G O T H I C R U L E S D O C U M E N T

This document is a compilation of the rules, not the culture or settings, of Gothic: The Lion age. It is a document that

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I. Introduction:

The World of Gothic

Gothic: The Lion Age is a game of hard decisions and moral dilemmas. The world is a dark, oppressive place where

mankind's greatest enemy is itself, and yet far worse things await beyond the fringes of the comfortable reaches of the

Throne of God on Earth. It is a world of gray where the right thing to do is also the wrong thing to do, where morality

and necessity clash.

The setting focuses its attention on the Throne, a confederacy of nations united by the deeds of a line of dead conquerors

and, by their conversion, to the ideals of the Holy Benalian Church. There are many cultures and peoples within the

Throne that interact with conflicting ideals and customs, with barriers of language and geography that would otherwise

make the Throne crumble. The Throne, however, cannot afford to crumble, for it is only through their continued

cooperation that any of them survive. Terrors of the soul await those who's vigilance falters for an instant.

Meanwhile, four Guilds of Magicians, each representing a primal elemental force, vie for control under the pretense of

alliance. As the Guilds feast on the bloated body of the Throne three terrible deities circle above biding their time. A

Triumvirate of dark Gods wait patiently to destroy the Holy Church, its people and its God from the inside. In their

name, unspeakable horrors are carried out; nameless evils that defy understanding and reason, all for the worship of

power. It is man's very nature to desire power: The power to live their life as they choose, the power to destroy their

enemies, the power to never die, the power to make the world a better place. These deities seem to offer it. The price is so

very high, but for all the right or all the wrong reasons, some are willing to pay any price.

What to do in Gothic: the Lion Age

In the game of Gothic, you take on the role of a character thrust into a world that wishes ill upon you, and encourages

you to take the quick and easy path to achieve your goals, whatever they might be. Many characters arrive into play

because of pilgrimage, while others have political aspirations and still others have academic, monetary, or more personal

reasons. Once in play, characters use the circumstances and setting to achieve their goals and realize their ambitions.

Some characters may become soldiers for the church, joining the Vigilant Order of Templars, while others may be on

errand from a power within the nobility to wrest political control of the city away from the Emperor's appointees and

gain the advantage of administrating the most important political upset in near history that the Miracle represents.

How to be a player Being a player in Gothic is a two step process. Firstly, you should contact the game staff and let us know you'd like to

play, and secondly create a character using the Character Creation system and submit it to us for play entry. It is not

impossible to show up to game unannounced and expect to play, and regardless of anything else, new players are always

welcome and encouraged, but for the sake of a smooth entry, it is best to submit your character to us ahead of time so

that when you arrive all logistical issues and questions can be taken care of ahead of time. That way you can spend more

time playing and less time at Logistics talking to staff and asking questions.

For Character Creation, see Chapter 3.

How to be an NPCBeing an Non-Player Character, part of the supporting cast of game, is an important part of the interplay that helps the

game produce conflict and interesting interactions. By the nature of the game, without volunteers to portray the roles of

world characters, creatures of the night, bands of brigands, and other such features, the game could simply not function

at it's best, so every single player is encouraged to NPC for at least part of the game.

Some specific tasks, such as the production of in-game goods, take time to complete, and these opportunities are a great

time to volunteer to play an NPC for the staff, or just when you find yourself with some downtime while you wait for

something else to complete or happen. Playing an NPC is a great way to try out new kinds of character abilities, new

personalities, and to help the game be its best.

Furthermore, each hour playing an NPC is awarded with Glory, discussed here, and if you come for the game weekend

and only provide support as NPCs, you play for no charge.

The character creation system will take you through the steps necessary to create your Gothic: The Lion Age character.

Throughout the process, you will be asked to consider the details of the life that your character has led before you take

control of him or her and enter it into play. As you decide on these factors, you will be awarded Skill Ranks to spend

toward the advancement of your character. Your life events, as much as your skills, will dictate who your character

becomes. From any one category, you may only advance a specific skill a single rank unless noted otherwise.

These steps will guide you through Character Creation.

1. CHARACTER BACKGROUND

Mother and Father

Determine the identities of your parents. Who are they, or were they? What did they do, and what was it important that

they pass on to you? Select their identities, their profession and their names, and then choose one non-combat skillthat exemplifies your Mother, and one that exemplifies your Father to raise by one rank. Alternatively, if

raised in special circumstances, choose two different skills that relate to a single parent or guardian to raise by one rank.

For a list of skills, see the skills page located here: Skill List

CULTURE

Your character's culture is the regional group from which they descend or were raised. Although most of humankind is

united as the Throne, there are many distinct and diverse cultural groups that make up the Throne's people. The

environment that your character was raised in has a large impact on what sort of roles they end up pursuing, or what

skills they pick up through exposure.

CapacionneA rainy country to the far east of the Throne, Cappacionne is bordered by mountains on two sides and is one of the two

ways into the Throne. The armies of Cappacionne are charged with protecting the border from any hostile incursions

from Orc or Shariqyn. Their people love wine, poetry, horsemanship and the finer things in life.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Firearms, Trapping, Stealth, Seduce orPersuade.

DunnickThe Dunnick are a people living on a group of islands in the south-west of the Throne. Theirs is a culture of much history

and connection to their ancestry and ancient lore, but they are under the restrictive subjugation of the ruling class of

Rogalia, to the north. Many Dunnick fight for their independence, for all Dunnick share a fierce pride for their heritage

and bright, verdant country, where the water is always warm and the hills are always green.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Brawl, Grit, Herbalism, Mining, orApothecary

GothicThe Throne's heart and soul lives in Gotha alongside its glorious cathedrals and highly-trained armies of Templar. The

Gothic people are strict and serious, especially with themselves, making every decision with the utmost care. Many

leaders from all over the Throne are Gothic in heritage, and it is their steadfast determination, loyalty, and zealotry that

has forged the Throne that unites all mankind.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Discipline, Farming, Mechanics, Leadershipor Liturgy (Benalian Church)

HestraliThe free-spirited and flamboyant Hestrali are a culture built on trade and wealth coupled with a love for adventure and

new horizons. Their people are famous for being bold, brash, charismatic and daring, with a devil-may-care attitude. It

is by courage that heroes are born, and the Hestrali mix it in liberal quantities with their fine wines and love for other

cultures.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Mercantile, Mobility, Seduction, Finesse,Performance

NjordicA relative to the Gothic of the south, the Njords are a cautious and pragmatic people, living day by day in the icy reaches

of the northern most parts of the Throne's reach. Only recently annexed through a treaty with the hero who briefly

united the disparate clans, the Njords were heretofore infamous for their daring and cruel raids on their southern

neighbors in the Throne. Not yet fully converted to the religion of Holy Benalus, many Njords still cling to the worship of

their pantheon of pagan gods. In the farthest northern reaches, many Njords consider the Throne to be no different from

any other invading clan, and still cling to the old ways of raiding and bloodshed. The rest have found peaceful

relationships within the Throne, and live in service to its great ideals.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Survival, Grit, Intimidate, Performance, orForestry.

RogalianRogalia is a land hardened by war. Constant civil conflicts are the norm in this region, due in part to its very dense

population of nobility. The laws change from one mile to the next at times, and infighting has made Rogalia the only

country in the Throne with no King, only a Parliament of Ruling Lords. The constant state of low-level strife in Rogalia,

however, has created some of the most brilliant strategic minds the Throne has ever known to date, and the finest

military commanders in the Throne come with regularity from Rogalian stock. Even the meanest peasant here knows

how to fire a bow, and when. In a hard world, the Rogalians mean to be harder still.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Archery, Etiquette, Metalworking, Discipline,Perception

ShariqynThe Shariqyn are the one substantial human culture that is not part of the Throne. Their place is far to the deserts of the

East, among the shifting sands of Sha'ra, a land of wonders and fabulous ancient magics. Tales of their land are the

strangest in the Throne, and the Thronics think of their people as stranger still. Dark of skin and hair, the Shariqyn stand

out easily in the Throne, and though the two cultures are engaged in a bloody war, they are still welcome to travel the

Throne and understand its people and ways. They are not considered citizens, and as such have fewer rights. They are a

people that cling fervently to a strange religion all their own, worshiping water and purity with a priest caste of water

mages, searching for their messiah. Many Shariqyn come to the Throne to trade, for they have goods that are rarely seen

in the world, imported from their strange lands. Spices, elven-made silks, and even strange and dangerous magical

objects come from the shifting sands of the East.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Academics, Mercantile, Survival, Persuasion,Liturgy (Aab'oran)

LanguageYou are fluent in your own culture’s language and Gothic, the closest thing that passes for an international or trade

language. Gothic characters themselves also learn Aldersabin, the language of the Church of Benalus. Learning a

language later requires 2 exp, the cultural lore in question, and a Downtime action.

Location of HomeHome is where your character was raised, more specifically than his or her cultural background. This can be a specific

location you know about in game, such as the Imperial Capital of Fenristadt, or can be a largely undefined area specific

to your character. The answer to this question can be specific or general, but should give some idea of the conditions

under which the character lived and the things they saw on a daily basis.

Name and briefly describe your home town or area of upbringing. This can be an established area of the world you are

aware of from the setting, or it can be some place you invent specifically for your backstory, but give us a brief

understanding of its characterizing features.

Some examples include: Fishing Village, Fortified Town, Hog Farm, Port Town, Trade Market, Hamlet, Capital City,

Fortress

Choose 2 non-combat skills related to the experience living in your home area to raise by one rank.

SOCIAL STATUS

Your character's social class is one of the most influential things in their life. Were they raised at the top of a hill in a

wealthy manor, or at the bottom of the gutter in that same town? Did she raise animals to feed herself on a farmstead or

did he filch muffins from the window of the bakery? A character's social class endows them with a certain set of skills

relevant to their position in the world, as well as predisposes them toward the acquisition of certain perks and flaws,

discussed later on.

Gutter Class:You were born on the streets of a major city. The rare urban environments that dot the Throne tell the tale of your origin,

where quick wits and quicker feet keep you out of trouble. You've lived on the rotten underbelly of major ports, slums,

and back alleys.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Streetwise, Sincerity, Intimidate, Finesse, andStealth.

Peasant Class:You were raised in the dark of the country, where there is more to fear than unjust lords and petty wars. Your story

begins in a terrible place where winter kills just as brutally as any sword or poison. Survival must be eked out by hard

work and faith that you will live to see the next harvest day.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Perception, Liturgy, Grit, or Survival, anyGathering skill. (Multiple Gathering skills can be chosen to raise one rank.)

Merchant Class:Your life was the life of a traveler or tradesman. You moved from town to town peddling both wares and skills. By road or

sea, you have crossed great distances and seen the dangers of the world and what it takes to survive them.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Mercantile, Perception, Survival, Sincerity,any Crafting skill. (Multiple Crafting skills can be chosen to raise one rank.)

Noble Class:You were born in the highest class of society and have either lived the life of a noble or the life of one of their entourage.

Yours is not necessarily a life of opulence either, but rather one of sophistication, order and duty. There are just as many

dangers and knives in the dark in a royal steel is deadly regardless of the hand that wields it.

Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Medium Weapons, Etiquette, Academics,Intimidation, Leadership

DEVOTIONPassion is like fire. If you use it well, it can cook for you, keep you warm and light your way. But, if it gets out ofcontrol, it will consume everything in its path. It will ruin you without hesitation.

Your character's devotion is the single most important thing in her life. It is the powerful driving force that is both her

greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Whenever a devotion is triggered she may add 1 rank to any relevant skill

that she already has at least 1 rank in. Faithful characters add 2 ranks to 2 skills of their choice, and Zealous characters

add 3 ranks to 3 skills of their choice. This represents her additional resolve and hidden inner will. This bonus cannot

normally be applied to combat uses of any kind, but a character may take Wrath Depravity to use their Devotion for

combat for the scene. Depravity can still be earned normally in the scene for actions that would normally earn it. When

using Devotions in this manner, the bonus still only applies to uses that involve fulfilling your Devotion.

At the moment you begin to undertake an action that supports your Devotion, mentally designate the skills which are

receiving the benefit. These skills are enhanced for the duration of the activities that support your Devotion. You may

designate new skills during a new scene, if different skills are appropriate to the new situation.

Some people give in to their obsessions and let them darken their hearts, some people twist their feelings of loveand protection into a weapon for killing, and doing so leaves a stain on the soul.

If a character is opposing her Devotion at any time, she loses 1 rank from all Skills. Unlike the bonus, this penalty can

always apply to combat. If the violation is a complete opposition, a Marshall may require the character to spend

Discipline to even attempt it. Faithful characters lose 2 to all skills when opposing their Devotion, and Zealous characters

lose 3. Thusly, characters with very high Faith find it difficult to bend their ideals as they tend to believe so adamantly in

them.

For example, if the Zealous Inquisitor Sariel takes Hatred: Heretics then protecting a heretic due to valuable information

he may possess would incur a penalty of -3 Ranks to every skill he uses, as he is not particularly enthused with the

outcome of recent events. Every time his shield would block an on oncoming attack aimed at this heretic he would face

such a penalty. Any attempt to shield him from an attack would do so with his skills thus blunted. If he must help him

escape judgment from another inquisitor, Discipline would need to be spent to even consider such a blasphemous notion.

Devotion List

"If my sins damn me to Hell, I shall go there to conquer it in the Lord's name."--Grand Inquisitor Sariel

Devotions can be nearly anything, so long as you and the staff can agree upon what it means and when it applies, but

these are some examples in broad categories. Choose a specific Devotion such as the examples below under Common

Devotions, specific to the particulars to your character.

Chaos Devotions - You are committed to bringing an order out of power, destroying a status quo, or subverting a

ruling authority. Although you may follow an authority yourself, it is simply a means to an ends. Your loyalty lies in your

cause and although you may possess a sense of morality, your goals are destructive in nature.

Common Devotions: A ruling family, The Church, a thieves guild, an order of unjust knights.

Hatred Devotions - You have become the ruiner, the bane of something or someone and you have devoted yourself to

its end. The very sight or mention of it can boil your blood. Your hatred may be for revenge, or perhaps you are

committed to an ideal, but whatever the reason, you walk a dark and lonely path that will end in either blood or misery.

Common devotions are heretics, specific persons, orcs, sorcerers.

Idealism Devotions - Your calling in life is creating or preserving a single idea. You may be a man who ignores the law

to preserve justice, a historian who is obsessed with her studies, or a druid that protects the forest from intruders. There

are few who possess such rare dedication to something so abstract and ephemeral, but such things have risen to the first

priority in your heart.

Common Devotions are discovery, art, untouched wilderness, justice.

Love Devotions - There is a person or persons that you care for more than anything else in the world. They are your

world and perhaps are all you really have. It is a bond that transcends all instincts and yet feels instinctual. Perhaps you

need them, or perhaps they need you, but whatever the case, you will go to the ends of the earth to help them and aid

them.

Common devotions are lovers, family, friends.

Materialism Devotions - All that matters in this world is getting what you can before someone else beats you to it.

Your devotion in life is invested in your possessions or perhaps possessing things you do not have. Some would call you

greedy but it's hard for you to deny your fascination with the material world. You may be a collector of sorts, perhaps you

are a skinflint with a love for money, or maybe you are obsessed with a single magical object and simply want to keep it

safe.

Common devotions are money, paintings, books, gems, a specific object

Order Devotions - You are committed to keeping an order in power, preserving a status quo, or upholding a

government and it's laws. The bastion of order, you follow an authority and are righteously loyal to its cause. Your

motives are unselfish although not necessarily good. You can be found placing laws above morality and weighing the

value of lives on the preservation of order.

Common Devotions are Imperial Law, the church, a specific ruling family.

Power Devotions - Your calling is to attain true greatness. Whether it be to fill in the footsteps or expectations of

others, or because a deep thirst for power, you aspire to be the very best. This may be in political, intellectual, or physical

arenas but always the motive is the same: you refuse to be content with your standing and only the top will satisfy you.

Common devotions are swordsmanship, political power, guild standing, sorcerous power, or fame.

FAVORED ATTRIBUTE

ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE CHART

Strength(-) Feeble: Can’t lift own body weight or stand without help; can’t climb over waist height.o Ordinary Strength●Strong: May purchase the Heavy Weapons skill with experience points.●●Brawny: Knockback attacks and Feat of Strength.●●●Mighty: All Weapons are considered Mighty.

Speed(-)Sluggish: Double skill count and negative effect counts.o Ordinary Speed●Graceful: May purchase the Mobility skill with experience points.●●Nimble: Gain Escape ability.●●●Quick: All Weapons are considered Quick

Fortitude(-)Sickly: Vulnerability to poisons and diseaseo Ordinary Fortitude●Solid: May purchase the Grit skill with experience points.●●Tough: Toughness Ability●●●Stalwart: Every hit location takes 2 hits

Resolve(-)Pushover: You cannot counter the use of social skills on you.o Ordinary Resolve●Determined: May purchase the Discipline skill with experience points.●●Resolute: Pain Tolerance Ability●●●Indomitable: Gain an extra downtime action that can be used at game.

Faith(-)Heartless: Cannot lose Insanities or Depravityo Ordinary Faith●Affirmed - May purchase the Liturgy skill with experience points.●●Faithful (2 skills at +2 Devotion, Liturgy Bonus+, 1 more Empyria)●●●Zealous (3 skills at +3 Devotion, Liturgy Bonus++, 2 more Empyria)

Intellect(-)Simple You cannot speak correctly, use prepositions, or understand any abstract concepts

Choose one Attribute to raise one step to the ● level to represent your character's natural talent and predilection. You

may also take as many Attributes at the (-) rank as you wish, each earning an additional 10 exp as a Flaw. Flaws are

discussed in more detail below.

FAITHWhen a character starts out she may choose what her faith score primarily represents. Although, it is possible to have

faith in many different things, there is usually one thing that acts as a primary guide for one's beliefs and actions. A

brigand may still believe in God but that does not usually stop him from stealing and occasionally killing in spite of

knowledge about the afterlife. It is simply that the brigand has placed his faith and moral guidance in himself more than

the potency of divine power.

FAITH IN SELF

Although you are not necessarily doubting of other powers in the world, you have a tendency to look within for inner

strength. You are self-reliant and believe that those who forge their own blessings need never beg for them. As a result

you are steadfast and self-assured and have an additional resource called Willpower.

Ritual magic has a harder time working on you, be it wicked or benign.

WillpowerDrawing upon her focus and self-confidence, the character may immediately recover all of her consumed skill uses that

can be recovered through Rest. Willpower may be used once per day.

Once per game event, a character may spend Willpower to remove one Depravity of her choice as she works through her

issues and comes to terms with her decisions.

FAITH IN A HIGHER POWER

Through a higher power, all things are possible. Whether it be the Holy Church, ancient Elven gods, the Altar of Vecatra,

or even the Triumvirate, you know in your heart that it is belief and worship that has prolonged you thus far and only by

the power of your devotion may you continue. Thusly, all good fortune is the praise and attention of your god, while all

bad fortune is punishment or foul machinations of opposing gods or devils. People with this type of faith keep an open

mind to the invisible workings of the world, and unlike faith in the self, they are highly affected by Ritual Magic. As well,

they gain the Prayer ability.

o Ordinary Intellect●Knowledgeable: May purchase the Academics skill with experience points.●●Smart: (Grants Wit. For Mages: 15 spell packets, 7 Threshold packets)●●●Brilliant: (Grants Invention ability. For Mages: 20 spell packets, 10 Threshold packets)

PrayerIf the character prepares in the method their religion dictates for success in a single specific situation or goal, (a prayer

to the Lord, a sacrifice to the spirits, meditation, etc) they may behave for one single task that the prayer was related to

as if their Devotion was active. This requires at least five minutes of uninterrupted preparation and the prayer registered

with a Marshall at least sometime before committing to the action in question. You may only use this in one such

situation at a time until new preparations are made, and only once per day.

EXPERIENCE POINTS

Every character begins with 10 Experience points to spend as they wish. You may spend these on skills or other

abilities, or you may purchase Perks for the listed value. Flaws award experience points, and Traits neither cost or give

experience points. After character creation, perks cost twice as much and require in game justification. Flaws cost twice

as many experience points as they awarded to remove, and also require in game justification.

When purchasing skills with experience points, the skills Heavy Weapons, Mobility, Grit, Discipline, Academics and

Liturgy are only able to be purchased with the required Attribute level, even if they were awarded earlier in the process

as free ranks.

PERKS, TRAITS, FLAWS

PERKS:

Alacrity (5)You are exceptionally coordinated and can react with amazing speed and effectiveness. In combat, you regain use of one

expended Combat Maneuver every 10 seconds.

A Friend Indeed (1-3 Points)Someone is indebted to you in some way. You may have saved his life or helped him out of a bad situation. Either way,

he owes you. You two are not necessarily friends, but he is willing to pay his debt as long as you don't ask for too much.

The point cost of this perk relates to the relative power and influence of the individual you hold the debt over. This may

be purchased multiple times to purchase different allies at different point values. Many characters who may be indebted

to you may not be local to the game site, and in those cases, have to be contacted via a letter or some other means

between sessions and their help may take a long time to arrive. If this is the case, the Perk is worth an additional point

but this is determined by staff depending on the character in question.

1 point - Someone with whom you are not very close to owes you a small favor. You can collect anytime as long as it

doesn't inconvenience him too much or put him in any danger. For example, a bartender that will always give you free

drinks or information on his patrons.

2 points - Someone who is steadfast to you and will risk most anything but his life, or a less devoted Friend who is

broadly competent. For example, a guard captain for the city watch who is willing to reorganize guard patrols for your

needs and allow characters into a sensitive area.

3 points - Someone who is completely devoted to the player and will repay his debt even if it costs him his own life, or a

less devoted Friend who is very capable. This ally has his own life and objectives that will always prevent him from

completely joining the character's side for any significant length of time. Disrespecting this will end the relationship. For

example, an assassin who always repays his debts.

Over-extending your debt in any way will force the relationship between the ally and the player to end as the ally will

consider his debts fully paid. Otherwise, favors can continue to be asked of the ally within reason. The staff determines

when and how a debt becomes fully resolved.

Backing (3-5 Points)You have the backing of a powerful organization such as an Order a noble house or the Church. You have an ongoing

relationship with them such that, acting as their agent or working in joint progress with them, they will provide you with

the financial or logistical backing to pursue their ends. The nature of this backing should be defined between yourself

and the staff, but so long as this relationship is maintained and you can prove your identity, usually with written papers,

perhaps a signet ring, or even your own Fame, you may draw aid from any representative of that group by performing

tasks for them. Breaking your arrangement with the group may cause you to lose this Perk. This does not work for Trade

Guilds.

For 3 points, your backers will cover your basic expenses, such as food and repairs.

For 5 points, your backers will cover the above, as well as grant you a stipend of 2 silver shields for each rank you have in

their Organization, such as Degrees, Rank or Circle, to a minimum of 2 silver shields, to be used expressly to carry out

your duties.

Boon (1-7 Points)You have some sort of advantage or beneficial circumstance that isn't represented elsewhere by other Perks. This could

be a special writ of allowance by a local power like a noble, a quirk that makes you able to function with less sleep, or

something else. The exact nature of this boon and how it works, whether it can be lost, what it costs and other details

require express approval by staff, and the benefit you have in mind may not be allowable at all.

Fame (2)You have done some great deed and the stories of your exploits have spread like wildfire among certain circles. Because

of this, you have earned yourself a title that has been appended to your name, such as Mad Koenrad or Derrick the

Silent. You will need to discuss the details of your reputation with staff.

Gain a Fame entry on the website, describing your heroic deeds with your name and picture. In a certain, specific, social

arena such as sailors or knights, your good reputation would speak for you. For a reputation that has earned ill will as

well as gratitude, the Infamy flaw should be taken as well.

Impeccable Memory (3)You may ask a martial or other player for any forgotten detail your character may have once known as an OOC question.

Journeyman (1)You are a representative of a Trade Guild, and having completed your Apprenticeship, are being sent out into the world

to start your own business. Choose one Skill you have at Rank 3 or greater. When you arrive in play, your character will

have the legal right to practice your trade with the Vocation Downtime action. You may also swap out any pieces of your

starting equipment for pieces that relate to your profession.

Magnetism (5)Wherever you go, you tend to make acquaintances, friends, and allies. Either by sheer force of personality or just a

friendly and gregarious nature, .people you do a significant service for also have a greater tendency to feel indebted to

you, and word of your deeds tends to travel a bit further. If you manage to do a truly significant service for someone, you

will generally earn the Friend Indeed perk. If you help a large crowd or area in a visible way, you will generally earn the

Fame perk for the affected group.

Nobody's Fool (2)You've been lied to too often. A distrusting nature, a cool head and some common sense have given you a heightened

awareness as to people's true intentions. You have one free use of Discipline against the first use of Persuade, Seduction

or Sincerity against you in a scene.

Quick Healer (5)Bones knit and cuts close faster on you than on anyone else. Your injuries, though just as painful, are never lasting. After

a good night's rest (at least 6 hours of sleep) though you remain Battered, you regain use of any Injured limbs. It also

takes additional punishment in battle to leave you Maimed, requiring 5 hits to a limb instead of 3.

Quiet (3)You have always led a solitary life, keeping mainly to yourself and sharing very little of yourself with others. You have

learned how to be self-reliant and have as little contact with others as is necessary, creating ways to allow solitude as you

go about your affairs. When others use Streetwise to attempt to track your affairs, they do so as if your own Streetwise

were 2 levels higher.

Retainer (3)You have a servant or an ally of the most loyal quality. Although he or she may not necessarily serve your every word

blindly, she is steadfast and loyal. While she has no particular Skills, your Retainer accepts you as her Leader and will

grant you her assistance whenever you ask, though she is a character like any other and has to eat and may also be killed.

This perk requires Leadership to purchase, and may be taken more than once provided the character has the necessary

Skill Ranks in Leadership.

Slow Bleeder (3)You are unusually healthy and resilient, and when Downed, you expire after ten minutes instead of five.

Spiritual Prodigy (5)For as long as you can remember, your faith has been everything to you. It is one of the strong pillars that you have built

your entire life upon, and it impacts every decision you make. You may use the Prayer ability or the Willpower ability an

additional time per day (though only once per scene), and when performing Priestly Rituals, you pay point with an

additional finger.

Wealth (2)Gain an additional 20 silver that can be spent in starting equipment or saved for starting silver. This can be taken

multiple times.

You may wish to visit the Trade and Production page to investigate what items you might wish to purchase.

Workhorse (1)You are accustomed to a good, hard day's work. Every day you work, and every day you sleep, and in the morning, wake

to work hard again. You may ignore a Fatigue effect once per day.

The Spark (10)Some say this gift is given to those born under the Magus Star, others say it runs in the bloodline of powerful sorcerers.

Still others say that those with the Spark have a terrible destiny chosen by God. No one is sure why or how this gift

develops, but in the very blood of those with it flows the essences of greatness in the sorcerous arts. For one specific

element, your body storms with a latent and irrepressible arcane energy that allows you to have a single charge in your

body that cannot be exhausted. You may immediately draw your first spell packet when casting a spell, rather than

waiting the normal 10 seconds to channel. This effect may occur only once every ten seconds.

This gift is not without its drawbacks however. Such a person has the rapt attention of all four of the Arcane Guilds

should her identity be determined, earning her a host of manipulators and enemies immediately. Characters with no

formal magical training that have this perk can cast spells intuitively, possibly without even knowing it themselves, and

have one spell packet to use for this purpose. They may learn new Domains and basic Techniques like a mage, but

without training, cannot gain Circle Rating.

This perk has an in-game cap for rarity, and as such requires special approval.

Peasant:

1 Respected - You are seen as a forthright and earnest individual and are a pillar of the community for local peasants.

Local people listen carefully to your opinion, and take your words and wisdom seriously. Characters with this kind of

respect can defuse tension among peasants or whip them into a riot given the right circumstances, and local authorities

look to these influential leaders to help them manage their domains.

5 Hardy - Living off the land has made you tough and strong, and your family has been doing it for centuries. Normally,

when Downed, after 5 minutes a character will bleed out and die. Instead, after five minutes, you become Battered and

may regain consciousness. Furthermore, when using your Downtime to perform a Gathering skill such as Mining,

Trapping, Farming and so on, you earn double the amount that other characters do. This bonus only applies to your own

efforts, not those you lead with Leadership.

-3 Hayseed - You were born in some backwater town and don't have the head for any kind of refinement or

sophistication. You may never gain the Academics or Etiquette skills.

Gutter:1 Light Sleeper - It usually just means you're grouchy for the first hour of every day. You automatically awaken from

any natural sleep at the slightest noise when danger approaches. Before an intrusion on you while you sleep at night, you

will be woken up individually; the intruder must leave, then re-enter.

5 Street Savvy - The dirty sprawls and bastard alleys know something and you know what it takes to make them talk.

The Streetwise skill does not require a Downtime action to use. Furthermore, you automatically know when someone

uses Streetwise to spy on you, and who used it. Street Savvy also negates the benefits of the Quiet perk - you are too well

connected for such things to matter.

-3 Odious: Missing teeth, layers of grime, a certain stink, maybe a weird hunch and a scratchy voice. These are all the

hallmarks of your less than trustworthy seeming. You might be a completely legitimate business man with a somewhat

adventurous view of hygiene, but let’s not kid ourselves. You must costume and roleplay this flaw.

Merchant:1 Entrepreneur - You can create money out of seemingly nowhere, always able to push or pull the market to make a

few clink, and pull every last copper crest out of a transaction. You gain 1 copper piece for every Skill rank on your

character sheet each game session.

5 Connections - You've traveled far and wide and wherever you go, you have an old friend or acquaintance. Choose one

social class. As a downtime action you may call upon your connections, gaining special favors by well positioned people

of that class.

-3 Debt -

You are constantly in debt from various sources and are constantly short on money to pay off creditors or other

collectors. Your creditors demand a regular flow of money, and if they find out you are holding out on them, this flaw can

become an Enemy flaw instead. Work with the staff to determine the nature of your debt.

You begin play under a debt of 3 golden lions. If you don’t make regular payments, trouble will find you and make sure

that you do. This flaw can be bought off with money instead of experience and can be taken alongside the Wealth perk.

Noble:1 Classical Education: You were raised with the best tutelage and instruction. You begin play with the following:

Basic Foci: Throne, Church, Law, Heraldry, History, Nobility

Advanced Foci: Your own House, Auctoritas

5 Highborn - You are directly related to the ruling house of your region, and bear their surname. You were likely raised

in their castle, or possibly fostered at another ruling family's keep. This gives you certain rights and privileges, such as

legal immunity to and authority over all characters without this perk. A character with this perk is literally above the law

except in regards to other Highborn characters. As well, few enemies who know your identity will seek to actually kill

you, seeking to ransom you to your family instead. Your lands are elsewhere, but your birthright makes you above the

common dirt of the peasants and lowborn. In this position, however, enemies are almost a certainty as they seek to

supplant you in their schemes.

You begin play with a Signet Ring bearing your family crest, which helps to prevent forgery of your identity.

-3 Entitlement - Having been bred to power and purpose your whole life, you take your role very seriously. Whenever

you see something not as it should be, the situation demands immediate correction. This could be an issue of injustice

that you as a person of means could resolve, or someone doing their job incorrectly such that you cannot help but

intervene. Furthermore, you cannot tolerate your authority being questioned. If anyone you consider to be a peer or your

lesser questions your word, honor, or authority, you must set them in their place at once and never let them forget it. To

do less is to spit upon all you stand for, and by extension the entire Throne and its Emperor.

Njord:1 Ice-Hardened: Ice water runs through your veins and the winter winds fill your sails. Gain +1 to Survival,

Perception, & Stealth skills, as well as +Fortitude during the Winter season, or it happens to be damned cold outside.

5 Tough as Nails: Your enemies will find, to their dismay, that you require additional coaxing to lay down. After being

downed, you may wait 30 seconds and stand back up. You are still Downed, and still bleeding to death, but you may

continue to fight until you take another wound. This refreshes when you are fully healed.

-3 Thrall of the Old Gods: You were never converted to the ways of White Benalus, preferring the complex

submission of the old gods of the Northlands. Your gods demand sacrifice, and you must perform a ritual sacrifice each

day else be Fatigued until you complete it. An observance of your ancient rites involves ceremonial blood be spilt, chants

be used, and other ritual behavior lasting at least 10 minutes. This can be done privately or publically, the Old Gods care

not which.

Rogalian:1 Collected: Things never get so out of hand that you can't think straight. In an emergency situation you are at your

best. You may call skill defenses when attacked from stealth, except execution attacks.

5 Veteran: You have seen all the horrors of battle and there is little left that can faze you. You live by your steel and

know that you will surely one day die by it.

You are immune to any effect that would cause Fear during combat, and you do not take Despair when you lose close

friends in combat.

-3 Pig-Headed - You are as stubborn as they come. Life would be easier if everyone would stop arguing with you when

you're right. You take vocal offense whenever anyone violates your Devotion, not just you, and will immediately seek to

intervene. Furthermore, you may not even attempt to act against your Devotion under any circumstances. You simply

aren’t capable of that kind of flexibility.

Gothic:1 Humorless: You never crack a smile or make a joke, even in good company. You gain one free use of Discipline in

any social encounter. A stern rebuke and possibly a lecture shall be the only reward for guile aimed at you.

5 Pious - Your faith in the Lord is the strong pillar that you have built your life upon, and you never falter or shake in

your convictions. As a result, you feel blessed that the Lord answers your call when you pray for assistance. When using

the Prayer ability, your Faith is considered one higher than normal. You must show your humility by wearing a hood or

other head covering.

-3 Bigoted: You cannot suffer people who don’t see the world as you do. Godless heathens, people of opposite

Devotion, those who don’t attend regular Church services, even foreigners and their backwards ways make your gut ache

and your jaw set. When another character’s ways are very different from those you hold to be right, you must spend

Discipline to resist the urge to shun or verbally debase them at each opportunity.

Shariqyn:1 Natural Linguist: Your interactions with a variety of cultures and people have left you with a knack for language.

You begin play being able to speak Rogalian, Dunna, Hestron, Cappacian, Gothic, Njor and Shariq'a. Other languages

you may learn through Instruction at no cost by spending a Downtime action with your teacher.

5 Magical Wonder: You are in possession of a strange magical artifact uncovered from the shifting desert sands. Its

effects are not mighty, but its small magics may come in handy. Work with the staff to create a magical trinket to enter

play with.

-3 Outspoken Heathen: Most Shariqyn are barely tolerated within the Throne because of their religious and cultural

differences. You refuse to allow anyone to speak poorly of your people or your ways, and will speak up against any such

disrespect and demand satisfaction before you relent. After all, it is they in the West that are truly the unwashed

barbarians.

Dunnick:1 Hard Drinker - Your body is used to at least a little poison coursing through your veins. You put it through too much

torment on a regular basis to be overthrown by some cutter's plant paste on a blade. Your Grit is considered to be 2

higher when considering the effects of drugs, poisons, and alcohol.

5 Ancestral Moorsword: You are in possession of the sword of your father’s fathers. Its beautiful designs show the

heritage of your family line back to the beginning of your clan, and you are its heir. The sword itself is as much a symbol

as a weapon, and those that still bear one are the closest thing the shattered Dunnick culture has to Highborn. You begin

play with a steel Masterwork greatsword, and are treated with great respect by others of your culture, especially your

own clan.

-3 Harsh Temper - You have a tendency to fly off the handle and it takes very little for you to become combative and

belligerent. Classically, you will talk back to people that oppose you, throw the first punch, or otherwise behave in an

overly aggressive manner whether or not the situation calls for it. When treated with aggression you always must respond

more aggressively.

Hestralian:1 Trade Guild Amici - You have a good working relationship with the international Hestrali Merchant Guild. While

ordinarily the Merchant Guild deals in very large bulk orders and special contracts, for you, they make an exception. You

can call a local agent of the Merchant Guild to come visit you for trade, and barter or sell goods with them, which they

will generally buy at fairly standard rates in order to sell elsewhere in the world by caravan or ship. They may also be

able to give you news of the goings on throughout the Throne in politics, war, trade and otherwise.

5 Daredevil - High risks awaken your blood and you feel truly alive when attempting anything out of reach. In any

situation where you stand alone grossly outmatched or attempting something no sane person would ever attempt you

behave as if your Devotion was active.

-3 Vendetta - You are the inheritor of the famous Hestralian passion, and it sometimes gets the better of you. You

cannot stand to be upstaged, put down, or otherwise made to lose a competitive contest. It boils your blood to think that

someone is underestimating you, and you will do anything you can to set the record straight, in elaborate and explosive

display, if need be. If you are upstaged or publically lose face because of another, that person becomes your Vendetta.

Any time you have an opportunity to act against that person and don't take it, you gain Despair. Your acts against them

should be in the same arena you were bested in, physical, social or otherwise, though you can always escalate. This

person remains your Vendetta until someone else becomes your Vendetta, even if you have already proven your

superiority over them.

Cappacian:1 Silver Tongue - People just can't say no to you. You know how to guilt trip, play character weaknesses, and fabricate

believable stories in your favor. You may use two social skills when attempting to manipulate someone (not necessarily

the same skill) , and they must counter both or concede to your wiles. Use both hands to gesture for the social skills, such

as a carrot and stick argument using Seduce and Intimidate or a rational reason they should accept your lies as truth,

Persuade and Sincerity. They must answer with two appropriate counters or concede the point.

5 Pistolier: Your country’s favorable trade with the dwarves has resulted in the human invention of the pistol, and their

design and workmanship is centralized in your lands, making them slightly less prohibitively expensive. You have your

hands on one such weapon, and may begin play with a pistol and three shots worth of black powder.

-3 Fop - What's the point of life if not to enjoy it? If you happen to get yourself noticeably dirty, you gain Despair.

Traits

Traits have both a positive and a negative element, and thus neither grant or cost experience.

AbhorrentYour presence is offensive to the senses. One or more qualities (be they physical or otherwise) unsettles and repulses

others, both to your advantage and disadvantage. You may only ever use the Seduce or Persuade skills to counter those

skills, but your Intimidate uses gain Power.

Alcoholic Alcohol is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. You use it to escape the shambles that have become your life and you feel

more in control when you've washed away your worries with drink. When inebriated, all of your Insanities are one level

less severe. When sober, they are all one level more severe.

Bravado You're the best you've ever seen and that's done more for you than simply put a swagger in your step. Whether or not you

can afford such hubris is up for debate.

You are totally Immune to Fear until you find yourself in combat with no remaining Defensive Calls, at which point you

immediately succumb to Fear and cannot spend Discipline to ignore it.

Foolish Heart You are a romantic figure, torn between two deep passions. You possess 2 possibly conflicting devotions. Should both

Devotions trigger at once, you may not stack the bonuses. However, the penalties can still stack and should either offer

penalties you cannot receive a bonus from the other due to the inner conflict.

Death Wish You are the grim husk of a man. It is arguable that you have nothing to wish for, because you are already dead. You are

immune to Fear effects and the Intimidate skill but you cannot flee or exit any unwanted combat situation. No combat is

unwanted.

Extreme Personality Because of your unique characteristics, people tend to react to you strongly. People seem to either really like you, or

really dislike you, and you cannot seem to control their reaction. The first time you use a social skill on a character, if

that skill is successful, that character forms a strong first impression of liking your character. If it is unsuccessful, they

decide that they distinctly dislike your character from then on. This lasts indefinitely until their opinion evolves from

there naturally.

Finesse FighterYou have dexterous, quick hands which are built for small, precise movements. You are a natural with Light Weapons

and you learn the skill for 2 less experience points every level (though your natural ability cannot be further improved

with any form of Instruction), but you have no talent at all for Medium or Heavy Weapons, and may never learn those

skills.

Heavy HandedYou don't know your own strength. You've never learned control and handing you something delicate is an invitation for

you to break it. You are a natural with Heavy Weapons, learning each rank of the skill for 2 less experience points every

level (though your natural talent cannot be further improved with Instruction of any kind). However, your ham-fisted

approach doesn't lend itself well to much else; you can't get the hang of Light or Medium Weapons and may never learn

those skills.

Renegade You are an ex-member of a distinguished guild or organization. You possess many of their secrets but have none of their

support. As a wizard or a priest, you may not increase your Rank or Circle, or purchase any new abilities, but you no

longer possess the Duty portion of your station. As a knight, you cannot gain any new or replacement equipment and

cannot levy forces. The repercussions portion of your Duty flaw becomes active.

FLAWS

There is no specific numerical limit to the amount of Flaws you take. However, if the flaws taken seem to not make sense

for the character, or cause the character to be unplayable or nearly unplayable, whether because of the difficulty of

playing such a character or because the character should be or will soon be dead, Staff reserves the right to refuse the

Flaws or the character concept.

A Friend in Need (1-3)You owe someone important or influential a favor, and they may call upon it at any time. Higher value are more serious

favors, or favors to more serious people.

Corpse in the Closet (1 or 3)

You have a secret that you do not want anyone to ever find out about. Maybe you were responsible for a tragedy, involved

in the murder of a friend's father, or once worshiped one of the Triumvirate. By taking this flaw it means that while

whatever it is remains basically secret, it was not a perfect crime and there are witnesses, conspirators or other lingering

evidence that a dedicated person might still discover if they really looked into it, and thus, you are more at risk of it being

brought up. For this flaw to be effective, the secret must be something that will cause you serious hardship should it be

found out. For 1 point, your close companions would consider parting ways with you. For 3 points, there would be no

choice but to ostracize or kill you.

Dirt Poor (3)Perhaps you are down on your luck, or never had any to begin with. You may also begin the game as a captive or in some

other dire circumstance, but in either case you lack all but the most basic property. You begin the game with no items,

equipment or property and no starting money save the clothes on your back. You cannot take this flaw if you purchase a

Character Perk for joining an Organization such as Knighthood.

Duty2-6 points. You have a duty to perform that will bear serious repercussions if left derelict and affects your daily life. The

scope of your duties as well as the consequences of not meeting them comprise the point value of this flaw. Minor,

Significant and Major are worth 1, 2, and 3 points respectively and you must take one from each of the below categories

to determine the value of this flaw. This flaw is automatically appended to certain characters such as belonging to a

Knight order or one of the Guilds of Magicians, and in these cases awards no points. Those characters can, however, take

this Flaw for points if they have additional out of the ordinary duties to uphold as part of those organization loyalties or

otherwise.

The Duty flaw should only be taken if the repercussions come from NPCs or other external forces, rather than other PCs.

Minor Scope (+1 point): Your duty can be performed mostly anywhere or requires only simple maintenance. For

example, protecting someone, or managing a store.

Significant Scope (+2 points): Your duty vies for balance with the rest of your life and requires daily attention and

sometimes serious personal risk. For example, Town Constable, Steward for a household, Nobleman in charge of a

town's defense.

Major Scope (+3 points): Your duty forms the basis by which you live you life and all aspects and decisions are impacted

by it. This commonly requires serious personal risk and complete investment of time and resources. For example,

Paladin, valet to a Count, Burgomaster of a Town

Minor Repercussions (+1 point): Serious financial hardships and loss of personal standing. For example, your business

fails, a bad reputation is gained.

Significant Repercussions(+2 points): You are no longer welcome amongst peers, stripped of all stations. For example,

you are exiled, removed from your order.

Major Repercussions (+3 points): You may lose everything, up to and including all possessions and your life. For

example, publicly executed.

Enemy (1- 5)Some dangerous or powerful person or group has made it their business to destroy you. The relative power of this enemy

is based on the point value of this flaw, but their power will scale with the character's advancement.

This flaw may be taken a maximum of 3 times, regardless of the value.

1 point - Your enemy is about as powerful as you are, and has no true intention to kill you, but is going out of their way

to make your life harder.

2 points - Your enemy is significantly more powerful than you, and has just as many or more resources. They mean to

destroy you, and will do so if they can manage to catch you in their trap.

3 points - Your enemy is a considerably powerful individual or group, and they have the power to be your end in a

relatively short amount of time. Your enemy has some amount of control over a wide area, but their capacity does have

limits, and you may be able to escape their reach, if perhaps not defeat them.

5 points. - Your enemy is an extremely powerful individual or organization, possibly a world power such as the Emperor

or the Fire Guild. They have vast connections and your destruction is well within their means. Avoiding their clutches

will be difficult enough, let alone their overthrow and defeat.

Craven (4)You are a unused to danger, or perhaps a little too used to it, and when danger arrives, you look out for number one. You

will never willingly enter a combat situation and must attempt to exit immediately if you find yourself in one, and you

must spend a Discipline to attempt to enter an area or circumstance that might have other dangers or participate in

combat. If you do join a dangerous situation, you are automatically Afraid, but can spend Discipline to resist it.

Cursed (1-7)Something horrible afflicts your character, some lasting ailment or malady that the character perhaps acquired through

previous events or possibly was born with, some flaw passed through the blood or perhaps on your entire lineage. The

details and severity of this affliction are variable in nature, though there may be further repercussions than just the curse

itself as people's reactions to one bedeviled can vary wildly. Alternately, you can use this flaw to describe some other

severe defect with your character not covered elsewhere by another flaw.

Hedonist (4)Be it through curiosity or some black attraction, you are at one with the dark side of your soul and feel entitled to all the

temptations that others normally deny. You must spend Discipline to avoid indulging in any of the level 1 Sins when the

opportunity arises.

Honor Code (1-5)The character is honor sworn to a specific set of principles or rules. You determine a number of “Always” or “Never”

statements with no qualifiers such as "unless or" "execpt when" about your character’s personal ethics. Violating these

precepts works exactly as if you were violating your Devotion. For each point this flaw awards, 2 tenants are required.

Infamy (2)You have done some terrible misdeed and the stories of your actions have followed you into certain circles. A title has

been added to your name as well, such as Cain the Butcher or Black Bertrand. You will need to discuss the details of your

reputation with staff. An entry on the website explaining your dastardly deeds.

In a certain specific social arena such as criminals or Paladins, your tarnished reputation will make trouble for you.

Some things are misdeeds to some and a boon to others. If appropriate, you may take the Fame perk along side this flaw.

Memorable (3)

Your bombastic personality, your exaggerated dress, or some other feature about you makes you impossible to forget.

Anyone performing a Streetwise action to follow someone’s actions will also learn of your actions, whether they asked for

it or not.

Naive (3)You're very trusting of people. It's adorable. You may never counter a use of Sincerity used on you. Furthermore, when

someone uses the Sincerity skill on you, you also believe that what they are saying is actually true as if they had used

Persuade.

Old Wounds (2, 4 or 6)You bear the old scars of previous conflict, having some injury from a previous encounter that haunts you to this day.

You begin play with a Maim effect. This can be purchased multiple times, but more severe maims on a body part

supersede and include more mild ones. For instance, if one cannot walk because of crippled legs, they also cannot run

and cannot jump.

2 points. You have a Mild Maim, such as the inability to jump, or a weak grip that causes you to drop things more easily,

or persistent headaches.

4 points. You have a Severe Maim, such as the inability to run, missing fingers on a hand preventing you from drawing a

bow, or hearing loss.

6 points. You have a Crippling Maim, such as being unable to walk, or a missing hand, or have been blinded.

One Eyed Jack (2)You are blind in one eye and lack depth perception. An eye-patch is required at all times as part of your costume.

One Foot in the Grave (7)Your character is dying. Unless by some miracle, your character will die within one year.

Sick in the Head (3 or 5)3 points. Your character has some severe trauma in their life that has driven them mad. The character begins play with a

Severe Insanity. This Insanity can be suppressed with Discipline and can aggravate to more severe levels but may never

be recovered from past the point of a Severe Insanity.

5 points. Your character's mind is so different, or they have become so unhinged from normal processes that she is

fundamentally and irrevocably insane. The character begins play with a Crippling Insanity, which as above, can never be

recovered from by normal means.

Vainglorious (2)Everyone loves it when their egos are stroked; you just like it much, much more.

You may not counter any use of Sincerity, Seduction or Persuasion while being complimented.

Wicked (2)You've done things in your life that some wouldn't agree with. Moreover, you've done things that most would curse you

for; and you don't especially care. For each level of this flaw, your character begins with 1 Depravity in the sin of your

choice for which the character is completely uninterested in forgiveness for. These points of Depravity cannot be atoned

for without buying off the flaw. This can be taken more than once.

You may not take this Flaw such that it forces you to enter play above your Morality threshold and be already gaining

Insanities.

Dainty (3)You are not one for rough treatment and hard work. Taking a hit to any of your limbs is enough to Down you. If you have

the Pain Tolerance ability, you still remain conscious but you are too overcome by pain to take any actions other than

speaking, moaning and screaming.

ORGANIZATIONS

Membership in some organizations and the special training that they give their members and adherents require the

purchase of a Character Perk. These can be purchased at a later time if membership into these groups is earned in game,

and in this case they can be purchased for the cost listed below without the Glory cost. Beginning a character concept

that has already gone through recruitment and training means that these Perks are acquired during character creation,

and this requires a corresponding amount of Glory to be spent to help ensure the quality and relative scarcity of these

character types.

Most of these require some level of commitment to a world organization which requires certain responsibilities of its

members in exchange for the benefits that are granted, and this is represented by the Duty flaw discussed in each Perk,

which does not yield any experience points when conferred this way. You may still take the Duty Flaw during character

creation, but it represents a different duty than this, perhaps some above and beyond responsibility, or perhaps

something completely unrelated to your affiliations.

If all other pre-requisites are met, it is possible to begin play at a higher rank in an organization than the first, but it

requires that the associated Glory costs be paid over again for each rank above the first. The third rank is the highest

allowed at character creation regardless of circumstance.

Charismata30 Glory, 8 exp

You are gifted since birth with the mark of God. In your childhood you showed unusual talents in leadership and kinship

with your fellow man. Lay-folk often refer to your kind as "Heaven Touched" and see it as a sign of great destiny in you.

Your divinity shows on the surface of your skin as well as on a emotional level. When people see you, they cannot help

but perceive that you are somehow special, and you have great force of personal magnetism. This also allows you to

purchase Paladin abilities. See the Paladin chapter for details. Most Paladins are also members of the Sacred Order of the

White Lion, and take Knighthood as well. This cost includes any Glory costs for Knighthood, but exp must still be spent.

Joining the White Lions confers the Duty flaw (Major Scope, Major Repercussions).

Heir Apparent20 Glory, 6 exp, Noble Only - Requires Highborn merit

You are next or nearly next in line to succeed the throne or lordship of a powerful position in the noble courts such as a

Rogalian Count, or a Gothic Herzog. One day, all of this will be yours - if you can survive long enough to claim it. In your

own country, you can expect good treatment anywhere you go, and if your inheritance comes to fruition, you can expect

to command a large amount of wealth and military power, as well as outranking other Highborn characters in political

matters, forcing them to defer to you in most circumstances.

Knighthood10 Glory, 3 exp

You are a member of an order of Knights, sworn to God and Emperor. The order gives you access to its resources, and in

exchange, you are expected to uphold the orders ideals and interests, and act as protector of an area assigned to you.

This confers personal benefits as well as grants you access to levy military forces to wage war with. Each new degree

confers additional resources and authority to the knight, and gives him command over greater and greater area of land

and military forces. This confers the Duty flaw (Significant Scope, Significant repercussions).

Holy Ordination10 Glory, 2 exp (Glory cost temporarily removed)

You are an ordained priest of your religion. You possess the station of a spiritual leader and you are an authority on the

tenants of your faith. Benalian priests are granted a copy of the Testamonium and are initiated into one of the seven

Holy Orders of the Church, and given their gospel. Even if the Priest is initiated into another Holy Order, he keeps his

Priest Rank across all rituals in that faith. The purchasing of this achievement carries with it the duty flaw (Minor scope,

Significant Repercussions). A priest is required to maintain a virtuous life, and to accept orders from higher ranking

members of his sect.

Shariqyn Magi do not have an organized clergy, but have individuals who personally dedicate themselves to the mystic

arts of Aab'oran, and this merit is the appropriate way to represent that. A Shariqyn magus is seen as a pillar of their

community and should behave as such, but has no special Duty flaw.

Arcane Circle Initiation15 Glory 4 exp

You are well-trained and apprenticed in the occult arts of one of the four magician guilds. You may choose from one of

the four guilds and gain the basic Elemental domain of that guild (Earth, Fire, Water or Air). Subsequent powers and

Domains can be purchased with experience points. The purchasing of this achievement carries the Duty flaw (Significant

Scope, Major Repercussions). When joining a guild and learning its secrets, you become their agent and are trusted to

follow the orders of your superiors. Regardless of the stripe, all the arcane guilds are extremely stratified by their Circle,

and any outranking individual has complete authority over you. Frequently, you will receive orders to you that represent

the guilds interests and may have some long-term goal assigned to you.

Villain concept30+ Glory

Your character concept is that of a direct antagonist to the other players, be it a Necromancer or some other heretic, or

something more mundane but just as wicked. The concept contains the potential for significant disruption of the game,

so needs to be handled carefully and with trust.

EQUIPMENT

Characters with the Journeyman perk begin with an amount of silver coins equal to one use of their Vocation. Peasants

take payment in Copper at equal value.

Starting equipment depends on your character's social class:

Choose 3 of the following items - you may choose the same item more than once. If you have the Journeyman perk, you

may substitute any of your 3 items with equipment appropriate to your profession instead.

Peasant:

Professional Tools: (Mining, Farming, Forestry, or Trapping), 10 of any common commodity, any weapon with the Crude

flaw (a farming implement like a hammer or scythe), Draft horse, Peasant Outfit

Gutter:

Any light weapon, Professional tools: (Mechanics, Tailoring, or Apothecary), A set of Light armor, Gutter Outfit

Merchant:

Measuring scales, an empty paper notebook and writing kit, Professional tools: (Any Craft), Traveler's Wagon, Merchant

Outfit

Noble:

Any Medium or Heavy Weapon, A set of Medium Armor, Riding Horse, Land parcel, Noble Outfit

REVELER'S TRAIT

The last step in character creation is to choose your character's Reveler's Trait - their true nature as revealed through the

clarifying power of alcohol. Even if they never become Intoxicated in game, choose what sort of drunk your character

will turn out to be should it happen:

SurlyDecadentAdventurousCantankerousBroodingLoquaciousEnthusiasticAmorousDaring

See the Trade and Production page for details on what game effects each Reveler's Trait has.

BACKGROUND AND SUBMISSION

Finally, submit your character to the Staff for final approval at TheLionAge@googlegroups.com. In that email,

include all of the information above, as well as a character background that tells your character's story up to this point

and gives us a sense of her personality.

A good background should include information especially about conflicts your character has had that developed her into

the person she is, and explain flaws such as Infamy or Enemy. It is a great idea to leave plenty of unfinished business -

Gothic is a game of character-driven drama and how your story interacts with the personal stories of others, so

unfinished business is an excellent way for us to tell stories for your character.

Another excellent tool you should include is 7 or more memories. Memories are simple one-offs that happened to your

character, such as "Once I fell into the river, and my father told me that if I couldn't swim to shore myself, I did not

deserve to be his son," or "On my brother's wedding night, his young wife and I had our final dalliance." These help flesh

out your character with the moments that make them meaningful, and also serve as tools for the Staff to use when telling

your personal story.

It is not absolutely required to submit your background before entering play, though you will be unable to spend

experience to improve your character until you do submit it.

We look forward to hearing your story and helping you tell the rest of it.

