Carcosa is a malignant planet 153 light years away from Earth, orbiting a nameless, dying binary star in the Hyades Cluster. Carcosa is also a foreboding city in the middle of the black lake Hali, a pallid and sepulchral metropolis of whose inchoate inhabitants one better dares not speak. Carcosa is a tale of far-future technology and magnificent, maleficent architecture and inhumanly horrific sorcery and the primitive tribes that eke out a meagre existence amongst these remnants of awesome, awful yore.
 |
| by Wayne D. Barlowe |
 |
| from Universum: War Front |
You will play as...
A wasteland scavenger and survivor, one of the rainbow-coloured "humans" that brave the death-filled wilderness sprawling between the fortified villages that dot this planet's broken landscape, searching for treasure (certainly), glory (ostensibly) and perhaps even a meaning. Any meaning at all.
There are no people except the fifteen races of Man - Alabaster, Blue, Bone, Bronze, Dolm, Fuchsia, Gold, Green, Jale, Onyx, Orange, Purple, Red, Ulfire, and the ever-elusive Space Men. Twisted by millennia of travesties and tribulations, they are a combination of hunters-gatherers, mutants, cyborgs, maddened cultists and even more peculiar folk. Some would argue that these "humans" are human no more.
Sidebar: Humanity is not native to Carcosa and there are next to no other mammals. You will find no sheep or wolves, but you might certainly encounter giant reptiles, terror-birds, weird insectoids, alien fungi, etc.
There are no classes except four: Fighter, Trickster, Tinker and Psyker. Why? Because the classes serve as merely a chassis for the tricks and talents that you will uncover during your wanderings. Indeed, this should be a game of discovery. You will be exploring the merciless expanse of Carcosa, where every path leads to danger, every crumbling monastery houses a sage and every foreboding ruin hides a
secret. Butcher the dangers for their cybernetic parts, force the sages to teach you their techniques, steal the secrets to unlock phenomenal cosmic powers. You will gain abilities by travelling, training, investigating and taking a risk.
Basically, mix a bowl of grotesque horror, pulpy trappings and gonzo comedy, then sprinkle it all over a big hex map. That is Carcosa.
Do you want to...
- Travel between xenophobic village-states ruled over by cybernetic god-kings and psionic witch-queens? Every village hoards rumours about strange Wonders - scraps and shards of alien gadgets - just waiting for someone foolish enough to try and claim them.
- Win these Wonders and listen to their whisperings? Such whispers are said to be the blessings of the Black Monolith that bring great fortunes and far greater ruin.
- Descry monuments that chronicle the failings of incomprehensible civilizations long extinct and their horrid rituals that could bind gods to your will, if you are willing to leave your humanity behind? You will never dream of pleasant things again.
- Follow your nightmares towards resplendent, repugnant places where one might glean transcendental truths, such as how to punch really really hard? Insanity will nip at your heels.
- Pretend that you are fine while getting addicted to lotus and tearing killbots apart with your bare mind? You will need someone to bring you back.
- Deal with whatever strange forces may threaten the survival of the small village that is your newfound home, maybe improve the lives of your friends, and perhaps even lead them to a better future?
Once again, here are d20 questions and answers about the campaign and setting, courtesy of
Jeff Rients:
What is the deal with my cleric's religion?
There is no divine magic, no otherworldly benevolent beings and no centralized religious organizations. Religion on Carcosa is more about awe and appeasement - some cults worship the Old Ones and their spawn, others ancient technology and AI angels, or powerful monsters and extraterrestrial entities. Sometimes, these cultists are spared, or even rewarded.
Where can we go to buy standard equipment?
The party will soon find themselves in the town of Lon Barago which houses a large market every weekend. The Bronze Women village of Jahara to the west may have other items that are trickier to track down, especially medicine and drugs.
Few people in Carcosa are interested in gold, by the way. Rather than any single currency, goods are usually bartered, with food, bullets or energy cells, and especially Wonders all being good bargaining chips.
Where can we go to get plate mail custom fitted for this monster I just befriended?
You are unlikely to find anyone who knows how to produce plate armour, even if you could find the metal to make it in the first place. Carcosa is an eclectic mix of bronze age villages and rotting alien super-tech, where few people have the time, opportunity and resources to master a skill such as armour-crafting. That being said, you could have something fashioned out of dinosaur leather, and should you be lucky in scavenging some irradiated ruins, there are many stranger armours to be had - from laser-resistant synth suits to hulking powered exoskeletons.
Who is the mightiest wizard in the land?
The most evil of all the Purple Men, Ikhon the Judge, is known for his unmatched mastery of the Four Arts: Killing, Psychic, Scientific and Sorcerous. He rules a small village far to the south-west, protected by advanced weaponry and soldiers clad in power armour. The Old Ones yield to his will.
