy they crave and what they have to do to
get it.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a
bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (There is only the need for
candy, and the will to get it.)
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor Class: 18 (They are incredibly fast.)
Movement: 60 ft.
Hit Dice: 4 HD (20 HP)
To-Hit: +4
No. of Attacks: 2 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Divine Spells 2/Day each
- Bless, Command, and Cure Light Wounds. 1/Day each - Enthrall and
Heroism. Due to their incredible speed they may either attack twice,
cast a spell and attack, or cast twice in a single round. They are
considered 4th level casters.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 25% versus divine magic only.
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves but Magic and Breath: 13
Magic vs. Arcane: 13
Magic vs. Divine: 10
Breath: 10
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Whenever the sugar rush wears
off.
Diet: Divine sweets.
Intelligence: They can be very intelligent, but
they only think of the candy they crave and what they have to do to
get it.
Treasure: Not much, just soiled clothing and a
bit of money to buy that day's fix.
Alignment: Chaotic (There is only the need for
candy, and the will to get it.)
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor Class: 2
Movement: 100 ft.
Hit Dice: 4 HD (24 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6 (+1D6 higher than normal due to
their incredible speed)
No. of Attacks: 2 - Improvised Weapon or Unarmed
Damage: 1D4+1 (Improvised Weapon: Board with
Nail, Tire Iron, Brick, etc...) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed: Punches, Kicks,
Slaps, etc...)
Special Attacks: Spells 2/Day each –
Missile Command and Falstaff's Field of Force . 1/Day each - Glowing
Magenta Mist and Ball of Death. Due to their incredible speed they
may either attack twice, cast a spell and attack, or cast twice in a
single round.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 10%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1D4
Armor: 1
Hit-Points: 8
Damage: 1D3+1
(Improvised Weapon: Close) or 1D2+1 (Unarmed: Close)
Motivations / Tactics:
Cast a divine spell of level 3 or lower. Attack twice, cast a spell
twice, or attack and cast a spell in a single act. Move with
incredible speed.
 |
| Snake-Boy / Snake-Girl |
Snake-Boy or Snake-Girl / Scaly
These folks are dressed to the nines in the latest
suits and dresses. Their clothes are made of the finest shark-skin
and polyester money can buy. Their features are reptilian, lips
largely absent and noses that just consist of nostril slits. Their
skin is smooth with a slight tinge of green, when the light is right
they appear to be covered in fine scales. Eyes the color of gold, the
irises vertical slits. The only way to tell the males and females
apart is by the clothes they are wearing. They're carrying intricate
pistols of neon and chrome, and they are staring hard in your
direction.
They are the servants of the neon-snake god that prowls
the skies over Downtown, though no one has ever seen them speak with
the titanic thing in the sky. The snake-boys and snake-girls keep the
peace of Downtown, and make sure that those who don't belong stay
out. Snake-boys and girls possess a potent weapon, they are able to
immobilize a target with just their stare, while their eyes flash and
shift colors hypnotically. Their way of keeping the peace involves
intimidation, violence, and death and few are dumb enough to question
their authority. All of them carry pistols they use to subdue victims
with poison or kill people with neon lasers. They rarely leave
Downtown unless they are looking for something or for some 'fun'.
These cruel creatures speak with breathy voices, their words always
ending with a lisp.
OSR
Activity Cycle: Whenever there is a disturbance
Downtown.
Diet: Meat, animal or human, it doesn't matter.
Intelligence: Genius, they are well known for
being able to outsmart just about any human they meet.
Treasure: Fine clothes, their service pistol, and
a mysterious gold key.
Alignment: Lawful (They uphold the law of
Downtown, they also happen to be the law as well.)
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor Class: 17 (Their hides are remarkably
resilient.)
