a game of

power politics
gunpowder diplomacy
renaissance magic
&
romantic skullduggery
by a couple of drakes
 A Couple of Drakes Publication
www.acoupleofdrakes.com

Court of Blades
Copyright © 2021 A Couple of Drakes INC
All rights reserved.

Hardcover ISBN: 979-8-9851134-0-2

A Couple of Drakes product number: ACOD0001
Printed in the USA.

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This work is based on Blades in the Dark

(found at http://www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design,
developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted by any means

without prior written permission of the publisher.

If you’re making copies for your own personal use, then go for it.
Consider this your “written permission” and happy gaming!

- A Couple of Drakes

Blades in the Dark™ is a trademark of One Seven Design. The Forged in the
Dark Logo is © One Seven Design, and is used with permission.
 Credits
shawn drake
Game Design & Writing

navi drake
Game Design, Writing, Layout,
& Project Management

brent jans
Copy Editing & Indexing

john harper
Title Design

colmena de papel
Art Direction

natalia klimczak
Cover Art

al lukehart rafael r. sinnott

Interior Art Interior Art

tim wilkinson lewis

Map Art

Visit our website for character sheets and other game materials.
www.acoupleofdrakes.com
 Special Thanks . . .
Chelsea Brown, our dear friend who inspired Court of Blades with her desire
for a tabletop roleplaying game filled with intrigue and romance. Rob Buchheit,
who went out of his way to offer help and resources to a fledgling game design
duo, and the team at Colmena de Papel for their support and advice.

The thousands of Kickstarter backers who believed in this project and pulled
together to bring it to life. You can find the full Kickstarter backers list in the
back of this book.

Our playtesters, without whose countless hours of play and feedback, Court
of Blades would have not been possible. Thanks Travis, Crawley, Slip, Chels,
Myth, Truth, Skelpie, Skaughtto, Kristin Devine, Rae Nedjadi, and everyone
who took the time to offer us encouragement, feedback and help along the way.

Last, but certainly not least, Sean Nittner, who joined us in playtesting and gave
us an incredible amount of guidance on our first foray into game design, and
John Harper, the creator of Blades in the Dark, which provided the blueprint for
this game, as well as for helping us design the Court of Blades title logo.

We will always be grateful.

acknowledgements
William Shakespeare for two houses, both alike in dignity.
Ron Edwards for Lines and Veils.
John Stavropoulos for the X Card.
Minerva McJanda & Douglas Santana Mota’s Legacy: Life Among the Ruins for
amazing abstraction stats for large organizations.
Kevin Crawford’s Stars Without Number for giving GMs a turn of their own.
Glen Cook’s The Black Company for making magic weird and empires terrifying.
Michael A. Stackpole’s The Dragoncrown War Cycle for nobles with masks
which show their true face.
Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time for Daes Dae’mar, the Great Game of Houses.
 Table of Contents
ch 1. introduction House Advancement ............... 058
The Game ............................... 002 Social Season Goals ................... 059
The Setting ............................... 003 Advancing in the Esultare ......... 060
The Players ............................... 003 The Other House Positions ........ 061
The Characters ......................... 004 House Rank Bonuses ................ 061
The House of Service ................ 004 PC Advancement ..................... 062
The Game Master ..................... 004 Coterie Advancement ............... 064
Playing a Session ...................... 005
Safety Tools .............................. 006 ch 2. characters
The Core System .................... 007 Character Creation ................ 066
The Game Structure ................. 008 The Bravo ................................. 073
Rolling the Dice ....................... 009 The Hawk ................................ 077
Actions & Attributes .............. 010 The Eye .................................... 081
Resistance Roll ....................... 014 The Couth ................................ 085
Stress & Scandals .....................015 The Knack ................................ 089
Action Roll ............................. 017 The Key .................................... 093
The Lady’s Favor ....................... 019 Standard Items ....................... 097
Action Roll Summary ............... 020 Coterie & House Creation ...... 098
Progress Clocks ...................... 022 House Corvetto ........................ 103
Position & Effect .................... 025 House Battalia .......................... 107
Tier ........................................ 028 House Bastien .......................... 111
Setting Position & Effect .......... 029 House Lovell ............................ 115
Consequences & Harm .......... 030 House Al-Mari ......................... 119
Healing Harm .......................... 033 House Elanda ........................... 123
Resistance & Armor ................ 035 Standard House Upgrades ...... 127
Special Armor ........................... 037 Retinues & Colleagues ........... 129
Death ....................................... 037
Fortune Roll ........................... 038
Engagement Roll .................... 040
Gathering Information .......... 041
Loadout ................................. 044
Teamwork .............................. 045
Flashbacks ............................. 047
Influence & Favor .................. 048
Romance ................................ 051
Romantic Entanglements ......... 054
The Faction Game .................. 055
Tier, In Depth .......................... 055
Spheres of Influence ............... 057
 ...

ch 3. downtime The Houses Minor .................... 190

Payoff ...................................... 132 The Uncouth ............................ 204
Influence ................................... 132 The Outsiders ........................... 214
Favor ......................................... 133 Contacts for Indulgences .......... 222
Exposure & Shame ................... 133
Reduce Exposure & Shame ...... 134 ch 5. playing the game
Downtime Activities .............. 135 Actions in Play ....................... 225
Acquire Assets .......................... 136 Player Best Practices ............... 250
Uncover a Plot .......................... 137 Example of Play ..................... 252
Long-Term Projects .................. 138
Recover .................................... 138 ch 6. game masters
Train ........................................ 139 Running the Game ................. 264
Indulge & Reduce Stress .......... 139 GM Goals ............................... 264
Intrigues ................................ 141 GM Actions ........................... 265
Rituals & Crafting ................. 144 GM Principles ........................ 272
Arcane Magnitude ................... 144 GM’s Best Practices ................ 273
Rituals ..................................... 146 GM Bad Habits ...................... 275
Crafting ................................... 149 The GM’s Turn ....................... 279
Sample Common Creations ..... 152 Advancing Houses Major ......... 282
Crafting Example ..................... 158 Introducing the 7th House ....... 283
Session One Checklist ............ 285
ch 4. a guide to ilrien
Abridged Timeline of Ilrien ...... 160 ch 7. roll charts
Dueling, the Court of Blades .... 161 Entanglements .......................... 288
Daily Life ............................... 162 NPC House Objectives ............ 292
Currency .................................. 163 Nearby Villages ....................... 295
The Great Game ........................ 163 Sprites & Spirits ....................... 296
Cuisine ..................................... 164 More People (NPCs) ................ 297
Law & Order ........................... 165 Threats to the City ................... 300
Magic & Superstition ............... 166 Minor Holidays ........................ 301
Culture .................................... 168
Weather & Seasons .................. 169 ch 8. change the game
Major Holidays .......................... 170 Special Playbooks ................... 306
Overheard in Ilrien ..................... 171 Expanding the Scope ................ 315
The City Districts .................... 172 Kickstarter Backers ................ 316
Map of Ilrien ............................. 178
Spheres of Influence Detailed ..... 180
Factions .................................. 188
The Houses Major ..................... 188 index ................................... 326
Chapter One
Introduction
 The Game
Court of Blades is a game of politics, magic, romance, and peril. It takes place
in a world populated by scheming nobles, unscrupulous court magicians, and
dashing duelists.

In Court of Blades, you take on the roles of retainers to a newly risen House
of the Esultare in the great city of Ilrien. The Esultare, composed of the six
Houses Major, are considered the most powerful families in the Principalities,
but amongst them they have their own pecking order. The First Prince sits atop
this hierarchy, with each citizen of Ilrien aware of every House’s position within
that order.

You have already risen so high. But to secure your place and ensure the House
you serve ascends to the highest seat of power in the world, you must learn the
secrets of your rival Houses, advance your own House’s agenda, and risk your
lives in a renaissance world of duplicity and magic. You are a retainer in a coterie.
Powerful, and yet the bottom of the greater family order. Your job is to support
the family until it is elected First House. Your private goal is to become a titled
part of the family through service, securing your legacy—or perhaps only leaving
the world better, or worse, than it was before you.

Can your characters play the Great Game and win it all, or will they fall prey to
the machinations of their rivals? Or worse yet, their own human failings.

what you need to play

• One copy of this book for reference.

• 2-5 players, and one game master.
• 6 six-sided dice to share.
• Blank paper or notecards and a pencil.
• Printed copies of the character playbooks,
and House sheet. (Reference sheets, and
maps can be helpful.)

2
The Setting
Ilrien, the seat of power. Our scene is laid in the Principalities; successor states
which threw off the yoke of a decadent, continent-spanning imperial nation
known as the Dread Empire. Quarrelsome since their inception over two-
hundred years before, the Principalities have fallen into an uneasy ceasefire after
decades of war. None have been more prosperous in the years of relative peace
than the city-state of Ilrien.

Situated on the coast, with natural deep-water harbors and a history of technical,
artistic, and magical innovation, Ilrien is positioned as the greatest city of this or
any other age. It is the center of learning, spirituality, art, magic, and romance.

Ilrien is also a phenomenally political city. The nobles are constantly engaged in
an exceedingly polite civil war. While there are always six leading families among
the Esultare, each with their own Prince, there can only be one First Prince.
Through careful maneuvering, bribery, manipulation, and murder, the Houses
of the Esultare advance their agendas while thwarting their rivals.

And so, the Great Game is played. Social sabotage and shadow warfare is waged
as the Great Houses court the Houses Minor, the Houses Minor seek to improve
their lot, and both manipulate the guilds, the church, and the common folk of
Ilrien to rise in favor and gain power and prestige.

The Players
Each player creates a character, referred to as a PC (or player character), and works
with the other players to create the coterie to which their characters belong,
shaping the House they choose to serve. Each player strives to bring their character
to life as an interesting, talented individual with personal goals and interests.
Players are rewarded for good roleplaying practices with experience (xp), making
it in everyone’s best interest to develop their characters a bit over every session.

The players work together with the Game Master to establish the tone and style
of the game. During play the players take responsibility for the game narrative
alongside the GM. They will make judgement calls about the mechanics, dice,
and consequences of actions, working with the GM to craft a compelling setting
and narrative.

3
 The Characters
The characters attempt to develop themselves and their coterie by performing
errands and contending with threats to the House they serve, as well as threats
from their own enemies, over distinct social seasons. They begin their adventure
as dedicated servants of little renown, and must carefully guard their reputations
from scandal and shame. With every advancement they become more integral to
the machinations of the family they serve and better known to the other citizens
of Ilrien.

The House of Service

In addition to creating the characters who will form your coterie, you will also
choose the House your coterie serves. Each House has its own set of strengths to
explore, and its own unique flavor to inspire the sort of stories your group wants
to tell. While any House can be played in whichever way the group wishes,
you will find that each House lends itself well to a specific playstyle, without
any modifications. House Corvetto lends itself well to skullduggery and magic,
Lovell to high politics and manipulation, Bastien to charity and good will, and
so on.

The Game Master

The Game Master (or GM) establishes the dynamic world around the characters.
They portray all the non-player characters (NPCs) in the world by giving each
one a concrete desire and preferred method of action. The GM helps organize
the conversation of the game so it points toward the interesting elements of
play. They are not in charge of the story and do not have to plan events ahead of
time. Instead, they present interesting opportunities to the players, then follow
the chain of action and consequences wherever they lead. This is the basis of the
“conversation,” the narrative push and pull which develops the fiction and the
course of play. Everyone, players and GM alike, has a hand in creating the story.

4
Playing a Session
A session of Court of Blades is like an episode of a TV show filled with taut
intrigue and romance. There are one or two main events, plus some possible
side-story elements, which all fit into an ongoing series. A session of play can
last anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the preferences of the group.
During a session, the coterie of retainers works together to choose an errand
to accomplish based on their goals for the social season. They spend time
gathering information, then they make a few dice rolls to jump into the action
of the errand in progress.

The PCs take actions, suffer consequences, and finish the errand (succeeding
or failing). Then the coterie has downtime, during which they recover, pursue
side-projects, and feed their indulgences to relieve stress. After downtime the
players once again assess their goals, and we play to find out what happens next.

before you start

It is recommended that at least one person in your group has read this book
all the way through before you begin. If you are familiar with other Forged in
the Dark games, many of the core mechanics will be familiar to you. If this is
your first time trying out a Forged in the Dark game, first of all, AWESOME,
we’re excited to bring you into the fold—but just as importantly, this game
may not make complete sense to you until you play it. When in doubt, just
start playing!

touch stones
Touch stones can be helpful for pitching a new game to friends. Below we’ve
provided some of the most well-known touch stones for the game that we could
think of to get you started.

Books: The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas. Romeo and Juliet, by William
Shakespeare. Homeland, by R. A. Salvatore. A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.
R. Martin. The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch.

Film & TV: Medici, by Nicholas Meyer and Frank Spotnitz. Rome, by Bruno
Heller, John Millius, and William MacDonald. Harlots, by Moira Buffini and
Alison Newman. The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola.

Video Game: Dragon Age Inquisition: Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, Bioware.

5
 Safety Tools
Court of Blades is a game of intrigue, scheming, and betrayal. It is easy to venture
into territory some game groups may find uncomfortable. Not all topics are
appropriate for all players, and the use of safety tools helps set boundaries for
exploring Ilrien in a manner which prioritizes player comfort and safety.

The most basic safety tool is open communication amongst yourselves regarding
what you do and do not want to see in your game world. This discussion fits best
in a “session zero”, wherein you discuss this and other aspects of your world. It’s
important to note this is not a time to interrogate eachother’s wishes. If a player
doesn’t want spiders anywhere in the game world, so be it, the Principalities are
now spider-free. Why a player wishes it so is unimportant to play, and while
there are many safety tools your group can use, we recommend two in particular.

Lines and Veils are used to set clear boundaries for what content can appear in
a game. Lines are hard limits which by no means are to be crossed. These are
subjects and things the GM or the players have no interest in engaging with
under any circumstances. Veils, on the other hand, are softer limits; things
acceptable to the GM or players so long as they are veiled, glossed over, or
mentioned only in brief passing. Veiled content may still appear in the game,
but never be highlighted, described in detail, or serve as the focus of a scene. It
is recommended Lines and Veils be tracked in your game notes, where they can
be updated or amended throughout play.

Regardless, upsetting content may appear suddenly in the course of the game.
The X-card is a safety tool for use in those instances. Ideally it is a simple
card with an “X” on it, which players or the GM can tap or hold up during
play to indicate something they wish to avoid. Other tools might be a digital
marker which can be pinged on the virtual tabletop of your choice. When the
X-card is tapped, pinged, or held up, play will pause, backtrack to before the
offending bit, and resume, avoiding the X-carded material entirely. If something
is X-carded during play it is recommended that another tool, such as Lines &
Veils, be updated to reflect the new subject so it does not appear again.

Far from restricting the subjects and material your group can explore, safety
tools allow your group to more freely explore difficult topics during play, with
everyone secure in the fact that play will not devolve into something upsetting
or outright harmful. Nothing which happens in an imaginary world, even one
as exciting as Court of Blades, is more important than the safety and well-being
of the very real people around your table.

6
The Core System
the conversation
Court of Blades is an exchange between the player characters (PCs) and the game
master (GM). No one is entirely in charge. It is a back-and-forth between all
involved until that conversation develops enough uncertainty for you to reach
for dice to decide the outcome.

Improvisation is a must. As you read through this book you will discover many
things are outlined, but otherwise left to your interpretation. This is entirely
intentional! The world of Ilrien and the Principalities changes based on the
interests of the players, so no two games of Court of Blades are played the same
way. If you do not find an answer to your question in the book, trust that you
are allowed to, in fact are supposed to, make it up along the way.

For example, in your first game a player may decide the contact “Mercy,
a foreigner” is a cut-throat mercenary named Jaque Mercy who works down
at the Docks. In another game a player may decide that it’s Sister Mercy, the
headmistress of an orphanage in the Twist. Each is true, including the third
option that comes up in your campaign.

judgement calls
When you play, you will make several key judgment calls. Everyone contributes,
but either the players or the GM gets final say in each instance.

• Which actions are reasonable as a solution to a problem? Can this person

be swayed? Must we get out the tools and tinker with this old rusty lock, or
could it also be wrecked with the butt of a pistol? The players have final say.
• How dangerous and how effective is a given action in this circumstance?
How risky is this? Can this person be swayed only very little or entirely? The
GM has final say.
• Which consequences are inflicted to manifest the dangers in a given circum-
stance? Does this fall from the roof break your leg? Do the Corvetto merely
become suspicious or do they already have damning evidence against you?
The GM has final say.
• Does this situation call for a dice roll, and which one? Is your character in
position to make an action roll or must they first make a resistance roll to
gain initiative? The GM has final say.
• Which events in the story match the experience triggers for character
and coterie advancement? Did you express your character’s beliefs, drives,
heritage, or background? You tell us. The players have final say.

7
 The Game Structure
Court of Blades has a structure to play, with three parts. By default, the game is
in free play—characters talk to each other, they go places, they do things, they
may gather information, and they make rolls as needed.

When the group is ready, they choose an objective for their next errand. They
may decide to gather additional information to aid them later, or they may
simply choose a type of plan to employ. This triggers the engagement roll
(which establishes the situation as the errand starts) and then the game shifts
into the errand phase.

During the errand, the PCs engage the target—they make rolls, overcome
obstacles, call for flashbacks, and complete the errand (successfully or not).
When the errand is finished, the game shifts into the downtime phase.

During the downtime phase, the GM engages the systems for influence, favor,
exposure, shame and entanglements, to determine all the fallout from the
errand. Then the PCs each get their downtime activities, such as indulging
themselves to remove stress or working on a long-term project, or intrigue.

When all the downtime activities are complete, the game returns to free play and
the cycle starts over again.

The structure is only a conceptual model to help you organize the game. You can
phase in and out of free play and the errand. Likewise, you may finish downtime
and then jump straight into the next errand. There is no rigid structure in Court
of Blades.

8
Rolling the Dice
Court of Blades uses six-sided dice. You will always roll between 1 and 6 dice, and
typically you will read the highest number.

• If the highest die is a 6, it’s a full success—things go well. If you roll more
than one 6, it’s a critical success—you gain some additional advantage.
• If the highest die is a 4 or 5, that’s a partial success—you do what you were
trying to do, but there are consequences: trouble, harm, reduced effect, et cetera.
• If the highest die is 1-3, it’s a bad outcome. Things go poorly. You probably
do not achieve your goal and you suffer complications, too.
• If you ever need to roll but you have zero (or negative) dice, roll two dice
and take the single lowest result. You cannot roll a critical success when you
have zero dice.

All the dice systems in the game are expressions of this basic format. When you
are first learning the game, you can always return to a simple roll to judge how
things go. Look up the exact rule later, when you have time.

To create a dice pool for a roll, you’ll use a trait (like your Body or your Mind,
or your coterie’s tier) and take dice equal to its rating. You’ll usually end up with
1 to 4 dice. Even 1 die is good—a 50% chance of success. The most common
traits you will use are the action ratings of the player characters. A player might
roll dice for their Hunt action rating when they track a rival, for example.

There are four types of rolls that you’ll use most often in the game:

• Action roll. When a PC attempts an action that may prove dangerous or

troublesome, you make an action roll to find out how it goes. Action rolls
and their effects and consequences drive most of the game.
• Downtime roll. When the PCs are at their leisure after an errand, they can
perform downtime activities in relative safety. You make downtime rolls to
see how much they get done.
• Fortune roll. The GM can make a fortune roll to disclaim decision making
and leave something up to chance. How loyal is an NPC? How much does
the plague spread? How much evidence is burned before the First Court’s
investigators knock at the door?
• Resistance roll. A player can make a resistance roll when their character
suffers a consequence they do not like. The roll tells us how much stress
their character suffers to reduce the severity of a consequence. When you
resist that “Publicly Snubbed” harm, you take some stress, and now it’s only
“Bruised Ego” instead.

9
 Action Rating & Attributes
There are 12 actions in the game that the PCs use to overcome obstacles.

• channel • hunt • skulk • sway

• command • maneuver • study • tinker
• consort • skirmish • survey • wreck

Each action has a rating (from zero to 4) which tells you how many dice to
roll when you perform that action. Action ratings do not just represent skill or
training—you’re free to describe how your character performs that action based
on the type of person they are. Maybe your character is good at Command
because they have a scary stillness to them, while another character barks orders
and intimidates people with their military bearing.

You choose which action to perform to overcome an obstacle, by describing

what your character does. Actions which are poorly suited to the situation may
be less effective and may put the character in more danger, but may still be
attempted. Usually, when you perform an action, you’ll make an action roll to
see how it turns out.

When you Channel, you open your mind to arcane power and draw on
sorcerous might.

You might navigate the tricky syllables of an ancient spell of binding. You
might quickly summon a magical ward to stave off harm. You might identify
a recently uncovered artifact, but Study might be better.

Channel, as an action, typically draws upon arcane energy in some form or

another. Knacks have an internal power, whereas for others Channeling might be
drawing it from an artifact, a trinket, a device, or an arcane creature or spirit.
“Blunts” can interact with the arcane, but Knacks create it.

When you Command, you compel obedience.

You might glare down a handful of thugs in an alleyway. You might get a fop
to retract an insult with a cutting remark. You might demand information
from mercenaries in league with your House, but Consort might be better.

10
When you Consort, you socialize amongst friends.

You might chat up the friendly tavern owner in hopes of learning when the
diplomat was last seen alive. You might draw out a secret from a confidant.
You might use a disguise and forged papers to bluff past a House guard, but
Skulk might be better.

When you Hunt, you carefully track a target.

You might follow a carriage as it crosses the city. You might navigate the press
of the crowd to find a sight-line on the hangman at the execution. You might
unobtrusively tail a corrupt priest, but Skulk might be better.

When you Maneuver, you traverse quickly and skillfully.

You might leap from roof-top to roof-top with a running start. You might
navigate the tricky steps of a fashionable new dance. You might carefully lie
by omission, but Consort might be better.

When you Skirmish, you entangle a target in combat.

You might slip a knife into the ribs of the street-tough hired to kill you. You
might fight an elaborate duel with an affronted rival. You might spring from
the shadows to neutralize the agent on your tail, but Wreck might be better.

When you Skulk, you move carefully so as to avoid notice.

You might keep to the shadows to avoid the attention of an attentive guard.
You might cobble together a disguise to pass as a rival House’s courier. You
might soundlessly pry open a window to secure entrance to a villa, though
Tinker might be better.

When you Study, you scrutinize details and interpret evidence.

You might decode an enciphered message or occult ritual. You might follow
the money to draw connections between hired bravos and your rival. You
might assume an enemy’s current intentions based on the number of warships
they have docked in the harbor, but Survey might be better.

11
 When you Survey, you observe the situation and anticipate outcomes.

You might scan a roofline for hidden assassins. You might recognize the mark
that separates gang territories in the Twist. You might recognize the embroi-
dery on a jacket as distinctive of a rival House’s favorite tailor, but Study
might be better.

When you Sway, you influence with guile, charm, or argument.

You might make a good impression upon the chamberlain to the Prince with
a honeyed word. You might provide convenient evidence to the captain of
the Watch to implicate a rival. You might engage in a debate at a dinner party
and try to win on the basis of being the better orator, but Maneuver might
be better.

When you Tinker, you fiddle with devices and mechanisms.

You might soundlessly pick a lock and slip inside a room your rivals thought
secure. You might quickly navigate a puzzle box. You might set a cunning
clockwork trap for a foe, but Hunt might be better.

When you Wreck, you utilize overwhelming force against a person or object.

You might use acid to melt a tricky lock on a strongbox. You might decide
that the only sort of diplomacy the gang boss understands is a chair across the
teeth. You might twist the weave of magic to incinerate a foe, but Channel
might be better.

As you can see, many actions overlap with others. This is by design. As a player,
you get to choose which action you roll, by saying what your character does.
Can you try to Wreck someone during a duel? Sure! The GM tells you the
position and effect level of your action in this circumstance. As it says, Skirmish
might be better (less risky or more effective), depending on the situation at hand
(sometimes it won’t be better).

To see detailed explanations of each Action Rating see: Actions in Play (page 225).

12
Action Roll Overview
You make an action roll when your character does something potentially
dangerous or troublesome. The possible results of the action roll depend on your
character’s position. There are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate.

If you are in a controlled position, the possible consequences are less serious.
If you are in a desperate position, the consequences can be severe. If you are
somewhere in between, it’s risky—usually considered the “default” position for
most actions.

If there is no danger or trouble at hand, you don’t make an action roll. You
might make a fortune roll, or use a downtime action and roll as appropriate.
Otherwise, the GM will simply say yes—and you accomplish your goal.

Attribute Ratings
There are three attributes in the game system that your player characters use
to resist bad consequences: Body, Mind, and Spirit. Each attribute has a rating
(from 0 to 4) that tells you how many dice to roll when you use that attribute.

The rating for each attribute is equal to the number of dots in the first column
under that attribute. (See the example on the following page.) The better-rounded
your character is with a particular set of actions, the better their attribute rating.

attributes & actions they govern

body mind spirit

• skulk • tinker • channel
• skirmish • study • command
• maneuver • survey • consort
• wreck • hunt • sway

13
 Resistance Roll
Each attribute resists a different type of danger. If you are embarrassed for
example, you resist social harm with your Spirit rating. Resistance rolls always
succeed—you diminish or deflect the bad result—but the better your roll, the
less stress it costs to reduce or avoid the danger.

When the enemy has a big advantage, you’ll need to make a resistance roll before
you can take your own action. For example, when you duel the master sword-
fighter, she disarms you before you can strike. You need to make a resistance roll
to keep hold of your blade if you want to attack her.

The GM judges the threat level of the enemies and uses these “preemptive”
resistance rolls as needed to reflect the capabilities of especially dangerous foes.

Find out more about Resistance Rolls under Resistance & Armor (page 35).

example

This character has:

3 dice to roll in Body

0 dice to roll in Mind

(roll 2d6 and take the lower result.)

2 dice to roll in Spirit

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Stress & Scandals
stress
Player characters in Court of Blades have a special reserve called stress. When they
suffer a consequence they do not want to accept, they can take stress instead.
The result of the resistance roll determines how much stress it costs to avoid a
bad outcome.

During a duel, Mia’s character, Cross, is stabbed in the chest. Mia rolls her
body rating to resist, and gets a 2. It costs 6 stress, minus 2 (the result of the
resistance roll) to resist the consequences. She marks off 4 stress and describes how
Cross survives.

The GM rules that the harm is reduced by the resistance roll, but not avoided
entirely. Cross suffers level 2 harm “Chest Wound” instead of level 3 harm
“Punctured Lung”.

pushing yourself
You can use stress to push yourself for greater performance. For each effect you
choose below, take 2 stress (each can be chosen once for a given action):

Add +1d to your roll. (This may be used for an action roll or downtime roll or
any other kind of roll where extra effort would help you)

Add +1 level to your effect.

Take action when you’re incapacitated, physically or socially.

scandals
When a PC marks their last stress box, they suffer a scandal. When you take a
scandal, circle one of your scandal conditions like sentimental, wicked, grasping,
et cetera. They are all described on the following page.

When you suffer a scandal, you are taken out of the current errand. You flee, are
incapacitated, or otherwise drop out of the situation. You will return later, with
a new personal reputation looming over you. When you do, you have zero stress
and your indulgence has been satisfied for the next downtime.

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 Scandal conditions are permanent. Your character acquires the new personality
quirk indicated by the condition, and can earn xp by using it to cause trouble.
When you mark your fourth scandal condition, your character cannot continue
as a retainer. You must retire them to a different life or send them to the
guillotine to take the fall for the coterie’s shame level.

scandal conditions

• Sentimental: You are known to be soft of heart, and easily

moved by misty-eyed emotion.

• Wicked: You are suspected of villainous appetites or

inclinations, and many expect your treachery.

• Grasping: Your reputation is one of bold social-climbing

and a lack of regard for those you hurt.

• False: You are known for deception and calumny; few can
afford to take you at your word.

• Gauche: You are known to be crass, graceless, and whether

by word or deed, unwilling to play the game of courtesy.

• Jealous: Your peers know that you covet what they have,
and they guard well against it.

• Faithless: You are reputedly unwilling to place your trust

in anyone or anything.

• Fragile: You are too easily cut by word or treacherous deed

to live long in Ilrien.

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Action Roll
When a player character does something challenging, we make an action roll to
see how it turns out. An action is challenging if there is an obstacle to the PC’s
goal that is dangerous or troublesome in some way. We do not make an action
roll unless the PC is put to the test. If their action is something that we expect
them to simply accomplish, then we do not make an action roll.

Each game group will have their own ideas about what “challenging” means.
This is good! It’s something that establishes the tone and style of your Court
of Blades series.

To make an action roll, we go through six steps. In play, they flow together, but
let us break each one down here for clarity.

1. The player states their goal for the action.

2. The player chooses the action rating.
3. The GM sets the position for the roll.
4. The GM sets the effect level for the action.
5. Add bonus dice as needed.
6. The player rolls the dice and we judge the result.

1. The Player States Their Goal

Your goal is the concrete outcome your character will achieve when they over-
come the obstacle at hand. Usually, the character’s goal is obvious in context, but
it is the GM’s job to ask and clarify the goal when necessary.

“You’re punching your paramour’s suitor in the face, right? Okay... what do
you want to get out of this? Do you want to take him out, or just rough him
up so he’ll do what you want?”

2. The Player Chooses the Action Rating

The player chooses which action rating to roll, flowing from what their
character is doing on-screen. If you want to roll your Skirmish action, then get
in a fight. If you want to roll your Command action, then raise your voice and
throw your weight around. You cannot roll a given action rating unless your
character is presently performing that action in the fiction.

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 3. The GM Sets the Position

Once the player chooses their action, the GM sets the position for the roll. The
position represents how dangerous or troublesome the action might be. There
are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate. To choose a position, the
GM looks at the profiles for the positions below and picks one that most closely
matches the situation at hand.

By default, an action roll is risky. You rarely roll when there is no risk involved. If
the situation seems more dangerous, if the PCs would have more to lose if they
fail here, make it desperate. If the PCs have the advantage, or do not stand to
lose much with a failure, make it controlled.

4. The GM Sets the Effect Level

The GM assesses the likely effect level of this action, given the factors of the
situation. What do the PCs stand to gain if they succeed here? Essentially, the
effect level tells us “how much” this action can accomplish: will it have limited,
standard, or great effect?

The GM’s choices for effect level and position can be strongly influenced by
the player’s choice of action rating. If a player wants to try to make a new
friend by Wrecking something—well... maybe that is possible, but the GM
would not be out of line to say it is a desperate roll and probably limited
effect. Seems like Consorting would be a lot better for that. The players are
always free to choose the action they perform, but that does not mean all
actions should be equally risky or potent.

5. Add Bonus Dice

You can normally get up to two bonus dice for your action roll (some special
abilities might give you additional bonus dice).

For one bonus die, you can get assistance from a teammate. They take 1 stress,
describe the manner in which they help you, and give you +1d.

For another bonus die, you may either push yourself (take 2 stress) or you can
accept a Lady’s Favor (you can’t get dice for both, only one or the other).

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 the lady’s favor

PCs in Court of Blades are professional retainers dedicated to the rise of their
House—they do not always act in their own best interests. To reflect this, the
GM or any other player can offer you a bonus die if you accept a Lady’s Favor.
The Lady’s nature is duality. She is fortune, both good and bad. Common Lady’s
Favors include:

• Add a new complication.

• Collateral damage, unintended harm.
• Sacrifice influence, or favor, or an item.
• Betray a friend or loved one.
• Offend or anger a faction.
• Start and/or tick a troublesome clock.
• Add exposure to the coterie from evidence or witnesses.
• Suffer harm.

The Lady’s Favor occurs regardless of the outcome of the roll. You make the deal,
pay the price, and get the bonus die. The Lady’s Favor is always a free choice. If
you do not like one, just reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider
taking it). You can always just push yourself for that bonus die instead.

If it is ever a point of contention, the GM has final say over which Lady’s Favors
are valid.

6. Roll the Dice and Judge the Result

Once the goal, action rating, position, and effect have been established, add
any bonus dice and roll the dice pool to determine the outcome. (See the sets of
possible outcomes, by position, on the following pages.)

The action roll does a lot of work for you. It tells you how well the character
performs, as well as how serious the consequences are for them. They might
succeed at their action without any consequences (on a 6), or they might succeed
but suffer consequences (on a 4/5), or it might just all go wrong (on a 1-3).

On a 1-3, it is up to the GM to decide if the PC’s action has any effect or not,
or if it even happens at all. Usually, the action just fails completely, but in some
circumstances, it might make sense or be more interesting for the action to have
effect even on a 1-3 result.

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 Each 4/5 and 1-3 outcome lists suggested consequences for the character. The
worse your position, the worse the consequences are. The GM can inflict one or
more of these consequences, depending on the circumstances of the action roll.
PCs have the ability to avoid or reduce the severity of consequences that they
suffer by resisting them.

When you narrate the action after the roll, the GM and player collaborate to
describe what happens on-screen. Tell us how you woo the courtesan. Tell us
what you say to the Sister to convince her. The GM will tell us how she reacts.
When you face the Blue Devil bravo, what is your dueling style like? Et cetera.

Action Roll Summary

• A player or GM calls for a roll. Make an action roll when the character
performs a risky, dangerous or otherwise troublesome action.
• The player chooses the action rating to roll. Choose the action that matches
what the character is doing in the fiction.
• The GM establishes the position and effect level of the action. The choice
of position and effect is influenced strongly by the player’s choice of action.
• Add up to two bonus dice. 1) Assistance from a teammate.
• 2) Push yourself (take 2 stress) or accept a Lady’s Favor.
• Roll the dice pool and judge the outcome. The players and GM narrate
the action together. The GM has final say over what happens and inflicts
consequences as called for by the position and the result of the roll.

action roll

• 1d for each Action rating dot.

• +1d if you have Assistance.
• +1d if you Push yourself
-or- you accept a Lady’s Favor.

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double duty rolls
Since NPCs do not roll for their actions, an action roll does double-duty: it
resolves the action of the PC as well as any NPCs that are involved. The single
roll tells us how those actions interact and which consequences result. On a
6, the PC wins and has their effect. On a 4/5, it is a mix—both the PC and
the NPC have their effect. On a 1-3, the NPC wins and has their effect as a
consequence on the PC.

Controlled—
You act on your terms. You exploit a dominant advantage.
• Critical: You do it with increased effect.
• 6: You do it.
• 4/5: You hesitate. Withdraw and try a different approach, or else do
it with a minor consequence: a minor complication occurs, you have
reduced effect, you suffer lesser harm, you end up in a risky position.
• 1-3: You falter. Press on by seizing a risky opportunity, or withdraw and
try a different approach.

Risky—
You go head-to-head. You act under fire. You take a chance.
• Critical: You do it with increased effect.
• 6: You do it.
• 4/5: You do it, but with a consequence: a complication occurs, you suffer
harm, you have reduced effect, you end up in a desperate position.
• 1-3: Things go badly. You suffer harm, a complication occurs, you end
up in a desperate position, you lose this opportunity.

Desperate—
You overreach your capabilities. You are in serious trouble.
• Critical: You do it with increased effect.
• 6: You do it.
• 4/5: You do it, but there is a consequence: you suffer severe harm, a
serious complication occurs, you have reduced effect.
• 1-3: It is the worst outcome. You suffer severe harm, a serious
complication occurs, you lose this opportunity for action.

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 Progress Clocks
A progress clock is a circle divided into segments. Draw a progress clock
when you need to track ongoing effort against an obstacle or the approach of
impending trouble.

Sneaking into a Prince’s garden? Make a clock to track the alert level of the
patrolling House guard. When the PCs suffer consequences from partial
successes or missed rolls, fill in segments on the clock until the alarm is raised.

Generally, more complex problems have more segments in their progress clock.

A complex obstacle is a 4-segment clock. A more complicated obstacle is a

6-clock. A daunting obstacle is an 8-segment clock.

When you create a clock, make it about the obstacle, not the method. The clocks
for an infiltration should be “Interior Patrol” and “The Tower,” not “Sneak Past
the House Guards” or “Climb the Tower.” The patrols and the tower are the
obstacles—the PCs can attempt to overcome them in a variety of ways.

Complex threats can be broken into several “layers,” each with its own progress
clock. For example, the First Prince’s palace might have a “Perimeter Security”
clock, a “House Guard” clock, and a “Vigilant Help” clock. The coterie would
have to make their way through all three layers to reach the ideal hiding place to
eavesdrop on the Prince’s clandestine meeting this evening.

Remember that a clock tracks progress. It reflects the fictional situation, so the
group can gauge how they’re doing. A clock is like a speedometer in a car. It
shows the speed of the vehicle—but the throttle controls the speed. Actions are
your throttle.

simple obstacles
Not every situation and obstacle requires a clock. Use clocks when a situation
is complex or layered and you need to track something over time—otherwise,
resolve the result of an action with a single roll.

Examples of progress clocks follow.

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danger clocks
The GM can use a clock to represent a progressive danger, like suspicion growing
during a seduction, the proximity of pursuers in a chase, or the alert level of the
bravo accompanying your target. In this case, when a complication occurs, the
GM ticks one, two, or three segments on the clock, depending on the consequence
level. When the clock is full, the danger comes to fruition—the House guard
hunts down the spies, sounds an alarm, releases the hounds, et cetera.

racing clocks
Create two opposed clocks to represent a race. The PCs might have a progress
clock called “Escape” while a rival coterie has a clock called “Cornered.” If the
PCs finish their clock before their rivals fill theirs, they get away. Otherwise, they
are cornered and cannot flee. If both complete at the same time, the PCs escape,
but the hunting coterie is on their heels!

You can also use racing clocks for an environmental hazard. Maybe the PCs
are trying to complete the “Search” clock to find the lockbox on the Prince’s
sinking ship before the GM fills the “Sunk” clock and the vessel goes down to
the bottom of the harbor.

linked clocks
You can make a clock that unlocks another clock once it is filled. For example,
the GM might make a linked clock called “Trapped” after an “Alert” clock fills
up. When you challenge a veteran council-member, she might have a clock for
her “Defense” and then a linked clock for “Vulnerable.” Once you overcome
the “Defense” clock, then you can attempt to overcome the “Vulnerable” clock
and defeat her argument. You might affect the “Defense” clock with cunning in
a debate, or you lower her defense with deception if you have the opportunity.
As always, the method of action is up to the players and the details of the fiction
at hand.

mission clocks
The GM can make a clock for a time-sensitive errand, to represent the window
of opportunity you have to complete it. If the countdown runs out, the errand
is scrubbed or changes—the target evades you, the household wakes up for the
day, et cetera.

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 warring clocks
You can make a clock that can be filled and emptied by events, to represent
a back-and-forth situation. You might make a “Revolution!” clock that
indicates when refugees start to riot over poor treatment in the Groan. Some
events will tick the clock up and some will tick it down. Once it fills, the
revolution begins. Warring clocks are also perfect for an ongoing competition
for resources between two factions.

long-term project clocks

Some projects and intrigues will take a long time. A basic long-term project
(like tinkering up a new feature for a device) is four segments. Truly long-
term projects (establishing an airtight cover identity for your colleague) can be
twelve segments.

A long-term project is a good catch-all for dealing with any unusual player goal,
including things that circumvent or change elements of the mechanics or setting.

faction clocks
Each faction has its own objectives. The Houses of the Esultare have more
advanced goals (covered under The GM’s Turn). When the PCs have downtime,
the GM may tick forward the other faction clocks for the Houses Minor, The
Uncouth, or The Outsiders that pique the players’ or their own interest. In this
way, the world around the PCs is dynamic and things happen that they are not
directly connected to, changing the overall situation in the city and creating new
opportunities and challenges.

The PCs may also directly affect NPC faction clocks, based on the errands and
other tasks they complete. Discuss known faction projects that they might aid
or interfere with, and also consider how a PC operation might affect the NPC
clocks, whether the players intended it or not.

romance clocks
The budding relationship between a PC and their paramour is represented by a
six-part clock, that also functions like a tug-of-war clock. Once a PC completes
this clock, they acquire a paramour and can build heat (a general measure of
how torrid and fraught the relationship is). This heat can be spent in a number
of ways detailed in the Romance section.

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Position & Effect
Position and effect are the most commonly used tools at the table. Any time a
roll needs to be made, you will first ask the GM what your position and effect
are. If your position (how controlled the situation is) or effect (how much impact
you can make in the situation) are unfavorable, there are ways to increase your
chances of success.

position
There are three positions in Court of Blades: controlled, risky, and desperate.
A controlled position means that you are at the lowest risk of having
complications arise from a gaffe or misstep. Though a consequence from a
mistake (not convincing the doorman of your purpose for needing an audience)
or poor choice (yelling during a covert mission), can quickly change your
position to risky.

While your position is risky, you are in danger of more serious complications
occurring. You take too long to get the door open, for instance, and now the
neighbors are growing suspicious.

Risky is generally the “sweet spot” for gameplay, where most of your rolls will
happen. But, enough unfortunate rolls can quickly push your position to
desperate. Desperate situations offer the greatest danger to everyone involved.

Morran has failed to disarm the guard and now the two of them are locked up
over a blade. The situation is now desperate. If Morran fails to control that steel
someone will undoubtedly take harm.

effect
In Court of Blades, you achieve goals by taking actions and facing consequences.
But how many actions does it take to achieve a particular goal? That depends
on the effect level of your actions. The GM judges the effect level using the
profiles below. Which one best matches the action at hand—great, standard, or
limited? Each effect level indicates the questions that should be answered for that
effect, as well as how many segments to tick if you are using a progress clock.

25
 Effect Levels / Clock Ticks—

Great, 3 Clock Ticks

You achieve more than usual. How does the extra effort manifest? What additional
benefit do you enjoy?

Standard, 2 Clock Ticks

You achieve what we would expect as “normal” with this action. Is that enough, or
is there more left to do?

Limited, 1 Clock Tick

You achieve a partial or weak effect. How is your impact diminished? What effort
remains to achieve your goal?

Assessing Factors
To assess effect level, first start with your gut feeling, given this situation. Then,
if needed, assess three factors that may modify the effect level: potency, scale,
and quality. If the PC has an advantage in a given factor, consider a higher effect
level. If they have a disadvantage, consider a reduced effect level.

potency
The potency factor considers particular weaknesses, taking extra time or a bigger
risk, or the influence of arcane powers. For example, an infiltrator is more potent
if all the lights are extinguished and they move about in the dark.

If you are in a situation where you have more or less potency due to the fiction,
this can be represented as more or less effect for your related action rolls. Your
potency is also altered when you are confronting something with a higher or
lower tier.

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quality
Quality represents the effectiveness of tools, weapons, or other resources, usually
summarized by tier. Fine items count as +1 bonus in quality, stacking with tier.

Trieste is picking the lock to a diplomat’s apartment. Her coterie is tier III and
she has fine lockpicks—so she’s effectively tier IV for this purpose. The diplomat
is exceptionally well-connected, and tier V. Trieste is outclassed in quality, so her
effect will be limited on the lock.

scale
Scale represents the number of opponents, size of an area covered, scope of influ-
ence, et cetera. Larger scale can be an advantage or disadvantage depending on
the situation. In battle, more people are better. When infiltrating, more people
are a hindrance.

When considering factors, effect level might be reduced below limited, resulting
in zero effect—or increased beyond great, resulting in an extreme effect.

If a PC special ability gives “+1 effect,” it comes into play after the GM has
assessed the effect level. For example, if you ended up with zero effect, the +1
effect bonus from your ability would bump them up to limited effect.

Also, remember that a PC can push themselves (take 2 stress) to get +1 effect
on their action.

Every factor will not always apply to every situation. You do not have to do an
exact accounting every time, either. Use the factors to help you make a stronger
judgment call—do not feel beholden to them.

consequences
When a PC suffers an effect from an enemy or a taut situation, it is called a
consequence. Consequences are the companion to effects. PCs have effects on
the world around them and they suffer consequences in return from the risks
they face.

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 trading position for effect
After factors are considered and the GM has announced the effect level, a player
might want to trade position for effect, or vice versa. For instance, if they are
going to make a risky roll with standard effect (the most common scenario,
generally), they might instead want to push their luck and make a desperate roll
but with great effect.

This kind of trade-off is not included in the effect factors because it’s not an
element the GM should assess when setting the effect level. Once the level is set,
though, you can offer the trade-off to the player if it makes sense in the situation.

“I maneuver across the courtyard and vault over the wall, hiding in the shadows
by the canal dock and gondola.”

“I don’t think you can make it across in one quick dash. The scale of the courtyard
is a factor here, so your effect will be limited. Let’s say you can get halfway across
with this action, then you’ll have to figure out how to traverse the other half of the
space (and the guards there) to reach the other side.”

“I didn’t realize it was that far. Hmmm. Okay, what if I just go as fast as I can.
Can I get all the way across if I make a desperate roll?”

“You can certainly try!”

tier
Tier is an important factor in Court of Blades. Tier is a representation of the
overall difficulty that others can expect from you, and that you can expect in
return when trying to work with or against something else. That can be another
House, or faction, or it can be a person or creature. You will begin the game at
tier II, the same as the House you serve. You are already a part of a powerful
House, and they lend their strengths to you as you do their business. When they
go up in tier (through your good work on their behalf ), you will as well.

For example, the Brizolatto family (a member of the Uncouth faction) is tier
IV, and the House you serve starts at tier II. The House you serve has a larger
standing home guard, more money, and more sheer crushing power, but for
the purposes of convincing the Brizolattos to do anything for you, you have
to account for their unique strengths: a large network of gangs, the ability to
intercept information and be ready for you, the difficulty you’ll have trying to
strong arm them, or their friends in unexpected and high places. Since open
warfare is frowned upon unless it’s approved by the First Court, these advantages

28
place the Brizolatto family at a higher tier compared to the House you serve. At
least for now.

Rolling against something with a higher or lower tier means that the GM
takes the power difference in the situation into consideration when deciding
your position and effect. Acting against a stronger target can result in things
becoming desperate or your normal successes being limited. Pursuing action
against a weaker target can result in things becoming controlled, or your normal
success being greater. Tier is discussed further under The Faction Game (page 55).

Setting Position & Effect

The GM sets position and effect for an action roll at the same time, after
the player says what they are doing and chooses their action. Usually, risky /
standard is the default combination, modified by the action being used, the
strength of the opposition, and any related factors.

The ability to set position and effect as independent variables gives you nine
possible combinations, to help you convey a wide array of fictional circumstances.

For example, if a character is facing off alone against a small rival coterie, the
situation might be:

• She fights the coterie straight up, rushing into their midst, hacking away
in a wild skirmish. In this case, being threatened by the larger force lowers
her position to indicate greater risk, and the scale of the coterie reduces her
effect (desperate / limited).
• She fights the coterie from a choke-point, like a narrow alleyway where
their numbers can’t overwhelm her at once. She’s not threatened by several
at once, so her risk is similar to a one-on-one fight, but there are still a lot of
combatants to deal with, so her effect is reduced (risky / limited).
• She doesn’t fight the coterie, instead trying to maneuver her way past them
and escape. She’s still under threat from many attacks, so her position is
worse, but if the ground is open and the coterie can’t easily corral her, then
her effect for escaping isn’t reduced (desperate / standard). If she had some
immediate means of escape (like leaping onto a speeding carriage), then her
effect might even be increased (desperate / great).

29
 • The coterie isn’t aware of her yet—she’s set up in a sniper position on a
nearby roof. She takes a shot against one of them. Their greater numbers
aren’t a factor, so her effect isn’t reduced, and she’s not immediately in any
danger (controlled / great).
• Maybe instead, she wants to fire off a salvo of suppressing fire against the
whole coterie, in which case their scale applies (controlled / limited). If the
coterie is on guard for potential trouble, her position is more dangerous
(risky / great). If the coterie is alerted to a sniper, then the effect may be
reduced further, as they scatter and take cover (risky / limited). If the coterie
is able to muster covering fire while they fall back to a safe position, then
things are even worse for our retainer (desperate / limited).

Consequences & Harm

Enemy actions, bad circumstances, or the outcome of a roll can inflict
consequences on a PC. A given circumstance might result in one or more conse-
quences, depending on the situation. The GM determines the consequences,
flowing from the fiction, style and tone established by the game group. There are
five types (below).

reduced effect
This consequence represents diminished performance. The PC’s action is not as
effective as they had anticipated. You hit him, but it is only a flesh wound. She
accepts the forged invitation, but she will keep her eye on you throughout the
night. You are able to scale the wall, but it’s slow going—you’re only halfway up.
This consequence essentially reduces the effect level of the PC’s action by one
after accounting for all other factors.

complication
This consequence represents trouble, mounting danger, or a new threat. The
GM might introduce an immediate problem that results from the action right
now: the room catches fire, you are disarmed, the coterie takes +1 exposure from
evidence or witnesses, you lose status with a faction, the target evades you and
now the chase is on, reinforcements arrive, et cetera.

Or the GM might tick a clock for the complication, instead. Maybe there is a
clock for the alert level of the guards at the manor. Or maybe the GM creates

30
a new clock for the suspicion of the noble guests at the masquerade party and
ticks it. Fill one tick on a clock for a minor complication or two ticks for a
standard complication.

A serious complication is more severe: reinforcements surround and trap you,

the room catches fire and falling ceiling beams block the door, your dueling foil
is broken, the coterie suffers +2 exposure, your target slips out of sight, et cetera.
Fill three ticks on a clock working against the coterie for a serious complication.

Don’t inflict a complication that negates a successful roll. If a PC tries to

corner someone and gets a 4/5, do not say that the person escapes. The player’s
roll succeeded, so the person is cornered... maybe the PC must wrestle them into
position and during the scuffle they grab the PC’s pistol. Or perhaps the person
is not who they first appeared.

lost opportunity
This consequence represents a shifting circumstance. You had an opportunity to
achieve your goal with this action, but it slips away. To try again, you need a new
approach—usually a new form of action or a change in circumstances. Maybe
you tried to Skirmish with the noble to trap her on the balcony, but she evades
you and leaps out of reach. If you want to trap her now, you will have to try
another way—maybe by Swaying her with your roguish charm.

worse position
This consequence represents losing control of the situation—the action carries
you into a more dangerous position. Perhaps you make the leap across to the
next rooftop, only to end up dangling by your fingertips. You have not failed,
but you have likewise not succeeded yet, either. You can try again, re-rolling at
the new, worse position. This is a good consequence to choose to show escalating
action. A situation might go from controlled, to risky, to desperate as the action
plays out and the PC gets deeper and deeper in trouble.

harm
This consequence represents a long-lasting debility (or death). It can be physical
or social in nature. When you suffer harm, record the specific injury on your
character’s playbook sheet equal to the level of harm you suffer. If you suffer
lesser harm, record it in the bottom row. If you suffer moderate harm, write it
in the middle row. If you suffer severe harm, record it in the top row.

See examples of harm and the harm tracker on the following page.

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 Your character suffers the penalty indicated at the end of the row if any or all
harm recorded in that row applies to the situation at hand. So, if you have
“Embarrassed” and “Battered” harm in the bottom row, you will suffer reduced
effect when you try to talk your way out of a risky situation with the Al-Mari
diplomat. When you are impaired by harm in the top row (severe harm, level 3),
your character is incapacitated and can’t do anything unless you have help from
someone else or push yourself to perform the action.

If you need to mark a harm level, but the row is already filled, the harm moves
up to the next row above. So, if you suffered lesser harm (level 1) but had no
empty spaces in the first row, you would have to record moderate harm (level 2),
instead. If you run out of spaces on the top row and need to mark harm there,
your character suffers a catastrophic, permanent consequence (loss of a limb,
sudden death, et cetera, depending on the circumstances).

This character has three harm: a “relieved from duty” (level 3, severe) plus
“embarrassed” and “battered” (both level 1, lesser). If they suffer another level 1
harm, it will move up to level 2. If they suffer another level 3 harm, it will move
up to level 4: Potentially Fatal.

harm examples
Potentially Fatal (4): Physical; Electrocuted, Drowned, Stabbed in the Heart,
Lost Limb.
Social; Excommunicated, Fugitive, Enemy of the State.

Severe (3): Physical; Impaled, Broken Leg, Shot in Chest, Badly Burned,
Terrified.
Social; Relieved from Duty, Disgraced, Shunned.

Moderate (2): Physical; Exhausted, Deep Cut to Arm, Concussion, Panicked,

Seduced.
Social; Atoning, Out of Favor with House X, Openly Mocked by House X.

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Lesser (1): Physical; Battered, Drained, Distracted, Scared, Confused.
Social; Embarrassed, Chastised, Whispers Behind your Back.

Harm like “embarrassed” or “exhausted” can be a good fallback consequence if

there’s nothing else threatening a PC (like when they spend all night studying
those old books, looking for any clues to their enemy’s weaknesses before
he strikes).

Healing Harm
Each House of the Esultare has either a Physician or a Grace in their employ,
indicating whether a House is more aligned with science and bodily health or
invested in faith and arcane healing, respectively. Healing harm in-between
errands is handled by the House’s Physician or Grace. They begin with +2d in
both Tinker and Channel. Additional skill in healing is obtained as the House
advances in rank amongst the Esultare, see: Esultare House Rank Bonuses (page
61) for details.

• A Grace rolling to heal physical harm does so with standard effect.

Greater effect on arcane harm.
• A Physician rolling to heal arcane harm does so with standard effect.
Greater effect on physical harm.
• Social harm is handled through a four-part healing clock like physical harm.
However, the PC’s damaged reputation never benefits from the House’s
healer. They will have to Consort or Sway to stamp out lingering effects of
social harm themselves, or get someone to intercede on their behalf.

When intercession outside of the House’s knowledge is called for, it may be

helpful to know that most city healers roll with +1d, or +2d if they are very
skilled. The PCs pay 1 influence for each healing roll made with a city healer,
though the healer could still require something extra in return for their service.
Coteries can choose to take on a special long-term project to make contact with
a more skilled Physician or Grace within the city as needed.

• Lesser harm (minor issues like bruised, tired, embarrassed, and so on)
naturally goes away in the resting period between errands.
You do not need to roll to heal lesser harm.

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 Anyone can roll as the House’s healer during downtime. Take the highest result.
To account for the “greater effect” for physicians healing physical harm, or
Graces healing arcane harm, treat all rolls as one result higher. IE. 1-3 becomes
a 4/5, a 4/5 becomes a 6, and a 6 becomes a critical success.

