TEXT: CROSSOVER
  Written by Clay Gardner
  Artwork by Niko Geyer
  Discover more about OVA at
  www.wiseturtle.com
  and Golden Sky Stories at
  www.starlinepublishing.com
  © 2014 wise turtle and starline publishing
  &
  
  ConneCtions & Henge
  2
  Connections
  Characters are rarely an island unto them-
  selves. They have history, family, friends, 
  and loved ones. These Connections are 
  everywhere and bind characters together.
  But sometimes, a Connection is more 
  than just a common link. You are a part 
  of them, and they are a part of you. This 
  bond is strong enough that it has a tan-
  gible effect on your actions.
  The Effects of Connections
  When a Connection plays prominently 
  in the current situation, characters may 
  receive a +1 Bonus or –1 Penalty to all of 
  their rolls. If a mecha requires perfect syn-
  chronization of thoughts and movements 
  between two pilots, the Friendship Con-
  nection would easily grant a Bonus. On 
  the other hand, if a character must throw 
  a tournament in order to save the prince, 
  they may be faced with Penalties to ignore 
  a competitor with whom they have the Ri-
  valry Connection.
  The Game Master has the final say on 
  whether a Connection applies, but ulti-
  mately common sense (and good story-
  telling!) should prevail.
  Types of Connections 
  There are many kinds of Connections en-
  compassing the breadth of human emo-
  tion. Some of these Connections are mu-
  tual, while others can be more one-sided. 
  Consider this when determining when 
  you can, and can’t, apply a Connection 
  modifier.
  l Admiration They are everything you 
  want to be. Emulating them is your 
  greatest wish and you try your best. 
  But if they were to dislike you, or turn 
  out to be an entirely different person, 
  you might be crushed.
  l Friendship You care about each oth-
  er. You know them almost as well as 
  you know yourself. When you work 
  together, you feel more confident, but 
  sometimes you might get in an argu-
  ment, too.
  l Infatuation You really like them, but 
  maybe they don’t like you. Yet. Trying 
  to gain their affections drives you, and 
  you can’t help but do so. Sometimes 
  their lack of interest gets you down.
  l Love They are your other half. To be 
  separated from them is like losing a 
  piece of yourself, but together, you are 
  better than you ever were apart.
  l Rivalry You have to show you’re bet-
  ter than them, and when you do, you 
  feel elated. But other times, rivalry 
  leaves you feeling hollow. It may be 
  hard to let a Rivalry go.
  l Protection Their well-being is your 
  highest priority. You will do anything 
  to protect them, whether they want 
  you to or not. If they were to get hurt 
  in any way, you would be distraught.
  CONNECTIONS & HENGE
  Throughout Golden Sky Stories, the strength of connections between henge 
  (and their many acquaintances) is made abundantly clear. Love, friendship, 
  and other bonds serve as the very essence that powers their fantastic abili-
  ties—and even their capacity to take human form. Connections can be power-
  ful in OVA, too, and what follows are some rules for incorporating them into 
  your games. And the henge too, of course.
  
  Introduction
  ConneCtions & Henge
  3
  Making Connections
  Connections cannot be bought. Even if 
  your character’s background, Abilities, 
  or Weaknesses imply relationships with 
  other characters, you are not automati-
  cally given a Connection.
  When you role-play a relationship with  
  another character, you may declare that 
  you’re making a Connection. Depending 
  on the exact type of Connection, this may 
  happen automatically or must be mutual-
  ly agreed upon with the other character’s 
  Player. From that point on, you may list 
  your Connection on your character sheet.
  Dream Dice
  If someone role-plays their Connection in 
  such a way that it really moves the story 
  forward, touches with emotional sincer-
  ity, or otherwise comes across as really 
  great, any Player may nominate that per-
  son for a Dream Die. Dream Dice are spe-
  cial Drama Dice and usable in all the same 
  ways. However Dream Dice may also be 
  given to any other character that shares a 
  Connection with that Player’s PC. 
  Strengthening Connections
  Once you have a Connection, you may 
  choose to make it stronger. When you 
  receive a Dream Die from another Player, 
  you may spend it immediately to strength-
  en the Connection. Add a “+2” after it on 
  your character sheet. You now gain a +2 
  Bonus wherever you would have normally 
  received a +1 for your Connection. On the 
  flipside, you also receive a –2 Penalty! The 
  strongest any Connection can be is +3/–3.
  Henge
  Henge are mystical creatures, capable 
  of possessing many amazing powers but 
  also the same faults and shortcomings as 
  humans. Below, each henge type has a list 
  of Abilities and Weaknesses common to 
  them. Every henge is different, so feel free 
  to pick as many or as few as you like!
  Fox: Charismatic, Connected, Flight, Il-
  lusionist, Invisibility; Arrogant, Emo-
  tionless, Overconfident, Soft Spot 
  (Fried Tofu), Secret (Identity as Fox)
  Raccoon Dog: Illusionist, Performer, 
  Shape Shifter; Coward, Languid, Na-
  ive, Soft Spot (Food)
  Cat: Agile, Art of Invisibility, Perceptive, 
  Psychic, Teleport (Cat Roads), Quick; 
  Compulsion (Shredding Furniture/
  Shoji Screens), Fear (Water), Greedy, 
  Jittery, Languid
  Dog: Heightened Sense (Smell), Intimi-
  dating (Bark), Iron-Willed; Clumsy, 
  Compulsion (Honesty), Naive, Ser-
  vant (Master), Shy
  Rabbit: Cute!, Evasive, Quick, Vigorous; 
  Crybaby, Fear (Being Alone), Frail,  
  Impulsive
  Bird: Flight, Magic, Arcane (Grant Flight), 
  Heightened Sense (Sight), Unique 
  Ability (Wind Control); Absent-Mind-
  ed, Frail, Weak 
  Henge naturally exist in an animal-like 
  state. Becoming human, or at least, 
  more human-like, requires their magi-
  cal powers. Every henge has the ability 
  to transform in this way, and it requires 
  Endurance based on the degree of trans-
  formation and the time of day.
  TRANSFORMING 
  ENDURANCE
  At Evening/
  With Ears and Tail
  0
  At Night/
  With Tail
  +5
  At Morning or Day/
  Completely Human
  +10
  As long as henge remain in a transformed 
  state, this Endurance cannot be regained. 
  Should enough time pass that the time of 
  day changes, Endurance must be spent 
  again using the appropriate numbers.
  