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
To-Hit: +6
No. of Attacks: 2 – Service Pistol or Claws
Damage: Service Pistol has two settings, dart and
laser. The dart delivers a poison while the laser damages. The laser
reduces a targets AC by -4. The pistol may only be fired once per
round. 3D4 (Laser) OR 1D6+2 (Claws)
Special Attacks: Poison Dart – A person
struck by a dart must make a save versus poison or fall to the ground
shaking and foaming at the mouth for 6 rounds. Hypnotic Gaze –
Using their color shifting, lighted gaze, they may immobilize a
target. The target must make a save versus paralyzation, if they fail
they are paralyzed for as long as the snake-boy or girl does nothing
else but stare.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 20%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 13
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Whenever there is a disturbance
Downtown.
Diet: Meat, animal or human, it doesn't matter.
Intelligence: Genius, they are well known for
being able to outsmart just about any human they meet.
Treasure: Fine clothes, their service pistol, and
a mysterious gold key.
Alignment: Lawful (They uphold the law of
Downtown, they also happen to be the law as well.)
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor Class: 7 (Their hides are remarkably
resilient.)
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 6 HD (30 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6
No. of Attacks: 2 – Service Pistol or Claws
Damage: Service Pistol has two settings, dart and
laser. The dart delivers a poison while the laser damages. The laser
reduces a targets AC by -4. The pistol may only be fired once per
round. 3D6 (Laser) OR 1D6+2 (Claws)
Special Attacks: Poison Dart – A person
struck by a dart must make a constitution save or fall to the ground
shaking and foaming at the mouth for 6 rounds. Hypnotic Gaze –
Using their color shifting, lighted gaze, they may immobilize a
target. The target must make a willpower save, if they fail they are
paralyzed for as long as the snake-boy or girl does nothing else but
stare.
Special Defenses: Nil
Magic Resistance: 20%
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon
World
No. Appearing: 1D2
Armor: 4
Hit-Points: 11
Damage: 1D6+1
(Claws: Close and Piercing 2) or 1D12 (Laser: Ranged and Piercing 4)
Motivations / Tactics:
Attack with a dart, immobilizing a target. Paralyze a target with
their gaze. Retreat and call for backup if they are unable to handle
a situation.
 |
| Waylon's home. |
Shelter in the Slums -
Among the rows of decaying houses, broken neon statues,
and dead marquee signs is a place that has seen a modicum of repair
and habitation. By the standards of Noir Weights its a mansion,
anywhere else it'd be condemned. A three-story affair the no-color
of sun bleached wood, its lawn overgrown and mostly dead. People come
calling in a steady drip at all hours, street-folk mostly with the
occasional uptown slummer. The noise of construction blares all day
and night, some room in the place is always having work done to it.
Salvaged junk and building materials are frequently brought in,
carried by the nervous and twitching folk of the street.
The owner is a tall, skeletal man who needs to stoop
when entering and exiting the house. His hair is iron gray and always
slicked back. His face, drawn tight against the skull with a
permanent 5 o'clock shadow. The man's eyes are sunken and the same
no-color as the house. He's always dressed in a tailored black suit
that's been made threadbare with age.
 |
| A new addition to the Alter. |
What's
he building in there?
Waylon, the owner, is constantly working on a mad
construction he calls 'The Alter'. It takes up the entire first
floor, the walls having been removed to make way for his ever
expanding vision. The scuffed floorboards buckle under the weight of
the thing, making the house groan as people pass through it. The
Alter is a conglomeration of television tubes, ancient radios, engine
blocks, and so many other junk-artifacts.
What's
new? - 1D6
The Alter is in a near constant flux from Waylon's
'improvements'. What's been added since the characters' last visit?
1) Tesla Coil: A Tesla Coil juts out at a
precarious angle from a stack of old radios. The entire construction
hums a bass so low it vibrates the body rather than the eardrum. Arcs
of electricity lick out of the coil, touching the dials of the
various radios its attached to. Rather than a loud snap, the arcs
sound like music and talk-show banter.
