I first came across Sins a few years ago when store owner Jim Freeman, of Patriot Games in Sheffield, invited me up to have a look at a new RPG that was in development and meet the team behind it. The game sounded – and looked – gorgeous as they already had a professionally printed and bound copy of an early draft to show me. The game is a mix of genres and set in the post-apocalyptic ruins of 22nd Century Earth where entities known as Nemissaries have risen to fight an eldritch hivemind of the undying Brood.
Sins is all at once an exciting, mysterious and terrifying game which crosses several genres, and contains a rich mythos with a great deal to explore and inspire the imagination, all whilst taking familiar genres that you know and love into creative new ground.
A Dying World
Sins takes place in our own world, albeit about a century from now. The world as we know it is gone, replaced with a bleak post-apocalyptic wilderness. Some areas of the world have been scorched by nuclear weapons, and others have returned to their natural state, but the one constant is that mankind is no longer the master of the world. Large nations or civilisations are rare, and most contact takes place primarily on a local level between nomadic groups and small settlements. There are exceptions however, and one of the core themes of the game is the re-emergence of civilisations.
A Monstrous Enemy
A major aspect of the setting are the aforementioned Brood, which are best described as a vast horde of highly mobile animated dead who share a dim collective consciousness and have the capacity to evolve into more dangerous, specialised forms. It’s a mistake to view the Brood simply as the walking dead, because as their numbers grow, they begin to hear a strange, unearthly call, which lends a frightening degree of regenerative endurance and cunning coordination to their actions.
Forgotten Horrors
A major part of the world’s history, and one of the reasons for the dramatic fall of civilisation was the emergence of seven individual beings with almost god-like destructive capabilities and the capacity to control the Brood. These creatures, now most commonly known as the Reapers, slaughtered their way through the largest concentrations of military might, and personally took a hand in the murder of many of the world’s leaders.
At the height of their reign of terror, their victory seemed certain, but after a succession of surprising setbacks, including the death of one of their number in China, they seemed to disappear utterly. The Reapers now represent one of many unsolved mysteries for players to potentially stumble upon.
Dark Heroes
The beings which players portray were originally individuals consumed by the Brood, who fought back against their Hive-mind to retain a sense of self-awareness, and as such, regained their human forms and consciousness. Striking out against the Brood, they became known as the Nemissaries, after the ancient Greek goddess of retribution.
In a way, the Nemissaries sum up everything about the setting. They are at once monstrous, forced to survive as parasites, feeding on human emotion, but also incredibly powerful, capable of leading the way into a new future, and even opposing the Reapers, should they re-emerge. Nemissaries have many powers at their disposal – not least of which are the five primal Songs granting control over Blood, Bone, Flesh, Will, and the Brood. Collectively, these Songs of eldritch power, along with their impressive physical abilities, allow Nemissaries to overcome almost any opposition, particularly when they choose to work together. Nemissaries have a dark side as well, however – a strange wound in their soul, perhaps a side effect from their rebirth, or the lingering power of the Brood. In any case, every Nemissary contains their own worst enemy, and greatest weapon, inside of them - The Hollow. A demonic alter-ego of everything a Nemissary hates about themselves, the Hollow is an internal monster that just wants to watch the world burn.
The Judges
The downfall of the 21st Century began with a phenomenon known as the Black Rain, where a great number of crystalline objects, most roughly the size of cars, but many much smaller, fell to Earth. These objects have now come to be known as the Shards, and represent one of the deepest mysteries of the 22nd Century. On the one hand, most of the Shards seem to repel the Brood, but on the other, they often also have a damaging effect on the human psyche, forcing people to relive the mistakes of their lives, sometimes driving them to insanity or death. Some of the Shards are also known to be more positive, offering a strange sort of oasis in the wastelands of the world, free from the Brood. It has also become common knowledge that the tiny fragments of the Shards – also known as Voidglass – are extremely damaging to the Brood. The Shards themselves are also capable of communication, often giving out cryptic advice to the Nemissaries, along with spiritual guidance, but anyone who spends prolonged time communing with one will soon begin to suspect that the Shards know far more than they are willing to tell...
Great Conspiracies
We’ve mentioned that in the world of Sins, civilisation as we know it has fallen. The existence of the Nemissaries has offered new hope, but also brought about new conflicts and pain. Across the world, new powers are emerging. Some extol the nearly-forgotten virtues of Democracy and Freedom. Others are authoritarian dictatorships. Behind it all however, are the influences of the First-born – the eldest of the Nemissaries – who have begun to use their powers to build their own visions of the future. The Nemissaries themselves, along with mankind as a whole, have often fallen in with the factions these powerful individuals have woven about themselves. Their gathered followers preach their ideals and cooperate with one another, rebuilding human civilisation but also setting the stage for the horrifying conflicts to come.
Hope and Despair
The world of SINS is bleak, and even considering everything we’ve just mentioned, it gets worse. The Brood is not defeated, the factions of the Nemissaries are at each other's throats, and the Reapers are still out there somewhere, licking their wounds. Worse still, powers long asleep have begun to take an interest in the mortal world for the first time in millennia.
The truth is though, is that SINS is really about hope. The characters you play, for the most part, are those individuals who want to change the world for the better. They are people who aren’t content to let their loved ones die, or to be the pawns of mad gods.
