Days of Fire Analysis By Ian James and Allison Oleksa This is my personal analysis of the book Days of Fire by Greg Stolze. I did this so that storytellers can read and understand the cryptic speech and use it in their g ames. If you feel that something that I said is wrong, feel free to e-mail me at
[email protected] with your comments and questions. Springtime of the World 1. This is the beginning. God, God , a.k.a. the One Giver, created 9,009,909 angels and all was good. God is also referred to as a female. 2. This is the creation of man and woman. 3. This is God’s confusing decree. In the corebook, this is given as “Love the humans more than you love me, but hide yourselves from them.” However, the actual decree is not given in this account. All it says is that God ordered them to disobey her and no one could find out why she said this. 4. This is the great deb debate. ate. For those of you keeping track, the people referred to are: Belial, Ahrimal, Lailah, and Usiel. Usiel is known here as “the one beyond the deeps, sky and wind.” Here, Lucifer is what is being referred to as THE LIGHT. 5. This is where Lucifer’s gang reveals themselves to humans. ¾ o f the humans side with the demons. It is interesting that Adam and Eve have only 2 sons in this part of the story: just how old were Caine and Abel? Could these be some other sons, or just abstract ideas for the entire kingdom of man? It was said in the corebook that on one level Adam, Eve and their kids represented all the monkeys that would evolve. I believe that these 2 sons are just abstract for the rest of humanity and Caine an d Abel were actual people after God struck the world and destroyed most of the abstract realms. 6. This is the judgment from God’s brain to Michael’s mouth. From now on, Lucifer’s buddies and the others who fell were known as demons. Also, from this point on, Lucifer is referred to as the Dimmed Light. Does this mean a decrease in power, status or purity? I think all three. The Summer of the World 7. God’s Angels = 6,006,606. Demons = 3,003,302. Lucifer is the missing demon listed that would bring the total to 3,003,303 and making it a full third of heavens forces. Interestingly enough, 2 demons, Amiel and Ank-Rhuhi, gave up and we nt to heaven to be unmade. Why then is only Lucifer missing out of the count? 8. This is talking about when God struck the world.
9. This talks about humans during the Age of Wrath. All humans knew cold, want and doubt. The difference di fference is that the humans who obeyed God were more animalistic and didn’t have the intelligence to mind this situation. The humans that followed Lucifer not only had the knowledge that this sucked, but also knew that they were truly outcast and couldn’t go home. 10. This is the story of Caine. The wording here i s interesting in that it says “Then the oldest son of Adam and Eve who was most like the One Giver.” Does this mean that Caine was most like the One Giver (God), or that Adam and Eve were most like God? Anyway, for those of you who don’t know the story of Caine and Abel, Caine was a hunter while Abel was a farmer. God liked Abel’s tribute more than Caine’s. Caine got jealous and offered up Abel to God, thus killing him with a big rock. This was the first first murder and Caine was cursed to walk wa lk the land forever. In Vampire the Masquerade, Caine was cursed with vampirism and that is ho w the vamps came about. I also like how ho w it says “From human choice came all that tha t followed.” As illustrated in Three Paths through the Burning Forest, only we can get out of what has happened because we got ourselves into it. 11. Caine unleashes murder on the world and the demons take to it like second nature. 12. This chronicles the creation of Lying. I am confused as to whether or not it was created by humans or demons. 13. I think that this is all about demons eating the essence of angels. It seems to have been a common practice to do on the enemy. 14. This is the curse of Caine handed down by angels. It doesn’t say exactly who went or what was given, leaving it open for a little interpretation. From this point on, Caine will be called The Great King of Blood. 15. This talks about demons diverting more from their angelic nature. It also brings the number of angels down to 5,005,505. 16. God gets pissed and kills the same amount of demons, bringing their number numbe r down to 2,002,001. 17. God created new creatures c reatures and stuff to get rid of the demons. Co uld this be the Malhim? Or could it be the first hunters? 18. This is talking about the demons being put in the abyss. As for their greatest gift being their greatest mistake, it is talking about how the abyss was created from stuff that demons made. I wonder why the Nephilim weren’t mentioned in this section.
