42 Each attempt to gather information takes time. If the situation allows, you can try again if you don’t initially get all the details that you want. But often, the opportunity is fleeting, and you’ll only get one chance to roll for that particular question. Some example questions are on the bottom of the character sheet. The GM always answers honestly, but with a level of detail according to the level of effect. The most common gather information actions are Surveying the situation to reveal or anticipate what’s going on and Studying a person to understand what they intend to do or what they’re really thinking. Sometimes, you’ll have to Maneuver yourself into position before you can gather information. You might have to Skulk to a good hiding place first, and then Study the Mercies when they perform their binding ritual. investigation Some questions are too complex to answer immediately with a single gather information roll. For instance, you might want to discover the network of contraband smuggling routes in the city. In these cases, the GM will tell you to start a long-term project that you work on during downtime. You track the investigation project using a progress clock. Once the clock is filled, you have the evidence you need to ask several questions about the subject of your investigation as if you had great effect. examples & questions • You might Command a local barkeep to tell you what he knows about the secret meetings held in his back room. What’s really going on here? What’s he really feeling about this? Is he part of this secret group? • You might Consort with a well-connected friend to learn secrets about an enemy, rival, or potential ally. What do they intend to do? What might you suspect about their motives? How can you discover leverage to manipulate them? • You might Hunt a courier across the city, to discover who is receiving satchels of fiore from a master duelist. Where does the package end up? How can you find out who signed for the package? • You might Study ancient and obscure books to discover an arcane secret. How can you disable the runes of warding? Will anyone sense if they’re disabled?
43 • Or you might Study a person to read their intentions and feelings. What are they really feeling? How could you get them to trust you? • You might Survey a manor house to case it in order to spy on a meeting later. What’s a good point of infiltration? What’s the danger here? Or you might Survey a charged situation when you meet a rival coterie. What’s really going on here? Are they about to attack us? • You might Sway a powerful Prince at a party so she divulges her future plans. What does she intend to do? How can you get her to think you might be a good partner in this venture? Or you might Sway her bravo to confide in you about recent events. Where has she been lately? Who’s she been meeting with? gather information Ask a question and make an action roll or a fortune roll. The GM answers you honestly, with a level of detail depending on the effect level. Great— You get exceptional details. The information is complete and follow-up questions may expand into related areas or reveal more than you hoped for. Standard— You get good details. The information is useful, though incomplete. Clarifying and follow-up questions are possible. Limited— You get incomplete or partial information. More information gathering will be needed to get all the answers.
44 Loadout Before you begin an errand, you will be expected to declare how much gear your character is carrying, based on what you think you will need to accomplish the goal. This is your character’s “load”. You will have access to all of the items and gear on your character’s Playbook sheet during each errand. The idea here is that your character is skilled and talented, and knows what they need to bring on an errand (even when you, the player, do not). As you and your coterie go about completing your errand, you will tick off the load boxes next to each item you use, but only after you’ve used it. Your load also determines your movement speed and your conspicuousness. load & effects 1-3 Load: Discrete, you’re faster, less conspicuous, and you blend in with the citizenry. 4-6 Load: Loaded, you look like a specialist out on an errand. You look like trouble. 7+ Load: Encumbered, without special skills or abilities, you are encumbered at this point and only capable of moving very slowly. Example: The coterie is asked to escort an important diplomat from the city gates to their patron’s house. Anna, their Knack, is expecting this errand to be a milk run. All the coterie has to do is keep their heads down, and blend in, so she declares she’ll be taking a discrete load. When they run into trouble along the way, Anna is forced to use her armor to avoid being seriously harmed in an ambush, costing her two of the three load she declared when she decided to go discrete. When she produces her Fine Arcane Focus to make her diversion more potent so that the coterie can escape, she marks off her last load box. She has now spent all three of her declared load and must rely only on her skills and quick thinking for the rest of the errand. Unless she has a little stress left to burn, in which case she can use a flashback, which we’ll discuss in the next section!
45 Teamwork When the PCs work together, they gain access to four special teamwork actions. They are listed on all of the character Playbooks to remind players of their options. Players are always welcome to act on their own and without aid. These actions are optional, and provide various bonuses to players to represent the coordinated action of a coterie working together. teamwork actions • Assist another PC who is rolling an action. • Lead a group action. • Protect a teammate. • Set up a character who will follow through on your action. assist When you assist another player who is rolling, describe what your character does to help them. Take 1 stress and give them +1d to their roll. You may also suffer consequences occuring due to the roll, depending on the circumstances. Only one character may assist any given roll. If you want to help someone who is already being assisted, consider using a set up action instead. Note: A character can assist a group action, provided they are not taking part in the group action themselves. Decide which character in the group action gets the +1d, and mark 1 stress. group action When you lead a group action you coordinate with your coterie members to accomplish a goal. Describe how your character helps the action as an individual. For example, do you give commands, signals, or motivation? Every PC involved in a group action makes a roll using the same action rating, and the coterie counts the best roll as the overall effort for everyone who participated. However, the PC who leads the group action takes 1 stress for each PC whose best result was a 1-3. A PC does not have to be skilled in an action to help, the group action leader essentially absorbs the fallout from poor rolls.
46 Mira decides to lead a group action for the coterie to sneak into the tower at the Grand Gate. Everyone who wants to sneak in rolls their Skulk action at the same time, and the best result counts for the whole team. Jin rolled a 6, so the coterie succeeds without complication. However, Mist and Bran both rolled in the 1-3 range. Mira takes 2 stress for the coterie members who rolled poorly. It is no frolic covering for the stragglers. The group action result covers everyone who rolled. You can also lead your coterie’s retinues and colleagues (NPCs hired by your coterie) with a group action. Roll Command if you direct their efforts, or the appropriate action rating if you participate with them. The retinue or colleague always rolls its quality level. set up When you perform a set up action you have an indirect effect on an obstacle. If your action has its intended result, any coterie member who follows through on your set up gets +1 effect level or improved position for their roll. You choose the benefit based on the nature of your set up action. This is a great way to contribute to an operation when you do not have a good rating for the action at hand. A clever set up allows you to help your coterie indirectly. Multiple follow up actions can take advantage of your set up action, including someone else leading a group action, so long as it makes sense in the narrative. Set up actions are especially helpful in situations where the coterie is facing a challenge or opposition that has advantages in quality, scale, and/or potency. Even if PCs are reduced to zero effect due to disadvantages in a situation, a set up action provides a bonus that allows for limited effect. protect You step in to face a consequence on behalf of a coterie member. You suffer the consequence instead of them. You may roll to resist the consequence as normal. Describe how you intervene.
47 Flashbacks The rules do not distinguish between actions done in the present and those carried out in the past. When an errand is underway and your retainer is on the job, you may invoke a flashback to roll for an action in the past that impacts your current situation. Maybe you convinced the district watch sergeant to look the other way while you broke into the Al-Mari warehouse, so you make a Sway roll to see how that went. The GM sets a stress cost when you activate a flashback action. • 0 Stress: An ordinary action for which you had an easy opportunity. • 1 Stress: A complex action or unlikely opportunity. • 2 (or more!) Stress: An elaborate action that involved special opportunities or contingencies. After the stress cost is paid, a flashback action is handled just like any other action. Sometimes it entails an action roll because there is some degree of danger or trouble involved. Sometimes a flashback will require a fortune roll because we just need to find out how well it went (or how long it took, or how much it accomplished, et cetera). Sometimes a flashback will not call for a roll at all, per the GM’s approval, because you can just pay the stress cost and consider it accomplished. If a flashback involves a downtime activity, pay influence for it instead of stress. One of the best uses for a flashback is when the engagement roll goes badly. After the GM describes what sort of complications have ensued or what kind of trouble you have gotten yourself into, you can call for a flashback to a special preparation you made, “just for such an occasion.” This way, your “flashback planning” will be focused on the problems that do happen rather than those that might arise. limits of flashbacks A flashback is not time travel. It cannot undo something that has just occurred in the present moment. For instance, if the Corvetto bravo saw you walking across the Plaza carrying the marked courier’s bag containing the bribe money, you cannot simply call a flashback to have already dueled and killed him the night prior. The narrative has established the bravo is there and looking at you. You could, however, flashback to tipping off a couple of Blue Devils who have it out for this particular, luckless bravo, affording yourself an armed and dangerous obstacle between you and your Corvetto rival.
