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1 T i t l e

Jasyn Jones

DharkuulThe Xenohorror Reality

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Dharkuul:The Xenohorror Reality

Game Design:Jasyn JonesCommentary:Ks. Jim OgleEditing, Layout, & Graphic Design:Jasyn Jones

Copyright 2001-2010 by Jasyn Jones. All rights reserved.

Produced under license from West End Games.

These are original rules, intended for use with TORG: Roleplaying the Possibility Wars.The most recent version of these rules (and other TORGresources) can be found on the

STORM KNIGHTSwebsite:

http://web.me.com/stormknights/

TORGis , TM, & 2007 by Purgatory Publishing, Inc. (See the copyright section formore information.)

Updated:December 21, 2010

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Introduction

What happened Between is irrelevant.There is only the world Before and theworld After. The ages of Man matter not at

all. There was a time before man left theAfrican veldt, before civilization rose inthe river valleys of Asia, India, and Meso-potamia. There was a time long beforemankind, in which unknown beingswalked this Earth and they ruled and theyreigned.

Ageless, the masters of existence were,and alien. Their minds were birthed indimensions far removed from those we

know, dimensions of strange physics andtwisted causality. They had come to thisworld 65 million years ago, fleeing somedark and unknowable menace. Within acentury, nearly all life on Earth had per-ished. For millions of years they ruled, andthe world was their plaything. They raised

mountains, opened up great canyons, andcaused the oceans to swallow whole con-tinents. They pulled the moon from some

unknown arc of Unreality, and set it spin-ning in the sky. Where they walked, ra-tionality fled. The world as we know it is orderly; itproceeds according to rules that we canapprehend, understand, and utilize: weflip the switch, the light comes on. Thisworld is rational, but there are worlds farbeyond the one we know. Rational space is but a small bubble oforder, lodged in a universe of chaos and

unreason. Beyond the bounds of rational-ity, in Unreality, the orderly progression oflife as we know it breaks down. Cause nolonger follows effect, and the natural lawsof the universe cease to exist. Irrational Space is the domain of beingsknown as the Eldritch Lords. The Lords areall-powerful, or so near to it as to make no

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difference. They walk between the dimen-sional walls of Unreal Space at will, tear-ing through one level of existence afteranother. Yet they cannot venture is beyondthe bounds of Unreality; the sphere of Ra-

tional space is closed to them. Irrational Space is home to a greatmany races of intelligent beings. The vastmajority- the servitor races- serve theEldritch Lords as slaves or vassals. Most ofthe rest live in fear, hunted and harried bythe Lords and their minions. The Dharkol were one such minor race.They originated in a small and distant di-mension, little more than a pocket, lost inthe vastness of Unreality. The remoteness

and obscurity of their home dimension al-lowed them to escape the notice of theLords for a time, and their civilizationgrew in power and achievement. Like all species that originate in thosedark arcs of Irrationality, the Dharkolsminds and bodies were utterly inhuman-they simply cannot be described in ra-tional terms. Their forms were made forUnnatural space, and unreality permeatestheir being. Their senses and bodies exist

in 7 dimensions, and cannot be directlyapprehended by those who exist in a 4-dimensional universe. Even glimpsing aportion of their being invites madness.When confronted by a Dharkol, the ra-tional mind rebels.

Their bodies seemed ill made, the vari-ous portions not quite matching up withone another, and shimmering, jaggedpanes of unreality reflected through them.No limb appeared to be fastened securely-

they shifted along these planes of force,moving into and out of conjunction withthe rest of the body. Some even floatedfree for a moment, before reattachingthemselves.

The Dharkol lived in a curiously inde-terminate state, in which they might have6 limbs one moment and none the next.

S t o r m K n i g h t s 2

Dharkuul Precis

A prcis is a concise summary of the essen-tial information about a reality, including Axiomsand summaries of World Laws. Catchphrase: What ancient was, shall riseagain. Axioms: Magic 18, Social 20, Spirit 1, Tech23World Laws The Law of Eldritch Unreality:This cosm isdivided between Rationality and Unreality.Magic is the force of Unreality, and so worksdifferently here than in other cosms. The Curse of Irrationality:Irrational eventsharm the Rational mind and can cause delu-sions or other ill effects. The Shield of Sanity:Sanity offers protectionfrom the Irrational World. Action Cant:2 Genre: The genre is a cross betweenMythos-inspired horror and near-future post-apocalyptic science fiction. Setting: In the closing years of the 20th cen-tury, a small cult managed to breach the barriersbetween this world and Irrational Space. Analien race, fleeing a nameless horror, invadedEarth. Though defeated, their invasion weak-ened the walls between Rational and IrrationalSpace.

