The Freedom Stone

Author Ryan Macklin has been working on his epic fantasy game Mythender for some time now, and has finally posted the chargen rules. This is a game where you start out with the power to end legends: your weakest weapon carries the description 'god-killer'. You are a human who fell - your heart stopped, you died, and you were reborn as an ender of legends. You stand between the mortal world and and gods, meting out justice as you see fit.

Or to paraphrase Ryan, "it’s about stabbing Odin in his good eye and telling him how much of a little punk he his"

Here's the deal: he's looking for people to write up sample characters so he can refine the character creation process. So go, grab the playtest chapter, make a legend, and go kick some ass.

http://ryanmacklin.com/mythender/

One last thing: I was discussing this game with Mark, and I realized something - given the way the Hearts and Weapons work, it would actually be a shoe-in to run a Fate/Stay-style Grail War game.

Can you do God of War with it?

Kratos of Sparta
Heart: Crusader
* What belief or ideal do you fight for?
Everything the Olympians know or love shall come to ruin, and I shall make it so.
* What happened to make you so angry with the world?
The gods lie to men! They use them as puppets for their own petty amusements! My family suffered Ares' cruel whims, and he made me their executioner
* What reward to you expect?
Ares' head, and the head of any god who renders him aid.
* Starting gift: Bloodlust

History: Mourner
* Who did you lose?
My family, killed by my own hand at the behest of Ares, the misbegotten god of war.
* What should you have done to prevent the loss?
Kill Ares, or accept my fate. My own bloodlust and hubris was my family's undoing.
* How has the loss maimed your soul
There can be no peace until the gods of Olympus lie dead by my hand, and I'll destroy anyone who stands in my way.

With These, I Slay Gods
My first weapon is ... the depthless rage of a Spartan soldier If I have no sword, I use a knife. If I have no knife, I will tear the servants of Olympus asunder with my hands and teeth. Though my enemies tear my flesh and break my bones, I do not yeild. Such is the fury of the Ghost of Sparta.
Type: Intinsic
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My second weapon is ... the blades of Chaos, wrought by the forge god and seared to my flesh with unbreakable chains. No foe is beyond my reach. If I cannot cleave their head in twain, I will become a bladed whirlwind, my swords flying on the ends of their chains like deadly, unerring whips.
Type: Relic
Rating: Earth-Quaking [+4]

My third weapon is ... the bow of Athena, unerring and which knows no distance. My foes cannot hide from my wrath: if they foolishly choose to stand and fight, my blades will mow them down like wheat at the harvest. If they run, my bow will bring them death on feathered wings. For Athena's aid, I shall kill her last.
Type: Relic
Rating: God-Slaying [+4]

Those I Have Yet to Slay
____ gives me reason to continue
____ reminds me of what I've lost
____ gives me solace
____ joins me in suffering

My Mythic Fate
I am fated to become: The Myth of War
My dreams are filled with blood and steel, fire and slaughter unending. I stride though the carnage, whispering promises of glory into the ears of dying soliders, pressing others to greater heights of glory - much as Ares did to me.
Where I go, the sky grows violent and men's thoughts turn to battle; the spoils and glory thereof.

The Forms of War
Godly Form:
In my dreams, I stand 20 feet tall and unbent. Golden armor, tempered by the flames of hatred and quenched in the blood of the fallen, covers my form. My eyes smolder with a warrior's fury, and I laugh as the mortals around me die by my command.

Paragon Form:
A hulking man, hairless and ghost-pale, marked with crimson tattoos. I still wear the tattered remains of my hoplite's armor, and my tattoos seem to glow with a ruddy light as I slaughter.

Supernatural Form:
When the power of Myth fills me, I glow with the radiance of War. I appear as a giant of a man, my armor plain and marred by years of battle, but unbroken. Any who look upon me know the depths of my rage.

The New Soviet Man
Heart: Crusader
* What belief or ideal do you fight for?
Communism shall unite the workers of the world and usher in a new Golden Age of global socialist prosperity.
* What happened to make you so angry with the world?
The capitalist running-dog exploiters, whether they chain the people with wage labor or with empty promises of happiness in the afterlife, must be broken upon the wheel of their own creation.
* What reward do you expect?
A better world for those who come after me; where the people understand and follow the dictum: "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs."
* Starting gift: Bloodlust

History: Noble
*What quality of your people do you most embody?
I labor unceasingly, with the dedication to victory of a true Stakhanovite. I am willing to sacrifice myself for the good of the whole.
*What did you promise your people?
I will not rest until all who enchain the workers of the world lie shattered among the ruins of their gilded palaces and empty luxuries.
*What do you owe them?
Support, when they falter. Discipline, when they lose their way. Victory, when they face our foes.

