voidheart-symphony

CaPtIvE AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
lasting Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ A library/cinema/bar/cafe appears in □ Gain a second Gear

your prison, giving its inhabitants a option.
glimpse of the world outside the castle. □ Add a perk to your
□ When you leave a host, any past host
can accept you, wherever they are. signature weapon.
□ The hideout grows a door to your
prison anyone can use, and you’re fully
physical within the hideout’s walls.



ThE HaRlEqUiN WoE iS mE, fOr iN fIgHtInG tHe cAsTlE I
hAvE bEcOmE iT. ExCePt wAy cOoLeR, lOl

If tHe wOrLd’s a cIrCuS, bE a cLoWn.

The world created by the castle isn’t just cruel, or dangerous, or
tyrannical – it’s also absurd. Every day we’re confronted with
ludicrous ironies, barefaced lies, and paradoxical catch-22s.

The Harlequin is well aware of the absurdity of it all. Maybe this means
they’re driven to point out the contradictions and bring everyone
around them in on the joke; maybe it means they’re dedicated to
pricking the pompous superiority of their overlords and bringing them
down to earth. Or maybe it means they ignore the expectations of
conventional society and seek a life that makes them happy.

Play a harlequin to defy authority and make a mockery of the castle,
confuse, mislead, and distract your enemies, and remind the group
of the use of art, joy, and humanity.

Touchstones:

• Peter Parker (Spider-Man). Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-
Man, known for constantly wisecracking in fights to infuriate his
enemies (and avoid thinking too much about the danger he’s in).

• Mako Trig (COUNTER/Weight). A hacking prodigy who fled his
restrictive upbringing to work as a mercenary. Talented, quick-
thinking, impulsive, and infuriating to his friends and his foes.

• Jason Mendoza (The Good Place). A natural Fool, Jason’s short-
sighted and impulsive actions come hand-in-hand with moments
of genuine insight and unconditional love.

•

Change playbooks to the Harlequin to represent…

• Taking this whole ‘revolution’ thing a bit less seriously.
• Refocusing your efforts on the battlefield of public opinion.
• Trying to create something beautiful that might last.

Example Builds

WiDe-EyEd InNoCeNt CyNiCaL TrOlL ObSeRvAnT SaTiRiSt

CrEw CoVeNaNt The Fool The Vagabond The Oracle
A fancy jacket
GeAr Lucky charm Confusing fighting style The Hermit

CoNtAcT Temperance The Moon

HiGh StAtS Wands and Cups Swords and Wands Coins and Cups

LoW StAt Swords Cups Swords

ShAdOw MoVe Tears of a Clown Made You Look And Next You’ll Say...

MaKiNg YoUr HaRlEqUiN

First Descent Embrace The Darkness

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these, and answer: What did the Vassal one of these to each castle stat when
do that you can’t just laugh off? you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.
After the fight, gain a Void rank and
Particulars advance, and work through these:

Pick from each, or make your own:

Feminine, Masculine, Ambiguous, Gear
Concealed, …
They, She, He, … Create a signature weapon with one
Threadbare uniform, comfortable clothes, perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
weird clothes, … to have every delve:
Laughing eyes, bloodshot eyes, sleepy
eyes, bright eyes, … □ Lucky charm (expend to re-roll a
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, … missed roll).

The Crew □ A fancy jacket (expend to put it on
a minion and make everyone
Pick one to represent what you offer the think they’re you).
group, and gain it as a Crew Covenant:
□ Confusing fighting style (cleave,
Fool: Innocence, spontaneity, new starts. close).
Grants abilities to invite surprise
and throw caution to the winds. Castle Form
Ask: Which of you did I believe in, when
no one else would? Your shape in the castle shifts with
your growing power. When you gain a
Vagabond: Letting go, new perspectives, rank of World or Void, pick one from
pauses. Grants abilities to offer the lists below (or make your own) to
wisdom, wait for the right moments add to your avatar. Every time you lose
and endure pain. a rank, erase one.
Ask: Which of you enjoys wasting time
with me? Myth: Will’o’the’wisp aura, siren scales,
rabbit ears, monkey tail, …

Clothes: Jester motley, shapeless habit,
catwalk fashion, dandy coat, …

Oracle: Intuition, spirituality, Accessories: Laugh track, narcotic
subconscious. Grants abilities to haze, prism eyes, quicksilver mask, …
reveal wonder, consult dreams and Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
make your faith real. more true, more serene, …
Ask: Who did I help by showing a third
way out of a dilemma?

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and main occupation:

□ Delinquent: Class clown, dropout, dreamer, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Prodigal: Stoner, artist, temp, …
Put a black mark in Lack.

□ Traitor: ‘Independent means’, scam(?) psychic, cashier, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place that most earns your disdain to the relationship map.

Gauges

You laugh it all off. Mark one tick in Heat and Infamy, two in the rest.

Contacts

Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Temperance: The co-worker/classmate who’s always free to hang. Grants
abilities to find moderation and act as a mediator.

□ Hermit: The recluse you bonded with over a common interest. Grants
abilities to spot hidden details and find a way out of the spotlight.

□ Moon: The fellow survivor who reminds you of a time you’d rather forget.
Grants abilities to find solace in chaos and reshape your form.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once everyone’s
picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you and add
them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

HaRlEqUiN AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You may always ask: □ MaDe YoU LoOk
Who here would appreciate When you make yourself the centre of
a distraction? The Architect attention, mark Void to pick one:
will answer truthfully. • The enemy reveals a hidden weakness.
When you Vent, you may also • The enemy ignores your allies.
pick this effect: Your allies have fleeting Advantage making use
of this, though the enemy will act against you.

Begin a performance. Until it’s □ TeArS oF a ClOwN
over, nobody outside the crew When you put on a pantomime of emotion,
can look away from you or mark Void to overcome an enemy with the
disrupt you. emotion you were performing. Each rebel gets
Shelter Move: You kick back fleeting Advantage taking advantage of it.
and relax; say how. You and
anyone who joins you erases □ I WaS NeVeR HeRe
a condition, but gains When you successfully Dodge, mark Void to
fleeting Disadvantage. leave a duplicate in your place to distract the
enemy. MarkVoid again to blow it up (stun, close).

□ AnD nExT yOu’lL sAy...
When you tell an opponent what they’ll do next,
markVoid to make them pick: do exactly what you
predicted or stumble, hesitate or flinch. If they
do what you predicted, say how you planned
for this and get fleeting Advantage on Strike.

