Nightowl
Champion
Följande är en göbbe som jag satte ihop efter att ha haft en skitkonstig dröm om honom. Tanken var att det skulle bli en artikel i Pyramid¨(därför är den på engelska), men jag har aldrig fått upp modet att sända in den - dessutom hade jag tänkt utveckla en av äventyrsidéerna till ett riktigt äventyr.
Håll till godo: en skurk av den gamla goda stammen: The Gnomon Pharao!
<font size="3"> Auguste Dulac, the Gnomon Pharaoh </font size>
Agents of Justice all over New Europa all know of ’the Gnomon Pharaoh’, a criminal Mastermind with an obsession with time and time-keepers. He reputedly appears in Ancient Egyptian garb when he commands his minions. The connections point to the Temple of Ra, who denies the whole thing as preposterous. Secretly they are worried, for they don’t know what renegade this can be. He has struck against the White Lodge, so much do they know, which supports their suspicions. But who is it?
Little do they suspect one of their lesser brethren, the French-Swiss clockmaker Auguste Dulac. A local repairman of Babbage Engines and clocks, he is sometimes applied as ’mental muscle’ in some of their schemes, but has so far been a willing pawn with small expectations. However, from his hometown in the Alps he commands his small gang of dedicated thieves and ’Babbage cracksmen'. Auguste Dulac has no bigger goals than financing his magical and mechanical research into the Nature of Time; his dream is to be able to travel backwards in time, to the age of the Pharaohs. He has a secret hideout in the grottoes below his hometown.
People in his hometown know he is a wizard, since he proclaims this to all who will listen, and some other people as well. His neighbors consider him pompous and somewhat foolish, with his ideas of being reincarnated from Egyptian engineers (not kings and priests, like the leaders of the Temple). There is no local chapterhouse of the Temple; he travels regularly to the capital of his home canton on Temple business.
Those who probe him for secrets will find another first: His membership in the Ancient Order of Cthonian Time. The local cabal he belongs to was reputedly founded by Baron Von Frankenstein himself. Their members know he has contacts that can arrange for theft of bodies for research and the like, but do not suspect him of other wrongdoings (they simply assume his clockmaker’s shop is a fence, which is true). While an important member, he is not their leader.
While he coordinates other criminal activities at need, he prefers daring thefts to other crime. As a personal trademark, all his bigger crimes (where he does not just take a cut as a master fence) must involve clocks and other timepieces in some way. He has made it a personal goal to never make a heist in any other way. The underworld knows of Auguste, but thinks he is just a catspaw of the Pharaoh. To some such ruffians, he has bragged of how close he is to the Pharaoh, just as he brags about his legitimate contacts to the regular citizens. They consider him a kook, but a good fence that keeps his mouth shut, and they trust him. Besides, who’d want to anger the Gnomon Pharaoh…?
His attacks against the White Lodge are a petty way of making up for not being entirely honest with the leadership of the Temple. It has included theft of important materials, but also simple (clock-themed) sabotage of Lodge property. They have put some of their dream-masters on his trail, and those may actually catch up with him.
Appearance: As Auguste Dulac, a gangly man in a worn suit, usually with gloves, cap and leather apron. He wears his Temple blazon openly and proudly. His hair is graying at the temples, and he has a small, gray moustache.
As Gnomon Pharaoh, wears an Egyptian headdress, a black robe etched with hieroglyphs, and a golden mask with a small clock set on his forehead. He carries a rod (really the pin of a gnomon, an ancient sundial, and an Artifact worth 4 points of Spiritual energy) topped with the hieroglyph for ’time’. Dulac has a one-shot .32 pistol, and carries a number of watches who really are disguised bombs, who spread smoke, sleeping dust, or simply blow things up.
