TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction
7
The Universe
14
Religion
20
The Corvo
48
The Iz’kal
156
The Raag
222
The Human
258
The Ravager
290
The Coalition
306
The Core Rules
312
The Characters
340
The Gear
382
The Vehicles
404
Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets
328
Character and Vehicle Sheets
338
PRODUCERS
GUEST WRITER
ADDITIONAL LOGOS
ARTISTS
Jon Egia
E. G. Quinzel
Javier Alaiz Domínguez
Fragan Tanguy
Helio de Grado
COPY EDITOR
LEAD ARTISTS
Dmitry Vishnevsky
GAME DESIGNERS&DEVELOPERS
Kevin Porter
Zabi Hassan
Dhenzel Obeng
Carlos Gómez Quintana
COMMUNITY MANAGER
Leon Tukker
Aleksa Bracic
Mauricio Gómez Alonso
Jon Egia
CONCEPT ARTISTS
Marco Brunelleschi
Helio de Grado
ART DIRECTOR
Milan Nikolic
James Combridge
WRITERS
Carlos Gómez Quintana
Vukasin Bagic
Shen Fei
J. C. Alvarez
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGN
COVER ARTIST
Eduardo García
Carlos Gómez Quntana
Aleksandra Bilic
Leonid Kozienko
Ivan Jovanovic
BGE11018 - FAITH: THE SCI-FI RPG CORE BOOK © BURNING GAMES SCP. 2015-2017 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ISBN 9780993281471 FIRST EDITION PRINTED IN THE EU ON AUGUST 2017
Lukasz Poduch
Cody Williams
Tom Field
SPECIAL THANKS
Tyler Ryan
Uros Sljivic
Sam Brooks
Eric Warner-Weinstein
Yong Yi Lee
Arthur Haas
Tran Huy
Richard T.
Eduardo García
Giorgio Grecu
EVIL MASTERMINDS
Symatt
Anthony Jones
Daniel Matthews
Scott Miller
Dirk Johnson
Tom Edwards
Erikas Perlikovskis
Joshua Bradford
Peter Holland
Tu Bui
Nikola Matkovic
Donald Weller
Maider Legorburu
Juan Pablo Roldán
Inkognit
Kasper Luiten
BLACK WATCH
Llia Yu
Gal Or
Rui Ramalho
Wildbill Young (Leader)
Hue Teo
Edge Control Studio
Christopher Young
Kris Young (Founder)
PUBLISHED BY BURNING GAMES SOCIEDAD COOPERATIVA PEQUEÑA. IPARRAGUIRRE 60 5D BILBAO SPAIN. BURNING-GAMES.COM
GENERAL INDEX
FAITH: THE SCI-FI RPG 7 Introduction to the system Introduction to the setting
8 10
THE UNIVERSE 15 History17 Interstellar Travel 18 RELIGION 21 The Gods 22 Ergon29 Hexia33 Kaliva37 Vexal41 Ledger45 THE CORVO 48 The Corvo Species 52 Society 57 Economy59 The Megacorps 63 Nation’s Solution 66 Wang Corp 69 The Union 72 Secrets of the Megacorps 75 Law and Crime 79 The Zhui Tong 86 The Hwang Tong 88 The Dragonfly Tong 90 Culture 93 Technology 103 History 109 Foreign Affairs 122 The Corvosphere 125 Tiantang 126 Quanjie 130 New Quan 134 Xulong 138 Zhui Xi 142 Huangdì 145 Earth 148 Mining Planets 150 Playing in the Corvosphere 153 THE IZ´KAL
157
The Iz’kal Species 160 Society 167 Economy 169 The State 173 Law and Crime 174 The IFF 180 The Firebirds 182 The Whisper 185
Culture 187 Technology 193 History 197 Foreign Affairs 202 The Iz’kal Colonies 207 Al’ameen208 Erthum212 Sulivar214 Al’halam218 Playing in the State 220 THE RAAG 223 The Raag Species 224 Society 226 Economy227 The Clans 231 Kimora232 Eferi234 Noteri236 Velada238 Jino240 Culture 242 Technology 243 History 246 Foreign Affairs 251 Heimis 252 Playing as a Clanmate 256 THE HUMAN 258 The Human Species Society Economy and Social Class The Human Front Culture Technology History Humans in the Universe The Coalition Outside the Corvosphere Three Skulls Mob
260 262 264 266 271 274 277 279 280 280 282
The Black Watch 284 Earth286 THE RAVAGER MENACE
291
The Ravager Nature and Behaviour Swarms Ravager Tech Ravager Philosophy The Ravager War
293 293 294 300 304 304
The Coalition Structure and Functions Joining the Coalition An Independent Authority
306 306 307 308
THE CORE RULES
311
The Playing Cards 312 Shared Deck 312 Player and GM Deck 311 Personal Deck 312 Using the Playing Cards 312 Card Suits 313 Jokers313 Basic Concepts 314 Sessions314 Scenes314 Initiative Round 314 Ready and Spent Characters 315 Steps of an Initiative Round 316 The Maintenance Phase 316 Actions316 Counteractions 317 Actions in an Initiative Round 317 Confrontations317 Steps of a Confrontation 318 Action Value 319 Skills 319 Damage Penalties 319 Advantages and Disadvantages319 Attributes (Playing Cards) 320 Level of Success 320 Regular success 320 Decisive Success 320 Critical Success 320 Failure 320 Drawing Cards 321 Playing with Ambience & Affinity 321 Proficiency 321 Beginning of a Scene 321 Running Out of Cards 321 Advanced Rules 321 Collaborative Actions 321 Passive Actions 322 Additional Effects 322 Permanent 322 Action 322 Activated 322 Sustained 322 Instant 322 How To Play Example 324 GAME MASTER’S GUIDE Non-Player Characters (NPCs) Level Stats Faith Playing Cards Exhaustion Health