Who is the greatest warrior in the land?
You know of no finer masters of the Killing Arts than Lon "the Brightest Terror" and Barago "the Swift and Silent Beginning", the two leaders of the town of Lon Barago. They have forged a sanctuary for escaped slaves and refugees of all kind, forming a small but growing community. This is quite an unlikely situation - people of all races living and working together, spared from the common xenophobia that permeates the wastes.
Who is the richest person in the land?
Ikhon the Judge is said to possess vast amounts of wealth.
Where can we go to get some magical healing?
You surely mean technological healing. Medical Wonders do exist, but they are not easy to come by. In all other cases, you must make do with crude surgery and lotus.
Where can we go to get cures for the following conditions: poison, disease, curse, level drain, lycanthropy, polymorph, alignment change, death, undeath?
The many-coloured lotus can cure many ailments, but may also kill the unwary. Ask your local dealer, likely from the Red Temple near Lon Barago.
And while sorcery is usually used only for conquest and perversions, it is capable of amending afflictions that nothing else can ameliorate - at a price. For example, petrification can be undone by the Lurker Amidst the Obsidian Ruins, the dead can be raised (in a manner of speaking) by the Desiccating Slime of the Silent Halls, and radiation sickness may be lifted by the Weird God.
Is there a magic guild my magic-user belongs to or that I can join in order to get more spells?
There is no magic in Carcosa - in the traditional sense. Fireballs, divinations and protective wards are replaced by rocket launchers, psionic prescience and mutated bone plates. There also exist the grand rituals of the long-vanished Chirrappakka that allow a sorcerer to humble the elder gods and draw upon their powers - at a sickening price. Finally, there are many local marvels found only in a single village or cave, such as infernal pigments, sorcerous sourdoughs, or memetic chants.
Where can I find an alchemist, sage or other expert?
Ali-ilil the Apiarist is a lotus-seller, apothecary and sage who lives in the village of Jahara. He also deals in maps. He may be addicted to the philters he sells.
Specialised experts are scattered in various other villages. There is no central hub of hubbub.
Where can I hire mercenaries?
Lon Barago maintains an informal standing militia. Most of the men and women in the town know how to fight. For a good wage or a share of treasure, it should not be hard to find people willing to have an adventure.
Is there any place on the map where swords are illegal, magic is outlawed or any other notable hassles from the Law?
Sorcery is universally considered wicked, so you are best to hide any such tendencies. Some villages broaden their idea of magic to include not just the ancient, eldritch rituals, but psionics and mutations as well. On the other hand, no villagers are likely to complain about a person carrying an axe or rifle; it's rough out there.
Bone Men are pretty much always regarded with suspicion, if not outright reviled.
Which way to the nearest tavern?
The Hole in Lon Barago serves fermented drinks and is the place to go for all sorts of shadiness.
What monsters are terrorizing the countryside sufficiently that if I kill them I will become famous?
A large spherical hunter-killer robot stalks the wastes just south of Lon Barago. No one knows who created it or for what purpose, but it has been stealing away travellers for month now. Few have encountered the machine and lived to share their tales.
The rulers of Lon Barago will also pay for proof of any killed slaver or spawn and the town of Jahara is said to have its own share of troubles with monsters.
Are there any wars brewing I could go fight in?
She of the Lake, an up-and-coming techno-priestess, has just started assembling a petty empire for herself via brutal conquest. She lives on an island far to the east and, if rumours are to be trusted, offers great power to those who swear their fealty to her.
How about gladiatorial arenas complete with hard-won glory and fabulous cash prizes?
A nearby castle of Jale Men runs gladiatorial games of sorts. The prize is that the winners gain the honour and privilege of being fed to the Jale Men's god.
If you wish to prove your martial prowess, a better bet would be to find a monastery and challenge the monks for the knowledge of their secret technique.
Are there any secret societies with sinister agendas I could join and/or fight?
Yes. They are exactly the kind of secret you might want to investigate should you wish to master unnatural powers.
What is there to eat around here?
Not much. Most villages subsist one stretch of bad weather away from the brink of starvation and a well of clean water is a treasure that can buy a lord's favour. Wheat and fruits are not common; people live off mushroom stew, lizard eggs and meat, fish, insect paste, sweet cacti, bitter tubers and all sorts of strange roots. Dinosaur meat is a rare feast.
On the other hand, drugs are relatively easy to acquire, with chewing lotus, worm spice and alcohol available pretty much everywhere. What is often called beer or wine on Carcosa is actually a kind of kombucha, various organic remains fermented with the help of certain yeasts and fungi.