A T T R I B U T E S A N D S K I L L S

ATTRIBUTES

Attributes are the core competencies that make up a character's basic capabilities. They represent their physical and

mental aptitudes toward certain tasks and activities, and every character uses these throughout their day to day lives as

well as the dangerous moments of adventure. Every character begins play with all Attributes at their base level by

default, with one Attribute slightly higher than normal. Characters may take lower Attributes as a Flaw for extra points

at Character Creation, or may spend points to increase their Attributes during or after creation.

- Stats Grant 10 exp when taken. Costs 20 exp to return to normal.

o All Stats begin at Ordinary, and have no particular advantage or disadvantage.

● Stats cost 5 exp.

●●Stats cost 10 exp

●●● Stats are not available at creation, and must be earned in game via story with staff approval. They do not cost exp

when earned.

●●●● and Higher grant “Epic Feat of X” and can be used once per rest per step above max, normallynot possible for PCs except under extreme and dangerous circumstances.

STRENGTH

A character's brute physical strength. Strong characters will be burly and powerful, capable of carrying heavy loads and

inflicting more damage with larger weapons.

Level Name Effect

- Feeble The character is exceptionally scrawny and weak, unable to lift his own body weight or stand without help, and cannot climb over anything higher than his waist.

● Strong The character is lean and muscled, able to throw their back into their actions and heft heavy objects easily. Unlocks the Heavy Weapons Skill.

●● Brawny The character is well muscled and imposing, able to direct great amounts of force into their actions. The character gains the Knockback Attacks and Feat of Strength abilities.

●●● Mighty The character is a towering figure of muscle, exuding raw physical power. When his blows crash against their target, there is no hope of stopping them - they are simply too powerful. All Weapons are considered Mighty in your hands

Knockback AttacksThe character is strong enough that lesser opponents are smashed and knocked around the battleground, nearly

knocked off their feet by the force of your blows. Any attack that physically connects, whether it was physically

parried, defended against with a Defense call like Dodge, Parry, or Armor, causes the target to be knocked back,

forcing the player to take one full step in the direction the attack would push them. Knockback hits can be used as

many times as the attacker wishes so long as they use the call.

Preferred Call: A ferocious grunt or roar, "rrrrrRRAAHG!" with the hit.

Secondary Call: "Knockback"

Restriction: Knockback requires the hit to physically connect, but can be used along with a Brawl attack such as

Punch. Characters who are Brawny or stronger are immune to this attack, and can indicate their immunity with

the same ferocious grunt.

Feat of StrengthThe character is able to sustain a great amount of physical force for a time and perform a specific feat. This can be

something like loudly breaking open a door, smashing open a lock (and possibly the contents behind it), carrying

an unconscious person all by one's self, rolling aside a boulder blocking a path, and other examples. The player

can work with the Marshall to perform a Feat of Strength that seems reasonable but isn't otherwise mentioned.

Using a feat of Strength takes 15 seconds of continuous force, repeated smashes or strained exertion.

Preferred Call: A ferocious grunt or roar, "rrrrrRRAAHG!".

Secondary Call: "Strength"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Depending on the circumstances, using a Feat of Strength may have unintended negative

consequences, such as reopening stabilized wounds of someone carried, breaking glass objects inside a smashed

open chest, or even injury in some cases. Using the Feat of Strength means you must accept whatever negative

outcomes might be declared by the Marshall without first knowing what they will be.

SPEED

A character's deftness of hands and feet. Speed embodies the ability to move quickly rather than with force. A fast

character is quick on their feet, graceful, can be seen acting first in a situation and being good with light to medium

weapons.

Level Name Effect

- Clumsy The character is clumsy and awkward. Sleight of hand and quick footwork completely elude her and she seems to take longer to do anything, often making the situation worse trying to compensate with her poor dexterity. Due to her abysmal sense of balance and coordination, all Combat Skills and allPhysical Skills (except Grit) are treated as 1 level lower than they are.

● Graceful The character is well -coordinated and can use their body as one instrument. Unlocks the Mobility Skill.

●● Nimble The character can perform startling bursts of speed and grace that onlookers have trouble even understanding, leaving others totally behind. The character gains the Escape ability.

●●● Quick The character has almost inhuman grace and coordination and can react faster than anyone else, making their strikes impossible to Dodge. All weapons are treated as Quick when you wield them.

EscapeThe character is able to break free of a situation, finding an unlikely route, creating an obstruction, or plainly

outrunning pursuers, and can make a dash for freedom. If a character can get 20 feet from her closest pursuer, she

can use Escape to use her speed or surroundings to prevent pursuers from reasonably continuing the chase.

Preferred Call: "Escape!"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: A character that is just as Nimble as her quarry can match the character speed for speed, path for

path and trick for trick. A character who has the Escape ability available can simply continue the chase as normal,

unaffected by the Escape ability, though doing so consumes theirs as well until they rest.

FORTITUDE

A character's physical endurance and stamina. A character with high fortitude can exert the same physical force for a

much longer duration, such as running a long distance or staying conscious after enduring trauma. This also represents

how physically robust and resilient to harm the character is.

Level Name Effect

- Sickly The character is unhealthy and his constitution is a mess, unable to defend him from daily diseases or other foreign agents in the body. See Sickness & Starvation .

● Solid The character is built sturdy - strong posture and good endurance, able to maintain heavy weights for long periods of time without tiring. Unlocks the Grit skill.

●● Tough The character is extremely robust and enduring, able to shrug off injuries that might kill others, and survive hits that otherwise would injure unhindered. The character gains the Toughness ability.

●●● Stalwart Like an unbending iron bar, the character is incredibly resilient, able through sheer bodily mettle shrug away even the most savage of blows and dreadfully continuing where others would surely be simply dead. The character may take two hits to each hit location on their body before considering that partinjured. This includes Assassination attacks and any other attack that delivers physical damage - it must be rendered at least two times to be effective.

ToughnessYou may call Toughness as a defense against any kind of damaging ability, including any weapon attack, spell,

ranged attack, even if you are in a circumstance that would otherwise not allow you to call any Defenses, such as

Surprised, on Bad Terrain, or any other circumstance. This ability always allows you that extra level of safety no

matter what the case.

Preferred Call: Hold the wounded area and groan defiantly.

Secondary Call: "Toughness"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Toughness may not defend against an Assassination attack. You may not purchase extra uses of

Toughness.

RESOLVE

A character's inner will and determination. Resolve is the ability to persevere through opposition, whether mental or

physical. Someone of weak will is easily tortured for information, convinced to follow, or cowed. Resolve is also the

mental determination to resist surrender and pain, as well as a character's ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

For guild mages, resolve also helps them resist cracking under the tremendous strain of their own power.

Level Name Effect

- Pushover The character is completely lacking in mental discipline and wherewithal, often believing the last thing that someone told him and taking on the opinions of others as necessary to fit in or get by. He may never counter the use of a Social Skill used against him.

● Determined A steely surety backs all the character does, and he is in clear possession of his mental and emotional faculties. Unlocks the Discipline skill.

●● Resolute The character is able to persevere through any difficulty, and can put aside such things as pain and distraction. The character gains the Pain Tolerance ability.

●●● Indomitable Possessed of incredible will and determination, the character takes almost no time for unimportant things. When the situation demands their focus and attention, they can move mountains with their determination. Indomitable characters gain an additional Downtime action that can be put to use ingameplay and can accomplish the same things as normal downtime actions, but over the course of one day, instead.

Pain ToleranceYou can withstand great amounts of pain, and are able to keep your nerve and concentrate even through pain that

would unman others. You are no longer able to be Downed as a normal person might be. Ordinary people collapse

from the pain after losing two limbs, but a character with Pain Tolerance does not. Clean hits to the limbs still

injure that limb, but you may always still fight with and use limbs that are still functional. Even if hit in the torso, a

character with Pain Tolerance will collapse to the ground, but uninjured arms are still working and are dangerous

to their opponents, and they are still fully conscious enough to speak or call for help. Only beating aside the still

working limbs will stop them from attacking, and only a death-blow will silence them. A character with Pain

Tolerance can still be knocked out.

IndomitableWhere others see a task as impossible, you find a damned way. There are times when circumstances demand

action, and others just can't see a way though it. Though your methods are unconventional, when the task

demands it you can move mountains, and can accomplish the result of what would otherwise require a Downtime

action during the course of a day. Be it detonating a section of a mine shaft to get easier access to an iron vein,

inciting a marketplace panic by faking a wheat blight, or by teaching an unconventional lesson with a heart-

stopping object lesson that leaves the learner shaken, if enlightened, you know that however ugly, there is always a

way.

To use this ability, have an idea of what you want to accomplish and how you want to accomplish it. Depending on

the nature of the solution, it may take a certain amount of time to accomplish IC determined by staff. The results

can often affect other characters, such as detonating part of the mine in the above example, and likely will affect

the ongoing story as well as be widely public, depending on the solution presented.

FAITH

A character's strength of ideals and beliefs. Not necessarily one's belief in a deity or religion, faith also encompasses the

degree to which a character will adhere to his or her personal codes and ideals. At character creation, characters are

encouraged to choose something to believe in. Doctrines of the church are a typical selection for any citizen of the

Throne, but Guild Mages can often be found selecting faith in themselves or the magic they wield. A character with high

faith has a deep confidence in their ideals and a natural leadership ability. Faithful characters are also more able to

believe in the power of things beyond their normal ken, and as such, can relate to the effectiveness of Ritual Magic in

regards to the character. Furthermore, the Faith score is also an odd measure of how conservative a character can be and

think. High faith tends to yield less flexible personas as they put great value in their beliefs. Faith also measures the

strength of a character's personal convictions against the expectations of the world, and characters with high Faith can

keep their self-identity more intact than others when faced with decisions others would find questionable, allowing them

more room for Depravity before Insanity takes hold. A normal character can have 5 Depravity before this occurs. An

Affirmed character can have 6, a Faithful character may have 7, and a Zealous character may have 8. Heartless

characters may only have 3.

Level Name Effect

- Heartless The character's complete lack of beliefs and ideals make it impossible for her to feel remorse or empathize with her fellow man. She is unable to lose any Depravity or Insanity.

● Affirmed The character's Faith is a firm pillar in her life, able to be relied upon and believed in, and her life is fully guided by her principles and ideals. Unlocks the Liturgy skill.

●● Faithful The character's devotion to her personal ideals are the fire in her heart, able to push her to action and snuff out remorse and doubt. When acting for her Devotion, she chooses 2 skills to increase by 2. Priests and Paladins gain additional benefits described in their sections.

●●● Zealous Undying fire, relentless prosecution. The character has a drive inside her that is without limits or shame; an unstoppable personality that inspires and terrifies those around her. When acting for her Devotion, she chooses 3 skills to increase by 3. Priests and Paladins gain additional benefits described in theirsections.

INTELLECT

A character's intellect is their ability to process raw information into something immediately useful quickly and easily. A

character with high Intellect can appraise a situation better, as well as perceive their surroundings quickly while taking

relevant note of it. It is also the primary statistic for working magic, as the level of concentration that a magician requires

to channel arcane power is immense. The better a magician's intelligence, the more arcane power they can focus at one

time.

Level Name Effect

- Simple The character is dull of wit, perhaps an error of birth, and cannot speak correctly, use prepositions, or understand any abstract concept, such as a throne is anything but a large chair. The character only knows their native language at character creation.

● Knowledgeable Exposed to a wide array of information and possessing an excellent memory, the character is able to recall vast amounts of knowledge and grasps the fundamentals of learning such that they can teach themselves additional information if need be. Unlocks the Academics Skill.

●● Smart The character has a keen mind that rapidly reacts and can maintain higher learning through continuous, self-driven education. The character gains the Wit ability. Mages increase their ability to channel magical power, detailed in their section.

●●● Brilliant The character's towering Intellect puts him in a class of his own and he sees the world totally differently than his dimmer fellows. The character can think dozens of moves ahead of others, solve problems before they arise and create totally novel ideas that solve existing problems. The character gainsthe Invention ability. Mages further increase their ability to channel magical power, detailed in their section.

WitYou can think on your feet in a way that duller minds can't, and the other people around you are frightfully

predictable. Able to choose the right argument for the right moment, your approach is not only excellent

technically, but also tailored to the poor sap you're using it on. When using a Social Skill, use your other hand to

declare the ranks you have in that skill. If your level of skill exceeds their own, your Social Skills gain the Power

quality, and your opponent must spend two defenses to counter successfully.

InventionYou gain access to a new kind of Downtime action called Invention. Inventions can be used to create entirely new

or unique configurations of production, new solutions to problems, new maneuvers, and other such things. The

ability itself is open-ended in that it can be used for a variety of outcomes that are negotiated with the staff. For

example, one could create a new kind of spring-bound lock that uses "@" as a character code instead of any

known existing code, and the lock would be impossible to bypass without that code, which would need to be

learned either by disassembling that lock or from the inventor himself. The player proposes the new mechanic to

the staff during the game's Downtime and once an agreed upon version of it is reached, any additional needs such

as currency or material costs must be fulfilled and spent to create the new invention.

Restriction: Characters can only create inventions that involve or correspond to skills that he actually possesses

at the appropriate level. For instance, he could not create as Advanced Maneuver for Greatswords without at least

Rank 4 of the Heavy Weapons skill. They can collaborate with another character on it and use their skills,

however, if that character is at least Smart. In such a case, that character must also spend a Downtime action

assisting the inventor.

SKILLSSkills are the learned capabilities of a character, allowing her to improve over time and attain greater levels of mastery in the

kinds of activities she wishes to specialize in. Skills cost 2 times their level in Experience Points to purchase.

Some Skills grant abilities at certain levels that have expended calls, such as earning Leap at Mobility 3. Once earned, additional

uses of called out abilities can be purchased for 1 exp each, which allow additional uses of those abilities. You may purchase up to

5 uses of each ability within a Skill. You get the first use as part of buying that rank of the base Skill.

COMBAT SKILLSWith 0 ranks in a particular weapon skill, you can hold and strike with that category of weapon, but cannot use any powers,

abilities, or physically parry with the weapon. A physical parry counts as a strike to the wielder’s arm.

ArcheryThe Archery skill is training in the ability to accurately fire and load bows and crossbows.

1. May draw, load and fire the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.

2. May call Dodge and Steady with the weapon in hand.

3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

5. Skewer Ability

SkewerPreferred Call: Point at the target and call "Skewer"

Refresh: Rest

You may indicate one target within your bow range and call a hit to a leg that cannot be Dodged.

BrawlThe Brawl skill is the ability to fight effectively with unarmed strikes and prevent others from acting or moving by forcing them

into a grapple. Brawl has two uses, Grab and Punch. Each rank of Brawl allows one additional use of either call that expend

from a common pool. Brawl uses refresh one use every 10 seconds until full again.

Restriction: You must have at least one hand free to use Brawl. Brawl cannot be used on an armed opponent without a

maneuver.

PunchPunches and strikes from the fighter can cause pain and disorientation. Punches count as melee attacks for the purpose of

defense, but can only be attempted against unarmed targets without special training from a maneuver. Depending on the

area touched, the punch has a differing effect. Punches to the limbs give the Pain effect. Punches to the front of the torso

give the target Winded, and punches to the back of the torso give the target Stunned.

Preferred Call: The player must place their open palm on a body part and call "Punch"

Refresh: 10 seconds per additional use.

Restriction: You must have at least one hand free to use Punch.

GrabYou may hold immobile any character that is weaker than you or that cannot break free of your grapple. Targets can

expend Grabs of their own if they have them to cancel your Grab or they can call the name of your Strength rating, (ie,

Strong, Brawny ) if they believe that they are the stronger character. Stronger characters can always break free of weaker

characters and can continue to use their strength as a defense. If the aggressor is stronger than their target, they may drag

their target away at a walking pace.

After a defense is called to cancel a grapple, you may break free after 3 seconds if the aggressor does not call an additional

Brawl to keep you restrained. This continues until the defender escapes or is unable or unwilling to call additional

defenses to escape. During a grapple, neither target may use the Parry skill or any weapon but Light Weapons. If an

additional character dogpiles on the victim of the original Grapple by placing his hand on their shoulder as well, that

character may use his own Grab skill to cancel attempts to escape and is considered part of the grapple and subject to the

same restrictions.

Grab begins with a single use, like other skills, and can be increased from there.

Preferred Call: Place hand on target's shoulder or limb and call "Grab"

Refresh: 10 seconds per additional use.

Restriction: You must have at least one hand free to use Grab.

DodgeThe Dodge skill is training in high speed combat dodges, relying on swift, sudden movement that spoils the aim of melee attacks,

spells, and ranged attacks. Dodge cancels all damaging attacks that hit the character during a Clash, except those hits which have

the "Quick" perk. Quick hits bypass Dodge. Additional ranks of this Skill grant additional uses of Dodge.

Preferred Call: Discard blue Dodge seal.

Secondary Call: "Dodge"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Dodge cannot be used while wearing Medium or Heavy Armor.

FirearmsThe Firearms skill is training with dwarven-made long rifles and manmade pistols, their maintenance and firing operations.

Preferred Call: Capgun shotSecondary Call: "BANG!"Restriction: Firearms may not be used to physically parry or call Parry defenses.

1. May fire, reload, and maintain the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.

2. May call Dodge and Steady with the weapon in hand.

3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

5. Quick Draw Ability

Quick DrawPreferred Call: Point at a target within range and call "BANG!"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Must have a firearm on your person and available.

You may indicate a target and then declare a hit on any location on their body, which may be defended against normally,

and then draw your firearm afterward.

Heavy WeaponsThe Heavy Weapons skill is training with large, two-handed weapons of a size 42 and larger.

1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.

2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.

3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

5. Cleave Ability

CleavePreferred Call: "Cleave"

Refresh: Rest

You may swing your sword in a 180 degree arc in front of a set of nearby opponents and declare a hit zone. Each of them

take a hit to the desired location, which can be defended against normally.

Light WeaponsThe Light Weapons skill is training with small, light weapons that are good for tight spaces and sudden attacks, of a size of 24

inches or shorter.

1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.

2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.

3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

5. Slice Ability

SlicePreferred Call: Point to a target in melee range and call "Slice"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Must have a light weapon on your person and available

You may indicate a target and then declare a hit on any location on their body, which may be defended against normally,

and then draw your light weapon afterward.

Medium WeaponsThe Medium Weapons skill is training with the broad category of balanced weapons between 24 and 42 inches in length.

1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.

2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.

3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.

5. Beat Ability

BeatPreferred Call: "Beat"

Refresh: Rest

You can strike an opponent's weapon once, batting a weapon out of the way or otherwise challenging their guard before

your strike, and then continue on to hit the opponent successfully, requiring defensive calls as normal. Normally, a

weapon interfering significantly with your attack makes it ineffective.

ParryThe Parry skill is training in deflecting incoming melee attacks using your weapon or shield, batting aside harm with physical

force. Parry cancels all damaging attacks that hit the character during a Clash, except those hits which have the "Mighty" perk.

Mighty hits bypass Parry. Additional ranks of this Skill grant additional uses of Parry.

Preferred Call: Discard red Parry seal.

Secondary Call: "Parry"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Parry can only be used with a weapon or shield currently equipped. Parry cannot be used with firearms or bows.

ShieldsThe Shields skill is training with the proper use of shields to deflect incoming attacks while still maintaining your overall ability

to remain combat aggressive. Carrying a shield with 0 ranks in the skill, or using a shield that is too large for your skill level

means that the object is weird and ungainly, as much hindrance as help, and gives you the Encumbered condition.

1. Small Shields (10" in diameter, approximately 113 sq inches)

2. Medium Shields (21" in diameter, approximately 346 sq inches)

3. Large Shields (Anything larger than a medium shield is a large shield)

4. Shield Bash - Knock down one opponent. They must touch both hands to the ground before they can resume fighting.

5. Block Ability

BlockPreferred Call: "Block"

Refresh: Rest

Restriction: Must have a shield out and ready

You may completely ignore the effects of one projectile, including any War Magic.

SteadyThe Steady skill is training for a disciplined fighter to resist tricks and special attacks that might otherwise disable or impede

them in combat. Steady cancels any debilitating status effect that might occur in the midst of combat such as Disarm, Blind,

Bleed, Pain, Knockdown or otherwise. Each use of Steady cancels all existing applicable effects at once. Additional ranks in this

Skill grant additional uses of Steady.

Preferred Call: Discard black Steady seal.

Secondary Call: "Steady"

Refresh: Rest

PHYSICAL SKILLS

FinesseThe Finesse skill is proficiency with subtle, graceful, and perfect movement and attention to detail.

1. Concealment: Without higher ranks in the Perception skill than your Finesse skill, objects, weapons, treasure or anything else

that can be hidden on your person cannot be found in a Search.

2. Legerdemain: You can wriggle free of ropes, manacles and other restraints with about 30 seconds of effort, or squeeze

through a really tight space that you can get your head through. You can also use this ability to cheat when gambling:

You may place as many dice as your Finesse level on whatever result you wish, or keep a number of cards equal to your

Finesse rating in reserve and switch them out invisibly. It takes Perception equal to your Finesse to detect this action.

3. Pickpocket: You get 1 special clothespin per rank of Finesse. If you can pin it upon a pouch or bag without them noticing, a

Marshal will go to the person after a time and retrieve a random item from that container. If you suggest a specific item you think

is there, the Marshall will get that item, but if it is not there, the attempt fails to get anything. Multiple pins can be placed upon

the same container, but must be done one at a time. This can also be used to place items on a character, if necessary.

4. Forgery: Your steady hands allow you to perfectly mimic a signature or wax seal, as well as the talent to age paper and other

effects to make a document look believable. This takes half an hour and produces a perfect replica - no mundane form of

detection can find the fault. If you have the Literacy ability, you can forge whole letters this way.

5. Weak-Point: You can aim for the tiny connecting points in armor with exceptional accuracy, giving any weapon you throw the

Driving perk.

GritThe Grit skill is the gradual toughing of the body and mind to endure great amounts of pain, shrug off sickness, and otherwise

remain ready to act, even when in poor condition.

When a character with the Grit skill is Battered after nearly dying, the character is still beaten and hurt, but overall functional.

The injuries as well as the pain and distraction mean that all of a character's Skills are capped at the user's Grit rating. Thus, a

character with Grit 2 would be able to use any of their skills at level 2. This effect occurs automatically if a character recovers

from the Downed condition. She fights through the pain and can push herself to the point of partial functionality. A character

with at least one rank in the Grit skill can also hobble at a limp even if both legs are injured, where weaker characters would need

to be supported by someone else. Grit does not allow a character to fight longer in a combat situation, only remain more

functional after the trauma, shock and blood loss of the Downed condition.

Grit is also be used to reduce or resist the effects of poisons and other drugs. The level of any drug, harmful or otherwise, is

automatically reduced in efficacy by your levels of Grit. Similarly, Grit gives your character resistance to diseases, and reduces

their effect and duration.

StealthThe Stealth skill is training in careful balance, concealment and quiet grace that allows the user to remain unseen whether still or

moving. For each rank of the Stealth skill, the character may take one slow, crouching step from their original point of activating

stealth. These steps are performed from a fully crouched position and can be no farther than a single leg extension. After all steps

are exhausted, in order to take more steps the character must leave Stealth for at least 3 seconds, and then re-enter it. Entering

stealth requires being against a wall, a corner, or full or partial cover, and requires dark clothing to be worn. Very dark shadows

count as partial cover for Stealth. Taking steps in stealth while wearing Medium or Heavy Armor counts as "making noise" per

Alertness.

If a character is in stealth and they are able to gently place their weapon under the chin of a character who is not Alerted, they

can Down that character with a single attack at will, or keep them at their mercy. This is referred to as an Assassination attack.

The victim may not call any defenses against Assassination, including Toughness. Stalwart characters are treated as Winded

instead of Downed by this attack. Normal attacks made from stealth (non-assassination attacks) cause the character to leave

Stealth.

Preferred Call: Silently cross hands or weapons above your head.

Secondary Call: "Stealth"

Restriction: Dark clothing, must be against a wall, corner or have partial cover. You may not successfully enter Stealth without

breaking line of sight for a character you wish to hide from.

MobilityThe Mobility skill is training in climbing, running, jumping, acrobatics and other difficult feats of personal movement.

1. Footwork: You can move normally through Bad Terrain. Bad Terrain is anything specifically delineated so, and any area of

thick and dense foliage off of the normal trails. Ordinarily, Bad Terrain requires both feet on the ground at all times to move

through.

2. Climb ability

ClimbPreferred Call: Place hand on a tall object and say "Climb."

Restriction: Must have at least one hand free.

Climbing allows a character to be assumed to be upon an object up to 10 feet tall. Any Ranged attacks must be performed

by characters that are an appropriate distance backward from the target. Characters who climb can run their hand along

the surface of the object to indicate that they are moving along the upper side of the object, such as a building. Climb ends

when you remove your hand, and you are assumed to have climbed down.

If another character uses Climb, they may engage you normally, and both of you are assumed to be standing on top of the

object. If either character takes damage or is forced to remove their hand from the surface, they fall and suffer whatever

consequences are appropriate, usually a hit to the body that can only be stopped with Toughness. If a character removes

her hand willingly while not otherwise harassed, she can climb down safely. Climbing while in Stealth uses 1 step.

3. Leap Ability

LeapPreferred Call: Point to a spot you wish to leap within 10 feet and call "Leap"

Refresh: Rest

When a character uses Leap, they immediately change positions to that location, even if there would be otherwise

impeding obstacles such as a gap or enemy combatants. If necessary, a soft pause in action will occur to allow the location

shift to happen. Leap can be called while using Climb to reach the top of an object within range, and the character is

assumed to land on top of the new location where Climb continues as before. Leaping while in Stealth uses 1 step.

4. Hammerfall: You may perform a type of leap attack on someone below you. This requires you to have already climbed above

them using the Climb ability (or be naturally above them at least 5 feet) followed by a use of the Leap ability once they are within

10 feet of you. An immediate attack against your target gains the Mighty and Driving perks. In addition, the character can always

safely fall or jump downward without risking injury or negative effects.

5. Evasion: Immediately after you are struck in combat or any other time you wish, you may take a tumble as per the Tumble

Maneuver. Doing so grants you one free Dodge which must be used immediately.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

MercantileThe Mercantile skill represents an understanding of business practices, a head for commerce, and professional acumen that

allows financial ventures to thrive. Knowledge of advanced financial tactics such as futures and loans, undercutting, market

manipulation, debt leverage, arbitrage and other techniques makes characters with this skill shrewd businessmen.

1. Appraise: The character is provided with a list of current prices of relevant goods at start of game. This is the price that trading

guilds will charge for goods.

2. Haggling: The character gains the Haggle ability.

HagglePreferred Call: Same as appropriate social skill

Secondary Call: "Haggle, Persuade."

Refresh: Rest

The character gains one free use of Persuade, Seduce, or Sincerity in a financial matter.

3. Contracts: You have the knowledge of language to dictate or write a valid contract. Writing it down still requires Literacy, but

you may dictate to another if necessary.

4. Investment - The character may invest commodities or coin in either a risky or conservative investment. One season

later, you will get a return on your investment according to a die roll.

Risky: d10: 1-5: Total loss. 6-7: 100% gain 8 200% gain 9: 250% gain 10: 400% gain

Conservative: d10: 1: total loss, 2: half loss, 3-8: 20% gain, 9: 50% gain, 10: 100% gain.)

5. Marketeer: The character may spend a Downtime action to manipulate commodity prices, either doubling or halving

the trade guild price of one commodity, such as emeralds, gunpowder, or hard iron. The prices return to normal next

game session.

GATHERING SKILLS

All Gathering skills require Professional Tools: (Specific Gathering Skill) to perform this action. Herbalism is an exception to this

rule.

Note that when Gathering occurs over a Downtime, it is automatically taxed. The amount listed is the amount after taxes. The

city rulership takes 5 units for every 1 unit the player leaves with which go into the city's resource stockpiles to be used at the

discretion of the ruling lord.

Poaching is not impossible, but the penalty for doing so and being caught is death.

FarmingThe Farming skill allows the character to get food and textiles from the land by spending their Downtime managing a farm or

ranch. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of textile or food resource. The

quality of the resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the pastures. Inside the pastures,

the character can gain meat and wool. Outside the pastures, characters earn hemp and vegetables by farming on scrubland that

doesn't support animal ranching. Farmers can choose food or textiles for their payout.

1: 1 food or textile

2: 2 food or textiles

3: 4 food or textiles

4: 8 food or textiles

5: 16 food or textiles

Forestry

The Forestry skill allows the character to perform logging and lumberjacking in the wilderness by spending their Downtime

logging. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of lumber resource. The

quality of the lumber resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the Old Growth Forests.

Inside the old forest, the character earns Hardwood lumber. Outside the forest, characters earn Softwood lumber by foresting

what they can in other areas.

1: 1 lumber

2: 2 lumber

3: 4 lumber

4: 8 lumber

5: 16 lumber

HerbalismEvery dawn at game, staff will tag plants in the surrounding environs with brightly colored numbered tags. Only characters with

Herbalism can see and collect these tags.

See Herbs in the Trade and Production area for more details.

1. 1 trait revealed

2. 2 traits revealed

3. 3 traits revealed

4. Cultivate: You are able to maintain a garden of your own wild plants and are able to domesticate them. By destroying an

herb for its seeds and other materials, you can cultivate a new generation of it. One Season after using Cultivate, you gain

1d10 new plants of the same type as you planted. You may Cultivate up to 5 plants at once.

5. Cross-Breeding: You are able to hybridize plants to breed herbs to your specific needs. At the start of each game, you

receive an herb with the traits of your choice.

MiningThe Mining skill allows the character to prospect and extract ore and metal from the earth by spending their Downtime mining.

For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of ore resource. The quality of the ore

resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the mine. Inside the mine, the character earns

Hard Iron. Outside the mine, characters earn Soft Iron by mining shallow claims on the surface.

1: 1 ore

2: 2 ore

3: 4 ore

4: 8 ore

5: 16 ore

Trapping

The Trapping skill allows the character to hunt and trap in the wilderness by spending their Downtime setting and retrieving

traps. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of leather resource. The quality

of the leather resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the Hunting Runs. Inside the runs,

the character earns Heavy leather. Outside the runs, characters earn Scrap leather by trapping various small game in the

wilderness.

1: 1 leather

2: 2 leather

3: 4 leather

4: 8 leather

5: 16 leather

CRAFT SKILLS

Craft skills are a subsection of Professional skills. All craft skills require Professional Tools (Specific Craft) in order to use the

skill.

Leatherworking1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.

2. Create goods from scrap leather

3. Create goods from treated leather

4. Customize leather goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.

5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Woodworking1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.

2. Create goods from softwood

3. Create goods from hardwood

4. Customize wooden goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.

5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Metalworking1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.

2. Create goods from soft iron

3. Create goods from hard iron

4. Customize metal goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.

5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Tailoring1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.

2. Create goods from hemp

3. Create goods from wool

4. Customize cloth goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.

5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

MechanicsUsed to understand machines, pick locks, disarm traps.

Each rank gives you 3 letters from the Alphabet. If you have all letters on a lock, trap or device, you can bypass for just you or

disable it completely. If you find a device with codes you don’t know, you can try to retrieve it and spend a downtime breaking it

down to get any codes you didn’t have an open the lock in downtime. Devices have 1 code on them per Rank. There may be other

codes that do not come from the alphabet. These can only be learned by breaking down the device or through Invention.

ApothecaryUses herbs to create drugs, poisons and poultices, and food tags to create intoxicants. Higher levels allow different methods of

delivery.

1. Ingested (swallowed voluntarily only)

2. Intravenous (applied to a blade or needle)

3. Refinement - You may use a second herb to refine the base for later Apothecary work. You may use two herbs to either produce

one new herb with 3 traits chosen from among the two herbs, or make a new herb with all 6 traits of both bases. This takes 1

hour.

4. Inhaled (Holding your hand over your mouth/nose ahead of time blocks 100%, otherwise, always hits everyone in the area)

5. Contact (Needs skin contact to deliver)

LIFE SKILLS

SOCIAL ABILITIES

Social skills may be used to add additional effectiveness to otherwise straightforward attempts to convince, cow, lie to and bargain

with other characters. Some characters are more skilled at this than their players might be, and these skills can help those

characters accomplish their social objectives. So long as the character meets the requirements of the skill in question, the Skill's

effect occurs and any other characters that the user is engaging in conversation are affected. Characters that do not wish to be

affected may resist by expending a use of the same skill to counter, or using the Discipline skill. Those characters simply match

the hand sign for the skill with their own hand sign to show that they remain unaffected. Using a social skill to counter another

social skill consumes one of the defending character's uses of that skill. Characters have as many uses as their ranks in the

appropriate Skill of each ability.

SincerityThe Sincerity skill is expertise in convincing others that you are sincere. Characters subject to Sincerity will believe that you are

sincere; even if they don't believe that what you are saying is true, they will believe that you have no reason to deceive them.

Thus, a character could not be convinced that day is night, but could be convinced that you believe that. In absence of other

proof, characters will generally take what you are saying as truth. For example, "There is no way we are the ones who robbed your

storehouse, we couldn't have even done anything with those goods anyway. (Sincerity sign)" Note that Sincerity can be used on

statements that are not themselves untrue or actually deceptive if you need to seem especially credible. Thus, not all uses of the

Sincerity skill can always be automatically considered to be covering up for lies. Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional

uses of Sincerity.

Preferred Call: Crossed-Fingers gesture

Secondary Call: "Sincerity"

Requires: Absence of hard proof. The proof must be immediately present and able to be pointed to.

Refresh: Rest

IntimidateThe Intimidate skill is expertise in preying on fear to achieve your ends. Characters subject to Intimidate will back down, do as

you say, and generally give up their resistance, at least for now. Intimidation has a sharp, powerful effect that relies on nothing

except a credible threat, but breaks down quickly when the user is no longer present. So long as the user of Intimidate is present

and can maintain their threat, the intimidated individual will do as they say. Threats need not always be physical in nature - they

can be social, financial or even spiritual. For example, "You're going give me everything that is in that shipment, or else the

Father Bishop will have to hear about your deal with the Duke. (Intimidate sign)" Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional

uses of Intimidate.

Successful uses of Intimidate inflict the Fear condition on the victim.

Preferred Call: Brandished Fist gesture

Secondary Call: "Intimidate"

Requires: Credible threat. The threshold is that it be dangerous enough that the target would at least "think twice."

Refresh: Rest

SeduceThe Seduce skill is expertise in getting what you want by way of temptation and exchange. Characters subject to Seduce will

accept the deal that they are being offered, even if that deal is only implied or somewhat unfavorable. As long as something is

being offered in exchange for whatever the character is asking for, they will begin to fulfill their end of the arrangement, even if

the only payment that ever actually comes is more promises. For example, "I think you know what would make me happy. I just

can't get anything done with her always ordering me around. If I had more time from her, I'd have more time for you...(Seduce

sign)." Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of Seduce.

Preferred Call: Mouth touching gesture

Secondary Call: "Seduce"

Requires: An offer of exchange. The threshold is that the offer must be something that the target would at least consider

accepting, even for a moment.

Refresh: Rest

DisciplineThe Discipline skill is a character's strict code of conduct and strong personal control. It allows the character to resist the wiles of

others, maintain their current mental focus, and resist things like fear or madness that may deter them from their course.

Discipline may be used to counter the Sincerity, Persuade, Intimidate and Seduce skills. For example, "Orders are orders; there is

no way you are getting through this door tonight without a written letter of introduction. (Discipline sign)"

It may also be used to resist the effects of certain kinds of mental influences, such as Insanities, Fear, or spells that control the

subject's mind or emotions, for one minute by expending Discipline. Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of

Discipline.

Preferred Call: Dismissive wave gesture

Secondary Call: "Discipline"

Refresh: Rest

PersuadeThe Persuade skill is expertise at framing convincing arguments and, whether passionately or logically, convincing others of your

way of thinking. Characters subject to persuasion have their mind changed on one single point of reasonable fact or opinion, and

that opinion remains changed relatively for good, unless it is the subject of further persuasion by another character, or some

other significant life change causes a legitimate new change of opinion. Most issues are relatively complex, and have several

different points which make up the issue. A given person may have perhaps five or six good reasons that they are a member of a

given faction, and each would need to be overcome with a reasonable argument one at a time, each using a different use of the

Persuade skill and a reasonable argument to accompany it. For example, "We need to get inside the gate. You can see by our

clothes that we are merchants, not bandits. (Persuade sign)." Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of Persuade.

Preferred Call: Thumbs-up gesture

Secondary Call: "Persuade"

Requires: A reasonable argument

Refresh: Rest

PerformanceThe Performance skill is the ability to, when given attention, tap into true emotional content and express that to others in a way

that pulls at their own emotions. It includes singing, dancing, playing all manner of musical instruments, inspirational oration,

even sexual intimacy. In order to use the Performance skill, you must perform in the manner of your choosing and have your

audience's relatively full attention for a minimum of five minutes. Hope is awarded after the performance is finished in total.

Performers may give 1 Hope to all those who receive their performance. If the Performer spends Hope of their own with their

Performance to add the necessary emotional content to make the piece powerful and connect with others, they instead

grant Hope equal to their Performance ranks. Characters that currently have Despair cannot benefit from Hope, but instead gain

some slight reprieve from their sorrow. Instead of Hope, such characters feel as though they have no Despair for 20 minutes per

Hope they would have gained. They still may not gain Hope during this period, but their skills return to normal, for a time.

If more than one performers work together, the Performance counts as the highest Performance plus 1 for each other performer

with at least one rank. Musical Instruments count as their own assistance, as if the musician had extra accompaniment.

Preferred Call: Hold up a number of fingers equal to the Hope granted after a piece, or take a number of appreciative bows

equal to the Hope granted.

Secondary Call: "Take Hope 3"

Requires: An actual performance and 5+ minutes of attention.

Restriction: You cannot be affected by a Performance unless the artists has more ranks in Performance than you do. Members

of the audience who receive Hope cannot gain it again from the same Performer until they have used or lost what they gained last

time.

Streetwise

Those with the Streetwise skill are adept at traveling the streets unnoticed and knowing who to talk to for information.

You may use Streetwise as a Downtime action. For each rank of this ability, you may follow the activities of one

character. For each character so inquired after, you will get the broad details of their Downtime action. You cannot track

the activities of a character with more Streetwise than you have.

Streetwise can also be used to track down or get in contact with local individuals in the city by being aware of their

habits, schedules, and frequented locations, as well as just plain knowing about them at all in some cases. The more

public a figure, the less Streetwise it takes to be able to know who they are and get in contact with them. A public official

might take only 1 Streetwise, while a secretive crime lord might require 5 to pin down.

When using Streetwise for any of its above functions, you may also choose to start a rumor with no risk of it coming back

to you (unless of course your actions are marked by another using Streetwise!). Such rumors can be anything you wish,

and will be read during the opening announcements the following game session.

SurvivalThe Survival skill is expertise with the wilderness and its environs. Those with this skill can survive on their own in the deep

woods and can follow the tracks of animal or human prey.

1. Trailblazing: You may use specifically designated "shortcut" paths, as well as guide others through them. These cut down on

the time it takes to traverse the game site. You may also fire ranged weapons from these locations and cannot be approached by

those who do not have this skill or a guide.

2. Huntsman - You also are able to provide enough food from the wild in the form of gathered foods and wild game to keep

yourself fed between events without supplemental food necessary.

3. Spoor - You may spot Track cards that have been posted, and can identify whether they are the tracks of beasts or humans. You

may also learn the quantity of individual tracks, other details, as well as follow the tracks to their destination.

4. Tracking: You may call "Tracking" once and clap three times. Everyone who hears you clap must respond by clapping.

You may continue to clap every 15 seconds. In order to track a target who responded to your clap, you must go to the

spot where you heard the last clap before issuing a new tracking call or clap. In order to use Tracking on a character

using Stealth, you must be Alert.

5. Untrackable: You do not need to respond to Tracking calls.

EtiquetteThe Etiquette skill is the ability to manage the expectations and customs of various kinds of people, whether that is respecting

their traditions or tactically breaking them for additional effect, knowing exactly what sorts of things are within the line, and what

is outside of it. Those trained in this skill make excellent courtiers and can strategically work their way into important positions

by ruining enemies and comporting themselves gracefully with allies.

1: Courtier: Able to ask as an OOC question what anyone’s culture is and their class within that culture, unless that character has

a higher rank in Etiquette than you do.

2: Tact: You may take back something unfortunate that you just said by calling Etiquette, so long as it is used quickly after. If

you have Tact, you may also use this to cancel someone else's use of Etiquette.

3: Proclamation: You know how to take command of a gathering, and use body language and poise in such a way that you are

clearly in charge, and everyone else feels uncomfortable interrupting. You may hold your hand out in front of you at eye level to

indicate Proclamation. Anyone who sees this sign will quiet down and listen to you speak, and no one may interrupt you while

you maintain this gesture. This time may include the use of social skills. Characters with the Proclamation ability may use the

gesture themselves to act normally, which may return to them the ability to counter your socials with their own (aside from

Discipline). Any character may still take physical actions as normal.

4: Double-talk: You may say something vaguely related, then say something entirely different privately to one character,

accompanied by a social skill if you choose to so long as it meets the requirements for that skill. The first message is the

only thing actively heard by any listener, but the effect of your subtext works as normal.

5: Ridicule: Your knowledge of custom and courtesy is so powerful that you can startle and cut with choice words that violate

expectations. After delivering a truly quality insult, the target of your barb is so off their game they may not use any social skills

either actively or to counter for the rest of the encounter, and gains a point of Despair. This can affect a target once per

encounter.

PerceptionThe Perception skill is the art of being aware of one's surroundings to a higher degree than those without the skill. Perceptive

individuals can spot inconsistent details and become aware when there is a threat present, perhaps quickly enough to save their

life or the lives of others from hidden dangers.

1. Search: Gain ability to Search an area for hidden items, notice “Hidden” World Tags. Search takes 30 seconds, during which

you should roleplay searching the room’s hiding spots. Any hidden objects still in the room within 30 seconds are discovered.

2. Alertness: Become Alert from fairly loud noises created by a Stealthed character (snapped twig, knocked over rocks, etc).

Medium and Heavy armor are assumed to cause such noise when moving.

3. Reveal: Gain the ability to Reveal stealthed characters. Revealing takes 30 seconds, during which time you should roleplay

searching the room’s hiding spots. Characters still in a 20 foot area at the end of that time are discovered.

4. Watchfulness: Become Alert by a Stealthed character taking steps in your eye line.

5. Vigilance: Become Alert by seeing a Stealthed character unmoving at talking (and thus listening) distance.

Academics

The Academics skill is not specific knowledge itself, but rather the foundations of knowledge. Characters with high levels

of Academics are literate and well-read, familiar with the works of great thinkers, but also have an understanding of how

to effectively order and present information to others in a way that makes such knowledge easier to understand. Their

own careful analysis of knowledge and information allows them the basic skills necessary to learn more, cross-reference

sources, and with access to a basic library use secondary sources to gain understanding in all sorts of arenas.

The product of a Academic research is called a Focus. Foci can be either a strong grasp of certain kinds of information,

or can be specialized techniques that come from deep expertise in a field as well as further research and

experimentation.

Basic Foci can be gained from the Research Downtime Action granted by the Literacy ability, provided that the character

has access to a Library. These grant solid understanding of one specific area of study that is relatively common

knowledge, at least among some major group. Examples of Basic Foci are: Throne, Law, Church, Magic, Rogalia,

History, Templars. For any Focus you possess, you may ask Staff or a Rules Marshal for detailed information on the

subject as often as you wish, and can be said to be well-versed in the entire subject matter.

As well, a Focus can relate to another Skill that the researcher possesses, looking deeply into the fundamental theories

behind the skill and it's processes. The details and abilities of Skill Foci can be suggested by players and approved by

Staff. A basic focus can improve some aspect of the skill in a minor way, such as "Seduce: Bribery - If your offer to your

target is in the form of money, your Seduce gains Power" or "Mobility: Wolf Leap - You may add a tumble to your Leap

uses to extend the distance travelled before action resumes."

An Advanced Focus is information or knowledge that is secret or possessed by a rare few. These are things such as

Focus: Kuarlites or Focus: Vampires, as well as more powerful skill Foci such as "Mercantile: Escape Clause - You may

re-roll unsatisfactory results on your Investments once" or "Academics - Cryptography: You can encode anything you

write with special codes that only you and those you teach how can read. Similar to Mechanics, you gain 3 codes for each

level of Academics you possess, and can Research more with further study, producing a cypher with as many codes as

your level in Academics with the same requirements to break as a lock."

Advanced Foci cannot be researched, and require direct instruction from a given expert. The usual way that such

instruction comes about is through membership in a Trade Guild, who make it their business to import and secure

experts in various fields to support their work. Advanced Foci are usually considered trade secrets and not meant to be

taught outside the Guild without permission.

Foci can be taught to others. If they meet the Academics requirement, a Basic Focus costs 1 exp and an Advanced Focus

costs 3. If the student does not meet the Academics requirement, they may still purchase it, for 2 additional experience

points. Knowledge Foci appropriate to one's life experience can be purchased at character creation. Every character

gains their Cultural focus for free.

1. Gain the Instruction Ability

InstructionTeacher and Pupil spend a downtime action in training, and the pupil can purchase a skill rank, attribute, ability or

anything else the teacher knows at 1 exp less than normal.

2. Gain the Literacy Ability.

LiteracyYou are capable of reading and writing the written word. This gives you access to a vast host of resources and the ability to

perform the Research Downtime actions for various uses that may call for it. You may also participate in in-character

written conversation and post notes in public places using the game forums, as well as read and understand those same

notes.

3. Gain access to research Basic Foci. Gain three Basic Foci of your choice.

4. Gain the fundamentals for Advanced Foci. Gain one Advanced Focus of your choice.

5. Pedagogue: As per Instruction, but you may reach up to five pupils at once, or you may have a single protégé and

reduce their cost by 2 for anything you teach them.

LeadershipLeadership allows you to form and manage a team that can coordinate and work together effectively. Your team always includes

yourself, and can include an additional 2 people per rank of Leadership you have. Each person in the group must spend 1 xp to

join the group to solidify their membership. Any member of the group may donate their downtime action to the leader of the

group who may spend them however he wishes within his own ability, as if he himself had the additional Downtime actions to

use personally. Members of the team may also give their Downtime actions to one another to assist their teammates, though

members who are not the leader can only receive one extra Downtime in this way.

Leaders who have other Leaders in their group can receive downtime actions from others in their fealty chain, donated up a tier.

The Leader of the group must have the highest (or equal) Leadership ranks. Another in the group with higher Leadership

automatically becomes the Leader.

In Warfare, ranks in Leadership are the amount of units you may give orders to in a single downtime and the amount of troops

you can raise with a Levy.

LiturgyLiturgy is the sincere dedication to the holy scriptures and the way it impacts the person so dedicated. People with high

Liturgy skill know the words and meanings of their holy scriptures inside and out, and can recite them from memory.

Holding the deep understanding in their soul at all times grants them a fire and a fervor that allows them to accomplish

great works, and to rekindle their own personal fire.

Priests use Liturgy to perform their holy rituals supplicating for divine intercession. For more information on Holy

Ritual, see the Holy Covenants section.

1. Dogma - You may invoke the scriptures to affect those around you.

2. Ardor - You may pray or study the scriptures for 5 minutes, after which time you gain 1 Hope. This may also be the

time you spend to invoke the Prayer ability.

3. Conviction - Whenever you expend Willpower or Prayer, you also lose 1 Despair.

4. Fervor - For every 5 minutes you pray or study the scriptures, you gain 1 Hope, and may continue to do so as long as

you wish, to the maximum of 5 Hope. Like Ardor, this may also be time spent to invoke the Prayer ability.

5. Zeal - By spending 5 Hope, you may refresh a spent use of Prayer or Willpower, normally only usable once per day.

You may benefit from Zeal a number of times equal to your dots of Faith per day,

DogmaThe words of Holy Benalus have special meaning to you, and when you use them as your own, the resonance is powerful.

If you make a direct quote from the Testimonium that is relevant to your cause, it counts as a free use of any social skill.

You may only use each quote once for each social encounter.

C H A R A C T E R D E V E L O P M E N T

Don't you see my pupil. When you kill a man, you not only nullify everything he was, but also everything he will be.Death rings across ages. It is like a savage roar across time. See how you gasp for breath? It is your very futureforsaking you. See how it drains out of you into the earth? How, in time, it will leave your body cold and inert? But donot worry, your death shan't be in vain. I believe deeply in second chances. I shall save you from your fate as simpledust. I will give you a new future; One where you don't try to betray me.

After character creation, your character is not static. As he or she develops throughout the course of her adventure in

Gothic: the Lion Age, your character will have the opportunity to learn more about herself, gain new skills, overcome

character flaws, purchase new abilities and otherwise become a more developed character. This happens through the

acquisition of Experience Points, which can be devoted to different aspects of character improvement.

Explanations of what sorts of things can be purchased with Experience Points appear throughout the game rules, but

they are summarized here for ease.

The following are general advantages that apply to any kind of character, and their appropriate costs.

Advantage Experience Cost

New Skill Ranks 2 times the new Skill Rank

Increasing an Attribute to • 5 Experience

Increasing an Attribute to •• 10 Experience

Increasing an Attribute to ••• Awarded Only

Basic Focus 3 Experience, or 1 with Academics 3 or Higher

Advanced Focus 5 Experience, or 3 with Academics 4 or Higher

New Language 1 Experience, Appropriate Cultural Focus

Gain a Perk after Character Creation 2 times the Perk Cost, Appropriate Roleplay

Shed a Flaw after Creation 2 times the Flaw value, Appropriate Rolepaly

The following chart relates to specific abilities purchased, and usually grant some new capabilities to the character.

Abilities Experience Cost

Additional Skill use (e.g. Leap, Haggle, Slice, etc) 1 Experience, maximum of 5 uses total

Basic Combat Maneuver 1 Experience

Advanced Combat Maneuver 5 Experience

New Arcane Domain 1 Experience

Basic Arcane Technique 2 Experience

Advanced Arcane Technique 4 Experience

New Arcane Circle 4 times the new Circle spent between Techniques, Promotion

New Knight Degree 3 times new Degree, Promotion

New Priest Rank 2 times new Rank, Promotion

Holy Rites 1 Experience each

Paladin Powers 5 times their Tier

EARNING EXPERIENCE POINTSATTENDANCE

Every character earns 2 Experience Points for attending Gothic: the Lion Age for a weekend event. Earned experience

points are awarded at the end of the event.

CHARACTER WRITING

You may also earn experience points for your character by posting a meaningful character story on the official Gothic

Forums. Posts can be either close-ended personal stories such as about your character's feelings, history, memories,

personality, or ongoing events, or they can be online public role-play between your character and others. The basic

requirement to earn additional Experience Points for this activity is that your character's depth be enriched through the

process - that both you as your character's player and the storytelling Staff learn something about your character that we

did not know before the writing.

You may earn 1 Experience Point per Downtime period that you create such a post for the first 4 Downtimes you are in

play. After that, you may continue to earn 1 Experience Point in this way every two Downtimes and writings.

FEASTING

Partaking of a Feast in game, an item created with expensive in-game ingredients and special skill, can award your

character one extra Experience Point per game session. The Spices required to create a Feast are expensive, and an

actual feast with served food must be performed in-game and eaten. Because of the excellent nutrition that being so

well-fed provides, characters who Feast are awarded 1 extra Experience Point at the end of the game session. See Trade

and Production for more information on Feasts and other items.

A R C A N E T H E O R Y

For Information on the Mage Guilds, see this page.

Magicians are people who have come to learn, in one way or another, the hidden secrets of magic. Magic is a rare and

potent thing, and there are very few in the world with the dedication, the force of will, and the intelligence to learn it and

use it properly. Of those people, fewer still are those who are lucky enough or clever enough to be invited into one of the

four Guilds that hold an unbreakable monopoly over such secrets. Each Guild represents one of the Elemental Forces

that make up the world: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - each with different beliefs and approaches to their studies. The life

of a magician is at once a difficult and uphill climb, and a life of privilege as well. For though the Guilds guard their

knowledge jealously, even from one another, and have their own agendas, they keep their loyal agents well taken care of.

The magicians in each Guild are stratified into a hierarchy called Circles. The most powerful magicians in the Throne are

of the Fifth Circle, and no man living has ever reached a sixth or higher Circle. Those at the highest level of the Guilds

work diligently to surpass themselves, and be the first to achieve greater power.

Circles are a social and practical approximation of a given Magician's power and skill. A Magician's Circle rating is their

social rank within the Guild hierarchies as well as how efficiently they can wield magic. A Second Circle Magician is more

respected and powerful than a First Circle Magician and so on. Besides the increased respect afforded to a Magician of a

high Circle, the biggest benefit of a magical Circle is that it impacts how a Magician gathers the raw power that he uses to

work his magic. This process is called channeling.

ARCANE CIRCLES AND CHANNELING

EXAMPLE CHANNELING

The chants that you use when channeling can technically be anything, so long as they sound cool and aren't confusingto others about what you are actually doing. You can feel free to build your own or use these, which can be thought ofas "traditional" Guild training. You can also speak in plain English or use your own coded Lingua Arcana if that isyour preference. As well, the chants that are used tend to follow master to student, and can sometimes indicate theacademic lineage of a Magician and her masters, and their masters, and so on.

Channeling is the process by which a Magician absorbs the force of their element around them and sends it through

their mind and into their body. This process is difficult, and takes a great deal of concentration to do, especially in vast

amounts. Channeling, sometimes vulgarly referred to as charging by initiates, takes a 10 seconds to perform and gains a

single level of charge related to the element from which the magician was drawing upon. This charge can be used for

magic within that element's power. For example, a Fire mage would gather Fire charge, and of course could not use that

charge to cast Earth spells. In game terms, the Magician's player reaches into a special pocket on their person called their

"Charge Pouch" and draws one packet with their dominant hand. These spell packets are used to measure the potency of

a spell and to indicate the target of any spells you may cast.

Channeling magical power is a godlike feat of will, every time it is performed. The experience is different for each of the

guilds, each magical discipline being performed differently, but the experience is always incredibly intense, something

akin to preforming advanced mathematics in your head while on being on fire or drowning. Most students take years of

rigorous training to simply remain calm enough to do any but the most basic of spells, and gathering vast amounts of

power is so intense as to be mind-breakingly dangerous.

In order to focus arcane power into one's body and manage the level of power being wielded, the guilds have developed a

series of low chants and representative gestures that help focus the mind and manage the process of gathering arcane

power, the specifics of which are unique to the school of the magician. These trappings are not particularly subtle, and

someone who knows what to look for can spot or hear a magician gathering power to enact a magical spell. Doing

without the gestures or words is possible, but slows down the process significantly, though some very talented magicians

can channel without the aid of such crutches. After a certain point, the power is strong enough that it can be felt and

seen by nearby onlookers as waves of heat spill from the caster, the ground begins to shake, wind begins to howl, or mist

and dew begin to collect on everything around. Casting magic is not subtle or discreet.

In game terms, Channeling elemental power is a three step process: Intone the Incantation, perform an arcane gesture,

and draw a spell packet from your Charge Pouch. As channeling becomes more and more noticeable as the magician

gathers more and more power, every successive Incantation after the first must be spoken (or shouted) louder than the

last. Each action of Channeling must take a minimum of 10 seconds, so there is no need to rush through the incantation.

