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Walter Kovacs (Order #46286161)

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Walter Kovacs (Order #46286161)
 PI1023 - Riot of Color
Written by Alison J McKenzie
Cover art by DIStudios
This special edition playset is a collaboration between Games Omniverse™ and
Protagonist Industries.
Learn more about the Dire Multiverse™ at www.DireMultiverse.com. If you’d like
to get in touch, email us at gamesomniverse@gmail.com.

Home by Dark is copyright © 2018 by Jason Olsan. All rights are reserved. If you’d
like to create additional materials for use with Home by Dark, we’re all for it! Con-
tact us at hbd@protagonist.industries.
www.protagonist.industries

Protagonist
Industries

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Walter Kovacs (Order #46286161)
 Riot of Color
Somewhere out in the Multiverse, brushing fingertips with our own reality, is a
world known as Dayspring. That’s not exactly the correct word, but it’s our closest
approximation. It’s a place where light and color represent form, thought, and sound;
where rituals, communications, and emotions follow the rhythm of the rising and
setting of the sun.

It’s a world close to our own, a world that has become too close for comfort.

It’s New Year’s Eve. We’re entering the double digits of the 21st century. Soon, Seat-
tle’s sky will be alight with fireworks. Among the falling shadows, something bright
slips down alleyways and side streets. It’s a flicker in the corner of your eye. Some-
thing from Dayspring has found its way into our world, bringing danger on its heels.

This playset requires a deck of playing cards. If you’d

like, you can purchase a madcap Dire Multiverse poker
deck at GamesOmniverse.com/cards/.

Sidebar: Omens Instead of Assets

Instead of assets, this variant adventure uses omens. The Omen pile replaces the
Asset pile and is represented by a standard deck of cards.

Each player draws three playing cards. Use the chart under Example Omens to see
what visions the Secret receives based on the cards they’ve drawn. The player picks
one card that they like and adds it to the Omen pile. Discard the other two cards.
Each player should contribute one Omen card.

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 Secret: Cora, the Luminous
The Luminous are native to Dayspring. Small, furry creatures with chromatic, lumi-
nescent fur, they read omens in the patterns of light and color created by the rising
and setting of the sun. These omens are thought to be messages from the gods. Made
mostly of light and color themselves, the Luminous are rare; they cannot be bred in
captivity, and their intelligence is one-note: they see and relay omens, but they can’t
interpret them. They speak telepathically with simple words and thought-images.

Each of the four great governments of Dayspring—the Sovereigns of War, of Wealth,

of Compassion, and of Charity—has a luminous on staff. Some of the lesser govern-
ments do as well, but private citizens have never owned or employed Luminous. The
creatures are considered holy beings, diviners of the gods. Harming or killing one
brings a death sentence. Kidnapping one? Well, such a thing has never happened or
even been considered. Until now.

Cora is a luminous for the Reign of Charity, or she was until the Madcaps chased her
out. These rogue hunters are determined to capture her for themselves, though she
doesn’t quite know why.

Cora slipped out of their trap and kept running, weaving in and out of cracks of
Reality until one path spit her out by Elliott Bay, Seattle, Earth. She needs help, but
she can’t understand this strange world and isn’t sure whom to trust. Will those who
find her be friendly? Will they recognize the true danger that her far-reaching sight
can’t decipher?

Ability
Cora has two abilities. First, she can camouflage herself against a background, but
only briefly. Dimming her light for too long makes her weak and tired, so she can
stay camouflaged longer if her backdrop is a brightly lit sign, flashing police lights
reflected in a window, a crackling fireplace, or some other display of glowing, flick-
ering, or burning lights. The darker the backdrop, the harder it is for her to stay
hidden. At the longest, she can remain disguised for three minutes.

Second, Cora finds omens in patterns of light and color. She prefers natural light at
sunrise and sunset but can use almost any source of light in a pinch, including the
spread of stars, moonlight through trembling leaves, or the neon glow of street signs
refracted in mist. She does not know what the omens mean and can only relay what
she sees. Any omens she detects in our world are doubly confusing because the vi-
sions are cast in images from our world, not her own, and are therefore alien to her.

