Scion: Divine Inspiration is a book that serves to establish, provide depth to, and – as the title implies – inspire your Scion stories, whether you’re a Storyguide or a player. Enjoy some of these fun and bizarre plot seeds from Chapter One of this upcoming book, with many more found within the finished article:

Plot Seeds

Plot seeds provide enough material to span one or a few sessions, depending on your group’s play style and how many snags you throw at them. Each comes with a list of main characters, which you can use in later plot seeds of your own.

Black Jack’s Deal

(Scion Origin)

The Lucky Fox, present day. A local haunt for those seeking libations off the beaten path, the Lucky Fox is a bar run, well, by a fox. A Kitsune by the name of Kamataro no Kami, to be exact. Lithe of form and nimble of hand, dressed smartly in an old-timey shirt, vest, and tie, Kamataro deals in information and takes bets for various gods on who will be the next one to unveil a wayward Scion — sometimes in his very own establishment. Unbeknownst to the Band of friends, Kamataro is backed by a Titan but is tight-lipped about whom he serves.

Pulling Fate’s Threads

While popping in for a drink, Kamataro no Kami draws a card from one of his decks and slips it to the characters, asking if they are willing to play a little game of Black Jack’s Deal — blackjack, but with a twist. Those who play the game may be rewarded with great acclaim, or they may fall into obscurity and ill repute. It is a game of chance, yet also a matter of personal choice. The characters feel inexplicably pulled to whatever forces of Fate are at play, for better or worse.

With each card drawn, complications arise that they must overcome — perhaps revealing more about themselves than they could possibly realize. They might fight a patron or may find themselves going toe to toe with a God in real time, as Kamataro’s deck is no ordinary playing deck — it is clearly some manner of Relic consisting of traditional playing cards, major and minor arcana tarot cards, some Hanafuda cards, and even the occasional salaryman’s business card — each causing a unique (and potentially dangerous) event to take place.

Snags

•       Kamataro’s eyes never seem to be off the characters — making it difficult to pull any fast ones on the wily old fox. Attempts at Subterfuge have a +1 Complication.

•       The nosy busybody that is Marisa Pillton is constantly jostling the Band, causing them to lose focus, as she tries to line up the perfect candid shot of herself with Kamataro.

•       A sly old fisherman rolls up to the table, sliding the characters some cryptic advice while trying to swap cards out from their hands without catching the attention of the clever fox.

•       The fox and the old fisherman get into a heated exchange of words, and some of Kamataro’s more “unique” cards begin to tumble out of the deck — like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and cause chaos.

•       A mysterious card is flipped on the table, depicting a giant catfish in a form reminiscent of a maneki-neko, as an earthquake begins to rattle the establishment and sends patrons and cards flying.

Characters

That Sly Ol’ Fox: Kamataro no Kami (he/him), Denizen. The purveyor of the Lucky Fox, Kamataro no Kami is as sly a fox as they come. Playing the cards close to his chest, one never knows if he’s going to help or cause a shake up in the status quo among Gods, Titans, and their respective chosen. All that is known about Kamataro’s benefactor is that they dislike fishermen.

Nosy Busybody: Marisa Pillton (she/her), pre-Visitation Hero (Te?tl). Never far from where the action is, Marsia Pillton is a self-proclaimed Nymphstagram -influencer-turned-would-be-newscaster who often hangs out at the Lucky Fox, hoping to get front-row seats to a Visitation.

Humble Patron: Ebisu (he/him), God (Kami). Appearing when the situation has grown perhaps too dire for the characters to handle, a kindly old fisherman arrives at the Lucky Fox, prepared to hook a whale (or troublemaking Kitsune), or offer a lucky bit of advice that can turn the tide of the game around.

