In April 2025 we presented the Between Clouds Quick Deal featuring Between Clouds, the Year Zero biopunk RPG about a found Family of misfits navigating the open skies atop their beloved flying beast. High above the devastated planet of Empyrea, floating cities called Cradles hunt the legendary gravity-defying Kirin, enormous creatures whose beating hearts can hold the cities aloft. For protection, the Kirin bond with rare outcast humans and grant them strange mutant powers. Travelling the Nine Skies, your Family helps those in need and protects wild Kirin from threats both human and robotic. Between Clouds adapts the Year Zero rules (Coriolis, ALIEN, Vaesen, Forbidden Lands, and others) for colorful adventures in a verdant new world.
Between Clouds takes place in the atmosphere of a dying planet known as Empyrea. Centuries ago, ecological disaster and an otherworldly being destroyed the surface, rendering it uninhabitable. Now the surviving people of Empyrea have moved skyward. Empyrea’s fortunate elites enjoy life far above the surface in floating cities known as Cradles. To stay aloft, Cradles require constant fuel: either oil from flying fish, or (better) the beating hearts of the Kirin, larger-than-life creatures that defy gravity itself.
Kirin of every conceivable shape and size inhabit Empyrea. Each resembles a mammalian ancestor, such as cats, dogs, and horses. Kirin genes are mutable; they can store, and even edit, the genetic information of every living thing they encounter. On instinct alone, Kirin sustain Empyrea’s fragile ecosystems by transferring genes and mutations between isolated biomes, like pollinators.
Wild Kirin lead difficult lives. Humans have taken their food supply, flying fish, to fuel the Cradles. Hunters, pirates, and whalers, who crave power and a comfortable life, also target the Kirin. To defend themselves, the Kirin seek protection by bonding with outcast humans. Forsaken by society, these stylish nomads are beholden to no laws or codes. They act as they will, and present themselves accordingly.
A group of humans bound to a single Kirin is a Family. With their found Family, each person can find community and belonging. Family members protect each other, resolve interpersonal drama, and navigate society’s stigmas. They travel across Empyrea atop their airborne companions, making allies and enemies along the way, all while striving to help those in need and protect the wild Kirin that they encounter. As the people of Empyrea search for their own space among the skies, they must learn to coexist with the flora and fauna of their airborne realm or perish.
Between Clouds character creation uses archetypal templates, known as Roles, that let you create your character in minutes. Roles include Brawler, Captain, Fisher, Scoundrel, Mechanic, Jester, Wayfinder, Duelist, and Apothecary. Based on their Role, players select an Iconic Item, a Pride, a Background, a Cosmetic, a special Bond with their Kirin, and elements of Drama with other family members. Your Role serves as a starting point and a guide to what your character might become.
The Year Zero system uses pools of six-sided dice to determine the outcome of your action. If you roll a 6, your actions succeeds; otherwise the action fails and produces an unintended consequence. Multiple 6s let you buy bonus effects called Flourishes.
In Between Clouds you begin each day with a set number of Unity Points, a currency that represents the strength of your character’s bond with their Kirin. You may spend a Unity Point to call for your Kirin’s aid – moving a piece of heavy rubble, say, or winning a child’s trust with the Kirin’s adorable face.
Your Kirin grants you a biological Power. You might grow wings, shoot flames, or turn invisible at will. You spend Unity Points to activate your abilities, for doing so draws energy from the Kirin itself. You gain new Powers and upgrade existing ones by rescuing other Kirin in the wild.
This all-new Between Clouds Quick Deal presented the whole game line for an unbeatable bargain price: the complete full-color 209-page Between Clouds core rulebook, along with the campaign framework Cat’s Paw Couriers and a behind-the-scenes chronicle, The Making of Between Clouds.