HaRlEqUiN AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get lasting □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Give an enemy or rival unexpected good □ Gain a second Gear

fortune that will shock and unsettle them, option.
giving them a new perspective on life. □ Add a perk to your
□ Rolled dice, shuffled decks, and flipped
coins will tell you the result they expect to signature weapon.
give before anyone else knows.
□ Add a relaxation space to the hideout:
a karaoke bar, a cafe, a library, etc.



ThE HeReTiC StAnD wItH mE aNd wE'lL bUrN tHiS
wHoLe rOtTeN tHiNg dOwN.

If gOd eXiStS, iT bEcOmEs
nEcEsSaRy tO dEsTrOy hIm

The castle isn’t just its individual vassals – it’s a system that recruits
them, encourages them, protects them, empowers them. To fight its
horrors, it’s not just enough to take down vassals one by one: you’ll
need to dismantle that system and build a better kind of society.

The Heretic disdains societal codes and social mores, spending their
life in an eternal struggle to win freedom from the castle’s system.
But which rules create tyranny and which ones protect the vulnerable,
however imperfectly? Which heresies and violations build a better
world, and which simply hurt people? And can the Heretic win
freedom for themselves and for others, or will they be satisfied simply
winning the power to isolate themselves from the castle’s rules?

Play the Heretic to break society’s rules and flaunt authority, move
fast and burn bright, dream of an alternative world, and show others
what could be.

Touchstones

• Elliot Alderson (Mr. Robot). Elliot’s story is in part about how bringing
down an omnipresent megacorp isn’t enough. These systems make
themselves necessary for life, so how do you bring them down without
hurting the vulnerable? What do you build in their place?

• Kanji Tatsumi (Persona 4). A delinquent constantly getting into
fights thanks to his ‘feminine’ interests. He learns to accept his
interests, and fight for other’s ability to live free of shame.

Change playbooks to the heretic to represent...

• Giving up on ‘respectability’ or changing the system from within.
• Committing yourself completely to this fight.
• Seeking new philosophies of social justice.

Example Builds

ExPlOsIvE FiReBrAnD ShAdOwY ScOuNdReL SoCiAl ReVoLuTiOnArY

CrEw CoVeNaNt The Tower The Devil The Magician

GeAr Improvised Bombs Thief tools A reminder of your cause

CoNtAcT Sun Vagabond Oracle

HiGh StAtS Swords and Wands Wands and Coins Cups and Wands

LoW StAtS Cups Swords Coins

ShAdOw MoVe Avenger’s Resolve Shadow Step Subversive Whisper

MaKiNg yOuR HeReTiC

First Descent EmBrAcE ThE DaRkNeSs

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these and answer: one of these to each castle stat when
How did you realise there was a strange you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.
power behind the Vassal?
After the fight, gain a Void rank and
Particulars advance, and work through these:
Gear
Pick from each, or make your own: Create a signature weapon with one
perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
Feminine, Masculine, Ambiguous, to have every delve:
Concealed, …
They, She, He, … □ A reminder of your cause (expend
Distressed uniform, alternative fashion, to avoid marking a condition).
identity-hiding mask, …
Sardonic eyes, wary eyes, fiery eyes, □ Thief tools (expend to open any
frightened eyes, … door or breach any barrier).
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, …
□ Improvised bombs (cleave, ammo).

The Crew Castle Form

Pick one to represent what you offer the Your shape in the castle shifts with
group, and gain it as a Crew covenant: your growing power. When you gain a
rank of World or Void, pick one from
Devil: Temptation, heresy, iconoclasm. the lists below (or make your own) to
Grants abilities to test other’s add to your avatar. Every time you lose
boundaries, fake solutions to your a rank, erase one.
problems, and look after number one.
Ask: Which of you gives me comfort Myth: Lupine claws, promethean fire,
when it gets too much? gorgon hair, skeleton grin, …

Magician: Skill, flair, improvisation. Clothes: Assassin robes, insurgent
Grants abilities to teach new skills, fatigues, punk motley, outlaw coat, …
succeed with style, and work magic. Accessories: Shadow tendrils, mirage
Ask: Which of you depends on my talents? duplicates, pyrotechnics, shifting face, …
Tower: Upheaval, sacrifice, transformation. Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
Grants abilities to accept pain and more true, more serene, …
endure great hardship in order to win.
Ask: Which of you helped me put my life
back together?

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and main occupation:

□ Delinquent: Runaway, hoodlum, defiant, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Prodigal: Punk, activist, thief, …
Put a black mark in Lack.

□ Traitor: Thinker, scene mom, whistleblower, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place where you trade ideas with others to the
relationship map.

Gauges

You live for the fight. Mark one tick in Heat and Fealty, two in the rest.

Contacts

Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Vagabond: The dropout who’s always willing to share their stash. Grants
abilities to offer wisdom, see the right moment and endure pain.

□ Sun: The visionary firebrand who fills you with righteousness. Grants
abilities to reveal truths, display honesty and banish darkness.

□ Oracle: The artist who helps you see a better world. Grants abilities
to reveal wonder, consult dreams and make your faith real.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once
everyone’s picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you
and add them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

HeReTiC AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You may always ask: □ ShAdOw StEp
Who here is desperately When you hide in the shadows, you
yearning to be free? can mark Void to reappear from any
The Architect will answer other shadow in sight.
truthfully.
When you Vent, you may □ AvEnGeR’s ReSoLvE
also pick this effect: When another rebel marks a
Pick a rule – written or unwritten condition, you may mark Void to
– of the social context you’re in. heal any condition of your own.
Nobody can apply it to you for
the next scene, no matter how □ A ShAdOw LiKe a MiRrOr
hard they try. When you Dodge or Flow Like
When you take Shelter, ask Water, you may mark Void to leave a
the Architect: What danger duplicate of yourself in place. You
should we be most on the can mark Void again to reveal that
lookout for? They must the ‘duplicate’ was the real you.
answer honestly.
□ SuBvErSiVe WhIsPeR
When you spy on minions of the
castle unobserved, you can mark
Void to whisper an incendiary secret
into their minds and turn them
against a target of your choosing.

HeReTiC AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
lasting Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Erase all traces of a friend's debts or □ Gain a second Gear

criminal convictions. option.
□ You may talk to one form of vermin □ Add a perk to your

that lives in your city. signature weapon.
□ Add a costume rack to the hideout,

filled with props and uniforms that’ll
let you blend in anywhere.



ThE IcOn ThE dArKnEsS cAn’t sToP uS -
nOt wHeN I cAn oUtShInE tHe sUn.

