Corona Sea: Will of the Thronedie
Thronedie Palach, the Corpse of Deceit, continues his infinite rule and sacred duty to the Corona Sea—that which lies between worlds, and calls only one man master. In his timeless wisdom, the Thonedie sullies the Code of Serenity, that which protects the Sea, in order to bring life from the Real and Unreal to his lands. This decision, one much contested by the Courtiffs, his trusted council, leads to the creation of the Hollow Hall. This is where the creatures taken from other worlds may rest until the Corpse of Deceit judges their time well spent. At that point, they are given a favourable reprieve or absolved shamefully. For many, though, the madness of the Lunacy and power of brokerage proves intoxicating…
Corona Sea draws inspiration from gothic themes and fatalistic dreams… Er, I’ll hold off on the cheesy poetry for now. In plain terms, this is a rules-light game inspired by sources such as Dark Souls, the Cthulu Mythos (and associated games), Vampire: The Masquerade, and the Lesser Key of Solomon.
It takes place in the Corona Sea, also known as the Lunacy, an in-between world of mad darkness. While not necessarily evil, the Sea is host to many disturbing, wonderful, and/or horrendous creatures. It is a realm of emotion, chaos, and unfettered madness. Logic has little sway here, but there is a method to all madness.
Players are adherents of the Hollow Hall, known as brokers. They are creatures from either side of existence: the logical factual plane of the Real where you find humanity, or the untamed false plane of the Unreal where any manner of existence is possible. Caught in a struggle between worlds, brokers are bound to the realm by its ruler and loyal to his advisors. Brokers represent the great authority of the Thronedie. What’s more, they wield a greater sway over the power of petrification. This means-- being creatures of the two extreme realms of reality-- they can imagine much more into existence (so long as the Thronedie allows it, barring interference from other powerful beings). See Example Characters for a demonstration of ‘reasonable’ powers.
This setting is sort of ‘out there’, so expect a bit of mindbending weirdness as I situate how exactly to run the game.
Statistics: Analogous to hit points, keep these three stats above zero or the character will be absolved: sent back to their home, broken by logic or madness. Distribute 20 points among them, 1 being the minimum.
Soul: Essence of Self, ability to keep oneself grounded in form. Those who prioritise soul are often pragmatic, down-to-earth, or stoic. When they are confronted with an obstacle, they use a hands on approach or logic to confront the problem.
Sanity: Essence of Mind, ability to keep oneself grounded in reality. Those who prioritise sanity are often intellectual, curious, or creative. When they are confronted with an obstacle, they use their minds to think around or solve the problem.
Sacrosanctity: Essence of Other, ability to keep oneself grounded in self-assurance. Those who prioritise sanctity are often spiritual, philosophical, or confident. When they are confronted with an obstacle, they use their personal morals to guide them towards a solution.
Name: Even if you are from the unreal, names or titles are mandatory to keep your mind in check.
Appearance: An enormous range of factors contribute to this. Humans are the core of all things, and so even many demons conform to that which is familiar to them, taking on humanoid or animal form much of the time.
Niche: All creatures are sums of their knowledge and skills. Engineer, knight, general, lawyer, shaman, seer, beggar. All are capable of greatness in the Lunacy.
Bio: Includes what extreme you are from (the Real or Unreal), what time period (if from the Real), personal reasons why one believes they are in the Lunacy, and any other pertinent information.
Kim Fe Lo, the Great Maze- Royal groundskeeper for an early Chinese dynasty, Kim sees all things in patterns and orders them accordingly. He focuses on Soul, using logic and his understanding of botany to conjure insane arcades to trap his enemies and test his allies. No one knows where Kim actually is, they only communicate with him through his creations.
Tosouna Malla, Stone of Yore- Demon turned boulder from the Unreal, Toso, as she is known, resides in burial grounds and sacred places. She enjoys playing mind games and solving riddles, and will often part with treasures if bested. She boasts a prodigal Sanity, outsmarting beings much more powerful than her, but only in self-defense.
Sindon Exellence- Once small-time salesman and entrepreneur, Sindon came into the Lunacy a wretch of ill-repute. Now, he is an extraordinary testament to the willpower of mankind. He focuses on Sacrosanctity, building a cult of personality around himself. His towering reputation fuels and expands his own ego, which furthers his complex schemes.
Many of the details will arise through play, but here are some of the major details:
1. The Lunacy sits between both realms. As such, it is slave to logic and madness in equal measure, but the combination is in constant flux.
a. Time as we know it seems to exist in some forms but only in some areas.
b. Space seems infinite, yet the Thronedie’s realm has distinct borders.
c. Matter coalesces into being when one wills it, but someone else with equal or greater willpower can will it from being easily. In this way, Thronedie Palach keeps a degree of order in place.
2. Thronedie Palach, the Corpse of Deceit, is feared by most, beloved by some. He never speaks, but his will is known by his council, the courtiffs. They are known as the Will of Realm.
a. The Will calls Camrose home, a city inhabited by Citizen, a multibody entity that obeys the Thronedie without question.
b. Countiff Montague the High Court Malance represents the Thronedie’s will, but collaborates with the other courtiffs in governance.
This one is a weird one, interested to see if it works out. Trying to get back into the swing of things, maybe work on some art here or there to tune my brain! Anyway, I'll be taking five for this adventure to strange town. Won't be first come first serve this time around. If I get more than five, I'll pick out the team. The game is more freeform than I'm used to, so I'm not sure the five will end up working in the same team... or working together at all.