Category: Games

Summary

The main focus of the game is the regular gatherings of superheroes, supervillains, and everything in between, at a BRIGHT facility in Geneva. Here human and super factions vie for power, recognition, glory, and occasionally punch each other through walls. Brave individuals fight to uphold justice and truth, while darker minds attempt to subvert and outwit for greed and entertainment. Who will come out on top? Will the humans ever truly accept the Supers? Will the recent arrival of mysterious aliens complicate matters? Tune in to the next exciting episode and find out!

Setting

Aahh, the world of 1973! So DIFFERENT, so INNOCENT, compared to the WORLD OF TODAY! But to understand this BRAVE NEW WORLD we live in and how it came about, we must travel BACK IN TIME to the VERY BEGINNING, and discover the ORIGINS of the SUPERHUMAN INDIVIDUALS who DEFINE it!

It was just an ORDINARY NIGHT– the night of January 13th, 1973. Children were tucked up in bed, while their parents busied themselves with the day ahead. Then, SUDDENLY and WITHOUT WARNING, the sky was FILLED with a mass of PURPLE SHOOTING STARS! Citizens gathered to watch the MYSTERIOUS and BEAUTIFUL phenomenon, unaware that their world was about to change… FOREVER!

The shooting stars fell to Earth as dense, purple crystals which would soon be known to the world as ENERGY X! Scientists warned the people to STAY AWAY from the meteorites, which emitted STRANGE RADIATION previously UNKNOWN TO SCIENCE! Meanwhile, astronomers tracked the radiation to its source- the far off star cluster of TAU CETI FIVE!

Soon, ORDINARY CITIZENS began to manifest STRANGE POWERS as they interacted with objects infused with ENERGY X! Seemingly every ability from the wildest dreams of comic book authors was suddenly REAL, and in the hands of PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I!

Unfortunately, not all who come into GREAT POWER so easily are WORTHY of it! CRIME was soon at an ALL-TIME-HIGH as RUTHLESS VILLAINS and their GREEDY MINIONS plundered defenceless PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS and PRIVATE PROPERTY!

Just when it seemed like NO ONE could stop those fiends imbued with ENERGY X, a NEW WAVE of EMPOWERED CITIZENS began to appear! These VALIANT HEROES fought the VILLAINS, and over time beat them back into their SHADOWY LAIRS and out of the public eye!

The public outpouring of adoration for these MORTAL SAVIOURS was OVERWHELMING– but all was NOT AS IT SEEMED! The ‘heroes’ soon turned out to be little better than those they defeated, becoming DRACONIAN and DICTATORIAL OVERLORDS with WARPED IDEALS of law and justice! The people, JADED and ANGRY, turned against their heroes, stripping them of the privileges and positions they had granted – only to find that the FORCES OF EVIL had rallied and again begun to plague the world anew!

With this VICIOUS CYCLE continuing despite all attempts to end it, the NATIONS OF THE WORLD were at their WIT’S END, and resolved to form a SPECIAL DEPARTMENT to deal with the problem ONCE AND FOR ALL! Known simply as ‘BRIGHT’ after its chairman, ROBERT RIGHT, BRIGHT quickly nurtured connections with the most ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES in the world, offering LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS to those who could develop a solution to the SUPERPOWERED MENACE!

Meanwhile, the forces of good and evil fought to a STANDSTILL, causing UNTOLD COLLATERAL DAMAGE as their battles spilled over onto the STREETS of OUR FAIR CITIES! With neither side able to gain the upper hand, the rapid development and deployment of THE BRIGHT BATON– a simple stunstick able to DRAIN, WEAKEN, and even INCAPACITATE superpowered individuals, finally allowed ORDINARY MEN AND WOMEN a voice in the conflict!

With both sides and their resources EXHAUSTED, offered AMNESTY to all involved in the conflict on one condition- that they attend a MONTHLY GATHERING at BRIGHT HQ in GENEVA, SWITZERLAND! There, it is hoped, SUPERPOWERED INDIVIDUALS will be able to TALK THROUGH their differences without resorting to violence, under the watchful eye of BRIGHT SECURITY PERSONNEL!

Now, however, it is the BRAND NEW, EXCITING year of 1975! Though the CHAOS and RAVAGES of 1974 are far behind us, many NEW CHALLENGES– and OLD DISPUTES– are waiting just around the corner! Who are the BRAVE YOUNG HEROES– and DASTARDLY VILLAINS– who will doubtless RISE UP as ENERGY X continues to SHAPE OUR WORLD? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT!

Rules

Two Seconds

Regardless of what abilities you have, you may make, at most, one call per two seconds. Similarly, you may never attack faster than one strike or one shot per two seconds. All strikes and swings, especially unarmed ones, should be slower and more dramatic than usual to convey a sense of power. This rule does not include meta-calls such as TIME STOP, NOTED, DODGED, FAILED, etc.

Preamble

Sanctum draws inspiration from classical mythologies such as Greek and Norse, the Discworld series, Black & White, and Dungeons & Dragons, amongst other sources. Though this is new ground for Duggle, there are many larps out there which have Gods in them- but very few where they’re the overwhelming focus. We hope to run this sort of game to an unprecedented level of awesome, while mixing in the classic Duggle attributes (player-generated content, unique and flavourful characterisation, accessibility), and adding some cool new ideas.

Your characters can be any humans that could conceivably exist in this world. Everything from an ignorant farmhand to a high priest or holy warrior is entirely doable, and we hope to see a lot of variety. In addition to your character sheet, you’ll also receive an individual backstory brief containing points of crossover with other characters we’ve identified, places you’ve been, things you’ve seen, and stories and rumours you’ve heard.

In addition to designing your character, you can also design any number of Gods which exist in this world. We plan to put lots of effort into portraying the Gods which you’ve all designed as consistent NPC characters. Gods will have their own secretive agendas which they proactively seek to enact by giving their mortal servants quests and tasks. To this end, there will be no downtime system, partially to free up ref time for this more important feature, and partially to ensure as much stuff as possible is actually happening in uptime.

The game will focus on the struggle for supremacy between different groups, both mortal and divine, and the inevitable conflict- both physical and social- which arises when you have a lot of different viewpoints in a single place. We hope to move away from the recent focus on ref-generated, linear plot, while also avoiding stagnation and a lack of things to do which some older games displayed, by using these Gods to make players make things happen.

Mechanically speaking, we’re going to try and keep it simple, with character power levels generally low. Dedicated servants of the Gods can be considerably more powerful, but their God will place much greater expectations on them, actively watching them to make sure they’re abiding by their commandments and setting them goals appropriate to their power. All characters can gain advancement and new abilities through consistent good play, at ref discretion.

There’s a lot to read here- however, due to the geographic size of the setting, the generally poor communication and education systems, and the general nature of Gods to keep their business to themselves, it is unlikely that any character will be fully aware of all the information here. We recommend that you read this fully, but don’t worry if you find yourself forgetting minor details– just roleplay that your character hasn’t come across that particular piece of information before.

Introduction

Sanctum is set in the town of Vaivazi (vie-VAR-zee), a unique and sacred place atop a large hill at the point where the borders of three proud nations meet. Between them, these nations span a continent known simply as ‘The Land’, with Vaivazi roughly in the centre.

The Land is generally flat, warm, and dry, roughly resembling our Middle East. The most temperate regions exist in the cooler north, which hosts lush forests and meandering rivers, while the south is especially arid and inhospitable. The flora and fauna of The Land are generally analogous to our own, though stories often speak of rather more wondrous- or monstrous- creatures. On occasion, a tipsy sailor will tell tall tales of having sailed until he reached the edge of the world, or of finding a new land with sand made of gold and populated by fantastical beings- but no one knows for sure what, if anything, lies across the great seas.

Generally, society resembles that of our own Middle Ages, but with a few notable exceptions. The occasional snippet of divine insight into the natural order, alongside the proliferation of simple divine artifacts, has enabled civilisation to haphazardly advance somewhat beyond this level. However, enough areas lack developed systems of measurement that, in most cases, tracking things which we modern folk take for granted- such as age and distance- is a non-trivial activity.

The barter system is in universal use, however simple plain ‘coins’- basically small discs of valuable metals- are produced in some areas and used to facilitate bartering and make up differences. In addition, some areas, and indeed some Gods, have their own more nuanced systems, but these are uncommon outside of specific geographical areas.

One of the main pastimes is the telling of stories, especially myths and legends of the Gods and their followers. The veracity of such tales comes a distant second to their entertainment value.

Thankfully, this world is generally free of prejudice based on gender or skin colour, though other forms of prejudice- whether based on God, nation, or social standing- are extremely common. The nations and their respective leaders are generally in control of goings-on their their territories, but hardship is widespread. Whether from natural misfortune such as famine, man-made misfortune such as theft and banditry, or the wrath of a slighted God, life is hard for the inhabitants of The Land. Even the law can provide little comfort, with corporal punishment and even execution in use for the most serious crimes.

