North Revealed Experience: The Soul Scourge

Steel Realms

CHRONICLE > The North Revealed is a Living World campaign set in The Northern Hearthlands of the [Fantasy] Steel Realms. The Heartland Spark has re-shaped the realm and new opportunity beckons the brave and bold to the north. Brought together by circumstance, bound by camaraderie, finding fortune in the conflict of the northlands…

North Revealed: The Soul Scourge – A Shared Experience of the ORIGINAL foundling campaign characters of the North revealed campaign. STATUS: COMPLETE & PUBLISHED.

The characters share the same experience (North Revealed: The Soul Scourge) in regard to The Soul Scourge of Gruxxand the Necromancer. It is a recurring shared experience of a strange astral ship and crew over and over, with the Eorthna named Binnu-Burr of the foundlings imprinting it. She has done this over and over for years, even on the ones that did not directly experience it, so that it is a defining moment in all their lives.

Imperium Character Perspective: A Series of Dreams leads up to this cataclysmic event in the world you find yourself in. They are terrifying and reach into the recesses of your mind you thought unassailable. Having grown up in the Imperium, you have nothing by the terrifying elements of chaos sometimes unleashed by the witch worlds to compare it to, but that realization comes too late.

A Sailor on the Seas of fate: The Soul Scourge tore through the Neogin ship as it was trying to make repairs. The dreams leading up to it were enough to make the slavers nervous, and they had caged the slaves in their isolation cubes for days. Then it finally happened, most of the slaves rejected the memories of terror and confusion, already wary of being a world they did not belong. Among the foundlings, there was a another Eorthna empath named Cozen-Burr that tried to embrace the soul scourge to try and find a means of helping the slaves escape. Cozen had become a bit of a mother figure to the group. Eventually it caused her death, and her psychic backlash rippled out and touched every mind of the small band she was part of. Protected from the worst of it, their shared friendship opened the door for some of its effects. One particular memory of some form of creature that sailed upon astral seas ripped through each, imprinting its death memories on them. You share much of the same dreams, fantastical, unreal even. The death of Cozen affected all of them though, draining them of sanity.

POLL: What happened during the time of the soul scourge to the young characters of the new campaign? (I am limiting potential impact because it could kill)

RESULTS = 100% – They all shared in a common trauma memory

The boat they sailed on their memories sailed among the roiling clouds of the astral – the “Sea of Fate” as the alien captain called it. Bizarre creature passengers were many, and many times they were assailed by magic and aberrant entities. It crashed through a barrier at one point on its dream voyage, into the Valley of Sighs, killing all on board.
= Gain: +1 Occult Phenomenology

Many strange crew members worked the obsidian ship, calling out in strange languages – if they could be called that. The crew had to learn many modes of communication and these memories swirl in the background thoughts of the lingering shared memories.
= Gain: +1 Charisma (max of 16, +1 Perception otherwise); All of those affected have eyes slightly more open at rest, due to the wondrousness of this experience.

Like any ship, the deck, rigging, and hold needed looking after. The strange crew was always active, as the astral seas were dangerous and cargo and crew were always at risk of spilling across the deck.
= Gain: +1 Athletics

Setup

Discord Vote: 100% for “They all shared in a common trauma memory” / DISCORD CHECK = 6,2,6,5,2
COST = -1 Sanity, Operate/Pilot: Boat +1, + d6 (same for each)

  1. The characters lose 1 Essence
  2. The characters gain a +1 on a specific Lore or Athletics check related to shared memories
  3. The characters gain +1 health
  4. The characters gain 1 Essence
  5. The characters are infused with the personalities of the shared memories; +1 Charisma (max of 16, +1 Perception otherwise)
  6. (Roll for two effects)