Once one or more spell packets are in your hand, you may cast a spell by throwing the packet at the intended target or

touching it to them physically. A magician does not need to use all of their accumulated power when casting a spell - they

can keep some in reserve.

Fire: "I am the sacred fire. My heart is the spark that ignites the inferno, my breath the fuel that feeds the flames, myhand is the will that burns through all barriers."Earth: "Bring forth the immovable earth. Give motion to the still, give purpose to the leaden. Draw forth theslumbering weight of eternity, and take it up upon my shoulder."Water: "With a clear mind I draw from the world's well. I bring it to my lips and take it into my self. I am washedclean by the world, and I wash the world clean in return."Air: "Give to me the secret breath that fills me with invisible power. Let me be everywhere and no where, acting withan invisible hand that is beautiful for its absense."

Remember that Channeling takes 10 seconds, regardless of how quickly you speak the incantation. Time can feeldifferently with a sword swinging at you, so be careful not to rush through the incantation.

THRESHOLD AND BEYOND

Channeling becomes more and more difficult to maintain the more power the Magician gathers. At the point when the

Magician has gathered an amount of magical energy based on her Intellect, the Magician has reached her Threshold.

The spell begins leaking visible and noticeable power as discussed above and the Magician must scream at their

maximum volume any further Incantations for channeling. Furthermore, with this much power, it is impossible for a

magician to move from the spot where she stands without losing charge by dropping excess spell packets on the ground.

There is also one further complication: The strain on the mind becomes immense, potentially causing it to snap and

buckle into bouts of Insanity. The Threshold for normal characters is 3 packets. For Smart characters it is 4 packets and

for Brilliant characters it is 5. Simple characters cannot learn sorcery.

In game terms, once a Magician has reached this point, she reaches into her "Threshold Pouch", a secondary pocket or

pouch that hold extremely dangerous energies that are unable to be safely refined and harnessed by the Magician. These

Threshold packets are marked differently than normal packets, containing a black stripe down the center of the packet

and having your player ID written on them physically or on a small tag. For each Threshold packet that is used in a spell,

the packets are returned to Logistics who perform a die roll to determine whether the character gains a new Insanity.

Characters with more Resolve are resistant to this.

The absolute maximum charge that a Magician can withstand at one time is twice their normal Threshold limit, so 6 for

ordinary characters, 8 for Smart characters and 10 for Brilliant characters.

RESTRICTIONS ON CHANNELING

Channeling is difficult at the best of times, but there are certain factors that can snarl the process further. Firstly, as

channeling requires the Magician to remain mentally able even as the raw power smashes through their mind and soul,

channeling is impossible while Afraid. A Magician may need to spend Discipline to steel themselves before beginning.

Secondly, the arcane gestures required to channeling are difficult while in restrictive armor. While wearing any

equipment that removes the ability to Dodge, such as Medium or Heavy Armor, it is impossible to make the proper

arcane gestures, and the Magician must do without while channeling. The same is true if one or more of the arms is

MAELSTROM DICE

For each Threshold packet that enters play, the Logistics staff will roll one or more Maelstrom Dice, ten-sided dice.Normal characters gain an Insanity on a 5 or higher. Determined characters gain an Insanity on a 6 or higher.Resolute characters gain Insanities on an 8, and Indomitable characters gain it only on a 10. Pushovers gain anInsanity on a 3 or higher.

For each Threshold packet above the first, an additional die is rolled. A spell that took the Magician two charge overtheir Threshold would roll one die, then two dice, and so on for more rigorous spells.

If a Maelstrom Die determines that an Insanity is gained, a new Mild Insanity is added to the character or an existingInsanity advances one step in severity at staff discretion. Regardless of how many dice show a high result, theMagician only gains one Insanity per spell cast.

Injured.

As mentioned previously, Channeling can be performed without the aid of speaking incantations, performing arcane

gestures, or venting obvious power once over your Threshold, but for each one of those factors that is omitted, the

Magician must add 10 additional seconds to their Channeling process. This means that a Magician can channel

completely still, silent, and subtle, but it would take them at least 40 seconds per channeling action. Certain Arcane

Techniques, discussed below, can help manage these needs.

Mental distress and physical pain may also make Channeling more difficult. If the Magician is Battered from injury, her

maximum normal Spell Packet count for each spell is reduced to a maximum of her Grit, effectively lowering her

Threshold. Further, if the Magician is in the throes of Despair, her Threshold lowers by one for each Despair she has.

The reduction from being Battered and the reduction from Despair combine, just as they would for skill ranks. The

difference can still be made up with additional Threshold packets.

CHANNELING AND ARCANE CIRCLES

As mentioned, a Magician's Circle is the amount of raw magical power they can wield, and how easily they can do so.

This manifests in two important ways - speed and power. The way a Magician of higher Circle deals with their power is

different as they progress through their art. A Magician's Circle includes training that can help a Magician not only gain

charge more rapidly, but more importantly, to use the same charge far more effectively than his less skilled colleagues.

The great weakness of those who practice arcane magic is the speed at which they can accumulate the power necessary to

perform their works of magical force. While even basic magic is impressive and deadly, gathering that power can take a

long time, especially in the heat of battle. The first advantage of advanced training is that when a Magician first begins

summoning forth their power from having little or none, they gather an amount of charge equal to their Circle rating. In

other words, a Circle three Water mage could instantly gather three levels of Water charge during his very first

channeling action. After that point, Channeling gains one level of charge per action as normal. Note that this sets the

amount of Charge to the Magician's Circle rating, should they ever have less, not adds that much for a greater total.

The second advantage of those who possess the secrets of higher Circles means that whatever charge the Magician does

gather go further than those of poorer skill, as it relates to the way their spells are formed.

PACKETS AND POUCHES

SPELL PACKETS

Spell packets are small, walnut-sized cloth bags or balloons filled with rice or birdseed which are color coded to thespecific Element that they represent. Red packets are for Fire, Brown for Earth, Grey for Air and Blue for Water.Threshold packets have a black stripe across them and additional markings designating which character they belongto.

Like other props, spell packets are a pseudo In-game item. A magician holding their spell packets in their hand isdemonstrating visibly their ability to cast magic, perhaps with a corona of fire surrounding their open palm. A spell

Each Magician has a number of total Spell Packets based on their Intellect Attribute. This amount represents the mental

strain their mind can endure at once and how quickly they can perform complex calculations under stressful or rapid

situations. Magicians with normal Intellect have 10 spell packets and 5 Threshold packets. Smart characters have 15 Spell

Packets and 7 Threshold Packets. Brilliant characters have 20 Spell packets and 10 Threshold packets. Simple characters

simply do not have the mental flexibility to channel magical power at all.

Each Magician is advised to have three distinct pouches on their person. The "Spell Pouch" holds their Spell Packets, and

is drawn with the dominant hand. The "Threshold Pouch" holds their Threshold packets, and is drawn with the off-hand.

The "Discharge Pouch" holds packets that have been used and are waiting to recover after rest, as well as any out of game

spare packets in case your ordinary ones are accidentally lost or not currently recoverable for some reason.

packet lying discarded on the ground from some spell represents perhaps a scorch across the grass, or a section oferratic turf in the aftermath of a stone attack.

WAR MAGIC, SPELLS, AND ARCANA

Three broad classifications of magical power exist. War Magic is the least elegant, but perhaps the most important to a

magician's power. As the name implies, it brings the destructive power of the raw elemental force to bear. Igniting zones

of roaring flames, crushing enemies with boulders or stone spikes, scything enemies with planes of wind or bursts of

lightning, or smashing the force of the tides against their foes are the hallmarks of the War Magic that has made the

Guilds forces to be reckoned with.

WAR MAGIC

In game, War Magic is performed by Channeling, then throwing the spell packets at the intended target. The spell

packets do not actually have to hit the target, but must come reasonably close and must clearly indicate the target of the

spell. The tighter the grouping of possible targets, the more precise one needs to be if indicating a specific individual. Any

packet that hits a character, even if that character were not the intended target, is affected normally as if they were the

target. For spells that affect an area, such as using the Blasting Form Technique, the range is measured from where the

packets land.

Unlike most attacks, spells increase dramatically in destructive power as the Magician gathers more elemental power,

gaining the Power quality for multiple packets. For each spell packet that a Magician throws at their target, that target

must call that many defenses or take a hit to the body (or limb if the Magician specifically dictates). Only Dodge, Armor,

Block and Toughness are acceptable Defense calls against War Magic. For War Magic attacks that deal more than one hit,

the Magician should call the specific number as the attack lands.

SPELLS AND SPELLCASTING

Spells are more careful and specific applications of the Magician's power and can perform acts of great effect and

subtlety that are not overtly destructive like those of War Magic. When casting such a spell, the exact nature of the magic

intended is discussed with a Rules Marshal, and the amount of charge necessary is proscribed by the Marshall based on

a set of criteria, discussed below. In addition, the precise effect must fall within a Domain of magic that the Magician

knows. To understand both of these requirements, Domains and the Anatomy of a Spell are described below.

DOMAINS

Each of the four magical arts has power over its literal elemental substance and can manipulate it with little difficulty.

This forms the basis for the most crude effects, igniting a zone of roaring flames, causing a mountain to collapse on a foe,

or similarly quenching the same fires or halting the landslide. However, there is more to each Elemental Principle

beyond that, and the Magicians of the four Guilds have worked for centuries to unlock the hidden potential in each

element. An effect that falls contextually within the dominion of an element is considered to be within the element's

"Domain," and every spell cast will utilize at least one Domain. A Magician can cast a single spell with more than one

Domain if they split up the Power portion of the spell between them.

Magicians begin their training with the Primary Domain in each Element, and War Magic uses this Domain to perform

its effect. Additional Domains are purchased for 1 Exp.

The Domains under the sway of each Element follow:

FIRE

Heat & Flame - Faith - Havoc - Glory - Change - Fear Sight - Resolve - Attraction - Passion - Animation - Pain

Heat & Flame - The creation and control of burning flames and waves of heat.

Faith - The Faith Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Faith, such as changing one's Devotion.

Havoc - Panic, confusion, and riot-like behavior.

Attraction - Drawing forth of people or objects to a certain point, either by their own will or by exerting force.

Glory - Conspicuousness and attractiveness on an emotional level, able to attract high levels of attention and favor.

Change - Changing any one quality such, size, weight, state, or anything else. Simple and reasonable changes are lower

Power than drastic ones.

Fear - Invoking terror from the very depths of the heart.

Sight - The ability to create bright ambient light as well as see distant locations or targets visually.

Resolve - The Resolve Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Resolve, such as ignoring your better moral judgment.

Passion - Manipulation of emotions to become more intense and fervent than before.

Animation - Giving the spark of movement under your control to an otherwise inanimate object.

Pain - Invoking pure pain, either in the form of trauma or otherwise into a target.

EARTH

Stone - Fortitude - Force - Animals - Weight - Rot Structures - Strength - Metal - Plants - Growth - Disease

Stone - Manipulation of the hard stone, dense turf and grinding sand that makes up the earth.

Fortitude - The Fortitude Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Fortitude, such as reinforcing a door or bulwark.

Force - Exerting force upon a targeted area or lending additional force to other methods of delivery.

Animals - Communicating, commanding and emulating animals. Can add Instincts to a character.

Weight - Increasing or redistributing the weight that an object exerts.

Rot - Rapid decay of organic material. Direct attacks blocked by Grit.

Structures - Creation and revision of buildings, walls, supports, even statues and other creations of rock and stone.

Strength - The Strength Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Strength, such as tearing a door from its hinges.

Metal - Manipulation of worked metal, both in shape and function.

Plants - Stimulating the growth and development of plant life, as well as causing it to behave in unusual or dangerous

ways.

Growth - Physically enlarging objects or characters to great sizes.

Disease - The creation and spread of diseases.

WATER

Waves - Faith - Reflection - Cycles - Time - Freedom Clarity - Speed - Cleansing - Balance - Pressure - Paths

Waves - The control of water, pulled from a standing source or out of ambient moisture, and the powerful waves that it

forms.

Faith - The Faith Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Faith, such as changing one's Devotion.

Reflection - Reflection of any kind of effect, be it physical, emotional or otherwise.

Cycles - Manipulation of any cyclical series, anything that happens and unhappens in sequence.

Time - Manipulation of the flow of forward time and its perception and actual progression.

Freedom - Disentanglement from things that bind, restrict and hold.

Clarity - Washing away obscurity, illusion and control.

Speed - The Speed Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Speed, such as moving a blinding speed all at once over a

certain distance.

Cleansing - Removing impurities, contagions, and other negative influences.

Balance - Maintaining of corresponding effects, opposite effects and evening of distributions.

Pressure - Exerting the force of great weight upon particular points or places.

Paths - Manipulating, creating and revealing new and existing paths of travel for people and objects.

AIR

Wind - Intellect - Memory - Sound - Seeking - Weather Escape - Speed - Subtlety - Movement - Thought - Illusion

Wind - controlling the physical flow of the winds as well as lightning and directing enormous amounts of electrical force

into a target.

Intellect - The Intellect Prime Stat as well as feats of intellectual processing such as memorizing a string of 1000 words.

Memory - Reading or creating recall of events in a character's mind, as well as imprints left behind upon a place or

object.

Sound - The creation of any kind of sound, with complexity and loudness determined by Power.

Seeking - Find objects, places, or people that you are familiar with, or where something has gone from a location.

Weather - Manipulation of weather effects to create or cease rain, drought, storms and the like.

Escape - Pushing through cracks, bonds, or other constrictions to free one object from another.

Speed - The Speed Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Speed, such as moving a blinding speed all at once over a

certain distance.

Subtlety - Inconspicuousness and unobtrusiveness on a mental level. Causes people, objects or events to become easily

ignorable and unimportant.

Movement - Control over movement, either as an assistance to a character's general fluidity, or as a total control of

movement over an object.

Thought - Reading and creating current thoughts in the minds of others. Higher Power allows for more believable

thoughts to be introduced, or to read more deeply hidden secrets.

Illusion - Creation of illusions that fool the mind. Higher Power results in more complex illusions that can move

realistically or affect multiple senses.

THE ANATOMY OF A SPELL

Spells are made up of the following attributes: Range, Power, and Duration. These determine the overall usefulness and

effectiveness of the spell.

This chart shows the three attributes that make up a spell. These attributes are linked to how much elemental charge is

being used for the spell. Each value begins at 1, the bottom row on the chart. For each step up the chart in each category

that the Magician wants his spell to achieve, it costs an additional one level of charge, so one spell packet.

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

For example, Miranda is an initiate Fire Mage wants to attract the keys to her manacles from a hook that is 20 yardsaway from her with an Attraction spell. Miranda channels and can make a spell that affects 1 target, at 10 yards, withan instant effect that has a power of 1. If she charges additionally, she can increase one of three values by 1 step. So,could, for example, increase the range of the spell by another 10 yards to reach her distant target.

A Magician's Circle, however, lets him use his power more effectively the higher he climbs. By contrast, Cecil, a thirdcircle Water Mage, wants to perform a similar effect. He begins to channel his element, but because he is a magicianof the Third Circle, he immediately is able to gather enough charge to take him to 3. Not only that, but all of theattributes of his spell rise to their third place, not just a single one of the three columns. As a result, Cecil can now castas spell that erupts his target 30 yards away, with a power of 3, and an effect that will endure for a full minuteafterward. After this, Cecil is at his limits, and any additional charge after this point will increase only a single columnof factors in the spell by 1 step.

Note as well that a Magician may at any time opt not to use the full force of their effect, choosing to target a powerful

spell against an opponent at 10 yards, for instance, rather than the full thirty. This confers no special advantage beyond

the obvious, and the lost power cannot be applied to another category of the spell attributes. There are rumors that some

magicians have learned how to harvest this lost energy to be funneled back into the spell in other ways, but that secret is

well guarded.

Spells also by default target a small area, only 1 yard or one target at a time. There are various techniques that can be

employed, discussed later, that can widen or change the area being affected, but usually taking extra time, and at the cost

of some of the Power.

In another example, Gabriel, a Third Circle Air Magician wishes to cast a spell to allow him to eavesdrop on aconversation in another room, he can channel Air up to three charges within his first round and produce every effectfrom third tier of the chart. A Range of 30 yards, a Power of 3 and a Duration of 1 minute. Gabriel needs to be able tolisten to the entire room's conversation, however, not just a small part, so he uses the Blasting Form technique to coverthe entire room with his spell. This technique reduces the Power by 1, so the conversation might come in a little lessclearly, but it is well worth it, for he now knows the plans of the enemy commanders. Gabriel cannot afford to be

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

imprecise, however, so he before he casts he channels for one more round and assigns the charge to Power, to bring itback up to 3.

Were the same spell cast by a Circle 1 Air Magician, to achieve the same effect he would have to channel a total of 13

levels of charge, one for each step up the line in each category; an impossible feat for anyone to perform. Initiation into a

higher Circle of Magic is a prize that all Magicians covet, but cannot simply be achieved by hard work and studious

efforts.

PROMOTION TO GREATER POWER

To graduate to a higher Circle, a Magician must be elevated to that position through instruction from another Magician

or Magicians. This instruction is usually not given lightly, and the highest levels are restricted almost utterly. Most

Magician's guilds will not advance a student until they have satisfied some combination of rigorous training, spiritual

enlightenment, intensive study, back room dealing and blackmail, and have thoroughly indebted themselves socially to

the rest of the Guild. This is a source of frustration among many acolyte magicians who find climbing the ladder of a

guild's hierarchy difficult and often times unfair. Magical secrets are carefully guarded currency within Guilds, which

high guild leaders hold a dominant monopoly over.

In order to advance to the second circle or higher in any of the four magician guilds you must purchase a specific

number of Techniques and then socially ingratiate yourself with your guild superiors enough to be trusted with even

deeper secrets. A would be promotion is required to spend an amount of experience points equal to 4 x the new Circle in

Techniques. For example, to acquire the technical aptitude to even be considered for Circle 3, you must purchase at least

12 experience points in Techniques, which can be any combination of Basic or Advanced Techniques from the list later in

this Chapter. This is in addition to any Techniques you already were required to have for circle 2. Even with the required

learning, a magician cannot advance their Circle without the blessing of their masters within the guild.

It is very rare, but not unheard of, for a Magician of a given guild to be instructed in more than one Elemental theory of

Magic. Such a thing requires that the Magician somehow convince members of their secondary guild to instruct them in

the first and any subsequent Circle of their art. Permissive occurrence of this is rare, and generally does not happen

without major concessions by one or both sides. Sometimes two guilds will exchange a single gifted student from each

side to learn the other's arts and then return to their home guild, but while they stay in the protection of a foreign guild,

they are always looked upon with suspicion if not outright contempt. The Guilds protect their secrets viciously, and many

attempts at espionage occur, confident magi attempting to be initiated as beginners, hired master thieves attempting to

steal a well-guarded spellbook, or outright torture or blackmail for the prized information of magical instruction. One

can be sure that if a Magician is practicing multiple elements of magic, the knowledge was incredibly hard won.

Of special note is that it requires a Magician of the Fifth Circle to initiate a student into the First circle of a magical

discipline. Hence, no Magician of Circles One through Four will have the skill necessary to impart magical knowledge

upon another and begin their indoctrination into the Magical Arts. Because of this, those lucky enough to steal away a bit

of arcane knowledge from an opposing Guild are rarely, if ever, able to share that power with the rest of their Guild when

they return. Attempts have even been made to capture and torture an Archmage into compliance, or work spells of

compulsion upon them to force them to give up what they know, but no known attempt at this has ever been successful.

The august masters have chosen instead to die rather than give up their secrets, or else escaping in a vicious cataclysm of

spellfire before they gave up what the torturers wanted.

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Range: The distance that a spell can create an effect from in relation to its source. This is typically the caster if there is

nothing to change it.

Duration: The time that a spell can maintain its magical effect. The duration begins the same instant that spell is cast,

so if the duration is instant, the effect occurs and then fades at once. If the duration is 10 Seconds, the effect will persist

for that time and then fade.

Power: The useful output of a spell. This comes in many forms and can encompass all sorts of effects which correspond

to a chart.

Keep in mind that these effects are still governed by the other attributes of the spell. Therefore, if a Circle Three magician

was able to channel for three additional rounds, he could indeed perhaps boil a lake, but only for one minute and only

where he aimed the spell.

Sometimes an effect may be passively resistant to the assaults of others or in some way can be partially or totally

resisted. In the case of effects that harm, impair or physically impede the target, Grit may be expended like a Defense call

to resist, possibly requiring more than one for higher power effects. For effects that take control of the mind, impair

thinking or feelings, or otherwise affect the mental state of a target, Discipline may be used. In either case, 1 Steady may

be used to totally cancel such effects.

CASTING THE SPELL

Power Description Examples

1 Trivial Cook your food, Levitate an object, Walk on water, Jam a lock with friction

2 Minor Scry for a nearby object, Slow one's fall, Stay dry in a storm, Fortify a Door. Increase the effective rank of 1 Skill by 1.

3 Significant Turn a piece of metal red hot, Control a gust of wind to power a sail, Create a standing wave, Take command of an animal. Increase an Attribute by one Step.

4 Major Illuminate the night as though it were day, Erase a memory of an event, Capsize a small ship, Halt a landslide. Increase the effective rank of a Skill by 2

5 Epic Keep something burning underwater, Summon a tornado, Redirect a river, Turn a coal into a diamond. Increase the effective rank of a Skill by 3. Increase an Attribute by two steps.

6+ Legendary Boil a lake, Completely erase and rewrite another's life memories, Part the sea, Build a city from the earth.

Once the particulars of the spell have been agreed upon, the Magician must still Channel the appropriate level of charge

designated by the Rules Marshal, and then transfers that charge to his "Discharge Pouch" where they remain until he can

Rest, as normal. When this is complete, the Rules Marshal will call "Forsooth!" and describe the effect, if the effect is

obvious, such as the weather changing, or an earthquake beginning. If the effect is not obvious, he might simply note it,

or tell the person that it does affect privately what they experience.

ARCANA

The example spells described above are used as intuitive magics - effects intended to suit the situation by using the best

combination of attributes for a given problem. The spells are cast by simply channeling the necessary charge to meet the

Magician's requirements and then discharging it. Most effects that a Magician casts will likely be spells.

MAELSTROM FLUCTUATIONS

Not every Rules Marshal may always make the same exact calls about the parameters of an effect you might like tocreate in a specific situation, what resistances it might have, or other factors. Rather than be frustrated by this, for thesake of speed and ease of use, accept a certain amount of variation as the parameters of magic being that much morecomplex and difficult to calculate. Perhaps the flow of magical energy is particularly violent or sluggish just now, orperhaps the intervening distance between you and your target has odd aetheryric geometry that causes its effectivedistance in magical space to be bent or skewed.

For those that wish for exact, reliable measures that are always consistent, see Arcana, below.

Example Arcana

WindbladeAir Element, Speed DomainEnhancing the speed of your blade and eyes, you may slice bullets and other projectiles in the air before they

reach you. The power of the Windblade allows you to call Parry on a Firearms or Archery attacks directed at you

or anyone within arm’s length.

Duration: 4 (One Scene or Hour)

Power: 4 (Major Feat of Speed to Parry bullets)

Range: 0 (Personal)

Many Magicians, however, eventually find it valuable to research a different type of spell. They study and test spells over

and over again to find the most efficient way to manage their power and use. Such research is difficult and time

consuming, but produces magical effects that can vastly outperform ordinary magics, if only in a very specific situation.

These spells, called Arcana, are some of the most powerful weapons in a Magician's arsenal, and are guarded like secret

treasures by the Magicians who have managed to create them.

With an Arcana, the particulars of an effect have been pre-negotiated with staff to perform as needed under any

circumstance included in the Arcana, rather than having to negotiate it with a Rules Marshal every time. This gives a

tremendous versatility advantage in that it no longer requires a variable element that may not be present, the Rules

Marshal, and becomes permanently available at all times.

Furthermore, since the spell is so carefully refined, the magician is able to leverage their knowledge of refined

astrological readings, mathematics, and natural philosophy to increase its efficacy past the normal limits, and exceed the

values of 5 in the spell categories. For each level of Academics, the values of spells may potentially exceed 5 by an

additional level, so for instance a Magician with Academics 3 could achieve as high as 8 in the categories that make up

the spell, though the final result is still subject to the maximums presented by the Magician's Intellect.

Creating the Arcana is a matter of Research. This research requires Uncommon Lore: Refined Arcane Theory. The player

submits the mechanics of the spell to Staff over the Downtime, during which time it is discussed and possibly rebalanced

or in some cases perhaps rejected. Once the particulars of the power are decided upon, the character spends their

Downtime in Research and creates the Arcana, paying 3 exp to learn it. The magician can spend additional Downtime

actions before paying the exp to further refine the particulars of the Arcana, and for every Downtime spent this way,

reduces the cost of the Arcana by 1 exp. Once it is purchased it cannot be further refined, and if teaching to others, the

Arcana costs what it cost originally.

The exact details of the Arcana are recorded on a card which is added to the Magician's spellbook. Without the spellbook

with that particular card in it, the Arcana is not usable, so that the exact effects can be displayed to any interested party

OOC in substitution of a Rules Marshal.

SPELL FLAWS

Arcana can also benefit from special workarounds designed to cut corners to make a powerful spell more simple to cast.

When Flaws are used as part of the Research process, the spell gains the characteristics described by the spell, but also

gains a benefit. For each flaw selected, one Threshold packet may be treated as a normal spell packet for the purposes of

Range Power Duration

10 Any Plane 10 Forever

9 This Plane 9 Always, while conscious

8 100 Miles 8 1 Year and a day

7 10 Miles 7 1 Month

6 Line of Sight 6 1 Week

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

the Arcana only, and only after all normal spell packets have been exhausted. Unless otherwise stated, the value of each

flaw is 1. Some more drastic flaws, or flaws taken at increased severity, may reduce the values by up to 3

To illustrate, Exhaustion (listed below) is a flaw whereby the caster cannot act for 30 seconds after the spell is cast. This

effect can be amplified to a factor of 3, so that the caster is exhausted for 90 seconds afterward. This is the maximum

severity of this flaw that can be taken, with the benefit being that up to 3 Threshold packets are converted.

Taking any of these spells requires the corresponding Technique, (Material Restrictions, Casting Restrictions of Energy

Restrictions). Techniques are discussed in detail later in the chapter.

Material Restrictions:Tandem: You have reduced the complexity of the spell by taking only part of the burden of casting it at any one time.

This spell requires an additional caster who knows the spell as well to successfully perform. Any other flaws the Arcana

might have apply to all casters. This can be taken multiple times.

Catalyst: In exchange for a much simpler spell, you've adjusted the proportions to use a specific sort of object to invoke

a reaction while you handle the rest. This spell requires and destroys a component to invoke the spell. Cheap but

uncommon (Falcon eggs, Licorice Ashes): 1, Expensive but common (a bar of gold): 2, Expensive and rare (a large,

perfect ruby): 3

Focus: You've managed to link the forces of your spell to a specific object, running the arcane currents through it as a

means to control the flow of the spell. This means you must have a specific unique object on your person to cast the spell

or else it becomes impossible to cast. The focus must be held or worn on the front of the caster to be used. During the

casting, the object will glow brightly. If the object is destroyed or lost permanently the spell must be re-calibrated to a

new object by researching the spell all over again.

Glyphs: You've engineered your spell to flow through a specific channel of ley lines and buffers that does part of the

work for the caster so that she can handle the rest. The spell requires you to ink, draw, or otherwise depict a wide series

of arcane glyphs and symbols that focus the energies of the spell. These glyphs take twenty minutes to create, but if they

are being carved or otherwise made more permanent, it may take longer. During casting, the glyphs must be exposed

and will glow brightly. If the glyphs are destroyed or otherwise defaced, casting the spell becomes impossible. This can be

taken multiple times.

Casting Restrictions:Blunt: You have removed all flexibility from the spell, and it must function exactly as you planned in order to work at

all. This spell is incapable of being altered by paraphs or techniques.

Rigid: The spell is extremely specific in its planning and effect - the exact details of the spell must be arranged ahead of

time to a great degree. This might include the intended targets, an idea of the surroundings such as in a wooden

building, the distance from one targe to the next, or other details depending on the nature of the spell.

Exhaustion: The spell uses so much energy to cast with, the shock of doing so leaves you raw and your mind in tatters.

The excess energy spent for this spell leaves you completely defenseless and unable to act for 30 seconds after the spell is

cast. Defenseless, you may not act to defend against incoming attacks or take any other action.

Abstract: You've created a complicated work-around not normally possible with your magic that will allow it to function

as you intended, but the processes are complex and difficult to understand. This spell must be cast while reading aloud a

passage of at least 100 words from your spellbook, recorded next to the Arcana. This can be done after you channel.

Slow: You've reduced the complexity of the spell by breaking up its various intricacies into many different steps. This

spell takes an additional 30 seconds for each channeling action.

Atunement: The spell's labors are tied into astrological models and correspondences. The spell may only be cast under

specific astrological conditions: Day vs Night: 1, A specific one hour period such as noon or dusk, 2, a specific condition

such as winter or a full moon: 3.

Sensitive: The spell requires the utmost care to cast successfully, and even the slightest magical disturbances can spoil

it. The spell may only be cast if there are no other sentient creatures within 50 yards of you, as their energies disrupt the

magic. Alternately, this spell cannot be cast if any other magical effects have been used within 50 yards within the last

scene or hour. Worth 2.

Energy Restrictions:Loud Report: The spell, when cast, releases a huge etheric shock through a one mile vicinity, and everyone, even those

with no magical training, feels the disturbance, usually as a sudden feeling of dread and awe, as well as getting a general

idea of where the effect came from.

Voracious: You have fixed a gap in the spell by simply flooding it with extra power. Consequently, this spell requires an

extra charge. This can be taken multiple times.

Chaotic Feedback: You've used a much more raw, chaotic form of your element to power the spell. The charge spent

for the spell calls forth this twisting maelstrom of energy, but the consequences are drastic. After the spell is cast, the

caster takes unavoidable internal damage and is Downed. They also roll 1 Maelstrom die for each level of Power. Worth

3.

Yawning Lacuna: You've engineered your spell to create a vortex of energy. The force of this event allows your magic

to move and flow far more easily, but in the aftermath, it leaves a gaping hole where the charge used to be. It takes 1 hour

of rest for you to recover enough to regain any spell packets. Worth 2

ANACRUSISMagical forces are explicitly unnatural. No application of sorcerous might is native to the world, and perceptive arcane

scholars note that the effects of their spells often have side-effects, perhaps almost imperceptivity minute, that occur in

the people, places, and things that they enchant with their magic. Ordinarily these sorts of unpredictable effects are, if

interesting, inconsequential. Perhaps a sword remains weakly magnetized after it was sharpened with the Metal Domain

of Earth Magic. Perhaps a skeleton key altered to fit the lock you need it to open runs all the impurities in the metal one

direction and gives the key an odd sort of appearance under close examination. While a curiosity, it rarely bears much

scrutiny, chalked up to a slightly imperfect spell owing to some momentary break in the magicians concentration or

focus, perhaps.

However, these effects do have a more troubling effect that all magicians do pay attention to. In living creatures,

occasionally magical energies can prove deleterious to their health, usually after long-term or repeated exposure to

magic. Headaches, nausea, bleeding membranes, illness, vertigo, temporary madness, deep burns, respiratory issues,

even death have been reported after extreme magical exposure. These effects, called Anacrusis by arcane scholars (and

sometimes called Spell Sickness by lay people), demonstrate that the human body has limits to how far magic can

augment it. The Magician herself can usually endure exposure to her own spells for far longer than others can, usually

not suffering Anacrusis unless under extreme and long-term effects, but others she enchants exhibit far less tolerance.

Occasionally benefiting from increased reflexes or unnatural charisma seems to be largely without its risks, but those

who habitually undergo magical effects or are the subject of particularly powerful spells begin to show signs sooner or

later.

Anacrusis works much like Fatigue. The subject is unable to Rest, experiencing extreme discomfort from vertigo,

bleeding eyes, or some other effect, which recovers after getting some quality sleep or bed-rest for at least 6 hours. Much

like Fatigue, if the effects compound long enough, they can be fatal.

ARCANE TECHNIQUESThrough magic, this world can be changed and manipulated towards perfection. Similarly, through the mage, magic too

can be changed and manipulated into a purer form. In its raw form, magic is a powerful beast, unyoked and virtually

rampant. For centuries, cloistered magicians have developed ways to further domesticate this force of nature.

BASIC TECHNIQUES

Basic Techniques are those techniques which are intuitive to learn, and they can be learned without any special

instruction. Basic Techniques cost 2 exp.

Arcane Sensitivity: You are sensitive to disturbances in the nearby magical fields. You can tell when an object is

magical, a person is under an enchantment, or when a nearby spell is cast that breaks the caster's Threshold.

Concentration: You may suspend the Duration of a spell indefinitely, so long as you continue to recite your

channeling incantation and take no other actions.

Complicate: By spending a charge and concentrating, you may force another Magician to take twice as long to channel.

Grasping Form: By concentrating the power of your magic into your hand, you can increase the effect of your magic as

you deliver it through personal contact with its target. You must touch the spell packets to your target by hand, or use a

Grab maneuver with the Brawl skill for combative targets, but the effects are 1 Power higher than normal. This works on

one's self.

Domain Specialization – You have favored the lessons of one Domain above all others. Spells using a given Domain

gain 1 additional Power. This may be purchased again for more Domains.

Linear Form: Extending your arms wide to the side and adding 5 seconds to your casting, you may invoke your magic

in a long line, extending all the way to the length of the Range increment for Spells, and hitting nearby targets in a line

with War Magic

Unweave: You may cancel any spell that you yourself originally cast at will. Without this technique, a magician is

unable to do so.

Arcane Seal: Allows you to seal a door, latch, chest, or anything else that can be opened with a triggered spell. The

object cannot be moved from its original location by more than a few yards or the seal will break.

Spell Plating: While Channeling, you may drop Threshold packets on a one for one basis to simulate Armor Defense

calls.

Delay: You can set your spell to occur only at as an Instant action at the very end of the Duration as an instant effect,

instead of throughout it.

Expulse: You may take one Channel action without actually Channeling, and immediately cast the spell but the strain of

doing so makes you Winded and you can take no actions for 10 seconds.

Dislocate: Spells of a definite shape such as a line, dart, etc, need not originate from the point where you stand. So long

as the entire effect is contained within the Range of the spell, you may place the effect wherever you please. Ordinarily a

Line must originate from the caster, a Blast must be hurled from your fist, etc.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES

These are the high secrets of the Arcane orders. These techniques, passed down from master to apprentice, make up all

Techniques above Circle 1 and require the student to be at least that Circle or higher. Each Advanced Technique must be

learned separately by specific instruction, either from a master or a book detailing its use.

Techniques that require tutelage from another mage are considered advanced. These can be purchased for 4 points each

and require a mage who not only already knows the technique but a pupil of the appropriate circle. These contribute

toward Arcane Circle advancement.

Circle 2

Convoke: Contribute spell packets of the same Element toward another mages’ spell and/or receive said packets. The

magicians must be physically touching to deliver or receive this power, and both must have this technique. The donor

must channel the power normally. This does not allow the recipient Magician to exceed their normal Threshold values for

a single spell, but does allow them to recover ordinary power more quickly, or gain power more rapidly.

Ethereal Shroud: A magician can create an invisible cloak of energy around his form by expending any amount of

charge with 10 seconds of concentration.. The cloak will negate the War Magic, Power aspect of the next harmful spell

that is directed at the Magician, expending its worth on a 1 for 1 ratio, so long as the spell is of the same Element as the

shroud, or the opposing Element. This can completely negate harmful spells that are directed within the space. The

Ethereal Shroud will collapse after it negates as much spell Power as the charge that created it, or can be maintained for a

maximum of about five minutes before dispersing.

Steady Flow: You may channel while moving at a walking pace, so long as you only ever take one Spell Packet at a

time, regardless of your Circle rating, and may do this to a maximum amount of your Circle Rating. Thus a Third Circle

Magician could do this three times until they accrued 3 Charge.

Blasting Form: Wheeling your ensorcelled fist back and then slamming it forward with the potence of your Element,

you may invoke an area for your magic that is a spherical field half of the total Range increment of the spell in diameter,

up to 50 yards maximum, and targeting anywhere in your Range. All characters within the blast are affected by the spell.

This effect requires a 10 seconds to invoke and reduces the Power of the spell by 1.

Workaround: When constructing an Arcana, you may make an auxiliary flaw to back up the first one if it becomes

unusable by circumstance. This second flaw does not count toward the difficulty of constructing the spell, and must be of

the same magnitude. For example, if a magician's Focus ring that allowed him to cast his spell were destroyed or taken,

he might be able to work around it to force the spell to operate off of a certain Catalyst if he had planned for it when

designing the spell. The workaround must be a flaw from the same category as the one it is replacing.

Casting Restrictions: You know a wide series of workarounds and shortcuts to help make Arcana more simple to

create that relate to breaking up the difficulty into easier to manage steps. You may use all "Casting Restriction" spell

flaws in your Arcana research.

Material Restrictions: You know a wide series of workarounds and shortcuts to help make Arcana more simple to

create that relate to focusing the power of your magics through physical anchor points to take the strain off of yourself

when casting. You may use all "Material Restriction" spell flaws in your Arcana research.

Still Channeling (Earth*): You may channel without the need for arcane gestures and movements to assist your

concentration. Channeling without their aid no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain

each charge.

Silent Channeling (Air*): You may channel without the need for encrypted chanting and magical words to assist your

concentration. Channeling without their aid no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain

each charge.

Subtle Channeling (Water*): You may channel without increasing the volume of your voice as you gather power, do

not create environmental effects when you begin to break your Threshold, and remain undetectable by Arcane

Sensitivity. Channeling while suppressing this no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain

each charge.

Courageous Channeling (Fire*): You can maintain the stability of mind to channel and cast, even while in the throes

of terror. Casting or maintaining charge while afraid is normally impossible.

*For students of the listed Element, this technique can be purchased as a Basic Technique.

Circle 3Techniques more advanced than this rank's mechanics are kept secret until they are learned.

Blacklist

Ensorcell

Energy Restrictions

Requital

Rupture

Gainsay

Contradict

Environmental Form

Imprisoning Form

Negative Incarnation

Mind Screws

Orphic Vault

Whelming Gate

Wizard's Coin

Incarnate Mastery (Fire*):

Time Mastery (Water*):

Force Mastery (Earth*):

Space Mastery (Air*):

*Only Magicians of the listed Element may learn these.

Circle 4Fool's LemniscateOverruleRadiant FormRift ToleranceMental Fortitude

Circle 5Of Living FormSummariusShatter FettersMental MasterpieceReform the PrinciplePattern Alignment

RULES ARBITRATIONIsn't it a Power 1 effect to create a spark inside someone's brain that would kill them?No. Creating a spark in your hand is a power 1 effect, certainly, but creating it inside a living person's brain is

considerably more difficult and requires exceptional precision. When considering the Significance rating of this, or any

similar effect, remember that something like "create a spark" is definitely a Trivial effect, but "killing someone instantly"

is usually going to fall under epic or higher. Look to the actual result rather than the means. Furthermore, spells cannot

begin inside other characters, they must enter them from without to attempt to harm or otherwise attack a character.

Do high Duration attack spells keep injuring the target over and over until they expire?Technically, when casting a spell you are attacking the area where people are standing, such as with a Blasting Form or

Line Form. Even a standard Dart is still actually attacking the 10 foot area that character occupies, so if the Duration is,

say, level 4, the entire scene or an hour, the target or targets can move out of the affected area and cease to take damage.

Any characters who remain or can't exit will take damage again if they haven't left within 10 seconds.

Note that this only applies to attack spells intended to do damage. Spells that attempt to aid or hinder a character by

blinding them, making their armor harder as some persistent effect travel with the character. Only spells that repeat their

effect over and over such as firestorms and the like are aimed at a location.

Some Domains seem more difficult to judge what levels of Power accomplish what. A little help?Domains fall into roughly three categories. Forces, such as Flames, Fortitude, and Weather and similar domains tend to

just get bigger and badder as they get more Power in a fairly linear scale. Effects, such as Attraction, Havoc, Glory, and

Growth tend to be measured in terms of their scale. How much Havoc are you creating? Are people sort of confused and

irritated or are they chewing the doorframes and breaking every dish? More abstract ones such as Time, Balance, Cycles,

Subtlety, Thought, and Illusion, typically found in Water and Air, need to be judged mostly on the efficacy of what they

are attempting. Can the illusion move? Does it affect all five senses? Does it react realistically when interacted with or do

you pass right through? A wall that is insubstantial when challenged takes less Power than a wall that responds to

pressure with a feeling of resistance, even if it's not real. The same is true for something like Thought - if you are reading

someone's mind, something they were thinking about anyway would be lower Power than a deep, dark secret better

forgotten, or something they themselves hardly know to be true, like a forgotten detail. As a player, use your own

judgment when plotting your spells, and the Staff will gainsay if they think the Power used was too low to be effective, or

ask what Power rating would be necessary for a given effect.

Why would I use, say, a Heat effect instead of a Flame effect to attack with?

There are some circumstances when attacking one way over another may be more effective. Assaulting someone with a

wave of heat instead of a bolt of fire may allow you to force the target to use Grit as their Defense instead of Dodge.

Using different kinds of effects may allow a magician to attack what they believe may be a weaker aspect in their target.

However, spells cannot be directed to begin inside of an opponent, so one cannot ignore armor by roasting a knight

inside his armor with Heat, or liquefying his insides with Rot. The wave of heat or rot or other Domain in use will hit

them directly, being partially stopped and mitigated by armor unless some other Technique says otherwise.

How long does an effect that is only the result of the actual spell last?As a general rule, most spells are over when their Duration runs out. Some spells, however, exert some kind of force to

create their change, such as using the stone Domain to create a rockslide. The rocks do not reform into the hillside at the

end of the Duration, nor does burned flesh heal once the fires stop, so Instant Duration is usually suitable for these

effects. A diamond created out of a coal with the Pressure Domain will remain a diamond. A diamond created out of a

coal with the Change Domain will return to its original form after the Duration runs out, because it was the spell's magic,

not the effect created by those magic, which caused the diamond.

K N I G H T O R D E R S

KNIGHT ORDERS

Katarin looked at the gilded Leonem welded onto her armor. "Honor the weak." She sneered at the words of her sacredoath. There was no honoring peasants who harbored heretics. A village of weaklings who hid the enemy and nowasked for her help when their iniquity caught up with them. All they knew was fear. Fear was their morality. Fear wastheir real religion, their only loyalty. She looked up at each of the begging faces.Aye, she would honor them... for now.

Knight orders are the sworn champions and agents of the Emperor of the Throne, or in some cases, the Pontifex of the Church of

Benalus, called Templars.. There are many examples of these orders, all specializing in a certain aspect of service to the Throne,

as well as a certain code of conduct and rigorous philosophy. All Knights are, either by birth or by virtue of their initiation into an

Order, members of the nobility and entitled to certain rights and privileges which are granted to them so that they may better

accomplish their missions for the Throne.

As both part of their service and also part of their reward for that service, Knights are given fiefs of land from which to draw both

peasant armies and income. Knights protect these lands in service to the Throne, and they may also charge the people of those

lands with military service to wage the wars that are in the interests of their masters.

KNIGHTS OF THE EMPEROR

Each Knight order is brought into existence by being granted a commission by the Emperor. This commission creates a Grand

Master which is charged with the fulfillment of a specific mission that the Emperor deems to be worthy of the attention of his

elite operatives and agents. This may be the protection of a certain region, the revival or creation of a powerful blacksmithing

technique, the collection of some missing artifact, or any other purpose. Once created, these Orders exist in perpetuity, as their

missions tend to be so long term that they are not completed in the lifetime of the first generation of its Knights. If the purpose

of the Order is ever fulfilled, the Emperor historically grants the Order a reward and a new purpose, sometimes renaming the

Order to better suit its new role.

Orders commissioned by the Emperor have authority that extends anywhere in the world of mankind, so long as they are

using it to fulfill the duties of their Order. Many Orders have a purpose which only is relevant in a certain area, such as

protecting the border between Cappaccionne and the Orcish badlands and Sha'ra desert. When that is the case, members

of the Order tend to stay local to their place of authority, though they occasionally leave the area on official business, and

take their authority along with them.

KNIGHTS OF THE REALM

As an extension of the Imperial Knight orders, Highborn noble families are also entitled to the creation of a Knight order for

their own defense and to protect their interests. Each family has a unique Order of elite soldiers and agents called their House

Guard. In exchange for the right to create these Knights, each House must agree to contribute their Knights to the defense of

their Kingdom's national interests as one united military force, should the Emperor, the King (or in the case of Rogalia, the

Parliament) call for it. These House Guard, such as the Sorrowful Order of House Selwick or the Blood Dragons of House Fafnir,

when called upon in dire emergency, join with the other House Guard of Gotha to become the Grand Order of Gotha, and a

Grandmaster is selected by the King or Emperor from among the Masters of each House Guard order. The Grandmaster retains

the post should the need arise again once the conflict is resolved.

In less dire times, the House Guard serves the noble family which they were created to protect. They act as the elite

agents, task overseers, warmasters, and all around right hand of their noble house. Often times the nobles of the house

themselves, especially junior members that are less likely to inherit, will participate directly in their family's Order,

taking honorary positions in the Order and prosecuting the duties of their bloodline. This teaches them both martial

prowess and lets them see the specific troubles that plague their land firsthand to offer wise counsel to their siblings, or

should they themselves one day take the house seat.

KNIGHTS OF THE CHURCH

While almost all of the Knight orders serve the Emperor, either directly or by the proxy of his vassal lords throughout the Throne,

the very first Knight Order ever commissioned was the Most Vigilant Order of Templars, reforged from the scattered factors of

the Ordo Croix that saved humanity during the Age of Witchkings. The Templar Order, in its original form, was the entirety of

the Church of Benalus, but evolved over the early days of the Throne into the militant branch of the Church while the clergy

formed into their own orders and covenants. The Templar order retains its position as Knights however, and all the privileges

that come with it, even though they are not vassals of the Emperor. In the earliest days of the Lion Age, the Templars worked as

partners with Victor Von Herkheist to create the Throne, and not as vassals. The Templars serve the Pontifex of the Church, and

as holy knights, take the orders directly from the Pontifex, and ultimately, from God.

Only one other Holy Order has ever been created. While they began as a special distinction of the Templars, the Sacred

Order of the White Lion now is its own group in separate service to the Church. The Order of the White Lion is reserved

exclusively for Paladins, the divine chosen of God. It is a small Order, and has special needs. While the Pontifex does not

have the right to create Knight Orders, the White Lion was a special exception granted by the Fourth Emperor, Karl von

Herkheist, so long as members of the White Lion never held any sort of office of temporal power, such as holding a

duchy or county.

DEGREES OF KNIGHTHOOD

Each Knight Order has its own internal hierarchy, and confers greater authority and capabilities upon its members as they

progress through the Order and become a finer example of their knightly ideals. Each Order is different, emphasizing different

principles, aims, and methods, but each Order maintains a strong tradition of ideals that influence each of its members. This

code of ideals, called Valor, permeates all of a Knight's actions, and fills them with a sense of purpose and discipline, as idealized

through a specific Skill. One Order may emphasize the power of changing the world nonviolently unless in drastic need, and

uphold the virtues of Persuasion. Another Order may value above all else the art of swordsmanship, taking the blade itself as a

personal symbol of power and control while upholding the balanced ideals of Medium Weapons. Another may believe that terror

is the only way to enforce order, and believes that terror of the heart is control of the heart, both in others, and in one's self,

taking Intimidation as their source of Valor.

FIRST DEGREE - KNIGHT ERRANT

A Knight Errant, or the Questing Knight, is a landless Knight in training. As initiates to the Order, they are still learning the

Order's tenets and codes, and expected to prove themselves by traveling and performing acts of courage and honor in service to

the ideals of their Order.

ValorBy embracing the concepts of and adhering to the ideals of his Order, the Knight empowers himself through his mastery of of his

arts.The Knight may use his Order's Valor Skill as extra levels of the Discipline skill. Functionally, the Knight has levels of the

Discipline skill equal to his levels that skill plus any levels of the actual Discipline skill.

Knight's SwordThe knight retains the Masterwork sword with which they were knighted, given to them as a gift by their masters in the Order.

Basic KitThe essential trappings of the specific Order. Traditional weapons, books, doctrines, tabard, signet rings, and whatever other

ordinary equipment is necessary to discharge their duties.

Riding HorseA Knight Errant is given a riding horse to allow them to travel greater distances more easily. This affects the distance the Knight

can travel during Downtime should he need to do so.

Noble BearingFor Knights of the Realm and Imperial Orders who do not already have the Highborn Perk, they gain nobility status upon

initiation. Characters of poor means who gain noble status through Knighthood begin a new minor noble house, and take

a surname of their choice. They gain Infamy with characters of the noble class who see him as an upjumped pretender.

His children will have the Highborn perk without this blemish. Furthermore, the rank of Knight is below the rank of

most Highborn characters, and those who outrank him in station can still gainsay him in matters of policy - still, it does

put him above the common man, and give him immunity to prosecution by any commoner for any reason.

Holy OrdersMembers of the Templar Order and the Sacred Order of the White Lion do not gain Noble Bearing. Instead, they are

given honorary Holy Ordination status, similar to a priest. In issues of ecclesiastical trials and official Censure, they are

considered by the Church to be above reproach in most cases, and incontrovertible proof must be offered to convict them

of sinful deeds. Further, they may call and officiate Censure in eccliastical trial as if they were a priest. Members of the

Holy Orders may also perform rites from the Testimonium as if they were a Rank 1 Priest, though they must still

purchase those rituals and have no access to the gospels of the Covenants unless they join those Covenants separately.

SECOND DEGREE - KNIGHT PROTECTOR

A Knight Protector is given charge of lands and armies, and are considered to be the primary military officers of their Order's

forces. They are considered the Protector of their land and must keep it safe from bandits, invaders and other dangers.

Warfare - A Knight Protector may levy forces from the lands that he controls as a Downtime action, as well as give

orders to those forces in war. For more details, see the Warfare rules, here. The Knight's forces all gain a special

advantage, dependent upon the Valor of the Order he belongs to, as well as the culture from which he draws his forces.

For Imperial Knights, these soldiers come from Fenristadt, the Imperial Capital. For House Guard, they come from your

homeland, and for Holy Orders, they are pilgrims from Lethia.

Armory - A Knight Protector is afforded personal military equipment from the Order's armories. This can be any equipment of

standard quality that he needs as suits his tastes and fighting skills, including heavy armor and weaponry. This equipment

belongs to the Order, not to the Knight, and he is expected to maintain and service it, as he would any other resource.

Triumph - Whenever the Knight is given credit for a major accomplishment, he is able to ride the wave of his victory in

an exaltation such that everyone recognizes his accomplishments. For that game session and the next, he gains the

Triumphant ability, allowing him to be in any social situation at all without being asked to leave. He may be present at

the noble''s high council, break up some shady characters plotting from the shadows, insinuate himself into a private

campfire, or any other situation in his community. If necessary, this works like a Persuade that cannot be exhausted in

this situation.

THIRD DEGREE - KNIGHT COMMANDER

A Knight Commander is placed in charge of other Knights Protector and acts as a senior officer in military matters. They are

trained in the art of tactics and to make critical decisions in emergencies.

Special Forces - The Knight may now levy and train specialized units in Warfare. He gains access to a new unit type,

which is dependent upon the Valor skill for his Order, such as Handgunners for Firearms, or Spies for Sincerity.

Tactics - The Knight may give small unit tactical orders to accomplish a pre-defined objective. The Knight designates an

objective, and outlines a plan of action to achieve it, including detailed steps and the role expected of each participant in

the plan. So long as the participants keep to the plan, they may receive a benefit of one Hope per level of Leadership that

the Knight possesses due to his tactical expertise and excellent planning skills.

Fame - A notable and worthy member of your Order, the Knight gains Fame with a specific group relevant to his Order's

practices and interests.

FOURTH DEGREE - MASTER

The Masters of the Order are the inner circle of an Imperial or Church order, and are extremely few in number. In the

smaller case of a Noble's House Guard, they are the single individual of final authority. These masters make the oversight

decisions that guide their Order to achieve its largest aims.

Elite Forces - The Knight may now levy and train Elite units. He gains access to an additional new unit type, which is

again dependent upon the Valor of his Order, for example Canons for Firearms, or Saboteurs for Sincerity.

Mastery - The Master, through the intense personal code of his Order and the connection of thought and spirit it brings

to the members of his Order, may impart his skills and abilities to members of his Order with great effectiveness. The

Master and his student in his Order may spend a Downtime action training in a skill, maneuver, attribute, or other

ability he possesses. That ability receives an experience point discount of the lower of the Valor skill between the Master

and the student. Thus, if the Master had his skill at 5, and the student at 3, anything that the Master taught the student

could be purchased for 3 less experience than normal, to a minimum of 0. This ability may combine with the Instruction

of Pedagogue abilities, but only one thing per Downtime spent may be imparted in this way, regardless of the total

discount or cost.

Masterwork Kit - Rare and exquisitely made equipment is made available for the Knight's needs as his Order has it

available, dependent on the specific focus and practices of your Order. Generally, he can expect Masterwork quality

personal equipment, and may request special gear and resources with as much latitude.

FIFTH DEGREE - GRAND MASTER

The heart and soul of their Order, these men are pinnacles of their age and heroes to the Throne. In any given Order,

there is only ever one Grand Master, and this individual has unilateral control over the Order and is ultimately

responsible for its goals and for its future. In the case of the House Guard, this position is given to the Master who

marshals the entire nobility of his land to battle as the Grand Order of Rogalia, the Grand Order of Cappacionne, or

whichever land is appropriate. This position is always granted by the Emperor, the King, or the Pontifex personally.

Legend - The Knight is a hero of the Throne, and his story is told at hearth fires across mankind's holdings. The Knight

has the Fame perk, but for everyone across the Throne instead of a specific group.

Audience - The Knight will never be refused an audience with the Emperor or Pontifex, or any lesser authority

throughout the Throne.

Heroes - As a hero of the Throne himself, the Knight can attract other heroes to his cause in Warfare. He can perform a

special Levy to gain the support of these individuals, who grant a special unique ability to the units they join.

EXAMPLE KNIGHT ORDERS:(Complete descriptions coming)

IMPERIAL ORDERS

Knights Fenris

Valor: Heavy Weapons

Charged with defending Fenristadt and the Imperial family, the Knights Fenris have been a staple of the Imperial regime since

the time of the first Emperors.

Order of the Dragon

-Charged with ending the threat of the Shariqyn, either by conversion or conquest.

Sons of Samael

-An Order based around the teachings of St. Samael, an inquisitor who used poison and subterfuge to kill heretics who

thought themselves untouchable.

Order of the Bell

-A knight order that learned secret smelting and mining techniques from the dwarves themselves. They are known for their

masterful arms and armor.

