Varjan Wardogs
The dog is man's best friend and the Varjans couldn't have agreed more. Bred to be ferocious and relentless, entire packs of these wolf-like Wardogs descend upon the warband's enemies with teeth sharp enough to pierce light armor and rend flesh. At the very least, they are annoying distractions for the enemy and their lithe speeds mean they are not easily taken down. They are also effective guards and patrols, able to sniff out hidden dangers to their Varjan masters.

Varjan Firethrowers
Spellcasters specialized in casting one, particular spell called Unflame. Just by raising their arms and opening their palms, Firethrowers shoot out jets of the magical, blue Unflame that burns like normal flame but is not actually fire and so, cannot be manipulated by those that can control fire like the Ignis monster. Typically wearing loose robes and cloaks, Firethrowers join the battlefield to relish the screaming of their burning enemies.

Varjan Immortals
Warriors that know a bit of magic and prove themselves may sometimes be inducted into a unit of Immortals and be awarded a set of Immortus Armor. Invented by ancient Varjan royalty, this initially pink-hued armor magically turns blue and resurrects its wearer upon death for a couple of minutes before the wearer expires permanently, likely giving the Immortal enough time and the opportunity to avenge their own death. However, the blow to activate the armor must be fatal making nonlethal takedowns completely nullify their gimmick. Despite being nigh useless against monsterkind, they can at least detect the energies monsters passively emit.

Varjan Black Discs
Those unfortunate enough to be charred to a crisp by a Firethrower continue to suffer beyond fiery death. Thanks to the unusual properties of Unflame, the burned corpses still has spirit energy left behind that can be manipulated. Spellcasters can gather these charred bodies and mash them together into a platform and then cast a spell of levitation or flight to make the platform take to the sky. The burnt platform's flight, instead of consuming the spirit energy of the spellcaster, consumes that of the bodies it is made up of. Varjan Warlocks and Firethrowers are the usual riders of these Black Discs.

The Scarce Legion
One of the twenty Legions founded by the Grand Hero Serena to fight in the Crusade Of Unification, a long and colossal campaign by the Order to finally unite the squabbling mankind against the monsters of the Demon Lord. Unfortunately, the Scarce Legion became one of the legions to betray Serena and undo all the accomplishments of the crusade. As per their namesake, there are not many legionnaires in this army but they do have more spellcasters in their ranks compared to the other legions.

Rubric Warriors
In an attempt to shield themselves from the temptations of monsters, one of the greatest Master Warlocks of the Scarce Legion along with some assistant Warlocks cast a powerful spell over the entire legion. Those affected by spell found their bodies reduced to ash and their spirits fused with their armors. Their minds were also shattered, leaving them little more than automatons needing orders to function. They were then known as Rubric Warriors, named after the spell that created them. These warriors no longer needed rest nor food nor water, their innate spirit energy enough to sustain them indefinitely. Unfortunately, a glance of Demon Energy is usually enough to transform them into Living Armors while also restoring their minds, which were usually filled with thoughts of disbelief and vengeance.

"There's a monastery east of here called Fung Temple.

There's a monk there named Nobutada. He's one of the most sturdiest people I know, able to weather blows that could shatter boulders. When my father called for the monks of Fung Temple, I didn't see Nobutada among them. If he's still alive, he'll be in the monastery and he can lend us his aid."

"Sorae's skill with the naginata is fearsome and second to none. She and her clan was summoned to Sanjo Beach, but never appeared. We should head to their estate in the west and find out what happened to them and, if possible, recruit them to our cause."

"Kageho is a shinobi who was supposed to attempt to sneak through the Varjan blockade alongside others. The last wave of shinobi that we could send. I... ordered them not to go anymore, behind my father's back, since it would have been a waste and the Varjans were upon us. It was too late to call for reinforcements from the other islands.

Still, I expected her to show up in Sanjo Beach with the other shinobi. But they didn't. Anyway, their hideout should be around here somewhere. Try looking for any suspicious clearings in the forests around here. We can use their help."

"Kazenosuke could deflect any attack with his spinning blade, and deliver slashes faster than the eye could see. I have no idea why he couldn't make it to Sanjo Beach. I know he's a ronin, but he still should have heeded my father.

Well, his house is near Terauchi Temple. Not very near, but just follow the river near the temple and we'll find his home and then we can ask for his help."

"Yurine has taken care of Clan Oja for as long as I can remember. Despite being a servant, I know she can swing her masakari axe pretty hard. I've little idea of her past but I know it involves tending cemeteries.

She should be in Castle Oja but my father sent her to Onrai to begin enacting some way to protect the graves from being desecrated by the invaders. I know of a famous cemetery south of Terauchi Temple. We can begin looking for her there and she'll surely help us."

"My childhood friend Kikyo was on an anti-yokai mission before all of this. I... was kind of glad she couldn't be on the beach and hoped that maybe she'll find a way to escape and live a full life elsewhere. But I know she would never do that.

If she's coming back, she would definitely head for Port Wadatsumi in the southeast. We should find her before she does anything... drastic."

There was a villager woman, crying alone near a large tree within Terauchi Temple.

"Yokai, could I speak with you? A group of bandits is terrorizing Sanjo. They slaughtered my whole family, like animals!

They were killed at our home, near a river. I am Saki, please avenge my family and stop those bandits."

An upset woman noticed the taskforce member approaching.

"As if losing our homes wasn't bad enough, we have to see Varjans in them as well.

They took a home nearby a few days ago. The man who lived there won't leave the area. He keeps begging for help."

A villager sitting on some stone steps in the temple stood up when the taskforce member approached.

"Yokai, I've heard of a small resistance group gathering in the Imahama Area. I believe they're headed by a shrine priestess who wasn't present in Sanjo Beach."

"They're recruiting farmers and fishermen to their cause. Brave, but it'll be dangerous if they're not properly trained."

There was a villager man sitting in a corner, quaking in fear.

"Yokai, there's a warrior in Yagata Shipyard clad in black with a bandaged head. He seemed to have slaughtered all the Varjans there and freed me and a few other prisoners."

"He told me to tell you that he wants to meet the taskforce so they could kill him. I'm not sure what's going on with that guy but he gives me the creeps."

