Get ready for a wall of text! I made this page to share the awesome Highlander content I found almost twenty years ago, and since I'm currently, in 2020, testing out a modern supernatural RP, it turns out my guy fits right in, with vampires, werewolves, angels and more. I didn't write this, but sharing is caring and if you wish to see the original site, it is here.
Enjoy!
"No one has ever known we were among you... Until now..."
- Ramirez
"Sit down, lad, and listen. I know that you have many questions about what has happened to you, and, probably about me as well...
"Aye, I know all about what happened - the car crash, and how you woke up to find yourself lying in the hospital's morgue, your wounds gone, as if they were never there, and you're walking around as if nothing happened. You did the smart thing, running away like that... If you'd stayed, they'd never have left you alone, running tests and such stuff. As it is, you are officially dead. 'Tis better that way, son, both for you and those you knew... You see, we're not like them. You were, but you're not anymore. Yes, I know you don't understand! Just listen, and be still! This is hard enough to explain without you interrupting every second minute!
"Before you 'died', you were just like any other man... You could be wounded, you grew older every year, you needed to go see the doctor when you were sick. Just like any normal person. Except for one thing. You had inside you a spark of life bigger and brighter that anyone else's. All that's changed now - when you 'died', that spark burst into flame, and it's power and strength cured your wounds, and brought you back to life. I know it sounds weird, but just trust me, ok? Who else you gonna listen to?
"The Quickening is the name given to that flame that burns inside of you. It could be described as your life force. Every living thing has this force inside of them, and it ties them together, heals their wounds, keeps them alive. However, it can be extinguished all too easily. When a man's life force dies, he dies with it. When you were wounded in the car crash, your life force was pushed down to no more than a tiny spark, and you appeared dead to the medics... Then it exploded, and grew, until it was bigger than any mortal man's. A million times more powerful. So powerful that it can heal wounds that would kill any mortal man. So powerful, it could bring you back from the very brink of death.
"Aye, I said 'mortal man', son. Why? For the simple reason that you are not mortal anymore, son. Neither am I. The same thing happened to me as happened to you - I was killed and reawoke again.. Here, take this sword, and draw it across my arm. Go on! Do it! Good and deep! Don't worry about me...
"Now see this wound? What would you normally do if you got a wound like this? Go to the hospital or some such thing, and get stitches and a massive bandage. Am I right? Well, watch... Already, the blood's stopped flowing. In a few minutes, it'll begin to heal, and before the end of the day, you'd never know I'd been hurt at all. Why? It's the Quickening! The same thing would happen if I got shot, or if I was burnt. It works the same way with you as well! Your Quickening healed the wounds you sustained in the car crash...
"I don't know why it happens. It just does... I'm not an expert - I'm just like you - I was living a normal life, until I was killed in battle against a raiding party of Vikings. Aye, Vikings, son... No, I'm not from Scandinavia, I'm from Ireland. I was born at a place called Brugh na Boinne, near the Hill of Tara, in the Kingdom of Midhe, in Ireland. I was taught all this, just as I am teaching you, by a man called Liam Mac Dara... He was well over three thousand years old by the time I met him.
"Now? He's dead... Aye, I know I said we're immortal, but there is one way we can die - If your head is removed from your body, you'll die. Now, listen carefully, because this is the most important part. You asked me why I carry a sword. I'll tell you. When one immortal kills another, by beheading his opponent, the defeated immortal's Quickening flows into the victor, and he become more powerful. All the dead immortal's strength, power, knowledge and experience transfers itself into the one who beheaded him. That's what happened to Liam Mac Dara. He was killed in France, by a German immortal, who I killed two hundred years ago. "How many of us? I don't know... Perhaps one man in a million is born an immortal, perhaps even less. We come from every race, creed, religion, and region. The Quickening doesn't seem to discriminate between black, white, or, indeed, any other skin-color. I have fought and killed immortals from Europe, China, and South America.
"I have also fought other creatures.
