EMPYREAN

And in the height of their insolence the Akharen - for that is the name they had back then, when their master was still flesh and blood, guiding every moment of his tyrannical conquest, came forth, and built the colossal citadels on top of the cities they conquered. These structures were so colossal that they bled the planet's natural resources dry, ravaging the wilderness, and polluting the world with radiation and toxic waste. Even so, they were marvels of architecture, engineering and technology. During the great war that followed, they became the refuge of millions of humans, and solidified the power of the Akharen. In time Akronas ascended to the heavens, and the last of the Akharen became his heirs on Arandor. The Hexad. And among the Hexad, Nalatoth was always the most extravagant. The Arrogant God of Swords and Seas had built his giant citadel - Anatheras, near the sea, ensuring that his fleet would dominate the seas. Furthermore, Haedras was the most central of the s...

The greatest champion in all the legends of the Unfolding Dream was Caldonnas - the champion of dreams. He was the first of the Elu to stand steadfast against the horrors of the abyss, and against the depravity of Ulaheron, the Shadow God. Every demon, every devil, every creature of darkness and shadow trembles at the approach of Caldonnas, for his was the Ire of Akaon, the great maker - and unmaker - of dreams. Such was the power and valor of Caldonnas when he led the shining host of the Shanacan, that all darkness hid from the face of the dream, for they dreaded the fire of their unmaking that burned in the hearts of these stalwart warriors. But for all his power and glory, greater still was Caldonnas' punishment. The Vaenu, the deities of Fate feared the rise of Caldonnas and the Shanacan. They had become an unstoppable force, and wherever they went all horror and darkness was undone, scorched in their all-purging fire. The cosmic balance was disturbed. The Vaenu, alw...

In the first post of these series we established the following goals central to Empyrean RPG, but also, in my opinion, any storytelling game. Here we examine each of these goals, specifically in the context of Empyrean. Dynamic, dramatic, organic, character-centered narrative.  Empyrean lends itself well to this form of play because it centers on the characters. The manner of characters that the players will build will lay the foundations to the story that will be told. Because the players affect the background story of the Aethons, and their particular motivation that led them to incarnate in Arandor, they create themselves a deep storytelling current that they will further shape with their in-game choices. Ongoing story. Meaningful interaction. Tough calls, no clear-cut "right" or "wrong" choices.  Empyreans are ultimately human. Humans make mistakes. They get carried away. With such power in their disposal, their choices are dramatic and take cente...

In the previous post I established the basic elements, or the primary goals of designing a story-centric RPG experience. In this one, I will continue by trying to explain how Empyrean approaches the Storytelling experience broadly. Conceptual Design : First off, the concept sets the stage for powerful storytelling: The characters are mortal embodiments of the Aethons. As embodiments of these spiritual beings, they are driven by powerful passions and ideals which become essential to any kind of powerful storytelling. The players are also automatically marked by fate, which is also a very interesting concept that gives the player a lot of room of how to tackle and interpret it. Some players choose their characters to feel important and heroic, yet others like to laugh at such notions and face reality with cynicism and stoicism. The players' answers to this question shape the foundation of some of the essential elements of the stories they will participate in. The manne...

In the following posts I will attempt to establish my approach to Storytelling / Narrative gameplay, explore the character of story-based games, and explain how Empyrean RPG tackles these things. As we've discussed elsewhere Empyrean is a storytelling game. I would have even dared to use the "Narrative" term if it wasn't for the system having many elements that aren't strictly narrativist. I will try to expand on my thoughts about Narrative Games here. I don't believe some form of purism truly applies in these concepts, merely a measure by comparison. Ultimately all systems are coupled to the concept and world that they are used in, whilst "generic" systems tend to build "generic" worlds and may lead to a forgettable exploration (although ultimately the idea of the story overwhelms poor game mechanics, in my opinion). To the endless frustration of the patient and progressive people that were willing to put up with my maverick d...