The Hollow

Gallery

Artwork from the sourcebook.

The Hollow
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Welcome to The Hollow
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In the field: another door they shouldn't open.
In the field: another door they shouldn't open.
The evidence board: photographs, string, and something the official report cannot explain.
The evidence board: photographs, string, and something the official report cannot explain.
Black Road crew on a night highway: road kit in the trunk, something ahead that stops leaving tracks.
Black Road crew on a night highway: road kit in the trunk, something ahead that stops leaving tracks.
An exorcism in a cramped room: the priest holding his authority while the thing inside the host decides whether to comply.
An exorcism in a cramped room: the priest holding his authority while the thing inside the host decides whether to comply.
A Wound Site: the room goes cold, the prayers taste like metal, the cameras record the wrong angle.
A Wound Site: the room goes cold, the prayers taste like metal, the cameras record the wrong angle.
A mixed cell: priest, hunter, archivist, federal agent, none of them with the full picture.
A mixed cell: priest, hunter, archivist, federal agent, none of them with the full picture.
Investigator
Investigator
A forbidden working: the price is always legible after the fact.
A forbidden working: the price is always legible after the fact.
Hotel room, end of a long night: salt at the threshold, field kit open, the case not finished.
Hotel room, end of a long night: salt at the threshold, field kit open, the case not finished.
So, You're Unfamiliar With This Stuff
Priest, pastor, rabbi, monk: different authorities, different procedures, the same war.
Priest, pastor, rabbi, monk: different authorities, different procedures, the same war.
A Catholic priest and a Lamed Vav scholar staring at the same host: they are not looking at the same thing.
A Catholic priest and a Lamed Vav scholar staring at the same host: they are not looking at the same thing.
A Watchfires deliverance worker with a frightened parishioner: this is not possession, not yet, but it could become one.
A Watchfires deliverance worker with a frightened parishioner: this is not possession, not yet, but it could become one.
A purgatory soul: human, lost, not dangerous by intent, and a problem no one's rite was built to fully address.
A purgatory soul: human, lost, not dangerous by intent, and a problem no one's rite was built to fully address.
Corruption is not dramatic at first: it shows in the margins, the choices, the things a person stops refusing.
Corruption is not dramatic at first: it shows in the margins, the choices, the things a person stops refusing.
Different authorities, different tools, one table: no one here holds the whole answer.
Different authorities, different tools, one table: no one here holds the whole answer.
The Hidden World
The world under the world: always there, always patient, always waiting for a feed.
The world under the world: always there, always patient, always waiting for a feed.
A Cold Shard: dormant under the floorboards, invisible to the family living above it.
A Cold Shard: dormant under the floorboards, invisible to the family living above it.
A Weeping Wound: the building is still standing, the neighborhood still normal, but nothing inside is right anymore.
A Weeping Wound: the building is still standing, the neighborhood still normal, but nothing inside is right anymore.
A witness who saw something: her eyes say she knows, her story says she doesn't.
A witness who saw something: her eyes say she knows, her story says she doesn't.
Awakened Blood: the shape in the room no one else is looking at.
Awakened Blood: the shape in the room no one else is looking at.
A possessed host: the human is still in there, but the demon is the one deciding what the face does.
A possessed host: the human is still in there, but the demon is the one deciding what the face does.
A devil at the table: polite, patient, the contract already written, the cost on the last page.
A devil at the table: polite, patient, the contract already written, the cost on the last page.
Character Creation
The people who work in The Hollow: called, trained, or shaped by something they survived.
The people who work in The Hollow: called, trained, or shaped by something they survived.
A Survivor: they were there when the impossible happened and they are different now in ways that cannot be fully explained.
A Survivor: they were there when the impossible happened and they are different now in ways that cannot be fully explained.
A Hunter: road kit packed, target identified, the investigation already done by someone else.
A Hunter: road kit packed, target identified, the investigation already done by someone else.
A Ritualist: they know what it costs and they have decided the cost is acceptable. For now.
A Ritualist: they know what it costs and they have decided the cost is acceptable. For now.
The Passion engaging: the moment when convenience stops mattering and the character becomes what they cannot set aside.
The Passion engaging: the moment when convenience stops mattering and the character becomes what they cannot set aside.
Abigail Torres: road-worn, cross from her pastor, always knows where the children are.
Abigail Torres: road-worn, cross from her pastor, always knows where the children are.
03 Father Adrian Vale
Father Adrian Vale, Order of Mercy. Photographed outside a diocesan chancery, collar buttoned, satchel already in hand.
