Highlander, all terms and photos, copyright by Rysher Entertainment
White Wolf, World of Darkness, all terms copyright by White Wolf Inc.

CHARACTER CREATION - "I am Immortal/I have inside me blood of kings/I have no rivals/No man can be my equal..." -- Queen; Princes of the Universe

The basic rules for my version of Highlander: the Gathering are the same as any White Wolf system. To make things easier, the only information presented here is new information -- the specific stuff you need to know to create and play Immortals in the White Wolf system.  I've assumed you know what you need to know about the Highlander story to fill in those details -- these are mostly just straight rules.

IMMORTAL CHARACTERS HAVE:
Attributes: 7/5/3, Abilities: 13/9/5, Backgrounds: 5, Foci: Sense Quickening of one dot, Willpower: 5, Mortality: 5, Quickening: 3, Virtues (Conscience, Courage & Self-Control; all start with one dot, as Attributes do): 7, Freebees: 15
Available Abilities: Choose any from the books, except those an Immortal could never have (such as Rituals for Garou). If you need other Abilities due to your chraracter's bizarre history, check with the Storyteller and make them up.
Available Backgrounds: Resources, Contacts, Allies, Mentor (rank determines the age of the mentor; each dot represents about 500 years), Fame, Clan (a mortal family you can connect to throughout the years), Age (see below; PCs can't have over 5 dots)
Available Foci (note that the activation of any Focus power requires the expenditure of one Quickening point, whether the roll for the power is successful or not) -- this list can be freely added to with agreement between player and GM; several Vampiric Disciplines, such as Dominate, for example, make good Foci:

• Enhanced Attributes
  This power adds temporary dots to Physical Attributes for the duration of one scene. To use the power, the player must roll this power with a difficulty of 4. Ever success indicates one dot which can be added to a Physical score at the player's discretion. However, once selected, the target of the increase may not be changed and only one roll may be made per scene. Note that dots do not all have to be placed on the same score. If a roll is a failure, the player may try again in a short while, but a botch indicates that you may not try again until the next scene.
• Enhanced Senses
  Every dot in this power represents one sense which may be enhanced for the duration of one scene. During the scene, the enhancement may be changed, but only with a new roll (point expenditure not required), and the original enhancement is lost. To enhance, the player must spend one Quickening point and make a Foci plus Perception roll. The process of activation takes one combat round of concentration. All enhancements must be based on animals. Some example enhancements include: keen hearing of a dog, ultra sonic hearing of a bat, distance vision & acuity of an eagle, nightvision of a cat, sense of touch of a raccoon, and so on. On a failed roll, the character may try again after a short while, but a botch indicates he may not try again until the next scene.
• Chaos
  This power is identical to the Wraith Arcanos of Pandemonium.
• Empower Weapon
  Every success on a roll of this Focus (Foci + Stamina, difficulty 6) adds one die to the character's damage dice with the weapon he/she is currently holding. The empowerment lasts for one scene, although the effects are not cumulative during the scene (if someone tries to re-empower an empowered weapon, only the latest roll counts). A failure means that the player can try again later in the scene. A botch means he/she must wait until the next scene to try again. Note that damage from an empowered weapon is considered aggravated, and also causes a minor light show (sparks and shocks).
• Obfuscation
  This power is identical to the Vampire Discipline of the same name.
• Telekinesis
  At a range of ten feet per dot, this Focus allows the character to use his mind, combined with his Quickening, to affect physical objects. The roll is the Focus + Perception, with a difficulty of 6, and a Quickening point must be expended for each attempt. Every success represents one simple action which may be performed, such as lifting a box, punching an enemy, or pulling a lever. The activation lasts only as many minutes as the player rolled successes, and maintaining control over an object (such as levitating the lifted box) counts as one action per minute. The effective Strength of the telekinesis is equal to the character's Wits Attribute. Only one attempt at activation may be made per scene -- if the player botches, the character loses use of the Focus for the current and next consecutive scenes.
• Sense Quickening
  With the exception of the basic one dot Sense Quickening power, use of this Focus requires a Perception + Focus roll, with varying difficulty. The greater the character's rank, the more and varied creatures he/she can sense:
  • 1 Dot - Sense Quickening (automatic - no roll or Quickening cost)
  • 2 Dots - Sense Supernatural (such as Mages, Wraiths, Werewolves, etc. -- Difficulty 7)
  • 3 Dots - Pinpoint Sensations (all senses are general, indicating only presence within the Focus's range, unless this is used -- Difficulty 7 for Immortals, 8 for Supernatural, and 9 for Mortals (only with 4 dots of Focus, however))
  • 4 Dots - Sense Mortals
  • 5 Dots - Obscurity (the Immortal can block any extra-sensory perception of his/her presence, with the exception of basic Immortal Quickening sensing in the general 100 yard range)

