Post Apocalyptic Pictures

Millenarianism fascinates me. Sine Nomine publishes Stars Without Number, undoubtedly one of my favorite science fiction RPG's. So I'm confident Sine Nomine's upcoming post-apocalyptic Other Dust will impress.

When I hear "Post/Apocalyptic" I first think of Revelation, Cormac McCarthy's The Road, or Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead. But for whatever reason, I also picture ruined barns and ruined boats; images I find oddly alluring. I'm sure this reflects the time I've spent in south shore Ma and in upstate Ny. So I've done some scrounging to find the images that speak to my end-of-times nightmares.

This image is just one of many midwestern 'abandoned places' photographs Tau Zero features:

This one is perhaps my favorite photograph from Tau Zero:

This last one isn't anywhere near me either, but it gets the idea across. Find it with the rest of it's gallery at I09.

Tools, Tips, & Crochet

The prophets have spoken. This "God Generator" is an excellent tool for the GM looking to cook up a DnD god on the fly. Read Rolang's Creeping Doom.

Who doesn't want to cuddle with a creepy Cthuloid? Get them at NeedleForge. You can hear what NeedleForge is all about at Gamerati.

Dude is funny. Behind the rage is some real insight. Read The Moldy Vale.

The Numen

Elves call them spirits, men call them demons, dwarves call them gods. The numinous forces of the standing races can be divided into two categories. The first group, called "The Forgotten" are the class of gods which no longer respond to the appeals of worshippers. These are entities so ascendant that even the power of prayer is of little concern to them. These gods are in an eternal political struggle with the other master powers. The Forgotten rarely manifest on the material plane, but send pawn lesser deity's if necessary.

Picture Link. 

The second class of deity are are called "The Singers." These are the mouthpieces of faith and the architects of cults. These are the lesser gods who cringe before the greater gods. But it is the duty and the honor of the Singers to make men bow. Whether through service to the material plane or through its domination, The Singers are the forces that meddle in the affairs of elves, dwarves, and mortals. For a Singer to ascend, they must first enrapture the masses into prayer. The faith-force of the devout directly empowers a Singer. A cult's power grows with the deeds of deity's champions. As the masses are inspired, the deity feeds on their devotion with a dreadful gluttony.

Nerull Random Table: Astral-Spitualists & the Whisper

Cults of the Whisper
On Nerull, Moofyman and I have been discussing science fiction in an experimental free-form approach. The goal isn't to go in any particular direction, but simply to play off of each others ideas. This table can add a random psuedo-religious aspect to your science fiction game.

A black hole whispers to those who know how to listen... Human psychics all dream of the whisper, describing it as suddenly ineffable upon awakening. Psychics with clairvoyant abilities can make fragmentary sense of the whisper to predict aspects or events of the future. The masses (not psychically attumed) believe the whisper to be a malady of the mad or mere myth. But there is a truth to the whisper; it is a message. But is it a higher one?

The Astral-Spiritualist's Motives
Roll 1d20 as many times as necessary to develop character/ story details:
1 "You are prophetic."
2 "Others who hear the whisper must be protected."
3 "Others who hear the whisper must be hindered."
4 "Martial arts offer revelation."
5 "Seek a spiritual guide."
6 "Reassemble the Godhead."
7 "Destroy the Godhead."
8 "Prepare for apocalypse."
9 "Resist apocalypse."
10 "Spread the word."
11 "Hide the word."
12 "Seek mysterium tremendum."
13 "Seek atonement."
14 "Cleanse the deserving."
15 "Take a vow."
16 "Follow necessary rituals."
17 "Sacrifice for the deity."
18 "You are the whisper's avatar."
19 "The whisper is a demon."
20 "The whisper is not alien, not god, nor ghostly."