Stats (Castle Falkenstein): Connections GD, Courage GD, Education GR, Exchequer GD, Leadership GR, Perception GD, Physician GD, Sense of Timing EXT, Sorcery GR, Tinkering GR
Stats (GURPS)
ST 10, DX 10, IQ 15, HT 10
Advantages: Absolute Timing, Ally Group, Claim to Hospitality, Gadgeteer, Magery 2, Mathematical Ability, Patron (Cthonian Time), Patron (Temple of Ra), Reputation (as Gnomon Pharaoh, criminal underworld, skilled and fearsome leader) +2, Strong Will +2, Unusual Background: Dual Order Membership, Versatile, Wealthy
Disadvantages: Duty (Cthonian Time), Duty (Temple of Ra), Enemy (White Lodge), Fanaticism, Megalomania, Reputation (as Gnomon Pharaoh, law enforcement agencies of New Europa, dangerous mastermind) –4, Secret (he is really the Gnomon Pharaoh), Secret (his membership in AooCT), Stubbornness
Quirks: Trademark: all his crimes must have a ’clock’ theme, Punctual, Collects timepieces from various ages, Big fan of Champollion, who first deciphered the hieroglyphs, Pompous braggart
Skills: Acting IQ/15, Computer Programming IQ/15, Disguise IQ/15, Engineer (clockwork devices)/TL 5+1 IQ/15, Guns (pistols)/TL5 DX+2/12, History (esoteric) IQ/15, Leadership IQ/15, Mathematics IQ/15, Mechanic (clockwork devices) IQ/15, Merchant IQ/15, Occultism IQ/15, Pharmacy IQ –2/13, Physics IQ –2/13, Physician IQ –1/14, Physiology IQ –2/13, Research IQ/15, Ritual Magic: Temple of Ra IQ –1/14, Ritual Magic: Order of Cthonian Time IQ –1/14, Savoir-Faire IQ/12, Science! IQ-2/13, Streetwise IQ/15, Weird Magic IQ –3/12, Weird Science IQ –2/13
Languages: Ancient Egyptian IQ/15, Arabic IQ/15, French (native) IQ/15, German IQ –1/14, Latin IQ/15
Lorebooks: The Libram of Temporal Control IQ –1/14, Shards of Eternity IQ –1/14, The House Built Upon Sand IQ –2/13
The Abominable Crimes of the Gnomon Pharaoh
The Mummy Thieves: On the black antiques market, a number of ’real Egyptian mummies in their original coffins’ are offered to various collectors. They are all said to come from the same tomb in Egypt, being the retinue of the princess Uarda. The coffins are only skilled fakes, when examined closely – one collector admits as much, but buys one anyway, since they are really good fakes. After a while, someone steals the mummies, one by one, as well as several other artifacts from the new owners (always including any valuable timepieces that may be around). It is the mummies who commit these thefts. It is up to the Host whether these are real mummies, animated by science, sorcery or both, or whether they are programmed clock automatons, or just henchmen in bandages, injected with a drug that induces suspended animation (with perfect timing, of course) or using Cthonian spells. The Dramatic Characters can be asked to solve the case of the missing mummies, or maybe one of them has bought one?
Change of Plans: Usually, all the Gnomon Pharaoh’s crimes are impeccably timed – but being a genius, he is able to improvise. So, in the middle of a theft of valuable Egyptian antiques from the Historical Museum of Geneva, he finds out that there is also an exhibition of the works of the famous clockmaker Hieronymus Kant’s work. He re-routes his henchmen to steal the clocks as well and consequently only has time to get away with half the loot from the Egyptian exhibition. He knows it will be gone in a few days – so he’ll have to return and get the rest before then. Can the Dramatic Characters protect the loot long enough before the Gnomon Pharaoh turns up again?
Clockwise: The Gnomon Pharaoh’s activities have caused the World Crime League to act. They want to make him an offer he cannot refuse. He brags that if they want him in, they’ll better raise his cut of the proceedings. He asks them to name any clock in the world; he’ll bring it to them. ’Big Ben’ is the answer. But if a certain mathematics professor thinks that will stop Auguste Dulac… The Dramatic Characters can enter the stage when the clock has actually been stolen if not sooner (maybe The Gnomon Pharaoh will brag to the police about his intended theft). If they can follow it to the place where the Pharaoh will show it to his League contacts, they can catch said contacts.