48 Influence & Favor influence Influence is an abstract measure of clout and respect in the eyes of the House you serve. The money which PCs use in their daily lives is not tracked. They are in service to a House of the Esultare, only position matters. Assume money is of no concern. If a character wants to spend to achieve a small goal (bribe a doorman), assume they do so. However, if they mean to leverage their influence within the House to accomplish an objective (enter an exclusive party), make a check using the coterie’s tier to determine the character’s reputation. influence values • 1 Influence: Faithful service as a coachman. • 2 Influence: A friendly chat with a business associate, perhaps a bit of negotiation and compromise. • 4 Influence: Covering a significant social gaffe, exposing a rival’s shame. • 6 Influence: A ruinous secret, found or hidden. • 8 Influence: Discreet disposal of a body, escorting an heir of the House for a weekend’s carousing. • 10 Influence: Interception of an assassin’s poison, admission of high treason in lieu of shaming the House. More than 4 influence is an impractical amount to remember. Memories in Ilrien are short where good deeds are concerned, even when vendettas drag on forever. You must spend the excess or count it instead as status. influence use • Spend 1 influence to get an additional activity during downtime. • Spend 1 influence to increase the result level of a downtime activity roll. • Spend influence to avoid certain coterie entanglements. • Put influence in your character’s status tracker to improve their lifestyle and circumstances when they retire.
49 leveraging personal status If you want to trade lasting status for momentary influence, you may do so, at a cost. Your character risks their legacy in order to gain influence within the House. For every 2 status removed, you gain 1 influence. This can be handy for the purpose of securing something immediately necessary for an errand. personal status & retirement When you mark your character’s final scandal and they retire, the amount of influence they have managed to accrue determines their fate. Your status tracker is on your character Playbook sheet. • Status 0-10: Brief Candle. You end up in the Twist, awash in vice and misery. • Status 11-20: Faithful. A simple post overseeing a business which benefits the House. Occasionally, you receive an invitation to a function, though typically only as an afterthought. • Status 21-39: Courtier. You have earned a suite in the House proper and you even command a modicum of respect. Your history is rumor, and few give it credence. But my how they talk. • Status 40: Confidante. A well-appointed home, a villa perhaps, claiming luxuries of which few could even dream. You are still thought of highly and the House sends a coach and attendants when they require your presence. In addition, each full row of Status (10 Status) indicates the quality level of the individual character’s reputation in the eyes of the city, from zero (no one) to four (family). Bertrand wants to impress upon an Elanda merchant that the great House Corvetto will brook no further undercutting of silk prices in Ilrien. To make the point stick, Bertrand tells the merchant, “You know who I am. Now understand how important my masters are considering this matter to send me.” Bertrand’s player makes a status check.
50 Favor Favor is your reward for helping forces outside of your own House. The factions you help will remember your willingness to do them a good turn. You can spend this favor when it benefits you, but the more banked favor you have with any faction type (each individual Major House, Houses Minor, Uncouth, Outsiders, or the Citizenry) the more friendly they will be toward you in general, which can help offset any tier differences in negotiations. Favor is tracked on your Coterie’s shared House Sheet, where you have multiple tracks for filling up favor will the factions of the city. Much like influence, keeping track of more than 4 favor with any one faction is impractical, but there is no system for banking it. Instead, if you completely fill one of the favor trackers, everyone takes +2 status on their Playbook sheets for having made the House integral to the thriving of another faction. You can only take the +2 status once for each faction. favor use • Favor with one of the Major Houses can be traded to take advantage of one of their Spheres of Influence for an errand. • Spend a favor to acquire an asset from the Houses Minor without spending a downtime. • Spend a favor with the Citizenry to gain access to somewhere typically off limits, or safe harbor in an unfriendly area. • Spend 2 favor with a faction group to buy down like/hate status with an individual faction under its umbrella.
51 Romance Ilrien is a city of romance, danger, and dangerous romance. That said, if romance and the mechanization of romance does not feel appropriate or right in your game, feel free to ignore the following mechanics and the paramour system entirely. A paramour is the singular object of a PC’s affection. A PC might carry romantic aspirations for multiple characters, but they can only benefit from a single heat clock at any one time. acquiring a paramour If the paramour is an NPC, a 6-part romance clock is made to begin courtship. Downtime actions may be spent to fill this track as normal, and when it is completed, you may begin to mark “heat” to represent the overall tenor of the relationship, progressing from courtship (1-3) to love (4-6). These are marked on the PCs playbook sheet. You also gain an additional indulgence: your paramour. Heat can be gained by indulging in your torrid new love affair. Indulgence of this kind does not use the standard rules for overindulging. Instead, when you clear more stress than you have currently gained, you suffer a romantic entanglement. You may also gain heat through the use of long-term clocks in the downtime phase, or the acceptance of complications related to the relationship on engagement rolls for errands, typically a -1d on the engagement roll as the relationship somehow threatens the secrecy or safety of the errand. Heat can be spent to gain the following benefits: • The paramour will intercede with a related faction to prevent a shift in faction status (-2 to -3, for instance). • If your paramour is of a higher status, you may make use of the paramour’s status (typically the tier or reputation of the organization to which they belong) for the course of an errand. • If your Paramour is of a lower status, you take 2 less exposure for an errand if they can help you by covering for your actions. • Acquire asset rolls which in some way leverage your relationship to secure an asset related to your paramour cannot roll below a 4/5. • Heat may be spent on a 1 for 1 basis to gain favor with the faction group (Houses Major, Minor, Outsiders, Citizenry, Uncouth) to which they belong.
52 While courting (1-3 heat) you may only spend 1 heat per errand. While in love (4-6 heat) you may spend heat freely. If ever you spend your last heat, roll a romantic entanglement. Relationships between PCs do not require a heat clock, they are instead adjudicated as a deepening of the bonds between characters. PCs can assist their PC paramour once per errand without paying stress. protect a paramour Protecting your paramour in a manner which requires a resistance roll costs reduced stress, as detailed below: 1-3: 2 Stress 4/5: 1 Stress 6: No Stress Cost Critical: Recover 2 Stress assigning edges and flaws When you acquire an NPC paramour you may, at your discretion, assign one or two of the following edges and an equal number of flaws. Paramours must have, at minimum, one of each. Edges • Connected: Your paramour is well thought of in their circles and has no trouble in getting exactly what they (and you) need. • Protective: Your paramour will sacrifice their safety for yours. • Doting: Your paramour will offer their assistance without reservation or strings attached. • Well-Protected: Your paramour is insulated from the dangers of your world. Flaws • Jealous: Your paramour will not suffer anything else being the center of your world lightly. • Meddling: Your paramour is quick to get involved in your business concerns. • Flighty: Your paramour is often distracted by other matters requiring their attention. • Star-crossed: Your paramour is caught between love and duty; your love will always be a forbidden one.
