It is I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!
Welcome to the Shrinelands, the sun-baked cradle of the world. North of the wine-dark waters of the Valles, east of dread Noctis, south of fallen Tharsis, and west of the world!
This particular saga concerns the fate of the Tower of Madness, a mystical fastness you have been invited to take ownership of - save for the perils of the tower and the land surrounding.
This is a game about sword and sorcery in a mythological age, where players take the roles of adventures, leaders, and wizards to experience how their life unfolds. Play proceeds on varying timescales: moment by moment in tense battle, minute by minute when creeping through unknown ruins, day by day exploring the vast wilderness north of the Valles, and season by season as characters learn new spells, train, and build their influence.
Below are details on creating a character, and a summary of some key differences from similar fantasy adventure games.
Seasonal Activities
- most training points gained by studying during seasons - perhaps from a wise mentor or an ancient tome
- grand rituals take time to cast, such as the Kindling the Soul - others curse the land itself or summon potent allies
- each year harvests are brought in, hirelings paid, fortifications rise and fall - your reputation and influence can be of equal value to any coin or gem
Years may be required, as a game using a paradigm more similar to sandbox style play there will be many challenges which are insurmountable in the moment. Any enemy fortress may well be impregnable without returning with more allies, new magic, knowledge of a hidden passage, or time spent subverting one of their watch masters to your cause.
Exploration
- game takes place over a large hexmap - with special attention paid to the challenges of travel, expenditure of supplies, and discovering the vast region of the Shrinelands
Leaders of Men
- gain a Leadership score - in pitched battles powerful adventurers are accompanied by bodyguards, squads of archers, or even tamed beasts
Adventurers from the Shrinelands
- characters and character options are specific to the world of the Shrinelands
- classes are a baseline, not a limitation - most training points are gained based on your characters choices, a class is more of a guarantee of competency in a given domain than a restriction
Play is similar to many other fantasy adventure games, with a few key differences. Below is something of a “strategy guide” to understand the themes and options available.
Being a Rogue
Rogues are those who survive by their wits, expertise, and the favor of the gods. When gaining training points rogues gain one more than they would otherwise. Because of this they benefit from a diverse education, and should be keen to seek out potential mentors or manuals. Both of those allow a character who spends a season in study to gain a number of training points based on their quality. Alongside this all characters gain free training points based on their Intelligence modifier each year, something which the rogue can easily take advantage of.
Also, there are no re-rolls other than a rogue’s ability to re-roll a skill check once per scene - which can often be the turning point for major events. A good rogue should feel free to take bold action, knowing that often the gods will protect them.
Odysseys is a prime example of a rogue, and many more archetypes than one may initially assume fall under this banner. Diplomats, priests, alchemists, healers, dilettantes - all ways to embrace the gifts granted you.
Being a Warrior
Warriors are those destined for greatness on the field of honor. They also have the highest base leadership of the classes - often being on the path from barbarian to king. While having high martial skills is obviously a boon, warriors should not feel limited to any single skill. With their natural aptitude for combat picking up incidental skill in other combat styles will increase the ranges they are effective at.
Alongside this Teach and Lead can be useful for a warrior wishing to train and lead an elite squad.
Being a Wizard
Magic is a unique expression of the nature of the Shrinelands. Each spell is a combination of one of the schools of magic, and a source of power. A given magic-user will likely only have mastery over 2 or 3 of these elements - meaning there will be much magic that a fire mage can perform that an air mage cannot.
Being from the Shrinelands
The Adventure Begins
Strategy Guide
The Hypeurus Age
An age of bronze and blood