Introduction

From Summoner

Do I contradict myself?
Very well then I contradict myself.
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
~Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1892

What do we see when we look into the mirror? Of all of the frontiers and shadowy places humanity has explored, the search within himself has offered no concrete answers. Within us is a wilderness, without maps or boundaries. Within, there are many beautiful things...as well as beasts that stalk the corners of our thoughts. Who are we? What is good? What is evil? The search for answers is an adventure within itself.

Demons. Creatures of terror and vice, every culture has created their own spirits to possess and beguile those who misbehave or stray too far from safety. Creatures that cackle and torture, hungry for flesh and blood and bone. Beings of indescribable beauty, leaving empty, hollow shells of men and women in their wake...or worse. Demons both terrify and fascinate us, metaphors for drives and fears all too human. What, then, if demons are not a thing of fiction? What if they are a part of us all?

A Game of Self-Discovery and Deception

Summoner: the Conception is a game designed to tell stories of fantasy, horror, and identity in a world of soul-devouring demons and everyday setbacks. A summoner has been exposed to an occult subculture with access to potent forces of their own, and most importantly, he has unlocked a doorway within himself, and something has stepped out: the Alter Self.

To be a Summoner is to take a long, hard look within, and to draw out something tangible. To some, this experience is liberating and life-affirming. To more, it is a source of confusion, doubt, and conflict. To others...it is evidence that their deepest wants are justified, and they are justified in taking them, by whatever means they deem fit. A Summoner is defined by Ego, the affirmation of Self and Reality, the arbiter between the two, and the source of his Alter Selves.