The faun, fey, and other forest creatures of the Cenacle are just as likely to frighten as they are to inspire awe, desire, or envy. They range from the most beautiful, lithe, and ethereal, elfin specimen, to a thing of bark and thorns and moss and horns. However wildly different the form of the inflorescants, they are all made of flowers on the inside. They bleed not blood but blooms, and where they fall new flowers grow. When a young woodwose dies, they might turn into a beautiful shrub, when an ancient one passes away, they might become a terrible oak.
Many inflorescants love to dress in flowing, layered fabrics, but most eschew shoes, be it because they want to feel the moss on the soles of their feet, or because they walk on cloven hooves.
Names
Roll a d12 for each column, pick your favorite, or make up your own.
| d12 | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noumena/Noumenon | The Blighted |
| 2 | Phenomena/Phenomenon | Thorn of Tharquam |
| 3 | Titiana/Oberon | Right Arm of Ctarari |
| 4 | Gāt | Flower of Blood |
| 5 | Tulipea/Tulipeon | Lady/Lord of Thorns |
| 6 | Brier | Light of Caracasa |
| 7 | Pileata/Pileaton | Hound of Gaviel |
| 8 | Holly/Aspen | Lady/Lord of the Lake |
| 9 | Tilia/Linden | The Fair |
| 10 | Nuala/Nuada | Bethmora’s Vengeance |
| 11 | Anthe/Bacchus | Seventh Lady/Lord of the Daoine Sidhe |
| 12 | Cliodhna/Gwyn ap Nudd | The Brute |
Traits
Traits are extremely versatile: as long as you can describe how a trait helps in a given situation, it adds a die to a roll.
| d12 | Trait | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beauty [Appearance] | ■ ■ |
| 2 | Mystery [Appearance] | ■ ■ |
| 3 | Forest [Appearance] | ■ ■ |
| 4 | Nothing is Ever Wasted [Conviction] | ■ ■ |
| 5 | Circle of Life [Conviction] | ■ ■ |
| 6 | Beauty in Darkness [Conviction] | ■ ■ |
| 7 | Sun [Desire] | ■ ■ |
| 8 | Laughter [Desire] | ■ ■ |
| 9 | Trickery [Desire] | ■ ■ |
| 10 | Spite [Flaw] | ■ |
| 11 | Honesty [Flaw] | ■ |
| 12 | Collateral Damage [Flaw] | ■ |
Powers
Powers are extremely varied, and often open-ended. Each power describes roughly how to use it, but it’s up to the imagination of the player to fill in the details, so long as everyone agrees.
| d12 | Power | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antediluvian. You are ancient beyond measure. Add 2 to your Mind score. Your skin is tough as calcified bark, deduct 2 from any Brawn damage before marking it. Should you finally die, a whole forest of oaks and quaking aspens sprout instantly and violently from your corpse. | ■ ■ ■ ■ |
| 2 | Half-Treewere. You are the offspring of a treewere—a tree that shapeshifts into a person—and a human. They call you a dryad. You can take the shape of any tree, instantly grow roots, smack enemies with long, whip-like branches (Agility to attack, 1d4+Agility damage), or heal damage in the sun (1 point per hour). Sufficient quantities of salt render these powers inert for a scene. | ■ ■ ■ ■ |
| 3 | Grandee of the Court of Ardacel. You have considerable status in the autumnal court, and inflorescants of lower rank are quick to defer to you. In any forest, there are always at least some hiding, to serve you, or for you to command. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 4 | Capracranial. A bestial head crowns your body—unusual, animalistic, and horned. You're great at hearing and smelling. Attack with Agility or Brawn for 1d4+Agility or Brawn damage. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 5 | Vambraciarbalest. The fibers of your forearm form into a crossbow-like weapon at will. Attack with Agility, doing 1d4+Agility damage, or 1d8+Agility if you're willing to take a point of Brawn damage per shot. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 6 | Nymph. You have a strong affinity with wells, springs, streams, and rivers. You can turn your body into water, and control a body of water up to 4 times that size. | ■ ■ |
| 7 | Pereculiar Peregrine Protuberances. From afar, looked at askew, or through a glance distracted, one might think of you wearing a robe or a bustle dress. In sooth, you have a tree’s roots, an octopus’s tentacles, a stag's body, or similar, for prehensile legs. A remarkable boon for certain activities. Add +1 point to your Agility score. | ■ ■ |
| 8 | Isantherous. Resting in nature or under the sun for 1 scene heals 2d4 damage. Rest for a day and heal 2d4 wounds. | ■ ■ |
| 9 | Toxicodendronate. Your insides are poison to all but you. 1 point of Brawn damage to you is equal to 1 dose of poison (1d4 damage for 1d4+1 rounds). | ■ |
| 10 | Every Rose Has Its Thorns. Once per combat, when you are attacked, you can instantly grow thorns, dealing 1d4 damage to your attacker. | ■ |
| 11 | Nephelomancy. You read the omens in the clouds. Roll a d12 at the beginning of the session. At any point during the session, replace a roll result with the result of this roll. | ■ |
| 12 | Barkskin. Reduce Brawn or Agility damage to you by 1 before it is applied. | ■ |
Equipment
Grimoires are detailed in their own chapter, and require the Grimoire Magic power.
