Description: At fi rst glance, this looks like a small
ceramic jar or vase, about fi ve inches tall with an outward bulge in the center. The terracotta container is too heavy to be empty, and inside is a cylinder made of a rolled-up copper sheet with an iron rod stuck through the center. The cop- per and iron are kept apart by some asphalt between them. Picking it up sends a tingling feeling across the palms and makes one’s hairs stand on end.
Background: Baghdad batteries are one of the great
mysteries of archaeology. Discovered in Khuyut Rabbou’a, Iraq in 1936, they seem to be galvanic cells. They are ca- pable of producing low levels of electricity when fl ooded with an electrolyte. In the case of a rudimentary battery such as this, lemon juice or vinegar will do, though more modern electrolytic fl uids are considerably more effi cient. Either of the following backgrounds may be accurate.
Religious: Sharpur II of the Sassanid Empire was a
powerful and pious ruler. His infl uence strengthened Zoro- astrianism in his territory and weakened Christianity. After the Christianization of the Roman Empire, Sharpur II acted to unify his peoples under Zoroastrianism. Under Sharpur
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II, holy men took up the use of “the cracking fl ame.” Fire being a powerful symbol in the sect, these priests created what are now called the Baghdad batteries, and used them for rituals all over the Empire: A priest called forth sparks from the device and used it to light otherwise noncombus- tible objects, citing both “miracles” as examples of “calling the holy fi re”. These rituals were used as proof that the holy fi re of Ahura Mazda (the religion’s version of the Creator) existed on Earth, even where it was not evident.
While these public demonstrations were the only offi cial uses of the batteries in the Sassanid Empire, the devices were too powerful (and useful) to be limited to their intended purposes for long. Some priests, discontent with the sect’s traditions, began using them in rituals that did not outwardly display fi re (and thus espouse the existence of Ahura Mazda) but instead demonstrated “the secret fi re coursing within.” The priests who used them in this way formed their own sub-sect, and they performed the rituals only for certain individuals whom they deemed worthy of such privi-
lege. Over the time, a mystery cult grew within the major Zoroastrian religion. Its foremost members were most often these bat- tery-wielding priests, but not all members were priests, and certainly not all priests were mem- bers. Initiates into the cult experi- enced the holy sensation of small currents running through them, be- lieving they were channeling holy energy and light. Through intention or circumstance, the batteries used in their secret rituals became imbued with a measure of mystic power.
One of Bah- ram IV’s last acts, only a short time before his son would begin enforcing re- ligious tolerance in the Empire, was to ruthlessly dismantle the mystery cult within his fore- bear’s treasured
Zoroastrianism. The cult’s secret leaders organized the ruler’s assassination, but acted too late to save their religion. Survivors of the persecution were too scattered to continue the specialized worship. The batteries recovered at Khuyut Rabbou’a were a clutch buried by a member of the cult only a short time before soldiers took her. Since their recovery in the modern day, the batteries have sought out similar circumstances to the one that eventually led to the cult’s downfall.
Scientifi c: The Parthians ruled in Persia before the Sas-
sanid Dynasty took hold, but much less of their culture survived into the present. Their mastery of electricity allowed their rapid rise to power in the region: stronger and lighter metals created through the use of electroplating and electrically created al- loys gave them heavy cavalry that was faster and could travel longer than their enemies, advanced medical knowledge that prolonged lives and the creation of batteries that powered most of their scientifi c advancements.
baghdad battery
y worthy of such privi-
, , a mystery e major n. Its were at- ts, rs e d e- n o e
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chapter two-a million little things
The Baghdad batteries were the basis of the Parthians’ power. Every signifi cantly sized town kept a battery in a de- fensible place of honor, and many major cities had several. Their keepers guided their use, whether for advancements in the medical fi eld, making art (through electroplating, in some cases), crafting tools and weapons or heating entire cities. Electrical advancements were not uniform across the empire: electric lights debuted in west Persia and were later lost, though knowledge of them (along with one of the batter- ies) may have migrated into the Hathor Temple at Dendera (see Dendera Lights or Dendera Reliefs on pp. 56-58).
Wherever inequality of wealth or technology exists, however, rebellion is rarely far behind. The Parthian vas- sal states revolted and brought the Parthians down. With the civilization went their knowledge of electricity and batteries. Ctesiphon, one of Parthia’s capitals, is where the batteries were recovered from a vault that was secured long ago against the Parthian’s enemies.
Students of ancient Persia and characters interested in unsolved mysteries, obscure religious cults or scientifi c mysteries have heard of the Baghdad batteries. Characters with higher ranks in Science certainly understand the physical principles behind the Baghdad batteries, whether or not they’ve heard of the relics.
• Some modern Zoroastrian congregations conceal inner circles of “the enlightened” – sub-sects that trace their heritage all the way back to the days of Sharpur II. They share none of their secrets with outsiders and few with other Zoroastrians. Under these inner circles’ infl uence, some Zoroastrian congregations become involved with electrical concerns (more than one indirectly owns a power plant); others are heavily connected to various pseudo-spiritual consortiums of philosophy and/or cut- ting edge technology, most often in areas considered borderline unethical by mainstream scientists.
• In 2003, an enormous blackout left over 50 million people in North America without power. Offi cial fi ndings on the cause are largely inconclusive. Internal National Guard records in the area indicate the epicenter was in or around one of the major city centers affected by the black out, roughly the same area and time as a museum housing one of the Baghdad batteries was broken into and the relic stolen.
