Here’s a new game that just crossed my dash. It’s still in alpha, but the authors are already trying to get five bucks for it. Guess Kickstarter isn’t what it used to be these days.
For generations, your people you have suffered. Your elders recount tales of hardship and hate. The young look to their futures with fear and despair. The Dominant Society controls all of the levers of power, creating laws that protect their interests above yours. Wealth and influence is held only by a few in the dominant Society, to use as they see fit. Your people are left only with silenced voices and crushed dreams. The world seems set against you.
You come from one of the marginalized communities, who suffer at the hands of the Dominant Society. You might be one of the Burdened, your mind or bodies shaped by trauma and misfortune. Perhaps you are one the Forsaken, deemed inferior by virtue of your sex or the passions of your heart. Are you Foreign, set apart by your ethnicity, faith, or culture? Were your people Native to these lands, before the occupation? Each of these communities cries for justice, for opportunity, and for peace.
Few souls have stood fast against injustice and oppression. Shaped by your traditions and resolve, you have learned to wield the Secret Fire of the magi. You are one of The Wise, who might draw upon mighty sorceries and clever enchantments. You hold the keys to the universe, and will seize respect for your people. You will not be quiet. You will not be still. You will not comply.
Unfortunately, you have other struggles beyond liberation. There are whispers of dark things lurking on the far frontier. The Doom threatens us all, the powerful and the oppressed alike. Only the Secret Fire can keep them at bay, burning away their corruption and shattering their terrible forms. The Wise are given a grudging respect, and a measure of social power, by virtue of fight against this distant foe. This struggle will temper you and teach you to master your magics.
Circles of Power is a game about individuals who have suffered oppressions, and have gained magic to balance the karmic scales. In this game, you play one of the Wise who arise from marginalized communities. You cast your spells to ward off the Doom and to earn valuable favors from the Society. You spend that favor to Take a Stand against the Society to protect your communities from oppression and violence. The struggle for justice and freedom will teach you the lessons you need to learn, to master your spells.
Note: This is a preliminary edition of the game, referred to as an Ashcan. While it is playable and engaging, there are still some rough edges. I am currently spending time, trying to refine the content and ensure that it is fully respectful of the various marginalized communities it focusses on.
Too subtle?
I'd post come content to make fun of, but I'm not spending money on these fools.