The Autumn of the World
19. Again, demons placed in the abyss. 20. Angels went away, but it doesn’t say where. Demons = 2,002,204. The extra 3 are the loyalist angels who were sent to Hell for doing evil things in God’s name: Usiel, Angel of Pain and Forguel. Also, humans go back to normal. 21. This is about the creation of mages. People working their will upon reality by invoking shapes and patterns and stuff are what Mage is all about. There might also be a connection with the Fae, but I am not sure. 22. Caine rises from wherever he hid and founds Nod. He calls this the first city. He makes 13 children to correspond with the 13 clans of vampires today. It reiterates that vampires are bad to all. 23. This is about Wraiths showing up/being created. Interesting how it says that not even angels knew where human souls went after dying. 24. It says here that God created Oblivion for Wraiths and Demons. Could they end their existence or were they forever trapped in the abyss? As for the 2 corpses in one grave reference, I think that means that the Wraiths and the Demons are the 2 corpses and the dark umbra/shadow lands is the grave. 25. This is all about the invention of summoning. Caine summoned wraiths and probably taught it to Cappodocian. Also, this is the creation of the earthbound. 26. The 5 are the first earthbound that were Lucifer’s generals. Caine also cursed his children with curses and created the clans we know today. The high spirit could be Gaia. If they meant God, it would say One Giver. The war that it talks about is the original war of rage that the werewolves did. Their punishment was destroying that which they needed. Also, men and women made society and went to war. 27. This is about the flood or biblical deluge. The last part is probably referring to the vampire antediluvians who survived that. 28. Definition time: Children of the Book are the Jewish people, the book being the Torah. Children of the Dream = Australian Aborigines? Children of the Wealthy Land = Native Americans. America is now the wealthiest country and was known as the pure lands by the Croaton. Children of the Middle Kingdom = Asians. Children of the Land of the Skull = Africa. Could this be an allusion to Azreal, the slayer archduke earthbound who set up shop there? Humans weren’t as smart as their predecessors, but that was the plan. Thanks to ShepardsBook for clearing some of this up. 29. Could this mean the founding of democracy? It sounds like the Greeks to me. 30. This is about the Romans. In their mythology, two twins named Romulus and Remus were raised by a wolf. They went on to found Rome. Rome went on to conquer most of
the world at that time. The Romans conquered the Middle East and Africa. The children of the Book (Jews) were their slaves. The true conqueror could be Christianity. 31. Condemned Man = Jesus. This is the founding of Christianity and the Romans being converted to it. 32. This is talking about how the Middle Empire arose from Rome and people emulating Rome. And Europe has been around ever since. Also, this is when the First Great Maelstrom from Wraith appears. 33. This is about the creation of the nation of Islam. The man talking about visitors in the night is Muhammad. Tribe of Seven Pillars = Muslims. 34. This is about the beginning of the Dark Ages. For vampires, this was their golden age. As for when this will happen again, I think that it might mean either the Victorian age when vampires were first romanticized or nowadays with the Gothic culture. The second great storm is the Second maelstrom. 35. This is talking about the Anarch revolt from Vampire. The curse talked about is that all of Caine’s children will turn upon each other and that Caine can never truly create anything that will last. The number 14 might refer to the 14th Generation which was up until recently the lowest generation. The one less strength could be Tremere diablerizing Salubri. 36. This is about the Inquisition. Priests are called fathers even though they don’t have any children. Vampires and Jews were put to the stake and set aflame. 37. This is talking about the renaissance. The man with the glass eye is Galileo. The man with the silver nose is Tycho Brahe. The wi se fool is Johannes Keplar. They found modern science a.k.a. the tribe of the mind. In mage terms, this could be the order of reason later to become the Technocracy. 38. The wealthy land is now confirmed as the Americas. The iron men in wooden fish are the conquistadors and they brought plague with them as well as horses. The third plague could be canons. The fourth plague is the rats that stowed away on the ships. 39. This is talking about the third great maelstrom. If the first sin is decimating the Native Americans, the second is slavery. This is talking about how the slaves worked the plantations picking cotton and sugar cane fields. 40. This is talking about the industrial revolution and the beginnings of a loss of belief in supernatural things among all of humanity. It also talks about people saying they are religious, but not truly believing in it. 41. This is about the American Revolution in that the colonies rose u p against Britain due to the tax on tea (the drink) and tobacco (the leaf). They won trade routes to Asia and
Europe with this. The Ancient kingdom is Britain. The tax was then passed on to the British people. 42. This is a prophesy section about what is to come and that is the Apocalypse. The Winter of the World 43. God’s angels = 2. This would be the Ebon Dragon and the Scarlet Lady mentioned in Hunter and Kindred of the East books. Demons in Hell = 2,002,199. The Demons of the Earth = 5. The one remaining is Lucifer. This is interesting; someone might have bad math skills. At our last count, there were 2,002,204 demons in the abyss. Minus 5 as earthbound and it evens out. Was Lucifer not counted in the original count? Was he ever counted at all after stanza 7 because at that point he was neither angel or in the abyss. 44. Science rules the land. The 9 suitors could be the 9 traditions of mages. The scientists think they are doing the right thing and acting as God wishes, but in fact they seem to be toying with things they cannot understand. The reference to children being alone could be talking about God and the angels not being there. 45. Everyone thinks it is great except for the Africans and the children of the dream (Australians and/or Asians). This is the Victorian Age. 46. This is talking about all that we have done: we have made great things. It also talks about our lust for more despite what we already have. 47. This is talking about colonialism in Africa when most of the Superpowers of that time carved up Africa for their own. This brought o n the First World War. They are referring to this in the lines about gas and wars in the sky and sea. 48. This is about the fourth great maelstrom of the shadow lands. It also alludes to the next 2 being even worse. 49. World War 1 didn’t stop until America got involved. The disease could be referring to the great influenza outbreak in America, or maybe just disease brought on by war. 50. This is talking about the Second World War and the fifth great maelstrom. The twisted spider is the swastika and the Jewish people were killed as if it were the right thing to do. 51. Japan is the Island of Eastern Light. Middle kingdom is Europe. The last part is talking about the Fascist Italians trying to take over North Africa just like the Ro mans did. 52. Again, America saves the day, but this time it was more costly for us with things like Pearl Harbor. This gives way to the cold war and the fear of Communism.
53. The Wall is the Berlin wall or the Iron Curtain. The Eagle is America and the Bear is the Soviet Union. The shallow mind refers to McCarthyism and the “Better Red than Dead” mentality. The number of fear being 57 could mean the blacklist or McCarthy’s list of Communists in the Government. The Unholy Fire is the threat of nuclear war. 54. This could be about how Europe and America claimed different parts of West Germany. Vampires enjoy this time because they can be more open as scientists and the Order of Reason cover their crimes. 55. This talks about the scientists and others of the Tribe of Mind giving people the victim mentality of thinking. 56. Again, more on banality sweeping the world and a reduction of faith in the supernatural. 57. It seems that this one is referring to the antediluvian vampire known as Saulot. He claimed to be a peace keeper but really didn’t do much except spawn the Tremere. He was also known by the name of Zao-lat but that is wrong because it is what the Eastern Vampires call the Tremere. He is known in the Eastern and Western World and he keeps fighting an uphill battle to redeem vampire kind. Special thanks to Forumite Radu for this interpretation. (Greg Stolze said “Verse 57. Not even close, but that works a whole, WHOLE lot better than its true origins.”) 58. Again I am really stumped. I think it might be a Changeling reference. 59. I think that this is talking about Caine. He was cursed to wander and about the only people that will hang around with him are other vampires and probably to kill him and diablerize him (take his power similar demons devouring each other). 60. This could be talking about Baba Yaga from Rage Across Russia and Night of Prophesy. Her diadems are her 6 armies and her debts might be her Zmei. No clue on the suitor though. It couldn’t be Saphriel the blood angel because he is in the Earthbound book. 61. I think that this may be a reference to President Kennedy. He was very anticommunist. Most people call his term in the oval office Camelot. Russia is associated with bears, so that would explain the knight versus bear angle. The knight falling without striking his blow is probably talking about the assassination. 62. Forumite Kurai Seraphim had an interesting idea in that the woman symbolizes communism and how the cold bite is the cold war. However, Greg Stolze said “To tell you the awful truth, I had no meaning in mind when I wrote the Chisel verse. It was meant to inspire head scratching and wild flights of fancy, like an inkblot test.” Go figure. 63. This could be a reference to the times changing and people starting to give up o n purity and indulged more. At least, that is about how it was in America at this time. From the 50’s to the 70’s, there were some radical changes in what was and wasn’t acceptable.
