Core Books

Belle Époque unfolds in Paris between 1871 and 1914. The streets buzz with invention and glamour, but blood stains the cobblestones more than most admit. Anarchist bombs rip through calm afternoons. Old grudges, fresh betrayals, and secret plots thrive behind Art Nouveau façades. Fiction and reality collide: those who know the names Auguste Dupin, Arséne Lupin, Simonini, and Adèle Blanc-Sec have already glimpsed this world.

The city hosts inventors, forgers, killers, and visionaries. Some move in salons by gaslight, while others roam in alleys washed by rain and shadow. One may find galvanists reanimating corpses in cellars, mesmerists working their strange craft, and sharp-eyed men in dusty archives chasing leads that could change France overnight. Science and sorcery clash in strange ways. Mesmerism works when handled by the skilled. Vampires and other supernatural beings mingle with nighttime crowds. Chemists push beyond safe bounds. Gallery owners, stage magicians, and priests all might answer to the same occult master. Societies like the Golden Dawn, the Theosophists, and their unknown rivals plot in silence. The world pushes hard for light, but the dark keeps pace. Every advance rides on secrets; every marvel hides its price. Paris offers many technological wonders: telephones, radios, motorcars, and electric lamps, but evil awaits in its darker corners.

Shadows
Secret groups hunt for old artifacts and ancient powers. The Knights Templar, the Illuminati, the Rosicrucians, and dozens more gather in secret. Some chase telluric currents, believing these lines of earth energy bend fate. The right device, placed on a city’s ley line, may call fire from the sky and bend minds like clay. History scars the world with violence. In a few decades, armies march from Crimea to the Balkans, Russia to the Atlantic. Bombings by anarchists tear through train stations. Rival empires bait each other, leaving corpses and orphans behind. Did this blood open a fault in the world, or draw in something not born of Earth? Perhaps false texts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion mask deeper plots. Some traitor writes slanders and serves unseen masters; his reasons matter less than the chaos left behind.

Iluminations
In this age, new inventions amaze the world. Marie and Pierre Curie find radioactivity in Paris, 1898. Pasteur develops vaccines against anthrax (1881) and rabies (1885). Bell patents the telephone (1876); Edison delivers the phonograph (1877) and the lamp (1879). Santos-Dumont’s plane lifts above Bagatelle in 1906. Artifact hunters dig up Troy and Knossos. African and Arctic explorers mark the edges of maps—Serpa Pinto, Amundsen, Shackleton.

Yet, not every scholar craves facts alone. Mesmerism, phrenology, mediumship, and spirit photography draw crowds. Helene Blavatsky writes Isis Unveiled; fellow members of secret orders try to wrest meaning from the void. Spiritualists contact the dead. Sex and drugs seep into some rites. Ideas from America—New Thought and mind-over-matter cults—reach Paris on cheap pamphlets. A few turn dream and madness into power. Aleister Crowley emerges in England, writing laws for a new faith: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”.

The Dreyfus Affair
In 1894, Captain Alfred Dreyfus faces trial for treason. The army wants a scapegoat. Dreyfus, both a Jew and an outsider, fits the role. Officials push forged documents into evidence—the “bordereau.” Dreyfus spends years on Devil’s Island, impoverished and humiliated. The case splits France. Dreyfusards demand justice, and their enemies tighten their grip. Journalists, priests, and soldiers choose sides. Crowds riot in the streets. The forgery that started it all spreads, twisting as it falls into new hands. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion surface to muddy the story and stir hatred. No peace comes easily. France’s intellectuals turn the case into a war about the soul of the nation: truth or dogma, reason or hate. The affair sets Europe on edge. The face of progress hides a raw wound, still open, still bleeding. Behind every new idea, old hatreds wait.

The Setting

Inspired by both the raw, lawless world depicted in Spaghetti Westerns and the more traditional American films of the genre, Blood and Dustallows players to immerse themselves in the roles of characters roving the expansive plains and lawless towns of the Old West. While the great American cowboy tales notoriously hold a special place, we’ve taken our cues mostly from the European take on the genre, populated with a cast of roughened rogues and desperate outcasts. This game draws primarily from the tradition of the European Western – commonly referred to as Spaghetti Western – where the frontier is not a proving ground for virtue, but a landscape where survival, profit, and vengeance hold greater weight than law or sentiment. In these stories, men are rarely clean in conscience or reputation. They arrive from nowhere, carry their past like a burden they do not speak of, and leave little behind but bodies and unanswered questions. Violence is not exceptional; it is routine, deliberate, and oftentimes the only reliable instrument available. At the same time, Blood and Dust does not confine itself to that interpretation alone. By design, it permits a broader range of characters than its predecessor, Wretched Country. Without the moral framework imposed by Sins and Virtues, players are free to approach the setting through more traditional roles if they so choose: the lawman who believes order can still be imposed, the rancher defending his land, the soldier who has not yet abandoned his code. These figures belong to the older American tradition, where the West still carries the possibility of justice, even if it must be upheld at gunpoint.^*