The Lemurian Connection: In wizard circles, whispers abound that Certain Persons have a genuine Lemurian corpse for sale, found frozen into an iceberg in the Antarctic Ocean. The White Lodge and the Daughters of Lemuria want it (since they fear it could get lose on the world – this is one of the degenerate Lemurians, see); the Order of the Golden Dawn wants it, since they want to speak with its spirit and learn ancient secrets. What neither knows is that it is a very good fake, created using surgical tricks taught by the Order of Cthonian Time. The Gnomon Pharaoh wants to pull a fast one on his enemies – but will he succeed? Will the Dramatic Characters affect the outcome?
The Curse of the Shoot-’Em-Up: The Nipponese clockmaker Ishiro Izugami contacts the Dramatic Characters, through a common acquaintance if they have no former connections to Nippon. Izugami has recently moved to New Europa through his job. Few Nipponese do, but his employers, the Toshiyo Clockwork Entertainment Company, thought it fit for him to do so and he complied. Now he regrets this. See, it seems his latest job project, the clockwork entertainment Venturesome Archaeologist II, carries the Curse of the Pharaohs! One by one, the other people involved in the project have been struck dead from horrible causes. According to Izugami, the themes in the game come from an actual Egyptian tomb, which one of the developers found out about. The TCEC refuses to stop their product entering the market, but Izugami fears that if it did, hundreds of boys and girls will be struck by the Curse of the Pharaohs… Investigating this, the rumor is true, but the inspiring tomb is not that of a pharaoh, but an Egyptian priest-engineer of the god Ptah. Furthermore, the old Egyptian gentleman is innocent. Recently, his superiors in the Temple put Auguste through a test to determine his former life in Egypt. The result was that he had been this engineer in a former life, and the Gnomon Pharaoh is taking his revenge for ‘his’ desecrated tomb! (A suitable deathtrap is, of course, a life-size replica of the clockwork entertainment!)
God jul från Erik!
Håll till godo: en skurk av den gamla goda stammen: The Gnomon Pharao!
<font size="3"> Auguste Dulac, the Gnomon Pharaoh </font size>
Agents of Justice all over New Europa all know of ’the Gnomon Pharaoh’, a criminal Mastermind with an obsession with time and time-keepers. He reputedly appears in Ancient Egyptian garb when he commands his minions. The connections point to the Temple of Ra, who denies the whole thing as preposterous. Secretly they are worried, for they don’t know what renegade this can be. He has struck against the White Lodge, so much do they know, which supports their suspicions. But who is it?
Little do they suspect one of their lesser brethren, the French-Swiss clockmaker Auguste Dulac. A local repairman of Babbage Engines and clocks, he is sometimes applied as ’mental muscle’ in some of their schemes, but has so far been a willing pawn with small expectations. However, from his hometown in the Alps he commands his small gang of dedicated thieves and ’Babbage cracksmen'. Auguste Dulac has no bigger goals than financing his magical and mechanical research into the Nature of Time; his dream is to be able to travel backwards in time, to the age of the Pharaohs. He has a secret hideout in the grottoes below his hometown.
People in his hometown know he is a wizard, since he proclaims this to all who will listen, and some other people as well. His neighbors consider him pompous and somewhat foolish, with his ideas of being reincarnated from Egyptian engineers (not kings and priests, like the leaders of the Temple). There is no local chapterhouse of the Temple; he travels regularly to the capital of his home canton on Temple business.
Those who probe him for secrets will find another first: His membership in the Ancient Order of Cthonian Time. The local cabal he belongs to was reputedly founded by Baron Von Frankenstein himself. Their members know he has contacts that can arrange for theft of bodies for research and the like, but do not suspect him of other wrongdoings (they simply assume his clockmaker’s shop is a fence, which is true). While an important member, he is not their leader.
