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Chevaliers are hardly human. They’re changed. However, this game is ultimately about the war for humanity. The below rules let you make compelling human characters, either for NPCs, or if you want a true game of underdogs, PCs. Functionally, character creation is identical to creating a Chevalier, but some points are different.

Step One: Concept, this works the same as a Chevalier.

Step Two: Horseman, this is not necessary.

Step Three: Traits, mundane humans receive five points amongst their Traits, and must have at least a single point in each. This is with the exception of Divinity. Humans cannot have Divinity, unless they purchase a point of Destiny (see below,) in which case one starting Trait must be spent on it.

Step Four: Skills, humans receive three Skills to round them out.

Step Five: Self and Destiny, humans do not receive Destiny. A mundane human has one Self. A PC human has two. A human can sacrifice a single starting Skill to start with an additional point of Self. Very rare humans start with a single point of Destiny. That Destiny point is useable in the same way as for a Chevalier, but the human cannot learn Seals. The character must sacrifice a starting point of Self to start with Destiny, and must spend a starting Trait on Divinity.

Step Six: Seals, human characters cannot access Seals. Optionally, if a GM allows, a character starting with a point of Destiny can start with a single Seal, but that has to be chosen from Darkness, Light or Persistence.

These minions are a phenomenon of modern fears. They’re shaped as small mechanical threats, sawblades, drills, jackhammers and the like. They creep across the ground in whatever fashion they’re able. They’re loud, they’re slow. When they see living flesh, they attack.

Horseman: War

Traits: Ferocity 3, Creativity 0, Tenacity 1, Divinity 1

Skills: Rending Flesh

Self: 1

Destiny: 2

Seals: Basic Slaughter

Azrael, Prince of Destruction

Azrael is a well-known name. He’s a dark angel of destruction and killing, he dedicates his existence to returning everything to entropy. While some angels can be reasoned with, Azrael is driven and will not stop until his goal is reached. His physical form is that of a metal skeleton with black armor. His wings are made of pure blackness, they eat light and stuff out life and warmth as they flap around him. He fights with a scythe that floats about his body, never touching him.

Horseman: Death

Traits: Ferocity 4, Creativity 2, Tenacity 3, Divinity 4

Skills: Scythe Combat, Pursuit

Self: 12

Destiny: 20

Seals: Basic Annihilation, Advanced Annihilation (x2, Clean Cut, Plague of Glass), Basic Darkness, Advanced Darkness (Herald of the End), Basic Destiny, Advanced Destiny (Enervate Destiny), Basic Persistence

Clean Cut – Advanced Annihilation: With this Seal, Azrael kills efficiently and quickly. By spending a point of Destiny, he needs not make a roll to be considered successful on a martial Contest. If the opponent is successful as well, the tie is resolved as normal with the expenditure of Traits. If the opponent is unsuccessful, Azrael causes an additional loss of Self equal to his Divinity score.

Plague of Glass – Advanced Annihilation: By spending a point of Destiny and refraining from rolling in a Contest, Azrael can make broken glass push up from the ground all around him. Any creature he can see is affected. For the remainder of the Struggle, any character moving more than five feet per turn loses a point of Self.

Nightmares are as varied as the people they terrorize. Using this simple system, you can build your own Nightmares to terrorize the Chevaliers.

A note on Nightmares: Nightmares are strange. They’re unique for a reason. Use your imagination. Make things up. The more alien they are, the more you’ll surprise your players and fill them with dread. These beasts are the agents of Armageddon. They’re supposed to be frightening, not laborious exercises in rules crunching. However, these rules make the task easier, especially on the fly.

Step One: Name It

Come up with a general idea of what it is, and what it looks like. Is it a giant German Panzer tank? Is it a writhing pile of rats and mealworms? Is it a beautiful but deadly seductress? Is it a angel with wings of bone? This is important. Aesthetic will sell your Nightmares more than any other single aspect of creation.

The second most important aspect is how it will be used. If the creature is being introduced as part of a group, consider the group motif.

