New: Desolate Futures (free, open-ended, email, human, fantasy, rpg, abstract) From: lindahl@pbm.com (Greg Lindahl) Date: Thu, 11 Jul 2002 07:13:00 +0000 Name: Desolate Futures Costs: Free Frequency: once per week Email: chaliceofmalice@hotmail.com Type: fantasy horror Last-Update: 2002Jul09 Keywords: free, open-ended, email, human, fantasy, rpg, abstract Description: I am looking for players to play in my first pbem...I am fed up with games starting and ending after the first round! The game is heavily influenced by roleplaying, and has no "system" as such. You are allowed to be anything that fits in with the world concept - see below. However - you are expected to be one of the "Chosen" (also see below). Beyond that anything is possible. During the great dark age, the civilizations of man were swept aside by the armies of evil, and the land came to be ruled by the dead. Most of the world was now a bleak place, occupied by tirelessly roving bands of undead, and ruled by powerful, evil overlords. The ancient lands are stripped of living things, and only barren, dust-swept plains survive in its place. A deep layer of ice now covers much of the globe, and the cold, dry winds blow constantly across the empty landscape. Only a few hardy lichen and a handful of strange new insect species survive above the ground. The pitiful few human survivors of this disaster now cling perilously to existance in the remaining redoubts of nature. The ancient sites of life force are ruled by the much loathed Vivimancers. These immortal beingsdraw upon the primal life energies of these sites for their experiments in life creation, and they have built an entire menagerie of strange, mutated monsters. The evil hordes are held at bay by the intense life force of these redoubts, and by regular sacrifices to the undead overlords. Never forgetting their tormented past among the civilized nations, the Vivimancer tyrants rule their pockets of life with an iron hand, and will brook no arguements over their ruthless decisions. The pitiful inhabitants of the redoubts are kept illiterate and mostly ignorant of their past and ultimate doom. Most of the undead dwell in necropolis', the remains of the once vibrant and glorious cities that existed before this shadow world came into being. Groups of human sacrifices are led as slaves to these cities, where they will be tormented and slain, to be raised as new dead to serve the evil overlords. All hope is not lost, however, as a secret underground movement exists in many of the redoubts. The leaders of this movement are called the Sisters of Eternal Mercy, and their symbol is the ever-blossoming rose. This group was forged from the descendents of Paladins and White Witches of ancient times. However, they live a constant life of dread under the every watchful eyes of the Vivimancer Tyrants. Captured rebels are tormented by the mutant experiments of the Vivimancers, then sacrificed to the dread hordes of evil. Their fate in the land of the dead is a most unpleasant end indeed. Much of the fate of this world was foretold by the ancient writings of a single seer of great power. It was written in his tome that a group of heroes, each bearing a lock of white hair, will rise to bring new hope to the world. The Vivimancers, however, also have copies of these ancient writings, and thus seek to examine each new born child for such a lock. The Sisters of Eternal Mercy have been trying their utmost to locate such children and to secure their lives in secret places. Thus far, the Sisters have succeeded in only a few notable case. Such children almost inevitably grow up to become a serious threat to the Vivimancers. It would seem that these blessed children have some unusual powers that aid will them in their cause, possibly an inheritance from their magical forebearers. They are heavily infused with life force, giving them a bonus to resist life draining attacks of the undead. They are also resistant to the magics of the Vivimancers, giving them a bonus to their saving throw against vivimancery whenever they are inside an island of life. Now, as was foretold, several of these blessed children have been born in one generation, and the Sisters have labored valiantly to bring them to maturity in utmost secrecy. Unfortunately, the Sisters are betrayed by one of their own when they bring the young heroes together, and the children are taken prisoner by the Vivimancer lord. The blessed ones are little more than teenage boys and girls with little in the way of useful skills. They have no understanding of the meaning of good and evil, and have little inkling of the key role they are about to play in the future of this world. [ This is a new entry for the PBM List. You can find the list itself, and instructions for adding games or comments, at http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/pbm_list/ -- greg ] Up