While he coordinates other criminal activities at need, he prefers daring thefts to other crime. As a personal trademark, all his bigger crimes (where he does not just take a cut as a master fence) must involve clocks and other timepieces in some way. He has made it a personal goal to never make a heist in any other way. The underworld knows of Auguste, but thinks he is just a catspaw of the Pharaoh. To some such ruffians, he has bragged of how close he is to the Pharaoh, just as he brags about his legitimate contacts to the regular citizens. They consider him a kook, but a good fence that keeps his mouth shut, and they trust him. Besides, who’d want to anger the Gnomon Pharaoh…?
His attacks against the White Lodge are a petty way of making up for not being entirely honest with the leadership of the Temple. It has included theft of important materials, but also simple (clock-themed) sabotage of Lodge property. They have put some of their dream-masters on his trail, and those may actually catch up with him.
Appearance: As Auguste Dulac, a gangly man in a worn suit, usually with gloves, cap and leather apron. He wears his Temple blazon openly and proudly. His hair is graying at the temples, and he has a small, gray moustache.
As Gnomon Pharaoh, wears an Egyptian headdress, a black robe etched with hieroglyphs, and a golden mask with a small clock set on his forehead. He carries a rod (really the pin of a gnomon, an ancient sundial, and an Artifact worth 4 points of Spiritual energy) topped with the hieroglyph for ’time’. Dulac has a one-shot .32 pistol, and carries a number of watches who really are disguised bombs, who spread smoke, sleeping dust, or simply blow things up.
Stats (Castle Falkenstein): Connections GD, Courage GD, Education GR, Exchequer GD, Leadership GR, Perception GD, Physician GD, Sense of Timing EXT, Sorcery GR, Tinkering GR
Stats (GURPS)
ST 10, DX 10, IQ 15, HT 10
Advantages: Absolute Timing, Ally Group, Claim to Hospitality, Gadgeteer, Magery 2, Mathematical Ability, Patron (Cthonian Time), Patron (Temple of Ra), Reputation (as Gnomon Pharaoh, criminal underworld, skilled and fearsome leader) +2, Strong Will +2, Unusual Background: Dual Order Membership, Versatile, Wealthy
Disadvantages: Duty (Cthonian Time), Duty (Temple of Ra), Enemy (White Lodge), Fanaticism, Megalomania, Reputation (as Gnomon Pharaoh, law enforcement agencies of New Europa, dangerous mastermind) –4, Secret (he is really the Gnomon Pharaoh), Secret (his membership in AooCT), Stubbornness
Quirks: Trademark: all his crimes must have a ’clock’ theme, Punctual, Collects timepieces from various ages, Big fan of Champollion, who first deciphered the hieroglyphs, Pompous braggart
Skills: Acting IQ/15, Computer Programming IQ/15, Disguise IQ/15, Engineer (clockwork devices)/TL 5+1 IQ/15, Guns (pistols)/TL5 DX+2/12, History (esoteric) IQ/15, Leadership IQ/15, Mathematics IQ/15, Mechanic (clockwork devices) IQ/15, Merchant IQ/15, Occultism IQ/15, Pharmacy IQ –2/13, Physics IQ –2/13, Physician IQ –1/14, Physiology IQ –2/13, Research IQ/15, Ritual Magic: Temple of Ra IQ –1/14, Ritual Magic: Order of Cthonian Time IQ –1/14, Savoir-Faire IQ/12, Science! IQ-2/13, Streetwise IQ/15, Weird Magic IQ –3/12, Weird Science IQ –2/13
Languages: Ancient Egyptian IQ/15, Arabic IQ/15, French (native) IQ/15, German IQ –1/14, Latin IQ/15
Lorebooks: The Libram of Temporal Control IQ –1/14, Shards of Eternity IQ –1/14, The House Built Upon Sand IQ –2/13
The Abominable Crimes of the Gnomon Pharaoh
The Mummy Thieves: On the black antiques market, a number of ’real Egyptian mummies in their original coffins’ are offered to various collectors. They are all said to come from the same tomb in Egypt, being the retinue of the princess Uarda. The coffins are only skilled fakes, when examined closely – one collector admits as much, but buys one anyway, since they are really good fakes. After a while, someone steals the mummies, one by one, as well as several other artifacts from the new owners (always including any valuable timepieces that may be around). It is the mummies who commit these thefts. It is up to the Host whether these are real mummies, animated by science, sorcery or both, or whether they are programmed clock automatons, or just henchmen in bandages, injected with a drug that induces suspended animation (with perfect timing, of course) or using Cthonian spells. The Dramatic Characters can be asked to solve the case of the missing mummies, or maybe one of them has bought one?