Any legendary lost treasures I could be looking for?
The Elder Signs, rune-inscribed metametal tablets that keep the Old Ones at bay and compel b'yakhees to do your will, would probably be quite handy. Other than that, the most common reason to brave the decidedly deadly ruins of yore is a chance to find a Wonder such as a plasma blaster, holo-projector, shield generator, robot scrambler, alien mutagen injector, or a car.
Where is the nearest dragon or other monster with a hoard of treasure?
If by a dragon you mean a laser-breathing dinosaur, there are rumours of such a beast's lair to be found in the mountains to the north-west. It is questionable what kind of a treasure hoard might such a monstrosity possess, but one could tear the many alien cybernetics out of its body and instigate their own ascension into eternal chrome.
What class knows the most martial arts? Are they real martial arts like kung fu, or made up ones like krav maga?
There are only four classes available, but they serve simply as a chassis for the various special techniques you can learn from masters and manuals found across the wasteland. Thus basically all of the classes, save for maybe Tinkers, have some form of martial Killing Arts to learn.
Oh, and they are real techniques like the Jedi force push.
Can I start out having already made a deal with the devil or do I have to do that in game?
As a starting boon, you can choose a sorcerous ritual capable of compelling an elder evil to do your bidding, but you have to perform it during play.
Do you want me to write an 8-page backstory? Can I write an 8-page backstory, if I want to? If I write something down in it like I'm the time-lost princess of the brass city and the daughter of the Sun and I commanded legions in the Hell War but was betrayed by my father's vizier but I don't know that, or that I'm elf Conan and cooler than everyone else, will that be true?
You don't need a backstory or character concept for this campaign, at least in the beginning. You will start as a nameless slave thrown into a dungeon of an indescribable god. Make a name for yourself during play.
On the other hand, there are no impregnable fortresses, no ancient organisation that will hunt you down with an army, should you upset the local balance of power, and no powers that be to uphold the status quo. Few things are impossible for a small, well-armed group with a plan. Few rulers are immune to being shot in the head with a laser rifle, and taking their village for yourself once you murder them is par for course. You can achieve renown, you can quickly amass power and you can start changing the world, if you are willing to take risks.
These classes are boring, can I be one from somewhere else? What about from a different system entirely?
Not at first, no. I am too invested in the theme and tone and it would ruin the discovery aspect of play. But you can always tell me what you would like to see and if it fits the flavour at least a bit, I will hide it somewhere in the world for you to find.
So anyway, how do I win in general?
That's a good question which I don't really have an answer to. Maybe you could:
- Take over a village and build it up into a beacon of civilization and/or a military powerhouse.
- Repair a flying saucer and leave this planet for greener pastures.
- Wish upon a bound Outer God to have a grand palace and slaves aplenty.
- Shed your mortal flesh and ascend to pure conceptual form, cyber-heaven or other higher sphere of existence.
- Overdose on lotus and delve into the deepest reaches of Dreamlands.
- Drive your tuned-up nuclear-powered car into the binary sunset, never to be seen again.
What language stands in for Common? Or what are we all talking to each other in? Like the party, mostly, but also everyone else?
Every race of Man has its own coloured language, but the most common are certainly Red, Green and Blue tongues. They are somewhat mutually intelligible, but have very different ways of writing. Speaking of which, literacy is rare on Carcosa. You are considered illiterate until you reach rank 6 in a given language.
Lon Barago is split roughly half and half between Green and Red.
What do birds know?
The bird people, Chirrappakka, have brought humanity to this planet and ruled over them for eons. It is their ruins that you are desecrating, their technology that you are stealing and their mistakes that you are paying for. They knew everything.
Is there weaponized Squid?
Given how many Lovecraftian monsters roam these lands, you can expect to encounter all manner of dangerous squids and squid-like organisms. How much they can be weaponized is entirely up to your ingenuity.
What cultures approve of cannibalism?
Many. For some, it is a matter of staving off starvation, for others a religious rite. It is polite to ask before eating someone's fallen brethren, but such a question will not spark outrage - cannibalism is uncommon but widely accepted.
Which is the Rome but with lava? Like the fire country in this world?
Mount Voormith'adreth to the far north-west.
How much money can I make inventing siege engines?
There is nobody to buy such machines, but you can certainly use them for your own enrichment by razing other villages.
What is the most significant tree to the economy of the starting place?
All quality wood is precious. While firewood can usually be gathered easily enough from the brittle wasteland bushes, forests are deadly hives of horrors and wood logs are thus hard to come by. Villages are built from
adobe or stone and clay, and instead of wooden furniture, you can expect sitting mats of reed and tables of stone.
 |
| by Don Lawrence |
