Hey guys, this is a free Roleplaying Game Campaign Setting, written by me, for homebrew online RPG groups.
It includes an exotic cyberpunk setting, told from the eyes of its characters, an original magic system that explores magic as just science we don't yet understand, and finally you will find a couple of and pre-generated characters, that show how versatile the system can be.
The character creation and dice mechanics come from the Unisystem Roleplaying Game System, which I have adapted to fit the setting: The Volcanic Slums of The Bowels, which I build for my novel “The Lost Thorn”. I first encountered the system through Zombi: All Flesh Must be Eaten, and so we will be using the character creations rules from there. I own a copy of the book, but this one came from Google.
With that, I hope you find this setting enjoyable and feel free to leave any questions below. I have split the entire document in three to keep posts manageable and organized, I will link them below as I continue to publish them:
- Part 1: Setting and General Information (This one)
- Part 2: Character Creation & Setting Rules
- Part 3: Magic & Character examples
Game Setting for the Campaign: “The Claw of Cerberus”
Part 1 of 3
Where are you?
The year is 2230. The place is called: “The Bowels”. It’s the inside of a volcano carved hollow. Slums. Murder, organ traffic, drugs, hi-tech black markets and hookers are on the day’s menu. The city is divided into three tiers, each darker than the one below. As you learn more about your own origin, you will learn more about The Bowels.
Who are you?
You are gangster. A regular goon with one or two tricks under your sleeve, but nothing more. You are part of The Canine Triad, which is a coalition of three not-so-evil gangs. You may have been born under the obsidian sky, or in the beautiful city built outside, on the sides of the volcano. The city of Quito.
What gang do you belong to?
Here you can choose:
The Wolves: Stern and merciless, they are the sword and shield of The Triad, the first to go in and the last to go out. They oversee and protect the interests of The Triad everywhere below the obsidian skies.
The Blood Poodles: Proud and gracious, even in misery. They are the the mechanical engine that moves the triad. Masters of construction, engineering and technology, what they lack in manpower, they more than make up with the retrofitted devices that they supply for The Triad.
Full Runa: Loyal before anything, they are the blood of The Triad. Mercenaries and machines need money to be bought and used, Full Runa prints that money. Sole manufacturers and suppliers of the highly addictive drug Obsidian they are the economic masterminds behind the powerhouse that is The Triad. Drug dealers, racket owners, smugglers, if it makes money, you’ll see a the Laughing Mongrel stamped on it.
Who will you be fighting?
Mama’s Boys: The Bowel’s biggest gang by sheer numbers, they alone outnumber The Triad 2:1. They will do anything in they hands to control The Bowels with their bloody fist and a spiked boot. Some will tell you they are a bane of this Earth, submerging the already miserable population in an even deeper hell of exploitation and horror. But for some they are hope, they are a life better than what they had. For some being in Mama’s Boys is the only thing that gives them hope.
ClearSight: The biggest and most corrupt corporation in the neighborhood. They own you, and everything around you. Although they stay out of The Bowels most of the time, facing them will be your biggest mistake. If you see a member or drone from ClearSight Security, do yourself a favor and do what everyone does: run away. They build everything that Asia doesn’t. Recently they have been focusing their research efforts on magic, and the spellcasters who wield it.
Who can you trust?
No. One.
Who can you distrust somewhat less than the rest?
Marcus Auburn: Leader of Full Runa, he is a former soldier turned Godfather. His mindset and attitude towards Full Runa, means that he will meet anyone that requests an audience as long as they are member of The Triad.
Victoria LaValier: A woman of iron. She is the ruthless leader of the Poodles. If you got a deal that will net her profit, she’ll listen to you, else, she keeps herself and her gang mostly to their own business.
Respin Delphi: Leader of the Skull Wolves. This mysterious man often hides his identity, he is a master tactician and has connections in the most unexpected of places.
Samantha Thorn: Although technically part of Full Runa, she is the carefree leader of the Runa Mages, her magical prowess is only rivaled by her skill with wordplay, vast knowledge of humanities and lack of regard for any social norms. She’s the one to go to explain the unexplainable. Unless you’d prefer someone a bit less crazy, then you have:
Alyssa Thorn: Samantha’s sister. Often more level headed and usually more in tune with the rules and procedures of the Bowels, she’s the one to go when things need to be mobilized or looked into. She deals with mage apprentices and recruitment into the Runa Mages. She is one of the few people who can stand toe to toe with Sam, both in terms of magic and authority. She has a temper and will quickly recur to her magic to solve whatever issue she faces.
Prof. Martin Poliakov: He is a corporate leech working for Yachag Pharma, however he is a staunch supporter of the people of The Bowels, and will often provide the gangs, specially the Poodles with information and materials often not available otherwise. He is a personal friend of both Victoria and Samantha.
Victor Flint: Half friar, half gangster. Victor used to be a Jesuit friar, expelled from the city he became a member of the “73 Seraphs” gang and returned to being a friar when Mama’s Boy’s crushed the gang. He runs a small temple to Our Lady of Ashes in one of the poorest areas of The Bowels and often intermingles with Full Runa business. He is a personal friend of the Thorn Sisters and it’s said he knows who The Head Wolf is.
Who should you not trust but you’ll still probably end up trusting?
The Hummingbird: When shit hits the fan, there is always The Hummingbird. He’s a mysterious hacker that very few people know how to contact. However if the situation is dire and you have no other choice, someone may be willing to give him a call for you… If you have the right connections.
M&M - Meat & Metal: Organ and implant traffickers. Wanna go cheap? Anesthesia is for pussies? These dudes won’t shoot on a potential customer, but don’t expect any form of sanitation while they open you up to put stuff inside.
Yachag Pharma: They are a Megacorp, yes, but they seem to be more ‘receptive’ towards Bowel dwellers and even mages, if you have the right contact. They are the biggest pharmaceutical corporation in the region. Want legal drugs? Try Excelsior! by Yachag Pharma.
This should be a great starting point for character ideas. Look at this world and the people who inhabit it and try to think of the stories they could tell you about it. I have told you more about the people than about the city, because I hope you will experience the city from their eyes. For some the Bowels is home, for some it is a burden, and for a few it is heaven, think of that when it comes to placing your character in this world.
Continue to Part 2 (Check back on Saturday)
Thank you for reading! I hope this introduction has piqued your interest, I’ll continue to post the rest of the setting on Saturday and Sunday. I’d encourage you to follow me to make sure you don’t miss it. I do this out of love for gaming, and I’d you’d like to support me, don’t forget to upvote and resteem this post.
Thank you, and I’ll see you next time.
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