This is a playtest and an early look at a game which will be launched on Kickstarter Q3 2022. The game take place in 1888 and evokes the tales of Melville, Poe, Gilman Wharton, James, and Bierce and leans heavily into tropes of pathos, despair and horror. The protagonists (PCs) are members of the Esoteric Order of the Illuminous which stands between humanity and countless horrors that arise from the aethyros – places where magic and horrors of the night come alive. The purpose of this ancient and storied order is to destroy aethyros as they arise and stave off the terrifying evils that seek to invade our world. If you would like to receive a playtest packet before the convention, contact me at ian@nepenthegames.com, and I’ll email you one. However, this is not necessary and the setting and rules will be covered at the table.