Now hideous and insane monstrositiesfrom beyond the bounds of rationality have be-gun emerging in ever-greater numbers. Theonly defense against these incursions lies in de-ciphering and using the Xenotech artifacts leftbehind by the aliens, though those who delvetoo deeply risk their own sanity. Archetypal Characters: Reformed Cultist,Augmented Marine, Cautious Xenopsycholo-gist, Mythos Researcher, Eldritch Sorcerer, Es-caped Mental Patient, Xenotechnician, XTIA

Agency Operative, Xenoform Bughunter, Com-placent Politician, Tabloid Journalist. Mission Statement: We fight the secretwars against the nameless horrors from beyondrational existence. Source Material: H.P. Lovecraft or AugustDerleth stories, Aliens, Species, Virus, theDelta Green role-playing game.

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Their bodies changed from flesh to metaland back and their height varied accordingto which peculiar spatial angle they weretraveling through. The natural form of a Dharkol is a 7-

dimensional agglomeration of biologicaland mechanical features. In Rationalspace, the totality of a Dharkols bodycannot be seen, and different portions of itare revealed one after the other, giving theimpression of a form that is constantlychanging shape, size, and composition. At one moment, a Dharkol may appearas a human-sized mass composed of in-numerable many-fingered boneless limbs,bound with weird bits of enruned metal.

Then the creature may suddenly grow,towering over onlookers, waving a hun-dred fur-covered tentacles and walking onspider legs. It may next shrink, becominga shapeless mass of plasm the size of asmall child. There is no predicting or understandingthe relationship of each momentary formto the totality of the Dharkols existence.The very appearance of a Dharkol reflectsits Irrational nature. This extends to their

civilization and technology as well. Their civilization was born in thepocket realm from which they derived: asmall shard of placid space, lost in theimmense tortured realms of Unreality.There, the Dharkol crawled forth fromchaos and began to thrive. For ageless eons, they mastered theforces of Unreality, and built a civilizationaround a bizarre and incomprehensiblealien technology. This technology oper-

ated according to principles unknown tothe minds of the sane. Its aesthetic fol-lowed curves and angles of IrrationalSpace, and its logic lay beyond mere cau-sality. With it, the Dharkol mastered timeand space, and could mold their world tosuit their needs. There was very little thatwas not within their grasp.

The Dharkol civilization was very oldwhen the Eldritch Lords first breached theirhome dimension. It was, one imagines, amere accident, the tiniest wobble off theirwell-trod paths through Unrealitys arcs

and layers. The intruding Eldritch Lord didnot even notice or recognize the destruc-tion its immensity had wrought on theDharkol. The devastation, though, wasnearly total. In the paths of their master, the servitorraces of this wayward Eldritch Lordswarmed through the newly torn rift in ex-istence. The Dharkol suddenly foundthemselves embroiled in a bitter war forsurvival.

The servitors were numberless, as nu-merous as the grains of sand on all thebeaches of all the planets of a whole gal-axy. Though they fought with tenacity andingenuity, the Dharkol were simply over-whelmed. Their world was torn asunder, their cit-ies thrown down, their leaders slain. Thesmallest remnant of a remnant fled, trav-ersing the planes of Unreality in a frenziedflight, searching for some kind of refuge.