64. This could mean a lot of things. Those that walk to crooked path could be talking about Black Spiral Dancer werewolves. Slaves of death’s maze are probably specters that reside in the Black Labyrinth of Malfeas. Malfeas is a realm of evil incarnate in the spirit world. This in general seems to be talking about the Wyrm and the Malfeans becoming restless and becoming more active in the world. 65. The first sentence is talking about the rise of Caitiff (clanless vampires) and how they are striking at vampire society much like what the third generation did to their sires. The seven suitors are the traditions (the Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts don’t count because they were originally part of the Technocracy) are losing the Ascension War (the battle for reality). The tribe of mind is now referring to the Technocracy. Reason’s grip cracking as it hardens seems to be referring to the Sons of Ether and the Virtual Adepts splitting from the Technocracy. The lines about the nation o f wolves calling to arms would be the Garou Nation picking up the pace in their fight against the Wyrm. As the Wyrm tries harder to destroy the world, the Garou try harder in turn. 66. I don’t know what this could be but it seems to be in the air. 67. No clue here. 68. This talks about Christians defeating Romans. I think that it is talking about Christianity overcoming Catholicism. Catholicism is no longer the only place where believers in Jesus go and the American Evangelicals seem to be more prevalent in America. That sounds silly, but it is the best sense I can make of it for now. It seems that defeating the Romans brought forth a holy relic since no evil thing can abide it. Whatever it is, God_45 aka Joshua Mathews seems to have picked it up. Bright shiners are the Imbued. It is what Lucifer calls Hunters in Time of Judgment. This is further backed up by the Time of Judgment news ticker where Joshua said “The sun is gone but I have a light. The fire is coming for us all.” Many have speculated that what he found is the relic listed in The Inquisition as The Martyr’s Fire. It is a lantern that bathes others in light and gives them strength and pain resistance. It sound like it fits except for the fact that it doesn’t say anything about it repelling monsters. 69. Some think that this is a reference to Angels making sure that the Abyss doesn’t crack. I believe that it is talking about Angels an d the walking dead. Once the 6th maelstrom hit, walking dead were everywhere. Most were evil. Hence why it says “each memory tower a sore on the world, a sting of death in earthly flesh.” The gatekeepers could be the Reapers (loyalists of the 7th house) or it might even be those wraiths that make sure no one passes the shroud. I think it is more the second choice because the author begs them to watch out of pride. Angels would do it because it is the right thing to do. 70. I don’t know much about this but I think the answer is in the book World of Darkness: Hong Kong. The middle kingdom is China and Greg Stolze even said it was referring to a jewel brought back there.
71. Now we are up to the 6th and final maelstrom. This is the maelstrom that started in the late 1990’s and continued on until the end of the world. Its coming spawned the new type of Mummies, the Imbued, the explosion of Walking Dead, Mages to be stuck on Earth, and the walls of the abyss to be sundered. The Angel gift waking the sleeping fire in all is a reference to the Imbued. In Hunter: Fall From Grace, the demon Vassago talks about the Angels putting something back into the imbued which proposes the idea that humans have been made weaker over time. Remembered shades waging war on the forgotten is a reference to the happenings in the Wraith book Ends of Empire. Graves spit forth is talking about all the walking dead. “She” might be the one called Grandmother in the Orpheus series. Grandmother could also be called the mother of Specters and Oblivion incarnate. I don’t have much experience on Orpheus but it sounds good. 72. This is all talking about the imbuing. In the Hermit creed book it talks about a red figure and a black one imbuing people. In Hunter: Apocrypha and in the section of Days of Fire with the good pictures (Time Catches Fire) it shows that these are the Scarlet Lady and the Ebon Dragon. They are also big figures in the Kindred of the East series, but that is a story for another tail. This section is also proof that Bright Shiners = Imbued. 73. This seems to be talking about the five Archdukes. Once the red star shows up, they kinda wake up and call their servants to them. Also, in the Miller Report it talks about human females no longer being born. A complete lack of females would bring the human race down to a final generation. 74. This is all about the Perfect Metis prophesized in Werewolf the Apocalypse. Most metis are physically deformed and all are sterile. That is why it is one that no one could predict. The children of the moon are definitely werewolves. The future really does ride on the perfect metis from a werewolf perspective because he can either work for Gaia or the Wyrm. The reason why the decision comes when it is a child is because in Apocalypse, it talks about one side kidnapping him and raising him under their guidance. 75. This talks about the holy lands to Muslims, Christians and Jews being desecrated. There are fights and bloodshed, and one Time of Judgment ticker talks about a rain of fire on Jerusalem. Mummy: the Resurrection is all a bout freeing the holy lands from corruption by evil. It is a tough battle. The hatred part is the different groups b utting heads. Jews, Muslims and Christians can really be at odds with each other especially when it comes to the holy lands. Anyone remember the Crusades? 76. This is all about the rise of the Ravnos progenitor in India. His clan is mostly made of gypsies hence the labels of thief and wanderer and such. Ravnos fights with powerful Eastern Vampires (guardians of Middle Kingdom) for three full days even in broad daylight. Finally, the Technocracy comes over and uses their best weapon on him: the Spirit Nuke. 77. And so he dies. Whenever a clan progenitor truly dies, the rest of the clan members try to diablerize each other. Why? Who knows? It just is. Maybe Ravnos himself cursed them. It doesn’t matter much, because very few Ravnos survive this.
