It is the twilight of the V century a.D., thirteen centuries since the foundation of Rome. The Roman Empire did not fall as the Eternal City, in this alternate timeline, used her Haruspices, scholars and oracles to survive the chain of events that led her version from our world to ruin.
Stability and economic growth brought serenity and wealth to the people of Rome and many others even beyond Imperial borders are considered citizens of the Urbs, protected by the invulnerable Pax Romana. However, mighty and invincible legions and divination magics are not enough to protect the Empire anymore. Ancient demons, dark magic, sorcery and monsters from forgotten depths, all conspire to bring Rome down.
Lex Arcana, Quality Games‘s very own role-playing game set in ancient Roman Empire where history, mythology, and legend flow into an exciting unicum, returns on Kickstarter this winter. Are you ready to wear again the tunic of the Custodes of the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana, Imperial agents sent in a world where legions fight barbarian hordes on the battlefield while ancient monsters, mystical powers and nameless cults threaten the domain of the Caesars from within?
After the first record breaking crowdfunding back in 2018, that introduced onto the international scene the new edition of an RPG with more than 25 years under its belt, the adventure now expands with two new books, maps, and geographical decks, each about a specific region of the Roman Empire, with the collaboration of the marketing experts and videomakers provided by Officina Meningi:
- Dacia and Thracia, two among the darkest and most dangerous provinces of the limes danubianus, dark and wild Dacia on one hand and Thracia and its barbarian hordes on the other. Here, Roman conquest is but a pale light staving off darkness and turmoil, fittings of civilization to tame a recalcitrant, bloodthirsty, and violent beast. Here, ancestral secrets, nameless horrors and armies of raiders pushing on the border are but a grim daily event, filling both locals and agents of the Capital with dread.
- Italia, the most sacred land of the Empire, realm of ancient Gods and cradle of Rome, nurtures in her heart monstrous creatures, ancient traditions shrouded in mystery and civilizations even older than the very Urbs. Many are the dangers the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana will be called to avert right on the doorstep of the Eternal City!
With Lex Arcana we wanted to present a title for modern gamers, no matter their generation, but without losing the timeless charm and the uniqueness of the first edition. We wanted to enhance it with the two and a half decades every member of the team now has under their belt.”
– Andrea Angiolino (Creative Director)
THE SETTING
Lex Arcana is a role-playing game set in a Roman Empire that never fell, in which history, myth and legend mix into a unique and wondrous setting, a world of unstoppable legions and barbarian hordes, monsters from forgotten eras and cursed gods, mystic powers and unspeakable cults.
In this alternate reality, the Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana is the only bulwark protecting the Roman Empire from the barbarians howling at its gates and the most terrifying of supernatural threats. Players become Rome’s Custodes, sent to undertake special missions in the most dangerous and terrifying reaches of the Empire, and sometimes even beyond… Selected groups of Custodes investigate forbidden mysteries and occult conspiracies, defeat supernatural enemies, monsters, and secret cults, defending from inhuman and magical danger the Pax Romana, the Senate and the People of Rome.
QUALITY GAMES
Quality Games is an Italian publisher of recent foundation, focused on tabletop and role-play games. Its founding members are authors, publishers, curators and, above all, gamers, and gaming enthusiasts, with decades of experience in all aspects of the gaming world, both Italian and international. Our mission is to bring to life a selected range of games for gamers all over the world to enjoy, focusing on quality throughout their realization, distribution, and support, ensuring a service of excellence.
THE AUTHORS OF LEX ARCANA
The revival of Lex Arcana in 2018 was made possible by a team of the most illustrious Italian game designers: Dario De Toffoli, Leo Colovini, Marco Maggi, and Francesco Nepitello, guided by the expert hand of Andrea Angiolino, author, and creative director of this new line, too, alongside Mauro Longo and Francesca Garello, two more names of great renowned for Quality Games readers, who will take you through the new modules in the darkest lands of the Empire:
ITALIA
Andrea Angiolino is an Italian game designer and specialized evangelist, author of numerous books on gaming and promotional and formative games. He is known for curating periodic puzzle games columns, writing summer games supplements for weekly publications, organizing gaming related exhibitions and as the author of television and radio games, as well as both role-play and tabletop games, such as the internationally acclaimed Wings of Glory. Andrea Angiolino has worked as a consultant for the Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione (the Italian Ministry of Education) as an “esperto inventore di giochi” (expert game designer).
Francesca Garello, an archeologist from Rome, author of fantasy fiction as well as (alongside Andrea Angiolino) numerous games with a historical setting, including scenarios for Lex Arcana published on specialized magazines. Hers is the key role to ensure that the setting of our Endless Empire is as historically accurate and vibrant as it will ever be.
DACIA and THRACIA
Mauro Longo, author and curator of short stories, fiction, essays, gamebooks, and role-play games of international fame such as Brancalonia, as well as Aegyptus – The sands of time and Gold for Lex Arcana. As a journalist, he has worked in history, archeology, anthropology, symbolism, mythography, role-play games, fiction, and fantasy, as well as Copywriter, Editor and Social Media Specialist for Amazon.it and a few Italian publishers such as Acheron Books, of which he is creative director.
