Character Creation: Xas Irkalla

On we go!

The Game: Xas Irkalla
The Publisher: Atramentis Games
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one

I got this game in a bundle...hell, I don't know when. Up until now, I only really noticed it when re-organizing my PDFs, mainly in the context of "huh, not a lot of games that start with X." But then I finally read it, and...huh. 

It's all written and illustrated by one person, which, if nothing else, is a pretty solid way to get the game you want. And the game knows what the hell it wants to be, definitely. The art style is somewhat reminiscent of Stephen Gammell, and the whole thing just drips atmosphere. Reading the system, I don't immediately hate it, which probably means it would work OK at the table (but as I've said before, the real test of "at the table" is at the table).

Which brings us to this: Is this a game I could run? I think so, and I think with the right group it would be a lot of "fun" (like, it would be a good experience, not a rollicking good time). I don't know that I have the right group at the moment, because a lot of my friends are pretty bruised right now just because of the state of the world, so a game in which you wake up naked in a stone sarcophagus and things just get worse from there might not be where they want to go. Maybe someday.

In any case, let's make a character. This involves rolling dice, which is always fun for chargen. 

As I said, the game typically starts with all the characters waking up in stone caskets. This is because they are "Endlings," brought to Irkalla when a psychic being dies and links with them...it's all very weird and more than a little meta (no wonder I dig it). Characters aren't necessarily human; they can be whatever kinds of alien beings make the player happy. Background and so forth, though, are rolled on tables, so let's start there.

First roll is for sentiment, what the character is passionate about. A roll of 1 gets me "warfare." OK, then. I get "warfare" as a rank 1 specialty. 

Next roll is for environment, which is the type of biome I'm from. Another 1, good thing I'm not actually playing this game or I'd be racking up Stress like whoa. Anyway, the roll gives me "wasteland," which I'm fine with. That, too, becomes a rank-1 specialty. 

Ooh, now things get interesting. Next roll is for past, how my character grew up (or came up, or whatever). I rolled "cultured," meaning I've explored many cultures and learned how it interact with strangers. Interesting twist for a warrior from the wastelands.

People is the type of society I'm from. And just to keep things from getting too clear-cut, I rolled a 10 for "industrious". My people were productive and hard-working.  

And finally, identity is my natural calling. I roll a 9, for "hunter, assassin, naturalist, or explorer." Hmm. 

Well, let's say "explorer." I think it fits with the idea that he's gone through a bunch of different cultures, and if he's passionate about warfare, it might just be that he's from a culture in this alien wasteland that doesn't do war - they dug themselves into a mountain like Helm's Deep and don't really interact with the violent jerks outside. 

Next up, details! Physical features gives me "scars," which feels appropriate. Fashion preference gives me "simple." Sure, I'll buy it (mind, in a typical game of Xas Irkalla I'd start nekkid, so it is just a preference). Technology...ooh, this is cool. While Irkalla might have relatively low tech, the characters can be from any other world, including civilizations with high tech. Let's see! Nope, "classical", so basically bronze age. 

Next bit is "aberrant traits." I can take mutations that give me benefits, but it raises my Doom level. In play, when you roll a critical failure (which isn't especially hard), you roll on your Doom level (it's a percentile roll) and if you fail, you die. So it's in your interest to keep your Doom level nice and low. But, with that said, maybe there's a trait I really love?

I do kinda like Adaptive Resilience. It's simple, but it makes sense for my explorer character. I'll take two levels, why not. That boosts my Doom to 20 (and my minimum Doom to 20, so whenever I make a Doom check I have a minimum 20% chance of kicking the proverbial bucket).

And like...that seems to be it. Most of the character sheet is for tracking injury (this game is all about survival and it's pretty granular), but on the assumption that I'd start naked in the doom-drawer, I wouldn't have any of that stuff. 

So, who is this guy? His name is Angur. He's from a city-state known as "the Deeps"; there's an immense wall on one side and natural borders on all others. They farm nut-bearing trees, goats, and other things that they can make work at high altitudes, and don't let outsiders in except in truly extraordinary circumstances. Anyone can leave, but if you leave you're an outsider. 

When Angur was a lad, a neighboring country tried to siege the Deeps. It didn't work; they couldn't get in. Angur heard some of the old folks talking about a siege that was successful many years ago, and that got Angur thinking that maybe it would smart to figure out how that worked. He eventually left the city and wandered the wastelands, and discovered that most of the other civilizations were at least somewhat more welcoming of strangers than the Deeps (their eyes aren't as close together, either - maybe new blood occasionally is good?). 

All of this ceased to matter, of course, because Angur fell asleep in a cave one night and woke up naked in Irkalla, so sucks to be him. Angur is a young man (maybe mid 20s?), worn and weathered and callused, but used to surviving in tough environments. That will not help him if he gets stabbed, of course, and he's better able to understand theory of warfare than direct fighting, but y'know, he might be a fast learner. I picture him with a mop of tangled brown hair and grey-hazel eyes, and scars on his hands and forearms (defensive wounds).

And that'll do it.