Announcing Ephemeris: Omens of the Blood Comet

A new gothic horror vampire hunting RPG for the Retrograde system

Amongst the stars, a malefic light grows, promising a new destiny for the cosmos printed in blood – the Blood Comet will soon be upon us, and such horrors as we cannot imagine will be unleashed…

Retrograde is on its way to backers this week, and I’m getting in gear for the next big adventure! It’s time to announce Ephemeris: Omens of the Blood Comet.

Ephemeris is an OSR style retrofuturist gothic horror RPG designed for the Retrograde system. Set in Retrograde’s universe of occult printmaking, Ephemeris builds on the rules and the world of Retrograde, introducing new mechanics for magic, new artifacts to discover, and most significantly new enemies to face – the dreadful Blood Ink Vampires.

I’ll be taking Ephemeris to Kickstarter this October as part of Witchstarter, a celebration of the magical and arcane. Ephemeris promises to be a thrilling adventure of occult secrets and cosmic horrors, and as we approach the beginning of October and all the spooky treats the season entails, I’m eager to share the Comet’s omens with you!

Vampires, Blood Alchemy, and Analog Printmaking

Ephemeris emerged from Retrograde’s focus on the cosmic and the magical potential of Blood Ink – in a universe driven by magical sanguine admixtures, it only stands that those thirsty for arcane power might actually consume such bloody alchemics. With a special ritual, one can be turned into a full-fledged Blood Ink Vampire, blessed with immortality and magical boons but dependent on the consumption of freshly mixed Blood Ink.

Retrograde’s brand of retrofuturism is the perfect setting for a gothic vampire adventure – traveling to a remote world rarely visited by Sanguitype Telepress starships, the players are the guests of the reclusive Baroness Bela de al Bré who invites them to join her in studying the Blood Comet, a celestial body with an unpredictable trajectory and arcane power. Arriving at her observatory-chateau, the travelers quickly discover all is not as it seems, as the Blood Comet’s light quickly reveals the Baroness’ bloody powers.

Ephemeris is more than just vampire-hunting – Bela’s motives for inviting the travelers to her chateau are complex. The Blood Comet holds the key to saving her daughter Katarina from an incurable affliction, and the travelers may play a pivotal role in unlocking the Comet’s power, whether by their ingenuity or the sacrifice of their blood. Chateau de la Bré is full of occult secrets waiting to be unraveled, and the Dead Grove on the Chateau grounds teams with unnatural life. A whole host of mysteries await the Baroness’ guests, and their investigations may reveal the galaxy’s most ancient secrets and put them on a path to change the fate of the stars themselves.

I’ll be printing Ephemeris in a slick 2-color risograph zine illustrated with dozens of linocuts and monoprints, evoking the arcane horrors and cosmic secrets awaiting you with the power of analog printmaking.

Ephemeris launches on Kickstarter 4 weeks from today – you can start adventuring already with a one-shot version of Ephemeris available for free here! I have a ton of killer linocuts sketched out, and playtests have been going wonderfully so far – I’m immensely eager to take the bloody thrills of Ephemeris to print!

I’ll have plenty more of Ephemeris to share soon – let me know what about Ephemeris grabs you and I’ll be sure to write about it! In the meantime, share Ephemeris with all your fellow stargazers and follow the pre-launch page to be the first to learn all the cosmic secrets in store!

Thanks for reading!

– Zosimos