Death is not the end. The soul is the bearer of knowledge, of memory, of consciousness. The power of the soul reaches beyond this world, beyond our fragile flesh and beyond what we can see and touch. The souls of those past are always within reach. These spirits of ancestors past guide us, teach us, and protect us. We call upon them when we need them, perhaps without realizing. But just as there is a nemesis to every great warrior, there is a demonic apparition to every gentle teacher. The power of the darkest souls is unparalleled, but with arcane power comes the power of will. The soul of the living cannot resist such willpower indefinitely, and given time, even the strongest of men lose themselves should they summon such malevolence into their bodies.

A medieval fantastical world concept where monsters and magic are merely the beginning. The soul and the power within transcends space and time, and the souls of those lost can be called upon with all their knowledge and wisdom and memories. Souls possess bodies, becoming voices in one’s head sharing knowledge and guidance until the soul is no longer needed and set forth on its own once again. Souls are a tool and a power without equal, and the most dangerous of souls can be the ultimate weapon.

What separates science and magic? What happens when science outpaces itself? What does it mean when we don’t know how or why it works anymore? How do we know when we’ve crossed the line?

A proto-cyberpunk world a couple decades in the future where cybernetic augmentation has begun to develop. But this time we’ve gone too far. Science can’t say why or exactly how it works, but it does … and it’s powerful beyond comprehension. Innocuously small implants with minimal recovery time that unlock a whole new way to interact with the world. The force, bending, arcane sorcery … call it what you want. It is raw, untamed power at your command. Your will shapes the world around you. Whether you use it to better your own life, to help others how you can, or tear the system down is up to you. But as heroes rise, and villains to meet them, the government scrambles to contain and control what cannot be understood. No one is safe.

In need of every pilot and battlemech available, the Federated Commonwealth has offered high rewards for any mercenary companies and solo pilots willing to aid in their defense against the Clan assault. Some are more willing to answer the call than others. You are one of those mercs. More expendable than enlisted soldiers, but less bound by the rulebook, sometimes a little extra collateral damage is what it takes to get the job done. During the Jade Falcon Incursion of 3058, mercenary lances sent in to do what the rest of FedCom armies are too busy to: retaliate. Rules and honor went out the window long ago. This time, it’s personal.

This is very much a tabletop that may mix some long-form elements, but is not at all a long-form roleplay with die-rolling. If I break out the dice, I go all out. This is a homebrew Battletech-inspired ruleset drawing heavily from the Mechwarrior video games as well. It captures all of the nuance of the mechlab and building your personally-optimized war machine and keeps the combat action streamlined and fast-paced. I’ve tried to reduce what players keep track of as much as I can and cut down on lots of die-rolling, yet I still keep the randomness that matters. Better think fast mechwarriors, the enemy waits for no one.

Genuine evil, the power to inflict pain and death with no remorse or hesitation, cannot be given at birth. Humans are social creatures. The untampered hand of Satan is beyond the capacity of mankind. We are too compassionate. Or so we like to think. A man can do unspeakable things in the pursuit of what he is told is right. Worse, is what the person who suffers at their hand can do given time. Lyra has had plenty of time.

This follows Lyra after a meticulously planned regicide and ascent to power. Having suffered a fate worse than death at the hands of men, she is a ruthlessly cutthroat ruler with a side project of pursuing vengeance. The guardsmen who imprisoned her would suffer at her hands just as she had at theirs. With what she’s been through, there is no innocence left to temper her. She has become cold, unfeeling, and devoid of meaningful emotion or at least so she portrays. Perhaps she is not truly unfeeling. More complete than the others and a sizable amount of backstory exists here I can share with those interested. Open to pairing options but the former prison warden who held her is off limits (you would have to be the best damn partner in the world to convince me otherwise).

There is a great ocean beyond the mountains. The wealthy merchants of the spire cities hope this new 'railroad' will put it within reach. No galleon can cross those sharp peaks. The flying machines of the far west Cliffwalkers soar overtop the craggy spears, but their delicate creations cannot carry weight like a galleon can. The railroad already brings in timber from the vast forested hills of the far east. The spire Avalon shipbuilding industry is booming. But us? We came out here to carve a new life from this land. It may be nothing but arid dirt for a thousand miles in any direction, but at least its better than sweating in a rich man's factory.

The Frontier is as vast as it is barren. Small towns dot the desert, settlements from those leaving the towering cities behind. Some say there's riches buried out in the sand, but the blazing sands are not a place to be wandered in search of wealth. Out here, law and order is as sparse as the towns are. The cities try to force their will onto the frontier, withholding supply shipments and forcing higher prices. Most towns can sooner afford guns for hire. Piracy is the order of the day on the frontier. Airships, wagon convoys, even trains if you're daring enough. THere may be gold in the blazing sands, but there's plenty of money to be made in the skies thieving cargo. Are you ready to join the crew?