Dryad

Origins: An avid naturalist, Talitha was always doing the grunt work for her agoraphobic father-professor Darwin. Time after time she would trek deep into the forest to observe the most bizarre of creatures to document and capture them for his bidding. Though she was deeply angered by her father’s experimentation with the animals, he commanded her respect. The stubborn old man was the source of much grief but he was all that she knew, it was a simple but not so innocent dependence that would eventually lend itself to madness. One day while searching deep within the forest she stumbled upon an intricate labyrinth of brambles. All manner of wicked raking vines stood before her demure shadow and yet she was compelled to more ever forward. She walked forward and the barbs embraced her as a blanket. The thorns an inch from her skin no matter her movement. With deliberate effort she could not graze the closest of daggered barbs. It was at last that she found herself held adrift by some mystic force, eyes focused on the dark sphere ahead.

Description: An average girl who could be described as the stereotypical introvert. Pencil and pad ever in hand she is most content to discover and document every living thing she encounters. It is within this visage that one would be most mislead about the physical weakness inherent in her frame.

Abilities & Defenses: When provoked she commands all of nature’s fury. As first defense she calls forth animals and all manner of plants for protection. As this mild-mannered geomancer she commands more subtle, passive defenses. She can throw bulb bombs, blow plant pollen off flowers to magnified effect, command roots to tear at her enemy, call animals and insects, etc. She can invoke the full wrath of the goddess transforming into the brutal avatar for Gaia. Her true form is something to be feared and respected. When in avatar form many different styles of weapon will be available; vines can be used as whips, different type wood for various stabbing weapons, and various forms of projectiles ranging from acid spit to thorn sprays.

Haven: The Bramble Swamp is the retreat of the Dryad and as such is the source of much of her power. Every new species of plant, animal, or insect introduced into the environment will grant her boons ranging from new abilities to new weapons Ex. Flowers, mushrooms or bulbs for emission bombs, insect mating pairs for the calling of swarms, animals for attaining new instinctual essences, and many others.

Allies: The Dryad’s allies are everywhere. The tree, its roots, the insects, all wildlife carry a strong bond to the avatar. When confronted with memories of a personal nature she finds herself at odds with the surrounding wild and all but a small portion of a diluted reality.

Foes: The foes to Gaia are minimal and of fleeting power until the arrival of the Entity from the future. Not only has the entity carved a place for itself, butit has redoubled the Rune God’s once dwindled influence. Opposition to Gaia is multiplying, as is its resistance.

The Linguist {Were-animals are touched by the Rune God} animagus

Description: Uses runic power to manipulate spiritual energy/essence. Has eternal life due to the rune he has inscribed on his heart. His father, in Faustian fashion, sacrifices his soul to the runic god in order to acquire knowledge and power that is to be transmuted to his only son. Sleek build, chiseled features, aristocratic demeanor mixed with epicurean taste for the rare. Very charming with the ability to bend people to his will with ease. Astute public speaker. Eccentric idiosyncrasies. The ability to absorb the (zeal) of other’s energy to transmute it to the outcomes of his own desires. Possess an aversion to the sun. He can use his manipulative powers to control animals, but only the animals that have suffered detachment from gaia due to mutation. E.g. the bat the wolf, jackel. Ad infinatum.

Haven: The Linguist resides within a castle of gothic proportions. The castle possesses everything from hidden rooms to dungeons. Since the Linguist heavily relies on cloaking his true nature the castle will reflect this. The castle will look to suite the aristocratic nature of his class. The player must always consider how visitors will react to what they see. For instance, a door labeled torture, feeding chamber would raise slight suspicion in the visitors mind. Goes to the markets in secret to make purchases for his experimentations. The absence of reflection in mirrors. To anticipate or react to such oversights the Linguist’s castle will have its own eyes and ears. If any such visitor should voice these suspicions the castle would inform the Linguist and he could handle the situation accordingly.