"We are not alone in being different from mortal man in this world of darkness. There are other supernatural creatures, who you shall meet in the course of your life. I have lived among the Garou a lot - Werewolves, shapeshifters... Both man and wolf, or a mix of both.. Ferocious creatures... There are other shapeshifters as well - the Corax, who could be described as were-ravens, the Bagheera, werecats, and many others... None are as common as the Garou, though, and all are mortal, and age and die naturally, although they are much more robust than mortal men, and can heal faster then normal, though not as fast as we can. But there are others who can live for as long as we can; the Kindred, for instance - Vampires, are they, undead creatures who must drink the blood of mortals to survive. They can live for many centuries. They do not age, but they can die from normal wounds, even though, like the Garou, they heal at an advanced rate. There are Magi, who wield Magick, twisting reality with their incantations and spells. There are faeries, ghosts, Spirits, I've been told, and evil, horrible things from places other than this Earth of ours. You may encounter them, as you travel. Most will be either friendly, like many of the Garou, or simply neutral, unless you enroach upon their turf... But other will try to kill you. It is truly a World of Darkness we live in, with many secrets that are hidden from mortal man. Of all these supernatural creatures, we are the least common, and, some would say, the most powerful, as all the rest can either grow old, or die normally. A two-thousand year old Vampire will still die if you burn it, whereas I have heard of an immortal, who, accused of being a witch, was burnt at the stake, and survived. Just remember that, no matter how badly wounded you are, you will always totally recover, without scars or permanent injury, but remember that if you are lying unconscious, or unable to move, it can be very easy for someone to come along and take your head.
"Ah, whisht, lad! So many questions! You'll get your answers in time... You'll have to learn all you can about this world, and the creatures you'll encounter. You'll have to learn how to live without drawing attention to yourself. You'll have to learn how to hide your immortality from normal people. I'll teach you everything I can, and then I'll have to leave you. But the most important thing you'll ever learn is how to fight. All immortals fight using swords, although I met one who uses an axe. Aye, uses. He's still alive, and is my friend. He saved me from a group of Hunters once. The Hunters are a group of mortals who wish to kill us all off. They capture immortals and behead them, allowing their Quickening to disperse into the ether.
"You'll have to learn how to use a sword, for that is the only way you can defend yourself, and it's the only way you can defeat other immortals. You can't cut a man's head off with the barrel of a gun, you know. I was given this sword by Liam Mac Dara. It is thousands of years old, crafted by blacksmith magicians over five thousand years ago. It's a silver Celtic longsword, and is a part of me. Get that bundle from over there. Bring it here, lad...
"This is an English Broadsword, crafted from steel in the middle ages. I took it from an immortal I killed in London almost a hundred years ago. Take it. It's yours. Make it part of yourself, an extension of your body. And extra limb. When you do that, it will become part of you to such an extent that your Quickening will embrace it as part of you and make it stronger. Feel it's weight. Swing it around a bit, get used to the feel of the blade... That's it...
"Before we start, there is one thing I must tell you. We have certain traditions - laws, if you want to call them that... No immortal will ever break them, for they are practical, and have a sound reason for existing. The Golden Rule is this: We must never fight on holy ground. None of us will break that rule. And holy ground means more than just churches and the like. The spiritual places of the Garou, and the sites of Mage's magical sites have the same effect. Don't worry, though. You'll be able to tell when you are standing on holy ground. Much the same way as you'll be able to know other immortals. Remember you were dizzy when you first saw me? That's the way we sense others of our own kind. You'll feel it everytime you're in the same vicinity as another immortal. You're feeling it right now, are you not, except that it's been suppressed because of the amount of time we've spent together. Well, if another immortal came near us, you'd get another buzz, and you'd know that there was one nearby.
"Well, enough talk! It's time for you to learn something other than theory. Come on, let's teach you the art of swordsmanship! Without it, you won't last long. Before long, you'll have to face immortals with hundreds, even thousands of years experience. To survive, you'll have to defeat them in battle. If you don't kill them, they'll kill you. The Prize awaits one of us, and the Gathering draws near..."
Immortals seem to appear at random from the human population. One in a million perhaps, maybe less. They are born of humans, raised as human, and (to most) appear quite human. They age, living a normal life, until they first are killed. Then, they miraculously recover, and begin their lives as immortals. Immortals cannot have children. They do not age, and do not get sick. They cannot drown, or die from any conventional injury: they will always recover, no matter how severe the damage (in the series, it was mentioned that one immortal was burned at the stake, and recovered from it). The only way for them to die is to have their head removed from their body.
Down through the ages, a legend has been passed from mouth to mouth - that of the Prize. The legend says that at a time when the number of immortals in the world grows small, the remaining immortals shall feel an urge to travel to a far-away land, where they shall fight until only one remains. The final survivor shall win the Prize. No one knows exactly what this Prize is, but to win it is the goal of every immortal, as it is assumed that the person who wins it would be, in effect, a god.
