Noctopolis: An Apocalypse Keys Mystery
OMEN-CLASS MONSTERS, the disappearance and subsequent impersonation of multiple monsters within Noctopolis indicates a HARBINGER-CLASS MONSTER may be undermining local defenses.
Go undercover as superheroes of Project Paragon to find the culprit, maintain Noctopolis’ positive human-monster relations, and prevent the Harbinger from ushering in an Apocalypse.
Noctopolis is a superhero horror Apocalypse Keys Mystery module (Complexity 8) in which players investigate a rash of superheroes being abducted and replaced with doppelgangers. It explores questions of identity, of what it means to be a superhero, and of how that intersects with societal power structures.
Chew the scenery as you go undercover as brightly-costumed superheroes and race to untangle the Harbinger's plot from the background noise of constant crises, all while not knowing who you can trust!
Content warnings: abduction, body horror, memory loss / manipulation, discrimination against marginalized communities (realistic + fictional), false identities / identity impersonation, incarceration / prison industrial complex, nonconsensual experimentation, paranoia, police violence / corruption, possession / cohabitation of a body, vigilantism
Note: This download includes two versions of the PDF (one as pages and one as spreads) in addition to a plain text file.
What Is Apocalypse Keys?
Apocalypse Keys is a Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) horror-superhero game about Omen-class monsters, or Omens for short. Omens work with DIVISION to fight against would-be Harbingers of the Apocalypse, but if Omens don't keep their inner darkness in check, they will transform into Harbingers themselves.
For more info on the system, check out the seven-part blog series I wrote about character creation, using examples such as Batman, Anya Forger, and Kirby.
Running Noctopolis
Noctopolis is a complexity 8 Mystery module for Apocalypse Keys, and therefore will take 4+ sessions to complete. The approximately 11,000-word document includes background info and instructions for introducing the Omens to the scenario, custom moves, and supplemental prompts for Keepers who prefer more structure than is provided by Apocalypse Keys module convention.
Credits
Writing and layout: Julia LaFond
Art: Tanlynn Morgan (gremlinfrogart)
Supplemented by three pieces of spot art from Alderdoodle’s Swordtember 2025 series (“Concealed”, “Reliquary”, and “Clock”)
Sensitivity readers: Helen Gould, Monroe Wells-Soto
This project is supported by United Arts Wake County and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Legal Info
Noctopolis • ©2025 Julia LaFond
With proper attribution, you may share and adapt the text of this work according to a CC BY SA 4.0 sharealike license. The text of this work is additionally offered under a license having the terms of CC BY SA 4.0, except: (1) if the Adapted Material is a literary work (such as an RPG book), then the Adapter’s License need only be applied to the text (not, for instance, illustrations) and (2) you must include this and the following sentence in your licensing terms. The CC BY SA 4.0 license is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
Only the text is covered by this Adapter’s Licence. The copyright to the art is held by Tanlynn Morgan, with the exception of three pieces of spot art from Alderdoodle’s Swordtember 2025 series (“Concealed”, “Reliquary”, and “Clock”). The Calenmir’s RPGs logo artwork is copyrighted by Zachary Schwartz, and Evil Hat Productions and the Evil Hat logo are trademarks owned by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. Sword Queen Games is a trademark owned by Rae Nedjadi. Similarly, this does not constitute permission to publish under the brand name Calenmir’s RPGs.
Powered by Apocalypse Keys
Accessibility
A plain text file is available with download, and the PDF includes alt text.
Please reach out if you need accommodations or additional information.
