Sample

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 6

e

fil
e
pl
m
Sa

by Travis legge
Credits
Author: Travis Legge
Editor: Saylor Ashman
Artist: Storyteller’s Vault Art Packs
The X-Card was created by Jon Stavropoulos,
and is entirely in Creative Commons.

Special Thanks

e
Akira Yamaoka, Hideo Kojima, Keiichiro Toyama,
and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn for endless inspiration,
not only for this game, but for all my creations. Thank
you for showing the world what pure psychological
horror looks, sounds, and feels like.

fil
e
pl
m
Sa

© 2016 White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-
wise, without the prior written permission of White Wolf Publishing AB. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to
the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use. White Wolf, Vampire and Chronicles of
Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. Night Horrors: Unbidden, Vampire
the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Storytelling System, and Ancient Bloodlines are trademarks
of White Wolf Publishing AB.. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White
Wolf Publishing AB.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertain-
ment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com

3
Credits
Table of
Contents
Table of
Contents

e
fil
Introduction 5 Chapter Two:
Creatures
Chapter One: of Nightmare 13
Characters
Ephemeral Beings in Gabriel’s
and Rules 8 Horn 14
Character Creation
Attributes
Skills
Merits
9
9
9
9
e Ghosts and Spirits
Alternate Game Systems
Sins
Personas
14
14
19
19
pl
Aspirations 11 Ghosts of Gabriel’s Horn 19
Virtue and Vice 11 Spirits 21
Breaking Points 11 New Numina 25
Integrity 12 Phantom Arsenal 25
Conditions 12 Smothering Grasp 25
Amnesia (Persistent) 12
Author's Note 26
m

Illuminated 12
New Tilts 12
Character Sheet 27
Drowning 12
Suffocating 12
Sa

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Sa
m
pl
e
fil
e
Introduction
Introduction

e
Humans are amazing creatures capable of boundless compassion
and endless cruelty in equal measure. We inhabit a world where

fil
“On the sidewalk of the city monsters lurk in the shadows, seeking to feed on, control, or twist
us to serve dark, alien agendas. Vampires hunt humans for blood.
Werewolves stalk the forests and wild lands, perfectly willing to
Are my screams just a tear any poor soul who stumbles into their path to shreds. Who
whisper? knows how many other terrors lurk in the darkness, waiting to
pounce on the unwary. Despite the unnatural depravity of these
hidden horrors, humanity remains the greatest threat to itself. Be
Busy people going nowhere it physically, emotionally, financially, or spiritually, humans are
always in danger of harm. Hunted by monsters and hunted by each

e
See me soak in the rain

No compassion, nothing
matters
other, humankind faces no shortage of threats. Everyday people
often prove to be the cruelest and most monstrous of the bunch.
The shadows of the world hunger. Monsters hide within them
for protection, but also because the shadows invite them. The
darkness feeds on cruelty, pain, and spite. Monsters deliver such
pl
fruit in abundance. Of course, so do humans. After all, we are what
monsters come from. Humans are the chassis upon which the form
My resistance is waning of a monster is placed. Those who are well suited to existence as
an unnatural creature are sought out and brought into the fold of
Like a flower in the basement one monstrous species or another. Vampires are Embraced. Mages
Awaken to a new world of possibility. Like attracts like and the
waiting for a lonely death.” ranks of the damned swell.
m

Not all who fall to darkness join the ranks of the monsters.
- “Your Rain“ Akira Yamaoka Some, breaking the laws of society due to their cruel impulses, find
themselves imprisoned. Locked away from society, their damage is
feat. Mary Elizabeth McGlynn mitigated and contained. Others fall to an early death. Whether
their lives are cut short due to violence, misadventure, or their
own hand, their mortality offers an escape from the hungry maw
of the darkness.
Sa

