Post by Stix on Nov 17, 2005 11:33:44 GMT -5
Faction Philosophy. "There's no meaning to it all," say the members of this faction, "so just give it up, poor sod. Whoever said reality had to make sense?" To these folks, the multiverse ain't even a cruel joke, because that would give it all meaning. Look at all those fools in their factions, running around, trying to discover the meaning of something that's senseless. They'll waste their lives at it. And they call the Bleak Cabal mad - hah!
Here's the Bleaker credo: "The multiverse doesn't make sense, and it ain't supposed to." That's all there is to it, pure and simple. It ain't "The multiverse is without meaning," because that answer's a meaning in itself.
Look, the primes, petitioners, proxies, even the powers don't have The Answer. Nobody is here for some higher purpose. Things just are, and whatever meaning there is in the multiverse is what each being imagines into the void. The sad part to the Cabal is that so many others refuse to see this. Looking for the "truth," these people don't see it. Once a sod understands that it all means nothing, everything else starts to make sense. That's why some folks go insane - from hunting for the snipe that ain't there. 'Course, some folks just can't handle the truth. They're the ones that howl and rage, gibber in the corners, and plead with the powers, as if that would help them. Well, too bad for them. Bleakers know the hard truth, and if other folks can't deal with that, it's no concern of theirs. For someone to join the Cabal, he or she (or it) has got to do three things: quit looking for meanings, accept what happens, and look inward. There's no meaning on the outside, so the question is, "Is there any meaning inside?"
Primary Plane of Influence. Pandemonium. This plane, the Howling Land, owes its existence to no one and no thing. Its passages rage with the screaming winds of madness, an apt home for the Bleak Cabal. In Sigil, the Cabal maintains its headquarters at the Gatehouse, the asylum before the Hive.
Allies and Enemies. The Bleak Cabal isn't a group most others view neutrally. The Doomguard, Dustmen, Revolutionary League, and Xaositects all view the Bleak Cabal sympathetically. The Fraternity of Order, the Harmonium, and the Mercykillers all have great difficulties with the Cabal's nihilistic point of view, and so must be ranked among their enemies.
Eligibility. The Bleak Cabal is open to characters of any race, class, or alignment save lawful. By their nature, lawful characters can't accept the Cabal's basic premise - that life exists without meaning - for without meaning there's no order.
Benefits. Considered mad by most, devotees of the Bleak Cabal are immune to spells causing madness or insanity, including chaos, confusion, delude, feeblemind, Otto's irresistible dance, and Tasha's uncontrollable hideous laughter. Furthermore, Bleakers are allowed a save vs. spell against ESP spells directed at them.
Restrictions. Bleakers are subject to fits of deep melancholia as they reflect on the pointlessness of life. At the start of each game day, the player rolls 1d20. On a roll of 1, the character is overcome by the futility of his or her own beliefs. The basher won't do anything unless philosophically convinced by another that it's worthwhile. Note that a monster eating a friend is not sufficient justification. (To the Bleaker, the poor sod's life or death is pointless anyway.) On a roll of 20, the Bleaker enters a manic state for the day, pursuing every task with zeal as he searches frantically for any meaning to be found.