330 330 330 331 331 331 332 332
Hacking NPCs NPC Traits Species Traits Friendly NPCs Time-Sensitive Events (TSEs) Advice for the GM Godly Moralities Cheating the System
332 332 333 333 333 334 335 335
MINIATURE RULES
337
THE CHARACTERS
339
General Rules Character Creation Advanced Characters Health & Damage Physical Damage Neural Damage ACS Damage
340 340 341 341 341 341 341
Dealing Damage 342 Armour 342 Unpreventable Damage 342 Cover 342 Health States 342 Normal 342 Bleeding Out 342 Traumatised 342 Dying 342 Toxicity 343 Attributes343 Agility 343 Constitution 343 Dexterity 343 Link 344 Mind 344 Faith 344 Skills344 Ballistic 344 Close Quarters Combat 345 Hacking 346 Piloting 347 Cunning 348 Survival 348 Initiative 348 Athletic 349 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) 349 Medical 349 Technical 350 Profession 351 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Spending Experience Points Godly Favours Species Traits Special Traits
353 353 354 356 360
UPGRADES Bio Upgrades Beauty Gene Chameleonic Brain Echolocation Eidetic Memory Endocrine Control Expanded Mind Feature Change Hardened Matrix Heterothermy Insomniac Mental Enhancer Nano Hooks Neural Recovery Phagocyter Powered Reflexes Super Elasticity Tissue Regeneration Ungodly Resilience Tech Upgrades Adaptable Breather Atomic Balance Bio Sensor Bionic Arm Bionic Spy Glass Cortex Connector 1.0 Cortex Connector 2.0 Edited Memories Gunslinger Nanoskin Optical Disruptor Shielded Skull Sonic Amplifier Vigor Enhancer TALENTS
361 361 361 361 361 361 361 361 361 362 362 362 362 362 362 362 362 362 363 363 363 363 363 363 363 363 363 364 365 365 365 365 365 365 365 366
Ballistic366 Close Quarters Combat 366 Hacking367 Initiative368 Athletic/EVA368 Piloting369 Survival369 Cunning370 Medical371 Technical371 Profession372 GODLY GIFTS
374
Divine Abilities 374 Divine Powers 374 Ergon374 Divine Shield 374
Judgment 375 Overload 375 Telepathy 375 Vortex 375 Hexia375 Altered Reality 375 Fragmented Reality 375 Future Sight 376 Hidden Truth 376 Time Warp 376 Kaliva376 Extended Awareness 376 Greed 377 Natural Selection 377 Phantom 377 Soulhunt 377 Vexal378 Gravity Shift 378 Planeswalker 378 Psychometry 378 Telekinesis 378 Unyielding Resolve 378 Ledger379 Death of Faith 379 Fear Fog 379 Gift of the Deceiver 379 Madness 379 Ledger’s Mark 379 THE GEAR
380
General Rules 382 Energy and ACS Damage 382 Common Characteristics 382 Ranged Weapons 382 Range 382 Types of Ranged Weapons 383 Firearm 383 Railgun X 383 Neural Weapon 383 Plasma X 383 Explosive 383 Ammo & Magazine 383 Close Combat Weapons 383 Fighting Styles 384 Suits384 Robots384 Other Items 384 Gear Anatomy 385 Symbols and Icons 385 Gear List 390 Ballistic Weapons 390 CQC Weapons Items Suits Robots
393 394 398 400
THE VEHICLES General Rules Naming a Captain Controlling a Vehicle Vehicle Sheet Vehicle Combat The Initiative Round Maintenance Phase Effects Stress Strain Moving Vehicles Speed The Vehicle’s Board Distance Between Vehicles Setting up the Board Movement on the Board Terrain Attacking a Vehicle Valid Counteractions
402 403 403 403 405 407 407 407 407 407 407 408 408 408 408 408 408 409 409
Crew of a Destroyed Vehicle 409 Hacking a Vehicle 410 Repairing a Vehicle 410 Hiding & Searching Vehicles 410 What Ambience? 410 Vehicle Creation 411 Systems411 Vehicle Models 411 Mark III Spacerunner 411 Am’Undsen Light Craft 412 Heavy Lee War Craft 412 Lin Meng Stealth Craft 412 Al’Mayin Stealth Warship 413 Elcano Explorere Vessel 413 Vehicle Customization 414 Core414 Cockpit414 Engineering415 Defence416 Weaponry417 Advanced Weaponry 417 Missiles 418 Hull419 Command419 Cargo420 Multipurpose421 Non Player vehicles (NPV) 423 INTRODUCTORY ADVENTURE A Relic in the Streets Chapter 1: A Relic in the Streets Chapter 2: Lair of the Black Watch Chapter 3: The Wild Party Chapter 4: The Shootout Ending the Adventure
426 428 428 430 432 432 433
NPC INDEX
THE CORVO
