Shadows of Gravenheim

Each species carries within itself an ancestral “deep instinct” — for example:

Dogs can sense the presence of entities before any technology.

Reptiles have greater resistance to psychic influence.

Cats see the “other side” when they dream.

Corvids are natural carriers of messages between worlds.

Bears and wild boars were once worshipped as demigods of earth and violence.

The government fears that separatist groups will begin to awaken these legacies and use them to overthrow the current order.

Located to the north, close to the dark and stormy coast of the Grey Sea.

Colossal, dense and vertical city. Divided into Districts, with contaminated industrial zones, fortified elite neighborhoods and poor regions in ruins.

Complex underground with train lines, bunkers, arcane shrines and hidden prisons.

It houses the Central Command (COCEN) and the main government and military buildings.

2. EASTERN BORDER — THE LIVID LANDS

Fields devastated by past military experiments and civil conflicts.

Area contaminated by supernatural weapons — presence of visual and temporal anomalies.

Patrolled by drones and automated turrets, most of the villages here have been evacuated.

Mornvatt Citadel: Forward fort that monitors instabilities and creatures from the void.

1. The Ancient Roots of Reality

The world of Gravenheim is built on ancient layers of existence, where emotions, collective trauma, and the instincts of the species are materialized on the physical plane. There are no “ghosts” in the classical sense—there are echoes of forgotten races, living nightmares, sleeping animal gods, cults that awaken ancient genetic memories.

These phenomena are not hallucinations or religions — they are dangerous realities that affect the political, biological and spiritual balance of the world.

Military scientists have discovered that beneath Gravenheim lie immense caverns, secretly called the Savage Abyss—a place where time is distorted, flesh changes, and death is never final. There, there are forgotten creatures that resemble the primordial ancestors of the current anthropomorphic inhabitants. Some say that the city's political power comes from ancient pacts with these entities.

The paranormal, then, is not just a mystery—it is the source of the government's hidden power.

There are radical religious factions who believe that civilization is a betrayal of the true nature of the species. They perform forbidden rituals to “liberate the animal soul” from its civilized shell.

There are spirit bombs made from the bones of ancestors, summons that paralyze entire districts, and bodies possessed by totemic entities that become virtually immortal.

The government needs the Covert Containment Division and the Dark Recon Battalion to deal with this—not just to protect order, but to hide the truth from the population.

5. The Greatest Fear: The Return of the Mother Beast

All anthropomorphic species are said to have descended from a single entity called the Mother Beast, a creature of pure instinct, fury, and connection to the wild land. There are signs that she is awakening.

The government fears that if the paranormal is allowed to grow unchecked, the Mother Beast will return—and civilization as we know it will be devoured.

Corruption and Fear: Both police and firefighters live under the control of mafias, militias and supernatural forces. Some officers sell out, others fight the system until they break.

Uniforms: Police wear black tactical gear with gray crests. Firefighters wear heavy suits with metal reinforcements because of the dangerous conditions.

Relationship between Corporations: There is strained cooperation. On joint missions, firefighters fear being left for dead. Police tactical units disregard civilians.

The GCP is known for its brutality, corruption and internal tensions. In a city dominated by organized crime, shadowy cults and urban violence, the police are often more feared than respected.

GCP Structure:

Urban Patrol Division (DPU): Deals with routine calls, protest repression and gang control. Underpaid agents and constantly exposed to bribery.

Special Crimes Division (DCE): Investigates murders, organ trafficking, disappearances and cult crimes. Its members are known for their unorthodox methods.

Tactical Response Unit (TRU): Similar to a SWAT team. Used in raids, kidnappings and hostage control. Heavily armed, usually traumatized ex-military personnel.

Internal Affairs Section: An almost clandestine sector, more interested in keeping secrets than revealing truths. Agents live under constant threat.

Concealed Containment Division (COD): A secret unit that deals with supernatural events, possessions

Firefighters are one of the few institutions that still have a minimum of honor and respect from the population, despite operating with scarce resources and under extreme risks.

CBRG Structure:

Urban Fire and Rescue Unit: Rapid response to fires in buildings, industrial areas and underground. Many die of suffocation in neighborhoods where not even the police enter.

Chemical and Biological Disasters Unit (UCBQ): They work in illegal factories, abandoned laboratories and toxic waste leaks. They often fall ill or disappear without explanation.