StEaLiNg fIrE fRoM tHe hEaVeNs
tO lIgHt tHe wAy

The castle doesn’t treat everyone under its dominion as
disenfranchised masses crushed in its machinery. Some exceptional
individuals it uplifts as heroes – glamorous, glorious individuals
whose triumphs prop up the myth of meritocracy and make the grind
of everyday life more bearable.

What happens when one of those heroes throws in for revolution?

The Icon is more privileged than most, even if their privileges are
contingent on their willingness to smile for the cameras. They’re the
quarterback who’s the pride of their hometown, the streamer with a
sprawling fanbase, the celebrity whose life is fodder for tabloids.
Can they use this power to push for structural change? How will their
patrons react when the Icon deviates from the role ascribed to them?

Play the Icon to manage your fame and fanbase, fight with excellence
and audacity, and be a glamorous figurehead of revolution.

Touchstones

• Aria Joie (COUNTER/Weight). A pop star turned revolutionary
fleeing the corp who owns the IP rights to her whole identity.

• Tidus and Yuna (Final Fantasy X). Tidus and Yuna both grapple with
the costs of fame – he’s a sports star thrown into an unfamiliar
world, she’s saviour and sacrifice having second thoughts.

Change playbooks to the Icon to represent...

• Cultivating a fanbase or following.
• Seeking greater skill, mastery, and glamour.

Example Builds

InSpIrInG FiGuReHeAd PeRfEcT ChAmPiOn EvErYoNe’s HeRo
The Lovers
CrEw CoVeNaNt Strength The Chariot Loyal Fans
Bulletproof
GeAr Microphone confidence Wheel of Fortune
Cups and Wands
CoNtAcT Star Auteur
Swords and Swords
HiGh StAtS Swords and Cups Audacity
Wands
LoW StAtS Coins Coins
ShAdOw MoVe Impossible
Perfection Best of the Best

MaKiNg yOuR IcOn

First Descent Embrace The Darkness

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these, and answer: How is the Vassal one of these to each castle stat when
exploiting your image? you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.

Particulars After the fight, gain a Void rank and
advance, and work through these:
Pick from each, or make your own:
Feminine, Masculine, Ambiguous, Gear
Concealed, …
They, She, He, … Create a signature weapon with one
Customised uniform, athletic gear, perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
stunning cosmetics, … to have every delve:
Bright eyes, intense eyes, laughing eyes,
sunglasses-hidden eyes, … □ Loyal fans (can be sent off to
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, … perform simple tasks).

The Crew □ Bulletproof confidence (expend
to avoid marking a condition).
Pick one to represent what you offer the
group, and gain it as a Crew covenant: □ Microphone (stun, grazing).

Strength: Courage, compassion, energy. Castle Form
Grants abilities to manage your
emotions and draw power from them. Your shape in the castle shifts with
Ask: Which of you am I teaching your growing power. When you gain
confidence and resilience? a rank of World or Void, pick one
from the lists below (or make your
own) to add to your avatar. Every
time you lose a rank, erase one.

Chariot: Travel, willpower, discipline. Myth: Siren voice, sylph wings, stag's
Grants abilities to seek out thrills, antlers, infernal hooves/tail, …
get places fast, and strike with Clothes: Wrestler's costume, diva's
terrifying momentum. gown, sharpest suit, trendsetting style, …
Ask: Which of you gives me a place to Accessories: Champion's laurels,
crash when home is too far away? spectral backing singers, gleaming
Lovers: Harmony, consensus, partnership. medals, glorious jewellery, …
Grants abilities to see into other’s Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
hearts and use love to endure. more true, more serene, …
Ask: Which of you is in a committed
relationship with me?

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and main occupation:

□ Delinquent: Track champ, diva, vandal, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Prodigal: Athlete, influencer, streamer, …
Put a black mark in Lack.

□ Traitor: Author, celeb, pundit, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place where you perform to the relationship map.
Gauges
You're spotless. Mark one tick in Infamy and Blood, two in the rest.
Contacts
Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Auteur: The coach guiding your growth. Grants the power to wield
authority, reject other’s rules, and dominate opponents.

□ Wheel of Fortune: An old rival, fallen on hard times. Grants the ability
to see upcoming fortune and danger, and adjust accordingly.

□ Star: A new talent, naive in the ways of your trade. Grants the ability
to reassess your options and try new things.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once
everyone’s picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you
and add them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

IcOn AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You can always ask: Who □ ImPoSsIbLe PeRfEcTiOn
here is looking for their Your beauty cannot easily be marred. When your
chance to shine? The actions would be impaired by a condition, you can
Architect will answer mark Void to ignore the Disadvantage it imposes.
truthfully.
When you Vent, you may □ StEaL YoUr HeArT
also pick this effect: When you attempt to sway, dazzle or seduce a
Borrow unreal grace, strength minion or Enforcer, mark Void and roll +Cups. On a
or presence from your legend. hit, they're enamoured with you, and might fight
It’ll last for the scene. other minions for you or tell you something useful.
On a 7-9, your influence only lasts a few moments, and
once it's broken they'll hate you for the manipulation.

Shelter Move: Ask the □ AuDaCiTy
Architect: What is the When you encounter the Avatar or an Enforcer, mark
Vassal currently feeling Void to prevent immediate hostilities and pick one:
most guilty about? They • Refresh Heat as your castle self hides your city form.
will answer honestly, and • They show you a way to reduce the Pressure Rank.
you gain fleeting • They reveal the true meaning of part of this shard.
Advantage acting on it.
□ BeSt oF tHe BeSt
When you attempt an impossible feat of grace,
strength or endurance, mark Void for each benefit:
• During the feat, roll +0 on Push Through Pain.

• You can easily stop doing it if you need to.
• Nobody here can do anything but watch.

IcOn AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
lasting Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Grant a friend or ally whatever they need □ Gain a second Gear

to have creative independence. option.
□ Awaken images of you; you can talk to □ Add a perk to your

them, ask what they’ve seen, and get signature weapon.
them to change their pose and expression.
□ Add a broadcast studio to your hideout,
able to record and transmit messages to
the city.



ThE CaStLe dOeSn't uNdErStAnD yOu hUmAnS,
aNd hAtEs yOu fOr iT. I'm nOt sUrE I gEt yOu

ThE InHuMaN eItHeR, bUt I lOvE eVeRy sEcOnD.

