u/Arkaon

Hello GenCon fans.

Years ago I came to GenCon and there was someone over in Indy Row pitching their TTRPG and I was really intrigued by the art and the concept, but didn't have the funds at the time. I've been to every GenCon since, and haven't seen them again, so I'm assuming it fell off the radar.

Here is what I remember:

The game design was done by a blind author, all the art was done by someone from Russian. The game had a very dark post apocalypse (possibly leaning more Sci-fi) theme. The book itself I remember was a wide style source book.

That's all I remember. I know it's not a lot to go off of, but if anyone can help me I would appreciate it.

Hello all, I needed an outlet late at night and wanted to share.

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I'd walked past this statue 1000 times, and each time I would stop to read the half broken plaque. 

“...the perpetual." 

I would often wonder why the city chose to keep the odd ornamental walkway that led to this little circle sitting area. It only held this statue, a few benches, and a couple box plants that weren't even the organics. Just the cheap ones used in poorer districts that couldn't afford even the good imitations. 

This time however, as I sat at the base of the stone pillar entryway, my eyes stung with the phosphate of bombs and my ears rang with the tinning sound of blown eardrums and the thudding of my own blood racing through my veins. 

I had been shoved by my commander as the door burst open and the cybernetics began slaughtering my fellow soldiers, and despite his screamed words, his face said he was actually serious. 

“Go! Bleed on the statue and …” … and he was gone. A wrist blade shoved through his neck and protruded from his mouth as I stumbled back and ran out the side door. 

My mind had raced as I tried to piece his words together. “What statue? Surely not the crumbled one down the lane? But…what other statue could he mean? And bleed!?! What?”.

Despite the jumbled thoughts and fear, my legs had moved. I hadn't even known if I wanted them too. Wasn't I supposed to be fighting? We had trained all this time, and it had taken seconds for everyone I had trained with for months to die as an explosion had rocked the room shortly after stumbling out the door. 

Yet, here I was. Staring at the statue trying to decide if I really was about to bleed on it or not. 

I began to reach for my knife when I realized I could taste the blood in my mouth already. Clearly that explosion had broken some blood vessels. I looked the warm liquid in my mouth and spat the blood and saliva onto the feet of the statue as I started to pull myself to my feet and go try and figure out why the hell I was supposed to be doing now. 

The light of a portal between the arches of the area didn't seem obvious at first, but became bright enough I had to squint before I had finished pulling myself to my feet. 

“What the hell?”

And no sooner had the words left my mouth than the lights disappeared and left behind a man, kneeling, breathing extremely heavy, and holding his helmet in his hands. 

“Greetings” he said, in a thick olden accent, “I take it the city is once again in peril?”

I stared at the man as he began to rise. His armor was in complete ramshackles. Most of it looked like it had been patched with metalwork and pins from. Whatever armor he could scavenge from a long forgotten battlefield. The leather at the joints was worn, cracked, and hanging on by a thread. His helmet fully covered his head and neck as he donned it, and only a thin slit for the eyes was visible. Whatever plumage or house colors had once adorned it appear to have long since been destroyed. 

“You're awfully quiet. Are you mute?”, the man asked. 

“N no sir” I stammered, “I. I was told to bleed here and now you are here?” No sooner had I said the words than the leg armor of the man became obvious, and I found myself looking from the man to the crumbled statue and back. 

“Aye. That's how it be” he said, “Tell me. Are you with the city guard or one of the ones raising it?”

“I'm Archibald, second son of Torlin the thresher, and I live here.” I said. 

“Well then Archie. Describe to me those who wish the city harm.” The man said. 

“Well.. uhh. Sir knight, the cybernetics look like men in armor, but if you kill one they don't bleed.” I said and continued to describe the plague of men robots that had been attacking the nearby cities. 

“Ah. Excellent. So they have no soul then?” He said, and I could swear he said it with relief in his voice. 

“I don't believe so, but I've never asked.” 

“Excellent. Thank you Archie..” 

“Archibald” I corrected, “I don't much like..”

Before I could finish the man began walking back down the path I had just stumbled my way along. 

“Keep up Archie. I will need your help I'm sure before the evening is through.” He said as he walked. 

I mumbled and did my best to keep up, despite my leg feeling weak. 

It didn't take but a moment before the first cybernetic wandered down this path as well, and it was at that moment that I realized the man carried no obvious weapon. 

“Is this one?” Came his question through the helmet, and I barely had a moment to reply “y y yes, sir knight.” Before the cybernetic began to project its blade from its wrist sheath and charge the man. 

The blade of the Cybernetic slashed, faster than when I had seen it just minutes ago stabbed right through my commander, and fearing the same was about to happen I pitifully raised my hands to shout, and just as quickly halted my alarm. 

The man simply tilted his head to avoid the deft stab, slapped the inside elbow of his assailant and thrust his gauntleted fingertips into the neck of the cybernetic. My mouth gapped as he grabbed the jaw plate of the being and ripped it free, only to twirl it and shove it right back into the neck of the creature over and over again. The violence of it was so sudden that I think the cybernetic was almost as shocked as I was as the creature jumped back, taking the metal plate protruding from its neck along with it. 

“Listen here, being. I need..” and the man didn't have time to finish before the cybernetic leap through the air at him. Twisting wildly in a slash that was meant to cleave the man in two. 

Again, the man's movements to dodge were so casual, that I was sure some trickery was happening. Nobody was that quick, that smooth, and so able to foresee the actions of the cybernetics. 

“By the..” I began, “By the gods.”

The man proceeded to grab the arm as the swing went over his head, and brought his knee up to once again meet the elbow, only this time, the metal and crunch sounds of the man ripping the limb free of the cybernetic were louder than I would have expected. 

I will go to my grave saying I heard the cybernetic cry out in what could only be jawless alarm as the man deftly yanked the blade free of the now useless and dangle robotic arm he was holding. 

“Ahh. So there is a hilt. Good. Very good.” The man said as he tested the weight of the weapon. The short blade wasn't big, but the man's quick swings showed that he knew how to use it. 

“Now. Let's play for real, and then I need a drink.” Said the man as he strode toward the cybernetic. 

The fight was over in three movements that I could catch, and after I blinked the cybernetic lay in parts, cleanly sliced through. 

“Now. Archie. Take me to the fight, and let us pass a tavern on the way.”

“Who are you sir… or better. What are you?”, I asked. “Be you a god?”

“HA!” The man laughed. “A GOD?” And he laughed again. Only this time I could hear the pain rising in it. 

“No lad. I am no god.” He said as he pushed the remains of the cybernetic with his boot. “If anything. Your enemies will think me a demon. No, I am simply a man who made a deal with the devil. And my punishment is life, but only in service of combat to this city. Though, it has clearly been a long time since it was any city I recognize.” He said, while gazing up towards the start of what appeared to be neighborhoods on fire. 

“Let us begin. Shall we?” And with that I led him up towards the main entrance and the sounds of battle.