1-3: Mark 1 tick on the healing clock for one of your harms.
4/5: Mark 2 ticks on the healing clock for one of your harms.
6: Mark 3 ticks on the healing clock for one of your harms.
Critical: Mark all ticks on the healing clock for one harm.

Example: Mina has level 2 harm: cracked ribs (physical), level 3 harm: hexed
(arcane), and level 1 harm: rebuffed (social). Mina is having a terrible day.
The House she serves employs a Grace for its healer. When she decides to heal her
arcane harm: hexed, her teammate rolling as the healer rolls a 6. Because the
healer is a Grace, that 6 is treated like a critical success and Mina’s hex is cured
in one roll.

Next, she attempts to heal her physical harm: cracked ribs. This time the healer
rolls a 3, and with no bonus to physical heals as a Grace, Mina marks only one
tick off of her level 2 harm healing clock. She decides to keep the harm rather
than spending influence for more downtime actions so it follows her into the
next session. However, her level 1 harm: rebuffed, naturally heals itself with a
(narrative) good rest.

Your healing clock is located on your character sheet. It is always a four segment
clock. When you fill your healing clock, reduce each instance of harm on your
sheet by one level, then clear the clock. If you have more segments to mark, they
“roll over.”

Whenever you suffer new harm, clear any ticks on your healing clock.

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Resistance & Armor
When your PC suffers a consequence that you would rather not, you can choose
to resist it. Just tell the GM, “No, I don’t think so. I’m resisting that.” Resistance
is always automatically effective—the GM will tell you if the consequence is
reduced in severity or if you avoid it entirely. Then, you will make a resistance
roll to see how much stress your character suffers as a result of their resistance.

You make the roll using one of your character’s attributes (Mind, Body, or
Spirit). The GM chooses the attribute, based on the nature of consequences:

• Mind: Consequences from deception or understanding.

• Body: Consequences from physical strain or injury.
• Spirit: Consequences from mental strain or willpower.

Your character suffers 6 stress when they resist, minus the highest die result
from the resistance roll. So, if you rolled a 4, you would suffer 2 stress. If you
rolled a 6, you would suffer zero stress. If you get a critical result, you also clear
1 stress.

Ian’s character, Silas, is in a heated debate with members of the First Court, a
desperate position as he tries to Sway the Court. One of the Judges makes a cutting
allusion to a recent failed bid of Silas’ to bribe a chamberlain of the First Court.
Since the position was desperate, the GM inflicts severe harm (modified by any
other factors). They tell Ian to record level 3 harm, “Disgraced” on Silas’s sheet.
Ian decides to resist the harm, instead. The GM says he can reduce the harm by
one level if he resists it. Ian rolls 3d for Silas’s Mind attribute and gets a 5. Silas
takes 1 stress and the harm is reduced to level 2, “Shamed.”

Usually, a resistance roll reduces the severity of a consequence. If it looks as

though you are going to suffer fatal harm, for example, a resistance roll would
reduce the harm to severe, instead. Or if you got a complication when you were
sneaking into the manor house, and the GM was about to mark three ticks
on the “Alert” clock, she would only mark two (or maybe one) if you resisted
the complication.

You may only roll against a given consequence once.

The GM also has the option to rule that your character completely avoids
the consequence. For instance, maybe you are in a sword fight and the
consequence is getting disarmed. When you resist, the GM decides you avoid that
consequence completely, keeping hold of your weapon.

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 By adjusting which consequences are reduced vs. which are avoided, the
GM establishes the overall tone of your game. For a more daring game, most
consequences will be avoided. For a grittier game, resistance will only reduce
most consequences.

The GM may also threaten several consequences at once, allowing the player to
choose which ones to resist (and make rolls for each).

“She stabs you and then leaps off the balcony. Level 2 harm and you lose the
opportunity to catch her with fighting.”

“I’ll resist losing the opportunity by grappling her as she attacks. She can stab me,
but I don’t want to let her escape.”

Once you decide to resist a consequence and roll, you suffer the stress indicated.
You cannot roll first and see how much stress you’ll take, then decide whether
or not to resist.

resistance roll

• 1d for each Attribute rating.

• You reduce or avoid the effects of
the consequence (GM chooses).
• Suffer 6 stress minus the highest
die result.
• Critical: Clear 1 stress.

armor
If you have a type of armor that applies to the situation, you can mark an armor
box to reduce or avoid a consequence, instead of rolling to resist.

For example, Silas is taking level 2 harm, “Cut to the Ribs,” and the duel isn’t
even over yet, so Ian decides to use Silas’s armor to reduce the harm. He marks
the armor box and the harm becomes level 1, “Bruised.”

When an armor box is marked, it cannot be used again until it is restored. It has
already saved your life and gotten damaged in the process. All of your armor is
restored when you choose your load for the next errand.

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special armor
Every playbook is granted a special armor feature. This feature is a special ability
which allows the playbook to resist a single consequence or complication per
errand related to a specific area of expertise. In many ways it is like the armor
which any playbook can acquire with load. When a consequence that might be
resisted by the special armor is mentioned, the player marks off the armor and
describes how their armor saves them.

The difference lies in which cases the special armor is used. For instance, the
Eye may resist a complication related to detection or security against them or their
coterie for which they are present. Their expertise can be the difference between
a guard spotting the coterie as they climbed the walls of the Lovell compound
or becoming waylaid by the clockwork tumblers safeguarding the vaults of the
Bank of Brass and Bone, but their coterie cannot benefit from their knowledge
if they are not physically present.

death
There are a two main ways for a PC to die:

• If they suffer level 4 fatal harm and they do not resist it, they die. Sometimes
this is a choice a player wants to make, because they feel like it would not
make sense for the character to survive, or it seems right for their character
to die here.
• If they need to record harm at level 3 and it is already filled, the character
suffers a catastrophic consequence, which might mean sudden death
(depending on the circumstances).

When your character dies, you have options. You can create a new retainer to
play. Maybe you “promote” one of the NPCs in your game to a PC, or create a
brand-new character who joins the coterie.

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 Fortune Roll
The fortune roll is a tool the GM can use to aid in decision making. You use a
fortune roll in two different ways:
When you need to make a determination about a situation the PCs aren’t
directly involved in and don’t want to simply decide the outcome.

Two rival factions in the Groan are fighting. How does that turn out? The GM
makes a fortune roll for each of them. One gets a good result but the other gets

limited effect. The GM decides that the first faction takes over some of their rivals’
territory but suffer some injuries during the skirmish.

When an outcome is uncertain, but no other roll applies to the situation at hand.

While the riot breaks out in the Twist, Bertrand and his coterie are caught
between The Unburnt, The Motley, and House Bastien pikemen. As the fires rage
and the three sides close in on the crossroads where the coterie try to make their
escape, the GM makes a fortune roll. Will the Unburnt honor their contract? Will
they hold back the Motley? Are they in league with the Bastien Pikemen? Do they
even know the PCs are here?

When you make a fortune roll you may use any trait rating to determine the
dice pool of the roll.

• When a faction takes an action with uncertain outcome, you might use
their tier rating to make a fortune roll.
• When an NPC operates independently, use their quality rating for a fortune roll.
• When a supernatural power manifests with uncertain results, you might use
its magnitude for a fortune roll.
• When a PC gathers information, you might make a fortune roll using their
action rating to determine the amount of the information they get.

If no trait applies, roll 1d for sheer luck or create a dice pool (from 1to 4) based
on the situation at hand. If two parties are directly opposed, make a fortune roll
for each side to see how they do, then assess the outcome of the situation by
comparing their performance levels.

The fortune roll is also a good tool to help the GM manage all the various
moving parts of the world. Sometimes a quick roll is enough to answer a question
or inspire an idea for what might happen next.

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Other examples of fortune rolls:

• The PCs instigate a war between two factions, then sit back and watch the
fireworks. How does it turn out? Does either side dominate? Are they both
made vulnerable by the conflict? Make a few fortune rolls to find out.
• A strange sickness is sweeping the city. How badly is a crime ridden district
hit by the outbreak? The GM assigns a magnitude to the plague, and makes
a fortune roll to judge the extent of its contamination.
• The Hawk stakes out a good spot and makes a sniper shot against a foreign
diplomat when he enters his residence. The controlled Hunt roll is a success,
but is great effect enough to instantly kill them? Instead of making a progress
clock for his mortality, the GM decides to use a simple fortune roll with his
“toughness” as a trait to see if he can possibly survive the attack. The roll
is a 4/5: the bullet misses his heart, but hits him in the lung—it’s a mortal
wound. He’s on death’s door, with only hours to live, unless someone can
get an expert Physician or Grace to him in time.
• The City Watch is putting a case together against the PC coterie. How
quickly will their evidence result in House dismissal and arrests? The
coterie’s shame level counts as a major advantage for the watchmen.
• The PCs face off in a skirmish with a veteran Mercy and her sister-
exorcists. The tide of battle goes in the PCs’ favor, and many of their retinue
are killed. One of the players asks if the Mercy will surrender to spare the
rest of her team’s lives. The GM isn’t sure. How cold-hearted is this Mercy?
She’s hunted demons, looked them in the eye without flinching... is there
anything human left inside her? The GM makes a 2d fortune roll for “human
feelings” to see if a spark of compassion remains in her heart. If so, maybe
one of the PCs can roll to Consort, Sway, or Command her to stand down.

fortune roll

• 1d for each Trait rating.

• +1d for each Major Advantage
• -1d for each Major Disadvantage

1-3: Bad result / Poor, little effect.

4/5: Mixed result / Limited, partial effect.
6: Good result / Standard, full effect

Critical: Exceptional result / Great, extreme effect.

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 Engagement Roll
The engagement roll is a special type of fortune roll which comes into play
when the Coterie has the necessary plan and detail to begin an errand. First,
they decide what type of plan they are undertaking. The plans are outlined on
every Playbook for reference and are as follows: Assault, Deception, Stealth,
Arcane, Social, or Transport.

There are two reasons for choosing a general plan before beginning an errand.
First, it keeps the Coterie on the same page. If half of the Coterie wants to use
Stealth to bypass the Elanda House Guard and steal their ledgers while the
other half of the Coterie wants to run a Social errand and earn formal access to
Elanda’s ledgers, it is best to iron out this wrinkle before the engagement roll is
made. The second reason involves taking advantage of bonuses awarded by some
abilities or Spheres of Influence.

Example: The Grand Gate has the following Perks: +1d to gather
information regarding comings and goings within Ilrien. Take +1 to your
engagement roll when acting on that information.

When the Players are ready to make the engagement roll, they begin with 1d for
sheer audacity on the part of the Coterie, with the total number of dice rolled
modified by any major advantages or disadvantages affecting them.

Major Advantages and Disadvantages

• Is this errand particularly bold and daring? Take +1d. Is it overly complex or
contingent on luck or outside factors? Take -1d.
• Does the plan leverage one of the House’s strengths? Take +1d. Is the target
strongest against this approach or are they prepared for this eventuality?
Take -1d.
• Can any of your friends or contacts provide aid or insight into this errand?
Take +1d. Are your enemies or rivals interfering in this errand? Take -1d.
• Will this errand in some way endanger or reflect poorly upon one of your
paramours? Take +1d and lose 1 heat with them. Will you allow your
paramour or their reputation to complicate this errand? Take -1d and gain
1 heat with them.

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• Are there other elements you wish to consider? Maybe a lower-tier target
might afford you +1d, or a higher-tier target gives you -1d. Maybe there’s a
situation in the district which makes the errand more or less troublesome.

1-3: You’re in a desperate position when the action starts.

4/5: You are in a risky position when the action starts.
6: You’re in a controlled position when the action starts.
Critical: Exceptional result. You’ve already overcome the first obstacle, and are
in a controlled position for whatever is next.

The engagement roll assumes the PCs approach the object of the errand with as
much care, attention, and intelligence as they can, given the nature of the plan
and detail they have provided. We do not need to play out tentative maneuvers
or special preparations. The engagement roll covers that. The PCs are already in
action, shadowing the courier, maneuvering across the ballroom at the Corvetto
masquerade, cornering the double agent, etc. Cut directly to the action resulting
from of the approach.

Gathering Information
The flow of information from the GM to the players about the fictional world is
very important in a roleplaying game. By default, the GM tells the players what
their characters perceive, suspect, and intuit. But there’s just too much going on
to say everything—it would take forever and be boring, too. The players have a
tool at their disposal to more fully investigate the fictional world.

When you want to know something specific about the fictional world, your
character can gather information. The GM will ask you how your character
gathers the info. Alternately, if it is information your character might already
know, the GM may ask how they learned it in the past.

If it’s common knowledge, the GM will simply answer your questions. If there’s
an obstacle to the discovery of the answer, an action roll is called for. If it’s not
common knowledge but there’s no obstacle, a simple fortune roll determines
the quality of the information you gather.

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 Each attempt to gather information takes time. If the situation allows, you
can try again if you don’t initially get all the details that you want. But often,
the opportunity is fleeting, and you’ll only get one chance to roll for that
particular question.

Some example questions are on the bottom of the character sheet. The GM
always answers honestly, but with a level of detail according to the level of effect.

The most common gather information actions are Surveying the situation to
reveal or anticipate what’s going on and Studying a person to understand what
they intend to do or what they’re really thinking.

Sometimes, you’ll have to Maneuver yourself into position before you can
gather information. You might have to Skulk to a good hiding place first, and
then Study the Mercies when they perform their binding ritual.

investigation
Some questions are too complex to answer immediately with a single gather
information roll. For instance, you might want to discover the network of
contraband smuggling routes in the city. In these cases, the GM will tell you to
start a long-term project that you work on during downtime.

You track the investigation project using a progress clock. Once the clock is
filled, you have the evidence you need to ask several questions about the subject
of your investigation as if you had great effect.

examples & questions

• You might Command a local barkeep to tell you what he knows about the
secret meetings held in his back room. What’s really going on here? What’s
he really feeling about this? Is he part of this secret group?
• You might Consort with a well-connected friend to learn secrets about
an enemy, rival, or potential ally. What do they intend to do? What
might you suspect about their motives? How can you discover leverage to
manipulate them?
• You might Hunt a courier across the city, to discover who is receiving
satchels of fiore from a master duelist. Where does the package end up?
How can you find out who signed for the package?
• You might Study ancient and obscure books to discover an arcane
secret. How can you disable the runes of warding? Will anyone sense if
they’re disabled?

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• Or you might Study a person to read their intentions and feelings. What are
they really feeling? How could you get them to trust you?
• You might Survey a manor house to case it in order to spy on a meeting
later. What’s a good point of infiltration? What’s the danger here? Or you
might Survey a charged situation when you meet a rival coterie. What’s
really going on here? Are they about to attack us?
• You might Sway a powerful Prince at a party so she divulges her future
plans. What does she intend to do? How can you get her to think you
might be a good partner in this venture? Or you might Sway her bravo to
confide in you about recent events. Where has she been lately? Who’s she
been meeting with?

gather information

Ask a question and make an action roll or a fortune roll. The

GM answers you honestly, with a level of detail depending on
the effect level.

Great—
You get exceptional details. The information is complete and
follow-up questions may expand into related areas or reveal
more than you hoped for.

Standard—
You get good details. The information is useful, though
incomplete. Clarifying and follow-up questions are possible.

Limited—
You get incomplete or partial information. More information
gathering will be needed to get all the answers.

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 Loadout
Before you begin an errand, you will be expected to declare how much gear your
character is carrying, based on what you think you will need to accomplish the
goal. This is your character’s “load”.

You will have access to all of the items and gear on your character’s Playbook
sheet during each errand. The idea here is that your character is skilled and
talented, and knows what they need to bring on an errand (even when you, the
player, do not). As you and your coterie go about completing your errand, you
will tick off the load boxes next to each item you use, but only after you’ve used
it. Your load also determines your movement speed and your conspicuousness.

load & effects

1-3 Load: Discrete, you’re faster, less conspicuous, and you blend in
with the citizenry.

4-6 Load: Loaded, you look like a specialist out on an errand. You look
like trouble.

7+ Load: Encumbered, without special skills or abilities, you are

encumbered at this point and only capable of moving very slowly.

Example: The coterie is asked to escort an important diplomat from the city
gates to their patron’s house. Anna, their Knack, is expecting this errand to be a
milk run. All the coterie has to do is keep their heads down, and blend in, so she
declares she’ll be taking a discrete load.

When they run into trouble along the way, Anna is forced to use her armor to
avoid being seriously harmed in an ambush, costing her two of the three load she
declared when she decided to go discrete. When she produces her Fine Arcane
Focus to make her diversion more potent so that the coterie can escape, she
marks off her last load box. She has now spent all three of her declared load and
must rely only on her skills and quick thinking for the rest of the errand.

Unless she has a little stress left to burn, in which case she can use a flashback,
which we’ll discuss in the next section!

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Teamwork
When the PCs work together, they gain access to four special teamwork actions.
They are listed on all of the character Playbooks to remind players of their
options. Players are always welcome to act on their own and without aid. These
actions are optional, and provide various bonuses to players to represent the
coordinated action of a coterie working together.

teamwork actions

• Assist another PC who is rolling an action.

• Lead a group action.
• Protect a teammate.
• Set up a character who will follow through on your action.

assist
When you assist another player who is rolling, describe what your character
does to help them. Take 1 stress and give them +1d to their roll. You may also
suffer consequences occuring due to the roll, depending on the circumstances.
Only one character may assist any given roll. If you want to help someone who
is already being assisted, consider using a set up action instead.

Note: A character can assist a group action, provided they are not taking part in
the group action themselves. Decide which character in the group action gets
the +1d, and mark 1 stress.

group action
When you lead a group action you coordinate with your coterie members to
accomplish a goal. Describe how your character helps the action as an individual.
For example, do you give commands, signals, or motivation?

Every PC involved in a group action makes a roll using the same action rating,
and the coterie counts the best roll as the overall effort for everyone who
participated. However, the PC who leads the group action takes 1 stress for each
PC whose best result was a 1-3. A PC does not have to be skilled in an action
to help, the group action leader essentially absorbs the fallout from poor rolls.

45
 Mira decides to lead a group action for the coterie to sneak into the tower at the
Grand Gate. Everyone who wants to sneak in rolls their Skulk action at the same
time, and the best result counts for the whole team. Jin rolled a 6, so the coterie
succeeds without complication. However, Mist and Bran both rolled in the 1-3
range. Mira takes 2 stress for the coterie members who rolled poorly. It is no frolic
covering for the stragglers.

The group action result covers everyone who rolled. You can also lead your
coterie’s retinues and colleagues (NPCs hired by your coterie) with a group
action. Roll Command if you direct their efforts, or the appropriate action
rating if you participate with them. The retinue or colleague always rolls its
quality level.

set up
When you perform a set up action you have an indirect effect on an obstacle. If
your action has its intended result, any coterie member who follows through on
your set up gets +1 effect level or improved position for their roll. You choose the
benefit based on the nature of your set up action.

This is a great way to contribute to an operation when you do not have a good
rating for the action at hand. A clever set up allows you to help your coterie
indirectly. Multiple follow up actions can take advantage of your set up
action, including someone else leading a group action, so long as it makes sense
in the narrative.

Set up actions are especially helpful in situations where the coterie is facing a
challenge or opposition that has advantages in quality, scale, and/or potency.
Even if PCs are reduced to zero effect due to disadvantages in a situation, a set
up action provides a bonus that allows for limited effect.

protect
You step in to face a consequence on behalf of a coterie member. You suffer
the consequence instead of them. You may roll to resist the consequence as
normal. Describe how you intervene.

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Flashbacks
The rules do not distinguish between actions done in the present and those
carried out in the past. When an errand is underway and your retainer is on the
job, you may invoke a flashback to roll for an action in the past that impacts
your current situation. Maybe you convinced the district watch sergeant to look
the other way while you broke into the Al-Mari warehouse, so you make a Sway
roll to see how that went.

The GM sets a stress cost when you activate a flashback action.

• 0 Stress: An ordinary action for which you had an easy opportunity.
• 1 Stress: A complex action or unlikely opportunity.
• 2 (or more!) Stress: An elaborate action that involved special opportunities
or contingencies.

After the stress cost is paid, a flashback action is handled just like any other
action. Sometimes it entails an action roll because there is some degree of danger
or trouble involved. Sometimes a flashback will require a fortune roll because
we just need to find out how well it went (or how long it took, or how much
it accomplished, et cetera). Sometimes a flashback will not call for a roll at all,
per the GM’s approval, because you can just pay the stress cost and consider
it accomplished.

If a flashback involves a downtime activity, pay influence for it instead of stress.

One of the best uses for a flashback is when the engagement roll goes badly.
After the GM describes what sort of complications have ensued or what kind
of trouble you have gotten yourself into, you can call for a flashback to a special
preparation you made, “just for such an occasion.” This way, your “flashback
planning” will be focused on the problems that do happen rather than those
that might arise.

limits of flashbacks
A flashback is not time travel. It cannot undo something that has just occurred
in the present moment. For instance, if the Corvetto bravo saw you walking
across the Plaza carrying the marked courier’s bag containing the bribe money,
you cannot simply call a flashback to have already dueled and killed him the
night prior. The narrative has established the bravo is there and looking at you.

You could, however, flashback to tipping off a couple of Blue Devils who have it
out for this particular, luckless bravo, affording yourself an armed and dangerous
obstacle between you and your Corvetto rival.

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 Influence & Favor
influence
Influence is an abstract measure of clout and respect in the eyes of the House
you serve.

The money which PCs use in their daily lives is not tracked. They are in service to
a House of the Esultare, only position matters. Assume money is of no concern.
If a character wants to spend to achieve a small goal (bribe a doorman), assume
they do so. However, if they mean to leverage their influence within the House
to accomplish an objective (enter an exclusive party), make a check using the
coterie’s tier to determine the character’s reputation.

influence values

• 1 Influence: Faithful service as a coachman.

• 2 Influence: A friendly chat with a business associate, perhaps a bit of
negotiation and compromise.
• 4 Influence: Covering a significant social gaffe, exposing a rival’s shame.
• 6 Influence: A ruinous secret, found or hidden.
• 8 Influence: Discreet disposal of a body, escorting an heir of the House for
a weekend’s carousing.
• 10 Influence: Interception of an assassin’s poison, admission of high treason
in lieu of shaming the House.

More than 4 influence is an impractical amount to remember. Memories in

Ilrien are short where good deeds are concerned, even when vendettas drag
on forever. You must spend the excess or count it instead as status.

influence use

• Spend 1 influence to get an additional activity during downtime.

• Spend 1 influence to increase the result level of a downtime activity roll.
• Spend influence to avoid certain coterie entanglements.
• Put influence in your character’s status tracker to improve their lifestyle and
circumstances when they retire.

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leveraging personal status
If you want to trade lasting status for momentary influence, you may do so,
at a cost. Your character risks their legacy in order to gain influence within the
House. For every 2 status removed, you gain 1 influence. This can be handy
for the purpose of securing something immediately necessary for an errand.

personal status & retirement

When you mark your character’s final scandal and they retire, the amount of
influence they have managed to accrue determines their fate. Your status tracker
is on your character Playbook sheet.

• Status 0-10: Brief Candle. You end up in the Twist, awash in vice and
misery.
• Status 11-20: Faithful. A simple post overseeing a business which benefits
the House. Occasionally, you receive an invitation to a function, though
typically only as an afterthought.
• Status 21-39: Courtier. You have earned a suite in the House proper and
you even command a modicum of respect. Your history is rumor, and few
give it credence. But my how they talk.
• Status 40: Confidante. A well-appointed home, a villa perhaps, claiming
luxuries of which few could even dream. You are still thought of highly and
the House sends a coach and attendants when they require your presence.

In addition, each full row of Status (10 Status) indicates the quality level of the
individual character’s reputation in the eyes of the city, from zero (no one)
to four (family).

Bertrand wants to impress upon an Elanda merchant that the great House
Corvetto will brook no further undercutting of silk prices in Ilrien. To make the
point stick, Bertrand tells the merchant, “You know who I am. Now understand
how important my masters are considering this matter to send me.” Bertrand’s
player makes a status check.

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 Favor
Favor is your reward for helping forces outside of your own House.

The factions you help will remember your willingness to do them a good turn.
You can spend this favor when it benefits you, but the more banked favor you
have with any faction type (each individual Major House, Houses Minor,
Uncouth, Outsiders, or the Citizenry) the more friendly they will be toward you
in general, which can help offset any tier differences in negotiations.

Favor is tracked on your Coterie’s shared House Sheet, where you have multiple
tracks for filling up favor will the factions of the city.

Much like influence, keeping track of more than 4 favor with any one faction is
impractical, but there is no system for banking it. Instead, if you completely fill
one of the favor trackers, everyone takes +2 status on their Playbook sheets for
having made the House integral to the thriving of another faction. You can only
take the +2 status once for each faction.

favor use

• Favor with one of the Major Houses can be traded to take

advantage of one of their Spheres of Influence for an errand.
• Spend a favor to acquire an asset from the Houses Minor
without spending a downtime.
• Spend a favor with the Citizenry to gain access to somewhere
typically off limits, or safe harbor in an unfriendly area.
• Spend 2 favor with a faction group to buy down like/hate
status with an individual faction under its umbrella.

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Romance
Ilrien is a city of romance, danger, and dangerous romance. That said, if
romance and the mechanization of romance does not feel appropriate or right
in your game, feel free to ignore the following mechanics and the paramour
system entirely.

A paramour is the singular object of a PC’s affection. A PC might carry romantic

aspirations for multiple characters, but they can only benefit from a single heat
clock at any one time.

acquiring a paramour
If the paramour is an NPC, a 6-part romance clock is made to begin courtship.
Downtime actions may be spent to fill this track as normal, and when it is
completed, you may begin to mark “heat” to represent the overall tenor of the
relationship, progressing from courtship (1-3) to love (4-6). These are marked on
the PCs playbook sheet. You also gain an additional indulgence: your paramour.

Heat can be gained by indulging in your torrid new love affair. Indulgence
of this kind does not use the standard rules for overindulging. Instead, when
you clear more stress than you have currently gained, you suffer a romantic
entanglement. You may also gain heat through the use of long-term clocks
in the downtime phase, or the acceptance of complications related to the
relationship on engagement rolls for errands, typically a -1d on the engagement
roll as the relationship somehow threatens the secrecy or safety of the errand.

Heat can be spent to gain the following benefits:

• The paramour will intercede with a related faction to prevent a shift in
faction status (-2 to -3, for instance).
• If your paramour is of a higher status, you may make use of the paramour’s
status (typically the tier or reputation of the organization to which they
belong) for the course of an errand.
• If your Paramour is of a lower status, you take 2 less exposure for an errand
if they can help you by covering for your actions.
• Acquire asset rolls which in some way leverage your relationship to secure
an asset related to your paramour cannot roll below a 4/5.
• Heat may be spent on a 1 for 1 basis to gain favor with the faction group
(Houses Major, Minor, Outsiders, Citizenry, Uncouth) to which they belong.

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 While courting (1-3 heat) you may only spend 1 heat per errand. While in love
(4-6 heat) you may spend heat freely. If ever you spend your last heat, roll a
romantic entanglement.

Relationships between PCs do not require a heat clock, they are instead
adjudicated as a deepening of the bonds between characters. PCs can assist their
PC paramour once per errand without paying stress.

protect a paramour

Protecting your paramour in a manner which requires a resistance

roll costs reduced stress, as detailed below:

1-3: 2 Stress 6: No Stress Cost

4/5: 1 Stress Critical: Recover 2 Stress

assigning edges and flaws

When you acquire an NPC paramour you may, at your discretion, assign one or
two of the following edges and an equal number of flaws. Paramours must have,
at minimum, one of each.

Edges
• Connected: Your paramour is well thought of in their circles and has no
trouble in getting exactly what they (and you) need.
• Protective: Your paramour will sacrifice their safety for yours.
• Doting: Your paramour will offer their assistance without reservation or
strings attached.
• Well-Protected: Your paramour is insulated from the dangers of your world.

Flaws
• Jealous: Your paramour will not suffer anything else being the center of
your world lightly.
• Meddling: Your paramour is quick to get involved in your business concerns.
• Flighty: Your paramour is often distracted by other matters requiring their
attention.
• Star-crossed: Your paramour is caught between love and duty; your love
will always be a forbidden one.

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 romantic entanglements

heat 0
(1-2) You Broke My Heart: Your paramour seeks you out and explains how you
have hurt them. Whether the tears are sadness or rage, you cannot stop thinking
about them. Reduce your stress track by 1 for the next errand.

(3-4) Public Scorn: The end of your relationship is messy and public. The fallout
leaves your reputation (and those of any who associate with you) damaged. Lose
1 favor with their associated faction group. Additionally, reduce your reputation
with their faction by -1 unless you pay influence equal to your tier.

(5-6) Hell Hath No Fury: You have pushed too far, salted the earth of this
relationship. You have lost them as a paramour permanently. Add them to your
contact list as a rival.

heat 1-3
(1-2) Idle Gossip: News of your blossoming romance is proving especially
diverting in society circles and scandal rags. Your coterie gains +2 exposure
unless you pay 1 favor or 2 influence with the Houses Minor.

(3-4) A Lover’s Quarrel: Somehow the words just came out wrong and before
you knew it, you were fighting. You may not indulge with your paramour until
you make amends. Whatever help they still offer will be chilly at best.

(5-6) Familial Censure: Your paramour’s faction has made it clear you are not a
welcome figure in their life. Your coterie suffers -2 reputation with their faction.
Your paramour cannot reduce this change with heat.

heat 4-6
(1-2) A New Suitor: Someone else is intent upon your paramour. If you want
to maintain your relationship, you’ll have to disgrace, discredit, or otherwise deal
with their new suitor.

(3-4) Unwitting Pawn: Your paramour has been an unwitting pawn for a
faction with which you have a negative reputation. They have set you up. Your
next engagement roll is made a -2d.

(5-6) Sent Aside: Your paramour has been removed from the city “for their
own good.” They will not return until the next Social Season. When they return,
make a fortune roll. You may keep (or gain) heat equal to the number rolled.

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The Faction Game
tier, in depth
Each notable faction is ranked by tier—a measure of wealth, influence, connec-
tion and scale. At the highest level are the tier V and VI factions, the most
powerful factions of the city. Your coterie begins at tier II, the same as the House
you serve, and will always match the House’s tier. Your coterie’s rise in power is
inextricably linked to your House.

You use your tier rating to roll dice when you acquire an asset, as well as for any
fortune roll for which your overall power level and influence is the primary trait.
Your tier determines the quality and scale of the retinue your coterie employs—
and thereby what size of enemy you can expect to handle.

retinue scale by tier

• Tier V. Massive Retinue (80 People)

• Tier IV. Huge Retinue (40 People)
• Tier III. Large Retinue (20 People)
• Tier II. Medium Retinue (12 People)
• Tier I. Small Retinue (3-11 People)
• Tier 0. Aides (1-2 People)

The quality level of items used by the coterie is also determined by their tier.
They are furnished with reasonably good tools to see to their jobs from the start.
House tier only changes through advancement of their position within the
Esultare (discussed later).

Example: If you challenge a bravo who serves the First Prince of Ilrien to a duel,
they will be squaring up with tier V equipment. If you are the Third House, your
equipment will be tier III. The difference in your skill may be marginal, but
the difference in your equipment quality will put you at a considerable disad-
vantage. This may look like “limited effect” as the default effect setting. Push
yourself to increase your effectiveness, or suggest that you both choose to fight with
the same swords, and no armor, to make things fair.

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 faction status
Your coterie’s status with each faction indicates how well you are liked or hated.
Status is rated from -3 to +3, with zero (neutral) being the default starting status.
You track your status with each faction on the faction sheet, or written out on
a piece of paper.

When you create your coterie, you assign some positive and negative status
ratings to reflect recent history. The ratings will then change over time based on
your actions in play.

faction status changes

When you execute an errand, you gain -1 or -2 status with factions hurt by
your actions. You may also gain +1 status with a faction your operation helps.
If you keep your operation completely quiet then your status doesn’t change.
Your status may also change if you do a favor for a faction or if you refuse one of
their demands.

faction status levels

• +3: Allies. This faction will help you even if it is not in their best
interest to do so. They expect you to do the same for them.
• +2: Friendly. This faction will help you if it does not create serious
problems for them. They expect you to do the same.
• +1: Helpful. This faction will help you if it causes no problems or
significant cost for them. They expect the same from you.
• 0: Neutral
• -1: Interfering. This faction will look for opportunities to cause trouble
for you (or profit from your misfortune) so long as it incurs no compli-
cations or significant cost for them. They expect the same from you.
• -2: Hostile. This faction will look for opportunities to hurt you so long
as it does not create serious problems for them. They expect you to do
the same and take precautions against you.
• -3: War. This faction will go out of its way to hurt you even if it’s not
in their best interest to do so. They expect you to do the same and
take precautions against you. When you are at war with any number
of factions, your crew suffers +1 exposure from errands, and PCs
get only one downtime action rather than two. You can end a war
by diminishing your enemy or by negotiating a mutual agreement to
establish a new status rating.

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Spheres of Influence
Spheres of Influence represent influential places within the city, each with its
own merits and value. The coterie’s House will begin with one sphere in the city
in which they have influence, meaning they have three new contacts, one of
which is a strong/reliable contact in that location. During House creation the
coterie will choose any one sphere of influence that interests them, except for
The Palace, which always belongs to whichever House sits as the First House of
the Esultare. Taking a new sphere of influence always comes with a cost and the
potential to make a new friend or rival.

See: Spheres of Influence Detailed (page 180).

seizing additional spheres of influence

Every sphere of influence is controlled by a House of the Esultare at the start
of the game. The PC’s House begins with one. To acquire additional spheres of
influence they must be taken from someone else. To press a new claim, you must
raise your House’s rank amongst the Esultare. When a House rises they will be
given the ability to take one sphere of influence from the House they surpass.

Example: House Battalia has just failed to complete its primary goal in the course
of the current social season, owing chiefly to a brilliant countermove by House
Lovell. However, as the Battalia fall from grace and lose control of their holdings,
it is House Al-Mari, rising to claim the Battalia’s position as Fourth House, who
claim one of Battalia’s former holdings as their newest sphere of influence. They
choose to take the Armory. But can they hold it?

As soon as you seize a sphere of influence, you enjoy the listed benefit for as long
as you hold the claim. However, as other factions also operate in the area, you
will have to decide how best to keep them appeased or risk their ire.

losing a sphere of influence

If the coterie’s House falls in rank amongst the Esultare, the House taking their
place will take one of their spheres of influence. In this case, a fortune roll can
be used to determine which one is taken, if there is no option that makes more
narrative sense than another. Your strong/reliable contact from the lost sphere
will still meet with you, when it doesn’t endanger them, but the other contacts
will shun you immediately until you hold the sphere they work in again.

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 House Advancement
the social season
Court of Blades is divided into sections of play called social seasons. Think of
these as loosely detailed periods of time in which a lot of maneuvering happens.
They also neatly align with the four seasons of the calendar year.

Your GM, acting on behalf of the House, will present a number of problems
requiring your attention. You have only three errands you can accomplish per
social season, so there will always be something you cannot see to personally.
Consider what is worthy of your personal attention carefully. Your coterie’s
successes and failures on these errands dictate your House’s fortune and ability
to advance. Excel and your House will rise. Fail, and you risk stagnation and
falling into obscurity.

After your three errands are complete, the game will move onto the next social
season, time will pass, other factions will make their moves (see: Advancing
Other Houses Major (page 279)), and the city will change, hopefully for the
better, but very possibly for the worse.

choosing goals for the social season

At the beginning of each social season the coterie is presented with a number of
issues the House would like to have dealt with, perhaps in the form of a dossier
from the coterie’s favorite House liaison. The coterie chooses a primary goal as
their “must do” task, and possibly a secondary goal as their “nice to do” task. As
entanglements arise and PCs interact with the world, they will undoubtedly be
faced with other challenges and complications. There will be external pressures
from Houses Major or Minor, as well as other factions to juggle. The players
decide when and how their PCs meet these challenges.

Each season consists of three engagements (typically dealt with over three
sessions of play, one session for each engagement), and the House must decide
which three of the several moves outlined below are best to undertake during any
given social season. There will never be enough time to accomplish everything a
coterie may wish to accomplish in a single social season.

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 social season goals

Primary Goal:
Broker an important deal. Conscript a notable ally. Rally a defense of
the city. Uncover a treasure. Host the most lavish party (and defend it).

Optional Secondary Goal:

Acquire additional or new resources for your House or coterie. Earn the
trust of a useful faction. Vet and hire fresh faces for your retinue.

Something Arising:
Food shortages over winter. Thugs harassing an important connection.

Something Personal:
You will make enemies that will steal your time, you will make friends
that will borrow your time. Managing important relationships with
NPCs and factions falls under this category.

Thwarting a Rival:
Stop another House from achieving their primary goal. No one climbs
to the top without treading upon a few faces.

Making Amends:
Your coterie has caused the family shame, you are required to spend
time they would otherwise have to advance the House’s agenda in
making amends in order to return to business as usual.

advancing in the esultare

The various successes and failures from your social season will award or take
away dice from your House advancement roll. At the end of the social season
you will roll the number of dice earned to determine how your House has fared.
Depending on the outcome you will either maintain your position or gain
one-to-three clock ticks on your warring House Advancement Clock.

The GM will handle the rolls dictating what happened to the other Houses
during the season. The GM will tick their House Advancement Clocks as
appropriate, and afterward the order of the Houses will shift accordingly.

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 house advancement roll dice

Primary Goal: +2d if met, 0d if not met.

Optional Secondary Goal: +1d if met, 0d if not met.
Something Arising: +1d if met, 0d if not met.
Something Personal: 0d if met or unmet.
Thwarting a Rival: 0d if met or not met, *-1d if plot is uncovered
or unsuccessful. To thwart a rival House, you must uncover one of their
long-term objectives. If you succeed in opposing this long-term objective,
they cannot roll to progress that clock at the end of the social season.
Making Amends: 0d if met or not met, -1 level of shame if met.

When you’ve finished the social season, tally up the number of dice
you have earned and make a fortune roll. Use the chart below to
dictate how much your House advances.

1-3: Maintain the Same Clock Ticks

4/5: +1 Clock Tick
6: +2 Clock Tick
Critical: +3 Clock Ticks

Example: During the last three errands that made up the last social season, your
coterie successfully completed their Primary Goal, acquiring a rare piece of
artwork for the House. This afforded them +2d. When a Minor House came
forward with troubles with their grain supply, you completed your Something
Arising by dealing with bandits outside of town and restoring law to the trade
route for +1d. However, when you attempted to Thwart a Rival House, your
plot was discovered and foiled [-1d].

At the end of the season, you reflect back on those three errands and conclude
you had earned 2 dice [+2 +1 -1] to roll for your House Advancement Clock.
When you roll a 2 and 4, taking the highest result, you gain +1 clock tick. In this
case, that +1 clock tick was all that was needed to move your House up in rank.

Congratulations, your House is now considered the Fifth House of the

Esultare. The new Sixth House is not well pleased.

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determining the other houses’ positions in the esultare
At the start of the game, the group determines how the other five Houses of the
Esultare are ranked. For random ranking, use a 6-sided die and roll in order from
House one, to House five. Ignore repeats and whichever House your PCs have
chosen to represent.

1- Corvetto 3- Bastien 5- Al-Mari

2- Battalia 4- Lovell 6- Elanda

Warring clocks will keep track of every House’s position in the city through-
out the game. You start as the Sixth House, at 1 clock tick, unless you have the
popular House feature from choosing House Bastien, in which case you start with
2 clock ticks. Whenever there is a tie between two Houses, the incumbent main-
tains their position within the Esultare.

Draw 6 clocks with 12 segments each and fill in the following number of
segments for the Houses in order:

First House: 11/12 Third House: 7/12 Fifth House: 3/12

Second House: 9/12 Fourth House: 5/12 Sixth House: 1/12

esultare house rank bonuses

What would being on top mean if there were not any perks? Based on
your House’s position amongst the Esultare, take the following bonuses:

1: Your House gains access to the Palace. Your House becomes tier V.
*At this point you have won the game as a group, but you may decide
to continue to play to see if you can hold this position, or until all PCs
have the status required to retire as family.
2: Your House’s healer (grace or physician) gains even more skill, adding
an additional +1d to healing rolls made for your coterie.
3: You may select two additional contacts from any of the spheres of
influence you do not already control. Your House becomes tier IV.
4: You may now earn a fourth die in a skill. You temporarily lose that die
if you fall below the rank of Fourth House, until the rank is regained.
5: Your House’s healer (grace or physician) becomes more skilled, gaining
+1d to healing rolls made for your coterie. Your House becomes tier III.
6: The lowest House in the Esultare is left to rely on only their grit and
determination. You begin here, and the House you serve is tier II.

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 Advancement
pc advancement.
Each player keeps track of the experience points (xp) their character earns.

During the game session, mark xp:

• When you make a desperate action roll. Mark 1 xp in the attribute for
the action you rolled. For example, if you roll a desperate skirmish action, you
mark xp in Body. When you roll in a group action that is desperate, you
also mark xp.

At the end of the session, review the xp triggers on your character sheet. For
each one, mark 1 xp if it happened during the session. You can get a maximum
of 4xp per errand, unless you have taken a skill that awards you an additional
xp trigger, such as the Bravo’s Code Duello. You may then mark a maximum of
5xp per session.

You may mark end-of-session xp on any xp tracks you want (any attribute or
your playbook xp track).

pc xp triggers

• Your playbook-specific xp trigger. For example, “Address a challenge

with violence or panache.” To “address a challenge,” your character should
attempt to overcome a tough obstacle or threat. It does not matter if the
action is successful or not, you get xp either way. If you addressed an
obstacle with violence, take 1 xp. If you addressed an obstacle with panache,
take 1xp. If you did both in the same session, take 2xp.

• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background. Your

character’s beliefs and drives are yours to define, session to session. Take 1
xp. Feel free to tell the group about them when you mark xp.

• You struggled with issues from your indulgences or scandals. Mark 1

xp for this if your need to indulge tempted you to some bad action or if a
scandal caused you trouble. Simply indulging does not count as struggling
with indulgence (unless you overindulge).

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When you fill an xp track, clear all the marks and take an advance. When
you take an advance from your playbook track, you may choose an additional
special ability. When you take an advance from an attribute, you may add an
additional action dot to one of the actions under that attribute.

Nadja is playing a Hawk. She rolled two desperate Hunt actions during the
session, so she marked 2 xp on her Mind xp track during play.

At the end of the session, she reviews her xp triggers and tells the group how
much additional xp she’s getting. She addressed several challenges with pursuit
and preparation, so she marks 2 xp for that. She expressed her heritage and beliefs
when dealing with a man from her homeland, so she takes 1 xp for that. She
didn’t struggle with her indulgence or scandals, so no xp there. That’s 3 xp at the
end of the session. She decides to put it all in her Mind xp track. This fills the
track, so she decides to add a new action dot to Hunt.

You can also earn xp by training during downtime. When you train, mark xp in
one of your attributes or in your playbook. A given xp track can be trained only
once per downtime phase.

gaining status
PCs can convert influence into status at any point, at a rate of 1 for 1.
However, if a PC needs to turn status back into influence at any point, the cost
is doubled, and the rate is 2 status for every 1 influence. Every time the coterie
advances, each PC also gets status equal to the House tier +2, representing
additional influence generated by the coterie as they have operated and grown
in their abilities.

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 coterie advancement
At the end of the session, review the coterie xp triggers and mark 1 coterie xp for
each item that occurred during the session. You can gain a maximum of 4 xp per
errand, unless you have additional xp trigger abilities from your House sheets, in
which case you may add those as they are written.

coterie xp triggers

• Your coterie-specific xp trigger. For example, the House Lovell’s is “over-

come an obstacle with secrets or discernment.” If the crew successfully
completed an operation from this trigger, mark xp.

• Contend with challenges above your current station. If you tangled with
higher Tiers or more dangerous opposition, mark xp for this.

• Bolster your coterie’s reputation or develop a new one. Review your

coterie’s reputation. Did you do anything to promote it? Alternatively, mark
xp if you developed a new reputation for the coterie.

• Express the goals, drives, inner conflict, or essential nature of the

Coterie. This one is very broad! Essentially, did anything happen that high-
lighted the specific elements that make your coterie unique?

When you fill your coterie advancement xp tracker, clear the marks and take a
new special ability -or- mark two coterie upgrade boxes.

Example, when a Coterie of House Corvetto earns a Coterie Advance, they could
take a new Special Ability, like By the Throat. Or they could mark two upgrades,
like Master Keys and Good Help.

Say how you have obtained this new ability for the coterie. If you take upgrades,
think of these as “gifts” to the coterie; things the House had gone out of its way
to secure for you, either as a token of appreciation, by request, or for personal
reasons. They may look like extra time off to train, or a special room within
the House.

64
Chapter Two
Characters
 Character Creation
Ilrien, as the greatest city of this or any other age, is a place of great diversity.
As such, you should feel no limitation when creating your character. When you
choose a Heritage you are responsible for deciding what that means and looks
like. You have become, after all, the subject matter expert on what it means
to be Ilrienne, or Maur, or Iberican. People of differing sexual preferences are
embraced as equals. Ilrien is too grand a city, too cosmopolitan, to harbor petty
prejudices about who is attracted to whom, or the outward presentation of its
citizenry. People become your rivals only because they are other players of the
Great Game, not because they differ.

From The Twist to The Palace, Ilrien is built with accessibility and the needs
of its citizens in mind. For example, elevators powered by arcane devices or
carefully-crafted clockwork are a standard feature of the city. Any mobility aids,
emotional support, or seeing-eye animals are always a free character upgrade
(zero load). Lip reading and any other talents needed to navigate Ilrien comfort-
ably are likewise available to you without cost. We encourage you to use Ilrien
as a safe place to explore diversity in a respectful and compassionate manner and
embrace the beauty of our human differences with an open heart.

choose a playbook
When you choose a Playbook, you are choosing a set of special abilities, which
your character can use to break the rules governing everyone else. Every Playbook
begins with its own special armor which gives them a unique ability to mitigate
certain circumstances falling under their skillset. Be aware that you cannot take
another special armor from any other Playbook as a later advancement.

Each Playbook also has its own unique, specialized gear items. These provide
special permissions and interesting abilities to each Playbook. Specialized gear
items like the Knack’s Vulgar Display of Power, are open to interpretation.
Players may use them to affect scenes and overcome challenges, manipulating
the balance of position and effect.

You also receive a unique set of xp triggers. Because no two Playbooks share
their primary xp triggers, everyone is rewarded for different behavior. Finally,
your Playbook indicates your initial reputation in the world. If you are gifted in
the arcane, the people will say you have “the knack”. If you are a formally trained
court swordsman, the people will know you as a “bravo”, and so on.

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As you play the game your character will grow and change. After character
creation, you’re free to choose special abilities outside of your own Playbook.
While your Playbook will always define your character’s primary goal through
its unique xp triggers, and what people know you as, you are free to reach into
any other Playbook for a different special ability better suited to your unique and
continuously growing character.

Example: Anna is the coterie’s Key, but she often finds herself in sticky situations
and thinks that it makes narrative sense to reach into the Eye’s Playbook and
take “Better Lucky Than Good” (when you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to
your roll if you also take -1d to any resistance rolls against consequences of the action)
when she gets her next Playbook advancement. She is still the coterie’s Key; she
has simply gained new expertise, and progressed in the way that is most inter-
esting to her player.

Following the Character Creation section you’ll find all of the available Playbooks.
For the sake of brevity we’ll describe each of the Playbooks quickly below, but we
encourage you to jump to the full Playbook to explore the details once you spot
one that interests you.

The Bravo is a dashing sworn-sword, quick of wit and unmatched

in combat.

The Hawk is a dangerous bounty hunter, menacing and unflappable

in the face of danger.

The Eye is a master agent and infiltrator, cannier than a skulk of foxes
and just as hard to catch.

The Couth is a street-wise wildcard, lucky or dangerous enough to

rise from the gutter.

The Knack is a magical expert, gifted with arcane power and knowledge
of the hidden world.

The Key is a social mastermind, crafting arguments and devices with ease.

67
 choose a heritage
Heritage is an important part of your character’s life. Highlighting your
character’s heritage during game play, even just considering what it means
to be a member of your heritage, triggers xp for your character. This is
a way to inspire and flavor your roleplaying, but it is left intentionally vague.
You are the expert on what it means to be a member of your heritage. While
we give you the broad strokes, you fill in the rest through gameplay, molding
the heritage you choose to fit the story you are most interested in telling.

If you want to be a local, choose Ilrienne. Ilrien is the greatest city in the world,
the finest of art, culture, and politics blend here. The people are cosmopolitan,
vivacious, and quick to trade jokes or draw steel.

If you want to be from somewhere “foreign” and exotic, choose Maur. Across
the ocean to the south, the proud desert kingdoms of Maur are military and
economic powers to be watched with care.

If you want to be from an unestablished people, choose Iberican. Ibericans are

often considered nomads and wanderers with no true homeland of their own.
Unsure of you, people in polite society guard themselves more closely when
you enter the room, even when you’re wearing the trappings of the Houses of
the Esultare.

If you want to be from somewhere “wild”, choose Calrais. Calrais is a

sprawling country of grasslands, rugged mountains, and trackless forests.
Government typically extends only as far as the edge of a village before dying
by inches in the wildlands. Many foreign empires have tried bringing Calrais to
heel, but even the Dread Emperor was unable to leash it.

If you want “romantic” heritage, rich in beauty and poetry, choose Altori. Altori
are taught from an early age that beauty is the one ideal to be prized above any
other. Whether in government, craft, or war, an Altori will execute their duty
with precision and poetry. Prone to ritual and careful metaphor, the natives of
the distant kingdom prove exceedingly good at the games of the Ilrienne.

If you want to be from somewhere “strange”, ancient and arcane, choose to be

from The Jewel Cities. Before the three islands, Beryl, Lapis, and Garnet, sunk
beneath the waves some years ago, they composed the homes of The Jewel Cities.
The culture was rich in advanced technology, and magic was an everyday part of
life. Are you Berylyne, Lapyne, or Garnetyne? And what does that distinction
mean to your character?

68
choose a background
Your character’s background describes what they did before they joined the
coterie. Choose one of the general background options from the list on your
Playbook, then write a detail about it that’s specific to your character. For
example, you could choose Labor, and then write a house servant to House Lovell,
disgraced. Or you might choose Law, and write, former watchman. See more
examples below.

Academic - a scholar, a professor, a student at the Scholam Naturalis, a

mystic’s apprentice, a philosopher.

Labor - a docker, a sailor, a house servant, a gardener, a coach driver,

a gondolier.

Law - an advocate or barrister, a Watchman or inspector (perhaps a

Mercy), a bodyguard, a jailer.

Trade - a shopkeeper or merchant, a skilled crafts-person, a shipping

agent, a deal-broker.

Military - a strategist, a mercenary, an intelligence operative,

a soldier, a training instructor, or an un-Housed Bravo.

Noble - a dilettante, a courtier, the little-known cousin of a Prince, the

scion of a fallen House or a lesser House, et cetera.

Underworld - an urchin, a charlatan, a street performer, a gang

member, a thug, or other outcast who grew up on the street.

assign four action dots

- See Action Ratings (page 10)

• Put one dot in any action that you feel reflects your character’s heritage.
• Put one dot in any action that you feel reflects your character’s background.
• Assign two more dots anywhere you please.

Note: You may not have more than 2 dots per action at start.

69
 choose a special ability
Every retainer begins with one special ability of their choice, look through your
Playbook and choose whichever sounds the most interesting to you. When in
doubt, start with the first special ability on the list. It’s a solid choice and reflects
the overall tone of the Playbook. Note that only your first special ability must
come from your own Playbook.

This ability is in addition to your Playbook’s special armor, also taken at

character creation.

choose a friend and a rival

On your Playbook sheet you will find a list of contacts. These are people who
have made their way into your character’s life at one time or another. Choose one
to be a close friend and choose another to be your rival. Your other contacts will
fall somewhere in between these two ends of the spectrum. You will develop the
details of these relationships naturally throughout your game play.

choose your bonds

Bonds give your characters juicy ties to their fellow coterie members, and create
a shared history. Each playbook has its own unique set of bonds. Work with your
coterie members to assign one bond to each of them.

Example: The Bravo has a bond that is, “I’ve pledged to defend __ at any cost.”
They may ask, “Who here is interested in having my pledged protection?” If
someone at the table bites, the Bravo may ask themselves: what happened to
make me pledge myself?

When both members agree on the circumstances that led up to the bond being
made, you have a bond. Remember that bonds can change during play. Perhaps,
one day the Bravo’s reason for pledging their protection no longer exists. At that
time they can remove the bond from their Playbook and consider a new one.

Think of the bonds provided as an easy jumping off point. If you have a different
bond in mind than the ones offered, feel free to use it instead! You may also take
an unused bond from another playbook.

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choose your indulgence
Every retainer needs a way to blow off steam and, mechanically speaking, burn
off stress that accumulates throughout the errands in which the character
embroils themselves. Your character does this by indulging in things they enjoy
or feel obligation toward. Choose whichever indulgence below sounds the most
intriguing to you.

Faith - You are dedicated to the Lady, an unseen power, the Graces, the
spirit of an ancestor, etc.

Gambling - You crave games of chance, betting on sporting events, etc.

Luxury - You seek expensive or ostentatious displays of opulence.

Obligation - You are devoted to a family, a cause, an organization, or

charity that demands your time.

Pleasure - You find gratification in lovers, food, drink, drugs, art,

theater, etc.

Stupor - You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drinking to excess,

getting beaten to a pulp in the fighting pits, etc.

Arcane - You experiment with arcane ingredients, forbidden rituals, or

contact with the creatures that haunt the shadows of Ilrien.

finishing touches
Record your name or alias, and look, then review your details to be sure you got
everything. Here, we've provided a few properly Ilrienne names and Looks to
get you started.

