A Glimpse into the World of Dusk Veil

A Brief Overview of Setting

Dusk Veil is both the name of the rules and the setting for this modern urban fantasy role playing game.

The setting plays a huge part in why I created Dusk Veil, it’s the thing that interested me the most, the catalyst for why I finally started making my own game. So, I find it worthwhile to make a post explaining my vision for the setting. Originally, I intended to introduce most of the setting through the short fiction I will be posting here.  I realized, though, that not everyone would want to read through the fiction to get a feel for the setting, some might just want a traditional explanation of elements. This post is for them.

Also, fiction takes time to get right and I wanted to have a post ready on day one.

It is totally possible for you to play Dusk Veil without using the Dusk Veil setting.  If you just want to use the rules for computers and firearms and vehicles and other modern accouterments, by all means, do just that.  The vast majority of the rules will not depend on this setting.  It is merely the suggested setting. Most modules and adventures will use this setting, so if you want to play those, being familiar with the setting will help. Nonetheless, feel free to adapt as much of it as you want to match your vision.

A Brief History

Millenia ago, people of all Ancestries walked the Earth together.  Elves tended squash with Norte Chico people in ancient Peru, Dwarves mined for tin at Kestel in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), Halflings sailed on Phoenician ships, Gnomes were among the first traders of silk with ancient Chinese.  It was, in fact, the Dwarves that helped to usher in both the Bronze age and the Iron age. 

It was around the time of the Iron Age that the Dwarves became suspicious of Humans.  From their mountain homes, Dwarves watched as Humans increasingly used the metallurgy they had discovered together to create better and better weapons.  That was to be expected, but soon Humans were decimating local cultures, spreading themselves further and further across the globe.  Already they had become the dominant species on the planet, and it seemed they would not be satisfied until they were the only ruling species. 

The Dwarven King Hedrig Tormalk was the first to put forward the idea of concealing themselves from the Humans.  He recognized that unless he could get all the other Ancestries on board, any effort to remain hidden would be fruitless.  It was his successor and son, Gael Tormalk, who successfully negotiated the Dusk Veil Accords after a long campaign.  

King Gael not only showed everyone just how ruthless Humans had become (in his opinion) but made better promises than his father. All the Ancestries agreed they would maintain trade relationships and support each other, in order to help with survival while they stayed hidden.  If any of them were ever threatened by Humans, all would send aid to ensure continued safety. 

Many of the leaders resisted the idea, especially the Elven Council, but were ultimately swayed by the necessity of it and the prosperity it would bring among the peoples.  The Halfling elder, Odiphina Fernwater, when she finally relented said, “The sun sets for the last time on a glorious world shared by all its people, as we shroud ourselves from the coming darkness.” From this quote came the name, Dusk Veil.

Modern Times

While initially, most people “behind the Veil” stayed apart from humans, as modernity continued, it became increasingly difficult for them to stay separated.  Over the centuries, many simply integrated into Human society, using magic or simple deception to stay hidden.

Which brings us to now.  

Dwarven bars, Halfling hackers, Goblins building hot rods; you name it, it exists in Dusk Veil.  While almost everyone behind the Veil does their best to protect their little underworld, they have fully integrated into modern life, living alongside humans.

To maintain the secrecy demanded by the Dusk Veil Accords, two governing bodies were created.  The Dusk Veil Council, which consists of two representatives of each of the signatory ancestries; and the Dusk Veil Wardens, often shortened to Dusk Wardens or just Wardens. , an investigative group that searches for breaches of the Veil and do their best to contain them.

While the Veil was created to protect everyone from Humans, many Humans have been able to find their way into the underground world of magic and secrecy.  A few Human scholars were able to preserve knowledge of the other peoples of the world and have passed this on through their own secret societies.  Enforcers have mostly overlooked this, as they maintain the secret for themselves (after all being the few humans who know magic is real, is powerful too).  A few Humans have befriended someone who keyed them in on the reality of their world.  And even rarer are those who witnessed some telling act of the world beyond the Veil, were perceptive enough to know what they were seeing and curious enough to seek out the knowledge of what it was, even if they never get a true answer. 

