1 Passion Play Sample file Pilgrims The passion plays of old, before the rise of the Second Republic, did depict the sufferings of the Prophet as he brought the light of the Divine Fire to shadowed man. I ask you, is this not like unto our own day? Do we not all suffer under a burden of darkness, yearning for light? Then is not life itself a Passion Play, and the cosmos its stage? If this be true, then all but this task is trifle and waste: Entreaty the Empyrean Playwright to script not a Tragedy, but to devise a grand Romance of Heroes… 2 3 Passion Play Based on FADING SUNS, created by Bill Bridges & Andrew Greenberg Game design: Bill Maxwell and Bill Bridges Writing: Bill Bridges, Jeff Brown, Gary Glass, Mareen Goebel, Bill Maxwell, Nikki Johnson- Passion Play Maxwell, Kim Scott, Trevor Valle, Dave Vasquez Development: Bill Bridges and Bill Maxwell Proofreading: Trevor Chase Art direction, book design and photo art: John Bridges Photography designer/coordinator: Kim Scott Photography: Ben Avery Thanks to all who helped with the photography: John Barrett, Rusty Buchert, Tad Dilday, Michelle Elbert, Brian & Juliet & Kyle Freyermuth, Paul Gofberg, Bree Goldman, Gina Karris, Dave & Juliet Johann, Jared Joseph, Anthony Lim, Melissa Leonard, Joseph Contents Lopez, Tony Martin, Gian Matera, Aaron Matthews, Gene Meyer, Chandra Miller, Chad Alustro’s Journal: Obligations 4 Minton, Adam Moscowitz, Charlotte Nixon, Eric Scott, Todd & Trish & Devon Tennison, Mike Vakian, John Woillard. Chapter 1: The Fading Suns 8 Playtesters: Sneezing Lizard Productions — Rusty Buchert, Michelle Elbert, Matt Keuneke, Anthony Lim, Melissa Leonard, Gene Meyer, Adam Moscowitz, Jason Ormand, James Chapter 2: Rules 28 Pinkerton, Paul Rivas, Mike Vakian Chapter 3: Characters 56 HDI —Bernard Clark, Andrew Greenberg, Andy Harmon, Ken Lightner, Tom Ricks The Pack — Channon Allen, Christian Kenney, Eric & Lalena Hutton Chapter 4: The Will & the Way (Combat, Occult, Cybernetics) 112 Amaranth —Paul Ang, John Barrett, Eric Dennison, Tad Dilday, K.C. Evans, Paul Gofberg, Chapter 5: Drama (Gamemastering) 158 Chandra Harburg, Joseph Lopez, Tony Martin, Chad Minton, Tony Moore, Justin Parker, Perry Ward Sample fileChapter 6: Life in the Known Worlds 186 Special Thanks to: Eric “Duke Abbadon” Hutton for his inspirational contracts and ruthless intrigue. Map of the Known Worlds 215 Dave “Ukari Unite” Vasquez & Jeff “3rd S.O.G.” Brown for their insights on combat. Appendices: Adam Moscowitz, Adam Fisher, Nikki Maxwell and James Pinkerton, the first aides. Kim Scott, Ben Avery and Lalena Hutton for making the photos happen. Example of Play 218 Thanks to Michelle Elbert and Charlotte Nixon for supplementary makeup and costuming. Arms & Armor 223 Matt “Marquis Saladin” Keuneke, for his insistence that rules just get in the way. Paul “Kohl Von Heller” Rivas and Christian Kenney for their contributions to the genre. Character Sheet 230 The Fading Suns discussion group & Pat Arakel for their feedback on Live-Action Games. Tad and Chandra for the use of their house for photos. ©2000 by Holistic Design Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permision of the publisher is expressly denied, except for the purpose of reviews. Passion Play and Fading Suns are trademarks and copyrights of Holistic Design Inc. The mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or copyrights concerned. Holistic Design Inc. 5295 Hwy 78, D-337 Printed in the USA Stone Mountain, GA 30087 4 5 response an Eskatonic provost should give to such frivolous social entreaties as Alustro’s Journal: met me on nights such as these. A servant quickly exiting from an open door nearly knocked me over. He was in a rush and I lost in thought; we barely avoided a painful smack. Before he could get his wits about him, I heard a yell of pain in the room. Reacting on Obligations instinct rather than wisdom, I stepped into the room to see who had cried so. On a straw bed lay a soldier, his tunic and the straw beneath him stained in I am on a starship traveling a strange journey into unknown spaces. My blood. A horrendous gut wound was apparent, one to which another servant liege, Lady Erian Li Halan, presses us further into greater and greater danger in was doing his best to administer. But he was no chiurgeon, and I wondered why pursuit of her quest. Our fate has now led us into barbarian space, escorted by no physick had been summoned. Harshly, I stepped over and snatched the blade a Vuldrok pirate lord through jumpgates unknown to the empire — lost worlds and gauze