The Megacorps Megacorp Official Ma Ng Di Engun Wang Xuelin Cho Bei Xeon Magno Kan Jiang Perfect Soldier Law Officers Commander Lao Military Contractor The Heijian Sentient Trafficker Deviant Hacker Mona Lisa Zhui Enforcer Honcho Hwang Gun Hwang Enforcer Dynamite Dragonfly Enforcer Other Mama Soul Big T Corvo from the Colonies Scavenger Quan Conscript SSF Agent Poacher Exotic Quarry The Xulong Dragon Meeki The Dark Wizard Gyro Guard Road Rider Veteran Merc Pirate THE IZ’KAL
Law Officers Savak Soulbender Savak Operative Police Officer Outlaws and Radicals Smuggler Gh’Orb The Knight IFF Radical The Seer Firebird Kaheem Lahami Valko Whisperer
65 68 68 71 71 74 74 77
Other The Necromancer Kassima Lahan Hexian Iz’kal from the Colonies Memorial Al’ameen’ai Farmer Erthum’ai Nomad Roothound Sulivar’ai Hiver THE RAAG
80 80 83 84 87 87 89 89 91 91 94 99 129 132 133 137 137 141 143 144 147 147 149 151 164 176 176 179 179 181 181 183 183 184 184 185
189 191 191 211 211 213 217 217
The Councils Shadow Councillor Enginseer Grandsister The Clans Gamaar Kimora warrior Sister Dagun Eferi Soulbender Vashka Noteri pirate Fraaga Velada Tech Captain Dozar Jino Explorer Beast Icestalker THE HUMAN
229 229 231 233 233 235 235 237 237 239 239 241 241 255
The Human Front Commander Sada Thamp Commander DeFort Human Fronter Other Arka Bozag Scientist Fulcrum Thugs Empress Jazmeen Threesk Thug Wildbill Young Black Watch Thug Earthlings Eastern Waster Western Waster THE RAVAGER
Harvester Ironskin Lurching Horror Techno Infiltrator
267 267 269 272 281 281 283 283 285 285 289 289
297 298 299 300 301
FAITH: THE SCI-FI RPG FAITH: the Sci-Fi RPG is a roleplaying game set in an alternate future several hundred years in the future. Its known universe is a dark and unforgiving place, where technology and biological experimentation live side by side with Gods. These Gods are abstract moral entities in continuous conflict with each other. They can only affect reality through their believers, bestowing supernatural powers upon them. They are demanding and fickle, and will try to lure their followers into deadly quests in return for power.
The Iz’kal, descendants of ancient aquatic mammals, are capable of engaging in hyperlink, a neural connection resembling a hive mind. As preferred by their god Ergon, they embrace efficiency and equality through the State’s absolute control. Once enslaved by the now extinct Korian, the Iz’kal are former brothers-in-chains to the Raag, the fourth civilised species of the known universe. The Raag are violent but honourable clansfolk who use huge citadel spaceships to raid and search for the supplies they can’t produce in their icy homeworld. The Corvo and the Iz’kal coexist in a state of cold war. Both consider direct confrontation to be too risky, so instead they try to collapse each other’s economic system through fierce commerce, and fight black-op wars for resources in far away planets. They compete to found the most colonies in the exits of the Labyrinth - the vast web of wormholes that interconnects the known universe - and try to discover each other’s main supply and commerce routes. Impossible duels between hackers take place on a daily basis, fueled by the information provided by intelligence and counterintelligence agents; missionaries and inquisitors attempt to convert their enemies’ populations to their
This is our universe. Who will you be in it? A mercenary Human fighting to earn a place in intergalactic civilisation? A ruthless Corvo agent with access to the best tech and resources in the universe? A wise Iz’kal sage with the ability to read into the emotions of others? A hardy Raag barbarian riding a flying fortress into enemy territory? Who will be your God? Will you be a freethinker, unfettered by religion? Or a fanatic, exhibiting outrageous divine powers in exchange for blind devotion? This is the Universe. Welcome to FAITH.
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The Corvo are a humanoid insect-like species adapted to life in space, and most of their population lives in an ever expanding Dyson ring without ever experiencing gravity. Adherents of the free market economy, as proud followers of the god Kaliva, they live in a society ruled by the capricious ebbs and flows of the market and the long-term interests of the Megacorps that rule their civilisation.