78. This seems to be referring to people trafficking with the dead and other spirits. It might be referring to a rise in the worship of demons. It could also be referring to the Orpheus group from Orpheus. The wall of storms seems to be the gauntlet separating the spirit realm from earth. The dark mother might be Lilith since that is one of her monikers, but it could also be Grandmother from Orpheus as well. 79. This is referring to people becoming more aware to vampires and the like and they think it is something new. The NSA has set up a system of identifying vampires, ghouls, thralls, demons, ghosts and other such Nasties. They think they are aliens from another dimension. That is listed in the revised vampire book in the antagonists section. It could also be talking about a substance called Pigment in Orpheus that allows humans to see ghosts but corrupts the soul. It also seems to be made of ground up Spectres. 80. This is a reference to the Ebony Oak Tree that exists at the center of the former Orphic Circle's headquarters in Greece. The nine leading priests and priestesses of the Orphic Circle were known as the Ebon Branch. The tree became inhabited by a powerful Specter of insane power and everyone at the estate was killed eaten or possessed except for a handful. The oak tree itself functions almost like a direct gateway into the Labyrinth. This is all detailed in Mediums, Hunter: the Walking Dead, and Hunter: First Contact. It's possible that what actually entered the tree was an Earthbound. (Special thanks to Ken Schmidt for this and the other Orpheus stuff.) 81. This is talking about Lucifer appearing over Los Angeles during the Devil’s Night riots. It is detailed in Lucifer’s Shadow and touched on in City of Angels. The rest of this section is about demons in general: they try to accomplish something and go so mewhere, but it is all for naught because the end of the world is just around the corner. 82. Ah, this is referring to the Earthbound Avitu from the Trilogy of the Fallen. She was bound into a tree in the Nevada desert and had a cult that performed ritual lobotomies on people so that they would lose their knowledge and go back to what they were before the fall… in theory at least. The ritual involved poking into a part of their brains by going through the tear duct in the eye. It worked on some. Avitu was doing this because she thought that once all humans were back to being apes that God would let the demons back in to Heaven. Unfortunately, she was defeated… 83. … and that is detailed here. Keep in mind this is the ending to the Trilogy. Sabriel, Gaviel, Hasmed and Usiel kill Avitu and d evour her soul. Before she is killed, Sabriel and Hasmed see the part of here that was still an angel and want to keep it alive… but then Usiel and Gaviel devour it. Usiel couldn’t control himself and Gaviel didn’t care. Usiel is the closest to being an angel because he never rebelled. (Special thanks to Sean McMahon for this) 84. This is talking about demons in general. The 5 archdukes are earthbound demons trapped in stone and metal. Most of the rest of the fallen are in human bodies. And the one who is neither is Lucifer.
85. This is a good passage. It talks about the three angels put in Hell because they did bad things in the name of God but they never rebelled. The first is Usiel. He is detailed in the Trilogy of the Fallen and mentioned Hunter: Fall from Grace and in the Miller Report. His key to human deaths is a releasing tool that slayers and reapers used to separate spirit from flesh and kill people. It is also detailed in the Trilogy of the Fallen. The second isn’t mentioned anywhere else but here. And the third isn’t really mentioned at all but its name is Forguel. The last two are plot devices for storytellers to use in their campaigns. They are what you make them and nothing more. They are not mentioned in any other demon book. 86. The seer of scorn is the title of the earthbound demon Vassago. He has an imbued as a thrall. However, when he thralls a second one, she redeems him to be good again. That is detailed in Time of Judgment. Vassago later implodes which I think is him killing himself for all the wrong he has done as a final act of redemption. 87. This is talking about people subconsciously realizing that the end is near and saving nothing for tomorrow because there is no tomorrow. 88. This is an interesting passage. It talks about more humans being imbued. The first time was in ancient times but was scrapped because they all turned evil. The second time would be the modern imbued. This third time will apparently reveal all monsters to everyone. The interesting part is that if humans do nothing, then the monsters will overwhelm them. But if humans hunt and burn all the monsters like a new Inquisition, then the sky will turn dark with ash and vampires will be unstoppable. This would be the “we’re screwed” passage. 89. This is a reference to a later passage in the Miller Dossier. It talks about the speed of light accelerating. If the speed of light hits infinite, then the world will end. 90. This is a prophesy of what it will be right before it is over: everyone will see the Red Star Antihelios, the eye of the Wyrm will open, almost everyone is a thrall to a demon, the dead will walk, all the secrets of death will be uncovered, and no monsters will be able to hide. Then humanity must choose. They must choose which path to take through the forest. See the next section for more info.