Father Adrian Vale, Order of Mercy. Photographed outside a diocesan chancery, collar buttoned, satchel already in hand.
Factions and Expertise
A priest, a hunter, and a scholar arriving at the same door with three different cases in hand.
A priest, a hunter, and a scholar arriving at the same door with three different cases in hand.
An exorcist reading the sealed parish file before the household wakes.
An exorcist reading the sealed parish file before the household wakes.
A prayer meeting in a borrowed hall: folding chairs, open Bibles, and a kettle that has been on all night.
A prayer meeting in a borrowed hall: folding chairs, open Bibles, and a kettle that has been on all night.
A hotel room swept twice, two passports in different names, and a photograph of someone leaving a building.
A hotel room swept twice, two passports in different names, and a photograph of someone leaving a building.
A badge held up at the scene tape, and an evidence bag holding something the label cannot describe.
A badge held up at the scene tape, and an evidence bag holding something the label cannot describe.
Gloves, sealing tape, an iron-lined case, and a provenance card checked twice before anything moves.
Gloves, sealing tape, an iron-lined case, and a provenance card checked twice before anything moves.
A truck packed for three different threats: salt, iron, silver, and a family journal riding shotgun.
A truck packed for three different threats: salt, iron, silver, and a family journal riding shotgun.
A reading room at 2am: one lamp, white gloves, and a manuscript that is never allowed to leave the building.
A reading room at 2am: one lamp, white gloves, and a manuscript that is never allowed to leave the building.
A rented room, chalk on bare floorboards, and a rite performed from memory because the book was confiscated years ago.
A rented room, chalk on bare floorboards, and a rite performed from memory because the book was confiscated years ago.
A Sister at a hospital bedside, cover documents in order, travel bag already packed.
A Sister at a hospital bedside, cover documents in order, travel bag already packed.
A table of manuscripts under lamplight, and a ledger of Names no other archive holds.
A table of manuscripts under lamplight, and a ledger of Names no other archive holds.
A monk in stillness before the rite begins, and nobody in the room willing to hurry him.
A monk in stillness before the rite begins, and nobody in the room willing to hurry him.
Survivors around a kitchen table, comparing notes no one else would believe.
Survivors around a kitchen table, comparing notes no one else would believe.
04 Pastor Caleb Stroud
Pastor Caleb Stroud, Watchfires. Photographed in a church parking lot at two in the morning, duffel bag already over one shoulder.
Pastor Caleb Stroud, Watchfires. Photographed in a church parking lot at two in the morning, duffel bag already over one shoulder.
Skills
A priest, a hunter, and a relic handler examine the same scene: three trainings, three different things noticed.
A priest, a hunter, and a relic handler examine the same scene: three trainings, three different things noticed.
Deliverance: standing between a person and what is tormenting them, with faith and preparation and nothing to fall back on except both.
Deliverance: standing between a person and what is tormenting them, with faith and preparation and nothing to fall back on except both.
Containment: gloves on, file open, the object not yet touched, everything depending on reading the protocol before reaching in.
Containment: gloves on, file open, the object not yet touched, everything depending on reading the protocol before reaching in.
Forbidden Rites: the rite works because it is awful. That is why people learn it. That is why the book tracks what it costs.
Forbidden Rites: the rite works because it is awful. That is why people learn it. That is why the book tracks what it costs.
05 Special Agent Mina Park
Special Agent Mina Park, Lyncean Office. Photographed at her desk at the end of a field day, case log open, badge still clipped to her belt.
Special Agent Mina Park, Lyncean Office. Photographed at her desk at the end of a field day, case log open, badge still clipped to her belt.
Talents and Supernatural Abilities
Talents determine what a character can do once skill has done its work.
Talents determine what a character can do once skill has done its work.
A practitioner's hand, marked by the ritual scarring that comes with opening a tier of access.
A practitioner's hand, marked by the ritual scarring that comes with opening a tier of access.
A character marked several Corruption thresholds deep, changed by what the track has cost them.
A character marked several Corruption thresholds deep, changed by what the track has cost them.
06 Elena Álvarez
Elena Álvarez, Independent. Photographed reviewing contact sheets at her kitchen table, camera within reach.
Elena Álvarez, Independent. Photographed reviewing contact sheets at her kitchen table, camera within reach.
Equipment and Supplies
The field kit: what you brought, what it does, and whether you remembered to check the file before you touched anything.
The field kit: what you brought, what it does, and whether you remembered to check the file before you touched anything.
Holy water, blessed oil, a crucifix, prayer beads: not a guarantee. A change in the odds.