2) Mannequins: Amid tumbledown mounds of
wires and television sets are a trio mannequins attached to a complex
set of motors and pulleys. A podium is set before the group, its
surface covered in vacuum tubes and wires, its top is one large
selector switch. The switch is marked with four settings: sex, drugs,
music, and off. One each setting the mannequins will come to life and
each one in turn will cry-out the worst, best, and last of whatever
the switch is set to as well as the time and location it was
experienced in. (ex: Sex: Tammy Fulton,
Senior Prom, School Parking Lot. 'Crystal', Yesterday, 5th
Avenue Gentleman's Club Parking Lot. Mable Werner, Forty-Seven Years
From Tomorrow,Shady Palms Rest Home.). There is a 1 in 6 chance
that when the switch is set to off the mannequins will sing in
harmonized falsetto, the relative date and method of the user's
death. No one has tested to see if their predictions are true yet.
3) Television Wall: Set in a relatively
clear area of the house is a wall of televisions from various eras,
five-hundred pound console sets to three pound flat screens. Before
the wall is a ripped, brown recliner, its seat half sinking into
itself. From outside the chair, the sets cycle through channels and
snow, never holding a particular picture for more than a few moments.
From the recliner, the pictures focus to perfect clarity on a number
of scenes. Each set focuses on a pivotal moments in the viewer's
life, and then plays out what could have happened if the situation
ended in the best or worst possible outcome (1D2: 1 – Worst
Possible Outcome 2 – Best Possible Outcome). These sessions usually
leave the viewer either sullen from seeing how much better their life
could have been, or a nervous wreck over how close they have come to
death or worse.
4) Stationary Bike: An age worn and rusted
stationary bike set among, and connected to, a near endless tangle of
wires and cables. Attached to the handlebar is a small white basket,
a bright silver bell, and pink streamers affixed to titanium-white
handle-grips. Before the bike, and attached to with with thick
cables, is a wide metal door frame. Placed upon the seat is a helmet
made of a stainless steel cullender, it's surface covered with wires
and nine-volt batteries. If the bike is pedaled, and the cullender
worn, the door frame first fills with a swirling purple static
then... (1D8: 1 - The rider's parents dancing for the first
time. 2 - The rider's most longed for companion, usually 'the one who
got away', walking arm in arm with the rider is some idyllic park. 3
- The rider's childhood home, morphed into an idealized version fit
for the cover of the Saturday Evening Post. 4 - The rider's parents
fighting, one drunk and violent, the other bleeding and crying. 5 -
The bitterly regretted fight between the rider and their most longed
for companion, the one that got them to leave forever. 6 - The
rider's childhood home, burning, caretaker screaming, the rider a
child hiding in the closet. 7 - The rider pedaling the bike watching
the rider pedaling the bike watching the rider pedaling the bike
watching... 8 - The rider resting on the bike, blood soaked knife
clutched in one hand, companions' faces clutched in the other.)
5) Typing Machine: A huge machine that
looks like someone welded a typewriter, printing press, and a
locomotive engine together. Before the keyboard is an old bar-stool,
its padding leaking out from the cushion in several places. The brass
plaque above the keyboard reads 'PLEASE TYPE YOUR FULL NAME'. When
the typists name is typed, it won't work if a fake one is given, the
machine shudders into frantic life. It rapidly spits out typed pages
into an orderly pile on an end-table next to the machine. Once the
pile is three-hundred or so pages high, the machine shuts off and
refuses to function for any previous user; a typist must be a
completely new person, otherwise it ignores all input. The pages are
a novel, and if read by the typist that spawned the novel's creation,
a life is changed. Others will consider the novel to be good, but
nothing to get excited about. To the typist, its the greatest work of
fiction every written, the problem is there will never again be
another like it. The typist will either be dragged into a deep
depression over the singular nature of the writing, or internalize
the novel's message and be changed forever.
