Nocturnis Quick Start Player's Guide MM Version

 

Nocturnis Quick Start Player's Guide (Monsters Monsters 2.7)

Welcome, brave (or perhaps foolhardy) adventurer, to Nocturnis! This guide will give you the essential information you need to create your character and dive into a world of shadow, dread, and brutal survival.

What is Nocturnis?

Nocturnis is not just a city; it's a wound in reality. Nestled in a secluded valley at the foot of the ominous Mount Nocturnis, it's a sprawling metropolis where the mundane bleeds into the monstrous. Ancient evils stir beneath its cobblestones, cosmic horrors whisper from beyond the veil, and pervasive corruption has festered for centuries, reaching into every corner of society.

This is a city of secrets, where the line between humanity and monstrosity is often blurred, and sanity is a fragile commodity.

What to Expect: The Tone of Your Adventure

Prepare for a gritty, low-fantasy, survival horror experience, infused with a distinct 1970s neo-noir aesthetic.

• Danger is Real: Combat is brutal, resources are scarce, and death is always a possibility. Think smart, use your wits, and choose your battles carefully.

• Sanity is Key: The horrors of Nocturnis can break the mind as easily as the body. Witnessing unspeakable acts or encountering alien entities will test your mental fortitude.

• Moral Ambiguity & Cynicism: The world is a murky place. Heroes are rare, and anti-heroes are common. Expect to navigate a landscape where everyone has a price, institutions are inherently corrupt, and the "right" choice is often just the least terrible one. Trust is a luxury few can afford.

• Pervasive Decay: Beyond the supernatural, the city itself feels like it's crumbling. Buildings are grimy, systems are failing, and a sense of disillusionment hangs heavy in the air, reflecting the era's anxieties.

• Exploration & Mystery: The city is a labyrinth of dark districts, ancient ruins, and hidden passages. Uncovering its secrets is a major part of the game, but be warned: some truths are better left buried.

• The Raging Portals: Be warned: when a thunderous storm rages within the city, the very fabric of reality can tear. Multiverse portals may violently open, causing entire buildings and even people to vanish without a trace, much like a magical hurricane or tornado. These events are unpredictable and devastating, leaving behind only eerie voids and lingering dread.

Weather in Nocturnis: A Roll of the Dice

The climate of Nocturnis is as unpredictable and unsettling as the city itself. Roll a d6 at the start of each game session, or whenever the GM deems appropriate, to determine the prevailing weather.

d6 Roll	Weather Condition	Effect/Atmosphere
1	Dense Fog	Visibility is severely reduced (e.g., to 10-20 feet). Sounds are muffled, and the city feels eerily quiet. Perfect for ambushes or getting lost.
2	Light Rain/Drizzle	A constant, cold dampness permeates everything. Streets are slick, and the air carries the scent of decay. Adds to the general gloom.
3	Overcast/Gloomy	No direct sunlight, just a perpetual, oppressive gray sky. The city feels heavier, and shadows seem deeper.
4	Clear (Unsettlingly So)	A rare, clear night sky, revealing unfamiliar constellations or a strangely colored moon. The clarity feels unnatural, as if something is watching from above.
5	Heavy Rain/Storm	Downpours make travel difficult and loud. Thunder echoes, and lightning flashes. Increases the chance of a Raging Portal event.
6	Whispering Winds	Unnatural gusts carry faint, unsettling whispers or the distant sounds of unknown entities. Can cause minor sanity checks or lead to strange encounters.

Who Are You in Nocturnis? Character Concepts & Archetypes

Your character is likely a survivor, an investigator, or someone drawn into the city's darkness against their will. Consider these archetypes for your Monsters Monsters 2.7 character. These are starting points; feel free to customize and combine elements to create your unique survivor.

• The Hardened Investigator: A detective, journalist, or private eye trying to uncover the truth behind the city's strange occurrences, despite the risks to their sanity.

• Focus Skills: Investigation, Perception, Persuasion, Streetwise.

• Potential Tie-ins: Former City Watch, freelance reporter for an underground paper, private eye hired by a desperate family. Often a cynical loner, operating outside official channels.

• The Street-Smart Survivor: Someone who knows the city's dark alleys and hidden ways, focused on getting by day-to-day amidst the chaos.

• Focus Skills: Stealth, Athletics, Scavenging, Melee Combat.

• Potential Tie-ins: UnderCity Dweller, former gang member, orphan of the Degenerate Quarter. Has seen too much to be truly innocent.

• The Cult Defector/Seeker: Someone who escaped (or is trying to escape) a cult, or perhaps a scholar drawn to forbidden knowledge, now realizing the true horrors they've unleashed.

• Focus Skills: Occult Knowledge, Persuasion (to warn others), Stealth, Willpower.

• Potential Tie-ins: Former member of a Lamashtu cult, a disillusioned student from the Obsidian Athenaeum, someone who read too much from the Grand Necropolis Library. Haunted by their past.

• The Disillusioned Cop/Guard: A former (or current, but struggling) member of the corrupt City Watch, trying to do some good in a system designed for evil.

• Focus Skills: Firearms, Law Enforcement Knowledge, Intimidation, Streetwise.

• Potential Tie-ins: Stationed in a particularly corrupt precinct, witnessed something the G-Men covered up, trying to protect an innocent. A good person in a bad system, often at odds with their superiors.

• The Outlander: Someone new to Nocturnis, perhaps drawn by rumors or a personal quest, now grappling with the city's overwhelming strangeness.

