GOTHIC RULES DOCUMENT

This document is a compilation of the rules, not the culture or settings, of Gothic: The Lion age. It is a document that
will have constant revisions and updates as the site changes, so you will need to make sure you download it regularly
from this link, which can be found on the bottom of the Rules Hub of the site.

If you find anything is missing or incomplete, please email your staff at thelionage@googlegroups.com so that they can
fix it.

The PDF you currently have is version 1.0. Keep up with the news regularly to make sure you have the latest version of
the PDF.

I. Introduction:

The World of Gothic

Gothic: The Lion Age is a game of hard decisions and moral dilemmas. The world is a dark, oppressive place where
mankind's greatest enemy is itself, and yet far worse things await beyond the fringes of the comfortable reaches of the
Throne of God on Earth. It is a world of gray where the right thing to do is also the wrong thing to do, where morality
and necessity clash.

The setting focuses its attention on the Throne, a confederacy of nations united by the deeds of a line of dead conquerors
and, by their conversion, to the ideals of the Holy Benalian Church. There are many cultures and peoples within the
Throne that interact with conflicting ideals and customs, with barriers of language and geography that would otherwise
make the Throne crumble. The Throne, however, cannot afford to crumble, for it is only through their continued
cooperation that any of them survive. Terrors of the soul await those who's vigilance falters for an instant.

Meanwhile, four Guilds of Magicians, each representing a primal elemental force, vie for control under the pretense of
alliance. As the Guilds feast on the bloated body of the Throne three terrible deities circle above biding their time. A
Triumvirate of dark Gods wait patiently to destroy the Holy Church, its people and its God from the inside. In their
name, unspeakable horrors are carried out; nameless evils that defy understanding and reason, all for the worship of
power. It is man's very nature to desire power: The power to live their life as they choose, the power to destroy their
enemies, the power to never die, the power to make the world a better place. These deities seem to offer it. The price is so
very high, but for all the right or all the wrong reasons, some are willing to pay any price.
What to do in Gothic: the Lion Age

In the game of Gothic, you take on the role of a character thrust into a world that wishes ill upon you, and encourages
you to take the quick and easy path to achieve your goals, whatever they might be. Many characters arrive into play
because of pilgrimage, while others have political aspirations and still others have academic, monetary, or more personal
reasons. Once in play, characters use the circumstances and setting to achieve their goals and realize their ambitions.
Some characters may become soldiers for the church, joining the Vigilant Order of Templars, while others may be on
errand from a power within the nobility to wrest political control of the city away from the Emperor's appointees and
gain the advantage of administrating the most important political upset in near history that the Miracle represents.

How to be a player
Being a player in Gothic is a two step process. Firstly, you should contact the game staff and let us know you'd like to
play, and secondly create a character using the Character Creation system and submit it to us for play entry. It is not
impossible to show up to game unannounced and expect to play, and regardless of anything else, new players are always
welcome and encouraged, but for the sake of a smooth entry, it is best to submit your character to us ahead of time so
that when you arrive all logistical issues and questions can be taken care of ahead of time. That way you can spend more
time playing and less time at Logistics talking to staff and asking questions.
For Character Creation, see Chapter 3.

How to be an NPC
Being an Non-Player Character, part of the supporting cast of game, is an important part of the interplay that helps the
game produce conflict and interesting interactions. By the nature of the game, without volunteers to portray the roles of
world characters, creatures of the night, bands of brigands, and other such features, the game could simply not function
at it's best, so every single player is encouraged to NPC for at least part of the game.

Some specific tasks, such as the production of in-game goods, take time to complete, and these opportunities are a great
time to volunteer to play an NPC for the staff, or just when you find yourself with some downtime while you wait for
something else to complete or happen. Playing an NPC is a great way to try out new kinds of character abilities, new
personalities, and to help the game be its best.

Furthermore, each hour playing an NPC is awarded with Glory, discussedhere, and if you come for the game weekend
and only provide support as NPCs, you play for no charge.
The character creation system will take you through the steps necessary to create your Gothic: The Lion Age character.
Throughout the process, you will be asked to consider the details of the life that your character has led before you take
control of him or her and enter it into play. As you decide on these factors, you will be awarded Skill Ranks to spend
toward the advancement of your character. Your life events, as much as your skills, will dictate who your character
becomes. From any one category, you may only advance a specific skill a single rank unless noted otherwise.

These steps will guide you through Character Creation.

1. CHARACTER BACKGROUND

Mother and Father

Determine the identities of your parents. Who are they, or were they? What did they do, and what was it important that
they pass on to you? Select their identities, their professionand their names, and then choose one non-combat skill
that exemplifies your Mother, and one that exemplifies your Father to raise by one rank. Alternatively, if
raised in special circumstances, choose two different skills that relate to a single parent or guardian to raise by one rank.

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

CULTURE
Your character's culture is the regional group from which they descend or were raised. Although most of humankind is
united as the Throne, there are many distinct and diverse cultural groups that make up the Throne's people. The
environment that your character was raised in has a large impact on what sort of roles they end up pursuing, or what
skills they pick up through exposure.

Capacionne
A rainy country to the far east of the Throne, Cappacionne is bordered by mountains on two sides and is one of the two
ways into the Throne. The armies of Cappacionne are charged with protecting the border from any hostile incursions
from Orc or Shariqyn. Their people love wine, poetry, horsemanship and the finer things in life.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Firearms, Trapping, Stealth, Seduce or
Persuade.

Dunnick
The Dunnick are a people living on a group of islands in the south-west of the Throne. Theirs is a culture of much history
and connection to their ancestry and ancient lore, but they are under the restrictive subjugation of the ruling class of
Rogalia, to the north. Many Dunnick fight for their independence, for all Dunnick share a fierce pride for their heritage
and bright, verdant country, where the water is always warm and the hills are always green.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Brawl, Grit, Herbalism, Mining, or
Apothecary

Gothic
The Throne's heart and soul lives in Gotha alongside its glorious cathedrals and highly-trained armies of Templar. The
Gothic people are strict and serious, especially with themselves, making every decision with the utmost care. Many
leaders from all over the Throne are Gothic in heritage, and it is their steadfast determination, loyalty, and zealotry that
has forged the Throne that unites all mankind.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Discipline, Farming, Mechanics, Leadership
or Liturgy (Benalian Church)

Hestrali
The free-spirited and flamboyant Hestrali are a culture built on trade and wealth coupled with a love for adventure and
new horizons. Their people are famous for being bold, brash, charismatic and daring, with a devil-may-care attitude. It
is by courage that heroes are born, and the Hestrali mix it in liberal quantities with their fine wines and love for other
cultures.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Mercantile, Mobility, Seduction, Finesse,
Performance

Njordic
A relative to the Gothic of the south, the Njords are a cautious and pragmatic people, living day by day in the icy reaches
of the northern most parts of the Throne's reach. Only recently annexed through a treaty with the hero who briefly
united the disparate clans, the Njords were heretofore infamous for their daring and cruel raids on their southern
neighbors in the Throne. Not yet fully converted to the religion of Holy Benalus, many Njords still cling to the worship of
their pantheon of pagan gods. In the farthest northern reaches, many Njords consider the Throne to be no different from
any other invading clan, and still cling to the old ways of raiding and bloodshed. The rest have found peaceful
relationships within the Throne, and live in service to its great ideals.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Survival, Grit, Intimidate, Performance, or
Forestry.

Rogalian
Rogalia is a land hardened by war. Constant civil conflicts are the norm in this region, due in part to its very dense
population of nobility. The laws change from one mile to the next at times, and infighting has made Rogalia the only
country in the Throne with no King, only a Parliament of Ruling Lords. The constant state of low-level strife in Rogalia,
however, has created some of the most brilliant strategic minds the Throne has ever known to date, and the finest
military commanders in the Throne come with regularity from Rogalian stock. Even the meanest peasant here knows
how to fire a bow, and when. In a hard world, the Rogalians mean to be harder still.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Archery, Etiquette, Metalworking, Discipline,
Perception

Shariqyn
The Shariqyn are the one substantial human culture that is not part of the Throne. Their place is far to the deserts of the
East, among the shifting sands of Sha'ra, a land of wonders and fabulous ancient magics. Tales of their land are the
strangest in the Throne, and the Thronics think of their people as stranger still. Dark of skin and hair, the Shariqyn stand
out easily in the Throne, and though the two cultures are engaged in a bloody war, they are still welcome to travel the
Throne and understand its people and ways. They are not considered citizens, and as such have fewer rights. They are a
people that cling fervently to a strange religion all their own, worshiping water and purity with a priest caste of water
mages, searching for their messiah. Many Shariqyn come to the Throne to trade, for they have goods that are rarely seen
in the world, imported from their strange lands. Spices, elven-made silks, and even strange and dangerous magical
objects come from the shifting sands of the East.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Academics, Mercantile, Survival, Persuasion,
Liturgy (Aab'oran)

Language
You are fluent in your own cultures language and Gothic, the closest thing that passes for an international or trade
language. Gothic characters themselves also learn Aldersabin, the language of the Church of Benalus. Learning a
language later requires 2 exp, the cultural lore in question, and a Downtime action.

Location of Home
Home is where your character was raised, more specifically than his or her cultural background. This can be a specific
location you know about in game, such as the Imperial Capital of Fenristadt, or can be a largely undefined area specific
to your character. The answer to this question can be specific or general, but should give some idea of the conditions
under which the character lived and the things they saw on a daily basis.

Name and briefly describe your home town or area of upbringing. This can be an established area of the world you are
aware of from the setting, or it can be some place you invent specifically for your backstory, but give us a brief
understanding of its characterizing features.
Some examples include: Fishing Village, Fortified Town, Hog Farm, Port Town, Trade Market, Hamlet, Capital City,
Fortress
Choose 2 non-combat skills related to the experience living in your home area to raise by one rank.

SOCIAL STATUS

Your character's social class is one of the most influential things in their life. Were they raised at the top of a hill in a
wealthy manor, or at the bottom of the gutter in that same town? Did she raise animals to feed herself on a farmstead or
did he filch muffins from the window of the bakery? A character's social class endows them with a certain set of skills
relevant to their position in the world, as well as predisposes them toward the acquisition of certain perks and flaws,
discussed later on.

Gutter Class:
You were born on the streets of a major city. The rare urban environments that dot the Throne tell the tale of your origin,
where quick wits and quicker feet keep you out of trouble. You've lived on the rotten underbelly of major ports, slums,
and back alleys.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Streetwise, Sincerity, Intimidate, Finesse, and
Stealth.

Peasant Class:
You were raised in the dark of the country, where there is more to fear than unjust lords and petty wars. Your story
begins in a terrible place where winter kills just as brutally as any sword or poison. Survival must be eked out by hard
work and faith that you will live to see the next harvest day.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Perception, Liturgy, Grit, or Survival, any
Gathering skill. (Multiple Gathering skills can be chosen to raise one rank.)
Merchant Class:
Your life was the life of a traveler or tradesman. You moved from town to town peddling both wares and skills. By road or
sea, you have crossed great distances and seen the dangers of the world and what it takes to survive them.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Mercantile, Perception, Survival, Sincerity,
any Crafting skill. (Multiple Crafting skills can be chosen to raise one rank.)

Noble Class:
You were born in the highest class of society and have either lived the life of a noble or the life of one of their entourage.
Yours is not necessarily a life of opulence either, but rather one of sophistication, order and duty. There are just as many
dangers and knives in the dark in a royal steel is deadly regardless of the hand that wields it.
Choose 3 of the following skills to increase by one rank: Medium Weapons, Etiquette, Academics,
Intimidation, Leadership

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

Your character's devotion is the single most important thing in her life. It is the powerful driving force that is both her
greatest strength and her greatest weakness. Whenever a devotion is triggered she may add 1 rank to any relevant skill
that she already has at least 1 rank in. Faithful characters add 2 ranks to 2 skills of their choice, and Zealous characters
add 3 ranks to 3 skills of their choice. This represents her additional resolve and hidden inner will. This bonus cannot
normally be applied to combat uses of any kind, but a character may take Wrath Depravity to use their Devotion for
combat for the scene. Depravity can still be earned normally in the scene for actions that would normally earn it. When
using Devotions in this manner, the bonus still only applies to uses that involve fulfilling your Devotion.

At the moment you begin to undertake an action that supports your Devotion, mentally designate the skills which are
receiving the benefit. These skills are enhanced for the duration of the activities that support your Devotion. You may
designate new skills during a new scene, if different skills are appropriate to the new situation.

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

If a character is opposing her Devotion at any time, she loses 1 rank from all Skills. Unlike the bonus, this penalty can
always apply to combat. If the violation is a complete opposition, a Marshall may require the character to spend
Discipline to even attempt it. Faithful characters lose 2 to all skills when opposing their Devotion, and Zealous characters
lose 3. Thusly, characters with very high Faith find it difficult to bend their ideals as they tend to believe so adamantly in
them.

For example, if the Zealous Inquisitor Sariel takes Hatred: Heretics then protecting a heretic due to valuable information
he may possess would incur a penalty of -3 Ranks to every skill he uses, as he is not particularly enthused with the
outcome of recent events. Every time his shield would block an on oncoming attack aimed at this heretic he would face
such a penalty. Any attempt to shield him from an attack would do so with his skills thus blunted. If he must help him
escape judgment from another inquisitor, Discipline would need to be spent to even consider such a blasphemous notion.

Devotion List

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

Devotions can be nearly anything, so long as you and the staff can agree upon what it means and when it applies, but
these are some examples in broad categories. Choose a specific Devotion such as the examples below under Common
Devotions, specific to the particulars to your character.

Chaos Devotions - You are committed to bringing an order out of power, destroying a status quo, or subverting a
ruling authority. Although you may follow an authority yourself, it is simply a means to an ends. Your loyalty lies in your
cause and although you may possess a sense of morality, your goals are destructive in nature.
Common Devotions: A ruling family, The Church, a thieves guild, an order of unjust knights.

Hatred Devotions - You have become the ruiner, the bane of something or someone and you have devoted yourself to
its end. The very sight or mention of it can boil your blood. Your hatred may be for revenge, or perhaps you are
committed to an ideal, but whatever the reason, you walk a dark and lonely path that will end in either blood or misery.
Common devotions are heretics, specific persons, orcs, sorcerers.

Idealism Devotions - Your calling in life is creating or preserving a single idea. You may be a man who ignores the law
to preserve justice, a historian who is obsessed with her studies, or a druid that protects the forest from intruders. There
are few who possess such rare dedication to something so abstract and ephemeral, but such things have risen to the first
priority in your heart.
Common Devotions are discovery, art, untouched wilderness, justice.

Love Devotions - There is a person or persons that you care for more than anything else in the world. They are your
world and perhaps are all you really have. It is a bond that transcends all instincts and yet feels instinctual. Perhaps you
need them, or perhaps they need you, but whatever the case, you will go to the ends of the earth to help them and aid
them.
Common devotions are lovers, family, friends.

Materialism Devotions - All that matters in this world is getting what you can before someone else beats you to it.
Your devotion in life is invested in your possessions or perhaps possessing things you do not have. Some would call you
greedy but it's hard for you to deny your fascination with the material world. You may be a collector of sorts, perhaps you
are a skinflint with a love for money, or maybe you are obsessed with a single magical object and simply want to keep it
safe.
Common devotions are money, paintings, books, gems, a specific object

Order Devotions - You are committed to keeping an order in power, preserving a status quo, or upholding a
government and it's laws. The bastion of order, you follow an authority and are righteously loyal to its cause. Your
motives are unselfish although not necessarily good. You can be found placing laws above morality and weighing the
value of lives on the preservation of order.
Common Devotions are Imperial Law, the church, a specific ruling family.

Power Devotions - Your calling is to attain true greatness. Whether it be to fill in the footsteps or expectations of
others, or because a deep thirst for power, you aspire to be the very best. This may be in political, intellectual, or physical
arenas but always the motive is the same: you refuse to be content with your standing and only the top will satisfy you.
Common devotions are swordsmanship, political power, guild standing, sorcerous power, or fame.

FAVORED ATTRIBUTE

ATTRIBUTE REFERENCE CHART

Strength
(-) Feeble: Cant lift own body weight or stand without help; cant climb over waist height.
o Ordinary Strength
Strong: May purchase the Heavy Weapons skill with experience points.
Brawny: Knockback attacks and Feat of Strength.
Mighty: All Weapons are considered Mighty.

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

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

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

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

Intellect
(-)Simple You cannot speak correctly, use prepositions, or understand any abstract concepts
 o Ordinary Intellect
Knowledgeable: May purchase the Academics skill with experience points
.Smart: (Grants Wit. For Mages: 15 spell packets, 7 Threshold packets)
Brilliant: (Grants Invention ability. For Mages: 20 spell packets, 10 Threshold packets)

Choose one Attribute to raise one step to the level to represent your character's natural talent and predilection. You
may also take as many Attributes at the (-) rank as you wish, each earning anadditional 10 exp as a Flaw. Flaws are
discussed in more detail below.

FAITH
When a character starts out she may choose what her faith score primarily represents. Although, it is possible to have
faith in many different things, there is usually one thing that acts as a primary guide for one's beliefs and actions. A
brigand may still believe in God but that does not usually stop him from stealing and occasionally killing in spite of
knowledge about the afterlife. It is simply that the brigand has placed his faith and moral guidance in himself more than
the potency of divine power.

FAITH IN SELF
Although you are not necessarily doubting of other powers in the world, you have a tendency to look within for inner
strength. You are self-reliant and believe that those who forge their own blessings need never beg for them. As a result
you are steadfast and self-assured and have an additional resource called Willpower.

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

Willpower
Drawing upon her focus and self-confidence, the character may immediately recover all of her consumed skill uses that
can be recovered through Rest. Willpower may be used once per day.

Once per game event, a character may spend Willpower to remove one Depravity of her choice as she works through her
issues and comes to terms with her decisions.

FAITH IN A HIGHER POWER

Through a higher power, all things are possible. Whether it be the Holy Church, ancient Elven gods, the Altar of Vecatra,
or even the Triumvirate, you know in your heart that it is belief and worship that has prolonged you thus far and only by
the power of your devotion may you continue. Thusly, all good fortune is the praise and attention of your god, while all
bad fortune is punishment or foul machinations of opposing gods or devils. People with this type of faith keep an open
mind to the invisible workings of the world, and unlike faith in the self, they are highly affected by Ritual Magic. As well,
they gain the Prayer ability.
Prayer
If the character prepares in the method their religion dictates for success in a single specific situation or goal, (a prayer
to the Lord, a sacrifice to the spirits, meditation, etc) they may behave for one single task that the prayer was related to
as if their Devotion was active. This requires at least five minutes of uninterrupted preparation and the prayer registered
with a Marshall at least sometime before committing to the action in question. You may only use this in one such
situation at a time until new preparations are made, and only once perday.

EXPERIENCE POINTS
Every character begins with 10 Experience points to spend as they wish. You may spend these on skills or other
abilities, or you may purchase Perks for the listed value. Flaws award experience points, and Traits neither cost or give
experience points. After character creation, perks cost twice as much and require in game justification. Flaws cost twice
as many experience points as they awarded to remove, and also require in game justification.

When purchasing skills with experience points, the skills Heavy Weapons, Mobility, Grit, Discipline, Academics and
Liturgy are only able to be purchased with the required Attribute level, even if they were awarded earlier in the process
as free ranks.

PERKS, TRAITS, FLAWS

PERKS:
Alacrity (5)
You are exceptionally coordinated and can react with amazing speed and effectiveness. In combat, you regain use of one
expended Combat Maneuver every 10 seconds.

A Friend Indeed (1-3 Points)

Someone is indebted to you in some way. You may have saved his life or helped him out of a bad situation. Either way,
he owes you. You two are not necessarily friends, but he is willing to pay his debt as long as you don't ask for too much.
The point cost of this perk relates to the relative power and influence of the individual you hold the debt over. This may
be purchased multiple times to purchase different allies at different point values. Many characters who may be indebted
to you may not be local to the game site, and in those cases, have to be contacted via a letter or some other means
between sessions and their help may take a long time to arrive. If this is the case, the Perk is worth an additional point
but this is determined by staff depending on the character in question.

1 point - Someone with whom you are not very close to owes you a small favor. You can collect anytime as long as it
doesn't inconvenience him too much or put him in any danger. For example, a bartender that will always give you free
drinks or information on his patrons.
2 points - Someone who is steadfast to you and will risk most anything but his life, or a less devoted Friend who is
broadly competent. For example, a guard captain for the city watch who is willing to reorganize guard patrols for your
needs and allow characters into a sensitive area.
3 points - Someone who is completely devoted to the player and will repay his debt even if it costs him his own life, or a
less devoted Friend who is very capable. This ally has his own life and objectives that will always prevent him from
completely joining the character's side for any significant length of time. Disrespecting this will end the relationship. For
example, an assassin who always repays his debts.

Over-extending your debt in any way will force the relationship between the ally and the player to end as the ally will
consider his debts fully paid. Otherwise, favors can continue to be asked of the ally within reason. The staff determines
when and how a debt becomes fully resolved.

Backing(3-5 Points)
You have the backing of a powerful organization such as an Ordera noble house or the Church. You have an ongoing
relationship with them such that, acting as their agent or working in joint progress with them, they will provide you with
the financial or logistical backing to pursue their ends. The nature of this backing should be defined between yourself
and the staff, but so long as this relationship is maintained and you can prove your identity, usually with written papers,
perhaps a signet ring, or even your own Fame, you may draw aid from any representative of that group by performing
tasks for them. Breaking your arrangement with the group may cause you to lose this Perk. This does not work for Trade
Guilds.
For 3 points, your backers will cover your basic expenses, such as food and repairs.
For 5 points, your backers will cover the above, as well as grant you a stipend of 2 silver shields for each rank you have in
their Organization, such as Degrees, Rank or Circle, to a minimum of 2 silver shields, to be used expressly to carry out
your duties.

Boon (1-7 Points)

You have some sort of advantage or beneficial circumstance that isn't represented elsewhere by other Perks. This could
be a special writ of allowance by a local power like a noble, a quirk that makes you able to function with less sleep, or
something else. The exact nature of this boon and how it works, whether it can be lost, what it costs and other details
require express approval by staff, and the benefit you have in mind may not be allowable at all.

Fame (2)
You have done some great deed and the stories of your exploits have spread like wildfire among certain circles. Because
of this, you have earned yourself a title that has been appended to your name, such as Mad Koenrad or Derrick the
Silent. You will need to discuss the details of your reputation with staff.
Gain a Fame entry on the website, describing your heroic deeds with your name and picture. In a certain, specific, social
arena such as sailors or knights, your good reputation would speak for you. For a reputation that has earned ill will as
well as gratitude, the Infamy flaw should be taken as well.

Impeccable Memory (3)

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

Journeyman (1)
You are a representative of a Trade Guild, and having completed your Apprenticeship, are being sent out into the world
to start your own business. Choose one Skill you have at Rank 3 or greater. When you arrive in play, your character will
have the legal right to practice your trade with the Vocation Downtime action. You may also swap out any pieces of your
starting equipment for pieces that relate to your profession.

Magnetism (5)
Wherever you go, you tend to make acquaintances, friends, and allies. Either by sheer force of personality or just a
friendly and gregarious nature, .people you do a significant service for also have a greater tendency to feel indebted to
you, and word of your deeds tends to travel a bit further. If you manage to do a truly significant service for someone, you
will generally earn the Friend Indeed perk. If you help a large crowd or area in a visible way, you will generally earn the
Fame perk for the affected group.

Nobody's Fool (2)

You've been lied to too often. A distrusting nature, a cool head and some common sense have given you a heightened
awareness as to people's true intentions. You have one free use of Discipline against the first use of Persuade, Seduction
or Sincerity against you in a scene.

Quick Healer (5)

Bones knit and cuts close faster on you than on anyone else. Your injuries, though just as painful, are never lasting. After
a good night's rest (at least 6 hours of sleep) though you remain Battered, you regain use of any Injured limbs. It also
takes additional punishment in battle to leave you Maimed, requiring 5 hits to a limb instead of 3.

Quiet (3)
You have always led a solitary life, keeping mainly to yourself and sharing very little of yourself with others. You have
learned how to be self-reliant and have as little contact with others as is necessary, creating ways to allow solitude as you
go about your affairs. When others use Streetwise to attempt to track your affairs, they do soas if your own Streetwise
were 2 levels higher.

Retainer (3)
You have a servant or an ally of the most loyal quality. Although he or she may not necessarily serve your every word
blindly, she is steadfast and loyal.While she has no particular Skills, yourRetainer accepts you as her Leader and will
grant you her assistance whenever you ask, though she is a character like any other and has to eat and may also be killed.
This perk requires Leadership to purchase, and may be taken more than once provided the character has the necessary
Skill Ranks in Leadership.

Slow Bleeder (3)

You are unusually healthy and resilient, and when Downed, you expire after ten minutes instead of five.

Spiritual Prodigy (5)

For as long as you can remember, your faith has been everything to you. It is one of the strong pillars that you have built
your entire life upon, and it impacts every decision you make. You may use the Prayer ability or the Willpower ability an
additional time per day (though only once per scene), and when performing Priestly Rituals, you pay point with an
additional finger.

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

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

Workhorse (1)
You are accustomed to a good, hard day's work. Every day you work, and every day you sleep, and in the morning, wake
to work hard again. You may ignore a Fatigue effect once per day.

The Spark (10)

Some say this gift is given to those born under the Magus Star, others say it runs in the bloodline of powerful sorcerers.
Still others say that those with the Spark have a terrible destiny chosen by God. No one is sure why or how this gift
develops, but in the very blood of those with it flows the essences of greatness in the sorcerous arts. For one specific
element, your body storms with a latent and irrepressible arcane energy that allows you to have a single charge in your
body that cannot be exhausted. You may immediately draw your first spell packet when casting a spell, rather than
waiting the normal 10 seconds to channel. This effect may occur only once every ten seconds.

This gift is not without its drawbacks however. Such a person has the rapt attention of all four of the Arcane Guilds
should her identity be determined, earning her a host of manipulators and enemies immediately. Characters with no
formal magical training that have this perk can cast spells intuitively, possibly without even knowing it themselves, and
have one spell packet to use for this purpose. They may learn new Domains and basic Techniques like a mage, but
without training, cannot gain Circle Rating.

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

Peasant:

1Respected - You are seen as a forthright and earnest individual and are a pillar of the community for local peasants.
Local people listen carefully to your opinion, and take your words and wisdom seriously. Characters with this kind of
respect can defuse tension among peasants or whip them into a riot given the right circumstances, and local authorities
look to these influential leaders to help them manage their domains.
5 Hardy - Living off the land has made you tough and strong, and your family has been doing it for centuries. Normally,
when Downed, after 5 minutes a character will bleed out and die. Instead, after five minutes, you become Battered and
may regain consciousness. Furthermore, when using your Downtime to perform a Gathering skill such as Mining,
Trapping, Farming and so on, you earn double the amount that other characters do. This bonus only applies to your own
efforts, not those you lead with Leadership.

-3 Hayseed - You were born in some backwater town and don't have the head for any kind of refinement or
sophistication. You may never gain the Academics or Etiquette skills.

Gutter:
1 Light Sleeper - It usually just means you're grouchy for the first hour of every day. You automatically awaken from
any natural sleep at the slightest noise when danger approaches. Before an intrusion on you while you sleep at night, you
will be woken up individually; the intruder must leave, then re-enter.
5 Street Savvy - The dirty sprawls and bastard alleys know something and you know what it takes to make them talk.
The Streetwise skill does not require a Downtime action to use. Furthermore, you automatically know when someone
uses Streetwise to spy on you, and who used it. Street Savvy also negates the benefits of the Quiet perk - you are too well
connected for such things to matter.

-3 Odious: Missing teeth, layers of grime, a certain stink, maybe a weird hunch and a scratchy voice. These are all the
hallmarks of your less than trustworthy seeming. You might be a completely legitimate business man with a somewhat
adventurous view of hygiene, but lets not kid ourselves. You must costume and roleplay this flaw.

Merchant:
1 Entrepreneur - You can create money out of seemingly nowhere, always able to push or pull the market to make a
few clink, and pull every last copper crest out of a transaction. You gain 1 copper piece for every Skill rank on your
character sheet each game session.
5 Connections - You've traveled far and wide and wherever you go, you have an old friend or acquaintance. Choose one
social class. As a downtime action you may call upon your connections, gaining special favors by well positioned people
of that class.

-3 Debt -
You are constantly in debt from various sources and are constantly short on money to pay off creditors or other
collectors. Your creditors demand a regular flow of money, and if they find out you are holding out on them, this flaw can
become an Enemy flaw instead. Work with the staff to determine the nature of your debt.
You begin play under a debt of 3 golden lions. If you dont make regular payments, trouble will find you and make sure
that you do. This flaw can be bought off with money instead of experience and can be taken alongside the Wealth perk.

Noble:
1 Classical Education: You were raised with the best tutelage and instruction. You begin play with the following:
BasicFoci: Throne, Church, Law, Heraldry, History, Nobility
Advanced Foci: Your own House, Auctoritas

5 Highborn - You are directly related to the ruling house of your region, and bear their surname. You were likely raised
in their castle, or possibly fostered at another ruling family's keep. This gives you certain rights and privileges, such as
legal immunity to and authority over all characters without this perk. A character with this perk is literally above the law
except in regards to other Highborn characters. As well, few enemies who know your identity will seek to actually kill
you, seeking to ransom you to your family instead. Your lands are elsewhere, but your birthright makes you above the
common dirt of the peasants and lowborn. In this position, however, enemies are almost a certainty as they seek to
supplant you in their schemes.

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

-3 Entitlement - Having been bred to power and purpose your whole life, you take your role very seriously. Whenever
you see something not as it should be, the situation demands immediate correction. This could be an issue of injustice
that you as a person of means could resolve, or someone doing their job incorrectly such that you cannot help but
intervene. Furthermore, you cannot tolerate your authority being questioned. If anyone you consider to be a peer or your
lesser questions your word, honor, or authority, you must set them in their place at once and never let them forget it. To
do less is to spit upon all you stand for, and by extension the entire Throne and its Emperor.

Njord:
1 Ice-Hardened: Ice water runs through your veins and the winter winds fill your sails. Gain +1 to Survival,
Perception, & Stealth skills, as well as +Fortitude during the Winter season, or it happens to be damned cold outside.
5 Tough as Nails: Your enemies will find, to their dismay, that you require additional coaxing to lay down. After being
downed, you may wait 30 seconds and stand back up. You are still Downed, and still bleeding to death, but you may
continue to fight until you take another wound. This refreshes when you are fully healed.

-3 Thrall of the Old Gods: You were never converted to the ways of White Benalus, preferring the complex
submission of the old gods of the Northlands. Your gods demand sacrifice, and you must perform a ritual sacrifice each
day else be Fatigued until you complete it. An observance of your ancient rites involves ceremonial blood be spilt, chants
be used, and other ritual behavior lasting at least 10 minutes. This can be done privately or publically, the Old Gods care
not which.

Rogalian:
1 Collected: Things never get so out of hand that you can't think straight. In an emergency situation you are at your
best. You may call skill defenses when attacked from stealth, except execution attacks.
5 Veteran: You have seen all the horrors of battle and there is little left that can faze you. You live by your steel and
know that you will surely one day die by it.
You are immune to any effect that would cause Fear during combat, and you do not take Despair when you lose close
friends in combat.