The term Quickening refers to the lifeforce of an immortal. It is the sum of all his knowledge and power, all of his strength and experience. It is a life force so strong that it keeps the immortal from aging and heals his wounds at an advanced-speed. Quickening is what the immortals fight for: when they fight, they fight to literally absorb their opponent's lifeforce into themselves, thus making themselves more powerful.
Quickening is the power of an immortal. In the Storyteller system, this "life force" is quite similar to the Pattern of any living thing; in immortals, this Pattern is more tightly woven than with other living beings. The Quickening is therefore also similar to Quintessence, the magical "raw power" that fuels Patterns and also is used by Mages to do their magick. Only when they die is their Quickening released (except in special circumstances, see Rules below). Mages cannot pull Quickening from an immortal, nor can they alter an immortal's Pattern in any way. Without their Quickening, an immortal is nothing, It is what keeps them alive. The total loss of Quickening is directly related to death. When an immortal dies, it is not because his head is no longer attached to his shoulders - it is because he has lost his Quickening.
Mages hold Quintessence within their bodies because of their Avatar. To the supernaturally-trained eye, immortals will often be confused with Mages: they have an excess of raw energy within them. The Garou likewise store mystical energy within them, according to their Gnosis. Immortals are therefore occasionally mistaken for Garou as well. Unlike Garou or Mages, however, immortals do not "spend" their Quickening, it is a permanent part of them.
In the Storyteller system, we keep track of the "power" of an immortal with an attribute called (surprisingly enough) Quickening. Much like Vampiric disciplines, Garou gifts, or a Mage's spheres, Quickening allows immortals to perform superhuman feats. The higher the immortal's Quickening, the more abilities he has and the more powerful he becomes. Quickening is a "catch-all" attribute, and has many powers associated with it, not all of which are related (except that they all are demonstrated in the movie or series).
Unlike Vampires, Garou, or Mages, there is only one way for an immortal to gain Quickening: through fighting and killing another immortal. This makes it more difficult for them to increase in power, as time alone does not make them more powerful. As you will see in Chapters Two and Three, they receive compensation for this limitation.
When two immortals fight, their Quickening is mingled into an electrical lightshow around them, in direct proportion to the power of the two. When one wins the battle (by removing the other's head), he absorbs the Quickening of the loser, gaining the loser's power and knowledge. The rules for this are covered in Chapter Three.
When an immortal emerges victorious, slaying another, he absorbs most, but not all of his opponent's Quickening. The excess Quickening is released into the ether, where it is, in effect, raw power. The most common manner in which power exists and is channeled on our planet is as electricity. Therefore, usually (but not always), the released Quickening will find that the easiest way for it to disperse is to transform into electricity, and disperse through conducting materials in the vicinity. This results in massive overloads, which cause the explosions, lightning, etc. associated with duels between immortals.
The immortals have rules of engagement: these rules are traditions, with a basis in common sense, and all immortals follow them. These rules are each based around Quickening, and the gain and loss thereof.
The Golden Rule for immortals is that they must never fight on holy ground. None will violate this rule, for they have too much to lose. Thus, holy ground can become a haven or sanctuary for immortals; a place where they retreat when faced with an impossible opponent. The reason for this rule has to do with the flow of Quickening.
When two immortals battle on holy ground, the site itself is always assumed to be the victor. When the victor takes the loser's head, the loser's Quickening flows into the site, as does a portion of the victor's as well. This loss of power and knowledge is sufficient to dissuade even the most vicious of enemies from attacking on holy ground.
What is "holy ground"? In Mage, there are places called Nodes, where magickal power converges. In Werewolf, these same locations are called Caerns, and are viewed as holy ground. It's a simple stretch to assume that many churches and "holy sites" are likewise built on these locations of power: for this discussion, these places of power will be called "holy ground". Luckily, immortals automatically sense whether they are standing on holy ground or not, as they experience a sensation similar to the buzz they experience upon encountering another immortal.
The second of the two main rules is that the immortals always fight one on one. Why is this? A pair of immortals, with their centuries of experience, could work quite effectively together to whittle down the "surplus population", as it were. Why do they not team up? In the first episode of the series, Connor and Duncan (who are friends and even Clansmen) refused to team up to battle the decidedly evil Slan.