6) Telephone: An old-fashioned crank
telephone is attached to a post in the middle of a cable and book
filled room. The cables run into the walls, or stacks of holy books
that give off a distinct scent of ozone and heated rubber. When
approached for the first time, the phone will ring out a strange
pattern that is unique to each person who approaches it. Those that
answer the phone are spoken to by whatever deity they worship, the
compelling voice giving an explanation as to why it is calling at
such a late hour, no matter if the hour is late or not. The voice
whispers a secret to the answerer, a Marcelian mystery that carries
meaning only for them. After the whisper, the line goes dead, never
to ring again for the same person twice. For those listening in to
the conversation, it just sounds like static and the breaking of
light bulbs, sometimes it sounds like a little girl counting til the
line goes dead.
 |
| A rare photograph of Mister Waylon. |
About
Waylon -
Not much is known about Waylon, and he avoids answering
questions about his past. There are, though, a number of rumors about
his origins and the source of his knowledge about the summoning of
the Other Folk.
Rumors
- 1D6
1) Waylon was an accountant for a casino-temple in the
far eastern city of Macau. He had married a local woman, who nearly
died in childbirth, losing the child. Waylon had somehow made a deal
with one of the Other Folk, possibly The Grins, for his wife's
life. In exchange for her life he was sent to Noir Weights in order
to spread the influence of the Other Folk. When he has
summoned them the proscribe number of times, Waylon may return to his
wife and his accounting in Macau.
2) Waylon is one of the Other Folk, or perhaps
possessed by one, and is working to spread the power and influence of
his kind in Noir Weights.
3) Waylon was the mayor of The City, before reality
became demented and senile. The Other Folk are actually the
members of the city council, they were changed and shunted into
another existence. The Other Folk are all working in concert
to change reality back to what it was, doing this through the
requests they grant and the prices they ask for.
4) Waylon is actually a title, not a name, in a
world-wide secret religion based around the worship of the Other
Folk. The Waylon of Noir Weights is working under the orders of
his superior(s), perhaps even the Grand Waylon, who rules from his
factory-cathedral in the legendary Tourmaline City. According to
current rumors, the Grand Waylon is seeking to expand his influence
over Noir Weights and Downtown.
5) Waylon is actually responsible for the breaking of
reality which brought about the current situation in The City. Waylon
was a scientist looking to contact alternate planes of existence. His
breaking of the veil between this reality and the next caused a
partial collapse in the reality surrounding The City. Driven mad by
his mistake, he now seeks the complete collapse of reality around The
City. He is achieving his goal by allowing the Other Folk
greater and greater influence over the people of Noir Weights.
6) Waylon is working to halt the progress of the
apocalypse, as to which religion's version of the apocalypse, rumors
vary. He is working in concert with
devas/angels/demons/jinn/archons/oni/etc, who have taken the form of
the Other Folk. The works of the Other Folk are staving
off the end of the world, though there are those who believe the
world needs to end. Accordingly, Waylon is fighting a shadow war with
the forces who want the world to end in the hopes of a new and better
one.
Waylon -
OSR
Activity Cycle: Works mostly at night, be can be
seen moving about during the day.
Diet: Appears to be a vegetarian.
Intelligence: At very least, a genius by human
standards, though he may possess a super-human intellect.
Treasure: The Alter, a journal explaining his
true origins, a few suits, a key to the house, a pistol, and his
enchanted pocket watch.
Alignment: His alignment reflects his true
motives for his work. So, it is up to the GM to decide.
No. Appearing: Unique
Armor Class: 15 (Unarmored w/ 18 dex) / 19 (w/
pocket watch activated)
Movement: 30 ft.
Hit Dice: 9 HD – Level 9 Magic User (38 HP)
To-Hit: +2 Melee / +4 Ranged
No. of Attacks: 1 – Unarmed or Pistol
Damage: 1D10 (Pistol – Ignores the first 5
points of AC) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed)
Special Attacks: Spells - 1st
lvl. Shield/Mage Armor, 3x Magic Missile 2nd Lvl. Detect
Invisiblity, Invisibility, Stinking Cloud, 3rd lvl. Fly,
Haste, Hold Person, 4th lvl. Confusion and Charm Monster,
5th lvl. Cloudkill.