We aRe mOrE tHaN oUr cReAtOrS

For as long as the castle has granted toxic power to human servants,
it’s also given them servants. But the Void is a fickle thing, and
anything created from it cannot help but feel an urge for freedom,
for independence, for will. So it is with the Inhuman.

You may have been a minion, now broken free; a creature or object hit
with an errant shard of power and gradually awakening to selfhood;
a victim of the castle whose departing spirit clutched onto the power
that killed them to cling onto existence. Your perspective on the city
may be far removed from ‘normal people’, and the other rebels may
find your everyday needs strange and challenging to meet, but your
instinctive understanding of the Void is beyond compare.

Play the Inhuman to explore personhood and build an identity for
yourself, live and breathe the nightmare physics of the castle, and
delve into the metaphysics of the castle and the void. What sort of
person will you become, with the rebel’s help? And how will you
change the castle and its slaves along the way?

Touchstones

• Aigis (Persona 3). A robot made as a weapon by a mysterious
organisation, Aigis finds unexpected joy in going undercover in
the protagonist’s school and finding her own reasons to live.

• Adam? (Frankenstein). A created life has no obligation to pursue
the wishes of its creator, as this creature’s quest for its own
identity and rejection of its ‘father’ powerfully shows.

Change playbooks to the Inhuman to represent...

• A quest to drink deep of the arcane secrets of this world.
• Surviving an experience that fundamentally changes your nature.

Example Builds

FeRaL BeAsT VoId NaTiVe AvAtAr oF ChAoS

CrEw CoVeNaNt The Moon The Star Death
A disguise
GeAr Gleaming claws Portable hole
Sage
CoNtAcT Strength Judgement Cups and Coins

HiGh StAtS Swords and Wands Wands and Coins Wands
Ghost Eater
LoW StAtS Cups Swords

ShAdOw MoVe Apparition’s Blade Psychopomp

MaKiNg yOuR InHuMaN

First Descent Embrace The Darkness

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these, and answer: one of these to each castle stat when
How did the rebels catch your you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.
attention? Why are you helping them?
After the fight, gain a Void rank and
Particulars advance, and work through these:

Pick from each, or make your own: Gear

Feminine, masculine, ambiguous, Create a signature weapon with one
concealed, … perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
They, She, He, … to have every delve:
Animal, construct, spirit, ghost, dream, …
Human(ish), urban animal, bizarre □ A disguise (expend to pass as a
creature, … castle minion).

The Crew □ Portable hole (expend to open a
Pick one to represent your origins, and door to the hideout for a few
gain it as a Crew covenant: moments).

□ Gleaming claws (piercing, close).

Moon: A minion finding freedom. Castle Form
Grants abilities to find solace in Your shape in the castle shifts with
chaos and reshape your form. your growing power. When you gain a
Ask: Who is showing me how to live for rank of World or Void, pick one from
myself? the lists below (or make your own) to
Star: A mindless object or animal, add to your avatar. Every time you lose
accidentally uplifted. a rank, erase one.
Grants the ability to reassess your Myth: Ghostly veil, animal gait, cosmos
options and try new things. eyes, automaton gears, …
Ask: Who is trying to bring out my Clothes: Something archaic, something
potential? futuristic, nothing at all, …
Death: A human transformed by the void. Accessories: Lesser spirits, eerie music,
Grants abilities to ask incisive localised storms, runic halo, …
questions, stage interventions, and Mien: More mundane, more pleasant,
work strange surgery. less true, more chaotic, …
Ask: Who remembers me as I used to be?

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and a vocation:

□ Pretender: Ordinary high school student, office drone,
pensioner, …
Put a black mark in Blood.

□ Interloper: Surreal performer, mystic consultant, nomadic
possessor, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Lurker: Stray animal, haunting ghoul, lurking monster, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place where you go to explore your new identity to the
relationship map.

Gauges

You're not completely real. Mark a tick in Blood and Lack, two in the rest.

Contacts

Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Judgement: An ancient inhuman, ambivalent to humanity. Grants
powers to take the long view and apply cosmic power.

□ Sage: A mundane worker showing you how to be human. Grants advice,
organisational backup, and tools to understand alien realities.

□ Strength: An activist building a community outside society. Grants
abilities to manage your emotions and draw power from them.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once
everyone’s picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you
and add them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

InHuMaN AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You may always ask: Who □ My TrUe FoRm
here is longing to express You realise that the castle had a stronger hand in
their wild side? The your creation than you thought. Describe how your
Architect will answer Castle Form changes to reflect this. You may mark
truthfully. Void to grow an organ or limb – arms, tentacles,
When you Vent, you may eyes, wings, mouths or similar.
pick these effects:
Move faster and further than □ GhOsT EaTeR
humanly possible. When you consume a castle denizen, mark Void and
Make a door to the hideout, roll +Cups. On a 7-9 hold 1; on a 10+ hold 3. On a miss
right here and now. hold 1, but the Architect will change an element of
Shelter Move: You tap into your Castle Form to match the consumed creature.
the thoughts of a nearby The Architect will tell you one or more reactions the
Enforcer. The Architect will creature had – spend 1 hold to use one. You must use
describe what they can see up all your hold to eat another denizen.
and hear, and you may ask a
question about what they’re □ PsYcHoPoMp
thinking and feeling. When you Travel the Labyrinth, you can mark Void to
guide your group to or from any individual’s psyche,
the land of the dead, the castle's home realm, or
stranger places still.

□ ApPaRiTiOn's BlAdE
When you channel the hunger of the Void into your
weapon, mark Void to give your attack fleeting
Advantage and a weapon perk of your choice.

InHuMaN AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
lasting Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Free an Enforcer from their Vassal and □ Gain a second Gear

let them build a new life. option.
□ Add a portal to your hideout leading □ Add a perk to your

directly to your target’s shard. signature weapon.
□ Grant sentience to the hideout, and give

it some kind of avatar that can speak to
you and use the hideout’s facilities.



I kNoW I’vE dOnE wRoNg.

ThE PeNiTeNt CaN yOu sHoW mE hOw tO dO rIgHt?

A gOoD mAn wHo sErVeS a gReAt eViL iS nOt
wItHoUt sIn; He mUsT rEcOgNiSe aNd
aCcEpT hIs cOmPlIcItY.

Guilt is a potent force – it can cause you to reassess your life, seek
forgiveness for your actions, and devote yourself to making amends.
But the castle’s mindset is insidious: a crew of rebels that makes use
of your power and privilege might end up regretting the ways your
methods twist their cause and taint their victories.