The Corvo and the Iz’kal managed to maintain a fragile peace, but now a war has sprung in their faces. The deadly species of genetically-engineered mutants known as the Ravager have arrived, and they are consuming entire worlds in their quest to absorb DNA for the genetic databanks of their swarm queens. In recent years, they have quickly become a threat to all other known life forms, forcing the Corvo and the Iz’kal to reluctantly join forces against them. The ensuing military Coalition has spent the last two decades fending off the Ravager raids, trying to learn as much as possible about them, and stop it as best they can.
Introduction
In this Universe, Human civilisation collapsed back to tribalism, to the delight of Ledger, the god of chaos. Once again warlords, prophets, and madmen ruled the Earth, and the stars seemed unreachable. Then the Corvo arrived from the skies. The alien invaders saw potential in Humans and fed their internal wars, offering them weapons in exchange for workers and soldiers. The most ambitious warlords did not hesitate and forced their people into long and exploitative contracts in exchange for weaponry. The Corvo intended to use these brave mercenaries in black ops against their enemies, so they sterilised every Human in their service, so as to prevent the Iz’kal - or Earthlings themselves - from breeding their own Human army.
own religions; and agitators try to subvert the native species of their enemies’ colonies.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This is the only book you’ll truly need to play FAITH. In it, you’ll find all the core rules, the character creation and advancement rules, and a very broad introduction to the game’s setting - its core concepts, species, nations, organizations and locations. Furthermore, its pages are filled with adventure seeds and non-player characters to inspire your campaigns and make them feel truly alive. Use it to learn the game, to create the characters of your adventures and to inspire your stories with FAITH’s deep, complex setting. It has the following formatting:
Introduction
Black text over white background is normal text. It is used to explain the rules in the relevant chapters, and to dive into the lore of FAITH through the words and experiences recovered from Professor Turner’s logs and journals in the setting chapters.
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White text over black background is special text. It is used to give examples in the rules chapters and to tell stories in the setting chapters. Think of it as a little window into a table where players are enjoying a game, or into a corner of the universe of FAITH. Black text over grey background is advanced text. It is used to create additional depth, via either advanced rules in the rules chapters or adventure seeds in the setting chapters.
Italic grey text over white background is analytical text. It is used to give cues about how to use certain rules or link them to their in-game effects in the rules chapters; and to quote famous people in the setting chapters.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES You can visit FAITH’s website to find additional resources to help you understand the game and run your campaigns; and you are welcome to join us in any of our communities to get your questions answered by one of the game designers.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SYSTEM A roleplaying game is a collaborative storytelling experience with players getting into the role of imaginary characters in the universe created by the Game Master (GM). When playing FAITH, each player controls a single character - except for the GM, who has no character of his
own, but instead narrates the story and plays all secondary roles, also known as non-player characters (NPCs). In most cases, each player will design his own character, including his backstory, Attributes, Skills and Upgrades. Any player can be the GM of a session or adventure, as long as the other players agree.
WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY Players, any number of them. One will play as the GM and the rest will be characters. While there is no actual limit to the number of players, most RPGs work better with groups of three to six player characters. Remember, everyone should have the opportunity to shine and feel included; the bigger the group, the harder that is. If the group is too large, we recommend breaking it into two groups with two different GMs, who could be running parallel stories and characters could move from one to the other. There are no hard-and-fast rules on how to organise a gaming group. At least one player deck; the playing cards are used to resolve all actions during the game. It can be replaced by a poker deck, by simply translating the suits to their respective meanings in FAITH. One character sheet per player (the GM does not need one). These are used to keep track of such data as a character’s stats, health, condition and equipment. The FAITH system also offers some very useful, optional resources such as Gear cards to represent individual pieces of equipment and their stats, and non-player character cards, which describe the stats and abilities of any enemies, monsters or allies the players may run into.
WHY CARDS? Most RPGs use dice to add randomness into the game. In FAITH, we use cards instead. Each player has a hand of cards that represents the stamina of their character, giving them a lot of options when they are well rested and have a full hand, and limiting their options as they get tired and run out of cards. Playing high-value cards represents a big effort that will exhaust them, whereas playing low cars or cards whose suit match the environment will allow them to draw new cards and save up their energies. We want players to be able to manage their luck. In FAITH, players play cards from their hands, always choosing which card they play. This allows players to calculate their chances of success when it is their turn and to create a strategy accordingly. We believe this is an interesting alternative to rolling dice to resolve actions. Additionally, the beautifully illustrated cards of FAITH put the art of the game on the table and in front of the players at all times. They create an immersive experience and
allow players to familiarise themselves with the universe of the game, which can be especially hard in a sci-fi setting. Lastly, we have decided to put important pieces of gear and NPCs on cards, to prevent players from constantly checking the rulebook to see what they can and can’t do, and remind them of the gear they are carrying. By including illustrations in all these cards, we aim to keep players immersed in the stories they are playing, easing the task of mentally recreating an interesting science fiction setting.
THE GAME MASTER In this rulebook, we will always refer to the GM in feminine form and to the rest of the players in masculine form. This will allow some rules to be clearer and more easily understood.
The GM also controls all non-player characters, sets their personalities and interests, decides their actions and speaks for them; some GMs even like imitating voices and personalities (and a few are very good at it). In the end, it all comes down to creating an interesting story that everyone can enjoy, and to have fun together.
