idk "the RPG"?

There's no magic in the world in the classical sense. There are no spells, no wands, no magical schools. There are forces that operate according to their own laws. The locals call this "craft," "chemistry," or "contracts."

Power 1: Blood

Source: Living beings (especially people, especially the "sweet" ones)

What can you do:

· Drink (vampires gain strength, youth, and clarity of mind) · Sell (the main currency for transactions with Shareholders) · Use in rituals (the blood of the "sweet bastard" can summon or calm the Damned) · Create "blood candles" (red flame, used for summoning)

Price:

· Vampires become addicted · Shareholders are demanding more and more · Too frequent rituals with blood attract the Damned

Power 2: Sound (Bass)

Source: Living Voice (Shinobi), Mechanical Emitters (rare, left over from the Age of Utopia)

What can you do:

· Stop the Cursed Dead · Disorient the vampires · "Wake up" the Lazari (return memories) · Create “clean zones” (where other rules do not apply)

Price:

· Bass exhausts the one who produces it · Too much bass can destroy the singer's body · The bus doesn't work in Utila

Power 3: Chemistry

Source: Laboratories, Contamination Zones, Rare Plants (ganjubas)

What can you do:

· Change the body (transformation into a shinobi) · Protect yourself from toxins (and from the gaze of the Damned - partially) · Create "fat" air (protective environment) · Stabilize the psyche (ganjubas)

Price:

· Addiction (shinobi without ganjubas die) · Instability (the body can “break” at any moment) · Rejection (not everyone survives the transformation)

Power 4: Contract

Source: Shareholders

What can you do:

· Exchange anything for anything · To gain immortality, strength, memory, luck · Resell debts

Price:

What you gave away is no longer yours. · Breach of contract is punished severely · A shareholder always receives more than he gives

1. ETERNAL NIGHT

The sun disappeared a thousand years ago. Only mushrooms, root vegetables, and moss grow. There is no concept of "day"—time is measured by candles.

2. A CANDLE IS THE ONLY PROTECTION

While the candle burns, the Cursed Dead will not enter the house. If it goes out, you are defenseless.

3. DON'T LOOK INTO THE EYES OF A DEAD PERSON

If you encounter a corpse and look into its eyes, it will haunt you forever. The only way to get rid of it is to end its story (punish the culprit or admit your guilt).

4. WATER RETURNS

The rivers here have no names. If you drown a body, it will return. In the rain, the Damned can appear anywhere, not just by the river.

5. DON'T SAY NAMES IN THE DARK

A name spoken aloud at night attracts attention. The dead respond. Children are given "night names."

6. RUSTY METAL ERASES MEMORY

Murder with a rusty instrument destroys the victim's soul—no one will remember them. If you carry rust with you, you'll begin to forget yourself.

7. BASS STOPS THE DEAD

A low sound (bass) is the only thing that can temporarily stop the Cursed One. Shinobi wield it. Vampires hate bass—it hurts them.

8. THE FIRST DEATH IS NOT DEATH

Vampires and shinobi have already died once. They can only be truly killed the second time. After the second death, everyone forgets you.

9. SHAREHOLDERS TRADE EVERYTHING

Beings in suits who don't consider themselves gods. They sell immortality, memory, and luck in exchange for blood, years of life, or a soul. The contract cannot be broken.

10. DON'T SAY "NO"

If you told a dead person "don't dare," "go away," "I don't need you," you've cemented the connection. Silence is the only protection.

11. THE MOON IS THE JUDGE

On rare full moons, vampires go mad, maniacs become stronger, and the Damned come out in droves. On these nights, you can't leave your home.

12. RAIN IS A TIME OF DANGER

The Damned are active in the rain. You can't look out the windows, go to the river, or extinguish the candles. You can only sit at home and wait.

New Moon: no moon visible, darkest nights, the damned are active, vampires are calm (no light), maniacs are restless. Waxing: narrow sickle, safe time, travel possible, shinobi active. Full moon: full disk (rare), danger, vampires lose control of themselves, maniacs become stronger, the damned come out en masse. Waning: narrow crescent, trading time, shareholders appear more often, contracts are revised.

General description The world's waterways have no names. They don't remember names, and therefore cannot "hold" the dead—they return.

