The Dark Woods
Contents
Introduction
History & License
The Dark Woods as a project started around 1994 by the team of developers now known as the Game Arts Guild. (It was the project that spun off the Squawk Role-Playing Game. The original copyright is held by Benjamin Galbraith and Seth Galbraith of the Game Arts Guild.) The Dark Woods is now licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license. This license applies to art, rules, written content, other content, etc.
System
This version of The Dark Woods uses the Scratch Role-Playing System for its core RPG rules.
The Dark Woods is played without a Game Master (GM.) The players divide into two teams of sorcerers, and which ever team is able to take the throne of the Dark Woods first wins. (A creative GM could use The Dark Woods as source material to run RPG adventures, but these rules do not specifically support that style of play.)
Setting
The Dark Woods is a dangerous foreboding place full of monsters and violence. It appears to be an endless forest in a permanent state of twilight, and has many mysterious ancient ruins. The Dark Woods is a nexus that connects many other worlds together. (This entire collection of worlds and universes is called the "Ancient and Deadly" setting, or A&D for short.)
The Dark Woods is rife with mystical power called "essence." The higher up on the food chain a creature is, the more essence it accumulates. Intelligent creatures who intentionally use essence to become more powerful are called "Sorcerers." (Sorcerers from The Dark Woods are sometimes more specifically called "Cannibal Sorcerers" by outsiders.) Sorcerers come in many unique forms, and can even be in the shape of known types of monsters.
The Dark Woods throne is currently controlled by the powerful six-legged dragon sorcerer Kaizen, who was born a Strider. He in turn was apprentice to the previous ruler, Brimstone, a mighty fire-breathing dragon sorcerer born Colo. Kaizen is known for his craftiness, illusion and trickery, and it is unclear if Brimstone turned the throne over to him against her will.
Most sorcerers either support the known ruler of The Dark Woods, or are involved in a plot to overthrow that ruler.
Creatures
Intelligent Species
All of these Intelligent Species have human-like intelligence, can use tools, can read and write, and can become sorcerers
Colos
The most common intelligent creature in The Dark Woods is the Colo. Colos come from a world like Earth's Triassic period. There they thrived as their homeworld's foremost predator, having a strong pack hunting instinct. These bird-like humanoids reproduce faster than humans, but have a naturally shorter life span than humans. Colo cultures tend to be focused on heroic accomplishments, often in the form of collecting impressive hunting trophies.
Colos were intentionally introduced to The Dark Woods by the Order of Thanatos. This ancient order wished to end the practice of sorcery in The Dark Woods. The Colos they brought were indoctrinated and trained by the order, so that most of the Colos claim the Order of Thanatos as their religion. Most of Colo society in The Dark Woods is focused on a crusade to hunt and destroy all the sorcerers in The Dark Woods.
Many a sorcerer have commented that Colos "taste like chicken."
Most Colos have at least 2 toughness because they are man sized, and have at least 1 stalking because of their pack-hunting instincts.
Dryads
Walking, talking plant-hybrid humanoids have been found in The Dark Woods called Dryads. The Dryads are covered in protective bark, have long noses, have two arms and long torsos, and walk on two legs. The Dryads are fast healers, and consider themselves to be guardians of The Dark Woods. The Dryad culture is the only culture void of taboos against sorcery in The Dark Woods. Dryad sorcerers have been known to take the form of hulking trolls or walking tentacled trees.
Most Dryads have at least 4 toughness because they are heavier than most humans and because of their protective bark.
Morlocks
Morlocks are subterranean humanoids with large dark eyes and pale, yellowish or gray skin. They are mostly or entirely bald and have tiny ears and flat noses. Morlocks evolved from humans before discovering the Dark Woods, while exploring time and space. Morlocks are excellent climbers. Sorcerers that were once Morlocks often have telekinetic powers that allow them to levitate things, climb on ceilings or leap unnaturally high.
