Page 243 - Chronicles of Darkness

From Left to Right: Joseph Moore, Dr. Henri Gerrard, Lucien McJack,
Benjamin Wayne Masters, and Margret Avery

that this device would allow them to freely travel to any point talks with his hands or works with his hands while he is talk-
in the past or future. Dr. Girard came to believe that this ing. When he is talking about something important to him,
device was instead inspired by the God-Machine, to enable his eyes brighten and he speaks in a faster, more animated
it to dissolve all of time into a single, endless moment, an tone of voice, almost becoming manic at times. Dr. Girard is
act that would destroy humanity and horribly transform the quite well off, and all of his clothes are obviously expensive
entire cosmos. Dr. Girard’s superiors refused to believe him and well made, but unless he is attending a formal dinner
and dismissed his concerns. To avoid imprisonment or death, or some similar function, his appearance is clean, but often
he then convinced them that he had made a mistake and slightly ill kempt, with his shirttail partially untucked or his
that he, too, was looking forward to gaining mastery of time. hair only half combed.
Since 1920, Dr. Girard secretly devoted much of his ef- Storytelling Hints: Dr. Girard is brilliant and thoughtful
forts to discovering a way to destroy the device he had helped and ever since 1920 he has been devoted to the idea of sav-
create before it had built up sufficient power to activate and ing humanity from destruction. He has also learned that his
destroy time. Unfortunately, he realized that the only way to previous beliefs in both the God-Machine’s grand purpose
safely deactivate the device was to keep the device from being and the wisdom of his superiors were misplaced. Prior to
built in the first place. Dr. Girard knew that to accomplish 1920, he was an idealist who was convinced that service to
this goal, he or someone else must travel back to 1901, just the God-Machine would benefit both himself and humanity
after the device was activated, and before he informed his as a whole. Since that time, he has learned that at least some
superiors about it. of his superiors are greedy and self-serving and that the angels
Description: Dr. Girard is a tall, slender handsome man and the God-Machine itself care nothing for humanity.
with a full head of shockingly-red hair. His blue eyes stare Dr. Girard understands that overthrowing the God-
intently at anyone he is talking to. He has a soft, but intense, Machine’s power over humanity is impossible and that ef-
voice and often speaks like he is a skilled and engaging profes- forts to do so would end badly. Instead, he wishes to avoid
sor lecturing to a class of students. Dr. Girard enjoys talking disasters and to help find ways for humanity to survive and
about cutting-edge chemistry and physics with anyone who perhaps even thrive. If the characters succeed in the Tale A
can meaningfully discuss these topics. Dr. Girard’s demeanor Journey Into Time (p. 228), and in 1901 inform Dr. Girard
is both expressive and somewhat nervous. He usually either of the reason for their actions, his skepticism about his

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cogs in the machine-characters