Weaving a Story
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Weaving1 a Story Chapter 1: Weaving A Story What makes something Evangelion? It may seem like a strange question, but it is one that GMs should think about at least once before running a game of AdEva. Neon Genesis Evangelion doesn’t need to answer for itself, but any attempt to replicate the feel of the source material requires the GM to understand what they are trying to imitate. Creating their own cast of characters, Angels, and plotlines, it is inevitable that the campaign will deviate from what was shown in the show. This is to be expected, and even encouraged! Customizing your game to your group and your story can be central to a good AdEva campaign. With that in mind, it is important for the GM to understand the formula that makes a game like that of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The Evangelions themselves are an ingredient to that dish, but not the only one. In some ways, they are not even the most important one. At its heart, any game that seeks to emulate the style, if not the setting, of Evangelion will find itself dependent on the following concepts. Mythos: An obfuscating terminology based on a common theme, such as mythology. Second Impact: The world having already suffered a majority calamity. Stakes: The fate of the world being at stake for most, if not all, battles. Machina Diabolis: The machines used to save the world being dangerous and secretive. AT Fields: The existence of the Absolute Territory Field. Conspiracy: A sinister plot of global proportion operating in the shadows. Agency: The pilots having limited freedom due to the obligations of their position. Third Impact: The world-ending calamity that must be averted at the climax of the campaign. Not all of these concepts have to be implemented in exactly the same way as Neon Genesis Evangelion did, but they are all important elements. Each one can be played with and subverted, but removing any one of the above takes more away from the game than might be obvious. In this chapter, this list will be explored in greater depth and explained, along with ways they can be shaped to your game. 2 Themes and Myths Much of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s unique style comes from the show using Christian imagery and terms as a smokescreen to obscure details that are, on closer observation, the stuff of fairly standard science fiction. The actual terms and images used, while iconic (and intentionally so), are not in themselves as important as the role they fulfill. As such, GMs may find it worth their while to invest time while planning a campaign into molding the mythology it will use. This could involve making minor changes to the present mythos portrayed in Evangelion canon to better suit your own variation of the plot, or even using a whole new mythology entirely! When applying a new mythology, it is best to pick one that has a rich well of terms to draw from. 100% accuracy in translation is unlikely to happen, but if you pick one that your players are not overly familiar with no damage is likely to be done by it. After all, Evangelion used the Christian imagery it did specifically because it was exotic to Japanese audiences. Norse, Sumerian, Indian and other Mythologies can all be used for this purpose. However, applying a mythology can be a daunting prospect, so take a look at these following examples to see how it can be done. Mesoamerican When running an AdEva campaign with a Mesoamerican bent, we suggest going with a primarily Aztec twist. The Aztecs believed themselves to be central to keeping the sun god, Huitzilopochtli, fed with blood so that the sun would stay lit and the world would not be devoured by celestial monsters. This provides ample material for a game where the world is at stake. Terminology In terms of swapping in the new mythology, it is recommended that you rename the organization from “Nerv” to “Aztlan”, as that was the name of the mythological “city of heroes” that the Aztec peoples descended from. Evangelions can now be known as Jaguars, which are a symbol of power. Huitzilopochtli replaces Adam, and the fire serpent Xiuhcoatl which never leaves his side makes a decent metaphor for the Lance. The Magi can be called the OLMEC system, and Seele might be named Tollan, after the lost city of riches that would define later legends of cities of gold like El Dorado. The role of Tabris, if you choose to use it, might be gruesomely adapted to Xipe Totec, the flayed god who wore the skins of humans. Finally, Lilith and her Black Moon vessel might be combined and adapted into the World Tree, its roots permeating the crust and mantle of the Earth and serving as both a Geofront for Nerv to inhabit, as well as lending its branches and roots to be used as roads for quick travel around the planet. Bringing it all together… In ancient times, the Aztecs dedicated sacrifices to feed human blood to Huitzilopochtli. This kept Huitzilopochtli dormant, and the sun from going out, though later versions of the myth passed by oral tradition got the order wrong. That human blood acted as a poison, but as the Aztecs scattered and the sacrifices stopped, it was inevitable that Huitzilopochtli would awaken again. That happened 15 years ago. Huitzilopochtli awakened, and the change in our sun was immediate. Either naturally, or through human endeavor, Huitzilopochtli was put back to rest… for a time. But he will awaken again, soon, and great damage has already been done. Whether it be something diminishing the star itself, or simply that Huitzilopochtli is eating the sunlight before it reaches Earth, is up to you… but since his brief awakening 15 years ago the sun has been fading. The world is plagued by eternal twilight, with the promise of an impending darkness that goes on forever. And as the darkness encroaches on the world, the promised celestial monsters have begun to appear as well… Can Aztlan find a way to ward off these monsters and restore the sun? Or will the prophecy come true in full, and be the end of the human race? 3 Lovecraftian The mythos of H.P. Lovecraft and the eldritch monsters found in it are a surprisingly common theme to be found in Adeptus Evangelion games. This also goes to show that you can use almost any setting in place of a mythology, so long as it has enough detail to fill in the required roles in the Evangelion vs. Angel conflict. There are many ways to include the Lovecraftian mythos. One such example that shows how far off the beaten track you can go with a little imagination goes something like this… Terminology For applying Lovecraftian mythology, we replace “Nerv” with the “Miskatonic Defense Initiative”, a reference to the Miskatonic University that features prominently in Lovecraft lore. Evangelions can now be known as Aeonoclasts, or Aeons for short. Cthulhu, whose impending awakening spells madness and death for the human race, replaces Adam. The Magi can be called Alhazred, and Seele might become one of any number of human cults. The role of Tabris would be wonderfully played by a mask of Nyalarthotep. Lilith, the black moon, and the Lance do not really have equivalents in this scenario, though the unedited Necronomicon could fill the same general role as the Lance in terms of being a very useful tool of great power. The Angels themselves are likely replaced by Avatars of various eldritch gods, or simply horrible alien races that are passing through or have been rooted out here on earth. Bringing it all together… Long ago the Great Race of Yith was based here on Earth after fleeing from their own homeworld. They created great cities, though they warred with other eldritch beings also here on Earth. Chief among these was the Flying Polyps, amorphous things that phased in and out of reality and nigh impossible to kill without using special forms of energy. Though the Great Race kept the Flying Polyps at bay for ages, eventually the Polyps grew too numerous, and drove the Great Race from this world. The Polyps remained here, infesting the deep areas beneath the cities of the Great Race, until 15 years ago. At that time humanity discovered ruins of the Great Race of Yith here on Earth. Much of what was revealed there was groundbreaking, but in the process we disturbed a nest of Flying Polyps. The Polyps rose up in great numbers and waged war upon humanity. Using a combination of weapons of mass destruction and a few prototype energy weapons, we managed to force the Polyps back. Billions died in the slaughter. Even to this day, small nests of Polyps provide a constant and deadly threat. In the wake of this awful war, humanity was made to know that it was not the only civilization on this planet, and how very vulnerable we were to these eldritch beings. We had survived this attack, but had lost much because we were unprepared. We would not make the same mistake again. Named after one of the few human institutes to have information relevant to these monsters, the UN founded a taskforce known as the Miskatonic Defense Initiative. Their goal was to serve as Earth’s defense against inhuman forces. Their first task being to find a solution to the Flying Polyp menace, the newly created MDI discovered references to ancient weapons created by the Great Race of Yith to fight the Polyps, which could still be found in weapons vaults within the cities of the Great Race.