The Mechanics

Like other Redgames, Blood and Dust isn’t strictly an old-school game, but instead an OSR-compatible game: it shares enough similarities (such as being d20-based) to be easily adaptable using the rules of Wretched, or any other OSR game. This compatibility allows for seamless integration of existing OSR materials – including any of our previous settings, sourcebooks and scenarios – and provides a familiar foundation. Characters are defined by six Attributes—Strength, Intelligence, Wits, Agility, Toughness, and Charisma—which measure natural ability, and a range of Skills that reflect training, experience, and profession. Players choose an Archetype that determines their role, granting recommended Skills, special abilities, Health bonuses, and unique talents. Additional customisation comes through Perks and Drawbacks. As characters gain experience, they improve their Skills, acquire new abilities, and may even change Archetypes to reflect changing fortunes and hard-earned lessons.

From ancient relics of power to supernatural creatures that defy imagination, the Veil Syndicate has worked tirelessly to keep the masses ignorant and oblivious to the reality beyond their comprehension. With each mission, you will grow in power and influence and become more deeply entwined in the Syndicate’s control network. You will face supernatural and mundane challenges, from rival factions seeking to undermine the Syndicate’s authority to the very creatures you are sworn to keep hidden from the world. Your choices and actions will have far-reaching consequences, perhaps even changing the course of history and the fate of the world as we know it. Prepare for a thrilling journey into the heart of darkness, where the line between good and evil is tenuous, and only the most cunning and ruthless survive. Welcome to the Veil Syndicate, may your wits and skills guide you through the treacherous path that lies ahead.

Gameplay Mechanics:

• OSR Compatibility: Easily adaptable using the rules of Wretched or other OSR games, combining old-school mechanics with a modern horror twist.^*
• Attributes and Skills: Characters are defined by core statistics (Strength, Intelligence, Wits, Agility, Toughness, Charisma) and a set of skills.
• Character Creation: Roll for attributes, select skills, and choose perks and drawbacks to create a balanced and compelling character.
• Archetypes: Define your character’s role and capabilities with unique feats. Archetypes include Archaeologist, Conspiracy Theorist, Cult Leader, Cybermancer, Demon Hunter, and many more.
• Fear Mechanics: Accumulate Fear Points from traumatic events, influencing character behavior and decision-making.
• Simplified Combat: Deadly combat system to enhance tension and stakes in every encounter.
• Ritual Magic: Designed to enhance the horror atmosphere, with rules for magic corruption.

Major Themes:

• Faith and Rationality: The game explores the tension between faith and rationality, questioning humanity’s reliance on science and reason in the absence of divine guidance.
• Human Condition: Darker delves into the resilience of the human spirit when exposed to overwhelming darkness and the existential challenges posed by a world in moral decay.
• Infernal Influence: Demonic entities manifest with increasing frequency, bringing terror and cruelty. The weakening of divine influence allows these hellish forces to corrupt societal institutions and individuals.
• Rise of Evil: As faith waned, malevolent entities that once lurked in the shadows of ancient civilizations found their way back, corrupting modern society.
• Corruption and Decay: The influence of these entities has grown pervasive, manifesting through wars, economic upheavals, and technological advancements. Humanity’s moral and spiritual erosion has created fertile ground for these forces.
• Twisted Progress: A religion of “Progress” has emerged, with rationalists and atheists turning to ancient pagan beliefs and dark practices, furthering the chaos and depravity.
• Silence of the Divine: The game world is characterized by the absence of divine intervention, reinforcing the isolation and despair faced by the characters.
• Struggle Against the Abyss: Characters must face a cosmos devoid of solace, confronting eldritch horrors and preternatural mysteries alone. Their actions are acts of defiance against overwhelming evil.
• Cults and Organizations: The game features various cults and organizations, each with its own dark agenda, influenced by infernal entities.

