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This week's first COTW is the first part of a five-part
series of characters for the recently released "GURPS
Steampunk". The five characters all revolve around the
search for a fabled artifact called Odin's Horse...
ODIN'S HORSE, PART 1: RENEWAL
"Brothers will struggle and slaughter each other,
And sisters' sons spoil kinship's bonds.
It's hard on earth: great whoredom;
axe-age, blade-age, shields are split;
wind-age, wolf-age, before the world crumbles:
no man shall spare another."
-
the "Voluspa" (S. Sturluson)
Brad Guffey; inventor turned anarchist looking for
Renewal
(c) copyright 2000 andi jones
Total Points: 150 Points
Age 35; 5'6"; 138 pounds; a slender and anemic-looking man
dressed in worn clothing and out-of-date fashions, with a
narrow face - pointed nose, piercing blue eyes and ruddy
hair.
ST 9 [-10] - thrust 1d-2, swing 1d-1
DX 11 [10] - basic speed 5, move 5, dodge
5
IQ 15 [60]
HT 9 [-10]
WL 14 [-] - fright check 17*
*includes +3 from Collected
ADVANTAGES: Charisma +3 [15]; Collected [5];
Empathy [15]; Higher Purpose (Find Odin's Horse)
[5]; Less Sleep x4 [12]; Mathematical
Ability [10].
DISADVANTAGES: Enemy (Martial Development Office, 6-)
[-10]; Obsession (Find Odin's Horse) [-10];
Odious Personal Habit (Smug, Sanctimonious and Patronising)
[-10]; Weak Will -1 [-8].
QUIRKS: Mildly unkempt appearance, without actually looking
a mess; Spends idle hours visiting libraries, reading books;
Misses working on his engineering projects. [-3]
SKILLS: Acting-16 [4]; Area Knowledge (Boston)-15
[1]; Area Knowledge (New York City)-14 [.5];
Armoury/TL(5+1) (Armour)-18 [8]; Armoury/TL(5+1)
(Vehicular Weaponry)-16 [4]; Artist (Drafting)-11/17
[.5]; Bard-16* [.5]; Chemistry/TL(5+1)-15
[4]; Conspiracy Theory-12 [1];
Diplomacy-16/19** [6]; Engineer/TL(5+1) (Steam
Engines)-17*** [4]; Fast-Talk-14/17** [1];
Geology/TL5-13 [1]; History-14 [2]; History
(Esoteric)-11 [.5]; Law-12 [.5];
Leadership-16* [.5]; Literature (Apocalyptic
Mythology)-12/18 [1]; Mathematics-19# [6];
Mechanic/TL(5+1) (Steam Engines)-14## [0];
Metallurgy/TL(5+1)-18 [10]; Philosophy
(Transcendentalism)-13 [1]; Physics/TL5-17
[8]; Poisons-10### [0]; Politics-13
[.5]; Research-16 [4]; Savoir-Faire-16
[2]; Theology (Hinduism)-13 [1]; Writing-16
[4].
*includes +3 from Charisma
**skill is at +3 from Charisma for
Influence/Reaction rolls
***includes +2 from Mathematical Ability
#includes +3 from Mathematical Ability
##default from Engineer (Steam Engines)
###default from Chemistry
LANGUAGES: English (native)-15 [0]; French-13
[.5]; Greek-14 [1]; Latin-14
[1].
EQUIPMENT
Brad Guffey lives a fairly Spartan existence, living in an
under-furnished apartment with ratty furniture, a short
shelf of books and a few suits. His only valuable possession
is his typewriter. If encountered out on the town, he's
likely to be carrying a small journal and a fountain pen. He
seldom has much money, and when he does it's probably
concealed in his shoe or hat-band.
BIOGRAPHY
Brad Guffey was born in 1841 in County Carlow, Ireland; his
mother died of puerperal fever, and so he was raised by his
father. When the Great Famine struck hard, Mr. Guffey took
his son to the United States, where they settled in Boston.
Brad's affinity for math and mechanics was obvious from a
young age, and he excelled in school. With the help of a
government-sponsored program, he attended MIT and earned
degrees in the newest advances in engineering and the
material sciences. By the time his studies were finished,
the War between the States had begun, and he immediately
went to work for the Martial Development Office. Through the
end of the War, he contributed to the design and
construction of such war-machines as Ironclad Land Tortoises
and steam-driven Gatling Rotary Cannon.