  All sensations are based on disruptions in the "life web" around the Immortal, which is why even undead can be sensed. A sense of nausia and increased awareness is the core of the experience. The range of all sensations is 100 yards. A failed roll is simply a failure, but a botch means the character receives false information based on a poor reading of the "life web."

Effects of the Age Background: every point adds a century onto the amount of time the character has lived through. No points mean that the character is a relatively young immortal -- reborn within the 20th century. Each of these points also adds 5 freebee points, reduces Mortality by 1, and allows a greater number of loose contacts and associations within Immortal society.

Here are the Freebee costs for certain traits:

RULES & SYSTEMS - "I'll be the judge of that..." -- Kane

Mortality operates much like Humanity does for vampires. The total of a character's Virtues is dependant his Mortality score. If the Stoyteller deems that a point of Mortality is lost during the course of a story, the player must make one roll on each Virtue, difficulty 8. Any botches result in that Virtue being decreased by one. Characters can roll Conscience checks to avoid losing points in Mortality -- this means they feel remorse for their actions. The difficulty for such a roll is 7 (or higher, depending on the severity of the act). Below is a basic personality description for the range of Mortality scores.

MORTALITY SCORE	MODIFICATIONS & NOTES
10	Saintly disposition -- compassionate and pacifistic
9-6	Average
4-5	Seen as a bit odd or arrogant, but still definitely human.
3	Aloof and often haughty. Gregor, an Immortal from the series, was like this. Sometimes toy with mortals -- curious about things like fear and pain.
2	Manipulative and cruel. Frequently uses humans as pawns or even playthings. Mortals tend to shy away from you.
1	Think of Kurgan -- loathsome and brutal, seeing mortals as no more than objects for entertainment. Will, however, maintain the tenets of Immortal law.
0	Totally inhuman -- worse than Kurgan. Rarely speak to or acknowledge mortals. Cares nothing for maintaining the secrecy of the immortals, and is thus hunted by all.

The costs for advancing abilities and the like change after character creation. The prices are listed below.

TRAIT	COST
Attribute	Current x4
Ability	Current x2, New Ability costs 3
Focus	Current x3, New Focus at 1 dot costs 7
Quickening	Special -- see below
Mortality	Only advances through role-playing
Virtues	Current x2
Willpower	Current x1

Quickening can only be raised with temporary Quickening, which is gained solely by beheading other immortals. Ten temporary points become one permanant point. These temporary points can be used like any Quickening points, but temp. points so used are erased (success or not).

Attributes and Abilities may go over the standard limits of 5, but the experience costs are much higher: current rating x6 for Attributes and current rating x4 for Abilities. The player must also give the Storyteller a good rationale for the supernatural advancement.

SWORD COMBAT - "How do you fight such a savage?" "With heart, faith, and steel..." -- Connor MacLeod and Ramirez

John Gavigan recognized the need for some advanced fighting techniques and wrote the following:

"To reflect the complexity of sword combat, and the fact that it's not just a case of hacking at the other person until one of you dies, I have adopted the following list of standard sword-fighting maneuvers from the rules for Klaive-duelling in the Werewolf Players Guide. They are split up into two types - Attack maneuvers and Defense maneuvers. Normally, the attacker will choose an Attacking maneuver, and his opponent will choose a Defense maneuver, in an attempt to counter it, but in some cases, the nature of the Attack maneuver will only allow the defender one option. For example, if an attacker decides to try and disarm his opponent, his opponent must decide to try to hang on to his weapon. He has no other choice."

