Nile Empire
The Nile Empire is a cosm of pulp action, larger-than-life heroes, and nefarious villains. It’s a world where magic and the miracles of ancient Egypt are real, and weird science straight from the sci-fi movies of the old serials is commonplace.
The Law of Action
The dangers and stakes in Nile Empire confrontations intensify to match the epic abilities of the combatants. A hero doesn’t just battle her nemesis, she battles him on a speeding train which has just caught fire—and her sidekick has been tied to the tracks ahead!
Much of this effect is handled by cosm cards. In the Crossfire adds innocents to be rescued, while cards like Dramatic Reveal or Suddenly… add dangerous elements or story complications. The Law of Action keeps things moving at a breakneck pace. When one battle ends, heroes rush headlong into another with no time for rest or recovery.
- Action: Immediately after spending a
on an action and getting a total, a character may spend another to roll another die and take the better of the two results.
The Law of Drama
A certain amount of spectacle accompanies every event in the Nile Empire. Emotions tend to be simple but heightened. People fall in love quickly and passionately. Rivalries become heated feuds. These passions drive the stories of the realm through Cosm cards like Temporary Reprieve, and Triumphant Boast.
Death is rarely permanent in the Nile Empire, at least for Stormers and Storm Knights. Slain
villains almost never leave a corpse—they fall into the Nile, crash through a crumbling Cairo rooftop, are lost in the ruins of a burning building, dragged off by their lackeys, or otherwise vanish after being defeated.
Important villains might also surrender before they risk life and limb, or be knocked unconscious rather than perish. Killing a helpless person, even the most nefarious servant of Dr. Mobius, is a clear act of evil. Storm Knights who do so incur the wrath of the locals and the Delphi Council. They’re supposed to be the good guys, after all!
Of course the same Law of Drama often means death is a temporary situation for heroes as well! Storm Knights who fall in the Nile Empire might find their way back to life via the Inevitable Return Cosm card.
Such a traumatic experience may change a returning character’s perspective or produce a dramatic transformation. The player should work with the Game Master to figure out not only how her character returns, but what effect it has on her—at least for a while. Maybe she feels dead inside
for a time and just goes through the motions of being a hero until some dramatic event shocks her system back to normal. Maybe she transforms to the axioms of the Nile Empire and becomes a dark pulp heroine. Or maybe she was just lucky and managed to escape the Grim Reaper’s grasp through some miraculous turn of events. A good resurrection story can be as exciting as one’s demise thanks to the Law of Drama.
The Law of Heroism
The Law of Heroism is the source of pulp powers and a mighty tool in the Delphi Council’s arsenal against the High Lords.
The Nile Empire is about big action and heroic feats. The good guys are able to win even when they’re greatly outnumbered. They escape death traps, stand up to villainy, and overcome seemingly impossible odds as they battle the forces of Pharaoh Mobius and the other terrors of the Nile Empire.
Many powerful adversaries in the Nile Empire have Special Abilities such as Minions (page 265) or Insidious (page 264). After all, a hero is often defined by the strength of the villains he battles.
The Law of Heroism aids champions inclined toward the greater good, including Storm Knights!
- Heroism: Player character Storm Knights increase their base Destiny card hand size to five. Players must discard a card of their choice when no longer affected by the Nile Empire’s World Laws.