-3 Pig-Headed - You are as stubborn as they come. Life would be easier if everyone would stop arguing with you when
you're right. You take vocal offense whenever anyone violates your Devotion, not just you, and will immediately seek to
intervene. Furthermore, you may not even attempt to act against your Devotion under any circumstances. You simply
arent capable of that kind of flexibility.

Gothic:
1 Humorless: You never crack a smile or make a joke, even in good company. You gain one free use of Discipline in
any social encounter. A stern rebuke and possibly a lecture shall be the only reward for guile aimed at you.
5 Pious - Your faith in the Lord is the strong pillar that you have built your life upon, and you never falter or shake in
your convictions. As a result, you feel blessed that the Lord answers your call when you pray for assistance. When using
the Prayer ability, your Faith is considered one higher than normal. You must show your humility by wearing a hood or
other head covering.

-3 Bigoted: You cannot suffer people who dont see the world as you do. Godless heathens, people of opposite
Devotion, those who dont attend regular Church services, even foreigners and their backwards ways make your gut ache
and your jaw set. When another characters ways are very different from those you hold to be right, you must spend
Discipline to resist the urge to shun or verbally debase them at each opportunity.

Shariqyn:
1 Natural Linguist: Your interactions with a variety of cultures and people have left you with a knack for language.
You begin play being able to speak Rogalian, Dunna, Hestron, Cappacian, Gothic, Njor and Shariq'a. Other languages
you may learn through Instruction at no cost by spending a Downtime action with your teacher.
5 Magical Wonder: You are in possession of a strange magical artifact uncovered from the shifting desert sands. Its
effects are not mighty, but its small magics may come in handy. Work with the staff to create a magical trinket to enter
play with.

-3 Outspoken Heathen: Most Shariqyn are barely tolerated within the Throne because of their religious and cultural
differences. You refuse to allow anyone to speak poorly of your people or your ways, and will speak up against any such
disrespect and demand satisfaction before you relent. After all, it is they in the West that are truly the unwashed
barbarians.

Dunnick:
1 Hard Drinker - Your body is used to at least a little poison coursing through your veins. You put it through too much
torment on a regular basis to be overthrown by some cutter's plant paste on a blade. Your Grit is considered to be 2
higher when considering the effects of drugs, poisons, and alcohol.
5 Ancestral Moorsword: You are in possession of the sword of your fathers fathers. Its beautiful designs show the
heritage of your family line back to the beginning of your clan, and you are its heir. The sword itself is as much a symbol
as a weapon, and those that still bear one are the closest thing the shattered Dunnick culture has to Highborn. You begin
play with a steel Masterwork greatsword, and are treated with great respect by others of your culture, especially your
own clan.

-3 Harsh Temper - You have a tendency to fly off the handle and it takes very little for you to become combative and
belligerent. Classically, you will talk back to people that oppose you, throw the first punch, or otherwise behave in an
overly aggressive manner whether or not the situation calls for it. When treated with aggression you always must respond
more aggressively.

Hestralian:
1 Trade Guild Amici-You have a good working relationshipwith the international Hestrali Merchant Guild. While
ordinarily the Merchant Guild deals in very large bulk orders and special contracts, for you, they make an exception. You
can call a local agent of the Merchant Guild to come visit you for trade, and barter or sell goods with them, which they
will generally buy at fairly standard rates in order to sell elsewhere in the world by caravan or ship. They may also be
able to give you news of the goings on throughout the Throne in politics, war, trade and otherwise.
5 Daredevil - High risks awaken your blood and you feel truly alive when attempting anything out of reach. In any
situation where you stand alone grossly outmatched or attempting something no sane person would ever attempt you
behave as if your Devotion was active.

-3 Vendetta - You are the inheritor of the famous Hestralian passion, and it sometimes gets the better of you. You
cannot stand to be upstaged, put down, or otherwise made to lose a competitive contest. It boils your blood to think that
someone is underestimating you, and you will do anything you can to set the record straight, in elaborate and explosive
display, if need be. If you are upstaged or publically lose face because of another, that person becomes your Vendetta.
Any time you have an opportunity to act against that person and don't take it, you gain Despair. Your acts against them
should be in the same arena you were bested in, physical, social or otherwise, though you can always escalate. This
person remains your Vendetta until someone else becomes your Vendetta, even if you have already proven your
superiority over them.
Cappacian:
1 Silver Tongue - People just can't say no to you. You know how to guilt trip, play character weaknesses, and fabricate
believable stories in your favor. You may use two social skills when attempting to manipulate someone (not necessarily
the same skill) , and they must counter both or concede to your wiles. Use both hands to gesture for the social skills, such
as a carrot and stick argument using Seduce and Intimidate or a rational reason they should accept your lies as truth,
Persuade and Sincerity. They must answer with two appropriate counters or concede the point.
5 Pistolier: Your countrys favorable trade with the dwarves has resulted in the human invention of the pistol, and their
design and workmanship is centralized in your lands, making them slightly less prohibitively expensive. You have your
hands on one such weapon, and may begin play with a pistol and three shots worth of black powder.

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

Traits

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

Abhorrent
Your presence is offensive to the senses. One or more qualities (be they physical or otherwise) unsettles and repulses
others, both to your advantage and disadvantage. You may only ever use the Seduce or Persuade skills to counter those
skills, but your Intimidate uses gain Power.

Alcoholic
Alcohol is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. You use it to escape the shambles that have become your life and you feel
more in control when you've washed away your worries with drink. When inebriated, all of your Insanities are one level
less severe. When sober, they are all one level more severe.

Bravado
You're the best you've ever seen and that's done more for you than simply put a swagger in your step. Whether or not you
can afford such hubris is up for debate.
You are totally Immune to Fear until you find yourself in combat with no remaining Defensive Calls, at which point you
immediately succumb to Fear and cannot spend Discipline to ignore it.

Foolish Heart
You are a romantic figure, torn between two deep passions. You possess 2 possibly conflicting devotions. Should both
Devotions trigger at once, you may not stack the bonuses. However, the penalties can still stack and should either offer
penalties you cannot receive a bonus from the other due to the inner conflict.

Death Wish
You are the grim husk of a man. It is arguable that you have nothing to wish for, because you are already dead. You are
immune to Fear effects and the Intimidate skill but you cannot flee or exit any unwanted combat situation. No combat is
unwanted.
Extreme Personality
Because of your unique characteristics, people tend to react to you strongly. People seem to either really like you, or
really dislike you, and you cannot seem to control their reaction. The first time you use a social skill on a character, if
that skill is successful, that character forms a strong first impression of liking your character. If it is unsuccessful, they
decide that they distinctly dislike your character from then on. This lasts indefinitely until their opinion evolves from
there naturally.

Finesse Fighter
You have dexterous, quick hands which are built for small, precise movements. You are a natural with Light Weapons
and you learn the skill for 2 less experience points every level (though your natural ability cannot be further improved
with any form of Instruction), but you have no talent at all for Medium or Heavy Weapons, and may never learn those
skills.

Heavy Handed
You don't know your own strength. You've never learned control and handing you something delicate is an invitation for
you to break it. You are a natural with Heavy Weapons, learning each rank of the skill for 2 less experience points every
level (though your natural talent cannot be further improved with Instruction of any kind). However, your ham-fisted
approach doesn't lend itself well to much else;you can't get the hang of Light or Medium Weapons and may never learn
those skills.

Renegade
You are an ex-member of a distinguished guild or organization. You possess many of their secrets but have none of their
support. As a wizard or a priest, you may not increase your Rank or Circle, or purchase any new abilities, but you no
longer possess the Duty portion of your station. As a knight, you cannot gain any new or replacement equipment and
cannot levy forces. The repercussions portion of your Duty flaw becomes active.

FLAWS
There is no specific numerical limit to the amount of Flaws you take. However, if the flaws taken seem to not make sense
for the character, or cause the character to be unplayable or nearly unplayable, whether because of the difficulty of
playing such a character or because the character should be or will soon be dead, Staff reserves the right to refuse the
Flaws or the character concept.

A Friend in Need (1-3)

You owe someone important or influential a favor, and they may call upon it at any time. Higher value are more serious
favors, or favors to more serious people.

Corpse in the Closet (1 or 3)

You have a secret that you do not want anyone to ever find out about. Maybe you were responsible for a tragedy, involved
in the murder of a friend's father, or once worshiped one of the Triumvirate. By taking this flaw it means that while
whatever it is remains basically secret, it was not a perfect crime and there are witnesses, conspirators or other lingering
evidence that a dedicated person might still discover if they really looked into it, and thus, you are more at risk of it being
brought up. For this flaw to be effective, the secret must be something that will cause you serious hardship should it be
found out. For 1 point, your close companions would consider parting ways with you. For 3 points, there would be no
choice but to ostracize or kill you.

Dirt Poor (3)

Perhaps you are down on your luck, or never had any to begin with. You may also begin the game as a captive or in some
other dire circumstance, but in either case you lack all but the most basic property. You begin the game with no items,
equipment or property and no starting money save the clothes on your back. You cannot take this flaw if you purchase a
Character Perk for joining an Organization such as Knighthood.

Duty
2-6 points. You have a duty to perform that will bear serious repercussions if left derelict and affects your daily life. The
scope of your duties as well as the consequences of not meeting them comprise the point value of this flaw. Minor,
Significant and Major are worth 1, 2, and 3 points respectively and you must take one from each of the below categories
to determine the value of this flaw. This flaw is automatically appended to certain characters such as belonging to a
Knight order or one of the Guilds of Magicians, and in these cases awards no points. Those characters can, however, take
this Flaw for points if they have additional out of the ordinary duties to uphold as part of those organization loyalties or
otherwise.

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

Minor Scope (+1 point): Your duty can be performed mostly anywhere or requires only simple maintenance. For
example, protecting someone, or managing a store.
Significant Scope (+2 points): Your duty vies for balance with the rest of your life and requires daily attention and
sometimes serious personal risk. For example, Town Constable, Steward for a household, Nobleman in charge of a
town's defense.
Major Scope (+3 points): Your duty forms the basis by which you live you life and all aspects and decisions are impacted
by it. This commonly requires serious personal risk and complete investment of time and resources. For example,
Paladin, valet to a Count, Burgomaster of a Town
Minor Repercussions (+1 point): Serious financial hardships and loss of personal standing. For example, your business
fails, a bad reputation is gained.
Significant Repercussions(+2 points): You are no longer welcome amongst peers, stripped of all stations. For example,
you are exiled, removed from your order.
Major Repercussions (+3 points): You may lose everything, up to and including all possessions and your life. For
example, publicly executed.

Enemy (1- 5)
Some dangerous or powerful person or group has made it their business to destroy you. The relative power of this enemy
is based on the point value of this flaw, but their power will scale with the character's advancement.
This flaw may be taken a maximum of 3 times, regardless of the value.

1 point - Your enemy is about as powerful as you are, and has no true intention to kill you, but is going out of their way
to make your life harder.
2 points - Your enemy is significantly more powerful than you, and has just as many or more resources. They mean to
destroy you, and will do so if they can manage to catch you in their trap.
3 points - Your enemy is a considerably powerful individual or group, and they have the power to be your end in a
relatively short amount of time. Your enemy has some amount of control over a wide area, but their capacity does have
limits, and you may be able to escape their reach, if perhaps not defeat them.
5 points. - Your enemy is an extremely powerful individual or organization, possibly a world power such as the Emperor
or the Fire Guild. They have vast connections and your destruction is well within their means. Avoiding their clutches
will be difficult enough, let alone their overthrow and defeat.

Craven (4)
You are a unused to danger, or perhaps a little too used to it, and when danger arrives, you look out for number one. You
will never willingly enter a combat situation and must attempt to exit immediately if you find yourself in one, and you
must spend a Discipline to attempt to enter an area or circumstance that might have other dangers or participate in
combat. If you do join a dangerous situation, you are automatically Afraid, but can spend Discipline to resist it.

Cursed (1-7)
Something horrible afflicts your character, some lasting ailment or malady that the character perhaps acquired through
previous events or possibly was born with, some flaw passed through the blood or perhaps on your entire lineage. The
details and severity of this affliction are variable in nature, though there may be further repercussions than just the curse
itself as people's reactions to one bedeviled can vary wildly. Alternately, you can use this flaw to describe some other
severe defect with your character not covered elsewhere by another flaw.

Hedonist (4)
Be it through curiosity or some black attraction, you are at one with the dark side of your soul and feel entitled to all the
temptations that others normally deny. You must spend Discipline to avoid indulging in any of the level 1 Sins when the
opportunity arises.

Honor Code (1-5)

The character is honor sworn to a specific set of principles or rules. You determine a number of Always or Never
statements with no qualifiers such as "unless or" "execpt when" about your characters personal ethics. Violating these
precepts works exactly as if you were violating your Devotion. For each point this flaw awards, 2 tenants are required.

Infamy (2)
You have done some terrible misdeed and the stories of your actions have followed you into certain circles. A title has
been added to your name as well, such as Cain the Butcher or Black Bertrand. You will need to discuss the details of your
reputation with staff. An entry on the website explaining your dastardly deeds.
In a certain specific social arena such as criminals or Paladins, your tarnished reputation will make trouble for you.
Some things are misdeeds to some and a boon to others. If appropriate, you may take the Fame perk along side this flaw.

Memorable(3)
Your bombastic personality, your exaggerated dress, or some other feature about you makes you impossible to forget.
Anyone performing a Streetwise action to follow someones actions will also learn of your actions, whether they asked for
it or not.

Naive (3)
You're very trusting of people. It's adorable. You may never counter a use of Sincerity used on you. Furthermore, when
someone uses the Sincerity skill on you, you also believe that what they are saying is actually true as if they had used
Persuade.

Old Wounds (2, 4 or 6)

You bear the old scars of previous conflict, having some injury from a previous encounter that haunts you to this day.
You begin play with a Maim effect. This can be purchased multiple times, but more severe maims on a body part
supersede and include more mild ones. For instance, if one cannot walk because of crippled legs, they also cannot run
and cannot jump.
2 points. You have a Mild Maim, such as the inability to jump, or a weak grip that causes you to drop things more easily,
or persistent headaches.
4 points. You have a Severe Maim, such as the inability to run, missing fingers on a hand preventing you from drawing a
bow, or hearing loss.
6 points. You have a Crippling Maim, such as being unable to walk, or a missing hand, or have been blinded.

One Eyed Jack (2)

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

One Foot in the Grave (7)

Your character is dying. Unless by some miracle, your character will die within one year.

Sick in the Head (3 or 5)

3 points. Your character has some severe trauma in their life that has driven them mad. The character begins play with a
Severe Insanity. This Insanity can be suppressed with Discipline and can aggravate to more severe levels but may never
be recovered from past the point of a Severe Insanity.
5 points. Your character's mind is so different, or they have become so unhinged from normal processes that she is
fundamentally and irrevocably insane. The character begins play with a Crippling Insanity, which as above, can never be
recovered from by normal means.

Vainglorious (2)
Everyone loves it when their egos are stroked; you just like it much, much more.
You may not counter any use of Sincerity, Seduction or Persuasion while being complimented.

Wicked (2)
You've done things in your life that some wouldn't agree with. Moreover, you've done things that most would curse you
for; and you don't especially care. For each level of this flaw, your character begins with 1 Depravity in the sin of your
choice for which the character is completely uninterested in forgiveness for. These points of Depravity cannot be atoned
for without buying off the flaw. This can be taken more than once.
You may not take this Flaw such that it forces you to enter play above your Morality threshold and be already gaining
Insanities.

Dainty (3)
You are not one for rough treatment and hard work. Taking a hit to any of your limbs is enough to Down you. If you have
the Pain Tolerance ability, you still remain conscious but you are too overcome by pain to take any actions other than
speaking, moaning and screaming.

ORGANIZATIONS
Membership in some organizations and the special training that they give their members and adherents require the
purchase of a Character Perk. These can be purchased at a later time if membership into these groups is earned in game,
and in this case they can be purchased for the cost listed below without the Glory cost. Beginning a character concept
that has already gone through recruitment and training means that these Perks are acquired during character creation,
and this requires a corresponding amount of Glory to be spent to help ensure the quality and relative scarcity of these
character types.

Most of these require some level of commitment to a world organization which requires certain responsibilities of its
members in exchange for the benefits that are granted, and this is represented by the Duty flaw discussed in each Perk,
which does not yield any experience points when conferred this way. You may still take the Duty Flaw during character
creation, but it represents a different duty than this, perhaps some above and beyond responsibility, or perhaps
something completely unrelated to your affiliations.

If all other pre-requisites are met, it is possible to begin play at a higher rank in an organization than the first, but it
requires that the associated Glory costs be paid over again for each rank above the first. The third rank is the highest
allowed at character creation regardless of circumstance.

Charismata
30 Glory, 8 exp
You are gifted since birth with the mark of God. In your childhood you showed unusual talents in leadership and kinship
with your fellow man. Lay-folk often refer to your kind as "Heaven Touched" and see it as a sign of great destiny in you.
Your divinity shows on the surface of your skin as well as on a emotional level. When people see you, they cannot help
but perceive that you are somehow special, and you have great force of personal magnetism. This also allows you to
purchase Paladin abilities. See the Paladin chapter for details. Most Paladins are also members of the Sacred Order of the
White Lion, and take Knighthood as well. This cost includes any Glory costs for Knighthood, but exp must still be spent.
Joining the White Lions confers the Duty flaw (Major Scope, Major Repercussions).

Heir Apparent
20 Glory, 6 exp, Noble Only - Requires Highborn merit
You are next or nearly next in line to succeed the throne or lordship of a powerful position in the noble courts such as a
Rogalian Count, or a Gothic Herzog. One day, all of this will be yours - if you can survive long enough to claim it. In your
own country, you can expect good treatment anywhere you go, and if your inheritance comes to fruition, you can expect
to command a large amount of wealth and military power, as well as outranking other Highborn characters in political
matters, forcing them to defer to you in most circumstances.

Knighthood
10 Glory, 3 exp
You are a member of an order of Knights, sworn to God and Emperor. The order gives you access to its resources, and in
exchange, you are expected to uphold the orders ideals and interests, and act as protector of an area assigned to you.
This confers personal benefits as well as grants you access to levy military forces to wage war with. Each new degree
confers additional resources and authority to the knight, and gives him command over greater and greater area of land
and military forces. This confers the Duty flaw (Significant Scope, Significant repercussions).

Holy Ordination
10 Glory, 2 exp (Glory cost temporarily removed)
You are an ordained priest of your religion. You possess the station of a spiritual leader and you are an authority on the
tenants of your faith. Benalian priests are granted a copy of the Testamonium and are initiated into one of the seven
Holy Orders of the Church, and given their gospel. Even if the Priest is initiated into another Holy Order, he keeps his
Priest Rank across all rituals in that faith. The purchasing of this achievement carries with it the duty flaw (Minor scope,
Significant Repercussions). A priest is required to maintain a virtuous life, and to accept orders from higher ranking
members of his sect.
Shariqyn Magi do not have an organized clergy, but have individuals who personally dedicate themselves to the mystic
arts of Aab'oran, and this merit is the appropriate way to represent that. A Shariqyn magus is seen as a pillar of their
community and should behave as such, but has no special Duty flaw.

Arcane Circle Initiation

15 Glory 4 exp
You are well-trained and apprenticed in the occult arts of one of the four magician guilds. You may choose from one of
the four guilds and gain the basic Elemental domain of that guild (Earth, Fire, Water or Air). Subsequent powers and
Domains can be purchased with experience points. The purchasing of this achievement carries the Duty flaw (Significant
Scope, Major Repercussions). When joining a guild and learning its secrets, you become their agent and are trusted to
follow the orders of your superiors. Regardless of the stripe, all the arcane guilds are extremely stratified by their Circle,
and any outranking individual has complete authority over you. Frequently, you will receive orders to you that represent
the guilds interests and may have some long-term goal assigned to you.

Villain concept
30+ Glory
Your character concept is that of a direct antagonist to the other players, be it a Necromancer or some other heretic, or
something more mundane but just as wicked. The concept contains the potential for significant disruption of the game,
so needs to be handled carefully and with trust.

EQUIPMENT
Characters with the Journeyman perk begin with an amount of silver coins equal to one use of their Vocation. Peasants
take payment in Copper at equal value.

Starting equipment depends on your character's social class:

Choose 3 of the following items - you may choose the same item more than once. If you have the Journeyman perk, you
may substitute any of your 3 items with equipment appropriate to yourprofession instead.

Peasant:
Professional Tools: (Mining, Farming, Forestry, or Trapping), 10 of any common commodity, any weapon with the Crude
flaw (a farming implement like a hammer or scythe), Draft horse, Peasant Outfit

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

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

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

REVELER'S TRAIT
The last step in character creation is to choose your character's Reveler's Trait - their true nature as revealed through the
clarifying power of alcohol. Even if they never become Intoxicated in game, choose what sort of drunk your character
will turn out to be should it happen:

Surly
Decadent
Adventurous
Cantankerous
Brooding
Loquacious
Enthusiastic
Amorous
Daring

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

BACKGROUND AND SUBMISSION

Finally, submit your character to the Staff for final approval at TheLionAge@googlegroups.com. In that email,
include all of the information above, as well as a character background that tells your character's story up to this point
and gives us a sense ofher personality.

A good background should include information especially about conflicts your character has had that developed her into
the person she is, and explain flaws such as Infamy or Enemy. It is a great idea to leave plenty of unfinished business -
Gothic is a game of character-driven drama and how your story interacts with the personal stories of others, so
unfinished business is an excellent way for us to tell stories for your character.

Another excellent toolyou should include is 7 or morememories. Memories are simple one-offs that happened to your
character, such as "Once I fell into the river, and my father told me that if I couldn't swim to shore myself, I did not
deserve to be his son," or "On my brother's wedding night, his young wife and I had our final dalliance." These help flesh
out your character with the moments that make them meaningful, and also serve as tools for the Staff to use when telling
your personal story.

It is not absolutely required to submit your background before entering play, though you will be unable to spend
experience to improve your character until you do submit it.

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

ATTRIBUTES

Attributes are the core competencies that make up a character's basic capabilities. They represent their physical and
mental aptitudes toward certain tasks and activities, and every character uses these throughout their day to day lives as
well as the dangerous moments of adventure. Every character begins play with all Attributes at their base level by
default, with one Attribute slightly higher than normal. Characters may take lower Attributes as a Flaw for extra points
at Character Creation, or may spend points to increase their Attributes during or after creation.

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

oAll Stats begin at Ordinary, and have no particular advantage or disadvantage.
Stats cost 5 exp.
Stats cost 10 exp
Stats are not available at creation, and must be earned in game via story with staff approval. They do not cost exp
when earned.
and Higher grant Epic Feat of X and can be used once perrest per step above max, normally
not possible for PCs except under extreme and dangerous circumstances.

STRENGTH
A character's brute physical strength. Strong characters will be burly and powerful, capable of carrying heavy loads and
inflicting more damage with larger weapons.

Level Name Effect

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

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

Brawny The character is well muscled and imposing, able to direct great amounts of force into their actions. The character gains the Knockback Attacks and Feat of Strength abilities.
Mighty The character is a towering figure of muscle, exuding raw physical power. When his blows crash against their target, there is no hope of stopping them - they are simply too powerful. All Weapons are considered Mighty in your hands


Knockback Attacks
The character is strong enough that lesser opponents are smashed and knocked around the battleground, nearly
knocked off their feet by the force of your blows. Any attack that physically connects, whether it was physically
parried, defended against with a Defense call like Dodge, Parry, or Armor, causes the target to be knocked back,
forcing the player to take one full step in the direction the attack would push them. Knockback hits can be used as
many times as the attacker wishes so long as they use the call.
Preferred Call: A ferocious grunt or roar, "rrrrrRRAAHG!" with the hit.
Secondary Call: "Knockback"
Restriction: Knockback requires the hit to physically connect, but can be used along with a Brawl attack such as
Punch. Characters who are Brawny or stronger are immune to this attack, and can indicate their immunity with
the same ferocious grunt.

Feat of Strength
The character is able to sustain a great amount of physical force for a time and perform a specific feat. This can be
something like loudly breaking open a door, smashing open a lock (and possibly the contents behind it), carrying
an unconscious person all by one's self, rolling aside a boulder blocking a path, and other examples. The player
can work with the Marshall to perform a Feat of Strength that seems reasonable but isn't otherwise mentioned.
Using a feat of Strength takes 15 seconds of continuous force, repeated smashes or strained exertion.
Preferred Call: A ferocious grunt or roar, "rrrrrRRAAHG!".
Secondary Call: "Strength"
Refresh: Rest
Restriction: Depending on the circumstances, using a Feat of Strength may have unintended negative
consequences, such as reopening stabilized wounds of someone carried, breaking glass objects inside a smashed
open chest, or even injury in some cases. Using the Feat of Strength means you must accept whatever negative
outcomes might be declared by the Marshall without first knowing what they will be.

SPEED
A character's deftness of hands and feet. Speed embodies the ability to move quickly rather than with force. A fast
character is quick on their feet, graceful, can be seen acting first in a situation and being good with light to medium
weapons.

Level Name Effect

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

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

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

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

Escape
The character is able to break free of a situation, finding an unlikely route, creating an obstruction, or plainly
outrunning pursuers, and can make a dash for freedom. If a character can get 20 feet from her closest pursuer, she
can use Escape to use her speed or surroundings to prevent pursuers from reasonably continuing the chase.
Preferred Call: "Escape!"
Refresh: Rest
Restriction: A character that is just as Nimble as her quarry can match the character speed for speed, path for
path and trick for trick. A character who has the Escape ability available can simply continue the chase as normal,
unaffected by the Escape ability, though doing so consumes theirs as well until they rest.

FORTITUDE
A character's physical endurance and stamina. A character with high fortitude can exert the same physical force for a
much longer duration, such as running a long distance or staying conscious after enduring trauma. This also represents
how physically robust and resilient to harm the character is.

Level Name Effect

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

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

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

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

Toughness
You may call Toughness as a defense against any kind of damaging ability, including any weapon attack, spell,
ranged attack, even if you are in a circumstance that would otherwise not allow you to call any Defenses, such as
Surprised, on Bad Terrain, or any other circumstance. This ability always allows you that extra level of safety no
matter what the case.
Preferred Call: Hold the wounded area and groan defiantly.
Secondary Call: "Toughness"
Refresh: Rest
Restriction: Toughness may not defend against an Assassination attack. You may not purchase extra uses of
Toughness.

RESOLVE
A character's inner will and determination. Resolve is the ability to persevere through opposition, whether mental or
physical. Someone of weak will is easily tortured for information, convinced to follow, or cowed. Resolve is also the
mental determination to resist surrender and pain, as well as a character's ability to concentrate for long periods of time.
For guild mages, resolve also helps them resist cracking under the tremendous strain of their own power.

Level Name Effect

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

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

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

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

Pain Tolerance
You can withstand great amounts of pain, and are able to keep your nerve and concentrate even through pain that
would unman others. You are no longer able to be Downed as a normal person might be. Ordinary people collapse
from the pain after losing two limbs, but a character with Pain Tolerance does not. Clean hits to the limbs still
injure that limb, but you may always still fight with and use limbs that are still functional. Even if hit in the torso, a
character with Pain Tolerance will collapse to the ground, but uninjured arms are still working and are dangerous
to their opponents, and they are still fully conscious enough to speak or call for help. Only beating aside the still
working limbs will stop them from attacking, and only a death-blow will silence them. A character with Pain
Tolerance can still be knocked out.

Indomitable
Where others see a task as impossible, you find a damned way. There are times when circumstances demand
action, and others just can't see a way though it. Though your methods are unconventional, when the task
demands it you can move mountains, and can accomplish the result of what would otherwise require a Downtime
action during the course of a day. Be it detonating a section of a mine shaft to get easier access to an iron vein,
inciting a marketplace panic by faking a wheat blight, or by teaching an unconventional lesson with a heart-
stopping object lesson that leaves the learner shaken, if enlightened, you know that however ugly, there is always a
way.

To use this ability, have an idea of what you want to accomplish and how you want to accomplish it. Depending on
the nature of the solution, it may take a certain amount of time to accomplish IC determined by staff. The results
can often affect other characters, such as detonating part of the mine in the above example, and likely will affect
the ongoing story as well as be widely public, depending on the solution presented.

FAITH
A character's strength of ideals and beliefs. Not necessarily one's belief in a deity or religion, faith also encompasses the
degree to which a character will adhere to his or her personal codes and ideals. At character creation, characters are
encouraged to choose something to believe in. Doctrines of the church are a typical selection for any citizen of the
Throne, but Guild Mages can often be found selecting faith in themselves or the magic they wield. A character with high
faith has a deep confidence in their ideals and a natural leadership ability. Faithful characters are also more able to
believe in the power of things beyond their normal ken, and as such, can relate to the effectiveness of Ritual Magic in
regards to the character. Furthermore, the Faith score is also an odd measure of how conservative a character can be and
think. High faith tends to yield less flexible personas as they put great value in their beliefs. Faith also measures the
strength of a character's personal convictions against the expectations of the world, and characters with high Faith can
keep their self-identity more intact than others when faced with decisions others would find questionable, allowing them
more room for Depravity before Insanity takes hold. A normal character can have 5 Depravity before this occurs. An
Affirmed character can have 6, a Faithful character may have 7, and a Zealous character may have 8. Heartless
characters may only have 3.

Level Name Effect

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

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

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

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

INTELLECT
A character's intellect is their ability to process raw information into something immediately useful quickly and easily. A
character with high Intellect can appraise a situation better, as well as perceive their surroundings quickly while taking
relevant note of it. It is also the primary statistic for working magic, as the level of concentration that a magician requires
to channel arcane power is immense. The better a magician's intelligence, the more arcane power they can focus at one
time.

Level Name Effect

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

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

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

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

Wit
You can think on your feet in a way that duller minds can't, and the other people around you are frightfully
predictable. Able to choose the right argument for the right moment, your approach is not only excellent
technically, but also tailored to the poor sap you're using it on. When using a Social Skill, use your other hand to
declare the ranks you have in that skill. If your level of skill exceeds their own, your Social Skills gain the Power
quality, and your opponent must spend two defenses to counter successfully.

Invention
You gain access to a new kind of Downtime action called Invention. Inventions can be used to create entirely new
or unique configurations of production, new solutions to problems, new maneuvers, and other such things. The
ability itself is open-ended in that it can be used for a variety of outcomes that are negotiated with the staff. For
example, one could create a new kind of spring-bound lock that uses "@" as a character code instead of any
known existing code, and the lock would be impossible to bypass without that code, which would need to be
learned either by disassembling that lock or from the inventor himself. The player proposes the new mechanic to
the staff during the game's Downtime and once an agreed upon version of it is reached, any additional needs such
as currency or material costs must be fulfilled and spent to create the new invention.
Restriction: Characters can only create inventions that involve or correspond to skills that he actually possesses
at the appropriate level. For instance, he could not create as Advanced Maneuver for Greatswords without at least
Rank 4 of the Heavy Weapons skill. They can collaborate with another character on it and use their skills,
 however, if that character is at least Smart. In such a case, that character must also spend a Downtime action
assisting the inventor.

SKILLS
Skills are the learned capabilities of a character, allowing her to improve over time and attain greater levels of mastery in the
kinds of activities she wishes to specialize in. Skills cost 2 times their level in Experience Points to purchase.

