I would like to introduce a game that I have talked about in the past. Grim Gears. For quite a while, I have been interested in a movement called OSR, or Old School Renaissance. Though, for the longest time I did not get a chance to try out that style of play with my group. However, eventually we tried a game called Lamentations of the Flame Princess. From this point, my view on RPGs shifted. We began to play more and more of OSR style, and I developed my own system for it.

I have also been working on a setting of mine. A dark fantasy clock-punk world where airships and cosmic abominations are the norm, and witch hunting is a favorite past time. This world is called Himinil, and I have been struggling for a home for it. At first, I was going to make it a setting for Gates. But, that did not feel right. Gates is an action oriented, hero-simulator. Himinil is not about heros. What it is about is the struggle between faith and magic, law and freedom, and survival. It took a while, but I finally connected the two. Make Himinil into an OSR game. 

I had a homebrew system that I was playing, which evolved into a game called Stone and Spear. It was about playing as cavemen starting civilisation. Moving passed that game, it turned into M.O.S.S. A generic RPG that was a bit too generic for its own good. Now, finally, I have solidified the idea into Grim Gears. So, let’s talk about what it is.

Grim gears is a game about surviving the witch hunts while gaining as much treasure as possible. You are soldiers, mages, cultists, or even witches that have nothing else to do except to hunt for treasure and loot monsters. Here is a rundown of the mechanics, rules, and tidbits. 

Like I mentioned before, Himinil takes a large roll in Grim Gears. Though, any dark fantasy setting can be played in it. The following is a rundown of the setting.

The 15 realms are…

Bitter Winds and Vadath

One of the three largest realms. It is mostly land, a large continent. It is a realm of giant monsters, cold survival, and a dichotomy of progression and tradition.

Noble Clouds and Krithia

The second largest realm and the one presented in this book.  A continent where it rains often. It is a land aesthetically similar to renaissance period England. It has themes of nobility versus peasantry, witch hunts, and the church.

Windy Wilds and Mokso

The third major realm of Himinil. It is a wide continent of plains. This realm has anarchists, trains, and civilisation.

Unmappable Sky

The unmappable sky is a realm filled with many islands with secret ways to find. It is a realm of treasure hunting, temple running, and magical maps.

Unkind Sky 

This realm is ruled by a witch of crows. It is a place of freaks, carnivals, and birds.

Stormy Sky

A realm of pirates, deadly storms, and dangerous port towns.

The Sky Below

The home of the dwarves and a realm with much more going on inside the islands, than on-top.

Searing Clouds

A realm of fire and ash. A realm of deadly firestorms and blazing monsters. 

Jeweled Sky 

A realm of magic and home of the elves. It is a realm most similar to the default medieval fantasy setting.

Cloudless Desert 

A realm of sand and heat. A dessert place with ancient tombs and mummy warlocks.

Sky of Silver Clouds

The home of the talons of the sea and a realm about honor, duty, and illusion.

Broken Expanse

A jungle realm with the highest density of islands. A place of hidden peoples, forgotten cities, and island exploration.

Umbral Clouds

A dark realm of Gothic horror and grim people.

Star Sky

A sky far above the rest. Rumored to exist, but often not believed in. It is the home of the dragons.

The final Rest

A realm with no islands and the highest chance to witness a Nerre rising from the sea.


Here is a snapshot of the game in progress. It should be everything you need to play it, except for the casting classes. The full version will have art by Kent Willmeth, all of the tools I mentioned before, and a full list of spells.

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