Preview: Necropolis of Hawara
over 6 years ago
– Sat, Aug 05, 2017 at 07:59:11 AM
Hi, folks, Rose here. ^_^ Monica wanted to give you an overview of the Hawara era.
Thanks for all your support so far. We're in the home stretch!
---
First and foremost, thanks to you we will be exploring the Necropolis of Hawara in Dark Eras 2. This is really exciting for our team, because this Middle Kingdom location is both unique and perfect for the Chronicles of Darkness. Today, I want to tell you a little more about the setting we'll be diving into.
This Dark Era allows us to build off of the great achievements of the Middle Kingdom while hinting at the unrest to come during Akhenaten's reign. The 12th Dynasty faciliated strides in irrigation and the re-establishment of Egyptian pyramid construction for the last time. In this era, the Egyptian capitol is Crocodilopolis, a religious site dedicated to the god Sobek during the height of the deity's popularity. In fact, it was not uncommon to see decorated crocodiles loose in the city, reminding citizens of Sobek's power and prominence and his rule over the Nile.
The nearby Necropolis of Hawara, which was also dedicated to Sobek, is an interesting site for a number of reasons. First, the city was also dedicated to the feared crocodile-headed god. The complex mortuary temple, which was later dismantled by builders to be used in other construction sites, was attached to the pyramid and is believed to be the last resting place of Amenemhat III (1844–1797 BCE). Considered to be an architectural marvel, the labyrinth has been rumored to possess 3,000 passages and chambers...and was never fully mapped or explored. News of its existence was so widespread, some scholars speculated that this labyrinth inspired the legendary Labyrinth of Crete.
Many of Hawara's secrets were discovered much later, during archaeological digs and scholarly explorations. For example, in the 1800s, archaeologists discovered priceless funerary portraits dating back to the Roman period. These portraits are the few surviving examples of classical antiquity paintings, and are a stunning view of the depth and breadth of the necropolis's residents during the Greco-Roman occupation.
We'll explore Hawara during the Middle Kingdom by exploring power struggles against a backdrop of death in the guise of the labyrinth, funerary complexes, and pyramids by contrasting it with the life-giving Nile and its fearsome god, Sobek. This era, in many ways, is the cusp of change. What will that mean in the Chronicles of Darkness? That will depend upon which gamelines we choose. Our gamelines interact with life and death in interesting ways. They might protect, rule, or help the living while actively undermining the dead and their legacies. They could do the opposite, too, and engineer networks of cultists and priests to protect themselves and accept offerings. There are many possibilities to play with, because we have a conflict that's centered on life vs. death in a thematic and tangible context.
We want to hear about your excitement, too. What do you find interesting about this necropolis? Which gamelines are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below!
Necropolis of Hawara wins!
over 6 years ago
– Fri, Aug 04, 2017 at 06:43:45 PM
Hi, Rose here. ^_^
Having passed $55,000, we get to add a new era... and you picked the Necropolis of Hawara (1604-1204 B.C.E)!
Up next, we've got another tough choice... choose wisely, for the poll will be up soon!
Empire of Mali in West Africa 1360-1390 C.E.
Founded by King Sundiata, the vast Mali Empire was formed after several smaller kingdoms were consolidated and lasted from 1230 to 1600 C.E. At its height, the empire stretched from the Atlantic coastline, past Timbuktu, to the edges of the Sahara Desert. Ruled as a monarchy, the Empire of Mali was multilingual and multiethnic, with Islam being the dominant religion. This period is a time of turmoil. Following the death of the legendary Mansa Musa in 1337, the empire suffered from a series of short-term, faulty reigns. With the empire's security and prosperity at stake, the creatures of the Chronicles of Darkness are on the move.
Golden Age of Science Fiction, 1938-1946 C.E.
On the heels of pulp fiction, the first Golden Age of Science Fiction allowed the science fiction genre to blossom in the public eye. Science fiction represents possibilities, and in a wartime era readers can't get enough of Isaac Asimov, Leigh Brackett, Ray Bradbury, and Jack Vance. Though these stories are works of fiction, it is often said that all tales have kernels of truth. In the Chronicles of Darkness, experience the Golden Age of Science Fiction as you never have before, through the eyes of its creatures.
Early Medieval Ireland 750-850 CE
Following the Irish Dark Age until the beginning of the Viking Age, this era marks the introduction of Christianity and Latin literacy. The latter part of the period gives way to illuminated manuscripts, such as the Book of Kells, and Viking raiders who attack the coastline of Ailech and the rest of Ulster. In the Chronicles of Darkness, its denizens are used to the changes in leadership, but worry Viking raiders will discover their lairs and attack at will. This is an era of faith and fear, art and blade.
Preview: Unreliable Narrators
over 6 years ago
– Thu, Aug 03, 2017 at 11:34:03 PM
Hi, Rose here. ^_^ Monica would like to say a few words about unreliable narrators.
---
One of the powerful aspects of the Chronicles of Darkness is that we have multiple game lines. Mages, vampires, werewolves, and hunters (to name a few) are all active in the same world. As game designers, we often present the world through the eyes of whichever gameline we’re working on, which is limited by what those characters don’t know.
The easiest example of this is to highlight all the things that hunters don’t know. Hunters are not going to have the same depth and breadth of knowledge about mummies, mages, vampires, Sin-Eaters, etc. because they are mortals coming to grips with the supernatural in many, many ways. So, their version of events is going to be different than a vampire’s, because they aren’t aware of the inner-workings of Kindred society.