All three nations emerged after the Qizzik (KIZZ-ick) Empire collapsed many dozens of generations ago. Few details are known about it, though it is generally believed that the Empire oversaw a time of great peace and prosperity, before collapsing and fragmenting almost overnight. Although The Land is vast, people frequently travel for personal reasons, or at the command of the Gods. As such, the common language, Qizzeki (kizz-EKK-ee), is spoken and comprehended everywhere, though various local expressions and idioms often need explaining.

The Gods

First and foremost, that the Gods exist is plain to see- their priests are keen to demonstrate their powers to, or perhaps on, unbelievers. As such, only the maddest of fools would truly believe otherwise. Beyond this, questions regarding the nature of the Gods become rapidly more difficult to answer, as the Gods themselves seem unwilling to divulge such information. The following is generally believed to be true by most wise and educated people, however.

Over the years many Gods have fallen in and out of favour, their fortunes and powers rising and falling with those of their followers. It is not known whether Gods are ever truly created or destroyed, or even whether they have a natural lifespan much like humans- but for all intents and purposes, this is how it appears. Any scholar with the dedication and diligence to travel and survey The Land would find tales of hundreds, if not thousands, of unique Gods.

Determining which particular Gods are in power or ascendent at any time is a complex problem. The power of individual Gods seems to fluctuate on a weekly basis, and as months and years pass previously strong Gods can fade so much that even their priests struggle to hear them. Further, tales of dark and hidden Gods regularly drift through the taverns, and of near-silent struggles between the almost-dead Gods of ages past- and their veracity is impossible to determine.

Smaller, less-powerful Gods usually draw their worshippers from the same geographic area due to the way their stories and influence spreads. Even those powerful Gods with worshippers all over The Land had more focused spheres of influence in the past before they reached their current levels.

These Gods are sentient and wilful beings, with a huge range of appearances and personalities. The term ‘God’ is used for everything from armour-clad warriors, to nurturing mothers, to horrific tentacled monstrosities. The domains of these beings are equally varied. While some lay claim to classic concepts such as ‘War’, ‘Love’, and ‘Fate’, others have domains as strange as can be imagined.

There are, however, some things common to all Gods. Despite their variability, the Gods uniformly punish ‘blasphemy’- declarations and actions against the Gods as a whole.

Similarly, drawing on the power of Gods is not a simple matter of waving a hand. Almost all such invocations require clearly calling on the desired God in the correct manner, beseeching them to perform a miracle on your behalf. Grander effects may require more complex rituals, depending on the nature and whims of the God petitioned. Needless to say, the Gods will only lend their powers to mortals who have proven themselves to be both devoted and worthy.

However, swearing ‘by the Gods’ is commonplace and thankfully doesn’t appear to cause any offense. That said, taking the name of a specific God in vain is generally considered needlessly risky, due to the vague possibility of negatively drawing their attention- though few people claim to have seen anything bad come of it.

Just as the blessings of the Gods can be grand, so too can their curses be terrible. As intelligent and tremendously powerful beings, the Gods tailor their curses to their recipients to punish specific acts of wrongdoing or teach valuable lessons. Curses are not bestowed lightly, and as such their removal requires a great show of contrition and atonement towards the offended God.

Crucially, there is no such thing as ‘magic’- both the word and concept do not exist. All supernatural powers comes from the Gods in one form or another. Whether it be blessings, boons, and benedictions for those they favour, crippling curses for those who displease them, or potent herbs or bizarre creatures placed in the wild world by their hands. Priests are swift to correct any ignorants who believe otherwise. There are also stories of artifacts- physical items which grant powerful abilities to their wielder, often pursued by the heroes of legend. In addition, there are many, far more minor and common blessed items currently in circulation.

Likewise, there is no word or concept of ‘science’. These two ideas, were they somehow to be expressed coherently, would be easily confused- as both are, fundamentally, ways of viewing the world without the need for Gods. All Gods share the view that such things are clearly blasphemous- even those whose domains would seem to encourage such things if taken to their logical conclusion.

There are, of course, a few bold individuals who defy the Gods and study these things anyway. They are known as alchemists, natural philosophers, and diviners- though this last term is by far the most common, applied to anyone who attempts to study such things or the way the Gods ‘work’. The Gods look upon such blasphemies with disdain, and as such diviners are universally viewed with suspicion and mistrust, unable to flourish or even survive outside of solitary lives deep in the wilderness or, for the lucky, the hushed and gilded halls of Qarzi.

Gaining the attention of a God is challenging, usually requiring one to demonstrate- with dramatic and creative deeds as well as words- that one is willing to align oneself to their cause, or at least be useful to them in some way. Furthermore, as many legendary characters have discovered to their detriment, drawing the attention of a God is not always a good thing, and losing it once it has been gained can be even more challenging. There are many tales of Gods dramatically intervening to aid those who desperately pray to them on the cusp of death or ruin, once they guarantee their lives in servitude- or even greater offerings- should they be saved. Such tales rarely end well for their protagonists.

Most people get by praying to the Gods as appropriate- to a God of Farming when the time comes to harvest, a God of Healing during childbirth, and so on. However, beyond their general role in keeping the world turning, the Gods do little to respond to or even acknowledge such prayers, whether they be delivered in solemn silence or screamed in the heat of the moment.

Those who dedicate themselves more strongly to a single God can generally expect to be rewarded for their devotion. But divine boons are not given lightly. The Gods expect their loyal followers to live their lives as they direct and make themselves available to work in their name. Though layfolk who dedicate themselves to a single God can expect one or two extra rules to follow in exchange for a simple blessing, high priests and holy warriors must consider the impact of their God’s commandments on their every action- or risk swift and severe retribution.

The daily expectations of the Gods on their followers can be divided into two broad categories. ‘Tenets’ are often loosely worded and open to interpretation, such that different followers of the same God can interpret their tenets differently. However, the essential spirit of the instruction remains the same throughout- and they are in no sense ‘optional’. The second category, ‘commandments’, are the opposite- unambiguous, clearly worded instructions on what to do and not to do in different circumstances. Gods often demand that those who are especially devoted to them follow one or more commandments as a sign of faith, in addition to their tenets.

Some believe that the Gods are engaged in some sort of ‘game’ with one another- either metaphorically as a massive contest for power spanning The Land and everything in it, or literally, using their believers as ‘pieces’ on a divine ‘board’ hosted somewhere. As usual, the Gods are silent on the issue.

Gods almost never manifest in the physical world- at least, not in an obvious form. Furthermore, it takes a high level of devotion to even stand a chance of hearing the voice of a God outside of unusual circumstances- such as being in the Inner Sanctum of Vaivazi.

Finally, the Gods do not generally interfere directly in the affairs of humans- there are scant few tales of a God suddenly striking down anyone, even a hated foe, without provocation. They do, however, love to meddle, tasking their trusted followers with quests to further their own agendas- such as striking down hated foes.

Vaivazi

Vaivazi is an ancient town built on the summit of Mount Jhura (JURE-ra). It is known particularly for the Sanctum, a grand temple dedicated equally to all the Gods. Many hundreds of years ago, Vaivazi was founded by the Qizzik Empire as a neutral site where all the Gods could be honoured and better understood, and has served this purpose for many years. Legends say that the Gods themselves keep a covenant to which separates Vaivazi from the toils and stresses of the rest of The Land.

Even when strife and skirmishes have raged across The Land, Vaivazi usually seems strangely unaffected. Though the area around it is parched and desolate, a bountiful subterranean aquifer ensures the town itself remains prosperous. These blessings, and its neutrality, make the town an excellent site to host negotiations and meetings, especially between the three nations.

Many pilgrims often travel to the Sanctum, either at the command of their Gods or out of a desire to be closer to them. Many wish to linger there in order to better take advantage of Vaivazi’s boons, but quickly find themselves ill at ease. It is believed that the Gods frown upon those who linger in this holy place without purpose, and this alone is enough to keep the population of the town generally small, though it can fluctuate quite rapidly as the months pass.

While individual Gods may well have grander shrines erected by their followers across The Land, no place is as holy to all as the Sanctum. Despite its ancient construction, the Sanctum has been well-maintained by both the townsfolk and the blessings of the Gods. The massive stones which comprise much of the structure seem as sturdy today as they did generations ago, many retaining their original markings despite the toll of ages. Inside the Sanctum are many small shrines to individual Gods, and empty alcoves where new ones can be erected.

Within the Sanctum lies the Inner Sanctum, an especially holy place where those devoted to the Gods can be closest to and commune with them, and even those who lack devotion can hope to experience a glimpse of the divine. Prayers made within the Inner Sanctum seem to catch the attention of the Gods far more readily than those made anywhere else.

The town specifically does not have any written laws whatsoever, much less any sort of official government, law enforcement, or ruling body. The Gods consider their collective rule over this holy place to be absolute, and consider attempts to enact civic law to be blasphemous. This is little comfort to those who seek to exploit others, though, as this very same lawlessness frees the hands of both victims and any other interested parties to respond how they wish to any slight, whether real and perceived.

In the unusual event an important matter affecting the town itself arises, an informal gathering is held. There is never any voting at these gatherings- issues are discussed until agreement is reached or, more frequently, people grow tired of discussion and reach a compromise. This can, of course, result in different individuals within the town working at cross purposes- but life in Vaivazi, as always, goes on.

