Tales from the Darkness: The Oz

Originally published July 14, 2014

Over a year ago, I first played in an Apocalypse World game. That game was also the playtest for Jamil Vallis-Walkers's Darkness rules. Exploring a world clad in an evil psychic darkness, the game was a lot of fun but my character died in a very unsatisfying way. In the interest of getting past that bad experience, I used the Mythic Game Master Emulator is run a short game for myself, writing a better ending for them. I found it pretty therapeutic. Here is some Threats from that game.

The Oz

In the darkness no one can stay sane for long. Without regular sunlight, without dependable food, without trade and human contact the darkness will consume you. The Oz are a clan that has lived too long away from the light. Degenerates, they survive by raiding and devouring those they capture or kill. Without trade, their technology has regressed to the stone age just as their minds have been claimed by the darkness.

I don't recall why I named the Oz. It sounded cool.

This band of cannibalistic savages dwell in the badlands north of the hold known as Salt. Led by a Queen, named Greens, they are rumored to be originally from some place to the east.

They attack from the darkness, hooting and hollering as they stab with home-made axes and spears, clad in the tanned skins of their previous victims.

While they are individually dangerous it is the queen who is the greatest threat.

Threat Type: Warlord: Hive Queen
Impulse: to consume and swarm
Description: Greens stands freakishly tall, glaring down with horrid half cataract covered eyes. Her lean body is adorned in necklaces of bone and leather fashioned from human beings.

Custom moves:

Darkness Mad: when opening one’s brain to someone who is darkness mad, you are Entering the Darkness. Roll +light source.

Eyes of Darkness: when looking into the half cataract covered eyes of the Queen of the Oz, roll as if Entering the Darkness. Use +cool as your light source.

Voice of Hunger: when the queen speaks, the savages gain a +2 bonus on any harm moves they inflict.

There are about 20 to 30 able-bodied savages (medium gang 2-harm, 0-armor) armed with axes, knives, spears, and bows and arrows. They all have the Darkness Mad move.

The Badlands

The region north of Salt consists of packed earth and grit, sheer hills of crumbling dirt, and winding canyons. Coupled with the near constant gloom, it makes for a great place for an ambush.

Threat Type: Landscape: Maze
Impulse: to trap/frustrate passage

Custom Moves:

Spotting the Trap: When you enter the badlands roll+sharp. On 10+ you spot and avoid an ambush. On a 7-9. you spot the ambush in time to prepare or flee. On a miss you blunder into it.

Treacherous Topography: When chasing someone into the badlands, roll+sharp. On a 10+ you catch up to them. On a 7-9 choose one. On a miss something ambushes you.

• you catch him but he’s found some friends.
• you lose him.