Step Two: Assign Horsemen

Pick from the four types. They’re fully detailed in the above section, but for brevity they follow the same motif as the Chevaliers: Conquest, War, Pestilence/Famine and Death. If Horsemen are introduced in a group, consider the roles you wish them to play in the war. Some combinations are absolutely lethal, you should watch out. For instance, a crowd of Pestilence Nightmares with a couple of Death Nightmares as support can bring severe harm to a group of Chevaliers.

Step Three: Define Traits

Similar to Chevaliers, you now assign Traits. However, there are two distinct differences, the number of Traits is mutable and Nightmares can have Traits at zero.

Nightmares are often brainless, shambling monsters. Sometimes they’re absolutely immaterial, and die with a touch. However, they use the same Traits as Chevaliers.

When choosing Traits, consider the relative power level you wish to represent. Four Traits makes for a very weak Nightmare, probably the weakest imps and minions. Eight is about average for the various breeds, as most have at least one negligible Trait. Nightmare leaders tend in the twelve range, these are frightening examples of their breeds. The generals of the Apocalypse possess sixteen Traits, each of the four has a full score of four.

Step Four: Skills

Some Nightmares have no Skills. The vast majority have exactly one Skill, as their entire existences are based around a single act. Rare is the Nightmare with more than three Skills, but princes and generals of the Apocalypse can have as many as ten.

Step Five: Destiny and Self

On average, Nightmares have a smaller amount of Self than an equivalent Chevalier, but a higher Destiny. This is not a hard rule, though.

Lesser minions will have only one or two Self points. Soldiers have between three to five. Greater warriors are progressively stronger. While Nightmares tend towards lower Self scores, some princes and generals have as many as forty Self. These are monsters that require armies to topple, though.

Most Nightmares have between three to six Destiny points. Even minions will have two or more. Nightmares have upwards of forty as well, in rare cases.

Rule of thumb: When designing an encounter for your players, add together their total Destiny and Self scores (and those of any hirelings and minions they’re using.) That number is a safe amount to distribute amongst your Nightmares. As many as five to ten fewer makes for a very easy encounter. Five to ten more makes for a terrifying encounter.

Step Six: Choose Seals

Again, there’s no hard rule for the number of Seals a Nightmare can have. A good guideline though is, for every four points between Destiny and Self, a Nightmare should have one rank in Seals. There’s one distinction though: For every four points above sixteen a Nightmare has in Self or Destiny, it can have an additional Advanced Seal in one of the seals it has already mastered. The princes and generals of the Apocalypse are very versatile devils indeed.

Some people died. Others got sick, or started killing one another. Some of the survivors marched on other cities to take their resources. Very few of us kept our senses about us. We moved into the catacombs under the local cathedral. Sometimes we send up groups to find food, to smuggle some down. The groups never come back with no casualties. Every time, there are horror stories about monsters, people with barely any flesh, with gasmasks fused to their bodies. Other stories tell of German tanks that have shed their treads, growing the legs of spiders.

It’s become hell on earth in less than a year’s time. But we have hope. The last time a crew went up, they were saved by four figures on motorized bicycles. They carried guns that spewed fire, and one had a halo. It seems as if we’re not alone in this war.”

This chapter addresses the four Apocalypses, and gives advice on how to build your own Apocalypse. Examples are given for each of the four events listed, along with a theoretical or abstract breakdown of what each element of the Apocalypse could mean.

No matter the time period, something came to earth. More appropriately, four things came to earth. Depending on the story you wish to tell, they might be the legendary Horsemen of Saint John’s Apocalypse in a very literal sense. Otherwise, they are metaphorical. In some stories, the “things” are actually massive events that herald the end of days. Either way, these things herald four swift and remarkable changes in the world.

Conquest

The first occurrence is Conquest. A major power in the world conquers another, shifting political power. In the Dark Ages, this is the founding of the first nation-states. In The Great War, this could be construed as the fall of Germany, Russia, the Ottoman Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 2010, there are a number of political hotbeds that can be used as a starting point. In 2254, it’s the initial conquest of Earth by the Invaders from other worlds.