54 romantic entanglements heat 0 (1-2) You Broke My Heart: Your paramour seeks you out and explains how you have hurt them. Whether the tears are sadness or rage, you cannot stop thinking about them. Reduce your stress track by 1 for the next errand. (3-4) Public Scorn: The end of your relationship is messy and public. The fallout leaves your reputation (and those of any who associate with you) damaged. Lose 1 favor with their associated faction group. Additionally, reduce your reputation with their faction by -1 unless you pay influence equal to your tier. (5-6) Hell Hath No Fury: You have pushed too far, salted the earth of this relationship. You have lost them as a paramour permanently. Add them to your contact list as a rival. heat 1-3 (1-2) Idle Gossip: News of your blossoming romance is proving especially diverting in society circles and scandal rags. Your coterie gains +2 exposure unless you pay 1 favor or 2 influence with the Houses Minor. (3-4) A Lover’s Quarrel: Somehow the words just came out wrong and before you knew it, you were fighting. You may not indulge with your paramour until you make amends. Whatever help they still offer will be chilly at best. (5-6) Familial Censure: Your paramour’s faction has made it clear you are not a welcome figure in their life. Your coterie suffers -2 reputation with their faction. Your paramour cannot reduce this change with heat. heat 4-6 (1-2) A New Suitor: Someone else is intent upon your paramour. If you want to maintain your relationship, you’ll have to disgrace, discredit, or otherwise deal with their new suitor. (3-4) Unwitting Pawn: Your paramour has been an unwitting pawn for a faction with which you have a negative reputation. They have set you up. Your next engagement roll is made a -2d. (5-6) Sent Aside: Your paramour has been removed from the city “for their own good.” They will not return until the next Social Season. When they return, make a fortune roll. You may keep (or gain) heat equal to the number rolled.
55 The Faction Game tier, in depth Each notable faction is ranked by tier—a measure of wealth, influence, connection and scale. At the highest level are the tier V and VI factions, the most powerful factions of the city. Your coterie begins at tier II, the same as the House you serve, and will always match the House’s tier. Your coterie’s rise in power is inextricably linked to your House. You use your tier rating to roll dice when you acquire an asset, as well as for any fortune roll for which your overall power level and influence is the primary trait. Your tier determines the quality and scale of the retinue your coterie employs— and thereby what size of enemy you can expect to handle. retinue scale by tier • Tier V. Massive Retinue (80 People) • Tier IV. Huge Retinue (40 People) • Tier III. Large Retinue (20 People) • Tier II. Medium Retinue (12 People) • Tier I. Small Retinue (3-11 People) • Tier 0. Aides (1-2 People) The quality level of items used by the coterie is also determined by their tier. They are furnished with reasonably good tools to see to their jobs from the start. House tier only changes through advancement of their position within the Esultare (discussed later). Example: If you challenge a bravo who serves the First Prince of Ilrien to a duel, they will be squaring up with tier V equipment. If you are the Third House, your equipment will be tier III. The difference in your skill may be marginal, but the difference in your equipment quality will put you at a considerable disadvantage. This may look like “limited effect” as the default effect setting. Push yourself to increase your effectiveness, or suggest that you both choose to fight with the same swords, and no armor, to make things fair.
56 faction status Your coterie’s status with each faction indicates how well you are liked or hated. Status is rated from -3 to +3, with zero (neutral) being the default starting status. You track your status with each faction on the faction sheet, or written out on a piece of paper. When you create your coterie, you assign some positive and negative status ratings to reflect recent history. The ratings will then change over time based on your actions in play. faction status changes When you execute an errand, you gain -1 or -2 status with factions hurt by your actions. You may also gain +1 status with a faction your operation helps. If you keep your operation completely quiet then your status doesn’t change. Your status may also change if you do a favor for a faction or if you refuse one of their demands. faction status levels • +3: Allies. This faction will help you even if it is not in their best interest to do so. They expect you to do the same for them. • +2: Friendly. This faction will help you if it does not create serious problems for them. They expect you to do the same. • +1: Helpful. This faction will help you if it causes no problems or significant cost for them. They expect the same from you. • 0: Neutral • -1: Interfering. This faction will look for opportunities to cause trouble for you (or profit from your misfortune) so long as it incurs no complications or significant cost for them. They expect the same from you. • -2: Hostile. This faction will look for opportunities to hurt you so long as it does not create serious problems for them. They expect you to do the same and take precautions against you. • -3: War. This faction will go out of its way to hurt you even if it’s not in their best interest to do so. They expect you to do the same and take precautions against you. When you are at war with any number of factions, your crew suffers +1 exposure from errands, and PCs get only one downtime action rather than two. You can end a war by diminishing your enemy or by negotiating a mutual agreement to establish a new status rating.
57 Spheres of Influence Spheres of Influence represent influential places within the city, each with its own merits and value. The coterie’s House will begin with one sphere in the city in which they have influence, meaning they have three new contacts, one of which is a strong/reliable contact in that location. During House creation the coterie will choose any one sphere of influence that interests them, except for The Palace, which always belongs to whichever House sits as the First House of the Esultare. Taking a new sphere of influence always comes with a cost and the potential to make a new friend or rival. See: Spheres of Influence Detailed (page 180). seizing additional spheres of influence Every sphere of influence is controlled by a House of the Esultare at the start of the game. The PC’s House begins with one. To acquire additional spheres of influence they must be taken from someone else. To press a new claim, you must raise your House’s rank amongst the Esultare. When a House rises they will be given the ability to take one sphere of influence from the House they surpass. Example: House Battalia has just failed to complete its primary goal in the course of the current social season, owing chiefly to a brilliant countermove by House Lovell. However, as the Battalia fall from grace and lose control of their holdings, it is House Al-Mari, rising to claim the Battalia’s position as Fourth House, who claim one of Battalia’s former holdings as their newest sphere of influence. They choose to take the Armory. But can they hold it? As soon as you seize a sphere of influence, you enjoy the listed benefit for as long as you hold the claim. However, as other factions also operate in the area, you will have to decide how best to keep them appeased or risk their ire. losing a sphere of influence If the coterie’s House falls in rank amongst the Esultare, the House taking their place will take one of their spheres of influence. In this case, a fortune roll can be used to determine which one is taken, if there is no option that makes more narrative sense than another. Your strong/reliable contact from the lost sphere will still meet with you, when it doesn’t endanger them, but the other contacts will shun you immediately until you hold the sphere they work in again.
58 House Advancement the social season Court of Blades is divided into sections of play called social seasons. Think of these as loosely detailed periods of time in which a lot of maneuvering happens. They also neatly align with the four seasons of the calendar year. Your GM, acting on behalf of the House, will present a number of problems requiring your attention. You have only three errands you can accomplish per social season, so there will always be something you cannot see to personally. Consider what is worthy of your personal attention carefully. Your coterie’s successes and failures on these errands dictate your House’s fortune and ability to advance. Excel and your House will rise. Fail, and you risk stagnation and falling into obscurity. After your three errands are complete, the game will move onto the next social season, time will pass, other factions will make their moves (see: Advancing Other Houses Major (page 279)), and the city will change, hopefully for the better, but very possibly for the worse. choosing goals for the social season At the beginning of each social season the coterie is presented with a number of issues the House would like to have dealt with, perhaps in the form of a dossier from the coterie’s favorite House liaison. The coterie chooses a primary goal as their “must do” task, and possibly a secondary goal as their “nice to do” task. As entanglements arise and PCs interact with the world, they will undoubtedly be faced with other challenges and complications. There will be external pressures from Houses Major or Minor, as well as other factions to juggle. The players decide when and how their PCs meet these challenges. Each season consists of three engagements (typically dealt with over three sessions of play, one session for each engagement), and the House must decide which three of the several moves outlined below are best to undertake during any given social season. There will never be enough time to accomplish everything a coterie may wish to accomplish in a single social season.
