1,000 years ago, the gods left us.

400 years ago, our world was buried in ash.

Now we turn to alchemy to survive and make our own meaning.

This is the

Era of Silence

Team-focused chemipunk action, 1,000 years into the gods’ Long Silence.

Era of Silence is the next tabletop-roleplaying game (TTRPG) from Shrike Tabletop!

In the Long Silence, new monsters have shown their faces, from wasteland mutants to zealous fascists—no corner of the world is truly safe. Grab your team and get ready to fight your way through the shattered surface of Vian. Dark, but not hopeless: you will find your reason to keep going in this strange new world. 

Era of Silence is built on a roll-low dice pool system called Thorne, designed to allow different characters to excel at the same task in different situations. Mixed with an interlocking Trait system, the game heavily emphasizes teamwork in a traditional RPG format. 

A streamlined character creation process offers over 15,000 possible character combinations but can be chosen from in a single sitting. Play a thief with a penchant for machines, a mage with a military background, a combat alchemist, and more! Then pick gear that utilizes a Template + Mod system. With just a few choices, a standard weapon turns into a trademark with its own twists and effects. 

The core gameplay of Era of Silence is focused on combat. A Stamina focused action mechanic and a State system allow for tactical freedom in a way that's intuitive for both the Narrator and Protagonist Characters. An HPless damage mechanic creates an intense atmosphere where every shot feels lethal and keeps combats short.

The world of Vian is a chemipunk future fantasy setting written by R. Val. The book features full-color art by Moss Sugarmountains and Willabee. With layout by F. Dan O'Neill.

The digital rulebook is a 197-page PDF with hyperlinks between important entries and alternative text for all images. It comes with a form-fillable character sheet and an introductory module.

Vian and the Long Silence

For as long as anyone could remember, the Divine Council of gods ruled over the world of Vian. Their global theocracy brought peace and assurance to the mortals of Vian as they lived out their lives peacefully in the service of the greater divine order. 

Then the gods disappeared.

Their prophets soon died and their Divine Empire collapsed. The mortals of Vian were left without guidance from their creators and caretakers. Civilizations separate from the remnants of the global church formed in time. Chief among these was the Parathan Empire. They emerged from the mountains armed with powerful magicks, firearms, and the newfound science of alchemy. They conquered every kingdom and empire that stood against them, and the second global spanning territory was within their grasp.

Then the world ended.

Or, for all intents and purposes it did. A massive earthquake led to the eruption of the world’s largest volcano in a catastrophic event called the Judgement. The firmament of the planet was shattered and the air smothered in ash. The Parathan Empire collapsed shortly after. Yet the technology that the Parathan brought into the world offered hope to the civilizations that would rebuild in the 2nd great empire’s wake. 

Now, it has been over 1000 years since the Silence began, and over 400 years since the Judgement. In the former Parathan capital of Astael, a new Empire has formed from the massive city states that house most of its citizens. This Astaelian Empire came to prominence in a recent and bloody civil war of which the scars are still fresh. Alchemy has revolutionized daily life, from allowing breathing of safe air with environmental shielding, to allowing full body augmentation that defies the limits of mortality. The world is far from safe: dangerous mutants run rampant in the wastelands, souls have ceased to leave their bodies unless burned, and a new breed of spellcasters has threatened to rip Tears in the very Fabric of reality. The best chance for survival is always with a team, so find your friends and stick together.

This is the Era of Silence.