Occultism

Lurking in the shadowy corners of the universe are dark entities far beyond our understanding. They gaze upon mortals with equal parts disgust and hatred, patiently plotting ways to plunge the world into darkness and misery. Wise men turn their backs on these dark entities. But for some adventurers, ambition far outweighs wisdom. Power-hungry cultists and warlocks readily embrace these dark patrons, signing infernal contracts to sacrifice their souls in exchange for unnatural power. You could join them... all you need to do is sign a contract in blood. After all, when it comes to fulfilling one's darkest desires, everyone has a price. What is yours?


 * A warlock signs a contract with a demon to gain infernal power in exchange for servitude.
 * An astronomer gazes at the stars and discovers a dark entity that grants her forbidden knowledge.
 * After getting lost in the woods, a girl meets a twisted forest spirit that allows her to join the eternal hunt.

Creating a Patron
In Tavern Tales, you get to decide what sort of patron you follow. You can create a patron for your character to follow by using these patron creation guidelines. However, check with your GM first. Your GM may want to use a unique setting where the patrons are already established. In that case, the GM should work with you to modify the established patrons to suit your tastes.

Step 1: Write a Description
First, write a basic description of who your patron is and what it seeks. Is your patron a demon from hell? Is she a fey queen who delights in tormenting mortals? Is it a dark monster that dwells at the bottom of the ocean? Be creative as you come up with the origin of your patron

Step 2: Determine your Patron's Stats
The biggest difference between patrons and gods (from the Faith theme) is that patrons are much more involved with the world. Gods are cosmic entities who work in subtle and mysterious ways. They have millions of worshippers and rarely speak to any of them.

Patrons are less powerful than gods, but they make up for it by being more involved in the lives of mortals. Because patrons have fewer followers, they can afford to interact with each individual follower. When you call to your patron, your patron will probably answer you.

As a result, there might be a situation where you encounter your patron face-to-face. Work with your GM to stat out your patron. In addition, all patrons are immortal in one way or another. Killing your patron may get you out of a deal you made with them, but sooner or later your patron will be back

Step 3: Write your Patron's Personality
You have some control over how your patron acts and behaves. Give your patron 2-4 instincts (corrupt the innocent, spread nightmares, destroy beautiful things, etc). However, for every personality characteristic you give your patron, the GM can give it an instinct as well.

Expect to disagree with your patron, even if you design your patron so that its motivations and personality coincide with your own. Patrons treat their followers like pawns or playthings, forcing them to make sacrifices or perform favors in exchange for power.

Is your Patron Evil?
The Occultism theme is perfect for morally ambiguous characters who want to serve dark entities. However, you are under no obligation to make your patron evil. It's entirely u to you to decide what your patron is like as long as you and your patron disagree from time to time. For example, you may want your patron to be a a benevolent angel who spreads happiness throughout the world. Perhaps your angel patron wants you to sacrifice your health and happiness to serve others, or perhaps your angel demands that you purify yourself through self-mutilation whenever you do something sinful.

Interaction
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