From the author

Welcome to all who visit this site and I hope you enjoy your stay and above all, get a chance to enjoy the Cursed Empire role-playing game.

Where do I start? Well, the beginning is probably the best place! Quite a few years ago now (over 20 in fact!!) I started-off with D&D, then AD&D, MERP etc. I probably followed a similar path to a whole crowd of you out there. Also like most of you, I started to develop a new type of game, using some elements from other games and adding my own. The game then moved on in its own right, with a completely new set of rules. A whole load of my pals had the chance to test the game over a 10-year period. The general feedback was extremely positive, as well as the 6 or so game fairs I attended, where I had a series of people going for their chequebook, but no games to sell! I spent 4 years typing the rules out and getting pals to assist with artwork, play testing etc. on a more structured basis. Then things went quiet for several years as I had studies to attend to and above all, no time or money to get the game edited and printed.

Then having got a sales job with an IT firm, the idea reappeared to blow the dust of the original book and get it published: 1st Edition was born through self-publication. A 500 copy print run later and 30 books remaining, 2nd Edition needed to see the light. After 18 gaming conventions in the UK, France and the US, a great deal of feedback from the 1st Edition was collected. 2nd Edition has taken 19 out of 20 of the key comments made, the 20th comment was something to do with ducks in flying saucers and was dropped eventually…

1st Edition has 4 books out and a Master of Tales (MT) screen
2nd Edition has 6 books out and more on their way (see Supplements Page)

I'll try and give you a feel for the game:

Imagine a mist swirling about your feet, a dark sky streaked with red shards of light and a ruined city all around you, the ruined city of Metbetoch. You can still make out the imperial army as it makes its way over the crest of the hill to the north of where you are standing. Your knees are prepared to give way under the weight of your armour, the weight of your heart. This is your city that has been raised to the ground, here where the most prestigious academy of magic once stood. You swear revenge, which keeps you from faltering. You do away with your black-scale armour, what use is it to you now? You will never wear it again. Your world will be that of shadows, infiltration and subterfuge. You swear an oath to the dark priests of Morg, an oath to hunt down knights of the Empire, for the glory of your faction.

Why did they come? Their crimson and white banners snapping in the wind, the glint of their bronze spear shafts dancing in the early morning light. Metbetoch did not bend its knee to the imperial council, this city of limitless talent, this rebellious son gathering the rejects and the marginalised of the Empire. This would seal its doom.

Cursed Empire is all about atmosphere, it is dark and exciting and has a realistic feel to it. The scenarios are usually very twisted and have subplots intertwined with subplots, all linked to the main storyline.

It is extremely hard to convey the uniqueness of this game from the confines of a website, not without giving too much away, in any case. Please get in contact if you wish to clarify things.

I think that players and MT’s will enjoy the game for the following reasons:

The rules are simple, flexible and fun and should in no way get in the way of the gaming experience. This game has not been developed with a different system for the sake of it, I find too many new games are marketed with a strong emphasis on the games system. Cursed Empire’s strength is based upon its atmosphere, not the weight or the complexity of the rules.

The world of Thargos is a dangerous, hostile place of many extremes. Indeed the Knight and Darkun factions that are at war with eachother can be diametrically opposite with regards to their ideologies, or in fact a lot closer than it seems on the surface. The MT and players alike will have great fun in interacting with the geopolitics of these complex entities, and designing their own ones. There are very complex levels of cohabitation and interaction between supposed allies, each with their own agendas. Darkuns are religious zealots that are great fun to play and are deadly opponents as they have access to magic, poison and a host of deadly weapons, as well as having no fear or respect for life. Their life expectancy rarely goes beyond their mid twenties (for a human), but are great fun to play, especially if they infiltrate a group of players.

Magic is really fun here as the players and MT alike can create a host of symbols and spells, and trade, sell, steal etc. them. Flexible but adaptable rules are provided with main guidelines for the MT to handle such activities, with a logical framework. I'm summarising a lot here in one paragraph, as there is a lot more to read in the book, but this gives the main flavour of the magic system. I was about to forget, in some societies, sorcerers and mages are hunted down, as they are considered to be heretics. Each MT will have a chance to personalise the game to their own style by making use of spells more or less acceptable to suit their campaign.

Combat is both graphic and fun, and enables players to adapt their own fighting styles. Certain weapons are banned in the Empire (to simplify: the nice guys!), and their ownership or even worse, their use is punishable by death. Players also get a chance to mix and match armour types and cobble together hybrid armour, compromising protection with encumbrance. The feedback from players has been that certain fights have an epic, almost cinematic feel to them. For those of you who have seen (all of you I guess!) the fight between Aragorn and Lurtz in the first LOTR film, you'll understand what I'm saying: great action, changing of weapons, long enough fight then sudden end with someone's head being lobbed off! Combat in Cursed Empire is fun because it is dangerous and a lot of strange things can happen: every creature or individual can be brought down, every character is capable of heroics. Do you remember a hobbit striking an almighty evil being and contributing to its downfall? Or the 300 Spartans last stand against the Persian tide of invasion? Then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Creatures on Thargos are exciting and quite unique. Let's consider for example the Thargians (Oldest civilisation of Thargos), who ride their the manta-like Targs over the desert and rule by fear. They were once a proud, evolved race, they are now reduced to primitive tribe-like survival. Or how about the howling Melok, who haunts graveyards hunting for a new body to live in, and can easily be confused with a ghost, but is so deadly in comparison. Finally, we could consider the Trogre, a horrendous cross-breed between the Troll and the Ogre, with the combined strength of both: deadly! Don't forget that there are nearly 90 of such creatures in the game, of which 30+ are completely new, and they all have detailed Creature Character Sheets (CCS) and loads of illustrations.

The Context of the game is abundant with over 130 pages of it in the book. There are maps, descriptions, loads of background information, even some interesting B&W photos!! Whatsmore, existing players and myself will keep the flow of material coming. You are also welcome to participate.

Women are also present in abundance in the game, not the Pamela Andersen lookalikes (there are a few nevertheless!), but strong female characters like the Priestess on the front cover of the game book. This is very much a game for all and I'm hoping you may also have some charm present at your gaming table, as female players are attracted to the new types of characters on offer. It is about time that role-playing games opened-up to more female players!

As a conclusion, a lot of effort has gone into the development of the game and I'm hoping to share the fun of the adventures in the world of Thargos, with as many people as possible. This game is the culmination of years of gaming, watching hundreds of movies and reading some of the best fantasy and historical literature I've found. Please bear in mind that you will have the chance to speak to me directly about your ideas and comments and hopefully influence the future developments of the game.

Chris Loizou
Author of Cursed Empire