Allies: Allies are of critical importance to the vampire, whether brainwashed or willing. Loyalty is a major issue in recruits. This is of penultimate import in the recruiting of a carriage driver; otherwise the character may find him self in the middle of a vampire hunter ambush.

Foes: The foes of magic practitioners predominately consist of technology and nature, however magic gives itself much more freely to coexistence. It can exist symbiotically in a forest or within inscribed runes upon a machine. While neither is in direct opposition to magic, conflicting motives can bring stout resistance. The vampire is a devout practitioner of magic and has perverted the true nature of magic to amplify and empower his own appetites. The primary enemies of the vampire are idealists, people who believe that black and white are infallibly written in stone. People believe that the vampire is evil and if his existence is discovered they will attempt to purge the world of his malignant influence forever.

Mad Scientist

Description: Invention gone mad. The Mad Scientist is the typical insane experimenting lunatic scientist. In the opening animation the scientist will be performing an experiment that will have slight side effects. He will transform into a wolf man. Shortly after the scientist will make his way out of his laboratories tower and into the neighboring town. After a violent encounter with the towns’ security he will retreat into the surrounding forest. The player will have several moments amidst the forest wildlife to experiment with this new form. The effect will soon pacify and the character will be able to return to his lab. The character will then be able to touch a journal on a shelf and the outcome and side effects of the aforementioned experiment will be automatically documented. Playing the scientist will show the player the necessity of considering motivation.

Haven: The laboratories of a mad man. The scientist’s experiments will be centered here. The scientist lives in a hamlet with an adjoining tower. The tower will contain various rooms. Some of these rooms will be for experiments, some will be for animal cages, and the top floor will be the main laboratory.

Allies: Allies are different for the scientist. These will mostly be the products of the scientist experimentation. Creating Frankie will be an important goal for the Mad Scientist. Modeled after the mythical Frankenstein this entity will be the professor’s juggernaut of protection. Frankie will give his life for the Mad Scientist and will follow his every command.

Foes: Foes are a little different for the scientist as well. The scientist will start with no enemies and allies. He will create each. He will experiment to create allies and in the process of experimentation will create enemies as well. The town may not listen to the scientist and his rants about the end justifying the means. They may look at the dead bodies of experiments gone awry scattered around his home and think chopping block. He will also gain enemies through “collecting” samples, species to experiment on and technological relics.

The Rune Dissident

Origins: A member of a race long lost and forgotten, the dissident is from a sect known as the “Spoken.” The Spoken honor and worship a dark god named Zarathustra through ritualistic verbal incantations. This oral form of the Rune God’s language is immensely powerful when perfected through practice. At a coming of age ceremony the character misspeaks a key inflection , an action deemed heresy among the tribe. Conjured from thin air, the summoned rune begins to crack and burn. Finally exploding with violent passion in a spray of molten ether, the rune scorches the mark of failure onto his forearm. Several of the ancients fall to their death while new movement is born to those remaining. This dance of dissidence sounds its harmony by convulsing through out the collective. The well-choreographed death-walk comes to life as this coming of age saga brings unexpected death and seperation onto the scene. The young creature now alien to his fathers stands erect in the divide as abomination, heretic, and social pariah. On his body the markings of Zarathustra’s judgement are scribed in indelible ink. Banished forever from his home The Dissident departed under a pale gray sky. His initial education entombed in a cloudy future; the release from scripture his only gift. A somber death glare consumes their eyes as he walks into the expanse beyond cursed by Zarathustra as infidel and blasphemer.

Description: One of the Rune Race. A dark and immortal species lost to the known world for

Haven:

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The Theorist

Description:

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Stats and Facts

Annihilate: This will exist as an option that reflects the character’s growing power. The option will be triggered by the arrival of an enemy or enemies of a much weaker status. The player will be able to disable this option at will but when activated the character will tear asunder all opposition. For instance, if twenty or so annoying little goblins decide to attack a well developed vampire, the character will be able to choose between various methods of annihilation.