59 social season goals Primary Goal: Broker an important deal. Conscript a notable ally. Rally a defense of the city. Uncover a treasure. Host the most lavish party (and defend it). Optional Secondary Goal: Acquire additional or new resources for your House or coterie. Earn the trust of a useful faction. Vet and hire fresh faces for your retinue. Something Arising: Food shortages over winter. Thugs harassing an important connection. Something Personal: You will make enemies that will steal your time, you will make friends that will borrow your time. Managing important relationships with NPCs and factions falls under this category. Thwarting a Rival: Stop another House from achieving their primary goal. No one climbs to the top without treading upon a few faces. Making Amends: Your coterie has caused the family shame, you are required to spend time they would otherwise have to advance the House’s agenda in making amends in order to return to business as usual. advancing in the esultare The various successes and failures from your social season will award or take away dice from your House advancement roll. At the end of the social season you will roll the number of dice earned to determine how your House has fared. Depending on the outcome you will either maintain your position or gain one-to-three clock ticks on your warring House Advancement Clock. The GM will handle the rolls dictating what happened to the other Houses during the season. The GM will tick their House Advancement Clocks as appropriate, and afterward the order of the Houses will shift accordingly.
60 house advancement roll dice Primary Goal: +2d if met, 0d if not met. Optional Secondary Goal: +1d if met, 0d if not met. Something Arising: +1d if met, 0d if not met. Something Personal: 0d if met or unmet. Thwarting a Rival: 0d if met or not met, *-1d if plot is uncovered or unsuccessful. To thwart a rival House, you must uncover one of their long-term objectives. If you succeed in opposing this long-term objective, they cannot roll to progress that clock at the end of the social season. Making Amends: 0d if met or not met, -1 level of shame if met. When you’ve finished the social season, tally up the number of dice you have earned and make a fortune roll. Use the chart below to dictate how much your House advances. 1-3: Maintain the Same Clock Ticks 4/5: +1 Clock Tick 6: +2 Clock Tick Critical: +3 Clock Ticks Example: During the last three errands that made up the last social season, your coterie successfully completed their Primary Goal, acquiring a rare piece of artwork for the House. This afforded them +2d. When a Minor House came forward with troubles with their grain supply, you completed your Something Arising by dealing with bandits outside of town and restoring law to the trade route for +1d. However, when you attempted to Thwart a Rival House, your plot was discovered and foiled [-1d]. At the end of the season, you reflect back on those three errands and conclude you had earned 2 dice [+2 +1 -1] to roll for your House Advancement Clock. When you roll a 2 and 4, taking the highest result, you gain +1 clock tick. In this case, that +1 clock tick was all that was needed to move your House up in rank. Congratulations, your House is now considered the Fifth House of the Esultare. The new Sixth House is not well pleased.
61 determining the other houses’ positions in the esultare At the start of the game, the group determines how the other five Houses of the Esultare are ranked. For random ranking, use a 6-sided die and roll in order from House one, to House five. Ignore repeats and whichever House your PCs have chosen to represent. 1- Corvetto 2- Battalia 3- Bastien 4- Lovell 5- Al-Mari 6- Elanda Warring clocks will keep track of every House’s position in the city throughout the game. You start as the Sixth House, at 1 clock tick, unless you have the popular House feature from choosing House Bastien, in which case you start with 2 clock ticks. Whenever there is a tie between two Houses, the incumbent maintains their position within the Esultare. Draw 6 clocks with 12 segments each and fill in the following number of segments for the Houses in order: First House: 11/12 Second House: 9/12 Third House: 7/12 Fourth House: 5/12 Fifth House: 3/12 Sixth House: 1/12 esultare house rank bonuses What would being on top mean if there were not any perks? Based on your House’s position amongst the Esultare, take the following bonuses: 1: Your House gains access to the Palace. Your House becomes tier V. *At this point you have won the game as a group, but you may decide to continue to play to see if you can hold this position, or until all PCs have the status required to retire as family. 2: Your House’s healer (grace or physician) gains even more skill, adding an additional +1d to healing rolls made for your coterie. 3: You may select two additional contacts from any of the spheres of influence you do not already control. Your House becomes tier IV. 4: You may now earn a fourth die in a skill. You temporarily lose that die if you fall below the rank of Fourth House, until the rank is regained. 5: Your House’s healer (grace or physician) becomes more skilled, gaining +1d to healing rolls made for your coterie. Your House becomes tier III. 6: The lowest House in the Esultare is left to rely on only their grit and determination. You begin here, and the House you serve is tier II.
62 Advancement pc advancement. Each player keeps track of the experience points (xp) their character earns. During the game session, mark xp: • When you make a desperate action roll. Mark 1 xp in the attribute for the action you rolled. For example, if you roll a desperate skirmish action, you mark xp in Body. When you roll in a group action that is desperate, you also mark xp. At the end of the session, review the xp triggers on your character sheet. For each one, mark 1 xp if it happened during the session. You can get a maximum of 4xp per errand, unless you have taken a skill that awards you an additional xp trigger, such as the Bravo’s Code Duello. You may then mark a maximum of 5xp per session. You may mark end-of-session xp on any xp tracks you want (any attribute or your playbook xp track). pc xp triggers • Your playbook-specific xp trigger. For example, “Address a challenge with violence or panache.” To “address a challenge,” your character should attempt to overcome a tough obstacle or threat. It does not matter if the action is successful or not, you get xp either way. If you addressed an obstacle with violence, take 1 xp. If you addressed an obstacle with panache, take 1xp. If you did both in the same session, take 2xp. • You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background. Your character’s beliefs and drives are yours to define, session to session. Take 1 xp. Feel free to tell the group about them when you mark xp. • You struggled with issues from your indulgences or scandals. Mark 1 xp for this if your need to indulge tempted you to some bad action or if a scandal caused you trouble. Simply indulging does not count as struggling with indulgence (unless you overindulge).
63 When you fill an xp track, clear all the marks and take an advance. When you take an advance from your playbook track, you may choose an additional special ability. When you take an advance from an attribute, you may add an additional action dot to one of the actions under that attribute. Nadja is playing a Hawk. She rolled two desperate Hunt actions during the session, so she marked 2 xp on her Mind xp track during play. At the end of the session, she reviews her xp triggers and tells the group how much additional xp she’s getting. She addressed several challenges with pursuit and preparation, so she marks 2 xp for that. She expressed her heritage and beliefs when dealing with a man from her homeland, so she takes 1 xp for that. She didn’t struggle with her indulgence or scandals, so no xp there. That’s 3 xp at the end of the session. She decides to put it all in her Mind xp track. This fills the track, so she decides to add a new action dot to Hunt. You can also earn xp by training during downtime. When you train, mark xp in one of your attributes or in your playbook. A given xp track can be trained only once per downtime phase. gaining status PCs can convert influence into status at any point, at a rate of 1 for 1. However, if a PC needs to turn status back into influence at any point, the cost is doubled, and the rate is 2 status for every 1 influence. Every time the coterie advances, each PC also gets status equal to the House tier +2, representing additional influence generated by the coterie as they have operated and grown in their abilities.