Fear
Cora is afraid of being captured, either by the Madcaps or by any of these strange
Earth beings with physical forms that move through the Seattle streets. She will
attempt to hide or camouflage herself when someone is nearby. When faced with
immediate danger, she will freeze rather than fight or flee, going completely still, and
slowly fade into the background.

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 Pursuer: Madcaps
As the people of Dayspring are made partially or entirely of light and color, think
in light and color, and communicate in light and color, the lines between reality
and perception are blurred. There is a danger of thoughts, dreams, and intentions
becoming realized—a nightmare creature taking form, or a feared disaster striking
a local city.

Resembling medieval jesters of our world, although slightly transparent in the right
light, Madcaps are hunters who stalk the dreamlands of Dayspring. They can exist
within the mind of someone else without being dissolved into pure thought. They
search the collective subconscious for ideas that are becoming strong enough to
affect the waking world. They don’t normally exist outside of dreams, but lately
they’ve ventured beyond their confines out of desperation.

You see, the people of Dayspring are becoming fearful. Nightmares have grown
darker. Emotions have grown colder. The Madcaps fear this is a warning from the
gods that a terrible event is going to befall Dayspring. They warned the Sovereigns,
but their concerns were waved aside. The Sovereigns argued that if there was a
threat, the Luminous would alert everyone.

But the Madcaps weren’t convinced. The Luminous had read omens in the waking
world only, not in the dreamlands. Perhaps they were missing something. The Mad-
caps decided to take a luminous into the dreamlands to interpret omens there and
validate their claims.

Motivation
The Madcaps are terrified of a world-wide catastrophe, and they’re frustrated that
no one is taking them seriously. They know that people trust the Luminous, and they
think they can use that to prove their point and maybe save the world.

They don’t realize, and will stubbornly refuse to understand, that the Luminous can’t
survive in the subconscious the way the Madcaps can. If they managed to catch
Cora, she would unravel and become part of the flow of dreams. Every person in
Dayspring would harbor a portion of Cora’s psyche. The consequences of this could
bring lasting peace to the people—or it could be the very disaster the Madcaps are
trying to prevent.

Goal
The Madcaps must capture Cora and drag her into the Dayspring dreamlands. If they
can force her to read the omens in the dreams, they can convince the Sovereigns their
world is in danger.

Single-minded creatures, uneasily swayed, they will pursue their goal until they are
forcibly stopped.

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 Danger: Fading Color
Dayspring is a world of thought in physical form. The Luminous are the purest ex-
pression of this. Though they can interact with solid objects, they don’t relate to our
reality the way we do. Cora sees in terms of probabilities. Her feelings are waves
and rhythms. When she speaks, her words are conveyed directly into the minds of
her listeners. And when she breathes, she inhales light and color and exhales patterns
and possibilities.

But Earth’s reality is not as malleable as Dayspring’s. In Earth, the light and colors
Cora absorbs are not released back into the fabric of the world. Instead, they simply
evaporate. This means that while she is in the Earth realm, she is sucking away our
color and light and turning it into…nothing.

Cora is not doing this on purpose. To keep from consuming all of Earth’s light and
color, she’ll have to return home, bypassing the Madcaps. Fortunately, she is a small
creature, and for the moment, she can only affect a small area. If she stays in one
place for too long, the colors there fade and the lights grow dim. Over time, her
touch saps color and brightness, leaving behind a gray object. Living things are not
immune. She has to keep moving, or she’ll leave a trail of shadow wherever she
goes. Sunlight can still penetrate, but fires and artificial lights cease to work.

The longer Cora stays in one place, the farther her influence spreads. If on Earth too
long, she could plunge Seattle into a bleak, colorless twilight…that eventually could
spread to the entire world.