Some rare few humans slip through the cracks in the universe.
The stains of their sins and the expression of their monstrous inner
nature reaches just the right conditions to allow them to fall into the
darkness without being reborn. Such souls are removed from the
world as we know it and find themselves within a dark reflection
of our world. This realm looks, feels, smells, and tastes like the
world we live in, but before long the poison of truth begins seeping
into the edges of awareness. This is the realm of Gabriel’s Horn.
Gabriel’s Horn is a sourcebook for Chronicles of Darkness:
Mirrors. This book presents a slightly different view of the setting,
placing a strong emphasis on psychological horror, with a super-
natural bent. Stories using this book do not occur within the core
setting of the Chronicles of Darkness, but instead inside a mirror
universe defined by the sins and shortcomings of the unfortunate
souls who are transported there. This setting shard gives
the Storyteller tools to craft a customized psychological Recommended Media
horror experience tailored to the player’s characters. A number of films and games capture the feel of psy-
chological horror damnation, and doom that Gabriel’s
What is Gabriel’s Horn? Horn strives to create.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The protagonist of
The true and ultimate nature of this mirror universe
this game awakens with virtually no memory and must
is left to the Storyteller to determine. Is it a living hell
wander a decrepit and disturbing mansion in order to
where evil people pay for their indiscretions and cruelty?
unearth clues about his past. Transporting this concept
A section of the Abyss that pulls mortals in for some

e
into a contemporary setting would be perfect fodder for
dark purpose? A glitch in the workings of the God
a story in Gabriel’s Horn.
Machine that certain souls are predisposed to fall into?
These are all good options, but it is ultimately left for Hellraiser: Inferno, Hellraiser: Hellseeker. These
the Storyteller to decide. Maybe all of these are true to entries in the long-running Hellraiser film franchise
focus on protagonists whose sins begin to warp the

fil
a degree. Maybe none of them are.
world around them. Both films offer perfect inspiration
The name, Gabriel’s Horn is derived from a geomet-
for a Gabriel’s Horn story, in terms of atmosphere as
ric figure that has an infinite surface area, but a finite
well as creating monsters that are tied to the sins and
volume. This term is representative of the boundaries
shortcomings of the protagonists.
and contents of the shard universe, as its boundaries are
seemingly infinite and virtually impenetrable, while its Jacob’s Ladder. This film does a beautiful job of
contents are finite and explorable. Most humans who illustrating madness and fear as the protagonist slowly
find themselves in Gabriel’s Horn succumb to madness realizes that reality is much darker than it seems.
long before they come to any understanding of its true Silent Hill. Every game in this franchise, from the
nature. Perhaps your troupe will be an exception? 1999 original through the unfortunately defunct PT

How to Use This Book e


The introduction, which you are reading now, gives
a brief concept of the core premise of Gabriel’s Horn
teaser, perfectly encompasses the atmosphere, feel, and
core concept of Gabriel’s Horn. The Silent Hill games
also feature protagonists trapped in a hellish version of
the familiar world populated with monstrous manifes-
tations of their own sins and shortcomings.
pl
and a summary of what is to come. Soma. The surreal impact of the presence of monsters,
Chapter One: Characters and Rules discusses the presented through feedback in this game, is a beautiful
rules permutations for this mirror universe, including technique for conveying the creepy otherworldness of
ways to bring your existing Chronicles of Darkness encounters with the beings that inhabit Gabriel’s Horn.
character into Gabriel’s Horn The Uninvited. This film is a pitch perfect presen-
Chapter Two: Creatures of Nightmare offers a tation of one character’s trip through Gabriel’s Horn,
number of antagonists and bizarre monsters that may as the protagonist is clueless as to the nature of what is
m

be encountered within Gabriel’s Horn. happening around her until it is far too late.
Author’s Note: Some personal reflections and advice
for running games in Gabriel’s Horn.

A Note on Content and Comfort


Sa

Characters who wind up in Gabriel’s Horn are not good people. If they were, they wouldn’t be here. This is
not to say that those who fall into Gabriel’s Horn cannot have good qualities. Many of the people who wind
up here are kind, charitable, and loving. Yet, beneath the surface they are severely damaged. People who come
to Gabriel’s Horn are tainted by their own evil actions. It is important for the Storyteller and players to discuss
appropriate boundaries, potential content triggers, and topics that are off limits. Use of an X-Card is highly
recommended with Gabriel’s Horn. The X-Card is a useful tool for preventing undue harm in the course of
exploring sensitive issues. Information on using an X-Card at your table can be found at https://docs.google.com/
document/d/1SB0jsx34bWHZWbnNIVVuMjhDkrdFGo1_hSC2BWPlI3A/
It is also important to note that while player characters created for Gabriel’s Horn should carry evil, sin, guilt,
and psychological scars, they should not be irredeemable. This game is intended to explore personal, psychological
horror through themes of redemption and penance, not to give sadists an invitation to indulge in twisted wish
fulfillment. If someone at your table can’t handle that, they need to go. Full stop.

7
INTRODUCTION

You might also like