Champions Universe: The Valley Of Night

[Lord Liaden]

World Wide Web

 

As the influence of the Cali cartel's tainted drugs spreads madness over the world, it also swells the ranks of Eclipsar's followers, some being maddened in a way that leaves them ripe for conversion to worship of the dark goddess. These new converts also call themselves the Night People, almost all of them unaware of the source of that name. Among the inhabitants of the Valley Of Night they're referred to collectively as the hurin, or "lower" branch of the goddess's worshippers (not an innately derogatory term, although true Night People tend to use it that way). As their numbers and territories have grown, the leaders of the Valley have imposed a more formal organization on the hurin, inspired by the Incan method of ordering their subjects.

 

The hurin's territories are divided into adminstriative regions called suyus. All within a given suyu are under the overall direction of a sort of governor with the title of sinchi, typically the first influential person recruited in a new area, who is the conduit for communications between his or her hurin and the Valley Of Night. In practice the hurin have considerable autonomy in their activities, as long as they work to destroy society's values and structures. At times those higher up in the hierarchy will order their underlings on specific missions, or have them work together on a larger project.

 

Almost all recruitment is through personal contact, as a worshipper of Eclipsar spots the tell tale personality shifts in someone warped by tainted drugs, or more rarely, a person with the pre-existing temperament to be receptive to the goddess's message. The prospective candidate is sounded out and if receptive, is indoctrinated in Eclipsar's "faith". The indoctrinator is thereafter considered the sponsor and superior of the new convert, who in turn searches for more candidates. Thus the hurin are like a spreading tree, with twigs, branches, and limbs leading back to its roots in the Valley Of Night. The hurin know the identities of all those directly beneath them in their branch of the chain of command, and the one immediately above who recruited them, but no one higher up the chain. Most have never heard of the Valley Of Night. The sinchis know this to be the name of the headquarters of the Night People "cult", and its approximate location, but only hints of its true nature and inhabitants.

 

The Valley Of Night maintains communication with its outer world operatives through modern computers and satellite telecommunications, supplied via the Cali drug cartel. Computing facilities have been set up in the priests' quarter of Uca Cuzco, with two-way audiovisual feed, Internet access, satellite map imaging, and more. Transmissions are intermittent and encrypted to minimize the chance of detection, but PCs with appropriate Skills might be able to track them to at least the general vicinity of the Valley. A few of the Brothers Jaguar are studying the rudiments of this miraculous technology; however, one of Mother Jaguar's serving maids, a girl named Chasca, was discovered to be an info-tech and programming savant, picking up concepts and applications with astonishing speed. At Mother Jaguar's command Chasca has become the primary communications operator for the Valley, and been pressed to instruct the male priests, to their barely-suppressed humiliation and fury, but Mother Jaguar's unabashed amusement. Although Chasca is acutely aware of her humble roots and previous lowly station, and that she is "only" a female, she is in awe of and grateful to Mother Jaguar and determined not to fail her.

 

The coded transmissions are used to create graphic representations of a quipu, a communication mode which no modern scholar has yet completely deciphered. They're used only for urgent exchanges; routine reports are sent through actual quipus delivered as mundane mailed parcels. All the hurin are taught the rudiments of reading them, enough to exchange figures relating to dates and times, amounts, and map coordinates. Higher operatives learn how to relay more diverse information. At the GM's discretion a character with the Cryptography Skill can attempt to decipher a quipu, but without previous instruction in using one should take a penalty on the roll of at least -10.

 

For the most part the hurin are normal people, although many of them have wealth, hold office, or otherwise possess influence they can use to destabilize world order, at least within their region. They generally eschew flashy actions and overt violence, in favor of covert, subtle schemes geared to long term results. The hurin leaders don't employ identifiable costumed troops or high tech weaponry like other "super agencies". When they do resort to force it's generally under the guise of street gangs, organized crime enforcers, known radical groups, private security forces, even regular law enforcement and military, duped into believing they serve some other purpose. The hurin do sometimes receive some type of special training or useful artifact from the Night People, as well as occasional assistance from Nightbringers, Brothers Jaguar, or supernatural entities. However, nothing prevents "supervillain class" people with a taste for cocaine or its derivatives, or simply a nihilistic bent, from falling under the sway of the Night People. If your campaign features a recurring supervillain, VIPER Nest Leader, or the like, your players may notice an abrupt shift in his personality or objectives, or sudden association with gangs, agents, or villains he had no known connection to before.

 

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Coming soon: details of specific members of the hurin to use as NPCs.

