Eustace le Moine

Eustace's history is given here in detail because it contains elements that indicate weaknesses players may exploit. His history is divided into strata, each corresponding to what a character knows Storyguides using a revived Eustace should include the information marked with an asterisk (*) and present all information in the past tense.

All of the results below assume that the information learned on lower rolls is also known. If a player rolls sufficiently high, they will learn most of Eustace's history with the possible exception of that linked to specific Abilities.

Eustace's History Intelligence + (appropriate Lore) + stress die

Roll: 3+

Result: Eustace the Monk is the lord of a band of pirates who control the English Channel. They are based on a tiny island called Sark. Eustace has taken the French side against the English, and the English side against the French, as bribery and whim direct him. He is rumored to have magical powers, granted by the Devil.

Roll: 6+

Result: Eustace the Monk was born in 1170, in Course, Normandy. He was the son of a baron of Boulonnais. Eustace was raised as a knight, but was promised to the Church. His father died in an ambush set by Hainfrois de Heresinghen, a powerful nobleman of the Count's court. Judicial combat of champions was permitted, but Eustace's man lost. Eustace worked for the Count for a time, as one of his treasurers, and then fell out with him. He took to the forests of Boulonnais, using disguises, robbery, magic and arson to harass the court. Eventually he was driven off and fled to England.

Roll: 9+

Result: King John welcomed Eustace to his court and gifted him 30 galleys, taking Eustace's daughter as hostage to the brigand's good behavior. Eustace used this fleet to ravage the coasts of Normandy from 1204 to 1211, seizing Sark as an advanced base for resupply. John rewarded Eustace with substantial lands near Whichelsea, and with a great palace in London, costing just less than 500 pounds. Eustace thought the palace in London insufficiently grand, so he pulled it down and built a more ostentatious one, to John's annoyance. The two later fell out, and Eustace now works for the French king instead.

Many demons have powers which are variants of those gathered in this insert.

Coagulation, 1 point, Init –1, Corpus: Allows demons to manufacture a solid body from the ambient, unformed matter of the universe. They may only take the form described in their Appearance. Manifesting takes (Might) rounds, but dissolving again requires only one round of concentration. A demon in spiritual form may not use its physical Characteristics. Demons are forced to abandon this form on Holy Saturday.

Contagious Obsession: 1 point per victim, Init 0, Mentem: If a person succumbs to the Obsession power, described later, then that person becomes a carrier. If they frighten another person, that person must make the same Personality roll given in the Obsession power or become afraid and also become a carrier. Each new victim costs the demon a Might point, and the contagiousness ceases when the demon runs out of Might, or when a day passes in which no new victim is infected.

Envisioning; 1 point, Init +0, Mentem: The demon uses this power to appear in, and distort, the dreams of mortals.

Form of Wickedness, 2 points, Init –1, Mentem: This power allows the demon to manufacture a form of pure sin. The demon can only hold this form for a single round, and then must either fade into its spiritual form, or take a host body. This shadowy body is indescribable and terrible, and forces the ten closest people, if they lack sufficient Magic Resistance, to succumb to the sin that the demon represents.

Obsession, 1 to 3 points, Init –5, Vim: When a person is committing a sinful thought or dead, the demon may impose its Obsession Trait if this Power defeats Magic Resistance. This gives the person a temporary Personality trait of equal to the number of points spent, and at the next opportunity they must make a roll, opposed by any suitable Personality trait, to prevent them doing something self-degrading. If the Obsession fails, the temporary trait is lost. If it succeeds, the trait is acquired permanently.