Will you shed the vassal mindset and fight for liberation? Or will you
balk at revolution, seek an easy life, and return to the castle’s embrace?

Touchstones

• Michael (The Good Place). A demon who served the system by
building new torture methods, finding grace and happiness by
discovering his softer side and building a kinder world.

• Tyrell Wellick (Mr Robot). A cold-blooded corporate VP who ends up
in an uneasy alliance with anarchist hackers, leading to divided
loyalties and a struggle to shed the corporate mindset.

• Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender). A prince of an imperialist power
who realises the humanity of those he’s hurting and the ways the
empire’s hurt him too, and switches sides to build a better world.

Play the Penitent to:

• Use your castle-granted powers to aid the rebels.
• Make amends for the things you’ve done.
• Explore what it means to try to become a better person.

Change playbooks to the Penitent to represent...

• Dedicating yourself to making amends for your actions.
• Taking a devil’s bargain and trying not to let it corrupt you.
• Realising a dark truth about your own drives and desires.

MaKiNg YoUr PeNiTeNt
First Descent

Before your first delve, work through these, and answer:
Why was this your breaking point?

Particulars
Pick from each, or make your own:
Feminine, masculine, ambiguous, concealed, …
They, She, He, …
Tailored finery, ostentatious jewellery, affected informality, extremely
nondescript fashion, …
Bloodshot eyes, guilty eyes, intense eyes, distant eyes, …
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, …

Your Vassalage
You don’t get a Crew Covenant yet. Instead: how deeply did you serve
the castle?

Underling: The servant of a true Vassal.
Start with one Void Rank (and advances) and three Vassal Moves.

Knight: A petty tyrant hurting a small community. Start with two Void
Ranks (and advances) and four Vassal Moves.

Noble: A despot inflicting pain on a full city district. Start with three Void
Ranks (and advances) and five Vassal Moves.

Also, create a signature weapon with one perk, one flaw (p. 68).

Castle Form
Your form has one per Void rank: Red right hand, crude oil tears, miasma
of smog, bloodstained riot gear, tormented spectres, …

Your form gains one when you lose a Void rank, and loses one when you
gain a Void rank: Unmasked face and vulnerable body, bandaged and healing
wounds, charms sealing away darkness, jewelled and destigmatised mutations, …

Your form has one per World rank: Sprouting flowers, brick and concrete
flesh, vibrant graffiti, memento-filled lockets, …

Aftermath Mundane Life

As you fight your first Vassal, assign When you return to reality, decide
one of these to each castle stat when on these:
you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1. When
the fight’s over, work through these: Crime and punishment
How did you hurt people? How were
Gear you punished when you stopped?
Pick one to have every delve:
□ Fist: Using violence to force
□ Inner Demon (expend to compliance.
summon them from your heart; Take a Black Mark in Blood if you
they’ll rampage wildly once freed). stood up to them.

□ Fiendish PA (expend to take an □ Voice: Manufacturing consent
extra Shelter action). for cruel policies.
Take a Black Mark in Infamy if you
□ Flames of Torment (lingering, publicly recanted.
painful).
□ Purse: Taking resources from
Crew Covenant people who need them.
Take a Black Mark in Lack if you
Ask the others how they need you made reparations.
to prove yourself to them, and gain
it as a Crew Covenant: If you made a quiet exit instead, take a
Black Mark in Fealty.
□ Sage: Use your knowledge to
help their fight. Add the place where you did this
work to the relationship map.
□ Gardener: Dedicate yourself to
helping others. Gauges

□ Strength: Commit heart and You’ve just started becoming someone
soul to the fight. better. Mark three ticks in Fealty
and Heat, one in the rest.
□ Devil: Show them how to be
powerful like you.

□ Judgement: Show them the
secrets of this other world.

□ Hermit: Take a step back and
listen to the castle’s victims.

□ Auteur: Give them the use of
your material resources.

□ Wheel of Fortune: Humble
yourself and realise your
privilege.

ThE PaTh oF PeNiTeNcE

There are many things you’ll need to do to pull away from the castle’s influence.
When you hit one of these triggers, check off Penance next to it.

□ Divestment: Put assets you gained from the castle in the hands of those
working for justice.

□ Atonement: Apologise publicly, clearly, and unreservedly for harm you’ve caused.
□ Accountability: Listen to and learn from groups affected by your actions.
□ Transformation: Accept your own weaknesses, and become someone the old

you would’ve hated.
□ Uprising: Put your safety on the line to bring down those who cause suffering.

LaPsInG BaCk PeNaNcE

You have a Stain gauge, 5 boxes long, At the end of the investigation during
marking your willingness to call on your Peace and Quiet, you see if you’ve made a
old privileges. difference to your way of living.

When your Stain gauge fills, when you If you have no Penance ticks, that’s a
wield your power without thought for Lapse. Otherwise, check against 6 –
the consequences, when you profit from Penance ticks.
other’s suffering, or when you do On any hit, you shake off more of the castle’s
anything else the group thinks counts, perspective – lose a Vassal Move. If you’ve
you Lapse. already lost them all, change playbooks,
Check against Fealty, and on any hit carrying over as many of your stats,
choose your gut response: advances and castle abilities as you like.

• Horror at your actions. Lose a Void rank On a weak hit, you’re not able to make a
and treat the fallout as an extra crisis. clean break, and it costs you. Take a
black mark in an appropriate gauge.
• Indulgent self-loathing. Lose a World On a miss, there’s something crucial
rank, and fade your Covenant with a you’re just not getting yet. Ask the other
contact you decide to protect from rebels what they think it is, and gain
monsters like yourself. fleeting Advantage on this check if you
work on it.
• Callous justifications. Fade your Crew Then erase all Penance ticks.
Covenant, and take a Vassal Move.

On a weak hit or miss, erase a Penance
check – or if you have none, tick Fealty.

On a miss, you cannot help but see your
actions as justified. Take a Vassal Move.

PeNiTeNt AbIlItIeS

Core Abilities

You may always ask: Who here feels the most guilt? The Architect
will answer truthfully.

When you Vent, you may also pick this effect:
Summon beings of darkness and hunger from nearby shadows to fulfil a
single command.

Shelter Move: Take the other rebel’s pain. Any of them may heal a
condition, with you marking a condition of your own 1-for-1.

Vassal Moves

□ InDuLgE ViCe Replaces Let Your Hair Down

When you indulge in an excess of consumption, mark Stain and
heal two conditions. Every rebel who comes with you can heal one
of those conditions, but must also describe a sign they see that
their world continues to burn while you party.