| d12 | Item | Slots |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Queen Cliodhna’s Third Form. A striking, formfitting faille garment made from spider silk (+2 Graces). Lighter than air, it moves seemingly of its own accord, and its wearer glides down safely from any height. They can unleash the sadness and rage of the Banshee Queen that has infused the dress as an earsplitting scream (Mind to attack, 1d8 damage plus temporary deafness to all unprepared). | ■ ■ ■ ■ |
| 2 | Gancanagh’s Crown of Horns and Antlers. A mighty and imposing crown, suggestive of strength, stamina, and determination. Imbues the wearer with the self-same, reducing all incoming damage by 2, as they are both stronger, and ignorant of their own shortcomings. Some call this confidence. | ■ ■ ■ ■ |
| 3 | Sebile’s Solicitous Mantle. Worn while slaying her captor, Pride the Giant. Gives the wearer the power to turn twig and mud facsimiles of arms and armor into masterwork (GM: reward creativity), real versions. However, if used continually, these curse their wielders with a lust for violence and carnality. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 4 | Left Arm of Margot the Fairy. Attaches to your body, and certainly useful as an extra appendage. But a creature tested (with a challenge of your choice) and found failing, if touched, can be metamorphosed into a harmless creature or object, for 1d8 days. Only one at a time. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 5 | Skynde’s Portable Ballista. The troll Skynde, protective of his namesake—to hurry—expects others to take their time. Thusly, his crossbow, when used urgently uses Agility to attack and deals 1d4+Agility damage, but when first aimed and used without hurry (taking at least 2 rounds), deals 1d12+Agility damage. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 6 | Key to the Heart of the Forest. You have either been entrusted with this most sacred duty, or you are a masterful thief. In the former case, you are expected to unlock the passage each dawn for whomever tends to it that day. In any case, you can approach and petition the heart. | ■ ■ ■ |
| 7 | Human Power Cell. Mortals burn bright, but only briefly. At least in this vitality draining cage they can be put to good use, as an impressive power generator (that needs a fresh human every once in while). Use as necessary for temporary ability score boosts, or similar. | ■ ■ |
| 8 | Troll Bow. A weapon of living wood that grows in the dark, but turns to stone in the sun. Uses Agility to attack and deals Agility plus 1d4 from dusk, plus 1d8 from midnight, and plus 1d12 from 04:00. Decent club when stone still: Brawn to attack, 1d4+Brawn damage. | ■ ■ |
| 9 | Hailing of Hornwort. A bed of mushrooms grows on your body. With you as nourishment it produces 1d4 doses each day, with a random effect for 1 scene: 1) psilocybin euphoria [unaware of surroundings], 2) relaxing and curative hallucinations, 3) psilocin altered state [+1 to ability of choice], 4) time dilation [2 actions instead of 1]. | ■ ■ |
| 10 | Hapaxanthous Handaxe. Use as a throwing or melee axe, attacking with Brawn (melee) or Agility (ranged) to deal 1d4 plus relevant Brawn or Agility damage, or take 1 Mind damage to attack to instead deal 1d8 + (Brawn or Agility) damage, landing with an explosion of flowers sure to impress and, perhaps, intimidate. | ■ |
| 11 | Poppy Host. Each day, 1d4 poppies that grow on you, flower. Use one to heal 1 damage. | ■ |
| 12 | Rose Whip. A long bullwhip wrapped in rose thorns. Agility to attack, 1d4+Agility damage. | ■ |
Carousing
See Playing the Game for how and when to use this table. In any case, it assumes letting off steam in the way that only your cult can.
| d12 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Involuntary Rooting. You don’t exactly remember how and certainly not why, but you have grown roots and thus immobilized yourself, and it’s somewhere unusual. It’s going to take 1d4 wounds of hacking yourself free. Gain the Roots [Conviction] trait, if you like. |
| 2 | Hostage. You wind up as the hostage in a precarious stand-off, and experience a few hours of deadly uncertainty. The rough handling leaves you with 1d4 wounds, but also 1d4 new gift slots for all the thoughts that raced through your mind during the peril. |
| 3 | A Sure Bet Gone Bad. You made a miscalculation and lost a bet. As a result you’re in the servitude of another powerful cultist for a year, and must be at their beck and whim. They might forgot about you for stretches of time, but they have marked you as their servant in some way, for all to see. Gain the Thrall [Appearance] trait. |
| 4 | Creation Obsessed. You went a little overboard on a piece of art, and started using all sorts of avant-garde materials, including but not limited to pieces of yourself. Take 1d4 wounds. |
| 5 | Bushy. You wake to being covered in flowering bushes all over. They'll soften falls, but you can barely see through them. Cutting them off inflicts 1d4 wounds. |
| 6 | New Friend. Whether a sycophant to your beauty, or a sapling to your wooden core, a small creature follows or grows on you. They’re friendly, and eager to help, and have some knowledge in 1 domain. |
| 7 | Earth to Earth. Having found a spot of soft earth, you bedded down there for the night, rejuvenating amidst mother nature. Remove 1d4 wounds—any leftovers turn into new slots. |
| 8 | Belle of the Ball. You found a fancy event, and maneuvered yourself into a guest of honor position. Gain +1 to Graces, and optionally the Importance [Appearance] trait. |
| 9 | Brutal Retribution. Some enemies of yours, perhaps unhappy underlings, or victims of one too many of your pranks, caught up with you. They subjected you to a night of hurt, but you held out. Gain +1 to Brawn. |
| 10 | Wild Hunt. You bumped into, summoned in a park, or manifested through a pot of begonias, a close friend, ex-, current, or casual lover, or family member, and spent the night outdoing one another on a hunt. Gain +1 to Agility. |
| 11 | Creature Chess. You got involved with a life-size game of chess, and were able to strategize your way to victory. The dire rabbit, or other creature, who played the opposing knight didn’t take kindly to it, and may be out for revenge. Gain +1 to Mind. |
| 12 | A Most Top Tincture. A loyal pixie came a long way to bring you this gift. Did she make it? Were there initially more, and many of them died getting this nectar? Drink it and gain +1 to an ability score of your choosing. |