Holy water, blessed oil, a crucifix, prayer beads: not a guarantee. A change in the odds.
Rock salt, iron filings, chalk, blessed cord: common items from a hardware store that keep something from crossing the threshold.
Rock salt, iron filings, chalk, blessed cord: common items from a hardware store that keep something from crossing the threshold.
Latchkey Archive field kit: iron-lined case, Grade 2 gloves, consecrated sealing tape, and the provenance card for what should not be touched without reading it first.
Latchkey Archive field kit: iron-lined case, Grade 2 gloves, consecrated sealing tape, and the provenance card for what should not be touched without reading it first.
Black Road loadout: silvered rounds, salt shells, iron nails, and a vehicle that runs in bad conditions. No credentials. No cover story.
Black Road loadout: silvered rounds, salt shells, iron nails, and a vehicle that runs in bad conditions. No credentials. No cover story.
07 Gabriel Rook
Gabriel Rook, Directorate Vesper. Photographed from across a hotel lobby by a camera he had already located.
Gabriel Rook, Directorate Vesper. Photographed from across a hotel lobby by a camera he had already located.
Faith, Rites, and Magic
The tools of the rite, laid out before the work begins.
The tools of the rite, laid out before the work begins.
Three conditions, three procedures: demonic possession, dybbuk, ibbur.
Three conditions, three procedures: demonic possession, dybbuk, ibbur.
A formal exorcism: staged procedure, the entity asserting its claims, the exorcist holding authority under pressure while the host runs out of time.
A formal exorcism: staged procedure, the entity asserting its claims, the exorcist holding authority under pressure while the host runs out of time.
A banishment in progress: the practitioner names the spirit and what holds it before sending it on.
A banishment in progress: the practitioner names the spirit and what holds it before sending it on.
The Corruption Track, 0 to 10, from Clean to Compromised.
The Corruption Track, 0 to 10, from Clean to Compromised.
A devil's contract: the terms in plain language, the cost on the last page.
A devil's contract: the terms in plain language, the cost on the last page.
A Watchfires believer standing between the entity and its target, armed with faith and Passion.
A Watchfires believer standing between the entity and its target, armed with faith and Passion.
08 Sister Kevin
Sister Kevin, Sisters of Nursia. Photographed mid-stride through a doorway, reliquary knife already drawn.
Sister Kevin, Sisters of Nursia. Photographed mid-stride through a doorway, reliquary knife already drawn.
Relics and Cursed Objects
The Latchkey Archive's primary examination room. A dozen objects await classification, each tagged and logged before any archivist touches them.
The Latchkey Archive's primary examination room. A dozen objects await classification, each tagged and logged before any archivist touches them.
A Latchkey archivist reviews classification documentation at a field site, case numbers marked in red on a paper manifest.
A Latchkey archivist reviews classification documentation at a field site, case numbers marked in red on a paper manifest.
A Class III cursed object under examination, isolated in a lead-lined case with the top open, examination instruments laid out to one side.
A Class III cursed object under examination, isolated in a lead-lined case with the top open, examination instruments laid out to one side.
A Latchkey team arrives at a probate estate, the hallway stacked with boxes of miscellaneous antiques, each one to be opened, checked, and tagged.
A Latchkey team arrives at a probate estate, the hallway stacked with boxes of miscellaneous antiques, each one to be opened, checked, and tagged.
A field agent's kit laid open on a motel bedspread: iron-lined case, relic gloves, and three tagged objects waiting for the next case briefing.
A field agent's kit laid open on a motel bedspread: iron-lined case, relic gloves, and three tagged objects waiting for the next case briefing.
The Key of Saint Dismas, resting in an open evidence tray. The bow is worn smooth. The bit changes shape depending on who is looking at it.
The Key of Saint Dismas, resting in an open evidence tray. The bow is worn smooth. The bit changes shape depending on who is looking at it.
The Bell of the Ninth Hour, palm-sized, cracked rim visible. A Latchkey archivist holds it in relic-grade gloves, watching the exorcism taking place across the room.
The Bell of the Ninth Hour, palm-sized, cracked rim visible. A Latchkey archivist holds it in relic-grade gloves, watching the exorcism taking place across the room.
The Lumen Glass raised toward a candle flame. Through the cracked lens, residue from a recent Forbidden Working glows faintly against the dark wall behind it.
The Lumen Glass raised toward a candle flame. Through the cracked lens, residue from a recent Forbidden Working glows faintly against the dark wall behind it.
The Rosary of Unfinished Names, laid flat on a research desk beside a translation reference. Several beads are clearly bone, each carved with a single letter in a different alphabet.
