Creations of Flux, Part I

Originally published December 23, 2013

Years ago I ran a Promethean: the Created game called Pandora's Tomorrow. As one might expect from the name, I created a large number of Pandorans for the game. In this series I will be sharing some of these failed creations, their history, and some story seeds for their use.

The Horror Under the Hill

Background: Once over a decade ago, there were two Prometheans. Their names and identities are unknown but they were a teacher and a student. Both were following the Refinement of Plumbum (Magnum Opus p. 75), a now lost philosophy that focused on the study of the Promethean condition.

The student however was impatient with the slow pace of study and sought a more active philosophy. But his or her respect for her teacher drove the student to make a new disciple for the mentor. While they were living in Portland, Oregon the student stole several bodies and began work on a new member of his or her kind.

The creation of a new Promethean went horribly wrong. The body splintered, mutated, and developed into a half dozen Pandorans. These horrors murdered the student and then scenting the teacher's Azoth, chased him or her down into the unfinished tunnels beneath the Tualatin Mountains.

What happened next is unclear. But the monsters continue to lurk there. Some left, drawn by Azoth to hunt others, some were destroyed by those questing for the teacher's secrets, secrets written on the tunnel walls. But one remains in the teacher's hidden lair, guarding those secrets to this day.

Description: The Horror under the Hill is a waking nightmare forged from twisted and broken body parts. Its chest opens up into a cavernous maw with ribs for teeth while a half dozen twisted limbs carry it about the tunnels and connected cave system. Glowing red insect eyes cover its body.

Mechanics

Below are its mechanical stats. If you are using the God-Machine Chronicle rules update, those changes are noted in parentheses like so (GMC: XXX).

Rank: 2

Mental Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits 2, Resolve 3
Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2
Social Attributes: Presence 1, Manipulation 0, Composure 2
Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Stealth 3
Merits: Fighting Style: Multi Limb Combat 1

Willpower: 5 Pyros (Max (Current)/Spend per turn): 12(0)/2
Vice: Gluttony
Initiative: 5 Defense: 3 (GMC: 6)
Speed: 12 Health: 6 (Size: 4)
Transmutations: Scurry 2, Claws 2, Fangs 3, Extra Leg 3, Frog Tongue 2

Combat Notes:

• Muli Limb Combat Style: thanks to its extra limbs, the defense of opponents are reduced by 1.
• Bite: dice pool 7, Lethal damage (GMC: dice pool 5, 1 Lethal)
• Claw: dice pool 6, Lethal damage (GMC: dice pool 5, 1 Lethal)
• Tongue: dice pool 5, bashing damage
• Grapple: dice pool 8
• Scurry: spend 1 Pyros to move at 33

The Robertson Tunnel

When the teacher chose to record his or her teachings, the Promethean chose a recently uncovered series of caves beneath Portland's West Hills. Located near the Washington Park station, these caves were entirely isolated within 16 million year old rock.

Complicating the process of accessing the lair is the trains which pass by every 10 minutes. Being hit by a train is almost certainly lethal to anyone except a Promethean, dealing 32 dice of bashing damage (GMC: Lethal damage).

Within the cavern, in addition to the Pandoran, are a set of complex pictographs describing the Refinement of Lead. Any Promethean studying it can eventually puzzle out the Refinement enough to follow it. The Pandoran will certainly attempt to attack any Prometheans here.

Past the pictographs the cavern continues. Strange metallic objects, like gears and levers extrude from the stone. At the very back is a small metal door encrusted with stone. The door swings open easily, revealing a small golden compartment holding an egg the size of a basketball. The egg is smooth and white. If touched it is slightly warm and something can be felt moving within it.

Story Seeds

In Pursuit of a Refinement: For a Promethean seeking to become Humanity, taking a new refinement would make an excellent Milestone. Uncovering a lost Refinement doubly so. Following rumors and the Pilgrim marks of those who have come before them, they learn of the lost teacher and that their teachings might exist somewhere beneath Portland. But there are also warnings of something waiting for them down there.

Mysterious Machinery: this story ties into the God-Machine Chronicle with the egg being the prize. A powerful Promethean, one much further along her Pilgrimage, seeks information on these machines, which she believes are tied to the Principle and the Quashmallim. She can provide them with help, monetary or supernatural, in exchange.

Tracing Lineage: perhaps a Promethean seeks to trace his "family tree", working his way back from creator to creator to learn the secrets of his kind. Or perhaps he simply seeks his lost creator. He learns that they were last spotted in Portland a decade ago. The trail leads to their final lair and the horror that may have ended him. But what really happened to this teacher? Why were they studying these machines? Could they still be alive? Perhaps they now work for this godlike machine.