• Rumors suggest that Wilhelm König, the German director of the National Museum of Iraq at the time of the objects’ discovery, sought them on Hitler’s behalf. That his ap- pointment to the position had political motive is diffi cult to refute. Proponents of König, however, claim that he hid his beliefs and used his position to slow Hitler’s search for occult objects. Either way, König fell ill and left the museum shortly before his death. Some believe that he was poisoned by enemies of Nazi Germany or people suspecting his betrayal. Others claim he completed his duties and his death was faked — that the real König was whisked away before his involvement could come to light. Regardless of the museum developer’s loyalties, the fact remains that four of the museum’s half dozen
Baghdad batteries disappeared in the years following König’s departure.
Storytelling Hints: A character that has a Baghdad
battery holds an ancient culture’s unexplained remnants in her hands. It could be part of a religious ritual, a method for creating art that the culture is not expected to know or evidence of a culture more technologically advanced than archaeologists believe. Whether one of these is true, or some- thing else entirely, the battery represents the vast amount of information about the past that remains unknown. It is proof that there are more answers out there (which in turn, of course, unearth more questions), and that aspect should come out in games involving one of the batteries. One character may very well use it only for its powers, without caring about its meaning, but others in the game (player and Storyteller driven characters alike) may very well be drawn in by the mysteries surrounding it and the promise of potential secrets revealed. After all, almost everyone wants answers.
In some games, the scientifi c nature of the fi rst Power will be out-of-theme with the second set of Powers. Storytellers may want to choose either one or the other for the batteries. Choosing the Ancient Source of Energy for some batteries and the Religious Powers for others introduces more mysteries. Why are some batteries scientifi c marvels and others connec- tions to the divine? Could their creators reliably design tools of super-science and super-religion? Were they created by two like but competing peoples, one devoted to pure reason and one to worship? The questions raised may lead to even more mysteries for characters to explore.
Effects
(Unique) Ancient Source of Energy (••): When
fi lled with any simple electrolyte fl uid, the Baghdad battery becomes a weak source of power (capable of powering a fl ashlight or other simple electrical device for an hour per fi lling). A modern electrolyte (created with a successful Intelligence + Science roll) increases the power, effec- tively doubling the battery’s effi ciency. Similarly, multiple batteries can be aligned in parallel to increase the power (add 100% to the power level for each battery beyond the fi rst) or duration (add an additional hour in duration for each additional battery). There is a lost recipe for a more effi cient fl uid electrolyte, used by the culture that created the batteries, which vastly increases the amount of energy released by the Baghdad battery. With that fl uid, the bat- teries become strong sources of power. The recipe may be recoverable in Iraq – or perhaps someone has it now. To use a Baghdad battery as anything more powerful than a novelty, electricity-wise, a character must fi rst recover or recreate the recipe. One who knows it must still follow the recipe’s exacting instructions (an extended Intelligence + Science roll with each roll equating to an hour dedicated to the process. Thirty successes are needed.) and the electrolyte must be replaced on a weekly basis, regardless of how much or little it is used. This process acts as a ritual cost for the power. With this fuel source, a battery produces a strong
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and persistent electrical current, capable of providing for the electrical needs of a small home for the week.
Religious Powers: The batteries’ creators used them
to generate weak voltages that they interpreted as religious sensations. Activating the battery and channeling the current through one’s chest provides a feeling of closeness to the divine. This provides a benefi t that manifests as one of the following powers (or others as deemed appropriate). At the Storyteller’s discretion, using modern electrolyte fuels or multiple Baghdad batteries in series may open up more of the following powers; a power may become available when using a number of batteries equal to its dot value. Thus one weak battery gives access to Ephemeral Revelation, two in junction to Battery of Will, and three to Exchange of Power (or Battery of Will and Ephemeral Revelation). Six batteries in combination are needed to fuel all three powers simultaneously. Using a strong electrolyte fuel doubles the power, while the lost recipe effectively quadruples any battery’s power, allowing up to four dots of powers for each battery thus fueled.
Ephemeral Revelation (•): Any religion that allows
its followers to see the divine is hard to refute. This power suggests something about what the battery’s creators con- sidered holy. When the character touches leads from an active Baghdad battery to her chest (providing the classic tightening sensation of electrically-induced muscle spasm) and then briefl y to her temples, she is gifted with supernatu- ral sight. When she opens her eyes again, she is able to see creatures in Twilight. This power lasts for one scene
Battery of Will (••): The sensation of holiness re-
plenishes the character’s resolve. After activating a Baghdad battery, the character may spend 2 Willpower points to save a single point in the battery for later use. In order to draw upon the stored Willpower, the character must hold the battery or its container with fervor to recall the elating spiritual contact she experienced earlier when using the device. Fueling the battery with Willpower requires a one hour ritual for every two points spent, during which time the character activates the battery with a fl uid electrolyte and touches leads to her chest. Using the battery more than once in a single scene distracts the character with memories of the religious revelation. For every point beyond the fi rst removed from the battery in a given scene, the character suffers a -1 cumulative penalty to all actions until she is able to get eight hours of sleep (maximum -4 penalty.)
Exchange of Power (•••): By touching leads from the bat-
tery to her head, the character fuels herself with mystic energy. Running the current through an eye increases Wits, running it over the top of her skull improves her Intelligence and run- ning current through the back of the head fuels Resolve. The process is painful (and debilitating), but it is often described as a “holy” agony. A character can only increase one Attribute at any given time; the battery’s power increases the Attribute by one dot. Using the battery in this way requires great fortitude to withstand the pain without removing the leads: any activa- tion of this power requires a point of Willpower in addition to standard costs. This power lasts for one scene.