In the age before recorded time the land was run not by men, but by demons. It was a time of great evil, and the people suffered under the cruel rule of these malevolent spirits. Then came the great sorceress Anais, wise and strong. She gathered what few brave souls remained and waged bloody war on the demons, finally managing to seal them away in another dimension. The cost was however great, and when the dust settled, Anais had perished.
The years that followed were peaceful. With the land to themselves, the humans prospered. There was war, and strife, and evil, but ultimately life was good. As eons passed, history became legend, legend became myth, and the story of the great sorceress faded into oblivion. Humans, always the instrument of their own doom, once more began to delve into the dark mystery of magic. There were those who tried to warn their brethren of the perils that came with such power, but too few listened, and too late.
One hundred years ago, greed finally overcame sense and the seal which had once banished the demons was undone in the search for power. Evil once more seeped into the world. It happened slowly at first, as the minds of magicians and rulers were infested with darkness, but the pace quickened and soon the demons strode forth in all their might. One by one the great realms fell to the onslaught, and the world of man was no more.
Now, humans live however they can, wherever they dare. With the surrounding mountain range being infested by goblins and monsters, men are forced to coexist with demons in the wasteland of their once beautiful nation. They live as nomads or in small, tight knit communities, never knowing what tomorrow might bring.
In this game, we will play as a few brave heroes, daring the demonic wasteland in search of a way to survive and prosper. Our heroes have grown up in an unsecure world where violence and death has always waited around the corner. They’re tough, strong and capable – but human. They have flaws, they get scared, and they all have their doubts about the situation. This is the story of their strife in a world where everybody is waiting for the hero that just won’t come. As the story moves on, it is completely ok for our heroes to meet their end at some point or another. There is ultimately no hope, but humans will always try nevertheless.
Humans no longer have an advanced civilization. They can shape steel, they can work leather, wood and stone, but much knowledge has been lost in a very short amount of time. Swords, axes, spears and bows are common enough, but there is no plate armor, no guns or even crossbows, and no mechanical devices to speak of. Settlements consist of tents and shacks. The foremost means of travel is by foot or by horse if you can catch or afford one.
There is magic in the world, but it is wild, dark and dangerous. It is the force with which the demons suppressed the world, and using it comes at a great cost. Evil spirits are never far away from the practicing magician, and are instantly drawn to it if cast in their vicinity. It also damages the body of the caster, first causing fatigue and then all sorts of ailments; aging, blood loss, hallucinations or even demonic corruption. Magicians are however capable of feats no mortal could ever dream of accomplishing. They can part water, change the weather, set fire to people and do other just as dramatic and fantastic things.
Demons come in all shapes and sizes, but are categorized in two separate groups: physical and non-physical. The physical demons, Bael, have a body of their own, which if destroyed causes the demon to die. Baeli can be big or small, scaly or hairy, muscular or skinny; they are as diverse as the animals of nature. The non-physical demons, Djinn, are evil spirits that affect the world either by invading another beings mind or by binding matter into a provisional body. Djinni cannot be destroyed by mundane means, but must be banished or disintegrated by magic. What all demons have in common is their will to dominate, enslave and torture all of humanity.
The land itself is huge and encircled by an almost impregnable mountain range. It was once a place of deep forests, wild rivers and endless plains of green grass. Now the trees have shriveled and died, the rivers have dried, and where there’s still grass it’s yellow and greasy. Instead there are endless plains of dry, inhospitable, sunbaked dirt. The mountain range has been overrun by goblins; small humanoids with yellowish green skin, small red eyes, sharp teeth and a taste for human flesh. All of the old passes have been blocked, and no foreign travelers have passed through for a hundred years. There are animals living here still, goats, horses, dogs and cows, but they are starving just as their human masters are.
If this sounds interesting to you, give me an idea of your character below and we’ll discuss it before moving on to the character sheet.
Looking forward to playing with you!