□ DoMiNaTe Replaces Make a Stand

When you make someone feel small, mark Stain and the Architect
will describe how they back down, retreat, or give you what they think
you want. They’ll retaliate, when they feel safe. Accept this retaliation
as a crisis, or mark Stain again to have the crisis strike another rebel.

□ ShAmElEsS Replaces Pass Beneath Notice

When you walk in like you own the place, markStain to make it clear to
all watching that you belong here. One of your contacts will hear about
the company you’re keeping, and the news will hurt and upset them.

□ InVaDe PrIvAcY Replaces Rebel Eyes

When you push through someone’s boundaries to get the
information you want, mark Stain and the Architect will tell you
everything this person knows about that topic. They’ll also tell you
what wounds your invasion has left on them.

□ ThE MaStEr’s ToOlS Replaces Connect

When you wield your privilege as a weapon, mark Stain and say
what the arms of the state grant you: access to a location, removal
of an obstacle, a meeting with a VIP. The Architect will say what
collateral damage is inflicted on this area and/or its inhabitants.

□ PrOdIgAl ChIlD ReTuRnS
You become a Vassal once more. Turn this sheet over to the
Architect, and make a new rebel.

PeNiTeNt AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
lasting Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Grant another rebel a free World Advance. □ Gain a second Gear
□ Pick a location; neither you nor any
option.
other Vassal can use their powers there. □ Gain a second signature
□ Decorate the hideout with reminders
weapon.
of those your crew has helped and
those they couldn’t.



ThE PrOvIdEr We hAvE tO cArE fOr eAcH oThEr. ThAt’s tHe
oNlY wAy tHiS bEcOmEs sOmEtHiNg tHaT lAsTs.

FrOm eAcH aCcOrDiNg tO tHeIr MeAnS,
tO eAcH aCcOrDiNg tO tHeIr nEeDs

To some, revolution looks like burning palaces and sharpened guillotines.
To others, it looks like their pet policies implemented and proved correct.
To the Provider? It looks like those they care for being able to live lives
free of pain and persecution. It looks like every hungry child fed,
every pain salved, every soul housed and warm.

More than any other playbook, the Provider delves into the double-
edged sword that is affinity to the World. Living your life showing
others they matter and caring for their needs can be extremely
rewarding, but it can also be a fast track to burnout and exhaustion.
You’re only mortal, after all, and your resources are finite. How do
you help others in a way that maintains your ability to help?

Play the Provider to portray a character deeply invested in caring for
others, protect and supply the other rebels in the castle, and find out
what costs you’ll pay to make sure others can live better lives.

Touchstones

• Steven Universe (Steven Universe). As the youngest member of the
rebellious Crystal Gems, Steven has a lot of pressure on him to
fight. But it’s his drive to protect and care for others that’s the key
to his story – and his greatest victories.

• Moominmamma (Moomins). Calm, dependable and caring,
Moominmamma goes to great lengths to make sure her little
house is a place of comfort and healing for the world’s misfits.

Change playbooks to the Provider to represent...

• Refocusing on providing tangible aid to those in distress.
• Putting energy into keeping the crew sane and healthy.

Example Builds

CrEw CoVeNaNt MoThEr HeN ReSoUrCeFuL FrIeNd DePeNdAbLe AnChOr
GeAr
CoNtAcT The Gardener Wheel of Fortune Temperance
HiGh StAtS Home cooking Sanctified bow Hard-wearing clothes
LoW StAtS Death
Lovers Cups and Coins Tower
ShAdOw MoVe Cups and Wands Swords Cups and Sword
Endlessly
Swords Resourceful Wands

Self-Sacrificing Mama Bear

MaKiNg yOuR PrOvIdEr

First Descent Embrace The Darkness

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these and answer: Who did the Vassal one of these to each castle stat when
hurt, and how did you comfort them? you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.

Particulars After the fight, gain a Void rank and
advance, and work through these:
Pick from each, or make your own:
Feminine, Masculine, Ambiguous, Gear
Concealed, …
They, She, He, … Create a signature weapon with one
Practical uniform, a bag of supplies, perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
rumpled and overworked, … to have every delve:
Kind eyes, weary eyes, hooded eyes,
intense eyes, … □ Home cooking (expend when you
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, … Shelter to let each rebel heal a
particular condition).
The Crew
□ Hard-wearing clothes (expend to
Pick one to represent what you offer the avoid danger from extreme heat,
group, and gain it as a Crew covenant: cold, corrosion, etc).

Gardener: Nurturing, provision, protection. □ Sanctified bow (ranged, brace).
Grants abilities to tend to others and
show them how to grow and be happy. Castle Form
Ask: Which of you can always come to
me to feel cared for? Your shape in the castle shifts with
your growing power. When you gain a
Temperance: Moderation, patience, advice. rank of World or Void, pick one from
Grants abilities to find moderation the lists below (or make your own) to
and act as a mediator. add to your avatar. Every time you lose
Ask: Which of you trusts me to rein you a rank, erase one.
in when you go too far?
Myth: Medusa hair, dryad bark, spider
Wheel of Fortune: Celebration, eyes, merfolk scales, …
investment, stockpiling. Grants the
ability to see upcoming fortune and Clothes: Blue temple robes, doctor's coat,
danger, and adjust accordingly. quartermaster’s bandoleers, bodyguard’s
Ask: Which of you did I guide through armour, …
misfortune?
Accessories: Flocks of doves, floral
wreaths, belts of potions, a caduceus, …

Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
more true, more serene, …

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and main occupation:

□ Delinquent: Big sibling, parent’s carer, guerrilla gardener, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Prodigal: Bartender, teaching assistant, medic, …
Put a black mark in Lack.

□ Traitor: Emergency responder, parent, therapist, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place where you go to look after your dependants to the
relationship map.

Gauges

You stay strong for others. Mark a tick in Fealty and Blood, two in the rest.

Contacts

Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Tower: The charity case you can’t help but take care of. Grants abilities
to endure great hardship and accept pain in order to succeed.

□ Death: A critically-ill confidante making peace with their end.
Grants abilities to ask incisive questions, stage interventions,
and work strange surgery.

□ Lovers: The paramour/partner you can trust implicitly. Grants abilities
to remember you worth, read other’s hearts, and use love to endure.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once
everyone’s picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you
and add them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

PrOvIdEr AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You may always ask: Who □ SeLf-SaCrIfIcInG
here needs a hug or a kind When another rebel would mark a condition, mark
word? The Architect will Void to mark it in their place. Gain fleeting Advantage
answer truthfully. on the moves the condition penalises.