Any of Earth’s inhabitants who are in proximity to a place or item that she has infect-
ed will find themselves feeling uneasy and irritable. Their minds will tell them that
something is wrong but not what; their eyes will pass over the gray areas without
noticing them, but their hearts will register that something isn’t right.

The players, once they learn of Cora, won’t be affected by the encroaching grayness
because they’ll know exactly what’s wrong. Everyone else will be gripped with an
inexplicable fear and sadness they can’t place.

Manifestation
• The graffiti Cora was sitting against is now black and white.
• After Cora has hidden in an attic for a while, the whole street corner be-
gins to look dimmer and desaturated.
• Light bulbs burn out near where Cora is.

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 Setting: Seattle. New Year’s, 2009 – 2010
Seattle, the Emerald City. It sits on the Puget Sound under the watchful shadow of
Mount Rainier. A city with a vibrant past and a bright future. It is a city of ghost sto-
ries and underground tunnels, of art and music, of narrow streets and tall buildings.
Home to an iconic waterfront, a soaring observation tower, a famous fish market, a
troll under a bridge, and an alleyway wall coated with thousands of pieces of gum,
Seattle has its landmarks and its quirks.

It’s New Year’s Eve, 2009, soon to flip over to the year 2010. There is plenty to
do—a massive fireworks display in downtown, clubs and fancy dinners taking night-
owl patrons, and parties both public and private. People crowd the streets, cluster on
balconies, or migrate to the tops of buildings for a better view of the show. Excite-
ment is in the air. It’s a new year, full of new promise. Where will you be when the
countdown starts?

Character Creation
A potential character could be anybody who would stumble on a lost alien creature
before or during a celebration on the Seattle city streets—kids exploring the market
mere feet from their parents, runaway teenagers out for a good time, adults killing
time after dinner and before the fireworks display. It is easiest if everyone is cele-
brating Halloween together in some way, but the game could also work if characters
individually take it upon themselves to help Cora and are therefore united by a com-
mon goal.

Cora needs help, and whoever finds her must be willing to assist and protect her—
and must be willing to approach her rather than the other way around. She is des-
perate but also suspicious, internally conflicted, and this could play out in interest-
ing ways A larger or older character may intimidate her but could gain her trust by
emphasizing their responsible nature, or reassure her with a nonthreatening, playful
personality. A smaller or younger character will not frighten her but may need to
present themselves as a boon or resource in some way, or Cora may not think they
could be any help to her. A mixed group of contrasting personalities can offer her
both reassurance and assistance.

Example Locations
• Fish market
• Aquarium
• Pier
• Parking garage
• Seattle observation tower

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 Example Omens
Cora’s visions are not literal—they are metaphors. A snipped ribbon may represent
severed ties or broken bonds. Players play their omen cards as they would assets—
however, what it actually affects in the scene is open to interpretation.

An omen is not an object for the player to use, but instead, it’s an outcome to take ad-
vantage of. For example, if Cora’s vision is a closed door, does that mean an obvious
choice is closed to you? Or that you should look for a barrier to put between yourself
and the Pursuer? Think of it as a hint of what to do, and use your imagination.

If it takes a stretch to apply the vision to the scene—so be it! Run with it, and have
fun. Feel free to discuss it with the other players, as well.

If you have the Dire Multiverse card deck

(available at GamesOmniverse.com/cards/)

Here’s a bit of extra lore that doesn’t need to come into play unless you want it to:
The four suits (spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs) represent the royal houses of
Dayspring. You will find key figures from the realm’s government illustrated on the
cards. The suit of spades depicts the Sovereigns of War; the suit of diamonds, the
Sovereigns of Wealth; the suit of hearts, the Sovereigns of Compassion; and the suit
of clubs, the Sovereigns of Charity.