Morlock settlements are always found underground, and are often organized into industrial communes called "unions." Some settlements have been discovered that have been ruled by sorcerers, generally referred to as "Morlock Cults."
Most Morlocks have at least 2 toughness because the are man sized, and have at least 1 acrobatics because of their natural spelunking tendencies.
Raptors
Raptors are man-sized dinosaur predators from a world similar to Earth's Cretaceous period. It is not clear if they gained human like intelligence before or after wandering into The Dark Woods, but now they have numerous tribal settlements throughout The Dark Woods.
Most raptors have at least 2 toughness because they are man sized, 1 stalking because of enhanced natural senses, and 1 fighting because of their fearsome sickle claws.
Seekers
The Seekers come from a swampy world of giant insects with an atmosphere stiflingly rich in oxygen. Seekers walk on two legs, have wickedly sharp tails, are mostly covered in exoskeletal armor, and have elongated heads, 3 eyes and four arms. Seeker technology avoids volatile chemistry and fire, and specializes in medicine, biochemistry, and preserving knowledge.
Seekers hatch from egg clutches numbering in the hundreds, and seekers are under pressure to make a name for themselves as individuals. Seeker culture is highly intellectual, and Seekers are constantly exploring to find new knowledge to bring home to their hive. Seekers are constantly taking samples and notes, making observations from afar, and conducting impromptu interviews when appropriate for their studies. Sorcerers tendency towards developing unique anatomy is of particular interest to seeker abductors. Seekers have been known to take temporary captives simply to observe their behavior, to murder and preserve intelligent specimens with no warning, or to join causes simply for the opportunity to study a group from the inside.
Seekers do not have significant permanent settlements in The Dark Woods, but frequently study The Dark Woods in depth, and use The Dark Woods to access the numerous worlds The Dark Woods is connected to.
Most seekers have 3 toughness because they are man sized have have skeletal body armor, and 1 fighting because of their nasty tails and many striking limbs.
Striders
Striders are bipedal canine lagomorphs. They are only coincidentally human-like. They have long floppy ears and short snouts with ape-like lips. Striders have a low center of gravity, more suited to staying on the ground than high-flying acrobatics. Striders are warriors who crave competition and glory. They have a strong natural instinct for loyalty, and are often employed as mercenaries in The Dark Woods.
Most striders have at least 2 toughness because they are man sized.
Varana
Varana descended from human treasure hunters who stayed in The Dark Woods. Over the generations the essence of The Dark Woods has transformed them into a race of lizard men. Varana scavenge The Dark Woods seeking treasure to horde, and even get violently territorial about ruins they think hold particularly valuable secrets.
Most Varana have at least 2 toughness because they are man sized, and 1 wrestling because they are natural grapplers.
Monsters
Ghouls
Ghouls are undead who develop grotesque mutations. They can absorb the aggressive and defensive characteristics of whatever they eat. Unlike the Sorcerers of The Dark Woods, ghouls can absorb abilities and features from creatures that have no magical essence. (See Sorcerer.) It is thought that the Ghouls are from the outbreak that destroyed the home world of the Order of Thanatos, and that the order believes that somehow the Ghouls and the essence of The Dark Woods are related. Creatures killed by ghouls often rise as ghouls themselves if they have not been eaten.
Most ghouls have at least 3 toughness because they are man sized, and hard to kill because of survival mutations, and 1 fighting from survival mutations that act as natural weapons.
Gryphons
Gryphons combine the wings, head and talons of an gigantic eagle combined with the body and four legs of a lion.
Gryphons of The Dark Woods are often colo sorcerors who have acquired attributes of big cats and predatory birds on their way toward becoming colo dragons. Colo gryphons sometimes have unusual features like stripes, spots, leathery bat wings or feathered tails. (See Colo, Dragon.)
Most Gryphons have at least 3 toughness because they are bigger than most humans, and 1 flight because they can fly, and 2 fighting because of their warlike disposition and natural weapons.