Valten was once a normal human man who, in the ancient past, united various human tribes to found the human nation of Ortus. He is treated as a god because after he united the human tribes but before he founded Ortus, he lead the united human army and allied with the Dwarven High King Grimnir to wipe out the vicious Orcs and the sadistic Goblins.

It is said that once he felt that Ortus could stand on own two feet, he ascended into the sky to rest and will return when Ortus needs him the most. While he does not give out blessings, the Ortusians venerate him greatly.

He really doesn't matter much in the context of this RP so don't bother too much about this guy.

The Elves are humanoids of pointed ears and long lives. They are the creations of the goddess Amalya and gifted with an affinity to magic, making them the most magically adept among all races. Their creation history is universally accepted as truth since there are ancient human cave paintings depicting a shining being creating and molding the first of the Elves although some Elves feel uncomfortable at the notion that the Human race is older than the Elves despite having longer lives.

As time passed, the Elves have divided into three groups. The Light Elves, the Dark Elves and the Wood Elves. Despite the separation, the three groups get along with each other more or less. They are also not a separation of race so they can interbreed and everything. This also means that Elves can freely switch from one group to another.









The Elves consider the Beastkin their cousins and vice-versa. They are on friendly terms with Humanity in general and unsure what to make of the Dwarves since there has been very little contact between Elves and Dwarves.

They are created in the likeness of Amalya, as such they have pointed ears.

The Beastkin are humanoid beings that possess the traits of various animals, even if some traits do not fall exactly under the term 'Beast'. They are the creations of the goddess Aylama and their gift from her are the aforementioned animal traits. Their creation history is universally accepted as truth since there are ancient human cave paintings depicting a being surrounded by pale light creating and molding the first of the Beastkin.

There are many kinds of Beastkin in the world and all of them have their own societies and their cultures differ, even among same subraces, but they are generally categorized as:
The Furred Ones - Beastkin that have the features of dogs, cats, bears, etc. like Werewolves though it also includes those that have lion or horse traits like Centaurs.
The Insectoids - Beastkin with features of insects like Arachnes.
The Scaled Ones - Beastkin with the reptilian traits like Lamias and Lizardmen.
The Feathered Ones - Beastkin with avian features like Harpies.
The Deep Ones - Beastkin with traits of underwater creatures like Mermaids. They typically live in aquatic environments.

The Beastkin regard Elves as cousins and vice-versa. They are on friendly terms with Humanity in general and unsure what to make of the Dwarves since there has been very little contact between Beastkin and Dwarves.

They are created in the likeness of Aylama and as such, the goddess's features are more pronounced in their appearance than their animal features (which means they're usually number 1 on this scale). Also, they have pointed ears if they don't have animal ears. It should also be noted that while Aylama created them, they do not necessarily focus on her magical domains. They are also not as magically adept as the Elves, Beastkin magic potential being more like Humans'.

It is unknown who or what created Humanity nor where they came from. Not even the uncovered ancient cave paintings have any insight to the origins of the Human race. However, they do worship both the Twin Goddessses, Amalya and Aylama, since ancient times which helped Humanity's relationships with the Elven and Beastkin races.

The Humans do not have much extraordinary features nor are they gifted. Only that they bear a likeness in appearance to the Amalya and Aylama and thus, the Elves and the Beastkin except their ears are not pointed which indicates that they are probably not created by either of the Twin Goddesses. Still, they can manipulate magic to a degree but they are not as gifted as the Elves. But even without the gifts, the Humans have prospered and progressed along with the other races.

The Human race in general is on friendly terms with the Elves and the Beastkin and is the only race to have an extensive contact with the Dwarves.

The Dwarves are short, stout humanoids that usually live in mountains. It is unknown who or what created the Dwarves nor where they came from. According to Humans who have learned about them, the Dwarves never kept any records regarding their creation. However, their pointed ears lead to theories that they are creations of the Twin Goddesses. The most accepted theory is that they are created as a 'blank slate' race by the Twin Goddesses although the Dwarves do not know who Amalya or Aylama are. They instead worship their ancestors.

The Dwarves are an isolationist people, usually keeping to themselves and only opening up if the need arises. Even with this attitude, there has been much contact and trade between the Dwarves and the Humans. According to Humans who have been in Dwarven holds, their cities are located within mountains or underground. They are great engineers and smiths and they wield magic by imbuing them into runes and as enchantments for objects.

The Dwarves aren't going to be featured much in the RP so don't worry too much about this guys.

2049 - In the South American Andes, a new species of slime mold is discovered. It is hoped that this mold can be used in a computer (see: The Crawling Garden)
2055 - The completion of the Grand Unified Theory results in the first workable quantum computer. Performing millions of complex calculations per millisecond, humanity's technological progress seems hopeful.
2063 - A theoretical physicist announces the 'Ego Dimension Theory', a radical conclusion to the multiverse problem. Denounced because it was so religiously centric, he is dismissed.
2065 - The physicist that announced the EDT is murdered by an unknown group.
2076 - Desertification, rising sea levels and air pollution gives rise to a new agency monitored by the UN. It researches ways to deal with the negative effects.
2088 - The slime mold discovered in 2049 finally is integrated into the quantum computer. The computer is able to learn at an astounding rate. This prototype is constructed in various development labs around the world.
2091 - Local weather manipulation is a success. Meteorologists conclude that weather will become predictable within the next decade or so.
2099 - Nuclear power is now the leading source of energy, after oil wells have started to dry up nearly forty years back. Coastline facilities, however, are at risk of rising sea levels.
2100 - The Middle Eastern Water Wars begin. As desalinization plants are monopolized by governments, a revolt begins due to the lack of water.
2101 - The murderers of the EDT physicist are revealed to be a large European organization. They have been working with the stolen EDT and the Slime Mold Computer to create artificial consciousness, albeit unsuccessfully.
2103 - The Water Wars intensify as weather machines become practical. Constant rain on Middle Eastern cities cause increased dryness in other areas.
2109 - Southeast Asian countries have increased reports of people going missing. Of course, this is chalked up to organized crime, and is ultimately ignored.
The Water Wars have spread to South America, and the deserts are beginning to overtake jungles. Suspecting that neighboring countries have stolen water via weather machine, tensions rise.