The Gavigan list, with additions

• Normal Attack
  The attacker attempts to wound his/her opponent, rolling Dexterity + Melee, with the Difficulty specified by the weapon used.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty
• Feint
  The attacker rolls Manipulation + Melee for his attack roll, with a difficulty modifier of +3. This attack may not be parried - it may only be dodged.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty + 3
• Disarm
  The attacker rolls Dexterity + Melee, resisted by Dexterity + Melee from their opponent, both rolls difficulty six. If either combatant rolls three successes or more above their opponents successes, they disarm their opponent, and their weapon falls to the ground. If you botch this roll, you automatically drop your own weapon!
  Type: Attack Difficulty: 6
• Great Blow
  The attacker commits themselves completely to a devastating blow (but not a blow to decapitate their opponent). They roll a normal attack roll, with a +2 to difficulty. Although a Great Blow cannot be parried, it can be dodged. If the attack succeeds, the attack dice are doubled. However, the attacker's difficulty for their Initiative the next round is 5, not 4, and they have a +2 to all Defense difficulties during the next round also.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty +2
  NOTE: I found the Great Blow to be excessively powerful, and I subsequently modified the damage to double weapon dice only. Caveat emptor.
• Called Shot
  Roll Perception + Melee, the difficulty number is your opponents Dex + Dodge. If successful, the number of successes add to the number of damage dice done by your weapon. Optionally, you may elect to target a specific area - See the table below for details of Difficulties and effects. This blow can be parried or dodged as normal and is often used to start off a bout.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Opp. Dex + Dodge Aimed Attack
  • Hands/Arms - Difficulty +3/+2, Damage: A Wounded result means the hand/arm is broken and any weapons in that hand cannot be used; if the hand is holding a sword, it is dropped. A Crippled result means that the limb is sheared off. To reattach, the limb must be recovered and held to the wound while the immortal regenerates to restore himself to at least Mauled level. The limb cannot be used until it fully heals (treat as if it has taken aggravated damage). The immortal will have a scar thereafter, showing where the limb was removed.
  • Legs - Difficulty +1, Damage: A Wounded result means that the limb is broken; the penalties to the Dice Pool apply to any activities requiring running. An Incapacitated result with a sharp weapon means the limb is cut off, with the same results as severing a hand or arm.
  • Chest/Torso - Difficulty +1, Damage: The character will have the air knocked out of his lungs on a Wounded result (stunned for the turn), and his ribs broken on a Mauled result (must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 8, each turn to keep acting). If the immortal is attacked from behind, and the result is one more than needed to Incapacitate, then the spine is broken, and his lower body is paralyzed until he regenerates to the Crippled level.
• Parry
  The combatant must roll Dexterity + Melee against their weapon's normal difficulty. Each success on this roll subtracts from one attack success made against the parrying warrior.
  Type: Defense Difficulty : Weapon Difficulty
• Riposte
  This maneuver may only be used after the one who wishes to use it has successfully parried a blow. This maneuver is a Strength + Melee roll, the weapon's difficulty serves as an attack roll. This sort of attack may not be dodged, though it may be parried, and if successfully parried, this attack may also be riposted.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty
• Caught Steel
  Roll Strength + Melee versus a difficulty of your opponent's Dexterity + Melee. If successful, you lock swords with him for a short interval, during which you struggle with him before your blade and his can be freed (he can do no damage this attack). If you receive more than three successes on your roll, you manage to put him off-balance for the following round, adding one to the difficulty of his Initiative roll.
  Type: Defense Difficulty: Opp. Dex + Melee
• Decapitation
  This is an Aimed Attack at the neck, requiring a Perception + Melee versus a difficulty of your opponent's Dex + Dodge. To decapitate, you must reduce your opponent to one level past Incapacitated.
  Type: Attack Difficulty: Opp. Dex + Dodge"
• Quick Draw (new to these rules)
  The Immortal draws his blade in the blink of an eye, allowing him to defend a sudden blow, or, on an Attack type roll of 2 plus the weapon difficulty, to attack your opponent.
  Type: Defense Difficulty: Weapon Difficulty

IMMORTALITY - "It's a kind of magic." -- Connor MacLeod

Being Immortal doesn't simply mean living forever. That is certainly part of it, but the deal is far more complex than that.

First of all, Immortal's are exceedingly healthy and able-bodied, to the point that they can regenerate. Immortals heal Health Levels according to this table (only when they are at rest!), and the times are cumulative:

HEALTH LEVEL	TIME TO HEAL
Bruised	One Round
Hurt	One Round
Injured	Two Rounds
Wounded	Two Rounds
Mauled	Three Rounds
Crippled	Four Rounds
Incapacitated	Five Rounds

This includes "negative" health levels, as severe, "killing" damage will only send the immortal into suspended animation until he can heal up to at least 1 positive health level (each negative level takes one round to heal). Alternately, the immortal can spend Quickening to heal some levels instantly (one level per point). Aggravated damage, however, cannot be healed in this fashion -- you just have to wait it out. Also, to heal from the damage level to perfect health, you must remain uninjured during the required time. If, for example, your character is Bruised, he will heal in one round. However, if, during that round, he is struck again and suffers two more levels of damage, he does not heal that Bruised level -- he is at the Injured level, and must wait three full rounds to heal to pristine condition.