Feminine; Maya, Saqqara, June, Luna, Sophia, Maddalena, Amethyst,

Colette, Saoirse

Masculine; Tristaine, Edvard, Kedyn, Justice, Ahmad, Liu, Jora,

Benedict, Francisco, Donovan

Gender-Neutral; Sasha, Chels, Taylor, Robin, Finn, Cyprus, Kai,

Ashley, Jamie

Aliases; The Rook, Sugar, [first name] the Crow, Kid, The Imp, Rumor,
Needle, Spur, Cross

71
 Family Names; Valentino, Ahanu, Miahi, Borrachio, Kuei, Samartine,
Mendosa, Pulo, Coltwell

Example Looks
You only need a few key features that describe your character to begin. You may
wish to choose a hair, eye, and skin color, then a couple of other descriptors for
visage, demeanor, or clothing.

Examples: Scarred, Freckled, Steely-Eyed, Pale, Tan, Robed, Armored,

Redheaded, Bald, Androgynous, Glamorous, Brown-Eyed, Brawny,
Standoffish, Short

character creation checklist

1. Choose a Playbook.
2. Choose a heritage.
3. Choose a background.
4. Assign four action dots.
5. Choose a special ability.
6. Choose a close friend and a rival.
7. Build your bonds.
8. Choose your indulgence.
9. Record your name, alias, and look.

72
Che Bravo

A dashing sworn-sword.
 S words are as much a part of life in Ilrien as a mask, a carefully
constructed smile, and deceit. They are an expected part of the
costume of the well-heeled; an ostentatious display of wealth, an
expression of personality, and a veiled threat rolled into one length of
steel. Most who wear them know how to use them, to be sure. But you, Bravo?
You are a sword.

You are a dashing duelist, a figure of romance and violence intertwined. Schooled
from an early age in the Bravura, academies of courtly swordplay, apprenticed
to the Dancing Masters of the Roses or the Gilt, or simply born with a gift for
honor’s last argument, the Houses of the Esultare have an eye for fighting talent,
and that eye has settled upon you.

As a Bravo, you gain xp when you address a challenge with violence

or panache.

You are the coterie’s champion. When things go sideways and the swords come
out, yours will be at the fore, defending the other members of the coterie. But
even when the song of swords is quiet for the moment, you are not out of the
game. Cutting a romantic figure with your rapier wit and effortless grace, your
practiced eye for the barest hint of weakness is not a talent to be scorned.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication related to physical obstacles or

being outnumbered for you and your coterie (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [1] Maneuver, [2] Skirmish

questions to consider

• Who taught you how to fight?

• What does your style look like, and what does it say about you?
• What reputation do you have among the other Bravos of Ilrien?

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bonds
• I’ve pledged to defend __ at any cost.
• Despite my obvious grace and skill, __ still is not impressed. I will win
them yet.
• My armor is thick, but __ still sees the gaps.
• __ considers me their competition. No matter the game, I will win it.
• I see the Bravo’s spark in __, and I will teach them what I know.
• __ lacks my flair and panache. They will learn it in time.

special abilities
House Guard- When you protect a member of your coterie, you resist with
+1d. When you take harm, clear 1 stress.

Bloody but Unbowed- You ignore the effects of all level 1 harm penalties while
dueling or engaging in combat. When you push yourself to ignore level 3 harm
penalties, it takes only 1 stress (not 2).

Unstoppable- You may push yourself to accomplish a feat of speed or endur-

ance that borders on the superhuman, e.g. engage a small group on equal footing.

Code Duello- Your challenges carry the weight of your House. When you deliver
a challenge for formal combat, your enemy cannot refuse. Take an additional xp
trigger: Did you answer a challenge to your honor?

Honor Guard- Your formal training allows you the privilege of wearing your
weapons openly anywhere, without repercussion. When Commanding others
to act or stand fast, take +1d.

Upon a Needle- You are sure-footed and gain +1 effect when balance or grace is
an issue, such as navigating difficult terrain (or a dance floor). How many angels
can dance upon the head of a needle? It depends on the tune.

Gap in the Armor- When you Survey you may push yourself to find a weakness
in an argument, gesture, or evasion, and seize an advantage. Take +1d and +1
effect on the next roll taking advantage of this information. This bonus may be
given to a coterie member.

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 contacts

Maestra, a Master at Arms

Blair, a Fawning Noble

Vincenzo, a Former Patron

Feng, a Blade Smith

Ari, a Childhood Rival

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Fine Wit - Once per errand you may use your Fine Wit to deflect or
turn a conversation in your favor. [0 load]

specialized gear

A Fine Courtly Blade - Your personal dueling weapon. [1 load]

A Fine Dread Blade - A lethal martial weapon, one forged for war.
[1 load]

A Duelist’s Gauntlet - Designed in the fashion of the House you serve.

Anyone who backs down from a formally laid duel is shamed. [1 load]

A Badge of Honor - A pin or other symbol of your status. [0 load]

A Courtly Favor - Some recognizable token, symbolizing the affection

of a specific noble of the court. [0 load]

76
Che Hawk

A dangerous bounty hunter.

 I
lrien’s grand avenues and mosaic plazas belie a fundamental truth
of the greatest city in the world. It is a wilderness, alive with the
motion of a thousand-thousand thinking animals scurrying from cover
to cover, seeking their prey and hiding from predators in turn. It is a
place of hidden bolt-holes and secrets. It is a hunting ground unlike any other.
And you, Hawk, are a consummate hunter.

With patience, craft, and a discerning eye, you have familiarized yourself with
the pulsing arteries of the city. If it hides here, you can find it. Whether you
came up among the ranks of the Watch or from the seamy belly of the Twist, you
descend upon your prey like a coursing raptor. Now that your commission has
been taken up by the Esultare, the stakes are higher but the game unchanged.
Your adversaries will go to ground in places that have always made them feel safe.
You will show them the folly of that feeling in Ilrien.

As a Hawk, you gain xp when you address a challenge with pursuit

or observation.

You excel at finding what (or who) does not want to be found and living to
tell the tale. Your facility with ranged weapons and springing ambushes means
most of your battles are well and truly over before the other party has a chance
to defend themselves. You’re at your best when you’ve got a clear shot, but your
tools and abilities mean your quarry has little chance to shake your pursuit.
Even if they manage to evade your opening salvo, your air of casual menace will
turn the iron in their spine to water.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication related to traps or ambushes

against you or your coterie (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [2] Hunt, [1] Command

questions to consider

• Where did you learn how to hunt, and have you always considered people
the worthiest prey?
• Do you adhere to a personal code, or is everyone fair prey?
• Was there a particular target in the past who gave you the most trouble?
What happened?

78
bonds
• I have an unlovely reputation and __ will never let me forget it.
• I was offered money to bring __ in dead or alive. They yet live free.
• I do not frighten easily, but __ puts me ill at ease.
• __ and I are close. I can afford to be soft around them.
• I trust __ to do the right thing when it matters most.
• I’ve wronged __, but it was just business. Water under the bridge.

special abilities
Terrifying- You have an air of menace and danger obvious to even the most
unobservant. You gain +1 effect when trying to intimidate someone. If done
immediately after a show of force, also take +1d. What terrifying act from your
past inspires this dread?

Predator- Take +1d to rolls against weakened or vulnerable targets. Whenever

you gather information on a weakness or vulnerability, the worst you can get
is a 4/5.

Sharpshooter- Push yourself to do one of the following: make a trick shot,

disarm someone, make a ranged attack at extreme distance, or unleash a barrage
of rapid fire to suppress your target. You retain the effects of pushing yourself.

Triage- Patch yourself or someone else up, allowing them to ignore one level of
harm penalty for the remainder of the errand. Does not work on anyone who
has suffered fatal harm. Each PC can only benefit from Triage once per errand.

Call the Target- You suffer no tier disadvantage when you engage in
ranged combat.

Baited and Set- You are a master planner. Gain one free flashback, and take +1
effect when setting or having set a trap.

Leave No Ground- Gain a new gather information question: Where do they feel
safe? Take +1d to engagement rolls when you act on that information. When
you engage in an errand on hostile ground, you cannot begin in a desperate
position. Tell the GM how you were prepared for trouble.

79
 contact

Red Crow, a Hunter

Ishana, an Informant

Farid, a Tavern Owner

Lucius, a Member of The Watch

Sean, a Gang Boss

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Fine Iron Nerve - Once per errand you can use your Fine Iron
Nerve to resist the consequences of being terrified, unnerved, or
uncomfortable. [0 load]

specialized gear

A Fine Ranged Weapon - Masterfully crafted, this weapon is more

accurate at longer ranges. [2 load]

A Fine Heavy Cloak - Perfect for masking yourself or blending into

terrain. [1 load]

A Handy Restraint - Rope, cuffs, collars, chain, or whatever best fits

your needs for the situation. [1 load]

A Hunting Companion - An arcane or mundane creature of your

choosing, capable of carrying out simple tasks. It must still abide by
the rules of the city. A wolf on the streets will not go over well. An arcane
companion out in the Twist may get you killed. [0 load]

A Fine Spyglass - Masterfully crafted, your spyglass allows you to see

further and under lower light conditions than others. [0 load]

80
Che Eye

A master agent and infiltrator.

 O bserve carefully. See how they pull veils, muddy the waters, cast
smoke and mirrors to hide their true intentions. Spies are a dime a
dozen in this city of intrigue. They think themselves clever, free to
do as they will and safe from prying eyes. The Ilrienne are watchful,
careful, justifiably paranoid. Secrets are deadly. They are hidden well, and locked
away. They do not simply slip out. That is what makes you such a wonder.

A spy will endeavor not to be noticed, trusting a pool of shadow or a lie to hide
them. You are a ghost. Your face changes at a moment’s notice. You have other
lives you slip into as easily as another might change their clothes. What you see,
what you read, what you hear is remembered without the slightest fault. The
Esultare watches all, and you are their Eye.

As an Eye, you gain xp when you address a challenge with stealth

or perception.

You are at your best when you are in trouble. The tools and abilities in your
arsenal make you more powerful when you are leading the group, in over your
head, or found where you would be in the most trouble. Play dangerously,
prying in the dark places for secrets. And when you’re caught, be someone who
should totally be wherever you are. You’ve got the documents and the false faces
to make them believe it.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication related to detection or security

against you or your coterie (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [2] Skulk, [1] Survey

questions to consider

• Who do you feel comfortable being your true self among, if anyone?
• Do you even remember your real name?
• Do you move among the shadows, or hide in plain sight?
• Who made use of your talents before you served the Esultare?

82
bonds
• My job is easier when I’m alone, but __ never spoils the game.
• __ is the one I’d want to pull me out if my cover’s ever blown.
• When __ and I last worked together, someone got hurt. It’s hard to trust
them again
• My job is hiding my true self. __ sees me anyway.
• __ lacks guile and subtlety. I’ve taken it upon myself to teach them.
• I’m watching __ for someone else in the House. I don’t know why, but
they insisted.

special abilities
Better Lucky than Good - When you roll a desperate action, you get +1d to
your roll if you also take -1d to any resistance rolls against consequences of
the action.

Like Water - When you attack from hiding or spring a trap, take +1d. When
there’s a question of who acts first, the answer is you.

Infiltrator - You are not affected by quality or tier when you bypass any
security measure.

Shadow - You may push yourself to perform an act of stealth or athletics

bordering on the superhuman.

In My Shadow - When you lead a group action skulk, you cannot take more
than 1 stress, regardless of the number of failed rolls.

Saboteur - When you wreck, your work is quieter than it should be, and the
damage well-hidden from casual inspection.

Artful Trespass - You gain +1d to survey rolls to notice security measures,
locks, guards, alarms, and so on. You also gain an additional gather
information question: What are they trying to keep me out of? You gain +1d
on the engagement roll for acting on that information.

83
 contacts

Frankie, a Locksmith

Armand, a Buskin

Alaric, a Mercenary

Bianchi, a Chamber Servant

Campania, a Council Secretary

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Fine Photographic Memory - Once per errand you may call on your
Fine Photographic Memory to recall the exact details of something you
have seen in the past. [0 load]

specialized gear

A Fine Disguise - From costumes to makeup, you have the ability to

effect a convincing disguise, making identification impossible save by
those who know you intimately. [1 load]

A Fine Set of Lockpicks - Your lock picking kit is finely crafted, allow-
ing you to crack locks above your natural ability. [1 load]

A Polished Steel Mirror - Perfect for peering discreetly under doors,

around corners or covertly signaling, for example. [1 load]

A Fine Cover Identity - You have all of the paperwork required to infil-
trate most organizations temporarily. [0 load]

A Vial of Sweetsleep - A strong drug, often powdered, that renders

anyone inhaling or ingesting it unconscious. [0 load]

84
Che Couth

A street-wise wildcard.
 S ome days you awake from dreams of cold stone and squalor, a
half-remembered hunger gripping your belly, a desperate will to
survive. Your airy chamber with its feather bed and wide window
chase them away, but part of you will always remember. You have risen
further than your peers. You were not always thus. Once you were not so, Couth.

It is a joke, you see. But you wear it like armor. Where they luxuriated in a world
of comfort and beauty, you remember having to be stronger and smarter than all
of the others to survive. Nothing has changed so very much. You are prepared
in ways they can never be, hardened by the world beneath the flaking gilt. Once
the only law was eat or be eaten, and these silk-swaddled nobles cannot conceive
that kind of hunger. They call you Couth. But we know the truth, don’t we?

As a Couth, you gain xp when you address a challenge with evasion

or mayhem.

You are a wildcard, making you perhaps the most dangerous member of the
coterie. Your toolkit has some powerful support abilities which means everyone’s
just a little bit better when the Couth is around. When things go sideways,
you’ve got plenty of ways to change the scene. Lean into flashbacks and planning
in reverse, or flash some blackmail or burn your lucky break. If all else fails, go
with mayhem.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication for you or your coterie related to

talking your way out of, or running from, trouble (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [1] Wreck, [2] Consort

questions to consider

• What former exploit attracted the attention of the Esultare?

• Are you still in contact with people in the Twist, or now that you are up and
out of the gutter do you refuse to look back?
• What rules among the nobility have proven the most difficult to observe?

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bonds
• __ and I used to run together back in the good old days. Look at us now!
• This isn’t my world. I look to __ when I need advice.
• I’ve got dirt on __, and they know it.
• __ and I like to play pranks. Mine are funnier.
• __ sees me not as I am, but as I want to be. It means the world to me.
• The Twist is hard. __ wouldn’t last five minutes down there.

special abilities
Party Crasher - Once per errand, any flashback where you have arranged a
distraction or employed mayhem costs no stress. When drawing attention to
yourself take +1 effect.

The Lord’s Charm - Take +1 effect to consort with someone when your purpose
is getting them to break the rules, or wreck something.

Don’t Make Me Carry You - Aid another to ignore level 3 harm. Through
yelling abuses or gentle reassurances, you rally a coterie member, allowing them
to ignore all non-fatal harm and harm penalties, as long as you are with them.

Better a Tiger than a Man - When ambushed, you gain +1 effect to all actions
during a flashback, and your first flashback costs no stress. Even if you have a
tiger by the tail, you still have a tiger.

Vengeful - Gain an additional xp trigger: Did you get payback against someone
who harmed you, your House, Coterie, or someone you care about? If your coterie
helped you get payback, also mark coterie xp. In addition, you gain +1 effect
when acting to harm someone who has personally wronged you.

Living the Dream- When you indulge during downtime, you may adjust the
dice outcome by +/- 2. Any coterie member who joins you may do the same.

Bad Reputation- Sometimes a bad reputation is a good thing. Treat any social
roll as a consort when dealing with the wrong sort. Explain how they have heard
of you or know you.

87
 contacts

Honor, an Orphanage Headmistress

Wren, a Jilted Lover

Lucky, a Vicious Thug

Meifeng, a Temple Acolyte

Benecio, a Gondoliere

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Lucky Break - Once per errand you may use a Lucky Break to change
your fortune. [0 load]

specialized gear

A Frightening Weapon - Your weapon strikes fear into the hearts of

your enemies. [2 load]

Fine Wrecking Tools - Your wrecking tools are finely crafted, giving
you an advantage against obstacles. [1 load]

Something Destructive - Dealer’s choice. [1 load]

Fine Inebriants - A fine bottle of liquor, or vial of a recreational drug.

[0 load]

A Fine Bit of Blackmail - You know how to hit them where it hurts.
[0 load]

88
Che Knack

A magical expert.
 T he gaze of Ilrien is firmly fixed upon the future. The wheels of
industry, of commerce, turn ever onward toward a bright and shining
tomorrow. Fine words. Gold and steel do not make a world, not the
whole world. There is smoke and shadow, blood and bargains, and the
white-hot thrumming of the weave. It was there long before Ilrien ever raised its
first muddy hovel, and when all of this is ash and dust it will be there still. The
weave is your birthright. And they have the temerity to call it your knack.

Your weapons are subtle, no braggadocio’s sword or blunt fist. Your talents are
boundless. You do not hide, but simply command the world take no notice.
Your power is the raw, teeming star-stuff of magic coursing beneath the world
that is, even as the Esultare raises its flag and proclaims it all theirs. They need
you just as you need them. Serve them, and there are no bounds you cannot
cross together.

As a Knack, you gain xp when you address a challenge with arcane knowl-
edge or power.

Your toolkit is broad by design. Magic encompasses myriad solutions for just
about any problem. Whether your invocations bring fire and ruin to your foes,
open their minds for your perusal, show you their movements from a distance,
or let you bargain with creatures from faerie-stories, you’ll find magic can solve
problems like…well, like magic. And if it doesn’t quite fit, there is nothing like
a vulgar display of power to make the weave obey.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication related to magic cast against you

or your coterie (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [2] Channel, [1] Study

questions to consider

• Who taught you to tap into the weave, and what did their tutelage
look like?
• What phenomenon manifests when you work with the weave?
• Has the Scholam Naturalis approached you regarding membership, or
perhaps one of Ilrien’s numerous esoteric cults?

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bonds
• __ has seen my magic go awry. I think they mistrust my talent.
• __ and I are the only ones who can see and speak to my familiar spirit.
• I need __ to keep me grounded. They remind me I am still human.
• __ is not so blunt as they appear. With my tutelage they could become
a Knack.
• Jealousy does not become __ but still they covet my power.
• __ knew my mentor, perhaps better than I ever did.

special abilities
Invocation - You may push yourself to speak a curse, channeling arcane power
and turning it against anyone in the area vulnerable to your assault. You may
spend 1 stress for each additional feature: The damage is elemental (fire, lightning,
acid, frost, et cetera) in nature - It affects objects as well as people - You and anyone
you choose get +2d to resist the effects - You cast subtly enough to avoid notice.

Rend the Weave - When you prepare a space with arcane reagents, it tears the
fabric of the magical weave. Channeling in the area becomes impossible or
unbelievably potent, your choice.

The Olde Tongue - You know the secret methods of consorting with creatures
and paranormal entities no matter how wild or feral they are. You gain +1 effect
when communicating with anything non-human.

Open Mind - You are always aware when the supernatural draws near, or when
arcane power builds in your vicinity. Take +1d on your next action roll when
acting on that knowledge.

Scrying - Spend 1 stress to remotely view a distant place or person tied to you in
some intimate way. Spend 1 stress for each extra feature: You see what happened
in the past - Your target can also see and hear you - You may use something connected
to the target as a focus rather than an intimate tie.

Fascinate - You gain +1 effect when commanding attention magically. Your

coterie gains +1d to the next action they take while attention is drawn to you.

Pry - Add to your list of gather information questions: What are they thinking
right now? You magically intuit another person’s thoughts without consequence,
gaining +1d to the engagement roll when you act upon this information. Pry
can also be used during an errand, though it can create complications.

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 contacts

Moon, an Unrequited Love

Owyn, a Former Teacher

Anaisha, a Mercy

Clemenza, an Arcane Dealer

Farina, a Dilettante

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Vulgar Display of Power - Once per errand you may use your Vulgar
Display of Power to employ your knack in a flashy or dangerous way.
Say what you’re doing and your intended goal. [0 load]

specialized gear

A Fine Arcane Focus - Describe what your focus looks like. Once per
errand you may use it to increase your odds of success at a difficult task.
[1 load]

Impressive Costume - An ostentatious outfit that lets everyone know

a wizard has just entered the room, for when you want to be noticed.
[1 load]

Ritual Implements - You have a set of tools unique to you, for the
purpose of casting ritual magic. You decide what is in your kit. [1 load]

A Familiar Spirit - An arcane creature able to carry out simple tasks,

visible only to you. [0 load]

The Lady’s Kiss - A powerful charm that protects against supernatural

threats. [0 load]

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Che Key

A political mastermind.
 P eople and things are not so very different. They are all bits, compo-
nents, points of friction. They speak to you. You see the manner in
which they might be gently modified, repaired, tinkered with, and
broken down. A bit of pressure here, a subtle change just so, and
there you have it. Whether with words or tools, you know how to wind them
up, Key.

You have a reputation for this sort of thing, a good name that could carry you
as far as you are willing to push your luck. Your words are as carefully selected
as the tools of a watchmaker, as sharp as the scalpels of a physician. You see how
this all fits together. Because people and things follow certain immutable lines of
logic, even if they do not all believe it so. It rankles them, Key, but there are few
doors you cannot open.

As a Key, you gain xp when you address a challenge with expertise

or calculation.

You are a technician. You modify the game by virtue of being a Key. You support
your coterie during and after the errand with extra actions, free assists, and
reduced exposure. Just as important, Ilrien’s games are the waters in which you
swim. You pass among the nobles as one of them with your invitations and
courtly clothes. And don’t discount Skeleton Key; rolling your best action and
adapting it to the task at hand is a powerful tool.

gain the following features

Special armor to resist a complication related to suspicion or persua-

sion (when you are present).

Starting Action Dots: [2] Sway, [1] Tinker

questions to consider

• What former problem established your reputation?

• Do the other members of the House see you as an asset to be jealously
guarded, or a too-clever climber to be watched with care?
• Are your preparations and plans carefully thought out, or do you trust your
own cleverness in the moment?

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bonds
• __ and I once worked at cross purposes. I hope they do not bear a grudge.
• I’ve often found myself apologizing for __. No matter the gaffe, I’ll smooth
it out.
• __ is my rock. When the plan goes awry, I can count on them.
• __ is rash and reckless. I will teach them discretion.
• I sponsored __ into the House. They must excel or both of us will suffer.
• __ and I burned many bridges together to rise this far. We share a
common enemy.

special abilities
Skeleton Key - Push yourself and roll your best action rating while performing
a different action. Say how you adapt your skill to this use.

Expertise - Due to careful planning during downtime, you may give yourself
or a coterie member one extra downtime activity. If you do not use this feature
during your downtime, you may use it during the next errand to flashback
without costing stress.

I Know This Tune - You can always tell when someone is lying to you.

Foresight - Twice per errand, you may assist a teammate without paying stress.
Describe how you’ve prepared for it.

Under the Rug - During downtime, you get +1 effect when you reduce expo-
sure, and your shame level counts as 1 less for the purpose of entanglements so
long as you explain the situation to your superiors.

A Good Name - When you push yourself in social engagements, while consorting
or swaying, you can gain both +1 effect and +1d, instead of one or the other.

Attention to Detail - You are a stickler for details. Take +1d to your roll when
working on a long-term project. You can also push yourself to ignore the draw-
back of a crafted device (unreliable, volatile, et cetera).

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 contacts

Babette, a Banker

Elijah, a Master Architect

Jian, a Master Craftsman

Alisha, a Diplomat

Genovese, a Childhood Friend

A Member of the Coterie’s House

special permission

A Believable Excuse - You are a master at crafting plausible stories.

Once per errand, when you make an excuse, the receiver will be inclined
to believe you. [0 load]

specialized gear

Fine Tinkering Tools - Masterfully crafted tools for manipulating tiny

parts, like those found within a pocket watch or puzzle box. [1 load]

A Concealable Weapon - Discretion, thy name is valor. You have a

weapon you can carry nearly anywhere without detection. [1 load]

Fine Courtly Clothes - You are expert at looking your part. You have
an outfit of the latest fashion at all times, and when you clean up,
anyone unfamiliar with you assumes you are proper nobility. [1 load]

A Fine Invitation - You can acquire an invitation to any event. Say how
you acquired it. [0 load]

A Small Pricey Gift - You never show up anywhere empty-handed. Say

what you’ve brought and why you chose it. [0 load]

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Standard Items
Luck Charm: A small, personal charm that can be used to bring a little luck to
a situation. [0 load]

Flint and Steel: Kept in a small case, it would be unfashionable to be caught

without it. It’s also handy for starting fires. [0 load]

Armor: Leather armor, capable of lessening harm. [2 load]

A Blade or Two: Perhaps you carry a saber, a set of daggers, a poniard, a meat
cleaver, or a foil. [1 load]

Single Shot Pistol: A heavy ranged weapon, devastating at 20 paces, but slow to
reload. [1 load] or Two Pistols [2 load]

Lantern: An oil lantern, simple or ornate. [1 load]

Documents: Maps, tomes, or volumes commonly available. [1 load]

Large Weapon: A two-handed weapon such as a battle ax or hunting rifle.

[2 load]

Throwing Knives: Typically small and well-balanced. Dangerous at 20 paces.

[1 load]

Burglary Gear: A set of lockpicks, a pry bar, vials of oil, and personalized,
inconspicuous burglary tools. [1 load]

Demolition Tools: A sledgehammer, iron spikes, a crowbar, and personalized

tools. [2 load]

Arcane Implements: Containers, alchemical reagents, and a small personal

tome. [1 load]

Climbing Gear: A large coil of rope, a small coil of rope, grappling hooks,
climbing harness, pitons, and driving hammer. [2 load]

Subterfuge Supplies: Stage makeup and costumes. Blank documents and forged
identifications. [1 load]

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 Coterie & House Creation
The Esultare comprises the six Houses Major, with the ruling House holding
supreme power of censure as voted for by the Houses Minor. At the First House’s
discretion, any House with two levels of shame loses one errand for the social
season, until they make amends. A new election can be called any time there is
a major failure on the part of the First House, perceived or otherwise.

choose a house to serve

The House you serve determines your coterie’s modus operandi. What one
House would consider a smart move; another house may consider ill-advised.
The House you serve is not intended to be restrictive, rather another way to
flavor your game play. Sometimes it will be worth angering your patrons to get a
job done.

Decide as a group which House you are the most interested in serving. There are
six distinct Houses to choose from, and each one has its own way of doing things
most of the time. Choose the House that best reflects your preferred shared play-
style, or just whichever the group is most excited about.

House Corvetto - The oldest known House in Ilrien, House Corvetto

is mysterious, tyrannical, and feared.

House Battalia - The watchtower of Ilrien, House Battalia won

the freedom of Ilrien in The Last War. They are noble, vigilant,
and honorable.

House Bastien - Champion of the people, House Bastien is loved

by the common folk and only tolerated by the other Houses of the
Esultare at best.

House Lovell - The socialites of the Esultare, House Lovell makes it

their business to know everything about everyone. After all, knowledge
is power.

House Al-Mari - Fearsome mercenary princes from across the sea,

they’ve staked their claim by sheer power and force of will.

House Elanda - The most powerful merchant family in the greatest

city the world has ever known, House Elanda deals in goods and fiore,
carefully guarding its reputation.

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Like a Playbook, your House shapes how you are known in Ilrien. You will be
treated by the citizenry as an extension of your greater House, and anyone who
is anyone will most likely know who you serve.

Your coterie begins with 0 favor in its ledger. You are tier 2, with 0 exposure.

choose a reputation
Your coterie has just formed. Given this group of characters and their back-
grounds, what initial reputation would you have winding through the streets of
Ilrien? Choose one of the options below, or create your own reputation.

Ambitious, Brutal, Daring, Honorable, Subtle, Arcane, Loyal, Reliable,

Uncouth, Respectable, Dangerous.

Your coterie gains xp when they bolster their current reputation, so this is
another way to indicate the sort of action you’re most interested in. Will you be
arcane masterminds, overcoming problems with magic? Will you be honorable
heroes, defending your moral code even when it is not in your best interest?

choose your strengths

Each House begins with two Strengths, resources synonymous with the House,
one preselected (listed on the House sheet) and one of your choice. These
Strengths represent assets to which the House has immediate access. The coterie
can leverage these Strengths for a reduced stress cost (or zero, depending on the
need and timeframe). All Houses have access to all of these strengths, but they
do not have the ability to leverage them all at a moment’s notice.

Example: House Lovell begins with the resource Intelligence already marked. The
group decides they would like to play House Lovell as strong in Magic and
Intelligence for this campaign. When the coterie is faced with having to spy
on the comings and goings of the Second House of the Esultare, they ask the
House’s Spymistress for help, receiving the aid of one of her best spies within the
target House. A leveraged Strength is typically worth +1d on an engagement roll.

If, instead, they needed to leverage Force from the House, such as marshalling a
small cadre to subdue a problem faction, they could be subject to a high cost, a
significant wait, owing influence, or another drawback. If Force had been one of
its Strengths, they may have been able to rapidly pull together a contingent from
their House guard for the coterie’s use.

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 extended example uses for strengths

Intelligence: Accessing Spies, Access the Latest Gossip

Magic: Leveraging Arcane Artifacts, Identifying Knacks and the
Supernatural
Wealth: Large Bribes and Ransoms, Extravagant Parties
Transport: Move Unimpeded Across the City, Move Artifacts without
Questions Asked
Force: Marshalling Troops, Rally a Defense
Supply: Withstand a Siege, Acquiring Something Rare

choose a special ability

Take a look at your House Sheet, and choose one special ability. When in doubt,
go with the first ability on the list- it is placed first as a good choice, thematic of
the House. But choose whichever ability is the most exciting to everyone. You
can add additional special abilities in the future by spending earned xp.

All of these choices lead to a focused range of possible errands to keep everyone
on the same page. Instead of playing a generic coterie, for example, you are
playing a coterie for House Corvetto. You are ambitious, with easy access to
wealth and magic, and you are known to act in mysterious ways.

assign coterie upgrades

An upgrade is typically a valuable new asset or an improvement to a currently
owned asset. At the start of the game you choose 2 upgrades you feel best suit
your coterie. You can choose any of the House-specific coterie upgrades shown
on your House sheet, or any universal House upgrade, available to coteries of
all the Houses.

When you choose your 2 upgrades, the GM will describe two different factions
impacted by your choices.

One faction helped you get an upgrade and was somehow uplifted in the bargain.
They are well disposed toward you. Take +1 Status with them. At your option,
spend 1 Influence to repay their kindness, and take +2 Status with them instead.

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One faction was in some way diminished when you got an upgrade. They bear
you ill will. Take -2 Status with them. At your option, spend 1 Influence to
mollify them, and take -1 Status with them instead.

If your coterie begins with a retinue or a colleague, follow the procedure to create
it. Record the faction status changes due to your upgrades.

You will unlock further upgrades in the future by earning xp (see: Coterie
Advancement, page 64).

establish a sphere of influence

Look at the map and pick a Sphere of Influence (a unique part of a larger
district), other than the Palace, to be your first Sphere of Influence. Decide how
to deal with the primary faction operating in the area.

• Pay them 1 Influence.

• Pay them 2 Influence and get +1 Status.
• Pay them nothing and get -1 Status.

choose a favorite contact

Choose one contact from your Sphere of Influence to be a close friend or long-
term ally. The GM will tell you about two more factions affected by your choice.

• One faction is also friendly with this contact and you get +1 Status with them.
• One faction is unfriendly with this contact and you get -1 Status with them.
• At your option, these factions are even more concerned with this contact
and so you take +2 and -2 Status instead.

name your coterie

Will you be the Wolves of Lovell? The Gilt Spindle? The Boots? Decide as a group on
a name encompassing your reputation, history, or the image you wish to portray.

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 coterie creation summary

1. Choose a House to serve.

2. Choose your initial reputation.
3. Choose the House’s strengths.
4. Choose a special ability.
5. Assign coterie upgrades.
6. Establish your House’s Sphere of Influence.
7. Choose a favorite contact.
8. Name your Coterie.
 House Corvetto
The Majestic Tyrants
 T he Ilrienne would be hard-pressed to think of a time when House
Corvetto did not dwell within Ilrien, plucking arcane strings and
dispatching assassins from atop their shadowed towers. There is an old
Ilrienne saying: Better under a Corvetto wing than a Corvetto beak.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Coercion or Majesty.

• Resource Strengths: Magic. The Corvetto hoard magic and boast more
Knacks than any other House.
• House Healer: Grace

special feature

Our Reputation Precedes Us; when you execute a Social Engagement,

your contact may always be Someone Who Fears Us and you start
in a Risky position. (This replaces your usual engagement roll in
this instance.

corvetto coterie upgrades

Master Keys - The Lower wards of the city are as open to you as empty
streets. They cannot keep you out.

Good Help - When you hire a colleague belonging to the Fox school
of expertise they function as 1 tier higher.

The Daunting Parlor - The coterie gains access to the House’s private
negotiation rooms. When you negotiate terms in these rooms, do so
with +1d.

Clever Tailors - You gain +2 free load for armor or disguises.

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 special abilities

Mysterious Ways - Each PC adds +1 action dot to Sway or Channel.

Our Time - Take +1d to engagement rolls between the hours of tryst
and whist. (midnight to 4am)

Silent Footfalls - All PCs within the coterie gain +1 effect when
trailing a target.

Superstitious - Each PC takes +1d to all Spirit resist rolls.

By the Throat - Gain additional xp trigger: Did we teach someone a

lesson? Take 1 less exposure when moving against a faction with which
you are at war.

Ours by Right - Pay 1 influence to add a contact from a sphere of

influence you do not own to your list of contacts for the current
errand. Pay +1 influence for any of the following: They are happy to
hear from you - You have met them before - They have not spoken to another
House first.

Who Do You Work For? - When you have broken a rival you may add
them to your contacts.

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 corvetto opportunities

• Your invitation to the social event of the season must have been
mislaid, make sure they regret that.

• The House wants to clear the way for a lucrative marriage. Dissuade
the rival suitor.

• Two lesser Houses are on the brink of open warfare. The only way
to get them to resolve their differences: give them a common foe.

• The College of Satire has produced a new play to be performed this

season. The target of their mockery is House Corvetto herself. This
will not stand.

• The Watch has promoted a new Thief-Taker Captain who is

rumored incorruptible. He has refused the customary “gift” from
House Corvetto. Make him see reason.

• A minor scion of the House is in hot water with the Scholam

Naturalis. He will pass this semester or heads will roll.

• The Signora of the Roses recently came into possession of a noble’s

mask and will be offering it for auction. It’s unclear, as yet, whose
mask it is, only that we must have it.

• A Fox in service to the House pleads for sanctuary when their latest
score unearths an ancient curse.

• A debtor to the House has escaped their bond by dying suddenly.

“I’ll take it to my grave” were their last words. The House gets what
it is owed.

• Something in The Necropolitan Hill is howling between the hours

of tryst and whist, unsettling residents of The Twist. The Dead
Watchers have requested aid in resolving the issue.

• An assassin famed for their discretion has inexplicably murdered a

large number of people. Detain, contain, and explain.

• The Graces have gifted the city a grand display of fireworks in

honor of the Lady. Our spectacle shall be greater. Ideas?

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 House Battalia
The Old House of Martial Valor
 H
ouse Battalia won the freedom of Ilrien with blood and valor.
With strength and honor, they hold it still. They are not naive, or
blind to the games of the Esultare. They see the dance, see through the
lies. What was won at the edge of a sword cannot be stolen by pretty
words. Battalia stands vigilant and unimpressed.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Honor or Tradition.

• Resource Strength: Force. House Battalia boasts more swords than any but
the Grand Council.
• House Healer: Physician

special feature

Duty First; your retinues heal at double the normal speed.

battalia coterie upgrades

Vigilant - The coterie gains access to detailed maps of old smugglers

tunnels and catacombs. You know every avenue of entry into the city,
and how best to defend them.

Incorruptible - Your retinues and colleagues all gain the loyal trait.
They will never take a bribe; they will never turn on you. They will
accept death before dishonor.

To the Last Man - When you hire a retinue of Blades it functions as 1

tier higher.

Thoroughbreds - You are granted access to the House’s stables. You can
get anywhere in the city much faster than your rivals and few can stand
against a charge of Battalia chevaliers.

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 special abilities

Deterrence - Each PC adds +1 action rating to Command or Maneuver.

Fortified - Each PC gains +1 load when going discrete, before they are
considered loaded.

Ironclad - Each PC gains +1d to all Body resist rolls.

Just Cause - The House trusts your intuition. When the coterie does
the right thing at a cost to themselves, everyone mark 1 PC xp, and
take 1 less exposure per errand.

The Old Guard - People are inclined to believe you are acting in the
best interest of Ilrien, rarely questioning your motives. Gain additional
xp trigger: “Did we protect Ilrien or her interests?”

Choose Your Ground - When you prepare for battle you may pay 1
influence for each of the following: The ground does not allow ambush -
You are difficult to reach - You are surrounded by friends.

Upon Our Honor - All deals you make are public knowledge and invi-
olate. Gain +1 influence when you keep your word. If another House
goes back on a deal with you, they lose face (remove a clock tick on their
House Advancement Clock).

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 battalia opportunities

• A Mercy is hunting some arcane creature in The Arbor and needs assistance.

• Riots sweep the Groan and the Watch turns to the Shields of Ilrien to help
restore order.

• A visiting Altori noble’s repeated transgressions in the Roses has led to his
capture by angry citizens. They plan to summarily execute him, flaunting
the First Court.

• The Founder has ousted one of its bandit princes, and he looks for a new
hunting ground. Convince him to look elsewhere.

• A sealed tomb on the Necropolitan Hill has been broken open. Whatever
horrors or treasures it once contained...it is empty now.

• Spirit’s Eve approaches and while Battalia stands ready to safeguard the
festivities, a crabbed mage warns a coming storm may wake something older
than lost relatives.

• A child of the current Maurish diplomat has been abducted by corsairs. Free
the child and chasten the brigands.

• Someone has set fire to an Ironmonger factory in the Arsenal. Investigate

the scene, determine the guilty, mete out punishment.

• A new variety of Glint has hit the streets, rapidly turning run-of-the-mill
addicts into raving lunatics. Find the source and put a stop to this madness.

• The Nightingale has laid a charge upon a young gardener’s apprentice. He

must reclaim the Sword of Taliesen, the founder of Ilrien, from the depths
of the catacombs. You will get it first.

• It is a season of daggers. The Arbiter of the Grand Council’s life is in danger

and they have contracted Battalia for security. Let no harm befall them.

• Every night they enter, every morning the guards have seen nothing. Find
how the intruders are entering the household and ensure they never do
so again.

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House Bastien
A Rising Tide
 A
mong the lower orders of the city, House Bastien is held as
proof that anyone sufficiently audacious may rise to the highest
ranks. Among the old Houses, Bastien is often thought of as a
distressing novelty. Their true words, if tavern talk is to be believed,
“They Said We Could Not”.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Audacity or Unorthodoxy.

• Resource Strengths: Transport. Popularity opens many doors.
• House Healer: Grace

special feature

Popular House; begin with +1 clock tick on your House Advancement

Clock and +1 favor with the Citizenry Faction Group.

bastien coterie upgrades

The Lady’s Blessing - The coterie gains one additional die to roll at
any time during an engagement. You may choose to use this to improve
your engagement roll itself, if you like.

Extended Family - When you hire a retinue of Wayfinders it functions

as 1 tier higher.

Open Hearts to Open Eyes - When you serve the people of Ilrien, you
take -2 exposure on any Engagement or an additional point of favor.

The Ledger - The coterie gains access to the House’s ledgers of good
turns and kindly deals. When you consult the ledger about a House
Minor, roll 1d.
1-3: Whatever good turns you find are either paid in full or otherwise
woefully antiquated.
4/5: They will try and help you, but probably won’t go out of their way.
6: They are obliged to help. Take +1d to an engagement role with
their assistance.

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 special abilities

Care and Patience - Each PC adds +1 action rating to either Tinker or Study.

Mindful - Each PC takes +1d to Mind resist rolls.

Well-Earned Acclaim - Whenever you gain favor, take one additional point
of favor.

A Matter of Charity - You are friendly with the beggars and down-trodden of
Ilrien. You may use them as a source of information. Pay 1 influence for a 4/5
result on any gather information question or 2 influence for a 6.

The Waters in Which We Swim - Gain +1d to engagement rolls involving the
Ilrienne citizenry as cover or support. Gain additional coterie xp trigger: Did we
look out for the little guy?

Stronger Together - Multiple sixes rolled during a group action are counted as
a critical success.

Not Me, Us - You always count the Dockers, Gondoliers, and Bakers as allied
factions for the purpose of negotiations.

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 bastien opportunities

• A vicious gang stalks The Twist, abusing local merchants with impunity. Do
something about it.

• A brewery has fired all of its Iberican workers, refusing to pay them for their
hours already worked. They are camped outside demanding justice.

• A friendly contact to The House has asked for the extraction of a loved one
from an indentured work house where they are trapped in servitude.

• An heiress is desperate to meet with her forbidden love, a commoner. But

the only way might be to stage a kidnapping.

• A rival House has stationed troops to keep the Dockers in line. Smuggle
supplies in to stiffen the Dockers resolve.

• A foreign bounty hunter is tracking a target near and dear to the House.
Dissuade them.

• A rabble rouser is being hunted for bringing the depredations of a rival

House to light. They need to get out of the city if they are to survive
the season.

• The Bank of Brass and Bone has approved funds to build a much-needed
orphanage in The Groan, knowing it cannot be built on the allotted land
due to angry spirits haunting the area. Cure the problem, make them pay
the bill.

• The poor go hungry as the price of grain skyrockets due to drought. A

large shipment of foodstuffs is scheduled to arrive soon. Intercept it. Don’t
get caught.

• Purveyors are being priced out of their shops by rising taxes. Find a way to
stop the evictions and solve the problem for good.

• Two rival Houses seek to acquire a neighborhood in the Spindle for gainful
development. It is currently comprised of family homes. Find a way to
disrupt the sale.

• A young Knack accidentally sets fires wherever he goes. A mob is forming to

administer “justice.” Find the talented youth and help them learn control.

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 House Lovell
Gossipmongers of Wealth & Taste
 E
veryone in Ilrien talks. From the Twist to the Palace, words drift in
scores of tongues. Somehow, by guile or magic, they all make their way
to the ears of House Lovell. It is no surprise that many of those words
are words of admiration for the House. We do not speak ill when they
are certainly listening.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Secrets or Discernment.

• Resource Strength: Intelligence. If you mean to keep it secret, House
Lovell already knows.
• House Healer: Grace

special feature

Scandalize; you may incite rumors and scandal against a rival House.
Take -1 reputation with them and for the season their House Advance
rolls take -1 effect level.

lovell coterie upgrades

Questionable Contacts - The coterie can always find who has what
they need. The price, however, is negotiable.

An Eye for Talent - When you hire a colleague from the Doctore
school of training they function as 1 tier higher.

Sanctum Sanctorum - The coterie gains access to the House’s Arcane

Sanctum. Take +1 clock tick any time the coterie researches or +1d
when the coterie performs a ritual.

Bag of Holding - Gain +2 free load worth of arcane components or

specialized tools (arcane implements, ritual objects, et cetera).

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 special abilities

Illusory Disguise - The coterie gains access to alteration magic. Gain +1 effect
toward rolls made to avoid detection when disguising or altering the appearance
of yourselves or objects.

It’s Not Who You Know - Take +1d to rolls when you take the Uncover a Plot
downtime action to discover another Major House’s long-term goal clock.

It’s What You Know - Each PC may take +1 action rating to either Consort
or Channel.

Warded - Each PC gains +1d to all Spirit resist rolls.

Waltz - Take +1d to engagement rolls that take place at a party or social event.

Magical Means - Crafted items gain +1 tier for the purpose of effectiveness.

It’s Also Who You Know - Gain additional xp trigger: Did we leverage infor-
mation from our contacts? Any 1-3 rolled when using a known contact to gather
information is treated as a 4/5. Choose one of the following: They put themselves
at risk to give you the information. - It takes them longer than is ideal to get the
information. - Another faction is alerted by their inquiry.

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 lovell opportunities

• The House altar honoring a past Prince has cracked. Discover what has
angered the ancestor, repair the rift and the damaged altar.

• A friendly House pleads for House Lovell to act as an intermediary in a

matter requiring both politics and discretion.

• Prince Lovell desires a unique piece of jewelry that arrived as part of a trav-
eling display. The guardian of the piece cannot or will not sell.

• Masque is coming and it is House Lovell’s turn to host. Ensure the House’s
party will never be forgotten.

• Whispers of revolt arise as a firebrand stokes the anger of the Ibericans at the
dock. Remove the threat.

• Students dabbling in the arcane at the Scholam Naturalis have unleashed a

magical backlash. Discover the source of the problem and see it is remedied.

• A friendly faction’s assets are frozen and their whaling vessel is not permitted
to dock. Uncover the truth of the matter and fix it, or lose the ally.

• A powerful judge presides over a case centered on a minor noble scion

of The House, and they appear to be considering a guilty sentence. This
cannot stand.

• Prince Lovell is aflame for a married or betrothed member of a rival House.

Your life will be lousy until the tryst is arranged.

• The House is known for its discretion and ability to keep a secret. It does
not judge, aloud. Procure the Arbiter of the Grand Council’s vice for
them, discreetly.

• A particularly skilled spy stole one of the House’s books of secrets. Hunt
them down before they break the cyphers.

• The annual cleaning of the House’s vaults has unearthed a valuable art piece
dating back to the Mad Prince’s time. It’s eldritch, doubtless dangerous, and
we need to find a buyer.

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 House Al-Mari
A Tower Built of Spit and Spite
 T hey came as strangers to Ilrien, but money knows no provenance.
Swords know even less. Unfashionable, gauche even, they set to the
task of securing their new prize. Once mercenaries from across the seas,
now they are conqueror-princes.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Dominance or Aggression.

• Possible Resource Strengths: Supply. House Al-Mari is a self-suffi-
cient House. They keep, indeed.
• House Healer: Physician

special feature

Give Them Nothing; when you roll to recover from harm, mark an
extra tick on your progress clock.

al-mari coterie upgrades

Prepared - You gain 2 free load for weapons and tools for violence.

Swords Without Number - When you hire a retinue of Blades it func-

tions as 1 tier higher.

Well-Armed - The coterie gains access to the House’s armories. All

weapons grant +1 effect.

In the Know - The coterie gains an informant who is incredibly knowl-

edgeable in one subject. What is it?

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 special abilities

Deadly - Each PC may add +1 action rating to Hunt or Skirmish.

Able - Each PC gains +1d to Body resist rolls.

Like a Hammer - Gain additional xp trigger: Did we show a glorious disregard

for subtlety? Name one faction who dares not go to war with you, and for the
duration of the game they will not.

Pack Tactics - Your coterie is treated as 1 tier higher when engaging in a combat
roll together.

Sneering Disregard - Take +2 influence on every errand, also take +1 exposure.

War Dogs - Even when at war you may take two downtime actions.

Strike Fear - Any time someone is clearly thinking of snitching on the coterie,
or lying to a PC in it, call them out and they will think twice. Roll a fortune die
to determine the outcome.
1-3: They don’t, even against their best judgement.
4-5: They don’t, but they do talk around the question or try to make trouble for
you in other ways.
6: They succeed in snitching or lying (unless they have the misfortune of trying
to lie to a Key with the I Know This Tune ability).

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 al-mari opportunities

• Armed pirates are attacking city ships off of the coast, The Grand Council
agrees this is a job for mercenary princes.

• The Ten Hammers are poaching talented fighters from the retinues of
the House.

• Twistjacks have taken a scion of the House into custody, claiming

connection to a string of bloody duels. It’s true, of course, but Al-Mari do
not stand trial.

• A Berylyne merchant has produced a writ of claim to a portion of the

Houses’ assets for services rendered. His claim looks legal, but his body-
guards look a bit spare.

• A senior Ironmonger has refused House Al-Mari’s custom. Bring him to heel.

• The Broadsheets have become a problem of late, and their constant

questioning of House business grows tiresome. Convince them to rake
muck elsewhere.

• Word has reached us that an old enemy from Maur is coming to Ilrienne to
lay a formal challenge. How much easier if they never arrived, no?

• A Motley footpad has stolen a marked courier wallet and retreated into the
Founder. Secure the case at any cost.

• A vice purveyor in the city is being held by the Grand Council and is
prepared to testify. You cannot kill the Grand Council, but you can ensure
that they never hear the panderer’s testimony.

• An important Altori noble is in Ilrien on his “grand tour.” A perfect time to

rid yourself of a future problem.

• The Dead Watchers have made it clear that no foreign-born nobles will
be interred in the catacombs beneath the city. Make our case. Loudly,
if necessary.

• An assassin’s blade narrowly missed the heart of our Patriarch. The Prince of
Tatters has struck again. It is time to show the city that ghosts bleed.

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 House Elanda
A Fist Around the Heart of Trade
 I
lrien was once a city of merchant houses; dozens of tightening fists
around the gold which flowed through the city of canals. Now, only
House Elanda remains. If there is something you need, be assured the
Elanda either make it, import it, transport it, or ensures that you need
it in the first place.

house strengths

• Unique XP Trigger: Overcome an obstacle with Guile or Extortion.

• Resource Strength: Wealth. None can match the accounts of House
Elanda. They like it that way.
• House Healer: Physician

special feature

Volatile Market; at the beginning of each social season House Elanda

may trade its strength in Wealth for any other strength.

elanda coterie upgrades

Industrious - The coterie gains one extra downtime activity to work

on any long-term project or intrigue.

Sly Contracts - When you hire a colleague from the Courtier school
of training they function as 1 tier higher.

Factorum Factotum - The coterie gains access to the House’s work-

shops. You may mark +1 segment whenever the coterie researches an
invention or +1d whenever you roll to craft.

The Right Tool for the Job - Gain +2 free load to be spent on tools
(burglary gear, tinkering tools, demolition tools, et cetera).

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 special abilities

Circumspect - Each PC may add +1 action rating to Skulk or Maneuver.

Wit - Each PC gains +1d to Mind resist rolls.

Merchant Warriors - Gain additional xp trigger: Did we leverage our power over
transport or supply? You are notified when another House of the Esultare begins
a long-term goal related to transportation or supply.

Counterfeiting - No one questions the authenticity of your goods. Take +1d to

Sway or Consort for the purpose of negotiating over value.

The Weird Stuff - Take +1 effect level to any acquire asset roll for the purpose
of acquiring arcane or obscure ingredients.

High Society - Take -1 exposure during downtime and +1d to gather infor-
mation about the rest of the city’s elite.

Patronage - When you must make egregiously large bribes or payments, pay half
the amount of influence normally required to do so (if the cost is 1 influence,
pay 0).

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 elanda opportunities

• A lucrative trade route is being disrupted by a rival merchant; put an end

to the disruption.

• Someone has stolen an original work of art from The House and replaced it
with a very convincing counterfeit. Discover how it happened and get the
piece back.

• Braelian, a vintner, has produced a wine that is taking the city by storm.
He refuses to sell the secret of his success. Our profit will be all the higher
when we steal it.

• The House has recently purchased an exotic beast for their menagerie.
Transporting it is proving troublesome.

• A contentious trade negotiation has turned bloody. Clear the evidence, pay
the witnesses, whatever is necessary. This must not affect business.

• The crimson powder used in the Pomegranate Festival has not arrived. Find
a substitute. Quickly.

• Lorenzio is a genius in his field and nearing a breakthrough that will

revolutionize Ilrien. Sadly he works for a rival House. For now.

• A mysterious bit of cargo requires special delivery to the Ribelle Foothills.

It cannot be inspected, the recipient is unknown, but it is highly desired.

• You are tasked with stopping a trade arranged by the House. It must look
like outside interference. Discovery that the House robbed itself to get out
of a bad trade deal would stain its impeccable reputation.

• A killer is stalking the Trinket, leaving behind cryptic riddles as to their

identity. Master Craftsmen seem to be the only targets.

• The pleasure craft belonging to a wealthy patron of the House has been
impounded by the Watch. At least, they think it was the Watch. Be a love
and fetch it?

• A craftsman in league with one of our rivals wishes to defect. As a show of

good faith, he is turning over a prototype weapon he has been working on.
Unfortunately, getting to it will require a bit of assistance.

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Standard House Upgrades
Universal House upgrades are, as the name implies, additional upgrades to
which every House in the Esultare has access.

upgrades

Quality

Documents - Forged, stolen, or otherwise acquired Documents are of

+1 tier.

Gear - Your Burglary and Climbing gear are customized and tailored
to provide +1 tier.

Implements - Your Arcane Implements are potent, refined, and of the

highest quality to provide +1 tier.

Supplies - Procured from the costliest and most convincing of sellers,

your Subterfuge Supplies provide +1 tier.

Tools - The mechanical advantage and ingenious design of your

Demolition Tools provide +1 tier.

Weapons - Forged and fashioned to suit your particular needs, all

Weapons provide +1 tier.

Training

Mind – You gain access to facilities for rigorous study and private
tutors. Training downtime actions provide +1 experience for the Mind
xp track.

Body - You adopt a stringent personal regimen or have trainers assigned

to you by the House. Training downtime actions provide +1 experience
for the Body xp track.

Spirit – You are awarded elocution and etiquette lessons or acquire

dusty tomes, as you prefer. Training downtime actions provide +1
experience for the Spirit xp track.

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 Other

Retinues and Colleagues- The coterie hires a retinue or colleague.

Retinues are groups of trained professionals working in unison.
Colleagues are experts with a specific area of mastery. (See: Retinues and
Colleagues for creation and management.)

Private Apartments - You are given apartments within the House

proper, granting a measure of safety and security away from those who
mean you ill.

Hidden Exit - You are given the knowledge of a hidden exit from the
House. Your comings and goings will not be observed by your rivals,
and a hasty retreat can be made when trouble comes knocking.

Workspace - You are given a private work area equipped with the tools
and materials to suit a talented craftsperson. All long-term project rolls
made in your Workspace gain +1d.

Ritual Space - You are given a private sanctum within which to work
all manner of magical experiments or Rituals. All Rituals undertaken
in the Ritual Space gain +1 Arcane Magnitude and can reduce the
consequences of their Magnitude Effect by 1 level.

Private Library - You gain access to a research space filled with biog-
raphies of noble families, local and world histories, arcane compendia,
bestiaries, civic plans, and other needful volumes. Gathering
Information on the subject of an errand in the Private Library grants
+1d on a related engagement roll.