The Rosary of Unfinished Names, laid flat on a research desk beside a translation reference. Several beads are clearly bone, each carved with a single letter in a different alphabet.
The Archive Compass, needle swung hard off north, pointing through a warehouse wall toward something the team cannot yet see.
The Archive Compass, needle swung hard off north, pointing through a warehouse wall toward something the team cannot yet see.
The Ashen Thimble on a fingertip, worn over a relic glove. The silver is black with age. The smell of extinguished candles fills the room even though none have been lit.
The Ashen Thimble on a fingertip, worn over a relic glove. The silver is black with age. The smell of extinguished candles fills the room even though none have been lit.
The Thorn Reliquary, medieval metalwork, held in one bare hand during an active warding. A thin line of blood runs from the palm.
The Thorn Reliquary, medieval metalwork, held in one bare hand during an active warding. A thin line of blood runs from the palm.
The Black Psalter open to a middle page under two-person supervision, its margins crowded with layered handwriting.
The Black Psalter open to a middle page under two-person supervision, its margins crowded with layered handwriting.
The Mercy Hook, iron and blue thread, held between two fingers, small enough to disappear in a closed hand.
The Mercy Hook, iron and blue thread, held between two fingers, small enough to disappear in a closed hand.
The Saint's Breath Bottle, stopper held in one hand, opened in a hospital room where the air has been wrong since the last exorcism. The fog inside clears as it opens.
The Saint's Breath Bottle, stopper held in one hand, opened in a hospital room where the air has been wrong since the last exorcism. The fog inside clears as it opens.
The Red Thread Camera raised at a crime scene, red thread wound tight around the flash housing, a fresh photograph developing in the investigator's free hand.
The Red Thread Camera raised at a crime scene, red thread wound tight around the flash housing, a fresh photograph developing in the investigator's free hand.
The Tzrorim Needle and its cedar tube, beside a prepared vessel. Thread runs through the needle's eye, continuous, uncut. The bone of the needle is very old.
The Tzrorim Needle and its cedar tube, beside a prepared vessel. Thread runs through the needle's eye, continuous, uncut. The bone of the needle is very old.
A classified Archive evidence photograph: a recovered occult attachment, still wrapped in funeral preparation cloth, logged and sealed before anyone touches it without authorization.
A classified Archive evidence photograph: a recovered occult attachment, still wrapped in funeral preparation cloth, logged and sealed before anyone touches it without authorization.
The Right Hand of Malachi Venn in its evidence wrapping, contract notation visible on the funeral linen. The fingertips are blackened. The hand is closed.
The Right Hand of Malachi Venn in its evidence wrapping, contract notation visible on the funeral linen. The fingertips are blackened. The hand is closed.
The Eye of Mother Sable suspended in its container of cloudy fluid, photographed under full examination lighting.
The Eye of Mother Sable suspended in its container of cloudy fluid, photographed under full examination lighting.
A grafted wearer's left hand, the Hanged Man's Grip fused to it and permanently curled at the knuckles, the skin at the wrist junction the color of old wax.
A grafted wearer's left hand, the Hanged Man's Grip fused to it and permanently curled at the knuckles, the skin at the wrist junction the color of old wax.
The Tongue of the Last Witness in its evidence bag, wrapped in court transcript pages covered in close handwriting.
The Tongue of the Last Witness in its evidence bag, wrapped in court transcript pages covered in close handwriting.
Close view of hands after the Claw Prayer installation: nails slightly curved, darkened, almost normal. A scratch mark on the doorframe behind them is faintly warm to the touch.
Close view of hands after the Claw Prayer installation: nails slightly curved, darkened, almost normal. A scratch mark on the doorframe behind them is faintly warm to the touch.
An Archive X-ray of the Shepherd's Rib in situ, etched flock marks still visible in the bone. The names burned into it are too small to read at this resolution.
An Archive X-ray of the Shepherd's Rib in situ, etched flock marks still visible in the bone. The names burned into it are too small to read at this resolution.
A section of the Latchkey Archive's physical storage facility: labeled cases on numbered shelves, each sealed, each logged. The Archive holds more than anyone outside it knows.
A section of the Latchkey Archive's physical storage facility: labeled cases on numbered shelves, each sealed, each logged. The Archive holds more than anyone outside it knows.
The Aldecott Stole, laid flat in its iron-lined case. The purple silk is aged but intact. Tiny handwritten notations cover the interior lining in at least four different alphabets.
The Aldecott Stole, laid flat in its iron-lined case. The purple silk is aged but intact. Tiny handwritten notations cover the interior lining in at least four different alphabets.