THE CHARACTERS The rest of the players are the protagonists of the story. They take on the role of self-created or assigned characters, enact their dialogues, decide their actions and carry out the relevant mechanics of the game to see whether these actions succeed. Each player controls a single character and develops their personality and goals in as much depth as he wishes. What are this character’s struggles? What are his dreams? The more compelling a character is, the more rewarding the experience of playing him. Interesting people attract other interesting people. Players are encouraged to talk about the history of their characters and how they imagine
As most roleplaying games do, FAITH uses a randomizer (in this case, playing cards) and a ruleset to regulate the gameplay. Additionally, it requires the group to understand certain abstractions to create an enjoyable playing experience. Below you can find the most common among them.
SESSIONS & SCENES A game of FAITH, called a campaign, can be as long as its players want, so it needs to be divided into sessions and scenes. A session is simply the allocated time frame for playing the game during a specific day. After each session, it is recommended that the players keep their decks, hands and discard piles for the next session. Scenes are the different situations that the characters of the story might get into. Usually scenes involve the achievement or failure of a certain goal, or a point during which there is a long enough break in the action for the characters to rest. Thus they are similar to scenes in films; a scene may be a diplomatic encounter, a creepy walk through an alien landscape or a deadly ambush. The GM determines the beginning and end of every scene as best fits the story.
ACTIONS & CONFRONTATIONS Everything a character does is an action. In FAITH, actions are usually successful by default. However, actions may fail if a character is really unskilled, the GM thinks it is interesting for the story, or someone being affected by it wants to stop it. These situations are called confrontations and they are resolved by playing cards, sometimes in opposition to other characters, or against natural obstacles. These actions are the building block of the FAITH system, and games revolve around them and their success - or failure.
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS) Non-player characters are all the characters in the game that are not controlled by a player. Most of the times, their actions and intentions will be determined by the GM.
TIME-SENSITIVE EVENTS (TSES) Time-sensitive events (TSEs) are pressing, immediate problems that pose an obstacle to the characters. There is a wide range of events, items, devices, and other things that can originate a TSE, such as a Firewall, an avalanche, or a high security lock. It is the job of the GM to determine when such obstacles should be considered TSEs for the purpose of confrontations, and to establish their difficulty.
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The GM describes the adventure scenarios, decides whether and how the players’ actions impact the story, and adjudicates all the rules. If the group cannot find a solution for a problem, the GM always has the final word. She should try to use this responsibility for the good of the story, preventing players from getting caught up discussing rules or arguing out of character.
THE GAMEPLAY
Introduction
The GM is, above all, a storyteller. She is the person in charge of everything but the player characters themselves. She creates - or follows - a story for the players to adventure in; this story sets the goals for the characters, and the GM is in charge of narration, moderating player interaction, adjudicating rules and creating the drama around story events.
them. Together, they can create an amazing group of characters that will experience great adventures and be a part of everybody else’s memories.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SETTING FAITH is a roleplaying game in a sci-fi setting, where starfaring alien civilizations race to explore a dangerous, unknown universe. The FAITH campaign is one of valiant space travelers, remote uncharted stars and bizarre alien technology. But it’s also a realm of mysterious, invisible forces – the Gods. These faceless entities rule over the lives of every creature in the universe; and the only proof of their existence has always been the outlandish, supernatural power they grant to those mortals that believe in them.
Introduction
In FAITH, you can be a star explorer, a soldier or a mystic believer, using a mix of technology, training and godgiven powers to survive the untamed regions of wild space against rival factions, alien perils and ruthless bandits.
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In all, FAITH is a huge, complex universe, and the plasma guns and interstellar travel are only the surface of a much deeper mystery of which no single living being can glimpse but the smallest part.
SCIENCE FICTION First and foremost, FAITH is a sci-fi setting. As such, it alFirst and foremost, FAITH is a sci-fi setting. As such, it all takes place in a far-future version of our universe, with speculative technology and interstellar travel. Sentient computers and space travel are a reality, as are the dangers of uncharted alien space; daring explorers carry high-powered plasma cannons and have their brains linked to formidable hacking devices. In this Universe technology reigns. Cybernetics and bio modifications are common, and the line between living and machine is blurred. Computers are so advanced that if it were not for the ban on AI, they would probably be running the universe instead of their creators. Some people have even managed to turn their minds into software in a quest to achieve immortality, but most people still live and die in their organic bodies. Computers are connected directly to the brain of their user, becoming an expansion of the mind rather than an external tool. Screens, keyboards and mouses are obsolete, as cortex connected computers are controlled by thought and information is directly fed into the brain. Ideas are directly transcribed to digital documents, and browsing the internet is just a matter of thinking about it. Analogic people are a minority, and most probably weird folk - who wouldn’t want such an expansion of the self? Thought is power, thought is action, thought is control.
In this universe there are autonomous cities that operate like clockwork and allow their citizens to indulge in leisure, but also cities where owning anything fancy is nothing but a death sentence and piles of misery and dirt block the streets. The most impressive technological achievement in the known universe is Tiantang, a Dyson ring where billions of Corvo live in all kinds of space stations, a place where generations upon generations of Corvo have lived without ever setting foot on a planet or feeling the pull of gravity.
