Dark Refuge Faqs

Introductions...
In the distant future the evil and tyrannical government of Mars has waged war on Earth. In the catastrophic battles that
followed, refugees from Earth have fled to the furthest corner of the inhabited worlds to colony D-455, now called Refuge.
Hidden, humanity looks forward to enjoying this eden.But this planet is not quite what it seems. Dimensional rips in the fabric of
reality have allowed energy called Leyas to seep into the planet's atmosphere. This energy alters everything from the growth of
plants and animals to the powers and abilities of sentient beings and renders many of the technological devices that Earthers rely
on useless. Stranded and desperate the Earther Colonist have fought for the last two thousand years to keep a foothold on their
new home. And they are not the only ones.Refugees from other dimensions have also fled to Refuge.
Warriors bred by the alien Falosini have been seeded across the face of Refuge. Hidden in the vast forests of Refuge live
communities of K'iorn, Tall and agile, these hunters have learned to harness the Leyas to grow great Treetop cities. Their cousins,
the Vorin, have learned to camouflage themselves much like an Earther chameleon. Underneath the great mountain ranges of
Refuge live caverns full of the short stocky K'iou, masters of mining and metalworking. On the tops of these mountains are great
Aeries filled with the winged Baribur, warriors who pride themselves on their song as much as their skill in battle.
Many more sentient beings inhabit this brave world.
Punctuated by Wars and Revolts the Earthers now rest at an uneasy stalemate with their new home and its inhabitants.
But darkness is brewing on the horizon as the very beings that these other races fled now wish to conquer our Dimension.
The Hordes of the Evil Quall N'drone, beasts whose war machines have terrorized countless Dimensions have come and only by
the actions of the heroes of Refuge can they be stopped. Or we're all food.

Take up sword and shield and fight as a Berzerker, your anger destroying your enemies with fire and flame. Perhaps you'd prefer
to be a Dragoon and use the Leyas grow whatever weapons you need from your own flesh. Maybe you'll be a Summoner calling
monsters and warriors from other planes to fight for you. Or maybe you'll be a Magus and use the Leyas itself as a weapon
raining down fire, lightning and acid upon your foes. Or perhaps you will give up your soul and become a Vampyr, embracing the
shadows to drain the very life from your enemies.

Maybe, just maybe you'll be one of the few Earthers left who cannot be affected by the Leyas. These warriors, called
Immutables, fight using everything from Six shooters to shotguns, Lasers to plasma ejectors, power armor to tanks. Whatever
you choose, a world of adventure is before you. Where your choices will have real outcomes. You'll make your way through
Nightmare filled caverns, Demon plagued towns, Cities filled with all manner of beings, and across the very dimensions
themselves in hopes of saving our Dark Refuge.

Dark Refuge is an Adventure Game intended for 2-8 players.
Play as one of 13 types of adventurers and one of 12 different and unique races each with their own special abilities

All you need is the
Dark Refuge: The Adventure Game rule book, dice, a pen/pencil and paper.

Dark Refuge FAQs

Dark Refuge in a nut shell

What is Dark Refuge?

Dark Refuge is a pen and paper adventure game designed for 2-8 players. It is a revolutionary game in two respects. First, its
incredibly easy rules are designed for players of any skill level. The second is its revolutionary Leyas ability system allowing
battles to take on the fast paced exciting flow as bright and vivid as your imagination will allow.
Refuge is also the name of the planet on which the game is set and the players characters inhabitant. Their lives are fraught with
peril, filled with intrigue and bursting with action. The player controls the actions of his character through this completely
realized and vibrant world. The Narrator controls the world around the players and creates/moderates any adventures the
characters encounter. When faced with battle, or the need to use the Leyas the player rolls the dice and the Narrator
interprets that dice roll. After each adventure, characters gain points allowing them to upgrade their abilities, attributes or buy
new skills.   A set of adventures can end at any time, such as when the characters accomplish their initial goals. Or it can
continue into a Campaign,an open ended story that continues whenever the players get together.