The galaxy is a vast, untamed frontier, fraught with danger and ripe with potential. In Final Frontier you can be a daring explorer charting unknown worlds, a hardened operative enforcing order in lawless sectors, or a cunning rogue seizing opportunities where others see only chaos. In this game, survival demands wit, grit, and a willingness to face the unknown, whether for glory, profit, or the sheer thrill of discovery.

As a character in Final Frontier, you rely on your skills, instincts, and resourcefulness to thrive. You might pilot a sleek starship through asteroid fields, negotiate uneasy truces with alien factions, or wield a blaster in a desperate stand against raiders or Outer Rim rebels. The frontier rewards those bold enough to seize its opportunities, but it spares no one who falters.

While there are multiple ways to experience the galaxy, there are two concepts to which we devoted more attention. For those craving action, the default campaign casts you as members of the Outer Rim Legion, a rough-and-tumble corps tasked with maintaining order in the galaxy’s wildest sectors. Equipped with patched-up ships and second-hand gear, Legion operatives tackle high-stakes missions where violence is often the only language spoken.

For those drawn to discovery, the Cosmic Exploration Society offers a different experience, sending you to map uncharted planets, uncover ancient relics, and make first contact with unknown species.

Gothic uses the Red system, a ruleset inspired by Old School Renaissance (OSR), making it accessible to newcomers. The core mechanic involves rolling a twenty-sided die (d20) and adding relevant modifiers to meet or exceed a Target Number (TN) set by the core rules or by the Game Master (GM). Players begin by rolling for six primary attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Wits, Agility, Toughness, and Charisma. These attributes, ranging form the foundation of your character’s capabilities. Characters also possess a range of skills, from the scholarly (Knowledge, Linguistics) to the practical (Stealth, Combat). Skill levels range from +1 to +5, representing increasing degrees of mastery. Specializations allow for further refinement, granting +1 bonuses in specific applications of a skill.

Central to the Gothic experience is the management of Fear Points. As characters witness horrific events or confront the supernatural, they accumulate Fear Points. When these points exceed a character’s Panic Threshold, they must make Panic Rolls, risking breakdowns, flight, or even descent into madness. This mechanic ensures that the psychological toll of horror remains a constant threat, even for the bravest souls. And while Gothic is not primarily a combat-focused game, when violence erupts, it is swift and potentially deadly. The combat rules emphasizes quick resolution and high stakes, with critical hits capable of inflicting lasting injuries or even instant death.

But Gothic is much more than just its mechanics; it’s an immersive experience that seeks to evoke the atmosphere of dread and wonder that characterizes Gothic literature. The game explores several key themes: History is never truly dead, family curses, ancient pacts, and long-buried secrets all play crucial roles in shaping the present. Characters will grapple with inherited guilt or unravelling mysteries set in motion generations ago. The 19th century was an era of rapid scientific advancement, yet old beliefs died hard. This setting places players at the intersection of rationalism and the supernatural. As characters investigate the unknown, their grip on reality will begin to slip. Perception cannot always be trusted, and the greatest horrors sometimes lurk within one’s own mind. Finally, beneath the cosmopolitan veneer of Victorian propriety lies a world of corruption, debauchery and excess. Gothic doesn’t shy away from exploring themes of forbidden desires, and the moral decay that often accompanies great power and wealth.

Grindhouse Red is a love letter to the sleazy, blood-soaked world of exploitation cinema—films that thrived on sex, violence, drugs, and every taboo from the 1960s to the 1980s. These low-budget flicks, shown in grimy theaters or drive-ins, didn’t pull punches. They reveled in the forbidden, from blaxploitation’s street swagger to giallo’s razor-sharp murders, nunsploitation’s sinful convents to carsploitation’s roaring chases.

This game isn’t for the faint-hearted. It dives headfirst into the muck of exploitation’s darkest themes—rape, torture, and gore—because that’s what grindhouse is about. If you or your players can’t handle the heat, walk away now. There’s no consent forms or lines and veils here, no session zero to coddle sensitivities. No safety tools bullshit at all! Grindhouse Red is for adults who crave the thrill of discomfort, who find entertainment in the sick and twisted plots of exploitation movies.

Grindhouse Red is pure, unfiltered escapism; quality and entertainment trump all. You’re free to play a sadist Nazi, a deranged pimp, or a vengeful slasher; no theme is off-limits in this fictional hellhole. The only rule is fun. Let your players embrace the chaos, from Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS’s sadism to Coffy’s street justice. Laugh in the face of absurdity, crank the violence to eleven, and give your table a grindhouse night they’ll never forget.