GODS FAITH’s most distinguishing feature is the existence of Gods – mysterious entities, or natural forces, which give supernatural powers to those that follow them. Becoming a follower is as simple – and as difficult – as living by the tenets of the God’s philosophy. The Gods of FAITH are Ergon (God of Community), Kaliva (God of Survival), Vexal (God of Freedom), Hexia (God of Progress), and Ledger (God of Chaos). They are worshipped equally by all species, which ascribe them the same attributes regardless of their culture, location or social structure. This is often cited as proof that the Gods are actual entities and not subjective concepts, but the only conclusive evidence that the Gods exist manifests through the incredible powers of their true believers. If a God’s followers adhere to the corresponding doctrine, they may gain the blessings associated with that God, in the shape of preternatural abilities. Thus, in this universe, your beliefs indeed become real power. These powers specifically reflect the character and doctrine of the respective God that grants them; thus Ergon believers can open channels of communication across minds or distances; Hexia grants visions of the future and cosmic revelations; Kaliva followers are supernaturally dangerous hunters and killers; Vexal followers can freely move ignoring gravity or solid matter; and Ledger believers can cloud perceptions and bring madness. Only the Gods’ most pious or exemplary believers display these unusual abilities, and those with the greatest devotion or commitment to a God’s ideals are also those with the greatest power. From a scientific standpoint, it’s unknown whether these Gods are actual divine beings, a myth created to explain the powers of their followers; or psychic entities of some kind, created by the collective thoughts of their billions of believers. Whatever the truth, the fact remains that the most dedicated followers of the Gods can manifest their will with powers and abilities that can only be called supernatural. This mystifying religion system, which blurs the lines between psychic power and divine forces, is the main feature of the FAITH setting – and its heroes. Still more
important are the philosophical schools of thought behind each of the gods and their followings, and how these philosophies shape the goals and destinies of every sentient being in the Universe. Good and evil are far from absolutes in FAITH. There are no ‘bad guys’ here; there are simply different alien cultures trying to survive the wild region of space, each in their own way - with different philosophies and disparate goals. And of course, most individuals have their own agendas, which may or may not clash with the moral standards of their society.
ALIEN SPECIES
THE CORVO
The Corvo are in perpetual expansion, constantly annexing new worlds and resources to their federation, which they run exactly as a megacorporation. In fact, three Megacorps run the official Corvo government, and the species’ laws and customs revolve around marketing, PR and media.
THE IZ’KAL The Iz’kal are a progressive, orderly civilisation that has built its power and stability on social and genetic engineering. Their society is both single-minded and nonviolent, favoring the group over the individual and conformity over creativity. Despite this, the Iz’kal excel in all fields that require innovation, such as science and technology. Their society has enjoyed hundreds of years of uninterrupted peace, equality and prosperity. For the Iz’kal, this achievement is well worth the sacrifice of independent thought.
For all their technological and social advances, the Iz’kal and Corvo are relatively small and frail species when compared to other lifeforms. That’s why they use Humans – a backward species from an extinct civilisation in a remote corner of the universe – as mercenaries, soldiers and elite forces. Having lost their civilisation to war and pollution a few centuries back, Humans are a fallen species, their world as wild and dangerous as the farthest frontiers of space. They are taller and stronger than either the Corvo or the Iz’kal, but not as intelligent or advanced. Nevertheless, the Humans’ natural predisposition towards violence, combined with a strange, primitive bravery, and an unusual knack for improvisation, make them unmatched guards and shock troopers. Any Corvo or Iz’kal force will gladly pay high rates for a Human or two to lead their troops, and the formerly destitute species has carved itself a place as the best mercs in the business – the ones that will do the dirty job.
THE RAAG A nomadic species from a barren world, the Raag are the strongest sentient species on galactic record. When compared to Iz’kal or Corvo, Raag are almost giants; they are mostly used for tasks that require brute strength, from carrying heavy loads to military assault. Naturally mistrustful of technology, the Raag only came in contact with space travel when they were visited - and enslaved - by the conquering Korian species, which bred the Raag into one of the toughest, most aggressive species in the universe. Other than their violent strain, Raag are honorable and strong-willed, and they adapt easily to servitude. Freed from the Korian centuries ago, they accept their status as third-class citizens in both the Corvo and Iz’kal societies; this is, of course, as long as they have honest work and the chance to smash a few heads.
THE RAVAGER The dread Ravager are a predatory, survivalist species from outside the known Universe, which arrived from their far-off stars only recently, and quickly became the greatest threat ever faced by either the Corvo or the Iz’kal in their millennia-long history.
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The Corvo civilisation is the largest and most powerful in the known Universe. They are a highly technified, capitalistic society, and almost all of their achievements are a consequence of free market, technocracy and entrepreneurship. The Corvo invented starship drives, space habitats and – perhaps their most important technical advancement – the cortex connector. This discovery allows organic sentients to directly link into computer systems, which basically makes every Corvo a living data station.