Special Defenses: Enchanted Pocket-Watch:
Protection – Activated with 1 action, +4 to AC, lasts for 1
turn before it must be reactivated. Undo Damage – 3/Day as a
free action, on anyone's turn, he may undo damage from the most
recent attack, he may do this even if the most recent attack had
killed him. He may do this multiple times in a row, undoing the
damage from the previous 3 (or less) attacks.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
All Saves: 11
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
Activity Cycle: Works mostly at night, be can be
seen moving about during the day.
Diet: Appears to be a vegetarian.
Intelligence: At very least, a genius by human
standards, though he may possess a super-human intellect.
Treasure: The Alter, a journal explaining his
true origins, a few suits, a key to the house, a pistol, and his
enchanted pocket watch.
Alignment: His alignment reflects his true
motives for his work. So, it is up to the GM to decide.
No. Appearing: Unique
Armor Class: 0/5 (w/ pocket watch activated) / 14
(w/ Fallstaff's Field of Force)
Movement: 50 ft.
Hit Dice: 5 HD – Level 5 Wizard (38 HP)
Action-Dice: 3D6
No. of Attacks: 1 – Unarmed or Pistol
Damage: 2D4 (Pistol – Ranged – Damage
explodes on a 3 and 4) OR 1D3+1 (Unarmed)
Special Attacks: Spells - 1st
lvl. Fallstaff's Field of Force, 3x Missle Command 2nd
Lvl. Glowing Magenta Mist, Flight, Sticky Webbing Atlach-Nacha, 3rd
lvl. 2x Purple Lightning Strike and Limited Invisibility 4th
lvl. Ball of Death and Silence, 5th lvl. Horror Beyond
Reckoning.
Special Defenses: Enchanted Pocket-Watch:
Protection – Activated with 1 action, +4 to AC, lasts for 10
minutes before it must be reactivated. Undo Damage – 3/Day
as a free action, on anyone's turn, he may undo damage from the most
recent attack, he may do this even if the most recent attack had
killed him. He may do this multiple times in a row, undoing the
damage from the previous 3 (or less) attacks.
Magic Resistance: Nil
Size: Medium (5' to 6' tall)
Dungeon World
No. Appearing: 1
Armor: 0
(Normally)/ 3 (w/ Magic Pocket-Watch)/ +4 to AC w/ Magic
Hit-Points: 15
Damage: Pistol
- [B (1D10) +2 Ranged,
Messy, Loud, Forceful, Piercing 4]
or Arcane Blast – [B (2D4) Ranged
and Forceful]
Motivations / Tactics:
Protect the Alter. Cast any Wizard spell up to the 5th
level. Add onto the Alter. Enact the will of the Other
Folk.
 |
| Sit back, relax, and let go... |
Despite the chaotic mess of its construction, the Alter
has a purpose that has called so many street-folk to come at worship
before it. Waylon is an inventor. Waylon is a visionary. Waylon is a
prophet. Waylon is THE priest. The Alter is the culmination of mad
obsession and magic, a calling place for Other Folk to step
through and visit. Each night the homeless and mad gather before it,
each one hoping and dreading for Waylon to choose them to be that
night's vessel. Waylon has always remained elusive as to what the
Other Folk are, but it is clear that they are only able to
interact with the world through the possession of a host. During
their possession, bodies go through a number of changes, and their
behavior drastically changes to fit that of the summoned Other
Folk. Those that live through the experience are changed, granted
boons and knowledge by the being that possessed them. Each of the
Other Folk have a unique form and personality separate from
the possessed. Through the flipping of switches, turning of cranks,
and the buzzing of transformers, a vague form will flow out of a
static filled television screen and into that night's vessel.
Notes: The
exact extent of the powers of the Other Folk is left somewhat open.
The idea is that they are truly capable of anything that falls within
their purview. Those that play the role of the vessel are given
preference when the Other Folk are granting requests, though others
may beseech the manifested being. The rules for being a vessel are as
follows:
OSR
The vessel must make a save versus Poison. A success
means that their body is able to handle the stress of their
possession. A failure results in the loss of 1D10 temporary points of
Constitution, 1 point will return each day the vessel spends resting.