Why is this fun?

Have you ever wished you could have the powers of your favorite movie character or comic book superhero? What would you
do if given those powers? Dark Refuge allows a player to create any type of character they would enjoy acting as. In many
ways the game is about play-acting. You and your friends will weave stories that you will be remember for years.
This game is also a social event. You and a group of friends get together and enjoy each other's company. The moving story
keeps everyone interested but gives them the opportunity to express themselves individually.
At the very least you get the cathartic satisfaction of playing your character, hacking and slashing through hordes of terrifying
monsters.

For more involved gamers and those who have experience with other games what makes the system unique is it's relatively
low points of contact, fluid ability to do things, and adaptability for a variety of gamers. Granted, certain plausibility fanatics that
MUST have a chart to know how far they can piss into a river based on skills, attributes, and desired distances may not find the
game that satisfying. For the rest of us who want a fun, fast and fluid game and game system, Dark Refuge is a must.

What creatures can I play as?
There are 13 different races each with their own cultures, histories and special abilities.   Earthers are our descendants, humans
who have colonized the stars. The K'iorn are tall and slender hunters who stalk the forests of Refuge. Their close cousins are
the Vorin, able to camouflage themselves like chameleons. In the sky above Refuge, the winged Baribur fly composing epic
songs and waging war.   Deep under the mountains the stocky K'iou forge weapons and carve grand stone monuments.
Not all the races are goodly beings.   The evil Pelebor also soar in the sky, raiding and slaving with their dragon-riding cousins,
the Uthvelor. These malicious aliens are known for their murderous frenzies.
The native Olgogs are known for their immense strength, while the gnomish Kumfei are brilliant engineers.   The thieving
Bastards are a diminutive race resembling Earther children who survive by stealing from the Earther colonies.

What types of characters can I play as?
This game allows for a very wide variety of characters using only 13 different categories of adventurer. A Bravo is a character
who must achieve a meditative state to use the Leyas. They can be played as a samurai, armed with a katana and a deep sense
of honor. They can be just as easily played as a swashbuckler using the game's simple rules.
Berserkers control fire Leyas with their immense battle rages. Troubadours use their song to cast spells on their enemies.
Dragoons grow dragon-like claws and heavy armor and battle in animalistic fighting styles.
Priests use the leyas to heal and drive away shadow creatures. Magi and Mancers use the Leyas to mold reality around them.
Shapeshifters are able to copy their enemies' every ability.
Maybe the path of the fallen is more intriguing. A Vampyr feeds off the fear of his enemies, using it to power his virtual
invincibility. A Bandit is a stealthy rogue that has become addicted to theft. A Burnout was once a great and powerful Mancer,
but was forever scarred by a leyas backlash. Burnouts frequently are missing many of their memories and powers but can draw
on a long experience with the leyas.

What is the Leyas?

The Leyas is an extra dimensional energy that allows the characters of Dark Refuge to accomplish astounding feats. It
can be used to create the standard fare of fireballs, lightning bolts and acid blasts. The really unique nature of the
Leyas is the wide range of powers available to players. Using the Leyas, all characters can augment their normal
abilities, change their body, and summon creatures who will fight for them. No longer is a single weak mage the only
spell caster in a group.
The revolutionary aspect of the Leyas is the ability of a character to chain multiple powers together. A player can even
create their own artifacts and magical items using any spell available in the game.
The Leyas also will cause a character's fear to create Nightmares. These Nightmares can be accidentally created
anytime filling the game with suspenseful tension.