During his first five years on the job, Guffey absorbed
everything there was to learn - the science and the
politics, and the (often esoteric) philosophies behind both
of them. He also became aware that the world in which he
lived was much more complicated than he ever knew, that an
entire "invisible history" was being written by unseen hands
from the shadows. And in those shadows, he caught a glimpse
of something: Odin's Horse, a mysterious artifact said to
have the power to change the world. As Guffey learned more
and more, and as his horizons broadened, he gradually
arrived at the conclusion that the entire social and
political system in which he operated was morally corrupt.
He became hyper-sensitive to the people around him, and
unusually perceptive of their feelings. Disgusted with their
attitudes, he experienced a radical shift in his personal
ideologies; the "steam revolution" soon became the focus of
all his disdain and disillusionment. Ultimately, it got to
the point that he couldn't tolerate it any longer; one day
in 1871 he walked out on work, took as much cash as he could
gather, and disappeared.
Six months later, Guffey turned up in New York City, his
mind filled with thoughts of radical philosophy and anarchy.
Using a combination of natural charm and deft acting, he
found other like-minded radicals and became a popular member
of the political and literary underground. He devoured the
works of Immanuel Kant and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and took
lessons from Hindu cosmology and Catastrophist theory. He
also honed his research skills, learning more about the myth
of Odin's Horse, and of the secret societies operating
behind the scenes of history. Guffey's influences finally
coalesced into a transcendental apocalyptic philosophy that
revolved around the concept that Mankind was morally and
spiritually degenerate, and that these weaknesses had led
the Earth into the Kali-Yuga, the final age that would end
in the destruction of Life. Only in Mankind's destruction
could there be any hope for a New Age. As he became even
more deeply embroiled in his esoteric practises, Guffey
began thinking of himself as a visionary, and took advantage
of the newest advances in printing press to produce a weekly
pamphlet called "The Iconoclast".
Guffey now lives a frantic life; sleeping only a few hours a
night, he spends his days in libraries doing research of all
kinds, and his evenings trolling the pubs and after-hours
bars frequented by his radical peers. He is aware that the
Martial Development Office has men looking for him, but
doubts they will find him. In the meantime, he continues to
distribute "The Iconoclast" and preach his ideals. And most
importantly, he continues to assemble clues as to the
whereabouts of Odin's Horse, and has begun concocting
schemes by which he can seize it once it is found. He knows
others are looking for it (see below), but is convinced that
he is ahead of the game. It is only a matter of time, he
believes, until the End of the Age.
ENCOUNTERED
In almost any context, Brad Guffey is an intense man. In
private situations - such as when he's among friends and
colleagues - he displays an intellectual arrogance and
snobbishness toward "common people" which borders on
seething intolerance. (To Guffey - whose own background is
distinctly lower middle class - the "common people" are
those who are less refined, who aren't well educated, and
who cannot discuss philosophy, science and sociology all at
once. By Guffey's definition, many wealthy people are
terribly common.) But despite his prejudices, Guffey is
well-liked among his peers, for he is both charismatic and
eloquent and his barbs are reserved for others. When Guffey
is in a more public forum, he is even more charming, and is
perfectly capable of keeping his biases in check. (Between
his Acting, Bard, Diplomacy and Fast-Talk skills, Guffey is
unlikely to ever insult anyone, or turn them away by coming
off as too radical. Guffey's gift - which shows through more
in person than in his writing - is his ability to connect
with his audience. While Guffey's Empathy advantage doesn't
give a bonus to any social skills, the GM should be mindful
that he has it; the ability to sense what people are feeling
should make a sizable difference from time to time.)
When Brad Guffey meets a person for the first time, he
evaluates their social standing and examines their feelings
before making first contact. He will always put on an
appropriate "act", using his empathy and skills to avoid
taboo subjects or direct the topic of conversation. To
people he trusts, he will be forthright about his
philosophies, and will be more than happy to discuss
esoteric wisdom, trends in mythology or even "invisible
history". But to get Guffey to talk about Odin's Horse
should be very difficult. He knows many people are looking
for it, and his research is a precious commodity that he
won't share with just anyone.