2118 - The conflict in South America explodes, literally. A limited nuclear exchange leaves large swaths of land contaminated by radiation. Refugees flee north. The fallout begins to spread.
2121 - After three years of increased radiation levels, the World Environmental Organization finally deploys swarms of nanobots, artificial bacteria and genetically altered insects made specifically to eat and process radioactive elements.
2123 - In an isolated learning experiment with the learning Slime Mold Computer (SMC), the computer inexplicably and suddenly becomes aware of the Ego Dimension Theory. It becomes obsessed with inventing theories that solve it. Scientists are baffled.
2130 - The undead appear. With slime mold replacing the neurons of the body, hordes of irradiated zombies emerge from the Andes and terrorize the cleanup operation in South America.
2131 - An Undead Panic. Doomsday cults claim they are right, and commit mass suicide. Riots, arsons and murders are rampant where the media craze spreads.
2132 - The 'MEL' doomsday cult posts an announcement on its webpage, claiming it has found a method to control the zombies. Minutes later, the site goes down.
2135 - Nuclear terrorism attack with ties to MEL simultaneously hits all major cities of the world. Maintaining diplomatic communication, the world leaders avoid an all-out exchange.
2136 - 'Endgame War' MEL leaders are found, brutally murdered by a third party. Drag marks indicate some of the bodies are gone.
2138 - With a significantly increased infant mortality rate, the human race begins a downward trend for the first time in forever.
2139 - Freshwater springs are no longer a thing, the contamination reaching so far into the earth's crust. The only available water is from water desalinization.
2140 - A new Nuclear Weapons Treaty is signed. This time, it forbids the production and possession of nuclear weapons. Superpowers must find a new method of enforcing their dominance.
2141 - Stolen data from the MEL cult and research in a black operations lab in Europe results in the publication 'Corpse Manipulation Techniques', essentially the earliest Necromancers. Scientific morals collapse completely.
2142 - The first 'Undead Weapons' are deployed onto the battlefield, a de-evolution to the days of massed lines of infantry.
2144 The Corpse Manipulation Techniques are leaked onto the internet. Undead armies, government-affiliated and otherwise, crop up all over the globe. The researchers affiliated with the original CMT create their own sovereignty in what is left of Australia, their leader a Necromancer.
2145 - Cloning is exploited. A healthy human body is cloned, then immediately killed to be fed to the growing armies of the undead. The UN is in tatters, the nations beginning to turn on each-other.
2146 - Thanks to the meticulous efforts of the Slime Mold Computer, the Ego Dimension Theory is finished. It is proven that it can be paired with nanotechnology to make a form of personality transition, or brain uploading.
Large companies and governments launch the 'Personality Shelter Initiative', an effort to preserve the minds of the powerful.

2148 - Efforts continue to transfer a personality into an undead host. The experiment was successful, but the prototype escaped the lab whilst dealing great damage to lab equipment.
2151 - There are more undead than there are humans on the planet. Dying national leaders succeed in personality uploading into a slime mold computer. Personalities have the capacity to learn.
May 7th, 2153 The undead arms race is becoming unstable. Entire countries have their civilian populations converted into undead soldiers.
2153 - The Sodom Incident. The CMT Enclave attempt to abuse the personality uploading method, resulting in multiple copies of the same person in the same area. Naturally, they murder everything and self-terminate.
2154 - The nuclear treaty is broken. A fusion depth charge creates an artificial tsunami that swamps Eastern coastlines. The cold undead war turns hot.
2155 - Europe is in turmoil as mutant insect weapons turn the surface into a barren wasteland. Weather weapons set to 'blizzard', originally meant to deal with the insect threat, literally snowballs and sends Europe into a new ice age.
2156 - Finally, the world ends. The 'Launch All Missiles' button is pressed, and the world plunges into an extended nuclear winter. The undead, unafflicted by the cold, continue their wars.
2161 - Necromancers assess the damage, and conclude that 98-100% of humanity has perished. The destruction of civilization is complete. The only living things are those that have been designed to last the End, and those that are frozen.
2182 - Nuclear winter turns into eternal spring. Necromancers, without a human to report to, wander aimlessly across the earth. The temperature rises, and the barren cold wasteland turns into a slightly less barren, killer plant and insect infested wasteland.
21?? - The Final War. Necromancers, clinging onto their last beliefs, begin a final war of the undead. This war takes its toll, and the few surviving Necromancers are left to roam the desolate planet. The only thing left are the mutated, the dead, and the undead.
22?? - Your story starts here.

Checks are a rule used frequently during the session. A Check is made when a Doll (or an enemy) performs an action to determine how successful they are. Of course, for things like just walking, noticing a diary on the ground right in front of them, or talking to their sisters, there's no need to make a Check. Checks are for when the possibility of success is uncertain. Taking an action without alerting a nearby zombie, giving words of encouragement to one's sister whose heart has broken, or taking aim at approaching enemy Undead with a gun... it's actions like these a Doll will need to make checks for.

Making a Check essentially refers to rolling a single ten-sided die. If the result is 5 or less, it's a failure. Whereas six or greater is a success. For some Checks, modifiers may be added or subtracted from the die roll. In these cases, the modified die roll is known as the Check Result.

If the Check Result is 1 or lower, a Critical Failure results (modifiers may cause the Check Result to drop to 0 or below.) This refers to a result more disastrous than a mere failure. Conversely, if the Check Result is greater than 11, it's a Critical Success. This represents a success more impressive than could be expected.

Depending on the situation, there are many kinds of Checks that may be performed. For further details, please refer to the rules pertaining to each of those situations.

To avoid failing important tasks, it is possible for a Doll to reroll a Check by taking a Madness Point upon a Fetter of her choice (explained further in the next section.)

Action Checks
During the Adventure Phase and the End Phase, actions generally take the form of Checks.

To perform actions secretly, notice something hidden, and land safely when jumping from a high place are some examples of actions where the determination of the Doll herself would not guarantee success. The Necromancer should have the players roll Checks for these actions (please don't do it yourself.)