What makes this game different from the rest?
The Magic system (or "Leyas") is easy to learn and very versatile, allowing players to even create new spells in the heat
of the moment. The ability to cast multiple spells in a single round and the ability for a character to easily and quickly
turn any ability they know into a magical artifact also has an amazingly useful in-game effect. Players concentrate less
on "gaining loot" and more time on acting in-character. The magic system is intuitive and easily used by new players.
It allows a lot of variation and combination, keeping advanced players interested.
This game crosses genres. The players can have a science fiction adventure one day and then play a tolkienesc sword
and sorcery adventure the next.   A wild west gunfight flows easily into a battle against undead.
The battle system is designed to move quickly. This removes many annoying and complex dice rolls one finds in other
systems.   It is designed to emulate the fast paced battle found in video games using a single 10 sided dice for attacks
and dodges.
Above all else, DR is approachable by players of all ages. Younger players enjoy the vibrant characters and the cool
powers. Mature players will appreciate the deep and thought provoking undercurrents that run through the world of
Refuge. Political and social issues influence the player's game increasing the reality of the experience.

What type of future is there in the Dark Refuge license?

Wizards of the Coast has seen record sales in their Dungeons and Dragons license. With over eight best selling video
game spin offs, a feature movie, and a cult following, they have set a precedent demonstrating that this is a lucrative
niche market.   The major problems from a player's standard with the Dungeons and Dragons license are the
counter-intuitive rules for Beginners and the restrictive rules for Advanced players.   On top of this everyone can admit
there is a negative connotation of saying "I'm playing Dungeons and Dragons".
DR is a pen and paper adventure game for people seeking a new social experience, not just geeks in their attics. The
first three Dark Refuge novels: Godswords:Saga of the Bladed Sun, The Day Earth Died, and The Nightmare Lord have
been successfully released. After that a series of sourcebooks expanding the Dark Refuge universe are on their way.
The world of Dark Refuge gives itself over to animation very well and a Dark Refuge anime is on the horizon.

Interested Parties should contact our Webmaster.

What makes Dark Refuge a new experience is the world, and the way characters interact with the mythos of the world.

It takes place after Humanity has colonized our galaxy, after a Golden Age of Earther Ascendancy. It was through the greed
of the Earther Authority that the Golden Age fell. They hired on a Mars based corporation known as the Iron Republic to
provide for them large quantities of cloned workers, miners, and laborers who were expendable on planets where radiation
and local alien species would quickly wipe out any Earther Colonists foolish enough to set up settlements. These cloned
"Brethren" quickly gave Mars a distinct advantage, and when the Iron Republic finally turned on Earth, the Earther Authority
gave up. The CEOs, politicians and aristocrats gathered a force of soldiers, technicians and scientists and fled Earth, leaving
the poor and displaced to be enslaved by the Iron Republic.
Yet even as the Earther Authority fled, they were traveling into a trap. They chose to use a small colony on a planet known as
Refuge as their staging post to restart their society. The leader of this colony, a tyrant, Commissar Enric Von Glomhammer
had already made treaties with the Iron Republic turning Refuge into a penal colony once the displaced Earthers arrived.
Glomhammer had purposely hid the true nature of Planet Refuge from the displaced Earthers, knowing they would have never
come if they had known. This planet stands at an intersection of dimensions. Into it flows a naturally occurring energy known
as The Leyas. The Leyas responds to emotion, and even unconscious thought, and the Earthers soon found their technology
would malfunction due to the fear or stress of the operators.
At night, fears and anxiety would manifest Nightmares, beings of shadow who could only survive by consuming the life-force
and flesh of their creators. The Earthers freaked out of course, and not believing some "energy" was causing this they began
blaming the natives of Refuge, creatures known as Olgogs.
Olgogs, tall, humanoid and covering in thick green fur, easily became the scapegoats for these Nightmare attacks.
A Religious group known as the Church of One formed. Believing that man was made in god's image, the Church of One
denounced the Olgogs as therefore being in the image of the devil. They began hunting down the nomadic Olgogs, calling
them by the derogatory name of "Goblins". And thus began the Goblin Genocide.
Meanwhile a few learned people began to manipulate the Leyas, using its power as a physics placeholder to accomplish
seemingly impossible feats. Adepts, those skilled at the Leyas, quickly became another group hunted as witches by the
Church of One.
Traveling further and further a field hunting Olgogs and Rogue Adepts, the Earthers soon learned that Refuge had been
colonized millennia before by a group of dimension traveling aliens known as the Children of the Falosini. Bred by the Falosini
as subspecies of Warriors, these Children of the Falosini would not be driven off by the racist Church of One'. They met
them in battle, only adding fuel to the Church of One's claims that these aliens were sorcerous beings(i.e. Demons).
It would have been a war that would have wiped out both the Earthers and the Children of the Falosini, however during their
war it was revealed that the true purpose of the Children of the Falosini was their dimension spanning conflict with the evil
Quall N'drone.
The Quall N'drone were a race of beings with four arms, six horns on a bovine face, and blood hot enough to scald the flesh
of an Earther. The Quall N'drone required other creatures to use as hosts for their larval young, bringing them into constant
conflict with the Children of the Falosini. Known for wiping out dimension after dimension, the Quall N'drone was a
significant enough threat for the Earther Colonies of Refuge and the Children of the Falosini to form an uneasy peace.
They drove the Quall Hordes back...but their threat always looms on the horizon.

