Back in September I posted a new setting concept along with power 19. Since then I've continued to develop the setting and have recently run the first play test. Although not all the details are complete things are finally starting to take shape for the Fractured Kingdom. First the teaser overview.

Through dream I have seen the Slumber.
Through nightmare I have been cast into the Dark.
Through life I have found the Verdant.
Through death I have known the Grave.
I am Unbound.
I am Lucid.

The world has grown colder over the last century. Since the end of the Great War huge multinationals have risen to power while government rule has grown stifling, stripping away what were once considered basic human rights. Knowledge is a privilege of the wealthy for those few who can afford the private education or qualify for corporate schools. In the urban centers of power billions struggle to carve out a living in the shadow of these monolithic empires.

Amid the squalor and decay there is another world.

Rumors of conspiracy and government plots abound on the streets while the news reports only what they’ve been paid to say. In the cacophony of rumor the Church of Unua has spread the tale of Five Kingdoms. Five Realms interwoven The Slumber, The Verdant, The Dark, The Grave and The Unbound, once part of a greater whole the Unua preach that these Realms can be reunited. That humanity can transcend the blight and enter the Unbound Realm. The media dismiss them, the Church of the Redeemer see them as a pagan cult while others call them mad. Even so, their message spreads, new churches crop up in cities across the globe. All unified by a single prayer.

Through dream I have seen the Slumber.
Through nightmare I have been cast into the Dark.
Through life I have found the Verdant.
Through death I have known the Grave.
I am Unbound.
I am Lucid.

- - -

In the near future paranoia is the rule of the day. Forces just outside the realm of perception move world powers to their will. Those who stop and wait and watch can feel the touch of these powers at work. Governments struggle to rebuild, to recover from the Great War. The Church of the Redeemer, fallen from its glory ranks swell, filled by the disenfranchised. Huge corporations have become cities and states unto themselves. All of these things move within the nebulous landscape of conspiracy. Yet, the truth exists beyond the Realm of man. 
Scattered across the globe there are those who have crossed the boarders into the Outer Realms. Tainted, they return to the Unbound World a living conduit to the Outer Realms. This Taint that connects them, binds them, and drives them. These are the Lucid, those strong enough to transcend the haze of illusion that shadows the world.
It is unknown how many Lucid there are in the world. Some band together for ideological reasons forming Enclaves. Their motivations vary widely, from the Eden Dream of the Church of Unua to the Templar’s enlightenment at the edge of a knife. The Realms offer no answers as to who is right and who is wrong. 
The Others, Lucids who have not been culled by the Enclaves are a precious commodity. Thrust into a world of mystery the Lucid find themselves infused by the Realm, gifted with new and strange abilities. Their eyes open they have become attuned to the hidden forces of the world. Sought by the Enclaves, some give in hoping for protection or others like them. Those with the wit and tenacity to do so, run.
There are others out there, like you. Close your eyes, reach out and you can feel them. Those who have not been brainwashed by any Enclaves, out there are the Lucid. Fight, struggle, do what must be done to survive the Unbound World has opened and the strings or reality are at your command.

You are Lucid. Can you survive?

This next section is a Glossary of terms that currently serve as an overview of different elements of the game world. Currently, the plan for an opening story consists of several people sitting around watching TV. This is meant to convey a general lack of interest in history in the setting and an overabundance of media outlets blurring the lines of fact, hyperbole,  fiction, and reality. Following this short story or exert of modern life will be the glossary of game terms and events that may be referenced.

Glossary

Bridge
A permanent Gateway between the Unbound World and one of the four Outer Realms. Unlike a Gateway however, Bridges allow one to physically enter the Other Realm. Both incredibly powerful and dangerous when conditions are right a Bridge may be created. Almost all known stable Bridges are controlled by one of the Enclaves.