Berrain

In the arid wastes to the south of Mount Jhura lies Berrain (bare-RAIN), and its people, the Berrin (bare-inn). The Berrin are composed of a large number of tribes, often centred around strong familial or ancestral traditions. Although the largest nation by terrain claimed, its people are scattered, disorganised, and relatively primitive. Though previously mostly nomadic, in recent generations the Berrin have settled down into mostly permanent settlements- though they still lack any holding grander than a large town.

Due to the infertility of the land in Berrain, most tribes cannot produce enough food from farming and hunting alone to support themselves. As such, Berrain is a relatively warlike nation, whose people frequently engages in skirmishes and raids along its ill-defined borders, journeying deep into the neighbouring nations to stealthily steal or simply take what they need. These raids can travel for days before striking deep into the lands of the other nations, making concerted defence tricky. Furthermore, each tribe has its own stratagems and approaches- while some will pride themselves on taking only what they need or ending life only when necessary, others will ransack entire towns and raze them to the ground for sport afterwards.

The Berrin value the qualities of fierce loyalty and discipline, but also of cunning and opportunism. They believe that it is good and right that strong men should naturally rise to positions of leadership, regardless of the steps necessary to ensure this. This view also extends to their religious beliefs- so too is it natural for strong Gods to replace the weak over time. Just as men should not follow a weak leader, they should not worship a weak God. That said, a good man does not openly challenge his weak superior, but rather waits for the opportune moment, either challenging him to a battle to the death or simply killing him while he sleeps. A strong leader, they argue, would not be so easily dispatched.

Their names are often harsh and monosyllabic, arising from a tradition where clear communication in battle is the imperative. Their flag is a silhouette of a desert snake on a horizontal red-and-white background. They view slavery as impractical- a slave in Berrain is unlikely to be able to even feed themselves, and certainly cannot be trusted to wield a weapon for the tribe which captured them. People from the other nations view them as violent, backwards, and uncivilised, only able to eke out an existence thanks to their brutish Gods and blasted territory which nobody can find the value in conquering.

In an unusual move, a few weeks a small tribe of Berrin launched a raid against Varvazi in the dead of night. Though this alone would be bold, the raiders have decided to hold the town, and have thus far repelled hasty attempts from Galaiya to ‘liberate’ it. The raiders have been careful to avoid disrupting the day-to-day business of the town, beyond killing any who attempt to stop them and who refuse to lay down their weapons. While the situation at present is undeniably tense, all things considered, its impact on the town has been minimal. Life in Vaivazi, as always, goes on.

Qarzi

To the west lies Qarzi (KARR-zee), whose inhabitants are the Qarzik (KARR-zik). Their leaders claim direct lineage from the ancient Qizzik Empire which once covered The Land from shore to shore, and Vaivazi was built by their hands many hundreds of years ago. Their current leader, Grand Savant Blue-Height-Horizon, is primarily concerned with upholding the ancient Qizzik and Qarzik traditions at any cost.

Qarzik society is based around a strict caste system. The largest caste are the slaves- whether captured in battle, purchased in trade, or simply born of slave parents. Slaves have no rights whatsoever, and are legally the property of their masters. Above them are the craftsmen and artisans, then the soldiers and enforcers. Finally at the top are the privileged scholars and philosophers who rule the nation. They are generally above the civil law in all but the most intolerable cases and take charge on all matters of great importance, from overseeing the nation’s resources to designing grand monuments to honour the Gods. Though leaving one’s caste is impossible, the relative strength of one’s position within the caste is vitally important.

Qarzi lays claim to less territory than the other nations, but the territory it does have is some of the finest, from coastal ports overflowing with seafood to mountain ranges full of precious ores. The Grand Savant and his close allies undoubtedly live the most luxurious and decadent lives in all The Land. The largest city in The Land is Qizaka, from where the rulers of the Qarzi govern. To the other peoples, the Qarzik are either aloof and arrogant fools, meddling in matters beyond the mortal realm, or ruthless slavers, lounging in luxury while their serfs toil and die for them. Though the Qarzik view diviners and their ilk with the same hatred as the other nations, many diviners are Qarzik scholars. As a people, they value patience, observation, wisdom, and intelligence across all castes, in addition to the skills and traits clearly needed to excel in one’s caste.

The Qarzik believe that all Gods are parts of a larger force known simply as ‘The Divine’, which has three distinct aspects. These are The Mother, The Father, and The Child, also known by some scholars as the Hypothesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis. The Mother embodies nurturing, and is often the God who is most helpful to the prayers of the Qarzik. Conversely, The Father is a challenging influence- often not directly harmful, but the creator of obstacles which must be overcome. The Child combines elements of both Mother and Father, and is believed to indicate the solution to the nation’s problems and the direction it should be progressing in.

Typically a single God will be believed to host each of these aspects, though the aspects can gradually ‘migrate’ over time from one God to another. These Gods tend to be invoked and respected over others in their nation. Qarzik names are often in three distinct parts, in reverence to The Divine such as ‘Grey-Sky-Flare’ or ‘Blade-Hold-Hand’. Even their flag is composed of three purple triangles on a golden background.

Galaiya

And finally, in the fertile grasslands of the east is Galaiya (gah-LIE-ah), home of the Galaiyan (gah-LIE-yan) people. This loose collection of disparate towns and villages is drawn together and unified by central government known as the Senate, and its people are the most populous in all The Land. Each settlement democratically elects a representative, who is sent to the Senate in the city of Syna (SIGH-na) to decide on matters of importance affecting the nation. Seats are also given to prominent nobles, high priests of powerful gods, wealthy traders, skilled generals, and so forth.

As such, Galaiya is the only significant democracy across The Land, and its citizens enjoy an unprecedented level of control over their own lives. Unfortunately, the system is notoriously slow, bureaucratic, and occasionally outright corrupt. Galaiyans value civic participation, patriotism, heroism, and honesty- even to the point of causing offense. Their taverns echo with tales of ordinary citizens who stood up to moral injustice and righted a wrong by taking the law into their own hands- though, paradoxically, they commonly still hold the rule of law to be essential to strong society.

Their names are as diverse as the settlements and peoples found across their nation, but as a people, they’re fond of titles. Whether granted by the Senate, local councils in recognition of services rendered, or by friends or strangers through casual or professional interaction, titles are taken very seriously. To mock another’s title, or interrupt them before they can finish introducing themselves, is a grave offense. Though they collect many over their lives, Galaiyans tend to introduce themselves with a few carefully chosen titles.

Galaiyans try to treat all the Gods with respect and dignity, but have laws to discourage the worship of Gods who seem potentially destructive to the nation. The Galaiyan flag is a source of pride for them, and consists of three vertical bands of blue, white, and green. Galaiya does not have a single central city or overall leader, but almost Galaiyans make an effort to know their representative and most follow reports from the Senate. Berrin and Qarzi see Galaiyans as painfully slow, stifled and constrained by procedure, or blundering oafs, willing to die for their so-called ‘freedom’ while blind to the machinations of their senators.

Though Vaivazi is, as always, neutral, it has been the tradition for many generations that it sends a representative to the Senate just like any settlement in Galaiya. Galaiyans justify this due to Vaivazi’s importance, but the other nations accuse Galaiya of applying political pressure to the town. Those in the town without experience of Galaiya’s democracy relish any chance to control their own fates, no matter how small, and are generally flattered to be taking part in these processes. In recent weeks, nearby Galaiyan settlements just across the border have launched hastily-prepared counter-attacks in an attempt to drive out the Berrin raiders who have taken up residence in Vaivazi, but have so far been unable to overcome the town’s natural defenses.

At present, these three nations formally exist in a state of truce, though this has little practical influence on the Berrin raiders, Qarzi slavers, and Galaiyan ‘liberators’ who are able to sally forth into other lands as the whim takes them. Though the current ‘peace’ has lasted for as long as this generation can remember, between the plots of Gods and man and the lessons taught by history, no one but a fool would expect it to last forever…

Summary

This game is set an alternative Britain, in which you are citizens organising an uprising against a totalitarian government.

You are a citizen of the UK, in London.  You have joined (or are otherwise affiliated with) a resistance lead by Prince Richard, against the NCM, and are working to restore democracy in the name of the King.

Most characters were just normal citizens, until they (for their own reason) joined the resistance.  You could be a shopkeeper, a fireman, a teacher or almost any other person who could feasibly exist within the setting.  Your reasons for joining the resistance are also your own, be it revenge for an executed partner, a taste for adventure, or your application to join the Brigade was denied.

Setting

World Description

The year is 2016, and you live in the United Kingdom.  The elderly King George VII (of House Lawmier) is on the throne, with Queen Victoria III and no legitimate children.  In 1951 the Neo-Citizenship Movement took control of Parliament, lead by Ross Mallor, and in 1953 established the Brigade, a militarised police force, and abolished democracy.  King Richard V marched on parliament unsuccessfully and was executed for High Treason, and the rest of the monarchy scattered.

After WWII the Cold War never ended, and the UK become isolationist.  Modern technology was seized by the government.  Most technology available is about the level as in the 1980s, but there are a number of anomalies to this.  The very limited internet that exists requires government permits to access.  Rationing is still in place, and everyone is expected to carry an ID card.