Arcane Wards - Magical countermeasures against intrusion and

sorcerous eavesdropping are tailored at your instruction. The
House is screened from arcane encroachment and made safe from
supernatural threats.

Dedicated Transportation - You are given custody of a personal vehicle,

either land or waterborne, and the necessary crew to pilot it to ensure
that you arrive in style wherever your business in Ilrien draws you.

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Retinues & Colleagues
types of retinues
• Doctore - Scholars, tinkerers, magicians, and alchemists.
• Courtier - Con artists, spies, and socialites.
• Wayfinder - Sailors, carriage drivers, and couriers.
• Fox - Scouts, infiltrators, and thieves.
• Blade - Killers, bodyguards, and roustabouts.

creating a retinue
Choose a retinue type from the list above. A retinue has scale and quality equal
to your current tier. It increases in scale and quality when your coterie moves up
in tier. If your coterie is tier II, your retinue is quality II and scale 2 (12 people).
When your coterie is tier IV, your retinue is quality 4 and scale 4. Certain coterie
upgrades can alter these rules.

creating a colleague
A colleague is an expert in any skill the coterie considers valuable. Example: A
craftsman, a diplomat, a physician, an exorcist, et cetera.

Record the colleague’s type (their area of expertise). A colleague has quality equal
to your coterie’s tier +1. Their scale is always zero (1 person). Your colleagues
increase in quality when your coterie moves up in tier.

edges and flaws

When creating a retinue or colleague give them one or two edges and an equal
number of flaws.

Edges
• Fearsome: Terrifying in aspect and reputation.
• Independent: Can be trusted to make good choices.
• Loyal: Can’t be bribed or turned against you.
• Tenacious: Won’t be deterred from a task.

Flaws
• Principled: Has ethics or morals that it won’t betray.
• Savage: Excessively violent, bloody-minded, or cruel.
• Unreliable: Not always available due to flights of fancy, obligations, or vices.
• Uncouth: Loud-mouthed, drunken, or debauched.

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 modifying a retinue or colleague
You can add an additional type to the retinue or colleague by spending two
coterie upgrades. When they perform actions for which its types apply, it uses
full quality rating. Otherwise, its quality is 0. Any given retinue or colleague
can have a maximum of two types.

using a retinue or colleague

When you send a retinue or colleague to achieve a goal, roll their quality to see how
it goes. Or, a PC can oversee the maneuver by leading a group action. If you direct
the retinue with orders, roll Command. If you participate in the action alongside
the cohort, roll the appropriate action. The quality of any opposition relative to
the retinue or colleague’s quality affects the position and effect of the action.

Retinues or colleagues may be dispatched to handle errands or House business

on their own. If, for example, an entanglement calls for another faction to task
the coterie with another errand, a retinue or colleague may be entrusted to see
to the task. A band of Blades might secure a location on the coterie’s behalf, or
a detachment of Wayfinders might escort an important shipment in their stead.

When the coterie dispatches a retinue or their colleagues to see to an errand

rather than engaging in the errand themselves, roll the retinue or colleague’s tier,
modified by opposition or expected difficulty. Remember to take into account
the specialties of the retinue or colleagues. Courtiers will have an easier time
negotiating a new trade agreement than a skulk of Foxes, for example. Adjudicate
success or complication as normal and describe to the PCs how the errand turned
out. This allows a coterie with retinues or colleagues of their own to accomplish
far more in a social season than they might otherwise hope to accomplish alone.

retinue and colleague harm and healing

Retinues and colleagues can suffer four levels of harm.
• Weakened: The retinue or colleague has reduced effect.
• Impaired: The retinue or colleague operates with reduced quality (-1d).
• Broken: The retinue or colleague can’t do anything until they recover.
• Dead: The retinue or colleague is destroyed.

All of your retinues and colleagues heal during downtime. If circumstances are
amenable for recovery, each cohort removes one level of harm (or two levels of
harm instead, if a PC spends a downtime activity helping them recuperate).

If a retinue or colleague is destroyed, it may be replaced. Spend influence equal

to your tier +2 to restore it, plus two downtime activities to recruit new members
of your retinue or hire a new colleague.

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Chapter Three
Downtime
 Payoff & Exposure
payoff
After an errand, the PCs take stock of what they have achieved; both the
influence they have earned within their House and the favor they garnered
with the other factions in the course of the operation. A successful errand always
generates influence.

influence
The coterie earns 2 influence per errand by default. If the target of the errand is
of a higher tier than your coterie, take +1 influence per tier higher. If the target
of the errand is lower tier than your coterie, take -1 influence per tier lower
(minimum zero).

If you keep the errand completely quiet so that no one outside of your House
is aware of it, take +1 influence, but gain no favor. If no one knows about your
masterful manipulations and maneuvers, you can hardly be the toast of the town.

The coterie earns influence based upon the nature of the errand they engage in
and/or any secrets or leverage they uncover while on the job. The GM sets the
influence awarded based on the examples below.

• 1 Influence: Faithful service as a coachman.

• 2 Influence: A friendly chat with a business associate, perhaps a bit of
negotiation and compromise.
• 4 Influence: Covering a significant social gaffe, exposing a rival’s shame.
• 6 Influence: A ruinous secret, found or hidden.
• 8 Influence: Discreet disposal of a body, escorting an heir of the House
for a weekend’s carousing.
• 10 Influence: Interception of an assassin’s blade, admission of high
treason in lieu of shaming the House.

Divvy up the influence your coterie has earned amongst yourselves, marking
them on your individual Playbook sheets.

You may set the scene and play out the meeting with the patron within the
household who dispensed your errand if there is something interesting to
explore there. If not, gloss over it and move on to the next part of downtime.

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favor
Unlike influence, the coterie does not earn a default amount of favor. Favor is
drawn from other factions within the city, and is only given out when a service
preformed benefits them. The following factions have their own favor tracks on
the coterie’s House Sheet: Each Individual House Major, The Houses Minor, The
Uncouth, The Outsiders, and The Citizenry.

The coterie earns favor based on how far they went out of their way to help the
other factions of the city, or how much they accomplished on their behalf.

• 1 Favor: Ended a minor menace, protected something important, stopped

a bad situation.
• 2 Favor: Ended a major crisis, rallied a defense of the city, saved a Prince or
important leader’s life.

Examples: The coterie hunted down a strange creature menacing The Arbor, and
gained 1 favor with the Houses Minor. Or, the coterie stopped an assassination
attempt on the Prince of House Corvetto. They gained 2 favor with their rival.
Record your favor on the coterie’s House Sheet.

exposure & shame

Ilrien is a city of prying eyes. Anything you do might be witnessed or provable
by the evidence you leave behind. To reflect this, your coterie acquires exposure
as they go about their errands. After an errand or encounter with an opponent,
your coterie takes exposure according to the nature of the job.

• 0 Exposure: Only your House is even aware that you were dispatched.
• 2 Exposure: Contained, discreet, and sensible; standard exposure.
• 4 Exposure: Loud and chaotic; high exposure.
• 6 Exposure: Wild and devastating exposure.

Add an additional level of exposure for high-profile, well-connected, or

constantly surveilled targets. Add +1 exposure if the errand took place in hostile
territory. Add an additional +1 exposure if your House is currently at war with
anyone. Add +2 exposure if you left bodies. Bodies draw questions, even in the
poorest parts of Ilrien.

Discretion is the worthier part of valor. Your coterie is expected to maintain a

certain level of secrecy and politesse while about the House’s business, otherwise
it reflects poorly upon the House. Unwanted attention results in gaining ticks of
exposure and exposure ultimately leads to levels of shame.

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 Each time your exposure tracker is filled, add one level of shame and clear your
exposure. Any excess exposure rolls over into the next track.

Example: Your exposure was at 7 ticks, with 0 shame. You took 4 additional
exposure, so you marked the tracker with 2 ticks, filling it. You marked 1 level
of shame, then erased all ticks of exposure and added the 2 ticks you earned but
didn’t have room for. You’re left with 1 shame and 2 exposure marked.

The higher your shame level, the more serious the responses from the Grand
Council, the Esultare, and the city of Ilrien at large become. You invite more
public attention to your actions, forces of higher quality and scale will be
dispatched to thwart you, and you open the House to public censure.

• Level 1 Shame: The coterie loses one downtime action (one PC must spend
a downtime action explaining or apologizing on behalf of the coterie after
every errand).
• Level 2 Shame: The coterie’s House finds itself subject to the First House’s
censure and loses one errand per social season until they make amends.
• Level 3 Shame: The House loses a tick of progress on their House
Advancement Clock. As well, choose one of the following: A PC is sent to
the guillotine to atone for the coterie’s shame, the coterie dedicates a Social
Season in abject service to the Grand Council, or the coterie is dismissed
from the service of their House.

reducing exposure & shame

Exposure is reduced by spending downtime actions covering your tracks,
making apologies, or otherwise alleviating blame directed at your coterie. Any
PC can spend a downtime action reducing exposure for the coterie. Simply
describe what you’re doing to help, and roll the appropriate action or fortune
dice to determine the amount of exposure reduced. Multiple PCs can spend
their downtime activities to reduce exposure.

1-3: Reduce exposure by 1.

4/5: Reduce exposure by 2.
6: Reduce exposure by 3.
Critical: Reduce exposure by 5.

Shame is reduced by making amends with Houses Minor, Rival Houses, or the
City at large depending on the cause or severity of shame. To make amends, the
coterie must spend an errand appeasing the appropriate faction.

If the coterie succeeds in their errand to make amends, reduce shame level by 1.

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Downtime Activities
Between errands, your coterie spends time at liberty, attending to personal
matters, needs, and side projects. These are called downtime activities. During a
downtime phase, each PC has time for 2 downtime activities. When you are at
war, each PC only has time for 1 downtime activity.

You may choose the same activity more than once. You can only attempt actions
you’re in a position to accomplish. If an activity is contingent on another action,
resolve that action first.

A PC can make time for more than 2 activities at a cost. Each additional activity
from the list costs 1 influence. This reflects the time and resulting imposition
upon the good graces of your House while you are “off the clock” and not available
for your duties. When you complete a new errand, you reset and get 2 “free”
activities again.

Activities on the downtime list are limited; normal actions are not. During down-
time, you can still go places, do things, make action rolls, gather information,

talk with other characters, et cetera. In other words, only activities that are on the
list are limited.

For every downtime activity, take +1d to the roll if a friend or contact helps you.
After the roll, you may spend influence to improve the result level. Increase the
result level by one for each influence spent. So, a 1-3 result becomes a 4/5, a 4/5
result becomes a 6, a 6 result becomes a critical, as normal.

Below is a quick reference list of all of the activities that are limited to downtime
actions. Continue reading to see them explained in detail.

downtime actions

• Acquire Assets • Recover

• Uncover a Plot • Make Amends
• Long-Term Projects • Train
• Intrigues • Indulge & Reduce Stress

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 acquire assets
Gain temporary use of an asset:

• One special item or a set of common items (enough for a retinue of your
tier scale).
• A retinue or colleague.
• A vehicle.
• A service, such as transport from a smuggler or gondolier, use of a
warehouse for temporary storage, legal representation, et cetera.

Temporary use constitutes one significant period of usage that makes sense
for the asset—typically the duration of an errand or a social season. An asset
may also be acquired for “standby” use in the future. You might hire a gang of
dockyard thugs off the books to guard a witness, for example, and they’ll stick
around until after the first serious tussle, or until some time goes by and they
lose interest.

To acquire the asset, roll the coterie’s tier. The result indicates the quality of the
asset you get, using the crew’s tier as the base. 1-3: Tier-1 (Minimum 0) 4-5: Tier
6: Tier+1 Critical: Tier+2. You can spend influence to raise the result of this roll
beyond critical by spending 2 influence per additional tier added.

The GM may set a minimum quality level that must be achieved to acquire a
particular asset. For example, if you want a set of Mercy’s robes and the blessed
ammunition they use to hunt monsters, you’d need to acquire a tier III asset. A
lower result won’t do.

If you acquire the same asset again, you get +1d to your roll. If you continue to
re-acquire an asset every time it’s used, you can effectively rent it indefinitely.

Alchemicals, poisons, bombs, and other such dangerous gadgets are carefully
monitored and controlled in Ilrien. When you acquire one of these items rather
than crafting it yourself, you take +2 exposure.

To acquire an asset permanently, you can either gain it as a coterie upgrade

(using the rules for advancement) or work on it as a long-term project to set up
permanent acquisition.

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Uncover a Plot
When you spend a downtime activity on uncovering the plots of your rival
Houses of the Esultare, select which House you are targeting. Explain what
actions you are taking to uncover the machinations of your rivals and roll a
gather information roll with the related action. Remember to take an
additional die if your maneuvering involved a friend or contact.

• On a 1-3, you uncover any clocks the House is currently working toward
involving Reach. Clocks involving Reach are typically conducted relatively
openly, in or adjacent to territory already controlled.
• On a 4/5, you reveal any clocks the House is currently working toward
involving Grasp. Clocks involving Grasp are less overt than Reach, as the
element of surprise is often key to Ilrienne maneuverings. If there is no Grasp
clock in play, you uncover the most recent Reach clock instead.
• On a 6, you reveal any clocks the House is currently working toward involv-
ing Sleight. Clocks involving Sleight are, by their very nature, hidden from all
but the most careful scrutiny. If they are already working to cover their tracks,
imagine how hard your Retainer is going to have to work to uncover them. If
there is no Sleight clock in play, you uncover the most recent Grasp clock,
or Reach clock.
• On a Critical Success, behave as though you had rolled a 6, and also reveal
how many ticks toward completion the House has achieved. Alternately: You
may choose to uncover the clock closest to completion, though you will not
know how many ticks the clock has left.

You may spend influence to improve the results of this roll at a cost of 1
influence per level of improvement. You may do this even after the GM
regretfully informs you that the targeted House has no clocks of the rolled type.
This influence may be used to leverage contacts, press delicate issues, and gener-
ally get your questions answered.

Example: Jo wants to find out what those sneaky Corvettos are up to this season, so
she does some snooping. She decides to check in with her Gondoliere contact, Benecio,
to get the word on the canal, as it were. She rolls her two dice in Consort and takes
an extra die for leveraging her contact. She rolls a 1, a 4, and a 6. Nothing gets past
Benecio. He tells Jo he’s heard word that the Corvetto are currently embroiled in a
bit of house cleaning. They are destroying evidence of bribery paid to City Watch
officers...a lot of crooked watchmen are turning up dead. Jo decides she needs to
know how close the Corvetto are to completing their goal, so she pays an additional
influence to learn that the Corvetto are 5/6 of the way to cleansing their malfeasance.

137
 Long-term Projects
When you work on a long-term project (either a brand new one, or an already
existing one), describe what your character does to advance the project clock,
and roll one of your actions. Mark segments on the clock according to your
result: 1-3: one segment, 4-5: two segments, 6: three segments, Critical:
five segments.

A long-term project can cover a wide variety of activities, like researching an

arcane ritual, investigating a mystery, gaining someone’s trust, courting a new
friend or contact, changing your character’s indulgence, and so on. The distinc-
tion between a long-term project and an intrigue is that long-term projects are
self-contained, and do not target another character, faction, or location. If your
long-term project is somehow opposed or opens you to consequences, use an
intrigue (see Intrigues).

Based on the goal of the project, the GM will tell you the clock(s) to create and
suggest methods by which you might make progress.

In order to work on a project, you might first have to achieve the means to
pursue it—which can be a project unto itself. For example, you might want to
make friends with a member of the Grand Council, but you have no connection
to them. You might first work on a project to Consort in their circles, building
the opportunity to meet one of them. Once that’s accomplished, you could start
a new project to form a friendly relationship.

recover
When you recover, you seek treatment and heal your harm. You might visit a
physician who can mend your wounds with anatomical expertise, or a Grace
who can remove a curse with charms and restorative alchemy. Each House has
one of these on retainer to provide treatment to their coteries.

See Healing Harm (page 33) to review this mechanic.

reduce exposure & shame

Describe what your character does to reduce exposure, mollify the House, or
hide the evidence, then make an action roll. Maybe you Consort with your
friend who is a City Watch Inspector and she arranges for the evidence to
disappear. Or maybe you Command the fear of the locals in the Twist such that
they keep silent about your maneuvering.

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Reduce exposure according to your roll result:
1-3: reduce by one. 6: reduce by three.
4/5: reduce by two. Critical: reduce by five.

Reducing levels of shame is more difficult than reducing exposure. It requires

making amends via forfeiture of an errand during a social season, as the coterie
must spend one errand working to reduce their shame. The coterie will have
fewer dice to roll to advance their House of service at the end of the season, but
if your coterie succeeds in their errand you will erase a level of shame.

train
When you spend time in training, mark 1xp on the xp track for an attribute or
Playbook advancement. If you have the appropriate coterie training upgrade
unlocked, mark +1 xp (2 xp total). You can train a given xp track only once
per downtime.

indulge & reduce stress

The retainers of the Esultare are a special lot. They defy the powers that be and
exist in a swirling maelstrom of delicate maneuvering and sudden treachery and
violence. They push themselves further than ordinary people are willing to go.
But this comes at a cost. A retainer’s life is one of constant stress. Inevitably, each
turn to some means of coping.

A retainer’s indulgence is their obsession. But this indulgence grants a brief

respite from stress and the ability to once again face the overwhelming and
all-consuming struggle of the House’s climb to the top.

Indulging:
When you indulge, you clear some stress from the character’s stress track.
Describe how your character indulges, including what source or avenue they use
to satisfy their needs. This indulgence takes some time, so it can only be done
when the coterie has downtime.

Alternatively, you may choose to release your character to be “lost in their indul-
gence” during a game session, allowing them to indulge off-camera while you
play a different PC. Another retainer of the house, a friend, or contact of the
coterie may be created as an alternate character to play, thus fleshing out the
landscape of the PCs.

Roll to find out how much relief your character receives. An indulge roll is like
a resistance roll in reverse—rather than gaining stress levels, you clear stress

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 levels. The effectiveness of your indulgence depends upon your character’s worst
attribute rating. It’s their weakest quality (Mind, Body or Spirit) that is most
in thrall to self-gratification. Make an attribute roll using your character’s
lowest attribute rating or ratings if there’s a tie. Clear stress equal to the highest
die result.

Overindulging:
If your indulgence roll clears more stress levels than you had marked, you
overindulge. An indulgence is not reliable or controllable. It’s a risk, one that can
drive your character to act against their best interests.

When you overindulge, you make a bad call because of your indulgence—in
acquiring it or while partaking in it. To bring the effect of this bad decision into
the game, select an overindulgence complication from the list below.

• Attract Trouble. Select or roll an additional entanglement.

• Brag about your exploits. Take +2 exposure.
• Lost. Your character vanishes for a few weeks. Play a different character until
this one returns from their bender, spree, or obligation. When your character
returns, they have also healed any harm they had before they vanished.
• Tapped. Your current source becomes unavailable. You’ll have to fix things
before you can indulge again.
• A favor. You lose a downtime action to help someone or cannot indulge
again until you have done so.

Ignoring your Indulgence:

If you do not or cannot indulge during a downtime phase, you take stress equal
to your scandal level. If you don’t have any scandals, you’re free to ignore your
indulgence. You are not currently overburdened by your life in the public eye.

Roleplaying & xp
Along with your character’s heritage and background, their indulgence reveals
what kind of person they are. This obsession and how they deal with it feeds into
their motivations, goals, and behavior. When you ponder what your character
might do or say next, consider their indulgence to help you think of something.
As an added benefit, by playing to the nature of your character’s need to indulge
you earn xp at the end of the session.

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Intrigues
An intrigue is a special long-term clock that establishes covert action to change
something about the balance of power in the city. This is the player-facing version
of the agendas of the other Houses of the Esultare. If you mean to assassinate
a high-profile rival NPC, seize territory for your own use, or interfere with the
machinations of another faction, you might undertake an errand to see it done,
but you might instead begin moving pieces to bring about your desired aim over
the course of the social season.

Intrigues allow you to engage in long-term machinations which upset the status
quo. With them, you reach above your station and with craft and subtly, target
foes who would otherwise be out of your power to manipulate or engage. The
disruptions you bring to Ilrien with intrigues are beyond the scope of a single
errand, and entire power structures can be upset with forethought, guile, and luck.

The intrigue clock differs from a standard long-term clock in that it establishes
a pair of racing clocks. The player’s clock typically begins as a 6-part clock,
while the opposition’s begins as a 4-part clock. The player and the GM answer
the following questions, establishing the truth of the narrative surrounding the
Intrigue, recording their answers for future reference:

GM asks: “Who or what is the target of your intrigue; what do you mean to do, and
what are you risking?”

Your answer sets the parameters for the change you would make to the status
quo. You might subvert a rival House’s assets or allies, discredit a powerful rival,
or arrange for a notable in the city to quietly disappear. At the same time, you set
the stakes for what you stand to lose if this intrigue is found out. Wager boldly,
for great changes call for great risks, and tepid deceptions make for poor stories.

Player asks: “How long will this take, and who else do I need to involve?”

This question starts a discussion with regard to how far-reaching and involved
the Intrigue you mean to begin needs be. Here, you will establish the size of the
intrigue clock you must complete before your rivals complete their racing clock
to find you out. Suborning a local watch officer who is already on someone’s
payroll, or acquiring the services of a spy in a minor noble House might be a
4-section clock, while a far-reaching conspiracy with grander designs on the life
of a Prince might be as high as a 12-section clock. The GM will also tell you
whose help you need to ensure the success of your intrigue. If you can do it by
yourself, it might be better handled as a long-term clock rather than an intrigue.

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 GM asks: “What special pains will you take to keep this intrigue secret?”

The answer to this question helps the GM consider how large a clock the oppo-
sition’s racing intrigue clock should be. If you plan to move fast and trust that
audacity will carry you to victory, it might stay a 4-section clock. If, however,
you are willing to play the long-game and move with caution, spend favor with
other factions, or wager the strength of your reputation as a shield against suspi-
cion, the clock might grow in size. Fortune favors the bold, but skullduggery is
best accomplished with circumspection from behind a good excuse.

Player asks: “Who else am I defying by committing to this course, and what kind of
collateral damage might result?”

The status quo does not like being disrupted. The moment you change the
fiction of Ilrien you make enemies. Everyone in the city has their own aims,
goals, and aspirations; the moment you maneuver into a position more favorable
to yourself, you cut the moorings of a dozen competing plots. The GM informs
you who you inadvertently snubbed by achieving your own aims. They also
describe how the change might cause unforeseen damage to people and places
beyond your intended target.

making progress
Progress is made on your outstanding intrigue clocks by taking action during
downtime to carry out your plan. This might be issuing commands to your
retinues, consorting with contacts, skulking around in hostile territory to ferret
out information, or any other fictional action that gets you closer to achieving
your goal. Unlike normal long-term clocks, pursuing your aims with intrigue
does not simply constitute a fortune roll. You are putting yourself in harm’s
way, exposing yourself to the consequences of your plan being discovered by
your enemies.

Your GM will state the position and effect of your rolls before you carry out
your intrigue actions. The default position for these rolls is controlled, but your
target’s tier, available assets, and the number of ticks on your enemy’s racing
intrigue clock might mean you carry out your machinations from a desperate
position. Failure marks the appropriate number of ticks on your target’s racing
clock, though these may be mitigated as usual with a resistance roll.

Mark ticks on your intrigue clocks as you would a normal long-term project
clock. When your clock is filled, your desired outcome comes to pass. Should your
enemies fill their clock before your intrigue comes to fruition, you have wagered
and lost. The consequences discussed with your GM come to pass instead.

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 example intrigue

Player: “Lucrezia, my paramour, is in debt to the Bank of Brass and

Bone. I want to ensure that the ledger holding her debt is altered to
erase all evidence the debt ever existed. I think I’m risking the censure
of the Bank if my plot is discovered; they’ll probably refuse to contract
with us in the future. They might bring their complaints to the Prince,
too. House Elanda won’t be well pleased, I imagine.”

GM: “This is going to require getting an agent into the Bank of Brass
and Bone. You’ve got a retinue of Foxes, but it’ll probably take some
time to get them placed to start cooking the books for you, right? Are
you willing to wait, or do you think you could maybe bribe someone
on the inside? You might be able to leverage your favor with the Houses
Minor to make that happen, but how far can you trust them?”

The Player and GM decide that this makes sense as a 6-part clock. The
Bank doesn’t trust easily, and their agents are carefully vetted for loyalty.

Player: “I’m going to send the best of my Foxes, Cesare. They’ve always
proven themselves loyal, and I’ll arrange a public dismissal. Cesare will
bide their time before approaching the Bank of Brass and Bone. I want
to make sure I’ve got deniability should Cesare fail. It’ll take a while
longer, but I really don’t want this traced back to me.”

The Player and GM agree to change the Intrigue to an 8-part clock,

representing the careful placement of Cesare. The GM assigns the bank
a 6-part clock to represent the ferreting out of Cesare’s Disloyalty.

GM: “You’ve hit the nail on the head here, I think. House Elanda as
First House of the Esultare is firmly tied to the Bank of Brass and Bone.
Should your plans be discovered, they’ll probably be moved to go to
war with your House. Undermining the Bank is bad for business. The
First Court might have all they need to levy charges against you as well.

If you succeed, you’ll be snubbing the Arborists who are waiting to buy
up Lucrezia’s estates when she defaults on her loan. As far as collateral
damage, I’ve got to tell you, if the Bank of Brass and Bone lose Lucrezia’s
sizeable debt, they’re going to be insolvent and the Fortunato Trade
Federation are primed to move in and take control of a large part of
Ilrien’s banking. The Bank and the Fortunato are going to swap tiers.”

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 Rituals & Crafting
arcane magnitude
Arcane energy varies in power, so to help the GM judge these forces consistently,
the following magnitude scale is provided. Magnitude measures the quality
level of a magical creature, arcane spell or other arcane phenomena by its area,
scale, duration, range, and force.

You can use the magnitude of an entity or power as a dice pool for the fortune
roll to see how much effect it has, if it’s not obvious or certain.

Example: A local township has been delayed in bringing the city’s grain shipment. It
turns out they angered a very old creature when they clear-cut a new swath of forest
to expand their fields. When the coterie arrives to see what the matter is, the creature
turns its wrath toward them.

This particular forest spirit has a magnitude of 5, so when it reaches out to crush
the coterie with its tree-like limbs, it rolls 6d. On a 1-3 the attack has little effect;
it batters whoever is closest, causing only minor harm. On a 4-5 it is relatively
successful, battering everyone close enough to it for minor harm. On a 6 it successfully
thrashes the entire group, using roots to reach anyone outside of its limb range and
inflicting harm. On a critical success the mighty creature hammers the party causing
significant harm.

You can add levels of magnitude together to describe a combination of effects,

or simply focus on one key feature for the magnitude assessment, ignoring other
elements, even if they’re on the scale. Additional elements are not always additive.

Example: In the previous example, the forest spirit generated magnitude 5 force and
the GM included it’s reach “for free” as part of its power.

Example: In another session, a Knack wants to accomplish a ritual that will unleash
a forest spirit on a mercenary band hiding in the foothills. The GM decides this is
a significant summoning and chooses to add two levels of magnitude together force
5 and range 4. To summon such devastating power the Knack will suffer 9 stress.
The GM offers a compromise, the ritual will only cost 7 stress if the knack is willing
to take extra time, but some of the mercenaries will see it coming and have the good
sense to run away.

The magnitude is just a set of guidelines to help the GM make judgement calls.
How they choose to judge magnitude is ultimately up to them.

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The tables below can also be used as a guide to quality level when a PC acquires
an asset or crafts something.

area / scale duration / range

0 - A closet, or 1 or 2 people 0 - A few moments, or within reach
1 - A small room, or 3-6 people 1 - A few minutes, or a dozen paces
2 - A large room, or a dozen people 2 - An hour, or a stone’s throw
3 - Several rooms, or 20 people 3 - A few hours, or down the road
4 - A small building, or 40 people 4 - A day, or several blocks away
5 - A large building, or 80 people 5 - Several days, or across a district
6 - A city block, or 160 people 6 - A week, or across the city

tier & quality / force

0 - Poor, or weak
1 - Adequate, or moderate
2 - Good, or strong
3 - Excellent, or serious
4 - Superior, or powerful
5 - Impeccable, or overwhelming
6 - Legendary, or devastating

quality examples
0 - A rusty knife, tattered clothing, an old shack
1 - A fighting blade, common clothing, cheap food
2 - A pistol, respectable clothing, private rented room, common magic
3 - A coach, boat, fashionable clothing, small home
4 - Luxury transportation, townhouse, powerful magic, typical spirits
5 - A large townhouse, small ship, custom clothing, rare arcane trinkets
6 - A mansion, large ship, awe-inspiring magic, nature spirits

force examples
0 - A firm shove, candle flame, breeze, tiny spark
1 - A solid punch, steady wind, torch flame
2 - A powerful blow, howling wind, burning brand
3 - A crushing blow, staggering wind, Molotov cocktail
4 - A charging horse, burning forge, whirlwind
5 - A cannon, raging thunder-storm, massive fire, lightning strike
6 - Hurricane wind, molten lava, tidal wave, electrical maelstrom

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 Rituals
A ritual is required for big magic, the truly awe-inspiring stuff. Rituals under-
taken by “blunts”, those without the knack, can backfire terribly. Even amongst
the skilled or talented there is much that can go awry when weaving arcane
currents of these proportions.

All rituals have a cost. Based on the nature of the ritual you are trying to
complete, the GM will create an unintended side-effect. When the ritual is
complete the GM will advance the clock for this side-effect coming to fruition,
determining the trigger(s) required to fill the tracker. Any unintended conse-
quences that do not require a clock happen immediately upon completion.

For every special ability you have in the “Knack” playbook, you may have one
of these features:

• You know what the side-effect of your ritual will be before it comes to pass.
• You can mitigate the severity of the side-effect by one magnitude effect level.
• You can spend a downtime activity holding off the side-effect, stopping it from
happening at a particularly inopportune time.

If you are a “blunt” with no skills from the “Knack” playbook, you are at the
mercy of the GM’s good will. Use the below unintended consequences as a
guideline, based on the ritual’s magnitude.

1-4 Magnitude Effect Level - Minor; a noticeable physical change in the

caster, sensitivity to a common substance, the caster becomes distracted and
reduces one less stress than their normal when they indulge for a set amount
of time.
5-8 Magnitude Effect Level - Significant; the caster is fatigued and must
spend one additional stress to push themselves for a set amount of time, a
personal sacrifice is demanded, something annoying is summoned by the
display of arcana.
9-12 Magnitude Effect Level - Severe; the ritual cannot be controlled after
it’s served its initial purpose, something dangerous is woken or attracted by
the output of arcana, a great sacrifice is demanded.

find a ritual source

All rituals come from somewhere. They can be obtained using Acquire Asset or
found or awarded in the course of play. Because rituals are the province of the
old Warweavers, they are not easily available, and can be quite costly.

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 learning a ritual
Once you find the ritual, you undertake a long-term project to learn the
intricacies of its lasting. Most rituals will require an 8-part clock to learn. Define
the nature of the ritual by answering the questions below:

GM Asks: What does the ritual do, and how is it arcane?

Player Asks: What must I do to perform the ritual and what is the price?

GM asks: What new belief or fear does knowledge of this ritual and its
arcane force instill in you?

Example Ritual Answers

Player Answers: The ritual summons a torrential storm to put out the
fires raging in the city. As long as the ritual is active my eyes crackle with
lightning and sparks jump from my fingers to metal objects.

GM Answers: You will have to spend one downtime activity to perform

the ritual and another downtime activity to climb to the highest point on
the city wall to unleash the ritual’s power. The cost will be 6 stress if you
are uninterrupted, but for every interruption along the way you will incur 1
additional stress as you fight to contain that power.

Player Answers: If this was a relatively uncomplicated ritual; I mean,

something that I could do alone, then the Warweavers must have been
truly terrifying.

performing a ritual
Most rituals take one downtime activity to complete, but the GM may call for
two, or three downtime activities to resolve the ritual, depending on its scope.
This represents the amount of time required to prepare and cast a ritual.

Some rituals may be performed in advance of their intended use. In this case
the ritual is considered dormant, waiting a final word or gesture at a later time
for completion.

When you perform a ritual, you take an amount of stress established by the
ritual questions, according to the magnitude of the forces brought to bear. The
GM uses magnitude as a guideline for setting stress cost, using their discretion.

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Crafting
During downtime, a PC can Tinker with special materials and tools to produce
or modify items, mundane or arcane in nature. The system for crafting and
enchanting is the same, with some details changed depending on the crafted item.

inventing
To invent a formula for a new alchemical concoction, a spell for a new enchantment,
or the plan for a new device of your design, you need to Study it as a long-term
project. Most new formulas, enchantments, or designs will require an 8-segment
progress clock* to invent and learn. The Player and the GM answer questions
about the invention to define its purpose in play and what is required to create it
(see below). The player records these answers in their notes for future reference.

*If a PC with no skills in the Knack playbook wishes to create a spell for a new
enchantment, they require a 10-12 segment progress clock, signifying the additional
undertaking of learning the required uncommon reagents and craftwork.

Creation Questions
GM asks: “What type of creation is it and what does it do?” Player
answers. A creation might be mundane, alchemical, or arcane.

Player asks: “What’s the minimum quality level of this item?” GM

answers, with the magnitude of the effects the item produces as a guideline.

GM asks: “What rare, strange, or adverse aspect of this formula,

enchantment, or design has kept it in obscurity, out of common usage?”
Player answers.

Player asks: “What drawbacks does this item have, if any?” GM answers
by choosing one or more from the drawbacks list, or by saying there are none.

Once you’ve invented a formula, enchantment, or design, you can craft it by

using a downtime activity. No one else can craft this invention unless they learn
your design as a long-term project. If you acquire a formula or design invented
by another tinkerer, you may learn to craft it by completing a long-term project.
Learning an existing formula, enchantment, or design will typically require a
4-segment progress clock to learn.

Common alchemicals, enchantments, and ordinary items don’t require special

formulas or designs to learn. Anyone may attempt to craft them by using
commonly available instructions.

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 crafting or creating
Crafting Roll Modifiers
• 1d for each Tinker (if mundane or alchemical) or Channel (if arcane*)
action dot.
• +1 quality per influence spent.
• +1 quality for Workshop coterie upgrade.
• Crafting Roll Results
• 1-3: Quality level is tier -1.
• 4/5: Quality level is equal to tier.
• 6: Quality level is tier +1.
• Critical: Quality level is tier +2.

To craft something, spend one downtime activity to make a Tinker or Channel

roll to determine the quality level of the item you produce. The base quality
level is equal to your coterie’s tier, modified by the result of the roll.

The results are based on your coterie’s tier because it indicates the overall quality
of the workspace and materials to which you have access. If you do the work
with the Workshop upgrade for your coterie your effective tier is one level
higher for this roll.

The GM sets a minimum quality level that must be achieved to craft the item,
based on the magnitude of the effect(s) it produces. The GM uses magnitude
as a guideline for setting the quality level—it may be higher or lower at their
discretion to better describe the nature of the project. An item may be crafted at
higher quality if the player wishes to attempt it.

You may spend influence 1-for-1 to increase the final quality level result of your
roll (this can raise quality level beyond tier +2).

A word of caution for blunts: If someone with no skill in the Knack playbook
wishes to craft something arcane, they are subject to -1d on the Channel roll. If
they have 0 in Channel there is no change, but they are unable to push them-
selves for an additional die.

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modifying
Adding a feature or additional function to an item is simpler than creating some-
thing new. You don’t need to invent a special formula or plan. Use a downtime
activity and make a crafting roll to modify an item (the baseline quality of an
item that you modify is equal to your coterie’s tier, as usual).

A simple, useful modification requires tier +1 quality.

A weapon that breaks down into two sections to be more easily concealed.

A significant modification requires tier +2 quality.

Strengthening the barrel and powder load of a single-shot pistol to fire further.

An arcane or alchemical modification requires tier +3 quality.

A dagger that can harm a spirit. An outfit coated with alchemicals to make you
more alluring.

Modified items, like special creations, may have drawbacks.

drawbacks
A creation or modification may have one or more drawbacks, chosen by the GM.

Complex- You’ll have to create it in multiple stages; the GM will tell you
how many. At least one downtime activity and crafting roll is needed per stage.

Conspicuous- This creation doesn’t go unnoticed. Take +1 exposure if it’s

used any number of times on an errand.

Consumable- This creation has a limited number of uses (all alchemicals

must have this drawback, usually one use).

Rare- This creation requires a rare item or material when it is crafted. Can
often be paid for with +1 influence.

Unreliable- When you use the item, make a fortune roll (using its quality)
to see how well it performs.

Volatile- The item produces a dangerous or troublesome side-effect for the

user, specified by the GM. A side-effect is a consequence, and may be resisted.

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 sample common creations
Creations are listed with their quality level (by tier: I-VI), followed by a number
of uses if they’re consumable (1-3). The items listed below are commonly
known and do not require studying before producing them.

Example: Mirah spends a downtime activity distilling a batch of Crumble.

She rolls Tinker and gets a 4, meaning quality level equal to her coterie tier
which is II. She spends 1 influence to bump up her result to a 6 (tier+1)
which is high enough for Crumble (III). She makes two doses of the intoxicant.

intoxicants
Drawback: Volatile. Lvl 1 harm “fuzzy”.

Dreamleaf (I/3) A red-veined leaf, dried and crumbled before smoking. Induces
a mild euphoria followed by lurid dreams. Said to be collected from the graves
of Knacks.

Glint (II/3) A crystalline alchemical powder. Induces feelings of invincibility.

Developed for the Dread Emperor’s frontline armies and named for the look in
the user’s eyes while under the influence.

Weeping Bell (I/2) A tea made from the flesh of a mushroom of the same name.
When drunk it induces a trance which some say reveals the arcane world. Others
are skeptical.

Crumble (III/2) A preparation of alchemical powder which when breathed

immediately seizes muscles and tightens the airways. Down you go.

Sweetsleep (II/2) A colorless, tasteless liquid which emits an anesthetic fume. A

favorite of infiltrators everywhere.

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poisons
Drawback: Volatile. Lvl 1 harm “ill”.

Slake (II/2) A vile drug refined from a particular canal bottom-feeder. The
afflicted will not want to stray far from the privy.

Blink (II/2) A chalky powder typically thrown into the faces of luckless sentries.
Causes temporary blindness as the eyes film over.

Scald (III/1) A vibrant red decoction which over the course of days, brings on
fever, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and often death. A physician will doubtless
notice the scarring of blood-vessels which indicates the use of this drug.

Torpor (IV/1) A powerful paralytic. Ingested or Injected, derived from a

mushroom which grows on the Necropolitan Hill.

Traitor’s Tears (IV/1) Expensive to create (pay +1 influence) but quick to work.
Ingested, it mimics the symptoms of a heart attack. Difficult to detect.

weapons
Drawback: Conspicuous.

Grenado (III/2) A small clay pot filled with gunpowder and nails, fixed with
a fuse.

Flash Bomb (II/2) Stage magician’s powder packed into a small lantern.

Smoke Bomb (I/2) A small clay pot filled alchemical components, fixed with a
fuse. Creates a thick curtain of smoke.

Marksman’s Rifle (IV/1) A finely tuned, long-barreled rifle complete with

telescopic sight. Perfect for long-range engagements.

Gun Cane (III/1) An easily disguised single-shot weapon. Popular with many
lesser nobles.

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 potions (arcane)
Drawback: Beacon. Attracts unwanted attention from magical creatures.

Clamber (II/2) When consumed, this sticky brown liquid causes minute hairs
to sprout on the palms of the drinker. They can now climb sheer walls with ease.
Lasts for ten minutes or so.

Aria (II/1) When consumed, the imbiber loses their voice for several days. A
favorite weapon amongst the theatre district, and perhaps a clue as to why sprites
and spirits are so fond of the place.

Velvet (III/1) When the vial is shattered a 20x20x20’ area is blanketed in an inky
pitch blackness. Increase the area by 20’ for every quality level over III.

Black Widow (IV/1) When consumed, the imbiber’s saliva becomes deadly for
several minutes.

Martyr (IV/1) When consumed the imbiber’s blood becomes violently flammable
when exposed to oxygen. This is strangely more survivable than it sounds.

weapons (arcane)
Drawback: Rare. Always costs +1 additional influence to create.

Gorgon’s Gaze (III/1) A brass tube shaped like a telescope. When uncapped, it
releases a beam of red light that turns living matter to stone.

Banshee Grenado (III/1) This canister contains the wail of a banshee trapped in
time. When unstoppered, the scream deafens anyone not adequately protected.

Dragon’s Blood (IV/1) Probably not actually dragon’s blood. Whatever its pedi-
gree, it burns white hot when exposed to air, and water only spreads the flames.

Horn of Siege (IV/1) Put the silver-capped horn to your lips and blow. Stone
crumbles before you, metal twists, though living things are completely unaffected.

Ghostfire Acid (IV/2) Doses of this smoky green gas must be kept in mirrored
glass vials. It wafts like smoke, burns like acid, and consumes organic material
while leaving structures unharmed. Dissipates in ten minutes.

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 sample special formulas

Perfect Sight (II/1, Arcane, Beacon) The imbiber can see in complete
darkness, albeit only in shades of grey.

Red Mist (II/2, Volatile), Refined from Glint, this is a potent combat
cocktail allowing a combatant to ignore life-threatening injuries while
engaging superior foes. Imbibers acquire the following consequences,
“Cannot discern friend from foe,” and “Don’t stop until they are all broken.”
These may be resisted as normal.

Facade (III/1, Arcane, Beacon) Allows a user’s features to be molded

like clay for 2 hours.

Vitalis (III/1, Rare) Accelerates the user’s natural healing ability both
physically and spiritually, adding +4 ticks to any healing clock.

Sleeping Beauty (III/1, Volatile) Derived from widow’s tears, a pale

flower growing in the Dead Hill, it puts the imbiber into a deep and
death-like sleep for several days.

True Sight (III/1, Arcane, Beacon) Gives the user the ability to see the
invisible and sense danger before it comes to pass.

Last Breath (IV/1, Volatile, Unreliable) Distilled from the dying breath
of a hanged man. It may be used to delay death a while, or in rare cases
return the recently dead to life. Oh so very rarely, the wrong person
comes back...

Thieves Life (IV/1, Arcane, Beacon) Said to be an unguent created by

the old War Weavers for stealing each other’s secrets. A distillation of
a living or once-living thing’s thoughts, derived from their blood. The
imbiber gains all of the thing’s memories for weeks before fading. Side
effects can be severe.

155
 sample gadgets & special plans

Blur Mask (III/1, Arcane, Beacon) A fine mask, subtly changing

the features of the wearer every minute or so. Makes the wearer hard
to remember.

Wraithling Dagger (III/1, Rare, Volatile) A dagger made of a

compressed alchemical reagent which reacts violently to blood. The
blade disintegrates in minutes after use.

Clever Ink (IV, Arcane, Beacon) A deep black ink that has the ability
to rewrite specific clauses once the ink has cured.

Mockingbird Box (IV, Arcane, Beacon) A pocket-sized, magical music

box that can record nearby voices and conversation.

Drone Beetle Jar (II/1, Rare, Conspicuous) When these strange,

iridescent beetles beat their wings, it sounds uncannily like a garbled
conversation. Shake the bottle and speak freely without concern of
being overheard by anyone outside of a five-foot radius. (They typically
survive in captivity for three days, provided you remember to poke
holes in the lid.)

The Canary (III/2, Arcane, Beacon) Made in pairs; they work reliably
over long distances to send messages in a chirping code.

Reason (II/1, Volatile, Limited) A discrete duelist’s gauntlet with a

shocking secret. Powered by a small alchemical battery, it delivers a
strong electrical current that stuns a grown man. It is capable of a single
use per charge.

Veritas (IV/1, Unreliable, Conspicuous) A peculiar device capable of

measuring stress responses. It is very handy when you need to tell if
someone is lying. Of course, first you have to convince them to put the
thing on, and that alone may cause stress.

156
 crafting example

inventing a spring blade

Silk is in need of a discreet weapon to fill out her assassination toolkit, something
that comes to hand quickly and can get past reasonable scrutiny. She decides
to make a spring-loaded dagger that she can wear around her wrist and hide
beneath her sleeves until it is triggered. First, Silk must invent the new design.

The GM and Silk’s player, Jo, go through the creation questions.

1. The GM asks, “What type of creation is it and what does it do?” Jo

answers, “I want a spring-loaded wrist dagger, fit for a master assassin. It
needs to be easy to hide and spring to hand quickly.

2. Jo asks, “What is the minimum quality level for this?” The GM answers,
“If you want it to work as intended every time, we’ll call it a level 3. That’s 0
for scale, 0 for range, and 3 for quality. If you’re willing to take the attribute
unreliable, it can be made at level 2.”

3. The GM asks, “What rare, arcane, or adverse aspect of this design or

formula kept it in obscurity, or out of common usage?” Jo answers, “I
think getting the lever and spring tension just right so that it goes off when
it needs to and not when it’s not supposed to is very tricky. Failed similar
designs probably landed a lot of folks in the gallows.”

4. Jo Asks, “What drawbacks does it have?” The GM answers, “I think this

one has a delicate calibration drawback. After using it for an errand, you’ll
need to spend a downtime action to set the spring tension back just so.”

With the design settled, Silk spends a few downtime activities on a 6-segment
long-term project clock to study the design and learn how to build it.

crafting the spring blade

Once the design is learned, Jo builds the spring blade by spending a downtime
activity. Jo rolls Tinker and gets a 5, which is enough to build the item with
quality equal to Jo’s coterie tier. Jo’s tier is 2, so that is quality level 2- not enough
for the quality level 3 spring blade.

To make up the difference, Jo will have to spend 1 influence on the construction

of the spring blade. It’s not cheap, but Jo thinks it’s worth it, so she spends the
influence and the new weapon is ready to go.

158
Chapter Four
A Guide to Ilrien
 Abridged Timeline of Ilrien
-86 - Taliesen of Beryl leads his exiles to the Calrayan coast to found a
beacon of liberty.

-45 - Calrayan raiders sack the city.

0 - Founding of the new city on the rubble of the old.

125 - The Dread Emperor arrives with his Warweavers and legions to
subjugate Ilrayan.

313 - The Grand Rebellion wrests control of the city from the Dread
Empire.

317 - Ilrien’s families elect the first Prince of Ilrien.

318 - The first Prince is assassinated. The second Prince abdicates, and
establishes the Grand Council.

320 - The Grand Council establishes the Esultare. The Great Game
is begun.

430 - The Deathless tear down the last of the Dread Empire. Ilrien
finances the crusade to contain the threat of the Deathless.

477 - The Last Deathless is sealed in the Necropolitan Hill.

480-651 - The Successor Wars are waged. While the mainland is

consumed with infighting, Ilrien rises to power.

794 - Present day at the start of the game.

160
Dueling & the Court of Blades
Legal disputes in Ilrien, matters of personal and familial honor, and redress
for grievous wrongs both public and personal oft as not result in dueling. The
customs and courtesies attached to such duels are as changeable as the fashions
of the city, but at minimum the law requires witnesses, an impartial judge,
and the permission of local magistrates before any blood is shed. Even so, the
existence of the law is no bar to its breaking, and illegal duels menace the streets
of Ilrien no matter the measures taken to rein in such violence.

So what does dueling look like in your Ilrien? Consider the following:

What weapons are in fashion this season? Swords in the square? Pistols
at dawn? Daggers and cloaks? Cudgels and fists?

Whose authority must be sought with regard to legality? A petition to

the Prince? Accord between dueling Houses? The Watch’s special arbiters?
A Grace of the Church of the Lady? The owner of the dueling ground?

What strange formality must be observed? Must the duelists be blind-

folded? Is dueling only done in darkness? Are both parties poisoned
beforehand, or otherwise inebriated? Do they compose verse while fighting?

Where do personal duels take place? Any sufficient open space?

Regulated dueling grounds within the city? Never within the city’s walls?
On cat-bridges over the canals?

How far does it go? Is it tradition to fight to first blood? Three passes
with blunted weapons? Will only death suffice?

What is customarily afforded to the winner? A public retraction of

insult from the loser, or penned by the loser’s second should they fall? The
weapon of the vanquished, as payment for the sleight? The debts of the
slain, should they perish in the duel?

Duels of significant weight, matters which command the personal attention of

the Esultare, are conducted in the city’s premier dueling ground, the Court of
Blades. Here, blades flash and the crowd roars as satisfaction is sought before the
watching eyes of the city. Here, even the Prince may answer a challenge, for none
are above the call of the Court of Blades. Whatever form it takes in your game,
this arena is a place where great wrongs are righted and vengeance flashes red to
the roar of a very polite mob.

161
 When constructing your Court of Blades, consider the following questions:

Only matters of important warrant duels within the Court of Blades. What
would these be? Is it only matters between the Houses of the Esultare? Are
particularly heinous crimes judged here? Are they the cases of personal interest
to the Prince? Are they voted on by the Houses Minor?

The winner carries forward reward and renown. What form does this take?
Are they exempt from legal recourse for any duel following their victory? Are
they are granted a weapon from the Prince’s own hand? Are they are named
a Justice of the Prince, fighting thereafter as a champion of the Court? Do
proposals of marriage flood in as noble families seek alliance with the victor?

The Court of Blades is more dangerous than a normal dueling ground.

How? Are duels fought on an elevated platform, high above the arena floor?
Does the duel take place on narrow catwalks over water? Does the arena also
contain a dangerous creature, or creatures? Do alchemical and clockwork traps
lurk beneath the sands, triggered by unwary footfalls? Are the normal rules of
Ilrien not enforced here, bidding duelists only win at all costs? Is it all of these?

Daily Life
Ilrien is a nation unto itself. It is a city-state spanning 160 square miles, from the
Docks to the Great Gates, and the northern foothills, to The Necropolitan Hill.
The great city is home to just over 124,000 registered citizens, scores of those
deemed undesirables, and other souls passing through.

The city is webbed by a delicate network of bridges, canals, and elevated walk-
ways. At all hours, the city is abuzz with activity. Barter and trade echo loudly
in the markets and plazas throughout the day, and quietly in the alleys and
winesinks by night. The din of hammers and saws in the Arsenal gives way to the
skirl of steel in the Twist when darkness closes in and night lets down her hair.

162
Currency
The fiore is the currency of the city, named for the crocus stamped onto its silver
surface. The flower itself was a symbol of the true first Prince’s House. Much of
the city still runs on trade and barter. Large purchases are typically arranged at
the Bank of Brass and Bone. It is highly unusual for anyone to simply show up
somewhere with a large sack of fiore. The well-to-do carry bank-notarized letters
of credit.

The Great Game

politics amongst the esultare
Every House of the Esultare has its own agenda. Most Houses have at least one
rival House, whether secretly, or publicly known. When a matter of politics
must be discussed between Houses, an invitation to meet will typically be sent
by the aggrieved House. Either the head of the opposing household, or someone
with the power to speak for them, is expected to attend. It is considered impolite
to bring more than two personal guards to one of these affairs.

warfare amongst the esultare

Open warfare is frowned upon, as it might make the Houses Major look petulant
in front of the citizens of Ilrien. If a House of the Esultare commits a crime so
egregious it must be met with violence, it is preceded by lengthy court hearings.
Only one House of the Esultare has ever been found guilty and fallen so. After
the verdict was passed, in a single night the house was burned to the ground by
the army of the Grand Council. The old estate site is now home to a lighthouse.

Because of this, warfare happens in the shadows. It is not unprecedented for

Houses to engage in deeply personal secret wars with one another for years.
Armed clashes in out of the way locales are not uncommon, though it is gauche
to mention them in polite company. Fighting between Houses is done covertly,
through malicious interference and undermining, with the price of failure
quite high.

163
 Cuisine
fine food
Fine Food is a luxury readily available for those with the fiore and their
guests. Meals are served with carefully selected and aged wines from the city’s
vintners, with balsamic vinegars a common condiment. Meats are most plentiful
amongst the wealthy, vegetables are served fresh year-round, and the highest
quality honeys are infused with spices and flowers in which to soak sweet breads.
Interesting and flavorful sauces, olives, and fine cheese are staples here.

family meals
Family Meals are served on large platters, or in lidded vessels that are shared
communally. A typical family meal amongst even the lower classes consists of
a salad of spiced fresh or pickled vegetables, fragrant sauces, small servings of
seafood, with enough bread to feed a mule team. Bread is served as a large round,
or loaf, and pieces are pulled off, bit by bit, by everyone seated at the table. Meals
are typically served with tea, and finished with sweets like candied dates, fruit
breads, and cafe.

street food
Street Food is an important staple of life in Ilrien. Every district of the city
features its own regular vendors. Buffeted in with the tide, every culture finds its
way to Ilrien and with them comes their food.

With the Iberican came the tapilla, small discs of fried dough stuffed with grilled
meats and vegetables. With the Maur came the chelau, roasted hollow gourds
overflowing with rice perfumed with exotic spices. The Calrais brought along
their ember-baked kolschei, savory sausages in yeasted butter-rolls. The Altori, a
relatively recent entrant on the food stage of Ilrien, has taken the city by storm
with a variety honey-drenched sweet pastries and maccara, pan-tossed noodle
bowls laden with fresh vegetables.

Though Ilrien’s haute cuisine is a thing of beauty and grace, fussily executed
by legions of trained chefs, the soul of Ilrienne cuisine is found along the
canals where a multicultural army of street cooks serve up a thousand national
delicacies. Few enough of them are “properly Ilrienne,” but that hardly matters
to the Dockers, Gondoliers, and other hungry tradesfolk. Every citizen of Ilrien
has a favorite street food vendor.

