The Maw has spewed forth demons since the beginning of history. In the early days this led to a nightmare of blood and fire. But then came the Eternal Empress, our savior, or god.
It was the Eternal Empress who constructed the Cordon, the vast wall encircling the Maw that holds back its demonic flood. It was the Eternal Empress who divined the necessity of the Crusades, the armies of devout who march through the Maw to disrupt the assembly of their demonic legions. Praise be to She Who Keeps Us Safe.
Except there’s a catch. The Crusades, once sent through the Maw, never come back. Nobody knows why, or what they accomplish. The Eternal Empress claims their martyrdom is necessary for our survival. But the choice of martyrs is revealing.
Centuries ago, the Crusades were duties thrust upon the nobility. But now the burden falls on people like you: heretics, sinners, apostates, dissidents, criminals, the poor, the unlucky, the lost. They sell this burden as a path to redemption: fight to the last in the Undermaw and you will be granted a place in Heaven.
So the priests claim, at least. Those who don’t dream of salvation dream of escape: a portal, said to exist at the bottom of the Undermaw, that will send you home.
But a warning to those who would brave the journey downwards. The Undermaw is a powerful place. Its energies seep into the flesh over time, changing it, strengthening it, corrupting it. Perhaps it is better to die quickly, for neither Heaven nor the overworld has any place for the damned.
You are a group of hapless individuals criminalized by an oppressive empire and forced into a Crusade, an armed expedition sent on a suicide mission into a horrific place called the Undermaw. The series focuses on the seemingly-doomed attempt of our PCs to survive and eventually escape the Undermaw by delving into its darkest recesses. Along the way you’ll encounter horrific danger and will struggle as your own bodies are corrupted by the energies of your prison. It’ll essentially be a continuous, enormous dungeon with few (if any) settlements and little safety.
We’ll be playing Dungeon World, with a few small modifications. I’m adding a few extra moves to simulate the creeping infestation of demonic energy into our unlucky adventurers, especially the Cleric and Paladin. And we’ll be using Roll20 for character sheets, rolling, and possibly maps.
This event is scheduled to run for 3 hours. It will not be recorded.
There are 4 sessions in this series. Attending all 4 is nice but not required. You must RSVP to each session you wish to attend.
The Gauntlet Inclusivity Policy will be in play. We will be using X-Card and Lines and Veils as safety tools.
CONTENT WARNING: Graphic violence, religious oppression, body horror, and maybe psychological trauma
I’m apparently not allowed to post more than 2 links, but here’s the timeslots for all four sessions and the links to the first two. My apologies for the inconvenience.
Thursday, July 4, 2019 1:00 AM → Thursday, July 4, 2019 4:00 AM Session 1
Thursday, July 11, 2019 1:00 AM → Thursday, July 11, 2019 4:00 AM Session 2
Thursday, July 18, 2019 1:00 AM → Thursday, July 18, 2019 4:00 AM Session 3
Thursday, July 25, 2019 1:00 AM → Thursday, July 25, 2019 4:00 AM Session 4