Immortals are immune to diseases and illness -- they don't catch colds, although they may periodically pretend to, so as to maintain their secrecy. Similarly, they cannot be killed by deadly poisons. Knock-out gasses and the like will affect them, but an Immortal can guzzle a glass of cyanide-tainted wine and suffer only the standard incapacitation and rebirth. Note, however, that Immortals can get drunk (and often do).

This isn't to say that Immortals don't feel pain. Indeed, it is the intense pain of death and rebirth that keeps an Immortal from tossing himself to the winds of fate on a regular basis -- only in the most desperate situations will an Immortal allow himself to "die."

In game terms, an Immortal "dies" when his health level is reduced to zero or less (as do mortals). Once this point is reached, the Immortal falls into a state of suspended animation -- there is no heartbeat, no brainwave activity. He is, for all medical purposes, deceased. In actuality, however, this state is one of increased healing. It takes quite a bit of energy for an Immortal to be "reborn," and the physical body must be completely shut down so that the power of the Quickening can regenerate damaged tissue. Health levels are restored as previously noted, no matter how much damage is incurred -- some Immortals have been out for so long that they find themselves on the autopsy table when they come to.

The only true way to destroy an Immortal is to remove his head from his body -- to sever his mind from his heart, these two organs being the pillars of an Immortal's connection to the Quickening, which is described below. Decapitation is the quickest and surest way of killing an Immortal, although other methods that destroy the connection between head and heart can and do work. Extreme heat (and I mean extreme), for example, will eventually kill an Immortal, if he allows his head to be burnt to ashes. Either of these organs can be damaged, but if either are completely destroyed or separated from the other, then the Immortal thus afflicted will die.

THE QUICKENING - "Feel the power of the Quickening!" -- Ramirez

The Quickening is the term used to describe the connection that all Immortals have to the pulsating, rhythmic ebb and flow of life around them. They draw from and revel in the power given by pure, raw life energy.

This connection gives Immortals some super-human abilities, some of which are known as Foci. The most common Focus is the ability to sense the presence of other Immortals (Sense Quickening). Immortal life-force is strong, and radiates a distinct aura that only other Immortals can recognize (although other supernatural types may be able to see it, they can't identify it). When an Immortal senses another of his kind, he feels a slight queasiness in the stomach and a heightened perception of the environment around him -- the life-forces of the two Immortals are reacting with one another. The radius of this effect is roughly 100 yards in all directions, regardless of physical obstacles. There is no way to block or falsify this sensation, although it will settle down with prolonged exposure to a specific Immortal (you can hang out with an Immortal and not throw up every ten minutes).

The Quickening is the means by which an Immortal is immortal. At some time in his past, he had an encounter which ended his mortal life. A short time thereafter, usually a few hours later, he was reborn. From that point onward, he was destined (some say doomed) to live forever. Newly reborn Immortals are disoriented, shaken, and very confused. This is the time when many are cut down -- other Immortals can sense them, and the life-force of someone just reborn is high. Many are the Immortals who never got a chance to taste immortality because they were too slow and too confused.

Immortals never age from the point at which they first become immortal. Their organs and muscles work just as well 500 years as 50 years from the day of their rebirth. Up until the point that an Immortal meets his first physical death, he will age, get sick, heal and be injured as if he were a mortal. In fact, Immortals must be born to mortal parents, as all Immortals are, paradoxically, sterile.

THE QUICKENING RATING - "The Quickening! The Quickening has hold of me! I know everything! I am everything!" -- Connor MacLeod

Quickening is an extremely vital Advantage. It is used in many ways, which are listed below.

One point of Quickening spent will:

• - Activate certain Foci (in most cases, the Focus must also be rolled for successes).
• - Grant an extra combat action (no more total actions than Dex score in one round).
• - Add 1 to one Primary category Attribute for one scene (non-cumulative).
• - Heal a Health Level in one combat turn of concentration.

