Information
You have four resources: Material, Faithful, Goodwill, and Piety.
-Material is your wealth in a tangible sense. It is things like steel, wood, food, and other things. Anything that can be traded and is wanted. Your people will generate 0.02 material per turn per person. 50 people = 1 material. Buildings or programs can increase it.
-Faithful are followers who have dedicated themself fully to your cause. Followers are people who subscribe to your ideas but won't die for it without reason. Every unocupied follower raises your chance to get one faithful by 1%, one faithful occupies 25 followers, but there can be more faithful than followers due to events killing/dissuading followers. A new faithful isn't created until enough followers are recruited again. They run all your operations and keep things functioning without your oversight or give a +1 if assigned to an action (max. 6).
-Goodwill(GW) is very intangible and incredibly useful. With it, you can negate a failure with a 5 to 1 point exchange (specific tenents could reduce this), exchange it for materials, construct suspicious buildings (like compounds, armories, and individual shops), reduce the time spent doing something, recruit a faithful immediately, be used to better your relationships with a faction and any unique uses you like to perform.
-Piety indicates how devoted your followers are to your cause. You start at 50%, and every 5%, you gain either +5 or -5 to personal actions. At 5%, you roll one 1d2 to determine whether your cult disbands or you gain another turn. At 25%, you roll with a disadvantage on one random task. 50% has no mali or Boni. 75% grants you one 1d6 to add to either roll or result. 95% gives you a free action of any kind (must be one turn long). Piety decays by one 1d6-4 per turn.
Every four turns, there is a disaster roll if the previous one is solved. 1d100 is rolled for what, another 1d100 for how severe. There are two types of threats; passive and active. Passive ones run out after four turns and are things like plagues or famine. Active ones take 1d4 turns to activate. During that time, you can disrupt or eliminate them. They are things like a rampant machine factory, amassing mutants, or religious cleansings.
Factions will have opinions on you, that will shape how they treat and react to you. Enemies - Rivals - Unfriendly - Neutral - Friendly - Friends - Allies
Be aware that certain combinations of actions and tenents can evolve to make things better or worse for you.
But, let's start the story;
The world of Calynth is not an excellent place to live. After the Collapse, an event almost nothing is known about, most of the planet is shrouded in the dust- and sandstorms, deserts of all kinds stretch for weeks in all directions, and the hollow shells of ancient crumbling towers sprout like forests amid the rusting husks of war machines of personal or titanic size. Mutants crawl amidst these monuments to man's folly, mad beyond hope by chemicals and pain.
All is not lost; however, for man is tenacious if nothing else. New civilizations have arisen from the ashes of the ones before, clinging to life, struggling to survive, fighting against all the odds to thrive. Yet, people live in them, laughing, crying, loving, hating, despairing, hoping.
You are one of them. Tell me, what is your homeland like?
[ ] The Slatnan Empire
Amidst mountains and caves, between cliffs and in fertile valleys, are the cities of your home. Your people are hardy by nature, distrustful of change, and foreigners. The Imperial family rules by an iron fist and dictates and enforces the law by the nobles and the military, presenting a united front. The truth is different, however. The nobles bicker and feud for power, wealth, and land. Maybe you can exploit that?
(Shadow War - All threats are delayed by additional 1d4-2 turns, passive and active due to stockpiling and paranoia of the nobles.)
[ ] The Sacred Lands of the Everliving Sun
This land is the birthplace of another cult, now turned state religion. The people are pious, peaceful, and kept docile by a lack of education and religious fervor. Flagellants seek atonement for perceived sins by killing and subsequently dying to mutants. The lands are coastal and swampy, the cities on the shore, or in interconnected and repurposed Walkers or Landcrawlers. The will of the clergy is carried out by the Inquisition, by brutally intimidating, re-educating, or simply publicly killing dissenters. Should you be able to survive long enough, there will be a treasure trove of people waiting to join, hoping that you are better than the Disciples of the Evertorch.
(Anybody but them - 25% bonus to all successful recruitment drives, faithful occupy only 15 followers.)
[ ] The United Mercantile Cities of Dul
Situated amidst wide-ranging canals and old roads, this collection of cities dance to the beat of trade. Due to the channels only having saltwater, extensive desalination-plants were set up, supplying the citizens who remain cheerful, free, and thrifty in the face of sparse water and annual mutant attacks. Due to their different and everchanging fortunes, the merchants rely on mercenaries to enforce the law and protect them. Yet they do not care for the ordinary people beyond their money and leave them alone to pray to who- or whatever they wish. Expect many rivals and conflicts.
(We have the means - Materials are collected by a rate of 0.04 per follower and merchants may sponsor you, should you support them.)