Key Groups in Dusk Veil

The Dusk Veil Council

The Council has very little real power in modern times, as most of the decisions have long been made, and most of the trade policies in the accords have become unnecessary.  Being elected to the Council is still considered a great honor, even if it mostly means going to a handful of yearly meetings where you listen to minor grievances.

Dusk Wardens

The enforcement arm of the Council.  The Wardens have a reputation for being tenacious in their search for breaches of the Accords and merciless in dealing with those who break them.  Goblins, who never signed the Accords, have fallen in line mostly due to fear of the Wardens.   

Dusk Wardens will occasionally be dispatched to deal with a human threat to the Veil, but only in the most troubling cases that need to be silenced immediately.

New Dawn

A group of dissenters who believe the Dusk Veil Accords should be abolished.  They are a fringe group with little political power.  So far, they have not done anything to openly break the accords, but they are vocal about the need for them to be lifted.  While individual members have their own motives, the most common reason cited is that the Accords are outdated and that those on both sides of the Veil would benefit from an open community.  There are a few extremists who have aligned themselves with New Dawn, who believe that Humans are weak and should not be the ones in control of the world.

Conspiracy Theorists

While few humans gain knowledge of Dusk Veil on accident, it does happen.  Most simply write it off and ignore it. Some obsess over what they have seen. Those that have caught glimpses often form groups on internet forums and discuss what they have “found”.  Few, if any, of these people have a true understanding of what is behind the Veil, but that doesn’t stop them from coming up with any number of theories.

The most dangerous part of these groups is that they seek more information.  Given enough time and resources, it is possible they will eventually discover the underground world of magic.

Skoto Gnostic Order

Skoto Gnostic Order roughly translates to Knowledge of the Dark. It is a secret society that operates primarily as a school for Human magic users.  They can reliably trace their origin for 3,000 years, though some say it has been around longer.  Not all members are magic users, but wizards hold all the highest power in their structure.  Non-magic users are used as support roles for their wizards.

Initiates are chosen by existing members and then must pass a rigorous set of trials. Most initiates are not even aware they are being tested for a secret society.  Once they have passed the trials, they are offered a chance to learn the secrets and be bound to the Order for life or leave unaware but free.  Those who accept are told of the existence of Dusk Veil and what it means for the world.  They are sworn to the same secrecy as signers of the Dusk Veil Accords.  The Order believes in protecting the secrets of magic as much as anyone behind the Veil.  Magic is, after all, a very powerful tool and worth keeping out of the wrong hands. 

The Council and the Wardens are aware of the Skoto Gnostic Order, but since they protect the Veil as much as anyone else, they leave them alone.  They are even allies when necessary, though both sides view each other with a little bit of mistrust.

Radiant Circle

They have been known by many names throughout history, but the most current is “Radiant Circle, Warriors of the Light, Divine Guardians of the Encroaching Shadow, and Loyal Legion of Mankind.”    Since that’s a mouthful, Radiant Circle is most often used. Some say Knights Templar were aligned with the Radiant Circle, if not a full-on branch of them. Maybe they were behind the Illuminati? Maybe not.  Witch hunts? Inquisition?  Not beyond what they might do.  Much of this is unfounded speculation though.

Unlike the Skoto Gnostic Order, the Radiant Circle does not include any magic users in its ranks.  They, in fact, consider it their mission to protect the world from “evils” of magic and the practitioners thereof.  They have intermittently gained strength throughout the ages. Any time they gain too much power, the Accord Members come together to put them down.  The Circle always reforms and tries to gain enough strength to eradicate, or at least control, magic and the Ancestries associated with it.

Currently, their numbers are small, and they are very little threat. History has shown that can change in an instant if they manage to recruit the right person of power.

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Header image courtesy JEShields