64 coterie advancement At the end of the session, review the coterie xp triggers and mark 1 coterie xp for each item that occurred during the session. You can gain a maximum of 4 xp per errand, unless you have additional xp trigger abilities from your House sheets, in which case you may add those as they are written. coterie xp triggers • Your coterie-specific xp trigger. For example, the House Lovell’s is “overcome an obstacle with secrets or discernment.” If the crew successfully completed an operation from this trigger, mark xp. • Contend with challenges above your current station. If you tangled with higher Tiers or more dangerous opposition, mark xp for this. • Bolster your coterie’s reputation or develop a new one. Review your coterie’s reputation. Did you do anything to promote it? Alternatively, mark xp if you developed a new reputation for the coterie. • Express the goals, drives, inner conflict, or essential nature of the Coterie. This one is very broad! Essentially, did anything happen that highlighted the specific elements that make your coterie unique? When you fill your coterie advancement xp tracker, clear the marks and take a new special ability -or- mark two coterie upgrade boxes. Example, when a Coterie of House Corvetto earns a Coterie Advance, they could take a new Special Ability, like By the Throat. Or they could mark two upgrades, like Master Keys and Good Help. Say how you have obtained this new ability for the coterie. If you take upgrades, think of these as “gifts” to the coterie; things the House had gone out of its way to secure for you, either as a token of appreciation, by request, or for personal reasons. They may look like extra time off to train, or a special room within the House.
Chapter Two Characters
66 Character Creation Ilrien, as the greatest city of this or any other age, is a place of great diversity. As such, you should feel no limitation when creating your character. When you choose a Heritage you are responsible for deciding what that means and looks like. You have become, after all, the subject matter expert on what it means to be Ilrienne, or Maur, or Iberican. People of differing sexual preferences are embraced as equals. Ilrien is too grand a city, too cosmopolitan, to harbor petty prejudices about who is attracted to whom, or the outward presentation of its citizenry. People become your rivals only because they are other players of the Great Game, not because they differ. From The Twist to The Palace, Ilrien is built with accessibility and the needs of its citizens in mind. For example, elevators powered by arcane devices or carefully-crafted clockwork are a standard feature of the city. Any mobility aids, emotional support, or seeing-eye animals are always a free character upgrade (zero load). Lip reading and any other talents needed to navigate Ilrien comfortably are likewise available to you without cost. We encourage you to use Ilrien as a safe place to explore diversity in a respectful and compassionate manner and embrace the beauty of our human differences with an open heart. choose a playbook When you choose a Playbook, you are choosing a set of special abilities, which your character can use to break the rules governing everyone else. Every Playbook begins with its own special armor which gives them a unique ability to mitigate certain circumstances falling under their skillset. Be aware that you cannot take another special armor from any other Playbook as a later advancement. Each Playbook also has its own unique, specialized gear items. These provide special permissions and interesting abilities to each Playbook. Specialized gear items like the Knack’s Vulgar Display of Power, are open to interpretation. Players may use them to affect scenes and overcome challenges, manipulating the balance of position and effect. You also receive a unique set of xp triggers. Because no two Playbooks share their primary xp triggers, everyone is rewarded for different behavior. Finally, your Playbook indicates your initial reputation in the world. If you are gifted in the arcane, the people will say you have “the knack”. If you are a formally trained court swordsman, the people will know you as a “bravo”, and so on.
67 As you play the game your character will grow and change. After character creation, you’re free to choose special abilities outside of your own Playbook. While your Playbook will always define your character’s primary goal through its unique xp triggers, and what people know you as, you are free to reach into any other Playbook for a different special ability better suited to your unique and continuously growing character. Example: Anna is the coterie’s Key, but she often finds herself in sticky situations and thinks that it makes narrative sense to reach into the Eye’s Playbook and take “Better Lucky Than Good” (when you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to your roll if you also take -1d to any resistance rolls against consequences of the action) when she gets her next Playbook advancement. She is still the coterie’s Key; she has simply gained new expertise, and progressed in the way that is most interesting to her player. Following the Character Creation section you’ll find all of the available Playbooks. For the sake of brevity we’ll describe each of the Playbooks quickly below, but we encourage you to jump to the full Playbook to explore the details once you spot one that interests you. The Bravo is a dashing sworn-sword, quick of wit and unmatched in combat. The Hawk is a dangerous bounty hunter, menacing and unflappable in the face of danger. The Eye is a master agent and infiltrator, cannier than a skulk of foxes and just as hard to catch. The Couth is a street-wise wildcard, lucky or dangerous enough to rise from the gutter. The Knack is a magical expert, gifted with arcane power and knowledge of the hidden world. The Key is a social mastermind, crafting arguments and devices with ease.
68 choose a heritage Heritage is an important part of your character’s life. Highlighting your character’s heritage during game play, even just considering what it means to be a member of your heritage, triggers xp for your character. This is a way to inspire and flavor your roleplaying, but it is left intentionally vague. You are the expert on what it means to be a member of your heritage. While we give you the broad strokes, you fill in the rest through gameplay, molding the heritage you choose to fit the story you are most interested in telling. If you want to be a local, choose Ilrienne. Ilrien is the greatest city in the world, the finest of art, culture, and politics blend here. The people are cosmopolitan, vivacious, and quick to trade jokes or draw steel. If you want to be from somewhere “foreign” and exotic, choose Maur. Across the ocean to the south, the proud desert kingdoms of Maur are military and economic powers to be watched with care. If you want to be from an unestablished people, choose Iberican. Ibericans are often considered nomads and wanderers with no true homeland of their own. Unsure of you, people in polite society guard themselves more closely when you enter the room, even when you’re wearing the trappings of the Houses of the Esultare. If you want to be from somewhere “wild”, choose Calrais. Calrais is a sprawling country of grasslands, rugged mountains, and trackless forests. Government typically extends only as far as the edge of a village before dying by inches in the wildlands. Many foreign empires have tried bringing Calrais to heel, but even the Dread Emperor was unable to leash it. If you want “romantic” heritage, rich in beauty and poetry, choose Altori. Altori are taught from an early age that beauty is the one ideal to be prized above any other. Whether in government, craft, or war, an Altori will execute their duty with precision and poetry. Prone to ritual and careful metaphor, the natives of the distant kingdom prove exceedingly good at the games of the Ilrienne. If you want to be from somewhere “strange”, ancient and arcane, choose to be from The Jewel Cities. Before the three islands, Beryl, Lapis, and Garnet, sunk beneath the waves some years ago, they composed the homes of The Jewel Cities. The culture was rich in advanced technology, and magic was an everyday part of life. Are you Berylyne, Lapyne, or Garnetyne? And what does that distinction mean to your character?
69 choose a background Your character’s background describes what they did before they joined the coterie. Choose one of the general background options from the list on your Playbook, then write a detail about it that’s specific to your character. For example, you could choose Labor, and then write a house servant to House Lovell, disgraced. Or you might choose Law, and write, former watchman. See more examples below. Academic - a scholar, a professor, a student at the Scholam Naturalis, a mystic’s apprentice, a philosopher. Labor - a docker, a sailor, a house servant, a gardener, a coach driver, a gondolier. Law - an advocate or barrister, a Watchman or inspector (perhaps a Mercy), a bodyguard, a jailer. Trade - a shopkeeper or merchant, a skilled crafts-person, a shipping agent, a deal-broker. Military - a strategist, a mercenary, an intelligence operative, a soldier, a training instructor, or an un-Housed Bravo. Noble - a dilettante, a courtier, the little-known cousin of a Prince, the scion of a fallen House or a lesser House, et cetera. Underworld - an urchin, a charlatan, a street performer, a gang member, a thug, or other outcast who grew up on the street. assign four action dots - See Action Ratings (page 10) • Put one dot in any action that you feel reflects your character’s heritage. • Put one dot in any action that you feel reflects your character’s background. • Assign two more dots anywhere you please. Note: You may not have more than 2 dots per action at start.
