Tabletop Roleplaying Game

What does Eoris mean?

In the context of the books Eoris is a word much like Om; it has multiple meanings and is used for many things, especially, spiritual related things. In the beginning the word was used as a way to refer to “home”, or the place we find in the world and within that makes us feel calm and at peace.

          Eventually the word was used to refer to the planet people lived in hence it became the name of Planet Eoris, much like Earth is the name of our own planet even though it means simply, “where we stand”. As the people of Eoris spread through the universe and realized God existed in a physical place known as the White Ring the word slowly transformed into the Home of God. As the idea about God grew more and more complex the word started to transform further.

          The idea that the world “is” because it is conceived by a greater consciousness and that life and death are as ephemeral as dreams eventually gave the final meaning to the word Eoris: The Dream of the Universal Consciousness. 

Who are the Sil?

God's external consciousness is broken into four main fragments, each represented by the existence of four different types of Spirits. Much like the spirit of a thing is the essence of thing itself, the four fragments of God's consciousness stand as the spirit of life in a different sector of existence. The Sil are the Spirits of Life in a Sector known as the Outer Existence, where the Setting for Eoris Essence takes place.  However, unlike all other Spirits, the Sil also represent the free part of God’s existence and therefore not only have free will, but may also live and die. Sil live on Planet Eoris and shared their long history with the most intelligent Xylen species of the Planet. 

Can you give us an example of a part of the setting's daily life?

For the Ethnia of Oraia (one of the twelve "Nations" of Eoris) I could say this...

I believe that the modern world is plagued by the notion of globalization; a single unitary social system that balances the human equation into a single form: a model we all follow. We are beginning to dress alike, speak alike, enjoy similar games, similar food, similar women, (or members of the opposite sex), etc. I wonder if what has driven this world-wide human event is technology? In many ways I believe it once was technology what drove us apart. European civilizations could not understand African or American societies and vice versa. 

But now it is different. Science and technology are beginning to unify the world into a single human society. Internet and communications have given us the ability to share, world-wide, whatever we, as individuals, and not as a community desire. But this freedom of communication and expression has left a vacuum where once rested the very cohesive forces that drove us together: culture. Everything we see has a direct pragmatic purpose. A banner advertises, a store sells, a road is there for cars to displace through. 

Culture and tradition seem to belong to a different category of social life. We see religious rituals unaccompanied by technology, almost as if they did not need it (and in many ways they must not need it). But in Eoris this is not the case. The evolution of our consciousness in Eoris and the power of the mind is religion itself and the technological advances developed by societies are merged into the mainframe of culture and tradition. Do not try to picture what technology has done to us, giving us a place where everything you see has a direct pragmatic purpose. Instead, try to see Eoris’ societies as places where beings are growing out of their need for constant technological aid because of their incredible advancement in the technological, social and mental aspects. They use their power over the universe (technology) to better their lives in what is fundamentally important, mainly to connect with what they believe is the fundament of existence. They still use technology and they depend on it entirely to maintain their ways of life much like we do. But there is a certain mysticism enveloped in the use of technology. So many conventional things we see here are not present in Eoris. Advertising is inexistent, mass production is limited entirely to large organisations such as an Ethnias’ military. People are rural rather than urban and yet enjoy great technologies in their daily lives. Here is an example of a day on the life of a Mechanic in a city of Oraia, one of the 12 Ethnic groups of Eoris.

Picture a small village where people sow crops and herd beasts to survive. They gather round the fire place to celebrate, eat, sing and dance as a community. They are connected to the earth. A family breaks apart from the group and walks home through a dimly lit pathway through the grass. Light, flowing from small hovering crystals, adorn the village streets while the cattle walk unrestrained through the gardens. They come to a house that seems their own.

          Temperature inside is perfect. Not too cold, not too warm. Light fills the room but it is hard to find its origin. It simply seems to be there, waiting for the family. The children remove their shoes and run up the flight of stairs playing with a small wooden bear like figure. Their parents walk to the centre of the room leaving their coats behind and use a central elevator, a simple stone platform that hovers above the ground as if elevated by nothing at all. They rise to meet their children in the upper level where, beyond, they can see their people still celebrating. Whilst the man starts to prepare a fire the woman walks to a room where her mother rests. She is very old but the vibrant crystals work their energies into her "Life Wave" givien her extra energy to keep on living (at least for a while longer). After a small conversation the old woman fades to sleep not before giving some provincial advice to her daughter. Then, leaving her mother’s room she encounters her family preparing dinner by the central fire which warms the place here where the opened terrace doors give way to the cold air of the night. A hot stew is brewing in the middle. 
In the farthest par of the large room a large crystal rests unattended. Suddenly it begins to glow and writings appear in the nearby floor and walls. The man walks to it and as he does he receives a message which appears as a shadowy hologram. An image forms before his eyes and a man speaks to him with sullen, military ferocity. With the man's acknowledgement, the image fades and the crystal returns to being a simple crystal stone upon the floor.

          Bidding farewell to his family he walks outside accompanied by his wife. She carries with her his cloaks and bags and helps him get ready for a journey to the city. They walk into a small stone made hangar where a vessel, much like an overgrown seed with wings rests. He enters the vehicle kisses her wife good bye and leaves. The vessel plunges into the sky leaving behind a trail of bluish white light. In the distance nearby the city can be seen. It is a wondrous temple surrounded by a series of very small villages much like his own. The lights of the streets and rivers can be seen for miles and floating gardens adorn the landscape. Many different people come here to work and share their time. But for the most part they all live in the nearby villages. They all cultivate their own food and take care of their own animals.