In their haste and panic, they pierced thebarrier of sanity, and found themselves onthe surface of a giant sphere, teeming withlife and rationality. Here they built monuments and cities,and grew in power and number, and cameto control the world. They even wrenchedthe moon from Irrational Space, andamong its torrid jungles built colonies.The creatures of the natural world died, intheir millions, and the Dharkol bred re-

placements from their own Unnaturalstock. This world was their paradise, but itwas already dying. Slowly, over the courseof their 65 million year reign, the forces ofRational space eroded the small bubble ofUnreality in which the Dharkol dwelled.The Moons jungles dried up, its atmos-

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phere boiled away, and the colonists diedor fled to Earth. In time, the Dharkolfound Rationality to be as large a threat asthe servitor races. Given time, and ample warning of the

impending collapse of their bubble of Un-reality, the Dharkol searched throughoutIrrational Space for a sanctuary. Thereuntothey fled, leaving behind mystic relics,sunken cities, and a smattering of cults thatworshipped the Dharkol as gods. Humanity, once the slaves of the Dhar-kol, came to inherit the Earth. In a scant12 millennia, humans rose from wander-ing savagery to civilization. They forgedweapons out of the nuclear fire, built cities

as massive and impressive as those of theirforgotten masters, and even set foot uponthe now-lifeless moon (though they neverdiscovered the ruins hidden beneath thesurface). All of this they did, in a blink ofan eternal eye. It was at the peak of mankinds power,when his abilities were at their height, thathis illusions of rationality and achievementwere shattered. A small cult, searching insecret to uncover the forgotten lore of the

Dharkol, worked a strange and terriblemagic. In so doing they opened the por-tals of Irrationality, and the essence of Un-real space poured itself out across theglobe. With it, came the Dharkol. Humans, by their very nature, aremeant to live within the bounds of Ration-ality. Unreality is alien and hostile. As aconsequence, there is simply no commonframe of reference that human and Dhar-kol minds share and communication be-

tween the two is impossible. As was coex-istence. Warfare was immediate and in-evitable. The War lasted nearly a decade. It was in 1990, as the humans measuretime, that the War began. No continentwas spared, the rifts between Rationalityand Irrationality opened everywhere.

Fighting was fierce and protracted, and thehumans and Dharkol were very nearlyevenly matched.

Whole cities were conquered and theirpopulations enslaved. Many nations sim-

ply collapsed under the onslaught and in-ternational travel and relations becamerare and difficult. In the end, humanitydid not defeat the invaders. Rationalitydid. The Dharkol fought fiercely, unleashingthe full might of their Xenotech weapons.Unfortunately for them, the forces of Un-reality unleashed by the cultists- uponwhich they and their Xenotech depended-were beat back by Rationality. In the end

the invasion was defeated, mostly. Portals between Irrational Space andthe rational world still occur, and manyfreed slaves still worship their masters intheir hearts and frequently join cults thathonor them. These cults seek to perma-nently open the gates to Irrationality, en-suring Dharkol dominance of Earth. Nor have the Eldritch Lords remainedignorant of the War. Though long unawareof the Earths existence, their interest has

been piqued. Their servitors, followingtheir masters will, have begun makingtheir way through the folds of IrrationalSpace, to the bastion of Rationality. They,too have their cults and cultists who servetheir desires. In the aftermath of the War, the nationsof Earth have begun to rebuild. Old alli-ances were broken, and new ones are be-ing formed. Frequent incursions from Irra-tional Space still occur, and most nations

have specially trained troops, prepared toreact to such emergencies. Xenotech re-search is a highly controversial endeavor,though few nations simply ignore thestrange artifacts left behind by the Dhar-kol. In truth, the War continues, thoughon a much smaller scale.

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Axioms and World Laws

Axioms

Magic: 18

In the Dharkuul cosm, magic is theforce of Unreality. It creates effects with-out proximate causes and proceeds ac-

cording to its own laws (laws that are in-trinsically opposed to those of the rationalworld). Using magic exposes one to theforces of Unreality, and further weakensthe walls between Rational and IrrationalSpace. Spell magic is unknown and con-tradictory, despite the high Magic axiom(see the Law of Eldritch Unreality, below).Magical rituals are possible, and are thesubject of intense research efforts. The other type of magic native to the

cosm is Xenotech. Xenotech devices usethe laws of Irrational Space, much likestandard technology uses the natural lawsof the Rational world. Xenotech devicescan be designed and manufactured likeother technological devices (or bred, asmany are living creatures), but as they de-pend on Unreality, they are governed by

the Magic axiom. In addition, Xenotechexposes its researchers, designers, and us-ers to the forces of Unreality. Magical creatures do exist, but they aresubject to the laws of Unreality. In form,

they are usually twisted unnatural night-mares, whose origin lies in the Irrationalworlds. Normal fantasy creatures (drag-ons, elves, etc.) do not exist here. Magical creatures are not native to Ra-tional Space, and only enter RationalSpace when summoned or where the bar-riers between Rationality and Irrationalityare weak. Such occurrences are becomingmore common, and a large portion of Xe-notech research is directed towards detect-

ing and defeating the incursions of Unrealmonsters. Such creatures are called Xeno-biological Organisms, or Xenologicals (XLsfor short).