Key sub-locations:

Nameless River (typical) Wide, slow-moving, with dark water. The bottom is muddy. Willows with drooping branches line the banks. The water is always cold. If you stare into the water for too long, it begins to seem as if someone is watching you from the depths.

Peculiarities: the river has no mouth or source—it simply exists. It flows slowly, sometimes stopping completely. Dangers: If you drown your body in a river like this, it will return. The water can "remember" your face if you lean too close.

Return Threshold A place in a river where the current slows or stops. Here, the water glows with a dim white light. It is here that the Cursed Dead "emerge" from the water.

Appearance: ripples on the surface that spread out for no apparent reason. Sometimes a hand or the edge of a garment sticks out of the water. The surrounding area is always damp, even if it hasn't rained. Dangers: Do not build houses near the Threshold. Do not drink the water. Do not look at the Threshold alone. Usage: The Sedatives come here to complete the dead person's story. Bring a candle and speak the name (if known).

General description Territories created by shinobi and their predecessors. Places where chemistry, sound, and will replace blood and ritual.

Key sub-locations:

Anatomy Laboratories Underground or abandoned above-ground complexes where "exams" for transforming humans into shinobi were held. Inside, there are long corridors with metal doors, operating tables, organ banks, and archives of "rubbing histories" (records of the fates of the test subjects).

Status: Most of the labs are abandoned, but some are still active (Chemists work there). Hazards: toxic gases, unstable compounds, unfinished experiments (half-shinobi gone mad). Resources: chemicals, archives (contain knowledge about transformation), equipment.

Chemical Contamination Zones Areas where chemical warfare agents were used during the Chemical War. The air there is "oily"—saturated with particles that alter the body. Plants have mutated: mushrooms the size of houses, luminescent lichens, trees with red veins.

Appearance: Everything is covered in an unnaturally vibrant green or purple haze. The air trembles. The silence is broken by strange sounds—whether groans or grinding. Dangers: Every breath changes you. Vampires lose control, normal people die in hours, shinobi can hold out for a long time, but they also carry risks. Resources: rare chemical elements, ganjubas (wild-growing, especially potent), organs of mutated animals (used in rituals).

Scene (neutral territory) A place where representatives of all factions gather. The stage doesn't necessarily have to be a theatrical stage; it could be a basement, an abandoned factory, or a cave with good acoustics. The main thing is that it has a bass system (or people who can create bass with their voices) and candles.

Scene Rules:

· No one hunts on the Scene's territory · Disputes are resolved through a battle (verbal or audio) · Candles must burn all the time · The offender is expelled by all factions together

Use: Information is exchanged here, temporary alliances are formed, and rituals for calming the Cursed Dead are performed.

General description The territories left over from the Celestial Auction. Here, the boundaries of the world are "thin," and the laws of physics operate unpredictably.

Key sub-locations:

Tars (Ocean Storage) The oceans in this world are not endless. They are spread across "tars"—giant natural or artificial basins whose boundaries can be crossed. Each Tara has a Guardian—a being who ensures that the water does not overflow.

Appearance: The shore drops off abruptly—beyond that, there's water, but beyond the horizon, a "wall" (the edge of Tara) is visible. The water is heavy and salty, but sometimes glows from within. Dangers: Guardians don't like to be disturbed. Water can "take away" memories if you bathe in it. Resources: salt, glowing water (used in rituals), fragments of old contracts (found at the bottom).

Scrap of the Burden A place where the "burden of centuries" has been shed. It's a zone where the physical laws of the world fail or fail unpredictably. It looks like a wasteland of gray ash, occasionally shards of architecture (columns, arches, statues) protrude. Nothing grows. The silence is complete, oppressive.

Dangers: Here you can "fall out" of reality—cease to exist. No faction controls this territory. Resources: Debris from the "burden" (used by Shareholders for new contracts, deadly to ordinary people).

General description Scattered human settlements scattered across the world. Their peculiarity: they are unstable over time. A settlement can exist for a hundred years, then disappear for a generation, and then return to the same spot. The inhabitants don't notice.