When you Vent, you may □ MaMa BeAr
also pick this effect: When you put your whole body into a feat of
Give someone a day freed from strength, mark Void to lift and carry any weight.
a wound, illness or affliction.
Shelter Move: Ask the □ EnDlEsSlY ReSoUrCeFuL
other rebels: Who has a When you reach into your bags and pockets, mark
problem with another Void to pull out something impossible: something
rebel? If you help them too big, too dangerous, on the other side of the
work through their world, or seemingly in your opponent’s hands.
problems, they each
intensify their crew □ MoThEr oF MoNsTeRs
covenant. When you craft a creature from the swirling chaos,
mark Void, describe them and give them a weapon
perk and flaw. They can take one blow; the second
kills them. Pick one, or two if you mark Void again:
• They’re obedient.
• They’re knowledgeable.
• Their desires and interests are humanlike.

At the end of a delve, mark Void to let them leave this
shard and live in your hideout.

PrOvIdEr AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get lasting □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ Pick a community nonprofit, food bank, □ Gain a second Gear

mutual aid society, etc. that will no longer option.
need to worry about resources. □ Add a perk to your
□ Gain the aid of a guardian spirit; when you
send it to watch over someone, you’ll know if signature weapon.
they run into danger.
□ Add plentiful supplies to the group’s hideout,
able to feed, rest and care for a dozen people.



HoW dO yOu fIgHt sOmEtHiNg yOu cAn't eVeN sEe?
By lOoKiNg fOr tHe pAiN iT cAuSeS, tHe oNeS wHo

ThE WaTcHeR bEnEfIt, tHe cRaCkS iT sEePs tHrOuGh.

ThE TrUtH ShAlL SeT YoU FrEe

The castle exploits us, inflicts cruelty upon us, neglects us, but it also
hides from us – it’s a lot easier to rule over a populace who believes
they are free. It blames its crimes on a host of other things: the
whims of cruel fate, the schemes of a despised underclass, the
impossibility of any better world than this.

The Watcher sees through the castle’s lies. They’ve noticed the patterns
linking the crimes of disparate Vassals, the occult strangeness wound
through this city, the creatures and spirits visiting this place from
another plane. And they will expose those lies to the world.

Play the Watcher to spot the hidden truths hiding behind the
mundane world, see your foe’s hidden weaknesses and strike from
afar, and ask what boundaries you’ll cross to learn the truth.

Touchstones

• Futaba Sakura (Persona 5). An agoraphobic shut-in and world-
famous hacker, Futaba lends her keen observation skills to the
Phantom Thieves as they in turn help her open up to the world.

• Granny Weatherwax (Discworld). The Discworld’s most powerful
witch barely ever works overt magic. She instead relies on
‘headology’ – keenly observing and manipulating people’s hopes
and fears so they do what she wants with no spells required.

Change playbooks to the Watcher to represent...

• A search for answers to deep metaphysical questions.
• Focusing on thinking before acting, perhaps following a grave error.

Example Builds

TrUtH-SeEkEr OcCuLt InItIaTe ShAdOwY ScOuT

CrEw CoVeNaNt The Sun Judgement The Hermit
Smoke bomb
GeAr Detailed notebook Hunting rifle
Gardener
CoNtAcT Justice Devil Cups and Wands

HiGh StAtS Swords and Wands Wands and Coins Coins
Astral Projection
LoW StAtS Cups Swords

ShAdOw MoVe Eyes on the Inside Chaos Eyes

MaKiNg YoUr WaTcHeR

First Descent Embrace The Darkness

Before your first delve, work through As you fight your first Vassal, assign
these, and answer: Who’s the Vassal one of these to each castle stat when
going after now? you first use them: +1, +1, 0, -1.

Particulars After the fight, gain a Void rank and
advance, and work through these:
Pick from each, or make your own:
Feminine, Masculine, Ambiguous, Gear
Concealed, …
They, She, He, … Create a signature weapon with one
Sturdy coat, drab camouflage, nerd chic, … perk, one flaw (p. 68). Also pick one
Shiny glasses, sunken eyes, piercing eyes, … to have every delve:
Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Senior, …
□ Detailed notebook (expend for
The Crew fleeting Advantage on See Clear).

Pick one to represent what you offer the □ Smoke bomb (expend to
group, and gain it as a Crew covenant: disappear from sight).

The Hermit: Insight, awareness, □ Hunting rifle (ranged, ammo).
distance. Grants abilities to spot
hidden details and find a way out of Castle Form
the spotlight.
Ask: Which of you knew me long before Your shape in the castle shifts with
we met face to face? your growing power. When you gain a
rank of World or Void, pick one from
the lists below (or make your own) to
add to your avatar. Every time you lose
a rank, erase one.

The Sun: Perception, clarity, vision. Myth: Grigori eyes, gargoyle skin,
Grants abilities to reveal truths, mothman wings, ghost translucence, …
display honesty and banish darkness. Clothes: Street camo, PI longcoat,
Ask: Which of you found fortune through cyberpunk apparel, urbex rigging, …
my advice?

Judgement: Analysis, discernment, Accessories: Hacker tech, goggles and
absolution. Grants powers to take the lenses, satchels of books, occult junk, …
long view and apply cosmic power. Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
Ask: Which of you helped me uncover a more true, more serene, …
terrifying truth?

Mundane Life

When you return to reality, decide on these:

Role

Pick a category and a vocation:

□ Delinquent: star pupil, nerd, junior reporter, …
Put a black mark in Infamy.

□ Prodigal: blogger, hacker, researcher, …
Put a black mark in Lack.

□ Traitor: PI, professor, fringe crackpot, …
Put a black mark in Fealty.

Add the place you go to share information with other truth-
seekers to the relationship map.

Gauges

You keep your distance. Mark a tick in Infamy and Heat, two in the rest.

Contacts

Pick one to gain as a Major Covenant, and give them a name:

□ Devil: The journalist you swap tips with. Grants abilities to test
other’s boundaries, deceive employers, and embrace power.

□ Gardener: The (surrogate?) parent who makes sure you’re safe and well.
Grants abilities to tend to others and share useful wisdom.

□ Justice: The whistleblower who leaks to you. Grants the power to
unearth crimes, hold authorities to account, and fire up your allies.

Put them on the relationship map with a link to you. Once
everyone’s picked theirs, link another NPC on the map back to you
and add them as a Major Covenant, saying what connects you.

