98 Euthanatos Epilogue: Four Fates “Can he be cured?” I can still see the afterimage in Truce’s mind — the burning red lotus of my rage on the night we killed Jim Houle. I grab an arm and a leg and we sit him down in Theora’s little blue Volkswagen. His eyes are closed; wisps of iron-gray hair poke out from beneath his turban. Glancing over my shoulder, I can see Janine loading our bags into the other car. “I don’t know,” says Theora Hetirck. “It’s more than the mind that suffers death taint. The impurities seep into your soul. There are Akashic sages who know how to alter the mystical stains that collect on the Atman. Perhaps Senex can contact one of them. After all, we’ve been getting along better with the Brotherhood lately. “I think that he wanted to be cured. There was a lot of madness in what he said to both of you, but a lot of wisdom too. We need to bring that wisdom back into his heart.” “Yeah. He said he wanted a real Guru. ” I force myself to look away from his face. “So, you’re going to drive this thing all the way to Cerberus?” She smiles at that. “No. I borrowed a private jet from a Lhaksmist who has more money than he knows what to do with. It’ll get us to India. From there we can get safe passage to the Otherworld.
Epilogue: Four Fates 99 “Are you sure that the two of you don’t want to come with us? Cerberus and the Ghost Citadel have many great Gurus. They could help Janine develop her talent. You know that we could use you for the rituals Senex has planned. We need as many Euthanatoi as possible if we’re going to make it work.” Theora puts her most persuasive voice behind the request — a feeling of real conviction that it’s the best solution. “I’ll take my chances here on Earth, Chela Hetirck. As for Janine, I think she needs to get out into the world and do some good. Acaryas and Paramagurus might be able to do that with great siddhis, but the rest of us have to be content to use our hands. In her case, she needs to see suffering up close; it’ll purify her for the next time her Atman calls. “I want to see what she does with our Arts. I want to see a pacifist defend the Wheel,” I finish. “Are you going to renounce the Good Death?” Theora inquires. “No. It’s how I defend the Wheel. Janine will do it in her way, you’ll do it in yours, and I’ll keep my knife ready for when it’s needed. For now, I’ll keep in mind that the Wheel is full of other duties, other destinies than the ones I sharpen it for.” Janine waves to me. I give Theora Hetirck a quick nod and start the rental car up. We drive out into the countryside. The roads array themselves in a great lattice, full of choice, brimming with destinies to be fulfilled with the Good Death — and life as well. Author’s Notes Thanks for reading. This wasn’t an easy book to write. The Usual Disclaimer You’ll see the anti-idiot disclaimer on a lot of White Wolf products. This isn’t an indication of the number of idiots in the world, so much as it is the fact that a lone idiot can do a lot of damage. Bearing that in mind, we reiterate: There is no such thing as the Euthanatos. You are not one of them. Their occult philosophy doesn’t exist in the real world, nor should it. You should not emulate the fiction you see here. This book is not telling you that it is right to kill people or that you should kill people. If you feel that it does, then you should see a doctor. No, really. Go make an appointment or deposit yourself in an emergency room. Now. References The following resources provided information and inspiration for Tradition Book: Euthanatos. See what you can get from them, draw your own conclusions and customize the Tradition for your own use. Fiction The Dead Zone, Stephen King. The movie, starring Christopher Walken, is one of the better adaptations of one of King’s novels. The main character has psychic powers that tell him that one man will bring about Armageddon. Will he find the strength to kill him? Should he? Deathbird Stories. Read “Paingod,” “The Deathbird,” and “Basilisk.” From Jhor to the Good Death to Thanatoic morality, each story has something you can add to your portrayal of the Euthanatos. Aside from that, Ellison knows how to take ideas and make them cry and sweat, and this collection is worth reading for that reason alone. Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete. Gene Wolfe attempts to describe Ancient Greece from the perspective of someone living in it — someone who just happens to talk to the gods. The book’s first charm is that it makes its subject seem ordinary instead of romantic. The second is in how it depicts the gods. It’s full of material you can use to expand on several Thanatoic sects. Song of Kali, Dan Simmons. This is a bracing, frightening novel. If you want to see what Jhor looks like and examine some of the paradoxes in Thanatoic practices, read it. It’s also a damn fine book in its own right. Nonfiction Bullfinch’s Mythology, Volume I: The Age of Fable. This is where I got my first taste of mythology. Dense, informative reading. Oxford World Religions: Eastern Traditions. This is a wonderful all-around resource with an extensive section on Hinduism. Keep in mind that while the Euthanatos may use the Vedic deities in their Arts, they don’t represent any current, real world belief system. Fundamentals of Mainstream Buddhism. This book provides an in-depth look at Indian cosmology in a