164
Law & Order
the grand council
Composed of representatives from every House Major, House Minor, and led
by an impartial leader from The Temple of the Lady on behalf of the people,
the Grand Council is the political and judicial forum of Ilrien. Every piece of
legislature comes from the Grand Council, all high-profile crimes are prosecuted
in front of the Grand Council. When war comes, the standing army, the Urban
Cohort of Ilrien takes to the field at the Grand Council’s behest.

the first court

While the Grand Council sorts of high crimes, common legal matters are dealt
with by the First Court. Punishments range from service, to public humiliation,
to execution by guillotine. House arrest is commonplace, as there are no public
prisons in Ilrien, only a few holding cells in the various Watch Houses. The
system is nothing if not efficient where taxpayer fiore are concerned.

private guards
A staple of any affluent family is the private guard, not to be mistaken for
a bravo. Most appear as common servants, rarely wearing visible weapons or
behaving in any way that might disrupt the tranquility of the wealthier neigh-
borhoods. Martial artists and skillful unarmed combatants are in particularly
high demand in this field. Weapons are gauche in polite company and social
gatherings, so the bearing of arms is typically reserved for private property.
Bravos, of course, are another matter altogether.

the city watch

Peacekeepers of the city, the City Watch deal with the everyday law and order of
Ilrien, outside of the Houses Major. Patrolling in breastplates and brown oilskin
cloaks, they keep a watchful eye out for trouble. Should they find it, it is their
duty to ascertain the truth of the matter. They determine who is pushed before
the First Court and who just gets sent crying back home to their mothers with
a good ear twisting. Public sentiment is high and they are typically viewed as
the good guys. As with any profession possessing power, however, there are bad
apples, some rotten to the core. It is wise to learn which ones may be trusted and
which to give wide berth.

165
 Magic & Superstition
arcane magic
Minor magic is considered a part of everyday Ilrienne life. A beggar or child
may have enchanted cards allowing them to perform tricks that would otherwise
require uncommon sleight of hand, and this would not warrant a second look.
However, big magic, for all of the presence of common enchantments within
Ilrien, is rare.

Seeing a wizard is akin to seeing an armed guard. It is a sheepdog amongst the

sheep, reminding them to be wary of wolves. One might wonder, of course, if
this particular wizard is sheepdog or wolf. Common mountebanks on the other
hand, magicians practicing parlor tricks in the Plaza, are cheered for, their shows
a favorite destination for caretakers looking to distract young children.

Arcane ability seems to be passed on largely by blood. It may lay dormant for
decades or even centuries, but eventually it has a way of showing up again. One
in a thousand children may possess some minor arcane ability, and one out of
one hundred thousand children may exhibit the knack required to become a
wizard. Those with the gift are, appropriately enough, referred to as “Knacks.”
They pejoratively refer to anyone born without as “Blunts.”

There are as many types of magic as there are practitioners. The way magic is
harnessed and directed is idiosyncratic, ranging from practiced formulae and
calculations to the casting of animal bones for divination, to meditative trances
channeling the dead. Ask five wizards how magic is best wielded and you will
receive six answers...followed by a fistfight.

It is worth noting that all wizards are knacks, but not all knacks are wizards. A
wizard is someone who both has the knack and has undergone formal tutelage
to hone their abilities. The common person would not be able to identify the
distinction if a talented knack with no formal training donned wizard robes and
called themselves a wizard. However, the Scholam may take exception…

common superstitions
• The nobility often erect mausolea for departed family members at The
Necropolitan Hill for remembrance by the people, but have their bodies
and most precious belongings interred in carefully tended crypts below the
city proper. In life, their hands shepherd the city. In death, it is only sweet
and seemly they are kept close at hand.

166
• Magicians or those with the knack, are forbidden from practicing their
talents in or around The Necropolitan Hill for fear of waking the Deathless
in its cold tomb. Even as far as the Groan, displays of legerdemain that
might delight a crowd in any other part of the city will draw ire, crowds
throwing insults and bottles rather than fiore. Common folk wisdom holds
that the Deathless was an Imperial warweaver, a sorcerer-general, and magic
calls to magic. When thunder rolls too close for comfort, you’ll often hear
soft singing between the crashing; denizens of the Groan trying to lull the
Deathless back to sleep.

• The fireflies that light the warm, humid nights of Ilrien’s summer are
considered lucky. Like the Ilrienne, they lead brief, beautiful lives. Young
children make wishes on the first firefly of the season in the same way we
might wish on the first star of the evening.

• The Lady’s hours are the hours of Tryst and Whist. And dealings between
these hours, midnight and four ‘o’clock in the morning, are considered to
have her attention. This is not always a good thing. Sailors departing on early
tides make an offering to the Lady, begging her forgiveness for leaving so soon.

• It is considered bad luck to cut into bread. All bread is broken by hand
in Ilrien, even at the finest events hosted by the Houses Major. There is
a sense of sacrality about bread that is honored more fervidly the further
down the rungs of social status you go. The poorest houses will not throw
out even burnt or stale bread, giving rise to interesting dishes relying
on those very features. “Burnt bread makes you sing like the canary,” is a
common colloquialism.

sprites and spirits

Spirits are everywhere, but generally keep to themselves and out of sight, except
on Spirit’s Eve, and only with the help of the city’s Graces. Hauntings are rare but
not entirely unheard of, and typically terrifying for any living persons involved.
If a spirit presents itself, it is folk wisdom to figure out what it wants from you
and see the matter resolved quickly.

Sprites come in all forms, and the way they are dealt with varies between house-
holds. Commoners will usually leave a bowl of milk or some other treat out to
keep the troublemakers happy, though some foreigners prefer to ward them off
entirely with a variety of herbs or talismans. It is often the nobility that attracts
mischievous spirits running amuck in their households, as they are always the
first to forget that they do not control everything in their world, and warrant
reminding.

167
 Culture
the princes
In Ilrien, Prince in a gender-neutral term. Regardless of who sits at the head of
any House of the Esultare, they are referred to as a Prince, out of tradition. They
are held to the same standards as the first Prince, and only foreigners puzzle over
why anyone other than a male may be called a prince. Whomever a Prince of
Ilrien marries is referred to by the honorific Prince Consort.

Calling someone a prince in conversation is a glowing complement. Using any

other term (king, queen, emperor, empress, princess, and so forth) is a thrown
barb. It is not unusual for a woman to be the head of any given household,
likewise, those who deem themselves agender or gender fluid, from the highest
to the lowest echelons of society. The Ilrienne do not worry over gender when
choosing the right person for a job.

the lady & her consort

The Lady is the primary deity worshipped in Ilrien, though travelers and
foreigners bring their beliefs with them without rebuke. Amongst most of the
continent it is her stoic and steadfast lover, the Lord who is worshipped. His is
an even hand, judging foul from fair and right from wrong. The Lady is fickle
and her attention wanders. Fair or foul, wrong or right, all are only points of
view in her estimation. What matters is the elegance with which an action is
carried out, and little else.

She trusts the souls in Ilrien to take care of themselves, always exacting a price
when she is asked for aid. The Lady, if she is a real being at all, does not play
a corporeal part in this world. She is an idea, the embodiment of the carefree,
self-governed, but ostensibly fair political machinations of Ilrien.

168
the noble’s mask
The mask is a notable social convention particular to the city of Ilrien. When the
Dread Empire claimed dominion over the entirety of the Principalities, Ilrien
was the first nation to rise against their masters. They did this with the natural
circumspection which they demonstrate to this day, and so, they donned masks
when they moved against the Empire. They did not want their identities known
should they fail, fearing their houses would be laid waste and their families
destroyed root and branch.

When the struggle for freedom was won, those who wore the mask continued to
do so. Those who fought became the new nobility, seizing power as their rightful
spoils and establishing themselves as the Great Houses. Now, all who trace their
lineage to those rebels who shook off the yoke of the Empire wear the mask of
a revolutionary. Not all of these Houses sit in the Esultare, and not all of the
Houses of Esultare come from these honored bloodlines.

The Lady’s irony is such that those who took masks to hide their face now
reveal themselves through their mask. There is an elaborate code of markings,
embellishments, and decorations through which any individual’s entire history
might be read. Here, the notch at the corner of the left eye that identifies a
mother who has died. There, the marking of a bond to the Graces in the gold
stitching over the right cheek. Masks are so dense in meaning that foreigners can
only puzzle at how the Ilrienne can read each other so quickly.

The natural counterpoint is that other folk, those who have no traditional right
to wear the mask, are a complete enigma. They could be absolutely anyone, and
how could their honored-noble betters know?

Weather & Seasons

Ilrien is a warm and arid city sitting at the base of the Ribelle foothills, on
a coast with frigid waters. As such, it is protected from most environmental
extremes. The coldest season, winter, is mild and in the warmest season, summer,
temperatures soar. Both spring with its bursts of brilliant wildflowers, and fall
with its golden and maroon leaves are warm, but comfortable. Rain is scarce and
droughts can become troublesome, particularly surrounding Longest Summer.

169
 Major Holiday Calendar
spring
Masque - When the first noble families overthrew the Dread Emperor’s regime
in Ilrien, they wore masks to keep their identity secret. When the city was
liberated, they threw a celebration and every soul in Ilrien donned masks made
from whatever they could cobble together, sharing bread together in the streets.
Today the masks are far more elaborate, and the food is more luxurious, but even
young children are taught the significance of the Masque. It is the only day of
the year that commoners, and other non-descendants of the first noble rebels,
are permitted to wear the masks of the honored-nobility.

summer
Longest Summer - The hottest month of summer can become unbearable
for even the native Ilirenne. The people of Ilrien celebrate this month by
abbreviating their work hours, vacationing, and leaving the streets empty for
all of the most oppressive hours of the day. The city awakens once more after
the sun sets and the breeze coming off of the water cools the superheated city
of stone.

fall
Spirit’s Eve - There is one night per year when the veil between this life and
the next is paper thin. The Graces meet in The Necropolitan Hill and perform
a ritual that lifts the veil entirely from Ilrien, but only for the twilight hours.
For those two hours surrounding sunset, the deceased may visit with family
members who have left out offerings and invitations to guide them home. The
spirits can only share what they knew in life, but according to common folk
wisdom, they are beholden to tell the truth.

winter
The Pomegranate Festival - Crimson colored powder fills the air in celebration
of the onset of winter. Warmed sweets are handed out to children and young
adults on the streets. All citizens decorate their hair with wreaths of pomegranate
blossoms. The Plaza remains stained red until the winter rains wash it away. It
is considered very bad luck to have rain on the day of the Pomegranate Festival.

170
Overheard in Ilrien
“The Countess of Trata Vico? Hardly limpid pools, those eyes. More limpets. Now, The
Signora of the Six Silks—aye, there’s a Prince of Love and Beauty. Don’t sneer, so, sir.
She’s the only one I’ll draw steel for, and but one more word about your Countess, sir,
I’ll be for you.”

“...you mark me, they cross those Maur brutes, their kids will be cutting orphan-
notches on their masks before the week is out.”

“It’s seven fiore for a taste, now.”

“Last week it was five! That’s usury.”
“Yeah, well the Dreamlily’s only blooming on the Dead Hill. Price goes up. You gonna
go pick it?”
“Coward.”
“Better called a coward than proved a corpse. Be my guest, if you want to put that
chestnut to the test. But it’s seven.”

“Yes, the interest is ruinous. It is a bank. But you will pay it or you will wish you had.
Would you cut off your ear because the piper will not change the tune?”

“Clams, oysters, cockles, mussels. Lovely, fresh, and worth a tussle!”

“I tell you, I saw him, plain as life. All in rags, and eyes of fire. Cut through six bravos
quick as a virgin’s kiss.”
“Your stories are no deeper than your wineskin, Sylvio. There is no Prince of Tatters.”

(a snatch of a romantic ballad)

“Each night she lit a candle there,
And sat till Whist to wait
What is Death to Love? Only passing fare.
She heard a tapping at her gate…”

“You Ilrienne and your Lady. Always with the Lady—”

“You foreigners have such need for gods to watch you. The Lady taught us to dance,
and love, and slay. She trusts us to watch ourselves.”

“I’m going out to pluck a rose.”

“That’s exactly what you need, another bastard.”

“Scrawled it on the wall, I heard. ‘When you see the flash of white, The Magpie has
already taken your life.’ Watch are looking into it. Silver peach of a shot, though.”

171
 The City Districts
the white road

T
he White Road begins a mile outside of The Grand Gate and terminates
just within the city walls where all the roads are all paved in stone. It was
built to welcome travelers and remind the world of their standing. The
intricacy of the stonework on any given road in Ilrien is tied to the wealth within
the district, but few roads can rival the beauty of The White Road.

Contains The Grand Gate

public figure
Geno, Lieutenant of the Gate’s Watch is obsessive about his work and integrity.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

the gilt

T
he Gilt is the stretch of land encompassing the ornate plaza and the
market square, surrounded by the finest shops and restaurants in the city.
The roads here are amongst the most intricately laid in any district, and
the canals allow easy access to all parts of the Gilt.

Contains The Plaza and The Market

public figure
Semilla, Head Chef of L’Atelier is cutthroat, always managing to get the first and
best pick of everything- no one is really sure how.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

172
 the coronet

T
he Coronet sits on the highest point of the city, the last rolling hill before
the city levels out into the sprawling metropolis below. Homes here
belong exclusively to the upper echelons of society, sitting atop parcels of
land large enough for grand riads and potagers dwarfing the central courtyards
of middle-class homes. The canals only reach the base of this district.

Contains The Palace and The Garden

public figure
Marny, the Gardener Palatine is aware of every coming and going within the city
gardens. She remembers those who trample the carefully manicured flora with
particular clarity.

special feature
Most engagement rolls suffer -1d due to the high amount of surveillance here.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

the lady’s own

T
he Lady’s Own is a district popular with successful business owners for its
wide walkways and canal access, hugging The Gilt district. The Temple
sits at its head, a glowing silver-white beacon that stretches for the sky. The
streets are cleaned here every quarter-day from sunrise to sunset, like clockwork.

Contains The Temple

public figure
Sister-Superior Jhana, sweeps the Temple steps at the head of every daylight hour.
When it rains, she stands out on the steps and watches them be washed.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

173
 the vine

T
he Vine is a quiet district, occupied by the arborists and their orchards,
fine vintners, and the massive complex housing The Granary. Legend
holds that high value crops were moved into the city proper to stop
them from being set on fire or pilfered during the wars. While the bustling city
now houses too many to feed with such a small swath of land, it is kept out of
tradition. The discerning Ilrienne would argue there is no finer wine or fruit in
the world, driving the prices quite high and making it a luxury.

Contains The Granary and The Arbor

public figure
Valentina, the Prince’s personal vintner.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

the spindle

T
he Spindle is a hub of buzzing activity during daylight hours and a ghost
town at night. The many academics and maestros fill the buildings of The
University and then the streets between lectures. Carriages line the streets
surrounding The Bank as deals are struck, or struck down.

Contains The University and The Bank

public figure
Zoey, a banker who is known for taking on tough accounts for the “little guys”.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

174
 the rose district

T
he Roses is home to much of the formal entertainment in the city. You
will not get two paces before a playbill or menu is thrust into your hand.
The numerous canals of the city all seem to meet in the Rose District,
and cat-bridges no wider than a man’s shoulders are often the thoroughfare of
choice here.

Contains The Theater and The Silk

public figure
Gargoyle, an intimidating-looking animal tamer with a patch over his right eye.

luxury safety corruption

hallmarks

criminal influence arcane influence

the trinket

T
he Trinket is the heart of artistic expression in the city, but you might
not realize it during the daylight hours. While the sun is up, the district is
generally quiet. Once the sun goes down, however, the streets come alive
with lamplight, music, drama, and The Firefly Market. If you did not find what
you were looking for in The Market proper, you might try your luck here.

Contains The Foreign Quarter and The Artist’s Quarter

public figure
Selkie, a former courtesan with a heart of gold.

luxury safety corruption

hallmarks

criminal influence arcane influence

175
 the shores

T
he Shores hugs the entire western border of the city. It is home to fish-
mongers, sailors, and the workhouses. There is a guardhouse for the City
Watch here, keeping an eye on The Arsenal and warships alike. Word is
that there is a fair bit of fiore to be made for a watchman taking up a station at
the Shores. Plenty of high-stakes and illicit deals happen here.

Contains The Arsenal and The Docks

public figure
Jericho, Captain of The Lady’s Luck is notoriously unlucky.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

the groan

T
he southernmost crescent of the city is a swath of narrow alleys dotted
with tall and narrow apartments stacked on top of equally small shops
and cafes. The Groan houses the bulk of Ilrien’s working poor and the
gutters here run above the ground, giving birth to the old saying, ‘When in
The Groan, watch your step.’ Foreigners mistakenly take this as just a warning
against cat-purses and cutthroats, ruining many a shoe, boot, and slipper. Rather,
they should be aware of both those trailing their steps and just what they are
stepping in.

Contains The Traitor’s Gate, and The Twist

public figure
Fen, a smuggler who has never been caught.

special feature
If you are witnessed using magic in The Groan your coterie will incur +2
exposure.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

176
 the silent

T
he Silent falls outside of the city’s walls, but is very much a district proper.
Just a short way beyond the Traitor’s Gate lies the sprawling necropolis at
The Necropolitan Hill. The grounds are covered with ancient mass graves
and towering mausoleums marking the resting places of nobles past, in
equal measure. Officially, home only to The Dead Watchers, a very old family
tasked with keeping the site unmolested, many Ilrienne dread what else might
dwell here.

Contains The Necropolitan Hill

public figure
Jared, Captain of The Dead Watchers, has a reputation of being someone not to
trifle with.
hallmarks

luxury safety corruption

criminal influence arcane influence

ribelle foothills

N
amed for the rebels that hid in them during the war on the Dread
Emperor, it is also home to the Dead Hill, a place notorious for being
dangerous, haunted, or both in spades. It is not typically considered an
official city district, but everyone knows of it well enough, staying clear without
good reason.

Traits: Unknown.

177
 S
(
pheres of Influence
)
detailed

Spheres of Influence represent important and noteworthy buildings and

features within the city. Each Sphere of Influence includes multiple contacts of
potential value to your coterie. Any time your House acquires a new Sphere of
Influence, you will choose any one contact that is loyal to your coterie (this does
not render them beyond manipulation).

You receive the other contacts for your sphere as well, though they do not start
off loyal. In addition, the coterie may undertake a long-term project, wooing
any of the below contacts without owning the Sphere of Influence of which they
are a part.

Each Major House has a number of Spheres of Influence based on it’s

ranking within the Esultare.

The 6th House has 1 sphere (this is where your new House will begin).
The 5th House has 2 spheres.
The 4th House has 3 spheres.
The 3rd House has 4 spheres.
The 2nd House has 5 spheres.
The 1st House has 6 spheres (one of which must be the Palace).

the arsenal

The Arsenal is as old as the city and made of the same milky-white stone as
the city walls. It is an imposing military structure as defensible as any of Ilrien’s
towers. It served as the Dread Emperor’s palace at one point, and its winding
halls hide passages and secrets that have been discovered and forgotten again a
hundred times over. Now it sits, most of its floors quietly falling into disrepair,
filled with weaponry from across the ages. Most of the activity buzzes in the
courtyard and on the main floor, where practical weapons are kept at the ready
for defense of the city or an ally, or the occasional show of power.

• Contacts: Berio, a Shipwright; Lucreze, a Quartermaster; Tate, a Captain

• Faction with Holding: The Ironmongers
• Perks: Blade Retinues and Colleagues gain +1 potency. We are only as good
as our tools, after all.

180
 the twist

The Twist is, without rival, the seediest and most dangerous section of Ilrien.
Everyone here is a wolf of one stripe or another. It has its own code of conduct
that should be observed with care. It is governed largely by cutthroat crime
bosses, with The Watch rarely stepping foot in it. The only way through The
Traitor’s Gate is through The Twist.

• Contacts: Lyra, a Gang Boss; Sylvano, a Disreputable Apothecary; Peccote,

a Tavern Keeper
• Faction with Holding: The Blue Devils
• Perks: When you take the Reduce Exposure downtime action you gain +1d.
The Twist also offers discreet disposal of bodies.

the grand gate

The Grand Gate is the primary point of entrance to the city, and where The
White Road ends. It is a massive structure built to impress and impose in equal
measure. The gate is manned at all hours of the day and night. It can take hours
to get through the gate during festivals, when merchants from across the greater
area flock to sell their wares to the high spirited Ilrienne.

• Contacts: Lungo, the Tax Collector; Pura, a Smuggler; Raul, a Lord of the Gate
• Faction with Holding: The City Watch
• Perks: +1d to gather information regarding comings and goings within
Ilrien. Take +1 to your engagement roll when acting on that information.
News typically comes to Ilrien via the Grand Gate.

the docks

The Docks are home to more than just moors on pristine waters. There is a
stretch of the city abutting them that is home to an array of businesses, from
fishmongers to bohemian merchant shops set up for the low cost and relative
safety of the area. Sailors with ocean water for blood favor living at The Docks
to remain near their Lady’s hand.

• Contacts: Bertrand, the Harbormaster; Jesse, a Foreign Privateer; Abbas,

an Antiquities Dealer
• Faction with Holding: The Dockers
• Perks: +1d to Acquire Asset. If it can be had, it probably came by way of
the Docks.

181
 the plaza

The Plaza is a glittering spectacle at the heart of the city, home to the
largest fountain in Ilrienne. The stones are intricately laid and the buildings
surrounding the square are amongst the most ornate in the entire city. It is the
most quintessentially Ilrienne part of Ilrien and the first must-see destination of
any traveler.

• Contacts: Tauseef, a Foreign Spy; Rand, a Bodyguard; Rey, a Diplomat

• Faction with Holding: Soraya
• Perks: +1 favor per errand that generates favor as the Plaza Criers sing your
praises.

the granary

The Granary consists of a series of large, round, buildings made of interlocking

clay bricks, the largest of which houses the city’s grain stores. Security at The
Granary is maintained at high readiness, though very few have any desire to visit
the site- unless there is a severe drought or crop failure, then it’s all the rage.

• Contacts: Aura, a Mercy; Beaumond, a Reeve; Maurice, a Philanthropist

• Faction with Holding: The Bakers Guild
• Perks: +2 influence for errands concerning the Houses Minor. Bread offers
a popularity all its own.

the banks

Below The Bank of Brass and Bone there are several small Banks catering to a
host of different financial needs. At the end of the day most still answer to the
Brass and Bone. It is fortunate that they’re all co-located, seeing as Ilrienne will
likely bounce between at least three of them before finding the right person for
their needs.

• Contacts: Joran, a Key Loan Advisor; Mina, an Investor; Esperanza,

an Arbitrator.
• Faction with Holding: The Grand Council
• Perks: Once during Downtime roll dice equal to your tier. Earn influence
equal to the highest result minus your Exposure. Fiore and influence often
go hand in hand.

182
 the theatre

The Theatre is one of the rare places in Ilrien where the upper echelons of the
nobility and the common classes mix. Granted, first showings are typically at
the exclusion of common folk, and even when the shows are open to all, the
boxes are cost prohibitive to most- all the same, they do inhabit the same grand
rooms here.
• Contacts: Nicolette, the Prima Donna; Giorgio, a Playwright; Iniko,
a Promoter
• Faction with Holding: The College of Satire
• Perks: +1d to Deception Engagements. You cannot consort with actors
without picking up a few tricks along the way.

the artist’s quarter

The Artist’s Quarter is filled with small lofts and open, shared courtyards. Days
here are filled with creating while the nights are filled with performing. This is a
deeply bohemian section of the city, the people are warm and inviting. Beware
those who are, perhaps, too inviting. A starving artist is as concerning as any
other starving person.

• Contacts: Imani, a Renowned Artist; Ulisse, a Romantic; Antonio, a

Wealthy Patron
• Faction with Holding: The Buskin
• Perks: Your Fox Retinues and Colleagues gain +1 potency. Artists use lies to
tell the truth, and so to do your Foxes.

the traitor’s gate

Located on the southern end of the city, and nestled firmly in The Twist, The
Traitor’s Gate was built initially as a quick way to move the dead out to The
Necropolitan Hill. It soon became popular with smugglers and thieves. When
the uprising against the Dread Emperor came, it was the gate used by insurgents;
it was at this time it became known as The Traitor’s Gate.

• Contacts: Sara, a Mercenary; Tamberlaine, a Fortune Teller; Ulrich,

a Poisoner
• Faction with Holding: The Tramps
• Perks: +1d to Hunt or Survey on territory. The Traitor’s Gate is home to all
manner of things wishing not to be found, but as its masters, you do not
give them a choice.

183
 the arbor

Several acres of meticulously cared after grape vines and pomegranate trees
compose The Arbor. It is looked after by The Arborist Guild, which personally
vets and chooses every employee working there. Amongst the superstitious it is a
known hotspot for spirits and sprites. No one is absolutely certain why.

• Contacts: Kellen, a Renowned Vintner; Rodolfo, a Wealthy Planter; Lydia,

a Gourmand
• Faction with Holding: The Arborist Guild
• Perks: Take +1 result level for Alchemical Crafting. The freshest and rarest
ingredients are at your disposal.

the silk

The Silk is the floating world of Ilrien. It comes alive when the sun sets, with
brilliant lanterns and courtesans bustling between locales. Lavish parties are
thrown on the main floors of buildings that are little more than four posts and
an elevated floor once the shutters comprising the walls are peeled back. Quiet
and dimly lit alleys denote the entrances to more discrete establishments. There
is an unspoken rule that no one speaks of anything observed in The Silk; to do
so is considered a serious faux pas.

• Contacts: Monique, a Madame for Exotic Tastes; Angel, a Courtesan for

the Nobility; Seti, an Opium Den Owner
• Faction with Holding: The Signora
• Perks: +1d to Consort or Sway on site. Tongues are loose in The Silk, and
under the auspices of secrecy people are more willing to speak here.

the palace

The Palace sits atop the highest point in Ilrien, boasting a commanding view of
the city from its southern windows. It is palatial and ostentatious, made more
decadent by every new Prince who wishes to leave their mark. It is, however,
property of the city and the ultimate prize for any House of the Esultare.

• Contacts: Locke, a Royal Guard; Piero, a Chamberlain; Maria, a Lady

in Waiting
• Faction with Holding: The Bank of Brass and Bone
• Perks: Whenever you would gain influence, take one additional point. This
is the place to which and from which all influence flows in Ilrien.

184
 the university

Sprawling grounds and several large buildings comprise The University, one
of the finest academic compounds in the modern world. The sciences and the
arcane studies are both exhaustively pursued within these halls. The Scholam
Naturalis of Ilrien is also located here. Outside, an outdoor theater gives public
lectures and speeches to any with an interest in hearing. Citizen-facing politics,
debates, and discussions, are most often played out here.

• Contacts: Amari, the Crown Librarian; Basil, a Cloistered Academic;

Leopold, a Dangerous Firebrand
• Faction with Holding: The Scholam Naturalis
• Perks: +1 to Study and Channel rolls on site. You have access to the finest
library in the Principalities, and a college of Knacks eager to earn your favor.

the market

If you have fiore to spend, you will find a plethora of clever ways to spend it in
The Market. Static storefronts with the finest wares and goods line wide streets,
operated by citizens with wealthy patrons or the lesser scions of nobility. On the
streets, vendors offering smaller selections and affordable options set up every
morning. If it is legal, you can likely find it in The Market.

• Contacts: Ahura, a Skilled Clothier; Jaque, a Fine Jeweler; Abi, a Rare

Spice Merchant
• Faction with Holding: The Fortunato Trade Company
• Perks: Assets acquired on site have +1 potency or magnitude, your choice.
Someone here has just what you need.

the necropolitan hill

The Necropolitan Hill is a sprawling necropolis as old as the city proper, with
stones and mausolea so time-worn the epitaphs are but a faded memory. It is
home to a thousand-thousand mysteries and dutifully tended and guarded by
The Dead Watchers.

• Contacts: Ferdinand, a Death Keeper; Moderata, a Medium; Khalid,

a Hunter
• Faction with Holding: The Dead Watchers
• Perks: Take -1 Stress cost to Rituals. Old magic tangles around the Hill,
bolstering your workings.

185
 the foreign quarter

If you are looking for flavor, look no further than The Foreign Quarter. People
from across the continents congregate here, forming small enclaves. The food is
striking, as are the people. Ilrienne marvel at the people of The Foreign Quarter
with their unusual customs, accents, and clothing. New trends in fashion, food,
slang, and even courtship can usually be traced back to The Foreign Quarter.

• Contacts: Solara, a Linguist; Otto, a Broker; Malatesta, a Restaurateur

• Faction with Holding: The Brizolatto Family
• Perks: Take -2 Exposure on Errands performed on site. In a shifting sea of
humanity, your exploits are lost in the tide.

the temples

The Temple Compound is more than a place of prayer and respite. Here, gifted
Mercies are trained from childhood to heal, vanquish evil, and preserve the city.
Blessings are given out, the very ill or possessed are cared for, and rituals are
performed on a daily basis. It is a hive of activity from sunup to sundown. The
High Graces keep council here, engaging in political maneuvering with no less
zeal than the Houses of the Esultare.

• Contacts: Fonte, a Lorekeeper; Bellini, a Hierophant; Eretrea, Sister-

Captain of the Mercies
• Faction with Holding: The Graces
• Perks: +1d to all Healing rolls. Your patronage is rewarded with the finest
healers the Graces have to offer.

the garden

Meticulously cared-for statuary and formal gardens, ponds, terraces, fussed after
roses, and espaliered fruit trees compose The Garden. Small plazas are set up in
reserved areas for nobility, private guards glaring away the rabble. It is a favorite place
to conspire or negotiate for some. For others it is a place of respite or inspiration. The
great playwright Emani wrote several of their finest sonnets in the public gardens.

• Contacts: Satice, the Crown Gardener; Armin, a Courtier; Elowen,

a Spymaster
• Faction with Holding: The Arborist Guild
• Perks: +1d to Social Engagements on site. A stroll through The Garden is a
perfect pretense for clandestine meetings and artful negotiation.

186
 the canals

The Canals are the lifeblood of Ilrien. Citizens, foreigners, and nobility alike all
use the Canals to travel the city with ease, though the quality of their gondolas
may differ. The calling of gondoliers and the shouts of bargemasters drown out
the seabirds, the bustle calling to mind a carelessly kicked anthill. Some estates
can only be reasonably reached by boat, and licensed Water Merchants load
their vessels with foodstuffs and flora to sell without ever leaving the water.

• Contacts: de’Rossi, a Gondolier; Rostam, an Assassin; Aurelio, an

Information Broker
• Faction with Holding: The Gondoliers
• Perks: +1d to Stealth Engagements. There are few places in the city inacces-
sible by means of the canals.

the watch

There are a great many cogs making the machinery of The City Watch tick.
From the most tenured Guard Captain to the greenest recruit, all ultimately
answer to The Grand Council. But they are a powerful group in their own right
and quick to close ranks and protect their own. These are the souls that keep
the peace within Ilrien. There are as many good apples as there are bad, but
discerning one from the other without taking a bite can be a difficult undertaking.
Chew with care.

• Contacts: Salvatore, the Chief Inspector; Muzna, a Bounty Hunter; Titus,

Captain of the Watch
• Faction with Holding: The First Court
• Perks: Any time you would take Exposure, take one less. The Watch protects
its own. Evidence implicating you just seems to vanish.

187
 Factions
Factions include all of the various groups of people who make up the city
and political landscape of Ilrien. From the Houses Major, to the lowliest vice
purveyor, everyone serves a purpose, anyone can be a valuable ally, or a menacing
rival. Choose who you befriend and anger with equal care.

The Houses Major

the grand council - tier vi
The city-state’s standing army, a dedicated if not expansive core of career soldiers,
is directed by the Grand Council on behalf of Ilrien, rather than any particular
House. This has been the way since the last war ended. It maintains a relative
balance of power between the most powerful factions, assuring the people that a
democracy of sorts reigns over Ilrien. A representative from every House of the
Esultare sits on the Council, as well as a representative from every House Minor.
The Speaker of the Grand Council is almost always chosen from a noble blood-
line; however, they are required to abandon their family name when elevated to
the position.

NPCs: Bellamy, The Speaker (Conservative, Cunning, Canny); Miranda, The

Archivist (Fastidious, Dismissive, Sentimental)

Situation: Any call for a new law to be passed, or an old law to be reformed or
abolished must come from The Grand Council. It is known that it is easier to
sway the representatives through The Speaker, than to try to woo the represen-
tative as individuals.

houses of the esultare

tier ii-v

House Corvetto House Bastien House Al-Mari

House Battalia House Lovell House Elanda

188
The Esultare House Tier is determined by the House's position in setup, and
changes when Houses gain or lose rank amongst the Esultare.

The First House: Tier V The Second & Third Houses: Tier IV
The Fourth & Fifth Houses: Tier III The Sixth House: Tier II

Houses of the Esultare have more advanced machinations than other factions,
their goals and needs change by social season. See: The GM’s Turn (page 279).

189
The Houses Minor
 the bank of brass and bone - tier v
An independent league of mints, money-changers, investors, and economic
titans that have come together as a monolithic financial power. If you touch
a fiore, they made it happen. If you exchange a letter of credit, their seal is
embossed on the bottom.

NPCs: Luther, a Financial Strategist (Stony, Professional, Careful); Nadya, an

Investor (Shrewd, Disarming, Terrifying)

Notable Assets: The Vault, The Minor Banks, The Mints, Hired Armed Guards,
Blocks of Luxury Apartments

Reputation: The Esultare is in control of Irlien, but The Bank of Brass and Bone
controls all the city’s debts, including those of the Prince and Esultare. This has
given rise to the unpopular opinion that the Bank is the true power in Ilrien.
For their continued well-being the Bank itself carefully avoids feeding this idea.
Their meddling in politics happens through backroom deals, and never in the
open. They are believed to be capable of anything.

Allies: The City Watch, The First Court, Various Astute Business Owners

Enemies: The Fortunato Trade Federation

Situation: The Bank of Brass and Bone has long stood as the economic spine of
the city-state, but over recent years the Fortunato Trade Federation has amassed
a considerable sum of wealth themselves. Concerned their grasp on the city is
loosening, the Bank has begun the process of calling in long-standing debts
amongst the Houses of the Esultare to gain enough liquidity to purchase a
controlling share of the Fortunato Trade Federation and secure their power for
another hundred years.

Short-term Objective: Call in debts among the Esultare.

Long-term Objective: Purchase, steal, or otherwise gain a controlling share

of the Fortunato Trade Federation.

191
 the fortunato trade federation - tier iv
Enterprising captains of merchant vessels, the Fortunato Trade Federation’s
members jealously guard trade-routes and trade agreements in far-off lands.
While The Bank of Brass and Bone holds dominion over domestic wealth, the
Fortunato Trade Federation is tightening its grip on foreign trade.

NPCs: Devi, Admiral of the fleet (Superstitious, Foreign); Aramis, Captain of

The Lady Cambra (Unpredictable, Lucky)

Notable Assets: The Largest Merchant Fleet, Opulent Headquarters, Hired

Iberican Marines, Several Warehouses at the Docks

Reputation: Once a ragtag band of merchant sailors and corsairs, the

Fortunato Trade Federation is the embodiment of the idea that anyone can rise
from nothing to have it all. They remember their roots, and give back to the
community in ways that The Bank of Brass and Bone would never consider,
making them more popular with the Ilrienne. Cross them, however, and seeing
a fair trial becomes the least of your concerns.

Allies: The Graces, The Scholam Naturalis, Various Independent Traders

and Merchants

Enemies: The Bank of Brass and Bone

Situation: The Fortunato Trade Federation has grown from a few ships and a
dream to a financial powerhouse, bringing in goods from the far reaches of the
globe and commanding exorbitant prices. If they can secure the trade lanes to
Altori it will afford them the assets to purchase the Prince’s debt outright, giving
them considerable political sway within the city and, therefore, sway over the
laws governing trade in Ilrien.

Short-term Objective: Secure trade lanes to Altori.

Long-term Objective: Buy-out Crown debt in Ilrien and compete with The
Bank of Brass and Bone.

192
 the first court - tier iv
Rigidly hierarchical and nigh sacramental in its pursuit of justice, the First
Court traces its origin back to the Rebellion where it was instituted to
arbitrate the crimes of the Imperial Legate and his officers. It has not become
less enthralled by the guillotine over time.

NPCs: Ramza, The High Judge (Progressive, Logical, Harsh); Garette, The
Executioner (Jovial, Expedient)

Notable Assets: A Network of Private Investigators

Reputation: If you end up in front of the judge it’s a coin toss as to whether
you’ll walk out the front door or be carried to the guillotine. Justice is swift and
there are no appeals in Ilrien. There is no prison at all for the common folk in
Ilrien. A few holding cells in various Watch buildings and private chambers on
family estates for problematic nobles—perhaps an archivist could recall the last
time a noble was executed, but it was not recently—are all the city offers its
wayward lambs. Do not end up in the court.

Allies: The Bank of Brass and Bone

Enemies: The Graces, Most of the Uncouth Factions

Situation: The First Court is always busy, but more so this year as unrest at
the Docks has led to threats of riot. Negotiations have been underwhelming
and there is pressure from on high to execute the lead rabble-rouser, a matter
requiring a delicate touch lest the First Court create a martyr. In the back-
ground, the court digs to uncover ties between any of the Houses of the Esultare
and the Brizolatto Family.
Short-term Objective: Execute a Docker rabble-rouser.

Long-term Objective: Expose Esultare ties to the Brizolatto Family.

193
 the scholam naturalis - tier iii
The Scholam Naturalis is comprised of a decentralized network of colleges
taught by the foremost authorities in their fields of study. The wealthy of every
nation are educated here as a matter of course, and they offer scholarships to any
with the Knack. They are the last bastion of formal magical instruction in the
Principalities, affording them no small amount of power.

NPCs: Poe, a Maestro for Knacks (Skilled, Canny); Althea, Headmaster of the
Ilrien Chapter (Intelligent, Distrusting)

Notable Assets: A Campus in the University District, A Small Cadre of

Powerful Knacks.

Reputation: Parts of the Scholam are regarded as a secret society, or an arcane

cult functioning in the open. Rumors and myths revolve around the Scholam.
Not all of the education here is arcane in nature, this is where the city’s scientists
and great thinkers are trained as well. But the arcane wings give rise to the most
outlandish hypotheses about the Scholam’s functions within Ilrien. Which are
true and which are bedtime stories? Who is to say for certain?

Allies: The Mercies, The Fortunato Trade Federation

Enemies: The Graces

Situation: Althea has invested Scholam resources into hunting down a fabled
arcane artifact from the Dread Emperor’s reign, though most academics believe
its existence was only a faerie tale. Alerted to a dangerous unknown party
hiding within the Scholam there is a hunt underway to uncover the plot of the
mysterious Sevenfold Veil. Is it a surfacing faction? A single actor? What are they
doing with the artifacts they’ve stolen from the archives?

Short-term Objective: Secure a magical artifact.

Long-term Objective: Root out the Sevenfold Veil within the Scholam.

194
 the graces - tier iii
The Temple of the Lady and those who serve the rituals and occasions of her
worship, their presence in the city is felt at every stratum of the city, though their
temporal power has waned over the past several decades. They are the arcane
healers of Ilrien.

NPCs: Saori, Sister-Superior (Level-headed, Rational, Inquisitive); Reverie, a

Grace (Well-intentioned, Pious, Extreme)

Notable Assets: The Belief of the City, Charitable Outreaches, Pulpits, The
Lady’s Own, Skilled Arcane Healers

Reputation: The Graces are seen as a force for good in Ilrien and are considered,
by most citizens, beyond reproach. Crimes committed against the Graces are
swiftly met with the full weight of Ilrienne law. For this reason, the Graces often
operate without fear even in The Twist.

Allies: The Fortunato Trade Federation, The Arborist Guild

Enemies: The Mercies

Situation: The Temple of the Lady has seized formerly noble lands from a
recently disgraced House of the Esultare, to the ire of other nobles who feel they
had a better claim on the land. In order to move forward with their designs to
build affordable housing on the plots they will need to first secure support and a
sizable investment from The Bank of Brass and Bone.

Short-term Objective: Secure investment from the Bank of Brass and Bone.

Long-term Objective: Construct affordable housing on seized noble lands.

195
 the gondoliers - tier iii
Uncontested masters of the canals, the Gondoliers are a quasi-mystical society
of boat guides who ply the waters at all hours in all conditions. On a moonless
night, they can get you from the Twist to the Arbor without a sound. To become
a Gondolier you must be sponsored by a Gondolier, and they do not surrender
their secrets willingly.

NPCs: Clove, a Team Leader (Sly, Quick, Reliable); Gable, a Journeyman

Gondolier (Spry, Adventurous, Naive)

Notable Assets: An Array of Boats, Right of Way on the Canals

Reputation: Rumors circulate through the city regarding the mysterious nature
of the Gondoliers. Some believe they are all knacks; how else could they navigate
the waters in pitch-darkness and in perfect silence? More practically, they are
reliable and most citizens with means prefer to travel by waterway, and have a
singular favorite gondolier.

Allies: The Signora, The Dockers

Enemies: The Founder

Situation: Something stalks the waterways of Ilrien between the hours of tryst
and whist and has already cost a handful of lives. The attacks are becoming more
frequent and The Gondoliers have taken it upon themselves to hunt down the
monster to blame. Meanwhile, they are secretly attempting to bring Sister-
Superior Saori to the table, to gain her approval to train Gondoliers as Mercies
to help them protect Ilrien by night.

Short-term Objective: Hunt a monster which roams the canals.

Long-term Objective: Receive Mercy training to better protect the city.

196
 the signora - tier iii
The Lady of the Silk and Roses, herself, herself. The Signora is the mistress of
all courtesans and courtiers, the chief of every liftskirt to ply the trade in Ilrien.
With a bevy of enforcers and a ruinous amount of blackmail and covertly gleaned
intelligence, she counts among the most untouchable in the city.

NPCs: The Signora (Mysterious, Unreadable, Cunning); Crispin, a Courtier

(Good Humored, Skilled Bravo, Romantic); Velvet, a Spy (Hidden, Slippery,
Storied)

Notable Assets: A Flying Squadron of Alluring Spies, a Host of Fine

Establishments Across Ilrien, a Lethal Personal Guard.

Reputation: You do not cross The Signora. While few have the occasion, or
cause to do so, there are some in the city that have risked their reputations and
destroyed themselves in their efforts to interfere with, or silence The Signora.
Discretion is of utmost importance to her, so when she burns someone it is
assumed to be justified.

Allies: The Gondoliers, The Broadsheets

Enemies: The Brizolatto Family

Situation: Business has been booming, but finding good help can be a
challenge. The Signora has decided to woo the leader of the Twistjacks in an
effort to add their numbers to her own for protection. In the back rooms there
is discussion of how best to deal with a former client of noble blood who refused
to follow the rules. The Signora believes that simple public shaming would not
send the right message in this instance.

Short-term Objective: Recruit Twistjacks as Muscle.

Long-term Objective: Murder a cruel and powerful former client.

197
 the city watch - tier iii
The Constabulari, the Custodes, the Coppers (from the original cappare, to
catch), or simply The Watch. The dented breastplates and truncheons guarding
the city from the depredations of the work-a-day criminal.

NPCs: Kane, an Archivist (Astute, Principled, Meticulous); Hesperides, a Lead

Detective (World-Weary, Intimidating, Honest)

Notable Assets: A Network of Informants, a Bevy of Precincts across Ilrien.

Reputation: The City Watch is a mixed bag of heroes and villains. Amongst
the poor and The Uncouth there is a strong and often justified mistrust, while
amongst citizens of means they are celebrated champions.

Allies: The Bank of Brass and Bone, The First Court

Enemies: The Founder, The Motley, The Brizolatto Family

Situation: The City Watch has been in a subtle sort of war with the gangs
lawlessly running the Founder. For a time they were willing to let them conduct
business offshore without intervention, as it was less work for them. But lately
their business has been spilling into the streets of Ilrien and raising alarm. The
order has come down from on high: bring the Founder to heel. In the back-
ground, Hesperides is looking into the mythical figure, the Prince of Tatters.

Short-term Objective: Establish law in the Founder.

Long-term Objective: Arrest the Prince of Tatters.

198
 the dockers - tier iii
The hard-bitten laborers and tradesmen of the Docks.

NPCs: Heron, the Dockmaster (Gruff, Old, Irritable); Rowan, a Loadmaster

(Brutish, Dim, Good Natured)

Notable Assets: Manpower, Professional Tools, a Powerful Union

Reputation: The people of the Docks are a solid, hardworking lot, with their
own principles and sense of justice; transgressors at the Docks rarely make it out
of the Docks. They take care of their own, above all, and offer some of the best
paying jobs to which a common citizen can aspire.

Allies: The Gondoliers, The Ironmongers

Enemies: The Founder

Situation: The Dockers have worked hard for the past sixteen months on the
First Prince’s new warship, with months of labor left to finish it. Security at
the worksite is tight, even slowing things down on occasion. To make matters
worse, old lifts have been breaking left and right, injuring more than a handful
of Dockers. Heron is pressing the city to invest in new equipment and raise the
pay of Dockers.

Short-term Objective: Finish work on Prince’s new warship.

Long-term Objective: Secure better working conditions.

199
 the baker's guild - tier ii
The Baker’s Guild is responsible for the distribution of daily bread through-
out the city and charged with the logistics of feeding the city by extension.
Restaurateurs with fine establishments in The Gilt and pull-cart maccara vendors
in the Groan must all seek charter from the Bakers Guild before being allowed
to operate within the city.

NPCs: Vita, Coordinator (Harried, Impatient, Sharp); Olivia, Master Baker

(Perfectionist, Resourceful, Decisive)

Notable Assets: An Impressive Array of Ovens (some of which could cook a

man to dust!), A Large Claim on Grain Entering the City, Public Feast-Halls,
Ties to Every Restaurant in the City.

Reputation: The greatest chefs of Ilrien, including the First Prince’s personal
chef, all rose from The Baker’s Guild; that romantic notion sends plenty of fresh
faces through the front doors, and masks the ruined husks ejected out the back.
This is grueling work, just as likely to cost you a hand as any work down at the
Docks, but for common citizens with aspirations of hearing a noble rave to other
nobles about their culinary skill, it is the only way to go.

Allies: The Ironmongers

Enemies: The Twistjacks

Situation: After negotiating for a plot of land set aside to expand the Arbor,
before a recent boom in residents necessitated more practical uses, the Baker’s
Guild is drafting plans for a new baking hall that will allow them to feed twice
the residents in half the time. As though current circumstances did not already
put them in the crosshairs of the Arborist Guild, they are also contracting with
Calrais to import their wheat at a cost well below Ilrien wheat.

Short-term Objective: Break ground on modern factory.

Long-term Objective: Secure Calrayan wheat to increase profits.

200
 the arborist guild - tier ii
The Arborist Guild oversees the city’s famous arbors, both within the walls and
without. Anyone wishing to grow any fruit for the production of wine labeled
Ilrienne must seek approval by the Arborist Guild. The process can be lengthy,
and often unfair.

NPCs: Antares, Overseer (Humorless, Professional, Spartan); Lena, a Wealthy

Planter (Eccentric, Guileless, Excitable); Fionn, a Botanist (Patient, Intelligent,
Off-putting)

Notable Assets: The Crown Winery, The Prince’s Personal Sommelier, The Tree
Singer, The Weather Magus, The Poisoner’s Garden

Reputation: Common perception holds that the Arborist Guild is composed of

stuff-shirts, high on their own self-importance. Lately they have faltered under
the weight of very fine foreign imports casting shadows over their long-standing
reputation as the very best on this or any other continent. There is very little
the Arborists won’t consider to maintain their grasp on the wine trade in Ilrien.

Allies: The Graces, The Scholam Naturalis

Enemies: The Bakers Guild, Foreign Vintners, The Tramps

Situation: In a bid to expand the arbor space within the city walls, the Arborist
Guild has entered into negotiations for estates owned by lesser destitute nobles,
offering them the change to discreetly unload their debts and retire to a life of
obscurity in one of the city’s fine townhouses. Meanwhile, they have recruited
Knacks with very specific skillsets to ensure bumper crops, in order to compete
with foreign fruits flooding the markets.

Short-term Objective: Buy the estates of destitute nobles.

Long-term Objective: Secure magical assistance to ensure crop yields.

201
 the broadsheets - tier ii
The Broadsheets function as the newspaper of the city, with the most impressive
array of printing presses. If you get on their bad side, they can make a lurid bit
of rumor into a newsbreak, putting it into the hands of all the citizenry within
days.

NPCs: Reflet, Editor-in-Chief (Fast Talker, Connected, Respected); L’emporte,

a Journalist (Stealthy, Canny, Manipulative); Jewel, an Interviewer (Unabashed,
Fearless, Well-Intentioned)

Notable Assets: Modern Printing Presses, Paper Factory, Proprietary Ink,

Freedom of the Press

Reputation: Voice and champion of the common folk? Washed-up literary

has-beens feeding on the city’s insecurities? It depends on who you ask, or
perhaps, who wrote the article in question. The Editor-in-Chief is considered
a fair and impartial journalist at heart, so at the very least, if you contest any
slanderous articles and provide proof to the contrary it will be published as well.

Allies: The Signora, The Citizenry

Enemies: Many

Situation: Nothing feeds the beast like a good story of corrupt officials—those
infallible people whose job is to uphold the law and protect the people—doing
naughty things, or exposing the myriad ways the average person is merely a
puppet in a greater game. The Broadsheets are always looking to burn authority
and support free-thinking. In particular, they work to print the Buskins’ treatise
in order to further illuminate the people of Ilrien to the corruption inherent
with the very idea of some being worthier than others. What separates them and
us? A vault full of fiore and a small army.

Short-term Objective: Expose corruption within the City Watch.

Long-term Objective: Print Buskins’ treatise to stir up anti-noble sentiment.

202
 the ironmongers - tier ii
The Ironmongers is a guild of craftsmen that set the median prices for metal-
working goods and services of all stripes. From the smallest gears for common
clocks, to the finest sabres produced in Ilrien, the Ironmongers have a hand in
its production and value.

NPCs: Landon, a Clerk (Shrewd, Knowledgeable, Unliked); Rowe, a Master

Blade Artisan (Massive, Fearsome, Even-Tempered)

Notable Assets: Workhouses at the Docks, Stores of Metal Bars from Copper to
Gold, Professional Tools, an Elite Customer Base

Reputation: The Ironmongers are most present at the Docks, but have shops
across the city. They are quieter than other factions, focused on their trade and
honing their skills. Quiet is rarely a good thing. In the absence of noise, people
make up their own. Are the Ironmongers part of a secret society? It’s hard to say,
but it is easy to say that Ilrienne steel is the finest in the world to those with a
discerning eye, not easily swayed by fads.

Allies: The Bakers Guild, The Dockers

Enemies: A Bevy of Foreign Craftsmen

Situation: The Ironmongers are developing a new alloy that rivals tempered
steel in strength, and are trying to complete the formula. Sabres from Altori
have become all the rage amongst the noblity, hurting even the most masterful
swordsmiths of Ilrien, while cheap metalwork floods in from the north,
wounding Ilrienne craftsmen at every level. The only recourse is to make
something better and charge through the teeth for it. Behind closed doors they
also work to produce a powerful new weapon that could, potentially, bring an
entire city to heel. They expect it will fetch an incredible price, offsetting their
recent losses.

Short-term Objective: Discover a new alloy and charge exorbitant prices.

Long-term Objective: Produce a powerful new weapon.

203
The Uncouth
 the prince of tatters - tier iv
A fallen noble scion with a mythical and supernatural reputation. A ghost, a
demon, a revenant, a cast-off of Ilrien’s past come to wreak a terrible vengeance
against any who did them wrong.

NPCs: Antea, The Prince of Tatters (knack, driven, angry).

Notable Assets: Anonymity, Well-placed Loyal Agents, Carefully Hidden Wealth.

Reputation: Most dismiss the Prince of Tatters as a bogeyman to frighten misbe-

having noble children. Those who have spent enough time in the dark corners
of Ilrien know there are echoes of truth in every tale, and strange happenings in
the city give them occasion to worry.

Allies: None

Enemies: The Bank of Brass and Bone, The Brizolatto Family

Situation: Ruined, shamed, and left for dead, The Prince of Tatters haunts the
city. In time, they will gain their revenge on all of those who wronged them. But
first, a weapon must be fashioned. Then, the sitting King of the Shadows must
die. Don Brizolatto had a hand in the Prince’s fall, and despite the power that
the Brizolatto wields, it is all rag and tatter before the Prince.

Short-term Objective: Recruit a powerful Knack.

Long-term Objective: Kill Don Brizolatto and co-opt his organization.

205
 the brizolatto family- tier iv

A well-connected and well-respected criminal organization deeply rooted in

enterprises across the city. Technically criminals, though careful enough to stay
beyond the reach of the law.

NPCs: Apollo, the Patriarch (practical, powerful, troubled); Rosario, a broker

(steely, appraising, hungry)

Notable Assets: Legitimate Fronts, Hired Killers, Blackmail on Important

Figures, the Fear of the Common People.

Reputation: The Brizolatto are careful devils. While some thieves content them-
selves pilfering the pockets of their marks once, the Brizolatto know that repeat
customers are what makes a business run. They keep the smaller crooks in line
through fear and businesses under their protection rarely burn to the ground so
long as their ruinous terms are met.

Allies: The Founder, The Blue Devils

Enemies: The Watch, The Prince of Tatters

Situation: Don Apollo has grown increasingly paranoid as the rumors of the
Prince of Tatters’ exploits in the city wind ever closer to home. Despite this, he
drives his alchemists to produce a substance more addictive than Glint in hopes
of gathering the wealth necessary to outright buy the loyalty of the First Court.
Should he ever gain the means, he would make himself immune to their censure
and have the power to stamp out his rivals, both the ones he knows and the ones
stubbornly clinging to the shadows.

Short-term Objective: Introduce a dangerous new drug.

Long-term Objective: Buy a Judge on the First Court

206
 rignolle’s rovers - tier iii
A band of famous mercenaries formed during the final years of the war against
the Dread Emperor. They were initially composed of some of the most famous
warriors from across the continents, brought together by Rignolle, a bravo in
the emperor’s court. Some of the mercenaries still carry the names and secrets of
the first Rovers.

NPCs: “Rignolle”, The Captain (swaggering, crass, possessed); Nadir, Second in

Command (wry, arcane, savvy); Lotus, an Assassin (beautiful, deadly, witty)

Notable Assets: An Archive of Company History Dating Back to the Dread

Empire, A Plump War Chest, High Quality Weapons and Armor.

Reputation: The Rovers were homegrown heroes, second sons and down-at-heel
scions who sought adventure. Now, centuries after the Nights of the Mask, they
have grown into an accomplished corps of professionals. They fight with a flair
for the romantic like proper Ilrienne, but their results speak for themselves.

