The Descent

The Descent is a minimalist RPG of metaphysical horror. Players take the role of Wanderers burdened by guilt, venturing through ruins, forests, temples, and forgotten cities in search of something hidden beneath the world. Using only memory (never pen or paper), each decision, moral choice, and failed test leaves a mark, some visible, others not (decided by the GM). Scars twist how you play, guilts haunt your journey, and the further you go, the more the game erodes your certainty. The path ends at the Tree of Souls, where what remains of you will be judged... or forgotten.

The goal of this RPG is essentially to be played as a one-shot or a short campaign (a true “sit and play” experience). By design, nothing beyond the names of the locations is provided, allowing the GM to shape each path the characters will take entirely according to their own vision. GMs should feel free to change anything (in fact, this is the real Golden Rule), and, unlike the players, they can and should take all the notes they want. It is also worth noting that players need not feel bound to the Scars as rigid constraints; they are not meant to hinder narrative development, but rather to feed and enrich the shared experience.

The 1910 painting 'Mars' by Hans Thoma (1839-1924), depicts the roman god of war in a strikingly serene yet imposing manner. The contrast between the stillness of the figure and the latent violence Mars represents gives the painting an unsettling, contemplative quality, making it well-suited to the tone of The Descent, where beauty, solemnity, and the shadow of inevitable conflict intertwine.

Disclaimer:

As my native language is Portuguese (I'm from Brazil), every part of this work was originally conceived in it, carrying the nuances, rhythm, and imagery of my mother tongue. Its translation into english was crafted with the combined assistance of ChatGPT and DeepL, a process aimed at preserving not only the literal meaning, but also the atmosphere and symbolism of the original text, though it may still contain errors or imperfections that escaped notice in the adaptation.