Hearts Diamonds Spades Clubs

Ace A handprint A window open- A page of erased A “for sale” sign
on a glass ing handwriting
Two A balanced Gears spinning A stack of un- A map
partnership opened letters
Three A solitary A flock of birds A game of chess, A pilot circling
statue in a unfinished above a dense
garden forest
Four A discarded A hand clutching A hospital A locked box and
book a coin purse a key
Five A dagger A moth Two statues A jar of wasps
with their heads
swapped
Six An old, dusty A waterfall A glimpse of deer A diploma
book with between trees
tabbed pages
Seven A discarded A windmill Footprints of a An old, forgotten
rose fox in snow shield
Eight A jack in the A magnifying A birdcage A wave crashing
box glass

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 If you’re still stuck, here’s some more specific direction:

• Hearts: You should seek help from, or avoid, an NPC. Example: You’re
trying to find somewhere safe to hide the Secret. The police officer looks
friendly, but the dagger warns you not to trust him.

• Diamonds: You should find an item in your environment to help you. Ex-
ample: You’re fleeing the Pursuers. Looking around, you find a ladder that
leads to an open window.

• Spades: Something from the past can help you now. Investigate other
characters or your environment or dig deep for a memory. Example:
You need to move the Secret to somewhere discreet. There’s a dumpster
nearby, but you remember there used to be an old bookstore in this alley.
Moving the dumpster, you find the door.

• Clubs: Take action. Do something unexpected or bold. Count on luck.

Example: You need to get one of the Pursuers off your trail, so you walk
right into an open bar and announce that an adult in a jester costume has
been trying to kidnap you. A cadre of costumed patrons takes to the streets
looking for the culprit, giving your assisting player a chance to slip away
with the Secret.

Example Questions
The example questions below will suggest storylines. Use any that you like, and feel
free to add your own.

Example Secret Questions

The Secret questions focus on getting to know and protecting the Secret. The follow-
ing are starting examples to inspire your group with their Secret questions.

• “Are we able to hide Cora before anyone else spots her?”

• “Does Cora tell us where she came from?”
• “Can we convince Cora she can’t stay here?”

Example Pursuer Questions

The Pursuer is attempting to find and catch the Secret. Pursuer questions focus on
characters avoiding and distracting the Pursuer. They may also learn more about the
Pursuer.

• “Are we able to lose the Pursuer in the underground mall beneath the
market?”
• “Can we convince the chef to distract the Pursuers while we slip away?”
• “Can we make the Madcaps think we are helping them catch Cora?”

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 Example Danger Questions
The Danger is centered around color leeching from the world wherever Cora spends
too much time. The questions about the Danger will focus on how to prevent the
problem from spreading.

• “Do we discover how to make the color return?”

• “Can we figure out how long Cora can be in one place before color starts
to fade?”
• “Can we find a way to delay the spread above ground?”

Final Confrontation Table

This table is slightly modified from the one found in the Home by Dark book. It gives
more specific descriptions of the results of the final confrontation for this playset.

The Pursuer
Pursuer lost by 5+: The Madcaps lose hold of Cora and are forced to return to
Dayspring.

Pursuer tied or lost by 1-4: The Madcaps lose hold of Cora but stay on Earth
to try to find a different solution to their problem.

Pursuer won by 1-4: The Madcaps capture Cora, but they can’t get her into the
dreamlands.

Pursuer won by 5+: The Madcaps capture Cora and drag her into the dream-
lands.

The Danger
Danger lost by 5+: Cora finds a way to stop damaging Earth’s color and light.
She returns to Dayspring but can visit her human friends without worry.

Danger tied or lost by 1-4: Cora finds a way to stop damaging Earth’s color and
light, but once she returns to Dayspring, she cannot come back.

Danger won by 1-4: Cora returns safely to Dayspring and the Sovereigns, but
the damage she left behind is irreversible. There will always be spots in Seattle
where the color has been sucked away—holes in the brightness of the world.

Danger won by 5+: Cora is unable to find her way back to Dayspring on her
own and is stuck on Earth, continuing to consume Earth’s colors until eventual-
ly, they’re all gone.

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