Allies: The Bank of Brass and Bone, The Ironmongers

Enemies: The Ten Hammer Regulars, The Broadsheets, The College of Satire

Situation: Currently, The Rovers are engaged in an ongoing conflict in Northern

Calrais and the bulk of their forces are away from the city. The token force left
behind still rivals the City Watch body for body, a fact of which the Watch is
acutely aware. Nadir has been left behind overseeing day-to-day operations, and
is engaged with the First Court and the Prince renegotiating the Rovers’ contract
in Calrais. If the Court won’t bend, it would be a small thing to find the money
some other way...

Short-term Objective: Fight a popular war.

Long-term Objective: Ransom the Groan.

207
 the ten hammer regulars - tier iii
The Ten Hammer Regulars represent a democratic party of foreign mercenaries,
with multiple captains at any given time. Disagreements amongst the Regulars
only very rarely turn violent, and they have a system worked out for these situa-
tions. It is bloody, but effective.

NPCs: Moonshadow, a Captain (dark, cunning, meticulous); Mack, a Captain

(loyal, dashing, dangerous)

Notable Assets: A Charter of Bylaws with a Rule for Everything, a Fortified

Meetinghouse in the Twist (The Anvil), Ten Warships, a Brilliant Corps of
Contract Lawyers, a Contract with the Fortunato Trade Federation.

Reputation: The Ten Hammers are a bold new fashion in Ilrienne. Most compa-
nies have a single captain, but the Ten Hammers boast ten. They claim to all
speak with a single voice, but their employers often receive new assurances each
time they speak to a new captain. Even so, the Ten Hammers are reputed to
execute their contracts to the letter...though you will have much less success
stretching clauses with them.

Allies: The Fortunato Trade Federation, The Dockers, The Buskin

Enemies: Rignolle’s Rovers, The Unburnt, The College of Satire

Situation: The Ten Hammer Regulars have never been properly accepted in
Ilrien society, despite endearing themselves to the city by taking the contract to
protect of the Fortunato Trade Federation. Many nobles are slowly coming to
trust these strange mercenaries now that their investments are being defended
by the Hammers. The Ten Hammers are using this newfound faith to their
advantage, both to secure better lodgings and to eventually muscle out their less
egalitarian competition.

Short-term Objective: Establish a headquarters on the White Road

Long-term Objective: Drive off the Unburnt

208
 the founder - tier iii
An uneasy anarchy of minor gangs floating just off the Twist. The Founder views
itself as the last bastion of real freedom in Ilrien. It governs itself with its own
laws and ethical code.

NPCs: Serena, the Ringleader (erudite, aloof, not to be trifled with); Lost Wolf,
a Promising Student (young, daring, social climber); Semba, a Captain (scarred,
gregarious, fast)

Notable Assets: A Legion of Street-toughs, Ill-gotten Booty, Stolen Weaponry,

Quick Skiffs, Talented Sailors.

Reputation: The Founder is a bevy of freedom fighters or a powder keg waiting

for a match, depending entirely on who you ask. Some say they will eventually
be the spark that kindles revolution and bring about an age free from the Mask
or noble squabbling. Others say they’ll burn down the city and then themselves.
Either way, we’re in for a show.

Allies: The Motley, The Buskin

Enemies: The City Watch, The Twistjacks, The First Court.

Situation: The Founder has launched night-raids on the Shores district since the
founding, making off with valuable cargo and ransoming it back. However, they
know that in order to become the power they want to be, rather than the minor
annoyance they are, they’ll need a vessel a little heftier than a skiff. They will be
devilfish, not barnacles.

Short-term Objective: Steal a proper warship.

Long-term Objective: Declare a pirate king.

209
 the unburnt - tier ii
Mercenary survivors; well-paid, but oft as not handed the filthiest and least
conventionally-survivable missions. The Unburnt are a hard-bitten group
priding itself on getting the job done. As such, they are often the first called
upon to deal with impossible situations.

NPCs: Sonny, the Captain (professional, dour, pragmatic); Valor, a Mercenary

(honorable, larger than life, decorus)

Notable Assets: The Blazon (an unmistakable warbanner; pawned), a Fearsome

Reputation, a Supernatural Edge.

Reputation: The job may be difficult, dirty, or just this shade of impossible,
but the Unburnt will see it done. Many would-be patrons have contracted this
small mercenary band in the hopes they would provide a momentary obstacle
for forces far larger and which they wouldn’t have to pay following their destruc-
tion. But the Unburnt trudge home, bloodied but unbroken, demanding their
pay anyway.

Allies: The Mercies, The Gondoliers, The Broadsheets

Enemies: Rignolle’s Rovers, The Ten Hammer Regulars, The Dead Watchers

Situation: The Unburnt are between contracts right now, and as usual, short on
coin and prospects. They’ve had to hock the Blazon to keep their kit in order.
Securing a new patron is paramount. After that, they can worry about expansion.
Something will turn up.

Short-term Objective: Get the Blazon out of hock.

Long-term Objective: Recruit a Ten Hammer Captain

210
 the blue devils - tier ii
Swaggering bravos who draw their membership from among the minor
nobility. There is no shortage of disaffected minor nobles and dissolute society
brats looking for a taste of freedom and danger. They find themselves drawn
inexorably into a conglomeration of bacchanalian parties and flashing steel.

NPCs: Valcara, a Ward Boss (sly, caustic, grasping); Tyrian, a Wealthy Patron
(calculating, cultured, untouchable); Lucenne, a Bravo (one-eyed, trained,
reasonable)

Notable Assets: A Fencing School in the Spindle, Protection Rackets, Immunity

from Watch Censure, Fantastically Designed Devil-masks.

Reputation: The Blue Devils are too romantic and fashionable to be called a
gang. It fails to capture their genteel nature. Certainly, they conduct themselves
like ruffians and will kill a man in the street. But they’ll at least do so under the
pretense of a legal duel, like gentlemen.

Allies: Minor noble houses, The Signorra, Soraya

Enemies: Major noble houses, The Tramps, The Motley

Situation: The Blue Devils are young and hungry as far as powers go, eager to
carve their name on the city. They’ve got plenty of enemies among the gangs in
the Twist and their continued expansion draws no small amount of ire. They
may be clever and dashing enough, however, that under the leadership of Valcara
they could cut the hearts from their foes and ascend the highest avenues of
wealth and power. The fortunes of their birth did not give them everything, so
perhaps swords will do better.

Short-term Objective: Crash a rival’s party.

Long-term Objective: Expand their holdings into the Gilt.

211
 twistjacks - tier ii
The Watchman’s badge is a shield, not just for the people of the city, but the
powers who hold the city in thrall. Some Watchmen set down the shield,
deciding it has turned the wrong way and protects the wrong people. They take
their truncheons though. Every one of them. Now they stalk the streets of the
Twist, bringing a healthy fervor for justice.

NPCs: Austell, a Jack (self-sacrificing, trustworthy, cautious); Fortuna, a Jack

(lucky, headstrong, keen)

Notable Assets: Watch Contacts, Friendly Magistrates, Alchemical and

Clockwork Crime-fighting Equipment, Knowledge of the Twist.

Reputation: Twistjacks patrol the alleys and closes of the Groan, bringing to
justice those who evade the reach of the law. The Watch might take a bribe or
decline to chase you into dangerous territory. But when you catch your breath,
you’ll turn and find a Twistjack with an evil grin, truncheon already raised.

Allies: The Tramps, The Mercies, the Dead Watchers.

Enemies: The Motley, The Brizolatto Crime Family, The Blue Devils, The City
Watch

Situation: The Twistjacks are at an impasse of late. Austell, the founding Jack,
still believes that justice is best dispensed by the Courts. Fortuna, the current
second, is becoming increasingly hard to control, taking justice onto herself
more and more often. If Fortuna is given free reign, the Twistjacks will find
more immediately satisfying ways to punish those preying on their neighbors
in the Twist.

Short-term Objective: Massacre a Twist gang.

Long-term Objective: Deliver Don Brizolatto to justice.

212
 the motley - tier i
A legion of beggars and the dispossessed painted like terrifying harlequins. More
a horde or a force of nature than a criminal gang, how anyone could claim
leadership of this tidal wave of violence and laughter is one of the Groan’s great
mysteries. They flood through the Twist in the late-night hours like a tide of
locusts.

NPCs: Rush, the Leader (unpredictable, quick, mad); Morley, the Frontman
(feral, self-important, anarchist)

Notable Assets: An Unceasing Tide of the Disenfranchised, Bottles and Chains,

a Complete Lack of Fear

Reputation: The Motley are urban decay made manifest. Once the city’s working
heart beat loudest in the Groan. Now it is a place where it is less dangerous to
be a tiger than a man. The world tries its best to break you, but the Motley just
laugh and laugh and laugh. If you hear the laughter as the sun sets over the
Groan, quicken your stride and lock your door.

Allies: -

Enemies: The City Watch, The Twistjacks, Soraya

Situation: The Motley is the Wild Hunt of Ilrien. Whoever they catch on their
nightly gallivant either joins the pelting charge or is run down and savaged.
Many wonder what Rush’s endgame might be, though most quickly dismiss it as
deciphering the goals of a hurricane. Little do they know that Rush and Morley
have grand designs indeed...if the Twistjacks don’t put them down first.

Short-term Objective: Gather recruits among disaffected youths.

Long-term Objective: Occupy The Bank of Brass and Bone.

213
The Outsiders
 the sevenfold veils - tier iv
One part hidden college, one part social club, one part cult, The Sevenfold
Veils are a secret society of wealthy dabblers in the occult and arcane. They find
funding and advancement within the secret heart of society and the highest halls
of learning. They work to exhume the Last Deathless.

NPCs: Antoni, a Librarian (obsessed, intelligent, well intentioned); Octavia, a

Noble (conceited, difficult, connected)

Notable Assets: Grimoires of Ancient Knowledge, Several Family Fortunes,

Shadowy Associates, a Ritual Space Hidden Beneath the Palace.

Reputation: Secretive and grasping, the Sevenfold Veils operate in the shadows
of polite society. Dilettantes, though talented in matters both occult and politic,
they work in secret as they gather arcane power through backroom negotiation,
grey-market acquisition, and the occasional theft or murder.

Allies: Members within every House Minor.

Enemies: The Scholam Naturalis, The Mercies, The Dead Watchers

Situation: The Sevenfold Veils have quietly consolidated their power amongst
the minor cults of the city, skimming the cream of the talented practitioners of
the arts arcane. Their maneuverings have not gone unnoticed by the Scholam
Naturalis. But the advent of their master, The Last Deathless, is nearly at hand.
They lack only the secrets of the Book of the Unbroken Watch and access to The
Necropolitan Hill without the prying eyes of the Dead Watchers.

Short-term Objective: Steal the Book of the Unbroken Watch

Long-term Objective: Awaken the Last Deathless

215
 the mercies - tier iii
The militant extension of the Lady’s followers, The Mercies operate with the
singular purpose of cleansing the world of evil. The Mercies ostensibly fall under
the umbrella of the Graces of the Temple of the Lady, though their charter
explicitly names them as a separate organization altogether. Their secrets are best
left beyond the scope of canon law.

NPCs: Nefera, an Exorcist (radical, unstoppable, calculating); Cyrus, an

Inquisitor (noble, judgmental, professional); Ophelia, a Monster Hunter (street
smart, fast, psychic)

Notable Assets: Hunter Diaries, Arcane Weaponry, Alchemical Serums, Free

Passage Through the City.

Reputation: Insular and mistrusted by the greater majority of the city, the
Mercies are what happens when Graces decide to do something more than pray
when magic goes awry. They keep their supernatural edges secret, and their oper-
ations away from the prying eyes of the city.

Allies: The Dead Watchers, The Unburnt

Enemies: The Graces, The Sevenfold Veils

Situation: Ophelia has been given dispensation by the Mercies to put a stop
to a great predator that is treating the lower city as its hunting ground. The
game of cat and mouse has embroiled many Mercies, and left more corpses than
is comfortable for anyone in the city. Meanwhile, Cyrus searches the Hunter
Diaries for clues to enact the Rite of Revelation.

Short-term Objective: Hunt a powerful monster of the old world.

Long-term Objective: Enact a ritual that reveals monsters that hide among us.

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 the dead watchers - tier ii
An old family of grave keepers, The Dead Watchers are highly skilled guardians
who know every inch of The Necropolitan Hill. They are rarely seen before
sunset. The undertakers of the greatest city in the world, nothing goes into or
out of The Necropolitan Hill without their say-so.

NPCs: Jared, the Captain (not to be trifled with, cold, guarded); Saint, the
Welcome Wagon (curious, polite, deadly)

Notable Assets: Unassailable Will, Knowledge of the Necropolises, a Divine

Purpose.

Reputation: The Dead Watchers hold the Necropolitan Hill, as much a part of
the scenery as the Gallows Tree and the Lich Gate. They keep safe and tidy the
place where the dead rest beneath the weight of history, and they dislike visitors
who linger long after dark.

Allies: The Mercies, The Gondoliers

Enemies: The Seven-fold Veils, Soraya

Situation: While the city comes to celebrate their dead, the Dead Watchers
are at an impasse. For generations they have sought a way to ensure the most
dangerous of their charges remains dead, but the necessary excavations and
experiments that take place must be handled with delicacy. While they spread
rumors to keep away prying eyes, Jared and his watchers labor against all odds to
still the heart of a thing called the Last Deathless.
Short-term Objective: Spread rumors of plague upon The Necropolitan Hill.

Long-term Objective: Destroy the heart of the Last Deathless

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 the college of satire - tier ii
A school of well-paid and much in-demand truthsayers and jesters. No court
is complete without one. Speaking truth to power, the College places suitable
agents in the households of Princes and Merchants alike. The College of Satire
ensures that no matter how grave the affairs of the day, the crowns of Ilrien do
not take themselves too seriously.

NPCs: Atlas, a Jester (complex, strange, honest); Calliope, an Orator (captivating,

polished, knowledgeable)

Notable Assets: Wealthy Patrons, Blackmail and Secrets, Distinctive Costumes.

Reputation: Spies, plain and simple. No one believes these jesters are as simple
as they appear. No one wearing that much greasepaint can be up to any good.

Allies: The Buskin, The Broadsheets

Enemies: The Scholam Naturalis

Situation: The College is in high favor amongst the nobility, and it is only right
and proper they should have access to the best and brightest as early as possi-
ble. The Scholam Naturalis is a perfect place to secure further patronage, and
continue to spread influence amongst the up-and-coming nobility. Meanwhile,
Atlas has taken to ensuring that the core tenet of the College not be forgotten.
“It is ours to remind them not to grow too big for their britches.” Many think the
College full of fools. It’s true of course, but when the wind is southerly, they
know a hawk from a handsaw.

Short-term Objective: Seek appointment to the Scholam Naturalis

Long-term Objective: Pull a prank that will never be forgotten.

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 the buskin - tier ii
Bohemian street performers, artists, writers, and intellectuals. They espouse
Truth, Beauty, Love, and all the other capitalized words which draw the hearts
and minds of people like crepe-paper moths. They want an end to the Mask and
the privilege of the nobility. Or Masks of their own.

NPCs: Julius, a Sculptor (perfectionist, audacious, rebellious); Camilla, a Leading

Lady (fickle, mean-spirited, cunning)

Notable Assets: Playhouses and Street Fairs, Secret Meeting Houses, the Love of
the Nouveau Riche, Signs and Codewords.

Reputation: The Buskin is not well thought of, frankly. Dreamers and madmen
in sandwich boards screaming about equality and liberty, the bonds of brother-
hood rather than bondage. It’s all well and good they see to the entertainment of
the people, but must they be so...political? Someone throw a pie!

Allies: The College of Satire, The Broadsheets, The Baker’s Guild

Enemies: The Blue Devils, the Nobility

Situation: The Buskin has bided its time long enough. Simple japes and good-
natured ribbing will only go so far. That’s more the Satirists’ shtick anyway, and
the Buskin must advance the Avant Garde and push the envelope. They have a
play, you see. As soon as the third estate sees it, it will be all too easy to whip
them into a frenzy and tear masks from faces for good and for all.

Short-term Objective: Excoriate the First House with a new play.

Long-term Objective: Instigate a riot.

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 the tramps - tier i
A gang of do-gooders and anti-mercenaries directing and protecting the nomads
and caravans passing through Ilrien. The Tramps are the trail guides of the
greatest city in the world, shepherding to safety those ignorant of the dangers
every street can hold. Their rates are inexpensive, and their connections make
them very handy to know.

NPCs: Sahara, Orchestrator (warm, effusive, insistent); Liam, a former

Watchman (grizzled, wry, experienced)

Notable Assets: Network of Safehouses, Hidden Paths, Popular Support in the

Groan.

Reputation: The Tramps are trustworthy, and bad for business by the account
of any professional street thief. Their good relationships with bigger, more
influential factions make them a hard target to hit. They take those relationships
very seriously.

Allies: The Groan, The Twistjacks, The Buskins

Enemies: The Motley, The Unburnt

Situation: Sahara knows that Ilrien is not a kind city to those who don’t know
her winding streets. It’s a jungle, and someone needs to be a guide and guardian
lest the city chew them up and spit them out. She’s attracted some support,
but in order to fight off the wolves, she needs a small army. Once she’s got the
muscle, she’ll focus on the real problem: why do foreign traders, the lifeblood of
Ilrien, have to enter through the Traitor’s Gate like common sell swords?

Short-term Objective: Negotiate Ten Hammers mercenary protection.

Long-term Objective: Gain rights to entrance through the Grand Gate.

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 soraya - tier i
An old woman in tattered lace and velvet who lives under The Gilt Bridge, with
an army of cats she calls The Royal Guard. Soraya has been called a witch, a seer,
a beggar-queen, a former Prince, a creature crawled from the realm of Faerie, and
none of these things are entirely wrong.

NPCs: Soraya, The Witch (regal, obtuse, charming)

Notable Assets: A Hopeless Number of Cats, Tattered Royal Finery Centuries

out of Date.

Reputation: She may actually be a noble. Or she may actually spirit your
children off in the middle of the night. No one is truly certain. She is the source
of much musing and fear. Because where misunderstanding bides, fear is always
close at hand.

Allies: Every cat in the city.

Enemies: The Motley

Situation: Soraya has decided it is long since time she began her diplomatic
strategies for dealing with the greater world. She means to extend gentle
invitations to the diplomats of the Principalities that they might acknowledge
her right to rule. Then, properly accepted as a power in her own right, she will
strike against those not in her favor.

Short-term Objective: Grant Rey, the Diplomat, an audience.

Long-term Objective: Declare war on the Motley.

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 Contacts for Indulgences
faith
Little-Sister Claudia, The Lady’s Temple
Jin the Lost, The Lord’s Shrine
Song, Shrine to the Old Gods
Antar, Minor Temple or Shrine for a Foreign God

obligation
A Family Member or Close Friend
Sister Aveline, Refugees and Orphans in The Groan
Ripley, Secret Society

gambling
Fuad, Runs Dice Games
Alesha, Runs Card Games
Agrippa, Horse Race Bookie
Winn, The Piste Bookie

stupor & pleasure

Swayjin, Runs a Tavern
Leviathan, Runs the Fighting Pits
Rosignol, A Bawdy House Madame in The Rose District
Dimitri, A Glint Dealer

arcane
Adrian, An Illusionist
Melany, An Old Witch
The Nightingale, An Impossibly Old Spirit in The Garden
Drax, A Dreamlily Dealer

luxury
Giovanni, Opera House
Merlot, Grande Theater
Feng, Bath House
Sina, Fine Tailor

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Chapter Five
Playing the Game
 Triggering the Action Roll
Court of Blades is a fiction-first game where most of it is spent conversing. Your
group talks, jests, and narrates everything happening in the fictional world until
something happens to trigger the need for an action roll. It’s the Game Master’s
responsibility to identify these moments, though in time you’ll intuit when it is
time to reach for the dice yourself.

Any activity the Player Character would reasonably accomplish just gets done, no
roll required. If something in the situation poses a challenge, however, it’s time
to roll some dice. Here are examples of things that would prompt an action roll:

• A PC is attempting something that could be risky or dangerous. Yes, they

could pick this simple lock without issue typically, but because they’re in a
crowded room can they do it fast enough and discretely enough to defy notice?
• A PC is making a demand of someone that could result in risk or danger to
themselves. Their favored contact, Allie, is typically happy to help them, but when they
ask him to spy on the Brizolattos during a private party, it will take some convincing.
• Someone just really wants to roll the dice. They want the outcome to be left
up to the whims of the Lady.

When it’s time to roll, the conversation may sound like this:

Player: I know this guy is about to hurt someone, I am just going to tackle
him now, while I think he isn’t expecting it.
GM: Okay, what kind of action do you think that will look like?
Player: I think it’s going to be a Skirmish. I want to take this guy to the
ground and get his dagger away from him.
GM: Cool, I could also see that as a Maneuver, but either way, that sounds
risky to me. He is alone and has his back to you right now, so I am going to
say the effect will be standard.
Player: I’m better with Maneuver, but I am really just trying to beat the
stuffing out of this guy, so I’ll stick with Skirmish.

At this point the group may chime in to suggest a different position or effect.
This is also when someone may offer to assist the PC in their action, or give
them a set up action. The important takeaway here is that this is still part of the
conversation belonging to the whole group.

Actions, position, and effect, are all tools to portray the nature of a situation, the
effect that a PC can have on that situation, and what actions they are attempting
to deal with it. This simple formula is the heart of Court of Blades gameplay.

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Actions in Play
On the following pages, the twelve actions are detailed and fleshed out with
examples of maneuvers and consequences.
 channel

When you Channel, you open your mind to arcane power and draw on
sorcerous might.

You might navigate the tricky syllables of an ancient spell of binding, or you
quickly summon a magical ward to stave off damage. You may also identify a
recently uncovered artifact, but Study might be better.

GM Questions

• What does it look like when you Channel arcane power? Is there a telltale
sign when you channel?

• From where does the power come, and how do you bend it to your will?

Sorcerous might and arcane power are left intentionally vague. The city of Ilrien
and the world of the Principalities can have as little or as much magic as you and
your group thinks is interesting and appropriate for the story you want to tell.
If there is magic, however, it comes from somewhere and its use requires talent
or skill. The Weave, the tendrils of magic of which the Knacks of the Scholam
Naturalis speak, is never safe or familiar. Magic is a natural force that can be
harnessed but never tamed.

Channel, as an action, typically draws upon arcane energy in some form or

another. Knacks have an internal power, whereas others Channeling might draw
from an artifact, a trinket, a device, or an arcane creature or spirit. “Blunts” can
interact with the Arcane, but Knacks create it.

Channeling, at its most basic, is getting magic to do what you want it to. If you
have an enchanted device that reveals the doorway to the catacombs only under
the light of the moon, that’s Channeling. If you bend the laws of reality with an
invocation, that’s Channeling. If you invoke a pact with the Queen of All Night’s
Falling, that’s probably Channeling, too.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I read through the grimoire and see if I can make sense of the ritual.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: The words writhe on the page. You think you’ll
be able to make the ritual work, but you’ll pay a greater price for
the magic.

1-3 Lesser Harm: The magic in the tome writhes like a sentient
thing, reaching out and laying bare your deepest fears. Take level 1
harm “Shaken.”

Risky—

“I tap into the Weave and hurl a blast of force at the gangster.”

4-5 Complication: Your wave of force knocks the gangster back, but
he yells to the rest of his crew, “They’ve got a Knack!” All the other guns
swing in your direction. What do you do?

Desperate—

I pull up my magic like a shield as the gun goes off.

1-3 Severe Harm: The shield crackles into being and you slow the
bullet with your Knack. But your reckless use of magic takes a terrible
toll. Your nose, ears, and eyes dribble blood. Take Level 3 Harm
“Burnt Out.”

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 command

When you Command, you compel obedience.

You might glare down a handful of thugs in an alleyway. With a cutting remark
you may compel a fop to retract an insult. You might demand information from
mercenaries in league with your House, but Consort might be better.

GM Questions

• Who are you Commanding? What’s your leverage?

• What do you hope they’ll do?

Commanding is the subtle and gentle art of getting someone unwilling to do

what you want. They will do it out of fear or loyalty or respect, but they will do
it. This stands in sharp relief against Consort, where you are trying to get along
with someone or work together with them. That being said, if you go around
Commanding your friends and contacts, do not be terribly surprised if the
relationship suffers. Barking orders rarely wins friends and influences people in
the long-term.

Command is typically the right action for dispensing orders to Retinues or

Colleagues, unless you are leading from the front. If they are following in your
footsteps, then by all means show them how it’s done with the appropriate
action rating. Otherwise, treat it as a group action. Roll your Command and let
them make a fortune roll with their Tier as a dice-pool.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I’m going to send my Courtier retinue to ferret out the secrets of the
Signorra’s operation. Who’s been meeting with her in secret?”

4-5 Withdraw or Risk: “My apologies, patron, but the Signorra is a canny
foe. You must give us leave to do whatever is necessary to bring this secret to
light.” This will be Risky and your Courtiers will be out of your control
for a while. Do you give the order?

Risky—

“I interpose myself between the duelists at the last minute, throwing my

hands wide. “What is this going to prove, gentlemen? Look me in the
eye and tell me you don’t know that this is exactly what the Prince of
Tatters wants!”

1-3 Suffer Harm: Your words are swallowed by the crack of pistols
as the duelists turn, fingers already on the triggers. Fire blazes in
your shoulder and your hand is suddenly wet. Suffer Level 2 Harm,
“Flesh Wound.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: The duelists hesitate, pistols still raised, but neither
firing. “The Prince of Tatters? What proof do you have that a child’s fairy
tale is involved?”

Desperate—

“Arrest me? Ha. ‘Gentlemen of the Watch, remember who really runs
this city.’”

1-3 Serious Complication: “Right you are, then. Let’s have a talk with
the First Court about it.”

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 consort

When you Consort, you socialize amongst friends.

When you Consort, you are behaving as you would amongst friends. You might
chat up the friendly tavern owner in hopes of learning when the diplomat was
last seen alive. With a drink and a chat, you may draw a secret from a confidant.
You might use a disguise and forged papers to bluff past a checkpoint, but Skulk
might be better.

GM Questions

• With whom do you consort? Where do you meet? What do you discuss?

• What do you hope to achieve with them?

When you Consort, you care what the other person thinks or feels. You listen
to what they’re saying. You’re charming, social, and relatively open with them.
Consorting works both with people you know and new people with whom you
are trying to “fit in.”

To Consort, typically you need an environment that isn’t openly hostile. If

there’s a pitched melee currently underway, it matters little how charming you
are or how hard you are working to be open and earnest. The assassin will still
open you, groin to gullet, no matter how much you want to talk the matter over.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“Benecio is a friend of mine. I’ll see if he or his Gondoliers have heard any-
thing about the courier we’re tracking.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: He has, but he also let him off his Gondola
an hour ago. He took him out to the Founder. You’ll have to find
him there.

4-5 Risky Position: You’ve been leaning on Benecio a lot lately. I think
this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. He tells you that
he’s busy. Do you push him?

Risky—

“I’m going to pull out my fine inebriants. Let’s go with Dreamlily. “Boys,
how long have you been standing out here? How about something for the
boredom,” and I’ll pass the pipe with the guards while Saint goes in the
back way.”

4-5 Harm: The guards compliment your taste, but if you want to
pull this off, you’re going to have to partake as well. Take Level 2
Harm, “Fading.” The world blurs around the edges and the colors get
real interesting.

Desperate—

“I’m going to take this opportunity to work the room. I’ll use the code word
for the conspiracy every so often, slipping it into casual conversation.”

4-5 Serious Complication: You get casually invited into a backroom.

When you arrive it’s clear this is where the conspiracy is going over final
instructions. A knife is pressed into your hand. “You know what to do.
Jericho will watch your back.”

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 hunt

When you Hunt, you carefully track a target.

You might follow a carriage as it crosses the city. You may navigate the press of
the crowd to find a sight-line on the hangman at the execution. You might un-
obtrusively tail a corrupt priest, but Skulk might be better.

GM Questions

• How do you hunt them down? What methods do you use?

• What do you hope to achieve?

When you Hunt, it’s all about precise and skillful execution. Hunting is done
on your terms. You stalk the target to their lair, you select the ambush point,
you line up the target in your sights, and you take the shot. This might be the
legwork before an actual fight kicks off. If you try to Hunt after the chaos has
kicked into full swing, you’ll probably find yourself in a desperate position. Time
and distance are your allies here.

Hunt is not just the measure of your marksmanship. It entails tracking, stalking,
and discovering the location of anything or anyone. There’s no “shoot” action
in Court of Blades, but if you’re waiting for the perfect time to pull the trigger
on a target from a hidden position, then Hunt is probably your roll. If you’re
shooting someone with your pistol in a pitched melee, you might just as
easily Skirmish.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I wait until the informant steps forward to speak to Alessio, hold my

breath, and squeeze the trigger.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: Your shot clips the informant and he spins to the
cobble stones. He chokes and sputters as Alessio drops to his knee to
hear the informant’s final words. He can still spill the beans. What do
you do?

4-5 Risky Position: You hit the informant through the throat and he
goes down in a spray of blood. Alessio stands in shock for precisely
three heartbeats before he turns to trace the shot. “Up there!” His guards
ready pistols and encircle the building.

Risky—

“All this Glint has to be coming from somewhere. I’m going to hit the streets
and track down the supplier.”

4-5 Complication: You track down the dealer, in the middle of a big
deal when you arrive. Apollo Brizolatto is personally overseeing the buy.
So are ten of his best killers.

Desperate—

“’The fight’s not the important thing here. We’ve got to catch Lucretzia!’ I
break away from the skirmish and chase after her.”

4-5: Reduced Effect + Severe Harm: You disengage from the fight,
dashing toward the door after Lucretzia. A pistol barks behind you
and you feel the bullet pass through your back. Someone wasn’t done
fighting with you! Take Level 3 Harm “Lung Shot.” Lucretzia is still in
sight but you’ll have a hard time catching her now.

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 maneuver

When you Maneuver, you traverse quickly and skillfully.

You might leap from roof-top to roof-top with a running start. You might
navigate the tricky steps of a fashionable new dance. You might carefully lie by
omission, but Consort might be better.

GM Questions

• How do you maneuver? How do you navigate the environment around you?

• What do you hope to accomplish?

When you Maneuver, you position yourself to skillfully take advantage of an

opportunity. In a permissive environment, you may have better effect than when
you have to Maneuver subtly or without attracting notice. It’s more than just
where you place your feet. It’s a mixture of precise timing and instinctual aware-
ness of the developing situation.

When a Maneuver roll goes badly, it’s rarely “all or nothing.” Common
consequence to a missed Maneuver is discovery, pursuit, or a more tenuous
situation. Conversely, Maneuvering is a perfect set-up action, leveraging
clever positioning and timing to achieve greater effects with follow-up actions.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I’m familiar with the Firelight Stride. I’ll take Isabella for a turn around
the dancefloor, and see if I can spot Lachance.”

4-5 Risky Position: You and Isabella wheel around the room in time
with the intricate waltz, but you’re surprised to brush a little too close
to Malcotto, the Corvetto Bravo. His smile is unkind as the song draws
to a close. He still looks peevish from your last encounter.

Risky—

“From the roof I can lower myself onto the ledge below and then it’s in
through the window, right?”

4-5 Complication: You drop to the ledge without trouble. You shin
across the ledge toward the half-open window, but draw back when you
hear the door inside open. Two voices are raised in conversation. “Yes, I
have the documents right here. Have a look for yourself.”

Desperate—

“The game is blown, now. I’ll grab whatever papers I can from the desk and
dash to the window. I’ll shimmy along the ledge and find a good place to
drop to the street.”

1-3 Severe Harm + Complication: You land all wrong, something in

your leg giving out. Your world goes white with pain as you clutch the
papers to your chest. You hear shouts of alarm from within. The guards
will be along shortly, but you’re not going far on a broken leg. Or
are you?

4-5 Serious Complication: You hit the street, roll, and come up running.
Malcotto screams abuse at your back from the balcony. “Lovell dog! This
does not end here!”

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 skirmish

When you Skirmish, you entangle a target in combat.

You might slip a knife into the ribs of the street-tough hired to kill you. You
might fight an elaborate duel with an affronted rival. You might spring from the
shadows to neutralize the agent on your tail, but Wreck might be better.

GM Questions

• How do you skirmish with them? What combat methods do you employ?

• What do you hope to achieve?

When you Skirmish with someone, you both attack and defend in a vicious back
and forth. It is a useful skill for starting, surviving, and finishing a fight—but the
fight is compulsory. This is not silently executing a guard. That is Skulking or
Hunting. If you tackle them to the ground and wrestle them into submission,
that is a Skirmish. If you challenge them to a formal duel and then draw swords
on each other, there may be Maneuvering as you size each other up, but it will
eventually come down to a Skirmish.

Generally, the consequences to Skirmishing come from the enemy with which
you skirmish. The more dangerous that opponent, the more desperate and dire
the situation becomes.

If you fight alongside a retinue or a colleague, in a battle, you Skirmish. If you

order them to Skirmish on your behalf, you’re Commanding.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I’ve got all the aces here, and he doesn’t strike me as much of a fighter. I’m
going to take the diplomat in a rush and then choke him out.”

1-3 Withdraw or Risk: The diplomat’s got more fight than you gave
him credit. He snatches up a letter opener and stabs wildly. You want
to keep trying to grapple him?

Risky—

“When he comes at me with his court-sword, I’m going to parry his blade
to the outside with my own and bring him down with a kick to the inside
of his knee.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: It’s more of a shin-rake as you lash out, but he’s
tougher than you give him credit for. He comes in close and grabs your
wrist, trying to pull you off balance.

Desperate—

“I’ll hold this alleyway while the rest of you get away. ‘Come, then! Come
get your throats cut.’”

4-5 Reduced effect + Suffer Harm: They take you in a rush. You give
as well as you get, but that means only one of theirs is down and you’re
bleeding from a handful of wounds when another gets in close and
buries a knife in your side. Take Level 3 Harm, “Gutted.” They’re getting
around you and after the coterie as you sink to your knees.

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 skulk

When you Skulk, you move carefully so as to avoid notice.

You might keep to the shadows to avoid the attention of a guard. You might cob-
ble together a disguise to pass as a rival House’s courier. You might soundlessly
pry open a window to secure entrance to a villa, though Tinker might be better.

GM Questions

• How do you avoid notice? What in the environment aids your skulking?

• What do you hope to achieve?

When you Skulk, your movements and your intentions pass beneath the notice
of others. Skulk is a useful catch-all for skillful movement, finesse, spycraft, and
outright evasiveness. If you are doing something that requires the other party to
not notice, it’s a good bet it’s a Skulk roll.

You might use movement to hide out of sight or waylay an enemy in ambush.
You might use sleight of hand and misdirection to plant an object or hide some

thing from view. It may be used as a set-up action to keep a follow-up action
covert, thus granting better position or effect.

When a Skulk goes badly, it doesn’t necessarily mean the jig is up. It might,
however, start a clock like “Discovered” and tick a segment or two. Think of
the clock as “stealth harm levels.” The PC can take only a few more hits before
they’re knocked out of the hide-and-seek fight.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“You say that he’s just up and working late? All alone? And I can see the
ledger on his desk? Well. Let’s bop him on the head and be off with it!”

4-5 Reduced Effect: Easy enough. The approach is perfect. No squeaky

boards or stumbles. But he sneezes just as you give him the bop and
what should’ve flattened him just spins him in his chair, dazed and
groaning. What do you do?

Risky—

“I’m going to slip the evidence into our host’s pocket while he’s turned and
fussing with the drinks.”

4-5: Harm: Certainly. Your host is none the wiser as you plant the
evidence. Ballatino, the Al-Mari envoy, on the other hand arches a dark
eyebrow. Take Level 2 Harm, “Ballatino Knows.”

Desperate—

“I’ll throw my mask aside and turn my cloak. The Rovers aren’t far behind,
but I think I can shake them and blend into the crowded market.”

1-3 Severe Harm: You almost get away with it. Were it not for the
Rover who reaches out from the mouth of the alley and drags you back
in. The next moments pass like an eternity as you’re rolled and booted
like a meat football. Take Level 3 Harm, “Hemorrhaging.”

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 study

When you Study, you scrutinize details and interpret evidence.

You might decode an enciphered message or occult ritual. You might follow the
money to draw connections between hired bravos and your rival. You might
assume an enemy’s current intentions based on the number of warships they
have docked in the harbor, but Survey might be better.

GM Questions

• What do you study? What details or evidence do you scrutinize?

• What do you hope to understand?

When you Study, you concentrate on small details—expressions, tone of voice,

innuendo, breaches of etiquette, tiny clues—to find what is hidden, determine
facts, corroborate evidence, and guide your decisions.

Studying is often used to read a person in Ilrien—this is a gather information

roll to judge whether or not they are lying, what they really want, their inten-
tions, etc. When you Study someone this way, you can ask the GM questions
while you interact with them, so you may wish to wait until they say something
fishy, then ask the GM “Are they telling the truth?”

If you want to get a feel for the current situation or scout a location, that’s
Survey. That’s the action for big-picture information. Study is the opposite,
relying on interpreting small clues and fine details on the personal level. It’s also
the action for research of all kinds (like long-term projects!). Any fact can be
discovered through Study.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I light the candle, ring the bell, and open the book. No harm ever came
from reading a book, right?”

4-5 Withdraw or Risk: There’s an audible crack of power as you open

the book; as you reach out to turn to the first page, it flips invitingly
under your hand. You’re dealing with something eldritch and powerful
here. Do you read on?

Risky—

“I don’t have a lot of time while Apollo is out of the office. I shuffle through
the papers on the table. I commit everything I can to memory.”

1-3 Desperate Situation: “Anything interesting?” Apollo leans against

the doorframe with an insouciant smile.

Desperate—

“I think I’ve got to work fast here. The Watch will be along, and with all
this blood, it looks bad. I need to put this together before they get here.”

4-5 Serious Complication: You look over the crime-scene and analyze
the clues. As your heart races, there’s one damning bit you keep coming
back to. That boot print looks like it’s Watch issue.

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 survey

When you Survey, you observe the situation and anticipate outcomes.

You might scan a roof-line for hidden assassins. Maybe you recognize the mark
separating gang territories in the Twist. You might recognize the embroidery on
a jacket as distinctive to a rival House’s favorite tailor, but Study might be better.

GM Questions

• How are you Surveying the situation? Is there any special detail you seek?

• What do you hope to understand?

When you Survey, you gain a better understanding of what is going on around
you. You observe a location or a situation and draw conclusions appropriately.
A good Survey will keep you from being surprised and helps you make better
decisions about your approach to a problem.

Surveying is often used to “read a situation.” This is a gather information roll

to judge opportunities and dangers. When you Survey a scene, you might ask
the GM questions before anything happens so you can spot opportunities for
action. If you’re suspicious of meeting with the Brizolatto Family’s agents, you
might ask “What’s really going on here?” to get a clearer read on the situation.

To Survey, you might need access to good vantage points, and in this case a
Maneuver or Skulk might be an appropriate set-up action for better position
or effect.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I’m going to find an out of the way spot to watch the Tramp’s headquarters.
I want to see who they’re meeting with, and how they get in and out.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: They’re letting rough thugs through over the
course of an hour. It looks like there’s some kind of entrance challenge.
Maybe a code-word or special pass. From this angle you can’t quite tell.

Risky—

“So we’re chasing after this guy, right? And he’s trying to zig and zag through
the back alleys? I want to see if I can cut him off. I want to set-up my next
Maneuver roll.”

4-5 Desperate Position: You vault over a half-wall and smash into
Rourke. You both go down in a tumble of limbs and his knife comes to
hand. Now it’s just a question of who gets stabbed...

Desperate—

“It was an ambush? No way. I’m flashing back to try and spot the details
that gave that ambush away.”

4-5 Reduced Effect: You have only a second to act before the ambush
comes to pass. Do you get yourself clear, drop to the ground, push
someone out of harm’s way?

1-3 Severe Harm: Three thugs come out of the alley, but you’re
fixated on them and don’t see the alley basher behind you. You feel his
truncheon though. Level 3 Harm, “Concussed.”

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 sway

When you Sway, you influence with guile, charm, or argument.

With a honeyed words you might make a good impression upon the Prince’s
chamberlain. You might provide convenient evidence to the captain of the
Watch, implicating a rival. You might engage in debate at a dinner party and try
to win on the basis of being the better orator, but Maneuver might be better.

GM Questions

• Who do you sway? What kind of leverage do you have here?

• What do you hope they’ll do?

When you Sway someone, you don’t care what they think or feel. You’re
manipulating them with charm, lies, or rational arguments they cannot easily
dismiss. You’re compelling them to do or think what you want, not what they
want or need. You can Sway a friend or contact but the risks are higher if they
figure out what you’re doing to them; it might be a desperate proposition.

Sway is not mind control, however. You need leverage to make it work. That
might come through natural charm or a proclivity for guile and deception. Or
your leverage could take the form of reason, evidence, and moving rhetoric.
Once you have leverage you can try to Sway them. Without it, you may have to
choose another avenue: fear and intimidation (Command), or violence might
have to do in a pinch.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“This Broadsheet reporter may not want to cross the Blue Devils, but he
owes me and he knows it. It’s time for him to balance the scales.”

4-5 Minor Complication: “Okay, I know I owe you, but this can’t come
back on me. I’ll lose my job. Or worse. Promise that no one will know you
heard it from me.”

1-3 Minor Harm: He shakes his head, “I know, I owe you. But I can’t
help you. They’re already following me. They’re probably watching right
now…” Take Level 1 Harm, “Found Out.”

Risky—

“Look, Donovan, we both know that strangers in The Necropolitan Hill aren’t
good for either of us. Let us check out the tomb. We won’t touch anything.”

4-5 Complication: “Fine. But I’m sending Lyrica with you. She’ll make
sure you mind your manners.”

1-3 Complication: “It’s strange. A vault gets broken open this morning
and before lunch the Elanda come sniffing.” He gives you the eyeball.
“The Mercies were faster though. Best of luck explaining to them what
you’re doing here.”

Desperate—

“I sweat behind my mask, but I try not to let them know I’m rattled. ‘Of
course, I am Cypriana Corvetto, buffoon! Who else would dare wear
this mask?’”

1-3 Serious Complication: “Interesting... You don’t look anything like

my sister.”

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 tinker

When you Tinker, you fiddle with devices and mechanisms.

You might soundlessly pick a lock and slip inside a room your enemies thought
secure. You might quickly navigate a puzzle box. You might set a cunning clock-
work trap for a foe, but Hunt might be better.

GM Questions

• What do you tinker with?

• What do you hope to accomplish?

When you Tinker, you take stuff apart, put it back together, bend this bit, twist
that, and modify it to do something doe which it’s not designed. Tinkering
covers a broad range of activities contingent upon mechanisms and engineering
as well as biology and chemistry. An adept tinkerer might be a metallurgist or an
alchemist. Tinkerers know things. All kinds of things.

Tinkering is often used during Long-term Projects in downtime. It is one of

the most versatile downtime actions, in fact, alongside Study. If you acquire the
necessary components and take time, wonderful and terrifying things can be
Tinkered into existence.

Tinker is useful in the moment as well. Ilrien is covered in mysterious alchemical

and technological artifices: odd alchemical potions and drugs, puzzle-locks,
spring-loaded traps, mechanical lifts and vaults. Tinker with them on the fly to
create booby traps or clear security.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“Easy enough to bypass the puzzle lock, I’ll get my picks and rakes and go
to work.”

1-3 Withdraw or Risk: As you slot your tools into the lock, it gives
a shuddering jerk. Machinery grinds to life and the ceiling begins to
descend. There’s plenty of time to escape for the moment, but this is
your shot to get into the vault. Do you risk it?

Risky—

“No problem! I just need to re-trip that secondary catch. I know what I did.
I know what I’m doing.”

4-5 Complication + Desperate Position: There’s another clockwork

clattering from within the lock. The door you entered slams shut and
you hear the sound of bolts clicking into place. The ceiling sprouts spikes.

Desperate—

“I can fix this! This is fine! All it’s going to take is wedging this widget over
here and then jamming my second-favorite file into this bit here.”

4-5 Serious Complication: You trip the final catch, shoulder rushing
into the vault before you’re flattened. You catch your breath, lament
your lost tools, and feast your eyes. Then it hits you. There are no other
exits from this vault, and the guards will be along presently.

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 wreck

When you Wreck, you utilize overwhelming force against a person or object.

You might use acid to melt a tricky lock on a strongbox. A chair across the gang
boss’s teeth might be your diplomacy of choice. You might twist the weave of
magic to incinerate a foe, but Channel might be better.

GM Questions

• What do you wreck? What force are you bringing to bear?

• What do you hope to accomplish?

When you Wreck something, you ruin its function so it cannot be easily fixed
and you create chaos in some way—loud noises, flying debris, fire, flood, etc.
Wrecking is as good for distraction and mayhem as it is for destroying things.

Scale is important when determining effect for Wrecking. If you’re trying to

Wreck a Watch Station, for instance, you need either tools or a team of high
enough scale to affect the building. Or you might exploit a weakness to gain
potency enough to shake the station to its foundation.

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 Examples

Controlled—

“I plant the powder kegs in the basement, light the fuse, and retreat to a safe
distance. Boom?”

4-5 Risky Position: You get to the top of the stairs when two Blue Devils
stop for a noisy chat and a smoke right by your planned exit. Fuse is
burning. What do you do?

1-3 Withdraw or Risk: You’re moving barrels, calculating blast radii,

trying to imagine how the building will fall. You’re having trouble. You
don’t know if you’ve got the powder for this...but you do know one of
those Blue Devils will be down here for another flagon of wine soon.
Do you risk getting this wrong or withdraw and try another angle?

Risky—

“I push past Owl and pull the crowbar from my belt. ‘Sometimes you have
to sweet talk doors.’ I dig in and try and pry the thing off its hinges.”

4-5 Complication: Sure, you can get the door off. But it’s not subtle.
You hear a chair scuffing back above you, followed by heavy footsteps.
I’m starting an “alert” clock.

Desperate—

“She’s got a pistol? Thinks she’s got me dead to rights? Let’s see how smart she
feels when I bust a chair across her teeth.”

4-5 Severe Harm: I’ll give you credit for audacity. She falls back away
from the desk, firing as she falls. The bullet doesn’t rip through your chest
as she intended, but you do take Level 3 Harm “Shattered Left Arm.”

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 Player's Best Practices
embrace the danger
Your retainer did not make it this far in life without a deep understanding of
the dangers inherent in serving a Major House, or the loyalty required to hold
such a prestigious position. They know they are as likely to die in service to the
House as they are to climb to the very top, if not more so. The odds are stacked
against them.

Systems in the game are designed to punish even a deed well done, so no matter
how effectively you complete an errand, the exposure and the entanglements
will pile on. It requires wit, fast thinking, and making amends to cope with these
mechanics if you want to make it to the finish line. Embrace the fallout as part
of the adventure, not as an obstacle.

You are here because you possess the unique ability to get the job done, no
matter the cost. You did not get here because you are unwilling to take risks or
push yourself. Fall in love with the satisfaction of completing impossible errands.

Stress and scandals are necessary parts of the system to keep the retainers
“human”. They represent how much someone can take before it becomes too
much. You must find a balance between spending your stress to ensure the
errand is complete, while avoiding scandal when possible.

Dance on the razor’s edge but do not cut yourself. Make every scandal you cre-
ate as epic and worthwhile as possible. Be fearless, but do not throw away your
retainer’s reputation on trivialities.

play to tell a great story

As a player you have the ability to choose which action to roll for any given
task. This does not mean you should only stick to the actions at which you
excel. Doing so would make for a terribly boring story. If you have no people
skills but you need to Sway someone, lean into that, or push yourself if your
character feels it is important. Do not devise a way in which you can roll Tinker to
move someone with your words simply because you have more dice there. That’s
“weaseling” and not in keeping with the spirit of the game.

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shape the game
Everyone at the table has a shared responsibility to make Court of Blades into the
kind of game they want to play. If you want the game to be more dangerous, play
more dangerously. Each person at the table, GM and players, is responsible for
the tone, style, and themes of the game.

build your character through play

In Court of Blades, your character begins as a thumbnail sketch, just a few spare
details. You do not need to know who you really are at the start, and certainly no
one else needs to know. Your character will develop in ways you never anticipat-
ed as you play, and you should not be constrained by some detailed history you
imagined before the world got its hands on you. Show, don’t tell. You are what
you become over the course of play.

act now, plan later

In Court of Blades, we smash to the action. Some planning is fine, but in-depth
planning will only stand between you and fun. We strongly advise against it. A
couple of gather information rolls, reaching out to a contact, and you are more
than ready to be on your way.

Instead, when things go wrong, plan with a flashback. Trust your character to
know what they would encounter well before you did.

GM: There is a guard dog on duty.

You: Of course, there is. Let me flashback to stopping by the butcher’s shop
for a great stonking soup bone before we headed out.

GM: That’s pretty easy. No stress cost for that one. Enjoy your pig’s femur.

And we’re back to the action.

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 Example of Play
We think the most helpful way to learn the game is to see it in action, so we
wrote out a sample “first session” in play script format as though it were an actual
session. This is a great opportunity to see what you’ve learned about the game
applied to a quick, plausible scenario.

Our actors for this purpose are the GM (as the GM), Val as the Knack who
has taken the Invocation special ability, and Mink as the Eye who has taken
the Shadow special ability. They serve House Lovell, and their coterie has a
reputation for daring.

Act 1, Freeplay

GM: You both find yourselves in House Lovell’s courtyard when the messenger
finds you. Who usually hands out your tasks?

Val: I think it’s The Lovell’s youngest cousin. Her name is Kat, short for Katarina.

GM: “The Lovell”, I like that. So, what do we think Kat is like?

Mink: She’s tall, and serious. In her mid-twenties. Doesn’t stay and chat unless
something really bad is coming down on you.

GM: Yeah, I think that maybe she feels like she’s above being an errand-woman.
“It’s time for you to earn your keep,” she says, holding out the dossier impatiently,
just waiting for her window to leave.

Mink: I’m definitely the first one to grab it, and I’ll read the briefing aloud.

GM: You start looking through the dossier and you see that there is a party com-
ing up. Every one of the Houses’ Major must be there, but House Al-Mari has
already declined the invitation. There is also a problem with one of the House’s
ancestor altars, it’s cracked somehow and now The Lovell is concerned they have
an angry ancestor that someone will have to appease. Finally, a former employee
of The Lovell has absconded with an invaluable tome of secrets, it should be
located before the cyphers are broken.

Val: The stolen secrets sound like a pretty big deal, getting that should be our
primary goal.

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Mink: I agree. If we have time, maybe we can get House Al-Mari to come
to the party? I’m not really interested in chasing shadows because the Prince
is superstitious.

Val: That sounds fair. So, how do we want to hunt down this missing book?

Act 2, The Plan

GM: The extended details in your dossier on the missing tome tell you who has
stolen it, even tells you where you’re most likely going to find them. Dorian
disappeared with it three nights ago, and has reason to hide out in the Twist until
his benefactor can meet up with him. Unfortunately, it doesn’t give you much
else. The primary witness is The Lovell’s chamber servant, Giselle.

Val: Damn, I think I liked him. I want to catch up with Giselle and see if she
forgot to mention anything, for sure.

Mink: I’ll wait this one out. Giselle and I don’t get along, so I think Val will
have better luck if I’m not there.

GM: You two don’t get along?

Mink: Yeah, I just think that would be interesting later.

GM: I agree, can’t wait to find out what that’s about! For now, it sounds like Val
wants to take the time to gather some information.

Act 3, Gathering Information

GM: You don’t have any problem finding Giselle, she’s in the kitchen putting in
The Lovell’s dinner demands with the kitchen staff.

Val: I’ll try to pull her aside and start asking her about Dorian.

GM: She steps out of the room with you, but you can tell she doesn’t really want
to say anything more than she has already. She seems flustered. If you want to
press her, you are going to need to make a roll of some kind.

Val: Yeah, I want to know what she’s hiding. I think I want to roll Sway. I’ll try
to convince her that she can trust me to be discrete with whatever she gives me.

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 GM: Sounds good. Right now, you are risky/standard. She may run away if you
botch this or someone might see the exchange and get the wrong idea, but she’s
not a very good liar so you feel pretty confident that you can get more out of her.

Val: Okay, I have one die in Sway, I am going to push myself for two stress to
take an extra die.

Val rolls two dice, marks off two points of stress, and gets the 4/5 result.

GM: Not bad, not bad. Is there a particular gather information question you’re
hoping she’s going to be able to answer?

Val: I think I want to know “What’s going on here?” Like, what’s Dorian’s play.
Where did he go?

GM: Makes sense to me. Giselle is willing to spill everything, but the complication
from your mixed success is that she’ll do it only if you swear an oath Dorian
won’t be harmed. If you refuse, she may not tell you everything. I’m also going
to say that as you start in on this line of questioning, you have to reach out and
lay hands on Giselle to stop her from leaving. One of the other servants is going
to see, and it won’t be long before the rumor mill is stirring about your illicit
liaison in the pantry.

Val: Oh, man. Well, that’s going to bite us later. All right, I’ll swear it to her.

GM: Okay, Dorian is hiding out in a room at a tavern called The Last Drop in
The Twist. You’ll know the place for its signage depicting a hanged man holding
a pint of ale. He’s supposed to meet up with a Spymaster from one of the Minor
Houses tomorrow night, at the hour of Tryst. Giselle didn’t tell anyone because
Dorian had sworn he’d come back for her and they’d use the coin he stands
to make to run away together. He hasn’t sent word once since she helped him
abscond with the book.

Val: I hope he’s got a good reason for that; I can’t abide an unromantic. I’ll meet
back up with Mink.

Mink: I think we’re set to go!

GM: Sounds like it’s time for the engagement roll. But first, everyone has to
declare their load.

Mink: I am going loaded; I like to have my options open. The Twist can be
rough, and I want to make sure I’ve got everything I need.

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Val: I will go discrete; I know magic is frowned upon in the Twist. If things get
bad, I may need to run really fast.

Act 4, The Engagement

The GM determines that Val and Mink get one die toward their engagement roll
for audacity and one die for their gather information results. The GM rolls two dice
for their engagement but gets the 1-3 result!

