Torg Eternity Preview #4 – Core Earth and the Living Land

This week, we’re previewing the world of Torg Eternity in general, followed by a closer look at Core Earth and the Living Land!

The Possibility Wars

The Possibility Wars as depicted in Torg Eternity are more desperate than in Original Torg. The Gaunt Man hasn’t been forced into the maelstrom at the beginning of the war, and Tharkold’s invasion, although strongly resisted, has maintained its beachhead in Russia.

The tone is more serious, so you won’t see Skippy the Edeinos, and some consideration is made for how the Possibility Wars would actually impact our world in terms of trade, travel, and food.

All of the original seven invading cosms are in Torg Eternity, but every cosm has been tweaked to some degree. Some, like the Nile Empire have changed little, while others such as Tharkold, the Living Land, and Pan-Pacifica (formerly known as Nippon Tech) have seen substantial changes. Those changes will be discussed as we preview each cosm.

Core Earth (Magic 6, Social 23, Spirit 9, Tech 23)

Core Earth is the Earth you would see in movies: action heroes, some mysterious ​but rare magic, and ​even ​the occasional miracle. Core Earth is not only full of Possibility Energy, so much so that no High Lord (or five) could invade and survive the powerful backlash, but it is uniquely adept at creating defenders of its reality.

Those defenders, Storm Knights, are coordinated by the newly created Delphi Council led by the mysterious Quinn Sebastian. Yes, the Delphi Council are the good guys now, and act as the primary ‘patron’ of the player characters. While your campaign can certainly be run with the heroes as independent agents, the assumption ​is they’re directly working with the Delphi Council.

In Original Torg, Core Earth had a reputation for being a bit dull. Other cosms had the cool tech, the amazing spells, and the powerful miracles. That’s different now. The Core Earther specialty is manipulating reality itself! Realm runners can sometimes ignore disconnection, and find it easier to reconnect. Core Earth Storm Knights can take Perks to prevent a Stormer from spending a Possibility, invoke a reality storm against them, or even give a Possibility to an ally!

World Laws

Core Earth’s World Laws are all about being heroes and fighting through to victory, no matter the odds!

Law of Hope: Channels creativity and Possibility Energy to solving crises. Cosm cards often provide additional Possibilities.

Channels creativity and Possibility Energy to solving crises. Cosm cards often provide additional Possibilities. Law of Glory: Earth’s heroes often become legends. Players can get a Glory card into their hands, even if it’s still in the deck or discard pile.

Earth’s heroes often become legends. Players can get a Glory card into their hands, even if it’s still in the deck or discard pile. Law of the Underdog: Heroes always rise to the occasion, especially if they’re outnumbered and outgunned. PCs can start with an extra card in the pool if outnumbered.

Living Land (Magic 1, Social 7, Spirit 24, Tech 6)

The Living Land is a lost world, full of dinosaurs (sorta…our raptors don’t have feathers either) and other unusual creatures, incredible wonders from other worlds and previous conquests, and lizard-men capable of invoking powerful miracles.

Baruk Kaah was the first invader​. He​ struck in New York, but ​quickly spread his reality to both coasts, the Canadian arctic, and even Mexico! In Original Torg, Baruk Kaah was not taken very seriously, certainly not in the​ way one of the most experienced High Lords should be seen. In Torg Eternity he’s more like Genghis Khan, leading his armies from the front and focusing his jakatts to power city-destroying miracles.

We’ve made the Living Land more inviting and less annoying to adventure in. Part of this is through the fact that Pure Zones aren’t as strict as they were previously, but also the Deep Mist is not found throughout the realm, but only in parts ​ and when dramatically appropriate​.

​Most importantly, the Law of Wonders means that remnants of past civilizations appear in the dense jungles and vast plains, and both treasures and information​ can be gleaned from them. Is this the goddess Lanala’s way of saying Kaah has corrupted her religion? You’ll find out in the accompanying campaign book!

World Laws

The Living Land in Torg Eternity is a thematic mix ​of the realm seen in Original Torg and the Land Below pocket cosm​ (and yes, the Land Below continues to exist as well!).​

​ Law of Savagery: Cosm cards can include rampaging dinosaurs and amorous encounters​. All Out attacks, when an Approved Action, cause extra damage.

Cosm cards can include rampaging dinosaurs and amorous encounters​. All Out attacks, when an Approved Action, cause extra damage. Law of Life: Cosm cards can result in Storm Knights losing their equipment​ in exchange for Possibilities​, but characters find it easier to avoid death when seriously wounded.

Cosm cards can result in Storm Knights losing their equipment​ in exchange for Possibilities​, but characters find it easier to avoid death when seriously wounded. Law of Wonders: ​Ruins from other worlds can be found throughout the land, and act as hardpoints of their respective realities. Incredible relics of magic, technology, and spiritualism can be found there, as well as Eternity Shards!

Do You Want to Know More?

There’s a fair bit I had to cover lightly so if you’d like to ask any questions, just go to our forums.