HOLY ORDERS

Most Vigilant Order of Templars

Sacred Order of the White Lion

HOUSE GUARD

GOTHIC ORDERS

The Sorrowful Order of White Shadows

-House Selwick

Blood Dragons

-House Fafnir

CAPPACIAN ORDERS

ROGALIAN ORDERS

Sons of Adam

-House Addison

Order of the White Raven

-Librarian Knights of House Archibald

Shadowguard

-House Ascalon

HESTRALIAN ORDERS

Order of the Balanced Sword

NJORDIC ORDERS

Knights of the Northern Lakes

DUNNICK ORDERS

H O L Y C O V E N A N T S

RITUAL"...he must pay God a twofold adoration, one spiritual, which consists in the interior devotion of the soul, the othercorporeal, which manifests itself in the outward form of worship, for there is no inward sentiment or feeling whichman is not wont to express outwardly by some suitable gesture or action." (Contra Gentiles, III, cxix)

Ritual is the ceremonial practice of beseeching a higher power for intervention on your behalf, or on behalf of another.

Rituals are intimately tied in with the philosophy of the religion from which they spring, and often seek to venerate and

aggrandize the central figures of that religion in exchange for some consideration from those forces. The venerated texts

of those religions are poured over for centuries to discover the hidden truths and meanings of the parables and stories

within, to give some insight into the hidden workings of the world and its sacred or profane powers. Over time, the

secrets of ritual are learned through study or revelation, and the practices of the faith are determined.

The life of a priest is one of devotion and discipline, but above all, service. Priests are members of a church or temple of

some kind and not only subscribe to the same faith, but also serve as part of that organization. As such, priests have

duties within their church, and these duties come with authority. The authority of a priest is both temporal and spiritual,

and as such the Rank of a priest within their church also lends their prayers a measure of that divine voice. As Priests

ascend in Rank, they gain access to new rituals from their gospels and the effects of the miracles that may be granted at

their plea may become more pronounced. A priest performing rituals above their station is considered Vulgar.

VULGARITY

Ritual ceremonies attempt to invoke miracles from powers unimaginably powerful in nature, and as such must beapproached with the utmost care, detail, and humility. Rituals have a set of requirements that must be met, be theymaterial, spoken, performed, or otherwise. These requirements are often difficult or expensive, and in some cases may beimpossible to meet correctly. If an element is missing from the ceremony, it must be somehow replaced with the bestsuitable alternative and the ritual can proceed but is considered to be vulgar.

For each vulgarity, the ritual in question is treated as if it were one Rank higher than normal for the purposes of itsperformance. Every individual word replaced from the "Ritual" portion of the description is another vulgarity.

For instance, a ritual might call for four white candles to be burned. If the candles you have access to are brown, the ritualis vulgar. If you don't have candles at all and burn pine resin instead, that is two vulgarities - one for the color, one for thecandles. If you can't burn anything, you cannot perform the ritual.

Priests may learn rituals above their station with no special restriction, but actually attempting them is considered to beVulgar for each step above their station the ritual is. Repeating a ritual looking for the same result immediately after afailure is Vulgar. If a ritual is raised above Rank 5 by Vulgarity, it cannot be performed successfully.

Rituals are performed using Liturgy. For every rank of the Liturgy skill, new codes are gained, which are letters of the

alphabet. Whenever performing a holy ritual, the Priest shuts his eyes and points to a random letter from a random

word on a random page from his gospel. If the letter pointed to is one of the codes that he knows, the ritual is successful.

If not, God does not see fit to grant the miracle besought. Rank 1 Rituals require the one letter pointed to. Rank 2

requires a letter to the left or right as well, rank 3 to the left and right, rank 4 the left 2 and right 2, and rank 5 requires

the entire sentence pointed to.

The Faith of the Priest also has an effect on the success of these rituals. A Priest which is Faithful (++) may point with

two fingers and take whichever result they wish. A Priest which is Zealous (+++) may point with 3.

A Priest may study his Gospel using a Research Downtime action to gain 1 additional letter code. The rank in Liturgy

also determines the maximum amount of codes which can be gained this way,

Liturgy Codes

1. Gain 3 codes, maximum codes is 5.2. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 10.3. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 15.4. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 20.5. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 25.

RELIGIOUS FACTIONSTHE HOLY CHURCH

Much of humankind follows devoutly to the teachings of its church and its God. The Church of Benalus the Martyr has

priests that are revered in the church who are said to be able to perform blessings in His name and can cleanse the sick

and heal the wounded. Miracles such as these are as much truth as they are fiction, and whether a person believes in

miracles can and does affect how much of an impact one will have on their lives. Individuals with little Faith in the ability

of God to change their lives or protect them find themselves unwilling to accept the touch of priests for blessings, and

often leave communities where religious zeal is high.

THE TRIUMVIRATE OF THORNS

The Triumvirate is made up of three Gods that originate as fallen Archangels in the Benalian religion. Their worship is a

perversion and inversion of the faith of Benalus and the Holy Church, and many of their rites and practices show their

roots in the orthodox Benalian faith. The worshipers of the Triumvirate are referred to as Anathema by the citizens of the

Throne, and are to be brooked no mercy, toleration or forgiveness. Their worshipers are known to possess powerful gifts

and often bear strange deformities and physical aberrations.

Kuarl, the God of Slaughter, Blood, and Savagery

Lazarolth, the God of Death and Secrets

Tarranthalus, the Deity of Power and Desire

THE NJORD PANTHEON

The farthest north provinces of Njordr are home to the Rime Clans, Njords that still worship their traditional folk heroes

and gods of their old religion. Converstion to "White Benalus" instead of "Red Stilvskar" is only partially complete in

Njordr, and the Rime Clans still reject the entire idea of the Throne and refuse to be annexed.

Sveas, Lady of Winter and Death, Frost Taker

Stilvskar, The Slayer, The Hunter, The Killer, Husband to Sveas

Aufvaldr, Story Spinner, Wisdom Bringer, Fire Teacher

Ulfrandr, The Wolf Runner, The Wild Man, The Barsark

Jorg, The She-wolf, Mother of Ulfrandr, Daugter of Vecatra

Ura, Hearth Mother, The Childbearer

Ormhildr, The Swirling Serpent, The Sea Killer

Vecatra, The World

AA'BORAN

The Shariqyn worship no gods, but have a faith-based philosophy based on the virties of meditation, community, and

making contact with a perfect version of their soul

THE ALTAR OF VECATRA

The druid priests of Vecatra revere the earth and its creatures and reject urban society as it proliferates throughout the

world. Some communities tolerate one or two people with a reputation of being a witch on the fringes of their society,

but most consider druidic religion dangerous heresy.

THE ELVEN GRAND PANTHEON

Ma'ru, Lord of Chaos

Jan'arus. Lord of Sleep, Dreams, and True Death

Tirideah, Goddess of Love and Fertility

Seltor, "The Judge," Bringer of Justice and Storms

Mirachor, "The Shining Lord," God of Fire, Light, Knowledge and Wisdom

Vecatra, "The Distant One", essential Anima of the World.

Turaff, "The Barbed Crowned King" God of Fortune, Trickery, and Reversal

THE FORGE OF MAGNIR

Magnir, "The World Forger" God of Creation and Boons.

Vagni, "The Deceiver," God of Destruction and Banes.

LITURGY OF THE HOLY CHURCH The liturgy of the Holy church is written into a series of gospels authored by various saints and priests. Each gospel

imparts the specific philosophies and stories of its originator. The given works themselves rarely explain the specific

prayers and actions that eventually become the rituals, but instead provide a philosophical basis for those rituals. The

specific ceremonies involved in supplicating for divine intercession are esoteric extractions based on the hidden

meanings found within the language and refined over the centuries by the priests of the Church. The Literacy ability and

the ability to read Aldersabin, the traditional language of Holy Lethia, are required to learn these rituals.

TESTIMONIUM

This is the most basic of all gospels, and easily the most widespread. Often it is carried by even the most distant and

disconnected members of the clergy as it is considered the most applicable to daily life and the common man. It preaches

how to live a clean, peaceful life in service to Him as well as the basic tenants of the religion taught by Benalus centuries

before. This includes the role of the Thone and it's place in the trinity between God, Church and Throne; Master, will and

hand respectively.

RANK 1

AtonementForgive a misdeed and assign a penance to the repentant.

"Lo, the Lord doth forgive all who pass under his gaze with heads bowed. He sees his sinful children and knows the

CATHEDERALS

The majority of these sites are in Gotha, where the true Cathedrals, often called Vincenzene Cathedrals after Vincenzodi Copalli who built or oversaw the construction of most of them during the lifetime of Benalus, were originally andpainstakingly constructed in the manner perscribed by the Gospel of Zuriel. While almost all such cathedrals still standtoday, the methods for correctly constructing these places in the manner that most pleases the Lord has been lost, andCathedrals created after the gospel of Zuriel was lost do not have the same divine radiance as those created before. Inmost areas outside of Gotha, only the capital cities of each nation and perhaps one or two other sites have a trueVincenzene Cathedral.

These are not the only holy sites, however. Some areas, the sites of miracles, holy events from the Testament ofBenalus, and even some few places where the ring of the Lord simply shines through particularly dramatically, mayalso be treated as holy ground.

story to every stain. Those who seek true absolution need not go away from His glory. Nay, closer to him are thosewho return from the darkness. Look upon such men and rejoice, but gaze not on his brother who hides from the light.They are the servants of devils and their time will come."Ritual: After a sinful deed, a priest can hear confession in a public place, and prescribe a task to do as penance. If done,

the task will erase a sin from the confessor's soul, but if he does not complete the penance assigned to him he cannot ask

for further forgiveness.

Props: None

Mechanic: Upon completing the penance, the penitent loses all Depravity gained from the confessed act or an amount

assigned by a Marshal. A penance that is too light will not remove any Depravity. If the penitent performs sins of the

same category before completing his penance, the Atonement automatically fails. The priest cannot use this on

themselves.

BaptizeUsing a body of water a priest may convert a willing subject to human morality and indoctrinate someone as a member

of the church.

On the eve of the White Siege to shatter the halls of the Flesh Merchants of Hacona, Benalus received supporters fromthe warriors of the Black Lakes. Brutish and uncivilized, they were eaters of horse flesh and worshipers of wolves. Itwas then that Benalus blessed the river Narithis and strode into it. "All those who follow me shall follow me always ornot at all. Join me and join all of humanity, but leave my side but once and I shall visit you only once more."Ritual: The priest asks the willing subject if they will accept God as her judge and keeper. Once answered affirmatively,

the priest places her in the water gently, holding them under for a time, and then lifts her out, and then both leave the

body of water from the opposite side. Some priests wait until the supplicant begins to thrash in the water before rescuing

them as the hand of God.

Props: A body of water or large tub

Mechanic: Someone of alternative faith is converted to the human morality system or someone with Faith in Self is

converted to Faith in a Higher Power.

Blessing of Daily BreadGive thanks for the meal and bless all those who break bread with you.

"Thank the Lord for your food. Thank Him for your blood and breath. Thank Him for the path before you and thepurpose He provides. Thank Him for the chance to serve."Ritual: The supplicant stands and raises their bread (or other food) above their head with their eyes shut. They intone a

small prayer of thanks either silently or aloud and ask that God give them the strength through the gift of bread to allow

them to continue living to further His glory. If the supplicant wishes to perform the ritual for those who will also partake

of the food, the prayer must be spoken loudly enough for all to hear and listen.

Props: An actual meal to be eaten

Mechanic: All partakers of the rite gain the an additional level of Grit.

Funeral RitesProperly celebrate a life passed and ensure they rest forever undisturbed.

"The untimely shadows of oblivion creep over all of us. Our time in this world is precious. The road to salvation ispaved in the corpses of friends and foes alike. To walk it is to walk along their bodies. To honor them is to rememberthe face of each person you tread upon. Today we honor the fallen. His memory shall continue in our minds. But, it isthe memory in our hearts that are to be feared. For it shall fuel us in the coming trials."

Ritual: The priest requires some fore knowledge of the life the person has led. At the funeral, the priest will speak of her

deeds and wishes the departed a safe journey to the Kingdom of Heaven, reading a passage from the Catechism of

Departure in the Scriptures. Then the body is lain in a grave no less than 4 feet deep or is cremated and scattered if

digging is not possible. The priest then beseeches The Lord to watch over the departed and be allowed peace.

Props: A raised pyre bed and sticks

Mechanic: Rituals involving the raising of the dead are considered to have one vulgarity for each Priest Rank that they

are blessed with . All bodies buried this way shall not arise as malefic creatures unaided.

Hope from the ScripturesInspires courage and fortitude in the face of adversity.

"Stand fast! Stand Strong! The might of God Stands with us!"Ritual: The priest calls out and refocuses fearful minds with the power of the scriptures. Reciting from memory or

reading from the gospel itself, the priest speaks to his allies and rallies them against their fears.

Props: None

Mechanic: Faithful listeners immediately recover from Fear and Intimidation. This ritual takes only the time it takes to

directly quote the scriptures.

Last RitesForgiveness for the sins of the dying.

The Solidarity of Man extends far beyond any mortal coil. In their dying breath, each man is like one for a briefmoment and understands the unity we all share in death if not in life. This revelation alone is but the first step into trueservice of the Lord.-- Chapter X, Covenants, 10:16Ritual: The dying confesses to the priest their deepest regrets and recent sins and asks the priest to grant forgiveness in

the name of the Lord.

Props: None

Mechanic: This immediately clears the subject of 3 Depravity per riest Rank as the subject dies so the soul can go to

Heaven.

Lead in PrayerLead a quick prayer to raise spirits and affirm victory in your hearts.

At the Standing Stones, Benalus and his army stood outnumbered by a hundred score by the Dread Cavalry of KingSeptimus. Cruelly, Septimus' son, Valziir, offered those who left Benalus to leave unharmed. Benalus stood his army ona hillock and planted his banner."This is the path the Lord hath laid before you. Never stray from it. Every obstacle is a test of faith to see if you aretruly worthy of His favor. Those unfit for such immortality at the side of God should go and never return."On the third day of fighting, the Dread Cavalry was killed to the last man. Those who took up Valziir's offer werebetrayed and captured. When the fold of Benalus found them, they were to the faithful as strangers and heretics.-- Chapter 2, Epicus 7:16Ritual: The priest has all participating members of appropriate faith stand in a circle and hold hands with him. The

priest then speaks on the coming trials and how faith will conquer it.

Props: None

Mechanic: All faithful participants in this ritual may add one level to their Faith for the purposes of Praying for success

in an event ahead. This ritual takes at least one undisturbed minute to perform properly and all of the Prayers are for the

subject matter that the Priest selects in his speaking. This ritual cannot be used alone.

MatrimonyJoin two kindred spirits in holy matrimony.

"Thanks be to our Beneficent and Merciful God. We declare to Him the marriage of his two children, blessed andbeautiful. With His mercy and permission we ask this union blessed in His name."--Chapter 3, Caeremonia 4:12Ritual: This joyous celebration creates a holy union between man and wife. During this rite, the priest will read a passage

from the Catechism of Life and pronounce the couple wed in the eyes of The Lord.

Props: None

Mechanic: Coupling is no longer a sin of Lust after marriage.

ConvocationThe Priest leads the weekly congregation.

"The one true Lord, the Pantocrator, we offer ourselves to you, and speak with our heads bowed and downcast. Weshow reverence to your might and glory and seek only to do your goodly works in this world. To prepare your Throneon earth and to wash ourselves of temptation."-- Chapter 3, Caeremonia 1:15Ritual: Once a week on the day of rest, a priest may hold the weekly congregation. During this ritual, the priest will

preach the word of the scriptures and the virtues of faith from any holy gospel.

Props: None

Mechanic: Everyone attending the mass in total will receive a blessing that will grants them one Hope per Priest Rank

that they may use any time that week for godly acts or works.

Tears of BenalusWater becomes infused with the divine purity of God and is later a component in many rituals.

When Benalus was forced into exile, they say he cried for our sins. He cried not from the pain or the injustice of hisbanishment, but for the fate of man. His tears cut clean lines across his soot covered face and when the Centurion,Benedictus, saw Benalus, he began to weep as well.Ritual: The priest must stand over, or next to, a container of clean, potable water. While holding the container and

raising it above his head, the priest then recites a quick blessing in the name of God.

Props: Container with water.

Mechanic: Blesses water within a single container. This excludes large bodies of water.

Sanctify WineWine becomes infused with the divine purity of God.

At the eventide meal of Benalus' first return, the first general slaked himself with only water, refusing Benalus' ownwine from his own halls. When word reached him, Benalus took the general's cup from him and filled it with winefrom his own. "Wine is the pleasure of temperate men, whilst the bane of fools. For a fool can control his wine no morethan he can control his fear. Too much or too little is an undoing. Sip or draught, but drink as you fear for there is noabstinence from terror."Ritual: Wine is poured into a large, shallow bowl of any sort. the priest recites a passage on the parable of fear, where

fear is equated to wine itself:

Props: Alcohol or substitute to be imbibed

Mechanic: Each character that imbibes the wine gains a free use of Discipline against Fear that day per Priest Rank. This

ritual does not impart any Depravity.

THE BOOK OF DUMAL, THE WARRIOR SAINT

Dumal of Lethia was Benalus' most loyal and dedicated general. The book of Dumal was penned by the scribe, Innotus,

on Dumal's death bed. It speaks of how to live with the burdens of war upon you and how, even in times of strife, one

cannot compromise his faith. It touches on peace by any means, using war as a necessity only when all else has been lost;

for there is no greater tragedy than mankind's own pride and greed subverting the will of God.

RANK 1

Rites of MercyExecute your foes with dignity.

Death is a certainty in the Throne's many conflicts. When death calls, few can refuse, but a man can choose how he dies- else hope someone chooses well for him. A warrior priest, who finds a battle closed with captives, must decide thedeaths of those men.Ritual: After last rites are administered, the condemned should be set to knee and a sword driven through the base of the

skull at the neck with one clean strike. The corpse should be set face up and its eyes and jaws shut to be prepared for

burial.

Props: None

Mechanic: This act does not yield any Wrath.

Communal GraveBury the dead after a conflict.

War is a time of cold comforts when half-measures are sometimes all one can hope for. Still, men are men and deservethe dignity and comfort of a grave, even if cold comfort is all one can afford. Great conflicts and terrible outbreaksfind these long trenches outside city walls or in the killing fields.Ritual: A pit, at least one yard deep and as long as is necessary is dug out. This usually takes several hours of digging if

the forces were about the same size before the battle. The corpses are gently placed in the grave side by side, friend and

foe sharing the same grave - brothers in death, this conflict forgotten. The largest stone nearby is carried to form a

marker. The commander of the enemy force's personal weapon marks the grave of the fallen.

Props: Stone, marker.

Mechanic: The dead rest peacefully and will not rise again.

Rite of ConflictPray for your foes to consecrate a battle.

Know that God does not take sides in the petty affairs of men, concerned with a far greater worldly plan. Though hecould never turn a blind eye on his children, His plan is not for one little lord or the next, but the greater good of allmen. As such, know that he cannot abide the killing of our brothers, but knows it is sometimes all too necessary for thewheels to move forward.Ritual: The priest addresses those present in a speech She reminds everyone that no matter who dies today, it is great

tragedy that man should shed the blood of man and that a moment of silence be spared for those about to die. This takes

at least a few minutes.

Props: None

Mechanic: The next battle today is consecrated and no Wrath is gained from killing for those who listened to the speech.

Chaplain BanneretteConstruct a banner that will rally allies.

All men are of God. The holiest of which shall bear his name and marker. And those who glimpse the memory of Godshall know a dignified heart that fears nothing and bears the trials of his works silently.Ritual: The priest must construct a banner. This requires a haft made from ash with the seals of the seven archangels

carved into it - Mithriel's seal being highest and largest. The banner itself is at least a yard long and bears the Leonem

placed above any other heraldry, separated by three crowns. The field has words from this gospel copied onto it. Finally,

metal end caps that are in the shape of Leonem and have been quenched in holy water are placed on each end.

Props: Decorated Banner.

Mechanic: The banner can be used as a weapon and has Quick. If anyone other than the priest wields it, it also receives

the Crude trait. This counts as a medium weapon. Additionally, any who can see the banner in battle receives free uses of

Discipline during combat equal to your Rank if they are of the correct faith and on the correct side of the conflict.

RANK 2

Redoubt of FaithGrant protection in battle from enemy weapons.

Faith protects. More than any shield or breastplate, faith can carry you through the blows and strikes of a hundredfoes. Through any trial or challenge, God protects.Ritual: The priest prepares a sheet from the Book of Dumal and tacks it onto a shield or chest armor with white sealing

wax. Upon sealing it to the armor, the priest reads aloud the sheet and beseeches The Lord to grant this warrior divine

favor in battle.

Props: Page of scriptures sealed in place

Mechanic: Shields so blessed are immune to Sundering. The character's chest piece grants an extra use of Armor. For

either effect to work, the weapon must strike against the blessed gospel page. Continual use of this ritual will require a

replacement gospel over time.

ConvalescentiaBring respite to the wounded after a battle.

After a battle there are many wounded. Some may join the Lord before the night is over. A warrior priest can bringrelief to the wounded by traversing the camp and bringing with him the presence of the Lord, as well as something tohide the smell of vomit, gore and corruption. These men's strength may be needed again before the night is through,Ritual: A censor burning with lavender and dragon's blood incense is carried through the camp while prayers are recited

from this gospel. The priest makes seven circuits through the camp before ceasing his patrol around the soldiers in his

charge.

Props: Censor with lavendar and dragon's blood incense.

Mechanic: All wounded soldiers temporarily recover enough to return to fighting condition. Injured limbs recover and

Battered characters behave as Healthy for the next 15 minutes, or until next Rest. Additional damage affects them

normally and counts toward Maiming.

Invoke RamulthienInvoke an aspect of the legendary hammer of Mithriel.

It is written that the Archangel Mithriel forged His hammer, The Ramulthien, when the traitorous angels created afortress that protected from every possible attack. Seven days it took Him. When it was complete, the fortress could notwithstand even a single blow.Ritual: Mark your weapon with the Angelic Seal of Mithriel

Props: The mark itself.

Mechanic: The marked weapon gains the Power quality when the Priest wields it.

RANK 3

Angelic VoicesLearn inklings of the future.

God is the master of all time and fate, the mighty architect that lays the foundings of all events fore and gone. How canany army stand before one whose patron is the Master of Earth and Sky? How can the army of the Lord Himself bestopped? We are His soldiers, His holy knights and generals, and He will show us when and where to strike the blowsof His mighty sword.Ritual: The priest enters a sealed chamber with a question in mind, and petitions the divine for advice. Setting up a

chain thurible of incense, the priest breathes in the smoke while focusing on a silver leonem. The priest holds the leonem

over either a font of holy water or a large, horizontal silver surface and continues to focus on the question at hand.

Props: Thurible and incense, leonem, mirror or water.

Mechanic: The priest will receive an answer after its completion. The possible responses are "Weal," or "Woe." This ritual

takes one hour and may be performed once a day. Misuse of this power for questions not concerning the greater good

and matters of war may go unanswered or risk misinterpretation.

Weighted with AuthorityBattle ready your gospel to handle more than just the rigors of combat.

Again and again St. Baldre struck at Ransur the Untouchable. Shattering every bone, sundering limb and armor alike.When Ransur renewed himself with pleas to dark powers, Baldre returned his foe again to his knees until theseheathen idols grew deaf and bored with their champion. When this Anathema finally lay defeated, the delivered folkfound St. Baldre armed with only a book and nothing more.Ritual: The Warrior Priest binds and weights her gospel in steel and chains it to her armor. A steel leonem is attached to

the front cover that was quenched in holy water.

Props: Gospel, bound in protective foam to make it a boffer weapon.

Mechanic: This gospel can now be used as a melee weapon with the Subduing flaw. It must be padded appropriately.

When foes are struck with the weapon, it delivers a Slam attack, causing them to be thrown backward. The player must

take 3 steps backward and then be Knocked Down at that spot.

SolidarityBind your closest allies to you, so that you may stand together stronger.

All men are connected by the Lord's favor. Those who stand together fall together or not at all.Ritual: The names of your closest, dearest allies are written on the inside cover of your Gospel in the blood of each

person.

Props: Gospel

Mechanic: If any of those allies are rendered incapacitated during battle, you and all those allies still standing near you

gain Hope until the end of the scene. This Hope is cumulative with each other and any other Hope. Thus four fallen allies

elicits four Hope to each ally still standing until the end of the scene. This functions even if the priest is incapacitated.

RANK 4

Swords To Plowshares

Swear your enemies to peace and set them free.

After the battle he looked around and saw the innumerable dead, the scores and multitudes of God's people laying facedown in filth and gore, his eyes came to rest upon his prisoners, he felt the great weight of sin pressing upon hisshoulders and brow. He could bear it no longer, and rather than execute the treasonous ilk of Moraband and hisspearmen, he forgave and set them free. Years later, Sir Moraband the Redeemed died saving his lord from ambush.Ritual: The priest has the captured foes before him with their hands bound in front. Enemies who swear to never raise

arms against you or your allies again are set free and cared for.

Props: Rope or other binding for hands.

Mechanic: Those who violate this promise to you and God are damned to the end of their line. God casts a terrible pox

on the lineage.

Unyielding DevotionGain sacred protection from harm.

With only one night before the eclipsed moon, we had lost fully half of our number to the Vecatran heretics and theirblack-hearted sorcery. Our brothers lay dead among the corpses of a hundred wolves, the remaining men exhaustedand despairing. With but half of the force we needed to breach that black glade in time, the word on the wind was toflee. "No," I called. "Let not their sacrifices be for naught! Let not these oak-hearted monsters use their blood upon theirblighted altars!" I snatched up Brother Vaustus' legionaire's leonem from his throat and affixed it to my breast, andbid others do the same. "Pray tonight, for tomorrow our brothers spirits are within our keeping, and we shall not staintheir souls to balk in the face of heresy!"Ritual: A sacred leonem is fastened with silver chain around the shoulders and chest, coming to rest over the heart

against bare skin. The priest intones prayers while holding a full day and night's vigil over an ally who was slain in battle

of a common purpose to the priest to bless the leonem.

Props: Leonem and chain

Mechanic: The first blow the next combat scene that would Down you instead immediatly recovers all of your spent

Defensive Actions and does no damage. The leonem is immediately shattered as a result.

RANK 5

KingmakerMithriel bestows a great and mighty weapon to you for a single day.

But for the grace of God, we all knew it: there was no way to victory. No path but through Him. The forces of Hell andEarth were arrayed against us, the Red Titan Himself present in the gutteral roars and pounding drums as they beatout their advance under a sky of crimson terror. God help us, the steel at our hips was useless to even draw, and webent our knee before their blasphemous march. Bent knee, and prayed. After what seemed an age, I looked up, into thesky, the color of blood. There I saw our sign, a flaming comet that cut through the plumes of fire and soot that stampedout the sun. I dug my steel fist into the dust and rose, bid the men to follow, and there, in the clearing, searing andsmoldering with all the fury and anger of Heaven itself, it lay.Ritual: Without any interruption, the priest kneels and prays for Mithriel to deliver his just cause to victory over and

over again for an entire Period. Only the most dire needs may be answered, as the weight of this invocation is nothing

short of beseeching Mithriel for a miracle of the greatest magnitude. At the end of the prayer, if even answered at all, the

priest will receive a vision of a great weapon from Mithriel's personal armory that He has placed upon the world for you

to find and use. The weapon will be in such a place that it can be recovered before the battle, but not necessarily with

ease.

Prop: Awesome weapon

Mechanic: The weapon discovered has a number of perks equal to your faith assigned by the Staff in a way that suits

your character and situation. The weapon has no flaws and is of a weapon type that is favorable to your character. This

can be a shield that orbits around the character deflecting blows, a sword that is so Mighty it can cut through anything,

or any other conceivable armament. The weapon also has the effects of the Invoke Ramulthien ritual.

If the weapon is lost or stolen, it loses all of its perks and gains Cumbersome and Unbalanced instead as it resists new

masters. At the end of the battle it must be buried with the dead who have been slain by it. If this final act is not

completed, natural disasters, great plagues and horrible catastrophe shall befall all of the surrounding land until it is

done.

SANCTAE VIAE, VIRTUE OF PILGRIMAGE

This gospel speaks on the words of Saint Bathier, a traveling monk that took great measures to strip himself of all

distractions from the Lord. Within, he speaks on how one's life is a battle of constant excess that leeches from us our

ability to commit wholly to God's vision. This gospel seeks to redefine the role of the priest as one without limits of

institution, expanding a shepard's flock to all he can walk to. Thus, the texts are steeped in controversy, and many

ranking cardinals do not appreciate how it undermines the will of the church.

RANK 1

Blessing of Peaceful SlumberReceive advance warning of attacks in your sleep.

Dark had been my dreams that night. I dreamt of running, trying to catch myself before it was too late, thoughbrambles and branches tore at me. And when I stretched out my hand to ward myself of the danger, I awoke suddenly,and with great alarm. Thank the Lord that I did.Ritual: The priest invokes the blessing of Melandiel, the Archangel of Travel, and begs that He watch over the faithful as

they rest so that he may continue the work of the Lord as he marks off an area in chalk around where he sleeps.

Prop: Chalk perimeter, door tag

Mechanic: When danger, or someone with ill intent approaches where you sleep, you will awaken with a sense of alarm.

Add a note to the door tag - You must wake the Priest before interacting with the cabin with ill intent.

FastingRefuse food to bolster Faith.

When Bathier came upon the Reikengard fjords that had suffered so badly in the Henberger Rebellion, he was deeplymoved by their turmoil and bid we all stop at assist them in any way we could. The people of Reikengard needed foodmost of all, for the fields had been burned and the harvest utterly failed. Of what food he had, Bathier gave everymorsel to the people in direst need, and said that he would suffer with them, as one of them. Thane Jocta had siegeprovisions in the keep of the fortress nearby, but refused to use them as relief for the people in case Henberger's sonsreturned from exile with armies. Many people wished to take the food, but were too weak to raid the storehouses ordemand relief. Yet even as they starved, Bathier seemed to grow more powerful with each passing day, until finally hisrighteous anger lead him to challenge the thane directly.Ritual: The priest simply does not eat, instead choosing to pray in silent contemplation of the Lord.

Props: None

Mechanic: After one day of fasting, the Priest gains Fatigue. The Priest may begin play having fasted if he chooses. Until

the priest eats, he may treat his Faith as if it were one step higher for all purposes.

Purity of Daily BreadPurify food of corruption.

I watched as the thane brought forth the meal he had promised us. The flesh was discolored from age and flies worriedit with their attentions as the thane's women put the carcass on our board. As I turned my head from the stink toregard Bathier, he smiled kindly to the Thane, and thanked him as any guest to a generous lord. He prayed then overthe filth we were insulted with, and as I watched, the flies left, the stink abated, and Bathier did eat of it, and bade usall do as he. "No man can despoil what God Himself grants to his flock," he told me, and the meal did save us from ourstarvation and sickness.Ritual: Five minutes of silence before a meal spent in silent prayer. Any who also eat with the priest and bow their heads

may gain the benefits of this ritual as well.

Props: None

Mechanic: Food or water becomes safe to consume and all poison traits are removed from the meal.

BenedictionMark allies with divine favor.

As Bathier's ashes filled the soot-black skies of Fenristadt, the teeming masses of his followers wailed in a communionof misery. At the pitch of their anguish, they climbed the martyr's pyre and swathed their faces in his ash and suet.Their faces black with rage and ash alike, they became what the Emperor feared when he put Bathier to death. Withinthree days hence, the Pontifex Emperor took his coronation.The divine favor of The Lord is guided through the hand of His most pious followers and granted in the form of a mark

on the forehead.

Rituals: At sunrise, the priest gathers all who wish to gain divine favor. Chanting and praying with a leonem, the priest

mixes ashes from burnt holly with holy water and anoints the foreheads of the gathered with the mark of Melandiel.

Props: Wet ash mixture

Mechanic: All anointed gain Hope equal to the Priest's Rank for the day.

RANK 2

Hospitality of the LordThe Lord grants a divine favor to a hospitable home.

At the halls of Meridia, where the Guildmaster Halgas the childless ruled over then a meager town, St. Bathier camedressed in the humble clothes of a mendicant. He besought of Halgas his hospitality for a single night, refusing wineand other pleasures, but allowing himself the indulgence of a roof and water. Upon his leaving, St. Bathier gestured tohis hall and declared, "Allowing the Lord's servants into one's home is to allow the Lord Himself to stay; and as Ileave, He shall remain." From that day on, Halgas became known as the plentiful and bore a dozen sons in his name.Ritual: At the doors of a home that has offered the priest a good meal or a place to stay the night, that the priest has

accepted, he may then trace his fingers along the front door frame, speaking to the Lord and asking him to deliver this

home and its residence from the evils of circumstance.

Props: None

Mechanic: The residence is sanctified and deters the presence of malefic creatures for the duration of your stay and

several weeks afterwards.

Vestments of TravelPriest vestments are enforced and made durable for use during travel.

Bathier's followers were ragged from traveling, and Bathier tells them that all they need is the word of the lord tocloth them.Ritual: A leather long coat is modified to hold a linen inner lining that is layers thick. The linen is permanently died with

the symbol of Melandiel, Archangel of Travel along with the entire Sanctae Viae, copied amidst the layers of linen in ink.

Outside, the coat is stained on the shoulders to bear the blazing lion or to bear a silver leonem hanging around the neck

of the coat. The construction of this coat takes one Downtime to copy enough of the scriptures to fill the inside of it and

to stain the shoulders.

None: Scriptured lining and a leather-looking coat costume

Mechanics: The coat counts as Armor, gaining one Armor call per Priest Rank, as well as being extremely durable. This

amount can exceed but does not add to normal Armor.

Cardinal DirectionDivine the direction of the nearest church.

Bathier and followers are all lost in the woods and no one knows the way out. Bathier explains that all roads lead tothe lord.Ritual: The priest dangles a little leonem on a silver chain while whispering prayers for guidance.

Props: Leonem, chain

Mechanic: The leonem corrects itself in the direction of the nearest church.

RANK 3

Angel of Unseen TravelCreates a charm to hide the bearer and her friends from scrying and notice.

Bathier walks into evilville past all the spying crows and scrying witches, and kills a named necromancer.Ritual: The priest fills a small glass vial with holy water. On the glass is etched the name of Melandiel, the Archangel of

Wind, and the name of the charm's bearer.

Prop: Vial of water

Mechanic: This charm protects its holder and nearby allies from divination from those who intend them harm as well as

causes those the holder encounters to casually forget their presence after they go.

Station of BrotherhoodYou remind others of your station as the Lord's will and word.

Bathier was put on trial for inciting an uprising, but did not get angry or anything, speaking with a compelling tonethat turned the trial to his favor.Ritual: You must present yourself with dignity and decorum. Doing so, you must be unarmed, unarmored, and dressed

in holy vestments of your station.

Props: Vestments

Mechanic: People can not attempt any social skills on you, and you cannot use any on them. This effect lasts until the

Priest does not maintain a dignified presence, the Priest uses a Social Skill, or the end of the day.

FlagellationThe penitent whips herself or others in punishment for transgressions.

Bathier stood and watched the executions, tears twinkling in the firelight. He told me that he had to watch them die, astheir deaths were due to his vain sermons against their masters. As the last man fell limp from the shock of the blows

that scourged his flesh, Bathier went to the soldier and, removing his robes, asked to be beaten, but the manrecognized Bathier as a holy man and refused. Seizing the man's scourge, Balthier fell to his knees in the bloody streetand began to weep prayers of forgiveness for his pride as he played out the agony of his soul upon his flesh. Thegathered serfs and soldiers watched the blood of the holy man mingle with that of the dead he had wronged. WhenBathier stood again, all could see he was a man redeemed in the eyes of God. He returned the whip to the soldier, butthe man refused it, instead kneeling in the street and bearing his back. The soldier then begged Bathier to take his sinsfrom his hide so that God might know of his sincerity.Ritual: The penitent is whipped with a scourge and must recite the verses of this scripture or ask God for forgiveness.

The process of being whipped takes at least fifteen minutes.

Props: Flogger or soft whip

Mechanic: The priest may whip another character, including himself, to the point of being Downed, taking about five to

fifteen minutes. Once the penitent is Downed, he can be tended to as normal and one Depravity.

RANK 4

Awe of Consummate VirtueEnter unbidden to any location.

Bathier and all his thousands of followers barge into the Imperial Palace and throne room and confront the EmperorRitual: Cleanse the soul of all sin and maintain 0 Depravity. The Priest and his entourage must dress in humble robes

and be unarmed and unarmored.

Props: Humble robes

Mechanic: The Priest and his entourage will never be stopped or detained for entering any area for which they might not

otherwise be allowed to enter or explore. They are always seen to, if not belong there, then instead be so impressive and

awe inspiring that no one dares gainsay their presence. This effect lasts for the scene.

Abstinence from TribulationTravel unmolested by evil creatures.

Bathier is a little boy and is an actual shepherd. He is the only one who can get a flock of sheep through WEREWOLFFOREST and gains fame as a child which starts his career.Ritual: A shepherd's crook with a silver bell is held as a walking stick and a charm is placed around the neck of the

subject of a ritual. That person must neither remove the charm from her neck, nor eat or drink anything for the duration

of the ritual, instead taking that time to pray to Melandiel for passage.

Props: Shepherds crook with bell. Charm or necklace.

Mechanic: The user of the charm gains one Fatigue per day of use, during which time no evil creature will will act

aggressively to the user and her companions. Evil or malefic creatures will seek to avoid the group, but will fight if

threatened directly, and thus the users can expect no trouble from monsters of any kind so long as this miracle is active.

The effects end immediately if the charm is removed, or the bearer partakes of food or drink.

RANK 5

ShepherdBecome unto the people as a spiritual leader.

After Bathier's death, his direct followers went all over the place to reprimand everyone and everyone felt so guiltythat they just fold before them.

Ritual: The priest divests himself of all lands, possessions, titles, and wealth, living a life of total humility and poverty

trusting only God to provide for him. The priest must maintain a Depravity of 0.

Props: None

Mechanic: So long as the priest maintains this lifestyle, all people can see his inherent virtues and cannot help but

respond to the higher calling that he represents. No character can take overt aggressive actions against the Priest, even

vile enemies like Anathema would rather let him live than actually slay him directly. Further, all characters that the

character meets can be treated as allies, per the A Friend Indeed Perk at its highest level, and thus can be motivated en

mass to almost any task. These effects end should the priest fail to meet the stringent commitments of his lifestyle.

THE SACROSANCTUM, GOSPEL OF PROTECTION

Penned by the Nameless Saint, the Sacrosanctum tells of the many forms and shapes the Night Malefic will take. Both a

field guide and gospel, it is a common trapping of experienced hunters and slayers. It concludes that the night malefic is

an imbalance made manifest of natural law and that in order to cleanse an area, indirect wrongs must be righted.

Knowledge and faith are more common methods than fire and sword within the writings and it preaches that through

unity and brotherhood, the world can be taken back.

RANK 1

Call of PathosDetect an emotion tied to an area.

Contrary to popular thought, emotions do have weight. The tangible world is but shadow - it is the intangibles, hope,faith, despair, worry, regret, that are the only things that are truly real. We exist in both places, but the tangible worldis the only way we mortals may truly apprehend the divine.Ritual: The priest weighs a trinket representing an emotion against a simple load of identical weight on a small scale. He

then waits in silence.

Props: Scale

Mechanic: The scales will slowly tip in favor of the trinket if an emotion is strongly tied to the area. For example, the

wedding ring of a man unjustly tried and executed will weigh heavily in an area where injustice has spoiled the land.

Memento MoriGive a malefic creature a moment of doubt, clarity and regret.

I had not yet observed a reaction of remorse for what had been the otherwise base and inhumanly driven creatures,until I beheld my son, and he I. We both wept then, until he and I regained our senses and remembered our roles.Ritual: The priests presents an object of sentimental value to a malefic creature that once was human. While doing so,

the priest will say its former name and call it back to humanity.

Props: Prop for object in question

Mechanic: The malefic creature will pause to stare longingly and mournfully at the memento, comparing what it is to

what it was, often reacting emotionally, bawling or crying out in anguish. It is considered Stunned for 5 seconds before it

returns to its malefic self. This works once per memento on any malefic creature.

BestiaryDiligently study your enemy and gain insight into defeating it.

Subject shows advanced signs of decomposition across the arms and trunk. Teeth show signs of bone augmentation.

Skull plating shows weakening due to transformative ridges. Reanimation ceased once both the spine and heart weredisconnected, and reconnecting them has not resulted in any recovery of flesh or spirit.Ritual: The priest carefully chronicles his experiences and all facts relating to a specific Malefic creature, culminating in

an autopsy dissection of the creature once a corpse is produced. Diagrams, notes and drawings specific to that creature

must be recorded both in and out of character.

Props: Handwritten book with drawings

Mechanic: Once complete, the Instinct profile that creature possesses is revealed.

Resonant EvilUse wicked items to root out more wickedness.

The old, wicked oak tree in the forest had drawn the children in their sleep with the sound of its swaying, awakeningnaked in the wood from awful dreams. The old pederast had been long dead these many winters, all that left theshackle he had used to keep the children in place to the iron ring still twisted into the tough bark. With no direction formy anger to go, I felt alike with the lost souls that haunted the hillside - my anger was all that was real, my sense ofself merely a shade to house it. The shackle seemed to recognize the sinful appetite shared in the old man's son.Strangling the man with the shackle seemed to quiet the madness that the place caused in me.Ritual: The Priest must aquire some object that is tied to the malefic presence in question, either by use in the inspiring

event, or by possession of someone afflicted by the original curse. The Priest then wraps a sacred leonem around it on a

silver chain and ties the object tightly, sealing it with a spoken prayer to Nuraniel.

Props: leonem and chain, item prop in question

Mechanic: The object, so long as it is on the Priest's person, will gently and silently pulse if the Priest becomes quite near

to someone, something, or some place related to the curse. So long as the Priest holds the item, the Priest may take

actions to attempt to resolve a Malefic situation that correspond symbolically to the situation rather than being true

resolution. The Priest may punish a living criminal whose crime resembles an unpunished injustice to attempt to bring

resolution when the criminal that caused the disturbance is long dead. The closeness in the two situations affects how

effective this is to bring closure to the Malefic situation.

RANK 2

Aqua CaelestisArm yourself with holy water.

VignetteRitual: The priest places holy water into a small, glass flask or vial. On the container is etched the symbolic name of

Nuraniel, Archangel of Redemption. A pinch of dirt from the grounds of a cathedral is added to the water before it is

immediately sealed with cork and wax.

Props: Water balloon with mark of Nuraniel

Mechanic: When forcibly thrown, the container will shatter and spill its contents on the target. If truly a malefic creature,

then the water will sting and burn like a terrible flame upon them. The wracking pain causes the Malefic creature to be

Stunned for 10 seconds. Against normal people, even Anathema, the water does nothing. The vial has the Thrown trait

when used as a weapon.

Seal of HeavenSanctify a small area to ward malefic entities.

VignetteRitual: An area is sectioned off with iron filings mixed with ash while the priest chants. The priest is marked with the

sign of Nuraniel and must stand within the bounded area.

Props: Dark-colored sand

Mechanic: The Priest gains an additional amount of Liturgy codes equal to his Priest Rank while standing within the

circle, which must be determined at the time of the ritual. All Malefic creatures must spend a full 10 seconds spending

their total undivided attention to pass over the perimeter during which time they can neither defend themselves or

attack. The effect only ends when the Priest exits the perimeter for any reason.

Weapon of DawnEmpower weapons with the bane of daylight.

VignetteRitual: The priest lays the weapons in question in the sun for the last few hours before sunset, touching the

Sacrosanctum.

Props: Gospel, weapons

Mechanic: The weapons count as flaming weapons for purposes of fighting undead of any kind (sets fire to their targets

if it successfully scores damage). This effect lasts until sunrise the next day.

RANK 3

EmancipateRemove ungodly influences from the mind.

VignetteRitual: The Priest wets a cloth with holy water and wipes the brow of the person in need of salvation. The Priest then

begs the awesome power of Nuraniel to liberate His servant from the bondage of lies and evil while squeezing the cloth

out over the supplicant's head.

Props: Wet cloth

Mechanic: The target character may immediately shake off any intrusive influence upon her mind, gaining the Priest's

Rank in Discipline uses to do so if necessary as well as their full refreshed amount.

Coerce HateCreate a candle that will summon the Night Malefic in full force.

"All the darkness in the entire world cannot snuff the light of a single candle. Creatures of the Maleficence know thisand covet such power, while despising such defiance."Ritual: A white candle is lit in an area with no other light sources. It is made from incense mixed with beeswax and is

placed within a metal bowl of holy water.

Props: White scented candle

Mechanic: The light of the candle can be felt for a great distance by Malefic creatures and they will seek it out. All Malefic

creatures who can see the light source will do everything in their power to snuff it out, including create plans or use

diversions if they are mentally capable. The candle may only be lit once.

VociferaA volunteer becomes the voice of evil.

VignetteRitual: The subject, who must be within the heart of the cursed stain, must be annointed in soot, ash and mud, so that

their face, hair and hands are filthy. The subject places a mixture of poison and offal upon their own tongue freely. The

ritual begins when they swallow.

Props: Soot, ash, mud, something gross tasting.

Mechanic: When the ritual begins, the voluneteer becomes temporarily possessed by the stain which uses them as a

direct voice, speaking in a language that can always be understood. Speaking sometimes with one voice, sometimes with

many, the creature must speak the truth but the meaning of the words are not always obvious, sometimes wrapped in

riddle. The character is no longer in control and certain precautions might need to be taken to prevent her from hurting

herself or others. While under the effects of Vocifera, the possessed character gains one power of the Malefic creature

this stain represents. The Priest may end the possession at any time but for every minute the possession persists, the

host takes a hit to a location on the body which manifests as bleeding and vomiting. The subject gains Fatigue at the end

of the ritual and should check her Grit against the ingested poison at the end of the scene.

RANK 4

CleansePurify an area of its evil presence.

The specific invocation goes here.Ritual: The priest must enter the heart of the desecrated area, a place where the malevolence has become the most

apparent and has twisted the landscape. Once there, she begins to read from the Sacrosanctum while brandishing the

sacred leonem, never moving from her position, and holding fast against evil.

Props: Leonem, gospel

Mechanic: Every 15 seconds, the Priest may attempt a Liturgy trial as if casting a level 4 Ritual to complete one step of

this ritual. If the priest fails any one of these trials, she must start over. At least three successes must be made before this

ritual is complete (or more depending on the severity of the evil. The Priest has no way of knowing how powerful the evil

is except her own observations). When this ritual begins, whatever evil force inhabits the area will immediately and

murderously try to stop the ritual, calling whatever monsters are linked to it to its aid and creating new ones if necessary.

Since the Priest cannot move during the ritual, she cannot defend herself in any way, and thus it falls to her companions

to defend her long enough to succeeed. If successful, the evil presence in the area immediately dissipates and loses all

power to fight you.

LambasteDrive away evil with the power of prayer.

Vignette (The actual prayer goes here.)Ritual: The Priest reads aloud from this prayer from his Sacrosanctum, speaking in a mighty voice.

Props: None

Mechanic: For as long as he continues to shout the prayer, Anathema and Malefic creatures cannot by any means

approach him past a distance equal to 3 yards, increased to 10 yards for Faithful Priests and 20 yards for Zealous Priests.

They will seek to disengage to this range at any cost, parting to let the priest and any within that radius pass. They also

cannot attempt to use ranged attacks or other aggressive actions to assault the protected area. It is possible to recite this

prayer from memory. If this used in conjunction with a church bell, it can extend to great distances.

RANK 5

Confront DestinyConfront the intangible directly.

Vignette

Ritual: The ritual begins at dawn and lasts for twenty-three hours. Costly powdered silver is spread in a large area

encompassing the battlefield and a holy altar is placed at the center. White pillar candles are placed at the north, south,

east, and west points of a second circle of powdered silver. Complex symbols are drawn upon the ground radiating from

the altar in lamb's blood, and chanting continues on into the night. At the end of the ritual, a malefic creature is brought

forth and placed upon the altar. The creature is killed by a silver knife and whatever it has that passes for blood runs

down upon the lamb's blood symbols. As the two bloods mix, the Priest speaks the name of the being he wishes to call

forth.

Props: Grey or silver sand, four pillar candles, fake or real blood, knife prop.

Mechanic: Day merges with night around the epicenter and an eclipse appears, tinting the area in strangely colored light.

Any bodiless supernatural force, with no real limits, can be given form and be confronted with traditional martial means

as if it were a living creature like any other. The being that this ritual calls forth will have power proportional to its

significance, so the Priest and his allies should beware what they summon, but any being, be it a ghost, a demon, or even

the Triumverate themselves, could be called forth.

WORD OF SAINT ISTRA, GOSPEL OF THE HOSPITALIER

St. Istra was said to have been able to speak to Lurian himself in her dreams. There he informed her of all ofmankind's frailties and failings, both within and without. There he gave her a choice of becoming the world's greatestdestroyer or the world's greatest healer able to cause ruin or care in a thousand forms and shapes. St. Istra went on toconquer the neighboring city-states. None could best her in combat, as even the simplest move rendered warriors lameand dying. For 10 years she fought undefeated in combat and war. Then, the visage of Lurian appeared before her,gazing at her with eyes like the sun. In his eyes, she could see her true death, unalterable, inevitable. It was here sheknew that she had chosen poorly, exploiting her fellow man and embodying all that was weakest of him. When she puther sword down that day, it was never taken up again.

Rank 1

Oath of St. IstraThe priest swears an oath to heal the patient.

Istra of Agnis put down her sword, never to raise it up again. From henceforth she swore to never hurt another,claiming that man's greatest virtue could never come at the edge of a blade, but from his willingness to aid his fellows.So she set out, unarmed and unarmored, to undo her bloody work a hundred fold before she would finally rest.Ritual: The priest swears an oath to never commit harm to a specific person while both are touching this gospel.a

Props: None

Mechanic:The priest behaves as if caring for her patient is part of their Devotion. Forever after, no matter the

circumstances, attempting to harm this individual is the same as acting against your Devotion.

Lurian's PatienceDelay the inevitable.

Lurian knows that every man is destined to die, be it the mightiest king or the lowliest pauper. By beseeching Lurian tohold his hand on one more soul, a priest can buy enough time to let the earthly works of that person continue.

Eventually, it matters not in the end. Lurian's victory is inevitable, but smaller victories are always possible formankind.Ritual: The priest hangs a tiny Leonem on a silver chain above the character and prays to Lurian to hold off on his

judgment, speaking of undone works this character has that make him worthy of his divine patience. The Priest takes

one Shield worth of silver filings mixed with ashes from a burned page of the Words of St. Istra, and anoints the brow.

Props: leonem, chain

Mechanic: If successful, the ritual may stay the soul and allow for resurrection via the Shrine to be delayed. This allows a

maximum extra time of the Priest's Rank in days. Repeated use will eventually deplete the gospel and require a

replacement.

Painless CrossingAllow wounded people to die.

There are times when all that can be done is give a merciful farewell. To Lurian, Archangel of Death, all men are equalin this regard and when a priest calls him, he solemnly does not refuse his services. For those who are at death's door,it is sometimes best that they pass one way or the other rather than linger in such a terrible place.Ritual: The priest speaks a prayer aloud to Lurian to do the Lord's will quickly and easily. As the priest concludes, she lies

the dying on his back and closes his eyes and mouth.

Props: None

Mechanic: Any person that has the Downed or Battered status, even enemies, become Downed if Battered and die if not.

No wrath is gained from this act.

Blessed BandagesBind wounds with purified bandages.

VignetteRitual: The priest inks the holy words of St. Istra and the marks of Lurian upon white cloth as small as they may write

until the available space is full, then sprinkles the bandage with holy water. Bandages such as these dirty quickly,

however, and it is customary to change them daily lest the wound spoils itself.

Props: Bandages completely inked with scripture.

Mechanic: The Priest may take one hour to craft these bandages, creating a number of them equal to her ranks in Liturgy

in that time. These bandages immediately stabilize a Downed character when applied, and prevent re-injury from

activity while worn. The bandages do not work when they are dirty, and are only good for one use.

RANK 2

Herald of LurianCreate an armor against illness.

Then should the beak be filled with fragrant herbs, to remove the spoil of wickedness from the breath. Guide you thehand through oiled hide and tie you the wrist with sinew. Let no part of your flesh see the light, such that you dwell inshadow away from all mutable life. Be as his Holy Corviscera, awaiting death with removed vigilance.Ritual: The priest can create a guise to protect him from the wicked spirits that possess the sick. A suit of oiled leathers is

specially crafted and covered in every inch in blessed crow's feathers. A helm and mask must be specifically crafted with

a long, hollow beak and goggles with red lenses, which is filled with fresh flowers before use. It is customarily worn with

a hooded cloak or a wide-brimmed hat.

Props: Plague doctor mask, red lenses, cloak decorated or accented with black feathers, wide brimmed hat or hood

Mechanic: This is a full suit of leather armor that has been customized by someone with the appropriate craft skills, and

continues to act as leather armor for this purpose. When worn by any character, it effectively increases your ranks in Grit

for the purposes of disease infection by your Priest Rank, and makes a character immune to inhaled poison.

Lull of LurianPut a subject into a dream state.

VignetteRitual: You recite slowly the words of St. Istra, while dangling a little leonem on a silver chain. After 10 minutes, the

subject enters an amenable state from which many suggestions are possible. In this state, the subject appears to be

sleeping or in a trance and any interruptions or startling events will easily shake them from it, requiring the ritual be

performed again. Subjects that are uncooperative with the ritual count as a vulgarity.

Props: leonem, chain

Mechanic: This ritual takes fifteen minutes. Once the subject is entranced, the priest may suggest one of the following

effects:

1. The priest can continue the ritual putting the subject in an even deeper trance making them completely unresponsive

and appear dead to all others. This effect will last for several hours before the subject automatically awakens from it fully

rested.

2. The priest can recant a memory of the subject's and begin to suggest that such events never really happened. The

subject will not forget the events unnaturally, but will believe them to have been a dream or otherwise a product of his

imagination, and will not bring it up casually.

3. The priest can ask a single question of the subject and she will willingly answer to the best of her knowledge. This

knowledge can come from memories that have been blocked out or otherwise forgotten and the subject is assumed to

have the Impeccable Memory perk for the purposes of answering. If the memory is part of a scene that was forgotten

through the haze of death and resurrection through the Shrine, they can remember vague details about it, but no proper

nouns.

4. The priest can dull the sensations of the subject until they do not register pain or other stimuli, functionally the same

as a drug with the Aesthetic quality for approximately an hour.

Sear the SpoilingSeal a wound against evil spirits.

Maleficent spirits are ever present and seek every opening that can be found to enter us and plague us from within.Even when wounds are fresh, they find a way to be bound in with a bandage. Best to erase all doubt and vanquishtheir presence, though the tax is steep. But the toll for doing the Lord's work is never paltry.Ritual: Bring sanctified wine to a boil and pour it upon any and all open wounds.

Props: Heated (but not boiling) wine or red liquid

Mechanic: The patient is burned by the boiling wine and is unable to use any Skills for the remainder of the evening.

Upon sleeping for the night, a Battered character awakens Healthy.

RANK 3

Balance Humors

Trade one effect against another.

The Body has within it four humors that are balanced to allow us life. Each of these is analogous to the four elements:fire, water, earth, and air - Blood, Melancholic Bile, Choleric Bile, and Phlegm. Too much of any humor will result inmaladies and disarray from within.Ritual: The subject is drained of a specific humour via a dozen or so live leeches attached to key points on the body.

