Aletheia Corebook

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a l e t h e i a
WRITING
Werner Hager, Lee Foster, Monica Valentinelli
EDITING
Anita Hager
COVER
BLACK & WHITE ART
Annelisa Ochoa
COLOR ART
Jennifer Rodgers
CARTOGRAPHY
Keith Curtis
GRAPHICS
Keith Curtis and Edward Wedig
LOGO DESIGN
Keith Curtis
CHARACTER SHEET
Edward Wedig
Aletheia (Different Strings)
is published by Abstract Nova Entertainment LLC, 10633 Bent Tree Dr., Fredericksburg, VA 22407. All text and
graphics are © 2007 Abstract Nova Entertainment LLC. All artwork is © 2007 Storn Cook, Annelisa Ochoa, or Jennifer Rodgers. All rights
reserved under international law. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, except for pur-
poses of review, without the express written consent of the copyright holders with the exception of the character sheet and cartography.
Storn Cook
TABLE of contents
INTRODUCTION
4
HISTORY
7
HEPTA SOPHISTAI
4
CHARACTERS
34
MECHANICS
46
ANOMALOUS PHENOMENA
68
REVELATIONS
87
GAMEMASTERING
123
FROM THE HEAVENS
161
INDEX
172
chapter one
introduction
3
All religions, arts, and sciences are branches of the same
tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling
man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical
existence and leading the individual towards freedom.
– Albert Einstein
in the universe. By investigating the little mysteries,
and discovering the truth behind the unexplainable,
the society hopes to gain a more complete picture of
reality.
S
cientists and philosophers have long
The society is a small one, numbering only seven. A
generous benefactor funds the society and provides
each member with whatever he or she might need.
With all material concerns and burdens removed, the
society members can fully devote themselves to the
search for truth.
tried to make sense of existence. How did
the universe begin? Why are we here?
Where are we going? The big questions are the most
intriguing and the most diffi cult to answer.
THE GAME
Aletheia
is a game of big questions.
Aletheia
is a role-playing game about the weirdness
at the fringes of reality. Spontaneous Human
Combustion, automatic writing, ESP, the Bermuda
Triangle, and other such mysteries are the heart of the
game. In
Aletheia
, each player portrays a member of
the Seven Dogs Society. Together, they investigate the
anomalous phenomena and impossible occurrences
that defy logic and commonsense. This includes
conducting eyewitness interviews, on-site analysis
and observation, and forming hypotheses – all in an
attempt to answer the big questions at the heart of
the game.
Over the last few centuries, mankind’s understanding
of the universe has grown dramatically. From classical
physics to quantum physics, the blurry picture of
creation has come more into focus. However, there are
still things in the world that remain mysterious and
unexplained. Alien abductions, ghostly apparitions,
crop circles, near death experiences, clairvoyance,
and other unusual phenomena continue to exert
a stranglehold on human curiosity. Most of these
phenomena are hoaxes, products of overactive
imaginations, or explainable by modern science.
However, there are exceptions, things that defy
empiricism and contradict mankind’s understanding
of how the universe works. But what if these things
are not really unexplainable? What if humanity
is only viewing these events from a limited and
fl awed perspective? Perhaps a simple, yet invisible,
explanation underlies all such phenomena.
Aletheia
supports three different formats of play.
Firstly, its focus on investigating mysteries makes
it ideal for one-shot adventures; the Gamemaster
needs only to focus on a single case of anomalous
phenomenon, jettisoning the game’s other trappings.
Secondly, everything about the game’s setting is
explained, and no other supplements will ever be
required. This means that the Gamemaster will be
in on all the game’s secrets from the outset and can
run
Aletheia
as one single, self-contained campaign.
Thirdly, there are so many mysteries and plot hooks
in
Aletheia
that the Gamemaster can choose to dole
out the truth at a slow and deliberate pace, easily
stretching the action out over multiple campaigns.
The Seven Dogs Society is a collection of scientists and
philosophers who investigate strange phenomena,
believing a single truth binds and underpins it all.
They believe this truth also holds the answers to
the big questions about our existence and meaning
4
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