Social: 20

The Social axiom reflects the collapse

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of international organizations and treatiesin the wake of the Dharkol invasion. TheUnited Nations has ceased to exist, alongwith ancillary organizations like the WorldBank. Regional blocks have grown in im-

portance, as means to encourage eco-nomic growth and enable rebuilding of thedevastated areas. Espionage, aimed at ac-quiring Xenotech research, is common andbrutal. Relations between the regionalblocks are poor, and some are on the vergeof open war. There have been efforts toreestablish the United Nations, but the re-gional blocks have proven loath to surren-der their autonomy.

Spirit: 1

Religious concepts are possible, andchurches common to near Earth worlds allexist, but faith is unrewarded and no mira-cles are possible. Attendance at church is

rare, and adherence to the doctrines of re-ligions is casual, at best. In addition, the Eldritch Lords of Unre-ality and the Dharkol are worshipped by aseries of cults. Though neither can grant

miracles, they can gift their worshipperswith dark and disturbing magical rituals.Such rituals are performed in lieu of relig-ious rites.

Tech: 23

Though Tech 23, the cosms develop-ment of Technology has lagged behind thatof Earth, not progressing far beyond theearly 1990s. Quite a lot of advances we

take for granted today- DVDs, the WorldWide Web, etc.- are simply unknown.Due to the distrust between regionalblocks, the Internet has split into mutuallyincompatible networks, and only theUnited States has a large-scale Internet.

World Laws

The Law of Eldritch Unreality

In Dharkuul, magic is the force of Un-reality, and is the essence of IrrationalSpace. Accordingly, magic works differ-ently in this cosm than in other cosms. Magical spells are orderly evocationsof magical energies. Magic is irrational,and therefore cannot be formalized andstudied through spells. All spells are con-tradictions, even those that have an Axiomrating of 18 or less. Rituals, being a resultof the innate nature of magic, are not con-

tradictory. In the domains of Irrationality, the natu-ral laws of physics are overridden. The ba-sis of physical laws is magical. The livingcan take advantage of these altered naturallaws by creating apparently technologicaldevices, but these devices are in factmagical. They work according to the prin-

ciples of magic, and have no Technologi-cal axiom requirements. Instead, they

have a Magic axiom requirement. Suchdevices are referred to as Xenotech. Magical creatures are common in thecosm, though they are only native to Irra-tional Space. The unreality of magic af-fects them as well, limiting magical crea-tures to bizarre and mind-bending forms,forms that are almost totally unrelated tothose of Rational Space.

The Curse of Irrationality

When beings of Rational Space en-counter the creatures, tools, or effects ofIrrational Space, their mental balance andsanity is threatened. There are truths ofUnreality, truths that Rational minds aresimply not meant to learn. Learning thesetruths changes the mind of the Rational

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person. The more a Rational mind learnsabout Unreality, the more bent and bizarretheir behavior becomes.

For example:The moon is the domain

of the Lady of Insanity. People go insaneduring the full moon. A character wholearned this truth might refuse to go out atnight during the full moon, so as to avoidthe influence of Lunacy.

For example: Shadows are gates to therealm of the Lord of Shadows. A charac-ter who learned this piece of Unreal Loremight avoid shadowed areas. They mightalso carry a light source with them all the

time and might sleep with the lights on.

For example: The Abhorrent King cansee through the eyes of spiders. Thischaracter could develop a phobia aboutspiders, and would do his best to avoidthem or, failing that, kill them. He mightalso carry a can of bug spray with him atall times.

