InsaneJournal

In 2037, little resembles our Earth of 2011. In 2008, a new and deadly virus broke out and swept across the planet, infecting individuals who quickly developed strange, super-human powers. Predictably, chaos ensued, aided and abetted by a depressed economy, a series of natural disasters and man-made wars that threatened international security and institutions like the United Nations. With super-human powers came decidedly super-human problems: crime rose exponentially and in a number of nations, civil war erupted. Conditions were difficult and people were desperate. For four years, the "end of the world" seemed to be on Earth's doorstep. In 2012, at the culmination of what would be the final nail in the planet's coffin, the supernatural world intervened.

Twenty fives years after the almost-apocalypse, the League of Nations rules with an iron-fisted authority. Largely seen as the human arm of the gods, whose intervention arguably saved the planet from a third World War, they manage world affairs with a severe efficiency. Even so, conditions are still difficult: the environmental doom predicted in the early part of the century has meant an increasingly unpredictable planet, increasing hunger and crime that, for all their efforts, still goes unchecked. To quell civilian strife and manage the world under an ever-watchful eye, Axiom is created: an international taskforce of elite crime-fighters, selected yearly through an international tournament.

Each year, the Tournament pits fighters from all across the globe in an epic, month-long event. Candidates from countries are elected and appointed by their individual governments to take up a place at Camulus, the four-year training academy that hones their individual fighting skills, weaponry and powers. From renowned fighters to magicians to demigods to scientific whizzes, each representative vies for a coveted position on the Axiom team and the possibility of influencing world powers in the favour of their home country, potentially rescuing destitute friends and families from a life of poverty. But even non-victors hope, in coming to Camulus, for a life of relative ease: their lives, documented daily, are broadcast around the world, making them some of the most well-known and visible citizens. The opportunities for graduates of the Academy are far greater than what they could have imagined at home. Playing to the crowd is almost as important as playing to win.

Battlers is a dynamic, fighting-inspired game that combines elements of the supernatural, post-apocolyptic and reality television into a social, school-based setting. A year long adventure in character development, it will culminate in a month-long event that will challenge the conventions of role-playing in the hopes of a coherent, creative narrative. With imaginative space for rebellion and revolution, the outcome of the game is up to its player base. It's time to choose your destination.

Interested? Please see our F.A.Q. for much more information!