TEXT: Gears & Gaslights
  Eradicating Spirits and Manifestations for Fame and Profit
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  Netherium
  It seemed like the solution to all the world’s 
  problems, Netherium. Free energy just float-
  ing all around us. Scientists able to tap into 
  that energy to power devices of incredible 
  wonder, changed the world. The late 1800s are 
  a remarkable time to be alive.
  Yet...some how tapping into the Netherium 
  unleashed a hell upon the world, although the 
  connection is still not full known. It is clear 
  that once Netherium began to be used, dan-
  gerous ghosts, spirits, and worse came into our 
  world.
  The weakest of spirits haunt, the strongest 
  can manifest physical bodies. Regardless of 
  form, they seek out dark places with histories 
  of bloodshed; castles, dungeons, prisons, or 
  even seemingly normal place with dark pasts.
  In response, professional teams of ghost 
  hunters and monster slayers arose to combat 
  this otherworldly menace. Some do it for the 
  fame, some do it for the noble cause, but most-
  ly they do it for the high fees they can charge 
  for eradicating creatures of the night that prey 
  on mortals.
  Say What?
  Basically, Netherium is the spirit shield that 
  keeps the departed out of our reality. It is a 
  form of energy, but once scientists discovered 
  it and started using it to power devices, it tore 
  holes in the spirit shield. This allowed malevo-
  lent and harmful spirits back into our world 
  (good spirits have, with rare exception, no rea-
  son to come back).
  Ghost hunters uses a combination of bullets 
  and swords to destroy physical manifestations 
  of these devilish spirits, but for true ghosts, all 
  manner of clever devices are needed including 
  Anti-Netherial Projectors, Netherial Cages, 
  and other marvelous devices.
  Successful ghost hunting teams are world 
  famous and fabulously wealthy from eradica-
  tion fees, but most die grisly and anonymous 
  deaths
  Game play can take place anywhere in the 
  world during the late 1800s, but again, the 
  spirits are especially drawn to dark places with 
  sordid pasts which can lead to a lot of dungeon 
  crawling too.
  Ghost Hunters
  Professional (hell...even amateur) ghost 
  hunters are built with standard Risus rules: 10 
  dice; Hooks and Tales encouraged. If the Risus 
  Companion is in use, Lucky Shots and Quest-
  ing Dice are fine too. Good Cliches to pick 
  are those related to the science of Netherium; 
  fighting with melee weapons; shooting rifles, 
  crossbows, or other missile weapons; being 
  sneaky; being observant and spotting clues; 
  having knowledge of spirits and manifesta-
  tions strengths and weaknesses, and so on.
  Tools Of The Trade
  Beyond the gear expected of those living in 
  the late 1800s, the science of Netherium has 
  given rise to many tools found valuable to 
  ghost hunters, including (but not limited to):
  Anti-Netherial Projector: These rifle looking 
  devices with battery back-packs fire reverse 
  polarity Netherium lightning bolts that can 
  harm spirits...but do not harm manifestations 
  or any other living thing.
  Clairavayer: Portable devices the size of a doc-
  tor’s kit that allow one to speak into it and have 
  their voice transmitted up to a mile away and 
  be heard by those using another Clairavayer.
  Clockwork Rifle: A specially made rifle capa-
  ble of firing multiple bullets with each trigger 
  pull from a large magazine of ammunition.
  Gas Lamp: Part regular gaslight, part Nethe-
  rial science, this large hand-held device casts a 
  pale greenish-white glow in the direction it is 
  pointed, up to 10 meters.
  Netherial Lenses: Specially made glass lenses 
  which can be set in goggles, monocles, or even 
  regular eye glasses that allow one to see spirits 
  even when they are invisible.
  Netherial Cage: A metal tube, capped, and  
  lined inside and out with special glass (simi-
  lar to lenses above) along with all manner of 
  circuitry...that when opened draws in and cap-
  tures Netherium and any nearby spirits.
  Nether Conveyance: Much like a horse drawn 
  carriage, but entirely self-powered by Neth-
  erium Engines. It is guided by a pilot, and can 
  attain speeds up to 60 km per hour!
  Players are encouraged to create other 
  Netherial or steampunk devices.
  By Brent Wolke
  For use with  S. John Ross’ 
  Risus: The Anything RPG
  Spirits and Manifestations
  There are two basic forms of  Netherial 
  monsters: Spirits and Manifestations.
  A spirit is basically a ghost. At it’s weakest 
  it can make small objects move, change the 
  temperature, make noise and the like. At it’s 
  most powerful, they shake houses, drain life, 
  cause fear, change the weather and so on. All 
  spirits are invisible but can be seen when they 
  want to be seen (often to scare) or via Nethe-
  rial Lenses. 
  Only Netherial devices can affect a spirit. 
  Guns, swords, and even explosions will not 
  harm a spirit. A spirit reduced to zero dice is 
  cast back into the Netherium and may only re-
  turn by GM fiat.
  A manifestation is a spirit which has invest-
  ed it’s being into a non-living object or objects 
  and bring them to mobile life. This can mean 
  inhabiting old corpses (skeletons, zombies, 
  and ghouls!), dead trees, scarecrows, or even 
  things like suits of armor. The most powerful 
  manifestations can even create monsters out 
  of the worst nightmares from  bits and pieces.
  Manifestations cannot be harmed by Nethe-
  rical science (such as Anti-Netherial Projec-
  tors), but the physical form of a manifestation 
  can be destroyed by bullets, swords, hammers, 
  fire and the like. A manifestation brought to 
  zero dice simply falls down into it’s component 
  parts (if applicable).
  Example Spirit
  Damning Shriek (4): The DS appears as a rot-
  ting elderly mother-type when seen, and can 
  sense the worst fears and self-doubts about the 
  living. Beyond the typical abilities of a spirit, 
  it screams ear-splitting (literally) derision and 
  insults at victims, reducing them to cowering, 
  crying, fetal balls that eventually bleed out 
  through the ears.
  Example Manifestation
  Tin Ogre (4): The TO is a monster of the 
  kitchen, taking the form of a humanoid com-
  prised of pots, pans, utensils, knives, forks, 
  sometimes even full stoves, and any other met-
  al laying about. A TO is quite strong, sturdy, 
  resistant to damage and capable of crushing or 
  cutting depending on it’s composition. They 
  are simple brutes.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Kid Friendly/3. Rules Lite Collection/Risus/Supplements/GearsandGaslights.pdf