Some Skills grant abilities at certain levels that have expended calls, such as earning Leap at Mobility 3. Once earned, additional
uses of called out abilities can be purchased for 1 exp each, which allow additional uses of those abilities. You may purchase up to
5 uses of each ability within a Skill. You get the first use as part of buying that rank of the base Skill.

COMBAT SKILLS
With 0 ranks in a particular weapon skill, you can hold and strike with that category of weapon, but cannot use any powers,
abilities, or physically parry with the weapon. A physical parry counts as a strike to the wielders arm.

Archery
The Archery skill is training in the ability to accurately fire and load bows and crossbows.
1. May draw, load and fire the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.
2. May call Dodge and Steady with the weapon in hand.
3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
5. Skewer Ability
Skewer
Preferred Call: Point at the target and call "Skewer"
Refresh: Rest
You may indicate one target within your bow range and call a hit to a leg that cannot be Dodged.

Brawl
The Brawl skill is the ability to fight effectively with unarmed strikes and prevent others from acting or moving by forcing them
into a grapple. Brawl has two uses, Grab and Punch. Each rank of Brawl allows one additionaluse of either call that expend
from a common pool. Brawl uses refresh one use every 10 seconds until full again.
Restriction:You must have at least one hand free to use Brawl. Brawl cannot be used on an armed opponent without a
maneuver.

 Punch
Punches and strikes from the fighter can cause pain and disorientation. Punches count as melee attacks for the purpose of
defense, but can only be attempted against unarmed targets without special training from a maneuver. Depending on the
area touched, the punch has a differing effect. Punches to the limbs give the Pain effect. Punches to the front of the torso
give the target Winded, and punches to the back of the torso give the target Stunned.
Preferred Call: The player must place their open palm on a body part and call "Punch"
Refresh:10 seconds per additional use.
Restriction:You must have at least one hand free to use Punch.

Grab
You may hold immobile any character that is weaker than you or that cannot break free of your grapple. Targets can
expend Grabs of their own if they have them to cancel your Grab or they can call the name of your Strength rating, (ie,
Strong, Brawny ) if they believe that they are the stronger character. Stronger characters can always break free of weaker
characters and can continue to use their strength as a defense. If the aggressor is stronger than their target, they may drag
their target away at a walking pace.

After a defense is called to cancel a grapple, you may break free after 3 seconds if the aggressor does not call an additional
Brawl to keep you restrained. This continues until the defender escapes or is unable or unwilling to call additional
defenses to escape. During a grapple, neither target may use the Parry skill or any weapon but Light Weapons. If an
additional character dogpiles on the victim of the original Grapple by placing his hand on their shoulder as well, that
character may use his own Grab skill to cancel attempts to escape and is considered part of the grapple and subject to the
same restrictions.

Grab begins with a single use, like other skills, and can be increased from there.
Preferred Call: Place hand on target's shoulder or limb and call "Grab"
Refresh:10 seconds per additional use.
Restriction:You must have at least one hand free to use Grab.

Dodge
The Dodge skill is training in high speed combat dodges, relying on swift, sudden movement that spoils the aim of melee attacks,
spells, and ranged attacks. Dodge cancels all damaging attacks that hit the character during a Clash, except those hits which have
the "Quick" perk. Quick hits bypass Dodge. Additional ranks of this Skill grant additional uses of Dodge.
Preferred Call: Discard blue Dodge seal.
Secondary Call: "Dodge"
Refresh:Rest
Restriction:Dodge cannot be used while wearing Medium or Heavy Armor.

Firearms
The Firearms skill is training with dwarven-made long rifles and manmade pistols, their maintenance and firing operations.
Preferred Call: Capgun shot
Secondary Call: "BANG!"
Restriction:Firearms may not be used to physically parry or call Parry defenses.
1. May fire, reload, and maintain the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.
2. May call Dodge and Steady with the weapon in hand.
3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
5. Quick Draw Ability

Quick Draw
Preferred Call: Point at a target within range and call "BANG!"
Refresh:Rest
Restriction:Must have a firearm on your person and available.
You may indicate a target and then declare a hit on any location on their body, which may be defended against normally,
and then draw your firearm afterward.

Heavy Weapons
The Heavy Weapons skill is training with large, two-handed weapons of a size 42 and larger.
1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.
2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.
3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
5. Cleave Ability

Cleave
Preferred Call: "Cleave"
Refresh:Rest
You may swing your sword in a 180 degree arc in front of a set of nearby opponents and declare a hit zone. Each of them
take a hit to the desired location, which can be defended against normally.

Light Weapons
The Light Weapons skill is training with small, light weapons that are good for tight spaces and sudden attacks, of a size of 24
inches or shorter.
1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.
2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.
3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
5. Slice Ability

 Slice
Preferred Call: Point to a target in melee range and call "Slice"
Refresh:Rest
Restriction:Must have a light weapon on your person and available
You may indicate a target and then declare a hit on any location on their body, which may be defended against normally,
and then draw your light weapon afterward.

Medium Weapons
The Medium Weapons skill is training with the broad category of balanced weapons between 24 and 42 inches in length.
1. May physically parry with the weapon. May use weapon perks assigned to the weapon.
2. May call Defensive Skills with the weapon.
3. May use Basic Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
4. May use Advanced Maneuvers that rely on the weapon.
5. Beat Ability

Beat
Preferred Call: "Beat"
Refresh:Rest
You can strike an opponent's weapon once, batting a weapon out of the way or otherwise challenging their guard before
your strike, and then continue on to hit the opponent successfully, requiring defensive calls as normal. Normally, a
weapon interfering significantly with your attack makes it ineffective.

Parry
The Parry skill is training in deflecting incoming melee attacks using your weapon or shield, batting aside harm with physical
force. Parry cancels all damaging attacks that hit the character during a Clash, except those hits which have the "Mighty" perk.
Mighty hits bypass Parry. Additional ranks of this Skill grant additional uses of Parry.
Preferred Call: Discard red Parry seal.
Secondary Call: "Parry"
Refresh:Rest
Restriction:Parry can only be used with a weapon or shield currently equipped. Parry cannot be used with firearms or bows.

Shields
The Shields skill is training with the proper use of shields to deflect incoming attacks while still maintaining your overall ability
to remain combat aggressive. Carrying a shield with 0 ranks in the skill, or using a shield that is too large for your skill level
means that the object is weird and ungainly, as much hindrance as help, and gives you the Encumbered condition.
1. Small Shields (10" in diameter, approximately 113 sq inches)
2. Medium Shields (21" in diameter, approximately 346 sq inches)
3. Large Shields (Anything larger than a medium shield is a large shield)
4. Shield Bash - Knock down one opponent. They must touch both hands to the ground before they can resume fighting.
5. Block Ability


Block
Preferred Call: "Block"
Refresh:Rest
Restriction:Must have a shield out and ready
You may completely ignore the effects of one projectile, including any War Magic.

Steady
The Steady skill is training for a disciplined fighter to resist tricks and special attacks that might otherwise disable or impede
them in combat. Steady cancels any debilitating status effect that might occur in the midst of combat such as Disarm, Blind,
Bleed, Pain, Knockdown or otherwise. Each use of Steady cancels all existing applicable effects at once. Additional ranks in this
Skill grant additional uses of Steady.
Preferred Call: Discard black Steady seal.
Secondary Call: "Steady"
Refresh:Rest

PHYSICAL SKILLS

Finesse
The Finesse skill is proficiency with subtle, graceful, and perfect movement and attention to detail.
1. Concealment: Without higher ranks in the Perception skill than your Finesse skill, objects, weapons, treasure or anything else
that can be hidden on your person cannot be found in a Search.
2. Legerdemain: You can wriggle free of ropes, manacles and other restraints with about 30 seconds of effort, or squeeze
through a really tight space that you can get your head through. You can also use this ability to cheat when gambling:
You may place as many dice as your Finesse level on whatever result you wish, or keep a number of cards equal to your
Finesse rating in reserve and switch them out invisibly. It takes Perception equal to your Finesse to detect this action.
3. Pickpocket: You get 1 special clothespin per rank of Finesse. If you can pin it upon a pouch or bag without them noticing, a
Marshal will go to the person after a time and retrieve a random item from that container. If you suggest a specific item you think
is there, the Marshall will get that item, but if it is not there, the attempt fails to get anything. Multiple pins can be placed upon
the same container, but must be done one at a time. This can also be used to place items on a character, if necessary.
4. Forgery: Your steady hands allow you to perfectly mimic a signature or wax seal, as well as the talent to age paper and other
effects to make a document look believable. This takes half an hour and produces a perfect replica - no mundane form of
detection can find the fault. If you have the Literacy ability, you can forge whole letters this way.
5. Weak-Point: You can aim for the tiny connecting points in armor with exceptional accuracy, giving any weapon you throw the
Driving perk.

Grit
The Grit skill is the gradual toughing of the body and mind to endure great amounts of pain, shrug off sickness, and otherwise
remain ready to act, even when in poor condition.
When a character with the Grit skill is Battered after nearly dying, the character is still beaten and hurt, but overall functional.
The injuries as well as the pain and distraction mean that all of a character's Skills are capped at the user's Grit rating. Thus, a
character with Grit 2 would be able to use any of their skills at level 2. This effect occurs automatically if a character recovers
from the Downed condition. She fights through the pain and can push herself to the point of partial functionality. A character
with at least one rank in the Grit skill can also hobble at a limp even if both legs are injured, where weaker characters would need
to be supported by someone else. Grit does not allow a character to fight longer in a combat situation, only remain more
functional after the trauma, shock and blood loss of the Downed condition.
Grit is also be used to reduce or resist the effects of poisons and other drugs. The level of any drug, harmful or otherwise, is
automatically reduced in efficacy by your levels of Grit. Similarly, Grit gives your character resistance to diseases, and reduces
their effect and duration.

Stealth
The Stealth skill is training in careful balance, concealment and quiet grace that allows the user to remain unseen whether still or
moving. For each rank of the Stealth skill, the character may take one slow, crouching step from their original point of activating
stealth. These steps are performed from a fully crouched position and can be no farther than a single leg extension. After all steps
are exhausted, in order to take more steps the character must leave Stealth for at least 3 seconds, and then re-enter it. Entering
stealth requires being against a wall, a corner, or full or partial cover, and requires dark clothing to be worn. Very dark shadows
count as partial cover for Stealth. Taking steps in stealth while wearing Medium or Heavy Armor counts as "making noise" per
Alertness.

If a character is in stealth and they are able to gently place their weapon under the chin of a character who is not Alerted, they
can Down that character with a single attack at will, or keep them at their mercy. This is referred to as an Assassination attack.
The victim may not call any defenses against Assassination, including Toughness. Stalwart characters are treated as Winded
instead of Downed by this attack. Normal attacks made from stealth (non-assassination attacks) cause the character to leave
Stealth.

Preferred Call: Silently cross hands or weapons above your head.

Secondary Call: "Stealth"
Restriction:Dark clothing, must be against a wall, corner or have partial cover. You may not successfully enter Stealth without
breaking line of sight for a character you wish to hide from.

Mobility
The Mobility skill is training in climbing, running, jumping, acrobatics and other difficult feats of personal movement.
1. Footwork: You can move normally through Bad Terrain. Bad Terrain is anything specifically delineated so, and any area of
thick and dense foliage off of the normal trails. Ordinarily, Bad Terrain requires both feet on the ground at all times to move
through.
2. Climb ability

Climb
Preferred Call: Place hand on a tall object and say "Climb."
Restriction:Must have at least one hand free.
 Climbing allows a character to be assumed to be upon an object up to 10 feet tall. Any Ranged attacks must be performed
by characters that are an appropriate distance backward from the target. Characters who climb can run their hand along
the surface of the object to indicate that they are moving along the upper side of the object, such as a building. Climb ends
when you remove your hand, and you are assumed to have climbed down.
If another character uses Climb, they may engage you normally, and both of you are assumed to be standing on top of the
object. If either character takes damage or is forced to remove their hand from the surface, they fall and suffer whatever
consequences are appropriate, usually a hit to the body that can only be stopped with Toughness. If a character removes
her hand willingly while not otherwise harassed, she can climb down safely. Climbing while in Stealth uses 1 step.

3. Leap Ability

Leap
Preferred Call: Point to a spot you wish to leap within 10 feet and call "Leap"
Refresh:Rest
When a character uses Leap, they immediately change positions to that location, even if there would be otherwise
impeding obstacles such as a gap or enemy combatants. If necessary, a soft pause in action will occur to allow the location
shift to happen. Leap can be called while using Climb to reach the top of an object within range, and the character is
assumed to land on top of the new location where Climb continues as before. Leaping while in Stealth uses 1 step.

4. Hammerfall: You may perform a type of leap attack on someone below you. This requires you to have already climbed above
them using the Climb ability (or be naturally above them at least 5 feet) followed by a use of the Leap ability once they are within
10 feet of you. An immediate attack against your target gains the Mighty and Driving perks. In addition, the character can always
safely fall or jump downward without risking injury or negative effects.

5. Evasion: Immediately after you are struck in combat or any other time you wish, you may take a tumble as per the Tumble
Maneuver. Doing so grants you one free Dodge which must be used immediately.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Mercantile
The Mercantile skill represents an understanding of business practices, a head for commerce, and professional acumen that
allows financial ventures to thrive. Knowledge of advanced financial tactics such as futures and loans, undercutting, market
manipulation, debt leverage, arbitrage and other techniques makes characters with this skill shrewd businessmen.
1. Appraise: The character is provided with a list of current prices of relevant goods at start of game. This is the price that trading
guilds will charge for goods.
2. Haggling: The character gains the Haggle ability.
 Haggle
Preferred Call: Same as appropriate social skill
Secondary Call: "Haggle, Persuade."
Refresh:Rest
The character gains one free use of Persuade, Seduce, or Sincerity in a financial matter.

3. Contracts: You have the knowledge of language to dictate or write a valid contract. Writing it down still requires Literacy, but
you may dictate to another if necessary.
4. Investment - The character may invest commodities or coin in either a risky or conservative investment. One season
later, you will get a return on your investment according to a die roll.
Risky: d10: 1-5: Total loss. 6-7: 100% gain 8 200% gain 9: 250% gain 10: 400% gain
Conservative: d10: 1: total loss, 2: half loss, 3-8: 20% gain, 9: 50% gain, 10: 100% gain.)
5. Marketeer: The character may spend a Downtime action to manipulate commodity prices, either doubling or halving
the trade guild price of one commodity, such as emeralds, gunpowder, or hard iron. The prices return to normal next
game session.

GATHERING SKILLS
All Gathering skills require Professional Tools: (Specific Gathering Skill) to perform this action. Herbalism is an exception to this
rule.

Note that when Gathering occurs over a Downtime, it is automatically taxed. The amount listed is the amount after taxes. The
city rulership takes 5 units for every 1 unit the player leaves with which go into the city's resource stockpiles to be used at the
discretion of the ruling lord.
Poaching is not impossible, but the penalty for doing so and being caught is death.

Farming
The Farming skill allows the character to get food and textiles from the land by spending their Downtime managing a farm or
ranch. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of textile or food resource. The
quality of the resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the pastures. Inside the pastures,
the character can gain meat and wool. Outside the pastures, characters earn hemp and vegetables by farming on scrubland that
doesn't support animal ranching. Farmers can choose food or textiles for their payout.

1: 1 food or textile
2: 2 food or textiles
3: 4 food or textiles
4: 8 food or textiles
5: 16 food or textiles

Forestry
The Forestry skill allows the character to perform logging and lumberjacking in the wilderness by spending their Downtime
logging. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of lumber resource. The
quality of the lumber resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the Old Growth Forests.
Inside the old forest, the character earns Hardwood lumber. Outside the forest, characters earn Softwood lumber by foresting
what they can in other areas.

1: 1 lumber
2: 2 lumber
3: 4 lumber
4: 8 lumber
5: 16 lumber

Herbalism
Every dawn at game, staff will tag plants in the surrounding environs with brightly colored numbered tags. Only characters with
Herbalism can see and collect these tags.
See Herbs in the Trade and Production area for more details.

1. 1 trait revealed
2. 2 traits revealed
3. 3 traits revealed
4. Cultivate: You are able to maintain a garden of your own wild plants and are able to domesticate them. By destroying an
herb for its seeds and other materials, you can cultivate a new generation of it. One Season after using Cultivate, you gain
1d10 new plants of the same type as you planted. You may Cultivate up to 5 plants at once.
5. Cross-Breeding: You are able to hybridize plants to breed herbs to your specific needs. At the start of each game, you
receive an herb with the traits of your choice.

Mining
The Mining skill allows the character to prospect and extract ore and metal from the earth by spending their Downtime mining.
For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of ore resource. The quality of the ore
resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the mine. Inside the mine, the character earns
Hard Iron. Outside the mine, characters earn Soft Iron by mining shallow claims on the surface.

1: 1 ore
2: 2 ore
3: 4 ore
4: 8 ore
5: 16 ore

Trapping
The Trapping skill allows the character to hunt and trap in the wilderness by spending their Downtime setting and retrieving
traps. For each level of this skill, the player begins at the start of a game session with an amount of leather resource. The quality
of the leather resources is determined by whether or not the character is able to gain access to the Hunting Runs. Inside the runs,
the character earns Heavy leather. Outside the runs, characters earn Scrap leather by trapping various small game in the
wilderness.

1: 1 leather
2: 2 leather
3: 4 leather
4: 8 leather
5: 16 leather

CRAFT SKILLS
Craft skills are a subsection of Professional skills. All craft skills require Professional Tools (Specific Craft) in order to use the
skill.

Leatherworking
1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.
2. Create goods from scrap leather
3. Create goods from treated leather
4. Customize leather goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.
5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Woodworking
1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.
2. Create goods from softwood
3. Create goods from hardwood
4. Customize wooden goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.
5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Metalworking
1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.
2. Create goods from soft iron
3. Create goods from hard iron
4. Customize metal goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.
5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Tailoring
1. Perform repairs, salvage and assemble goods.
2. Create goods from hemp
3. Create goods from wool
4. Customize cloth goods, adding a flaw to gain a perk.
5. Create Masterpiece works, adding a perk.

Mechanics
Used to understand machines, pick locks, disarm traps.
Each rank gives you 3 letters from the Alphabet. If you have all letters on a lock, trap or device, you can bypass for just you or
disable it completely. If you find a device with codes you dont know, you can try to retrieve it and spend a downtime breaking it
down to get any codes you didnt have an open the lock in downtime. Devices have 1 code on them per Rank. There may be other
codes that do not come from the alphabet. These can only be learned by breaking down the device or through Invention.

Apothecary
Uses herbs to create drugs, poisons and poultices, and food tags to create intoxicants. Higher levels allow different methods of
delivery.
1. Ingested (swallowed voluntarily only)
2. Intravenous (applied to a blade or needle)
3. Refinement - You may use a second herb to refine the base for later Apothecary work. You may use two herbs to either produce
one new herb with 3 traits chosen from among the two herbs, or make a new herb with all 6 traits of both bases. This takes 1
hour.
4. Inhaled (Holding your hand over your mouth/nose ahead of time blocks 100%, otherwise, always hits everyone in the area)
5. Contact (Needs skin contact to deliver)

LIFE SKILLS

SOCIAL ABILITIES
Social skills may be used to add additional effectiveness to otherwise straightforward attempts to convince, cow, lie to and bargain
with other characters. Some characters are more skilled at this than their players might be, and these skills can help those
characters accomplish their social objectives. So long as the character meets the requirements of the skill in question, the Skill's
effect occurs and any other characters that the user is engaging in conversation are affected. Characters that do not wish to be
affected may resist by expending a use of the same skill to counter, or using the Discipline skill. Those characters simply match
the hand sign for the skill with their own hand sign to show that they remain unaffected. Using a social skill to counter another
social skill consumes one of the defending character's uses of that skill. Characters have as many uses as their ranks in the
appropriate Skill of each ability.

Sincerity
The Sincerity skill is expertise in convincing others that you are sincere. Characters subject to Sincerity will believe that you are
sincere; even if they don't believe that what you are saying is true, they will believe that you have no reason to deceive them.
Thus, a character could not be convinced that day is night, but could be convinced thatyou believe that. In absence of other
proof, characters will generally take what you are saying as truth. For example, "There is no way we are the ones who robbed your
storehouse, we couldn't have even done anything with those goods anyway. (Sincerity sign)" Note that Sincerity can be used on
statements that are not themselves untrue or actually deceptive if you need to seem especially credible. Thus, not all uses of the
Sincerity skill can always be automatically considered to be covering up for lies. Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional
uses of Sincerity.
Preferred Call: Crossed-Fingers gesture
Secondary Call: "Sincerity"
Requires: Absence of hard proof. The proof must be immediately present and able to be pointed to.
Refresh:Rest

Intimidate
The Intimidate skill is expertise in preying on fear to achieve your ends. Characters subject to Intimidate will back down, do as
you say, and generally give up their resistance, at least for now. Intimidation has a sharp, powerful effect that relies on nothing
except a credible threat, but breaks down quickly when the user is no longer present. So long as the user of Intimidate is present
and can maintain their threat, the intimidated individual will do as they say. Threats need not always be physical in nature - they
can be social, financial or even spiritual. For example, "You're going give me everything that is in that shipment, or else the
Father Bishop will have to hear about your deal with the Duke. (Intimidate sign)" Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional
uses of Intimidate.
Successful uses of Intimidate inflict the Fear condition on the victim.
Preferred Call: Brandished Fist gesture
Secondary Call: "Intimidate"
Requires: Credible threat. The threshold is that it be dangerous enough that the target would at least "think twice."
Refresh:Rest

Seduce
The Seduce skill is expertise in getting what you want by way of temptation and exchange. Characters subject to Seduce will
accept the deal that they are being offered, even if that deal is only implied or somewhat unfavorable. As long as something is
being offered in exchange for whatever the character is asking for, they will begin to fulfill their end of the arrangement, even if
the only payment that ever actually comes is more promises. For example, "I think you know what would make me happy. I just
can't get anything done with her always ordering me around. If I had more time from her, I'd have more time for you...(Seduce
sign)." Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of Seduce.
Preferred Call: Mouth touching gesture
Secondary Call: " Seduce"
Requires: An offer of exchange. The threshold is that the offer must be something that the target would at least consider
accepting, even for a moment.
Refresh:Rest

Discipline
The Discipline skill is a character's strict code of conduct and strong personal control. It allows the character to resist the wiles of
others, maintain their current mental focus, and resist things like fear or madness that may deter them from their course.
Discipline may be used to counter the Sincerity, Persuade, Intimidate and Seduce skills. For example, "Orders are orders; there is
no way you are getting through this door tonight without a written letter of introduction. (Discipline sign)"
It may also be used to resist the effects of certain kinds of mental influences, such as Insanities, Fear, or spells that control the
subject's mind or emotions, for one minute by expending Discipline. Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of
Discipline.
Preferred Call: Dismissive wave gesture
Secondary Call: "Discipline"
Refresh:Rest

Persuade
The Persuade skill is expertise at framing convincing arguments and, whether passionately or logically, convincing others of your
way of thinking. Characters subject to persuasion have their mind changed on one single point of reasonable fact or opinion, and
that opinion remains changed relatively for good, unless it is the subject of further persuasion by another character, or some
other significant life change causes a legitimate new change of opinion. Most issues are relatively complex, and have several
different points which make up the issue. A given person may have perhaps five or six good reasons that they are a member of a
given faction, and each would need to be overcome with a reasonable argument one at a time, each using a different use of the
Persuade skill and a reasonable argument to accompany it. For example, "We need to get inside the gate. You can see by our
clothes that we are merchants, not bandits. (Persuade sign)." Additional ranks in this Skill grant additional uses of Persuade.
Preferred Call: Thumbs-up gesture
Secondary Call: " Persuade"
Requires: A reasonable argument
Refresh:Rest

Performance
The Performance skill is the ability to, when given attention, tap into true emotional content and express that to others in a way
that pulls at their own emotions. It includes singing, dancing, playing all manner of musical instruments, inspirational oration,
even sexual intimacy. In order to use the Performance skill, you must perform in the manner of your choosing and have your
audience's relatively full attention for a minimum of five minutes. Hope is awarded after the performance is finished in total.

Performers may give 1 Hope to all those who receive their performance. If the Performer spends Hope of their own with their
Performance to add the necessary emotional content to make the piece powerful and connect with others, theyinstead
grantHope equal to their Performance ranks. Charactersthat currently haveDespair cannot benefit from Hope, but instead gain
some slight reprieve from their sorrow. Instead of Hope, such characters feel as though they have no Despair for 20 minutes per
Hope they would have gained. They still may not gain Hope during this period, but their skills return to normal, for a time.

If more than one performers work together, the Performance counts as the highest Performance plus 1 for each other performer
with at least one rank. Musical Instruments count as their own assistance, as if the musician had extra accompaniment.

Preferred Call: Hold up a number of fingers equal to the Hope grantedafter a piece, or take a number of appreciative bows
equal to the Hope granted.
Secondary Call: " Take Hope 3"
Requires: An actual performance and 5+ minutes of attention.
Restriction:You cannot be affected by a Performance unless the artists has more ranks in Performance than you do. Members
of the audience who receive Hope cannot gain it again from the same Performer until they have used or lost what they gained last
time.

Streetwise
Those with the Streetwise skill are adept at traveling the streets unnoticed and knowing who to talk to for information.
You may use Streetwise as a Downtime action. For each rank of this ability, you may follow the activities of one
character. For each character so inquired after, you will get the broad details of their Downtime action. You cannot track
the activities of a character with more Streetwise than you have.

Streetwise can also be used to track down or get in contact with local individuals in the city by being aware of their
habits, schedules, and frequented locations, as well as just plain knowing about them at all in some cases. The more
public a figure, the less Streetwise it takes to be able to know who they are and get in contact with them. A public official
might take only 1 Streetwise, while a secretive crime lord might require 5 to pin down.

When using Streetwise for any of its above functions, you may also choose to start a rumor with no risk of it coming back
to you (unless of course your actions are marked by another using Streetwise!). Such rumors can be anything you wish,
and will be read during the opening announcements the following game session.

Survival
The Survival skill is expertise with the wilderness and its environs. Those with this skill can survive on their own in the deep
woods and can follow the tracks of animal or human prey.
1. Trailblazing: You may use specifically designated "shortcut" paths, as well as guide others through them. These cut down on
the time it takes to traverse the game site. You may also fire ranged weapons from these locations and cannot be approached by
those who do not have this skill or a guide.
2. Huntsman - You also are able to provide enough food from the wild in the form of gathered foods and wild game to keep
yourself fed between events without supplemental food necessary.
3. Spoor - You may spot Track cards that have been posted, and can identify whether they are the tracks of beasts or humans. You
may also learn the quantity of individual tracks, other details, as well as follow the tracks to their destination.
4. Tracking: You may call "Tracking" once and clap three times. Everyone who hears you clap must respond by clapping.
You may continue to clap every 15 seconds. In order to track a target who responded to your clap, you must go to the
spot where you heard the last clap before issuing a new tracking call or clap. In order to use Tracking on a character
using Stealth, you must be Alert.
5. Untrackable: You do not need to respond to Tracking calls.

Etiquette
The Etiquette skill is the ability to manage the expectations and customs of various kinds of people, whether that is respecting
their traditions or tactically breaking them for additional effect, knowing exactly what sorts of things are within the line, and what
is outside of it. Those trained in this skill make excellent courtiers and can strategically work their way into important positions
by ruining enemies and comporting themselves gracefully with allies.
1: Courtier: Able to ask as an OOC question what anyones culture is and their class within that culture, unless that character has
a higher rank in Etiquette than you do.
2: Tact: You may take back something unfortunate that you just said by calling Etiquette, so long as it is used quickly after. If
you have Tact, you may also use this to cancel someone else's use of Etiquette.
3: Proclamation: You know how to take command of a gathering, and use body language and poise in such a way that you are
clearly in charge, and everyone else feels uncomfortable interrupting. You may hold your hand out in front of you at eye level to
indicate Proclamation. Anyone who sees this sign will quiet down and listen to you speak, and no one may interrupt you while
you maintain this gesture. This time may include the use of social skills. Characters with the Proclamation ability may use the
gesture themselves to act normally, which may return to them the ability to counter your socials with their own (aside from
Discipline). Any character may still take physical actions as normal.
4: Double-talk: You may say something vaguely related, then say something entirely different privately to one character,
accompanied by a social skill if you choose to so long as it meets the requirements for that skill. The first message is the
only thing actively heard by any listener, but the effect of your subtext works as normal.
5: Ridicule: Your knowledge of custom and courtesy is so powerful that you can startle and cut with choice words that violate
expectations. After delivering a truly quality insult, the target of your barb is so off their game they may not use any social skills
either actively or to counter for the rest of the encounter, and gains a point of Despair. This can affect a target once per
encounter.

Perception
The Perception skill is the art of being aware of one's surroundings to a higher degree than those without the skill. Perceptive
individuals can spot inconsistent details and become aware when there is a threat present, perhaps quickly enough to save their
life or the lives of others from hidden dangers.
1. Search: Gain ability to Search an area for hidden items, notice Hidden World Tags. Search takes 30 seconds, during which
you should roleplay searching the rooms hiding spots. Any hidden objects still in the room within 30 seconds are discovered.
2. Alertness: Become Alert from fairly loud noises created by a Stealthed character (snapped twig, knocked over rocks, etc).
Medium and Heavy armor are assumed to cause such noise when moving.
3. Reveal: Gain the ability to Reveal stealthed characters. Revealing takes 30 seconds, during which time you should roleplay
searching the rooms hiding spots. Characters still in a 20 foot area at the end of that time are discovered.
4. Watchfulness: Become Alert by a Stealthed character taking steps in your eye line.
5. Vigilance: Become Alert by seeing a Stealthed character unmoving at talking (and thus listening) distance.

Academics

The Academics skill is not specific knowledge itself, but rather the foundations of knowledge. Characters with high levels
of Academics are literate and well-read, familiar with the works of great thinkers, but also have an understanding of how
to effectively order and presentinformation to others in a way that makes such knowledge easier to understand. Their
own careful analysis of knowledge and information allows them the basic skills necessary to learn more, cross-reference
sources, and with access to a basic library use secondary sources to gain understanding in all sorts of arenas.

The product of a Academicresearch is called a Focus. Foci can be either a strong grasp of certain kinds of information,
or can be specialized techniques that come from deep expertise in a field as well as further research and
experimentation.

Basic Foci can be gained from the Research Downtime Action granted by the Literacy ability, provided that the character
has access to a Library. These grant solid understanding of one specific area ofstudy that is relatively common
knowledge, at least among some major group. Examples of Basic Foci are: Throne, Law, Church, Magic, Rogalia,
History, Templars. For any Focus you possess, you may ask Staff or a Rules Marshal for detailed information on the
subject as often as you wish, and can be said to be well-versed in the entire subject matter.

As well, a Focus can relate to another Skill that the researcher possesses, looking deeply into the fundamental theories
behind the skill and it's processes. The details and abilities of Skill Foci can be suggested by players and approved by
Staff.A basic focus can improve some aspect of the skill in a minor way, such as "Seduce: Bribery - If your offer to your
target is in the form of money, your Seduce gains Power" or "Mobility:Wolf Leap - You may add a tumble to your Leap
uses to extend the distance travelled before action resumes."