The Sealed Vessel of 1887 in maximum containment storage, inverted as per handling protocol. The iron bands around its lead-lined case are visible. It has not been opened since it arrived.
The Sealed Vessel of 1887 in maximum containment storage, inverted as per handling protocol. The iron bands around its lead-lined case are visible. It has not been opened since it arrived.
Margrethe's Mirror, silver frame tarnished nearly black, the intact glass carrying its faint blue-gray cast.
Margrethe's Mirror, silver frame tarnished nearly black, the intact glass carrying its faint blue-gray cast.
The Binding Papers spread across an examination table, fourteen parchment pages in at least three distinct hands, the leather folder deteriorating at its hinge.
The Binding Papers spread across an examination table, fourteen parchment pages in at least three distinct hands, the leather folder deteriorating at its hinge.
The Aldercott Junction Nail in a standard sealed container, labeled with its 1972 acquisition date. The Archive has tried to dispose of it three times. It keeps coming back.
The Aldercott Junction Nail in a standard sealed container, labeled with its 1972 acquisition date. The Archive has tried to dispose of it three times. It keeps coming back.
The Saint Irenaeus Fragment in its medieval gilded reliquary, on open display in the private chapel where its current holder keeps it.
The Saint Irenaeus Fragment in its medieval gilded reliquary, on open display in the private chapel where its current holder keeps it.
Savin Drache's coat in its lead-lined containment, the storage tag visible. The small objects in its pockets have been separately catalogued. The folded paper with names on it is tagged as evidence.
Savin Drache's coat in its lead-lined containment, the storage tag visible. The small objects in its pockets have been separately catalogued. The folded paper with names on it is tagged as evidence.
The Glass Eye of Kessler, amber-brown iris detailed and clear, resting in its opaque cloth inside an iron-lined case. The cloth is there so no one looks at it by accident.
The Glass Eye of Kessler, amber-brown iris detailed and clear, resting in its opaque cloth inside an iron-lined case. The cloth is there so no one looks at it by accident.
The Dusseldorf Ledger open on an examination table. A researcher's handwritten notes sit beside it. There is a new entry in the ledger, in the researcher's handwriting, that they have no memory of adding.
The Dusseldorf Ledger open on an examination table. A researcher's handwritten notes sit beside it. There is a new entry in the ledger, in the researcher's handwriting, that they have no memory of adding.
09 Fiona Kessler
Fiona Kessler, Latchkey Archive. Photographed cataloguing an intake object under archive lighting, gloves already on.
Fiona Kessler, Latchkey Archive. Photographed cataloguing an intake object under archive lighting, gloves already on.
Investigation and Cases
A team briefs around a whiteboard covered in photographs, string, and handwritten notes. The official incident report is pinned in the center with a single word written across it in red: WRONG.
A team briefs around a whiteboard covered in photographs, string, and handwritten notes. The official incident report is pinned in the center with a single word written across it in red: WRONG.
Special Agent Mina Park interviews a witness in a hospital corridor. The witness is describing something that makes no sense. Park is writing down exactly what he says without correcting him.
Special Agent Mina Park interviews a witness in a hospital corridor. The witness is describing something that makes no sense. Park is writing down exactly what he says without correcting him.
Gabriel Rook crouches at the edge of a Waking Shard. The air is wrong. He is marking the boundary with chalk, noting where it was three days ago. It has moved outward by six feet.
Gabriel Rook crouches at the edge of a Waking Shard. The air is wrong. He is marking the boundary with chalk, noting where it was three days ago. It has moved outward by six feet.
Special Agent Mina Park presents credentials to a uniformed officer at a crime scene tape perimeter. The scene behind the officer is very wrong. The officer has not noticed yet.
Special Agent Mina Park presents credentials to a uniformed officer at a crime scene tape perimeter. The scene behind the officer is very wrong. The officer has not noticed yet.
Father Adrian Vale on the phone with the diocesan archive, notepad in hand. Through the window behind him, the building the case is centered on is visible two blocks away.
Father Adrian Vale on the phone with the diocesan archive, notepad in hand. Through the window behind him, the building the case is centered on is visible two blocks away.
10 Dr Camille Mercer
Dr. Camille Mercer, Medical Examiner. Photographed in the exam room, recorder already running, one eyebrow already raised at the tissue sample.
Dr. Camille Mercer, Medical Examiner. Photographed in the exam room, recorder already running, one eyebrow already raised at the tissue sample.