With These, I Slay Gods

My first weapon is my boundless determination to succeed. Through pain, toil, suffering and fear, I shall not relent in my assault upon the oppressor. The memory of Stakhanov and the dedication of true Soviet Heroes drive me onward.
Type: Intrinsic
Rating: Earth-Quaking [+4]

My second weapon is my trusty hammer and sickle, symbols of industry and agriculture, the twin pillars of labor. A man's effort alone can accomplish amazing deeds; the proper tool for the proper job makes such deeds as natural as breathing.
Type: Relic
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My third weapon is the masses who believe in the power of the united working class. The many can achieve what one never could; united in purpose and effort, we build our future and defeat our foes.
Type: Companion
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My Mythic Fate
I am fated to become: The Myth of Judgment
My dreams are of the vanguard, the leaders of the new socialist state, all wearing my face. We observe, and record, and judge in unison those who cry out in anguish - those who have been failed by the state, and those who have failed the state. The gulag and the secret police, the terror we inflict upon our foes turned upon ourselves - these are the tools of my ascension.

Where I walk, the justice of the people follows; the lazy, the corrupt and the exploiters know the fear that happens around me.

The Forms of Judgment
Godly Form:
I appear as the everpresent face of the Glorious Leader, whose eyes stare from the wall of every room and every building. I am everywhere, and I know everything that is said or done under my eyes and ears; my hands, the secret police, are the instruments of my will to the glory of the state - and I am the state.

Paragon Form:
I appear as the commander of the Red Army, who battle the foes of Communism wherever they seek to destroy it. The single medal on my uniform declares me a Hero of the Soviet Union.

Supernatural Form:
I appear as the forefront of the unstoppable tide that is the Red Army; our forces advancing, our factories building, our mines digging, our efforts unceasing, until ultimate victory is achieved. I stand at the head of every column; I lead every march, I command every assault, I strike every first blow in every battle.

Bonds uncompleted, because I don't have an actual campaign to play this in, but you get the idea.

Geir, the Flame of Immortal Truth
Heart: Loremaster
* How do you use your mind on the field of battle?
Mine is the light of wisdom and knowledge, the light that banishes the darkness of ignorance - the shackles which the gods hold on the minds of men. I teach men how to break those shackles.
* How did you first use this as a weapon?
I spoke the truth into the ears of men and they heard. I spoke the secrets of the gods into their hearts and they turned. I set their bonds clear to see before their eyes and they broke their own chains. I freed the people of my home arrayed against me for turning away from the gods.
* What about the world do you wish to preserve?
Boldness, forthrightness, honesty. Virtue and honor, not in service to some craven sky-father or ravening war-maker, but for their own sake. The will to persevere. The only truths I will not speak are those that break men's spirits, for those are no truth at all. Even if I must tear down the sky itself to make them lies.
* Starting Gift: Fast Strike

History: Apostate
* What Myth did you devote yourself to?
Odin and his promises of secret power. Odin and his promises of valor and glory. Odin and his demands of sacrifice for strength. Odin and his lies.
*What was done to make you flee your oaths and bonds?
The only honest word Odin ever spoke was that the truth is a hard thing to find and hard to face. That something must be given up for it. And then men are told that the gods have found the truth and will have it handed down to them to obey. I was among those chosen to hand down the lies wrapped in the seeming of truth. And Odin broke my life when I thought to look beneath that veil.
*What did you give that can never be replaced?
Years. Effort. Honor. Love. Life. Anything that was mine to claim, I gave up to Odin's hollow glory. But the one thing I can never forgive is the emptiness in my son's dead eyes, when I uncovered the face of he who sought to slay me for public words I had spoken against the gods. By my own tongue I had once set him on that path of service and by my own tongue I demanded he treat me as any other apostate deserved. I gave him up to lies.

With These, I Slay Gods
My first weapon is... the immortal truth that the gods would see destroyed. It is this which I use to break men free of their bondage. The truth itself breaks shackles and chains for it is the truth that nothing can chain the soul of a free man that he does not will. Not even a god.
Type: Intrinsic
Rating: Earth-Quaking [+4]

My second weapon is... the lore of runes. The evidence that will and knowledge can shape not only a man, but the world itself. The only fair thing Odin has brought to this world is knowledge of the runes, and they shall be his unmaking.
Type: Intrinsic
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My third weapon is... an ashen spear, once borne in service to Odin. Rune-carved and crafted by my own hands, I made it in emulation of Gungnir, Odin's own spear. With this I will pin the gods to the earth or the sky and rain their blood on the world, so they may die slowly knowing it was by my hand.
Type: Relic
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My Mythic Fate
I am fated to become: The Myth of Chaos
My dreams are of strife and misfortune, the works of man brought low by the works of man. A world of free souls and mighty wills strive against one another in contest instead of unison, and I slip amongst them urging each to stand tall and throw aside the bonds all others would place upon them, be they bonds of fear, duty, or love.
The world grows wilder around me as creatures strive to free themselves. Men hear the truth when I speak it, but animals know it without thought, as surely as they know how to breathe. Trusted hounds snap at their masters and loyal mounts throw their riders and flee. The reassertion of the feral world happens around me.