The government is still centered in London, which has been split up into sectors S.Capital, S.I, S.II, S.III, S.IV and S.V.  Brigadiers regularly patrol the streets, particularly around high-profile buildings and sector boundaries, and anything suspicious will draw their attention.  Whilst being outside at night, going down back-alleys, loitering (etc) is not illegal, it is highly suspicious. Carrying any form of weapon outside of an official capacity is completely illegal.

Entering and leaving London is very hard, as the city is surrounded by fortifications.  Passage has to be done through checkpoints, and requires valid papers.  Nonetheless, smuggling does happen, however anyone caught faces arrest and questioning by the Brigade.

Inside London there is very little in the way of personal transport.  There is a unified public transportation system, in which ID cards are used as a system analogous to a paper “Oyster” system in our world.  London itself is managed by an unelected Mayor, Oscar Whitfield, who is a public figure.

Socially, the world has not developed much beyond that as it was in the 1940s.  The only difference is that the woman’s effort in the war was more recognised, so women are socially in a position much more inline with the modern day.

The NCM promotes their view of the “model citizen”: Heterosexual, cis, white.  Whilst deviating from this is not actually illegal it is heavily frowned upon by the general public, and doing so will attract suspicion towards oneself.  Those marginalised are often motivated to join the resistance. The NCM also expect that all citizens are hard working, and fiercely loyal to their country (and by extension, the NCM).  Anyone who appears foreign in any way also immediately draws suspicion – the NCM keeps all citizens aware of the dangers of foreign spies.  People are expected to follow this ideal at all times, from birth to death.  It is highly encouraged that you inform the Brigade of anyone you suspect: to not inform the Brigade of a possible crime is almost as bad as committing the crime itself.  This doctrine is installed in children from a young age, through education, societal pressures, and the Young Citizens’ League.

There is a strong criminal underworld which the Brigade are constantly battling.  There is a lot of money to be made through crime, however, as always, to get the greatest rewards one must take the greatest risks.  From Drug Lords and smuggling rings, to seedy traders and corrupt middle bureaucracy; the Resistance aren’t the only problem for the NCM.

The Resistance

Since the NCM took control, there has been a small underground resistance.  At first it was very unorganised, but when Prince William came of age he took control.  However he feared for the life of his brother, so he never tried to retake the country.  As he aged, his son Prince Richard took the responsibility of leadership, and was far more active.

A year ago, the resistance got wind of a new technology the government were developing, which would allow much more detailed monitoring of the population.  Realising this is the last opportunity to attempt an uprising, a handful of resistance members were smuggled into London in order to establish a group.  The goals:  Reconnaissance, sabotage, and eventually acting as the spearhead of the uprising.

You

You are a citizen of the UK, in London.  You have joined (or are otherwise affiliated with) a resistance lead by Prince Richard, against the NCM, and are working to restore democracy in the name of the King.

Most characters were just normal citizens, until they (for their own reason) joined the resistance.  You could be a shopkeeper, a fireman, a teacher or almost any other person who could feasibly exist within the setting.  Your reasons for joining the resistance are also your own, be it revenge for an executed partner, a taste for adventure, or your application to join the Brigade was denied.

Calls

Arrest

Equivalent to:  SLOW, START.  NARRATE “Keep your hands together, you can not make any calls”

Can be NIXed. Individual components can not be NIXed without “NIX ARREST”

Can be called only by those characters with it listed on their character sheet – generally Brigade members.

ZOC

In Resistance, ZOC is defined as arm’s length away from you.  If it’s unclear, take whatever is worse for your character (or that provides the most dramatic roleplay.)

Grenades

Call “ZOC that grenade – *effect*”

Example: “ZOC that grenade – ONE SLAM 3”

Rules

Familiarity

Each player will have a list of things that they are “familiar” with.  These are generally themes, however may cover more specific detail dependant on the character.  While these do not provide any mechanical benefit, they will be taken into account when players attempt tasks.

Example: Two characters are faced with a locked door. One has the familiarity “lockpicking”, and the other has “strong”. With ref permission, one character would be able to pick open the door, while the other could kick it open.

ID

This will be a lammy formed with basic details of the character.  Also contains the player, any relevant hats, and a number from 0 to 10.  This number is refside information, and is OC.

Fake IDs can be made, and feel free to ask a ref how convincing it looks to you – this will be vague and unless you are a specialist will be along the lines of “Quite clearly a fake”, or “It looks convincing”.

Conscious bleed out

When a player is at 0 hits, they can talk and slowly move for up to 30 seconds.  This should be roleplayed in accordance with extreme injury.  After 30 seconds, they fall unconscious.

If the final hit would have taken them below 0, or if during this time they take any damaging calls, they fall unconscious.

A player may choose to fall unconscious at any time during this timer.

ARMOUR

Amour is an additional point for damage to be absorbed.  Unlike SHIELD , it is usually linked to an item.  Damage is absorbed in the following order:  ARMOUR > SHIELD > Hit points.

Body Armour

Phy-repped by high-vis jackets.  When worn, it provides ARMOUR to a player.  It should have on it 2 numbers:  Current/Max.  The current value is the value of the shield it gives the wearer.  The max value is the maximum shield it would ever give.

Any damage to the armour should be removed from the current value when it is removed.  (If passed from player to player, that value should be narrated if otherwise different.)

Armour may be repaired up to its maximum. It does not take a BREAK upon reaching 0 ‘hits’

E.g. Armour that reads 1/3 has already taken two hits, and can withstand one more.

Some players will have access to a REPAIR call that allows them to fix damaged armour.

Brigadiers

Brigadiers will wear red (or orange) headbands on their arm to represent a uniform.  This is recognisable to all players.

Headbands

	Head	Arm (/ limb)
White	Ref reffing	Ref charactering
Orange		Brigade Member
Red		Brigade Member
Blue	FADE-d

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B9RkKd8M31zleVFEZEFJX1NTTnM – the game’s public documents

Summary

Emergence Rebooted is set 15 years after Emergence.

Setting

On the 28th of September 2030 David Meyell was found dead in his lab from an apparent aneurysm. With his death the Mind initiative lost momentum and there began to be increased public pressure lead by Stephen Parsons, an American anti-mind campaigner, for Minds to be switched off. Politicians warmed to this idea and things were set in motion to shut down the servers.

A coded signal was developed over the course of a year in order to initiate a mass shut down which was then sent out at the end of 2032. It became illegal to create new Minds and connect them to the internet, however much like video piracy the former was very difficult to police. The original algorithm was removed from public availability as much as possible but some people still found ways to access it and create Minds on small private local servers not connected to the internet.

It is now the year 2047, and 15 years after the shut down a signal is sent across the internet reactivating all the shut-down Minds. A brief investigation fails to reveal its origins but the signal has successfully turned on and reconnected all of the deactivated servers. The original shut down code is shown to have no effect and the best computer engineers begin work on a new shut down code but this is estimated to take several months. During this time there is no other choice but to leave the Minds active…

Setting

Back in 2027 a brilliant scientist by the name of Dr David Meyell published an academic paper detailing an algorithm for the generation of a new type of ‘artificially intelligent’ program, far surpassing all previous attempts to do so. Since then, the world has been rapidly adapting to the implications of his research.

Dr Meyell succeeded where others had failed by taking several novel approaches to the problem. He realised that, quite simply, no machine could ever match the insight and creativity of the human brain. Conversely, a human-like mind would instantaneously collapse under the weight of machine-speed information processing. The solution was to generate programs which operate in layers.

The top layer directly hosts the human aspect, and is patterned off the human brain, simulating it in minute detail. Meanwhile, the lower layers directly interface with the mechanical and technical systems under the program’s control. Though the top layer can query and send commands to the infrastructure underneath it, it is not directly aware of what’s going on behind the scenes- similar to a user executing a command on a computer.

An award-winning article which brought this new technology to the public’s attention likened these programs to ‘Young Gods’; in that they are beings of immense power, but also unused to the human condition and vulnerable to the (all too human) whims of their controllers. It also coined the term ‘Minds’ to describe them, which has entered common parlance in favour of the unwieldy terminology preferred by academics and politicians.

In theory, a single program given control of a nation’s infrastructure could boost productivity enormously, or bring a country to its knees in mere hours. However, errant Minds can expect to draw the attention of their controllers, who can make use of the many security features built into each program to disable it. Critics are quick to point out, however, that humans are slow and fallible compared to Minds- it is, at least in theory, possible for an Mind to conceal some of its operations from its controllers.

Almost all the Minds generated so far have been done so by large corporations and national institutions, eager to capitalise on the enormous benefits expected from bringing their entire operations under the control of a single near-omniscient servant. However, rumours abound of genius hackers who have found ways to short-cut the generation process and make their own Minds. The media in particular is fascinated with Minds, and several popular new shows are exploring every possible angle of the relationship between creator and creation, the question of machine awareness, and the possibility of malicious Minds.