70 choose a special ability Every retainer begins with one special ability of their choice, look through your Playbook and choose whichever sounds the most interesting to you. When in doubt, start with the first special ability on the list. It’s a solid choice and reflects the overall tone of the Playbook. Note that only your first special ability must come from your own Playbook. This ability is in addition to your Playbook’s special armor, also taken at character creation. choose a friend and a rival On your Playbook sheet you will find a list of contacts. These are people who have made their way into your character’s life at one time or another. Choose one to be a close friend and choose another to be your rival. Your other contacts will fall somewhere in between these two ends of the spectrum. You will develop the details of these relationships naturally throughout your game play. choose your bonds Bonds give your characters juicy ties to their fellow coterie members, and create a shared history. Each playbook has its own unique set of bonds. Work with your coterie members to assign one bond to each of them. Example: The Bravo has a bond that is, “I’ve pledged to defend __ at any cost.” They may ask, “Who here is interested in having my pledged protection?” If someone at the table bites, the Bravo may ask themselves: what happened to make me pledge myself? When both members agree on the circumstances that led up to the bond being made, you have a bond. Remember that bonds can change during play. Perhaps, one day the Bravo’s reason for pledging their protection no longer exists. At that time they can remove the bond from their Playbook and consider a new one. Think of the bonds provided as an easy jumping off point. If you have a different bond in mind than the ones offered, feel free to use it instead! You may also take an unused bond from another playbook.
71 choose your indulgence Every retainer needs a way to blow off steam and, mechanically speaking, burn off stress that accumulates throughout the errands in which the character embroils themselves. Your character does this by indulging in things they enjoy or feel obligation toward. Choose whichever indulgence below sounds the most intriguing to you. Faith - You are dedicated to the Lady, an unseen power, the Graces, the spirit of an ancestor, etc. Gambling - You crave games of chance, betting on sporting events, etc. Luxury - You seek expensive or ostentatious displays of opulence. Obligation - You are devoted to a family, a cause, an organization, or charity that demands your time. Pleasure - You find gratification in lovers, food, drink, drugs, art, theater, etc. Stupor - You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drinking to excess, getting beaten to a pulp in the fighting pits, etc. Arcane - You experiment with arcane ingredients, forbidden rituals, or contact with the creatures that haunt the shadows of Ilrien. finishing touches Record your name or alias, and look, then review your details to be sure you got everything. Here, we've provided a few properly Ilrienne names and Looks to get you started. Feminine; Maya, Saqqara, June, Luna, Sophia, Maddalena, Amethyst, Colette, Saoirse Masculine; Tristaine, Edvard, Kedyn, Justice, Ahmad, Liu, Jora, Benedict, Francisco, Donovan Gender-Neutral; Sasha, Chels, Taylor, Robin, Finn, Cyprus, Kai, Ashley, Jamie Aliases; The Rook, Sugar, [first name] the Crow, Kid, The Imp, Rumor, Needle, Spur, Cross
72 Family Names; Valentino, Ahanu, Miahi, Borrachio, Kuei, Samartine, Mendosa, Pulo, Coltwell Example Looks You only need a few key features that describe your character to begin. You may wish to choose a hair, eye, and skin color, then a couple of other descriptors for visage, demeanor, or clothing. Examples: Scarred, Freckled, Steely-Eyed, Pale, Tan, Robed, Armored, Redheaded, Bald, Androgynous, Glamorous, Brown-Eyed, Brawny, Standoffish, Short character creation checklist 1. Choose a Playbook. 2. Choose a heritage. 3. Choose a background. 4. Assign four action dots. 5. Choose a special ability. 6. Choose a close friend and a rival. 7. Build your bonds. 8. Choose your indulgence. 9. Record your name, alias, and look.
Che Bravo A dashing sworn-sword.
74 Swords are as much a part of life in Ilrien as a mask, a carefully constructed smile, and deceit. They are an expected part of the costume of the well-heeled; an ostentatious display of wealth, an expression of personality, and a veiled threat rolled into one length of steel. Most who wear them know how to use them, to be sure. But you, Bravo? You are a sword. You are a dashing duelist, a figure of romance and violence intertwined. Schooled from an early age in the Bravura, academies of courtly swordplay, apprenticed to the Dancing Masters of the Roses or the Gilt, or simply born with a gift for honor’s last argument, the Houses of the Esultare have an eye for fighting talent, and that eye has settled upon you. As a Bravo, you gain xp when you address a challenge with violence or panache. You are the coterie’s champion. When things go sideways and the swords come out, yours will be at the fore, defending the other members of the coterie. But even when the song of swords is quiet for the moment, you are not out of the game. Cutting a romantic figure with your rapier wit and effortless grace, your practiced eye for the barest hint of weakness is not a talent to be scorned. gain the following features Special armor to resist a complication related to physical obstacles or being outnumbered for you and your coterie (when you are present). Starting Action Dots: [1] Maneuver, [2] Skirmish questions to consider • Who taught you how to fight? • What does your style look like, and what does it say about you? • What reputation do you have among the other Bravos of Ilrien?
75 bonds • I’ve pledged to defend __ at any cost. • Despite my obvious grace and skill, __ still is not impressed. I will win them yet. • My armor is thick, but __ still sees the gaps. • __ considers me their competition. No matter the game, I will win it. • I see the Bravo’s spark in __, and I will teach them what I know. • __ lacks my flair and panache. They will learn it in time. special abilities House Guard- When you protect a member of your coterie, you resist with +1d. When you take harm, clear 1 stress. Bloody but Unbowed- You ignore the effects of all level 1 harm penalties while dueling or engaging in combat. When you push yourself to ignore level 3 harm penalties, it takes only 1 stress (not 2). Unstoppable- You may push yourself to accomplish a feat of speed or endurance that borders on the superhuman, e.g. engage a small group on equal footing. Code Duello- Your challenges carry the weight of your House. When you deliver a challenge for formal combat, your enemy cannot refuse. Take an additional xp trigger: Did you answer a challenge to your honor? Honor Guard- Your formal training allows you the privilege of wearing your weapons openly anywhere, without repercussion. When Commanding others to act or stand fast, take +1d. Upon a Needle- You are sure-footed and gain +1 effect when balance or grace is an issue, such as navigating difficult terrain (or a dance floor). How many angels can dance upon the head of a needle? It depends on the tune. Gap in the Armor- When you Survey you may push yourself to find a weakness in an argument, gesture, or evasion, and seize an advantage. Take +1d and +1 effect on the next roll taking advantage of this information. This bonus may be given to a coterie member.
76 contacts Maestra, a Master at Arms Blair, a Fawning Noble Vincenzo, a Former Patron Feng, a Blade Smith Ari, a Childhood Rival A Member of the Coterie’s House special permission A Fine Wit - Once per errand you may use your Fine Wit to deflect or turn a conversation in your favor. [0 load] specialized gear A Fine Courtly Blade - Your personal dueling weapon. [1 load] A Fine Dread Blade - A lethal martial weapon, one forged for war. [1 load] A Duelist’s Gauntlet - Designed in the fashion of the House you serve. Anyone who backs down from a formally laid duel is shamed. [1 load] A Badge of Honor - A pin or other symbol of your status. [0 load] A Courtly Favor - Some recognizable token, symbolizing the affection of a specific noble of the court. [0 load]
Che Hawk A dangerous bounty hunter.
