Game: Darkun Sourcebook
Publisher: Chris Loizou
Series: Crimson Empire FRPG
Reviewer: Leonidas300
Review Dated: 3rd, November 2003
Reviewer’s Rating: 8/10 [ Really good ]
Total Score: 8
Average Score: 8.00
This is the first supplement for the Crimson Empire Dark Fantasy Role-Playing Game. The Darkuns were briefly introduced in the Main Sourcebook and are developed here in far more detail.
Darkuns: Darkuns are dedicated to evil and it’s propagation. These beings are religious fanatics who have committed their short existence to a faction of one of the elements (Fire, Air, Water, Earth). They usually shave their hair off, bear tattoos of their cult and basically use any means to send their enemies to death. They consider themselves as missionaries, even if most people still ask themselves what their exact purpose is, apart from creating havoc and suffering. They enjoy practising the art of torture and spend a great deal of time inventing new means of inflicting pain and terror.
What is even more concerning about the Darkun, is that they also ingest poison in order to build up their immune system. Numerous members of this class die very young because of these methods. They never wear armour, but they may wear metal masks and helms, and carry shields etc. Most of them take some form of toxic substance to prepare themselves for battle. They also trade these substances for other weaponry. A great number of Darkuns specialise in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.
Darkuns are usually found in the dark fortified monasteries of the dark factions, or involved in the most suicidal and deadly missions. It is not uncommon for Darkuns from different factions to team up to fight their common enemy the Empire, but they are also involved in internal feuds that may result in them killing each-other. Some Darkuns hunt Knights, the greatest targets being the Red Guard of the Emperor, their sworn enemies. Hatred often clouds their judgement, there average life expectancy doesn’t usually exceed 23, although some of them reach the age of around 30 (humans), and gain great power and respect from all the younger adepts, who would willingly die for the glory of the Faction.
Here is just some of what you get:
*Darkun Origins/Darkun Rites
*Darkun Subfactions and their Interaction (including a complete interaction chart)
*Darkun Tattoos and Symbols
*Darkun Units (Battle Group, Death Commando, Tarbathtm, Vandraktm, Decoy, Slayer etc.)
*Darkun Hierarchy
Additional Rules:
*New Player Character Races: Rlisha and Centaurs
*New Classes: Companions, Servants and Darkun Subclasses
*New Aptitudes (including a complete set of the new Player Character Sheets)
*New Combat Rules: Hand-2-Hand Combination Attacks
*New Darkun Weapons (Cobra Fang, Scorpion Sting, Shard Blade, Staff of Pain etc.)
*Additional Poison Rules
*New Darkun Magic: Spells (Temple Wrath, Darkun Bloodpact etc.) and Magic Objects (Tarbath Rally Horn, Death Mask etc.)
*Cults: Code, Orders and Developing new Factions/Subfactions
*Mental Health: Indoctrination effects on Sanity/Nightmare Effects on Spellcasters
*6 New Creatures (Temple Blade, Darkun Berserker, Temple Pillar Elemental etc.) with complete detailed Creature Character Sheets.
*Master of Tales (MTtm) Section: how to roleplay Darkuns.
*Fire Temple of Morgtm Game Aid (Maps, Temple Structure etc.)
*Complete Scenario Forming the Basis of a Campaign Setting.