The Dark Eras line employs this to great effect, because the chapters we’ve produced thus far tap into “a” gameline. Storytellers can (and should) utilize the difference in perspectives to add more mystery and misdirection to their chronicles. Unreliable narrators are a powerful tool in the Chronicles of Darkness, and there is an earnest, and legitimate reason why different versions of events exist.
The idea that the gamelines don’t know everything there is to know about each other is something we will balance carefully in Dark Eras 2. We feel that this is a tool for great storytelling, and we want to present you with clear information while highlighting the places where you might use an unreliable narrator to great effect.
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité, ou la Mort
over 6 years ago
– Tue, Aug 01, 2017 at 01:27:39 PM
Hi, folks. ^_^ Rose here, with a post from Meghan about the French Revolution era.
---
Meghan:
Hi all! I wanted to talk a bit about what I’m planning for the French Revolution era. This is a rich and fascinating period to bring into the Chronicles of Darkness, showcasing the soaring heights of human progress and the gritty depths of human brutality all at the same time.
While the Revolution takes about a decade to go from political reform as a reaction to economic crisis to the rise of Napoleon, and I plan to cover the breadth of those events as lead-up and fallout, the meat of our era is the Reign of Terror: a period that straddles 1793 and 1794, during which thousands of French citizens lose their heads to the dread guillotine or perish in war. As fear and violence rise to a fever pitch, the Kindred and the God-Machine’s insurgent angels divide themselves into many factions just as humanity does. And as with humanity, these divisions aren’t clean and orderly. They’re messy, and bloody, and ever-shifting.
The publication of Contre les Vampires Patriarcals galvanizes a vocal and rapidly-growing group of Parisian vampires to reject the way things have always been, thumbing their noses at old-fashioned elders with their aristocratic ways. In this era, we’ll see the birth of the Carthian Movement, the Final Death of Eric Giraud, and the ripples these events send through the All Night Society. We’ll also take a closer look at a covenant that, in later years, will become little more than an urban legend — even now, the Tenth Choir moves like a shadow to avoid the wrath of the Church Eternal, slipping into cahoots with demonic beings whose beef with divinity is more immediate and more personal. Other covenants take different stands and find themselves allying with or opposing demons who seem to come out of the woodwork everywhere they turn.
Angels find many reasons to fall in the chaos, as rebellious hands tear down infrastructure — and thus, Infrastructure — that has stood for centuries, in some cases literally overnight. Some demons rejoice, seeing Hell on Earth in the tide of yearning for freedom and equality that sweeps the nation. Others see the fingerprints of the God-Machine all over the new order under Robespierre and the Revolutionary Tribunal, and believe the entire engine of revolution is part of the Machine’s plan, an opportunity to replace the monarchy with something it can dig its gears into at every level. Agendas splinter into factions from one end of the political spectrum to the other. Rampant paranoia among demons and increased angelic interference lead to all sides becoming strange bedfellows with vampires trying desperately to preserve or destroy everything they’ve known for countless nights.
For France in this era, the only constant is change. We’ll take a brief look at how the other game lines are involved with these events, too, from the beginnings of the Awakened Nameless War to changelings rejecting the traditional fae Courts built in the previous century during the Sun King’s reign. Buckle up — it’s going to be a Hell of a ride.
Latest poll era pitches
over 6 years ago
– Mon, Jul 31, 2017 at 12:51:16 AM
Rose here, with the pitches for our latest poll eras!
Mississippi Steamboat Era, 1811 to 1861 C.E.
In 1811, "New Orleans" the first Mississippi steamboat launched in Pittsburgh followed by more steamboats taking "fast trips" up and down the wide Mississippi river, pushing the boundaries of steam-powered technology while carrying coal, cotton, rice, timber, tobacco, and molasses. Throughout the 1800s, riverboats became a focal point, carrying needed goods from the Antebellum South to the North, attracting travelers, gamblers, and opportunists from St. Louis to New Orleans. In the Chronicles of Darkness, this era of prosperity was the turning point for its denizens--some who are eager to adapt and help plant the seeds of the Industrial Age, while others fight or flee out of fear for what's to come.
Necropolis of Hawara, Egypt, 1204-1604 B.C.E.
The fabled Necropolis of Hawara was the home to temple complexes, pyramids, and the Labyrinth of Hawara. Built by Amenemhet III during the Middle Kingdom, the Greek historian Herodotus later pinpoints the famous labyrinth's location "near the place called the City of Crocodiles". Hawara or Het-waret, which is dedicated to the Egyptian god Sobek, was also home to artisans hired to paint funerary portraits and investors who owned shares in the necropolis and nearby burial grounds. This city of the dead, lorded over by the living, is home to many creatures in the Chronicles of Darkness who have their own agreements with the mortals above to retain a tenuous peace.
Greco-Persian Wars 499-449 B.C.E.
The expanding Achaemenid Empire of Persia comes to blows with Greek city-states in a battle for control and expansion of territory. Time and time again, the great Achaemenid Empire of Persia fights, wins, and loses in city-states such as Athens, Sparta, Thespiae, and Thebes culminating in devastating battles such as the Battle of Thermopylae and Battle of Plataea which eventually end the conflict. Where there is war, however, there are sides to be chosen, and for creatures in the Chronicles of Darkness many are forced to choose between life and death in an age of warring fleets and shattered shields.
---
Also, now that we're adding new Dark Eras AND we have Reward Tiers that have the potential to add Dark Eras, let's bear in mind that some upcoming Dark Eras will be used to start the Dark Eras 2 Companion book; depending on how many new Dark Eras we arrive at when this KS closes on August 5th.