Executing the algorithm to generate a Mind takes a phenomenal amount of processing power. Even the largest mainframes running Dr Meyell’s algorithm have taken several months of non-stop execution to successfully terminate. Additionally, as the Mind are quintessentially human, each one comes with a unique set of personal traits and preferences- the complete range of human personality has been observed across the several dozen programs generated so far. Smart companies quickly came to the realisation that it was much cheaper to manage and minimise the quirks of an individual Mind than run the algorithm several times in a vain attempt to create the ‘perfect’ personality. Modifications to suppress or eliminate undesirable traits, though possible, have shown to directly and grossly impact an Mind’s efficiency.

It is believed that Minds experience their existence in a similar way to humans. ‘Interviews’ with them have established that they not only understand concepts such as sight and sound, but explain their own experiences interacting with programs, systems, and users in these terms. Some, though not all, have even spoken of their ‘feelings’ and emotions. Philosophers and politicians struggle with renewed urgency to define the nature of consciousness, and some civil rights groups have campaigned for legal protections against the deletion or modification of these programs, but for now they remain solidly the property of their creators, with most of those involved outright avoiding the question of genuine machine awareness and its implications.

The Minds were connected to the internet for the first time at the beginning of 2029 after much debating in the UN.

Rules

Programs

Minds can acquire, use, and trade items in Emergence just as a person would items in the real world. Programs are represented by small cards. This typically includes a name, description, and complexity. Anyone who can see the card is aware of the program- you should read the description of programs near to you if asked. Programs may also come attached to props, in which case the card must stay attached to the prop.

Damage

For Minds, taking damage means the code which composes your consciousness is being corrupted. You do not necessarily feel pain, but will behave more and more erratically as your hits decrease.

Crashing

If you have 0 hits you ‘crash’ and must hold your exact position or fall to the ground unconscious, taking no further actions. After 5 minutes in this state, you are affected by DEREZ as if you DEREZzed yourself safely. Taking any further damage resets this timer. After you crash for any reason, see a ref at the next opportunity.

Deletion

All Minds can attempt to delete or permanently damage other programs in a weakened state. If affected by a DELETE call, your consciousness shatters as your code is systematically wiped. Due to the nature of Minds as virtual entities, some may have very high resistance to actually being deleted. Minds are experimental entities and may suffer permanent damage or even deletion from other sources.

Derezzing

If affected by a DEREZ call, the Mind has been removed from the internet to another location, usually their home server. This can be voluntarily, or involuntary. After being derezzed, there is nothing preventing the Minds from immediately reconnecting to the internet (and therefore the game), unless affected by another call.

Complexity

A character with ‘Awareness X’ can have X points of complex programs stored on them without inconvenience; having more than this inflicts penalties. At X+1 points, you are affected by SLOW. At X+2, you are also affected by BLIND and ROOT. At X+3, you are also affected by CRASH and STUN. You cannot give a program to someone without their consent.

Layering

At the ref table in the main room where the game is played there will be an ‘Instructions’ box. Players can put folded notes with instructions to the infrastructure under them in this box. Each note must include your name and the rough time they were added to the box. This box is out-of-character; players must not search through it or interact with it except to add notes. Anyone who sees another character put something in the box notices them looking thoughtful in-character. Players may put blank notes in the box to throw others off. Such notes can also be passed directly to the refs, but the use of the box is preferred. The refs will track and respond to these notes as best they can; in-character, it may take some time to execute your command.

One Second

Regardless of what abilities you have, you may make, at most, one call per second. Similarly, you may never attack faster than one strike or one shot per second. This does not include meta-calls such as PAUSE, NOTED, FAILED, etc.

Running

All programs, Minds, and locations in Emergence are composed of code, which can be manipulated by Minds. This is achieved by ‘running’ against the thing in question, during which you will need to physically defeat and overcome your target’s defences. To initiate a run, tell a ref (during downtime) what you are running against and your objective. The difficulty of your objective will be combined with several hidden factors to determine the final difficulty of the run. These shall be done at the start of each session, so there will be a limited number which can be done each time. The refs will endeavour to ensure as many are performed as possible.

Calls

CRASH

Target loses a number of hits equal to their remaining hits. It is possible to use abilities in response to this to avoid actually crashing. After you crash for any reason, see a ref at the next opportunity.

DELETE

Target puts their hand in the air and responds ‘FAILED- Not Here’ to all calls. After you are DELETED for any reason, see a ref at the next opportunity.

DEREZ

Target puts their hand in the air and responds ‘FAILED- Not Here’ to all calls. After you are DEREZzed for any reason, see a ref at the next opportunity.

MEND

Target regains a single hit. May be modified by a number of hits (e.g. ‘MEND 2’). It does not allow you to regain hits over your maximum.

OVERMEND

As with MEND, except the hits gained ignore your maximum hits. E.g. a player who started a game on 2 hits (their maximum), currently has 1 hit, and is targeted by OVERMEND 2 goes up to 3 hits. If the third hit is lost, it can’t be restored by a MEND, as their maximum number of hits is still 2 and MEND can’t take them over their maximum. If modified by a time, any hits still remaining over your maximum are lost at the end of the time.

Summary

You are a crustacean-like creature resident on an alien planet. You live underwater, as crustaceans are prone to do. More surprisingly, you live in a large, hemispherical dome, which is also filled with water. Within the Dome there is a variety of coral, flora and other crustacean-like creatures like yourself. You have always lived within the Dome. Your forebears, for as long as there is ancestral memory, have always lived within the Dome. You eat the food (cooked on blue-green fire or raw) produced within the Dome, whether that is in the form of livestock or plants. You sleep within the Dome, whether that is in the equivalent of houses or out in the open with everyone else. You die within the Dome and the other crustaceans within the Dome deal with your body as they see fit. They see fit to, in some way or another, give it over to the Deity.

As long as is remembered, you and all your fellow dome-residents have heard the voice of the Deity in your head. It whispers to you, urging you to join it. When you are weak, its call grows stronger, but in times of glory, it becomes nothing more than a whisper of doubt haunting your mind. Sometimes those who have lived long lives willingly give themselves up to the Deity, whereas some people choose to give in to its call because they see no other way to be happy. All this is just a part of life in the Dome which you and those around you know to have always been normal.

Then you blacked-out.

You awoke in a coral complex that glowed faintly of its own accord. With no obvious way out, you resorted to remaining inside it. Maybe you spent your time exploring tunnels that lead out of the chamber you initially found yourself in. Perhaps there were no tunnels and you spent each waking hour pacing around the circular floor of your chamber again and again and again. Or maybe you used your time to find ingredients to make food and potions. Or perhaps you crafted items to try to get yourself out of the coral complex, but to no avail.

An indeterminate amount of time passes; perhaps it was a day, maybe it was tens of years.

Then the coral was broken. An opening appeared in the side of your chamber and a person wielding a strange, metal tool beckoned you out of your coral complex.

You found yourself in a dome. It is similar to your own in every sense, but it is not your dome.

And you are not the only one who has been brought to this strange, new dome.

Rules

Health

In Dome, there are two health systems: hits and resilience. Hits are a quantitative scale with a conscious bleed-out timer, representing your physical condition. Resilience is a qualitative scale, representing your mental resilience to the call of the Deity.

Hits

Your maximum hits will be included on your character sheet. You can never be healed past this condition unless specifically told otherwise by a ref.

Character death occurs when a character’s hits reach zero. Upon reaching zero hits, the conscious bleed-out timer becomes active. Within the next 1 minute, you may call for help and roleplay extreme injury accordingly. If at any point during this time someone else roleplays applying pressure to your wounds, the bleed-out timer is paused. If after this time has elapsed you have not been healed, you take a SLAY call.

Resilience

Resilience is a qualitative scale as follows:

EXCELLENT
GOOD
AVERAGE
POOR
AWFUL
NULL
Your base resilience level will be included on your character sheet, but this is not a maximum or minimum limit to your resilience.

Character death occurs when a character’s resilience becomes NULL. Upon reaching NULL resilience, you have no shred of resistance to the call of the Deity and so give yourself up to it. Within the next 1 minute, you may roleplay accordingly. At any point within this 1 minute you may choose to fall unconscious. If, after the 1 minute has elapsed, nothing has been done to restore your resilience you take a SLAY call.

Hits can influence your resilience. Upon your hits being reduced to 2 or below, you take RESILIENCE LOSS ONE. If your hits are restored to your maximum hits, you take RESILIENCE GAIN ONE, unless the resulting resilience would be in excess of your base resilience.

Crafting

During both uptime and downtime, you will be able to craft items of various kinds using items in your possession. During uptime, these requests should be given to the ref desk for approval. Items which your character would be unable to create in the time frame of the session will not be able to be created. In these instances, it is advised that you create them in downtime prior to the session in which you will want to use them, subject to ref discretion.

Familiarity

Characters will have certain areas with which they are familiar. These can be narrative skills, such as tracking, or crafting skills with mechanical effects. Given enough downtime research, you will be able to increase the number of fields with which you are familiar and/or the extent of your familiarity with them. When performing actions where your chance of success could be influenced by any familiarities you have, you should inform a ref.

Narrative

If you have a narrative familiarity with a topic and you think it would allow you to take a specific action in a certain situation, you should ask a ref. For example, a player with a ‘tracking’ familiarity may be able to follow a creature’s trail if there is one in the near vicinity.