78 I lrien’s grand avenues and mosaic plazas belie a fundamental truth of the greatest city in the world. It is a wilderness, alive with the motion of a thousand-thousand thinking animals scurrying from cover to cover, seeking their prey and hiding from predators in turn. It is a place of hidden bolt-holes and secrets. It is a hunting ground unlike any other. And you, Hawk, are a consummate hunter. With patience, craft, and a discerning eye, you have familiarized yourself with the pulsing arteries of the city. If it hides here, you can find it. Whether you came up among the ranks of the Watch or from the seamy belly of the Twist, you descend upon your prey like a coursing raptor. Now that your commission has been taken up by the Esultare, the stakes are higher but the game unchanged. Your adversaries will go to ground in places that have always made them feel safe. You will show them the folly of that feeling in Ilrien. As a Hawk, you gain xp when you address a challenge with pursuit or observation. You excel at finding what (or who) does not want to be found and living to tell the tale. Your facility with ranged weapons and springing ambushes means most of your battles are well and truly over before the other party has a chance to defend themselves. You’re at your best when you’ve got a clear shot, but your tools and abilities mean your quarry has little chance to shake your pursuit. Even if they manage to evade your opening salvo, your air of casual menace will turn the iron in their spine to water. gain the following features Special armor to resist a complication related to traps or ambushes against you or your coterie (when you are present). Starting Action Dots: [2] Hunt, [1] Command questions to consider • Where did you learn how to hunt, and have you always considered people the worthiest prey? • Do you adhere to a personal code, or is everyone fair prey? • Was there a particular target in the past who gave you the most trouble? What happened?
79 bonds • I have an unlovely reputation and __ will never let me forget it. • I was offered money to bring __ in dead or alive. They yet live free. • I do not frighten easily, but __ puts me ill at ease. • __ and I are close. I can afford to be soft around them. • I trust __ to do the right thing when it matters most. • I’ve wronged __, but it was just business. Water under the bridge. special abilities Terrifying- You have an air of menace and danger obvious to even the most unobservant. You gain +1 effect when trying to intimidate someone. If done immediately after a show of force, also take +1d. What terrifying act from your past inspires this dread? Predator- Take +1d to rolls against weakened or vulnerable targets. Whenever you gather information on a weakness or vulnerability, the worst you can get is a 4/5. Sharpshooter- Push yourself to do one of the following: make a trick shot, disarm someone, make a ranged attack at extreme distance, or unleash a barrage of rapid fire to suppress your target. You retain the effects of pushing yourself. Triage- Patch yourself or someone else up, allowing them to ignore one level of harm penalty for the remainder of the errand. Does not work on anyone who has suffered fatal harm. Each PC can only benefit from Triage once per errand. Call the Target- You suffer no tier disadvantage when you engage in ranged combat. Baited and Set- You are a master planner. Gain one free flashback, and take +1 effect when setting or having set a trap. Leave No Ground- Gain a new gather information question: Where do they feel safe? Take +1d to engagement rolls when you act on that information. When you engage in an errand on hostile ground, you cannot begin in a desperate position. Tell the GM how you were prepared for trouble.
80 contact Red Crow, a Hunter Ishana, an Informant Farid, a Tavern Owner Lucius, a Member of The Watch Sean, a Gang Boss A Member of the Coterie’s House special permission A Fine Iron Nerve - Once per errand you can use your Fine Iron Nerve to resist the consequences of being terrified, unnerved, or uncomfortable. [0 load] specialized gear A Fine Ranged Weapon - Masterfully crafted, this weapon is more accurate at longer ranges. [2 load] A Fine Heavy Cloak - Perfect for masking yourself or blending into terrain. [1 load] A Handy Restraint - Rope, cuffs, collars, chain, or whatever best fits your needs for the situation. [1 load] A Hunting Companion - An arcane or mundane creature of your choosing, capable of carrying out simple tasks. It must still abide by the rules of the city. A wolf on the streets will not go over well. An arcane companion out in the Twist may get you killed. [0 load] A Fine Spyglass - Masterfully crafted, your spyglass allows you to see further and under lower light conditions than others. [0 load]
Che Eye A master agent and infiltrator.
82 Observe carefully. See how they pull veils, muddy the waters, cast smoke and mirrors to hide their true intentions. Spies are a dime a dozen in this city of intrigue. They think themselves clever, free to do as they will and safe from prying eyes. The Ilrienne are watchful, careful, justifiably paranoid. Secrets are deadly. They are hidden well, and locked away. They do not simply slip out. That is what makes you such a wonder. A spy will endeavor not to be noticed, trusting a pool of shadow or a lie to hide them. You are a ghost. Your face changes at a moment’s notice. You have other lives you slip into as easily as another might change their clothes. What you see, what you read, what you hear is remembered without the slightest fault. The Esultare watches all, and you are their Eye. As an Eye, you gain xp when you address a challenge with stealth or perception. You are at your best when you are in trouble. The tools and abilities in your arsenal make you more powerful when you are leading the group, in over your head, or found where you would be in the most trouble. Play dangerously, prying in the dark places for secrets. And when you’re caught, be someone who should totally be wherever you are. You’ve got the documents and the false faces to make them believe it. gain the following features Special armor to resist a complication related to detection or security against you or your coterie (when you are present). Starting Action Dots: [2] Skulk, [1] Survey questions to consider • Who do you feel comfortable being your true self among, if anyone? • Do you even remember your real name? • Do you move among the shadows, or hide in plain sight? • Who made use of your talents before you served the Esultare?
83 bonds • My job is easier when I’m alone, but __ never spoils the game. • __ is the one I’d want to pull me out if my cover’s ever blown. • When __ and I last worked together, someone got hurt. It’s hard to trust them again • My job is hiding my true self. __ sees me anyway. • __ lacks guile and subtlety. I’ve taken it upon myself to teach them. • I’m watching __ for someone else in the House. I don’t know why, but they insisted. special abilities Better Lucky than Good - When you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to your roll if you also take -1d to any resistance rolls against consequences of the action. Like Water - When you attack from hiding or spring a trap, take +1d. When there’s a question of who acts first, the answer is you. Infiltrator - You are not affected by quality or tier when you bypass any security measure. Shadow - You may push yourself to perform an act of stealth or athletics bordering on the superhuman. In My Shadow - When you lead a group action skulk, you cannot take more than 1 stress, regardless of the number of failed rolls. Saboteur - When you wreck, your work is quieter than it should be, and the damage well-hidden from casual inspection. Artful Trespass - You gain +1d to survey rolls to notice security measures, locks, guards, alarms, and so on. You also gain an additional gather information question: What are they trying to keep me out of? You gain +1d on the engagement roll for acting on that information.