Church of the Redeemer
Founded during the Great War in the American South the Church of the Redeemer advocated a return to traditional values and beliefs. As the Great War spread across the globe, the influence of the Church spread with it. At its height in 2134 the Church called for the Purge, a destruction of all modern infrastructure, museums, libraries and data storage centers. The Church was dealt a crippling blow in 2136 when the United Liberties Pact was signed barring all trade with the Church. This event signified the end of the Great War. After the signing of the ULP the Church imploded, most commonly believed due to infighting. Although the Church of the Redeemer remains a major influence in global politics it is a shadow of its former glory.

Coven
A universal term describing Lucids who have banded together outside of one of the Enclaves.

Eden Dream, The
All Lucids after channeling energies of the Realms experience Dreams of a perfected place. Often seen as a city that has struck a perfect balance between the Four Realms it is unclear what is the cause or nature of this Dream. Almost all Enclaves have some belief surrounding the Eden Dream. The Church of Unua see the Eden Dream as an obtainable and natural state of the world.

Elucidate
The act of actively experiencing one of the Outer Realms for the first times, becoming a Lucid.

Enclave
Powerful groups of Lucids. Enclaves are divided by their philosophy and beliefs concerning the Outer Realms, humanity and other Lucids. The six major Enclaves include: Green Ones, Harbingers, Keepers of the Unbound, Spirit Callers, The Templers, and The Watchtower. A new Enclave is the Church of Unua has cropped up in the last few years. Unlike older factions they openly preach the Eden Dream and the existence of the Outer Realms. So far they have been marginalized by almost every media outlet as being a cult and thoroughly insane.

Gateway
Passageways to the Other Realms. Gateways are often unstable lasting only a few moments before disappearing. Many people have experienced a Gateway, Lucids unlike others have crossed through the Gateway to enter the Outer Realms. Those who cross through a Gateway experience the Realm with all of their senses although their bodies never actually move.

Great War, The
Common history books teach that the Great War began on December 13th, 2022 after a conflict over a disputed oil pipeline between in the Eastern Bloc Alliance, France and Russia. The War is often characterized by eighteen significant conflicts. By the end of the Great War the landscape of the world had changed drastically. A unified Allied States of America (ASA), European Union (EU), and United Socialist Commonwealth (USC) had replaced many of the world’s former nations. However, the damage done to these world powers was crippling. Archeologists continue to theorize on the loss of information and technology from before the Purge. Although taught in schools the Great War has little impact on modern life. Conflicts of the Great War: The Reclamation of Belarus (2024 – 2029) The EBA Western Push (2028 – 2056) The Liberation of Tiergarten (The Battle of Kramer Moore, General Rugova’s Folly) (2061 – 2064) The UAE Initiative (2066 – 2078) The Zion Event (2077) The Siege of Victoria Island (2079 – 2082) USC Invasion of Japan (2082 – 2099) The Fall of Baker Lake (2101 – 2104) The Liberation of Jerusalem (2103 – 2112) US Invasion of Yellow Knife (2107 – 2113) The Del Toro Gambit (2112 – 2124) The Invasion of Gonder (2122 – 2125) The Liberation of Canada (2123) The Darwin Conflict (2124 – 2130) The Winnipeg Uprising (2124 – 2133) The Juarez Massacre (2130) The Liberation of Mexico (2133) The Purge (2134 – 3136)

Lucid
Having traveled to one of the four Outer Realms the Lucid are those who have become Tainted but have not yet accepted one of the Enclaves. Once a mortal becomes Lucid they become aware of others like themselves and can perceive the overlapping Realms within the Unbound World. The Lucid is Tainted with the essence of the First Realm they experience outside the Unbound World and can learn to draw on its power. Once Tainted the Lucid may enter the other Realms but they will never cause another bond like that of the First Realm.

Purge, The
A global attack on infrastructure and technology led by the Church of the Redeemer. This event led to the end of the Great War and the beginning of a modern Dark Age. Although present day technology has advanced leaps and bounds since the Purge relics found by scavengers and archeologists continue to puzzle scientists and engineers. The cause of the Purge is an article of some debate. Modern Theories include the planned use of nuclear determents on ASA soil, or a biological attack.