Careless Whispers

(Heroic Denizen)

Washington, D.C. Senator Belle Deveaux’s zealotic rhetoric has sent America into a cultural tailspin. Though her senate campaign painted her as an advocate for “a return to freedom,” now that she’s taken office, she’s launched the kind of witch hunt Senator Joe McCarthy would be proud of — one that targets marginalized communities as much as it does her political opponents. Mister Whisper, her Fair Folk benefactor, is less than pleased with the senator’s heel-turn; Deveaux was supposed to be his pipeline into the darkest echelons of the D.C. rumor mill, not some bigot with a neo-fascist agenda. She has become an inconvenience, an unreliable pawn in Mister Whisper’s World-spanning chess game, and the time has come to remove her from the board.

Note to the Storyguide: We’ve left the target of Deveaux’s hatred deliberately nebulous, for you to fill in as suits the tenor of your campaign, as well as your players’ comfort and consent.

Pulling Fate’s Threads

Oppressive politics have a way of rippling out beyond the borders of the mundane world. The Denizen political body, the Court of Whispers, and its Speaker Memphis Ford, are increasingly concerned about the harmful rhetoric as Denizens are often part of the same marginalized communities Deveaux is targeting — in fact, that’s an excellent way to make the stakes personal. Mister Whisper himself is equally furious with the senator, not only because of the danger she poses to anyone who doesn’t conform to her worldviews, but because she’s made him look a fool.

Snags

•       While virtually everyone agrees Senator Deveaux is an issue, not everyone believes she should be removed from power. A Dragon Heir has been dispatched to claim Mr. Whisper’s discarded pawn for their master, who seeks to use Deveaux’s influence for their own gain.

•       Mister Whisper is a formidable purveyor of secrets, but he is not omniscient, and he has been known to occasionally underestimate his rivals. He doesn’t know, for example, that the reason he can’t reach Deveaux is because she’s made a pact with another Fair Folk Denizen whose warding magic removes her from Mister Whisper’s sphere of control. This Denizen seeks to supplant Mister Whisper as the World’s premier shadow broker, and they’re willing to use the lives and livelihoods of marginalized citizens to do it.

•       As political and cultural tensions reach a crescendo, the amulet at Deveaux’s throat sups gleefully on the discord. Soon it will fully awaken, granting her the power to bend the will of all who hear her.

Characters

The Incorrigible Instigator: Casey Faulk (they/them), pre-Visitation Scion of Teutates (Nemetondevos). A gifted storyteller, folklorist, and popular radio host, Casey has a bone to pick with Senator Deveaux. Blacklisting has claimed the livelihoods of many of their friends, and Faulk — never one to shy away from conflict — knows exactly who to blame. They have quite the communications reach and would be more than happy to use it to disseminate the truth.

The Legal Eagle: Nora Welch (she/her), lawyer and Legendary Warrior. Long ago, she was Buffalo Calf Road Woman of the Northern Cheyenne, a fierce warrior who saved her chieftain brother on the battlefield and struck the blow that knocked General Custer from his horse. Now she fights oppression as Nora Welch, a civil rights attorney in the heart of D.C., and she is deeply unimpressed with Deveaux’s attack on marginalized communities. She and her team of legal professionals can tie the senator in litigation knots, if given the chance, and perhaps stem the tide of Deveaux’s attempts at institutionalized bigotry.

The Puppet Master Subverted: Mister Whisper (he/him), Fair Folk trickster. Though he does his best to remain inscrutable, Mister Whisper’s rage has reached such nuclear levels it’s a wonder it doesn’t show up on a Geiger counter. Something isn’t right here, and it’s bigger than one rogue senator. His web of intrigue shudders under the steps of an encroaching threat, yet, for perhaps the first time, he’s unable to define it. Someone is trying to turn the tables on him, and unless he helps the Scions take down Deveaux, he may not figure out who before it’s too late. Every one of his motivations is self-serving — they always are — but even those who despise Mister Whisper are forced to agree that, when it comes to secret eaters, it’s better to deal with the devil you know.