In the above examples, the given pieceof lore is true, in Unreal space. It mightalso be true, in those parts of the Rationalworld where the boundaries between thisworld and the next are thin. The delusion

arises because the afflicted individual can-not judge when they are in danger- theyhave to act on the delusion all the time,even if their actions are irrational. Each time a person is exposed to Un-real technology (Xenotech) or creatures,casts a spell or ritual, or gains an add inscholar (Unreal Lore)or science (Xeno-tech), they have a chance to gain a pointin their Unreality stat. This stat will tend togo up, the more the character encounters

Irrational phenomenon. Each time a person is exposed to Unre-ality, they make a Mind (willpower)check.Those with adds in science (Xenotech)orscholar (Unreal Lore)subtract their skilladds from this Mind (willpower)check (us-ing whichever skill has more adds). TheDifficulty Number for the Mind (will-

power)check is based on how unrealthe event is (see the chart below).

DN Sample Event(s)

3 Reading a description of Unreal events, or studying a book of Unreal Lore.

5Seeing an inactive piece of Xenotech, successfully researching a ritual, entering an unstable portionof Rational space.

8 Seeing a spell or ritual cast, seeing a piece of Xenotech used.

10 Having a spell or ritual cast on you, being the target of a Xenotech device.

12 Seeing an XL, watching a dimensional tear manifest, using a Xenotech device.

13Casting a spell or ritual, being attacked by an XL, seeing a large number of XLs, gaining an addin either science (Xenotech)or scholar (Unreal Lore).

15 Seeing an extremely powerful XL, sensing Irrational Space, being attacked by a large number of XLs.

18Seeing an Eldritch Lord, being attacked by an extremely powerful XL, using a dimensional tear toteleport to another part of Rational space.

22 Passing into Irrational Space, being attacked by an Eldritch Lord.

25Events of Unsurpassed Unreality- seeing the moon disappear, watching a lost city rise, seeing multi-ple dimensional tears open and disgorge hundreds of XLs, seeing two or more Eldritch Lords simul-taneously.

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These Difficulty numbers are modifiedby the characters Unreality score as fol-lows:

Situation DN Mod

Unreality score > 1/2 their Spirit +1 DN

Unreality score > their Spirit +3 DN

The Success Levels of the Mind(willpower)check are read on the follow-ing chart:

Success

LevelResult

Failure

The characters Unreality score in-

creases by 5.

MinimalThe characters Unreality score in-creases by 3 and they gain a specificinsight into Unreality.

AverageThe characters Unreality score in-creases by 3.

GoodThe characters Unreality score in-creases by 1 and they gain a specificinsight into Unreality.

SuperiorThe characters Unreality score in-creases by 1.

Spectacular No effects.

When a person gains a specific insightinto Unreality, they have a chance to de-velop a delusion. The GM generates a Bo-nus Number, rolling again on 10s and20s, and adds it to the characters Unreal-ity score (minimum bonus of +1). This to-tal is compared to the characters SpiritorMind, whichever is higher. The Success

Levels are read on the chart below.

Success

LevelResult

Failure Nothing happens.

MinimalThe character gains a temporary mi-nor delusion.

Success

LevelResult

AverageThe character gains a temporary ma-

jor delusion.

GoodThe character gains a permanent

minor delusion.

SuperiorThe character gains a permanentmajor delusion.

SpectacularThe character gains +3 points intheir Unreality stat and a permanentmajor delusion.

A minor delusion is, in effect, a per-sonality quirk. If observed in casual com-pany, it may be a little weird, but mostpeople wont pay much attention. A pho-

bia about spiders, where the person cantstand to see them or attack them, is a mi-nor delusion. A major delusion is a severe behavioralproblem. It causes problems for the char-acter, problems that are obvious and con-stitute a significant barrier to the individualbeing able to function normally. A personwho cant enter a darkened room, andwho must always have a light on, is suffer-ing from a major delusion. A temporary delusion usually lasts forabout a month, then fades away naturally.A permanent delusion is just that- perma-nent. It can be treated, but never cured.

Psychology and Unreality

Properly applied, psychology can savethose whose minds are fracturing underthe burden of truths they were nevermeant to learn. Use of the science (psy-chology)skill can lower a characters Un-reality score, and even cure a temporarydelusion. Permanent delusions can betreated, but not cured. They can go intoremission, but any increase in the charac-ters Unreality stat will cause them to ex-press again. In all cases, this counseling

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takes time and is fairly difficult. The base time is one week of therapy,during which the subject can do nothingelse of significance. The Difficulty Num-ber for thepsychologyskill check is the

characters Unreality score, plus their addsin both science (Xenotech)andscholar(unreal lore). If the counseling is meant to reduce acharacters Unreality score, a Good suc-cess lowers their Unreality score by 1point, a Superior by 2, and a Spectacularby 3. If it is meant to treat a delusion, aSuperior success will cure a temporaryminor delusion (or cause a permanent oneto go into remission) and a Spectacular

success will cure a temporary major delu-sion (or cause a permanent one to go intoremission).