Conquest isn’t always literal in a political sense, but relates to the domination of a people. For a strong Apocalypse, you need the oppression and subversion of a population. Typically this is a catalyst for other things to come.

War

Not to be confused with Conquest, War is an overt conflict. Often they’re related, and for clear reasons. Many times, a Conquest inspires a War to occur. Sometimes, the War is what brings Conquest. In the Dark Ages, the Hundred Years War is the event relevant in this sense. In The Great War, the European conflict is the War in question. In the modern era, the “war on terror” could be a valid War, or you could fabricate one in the very near future. In 2254, the War is the struggle of humanity against the Invaders to free themselves from enslavement after the earth was conquered.

War is a terrible thing. It’s something that always has occurred. It’s something that always will. Most importantly, it divides loyalties and breeds dissent. Often, people could do far better for themselves if they’d stick together. That lack of unity is ultimately what heralds the end of the species.

Pestilence/Famine

The third element is a plague that devastates the population, but isn’t brought on by conscious effort. In the Dark Ages, this is the Black Plague. In The Great War, it’s the famine and hunger brought on inadvertently by the fighting. In the modern day, this could be the hunger in Africa, a newly mutated virus, or a number of other problems. In 2254, it’s a disease brought by the alien Invaders, one human bodies were not ready to face.

Whereas Conquest and War are brought by humanity and inflicted upon itself, Pestilence and Famine are circumstances of nature or chance. While humans hold a lot of power in their hands, ultimately they don’t hold all the power. Pestilence becomes the great equalizer in this sense. Remember, no culture is perfect. No matter how far mankind advances, nature will always play a part in its survival or death.

Death

Death is different than the other three events. Death is not a harbinger. It’s a herald. When death comes, the Apocalypse isn’t coming, it’s here. Death is the Terminus Est, Death is the time when all bets are off. Death is where the game world breaks off from real world history. In the Dark Ages, angels of light and darkness come forth to wage war over the battlefield of earth, killing all under their massive wills. In The Great War, machines of war come to life, turning on their masters and walking over entire cultures. In the modern day, all nuclear stockpiles in the world detonate with no apparent cause, eliminating a large portion of the population within minutes. In 2254, humans spontaneously disintegrate, hatching a third, new species of odd creatures from their corpses.

Death is the clincher. Death should be massive, while still allowing for enough survivors to tell a compelling story. It should be enough to discourage a majority of those survivors, and spark a stronger sense of hope amongst the rest.

Life After Death

Perhaps more important is what followed. Once the four events transpired, new things appeared. Monsters of all shapes and sizes came forth to bring disaster to the people of earth. The monsters typically fit at least some overarching theme in a given setting, but are as varied as the people of the world they scourge are. Since these monsters appeared directly after the events corresponding to the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, they’re collectively called Nightmares.

Nightmares carry some of the powers of the Horsemen, but in far smaller amounts. They seem dedicated to ending the human race, and bring that about in a myriad of ways.

The Opposition

After the Nightmares, humanity found its answer. A select few of the population manifested odd anomalies, looking strikingly similar to the devastating powers of the Nightmares. The selection seemed random enough, but typically those selected had a reason if you looked hard enough. Victims of the Nightmares and the Horsemen were the most obvious, but these Chevaliers occurred worldwide.

While the Chevaliers manifested their powers with an inherent knowledge that their duty was to stave off the forces of the Apocalypse, many found their new abilities tempting, giving them power over their human cultures. No small number of Chevaliers used their powers to leverage themselves into positions of authority. Some who walked the line too closely ultimately fell, becoming Nightmares themselves. For that reason, most Chevaliers run in troupes, where they can watch over one another, looking for the signs of temptation.

A Year of Change

For your setting, you have a year to work with. This is the most dynamic year in human history, so make it good. What cultures fell? What cultures stood up to the challenge? How did the world’s religions reconcile the events? How many people survived that fateful year? Consider as many of these things as possible.