The game world takes place 2,000 years after the colonization of Refuge, as the different factions vie for control. A
small introduction to the most common factions:

EEF- The Earth Expeditionary Force; the ancient armies of Earth who served the Earther Authority, they now act as the
defenders of the Earther Colonies. They accept Earthers, Olgogs and the Children of the Falosini into their ranks. Armed with
technological weapons, hovertanks, Striders (mecha) and aircraft.

The Children of the Falosini- Bred for war, each race of the Children is focused on a specific type of battlefield: K'iorn and
the camouflaging Vorin (forests), the winged Baribur (the air and mountain tops), the K'iou and Kumfei (underground and
mines) and the Bastards (suicide troops, pyromaniac Halflings with bombs).

The Church of One: This Nazi-esc religious group is only Earthers and will kill any other alien races they meet (or any who
use the Leyas). Their mark is crucifying entire villages they feel are "heretics and blasphemers".

The Uthvelor and Pelebor: These cursed members of the Children of the Falosini are outcasts and follow a Rogue Falosini
Sovereign. Their curse causes them to go into killing rampages whenever they experience extreme emotions, however it
grants them the benefit of being able to read the memories of others.

The Northern Kingdoms: Kingdoms of Slave-soldiers who served the alien warlord I'tash, and regularly raid the Earther
Colonies. Masters of the Leyas.

The Cult of the Horned Dogs: These Earthers foolishly think being a host to a Quall N'drone Larva is a blessing and serve
the Quall N'drone Hive Queens. They are hated by all other groups.

The Quall N'drone: Seeking to use all of Refuge as a breeding ground, and all living creatures as hosts for their monstrous
larva.

The Merchant Houses: These oligarchies control the trade between the Colonies, regularly hiring Guild Assassins and Guild
Thieves to raid and kill each other's minions.

The Syndicates:
The 99s- Mafioso who run the Colonial Drug trade.
The Scarabs- Undead criminals who run the trade in illegal artifacts, and run Pain and Torture clubs.
The Duskan Archers- Slavers who raid Merchant Caravans and sell their victims to the Quall N'drone, the Uthvelor and
Pelebor and the Northern Kingdoms.

V.L.A.D- The secret shadow government of the Colonies, they have spies in every community, and their agents vary from
heroic spies to despicable criminals. They often manipulate the different factions to conflict, just to hide their own secret
activities.

As you may have noticed the ideas of Emotions have a large effect on game play. In DR we have two extra stats, Emotional
Control and Temper which will affect events in game. A person with low Emotional Control will create Nightmares with their
fears and will cause their technological devices will malfunction.
However there are even characters called Immutables which are completely protected from the Leyas. They cannot use it, but
can safely use Technology and are highly prized in the armies of the different factions.

This exciting setting combines with easy to learn rules. It plays very smoothly and quickly for new players. The nice thing
for GameMasters (we call them Narrators, because we try and focus on creating entertaining stories) is that the GM doesn't
need to constantly refer to the books for basic tests. Players usually only have to refer back to the book for spells, Monster
stats and background information on the different factions.