          When he reaches the city he leaves his vessel at the doors of the main building, a colossal stone temple dedicated to the spirits of the Earth. He walks up the hundreds of stairs towards the entrance where more people gather. It is a university and the central governmental building in the city. Once there he comes to a man he knows, a friend, and together they walk into another room where they find a large vessel: an Arendiss Vinthoss (page 177 of the System book). The vehicle is badly damaged and needs repair. But its owner has perished and the vessel will receive links (money) from no one but her. The man and his friend come close and, using a series of small Saeia Crystals and runes (the way to use the Saeia tech which gives way to all of their technologies), deactivate the central defence mechanism that prevents others from interfering with the base wave structure of the vehicle. The Arendiss Vinthoss is then repaired through the use of links. The money literally is transformed into the energy needed to repair the vehicle, altering the Waves of Existence around it. All of its scars fade as new plates of steel and stone merge together once again. The inner control systems are repaired as well. After hours of work, the two men take the vehicle for a test drive throughout the city skies. Then they return, collect their payment and march home. 

In Ystaria most people attain their entire technological needs from a single Saeia Crystal handed down, in most cases from their ancestors or given to them by their governments. Also, most homes and vehicles come with their own Saeia Crystal, a controlling device that keeps the house well maintained and comfortable. If one were to purchase a Saeia Crystal one could do so at any Orusaie (page 30 of the Setting book) or specialized store. Saeia Crystals are created through Saeia by bending the Waves of Existence, a process only Saeia experts can perform. Using a Saeia Crystal is extremely easy. The Crystal is programmed to perform a series of actions limited by its nature (better Saeia Crystals can perform more actions). The user simply comes in contact with the Crystal and uses his mind. He can navigate through the Orus (Eoris' internet), see things either holographically, on a surface or directly into their minds, use Saeia to create things and experience different sensations. 

Apart form the Kalei, who are the enemies? What am I fighting for?

Eoris is a planet riddled with natural dangers unlike our own (where creatures are less a danger than a conventional illness). In Eoris beasts, both intelligent and instinctive, pose a great danger even to well prepared adventurers. However, the contrary could be said about societies as a whole. Much like in Star Trek, the vision of Eoris is one of social splendour and achievement. Cultural tensions have been replaced by understanding and, in the worst cases, tolerance.

          However… the War of the Last Spirits is changing all of this, and very quickly. Political dangers grow into cultural hatreds, and cultural hatreds transcend into economic relations that shatter, leading to poverty and a widening socio-economic gap that cannot be fixed so long as the war efforts against the Kalei continue to rise. For the people of Eoris this is a dark age, a time filled with grief and suffering, and those who wish to survive have begun to do so in radical, even cruel ways.

          From the local greedy “feudal” lord of a lesser tribe who sees an opportunity to gain power and control of his Ethnia, to large political conflicts that scale towards international strife, to the War Against the Angels!, the people of Eoris now run for refuge in the largest cities vacating the rural areas and surrendering them to the Kalei whose numbers continue to rise. Atara, the central capital of the Republic, and every large city worldwide, is now seeing an increase in displaced peoples who journey to safety only to find poverty and a disheartened community unwilling to help them.  Bandits are made of the most common of men and bands are made of cruel beings willing to go to every length in order to seize control in this age of uncertainty. Orphans by the millions turn to thievery, and police lack the numbers to handle the social turmoil that is starting to emerge.

          All this is the background to an even harsher struggle that rises from the material to the spiritual and the philosophical, the struggle of the heart to decide what to do regarding the Celestial Mandate. Where do I stand? Will I attempt to kill God and fight my own people in this celestial pursuit that seems so necessary and unique? Will I fight God’s angels knowing that, in a very wise manner, they act in her favour? Will I fight my own fellow Contacts for or against the forces of our destiny?

          At the heart of Eoris Characters have an inner, personal struggle to fight. And even after that fight has been fought, whatever she decides will mark the future of whom she will face in this age of endings. 

How fast is combat?

Combat is fast paced, which does not necessarily mean it is over fast. Depending on the circumstance combat may be extremely quick or draw out for a long time. The wide range in Character diversity takes a toll here. Not only the difference in Hit Points, but also the amount of special Actions the Characters may perform to “save” themselves, may prolong combat. When special Characters face each other, battle tends to last ten or more Rounds (which is a lot). This happens because both Characters will have Parry actions, special attacks, Special Dodging moves etc. However, Combat against ordinary creatures may be over quick as a Character is deemed “more powerful” than ordinary beings and his capacities will shine over ordinary soldiers, guards or creatures.

          The original idea was for the system to be as light as possible making combat fast paced and focusing the game more on the Story than on battle. However, because of the emphasis the Setting has on war and conflict, both emotional and physical, we decided to create a complex Combat System that would grant many different action options to Players.

Do I have to roll Evasion each time?

While this may seem cumbersome, rolling evasion each time grants the Character the possibility to feel in control of every situation that happens around him. Thus, even when his Turn is over, he is still involved in the combat.

          In any case, I never roll the Dice Pool for low level opponents, leaving the ability to Dodge and Parry only to the Characters and some special Antagonists that may be recurrent, more powerful or meaningful. Instead I choose a Difficulty Number the Character’s must reach in order to hit the target successfully. This number varies from 0 (a very easy target), to 4, a truly powerful opponent. 

Can I create my own species?

Using the "primordial Clay" tools found on the System Book of Eoris Essence you can create almost any creature or vehicle you may desire. Your creations will have stats that apply to the system naturally (just like any of the Setting related Species we offer). Ultimately it is a wonderful tool for imaginative Players, and even better for the Narrator given his constant need to devise new creatures for his stories.