Pace: The speed at which each character is able to move. This will be especially noticeable when the character is in a combat situation. It will also affect the character’s ability to negotiate distance on the map. Many different quick travel options will exist for the different characters; teleportation options for the artifact, cheetah speed for the mad scientist, bat form for the vampire and underground waterways for the bogman. Velocity will range from one to twenty with various terrains increasing or decreasing movement rate.

Ferocity: While the game tries to avoid the labeling of actions as good or evil decisions made in the game combine to form a character’s temperament. Example: If a character is more motivated to help others than to make decisions promoting self-interest then it stands to reason that killing others may be a problem for the character. Ferocity is a measure of the characters willingness to kill his opponent. A compassionate character may be slightly less likely to decapitate a drunken villager who just punched him in the face. The higher the respect for life the less savage a character will be in battle. At a point near the completion of a battle or defeat of an opponent the character will often have the option to either kill, spare, or capture the enemy. Based upon 20 ranging from +10 to –10. Zero is a sign of indifference and indicates that the character is neither inclined to kill nor inclined to spare life. No penalties or bonuses are allotted in these types of cases. Circumstances can change this reaction in either a positive or negative direction.

Tact: What to say and when to say it. Tact will only affect each character’s speech options.

Battery/Runic Pool: This is a measure of channeling ability. It is how much magic/energy the character has available.

Complacency: The tolerance of opposing forces. This is not so much a stat as an indicator of hostility. The higher the respective meter the more aggressive its agents will be. For example a character with a negative meter rating in invention will be seen as a threat to inventors and if it becomes too extreme assassin bots will be in pursuit. If a character has a negative rating in nature he will fall victim to the countless attacks of every animal, bug, and plant in existence. Actions will go a long way in determining the degree but the choice of character will establish base reaction. It is based on a 20 point rating encompassing +10 to -10.

Black---Hardcopy [Jason & Forrest]

Blue---Jason’s Write

Green---Not Revised

A New Genre of RPG

A presentation by:

Jason Gaudet

Whatever may come to pass, evil will always exist. Standing in stark contrast against this darkness are the forces of good. This is a story of motivation through characters. The cliché perspective that good and evil are tangible borders to label actions does not apply in the real world and so it will not exist within the confines of this structure. One may feel free to label the actions or inactions of each identity but realize that whatever decisions one chooses for the character has nothing to do with personal perspectives of good and evil. The player must place what is believed to be the self within the character’s mind, sense his/her/or its’ motivation, and act accordingly. Some of the characters have very different perspectives on what good and evil are. In some cases it will not even be an issue. While this lends one over to autonomy and control of destiny in the game-world it also has other implications in the form of consequences. While one may have reason to do certain things, other people and forms of life exist. Feel free to slaughter the lost traveler stumbling onto the scene, but consider the consequences. Consider the karmic retribution that will be exacted in return. Was he just a wanderer, a scout for an army, a king’s messenger; the possibilities are endless. Disclose information about identity or conceal true nature, but consider the repercussions of each choice.

The game is centered upon characters and the struggles that develop as a result of their nature and actions. Game-play will vary greatly, dependent upon which character the player chooses. Initially there will be four unique characters for the player to choose from. These include the following: the Bogman, plantlike creature with an innate connection to nature; the vampire, a magical undead character whose game-play will center around subtle political manipulation and secrecy; the mad scientist, a diabolically insane man whose sole purpose is to achieve biological perfection through ludicrous experimentation; and the artifact, an object of immense power and adaptability which has, through an unanticipated side effect of its creation, achieved sentience.