THE HUMAN
Introduction
Two sentient species dominate the FAITH Universe – the technological, capitalistic Corvo, and the communal, progressive Iz’kal. The colonisation race between these two species has shaped their political, social and technological development, and their joint Coalition - created to resist the onslaught of the marauding Ravager species - is the single strongest military force in the uncharted frontiers of space. Two other species – the resourceful Humans and the hardy Raag – have also achieved prominence as space pioneers, although they are both lesser species, subservient to the Corvo and Iz’kal.
The Iz’kal are as xenophobic as they are peaceful, so they don’t engage in expansion wars; but their State keeps steadily expanding mostly because of their peerless organization and monolithic purpose, unmatched by any other species.
The Ravager absorb and reproduce the genetic traits of other species, so they don’t have a common appearance. To those encountering them for the first time, the Ravager tend to look like featureless aberrations out of some nightmare; and that’s as accurate an impression as any. The Ravager stop at nothing to conquer and consume any organism or planet in their path. Only the Iz’Kal-Corvo Coalition has ever stood their ground against the Ravager – and nobody knows whether they’ll manage it for long.
STARFARING
Introduction
Space travel is essential to the FAITH setting, and most adventures take place on remote worlds far from civilization – even intergalactic civilization – or onboard interstellar starships or space stations. Historians say that we are in the Space Age of Discovery, in which travel between systems is for the desperate, the greedy and the adventurous. Only the rich own their own spaceships, only large megacorps or the powerful State can found colonization efforts. Regardless, it seems that the sky is not longer the limit.
THE LABYRINTH Such intergalactic travel is possible thanks to The Labyrinth, a network of wormholes - spacetime portals that allow ships to cover light-year distances in a matter of hours. Travel between inhabited systems inside the Labyrinth takes a few months, and the journey is tough and dangerous.
THE FAR FRONTIER FAITH is an untamed universe. Other than the few, highly technified colony worlds and space stations of the Corvo and Iz’kal, the endless reaches of space remain a mostly unknown territory, as promising as they are menacing. Most people live in huge megacities or floating space stations in these high-tech colonies, but a few brave explorers have dared to wander or even settle the unknown frontier. The few settled worlds are connected by precariously established trade routes and beacon server ships, without which space exploration would be impossible. In this scenario, the industrialistic Corvo and the totalitarian Iz’kal race to be the first to conquer space - to finally tame the unending void.
faith: core book
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CORVO
IZ’KAL
CONFLICT
and favor of a God, but also turn her into a weapon in the eternal struggle between the Gods.
Besides divine powers and technology, the FAITH Universe is shaped by the relationships between alien species; from the power struggle between the Corvo and Iz’kal, and their barely-unified Coalition, to their dominance over their Human and Raag henchmen; from the social status granted by an individual’s species, to her faith in one God or another. Also, recent history has been altered by the Coalition’s struggle against the predatory Ravager species, which is surely destined to affect the future of space civilisations. There are no good or bad guys in FAITH. The Corvo and Iz’kal cultures both have their own ideas of how to run things, but they honestly seek to make life better, even if their views seem heartless or oppressive to outsiders.
When conflict occurs, it’s mostly at the fringes of lawful society: Opposing trade groups use spies and mercenaries to sabotage each other; bootleggers strive to control the black market; or darker criminals, like secret societies or cults, kidnap citizens or threaten the status quo. Other than that, the main source of conflict and adventure is space exploration itself, with its unpredictable dangers and mysteries - and the unprecedented threat of the Ravager, which may yet defeat the Coalition. As a FAITH campaign begins, the war still rages at the frontier of civilised space…
Introduction
The FAITH Universe is held together by belief and point of view. Every living being, every social group, has its own truth and stands for it. Intergalactic civilizations fight for their own ideals and cultures; splinter groups and secret societies further their own agendas from the shadows; and an individual’s own philosophy may grant her the attention
13 faith: core book
HUMAN
RAAG
Illus. Cody Williams
the universe
THE LOST LOG OF PROFESSOR TURNER
“[...] As reported during the verbal debriefing, Professor Turner had become absent-minded and brooding for the last couple of missions, ever since that trip to the asteroid ruins. Also as previously reported, he allowed none of my men to follow into said ruins, despite being fully aware of our duty to protect him. Of course we gave escort regardless, even against his wishes, but there were several times when he slipped our watch for two or three minutes. Since he finally returned unharmed, and the following expedition found nothing worth reporting in the ruins, the whole matter was forgotten after a few cycles. However, during the following five missions he showed increasingly distant and erratic behaviour, the details of which are given in report 13400986007B13, as delivered to the Conduct Research Team. And yet, when we returned to Feng HQ for the last time, he showed no sign of planning a disappearance; I assume HQ security will have much better intelligence on whatever actually took place the night he went missing.” “Research Team Beta confirms Captain Tarma’s story about those asteroid ruins (cf. Report 969915AG-A98); we have to conclude the Human Professor Turner found something in