Heart of Darkness
Recall now an ancient world which has been lost save those few fragments that
live in legend. A forgotten time when all the lands of Earth stood together as
one. The great continent of Pangaea, covered in wild forests and shrouded in
mists, the air so thick it practically burns in your lungs, the sky so clear
that you can see neighboring worlds with the naked eye amidst an endless sea of
stars. It was a time when the world of spirits stood as close as the other side
of the mirror, and gods and devils watched over mortal destiny, and those with
the will to harness the gods’ sacred fire could forge their own fate. An era
before the great beasts had gone extinct, a dangerous land inhabited by savages
and dragons as well as the men and women with the strength to stand against
them. Amongst the greatest of men were the scions of lost Atlantis, who would
brand the wild face of Pangaea with a mighty Imperium that ruled from the
frigid glaciers of the north to the uncharted southern seas.
The Imperium is no more. Brought to its knees by sudden cataclysm and then
ground to dust by decades of corruption and conquest. The blood of Atlantis now
flows freely through the veins of all people, and each is possessed with the
strength to make their own mark upon the world if only they have the will to
use it. Small war bands struggle constantly where vast legions once battled,
each serving a city-state built from the ruins of the Old Empire. This is a
dark time, a time of danger and despair, but also a time of opportunity.
Opportunity to rise above the ruins of civilization like a phoenix and win fame
and glory rivaling the heroes of old, or to give in to the darkness in
your own heart and seize your deepest desires.
Heart of Darkness is a
tabletop role-playing game of Gothic Fantasy in a vast world that lies
somewhere between Weird Western and Arthurian Romance. Set in a forgotten era
of human history, the players will try and carve a place for themselves in the
dark age that followed the collapse of the Empire that once maintained the
pretext of order across all of Pangaea.
Heart of Darkness is traditional
role-playing game which emphasizes player freedom in characters and in actions.
Character creation is detailed and allows for in-depth character customization,
with no preset roles or restrictions. You can be exactly who you want to be and
do exactly what you want to do.
A full copy of the play test
rules is available here. Keep in mind that this is a
play test version. It is still a complete game, but most of the formatting and
artwork is missing, and much of what is present serves as placeholders. This is
a draft, please don't be discouraged by the occasional typographical
or grammatical error.
I am looking to distribute
these play test rules and encourage you to share them, and hopefully play
them, with your friends. I welcome questions and feedback of all types,
and want to hear what you think so that I can make this the best game it can
be. I am still commissioning artwork, so if you can produce illustrations of a
similar style and quality to those found in the book please let me know.
Email: admin@heartofdarknessrpg.com