Outer Realms
These are the four Realms which connect to the Unbound World. They include: The Slumber, The Verdant, The Dark and The Grave.

Tainted
Anyone who has knowingly passed through a Gateway of one of the Four Realms and survived. The most common Tainted have experienced the Grave through a near death experience or have the Slumber through lucid dreaming. Although, there are numerous ways to enter the Realms, know as Gateways, often Enclaves seek to create permanent Bridges between them allowing them to physically cross between the Realms. Not all who stand at a Gateway have the will or the strength to step through. It is this that sets the Lucid apart from mortals. Enclaves such as the Watchtower are known for their Baptisms, forcing followers into a Gateway testing their resolve.

Unbound World
Also called the Waking World, it is the realm of man.

Below are breif descriptions of The Four Outer Realms and some of the Characteristics Lucids from each Realm Possess. 

The Dark
Truly tainting those entering the Realm it is a place of nightmares unhinging the mind as shadows surge and recede with a pulsing life of their own. Here there be monsters, the vile constructs of demons and nightmares flourish in the gloom. Those who pass into the Dark do not merely look into the darkness they are infused with the powers most horrible. Legends speak of those Tainted by the Dark being reborn becoming a being of living shadow.
Abilities: Releasing the Dark essence reveals the Tainted’s monstrous inner nature granting control over shadows and darkness. Those willing may learn to call on the nightmare things trapped within the Dark. Lucid Abilities Include:
Shadow Born: The Dark Realm naturally cloaks the Lucid hiding them.
Secrets of the Night: The Lucid is privy to knowledge others spend their lives seeking. 
Manifestation: Those Tainted by the Realms it is often The Dark Ones who are most skilled at hiding themselves. The Dark Taint almost always manifests as emotional swings, fits of rage and/or silence.
Common Gateways: Caves or Tunnels, Places of Ritual Sacrifice, Self Mutilation

The Grave
Collecting all things destroyed and forgotten, the Grave is a place of sprawling wastelands and strange necropolises. Repositories for the detritus of the Unbound World Shades of those who once lived often haunt this land.
Abilities: Those tainted by the Grave learn to control decay, summon spirits and manipulate pain. Lucid Abilities Include:
Nail The Coffin Closed: This Abilities supplements the Lucid’s skills in sending others to the Grave. 
Cold One: Tied to the Grave the Lucid becomes more dead than alive, thriving from this change.   
Manifestation: The Grave Tainted have an unnatural presence to both mortal and Tainted. The essence of Death radiates out around them.
Common Gateways: Battlefields and Graveyards, Near Death Esperance, Sex

The Slumber
The Realm of mind, imagination and the perfected self. The Slumber is a shifting landscape of thoughts and ideas codified only by one’s will and perception; nothing is stable in the Slumber save the most powerful of ideas and collective constructs. Here empires rise and fall in a single night. Those who can tap into the Slumber bring order from chaos. They above all other Tainted are able to transcend the physical limitations of the body.   
Abilities: Those Tainted by the Slumber manifest paranormal physical and mental abilities becoming fast enough to dodge a bullet, strong enough to hammer through a brick wall, read the thoughts of others even craft illusions that may take on a life of their own. Lucid Abilities Include:
Fabric of Dreams: Fortune Smiles on the dreamer, the luck of the Slumbering Lucid is legend. 
Enter the Dream Flow: Dipping into the Slumber the Lucid is able to retain fragments of knowledge. 
Manifestation: The Slumber’s Taint often manifests as a wild unkempt appearance or as a strange rigidity as if always holding back. 
Common Gateways: Dreams, Hypnosis and Meditation

The Verdant
The Realm of harmony and renewal. Filled with lush glens, forests, and soaring mountain ranges, in every ounce of soil is the foundations for life and the blessing of nature. Death is only a means of creating new life in the Verdant. Some go as far as to say death is only temporary to those who have learned to truly bond with the forces of the Verdant.
Abilities: To be infused with the essence of the Verdant is to be blessed with the gifts of life itself the tainted manifest powers of healing and regeneration as well control over the very elements. Lucid Abilities Include:
Pack Lord: The Verdant Lucid’s ability to control animals.
Earth Child: This ability is part of the Verdant Lucid’s bond with the land granting them strength in nature’s world. 
Manifestation: The mark of the Verdant often appears as an inner peace or animal like qualities. 
Common Gateways: Crossroads, Dragon Line and Ley Line Nexus, Fasting or Starvation

Right now I'm looking for general feedback or ideas. What the information presented so far brings to mind. I look forward to reading your comments. Also, I'll be posting the backgrounds of the pre-generated characters I'm using for the current and likely future demos over in the Play Testing category.