ODIN'S HORSE
Odin's Horse is the Ultimate Mystery. Like the fabled Holy
Grail, it is said to be an ancient artifact, a physical
object or treasure of unimaginable power and value. At the
same time, it is said to express an ideal, a symbol for an
abstract concept or state of being. In the same way that the
alchemists' Gold was both a priceless metal and an elevated
spiritual state, so too is Odin's Horse. The name is a
reference to the World Tree of Norse mythology, Yggdrasil -
the name means "Ygg's Horse", and refers to Odin in his
incarnation as the Destroyer. Odin had many names, and
personified a diverse array of characteristics: he was the
violent force of nature's wrath; he hanged himself on the
Tree to secure the Mead of Poetry; he used magic and the
spirits of the slain to influence battle; he gouged out his
own eye in exchange for wisdom; and he used sex and guile to
confuse and deceive his enemies. He was mercurial, dangerous
and untrustworthy.
To Brad Guffey, the most appealing aspect of Odin's Horse is
its potential as an agent of destruction. His political and
social attitudes have become so extreme that he privately
seeks nothing less than the violent cleansing described in
Ragnarok - a Catastrophist miracle that would burn the world
to ash, and return it to the sea. In his writings in "The
Iconoclast", of course, Guffey doesn't advocate this
explicitly, although he has flirted with it and implied it
here and there. As for Odin's Horse: Guffey doesn't know
precisely what it is, but he firmly believes that it's
something with the power to transform the world. It is up to
the GM, of course, to decide what Odin's Horse really is, if
it even matters. Maybe it is a powerful artifact, and maybe
it's just an idea, and maybe there's no difference.
WHAT HE KNOWS
William Morgan Crosse: At the time Brad Guffey worked at the
Martial Development Office, he learned of a corporation
called Crosse-Rose, a manufacturing firm that handled
defence contracts. One of the firm's founders was Morgan
Crosse, a steel magnate believed to have ties to the
Freemasons, and famous for a keen interest in esoteric
wisdom. (It was in Guffey's investigation of Crosse-Rose
that he first encountered references to Odin's Horse.) In
the years since, Crosse has died, and his financial empire
was taken over his son and heir, William Morgan Crosse.
Guffey has learned that William Morgan Crosse is looking for
Odin's Horse, though he doesn't fully grasp his Utilitarian
motivations. Guffey has spent a lot of time gathering
information about Crosse, and respects the man's intellect
and power. But he think that Crosse lacks a certain
conviction, or passion, which will ultimately be his
undoing. Even so, Guffey considers Crosse his most capable
opponent, and watches him carefully.
Roland Mannheim: In his time in New York, Guffey has done a
lot of digging, and has unearthed information about the
existence of a secret fraternity called the Order of
Measure. He suspects them of being a faction of the Masons,
but with an independent and aggressive agenda. But his
picture of the group is still sketchy, and he doesn't know
any of their operatives, and is unaware of Roland
Mannheim.
Madeline Angelica Rose: Through his sources on the street,
Guffey has heard of the Black Rose, and is aware of her
reputation as a threat to Britain's elite. He is curious
about her - especially about the rumours of her origins in
the upper class - but he hasn't had time enough to pursue
any of the details, and doesn't know her true identity.
While he is aware that many of her targets are the same
shadowy people responsible for writing so much "invisible
history", he assumes that she is only tangentially related
to his most pressing business: the search for Odin's Horse.
The irony, of course, is that she is the daughter of August
Rose, one of the founders of the Crosse-Rose corporation,
and the source of both the esoteric ideology and financial
fortune behind William Morgan Crosse and his plans.
Amanda Young: Guffey is only aware of Amanda Young in the
capacity of William Crosse's paramour; he has no idea that
she is involved in Crosse's schemes. Because of her status
as a "demimondaine", he assumes she is uneducated and
common. Because of this, he dismisses her out of hand and is
unlikely to be believe her capable of the kind of
intellectual brawn that the search for Odin's Horse
demands.
CANONICALITY
Brad Guffey was created as a combination of the Inventor
(p.STM36) and Reformer (p.STM39) templates from "GURPS
Steampunk". In all respects, he conforms to the standard
GURPS rules (including those for divergent Tech Levels,
p.STM9).
WHAT IF?
The characters designed around the Odin's Horse adventure
seed are intended for a semi-realistic steampunk setting set
in about 1875. The characters' advantages and skills assume
an alternate history in which technology has diverged from
baseline TL5, and that some technologies are maturing at a
faster rate, but which does not include the more fabulous
"weird science" the genre supports. The setting also assumes
a certain degree of conspiracy, mystery and "invisible
history". In this setting, the occult is the study of the
hidden, and need not pertain to anything more supernatural
than the mysticism genuinely associated with certain
religions and philosophies. But the very idea of Odin's
Horse allows this to be scaled back or forward in any
direction.