An Advanced Focus is information or knowledge that is secret or possessed by a rare few. These are things such as
Focus: Kuarlites or Focus: Vampires, as well as more powerful skill Foci such as "Mercantile:Escape Clause- You may
re-roll unsatisfactory results on your Investments once" or "Academics - Cryptography: You can encode anything you
write with special codes that only you and those you teach how can read.Similar toMechanics, you gain3 codes for each
level of Academics you possess, and can Research more with further study, producing a cypher with as many codes as
your level in Academics with the same requirements to break as a lock."

Advanced Foci cannot be researched, and require direct instruction from a given expert. The usual way that such
instruction comes about is through membership in a Trade Guild, who make it their business to import and secure
experts in various fields to support their work. Advanced Foci are usually considered trade secrets and not meant to be
taught outside the Guild without permission.

Foci can be taught to others. If they meet the Academics requirement, a Basic Focus costs 1 exp and an Advanced Focus
costs 3. Ifthe student doesnot meet the Academics requirement, they may still purchase it, for 2 additional experience
points. Knowledge Foci appropriate to one's life experience can be purchased at character creation. Every character
gains their Cultural focus for free.

1. Gain the Instruction Ability

Instruction
Teacher and Pupil spend a downtime action in training, and the pupil can purchase a skill rank, attribute,ability or
anything else the teacher knows at 1 exp less than normal.

2. Gain the Literacy Ability.

Literacy
You are capable of reading and writing the written word. This gives you access to a vast host of resources and the ability to
perform the Research Downtime actions for various uses that may call for it. You may also participate in in-character
written conversation and post notes in public places using the game forums, as well as read and understand those same
notes.

3. Gain access to research Basic Foci. Gain three Basic Foci of your choice.

4.Gain the fundamentals forAdvanced Foci. GainoneAdvanced Focus of your choice.

5. Pedagogue: As per Instruction, but you may reach up to five pupils at once, or you may have a single protg and
reduce their cost by 2 for anything you teach them.
Leadership
Leadership allows you to form and manage a team that can coordinate and work together effectively. Your team always includes
yourself, and can include an additional 2 people per rank of Leadership you have. Each person in the group must spend 1 xp to
join the group to solidify their membership. Any member of the group may donate their downtime action to the leader of the
group who may spend them however he wishes within his own ability, as if he himself had the additional Downtime actions to
use personally. Members of the team may also give their Downtime actions to one another to assist their teammates, though
members who are not the leader can only receive one extra Downtime in this way.

Leaders who have other Leaders in their group can receive downtime actions from others in their fealty chain, donated up a tier.
The Leader of the group must have the highest (or equal) Leadership ranks. Another in the group with higher Leadership
automatically becomes the Leader.
In Warfare, ranks in Leadership are the amount of units you may give orders to in a single downtime and the amount of troops
you can raise with a Levy.

Liturgy
Liturgy is the sincere dedication to the holy scriptures and the way it impacts the person so dedicated. People with high
Liturgy skill know the words and meanings of their holy scriptures inside and out, and can recite them from memory.
Holding the deep understanding in their soul at all times grants them a fire and a fervor that allows them to accomplish
great works, and to rekindle their own personal fire.

Priests use Liturgy to perform their holy rituals supplicating for divine intercession. For more information on Holy
Ritual, see the Holy Covenants section.

1. Dogma - You may invoke the scriptures to affect those around you.
2. Ardor - You may pray or study the scriptures for 5 minutes, after which time you gain 1 Hope. This may also be the
time you spend to invoke the Prayer ability.
3. Conviction- Whenever you expend Willpower or Prayer, you also lose 1 Despair.
4. Fervor - For every 5 minutes you pray or study the scriptures, you gain 1 Hope, and may continue to do so as long as
you wish, to the maximum of 5 Hope. Like Ardor, this may also be time spent to invoke the Prayer ability.
5. Zeal - By spending 5 Hope, you may refresh a spent use of Prayer or Willpower, normally only usable once per day.
You may benefit from Zeal a number of times equal to your dots of Faith per day,

Dogma
The words of Holy Benalus have special meaning to you, and when you use them as your own, the resonance is powerful.
If you make a direct quote from the Testimonium that is relevant to your cause, it counts as a free use of any social skill.
You may only use each quote once for each social encounter.

 CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

Don't you see my pupil. When you kill a man, you not only nullify everything he was, but also everything he will be.
Death rings across ages. It is like a savage roar across time. See how you gasp for breath? It is your very future
forsaking you. See how it drains out of you into the earth? How, in time, it will leave your body cold and inert? But do
not worry, your death shan't be in vain. I believe deeply in second chances. I shall save you from your fate as simple
dust. I will give you a new future; One where you don't try to betray me.

After character creation, your character is not static. As he or she develops throughout the course of her adventure in
Gothic: the Lion Age, your character will have the opportunity to learn more about herself, gain new skills, overcome
character flaws, purchase new abilities and otherwise become a more developed character. This happens through the
acquisition of Experience Points, which can be devoted to different aspects of character improvement.

Explanations of what sorts of things can be purchased with Experience Points appear throughout the game rules, but
they are summarized here for ease.

The following are general advantages that apply to any kind of character, and their appropriate costs.

Advantage Experience Cost

New Skill Ranks 2 times the new Skill Rank

Increasing an Attribute to 5 Experience

Increasing an Attribute to 10 Experience

Increasing an Attribute to Awarded Only

Basic Focus 3 Experience, or 1 with Academics 3 or Higher

Advanced Focus 5 Experience, or 3 with Academics 4 or Higher

New Language 1 Experience, Appropriate Cultural Focus

Gain a Perk after Character Creation 2 times the Perk Cost, Appropriate Roleplay

Shed a Flaw after Creation 2 times the Flaw value, Appropriate Rolepaly

The following chart relates to specific abilities purchased, and usually grant some new capabilitiesto the character.
Abilities Experience Cost

Additional Skill use (e.g. Leap, Haggle, Slice, etc) 1 Experience, maximum of 5 uses total

Basic Combat Maneuver 1 Experience

Advanced Combat Maneuver 5 Experience

New Arcane Domain 1 Experience

Basic Arcane Technique 2 Experience

Advanced Arcane Technique 4 Experience

New Arcane Circle 4 times the new Circle spent between Techniques, Promotion

New Knight Degree 3 times new Degree, Promotion

New Priest Rank 2 times new Rank, Promotion

Holy Rites 1 Experience each

Paladin Powers 5 times their Tier

EARNING EXPERIENCE POINTS

ATTENDANCE
Every character earns 2 Experience Points for attending Gothic: the Lion Age for a weekend event. Earned experience
points are awarded at the end of the event.

CHARACTER WRITING
You may also earn experience points for your character by posting a meaningful character story on the official Gothic
Forums. Posts can be either close-ended personal stories such as about your character's feelings, history, memories,
personality, or ongoing events, or they can be online public role-play between your character and others. The basic
requirement to earn additional Experience Points for this activity is that your character's depth be enriched through the
process - that both you as your character's player and the storytelling Staff learn something about your character that we
did not know before the writing.

You may earn 1 Experience Point per Downtime period that you create such a post for the first 4 Downtimes you are in
play. After that, you may continue to earn 1 Experience Point in this way every two Downtimes and writings.

FEASTING
Partaking of a Feast in game, an item created with expensive in-game ingredients and special skill, can award your
character one extra Experience Point per game session. The Spices required to create a Feast are expensive, and an
actual feast with served food must be performed in-game and eaten. Because of the excellent nutrition that being so
well-fed provides, characters who Feast are awarded 1 extra Experience Point at the end of the game session. See Trade
and Production for more information on Feasts and other items.
 ARCANE THEORY

For Information on the Mage Guilds, seethis page.

Magicians are people who have come to learn, in one way or another, the hidden secrets of magic. Magic is a rare and
potent thing, and there are very few in the world with the dedication, the force of will, and the intelligence to learn it and
use it properly. Of those people, fewer still are those who are lucky enough or clever enough to be invited into one of the
four Guilds that hold an unbreakable monopoly over such secrets. Each Guild represents one of the Elemental Forces
that make up the world: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air - each with different beliefs and approaches to their studies. The life
of a magician is at once a difficult and uphill climb, and a life of privilege as well. For though the Guilds guard their
knowledge jealously, even from one another, and have their own agendas, they keep their loyal agents well taken care of.

The magicians in each Guild are stratified into a hierarchy called Circles. The most powerful magicians in the Throne are
of the Fifth Circle, and no man living has ever reached a sixth or higher Circle. Those at the highest level of the Guilds
work diligently to surpass themselves, and be the first to achieve greater power.

Circles are a social and practical approximation of a given Magician's power and skill. A Magician's Circle rating is their
social rank within the Guild hierarchies as well as how efficiently they can wield magic. A Second Circle Magician is more
respected and powerful than a First Circle Magician and so on. Besides the increased respect afforded to a Magician of a
high Circle, the biggest benefit of a magical Circle is that it impacts how a Magician gathers the raw power that he uses to
work his magic. This process is called channeling.

ARCANE CIRCLES AND CHANNELING

EXAMPLE CHANNELING

The chants that you use when channeling can technically be anything, so long as they sound cool and aren't confusing
to others about what you are actually doing. You can feel free to build your own or use these, which can be thought of
as "traditional" Guild training. You can also speak in plain English or use your own coded Lingua Arcana if that is
your preference. As well, the chants that are used tend to follow master to student, and can sometimes indicate the
academic lineage of a Magician and her masters, and their masters, and so on.
 Fire: "I am the sacred fire. My heart is the spark that ignites the inferno, my breath the fuel that feeds the flames, my
hand is the will that burns through all barriers."
Earth: "Bring forth the immovable earth. Give motion to the still, give purpose to the leaden. Draw forth the
slumbering weight of eternity, and take it up upon my shoulder."
Water: "With a clear mind I draw from the world's well. I bring it to my lips and take it into my self. I am washed
clean by the world, and I wash the world clean in return."
Air: "Give to me the secret breath that fills me with invisible power. Let me be everywhere and no where, acting with
an invisible hand that is beautiful for its absense."

Remember that Channeling takes 10 seconds, regardless of how quickly you speak the incantation. Time can feel
differently with a sword swinging at you, so be careful not to rush through the incantation.

Channelingis the process by which a Magician absorbs the force of their element around them and sends it through
their mind and into their body. This process is difficult, and takes a great deal of concentration to do, especially in vast
amounts. Channeling, sometimes vulgarly referred to as charging by initiates, takes a 10 seconds to perform and gains a
single level of charge related to the element from which the magician was drawing upon. This charge can be used for
magic within that element's power. For example, a Fire mage would gather Fire charge, and of course could not use that
charge to cast Earth spells. In game terms, the Magician's player reaches into a special pocket on their person called their
"Charge Pouch" and draws one packet with their dominant hand. These spell packets are used to measure the potency of
a spell and to indicate the target of any spells you may cast.

Channeling magical power is a godlike feat of will, every time it is performed. The experience is different for each of the
guilds, each magical discipline being performed differently, but the experience is always incredibly intense, something
akin to preforming advanced mathematics in your head while on being on fire or drowning. Most students take years of
rigorous training to simply remain calm enough to do any but the most basic of spells, and gathering vast amounts of
power is so intense as to be mind-breakingly dangerous.

In order to focus arcane power into one's body and manage the level of power being wielded, the guilds have developed a
series of low chants and representative gestures that help focus the mind and manage the process of gathering arcane
power, the specifics of which are unique to the school of the magician. These trappings are not particularly subtle, and
someone who knows what to look for can spot or hear a magician gathering power to enact a magical spell. Doing
without the gestures or words is possible, but slows down the process significantly, though some very talented magicians
can channel without the aid of such crutches. After a certain point, the power is strong enough that it can be felt and
seen by nearby onlookers as waves of heat spill from the caster, the ground begins to shake, wind begins to howl, or mist
and dew begin to collect on everything around. Casting magic is not subtle or discreet.

In game terms, Channeling elemental power is a three step process: Intone the Incantation, perform an arcane gesture,
and draw a spell packet from your Charge Pouch. As channeling becomes more and more noticeable as the magician
gathers more and more power, every successive Incantation after the first must be spoken (or shouted) louder than the
last. Each action of Channeling must take a minimum of 10 seconds, so there is no need to rush through the incantation.
Once one or more spell packets are in your hand, you may cast a spell by throwing the packet at the intended target or
touching it to them physically. A magician does not need to use all of their accumulated power when casting a spell - they
can keep some in reserve.

THRESHOLD AND BEYOND

MAELSTROM DICE

For each Threshold packet that enters play, the Logistics staff will roll one or more Maelstrom Dice, ten-sided dice.
Normal characters gain an Insanity on a 5 or higher. Determined characters gain an Insanity on a 6 or higher.
Resolute characters gain Insanities on an 8, and Indomitable characters gain it only on a 10. Pushovers gain an
Insanity on a 3 or higher.

For each Threshold packet above the first, an additional die is rolled. A spell that took the Magician two charge over
their Threshold would roll one die, then two dice, and so on for more rigorous spells.

If a Maelstrom Die determines that an Insanity is gained, a new Mild Insanity is added to the character or an existing
Insanity advances one step in severity at staff discretion. Regardless of how many dice show a high result, the
Magician only gains one Insanity per spell cast.

Channeling becomes more and more difficult to maintain the more power the Magician gathers. At the point when the
Magician has gathered an amount of magical energy based on her Intellect, the Magician has reached herThreshold.
The spell begins leaking visible and noticeable power as discussed above and the Magician must scream at their
maximum volume any further Incantations for channeling. Furthermore, with this much power, it is impossible for a
magician to move from the spot where she stands without losing charge by dropping excess spell packets on the ground.
There is also one further complication: The strain on the mind becomes immense, potentially causing it to snap and
buckle into bouts of Insanity. The Threshold for normal characters is 3 packets. For Smart characters it is 4 packets and
for Brilliant characters it is 5. Simple characters cannot learn sorcery.

In game terms, once a Magician has reached this point, she reaches into her "Threshold Pouch", a secondary pocket or
pouch that hold extremely dangerous energies that are unable to be safely refined and harnessed by the Magician. These
Threshold packets are marked differently than normal packets, containing a black stripe down the center of the packet
and having your player ID written on them physically or on a small tag. For each Threshold packet that is used in a spell,
the packets are returned to Logistics who perform a die roll to determine whether the character gains a new Insanity.
Characters with more Resolve are resistant to this.

The absolute maximum charge that a Magician can withstand at one time is twice their normal Threshold limit, so 6 for
ordinary characters, 8 for Smart characters and 10 for Brilliant characters.

RESTRICTIONS ON CHANNELING
Channeling is difficult at the best of times, but there are certain factors that can snarl the process further. Firstly, as
channeling requires the Magician to remain mentally able even as the raw power smashes through their mind and soul,
channeling is impossible while Afraid. A Magician may need to spend Discipline to steel themselves before beginning.

Secondly, the arcane gestures required to channeling are difficult while in restrictive armor. While wearing any
equipment that removes the ability to Dodge, such as Medium or Heavy Armor, it is impossible to make the proper
arcane gestures, and the Magician must do without while channeling. The same is true if one or more of the arms is
Injured.

As mentioned previously, Channeling can be performed without the aid of speaking incantations, performing arcane
gestures, or venting obvious power once over your Threshold, but for each one of those factors that is omitted, the
Magician must add 10 additional seconds to their Channeling process. This means that a Magician can channel
completely still, silent, and subtle, but it would take them at least 40 seconds per channeling action. Certain Arcane
Techniques, discussed below, can help manage these needs.

Mental distress and physical pain may also make Channeling more difficult. Ifthe Magician is Battered from injury, her
maximum normal Spell Packet count for each spell is reduced to a maximum of her Grit, effectively lowering her
Threshold. Further,if the Magician is in the throes of Despair, her Threshold lowers by one for each Despair she has.
The reduction from being Battered and the reduction from Despair combine, just as they would for skill ranks. The
difference can still be made up with additional Threshold packets.

CHANNELING AND ARCANE CIRCLES

As mentioned, a Magician'sCircleis the amount of raw magical power they can wield, and how easily they can do so.
This manifests in two important ways - speed and power. The way a Magician of higher Circle deals with their power is
different as they progress through their art. A Magician's Circle includes training that can help a Magician not only gain
charge more rapidly, but more importantly, to use the same charge far more effectively than his less skilled colleagues.

The great weakness of those who practice arcane magic is the speed at which they can accumulate the power necessary to
perform their works of magical force. While even basic magic is impressive and deadly, gathering that power can take a
long time, especially in the heat of battle. The first advantage of advanced training is that when a Magician first begins
summoning forth their power from having little or none, they gather an amount of charge equal to their Circle rating. In
other words, a Circle three Water mage could instantly gather three levels of Water charge during his very first
channeling action. After that point, Channeling gains one level of charge per action as normal. Note that this sets the
amount of Chargetothe Magician's Circle rating, should they ever have less, not adds that much for a greater total.

The second advantage of those who possess the secrets of higher Circles means that whatever charge the Magician does
gather go further than those of poorer skill, as it relates to the way their spells are formed.

PACKETS AND POUCHES

SPELL PACKETS

Spell packets are small, walnut-sized cloth bags or balloons filled with rice or birdseed which are color coded to the
specific Element that they represent. Red packets are for Fire, Brown for Earth, Grey for Air and Blue for Water.
Threshold packets have a black stripe across them and additional markings designating which character they belong
to.

Like other props, spell packets are a pseudo In-game item. A magician holding their spell packets in their hand is
demonstrating visibly their ability to cast magic, perhaps with a corona of fire surrounding their open palm. A spell
 packet lying discarded on the ground from some spell represents perhaps a scorch across the grass, or a section of
erratic turf in the aftermath of a stone attack.

Each Magician has a number of total Spell Packets based on their Intellect Attribute. This amount represents the mental
strain their mind can endure at once and how quickly they can perform complex calculations under stressful or rapid
situations. Magicians with normal Intellect have 10 spell packets and 5 Threshold packets. Smart characters have 15 Spell
Packets and 7 Threshold Packets. Brilliant characters have 20 Spell packets and 10 Threshold packets. Simple characters
simply do not have the mental flexibility to channel magical power at all.

Each Magician is advised to have three distinct pouches on their person. The "Spell Pouch" holds their Spell Packets, and
is drawn with the dominant hand. The "Threshold Pouch" holds their Threshold packets, and is drawn with the off-hand.
The "Discharge Pouch" holds packets that have been used and are waiting to recover after rest, as well as any out of game
spare packets in case your ordinary ones are accidentally lost or not currently recoverable for some reason.

WAR MAGIC, SPELLS, AND ARCANA

Three broad classifications of magical power exist. War Magic is the least elegant, but perhaps the most important to a
magician's power. As the name implies, it brings the destructive power of the raw elemental force to bear. Igniting zones
of roaring flames, crushing enemies with boulders or stone spikes, scything enemies with planes of wind or bursts of
lightning, or smashing the force of the tides against their foes are the hallmarks of the War Magic that has made the
Guilds forces to be reckoned with.

WAR MAGIC

In game, War Magic is performed by Channeling, then throwing the spell packets at the intended target. The spell
packets do not actually have to hit the target, but must come reasonably close and must clearly indicate the target of the
spell. The tighter the grouping of possible targets, the more precise one needs to be if indicating a specific individual. Any
packet that hits a character, even if that character were not the intended target, is affected normally as if they were the
target. For spells that affect an area, such as using the Blasting Form Technique, the range is measured from where the
packets land.

Unlike most attacks, spells increase dramatically in destructive power as the Magician gathers more elemental power,
gaining the Power quality for multiple packets. For each spell packet that a Magician throws at their target, that target
must call that many defenses or take a hit to the body (or limb if the Magician specifically dictates). Only Dodge, Armor,
Block and Toughness are acceptable Defense calls against War Magic. For War Magic attacks that deal more than one hit,
the Magician should call the specific number as the attack lands.

SPELLS AND SPELLCASTING

Spells are more careful and specific applications of the Magician's power and can perform acts of great effect and
subtlety that are not overtly destructive like those of War Magic. When casting such a spell, the exact nature of the magic
intended is discussed with a Rules Marshal, and the amount of charge necessary is proscribed by the Marshall based on
a set of criteria, discussed below. In addition, the precise effect must fall within a Domain of magic that the Magician
knows. To understand both of these requirements, Domains and the Anatomy of a Spell are described below.

DOMAINS

Each of the four magical arts has power over its literal elemental substance and can manipulate it with little difficulty.
This forms the basis for the most crude effects, igniting a zone of roaring flames, causing a mountain to collapse on a foe,
or similarly quenching the same fires or halting the landslide. However, there is more to each Elemental Principle
beyond that, and the Magicians of the four Guilds have worked for centuries to unlock the hidden potential in each
element. An effect that falls contextually within the dominion of an element is considered to be within the element's
"Domain," and every spell cast will utilize at least one Domain. A Magician can cast a single spell with more than one
Domain if they split up the Power portion of the spell between them.

Magicians begin their training with the Primary Domain in each Element, and War Magic uses this Domain to perform
its effect. Additional Domains are purchased for 1 Exp.

The Domains under the sway of each Element follow:

FIRE
Heat & Flame -Faith -Havoc -Glory -Change -Fear
Sight -Resolve -Attraction -Passion -Animation -Pain

Heat & Flame - The creation and control of burning flames and waves of heat.
Faith - The Faith Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Faith, such as changing one's Devotion.
Havoc - Panic, confusion, and riot-like behavior.
Attraction - Drawing forth of people or objects to a certain point, either by their own will or by exerting force.
Glory - Conspicuousness and attractiveness on an emotional level, able to attract high levels of attention and favor.
Change - Changing any one quality such, size, weight, state, or anything else. Simple and reasonable changes are lower
Power than drastic ones.
Fear - Invoking terror from the very depths of the heart.
Sight - The ability to create bright ambient light as well as see distant locations or targets visually.
Resolve - The Resolve Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Resolve, such as ignoring your better moral judgment.
Passion - Manipulation of emotions to become more intense and fervent than before.
Animation - Giving the spark of movement under your control to an otherwise inanimate object.
Pain - Invoking pure pain, either in the form of trauma or otherwise into a target.

EARTH
Stone -Fortitude -Force -Animals -Weight -Rot
Structures -Strength -Metal -Plants -Growth -Disease

Stone - Manipulation of the hard stone, dense turf and grinding sand that makes up the earth.
Fortitude - The Fortitude Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Fortitude, such as reinforcing a door or bulwark.
Force - Exerting force upon a targeted area or lending additional force to other methods of delivery.
Animals - Communicating, commanding and emulating animals. Can add Instincts to a character.
Weight - Increasing or redistributing the weight that an object exerts.
Rot - Rapid decay of organic material. Direct attacks blocked by Grit.
Structures - Creation and revision of buildings, walls, supports, even statues and other creations of rock and stone.
Strength - The Strength Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Strength, such as tearing a door from its hinges.
Metal - Manipulation of worked metal, both in shape and function.
Plants - Stimulating the growth and development of plant life, as well as causing it to behave in unusual or dangerous
ways.
Growth - Physically enlarging objects or characters to great sizes.
Disease - The creation and spread of diseases.

WATER
Waves -Faith -Reflection -Cycles -Time -Freedom
Clarity -Speed -Cleansing -Balance -Pressure -Paths

Waves - The control of water, pulled from a standing source or out of ambient moisture, and the powerful waves that it
forms.
Faith - The Faith Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Faith, such as changing one's Devotion.
Reflection - Reflection of any kind of effect, be it physical, emotional or otherwise.
Cycles - Manipulation of any cyclical series, anything that happens and unhappens in sequence.
Time - Manipulation of the flow of forward time and its perception and actual progression.
Freedom - Disentanglement from things that bind, restrict and hold.
Clarity - Washing away obscurity, illusion and control.
Speed - The Speed Attribute as well as the occasional feat of Speed, such as moving a blinding speed all at once over a
certain distance.
Cleansing - Removing impurities, contagions, and other negative influences.
Balance - Maintaining of corresponding effects, opposite effects and evening of distributions.
Pressure - Exerting the force of great weight upon particular points or places.
Paths - Manipulating, creating and revealing new and existing paths of travel for people and objects.

AIR
Wind -Intellect -Memory -Sound -Seeking -Weather
Escape -Speed -Subtlety -Movement -Thought -Illusion

Wind - controlling the physical flow of the winds as well as lightning and directing enormous amounts of electrical force
into a target.
Intellect - The Intellect Prime Stat as well as feats of intellectual processing such as memorizing a string of 1000 words.
Memory - Reading or creating recall of events in a character's mind, as well as imprints left behind upon a place or
object.
Sound - The creation of any kind of sound, with complexity and loudness determined by Power.
Seeking - Find objects, places, or people that you are familiar with, or where something has gone from a location.
Weather - Manipulation of weather effects to create or cease rain, drought, storms and the like.
Escape - Pushing through cracks, bonds, or other constrictions to free one object from another.
Speed - The Speed Prime Stat as well as the occasional feat of Speed, such as moving a blinding speed all at once over a
certain distance.
Subtlety - Inconspicuousness and unobtrusiveness on a mental level. Causes people, objects or events to become easily
ignorable and unimportant.
Movement - Control over movement, either as an assistance to a character's general fluidity, or as a total control of
movement over an object.
Thought - Reading and creating current thoughts in the minds of others. Higher Power allows for more believable
thoughts to be introduced, or to read more deeply hidden secrets.
Illusion - Creation of illusions that fool the mind. Higher Power results in more complex illusions that can move
realistically or affect multiple senses.

THE ANATOMY OF A SPELL

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Spells are made up of the following attributes: Range, Power, and Duration. These determine the overall usefulness and
effectiveness of the spell.

This chart shows the three attributes that make up a spell. These attributes are linked to how much elemental charge is
being used for the spell. Each value begins at 1, the bottom row on the chart. For each step up the chart in each category
that the Magician wants his spell to achieve, it costs an additional one level of charge, so one spell packet.

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant
For example, Miranda is an initiate Fire Mage wants to attract the keys to her manacles from a hook that is 20 yards
away from her with an Attraction spell. Miranda channels and can make a spell that affects 1 target, at 10 yards, with
an instant effect that has a power of 1. If she charges additionally, she can increase one of three values by 1 step. So,
could, for example, increase the range of the spell by another 10 yards to reach her distant target.

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

A Magician's Circle, however, lets him use his power more effectively the higher he climbs.By contrast, Cecil, a third
circle Water Mage, wants to perform a similar effect. He begins to channel his element, but because he is a magician
of the Third Circle, he immediately is able to gather enough charge to take him to 3. Not only that, but all of the
attributes of his spell rise to their third place, not just a single one of the three columns. As a result, Cecil can now cast
as spell that erupts his target 30 yards away, with a power of 3, and an effect that will endure for a full minute
afterward. After this, Cecil is at his limits, and any additional charge after this point will increase only a single column
of factors in the spell by 1 step.

Note as well that a Magician may at any time opt not to use the full force of their effect, choosing to target a powerful
spell against an opponent at 10 yards, for instance, rather than the full thirty. This confers no special advantage beyond
the obvious, and the lost power cannot be applied to another category of the spell attributes. There are rumors that some
magicians have learned how to harvest this lost energy to be funneled back into the spell in other ways, but that secret is
well guarded.

Spells also by default target a small area, only 1 yard or one target at a time. There are various techniques that can be
employed, discussed later, that can widen or change the area being affected, but usually taking extra time, and at the cost
of some of the Power.

Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

In another example, Gabriel, a Third Circle Air Magician wishes to cast a spell to allow him to eavesdrop on a
conversation in another room, he can channel Air up to three charges within his first round and produce every effect
from third tier of the chart. A Range of 30 yards, a Power of 3 and a Duration of 1 minute. Gabriel needs to be able to
listen to the entire room's conversation, however, not just a small part, so he uses the Blasting Form technique to cover
the entire room with his spell. This technique reduces the Power by 1, so the conversation might come in a little less
clearly, but it is well worth it, for he now knows the plans of the enemy commanders. Gabriel cannot afford to be
imprecise, however, so he before he casts he channels for one more round and assigns the charge to Power, to bring it
back up to 3.

Were the same spell cast by a Circle 1 Air Magician, to achieve the same effect he would have to channel a total of 13
levels of charge, one for each step up the line in each category; an impossible feat for anyone to perform. Initiation into a
higher Circle of Magic is a prize that all Magicians covet, but cannot simply be achieved by hard work and studious
efforts.

PROMOTION TO GREATER POWER

To graduate to a higher Circle, a Magician must be elevated to that position through instruction from another Magician
or Magicians. This instruction is usually not given lightly, and the highest levels are restricted almost utterly. Most
Magician's guilds will not advance a student until they have satisfied some combination of rigorous training, spiritual
enlightenment, intensive study, back room dealing and blackmail, and have thoroughly indebted themselves socially to
the rest of the Guild. This is a source of frustration among many acolyte magicians who find climbing the ladder of a
guild's hierarchy difficult and often times unfair. Magical secrets are carefully guarded currency within Guilds, which
high guild leaders hold a dominant monopoly over.

In order to advance to the second circle or higher in any of the four magician guilds you must purchase a specific
number of Techniques and then socially ingratiate yourself with your guild superiors enough to be trusted with even
deeper secrets. A would be promotion is required to spend an amount of experience points equal to 4 x the new Circle in
Techniques. For example, to acquire the technical aptitude to even be considered for Circle 3, you must purchase at least
12 experience points in Techniques, which can be any combination of Basic or Advanced Techniques from the list later in
this Chapter. This is in addition to any Techniques you already were required to have for circle 2. Even with the required
learning, a magiciancannotadvance their Circle without the blessing of their masters within the guild.

It is very rare, but not unheard of, for a Magician of a given guild to be instructed in more than one Elemental theory of
Magic. Such a thing requires that the Magician somehow convince members of their secondary guild to instruct them in
the first and any subsequent Circle of their art. Permissive occurrence of this is rare, and generally does not happen
without major concessions by one or both sides. Sometimes two guilds will exchange a single gifted student from each
side to learn the other's arts and then return to their home guild, but while they stay in the protection of a foreign guild,
they are always looked upon with suspicion if not outright contempt. The Guilds protect their secrets viciously, and many
attempts at espionage occur, confident magi attempting to be initiated as beginners, hired master thieves attempting to
steal a well-guarded spellbook, or outright torture or blackmail for the prized information of magical instruction. One
can be sure that if a Magician is practicing multiple elements of magic, the knowledge was incredibly hard won.

Of special note is that it requires a Magician of the Fifth Circle to initiate a student into the First circle of a magical
discipline. Hence, no Magician of Circles One through Four will have the skill necessary to impart magical knowledge
upon another and begin their indoctrination into the Magical Arts. Because of this, those lucky enough to steal away a bit
of arcane knowledge from an opposing Guild are rarely, if ever, able to share that power with the rest of their Guild when
they return. Attempts have even been made to capture and torture an Archmage into compliance, or work spells of
compulsion upon them to force them to give up what they know, but no known attempt at this has ever been successful.
The august masters have chosen instead to die rather than give up their secrets, or else escaping in a vicious cataclysm of
spellfire before they gave up what the torturers wanted.
Charge Range Power Duration

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Range:The distance that a spell can create an effect from in relation to its source. This is typically the caster if there is
nothing to change it.
Duration:The time that a spell can maintain its magical effect.The duration begins the same instant that spell is cast,
so if the duration is instant, the effect occurs and then fades at once. If the duration is 10 Seconds, the effect will persist
for that time and then fade.
Power:The useful output of a spell. This comes in many forms and can encompass all sorts of effects which correspond
to a chart.