[Lord Liaden]

Live In Infamy

 

All hurin Night People have KS: Doctrines of Eclipsar to at least 11-, representing their understanding of the goals of the goddess, essentially the same as what the Night People believe. They are all able to read basic information from a quipu, equivalent to 1 point in Language. Many also have 1-point Basic Conversation in the Night People dialect of Quechua, which they use for conversations they don't want to be overheard, or to give instructions during combat. Higher ranks typically have greater levels of these Skills.

 

Because the power of the hurin is based on their societal influence they all cultivate Perquisites, particularly Contacts, Favors, Fringe Benefits, and Money. A typical Sinchi will have between 60 and 100 Character Points in Perks. While leaders among these cultists may have Followers of their own, these don't include other Night People. The organization's loyalty is to Eclipsar, and while the higher ranks may direct the lower ones they don't generally command their personal loyalty.

 

Hurin who are affected by tainted cocaine have the Psychological Limitation, "Fanatically Devoted to Eclipsar" (Common, Total Commitment). They have the same resistance to Mental Powers or Interrogation regarding the secrets of their organization, as true Night People have about the Valley Of Night (see the post titled "Campaign Use" above).

 

Below are several examples of hurin Night People of different ranks that PCs could encounter. They're geared toward campaigns set in the United States, but could be transplanted elsewhere without great difficulty. They can be used separately, but are presented with links to each other to provide the GM with a chain that PCs can follow back to the Valley Of Night.

 

 

 

Yolande Ruiz was born Yolande Bieldo, from a wealthy and socially prominent family in the Colombian city of Cali. Yolande grew up spoiled; she found it ridiculously easy to use her family's status and her own considerable beauty and charm to get whatever she wanted, especially from men. She developed contempt for the petty socialites she interacted with, surpassed only by her contempt for the squalid poor of Colombia, whom she considered too spineless to stand up for themselves.

 

Yolande was desired and courted by many men, but was unimpressed with any of them. However, when Hector Ruiz, an up-and-coming member of the Cali drug cartel, set his sights on her, he brought the threat of his powerful criminal connections against her family. Yolande agreed to marry Hector, but not out of fear or any loyalty to her family, nor for love of Hector whom she despised. Hector Ruiz had more power than the Bieldo family, and Yolande was confident she could manipulate him to her benefit as she had so many other men.

 

Yolande had little time to practice her wiles on Hector before the fearsome Eclipsar descended on their home. She saw the dark supervillain's terrible power... and was enthralled. Here was what she'd unknowingly sought all her life, the might to make her lessers bow to her or suffer, and she wanted it. Alone among Hector Ruiz and all his family and friends Yolande did not cower before the goddess of night, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. Eclipsar would remember the one person that day who did not fear her.

 

Shortly afterward a handsome native Indian man began visiting their residences. Hector called him "Kon" and treated him with fearful deference, but Yolande eventually confronted him to demand to know what his business was. Kon told her that he served Eclipsar as Hector now did, and that Eclipsar had instructed him to offer her a position of authority in her own right within the Cali cartel. Yolande eagerly agreed, and began to be involved in the cartel's financial administration, trafficking, even negotiations. This was nearly unheard of in the chauvenistic world of Latin American organized crime, but her husband publicly asserted that she had his full support. Yolande proved very competent and earned the respect of the other cartel members. She took on more and more responsibility even as Hector withdrew into fearful seclusion, until Yolande Ruiz was head of the Cali cartel in all but name. Only the highest lieutenants in the organization know that she is the true leader. Yolande considers Hector a useful figurehead to invoke when dealing with men, and to divert the attention of rivals and the authorities away from herself.

 

Yolande Ruiz frequently worked with Kon while he directed the drug tainting operation. The two became lovers, and Kon revealed to her the full purposes of Eclipsar as the Night People understand them. Yolande's lifelong scorn for the rest of humanity crystallized into desire to sweep the old order away, and to have a major role in the new world. She became an devoted worshipper of the goddess and secretly puts the cartel's resources at her disposal. Yolande works closely (although strictly professionally) with the spell casting Brother Jaguar named Vichama, who took over tainting the cartel's drugs after Kon became El Brujo, leader of the Fist of the Goddess. She can call upon Vichama's assistance when needed. (If you need Vichama to help balance a scenario, use the suggestions for El Brujo from the post titled "Five Fingers Of Death" above, but reduce his EGO to 17, PRE to 20, COM to 14, SPD to 4, and his Multipower and VPP to 75 and 50 Active Points, respectively.)