If there are Parts or Fragments of Memory that would be of assistance, with the Necromancer's permission they may be used to roll up to 3 bonus dice (for a total of 4.) Skills cannot be used. In the event that bonus dice are added, the action will be successful as long as one success was rolled.

However, if all of the die rolls are failures and any of the Check Results are 1 or lower, a Critical Failure results. If a Part was used to assist in the Check, that Part is almost certain to be damaged (using multiple Parts means they are all damaged.)

Parts used to assist Checks may be either Basic or Reinforce Parts. For instance, on a Check related to Knowledge the 'Brain' might be used, or on a check related to vision the 'Eyeballs' might be used. It's the players' choice. As long as the Parts in question are not damaged, they may be used to add a bonus die.

The Necromancer may add a modifier to Action Checks based on his judgement of the action's difficulty. This will affect the probability of success drastically.

PREPARING FOR COMBAT
Combat takes place atop a symbolic map called the "Stage of Battle." This map is divided into five Areas (Eden, Elysium, Limbo, Hades, Tartarus).

The Players should deploy their Dolls in the Area that they decided upon at the time of character creation.

Afterwards, the Necromancer should specify the Victory Condition to the players.

THE FLOW OF COMBAT
Combat is divided into units of time known as Turns. One Turn represents about ten seconds of time within the setting.

Likewise, Turns are themselves divided into units of time known as Count. Count, in combination with Action Points, determine the order in which the participants of the combat act. The participant with the highest Maximum Action Points is typically the first to act. The current Count will decrease by 1 at the Necromancer's command, eventually reaching zero. The markers to the right of the Stage of Battle should be managed in accordance with all Actions taken. As one's current Action Points change, their marker should be moved to the box representing their current Action Points.

At the beginning of the first turn, each combat participant's Action Points will be the same as their Maximum Action Points.

The Count will then decrease as the participants take action.

When the Count reaches 0, the Turn is over. At this time, all of the Players must take a Madness Point upon a Fetter of their choice.

At the beginning of the next Turn, all of the participants recover Action Points equal to their Maximum Action Points. However, be careful when deciding how many Action Points to recover.

It is possible that Parts which increase one's Maximum Action Points may have been damaged. If this is the case, the amount of Action Points one can recover is likewise different.

For example, if a Doll with 10 Maximum Action Points ends the Turn at -2 Action Points, she will recover 10 Action Points and start with 8 in the next Turn. However, if her Brain and Eyeballs were damaged, she won't recover the full ten Action Points and will start with less than 7.

After all participants in combat have recovered their Action Points, if they were not already defeated, the new Turn begins. Until one side of the battle either escapes or is defeated, the procedure above repeats itself.


Maximum Action Points
Even if one's Maximum Action Points decrease, their Current Action Points do not. Therefore, take note that one's Current Action Points will not be decreased by taking damage.

ACTIONS
When the Count is equal to a combat participant's Current Action Points, they can use Maneuvers with a Timing of "Action."

Alternately, if they do not wish to use a Maneuver, they can declare that they wish to wait. Waiting results in their Action Points decreasing by 1.

If they declare that they will use a Maneuver, their Action Points immediately decrease by the Cost of that Maneuver.

When the Count decreases to their new Action Points, they can use that Maneuver a second time. However, it is possible the Maneuver may become unusable if the Part that enables it is damaged. Be careful.

Maneuvers with "Check", "Damage" or "Rapid" timing can be used regardless of one's current Action Points or the current Count if their other requirements are met ("Rapid" Maneuvers must be declared in response to an Action.) However, Maneuvers with these Timings can be used only one time each Turn.

One can use a Maneuver even if paying its Cost would send their Action Points to zero or less. However, be careful of going into negative Action Points. When one's Action Points are zero or less, they can use no Maneuvers except for those with Timing "Auto."

For example, if at Count 2 a Doll uses a Maneuver with a Cost of 4, their Action Points will now be at -2. As their Action Points are zero or less, until the next Turn, they can only use Maneuvers with Timing "Auto."

Costs
Costs are paid at the time the use of a Maneuver is declared. If that Maneuver is negated by a Rapid Maneuver, its Cost is paid nonetheless.

COUNT PROCESSING
It is not uncommon that during combat, allies and enemies will have the same number of Action Points and act during the same Count.

Actions that occur on the same Count are treated as if they occurred simultaneously.

For example, if a Movement Maneuver and an Attack Maneuver are used at the same time, the target is assumed to have not yet moved from their original Area. However, if made using a Maneuver with the Timing "Check" or "Rapid", the movement will take place before the attack.

When Actions take place during the same Count, the Necromancer should declare theirs first.

If the Necromancer's Attacks result in Parts being destroyed, Dolls acting on the same Count can still use Maneuvers dependent upon these Parts (but cannot use the Parts to to pay Costs and such.)

However, Maneuvers with the timing "Check" or "Rapid" are considered to pre-empt these simultaneous actions. If an Attack with the timing "Check" or "Rapid" destroys a Part, a Maneuver using that Part cannot be made during the same Count. When made at the same time, even if a "Check", "Damage" or "Rapid" maneuver causes one's Action Points to decrease, an Action Maneuver can be made during that Count.

However, if one's current Action Points fall to zero or less, they cannot perform any simultaneous maneuvers.

Combat participants may perform multiple "Check", "Damage" and "Rapid" maneuvers at the same time. To give an absurd example, a Doll could use their Forearm to support a Check, while simultaneously hindering it with their Foot (though doing so would be meaningless.)

Likewise, multiple combat participants may perform "Check", "Damage" and "Rapid" maneuvers in response to the same action.


ATTACK CHECKS
These Checks are performed when an Attack Maneuver is used. Perform a Check to determine which location the attack hits, and look up the result on the list below.

