PWM: Amon, the Vampire, Ch. 1
Amon becomes a monster
CW: assault, violence, murder, blood, intended for mature audiences
This is the beginning of my TYOV campaign.
Chapter 0, the introduction and character creation are here.
Enjoy!
Current Character Sheet
Name: Amon
Skills: Performing rituals, Literacy, Diplomacy
Resources: A modest home, small gold statue of Osiris, ritual scrolls
NPCs
Mortals
Chione, a female servant in the temple,
Amr, the high priest of the temple
Jabari, my brother, a scribe
Immortals
Leader of a secret cult, claiming to be Osiris, god of the dead
Marks
A heart-sized hole my chest that doesn’t bleed but doesn’t heal
Memory 1
30 BC: Publicly, I am Amon, priest of Osiris, responsible for performing rituals at a temple in Alexandria, privately I am part of a secret cult led by a figure claiming to be Osiris.
Memory 2
30 BC: Chione and I begin a secretive romantic partnership, I show her some of my scrolls and read to her.
Memory 3
30 BC: Amr honors me with a small, golden statue of Osiris, I am grateful and display it in my house.
Memory 4
30 BC: Jabari has dinner with me in my home and we discuss our worries about the war and what will happen between Rome and Egypt as Octavian’s army approaches the city.
Memory 5
30 BC: Osiris performed a dark ritual, pulling my heart out of my chest, consuming it, and having me drink his blood, I have changed into a Vampire.
30 BC, Alexandria
Since the night Osiris…changed…me, I have not seen him. I’ve done my duties at the temple. I’ve stayed away from Chione and Jabari. I’ve…waited. I do not know what has changed, only that something has. I have strange…feelings and urges but ignore them. I pray to Osiris but hear no answer. Where has he gone? Why change me and then leave me be?
Roll: 1d10 - 1d6 = 1 - 4 = -3 → Prompt #11
In your blood-hunger you destroy someone close to you. Kill a mortal Character. Create a mortal if none are available. Take the skill Bloodthirsty.
One night, Amr asked me to stay late to assist him in preparing the materials for an important ritual the next day. I did so, but when we were alone, an overwhelming hunger came over me. I threw him on the ground with brute strength and leaped upon him, biting him and drinking deeply. I drank until he could move and cry out no longer, until his skin was cold to the touch. I stood, shuddering and shaking. I asked myself what I had done? I ran away.
I mark Amr as dead and take the skill Bloodthirsty.
Roll: 1d10 - 1d6 = 2 - 6 = -4 → Prompt #1.22
I got home from the temple, a mess. I still had the high priest’s blood on me…in me…I could taste it…and I liked the taste. I heard a knock at the door and shuddered. Who could be here, now? I opened it. Chione. She came in, concerned for me. I pushed her away and told her to go but she wouldn’t leave. I felt a sudden anger within and grabbed her, biting her neck, feeding on her. She collapsed. Osiris, what had I done? Without thinking, I bit open my own wrist and press it to her mouth, telling her to drink. She did so, gripping my arm and sucking my blood. I felt myself grow woozy and I fell back, everything going dark. When I awoke, she was gone.
I add Chione to the list of Immortal NPCs and take the skill, Ashamed.
30 BC, Alexandria
The war was over, the Ptolemaic Kingdom fell, and we were now a part of Rome, under the emperor Octavian. Cleopatra and Mark Antony were dead. I cared little, concerned more for myself and my condition. They searched for Amr’s killer but did not suspect me. I continued to perform my daily duties as best I could, attempting to resist my urges. In the night, I searched for Chione and found her, but she showed contempt for me and for what I had turned her into. She made it clear if we met again, it would be as enemies. I moved as if without purpose. I’d lost my mentor and lover, and the one I’d trusted, the one who’d changed me, had disappeared…
Roll: 1d10 - 1d6 = 3 - 1 = +2 → Prompt #3
My brother, Jabari, found me one night, feeding on rats in my home. “Don’t look at me! Leave me be!” I screamed. He came over and gripped my wrists. “I am your brother, Amon! I will never leave you! Tell me what has happened.” I revealed what I was and he promised to help me. “I am your brother, Amon,” he said, gripping my hands. “I will help you.” He began to look into and acquire various potions, hoping to find one that would save me. He delved deep into historical scrolls he had access to, as a scribe, looking for answers. I had my doubts but I appreciated the support.