Mechanic: One of four effects is chosen below.

1. Sanguine Balance - One limb is rendered injured for an hour as blood is drained, but the subject's effective Grit

increases by 1 for the rest of the event.

2. Melancholic Balance - The subject will awaken Healthy the next day as Melancholic Bile is removed, but cannot benefit

from Hope for the rest of the event.

3. Choleric Balance - Fatigue is removed as Choleric Bile is drained, but the subject gains Despair.

4. Phlegmatic Balance - The subject loses Despair as Phlegm is drained, but gains Fatigue.

Exorcise DiseaseDiminishes the severity of diseases.

VignetteRitual: The priest heats incense upon a censer filled with hot coals. The more severe the disease, the more coals must be

used. The patient and the priest breathe in the incense for at least one hour, until the patient asks to proceed, swearing

courage against the might of God. The patient must spend one point of Discipline for each step of the disease to be

cleansed, one for Mild, two for Severe and three points of Discipline for Crippling diseases. If he succeeds, he may ask the

priest to proceed, who will empty the brazier of coals upon the victim in the area that is most affected. This will frighten

away Possession spirits as well as show courage and surrender enough to lift Judgments from the patient.

Mechanic: This treatment is more than many bodies can handle, and if a given patient has less than a certain amount of

Grit, the effect of this ritual changes. If the ritual is successful, the severity of the disease is reduced by one step and

patients receive terrible scars.

Mild: With less than 2 Grit, the subject is considered Battered.

Severe: With less than 3 Grit, the subject is Downed, as if they had 0 Grit.

Crippling: With less than 4 Grit, the subject is Downed, as if they had 0 Grit.

ChirurgeryReset a badly healed injury.

The blade, God's most sacred tool. With it, a mere man can control fate. The blade can end life and give it back. It cancreate and destroy, the fulcrum of time and destiny.Ritual: The priest must tightly bind off the affected area with red cord or white cloth inked with the words of the gospel.

With a blade of silver, the priest must reopen the wound back to its original state as closely as possible, to call back the

flow of time over the wound. The priest must then correct the wound's alignments and reset it upon a path to heal

correctly while reciting from the words of St. Istra's prayers to Lurian. The patient must not move during this procedure

to show courage in the face of death. Once the work is done, the priest will bathe the injury in holy water, pack it in clay,

and cover it with a bandage.

Mechanic: This ritual wounds the area that includes the Maim damage. If the ritual is successful, the Maim will

downgrade one level of severity as the area with the wound recovers, available in its improved condition next

session. Even fully recovered, a maim healed this way will always be painful to use.This ritual cannot heal head maims. if

the ritual fails, the maim is increased in severity one step.

RANK 4

SanctuaryConvert a church into a hospice for the wounded.

VignetteRitual: Hang white banners of heavy cloth across the outer cloister of the church, creating a ring that all worshipers pass

through to give their blessing on the way to convocation and prayer. The separated area must be kept heavy with incense

at all times, with censor bowls burning day and night. The incense costs at least one gold per week to keep all the censors

burning.

Mechanic: No patient will die of their wounds, of poison, or see their diseases get worse while in the Sanctuary. This

ritual provides an infrastructural advantage to the city for the purposes of Warfare and Infrastructure. (to be

determined)

Prayer of MercyMiraculously heals the wounded.

In a time of grievous emergency, a Priest may beseech God for mercy for His worldly agents and goodservants. Lurian's judgments are absolute to all save God Himself. It is not wrong to appeal for succor when the needis great.Ritual: A dying person must be placed in a ring of powdered silver with one tall white candle at each cardinal direction.

Incense is lit with the northern candle flame and placed at the southern pinnacle of the circle. The wounded must be

placed on a sheet of crimson velvet in the center of the circle, and stripped to only simple vestments. The supplicant

prays vigorously for the mercy of God and to protect and sustain his good servant on earth. If the wounded is conscious,

they too should pray silently and beg God's mercy. The prayer must continue until the candles burn down.

Mechanic: The Priest makes a ritual roll for the prayer every ten minutes for thirty minutes. The priest must succeed

three times in a row to be successful, which restores her patient to Healthy, and while the outward expression of a

wound will still be visible for some time, the wound will no longer be dangerous and will recover quickly. On a failed

attempt, a candle will flicker out. If any candles go out during the ritual for any reason other than the ritual's completion,

the patient loses 1 level from their effective Grit ranks for the day. If their Grit falls below 0, they immediately are

Downed and begin dying.

TrepanationImprove the mind through chirurgery.

The mind is the seat of thought, and exists within the head. Just as spoiled food rots the gut, spoiled knowledge rotsaway the mind, creating impure thoughts and actions. There is a way to help those unfortunates, to use the surgeon'sart to banish the evil from a mind and invoke a portal to God's pure grace. Only the crest of the sea through the rise ofthe solar brow ridge is suitable to this task.Ritual: While holding the patient still to a table, place straps of supple leather across the neck, shoulders, and brow, to be

affixed to the table. Using a spike or a drill, open the skull with the instrument in the precisely correct area.

Mechanic: The patient is Downed and is dying. If the drill was used, lower all Insanities by one grade. If the spike was

used, Intellect is permanently increased by one step. The spike can be used only once per character. Failure on the

Liturgy attempt causes death.

RANK 5

Final BargainMake a final pact with Lurian.

Then did He appear before me, in all His terrible glory. The sky grew black with the breadth of His great wings, andfor the thousand crows that attended Him. My men charged past me unaware of His presence, while I stood agape inHis shadow. 'Neath His great white hood I could see only darkness save for His blazing white eyes, beautiful andterrible. He was the herald of my death, of every man's death. He spoke unto me and I knew that my life had been awaste until this very moment, that I was and had always been His.Ritual: The invoking Priest stands in a circle facing his allies. The Priest intones the most sacred prayer of Lurian,

invoking his harshest judgments and calling upon all of his deeds in His name. While all hold hands and stand watching,

at least two of the assembled must willingly take their own lives with a dagger.

Mechanic: The Priest and her companions, including those killed in the ritual, forestall Lurian's judgment and are unable

to be killed for one hour. If any of them receive wounds that would otherwise kill or Down them, they instead are

doomed to die at the end of the battle but may otherwise continue to fight. Characters that are doomed can hear and see

the Archangel Lurian, who will preside over the battle, enormous, and shrouded in shadow and mist. Those who are

doomed become avatars of death, able feel the power of their own death flowing through them, and can kill any other

humanoid creature at will if they do at least 1 hit of damage to them or can lay their hands against them, perhaps

requiring a Grab maneuver. They also do not feel tired or gain fatigue, never stopping no matter how long their grisly

work takes.

THE LAST TESTAMENT OF DECIMUS

St. Decimus was, in his time, considered a criminal and a villain, responsible for the deaths of well-respected men of

power and authority. Only long after his death, as he foretold, was the nature of his work widely understood and he given

the remembrance he deserved. The Order of the Rose and Dawn, a powerful and wealthy knight order of the early Lion

Age had secretly entrenched itself into manifold positions within the courts of the first Emperor, Victor von Herkheist.

They had planned to overthrow the reign of the Emperor and Holy Benalian Church and install their own government

with radical ideals. Though demonized for it at the time, Decimus, having received divine guidance from Cyaniel, Angel

of Stars and Fate, removed each of them from power by intrigue or violence. Only later, when their absence flushed out

the rampant corruption they had created, was St. Decimus canonized for his work.

RANK 1

Righteous KillAvoid Wrath for killing specific person and find him wherever he hides.

My hate for the man was real. It blinded me, burned me, consumed me. I begged for fate to bring him death, to punishhim so that I need not violate another. Cyaniel answered me, put my hate inside my blade inside of my heart. Cyanielmade my hatred clean. I, like my blade, am but the tool of fate.Ritual: Inscribe upon the intended weapon the true name of the person to be killed . Once inscribed, a deep cut on the

palm of the hand will tie the fates of the priest and the target together.

Props: Weapon, red marker for cut

Mechanic: Cutting the hand injures it until you Rest. After which, any time the priest holds the weapon and cuts himself

with it again (taking the same injury), he gains a sense of the location of the person the weapon was intended for so long

as they are currently local, such as the same town, city district, or rural countryside. This sensation of location lasts until

the next sunrise. Only one person may be tied to a weapon at a time. Additionally, the act of killing the target yields no

Wrath. If the weapon is used again, the ritual ceases to work and the Wrath is assigned as normal. This only functions for

someone you intend to kill.

VindicationKnow someone's most recent sin.

My hands need guidance, for as a man I am weak. I cannot see as the angels see, though I know that every man is asweak as I. Show me how weak.Ritual: The priest holds both of the subject's hands and whispers a prayer to Cyaniel for understanding and insight.

Props: None

Mechanic: The Priest receives an understanding of the last sin that person committed.

Eye of CyanielDepict an eye as a focus.

The divine sees all and knows all. To see through His eyes is to be everywhere.Ritual: The Priest creates an eye sigil with chalk or some other material using exactly seven lines.

Props: Chalk

Mechanic: Any eye sigil that the Priest created can act as the Priest's true location for any ritual so long as that sigil is still

present and legible. For multiple sigils, the priest is considered to be in all of them at the same time.

DisruptionCause a disturbance and create a favorable happenstance.

Ritual: The Priest makes some kind of relatively mundane change to the surrounding environment such as opening a

window, moving a chair, locking a door, or rolling aside a stone. The priest marks the angelic name of Cyaniel upon the

object with chalk and whispers a prayer for intercession.

Props: Chalk

Mechanic: At any time during this scene, the Priest may call upon the change she made to affect a favorable, but

reasonable, event to occur. An open window could let in a bird, creating a distraction. A chair could cause a guardsman

to topple over unexpectedly. A locked door bars the progress of an intruder or a misplaced stone causes a horse to

stumble or take a different path entirely. The Priest may use this ritual a number of times in a scene equal to their Priest

Rank, and the events can chain together in reasonable ways. A marshal will arbitrate the effect of this ritual.

RANK 2

Fate of OneGain insight into the flow of future success.

VignetteRitual: Over the course of a scene, the Priest studies the weather, clouds and stars and makes interpretations over future

events, then goes to sleep holding a leonem.

Props: Leonem, sleeping

Mechanic: The Priest's sleep produces meaningful dreams. For a number of periods of time defined by the Priest's Faith,

the Priest has knowledge of the progression of events. The dream itself contains meaning for the future, but the Priest

also is affected by his knowledge of fate. For each period of time this ritual lasts, the Priest takes either Hope or Despair,

and in an amount that is randomly determined, up to 5 in either direction. These periods of time are no less than a half

hour, and do not pass to the next period without at least one significant action being taken that uses or attempts to use

the Priest's Skills or abilities. The Priest knows the order of this flow of fate, and can plan accordingly, but may not tell

anyone else. If they do, the staff reorders the remaining values and reassigns them in secret in any way they please. The

number of periods is as follows - Normal gets 5, Affirmed 6, Faithful 7, Zealous 8, and Heartless 3.

Conspire with FateDetermine the future through preparation.

VignetteRitual: After making some kind of preparation for a later time, the mark of Cyaniel is placed upon a related object or

person and blessed by the Priest.

Props: Chalk

Mechanic: Preparations blessed with this ritual will be protected from circumstance and assigned a place in destiny.

Events will not conspire to override or otherwise diminish the effectiveness of the preparation. A buried cache of

supplies will stay undiscovered for years, a bribed guard will not get second thoughts, a purloined key will still work in

the lock that gets forgotten during a sweep of replacements. Only the priest, or those he specifically instructs, can change

the circumstances of these events, such as finding that same hidden cache. The ritual will remain effective for as long as

that mark is in place. Defacing or removing the mark is the only way to prevent circumstances from happening as the

Priest foretold it. People can be marked as well, but the mark must remain the entire time, so tattoos are sometimes used

for very long term conspiracies.

StargazeJudge current events by the stars.

VignetteRitual: The Priest spends at least one hour in silent contemplation of the stars, studying the hidden truths concealed in

their positions and movements. The rite must be performed from someplace at least moderately high up with a good

view of the sky. Especially high locations may perform better for this ritual.

Props: 2-way radio and an OOC spotter.

Mechanic: The Priest uses the Uncommon Lore: Astrology to measure and calculate with the stars. Success on the ritual

indicates that information that is quite specific can be known to the Priest. The Priest can know that a certain person is

leaving a building, that a certain treasure is being placed in a stone chest, or that a target is sleeping in the bed of

another. Only current events may be judged, not past or future ones. Once the ritual is complete, the Priest may continue

to "watch" an area so long as he continues to stargaze. A fairly high up location allows the Priest to understand the

surroundings in the town area, and a very high location allows the Priest to understand the surrounding countryside.

RANK 3

Final ConfessionThe assassinated target candidly tells all.

"It is you who is truly doomed now, assassin. You will have only created more death, where I had been moving to savethese people. With I and Graf Helmuth dead, there is no choice now but open war. The tyrant Von Herkheist and hisheirs will enslave all of mankind, deprive men and women of their freedom and dignity. Killing me will only move up

our time table, and my death will tell them where you are. You will never act in time to stop us all."Ritual: After preparing a weapon to be blessed for a Righteous Kill, the Priest fasts from food and water for one hour in

silent prayer. From the point that they emerge from prayer to the point when they enact their Righteous Kill the priest

may speak no words. Doing so ends the miracle at once.

Props: None

Mechanic: Once the weapon finishes his target, the subject will not die at once, instead they will cling to life long enough

to have a brief conversation with their assassin. During this time, as they are dying, the subject will candidly express such

things as their opinions, their best laid plans, the circumstance, and whatever they believe will happen as a result of their

death. The target has no fear of consequences for expressing all this to their assassin, but retains their ordinary

personality during the brief exchange. The priest can ask whatever questions they wish during this time, and the subject

will likely reply if they know the answer. Once the victim has said their peace, they die.

Midnight RevelationKnow the location of a person or object during the next night of a full moon.

As I stood in the bathing pool beneath the palace garden, blade red in hand, I looked up past my hood to the sky above.My victim's words had confused me, and I found myself out of leads and answers. As I stared at the moon reflected inthe bloodied waters of the pool, I knew what I must do next.Ritual: The Priest prays over a pool of holy water, at least as wide as a man. The priest watches the progression of the

moon in the pool as it travels through the night sky. As the moon passes over the pool, the priest drops a folded note

written in wet ink with the true name of the person or object to be located and a few drops of blood, not from the Priest.

After a few moments, the Priest draws the note out of the pool with a silver rod and unfolds it.

Props: Note, silver rod.

Mechanic: Smeared in the ink will be a representation of the location where the subject will be upon the next full moon,

including the placement of the moon. The Uncommon Lore: Astrology can give insight into the location of the depiction

if the place is completely unfamiliar to better understand where it is.

Dance of MasksThe group stays hidden as one.

Even as the sky cloaked in starry black is still blue under its midnight shroud, so too are the righteous who cloakthemselves in cape, cowl and mask.Ritual: Each member participating in this ritual wears the same cape cowl and mask. The Eye of Cyaniel is marked on

the inside of the mask.

Props: Cape, cowls and masks for each participant.

Mechanic: Each participant in this ritual may replace Stealth skill with the Priest's Stealth skill if it is better.

RANK 4

Unify DestinyForge a shared fate with your allies

My brethren had done as I asked, believing the prophecy of the Archangel and their place in fate. They had spreadacross the Throne and killed in the name of the Lord, had ended the threat of these mysterious men and theirOrder. But the threat had not truly ended - too many had escaped into the shadows, too many loose ends left untied.

My time was almost over, In seven days, the Knights Fenris would have me. I swore my followers to the service of fateto continue the vigil in my steadRitual: Seven conspirators, including the Priest, clasp their arms and hands together to form the Eye of Cyaniel. The

Priest concisely states the goal of the conspiracy once, then each member repeats the goal one at a time. As each member

speaks the goal, the Priest cuts the palm of their hand with a silver knife and allows their blood to fall on a flat surface

below. He repeats the goal himself and cuts his own hand last. The blood that falls trickles into the shape of the Eye of

Cyaniel, and becomes extremely difficult to wash away.

Mechanic: All of the allies gain a new, additional Devotion for the long-term goal that you set yourselves toward.

Collapse FateDestroy an organization by killing its leader

There is no sin of a master not shared by his servant. Each man bears the personal responsibility to act against evilwith every measure of force than they can muster. When a man acts against evil, he acts in accordance with God andadds the power of the Lord to his act of righteousness. Nothing can stand against the might of the Lord. No man canput asunder what God's fate has decreed.Ritual: The Priest or one of his conspirators within the cabal created by Unify Destiny, must kill the target and place the

mark of Cyaniel on his forehead. The assassination must occur in such a way that the murder is dramatic and obvious to

all, such killing a Duke while he addresses his city or stringing a corrupt whaler upon his own harpoons. The murder

must be discovered fairly immediately and dramatically for the effect to work and often the Cyanihim contrive perfect

moment with much planning.

Mechanic: The entire organization that reports to the person that was killed collapses into disarray and calamity. Any

formal Leadership group is irreversibly sundered and cannot be recreated under another leader, and general chaos

makes the organization implode from ineffectiveness. This effect works only on those who report to the target, not those

he reports to. Thus, killing a military's captain would send all those forces he commanded into disarray, but killing the

general would send the entire army into havoc.

RANK 5

VengeanceEnsure loyalty through fear, or give a sinner one last chance.

Ritual: Tattoo the Eye of Cyaniel over the heart of a subject and whisper a prayer of binding to Cyaniel. At any time after

that point, you may write the name of the subject on a piece of paper and burn it, speaking the same prayer.

Mechanic: Within one hour, the subject will die under mysterious circumstances. They may fall to their death in an

unlucky accident, or may simply take their own life without much explanation.

SHARIQYN CULTUREThe Land of living is a small island in this endless sea of the dead. It stands to reason that there are other islands. Much

like the oasis in the desert, there is only a small place where life can happen, concentrated more and more till there is

only the person.

In a sentence, Shariqyn religion, Aab'oran, worships the revelation and awakening of self. This occurs through internal

purification.

Aab'oran has no formal priest structure. Anyone learned in the ways and faithful to its tenets can perform the rites

associated with the Aab'oran rituals by taking the Holy Ordination perk for the religion of Aab'oran, though it does not

require Glory.

Aab'oran espouses the virtues of meditation, and uses a meditative trance in place of the prayer found commonly in the

worship of Holy Benalus in the Throne. During meditation, the magus attempts to still their weaker mind and contact the

Higher Self. The Higher Self is perfect and contains no flaw of reason or action. The ultimate goal of the magus is to unify

the Higher Self with their essential spirit, and achieve this perfection. The Perficio Pondero, the magicians of Water, are

considered by the Shariqyn to be masters of this art.

In place of a gospel, Shariqyn use a prayer bowl with a prayer written on parchment or cloth and placed in the bowl. The

Magus then may use a cup or other vessel to place an amount of water and pour it entirely into the bowl. The letter

where the waterline strikes the prayer is the letter code selected for the ritual performance. In place of additional fingers,

faithful characters may take a smaller cup and add or remove another specific amount of water to add or remove.

These are used in gameplay in place of a gospel to test whether Liturgy trials are successful or not. Writing can be in any

form, though Arabic script is encouraged for both the Liturgy codes and the writing itself.

Shariqyn RitualsWater FastingAtone through deprivation.

"The water is life, and we need it to anchor our spirit to the land of life and peace - but we must also be strong enoughto be without; by our will alone choose our fate, even if those choices are sinful, by will alone can we invite the waterback into us, and wash away the filth by renewing the cycle inside us."Ritual: The magus willingly refuses water for the duration of the ritual in order to dry the impurities from his soul for up

to three days, then sits in discipline before a bowl of clean water for one hour before drinking.

Mechanic: For each day without water, the magus gains one fatigue. At the conclusion of the ritual, they may remove one

Depravity for every day without water up to three with a successful Liturgy trial, and for each day that passes this ritual is

assumed to be one Rank higher of a ritual.

Passage to Heshiyah, the Land of the DeadSend a spirit to the afterlife.

"Farewell, my brother. Never again will you feel the hot sun upon your neck, never the grit of sand on your tongue; thesting in your eyes and the sweat of your brow are eternity now, and your soul will swim in the seas of Heshiyahforever after."Ritual: So long as a faithful Shariqyn died with a vessel of water on their person, their spirit flows into it and it retains

their essence. During a period of silence, the magus can empty the vessel into a large body of water to deliver their spirit

to Heshiyah where they can find peace and possibly rebirth upon the ancient tides of that place.

Mechanic: The deceased's spirit can rest in peace. They will not return as undead.

Chant

Lead a chant during a meditation.

"And as their chanting grew in intensity, a new, deep and powerful voice joined the chant with theirs, adding itsweight to their own voices, and the union of Self became nearer."Ritual: At dawn, zenith, or dusk, spend thirty minutes with the faithful in meditative chant.

Mechanic: All faithful participants in this ritual may add the amount of chanters (from the correct faith), up to Zealous,

to their Faith for the purposes of meditating for success in an event ahead, per the Faith in Higher Power ability. The

chanters must choose their meditation at the time of the ritual.

Curb the Foolish SelfFocus improves personal discipline.

"Like the desert flower, you must close your body away from the harshness of the outside. Reserve yourself there, foldyour mind upon itself in layers of willful force. When you bloom once more, the beauty of your purpose will beredoubled."Ritual: During meditation, the magus must assume the very difficult dranya pose for the duration, and meditate on the

force of his inner will and spirit. This is taxing, and even afterward, he must walk slowly and carefully to maintain his

focus.

Mechanic: The magus is Winded for the next hour after meditation. So long as you have meditated but have not yet

expended the bonus yet, or taken any kind of charge or running actions or anything more physically strenuous than

simply walking around, you may add your Faith dots as extra uses of the Discipline ability.

Turn WithinIgnore hardship with inner focus.

"Attachment is the trap of the physical world. Turn away, and worldly things, even your body itself, cannot limit you."Ritual: Wash your face, hands and eyes with clean water, and make the sign of inner peace with your hand.

Mechanic: Expend meditation bonus to ignore Fatigue, Winded, Blind, Stun and Bleeding for one scene or hour.

MatrimonyElevate status through marriage.

"Women are the greatest treasure in all this world. They have the divine powers of creation and beauty, and mustnever be allowed to come to harm or to be caused hardship, strife or toil. Never should their hands touch dust, theirtoes strike mud, their lips touch blandness. They are our most sacred wonder, and no gold glitters as brightly as theirhearts."Ritual: A large celebration ensues for five days in preperation during which time a bride is given jewelry, silks, perfumes,

and garments to wear during the ceremony, which become her personal property. During marriage, the bride is elevated

above the groom by a palanquin, while the groom promisses to protect and cherish her so that she need never come to

harm or toil, while in exchange she promises to protect their home and children and to be obedient before they agree to

be married for the rest of their lives.

Mechanic: The groom must provide wonders and luxuries for each wife, requiring one gold per month in expenses. Each

wife yields esteem and respect from Shariqyn peers and provides an additional use of Persuade that can be used with any

Shariqyn for each wife. Failure to meet the expense does not lose the wives, but does disable the bonus, partially or

totally, until the cost can be met again.

Waters of Past and FutureReflecting upon the turning, continuous nature of water, you discern a world pattern.

"In the water you can see the entire world, all of its myriad forms and destinies play out before you in an ancientdance that gives its secrets to any who will look. You have but to open your eyes and your mind, and you will see thetruth."Ritual: Gathered around the largest moving body of water available, at least the size of a large tub or pool, the magus and

any assembled faithful gaze within and watch its movements, occasionally dropping stones, sand, or floating debris

within to understand their role. Every ten minutes the magus can attempt to find meaning for himself and the others

present with a Liturgy trial.

Mechanic: All faithful Shariqyn present gain a bonus to their Perception skill equal to the amount of faithful participants

present, to a maximum of 5 Ranks for the duration of the day. The participants also gain the same amount as a bonus to

their Academics skill, gaining a free lore for each increase in rank as normal which lasts for the stay around the pool of

water which arises from the True Self from collections of forgotten details and inferences. Shariqyn use these pools to

discuss difficult topics amongst themselves and decide upon the best action.

Mantra for FearCall the true self to banish terror.

"There is no true fear. Fear is an illusion and I am the truth."Ritual: The magus recites an oath aloud to become the true Self and ignore fear while making the sign of inner focus with

his right hand.

Mechanic: The magus may attempt to succeed at a Liturgy trial to immediatly overcome Fear effects and return to

normal. This ritual can be used while under the effects of Fear.

InductionConvert a believer to the ways of the Shariqyn.

"And I do swear that I shall abandon fear, doubt, guilt, anger, and all the evils that make me less than what I ought tobe - to attain a new pinacle, to become pure and perfect, as he was."Ritual: The 142 principles and the symbols of the wheel are placed on the body in henna. The subject then recites the

principles and teachings of Danarius and agrees to live by them, making several sacred promises.

Mechanic: The supplicant ceases to be part of whichever faith he or she originally subscribed to and becomes a Faithful

Shariqyn for the purposes of these rituals, even if they are not of Shariqyn descent.

HospitalityGarner respect by providing for guests.

"Through dignified manner we show our wisdom of the Higher Self, and it is never so sacred as at meal. A wise man isalways polite, even to rude people, and provides a guest's honor even to his foes."Ritual: The magus provides and serves a meal to his guests with his own hands, and provides for their every need.

During the meal he may not refuse any polite request of him if it is within his power to grant.

Mechanic: For the duration of the scene, the magus gains an extra use of Persuade, Deception, Seduce, or Intimidate

equal to the amount of guests he was serving. The bonus is lost at the end of the scene or when the magus refuses a

request.

“Nothing”

P A L A D I N S

There is a great strength that resides in every man. Born of faith, it must be sharpened, harnessed responsibly, so thatwe may fulfill our duties. This requires a clear mind and absolute dispassion, even in times of emotional crisis.Elias Allard, Grand Master Paladin.

INTRODUCTION

There are individuals in the world who were born special. No one has known, or perhaps ever will know why these

individuals exist, or how, but the truth of their nature is clear: they are the power of God made manifest in a human

being. Such individuals are entrusted with great power and the terrible burden to uphold the strictest of moral standards

and be as a leader to all of humanity, everywhere in the world. They are looked to as heroes, captains, diplomats, and

sages, their every action given the extra weight of their situation, as well as held to standards that only the bravest, the

most dedicated and determined individuals could uphold. These unique men and women are Paladins.

ROLE IN THE CHURCH

The men and women who would become Paladins were not always called it. Most grew up ordinary boys and girls of

every social strata and station, but even as children they are often seen as precocious and exceptional, especially in their

relationships with their fellow man. If the local church believes that they may have a Paladin candidate in their midst,

they will send word to the church in Holy Lethia and, in time, a Paladin will arrive. After speaking with the child, the

Paladin will either send her away or take her with him back to Lethia for training; a whole new life separate and anew

from their old one. The Paladin that found them becomes their mentor from there after and sees them through their

rigors and training until they are finally educated and worthy enough to take up missions of their own and be inducted

into the Sacred Order of the White Lion. Until then, Paladins travel with their mentors and learn through observation

and experience, and even after their induction into the Order, still maintain lifelong relationships with their mentor.

The Sacred Order of the White Lion acts as a special tactics mission group for the Church as a whole and, like other

knightly orders, is lead by a Grand Master who oversees the direction of the Order and reports directly to the Pontifex of

the Church. Paladins are, on the whole, autonomous with one another and generally are expected to seek out and fulfill

their purposes on their own, however some areas such as major towns and cities may have a Chapter of the Order that

utilizes several Paladin knights overseen by a Master Paladin. Technically all Paladin knights are under the watch of a

Master Paladin, though most of them reside in Lethia when they themselves are not in the field seeing to their deeds.

Paladins send regular reports back to their Masters in Lethia and can request additional assistance from them if their

need is great, though generally they are expected to act without the need for rescue or reinforcement.

PLACE IN THE WORLD

Out in the world, Paladins are seen as a walking blessing. Few who know their guest is a Paladin would ask them to pay

for a room or the food of their table, or even small goods and services, though most Paladins refuse to take advantage of

these offers. While they do always receive a warm welcome, the unspoken responsibility in that welcome hangs in the air.

If a Paladin is present, people tend to flock to them begging them to solve all manner of problems, many of which may

not be within their power to resolve. Paladins must learn to keep the expectations of their flock realistic, for the

disappointment of denial can be just as poignant as the hope, and people in desperate circumstances tend to have very

high hopes. Paladins after all, for all their blessings, are still just people, trying to do their best with what they are given.

Some Paladins are assigned to specific tasks, such as hunt down a specific criminal or heretic, resolve a major conflict

peacefully, or cleanse a tainted land of the evils within it. Both through necessity and the force of personality common to

all of their kind, they tend to gather friends and followers to help them accomplish these duties, but just as many act or

are currently acting on no particular assignment at all, free to travel the Throne righting wrongs and seeing to

Humanity's best interests wherever they can. Such Paladins similarly tend to fall in with like-minded people with similar

aims, or tend to lend their abilities to a cause they find worthy.

As a knightly Order, the White Lion has no specific political or religious authority of its own, but it bears with it the

weight of its masters. A Paladin cannot order his way into a sensitive area on the virtue of his Paladin status alone, but if

acting on the orders of a superior in the Church, such as a bishop or cardinal, he has that person's authority in the

relevant matters. While most knightly orders serve a specific Lord or King that remains static all the time, the Order of

the White Lion's duties are to the Church as a whole and thus they serve many different masters over the course of time,

and so their authority fluctuates. It is not uncommon for a Paladin to carry with him the documents of his agency to a

specific clerical office which detail all of his rights and authorities during the course of his current mission.

GIFTS

The gifts that a paladin has been bestowed with are what elevate them above any of the other faithful. They and they

alone are the bulwark against the gathering anathema. These powers are the shield and the sword of each and every

paladin and aid them immeasurably in the never-ending conflict to push back the tide of evil.

Every paladin and paladin-to-be is gifted in a unique manner. The manifestation of such gifts can emerge in countless

forms. It is only through strict training and discipline does one make full use of such a blessing. Because of the volatile

nature of these gifts, learning paladins are guided away from advancing their powers to dangerous levels or discovering

hazardous applications of their talent. Learning such power is a simple matter of meditation by prayer and consulting

the light within, though only Paladins who place their Faith in a Higher Power ever learn additional gifts. It is a natural

process much like a baby bird learning to fly or a newborn horse learning to walk. However, many younger paladins in

training are molded rather than allowed to conduct such self discovery until they are deemed fit to understand the

discretion involved in training themselves.

The church has categorized applications of a paladin's gift into four basic concepts : Divinity, Vision, Mercy and

Reckoning. Paladins are thoroughly encouraged to explore such powers as documented to their fullest extent as they

have been time tested and approved for regular use. Every Power has within it the seed of its own undoing, and that of

the Paladin who wields it. The purity of soul of the Paladin is paramount to her duties, and the discipline required to

maintain that purity is immense. Using these abilities in anger or without a clear heart can result in drastic perversions

of the holy gifts. Powers that are associated with this family of disciplines are absolutely prohibited from use and it is

considered heretical to develop such abilities in secret. Such powers are not safe to engage in regularly and have been

found to cause catastrophic results when attempted.

Although they are normally the purview of heretics and Anathema, under certain, desperate conditions, the church may

allow a Paladin to drink deeply of such forbidden knowledge in an attempt to stop a greater evil. Such cases are not

documented to protect the identity of the Paladin unfortunate enough to have been chosen for such a task. It is rumored

that Paladins entrusted to such tasks do not return.

THE POWER OF HATE

Each of the Seven Sins has a varying degree of actions as to what constitutes it and with what magnitude. Premeditated

murder is a greater sin than striking a man in anger, but both are sins of Wrath. A character has a

Morality threshold based on their Faith Attribute , and from there, builds up Depravity by committing sins against their

morality. As a character becomes more and more Depraved, they gain Insanities, both as their views on what is

acceptable and unacceptable begin to shift, and society labels them as insane because of their differences.

For Paladins, the stakes are higher. Their power is drawn from their virtue and emotional discipline, and as their

morality warps, so does the nature of their powers. Every sin a Paladin or Heaven Touched character commits corrupts

some of the Paladin's Empyria. Paladins have 5 Empyria to use on powers. Affirmed have 6, Faithful Paladins have 7,

and Zealous Paladins have 8. Heartless Paladins only have 3. As the Paladin gains Depravity from committing evil acts,

their Empyria changes with them. A Paladin with four Depravity has four of their Empyria corrupted, and cannot spend

them as normal Empyria to activate their powers in the normal way.

These Corrupted Empyria, however, can be spent in a variety of ways, always generating amazing power for the

character, though at a deadly price. For example, a Paladin spending a Corrupted Empyria alongside a melee attack can

initiate a Nemesis Blow for largely magnified damage, and many powers and gifts from dark deities like the Triumvirate

of Thorns require these as a power source for their activation.

A Paladin can draw on this reserve of power at any time, but if they drink too deeply or too often, the well will not run

dry, but grow ever deeper as the Paladin descends into apostasy. As they begin to lose themselves, Paladins begin to lose

control over their powers as well. While in most cases a Paladin will choose to spend or not spend their Corrupted

Empyria to activate their abilities, accidents do happen. For example, in an intense moment of psychological anguish or

deep emotion, a marshal may spend Corrupted Empyria to increase a Paladin's strength or use or activate a power that

the Paladin was unaware that they could perform. This is especially likely if they are using Empyria in extremely stressful

or emotionally wrenching situations, once the gate is opened, the anguish in the Paladin's heart can flow right through.

If the Paladin ever attempts to draw on Corrupted Empyria when they only have normal Empyria remaining, they are

still able to, but their new they gain additional Depravity to make up the difference and create more Corrupted Empyria .

Before a Paladin is completely fallen, any scene in which he expends Corrupted Empyria to activate an ability, regardless

of how many, results in the gain of 1 Depravity at the conclusion of the scene in a random unfilled Depravity slot as his

moral compass begins to falter and loosen.

THE FALL

If a Paladin's depravity ever crosses the threshold noted in their Faith score and begins to gain Insanity, the

Paladin enters a fugue state at the end of the scene. The Paladin is subject to an internal scene where their faith is

tested. If she fails, she rejects the validity of her morality system and is considered "Fallen."

In this state, she can no longer atone for sins and cannot reduce her Depravity score through positive actions. She can,

however, continue to generate Depravity by committing sins as normal, immediately gaining Corrupted Empyria for

each sin committed based on the grade of severity of that sin, 1 for 1, 2 for 2 and so on, however they cannot regain

Empyria normally through rest as normal Paladins do. A Fallen Paladin who commits these sins does not believe that the

acts are acceptable. On the contrary, it is the very emotional stress of behaving in a way that you know is wicked that

generates the Corrupted Empyria. An Antipaladin is a troubled soul who commits true evil for its own sake, because that

is all they have left. This process makes an Antipaladin a dangerous opponent of Paladins, because they seek to commit

all the acts that Paladins fight against for the sake of their own selves and because of their marriage to Depravity, are in

many ways more powerful than Paladins.

DIVINITY

Tier 1Acute Senses

Lion Heart

Salubrious Gift

Tier 2Beacon of Hope

Immaculate Appearance

Wisdom of the Kings

Tier 3Defy Sorcery

Quick Mending

Tireless Devotion

Tier 4Endless Champion

Heavenly Form

Purity of Heart

Tier 5Immortal

Transcendence

VISION

Tier 1Dreaming

Inkling

Silent Tactician

Tier 2Dead Man's Eyes

Pathos

Life Ken

Tier 3Forewarning

Spellseer

Unseen Hand

Tier 4Contact

Grand Destiny

Prophesy

Tier 5Avatar

Omniscience

MERCY

Tier 1Forfeit Life

The Good of Others

Soothing Presence

Tier 2Good Tidings

Lay on Hands

Holy Concert

Tier 3Channel Life

Reverse Ruin

Spellbreaker

Tier 4Salubrium

Pillar of Faith

Angelic Caress

Tier 5

Guardian Angel

Pillar of Faith

RECKONING

Tier 1Faintness of God

Forfeit Life

Precision

Tier 2Heroism

Holy Smite

Martyrdom

Tier 3Light of the Soul

Witch's Debt

Sunder Darkness

Tier 4Sacred Duty

Gaze of the Lord

Light of Heaven

Tier 5Combat Purity

Wrath of God

Charistmata AbilityBasic ability, once per hour hand gesture to show divine grace (Arms outstretched) which means you cannot cancel her

social skills for 1 min.

Allows the purchase of Paladin Powers for those with Faith in Higher Power

Paladin Powers

Paladins have 5 Empyria to use on powers. Affirmed have 6, Faithful Paladins have 7, and Zealous Paladins have 8. This

recovers at the end of a day. All Paladin powers use at least one Empyria to activate unless they are always working as a

passive ability, and some require additional Empyria to activate.

Paladin powers cost 5 times the Tier of the Power in experience to gain. A Paladin must have at least one power from a

given Tier in a tree to gain a power from a higher Tier.

Paladin powers cannot benefit from Instruction or Pedagogue. Paladin powers cannot be taught, only learned.

DIVINITY

Tier 1

Acute Senses - All of the Paladin's senses are sharpened to extraordinary levels. The Paladin can perform exceptional

feats of perception, such as sweeping a crowded marketplace for a specific word topic being discussed, or read words at a

great distance with just a glimpse. The Paladin also becomes automatically Alert when using this power, and may do so

at any time by picking up nearly imperceptible sensory clues from other characters.

Corruption: Painfully Aware - Sensations become painfully sharp, pleasure and pain becoming a more complete

experience. You may actually see Stealthed characters if they move, and may attack them or identify them as normal, but

are Winded for 1 minute upon activating this power. This power lasts for a duration of one minute.

Lion Heart - Passive. The Paladin ignores his fears and doubts and focuses only on the will of God. Fear can no longer

affect him and he becomes immune to Phobias and Intimidation.

Corruption - Heart of Stone: The Paladin rids herself of all weaknesses of the heart. You may disregard Insanities,

Intimidation, Honor Code and Devotion for one minute.

Salubrious Gift - Passive. The Paladin's holy body is not affected in any way by poisons, drugs, diseases or infection.

Corruption - Slithering Veins - The Paladin's divine being takes on a subtle taint, transforming her blood into a virulent

toxin that may turn another grievously ill or even slay. The Paladin's blood can carry a single trait poison of her choosing

that must be administered intravenously or ingested. That limb suffers from Pain for the next five minutes.

Tier 2

Immaculate Appearance - Passive. Your divinity shows on the surface of your skin as well as on a emotional level.

When people see you, they cannot help but perceive the divine grace within you. Everyone you encounter will react to

you as generally credible and right, wanting to find reasons to like you and agree with you. Any use of the Persuade skill

that you use no longer truly requires a really reasonable argument to succeed.

Corruption - Transfiguration - The door to your soul swings wide open and the majesty of your spirit is obvious to any

who gaze upon you. Anyone who wants to attack, defame, or otherwise act with hostility to you in any way whatsoever

must spend a Discipline for 15 seconds of ordinary action, and no one may cancel the Paladin's Seduce, Intimidate, or

Persuade during that scene.

Wisdom of Kings - Passive. At the conclusion of every game when experience is being awarded, you gain one free Lore

of your choice. This works even if you do not possess any ranks in the Academics ability, but you still need to have the

more general lore before you can get a more specific lore, ie Lore: Undead before Lore: Vampires.

Corruption: Crown of Thorns - Invoke unhad knowledge and have the benefits of any Lore skill at all for ten minutes.

Whenever this power is used one scene's worth of memories is forgotten. Recent or related events are most likely to be

selected by the Marshal.

Beacon of Hope: Passive. You are a walking boon and all who bask in your presence reap the gifts of the Lord. When

you are present, everything seems to be right, and all seems to work as it should. Broken clocks will start working again,

people with chronic pain will feel a little better, and disaster is impeccably averted. Any time you spend Empyria for any

reason (including just to activate this power), you and your closest friends that are present gain Hope. This is

cumulative..

Corruption: Invoke Catastrophe - Every time you spend Corrupted Empyria, all that are present besides the Paladin

gain Despair. This effect occurs whenever you spend Corrupted Empyria once you have this power.

Tier 3

Defy Sorcery - When affected by Arcane Magic, you may spend an Empyria and resist one hit of damage, for War

Magic, or 1 Power of the spell otherwise per dot of Faith they have. Multiple Empyria may be spent to add additional

defense.

Corruption: Witchbane - For the duration of the scene, the Paladin gains the effect of Defy Sorcery and any hostile

magical effects that you fully resist are reflected back at their originator, regardless of the sorcerer's location.

Quick Mending - Passive. The Paladin naturally recovers at an incredible rate. She leave no scars and Maims

automatically heal. Within one hour of incurring a wound, the wounds are fully healed. Maims recover over the course of

a Downtime.

Corruption: Wretched Knitting - Immediately recover from all of your wounds, but keeps hideous scars. You must

costume the scars from then outward.

Tireless Devotion - Passive. The Paladin needs only two hours of sleep per night and ignores the first point of Fatigue

they would normally gain in a day.

Corruption: No Rest for the Wicked - Remove all Fatigue by spending an Empyria in addition to above, allowing the

Paladin to go without sleep or without food or water for days. Empyria cannot be regained normally without rest.

Tier 4

Endless Champion - Passive. The Paladin is so invested with spiritual power that he no longer has any real need for

food, air, or sleep, though can still enjoy these experiences if he chooses to. Furthermore, any Empyria he spends in a

scene is automatically recovered upon rest. His Empyria limit is no longer per day, but until next opportunity to rest,

allowing him to expend massive amounts of holy force at a moment's notice. This power requires Tireless Devotion.

Corruption: Juggernaut - The Paladin drives on like an unstoppable engine. Ignore all threats of exposure and physical

hindrances such as Maims, bonds, or Encumbrance. Gain a temporary Severe Obsession to continue moving, working, or

fighting for the duration. The Paladin cannot sleep, even if they manage to overcome the Obsession for a time. Lasts the

entire day.

Heavenly Form - Variable Empyria . The Paladin transcends her mortal form. She gains shining white-feathered wings

and may fly at incredible speeds, giving her the Escape ability. All of her successful attacks gain the Power advantage,

dealing 2 hits instead of 1, and she gains an extra use of Parry or Dodge that refreshes every 10 seconds. Additionally, the

Paladin in this form goes up one step in every Attribute. This transformation lasts only 10 seconds for every Empyria

spent and afterwards she is Winded and gains Fatigue. This power cannot be used while Fatigued. The additional Faith

also grants additional Empyria for the duration of the effect.

Corruption: Perverted Light - 3 Corrupted Empyria . Drinking greedily from the wellspring of holy energies, the effects

of this transformation are the same as Heavenly Form, except that the transformation lasts the entire scene, with no

Fatigue afterward. Additionally, the transformation can be entered while Fatigued, and this power may be used to press

on when Heavenly Form is about to fail for only 1 Corrupted Empyria . In this transformation, the Paladin's wings are

black and inky, and habitual users of this power sometimes have wings that are more leathery and bat-like, even in

Heavenly Form.

Purity of Heart - Passive. All of the impurities in a Paladin's heart have burned away. The Paladin has achieved a

measure of divinity that separates her from the mundane world. The other creatures and people of the world exist in a

way that is fundamentally shallower than she does, and she can step aside from their ability to render harm to her. From

henceforth, she cannot be wounded by mundane forces like simple steel and stone. Swords will slide off of her skin

unopened; a clay jar from above will shatter harmlessly against her. Magic, miracles, malefic creatures and other forces

at least in part supernatural can still harm her.

Corruption: Scornful Heart - The Paladin plunges deep within his own soul, finding all their hidden shame for their past

misdeeds. Their guilt and self-denial bubble forward in a virulent explosion of pure and tangible spite, forgiving

themselves and accepting all of their sins and instead judging all the world with the same caustic bitterness. When this

occurs, the paladin is wreathed in hellfire, rendering him immune to fire and dealing one hit of fire damage per Sin he

has at 3 to those within speaking range every 10 seconds. Treat this like War Magic of appropriate Power. She gains the

Wicked Flaw for any current Depravity. This lasts for one minute.

Tier 5

Immortal - The Paladin cannot be destroyed. He ceases to age at the age that he is when he acquires this gift. If ever he

should die, he rises from the dead in seven days unless slain and buried upon desecrated earth.

Corruption: Revenant - 3 Corrupted Empyria : Rises from the dead at full health 10 seconds after being slain. This ability

is activated automatically if the Paladin has the resources available when killed. Every day the Paladin spends dead, he

recovers his Empyria.

Transcendence - Passive. The Paladin has received the full grace of the divine and that which created the world and

that within. The Paladin permanently gains the full effect of Heavenly Form, but as it is no longer a great effort of will,

rather a new nature, she does not suffer Fatigue from using its power, nor is she unable to use the power while fatigued.

Those with this power earn great respect within the Church and are revered by any God-fearing creature. Additionally, if

the Paladin desires, she may affect a seeming of a normal human to become more discrete. Heavenly Form is required to

receive this power.

Corruption: Damnation - Special. The Paladin's desperation or hubris causes her to violate the gift granted to her by the

heavens. When activated, the Paladin's pool of Corrupted Empyria is inexhaustible; she may spend an unlimited amount

for the scene. However, upon every use of this power, the Paladin gains one permanent Depravity that they may never

atone for, and her pristine wings become increasingly stained, with the feathers turning grey, black, molting, or a

combination of all. This disfigurement carries great shame among those who once praised the Paladin's divinity. After

habitual use, the Paladin's wings are all but barren of feathers and appear as black and leathery bat wings, or are simply

feathered in black. Because the Depravity gained from use of this power may never be atoned for, the Paladin may never

ascend to Heaven, spending her eternity of afterlife in Hell.

VISION

Tier 1

Dreaming - You have become potent in the realm of dreams, able to not just influence your own dreams but the dreams

of others you have met as well. During your rest you may travel to the sleeping minds of any person you know and

communicate as though present. When talking to your target, she will remember all the details of the dream with perfect

clarity upon waking and may even be forced to wakefulness by you. Additionally, you also can remember the details of

any dream you have, fall asleep within a few moments, and wake at a time of your choice though you are still unaware of

your surroundings while asleep. You may design and have sent by staff any dream you wish to another character you

know, anywhere in the world between games, or simply to another player character to be delivered in the morning by

staff.

Corruption: Torment - You construct a terrible nightmare in a sleeping person that can cause insanity. The dream is

realistic in every sense and completely under your control unless the target also has the Dreaming power (in which case

the character with better Faith, or if equal, Intimidation controls). Upon waking, the target will gain a mild phobia of

your choice, depending on the imagery used in the nightmare. Continual uses of this power can aggravate a phobia to the

next grade of severity. Once the victim has a Crippling Phobia, additional aggravation from this power will cause physical

stress on the victim, forcing them to suffer terrible shock in their sleep and awake with Fatigue. When under the effects

of this power, natural recovery of health or Empyria is impossible that night.

Inkling - Passive. Sometimes the Paladin will be given a good or bad feeling about her choices or events around her.

When this triggers is up to the discretion of a Rules Marshal.

Corruption: Instinct - 1 Corrupted Empyria . All events and decisions for the scene yield a good or bad feeling as it

specifically relates to your own well-being.

Silent Tactician - Paladin is able to determine the combat strength of an opponent with little or no input from the

target. Simply concentrating for a moment allows the paladin to scan an enemy for weaknesses. Weak links in the armor,

broken scales on the underbelly, a poor ability to parry or a lame leg that prevents dodging are all apparent in a matter of

moments to the paladin. These understandings are always given relative to the paladins own ability or to someone else

they know well such as a frequent ally, rather than definite numbers and statistics. Example, The ogre is stronger than

half a dozen men, but he lacks the intelligence and speed to dodge effectively. This can grant information like the highest

two martial skills, physical flaws, and other generalized pertinent information.

Corruption – Preemptive Mastermind – Add Mighty and Quick to your weapon for 10 seconds or one attack,whichever comes first.

Tier 2

Dead Man's Eyes - The Paladin can see the last few minutes prior to death per Empyria spent from the victim's own

eyes, which can be ended prematurely at any time. Re-experiencing the death or agony of the target will cause the

paladin to lose consciousness for the remainder of the scene and the next hour. The paladin at any time may stop this

effect by declaring they have seen enough. If the paladin experiences the any of actual injury that contributes to the

demise, she becomes trapped in the experience and cannot abort.

Corruption: Death Dreamer - The Paladin is present at the past event for the time allotted in a vision and can see things

the dead did not. Witnessing the death does not cause any strain upon the Paladin.

Pathos - The Paladin is in tune with the emotions of others. If a Social skill can be augmented with knowledge of the

target's emotions, the paladin may use the expend Empyria in substitute of any Social Skill. As well, by touching an

object or concentrating in a place, the Paladin may feel a sense of the emotional impressions left in the place from the

strongest events, allowing an understanding of the history of the object and who used it.

Corruption: Dramatic Effect - The paladin can manipulate the emotions of others. Any single emotion may be invoked

in a character with the expenditure of a corrupted Empyria, which lasts in full effect for at least an hour, with the

character tending toward that emotion for the rest of the day.

Life Ken - Detect the health and conditions of others as well as undead in the area. The Paladin also can detect poisons

or diseases affecting others. The Paladin can feel the presence of any living or malefic creature nearby, and behaves as if

she can see for 30 yards distance unobstructed for the purposes of those creatures, such as behind a door or wall.

Characters in stealth are not automatically revealed, but they are not able to reenter stealth once they leave it because

they cannot break line of sight. This lasts for a scene.

Corruption: Shadow Call - You can call the Night Malefic to your aid by shattering the barriers in an area that keep it at

bay. Inviting it within you, it changes you rapidly and openly. Fangs and horns will erupt, muscles will contort with

strength or any symptom of a malefic creature will temporarily find it's way to you. Gain 1 Instinct from the Bestiary

section for the scene and any Malefic creatures you encounter will regard you as an ally and an authority. This ends at the

end of the scene and leaves that area tainted by the Night Malefic.

Tier 3Forewarning - Passive. The Paladin will become aware if a dangerous or disastrous situation will occur in the next

thirty seconds. She will instantly awaken if someone is about to harm her while sleeping (functioning like the Light

Sleeper Perk), and will be alarmed by poison in the food or drink around her, but will not be aware of what caused the

feeling. The staff may choose to give the player a note with an exclamation point on it to indicate the sensation of danger.

Additionally, the paladin is always considered Alert whenever it would be appropriate to be so.

Corruption: Paranoid Delusions - 3 Corrupted Empyria . The Paladin may analyze any set of circumstances to learn the

most direct reasons that caused it. For every 3 Corrupted Empyria spent this way, the Paladin can understand one step

backwards through events to this point. For instance, one could come upon a corpse and see the face of the killer, but

delving deeper could see the man who hired him. Each step delved in this way causes one Mild Delusion that will

influence each vision in some way and persist afterward as normal.

Spellseer - The Paladin can sense magical auras and enchantments and can gain imagery of the spell's intended

purpose and function. The Paladin can also sense charge in wizards and gain 1 free Dodge per scene against magic due to

forewarning. This power lasts for the scene when activated.

Corruption: Eye of the Maelstrom - For one corrupted Empyria, you activate this power for the combat scene. Any

wizard who you witness casting a spell you may point at them and call "Stun" as your very gaze pierces the barrier

between our world and the Maelstrom. One of your eyes glows magnificently bright green.

Unseen Hand - Variable Empyria - The paladin can lift and move objects with his mind. Light objects that can be easily

lifted with one hand require 1 Empyria . Medium objects, like those that can be lifted with two hands weighing as much

as a person require 2 Empyria . Heavy objects, things not normally able to be lifted, such as war horses, loaded carts, or

fallen trees, require 4 Empyria. Extremely heavy objects, things weighing in at several tons, can be lifted but require the

most extreme concentration and your maximum Empyria . Once activated, Unseen Hand stays on for the rest of the

scene to the magnitude activated. Use in combat is allows the Paladin to expend Discipline to use a Grab as per the Brawl

skill, substituting the Paladin's Faith for their Strength. You may also spend Discipline to throw individuals as per the

Slam effect.

Corruption: The Devil's Fist - Double lifting capacity and Slam distance, and add Mighty and Driving to anything swung

by this ability. When using this version of the power, soft handling is impossible. Doors will be blasted from hinges,

bones will be broken during lifting, and projectiles will be twisted and mangled.

Tier 4

Contact - The Paladin can read surface thoughts and speak to others by linking minds. This allows the Paladin to gain a

single piece of information about the subject being discussed from a target character every 10 seconds. You can also

speak and be spoken to by to any character you know intimately, regardless of their location in the world. Anyone who

has spoken to you personally may pray to you and you will know the nature of their prayer.

Corruption: Memory Theft - 3 Corrupted Empyria . An entire scene's worth of memories can be re-written by simply

telling the target what they remember. The memory will be completely believable regardless of how absurd the content

may be. However, anyone with Contact may who touches their mind will know the truth.

Grand Destiny - You are privy to many of the workings of the universe.

At the beginning of every game session, staff will flip a coin a number of times equal to your maximum Empyria. Heads

give one use of the Blessing ability, and tails give one use of the Curse ability. The Paladin may grant either of these

effects to any interaction he witnesses or participates in during the course of that event. Using Blessing ensures that an

action is successful - the first form of defense used against it is wasted, though can still be countered by defense from

another source (such as Armor instead of Parry, or Dogma instead of Persuade). Use of Curse means that an action is

doomed to fail by circumstance, and any assertive action fails without being countered while wasting any relevant

expenditure.

To use Blessing, add "Power" to the call. When using Curse, the subject simply ignores the effect.

Corruption: Fate Stealer - Whenever the Paladin uses a Blessing or Curse this scene, he steals the momentum of fate for

his own purposes, gaining the opposite effect into his repertoire to be used at another time this event.

Prophecy - The staff must answer any one question from the player. However, even simply knowing can change the

future from what you can see. The more who you share this knowledge with, the farther and farther the prophecy shifts

from the absolute truth of the staff's statements. This requires your maximum Empyria and you are unable to recover

them for 3 days.

Corruption - Hand of Destiny: In addition to the prophecy, the player submits a statement with an "and." Afterwards the

staff may submit a statement with a "but." Both of these statements are true.

Tier 5

Avatar - Variable Empyria . The Paladin's mind is a gateway to physical reality, so close are the two to being one.

Through an act of will and faith, the Paladin may call forth a being of holy form and nature to assist her. The exact

features of the being called will vary by Paladin to Paladin, but its holy nature is obvious. Sometimes it may be a steel-

clad angel, or a great lion with a mane of white fire, but all of them can fly at incredible speeds, making the Escape ability

impossible to use, and have one dot in each Attribute for every 2 Empyria spent upon them. The Avatar has no skills, but

attacks and defends with skill levels equal to Empyria spent upon it, and has that many Toughness calls. Once

summoned it can act on its own and needs no further instruction, but will respond to the will of its creator. The Avatar

will vanish at the end of the scene, if destroyed, or if the creator loses consciousness. Furthermore, other Paladins may

participate in the invocation of this ability, donating up to 2 Empyria per additional Paladin.

Corruption - The Conqueror Manifest: Variable Empyria . You can use your mind as a beacon, a bridge that renders it

simple and inviting for a demonic entity to manifest itself. Upon spending an amount of Corrupted Empyria , a demon

will manifest at once and will use its considerable abilities to your benefit for as many rounds as the amount of Empyria

spent. After that time, the demon will still remain until otherwise banished, though its debt to you is paid and it will act

in any way it chooses. It is very unlikely that its true motivations will remain consistent with your own.