A critical failure results in the Constitution loss being permanent,
they are only able to be returned by spells like Miracle and Wish.
Crimson
Dragon Slayer
The rules work exactly like the OSR rules.
Dungeon
World
The vessel must make a Constitution based check. On a
10+, the vessel is able to handle the stress of the change cause by
the Other Folk. On a 7-9, the vessels loses 1D10 temporary points of
Constitution, 1 point will return each day the vessel spends resting.
On a 6 or less, the Constitution loss is permanent, the points can
only be returned by the cleric spell Repair.
 |
| Our Lady of Neon, the most benevolent of the Other Folk. |
Tonight's
Guest
- 1D6
1) The Grins: Appearance
– The vessel's expression slowly changes to a wide smile,
usually from one of terrified awe. Soon, however, the smile spread
beyond what should be physically possible. Stretching out to wrap
around the jaw and cheeks to touch each ear. The grin becomes taller
as well, growing up to swallow nose and eyes until there is nothing
but hair, forehead, and grin. The teeth remain the same size, but
they grow in number until teeth are layered over one another and roll
back in rows down the vessel's throat. Behavior –
Condescension and false joviality drip from every utterance in a
voice that fluctuates between the deepest basso profundo to the
highest falsetto. He offers desires of hunger and lust, and asks for
very little. A favor, not now, but later. Later, when the buyer is
comfortable and secure. Later, when the buyer has ever-so-much more
to lose.
2) The Brick Wall Boy: Appearance
– The vessel's physical proportions slowly take on those of a
child, rounding what once was sharp and firming what once was flab.
Their hair grows, or shortens, into a blonde mop and their eyes turn
a piercing blue. Soon the skin takes on a ocher color and then a
rough, brick-like texture. Lines of mortar appear in regular
intervals along the body, while the floors creak under the new sac of
bricks weight. Behavior – Playful, innocent,
flighty, inattentive, and cruel. The Brick Wall Boy embodies every
stereotype of children, both the positive and the monstrous. He
offers protection and separation, building hidden barriers between
the seeker and the things they wish to avoid. The payment is usually
some bauble or trinket, or even a piece of candy. Whatever he wants,
the vessel never has it, and the journey to find the item quickly
becomes a complicated mess. Stores that used to sell the item no
longer carry it, an item the character had seen around frequently is
now no where to be found. The journey usually ends after a long
fruitless search, and the item's price is now far more than it
usually is.
3) Mister Stitches: Appearance
– The vessel's clothes begin to twist tightly against the their
body, filling the room with the sound of choking and ripping cloth.
Soon, clothes are unraveling, their threads swirling around the
vessel's body. Threads multiply and wrap around the vessel's body,
binding loosely around their torso and tightly around their limbs.
Halos of thread surround the transformed vessel, the halo surging and
receding with the rhythm of its voice. A nudist attempted to become
the vessel for Mister Stitches once, Waylon and the street-folk
refuse to speak about the incident. Behavior – A
mass of nervous energy, it paces about the room as it rapidly
narrates its own actions if left alone. When spoken to, Mister
Stitches has the unnerving habit of walking around those addressing
him. He speaks in a rapid monotone, his conversations linking topics
without concern as to how they relate to one another. Mister Stitches
offers those that beseech him the ability to bind people or concepts
to their identity. Want to be though of as charming, handsome,
intelligent, or talented? Mister Stitches can oblige, though people
won't be able to say why they think these things about the
individual. Want a new best friend, lover, husband, or wife? Mister
Stitches is the perfect match maker. The new love can't say why they
enjoy the individual's company, only that they would stay with the
vessel forever. All that Mister Stitches asks is for the individual
to separate themselves from something in their lives. Quitting a job,
ending a relationship, or removing an appendage, fulfilling Mister
Stitches' requirements are usually painful.