Monsters and Unnatural Threats
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A possessed host in the early stage of oppression: seated across a table from Father Adrian Vale, appearing calm. The eyes are wrong. Vale's hand rests near his stole.
A possessed host in the early stage of oppression: seated across a table from Father Adrian Vale, appearing calm. The eyes are wrong. Vale's hand rests near his stole.
An exorcism in progress against a Named entity. The team holds the perimeter. The exorcist is standing. The entity has just said something to someone in the room that made them step back.
An exorcism in progress against a Named entity. The team holds the perimeter. The exorcist is standing. The entity has just said something to someone in the room that made them step back.
A Street Devil in its current human mask: dressed professionally, seated across a coffee shop table from an investigator. The investigator's coffee has gone cold. The deal is already being explained.
A Street Devil in its current human mask: dressed professionally, seated across a coffee shop table from an investigator. The investigator's coffee has gone cold. The deal is already being explained.
A cold spot in the hallway of a house under investigation. The temperature readout shows 41 degrees. The family has been living with this hallway for eleven months without knowing what it means.
A cold spot in the hallway of a house under investigation. The temperature readout shows 41 degrees. The family has been living with this hallway for eleven months without knowing what it means.
Rabbi Saul Auerbach conducts a Phase 1 assessment on a possessed young man, speaking to the soul directly. The family waits down the hall. This is the step everyone gets wrong.
Rabbi Saul Auerbach conducts a Phase 1 assessment on a possessed young man, speaking to the soul directly. The family waits down the hall. This is the step everyone gets wrong.
A Hollow Walker's territory: a hotel floor that hasn't been rented in six years. The maintenance crew stopped coming to this floor six years ago too. Nobody remembers deciding that.
A Hollow Walker's territory: a hotel floor that hasn't been rented in six years. The maintenance crew stopped coming to this floor six years ago too. Nobody remembers deciding that.
The Leech in its current social role: a grief group facilitator, attentive, compassionate in presentation. Every person in the circle looks slightly worse than they did three months ago. They all say this group has been so helpful.
The Leech in its current social role: a grief group facilitator, attentive, compassionate in presentation. Every person in the circle looks slightly worse than they did three months ago. They all say this group has been so helpful.
A Street Cell meeting in a rented basement: folding chairs, bad lighting, six people who all have a reason to be here, and one of them received something last week that changed how they see their position.
A Street Cell meeting in a rented basement: folding chairs, bad lighting, six people who all have a reason to be here, and one of them received something last week that changed how they see their position.
The aftermath of an angel's passing through a site: the air is different here, the Wound residue is gone, and every investigator in the room has gone quiet without being asked. There is nothing to photograph. The light is just better.
The aftermath of an angel's passing through a site: the air is different here, the Wound residue is gone, and every investigator in the room has gone quiet without being asked. There is nothing to photograph. The light is just better.
11 Isaiah Boone
Isaiah Boone, Black Road. Photographed at the tailgate of his truck, breaking down the shotgun for a site he hasn't gone into yet.
Isaiah Boone, Black Road. Photographed at the tailgate of his truck, breaking down the shotgun for a site he hasn't gone into yet.
Running The Hollow
A GM's side of the table: handwritten notes, a folded map, a folder of NPC names, and a single photograph of the case's central location face-down on top. The session hasn't started yet.
A GM's side of the table: handwritten notes, a folded map, a folder of NPC names, and a single photograph of the case's central location face-down on top. The session hasn't started yet.
The structure of a case mapped on a single sheet of paper: Wound Site at top, evidence trail in the middle, the antagonist's pattern on the right margin. The resolution space is circled at the bottom in red. Several things are already crossed out.
The structure of a case mapped on a single sheet of paper: Wound Site at top, evidence trail in the middle, the antagonist's pattern on the right margin. The resolution space is circled at the bottom in red. Several things are already crossed out.
The aftermath of a Forbidden Working: the floor of a warehouse, ash pattern still visible, a single dark stain at the center. The investigators are not the first people to photograph this site. Someone cleaned most of it up.
The aftermath of a Forbidden Working: the floor of a warehouse, ash pattern still visible, a single dark stain at the center. The investigators are not the first people to photograph this site. Someone cleaned most of it up.
Father Adrian Vale and Special Agent Mina Park face each other in a parking garage. The case they are both working has just pulled them in opposite directions. Neither of them is wrong about what they need to do next.
Father Adrian Vale and Special Agent Mina Park face each other in a parking garage. The case they are both working has just pulled them in opposite directions. Neither of them is wrong about what they need to do next.
A character's Corruption track marked to 6. The consequences are no longer theoretical. The notation beside it says: "deal made, warehouse, November." There is a second notation below it. Then a third.
