Cabal and GURPS Cabal

Clive Barker's Cabal (usually better known by the title of its cinematic version Nightbreed) concerns a secret society of monstrous beings, who hide away from the rest of the world in a city called Midian. GURPS Cabal concerns a secret society of magicians and monsters who secretly control the world (or at least, are one of the secret conspiracies that contend to control the world). Obviously, they already have a lot in common with each other.

Combining the two is not as easy as it may seem. Midian is destroyed at the novel's conclusion, and the monsters, with their new leader, are turned loose to find a new home. But what if Midian (and Baphomet, the lord of Midian whose death presages its destruction) were not destroyed at all, but rather transfigured? From its place on the earthly plane of Assiah, Midian has risen to a higher plane of existence, most likely the Astral plane of Yetzirah or the Iconic realm of Briah. It's even possible that Baphomet himself (or possibly itself) may have ascended to the Spiritual place of Atziluth - which would place him on a par with the Grand Masters of the Cabal itself.

Depending on your take on the world of GURPS Cabal, the Cabal may be ally or antagonist, and the inmates of Midian likewise. If the society of Midian is a part of the Cabal, then it most likely constitutes a separate Lodge in its own right, and Baphomet is certainly a Grand Master, although Boone, his successor, may be only a Novice or an Adept - although he has come a long way, he still has a way to go. (Indeed, he may desire to keep the Nightbreed apart from the rest of the Cabal until such time as he can assume the rank of Master, if not Grand Master.) On the other hand, the fact that Boone himself adopts the name of Cabal must signify something about himself and his intentions. Is he holding himself up as an exemplar, or does he intend to lead the creatures of Midian into taking over the Cabal? Perhaps his role of leadership is less altruistic than it seems, and he intends to mystically "become" the Cabal in some fashion, subsuming it into himself somehow.

And what of Decker, the man who sets Boone's feet upon the path? Is he a member of a rival lodge of the Cabal, or perhaps of a completely different conspiracy? Although he seems to have little knowledge of the occult, he does not seem at perturbed by its existence when he does learn of it. And his behaviour throughout always seems to carry the implication that he knows more than he is telling.

An interesting introduction to a Cabal campaign might follow a group of PC's investigating Decker's disappearance. From such a beginning, any campaign could be led as far into the mysteries of the Cabal - or Cabals - as the GM might wish to go.

 


Source Material for
Cabal:

Cabal

Nightbreed

Source Material for
GURPS Cabal:

GURPS Cabal

Further Crossovers featuring Cabal:

none so far

Further Crossover featuring GURPS Cabal:

none so far

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All original content Copyright Loki Carbis, 2003-2006
Last revised: January 17, 2006