Running Grindhouse Red is about unleashing a world where anything goes, and the only rule is survival.

Interbellum takes place in an era still haunted by a catastrophe that reshaped the modern world: the four-year conflict known as the Great War. What began in the heart of Europe soon engulfed much of the globe, leaving behind shattered nations, collapsed empires, and millions of dead. Although the guns have fallen silent, the war’s consequences continue to define the age. Cities bear the marks of destruction, economies struggle to recover, and entire generations carry the physical and psychological wounds of a conflict unlike any that came before. Beneath this uneasy peace, another truth is hidden from most of humanity: the supernatural is real. Ancient powers, forgotten gods, occult traditions, and things that should not be linger in the shadows of the modern world.

Interbellum is a game of adventure, mystery, and intrigue, where pulp action exists alongside historical realism and cosmic horror. Stories range from archaeological expeditions and espionage operations to treasure hunts, occult investigations, political conspiracies, and encounters with forces beyond human understanding. Characters must find a way to survive in a world of competing ideologies, colonial ambitions, economic instability, and the lingering trauma of war. While governments, secret societies, criminal organizations, and revolutionary movements struggle for influence, ancient powers pursue agendas that stretch back centuries, or beyond human history altogether.

The world of Interbellum is neither wholly heroic nor entirely cynical. Players may portray explorers, investigators, journalists, aviators, adventurers, scholars, revolutionaries, mercenaries, criminals, occultists, or any number of individuals drawn into extraordinary events. Some fight for justice, truth, or national ideals. Others seek wealth, power, forbidden knowledge, or simply a way to survive in uncertain times. Many find themselves somewhere in between. Thus, the setting allows for morally ambiguous protagonists – just like its predecessor, Wretched Interbellum – but also traditional pulp heroes.^*

MEN is a work of a satyr. A very serious satyr. If you do not like what this satyr says, he is gonna ram you in the guts with his big-ass horns and then ram you in the ass with his big-ass dick and then kill you and eat you. This is not a disclaimer. This is a fucking death threat!

If you do not like MATURE THEMES in RPGs DO NOT BUY this game. If you are easily offended DO NOT BUY this game. If you cannot cope with satire* DO NOT BUY this game. There are plenty of “edgy” games out there less likely to get your panties in a twist. Maybe try the Wretched line instead?^*

Are you still there? Cool, then you’ll probably enjoy this!

* Satire is the literary or artistic use of humour, irony, or exaggeration to criticize and ridicule human vices and follies. It is a form of commentary that employs sarcasm or parody to expose and highlight the flaws of individuals, institutions, or society as a whole.

Major differences between New Flesh and Wretched New Flesh:^*

Rules
New Flesh uses the Red System instead of the Wretched System. Unlike Wretched New Flesh Second Edition, which was primarily a setting, New Flesh is a standalone, fully-fledged game.

Not Wretched
The Wretched factions are gone, as well as the the whole concept of Wretched characters.

Tone and Focus
New Flesh places greater emphasis on Cronenbergian biopunk and body horror than the previous versions.

Interzone, not Avalidad
The City is now officially named Interzone, marking a change from previous versions where Interzone was merely an outdated term. However, the name Avalidad persists as the term used by native Moroccans.

Supernatural
New Flesh removes overt supernatural influences; for instance, Hideo Kobayashi is no longer depicted as a demonic entity. Instead, the game emphasizes themes of corporate greed and biotechnological ethical decay. Some alien entities, such as the Machinatores, are retained, maintaining a subtle otherworldly presence. Ritual Magic is no longer available, but it was replaced by Chaos Magic, which makes more sense in the Burroughsian atmosphere of the game.

Setting Scope
This iteration expands on the world beyond Interzone, providing more detailed descriptions of other countries.

New Art
The game features updated visuals, including: Cover and back cover art by Ibai Canables, an introductory comic by Kris Villarosa, illustrations of weapons, vehicles, and armor by Rob Necronomicon. It also includes a cool new logo, a page border and new character sheet by Terra Hitzing. Finally, the style of AI illustrations is completely different from the previous book to make it coherent with the human-made art.

Other changes
New Flesh introduces more plot hooks and an adventure generator, the Psionic rules were revised and the AI in the game setting was updated to keep up with real world changers, among other minor things.

Themes

Savage Swords emphasizes a dark, mature tone and the unforgiving reality of a low-fantasy world. The atmosphere is one of constant tension: harsh realities collide with flickers of hope, and every victory comes at a price. Magic exists, but it is rare and feared by most; sorcery offers great power at a terrible cost, and the priests of long-forgotten gods cling to fading miracles.