Three Paths through the Burning Forest In this section, I will give my interpretation of what each of the passages think. They are pretty straight forward and most people can figure out what they mean. This is my opinion of what it says and what the passages say to me. Take it any other way you want
because that is what it is meant for. Assume that before every one of these interpretations that I write it says “I think this is saying…” 91. The world is ending and the last humans might be able to stop the extinction of their race. To do so, they must choose the right way to go in regards of the supernatural. 92. Don’t look to the sky or any sort of divination or higher power. You got yourself into this mess, now you have to get out of it. 93. Who cares where the flame came from, there is flame and that is all that matters. Why aren’t you running yet? 94. C’mon, run. There is no one here to help you other than yourself and other humans. 95. Look straight ahead, and choose which of the three paths you want. The First Path: Ignorance 96. You see beasts along this way. It looks like they know the right way to go. 97. You see another huge blaze (no surprise). But you are small enough to get by without getting burned. 98. Keep your head low like a slave. Do not look up or others will regard you jealously. Be like the beasts you travel with and tread your path. 99. Although you are told not to look, some do. They are morons. Just keep your head low, be not defiant, and you will live. 100. Those that look up will be consumed by fire. They should have listened. 101. Step off of the path and you will be burnt and destroyed, but you will see secrets revealed at last. Which do you choose: life or knowledge? 102. If you were to step off the path, which would be stupid, you would see many things. 103. You will see werewolves attacking each other. 104. Black Furies will be shackled and stop being feminists. Bone Gnawers will gain power but screw it up because it wasn’t meant for them. The Children of Gaia will be destroyed by what they have been warning the rest of the Garou for centuries. The Fianna will go up in flames while the Get of Fenris will freeze to death. 105. A Glass Walker will betray the whole tribe. The Red Talons will fall upon each other in the end. The Shadow Lords will become servants of the Wyrm. The Silent Striders are all hunted down and killed. The Stargazers will be blinded by their knowledge. The Wendigo and the Uktena will be taken in by something, only to be
betrayed and destroyed. The Silver Fangs will go to an unending war and die in battle. Despite all this, the Black Spiral Dancers get it t he worst in the end. (special thanks to Julius for clearing up some stuff) 106. Hey look, it’s the Mages. They think they won but it will be for naught once the fire burns all they have created. 107. The Technocracy finds out that they knew nothing and screw everything up. Everything they tried to accomplish is destroyed mostly by their own actions. Iteration X destroys their own potential by getting rid of too much humanity. The New World Order finds that they couldn’t predict everything including the end of the world. Void Eng ineers become lost in themselves. The Syndicate finds that they did too much and are forgotten as they burn out. The Progenitors find that they didn’t harness nature, they broke it. 108. The Nephandi hit rock bottom and realize that they are already there. The Marauders take on too much and lose everything. The Akashic Brotherhood has to choose which is more important, can’t and fall apart. The Celestial Chorus wasn’t being heard by God but only by themselves. The Cult of Ecstasy finally reaches perfection in a world of crap and realizes how futile it was. Dreamspeakers must choose between past and future. Whatever they choose lead to their downfall. The Euthanatos all die. The Order of Hermes is defeated by the numbers 13, 19 and 17. These are all prime numbers. So they are defeated either by something indivisible or by the sphere of Prime. The Sons of Ether lose all their toys as they realize it is all vapor and lies. The Verbena die bloody deaths. The Virtual Adepts go into their lie and then die. The hollow ones and the orphans all die but at least they did it individually. 109. No more Mages. Hey look, there are some v ampires. Did they cause the Red Star to show up? It doesn’t matter. Too bad they back stab each other too much to really accomplish anything. 110. Every clan is destroyed. The Ventrue die because th eir refined tastes get too refined until there is nothing left to feed them. The Lasombra fade away. The remaining Ravnos die alone. The Brujah finally get over their rage… only to find they needed it as they die weakened. The Toreador see what they really are (dead, static things that destroy everything they try to save) and despair. The Nosferatu rot away as maggots eat them. Giovanni and Tremere are destroyed by Cappodocian and Salubri respectively. The Gangrel become beasts and are forgotten. The Tzimisce are remembered for how tainted and evil they were. The Assamites will turn on each other and not last a month. The Followers of Set die without ever witnessing the return of Set. The Malkavians die as well but at least they are still crazy. 111. And what about those who started it all? They will die with everyone watching. 112. Hurray, you get out alive as long as you pay no attention to what is going on around you.
113. So you live. You look back and wonder if it was all a dream. It doesn’t matter, you will forget about it soon and life will go on as normal. The moral of this story is that the meek shall i nherit the Earth.
The Second Path: Oblivion 114. There is another path that looks like humans made it. It has to lead to a good ending, right? Don’t worry about missing anything: the flames are bright enough to reveal a ll and the sounds are so loud that the deaf could hear it. 115. This is the path of the dying world. The streets looked safe but they are really dangerous. You shouldn’t have come this way, but it is too late now. 116. There are dangers here. Things that even the monsters fear. 117. Hey look, there are demons. How will they die? They will destroy the world with their control over reality and spirit. The Devils will die when they fail to calm everyone down and are turned on. Once Lucifer comes out, the world will end soon. The scourges wanted to protect people from all accidents, but are no w confronted with must deal with purposeful harm to humans. They cannot defend against nuclear weapons and other such tools of warfare. The Malefactors will make such wondrous objects that they will be trapped and imprisoned by them and be unable to escape. The Fiends who think that they know everything will find that the will of God is unpredictable and will not see their deaths coming. The Defilers will use their gift to a new level until they learn so much about humanity’s wants and desires that they will weep for them. The Devourers will make such powerful monsters that they will turn on their masters. The Slayers will find that the only true death is the lack of life. They will be put out of business when the re is no one left to die. It is a hollow victory indeed. 118. Everyone wanted to know what lurked in the darkness and once they find out they will burn with righteous fire. Many people will be imbued. 119. This fire that burns in the people will reveal the vampires and their ghouls. Their cattle will charge them. Mages will lose their powers. The werewolves will lose the ability to change as the eye of the Wyrm winks. You canno t hide in the Earth because it will spit you out and make new things to kill you. You can no longer rule. You cannot run from this. You cannot hide from this. You still have your strength, but it is no match for intelligence and steel weapons. No more shadows to hide in, no more shields to defend yourself, no more beauty to enchant with. Even madness will not save you from the madness of the world. You may think that spirits will aid you but they will only drag you to Hell and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Even animals will turn on you, giving you literally no place to hide. The best thing you can do is shut your eyes and ears and wait for death.