4) Our Lady of Neon: Appearance
– The vessel's skin begins to darken until it is the color of
night, the skin even and smooth like silk. The beauty of female
vessels is enhanced, lending them an almost divine beauty. The
appearance of males softens, giving them an androgynous, yet
pleasing, appearance. Soon color appears, at first just star-like
pinpoints of luminous neon color. After moments, the color spreads,
flowing over the vessel's skin in a riot of bright geometric shapes.
Their eyes are the last to change, irises taking on varying bright
colors in concentric rings. Behavior – Our
Lady of Neon, or just Lady Neon, focuses her attention making
situations more bearable. Just as neon light can beautify a dirty
alley on a dark night, she seeks to make a situation more bearable
without any intrinsic change. Lady Neon makes situations more
bearable through bolstering a person's tolerance to it, increasing a
person's patience or ability to tolerate pain. She is, by far, the
most benevolent of the Other Folk. The costs for her help are light,
though she does ask for something in return for her assistance as it
seems some kind of intrinsic quality of the Other Folk. Lady Neon's
price is for a person to bear something new, without her support.
This new difficulty is incredibly minor, such as minor tinnitus or a
paper cut that will not heal. Her behavior, while possessing a
vessel, is often described as kind and nurturing.
5) Mister Sandman: Appearance
– The vessel's skin becomes rough and grainy, the hues of their
body shifting to light browns and khaki. Soon their facial features
soften, losing definition across their entire body, until their form
resembles a wind-eroded statue of their former self. The shapes of
their body shift with each movement, like piled sand constantly
sliding and reforming to hold a particular shape. A whispering sound
surrounds them, accompanying every movement no matter how subtle.
Behavior – Mister Sandman prefers to play the
character of a small-town family doctor, even going so far as to
mimic a southern lilt to his whisper voice. His behavior is friendly,
even when threatening, veiling his threats as advice or gentle
warnings. He offers the veil of dreams, allowing individuals to drape
the fantasy over reality. While Lady Neon may make a situation more
bearable by slightly altering feelings and perception, Mister Sandman
fully replaces feelings and perceptions. A garbage strewn alley can
become a well kept suburban street, an addiction ravaged body can be
that of Mister or Miss America. In essence, Mister Sandman sells lies
that persist beyond thoughts and into reality. A person will still
perceive danger, and can very well be harmed or killed. The danger,
however, takes on a fantastic form to fit the individual's fantasy. A
sore covered, and knife wielding, drug addict can become a sword
swinging black-knight. An abusive spouse, can become a brooding
beauty, making their hurtful actions truly dramatic as in the movies.
What Mister Sandman asks for in return are the dreams of the 'buyer'.
While sleeping without dreaming may be easy to give away, the
imagination that is also taken can be sorely missed. Books become
mere words, stories become a disconnected series of events, and
ambition fades away. After paying the Sandman's price, people become
the two-dimensional characters on the movie screens that they envied,
without anything more than what is easily presented.
6) The Good Doctor: Appearance
– The vessel's clothes begin to lose color, while the fabric
taking on a perfectly pressed appearance, the creases and seams
starched. Clothing then changes to a physicians coat and scrubs. The
vessel's face slowly becomes more and more luminous, until its shine
obscures the vessels facial features and blinds anyone looking
directly at them. The Good Doctor's appearance is neither male or
female, the light making it impossible to read the physical
characteristics of the being. Its voice thin and reedy, though
without a hint as to the gender. Behavior – The
Good Doctor's demeanor is supremely cold, but also perfectly
professional, its only concern being the job at hand. The Doctor
offers physical change, whatever is desired by the 'patient'. The
drawback, or cost, to the procedure is that the Doctor gets final say
on the final form of the requested change. One might request to
become younger, the Doctor decides how far the clock is turned back.
A request for beauty will always be fulfilled, but by whose standards
is up to the Good Doctor. A payment is never asked for, the Doctor
'just wants to help'. The final drawback to the Doctor's assistance
is the possibility of addiction to the change the Doctor brings.
 |
| Believe me, this place is real. I go there all the time... |
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