Power Description Examples

1 Trivial Cook your food, Levitate an object, Walk on water, Jam a lock with friction

2 Minor Scry for a nearby object, Slow one's fall, Stay dry in a storm, Fortify a Door. Increase the effective rank of 1 Skill by 1.

3 Significant Turn a piece of metal red hot, Control a gust of wind to power a sail, Create a standing wave, Take command of an animal. Increase an Attribute by one Step.

4 Major Illuminate the night as though it were day, Erase a memory of an event, Capsize a small ship, Halt a landslide. Increase the effective rank of a Skill by 2

5 Epic Keep something burning underwater, Summon a tornado, Redirect a river, Turn a coal into a diamond. Increase the effective rank of a Skill by 3. Increase an Attribute by two steps.

6+ Legendary Boil a lake, Completely erase and rewrite another's life memories, Part the sea, Build a city from the earth.

Keep in mind that these effects are still governed by the other attributes of the spell. Therefore, if a Circle Three magician
was able to channel for three additional rounds, he could indeed perhaps boil a lake, but only for one minute and only
where he aimed the spell.

Sometimes an effect may be passively resistant to the assaults of others or in some way can be partially or totally
resisted. In the case of effects that harm, impair or physically impede the target, Grit may be expended like a Defense call
to resist, possibly requiring more than one for higher power effects. For effects that take control of the mind, impair
thinking or feelings, or otherwise affect the mental state of a target, Discipline may be used. In either case, 1 Steady may
be used to totally cancel such effects.

CASTING THE SPELL

 MAELSTROM FLUCTUATIONS

Not every Rules Marshal may always make the same exact calls about the parameters of an effect you might like to
create in a specific situation, what resistances it might have, or other factors. Rather than be frustrated by this, for the
sake of speed and ease of use, accept a certain amount of variation as the parameters of magic being that much more
complex and difficult to calculate. Perhaps the flow of magical energy is particularly violent or sluggish just now, or
perhaps the intervening distance between you and your target has odd aetheryric geometry that causes its effective
distance in magical space to be bent or skewed.

For those that wish for exact, reliable measures that are always consistent, see Arcana, below.

Once the particulars of the spell have been agreed upon, the Magician must still Channel the appropriate level of charge
designated by the Rules Marshal, and then transfers that charge to his "Discharge Pouch" where they remain until he can
Rest, as normal. When this is complete, the Rules Marshal will call "Forsooth!" and describe the effect, if the effect is
obvious, such as the weather changing, or an earthquake beginning. If the effect is not obvious, he might simply note it,
or tell the person that it does affect privately what they experience.

ARCANA

Example Arcana

Windblade
Air Element, Speed Domain
Enhancing the speed of your blade and eyes, you may slice bullets and other projectiles in the air before they
reach you. The power of the Windblade allows you to call Parry on a Firearms or Archery attacks directed at you
or anyone within arms length.

Duration: 4 (One Scene or Hour)

Power: 4 (Major Feat of Speed to Parry bullets)
Range: 0 (Personal)

The example spells described above are used as intuitive magics - effects intended to suit the situation by using the best
combination of attributes for a given problem. The spells are cast by simply channeling the necessary charge to meet the
Magician's requirements and then discharging it. Most effects that a Magician casts will likely be spells.
Many Magicians, however, eventually find it valuable to research a different type of spell. They study and test spells over
and over again to find the most efficient way to manage their power and use. Such research is difficult and time
consuming, but produces magical effects that can vastly outperform ordinary magics, if only in a very specific situation.
These spells, called Arcana, are some of the most powerful weapons in a Magician's arsenal, and are guarded like secret
treasures by the Magicians who have managed to create them.

With an Arcana, the particulars of an effect have been pre-negotiated with staff to perform as needed under any
circumstance included in the Arcana, rather than having to negotiate it with a Rules Marshal every time. This gives a
tremendous versatility advantage in that it no longer requires a variable element that may not be present, the Rules
Marshal, and becomes permanently available at all times.

Range Power Duration

10 Any Plane 10 Forever

9 This Plane 9 Always, while conscious

8 100 Miles 8 1 Year and a day

7 10 Miles 7 1 Month

6 Line of Sight 6 1 Week

5 50 yd 5 1 Period or 8 Hours

4 40 yd 4 1 Scene or Hour

3 30 yd 3 1 Combat Scene or 1 Minute

2 20 yd 2 10 Seconds

1 10 yd 1 Instant

Furthermore, since the spell is so carefully refined, the magician is able to leverage their knowledge of refined
astrological readings, mathematics, and natural philosophy to increase its efficacy past the normal limits, and exceed the
values of5 in the spell categories. For each level of Academics, the values of spells may potentially exceed 5 by an
additional level, so for instance a Magician with Academics 3 could achieve as high as 8 in the categories that make up
the spell, though the final result is still subject to the maximums presented by the Magician's Intellect.

Creating the Arcana is a matter of Research. This research requires Uncommon Lore: Refined Arcane Theory. The player
submits the mechanics of the spell to Staff over the Downtime, during which time it is discussed and possibly rebalanced
or in some cases perhaps rejected. Once the particulars of the power are decided upon, the character spends their
Downtime in Research and creates the Arcana, paying3 exp to learn it. The magician can spend additional Downtime
actions before paying the exp to further refine the particulars of the Arcana, and for every Downtime spent this way,
reduces the cost of the Arcana by 1 exp. Once it is purchased it cannot be further refined, and if teaching to others, the
Arcana costs what it cost originally.

The exact details of the Arcana are recorded on a card which is added to the Magician's spellbook. Without the spellbook
with that particular card in it, the Arcana is not usable, so that the exact effects can be displayed to any interested party
OOC in substitution of a Rules Marshal.

SPELL FLAWS

Arcana can also benefit from special workarounds designed to cut corners to make a powerful spell more simple to cast.
When Flaws are used as part of the Research process, the spell gains the characteristics described by the spell, but also
gains a benefit. For each flaw selected, one Threshold packet may be treated as a normal spell packet for the purposes of
the Arcana only, and only after all normal spell packets have been exhausted. Unless otherwise stated, the value of each
flaw is 1. Some more drastic flaws, or flaws taken at increased severity, may reduce the values by up to 3

To illustrate, Exhaustion (listed below) is a flaw whereby the caster cannot act for 30 seconds after the spell is cast. This
effect can be amplified to a factor of 3, so that the caster is exhausted for 90 seconds afterward. This is the maximum
severity of this flaw that can be taken, with the benefit being that up to 3 Threshold packets are converted.

Taking any of these spells requires the corresponding Technique, (Material Restrictions, Casting Restrictions of Energy
Restrictions). Techniques are discussed in detail later in the chapter.

Material Restrictions:
Tandem: You have reduced the complexity of the spell by taking only part of the burden of casting it at any one time.
This spell requires an additional caster who knows the spell as well to successfully perform. Any other flaws the Arcana
might have apply to all casters. This can be taken multiple times.
Catalyst: In exchange for a much simpler spell, you've adjusted the proportions to use a specific sort of object to invoke
a reaction while you handle the rest. This spell requires and destroys a component to invoke the spell. Cheap but
uncommon (Falcon eggs, Licorice Ashes): 1, Expensive but common (a bar of gold): 2, Expensive and rare (a large,
perfect ruby): 3
Focus:You've managed to link the forces of your spell to a specific object, running the arcane currents through it as a
means to control the flow of the spell. This means youmusthave a specific unique object on your person to cast the spell
or else it becomes impossible to cast. The focus must be held or worn on the front of the caster to be used. During the
casting, the object will glow brightly. If the object is destroyed or lost permanently the spell must be re-calibrated to a
new object by researching the spell all over again.
Glyphs: You've engineered your spell to flow through a specific channel of ley lines and buffers that does part of the
work for the caster so that she can handle the rest. The spell requires you to ink, draw, or otherwise depict a wide series
of arcane glyphs and symbols that focus the energies of the spell. These glyphs take twenty minutes to create, but if they
are being carved or otherwise made more permanent, it may take longer. During casting, the glyphs must be exposed
and will glow brightly. If the glyphs are destroyed or otherwise defaced, casting the spell becomes impossible. This can be
taken multiple times.

Casting Restrictions:
Blunt: You have removed all flexibility from the spell, and it must function exactly as you planned in order to work at
all. This spell is incapable of being altered by paraphs or techniques.
Rigid:The spell is extremely specific in its planning and effect - the exact details of the spell must be arranged ahead of
time to a great degree. This might include the intended targets, an idea of the surroundings such as in a wooden
building, the distance from one targe to the next, or other details depending on the nature of the spell.
Exhaustion:The spell uses so much energy to cast with, the shock of doing so leaves you raw and your mind in tatters.
The excess energy spent for this spell leaves you completely defenseless and unable to act for 30 seconds after the spell is
cast. Defenseless, you may not act to defend against incoming attacks or take any other action.
Abstract:You've created a complicated work-around not normally possible with your magic that will allow it to function
as you intended, but the processes are complex and difficult to understand. This spell must be cast while reading aloud a
passage of at least 100 words from your spellbook, recorded next to the Arcana. This can be done after you channel.
Slow: You've reduced the complexity of the spell by breaking up its various intricacies into many different steps. This
spell takes anadditional 30 seconds for each channeling action.
Atunement: The spell's labors are tied into astrological models and correspondences. The spell may only be cast under
specific astrological conditions: Day vs Night: 1, A specific one hour period such as noon or dusk, 2, a specific condition
such as winter or a full moon: 3.
Sensitive:The spell requires the utmost care to cast successfully, and even the slightest magical disturbances can spoil
it. The spell may only be cast if there are no other sentient creatures within 50 yardsof you, as their energies disrupt the
magic. Alternately, this spell cannot be cast if any other magical effects have been used within 50 yards within the last
scene or hour. Worth 2.

Energy Restrictions:
Loud Report:The spell, when cast, releases a huge etheric shock through a one mile vicinity, and everyone, even those
with no magical training, feels the disturbance, usually as a sudden feeling of dread and awe, as well as getting a general
idea of where the effect came from.
Voracious:You have fixed a gap in the spell by simply flooding it with extra power. Consequently, this spell requires an
extra charge. This can be taken multiple times.
Chaotic Feedback: You've used a much more raw, chaotic form of your element to power the spell. The charge spent
for the spell calls forth this twisting maelstrom of energy, but the consequences are drastic. After the spell is cast, the
caster takes unavoidable internal damage and is Downed. They also roll 1 Maelstrom die for each level of Power. Worth
3.
Yawning Lacuna:You've engineered your spell to create a vortex of energy. The force of this event allows your magic
to move and flow far more easily, but in the aftermath, it leaves a gaping hole where the charge used to be. It takes 1 hour
of rest for you to recover enough to regain any spell packets. Worth 2

ANACRUSIS
Magical forces are explicitly unnatural. No application of sorcerous might is native to the world, and perceptive arcane
scholars note that the effects of their spells often have side-effects, perhaps almost imperceptivity minute, that occur in
the people, places, and things that they enchant with their magic. Ordinarily these sorts of unpredictable effects are, if
interesting, inconsequential. Perhaps a sword remains weakly magnetized after it was sharpened with the Metal Domain
of Earth Magic. Perhaps a skeleton key altered to fit the lock you need it to open runs all the impurities in the metal one
direction and gives the key an odd sort of appearance under close examination. While a curiosity, it rarely bears much
scrutiny, chalked up to a slightly imperfect spell owing to some momentary break in the magicians concentration or
focus, perhaps.

However, these effects do have a more troubling effect that all magicians do pay attention to. In living creatures,
occasionally magical energies can prove deleterious to their health, usually after long-term or repeated exposure to
magic. Headaches, nausea, bleeding membranes, illness, vertigo, temporary madness, deep burns, respiratory issues,
even death have been reported after extreme magical exposure. These effects, called Anacrusis by arcane scholars (and
sometimes called Spell Sickness by lay people), demonstrate that the human body has limits to how far magiccan
augment it. The Magician herself can usually endure exposure to her own spells for far longer than others can, usually
not suffering Anacrusis unless under extreme and long-term effects, but others she enchants exhibit far less tolerance.
Occasionally benefiting from increased reflexes or unnatural charisma seems to be largely without its risks, but those
who habitually undergo magical effects or are the subject of particularly powerful spells begin to show signs sooner or
later.

Anacrusis works much like Fatigue. The subject is unable to Rest, experiencing extreme discomfort from vertigo,
bleeding eyes, or some other effect, which recovers after getting some quality sleep or bed-rest for at least 6 hours. Much
like Fatigue, if the effects compound long enough, they can be fatal.

ARCANE TECHNIQUES
Through magic, this world can be changed and manipulated towards perfection. Similarly, through the mage, magic too
can be changed and manipulated into a purer form. In its raw form, magic is a powerful beast, unyoked and virtually
rampant. For centuries, cloistered magicians have developed ways to further domesticate this force of nature.

BASIC TECHNIQUES
Basic Techniques are those techniques which are intuitive to learn, and they can be learned without any special
instruction. Basic Techniques cost 2 exp.

Arcane Sensitivity:You are sensitive to disturbances in the nearby magical fields. You can tell when an object is
magical, a person is under an enchantment, or when a nearby spell is cast that breaks the caster's Threshold.

Concentration: You may suspend the Duration of a spell indefinitely, so long as you continue to recite your
channeling incantation and take no other actions.

Complicate: By spending a charge and concentrating, you may force another Magician to take twice as long to channel.

Grasping Form:By concentrating the power of your magic into your hand, you can increase the effect of your magic as
you deliver it through personal contact with its target. You must touch the spell packets to your target by hand, or use a
Grab maneuver with the Brawl skill for combative targets, but the effects are 1 Power higher than normal. This works on
one's self.

Domain Specialization You have favored the lessons of one Domain above all others. Spells using a given Domain
gain 1 additional Power. This may be purchased again for more Domains.
Linear Form:Extending your arms wide to the side and adding 5 seconds to your casting, you may invoke your magic
in a long line, extending all the way to the length of the Range increment for Spells, and hitting nearby targets in a line
with War Magic

Unweave:You may cancel any spell that you yourself originally cast at will. Without this technique, a magician is
unable to do so.

Arcane Seal:Allows you to seal a door, latch, chest, or anything else that can be opened with a triggered spell. The
object cannot be moved from its original location by more than a few yards or the seal will break.

Spell Plating:While Channeling, you may drop Threshold packets on a one for one basis to simulate Armor Defense
calls.

Delay:You can set your spell to occur only at as an Instant action at the very end of the Duration as an instant effect,
instead of throughout it.

Expulse:You may take one Channel action without actually Channeling, and immediately cast the spell but the strain of
doing so makes you Winded and you can take no actions for 10 seconds.

Dislocate: Spells of a definite shape such as a line, dart, etc, need not originate from the point where you stand. So long
as the entire effect is contained within the Range of the spell, you may place the effect wherever you please. Ordinarily a
Line must originate from the caster, a Blast must be hurled from your fist, etc.

ADVANCED TECHNIQUES
These are the high secrets of the Arcane orders. These techniques, passed down from master to apprentice, make up all
Techniques above Circle 1 and require the student to be at least that Circle or higher. Each Advanced Technique must be
learned separately by specific instruction, either from a master or a book detailing its use.
Techniques that require tutelage from another mage are considered advanced. These can be purchased for 4 points each
and require a mage who not only already knows the technique but a pupil of the appropriate circle. These contribute
toward Arcane Circle advancement.

Circle 2

Convoke:Contribute spell packets of the same Element toward another mages spell and/or receive said packets. The
magicians must be physically touching to deliver or receive this power, and both must have this technique. The donor
must channel the power normally. This does not allow the recipient Magician to exceed their normal Threshold values for
a single spell, but does allow them to recover ordinary power more quickly, or gain power more rapidly.

Ethereal Shroud:A magician can create an invisible cloak of energy around his form by expending any amount of
charge with 10 seconds of concentration.. The cloak will negate the War Magic, Power aspect of the next harmful spell
that is directed at the Magician, expending its worth on a 1 for 1 ratio, so long as the spell is of the same Element as the
shroud, or the opposing Element. This can completely negate harmful spells that are directed within the space. The
Ethereal Shroud will collapse after it negates as much spell Power as the charge that created it, or can be maintained for a
maximum of about five minutes before dispersing.

SteadyFlow: You may channel while moving at a walking pace, so long as you only ever take one Spell Packet at a
time, regardless of your Circle rating, and may do this to a maximum amount of your Circle Rating. Thus a Third Circle
Magician could do this three times until they accrued 3 Charge.

Blasting Form:Wheeling your ensorcelled fist back and then slamming it forward with the potence of your Element,
you may invoke an area for your magic that is a spherical field half of the total Range increment of the spell in diameter,
up to 50 yards maximum, and targeting anywhere in your Range. All characters within the blast are affected by the spell.
This effect requires a 10 seconds to invoke and reduces the Power of the spell by 1.

Workaround:When constructing an Arcana, you may make an auxiliary flaw to back up the first one if it becomes
unusable by circumstance. This second flaw does not count toward the difficulty of constructing the spell, and must be of
the same magnitude. For example, if a magician's Focus ring that allowed him to cast his spell were destroyed or taken,
he might be able to work around it to force the spell to operate off of a certain Catalyst if he had planned for it when
designing the spell. The workaround must be a flaw from the same category as the one it is replacing.

Casting Restrictions:You know a wide series of workarounds and shortcuts to help make Arcana more simple to
create that relate to breaking up the difficulty into easier to manage steps. You may use all "Casting Restriction" spell
flaws in your Arcana research.

Material Restrictions:You know a wide series of workarounds and shortcuts to help make Arcana more simple to
create that relate to focusing the power of your magics through physical anchor points to take the strain off of yourself
when casting. You may use all "Material Restriction" spell flaws in your Arcana research.

Still Channeling(Earth*): You may channel without the need for arcane gestures and movements to assist your
concentration. Channeling without their aid no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain
each charge.

Silent Channeling(Air*): You may channel without the need for encrypted chanting and magical words to assist your
concentration. Channeling without their aid no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain
each charge.

Subtle Channeling(Water*): You may channel without increasing the volume of your voice as you gather power, do
not create environmental effects when you begin to break your Threshold, and remain undetectable by Arcane
Sensitivity. Channeling while suppressing this no longer imposes the penalty of taking an additional 10 seconds to gain
each charge.

Courageous Channeling(Fire*): You can maintain the stability of mind to channel and cast, even while in the throes
of terror. Casting or maintaining charge while afraid is normally impossible.
*For students of the listed Element, this technique can be purchased as a Basic Technique.

Circle 3
Techniques more advanced than this rank's mechanics are kept secret until they are learned.

Blacklist

Ensorcell

Energy Restrictions

Requital

Rupture

Gainsay

Contradict

Environmental Form

Imprisoning Form

Negative Incarnation

Mind Screws

Orphic Vault

Whelming Gate

Wizard's Coin

Incarnate Mastery(Fire*):
Time Mastery(Water*):
Force Mastery(Earth*):
Space Mastery(Air*):

*Only Magicians of the listed Element may learn these.

Circle 4
Fool's Lemniscate
Overrule
Radiant Form
Rift Tolerance
Mental Fortitude
Circle 5
Of Living Form
Summarius
Shatter Fetters
Mental Masterpiece
Reform the Principle
Pattern Alignment

RULES ARBITRATION
Isn't it a Power 1 effect to create a spark inside someone's brain that would kill them?
No. Creating a spark in your hand is a power 1 effect, certainly, but creating it inside a living person's brain is
considerably more difficult and requires exceptional precision. When considering the Significance rating of this, or any
similar effect, remember that something like "create a spark" is definitely a Trivial effect, but "killing someone instantly"
is usually going to fall under epic or higher. Look to the actual result rather than the means. Furthermore, spells cannot
begin inside other characters, they must enter them from without to attempt to harm or otherwise attack a character.

Do high Duration attack spells keep injuring the target over and over until they expire?
Technically, when casting a spell you are attacking the area where people are standing, such as with a Blasting Form or
Line Form. Even a standard Dart is still actually attacking the 10 foot area that character occupies, so if the Duration is,
say, level 4, the entire scene or an hour, the target or targets can move out of the affected area and cease to take damage.
Any characters who remain or can't exit will take damage again if they haven't left within 10 seconds.

Note that this only applies to attack spells intended to do damage. Spells that attempt to aid or hinder a character by
blinding them, making their armor harder as some persistent effect travel with the character. Only spells that repeat their
effect over and over such as firestorms and the like are aimed at a location.

Some Domains seem more difficult to judge what levels of Power accomplish what. A little help?
Domains fall into roughly three categories. Forces, such as Flames, Fortitude, and Weather and similar domains tend to
just get bigger and badder as they get more Power in a fairly linear scale. Effects, such as Attraction, Havoc, Glory, and
Growth tend to be measured in terms of their scale. How much Havoc are you creating? Are people sort of confused and
irritated or are they chewing the doorframes and breaking every dish? More abstract ones such as Time, Balance, Cycles,
Subtlety, Thought, and Illusion, typically found in Water and Air, need to be judged mostly on the efficacy of what they
are attempting. Can the illusion move? Does it affect all five senses? Does it react realistically when interacted with or do
you pass right through? A wall that is insubstantial when challenged takes less Power than a wall that responds to
pressure with a feeling of resistance, even if it's not real. The same is true for something like Thought - if you are reading
someone's mind, something they were thinking about anyway would be lower Power than a deep, dark secret better
forgotten, or something they themselves hardly know to be true, like a forgotten detail. As a player, use your own
judgment when plotting your spells, and the Staff will gainsay if they think the Power used was too low to be effective, or
ask what Power rating would be necessary for a given effect.

Why would I use, say, a Heat effect instead of a Flame effect to attack with?
There are some circumstances when attacking one way over another may be more effective. Assaulting someone with a
wave of heat instead of a bolt of fire may allow you to force the target to use Grit as their Defense instead of Dodge.
Using different kinds of effects may allow a magician to attack what they believe may be a weaker aspect in their target.
However, spells cannot be directed to begininsideof an opponent, so one cannot ignore armor by roasting a knight
inside his armor with Heat, or liquefying his insides with Rot. The wave of heat or rot or other Domain in use will hit
them directly, being partially stopped and mitigated by armor unless some other Technique says otherwise.

How long does an effect that is only the result of the actual spell last?
As a general rule, most spells are over when their Duration runs out. Some spells, however, exert some kind of force to
create their change, such as using the stone Domain to create a rockslide. The rocks do not reform into the hillside at the
end of the Duration, nor does burned flesh heal once the fires stop, so Instant Duration is usually suitable for these
effects. A diamond created out of a coal with the Pressure Domain will remain a diamond. A diamond created out of a
coal with the Change Domain will return to its original form after the Duration runs out, because it was the spell's magic,
not the effect created by those magic, which caused the diamond.
 KNIGHT ORDERS

KNIGHT ORDERS

Katarin looked at the gilded Leonem welded onto her armor. "Honor the weak." She sneered at the words of her sacred
oath. There was no honoring peasants who harbored heretics. A village of weaklings who hid the enemy and now
asked for her help when their iniquity caught up with them. All they knew was fear. Fear was their morality. Fear was
their real religion, their only loyalty. She looked up at each of the begging faces.
Aye, she would honor them... for now.

Knight orders are the sworn champions and agents of the Emperor of the Throne, or in some cases, the Pontifex of the Church of
Benalus, called Templars.. There are many examples of these orders, all specializing in a certain aspect of service to the Throne,
as well as a certain code of conduct and rigorous philosophy. All Knights are, either by birth or by virtue of their initiation into an
Order, members of the nobility and entitled to certain rights and privileges which are granted to them so that they may better
accomplish their missions for the Throne.

As both part of their service and also part of their reward for that service, Knights are given fiefs of land from which to draw both
peasant armies and income. Knights protect these lands in service to the Throne, and they may also charge the people of those
lands with military service to wage the wars that are in the interests of their masters.

KNIGHTS OF THE EMPEROR

Each Knight order is brought into existence by being granted a commission by the Emperor. This commission creates a Grand
Master which is charged with the fulfillment of a specific mission that the Emperor deems to be worthy of the attention of his
elite operatives and agents. This may be the protection of a certain region, the revival or creation of a powerful blacksmithing
technique, the collection of some missing artifact, or any other purpose. Once created, these Orders exist in perpetuity, as their
missions tend to be so long term that they are not completed in the lifetime of the first generation of its Knights. If the purpose
of the Order is ever fulfilled, the Emperor historically grants the Order a reward and a new purpose, sometimes renaming the
Order to better suit its new role.

Orders commissioned by the Emperor have authority that extends anywhere in the world of mankind, so long as they are
using it to fulfill the duties of their Order. Many Orders have a purpose which only is relevant in a certain area, such as
protecting the border between Cappaccionne and the Orcish badlands and Sha'ra desert. When that is the case, members
of the Order tend to stay local to their place of authority, though they occasionally leave the area on official business, and
take their authority along with them.

KNIGHTS OF THE REALM

As an extension of the Imperial Knight orders, Highborn noble families are also entitled to the creation of a Knight order for
their own defense and to protect their interests. Each family has a unique Order of elite soldiers and agents called their House
Guard. In exchange for the right to create these Knights, each House must agree to contribute their Knights to the defense of
their Kingdom's national interests as one united military force, should the Emperor, the King (or in the case of Rogalia, the
Parliament) call for it. These House Guard, such as the Sorrowful Order of House Selwick or the Blood Dragons of House Fafnir,
when called upon in dire emergency, join with the other House Guard of Gotha to become the Grand Order of Gotha, and a
Grandmaster is selected by the King or Emperor from among the Masters of each House Guard order. The Grandmaster retains
the post should the need arise again once the conflict is resolved.

In less dire times, the House Guard serves the noble family which they were created to protect. They act as the elite
agents, task overseers, warmasters, and all around right hand of their noble house. Often times the nobles of the house
themselves, especially junior members that are less likely to inherit, will participate directly in their family's Order,
taking honorary positions in the Order and prosecuting the duties of their bloodline. This teaches them both martial
prowess and lets them see the specific troubles that plague their land firsthand to offer wise counsel to their siblings, or
should they themselves one day take the house seat.

KNIGHTS OF THE CHURCH

While almost all of the Knight orders serve the Emperor, either directly or by the proxy of his vassal lords throughout the Throne,
the very first Knight Order ever commissioned was the Most Vigilant Order of Templars, reforged from the scattered factors of
the Ordo Croix that saved humanity during the Age of Witchkings. The Templar Order, in its original form, was the entirety of
the Church of Benalus, but evolved over the early days of the Throne into the militant branch of the Church while the clergy
formed into their own orders and covenants. The Templar order retains its position as Knights however, and all the privileges
that come with it, even though they are not vassals of the Emperor. In the earliest days of the Lion Age, the Templars worked as
partners with Victor Von Herkheist to create the Throne, and not as vassals. The Templars serve the Pontifex of the Church, and
as holy knights, take the orders directly from the Pontifex, and ultimately, from God.

Only one other Holy Order has ever been created. While they began as a special distinction of the Templars, the Sacred
Order of the White Lion now is its own group in separate service to the Church. The Order of the White Lion is reserved
exclusively for Paladins, the divine chosen of God. It is a small Order, and has special needs. While the Pontifex does not
have the right to create Knight Orders, the White Lion was a special exception granted by the Fourth Emperor, Karl von
Herkheist, so long as members of the White Lion never held any sort of office of temporal power, such as holding a
duchy or county.

DEGREES OF KNIGHTHOOD

Each Knight Order has its own internal hierarchy, and confers greater authority and capabilities upon its members as they
progress through the Order and become a finer example of their knightly ideals. Each Order is different, emphasizing different
principles, aims, and methods, but each Order maintains a strong tradition of ideals that influence each of its members. This
code of ideals, called Valor, permeates all of a Knight's actions, and fills them with a sense of purpose and discipline, as idealized
through a specific Skill. One Order may emphasize the power of changing the world nonviolently unless in drastic need, and
uphold the virtues of Persuasion. Another Order may value above all else the art of swordsmanship, taking the blade itself as a
personal symbol of power and control while upholding the balanced ideals of Medium Weapons. Another may believe that terror
is the only way to enforce order, and believes that terror of the heart is control of the heart, both in others, and in one's self,
taking Intimidation as their source of Valor.

FIRST DEGREE - KNIGHT ERRANT

A Knight Errant, or the Questing Knight, is a landless Knight in training. As initiates to the Order, they are still learning the
Order's tenets and codes, and expected to prove themselves by traveling and performing acts of courage and honor in service to
the ideals of their Order.

Valor
By embracing the concepts of and adhering to the ideals of his Order, the Knight empowers himself through his mastery of of his
arts.The Knight may use his Order's Valor Skill as extra levels of the Discipline skill. Functionally, the Knight has levels of the
Discipline skill equal to his levels that skill plus any levels of the actual Discipline skill.

Knight's Sword
The knight retains the Masterwork sword with which they were knighted, given to them as a gift by their masters in the Order.

Basic Kit
The essential trappings of the specific Order. Traditional weapons, books, doctrines, tabard, signet rings, and whatever other
ordinary equipment is necessary to discharge their duties.

Riding Horse
A Knight Errant is given a riding horse to allow them to travel greater distances more easily. This affects the distance the Knight
can travel during Downtime should he need to do so.

Noble Bearing
For Knights of the Realm and Imperial Orderswho do not already have the Highborn Perk, they gain nobility status upon
initiation. Characters of poor means who gain noble status through Knighthood begin a new minor noble house, and take
a surname of their choice. They gain Infamy with characters of the noble class who see him as an upjumped pretender.
His children will have the Highborn perk without this blemish. Furthermore, the rank of Knight is below the rank of
most Highborn characters, and those who outrank him in station can still gainsay him in matters of policy - still, it does
put him above the common man, and give him immunity to prosecution by any commoner for any reason.

Holy Orders
Members of the Templar Order and the Sacred Order of the White Lion do not gain Noble Bearing. Instead, they are
given honorary Holy Ordination status, similar to a priest. In issues of ecclesiastical trials and official Censure, they are
considered by the Church to be above reproach in most cases, and incontrovertible proof must be offered to convict them
of sinful deeds. Further, they may call and officiate Censure in eccliastical trial as if they were a priest. Members of the
Holy Orders may also perform rites from the Testimonium as if they were a Rank 1 Priest, though they must still
purchase those rituals andhave no access to the gospels of the Covenants unless they join those Covenants separately.

SECOND DEGREE - KNIGHT PROTECTOR

A Knight Protector is given charge of lands and armies, and are considered to be the primary military officers of their Order's
forces. They are considered the Protector of their land and must keep it safe from bandits, invaders and other dangers.

Warfare -A Knight Protector may levy forces from the lands that he controls as a Downtime action, as well as give
orders to those forces in war. For more details, seetheWarfare rules, here. The Knight's forces all gain a special
advantage, dependent upon the Valor of the Order he belongs to, as well as the culture from which he draws his forces.
For Imperial Knights, these soldiers come from Fenristadt, the Imperial Capital. For House Guard, they come from your
homeland, and for Holy Orders, they are pilgrims from Lethia.