A character's Corruption track marked to 6. The consequences are no longer theoretical. The notation beside it says: "deal made, warehouse, November." There is a second notation below it. Then a third.
12 Dr Eleanor Voss
Dr. Eleanor Voss, Lantern Index. Photographed at a reading table stacked with three reference texts, translation notes half-finished.
Dr. Eleanor Voss, Lantern Index. Photographed at a reading table stacked with three reference texts, translation notes half-finished.
Combat Walkthrough
The basement of St. Adela's Hospice: a ritual circle chalked on concrete, portable work lamps casting hard shadows, folding tables along the wall. Three people are still in the room. None of them expected company.
The basement of St. Adela's Hospice: a ritual circle chalked on concrete, portable work lamps casting hard shadows, folding tables along the wall. Three people are still in the room. None of them expected company.
Kwame Asante calling on Righteous Fire while Ramirez retreats across the room. Maria Chen is visible against the far wall. For one round, the demon does not move her.
Kwame Asante calling on Righteous Fire while Ramirez retreats across the room. Maria Chen is visible against the far wall. For one round, the demon does not move her.
Sister Marisela Duarte kneeling beside Maria Chen after the room has cleared. Darian Cole is documenting the ritual materials behind them. The exorcism preparation has already begun.
Sister Marisela Duarte kneeling beside Maria Chen after the room has cleared. Darian Cole is documenting the ritual materials behind them. The exorcism preparation has already begun.
13 Father Lucian Marr
Father Lucian Marr, The Candleless. Photographed in a doorway half in shadow, collarless, rosary still wound around one wrist.
Father Lucian Marr, The Candleless. Photographed in a doorway half in shadow, collarless, rosary still wound around one wrist.
Session Walkthrough
St. Adela's Hospice: a pale building with good landscaping and one corridor on the third floor that has been inexplicably cold since last spring. The maintenance report blames the HVAC subcontractor.
St. Adela's Hospice: a pale building with good landscaping and one corridor on the third floor that has been inexplicably cold since last spring. The maintenance report blames the HVAC subcontractor.
The team reuniting in the parking structure outside St. Adela's. Dr. Yael Stern has the medical records open on her laptop. Nobody is arguing anymore about whether this is a supernatural case.
The team reuniting in the parking structure outside St. Adela's. Dr. Yael Stern has the medical records open on her laptop. Nobody is arguing anymore about whether this is a supernatural case.
Maria Chen sitting against the basement wall after the exorcism, Darian Cole beside her, Sister Marisela Duarte closing the ritual space behind them. The cult's circle is still chalked on the floor, the ritual it was drawn for interrupted.
Maria Chen sitting against the basement wall after the exorcism, Darian Cole beside her, Sister Marisela Duarte closing the ritual space behind them. The cult's circle is still chalked on the floor, the ritual it was drawn for interrupted.
14 Naomi Waters
Naomi Waters, the Opened Hand. Photographed mid-sentence at a community meeting, the room leaning toward her without seeming to notice it was leaning.
Naomi Waters, the Opened Hand. Photographed mid-sentence at a community meeting, the room leaning toward her without seeming to notice it was leaning.
First Season Blueprint
A city at night from an elevated vantage: ordinary streets, ordinary lights, six marked locations on a map the characters are only beginning to understand. David Harlan's office window is lit on the fourteenth floor of a building near the center.
A city at night from an elevated vantage: ordinary streets, ordinary lights, six marked locations on a map the characters are only beginning to understand. David Harlan's office window is lit on the fourteenth floor of a building near the center.
Councilman David Harlan at a public event: well-dressed, relaxed, liked by the people in the room. He is at Corruption 8. Nobody here knows that.
Councilman David Harlan at a public event: well-dressed, relaxed, liked by the people in the room. He is at Corruption 8. Nobody here knows that.
St. Agnes on the Hill: closed for eight years, chain-link fence around the churchyard, but the grief support circle is still meeting every Tuesday. The gate is unlocked. Claudette Marsh is already there.
St. Agnes on the Hill: closed for eight years, chain-link fence around the churchyard, but the grief support circle is still meeting every Tuesday. The gate is unlocked. Claudette Marsh is already there.
The Harlan Foundation for Community Wellness brochure on a table in a Mercy House lobby: good photography, real testimonials, a mission statement that reads exactly like what it claims to be. The operative behind the front desk is watching the door.
The Harlan Foundation for Community Wellness brochure on a table in a Mercy House lobby: good photography, real testimonials, a mission statement that reads exactly like what it claims to be. The operative behind the front desk is watching the door.