The Shield of Sanity

The powers of Unreality dominate Irra-tional Space, but are weak in RationalSpace. The minds of perfectly sane indi-viduals- those with no points in Unreality-strengthen the restrictions of Rational

Space. Each perfectly sane onlooker adds+1 to the Difficulty of casting a spell orritual. Accordingly, rituals and spells are onlyat full power when cast away from per-fectly sane onlookers. Hence, rituals andspells are invoked in the wilds, in thepresence of fellow cultists, or secret, hid-

den places. Unreal phenomenon (such asXenological manifestations) tend to occurin rural areas, among cultists, in aban-

doned buildings, in secret rooms, etc. In addition, the presence of perfectlysane individuals decreases the probabilitythat a dimensional tear will manifest. Xenotech devices, because of their ap-parently technological nature, are not af-fected by perfectly sane onlookers- theyalways function normally.

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The Eldritch Lords of Unreality

There are immensely powerful beings thatdwell in Irrational Space, far beyond the boundsof Rationality. These are the Lords of Unreality,and they are enemies to both humans and Dhar-

kol. Many cults exist who worship and propitiatethese beings. The following is just a small list: Mi-tkoa:Lady of the Moon, the seas, andinsanity. Phachetol:Lord of the Deluge, of mountainpeaks, storms, and earthquakes. Akoshattep:Lord of Devastation and Dis-ease. Totzek:Lord of Shadows. Eiztlaniis:The Abhorrent King, the Master ofSpiders, the Eyeless One, the All-Seeing One, theLord of Eyes. There are more Lords than can be named.

The gamemaster is encouraged to create newones at will, or to alter the descriptions and port-folios of the old. Irrational Space is chaotic andever-changing, and no human can learn all of itslore. Different books should contradict eachother, and it should be impossible for there to bea truly self-consistent body of knowledge.

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The Cosm

Dharkuul is a near Earth cosm. Up untilthe Dharkol Invasion in 1990, the knownhistory of this world and Earths is nearlyindistinguishable. The ten-year war thatfollowed the Invasion devastated many cit-ies and laid waste to the countryside. Thestruggle to rebuild has been a difficult andlong process, and was only made possibleby the materials gained through cosm raid-ing.

The Dharkol

65 million years ago, the Dharkol ar-rived on Earth, fleeing a great menace thathad destroyed their civilization. Their arri-val caused the death of most life on the

planet, from the waves of Unreal energythat flowed over the surface of the Earth. Gradually, over time, the energies ofUnreality faded. As they did, the Dhar-kols Xenotech devices became weakerand weaker and eventually failed alto-gether. The Dharkol ruled this world (intheir language, Dharkuul) until roughly20,000 years BC, when the declining en-ergies forced them to return to IrrationalSpace. They left behind abandoned ruinsand Xenotech artifacts. It was through records in these ruinsthat men learned of Unreal space and theEldritch Lords. Bizarre cults sprang uparound the worship of these dark beings,and these cults researched rituals to con-

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tact their masters. It was such rituals thatcaused the dimensional tear to manifest in1990, allowing the force of Unreality toflood through. The Dharkol, given a chance to return

to the seat of their power, invaded Earth.The war lasted ten years, and ended in anapparent Dharkol defeat. In actuality, the Dharkol only appearedto be defeated (the description in the In-troduction is what people believe. Theyare wrong.) The Dharkol vanished behindthe scenes, using their Xenotech to hideamong humans. They manipulate peoplethrough mind-control technology andwork towards a day when they can escape

Dharkuul entirely. Much of the cosm raid-ing of this reality is driven by their search

for a refuge from the Eldritch Lords.

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the War, the world

split into rival geographical blocks. Eachblock has its own Xenotech research initia-tives. Relations between the blocks vary,from the relative friendliness of NorthAmerica and Europe to the near Cold Warbetween China and the Indian-led South-east Asian block. Xenological incursions happen withdisturbing frequency, especially in thoseareas that were the site of the Dharkol in-vasion. Most countries have organized

special forces units dedicated to huntingand killing xenologicals.

