Esoteric Quirks

Esoteric Quirks relate to the occult forces who would rule us all.

You should buy Esoteric Quirks if you want your character to:

• be a cultist or a shaman, betraying humanity to serve the malign Gods or vast, alien Powers - or an ex-cultist or shaman, fleeing from your past.
  
• be a sorcerer or an alchemist, stealing magic and power from the forces who would control humanity.
  
• be one of the (arguably) fortunate souls who enjoy the blessing of one of the Gods through no fault of their own.

Cultist (varies)
You are a member of a cult of one of the nefarious Gods who bear mankind no goodwill. You are expected to obey the will of your god and the leader of your cult - although should you prove strong enough to oust the current leader, the god will welcome you with open arms. This is a dangerous profession; those who have bought the Don't Kill Me Daddy quirk should not become cultists.

For 3 points you can become a cultist in a Novice Coven, a small clique with only the most tenuous communications with your supernatural ruler. Perhaps the cult is brand new, and is feeling its way in the worship of the god; perhaps it is an old cult which has fallen on hard times, either because a more charismatic cult leader has stolen all the members or because the God has become displeased with the Coven for whatever reason. In terms of spells, the God will only grant you Cantrips. You begin the game knowing two Cantrips, which will be assigned by the GMs.

For 5 points you are a member of a Noted Sect, a cult of moderate size (large enough that you can't all meet in someone's back room any more) which has already performed some encouraging works for the God. Spellwise, the God will only grant you Cantrips and Enchantments. You begin the game knowing four Cantrips, which will be assigned by the GMs.

For 10 points you are a member of a Blessed Congregation, a cult of a size liable to alarm the authorities enjoying the full support and attention of your God. The God will grant you Cantrips, Enchantments, and Grand Rituals, although these latter spells will only be given in direst need. You begin the game knowing two Cantrips and an Enchantment, which will be assigned by the GMs.

By paying one-and-and-half times the points cost (round up), you can be a leader of the cult in question. The advantage of this is that you will call the shots. The disadvantage of this is that the God's full attention will be on you, and if you step wrong its wrath will be terrible. And oddly, so many of your underlings in the cult would quite like to be leader...

Excommunicated (-2)
You used to worship one of the malign Gods who have only contempt and ill intentions for mankind. You don't any more. Perhaps you quit. Perhaps you were thrown out. Whatever the case is: the God hates you, the God's followers hate you, but you do have all sorts of information that sorcerers would pay dearly to know. Of course, if you do spill the beans the cult is liable to hunt you down and cut your throat...

Choose what variety of cult you were kicked out of. The more important the cult, the more information you'll have but the more dangerous they will be.

Sorcerer (varies)
You are a sorcerer, a magician who acknowledges no otherworldly master. You wield magics stolen from the Gods and Powers themselves, perform rituals based on intense theoretical study of the esoteric underpinnings of the world, and consort with otherworldly spirits and entities.

Which is all very well, but it doesn't exactly put a roof over your head.

For 4 points you are an Apperentice Sorcerer, capable of casting only Cantrips. You begin the game with one Cantrip, which will be assigned by the GMs - although you can choose which Gods and Powers you stole it from - and with the knowledge required to steal two more Cantrips (again, assigned by the GMs but you can choose from whence they come).

For 6 points you are a Journeyman Sorcerer, capable of casting Cantrips and Enchantments. You begin the game knowing three Cantrips assigned by the GMs from the Gods and Powers of your choice, and with the knowledge required to steal two more Cantrips and two Enchantments (again, assigned by the GMs but you can choose from whence they come).

For 11 points you are a Master Sorcerer, and can cast any kind of spells including Grand Rituals (though stealing Grand Rituals from the Gods and Powers is a major undertaking even for you). You begin the game knowing two Cantrips and an Enchantment, which will be assigned by the GMs (though you can choose which Gods or Powers they come from), and with the knowledge required to steal three more Cantrips and three more Enchantments (again, assigned by the GMs but you can choose from whence they come).

Shaman (varies)
You are a follower of one of the vast, unsympathetic, inhuman Powers whose thoughts are as glaciers and whose dreams are as centuries, and who bear mankind no goodwill. You speak to the daimons and perform the tasks they give as you strive to mould yourself and others into a form pleasing to your Power. This is a dangerous profession; those who have bought the Don't Kill Me Daddy quirk should not become shamen.

For 3 points you are a shaman who is Recognised by the Power. The Power you follow knows that you exist, but does not yet consider you fully... committed. Minor daimons convey the Power's desires to you; if you serve and obey, maybe they will help you become pleasing to the Power. In terms of spells, the Power will only grant you Cantrips. You begin the game knowing two Cantrips, which will be assigned by the GMs.

For 5 points you are a shaman who is Marked by the Power. The Power knows you and has laid a claim upon you; those who are sensitive to such things will realise that you are a favoured servant of the Power and will keep their mouth shut if they know what's good for them. Spellwise, the Power will only grant you Cantrips and Enchantments. You begin the game knowing four Cantrips, which will be assigned by the GMs.

For 10 points you are a shaman who is Loved by the Power. You're lovely. You know this. The GMs know this. If you put this many points into shamanism, the Power will also know this. The Power will grant you Cantrips, Enchantments, and Grand Rituals, although these latter spells will only be given in direst need. You begin the game knowing two Cantrips and an Enchantment, which will be assigned by the GMs.