They mean to make the world a better place, or die in the attempt. This is the choice each player will make – the choice each character must make – to stand and fight when the dawn seems furthest, or to just be one more collaborator in mankind’s demise.
SINS – The Roleplaying Game is running on Kickstarter until Tuesday 19th September 2017.
Sins is all at once an exciting, mysterious and terrifying game which crosses several genres, and contains a rich mythos with a great deal to explore and inspire the imagination, all whilst taking familiar genres that you know and love into creative new ground.
A Dying World
Sins takes place in our own world, albeit about a century from now. The world as we know it is gone, replaced with a bleak post-apocalyptic wilderness. Some areas of the world have been scorched by nuclear weapons, and others have returned to their natural state, but the one constant is that mankind is no longer the master of the world. Large nations or civilisations are rare, and most contact takes place primarily on a local level between nomadic groups and small settlements. There are exceptions however, and one of the core themes of the game is the re-emergence of civilisations.
A Monstrous Enemy
A major aspect of the setting are the aforementioned Brood, which are best described as a vast horde of highly mobile animated dead who share a dim collective consciousness and have the capacity to evolve into more dangerous, specialised forms. It’s a mistake to view the Brood simply as the walking dead, because as their numbers grow, they begin to hear a strange, unearthly call, which lends a frightening degree of regenerative endurance and cunning coordination to their actions.
Forgotten Horrors
A major part of the world’s history, and one of the reasons for the dramatic fall of civilisation was the emergence of seven individual beings with almost god-like destructive capabilities and the capacity to control the Brood. These creatures, now most commonly known as the Reapers, slaughtered their way through the largest concentrations of military might, and personally took a hand in the murder of many of the world’s leaders.
At the height of their reign of terror, their victory seemed certain, but after a succession of surprising setbacks, including the death of one of their number in China, they seemed to disappear utterly. The Reapers now represent one of many unsolved mysteries for players to potentially stumble upon.
Dark Heroes
The beings which players portray were originally individuals consumed by the Brood, who fought back against their Hive-mind to retain a sense of self-awareness, and as such, regained their human forms and consciousness. Striking out against the Brood, they became known as the Nemissaries, after the ancient Greek goddess of retribution.
In a way, the Nemissaries sum up everything about the setting. They are at once monstrous, forced to survive as parasites, feeding on human emotion, but also incredibly powerful, capable of leading the way into a new future, and even opposing the Reapers, should they re-emerge. Nemissaries have many powers at their disposal – not least of which are the five primal Songs granting control over Blood, Bone, Flesh, Will, and the Brood. Collectively, these Songs of eldritch power, along with their impressive physical abilities, allow Nemissaries to overcome almost any opposition, particularly when they choose to work together. Nemissaries have a dark side as well, however – a strange wound in their soul, perhaps a side effect from their rebirth, or the lingering power of the Brood. In any case, every Nemissary contains their own worst enemy, and greatest weapon, inside of them - The Hollow. A demonic alter-ego of everything a Nemissary hates about themselves, the Hollow is an internal monster that just wants to watch the world burn.
The Judges
The downfall of the 21st Century began with a phenomenon known as the Black Rain, where a great number of crystalline objects, most roughly the size of cars, but many much smaller, fell to Earth. These objects have now come to be known as the Shards, and represent one of the deepest mysteries of the 22nd Century. On the one hand, most of the Shards seem to repel the Brood, but on the other, they often also have a damaging effect on the human psyche, forcing people to relive the mistakes of their lives, sometimes driving them to insanity or death. Some of the Shards are also known to be more positive, offering a strange sort of oasis in the wastelands of the world, free from the Brood. It has also become common knowledge that the tiny fragments of the Shards – also known as Voidglass – are extremely damaging to the Brood. The Shards themselves are also capable of communication, often giving out cryptic advice to the Nemissaries, along with spiritual guidance, but anyone who spends prolonged time communing with one will soon begin to suspect that the Shards know far more than they are willing to tell...
Great Conspiracies
We’ve mentioned that in the world of Sins, civilisation as we know it has fallen. The existence of the Nemissaries has offered new hope, but also brought about new conflicts and pain. Across the world, new powers are emerging. Some extol the nearly-forgotten virtues of Democracy and Freedom. Others are authoritarian dictatorships. Behind it all however, are the influences of the First-born – the eldest of the Nemissaries – who have begun to use their powers to build their own visions of the future. The Nemissaries themselves, along with mankind as a whole, have often fallen in with the factions these powerful individuals have woven about themselves. Their gathered followers preach their ideals and cooperate with one another, rebuilding human civilisation but also setting the stage for the horrifying conflicts to come.
Hope and Despair
The world of SINS is bleak, and even considering everything we’ve just mentioned, it gets worse. The Brood is not defeated, the factions of the Nemissaries are at each other's throats, and the Reapers are still out there somewhere, licking their wounds. Worse still, powers long asleep have begun to take an interest in the mortal world for the first time in millennia.
The truth is though, is that SINS is really about hope. The characters you play, for the most part, are those individuals who want to change the world for the better. They are people who aren’t content to let their loved ones die, or to be the pawns of mad gods.
They mean to make the world a better place, or die in the attempt. This is the choice each player will make – the choice each character must make – to stand and fight when the dawn seems furthest, or to just be one more collaborator in mankind’s demise.
SINS – The Roleplaying Game is running on Kickstarter until Tuesday 19th September 2017.