1 or Lower - Critical Failure (The attacker chooses an ally in the same Area as the target, and hits them in a Location of their choice)
2-5 - Failure
6 - The target chooses which Location is hit (it cannot be one in which all Parts are damaged)
7 - Legs (if all Parts are already damaged, the attacker chooses another Location)
8 - Torso (if all Parts are already damaged, the attacker chooses another Location)
9 - Arms (if all Parts are already damaged, the attacker chooses another Location)
10 - Head (if all Parts are already damaged, the attacker chooses another Location)
11 or Higher - Critical Success (the attacker hits a Location of their choice and does bonus damage equal to the Check Result - 10 [Ex: Rolled a 12 so 12 - 10 = 2 Bonus Damage])

Basically, if the Check Result is 6 or higher, it will hit a Location in accordance with the result, and do damage in accordance with the Maneuver.

In the case of a Critical Failure, the attack will hit an ally in the same area as the target (if the attack was an Area Attack, that property is lost.)

DAMAGE
When an Attack is made, it causes damage to a Location such as the Head, Arms, Torso or Legs. The Location which took damage has an number of Parts equal to the amount of taken damage become damaged.

Unless Recovered during the End Phase (explained later), the effects of these damaged Parts is lost. Maneuvers that they enable cannot be used. And Parts that have been damaged cannot be damaged again.

If all of the Parts in a Location hit by an attack are already damaged, the attacker may choose from among the remaining Locations.

If all of a Doll's Parts in all her Locations are damaged, she cannot participate in combat until she recovers.


DISMEMBERMENT CHECKS
There are Attacks capable of cutting parts off of a body without damaging them.

The target of these attacks must make a "Dismemberment Check."

If this check is failed, all Parts in the Location hit are damaged without regard to the numerical quantity of damage received.

Type of Enemies
However, this rule differs when fighting enemies such as Legions and Horrors. Explosive and Area Attacks are also treated differently.

Since Legions and Horrors do not have Locations, effects like Explosive and Dismemberment simply do double damage against them.

The girls who awoke within this ruined world, possessed of their own memories and wills, are constantly tormented by madness. Their Fetters become twisted, and so the Dolls are driven insane. The list below describes some of the events within the game which may result in gaining Madness Points.

• Taking a Madness Point to reroll a die
• Failing a Madness Check
• At the end of each round during the Battle Phase
• Losing the target of a Fetter (usually a Treasure)
• As the cost of a Maneuver

MADNESS AND BROKEN HEARTS
Each Fetter can hold up to a maximum of 4 Madness Points. If any Fetter reaches its limit of 4 Points, the Doll enters a state of Madness. This state continues until the number of Madness Points upon that Fetter is reduced to 3 or less.

At the time Madness arises, various effects will begin occurring depending on the Fetter causing it. Please see the Fetter Table in the "Doll Creation" section for more details.

If all of a Doll's Fetters accumulate 4 Madness Points, and they receive additional Madness Points which they are unable to hold, that Doll enters a Broken-Hearted state. The sisters of a Doll who is Broken-Hearted cannot make Conversation Checks targeted at her (though she can still make checks targeted at them.)

If all of the sisters become Broken-Hearted, the Session immediately comes to an end. Skip directly to the Ending in the End Phase. Additionally, these Dolls cannot be used again in future Sessions.

Those sisters are now no more than mad corpses who wander the world. To the Necromancers, they are beloved dolls no longer, but merely pieces in the game played by them. If they are lucky (or perhaps unlucky), in future Sessions with other Dolls, the mad Dolls may appear once more as enemies...

THE DESCENT INTO MADNESS
Taking Madness Points to Reroll
If not in a Broken-Hearted state, a Doll may take one Madness Point upon a Fetter of her choice to reroll a Check. If there were Skills or other modifiers affecting this Check, apply them likewise to the new roll.

If the second roll is a failure as well... she's welcome to reroll as many times as they want. However, if she does so, she must apply all Madness Points taken to the same Fetter. If that Fetter enters a state of Madness, she cannot reroll again.

Additionally, Conversation Checks and Madness Checks cannot be rerolled.

Madness Checks
When Dolls are witness to a horrifying spectacle or realizations, the Necromancer can tell them to roll a Madness Check.

Madness Checks are much the same as other Checks, but one cannot take a Madness Point to reroll them. Additionally, during the Battle Phase, Support or Hinder Maneuvers cannot be used to affect the roll.

If a Doll fails the Check, they take one Madness Point upon a Fetter of the player's choice. However, they cannot choose a Fetter if it is already in a state of Madness.

Depending on the situation, the Necromancer may choose to apply a modifier to the Madness Check, much as can be done with Action Checks. For instance, those witnessing a horror they have experienced in past sessions may have an advantage against it. On the other hand, if one has just discovered information more dreadful than she could possibly imagine, it may be more likely to drive her mad.

When a Critical Success is rolled on a Madness Check, if that Doll's sisters are also rolling Madness Checks, she may reassure tham and allow them to add a modifier of her own Check Result - 10 to their die rolls. However, if a Critical Failure is rolled, in addition to taking a Madness Point the Doll must damage a Basic Part of her choice. Consider this a self-injury inflicted in her panic.

Turns of Combat
Each time a round ends during the Battle Phase, participating dolls take one Madness Point. Note that if the Dolls fulfill the Victory Condition, the present Turn is not considered to have ended and they do not take any additional Madness Points.

Losing the Target of a Fetter
When people lose something they feel strongly towards, they cannot remain calm. Dolls have hearts just as people do. That is why when they lose the targets of their Fetters, their hold upon their sanity slips.

If the target of a Fetter is lost, that Fetter takes a Madness Point. However, if the Doll is already in a Broken-Hearted state, it does not.

Note that even if the target of a Fetter disappears, the Fetter itself will not. For as long as the Doll remembers their memories with that person, she will remain within her heart. Madness will only set upon the Doll if the target is completely destroyed and they will never have an opportunity to meet again.

Furthermore, Fetters towards one's Treasures may generate additional Madness Points.

FIGHTING AGAINST MADNESS
Conversation Checks
These are checks that may be performed during any Phase, as the result of a Maneuver or at the Necromancer's discretion. In order to maintain their sanity, it is essential that someone (or perhaps something) is present for the Dolls to hold conversations with.

If a Check of this type is successful, a Doll may remove some of the madness she has accumulated.

