[SIGIL & SHADOW] The Dim Waters

All artwork on this post was done with Midjourney AI

Houston, Texas – largest city in the state, home to over 2.3 million people in a roughly 666-mile area. This massive bayside city and neighboring communities reside on a handful of bayous and two large rivers (the Trinity and San Jacinto). The city itself is a hotbed for many paranormal types — many who walk its streets are unaware of how many occultists, cryptids and other shades they bump elbows with.

Seasonal rains and annual hurricanes frequently flood Houston’s streets and neighborhoods. These waters bring uncaring currents that steal away facets of everyday life – beloved possessions and entire lives are washed away in these deluges. It is said that when the waters rescind and currents are still, you can see another place reflected on the surface of the streams and riverbeds. It’s like our world through a lens of murky sunlight, but different. Distorted. And that if you stare long enough, you can see the reflections of those people and things lost to the currents.

This place is called The Dim Waters. It is the ephemeral Echo of the region – a reflection of all the psychic and emotional energies within and surrounding the city. Drowned ghosts seek out mementos of their old lives, swamp spirits stalk and prey on those who dare to enter their domains, and strange denizens lure others in with haunting bayou songs.

[SIGIL & SHADOW] New Myths on Old Streets

All artwork on this post was done with Midjourney AI

When Sigil & Shadow was in the brainstorming phase, Bill Logan mentioned a line from the movie Queen of the Damned — “Old gods on new streets”. That’s been something pinned in my head for years, but as the game finally manifested into its final form I felt it may have actually flipped polarity.

While ancient horrors and elder gods definitely have a place in the dark parallels, I personally became more interested in the ideas of emergent powers in a century of new magic — modern mythos awakening in an age of confusion, hyper disinformation, and dreams of infinite possibilities while the world watched itself collapsing.

[SIGIL & SHADOW] The Stained Artist

All artwork on this post was done with Midjourney AI

This is a character write up inspired by the Sigil & Shadow Play-by-Poll I ran over on the Osprey Games Twitter. Every decision voted on not only steered the events of the story, but the development of this persona. Granted, after the fact I filled in some blanks according to my own interpretations of events.

[SIGIL & SHADOW] Factions & Stature

Header Art by Luis F. Sanz

Sigil & Shadow strives to cover the tropes of urban fantasy and modern horror – hunting down monstrous threats, investigating paranormal mysteries, researching hidden magic and communing with powerful entities. But it also allows players to become monstrous individuals, treading down paths of power that often put them at odds with both the cities they live in and the others who haunt its streets. While “Scooby gang mysteries” are a staple of the genre, so to are stories of ancient feuds, dark conspiracies, and rivalries that litter the streets with blood and fire.

Today we’re taking a dive into using factions as part of a Sigil & Shadow campaign.

[SIGIL & SHADOW] Invoking the Fanbase

Header Art by Luis F. Sanz

First off, apologies for the delay on anything new regarding Sigil & Shadow.
While I’ve been distracted trying to get my act together going forward in 2022, some really cool peeps have put together some handy stuff for Sigil & Shadow!

INTERMIXX - an RPG Mash-Up

INTERMIXX is an RPG Mash-Up – a remix of cool ideas and styles to create a fun gaming experience all its own. This is a minimalist, DIY rules set. I assume if you’re reading this you’re already familiar with role-playing games and how they work. I also assume if you find any rules lacking, you know how to steal ideas from other systems or fill in the blanks yourself. So go grab yourself two six-sided dice, something to write on, and some friends. Think up a setting or genre you want to play. Brainstorm, improvise, and most of all: have fun.

Mud & Blood: SIGIL & SHADOW Actual Play!

I was honored to have the chance to run SIGIL & SHADOW for the Mud & Blood podcast’s Halloween Special! Just a fun note: this episode essentially counts as Part 5 of The Wythe Case!

[SIGIL & SHADOW] Resources

This post will be constantly updated with useful documents, play aids and character sheets for Sigil & Shadow as they become available. Check back often, and feel free to email me any cool homebrewed content you wish to share.

Gonzo Mutoids -- Pocket Edition!

The Wythe Case, Part 4: A Shattered Nightmare