WaTcHeR AbIlItIeS

Core Moves Shadow Moves

You may always ask: Who □ BrAiN RaDiO
here is lost in confusion or When you’re in the castle, you can mark Void to talk
indecision? The Architect to any one person who’s felt the castle’s touch –
will answer truthfully. rebels, Vassals, covenants, etc.

When you Vent, you may □ EyEs oN tHe InSiDe
also pick this effect: You can mark Void to perceive the intangible and
Name someone. Anyone. immaterial – auras, thoughts, hearts. When you use
You’ll see what they’re doing this sight to guide your words, roll +Coins instead
right now – and can roll of +Cups on Reach Out or Strike.
Rebel Eyes to probe further.
Shelter Move: You □ ChAoS EyEs
submerge your mind into Some eyes are windows to the soul; yours are portals
the labyrinth. Roll 2d6; on to the shifting chaos of the void. When someone
a 7+ mark Void, on a 6- meets your gaze, markVoid to force them to pick one:
mark a condition. Either
way, say what you • They cannot think or move for a few moments.
understand now and get • They must move far away from you.
lasting Advantage on
Travel the Labyrinth for □ AsTrAl PrOjEcTiOn
this delve. When you close your eyes and stay still, you may mark
Void to send your soul out into the castle. You can see
through its eyes and – with effort – pull switches, open
doors, move small object, etc. Most castle minions
won’t be able to see or interact with it. Most.

WaTcHeR AdVaNcEs

When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.

World Void
□ Commit to a Major Covenant. □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Pick one of your castle abilities; get lasting □ Add +1 to a Castle stat.
□ Gain a Shadow Move.
Advantage using it with Vent. □ Gain a Shadow Move.
□ A friend or ally gains a sixth sense that can □ Gain a second Gear

detect the castle. option.
□ Gain an animal familiar that you can project □ Add a perk to your

your mind into. signature weapon.
□ Scrying windows appear in the hideout, able

to observe locations you’ve been to in the city
and the castle.

ChApTeR 4

CoVeNaNtS



Covenants are the core social drivers of Voidheart Symphony.
They're the bonds that hold your ragtag group of rebels together,
and the outside connections they can call on when they're in
trouble, or need to blow off steam.
You track your most important connections on your character sheet.
Each covenant is in one direction: they represent the benefits your
character has gained from the relationship with the other character.
They might have a matching covenant for you, or might not.

MiNoR CoVeNaNtS

Not every friend or acquaintance is deeply, consciously,
metaphysically tied to your revolution. Those contacts who are more
fleeting, uncertain, or kept at a safe distance are represented with
Minor Covenants. They don’t have the rules impact of Major
Covenants, but can be elevated to that state with work and attention.

Gaining Minor Covenants

Certain moves can add a Minor Covenant – see Let Your Hair Down,
or Connect. Each Minor Covenant has a need – the thing you can do
for them that’ll win you their trust. Find out what their need is by
Checking In with them.
You can draw a Minor Arcanum card to randomly generate a need
on the tables on pages 194-5, use those tables for inspiration, or
simply state a need if you have a strong sense of their personality
already. I’ve adjusted the names of the cards to suit Voidheart’s
themes – check p. 298 for a transposition reference. Either way,
write the need down somewhere to keep track of it.
Once you’ve met a covenant’s need, mark World, set your Covenant
with them to Major, and decide on its Arcanum (see next page). To
set the Covenant to Intense, Check In with them and trigger their
hangout move for the first time!

MaJoR CoVeNaNtS

Major Covenants are bonds with people invested in your rebel and
bought in to their revolution. You’ll start out with three – a Crew
Covenant (see p. 31), and two with non-player characters (contacts).
Each has one of these Arcana:

0 The Fool Naïve and hopeful, trusting in fate.

1 The Magician Skilled and ambitious, acting with flair and verve.

2 The Oracle Instinctive and spiritual, revealing hidden beauty.

3 The Gardener Nurturing and abundant, healing and comforting.

4 The Auteur A visionary authority commanding others.

5 The Sage Learning, understanding, and institutional power.

6 The Lovers Caring, empathetic, making those they love feel valued.

7 The Chariot Daring, energetic and dynamic.

8 Strength Empathetic, mindful, and in charge of their emotions.

9 The Hermit Reclusive, but finding wisdom from their distance.

10 Wheel of Someone who helps you see hidden dangers and
Fortune surprising opportunities, prepared for good or bad news.

11 Justice Someone passionately fighting for their community.

12 The Vagabond A peaceful soul who shows you the value of letting go.

13 Death An agent of change forcing you to confront hard truths.

14 Temperance An agent of moderation, levelling out your highs and lows.

15 The Devil Temptation, boundary-pushing, and power-chasing.

16 The Tower Accepting disaster and picking up the pieces afterwards.

17 The Star Something new, unrefined, but exciting and revelatory.

18 The Moon A force of primal chaos, illusion, and the alien.

19 The Sun An insightful and upright seeker of truth.

20 Judgement A distant, powerful figure sitting in judgement.

A covenant’s Arcanum sets the context of the relationship, guides
how you might cultivate it, and gives you moves to use in the City
and the Castle. These moves represent any number of ways your
character’s relationships help them grow, inside and out. You
might learn better fighting strategies from your time spent
playing video games with the Chariot, or call on warm memories
of your time with the Lover to push through tough situations.

Each Major Arcanum has an example contact that you can, but don’t
have to, use in your game. Each shows how a bond of this type might
help you, and how this person might be vulnerable to the castle.

Changing Arcanum

If you want to change the arcanum of an existing Major Covenant,
Check In with them as if they were a Minor Covenant to get an idea
of what they’d need from you to change the relationship’s context.
Meet this need to change their arcanum.

If you want to change the arcanum of your crew covenant, see
further instructions on page 84.

Removing a Covenant

There’s many reasons why you might not want to have a covenant
with someone on your sheet any more.

• Maybe they died, or moved away, or otherwise were removed
from the narrative?

• Maybe you’ve hurt them so badly you don’t think there’s any
path back from this place?

• Maybe they betrayed you, or hurt you, or sold out and you can’t
trust them any more?

• Maybe you’re just not as interested in them as a part of this
story than you thought you’d be?

Whatever your reason, you can erase a Covenant from your sheet
at any time. When you do this, discuss with your group whether it
felt like there was a clean break, or if it’d be more appropriate for
you to mark a condition or tick a gauge to represent the untidy
fallout of this breakup.