The Heat Wave: Part 3
The Heat Wave Part 3: Ire of the Dog Star
With more heat wave on the way here in the PNW as well as smoke from the wildfires down south it seemed as good a time as any to return to the Heat Wave series. This time we imagine the Heat Wave as a petty cosmic foe that demands sacrifice or else batter down your defenses and turn man's best friend against you. It is inescapable and hungry. It is the Ire of the Dog Star.
Though this monster is made for Chronicles of Darkness specifically I see no reason why it can't be altered to fit any number of urban fantasy games. I could imagine a more visceral God-Machine'y version of this that would fit Kult: Divinity Lost's vibe more or simply retooling what's here for Monster of the Week. Anyway, to the Dog Star!
<queue Florence & The Machine>
The Ire of the Dog Star
Background: Many ancient cultures ascribed malice to the summer heat wave believing the gods punishment followed the Dog Star Sirius as it hounded Orion through the night sky. The only way to abate the plague of lethargy, famine, and punishing heat was to offer a blood sacrifice. Those that did not sate the blood lust of the Dog Star were made to suffer until the blood debt was taken by force. As the old ways were abandoned the Ire of the Dog Star was explained away as urban myth and legend about the "Dog Days". Newscasts drone on about crime waves and another memorial day weekend turned bloodbath with no thought given to the malefic influence of the hungering Dog Star.
Those cast in its tainted light are smitten by a lazy apathy or consumed by a violent rage. For the Ire is it's light, the light of the sun itself. It is tireless. Unrelenting, Invincible. Once the Ire of the Dog Star has fallen upon you, it can only be weathered, not beaten. That is unless you give in to your weakness and present your offering of blood to the ravenous hound Sirius. Though it's hunger is never sated for long.
Description The Ire of the Dog Star is two things; an intangible environmental foe (as the heat wave) and a visceral physical threat (as a pack of dogs). As the sun, the Dog Star spreads anger and apathy like wildfire making investigators loathe to continue on or charitable souls irritable or even violent. As a dog, Sirius harasses and sabotages efforts to hide away from the sun going so far as to attack its victims in the open as a pack if it means obtaining the blood sacrifice they require. To ensure the Dog Star isn't too unbearable give it a target. It is a sadistic cosmic force that wants people to suffer so make it vindictive and jealous of any worship that doesn't place the sun at its center. The goal for the Dog Star is receive sacrifices by any means necessary.
Storytelling Hints:
- Creating a timetable for the sacrifices helps ratchet up tension and adds some predictability to an otherwise implacable foe. I.E. every day requires a sacrifice.
- Involve another party that is aiding the Dog Star or even guiding its Ire to accomplish their own goals. Like an agri-CEO's board of directors as a cult of Helios willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their crops prosper. Or even a simple artisanal farmer's market with the best damn tomatoes in the city that they water with the blood of their business rivals.
- The Ire can isolate weakness in vulnerable people to have them carry out tasks for them in order to slake off its influence. Tempt people to help it in order to get it off their back.
- Just when the players think their safe haven the dogs come for them. Use the Dread Power of the Ire to turn the whole neighborhood of dogs on them to besiege their safehouse or force them to move in the sunlight instead of taking cover.
Best At (10 Dice): Starting fires, blinding light, melting metal, bearing down on already weakened people, inciting violence / apathy, acting like a dog
Worst At (2 Dice): Affecting anything behind walls, glass, curtains, or within a climate controlled environment.
Aspiration: To make people pay for forgetting their duty to the Sun. To receive blood sacrifice. To assert its dominance.
Willpower / Scene: 8
*Dogs under the Influence of the Ire of the Dog Star have these statistics instead of their normal and use the Ire's dice pools.
Initiative 12*
Health 8*
Defense 4*
Speed 8*
Ban: The sun rises and falls every day at a specific time no matter what.
Bane: The sacrifice of a hundred gallons of blood dedicated to Sirius sends it away...until next summer.
Attacks / DMG Range Dice Pool Special
Focused Sun Shaft 0B Infinite 10 Sets dry flammable objects on fire; Inflicts the Overheated condition on people
Bite* 2L Melee 8
*Useable only when possessing a dog('s).
Dread Powers: Eye Spy, Gremlin, Madness and Terror, Influence (The Sun, Dogs, Weather), Snare, Surprise Entrance, Natural Weapons (••)* As a dog
CONDITION
Overheated (Persistent)
Your character is tired, pissed off, and melting down making it harder to act at all let alone rationally. While the character is under the effects of this Condition, they receive a -2 to any Resolve, Composure, or Stamina rolls.
Beat: The character instigates a fight, chooses apathy over action, or wallows in self-pity to the detriment of themselves and others.
Resolution: Spending an entire night in a cool and calm place.
Conclusion
And there you have it. The conclusion to our three part series on the Heat Wave. Though most of us will be grappling with the actual heat wave for quite a while somehow it is cathartic channel all of that negativity into something fun. Thanks for reading!
"Evil dog #Hipstamatic #JohnS #Inas1969 #Standard" by tommypjr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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