The Forms of Chaos
Godly Form:
In my dreams, I appear as a serpent of shadow and smoke, twisty and impossible to snatch or trap. A trick of the light reveals runes across my body, a cloud passing over the sun lends me dark wings with which I can fly. I can be anywhere and nowhere, as unstoppable as a word already spoken and as difficult to silence.

Paragon Form:
I appear as an aged man but still fit and healthy, if not so mighty as a warrior, with weathered skin and ragged graying hair and beard. I wear warm clothes and a heavy cloak that have seen much travel and bear an old spear as if it was a walking stick. But my eyes are bright and golden, slitted like a serpent's.

Supernatural Form:
I appear as a bearer of secrets and mysteries, my skin alight with the runes layered like scales and my serpent's eyes wide with the far-seeing distance of a man possessed by the truth. My spear writhes in my hand, a thing alive and willful. I speak with the hypnotic power of a true believer, and strike with the swiftness of a snake.

I admit, my first thought about killing gods goes to Shadow Hearts, and the notion of modern Mythenders amuses me. Sadly, someone (I think a friend of Mike's) already wrote up a Yuri Hyuga homage on the main website, so instead I have to turn to my tokusatsu series for inspiration.

Name: Tsukasa Saezima Kurenai
Heart's Connection: Endangered
Heart: Bearer
How did you gain your relic? The system was crafted by the gods themselves for one of their chosen. It seems only fitting that I stole it, to bring about the end.
What does your relic whisper to you when you touch it? It speaks to me of great prophesy, of the war to end all wars, of the one who will destroy everything.
Do you trust your relic? Why or why not? I do trust my relic. As long as I maintain control of the system, then all the world lies open to me.
A Bearer's Weapon: A minion of my enemies, this strange mechanical flying creature seems to be built to mimic a bat, but has a will of it's own.
Your first gift: Grievous Strike.

History: Exile
Why were you cast out? Simply put, power. When the traitor I considered my second in command was shown kindness, he instead used it against me as weakness, and I was cast out.
What skill has best served you in surviving all these years? A talent for hiding in plain sight.
What about mortal nature is wrong? Mankind is weak, and cowardly, and stupid. We can overcome this together, but most are afraid to join hands.
An Exile's Weapon: The ability to blend in with any society of people, playing a variety of roles.

The King's System is my weapon. I use it to end Myths by armoring myself against all the attacks of my foes. (Earth-Quaking; Relic)
The Blade of Knights is my weapon. I use it to end Myths by cutting down those would would ever attempt to stand against me. (Earth-Quaking; Relic)
The Final Ride is my weapon. I use it to end Myths by to effortlessly cross the spaces between myself and my enemies. (God-Slaying; Intrinsic)

Fate: Myth of War
The Dream of War: This world, just as every other world, stands before me ready to be destroyed. There will be no one spared - all stories must be brought to an end, and if I am destined to be the one to end them, then they will finish in fire and blood.
The Presence of War: When I enter the battle, it is often accompanied by explosions and fire. Just as the armies of my foes find their vision clouded in smoke and ash, they find their hearts turn to anger and distrust.
In my godly form, I appear as an armored beast, humanoid in shape, black and golden with glowing green eyes. My monstrous form is equal parts beast and insectoid, and my head is enveloped in a violet halo.
In my paragon form, I appear as A green eyed warrior, with a glowing purple third eye.
In my supernatural form, I appear as A black and gold armored warrior, with eerie green eyes and a glowing halo.

Cant resist.. The guy already has the angelic host, the devil, and god notched on his guns..

Patron Saint Of Murderers, Killers, And Assassins
Heart: Bearer
* How did you gain your relics?
A Deal with the Devil and Angel of Death.
* What do your relics whisper to you when you touch it?
With the voice of every man, woman, child, and Myth whose lives I've ended them with
* Do you trust your relic? Why/why not?
It's your hand that holds the gun. Your will that points it. Your finger that pulls the trigger.
* Starting gift: Grievous Harm

History: Mourner
* Who did you lose?
My wife and daughter to disease, my delivery of the cure delayed by bandits and storm.
* What should you have done to prevent the loss?
Let others burn and suffer to make mine safe.
* How has the loss maimed your soul?
Mercy and forgiveness, I have none. I'll burn down any man, woman, child, elder, mortal, or god that stands in way of my ends.