Key sub-locations:

Gray Village (typical) Ten to thirty houses, built of gray stone and wood. In the center, there's always a well and a tree with a single thick branch—the "True Friend." Locals don't look at this tree after sunset. Each house has a candle that burns all night.

Lifestyle: The inhabitants engage in agriculture (nocturnal crops: mushrooms, root vegetables), livestock breeding (goats that can see in the dark), and crafts. They don't use clocks; they tell time by a bell in the center. Rules of survival:

· Never look into the eyes of a dead person · Always have a supply of candles · Don't go to the river after rain · Don't say names out loud at night If there is a knock on the door after midnight, do not open the door, even if the voice is familiar.

Trail of Forgotten Names A network of forest roads and byways where travelers often lose their memories. Here, those who were killed but forgotten are "erased." If you walk the Path, you must constantly repeat your name out loud—otherwise you'll forget who you are.

Dangers: memory loss, meeting the "Forgotten" (people who were killed with rusty iron - they do not remember themselves and try to "take over" someone else's identity). Resources: rusty tools (rare, but they can be found), old coins (left over from the Auction).

The "True Friend" Well Every Gray Village has a well like this. Deep, with water that never freezes. Locals believe that if a maniac dies "unfairly" (not at the hands of a student), his spirit enters the well, and the water begins to "whisper" names.

Usage: Well water is used for Calming rituals. Drinking it is not recommended, as you will begin to hear voices.

General description Vast plains and forests where the sun hasn't risen for a thousand years. There's no day or night here—only an endless twilight, illuminated by stars and the moon. The air is cool, with a metallic taste. Time flows differently here: hours are meaningless, eras pass unnoticed.

Key sub-locations:

Glass Forest Trees with black bark, their leaves frozen like shards of glass. When the wind blows, they make a sound like the tinkling of broken glasses. Bats the size of wolves live deep in the forest. It is said that the first vampire, who asked the Moon to steal the Sun, is buried beneath the roots of the oldest tree.

Dangers: Leaf splinters cut skin, sound causes disorientation, bats attack in swarms. Resources: glass leaves (used for ritual mirrors), wood (used for high-quality coffins).

Coffin Ridge A mountain range composed entirely of ancient crypts and burial mounds fused into the cliffs. Within are labyrinths where time flows differently: you can enter for an hour and emerge a hundred years later, or vice versa. It is home to those "lost in time"—creatures who no longer remember whether they are alive or dead.

Dangers: time loops, collapses, "forgotten" (translucent figures that try to talk to the traveler, but do not remember the words). Resources: Tombstones with ancient inscriptions (contain knowledge about contracts), "eternal clay" (used to seal coffins).

City of Unnamed Streets The only major settlement in the Land of Eternal Night. It has no maps because the streets change every night. Houses are built from whatever is "always at hand": bones, old coffins, gravestones. Mostly humans live here, but there are also vampire quarters.

Peculiarities: laws here are written on the walls and erased after 24 hours. The only permanent location is the Market Square, where blood, information, and ancient artifacts are traded. Dangers: You can get lost forever if you go through the wrong arch. Resources: information (sold at the Market), human labor, old blood.

Origin: Descendants of those who survived the fall of the sun. Not vampires, not maniacs, not shinobi. Simply people trying to live in a world where they aren't at the top of the food chain.

Everyday life: They live in the Gray Villages or the City of Unnamed Streets. They work from dawn (which doesn't happen) until the "bell"—the signal for the end of work hours.

· Agriculture: grow mushrooms, root vegetables, luminous mosses (used for low light conditions) · Livestock: goats, chickens, sometimes pigs · Crafts: blacksmiths, carpenters, candle makers (candles are the main product), undertakers · Trade: blood (given to vampires in exchange for protection), information, old artifacts

Rules of survival (passed down from generation to generation):

1. Always have a supply of candles
2. Don't look into the eyes of a dead person
3. Don't go to the river after it rains.
4. Don't say names out loud at night
5. If there is a knock on the door after midnight, do not open it.
6. Don't build a house near the Threshold
7. If you get lost on the Trail, repeat your name.
8. Don't handle rusty tools.
9. If you see a shinobi, don't be afraid, but don't trust either.
10. If a vampire demands tribute, give it, don't argue.

