#The Silence of Hollowind | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rpgsandbox · 7 years ago

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Hollowind is a vast megalopolis that fifty years ago, thanks to Merlin’s Edict, managed to overthrow the tyranny of arcane families; since that very moment it has been fighting the remaining survivors of the Purge. The Bureaus represent the first line of defense in their daily battle against enemies within and without, observing the motto: order, reveal, and persecute. Anyone attempting to break this new balance, conquered with the blood of thousands, will have to face the Bureaus. The arcanists are always plotting, and people must remain vigilant.

The Silence of Hollowind is a Urban Fantasy role playing game, based on the Savage Worlds rules but with the addition of setting-specific mechanics to enhance gameplay (but which will also be adaptable to other systems). It is a complex and detailed setting, aesthetically reminiscent of 1930s United States but populated by Orcs, Elves, Dwarves and countless fantasy creatures living within the oppressive Hollowind, a metropolis rich with mysteries and contradictions where magic is outlawed and whoever makes use of it is hunted down as a criminal.

The core book for “The Silence of Hollowind” will amount to about 130 pages, which might increase based on the stretch goals.

Within the book you will find:

A deeply structured setting, filled with mysteries.

Several play styles, from purely investigative games to action-pulp adventures.

Playing the role of lowly Order agents, skilled Revealers or brave Persecutors. If stretch goals allow for it, you will be able to play as Arcanists and see things from a different perspective.

Dozens of NPCs and ideas for investigative sessions.

A variety of conversions for different rule systems. The initial project includes compatibility with Savage Worlds only, but stretch goals may unlock more. Each system conversion will be released through its own free PDF.

Layout and art direction aiming to evoke the setting and resemble dossiers from the very Bureaus.

A map of the City of Hollowind!

You might be wondering why we didn’t simply choose a single existing system, or why we didn’t custom-make one for Hollowind. I can tell you we spent a lot of time on this decision, but in the end we realized we wanted this game to be approachable by as many people as possible, with as little effort as possible. This means relying on widespread systems, allowing every group to choose the one they are most comfortable with. Each rules conversion will provide everything you need to adapt your system to our setting in a few easy steps, keeping your focus on the game, not the conversion.

At the same time, we will develop special rules for the Savage Worlds conversion (this is the first system we will design for) such as “Interrogation Scenes”, “Arcane Plague”, “Arcane Fogs” and several Edges dedicated to playing Hollowind. All these rules will be released within a free PDF.

Given their power, wizards have always been considered akin to Gods. And like Gods they built Zapiri, forcing the ground itself to rise above all of Hollowind, the vast city founded by the sorcerers’ servants and submerged in the arcane mists that slowly fell from the dwelling of the Gods.

Despite their power, they were unable to save themselves from the spreading Arcane Plague. The magical illness struck regardless of lineage or position, and the panicking populace begged their masters for salvation but received no answer. The outcry was first moved by fear, then grew ever more violent, culminating into bloodshed and repression. Only the direct intervention of the Primage Merlin was able to bring temporary peace: he promulgated the Edict, which limited the use of magic. Then, he disappeared from the pages of history.

Sadly, Merlin’s Edict was not sufficient to protect the Arcane Families: it simply proved to all unarcanes (those without magical powers) that the use of magic was indeed the cause of Arcane Plague. Urged by the public outcries, the Families granted increasing rights to the people; part of the reason was that many wizards had already been killed by the epidemic.

However, such a secret could not be kept for long; when the people learned the truth, a ferocious rebellion broke out. The insurgents assaulted Zapiri with the help of Giants, cornering the already weakened Arcane Families.

In the darkest moments of the Purge, the arcane clouds over Zapiri ignited with a fire that killed thousands among insurgents, mages and monsters. That event marked the end of Magocracy and the beginning of the Government of Hollowind. Zapiri was quarantined and the Bureaus were created to prevent the mages from regaining their position. The Bureaus’ names form the motto known by every free citizen of Hollowind from their very birth: Order, Reveal, Persecute.

Forty years from that day, Hollowind is fragmented by arcane mists that split its territory into dozens of Urban Islands, safe districts swimming in a sea of magical fog. Due to the Giants’ help and the vertiginous technological evolution freed from the Mages’ yoke, the Islands can now boast towering buildings, cars, trains and firearms. The many races populating Hollowind are a true powder keg of ethnic tension, threatening to explode at any moment; fear of losing what has been so hard to earn led the Government to fight fire with fire, employing the use of manite: a mineral composed of crystallized mana acting as fuel for Hollowind’s latest technologies, making it the most advanced country in the entire world.

But at what price?

If you want to give The Silence of Hollowind a try and discover what it has to offer, you can download the free scenario “Just a Taste”, developed in collaboration with GGstudio (Italian publisher for Savage Worlds)!

The core book for “The Silence of Hollowind” will allow you to play the role of agents from the three Bureaus fighting against dangers criminal and arcane. Each bureau has different goals and embodies a different approach to the game.

Bureau of Order: Officers handling everyday cases that do not involve magic and aren’t relevant to the entire megalopolis. They investigate murders, robberies, burglaries and such (apparently) non-arcane crimes. You might think of them as policemen with firefighting duties. Suggested option for those who are new to the setting or prefer low-magic investigations. Still as deadly as other choices.

Bureau of Revelation: The best detectives among all Bureaus, tasked with solving arcane or high-profile mysteries. They may deal with common crimes if these prove especially complex or unusual, such as with a serial killer or a smuggling network. You might think of them as federal agents. Suggested option for those who like magic to be involved in their investigation, and possibly to face monsters and deadly arcanists.

Bureau of Persecution: Special squads trained to fight wizards and arcane monsters. They are the hammer of the Bureaus: their duty is to forcefully annihilate threats without hesitation, since their intervention is synonymous with a desperate situation. They might also lend their support to other Bureaus if a specialist is needed to capture or locate an enemy. You might think of them as S.W.A.T. squads. Suggested option for those groups who’d rather have deadly confrontations and little investigation in their games.

Needless to say, if the crowdfunding proves successful we plan to expand the possibilities by including new races, archetypes and even the opportunity to play as Mages!

Inspirations for this setting and its themes have been many: the concept of fear and mystery was inspired by 1984; H.P. Lovecraft, Dark Souls, The Order: 1886, Sine Requie (Italian RPG), Vampire: the Masquerade and many other detective stories across all media. The game has developed and grown in the span of several years, becoming a reality thanks to the many people who worked on it and poured themselves into their work, giving life to Hollowind.

This kickstarter is raising funds for both English and Italian language editions.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Thu, November 23 2017 3:58 PM UTC +00:00

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#RPG #kickstarter #The Silence of Hollowind #Savage Worlds

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