With These, I Slay Gods
My first weapon is ... A pair of old revolvers forged from the Angel of Death's sword. The sound of their firing proclaiming the fate of all who hear them. DOOM They will never misfire, fall on empty cartridge, or make less then a lethal shot on any being. There is no gun stronger then ones with Colt Walker scribed on the sides.
Type: Relic
Rating: Sky-Sundering [+5]

My second weapon is ... Hate as cold as oblivion. So cold it froze the fires of hell. The Devil himself couldn't lash it out. Woe to those who draw my ire, for I will stalk you to the ends of the earth, heaven, hell, and beyond to bring accounts to reckon.
Type: Intristic
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My third weapon is ... The Devil's stitchwork. Whipped to naught but bones and sinew in hell by the Devil himself as part of our deal he stitched me back together. His fingers unskilled the marks will adorn my body forever, even as far as to protect me from the harm of others.
Type: Intristic(/relic possibly?)
Rating: God-Slaying [+3]

My Mythic Fate
I am fated to become: The Myth of Death
My dreams are of fields of slaughter. Bodies butchered to pieces as far as the eye can see. Only the dying can be heard as they weep for the mercy of death to end their suffering.
Where I go, men feel dread crawl up their spine threatening to buckle it under the primal fear of the death that happens around me.

The Forms of Death
Godly Form:
I appear as a reaper of souls, a duster so dark that even the shadows themselves fear it. My presence only known by the Cry of my guns, their flashes burning out the life of those before me.

Paragon Form:
My skin pale and sunken like a preserved corpse, the sunken scars of the Devils stitching visible on my arms, neck, and back when shown.

Supernatural Form:
Of Rage and Death I cast a dark shadow across the land, even the Suns own rays seem scared to light my features least it draws my attention. My eyes burn with a cold hate so strong it threatens to snuff the life out of lesser men, freezing their hearts with a deathly chill.

I've kept the tabs with Mythender open for a week now, and only managed to sit down and read properly today. I have to say i love the concept and it seems like something to keep eyes open for. It seems to be a mostly narrativist system from what's been seen, any idea how things are adjuticated ingame? I love narrativist games, but it's rather hard to sell to my players

Asmodai wrote:

I've kept the tabs with Mythender open for a week now, and only managed to sit down and read properly today. I have to say i love the concept and it seems like something to keep eyes open for. It seems to be a mostly narrativist system from what's been seen, any idea how things are adjuticated ingame? I love narrativist games, but it's rather hard to sell to my players

Ryan has posted a little about the system to his blog, but not nearly as much as I'd like. We know that your character's Weapons act as their primary stats, and that they somehow gain power from the Norden which pushes them towards their Mythic Fate. However, I'm not entirely clear how that's going to work. I will say this, though: from everything I've seen, the game looks to be Nobilis' metalhead cousin.

http://ryanmacklin.com/2011/04/what-doesnt-kill-you/

Holy crap, these are awesome Mythenders! You guys kick ass.

I'll be posting more answers on my blog in the coming weeks -- my day job, side work for Evil Hat Productions, and prep for summer cons takes up a lot of my time.

Asmodai wrote:

It seems to be a mostly narrativist system from what's been seen, any idea how things are adjuticated ingame? I love narrativist games, but it's rather hard to sell to my player

I don't know if it'll be something your players will be interested in, but it's a bit classic in structure -- you have set piece battles against monsters, then you have the space in between battles where you deal with the world with stuff other than your sword. If you've seen <em>300</em>, then you've seen one of the main inspirations for Mythender's battle system. I wanted to do 300 is a way other games don't. After playing this game over 100 times, I know it hits that mark. (FYI, Leonidas is my default Noble Commander.)

During the battle, you'll draw power from your actions and from the world of myth. This is great! It means you can crush your foes. This is bad! It means you're one step closer to becoming a god -- and your comrades slaughtering you. The battle has fallout as well -- when I played it last weekend, one Mythender lit the forest that was trying to eat them on fire. As a result, the temple they were going to to summon and End Freyja was surrounded by fire, trapping all the mortals inside. (Some Mythenders didn't care, some did -- so it goes.)

Outside of battle, you're dealing with the mortals of Norden, who are scared to death of you. You can terrorize them for power, just like the gods do, and get more badass. You can try to connect with a mortal -- to show that you're still a human being & reduce how mythic you are. You can prepare for your next battle by changing the world around you -- one Mythender summoned water to put out the Forest of Flames, which also was like a sword stroke against the gods.

I'll end up talking a lot more about the hows and everything on my blog, but I wanted to chime in because you guys made some really cool Mythenders. I'll keep an eye on this thread, too.

Thanks!

- Ryan

Thanks for coming over and letting us know more about your brainchild. I for one am planning to keep a close eye on the blog to see where it goes