Armory - A Knight Protector is afforded personal military equipment from the Order's armories. This can be any equipment of
standard quality that he needs as suits his tastes and fighting skills, including heavy armor and weaponry. This equipment
belongs to the Order, not to the Knight, and he is expected to maintain and service it, as he would any other resource.

Triumph- Whenever the Knight is given credit for a major accomplishment, he is able to ride the wave of his victory in
an exaltation such that everyone recognizes his accomplishments. For that game session and the next, he gains the
Triumphant ability, allowing him to be in any social situation at all without being asked to leave. He may be present at
the noble''s high council, break up some shady characters plotting from the shadows, insinuate himself into a private
campfire, or any other situation in hiscommunity. If necessary, this works like a Persuade that cannot be exhausted in
this situation.

THIRD DEGREE - KNIGHT COMMANDER

A Knight Commander is placed in charge of other Knights Protector and acts as a senior officer in military matters. They are
trained in the art of tactics and to make critical decisions in emergencies.

Special Forces -The Knight may now levy and train specialized units in Warfare. He gains access to a new unit type,
which is dependent upon the Valor skill for his Order, such as Handgunners for Firearms, or Spies for Sincerity.

Tactics- The Knight may give small unit tactical orders to accomplish a pre-defined objective. The Knight designates an
objective, and outlines a plan of action to achieve it, including detailed steps and the role expected of each participant in
the plan. So long as the participants keep to the plan, they may receive a benefit of one Hope per level of Leadership that
the Knight possesses due to his tactical expertise and excellent planning skills.
Fame- A notable and worthy member of your Order, the Knight gains Fame with a specific group relevant to his Order's
practices and interests.

FOURTH DEGREE - MASTER

The Masters of the Order are the inner circle of an Imperial or Church order, and are extremely few in number. In the
smaller case of a Noble's House Guard, they are the single individual of final authority. These masters make the oversight
decisions that guide their Order to achieve its largest aims.

Elite Forces -The Knight may now levy and train Elite units. He gains access to an additional new unit type, which is
again dependent upon the Valor of his Order, for example Canons for Firearms, or Saboteurs for Sincerity.

Mastery -The Master, through the intense personal code of his Order and the connection of thought and spirit it brings
to the members of his Order, may impart his skills and abilities to members of his Order with great effectiveness. The
Master and his student in his Order may spend a Downtime action training in a skill, maneuver, attribute, or other
ability he possesses. That ability receives an experience point discount of the lower of the Valor skill between the Master
and the student. Thus, if the Master had his skill at 5, and the student at 3, anything that the Master taught the student
could be purchased for 3 less experience than normal, to a minimum of 0. This ability may combine with the Instruction
of Pedagogue abilities, but only one thing per Downtime spent may be imparted in this way, regardless of the total
discount or cost.

Masterwork Kit- Rare and exquisitely made equipment is made available for the Knight's needs as his Order has it
available, dependent on the specific focus and practices of your Order. Generally, he can expect Masterwork quality
personal equipment, and may request special gear and resources with as much latitude.

FIFTH DEGREE - GRAND MASTER

The heart and soul of their Order, these men are pinnacles of their age and heroes to the Throne. In any given Order,
there is only ever one Grand Master, and this individual has unilateral control over the Order and is ultimately
responsible for its goals and for its future. In the case of the House Guard, this position is given to the Master who
marshals the entire nobility of his land to battle as the Grand Order of Rogalia, the Grand Order of Cappacionne, or
whichever land is appropriate. This position is always granted by the Emperor, the King,or the Pontifex personally.

Legend -The Knight is a hero of the Throne, and his story is told at hearth fires across mankind's holdings. The Knight
has the Fame perk, but for everyone across the Throne instead of a specific group.

Audience -The Knight will never be refused an audience with the Emperor or Pontifex, or any lesser authority
throughout the Throne.

Heroes -As a hero of the Throne himself, the Knight can attract other heroes to his cause in Warfare. He can perform a
special Levy to gain the support of these individuals, who grant a special unique ability to the units they join.

EXAMPLE KNIGHT ORDERS:

(Complete descriptions coming)

IMPERIAL ORDERS

Knights Fenris
Valor: Heavy Weapons
Charged with defending Fenristadt and the Imperial family, the Knights Fenris have been a staple of the Imperial regime since
the time of the first Emperors.

Order of the Dragon

-Charged with ending the threat of the Shariqyn, either by conversion or conquest.

Sons of Samael
-An Order based around the teachings of St. Samael, an inquisitor who used poison and subterfuge to kill heretics who
thought themselves untouchable.

Order of the Bell

-A knight order that learned secret smelting and mining techniques from the dwarves themselves. They are known for their
masterful arms and armor.

HOLY ORDERS

Most Vigilant Order of Templars

Sacred Order of the White Lion

HOUSE GUARD


GOTHIC ORDERS

The Sorrowful Order of White Shadows

-House Selwick

Blood Dragons
-House Fafnir

CAPPACIAN ORDERS

ROGALIAN ORDERS

Sons of Adam
-House Addison

Order of the White Raven

-Librarian Knights of House Archibald

Shadowguard
-House Ascalon

HESTRALIAN ORDERS

Order of the Balanced Sword

NJORDIC ORDERS

Knights of the Northern Lakes

DUNNICK ORDERS
 HOLY COVENANTS

RITUAL
"...he must pay God a twofold adoration, one spiritual, which consists in the interior devotion of the soul, the other
corporeal, which manifests itself in the outward form of worship, for there is no inward sentiment or feeling which
man is not wont to express outwardly by some suitable gesture or action." (Contra Gentiles, III, cxix)

Ritual is the ceremonial practice of beseeching a higher power for intervention on your behalf, or on behalf of another.
Rituals are intimately tied in with the philosophy of the religion from which they spring, and often seek to venerate and
aggrandize the central figures of that religion in exchange for some consideration from those forces. The venerated texts
of those religions are poured over for centuries to discover the hidden truths and meanings of the parables and stories
within, to give some insight into the hidden workings of the world and its sacred or profane powers. Over time, the
secrets of ritual are learned through study or revelation, and the practices of the faith are determined.

The life of a priest is one of devotion and discipline, but above all, service. Priests are members of a church or temple of
some kind and not only subscribe to the same faith, but also serve as part of that organization. As such, priests have
duties within their church, and these duties come with authority. The authority of a priest is both temporal and spiritual,
and as such the Rank of a priest within their church also lends their prayers a measure of that divine voice. As Priests
ascend in Rank, they gain access to new rituals from their gospels and the effects of the miracles that may be granted at
their plea maybecome more pronounced. A priest performing rituals above their station is considered Vulgar.

VULGARITY

Ritual ceremonies attempt to invoke miracles from powers unimaginably powerful in nature, and as such must be
approached with the utmost care, detail, and humility. Rituals have a set of requirements that must be met, be they
material, spoken, performed, or otherwise. These requirements are often difficult or expensive, and in some cases may be
impossible to meet correctly. If an element is missing from the ceremony, it must be somehow replaced with the best
suitable alternative and the ritual can proceed but is considered to be vulgar.

For each vulgarity, the ritual in question is treated as if it were one Rank higher than normal for the purposes of its
performance. Every individual word replaced from the "Ritual" portion of the description is another vulgarity.
 For instance, a ritual might call for four white candles to be burned. If the candles you have access to are brown, the ritual
is vulgar. If you don't have candles at all and burn pine resin instead, that is two vulgarities - one for the color, one for the
candles. If you can't burn anything, you cannot perform the ritual.

Priests may learn rituals above their station with no special restriction, but actually attempting them is considered to be
Vulgar for each step above their station the ritual is. Repeating a ritual looking for the same result immediately after a
failure is Vulgar. If a ritual is raised above Rank 5 by Vulgarity, it cannot be performed successfully.

Rituals are performed using Liturgy. For every rank of the Liturgy skill, new codes are gained, which are letters of the
alphabet. Whenever performing a holy ritual, the Priest shuts his eyes and points to a random letter from a random
word on a random page from his gospel. If the letter pointed to is one of the codes that he knows, the ritual is successful.
If not, God does not see fit to grant the miracle besought. Rank 1 Rituals require the one letter pointed to. Rank 2
requires a letter to the left or right as well, rank 3 to the left and right, rank 4 the left 2 and right 2, and rank 5 requires
the entire sentence pointed to.

The Faith of the Priest also has an effect on the success of these rituals. A Priest which is Faithful (++) may point with
two fingers and take whichever result they wish. A Priest which is Zealous (+++) may point with 3.

Liturgy Codes

1. Gain 3 codes, maximum codes is 5.

2. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 10.
3. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 15.
4. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 20.
5. Gain 2 codes, maximum codes is 25.

A Priest may study his Gospel using a Research Downtime action to gain 1 additional letter code. The rank in Liturgy
also determines the maximum amount of codes which can be gained this way,
RELIGIOUS FACTIONS
THE HOLY CHURCH
Much of humankind follows devoutly to the teachings of its church and its God. The Church of Benalus the Martyr has
priests that are revered in the church who are said to be able to perform blessings in His name and can cleanse the sick
and heal the wounded. Miracles such as these are as much truth as they are fiction, and whether a person believes in
miracles can and does affect how much of an impact one will have on their lives. Individuals with little Faith in the ability
of God to change their lives or protect them find themselves unwilling to accept the touch of priests for blessings, and
often leave communities where religious zeal is high.

THE TRIUMVIRATE OF THORNS

The Triumvirate is made up of three Gods that originate as fallen Archangels in the Benalian religion. Their worship is a
perversion and inversion of the faith of Benalus and the Holy Church, and many of their rites and practices show their
roots in the orthodox Benalian faith. The worshipers of the Triumvirate are referred to as Anathema by the citizens of the
Throne, and are to be brooked no mercy, toleration or forgiveness. Their worshipers are known to possess powerful gifts
and often bear strange deformities and physical aberrations.
Kuarl, the God of Slaughter, Blood, and Savagery
Lazarolth, the God of Death and Secrets
Tarranthalus,the Deity ofPower and Desire

THE NJORD PANTHEON

The farthest north provinces of Njordr are home to the Rime Clans, Njords that still worship their traditional folk heroes
and gods of their old religion. Converstion to "White Benalus" instead of "Red Stilvskar" is only partially complete in
Njordr, and the Rime Clans still reject the entire idea of the Throne and refuse to be annexed.
Sveas, Lady of Winter and Death, Frost Taker
Stilvskar, The Slayer, The Hunter, The Killer, Husband to Sveas
Aufvaldr, Story Spinner, Wisdom Bringer, Fire Teacher
Ulfrandr, The Wolf Runner, The Wild Man, The Barsark
Jorg, The She-wolf, Mother of Ulfrandr, Daugter of Vecatra
Ura, Hearth Mother, The Childbearer
Ormhildr, The Swirling Serpent, The Sea Killer
Vecatra, The World

AA'BORAN
The Shariqyn worship no gods, but have a faith-based philosophy based on the virties of meditation, community, and
making contact with a perfect version of their soul


THE ALTAR OF VECATRA

The druid priests of Vecatra revere the earth and its creatures and reject urban society as it proliferates throughout the
world. Some communities tolerate one or two people with a reputation of being a witch on the fringes of their society,
but most consider druidic religion dangerous heresy.

THE ELVEN GRAND PANTHEON

Ma'ru, Lord of Chaos
Jan'arus. Lord of Sleep, Dreams, and True Death
Tirideah, Goddess of Love and Fertility
Seltor, "The Judge," Bringer of Justice and Storms
Mirachor, "The Shining Lord," God of Fire, Light, Knowledge and Wisdom
Vecatra, "The Distant One", essential Anima of the World.
Turaff, "The Barbed Crowned King" God of Fortune, Trickery, and Reversal

THE FORGE OF MAGNIR

Magnir, "The World Forger" God of Creation and Boons.
Vagni, "The Deceiver," God of Destruction and Banes.

LITURGY OF THE HOLY CHURCH

The liturgy of the Holy church is written into a series of gospels authored by various saints and priests. Each gospel
imparts the specific philosophies and stories of its originator. The given works themselves rarely explain the specific
prayers and actions that eventually become the rituals, but instead provide a philosophical basis for those rituals. The
specific ceremonies involved in supplicating for divine intercession are esoteric extractions based on the hidden
meanings found within the language and refined over the centuries by the priests of the Church. The Literacy ability and
the ability to read Aldersabin, the traditional language of Holy Lethia, are required to learn these rituals.

TESTIMONIUM

CATHEDERALS

The majority of these sites are in Gotha, where the true Cathedrals, often called Vincenzene Cathedrals after Vincenzo
di Copalli who built or oversaw the construction of most of them during the lifetime of Benalus, were originally and
painstakingly constructed in the manner perscribed by the Gospel of Zuriel. While almost all such cathedrals still stand
today, the methods for correctly constructing these places in the manner that most pleases the Lord has been lost, and
Cathedrals created after the gospel of Zuriel was lost do not have the same divine radiance as those created before. In
most areas outside of Gotha, only the capital cities of each nation and perhaps one or two other sites have a true
Vincenzene Cathedral.

These are not the only holy sites, however. Some areas, the sites of miracles, holy events from the Testament of
Benalus, and even some few places where the ring of the Lord simply shines through particularly dramatically, may
also be treated as holy ground.

This is the most basic of all gospels, and easily the most widespread. Often it is carried by even the most distant and
disconnected members of the clergy as it is considered the most applicable to daily life and the common man. It preaches
how to live a clean, peaceful life in service to Him as well as the basic tenants of the religion taught by Benalus centuries
before. This includes the role of the Thone and it's place in the trinity between God, Church and Throne; Master, will and
hand respectively.

RANK 1
Atonement
Forgive a misdeed and assign a penance to the repentant.
"Lo, the Lord doth forgive all who pass under his gaze with heads bowed. He sees his sinful children and knows the
story to every stain. Those who seek true absolution need not go away from His glory. Nay, closer to him are those
who return from the darkness. Look upon such men and rejoice, but gaze not on his brother who hides from the light.
They are the servants of devils and their time will come."
Ritual: After a sinful deed, a priest can hear confession in a public place, and prescribe a task to do as penance. If done,
the task will erase a sin from the confessor's soul, but if he does not complete the penance assigned to him he cannot ask
for further forgiveness.
Props: None
Mechanic: Upon completing the penance, the penitent loses all Depravity gained from the confessed act or an amount
assigned by a Marshal. A penance that is too light will not remove any Depravity. If the penitent performs sins of the
same category before completing his penance, the Atonement automatically fails. The priest cannot use this on
themselves.

Baptize
Using a body of water a priest may convert a willing subject to human morality and indoctrinate someone as a member
of the church.
On the eve of the White Siege to shatter the halls of the Flesh Merchants of Hacona, Benalus received supporters from
the warriors of the Black Lakes. Brutish and uncivilized, they were eaters of horse flesh and worshipers of wolves. It
was then that Benalus blessed the river Narithis and strode into it. "All those who follow me shall follow me always or
not at all. Join me and join all of humanity, but leave my side but once and I shall visit you only once more."
Ritual: The priest asks the willing subject if they will accept God as her judge and keeper. Once answered affirmatively,
the priest places her in the water gently, holding them under for a time, and then lifts her out, and then both leave the
body of water from the opposite side. Some priests wait until the supplicant begins to thrash in the water before rescuing
them as the hand of God.
Props: A body of water or large tub
Mechanic: Someone of alternative faith is converted to the human morality system or someone with Faith in Self is
converted to Faith in a Higher Power.

Blessing of Daily Bread

Give thanks for the meal and bless all those who break bread with you.
"Thank the Lord for your food. Thank Him for your blood and breath. Thank Him for the path before you and the
purpose He provides. Thank Him for the chance to serve."
Ritual: The supplicant stands and raises their bread (or other food) above their head with their eyes shut. They intone a
small prayer of thanks either silently or aloud and ask that God give them the strength through the gift of bread to allow
them to continue living to further His glory. If the supplicant wishes to perform the ritual for those who will also partake
of the food, the prayer must be spoken loudly enough for all to hear and listen.
Props: An actual meal to be eaten
Mechanic: All partakers of the rite gain the an additional level of Grit.

Funeral Rites
Properly celebrate a life passed and ensure they rest forever undisturbed.
"The untimely shadows of oblivion creep over all of us. Our time in this world is precious. The road to salvation is
paved in the corpses of friends and foes alike. To walk it is to walk along their bodies. To honor them is to remember
the face of each person you tread upon. Today we honor the fallen. His memory shall continue in our minds. But, it is
the memory in our hearts that are to be feared. For it shall fuel us in the coming trials."
Ritual: The priest requires some fore knowledge of the life the person has led. At the funeral, the priest will speak of her
deeds and wishes the departed a safe journey to the Kingdom of Heaven, reading a passage from the Catechism of
Departure in the Scriptures. Then the body is lain in a grave no less than 4 feet deep or is cremated and scattered if
digging is not possible. The priest then beseeches The Lord to watch over the departed and be allowed peace.
Props: A raised pyre bed and sticks
Mechanic: Rituals involving the raising of the dead are considered to have one vulgarity for each Priest Rank that they
are blessed with . All bodies buried this way shall not arise as malefic creatures unaided.

Hope from the Scriptures

Inspires courage and fortitude in the face of adversity.
"Stand fast! Stand Strong! The might of God Stands with us!"
Ritual: The priest calls out and refocuses fearful minds with the power of the scriptures. Reciting from memory or
reading from the gospel itself, the priest speaks to his allies and rallies them against their fears.
Props: None
Mechanic: Faithful listeners immediately recover from Fear and Intimidation. This ritual takes only the time it takes to
directly quote the scriptures.

Last Rites
Forgiveness for the sins of the dying.
The Solidarity of Man extends far beyond any mortal coil. In their dying breath, each man is like one for a brief
moment and understands the unity we all share in death if not in life. This revelation alone is but the first step into true
service of the Lord.
-- Chapter X, Covenants, 10:16
Ritual: The dying confesses to the priest their deepest regrets and recent sins and asks the priest to grant forgiveness in
the name of the Lord.
Props: None
Mechanic: This immediately clears the subject of 3 Depravity per riest Rank as the subject dies so the soul can go to
Heaven.

Lead in Prayer
Lead a quick prayer to raise spirits and affirm victory in your hearts.
At the Standing Stones, Benalus and his army stood outnumbered by a hundred score by the Dread Cavalry of King
Septimus. Cruelly, Septimus' son, Valziir, offered those who left Benalus to leave unharmed. Benalus stood his army on
a hillock and planted his banner.
"This is the path the Lord hath laid before you. Never stray from it. Every obstacle is a test of faith to see if you are
truly worthy of His favor. Those unfit for such immortality at the side of God should go and never return."
On the third day of fighting, the Dread Cavalry was killed to the last man. Those who took up Valziir's offer were
betrayed and captured. When the fold of Benalus found them, they were to the faithful as strangers and heretics.
-- Chapter 2, Epicus 7:16
Ritual: The priest has all participating members of appropriate faith stand in a circle and hold hands with him. The
priest then speaks on the coming trials and how faith will conquer it.
Props: None
Mechanic: All faithful participants in this ritual may add one level to their Faith for the purposes of Praying for success
in an event ahead. This ritual takes at least one undisturbed minute to perform properly and all of the Prayers are for the
subject matter that the Priest selects in his speaking. This ritual cannot be used alone.

Matrimony
Join two kindred spirits in holy matrimony.
"Thanks be to our Beneficent and Merciful God. We declare to Him the marriage of his two children, blessed and
beautiful. With His mercy and permission we ask this union blessed in His name."
--Chapter 3, Caeremonia 4:12
Ritual: This joyous celebration creates a holy union between man and wife. During this rite, the priest will read a passage
from the Catechism of Life and pronounce the couple wed in the eyes of The Lord.
Props: None
Mechanic: Coupling is no longer a sin of Lust after marriage.

Convocation
The Priest leads the weekly congregation.
"The one true Lord, the Pantocrator, we offer ourselves to you, and speak with our heads bowed and downcast. We
show reverence to your might and glory and seek only to do your goodly works in this world. To prepare your Throne
on earth and to wash ourselves of temptation."
-- Chapter 3, Caeremonia 1:15
Ritual: Once a week on the day of rest, a priest may hold the weekly congregation. During this ritual, the priest will
preach the word of the scriptures and the virtues of faith from any holy gospel.
Props: None
Mechanic: Everyone attending the mass in total will receive a blessing that will grants them one Hope per Priest Rank
that they may use any time that week for godly acts or works.
Tears of Benalus
Water becomes infused with the divine purity of God and is later a component in many rituals.
When Benalus was forced into exile, they say he cried for our sins. He cried not from the pain or the injustice of his
banishment, but for the fate of man. His tears cut clean lines across his soot covered face and when the Centurion,
Benedictus, saw Benalus, he began to weep as well.
Ritual: The priest must stand over, or next to, a container of clean, potable water. While holding the container and
raising it above his head, the priest then recites a quick blessing in the name of God.
Props: Container with water.
Mechanic: Blesses water within a single container. This excludes large bodies of water.

Sanctify Wine
Wine becomes infused with the divine purity of God.
At the eventide meal of Benalus' first return, the first general slaked himself with only water, refusing Benalus' own
wine from his own halls. When word reached him, Benalus took the general's cup from him and filled it with wine
from his own. "Wine is the pleasure of temperate men, whilst the bane of fools. For a fool can control his wine no more
than he can control his fear. Too much or too little is an undoing. Sip or draught, but drink as you fear for there is no
abstinence from terror."
Ritual: Wine is poured into a large, shallow bowl of any sort. the priest recites a passage on the parable of fear, where
fear is equated to wine itself:
Props: Alcohol or substitute to be imbibed
Mechanic: Each character that imbibes the wine gains a free use of Discipline against Fear that day per Priest Rank. This
ritual does not impart any Depravity.

THE BOOK OF DUMAL, THE WARRIOR SAINT

Dumal of Lethia was Benalus' most loyal and dedicated general. The book of Dumal was penned by the scribe, Innotus,
on Dumal's death bed. It speaks of how to live with the burdens of war upon you and how, even in times of strife, one
cannot compromise his faith. It touches on peace by any means, using war as a necessity only when all else has been lost;
for there is no greater tragedy than mankind's own pride and greed subverting the will of God.

RANK 1
Rites of Mercy
Execute your foes with dignity.
Death is a certainty in the Throne's many conflicts. When death calls, few can refuse, but a man can choose how he dies
- else hope someone chooses well for him. A warrior priest, who finds a battle closed with captives, must decide the
deaths of those men.
Ritual: After last rites are administered, the condemned should be set to knee and a sword driven through the base of the
skull at the neck with one clean strike. The corpse should be set face up and its eyes and jaws shut to be prepared for
burial.
Props: None
Mechanic: This act does not yield any Wrath.

Communal Grave
Bury the dead after a conflict.
War is a time of cold comforts when half-measures are sometimes all one can hope for. Still, men are men and deserve
the dignity and comfort of a grave, even if cold comfort is all one can afford. Great conflicts and terrible outbreaks
find these long trenches outside city walls or in the killing fields.
Ritual: A pit, at least one yard deep and as long as is necessary is dug out. This usually takes several hours of digging if
the forces were about the same size before the battle. The corpses are gently placed in the grave side by side, friend and
foe sharing the same grave - brothers in death, this conflict forgotten. The largest stone nearby is carried to form a
marker. The commander of the enemy force's personal weapon marks the grave of the fallen.
Props: Stone, marker.
Mechanic: The dead rest peacefully and will not rise again.

Rite of Conflict
Pray for your foes to consecrate a battle.
Know that God does not take sides in the petty affairs of men, concerned with a far greater worldly plan. Though he
could never turn a blind eye on his children, His plan is not for one little lord or the next, but the greater good of all
men. As such, know that he cannot abide the killing of our brothers, but knows it is sometimes all too necessary for the
wheels to move forward.
Ritual: The priest addresses those present in a speech She reminds everyone that no matter who dies today, it is great
tragedy that man should shed the blood of man and that a moment of silence be spared for those about to die. This takes
at least a few minutes.
Props: None
Mechanic: The next battle today is consecrated and no Wrath is gained from killing for those who listened to the speech.

Chaplain Bannerette
Construct a banner that will rally allies.
All men are of God. The holiest of which shall bear his name and marker. And those who glimpse the memory of God
shall know a dignified heart that fears nothing and bears the trials of his works silently.
Ritual: The priest must construct a banner. This requires a haft made from ash with the seals of the seven archangels
carved into it - Mithriel's seal being highest and largest. The banner itself is at least a yard long and bears the Leonem
placed above any other heraldry, separated by three crowns. The field has words from this gospel copied onto it. Finally,
metal end caps that are in the shape of Leonem and have been quenched in holy water are placed on each end.
Props: Decorated Banner.
Mechanic: The banner can be used as a weapon and has Quick. If anyone other than the priest wields it, it also receives
the Crude trait. This counts as a medium weapon. Additionally, any who can see the banner in battle receives free uses of
Discipline during combat equal to your Rank if they are of the correct faith and on the correct side of the conflict.

RANK 2
Redoubt of Faith
Grant protection in battle from enemy weapons.
Faith protects. More than any shield or breastplate, faith can carry you through the blows and strikes of a hundred
foes. Through any trial or challenge, God protects.
Ritual: The priest prepares a sheet from the Book of Dumal and tacks it onto a shield or chest armor with white sealing
wax. Upon sealing it to the armor, the priest reads aloud the sheet and beseeches The Lord to grant this warrior divine
favor in battle.
Props: Page of scriptures sealed in place
Mechanic: Shields so blessed are immune to Sundering. The character's chest piece grants an extra use of Armor. For
either effect to work, the weapon must strike against the blessed gospel page. Continual use of this ritual will require a
replacement gospel over time.

Convalescentia
Bring respite to the wounded after a battle.
After a battle there are many wounded. Some may join the Lord before the night is over. A warrior priest can bring
relief to the wounded by traversing the camp and bringing with him the presence of the Lord, as well as something to
hide the smell of vomit, gore and corruption. These men's strengthmay be needed again before the night is through,
Ritual: A censor burning with lavender and dragon's blood incense is carried through the camp while prayers are recited
from this gospel. The priest makes seven circuits through the camp before ceasing his patrol around the soldiers in his
charge.
Props: Censor with lavendar and dragon's blood incense.
Mechanic: All wounded soldiers temporarily recover enough to return to fighting condition. Injured limbs recover and
Battered characters behave as Healthy for the next 15 minutes, or until next Rest. Additional damage affects them
normally and counts toward Maiming.

Invoke Ramulthien
Invoke an aspect of the legendary hammer of Mithriel.
It is written that the Archangel Mithriel forged His hammer, The Ramulthien, when the traitorous angels created a
fortress that protected from every possible attack. Seven days it took Him. When it was complete, the fortress could not
withstand even a single blow.
Ritual: Mark your weapon with the Angelic Seal of Mithriel
Props: The mark itself.
Mechanic: The marked weapon gains the Power quality when the Priest wields it.

RANK 3
Angelic Voices
Learn inklings of the future.
God is the master of all time and fate, the mighty architect that lays the foundings of all events fore and gone. How can
any army stand before one whose patron is the Master of Earth and Sky? How can the army of the Lord Himself be
stopped? We are His soldiers, His holy knights and generals, and He will show us when and where to strike the blows
of His mighty sword.
Ritual: The priest enters a sealed chamber with a question in mind, and petitions the divine for advice. Setting up a
chain thurible of incense, the priest breathes in the smoke while focusing on a silver leonem. The priest holds the leonem
over either a font of holy water or a large, horizontal silver surface and continues to focus on the question at hand.
Props: Thurible and incense, leonem, mirror or water.
Mechanic: The priest will receive an answer after its completion. The possible responses are "Weal," or "Woe." This ritual
takes one hour and may be performed once a day. Misuse of this power for questions not concerning the greater good
and matters of war may go unanswered or risk misinterpretation.

Weighted with Authority

Battle ready your gospel to handle more than just the rigors of combat.
Again and again St. Baldre struck at Ransur the Untouchable. Shattering every bone, sundering limb and armor alike.
When Ransur renewed himself with pleas to dark powers, Baldre returned his foe again to his knees until these
heathen idols grew deaf and bored with their champion. When this Anathema finally lay defeated, the delivered folk
found St. Baldre armed with only a book and nothing more.
Ritual: The Warrior Priest binds and weights her gospel in steel and chains it to her armor. A steel leonem is attached to
the front cover that was quenched in holy water.
Props: Gospel, bound in protective foam to make it a boffer weapon.
Mechanic: This gospel can now be used as a melee weapon with the Subduing flaw. It must be padded appropriately.
When foes are struck with the weapon, it delivers a Slam attack, causing them to be thrown backward. The player must
take 3 steps backward and then be Knocked Down at that spot.

Solidarity
Bind your closest allies to you, so that you may stand together stronger.
All men are connected by the Lord's favor. Those who stand together fall together or not at all.
Ritual: The names of your closest, dearest allies are written on the inside cover of your Gospel in the blood of each
person.
Props: Gospel
Mechanic: If any of those allies are rendered incapacitated during battle, you and all those allies still standing near you
gain Hope until the end of the scene. This Hope is cumulative with each other and any other Hope. Thus four fallen allies
elicits four Hope to each ally still standing until the end of the scene. This functions even if the priest is incapacitated.

RANK 4
Swords To Plowshares
Swear your enemies to peace and set them free.
After the battle he looked around and saw the innumerable dead, the scores and multitudes of God's people laying face
down in filth and gore, his eyes came to rest upon his prisoners, he felt the great weight of sin pressing upon his
shoulders and brow. He could bear it no longer, and rather than execute the treasonous ilk of Moraband and his
spearmen, he forgave and set them free. Years later, Sir Moraband the Redeemed died saving his lord from ambush.
Ritual: The priest has the captured foes before him with their hands bound in front. Enemies who swear to never raise
arms against you or your allies again are set free and cared for.
Props: Rope or other binding for hands.
Mechanic: Those who violate this promise to you and God are damned to the end of their line. God casts a terrible pox
on the lineage.

Unyielding Devotion
Gain sacred protection from harm.
With only one night before the eclipsed moon, we had lost fully half of our number to the Vecatran heretics and their
black-hearted sorcery. Our brothers lay dead among the corpses of a hundred wolves, the remaining men exhausted
and despairing. With but half of the force we needed to breach that black glade in time, the word on the wind was to
flee. "No," I called. "Let not their sacrifices be for naught! Let not these oak-hearted monsters use their blood upon their
blighted altars!" I snatched up Brother Vaustus' legionaire's leonem from his throat and affixed it to my breast, and
bid others do the same. "Pray tonight, for tomorrow our brothers spirits are within our keeping, and we shall not stain
their souls to balk in the face of heresy!"
Ritual: A sacred leonem is fastened with silver chain around the shoulders and chest, coming to rest over the heart
against bare skin. The priest intones prayers while holding a full day and night's vigil over an ally who was slain in battle
of a common purpose to the priest to bless the leonem.
Props: Leonem and chain
Mechanic: The first blow the next combat scene that would Down you instead immediatly recovers all of your spent
Defensive Actions and does no damage. The leonem is immediately shattered as a result.