I get a new resource, potions.
Roll: 1d10 - 1d6 = 2 - 5 = -3 → Prompt 1.3
70 AD, Alexandria
100 years. 100 years since I was enslaved. A creature found me in the night. She was strong, with supernatural powers beyond even what I’d seen Osiris capable of. She called herself “Sekhmet”. Was she the warrior-goddess? The Bloodthirsty, truly? I do not know but she saw I was a creature of the night and took me under her power. I killed for her and worse, performing unmentionable deeds in her service. Bloody, merciless ritual killings. I could not disobey her. I could not escape her clutches until…until I found a ritual in an ancient scroll. A ritual of freedom. I performed it and her power over me disappeared. I was able to flee, back to Alexandria. I brought with me a spear I found and used while in her service. It is stained with the blood of innocents. My brother is long since dead, but I take back my home and stay there, for now. A century has passed. What do I do now?
I take the skill Human are cattle and gain a new resource, a Spear.
Our first chapter, completed. What a fascinating beginning! Four prompts led to Three new skills, two new resources, and all mortal relationships dead or changed, with 100 years gone, just like that.
To be clear on the rules, sometimes, a prompt will tell you exactly what skill or resource to take, for example, Prompt #1 has you take the skill, Bloodthirsty. Other times, a prompt will just tell you to take a resource or skill that you choose, based on the prompt/response. For example, in prompt 3, when my brother tries to help me, you gain a resource related to represent how the mortal helps you. I decided the resource would be potions.
In my three previous playthroughs, I never once landed on the first prompt. Just goes to show how wildly different and inventive this game can be.
In the character sheet at the end of each chapter, I’ll denote new resources/skills by using italics. I’ll show checked off skills with an (X), and I’ll cross out skills and resources that are used during play. I checked off the skill Performing Rituals, as that’s what I used to get free from Sekhmet.
Name: Amon
Skills:
Performing rituals (X)
Literacy ( )
Diplomacy ( )
Bloodthirsty ( )
Ashamed ( )
Humans are cattle ( )
Resources
A modest home
Small gold statue of Osiris
Ritual scrolls
Potions
Spear
NPCs
Mortals
Chione, a female servant in the temple,
Amr, the high priest of the temple, dead by my hand
Jabari, my brother, a scribe, died during the time I was enslaved for a 100 yearsImmortals
Osiris, leader of a secret cult, claiming to be a god
Chione, a female servant in the temple, who I accidentally turned into a vampire
Sekhmet, ancient egyptian vampire who enslaved me for a 100 years
Marks
A hole my chest that doesn’t bleed but doesn’t heal
Memory 1
30 BC: Publicly, I am Amon, priest of Osiris, responsible for performing rituals at a temple in Alexandria, privately I am part of a secret cult led by a figure claiming to be Osiris.
70 AD: A creature or goddess, Sekhmet the Bloodthirsty, enslaves me and uses me for dark purposes for a hundred years, I finally use a ritual to escape her clutches.
Memory 2
30 BC: Chione and I begin a secretive romantic partnership, I show her some of my scrolls and read to her.
30 BC: Chione sees me bloodied and we fight, I end up turning her into a vampire like myself.
Memory 3
30 BC: Amr honors me with a small, golden statue of Osiris, I am grateful and display it in my house.
30 BC: Working late with Amr at the temple one night, I am overcome with hunger and murder him, drinking his blood.
Memory 4
30 BC: Jabari has dinner with me in my home and we discuss our worries about the war and what will happen between Rome and Egypt as Octavian’s army approaches the city.
30 BC: Jabari witnesses me drinking blood from rats and discovers my condition, he promises to help me, bringing me potions.
Memory 5
30 BC: Osiris performed a dark ritual, pulling my heart out of my chest, consuming it, and having me drink his blood, I have changed into a Vampire.
Next Chapter → Chapter 2: Amon leaves Alexandria
Usually, a negative number takes you back to previous prompts but there are no prompts before #1.
Each page/prompt actually has 3 prompts. The first time you land there, you do the first one, then if you land there again, you move to the next prompt and so on. This leads to very interesting prompts!
I like the fragmented way the story is told and how it centers on the change of the character relationships. Also, it's nice to have a historical backdrop. Habby I've read this!