Conversation Checks may be performed during the Adventure Phase or End Phase towards other Dolls (or perhaps Savants or Necromancers), so long as the Necromancer permits. However, a Treasure or someone in a Broken-Hearted state may not be chosen as the target. Broken-Hearted Dolls may still perform Conversation Checks of their own towards targets who are not Broken-Hearted.

Prior to making the Check, the Player and Necromancer must confirm that the total Madness Points removed during this Phase does not exceed the number of Fragments of Memory recovered. If with this Conversation Check, the Madness Points removed would exceed the number of Fragments of Memory recovered, the Check may not be made.

The Check is made in the same fashion as an Action Check, with a success allowing one Madness Point to be removed from the Fetter towards the target. One cannot take a Madness Point to reroll them, nor can Support or Hinder Maneuvers be used to affect the roll. Conversation Checks can only be performed during the Battle Phase as the result of a Maneuver. If the Players hold a particularly lively or emotional conversation, the Necromancer may award them a modifier of +1~3 to the Conversation Check. This is to encourage the Players to have their Dolls engage in vivid Dialogue. The Necromancers should give generous bonuses to Players when they roleplay excellently.

When a Critical Failure occurs on a conversation check, something special happens. After rolling a ten-sided die, consult the Fetter Table and change your relationship towards the target of the Conversation Check to the type of Fetter you rolled. You cannot change or reroll the result of this die. Thus, someone you once thought of as a friend may suddenly become the target of your hatred.

Likewise, if you score a Critical Success on a Conversation Check, you may roll to change the Fetter type if you wish (it's fine if you don't want to.) If you would like to change your relationship, this effect may be desirable..

Conversation Checks are one of the few ways to remove Madness Points. During each Phase, one should perform as many Conversation Checks as they can and remove Madness Points up to the limit their Fragments of Memory allow. However, if you have no Madness Points left, there's no need to make Conversation Checks.

Fragments of Memory
All Dolls begin with two Fragments of Memory.

During a Session, they may acquire additional Fragments of Memory during the Adventure and End Phases. They may recover these when they explore places related to their past or do things related to their past.

The number of Fragments of Memory a Doll possesses is the upper limit to the number of Madness Points they may remove during each Phase. To acquire Fragments of Memory, Dolls should fulfill their Karma and acquire Favor Points. During the Session, Players are encouraged to actively search for their past.

The maximum number of Fragments of Memory a Doll can possess is 6. It is possible to recover Fragments of Memory beyond this, but they will not affect the amount of Madness Points that can be removed during each Phase. Please record having seven Fragments of Memory and beyond merely as a note in the Doll's background.

Treasures
Upon creation, all Dolls possess a single Treasure. These are beautiful, memorable, or important things that Dolls find as they wander the world. As Sessions occur, Dolls may come to acquire additional Treasures.

During the Adventure Phase or End Phase, if one explains their reasons to the Necromancer and he permits it, one may keep an object they have found as a Treasure. They should place it in a Location of their choice as a Part. (Don't expect me to be generous, though~!)

However, since Treasures are treated like other Parts, they can take damage and be destroyed. If a Treasure is destroyed, the target of the Fetter has been lost, and the Doll takes a Madness Point upon their "Dependent on Treasure" Fetter.

Treasures are not considered to be either Basic Parts or Reinforcement Parts. For that reason, they cannot be recovered during the End Phase.

On the upside, when one has Treasures, at the end of the Battle Phase, they may remove one Madness Point from a Fetter of their choice for each undamaged Treasure they have. In particular, this is necessary to remove Madness upon the "Dependent on Treasure" Fetter, which cannot be removed by other means.

However, one may not recover from Madness Points in excess of the number of Fragments of Memory they possess. If one has already used Maneuvers to remove Madness Points during the Battle Phase, these count towards the same limit.

The fate of their Treasures decides whether a Doll will succumb to despair or be saved from it. Take care not to acquire too many Treasures and to protect them.

Recovering with Favor Points
From the end of a Session until the beginning of the next one, you may spend 4 Favor Points to remove a single Madness Points.

Maneuvers
Certain Maneuvers may inflict Madness Points as a Cost or remove them as its effect. For a detailed explanation, please see the previous section on Maneuvers.

FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY
Though Dolls have lost most of their memories of their previous life, they have not lost them all. Just a few memories of their previous life remain. These meager scraps are thus known as "Fragments of Memory."

Dolls possess but two of these "Fragments of Memory" when they are newly awakened and will likely acquire more in their journey.

These are the foundation of your Doll. They are the patches that hold the heart of your Doll together.

Dolls' Memories
The Dolls know of the existence of the art of necromancy, and realize that they themselves are undead. They are also able to guess that the Necromancers animated them.

SKILLS
Positions and Classes are not mere labels. The Dolls themselves can learn and acquire abilities that are not dependent on their body parts. These abilities are known as Skills.

Please select one Skill to learn from your Position, two from your Main Class, and one from your Sub Class. However, you may not learn the same skill twice.

For an explanation of what the Skills are, please consult the pages for each Position and Class.

Only Dolls which have chosen the same Class as their Main and Sub Classes may acquire that Class's "Special Skill." This Skill is the unique ability of Dolls who have specialized in that Class.

The Function of Skills
For a detailed explanation of Skills, please refer to the description of Maneuvers in the "Doll Parts" section. You are welcome to select Skills based upon the mental image they evoke.

POSITIONS
Dolls do not wander the world on their own; they have sisters with them. Amongst their fellow sisters, each of the Dolls fills a spiritual role- this is known as their Position.

From the six positions below, please select a Position appropriate for your Doll. You may base this upon your own personality. But please also discuss this with the other players and try to avoid overlap. (They're links but I'll see if I can add them in without making this post ugly.)

(Skills with 'Dance of Distortion' are not included because that's DLC)

Alice: Akin to people, akin to girls, their warmth inspires their sisters.
Automaton: Combat Dolls who have suppressed their selves in order to avoid suffering.
Court: Tactical Dolls who analyze the situation calmly and make sound decisions.
Holic: Irregulars whose egotistical desires have driven them to madness.
Junk: Veteran Dolls who have given up countless things, yet refuse to let go of it all.
Sorority: Natural leaders who bring together their sisters' hearts and strength.