120. Oh, you mages are so taking it so grab your ankles. The spheres won’t help you at all. As they become corrupted with the dying world, so will you who try to use them. If you use spirit and you try to go to the spirit world, you will be trapped there forever even though the answer is so obvious, you won’t get it. If you use forces, you should fear the things directly above you because you might cause something to fall on your head. If you use life, you will be overwhelmed by your power and it will kill you. If you use matter, you will be confronted by something that you cannot affect. If you use entropy, it will backfire and chaos will plague you. If you use mind, you will be trapped in your own thoughts as a dog chases its tail. If you use correspondence, you will be humbled by the storm and live enslaved to it. If you use time, you will find that it will fight back and you will be the one mastered. 121. Finally, if you try to use Prime, you will only quicken the death of the world and find yourselves masters of all because there is nothing for you to rule. 122. Some, like the Nephandi, Baali and Black Spiral Dancers, do not fear the end of the world but instead pray for it. They shall bring the Red Star closer and it will bring Armageddon with it. First it will come on slow, whispering things in your ears. The mad will know what is going on but they will be ignored. Then, when the star is at half “power,” blood will boil, and the way will be lit for people to find you and destroy you. Finally, the crimson light will fill everything. No more day or night or sun or moon, just red like blood all the time as the world dies. 123. Vampires will walk without fear, but t hey will get it in the end as they will be unable to feed and when they try it will destroy them. 124. This is the path where humans take an active role in the end and only end up destroying everything in a great purge of the world. There will be nothing left, but at least that includes monsters. The moral of this story is that if you try to get involved with the monsters, you die. The Third Path: Enlightenment 125. Are these your only choices: Ignorance or oblivion? I think I see another path, but it may be a false one. 126. Well, I have to tell it anyway or else the world is screwed all to Hell. Here is the third way it can end. 127. Screw ignorance, and oblivion a horrible choice. Instead of looking for a made path, make your own by trusting in your own faith, strength and ability. You ha ve to earn this one. 128. First, you will face vampires. They will say to you, “Hi there. We love you so much. We have always defended you and ruled over you just waiting for this moment to come. Help us and we will help you. You won’t even have to die if you join us!”
129. Don’t listen to them; they just want to rule you again. Remember that their weaknesses are fire, sunlight, and dependency. Without you they will die. They will always fight each other. There is one other curse tha t was given by one of the three angels that went to Hell yet did not rebel. It is a curse that has only recently taken effect. After reading Gehenna, I think that it is the Withering. As to which angel it is, I think that it is the nameless one. 130. If you defeat the vampires then you will face werewolves next. They say that they were meant to rule humanity and that only they have the power to stop the world from going to crap. 131. They say to you, “Look at this mess you made that we have to clean up! You should never have gotten control of the world. Don’t worry, it will never happen again. Now show us your necks so that you will be culled until your race is our servants again.” 132. You shouldn’t totally submit, but you also shouldn’t fight. They are way too strong and you can’t win in a fair fight. All you have to do is wait. Once there is no one else for them to fight, they will turn on each other. Their final division will be what to do with the Perfect Metis: follow it or kill it. 133. Wait for the right moment. They will squabble and kill each other until one faction wins. Once that happens, you can turn on them and make them kill each other more or just finish them off yourselves. 134. When the werewolves are all almost dead, an ally will join you. They are mages. You need these people to kill the werewolves, but you will be able to best them later. They are at their weakest because they need you to survive. 135. They say that they are humans, but perfected by a unity that you do not have. With their magic they can remake the world into what they think is a better place. 136. The worst part is that they believe everything that they say. The only problem is that if you follow them, many people will die because they will make a new world that is nothing more than a prison. Humans will be brought down to a level that is a little bit better than animals because that is the only way that they can squash dissident ideas. They do not see this because they think that they are right and cannot be persuaded otherwise. 137. How do you defeat these monsters? Their Achilles heel is disbelief. You cannot fight them because they gain their power from you. Ignore them and they will lose their powers and fade away. 138. Trust in yourself and not in what they tell you or show you. They are trying to make what you know to be false when they are in fact the false ones. 139. As the mages fade away and die, demons will show up to be your next challenge. They have the best and worst of the previous three challenges. They promise like
vampires, threaten like werewolves, propose alliances like mages, but they are really never born. They do not come from humans at all, they only inhabit them. They really were never born. 140. Not quite sure how to beat them, other than the fact that you can do more than they can. You can innovate and invent whereas they can only do what they once could. You can do things that God never intended but they cannot. 141. Once this human invention kills that last demon, or they kill each other, or they are forgiven by God, only then will your last and worst challenge surface. 142. Against the vampires, you can give up by letting them control you. Against the werewolves, you can give up by asking them to spare you from the culling. Against the mages, you can give up by accepting their teachings. Against the demons, you can give up by letting them shape you as they see fit. But the last challenge cannot be escaped because it is yourselves. 143. Maybe being human is not as cool as it seems. Maybe the best thing to do is transcend simple humanity and become what you were originally supposed to be and surpass the creator. 144. However, you will have to say goodbye to a lot of stuff. You have to give up what it is to be human and become something more. Sort of like how Buddha reached enlightenment by escaping the world and what we co nsider being human. 145. The last thing you have to give up, just like Buddha, is power for virtue. You have to strive for something greater than the world. You have to forget about being ahead of people and just exist in harmony with everything. 146. What if that is what God did? To give up everything not because it was to look cool or see what would happen, or because she felt sorry, but because she loved giving. I mean, she is called the One Giver. 147. Can you be as God and do what God did? Can you give back what was given to you not because it will save the world, or because you don’t want it or because you feel sorry, but because true joy comes from giving of one’s self? If you do this, then it doesn’t matter what happens. If you do this then you win in the end because you become one with the universe and gain wisdom. The moral of this story is that there may be no way to save this world but that is ok because none of it matters. Maybe a fresh start is what we all need and we can’t do it if we try to hold on to it no matter how bad it is.