In many games the player has the ability to create a character with options ranging from race to game-play focus. The stereotypical fighter, mage, thief decision is the prime example in this case. While this allows the player to invent a persona more adaptive to his/her personality and style, it diminishes the experience of role-playing. This game will vary in that the player will become immersed in the nature of the character. It is accomplished by establishing unique characters from which the player will have to choose. Each of these characters has pre-established identities and origin. Through these preconceived forms the player will have to make choices regarding motivation. The vampire may hide his identity until strong enough to face his enemies or may choose to boldly disclose his identity and face the consequences. The bogman may seek his humanity or embrace his new form. The artifact may discern its purpose through assimilation and adaptation or it may seek its creator out of curiosity or anger. The mad scientist may seek immortality and power to protect the world or pervert it to his/her fiendish whims.

To perpetuate and compliment these ideals each character will have a unique habitat. The vampire’s old fame gothic castle, the bogman’s jungle of exotic flora and fauna, the artifact’s factory of assembly and power, and the mad scientists tower of ghastly laboratories. These habitats will be major platforms of game-play and the story will direct itself to this center upon some upgrade, incursion or event at the character’s home.

The game is set in a pre-industrial civilization with strong ties to both the future and past. Magic exists, as does technology. There is also a strong supernatural theme where nature also has a mind of its own. Three powers govern all actions in the universe: Invention, nature and magic. Invention is anything not created though the natural process of evolution and as such it is in direct opposition to Nature. Nature is the unending circle of adaptation, evolution, and survival. Magic is energy. It is the spark of life found in nature and the power in a fusion reactor. Throughout history there has been extensive research into the true nature of magic. The end result of this research was the discovery and translation of a language long hidden, the language of creation itself. By inscribing various incantations in this language energy can be harnessed and manipulated. While this may seem a discovery of immense power and potential, it is not without drawbacks. Inscription is dangerous occupation. The few people who understand the language have studied most of their lives to become fluent. Even a slight misspelling will at the very least kill the inscriber outright if not worse. Invention changes all the rules. Through invention man will achieve a much more efficient and reliable way to harness “magic.”

At the center of the story will be a character named Psychosis, a scientist from the future. While his name suggests otherwise he is quite sane and though many men of genius suffer from dementia Psychosis’ mind remains focused and tempered. Psychosis can sense the language of creation though he cannot yet find the answers he seeks. At age forty an event later coined “the scalping” changed his life as well as the world forever. The cause will remain unknown until the games end, but the event decimated the world as well as Psychosis.

The one thing that saved these few lives was mining. Mining at this time was extremely important. As civilization began to venture into space the minerals used to create stronger, lighter and more sophisticated metals and components were only found deep within the bowels of the planet. To this end, Psychosis supervised the design and construction of an immense mine miles below the surface. Due to the volatility of the surrounding seismic conditions this structure was built with everything needed to sustain the miners indefinitely in the event of a collapse. It contained advanced medical, climatic, research and refining stations as well as sectors devoted to maintaining breathable air, power, water and food.

Technology of this time period was in the main well advanced, but it could do little against the plan of fate. The few who survived were experts from various fields who had been selected to micromanage the individual cells of the mine. Psychosis was one of these survivors. When “the scalping” occurred Psychosis was knocked unconscious, and fell into a deep coma. In the medical facility he was placed in cryogenic stasis until the resources and facilities were available to resuscitate him some three hundred years later. He quickens to find everything he once loved gone in a blaze of half-vivid memories.

The game will be iso-planar and the character model will be three-dimensional in nature. Combat will be turn-based with range, movement, and speed of action all major factors. Combat actions will be very dynamic and the player will get a distinctive feel for the character’s temperament. Within the game a symbiosis will exist between magic, technology and nature. The characters will bear witness to the intricacies of these intertwined forces and the conflicts that arise between them. Throughout the story the player will encounter various instances of strange alliance and conflict. For instance there may be a magical temple within a great tree, or an enchanted machine of destruction. There will be instances in which the forces will vie for control, and instances in which they will cooperate to fight a common foe. The future will be seen in the present, obvious and subtle signs of things to come will exist, and at moments the distant future will seem none to foreign to the conflicts of the past.