Change of Plans: Usually, all the Gnomon Pharaoh’s crimes are impeccably timed – but being a genius, he is able to improvise. So, in the middle of a theft of valuable Egyptian antiques from the Historical Museum of Geneva, he finds out that there is also an exhibition of the works of the famous clockmaker Hieronymus Kant’s work. He re-routes his henchmen to steal the clocks as well and consequently only has time to get away with half the loot from the Egyptian exhibition. He knows it will be gone in a few days – so he’ll have to return and get the rest before then. Can the Dramatic Characters protect the loot long enough before the Gnomon Pharaoh turns up again?
Clockwise: The Gnomon Pharaoh’s activities have caused the World Crime League to act. They want to make him an offer he cannot refuse. He brags that if they want him in, they’ll better raise his cut of the proceedings. He asks them to name any clock in the world; he’ll bring it to them. ’Big Ben’ is the answer. But if a certain mathematics professor thinks that will stop Auguste Dulac… The Dramatic Characters can enter the stage when the clock has actually been stolen if not sooner (maybe The Gnomon Pharaoh will brag to the police about his intended theft). If they can follow it to the place where the Pharaoh will show it to his League contacts, they can catch said contacts.
The Lemurian Connection: In wizard circles, whispers abound that Certain Persons have a genuine Lemurian corpse for sale, found frozen into an iceberg in the Antarctic Ocean. The White Lodge and the Daughters of Lemuria want it (since they fear it could get lose on the world – this is one of the degenerate Lemurians, see); the Order of the Golden Dawn wants it, since they want to speak with its spirit and learn ancient secrets. What neither knows is that it is a very good fake, created using surgical tricks taught by the Order of Cthonian Time. The Gnomon Pharaoh wants to pull a fast one on his enemies – but will he succeed? Will the Dramatic Characters affect the outcome?
The Curse of the Shoot-’Em-Up: The Nipponese clockmaker Ishiro Izugami contacts the Dramatic Characters, through a common acquaintance if they have no former connections to Nippon. Izugami has recently moved to New Europa through his job. Few Nipponese do, but his employers, the Toshiyo Clockwork Entertainment Company, thought it fit for him to do so and he complied. Now he regrets this. See, it seems his latest job project, the clockwork entertainment Venturesome Archaeologist II, carries the Curse of the Pharaohs! One by one, the other people involved in the project have been struck dead from horrible causes. According to Izugami, the themes in the game come from an actual Egyptian tomb, which one of the developers found out about. The TCEC refuses to stop their product entering the market, but Izugami fears that if it did, hundreds of boys and girls will be struck by the Curse of the Pharaohs… Investigating this, the rumor is true, but the inspiring tomb is not that of a pharaoh, but an Egyptian priest-engineer of the god Ptah. Furthermore, the old Egyptian gentleman is innocent. Recently, his superiors in the Temple put Auguste through a test to determine his former life in Egypt. The result was that he had been this engineer in a former life, and the Gnomon Pharaoh is taking his revenge for ‘his’ desecrated tomb! (A suitable deathtrap is, of course, a life-size replica of the clockwork entertainment!)
God jul från Erik!