This post presents the Invisible College, a secret organization out of Great Britain for use with roleplaying games set in the worlds of the
Shadow Roads and
The Sixth Gun comics.
-Nate
Introduction
It is widely known
that the English Renaissance was a time of tremendous inquiry,
exploration, discovery and expression. In the center of it all was
Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned for more than forty years. Much of the
credit for these developments, is due to the unprecedented group of
people whom she collected around herself, who worked to investigate
(and exploit) the mysteries of the world in may different ways.
There was a
particularly notable group of sailors and explorers, including Sir
Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Hudson, John and Richard
Hawkins, John and Sebastian Cabot, Martin Frobisher, and others.
Artists, writers
and architects included the likes of William Shakespeare, Ben
Jonson, Christopher Marlowe and Christopher Wren.
Among the natural
philosophers, none is more notable than Sir Francis Bacon, who is
credited by some as inventing the modern scientific method. Indeed,
his beliefs regarding methods of inquiry gave rise to the Royal
Society, under the auspices of which the Invisible College secretly
operates.
Elizabeth also
retained the services of mathematician, astronomer and—some would
say—occultist John Dee.
Finally, the queen
also had dealings with the Irish ship captain Grace O'Malley, whom
some refer to as the Pirate Queen, a woman who commanded castles and
soldiers, ships and crews in Ireland.
In addition to their
many and varied discoveries and contributions to society at large,
these individuals also helped found the organization that would
become known as the Invisible College. It is dedicated to
investigating the occult mysteries of the world, using them to the
benefit of the British Empire, and protecting them from exploitation
by hostile powers.
History
The Invisible
College was founded during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England,
at her command and with the influence of the notable explorers,
artists and other people mentioned above. Eventually an offshoot of
the group, the Royal Society, would become something of a public face
for continued investigation into scientific matters, while the
College would continue secretly delving into matters of an occult
nature. As mentioned above, the time of her leadership was
tremendously productive, during which many different discoveries took
place.
The Invisible
College continue to thrive under the reigns of James I and Charles I,
both of whom continued their patronage of the College. A major
disruption occurred, however, during the Puritan Revolution. That was
when Charles I was beheaded, and rulership passed to Oliver and then
Richard Cromwell. Like many of their Puritan associates, they had
little tolerance for the—according to them—heretical study of
magic. That brought on five years of activity more secretive than the
College's usual discretion, conducted without official sanction or
financial support.
Matters seemed to
settle after the Restoration, when Charles II was put on the throne.
The College continued to operate in secret, but once again had
authoritative and monetary aid. There was a notable incident in the
American colonies, however, at the Massachusetts colony in the New
World. There, Puritan settlers—who'd left England due to
intolerance following the Restoration—accused a number of their
fellows of practicing witchcraft. Indeed, nineteen of the accused
were even convicted, sentenced to death and executed for their
crimes. Although many historians believe the incident was due to some
kind of mass hysteria, at least a few had been engaged in the study
of magic.
A real test of the
College occurred during the reign of King George III, who was mad.
During his reign a schism erupted between those British citizens in
the Americas who were loyal to the Crown and those who sought
independence for the colonies. This led, of course, to the American
Revolution, which saw the Crown lose control of its people in the New
World. Some of those colonists who had had dealings with the
Invisible College even pressed to found their own organization
dedicated to magical investigations, which in 1789 came to be the
Black Stars. During the War of 1812 agents of the Invisible College
attempted to recover some of their lost assets, including during
attacks on Washington, DC and New Orleans.
The Enlightenment
brought about many notable scientific discoveries, and also a period
of great skepticism regarding magic. That is just fine for the
current members of the Invisible College who continue working to
protect Great Britain—once again under the reign of a powerful
queen, Victoria—from possible harm caused by eldritch enemies.
Bases
of Operations
The maintains its
headquarters in the heart of London, using a museum of cultural
history as its front. This building is three stories in height, with
steps leading up to the front door (1). Inside there is a lobby for
receiving visitors (2). Small niches are filled with comfortable
chairs and tables for those who need to rest (3), and doors lead into
stairways that lead from floor to floor (4). Twenty-two different
open rooms (5) provide space for displaying non-magical items,
usually with a particular theme for each area. Finally, an atrium in
the center of the building (6) is lit from above by skylights, and
surrounded on the upper levels by a railing.
The repository's
underground level is something else entirely. Hallways lead around
much of the interior (1), and there are garderobes (2) and storage
closets (3) throughout the place. Two sets of stairs (4) lead up to
the above-ground levels; they are kept locked at all times. There are
small private rooms, which double as offices, for junior (5) and
senior members (6) of the organization. In the middle of it all is
the mess hall (7). Two bunk rooms house the guards (8), and there is
an armory stocked with weapons (9). Toward the rear of the facility
is the kitchen (10), along with a well-stocked pantry (11) and the
cook's quarters (12). Several holding cells are located in one corner
(13), and there is even a room for interrogating—some would even
say torturing—prisoners (14). Opposite them is the library (15),
attached to which are the Headmaster's quarters (16) and a secret
chamber for holding items of particular value (17).
Treasures
of the Invisible College
It
goes without saying that this organization possesses numerous
magical treasures. Their library, of course, is filled with
various grimoires (from page 40 of The
Sixth Gun
RPG), along with more mundane texts. They also have an onyx
mirror
(similar to the one depicted in “South of the Border”)—in
fact, the very one that formerly belonged to John Dee. This is a
good opportunity for the GM to introduce other relics, too,
depending on the desires of the players and the needs of the
campaign.