It sounds like the you could have a lot of difficulty keeping player characters together, given how many of them can have extreme personalities, how would you allow for that in play? The three ways I have seen it done is to either mechanically encourage players to get their characters to share scenes, to give players narrative effect in other player's scenes, or to make switching between scenes smoother. Are you doing any of the above, or using another method?

How can players affect the broader dystopian setting? The fact they are on the run may make it difficult for players to put any stamp on the setting, so is there any provision for them to fight back against those who hunt them, or to do an A-Team in the place they leave?

Also the constant travelling may put a load on the GM to keep coming up with new descriptions, or the blur of travel could result in monotony, what help is there for GMs to create varied situations?

JoyWriter wrote:
It sounds like the you could have a lot of difficulty keeping player characters together, given how many of them can have extreme personalities, how would you allow for that in play? The three ways I have seen it done is to either mechanically encourage players to get their characters to share scenes, to give players narrative effect in other player's scenes, or to make switching between scenes smoother. Are you doing any of the above, or using another method?

How can players affect the broader dystopian setting? The fact they are on the run may make it difficult for players to put any stamp on the setting, so is there any provision for them to fight back against those who hunt them, or to do an A-Team in the place they leave?

Also the constant travelling may put a load on the GM to keep coming up with new descriptions, or the blur of travel could result in monotony, what help is there for GMs to create varied situations?

JoyWriter to the point of why the characters want to stick together I've added a new character to the possible Demo line up with vastly different motivations and background compared to the other PCs. This is to help illustrate the conflicts of socially forced interaction and well the demo needed a"prick" character.

Tell you what, that will give you some pretty challenging playtesting! I hope you make some clear advice out of it too so that other GMs can replicate it.

On the quickly moving/not moving, you have me scratching my head a bit; I thought you meant in the power 19 that this game encourages players to move about, because of how they are tracked, you know, as part of the action movie/hunted theme. Is that something that has weakened in playtesting?

Also, on a more abstract front, I'm feeling a bit of Mage (old and new) and Unknown Armies in your setting, what makes your game different from them? I'm not saying that in some glib product identity way, I mean where do you feel you want to develop from what already exists? Are you taking something out, are you pushing something forward? What are the lessons you've learned from earlier games of this type?

JoyWriter wrote:
Tell you what, that will give you some pretty challenging playtesting! I hope you make some clear advice out of it too so that other GMs can replicate it.

On the quickly moving/not moving, you have me scratching my head a bit; I thought you meant in the power 19 that this game encourages players to move about, because of how they are tracked, you know, as part of the action movie/hunted theme. Is that something that has weakened in playtesting?

Also, on a more abstract front, I'm feeling a bit of Mage (old and new) and Unknown Armies in your setting, what makes your game different from them? I'm not saying that in some glib product identity way, I mean where do you feel you want to develop from what already exists? Are you taking something out, are you pushing something forward? What are the lessons you've learned from earlier games of this type?

The current plan is to place short stories at the beginning of each chapter centering around a coven of Lucids. Each short story will attempt to add more depth and flavor to the world as well as serve as a history lesson. Instead of having a history chapter things I want to try and convey these ideas as characters in the world may see them. Here is the first of these shorts.

Saturday Night

Images flashed across the screen. The television had smart search options to find programming you wanted. With eighteen hundred and thirty four channels piped in from across the globe, the smart search was an obvious addition. Filtering it down to just the local stations and news networks Chaz had just under a hundred and twenty stations to pick from. Stopping on a celebrity interview he paused a moment to examine the reporter’s solid black eyes.