Ruins and Disasters Rescue Division: It operates after explosions, collapses and attacks. There are rumors that this division has already been used to “cover up traces”.

Paranormal Response Unit (PRU): Formed by veteran firefighters and mediums, it appears when unexplained phenomena occur, usually in abandoned churches or nursing homes. They are not officially recognized.

Official Name:

FAG — Gravenheim Armed Forces

Main Function:

Theoretically, the FAG is supposed to protect national borders, act in cases of war and guarantee sovereignty. In practice, however, it serves as a militaristic arm of the regime, used for internal repression, protection of political interests and dirty operations against enemies of the state or inhuman threats.

ARMY STRUCTURE

1. Central Command (COCEN):

Located in an underground fortress outside the city, COCEN issues direct orders to the government, police and media. Few have access to the real command — many believe the real leaders never show their faces.

2. Regular Infantry Divisions:

Armed troops, trained for urban and trench combat. Used to contain rebellions in impoverished districts. When mobilized, they indicate that something very serious is happening.

Military personnel infiltrate the police and fire departments. They monitor behavior, eliminate deserters and ensure “order” in public institutions. They have carte blanche to act with lethal force. 4. Dark Reconnaissance Battalion (BRO):

Elite unit trained to deal with anomalies, hostile entities and supernatural artifacts. Its soldiers wear masks to protect their sanity. Almost all of them suffer from irreversible trauma. 5. Special Operations Unit (UOE):

Similar to a Delta Force or Spetsnaz. Secret missions, kidnappings, sabotage, psychological warfare. They are ghosts of the State. When they appear, they leave no witnesses. 6. Military Engineering and Biotechnology:

Sector responsible for genetic experiments, cybernetic prosthetics and the development of experimental weapons. Many projects went wrong… and escaped.

Absolute Loyalty: Soldiers are trained from a young age to obey without question. Desertion is punishable by death or neural reprogramming.

Terror as a tool: The presence of a FAG platoon in a neighborhood is enough to silence any resistance. The army is more a symbol of oppression than protection.

Soldiers as disposable weapons: Recruits are taken from poor areas and thrown into conflict zones like meat for the grinder. Only those who survive the most brutal operations are promoted.

UNIFORMS AND WEAPONS

Standard uniform: Dark suits reinforced with Kevlar and metal plates. Closed helmets with red visors. Some wear ceremonial black robes in elite troops.

Weapons: Rifles, experimental flamethrower rifles, ceremonial swords used by religious units, and “black guns” — prototypes that fire anti-entity projectiles.

Police: They see the police as an auxiliary and inferior force. Many GCP officers fear or hate the military.

Firemen: They respect them in silence, especially the URP, who sometimes share supernatural information.

Population: Feared, hated and revered at the same time. The population knows that wherever the Army steps, life changes — or ends.

The Ghosts of Arvenwald (Rebel/Occult Faction)

Description: A group that operates in the shadows, attempting to bring down the city's corruption with clandestine rituals and tactics. They believe that Gravenhein is cursed.

Key characters:

Camilla: Expert in arcane rituals and intelligence. Seductive and dangerous.

Zero: The silent, conniving hacker who lives in the city's digital shadows. 3. The Ferals

Nature: Street gang united by loyalty Leader: Rocco Description: Rebellious, chaotic and lethal. They are the most unpredictable in Gravenhein. They defend their territories with determination and passion. Their relationships are intense and personal. Symbol: Claws crossed over a heart2. Cerberus Blackguard (Private Militia)

Description: A private paramilitary force that "sells security" to corporations. They are smiling, ironic and brutal. .

1. The Red Hand

Leader: Viktor

Description: A ruthless mafia faction that controls casinos, drug trafficking and political blackmail. Its members dress formally and carry the blood of "infidels" as trophies. They are disciplined, lethal and do not tolerate betrayal.

Base: Casino "The Dark Heart"

Key phrase: "You know what happens to those who break the rules..." 2. Order of the Iron Tooth

Nature: Private paramilitary force Leader: Dante Description: A group that acts under the guise of "public security", but serves its own interests. Heavy weapons, brutality and indoctrination mark their actions. Symbol: Metal jaw.3. The Ferals

Nature: Street gang united by loyalty Leader: Rocco Description: Rebellious, chaotic and lethal. They are the most unpredictable in Gravenhein. They defend their territories with determination and passion. Their relationships are intense and personal. Symbol: Claws crossed over a heart.