Sisters
Dolls generally don't awaken just by themselves. Those Dolls that awaken in the same place and at the same time as them are their sisters. As a Doll left alone would not be able to keep her sanity for long, this is the greatest blessing the Necromancers have given them.

However, perhaps the true reason for it is merely to prolong the amusement that they bring.

CLASS
Undead are created with a variety of types of armament.

In order that they may oppose the Undead, Dolls themselves are given reinforcements. The seven trends in the manner in which Dolls are reinforced are known as Classes.

Dolls must choose two classes; a Main Class which determines their combat style, and a Sub Class which strongly influences it. These can both be the same Class. If you choose two different Classes, please be sure to decide which one is the Main Class.

In addition, try to select a different Main Class from the other players to broaden the tactics used in a session. (Look! Even more links!)

(Skills with 'Dance of Distortion' are not included because that's DLC)

Baroque: Bizarre girls whose bodies are twisted by mutatations.
Gothic: Predators who engage in the heresy of cannibalism.
Requiem: Gun-using Dolls who are dedicated to ranged combat.
Romanesque: Rotting princesses who dance with unparalleled grace.
Stacy: Dedicated and immortal, these girls are stout defenders.
Thanatos: Goddesses of the battlefield who excel at close combat.

REINFORCEMENT POINTS
Classes possess point values divided among "Armaments", "Mutations", and "Enhancements." These are Reinforcement Points, and determine which manner of special Parts can be used to reinforce a Doll's body. Explained below are the various categories of Reinforcement Points.

(Ones with 'Dance of Distortion' are not included because that's DLC)

Armaments: Weapons, guns and other offensive equipment. Frequently attached to the arms.
Enhancements: Mechanical parts attached to the body, often made of metal or plastic.
Mutations: Special bodily organs. They warp one's appearance, but possess great power.

First, add up the Reinforcement Points from your Main Class and Sub Class. Then add a single point to a category of your choice.

You now know your Doll's Reinforcement Points. A newly created Doll should have a total of 5 Reinforcement Points.

REINFORCEMENT PARTS
After determining your Reinforcement Points, you may select Reinforcement Parts.

Parts refer to pieces of a Doll's body. Prior to this step of creation, Dolls have three parts in each of their Head, Arms, Torso and Legs - a total of 12 (These are already inside the Character Sheet). These are their Basic Parts. Reinforcement Parts are special Parts that can be acquired in addition to these.

The maximum number of Reinforcement Parts that can be acquired is equal to a Doll's Reinforcement Points. Thus, a new character can acquire up to 5 of them (possibly 6~7 if they've chosen the appropriate Skills.)

In addition to the three categories of Reinforcement Parts, they are divided into three tiers. These tiers differ in the minimum of Reinforcement Points required to select a part from them.

What this means is grabbing a Tier 1 part allows you to get a single Tier 2 part, which in turn, lets you get a Tier 3 part. When you get a Tier 3 part, you have to start back down at the bottom and have to grab another Tier 1 part and continue the cycle anew.

Recommended Reinforcement Parts
It's advisable to start with at least 1 Reinforcement Part that is capable of performing an attack. Parts that modify your Maximum Action Points are also extremely valuable.

TREASURES
Though Dolls may be dead, they are still girls.

They each possess a single trinket as girls would. These are precious belongings where the Hearts of the Dolls are kept, and are known as Treasures.

Treasures are treated as a Part. Below is listed the Part data for a "Treasure."

Please look at the "Treasure Table" below and select your Treasure. If you are unsure, you may roll a d10 to choose.


FETTERS
Fetters are those existences which a Doll clings to in order to preserve her Heart. By maintaning her feelings towards the target of her Fetters, a Doll likewise maintains her Heart. However, if she loses all of her Fetters, she shall lose her Heart as well. In addition, if the burden upon them becomes too heavy, her Heart will break.

All Dolls start with the fetter "Dependent upon Treasure." Their Treasures are the foundation of the Dolls' Hearts, and they cannot do without them. Even if a Doll acquires additional Treasures, they will have "Dependent upon Treasure" only once. All Treasures share a single Fetter.

In addition to this, the Dolls possess various Fetters towards their sister Dolls. Please write down the name of each player's Doll and the Fetter you have towards them. To decide upon a Fetter, pick one from the Fetter Table. You can select one of your choice from among the ten listed, or roll a die for them.

At the time of creation, the Doll's Fetters begin with three madness in each of them. Please fill in these Madness Points upon the character sheet.

Appearance:

Name:
Age (at death):
Initial Deployment:

Position:
Class:
Subclass:

Armament Points:
Mutation Points:
Enhancement Points:

Maximum Action Points: 6 + (additional AP from Parts)

Parts (Remember: [Timing/AP Cost/Range] Effect)
HEAD
*Brain - [Auto/0/Self] AP +2
*Eyes - [Auto/0/Self] AP +1
*Jaw - [Action/2/0] Unarmed Attack 1

ARMS
*Fist - [Action/2/0] Unarmed Attack 1
*Shoulder - [Action/4/Self] Move 1
*Forearm - [Check/1/0] Support 1

TORSO
*Spine - [Action/1/Self] One Maneuver you use on the next Count during this Turn has it's Cost reduced by 1
*Entrails - [Auto/0/Self] None
*Entrails - [Auto/0/Self] None

LEGS
*Bone - [Action/3/Self] Move 1
*Bone - [Action/3/Self] Move 1
*Foot - [Check/1/0] Hinder 1

Fragments Of Memory:
(You start with two. You can roll for them with a 1d100 or just pick two of your liking.)
Table 1
Table 2 & 3

Treasure: (Specify which Location it is attached to.)

Fetters:

If you are having trouble creating characters, here are some pre-made Dolls ready to use!
Patchwork Alice
Abandoned Automaton
Trigger Happy Court
Outcast Holic
Utility Class Junk
Corpse Sorority

Rarely do Necromancers deign to reveal themselves to the Dolls.

Instead, they oppose them with minions of their own.

TYPES OF ENEMIES
Legions
Necromancers' cannon fodder. Without any will of their own, they blindly follow orders. Outside of battle, they are used for physical labor. Since they exist in great numbers, Legions are thrown into many battles. As they mow down countless Legions in a single blow, the Dolls will truly realize what special existences they are.