Quickening points spent to do any of these things are not lost -- they regenerate to full at the end of the scene. Quickening is also used (after dividing in two and rounding down) to compare Ranks/Discipline/Sphere, etc. with other supernaturals.

THE PRICE OF IMMORTALITY - "Live forever... But I feel so dead inside. Are you dead inside MacLeod? Are you dead? Or are you alive?" -- Annie Devlin to Duncan MacLeod

Immortality isn't all sweetness and light. Living forever carries a heavy burden. Imagine watching all of your loved ones grow old, infirm, and weak. Imagine watching them all die while you go on living. Now imagine that happening again... And again... And again... How human are you? Are you human at all?

This is the sort of pain Immortals must deal with. For some, their pain becomes a tragic reminder of the importance of life, its passions, values, and frailty. For many, however, it only means insanity -- dehumanization as a result of losing one's connection to mortality.

ORGANIZATIONS AND STRUCTURES - "No one has ever known we were among you. . . until now. . ." -- Introduction to The Highlander

THE GATHERING AND THE PRIZE - "From the dawn of time we came, moving silently down through the centuries, leading many secret lives. Struggling to reach the time of the Gathering, when the few who remain, will battle to the last." -- Ramirez

The life-forces of Immortals are tied to all living things through the Quickening. This connection includes other Immortals, a fact which has given rise to something known within Immortal society as the Gathering.

The Gathering refers to a time when the surviving Immortals of the world will be drawn together to fight for the Prize. The Prize is power -- the accumulated life-forces of all Immortals who ever lived. No one knows exactly what form the Prize will take, except that it will rise its possessor to a state of near god-hood. In the hands of a good Immortal, this could be bliss. In the hands of a corrupt Immortal, this would mean terrible things for the world of mortals at large.

Many believe that the Gathering is just now beginning -- Immortals are "bumping" into others of their kind more and more frequently. Sometimes the results are violent and bloody Duels, which follow a precise and strict set of laws that have been followed, like all the other rules of the Gathering, for as long as can be remembered.

"On the other hand, it may well be that the legend of the Prize is simply a tale, and that the Gathering will never take place. Perhaps, new immortals will continue to be born forever, thus ensuring that there will never be a single victor. In any case, for Immortals, the Gathering is similar in many ways to the Apocalypse for the Garou, or Gehenna for the Kindred - a fate that no one really believes in , or as some Garou might say, something that will never happen "in our lifetime". The big difference for immortals is that a lifetime can last forever. To an immortal, it matters little whether the Prize is but a legend. He must battle on, for if he stops, he will surely lose his head." -- Hank Driskill and John Gavigan.

There are only a few hundred total Immortals world-wide. Because of this, most of them are familiar with or have at least heard of the others. Only the youngest or most secretive Immortals are unknown.

THE RESULTS OF A DUEL - "One dream/One soul/One prize/One goal/One golden glance/Of what should be." -- Queen; A Kind of Magic

When any Immortal kills another of his kind in a Duel, he absorbs the life energy and vital memories of his opponent. This is a painful and violent process, wherein the energy writhes and plays about the area, smashing windows and wreaking havoc on electrical devices before it is finally drawn into the victorious Immortal. In game terms, the victor gains all of the loser's remaining Quickening points as temporary additions to his own attribute. 10 temporary points equal one permanent point.

In addition, the victor gains as many Ability points as the loser had in total permanent Quickening. These points are to be spent immediately, and only on those Abilities the loser had which were greater than the winner's own.

The ettiquette of the Gathering prohibits any Immortal from attacking another while he is incapacitated by this process or its aftermath -- a period of pain which lasts for a few minutes following the event.

THE LAWS OF THE GATHERING

Observed by all but the most vile Immortals, the laws of the Gathering have been in place for centuries:

1. There can be only one.
2. All holy ground is sanctuary -- hostilities shall not be indulged there.
3. Duels shall only take place between two Immortals at a time.
4. A Duel shall not be interrupted -- only the combatants may end it.
5. Duels are to be fought with only steel.

A NOTE ON HOLY GROUND - "None of us will violate that rule -- it's tradition." -- Ramirez

Because this particular rule has been followed for so long, all immortals have the innate ability to sense when they are standing on holy ground. The term "holy ground" is not limited to what one individual deems holy -- all holy areas are recognized. Like Ramirez said: "it's tradition." This isn't a tradition that is often broken, either -- in fact, only one, Kane, has ever tried to take another immortal's head on holy ground. He failed. There seems to be something about holy lands that almost actively resists this blasphemy.