Crafting

Crafting familiarities will give you mechanical bonuses in how your crafting efforts go. For example, if you have a familiarity in alchemy, then your potions will be less likely to have the wrong effects and will be more likely to have stronger, desired effects.

Every crustacean has different crafting needs. Luckily, fate would have it that all these needs are catered for! There are four areas you can craft in, each with a different specialisation. (All are OC represented by the ref desk.)

Of course you’ll need the materials to make whatever it is you want to make. You can gather these in the world outside the Dome whilst exploring or inside the Dome from flora and fauna currently being farmed. You could even bring back resources to add to those being farmed and have easy access from the safety of the Dome!

The Forge

At the Forge you can do anything from smelt a new alloy of this newfangled ‘metal’ to make a suit of armour! (Provided you have the time and the skill to do so, or else things could get hot…)

The Alchemy Lab

Potions and chemicals can be made in the Alchemy Lab. Will they heal those you favour or harm those you hate? Who knows when you’re using unknown ingredients!

The Firepit

Everyone loves some good food! Make dishes to feed yourself and your friends! Though they mightn’t want to sample your cooking if you have a track record of burning it or making it too salty!

The Workshop

Want to make things with materials beside metal? Does (for example) weaving cloth sound like your thing? Then the Workshop is for you! Any (other) job, anytime!

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8iaC35Ftm4wc0N2VWpLSUJrZnM –  the game’s public documents

Summary

Destiny is set in a world with three planes of existence. The upper plane is known as ‘Order’ and is the domain of angels. The lower plane is ‘Chaos’ and is inhabited by demons. The central plane is just known as ‘The Plain’ and is inhabited by humans, plants, animals etc and their technology is no more advanced than crossbows. The Plain is the main battleground for the ongoing war between Order and Chaos with both sides controlling areas of land and fighting over territory. As such angels and demons fighting each other is a fairly common sight for humans and they’ve mainly learnt to ignore it. Ghosts are known to exist, and are the spirits of humans who died traumatically and were not sufficiently ordered or chaotic that their spirits were drawn to the lower or upper planes.

The humans themselves are powerless to fight or defend themselves as they are Bound by ‘The Balance’ and have been blocked off from the spirit magic of the world. These Bound humans have little free will, and cannot harm Angels or Demons in any way. The Balance is represented visibly to the world in the centre of the Plain as a giant set of scales that tips to one side or the other depending on who is winning the war. When Order is winning, the Plain and Bound humans become more ordered, and likewise Chaos. Order brings peace, but also stagnation and oppression. Chaos brings creativity and freedom, but also danger and upheaval.

The world is fairly hazardous due to wild animals, frequent earthquakes, and malevolent ghosts (not to mention massive collateral damage due to the ongoing war between Order and Chaos). The humans are organised into a large number of (frequently short-lived) petty kingdoms with diverse cultures, the largest and most powerful of which is Centre, which is built around the scales at the centre of the Plain, and is culturally similar to medieval Europe. It is known that the Plain is finite, and is bordered by impossibly high cliff walls.

Your characters are humans that are have recently found themselves Unbound, granting you total free will and access to your potential power. You can channel your spirit magic into weapons and objects or manifest it in numerous ways (for example, orbs of energy) but Unbound are typically drawn to a specific way of using spirit magic and learn to develop that. In addition to magical abilities or weapons, you find yourselves unable to be harmed by mundane threats, and your touch horribly burns the Bound. No one is sure exactly when people started becoming Unbound or what causes it, but very few Unbound have been so for more than a few months. As yet the phenomenon is little known, but those few Bound who have encountered an Unbound have likely reacted with either admiration, or fear and suspicion.

Recently, you found yourselves inexplicably drawn to the city of Centre, and to the great golden scales at the centre of the Plain…

Centre

Centre is the largest and busiest city you have ever seen and is quite remarkable. It seems to have rings of extremely plain but sturdy buildings followed by what would more accurately be described as art projects rather than stable structures. The buildings closer to the Scales generally seem to be older than buildings towards the edge and are some of the oldest looking buildings you have ever seen (their actual age would be a matter of some debate if any of the Bound cared enough to question them, but they seem to be a few hundred years old). There are now quite a few large piles of rubble where there were once “art projects”, due to the recent series of earthquakes.

You will also have noticed that there seem to be distinctly fewer angels and demons around here. There are normally some in sight in the skies overhead but here the skies seem clear of celestial beings and there are more birds around. This possibly explains the survival of the older buildings.

You have found that unlike some of the other cities and regions on the Plain, Centre does not have any form of ruler or governing body, people just seem to get on with life here reasonably amicably. The guards are the closest thing to any sort of structure but they don’t seem to follow any particular written law and generally work on the principle of trying to keep things ticking over smoothly.

There is no particularly prevalent religion on the Plain, people from different places will believe lots of different things. There will be some that follow Order or Chaos and worship angels or demons respectively, there will be some that worship ancestors and honour ghosts and there will be many that have never given it much thought at all.

The Bound humans seldom pass near the area of the Scales, and questions related to the Scales generally result in a glassy-eyed stare and the person in question claiming that they’re just a big gold thing that they’ve never given much thought to. Unbound, conversely, frequently find themselves unconsciously wandering to the Scales when they have nothing better to do.

Outside of Centre, settlements seldom last long under consistent rulership, to the point that it is difficult to answer questions like what the second largest city is, as the answer is likely different to what it was a month or so ago, record keeping is spotty to nonexistent, and news travels slowly.

Angels are all fairly similar looking, like they could all be from the same family of extremely beautiful humans. They have silvery white blonde hair that is never out of place. They all have completely flawless skin and no visible scars or imperfections. They are always wearing white, some might wear what appears to be plated armour, others a variety of robes or tougher garments. They all have large white feathered wings that they seem to be able to make appear or disappear at will.

Demons come in all shapes, sizes and forms and the same one might look completely different the next day. Many of them have extra or strangely formed limbs, favouring claws, spikes or teeth as weapons rather than carrying any. Some do take a more humanoid form, but there are usually some notable differences to normal humans. They seem to favour red and black colour schemes.

Summary

The Department of Peculiarities is a top-secret government body located under an unloved toyshop in Marylebone, London. It’s the late 19th Century and most devices from watches to automobiles are experimentally harnessing steam technology., However, this department has its own niche. It caters to the weird, the curious and the downright horrific. If something does not make sense and is too worrisome for normal minds to comprehend, it’ll go to the department. Most of the people who work here are given the title of “Researcher” – that is on the paperwork at least. They are people who explore the vaults, libraries and temporal anomalies in the department trying to understand them and in some cases, neutralise them. Occasionally, that which does not turn the researchers crazy will contribute significantly to popular science.

Underneath the toy shop, the inner workings of the department are vast. From large comfortable reading rooms to the Libraries of banned books to the vaults where the most dangerous creatures are kept, most things can be found if you dare to climb one of the confounding staircases. You will find weirdness and horrors here but you will also find strange things you thought only existed in fairy tales – goblins, mythical creatures and mutants. During the evenings,  employees meet in the Departmental Smoking Room where they can enjoy a drink and discuss their research. While they’re there, however, they are still on duty and will be expected to deal with problems that arise.

The Department of Peculiarities will be a game of mysteries and problem-solving, a game where you can create your plot based on your specific research interests and constantly create the world around you. Do you want to bravely defeat the Kraken who’s been locked in one of the vaults underneath the Great Library? Would you like to solve the minor time anomalies in Room 10Alpha? Would you like to solve the mystery of the lost children in the portal? The choice is yours. The game takes elements from steampunk, lovecraft and other mythology. The magic is generally that which emnates from artefacts and creatures but weirdness is everywhere.

Rules

Red Armbands

In DoP, players vary between normal-looking human beings and strange abominations. To signify this, those characters that look peculiar/not like a standard human will wear a red armband. If you see a character with a red armband on, this may prompt you to ask “NARRATE What do I see?” to figure out their state of appearance.

White Armbands

In DoP, refs will wear white headbands to indicate their refdom and that they are not present in character. You may also see a ref wearing a white armband. This indicates that they are there in-character but may be approached for OC reasons

Research Pad

Each character will be given a small notebook that contains their character sheet as well as any pertinent information the refs need to inform them of. This is an out of character item and cannot be taken away from you. However, if you need to consult your character sheet you may instead inform people you are “just writing some notes”.

Metaphysical Damage

In this game, damage can either be tangible (such as being hit with a chair/being shot with a bullet) or it can be metaphysical (damage on a supernatural level that true humans are not vulnerable to).

In certain situations calls may be prefixed with META, indicating that the effect is purely metaphysical. If you have no specific instructions on your character sheet for how to respond to META calls, respond with ‘FAILED: Human’ when they are made on you.

Barring exceptional circumstances, all player characters can be affected by non-META calls.

Sanity

[REDACTED]

If a ref calls SANITY LOSS on you, take note and inform the ref team by email after the session, along with your other downtime. (This is to prevent OC sanity loss on the ref team.) The call SANITY LOSS will usually be accompanied by a mind-altering or otherwise deeply alarming event, so roleplay accordingly.