 

Yolande was given a black jaguar as a sign of Eclipsar's favor, whom she named Cazador ("hunter"). She's become very fond of the huge cat, calling him "the only male I can trust," while Cazador is devoted to her and obeys her every command. She keeps him with her at her homes, and if she has to spend an extended period out of Colombia she has him smuggled into the foreign country. Cazador is always within Yolande's call, and she's found it an effective bargaining tactic to have him in the same room with her during face-to-face negotiations.

 

Yolande Ruiz is 30 years old, tall and slender, with sensual features, long dark hair, brown eyes, and fair skin (she'd never tan in the sun like a peasant). She has high INT, EGO, PRE, and COM. She's Completely Fluent in Quechua and in reading the quipu, and has more Knowledges related to the Valley Of Night than any other hurin. Her Skills include Animal Handler (Felines), Bribery, Bureaucratics, Conversation, High Society, Persuasion, Seduction, and Trading, and she is Well-Connected.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Live In Infamy

 

Richard Colcourt is a scion of a well-known "old money" family of the United States. With his name, connections, and good looks, Richard was often encouraged to enter politics, but wasn't interested in the trappings of power. He much preferred its reality, without the attention and scrutiny of public office. Colcourt became a lobbyist and campaign manager for politicians and special interest groups, and a significant power broker and king maker at the municipal, state, and federal level. In the process he grew adept at unearthing sensitive information about the prominent people he dealt with, and had no qualms about using it. Richard didn't really care about what party or position he worked for, and had no loyalty to any of them. He simply enjoyed the feeling of power over others as he moved them like chess pieces.

 

Procuring drugs for his clients and acquaintances was one route to gaining leverage over them. Colcourt secured the right to distribute cocaine among his elite circle from a woman he met at a party calling herself Yolande Bieldo, who he discovered represented the Cali cartel. Of course Richard had to sample the quality of the product himself. When the nightmares of darkness and death began Colcourt was frightened for the first time in his life. None of the expensive doctors and psychiatrists he consulted could help him. He withdrew from his colleagues and friends, terrified to fall asleep. Then one day his fear was replaced by a revelation of startling clarity. Richard saw how the greed, selfishness, and jealousy of humanity that he had always preyed upon were leading mankind to its own destruction, and his own potential to be a great and glorious contributor to that ruin.

 

Colcourt returned to his old life with a new motivation, but had to work harder to conceal his changed attitude from his acquaintances. One who pierced his pretense was Yolande Bieldo/Ruiz, who revealed to him that his dreams were visions from the goddess Eclipsar, and the existence of the Night People "cult". A demonstration of the powers of her associates was enough to convince Richard that this was the group to bring his revelation to fruition. It wasn't long before he was made Sinchi over an important suyu within the United States. Colcourt has become such a fervent worshipper of Eclipsar that he's staged several ritual drownings to consign the victims' souls to the Lower World, including two of his political rivals whom he "disappeared."

 

Richard Colcourt is about forty years old, with a trim build, sandy blonde hair distinguishedly gray at the temples, startling blue eyes, and a winning smile. He has high PRE and numerous Interaction Skills, and about 100 Character Points in Perquisites, the majority Contacts and Favors. Richard has been quietly very successful at coercing or corrupting the champions of order and justice in society on behalf of the goddess, and at recruiting new disciples in her cause. He was rewarded with a powerful quipu that can Summon a Slavishly Devoted spirit of the damned from the Lower World. Colcourt likes to use these spirits to possess people he wishes to manipulate and force them to take actions that harm them and benefit the Night People. He particularly enjoys Summoning the spirits of his deceased former rivals.

 

 

 

Evelyn Tran started her career in broadcast journalism in front of the camera, being pretty and photogenic, but found she preferred working behind it as a producer. Evelyn found it more challenging and satisfying to craft an entire story, to compose all the pieces into an effective whole. She became particularly adept at "spinning" stories to be most compelling to an audience. Her bosses at a local television station noted her skill and moved her quickly up to senior producer.

 

But Evelyn was still young and somewhat insecure, and felt intense pressure to perform up to expectations. She eventually began taking cocaine to give herself more energy. When the nightmares began she was appalled, but also fascinated. The end of the world as it unrolled before her mind's eye would be the greatest story in history, and she longed to document it, to edit it so that no one, however horrified, would be able to look away. The dark vision obsessed her. She tried discussing her ideas with her co-workers, but they were disturbed by it and began to avoid her, so she learned to keep it to herself.