“New digital recorders are in from Edo.” Grigori quipped as he light a fresh cigarette.

“That why her eyes are screwed up?”

“That and the chemical imbalance in her system. Should be dark grey, something with Ice screws with the contact film turns them black. It’s how you know all the reports on station twenty three are dosed.”

The screen’s image flickers as Chaz scrolls on.

“You know people used to read books in their free time.”

“Books cost too much stick to web releases.” Chaz snapped back.

“Content’s not the same. Any git with a terminal can put up whatever they want.”

The pair continued to snap at each other, both feeling as childish as the sounded as Laila entered the room. Face blank her disgust at their bickering was more than evident. Sitting in a metal chair by the table she looked over at the TV.

“Put on the news.” Sick of listening to them drone on Laila interrupted. 

Grabbing Laila’s smart search Chaz pulled up three newscasts. Two of them talked about a border war between the EBA and USC; the other covering a raid on a cloning lab in Prague.

“It’s the Blocs and the Reds. Do ya really want to watch this shite?”

Laila waved back at Chaz dismissively. Although the spot was mostly over, the conflict had erupted over a dispute on tariffs and selenium.

“Templar.” Cocking her head to one side. “It’s all related.”

“You see an Enclave in every story.” Rolling his eyes Grigori seemed to dismiss Laila’s theory.

“Now who’s the git? Who else has the wherewithal to dig into pre-war tech like that?”

“Oh, I don’t bloody know how about any corporation smart enough to not do business in this shithole of a town?”

“You’ve had the Gestapo break down your door. It’s not plucking at strings. Look, you know this is their game.”

The statement hung in the air. Both Grigori and Chaz knew she was right. The Templar kept some strange belief that conflict weakened the fabric between the Realms. Chaz would never forget being gunned down in an alleyway or the fact that this led to his Elucidation. The idea of seeing these old technologies not just renewed but in the hands of an Enclave turned his blood to ice. 

Looking away Chaz flipped to Clamjaw, the Crow. The cartoon bird fluttered its wings over the old battlefield perched on a rusted bayonet. Behind him four Carrier Rats tiptoed up in ASA uniforms. Sometimes Chaz missed the old days. Not so much the gangs but at least going out on a Saturday night. 

“You’re paranoid.”

“If you want to survive now, you should be too.”

The second chapter expands on the details of character generation giving detailed Characteristics (Attributes, Skills) and Boons (Advantages with a non-numeric value). Below is the Story to be included at the beginning of the chapter.

Home School

“Nico, look at me. I need to focus.” Pulling the remote from the boy’s hand Laila turned off the television. There is a split second as the screen goes from quarter screens of kids’ music videos to Grigori’s homepage. A data feed of art and entertainment news. For a moment Laila found herself wishing for a simple blank page she could leave it on. “Nico, please.”

Distracted by the loss of music Nico snapped. Quickly turning, growling as his arms grew sinewy, hairy, fingers giving way to claws.  Standing over him Laila gave him her best mothering look. Although, she did not have any kids of her own, it was an instinctual furrowing of the brow and lowering of the chin. This was possibly ingrained in all women at birth as a survival trait.

“Nico, if you want something you have to use your words.”

“Words stupid, want TV back!”

“Alright Nico, you can watch television after your lessons, but you have to change back.”

“Want TV!” Bounding off the couch the child’s claws slipped into the ceiling tile, closing his hand around it he hung pouting. It was a battle of wills at this point and if Laila allowed Nico to win it might take months to get him to sit down and study again.  The standoff continued as Grigori stormed into the living room. 

“That rat-boy has got to go. I don’t care about any bloody high ideals he’s going to get us killed if you can’t control him.” Pointing Grigori hissed while looking at Laila. Pulling himself up Nico only laughed. He thought Grigori was funny, shouting and flailing about and he liked the name Rat-Boy, even if he never told anyone.