  ConneCtions & Henge
  4
  Background:
  Riko is a henge, a magical animal spirit 
  capable of miraculously taking on human 
  form. More specifically, Riko is a raccoon 
  dog, a cuddly creature vaguely resembling 
  a little of both of its namesakes. But be-
  sides fuzziness and cuteness, raccoon dog 
  henge are known for their amazing pow-
  ers of transformation. Still, Riko is young 
  and naive, not fully a master of when 
  to use her powers and what for. In such 
  matters she would often consult with  
  Elder Turtle, a terrapin full of wisdom 
  and good advice.
  One day, Riko made her way across 
  the Towa River and the Hitotsuna Bridge 
  and on south to Elder Turtle’s humble 
  pond.
  But he was not there. Elder Turtle was 
  always there. Riko wasn’t sure what to do. 
  She decided to visit the second wisest per-
  son she knew. Suzune the kitsune seemed 
  to know about everything, though she 
  wasn’t always forthcoming with that in-
  formation.
  “He went to the city,” she said, once 
  Riko found her at the shrine. To the city? 
  Riko had never been to the city. In fact, 
  she had never even left Hitotsuna Town. 
  The city seemed like a big and scary place. 
  Surely a turtle could get lost! What if El-
  der Turtle needed her help?
  She told Suzune about her worries, 
  but the always calm kitsune shrugged her 
  shoulders. He would surely be back in a 
  few days, after all. What use was there for 
  worrying now?
  But Riko did worry. Despite the cozy 
  afternoon sun that was usually perfect for 
  napping, she could not sleep. The lady at 
  the general store was extra generous with 
  treats, but she could not eat. 
  The more she worried about Elder 
  Turtle, the more dire his “plight” became 
  until she thoroughly convinced herself 
  that Elder Turtle was in mortal danger.
  That decided it! She had to go to the 
  city! Normally she would have told her 
  other henge friends, but she did not want 
  them to change her mind. They probably 
  felt like Suzune and that there was no 
  problem at all.
  Late that night, she transformed into 
  her human self and waited at the bus stop. 
  The bus driver soon arrived, and Riko 
  loaded up, paid the fare (which had been 
  Riko
  ELDER TURTLE HAS ALWAYS HELPED ME, AND
  IT’S TIME FOR ME TO HELP HIM, YOU KNOW?
  
  introduction
  ConneCtions & Henge
  5
  dried leaves moments before), and took a 
  seat. Was this the start of a great adven-
  ture or a big mistake?
  Personality:
  Riko is well-meaning and kind-hearted, 
  but has the unfortunate habit of getting 
  a little carried away. Coupled with her 
  willingness to believe almost anything, 
  it doesn’t take long for Riko to make a 
  mountain out of a molehill. Even so, Riko 
  is imminently likable, and even her fail-
  ings become points of endearment.
  Transformation Powers:
  Riko, like any raccoon dog, is a capable 
  master of transformation powers. In ad-
  dition to being able to take the form of 
  any object or person, she can trick others 
  into seeing things differently than they 
  actually are. She would never do so ma-
  liciously, but still, her bright ideas don’t 
  always work out as she hopes…
  Charismatic
  Cute
  Illusionist
  Performer
  Quick
  Shape Shifter
  +1
  +2
  +5
  +3
  +2
  +5
  Clumsy
  Impulsive
  Kind-Hearted
  Languid
  Naive
  Pacifist
  Quirk (Country Girl in the Big City)
  Soft Spot (Food)
  –2
  –1
  –2
  –1
  –3
  –2
  –1
  –2
  ABiLities
  WeAKnesses
  OTHER STATISTICS
  concept: Carried 
  Away Henge
  birthday: May 21
  age: 13
  sex: Female
  height: 5´1˝
  weight: 110 lbs.
  hair: Light Brown
  eyes: Brown
  association: Henge
  hobbies: Eating
  fav. food: Everything!
  allies: Other Henge
  enemies: Unknown
  Riko’s Big Mistake!
  Riko will never fight, but sometimes if
  she’s really scared she might flail 
  recklessly.
  Attacks & Combat stats
  roll-2
  dx1
  end0
  defense 
  health endurance 
  tv
   4 
  40 
  30 
   0
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Golden Sky Stories/OVA-GSS-Crossover.pdf