The False Prophet: Senator Belle Deveaux (she/her), U.S. senator. Patient, cunning, and single-minded, Belle Deveaux knows how to play the long game. She’s been grasping at power her whole life and has found the easiest method of attaining it is to say and do whatever polls best on conservative news networks. Following a spate of crimes and controversies exposing the rise of fascism in America, Deveaux has identified her target demographic — one whose long-simmering bitterness makes them both dangerous and pliable. They are looking for someone to worship, someone to give voice to their ignorance, someone who can provide them with outlets for their hate. Deveaux can do all three, and once the Relic in her possession slakes its thirst upon the chaos her foul machinations have unleashed, she’ll be able to grasp at power more otherworldly — the kind her patrons, both former and current, so deftly wield. 

Childhood’s Dreams

(Heroic Prophets)

Anywhere. All the children of a city have gone to sleep one night and just never woke up, as if they’ve all fallen into a coma. It has been weeks now and, while the first concern was the health of the children (who are kept nourished by the same force that has rendered them catatonic) and how to awaken them from their slumber, now strange people and creatures populate the city when the sun sets. Some act as normal residents, others cause chaos and mayhem, and some seem to be awaiting something as they gather in parks and sit silently for what is about to come.

Pulling Fate’s Threads

If children are not waking up and weird dream beings are wandering around at night, then this is definitely a situation in which the reputation of a Prophet is forged. Some of the dream creatures should pose a threat to the Band but most of them should be neutral, while a small few are actually helpful. The Prophet should have a personal stake in the situation at hand: perhaps someone young and close to the Prophet has fallen asleep, or they’ve foreseen this event in a vision. The Prophet’s own dreamscape is also interrupted as one of the sleeping children visits their dreams.

Snags

•       Some of the dream beings are invincible until the situation is dealt with. The Band can only fight them off and flee, but not defeat them, like an inescapable nightmare.

•       The event has triggered militant doomsday movements led by an unscrupulous Prophet who demands the Band not interfere. They take it very personally if the Band ignores this demand.

•       City and civil authorities welcome the characters with open arms, but there’s a caveat as with all dealings with a municipal bureaucracy. A city official, assigned directly to the Band, will consistently be with them to remind them of city laws, regulations, and how much they have to pay back for any damage or destruction.

Characters

Antagonist: Candide Mercado (she/her), Sorcerer. She is responsible for the spell that has caused the children to sleep and is harnessing the power of their dreams for an unspecified grand ritual. Tailor the ritual, its dangers, and its purpose to your current season. It may be a good idea to connect them to a greater danger that the characters have to face later in the season.

Dream Ally: Cally the Clown (any), dream being. Cally, despite being a clown, is not the stuff of nightmares, but of a child’s fondest dreams. They are helpful and goofy, a joy to be around, but not all that powerful. Instead, they are most helpful when providing insight on how to deal with some of the dream beings and deciphering clues on where to find Candide Mercado.

Dream Beast: The Parental Colossus (he/him, she/her), dream being. An amalgam of the worst possible archetypes of parenthood mashed together into a hideous giant that is both mother and father. This dream being seeks to “discipline” the city and put its residents into time out or, worse yet, hit them with a belt until they submit. Cally the Clown does not know how to defeat it, but the Storyguide should come up with something either relating to direct combat and/or forcing The Parental Colossus to see the error of its ways. A tried-and-tested method is one of setting firm boundaries and breaking contact with the parental figure, but there may be more nuanced ways of dealing with it.

Wildcard Revolutionary: Xavier Richards (he/him), Prophet. Xavier may be a danger due to his violent and destructive methods, but he honestly seeks to help both his followers against the threat at hand and the city, which he seeks to overthrow. They are a doomsday militia that believes everything Xavier has said would happen is currently happening and are militantly dedicated to him, He and his militia could ally with the Band (only if the Bandmates agree to support his claim to the city) or they could be a threat to the Band’s attempts to bring order back and stop the ritual.