GM: You guys have no problem finding Dorian at The Last Drop, but things
have already gone sideways. He is already waiting for you in the barroom, with a
hired thug, a big scary looking one. They’ve already cleared the place out. We’re
going to be starting in a Desperate position. That thug sees you coming and is
already drawing a pistol.

Val: I bet Giselle sent word ahead of us. Tenderheart.

Mink: I agree. I want to flashback!

GM: All right, what are you trying to flashback to?

Mink: I scouted this place before we came in, using my Maneuver skill, and
knew that Dorian was waiting to ambush us.

GM: All right, that’s pretty reasonable. We’ll call it a one stress flashback. Roll
to see how well it went.

Mink marks off one point of stress, rolls her Maneuver action rating which gives
her two dice, and gets the 6 result.

GM: Yeah, you knew exactly what to expect, you were able to scout this place
pretty thoroughly, and you also noted that the room where he probably stashed
the book is empty right now.

Mink: Maybe we can just get the book back and run for it. Hey Val, do you
think you can distract these guys for a minute while I sneak in and snatch the
book? I’ll signal for you when I have it.

Val: I won’t lie. I’m a little nervous about having to distract Dorian and his brute,
especially when I promised Giselle I wouldn’t hurt him, but I trust your judge-
ment. ...Just don’t leave me to die.

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 Mink: I believe in you! I’m going to sneak around back and try to find a way
into his room.

GM: Each room has a small Juliet balcony, but they look like they’ all date back
to The Dread Emperor’s reign so you’re not convinced of how sturdy they are.
You know his room is the left corner one, up on the third floor. It’s summer and
the city is stiflingly hot so the window is already open, but you’re going to have
to get creative with how you get up there.

Mink: Okay, I am going to push myself and activate my Shadow special ability.
It allows me to perform an act of stealth or athletics which borders on the super-
human. I am going to use it to Maneuver to his balcony, by jumping from one
balcony to the next, using the ones that look like they might hold my weight
best. Hopefully I can do it quietly enough.

Val: I want to give her a set up action, once she gets behind the building I am
going to barge into the tavern and distract them, loudly. I think I am going to
Command them to pay attention, throwing my weight around. “Do you have
any idea how much trouble you’re in?!”

GM: Sure, let’s see how your set up goes first, then. You’re currently desperate/
standard for the purpose of distracting these guys and masking any noise Mink
makes. They were already looking for you anyway. And that brute’s gun is al-
ready pointing in your direction.

Val rolls his one die in Command and gets a 4/5 result. He marks off one point of
xp in his Spirit tracker for rolling a Spirit ability in a desperate situation.

GM: Well, you definitely got their attention, but the complication is that I’m
going to start a 4-part clock for Dorian’s patience. When it’s full, they’re going
to perforate you. Three ticks already. Dorian sneers at you, motioning to his
thug. “Looks more like you’re the one in over your head, errand boy.” Mink, roll
that Maneuver, and take the bonus die from Val’s set up. They’re definitely not
paying attention to the balcony.

Mink pushes herself, marking two stress, she has two dice in Maneuver, plus one
from pushing herself, and one from Val’s set up. She rolls four dice and gets the
4/5 result.

GM: You can get up there, but as you parkour from balcony to balcony, a big
chunk of masonry gives way and falls to the alley below with a crash. You know
they had to hear that, even over the yelling.

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Mink: Crap! Okay, I’d like to activate my special armor to resist that, it allows
me to resist a complication related to detection or security. Mink knows how to
shift her weight on these rickety structures. No way they would ever detect me
so easily.

GM: Fair enough! You know your business and spot the rickety masonry, shift-
ing your weight to spare it. This is a walk in the park for you, Mink. You avoid
any balconies breaking below your step, and you can hear Val’s shouting easily
covering your actions. You make it into Dorian’s room with no problem. The
book is on the nightstand. He was not expecting company up here.

Mink: I am going to grab it and hop back out the window. I’ll use the rope and
grappling hook in my climbing gear, and Maneuver to get back down safely.

GM: Sounds good to me! Your position is currently risky/standard.

Mink marks off two load for the climbing gear, so she has four of her declared
“loaded” load left. She rolls her two dice in Maneuver and gets the 1-3 result.

GM: Ouch. So, what it looks like, is you find the best place to sink your hook as
you can, but as you get about half way down, the chunk of the wall the hook is
in just gives way from years of rot and weather and you fall about 12 feet. You’re
going to take Level 2 Harm: Broken Ankle.

Mink: I’d really like to resist that. I’m going to roll my Body stat to try to salvage
the landing.

Mink rolls the two dice from her Body stat and gets a 2 out of a possible 6, so she
marks off the difference, 4 points, as stress.

Mink: Oof, that was a lot of stress, but once I am free, I give a loud whistle to
let Val know it’s time to beat feet.

GM: Yeah, but you manage to keep from landing flat on your back and instead
twist your ankle, take Level 1 Harm. It won’t feel great to run on it, but you
think you’ll be okay. Meanwhile, back in the tavern, as Val hears the whistle,
Dorian and his thug are getting ready to take him in a rush. What do you
do, Val?

Val: Oh boy. I am going to push myself to use my Invocation special ability.

I want to spend an extra stress to make it elemental in nature. I want it to be
wind. I want to try to create a gust of wind to knock them both back while I run.
Can I use my item A Vulgar Display of Power here?

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 GM: Sure, the situation is still desperate, but with your Vulgar Display of
Power, I am willing to give you greater effect. This is the Twist though. Are you
willing to use your knack here, and risk the gossip mill?

Val: If it’s that or get shot here? I’ll risk some bad publicity.

Val rolls two dice for his Channel rating, plus one die for pushing himself. He
marks off the 3 stress he spent to cast Invocation and make it elemental. With three
dice he manages to get 2 sixes, a critical result. He marks off another point of xp in
his Spirit tracker for rolling a Spirit ability in a desperate situation.

GM: You blow these two guys across the room like they’re tissue paper. Chairs
and tables go flying with them. You have plenty of time to make a run for it
and meet up with Mink. You’ll definitely be able to lose these guys, but as a
complication from Mink’s fall, I’d like to see some kind of roll to see if you both
get away without them seeing you had an accomplice, Val.

Val: I’m thinking we do a group action using Maneuver. I’ll lead the group
action, and do my best to help you with that ankle, Mink. But I’m not very fast,
can I hear a Lady’s Favor?

GM: Sure, I think the Lady’s Favor here is that Dorian got pretty banged up
in there. He’s not dead, but Giselle is not going to be happy with you when she
hears about it. I think that with that overseen conversation in the pantry, you’re
going to have Level 2 Social Harm, “Liar.”

Val: Okay, that’s fair, I’ll take it.

Mink has two dice in Maneuver, but she is rolling with limited effect due to
her Level 1 Harm: Twisted Ankle and the fact that she is carrying a lot of load.
She decides to push herself for an extra die, and spends it to increase her effect to
Standard. When she rolls her two remaining dice, she gets the 1-3 result.

Val has 0 dice in Maneuver, but he gains 1 from the Lady’s Favor. He rolls his one
die and gets a 6 result. That Lady’s Favor really paid off! He marks one point of stress
for Mink’s failed roll, but they both get away clean because the highest result counts
for the whole group.

Act 5, Payoff

GM: Okay guys, let’s talk payoff. It’s safe to say you two earned 6 influence for
retrieving a book of secrets that would have been ruinous if decoded.

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Val: Let’s split the influence in half. We’ll each take 3.

Mink: Deal!

Mink marks three influence on her Playbook sheet, and Val marks his three influ-
ence on his Playbook sheet as well.

You didn’t earn any favor here, because you didn’t help any factions out, and
you’re going to take 2 exposure for the operation and 2 additional exposure
for using magic in the Twist, and stay at 0 shame. It was relatively contained
and you didn’t leave behind any bodies. I’ll roll up an interesting entanglement
using the chart. -Looks like a juicy rumor about you guys has gotten out and will
doubtless make your future dealings more interesting than you’d like. What is it?

Mink: I think that Giselle is spreading rumors amongst the servants because Val
broke his word. She was already going to be a problem, but now she’s getting
other servants to mistrust us as well. It’s being taken as a lover’s quarrel.

Val: That’s fair. Wonder how my Paramour is going to take that?

GM: How indeed? Let’s talk downtime. Don’t forget, Level 1 Harm heals
itself with a narrative rest, so you won’t need to spend any of your downtime
activities visiting the House healer this session.

Act 6, Downtime

GM: Let’s start with Val this time. What do you want to do with your downtime?

Val: I racked up a lot of stress, so I want to head down to the Church of the Lady
to indulge myself.

Val indulges using one die, determined by his lowest resist rating, and he gets a 6.

Val: Wow, that’s perfect. I had 6 stress, now I’m back to zero for the next game!
I guess I’ll use my other downtime activity to see if I can smooth things over
with Giselle. I’d like to roll to reduce our exposure by trying to Sway Giselle to
forgiving me.

GM: Sounds like a plan, go ahead and roll those dice.

Val decides to roll his one Sway die, and gets a 4/5 result, which lowers their
exposure by 2 points, bringing it down to 2.

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 GM: You do a fairly decent job of convincing Giselle you tried your best not to
hurt Dorian. She looks mollified, but she won’t be putting any good words in
for you with the rest of the staff. They’ll assume she’s trying to cover for your
illicit liaisons anyway. Do you want to do anything else with your downtime?
Remember, you can spend influence to get extra downtime activities. You can
also use them to uncover a plot, acquire an asset, start a long-term project...

Val: This “Liar” harm is pretty rough. Maybe I can start in on patching up my
wounded reputation?

GM: Yeah, Level 2 Harm is rough. You’ll lose a die whenever you’re trying to use
your reputation socially until it’s healed. How are you going to fix that?

Val: I think I’ll be telling my side of the story to Luccio, the cook. I’ll try and
ensure that a lot of the staff are filtering in and out, so the rumors get quashed.

GM: Sounds like a Consort?

Val: Definitely. Not my strong suit, but…

Val spends an influence for an extra downtime action, rolls 2 dice for Consort, and
takes the lower. He gets the 4/5 and marks two ticks on his healing clock.

GM: Your story starts to circulate, but the Lovell staff aren’t sure if they’re buying
what you’re selling just yet. Mink, you’re up!

Mink: I burned a lot more stress than I thought I had, so I’m going to go
indulge as well. I’m going to head down to Sister Aveline in The Groan. I like to
see how I can help out around the orphanage I grew up in.

Mink has two dice to roll to indulge, because that is her lowest resist rating. She
rolls a 3, and clears 3 of her 7 stress, leaving her with 4 stress.

Mink: Oof! That didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I think I’ll stay a while longer.

Mink spends her second downtime activity indulging again. This time she rolls a 5,
which means that she overindulges.

Mink: Uh oh. I overindulged. What happens?

GM: I don’t think it makes a lot of sense for you to get into a lot of trouble here.
Instead, Sister Aveline asks you for help with something that will cost you a
downtime activity to do. You won’t be able to indulge again until you help her.

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Mink: I’ll just pay an influence for an extra downtime activity and do that now,
so I don’t have to worry about it next time.

GM: Sounds good. Mark off that influence and you continue to be in Sister
Aveline’s good graces.

Mink erases one point of influence from her Playbook sheet.

GM: Anything else for Mink?

Mink: Nope, I’m all set!

GM: Okay then, let’s talk about player experience and call it a night, gang!

Act 7, End of Session Experience

GM: Val, you’re up first. Did you address a challenge with arcane knowledge or
power? Express your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background? Have any trouble with
your indulgence or scandals today?

Val: No problems with indulging or scandals today, but I definitely threw those
guys across the room with my mojo. I mentioned that I dislike unromantics too,
that’s a belief, right?

GM: That’s fair. Take two points of xp for the day. Happy with that?

Val: Sounds good!

Val marks down his two points of experience on his Playbook sheet. He decides to
put them both in his Playbook Advancement track.

GM: Mink, you’re up! Did you address a challenge with stealth or perception?
Express your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background? Have any trouble with your
indulgence or traumas today?

Mink: I did a bit of stealthing to get the book from Dorian’s room. And I think
I addressed the ambush with perception in that flashback but it was a Maneuver
roll, does that count?

GM: Yep, still counts.

Mink: Cool. I don’t remember expressing much…

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 Val: At the beginning of the game, you said that you and Giselle don’t get along.

Mink: Oh yeah! And I also overindulged and had to spend an extra downtime
to set things right.

GM: I remember that. Sounds like 4 xp for the night. Everyone happy?

Val and Mink: Yep.

Mink marks down her four points of experience on her Playbook sheet. She decides
to put two points in her Playbook Advancement track, and she puts the other two
points in her body xp track.

GM: Last on the agenda, let’s talk about the coterie’s XP. The triggers are on your
House sheet. Did you guys overcome an obstacle with secrets or discernment?

Val: I’ll say!

GM: Contend with challenges above your station?

Mink: They were tier 1, right? I feel like we shouldn’t have had so much trouble
with them. Not exactly above our station, though.

GM: Bolster your coterie’s reputation or create a new one?

Val: We were very daring! We went down into the rough side of town after a
book of secrets, stared down the barrel of a pistol, parkoured across balconies,
and tossed magic around in the Twist.

GM: I agree. Did you guys express the goals, drives, inner conflict, or essential
nature of the coterie?

Mink: I think we showed that we have a lot of mutual trust in each other? I was
willing to let Val handle gathering the info, and he trusted me to get the book
and come back for him while he caused a distraction.

GM: Sounds like you guys get 3 xp for the coterie tonight. Everyone feel satisfied
with that? Val and Mink: Sounds good!

Mink marks three experience on the House sheet.

GM: Great. Now go home, you eat all my snacks.

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Chapter Six
Game Masters
 Running the Game
If you have run other table-top roleplaying games before, you might find that
Court of Blades feels a little different, mainly in how authority over the narrative
is doled out. Players have a lot of power over the developing fiction and even
over how the rules are applied.

If you have played other Forged in the Dark games, this is all probably old hat,
but the rest of this chapter is going to break down the game into several key areas
to try and demystify potential friction points. First, we will cover your Goals
as a Game Master, then Actions, Principles, Best Practices, and Bad Habits
to avoid.

GM Goals
When you run the game, you should try to accomplish the following three goals:

Play to find out what happens. Do not steer the game toward certain
events or outcomes. Be curious and allow yourself to be surprised by the
directions the narrative takes.

Convey the fictional world honestly. When it is time to say what hap-
pens in the world around the Player Characters, “look around” the vision
of Ilrien that is developing in your head and say what you see. Do not play
favorites. Make the world of this shining, decadent, and dangerous city and
all of the maneuvering within it seem real, not contrived.

Bring Ilrien to life. Give each location a specific aspect (crowded, sun-
drenched, salty, fetid, opulent) to make it vivid in your players’ minds.
Give each important NPC a name, detail, and a preferred method of prob-
lem-solving. Give them agendas, needs and desires. Give each action con-
text—the moonlit duel in the Prince’s Gardens; a double-agent passing in-
telligence pauses as a Watch patrol strides by; the Brizolatto gambling den
smells of foreign liquor and dreamleaf smoke.

To achieve these goals, use GM Actions guided by your GM Principles.

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GM Actions
The player characters have twelve actions they can use to achieve their goals in
Ilrien. You have actions, too. When it’s your turn to contribute, and you are not
quite sure what to do, look at the following list of actions and pick one.

Ask Questions
First and foremost, ask questions. You can get along very well as a GM in this
game by simply asking questions, building on the answers, then asking more
questions. When there is an interesting point of friction or there is a measure of
uncertainty, pick up the dice and find out. Asking questions is the heart and soul
of running this (and every other) roleplaying game.

• Ask establishing questions to set the stage for the action. Who’s leading the
group? Is everyone rushing into this scuffle, or is someone hanging back to do
something else? Are you trying to convince the Marquis and win him over, or are
you just trying to score points with the other nobles listening?

• Ask provocative questions to make your players think and express their
characters. What kind of person does she think you are now? Are you just going
to let that matter lie? Do you think you could bring yourself to kill them?

• Ask leading questions to show the player what you’re thinking. Do you
think they’re the type of people who respond well to threats? Does anyone want
to Survey the room or Study your host? When you do that, there’s a good chance
that it’ll explode, right?

• Ask trivial questions when the mood strikes you and you’re curious. Where
do you typically shop for clothes? When did you learn to do that?

• Ask the players for help when you are uncertain or stuck. You do not have
to do this alone. I’m not sure...does this feel more Desperate or Risky? Can
anyone think of the Lady’s Favor here? Sounds like fatal harm, doesn’t it? What
do you think?

Provide Opportunities, Follow Their Lead

It is your job to provide opportunities, but also to follow the players’ lead.

Providing opportunities is easy: Ilrien is a city specifically designed with the canny
retainer in mind. As the GM, you may step in and describe an opportunity when

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 the PCs look for one, rolling or picking them from the Long-Term Objectives
tables as you please, adding your unique ideas about the City and its factions,
guided by your goals and principles.

Opportunities need not be balanced or consistent. Sometimes they will be

exquisite—a clear exploit, an ideal target, a brilliant coup. Sometimes they’ll be
poor—a perilous opening, a troublesome wrinkle, and the barest scrap of ben-
efit for your hard work. But there’s always something to be found. The setting
of Ilrien is designed the way it is so the next opportunity for an errand flows
easily from the fiction. Look around at the maneuvering factions of the city, or
the NPCs you and your players have developed. Who is vulnerable? Who needs
something done? What part of the setting are you curious to see in play? It’s sure
to have an opportunity for skullduggery.

Between errands, the PCs are free to gather information, setting up the next
operation. If the players do not have their own ideas on progressing the House,
this is the perfect chance to unearth a new opportunity. Ask them if they’d like to
perform a group action to discover something, and how their coterie goes about
that kind of thing.

Do they Command people to spill useful secrets? Do they Consort with all
of the right people? Do they Study the broadsheets and piles of intelligence
gathered by the House’s agents? Do they Hunt for vulnerable agents of their en-
emies? A “legwork montage” may follow these rolls, allowing you as the GM to
convey details of the opportunity through brief moments of action and snippets
of dialogue from NPCs.

When you present an opportunity, it should include the components necessary

for the players to understand ways they might carry out the errand. Even if
it’s not ideal, it should actually be an opportunity, not a vague and indistinct
notion. The PCs should understand that “The Signorra is hosting an exclusive
auction, selling a dossier on one of her more private clients to the highest bidder. The
Houses of the Esultare are clamoring to secure the dirt on a prospective rival, or secret
their own shame.” It is not sufficient to simply say, “You hear that there’s something
going on with the Signorra down in the Rose District.”

Depending on the outcome of the investigation (or the strength of their infor-
mant’s or contact’s connection to the opportunity), you can provide even more
details and hooks for the action to come. “The Signorra has a ledger of every
shameful predilection of a scion of House Corvetto. Knowing the Corvetto, it’s likely
to be a rough party. The Signorra may need help keeping things civil... though if we
get the ledger before the auction the Corvetto will do anything to keep it from being
printed in tomorrow’s broadsheet.”

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An opportunity consists of:
• A target. The Dockers
• A location. An impounded ship in the Shores district
• A situation. A ship carrying valuable, but technically illegal contraband.
Alchemical reagents needed to finish a House project has been impounded by
order of the Harbormaster.
• One obvious vector for the plan. De’Rossi can pilot a gondola near enough
without attracting suspicion—for a favor later.

Better information from contacts, investigation or other means, might also include:
• Connected Factions and what they need or want. The Fortunato Trade
Federation owns that ship. They want all evidence erased.
• A not-so-obvious vector for a plan. The Harbormaster might see reason if we
call in a favor with the Watch.
• Interesting secrets, a link to an alternate opportunity. The Bank of Brass and
Bone are likely behind the impoundment and have doubtless hired a team to
search for hidden contraband they may claim as rightful salvage. If we get it first,
we’ll have leverage over them.

Basically, you’re offering the players an opportunity for action. Sure, it follows
from the ongoing fiction of Ilrien as established by your game, but the heart of
these opportunities is a gameplay mechanic. The players have shown up to play
Court of Blades, which means they want to engage in thrilling maneuvering, cut-
throat politicking, and occasionally the odd bout of romanticized violence. They
bought tickets to a thrilling drama and they’re waiting for you to lift the curtain
and get to the love, blood, and rhetoric.

You’re providing enough to keep the game from stalling; enough so that Court of
Blades can happen at the game table tonight. If the PCs are flush with influence
to spend and downtime to burn, they can dig up plenty of juicy information to
position themselves more favorably before they execute the errand. If they do
not have the resources to spend, they may have to take what they can get. That’s
the nature of being at the beck and call of the power players in Ilrien. No one
said it was going to be easy. It can still be fun. We can shrug at the ill-fortune of
our characters now, slap them on the back, and wish them all luck and success
as they find a way or make one.

The other avenue for getting the game going is to follow the players' lead. This
is like providing an opportunity, but in this case, you listen to the opportunity
presented by the players rather than describing it yourself. Ask clarifying
questions to flesh out their idea so you end up with a target, location, situation,
and a vector. Then ask if they want to investigate further (potentially inviting all
sorts of trouble), or go ahead and cut to the action and roll engagement.

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 Cut to the Action
When they say, “We should break into Ambassador Dashiel’s house,” that’s your
cue. Say, “That sounds like a stealth plan, don’t you think? What’s the entry
point?” Then, when they give you that detail, you say, “All right, so you’re on the
second-floor balcony of a rooming house overlooking the Plaza. Dashiel keeps
his apartments in the adjoining building. The bell has just struck tryst and the
ambassador’s house appears dark and silent. Readying a grappling hook, you prepare
to do a bit of breaking and entering. Let’s make an engagement roll.” Just like that
you are on an errand.

That might feel fast and breezy, especially if you are used to other roleplaying
games. You do not always have to get there that fast! But it is a good standard to
aim for. Anything prosecuted via conversation is going to take longer than you
think it will—if you hold this “cut to the action” idea at the forefront of your
mind, you can trim some of the fruitless planning and unnecessary hesitation
from the game and get to the part where everyone gets to be romantic duelists
and powerful sorcerers doing what they do best.

The same can be said of any kind of “Scene Change” that happens in play. Like
when a player decides to go and Consort with a friend, you can just cut to the
action in progress. “You find Lucky in the usual place, under one of the arching
bridges on the Street of Silks. He’s pressed into an alcove, trying to keep the sun off
and walking a fiore over his knuckles. ‘You know what I like about you? You know
the first rule of 20 questions is coin up front,’ he says.”

Rather than starting back at the House, or wherever the retainers keep their
apartments, playing out the “Where do you go? Where would Lucky hang out?
How can you set up the meeting?” you can just cut to the action of the meeting in
progress and move the game along. This keeps the momentum high, and a story
in motion remains in motion until acted upon by a sudden, dramatic cliff-hanger.

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Running the Game
When the action is underway, show them a threat about to strike and then ask
them what they do. Then it is easy to know what the consequences they are up
against might be.

“She pulls her coat open, taking a quick step back. The quillons of a dueling
blade glitter as her hand drops to the pommel. In this slow-motion moment—
the first inch of gleaming steel clearing the scabbard, what do you do?”

“You approach the front doors of the villa and hear the soft strains of a chamber
orchestra tuning up from within. The doorman interposes himself between you
and the door and holds his hand out with the bored expression of all guards.
‘Invitations, please.’ —You do have invitations, right?”

“Your spy is right where you expected him, right in the middle of the Plaza.
There’s something not right about the way he’s carrying himself, though. His eyes
plead with you across the red paving stones, flicking toward a shifting bunch of
toughs milling to one side. What do you do?”

Contrast with these vague versions.

“She starts a fight! Do you want to Skirmish with her?”

“There’s a guard at the front door. How do you get him to let you inside?”

“The spy isn’t alone at the meet. What are you going to do?”

Without telegraphing the trouble and giving context to the action, the outcomes
can seem murky. You might feel like you have to “invent” a consequence out of
the blue when they roll a 1-3 or a 4-5. If you imply the consequences before the
roll, though, then it’s obvious what will happen. You get carved up, your cover’s
blown, and you’re ambushed at the meeting—they follow from the fiction.

follow through
You have telegraphed the threat, so go ahead and follow through when it hits.
Players have tools at their disposal to deal with setbacks like these. If they react
in time, they can make an action roll. If they are hit with a consequence, they
can resist. Fight the urge to pull your punches.

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 “Her sword clears the scabbard and slashes across your chest. A ribbon of blood colors
the air as you stumble backward and fall to the stones. Take Level 3 Harm.”

“The doorman considers the hastily forged invitation and nods. He notes the missing
seals, and the names which appear on the invitations. He’ll report them later, but he
knows better than to make a scene now. Take +2 exposure.”

“There are a lot more toughs in the Plaza than you were expecting. They’re moving
to cut off all avenues of escape. ‘I’m sorry,’ your spy says, ‘They have Cassandra.’
The toughs, you now see, are armed and you feel the noose beginning to tighten. I’m
starting the “Captured” clock.”

This GM action also applies to maneuverings by powerful enemy factions as

well. If they’re ready and able to do something without clear interference, they
can just do it.

Go ahead and say, “The Brizolatto told you what would happen if you didn’t stay
clear of their affairs. Your apartments were discovered and they firebombed it while
you slept. You wake up and it’s burning down around you. The smoke blinds you,
chokes you. What do you do?” The players will interrupt, scramble, flashback, and
deal with it. It’ll be fun. Promise.

initiate action with a non-player character

This is very similar to the previous GM action, but it’s worth highlighting. You
don’t always have to wait for the PCs to do something. Your Non-Player Charac-
ters can initiate action, too! The more dangerous the NPC, the more they should
seize the initiative.

“Cypriana is incredibly smooth. She tells you exactly why she could have nothing to
do with the Prince’s poisoning and it seems completely legit.”

“Oh no way. We know that she was the last one to see him alive. She’s lying.”

“Okay, resist with Mind if you want to. Otherwise, she’s just a little too slick for you.”

This is a very effective technique, but it can be overused and it wears thin quickly.
Save it for NPCs who are particularly masterful or the direst of situations.

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say consequences and ask
“You could Channel all of the arcane energy from the Masque of the Deathless
into a single violent explosion, but that’s more power than even one of the Imperial
Warweavers could handle safely. Do you want to roll for it, or do you want to try
something else?”

“He’s a skilled duelist with a bad temper. You can try to spend the evening bringing
him over to your way of thinking, but you might inadvertently prick at his honor
enough to invite a challenge. Do you risk it?”

tick a clock
Keep a stack of index cards and a marker handy. Draw a clock whenever it feels
right. Put them out where everyone can see, to help track progress in the fiction.
Ticking a clock is a great way to follow through on a threat without ending the
conflict early.

offer the lady’s favor

Think of a fun complication or a reckless decision. Offer them a bonus die in
exchange. Ask what would raise the stakes, and then offer a bonus die. If you
don’t have a good idea, ask the other players—or you can offer the Lady’s Favor
in exchange for exposure. There are always unseen and unnoticed eyes lurking
in Ilrien.

think off-screen
What is going on elsewhere, and will it have an impact on what is on-screen
right now? Are there characters who might have reason to arrive here and get
involved with what’s going on? Where is the Watch right now? Is there anything
arcane going on that might affect what’s happening here?

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 GM Principles
When you pursue your goals and choose actions, use these principles to guide
your decision making.

• Be a fan of the PCs. Present the world honestly—things are never quite as
simple as they seem, and the deck is loaded—but do not make yourself the
PC’s enemy. They have enemies enough. Be interested in the characters and
excited about their victories.

• Let everything flow from the fiction. The game’s starting situations and
your opening scene will put everything in motion. Ask how the characters
react and see what happens next. NPCs react according to their goals and
methods. Events snowball. You do not need to “manage” the game. Action,
reaction, and consequence will drive everything.

• Paint the world with a romantic brush. Ilrien is a city that prizes beauty
and passion. Life is fleeting, change is constant, and nothing is as it seems.
Throw caution to the wind and live loudly. Aspire to greater things.

• Surround them with treachery. Ilrien, on the whole, is a city of spies and
assassins all playing at politics. Every party hides a poisoner. Every smile
hides a dagger. The House is the only thing that they can trust, and only so
long as they are useful.

• Address the characters. “Satice, where do you find the Mercy that is hunting
the wereleopard?” Not “Sara, where does Satice find the Mercy?” This puts
Satice front and center; their preferences, their desires, their style. This lets
Satice come to life as a character.

• Address the players. “Sara, how should we do this? Do you want to do a whole
scene talking to the Mercy or do you just want to make a roll real quick to see
if she knows anything?” This puts Sara front and center—her preferences,
desire, and style. Sara can consider what she wants rather than what the
character wants.

• Consider the risk. Think about the dangers inherent in what retainers do.
A risky roll is the default. When they’re building on successes, they might
make controlled rolls. When they have to improvise, work off the cuff, or
when they get in over their head, they’re probably making desperate rolls.
Go with your gut. Call the positions as you see them, but be open to revision.

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• Hold on lightly. Always feel free to rewind, revise, or reconsider events as
necessary. This is not a “no take-backs” kind of game. You can always say,
“No, wait...let’s say there were only two guards watching the chambers of the
First Grace. I don’t see why they’d need any more than that.” This can be a hard
one to internalize. It can be tempting to put your foot down—often without
good reason—or treat elements of the game as sacred. Resist that impulse.

GM's Best Practices

Play to find out and encourage others to do the same. Instead of making
something specific happen, ask questions about what might happen. Will the
retainers side with the Dockers over the corrupt minister? Can the House wrest
control of the Spindle from their rivals? Will the Bravo win a duel with one hand
tied behind her back? Don’t make up your mind about these questions—let the
players, and the fiction you create together, surprise you.

Uphold the Integrity of the game. It falls on you to portray Ilrien and the Prin-
cipalities as they are. The temptation to contrive events or lean toward particular
outcomes will emerge, but it is your job not to yield to it. The players should
trust that when you tell them things they do not know about Ilrien, you do so
without a secret agenda behind the information.

Get everyone’s input. This game is structured as an ongoing conversation and

part of your role as Game Master is to ensure everyone is included in that con-
versation. Ask questions, even leading questions, and prompt for ideas. Discuss
your thoughts with the players and keep unilateral decisions to a minimum
whenever possible.

Be a fan of your characters and invest in them. When you want to know some-
thing about the characters, ask them. “Why does the ghost know your name? What
happened to the man who forged your sword? Where did you learn the steps to this
dance?” These questions will grant insight into what the characters want, how
they’re trying to get it, and when and what to roll to make that happen. Don’t
be shy, ask them what they want. Work with them to create opportunities. Help
them with the system to get the most out of the risks they are taking.

Draw upon character thoughts and feelings. Talking about a scene and living
it are two very different experiences. When you focus on the concrete details of
the event, you fail to incorporate the emotional weight and inner context which

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 makes experiences more than a flat recapitulation. Share with the characters what
they might suspect or think. Ask them if they want to gather information or dig
deeper. Ask them how the information or developing situation affects them.

Portray NPCs honestly. Even if they are not the main characters, NPCs are
characters too. They have their own interests, capabilities, and opinions. Don’t
let them get pushed around or steamrolled. When the PC wants to square off
with an NPC, remind them of the NPC’s capabilities. “Cypriana is a talented
manipulator who has been getting the better of nobles for decades. I don’t know if
you can just Sway her. What’s the leverage here?” When the PCs have NPC allies,
make sure those allies take actions to help their friends out, and come to the PCs
with info and troubles.

Ask the players what they want. Find out what the coterie is trying to
accomplish in general and in the moment. Who do they think they can trust?
What are they trying to gain right now? What do they hope to accomplish with
this maneuver? If you understand their goals, you can better adjudicate their
progress toward them. You can have conversations about opportunities, actions,
and effects. Sometimes, clarifying what the players want is enough to highlight
the correct approach, or make it clear what kinds of opportunities they seek. Get
your players to do the heavy lifting on where the story might twist next.

Cut to the action. Once the players tell you what they want and how they stand
to get it, cut directly to the action. The dice are there to drive the story forward,
but they cannot do that if everyone stands around contemplating their navels. It
is okay to try big things. If they want to hunt down the Prince of Tatters, despite
poor odds and considerable dangers? Good for them! They’ve done it! Keep the
story moving forward and the action rolling.

Turn it into fiction. Much of the game is mechanical in nature. The players
select action ratings related to what they are doing, roll for results, and apply
consequences. Do not let these things be mechanical. Ground actions and their
consequences in the fiction. When they Channel, what does it look like? When
they botch a Skulk, what goes wrong? How does a faction’s actions during
downtime change the story for the players?

Write it down. The machinations of Ilrien and her various factions are far too
much for a single human to hold within their head. Whether you use index
cards, a notebook, or a system yet more advanced, write down details and notes.
If there are a bunch of House goals on a bunch of index cards, your Coterie will
have a clearer picture of how the city moves around them. If you need to remember
a detail about a contact, what better way than to look at your list of NPCs?

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When in doubt, treachery. Assassins crash the party. Your benefactor has been
playing both sides toward the middle. The artifact is a forgery. They lied. Ilrien
is a place of complexity and scheming. If you find a natural lull, reveal some new
twist and catapult yourself on to the next bout of treachery.

GM Bad Habits
Don’t Call for a Specific Action Roll
This is a habit that usually comes if you’ve GMed other games where this is your
job. You might say, “Give me a Maneuver roll,” or “That’s a Consort check.” Try
to get out of that habit. Get used to saying this instead: “How do you do that?”
Ask the player which action they use. Then tell them the position and effect level
you see in this situation, using that action—as well as why you think that.

This lets you skip the tedious “convincing” phase where everyone has to debate
which action is most appropriate or—Lady save us—the right one to use. Don’t
have that debate. Just ask the player which action their character is performing,
then set position and effect.

“I want to get this guy to steal Talbot’s signet ring.”

“How do you do that?”

“I... like, Sway him?”

“Okay. What’s your character doing? What do we see on-screen?”

“Oh, right. Okay. I stride on up to him and put my finger in his face and tell
him that if he doesn’t do me this favor, I’ll show the doctored ledger that we
found to the Thief-Taker General.”

“Okay, I get you. I think that’s risky with limited effect. He can follow the
logic, and I think you might be onto something. If you want to lean into that
intimidation, you might roll Command. That might be standard effect.”

Maybe you would make a different judgement call in the case above. “Desperate
position, zero effect”, maybe, if you think that Sway is all wrong for blackmail.
That’s fine! That’s great, actually! Your game of Court of Blades is your own. Plus,
even when you say, “desperate position, zero effect,” you’re not shutting the player

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 down completely. They can push themselves for more effect, get a teammate to
set them up for better position, et cetera. It’s not an argument between GM and
player that one person has to win. It’s just the normal back-and-forth interaction
of the game.

Instead of saying, “You have to roll Command for this,” you can ask the player
which action the character is performing—giving the player the opportunity for
creative contribution to the fiction. Then you put that action in context in the
world as you see it, by establishing position and effect.

Don’t Make the PCs Look Incompetent

When a PC rolls a 1-3, things go badly. This is an established fact in the
narrative. However, it is because circumstances are dangerous, there is a
problematic wrinkle they did not previously identify, or something troublesome
has occurred. They do not go badly because the character is a buffoon. Even a
character with zero rating in an action is not an abject clod. Here’s a trick for
this: start your description of the failure with a cool move by the PC, followed
by a but. Then, introduce the element of the situation that made things go awry.

“You aim a fierce right hook at his chin, but he’s quicker than he looks! He ducks
under the blow and wrestles you up against the wall.”

On a failure, talk about what went wrong. “Ah, maybe you missed something while
you’re climbing through the Moneylender’s window?” “Yeah, they probably have a
guard-dog or something, huh? “Yep. You hear the dog beneath the window snuffling
awake. Sounds like a big one, too.” You can also lean on features the player has
already portrayed about the character. How are their indulgences and scandals a
problem? What is it about their heritage or background that gives them trouble
or gets in the way?

Don’t Overcomplicate Things

The consequence(s) you inflict on a 1-3 or a 4/5 roll will usually be obvious,
since the action has already been established. But sometimes you’ll draw a
blank. It’s okay to keep it simple. A complication can just be extra exposure, or
a tick on a clock representing a related problem not present in the current scene.
Or you can inflict simple harm like “Exhausted” or “Unsure.” Every single
consequence doesn’t have to be an interesting new problem or a brutal reversal
of fortune. Go with what’s obvious to you. Ask the players for ideas if you
feel stuck!

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Don’t Let Planning Get Out of Hand
Some players will plan an operation forever if no one steps in to stop them—
even if they hate doing it. They think it is worth the trouble to cover every even-
tuality or possible issue in order to avoid a bad outcome. This is not how Court
of Blades is meant to work. Everything is resolved by engagement and action
rolls, so get to it! If someone has a cool maneuver or idea, that’s great, but it’s
probably still a controlled action roll. They can’t plan and discuss their way out
of making rolls. An idea is not execution.

Give Them What They Earn

If they get into position, make the roll, and have their effect, they get what they
earned. They are not allowed to weasel. Neither are you. Things are already hard
enough in Ilrien. Don’t be a miser with victory; defeat will come even without
your thumb on the scales. The retainers are swimming in dangerous waters and
their targets out-mass and outclass them. This doesn’t make them ineffective—
there wouldn’t be a game if that were true. Instead, it means they need lots of
victories to make it through. They’re good at the game, they just started out with
negative points on the board. The same goes for secrets. If the retainers make
a discovery, tell them all about it. Do not hold on to your precious secrets. It’s
more fun to find out what they do once they know!

Don’t Say No
There’s usually a better answer than a flat “no,” or “you can’t do that.” Offer the
Lady’s Favor. “You want to seduce the Prince? Uh huh. Okay, then. That’s desperate
with limited effect, but let me offer the Lady’s Favor: regardless of how this goes,
you are going to fall madly in love with them. That’s the problem with star-crossed
lovers, see?”

Or you might say the proposed action has zero effect as a baseline.

“You want to bash down the reinforced door to the banker’s panic room with your
bare hands? Okay...definitely going to be risky (your hands are going to take a
beating, certainly), and you’ll have zero effect. You can push yourself for better effect
though. That’ll put you at risky, limited effect.”

Same thing with super fancy locks, ultra-elite soldiers, etc. You can set zero effect
baseline for a given action rather than saying no. The players can then modify
the effect from there by pushing themselves or using teamwork, or any of the
other sneaky tricks at their disposal.

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 Or tell them to start the first phase of a long-term project clock. That’s what
they’re there for. “You want to trace back the Glint trade back to whoever’s import-
ing it into Ilrien? Sounds like an investigation to me. Start a 6-part clock for the first
phase, ‘Assemble a list of Glint dealers.’”

Note that you will have to say no, sometimes. A Court of Blades character can’t fly
to the moon just because the player wants to. It’s your responsibility to portray
the fictional world honestly, after all. But in most situations, simply saying “no”
is the most boring option. Consider the Lady’s Favor, zero effect, or long-term
projects instead.

Don’t Roll Twice for the Same Thing

When a PC faces danger, they make an action roll. Also, they can roll resistance
to avoid a bad outcome. However, you should not roll twice for the same thing.

For example, Colette crosses swords with an assassin on the rooftop of a villa.
The assassin drives her back with a flurry of feints and slashes, and there’s a
danger Colette might be forced over the edge during the skirmish. Colette’s
player makes an action roll to see how her counter-attack goes, and it comes out
badly. Colette is forced over the edge and falls off the roof!

But she can roll to resist, right? Yes. She can resist the harm that results from the
fall. However, she cannot resist being forced over the edge. That’s already been
determined as the stakes of the action roll, and the fiction has already been con-
firmed by the dice. Her resistance instead reduces the impact of her fall.

Instead of breaking her leg, she suffers lesser harm (a sprained ankle, say) or
maybe the GM rules that she’s able to avoid the harm entirely by rolling into
a rough crash-landing. Either way, she’s off the roof and the assassin is making
good their escape.

In other words, the action roll determines whether a consequence manifests or

not. A resistance roll changes how much of that danger manifests or how bad it
is. It does not negate the fictional outcome of the previous roll.

Don’t Get Bogged Down

Whenever possible, elide time and edit the action to move ahead to the next
exciting moment. When the players say, “Let’s go talk to Tate and see about our
next errand,” you can say, “Okay, you head down to the Shores and find Tate
staying at the Tradewind. His first mate ushers you into the finest room in the inn

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where Tate is considering a nautical chart as though it owes him something.” That’s
potentially 30 minutes of tedium you’ve cut out.

“Okay, so where are you going now? The Shore to see Tate. Well, your apartment is
up here in the Spindle and which way are you going?” There’s no need for this kind
of moment-to-moment drudgery. Let the group announce their intention, then
break to an establishing shot of the new situation and then start the action.

If the players get antsy, such as, “Whoa, hang on! I want to do something before
we go,” or “I want to be sure to be armed, just in case Tate is still sore about that last
errand,” then that’s fine. Ask them what they do and resolve their action, but
keep the train moving! Momentum, momentum, momentum.

The GM's Turn

advancing other houses major
Ilrien is a city of staggering complexity and byzantine plots. The fabrications,
tangled webs, and wheels within wheels are enough to make any outsider’s head
spin. Keeping track of all of these plots is more work than any rational GM
would want to undertake. Instead, we can abstract this vast and interlocking
network of conspiracy, backbiting, and polite warfare with the GM Turn.

Houses of the Esultare have their own stats that are rolled during social sea-
son advancement, in addition to their resource strengths (Supply, Magic, Wealth,
Force, Transport, Intelligence).

The stats are:

Reach: Influence in Ilrien and abroad. Families roll Reach when they under-
take an action that leverages or expands their sphere of control.

Grasp: A family’s ability to project force and control. Families roll Grasp
when they undertake an action that wrests control of a resource or territory
from another or defends their own.

Sleight: A family’s ability to hide its intentions or act subtly. Families roll
Sleight when they undertake an action hinging upon secrecy or misdirection.

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 These stats do not affect the PC controlled House, which rolls for advancement
based on what the coterie has accomplished over the course of the social season.

You will determine the two primary strengths (their starting strength and a cho-
sen strength) for each of the Houses of the Esultare in the same way as the
PC House chooses their primary strengths. This allows for subtle changes to a
House’s modus for every game.

Example: House Lovell’s strength is Intelligence. For this game, you may
decide you want them to be wealthy gossipmongers, so you take Wealth and
Intelligence. For your next game, you may decide you want them to take
Intelligence and Magic; now they are more likely to employ the arcane arts
to discern secrets than pay for their acquisition, and so on.

Non-PC House Stats

Corvetto - 2/0/1 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Magic + 1 other

Battalia - 1/2/0 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Force + 1 other

Bastien - 1/1/1 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Transport + 1 other

Lovell - 0/1/2 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Intelligence + 1 other

Al-Mari - 2/1/0 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Supply + 1 other

Elanda – 1/0/2 Reach/Grasp/Sleight

Wealth + 1 other

Between each social season, the GM rolls dice to determine the fortunes of the
other Houses of the Esultare. At the start of the first social season, and at the start
of every other social season thereafter, the GM will roll one die for each House
and consult the chart below.

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Based upon the type of clock rolled, the GM may roll on the House Objectives
Chart Part One to determine the nature of the objective, and then roll on the
House Objectives Chart Part Two to determine if the objective plays to one of
the House’s strengths. If the House rolls on a chart they have strength in, they
earn an extra die whenever they roll to complete that objective. Resources that
are not strengths for the House are considered neutral and do not affect the
dice pool.

npc house objectives chart

1: 6-part Reach Clock

2: 6-part Grasp Clock
3: 6-part Sleight Clock
4: 8-part Reach Clock
5: 8-part Grasp Clock
6: 8-part Sleight Clock

Alternatively, the GM may create an objective for the House to actively work
toward, if they have one in mind that better fits the story at any given time.

At the end of the social season, there will be a House Stat roll to determine each
of the House Majors’ progress toward completing their objective(s). The House
Stat roll is the total value of their appropriate skill (Reach, Grasp or Sleight)
and applicable resource strength (Intelligence, Force, Defense, Magic, Supply,
or Transport).

Every following season, the GM will roll an additional goal and create an
additional clock. The House rolls on each of these goals using their House
Stats as appropriate in-between every social season. Each completed objective
achieved at the end of a social season yields +1 clock segment on the warring
House Advancement Clocks, which represents the struggle for control of Ilrien.

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 Progressing House Objectives
When rolling to progress an NPC House’s Long-Term Objective clocks use the
guide below to fill them in:

• If you roll a 1-3 take +1 tick on their Long-Term Objective clock.

• If you roll a 4-5 take +2 ticks on their Long-Term Objective clock.
• If you roll a 6 take +3 ticks on their Long-Term Objective clock.
• If you roll a Critical take +5 ticks on their Long-Term Objective clock.

Example: At the end of the first social season the GM rolls to see how House
Corvetto - 2/1/0 (Reach/Grasp/Sleight) - did on progressing their first clock,
an 8-part Grasp clock for “Blood the Enemy, A Minor House.” With 1d
awarded for their 1 point in Grasp, and 1d awarded for their strength in
Wealth, they roll a 2 and 5, take the highest result and fill in 2 parts of the
“Blood the Enemy, A Minor House” clock.

The GM then rolls to determine what new goal the House will attempt to
accomplish. The GM rolls a 3, and the House adds an additional 6-part
Sleight clock to their long-term projects. The GM rolls to choose a Sleight
objective for them and gets “Turn an Asset”, then rolls a 5 on the second chart
which puts them in the Magic category, and lastly, a roll of 1 yields the result
“Ley Lines”.

The GM decides that House Corvetto is trying to take control of potent

ley lines within the city, which may be problematic if the PC House has a
strength in Magic as well. Magic is also a strength for House Corvetto so
they will get an extra die to roll on this objective. They add this in addition
to the 8-part Grasp clock “Blood the Enemy, A Minor House” that they got at
the start of the first season.

At the end of the second social season the GM will roll their 1d in Grasp +
1d in Wealth for the first clock, and their 0d in Sleight + 1d in Magic for
their second clock. Then the GM will roll to add a third long-term goal and
associated clock to their plate.

The maximum number of clocks a House can have running at the same time
is four.

Four clocks represent the four distinct social seasons in a single year, essentially
giving the Houses one year to complete a task, though they can buy them-
selves time for troublesome projects by completing newer clocks ahead of schedule.

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If they acquire one more clock than they have room, the oldest clock they
have is automatically failed and they lose a segment or tick (-1) of the House
Advancement Clock.

A House can only use the dice available to them in their House Stats chart, and
any dice awarded for Resource Strengths.

Example: House Elanda -1/0/2 (Reach/Grasp/Sleight) - has 4 clocks to roll

on at the end of the 5th social season. An 8-part Grasp clock, a 6-part Grasp
clock, a 6-part Sleight clock, and another 6-part Sleight clock. None of which
relied on the House’s strengths, so there are no additional dice awarded.

They roll 0d for both Grasp clocks (roll two dice and take the lowest result),
and then the GM rolls 2d for each of their Sleight clocks.

There is no Reach clock for them to roll on, so that potential die goes unused.

Their oldest clock was an 8-part Grasp project, and when they rolled their 0d
on that Grasp project, the outcome was not enough to complete the clock.
When they had to roll to take on a new long-term project clock for the start
of the 6th season, that first uncompleted Grasp project was officially consid-
ered failed. The clock was removed and the House lost one tick from their
warring 12-part House Advances clock.

Introducing the 7th House

If a non-PC House drops out of the Esultare during play for any reason, it will
trigger the entrance of a 7th House. House Bjorn, detailed on the following
page, exists for these fringe cases. House Bjorn is more powerful than the other
Houses of the Esultare so that it can catch up quickly. It is designed to be played
ruthlessly, to concern and challenge the PC House.

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 House Bjorn
The Sleeping Gryphon

When an unprecedented second House drops from the Esultare in a single

century, House Bjorn rises to take its place. This House is composed of powerful
mystics and talented tacticians. The Prince of the House comes from a long and
noble lineage of great generals. Conquering is in their blood.

They enter the fray with: 3/2/1 (Reach/Grasp/Sleight)

• Resource Strengths: Force, Magic, Wealth (Take all three.)

• Motivating forces: Climb to the top at any cost—House Bjorn will always
attempt to interfere with the success of the House next in line before it.

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Session One Checklist
It is ideal to complete one of the checklists below, before the first play session
begins, as it’s not unusual for a Coterie to want to interact with the Uncover a
Plot mechanic during the first downtime. If your group is deciding on which
House to serve at the table during session one, you can still prepare some things
in advance to make the game go smoothly.

If the above scenario sounds like yours use this altered checklist:

Altered Checklist

1. Choose Strengths for all 6 of the Houses Major.

2. Roll the first Long-Term Objective for all 6 of the Houses Major.

3. Choose the order for all 6 Houses of the Esultare.

* Once the group decides which House they would like to serve,
move that House to the bottom of the pack (if it isn’t already there)
and adjust all others up as needed. Allow the players to choose their
own Strengths to replace whichever you preselected, and toss out the
Long-Term Objective clock you rolled up for that particular House.
You probably won’t have time to write down which of the Houses
claim which of the Spheres of Influence after the party chooses
theirs in this scenario. That’s fine. You can assign any Sphere of
Influence the PC’s may decide to interact with on the fly. After
the session is over, and before the next game, just take a few
minutes to fill in all of the Spheres of Influence for the non-PC
Houses Major.

4. Prepare the Coterie’s dossier.

* As soon as the players decide on the House they serve, consider

which jobs will require their attention for this first social season.
You’ll want to present the players with a dossier of three or so
errands the House would like to see done. Let the players choose
which one is their primary goal, which is their secondary goal,
and which they have no interest in.

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 If your players chose which House they want to serve, as well as the first Sphere
of Influence they would like to hold, before session one; use the checklist below,
before the start of session one.

Checklist

1. Choose Strengths for the Non-PC Houses Major.

2. Choose the order for the Non-PC Houses Major within the
Esultare.

The First Prince sits at the head of the First House of the Esultare, and
automatically gets “The Palace” Sphere of Influence

3. Assign the appropriate number of Spheres of Influence to

the Houses Major based on their position within the Esultare.

4. Roll up or choose the first Long-Term Objective for each of

the non-PC Houses Major.

5. Prepare the Coterie’s first dossier of tasks requiring attention

this social season.

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Chapter Seven
Roll Charts
 Entanglements
shame level 0 shame level 1

0-3 Exposure 0-3 Exposure

1-3: Family Drama 1-3: The City Stirs
4-5: New Friends 4-5: Family Drama II
6: Gossip 6: Unhelpful Rumor

4-5 Exposure 4-5 Exposure

1-3: A Friendly Chat 1-3: Wounded Reputation
4-5: Rivals 4-5: Enemies
6: Show of Force 6: A Less Friendly Chat

6+ Exposure 6+ Exposure
1-3: Cooperation, Ally 1-3: Cooperation, Rival
4-5: Reprisal 4-5: Spirits
6: Questioning 6: Interrogation

shame level 2

0-3 Exposure
1-3: Kiss the Ring
4-5: Fined
6: Family Drama III

4-5 Exposure
1-3: Lost Opportunity
4-5: Loyalty Questioned
6: A Direct Attack

6+ Exposure
1-3: Pariah
4-5: Revenge or Ritual
6: Arrest by the Watch

See descriptions on the following pages.

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shame level 0

Family Drama: An NPC within the House, a colleague, or retinue causes

trouble within the House. Pick a side in the conflict and lose 1 influence or else
face reprisals.

New Friends: A House Minor to which you have no current relation asks a
favor. If there are no Houses Minor to which you have no current relation, you
avoid Entanglements for the moment.

Gossip: A juicy rumor about the Coterie threatens to make your dealings in the
future more interesting than you’d like. What is it?

A Friendly Chat: A senior member of the family is asking some pointed

questions about your last errand. Make a fortune roll with Dice equivalent to
your Tier. On a 1-3, take an additional point of Exposure. On a 4/5, you answer
them convincingly. On a 6, you not only assuage them but impress them; receive
an additional point of influence.

Rivals: A representative of one of the Houses Minor declares a public rivalry

with the Coterie, or someone within it. Why?

Show of Force: A rival faction puts pressure on a contact within one of your
Spheres of Influence. You will lose access to them on the following errand.

Cooperation, Ally: A House Minor to which you are currently friendly or allied
ask a favor of you. Assist them or suffer -1 relation.

Reprisal: A House Minor with which you currently have negative relations stages
an errand of revenge. Address it and suffer -1 relation but gain +2 influence, or
let the indignity lie and suffer -2 influence.

Questioning: A contact or relation of a coterie member is asked probing

questions by an agent of a rival House. Make a fortune roll using dice equal
to the Coterie’s Tier to determine how they stand up to questioning (1-3: Your
enemies will actively oppose your endeavors, +1 to scale or magnitude of
obstacle on your next errand. 4/5: Contact takes level 2 harm. 6: Contact learns
something of the Rival House’s plan. Ask 1 gather information question now.

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 shame level 1

The City Stirs: While you have been otherwise engaged, the world continues to
turn. A House of your choice may tick one of their outstanding clocks. You do
not get to know which.

Family Drama II: Someone with a connection to a coterie member has caused
trouble for the House. Forfeit 1 influence per Coterie Tier or else face reprisals.

Unhelpful Rumor: Word spreads that your Coterie is plotting against a rival
House. If true, they know you are coming. You may not start the errand in a
Controlled position. If you move against another House, you may not start in a
Desperate position.

Wounded Reputation: No matter how you try, you cannot escape the gossip
which surrounds you this season. Your next errand will result in -1 influence, -1
favor to any faction involved, and +1 exposure.

Enemies: One of your rivals declares themselves your most dire enemy. Smooth
it over with 2 influence or their relation drops by -2. You may address this with
a formal duel instead, but the relation will drop by -1.

A Less Friendly Chat: More troubling questions come from on high and these
are much less comfortable. Make a fortune roll with dice equal to your Tier.
On a 1-3, take two additional points of exposure. On a 4/5, your answers win
a grudging respect. Take an additional point of exposure and influence. On a 6,
you receive an additional point of influence.

Cooperation, Rival: A House Minor with which you have negative relations
demands a favor. Indulge them or else go to war (-3 relation)

Ghosts: Rumors concerning a departed House member circulate, threatening

shame upon the House. Address these concerns with a new Long-Term Project,
or else take 2 exposure. Alternately, an actual paranormal threat against the
House reveals itself. Your choice.

