Sci-fi/ Horror Setting
This is a background project for my crazy 4-in-1 'Spheres of War' rulesets. The Sciror setting is based on all background material I created for Philhammer, specifically the 'Dark Age of Technology' with the GW IP ripped out.
Sci-fi + Horror = Sciror: The flavour of Sciror is 'sci-fi' with an underlying horror vibe (think Alien and Cthulhu Mythos). The aesthetic is a mix of solar-punk and grimdark.
Sciror has a vanilla timeline that is used as a template to create new game worlds and scenarios. Think of it as a framework for building your own worlds, but there is a default setting to fall back on. Sciror is a collection of 'concept-blocks', which deal with all the behind-the-scenes stuff about the background (meta) and sets out how the game universe is structured, an outline of the multi-verse/ alternate realities, how psionic powers work and the nature of creation. The default setting arranges these blocks to serve as an example. All derivative game worlds are housed within the 'Infinity', and any genre or setting can be recreated within Sciror and easily converted to Spheres of War rules. This may sound a little daunting, but I've included a few pre-made settings to get the ball rolling...
Timeline
While I envision Sciror as a sandbox, for you to make up your own worlds and settings, I've included examples of what can be done with a number of mega-scenarios. These scenarios are linked together through the vanilla timeline. The seven major eras of the timeline each match to one of the mega-scenarios, and it an excellent introduction to how they all fit together.
Scale
The timeline is a tad on the long side; the Supremacy alone lasts from the 5th millennium all the way to the 342nd! It may seem like a long time, but the latter part is not accurate. Due to the nature of colonisation, the machine manufacturing humans and implanting memories, the humans within the Supremacy and beyond do not know the real-time compared to us. Think of it as a 'best guess' by those in the later scenarios looking back. In truth, millions of years have passed, but for now, we can ignore that 😉
The links in the timeline lead to the same mega-scenario indexes as the The links in the timeline lead to the same indexes as the links in the mega-scenario section below. The timeline is the meta, while the section below start to describe what each mega-scenario is all about.
Mega-Scenarios
A mega-scenario is a background setting within a larger background setting. A sub-setting if you will, but more self-contained and not set in stone. You can use these pre-made mega-scenarios as a springboard for creating your own settings, or use them 'as is'—a spare bits box of background concepts. Sciror tends to be 'modular', as all stories tend to be, which means you can drop concept-modules into your homebrew designs. Sciror is all about messing with perceptions and twisting common concepts into new horrors, and I hope these do not disappoint! As such, there is no canon, and the setting will be tweaked by those you play with. If your gaming group plays an RPG using Sciror be aware that you GM may have totally rewritten everything, and twisted it up even more 😀
Visions of the Near Future
The fall of the Supremacy. The new dark ages for mankind. Striped of our advanced technology and machine military, we are left vulnerable to the predations of demon and alien alike. Worlds are overrun, Ghods come into being, and the Supremacy collapses. We fight back, housed in Legionary armour, created by the machines for our once decadent society to ‘cosplay’. Construction files for immersive VR games are used to customise the armour, and build weapons, using prototyping machines. Gamers play for real this time.
Psidemic
The fall of the Supremacy. The new dark ages for mankind. Striped of our advanced technology and machine military, we are left vulnerable to the predations of demon and alien alike. Worlds are overrun, Ghods come into being, and the Supremacy collapses. We fight back, housed in Legionary armour, created by the machines for our once decadent society to ‘cosplay’. Construction files for immersive VR games are used to customise the armour, and build weapons, using prototyping machines. Gamers play for real this time.
Stare into the Abyss
This is a 'Grimdark' setting. An expansion and extension of the Sciror time line beyond 20,000AD. Psidemic has destroyed the mighty machine-human empire of the Supremacy, gods walk among mankind, trillions burn. From it's ashes a new human empire has risen to retake the stars. The seat of power is a 'paradise world' of Gaia, an artificial Earth. The inhabitants of Gaia are all descendants of corporate executives - the old order. They do not fully grasp the catastrophe that has befallen mankind, their resources are limited, and they do not understand the advanced technology remnants left by the Artilects. They seek out the lost colonies, to rally them to the cause (or conquer them!), unaware of horror that awaits them in the dark, the twisted nightmares that will defile their logical, scientific, minds.
Twistasy
Twisted Fantasy. A fantasy sub-setting within the Sciror framework, with a strong fantasy vibe and intended for settings on a single (isolated) world within Sciror. It ignores the rest of the universe, and is contained within a massive psionic manifestation. It is a collection of component parts for shaping twisted fantasy settings. Twistasy is a sandbox base setting, with all kinds of creatures and beings from myth but 'twisted' to make a new dream world outside the usual conventions.
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