Miller Report Commentary By Ian James Introduction: This is a page by page analysis on The Miller Dossier from the White Wolf book Days of Fire. I wrote this because many people asked questions about it. I also have questions about it, but there would seem to be too much to explain for others to get the questions. Many people are asking about an analysis on all of Days of Fire. I think I will see how this goes and then maybe I will write that. I don’t mean to tell you how to think with this paper, but only for you to see what I see. Feel free to tell me what you think and expand upon it. Please, only do constructive criticism. I tried not to summarize the Dossier, I want people to read it and then read this. If you want to post this o n a website, let me know. You can do it, just credit me and tell me about it. I would like to see my work appreciated. If anyone from White Wolf has a problem with me writing this, then
please tell me and I will not give it to anyone else. I do not take credit for anything that White Wolf has written. Please don’t sue me! Page 1 and 2: These pretty much explain themselves. Page 3: This is interesting. The first article, “New Comet Sighted” seems to be referring to the Red Star or “Antihelios” that will signal the coming Apocalypse. This “comet” is in all the World of Darkness lines and now we see it is in Demon as well. The next one “Fermilab corrects speed of light” will be discussed more later on. It is a set up for a later article. Finally, the article “Smithsonian Curator Vanishes” is talking about Miles Fiske, one of Vassago’s servants. I believe that the incident they are talking about with someone coming in and attacking some guards and a guy with a knife is a reference to t he time when Usiel fought with Rigger111 in the Trilogy of the Fallen and in Hunter: Fall From Grace. Where Fiske went, who knows? Probably doing things for his master. Page 4: In this memo, we hear from Babbit. In reference to the memo on page 2, Babbit says that this is no problem. This probably leads to Miller thinking that Babbit is “acting weird.” However he does a nice play of misdirection by saying telling Miller that he is the only one who can get to the bottom of this. Page 5: Here we hear from Miller and his friend Miranda. It seems that Miranda is an old friend of Miller’s that is in Special Affairs. They talk about the connection with Dr. Fiske going missing and the stolen Dies Ignis papers. Miranda got a tip that they would be connected somehow. Miranda also talks about a case in Chicago where she and miller worked together. Miranda also tried to track down Carleton Van Wyk who is a hunter known as Doctor119 on hunter net. In Hunter Book Judge, it talks about Van Wyk being in Chicago when something bad went down and caused 2 of his teammates to die. He left but hopes to return. Van Wyk and his tales with Miranda start in Hunter: First Contact and continue in Hunter: Utopia. Page 6: More news clippings. I think that this page is someone trying to tell Miller that the end times are coming. Tensions between countries on a nuclear level could spell the end of the world in any case, whereas no more female children being born would signal the end of the world on a biblical scale. Page 7: This is another e-mail wherein Miller talks to Miranda about all the stuff coming up on Days of Fire on the net. He also talks about the Book of Nod from Vampire. The Book of Nod is pretty much the vampire creation myth as told by Caine. Miller claims that similarities between Nod and Days of Fire could be from the 2 translators reading Nod and then writing Days of Fire. I think that this would be a nice tie in with a vampire campaign. Page 8: This is a letter to Miller from someone named Charlene. Not much to discuss here, but it does make an interesting point about the book “The Burning Times.” Apparently it was never really published but people think it is. Charlene thinks that the book is a fake used to support Days of Fire somehow. Page 9: This is a transcript of a conversation between Miller and Babbit talking about Miranda. Babbit thinks that Miranda is working with Van Wyk and that she can no longer be trusted. Miller thinks that she is broken and not turned. By that I assume he means that she means no wrong. Apparently, Van Wyk and other like minded people are preparing for the Apocalypse in Turkey. Again, I don’t know enough Hunter to back this up. Page 10: More fun articles. The first one talks ab out how the Red Star is getting close enough for people with store bought telescopes to see. The second article is about unrest
due to different religions. I think this is just to let Miller know that the Apocalypse is still coming. Page 11: This is a transcript of a conversation between Miller and the Throne of the Deepest Root. In this, the Root defines himself as one of the 2,002,204. I am pretty sure this identifies him as a demon. Since in stanza 43 it talks of the demons of the abyss numbering 2,002,199 and there being 5 demons of the world (earthbound?) making the total 2,002,204. I don’t think Lucifer counts as a demon in that count. I think that this demon is trying to enthrall Miller. Near the end Roo t tells Miller how to envoke him and that his boss didn’t seem to mind. Also, as a showing of good faith, Root tells Miller where to find Donnie Cahill. Cahill is mentioned in Saviors and Destroyers as someone who killed his demonically possessed father and the cult his dad had made by sealing them up in the church. How did this demon get the location of Cahill? Maybe the demon that possessed his dad jumped into a new body and wanted revenge. Page 12: This is a private e-mail from Miranda to Miller. In it, she says that she has not turned, it is Babbit that has. Apparently, Babbit is enthralled to Vodantu (Hasmed’s master from the Trilogy) and that Babbit visited St. Louis many times. If you look at the 9/23/03 news ticker, it seems that Vodantu ha s taken up residence in St. Louis. Does this mean that Root is a servant of Vodantu? Miranda tells Miller to get Babbit to be scanned by the NSA. If you look in the revised Vampire core book on pages 271-274, you can read about Cook’s project. Apparently, a devise was invented that could detect vampires, wraiths and ghouls. When a person or entity passes through the dev ice, they show up as either a red body or a black body. Apparently it works on thralls and de mons as well. It seems that the government has invented a machine that can cast “sense wyrm.” Also, this is the beginning of the coded e-mails. In this first coded e-mail, Miller talks about his conversation with Root and hearing about Vodantu. He asks Miranda if Vodantu is with her. For the full