Xenotech

Xenotech devices are apparently techno-logical, but function through magic. Theycan be controlled by anyone who has addsin science (Xenotech), but frequently re-quire different skills to use. For example,Xenotech energy weapons use the energy

weaponsskill to attack. The physical form of Xenotech is ap-parently random and bizarre. There is nolink between form and function, and thelook of a device gives no clues as to what

it does. Xenotech is usually composed ofgemstones, living flesh, and weirdlycurved pieces of metal with runes in-scribed thereon. In function, assume that Xenotech canduplicate nearly any spell of Axiom 18 or

lower, or any Technological device of Tech26 and lower. Example effects include in-creasing attributes, armor, weapons, heal-ing, and so forth. Each device has a Difficulty Number,

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Success Level Result

Failure The characters Unreality score increases by 1 point.

Minimal The character gains an insight into one function of the device. Their Unreality scoreincreases by 2.

Average The character gains an insight into one function of the device. Their Unreality score

increases by 1.

Good

The character gains an insight into one function of the device. They also gain an in-sight into the devices background, giving them a specific insight into Unreality, appropri-ate for the devices background. This triggers an Unreality check (see above).

Superior The character gains full knowledge of the device. They also gain an insight into thedevices background, giving them a specific insight into Unreality, appropriate for the de-vices background. This triggers an Unreality check (see above).

Spectacular The character gains full knowledge of the device. Their Unreality score increases by 1.

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which represents the difficulty of under-standing the principles involved in using it.To learn the secrets of the device, a would-be user must make a science (Xenotech)check against this Difficulty Number.

Scholar (unreal lore)can be used instead,at a -3 penalty. The Success Levels of thischeck produce various results, see thechart previous page, bottom. Heres a sample Xenotech device.

Gazebeam

Xenotech DN:20Effect Value:20Range (S/M/L):3-30/ 60/ 180

This Xenotech device consists of a redfaceted gem, set into an octagonal silverplate. Various runes are inscribed ontoboth sides of the plate. Eight long jointedmetal arms extend from the plate, onefrom the middle of each face. The armsare tipped with a sharp recurved blade. To equip the gazebeam, the user placesthe plate in the center of their chest, overthe breastbone. The arms extend around

the user, and the blades sink into the usersback, anchoring the device. Each time thedevice is mounted, it raises the users Un-reality score by 1. Once the device is mounted, the usergains the ability to generate beams of in-tense energy from his eyes. These beamscan be aimed (with the energy weaponsskill) and do damage equal to the EffectValue of the device. Background:This device is used by

agents of the Abhorrent King, the lord ofSpiders and Sight. The gem in the center iscalled the Eye of the King. The energybeams this tool generates cannot harm anyagent of the King. Appropriate Insights: Any insight intothe history of the King, rituals of his cult,or the true nature of spiders.

Other pieces of Xenotech include: GIdun parasites:These parasitic or-ganisms look like chitin-armored trilobites.They can form a symbiotic bond with aliving being and are quite valuable. Theparasites, when properly layered onto aperson, provide Tou +7/Max 21 points ofarmor. They also increase the Strength,Dexterity, and Toughnessof the user by 1point apiece. See-all: This is a two-foot long centi-pede that is placed at the base of the usersskull and along his spine. It sinks throughthe flesh and fuses with the spinal cord.

This device increases the users ability tosense things (it boosts Perceptionby 1point). Strongarm:This is a thin, but longmaggot-like symbiote that is surgically im-planted in a hosts arm (just one). It in-creases their Strengthby 2 points.

Attempts to use multiple strongarms

S t o r m K n i g h t s 12

New Skills

Two new skills are available in the Dharkuulcosm. Both are native to this reality, but no other.They can be learned with starting skill adds or inplay, as usual.

Scholar (Unreal Lore) Use:Unskilled use penalized. Sample specializations:None Reality:Dharkuul

This skill represents a persons study in theunwholesome and mind-bending lore of UnrealSpace. Scholar (unreal lore) allows those skilledin it to research magical rituals, to understand thebehavior of xenologicals, and to know the ritesand chief characteristics of Eldritch Cults.