“Isn’t this why we live on the eighty fourth floor?”

“Are you joking? I can feel the rat at two kilometers. How far do you think the Watchtower’s bloodhounds can sniff him out?” Grigori was right. Laila had known that before even making the statement. But it was hard not to defend Nico, especially from Grigori. 

“Nico, listen to me. If you don’t come down from there and turn back you can’t stay here. You’re making it very dangerous for us all right now and you have to stop.” Chaz and Margaret came into the room together as Laila fought to talk the child down. “If you don’t, we won’t have a choice. You’ll have to go back to the streets. No more TV, no more bed, no more cooking. Do you want that?” There was a long silence. From the corner of her eye Laila saw Chaz turn his head.

“No.” The single words cut through the room as Nico dropped from the ceiling, his arm returning to normal. Planted on the floor he looked up at her almost like a dog who had been scolded. Crossing his arms Grigori drew a wry grin across his face. Somehow taking this as a victory for himself. Still no one said anything. Chaz motioned as if he was going to comfort Nico then stopped.

“Come on Nico. It’s time to study. Besides you don’t want to watch Mr. Grigori try to fix the hole you made. It’s not pretty when he tries to throw his wallet at something and make it better.” Nico chuckled as Laila took his hand leading him back to his bedroom. There was a television in there she could use to get online and the living room was too crowded to get anything done.

Hiding her emotions Laila tucked away the smirk as she passed Grigori. The man had turned beat red. With only a fraction of the cash he used to have, being reminded he would be the one paying for the tile was more than enough to get him fuming. She could see Nico was smiling. Sometimes it was the smaller lessons that had the greatest impact. 

Certified wrote:

Also, on a more abstract front, I'm feeling a bit of Mage (old and new) and Unknown Armies in your setting, what makes your game different from them? I'm not saying that in some glib product identity way, I mean where do you feel you want to develop from what already exists? Are you taking something out, are you pushing something forward? What are the lessons you've learned from earlier games of this type?

Unfortunately I'm in the dark with Unknown Armies but I can speak to Mage, or at least the original incarnation of it. I'll focus on four points. The Mage setting is characterized by their dynamic magic allowing characters huge flexibility within their area of expertise. The world itself seemed to have a self regulating universe preventing or discouraging players from using obviously supernatural things: A power lines falls  versus a fireball and the consequence of Paradox. Additionally, Characters of the Mage universe had their Tradition to fall back on for support or guidance. Lastly, the real world was a major threat, a pair of cops could threaten or kill a PC with a decent roll.

Fractured Kingdoms lacks the idea of dynamic sorcery. Characters have specific abilities they can learn to preform based on their Realm/ Additionally, there are ten martial arts  each based around one Characteristic, Strength gives us Hard Style, Expression has it's Northern Style etc, any Character may learn martial arts and the string of advantages that go along with it. These abilities although defined give the player a framework to work within and look for ways to apply them.

The paradox mechanic is equivalent is story driven not rules based. Using a supernatural ability to overcome something then move on may not be a problem but sustained use will draw undo attention. This moves the punishment mechanic from something that is rules based to something story driven to allow GMs a tool to drive the story forward when it occurs versus simply something that happens along the way. Is the world at large aware of the supernatural because of this? Some people are others are not. The setting eludes to a conspiracy or simple a deluge of information obscuring the truth.

To the idea of Traditions and a scene of belonging, Fractured Kingdom takes an almost opposite approach. There is no real home base, or safe place for them. Although it may be tempting to side with one of the Enclaves, their tactics and philosophies are designed to illustrate how power can corrupt, even when based on pure or simple ideals. Characters are instead outcasts removed from the walls of power and confirmed information. Whatever they are going to learn, it's on their own.

The final distinction I'll make is likely the largest one. Where as Mage and White Wolf in general kept this on a fairly small scale where normal people although at a disadvantage could try to keep up. Fractured Kingdom clearly places PCs and Lucid characters in a class to themselves. They are, flat out better than an average person. Able to take far more blatant cinematic and adventurous actions they should have a high adventure feel to them versus the gritter realism of Mage. This is not to say that action in Mage is not cinematic only that Fractured Kingdom encourages this play with less punishment and faster recovery.

