Heaven Nor Hell (v2), by Kienna Shaw

They say it’s unnatural and not right

This feeling in your heart

But you know in the end

Neither heaven nor hell shall keep you apart

Introduction
Heaven Nor Hell is a game for two or more players where you play otherworldly immortal beings split across heaven and hell. 

There are three things that you know:

- You love each other

- The powers that be most definitely wouldn’t approve of your relationship

- There is only one place that is safe to meet: Earth 

Together, tell the story of your relationship over the eons, stolen away in hidden moments.

Setup: Safety and Support
Heaven Nor Hell centers around a forbidden relationship, and explores themes and interpersonal interactions that may be tense and emotionally intense.


Before beginning the game, read through the game, talk with each other, and decide whether this is an experience you want to have. If you do continue, decide together on what safety and support systems and tools you’d like to have in place to ensure that you have fun and enjoy the experience as players no matter what happens to your characters. 

As well, during play, feel free to adjust or put down the game at any point. Your enjoyment always comes first.


Find resources on different safety tools and how to use them in the TTRPG Safety Toolkit (bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit)


Setup: Characters
Create your characters independently, and make notes for yourself as needed.


Answer the following questions:
- What kind of otherworldly being are you? Are you angelic, demonic, or something else entirely?

- While names can change over time, what name do you go by right now?

- While otherworldly beings are often beyond the construct of gender, they can still choose to take on whatever pronouns and presentation they feel is right for them in that moment; what pronouns do you use right now?

- What notable trait, physical or metaphysical, do you have that is consistent across all forms and time?


Introduce your characters and their description.

Setup: Relationship
Once your characters have been made and introduced, set the foundation of their relationship collaboratively. 

This relationship can be romantic, queerplatonic, platonic, familial, or another kind of close and emotionally intimate relationship. Because of this, the terms “love” and “partner” in Heaven Nor Hell are open to interpretation, and can be attributed to any of these relationships you choose to explore.


Answer the following questions for each pair of characters together:

- What did you notice first about your partner when you first met?

- When did you realize you loved them?

- What do you find endearing about them?

Play
Heaven Nor Hell plays in a series of scenes, set in various eras and locations on Earth.


The scenes can play out in a linear or non-linear fashion through time , and they can be as historical or fantastical as you would like.


Together at the beginning of each scene, create where your characters meet by answering the following questions:

- What time period is it?

- Where are you in the world?

- What mundane place have you found yourselves in?

- Who else is around?


Once the scene is set, roll a d10 for a prompt (you may reroll any duplicates). Play out the scene with as much or as little RP as you would like.

1.A favour

2. A close call

3. A confession

4. A warning

5. An order

6. A disagreement

7. A story

8. A moment alone

9. A surprise

10. An escalating event


When you both decide that the scene is done, ask each other one of the following questions:

1. How do you say goodbye?

2. Are you looking forward to seeing me again?

3. What promise do you make to me?


You may decide to move onto the next scene, or move to the ending of the game.

Ending
You have been together for eons, finding the small moments you are able to steal away from the watchful eyes of the powers that be. 

But something has changed. Perhaps someone spotted you, or something gave it away. Perhaps duty calls, or it’s the end of days. 

There are three things that you know:

- You love each other

- The powers that be most definitely wouldn’t approve of your relationship

- There is only one place that is safe to meet: Earth


Do you choose to stay together against all odds?