[ ] The Wastes
Despite the name, the wastes are full of life, as long as you know where to look for it. The people here are diverse and hardy. They are, however, in a constant struggle for resources and have no qualms in taking what they want or need. Expect many challenges and opportunities here.
(Sands of Fortune - roll 1d100 for a chance and 1d100 for how grand it is.)
[ ] Write-in
Ah, that explains some of your philosophies and the tenets you made. But what was your bedrock? The foundation of Your belief?
[ ] Christianity
The Son, The Father, and The Holy Ghost. Are they the same, or are they different? If the same, what does that mean, if not, what does that mean? So many ways, so many interpretations from just this tiny part alone.
(Charismatic - +5% to all diplomatic rolls and Faithful give +3 per assignment.)
[ ] Islam
Much has been lost of the ancient scriptures; many holy sites are destroyed and desecrated. Yet, this Faith is still alive and thriving, new traditions replacing the old and many seeking guidance among their many sects.
(Widespread - all recruitment actions have an additional 2d6 and produce +1 Goodwill)
[ ] Judaism
An incredibly ancient collection of holy men, priests, and texts have carried this belief trough the worst and best of times. Now is just another test that they will endure.
(Ancient Knowledge - Pool of 20 Points to distribute to rolls before rolling.)
[ ] Humanism
They say that a human is mired in sin, that you are wrong, and need a higher power to save yourself. You disagree. In every human is good, in every person exists the capacity to create greatness. You just have to show it to them.
(Wait, are we the good guys? - 50% chance to spend Goodwill at a 1 to 5 ratio to turn a failure into a bare success. All factions start at Neutral. The Common People start at Friendly.)
[ ] The Bizare and Rare
There are many religions, cults, and beliefs that are too small, numerous, or unknown in these parts to be adequately documented. Maybe you should tell me what yours is like?
(Unkown - Write your own belief.)
Fantastic. So we have the foundation, what about the walls? The FIRST TENET? Choose wisely; you will only unlock three in the story; this one included.
[ ] Plows to swords
Peace is not our way, for the world is full of horrors. To raise a weapon is to build a light of hope for a brighter tomorrow for us.
(All Military Units start at Level 2; Militia(-5) instead of Level 1; Untrained(roll with disadvantage +-10). Military upkeep is halved.)
[ ] What was will be
The old world is full of wonders of our achievements, but now they lie forgotten and disused. No longer. You will remake the world with the knowledge of the old.
(Archeological/Scavenging Operations unlocked in the Learning section. Gain one additional artifact dice, size depending on the site.)
[ ] Holy Ground
Some places are sacred by virtue of their beauty, significance, or performed rites.
(Can consecrate places/buildings with a personal action to eliminate Piety/Goodwill upkeep.)
[ ] Monuments of Glory
Be it a grand hospital or a church chiseled into a mountain; these places create awe in all who visit.
(Can construct costly monuments to create Piety/Goodwill and passively recruit people(Depends on their scale).)
[ ]Unyielding
This is your belief, your people, your home. If someone wants to take you away, they better be ready to kill you.
(Other Cults and Churches will be unable to infiltrate your Faithful and will find it harder to sway your followers.)
Yet, not all create a cult, or lead one just because they can. There are always hidden motivations to consider, what is yours?
[ ] Blood
Your family had always led this cult, but you were driven and hunted almost to extinction by another actor. And you will see them burn and die for their crimes against you and yours.
(Unlocks The Ancient War storyline.)
[ ] Power
There is something about people looking up to you, listening to you, idealizing you, that feels addictive to you. You want, no, need, more of that.
(Unlocks All Mine, ALL MINE storyline.)
[ ] Faith
You genuinely believe that what you are doing is right and just.
(Unlocks True Grace storyline.)
[ ] ???
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(????? - ????/???%&?)
Interesting. But now. Now we talk about you. You created a cult, after all, tell me; was it intentional?
[ ] Yes
You needed your message out there, and you were fighting to make sure it was heard.
(start with 2 Faithful, 50 followers, 10 Materials, 5 Goodwill. Unkown to all factions = no actions against you. For now. Start Organized and with a threat-roll)
[ ] No
Look, I just woke up one morning and realized I had people following me, listening to my mad rambles. Shit was wild; I tell you that.
( start with: 1d20 Faithful, 2d100 Followers, 2d12 Materials, 2d6 Goodwill. Factions aware and confused by you = they will act if you are perceived as a threat. You start disorganized, but you have four turns before a threat is rolled.)
Huh, so people like you exist. But I can't just keep calling you "that person," so, what is your name, and what did you do for your trade before all this?
-Name
[ ] Write-In
-Occupation
[ ] Printer
[ ] Laborer
[ ] Merchant
[ ] Soldier
[ ] Cultist
[ ] Scavenger
[ ] Write-In
Well then. That would be all I think. So let us begin this tale of yours!