Let me know if this helps or if I missed anything silly and I can give more detail.

Thanks for the heads up on the Exalted thing. I'm really not that familiar with the setting other than I think it's a kind of pre-history of the World of Darkness. Although I worry about comparisons to White Wolf settings I think the idea of being the underdog even if you have a significant amount of personal power is broad enough that it doesn't instantly cause people to scream rip off.

At the Movies

On those rare occasions they all somehow found their way into the living room at the same time without some catastrophe they almost felt like a weird family. Margaret sat at the end of the couch working through a ball of yarn. Nico at her feet obviously more interested in the string dancing in front of him than anything else. Laila and Grigori sat on the couch while Chaz fished a fresh round of Sugois from the refrigerator.

The stars had aligned and they had managed to agree on a single movie. They had turned on an animated fiction about a soldier who transfers his conscious to the net. It was listed as horror so they all knew something was going to go terribly wrong. And, as with every other war film it had its slant on what caused the Purge.

“Why did we agree to watch this again?”

“The lead in said there was graphic nudity and you agreed to cover Nico’s eyes.” Looking up from her crochet Margaret took a passing interest in Grigori’s attempt at superiority. Saying nothing she let Laila speak her mind. No one would say it but the truth was, people needed to feel like they belonged. Watching a movie together was about as close as they came.

“It’s shite. All these war vids, the hero’s ASA. Just because they film the bloody thing over there doesn’t mean the Libby’s did all the work.” Shaking her head Margaret went back to her yarn. Chaz needed to be the hero. Margaret wasn’t sure if you could just want hard enough for that kind of thing but Chaz tried. It was why she was with them. If Grigori and Laila had their way they would never leave the apartment. It was simply safer to hide and avoid others.

Then again if Laila had it her way, it would still be just her and Chaz, and she would have been taken by the Harbingers. Sometimes Margaret wondered if that was simply the influence of the Slumber on him. Looking over at Grigori Margaret shook her head. No, that was just Chaz; he needed to fight, to rebel and, thankfully, to help others.

Handing off the beers Chaz slid back into the chair. There was a scream from the television as the lead scientist met his demise. Shaking his head Chaz looked over at the others.

“See, it’s the Libby’s fault for not unplugging the damn terminal they loaded this wanker into.”

“Shh…” Startling herself Margaret didn’t realize she had actually gotten wrapped up in the movie. 

“God I miss hookers.” Taking a long pull from his Sugois, Grigori pointed at the lead female character who had just walked onto the screen. Reflexively Laila punched his arm. Nico didn’t know what they were talking about but he giggled watching Mr. Grigori try to hold onto his drink and rubbing his arm.

“We all miss something. Don’t turn into a prick.” Unsure if he would need to restrain Laila or not Chaz was already out of his seat as he tried to calm things down.

“Bitch! You’d be living on the streets if it weren’t for me.”

“You’d’ve died on the streets if it wasn’t for us.”

Nico clapped his hands and laughed as the pair’s words continued to grow more aggressive. Margaret put down her crochet not sure what to do.

“Oi! Enough. We’d all be bloody dead or one of them by now if it wasn’t for someone else. Lai, you know he’s a prick. Don’t let the tosser draw you in like he does me. Look the pratt’s already smirking.”

Laila relaxed her posture and Chaz sank back into the chair.

“Show us your tits.” Grigori shouted at the screen sloshing his beer. As if on command a robotic arm from the machine shop the woman was in tore away her lab coat and blouse.  All of them laughed, even Nico who still wasn’t sure what was going on.

Certified wrote:
Thanks for the heads up on the Exalted thing. I'm really not that familiar with the setting other than I think it's a kind of pre-history of the World of Darkness. Although I worry about comparisons to White Wolf settings I think the idea of being the underdog even if you have a significant amount of personal power is broad enough that it doesn't instantly cause people to scream rip off.