• Focus Skills: Survival (wilderness), Observation, Firearms (if a hunter/trapper), Diplomacy (if seeking allies).

• Potential Tie-ins: From a rural area outside the valley, a traveler from a distant land, seeking a lost relative or a mythical artifact. Often initially naive to the city's true nature.

• The UnderCity Dweller: Someone from the forgotten tunnels beneath Nocturnis, with unique knowledge of the city's unseen depths and inhabitants.

• Focus Skills: Stealth, Navigation (underground), Lore (local creatures), Scavenging.

• Potential Tie-ins: Born and raised in the sewers, an outcast from society, perhaps has a strange symbiotic relationship with some of the underworld's creatures. Knows secrets the surface world ignores.

• The Hedges' Hand: A loyal (or disaffected) employee of the Hedges family, with inside knowledge of their vast food and water networks, and perhaps their subtle influence.

• Focus Skills: Logistics, Persuasion, Streetwise (for distribution), Knowledge (commerce).

• Potential Tie-ins: Manager of a Hedges Grocery, a driver for their supply chain, a former security guard for their granaries. Caught between the family's power and the city's needs.

• The NWL Brawler: A former (or current, but struggling) wrestler from the Nocturnis Wrestling League, who might have seen too much of the Blackwood family's true operations.

• Focus Skills: Brawling/Melee Combat, Athletics, Intimidation, Performance.

• Potential Tie-ins: Kicked out for asking too many questions, seeking revenge on a rival, trying to expose the league's dark secrets. Often physically tough but emotionally scarred.

• The Dilettante (As Wealthy Patron): A bored socialite or scion of a lesser-known wealthy family, drawn to the macabre and unusual aspects of Nocturnis. They might fund strange research, collect forbidden artifacts, or simply seek thrills in the city's darkest corners.

• Focus Skills: Resources, Investigation, Social (high society), Occult Knowledge (amateur).

• Potential Tie-ins: Secretly investigating a family curse, funding a controversial academic at the Obsidian Athenaeum, a regular at exclusive (and disturbing) social events. Can open doors, but often underestimates the danger.

• The Elected City Official (Constable/City Council): A character who holds a legitimate position of power within Nocturnis's corrupt government. They might be genuinely trying to do good, or they might be playing a dangerous game of politics and survival amidst the Blackwood family's influence.

• Focus Skills: Law Enforcement Knowledge (for Constable), Persuasion, Politics, Resources, Investigation (of corruption).

• Potential Tie-ins: A newly elected Constable trying to clean up a precinct, a City Council member fighting against Mayor Blackwood's agenda, a minor official trying to expose a scandal. Navigates a web of lies and backroom deals.

Focus on practical skills (combat, stealth, investigation, persuasion, survival) and remember that your character's flaws and fears are just as important as their strengths.

Key Players & Powers: Who to Trust (and Who Not To)

Nocturnis is controlled by powerful, often sinister, forces:

• The Blackwood Family: The city's "old money," they control the political landscape (through Mayor Theron Blackwood) and the criminal underworld (the Nocturnis Mob). Their influence is vast, and their motives are purely self-serving.

• The Hedges Family: Another ancient family, they control the city's food and water supply (Hedges Grocery, Circle H Convenience). They represent a more subtle, yet equally potent, form of power. They can feed the city, or starve it.

• The G-Men: A shadowy, government-like agency operating within Nocturnis. They are brutal, efficient, and their true allegiances are unknown. Do not trust them.

• Cults: Numerous ancient cults worship forgotten gods and monstrous entities. They are pervasive and dangerous, often operating in plain sight or from hidden temples.

• Monsters: The city and its surrounding areas are home to a terrifying array of creatures, from reptilian humanoids and bog-dwellers to undead horrors and things that defy description.

Important Locations (Beyond the City Limits)

Beyond the city's districts, the surrounding landscape holds its own dangers and mysteries:

• The Valley of Nocturnis: The expansive valley where the city lies, fertile in some parts (thanks to the Hedges), but also wild and untamed.

• Mount Nocturnis: The massive, foreboding mountain that looms over the valley. It holds a mysterious crater lake at its summit, feeding two cascading waterfalls that flow into the main river.

• The Haunted Wood: A primordial forest clinging to the mountain slopes, pulsing with ancient malice. It's home to brutal, cannibalistic Dwarves and towering Giants.

• Native American Village: A hidden village high in the mountains, whose inhabitants possess ancient wisdom about the land's powers.

Your Goal in Nocturnis

Your ultimate goal will depend on your character's motivations, but common objectives in Nocturnis include:

• Survival: Simply staying alive in a city that wants to consume you.

• Uncovering Secrets: Exposing the corruption, revealing the truth behind the horrors, or finding forgotten lore.

• Fighting Back: Standing against the cults, the Mob, or the encroaching cosmic dread, even if it seems futile.

• Personal Quests: Seeking revenge, finding a lost loved one, or escaping the city's grasp.

Nocturnis is a dark tapestry, woven with threads of ancient evil, human depravity, and cosmic horror. Prepare yourself, for once you step into its shadows, there may be no turning back.

Good luck, and may your dice roll well!

In Closing, from Earl:

Remember, anything can happen in Nocturnis, for it has ties across the entire multifaceted universe we're creating for use with Ken Saint Andre's Monsters Monsters 2.7 Edition.

Yours,

Captain Hedges, the Tyger Boss of Zimrala