Science (Xenotech) Use:Cannot be used unskilled. Sample specializations:None Reality:Dharkuul

This is the skill used to understand, fix, andbuild Xenotech.

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have proven disastrous. The two creaturesmate, using chemicals borne in the blood-stream, and the young burst out, devouringthe host. Treat this as a physical attack,Effect Value 25 plus a rolled Bonus Num-

ber. This explosion and attack constitutes anUnreal event (see the Curse of Irrationality,above) with a base Mind (willpower)Dif-ficulty Number of 15.

Alternate Settings

The assumptions behind the setting can bealtered. Here a few variations, along withsuggestions to implement the variant set-ting. Most of them involve changes to theTech or Social axioms or the Action Cant.The World Laws remain the same. The Eternal War:The first Dharkol in-vasion occurred sometime before 1000

B.C. Since then, the humans and theDharkol have fought an endless War. Thiswar has destroyed much of the planet.Zones of Unreality are common, as aredimensional tears and XL incursions. TheDharkol have the upper hand, but theyhave suffered much from the war as well. This setting is significantly darker, andthe Action Cant should be a 1. The Tech ishigher (26) though Social is lower (12). Rats in the Ruins:The Dharkol won the

1990 war, and humans are rats in the ru-ins. XL incursions are frequent and usuallyinvolve numerous XLs. Technology is dis-appearing, being replaced by Xenotech. This setting again has an Action Cant of1 and a Social of 12. The Tech remains at23, though it is dropping as technologybreaks down and materiel is consumed. Colonization:The Dharkol didnt winbut neither did humanity lose. The surfaceof the Earth is divided between sections

controlled by the Dharkol (roughly a third)and sections controlled by humanity (therest). Now both fight each other and

eldritch monsters. No changes are neces-sary to use this option. Conspiracy Theory:The invasion wasntopen, but rather covert, and competingfactions vie to control Xenotech, includingcults and the Dharkol. No changes arenecessary to use this option. It Came From Other-Space!:This op-

tion keeps most of the above flavor, butbrings it back to the pulpish roots of theMythos. The invasion happens during themid-20s, and the present is 1937.Theres a race around the globe to find theancient Dharkol ruins and Dharkol Xeno-tech from the invasion. Nazis and com-munists wage a secret war for Xenotech. In this setting, change the Action Cantto 3 and the Tech to 21. Future War: This setting is the future of

the Colonization setting. Both Dharkoland Humans have discovered interstellardrives, and have raced to establish colo-nies among the stars. Some planets arehuman, others Dharkol, and others arewarzones between the two races. The starsare distant and cold, and the cultists of theEldritch Lords can be found everywhere. The Tech of this setting is 26. Though ithas FTL space drives, they are in fact Xe-nological constructs (ensuring that the

ships engineer is less than completelysane) and are governed by the Magic ax-iom, not the Tech axiom.

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Copyright

This electronic document (and all other contents of the STORM KNIGHTSwebsite) is copy-right 2001-2010 by Jasyn Jones. All Rights Reserved.

These rules are based (in part) on material published in the following TORGrulebook(s):TORGBoxed Set

Original Mythos and Game Design: Greg Gorden Mythos/System Development: Douglas Kaufman, Bill Slavicek Additional Mythos/System Work: Christopher Kubasik, Ray Winninger, Paul Murphy

The Revised and Expanded TORGRulebook, v. 1.5 Rule Book Design: Jim Ogle Editing: Gareth Michael Skarka and Steven Marsh

Cloud tile, eternium pattern, and stone tablet background produced by Garrett Taylor,http://www.db.erau.edu/~taylorg/torg/

TORGis , TM, & 2007 by Purgatory Publishing, Inc.

Angar Uthorion, Aysle, Baruk Kaah, Core Earth, Cosm, Cosmverse, Cyberpapacy,Darkness Device, Dr. Mobius, Gaunt Man, Gospog, Heart of the Coyote, High Lord, In-finiverse, Kanawa, Living Land, Maelstrom, Maelstrom Bridge, Nile Empire, Nippon Tech,Orrorsh, Occultech, Pella Ardinay, Possibility Raiders, Possibility Storm, Possibility Wars,Ravagon, Stormers, Storm Knights, Tharkold, TORGand the TORGLogo are trademarks ofPurgatory Publishing, Inc.

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