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Personnel
The following
individuals inhabit the Invisible College's Repository.
Guard
(Novice)
These
individuals are tough and dedicated to protecting the members,
activities and secrets of the Invisible College. Fourteen guards man
the repository.
Attributes:
Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills:
Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Healing d4, Notice d4, Repair d4, Riding
d6, Shooting d6, Swimming d6
Charisma:
--,
Pace:
6”, Parry:
6, Toughness:
6
Edges:
Brawny
Hindrances:
Loyal
Gear:
Functional clothing, sword (Damage Str+d6), pistol (Range 12/24/48,
Damage 2d6, RoF 1).
Guard
Sergeant (Seasoned)
Those
guards who've gained some experience are given positions of command
over their fellows. There are three such in the repository—one in
command of each guard squad, and the old cook.
Attributes:
Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d6
Skills:
Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Healing d4, Notice d4, Repair d4, Riding
d6, Shooting d6, Swimming d6
Charisma:
--,
Pace:
6”, Parry:
6, Toughness:
6
Edges:
Alertness, Brave, Brawny, Improved Block, Marksman
Hindrances:
Loyal
Gear:
Functional clothing, sword (Damage Str+d6), pistol (Range 12/24/48,
Damage 2d6, RoF 1).
Junior
Investigator (Novice)
Each
of these magical adepts is relatively new to the practice of match,
but definitely not unskilled. They specialize in discovering
information, either through books and interviews or by questioning
the dead in a given location. Eight of them serve in the Repository.
Attributes:
Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills:
Investigation d8, Knowledge d8, Notice d8, Shooting d4, Spellcasting
d8 Streetwise d6
Charisma:
--,
Pace:
6”, Parry:
2, Toughness:
5
Edges:
Arcane Background (Sorcery)
Hindrances:
Curious
Special
Abilities
Power
Points:
10; Powers:
Detect/conceal arcana, dispel, grave speak
Gear:
Functional clothing, magical accouterments, pocket pistol (Range
5/10/20, Damage 2d6, RoF 1).
Senior
Investigator (Veteran)
Those
field agents who've proven that they can track down relics and
lore—and survive the dangers inherent in doing so—are promoted to
positions of greater autonomy and authority. Sometimes they even lead
their juniors on assignments that require more personnel, too. There
are currently four of these individuals in the Repository.
Attributes:
Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills:
Investigation d8, Knowledge d8, Notice d8, Shooting d4, Spellcasting
d10 Streetwise d8
Charisma:
--,
Pace:
6”, Parry:
2, Toughness:
5
Edges:
Arcane Background (Sorcery), Investigator, New Power x3, Power
Points, Rapid Recharge
Hindrances:
Curious
Special
Abilities
Power
Points:
15; Powers:
Boost/lower Trait, deflection, deflection, detect/conceal arcana,
dispel, grave speak
Gear:
Functional clothing, magical accouterments, pocket pistol (Range
5/10/20, Damage 2d6, RoF 1), grimoire.
Chief
Investigator (Legendary)
Description
Attributes:
Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills:
Investigation d8, Knowledge d8, Notice d8, Shooting d4, Spellcasting
d12, Streetwise d8
Charisma:
--,
Pace:
6”, Parry:
2, Toughness:
5
Edges:
Arcane Background (Sorcery), Connections, Ghost Sight, Improved Rapid
Recharge, Investigator, New Power x5, Noble, Power Points x2, Power
Surge, Rapid Recharge, Relic Hunter
Hindrances:
Curious
Special
Abilities
Power
Points:
20; Powers:
Armor, boost/lower Trait, deflection, deflection, detect/conceal
arcana, dispel, drain power points, grave speak
Gear:
Functional clothing, magical accouterments, pocket pistol (Range
5/10/20, Damage 2d6, RoF 1), grimoire, other relics at the GM's
discretion.
Plot
Hooks
The Invisible
College could be involved in all of the following business.
This organization
could be an employer, ally, rival or outright enemy for PCs who
themselves are pursuing magical relics and lore.
To that end, they
could pop up during scenarios involving lost treasures, especially
“Buried But Not Dead,” “Restless Spirits” and “South of
the Border,” along with “Bad Medicine,” “Beyond the Veil”
and “Unfettered.”
It's especially
likely that they'd have to work together if they and the PCs
discovered a powerful group or creature that posed a truly serious
threat to the world.
There is a deep
sense of competition between agents of the College and “those
bloody Yanks” who work for the Black Stars.
They have a similar
relationship—and one with even less respect—to the Knights of
Solomon, whom they regard as dangerous.
Some of this
group's agents might pose as wannabe cowboys, particularly ones who
want to invest in cattle ranching, in order to conduct occult
business in America.
The College has
conducted numerous exploratory missions in the past, not all of
which returned; the PCs might find the wreck of one such vessel,
along with any relics or lore that it still contains.
Such was the case,
in fact, with one College operative who used the pseudonym Prospero
and who was skilled in binding spirits to his will.
Given their ability
to communicate with spirits of the deceased, they are also quite
good at digging up previously lost evidence.
When they need to
communicate with each other over long distances, be it by letter or
telegram, agents use an elaborate system of codes.
Should one or more
of the PCs be captured by the College—or if they want to steal
relics or texts—the PCs might decide to stage a daring raid on the
Repository.
Of course, if all
of the PCs were captured, then making an escape could be a means of
overcoming what had been a crushing defeat.
