Soul Train: A Campaign Frame
I'd say it was about the Year of Your Lord Eighteen Hunnerd and Fifty¸ or thereabouts¸ that the Underground Railroad managed to help me get my mortal flesh off o' that plantation and safely to Canada. 'Course¸ I found I couldn't sit there all idle-like and not help others as I was helped¸ so I went back to guide my brothers and sisters to freedom. Well¸ that work was the death of me¸ but I can't say as I hadn't made peace with that 'fore it happened. I was a God-fearing man back then - still am¸ I s'pose¸ though it's a different kind o' fear now - and I'd done right by most folks¸ and I figgered I'd be goin' to Heaven.
Problem was¸ when I got there¸ I didn't much care for it. I don't remember it so well¸ you unnerstand¸ but I do recollect them bastards - 'scuse my language - not being so keen to let me leave. So I escaped again. And just like last time¸ that put a fire in my belly to help out those as wanted to follow the same path. So if you're happy chained to a cloud¸ son¸ playing that golden harp or what have you¸ you're free to turn back. But I expect that when I pick up this here old guitar and start strolling down the trail again¸ if I look back¸ I'll see you a-followin' behind.
Soul Train is a campaign frame for Mortal Coil written by Greg Phillips and Rich Flynn. Set in the afterlife¸ Soul Train imagines a Heaven and Hell that souls wish to escape. Demons and angels are not so keen on the souls getting loose¸ however¸ so an underground railroad smuggles the souls away from their eternal reward.
Soul Train is a fully sketched out setting in the form of a detailed theme document¸ with all of the world set-up choices written out in detail. The frame is customizable by your game group. You choose a tone¸ and pick the magic level that is appropriate for your game.
Campaign frames are great ways to do a quick setup for Mortal Coil¸ and are ideal for playing a pick-up game or convention game. If your players really like the setting¸ the frame can be used for a longer term game as well. A campaign frame is also useful as a how-to on setting up a unique theme document of your own.