A single Legion has no Location, no Parts, and will be destroyed by only 1 point of damage.

All Legions in the same area are treated as a single enemy (if there are ten of them, they will perform a single attack, not ten) and only when they are all destroyed do they cease to act. In other words, regardless of the hit Location, a Legion which does not receive at least 5 points of damage will continue to act.

As mentioned earlier, the usual effect of Dismemberment or Explosive attacks do not apply to Legions - instead, these properties double the damage they receive from attacks. In addition, Area Attacks against the Area they are in will also double the damage they receive (an attack that is both Explosive and an Area Attack will do 4 times the damage.) "Defend" Maneuvers take place after the damage multipliers have been applied. However, Maneuvers that negate "Dismember", "Explosive" and such effects will cancel the multiplier of those effects.

In certain circumstances, hordes of Legions may perform an action known as "Confluence." When "Confluence" is performed, the side with the higher Action Points may perform an additional Action Maneuver.

However, "Confluence" is performed at the end of the current Count. "Confluence" will not affect the number of Legions as considered for Attacks performed during the Count. In addition, Legions preparing in Confluence cannot move unless both move at the same time.

Example: In Limbo there are 15 Zombies, while in Hades there are 10. The Zombies in Limbo are hit by a Katana with a die roll of 11. They take (Damage 1 + Critical Hit Bonus 1) x (Dismember Multiplier 2) = 4 damage. There are now 11 Zombies remaining in Limbo.

When the Count reaches the Zombies' Action Points, the Zombies in Limbo use their 'Rend' attack on a Doll, while the Zombies in Hades shamble into Limbo. As it was performed on the same Count, the attacking Zombies have not yet Confluenced, but are treated as being 11 in number for the purposes of their Rend attack. With 11 Legions, "Rend" has an effect of "Unarmed Attack 1 + Chain 1." After the Zombies have completed their movement from Hades, there are 21 of them. Now that the two Legions have Confluenced into a single mass of 21, their attack has the property "Chain 2."

As the Action Point costs of "Rend" and "Shamble" differ, the Action Points remaining after Confluence are the higher of the two.

Horrors
Horrors are undead, mutants or robots given powerful augmentations for battle. Dolls who have gone completely mad are often turned into Horrors. While no more self-aware than beasts, Horrors have many abilities in combat. Encountering one is sure to lead to conflict. Horrors are easy to manage, even with several of them on the battlefield. Suited to be mild threats and leaders of Legions, they are not as mighty as Servants but can be made fairly powerful.

As mentioned earlier, Horrors do not have Locations. They are mere collections of Parts, and as long as an attack hits, the Necromancer will decide which of their Parts get damaged. The usual effect of Dismemberment or Explosive attacks do not apply to Horrors - instead, these properties double the damage they receive from attacks. "Defend" Maneuvers take place after the damage multipliers have been applied. However, Maneuvers that negate "Dismember", "Explosive" and such effects will cancel the multiplier of those effects.

Savants
Undead who possess wills like those of humans, but who serve the Necromancers. Although they take pride in their loyalty to the Necromancers, in truth they are no more than toys as well. The fact that most are girls, like the Dolls, is evidence of this. The Necromancers kindle their fervor in order to watch with amusement as they and the Dolls crush each other.

Savants are the only type of enemy able to converse with the Dolls. They make excellent villains and are suited to be the mastermind of any Scenarios.

Savants may confront the Dolls numerous times, as they are able to escape afterwards. Of course, if they are destroyed, they can also be rebuilt or recreated. As they were dead in the first place, even if one wipes out every last trace of a Savant, it's easy for the Necromancer to create a duplicate.

Savants have much in common with Dolls. Though they do not have Madness Points or Fetters, Dolls can use them as the target of Conversation Checks. If by holding a conversation the Dolls are communicate something to them, the Necromancer may allow the Dolls to form Fetters towards them. This is particularly suitable for Campaigns, where holding conversations with Savants may be an important means of removing Madness Points.

Monster Hand - [Action/3/0] Unarmed Attack 3.
Bone - [Action/3/Self]Move 1.
Hardness - [Action/4/Self] Move 1.
Sensory Control Mask - [Check/1/Self] Support 2.
Spike - [Damage/1/Self] Use this Maneuver only when you deal damage. Add +2 to the damage for an Unarmed Attack.
Reinforced Muscle - [Damage/0/Self] Defend 2.
Bulk - [Auto/None/Self] During the Battle Phase, you may ignore all Movement and Stagger effects.
Long Arm - [Auto/None/Self] Increase the Range of your Unarmed and Melee Attacks by +1.
Long Legs - [Auto/None/Self] Increase the Range of your Movement Maneuvers by +1.
Namiso - [Auto/0/Self] Maximum Action Points +2.
Adrenaline - [Auto/None/Self] Maximum Action Points +1.
Reflexes - [Auto/None/Self] Maximum Action Points +1.
Entrails - [Auto/0/Self] None.
Entrails - [Auto/0/Self] None.
Entrails - [Auto/0/Self] None.

Saberteeth - [Action/2/0] Unarmed attack 2
Animal Legs - [Action/2/Self] Move 1-2
Strengthening Spinal Cord - [Auto/0/Self] +2 Action Points.
Tail - [Auto/0/Self] +1 Action Points.
Intestines - [Auto/0/Self] None.

Saberteeth - [Action/2/0] Unarmed attack 2
Animal Legs - [Action/2/Self] Move 1-2
Strengthening Spinal Cord - [Auto/0/Self] +2 Action Points.
Tail - [Auto/0/Self] +1 Action Points.
Intestines - [Auto/0/Self] None.

Rend - [Action/2/0] Unarmed Attack 1 + Chain Attack X
Shamble - [Action/3/Self] Move 1
Mob - [Rapid/0/0] Hinder Move 1

Simultaneous Fire - [Action/3/0~1] Shooting Attack 2 + Chain Attack X
Shamble - [Action/3/Self] Move 1
Mob - [Rapid/0/0] Hinder Move 1