The Dreams of Inger Bax (Setting)

 

Hubris of the 3rd Aeon

It is said that no man has ever believed in wizardry more than the Akenian mage knight Inger Bax. In spite of being something of a mediocre caster, he was among the most ambitious. He was also fortunate enough to be born into wealth, allowing these dreams to flourish when they might have otherwise been held back by his unexceptional ability.

Inger desired a society entirely reformed around magic and magitech, eagerly evangelizing his beliefs to anyone who would listen. In spite of protests from many of his peers, he accumulated enough of a following to pursue his goals in earnest. Among his faithful were practitioners of arcane horticulture - to elevate their work, he had a grand park constructed around their facility, a place to show off the fruits of their labor to the curious and well connected in hopes that they too would support his dream. The attraction was a monumental success and soon others were constructed, all connected by a great rail system that allowed visitors to move between them quickly and comfortably. He erected his manse in the center of this great project, another jewel in his illustrious crown.

Fractured dreams

In spite of this early success, Inger Bax's perfect magical city remained far out of reach, likely unattainable within a single lifetime. There was too much to consider, too many steps to make for that. A truly wise man would perhaps realize the futility of such a dream, or at the very least, trust in the future to see it to fruition with the foundations he had set.

Inger Bax was many things, but wise he was not.

His efforts shifted to the folly that consumed many a caster of the era: immortality. He only grew more desperate with age, his attempts becoming more esoteric and absurd. Inger eventually vanished from the public eye, reputation in tatters. Rumors spread that rather than allow himself to wither away, he had his head removed and preserved in liquid mana, to be hidden somewhere within his estate.

The impact on the 4th Aeon (Now!)

The attractions he spearheaded remained in operation for some time after his disappearance, though these too were abandoned during the events of 3rd Cataclysm. In the contemporary era, many of them have served as makeshift shelters and even settlements for the folk who inhabit the Shadowed Lands. Some have become home to monsters, dangerous thanks to magical pollution from untended technology, or both.

And those rumors of Inger Bax's living head persist, even into this new aeon. Did he truly find a way to cheat death, even in a diminished state? Has he instead become one of the stubborn dead, and is simply not aware of it? The answer to such questions await any brave adventurers willing to explore that dilapidated old estate in the heart of the Shadowed Lands.

Want to know more...

Our first expansion to BREAK!! enables player to learn more about the 'legacy' of Inger Bax, follow the project on kickstarter.

 

Starting Social Bonds (Freebie)

 

This week's entry is a preview of a small portion our next supplement START - namely, one of the procedures included in the section for fleshing out the history of the party alongside character creation. This is a way to give each player character a set of Social Bonds to begin a saga with.

Starting Social Bonds

Use the following procedure if your group would like the party to begin with some existing Social Bonds:

• Each player should choose another player’s character and decide (or roll on the Example Social Bonds Table) the nature of their character’s relationship with them. 

• The other player may decide how their character feels as well - these don’t have to be equivalents! For example, a Battle Princess might have a crush on a Murder Princess who considers them a rival.

• Players should each try to choose a character who has not been picked for a social bond yet. Optimally, everyone should end up with at least 2: one with a player’s character who chose them, and another with the character they themselves chose.

• Social Bonds created this way are identical to ones earned via the Socializing Downtime Activity.

• Characters from the Other World are exempt from this (unless there are other Characters from the Other World present, then they may opt to create Social Bonds with one another) though they may choose which of the other characters they met first. In this case, the existing Social Bond represents a first impression rather than the product of a lasting relationship.

GM Tip! An alternate method of doing this is to have all the player’s sit at a table and have each establish a social bond with the player to their left’s character.

 

Example Social Bonds (Roll or Choose)

• (1-2) Close Companion - This is a person you feel you can trust and confide in. Whether you’ve known each other your whole lives or met through some recent ordeal, the bond you’ve forged seems unbreakable.

• (3-4) Siblings - This person is (or is like) a brother or sister to you. You may squabble here and there, but you tend to be fiercely loyal to them. Note that adoption is very common in the Outer World, so characters of different species may consider themselves familial siblings.

• (5-6) Rivals - You are very competitive with this person; you may have comparable skills or methodology and you generally strive to top them in this arena whenever possible.

• (7-8) Partner In Crime - This person may not be your best friend, but they are someone you feel will help with some of your more rash or ill-advised schemes.

• (9-10) Mentor - You feel like you can really learn something from this character. They may be your superior in combat, social prowess, or some other adventuring vocation and you wish they’d teach you their secret.

• (11-12) Colleague - While you don’t have any strong feelings for this individual, you respect their ability and feel they are contributing their fair share to the efforts of the party.

• (13-14) Uneasy Ally - There is something about this person that makes you wary about them, even though you may still recognize them as a friend.

• (15-16) Shared Philosophy - This person has a faith or outlook on life that you wholeheartedly agree with, or at least respect a great deal.

• (17-18) Crush - You are infatuated with this person. There is something special about them that really attracts your attention.

• (19-20) Admiration -You may not always agree with this person or want to be like them, but they have earned a great deal of respect from you. You may even consider them to be a genuine hero!

Player Tip! Try to flesh these out a bit at some point - either right away with the other player, or keep it in mind and think about what it could be during play. It might be a good idea to write it down!