The Swartkille family was large, no, huge, infact. Sitting at the top of the family tree, though, was Grandma Claudie, mother of Jenny Swartkille, who had one dying wish before cancer took her…. For the entire family to reunite and spend three days in the remote, age-old Swartkille Family Estate. However, what was originally supposed to be a calming family vacation ends up being a terrifying mystery with lots of twists, turns, and secrets waiting to be uncovered. In the end, will the Swartkilles make it out safely? Or even….. Alive?

Crashed on a mysterious island beneath a sky of unfamiliar stars, a group of survivors explore to survive. Stranded and alone, they must triumph against threats both natural and mysterious in pursuit of escape… if escape is even possible. This world describes the mysterious island through intriguing characters and settings, but the truth behind it all is yours to write!

Art curated by @sparkletwist

Modern day. Focus on writing story, especially witty banter, character development and backstory.

Modern day dark humour.

Every day is the same.

You get home, your jealous siblings have a pop at you. Asking where you have been. Accusing you of being involved in the latest scandal.

But you’re on top of it now. Each evening you come up with a ridiculous story to explain circumstances, wind them up, lay a false trail…take them down.

I would want any player to tell me if I need to adjust to increase their access or inclusion.

All my games are fully inclusive

This story is constructed for just one scene. We can have all the usual enthusiasm of building our characters and starting the game, and tell our tale in one scene.
Of course, if things go well we can add in a second or even a third scene.

Overall, the story explores the themes of creativity, humour, sibling relationships, and controlling behaviour.

When the Dark Lord of Mordor rose once more to power by reclaiming his Ring of Doom, he swiftly uncovered the treachery of Orthanc and sent the White Wizard into flight. When at last his forces captured Saruman, however, the fallen Istar had already divested himself of the prize Sauron desired most from him: Saruman’s new-made Ring of Many Colours.

Not even the torture pits of Barad-dûr could wrest aught of it from the Wizard’s lips, and, at last, his fana brutalized and broken beyond the bounds of endurance, Saruman’s spirit fled its casement of flesh, vanishing into the Realms Unseen, from which there could be no return for him, as ordained by the Lords of the West when first the Istari were dispatched from the Undying Lands on their errand of mercy. In truth, even absent the injunction of the Valar, Saruman’s spirit was too much diminished by the loss of essence forged into his Ring for him to conjure forth a new raiment of mortal seeming, and so what little remained of him was condemned to wander naked, insubstantial and all but powerless. Sauron reckoned that punishment enough for the nonce, for the many fronts of his war to dominate all life on Middle-earth were far more pressing than a trinket wrought by a traitor’s hands. In time, the Dark Lord reasoned, after all the crowns of these lands east of the sea are laid at his feet, would there be ample opportunity to pursue the lost Ring of Curunír and claim it as his own.

Sauron, in his arrogance, never imagined that any other had learned of this errant Ring of Power, for what mind across the length and breadth of Middle-earth was ever so keen and incisive as that of Tar-Mairon, heir to Melkor’s dark throne? What Man or Elf or even Ainu was ever so cunning as one who might yet prove himself greater, still, than even the mighty Morgoth Bauglir?

But the Ring of Many Colours was not a secret known to the Dark Lord, alone, and a Ring of Power—even one crafted by the hands of a lesser Maia than Sauron—is a mighty thing, indeed; a device which might aid the Free Peoples in turning the tide of Sauron’s war of conquest.

Thus, in secret, three years after the fall of King Delugûr of Angmar reborn, a handful of heroes are gathered at the behest of the reconvened Council of the Wise, for Saruman’s Ring is perhaps not so lost as the Lord of Mordor imagines it to be…

A Star Wars based adventure.

Canon-lite. This means you probably need to have seen the films, but you don’t need in-depth knowledge….

This game “tracks” The Empire Strikes Back - we will be aware of and indirectly (and sometimes directly!) interact with the events.

New players welcome.

Player characters should not be resolutely evil - they need to have enough good in them to be allied to the essentially good party.

All characters should fit in to the universe of the first 3 Star Wars movies (IV, V and VI). The story starts at the time we Rebels are all assembled on Hoth, and it becomes clear we may have been discovered… You can not be a major character from Empire as the story will run alongside those events. So they need to be an original character based on a Star Wars race, or a minor character who could feasibly get more involved…

Feel free to ask with any questions. Note that 2nd and 3rd week in August I will have limited availability due to vacation.

This is a fast paced game, with most players contributing weekly. But we are welcoming, and we will make it work if you can’t post that often.

If you think you might like to play, better to try out than miss out…

I would want any player to tell me if I need to adjust to increase their access or welcome.

Please contact me as to how best to join the game if you need inspiration!

Starting location:

Hoth.

You do not need to be an expert in Star Wars canon.

Setting:
The story unfolds in the late 18th century, primarily within the eerie confines of Dr. Alaric Faustus’ sprawling estate on the outskirts of Geneva, Switzerland. The estate, once a grand family home, has been transformed into a labyrinthine laboratory filled with bizarre and dangerous contraptions, the product of Faustus’ twisted genius.

Premise:
In “The Brilliance of Madness,” you will step into the shoes of individuals who have come under the employ of the brilliant yet unhinged Dr. Alaric Faustus. At first, the work seems odd but manageable, providing a steady income and the promise of groundbreaking scientific discoveries. However, as the experiments grow more macabre and dangerous, you will be drawn into a web of moral dilemmas and life-threatening situations. Ultimately, you must decide whether to support Faustus in his final, most perilous venture or to stop him before his madness consumes you all.

Character Creation Guidelines:

Name: Choose a fitting name for the late 18th century.
Role: Decide on your character’s role within Faustus’ team (e.g., Apprentice, Medic, Engineer, Alchemist, Grave Robber, Herbalist, Assistant).
Background: Provide a brief backstory that explains how your character came to work for Faustus.
Skills: Highlight specific skills that your character brings to the team and how they might be used in the context of the story.
Motivations: Clarify why your character accepted the job with Faustus. Are they seeking wealth, knowledge, redemption, or something else?
Personality Traits: Outline key personality traits that will guide your character’s actions and decisions throughout the story.