from his hands, kneeling down to examine the wound. “Fetch hot which we hope to find again. water,” I said. I have much time to write here in my cramped cabin. My journals are caches The servant immediately leaped up and joined the other, and both left the of my reflections on our travails, on our hopes and fears. I often send copies of room in a rush. I hardly noticed. My attention was completely drawn to the them by trusted courier to my childhood friend, now chartophylax at the Vermil- wound. It was greivous. The man was dying, and it was amazing he had not lion Repository on Midian, who sees that they are published and distributed already passed on. I calmed myself and spoke the litany taught me years ago by among allies. For this reason, I have not yet transcribed our leading goal here Mother Kalpa, calling upon the divine fire in my breast to seal the torn flesh. among the barbarians. The skin grew taut and the edges of the wound — from a sword, I presumed — But danger is ever preying upon us, and I fear that we may not all survive reknitted somewhat. But it was not enough. this adventure. For this reason, I feel it best to record our goal. If we cannot accomplish it, then it is a lost cause. If we do, then I shall burn this entry and leave no evidence of our quest. It was on Byzantium Secundus, where so many plots and causes are hatched,Sample file that fate chose to chain my lady to new obligations. She had only recently taken her vows as a Questing Knight, and already we prepared to tread new and dan- gerous paths for reasons given us in visions by the great Anunnaki Gargoyle of Nowhere. So as not to insult our host during our stay, we partook of his grand parties at his villa outside the Imperial City. Boring and tedious affairs for the most part, my lady did find them amusing at times, for she knows the thrusts and ripostes necessary to thrive in such atmospheres. I, however, have no mind for even petty intrigue, and found my- self on far too many occasions drawn into social conspiracies without my knowl- edge or consent, only discovering the truth of these matters after I had excused myself for the evening and discussed my meetings with Erian. Such was the status quo on this night. Rather than be suckered into yet another attempt by some bold noble compatriot to pass messages to a lover or co-conspirator — why are priests considered such good envoys for such things? Are we that naïve? — I slipped from the hall to wander down a side passage near the servants’ quarters, finding myself deep in contemplation of the proper 6 7 The man was looking at me now. He had awakened from his temporary naling that I believed the man to be delirious. delirium and stared into my eyes with an intensity I had never before encoun- “What you ask is… difficult,” she said. tered. Who was this soldier to have such a general’s glare about him? The man parted his collar, and revealed there an amulet carved into the “Leave it, brother,” he said, sighing. It seemed he was in a place beyond shape of a fiery lotus. pain. “I am dying, and there is nothing your rituals can do about it.” Erian shuddered and nodded. “The Burning Lotus. There is no greater mili- “Who are you?” I asked. “I am a confessor. I can hear and absolve you.” tary honor from my house.” “Of what? I bear no sins, but for pride perhaps. Regret, maybe…” “It was given me by your father.” “Can I help?” I said as I soaked the blood from his wound. It did no good. “Then I shall do what you ask, if it is in my power. But I have a quest of my My rite had not closed the wound entirely. own, you must know.” He then looked at me with that stare, one which commanded complete re- “He who gave me this ring…” the man said, struggling to remove a large spect. “I need a Questing Knight, brother. Not a brat on tour away from father’s ring of copperish-purple metal, “…takes precedence.” Once he’d freed it from fief, but a real knight.” his hand, he held it out for her. “It is Second Republic manufacture. It knows the “Then I shall fetch one,” I said, standing. I could not hide my smile at the makeup of my body, and I now set it for you. Take it.” She did. “Hold it here, amazed but skeptical look on his face. I stepped out of the room and saw the where I can reach.” He touched it and a slight sound emanated, but nothing servants returning, each ferrying a pail of steaming water. I took one from the more. “There. None can now bear this but you, and it is a sign that you are my lad I had nearly collided with earlier, and said: “Go to the main hall, quickly.