19 Sep Cyberpapacy Preview #1 – One Year Later…

Cyberpapacy Preview #1 – One Year Later…

It’s time to begin previewing the next Kickstarter for Torg Eternity, the Cyberpapacy!  As usual, please remember that much of what will be previewed is still in development and the final result may differ. So without further ado…

The State of the Possibility Wars on D+365

The Torg Eternity core book describes the world as it stands at the end of the third month of the war. Each of the cosm sourcebooks will detail what happens over the following nine months. The High Lords have been busy, but the Delphi Council is trying to push back.

With the Cyberpapacy, Earth is losing, and it’s not really even a contest.

The Cyberpapacy is an experiment in what it’d be like if a theocratic autocracy also had advanced technology, a mashup of the Spanish Inquisition and Neuromancer. It’s a reality of miracles melded with technology that reigns supreme. A realm where your piety is recorded and monitored. Where people’s needs are entirely met, as long as you don’t need freedom.

While in Original Torg the Cyberpapacy was very slow in growing, that isn’t the case in Torg Eternity (and there’s a reason I won’t go into just yet). But in addition to quickly taking over France, Spain, and Portugal, the Cyberpope Malraux expanded his realm into South America, taking over most of the population of Brazil, as well as recently invading Uruguay and taking Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The Cyberpapacy’s Axioms

Out of the invading cosms, the Cyberpapacy has the highest technology. In addition to the GodNet, a virtual reality that you literally upload your soul to, cyberware is ubiquitous, and holograms and limited force field technology allow artificial intelligences to extend into the Flesh.  Jacking out doesn’t mean you’ve escaped.

The Cyberpapacy’s Spirit Axioms is also moderately high, and the evidence of higher being is evident. Although perhaps not to the same power as Aysle, the Nile, or especially the Living Land, the spiritual power expressed by the Church is not insignificant, and has a definite technological flavor.

The realm also has a moderate Magic Axiom, enough to support permanent magic items and conjuration (although the primary source of magic items is Aysle). However, the Magic Axiom remains high enough to support the enemies of the Church. From the shadows of the sprawls and the woods of the Wilds come the witches. The cyberwitches were introduced in the Torg Eternity corebook, but they’re joined now with their sister Pagans, the white witches who ally with spirits of the land to take the fight directly to technology.

Finally, the Cyberpapacy’s Social Axiom is moderately high…high enough to support the central planning of economy, which allows the Church to control and dictate production of goods, weapons, and cyberware by the Guilds–monoastic orders that often produce one type of product. However, that’s about the extent of their advancement socially…in other aspects the Cyberpapacy acts as if it’s stuck in a medieval mindset.

Cyberpapacy World Laws

The Cyberpapacy’s Law of the One True Way, the Law of Heretical Magic, and the Law of Suspicion are in the Torg Eternity Corebook. However, just like the other realities, the Cyberpapacy has some minor World Laws as well.

Law of Stagnation: Although the Cyberpapacy has a relatively high Social Axiom, and a very high Tech Axiom, this minor Law, associated with the Law of the One True Way, means that the denizens of the reality cannot enjoy all the fruits of those axioms.  The scientific method is heresy and technological advancement is only through divine inspiration. The God in the machine isn’t just metaphorical. As well, the Law of Stagnation is the reason that Cyberpapal society feels trapped in the Dark Ages, unable to advance beyond a medieval mindset.

Law of Ordeal: Also associated with the Law of the One True Way, the Law of Ordeal supports the Trials by Ordeal, which determine the guilt or innocence of those accused of crimes. The very reality will aid or hinder the accused in proving their innocence (and this very much is not an innocent-before-proven guilty realm).

Law of Sanction: A common trope in cyberpunk is the idea that cyberware can be dehumanizing. However, the Law of the One True way encourages the installation and even the proud display of cyberware. This is made possible by the Law of Sanction which removes all possibility of cyberpsychosis…for those who accept their gifts from the Church. 

Coming Soon!

Over the next several weeks we’ll be highlighting different parts of the upcoming products for the Cyberpapacy including the Godnet, cyberware, magic, miracles, and Threats!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss this preview, head on over to our forms!

If you have any questions, head on over to our forums!

Art by: Bien Flores and Unique Spoarie