Omniscience - Passive: Though you are still limited by the capabilities of your mortal mind to process it, the universe

has opened itself to you and provides you with extra-sensory information about your surroundings. You automatically

are aware of everything in your surroundings, behaving as if you have Perception 5 (Ranks in Perception are refunded as

experience), and may ask for any information about the current area, regardless of how obscure or hidden it may be. For

example, the Paladin could ask whether the tracks in the dust were placed within the last hour, and by whom, or even

whether they were falsely planted to lead a tracker astray. You cannot see within the mind and soul of those around you,

but you are still aware of all physical details. Additionally, by expending Empyria, you may raise any skill by 1 rank, to

the normal maximum of 5, for the remainder of the day, or gain any Lore you wish, no matter how specific. Lore: Count

Heatherfield, for instance, could tell the Paladin information on that person that no one could ordinarily know.

Corruption - Omnipotence: You may change one word of any one detail that you know to be true to something else. This

can be almost anything to almost anything else. For example, one could change the fact that an enemy wields a polearm

against him to be wielding nothing instead. Or, one could change an expression of hate into an expression of love. You

can even change a living person to a dead one so long as you can see them yourself. This change, whatever it is, will last

until you make some other change.

MERCY

Tier 1

The Good of Others - You can take on the wounds and other ailments of another. Although diseases, maims and

poisons must be transferred in whole, wounds obtained in combat can be partially transferred and split between the

subject and the Paladin, however the Paladin cannot transfer his own wounds to another, the transfer is one way and

once completed cannot be undone. So powerful is this basic power that the Paladin can even undo death itself if the scene

has not yet passed, however transferring the fatality will destroy the Paladin.

Corruption: Share Pain - With a touch and the expending of a Corrupted Empyria, your wounds and maladies are

passed onto another and wounds or maladies they have, if any, are passed onto you.

Shepherd's Crook - Your gentle heart can prevent harm from coming to another creature, even one you are battling

with yourself. By extending the mercy in your heart to your attacks, your weapon deals no damage on its attacks as if it

had the Subduing flaw, though does not require additional strikes as that flaw normally does. This power remains active

for the combat scene.

Corruption: Reaver's Lash - By expending a corrupted Empyria , you let your hate leach out into your very attacks,

allowing any object to become a deadly weapon in your hands. For the remainder of the scene, any weapon you hold

loses any flaws as the force of your vitriolic anger carries alongside the force of the attack.

The enmity between St. Allebrand and the Viscount of Riverbend was legendary in the time of the Second Emperor.When Allebrand finally accepted the long standing challenge of a duel on the eve of Holdfast, my Father believed hewould finally rid himself of the man. Allebrand's blows struck him again and again, telling blows that should havekilled him. But my father rose again and again, each time more determined than the last, as the challenge wore on. Itseemed my father could not be felled by this man, but when he finally threw his sword down in frustration, realizing hecould never have his spite-born victory, I knew who the true hero was.-- Memoirs of the Count Riverbend, 78, the Lion Age

Soothing Presence - The paladin emits a soothing aura that pacifies tempers and strong emotions. Angry individuals

will become easier to reason with and the grieving will lift up their heads from their tears. Any individual who is

combative or hostile that is affected by this power will move toward a neutral mood as their mind relaxes and they cease

to have apprehensions. This can effectively momentarily stop a combat in progress, but can't prevent hostilities from

reigniting if given a reason. The Paladin may call a "Hold" and then end the hold with the combat suspended. Once the

power is activated, by controlling this aura and spending an Empyria, you can put those who are otherwise calm into a

normal slumber. If the subject's life is in danger, neither aspect of this power will affect him as his mind will not willingly

settle. Both aspects of this power last for the scene.

Corruption: Fearsome Presence - The Paladin emits an unsettling aura that sends the nerves on edge and the hairs on

one's neck upright. When the aura is erected, people perceive the Paladin's very presence a fearful threat and become

reluctant to initiate conflict. The Paladin may immediately refresh any expended Intimidation uses for the scene. By

focusing this aura onto a single subject and spending a Corrupted Empyria , the Paladin can invoke a flight reflex in a

subject if they are not already fleeing and for the rest of the scene, causing the subject to gain mild phobia of he offending

Paladin. In or out of combat, having this power active always constitutes a "credible threat" for the purposes of

Intimidation.

In the last days of Barahb's siege on the White City of Santrius the people lay starving and desperate within its walls.During the day, they became like stuck swine, panicking and screaming under Barahb's salvos; During the night, theybecame like serpents in a basket, turning on one another for the smallest of slights, for it was Barahb's plan to breakthe spirits of the men before breaking down their walls. Lucia, grand-daughter of St. Marcellus watched as Barahbturned her people into swine and upon feeling desperation begin to creep into her own soul she cast it out and stood upamid the serpents and swine, rendering them shameful and calm. Thus ended Barahb's Siege of Santrius and beganthe Forty Days of Bloodshed.--The White Record, 67, The Lion Age

Tier 2

Good Tidings - Passive. In any scene in which you perform a good deed, regain 1 Empyria at the end of the scene.

Corruption: Ill Intentions - Every time you sin regain a number of Empyria points equal to the level of all of the sins at

the end of the scene.

Holy Concert - Donate Empyria to another Paladin within speaking distance. Empyria is not spent to activate this

power; instead it is directly transferred. The Paladin may donate as much or as little Empyria as they choose.

Alternatively, giving an Empyria to an individual without the Charismata perk confers the basic benefit of that perk for

the scene.

Corruption: Black Cacophony - Leech Empyria away from another Paladin by spending a Corrupted Empyria to invoke

the effect. The Paladin can drain up to three Empyria per 10 seconds, but continuing to drain does not require an

additional expenditure of Empyria. This requires a solid grip on the victim and produces an ear-stinging screeching

sound. Combat use requires a successful Grab attempt. Using this power on a non-paladin gives them one Depravity of

the offending Paladin's choosing per 10 seconds, and per corrupted Empyria spent.

Lay on Hands - When the Paladin touches a wounded person, their wounds begin to close and their body is restored.

Bleeding halts immediately, and if the wound is still fresh (incurred that same scene) can cleanly heal a maim or

otherwise permanent injury. This healing occurs over the course of a full minute. This power does not use Empyria -

instead the Paladin has a resource called Healing that is equal to their dots in Faith, and each use expends one such use

of Healing. Healing recovers in full with your Empyria once rested. This power may not be used on one's self.

Corruption: Harm Touch - If focusing on his hatred and anger instead of a sense of love and mercy, a Paladin can inflict

a grievous and awful wound upon a person with only a touch. The Paladin must lay his palm against someone, requiring

a successful Grab in combat, though this attack ignores all Armor. The Paladin immediately causes a hit to the body that

can only be stopped with Toughness. This attack is said to be the most painful experience one can experience, and leaves

a hand-shaped black scar that never completely fades away. Paladins with the Lay on Hands ability may reflexively

expend Healing to defend themselves against Harm Touch on a one for one basis. The Paladin's Healing resource used in

this way is called Harm, and is consumed and restored the same way.

TIER 3

Channel Life - Passive. Double the rate you can heal with Lay on Hands (from one minute to 30 seconds) and double

your capacity for Healing. This effect is invoked automatically when using Lay on Hands.

Corruption: Channel Hate - The Paladin doubles their capacity to Harm. The Paladin may use two or three Harm

instead of 1 to overcome the resilience of Tough or Stalwart characters. This effect is invoked automatically when using

Harm Touch.

Reverse Ruin - In the wake of carnage, where lives have been destroyed and things are set asunder, the Paladin can set

things right once again. By expending Empyria, the Paladin is able to reverse damage to objects around her: the rubble

of a house will miraculously begin to retake its shape, the shards of a mirror will find their proper places, and sundered

swords will snap back to their original form in a shower of softly glittering light and shining haze. She can even restore a

dilapidated building to its former glory, banishing the rust and grime of years of disuse with an effort of will. The

amount of Empyria required to invoke this effect corresponds to the significance chart; one for trivial, two for lesser,

three for significant and so on.

Corruption: Ruination - Some things should never be set back as they were. Some things are best left done and over,

never to see the light of day again. With this dire invocation, the Paladin can render her deeds patently and completely

irrevocable. An altar shattered can never be repaired, a new one must be constructed. A door broken can not be refitted

to its hinges. A vampire slain can never return. The Paladin lays an unforgiving curse on all they touch, making sure their

works are never countered. However, once this power is used, it is considered always active and can never be ended

again in the Paladin's lifetime, her own action made permanent and adamantine as well. Wounds delivered by the cursed

Paladin will heal as normal as new flesh takes the place of old, but those slain can never be returned.

Spell-breaker - The Paladin may channel holy power to counteract any spell from a wizard that you are aware of in

your vicinity. They must spend 1 Empyria for each level of Power or damaging hit of the spell he dispels. A partially

dispelled effect loses as much potency as was neutralized.

Corruption: Spell-eater - The paladin consumes the raw energies of the spell converting it into usable might. Spending a

single Corrupted Empyria she can resist any spell. When she does so, a number of Corrupted Empyria are restored equal

to the Power of the spell, to your normal maximum. This siphoning of magical energy makes the Magician Winded until

the next day. Additional uses cause Fatigue.

Tier 4

Salubrium - The Paladin spends an Empyria and extend her arms out wide. As long as you maintain this meditative

state doing no more than walking, any characters she wishes within 10 yards recover from one hit of wounds, such as to

their limb or torso every 10 seconds. Every 10 seconds she maintains this ability with taking no other actions consumes

one use of Healing. This effect can be continued for as long as she wishes without spending additional Empyria as long as

no other actions are taken except defensive calls.

Corruption: Dissonantia - The Paladin may spend a corrupted Empyria and hold her arms out wide, thus expending her

ability to Harm against any characters he wishes in the immediate vicinity. For every 10 seconds he expends takes no

other action, he may expend one use of Harm, searing cacophonous shrieking that permeates steel and bone alike fills

the air. All characters affected take a hit of damage to the torso and are affected by Slammed backward.

Pillar of Faith - Undead, Demons, Anathema and other creatures of evil may never willingly enter a space of 10 yards

around the Paladin, and if forced to enter, must attempt to leave the space before taking any other unrelated actions.

Corruption: Bastion of Evil - Malefic creatures within 10 yards of you are made completely immune to any form of

damage so long as the Paladin concentrates on this ability, moving at a walking pace but otherwise able to take actions. If

the Paladin is rendered unable to maintain the ability, the power ends at once. The Paladin does not gain protection from

this ability.

Angelic Caress - Your touch brings with it the grace of the Heavens and by your will you can set calamity aright. The

Paladin may lay their hands upon the victim of terrible injuries or even birth defects to cause them to recover, expending

a use of Healing from their pool to lower the severity of a Maim by one step. As well, you can cause the body to attempt

to battle free of poisons and toxins, increasing the subject's effective Grit by one for every use of Healing expended or you

may spend one Healing to reduce the duration of a disease by one day. Finally, you may expend Healing to reduce the

significance of a disastrous event such as an inferno, flash flood, storm, or rockslide in your immediate vicinity as it

happens.

Corruption: Vile Stroke - Your power is that of ruin; your touch a thing of desecration. By laying your hands upon an

object, you can cause it to be at once destroyed, doing quadruple the normal damage by expending your Harm upon it.

You may destroy armor and weapons that you can successfully touch in this way, as well as any physical barrier

regardless of its durability. If you lay your hands upon living creatures, you can cause maim damage as the muscles twist,

warp, and boil under your touch as if exposed to flame. You may expend Harm to deal maim damage to any part of the

body you can touch on a one for one basis of severity.

Tier 5

Guardian Angel - Passive. Prevents dishonorable death. You will survive unscathed from any non-combat scenario

through miraculous circumstance. This does not include directed physical violence, but does include such things as cave-

ins, long falls, ship-wrecks, hurricanes, rickety suspension bridges, or accidental explosions.

Corruption: Destroying Avenger - You may place your terrible curse upon a single person or thing. By expending all of

your Empyria upon a person or thing, you pronounce doom upon it. Until the target is utterly destroyed, any skills that

are used by the target or to non-aggressively interact with the target automatically suffer a terrible disaster of a failure

and at least one significant disaster will befall the target each day. You may only place this curse upon one target at a

time, though the process of their annihilation typically does not take long. Should you be killed before their destruction is

complete, the effect will end.

Unquenchable Light - 5 Empyria . The Paladin's presence banishes the very idea of infirmity of body and form. This

power, once called upon, will banish any injuries suffered upon the Paladins and her allies that are present with such

alacrity that they can scarcely be harmed at all. Every 10 seconds, each person so blessed recovers from any wounds they

may have suffered, purges all poisons or diseases from their systems, and continues in defiance of their foe. Thus, those

affected must be Downed and a Death-Strike completed nearly immediately to end them at all, else nothing is

accomplished.

Corruption: Hand of Death - The Paladin is a the hand of death, the messenger of ruin. Once activated this scene, any

character that the Paladin points to within 15 yards has their soul begin to be ripped violently from their body. A

character with less than 3 Grit dies immediately. Any character still within the power's range (and alive) after 10 seconds

have passed can be pointed to again, and they count as if their Grit were one less each time this occurs. Characters who

are killed by this ability have their soul destroyed, and cannot be resurrected by the Miracle of the Shrine. By spending a

Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin may point at anyone within his line of sight, and that character is treated as if he were

within the Paladin's area of power for the next 10 seconds, or as long as the Paladin continues to maintain the effect with

Empyria.

RECKONING

Tier 1

Faintness of God - The Paladin's kiss upon a weapon infuses it with a subtle power that bypasses defensive powers

granted by the Triumvirate of Thorns for one full day.

Corruption: Absence of God - By expending an amount of Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin can negate a single Paladin

power in use by another Paladin. The Corrupted Empyria spent is equal to the Empyria spent by the Paladin affected,

and that power cannot be reactivated this scene.

The self-styled "Executioner King", Vardak, who had thought to challenge the might of Lethia in the aftermath of theexecution of Tyrel the Witchwarder, was by all accounts invincible. The twin armies of Lord Gant, the Emperor'syounger brother, had marched against his rogue forces of Sharaqin and Hestralian peasants and been smashedagainst them like the sea against rocks. Vardak's army marched until it reached the site now called "Fera's Tears"

north of the Godsroad on the outer watch of Lethia. A small girl waited in the road, a shortsword in hand andarmored in a misfitting chain hauberk. When the Executioner King's forces arrived, the girl waited bravely, and calledfor the head of their leader, to challenge him in single combat. Vardak thundered with laughter so loud that the birdsfled the nearby trees, it is said, and leaped down from his giant white elephant to accept.

The girl, who is unnamed to this day, knelt, prayed for the strength to defend her homeland, kissed her shortsword,and commenced the duel. A moment later, she had buried the shortsword into the heart of the Executioner King. Noone knows how, but for the grace of God, she had defeated Vardak but the Kuarlite heretics offered her Vardak'sarmor, his mighty axe, and his war elephant. She accepted them all, and told the army to march on Lethia, butunarmed and unarmored. They were summarily destroyed.--Secret Heroes, 61, The Lion Age

Forfeit Life - 1 Empyria per scene. Your concern for others has surpassed the instinctual blocks that prevent you from

moving into harm's way. During combat you may take a blow that targets anyone else within 5 feet of you. You may

decide to do this after the wound is declared as taken if you wish when you decide to intervene as your movements are

reactionary and require no thought to recognize when another is in trouble. You may spend your own Defense calls to

negate the attack.

Corruption: Demand Life - 1 Corrupted Empyria . The Paladin may simply glance at someone and induce them to

protect the Paladin at any cost. With a successful Intimidate, Persuade, Seduce or Deception use against their victim, the

Paladin may induce someone else to leap in front of a blow for them in combat. The victim must be within 5 feet to

intercept the blow. They become the new target of the attack, but may attempt a defense as normal. This reaction on the

part of the target is automatic and requires only a look, no verbalization from the Paladin.

Precision - For the remainder of the combat scene, the Paladin adds the Beat ability to the Paladin's attacks, per the

Medium Weapons skill.

Corruption: Heart Eater - By spending a Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin's weapon seems to gain a bloodlust of its own.

The next limb hit is considered a torso hit instead as the blade leaps for the heart.

TIER 2

Heroism - The Paladin's Strength or Speed is increased by one step for the remainder of the scene by spending an

Empyria. You may activate both versions of the power at once, but only once for each Attribute.

On the day that Bran the Blessed threw open the doors to the St. Marcus' Cathedral in Evansburg, he cast out thepriests who had spoken against the Lord. He marched to the tainted altar, with its twisted iconography that mockedthe Lord's work. "This citadel of the Lord has been defiled. Never again shall its blasphemy twist the hearts of thepeople." He pounded his mailed fist into the altar then, and it did split from his righteous fury, falling inward uponitself, a white, chalky dust issuing from its crack."-The White Record, -212, The Age of Witchkings

Corruption: Demoniac - By inviting the possession of a demon or wicked spirit the Paladin increases their Strength or

Speed by two steps for the remainder of the scene by spending a corrupted Empyria. You may activate both versions of

the power at once, but only once for each Attribute. This power does not combine with Heroism.

On that day, Bran the Betrayer had reached a moment of such Wrath that the doors of his soul flew open, and the beastthat he thought he had destroyed at the Surrender of Keys leapt from its den and devoured his heart. The beast's rageknew no limits, and neither did the hands that the beast now guided. Bran the Betrayer ripped the buttress from thewall, the stone slabs of the vaulted roof falling around him as he strode seething from the ruin of St. Marcus'Cathedral.-Gift Stories, compiled by Surth Rendan, Circa 58, The Lion Age

Holy Smite - You have become the bane of all that is evil. By spending an Empyria alongside any single strike, your

blade will thirst for justice. For each Sin that your target has at 3, your attack deals an extra hit of damage if it lands.

Malefic creatures, or other entities of pure wickedness cause the Paladin's attack to gain a bonus based upon the

Paladin's Faith, dealing an extra hit for each step above normal Faith. Onlookers claim that during such a shattering

blow sometimes the blade shines brilliantly like the sun upon impact, and that white feathers can be found near the

battle.

Corruption: Nemesis Blow - By spending a Corrupted Empyria alongside any single strike, your attack deals one

additional for every sin the Paladin has at 3. Onlookers will sometimes claim that such a brutal attack will have fire

billowing around it and moments after the swing the faint scent of brimstone lingers.

Zuriel, the Angel of Righteousness, bid that mankind should never suffer evil to endure, lest that evil poison them aswell. St. Vorshtadt of Gotha, the Whitehammer, took the angelic scripted name of Zuriel as his war banner, andmarched to the Barony of Sir Gerion, the Six-Deviled Knight. When asked of what crime Sir Gerion had committed, theWhitehammer said that God would judge the wicked, and that his crimes would be sentenced by God himself, for theWhitehammer would strike down his foe in a single strike if the Lord wished it, and would fail if he did not. Gerion metSt. Vorshtadt on the hill outside of his castle on the Ostron hills overlooking the Rogalian borders. There, the two titansselected each other in the melee of their troops, Sir Gerion wearing the horns of a giant ram upon his greathelm,covering his face, and St. Vorshtadt of Gotha wearing the shield and greathelm in the likeness of Zuriel. The twoclashed, and just as he had forewarned, there seemed to be a mighty crash like the thunder rolling over theCapacionne mountains. A bright light shone from the Whitehammer, and at once it was over; the False Knight laybroken, thrown from his black charger. Sir Gerion's men laid down their arms at once, and surrendered themselves tothe mercy of the Lord.--The Mercy of Victors, 27, The Lion Age

Martyrdom- The paladin is capable of gaining any number of Empyria in a single moment, recharging up to their

maximum. However, strain from such a power takes its toll on the body and the paladin receives a hit to a limb for each

Empyria earned this way. Blood will pour from the eyes and from the palms when this power is used.

Corruption: Martyrize - During this scene, each time you successfully inflict at least 1 hit of damage upon an opponent,

you regain one Corrupted Empyria up to your normal maximum.

It is said that St. Azariah could not bear to see evil go unpunished. Her burning soul would brook no mercy for thewicked, nor for herself, to let evil endure. When her strength had left her, her brilliance subdued, and her will wasutterly spent, she judged herself most harshly of all, bleeding tears of scarlet from her eyes, such was her anguish ather own weakness. Her own heartsblood ran down her fingertips as she would rise again, her strength redoubled, herresolve renewed, and her convictions stronger than ever.--The White Record, -212, The Age of Witchkings

Tier 3

Light of the Soul - The Paladin may spend Empyria to defend their body from damage, calling "Toughness" for each

Empyria spent in this way.

Corruption: Sup on Sanctity - The Paladin may spend Corrupted Empyria to devour their body's weaknesses, becoming

temporarily immune to any form harm. For 15 seconds after using this power, the Paladin may not be harmed by any

effect. This can be used retroactively, canceling all damage incurred right before the power is called upon. The Paladin's

skin turns black and hard while this power is in effect.

St. Vaniel was said to have endured torture within the confines of the Black Keep of Aemon Renett for over five years.Rumors speak that no matter the tortures visited upon his body, he would not break. Rumors speak further that Renetthired the Turpis Vesica to unfold his mind, usurp his mighty faith, and undo his resolve. And still, he did not break.When the Templar order finally broke the siege wall of the Black Keep, they found St. Vaniel in the dungeons, his bodyonly mildly scarred, and his soul unbroken and unbowed.-- Secret Heroes, 30, The Lion Age

Witch's Debt - By spending an Empyria along side a successful melee attack, the Paladin may deliver an attack that

forces any built up charge in a mage's body to dissipate and then some, causing the charge to disappear and creating a

deficiency that prevents the wizard from calling upon any additional power for one minute.

Corruption: Mageruin - These attacks also cause the charge to explode, inflicting extra damage per charge to the

unfortunate mage as if they had struck themselves with War Magic.

Sunder Darkness - On a successfully executed attack, you may spend any number of available Empyria to add Power

to your attack with extra hits equal to the Empyria spent as you sear through defenses with your terrible justice.

Corruption - Reaper of Souls: Spending any corrupted Empyria to charge a Death-strike causes you to regain all the

Empyria spent during this combat scene as it kills the opponent.

Tier 4

Sacred Duty - On the battlefield, you are the staunch anchor, the mighty bulwark upon which your allies rely. When a

Paladin calls upon his devotion to his duties of courage and fortitude, he may call the harm away from his allies and

direct it to himself. Any damage that any of his allies suffer within 5 yards of him, before any Armor of Toughness calls

are used, is directed instead to the Paladin as if he were the target of the attack. The attack hits the Paladin as normal in

the same bodily location, and can be defended by the Paladin's armor or natural resilience. This persists the rest of the

combat scene, or around five minutes out of combat.

Corruption: Deathless Tyrant - Whenever the Paladin takes damage this scene, if there are any other allies or prisoners

in the area, another ally will take that damage instead. The allies are determined randomly, choosing the closest first. So

long as there are allies or prisoners remaining alive, the Paladin cannot be harmed. Substitute targets must be within 15

yards of the Paladin and be cowed by his Intimidation or loyal to the Paladin.

Force of Faith - You can invoke an epic feat of strength such as holding up a crumbling building, smashing through

brick, or ripping the door from a safe.

Corruption: Devastation - When you call upon your strength, such is the terrible force of your blows that you hammer

down all obstacles and defenses. None can stand against your assaults, the force of the very hells pumping through you

like a bellows. All attacks in combat that physically connect, even if stopped by a Defensive call, have the Slam effect, and

cause the target to begin Bleeding as if they were Downed.

Light of Heaven - With this mighty invocation of the Lord, the clouds will part to let the light of the sun stream in,

regardless of the time of day. The sunlight will wash over an area about 5 yards wide that the Paladin points to, and the

evil within that place will be extinguished. The light deals hits to targets in a column with the Power quality, doing a

number of hits equal to the Depravity the target has at 3, as if the Paladin had used Holy Smite on each one. For Malefic

creatures, the Power amount is equal to the Paladin's dots in Faith.

Corruption: Hellfire - Deals one hit of damage to anything and everything in the column for each Sin the Paladin has

Depravity has at 3, including walls, floors, ceilings, people, items and equipment.

Tier 5

Combat Purity - Your martial prowess is without flaw. You are a divine reckoner, and you have come to view combat

in a very different way than most. Gone are the furious moments of panicked urgency where the mind goes blank and the

sword swings madly. Gone is the rapid tenseness of the muscles as you recoil from a crushing blow against your shield.

When you swing your sword to kill, you kill. When you raise your weapon to parry, their weapon slides away. Your melee

attacks cannot be negated by any kind of defensive call, and weapons lose all of their perks when attacking you as you

effortlessly adjust your poise to compensate against them.

Corruption - Invincible Champion: Your combat abilities are invincible, and your mind reasons combat on a completely

different level. You think hundreds of steps ahead and can predict any eventuality in combat. Against your perfect

predictive strategies, you are assumed to have an unlimited supply of Parry and Dodge calls, though means of doing you

harm that cannot be stopped by those defenses still work.

Wrath of God - You are the mortal manifestation of divine justice, the personification of holy anger, and it shows.

Those who stand against you do so at their own peril, for they stand against the might of God and no creature on earth

can withstand such a foe. Any time you succeed at any aggressive challenge or use any aggressive skill against another

character, they automatically receive a Phobia of God's Judgment, beginning at mild and strengthening from there with

subsequent applications. This includes such things as being successfully grappled, done damage to, or intimidated by the

Paladin. This Phobia is as permanent as any other and must be challenged in the normal way.

Corruption: There is No God - There is no force so profoundly wrong as you. Your very existence and presence is

disturbing to those you encounter on a level so profound that it is impossible to come away from an encounter with you

entirely sane and whole. Any character you succeed any aggressive challenge with automatically gains an Obsession with

Depravity, beginning at mild and raising from there. Survivors of this power are the most depraved of lunatics and

murderers.

D E A T H A N D D E S T R U C T I O N

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

Since the dawn of mankind we have fought. Fought for our food, for our land and for our beliefs. Though our fightinghas progressed, changed, and become ever more complex, it remains the very same regardless.

Combat is deadly. There is no leniency for mistakes or incompetence. In a single motion one can be rendered from a

living man to a corpse. Allies can and will be lost fighting hordes of Anathema, the orc, barbarians and brigands. Ideally,

all your obstacles may be circumvented without the shedding of blood, but, in a world of merciless circumstance, this

will most likely not be the case. Luck plays a hand, always, but there are only so many times one can draw a weapon to

invite death before death invites you back.

ATTACKS AND INJURIES

"It is a profound tragedy that these lowly creatures will never know the light of God; that I must banish them with mysword to a place beyond redemption."

LEGAL ATTACKS

In order for an attack to cause an injury, it must strike the body hard enough to be definitely noticed, even if the subjectwasn't paying attention, and must use at least 45 degree arm extension between any previous strikes. Attacks that skipacross the surface gently, tag the clothes, or are rapid repeated bouncings an inch from the previous attack are notconsidered damaging attacks.

Attacks to the head are illegal. Accidents happen, but the head should be avoided, and any accidental hit to the head isdiscarded as a miss. Attacks to the hands while wielding a weapon are to be avoided, but do count if they occur.

--Elias Allard, Grand Master Paladin of the Sacred Order of the White Lion

Combat in Gothic: the Lion Age uses a vital area system. During combat, a weapon attack that connects with a given part

of the body disables that part of the body from injury. Attacks that connect against the arms or legs are called limb hits.

Limb hits disable that limb from further use; an arm dangles helplessly, dropping whatever is held within it and can no

longer grasp anything. A leg hit renders that leg unable to bear any weight, forcing the injured fighter to drag the leg,

unable to take complex or sudden actions that require two legs or to walk quickly or effectively. Characters with two

injured legs can walk slowly with the help of another character. Hits to the same injured limb do not contribute

additional damage, except that three strikes to the same area of the body can result in Maiming.

If a character takes an injury to the torso, or loses two different limbs, such as an arm and a leg or both arms, the pain is

too intense and the character collapses to the ground, helpless. This condition is called Downed. A Downed character is

bleeding to death. Downed characters may not move, stand, or speak (though they can groan), and will bleed to death in

5 minutes. Any other character can stop the bleeding by placing both hands on the body of the injured character. If the

wounds are stopped this way for 5 minutes, the character will stabilize and is Battered.

How functional a Battered character can be is based upon their Grit skill. Characters with no Grit are conscious, but are

also in terrible pain and unable to use any Skills they may have. If their legs aren't injured, they can hobble back to safety

on their own; otherwise, they need assistance to walk. Characters with the Grit skill can limp along on damaged legs and

can run and move normally otherwise. The Grit skill allows characters to retain some or all of their skills, depending on

their rank in Grit. Injured limbs are still Injured as long as the character is Battered, and the Battered character will still

need to Rest after regaining consciousness to recover any lost uses of their Skills.

If a character is hurt by a weapon with the Subduing weapon flaw, any wounds dealt recover with Rest. If a character

would be Downed, that character Blacks Out instead. Blacked out characters behave like Downed ones, except they are

at no risk of bleeding out, and it lasts only 2 minutes before the character regains their senses.

Characters that are Downed or Blacked Out can be executed if their attacker wishes to do so. To do so, the attacker needs

to raise their weapon above their head and silently count to 5, then bring their weapon down and attack their opponent

one more time. This death-strike kills the character at once.

"I have ended his iniquity once and for all. He is a better man for it."

RECOVERY

If no form of aid is rendered, injuries recover over the course of the Downtime period between games, and any character

who was not killed during the game session can be said to have made a full recovery over the Downtime and be healthy

when they next enter play. Some characters are tougher or more resilient than others, and can partially recover from

injuries or take more to truly injure. Characters with the Grit skill can push themselves to a place where they can regain

partial functionality.

Very few other forms of healing or recovery exist, though some faithful people seek the services of the Hospitalier priests

and their knowledge of sacred medicine to help them recover from injuries.

DEFENSES

A character can intercept any attack with their weapon or shield if they have the first rank in the appropriate Skill. Even

if an attack actually partially lands against the body, an attack that has been significantly disturbed by your own weapon

raised in defense is considered successfully stopped.

Defensive skills can also be used to cancel attacks that already succeeded by expending a use of that skill, referred to as

"Calling Defenses." Different Defenses can protect a character from different kinds of attacks, depending on the skill

used. The Parry skill protects the user from melee attacks, while the Dodge skill protects the user from melee, ranged

and spell effects, but cannot be used in most kinds of armor. When an attack successfully lands and would cause a

wound, expending a use of Defense skill causes that attack and all attacks in that Clash to be retroactively blocked.

A Clash is the quick series of hits that happen in rapid succession between two or more opponents, often so quickly that

individual attacks are difficult to determine, and ends when the fighters physically disengage from extreme close

quarters. If a fighter would be injured by one of the attacks they failed to stop during a Clash, the use of a Defense stops

all successful attacks that kind of Defense is capable of preventing.

Certain weapon qualities, such as Mighty or Quick, cause hits from their weapon to be unable to be stopped by Parry or

Dodge respectively. If calling a Defense still leaves the target injured from some other attack the Defense could not

prevent, the injury still stands unless they can call an additional Defense that would prevent the missed attack. For

example, if two enemies attacked the same fighter, and one of them had a greatsword with the Mighty perk while the

other had an ordinary sword, calling Parry as they both connected hits would prevent the damage from the sword but not

the greatsword, but Dodge would successfully stop both attacks.

Some attacks are so deadly that they might deal more than one "hit" worth of damage in a single attack. This is called

the Power quality. These attacks are rare, but when they do occur successfully, they force the defender to use more than

one valid defense call to avoid injury. For example, an attack that dealt 3 hits of damage with the Quick perk would

require the defender to discard 3 Armor or Parry calls, or other valid defenses, and those can be distributed between

different kinds of defenses. If the defender is unable to do so, they discard whatever they can, and then take damage as if

they were hit normally. The appropriate call for these sorts of hit are specific to the ability being used, but will include a

number, and that is the amount of Defenses that must be used to counter them. A call of "Power" is sufficient to indicate

1 extra defense is needed. "Power 2" means 2 extra defenses are required, and so on.

ARMOR

The truest armor is faith in God. It can protect far more than your body. It can protect your mind and spirit as well.However, covering yourself in metal plates never hurts.

Armor grants its wearer additional Defense calls that can stop any kind of damaging attack. A character is said to be

wearing a given classification of Armor, Light, Medium, Heavy or none, and when wearing that armor has access to the

benefits of the Armor for any incoming attacks. Attacks need not actually impact a place on the body that the armor

covers.

Armor level is determined based on an evaluation by a staff member. On average, 5 pieces of armor of a given grade

constitutes that tier of armor, but allowances can be made for combinations therein, considering how cool it looks and

what it is made of.

Sidebar:

Costume Grade vs Combat Grade:

Costume Grade armor (PVC, Aluminum chain, and other Ultra-Light) reduces the grade of the armor by one. Thus

costume Grade leather armor (leather jacket or supple leather) is considered Costume, or no armor, and it is impossible

to have true Heavy Armor that isn’t real metal platemail.

Armor created by extremely skilled craftsmen can gain the Lightweight perk, which overrides this rule. See Trade and

Production for more details on crafting high quality items.

Armor gives the following benefits:

Light Armor - Leather or hides

One use of the Armor Defense call per vital area covered.

Medium Armor - Chain or scale armor

Two uses of the Armor Defense call per vital area covered.

Cannot use the Dodge skill

Heavy Armor - Metal plates supported by chainmail

Two uses of the Armor Defense Call per vital area covered.

Automatic reduction of 1 hit of damage.

Cannot use the Dodge skill

Armor can be called as a Defense against any melee, ranged or war magic effect. In those cases, Armor works exactly like

Dodge or Parry would, stopping all attacks during the Clash. Weapons with the Driving quality ignore the benefits of

armor, and Armor cannot negate such attacks. When Driving weapons strike against a Heavy Armor, the hit ignores the

automatic reduction of 1 hit of damage. The Armor defense calls can still be called as normal against Driving attacks, but

it allows the weapon to fight the heavily armored combatant by traditional means.

If a given vital location is covered by two different grades of armor, the armor physically struck is the armor that counts

for that hit. For example, a soldier wears heavy plate pauldrons on the shoulder, and plate gauntlets, but the exposed

upper forearm and elbow is chainmail. If the gauntlet were struck by an ordinary weapon, the hit would be negated

because of Heavy Armor. If the elbow were struck, the hit would be considered to strike Medium Armor and an Armor

call would need to be spent to ignore the hit.

No individual vital may benefit from a cumulative total better than the best armor present. For example, if a leather

glove were hit and Armor were called, then chainmail on the upper arm were hit, the Armor call for that second hit

would count as the second Armor call used for that limb that combat, not the first. If the hit had struck the gloved hand

again, they would not be able to call Armor at all.

WEAPONS

Here is your sword. Use it wisely, for you use it in the Lord's name.

Weapons come in various lengths, sizes and configurations. Melee Weapons come in three broad categories - Light,

Medium, and Heavy Weapons, and each has a corresponding Skill.

Light Weapons are those weapons which are 24 inches or shorter in length from blade tip to pommel. Light weapons are

capable of being concealed on your person by placing a black cloth on the weapon. Light weapons shorter than 12 inches

automatically gain the Quick or Thrown Perk.

Medium Weapons are those weapons which are between 24 and 42 inches in length from blade tip to pommel.

Heavy Weapons are those weapons which are 42 and larger in length from blade tip to pommel. Because Heavy

Weapons are always Large, requiring two hands to wield, all Heavy Weapons have a Weapon Perk.

Only Strongcharacters may purchase the Heavy Weapons skill.

PERKS AND FLAWS

Some weapons have special qualities associated with them that make them better or worse under certain conditions.

Most weapons have no perks or flaws, and those that do are clearly marked with a special signal such as a colored tag

that indicates at a glance what qualities it has. There is also a type listed for the usual shape and form of weapons with a

given quality. Putting a perk on a weapon whose type does not match the suggested one requires approval, and this is

usually for the second perk on a given weapon that already meets the type for its first perk.

A character must have at least Rank 1 in the appropriate Weapon Skill to benefit from any Perks.

Weapon Perks:QuickSignal: Blue Tag

Type: Appropriate for sword-like or light weapons.

This weapon flies wickedly quick, making it difficult to evade. Quick Weapons cannot be Dodged.

MightySignal: Red Tag

Type: Appropriate for sword-like or Large weapons.

The force of this weapon is difficult to stop. Mighty Weapons cannot be parried.

DrivingSignal: Purple Tag

Type: Appropriate for spear-like or hammer-like weapons.

This weapon can punch or pound through armor as if it weren't there. Driving weapons ignore armor.

SunderingSignal: Green Tag

Type: Appropriate for Axe-like weapons

This weapon is ideal for hewing apart objects. Three hits from a Sundering weapon destroys a shield.

ThrownSignal: White Tag

Type: Small weapons, padded on all sides.

This weapon can be thrown and maintain its lethality. Hitting an enemy by throwing this weapon at them counts as a

ranged attack and cannot be parried except with a shield. Thrown weapons use the skill set of their ordinary weapon

class for the purposes of proficiencies.

Note: Any weapon granted this perk must meet certain safety requirements.

LongSignal: White tag on the hilt

Type: Usually slender weapons that are lighter than usual compared to weapons of their length, such as a rapier or an

estoc.

The weapon's light weight and nimble balance means that it can be used equally well with the Weapon Skill of the class

below it. For example a 40" rapier could be used with either Medium Weapons or Light Weapons and a 49" estoc could

be used with either Heavy or Medium Weapons.

Weapon Flaws:CrudeSignal: Brown Tag

Type: Any

This weapon is typically a farming implement or some other easy to create, rough-hewn or makeshift weapon and has a

tendency to fail you when used in the rigors of combat. This weapon automatically breaks at the end of each combat

scene it is used in, and requires repair to function again.

SubduingSignal: Yellow Tag

Type: Blunt weapons

The weapon's damage is more painful than lethal and cannot be used to kill or otherwise cause grievous wounds

immediately. It takes 2 successive hits for this weapon to deliver its effect, the hit location for the final hit being where

the injury occurs. Injuries from this weapon recover on their own with Rest and characters that would be Downed by this

weapon receive Blackout instead. Subduing weapons cannot perform a death-strike.

When using a Subduing weapon, call "Subdue" for hits that do not deliver damage, and call nothing for those hits that

land normally.

Weapons with both Subduing and Large (such as a wooden staff) tend to be of lighter construction and can be treated as

a Medium Weapon at the player's option.

UnbalancedSignal: Two red tags on the hilt

Type: Weapons with all the weight on one side like an axe, hammer or flail.

The weapon is hard to move deftly and thus is a pig to parry with, typically found on heavy-headed weapons. You may

not use the Parry skill while this weapon is readied.

CumbersomeSignal: Two blue tags on the hilt

Type: Large weapons, wide weapons

This weapon is ungainly and difficult to tote about. You may not use the Dodge skill while this weapon is readied.

LargeSignal: All Heavy Weapons

Type: All Heavy Weapons

The weapon requires two hands to use properly if you are making any attacking or defensive actions with it.

FragileSignal: Two green tags on the hilt

Type: Slender or thin weapons, weapons with the Long Perk.

The weapon is of delicate construction and can be broken more easily than other weapons. Any physical strike that lands

against the weapon from a weapon it the Large flaw or the Sundering perk automatically sunders the weapon without the

use of a maneuver.

RANGED WEAPONSFighting at range with a bow, crossbow, firearm or some other ranged weapon is a time honored tradition for making a

fight less fair. Whereas melee fighters must dance with death every moment, an archer can choose his targets selectively

and set up his shots to perfection.

ARCHERY

Due to the additional layers of complexity required to deal with missile weapons additional information on Archery is

presented separately:

Archery

FIREARMS

To use a firearm in combat, the user simply draws the firearm, points at their target, and yells "BANG!" as loudly as they

can. If the target is unable to call a Dodge defense, they take a hit to whichever part of the body the user wishes, or the

body by default. All firearms ignore armor as if they had the Driving perk.

Firearms are a relatively new concept in the Throne. A rich man's weapon, they are dazzlingly effective when they are

employed, but have a number of less advertised quirks that can make them a challenge to own and operate. Gunpowder

is exensive and rare - only the dwarves know the secrets of its creation, and so even in the best of times, shot is in limited

supply. Enough shot to fire the weapon one time costs 1 silver shield. Reloading is also problematic, taking a full 30

seconds to completely remove all spent shot, replace the bullet, pack and tamp the new shot, and prime the weapon for

firing. Firearms are incredibly loud and startling for everyone involved. Except for the gunman himself, everyone who

hears the Firearm being shot, friend or foe is considered Stunned for 3 seconds after the weapon is fired if they are

within 10 feet, making the weapons problematic in many situations. Lastly, the black powder that firearms rely on is very

sensitive to moisture. Guns will not fire in the rain, and even rainy weather causes all firearms to jam, requiring a repair

from a professional to regain functionality for the day.

The range of a pistol is talking range, or about 10 feet. The range of the long rifle is shouting range, about 50 feet.

TERROR, TRAUMA AND DEATH

"Those who die for the glory of God shall eat at His table, where their cup shall never empty..."

The Throne is a dangerous place rife with peril and unfortunate endings. The likelihood of death in a campaign or even a

single adventure is very high (and possibly an eventuality) as long as combat remains a recurring event. This section

talks about the occurrence of severe injury and character death.

DWARVEN INVENTIONS

Platemail isn't a human invention; it was created by the dwarves and, through trade, human ingenuity has produced avariant suitable for their own use. Since then, platemail and heavy armor have become a staple for knights and othernobility throughout the Throne. Even so, the latest injection of dwarven craftsmanship, the long rifle, has begun tochange the landscape of war already, and mankind has created its own miniature variant, the matchlock pistol. Adwarf would scratch their chin at the idea of a miniaturized version of their black powder weaponry for concealabilityand ease of use, but human minds are adept at taking what they find and bending it to their needs.

FEAR OF DEATH

All men fear death. At the moment when death's door opens for you, your quality is tested. Fear on the battlefield can

occur for a number of reasons:

Whenever you enter a combat situation with no Defense Calls or you spend your last Defense Call in combat.

A friend or an ally is Downed in combat near you, leaving you outnumbered.

Particularly frightening moments as called out by a Marshal or specific powers and abilities that inflict Fear.

A character stricken by Fear is unable to use combat maneuvers, channel magical power, perform rituals, or use any

other special power or ability except basic attacks and defenses, except for Defensive Calls. A character with the

Discipline skill may expend Discipline to dismiss an incident of Fear, and be protected from it until the next Fear

inspiring thing happens. Fear lasts until Rest.

HOPE AND DESPAIR

"God never fails. It is the faith of men which fails."

The human heart is fierce and valiant, able to struggle through adversity and perform feats of valor, kindness, and terror

in the name of the things that it holds dear. The heart is the seat of human passion, but passion is fickle, and subject to

the ups and downs of circumstance and the trials and successes of dramatic events. When events transpire which uplift a

character, they gain Hope. Hope allows a character to refresh one use of one spent ability as if they had rested, or use

one skill a single time as if it were one rank higher than it is. Certain powers, abilities, and rituals grant Hope to their

beneficiaries, and characters also gain Hope when a scene resolves in favor of their Devotion. Hope can stack up to 5

times, though can only be used to increase a skill by one rank for a use - more Hope gives more applications of the single

additional Rank. Unused Hope fades after one hour.

Just as Hope uplifts, Despair gnaws at the soul of men as well. Despair is more insidious, creeping into the heart and

settling there like a cancer. Characters gain Despair when they undergo personal tragedies or challenges to their core

principles, such as the following circumstances:

A friend or companion dies in combat.

You are forced to work against your Devotion or Honor Code.

Your Devotion suffers some major damage or setback

Despair damages the character's ability to believe in themselves and others, and reduces all of their Skills by 1 Rank.

Despair can stack up to 5 times, and is difficult to shake once acquired. Some men shake it by dulling the pain with wine,

women, or violence, escaping into Depravity to soothe their hurts by inflicting their pain on the world. For every point of

Depravity earned, the character loses 1 Despair. Some people cope by letting the Despair change their personality for

good, accepting the darkness by giving it cracks to bury itself in and trouble them no more. If the character accepts a

related Insanity, either starting a new Mild Insanity or increasing an existing one by one grade, they may remove a point

of Despair.

Once affected by Despair, all Hope fades immediately, and the character cannot gain Hope while they have any Despair.

If Despair is gained that would bring a character over the 5 Despair maximum, one Despair is immediately spent toward

gaining an Insanity to make room for the new one. These Insanities tend to bring the character closer to actions that

may lead them to suicide, or some other ignoble end.

.

SICKNESS AND STARVATION

DiseaseDiseases are spiritual in nature, and come either from God's own judgment or the awful possession of a demonic entity.

Each disease is linked with a certain sin, and the people of the Throne view these horrible maladies as either just

punishment or regretful consequence of an impure lifestyle. In the case of either Judgement or Possession, a priest of

Benalus can attempt to rid the body of the infirmity by appeasing God or by driving out the demonic taint.

Characters gain Diseases in two ways - either by infirmity of body, whether through a naturally poor constitution (the

Sickly flaw) or from being worn down by starvation, or by contact with others that are sick.

In this dreadful world, Diseases of Possession are the most common. Unclean spirits that serve Kuarl, the crimson lord,

often leap into new victims through the bite or blood of one already possessed, often inspiring madness and aggression.

Some possessing spirits, those which serve Tarranthalus, Master of Slaves, infect a sinner through physical union, and

mark the unclean. Wicked spirits that serve Lazarolth, the one who waits beyond death, often cause rot, whether inside

or out, vomiting, death-like sleep or paralysis, hacking and wretching until there is little left of a man, and are the most

feared of all.

Unless otherwise noted, Diseases generally can be recovered from by the next event session. Some diseases might require

the Downtime be spent in bedrest, some require specialized medicine, and some may not be curable at all.

There are also Diseases which are believed to come directly from God, not possessions but rather Judgments upon

sinners, or tests for the righteous. These diseases need no contact with the unclean, they strike as God wills it.

ContagionEach disease is given a virulence rating which determines how hostile it is when in contact with others. If a diseased

individual is within close contact (such as a private conversation) for more than five minutes, and they have equal or less

Grit than the Virulence of the disease, that person is now possessed as well of the wicked spirit.

StarvationPoor health is often the cause of many weaknesses of the body, and this often comes from poor diet. Each character

needs to consume 3 crates of Vegetables or 1 side of meat over the course of a month, else become malnourished,

deliverable just before or just after the Downtime. Without, they are considered to have scraped by somehow over the

course of the Downtime, and won't simply die of starvation between events, but will be in quite poor health when they do

enter play, suffering the conditions of Fatigue as well as gaining a Disease determined by Staff.

Sickly characters gain a Disease regardless, though if they eat properly they do not suffer Fatigue. Characters who benefit

from a Feast are considered well-fed enough to not gain a Disease next game, even if they are Sickly, though if they do

not continue to eat, they will still suffer the Fatigue.

The effects of such poor nutrition are deeply engrained over the course of weeks, and one or two meals had in real time

during the game does not make enough difference to abate the symptoms of starvation right away.

MAIMING

Being stabbed with a sword is always serious, but there are wounds, and then there are wounds. The possibility exists

that a character can be permanently injured in such a way that they never fully recover. Called Maims, these injuries,

even after the wounds have recovered, persist with some sort of harmful side effect that will trouble the character to the

end of their days without extraordinary circumstances to correct them.

Maims occur in a given broad location - legs, arm, or head, and in three levels of severity - Mild, Severe, and Crippling. A

single clean hit to a limb means that the limb is injured and rendered useless, as discussed earlier. However, if the limb,

already injured, continues to take punishment from repeated attacks, the wounds can still become more serious. If an

injured limb is hit two more times with a weapon after already being downed (a total of 3 hits), the character suffers a

Maim to that location. Maims to the head occur from being Stunned 3 or more times in the same combat scene. This can

be intentional on the part of the attacker or something of a circumstantial accident, but the effect is the same regardless.

Example Maims

Mild Leg Maims

Cannot Jump - Damage to the joint means the character can no longer spring their legs and jump for any reason.

Trick Knee - You have a damaged muscle that causes your knee to slip out of place at the worst moments. Any

time you are the subject of the Stun, Bleed, Grab, or Pain effects to the leg, you also suffer Knockdown.

Severe Leg Maims

Cannot Run - Injuries to the muscles or joints are extensive and the character cannot keep his balance while

running, and needs a cane or staff to walk on Bad Terrain. You may never move at a full run, and can never have

more than one Dodge.

Cannot Crouch - Injury to your hips and lower back make it impossible for you to crawl on hands and knees

through tight spaces, and make crouching and ducking very painful. You can never take more than 1 step during

Stealth.

Crippling Leg Maims

Cannot Walk - Injuries to the hip, spine or nerves have left the legs useless, and the character can no longer walk

at all, even with assistance. He must be moved manually, or rolled about in a cart.

Mild Arm Maims

Weak Grip - Wrist or muscle injuries cause a weak hold on gripped objects. Any strike with a Mighty or Large

weapon against your weapon causes it to be Disarmed automatically.

Imperfect Range - Due to a shoulder injury, you cannot lift your arm above your eyeline, making almost any

attempt to climb vertically impossible, and you cannot engage opponents who are on higher ground than you.

Severe Arm Maims

Missing fingers - Important fingers like the thumb, forefinger or both are missing from one hand, and it makes

fine manipulation with that hand exceptionally clumsy. You are unable to use a traditional bow or fire a pistol with

that hand, and opening a lock with Mechanics takes 5 minutes instead of immediate.

Crippling Arm Maims

Missing Hand - Your hand has been removed totally at the wrist or lower, or the hand has otherwise been

rendered totally useless by injury. Any use that rely on the dexterity of your bad hand automatically fails, and you

are unable to use weapons with the Large flaw. If this is your dominant hand, you lose any skills Staff feels

appropriate, but can regain levels of them at a rate of 1 Rank per game session as you learn to use your remaining

hand.

Mild Head Maims

Headaches - You are wracked by painful headaches that get worse as you strain yourself. Resting takes a minimum

of 10 minutes as it takes a while for your headaches to subside.

Hearing Loss - Injuries to your inner ear have reduced your ability to pick up certain pitches. Perception abilities

that make you Alert based on sound do not work.

Loose screws - All that pounding has broken something. You gain a permanent Mild Insanity.*

Severe Head Maims

Scarred - Injuries to your face have ruined any hope of handsomeness or traditional beauty, and try as they might,

it is difficult for people to see past your face. You must spend two uses to attempt Seduction, Persuasion, and

Sincerity.

Vision Loss - Your eyes are blurry, you have some double vision, or perhaps it just hurts to look at light, but tasks

that require keen use of the eyes have become very difficulty for you. You cannot become Alert by any Perception

skill use that relies on sight, and you cannot fire ranged weapons at any target farther away than 10 feet.

One Eye - One of your eyes has been completely ruined or lost and you no longer have any vision with it. You must

wear an eye patch or other covering as part of your costume.*

Migraines - After exerting yourself you are wracked with blinding pain for a good while after. Resting takes at least

an hour, and bright light or loud noises reset the time.

Detachment - Damage to the brain has caused you to become unhinged. Gain a Severe Insanity.*

Siezures - Whenever you suffer Fear, you automatically fall to the ground and are suffer Blackout as you struggle

with fits.

Crippling Head Maims

Blinded - You have completely lost your vision. You should wear a blindfold or other sight impairing device, but

for safety reasons you may take it off to navigate difficult environments, and may use a material that can be

partially seen through.

*These are not available as part of the Old Wounds flaw during Creation. See Sick in the Head and One Eyed Jack

instead.

CONDITIONS AND CALLS

While there are many abilities and techniques that can add combat capabilities to a character, there are a limited number

of effects that can be applied to your character so that it is easier to remember what does what.

The following are calls that may occur during a combat, and should be memorized to make combat go smoothly.

CALLS:

BLEEDEffect: Target begins bleeding profusely from the struck location.

Resolution: At the end of 1 minute, the target will be Downed. The target (or another character) may place a hand over

the injury, which suspends the time as long as the hand remains there. Bleeding stops on Rest.

DEFENSE (Specific)Effect: Defense calls come from various sources, such as Parry, Dodge, Armor, Toughness, Discipline, and others, but

all essentially function the same way when the conditions allow them to be effective. The otherwise successful attempt to

injure, influence or otherwise affect the character is foiled.

Resolution: Immediate

HEAL (LOCATION)Effect: Through some miraculous means, the character immediately recovers from some or all of their injuries. "Heal

Leg" would mean an Injured leg regained full use. "Heal all" means that any injuries suffered are all removed and the

subject regains perfect health.

Resolution: Indefinite.

KNOCKBACKEffect: The target is forced backward.

Resolution: Take one step back.

KNOCKDOWNEffect: Can take no actions, cannot move.

Resolution: Touch both knees and both hands (or weapon hilts) to the ground.

PAINEffect: The affected limb suffers a traumatic hit and goes limp from pain or numbness, effectively treating it as if it had

been Injured.

Resolution: After 10 seconds, Pain subsides.

POWER (X)Effect: The effect used is exceptionally more effective than ordinary, and requires greater defense expenditures to

counter. "Power" alone indicates 1 extra defense is needed, while "Power 2" indicates 2 extra are needed, "Power 3"

indicates 3 extra are needed and so on.

Resolution: Target spends additional defenses to successfully stop the attack or receives the effect.

POISONEffect: The target has been poisoned by some means, whether by a coated blade or some other method.

Resolution: Tear the item card for the poison and hand it to the target. Most poisons have a delay before they take

effect.

SLAMEffect: Take 3 steps backward, then Knocked Down.

Resolution: Touch both knees and both hands (or weapon hilts) to the ground after taking 3 steps back.

STUNEffect: Cannot take steps, cannot call Parry or Dodge defenses, cannot effectively attack or physically block.

Resolution: Place hands to the sides of the head and do a 720 degree spin.

SUBDUEEffect: The target was struck with a Subduing weapon, which takes longer to affect the character. This call indicates the

previous hit can be ignored, but the next one will land normally.

Resolution: Upon next successful hit with the weapon.

WINDEDEffect: The target may only walk and may not use any ability that requires them to expend a use, such as Parry or

Escape.

Resolution: The effect ends upon Rest.

CONDITIONS:

The following are conditions which apply some effect to the character. Very occasionally, they may be used as a call

themselves in combat to indicate that the subject is now under that condition.

ALERTEffect: The subject feels uneasy and is expecting danger. She may call Defenses against attacks from Stealth, cannot be

Assassinated, and while they cannot actually see or identify the threat, they may leave the area or react accordingly.

Resolution: End of scene

BAD TERRAINEffect: Characters in Bad Terrain cannot call Parry or Dodge defenses, and also cannot remove both feet from the

ground (but can shuffle). If they do, they fall and suffer whatever consequences, usually Stun for short falls or Downed

for long ones. Off path areas of heavy brush and bramble are always Bad Terrain.

Resolution: Leave Bad Terrain, or have the Footwork ability from Mobility.

BATTEREDEffect: All Skills limited by character's Grit level.

Resolution: Full recovery, usually during the Downtime.

BLACKOUTEffect: Target loses consciousness.