Attitude towards factions:

· Vampires: fear, hatred, dependence (they pay with blood for protection) · Maniacs: horror (worse than vampires because they are unpredictable) · Shareholders: don’t know about them (they don’t show themselves to ordinary people) Shinobi: wary respect (they don't hunt humans, but are strange and dangerous) · Cursed Dead: Animal Fear (they are not spoken about out loud)

A typical resident of Gray Village: Appearance: pale, thin, dressed in coarse fabric, with a pouch containing flint and a candle on his belt. His hands are calloused. His eyes are sunken and wary. Personality: Withdrawn, distrustful, but willing to help a neighbor (they can only survive together). Religious (pray to the Moon and "those who have passed away"). Illiterate (they only know numbers and their own names). Day: wakes up at the bell, works until the bell, has dinner by candlelight, turns off the light, listens for knocking on the window. Fears: rain, river, knocking on the window, abandoned houses, rusty metal.

Origin: Those who died with unaddressed hatred. It doesn't matter how they died—what matters is that their deaths were unjust, and they didn't forgive. They didn't sign contracts, didn't undergo rituals, didn't become shinobi. They simply refused to die.

Physiology:

· The body remains in the same state it was in at the time of death (it decomposes, but slowly, like vampires) · Can move, speak, see · Do not need food, shelter, or sleep · Can be physically destroyed, but will return (unless the story is completed)

Behavior:

· Targeted: They target one person (or a small group), ignoring everyone else · Do not negotiate (unless the Calmer offers to end the story) · They appear near windows, in the rain, near rivers Their gaze is a curse: if you look into their eyes, you will become a new target

Ways to calm down:

1. Punish the culprit (kill or force a confession)
2. Restore justice (return what was stolen, restore the name)
3. Admit guilt (if the killer sincerely repents)
4. Ritual near water with the participation of the Calmer

Typical representative (Cursed Dead): Appearance: Looks like a corpse. May be in varying states of decomposition. Clothes are dirty and torn. Eyes are always open, with a heavy, accusing gaze. If the body was dumped in a river, the skin is bluish, and the hair is tangled with algae. Behavior: Silent or mumbling. May repeat a single word or name. Does not respond to threats and is not afraid of pain. The only thing that can stop it is the end of the story. Abilities: indestructibility (returning), curse gaze, movement on water, appearance at windows. Weakness: They are bound to a single person. If the target dies, the corpse disappears (but can find a new one if someone looks into their eyes).

Origin: Humans who underwent voluntary transformation in the laboratories of the Age of Utopia. Not all survived. Those who survived altered their nature through chemistry, sound, and willpower.

Physiology:

· They are almost indistinguishable from humans in appearance, but have strange features: glowing veins, multi-colored eyes, and a chemical smell from their skin. · Not immortal, but live longer than humans (200–300 years) · Resistant to toxins, can breathe in Contamination Zones · They depend on ganjubas (hemp) - it stabilizes their chemical balance · Can use bass as a weapon (low frequencies unbalance vampires, activate Lazaruses)

Behavior:

· Individualists, do not obey hierarchies · They value freedom above all else · They consider themselves neither humans nor monsters – “not zombies” · Often become Pacifiers (working with the Cursed Dead) or mercenaries

Capabilities:

· Control over your body chemistry (accelerated regeneration, temporary enhancement) · Bass voice (can deafen, disorient, “wake up”) · Survival in any environment

Typical representative (single shinobi): Appearance: Young (appears to be 20-30), unkempt, often wearing worn clothes. Eyes glow (faintly, but noticeably). Smells of weed and chemicals. Always carries a pouch of weed and a small bass emitter (or knows how to create bass with his voice). Personality: Cynical, but not evil. Tired, but lively. Can be cheerful, can be gloomy. Trusts no one, but is willing to cooperate for the sake of the cause. Skills: chemical resistance, bass attacks, knowledge of laboratories and Zones, working with the Damned. Weakness: dependence on ganja. Without it, withdrawal symptoms, hallucinations, and loss of control over the body begin.

Origin: Entities who participated in the Celestial Auction or are descendants of those who conducted it. Not gods, but older than gods. They traded the sky, the oceans, time, and death.