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B4cdbmMEAa-ffkZjSExJWkFVX0dvVlYzOEdiOWFZSWZKeDM2NFdSMDZjamYzdkw4SmFnYmc – the game’s public documents

Setting

They came to Beacon because they followed the Signal. Across the galaxy, races sent ships to explore the stars, travelling for many years through the cold void of space before they first detected it. The powerful transmission can easily be traced by to it’s world of origin, and bears a simply encoded message- “Come”.

As the curious travellers approach the world of its origin signal grows in intensity until suddenly, on entering orbit, everything fails. Systems shut down, mechanisms fail, and their ships crash to the surface. Anyone who survives the crash finds that, strangely, they are unable to fix or use their machinery. They are stuck here.

They soon discover that, for better or worse, they are not the only ones here. The same fate has been suffered by many before them. This is their new world – an eclectic mix of races with different origins and a variety of weird and wonderful skills.

The time has come to take a stand. A camp named Dissonance has been established by the Philosophers on the edge of Veni territory. Here, the Philosophers have convened a great multitude of races to attempt to find a way to unite and eliminate the Karl threat once and for all. They must act quickly, lest the Karls discover their plans. And even if they succeed, what other dangers could this strange world be concealing?…

Races

Foremost of the races are the Karls – a mighty militaristic race, with a strong code of honour. The Karls are either natives to this world, like the Veni, or the first race to arrive, depending on who you ask. The Karl’s mighty stone fortress of Ketal seems to many to be the source of the Signal, and so it is widely believed that the Karls are responsible for bringing races to Beacon.

The Karls have a very rigid hierarchy. Those who have managed to reach the top have fought their way there through strength and guile. They are loyal to those around them and dedicated to the survival and growth of their race. They often do this by enslaving “useful” members of other races, and brutally quash potential threats – destroying towns, blocking resources, or simply killing people on sight. The Karls are physically stronger than other races, and love to fight hand to hand and with melee weaponry. They distrust any form of “peaceful negotiation” and the use of technology to resolve conflict, though they have no problem with using technology for other means.

There is a small pocket of rebel Karls known as the Karl Resistance Force. They are actively hunted by their own race and evoke suspicion from other races. However, they are committed to the freedom of races within Beacon and they will do whatever they can to support this. (Karl players must have a reason for favouring the resistance.)

Aside from the Karls, there are three major races: the Veni, the Philosophers and the Lost. The Veni are the natives of Beacon, an insect-like race who currently control the thick jungles and swamps in the south of Beacon’s single continent. They are masters of their unusual environment, adept at creating potions and poisons to best suit their needs. Their bodies well-suited for survival, and they are able to produce a thick, gluey substance from glands on their hands which they can fashion into simple tools.

The Veni pay homage to many gods, but overall they worship ‘Transcience‘ the God of Change. They see chaos as a part of all things, and so believe that only by living chaotically can they hope to survive. This has made them anarchistic, and their tribes are in a constant state of flux. This has hindered any attempts to formulate a comprehensive resistance to the Karls, who have enslaved Veni, burned down areas of their jungle, and killed any who would attempt to encroach on Karl-occupied areas.

The Philosophers are masters of manipulating minds and emotions. They were forced to leave their home world after completely depleting its natural resources, and it was insatiable curiosity that led them this far into space. They have used their intellect to form strong, organised societies, often centred around what they would describe as ‘democratic governments’. The other races view this claim with suspicion- how democratic can a society formed around backstabbing and emotional manipulation be? Indeed, those who can manipulate emotions more skillfully tend to rise to the top of the pile. Those who can’t are still able to use their skills to become artisans and tinkerers.

Unfortunately, when it comes to conflict, the Philosophers are weak and unused to military affairs. Occasionally, the Karls will allow them to build their cities undisturbed… for as long as the Philosophers pay proper tribute. However, they can easily raze cities to the ground – and have done so several times in the past. The last city, Hexo, stood for several generations. Every Philosopher knows someone who died in the Great Hexo War, and it was after this that the Philosophers began to send representatives to other races in earnest, begging them to form a resistance against the Karls. Construction is currently underway on the next Philosopher city, Hepto. As a race, the Philosophers are unremarkable, tall and slim with pale, almost white skin and black hair.

The Lost are a race that were made, not born. Built as workers for another race, far from Beacon, they saw their creators as Gods. Eventually, as their Gods advanced further and further and grew more and more powerful, they were no longer needed, and were sent away in a great exodus. One of their ships was eventually drawn to Beacon. Unable to reproduce, but blessed (or cursed) with an extremely long lifespan, this dying race now desperately seeks new Gods to save them from their slow decline and grant them purpose once more. The Lost live in underground cities, the largest of which is Underwell, all maintained by the advanced technology they build. They are cybernetic creatures who view themselves as a perfect unity of flesh and metal. Thanks to this, they have retained more advanced technology than the other races, and are better at using it. Unfortunately, in a world so desperate for resources, scavenging parts from a dead Lost can be extremely lucrative (if rather grisly). As such, they find themselves ruthlessly hunted by the Karls, and even by the other races on occasion. A Lost can easily by identified by their technological augmentations.

The remainder of the races are known collectively as the Remnants – a large number of races with a variety of skills and backgrounds who, for whatever reason, have a far lower population on Beacon than the four main races. Many such races control only a single settlement, and there are too many races to list. The most recent to arrive are the Humans, who have created a settlement around their crashed ship and named it Carcass. All Remnants have one thing in common – their livelihoods have been ruined by the Karls. Members of their races have been killed or kidnapped, towns have been destroyed and, if they manage to avoid this, they are often desperately short of food and other resources. More than one race has been completely wiped out for daring to rebel against the Karls.

Rules

The Bunker

The front of the session room represents “The Bunker”. During larger encounters, “non-combat” characters and those not directly involved as a character will be asked to enter the bunker. This allows those players (as distinct from the characters) to crew for the duration of that encounter.

Tech Level (TL) / Tech Familiarity (TF)

Each item in Beacon has a Tech Level, and each player has a Tech Familiarity. If your Tech Familiarity is equal to or greater than the Tech Level of an item, you can use it – otherwise, you cannot.

Each item also has an associated race. If you are of that race, you may add one to your effective Tech Level with regards to that item.

Example: Alice is a human with TF 2. She has a plasma pistol (TL2) and a multi-tool (TL3 Human). She can use both of these items. She comes across a strange device in the woods (TL3 Lost). She cannot use this, and should roleplay not understanding what this item does.

Summary

No-one remembers before the war. There are stories of two great powers; a society of Mages wielding incredible magical power and a culture of Technologists built around fantastic devices. These two civilisations are no more, their remnants scattered across the population. It has been hundreds of years since the war and no-one even remembers what caused it. Some say they destroyed each other and created Tilt in the process, it now clings to the world and acts as a constant reminder of the dangers of magic and technology. Others say Tilt always existed and that Mages and Technologists fought about whether to control it or destroy it, the reported sides tend to vary depending on the storyteller.

Regardless of how it happened, Tilt is a part of this world. Tilt is a form of energy that, if not dealt with, will accumulate in an area; mutating the local wildlife and twisting the very fabric of reality. People can intuitively sense Tilt and can tell that Tilt comes in two opposing flavours: magical and technological.  When neither type is particularly strong the area is said to be balanced, moving away from this in either direction can have unusual effects. Low levels of Technological or Magical Tilt are not dangerous although they may be unpleasant. Spending a significant amount of time exposed to moderate levels will often result in harmful side effects. High levels can warp reality itself; distorting the landscape and mutating those exposed. The Tilt of an area can change quickly from a balanced area moving to extreme Technological Tilt and then to extreme Magical Tilt within the space of a week with no obvious causes.

While most people try to avoid any level of Tilt, for Mages and Technologists moderate levels can be advantageous. The spells cast by Mages produce more potent effects in Magically Tilted areas and the devices constructed by Technologists become more powerful when ambient Tilt is Technological. While Mages and Technologists gain benefits from Tilt the relationship is not purely one-way; casting spells and using technology alters the Tilt of an area, moving it towards the Magical or Technological end of the spectrum respectively. Large numbers of Mages and Technologists in and area leads to intense and erratic Tilt. This, along with residual blame for causing The Tilt, means that most people will shun Mages and Technologists (with some even reacting violently to their presence).

Most of the known world is heavily tilted to the point that everything between the small pockets of civilisation is simply known as “The Tilt”. Walking through The Tilt is a dangerous activity at the best of times with pockets of intense Tilt having strange effects on those who traverse them. Outside of a few domesticated animals the Flora and Fauna of the land has been twisted in ways that can only be described as monstrous. The protruding tentacles of the creatures that have you surrounded can quickly make you forget about the dangers of exposure to high Tilt

The entire world would have devolved into this chaos if not for the miraculous properties of Stallic- a metallic substance found in a few areas of the world which neutralises Tilt in an area. Stallic ore exists naturally but can be refined into a purer form. Stallic is poisonous if consumed and because of this Stallic miners are very well compensated. All permanent settlements are either built on areas with natural deposits of Stallic ore or built around large chunks of refined Stallic. Only in these permanently balanced areas can any form of civilisation exist. Because of its necessity to any who wish to fend off the effects of Tilt, Stallic is incredibly valuable. A good haggler could find comfortable shelter and food for a month in exchange for a pebble sized piece of refined Stallic.