Resolution: Target will awake again after 2 minutes.

DESPAIR (X)Effect: The subject gains Despair, which reduces the effective levels of all Skills by 1.

Resolution: Various rigorous means; see Hope in Despair in this chapter.

DOWNEDEffect: Target is grievously injured and is dying. They may not move, fight, or speak, but can cry out, groan, and moan

if they wish.

Resolution: The character will die after 5 minutes. A conscious character can place their hands upon the wounds with

pressure for 5 minutes to restore the character to Battered.

FATIGUEEffect: Total exhaustion, sickness, or some other ailment means that normal Resting is impossible.

Resolution: 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep or time lying in bed.

FEAREffect: Cannot perform Maneuvers, channel magic, cast spells, use Paladin powers, perform rituals or any similar

abilities.

Resolution: Spend Discipline or combat ends.

HOPE (X)Effect: The subject gains Hope, which can be spent to increase a Skill you already possess by one rank for a single use,

or to refresh a single use of an expended ability without Resting.

Resolution: Upon being spent, or an hour passes.

Combat is more complicated than simple attacks and defenses. In addition to gaining combat skill in a certain weapon, a

character can also begin to spend experience to purchase combat maneuvers. These special attacks add some sort of advantage to

your attack method, but typically have some kind of drawback or take extra time to perform due to their additional complexity.

Maneuvers have a single use per combat, refreshing with all other calls at Rest. Some maneuvers give a passive benefit, adding a

new capability that is always on.

BASIC MANEUVERS

Basic maneuvers are any set of moves that may be trained in with little outside input simply by watching or experiencing first

hand, the rigors of combat. Whether or not the execution remains amateur depends on the skill of the character. These skills

typically don't require a teacher and can be learned and even perfected with practice alone. Each one of these techniques costs 1

skill point.

Assist(Passive)

By placing your hand on an adjacent ally and expending Steady, your ally gains the benefit in your place.

Await(Passive)

Point at your opponent and take no other offensive action, or defensive call, or move, for at least five seconds; your next

melee attack gains the perk of your choice for one attack. You may pivot, but if you move from your spot you lose effect.

You may only Await one opponent.

BackhandAfter declaring a "Parry" you can mime a backhand and call "Stun"

Body Check(Passive)

A D V A N C E D C O M B A TA D V A N C E D C O M B A T

You can interpose your body to check, shove, and shoulder your opponents. You may use Parry defensive calls while

unarmed.

Brutal InterceptCharge and add Mighty to your attack once. The attack must happen at a full run. Not compatible with Lightning Dash.

ChuckAgainst a Stunned opponent, you may throw a weapon with the "Thrown" perk to apply Knockdown to that opponent.

Dirty FightingMime grabbing dirt off the ground, after which you may throw an "Earth" spell packet at your opponent. If it hits, the

opponent is Stunned.

DisarmStrike the opponents weapon and call "Disarm." Your opponent must drop weapon immediately. This may not be used

against shields or a weapon wielded in two hands.

Face Smash(Passive)

The other guy's face and a handy rock make a grisly pair. With a little time, you can line up for a final strike, no matter

what you wield. You may use a Subduing weapon or simply the heel of your boot to perform a Death-strike. A full helm

protects against this.

Falcon Strike(Passive)

Like a bird of prey, your reflexes allow you to snatch things out of mid air. You may physically parry projectiles with

drawn weapon, or use the Parry call against them.

Freedom Fighter(Passive)

You are excellent at squirming out of a dogpile. When being grappled by multiple opponents, each opponent must cancel

your attempts to escape to prevent you from escaping each time you attempt it.

Gentle Thunder(Passive)

By taking double the time during your reload, you may remove the Stun from your next firearms attack as you carefully

measure out only the minimum amount of black powder to make your shot.

Great DivideWhen wielding a Medium or Heavy Weapon in two hands, and raising your weapon above your head for five seconds,

like in a deathstrike, you may add Quick and Driving to your attack.

Head ButtWhen in a grapple, by miming a head butt and grunting you may Knockback the opponent and break the grapple

immediately. A full helm protects against this effect.

HinderYou know how to strike for pain, even if injury is prevented. When striking a limb, if "Parry" or "Armor" is used as a

defense, you may deliver Pain, temporarily disabling the struck limb.

Hip KickYou know how to capitalize on a staggering opponent. Mime a kick, and Knockdown a Stunned opponent

Hold the Line(Passive)

If you do not take any steps from your spot for 10 seconds you gain a free use of "Parry". Continuing to stay in the

position refreshes that Parry to a maximum of 1 free "Parry".

InstepGain one free Dodge while performing a sudden advance on a weapon that is longer than yours. Cannot be used when

Dodge is restricted.

InterceptorYou can switch the grip on your weapon to maximize it's defensive capabilities. Reverse the grip on your weapon, such

that the blade is pointed down, and gain 1 free call of "Parry".

Jabs(Passive)

You can make quick, hard jabs and make them count. Your Brawl abilities gain the Quick Perk.

Joint LockYou can trap your opponents arm against their own nerve and put them in a precarious position. If you meet all the

requirements to do so you may immediately call "Grab" after you call a Parry while unarmed.

Kip Up(Passive)

Your flexibility and balance allows you to recover quickly from knockdowns. This reduces effect of Knockdown to only

needing to apply one knee and one hand to the ground.

LacerateDuring a hit where you cause damage or hit an already Injured limb, you may call "Bleed" and they gain the Bleeding

effect. Toughness may be called to ignore the damage, but the Bleeding effect still occurs.

Lightning DashCharge and add Quick to your attack once. The attack must happen at a full run. Not compatible with Brutal Intercept.

Misericorde(Passive)

When performing a deathstrike with a light weapon you may ignore the five count and simply slit their throat.

ObliqueYou know how to yank your opponent onto your weapon and forcibly expose the weak points in their armor. The first

weapon attack used in a grapple gains Driving.

Pin

You are excellent at keeping people where you put them. Once grapple is established, you may call "Pin" and your

grapple gains Power. Stronger characters 'pinned' must also expend a "Brawl" to escape.

Pommel Punch(Passive)

You know how to tuck and smash your weapons into your foe to great effect as if they were your own hands, and lock

your opponent's weapons to tangle them. You may use your Brawl abilities while holding a weapon in your hands.

Power SwingYou may use a Medium or Heavy Weapon in two hands and take a mighty swing. You may add Mighty and Driving to a

single attack but are thrown off balance and take a Knockdown effect immediately.

Pugilism (Passive)

You have additional training in unarmed combat and can use it more effectively than most. You may use Punch on an

armed Opponents.

Pummel(Passive; requires safe pommel on weapon)

You can change your grip on a weapon to strike your opponent with the flat of the blade or pommel. This allows you to

strike your opponent in a grapple with the pommel of a medium or heavy weapon. The weapon gains the Subduing Flaw.

Second Skin(Requires Dodge Skill of 1 or higher)

Taking extra time to check and fit every buckle and joint, you can get your armor to fit you perfectly and know how to

move with its weight. You may use a single Dodge while wearing medium or heavy armor.

Shield EdgeImmediately after taking a hit to the shield you can call one free "Shield Bash" as per Shields ability.

Shield PinIf an opponent blocks your melee attack with a shield, you may call "Grab" and initiate a grapple. The weapon used in

the initial attack may not be used in the grapple and may not be dropped.

Strongarm(Passive)

Your attacks have considerable force, and you know how to land them for maximum effect. Your Brawl abilities gain the

Mighty Perk.

Subdue(Passive)

You can use your weapon somewhat other than its intended way to stun rather than injure. You may add Subduing to

your weapon at any time. If available and safe, the blow should comes from the flat of the blade along with a call of

"Subduing".

SunderStrike your opponent's weapon with a Sundering weapon and call "Sunder." The weapon is destroyed and may not be

used until repaired. It requires a Steel weapon to sunder other Steel weapons.

Swashbuckler(Passive)

If you maintain constant movement at high speed, remaining still for never more than 1 second, you gain a free "Dodge"

to a maximum of 1 that refreshes every five seconds

Sword Cross(Passive)

If your weapon and the opponent's weapon lock together in combat, you may use the "Beat" ability as per Medium

Weapons skill to press your opponent for that Clash.

Throw Off(Passive)

You are an expert in slipping free from others, able to leverage your body better than most. When attempting to escape

grapples your Strength counts as one higher.

Tumble(Passive)

Allows player to take a tumble (where at least a shoulder and back hit the ground once) instead of the normal

prerequisites for a Knockdown.

Weapon Coordination(Passive)

You can manage the control and dynamics of two weapons at once, allowing you to wield one in each hand. You must be

capable of using Basic Maneuvers for both weapons.

ChokeYou can wring the life out of someone who is in your power. If you are able to hold a grapple uncontested for 15 seconds,

you can call "Black Out" on your opponent, causing them to lose consciousness for 2 minutes.

ADVANCED MANEUVERS

We stared at each other through the rain for what must have been ages, Horace and I. Our minds examining thepossibilities of openings and counter openings. We stood there planning the final moves in a game of chess that had yetto begin. Horace tilted his sword a little. A nervous twitch? An opening? His mind is elsewhere. Thank you, Horace. Ido believe it is my turn. Check.

Mankind, with its infinite capacity to creatively destroy, constantly produces new means by which to kill one another. There are

no shortage of weapons in this world or ways to wield them. Across the Throne, weapon schools have cropped up. Methods that

have been time tested in the crucible of war.

Throughout the world there exist elite schools of martial training that have honed and perfected a particular style of combat.

These schools are rarely free to attend and admission is usually only available to a privileged few. Within these schools, however,

combat styles are taught that allow more powerful maneuvers. These schools have a variety of incarnations, from the tuition

based fencing schools of Hestralia to the elite blademasters of the Elven royal guard. Each of these styles contains several

individual maneuvers and usually requires a specific condition with which to perform them with. To use a style, you must meet

the requirements listed while using it, such as the weapon it is performed with. Once instruction is gained, each maneuver costs 5

skill points to learn. These maneuvers always require some kind of instruction from another who already knows the art, and they

may be learned in any order within a given school.

There are three types of Advanced Maneuver groups: Weapon styles, Movement styles, and Conditioning Styles. A warrior may

use one of each group at a time.

The abilities granted to the warriors who train in these arts are kept secret. To learn about their exact rules, you may

need the appropriate Lores. The arts listed below are examples - there are certainly more than these in the world that are less

well known.

WEAPON STYLES

BEAR'S AXE

Uses: Medium and Heavy AxesKept by: Njordic ThanesHarsh places produce harsh men, and the environs of Njordor are the harshest. The northmen expertly hew what trees there are

into warm cabins and sturdy longships, but there are worse things that must be solved by an axe in the North. The bears, the orc,

and sometimes even the svartalf are dangers that can kill you faster than the winter cold. The brave men of the North fear no

battle, however, and will fell a foe like felling timber. In the North, thanes serve a similar role to the vested knights that serve

noble houses. These brave champions of the ice-hardened Jarls of the north are trained in the ferocious arts of the northmen, and

use it to protect the lands of the lords and destroy their enemies.

JORDERMUND'S FIST

Uses: Maul or Great MaceKept by: Njordic SkaldsThere is a song in Njordor, an epic tale of courage and battle called Jordermund's Fist. In the tale, a legendary band of heroes

must do battle against a black dragon called from the frozen north, who's eyes could freeze a man's blood and choke him to death

with fear. Jordermund, the prince of the North, and his old mentor Bjorgir track the monster to an icy fortress in the Frozen

Wastes, Jotunkoenig, home of the giant king. When they reach the inside, the giant king demands that they pay for trespassing

in his hall, and Bjorgir gives himself as a prisoner. On the highest tower of the fortress, Jordermund and Skaedve, his one time

enemy, now trusted friend, face the dragon. The beast carries them high into the sky, but Skaedve places the mask of rage on his

face and drives his Frozen Slayer into the beast's skull. The black dragon lands nearby, dead, but the Betrayer, He WhoLost His

Name, kills Skaedve. Jordermund takes up Skaedve's mask of rage, destroys the Betrayer with his mighty maul before dying

himself of his wounds. Jordermund raised up to become a storm god, to fight forever in the afterlife.

Skalds, traveling warrior-singers of the northmen, consider this story a favorite among the people of Njordr. They learn its secret

ways and demonstrate it for those they tell of tale, and though it is used ceremonially in this respect, the art is as deadly as the

warrior for who it is named.

LUCCIAVELLI FENCING SCHOOL

Uses: RapierKept by: Lucciavelli FencersFar away from the turbulent borders of the Empire, the well-protected region of Hestralia prospers in trade and art. Hestralians

wishing not to dull their martial prowess on such leisure will often seek admission into a fencing academy to hone their skills to a

razor edge. The Lucciavelli Fencing School produces the quickest, the sharpest, and the most aggressive swordsmen in Hestralia.

These men seem to develop a healthy amount of bravado and showmanship along with their blade arm, their fighting style as

flamboyant as the Hestralians themselves. The Lucciavelli school, founded by Anton Lucciavelli in Lion Age 430, charges high

fees for its tuition - upwards of 5 gold for the time it takes to learn a single technique, and although the school is only found in

Hestralia, graduate swordsmen sometimes travel to other lands to find students to recoup the costs of their own training.

STRATIVINCI FENCING SCHOOL

Uses: Rapier and Dagger or Main GaucheKept by: Stativinci FencersThe Strativinci Fencing School produces the most precise, calculating and patient fighters in Hestralia. When training, Strativinci

fighters stand on a chalked diagram of angles, perpendicular lines, and measurements that demonstrate every possible maneuver

and attack that an opponent could attempt called the Face. The Strativinci, holding a rapier in one hand and a dagger in the

other, make attacks against them impossible with a series of movements that correspond to points on a clock. These cool and

calculating fighters seem to have no fear of the danger of battle, confident that they can wait out their foe and strike at the perfect

opportunity. Like the their rival school, the Lucciavelli, the Strativinci Fencing School costs at least 5 gold per term of tuition,

enough time to learn a single maneuver. Its students spread the technique to other, less calibrated swordsmen, to cover the costs

of their training.

DUNLAND BOXING

Uses: UnarmedKept by: Dunnick FarmersThe Duns have less call for weapons than other folks might. Being on islands with controlled resources, an occupying military

force, and holding a reputation with their nearest neighbors in Rogalia as maniacs and wildmen, invaders are few and far

between. The Dunnick stick close with one another and form friendships and bonds strong enough to withstand a few punches

and kicks, but likely not a sword thrust. Furthermore, the Duns are forbidden by Rogalian law to carry weapons of any kind. For

this reason, the Dunnick rarely carry weapons, but fight all the same with their fists and knees. When things get ugly, the

Dunnick don't hesitate to dive in, elbow and knee. To a certain point, friendly violence is part of the Dunnick culture. People

don't usually get lastingly injured in these types of brawls, and a Dun who beats a person more badly than they meant to will

often take the time to offer his defeated foe some pointers or technique over the next round of beers.

ANCESTRAL MOORSWORD

Uses: MoorswordKept by: Highland WarriorsThe moorsword is the traditional warrior's weapon of Dunland. Very few are created today, as there is a ban on Duns carrying

weapons of any kind, and fewer still know the secret techniques to forge them. The moorswords that one sees are usually

ancestral weapons, handed down from father to son for generations. The moorsword is a long, thin-bladed, greatsword with

large, angled quillions. The highland clans that holdout in the hills and bluffs of Dunland, living fugitive in defiance of the

Rogalian occupation, train with them tirelessly, preparing for the time when they will throw their Rogalian oppressors from their

islands and reclaim their home. The moorsword has become a symbol of a free Dunland. The highland warriors use them as a

matter of coarse, and are willing to teach their arts to those who they believe worthy of the ideals that they fight for.

BRIGAND KNIFE FIGHTING

Uses: Two Light BladesKept by: Capacionne Bandit LordsThe smallfolk of Capacionne have long feared to tread the king's roads, day or night, for fear of brigand assault. There is good

reason behind these fears. Highwaymen, dangerous rogues with more scars than scruples take what they please, disenfranchised

from the taxes the King has levied on them to defend the eastern borders against the enemies of the Throne. When a man lives

outside the law, he must learn to be remorseless, letting no opportunity slip past. The same holds true in combat, and the

brigands know every trick in the book. Bandit lords only take the toughest and meanest of would-be robbers for their gangs.

Developing a fighting style such as this among such esteemed company is a matter of coarse - the brigands fight with a

ruthlessness even grim and salty soldiers and mercenaries would balk at.

SHADOW FANGS

Uses: Two DaggersKept by: Spider Cult AssassinsIn Gotha, there is little the Emperor does not see. Laws are tight, doors locked tighter, but murders happen even still. There are

politics, and commerce, and crowded cities with hot emotions. In a place such as this, people who wish murder but have no

means find a spider. The Spider Cultists are experts at infiltration and assassination. They can bypass locks, traps, walls, guards,

and reason. The Spiders are feared in Gotha, and in the Throne at large for their ability to move as they wish, but it is the

Shadow Fangs that makes them deadly. A secret art, passed down to those Spiders who become the elite assassins, allows a

Spider to silently kill even the most well defended knights, the swiftest cowards, and vanish again unwitnessed. Rumors abound

about the cult's motives or ambitions. Some say they worship the blood-spilling ways of Kuarl, others the secret death worship of

Lazarolth or that they serve secret masters even more elusive. Whatever the truth, it is known that they perform certain rituals in

the secret chambers they haunt when not out for a kill, the nature of which, and the secrets of these assassins, only members of

the cult know for sure.

FERRUM EX TEMPLARI

Uses: Greatsword

Kept by: The Vigilant Order of TemplarsThe Templar Order has an ancient history, dating back even before the Throne and the Lion Age, it is the oldest human

organization that exists today. Throughout their long history, their traditions have remained powerful and iron-clad to this day:

Destroy the heretic. Direct or subtle, overt or covert, the Templar order is the renouncing word of humanity against the

Anathema. It is their stern defiance, their absolute commitment to find, declare and destroy every last heretic in the Throne so

that their ways and their lore will die forever, that gives them their dauntless power in battle. To become a Templar, each

member of their Order must show these traits, in turn, the Order shares its traits with them - a communion of steel.

ROGALIAN SORTIE

Uses: Tower or Heater Shield and a Medium WeaponKept by: Rogalian Field MarshalsIf the Rogalians do one thing well, it is war. Rogalian battle tactics have been a part of all major battles since the formation of the

Throne at the start of the Lion Age. Because of the high concentration of wealth and nobility in Rogalia, almost all those in

important positions on the field are armored knights and lords who can afford the protection of steel plate and a large shield.

Rogalian battle tactics involve standing shoulder to shoulder forming a shield wall while the line of heavy footmen advance,

placing their large shields between their foe and themselves, and making precise attacks from behind a strong guard. They use

their natural advantage to muscle their foes to the ground, slamming into them with their shields, executing them, and

continuing the advance. For this tactic to work properly, all soldiers who function in a vanguard are drilled in these maneuvers,

ready to lock together to form an unbreakable wall of steel and grit.

LAZARINE DEATHSCYTHE

Uses: Engraved scythe, Faith in LazarolthKept by: The Abyssal OrderNo one wants to think that the Anathema are organized; that they are anything more than heretic cells of unstable or misguided

lunatics that crop up on the fringes of humanity where the Church's vigil is weakest. No one wants to fearfully believe that an

army of heretics, highly trained and organized, could be marshaling within the borders of the Throne, able to march upon the

walls of any city at any time. Such fears, however, are not without basis. Disturbing accounts have cropped up with increasing

regularity of groups of armed and seasoned Lazarines, whipping around ghastly weapons of bone and steel, chanting the name of

their black god with a droning regularity as they carve through whatever cadre of city watchmen or militia were unfortunate

enough to discover their movements. It is said that their weapons emit a haunting wail with each swing through the air, and that

those who are struck by their blades and live are never the same. It seems as though single agents of the black god travel to new

cells of Lazarines hiding within the Throne to train them in their secrets, so they, in turn, may train others, this dark art

spreading like a cancer through the Throne that will one day boil over and destroy it from within.

Shariqyn DervishUses: Hooked scarf

Kept by: Aa'boran Magi

MINER TUNNEL FIGHTING

Uses: Pick, Crowbill or MattockKept by: Iceforge DwarvesMining is important to the dwarven communities. A dwarf can always find work in the tunnels, gathering precious ores and gems

hidden by Magnir, expanding the tunnels for later expansion, making life safe for other dwarves. Sometimes, however, a

collapsing ceiling is not as dangerous as what lurks in the deep darkness. Monsters hide in the deepest places of the world, and

goblins dig tunnels too. Even another dwarf who has lost his integrity may try to steal your gems in the darkness of the tunnels.

For this reason, a Dwarf must be wily, and cautious. The pick in your hand is the only thing between you and them; best learn to

use it, and to mind your surroundings.

TWO MOUNTAINS

Uses: Two Light or Medium HammersKept by: Underlord DwarvesThe Dwarves of the more southron mountains have things in some regards easier than their northron brothers. While they can

leave the warmth of the forges and go outside without the cold freezing their blood, the orc favor such land too. The

mountaineers of the southron clans fight on the rocky terraces and unstable crags of the mountain sides, riding down a rockslide,

starting avalanches and hopping from stone to stone with two hammers in hand, leaping and smashing as the rocks themselves

do, the very mountain coming alive to defend the children of Magnir.

DEADLY ROSE

Uses: Twin Sword or Diving SwallowKept by: Sworn Elven House Guard

SWORD BROTHERS

Uses: Any matched weaponsKept by: Elven Aspect Courts

T R A D E A N D P R O D U C T I O N

CURRENCY

The entire Throne is backed by currency of 3 precious metals: gold, silver and copper. Currency is a measure of both material and

social wealth, and a carefully designed system restricts the use of some kinds of currency from some kinds of people. Each rung

of society is given a means of currency which serves to make sure they have what they need, and also to ensure that they do not

have what they do not need. This is a deliberate construction, chiefly championed by the Church, to try to slow down or eliminate

social climbing. Peasants often lack the means or need to spend anything larger than copper anyhow, but these measures are

chiefly aimed at the burgeoning urban Merchant Class whose existence does not fit neatly into the hierarchy that the Holy

Fathers have designed for the Throne - their growing social and political power begins to become a factor in the decisions of the

Nobility, which undermines the idea of an authority derived from training, power, and divine selection. The class system is

important to the Throne's identity and culture, and the Church will do whatever it takes to prevent its erosion.

The price for a given good or service is typically listed in the coinage that the Merchant offering it wants to receive - usually silver,

but perhaps copper based on the type of business and its clientele. The good must be paid for in this currency. While there is a

rough conversion rate between the three metals, it is forbidden by law to change money upward. That is, no one may see a money

changer and offer 10 coppers in exchange for a silver, though they may offer a silver and expect 10 copper shields. If, for example,

a peasant man were to attempt to purchase a sword from an armorer and offer the merchant the amount of silver the man would

ordinarily charge, he would most likely refuse the purchase, assuming that the coinage were stolen or at least come upon by

illegal means. A Merchant who knowingly accepts Crowns or Lions from a Peasant is always in violation of their Guild's bylaws,

which are required to include the local legal practices for commerce, and anyone he does not know is always assumed to be of the

lower class. Merchants and Nobles arrange their transactions by legal contract, so the difference is fairly obvious.

Copper is the most common kind of currency and is used by the most common kinds of people - those of the rural and urban

lower classes, the peasants of the field and the scum of the gutters. Copper is used for everyday transactions such as buying

lunch, replacing missing fasteners, and quickly consumed items like candles, oil, or arrows. Copper coins are referred to as

Shields, as they are stamped with the crest of Imperial House Herkheist. A copper coin is about a day's wage for a serf, and is

enough to purchase a hot meal and a beer, a small bundle of arrows, a tallow candle, or some other basic consumed commodity.

Common quality commodities such as Soft Iron ore, a box of Vegetables, Softwood logs, Scrap Leather, and Hemp for textiles

usually cost on the scale of two to three coppers per measure. 10 copper is about the measure of a single silver.

Silver is a means of goods transfer and is used for more important transactions. Silver is used for larger and less frequent

transfers, such as durable tools, room and board for a party of people at an inn, or skilled labor such as a professional bodyguard,

the services of a contract negotiator, or the construction of military equipment and weaponry. Silver coins are referred to as

Crowns, and have a likeness of the crown worn by the Emperor. Silver pieces are the usual medium from Merchant to Merchant

or Merchant to Noble transactions. If a Knight wishes to arm his peasants to form a militia, he will purchase the weaponry in

bulk from a Merchant for later delivery. If the same swordsmith needs to purchase wooden hilts from a local woodworker, he will

pay for his order in silver, and charge silver to the Knight to fulfill the order. Higher quality goods, those suitable to make

products produced by skilled tradesmen, generally are sold in orders paid for in silver. These include Hard Iron ore for blades or

armor, Hardwood lumber, sides of Meat often prepared for travel to military supply lines, and Wool made for high quality and

durable outfits. 20 silver is about the measure of a single gold.

Gold is the currency of the mighty, and is usually for things that ordinary people would never even think to buy, such as jewelry,

gemstones, mercenary wages, or on some occasions, extremely large orders to Merchants. This last is the subject of much debate,

but as the Throne grows and prospers and travel becomes easier, larger and larger operations begin to take place, and some of

them involve contracting with people across a sea in another country, making gold far more easy to transport long distance

simply on weight alone. Gold coming into the hands of Merchants is supposed to be converted to silver at earliest convenience,

but there are plenty of excuses why doing so might not be convenient. Gold coins are referred to as Lions, and they have the

golden lion that is the shared symbol of the Holy Church and House Herkheist. If commodities are traded in gold, they are only

the most rare of materials such as Dwarven-made ashsteel, Elven starmetal, dragonscales, or other special goods.

Other Forms of Money

1 "Penny" - One copper split in half with a knife, or by teeth. Enough to purchase small goods, like a single drink, or a spool of

twine.

1 "Hay-Penny" - One quarter of a copper, or a 'half-penny'. Used to purchase something small, like a candle.

Bursar's Note - The Church runs a bursary for travelers and wealthy individuals. If an individual surrenders a given amount to

the Church, the church will give them an encrypted note for that value that can be redeemed at any other Church who will

surrender a like amount of goods if they are available.

Guild Note - Individual Artisan Guilds give out paper certificates that can be claimed for a certain amount of goods, regardless of

their actual monetary value. A Guild Note from the guild of Carpenters may entitle the bearer to "One Large Cabinet with

Crowned Edges". Guild notes sometimes also serve as means of transfer themselves, especially in secondary markets that some

Merchants use for speculation, buying things like apple futures. In these cases, a specific amount of coin or goods are

surrendered now, in exchange for a Guild Note stating the specific exchange, and the transaction is finished. A Merchant who

spends 10 silver now for 20 crates of apples next year may turn a tremendous profit when he returns that note during a drought

and can resell those apples for twice that or more.

Barter - Trading goods for goods is still widely accepted in the Throne, even after hundreds of years using coin. Some traders,

especially outside of populous towns, even find coins to be too inconvenient and easily stolen to use in trade, and will often

request that the character trades in more substantial terms.

Jewels - Large sums are often converted to gems for ease of travel and storage. They are often set into a precious metal and worn

as jewelry as a way to display one's wealth while it is frozen in this form.

PRODUCTION

Information on crafting, items, resources and production

Resources:

To produce a good, the character must have the skills necessary to create the item, the materials required for the construction, as

well as professional tools. Once they have gathered them, they may approach the Logistics staff and declare their intention to

create the item. Production takes a base time of 1 hour per item to be created, though some items may take a different amount of

time if noted specifically. During the time that the construction is occurring, the crafting character may roleplay their production

of them items, or they may spend time volunteering as an NPC. Goods may also be produced between games, and you may

convert as much material into goods in that time as you choose to.

Once a good is created, it gains representation in game. All created items require a prop to represent them, whether it is a

combat-ready sword or piece of armor, or a set of feastware, a lantern, or some other utility item. Objects also gain a unique item

number which is recorded by Staff, and contains any other data that may be relevant to the item, such as a weapon's Perks and

Flaws.

Below is the tables for crafting items and what benefits they provide. This table is broken into two distinct categories, Component

Items and finished Goods.

Component Items are items that are used in the construction of Goods and will require a very specific skill to create. With the

exception of Ink all are made with either Leatherworking, Metalworking, Tailoring, or Woodworking. For these Professions the

crafter will need to have the requisite skill level to work the type of material listed. For working common goods such as Soft Iron

or Hemp you will need the skill at at least 2, and for making components that require at least one uncommon good, you will need

to have that Profession at at least 3. For Ink, you simply need to have at least one rank of Apothecary. For example, if you were a

Metalworker and wished to make a Bracing you would need to have Metalworking at three or higher since it requires working a

Hard Iron.

Goods are items that are a combination of various Component Items and have some kind of mechanical benefit. To craft these

items you will need at least one rank in the appropriate Profession. Some of these items have more than one Profession and for

those any one of those Professions is good enough to put together the Components into the Good.

Of special note is that this list does not have the cost of items listed on it. This is intentional as those with Mercantile are the only

ones who truly know the market value of items in play. People can roughly guess the cost of certain items since the cost of the

Resources used at the base of all these is a relative constant in the world with little fluctuation in the economy. This, however,

Resource Common Uncommon

Metal Soft Iron Hard Iron

Wood Soft Wood Hard wood

Leather Scrap Leather Heavy Leather

Food Vegetables Meat

Textiles Hemp Wool

does not account for production costs and profits that the merchants and crafters append to the costs to make a profit. Market

value will shift constantly due to supply and demand of the given region.

Common Commodities cost, on average, 3 Copper

Uncommon Commodities cost, on average, 2 Silver

COMPONENT ITEMSItem Material 1 Material 2 Material 3 Material 4 Material 5 Material 6 Profession Special Notes

Strap Scrap Leather Leatherworking

Harness Heavy Leather Leatherworking

Book Binding Heavy Leather Leatherworking

Shortblade Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Wedge Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Ball Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Longblade Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Plate Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Guard Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Greatblade Hard Iron Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Bracing Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Gearbox Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Weight Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Gun Barrel Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Hardware Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Links Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Padding Wool Tailoring

Rope Hemp Hemp Tailoring Can be used to bind people, requiring a Feat of Strength to break.

Sheaf of Paper Hemp Tailoring Requires Uncommon Lore: Papermilling

Bowstring Wool Tailoring

Pouch Scrap Leather Wool Tailoring

Lining Wool Hemp Tailoring

Linen Hemp Hemp Tailoring

Garment Wool Wool Tailoring

Charcoal Soft Wood Woodworking

Hilt Soft Wood Woodworking

Handle Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Plank Soft Wood Woodworking

Haft Hard Wood Soft Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Grip Soft Wood Woodworking

Stock Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Box Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Glass Trade Item Rare Commodity

Spices Trade Item Very Rare Commodity

TRADE GOODSItem Material 1 Material 2 Material 3 Material 4 Material 5 Material 6 Profession Special Notes

Riding Horse Trade Item Allows Additional Travel Distance

Gunpowder Trade Item Required for using Firearms. Price includes shot.

Draft Horse Trade Item 1 Additional Food or Textile when Farming

Beer Vegetables Apothecary Requires 1 Downtime. Intoxicant.

Wine Vegetables Apothecary Requires 2 Downtimes. Strong Intoxicant.

Spirits Vegetables Apothecary Requires 1 Downtime and a Still. Strong Intoxicant.

Professional Tools Any 10 Uncommon Resources Desired Profession Half must be from the desired Profession

Feast Meat Meat Meat Vegetables Vegetables Spices Etiquette 2 Staves off Sickness, all participants gain 1 exp, must feed real food to everyone to benefit, max 15 participants

Light Shield Strap Harness* Plank Leatherworking

Basic Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 1 -2

Intermediate Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 3-4

Advanced Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 5

Common Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Common Lore

Uncommon Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Uncoomon Lore

Rare Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rare Lore

Boots Strap Harness* Leatherworking Armor call on foot, usable against Caltrop

Climbing Gear Rope Rope Harness* Bracing* Leatherworking or Metalworking Allows Climb of 30 ft instead of 10

Light Armor Piece Strap Harness* Padding* Leatherworking or Tailoring

Crossbow Grip Stock* Bowstring* Gearbox* Mechanics

Rifle Stock* Gun Barrel* Gearbox* Gun Barrel* Mechanics Rare Lore: Gunsmithing

Pistol Grip Gun Barrel* Gearbox* Mechanics Rare Lore: Gunsmithing

Lock Gearbox Hardware Mechanics See Mechanics

Still Hardware Hardware Barell Mechanics Requires the codes "STIL"

Shortblade Hilt Strap Short Blade* Metalworking

Hatchet Hilt Strap Wedge* Metalworking

Swords Hilt Strap Long Blade* Metalworking

Medium Shield Strap Plank Plate* Metalworking

Greatsword Hilt Strap Guard* Greatblade* Metalworking

Heavy Shields Strap Plank Plate* Plate* Metalworking

Medium Armor Piece Strap Bracing* Light Armor Piece Metalworking

Heavy Armor Piece Strap Strap Plate* Medium Armor Piece Metalworking

Lantern Bracing* Metalworking People may not enter or re-enter Stealth within Lantern light; allows use of light source at night

Merchant Scales Weight* Bracing* Metalworking Grants 1 free use of Haggle per Scene

Caltrops Ball Hardware Metalworking Creates Bad Terrain slowing pursuers

Chain Links* Links* Links* Metalworking Rope that requires Mighty Strength or Sundering attack to break

Crowbar Strap Wedge Metalworking Feat of strength for opening things

Manacles Links* Bracing* Lock* Metalworking Like chain in durability and can constrain someone

Signet Ring Precious Metal Metalworking People cannot create forgery works from "you" without the Signet Ring

Spyglass Soft Iron* Glass Glass Charcoal Metalworking Use of binoculars or spyglass

Holy Symbol (iron) Soft Iron* Strap Charcoal Metalworking

Holy Symbol (silver) Precious Metal* Strap Charcoal Metalworking

Feastware Precious metal Charcoal Metalworking Eating a feast with Feastware allows people to join Leadership group for free

Chest Hardware Box* Bracing* Metalworking or Woodworking Used to store valuables, combined with a Lock will require Feat of Strength to open or Lock to be picked

Small pack Strap Pouch* Tailoring Lets you have item cards instead of phys reps up to 3 small hand sized items

Large pack Strap Harness* Pouch* Tailoring Lets you have item cards instead of phys reps up to 5 items of reasonable size

Noble Outfit Garment* Lining Lining Linen Ink Ink Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Peasant Outfit Linen Linen Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Merchant Outfit Linen Linen Lining Lining Ink Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Gutter Outfit Linen Hemp Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Magician Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Priest Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Knight Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Dark Cloak Padding Strap Ink Tailoring Allows you to take Stealth steps while standing instead of crouching

Deck of Cards Sheaf of Paper Ink Tailoring Allows you to use a deck of cards for gambling games

Blackjack Handle* Ball Woodworking

Barrel Plank Plank Plank Plank Woodworking Keeps your food from spoilage, else being eaten by rats over the Downtime; Can hold 5 Units of a Food

Traveler's Wagon Plank Plank Plank Hardware Haft* Haft* Woodworking Bring items from afar & requires a Draft Horse to pull

Writing Kit Ink Ink Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Box* Woodworking Don't need to buy more Ink or Paper for writing letters and missives

Dice Plank Woodworking Allows you to use dice for gambling games

Bow Haft* Strap Bowstring Woodworking

Musical Instrument Bowstring Strap Handle* Hardware Woodworking Assists Performance as if it were an additional musician of equal skill.

Axes Handle* Wedge* Woodworking or Metalworking

Hammers Handle* Weight* Woodworking or Metalworking

Light Spear Haft* Short Blade* Woodworking or Metalworking

Polearms Haft* Longblade* Wedge* Woodworking or Metalworking

Great Axe Haft* Wedge* Wedge* Harness* Woodworking, Metalworking, or Leatherworking

Maul Haft* Harness* Weight* Weight* Woodworking, Metalworking, or Leatherworking

Jewelry Precious Metal Precious Metal* Jewel Metalworking

PRODUCTION, ASSEMBLY, REPAIR AND SALVAGE

ProductionWith appropriate materials in hand, a craftsman can attempt to create a desired Good by first making the basic components.

Creating components requires 30 minutes of in game time for each Common commodity, and 1 hour of in game time for each

Uncommon commodity. Of note, any use of the Metalworking skill requires that Charcoal be consumed in the process to feed the

forge. Charcoal does not count toward the construction time.

For example, a craftsman who wished to forge a sword would undergo the following process:

A sword requires a hilt, a strap and a longblade. A hilt requires one Softwood resource, and thus Woodworking Rank 2. With 30

minutes of effort, a Woodworker carves the softwood into a hilt.

The strap requires scrap leather, and thus Leatherworking Rank 2. With 30 minutes of effort, a Leatherworker produces the strap

that will form the grip of the sword.

The longblade requires two hard iron to produce, and this requires Metalworking Rank 3. After using the charcoal to prepare the

forge, a Metalworker spends two hours of effort and creates a longblade.

This kind of production can be done between games within reason. Especially large orders may require a Downtime action to be

spent.

AssemblyWith all of the items in hand, the item is ready for Assembly. Assembly requires one hour of effort and at least Rank 1 in the skill

relating to any of the Primary components (those marked with an asterisk). This labor is time consuming but not difficult, and is

often given to a craftsman's apprentice while the master spends his time on work that requires more skill. With Assembly

complete, the finished Good is ready and is recorded by Staff and given an ID number, ready to enter play.

RepairItems, especially weapons and armor, may sometimes come under hard wear and require repair. If a single armor location loses

all of its Armor Defense calls in a single engagement, it is considered damaged and will not refresh with Rest. A weapon struck

with a Sunder attack is considered broken as well. Occasionally goods and other equipment will become damaged due to

circumstances or perhaps spells and require Repair at Rules Marshal discretion.

In any case where an item is damaged, it is not functional for any significant purpose until Repaired. Repair requires at

least 1 Rank in the Craft Skill appropriate the item's Primary Component (*), 30 minutes of time and one Common

commodity of the appropriate type. Once Repair is completed, the item returns to a functional state.

Repairs that use Metalworking require Charcoal to be spent.

SalvageIn some situations, an item is more useful as its constituent parts than in its current form. Often this is the case for gear stolen

from the fallen. Salvage is possible, which returns the item to its basic resource pieces. The Salvage process takes 30 minutes per

Component item and returns to the salvager the commodities used in the item's creation. Crude items cannot be salvaged - it falls

to useless pieces during the salvage process.

It should be remembered that entire suits of armor are actually 5 pieces, taking 5 Salvage actions, and that Medium and Heavy

Armors themselves include lesser grades of armor in their construction. In these cases, the Medium or Light Armor is separated

from the other pieces and returns to being its own item, which then can itself be Salvaged separately.

Salvage that uses Metalworking requires Charcoal to be spent.

APPRENTICEWORK

Occasionally it may become necessary to produce work that is below normal standards. If there is poor access to Hard Iron, for

instance, a sword that requires high quality metal may be impossible to make, at least at the standard of quality people would

ordinarily expect. With at least Rank 2 in a given craft skill, items that ordinarily require higher quality materials can be made

instead with lower quality ones, but they automatically gain the Crude Flaw, causing them to break after each use and are in need

of constant Repair. If the craftsman is of Rank 3 or higher, this work is identical in appearance to normal pieces until tested.

CUSTOMIZED AND MASTERWORK EQUIPMENT

Characters naturally want the best tools and equipment to do their jobs with, and those artisans that are skilled enough can make

items that are superior to standard quality goods. Equipment is differentiated by assigning Perks and Flaws to equipment which

describe its non-standard qualities. Some kinds of items, such as arms and armor, have specific lists of Perks and Flaws that they

utilize, while others, such as tools like lanterns or climbing gear have more open ended perks that are defined by the crafter

themselves and approved by staff.

Customized EquipmentPerks add a specific positive quality to the item, and are achieved by either adding a Flaw with the Customization ability or

having them item be of Masterwork quality. Only one Flaw may be added in this way.

Making a Customized item requires no additional resources or expenditure but people wishing to purchase these items can see a

significant markup of cost, as artisans of this capability are rare. The craftsman assembling the Good and creating the Primary

Component (*) must have the appropriate craft at 4 or higher to create the item. Individuals can expect to pay at least a 50%

markup for Customized equipment.

Masterwork EquipmentMaking a Masterwork item requires significantly more to create. First, every common good must be replaced by its uncommon

counterpart during the creation of the Component Items, so every Soft Wood must be upgraded to Hard Wood, etc. In addition

to this, all Primary Components (*) in the Goods table for the item must be crafted by someone with the appropriate Skill at 5,

which may include more than one piece of the finished process. For example, to make a Masterwork Hammer one would need a

Master Woodworker to fashion the Haft and a Master Metalworker to fashion the Weight. While normally the final assembly can

be handled by anyone with basic skill in the appropriate crafts, in this case the final materials must be assembled by someone of

the appropriate Profession at level 5, and this step requires a Downtime Action to perform.

These items are so rare, due both to the fact that the resource expenditure is immense and also due to that fact that Masters are

exceptionally rare, that they are incredibly expensive. Expect to pay at the very least double for a Masterwork Item, and they are

not ordinarily available to be purchased from guild merchants.

ARMOR PERKS AND FLAWS

WEAPON PERKS AND FLAW SUMMARY

See Death and Destruction for more information

Perks

Quick - Signal: Blue tagCannot be dodged

Mighty - Signal: Red TagCannot be Parried

Driving - Signal: Purple TagIgnores Armor

Sundering - Signal: Green TagDestroys shields

Thrown - Signal: White TagMay be thrown effectively

Flaws

Crude - Signal: Brown TagBreaks after use

LightweightMade from special materials and construction methods, this armor is lighter than normal but just as strong.

Armor made from sub-standard materials like PVC, Poly-urethane, jacket leather, and so on can be treated as if they are

functional armor rather than costume or one grade poorer.

StrongThe armor is especially powerful with extra reinforcement in key areas and an emphasis on durability.

Armor gains one additional Armor call over its normal value on each vital location.

---

RigidThe armor is especially rigid, heavy or difficult to tote about.

Regardless of Armor skill, characters wearing this armor may not run and are restricted to a walking pace.

BrittleThe armor tends to rip apart quickly in a terrible chain reaction once it starts taking damage. Instead of each vital area getting an

Armor call in defense, the entire armor set gets the amount of armor calls prescribed by its class, so Light Armor would have a

total of 1 Armor call regardless of where it was struck, Medium Armor would have 2, and Heavy Armor would also have just 2,

though retains its damage absorption ability.

OUTFITS

Outfits are groups of clothing that have been created by a professional tailor with a design emphasis in mind. Different

from everyday clothes, tailored outfits are carefully made to produce a specific effect and give off a certain impression.

All outfits are designed in the style of a certain culture and social class. The cultural and class-related identity of the

clothes imparts certain kinds of abilities on its wearer. When wearing an Outfit that corresponds to a given culture and

class, others see you as representative of that group, and assign you certain expectations, positive and negative.

Members of your own culture or class feel a kinship with you and are more ready to take your word seriously. When

speaking to someone that is of the culture or class that your Outfit represents, you may use a class corresponding skill

with that person as if it were extra uses of the Persuade skill.

Subduing - Signal: Yellow TagNon-lethal weapon

Unbalanced - Signal: Two red tags on the hiltCannot use Parry

Cumbersome - Signal: Two blue tags on the hiltCannot use Dodge

Large - Signal: All Heavy WeaponsNeeds two hands

Merchant: Mercantile

Gutter: Streetwise

Peasant: Survival

Noble: Etiquette

Magician: Academics

Priest: Liturgy

Knight: Leadership

KEY ELEMENTS

In order to count as the appropriate Outfit, style of clothing must contain certain key elements which identify it as the iconic

cultural dress of the specific Culture and Class that is being represented.

Gothic: Only black, white or grey colors may be used (except the accent colors for nobles). A hood or other head covering must

be worn.

Njord: Fur lining and fur trim are used prominently. Beads and charms of bone or stone must be used as adornment.

Dunnick: The colors of green and brown are prominent. A plaid tartan representing familial affiliation is present.

Rogalian: A coat with high collars that cover the neck, often the use of chokers for women. The device of the noble house to

whom you owe fealty.

Hestrali: At least five different prominent displays of color, often in the form of scarves, sashes, and other cloth

accessories. Cosmetics or coal used to darken around the eyes.

Shariqyn: Robes and flowing garments. A headdress that covers the head and hair. At least ten pieces of jewelry, regardless of

their worth.

Cappacian: Long coats that reach the backs of the legs, upraised collars. A hat with a wide brim or triangular design.

Merchant: A cloth sash worn from the shoulder to opposite hip bearing the symbol of your advertised trade. It is illegal

for a non-member of a local Trade Guild to wear such advertisement.

Gutter: Torn, ratty, patched or tattered clothing. Rags, often with bloodstains, tied around rips or holes in the clothing

from scuffles.

Peasant: Off-color patches on the knees and/or elbows. Dirt on the hands and face. A hat or other head covering.

Noble: Rich fabrics in the colors of the house you represent. Jewelry and other accessories befitting wealth and station.

Magician: Robes bearing the classic colors and symbols of the order. Fire mages use reds, blacks and grays with

designs of flame, Earth mages use browns and greens with eye designs, Water mages use blues and turquise with a

mirror design, and air mages do not use a standard outfit whatsoever.

Priest: Priests use white robes with lion elements, incorporating fur trim or mantles, as well as a stole.

Knight: Arming jackets or tabards featuring the standards and coat of arms.

This means that if a Gothic Nobleman were wearing an Outfit befitting one, he could use any ranks in Etiquette as extra uses of

Persuade with any Gothic characters and any Noble characters. A Gothic Peasant could do similar things with other Peasants and

other Gothic characters with the Survival skill. As well, a character of the wrong culture or class can still benefit from an Outfit

they have the skill for, such as a Merchant pretending to be a Nobleman.

Some Outfits designed by masters of their craft can produce even better results, using the Perks and Flaws below.

OUTFIT PERKS

CompetentThe outfit gives off an air of confidence and properness, common of formal attire or business attire.

Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Persuade skill.

DaringThe outfit pushes the limits of common decency in a way that causes the viewer to be impressed by your boldness

Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Seduce skill.

OfficialThe outfit serves as an indicator of official authoritative position, and gives off an air of certainty.

Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Sincerity skill.

EliteThe outfit has clean lines and colors that let the user know that the wearer is of the highest quality and caliber, no one to be

trifled with.

Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Intimidation skill.

UniformThe outfit reminds the wearer and those who see them of the responsibility and trust required in the one who wears it.

Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Discipline skill.

FLAWS

RidiculousThe outfit's fashion is shocking and it is difficult to take the person wearing it seriously.

Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Persuade skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

MismatchedThe outfit just doesn't look right, and it is distracting. The person wearing it has trouble convincing people that they can keep

control of situations.

Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Seduce skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

StrangeThe fashion of the outfit isn't technically wrong, but it is very unusual and people seem to be automatically on their guard while

dealing with its wearer.

Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Sincerity skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

SillyAnyone who would wear such a thing obviously doesn't think very highly of themselves, and no one is scared of them.

Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Intimidate skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

UncomfortableThe outfit is scratchy, or tight, or just doesn't feel right, and it is hard to feel centered or relaxed while wearing it. All you can

think of is when you can get out of this thing.

Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Discipline skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

HERBS, DRUGS AND POISONS

Herbs are used by Herbalists and Apothecaries to produce effects, both helpful and harmful to the human body, from the saps,

unguents, seeds, juice, and other pulps and parts of various herbs. The knowledge and skill to know all the various herbs and

their uses is found in the Herbalism skill while the ability to work and process them into drugs or poisons is found in the

Apothecary skill. The skills of herbalists and apothecaries are looked upon with some level of suspicion by common people

because woods witches and druids are known to use these techniques as well, though they are able to produce effects that

common apothecaries cannot begin to reproduce. Most herbalists and apothecaries are benign people simply seeking to benefit

from nature, but their association with heresy, witchcraft, poison, and their refusal to rely only on the sacred medicine of the

Hospitalier Order are all grounds to keep them at arm's length.

All herbs have 3 traits. When a character with the Herbalism skill locates an herb in game by its distinctive orange tag, they may

pick up the tag and bring it to Logistics to learn its effects based on the unique ID number on the tag. The herb will have 3 traits,

but the Herbalist may not be able to recognize all of the traits on the Herb, depending on their skill. Herbs that are not fully

identified keep their ID number so the effects may be referenced later when the drug or poison is used. The different herb traits

will be described in more detail below.

DRUG TRAITS

UPS AND DOWNS

If an effect, either magical or chemical, causes an Attribute to artificially reach the first or higher level such that it

Attribute Increasing:Steroid (STR up)

Fortifier (FORT up)

Stimulant (SPD up)

Clarifier (FTH up)

Nimblemind (INT up)

Focus Aid (RES up)

Attribute Reducing:Relaxant (STR down)

Paralytic (SPD down)

Immune Shock (FORT down)

Depressant (FTH down)

Neurotoxin (INT down)

Mindburner (RES down)

Flat Effect Traits:Pleasant: Drug is easy to imbibe and can mix with food without being obvious. Besides the effects being generally pleasurable,

would unlock a new skill the player doesn't have, they automatically gain the first level of that skill. For example, if acharacter with average Fortitude took a Fortifier, they would gain the first rank of Grit for free. This effect increases ifthe gain is substantial. For each additional dot of an Attribute gained, they gain an additional level of this skill up tothe normal maximum of 5 while the drug is in effect. Thus, if the same character took a drug with Fortifier x2, he wouldgain 2 Grit. In the special case of Grit, this particular gain does not dilute its own effect, but doses after the first areaffected.

The bonus ranks of the skill, if any, are derived from the amount increased, not the new total, and do not add on toexisting ranks, only adding if they are not already present.

Poisons and other effects, such as magic, can damage the Attributes themselves. If Attributes should fall below the -1Value (such as Simple, Pushover, Heartless, Feeble, etc), the character suffers an immediate catastrophic state, thenature of which is determined by whichever Attribute is affected.

Strength: Muscles cannot move. Immediate death by cardiac arrest.Speed: Full body paralysis. The subject collapses and cannot move until the drug wears off.Fortitude: Immune system failure. Death by shock at the end of an hour.Faith: Catastrophic delusional episode. Gain a new Crippling Delusion.Intellect: Neurological shutdown and brain damage. Total brain death.Resolve: Catastrophic psychotic episode: Gain a new Crippling Obsession or Phobia

Changes to Attributes occur somewhat gradually, taking place of a number of hours. The first change occursimmediately according to the Delivery method, and then changes occur each hour afterward. For example, supposeFather Bernard ingested a poison with Relaxant x2, and has no Grit. Father Bernard has only average Strength, sothis poison will surely kill him. Once the effect begins, he will lose the first level of Strength, becoming Feeble. If noantidote is rendered within one more hour, he will suffer a heart attack and die. Alternately, an apothecary could use astrong Purger to reduce the power of the poison, just enough to save his life.

Drugs delivered intravenously enter the bloodstream at once and the effects occur much more rapidly. The effects,whatever they may be, occur over a rate of minutes instead of hours, as other poisons. If a poison were to reduce Speedby 2, the effects would occur over the next 2 minutes where they would stay for one minute, and then wear off just asquickly, returning one level every minute, supposing the victim survived the rest of the encounter.

The Perception skill will not discover the drug.

Tolerance: The subject gains a cumulative +1 to Grit when resisting subsequent uses of the other drug traits present with the

concoction. Tolerance loses one level for each event where it is not consumed.

Foul: Tastes awful and has a distinct and obvious smell. It cannot be hidden in food, and those without at least Grit 1 vomit it up

after 10 minutes, preventing progress on the drug.

Antidote: Normalizes the effects of the rest of the traits present in the drug. Antidote bypasses Grit, and normalizes the

effective levels of drugs in effect by the amount present in the drug. For instance, Antidote with Paralytic x2 would normalize a

Paralytic effect by 2.

Potent: This drug is especially concentrated and has a dramatic effect on the immune system. Like in an Overdose, the

subject's Grit is ignored.

Mending: This drug has a beneficial effect on the body, causing hurts to soothe and the body to recover more easily. If

ingested, a Battered character may become Healthy after sleeping for at least 6 hours. If used as a Contact drug, it may

restore useful mobility to an injured limb after one hour.

Apathetic: The drug induces a sort of lethargic bliss in the user, leaving them highly suggestible. They gain the effects

of the Pushover flaw.

Stackable Traits:Drowser: Induces sleep at next available lull in action. The subject will sleep for at least 30 minutes per stack, and is extremely

difficult to rouse unless they suffer attack or injury.

Excitant: Temporarily removes Fatigue, but restores it and induces a Drowser effect at the end of the duration. This lasts for

one hour per stack, and adds one Drowser stack at the end.

Irritant: Prevents rest from headaches and nausea

Purger: Induces vomiting and diarrhea. Lowers all existing drug values by 1

Addictive: Positive attribute increases do not cause a crash afterward. Instead, the subject automatically gains a

Compulsion to consume again, which grows in severity each time it is taken.

Hallucinogen: Subject gains Severe Delusions for duration. Additional traits are additional Delusions.

Anesthetic: Subject is immune to trauma and pain related effects such as Torture, but does not know how much

damage they are suffering. The subject does not need to spend Discipline to avoid Fear in combat.

Intoxicant: The drug behaves as if the user had imbibed 3 drinks.

EFFECTIVE SPEEDS BY DELIVERY METHOD

Different delivery methods affect the body more quickly or more slowly because of how quickly they reach the

With the desired herbs in hand, a character can attempt to fashion them into a mixture. Depending on the desires of the

apothecary, different methods of delivery are possible. Ingested drugs are the easiest to take, and most beneficial drugs will use

that method for simplicity of creation. Poisons and other more malicious concoctions may need a more subtle approach, and may

be mixed into something that can coat a blade, or be thrown into the eyes or face. Such adaptations of the drugs are more

difficult to make, but take far less time to take effect once they find their mark.

When a foreign drug or poison enters the body of a character, good or ill, the body will attempt to resist it reflexively. Characters

automatically subtract their Grit rating from all values of the foreign substance. For instance, if a character with Grit 1 were to

ingest a drug with Paralytic x2 and Drowser, they would not feel the effect of the Drowser and would be affected by the Paralytic

as if it were only level 1, losing 1 level from their Speed Attribute.

Positive effects work the same way, the body automatically resisting with Grit. A drug with Steroid x3 ingested by a character

with 1 Grit would raise the character's Strength by 2, such as from normal Strength to Brawny for the duration. However, using

drugs to push a body to exceed its normal limitations is dangerous. At the end of the duration of the drug, the body will crash,

and the character will receive a penalty equal to the bonus they received for the duration of the day. This manifests itself as sore,

torn muscles, numbness, pounding headaches, confusion, and listlessness as the body recovers. If the crash is too serious because

of an earlier overdose of performance enhancing drugs, the character's Attribute may fall to dangerous levels, leaving the

character in a very serious detrimental state.

REFINEMENT AND OVERDOSE

With Apothecary skill of 3 or higher, an Apothecary is able to refine drugs into more specific or powerful forms. The

Apothecary may combine two different herb sources, and either combine the two by replacing an unwanted trait with

one from the second source, or create a new six trait drug, or remove any three traits from a new 6 trait drug.

