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Of all the things you choose in life, you don’t get to choose what your nightmares are.
You don’t pick them; they pick you.
— John Irving
Horror Stats
Horror Stats
Starting Vitality
6
Starting Anima
2
Starting Skill Points
10
Type
Supernal (Horror)
Senses
Precise: Vision (Low-Light)
Imprecise: Hearing, Terror Sense (1 range)
Horror Lore
Horror Lore
At the deepest, darkest part of the multiverse, there lies a pit. A pit so dark and so empty it is filled with nothing but nothingness, a hungry void slowly consuming everything else. It is entropy, it is oblivion, it is the inevitable heat death of the universe made manifest, it is the end of every story. It is the father of fear and the mother of monsters. And the horrors are its children.
Horrors are the fears and phobias of mankind made manifest. They are the monster in the closet, the creature lurking under your bed, and the thing that goes bump in the night. They are the black dog following your path at night and the raving raven cawing out prophecies of your doom. They are the oni, the sack men, the babau, the shadow people, the cucuys, the butzemänner, the bogies, the jumbies, and countless other monsters from myth and legend.
Despite the myths, horrors are not universally malevolent. Yes, there are cruel, vicious and wicked horrors out there who carelessly prey on humanity, feasting on mortal terror without much thought of the repercussions. But most horrors nowadays prefer a more subtle, nuanced—some would argue civilized—approach. Indeed, the Parliament of Shadows, the largest alliance of horrors, promotes a different interpretation of fear. Fear doesn’t have to be something evil. Fear can stop would-be criminals and transgressors before they cross that line. Fear can inspire heroes to rise up, or stay a villain’s hand. Fear can be exciting, empowering and even fun, depending on how it is handled. After all, there’s a reason why, in the stories, the bogeyman only goes after those who misbehave.
Yet even the most kind-hearted horror knows there is a monster living inside of them, a primordial entity forged of primal fears. This beast strains against the horror’s mental cage, yearning to break free and spread terror. Yet the beast is also the source of a horror’s supernatural power, their bridge into humanity’s collective unconsciousness. And thus, horrors must balance keeping their beast well-fed, to prevent its ravenous hunger from spilling out and harming those who don’t deserve it.
Horror Houses
Horror Houses
House of the Nightmare Lantern: The largest and most powerful of the Parliament’s thirty houses, horrors of the Nightmare Lantern embody fears of the dark, from getting lost in the shadows to the things lurking just out of sight. Most members of the Nightmare Lantern take inspiration from their mad king, Jack O’Lantern, with jagged grins, eyes that glow with flickering lights, and cloaks of darkest shadow. The iconic nightmares of the Nightmare Lantern involve the creation and manipulation of shadows.
House of the Dark City: The Dark City is a strange, sprawling metropolis, deep in Shadow, filled with all kinds of alien, horrific technologies. It is also the city-body of Big Brother, the All-Seeing Eye, and Lord of the Technocracy. Horrors of the Dark City embody fears of modern technology and a changing world, from the loss of privacy to automation to new weapons of war. They are inventers and tinkerers, and their forms are usually at least partially mechanical. Nightmares of the Dark City typically involve the manipulation of technology and electronics.
House of the Fanged Forest: The savage, bestial horrors of the Fanged Forest embody fears of the wilderness, of the dangers that lurk out beyond the light of civilization. Lead by Cuca, the Queen of Beasts, members of the Fanged Forest remind humanity why they are still right to fear venturing into the woods alone at night. Horrors of the Fanged Forest typically incorporate elements of various beasts, and even plants, into their forms, from brutal ursine claws, to wicked antlers, to grasping vines. The nightmares of the Fanged Forest involve shapeshifting oneself into increasingly monstrous forms.
House of the Hateful Sun: Arrogance radiates from the horrors of the Hateful Sun, the house of power and light. These horrors embody fears and anxieties relating to the exercise of power, from the workplace abuses a boss may inflict on an employee, to horrible acts of a corrupted government. Horrors of the Hateful Sun typically have some element of their true made out of bright, burnished gold, and many also incorporate symbols of the sun as tattoos or patterns on their hides. Photomancy comes easy to these horrors, and their nightmares are able to manipulate the light of the sun to blind foes or shield their allies.
House of the Obsidian Sands: Embodying fears of fire and destruction, horrors of the Obsidian Sands are in many cases revolutionaries and reformers, driven to burn down old, broken systems so that something new, and stronger, can grow in its place. Members of the house tend to take inspiration from flames and ash in their forms, contrasting vibrant reds with dull greys and blacks. Most nightmares of the Obsidian Sands involve controlling fire and the dead sands of the desert.
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