The core themes of Savage Swords are struggle, ambition, and fate. Life is a constant struggle against brutal forces, from the savage wilderness and hungry monsters to scheming tyrants.Characters are driven by ambition or honor: knights fight for justice, warlords vie for dominion, thieves hunger for riches, and exiled nobles seek to reclaim lost thrones. Prophecies, ancient curses, and the whims of capricious gods weave through the player characters’ adventures.

Character Possibilities

In Savage Swords, there are countless roles to play. Your character may be one of many archetypes provided, but these are merely a few examples. The game encourages you to create any character concept that fits the brutal, decadent civilizations of this world. Whether born in a gutter or a palace, every adventurer has the chance to write his name into legend, or die trying.

Mechanics

Savage Swords uses deadly, straightforward, mechanics to keep the focus on the immersion and the stakes high. The game relies on familiar polyhedral dice to represent the chaotic twists of fate in battle and adventure.

Attributes
Every character has six core attributes – Strength, Wits, Intelligence, Agility, Toughness, and Charisma – which define their innate capabilities. During character creation, the players generate these attributes by rolling 3d6 (three six-sided dice) for each, yielding scores typically between 3 (feeble) and 18 (legendary). High scores grant bonuses,
and poor scores impose penalties. These attributes influence everything from how hard a warrior hits to how acutely a rogue notices danger.

Skill Checks and Actions
When a character attempts a challenging action (picking a lock, tracking prey, intimidating a guard, deciphering an ancient script), the player rolls a 20-sided die (d20) to determine the outcome. Any relevant skill level, attribute bonus, and situational modifier is added to this roll, aiming to meet or beat a target number set by the GM. The more difficult the task, the greater the number. A simple climb or an easy bargain requires a modest roll, while disarming a complex trap or bluffing a battle-hardened warlord will demand a high result. Luck and skill go hand-in-hand; even a legendary swordsman can stumble with a poor roll, and a peasant might succeed against the odds with a lucky toss of the dice.

Combat Resolution

Battles in Savage Swords are fast, brutal, and unforgiving. When a character swings a sword or shoots an arrow at an enemy, the player makes an attack roll (again using a d20 plus combat skill level and Strength or Agility bonus) against the opponent’s Defense. Defense is a value representing how hard they are to hit (influenced by Agility, armor, or shield). If the attack roll meets or exceeds the foe’s Defense, the strike lands. Players then roll damage dice based on the weapon (or spell). Health Points (HP), tied to Toughness, track how much injury a character can endure.

In the OSR spirit, combat is truly dangerous: a skilled warrior can succumb to a fortunate strike. Critical hits, grievous wounds, and quick deaths are all possible if fate and the dice turn against the player character. These core rules make Savage Swords (hopefully) quick to learn and lethal in execution. There are rules for all manner of situations, from fear mechanics to domain rules, but at the heart the system is designed to be intuitive.

Psychics are included as an optional rule. Paranormal and supernatural elements are outside the scope of the core game.

The Setting

The game offers two distinct settings that personify different aspects of childhood adventure:

San Cristobal Bay, a Gulf Coast town where summer seems eternal, provides a backdrop for lighter mysteries and sun-soaked adventures. Here, kids can investigate haunted lighthouses, uncover smugglers’ secrets, or befriend mysterious summer visitors. The town’s mixture of fishing community and tourist destination creates natural tensions and opportunities for storytelling, while its Spanish colonial history adds a layer of historical mystery.

Oakbrook, inspired by Bradbury’s fictional Green Town, represents autumn’s approach, seasonally and metaphorically. This Midwest railroad town holds deeper mysteries and more melancholic adventures. In Oakbrook, the Fall carnival brings much more than rides and games, the ravine contains paths to other times, and the town library has books that choose their readers. The supernatural weaves through daily life, mostly visible only to those who know where to look.

Both settings are intentionally placed in a somewhat undefined recent past, roughly spanning the 1970s through early 1990s. It was the world GenXers and early Millennials grew up in, before cellphones and the internet, when kids navigated by landmarks rather than GPS, and where adventures can’t be interrupted by text messages. While video games and computers might already exist, especially in later periods, they remain fixed objects rather than portable distractions.

The Characters

Players take the roles of children, typically between ages 10 and 13, though younger or slightly older characters are possible. Character creation emphasizes both ordinary abilities and extraordinary possibilities.