Make large, sweeping changes. Experiment! Remember, the beauty of this type of speculative fiction is, we’ve never actually experienced an Apocalypse, so whatever you say goes. Decide what kinds of stories you want to tell for your players, and make changes to suit. Here are some recommendations, in the form of short story seeds to jump off from:

Brutal Wargame

If you want gritty, swords against bones war, this style of game is for you. Much of the world died in the holocaust of nations, but enough survive to have distinct factions. Those that survived were the best warriors. When the Nightmares came into existence, one specific dark angel manipulated the largest human nation onto his side. He rules over them as his army, lesser Nightmares are his generals.

The opposing Chevaliers all come from knightly orders or groups of elite soldiers. They command small legions of warriors to fight the darkness alongside them. All remaining nations are told to choose a side. As the war progresses, these neutral parties must be swayed into the fold, or brought down with the enemy.

Hero’s Journey

She loves him. He’s on the other side of the ocean. She was on a tour with the military when the Apocalypse started, and she never had the chance to get back. Now, with communications down, she doesn’t know if he’s still alive. The oceans are alive with monsters, air travel is impossible with Nightmare dragons patrolling the skies. She must know if he made it though. She’ll fight to the end of the world to cross that ocean, and she’ll take down anything standing in her way. At that, she finds herself with a sword of pure light.

Epic Apocalypse Opera

Earth is a battlefield. She’s torn from the Invaders, and it’s no longer a viable place to commit to a war. A band of humans realized quickly that they could adapt the alien technologies lost on the battlefield to their own ends. Grafting the machines with their bodies, they manifested powers the aliens even feared. The band found a single abandoned ship, and made way for the alien homeworld. They would likely die, but if they didn’t, humanity would stand a chance once again.

Morality Play

The Los Lobos were a band of good-for-nothing scoundrels. They were all in prison on extended sentences. Each did something terrible in prison. One killed another inmate. One planned the beating of a warden. One was running a drug smuggling ring from the pen. When the Apocalypse came, they found they were blessed, given a second chance to do good for their race.

After leaving prison, they realized that their Seals were a very easy way to power, cash and fame. They did good, but only when paid by the highest bidder. It wasn’t long before they’d consider taking contracts from less savory sources.

Terminus Est is about turning the powers of darkness against themselves, ending the world of those who would end your world.

The Terminus Est RPG is set one year from now. Now, though, is whenever you choose. This book assumes that “now” is one of four periods. The first is the time of the Black Plague, the late 1340s. The second is 1918, the end of the Great War. The third is 2010, the present. The last is 2254, The War for the World.

Until the Apocalypse, the world is as we know it. At least, that’s the default. Rip the game apart. Do what works best for your players. This is why one of our example settings is purely fictional, and one is an alteration of the modern world. This game is released under a Creative Commons license. We encourage you to develop custom material.

I won’t waste time explaining what an RPG is. This is likely not your first one. If it is, there are plenty of excellent resources such as: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game

• To fuel a Seal. Destiny costs are named in the description of the Seal.
• To refresh Traits. A single Destiny point recharges all of a character’s spent Traits. This can only be used once per Struggle.
• To forge a weapon. Agents of the Horsemen are never truly unarmed. The weapon appears out of nothingness, and appears in a manner iconic of the Horseman in question. Such a weapon is permanent once manifested.
• To forge armor. Agents of the Horsemen also have the option of protecting themselves with the force of the Apocalypse energies. A single point of Destiny forges light armor. Heavy armor takes two points of Destiny, and thus two turns. As with weapons, this armor is permanent once forged.
• Small miracles. Characters can make a manifest a single, bland but filling meal with a Destiny point. They can also heal minor wounds and diseases with a point of Destiny. They can heal a subject a single point of Self with Destiny, or remove any nonmagical disease. However, this particular power only works on humans without a Destiny score.
• Minor blights. Characters can also harm in the way they can heal. They can cause a single point of Self damage to a subject with a point of Destiny and a simple touch. This also only works on humans without a Destiny score. Note that both Nightmares and Chevaliers can do both of these things, but clearly, each has a distinct preference.