there, something he kept from his armed escort and even his closest assistants. Do his personal notes have any clue?” “Colonel, we have sent every last scrap of data to Feng Internal Research; I believe they’ll want to check those personal records first-hand.” “History as we know it began not with the first planets, the first stars or the Big Bang. Mortal History began with the first sentient being that knew of the Gods, and discovered he could bend reality to his will through his faith. Although every species has its own history and records, there is no Universal History anywhere - scholars have to research either the Corvo or the Iz’kal version at their respective datanets, or else ask a Human or Raag some of their creation myths - which are often closer to the truth than the fabrications of either the State or the Megacorps. But there is no unbiased, species-neutral record of History anywhere in the Universe. And if there was, it would have to be told from the point of view of the Gods. Did they create mortals, or did mortals create them? whatever the case, that’s when History begins.” <00:00> We don’t know where the Ravager originated or what they are. The ones we encountered were so mutated from the host lifeform it was impossible to tell what remained of the original creatures, if anything at all “...parasites, yes. That’s as accurate a way to describe them as any. Yet this term, as well, is too small for what the Ravager are. It falls short. They take over other lifeforms and add their genes to their… swarms, Humans call them. But these swarms are not made of infected hosts, as we once believed. Or at least not exclusively. Once the Ravager have your genes, they can mass-produce them. They can recreate an entire species from a single being - but it’s not the same species anymore. It has been modified, altered to suit the swarm’s needs. It has become Ravager.” “But professor, does this mean the Ravager could make a - let us say - modified army of what? Cloned Corvo?” “They could? Mr. Chang, I’m positive they already have.” “...and while they swarm our worlds with their seemingly mixed alien armies, they are certainly using us - or rather their twisted, mindless version of us - as their foot soldiers in some other world, in some other galaxy, right as we’re speaking… Lt MORS: There seems to be some kind of organic covering on the walls. I got tailhead taking samples for the research team. HQ: Waste no time, S4. The alterant may be gathering its strength somewhere close. Lt MORS: It’s… it’s strange. There’s more and more of the organic goo the deeper we go into the cave. It appears harmless, but... HQ: But? Lt MORS: I’d say it’s... alive, somehow... Tailhead says it even flinched a bit when he took the sample… BY VEXAL’S STARS! HQ: Please report status, S4. Lt MORS: It’s… it’s OK… We’re OK, HQ… but this… wait. Wait, I gotta see this closer. Lt MORS: We appear to have reached a larger cave in the complex… it’s all covered with the same goo… and it’s full of… Lt MORS: Oh… Oh no! It’s the Alterant! HQ, IT’S THE ALTERANT! And it’s got… it’s got... HQ: S4? Report status, S4. Lieutenant Mors? Larry? Larry! Lieutenant Mors, this is HQ, please report! <00:00> The Ravager live and die for their swarm, which is how they call their mobile colonies - well, the closest word we could find in our language anyway. Every swarm seems to be ruled by a single “queen”, who controls the actions of every other Ravager in the swarm. Queens are gigantic organic ships, but they look like they are creatures too… like Ravager hive organisms. Xenotech already speculated each Ravager mothership may be a single sentient being, but the idea of such things being… well, creatures… worse, a single creature… it’s too much to… Anyway. A swarm is as powerful as its queen - whatever the queen is - and the swarm’s only purpose is to protect the queen and help her evolve. We know from previous engagements that different swarms can and do collaborate, but last cycle we had the chance to witness a fight between two swarms. It ended with the victorious queen devouring the defeated one and the complete annihilation of the losing swarm. <00:00> The Ravager seem to have no society or government as we understand the term - they have no nations, no place names, no institutions, laws or currency... far as we know, they may be no smarter or more organised than insects, with different castes bred for specific tasks. Yes, <00:00> Not much time. If anyone links to this - I’m Gara Haino, Spec Ops Lancer of the Coalition’s 3rd Fleet. I’ve been hiding in… well, I don’t know where this is. I… I deciphered… Or I think I deciphered, my translation software started doing this weird… anyway. This is important. Very. And I don’t know if I’ll live to take it off this planet… hive, whatever this is. I hope… No. Nothing I say can… just link to this. It’s from their network. It’s them talking to each other. It’s horrible, how they talk, how they… but I must… I’m attaching it here in case anyone finds my… well, just link to it. May Kaliva take us all. The Ravager ...thing we know of Ravager history begins the moment they attacked Izuan Tai in Corvospace. Before that, we got nothing. They have obviously existed for a long time, as at Izuan Tai they already had plenty of different creature variations to attack us with. They must have been doing the same thing for at least a few centuries now - assimilating, adapting, breeding, and decimating other species. Which leads me to think - if we stop the Ravager, we may be the only ones to ever do so. <00:03> I fear this might be my last entry. They seem to <0:21 feed continues> ...illed. He asked me not to bring him with me to this expedition. I told him I needed him. It is my fault. Not theirs, not his, but mine. They do not understand what they do, They are but mere mindless predators. “Now I know. Their coming made no sense. It rallied the universe against a common enemy, but it threatened to destroy everything all the same. Some were warned. Some found clues of their coming. Because those who search for the voices of the Gods end up finding them. 