THE LAW OF SECRECY

This is mainly an unspoken law, and exists for the safety of the Immortals. They know that, while they may be much more powerful than mortals, they are not invulnerable. If mortals were to find out about them en masse, the results could be disastrous for them, with witch-hunts and other such terrors abounding. Some Immortals have been known to reveal their secret to those closest to them, but only if they either have no choice, or trust the mortal completely.

MENTORS - "You're too late, Kurgan. I have prepared him for you..." -- Ramirez

Most Immortals are found by another of their kind just following their first death. These Immortals become mentors and teachers for the newly reborn Immortals. They describe the prizes and prices of immortality and the laws of the Gathering.

The mentor-pupil bond is a strong one, and the two Immortals usually become friends for life (which, for Immortals, is a very long time). Mentors can provide a basis of support for young Immortals who have been forced to leave their friends and family behind as a result of their change.

However, despite this strong bond, there comes a time when the mentor and student must separate. This time is usually marked by the new Immortal's first Duel. Some mentors have even been known to force their pupils to Duel (and slay, if they can) them as a rite of passage. When the time for separation comes, the young Immortal must leave to seek out his fate in the world. There are no exceptions.

Some famous mentor-student relationships include: Ramirez and Connor, Connor and Duncan, Duncan and Richie.

THE WATCHERS - "He is Immortal, and he is not alone..." -- Joe Dawson

A recent revelation to a very small number of Immortals has been the discovery of the Watchers. This secret society of mortal scholars and their aides have been recording the lives of the Immortals for centuries. They know almost everything about almost every Immortal in existence. Their storerooms are filled with record books and ancient artifacts relating to the Immortals.

Like any good secret society, the Watchers are elusive to the extreme. The best proof of this fact is that only a handful of modern Immortals have been able to learn of their presence. Immortals who suspect Watcher activity may return to the suspected location for investigation, only to find all traces of habitation vanished without a trace.

The Watchers are both scholars and spies. They plant men in jobs and positions which are advantageous to their pursuit. The scholars then record and compile the information they receive from the spies in massive data-banks. It is because of the Watchers' distribution and efficient placement that Immortals can Duel and take an opponent's head without feeling the full measure of mortal law come down on them (although most Immortals are unaware of this -- they just assume that they were skilled enough to cover their tracks).

Not all Watchers are non-partisan observers, however. More and more modern Watchers are becoming corrupted by fear and greed. They believe that the Immortals are fighting for the right to rule mortal man-kind. They despise all Immortals and will trust none. Some even believe that if they do enough research and kill enough Immortals, that they themselves can find a way to receive the Prize. These men and women compose a definite threat to all Immortals -- they are the Hunters.

Watchers can be identified by a small blue tattoo worn on the wrist. If asked about these tattoos, Watchers often make excuses such as "I got it with my squad back in 'Nam," or "I'm a Shriner." Note that the Watchers and the Arcanum are two different groups. Whether or not the one has anything to do with the other is entirely up to the Storyteller.

THE WORLD OF DARKNESS - "Forgive me, father; I am a worm..." -- Kurgan

In relation to other White Wolf characters, a few notes are in order. Immortals are immune to the Delirium -- their confidence in eternal life, plus their separation from normal humans has prevented the Delerium form being imprinted into their "blood." And speaking of blood, due to the power of the Quickening, Vampires find that Immortal blood is very useful. In fact, Immortals have the standard human blood points of ten, plus their current Quickening score in points.

In regard to Mages, perhaps Hank Driskill's and John Gavigan's notes on Quickening in the World of Darkness are in order:

"The Quickening is...similar to Quintessence, the magical "raw power" that fuels Patterns and also is used by Mages to do their magick. Only when [immortals] die is their Quickening released. 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."

Also:

"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... 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."

And in regard to Wraiths and others who can affect the "soul" or mind of another:

"An immortal's mind, spirit, and body are tightly held by their Quickening. Although mind effects (the Mind sphere, Dominate, or Presence) may affect the immortal, his mind cannot be pulled from his body, nor may his spirit be removed without his head being removed first. This is not a contested roll, this is automatic. It should be noted...that because of the manner in which the Quickening binds an immortal's being together, Immortals cannot be possessed."

"Who wants to live forever,/Who wants to live forever,/Forever is our's today,/Who waits forever anyway?" -- Queen; Who Wants to Live Forever?