RANK 5
Kingmaker
Mithriel bestows a great and mighty weapon to you for a single day.
But for the grace of God, we all knew it: there was no way to victory. No path but through Him. The forces of Hell and
Earth were arrayed against us, the Red Titan Himself present in the gutteral roars and pounding drums as they beat
out their advance under a sky of crimson terror. God help us, the steel at our hips was useless to even draw, and we
bent our knee before their blasphemous march. Bent knee, and prayed. After what seemed an age, I looked up, into the
sky, the color of blood. There I saw our sign, a flaming comet that cut through the plumes of fire and soot that stamped
out the sun. I dug my steel fist into the dust and rose, bid the men to follow, and there, in the clearing, searing and
smoldering with all the fury and anger of Heaven itself, it lay.
Ritual: Without any interruption, the priest kneels and prays for Mithriel to deliver his just cause to victory over and
over again for an entire Period. Only the most dire needs may be answered, as the weight of this invocation is nothing
short of beseeching Mithriel for a miracle of the greatest magnitude. At the end of the prayer, if even answered at all, the
priest will receive a vision of a great weapon from Mithriel's personal armory that He has placed upon the world for you
to find and use. The weapon will be in such a place that it can be recovered before the battle, but not necessarily with
ease.
Prop: Awesome weapon
Mechanic: The weapon discovered has a number of perks equal to your faith assigned by the Staff in a way that suits
your character and situation. The weapon has no flaws and is of a weapon type that is favorable to your character. This
can be a shield that orbits around the character deflecting blows, a sword that is so Mighty it can cut through anything,
or any other conceivable armament. The weapon also has the effects of the Invoke Ramulthien ritual.
If the weapon is lost or stolen, it loses all of its perks and gains Cumbersome and Unbalanced instead as it resists new
masters. At the end of the battle it must be buried with the dead who have been slain by it. If this final act is not
completed, natural disasters, great plagues and horrible catastrophe shall befall all of the surrounding land until it is
done.

SANCTAE VIAE, VIRTUE OF PILGRIMAGE

This gospel speaks on the words of Saint Bathier, a traveling monk that took great measures to strip himself of all
distractions from the Lord. Within, he speaks on how one's life is a battle of constant excess that leeches from us our
ability to commit wholly to God's vision. This gospel seeks to redefine the role of the priest as one without limits of
institution, expanding a shepard's flock to all he can walk to. Thus, the texts are steeped in controversy, and many
ranking cardinals do not appreciate how it undermines the will of the church.

RANK 1
Blessing of Peaceful Slumber
Receive advance warning of attacks in your sleep.
Dark had been my dreams that night. I dreamt of running, trying to catch myself before it was too late, though
brambles and branches tore at me. And when I stretched out my hand to ward myself of the danger, I awoke suddenly,
and with great alarm. Thank the Lord that I did.
Ritual: The priest invokes the blessing of Melandiel, the Archangel of Travel, and begs that He watch over the faithful as
they rest so that he may continue the work of the Lord as he marks off an area in chalk around where he sleeps.
Prop: Chalk perimeter, door tag
Mechanic: When danger, or someone with ill intent approaches where you sleep, you will awaken with a sense of alarm.
Add a note to the door tag - You must wake the Priest before interacting with the cabin with ill intent.

Fasting
Refuse food to bolster Faith.
When Bathier came upon the Reikengard fjords that had suffered so badly in the Henberger Rebellion, he was deeply
moved by their turmoil and bid we all stop at assist them in any way we could. The people of Reikengard needed food
most of all, for the fields had been burned and the harvest utterly failed. Of what food he had, Bathier gave every
morsel to the people in direst need, and said that he would suffer with them, as one of them. Thane Jocta had siege
provisions in the keep of the fortress nearby, but refused to use them as relief for the people in case Henberger's sons
returned from exile with armies. Many people wished to take the food, but were too weak to raid the storehouses or
demand relief. Yet even as they starved, Bathier seemed to grow more powerful with each passing day, until finally his
righteous anger lead him to challenge the thane directly.
Ritual: The priest simply does not eat, instead choosing to pray in silent contemplation of the Lord.
Props: None
Mechanic: After one day of fasting, the Priest gains Fatigue. The Priest may begin play having fasted if he chooses. Until
the priest eats, he may treat his Faith as if it were one step higher for all purposes.
Purity of Daily Bread
Purify food of corruption.
I watched as the thane brought forth the meal he had promised us. The flesh was discolored from age and flies worried
it with their attentions as the thane's women put the carcass on our board. As I turned my head from the stink to
regard Bathier, he smiled kindly to the Thane, and thanked him as any guest to a generous lord. He prayed then over
the filth we were insulted with, and as I watched, the flies left, the stink abated, and Bathier did eat of it, and bade us
all do as he. "No man can despoil what God Himself grants to his flock," he told me, and the meal did save us from our
starvation and sickness.
Ritual: Five minutes of silence before a meal spent in silent prayer. Any who also eat with the priest and bow their heads
may gain the benefits of this ritual as well.
Props: None
Mechanic: Food or water becomes safe to consume and all poison traits are removed from the meal.

Benediction
Mark allies with divine favor.
As Bathier's ashes filled the soot-black skies of Fenristadt, the teeming masses of his followers wailed in a communion
of misery. At the pitch of their anguish, they climbed the martyr's pyre and swathed their faces in his ash and suet.
Their faces black with rage and ash alike, they became what the Emperor feared when he put Bathier to death. Within
three days hence, the Pontifex Emperor took his coronation.
The divine favor of The Lord is guided through the hand of His most pious followers and granted in the form of a mark
on the forehead.
Rituals: At sunrise, the priest gathers all who wish to gain divine favor. Chanting and praying with a leonem, the priest
mixes ashes from burnt holly with holy water and anoints the foreheads of the gathered with the mark of Melandiel.
Props: Wet ash mixture
Mechanic: All anointed gain Hope equal to the Priest's Rank for the day.

RANK 2
Hospitality of the Lord
The Lord grants a divine favor to a hospitable home.
At the halls of Meridia, where the Guildmaster Halgas the childless ruled over then a meager town, St. Bathier came
dressed in the humble clothes of a mendicant. He besought of Halgas his hospitality for a single night, refusing wine
and other pleasures, but allowing himself the indulgence of a roof and water. Upon his leaving, St. Bathier gestured to
his hall and declared, "Allowing the Lord's servants into one's home is to allow the Lord Himself to stay; and as I
leave, He shall remain." From that day on, Halgas became known as the plentiful and bore a dozen sons in his name.
Ritual: At the doors of a home that has offered the priest a good meal or a place to stay the night, that the priest has
accepted,he may thentracehis fingers along the front door frame, speaking to the Lord and asking him to deliver this
home and its residence from the evils of circumstance.
Props: None
Mechanic: The residence is sanctified and deters the presence of malefic creatures for the duration of your stay and
several weeks afterwards.

Vestments of Travel
Priest vestments are enforced and made durable for use during travel.
Bathier's followers were ragged from traveling, and Bathier tells them that all they need is the word of the lord to
cloth them.
Ritual: A leather long coat is modified to hold a linen inner lining that is layers thick. The linen is permanently died with
the symbol of Melandiel, Archangel of Travel along with the entire Sanctae Viae, copied amidst the layers of linen in ink.
Outside, the coat is stained on the shoulders to bear the blazing lion or to bear a silver leonem hanging around the neck
of the coat. The construction of this coat takes one Downtime to copy enough of the scriptures to fill the inside of it and
to stain the shoulders.
None: Scriptured lining and a leather-looking coat costume
Mechanics: The coat counts as Armor, gaining one Armor call per Priest Rank, as well as being extremely durable. This
amount can exceed but does not add to normal Armor.

Cardinal Direction
Divine the direction of the nearest church.
Bathier and followers are all lost in the woods and no one knows the way out. Bathier explains that all roads lead to
the lord.
Ritual: The priest dangles a little leonem on a silver chain while whispering prayers for guidance.
Props: Leonem, chain
Mechanic: The leonem corrects itself in the direction of the nearest church.

RANK 3
Angel of Unseen Travel
Creates a charm to hide the bearer and her friends from scrying and notice.
Bathier walks into evilville past all the spying crows and scrying witches, and kills a named necromancer.
Ritual: The priest fills a small glass vial with holy water. On the glass is etched the name of Melandiel, the Archangel of
Wind, and the name of the charm's bearer.
Prop: Vial of water
Mechanic: This charm protects its holder and nearby allies from divination from those who intend them harm as well as
causes those the holder encounters to casually forget their presence after they go.

Station of Brotherhood
You remind others of your station as the Lord's will and word.
Bathier was put on trial for inciting an uprising, but did not get angry or anything, speaking with a compelling tone
that turned the trial to his favor.
Ritual: You must present yourself with dignity and decorum. Doing so, you must be unarmed, unarmored, and dressed
in holy vestments of your station.
Props: Vestments
Mechanic: People can not attempt any social skills on you, and you cannot use any on them. This effect lasts until the
Priest does not maintain a dignified presence, the Priest uses a Social Skill, or the end of the day.

Flagellation
The penitent whips herself or others in punishment for transgressions.
Bathier stood and watched the executions, tears twinkling in the firelight. He told me that he had to watch them die, as
their deaths were due to his vain sermons against their masters. As the last man fell limp from the shock of the blows
that scourged his flesh, Bathier went to the soldier and, removing his robes, asked to be beaten, but the man
recognized Bathier as a holy man and refused. Seizing the man's scourge, Balthier fell to his knees in the bloody street
and began to weep prayers of forgiveness for his pride as he played out the agony of his soul upon his flesh. The
gathered serfs and soldiers watched the blood of the holy man mingle with that of the dead he had wronged. When
Bathier stood again, all could see he was a man redeemed in the eyes of God. He returned the whip to the soldier, but
the man refused it, instead kneeling in the street and bearing his back. The soldier then begged Bathier to take his sins
from his hide so that God might know of his sincerity.
Ritual: The penitent is whipped with a scourge and must recite the verses of this scripture or ask God for forgiveness.
The process of being whipped takes at least fifteen minutes.
Props: Flogger or soft whip
Mechanic: The priest may whip another character, including himself, to the point of being Downed, taking about five to
fifteen minutes. Once the penitent is Downed, he can be tended to as normal and one Depravity.

RANK 4
Awe of Consummate Virtue
Enter unbidden to any location.
Bathier and all his thousands of followers barge into the Imperial Palace and throne room and confront the Emperor
Ritual: Cleanse the soul of all sin and maintain 0 Depravity. The Priest and his entourage must dress in humble robes
and be unarmed and unarmored.
Props: Humble robes
Mechanic: The Priest and his entourage will never be stopped or detained for entering any area for which they might not
otherwise be allowed to enter or explore. They are always seen to, if not belong there, then instead be so impressive and
awe inspiring that no one dares gainsay their presence. This effect lasts for the scene.

Abstinence from Tribulation

Travel unmolested by evil creatures.
Bathier is a little boy and is an actual shepherd. He is the only one who can get a flock of sheep through WEREWOLF
FOREST and gains fame as a child which starts his career.
Ritual: A shepherd's crook with a silver bell is held as a walking stick and a charm is placed around the neck of the
subject of a ritual. That person must neither remove the charm from her neck, nor eat or drink anything for the duration
of the ritual, instead taking that time to pray to Melandiel for passage.
Props: Shepherds crook with bell. Charm or necklace.
Mechanic: The user of the charm gains one Fatigue per day of use, during which time no evil creature will will act
aggressively to the user and her companions. Evil or malefic creatures will seek to avoid the group, but will fight if
threatened directly, and thus the users can expect no trouble from monsters of any kind so long as this miracle is active.
The effects end immediately if the charm is removed, or the bearer partakes of food or drink.

RANK 5

Shepherd
Become unto the people as a spiritual leader.
After Bathier's death, his direct followers went all over the place to reprimand everyone and everyone felt so guilty
that they just fold before them.
Ritual: The priest divests himself of all lands, possessions, titles, and wealth, living a life of total humility and poverty
trusting only God to provide for him. The priest must maintain a Depravity of 0.
Props: None
Mechanic: So long as the priest maintains this lifestyle, all people can see his inherent virtues and cannot help but
respond to the higher calling that he represents. No character can take overt aggressive actions against the Priest, even
vile enemies like Anathema would rather let him live than actually slay him directly. Further, all characters that the
character meets can be treated as allies, per the A Friend Indeed Perk at its highest level, and thus can be motivated en
mass to almost any task. These effects end should the priest fail to meet the stringent commitments of his lifestyle.

THE SACROSANCTUM, GOSPEL OF PROTECTION

Penned by the Nameless Saint, the Sacrosanctum tells of the many forms and shapes the Night Malefic will take. Both a
field guide and gospel, it is a common trapping of experienced hunters and slayers. It concludes that the night malefic is
an imbalance made manifest of natural law and that in order to cleanse an area, indirect wrongs must be righted.
Knowledge and faith are more common methods than fire and sword within the writings and it preaches that through
unity and brotherhood, the world can be taken back.

RANK 1
Call of Pathos
Detect an emotion tied to an area.
Contrary to popular thought, emotions do have weight. The tangible world is but shadow - it is the intangibles, hope,
faith, despair, worry, regret, that are the only things that are truly real. We exist in both places, but the tangible world
is the only way we mortals may truly apprehend the divine.
Ritual: The priest weighs a trinket representing an emotion against a simple load of identical weight on a small scale. He
then waits in silence.
Props: Scale
Mechanic: The scales will slowly tip in favor of the trinket if an emotion is strongly tied to the area. For example, the
wedding ring of a man unjustly tried and executed will weigh heavily in an area where injustice has spoiled the land.

Memento Mori
Give a malefic creature a moment of doubt, clarity and regret.
I had not yet observed a reaction of remorse for what had been the otherwise base and inhumanly driven creatures,
until I beheld my son, and he I. We both wept then, until he and I regained our senses and remembered our roles.
Ritual: The priests presents an object of sentimental value to a malefic creature that once was human. While doing so,
the priest will say its former name and call it back to humanity.
Props: Prop for object in question
Mechanic: The malefic creature will pause to stare longingly and mournfully at the memento, comparing what it is to
what it was, often reacting emotionally, bawling or crying out in anguish. It is considered Stunned for 5 seconds before it
returns to its malefic self. This works once per memento on any malefic creature.

Bestiary
Diligently study your enemy and gain insight into defeating it.
Subject shows advanced signs of decomposition across the arms and trunk. Teeth show signs of bone augmentation.
Skull plating shows weakening due to transformative ridges. Reanimation ceased once both the spine and heart were
disconnected, and reconnecting them has not resulted in any recovery of flesh or spirit.
Ritual: The priest carefully chronicles his experiences and all facts relating to a specific Malefic creature, culminating in
an autopsy dissection of the creature once a corpse is produced. Diagrams, notes and drawings specific to that creature
must be recorded both in and out of character.
Props: Handwritten book with drawings
Mechanic: Once complete, the Instinct profile that creature possesses is revealed.

Resonant Evil
Use wicked items to root out more wickedness.
The old, wicked oak tree in the forest had drawn the children in their sleep with the sound of its swaying, awakening
naked in the wood from awful dreams. The old pederast had been long dead these many winters, all that left the
shackle he had used to keep the children in place to the iron ring still twisted into the tough bark. With no direction for
my anger to go, I felt alike with the lost souls that haunted the hillside - my anger was all that was real, my sense of
self merely a shade to house it. The shackle seemed to recognize the sinful appetite shared in the old man's son.
Strangling the man with the shackle seemed to quiet the madness that the place caused in me.
Ritual: The Priest must aquire some object that is tied to the malefic presence in question, either by use in the inspiring
event, or by possession of someone afflicted by the original curse. The Priest then wraps a sacred leonem around it on a
silver chain and ties the object tightly, sealing it with a spoken prayer to Nuraniel.
Props: leonem and chain, item prop in question
Mechanic: The object, so long as it is on the Priest's person, will gently and silently pulse if the Priest becomes quite near
to someone, something, or some place related to the curse. So long as the Priest holds the item, the Priest may take
actions to attempt to resolve a Malefic situation that correspond symbolically to the situation rather than being true
resolution. The Priest may punish a living criminal whose crime resembles an unpunished injustice to attempt to bring
resolution when the criminal that caused the disturbance is long dead. The closeness in the two situations affects how
effective this is to bring closure to the Malefic situation.

RANK 2
Aqua Caelestis
Arm yourself with holy water.
Vignette
Ritual: The priest places holy water into a small, glass flask or vial. On the container is etched the symbolic name of
Nuraniel, Archangel of Redemption. A pinch of dirt from the grounds of a cathedral is added to the water before it is
immediately sealed with cork and wax.
Props: Water balloon with mark of Nuraniel
Mechanic: When forcibly thrown, the container will shatter and spill its contents on the target. If truly a malefic creature,
then the water will sting and burn like a terrible flame upon them. The wracking pain causes the Malefic creature to be
Stunned for 10 seconds. Against normal people, even Anathema, the water does nothing. The vial has the Thrown trait
when used as a weapon.

Seal of Heaven
Sanctify a small area to ward malefic entities.
Vignette
Ritual: An area is sectioned off with iron filings mixed with ash while the priest chants. The priest is marked with the
sign of Nuraniel and must stand within the bounded area.
Props: Dark-colored sand
Mechanic: The Priest gains an additional amount of Liturgy codes equal to his Priest Rank while standing within the
circle, which must be determined at the time of the ritual. All Malefic creatures must spend a full 10 seconds spending
their total undivided attention to pass over the perimeter during which time they can neither defend themselves or
attack. The effect only ends when the Priest exits the perimeter for any reason.

Weapon of Dawn
Empower weapons with the bane of daylight.
Vignette
Ritual: The priest lays the weapons in question in the sun for the last few hours before sunset, touching the
Sacrosanctum.
Props: Gospel, weapons
Mechanic: The weapons count as flaming weapons for purposes of fighting undead of any kind (sets fire to their targets
if it successfully scores damage). This effect lasts until sunrise the next day.

RANK 3
Emancipate
Remove ungodly influences from the mind.
Vignette
Ritual: The Priest wets a cloth with holy water and wipes the brow of the person in need of salvation. The Priest then
begs the awesome power of Nuraniel to liberate His servant from the bondage of lies and evil while squeezing the cloth
out over the supplicant's head.
Props: Wet cloth
Mechanic: The target character may immediately shake off any intrusive influence upon her mind, gaining the Priest's
Rank in Discipline uses to do so if necessary as well as their full refreshed amount.

Coerce Hate
Create a candle that will summon the Night Malefic in full force.
"All the darkness in the entire world cannot snuff the light of a single candle. Creatures of the Maleficence know this
and covet such power, while despising such defiance."
Ritual: A white candle is lit in an area with no other light sources. It is made from incense mixed with beeswax and is
placed within a metal bowl of holy water.
Props: White scented candle
Mechanic: The light of the candle can be felt for a great distance by Malefic creatures and they will seek it out. All Malefic
creatures who can see the light source will do everything in their power to snuff it out, including create plans or use
diversions if they are mentally capable. The candle may only be lit once.

Vocifera
A volunteer becomes the voice of evil.
Vignette
Ritual: The subject, who must be within the heart of the cursed stain, must be annointed in soot, ash and mud, so that
their face, hair and hands are filthy. The subject places a mixture of poison and offal upon their own tongue freely. The
ritual begins when they swallow.
Props: Soot, ash, mud, something gross tasting.
Mechanic: When the ritual begins, the voluneteer becomes temporarily possessed by the stain which uses them as a
direct voice, speaking in a language that can always be understood. Speaking sometimes with one voice, sometimes with
many, the creature must speak the truth but the meaning of the words are not always obvious, sometimes wrapped in
riddle. The character is no longer in control and certain precautions might need to be taken to prevent her from hurting
herself or others. While under the effects of Vocifera, the possessed character gains one power of the Malefic creature
this stain represents. The Priest may end the possession at any time but for every minute the possession persists, the
host takes a hit to a location on the body which manifests as bleeding and vomiting. The subject gains Fatigue at the end
of the ritual and should check her Grit against the ingested poison at the end of the scene.

RANK 4
Cleanse
Purify an area of its evil presence.
The specific invocation goes here.
Ritual: The priest must enter the heart of the desecrated area, a place where the malevolence has become the most
apparent and has twisted the landscape. Once there, she begins to read from the Sacrosanctum while brandishing the
sacred leonem, never moving from her position, and holding fast against evil.
Props: Leonem, gospel
Mechanic: Every 15 seconds, the Priest may attempt a Liturgy trial as if casting a level 4 Ritual to complete one step of
this ritual. If the priest fails any one of these trials, she must start over. At least three successes must be made before this
ritual is complete (or more depending on the severity of the evil. The Priest has no way of knowing how powerful the evil
is except her own observations). When this ritual begins, whatever evil force inhabits the area will immediately and
murderously try to stop the ritual, calling whatever monsters are linked to it to its aid and creating new ones if necessary.
Since the Priest cannot move during the ritual, she cannot defend herself in any way, and thus it falls to her companions
to defend her long enough to succeeed. If successful, the evil presence in the area immediately dissipates and loses all
power to fight you.

Lambaste
Drive away evil with the power of prayer.
Vignette (The actual prayer goes here.)
Ritual: The Priest reads aloud from this prayer from his Sacrosanctum, speaking in a mighty voice.
Props: None
Mechanic: For as long as he continues to shout the prayer, Anathema and Malefic creatures cannot by any means
approach him past a distance equal to 3 yards, increased to 10 yards for Faithful Priests and 20 yards for Zealous Priests.
They will seek to disengage to this range at any cost, parting to let the priest and any within that radius pass. They also
cannot attempt to use ranged attacks or other aggressive actions to assault the protected area. It is possible to recite this
prayer from memory. If this used in conjunction with a church bell, it can extend to great distances.

RANK 5
Confront Destiny
Confront the intangible directly.
Vignette
Ritual: The ritual begins at dawn and lasts for twenty-three hours. Costly powdered silver is spread in a large area
encompassing the battlefield and a holy altar is placed at the center. White pillar candles are placed at the north, south,
east, and west points of a second circle of powdered silver. Complex symbols are drawn upon the ground radiating from
the altar in lamb's blood, and chanting continues on into the night. At the end of the ritual, a malefic creature is brought
forth and placed upon the altar. The creature is killed by a silver knife and whatever it has that passes for blood runs
down upon the lamb's blood symbols. As the two bloods mix, the Priest speaks the name of the being he wishes to call
forth.
Props: Grey or silver sand, four pillar candles, fake or real blood, knife prop.
Mechanic: Day merges with night around the epicenter and an eclipse appears, tinting the area in strangely colored light.
Any bodiless supernatural force, with no real limits, can be given form and be confronted with traditional martial means
as if it were a living creature like any other. The being that this ritual calls forth will have power proportional to its
significance, so the Priest and his allies should beware what they summon, but any being, be it a ghost, a demon, or even
the Triumverate themselves, could be called forth.

WORD OF SAINT ISTRA, GOSPEL OF THE HOSPITALIER

St. Istra was said to have been able to speak to Lurian himself in her dreams. There he informed her of all of
mankind's frailties and failings, both within and without. There he gave her a choice of becoming the world's greatest
destroyer or the world's greatest healer able to cause ruin or care in a thousand forms and shapes. St. Istra went on to
conquer the neighboring city-states. None could best her in combat, as even the simplest move rendered warriors lame
and dying. For 10 years she fought undefeated in combat and war. Then, the visage of Lurian appeared before her,
gazing at her with eyes like the sun. In his eyes, she could see her true death, unalterable, inevitable. It was here she
knew that she had chosen poorly, exploiting her fellow man and embodying all that was weakest of him. When she put
her sword down that day, it was never taken up again.

Rank 1

Oath of St. Istra

The priest swears an oath to heal the patient.
Istra of Agnis put down her sword, never to raise it up again. From henceforth she swore to never hurt another,
claiming that man's greatest virtue could never come at the edge of a blade, but from his willingness to aid his fellows.
So she set out, unarmed and unarmored, to undo her bloody work a hundred fold before she would finally rest.
Ritual: The priest swears an oath to never commit harm to a specific person while both are touching this gospel.a
Props: None
Mechanic:The priest behaves as if caring for her patient is part of their Devotion. Forever after, no matter the
circumstances, attempting to harm this individual is the same as acting against your Devotion.

Lurian's Patience
Delay the inevitable.
Lurian knows that every man is destined to die, be it the mightiest king or the lowliest pauper. By beseeching Lurian to
hold his hand on one more soul, a priest can buy enough time to let the earthly works of that person continue.
Eventually, it matters not in the end. Lurian's victory is inevitable, but smaller victories are always possible for
mankind.
Ritual: The priest hangs a tiny Leonem on a silver chain above the character and prays to Lurian to hold off on his
judgment, speaking of undone works this character has that make him worthy of his divine patience. The Priest takes
one Shield worth of silver filings mixed with ashes from a burned page of the Words of St. Istra, and anoints the brow.
Props: leonem, chain
Mechanic: If successful, the ritual may stay the soul and allow for resurrection via the Shrine to be delayed. This allows a
maximum extra time of the Priest's Rank in days. Repeated use will eventually deplete the gospel and require a
replacement.

Painless Crossing
Allow wounded people to die.
There are times when all that can be done is give a merciful farewell. To Lurian, Archangel of Death, all men are equal
in this regard and when a priest calls him, he solemnly does not refuse his services. For those who are at death's door,
it is sometimes best that they pass one way or the other rather than linger in such a terrible place.
Ritual: The priest speaks a prayer aloud to Lurian to do the Lord's will quickly and easily. As the priest concludes, she lies
the dying on his back and closes his eyes and mouth.
Props: None
Mechanic: Any person that has the Downed or Battered status, even enemies, become Downed if Battered and die if not.
No wrath is gained from this act.

Blessed Bandages
Bind wounds with purified bandages.
Vignette
Ritual: The priest inks the holy words of St. Istra and the marks of Lurian upon white cloth as small as they may write
until the available space is full, then sprinkles the bandage with holy water. Bandages such as these dirty quickly,
however, and it is customary to change them daily lest the wound spoils itself.
Props: Bandages completely inked with scripture.
Mechanic: The Priest may take one hour to craft these bandages, creating a number of them equal to her ranks in Liturgy
in that time. These bandages immediately stabilize a Downed character when applied, and prevent re-injury from
activity while worn. The bandages do not work when they are dirty, and are only good for one use.

RANK 2

Herald of Lurian
Create an armor against illness.
Then should the beak be filled with fragrant herbs, to remove the spoil of wickedness from the breath. Guide you the
hand through oiled hide and tie you the wrist with sinew. Let no part of your flesh see the light, such that you dwell in
shadow away from all mutable life. Be as his Holy Corviscera, awaiting death with removed vigilance.
Ritual: The priest can create a guise to protect him from the wicked spirits that possess the sick. A suit of oiled leathers is
specially crafted and covered in every inch in blessed crow's feathers. A helm and mask must be specifically crafted with
a long, hollow beak and goggles with red lenses, which is filled with fresh flowers before use. It is customarily worn with
a hooded cloak or a wide-brimmed hat.
Props: Plague doctor mask, red lenses, cloak decorated or accented with black feathers, wide brimmed hat or hood
Mechanic: This is a full suit of leather armor that has been customized by someone with the appropriate craft skills, and
continues to act as leather armor for this purpose. When worn by any character, it effectively increases your ranks in Grit
for the purposes of disease infection by your Priest Rank, and makes a character immune to inhaled poison.

Lull of Lurian
Put a subject into a dream state.
Vignette
Ritual: You recite slowly the words of St. Istra, while dangling a little leonem on a silver chain. After 10 minutes, the
subject enters an amenable state from which many suggestions are possible. In this state, the subject appears to be
sleeping or in a trance and any interruptions or startling events will easily shake them from it, requiring the ritual be
performed again. Subjects that are uncooperative with the ritual count as a vulgarity.
Props: leonem, chain
Mechanic: This ritual takes fifteen minutes. Once the subject is entranced, the priest may suggest one of the following
effects:
1. The priest can continue the ritual putting the subject in an even deeper trance making them completely unresponsive
and appear dead to all others. This effect will last for several hours before the subject automatically awakens from it fully
rested.
2. The priest can recant a memory of the subject's and begin to suggest that such events never really happened. The
subject will not forget the events unnaturally, but will believe them to have been a dream or otherwise a product of his
imagination, and will not bring it up casually.
3. The priest can ask a single question of the subject and she will willingly answer to the best of her knowledge. This
knowledge can come from memories that have been blocked out or otherwise forgotten and the subject is assumed to
have the Impeccable Memory perk for the purposes of answering. If the memory is part of a scene that was forgotten
through the haze of death and resurrection through the Shrine, they can remember vague details about it, but no proper
nouns.
4. The priest can dull the sensations of the subject until they do not register pain or other stimuli, functionally the same
as a drug with the Aesthetic quality for approximately an hour.

Sear the Spoiling

Seal a wound against evil spirits.
Maleficent spirits are ever present and seek every opening that can be found to enter us and plague us from within.
Even when wounds are fresh, they find a way to be bound in with a bandage. Best to erase all doubt and vanquish
their presence, though the tax is steep. But the toll for doing the Lord's work is never paltry.
Ritual: Bring sanctified wine to a boil and pour it upon any and all open wounds.
Props: Heated (but not boiling) wine or red liquid
Mechanic: The patient is burned by the boiling wine and is unable to use any Skills for the remainder of the evening.
Upon sleeping for the night, a Battered character awakens Healthy.

RANK 3

Balance Humors
Trade one effect against another.
The Body has within it four humors that are balanced to allow us life. Each of these is analogous to the four elements:
fire, water, earth, and air - Blood, Melancholic Bile, Choleric Bile, and Phlegm. Too much of any humor will result in
maladies and disarray from within.
Ritual: The subject is drained of a specific humour via a dozen or so live leeches attached to key points on the body.
Mechanic: One of four effects is chosen below.
1. Sanguine Balance - One limb is rendered injured for an hour as blood is drained, but the subject's effective Grit
increases by 1 for the rest of the event.
2. Melancholic Balance - The subject will awaken Healthy the next day as Melancholic Bile is removed, but cannot benefit
from Hope for the rest of the event.
3. Choleric Balance - Fatigue is removed as Choleric Bile is drained, but the subject gains Despair.
4. Phlegmatic Balance - The subject loses Despair as Phlegm is drained, but gains Fatigue.

Exorcise Disease
Diminishes the severity of diseases.
Vignette
Ritual: The priest heats incense upon a censer filled with hot coals. The more severe the disease, the more coals must be
used. The patient and the priest breathe in the incense for at least one hour, until the patient asks to proceed, swearing
courage against the might of God. The patient must spend one point of Discipline for each step of the disease to be
cleansed, one for Mild, two for Severe and three points of Discipline for Crippling diseases. If he succeeds, he may ask the
priest to proceed, who will empty the brazier of coals upon the victim in the area that is most affected. This will frighten
away Possession spirits as well as show courage and surrender enough to lift Judgments from the patient.
Mechanic: This treatment is more than many bodies can handle, and if a given patient has less than a certain amount of
Grit, the effect of this ritual changes. If the ritual is successful, the severity of the disease is reduced by one step and
patients receive terrible scars.
Mild: With less than 2 Grit, the subject is considered Battered.
Severe: With less than 3 Grit, the subject is Downed, as if they had 0 Grit.
Crippling: With less than 4 Grit, the subject is Downed, as if they had 0 Grit.