98 Euthanatos straightforward but detailed fashion. It also provides some historical context for the emergence of Buddhism — in Mage, that takes place in the middle of the Himalayan War. The Vedas. You should be able to find a translation of the web. The Rig Veda and Atharva Veda would be the ones Storytellers would find most useful. The former lays out the Indian creation story and the latter details the mystical practices of the early Aryan age. The Iliad. Again, look around and you should be able to find a copy for free (though it wouldn’t hurt to own one). Passion and destiny collide in the siege of Troy. Check it out.
Strength______________ Dexterity_____________ Stamina______________ Nature: Essence: Demeanor: Name: Player: Chronicle: Faction: Concept: Cabal: Advantages Attributes Physical Social Mental Charisma______________ Manipulation___________ Appearance____________ Perception_____________ Intelligence____________ Wits__________________ Talents Alertness______________ Athletics______________ Awareness_____________ Brawl_________________ Dodge________________ Expression_____________ Intimidation___________ Leadership______________ Streetwise_____________ Subterfuge_____________ Crafts_________________ Drive_________________ Etiquette______________ Firearms_______________ Meditation_____________ Melee_________________ Performance____________ Stealth________________ Survival________________ Technology_____________ Academics______________ Computer______________ Cosmology_____________ Enigmas______________ Investigation___________ Law__________________ Linguistics_____________ Medicine______________ Occult________________ Science________________ Skills Knowledges Correspondence________ Entropy_______________ Forces________________ Life__________________ Matter________________ Mind_________________ Prime_________________ Spirit_________________ Time_________________ Backgrounds Arete Health OOOOOOOOOO Willpower _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Quintessence Bruised -0 Hurt -1 Injured -1 Wounded -2 Mauled -2 Crippled -5 Incapacitated Experience Paradox Abilities Spheres OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO • OOOOOOOOOO Resonance Dynamic______________ Entropic_______________ Static________________ OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO Other Traits _________________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO ™
Weapon Difficulty Damage Range Rate Clip Conceal Merits & Flaws Merit Type Cost Flaw Type Bonus _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Magic Preferred Effects Rotes _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Combat Maneuver Roll Difficulty Damage/Effect Armor:___________ ™
Expanded Background Allies _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Contacts _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Destiny _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Influence _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Library _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Mentor _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Node _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Resources _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Possessions Gear (Carried) __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Equipment (Owned) __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Foci __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ Wonders _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Familiar _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ Past Incarnations _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________ __________________________ ™
History Awakening _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Goals/Destiny _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Seekings:__________________________________Quiets:_________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Description Age:_________________________________________________________________________________ Apparent Age:________________________________________________________________________ Date of Birth:__________________________________________________________________________ Age of Awakening:_____________________________________________________________________ Hair:________________________________________________________________________________ Eyes:________________________________________________________________________________ Race:________________________Appearance/Nature of Avatar:_______________________________ Nationality:__________________________________________________________________________ Height:_________________________________________________________________________________ Weight:__________________________________________________________________________________ Sex:_________________________________________________________________________________ Visuals Cabal Chart Character Sketch ™