Historical Steampunk: The 19th century European and American
cultures saw their share of esoteric philosophies
intermingling with radical shifts in political, social and
scientific thought. It was a time marked by unrivalled
advances in science, but which also took seriously such
topics as the Hollow Earth and luminiferous ether; the line
between science, pseudo-science and mysticism was often
blurred. In a steampunk setting with a more realistic
approach to technology, Odin's Horse remains a potent
symbol. Likely, the people searching for it accept that it
is an abstract treasure, characterised as an allegory.
Perhaps it is a codex saved from the Library at Alexandria,
or a lost scroll from ancient Judea, or a copy of the Popul
Vuh pre-dating the Spanish Conquest. In this setting, Brad
Guffey's technological skills would be downgraded to normal
TL5, and his experiences with the Martial Development Office
might not be so dramatic. Beyond that, no changes are
necessary.
Cinematic Steampunk: If the Hollow Earth is a reality, and
weird science just a matter of the right tools and a little
elbow-grease, the possibilities for Odin's Horse are
unlimited. Perhaps it's an alien artifact, lying dormant
beneath the Earth, lurking on the edges of the collective
unconscious. It might be an ancient analytical engine, or a
clockwork computing machine from the days of Alexander. It
could be a psionic amplification device, the sorcerously
archived soul of an arch-mage, or a Martian menace on the
loose from Somewhere Else. Odin's Horse could be everything
its seekers think it is, hope it is or want it to be. In a
setting like this, Brad Guffey's already mildly cinematic
abilities can be augmented with higher skill levels, a few
additional specialisations, and the Gadgeteer advantage. If
magic exists, he will have studied it from the academic
point of view (add the Occultism skill) but his technical
bent probably precludes him learning any rituals or
spells.
ADVENTURE SEEDS
Each of the characters in the Odin's Horse series is built
around the concept of the Grail-like treasure they all
strive to find. The adventure seeds below are related to
that search, but may also be adapted for use in a campaign
of lesser scope.
At a Crossroads: Brad Guffey is intrigued by the Crosse-Rose
firm that handled contracts for the Martial Development
Office. The names, in Guffey's opinion, are a reference to
the Rosicrucians (Order of the Rose Cross), a secret
mystical order associated with the Freemasons. The first
contract Crosse-Rose filled for the MDO was a Rotary Cannon
based on a design by Hiram Gatling; the name Hiram is of
special significance to the Masons, for it was the name of
King Solomon's architect responsible for the design of the
original Temple. Guffey thinks this is a lead that begs
further investigation, but he needs the PCs' help to do it:
the books he wants are in a secure place (private library,
sacred museum, etc.) and securing them won't be easy. And
needless to say, getting the books will raise as many
questions as it answers. Does it move the search for Odin's
Horse forward? If the PCs are talented enough, will Guffey
bring them into his confidence? How will this change the
balance of power? Might it be significant that Crosse-Rose
also sounds a bit like "crossroads", a potent occult symbol
of change?
Zen in the Art of Velocipede Maintenance: Brad Guffey is too
smart to talk about his experiences at the Martial
Development Office, and few people know of his engineering
expertise. And even though he now plays the role of the
anarchist philosopher, his passion is still for machines.
Could this be the Achilles Heel of the apocalyptic madman?
Maybe Guffey agrees to participate in an underground
engineering experiment, or a short-term corporate research
project... That might attract the attention of the MDO, who
are still looking for Guffey. (Their motives are, of course,
suspect. On the one hand, Guffey knows classified secrets,
which is reason enough to want him back. But on the other
hand, the MDO had close ties to Cross-Rose, and by extension
to other occult powers...) With the MDO on the move, Guffey
might turn to the PCs for protection, possibly honestly, but
maybe misrepresenting the MDO's marshals as unscrupulous
corporate enforcers or dangerous foreign spies. Perhaps the
PCs are employed by the MDO, sent to New York to extract
Guffey from his radical underground. Or maybe the PCs have
their own agenda - illuminated, possibly - and get involved
because Brad Guffey represents the shortest path to Odin's
Horse.
- written and formatted by andi jones
(andi@angelwerks.com)
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