DX - NISOKU - PLAYER GUIDE

P L A Y E R   G U I D E
This is a work in progress, I will add more to it as I come up with it.

S E T T I N G

Set ten years after the events of the previous Double Cross Game, Nisoku (Second Breath) is going to explore the gray area between the United Guardian Network (UGN) and False Hearts.

Specifically, the spotlight will be on the secondary organization Tindalos, a civillian group dedicated to protecting the "common people" of Japan. They are at odds with the UGN, whom it's leadership has percieved as elitist and uncaring.

Tindalos differs from other groups in that they are aware of the existance of the UGN, and Overeds. After the events of Black Saturday, there are two factions of note: Anti-Overed, led by Takamasa Haga, and the more cooperative "SanYa" faction.

The SanYa, or "Three Arrows" faction, has somewhat embraced the idea of Overeds, or at least recognized that the Renegade is the best chance of resisting other Overed and their influence. In a shallow mirror of the Axis committee, they are led by "The Board", a group of fifteen chairmen who represent the various Tindalos syndicates through Japan. While the The Board was originally human entirely, at least two members are currently Overed. In addition, there is a  subcommittee to The Board, the "Advisory Council", four Overed elected by their subordinates to represent the Overed of Tindalos.

Having been the victim of several attacks, City N is home to one Member of the Board, as well as one member of the Advisory Council. Operating as a sort of Neighborhood watch, Tindalos members are expected to both occasionally patrol their neighborhoods, as well as work with the community to detect and prevent Overed action. This results in small bands of Tindalos Members, small cells who act in tandem to protect their neighborhoods. There is a small membership fee asked of members who wish for Tindalos "membership", but this is usually waived when a member is considered too vital to risk bothering with minutiae

The Advisory Councilmember of City N is a young woman codenamed "Constantine", and she has several members who answer to her, each with their own subordinates, ranging from overeds moonlighting as salarymen to delinquents searching for purpose. While most Overed members prefer to work with their own kind, it's not uncommon for support to be provided by human members of Tindalos.


B L A C K    S A T U R D A Y

Referenced several times, this event would shape the next ten years, and is seen as a "tipping point" from the modern eye. A decade before the events of NISOKU, a terrorist cell would be responsible for the destruction of the Railway system of City N. False Hearts Cell DEADMAN SWITCH, headed by Cell Leader SHARPSHOOTER, would set off enough explosives to cripple not only the twin railways leading into and out of City N, but simultaneous attacks were directed at power plants and the communication grid. For a solid five hours, communication lines within the city were dead, giving False Hearts and DEADMAN SWITCH's benefactors time to try whatever they pleased. In the chaos, the UGN's headquarters in City N, the University of Enviromental Information, was attacked as well, and several of the experimental "halfway homes" for UGN children were destroyed.


U N I T E D   G U A R D I A N   N E T W O R K

After the events of Black Saturday, faith in the UGN's ability to protect the people of Japan was shaken, perhaps irrepabably. Despite it's best efforts leading up to the event, several factions colluded to cause a tragedy to rock the city, and in the aftermath fingers were pointed wildly from organization to organization to place the blame.

The greatest effect of Black Saturday would be the militarization of City N's UGN branch: while previously dedicated to low-impact operations, superior influence from AXIS proved to be too much for UGN Japan to resist alone. As a result, the leadership of City N's UGN Branch was placed directly under the UGN Agent Rosa "The Inquisitor" Baskerville, who acted quickly to bring in more powerful, destructive talent to combat the increased False Hearts activity.

The face of the UGN is no longer men in black suits and children in clean, pristine uniforms. Instead, they have dedicated combat agents, armored in thick black armor and armed with heavy weaponry, as well as dedicated cells of agents. The previous leadership has either been resigned, reassigned, or forced to fit the new role, much to their discontent. However, Baskerville has an iron grip on her new subordinates, and applies them vigerously in the war against False Hearts.


F A L S E   H E A R T S

Responsible for Black Saturday, the cells of False Hearts were lying in wait for the chaos that followed, and in the past decade have grown as an organization, getting it's claws into every organization it could. by UGN reckoning, half of the criminal organizations in City N are infiltrated by False Hearts, either with their boardrooms stacked, or their military units coopted by the terrorist organization.

While still maintaining their Cell network and operations, False Heart agents have been engaging with the UGN more openly in the past few years, either as individual cells or coordinated assaults on UGN offices and facuilities. City N was not immune to these actions, and casualties on both sides have skyrocketed. Officially, False Hearts is recognized by the news, but by a variety of different names, from everything as religious extremists to zealous isolationists.


X E N O S

This Renegade Being organization has been active in City N before, mostly collecting and coordinating fellow Renegade beings, but as their numbers have swelled to greater heights, Xenos has begun directing it's attention inward, towards a brewing civil war. While there has been no casualties, they are split by the appearance of the Ouroboros syndrome. While originally the Ouroboros were targeted by Xenos for capture or elimination, several renegade beings have questioned the direction of this action, instead wondering if the Ouroboros is the next step of Overed evolution. However, this has only led to more Ouroboros captured instead of outright killed.


M I N O R   O R G A N I Z A T I O N S

Watanabe's Clan - While originally a sort of halfway home for Overed children, led by the enigmatic Watanabe Misaki, the Clan has grown into it's own organization. While their goals are mysterious, it is clear they hold no love for Xenos, perhaps in a dispute over the Ouroboros syndrome. It is no secret that the Clan has attracted several more outspoken members of Xenos, and it is said to have several of the Ouroboros syndrome within it's ranks. However, this has led to the Clan abandoning the manse they called home while small, instead taking up residence in the hills and shrines of the neighboring town Shiromura. At the moment, their relationship with the UGN is one of cautious neutrality.

The Lodge - Originally a way for Overed to compare their strength through hush-hush brawls and "first blood" bouts, The Lodge has grown into a semi-recognized organization by the UGN. Established seven years prior, The Lodge has been a way for Overed who aren't affiliated with False Hearts or the UGN to communicate and clique at their leisure, all to the sound of music and fist-fighting. There is no "leader" that can be recognized, and the Lodge's rules are expected to be respected, rather than outright enforced. Repeat offenses, however, will find themselves unable to enter, barred entry to the several venues the Lodge frequents by patrons themselves.


P L A Y E R   E X P E C T A T I O N S

*As the focus is going to be on Tindalos, characters who are established in City N will find it easier to drop into sessions. If you're playing somebody from out of town, out of country, that's fine, but bear in mind the scenarios will be taking place in a post-9/11 esque event. UGN and False Hearts members will also be held in deep mistrust, as detailed above.

*Lone wolf characters are a pain in the ass to write for. You're welcome to play them, but you'll probably see less screentime if you don't want to make friends, or at least work with people.

*When it comes to character backstory, I've been pretty lenient. I know it's not the easiest thing to come up with, but the more I have, the more I can work with your characters. Try to give me some sense of your character's life outside of "Tindalos", outside of "I am an overed". Do you have family left? Friends? Enemies? The system iteself can help you with your starting Loises, but the more you can give me, the better. Character goals will also be something I'd like to see. For more information, see THIS.

*When choosing Trait Loises, please refer to me before you settle on them: they pretty much call for their own scenario.