Dance Macabre

The Rat King takes his rightful throne, and he demands you DANCE! The town of Zwartebourg is his new domain and plague is his boon; the folk have barricaded themselves inside to stave off the foul odors, and those who cannot escape are lost to a plague of unceasing dancing. 

Dancing to welcome his reign, dancing to welcome the end of all things, dancing until the joints swell, dehydration takes hold and heat-stroke is inevitable. Few survive this dance macabre. The bouqet-like bounders that carry this contagion have taken Zwartebourg by storm and turned it into a ruin. 

CURSED WALKER: Take hammer and flame to this plagued town! Open up boarded homes, find the key and slay The Rat King before we are all dancers...

WHY I MADE THIS

Over a year ago a game jam was hosted for MORK BORG centered around folk tales. Having gone back for my final semester at university, I missed out. I created this out of a love for all the entries that came out of that jam, and a sort of posthumous entry.  Better late than ever. A plague where people danced themselves to death? Yes please. A town taken by plague, homes boarded up, corpses still-dancing in the street and add in a King of All Rats for good measure. 

Part of my core design, I want to share, is that I wanted disease to be killable. The world has gone through a plague of its own, and for the past few years I myself haven't been able to confront it. Through the medium of TTRPGs, I want to create an experience where disease - this specter that lies over human history and modern times  - is not just a setting, but an enemy. I want adventures where disease is not just a skill test, but an enemy that can be killed with sword, forbidden magicks and gunpowder. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Dance Macabre is an independent production by Asher Winnie and is not affiliated with Ockult Örtmästare Games or Stockholm Kartell. It is published under the MÖRK BORG Third Party License.