translation, it is after this commentary. On a final note, this page also has someone (maybe Miller) figuring out that Vera Sadry and Yves Darra have the same letters in each. More on this later. Page 13: This is a letter from some black ops person to Babbit talking about them observing Miller. Miller thinks he is under surveillance and is taking precautions but hasn’t caught them yet. The second bit is talking about just what would happen if the scientists from the article on page 3 and their findings that the speed of light is ever increasing were true. Apparently, if PIRT has it right, then light will reach a speed of infinite and the universe would be everywhere at once and it would end. They set the time of this happening for the middle of next year. So, would that mean about the time that the Time of Judgement book comes out? Page 14: This is another article about the coming Apocalypse. This talks about how people all over the world are beginning to worship demons. They even mention Usiel from the Trilogy as being worshiped as the Reaper of Souls. See the epilogue of the Trilogy for info on that. In a nutshell, this article is saying that it is time for a new religion and devil worship seems to be filling that void. Page 15: This is a transcript between Miller a nd some vampire with the initials MM. This vampire is an original creation and is not in any of the vampire books. Anyway, Miller demands to know about Days of Fire and Root. The vamp says that he doesn’t kn ow who Root is, but Days of Fire is totally true. Page 16: Ah, the last of the encoded messages. Again, the full translation of them will be after this section. The first one is from Miranda to Miller, and the second is a reply from
Miller to Miranda. In the first, Miranda says that she doesn’t know Root or Vodantu. She does know about someone called Vassago and how he is involved with Fiske. He also mentions that Vassago is trying to take over two people: John Coaler (Rigger111) and Leaf Pankowski (Potter116). These two are hunters and their story involving Vassago can be found in Hunter: Fall From Grace. In the second e-mail, Miller talks about how he got Babbit to the capitol and then Babbit goes on leave a couple days later. Looks like the NSA got him. Miller also thinks it is interesting that 2 people whose names are both anagrams for “adversary” both translated Days of Fire, a book written by the devil. Miller also talks about his fears in how Days of Fire seems to be coming true more and more every day. Page 17: 2 more Apocalyptic articles. Nothing of note to expand upon in the first article other than this is proof that it is the end times for them. The second article talks about people found dead in the Gateway Arch in the buffalo exhibit in St. Louis. Is Vodantu trying to make a statement that humans are going the way of the buffalo? Page 18: In this memo from Miller to Babbit, Miller talks about how Sadry and Darra were killed within minutes of each other on different sides of the continent with a very rare gun that was found on Miller’s back doorstep. Creepy! I wonder if this is Lucifer trying to tell Miller something. I can’t think of any other person who could do that. I used to think that Lucifer was really Darra and Sadry because he takes many forms in the Trilogy. But if there were bodies left behind, how could he do that? Page 19: This just tells you how to translate the encoded e-mails. Page 20: This is the obligatory “REPENT!” article. Nothing much to e xpand upon, but I wonder if Father Ramos wrote it? ;) Page 21: This is Miller’s goodbye speech. Nothing much to expand upon here. Page 22: This is Miller’s escape. Miller apparently enacted a ritual in a cemetery in Kansas. It says on page 5 that in this cemetery is a passage to Hell. Later, in the Time of Judgment book, we learn that Miller did this to meet Lucifer and didn’t actually go to Hell.
Days of Fire Translation By Ian James (First Encoded Letter) Do you remember me telling you about a good book I read once? I think we should use that. Babbit is acting very odd. I got a call from someone that I think is very special affairs. Maybe this person who stole the Latin fragment. Like you, he thinks Babbit h as gone over. And he calls himself “The Throne of the Deepest Root.” That, and other things he said, are references to old demonology tests – the kind of books no one finds on amazon.com. Is he with you? I don’t know who to believe. Babbit is acting odd. The man from Stull is calling at home and he mentioned Vodantu. Is he with you? (Second Encoded Letter) None of my contacts know anything about you, and no one had heard of this Deepest Root character. Did you try getting Babbit to the capitol?
Be very careful, Woodrow. Both of us have seen terrible things working special, but I think we just saw the coming attractions. Now the feature is playing. I have believed in demons ever since I arrested Jane Inoue. Do you? I don’t know anything about “Vodantu” and neither do my associates but they believe Fiske is serving some entity called “Vassago,” also known as The Se er of Scorn. They don’t speak his name out loud and they think Fiske wasn’t his only servant. They sound crazy some times but I’ve seen things I can’t explain. We’re trying to find Fiske and a diamond necklace and two people – John Coaler and Leaf Pankowski. My associates think those two are very important, that Vassago may be on the bri nk of taking them over, of controlling humans directly. You know that’s possible. You saw it in Ohio. Do you believe in demons? M. (Third Encoded Letter) I got Babbit to the capitol and two days later he went on temporary administrative leave. Coincidence? Who can tell? I made contact with Madeline Mason. She is V for victory, as I suspected. But she had information about the books, solid stuff. She made a drop off in Barstow and I do not think I was followed. I have spoken to the Deepest Root too, but I do not think I will again. Imeres Pyros is starting to make too much sense and I do not like it. So much points to it being a hoax – for instance, the names “Yves Darra” and “Very Sadry” are both anagrams for “Adversary.” If this is a hoax, it is the most insanely expensive, elaborate and intelligent hoax in history. It almost makes more sense to believe the book is true. Demons? I do not know. But believing in them is starting to make more sense too.
Thanks Page Special thanks to: Allison, for being there for me and helping with the analysis. Kristina and Sean Sullivan for turning me on to White Wolf. Greg Stolze for writing most of the books and being a really great writer. Mike Lee for designing the game. White Wolf Studios for actually making the game. And anybody I left out.
