HORRORS OF THE FLEMIS

Horrors of the Flemis

Introduction The following material is a collection of notes regarding the Flemis sections I wrote for Horrors of the Z'Bri. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to mail them to zak@mimir.net. This section is pretty much all Weaver's Eyes Only, so any spying Players should talk to their Weaver first! H'pakth's Namesake The name Hiepacth is from Arthur Edward Waite's The Book of Ceremonial Magic: A Complete Grimoire, originally published in 1911 (which is an updated version of his The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts, published in 1898). Hiepacth is mentioned on page 188 in Part II (The Complete Grimoire), Chapter III (Concerning the Descending Hierarchy), Section 1 (The Names and Offices of Evil Spirits). Drawing from an earlier book, the Grimorium Verum, Hiepacth is said to be one of "seventeen of the most important subordinate spirits," specifically, "Hiepacth will bring thee a distant person in an instant." If I remember right, I chose the name because I interpreted "bring thee a distant person in an instant" as a veiled reference to the psychic powers of joining minds, rather than (a more literal) teleportation. This echoes H'pakht's early experiments with human minds and his later joining with the Flemis. Perhaps H'pakht's initial followers thought him to be the aforementioned "Evil Spirit." I felt that drawing and twisting an "authentic" (as authentic as turn-of-the-century magic books can be) source may resonate on some level. Or not, and I'd just have my own little secret. Iä Iä Cthulhu Ftaghn! It's now canon! I just couldn't resist making a vague reference to another of my favorite RPGs. All you (Love)crafty Weavers out there should turn to the bottom of page 42. Now you can officially use nasty old Tct'lu the Ancient who is "slumbering beneath the water, [his] dreams winding into the thoughts of Skkr." Maybe next time I'll slip Nyarlathotep in somewhere ... Critter: Flesh Wasps Flesh Wasps make a short appearance in the Flemis chapter, to help Divd further understand the Skkr hive mentality. If you want to use these pests in a campaign, just use a nasty insect swarm from the original rulebook. The only difference is that these wasps use fleshy matter for their hives, relying on scavenging and killing small animals for building material. Pretty sick, eh? For added creepiness, you could rule that a newborn Queen of a flesh wasp nest can incapacitate a single human-sized creature with a highly powerful toxin. She then burrows deep into the host to create a new hive. A Hidden Name? I know this is somewhat minor, but somewhere in the text I slipped in my fiancée's name. Highlight the blank areas below (it's hidden text!) to see where to find it. HINT (what's her name?): Her name is in the Thanks section at the beginning of the book. And no, that's not the hidden name. It's somewhere else. HINT (how is it hidden?): The first letter of several consecutive paragraphs (ignore any boldface!). HINT (what chapter?): It is hidden somewhere within Chapter 8, Weaver Resources SOLUTION: Page 100, beginning with Weaving the Flemis, look at the first letter of each paragraph (ignoring the Telepathy, One Mind, etc. paragraph headings). The information below is conceptual work prior to the chapter's completion (explaining contradictions between this and the final printed text). I hope that fact doesn't stop you from incorporating any ideas below into your own Cycles! Prince H'pakth Prince H'pakth was a Flemis lord on the verge of commanding a new Hive when the Baron began his purges. Fleeing from H'l Kar, H'pakth initially sought refuge in Abonom. His growing paranoia led him to abandon the Rakh hive mind and enter hiding with a pair of Iv'chet and a handful of serfs. As of his musings in Horrors of the Z'Bri, H'pakth and his dwindling entourage live in a partially submerged concrete building sheathed in trees and vines. His massive bulk takes up what once was the building's lobby, where his fetus-like shape hangs, supported by veins and other organic tubes. When he wishes to manifest physically, obese and rubbery limbs stretch out from the walls he covers, and his head snakes around, guided by taut veins and a muscular member. Here is the final concept piece for H'pakth: Below are some concept pieces desciribing the horror of H'pakth: Serf Divd Divd was a serf of the Skkr Hive, intended for use as a spy. Prince Skkr, after failing to bring down the Rakh Hive through a direct route, decided to experiment with more subtle approaches. Divd has been raised since birth as an observer, and given intimate knowledge of House Flemis (and even a survivable link to the Flemis hive mind) to better understand the Rakh. He remembers nothing of his past incarnations but the identity of his lover, Getwn. Getwn was reincarnated to the Rakh Hive, and was discovered during one of Divd's early missions. Getwn left the Rakh Hive willingly and, as a favor from Skkr, was transformed into a fleshy cloak which Divd wears and uses often as a disguise, for he can assume Getwn's flesh at will. Getwn's mind is still intact, and her love and desire to protect Divd keeps even telepathic means from detecting Divd's form beneath Getwn's image. Below is a sketch of Divd, wearing Getwn around his torso: