The Scientist
Inner Conflict
You are well-born and educated, but rather than live the
life of the idle rich, you have decided to better the state
of mankind through scientific discovery. In your private
laboratory, you pierce the very essence of existence with
your experiments, and perhaps you are on the verge of
some discovery that will truly change the world.
You are willing to sacrifice nearly anything—your fortune,
your title, your reputation, even your own personal be-
liefs and ethics—towards your goal. But what lines won’t
you cross? The polite in society may call you eccentric or
iconoclastic, but others call you mad or even dangerous.
If they only knew how close they were to the truth—that
would be extraordinary.
Appearance:
e.g. sophisticated, decadent, restrained
Temperament:
e.g. industrious, passionate, calculating
Connections
Lab assistant, housekeeper, betrothed,
mentor, colleague, sibling, inspector
The Scientist is... D
ESIRE
[ Aware that their experiments
may raise concern or even outrage
[ Secretive in nature, but GI
VEN
outwardly sociable
[ Driven to the point of madness
[ On the edge between redeemable TA
KEN
and irredeemable
RT
vs
You actively pursued this.
MT You made an important sacrifice towards this.
You drove away or hurt someone important
for this.
You betrayed your values or damaged your
reputation in pursuit of this.
Pursuing one side of this conflict effectively
ended your ability to successfully accomplish
this other.
Reputation
 Published
The scientist is well-regarded in scholastic circles, and re-
ceives accolades from abroad. Society celebrates you for
your accomplishments.
 Philanthropist
Your money, or perhaps your skill, have had direct pos-
itive results within the community. A previously-unal-
lied connection will come to your aid should you need
it, even to the point of risking their own status in your
defense.
 Blasphemous Rumours
Amidst recent troubles, there are those who whisper that
you may be involved. Although the community will still
interact with you (and take your silver), many shun you,
and social calls and engagements have all but dried up.
 Pitchforks
Rightly or wrongly, society blames you for the ills of the
world. You are a criminal, and should you be caught un-
prepared, expect the most dire of consequences.
The Consulting Detective RT
Inner Conflict
vs

What you do transcends merely being an inspector of
Scotland Yard, or a barrister. Detection is your profes-
MT
sion; the attainment of truth, your reward, but also your
addiction. Others find you peculiar, detached, or eccen-
tric, but they simply do not comprehend you, and you
don’t have the time to educate them. There is too much to
do when the trail runs hot.
Your single-mindedness and your success have attained
a measure of fame; some admire you. But you have also
made many enemies. Powerful, disciplined, and ruth-
less enemies. Many criminals, to be sure, but the most
fearsome are those that hide in plain sight, secure in the
clothes of respectability and civility.
Appearance:
e.g. manicured, genteel, larger-than-life
Temperament:
e.g. eccentric, radical, remote
Connections
Physician, Scotland Yard, housekeeper,
informer, smarter sibling
The Consulting Detective is...
You actively pursued this.
You made an important sacrifice towards this.
You drove away or hurt someone important
for this.
You betrayed your values or damaged your
reputation in pursuit of this.
Pursuing one side of this conflict effectively
ended your ability to successfully accomplish
this other.
Reputation
 Chronicled
Your exploits are well-known, thanks to a chronicler.
Citizens are prone to offer you information (useful or
not) and may even go out of their way to help you in the
pursuit of the truth.
 High Profile
The skill of your investigations have attracted the high-
est tier of clients. An existing well-born connection will
now directly support you with either time or money. If
such an existing connection doesn’t already exist, a new
connection can be made.

[ Constantly in need of mental stimuli  Notorious

D
[ Unwilling to acknowledge their needs ESIRE The criminal underworld is aware of you, and actively
seeks to thwart your every move. Law enforcement may
[ Obsessed with details
have been previously embarrassed by your success and
[ A target of criminal masterminds may not be eager to assist you.
GI
VEN
 Slandered
Through various reversals, the very people you try to
TA protect loathe you and perhaps even blame you for
KEN their troubles. You are at best treated as a trou-
ble-maker, and may even be
thought of as a criminal by
the authorities.
The Creature
You were not asked to be created, and yet you were, and
thus began an existence of wretchedness that no other
can truly comprehend. Your creator may have a glimpse
of your misery, but perhaps your creator views you as a
mistake or an abomination and seeks to destroy you rath-
er than understand you. Others fear you and hate you.
You have no place in society.
You are capable of good or evil, as you arrived in this
world as a tabula rasa. Your form is beyond human and
your capabilities are great and terrifying. With society set
against you, what path will you take?
Appearance:
e.g. pallid, unnatural, imposing, perfect
Temperament:
e.g. lonely, angry, inquisitive, vindictive
Connections
Creator, creator’s assistant, hermit, monster hunter,
created spouse
The Creature is…
[ An innocent until it is
cruelly taken from them
[ Estranged and in conflict with society
[ Physically powerful and intelligent
[ Misunderstood and angry
RT
Inner Conflict
vs
You actively pursued this.
MT You made an important sacrifice towards this.
You drove away or hurt someone important
for this.
You betrayed your values or damaged your
reputation in pursuit of this.
Pursuing one side of this conflict effectively
ended your ability to successfully accomplish
this other.
Reputation
 Respite
The creature has managed to gain a small amount of
acceptance from a tiny community. While you remain
apart, at least you are not being hunted - for now.
 Allied
There are those in the world who have no prejudice to-
wards you, due to their own isolation or circumstanc-
es. They are frequently outsiders themselves, but they
value you. Create a new connection or use a previous-
ly unmet connection; this connection will assist you if
needed, although perhaps not openly.
 Targeted
You have made a powerful, determined enemy who
D
ESIRE seeks to capture, thwart, or even destroy you. Perhaps
they are related to one of your victims, or perhaps they
simply hate you for what you are. Regardless, this con-
nection (or create a new one if no suitable one already
GI exists) will do everything in their power to end you.
VEN
 Bonfires
The community views the creature as an evil that must
TA be excised. Mobs roam the land, searching for
KEN
you. If they manage to catch
you, they will surely de-
stroy you.
 Collaboration Sheet Collaboration Sheet
“A horrible evil has gripped the countryside/city.” “A horrible evil has gripped the countryside/city.”

When did the Evil first appear? When did the Evil first appear?

Who was the Evil’s last known victim? Who was the Evil’s last known victim?

What is one of the telltale signs of the Evil? What is one of the telltale signs of the Evil?

What kind of victims does the Evil favor? What kind of victims does the Evil favor?

What foretold the coming of the Evil? What foretold the coming of the Evil?

Who denies the existence of the Evil? Who denies the existence of the Evil?

Who profits most by the coming of the Evil? Who profits most by the coming of the Evil?

Who is blamed or persecuted for the coming of the Evil? Who is blamed or persecuted for the coming of the Evil?
Why? Why?

What is the Evil’s perceived weakness? What is the Evil’s perceived weakness?

Progress of Evil Resistance to Evil Progress of Evil Resistance to Evil

Goes up to 8 ends with “Midnight” Goes up to 8 ends with “Dawn” Goes up to 8 ends with “Midnight” Goes up to 8 ends with “Dawn”
MI

MI
DA

DA
DN

DN
WN

WN
IGH

IGH
T

T
 Gothic Society Cards
#01
Desire
“I will, therefore, take occasion
to assert that the higher powers
of the reflective intellect are more
decidedly and more usefully
tasked by the unostentatious
game of draughts than by the
elaborate frivolity
of chess.”
“The Murders in the Rue
Morgue”, Edgar Allen Poe
#04
Desire
“They always fill me with a
certain horror. It is my belief,
Watson, founded upon my
experience, that the lowest and
vilest alleys in London do not
present a more dreadful record
of sin than does the smiling and
beautiful countryside.”
“The Adventure of the
Copper Beeches”,
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
1-6, Front Side
#02 #03
Desire Desire
“Seven years ago we all went
“I beheld the wretch –
through the flames. And the
the miserable monster
happiness of some of us since
whom I had created.” then is, we think, well worth the
Frankenstein, pain we endured.”
Mary Shelley
Dracula, Bram Stoker
#05 #06
Desire Desire
“During the whole of the dull,
dark and soundless day in the
autumn of the year, when the
“Listen to me, Frankenstein.
clouds hung oppressively low in
You accuse me of murder; and
the heavens, I had been passing
yet you would, with a satisfied
alone, on horseback, through
conscience, destroy your own
a singularly dreary tract of
creature. Oh, praise the eternal
country, and at length found
justice of man!”
myself as the shades of evening
drew on, within view of the Frankenstein,
Mary Shelley
melancholy House of Usher.”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”,
Edgar Allen Poe
 Gothic Society Cards 1-6, Back Side
#03 #02 #01
Desire Desire Desire

Reverse Correct the

Prove that
the failing mistakes
your theories
fortunes of of your
are correct.
your family. predecessor.

#06 #05 #04

Desire Desire Desire

You are the

Uncover
last of your
Destroy or the evil that
house. See to it
ruin your haunts this
that your line
creator. place and end
does not end
it forever.
with you.
 Gothic Society Cards 7-10, Front Side
#07 #08 #09 #10
Desire Desire Relationship Relationship

“There is love in me the likes of

The taker of this card was
which you’ve never seen. There
“I am alone and miserable. Only your former mentor, partner
is rage in me the likes of which
someone as ugly as I am could or teacher, but you broke with The taker of this card created
should never escape. If I am not
love me.” them over a significant event you; you are their crowning
satisfied int the one, I will indulge
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley or disagreement. Any lingering achievement and greatest failure.
the other.”
resentment may be one-sided, or
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley shared.
 Gothic Society Cards 7-10, Back Side
#10 #09 #08 #07
Relationship Relationship Desire Desire

The taker of this card Be

was your former mentor,
The taker of this card partner or teacher, but
acknowledged Escape society
created you; you are their you broke with them by your to create your
crowning achievement
and greatest failure.
over a significant event
or disagreement. Any
creator and own, on your
lingering resentment may enter society own terms.
be one-sided, or shared. as an equal.