Pilgrims of Murk Dome: Darkness of the Soul

Creating your character

Forging Your Nightblood Pilgrim Character creation in Pilgrims of the Murk Dome is not just about picking stats. It is a collaborative Session Zero where we build the tragedy and the triumph of your character together. You will not just create a hero. You will create a doomed soul walking the razor's edge between humanity and the outer dark. The Ancestral Fear and Playbook We start with your Primary Ancestral Fear. Are you haunted by Defeat, Darkness, Pain, Truth, Death, or Solitude? This fear defines your Playbook and your supernatural Dreamform. It is the anchor of your character's psyche and the exact lens through which the Murk Domes will torment you. The Unfulfilled Desire and Power Next, we define your Unfulfilled Desire. This is the repressed, morbid drive that fuels your powers but also accelerates your corruption. Together, we will craft your Power of Desire, a supernatural ability that grows more terrifying and effective as your Incubation worsens. The Mutation Path Every use of your power leaves a physical or spiritual mark. You will choose a Mutation Path, either Leprosy or Isolation. As your Incubation rises, your body will decay or your very presence will become anathema to the waking world. We will track this degeneration stage by stage, watching your humanity slip away. Ties to the Wakelands A Pilgrim does not exist in a vacuum. We will establish your Genealogy, your ties to the Chapter, and the Friend and Rival who anchor you to the waking world. You will also select your Fear Talents, Approaches, and Special Equipment to prepare for the horrors ahead. By the end of character creation, you will have a fully realized, deeply flawed, and incredibly compelling protagonist. You will know exactly what they love, what they fear, and what they are willing to sacrifice to hold back the dark.

Preparing for the session

The Timeline Please note that this game cannot begin until I retire as a Professor in October. October 9th will be our first session, but we will have the VTT and Discord running well before then. The Table Vibe This table is built for the grim, psychological horror of the Murk Domes. We will be exploring the decay of the Wakelands, the physical and mental corruption of the Nightblood, and the cosmic dread of the Lords of Delirium. If you want a game focused on deep character trauma, oneiric mutation, and fighting a desperate battle against the dark, this is your table. Tech and Materials Two accounts and nothing else: Discord and Foundry VTT. I pay for all Foundry hosting, and I provide every book, map, handout, and token you will need. You do not need to buy the Hollow Press core rulebook or any supplements. I have everything digitized and ready for you. Communication Add me on Discord: SaiTheFae. This is the first thing to do after you book. Everything before session one happens there, and it is where I answer questions, take character concepts, and sort scheduling. Closer to launch I will send you the Foundry server link and access details. Session Zero Session Zero happens before we play. We will build characters together, establish lines and veils, lock in scheduling, and do a deep dive into the lore of the Wakelands and the Nightmare Lands so everyone starts from the same page. We will also cover the core mechanics of the Shadow Forge System so you know exactly how to use your Fears and Desires at the table. Questions If you have questions before you book, message me here or on Discord. I would much rather talk it through in advance than have you find out in session three that this was not the table you wanted.

What Yuthika 'Fey' brings to the table

Thirty-four years behind the screen, with a deep specialization in horror and narrative decay. This campaign is perfectly suited for your pre-formed group of five. I specialize in running deep, psychological horror for full tables, and I am ready to deliver the narrative weight, character drama, and slow-burn dread your group is looking for. I am a veteran Storyteller for the World of Darkness and have run every major horror system on the market. The Shadow Forge System is fiction-first and consequence-driven, sharing the same narrative DNA as Storyteller. I know exactly how to pace dread, how to make players feel the weight of their choices, and how to balance psychological horror with player agency at the table. The lore and atmosphere are not research for me. I have spent decades studying gothic, cosmic, and psychological horror. I understand how to build a world where the environment itself is hostile, and how to make the eternal night of the Wakelands feel genuinely oppressive and alive. Teaching and psychology are my actual jobs. PhD in Psychology, professional educator. Pilgrims of the Murk Dome is built on mechanics of Trauma, Breakdowns, Venting, and Ancestral Fears. My academic background means I understand the mechanics of fear, stress, and psychological breakdown on a professional level. I will guide your character's descent into madness with respect, depth, and terrifying realism. Years as a costume designer and VFX artist on NBC's Grimm, and teaching foam latex and prosthetic work on the convention circuit. This game features brutal Mutation paths like Leprosy and Isolation, with eight progressive stages of physical and mental decay. My experience in practical effects means I can describe your physical deterioration with visceral, anatomical accuracy. When your character's body betrays them, you will feel every stage of the rot. Voice acting for every NPC. I work professionally in anime and games, and the Lords of Delirium, the silent monks of the Red Choir, and the tragic Sleepseers will all come back with distinct, haunting voices you will recognize. Full virtual tabletop production. Custom maps of the Wakelands and the shifting Nightmare Lands, dynamic lighting for the eternal night, ambient audio, and custom tokens. I pay for all Foundry hosting and provide every book, handout, and token you need.

Homebrew rules

With the game being relatively new we will be primarily keeping to the core game. If you have high quality fan content you want to share however, please do.

How Yuthika 'Fey' creates a safe table

Your Safety Matters Pilgrims of the Murk Dome deals with heavy, disturbing content and I take player wellbeing seriously. This game is built around cosmic dread and psychological decay, so body horror and personal horror are baked in. Depending on your character's Mutation Path, that can mean your flesh rotting away, your very presence becoming anathema to humanity, or your mind fracturing under the weight of your deepest Ancestral Fears. We will also explore themes of sleep deprivation, isolation, and the heavy social stigma of being a Pilgrim. The system mechanizes corruption and temptation. Your character carries Unfulfilled Desires and Trauma, and giving in to them is mechanically rewarded. You always decide when your character succumbs to their darker impulses or vents their trauma through disturbing behavior, but I will be offering, and the offers are designed to be attractive. If that dynamic of being pushed toward your character's breaking point is not something you want aimed at you, tell me and we will handle it. Before we begin, we will use Lines and Veils. You will have the opportunity to set hard limits on content that should never appear at the table, as well as topics you prefer kept off screen rather than depicted directly. These are respected without question, no explanation needed. If for some reason your lines and veils preclude you from playing Pilgrims of the Murk Dome, I will speak to you about what can be done or accept your departure with grace. My table operates on an Open Door Policy. This means that if at any point the content becomes too much, you are always free to step away, take a break, or leave the session entirely without judgement. Real people always come before the game. During our sessions, I will do regular check ins as needed to gauge how everyone is feeling, especially after particularly intense scenes or character Breakdowns. If things get heavy, we take a break; no pushing through. At the end of every session we close with Roses and Thorns. This is a chance to share what felt great and what did not land, keeping the game a collaborative, comfortable experience for everyone. After the session, I will also follow up with a private message to check in individually. Sometimes things hit differently once you are off the game and decompressed, and I want everyone to feel they have space to raise anything they did not want to mention at the table. This is a dark game, but it should never feel unsafe. When in doubt, just say the word.