Weapons
The sword is the traditional weapon of an immortal. The reasons for this are fairly simple - the sword is the oldest weapon with which you could efficiently decapitate someone, and the first immortals would have used them. They would have passed the tradition on to the immortals who followed them. Until relatively recently, the sword was the main personal weapon. It's only within the last few hundred years that we have begun using guns, and you can't chop a man's head off with a gun. In fact, not counting the battle axe, there still is no practical weapon which can be used to decapitate someone in a duel, and because immortals always learn their ways from other immortals, it is only natural that the sword has become the traditional weapon for immortals.
An immortal will often have a weapon which he has used for many centuries. Ramirez, for example had has his katana for over two millennia by the time he met Connor. To an immortal, a sword is more than just a piece of steel. It becomes an extension of their body - they keep it with them most of the time, and it becomes an old friend, in effect. There are no hard and fast rules for weapons as regards weapons difficulties and damage, etc. A rough guide is that the bigger and heavier sword is, the harder it is to use, but the more damage is inflicts. The Katanas used by Connor, Duncan and Ramirez are all Difficulty 6, Damage: Strength + 5. But the Kurgan's two-handed sword is Difficulty 7, Damage: Strength + 6, being, as it is, both heavier and more difficult to use. Kastagir's Saber is Difficulty 6 and Damage: Strength + 4, reflecting that it is normally used with only one hand.
It's a good idea to describe your weapon in detail, as part of fleshing out your character. If possible, get hold of a weapons catalog, from a company like Noble Collection, for example, which sells a wide variety of swords and axes, and pick a weapon (Noble Collection is one of many distributors for Marto USA, the suppliers for the Highlander movies and TV show). An immortal's choice of weapon helps define who they are. Connor's Katana reflects his honor and values, and the way in which he uses skill, more than brute strength to win duels, while the Kurgan's two-handed sword reflects his harshness and brutality. Also, how do you carry your weapon? In a long coat, like Connor, or have some other method, perhaps? All these details help to flesh out your character, and enrich the role playing experience.
n Quince...
The answer to this riddle comes from the way the Quickening transfers itself upon it's release - If two immortals are present, and there are no other factors involved (such as being on holy ground), the Quickening will transfer into the person who actually took the dead immortal's head. In one episode in the series, Duncan duelled with another immortal, but Amanda stepped in at the last moment and took the other immortal's head, thus gaining the Quickening.
Thus, if two immortals battle an enemy, only one of them will receive the Quickening from the battle. Not only will they receive their own Quickening, and that of the loser, but also a fraction of their ally's. This stealing of an ally's knowledge and power is not a pleasant thing for the ally, to say the least, and is therefore something that no immortal desires. Hence, the rule "always fight one on one" has developed.
These are the only two real rules. Evil immortals will stop at nothing else to gain Quickening: friends and loved ones are often pulled in as pawns in the battles, as are helpless innocents who have nothing to do with the Gathering... no one is truly safe.
Highlander-style immortals fit perfectly into the World of Darkness. The movie Highlander is listed as one of the inspirations for the World of Darkness - a world where supernatural beings walk among us without our knowledge. However, immortals are very different from other supernatural creatures in one very important way - Unlike the Kindred, Garou and Mages, immortals don't have their own society, for very obvious reasons. In a world where various groups such as the Sabbat and the Technocracy vie for power, immortals are wildcards - powerful individuals; mavericks who can be useful allies or dangerous enemies. They have no clearly defined role, unlike the Garou, for instance, and instead, follow their own destiny, towards the Prize.
Immortals don't go around in groups, for very obvious reasons. Therefore, there will normally only be a single immortal player character in a Chronicle, and the other PCs will presumably be one of the other character types detailed in the Storyteller games released so far - Kindred, Garou, Mage or Wraith. This brings up the interesting topic of what the other characters actually know about the immortal character. Given that immortals are probably the rarest of all the supernatural beings (excepting Mummies), it's reasonable to assume that it's not exactly common knowledge that these guys are immortal, and can only be killed if their head is chopped off. If assessed using supernatural powers, an immortal's aura will look very similar to a Mage's, or perhaps a Changeling's - They store within them a large well of power, not unlike Quintessence. However, it will soon become obvious that an immortal cannot manipulate magick, nor does he possess powers like that of a Faerie. Normally, an immortal won't reveal his true nature to people, without a very good reason, and it is very unlikely that he will reveal the method by which he can be killed.