Refinement takes 15 minutes of grinding, boiling, creating emulsions, and mixing. With enough herbs and enough time,

an Apothecary can create customized drugs to her specific needs.

If a drug is delivered three times over, or a drug has the Potent trait, its effects behave as if the subject had no Grit.

ALCOHOL AND INTOXICATION

bloodstream, heart, and other organs, and also how quickly the body can metabolize it.

Slow-acting drugs, those delivered through ingestion and contact, take effect about a half hour after they areintroduced and increase their effect every hour after that until it peaks, then the missing attributes return one hour at atime as well.

Fast-acting drugs, those delivered intraveinously or inhaled, take effect in only one minute, and their effectsworsen quickly, also every minute after. At their worst point they then hold for one minute before recovering at thesame speed.

It is said that the truest expression of a man's character is when he is deep in his cups, besotted, and truly drunk. What

shape that character takes is expressed in the form of your character's Reveler's Trait. Every character chooses one

Reveler's Trait from the list below at character creation, and this trait never changes.

Characters become drunk when they imbibe two more than their Grit ranks in alcoholic drinks. A character with no Grit

at all will be drunk after two drinks, while a character with 3 Grit will be drunk after five, though it takes at least 15

minutes from the first drink to have an effect. You are drunk for one hour for every drink more than your limit. A drink

is one ale, one glass of wine or one shot of spirits. When consuming alcohol in character, the drink's item card should be

placed under your cup while you drink some actual liquid of appropriate quantity, and then torn up when you are done.

After an hour, one drink leaves your system.

While drunk, a character may never spend Discipline, and gain whatever effects their Reveler's Trait prescribes - if a

Reveler's Trait includes something your character already possesses, such as Harsh Temper, the effects intensify. When

drunk from Wine rather than Ale or Spirits, you get the Reveler's Trait next on the list from your normal trait.

Surly - You gain the effects of the Harsh Temper flaw, and must always answer aggression with even more aggression,

escalating the conflict, however while drink you are immune to Fear and Intimidation.

Decadent - You gain the effects of the Hedonist Flaw (though you may not spend Discipline to resist it), however you

do not gain any Depravity for level 1 sins while intoxicated, as the results of last night are hazy at best.

Adventurous - You feel adventurous while the liquor still flows - you gain 1 Hope every time you succeed at using any

Skill, including successful social skills or combat attacks which cause damage, though you gain Despair at any failed skill

use or overall defeat. Both the Hope and Despair disappear when the intoxication ends.

Cantankerous - You gain the effects of the Pig-Headed flaw, but also retain the ability to spend Discipline against

social skills, as well as gain an extra use of Discipline against the first use of a social skill each conversation.

Brooding - You gain the effects of the Abhorrent trait, unable to use Persuade or Seduce to attempt to convince other

characters, but your Intimidate attempts gain Power.

Loquacious - You lose all internal filter when drunk, and become indiscrete in conversation. You will never refrain

from speaking about a subject based on who you are speaking to, and cannot defend against any Social skill meant to get

you to disclose information, however, you gain the effects of the Wit ability.

Enthusiastic - Drink fills you with more than a warm buzz, and you feel a profound sense of belonging, community,

and easy acceptance of the world. You gain the effects of the Naïve flaw, but increase your Faith by one level.

Amorous - The more you drink the lonelier your lips feel. You gain the Vainglorious flaw, but you gain a Seduce

attempt that automatically refreshes once per minute.

Daring - Alcohol is an impressive substitute for reason. You gain the effects of the Daredevil perk, but you must accept

and cannot back down from any dare or challenge that would trigger Daredevil, no matter what happens after you

accept.

If a character has twice the amount of drinks in their system than the amount that would get them drunk they Black Out

for five minutes and will have Fatigue the next 8 hours from hangovers and sickness.

W A R F A R E

All of Mankind's myriad gifts are bent to one pursuit, that pursuit which has given us so much, and taken from us somuch. Of all Man's terrible powers, of all its great endeavors, it is war that is our one true art.~Count Ferril Baines, Lion Age 561

Warfare is inevitable, even in the Throne where ostensibly all mankind is one. During these conflicts, mighty forges

produce massive shipments of armaments, huge trains of food are rallied and great hosts are put to field. The following

systems are used to adjudicate these massive conflicts, which take place between game sessions at the direction of orders

that in game commanders give to their soldiers and captains in the field.

CONDITIONS

LEXICON

Unit - A single choice of levied troops

Force - A grouping of one or more Units that operates as one.

Army - The entirety of a Knights control group formed by one or more Forces.

Month - A single Downtime.

Season - Following the Calendar Seasons.

Condition - An effect that is temporary.

Hope - Rewarded for winning a recent combat. A Force that has Hope gains an additional point of Resilienceand Strength for each of its Units in any remaining Conflicts this turn, as well as any Conflicts in the next turn. If a Force gains any Despair or has any Despair when they gain Hope, they instead lose the Hope. This maynot be applied multiple times.

Despair - Losing a battle will cause Despair. Each Unit that has Despair lowers its maximum Resilience bytwo. This can be applied multiple times. If this would drop a Unit to zero Resilience or less, then they willdisband and leave the Force..

Out of Supply - A Force that is Out of Supply will lower its maximum Strength and Resilience by one for eachmonth that it is Out of Supply. A Unit with zero Resilience will disband and leave the Force. In addition tothis, a Force that is Out of Supply also gains the status Fatigued.

Fatigued - A Force that is Fatigued has expended much of it’s energy performing some other task. If a Forcehas this condition then they lose half of their Resilience (before other modifiers) rounded up. In addition tothis, any Force that attacks a Force that is Fatigued will gain an Edge. Unless there is something thatmaintains the Fatigued Condition, such as still being Out of Supply, this is removed at the start of the nextmonth.

Below Notice - A Force that is Below Notice will not be seen in Surveillance Reports, they are simply too smallto be seen travelling through large Provinces. Any Force that is comprised of a single Unit gains thisCondition. Supply Lines always have this Condition. Forces that are Below Notice are only able to be seenthrough the use of a Scout Order.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS

Receive Levies - At the start of each new season new Levies will arrive automatically. You must declare eitherStragosa or a Port that is controlled by the Allied Forces. Your new Units will be placed on that location andmay be given Orders in the current Declare Orders phase. The number of Units received will be based on theplayers Leadership value. Units Levied will be in the form of Levy Spearmen from your home country. TheseUnits will begin play with the Green Trait (see Unit Traits in the Unit Types section.) At times, if your KnightRank is high enough, you will receive Special and/or Rare Units in place of these Levy Spearmen when it isappropriate to do so. For more information on Units please see the Unit Types section below.

Gather Your Supplies - Covered in game by obtaining Writs of Supply and taking from the city’s stockpiles orby offering up commodities that they have available from their own stores. Each Unit will require 50 Meator 150 Vegetables each month to keep up it’s Strength. A Force that is not supplied enough Food will gain theOut of Supply Condition.

Formation - The order that the Units are placed on the field during a Conflict.

Order - A task assigned to a Force.

Phase - A portion of each month where a single set of Orders are resolved globally.

Discharge Units - This is the time to discharge any units you may no longer need or desire in your force. There are times when supplies will be low and scarce and threat of starvation and desertion are imminent. Sometimes it is best simply to downsize your Army, and send some troops home than to see them pillage andraid and betray to survive.

Declare Orders - An Army is only as effective as the orders they are given. A Force that does not receiveOrders for the Downtime will stay and protect the Province they are in. Every Knight ranked Knight Protectorand above, who wishes to command their troops, must, before midnight Saturday night, approach the Logisticstable and declare in secret a number of Orders up to their Leadership value for their Forces. A Force that isFatigued may not accept any other Order that would cause Fatigue. A Force is further limited in that it maynot be given the same Order twice to increase the effect of that Order, such as two Defend orders to gain twoEdges when the battle occurs, etc. The first Order is sufficient that your Force is doing all it possibly can toobey that Order.

Orders should be specific and easily understood. If an order given is illegal, hard to understand, or madeillegal by another Force, your Force will fail to perform the Order and simply remain in the Province runningdrills. Some examples of good orders would be, “The Force in the ‘Blah’ Province will perform an Attack Orderon the enemy Force in ‘Bleh’ Province.” or “The smaller Force in ‘Blah’ Province will perform a Move Order to‘Bleh’ Province.” or “The Force in ‘Blah’ Province will perform a Defend Order in ‘Blah’ Province.” Orders willbe accomplished sequentially in the Phase that they are given and performed simultaneously with the orders ofevery other commander who made Orders in the same Phase. See the Orders Section below for a list ofavailable Orders.

EXAMPLE:

COMMANDER A (2 LEADERSHIP) COMMANDER B (3 LEADERSHIP)

Order 1) Move Force 1 to Province X Order 1) Move Force 2 to Province Y

Order 2) Force 1 Defend Order 2) Force 3 Support Force 2

Order 3) Force 2 Attack Force 1 inProvince Z

In the above example, Force 1 and Force 2 would both move at the same time. Force 1 would prepare todefend itself at the same time that Force 3 sets up to support Force 2. And finally Force 2 performs theattack on Force 1 in Province Z. Now, it seems that since Force 1 moved and is now in Province X,Commander B’s last Order has been made invalid so that Order does nothing.

Current Position of Army - Unexpected things can arise when issuing orders to an Army miles away. Theymay be slowed by unexpected resistance, fall into an ambush, orders were unclear, or any other number ofdelays and inconveniences. Messengers take time to travel between the Knight and his forces. The captains ofhis forces will do the best they can but sometimes, plans don't always work out the way they were intended. At

the beginning of next game session a Staff member via messenger will reveal to the Knight which Provinces hisForces are currently located in.

Results of Any Conflicts - Conflicts arise, and they arise frequently. If a conflict arises during the month youwill be appraised of the results of such by messenger by staff at the beginning of game sometime Fridayevening. Only the forces involved in the conflict will have the results given to them at this time. For moreinformation on Conflicts please see the Conflicts section below.

Surveillance Reports - Knowing your surroundings and the movement of other nearby Armies is key tovictory on the field. Moving through unscouted territory is dangerous for small and large Forces equally. Ateach event, the results of your Surveillance will be delivered to you to help you make your next moves. Formore information on Surveillance Reports please see the Army Logistics section below.

ARMY LOGISTICS

Formations - Every Force is arranged into its own Formation. Each Unit is ordered top to bottom in a line. This line will determine the match-up for each Unit to be put up against in a Conflict. When two Forces entera Conflict, the first Unit in your Force will fight the first Unit in the opposing Force and so on.

Supply Lines - Every Force has a lifeline called their Supply Line. This is a way to gather equipment, food, orders and

everything else a Force needs to move and operate, to maintain morale and health. These are represented by a near

invisible line, like a bell divers air hose, that stretches out from Stragosa following the path the Force has taken and tying

the Force to the city itself. Should this ever be subject to a Raid Order or cut off in some way, such as a Mountain Pass

closing, then the Force will be considered Out of Supply for this month. These Supply Lines are Below Notice.

Surveillance Reports - A Force will automatically send out scouts around them to ensure they are not beingfollowed or to look for enemies in the field. These scouts will investigate each of the nearest surroundingProvinces around your Force and report back on any Forces and the number of Units in each one. These willbe delivered in Surveillance Reports. Anything Below Notice will not be reported in this normal method. Please see the Scout Order if you wish to have more detailed reports.

Points of Interest - There are wonders, and terrors, to be found in this forgotten land, whether it be something as

simple as resources or as mysterious as a lost artifact there are things to be discovered for those that explore the map. A

Scout Order is needed to locate these curiosities on the map, and a Force is needed to move into the appropriate Province

and perform an Explore Order. Be warned, commanders, there are terrors that hide in the ancient holes of this land.

Refitting Units - At times you may want to 'upgrade' or refit your Units, to do so the Force must currentlynot be Out of Supply and you must send them a Reorganize Forces Order along with the required equipmentcost listed under the Unit in the Unit Types Section.

Mercenary Units - Mercenaries may be purchased at their listed Mercenary Cost during any month and arrive on the

field during the next Receive Levies portion (at the beginning of the next game.) Mercenaries will remain in service and

under contract for three months, at which point it will be up to their employer to renew the contract, paying their cost

again, or let them go. Mercenaries come with all their own equipment and do not start play with the Green Trait. In

addition to this, while they still require a Supply Line they will cover the expenses for their own Food and do not require

monthly Food rations. Mercenaries may not be purchased during the Winter Season. Mercenaries gain the Combat

Doctrine and Cultural Advantage of their host Army.

ORDERS

Move: Each Force has a number of Movement Points at it’s disposal for the purposes of movement, this isequivalent to the lowest Move Value of each of your Units in the Force. If you Move into a Province that has ahostile Force (excepting Forces that are Below Notice or if your own Force is Below Notice), your own Forcewill cease the rest of its movement. Moving through a Province costs a number of Movement Points as listedin the Terrain Section. If your Force runs out of Movement Points you will cease your movement in theProvince that you ran out of Movement Points in. Moving out of this Province costs 0 Movement Points in thefollowing month. Ending your movement in an otherwise empty Province that has Fortifications (See FortifyOrder) allows you to claim them as your own.

Forced March: Force gains double their normal Movement Points for the turn and may move as according tothe Move Order. They gain the Fatigued Condition.

Attack: May engage a specific Force in an adjacent Province or one within the same Province. You must beaware of the enemy Force in order to give this Order. You will begin a Conflict with this enemy. (See ConflictSection below)

Defend: May guard against an impending enemy Forces attack by creating temporary defenses and preparingfor the assault. This Order also allows you to utilize any Fortifications that are present in the Province as longas they are not claimed by someone else. Gain an Edge against any attacks that may occur on this Forceduring this round. If this Force moves for any reason after receiving this Order they lose this benefit.

Fortify: Spend time building longer term defenses. Your Units gain the Condition Fatigue. For each turn aProvince has had time spent fortifying it the owner gains a Wall Unit in any Defend action taken in thisProvince. These Units are placed at the top of the Order for the benefiting Force. A Province may only befortified three times. Any Units participating in the defense of these Fortifications will gain use of the FlankingTrait for the purposes of this Conflict. Forces inside of a Province with maximum Fortifications are immune toNight Malefic attacks.

Scout: Your Force may double it’s normal Surveillance range and be able to spot things that are Below Notice. Included in the Report for these actions will be a list of all Units alphabetically within those Forces. This willalso reveal any Points of Interest on the map.

Support: You may have your Force Support another Forces action, the Supporting Force must be withinnormal Movement range of the Force it is supporting as per the Move Order (although this does notnecessitate your own Force to move). It’s Units are added to the end of the normal Forces Formation in theFormation that they are listed. Supporting Forces neither gain Hope, Despair, nor experience towards gainingthe Veteran Trait.

Rally: Your Force rallies and loses a point of Despair they have. If they had no Despair then they gain Hope.

Last Stand: Ignore Retreat rules but risk Force’s annihilation. For any Conflicts they engage in this turn, theygain the Conflict Advantage. If your Force loses a Conflict this month then they do not Retreat, they are wipedout to a man. This Force may not be given any other Orders this turn.

Reorganize Force: Combine Units or Forces in a single Province into a single Force or split a single Force intoany number of smaller Forces, this also allows you to reorganize the Formation of your Units within the Force. This Order will also allow you to reassign Units to another Knight with a Force in the same Provincepermanently, though the other Knight must also spend an Order for Reorganize Force to integrate the newUnits into their Formation. These Units lose your Combat Doctrine and Cultural Advantage and gain theCombat Doctrine and Cultural Advantage of their new owner. As long as your Force is not Out of Supplycurrently you may also use this Order to refit your Units by paying the required equipment listed under thecost for each Unit. Although if this Supply Line is Raided in the same Phase or before then that equipment isplundered by the enemy.

Raid: Attack an enemy’s Supply Line that exists within the Province you are in. This will immediately put thatForce Out of Supply for this month. Successive Raids over the course of several months against the sameSupply Line will cause the cumulative effects of multiple months of being Out of Supply. You must be aware ofthe enemy Forces Supply Line to declare this Order. You may also use this Order to dismantle a Fortificationthat you currently lay claim to (see Move Order) in the Province you are in. This will lower the Fortificationlevel in that Province by one.

Lay Ambush: This Force is unable to move, but gains Below Notice. This Force will also no longer gainSurveillance Reports from neighboring Provinces. Should an enemy Force move through this Province, they

will immediately halt all future movement and come under attack. This gives the ambushing Force an Edge. In addition, should they succeed in ambushing an enemy, their Units will gain one free attack on the enemyUnits without them getting a chance to retaliate. If, however, this Force is instead attacked they will give anEdge to the enemy instead. This Order will stand until this Force is given any other Order.

Explore: This Force will explore a Point of Interest in the Province that they are currently in. The results ofthis will be relayed in the next Surveillance Report.

SPECIAL ORDERS:

Special Orders are only available to players with the prerequisite Combat Doctrine.

Provoke (Seduce) - You may issue an Order against an enemy Force within an adjacent Province to your own. By doing this you will override their normal Order (if they have one) and cause them to attack the Force thatgave this Order. This forces them to fight you on your terms and on the Terrain your Force is standing on. Gain an Edge for this attack; this Order can be given by a Force that is lying in Ambush without spoiling thatOrder.

Parlay (Persuade) - You may issue an Order that allows you to meet with your enemy commander on thefield to discuss terms. This will allow you to RP a scene with the enemy commander where you may possiblybe able to reach some sort of favorable conclusion.

Lay Traps (Trapping) - You may issue an Order to lay a series of traps in the Province you are staying in. These traps are considered Below Notice. If a Force, other than your own, moves over a Province with traps inthem they will immediately stop movement and gain Despair. These traps will remain forever until triggered.

Feint (Sincerity) - You may issue an Order that creates a decoy Force within two Provinces of the one thatgave this Order. This decoy Force will look exactly like your own in Surveillance Reports but will not stand upto the closer scrutiny of a Scout Order. If you move your Force in anyway after performing this Order thedecoy will disappear, though you may issue other Orders such as Defend, Fortify, or Ambush.

Espionage (Finesse) - You may issue an Order against another Force within three Provinces. By doing so youwill receive a report of every Unit within that Force and the Formation of them, as well as the location of allother Forces in that Army.

Conversion (Liturgy) - You may issue an Order against another Force in an adjacent Province to convince arandom Unit in that Force to join your own, this Order will not work on non-human Forces or Forces of theTriumvirate.

Gather Intel (Streetwise) - You may issue an Order against another Force within two Provinces to discoverthe last and current Orders their Commander issued.

False Flag (Tailoring) - You may issue an order to remake banners, tents and other signaling devices suchthat your Force appears in Surveillance Reports to be that of any other Army you choose. This does not holdup against the closer inspection of a Scout Order. Non-Human Forces and Forces of the Triumvirate areimmune to this Order.

UNIT TYPES

Every Unit of your Army has certain perks and flaws associated with it based on the type of Unit it is. Thereare three main Characteristics of every type of Unit, each rated in their own way. Along with this each Unitwill have a series Traits that represent these Units' tactical strengths. A Unit represents a group of onehundred men or, in the case of cavalry, fifty horses and fifty men.

UNIT CHARACTERISTICS

Movement - This value represents how quickly this Unit is able to move during a given month. Certain typesof Terrain will affect different Units' Movement values. See the Army Logistics section below for moreinformation on Terrain. This value is normally rated 1 to 3.

Strength - This value represents a Units' core military Strength. There are several things that can affect therelative value of a particular Units' Strength characteristic in any given Conflict; situations, opposing forces,and weather patterns are some prime examples of this. These values should be considered heavily beforegiving orders to your Army. This value is normally rated 1 to 5.

Resilience - They say an Army is only as strong as it's constituent parts. This value represents a Units'resilience and morale in a combat situation. Supply and Despair are the main things that will affect this trait. This value is normally rated 1 to 10.

UNIT TRAITS

(If a Unit has the same Trait multiple times, then it receives the benefit multiple times.)

Ambusher - These Units, if part of an Ambush Order, double their Strength for the Conflict after anymodifiers from terrain or weather. (Additional instances of this Trait increase the multiplier by one.)

Armor - These Units will ignore the first one damage from each attack made against it.

Black Powder - These Units will cause one damage each round to the Resilience of every adjacent Unit, friendor foe, unless they also have the Black Powder Trait.

Driving - These Units will discount an Armor Trait of the enemy Unit they are attacking.

Flanking - If undefended against they will attack the nearest enemy Unit.

Fortification - These Units do not count for the sake of Victory or Defeat. If a Force with Fortifications losesall Units except the Fortification, they are still Defeated. These Units are also immune to the effects ofWeather, Terrain, and gain no bonus or penalty from Chaos of Battle.

Ghost - These Units will never be lost or gain Despair due to Defeat in a Conflict. This Trait is lost for anymonth that the Unit is part of a Last Stand Order or if the unit is involved in a Force Annihilation due to beingunable to retreat.

Green - All freshly Levied troops begin with this trait. These Units lower the maximum of their Strength and

Resilience by one. After winning a Conflict, this Trait is lost.

Intimidating - These Units, in addition to their normal attack, will also deal one damage to the enemy UnitsResilience. This damage bypasses Armor.

Lock-Up - If these Units do damage during their normal attack, they will lower the Strength of the enemy Unitthey are attacking by one; this is cumulative with further attacks.

Rally - After their normal attack, these Units will restore one point of Resilience to the allied Unit missing themost. If there is a tie for the most missing it will be given to the nearest one of them.

Ranged - These units will direct their attack at the enemy Unit with the lowest Resilience on the field. If thereis a tie for lowest, then it’ll be the nearest enemy Unit among them.

Selective Targeting - A Unit with this trait acts like Ranged but attack Units that have the highest Strengthinstead of lowest Resilience.

Siege - Will target Wall Units first if Ranged, as well as gaining double Strength after Terrain and Weathermodifiers when attacking Walls.

Specialist - This Unit is comprised of ten or fewer individuals and thus does not require Food. They must still maintain

a Supply Line for various tools, components, or other things they need to complete their missions.

Stalwart - After their normal attack, these Units will restore one point of missing Resilience to themselves.

Stunning - If these Units deal damage, the opposing Unit loses it’s next attack.

Veteran - These Units will strike first in Conflict instead of simultaneously each round. This Trait is earnedafter taking part in and winning five Conflicts.

Well-Armed - These Units gain an additional point of Strength. This Trait is earned if you give the Unit Goldequivalent to it’s Mercenary Cost for better weapons.

Well-Armored - These Units gain 2 additional points of Resilience. This Trait is earned if you give the UnitGold equivalent to it’s Mercenary Cost for better armor.

GENERAL UNITS

These Units are available to all Commanders capable of Levying Forces. These Units will gain the Cultural Advantage

and Combat Doctrine in line with the Knight Order they follow.

Levy Spearmen (Infantry/Light)

Cost: Free

Move: 2 Strength: 1 Resilience: 5

Traits: Lock-Up

Mercenary Cost: 5 Gold

Skirmishers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Dark Cloaks

Move: 2 Strength: 1 Resilience: 2

Traits: Ambushers, Ghost

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Archers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Bows

Move: 2 Strength: 2 Resilience: 4

Traits: Ranged, Ambushers

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Heavy Infantry (Infantry/Heavy)

Cost: 100 Swords, 100 Pieces of Medium Armor

Move: 1 Strength: 3 Resilience: 6

Traits: Armor, Stalwart

Mercenary Cost: 30 Gold

Auxiliaries (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 Riding Horses, 50 Light Spears

Move: 3 Strength: 2 Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Ambushers

Mercenary Cost: 30 Gold

Cataphracts (Cavalry/Heavy)

Cost: 50 Riding Horses, 50 Pieces Heavy Armor, 50 Medium Swords

Move: 2 Strength: 4 Resilience: 8

Traits: Flanking, Armor

Mercenary Cost: 45 Gold

Wall (Fortification)

Move: 0 Strength: 1 Resilience: 7

Traits: Armor, Fortification, Ranged

CULTURAL UNITS

Each Culture has it's own way of fighting and training it's Units, this is called Cultural Advantage. All Units in your

Army gain the Cultural Advantage based on the Culture of their Commander. In addition to this each Commander is able

to refit their Units into a Unique Unit that is unavailable to Commanders of other Cultures. The only way for

Commanders of other Cultures to gain access to these Units is to purchase them as Mercenaries.

Capacionne

Cultural Advantage: "Skilled Riders" - Cavalry Units gain +1 Movement and all Capacionne Units ignore theeffects of Spring Rains

Unique Unit: Chevaliers

Chevaliers (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 Riding Horses, 50 Light Spears

Move: 3 Strength: 2 Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Rally

Mercenary Cost: 30 Gold

Hestrali

Cultural Advantage: "Fortune Favors the Bold" - All Move Orders act as an Attack Order upon any enemy Force they

come across, even without being otherwise aware of the unit (excluding Forces Below Notice) and all Hestrali Units gain

an additional one Strength when attacking.

Unique Unit: Corsairs

Corsairs (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Medium Swords

Move: 2 Strength: 2 Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Driving

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Rogalian

Cultural Advantage: "Tactical Superiority" - May deliver the Reorganize Force Order for free at any time,without consuming any Orders, and all Rogalian Units come into game without the Green trait and only

needing three victories to gain the Veteran Trait.

Unique Unit: Longbowmen

Longbowmen (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Customized Bows

Move: 2 Str: 3 Res: 3

Traits: Ranged, Driving

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Shariqyn

Cultural Advantage: "Desert Fury" - May perform a Forced March without any penalties and all SharaqynUnits ignore effects of Summer Heat

Unique Unit: Horse Archers

Horse Archers (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 Horses, 50 Bows

Move: 3 Str: 2 Res: 5

Traits: Ranged, Ghost

Mercenary Cost: 30 Gold

Dunnick

Cultural Advantage: "Highland Warriors" - Infantry Units gain +1 Movement and all Light Infantry Units gainan additional one Strength.

Unique Unit: Kerns

Kerns (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Short Blades, 100 Small Packs

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 3

Traits: Ambushers, Ghost, Ranged

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Njordic

Cultural Advantage: "Frost Iron Warriors" - May Levy during Winter Season and all Njordic Units ignore theeffects of Winter Snows including being able to traverse Mountain Passes safely.

Unique Unit: Berserkers

Berserkers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 200 Hatchets

Move: 2 Str: 2 Res: 5

Traits: Stalwart, Intimidating

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

Gothic

Cultural Advantage: "Holy Conquest" - Immune to Night Malefic attacks and Fortification bonuses apply to allGothic Units in adjacent Provinces as well as the same Province to a maximum of 6 Walls

Unique Unit: Zealot

Zealot (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Holy Symbols (Iron), 100 Lanterns, 100 Small Packs

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 6

Traits: Rally, Intimidating

Mercenary Cost: 15 Gold

COMBAT DOCTRINES

Every Knight Order has its own unique way of fighting. This uniqueness is demonstrated by its own Combat Doctrine. A

Knight Orders Combat Doctrine is determined by that Orders Valor Skill. Each Doctrine gives the Knight access to a

special ability as well as their own unique Special Unit and Rare Unit. Special Units are accessed at Knight Commander

and Rare Units are accessed at Master. An Army may only include up to five Special Units and two Rare Units. These

Units may not be given to other Knights, regardless of Rank, unless they are of the same Order. These Units may not be

purchased as Mercenaries. These Units come fully equipped and do not start with the Green Trait. Special Units have a

Edge Bonus, which means they will grant an Edge to the Force they are a part of anytime the prerequisite is met, as well

as a Combat Advantage Bonus, which means that as long as their Force has the Combat Advantage they also gain the

additional abilities or cause the effect to occur.

Archery: “Darkening the Skies” - All Units with Ranged gain one free attack prior to the fight starting in anyConflict.

Brawl: “Unexpected Blows” - Enemy Formation is disrupted and randomized at the start of the Conflict.

Dodge: “Swift as the Wind” - Your Units negate the first Ranged attack against them each Round of a Conflictfrom enemy Units.

Firearms: “Roaring Thunder” - Your Units are immune to the negative aspects of the Black Powder Trait.

Heavy Weapons: “Strike First, Strike Once” - All Units gain a Lock-Up Trait

Light Weapons: “We Strike True” - All Units gain a Driving Trait

Medium Weapons: “Press The Advantage” - Forces that lose against you lose two random Units as opposedto one.

Parry: “Steel Upon Steel” - Your Units negate the first non-Ranged attack from enemy Units.

Shields: “Hold The Lines” - All Units gain an Armor Trait

Steady: “Caution in All Things” - Immune to Special Orders such as Taunt, Parlay, or Feint.

Finesse: “Know Your Enemy” - Allows Use of Espionage Order

Grit: “Never Surrender” - Units in Conflict that fall are refreshed at the end of the round with Resilience of 1. This effect occurs once per Conflict.

Stealth: “They Won’t See Us Coming” - All Units gain Ambusher Trait.

Mobility: “Fleet of Foot” - All Terrain Movement Point costs are 1.

Mining: “Striking From Below” - Forces may move through any Mountain Terrain as if they were MountainPasses

Forestry: “Masters Of The Wood” - No Penalties in Forests, Units gain an additional Strength in Forests

Mercantile: “We Know Your Price” - Cost of Mercenaries are reduced by 50%

Trapping: “Watch Your Step” - Allows Use of Lay Traps Order

Farming: “The Land Belongs To Us” - 50% Reduction in Supplies needed to feed your Army

Herbalism: “Oak Hearted” - All units gain Stalwart for the first two rounds of Conflict.

Leatherworking: “Our Hide Is Thick” - Light Units automatically gain Well Armored.

Woodworking: “Sculpting The Weapons Of War” - Light Units automatically gain Well Armed.

Metalworking: “Strength In Steel” - Heavy Units automatically gain Well Armored.

Tailoring: “Follow The Banners” - Allow Use of False Flag Order

Mechanics: “The War Machine Marches” - Take no penalty while building Fortifications, allowing them toaccept the Fortify order multiple times.

Apothecary: “The Poisoned Knife” - Units automatically cause Despair at the start of combat.

Special Unit: Asp Archers (Infantry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge when facing a Force with Despair prior to the combat

Combat Advantage Bonus: Gain Lock-Up, Lock-Up

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 5

Traits: Selective Targeting, Driving

Sincerity: “Trust Us” - Allow Use of Feint Order

Intimidate: “Terror Tactics” - All Units gain Intimidating.

Special Unit: Border Reivers (Cavalry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge when alone.

Combat Advantage Bonus: Enemy Force randomly changes Formation at the start of theConflict until they receive an Organize Force Order.

Move: 3 Str: 2 Res: 3

Traits: Ghost, Intimidating

Seduce: “Come At Me” - Allow Use of Provoke Order

Persuade: “Words Best Steel” - Allow Use of Parlay Order

Performance: “Hope Lights Our Path” - Will never gain Despair.

Streetwise: “We Know Your Secrets” - Allow Use of Gather Intel Order

Survival: “We Know The Hidden Ways” - Supply Lines are invisible and may not be raided

Etiquette: “You Have Met Your Match” - Formation will be optimized for every Conflict.

Perception: “Surprise Is Ours Alone” - Double Scouting Range and automatically detect Forces Below Notice

Academics: “Know Thyself” - Chaos of Battle is rolled with 3 6-sided Dice and discount the lowest.

Special Unit: Fire Mages (Infantry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge on Plains

Combat Advantage Bonus: Gain an additional Chaos of Battle die, if this takes any Chaos of Battleresult above 12 then Units receive +3 Strength Bonus.

Move: 2 Str: 4 Res: 3

Traits: Ranged, Driving, Specialist

Liturgy: “Holy Crusade” - Allow Use of Conversion Order

Special Unit: Mithrihim Priests (Infantry/Heavy)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge against Heretical Forces.

Combat Advantage Bonus: Upon death, re-enters Formation at end of round at full starting stats(still have penalties from Fatigue and Despair), this may only occur once per combat.

Move: 1 Str: 3 Res: 6

Traits: Armor, Rally, Specialist

Leadership: “Tactical Diversity“ - If your action is being Supported by another Army, you and all other Armiesgain the Combat Doctrines of each other.

THE WORLD

TERRAIN

Plains - Movement Cost: 1

Conflict Bonus: Cavalry gain two Strength

Conflict Penalty: Unable to declare Ambush Order

Rolling Hills - Movement Cost: 1

Conflict Penalty: Unable to declare Ambush Order

Mountain Passes - Movement Cost: 3

Conflict Bonus: Units with the Ambushers Perk gain an additional multiplier to their Strength bonus, andRanged gain one Strength

Conflict Penalty: Cavalry lose two Strength

Forest - Movement Cost: 2

Conflict Penalty: Ranged lose one Strength, Cavalry lose one Strength.

Wetlands - Movement Cost: 2

Conflict Penalty: Cavalry lose one Strength, Heavy lose one Strength.

Water - Movement Impossible; Combat may not occur

Mountains - Movement Impossible; Combat may not occur

SEASONAL WEATHER PATTERNS

As the Seasons change, so too does the predominant weather patterns. Each Season brings with it a specificpenalty to certain Units.

Spring Rain - Units with Black Powder have Strength reduced to zero after other modifiers, Cavalry UnitsLose one Strength

Summer Heat - Heavy Units Lose two Strength

Autumn Winds - Units with the Ranged Perk lose two Strength

Winter Snows - Mountain Passes close and Forces that have been left in Mountain Passes will Retreat. Armies may not Levy during the Winter. Light Units Lose one Strength and all Units are reduced to a Moveof 1.

THREATS OF THE WORLD

Night Malefic - The Night Malefic is a constant threat to anyone outside the walls of a city. Any Force foundoutside of a city’s walls are vulnerable. If a Force moves over a Province or stays in a Province plagued withthese horrors they will gain Despair and lose a Unit at random for every month they are there. There areseveral of these threats looming in the world and they will move randomly at the beginning of every Season. There are even some places that are just so stained with violence and terror that they are permanently hauntedwith Night Malefic. These threats are Below Notice.

Rogue Forces - These Forces are generally small and are comprised of bandits, displaced populace, and Unitsthat have fled their home nations Forces. They will feed off of the land, steal from the populace, and Raidother Armies Supply Lines. Unless they are very large and powerful, it is unlikely they will ever directly faceanother Force straight on, unless they look weak or are outnumbered.

Non-Human Forces - Elves, Dwarves and Orcs are rarely seen outside of their native lands, and Forces ofsuch even less so. Orcs may be the most populace along their own border, driving raids into the lands ofCapacionne when they can. At times a tribe of them is found hiding in mountains, caves, and other darkplaces of the world where human settlements are non-existent. For the most part though, these races keep tothemselves and remain mysterious and unknowable.

Triumvirate Forces - Heretics, no longer Human, evil. These followers of Kuarl, Lazarolth, and Taranthalusare the bane of Humanity and must be purged above all else. These Forces are generally small but augmentedthrough their dark gods unholy gifts. Their ways are anathema, they must be stopped.

CONFLICT SYSTEM

When two opposing Armies meet in the field a Conflict occurs. A Conflict represents a series of skirmishes orsignificant battles over the course of the month that ends in a Province having one clear and decisivecontroller. The losing force takes casualties and is forced to retreat from the location to a neighboringProvince.

STEPS OF CONFLICT

1. Units are arranged in a line against one another according to their Formations.

2. Edges are determined, each side assessing their amount of Edges, the side with the most has a ConflictAdvantage.

Conflict Advantage - The side with the most Edges gains the following benefits for the duration of theConflict.

A bonus of +2 Strength to all units.

Units with special abilities often require Combat Advantage to execute those abilities. The abilities workautomatically when Combat Advantage is achieved.

3. Add any modifiers based on Orders, Terrain, Weather, etc.

4. Units using an Ambush Order make one free attack against their counterparts.

5. Roll Chaos of Battle dice (2 6-sided dice) and each result is added to each side according to their respectiverolls. These bonuses are added to the corresponding sides Unit’s Strengths for each round. Any previousbonuses/penalties from previous rounds are dismissed as the new result is applied.

Roll Result Bonus

2-3 -2

4-5 -1

6-8 0

9-10 +1

11-12 +2

6. Starting at the top of the Formations each pairing of Units perform simultaneous attacks against each other.

7. Once a Unit has dropped to zero Resilience they Fall Back and are removed from the field. Any remainingUnits will move to fill any gaps at the end of each round, sliding upwards towards the first slot.

8. Continue this process, steps 5 through 7 until one side has lost all of it’s Units.

9. Loser Retreats to a neighboring friendly Province along their own Supply Line and loses a Unit at Random. If they cannot Retreat along their own Supply Line, due to enemy Forces or some other unfortunate situation,they will flee as best they can away from Enemy Forces. If they cannot flee, they are wiped out in entirety. In

addition to losing a Unit they also gain Despair.

10. The winner gains Hope.

D E P R A V I T Y A N D I N S A N I T Y

MORALITY"A sheathed sword in the face of evil is tantamount to evil itself."

Gothic has a Morality system to represent the values of the culture that the characters belong to, and to provide a mechanical

anchor to represent the mental or spiritual strain that they represent. The morality system for most characters in Gothic is

represented by the Seven Deadly Sins. The reason for this is not necessarily that the Seven Deadly Sins are correct or accurate,

but that the characters in Gothic subscribe to them. A character from a very different background or location may have a

different set of rules that they live by, but this is uncommon for characters that live in the Throne.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

WRATH

1. Impassioned violation of another. Undue threats and aggression.

2. Intentional injury or violation of another. Killing in self-defense.

3. Premeditated murder or torture. Killing in cold blood. Inflicting unusual horrors upon another.

Wrath sins specifically apply to God-fearing humans, however gratitude from the church has stretched this to cover dwarves as

well.

HERESY

1. Blanching in the face of evil.

2. Suffering a witch or heretic to go unpunished.

3. Extending welcome, aid, or brotherhood to a heretic.

SLOTH

1. Telling small lies. Unnecessarily using powers when mundane solutions are available. Lies for personal benefit.

Impunctuality. Laxity in routines

2. Abandoning your dour duties or breaking oaths. Refusing others help when doing so is within your means.

Compulsive lying of any kind.

3. Dereliction of all responsibilities. Allowing injustice to transgress.

LUST

1. Sexual behavior without proper union

2. Prostitution of your body. Using sex as a tool to get your way.

3. Rape and extreme sexual perversion

GLUTTONY

1. Becoming intoxicated by choice

2. Recreational or abusive drug use

3. Voluntary addiction to anything

VANITY

1. Bragging of your personal ability or past accomplishments.

2. Abusing your position or authority for self gain outside of the duties of your station.

3. Forcibly sacrificing someone's life for your own gain.

GREED

1. Taking without asking when it will go unnoticed or unmissed. Not giving when within your means.

2. Stealing for personal benefit.

3. Hoarding surplus in times of another's need. Profiteering off of the desperation of others.

What is essential is invisible to the eye. Only with your heart can you see rightly.

SINKING INTO DEPRAVITY

Morality decisions and the advancement of Depravity are kept and recorded by the Staff. If a character ever gains an amount of

Depravity that exceeds the value allowed by their Faith Attribute, their deeds begin to truly come into conflict with their ideals. A

character in this position begins to redefine what they believe to be right and wrong, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and at

the same time begin to loosen the psyche bonds that keep their behavior in check. Such characters begin to aquire Insanities to

represent this change in their mental state, beginning with one appropriate Mild Insanity at the time in which their Depravity

first surpasses their Faith and continue to either gain new Insanities or exacerbate existing conditions for each Depravity they

gain after that. A normal character can have 5 Depravity before this occurs. An Affirmed character can have 6, a Faithful character

may have 7, and a Zealous character may have 8. Heartless characters may only have 3.

For example, Colette's recent encounter with her one-time rapist has pushed her beyond the realm of caring about what is right

and wrong, and she has murdered the man in an act of revenge. Colette has ordinary Faith. Colette already had 3 Depravity in

Vanity on another occasion, and premeditated murder is a Wrath 3 sin. This gives her 3 more Depravity for a total of 6, one more

than her ordinary Faith allows, and yields a Mild Insanity. The Staff decides that the emotional trauma over the event has pushed

her to never place herself in such a situation ever again so that she will never again have to kill someone else. Colette has a Mild

Compulsion to never allow men to touch her body in any way. See Insanities for specific rules.

Colette cannot gain any further Depravity for Wrath, having already maxed that category at 3. Having already broken that mental

barrier, she could kill other people without further emotional strain. The next man who tried to rape her might find her more

than willing to open his belly with the knife she keeps hidden in her blouse.

If Collette then stole money from her place of work in an unrelated situation to help pay for her own debts, that would be an act

of Greed 2. She would gain 2 more Depravity, bringing her total to 8. Collette would gain either an additional two levels onto her

existing Insanities, or 2 new mild Insanities, or any combination therein. The storyteller decides that her continued disregard for

other people in favor of herself has turned her Mild Compulsion to throw off men into a Severe one. This means she will actively

seek out the opportunity to make it happen, encouraging or teasing men into making advances against her just so she can throw

them off in spite. As well, the storyteller gives her the Mild Delusion that the law doesn't truly apply to her, and that when the

opportunity arises, she can do as she likes without really considering the law's consequences.

INSANITY

THE BREAKING POINT

There exist things in the world that the human psyche was not meant to interpret. There exist truths so horrible that they change

a man forever through their knowing. To survive these stresses, the mortal mind warps thought and reason. This is insanity, and

it can manifest itself in many shapes and to many degrees. Terrifying experiences can leave a person with relevant (or irrelevant)

phobias, and intense emotional loss of control can push a player into obsession. In a world so bleak and bereft of hope, madness

can lurk within the most unlikely places. Those that brave the unknown do so at their peril.

When you've lost who you are...what else is left?

THROUGH THE DOOR

When an insanity first manifests, the effects are usually much more controllable than they may later become. Aggravation of

weak points in the psyche can often make the problem worse, as can the stress of harsh resistance. Insanities come in three levels

of intensity: Mild, Severe, and Crippling. If something occurs to make an insanity worse, it will jump to the next tier of potency,

the effects will intensify, and it will be more difficult to resist. Resisting Insanities is done through the use of Discipline. As well,

knowledge can banish terror and bring rationality back into scope. An appropriate Lore can be added as a temporary Discipline

for the purposes of resisting insanities, as a bulwark against the madness.

Mild insanities require you to spend 1 Discipline to overcome for a scene. Usually at this stage, the insanity requires only

some small concession to be satisfied. If it requires a certain task or behavior from the character, such as setting a fire, stealing

something valuable, or cutting one's self, it will generally be something small and unnoticeable, but potentially humiliating to the

victim. Some people can go years with these sorts of insanities without anyone but the victim (or victims, as the case may be),

ever realizing.

Severe insanities are a different matter entirely, require you to spend 2 Discipline to overcome for a scene. These sorts of

inconsistencies come from long periods of denial, exceptionally fierce emotional stress, or serious personal failure when your

strength was needed most. Insanities of this caliber are much more difficult to hide from those that interact with the victim. At

this level of severity, in order to sate an insanity a much larger concession must be made. Unlike mild insanities, those afflicted

with this more severe variety, whether they would admit it to even themselves or not, often find ways to make the offending

circumstance occur, causing it to become a problem far more often. This stage includes people seeking privacy to harm

themselves or act out their desires, jumping to far flung conclusions about what is what, and the general endangerment of

themselves and others as reality and fantasy vie for equal footing.

Crippling insanities are exactly as their name implies: Crippling. Characters this far gone have serious difficulty functioning

in their world and may be incapable of taking care of day to day activities because of the interference of such a condition. An

insanity advanced to this level is nearly impossible to hide for long, and takes 3 uses of Discipline to overcome for a scene.

Madness of this level demands drastic behavior as the forces of reality and logic truly take a backseat to the character's inner

trials. This stage is marked by behavior that barely seems human, with decency and morality lying in tatters behind it as all law

and reason vanishes.

ON A PATH OF SHATTERED GLASS

There is a safe haven from this madness. There is a path back to the peace of sanity, for those of strong will and desire.

Recovering from Insanity requires that you face your tormentor and defeat it. In order to overcome their infirmity, a character

must enter a situation in which they must attempt to resist their Insanity, and then choose to spend 2 more Discipline than what

would normally be required. For example, someone wishing to recover from a Severe Insanity would require 4 uses of Discipline

at once, which is 2 more than normally required to resist. If they succeed at such a feat, their Insanity relaxes by one grade,

dropping from Crippling to Severe, Severe to Mild, or Mild to nothing at all.

A character can only perform this once per game session, and can only do so after having the insanity for at least one game

session.

A character can choose to spend their Downtime action working with another character and supporting them through their

personal issues. If this occurs, that character can grant one level of Discipline for the purposes of resisting Insanities above

normal. The character may use these Discipline levels to resist individual incidents of Insanity or acquire these over time and

accumulate them until they have enough to challenge their madness the next time they are faced with it.

STEPPING INTO ONE'S SHADOW

Insanities come in three general categories: phobias, delusions, and obsessions/compulsions. These categories follow the same

progression of Mild, Severe, and Crippling, but are different in what triggers them. Phobias trigger when the character is

presented with the object of their fear and Discipline would be required to enter a situation where their fear might be present.

Delusions are a constantly present alteration in how the character perceives reality and Discipline would be required to act or

reason in a way that contradicts the delusion. Obsessions and compulsions are things that the character must think about or

must do and Discipline would be required to not forsake other things in favor of an obsession or to not act on a compulsion.

The breakdown of insanities is as follows:

PHOBIAS:

Mild - Faced with the object of one's terror, in its direct presence, or with the reasonable expectation that their terror may be

present, 1 Discipline must be spent to proceed with that action. Even if Discipline is Spent, this situation and all more severe ones

inflict Fear on the character, making the use of any special combat maneuvers impossible. An example would be entering a room

where a zombie is known to be contained.

Severe - In any situation where there is a remote chance that their terror may be present, 2 Discipline must be spent to

proceed, plus the Fear status is applied. An example would be entering a crypt or graveyard, because zombies may or may not be

present.

Crippling - Any situation where the most remote of possibilities exist that their terror may be present requires 3 Discipline to

undertake, plus the Fear status is applied. Examples include turning out the lights or opening a door one has never opened

before, because a zombie may be hiding within.

DELUSIONS:

Mild - One minor thing in your reality is permanently changed, and all judgments related to this thing change with it. No

amount of rationalization or proof can dissuade you, your delusion will grow to include falsities in the proof. 1 Discipline would

be required to contradict your delusion in some manner for a scene. An example would be that your friend has actually dyed her

hair to reach its current color, or that you had once spent time in prison if you had not.

Severe - Your delusion grows to include a more elaborate explanation of the previous incarnation, and a relatively major fact

about your reality becomes permanently changed. Reasoning or acting in contradiction to the delusion for a scene now requires 2

Discipline. Examples include that your friend dyed her hair to avoid pursuit from the current government because she is a spy, or

that your time in prison included torture that you swear revenge over against those that imprisoned you.

Crippling - Your delusion becomes all encompassing as it includes vital facts about your every day life. Contradicting your

delusion in reason or action now requires 3 Discipline. For example, the spy you thought was your friend has sold you out to the

government to save herself, and now you must kill any government officials you see if you wish to survive, and likely swear

revenge on your betrayer. Your captors were foolish to torture you, and more foolish to permit your escape, for your true powers

have now awakened, and since you are a god, if not God himself, nothing can stop you.

OBSESSIONS & COMPULSIONS:

Mild - You find yourself thinking longingly constantly about a certain factor in your life, or simply unable to control the urges

related to this factor when it is present. In the presence of the focus of your obsession or compulsion, you must spend 1

Discipline to resist the urge to forsake all thoughts and desires in favor of your Obsession or the urge to act on your Compulsion.

An example of this would be ignoring all friends and allies in favor of a specific person, regardless of their needs or dangers, or a

compulsion to cut yourself whenever a knife and reasonable privacy is present.

Severe - The inability to separate yourself from your focus causes it to be the primary focus of your daily life. If the opportunity

exists to turn all of your attention to your specific focus, you must spend 2 Discipline not to do so. An example would be leaving

what you are doing to focus your attentions on a specific person, whenever it is possible to do so, regardless of what your

conspicuous absence from your duties or your possibly unwelcome presence will result in. Another example would be sneaking

off to cut yourself, and otherwise creating opportunities whenever possible to act on your focus.

Crippling - At this level, you will brook no further argument. You are simply unwilling and unable to accept a situation where

you are not in direct contact with your focus. Your aim is to make sure that there is no further distinction between you and it, and

whenever 3 Discipline is not spent to desist, you will do whatever is necessary to make this happen. Examples include kidnapping

the object of your obsessions and tying her up in a secluded place where you can be with her as much as you like, possibly until

one of you dies of starvation. Another example would be a refusal to allow any part of your body to be without its cut, slicing

away at any closed skin until wounds were all you were made of, regardless of the dire physical consequences.

D O W N T I M E S

DOWNTIME ACTIONS

Every character gets one Downtine Action that they can use to accomplish something during the time between game

sessions. All Active characters (those that have played at least one time in the past 3 game sessions) may participate in

the game through Downtime actions. Certain skills give ways to spend Downtime Actions to produce specific results,

such as Mining or Trapping, and some skills provide a new way to use your Downtime action once you achieve a certain

rank, such as Marketeer at Mercantile 5.

Any Character may use the following Downtime Actions.

Muscle - You may attempt to prevent characters from taking other kinds of actions. If someone tries to use Muscle to

prevent you from taking an action, Intimidate is compared, plus one for every person using Muscle on a given side. The

side with the most prevents the other side from taking the action.

This can be used for such things as guarding a place or object, trying to use a resource node like the mine when another

character wishes to use it, and so on.

Investigate - By exploring, digging through ruins, reading ancient documents and other sorts of research, you may try

to learn something about what happened here before the Throne arrived to take it over. At the end of the Downtime

period, a clue will be given to you about what happened. High levels of Perception and Academics will help you discover

better clues.

Vocation - [See Trade Guilds] Sell your products or services to others to attempt to make money during the Downtime.

The use of this Downtime action is partially dependent on membership in a Trade Guild, though anyone can attempt it.

Only a certain amount of uses of this Downtime are possible per Skill each Downtime.

Therapy - [See Path of Shattered Glass on Depravity and Insanity] Give up your downtime in order to comfort the

mentally ill. The downtime gives them +1 discipline in the upcoming game to resist/shake off their insanities

The following kinds of Downtime Actions are dependent upon some other Skill or ability, and their details are listed

under that ability on the Attributes and Skills page.

Marketeer - [See Mercantile on Skills] Raise or Lower the Market values of goods and services

Gather - [See Skills] Use your gathering skill to gain common or uncommon goods

Language - [See Character Creation] Learn a language

Instruction - [See Academics on Skills] Reduce the exp needed for purchasing a new ability through dedicated teaching

Streetwise - [See Skills] Gather information on an individual over the course of a month

Connections - [See Character Creation] Call upon your social connections to gain a favor

Trade Guilds - [See Character Creation] Gain information on wars, politics, and trade

Invention - [See Attributes] Create a new Mechanic for the game

Mechanics - [See Skills] Break down codes and open locks

Research - [See Skills] Learn a new Focus, Liturgy Code, or refine an Arcana. Requires Literacy.

Mass Production - [See Skills] Produce large amounts of goods (More than 10. Less does not require a Downtime

action)

Mastercrafting - [See Skills] Produce a single masterwork item, if your skill is great enough.

To submit your Downtime Action, please use the following form:

* Email Address

* Player Name

* Character Name * Downtime Type

* Leading?

No

Just Players

Just Retainers

Players and Retainers

* Details

F O R G L O R Y !

Glory is an out of character resource that players can earn for helping the game in some way. Similar to experience

points, it is earned instead by the player and spent for out of character considerations instead of in character abilities.

Below is a list of things that one can earn Glory for, and that it can be spent on. This list is not necessarily intended to be

exhaustive. If you help the game in some significant fashion that is not included on the list, it can still earn you Glory at

the Staff's discretion. Likewise, if there is some other special consideration you want that is not listed below, talk to Staff

to see if Glory is an appropriate way to resolve it, and how much it might cost.

Glory is transferable between players.

Contribution Glory Earned

Set up 1 Glory

Materials or Cash Donation 1 Glory/ $20 or equivalent value

Finish Tear Down 1 Glory

Support Staff 1 Game 3 Glory

Extra NPC duty when requested 1 Glory

Recruiting: New Player's First Game 1 Glory to Each

Recruiting: New Player's Third Game 5 Glory to Recruiter

Promotion and Advertising 1 Glory

Consideration Glory Spent

50% Game Cost Discount 5 Glory

No NPC Duty 5 Glory

Personal Plotline 10+ Glory

1 Experience Point 25 Glory

1 Missing Experience Point 5 Glory

Create Canon 5+ Glory

Serendipity 10+ Glory

Access to Perk or Flaw Outside Culture or Social Status 3x cost in Glory

Begin Play with Knighthood Perk 10 Glory

Begin Play with Holy Ordination perk 10 Glory

Begin play with Arcane Circle Initiation Perk 15 Glory

Begin play with the Heir Apparent Perk 20 Glory

Begin play with the Charismata Perk 30 Glory

Begin play as a Villain Concept 30+ Glory

50% Game Cost discount - We hope that cost never be a barrier to play in Gothic: the Lion Age. For those that have

difficulty paying the game's entrance fee, this option allows you to help the game in other ways instead of paying the full

cost.

No NPC Duty - Ordinarily players will be asked to volunteer to help staff as NPCs for 2 hours during each event,

blocking out the time during sign in. For those that wish to help the game in other ways, they can do so with this option.

Personal Plotline - Suppose you had unfinished business in your character's personal story (and you really really

should!). Perhaps his sister went missing when they were children and was never found. Perhaps a mentor promised to

one day impart all he knew, when the time was right. Perhaps your wizard is having trouble convincing her superiors

that she deserves promotion, and just needs a chance to prove it. Plots can and will happen to each character, and some

of them will be inspired by the details of specific character's backgrounds, flaws such as enemies or debts, and other

inspirations as they become appropriate, but this option allows the player to push things along on your schedule instead

of staff's. The scope of the plot and how much it affects current events determines the Glory cost.

Missing Experience Point - Different from the experience point option, this allows you to make up experience points

for games which you could not attend for whatever schedule or personal reason may have occurred. This only works if

you did not attend and gain experience points in any other way, if you attended the game as a full time NPC, or if the

game occurred after you began attending events of Gothic: the Lion Age.

Create Canon - If your character concept requires that some specific detail about the world be fixed into place in a way

that permanently changes the landscape of the game or may affect other people's character details in the future.. Perhaps

your concept is that your father is the head of the Cyanahim order, who raised to his position through treachery. This

means that detail becomes fixed into place and may affect other characters playing Cyanahim from here out. While its

true that every character's mere existence changes the world, this is for especially widespread or important changes to

canon. If someone has previously fixed the detail you are trying to fix, this may be unavailable or an alternative may

need to be found. The amount of characters and concepts possibly affected by the change and how much it may affect

them determines the Glory cost.

Serendipity - Sometimes something would work out if not for circumstance. Serendipity allows you affect

circumstantial events in the game world that are probably only important to you and your specific wants. Your character

may wish to meet a Strativinci fencing master so that she can learn their art, but none have happened to make the

journey to Stragosa. Serendipity could see one arrive in the town for a time, but it should be clear that this in no way

makes the master want to teach the student or inclines the character to any particular advantage. All of that must be

done on her own. The otherwise unlikeliness of this event, as well as its negative impact on existing plots determines the

Glory cost.