Vaesen: Buried Beneath the Beeches

In the hidden corners of the world the Vaesen lurk invisible, and have for untold ages. But the world is changing, bringing with it new conflicts between humanity and their supernatural neighbours, and new opportunities for the most malevolent and monstrous of the Vaesen.

Word has reached the Society of dire omens and unusual events, and calling upon generations-old debts have reestablished a chapter house in the town of Larvik from which their members might journey out to shed light on this terrible pattern. What horrors do the dark nights hold, what secrets might our heroes unveil, and what terrible toll might their duty take upon them?

Vaesen is a roleplaying game inspired by the art book of the same name, designed for a horror mystery style of adventure, in which the tales told about the Vaesen hold the keys to banishing them. Player characters are those with the Sight, the ability to see Vaesen when they haven't chosen to be visible, an ability which is often the result or cause of terrible events.

The game's experience rules mean that we can let characters develop over the weekend, there's a system for expanding the Society's base of operations, and mechanics for long-term injuries that help drive the drama.

The game's setting of the Mythic North looks a lot like the Scandinavia of the 1800s, a dark, gothic, reimagining of history steeped in folklore and old myths.

Over the course of Banzaicon your intrepid investigators will set out to find the truth behind the strange events, choosing a lead from our map to be the basis of a three-hour adventure. Your group might seek out lost secrets, make deals with powers both mortal and supernatural, or put your greater mission aside to resolve a local threat only you can. Your actions will shape the unfolding plot, improve the Society's base, and develop your character.

Will the Society shed light on this mystery? Only with your help.

QUESTIONS?

Q: Why are you not running D&D 5e this year?

A: Vaesen is a game system intended for the kind of horror mystery experience we're aiming to provide, with mechanics to support us in running these games. When combined with the setting, it was an obvious choice to create a campaign for Banzaicon.

Q: Why have you changed to 3-hour games?

A: The pacing for the two hour games was very fast and frantic, which is a great fit for the kind of action scenarios of our previous campaigns. However, that relentless pace is a drawback for atmospheric horror gaming. The extra hour will give characters more space to talk, to react, for the horror to sink in.

Q: Can I bring my own character?

A: Absolutely, just bring a character created using the normal rules, without any extra advances. If you don't have a character already, there will be materials available in the board games area to create your own, as well as pre-generated characters for those who want them.

Note that you don't need to fill in Relationships in advance.

Q: What if I don't know the rules?

A: That's to be expected, thankfully the core rules are quick to learn and our Games Masters are happy to teach new players.

Q: Will you be returning to Conheim and D&D 5e in the future?

A: It is hard to say. Partly it depends on the Banzaicon theme for the year. Left to our own devices we're likely to try new and exciting projects. Mostly, however, it depends on your feedback - let us know what you're excited about and we can try to make it happen!

Q: What times will the games be?

A: We're still working that out, it depends on how many GMs we have available and how we can fit games into their schedules.