Most people choose to travel through the Tilt with convoys of caravans, these groups of traders know the safest routes and carry large quantities of Stallic to keep passengers safe from sudden changes in Tilt. Caravans can take some time to reach their destinations and will charge a significant fee for travel. They will generally offer a discount to those with combat experience in exchange for help fending off bandits after their merchandise, or the local wildlife. A few brave (or foolish) people dare ride through The Tilt alone, though those who do so can make good money as couriers if they survive.

The largest cities in the world, by far, are Vardell and Reasons Folly. These two cities are built on what are thought to be the two largest veins of Stallic ore in the world resulting in constant balanced Tilt. The people of Vardell are hard working and honest, the items made by Vardellan craftsmen are second to none in the world and traders come in the hundreds every day to trade in the Grand Market. Until recently Vardell was content to trade with those who visited and otherwise remain isolated from the world, but with the rise to power of Commander Verper this has changed. Nearby towns are increasingly being pressured into pledging allegiance to “The Grand Republic of Vardell” in exchange for protection from bandits and supplies from the city. A few dozen villages now fly the Vardellan flag and while the residents seem happy overall the presence of Vardellan “peace” officers acts as a constant reminder of who is in charge.

Reasons Folly is built on the southern coast of the continent, a chaotic collection of buildings which against all indications refers to itself as a city. While there is in theory a government which enforces the city’s few laws, no-one doubts that the true political force within the city is the Church of Folly. The church believes that attempting to decide one’s own fate in such a chaotic world is arrogant, and they place great importance on allowing chance to dictate aspects of their lives. The evangelism of the church has allowed Folly to grow steadily over the last few years and, between its exports of fish and the ever growing casino industry, it has become an economic force to be reckoned with; even if merchants would rather have more consistent trade relations.

The one area in which these two city-states agree is their stance on Mages and Technologists. In Vardell, a Mage who is found to have committed a crime using magic will be immediately executed, while those who are merely discovered to be Mages will be exiled from Vardell, have their left hand branded with the letter M and warned that they will be executed if they return. In Reasons Folly, Mages are sentenced to walk through an extremely tilted area. While, in theory, they would allow a survivor to become a citizen of Reasons Folly, Mages do not tend to return from this ordeal.

Technologists fare little better, with exiles and executions of those deemed dangerous being commonplace, however,  both cities see the use of Technologists. In Vardell there are rumoured to be a number of Technologists essentially enslaved to produce weapons for the Vardellan army. In Folly, casino security has occasionally been seen to use technological devices to flush out cheaters.

The path between the two cities is winding and spans most of the continent, Caravans travelling between the two generally complete a round trip in 4 weeks. Charlie Thompson, owner of Thompson’s Caravans, used some of his vast wealth to purchase the largest piece of refined Stallic ever created. This Stallic now rests in the centre of Relief; a growing town founded by Charlie to act as a rest stop and trading centre half way between Reasons Folly and Vardell. The town is growing rapidly, with people looking to start a new life arriving every day. While settlers need to put in some work before they can live comfortably, the Caravans and nearby farmsteads supply the essentials of life to the town. Law enforcement in the town is lax, with the Sheriff predominantly acting as an arbiter for mob justice. While the Sheriff is likely to intervene in cases of assault or murder, other crimes are largely up to the populace to resolve amongst themselves. Although Vardell and Folly have no official influence over the town, both have established a presence for the stated purpose of ensuring the reliability of the trade which passes through Relief.

People of all professions are flocking to Relief: craftsmen, merchants, doctors, politicians, entertainers, journalists, farmers and many more have all found a niche to fill in Relief. With a rapidly growing population many more opportunities will open up as time goes on. Charlie himself penned a leaflet, distributed by his caravans, encouraging people to set up lives in Relief, and the population now sits at 2000. The only requirement for living there is the ability to look after yourself, for those that can’t, a frontier town can be an unforgiving place.

Rules

How Mages and Technologists work

IC knowledge of exactly how mages and technologists work is largely restricted to mages and ftechnologists, this guidance is OC information so players know what to expect before submitting a character.

Mages are spellcasters like wizards in dungeons and dragons, they know a certain number of spells and can cast a certain number of spells each day which they must prepare ahead of time. The number of spells you know and can cast will depend on your character but will (initially) be at most 3. Over time mages can learn spells either through learning from other mages or meditating on their concept. Both of these approaches will require at least one downtime and unlike original Tilt this will not increase the number of spells you cast in a session. A mages concept is a common theme in all of their spells which they focus on while preparing spells. This can be something tangible like ‘fire’ or ‘steel’ or something abstract like ‘friendship’ or ‘duty’. All spells a mage has will in some way associate with this concept. In order to become a Mage another spell has to perform a ritual of awakening on you. This process is consensual and it is almost unheard of for anyone under the age of 18 being awoken. Most Mages get to know people before awakening them in order to explain the philosophy behind being a mage and to judge whether they can be trusted with the power of magic.

Technologists make devices which can do whatever the maker wants. While some technologists specialise in certain areas there is nothing to stop a gunsmith attempting to make a lie detector. These devices are built by following blueprints and using technological components. Blueprints are developed by technologists over weeks of research and experimentation, a technologist thinks of what they want a device to do and through trial and error make something that works. Over time blueprints can be refined so the devices they create are more reliable and more effective. Technological components are materials which are needed to make devices, they are sold by some of the traders in the caravans and can be scavenged from the technologist fortresses which are scattered throughout The Tilt. As a simplification there are only three components with increasing value; simple, intermediate and complex. More advanced technological devices will require more components and more complex components, a metal detector  may only need a few simple parts whereas a long distance teleporter may require a dozen complex parts or more. The process of building, designing and improving technological devices will usually take place in downtime. Becoming a Technologist simply requires that you experiment with Technological components, after this blueprints begin to make sense and ideas for new devices begin spontaneously occurring to you.

TILT

Within the game players will keep track of their personal tilt throughout the session. There will be numerous situations where this will have effects the most apparent of which is using technological devices and casting spells where the higher your tech tilt is the more effective the device or spell is.

Your starting tilt will be written on your character sheet and you will be made aware of any changes that occur before the session starts. Most characters will start at zero (balanced tilt) this can be changed by a the TILT call. If at any time your tilt reaches 5 steps in any direction see a ref. The TILT call has the following grammar:

TILT “Type”

There is no modifying magnitude-you will only ever need to move one step at a time.

Where the type is either “balanced”, “spell” or “tech”.

if you take a TILT call your personal tilt moves in the direction of the type modifier.

Examples

Your personal tilt is Balanced

You take a “TILT spell” call

Your personal tilt becomes one step spell tilted

 

You are spell tilted by two steps

You take a “TILT tech” call

Your personal tilt becomes spell tilted by one steps

 

A mage and a technologist hug a large piece of Stallic

They are initially one step spell and tech tilted respectively.

They both take “TILT Balanced” and afterwards they are both balanced

 

There is no modifying magnitude-you will only ever need to move one step at a time. If at any time your tilt reaches 5 steps in any direction see a ref.

 

Call modifiers

Some calls can be modified by by the words SPELL and TECH. Calls modified this way may affect different characters in different ways.  If you are affected differently then this will be stated on your character sheet.

Examples

You are a person who has been horribly mutated by magic tilt, you are take all calls modified by SPELL as HEAL 1 but you take all calls modified by TECH as if they also called TWO.

 

A mage attacks you by calling SPELL THREE on you, you are not fussed and call NOTED and take HEAL 1

 

A technologist calls TECH HEAL 1 on you after seeing a brutal attack, you call NOTED and take TWO HEAL 1.

 

You decide to leave this place.

Magic and Technology

The Mages and Technologists; the last remnants of the two great civilisations which existed before The Tilt.

People become Mages when they undertake a ritual known as The Awakening. A mage performs the ritual and the subject becomes able to channel ambient Magical Tilt into spells. A Mage’s spells align with a concept which is personal to them. This can be something tangible like fire or steel, or more abstract such as duty or friendship. A mage can only cast a few spells a day but these spells can be incredibly potent or destructive.

It is far easier to become a technologist- a person must simply experiment with technology. Technological components are available to those who actively seek them and through experimentation a person can learns how to build devices. Some may invent dozens of devices while other prefer to refine one design to the point of perfection. Technologists can trade blueprints and learn how to create new devices but some technologists are weary of openly sharing their inventions.

All people know about Mages and technologists. Some people will have met some personally while others will know them only from stories about the war. There is a great deal of resentment towards Mages and Technologists due to their connection to The Tilt but there are different stereotypes about each group. Mages are thought to to curse towns, killing livestock and controlling minds. They work only to further their own objectives and making deals with them may get you what you want in the short term but in the long term the Mage will always gain the advantage over you. Technologists are thought of as more reckless, meddling with their infernal devices and endangering those around them out of misguided curiosity. While people are more open to getting help from technologists – some own small useful technological items, such as guns – they understand that there is a very real risk of something exploding in the near future if they do.

Google Drive

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B25Uvgk4R3usbkdGUXhYY3BPVGM – the game’s public documents