Interrogation: The Watch has questions and are impatient for answers. Either
pay them 2 influence, representing the necessary bribes, suffer level 2 harm as
the interrogation turns violent, or answer truthfully and gain 3 exposure.

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shame level 2

Kiss the Ring: The Head of your Household demands a service from you
personally. What choice but to acquiesce? Complete the Errand and reduce your
Shame by 1 level.

Fined: The Grand Council levies a fine on your House, and you are stuck holding
the bill. All Fine equipment is counted as standard for the next errand.

Family Drama III: Someone within the House has it out for you. Lose 2 influence
per Tier level, or make an example of your detractor and acquire 2 more exposure.
Who is it, and why are they out for you?

Lost Opportunity: It seems your life is composed principally of putting out the
rapidly spreading fire of your shame. One member of the Coterie is forced to
only spend 1 downtime action. Decide who it is. If you are at War, that member
of your Coterie may take no downtime actions.

Loyalty Questioned: The head of your House is rapidly losing patience with
you and demands you prove your worth. If your next errand incurs 5 or more
exposure, your Coterie loses 1 Tier.

A Direct Attack: An attack is launched upon your House. Defend yourselves.

Pariah: Your repeated transgressions have made you a social pariah. Your shame
is well known. The Coterie, and all of its members, lose all marked influence. If a
Coterie member has no influence, each member without influence instead loses
a level of Status. If they have no Status, mark a Scandal.

Revenge or Ritual: Your enemies know how to hit you where it hurts. Choose a
contact or indulgence purveyor that is not a character’s enemy and remove them
from the game. They have been killed by your enemies. Alternately, your Coterie
is the target of a hostile arcane ritual; divide six stress among the Coterie however
you see fit. Apportion scandals if necessary.

Arrest by the Watch: A Player Character is removed from the game. Decide
amongst yourselves who takes the fall. Shame level is reduced by one as the worst
elements of the Coterie are torn away.

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 House Objectives
table one, part 1:
clock type

1: 6-part Reach Clock

2: 6-part Grasp Clock
3: 6-part Sleight Clock
4: 8-part Reach Clock
5: 8-part Grasp Clock
6: 8-part Sleight Clock

table one, part 2:

6-part Reach Clocks 8-part Reach Clocks

1: Make an Easy Ally 1: Woo a New Influential Contact
2: Undercut the Competition 2: Acquire Contested Territory
3: Acquire Property 3: Make an Unlikely Ally
4: Secure New Market 4: Gain an Important Contract
5: Broker a Deal 5: Corner a Market
6: Wisely Invest 6: Eliminate a Major Competitor

6-part Grasp Clocks 8-part Grasp Clocks

1: Declare a Public Rivalry 1: Blood an Enemy
2: Crash a Party 2: Disrupt a Supply Line
3: Secure a Border 3: Punish a Transgression
4: Stake a Claim 4: End a Threat
5: Hold the Line 5: Fortify
6: Force a Weakness 6: Strike the Heart

6-part Sleight Clocks 8-part Sleight Clocks

1: Turn an Asset 1: Disrupt an Important Union
2: Cover Up a Transgression 2: Move Contraband
3: Erase Evidence 3: Masterful Maneuver
4: Expose a Weakness 4: Topple from Within
5: Foil a Plot 5: Implicate a Foe
6: Play Both Sides 6: Know the Unknowable

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House Objectives, Continued
table two, part 1:
resources

1: Intelligence
2: Force
3: Transport
4: Supply
5: Magic
6: Wealth

table two, part 2:

Intelligence Supply
1: Research 1: Illicit
2: Schematic 2: Necessity
3: Formula 3: Unique
4: Double Agent 4: Fashionable
5: Black Mail 5: Dangerous
6: Criminal 6: Counterfeit

Force Magic
1: Intimidate 1: Ley Line
2: Foreign 2: Artifact
3: Violent 3: Ritual
4: Defend 4: Knack
5: Mercenary 5: Creature
6: Law 6: Spirit

Transport Wealth
1: Ship 1: A Minor House
2: Caravan 2: Investment
3: The White Road 3: Exotic Commodity
4: Canals 4: Art
5: The Twist 5: Charity
6: Smuggler 6: Party

293
 Example

Table 1, Part 1 Table 1, Part 2 Table 2, Part 1 Table 2, Part 2

8-Part Grasp Disrupt a Supply Intelligence Formula
Line

In the above scenario, the House could be attempting to stop another faction
from acquiring a powerful new formula. Or they could be trying to win over the
formula purveyor, guaranteeing they get first pick over anything new that comes
from them.

Questions to consider:

Who is behind the formulas? What do they specialize in?

What is the formula for, and why does the House care?

Do they want it for themselves, or do they simply not want the other faction
to have it?

What might they do with the formula, or new purveyor?

Example

Table 1, Part 1 Table 1, Part 2 Table 2, Part 1 Table 2, Part 2

6-Part Reach Make an Easy Ally Wealth A Minor House

Now, the House may be seeking a lucrative friendship with one of the Houses
Minor. They shouldn’t be hard to win over, they likely share similar principles.

Questions to consider:

    Which Minor House are they trying to ally with?

What is the benefit they will receive from this alliance?

What is the Minor House getting out of the deal?

Who stands to lose, should the alliance be cemented?

294
 Nearby Villages
Name Arcane Problem
1: A pastoral name. 1: Heresy
2: Named for a fortification. 2: Enchantment
3: Named for a hero. 3: Restless Spirit
4: Named for a natural feature. 4: Imperial Magic
5: Old world name. 5: Unnatural Creature
6: An unsettling name. 6: Untrained Knack

Feature (Who has a) Vested Interest

1: Clifftop Town 1: The Bakers Guild
2: Hostile Territory 2: The Scholam Naturalis
3: Imperial Ruins 3: The Ironmongers
4: Fathomless Lake 4: The Sevenfold Veils
5: Unbroken Forest 5: The Tramps
6: Trackless Waste 6: The Brizolatto Family

Export Governor
1: Inebriants 1: Lucchese
2: Textiles 2: Fiona
3: Natural Resource 3: Laertes
4: Animals 4: Sabatini
5: Foodstuff 5: Lafayette
6: Medicinals 6: Pearl

Mundane Problem Location

1: Corruption 1: Two days east.
2: Tax Evasion 2: Edge of civilization.
3: Treason 3: Half day’s ride.
4: Black Mail 4: A week’s hard ride.
5: Fugitive 5: Over the sea.
6: Arcane Problem 6: One day south.

Pastoral names; Oak Hollow, Stillwater, Bright Bay, Oxcrossing, Spruce

Fortification names; Hightower, Brokenwall, Deepgate, Postern, Merlon
Hero names; Santolizzo, Bravura, Sanpetrio, Chiesalorenzo, Findetonnio
Feature names; Greenhill, Broadfield, Pinewood, Falcons Ridge, Red Springs
Old world names; Eoboracum, Massalia, Providentia, Tyberius, Vigornia
Unsettling names; Thirty Crows, Misery, Silent Wood, Burnt Hill, Cemeteries

295
 Sprites & Spirits
traits portents types

1 4 1-2 Aspect
1: Curious 1: Imperious 1: Visions 1: Bestial
2: Guiding 2: Savage 2: Whispers 2: Amorphous
3: Seductive 3: Shrewd 3: Cold Winds 3: Humanoid
4: Clever 4: Skittish 4: Eerie Shadows 4: Fungoid
5: Deceptive 5: Fair 5: Mist/Fog 5: Elemental
6: Picky 6: Intelligent 6: Thunderous 6: Faerie
Sounds

2 5 3-4 Affinity
1: Wild 1: Prophetic 1: Heat/Warmth 1: Nature/Earth
2: Detached 2: Territorial 2: Laughter 2: Water/Ice
3: Fickle 3: Destructive 3: Bells/Music 3: Wind/Weather
4: Wise 4: Forlorn 4: Eerie Stillness 4: Fire/Smoke
5: Mischievous 5: Angry 5: Growling 5: Dawn/Dusk
6: Vengeful 6: Bitter 6: Brimstone 6: Sound/Music

3 6 5-6 Desires
1: Dangerous 1: Mourning 1: Sour Milk/ 1: Mayhem
2: Shy 2: Jealous Food 2: Reverence
3: Gleeful 3: Lucky 2: Bad Luck 3: Balance
4: Alien 4: Unpredictable 3: Graven 4: Fear
5: Bold 5: Nocturnal Images/Signs 5: Dominance
6: Haughty 6: Territorial 4: Destruction / 6: Freedom
Mess
5: Tranquility
6: Chills

296
 More People (NPCs)
looks goals modus

1 4 1-2 1-2
1: Brawny 1: Long-Haired 1: Infamy 1: Violence
2: Scrawny 2: Monocle 2: Wealth 2: Tact
3: Hunched 3: Stylish 3: Power 3: Coercion
4: Maimed 4: Strange 4: Love 4: Theft
5: Tall 5: Foreign 5: Justice 5: Threats
6: Short 6: Delicate 6: Vengeance 6: Magic

2 5 3-4 3-4
1: Plain 1: Tough 1: Prestige 1: Manipulation
2: Sexy 2: Disfigured 2: Control 2: Law
3: Handsome 3: Out-of-Style 3: Knowledge 3: Subterfuge
4: Wiry 4: Old 4: Fame 4: Negotiation
5: Rugged 5: Athletic 5: Glory 5: Blackmail
6: Pretty 6: Graceful 6: Resepct 6: Teamwork

3 6 5-6 5-6
1: Weathered 1: Young 1: Dominance 1: Espionage
2: Chiseled 2: Sleazy 2: Loyalty 2: Chaos
3: Plump 3: Demure 3: Piety 3: Alchemy
4: Elegant 4: Stout 4: Freedom 4: Dedication
5: Tattooed 5: Unkempt 5: Change 5: Natural Talent
6: Pierced 6: Wild 6: Romance/ 6: Secrecy/Guile
Poetry

297
 Common Professions
1 3 5
1: Chandler 1: Porter 1: Actor
2: Baker 2: Longshoreman 2: Courtier
3: Watchman 3: Factory Worker 3: Potter
4: Sailor 4: Brigand/Thief 4: Body Guard
5: Merchant 5: Roofer 5: Soldier
6: Mason 6: Criminal 6: Fisherman

2 4 6
1: Carpenter 1: Brewer 1: Clerk
2: Smith 2: Dyer 2: Newsie
3: Tailor 3: Leatherworker 3: Harlot
4: Cobbler 4: Stable hand 4: Servant
5: Jeweler 5: Rug Maker 5: Weaver
6: Courier 6: Musician 6: Livestock Breeder

Rare & Unusual Professions

1 3 5
1: Arborist 1: Skilled Artist 1: Judge
2: Prima Donna 2: Whaler 2: Mercy
3: Bounty Hunter 3: Pirate 3: Bravo
4: Architect 4: Scholar 4: Exotic Breeder
5: Banker 5: Assassin 5: Furrier
6: Diplomat 6: Gangster 6: Executioner

2 4 6
1: Dilettante 1: Broker 1: Palace Guard
2: Furrier 2: Locksmith 2: Tutor/Governess
3: Courtesan 3: Author 3: Dead Watcher
4: Mage/Knack 4: Researcher 4: Fencing Master
5: Watchmaker 5: Grace 5: Historian
6: Sculptor 6: Apiarist 6: Investor

298
 Personalities
Traits Interests Quirks

1+1 Self-Absorbed Legends Well-Traveled.

1+2 Cruel Ilrienne Wine Superstitious.
1+3 Impatient Painting, Art Reclusive.
1+4 Calculating History Has massive debts.
1+5 Meticulous Hunting, Big Game Visionary.
1+6 Calm Gambling, Dice or Cards Has psychic visions.
2+1 Gracious Inebriants, Liquor/Drugs Devoted to a cause.
2+2 Charming Journalism, the Paper Black sheep.
2+3 Strange Politics A fraud.
2+4 Melancholy Pit-fighting Serves a corrupt agenda.
2+5 Soft-Spoken Alchemy Of scandalous repute.
2+6 Enthusiastic Antiques Has a bigoted view.
3+1 Eccentric Poetry, The Arts Devoted to family.
3+2 Suspicious New Technology Highly spoken of.
3+3 Tough Horses, Riding Nocturnal.
3+4 Arrogant Romance, Love Keeps detailed notes.
3+5 Confidant Gardening An unrequited love.
3+6 Obsessive Cooking A sadist.
4+1 Paranoid Charity Work Rescues all animals.
4+2 Chivalrous Opera Sensitive to noise.
4+3 Fierce Sword Collector Can’t abide rudeness.
4+4 Cooperative Philosophy Stickler for tradition.
4+5 Secretive Theater, Drama Easily amused.
4+6 Distrusting Fine Food Well-read.
5+1 Enigmatic Reading, Literature Has multiple phobias.
5+2 Frantic Arcane Tomes, Rituals Collects favors.
5+3 Elitist Ships, Boating Remembers everything.
5+4 Friendly Sprite and Spirit Lore Strange dietary quirk.
5+5 Cavalier Dread Empire History Obsessed with hygiene.
5+6 Trusting Arcane Artifacts Terrible liar.
6+1 Callous Faith, The Lady Hopeless romantic.
6+2 Verbose Fashion Has impossible luck.
6+3 Vicious Gossip Lies without reason.
6+4 Helpful Lovers, Trysts Obsesses over looks.
6+5 Coy Faith, An Old God Repeats themselves.
6+6 Insightful Social Events, Dancing Has a terrible memory.

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 Threats to the City
spring

1: A blight strikes the Arbor.

2: The Church of the Lady mysteriously stops services.
3: A large storm brews off the coast.
4: Calrayan refugees arrive en masse.
5: Gang warfare in the streets.
6: Corsairs stalk the coastline.

summer

1: The Dockers riot.

2: A plague breaks out in the Groan.
3: A Trojan Horse arrives at the Palace.
4: A Scholam experiment goes awry.
5: Fires break out in the Foreign Quarter.
6: A Altori delegation arrives with dire news.

fall

1: Heavy rains flood the lower quarters.

2: The Baker’s Guild strikes.
3: Border skirmishes with Iberica.
4: Maur goes to war with another trade partner.
5: Graves are found open in the Necropolitan Hill.
6: A horror of the Dread Empire is glimpsed.

winter

1: The Founder begins raiding.

2: An important assassination takes place.
3: Grain shortage plagues the principalities.
4: All of the animals in Ilrien seem to go mad.
5: A primal terror stalks the city by night.
6: Several noble masks go missing.

300
 Minor Holidays
Spring Fall

1: Dance of Beast and Leaf 1: The Day of Justice

2: The Day of Clasped Hands 2: The Day of Founding
3: The Sailor’s Secret 3: The Feast of the First Prince
4: Calling Down the Moon 4: The Brass Harvest
5: The Day of Sheath and Sword 5: The First Loaves
6: The Race of Antlers 6: The Firelight Stride

Summer Winter

1: The Gondola Regatta 1: The Emperor’s Review

2: The Decanting 2: The Longest Night
3: The Procession of the Graces 3: Spirit’s Day
4: Night of Silk and Roses 4: The Patron’s Hunt
5: The Festival of Eels 5: The Lord’s Walk
6: The Week of Pearls 6: The Bone Fire

Minor Holidays, Extended

spring

Dance of Beast and Leaf: A grand festival of dancing and merriment spreads
through the city as the Ilrienne gather to wake the lands from winter’s chill.

The Day of Clasped Hands: Marriage is an expensive undertaking in Ilrienne,

unless you partake in the mass marriages of Ilrienne’s Day of Clasped Hands.
Graces preside over this day of love and candles light the windows of newly-weds.
Candles still flickering by morning are counted as proof of a blessed marriage.

The Sailor’s Secret: Any who ply the waves and brave the storms are sure to
gather for a solemn holiday to honor the Lady as the Mistress of the Waves.
Buckets of sea-water are drawn up from the harbor and each sailor in turn
whispers a secret into the depths of the bucket before casting it back into the
harbor. The Lady keeps their secrets as their bond of faithful worship.

301
 Calling Down the Moon: At dusk across the city on the eve of the first Full
Moon of the year, groups gather to sing the old songs that draw the currents
of prosperity, fair winds, and fair bargains. All revelers bring gifts to exchange,
tokens of prosperity. If you call for luck, do it with hands full of gifts.

The Day of Sheath and Sword: It is said the Lady only spends one night per
year with her consort. On this day a great fertility festival is held. Graces bless
the bellies of all who wish with fig branches and pomegranate wine. Rabbit
is served in the home of any hopeful woman. The Roses of the Silk and all of
the other lift-skirts serve pig and perform bawdy dramas for patrons until the
morning hours.

The Race of Antlers: Eligible bachelors from among the noble families are
crowned in wreaths of horns and set to running across the city. Anyone catching
them is entitled to a proposal of marriage. Many bachelors are then ransomed,
bought back by their noble families.

summer

The Gondola Regatta: Escaping the heat of summer, sleek gondolas race
through the canals by night, lit by oiled lanterns. Neighborhoods sponsor the
boats, and the crowd’s enthusiasm often borders upon riot.

The Decanting: The Arborists decant the newest vintages from the Arbor, and
chits for free flagons are distributed to every citizen of the city. A brisk black-mar-
ket trade in false chits becomes a cottage industry in the Groan.

The Procession of the Graces: The Graces stage a procession from the Lady’s
Own to the Shore, carrying an offering to be thrown into the depths of the har-
bor. Crowds part, but no one lets their eyes settle on the offertory. To do so risks
the Lady’s displeasure.

Night of Silk and Roses: A night dedicated to the thrill of romance, the floating
markets of the Silk play host to shifting revels and fire lit entertainment as hope-
ful would-be couples dance from boat to boat and party to party.

The Festival of Eels: A floating holiday taking place in late summer, when eels
pass through the canals on the way to their spawning ground. Revelers take to
the canals with games and food, eel is cooked and put into even the most unlike-
ly dishes. All citizens may catch as many eels as they can with their hands. Traps
and nets are forbidden to ensure enough make it through the canals to return in
future years; offense is punishable by public flogging (with eels).

302
The Week of Pearls: For an entire week, in the hottest part of the year, the
Scholam Naturalis sponsors a weeklong festival of pearl diving in the shallow
waters off of the coast. It offers a pleasant distraction from the unseemly weather,
and those who find the most pearls are offered a scholarship to the Scholam.
Summer riots have decreased by 80% since its inception.

fall

The Day of Justice: Regardless of social status, anyone may demand satisfaction
and justice at the point of a sword on this day. The Spindle is cleared to allow
plenty of room for the clashing of blades. Cowards typically spend the day in
doors, permitting no visitors.

The Feast of the First Prince: As the harvests are brought in and taxes rendered
to the Prince, a portion is set aside to lay on a grand feast for the needy. This
honoring of bond between prince and subjects is mirrored in the homes of those
of means. Families enjoy the fruits of a year’s toil, and plan always to do better
next year.

The Brass Harvest: Officially Recoupment Day, among the debtors to the Bank
of Brass and Bone, the colloquial is preferred. Accounts due have their interest
compounded at the end of this day, and so the race is on to pay down as much
principle as possible before the clerks note the total for recoupment. -Those not
in debt use this day to hunt for bargains as debtors liquidate their goods.

The Day of Founding: The Prince and his attendants reenact the founding of
Ilrien, as set down in the age of Taliesen of Beryl. Half morality play, half historical
holiday, this civic festival is as good an excuse as any to take in street-theatre
performed by the silk-swaddled nobles.

The First Loaves: The Bakers’ Guild bakes the first of the harvest into loaves
distributed freely to the populace. Hidden within six of these loaves is a fiore
minted in solid gold rather than the usual silver. When returned to the Guild,
the golden fiore entitles the bearer to a daily loaf free of charge until the next
year. It’s not uncommon for the gold to be kept instead, though somewhat rarer
among native Ilrienne.

The Firelight Stride: One part autumn cleaning, one-part good luck entreaty,
and one part pyromania, the citizens of Ilrien build communal bonfires in the
center of their neighborhood and burn things that they no longer need. Revelers
jump the blazes, hoping for good luck through the coming colder months.

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 winter

The Emperor’s Review: In the time of the Dread Empire, The Emperor would
dispatch a hidden agent in disguise to check upon the affairs of Ilrien. In his
beneficence, he would at least inform the Ilrienne of the day of the agent’s
arrival. To this day, the Emperor’s Review is a day of charity and hospitality. You
never know who you might be hosting, after all.

The Longest Night: On the Longest Night of the year, citizens of Ilrien gather
their families close to the fire and hold vigil. Old stories are told and bargains
are remembered.

The Patron’s Hunt: Contracts between artists and patrons traditionally end on the
last day of the year. And so, Ilrien becomes a carnival of artists and performers
seeking new patrons. Painters, actors, comedians, bladesmen, tumblers, and
fire-eaters line the street displaying their skills as prospective patrons carefully
consider them.

Spirit’s Day: In the early dawn hours after Spirit’s Eve, the Ilrienne release
floating lanterns off of the coast to light their loved ones’ paths back home.

The Lord’s Walk: A ritual cleansing of the city of “mischief and deviltry.”
During the day, a young noble dons the costume of the Lord, and with a band of
raucous retainers, whips those who fail to evade his procession as it makes its way
through the city. By night, the streets are deserted and the city holds its breath
until morning, perhaps waiting for the Lord’s total lack of humor.

The Bone Fire: A canton of the city is given the responsibility to reawaken
the earth and foster the reemergence of life in the world. They do this by
constructing a massive fire in the Ribelle foothills, visible from the walls of the
city. Into this they pile the bones of slaughtered animals collected from local
butchers, an offering of life for life.

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Chapter Eight
Changing the Game
 SpecialPermissionPlaybooks
On the following pages you’ll find the Kiss and the Curse. These are not entirely
human characters. They do not experience the social vagaries of Court of Blades
quite like their mortal counterparts.

When the stress of Ilrien becomes too much to bear for them, it is not their
reputation that suffers. They do not gain a scandal when they fill their stress
track. Instead, they mark shatter. This represents the slow spiral of their
humanity giving way to utter monstrousness. When they mark their fourth
shatter, they transcend mortality. They may be forced to sleep and regenerate,
or otherwise stay in Ilrien, but their purposes no longer align with those of the
House or coterie and they retire to pursue their own dark designs.

Shatter Conditions
• Detached: You have trouble understanding the motives of others, their petty
concerns. Oh, how they weary you.

• Uncanny: Something about the way you move, speak, look strikes others as
fundamentally wrong.

• Vengeful: You never forget a slight and always seek to balance the scales.

• Insatiable: Mortal pleasures no longer satisfy and you are constantly left
wanting more.

• Morose: Yours is a sorrow transcending the ages and you wear it like a
mourner’s veil.

• Destructive: Everything is fleeting and in breaking, you only hasten the

inevitable.

• Obsessed: You are single-mindedly devoted to someone, something, or a

cause. You have trouble focusing on anything else.

• Territorial: What’s yours is yours to keep. You will not let them have it.

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Che Kiss

A fae-touched charmer.
 gain the following features

Unique xp trigger: Overcome a challenge with fae power or control.

Special armor to resist a complication related to lies or deception for which you
are present.

You are fae-kissed. Someone in your lineage had a tryst with a faerie noble, and
here you are. You may pass yourself off as a Knack, but we both know the truth,
don’t we? You do not channel magic, you are magic.

You are Harmed by iron. A genetic quirk much like an allergy. Prolonged
exposure to iron increases the level of Harm you take.

Starting Action Dots: [1] Consort, [2] Channel

bonds

• __ and I met when they were very young, I wonder if they even remember.
• My laugh is infectious, but __ is immune. Perhaps they do not get the joke?
• __ will claim a great treasure of the old world. I will steal it from them.
• When I feel that I am all lies and magic, __ reminds me that I am also
human.
• Among this city of deceit, __’s heart shines like a beacon. I will bask in that
glow.
• __, like I, is not quite what they appear. Though it be hidden well, I will
learn their truth.

contacts

Dimitrius, an Obsessed Scholar

Leonato, an Inventor
Xie, an Old Flame
Blaze, a Clothier
Goya, a Sprite
A Member of the Coterie’s House

308
 special abilities

Bargain and Balance - When someone takes physical harm, you can resist
it on their behalf with Spirit, after the fact. Take stress and the benefit of the
resistance as normal (even if the harm has already been resisted), and absorb
their injury. Remove the harm from their harm tracker and add it to yours.

Like Calls to Like - You always know when a sprite or nature spirit is present.
Take +1d whenever you gather information about them by any means.

Toxic Love - You can push yourself to secrete a mild poison or aphrodisiac
through your skin.

Glamour - You can push yourself to take on the appearance of someone else
temporarily. If you do not spend time studying the person you’re imitating,
anyone who knows them well will become suspicious of you upon inspection.

Natural Summoning - You know the olde symbols required to draw summoning
circles and beg the indulgence of sprites and other nature spirits. You can create
new summoning circles as long-term projects. Begin with one summoning
circle known. What are you summoning? What does this summoned creature want
in exchange for its help?

Without this special ability, a summoned creature will be inclined to

refuse service, and may even become angered by your summoning. To
summon, use the rules provided for Rituals (see page 146).

Lent Skin - Leveraging the connection to nature granted by your fae ancestor,
you alter your natural form to take on aspects of other creatures. You may push
yourself and take one of the following: an animal aspect tied to motion (the fins of
a fish, the grip of a gecko, et cetera) - an animal aspect useful in combat (the claws
of a tiger, the fangs of a viper, et cetera) - an animal aspect useful in investigation (a
wolf ’s nose, an eagle’s eyes, et cetera).

Alternatively, you may pay five stress and assume the full form of an animal.

The Faerie Reel - You can enchant others with song. When you play, push your-
self to Channel and compel your target to dance until either released by you or
exhaustion takes them.

Choose your instrument: Voice, finger cymbals, tambourine, a small flute or

pipe, et cetera.

309
 special permissions

An Infectious Laugh - Once per errand, when you laugh heartily those around
you can do little else but laugh with you. [0 load]

Otherworldly Charm - Once per errand you can distract or beguile someone
with your charm and demeanor. [0 load]

specialized gear

The Perfect Ensemble - No matter the occasion, you have the perfect outfit to
blend in or stand out as you require. Your wardrobe is always in fashion, always
in season, and completely unique in Ilrien. Do you seek out new fashions in
Ilrien, or like you, does your wardrobe carry the mark of the Fae? [2 load]

A Length of Faerie Rope - A modest length of braided rope which can move
and twist and knot itself of its own accord. It possesses the intelligence of a
particularly bright canine, and can be taught tricks. Where did you acquire this?
How did you earn its trust? [1 load]

A Mirror that Reflects Truth - A hand-mirror which reveals the true nature of
anything reflected in it. What do you see when you look into it? What does anyone
else see when they see your reflection? [1 load]

A Favor from the Fae Court - A small item passed down to you as a babe to
remind you of the home you never knew. What is it? What does it do? [1 load]

310
Che Curse

A haunted revenant.
 gain the following features

Unique xp trigger: Overcome a challenge with callous disregard or

unearthly endurance.

Special armor to ignore the effects of one level of harm from a physical injury
once per errand. Does not apply to level 4 harm.

You are playing a revenant. Undead, but no zombie. Immortal, but no

vampire. Instead, your existence is tethered to a powerful wizard. The Dread
Emperor’s warweaver who sleeps beneath Necropolitan Hill.

You cannot be killed by level 4 harm. If the Curse takes level 4 harm that is
not resisted, they immediately acquire a shatter condition. Upon receiving their
fourth shatter condition they are required to sleep, tormented by nightmares for
a generation, to be forgotten before their fight begins anew.

Starting Action Dots: [1] Hunt, [1] Skirmish, [1] Command

bonds

• __ is the spitting image of someone I knew when I was not cold.

• I see the doom coming for __ and I will stand before it, roaring defiance.
• __ treats me like a person, not a monster. Sometimes I even believe they
are right.
• __ and I talk about the old days, though I wonder why they care.
• I served with __’s grandparent in the war that marked me. They did me a
good turn.
• __ has the touch of the Deathless about them. I am fearful of what they
might become.

contacts

Goodman, a Historian
Lost, a Poison Maker
Piero, a Ghost
Barlow, a Horse Thief
Amelia, a Diva
A Member of the Coterie’s House

312
 special abilities

Hell Holds No Surprises - You are a construct of dark dreams and bad memories
and cannot be frightened. Also gain +1 stress box.

Bleeding Love - You are haunted by a past companion or lover. It is tethered

to you, both helping and tormenting. Choose 2 of the following features: It
can manifest to interact with the environment - You can see through its eyes - It can
lend you its knowledge. Also choose 2 of the following natures: Wrathful, Jealous,
Forlorn. You cannot take a living paramour.

Valor Beyond Death - When you max out your stress tracker or take level 4
harm, you are not immediately removed from the fight. You may stay and aid
your coterie as long as they assist you, or until you push yourself to take one last
action. You also gain +1 shatter box to fill before you must sleep.

Void Blade - You can push yourself to imbue your Ancient Weapon with arcane
energy. You cut through stone and steel like butter. Take +1 effect when you
engage a foe.

Poisoner’s Blade - Your Ancient Weapon is designed to hold a single vial of your
choice. When triggered, the vial opens and the contents are channeled down
the blade. The next thing to be wounded takes the effect of the compound in
addition to any harm. You always have one vial of Slake. Craft, create, or acquire
other poisons and compounds as normal.

Story Collector - You have passed the centuries consuming tomes, conversing
with intellectuals, and growing your knowledge. You gain +1d when trying to
recall the details of something you once read or heard. Where did this information
come from?

Immortal Tolerance - Over the years you have intoxicated yourself in a myriad
of creative ways. As a result, intoxicants and poisons always have limited effect
on you.

313
 special permissions

A Blood-Chilling Glare - Your glare is steely, resolute, and haunted. Brave men
quail, and sharp tongues cease their wagging when you level your gaze. Once
per errand, you may halt someone in their tracks or silence a complaint with a
burning stare. What do they see reflected in your gaze that makes them stop?
[0 load]

A Prophetic Dream - Since the day you refused to die, your sleep is haunted
by strange visions of futures that may come to be. Once per errand, you may
remember one of these dreams and use your knowledge to reveal truth or change
destiny. Who do you tell about these dreams? What do they make you feel?   
[0 load]

specialized gear

An Ancient Weapon - A weapon which served you well since starting down this
rocky road. It shows signs of age and wear, but like you it refuses to crumble into
ruin. What kind of weapon do you carry? What does it say about you? [1 load]

A Symbol of the Dread Empire - Whether you served the Emperor or fought
on the side of the Rebellion, you bear a mark from that struggle. Any who see it
know they are dealing with a veteran of the war which changed the world. What
symbol do you carry? What memories does it carry of that time? [1 load]

A Lantern that Casts Shadow - Your struggle casts a long shadow; it is only
fitting this relic be by your side. It looks like an ordinary lantern, but when the
wick is lit, shadows deepen rather than retreat. How has this served your purpose?
Does it consume lamp-oil, or is it fueled with something more exotic? [1 load]

A Dose of Weeping Bell - The tea of the Weeping Bell does not cause you stupor
like the others. When you drink it, the arcane world reveals itself to you. How do
you feel when you drink this? What mark has it left on you?
[1 load]

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Expanding The Scope
One of our favorite parts of this game, and the entire Forged in the Dark system,
is how easy it is to plug new ideas and concepts into it, better fitting your
playstyle and expanding upon an existing game you already love. Nothing
prevents you from creating an entirely new playbook or House for your next
game if inspiration strikes. —In fact, if you were looking for permission, here it is!

Below we’ve outlined some building blocks for tweaking or creating your own
Playbooks and Houses. As you get started, know that nothing is “off limits” or
sacred. Take the time to experiment and tinker.

playbook special abilities

• Permission to do something that normal people can’t do (like the Eye’s
Shadow ability, “You may push yourself to perform an act of stealth or athletics
which borders on the superhuman.”)
• +1d to a roll in a specific circumstance.
• +1 effect in a specific circumstance.
• Push yourself to activate a special talent or minor arcane effect.
• Take variable stress to activate talents.
• Suffer reduced harm or take a lesser penalty from harm.

house special abilities

• Permission to do something special.
• Give all coterie members +1 scandal box or +1 stress box.
• +1 tier in specific circumstances.
• +1 influence from errands.
• +1d to an action roll in a specific circumstance.

coterie upgrades
• Give +1d to a retinue or colleague of a certain type.
• Add potency or scale to a retinue to colleague.
• Free load for certain items.
• Extra downtime action for specific uses.

If you haven’t already, now is the perfect time to head to bladesinthedark.com.

There, you can check out a wealth of community resources and support for players
and developers alike using the Forged in the Dark system.

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 Kickstarter Backers
Below are the wonderful people who made this game a reality. Thank you all for
your belief in Court of Blades.

paramours
Adam Burns, Alex Salazar, Alex von Hochtritt, Alysia ArcaneRazil Lanning, Amanda
Rook Michaels, Andrea Papo Pavan, Andrew Hess, Angel's Citadel, Åsa Roos, Ben Fabian,
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Henderson, Cassandra Hon, Chanel Richardson, Charley Sharp, Charlie Pugsley, Chris Dalgety,
Christophe Romain, Christopher csmithere Smith, Christopher J Masters, Christopher Stagno,
CommeTuVeux, Courtney A. Stone, Craig Maloney, Craig Reeder, Cranium Squirrel, Crysnia
Nightfall, Dan Wood, Dan Wulderbor, Daniel Schultheis, Daniel Servitje, Darcy Stockton,
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Wilkinson, Erik Kupferer, Ettore Nedragast Carli, Flavio Mortarino – Grumpybear, Francis Helie,
François-Pol MALEFANT, Frank Chavez, George Butcher, Gillian Winters, Greg Stockton, Gregory
Hammond, Gregory Wentzel, Gustav Karlsson, Holly Koponen, I R Greene, Jade Constantine,
Jake Hartman, James Park, James Samuel, James White, Jamie, Jamin B., Jara Barrett, Jason Carl,
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Morrow, Klil H. Neori, kobold gayfeather (or Marshall Badger), Krista McDonald : ), Krystal Heslip,
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Triss, Tyson Tiatia, Violet Wren, Will Dane, WookieeGunner, THE Nick Westbrook, @slightmisplay

house guard
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Alexis Moore, Alice Kyra, Allison Butler, Amanda Rönne Idänge, Amazing Rando, Amber Seger,
Amelia Antrim, Anderson Todd, Andi Humphries, André Albrecht, Andreth, Andrew @s5photog,

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Andrew and Lacey Lee, Andrew D. Devenney, Andrew M, Andrew Mauney, Andrew Merrick, Andrew
Peregrine, Andy Arminio, Andy Zeiner, Anemone, Angus Abranson, Anja Smith, Anne Baird,
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Louderback, Joshua Pevner, Joshua Ramsey, Judd Karlman, Jude, Julian H., Justen, Justin Ford,

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 Justin Schultz, Justin Scott, Kaleton Martinson, Karen Healey, Karl Meyer, KarlTheGood,
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Trip Space-Parasite, Tyler Hoff, Tyler J Frank, Tyler Nikolich, Ulises Gomez, Uzzah, Victor Lane,

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Vivacia, Whisky Sauers, Whit Carter, Will, Will Scilacci, Willis Fulmer, Woodrow Hill,
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Isa Elfers, Isabel Zyla, Isis Alexander, István Márki, Ivan Ewert, Izzy Mulkern, J Bolton, J Dun-
can, J Lock, J Niall Martin, J. Angus MacDonald, J. Benfield, J. Boone Dryden, J. Evans Payne, J.
Watkins, J.M Gomez Spook, J.S. Majer, J.T. Dimino, Jack Allan, Jack P, Jackson B, Jacob Andersson,
Jacob N Walker, Jacob Porter, Jacob Skowronek, Jacopo De Angelis, Jacopo Mongiò, Jacopo
Veronese, Jacqlyn Schott, Jaeger, Jake de Oude, Jake Miller, Jakeiol Rudd Miranda Jarman, Jakob Pape,

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 Jakob Schilling, James Allen, James Coxen, James Davis Nicoll, James Dryer, James Goodman,
James Hamilton, James Meredith, James R. Crowder II, James Reichstadt, James Robertson, James
the Valet, James Toebes, James W. Armstrong-Wood, James Wallace, James Wynn-Lawrence,
Jamie Betts, Jamie Ivy, Jamie Morgan, Jams Mastodon, Jan de Witt, Jan Gutberlet, Jan Kutyla, Jana
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Jason Glanville, Jason Graham, Jason Herrick, Jason Hippe, Jason Kottler, Jason Miller, Jason Pasch,
Jason Schindler, Jason Walberg, Jason Wallace, Jason Williamson, Jasper de Vries, Jay Forster,
Jay jayhad Wrobel, Jay Marquez-Durst, Jay Steinbock, Jayne Worldhopper, JB Impson, JC
Hay, JD Maynard, Jed Amurao, Jeff Baker, Jeff Grubb, Jeff Harper, Jeff Martin, Jeff Moné, Jeff
Wandler, Jeffrey Kreider, Jeffrey Tetlow, Jen Bourke, Jen Caddick, Jen H., Jenna Hietavirta,
Jenna Stew, Jennifer Brazas, Jennifer Cook, Jennifer McClellan, Jennifer Parr, Jennifer Posh,
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Williams, Jeremy Zimmerman, Jess Caruana, Jesse Burneko, Jesse Butler, Jesse McGatha, Jesse Shultz,
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Hagenberg, Jörn Mang, Jorybear, José GilGul Soler, Josef Bugman, Joseph N Slagle, Joseph Noll,
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Matthews, Karl Parakenings, KaS, Kassandra Devlin, Kat Aasgaard, Kat C., Kat Nelson, Kat S., Kate
Harlow, Kate Jones, Katharina & Klaus Schrempf, Katharina Black, Kathryn Rose Sweatman,
Katie G, Katie Mariko, Katrin Kaddi Fels, Katrina Hennessy, Katrina Ostrander, Katy McMurray,
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Leigh Speedling, Kennedy Gerber, Kenneth von Übelmann, kenny wong, Kerby R Lambert,
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Keziah Waverly, Kier Duros, Kieran R, Kim Callan, Kim Danneels, Kim Davis, Kim Shier,
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and Horn, Koby Windzberg, Kolbey Araujo, Kona Goodhart, Konstantinos YoMaster Rentas,

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Korben and Deckard Edwards, Kris Atienza, Kristen MacLean, Kristina Smibisch, Kristopher
Deters, Krystal Norton, Krzysztof Chyla, Kurt McMahon, Kurt Mitchell (Ninhur Blackhand),
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Seppälä, Laura B., Laurel Halbany, Lauren Clark Hill, Lauren Johnson, Lauren Moore, Laurène
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Lyndon Baugh, Lynn Ball, M Arpiainen, M Fekete, M. Olivia Harlow, Mab, MacElfrish - Ethan
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Michael Gordon, Michael Hoffmeyer, Michael J. Evans, Michael Kelmelis, Michael Leguillow III,
Michael M. Kroeker, Michael McPheeters, Michael Norrish, Michael Pevzner, Michael Sanguinetti,
Michael T. Wells, Michael Taylor, Michael Tree, Michael W. Hill, Michał Kuminiarczyk, Michal
Sedlačko, Michelle "Meesh" You, Midsummer Meinberg, Miel Violet, Mikal Aensland, Mike Bailey,
Mike Carlson, Mike Longfritz, Mike Myers, Mike Shema, Miles Toast Kopacz, Miles Gaborit,
Miranda Apple, Mischa Wolfinger, Mitchell Daily, MJ Bailey, Mo Holmes, Molly Amundson,
Monkey's Paw Games, Monte, Moose, Morgan Buck, Morgan Schlosser, Morgan Whiting-Fawcett,
Morgen Gabe, Morrighan Nightshade, mouse, MR, MrJ, MrKaelann, Murray Dahm, Myridian,
N. GearsAndKeys, N. GearsAndKeys, N. Vivian, N. Vivian, N.W. Davis, Naomi Durall, Naomi
Walter, Narayan Bajpe, Nat woodelf Barmore, Nat Skinner, Natasha Ence, Natasha Garncarek,
Natasha Tuskovich, Nate Ayronis, Nate Bolt, Nate Digges-Elliott, Nate Emceekhan Baumbach,

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 Nathan Emery, Nathan Fuhr, Nathan H., Nathan Holt, Nathan Nolan, Nathan Sauvé, Nathanial
Morse, Nathaniel, Navarre Fletcher, Navigator Sunshine Burke, Neall Raemonn Price, Necromantic
Lord Mwaha, Neil Coles, Neil Fortier, Nekiare, Nekochi, nemesis813, Nemo, Neon, Nessa, Niall
O'Donnell, Niall Rhys Scullion, Nic G, Nic ter Horst, Nicholas Hoare, Nicholas Ivan Smith,
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King of Cats, Nykki, Nymeria, Oliver Dangerfield, Oliver Hertel, Oliver Lipton, Olivia Montoya,
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osvaldo1996s, Oz, Pablo Vazquez, Paige, Pål Wilhelmsen, Paladin10, Pallas Ovidius, Pan Narrans,
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McDonough, Patrick Walker, Paul Beakley, Paul de Haan, Paul Emigh, Paul F, Paul Harrington,
Paul Kalupnieks, Paul Keiter, Paul Newsham, Paul Robinson aka WildeEngineer, Paula Kramer,
Pauline O-K, Pauper Prince, Pax Romana, Pedro Salgado, Pelleas Sion, Pepe Blanco, Petar Zahariev,
Pete Woodworth, peter peretti, PezCat =^..^=, Phil Burge, Phil Hanley, Philelyn, Philip Coleman,
Philip Hoff, Philip Reid-Green, Philipp Linzmeier, Philippe Niederkorn, Philippe le Marquis de
Phubárre, Phoboros, Pink N., Pip Hunt, Plasticskittles, Pocketatomic, Pontus Kjellberg, Porter Brasell,
Psychogere, PurpleFill, Queen_Cognito, R A Shaw, Esq., R Zemlicka, R. Bohus, R. Brandt Hull, R.
Eric VanNewkirk, R.E.F. Lee, Rachel Bryant, Rae Redmond, Raina Storer, Raina Storer, Raine Stewart,
Ralf Sandfox Sandfuchs, Ralph Holland, Randall N. Bills, Raphael Bressel, Rara, rathiri,
Raven Warner, Ray Wilding, Rebecca B, Rebecca Curran, Rebecca T, Red Plums, ReedPlays,
Renegade Raven, Rev'd J Patron Bell, Reverance Pavane, RG Thompson, Ricardo Pereira Ramalho,
Ricardo Sanfins, Rich Fryer, Rich Warren, Richard Bowers, Richard Dracconos The Great Riki Goulart,
Richard J. Rogers, Richard Marpole, Richard Raziel Warner, Richard Rossi, Rick Purcell,
Ricky Samuel Lluberes-Mejia, Riley, riley rethal, Rileyrose Morningstar, Rins Gray, RMJordan,
Rob Buchheit, Rob Nadeau, Rob Wieland, Robert Bobby C. Christian, Robert Jefepato Dall,
Robert Day, Robert Gäding, Robert Heller, Robert Masland, Robert Paul, Robert S, Robert Von
Stuembach, Robert Wood, Robin Hoopes, Robin Longhurst, Robin Moore, Robin Morelli, Rodrigo
Abrahim Spina, Roger French, Roger Howe, Roksän, Ronan Constance, Rosamunda Ignatius,
Rose Pendleton-Nash, Ross, Ross Cowman, Ross Henton, Ross Thomas, Rowan Bosko, Rowan
McKeough, Rowan Thorley, Rowena, Roxual Bar, RPGs & Baby Makes 3, rsek, Ruby Schley, Rue
Dickey, Rupert Watters, Russell Hefner, Ryan, Ryan Johnson, Ryan Numrich, Ryan Patterson,
Ryan Percy, Ryan Sanderson, Ryklan Rolfsson, S. O. Sawyer, S. U. Maritimus, S. W. Hodgman,
S.A. Hannon, S.Adamiak, Sabina K, Sabina Walter, Sam HolyCrow, Sam B, Sam Double H
Stacks, Sam H, Sam White, Samantha Kat Rose, Samantha Berry, Samantha Quinn,
Samantha Reed, Samantha Rustle, Sami Merilä, Sami Sorensen, Samuel Burns, Sandrine
FOUNGUI, Sara B., Sarah Coldheart, Sarah Frisk, Sarah Horhace, Sarah Marvin, Sarah Strong,
Sarah Williams, Saroosh, Sasha De'ath, Savannah Madley, Scaramouche, Scott D. Husch, Scott H
Mitchell, Scott Jasinski, Scott Kuban, Scott Kullberg, Scott Mancuso, Scott Morrison, Scott Nickell,
Sean Adkins, Sean Gallagher, Sean Haas, Sean Mattox, Sean Milliff, Sean Mit, Sean O'Donnell, Sean
Sullivan, Sean Visintainer, Sean Walsh, Season Osterfeld, Sebastian, Sebastian C, Sebastiano Coslovich,
Sen-Foong Lim, September Collett, Sergei Jr., Seth Cordes the First, Seth Hartley, Seth Johnson,

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Shaari N. Ladue, Shane B. Bauer, Shane Martin DeNota-Hoffman, Shane Mclean, Shannon
Tratnyek, Shanoah Maine, Shaun B, Shaun Clinton, Shaun Vellucci, Shawn Ellsworth, shawn
endresen, Shawn L. Stroud, Shea Anderson, Shefali Singh, Shelley G, Shervyn, Siegfried of Appin,
Signe Carlson, Sillade, Silvio Herrera Gea, Simon Drew, Simon Stroud, Simon TC, Simon Tyrrell,
Simon Widman, Simone de Nys, Simone Maccapani, Sinistra, Sir Airon Lee, Sir Beverly Flockoducks,
SirAston, SJR, Skye McLaren Walton, Sly, SmileyTopHat, Snapdragons, sneils, Solistia, Soloman
DelBatista, Solomon Foster, Sonja Jade, Sonja L, Sonnett Shelline, Sophie Lagacé, Soren A. Hjorth,
spacht, Sparrow, Spencer Guerrero, Spenser Isdahl, SpiritCrusher, SpitefulFox, SplendidDuchess,
Stack Tracey, Stackle, Stefan S. Huddleston, Stefano Borri, Stephanie Chaotic Jamgochian,
Stephanie Allen, Stephanie Heinz, Stephanie Nelson, Stephen Bowers, Stephen Geigen-Miller,
Stephen Hallman, Stephen Kirkbride, Stephen Vandevander, Stephen Whitehead, Steve Arensberg,
Steve Atteberry, Steve Barash, Steve Burnett, SteveC, Steven Cathcart, Steven Collins, Steven
Cothard, Steven D Warble, Steven Edwards, Steven Fujisaka, Steven Schwartz, Steven Stimach,
Stina Schwebke, Stonerunner, Stuart M Lacy, Stuart Pate, Stuart Wilson, Sully,
Supernaturalswitch, Susan Tarrier, Susan Washburn, Swiepy, Sydney Mathis, Syrio Forel,
T Maier, T. Cohan-Diaz, Talia Morse, Tallis Ursidae, Tamara Johnson, Tats Rabelink,
Tatyana Vogt, Taylor Bleir, Taylor Espy, Taylor Wong, Teal & Elisa, Ted Lee, Tegan Goodridge,
Temmon, TenbatsuZ, Teresa "TK" Kramer, Terry Herc, Terry Robinson, Tess Kinniburgh, TF,
Thai Thien, Thanius, The Dungeon Meister, The Golden Pheasant, The Lapkas, The Marchivist,
The Murrays!, The Outlaws Network, The Wanderer's Tome, Theo, TheOpalSiren, Thierry De
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Zurkan, Thor, Thor Sundqvist, thorntizzle, Tiffany, Tiia Thai, Tilly & Loki & Murphy, Tim Smith,
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Zoe Quinn, Zsombor Sváb, Day Dreamer Nick Doran, @EdwardComics, @WickedDecent

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 INDEX Complications, 9, 25, Deception,
47, 51, 56 plan, 40, 183
A Conditions. See Scandal. Desperate position, 13,
Acquire asset, 136 Consequences 21, 25, 41, 63
paramour, 51 permanent, 32, 37 action roll for, 18, 21
Action(s), 9-13, 224-249 resistance roll and, 14, See also Position.
dot(s), 69 27, 35-37, 46, 151 Dice roll, 9
rating(s), 9-13 severity of, 3-7, 9, 19- double-duty, 21
roll(s), 7, 9 21, 30-33 engagement, 40-41
Advancement Consort, 11, 230-231 twice for the same
for coterie, 64 Conspicuous Item, 151, thing, 278
for character, 62-63 153 The Docks, 176, 181,
for House, 58-61 Consumable Item, 199
Alchemy, 138, 149-156 151-152 Downtime,
Asset. See Acquire Contact, activities, 8, 135
Assist, 45 close friend, 70 entanglements and, 8
coterie, 57, 180, flashbacks and, 47
B examples of, 180-186, heat and, 51,
Background, 62, 69 222 payoff and, 132
Blunt(s), 10, 166, 226 favorite, 101 phase, 8
Bonus dice, 17-20 strong/reliable, 57 Drugs, 71, 152
Bravo(s), 67, 73-75 Controlled, 25, 29
Conversation, 7, 224 E
C Coterie, Effects,
Character creation, See Advancement. assessment, 21, 29
66-72 creation, 4, 98-102 level of, 18, 26
Clocks, upgrades, 100, 127- modifiers, 26-27
danger, 23 130, 315 reduced, 21
faction, 24 Couth, 67, 85-88 setting, 29-30,
House advancement, Crafting, 144-158 trading position for, 28
58-61, 271-281 sample, 152-153 Engagement roll, 8,
intrigue, 142 Critical, 40-41
linked, 23 example of, 21, 34 Entanglements, 8, 288-
long-term projects, 24, success, 9, 36, 39, 291
138-140 41, 52, 60, 134-139, romantic, 54
mission, 23 150, 282 Errand, 4, 8
progress, 22 Curse, 311-314 complication of, 23
racing, 23, 141 examples of, 252-262
romance, 24, 51 D Experience points (xp),
warring, 24, 61 Death, 31-32, 37 trigger for, 62, 140
Colleagues, 46, 129-130 Deathless, 160, 167, Eye(s), 67, 81-84
Command, 10, 13, 46, 215, 217
130, 228-229

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F I Load, 44
Factions, 55-56, 188-221 Ilrien, 3, 66, 68, 160-171 Long-term project, 8,
clocks, 24 academia in, 194 33, 135, 138-140, 148-
status levels and, 56 calendar, 160, 170 149
Fae-kissed, 308 food in, 164 clock, 24, 142,
Failure(s), 58, 142 holidays in, 300-304 Looks, 72, 297
Faith, 33, 71, 168 landmarks in, 173-177,
Family names, 72 180-187 M
Favor, 8, 50 law in, 165 Magic, 146, 166-167,
Fiction-first gaming, map of, 178-179 226-227
224 rumors on the streets Magnitude, 144, 146,
Fine items, 27 of, 171 Military Background, 69
Flashback, seasons in, 169-170 Maneuver, 234-235
examples of, 251, 255 weather in, 169
limits of, 47 Indulgence, 71 N
Fortune roll, 9, 38-39 ignoring, 140 Name(s), 71-72,
Free play, 8 indulging, 51, 139 Noble background, 69
Friends. See Contacts. purveyors, 222 Non-player characters,
roll, 139-140 4, 270
G Influence, 8, 48-49
Game changes Items, O
scope expansion, 315 acquiring, 136, 149, Obligation, 71, 222
Game phases, 8 modifications for, 27, Obstacle, 22
Game Master (GM), 55, 151, 315 Opening scene, 272
4, 20 rare, 136 Opportunity, 31
bad habits to avoid, standard, 97 Outcomes, 9, 12
275-279 unreliable, 151 entanglement rolls,
best practices, 269-275 volatile, 151 140
Gather Information, 8, examples of, 19
41-43 J fortune rolls and, 38-39
Group Action, Judgement calls, 7 Overindulgence, 140
example of, 46, 258
leading, 45-46 K P
Key(s), 67, 93-96 Payoff, 132
H Knack(s), 67, 89-92, example of, 258
Harm, 30-37 146, 166-167 Plans/Planning, 8,
examples of, 32-35, 258 engagement and, 40-41
Hawk(s), 67, 77-80 L example of, 267-268
Healing Clock, 33-34, The Lady. See Faith. flashbacks and, 251
260 Lady’s Favor, 19 projects and, 149
Heritage, 62, 68 Law, Playbook, 62
Hunt, 11, 13, 232-232 background, 69 choosing, 66-67
order and, 161, 165, 188 Player character(s), 3

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 See also Advancement. flashbacks and, 47
Poisons, 153 indulgence and, 71
Position(s), purpose of, 250
setting, 17-20, 25, 29 using, 5, 15, 45, 47,
trading for effect, 28 148
Potency, 26 Study, 10-13, 240-241
Potions, 154-155 details, 240,
Project. See Long-term. examples of, 42, 43
Pushing self, 15, 79, Stupor, 71
256, 258, 277 Success, 9
Survey, 10-13, 242-243
Q Sway, 10-13, 244-245
Quality, 27
factor, 49, 129, 149-151 T
rating, 26, 55, 127, 145 Teamwork actions, 45
Tier, 28-29, 55
R advancement and, 55,
Resistance, 14, 35-37 61
Resolve, 21 Touch Stones, 5
Retinues, 46, 55, 128- Training, 63, 127
130, 136 indulgence and, 139
Retirement, 49
Roleplaying, 3, 41, 68, U
140, Underworld back-
fiction-first in, 224 ground, 69
indulgences and, 62 Unreliable. See Items.

S V
Scale, 27, 55, 129 Vicious, 88, 299
Scandal, 15, 62
conditions, 16 W
ignoring, 140 War, 56,
Setting, 3, 160-222 Wreck, 10-13, 248-249
Set up, 46, 224
Special abilities, 66-67 X
Special armor, 37, 66 -
Special formulas. See
crafting. Y
Spirits and sprites, 167, -
170
Status, 48-51, 56, 61, 63 Z
Stress, -
cost, 15, 35

328