Physiology:

· They don't have a permanent body. They can take any form, but most often appear as people in old-fashioned clothing (18th-19th century, European style). · They don’t eat, they don’t drink, they don’t sleep · Can exist in two states: “active” (visible, powerful, intervenes in world affairs) and “inactive” (disappears, sleeps, does not intervene)

Behavior:

· Monitor the implementation of contracts · Do not interfere directly unless it violates the terms of the deal · They consider everyone else (vampires, maniacs, shinobi, people) to be “assets” or “expendable material” · Can make deals with anyone who is willing to give something (soul, memory, blood, years of life)

Capabilities:

· Change reality within the framework of the contract · To give immortality, to take it away · Erase from memory · Move between Tara and Util

Typical Representative (Mid-Ranking Shareholder): Appearance: Man or woman, 40-50 years old, impeccable suit, no jewelry. Face is unremarkable—you forget what you looked like within a minute. Voice calm, without intonation. Personality: Polite but indifferent. Talks about souls and deaths as if they were commodities. Doesn't lie, but never tells the whole truth. Skills: making contracts, changing reality, immortality. Weakness: Cannot create new things—only redistribute existing ones. Cannot control the Cursed Dead (they didn't sign contracts).

Origin: People who, during the Age of Crafts (400–350 years ago), adopted the traditions of the disbanded Guild. Not all of them are directly connected to the Guild—many discovered old notes, tools, or simply "heard a voice" in their heads.

Physiology:

· Ordinary people, but with an altered psyche · They can live in the forest for years, eating whatever they can find. · Have heightened senses (through training, not magic) · Some undergo a "bloodbath" ritual, after which they become stronger and more resilient, but lose some of their sanity

Behavior:

· Obsessed with the idea of ​​"hunting" or "apprenticeship" · Follow a code (often perverted) · They don’t kill everyone in a row – they choose a victim, study it, and strike · They respect skill: if the victim is worthy, they may leave him alive (until next time)

Types:

· Apprentices: seek a master or follow old teachings. The most dangerous because they are unpredictable. · Masters: those who killed their teacher. They are few in number and remain hidden, but their word is law for their students. · Loners: They don't recognize the Guild and follow their own code. They often become Pacifiers or mercenaries.

Typical representative (lone maniac): Appearance: Inconspicuous. Could be anyone—a merchant, a vagabond, even a child. Often wears old, shabby clothes. Always carries a tool (knife, cleaver). Personality: calm, patient. May appear kind. Inside lies a cold obsession. Doesn't hate the victim, only interest. Skills: stealth, knowledge of anatomy, tracking, ability to wait. Weakness: Code. If he breaks his own rules, he may go mad or become a Cursed Dead.

Origin: The first vampires appeared after the disappearance of the Sun. This may have been the result of a deal at the Auction: someone traded their mortality for immortality.

Physiology:

· They don’t age and don’t get sick · They feed on blood (human or animal - human is preferred) · Have super senses: hearing, smell, vision in the dark · Pale skin, eyes glow in the dark (color depends on the “diet”) · Vulnerable to silver (leaves non-healing wounds) · Afraid of the Moon (moonlight causes temporary insanity - "animal vision" becomes too sharp, and the brain cannot cope)

Behavior:

· Cold, calculating, cynical · They look at people as cattle or food, but there are exceptions · Tired of eternity: many live “on autopilot,” their feet dragging themselves along the ground · Cannot create life (sterile) · Cannot be in Chemical Contamination Zones (lose control)

Hierarchy:

· Ancients (1,000+ years): remember the times before the Night. The most powerful, but also the most apathetic. · Average (100–1000 years): active, often occupy territories, have “herds” of people. · Young (under 100): still remember what it's like to be human. The most dangerous because they're impulsive.

Typical representative (average vampire): Appearance: 30–40 years old in appearance, impeccable clothes (often old-fashioned), eyes with a reddish tint, smooth movements, almost dancing. Personality: Arrogant but tired. Cynical humor. Treats people like not-so-intelligent pets. Fears two things: the moon and the Cursed Dead (because he can't control them). Skills: supersenses, hypnosis (for weak people), appeal (rare, requires consent or extreme weakness of the victim). Weakness: Dependence on blood. Without it, the user becomes weak, dull, and dormant.