84 contacts Frankie, a Locksmith Armand, a Buskin Alaric, a Mercenary Bianchi, a Chamber Servant Campania, a Council Secretary A Member of the Coterie’s House special permission A Fine Photographic Memory - Once per errand you may call on your Fine Photographic Memory to recall the exact details of something you have seen in the past. [0 load] specialized gear A Fine Disguise - From costumes to makeup, you have the ability to effect a convincing disguise, making identification impossible save by those who know you intimately. [1 load] A Fine Set of Lockpicks - Your lock picking kit is finely crafted, allowing you to crack locks above your natural ability. [1 load] A Polished Steel Mirror - Perfect for peering discreetly under doors, around corners or covertly signaling, for example. [1 load] A Fine Cover Identity - You have all of the paperwork required to infiltrate most organizations temporarily. [0 load] A Vial of Sweetsleep - A strong drug, often powdered, that renders anyone inhaling or ingesting it unconscious. [0 load]
Che Couth A street-wise wildcard.
86 Some days you awake from dreams of cold stone and squalor, a half-remembered hunger gripping your belly, a desperate will to survive. Your airy chamber with its feather bed and wide window chase them away, but part of you will always remember. You have risen further than your peers. You were not always thus. Once you were not so, Couth. It is a joke, you see. But you wear it like armor. Where they luxuriated in a world of comfort and beauty, you remember having to be stronger and smarter than all of the others to survive. Nothing has changed so very much. You are prepared in ways they can never be, hardened by the world beneath the flaking gilt. Once the only law was eat or be eaten, and these silk-swaddled nobles cannot conceive that kind of hunger. They call you Couth. But we know the truth, don’t we? As a Couth, you gain xp when you address a challenge with evasion or mayhem. You are a wildcard, making you perhaps the most dangerous member of the coterie. Your toolkit has some powerful support abilities which means everyone’s just a little bit better when the Couth is around. When things go sideways, you’ve got plenty of ways to change the scene. Lean into flashbacks and planning in reverse, or flash some blackmail or burn your lucky break. If all else fails, go with mayhem. gain the following features Special armor to resist a complication for you or your coterie related to talking your way out of, or running from, trouble (when you are present). Starting Action Dots: [1] Wreck, [2] Consort questions to consider • What former exploit attracted the attention of the Esultare? • Are you still in contact with people in the Twist, or now that you are up and out of the gutter do you refuse to look back? • What rules among the nobility have proven the most difficult to observe?
87 bonds • __ and I used to run together back in the good old days. Look at us now! • This isn’t my world. I look to __ when I need advice. • I’ve got dirt on __, and they know it. • __ and I like to play pranks. Mine are funnier. • __ sees me not as I am, but as I want to be. It means the world to me. • The Twist is hard. __ wouldn’t last five minutes down there. special abilities Party Crasher - Once per errand, any flashback where you have arranged a distraction or employed mayhem costs no stress. When drawing attention to yourself take +1 effect. The Lord’s Charm - Take +1 effect to consort with someone when your purpose is getting them to break the rules, or wreck something. Don’t Make Me Carry You - Aid another to ignore level 3 harm. Through yelling abuses or gentle reassurances, you rally a coterie member, allowing them to ignore all non-fatal harm and harm penalties, as long as you are with them. Better a Tiger than a Man - When ambushed, you gain +1 effect to all actions during a flashback, and your first flashback costs no stress. Even if you have a tiger by the tail, you still have a tiger. Vengeful - Gain an additional xp trigger: Did you get payback against someone who harmed you, your House, Coterie, or someone you care about? If your coterie helped you get payback, also mark coterie xp. In addition, you gain +1 effect when acting to harm someone who has personally wronged you. Living the Dream- When you indulge during downtime, you may adjust the dice outcome by +/- 2. Any coterie member who joins you may do the same. Bad Reputation- Sometimes a bad reputation is a good thing. Treat any social roll as a consort when dealing with the wrong sort. Explain how they have heard of you or know you.
88 contacts Honor, an Orphanage Headmistress Wren, a Jilted Lover Lucky, a Vicious Thug Meifeng, a Temple Acolyte Benecio, a Gondoliere A Member of the Coterie’s House special permission A Lucky Break - Once per errand you may use a Lucky Break to change your fortune. [0 load] specialized gear A Frightening Weapon - Your weapon strikes fear into the hearts of your enemies. [2 load] Fine Wrecking Tools - Your wrecking tools are finely crafted, giving you an advantage against obstacles. [1 load] Something Destructive - Dealer’s choice. [1 load] Fine Inebriants - A fine bottle of liquor, or vial of a recreational drug. [0 load] A Fine Bit of Blackmail - You know how to hit them where it hurts. [0 load]
Che Knack A magical expert.
90 The gaze of Ilrien is firmly fixed upon the future. The wheels of industry, of commerce, turn ever onward toward a bright and shining tomorrow. Fine words. Gold and steel do not make a world, not the whole world. There is smoke and shadow, blood and bargains, and the white-hot thrumming of the weave. It was there long before Ilrien ever raised its first muddy hovel, and when all of this is ash and dust it will be there still. The weave is your birthright. And they have the temerity to call it your knack. Your weapons are subtle, no braggadocio’s sword or blunt fist. Your talents are boundless. You do not hide, but simply command the world take no notice. Your power is the raw, teeming star-stuff of magic coursing beneath the world that is, even as the Esultare raises its flag and proclaims it all theirs. They need you just as you need them. Serve them, and there are no bounds you cannot cross together. As a Knack, you gain xp when you address a challenge with arcane knowledge or power. Your toolkit is broad by design. Magic encompasses myriad solutions for just about any problem. Whether your invocations bring fire and ruin to your foes, open their minds for your perusal, show you their movements from a distance, or let you bargain with creatures from faerie-stories, you’ll find magic can solve problems like…well, like magic. And if it doesn’t quite fit, there is nothing like a vulgar display of power to make the weave obey. gain the following features Special armor to resist a complication related to magic cast against you or your coterie (when you are present). Starting Action Dots: [2] Channel, [1] Study questions to consider • Who taught you to tap into the weave, and what did their tutelage look like? • What phenomenon manifests when you work with the weave? • Has the Scholam Naturalis approached you regarding membership, or perhaps one of Ilrien’s numerous esoteric cults?
91 bonds • __ has seen my magic go awry. I think they mistrust my talent. • __ and I are the only ones who can see and speak to my familiar spirit. • I need __ to keep me grounded. They remind me I am still human. • __ is not so blunt as they appear. With my tutelage they could become a Knack. • Jealousy does not become __ but still they covet my power. • __ knew my mentor, perhaps better than I ever did. special abilities Invocation - You may push yourself to speak a curse, channeling arcane power and turning it against anyone in the area vulnerable to your assault. You may spend 1 stress for each additional feature: The damage is elemental (fire, lightning, acid, frost, et cetera) in nature - It affects objects as well as people - You and anyone you choose get +2d to resist the effects - You cast subtly enough to avoid notice. Rend the Weave - When you prepare a space with arcane reagents, it tears the fabric of the magical weave. Channeling in the area becomes impossible or unbelievably potent, your choice. The Olde Tongue - You know the secret methods of consorting with creatures and paranormal entities no matter how wild or feral they are. You gain +1 effect when communicating with anything non-human. Open Mind - You are always aware when the supernatural draws near, or when arcane power builds in your vicinity. Take +1d on your next action roll when acting on that knowledge. Scrying - Spend 1 stress to remotely view a distant place or person tied to you in some intimate way. Spend 1 stress for each extra feature: You see what happened in the past - Your target can also see and hear you - You may use something connected to the target as a focus rather than an intimate tie. Fascinate - You gain +1 effect when commanding attention magically. Your coterie gains +1d to the next action they take while attention is drawn to you. Pry - Add to your list of gather information questions: What are they thinking right now? You magically intuit another person’s thoughts without consequence, gaining +1d to the engagement roll when you act upon this information. Pry can also be used during an errand, though it can create complications.