A frantic text message. A dead friend. A box that pulses like a dying heart. Welcome to The Symphony of Scars, an uncompromising, slow-burn investigative mystery that bleeds into visceral, somatic horror. Set in the modern urban dark fantasy universe of Ævum Malum, this campaign chronicles four to six ordinary mortals thrust into a terrifying cosmic war. Utilizing a unique adaptation of the classic In Nomine d666 system, every roll alters reality—and something in the dark is listening.
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About The Symphony of Scars
After a friend’s “accidental” overdose, you inherit a series of letters that lead to a grim abattoir and an intricate puzzle box that mortals should never have access to. As the mystery unravels, you are hunted by the shadowy servants of a secretive cult and a sorcerer who has bartered the world for power.
About Ævum Malum
Ævum Malum is a modern, urban dark fantasy where hidden powers, forbidden knowledge, and living myths collide in a world held together by lies, secret societies, and the desperate effort to delay an inevitable unmaking. It was created by Adam P Campbell in 2025.
About In Nomine
In Nomine is a role-playing game designed by Derek Pearcy and published in 1997 by Steve Jackson Games, based on the French game In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas. The basic game mechanic is to roll the d666, or three six-sided dice. Two dice determine success by rolling below the target number, and the third indicates the degree of success.
Transcript
Cold Open
Our world holds secrets that betray every single truth you have chosen to accept—and once you hear the toll, the gateway is already open.
Intro
Welcome to Eviliv3 Play, a celebration of my favorite tabletop role-playing games. This is a sister channel to Eviliv3. Subscribe if you’re new to the channel, because we are descending deep into the dark. Ævum Malum is a modern, urban dark fantasy setting where living myths collide to delay an inevitable cosmic unmaking. If you are looking for a campaign rooted in slow-burn investigation, psychological dread, and visceral horror, you are in the right place. In this video, I am giving you a comprehensive, completely spoiler-free tour of the central cast, the mechanics, and the bleeding-edge locations of our upcoming live-streamed actual play campaign: The Symphony of Scars.
Discussion
To bring this visceral horror to life, we are adapting the classic In Nomine tabletop system. Your characters start as ordinary, fragile mortals rolling the d666—three six-sided dice. While the first two dice determine your base success or failure, the third dice acts as the Check Digit. The Check Digit measures just how severely reality glitches around you when your soul inadvertently tunes into the supernatural. Every time you push your Will to perceive or alter the world, you create a ripple. And in The Symphony of Scars, there are entities—like the demon Kreviss—that hunt explicitly by the sound of those metaphysical ripples.
Our descent into madness begins with a classic catalyst: the people caught in the crossfire of the unseen world.
First, there is Julian Vane, your old college friend. Driven by a volatile mix of substance addiction and a dangerous obsession with the occult, Julian is the one who sets the nightmare in motion with a frantic, final text message before his untimely death.
Then, we have Ann Lawson, Julian’s girlfriend. She is an innocent soul and a recovering addict who is desperately trying to piece her life back together, only to find herself anchored to Julian’s terrifying downward spiral.
And finally, moving through the shadows of their lives, is Demetri Saev. Demetri operates as a smooth, predatory recruiter for the Cult of the Flayed Hand, seeking out the broken, the desperate, and the vulnerable to pull them into a far deeper, more agonizing paradigm.
The setting itself is a character in The Symphony of Scars, breathing a heavy atmosphere of dread. Let’s take a tour through the primary locations your investigators will navigate:
The Rainy Inner-City Streets & ‘The Gutter’. The concrete maze of the inner city is perpetually slicked with rain and choked by shadows, hiding the dark supernatural underbelly of the world. Tucked away on one of these neon-blurred corners is ‘The Gutter,’ a gritty dive biker bar reeking of stale beer and exhaust, serving as a hub for rough crowds and dangerous rumors.
First National Corporate Bank Is a monolith of polished marble, glass, and sterile security, this financial institution represents the cold, unyielding face of mundane power. Beneath its clean, corporate veneer lies a vault hiding secrets that paper trails were never meant to record.
The ‘Cuts Above the Rest’ Butcher Shop is next. On the surface, it’s a neighborhood staple filled with the hum of refrigeration and the heavy scent of raw iron. Step past the counter, however, and the pristine cleavers and hanging carcasses take on a far more sinister meaning in a city plagued by disappearages.
The Abandoned Mining Village of Tahawus is isolated, silent, and swallowed by reclaiming wilderness, this ghost town stands frozen in time. Its decaying wooden structures and empty streets hold a heavy, suffocating silence that suggests the residents didn’t just leave—they vanished.
The ‘Temple of Sensation’ is hidden away from the public eye, this derelict metal refining building has been completely retrofitted into a cathedral of flesh and excess. The rusted iron and industrial machinery now play host to a depraved, occult sanctuary where the boundaries of pain and pleasure are permanently erased.
Every location is a trap, every character is on the edge of a precipice, and the d666 is waiting to decide their fates.
Do you think you have what it takes to survive The Symphony of Scars? Sign up at StartPlaying.Games and let the investigation begin!
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s Ævum Malum episode. Subscribe and ring the bell if you are new to the channel. Don’t forget to click the like button and comment to let others learn about this dark and engaging, modern urban fantasy tabletop roleplaying game campaign setting. You can join my actual plays and get $10 by signing up to StartPlaying.Games, and even pick up other tabletop roleplaying games using my affiliate link in the description below.
Thank you Creator Patrons Aaron Hardy & D. Robert Handy, Producer Patron David Galindo, and Developer Patrons Chris Androu & Sam Ruiz!
And as always, remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and Be Evil!