The game uses a straightforward attribute and skill system, but adds unique elements like the Weird Meter (tracking a character’s exposure to supernatural elements) and Childhood Dream Abilities (representing those inexplicable talents that seem to work only when no adults are watching).

Characters also have Best Friend Bonds, mechanical representations of the special connections between childhood friends.

The Rules

The End of Innocence uses a d20-based system for most actions, modified by relevant skills and attributes. However, the game emphasizes storytelling and exploration over combat. While characters can get into dangerous situations, violent confrontation is rarely the best solution. Instead, the rules focus on investigation, problem-solving, and the creative use of childhood resources.

The Stories

Adventures in The End of Innocence can range from solving neighborhood mysteries to confronting genuine supernatural threats. A typical scenario would begin with something seemingly mundane, like a new family moving into their new home, a renovated Victorian house, or strange lights in the lighthouse after hours, and gradually reveal deeper mysteries.

The game encourages Gamemasters to mix ordinary childhood experiences with extraordinary elements. A baseball game can lead to discovering a ghost in the dugout, building a tree house may reveal a gateway to another plane of existence and summer camp adventures include both typical activities and encounters with mysterious creatures in the woods.

Playing the Game

While The End of Innocence can be played by younger players, it’s primarily designed for adults who want to revisit and explore the feeling of childhood adventure. The game’s mechanics and themes support stories that work on multiple levels, simple enough for straightforward adventure but with depth for those who want to explore more complex themes.

The End

Every game of The End of Innocence should eventually face its titular moment, that point where childhood’s magic begins to fade and the world becomes more ordinary. This isn’t necessarily a sad ending; it’s part of growing up. But the game suggests that even as characters move beyond childhood, they might retain some of the magic they’ve discovered, carrying it forward into their next adventures. This is a game about childhood’s last great summer, or its final autumn. About racing bikes down hills so steep it feels like they are flying. About secrets shared in tree houses and mysteries solved by flashlight. About understanding that growing up doesn’t have to mean leaving all the magic behind.

When you try something risky or complex, you roll a twenty-sided die, add the relevant skill and attribute modifier, and see if you meet or beat the target number. Combat, seduction, and investigation follow the same process.

Characters are defined by a handful of attributes—Strength, Agility, Toughness, Intelligence, Wits, and Charisma.

Skills determine what they’ve learned: Knowledge for scholars and scientists, Influence for silver-tongued seducers, Stealth for prowlers following marks through back alleys, and more.
Perks give them quirks or talents, while drawbacks saddle them with vices: addictions, jealous rages, or obsessions.

In this game you’ll find plenty of options for adventure and intrigue. In Madrid, soldiers rub shoulders with poets in taverns while plotters scheme in noble houses. In Seville, the Casa de Contratación oversees trade from Seville, including the silver shipments from the Americas. The Spanish Netherlands remain a battlefield where the tercios face Flemish and French armies. In the Americas, vast territories await exploration while established colonies generate enormous wealth.

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean remains a frontier where Spanish forces face Ottoman power and Barbary corsairs. The Philippines connect Spain to the exotic East, while Portugal’s outposts in India and Africa struggle against European rivals and local powers. From the poorest Madrid tavern to the glittering Hall of Mirrors in the Alcázar, from the dockyards of Seville to the silver mines of Potosí, adventure beckons.

Themes and Atmosphere

Twilight of Empires emphasizes the harsh reality of 17th century life. This was not a simple time of heroes and villains, but an era where honor and treachery, piety and corruption, glory and misery coexisted. Like Captain Alatriste, characters will face a world where noble ideals clash with harsh realities.

The game captures the period’s distinctive atmosphere: the contrast between Spain’s cultural golden age and its political decline, the tension between religious orthodoxy and practical necessity, the gap between imperial ambition and financial reality. Players might defend Spain’s interests while recognizing the corruption and inefficiency that undermine them.

Character Possibilities

Twilight of Empires offers numerous character options, inspired by both historical reality and fictional creations:

• Soldiers and Veterans: Many characters might be veterans of the Flanders wars, now seeking opportunities in Madrid or the colonies.
• Nobles and Officials: From impoverished hidalgos to powerful court figures.
• Clergy and Inquisitors: The Church’s enormous influence makes religious characters particularly interesting
• Artists and Writers: The Spanish Golden Age’s cultural flowering provides options for creative characters
• Merchants and Rogues: From legitimate traders to smugglers and thieves.
• Women of the Era: From actresses to courtesans and aristocratic ladies, female characters can also play important roles.