Warren Silk in a hotel lobby, seated, waiting. His briefcase is open. The contract is already prepared. His reflection in the lobby window is correct in every detail except one, and it takes a moment to notice which one.
Warren Silk in a hotel lobby, seated, waiting. His briefcase is open. The contract is already prepared. His reflection in the lobby window is correct in every detail except one, and it takes a moment to notice which one.
David Harlan in the warehouse confrontation: standing apart from the cult members, not fighting, listening. The investigators are in the room, and some part of him is relieved.
David Harlan in the warehouse confrontation: standing apart from the cult members, not fighting, listening. The investigators are in the room, and some part of him is relieved.
St. Casimir's at midnight: Father Okafor at the altar, the team positioned around the nave, the temperature dropping. Outside, the accumulated spiritual weight of the whole operation is pressing toward this building. The church has held before. The question is whether it will hold tonight.
St. Casimir's at midnight: Father Okafor at the altar, the team positioned around the nave, the temperature dropping. Outside, the accumulated spiritual weight of the whole operation is pressing toward this building. The church has held before. The question is whether it will hold tonight.
15 Bishop Matthias Reeve
Bishop Matthias Reeve. Photographed in his office doorway, cassock buttoned, waiting for the room inside to finish arguing without him.
Bishop Matthias Reeve. Photographed in his office doorway, cassock buttoned, waiting for the room inside to finish arguing without him.
Pregenerated Characters
Six investigators, six factions, one case. They are standing in a parking structure in the rain at two in the morning because something happened that none of them can explain yet.
Six investigators, six factions, one case. They are standing in a parking structure in the rain at two in the morning because something happened that none of them can explain yet.
Father Daniel Osei, Order of Mercy. Exorcism kit in hand, stole folded over his arm, standing in the doorway of a room he has already assessed.
Father Daniel Osei, Order of Mercy. Exorcism kit in hand, stole folded over his arm, standing in the doorway of a room he has already assessed.
Abigail Torres, The Watchfires. Road-worn jacket, worn Bible in her bag, standing outside a house she has not been invited into yet. She will be.
Abigail Torres, The Watchfires. Road-worn jacket, worn Bible in her bag, standing outside a house she has not been invited into yet. She will be.
Special Agent Petra Vance, Lyncean Office. Federal credentials visible on the lanyard, case notebook open, standing at a crime scene tape perimeter with the expression of someone who already knows the report is wrong.
Special Agent Petra Vance, Lyncean Office. Federal credentials visible on the lanyard, case notebook open, standing at a crime scene tape perimeter with the expression of someone who already knows the report is wrong.
Tomás Echeverria, The Black Road. Iron-edge knife visible at his hip, field jacket worn in. He is reading a location the same way his grandmother taught him: quietly, with his back to the wall, taking nothing for granted.
Tomás Echeverria, The Black Road. Iron-edge knife visible at his hip, field jacket worn in. He is reading a location the same way his grandmother taught him: quietly, with his back to the wall, taking nothing for granted.
Dr. Miriam Schalk, The Lantern Index. Reading glasses pushed up, a photographed inscription on her phone screen, standing in a field site that most scholars would not have known to visit.
Dr. Miriam Schalk, The Lantern Index. Reading glasses pushed up, a photographed inscription on her phone screen, standing in a field site that most scholars would not have known to visit.
Noel Devereaux, The Candleless. Collar still visible under an open jacket, years after the excommunication, watching a room like he has already decided how far he is willing to go in it.
Noel Devereaux, The Candleless. Collar still visible under an open jacket, years after the excommunication, watching a room like he has already decided how far he is willing to go in it.
16 Rabbi Saul Auerbach
Rabbi Saul Auerbach, the Lamed Vav. Photographed at a reading table, three open volumes weighted flat with stones instead of paperweights.
Rabbi Saul Auerbach, the Lamed Vav. Photographed at a reading table, three open volumes weighted flat with stones instead of paperweights.
17 Father Kostas
Father Konstantinos, the Neptic Brotherhood. Photographed just inside a doorway, prayer rope moving through his fingers, eyes already on the room beyond.
Father Konstantinos, the Neptic Brotherhood. Photographed just inside a doorway, prayer rope moving through his fingers, eyes already on the room beyond.
18 Yara Castillo
Yara Castillo, the Kept. Photographed in a parked car outside a case address, journal open on the dashboard, engine still running.
Yara Castillo, the Kept. Photographed in a parked car outside a case address, journal open on the dashboard, engine still running.