Although immortals are, after all, immortal, and don't necessarily need to eat, sleep, and so on, failure to do so will result in them becoming weak, although they can never die of hunger or exposure. However, hunger and cold make immortals as uncomfortable as they do mortals, and therefore, it is desirable to have a roof over one's head, and money, in order to make your life more comfortable. Unlike other supernatural beings, immortals don't have Caerns, Nodes or Crypts. Instead, they will most probably live amongst mortals.
During their extended lifetimes, immortals are likely to amass huge amounts of wealth. However, like Vampires, immortals must maintain a masquerade - the illusion that there is nothing strange about them. This can be difficult, and can involve having to leave worldly assets behind. In the film, Connor used to leave his goods to children who had died whilst very young, and "die", only to return after a suitable interval to assume the identity of the dead person and claim their inheritance. This is probably the best way of ensuring that an immortal doesn't have to give up whatever worldly possessions he has earned when he has to move on, in order to prevent his true nature being discovered. Doubtless, there are immortals who travel around quite a bit, but it's likely that, after several centuries of travelling, an immortal may wish to stay in one place for a while.
Obviously, if an immortal has settled down in one place, they will need to have some way of paying for their lifestyle on a day to day basis. Duncan, for instance, has extensive stock holdings, but he is also an antique dealer, as Connor was. What better job for a man who was alive when many antiques were new? Other professions which require a knowledge of the past may also attract immortals, like a history professor, for instance. Who better to describe the Civil War than someone who was actually there? Immortals' supernatural abilities mean that they are practically perfect as soldiers, or something similar. What could be better than a soldier who isn't just simply unafraid of dying, but is actually unable to die? Most immortals will no doubt have been involved in some sort of conflict at some point in their lives, unless they actively avoided it.
Were an immortal's secret to become known, the results could be potentially disastrous. Imagine what would happen were a company such as Development Neogenetics Amalgamated or Pentex Inc. to discover that immortals exist - they would stop at nothing in an attempt to discover the secret of immortality. Therefore, an immortal character must be careful to guard his secret, and maintain the facade of normality.
Storytelling
Running a Chronicle with a group with an immortal is something of a challenge. Physically, Immortals are among the most powerful characters in the Storytelling system, but there are disadvantages to playing an immortal, when compared to a Vampire, a Werewolf, or a Mage. All three possess powers which an Immortal cannot match.
Many Vampiric Disciplines and Garou Gifts bestow advantages which the Quickening is unable to match, and the Magick wielded by Mages, while Immortals are immune to the effects of the Life and Prime spheres, can be very dangerous indeed. Another major difference is that Immortals are bound to the mundane world, and cannot pierce the Gauntlet to travel to the Umbral Spirit World.
The Last is designed to help even out these differences, and the Storyteller should actively be thinking about what an immortal may sense through the Last throughout a Story. Note that an immortal player character should not have to ask whether he senses anything through the Last - it is designed to be a random way of giving the Immortal knowledge which he couldn't normally know, and isn't an ability or a Gift to be activated at will. Consider the various instances in the film where an immortal knew something he really shouldn't have - Connor finding Brenda's gun and tape recorder; Kurgan knowing that "there is one among them named Connor"; Connor sensing Rachel's presence and asking what she was looking at; and so on.
It is also necessary to keep in mind the aims and desires of the various characters in a group - obviously, the aims of a Garou, for example are different from that of a Vampire. The Werewolf may wish to increase his Renown by combatting the Wyrm, while the Vampire might want to extend his power and influence. However, an immortal has but one aim - to win the Prize. The only way of doing this is to kill other immortals and take their Quickening. The Storyteller should always make sure that there is a reason for the Immortal character's presence in the group, and for him aiding the other characters. The Mages and the Garou may have teamed up to thwart the Technocracy's plans, as it is in both their interests, but, a player with an Immortal character could quickly discover that he is just riding along in this situation, with no advantage to his character being readily apparent. It is important to ensure that the actions of the group as a whole don't conflict with the aims of any of it's individual members.
It can be advantageous if the Immortal character has ties to other members of the group, instead of just being an extra member of the team, whom no one really knows. He might be kin to a Garou, or an ally of a Vampire or a Mage. What is important is that he is actually part of the team, and not just an add-on.
Hopefully, this supplement will bring a new dimension to your World of Darkness games, and will provide even more enjoyment for both Storyteller and players.