 

While prepping the powerful political insider Richard Colcourt for a televised interview, Evelyn found herself inexplicably prompted to mention some of the details of her vision to him. Unlike everyone else Colcourt displayed marked interest, and drew out more and more of the story from her. After the interview had wrapped Colcourt took Evelyn aside, and explained to her that her vision was real, and what powers were working to bring it to fruition. Evelyn felt as though she'd been handed the opportunity of a lifetime, to have a hand in making her dream story real.

 

In the years since then Evelyn Tran, through her own talent and the secret backing of the Night People, became a senior network news producer, based in the Campaign City. She's well respected for her ability, but also feared, both for her skill at unearthing sensational dirt on just about anyone, and for the way that people who got on her bad side seemed to suffer in their careers, personal lives, or health. Evelyn uses her position to craft reports that cast other hurin in the most favorable light, or harass those who oppose the Night People. She readily fabricates details to make her stories more impacting, sometimes using supernatural means. For a while the Night People sorceror Vichama (see the background for Yolande Ruiz above) was assigned to use his magic to influence the minds of Evelyn's subjects, or to create illusions supporting her allegations. Vichama discovered that Evelyn herself had a talent for sorcery, and taught her a number of spells affecting the thoughts of the spirit and the perceptions of the senses. Evelyn Tran currently commands a 50 Active Point Multipower, with Powers such as Change Evironment, Darkness, Images, Invisibility, Mental Illusions, Mind Control, Mind Scan, Shape Shift, and Telepathy.

 

Evelyn Tran is of obvious Viet Namese descent, petite and pretty, although those who have known her longest say her expression has grown harder, and her manner colder, in recent years. In addition to her journalistic Skills she's adept at Acting, and when she chooses she can instantly adopt the appearance of great sincerity and empathy.

 

 

 

Theo "BMax" Simms had the same life history as a lot of other young thugs on the street: poverty, abusive parents, violent neighborhood. Theo never gave it much thought. As far as he was concerned life was garbage, and all that mattered was being the most respected dog on the heap. Theo joined a street gang, the Heavy Bs, when he was 13. Being tough and far from stupid, in five years BMax clawed his way to leader of the local "chapter" of the Heavy Bs. The gang was often involved in turf battles over control of the drug trade in their territories, and BMax sampled crack, heroine, and other product that passed through his hands. Unlike many others whose minds were affected by the tainted drugs, BMax revelled in the horrors that filled his mind. To him they were confirmation that the world was built on a foundation of crap, one that he'd be glad to pull down if he was one of those left standing on top of the pile.

 

BMax agreed to an anonymous interview about gang activities, and waxed surprisingly eloquent about his nihilistic philosophy. A few days later he was approached by the news producer, Evelyn Tran, who described to him an organization which shared his philosophy and had the means to impose it on the rest of the world. BMax had heard a lot of big lines, and greeted this one with scepticism, until Tran displayed the magic she had learned from the Night People.

 

BMax has become the driving force behind a new campaign by the Heavy Bs to dominate street crime in the city. His strategy (supplied by the Night People) is to frame the rival gangs for crimes they haven't committed, against the citizenry and each other, to spark wars between them and focus law enforcement's attention on them, leaving the Heavy Bs to fill the resulting power vacuum. In setting up the frames BMax's old gang chapter has displayed skill and subtlety beyond that of other street thugs. A Nightbringer named Lloque has been training them in the disciplines of his order, to the point where BMax and most of his gang have the Characteristics and Skills of basic Nightbringers (see the post entitled "Dark Knights" above). BMax and his gang will also sometimes moonlight as muscle for various employers. They're well paid for their activities, but only BMax knows that all their employers have in fact been other agents of the Valley Of Night.

 

Theo Simms is a 19 year old black man, of average height but muscular build, with a surly expression on his face. His movements are surprisingly light and graceful. BMax is quick to anger if he feels disrespected, but has sufficient self restraint when it's important to stay frosty. He has the Skills one would expect of an experienced gangster, complementing his Nightbringer training.

 

If you feel the need to include Lloque in a scenario, either helping the Heavy Bs or some other hurin, you can base him on the suggestions for Machete of the Fist Of The Goddess (described in the post "Five Fingers Of Death" above), but reduce his DEX to 24, SPD to 5, and change his "+2 Overall" Levels to "+2 with All Combat." In the outer world Lloque commonly wears modern military fatigues over kevlar body armor, and is armed with powerful automatic firearms. He also carries some of his people's chemical and drug weapons.