Chirurgery
Reset a badly healed injury.
The blade, God's most sacred tool. With it, a mere man can control fate. The blade can end life and give it back. It can
create and destroy, the fulcrum of time and destiny.
Ritual: The priest must tightly bind off the affected area with red cord or white cloth inked with the words of the gospel.
With a blade of silver, the priest must reopen the wound back to its original state as closely as possible, to call back the
flow of time over the wound. The priest must then correct the wound's alignments and reset it upon a path to heal
correctly while reciting from the words of St. Istra's prayers to Lurian. The patient must not move during this procedure
to show courage in the face of death. Once the work is done, the priest will bathe the injury in holy water, pack it in clay,
and cover it with a bandage.
Mechanic: This ritual wounds the area that includes the Maim damage. If the ritual is successful, the Maim will
downgrade one level of severity as the area with the wound recovers, availablein its improved condition next
session.Even fully recovered, a maim healed this way will always be painful to use.This ritual cannot heal head maims. if
the ritual fails, the maim is increased in severity one step.
RANK 4

Sanctuary
Convert a church into a hospice for the wounded.
Vignette
Ritual: Hang white banners of heavy cloth across the outer cloister of the church, creating a ring that all worshipers pass
through to give their blessing on the way to convocation and prayer. The separated area must be kept heavy with incense
at all times, with censor bowls burning day and night. The incense costs at least one gold per week to keep all the censors
burning.
Mechanic: No patient will die of their wounds, of poison, or see their diseases get worse while in the Sanctuary. This
ritual provides an infrastructural advantage to the city for the purposes of Warfare and Infrastructure. (to be
determined)

Prayer of Mercy
Miraculously heals the wounded.
In a time of grievous emergency, a Priest may beseech God for mercy for His worldly agents and good
servants.Lurian's judgments are absolute to all save God Himself. It is not wrong to appeal for succor when the need
is great.
Ritual: A dying person must be placed in a ring of powdered silver with one tall white candle at each cardinal direction.
Incense is lit with the northern candle flame and placed at the southern pinnacle of the circle. The wounded must be
placed on a sheet of crimson velvet in the center of the circle, and stripped to only simple vestments. The supplicant
prays vigorously for the mercy of God and to protect and sustain his good servant on earth. If the wounded is conscious,
they too should pray silently and beg God's mercy. The prayer must continue until the candles burn down.
Mechanic: The Priest makes a ritual roll for the prayer every ten minutes for thirty minutes. The priest must succeed
three times in a row to be successful, which restores her patient to Healthy, and while the outward expression of a
wound will still be visible for some time, the wound will no longer be dangerous and will recover quickly. On a failed
attempt, a candle will flicker out. If any candles go out during the ritual for any reason other than the ritual's completion,
the patient loses 1 level from their effective Grit ranks for the day. If their Grit falls below 0, they immediately are
Downed and begin dying.

Trepanation
Improve the mind through chirurgery.
The mind is the seat of thought, and exists within the head. Just as spoiled food rots the gut, spoiled knowledge rots
away the mind, creating impure thoughts and actions. There is a way to help those unfortunates, to use the surgeon's
art to banish the evil from a mind and invoke a portal to God's pure grace. Only the crest of the sea through the rise of
the solar brow ridge is suitable to this task.
Ritual: While holding the patient still to a table, place straps of supple leather across the neck, shoulders, and brow, to be
affixed to the table. Using a spike or a drill, open the skull with the instrument in the precisely correct area.
Mechanic: The patient is Downed and is dying. If the drill was used, lower all Insanities by one grade. If the spike was
used, Intellect is permanently increased by one step. The spike can be used only once per character. Failure on the
Liturgy attempt causes death.
RANK 5

Final Bargain
Make a final pact with Lurian.
Then did He appear before me, in all His terrible glory. The sky grew black with the breadth of His great wings, and
for the thousand crows that attended Him. My men charged past me unaware of His presence, while I stood agape in
His shadow. 'Neath His great white hood I could see only darkness save for His blazing white eyes, beautiful and
terrible. He was the herald of my death, of every man's death. He spoke unto me and I knew that my life had been a
waste until this very moment, that I was and had always been His.
Ritual: The invoking Priest stands in a circle facing his allies. The Priest intones the most sacred prayer of Lurian,
invoking his harshest judgments and calling upon all of his deeds in His name. While all hold hands and stand watching,
at least two of the assembled must willingly take their own lives with a dagger.
Mechanic: The Priest and her companions, including those killed in the ritual, forestall Lurian's judgment and are unable
to be killed for one hour. If any of them receive wounds that would otherwise kill or Down them, they instead are
doomed to die at the end of the battle but may otherwise continue to fight. Characters that are doomed can hear and see
the Archangel Lurian, who will preside over the battle, enormous, and shrouded in shadow and mist. Those who are
doomed become avatars of death, able feel the power of their own death flowing through them, and can kill any other
humanoid creature at will if they do at least 1 hit of damage to them or can lay their hands against them, perhaps
requiring a Grab maneuver. They also do not feel tired or gain fatigue, never stopping no matter how long their grisly
work takes.

THE LAST TESTAMENT OF DECIMUS

St. Decimus was, in his time, considered a criminal and a villain, responsible for the deaths of well-respected men of
power and authority. Only long after his death, as he foretold, was the nature of his work widely understood and he given
the remembrance he deserved. The Order of the Rose and Dawn, a powerful and wealthy knight order of the early Lion
Age had secretly entrenched itself into manifold positions within the courts of the first Emperor, Victor von Herkheist.
They had planned to overthrow the reign of the Emperor and Holy Benalian Church and install their own government
with radical ideals. Though demonized for it at the time, Decimus, having received divine guidance from Cyaniel, Angel
of Stars and Fate, removed each of them from power by intrigue or violence. Only later, when their absence flushed out
the rampant corruption they had created, was St. Decimus canonized for his work.

RANK 1
Righteous Kill
Avoid Wrath for killing specific person and find him wherever he hides.
My hate for the man was real. It blinded me, burned me, consumed me. I begged for fate to bring him death, to punish
him so that I need not violate another. Cyaniel answered me, put my hate inside my blade inside of my heart. Cyaniel
made my hatred clean. I, like my blade, am but the tool of fate.
Ritual: Inscribe upon the intended weapon the true name of the person to be killed . Once inscribed, a deep cut on the
palm of the hand will tie the fates of the priest and the target together.
Props: Weapon, red marker for cut
Mechanic: Cutting the hand injures it until you Rest. After which, any time the priest holds the weapon and cuts himself
with it again (taking the same injury), he gains a sense of the location of the person the weapon was intended for so long
as they are currently local, such as the same town, city district, or rural countryside. This sensation of location lasts until
the next sunrise. Only one person may be tied to a weapon at a time. Additionally, the act of killing the target yields no
Wrath. If the weapon is used again, the ritual ceases to work and the Wrath is assigned as normal. This only functions for
someone you intend to kill.

Vindication
Know someone's most recent sin.
My hands need guidance, for as a man I am weak. I cannot see as the angels see, though I know that every man is as
weak as I. Show me how weak.
Ritual: The priest holds both of the subject's hands and whispers a prayer to Cyaniel for understanding and insight.
Props: None
Mechanic: The Priest receives an understanding of the last sin that person committed.

Eye of Cyaniel
Depict an eye as a focus.
The divine sees all and knows all. To see through His eyes is to be everywhere.
Ritual: The Priest creates an eye sigil with chalk or some other material using exactly seven lines.
Props: Chalk
Mechanic: Any eye sigil that the Priest created can act as the Priest's true location for any ritual so long as that sigil is still
present and legible. For multiple sigils, the priest is considered to be in all of them at the same time.

Disruption
Cause a disturbance and create a favorable happenstance.
Ritual: The Priest makes some kind of relatively mundane change to the surrounding environment such as opening a
window, moving a chair, locking a door, or rolling aside a stone. The priest marks the angelic name of Cyaniel upon the
object with chalk and whispers a prayer for intercession.
Props: Chalk
Mechanic: At any time during this scene, the Priest may call upon the change she made to affect a favorable, but
reasonable, event to occur. An open window could let in a bird, creating a distraction. A chair could cause a guardsman
to topple over unexpectedly. A locked door bars the progress of an intruder or a misplaced stone causes a horse to
stumble or take a different path entirely. The Priest may use this ritual a number of times in a scene equal to their Priest
Rank, and the events can chain together in reasonable ways. A marshal will arbitrate the effect of this ritual.

RANK 2
Fate of One
Gain insight into the flow of future success.
Vignette
Ritual: Over the course of a scene, the Priest studies the weather, clouds and stars and makes interpretations over future
events, then goes to sleep holding a leonem.
Props: Leonem, sleeping
Mechanic: The Priest's sleep produces meaningful dreams. For a number of periods of time defined by the Priest's Faith,
the Priest has knowledge of the progression of events. The dream itself contains meaning for the future, but the Priest
also is affected by his knowledge of fate. For each period of time this ritual lasts, the Priest takes either Hope or Despair,
and in an amount that is randomly determined, up to 5 in either direction. These periods of time are no less than a half
hour, and do not pass to the next period without at least one significant action being taken that uses or attempts to use
the Priest's Skills or abilities. The Priest knows the order of this flow of fate, and can plan accordingly, but may not tell
anyone else. If they do, the staff reorders the remaining values and reassigns them in secret in any way they please. The
number of periods is as follows - Normal gets 5, Affirmed 6, Faithful 7, Zealous 8, and Heartless 3.

Conspire with Fate

Determine the future through preparation.
Vignette
Ritual: After making some kind of preparation for a later time, the mark of Cyaniel is placed upon a related object or
person and blessed by the Priest.
Props: Chalk
Mechanic: Preparations blessed with this ritual will be protected from circumstance and assigned a place in destiny.
Events will not conspire to override or otherwise diminish the effectiveness of the preparation. A buried cache of
supplies will stay undiscovered for years, a bribed guard will not get second thoughts, a purloined key will still work in
the lock that gets forgotten during a sweep of replacements. Only the priest, or those he specifically instructs, can change
the circumstances of these events, such as finding that same hidden cache. The ritual will remain effective for as long as
that mark is in place. Defacing or removing the mark is the only way to prevent circumstances from happening as the
Priest foretold it. People can be marked as well, but the mark must remain the entire time, so tattoos are sometimes used
for very long term conspiracies.

Stargaze
Judge current events by the stars.
Vignette
Ritual: The Priest spends at least one hour in silent contemplation of the stars, studying the hidden truths concealed in
their positions and movements. The rite must be performed from someplace at least moderately high up with a good
view of the sky. Especially high locations may perform better for this ritual.
Props: 2-way radio and an OOC spotter.
Mechanic: The Priest uses the Uncommon Lore: Astrology to measure and calculate with the stars. Success on the ritual
indicates that information that is quite specific can be known to the Priest. The Priest can know that a certain person is
leaving a building, that a certain treasure is being placed in a stone chest, or that a target is sleeping in the bed of
another. Only current events may be judged, not past or future ones. Once the ritual is complete, the Priest may continue
to "watch" an area so long as he continues to stargaze. A fairly high up location allows the Priest to understand the
surroundings in the town area, and a very high location allows the Priest to understand the surrounding countryside.

RANK 3
Final Confession
The assassinated target candidly tells all.
"It is you who is truly doomed now, assassin. You will have only created more death, where I had been moving to save
these people. With I and Graf Helmuth dead, there is no choice now but open war. The tyrant Von Herkheist and his
heirs will enslave all of mankind, deprive men and women of their freedom and dignity.Killing me will only move up
our time table, and my death will tell them where you are. You will never act in time to stop us all."
Ritual: After preparing a weapon to be blessed for a Righteous Kill, the Priest fasts from food and water for one hour in
silent prayer. From the point that they emerge from prayer to the point when they enact their Righteous Kill the priest
may speak no words. Doing so ends the miracle at once.
Props: None
Mechanic: Once the weapon finishes his target, the subject will not die at once, instead they will cling to life long enough
to have a brief conversation with their assassin. During this time, as they are dying, the subject will candidly express such
things as their opinions, their best laid plans, the circumstance, and whatever they believe will happen as a result of their
death. The target has no fear of consequences for expressing all this to their assassin, but retains their ordinary
personality during the brief exchange. The priest can ask whatever questions they wish during this time, and the subject
will likely reply if they know the answer. Once the victim has said their peace, they die.

Midnight Revelation
Know the location of a person or object during the next night of a full moon.
As I stood in the bathing pool beneath the palace garden, blade red in hand, I looked up past my hood to the sky above.
My victim's words had confused me, and I found myself out of leads and answers. As I stared at the moon reflected in
the bloodied waters of the pool, I knew what I must do next.
Ritual: The Priest prays over a pool of holy water, at least as wide as a man. The priest watches the progression of the
moon in the pool as it travels through the night sky. As the moon passes over the pool, the priest drops a folded note
written in wet ink with the true name of the person or object to be located and a few drops of blood, not from the Priest.
After a few moments, the Priest draws the note out of the pool with a silver rod and unfolds it.
Props: Note, silver rod.
Mechanic: Smeared in the ink will be a representation of the location where the subject will be upon the next full moon,
including the placement of the moon. The Uncommon Lore: Astrology can give insight into the location of the depiction
if the place is completely unfamiliar to better understand where it is.

Dance of Masks
The group stays hidden as one.
Even as the sky cloaked in starry black is still blue under its midnight shroud, so too are the righteous who cloak
themselves in cape, cowl and mask.
Ritual: Each member participating in this ritual wears the same cape cowl and mask. The Eye of Cyaniel is marked on
the inside of the mask.
Props: Cape, cowls and masks for each participant.
Mechanic: Each participant in this ritual may replace Stealth skill with the Priest's Stealth skill if it is better.

RANK 4
Unify Destiny
Forge a shared fate with your allies
My brethren had done as I asked, believing the prophecy of the Archangel and their place in fate. They had spread
across the Throne and killed in the name of the Lord, had ended the threat of these mysterious men and their
Order.But the threat had not truly ended - too many had escaped into the shadows, too many loose ends left untied.
My time was almost over, In seven days, the Knights Fenris would have me. I swore my followers to the service of fate
to continue the vigil in my stead
Ritual: Seven conspirators, including the Priest, clasp their arms and hands together to form the Eye of Cyaniel. The
Priest concisely states the goal of the conspiracy once, then each member repeats the goal one at a time. As each member
speaks the goal, the Priest cuts the palm of their hand with a silver knife and allows their blood to fall on a flat surface
below. He repeats the goal himself and cuts his own hand last. The blood that falls trickles into the shape of the Eye of
Cyaniel, and becomes extremely difficult to wash away.
Mechanic: All of the allies gain a new, additional Devotion for the long-term goal that you set yourselves toward.

Collapse Fate
Destroy an organization by killing its leader
There is no sin of a master not shared by his servant. Each man bears the personal responsibility to act against evil
with every measure of force than they can muster. When a man acts against evil, he acts in accordance with God and
adds the power of the Lord to his act of righteousness. Nothing can stand against the might of the Lord. No man can
put asunder what God's fate has decreed.
Ritual: The Priest or one of his conspirators within the cabal created by Unify Destiny, must kill the target and place the
mark of Cyaniel on his forehead. The assassination must occur in such a way that the murder is dramatic and obvious to
all, such killing a Duke while he addresses his city or stringing a corrupt whaler upon his own harpoons. The murder
must be discovered fairly immediately and dramatically for the effect to work and often the Cyanihim contrive perfect
moment with much planning.
Mechanic: The entire organization that reports to the person that was killed collapses into disarray and calamity. Any
formal Leadership group is irreversibly sundered and cannot be recreated under another leader, and general chaos
makes the organization implode from ineffectiveness. This effect works only on those who report to the target, not those
he reports to. Thus, killing a military's captain would send all those forces he commanded into disarray, but killing the
general would send the entire army into havoc.

RANK 5
Vengeance
Ensure loyalty through fear, or give a sinner one last chance.
Ritual: Tattoo the Eye of Cyaniel over the heart of a subject and whisper a prayer of binding to Cyaniel. At any time after
that point, you may write the name of the subject on a piece of paper and burn it, speaking the same prayer.
Mechanic: Within one hour, the subject will die under mysterious circumstances. They may fall to their death in an
unlucky accident, or may simply take their own life without much explanation.

SHARIQYN CULTURE
The Land of living is a small island in this endless sea of the dead. It stands to reason that there are other islands. Much
like the oasis in the desert, there is only a small place where life can happen, concentrated more and more till there is
only the person.
In a sentence, Shariqyn religion, Aab'oran, worships the revelation and awakening of self. This occurs through internal
purification.
Aab'oran has no formal priest structure. Anyone learned in the ways and faithful to its tenets can perform the rites
associated with the Aab'oran rituals by taking the Holy Ordination perk for the religion of Aab'oran, though it does not
require Glory.

Aab'oran espouses the virtues of meditation, and uses a meditative trance in place of the prayer found commonly in the
worship of Holy Benalus in the Throne. During meditation, the magus attempts to still their weaker mind and contact the
Higher Self. The Higher Self is perfect and contains no flaw of reason or action. The ultimate goal of the magus is to unify
the Higher Self with their essential spirit, and achieve this perfection. The Perficio Pondero, the magicians of Water, are
considered by the Shariqyn to be masters of this art.

In place of a gospel, Shariqyn use a prayer bowl with a prayer written on parchment or cloth and placed in the bowl. The
Magus then may use a cup or other vessel to place an amount of water and pour it entirely into the bowl. The letter
where the waterline strikes the prayer is the letter code selected for the ritual performance. In place of additional fingers,
faithful characters may take a smaller cup and add or remove another specific amount of water to add or remove.

These are used in gameplay in place of a gospel to test whether Liturgy trials are successful or not. Writing can be in any
form, though Arabic script is encouraged for both the Liturgy codes and the writing itself.

Shariqyn Rituals
Water Fasting
Atone through deprivation.
"The water is life, and we need it to anchor our spirit to the land of life and peace - but we must also be strong enough
to be without; by our will alone choose our fate, even if those choices are sinful, by will alone can we invite the water
back into us, and wash away the filth by renewing the cycle inside us."
Ritual: The magus willingly refuses water for the duration of the ritual in order to dry the impurities from his soul for up
to three days, then sits in discipline before a bowl of clean water for one hour before drinking.
Mechanic: For each day without water, the magus gains one fatigue. At the conclusion of the ritual, they may remove one
Depravity for every day without water up to three with a successful Liturgy trial, and for each day that passes this ritual is
assumed to be one Rank higher of a ritual.

Passage to Heshiyah, the Land of the Dead

Send a spirit to the afterlife.
"Farewell, my brother. Never again will you feel the hot sun upon your neck, never the grit of sand on your tongue; the
sting in your eyes and the sweat of your brow are eternity now, and your soul will swim in the seas of Heshiyah
forever after."
Ritual: So long as a faithful Shariqyn died with a vessel of water on their person, their spirit flows into it and it retains
their essence. During a period of silence, the magus can empty the vessel into a large body of water to deliver their spirit
to Heshiyah where they can find peace and possibly rebirth upon the ancient tides of that place.
Mechanic: The deceased's spirit can rest in peace. They will not return as undead.

Chant
Lead a chant during a meditation.
"And as their chanting grew in intensity, a new, deep and powerful voice joined the chant with theirs, adding its
weight to their own voices, and the union of Self became nearer."
Ritual: At dawn, zenith, or dusk, spend thirty minutes with the faithful in meditative chant.
Mechanic: All faithful participants in this ritual may add the amount of chanters (from the correct faith), up to Zealous,
to their Faith for the purposes of meditating for success in an event ahead, per the Faith in Higher Power ability. The
chanters must choose their meditation at the time of the ritual.

Curb the Foolish Self

Focus improves personal discipline.
"Like the desert flower, you must close your body away from the harshness of the outside. Reserve yourself there, fold
your mind upon itself in layers of willful force. When you bloom once more, the beauty of your purpose will be
redoubled."
Ritual: During meditation, the magus must assume the very difficult dranya pose for the duration, and meditate on the
force of his inner will and spirit. This is taxing, and even afterward, he must walk slowly and carefully to maintain his
focus.
Mechanic: The magus is Winded for the next hour after meditation. So long as you have meditated but have not yet
expended the bonus yet, or taken any kind of charge or running actions or anything more physically strenuous than
simply walking around, you may add your Faith dots as extra uses of the Discipline ability.

Turn Within
Ignore hardship with inner focus.
"Attachment is the trap of the physical world. Turn away, and worldly things, even your body itself, cannot limit you."
Ritual: Wash your face, hands and eyes with clean water, and make the sign of inner peace with your hand.
Mechanic: Expend meditation bonus to ignore Fatigue, Winded, Blind, Stun and Bleeding for one scene or hour.

Matrimony
Elevate status through marriage.
"Women are the greatest treasure in all this world. They have the divine powers of creation and beauty, and must
never be allowed to come to harm or to be caused hardship, strife or toil. Never should their hands touch dust, their
toes strike mud, their lips touch blandness. They are our most sacred wonder, and no gold glitters as brightly as their
hearts."
Ritual: A large celebration ensues for five days in preperation during which time a bride is given jewelry, silks, perfumes,
and garments to wear during the ceremony, which become her personal property. During marriage, the bride is elevated
above the groom by a palanquin, while the groom promisses to protect and cherish her so that she need never come to
harm or toil, while in exchange she promises to protect their home and children and to be obedient before they agree to
be married for the rest of their lives.
Mechanic: The groom must provide wonders and luxuries for each wife, requiring one gold per month in expenses. Each
wife yields esteem and respect from Shariqyn peers and provides an additional use of Persuade that can be used with any
Shariqyn for each wife. Failure to meet the expense does not lose the wives, but does disable the bonus, partially or
totally, until the cost can be met again.

Waters of Past and Future

Reflecting upon the turning, continuous nature of water, you discern a world pattern.
"In the water you can see the entire world, all of its myriad forms and destinies play out before you in an ancient
dance that gives its secrets to any who will look. You have but to open your eyes and your mind, and you will see the
truth."
Ritual: Gathered around the largest moving body of water available, at least the size of a large tub or pool, the magus and
any assembled faithful gaze within and watch its movements, occasionally dropping stones, sand, or floating debris
within to understand their role. Every ten minutes the magus can attempt to find meaning for himself and the others
present with a Liturgy trial.
Mechanic: All faithful Shariqyn present gain a bonus to their Perception skill equal to the amount of faithful participants
present, to a maximum of 5 Ranks for the duration of the day. The participants also gain the same amount as a bonus to
their Academics skill, gaining a free lore for each increase in rank as normal which lasts for the stay around the pool of
water which arises from the True Self from collections of forgotten details and inferences. Shariqyn use these pools to
discuss difficult topics amongst themselves and decide upon the best action.

Mantra for Fear

Call the true self to banish terror.
"There is no true fear. Fear is an illusion and I am the truth."
Ritual: The magus recites an oath aloud to become the true Self and ignore fear while making the sign of inner focus with
his right hand.
Mechanic: The magus may attempt to succeed at a Liturgy trial to immediatly overcome Fear effects and return to
normal. This ritual can be used while under the effects of Fear.

Induction
Convert a believer to the ways of the Shariqyn.
"And I do swear that I shall abandon fear, doubt, guilt, anger, and all the evils that make me less than what I ought to
be - to attain a new pinacle, to become pure and perfect, as he was."
Ritual: The 142 principles and the symbols of the wheel are placed on the body in henna. The subject then recites the
principles and teachings of Danarius and agrees to live by them, making several sacred promises.
Mechanic: The supplicant ceases to be part of whichever faith he or she originally subscribed to and becomes a Faithful
Shariqyn for the purposes of these rituals, even if they are not of Shariqyn descent.

Hospitality
Garner respect by providing for guests.
"Through dignified manner we show our wisdom of the Higher Self, and it is never so sacred as at meal. A wise man is
always polite, even to rude people, and provides a guest's honor even to his foes."
Ritual: The magus provides and serves a meal to his guests with his own hands, and provides for their every need.
During the meal he may not refuse any polite request of him if it is within his power to grant.
Mechanic: For the duration of the scene, the magus gains an extra use of Persuade, Deception, Seduce, or Intimidate
equal to the amount of guests he was serving. The bonus is lost at the end of the scene or when the magus refuses a
request.

Nothing
 PALADINS

There is a great strength that resides in every man. Born of faith, it must be sharpened, harnessed responsibly, so that
we may fulfill our duties. This requires a clear mind and absolute dispassion, even in times of emotional crisis.
Elias Allard, Grand Master Paladin.

INTRODUCTION

There are individuals in the world who were born special. No one has known, or perhaps ever will know why these
individuals exist, or how, but the truth of their nature is clear: they are the power of God made manifest in a human
being. Such individuals are entrusted with great power and the terrible burden to uphold the strictest of moral standards
and be as a leader to all of humanity, everywhere in the world. They are looked to as heroes, captains, diplomats, and
sages, their every action given the extra weight of their situation, as well as held to standards that only the bravest, the
most dedicated and determined individuals could uphold. These unique men and women are Paladins.

ROLE IN THE CHURCH

The men and women who would become Paladins were not always called it. Most grew up ordinary boys and girls of
every social strata and station, but even as children they are often seen as precocious and exceptional, especially in their
relationships with their fellow man. If the local church believes that they may have a Paladin candidate in their midst,
they will send word to the church in Holy Lethia and, in time, a Paladin will arrive. After speaking with the child, the
Paladin will either send her away or take her with him back to Lethia for training; a whole new life separate and anew
from their old one. The Paladin that found them becomes their mentor from there after and sees them through their
rigors and training until they are finally educated and worthy enough to take up missions of their own and be inducted
into the Sacred Order of the White Lion. Until then, Paladins travel with their mentors and learn through observation
and experience, and even after their induction into the Order, still maintain lifelong relationships with their mentor.
The Sacred Order of the White Lion acts as a special tactics mission group for the Church as a whole and, like other
knightly orders, is lead by a Grand Master who oversees the direction of the Order and reports directly to the Pontifex of
the Church. Paladins are, on the whole, autonomous with one another and generally are expected to seek out and fulfill
their purposes on their own, however some areas such as major towns and cities may have a Chapter of the Order that
utilizes several Paladin knights overseen by a Master Paladin. Technically all Paladin knights are under the watch of a
Master Paladin, though most of them reside in Lethia when they themselves are not in the field seeing to their deeds.
Paladins send regular reports back to their Masters in Lethia and can request additional assistance from them if their
need is great, though generally they are expected to act without the need for rescue or reinforcement.

PLACE IN THE WORLD

Out in the world, Paladins are seen as a walking blessing. Few who know their guest is a Paladin would ask them to pay
for a room or the food of their table, or even small goods and services, though most Paladins refuse to take advantage of
these offers. While they do always receive a warm welcome, the unspoken responsibility in that welcome hangs in the air.
If a Paladin is present, people tend to flock to them begging them to solve all manner of problems, many of which may
not be within their power to resolve. Paladins must learn to keep the expectations of their flock realistic, for the
disappointment of denial can be just as poignant as the hope, and people in desperate circumstances tend to have very
high hopes. Paladins after all, for all their blessings, are still just people, trying to do their best with what they are given.

Some Paladins are assigned to specific tasks, such as hunt down a specific criminal or heretic, resolve a major conflict
peacefully, or cleanse a tainted land of the evils within it. Both through necessity and the force of personality common to
all of their kind, they tend to gather friends and followers to help them accomplish these duties, but just as many act or
are currently acting on no particular assignment at all, free to travel the Throne righting wrongs and seeing to
Humanity's best interests wherever they can. Such Paladins similarly tend to fall in with like-minded people with similar
aims, or tend to lend their abilities to a cause they find worthy.

As a knightly Order, the White Lion has no specific political or religious authority of its own, but it bears with it the
weight of its masters. A Paladin cannot order his way into a sensitive area on the virtue of his Paladin status alone, but if
acting on the orders of a superior in the Church, such as a bishop or cardinal, he has that person's authority in the
relevant matters. While most knightly orders serve a specific Lord or King that remains static all the time, the Order of
the White Lion's duties are to the Church as a whole and thus they serve many different masters over the course of time,
and so their authority fluctuates. It is not uncommon for a Paladin to carry with him the documents of his agency to a
specific clerical office which detail all of his rights and authorities during the course of his current mission.

GIFTS

The gifts that a paladin has been bestowed with are what elevate them above any of the other faithful. They and they
alone are the bulwark against the gathering anathema. These powers are the shield and the sword of each and every
paladin and aid them immeasurably in the never-ending conflict to push back the tide of evil.

Every paladin and paladin-to-be is gifted in a unique manner. The manifestation of such gifts can emerge in countless
forms. It is only through strict training and discipline does one make full use of such a blessing. Because of the volatile
nature of these gifts, learning paladins are guided away from advancing their powers to dangerous levels or discovering
hazardous applications of their talent. Learning such power is a simple matter of meditation by prayer and consulting
the light within, though only Paladins whoplace their Faith in a Higher Power ever learn additional gifts.It is a natural
process much like a baby bird learning to fly or a newborn horse learning to walk. However, many younger paladins in
training are molded rather than allowed to conduct such self discovery until they are deemed fit to understand the
discretion involved in training themselves.

The church has categorized applications of a paladin's gift into four basic concepts : Divinity, Vision, Mercy and
Reckoning. Paladins are thoroughly encouraged to explore such powers as documented to their fullest extent as they
have been time tested and approved for regular use. Every Power has within it the seed of its own undoing, and that of
the Paladin who wields it. The purity of soul of the Paladin is paramount to her duties, and the discipline required to
maintain that purity is immense. Using these abilities in anger or without a clear heart can result in drastic perversions
of the holy gifts. Powers that are associated with this family of disciplines are absolutely prohibited from use and it is
considered heretical to develop such abilities in secret. Such powers are not safe to engage in regularly and have been
found to cause catastrophic results when attempted.

Although they are normally the purview of heretics and Anathema, under certain, desperate conditions, the church may
allow a Paladin to drink deeply of such forbidden knowledge in an attempt to stop a greater evil. Such cases are not
documented to protect the identity of the Paladin unfortunate enough to have been chosen for such a task. It is rumored
that Paladins entrusted to such tasks do not return.

THE POWER OF HATE

Each of the Seven Sins has a varying degree of actions as to what constitutes it and with what magnitude. Premeditated
murder is a greater sin than striking a man in anger, but both are sins of Wrath. A character has a
Moralitythresholdbased on their Faith Attribute , and from there, builds up Depravity by committing sins against their
morality. As a character becomes more and more Depraved, they gain Insanities, both as their views on what is
acceptable and unacceptable begin to shift, and society labels them as insane because of their differences.

For Paladins, the stakes are higher. Their power is drawn from their virtue and emotional discipline, and as their
morality warps, so does the nature of their powers. Every sin a Paladin or Heaven Touched character commits corrupts
some of the Paladin's Empyria. Paladins have5 Empyria to use on powers. Affirmed have 6, Faithful Paladins have 7,
and Zealous Paladins have 8. Heartless Paladins only have 3. As the Paladin gains Depravity from committing evil acts,
their Empyria changes with them. A Paladin with four Depravity has four of their Empyria corrupted, and cannot spend
them as normal Empyria to activate their powers in the normal way.

These Corrupted Empyria, however, can be spent in a variety of ways, always generating amazing power for the
character, though at a deadly price. For example, a Paladin spending a Corrupted Empyria alongside a melee attack can
initiate a Nemesis Blow for largely magnified damage, and many powers and gifts from dark deities like the Triumvirate
of Thorns require these as a power source for their activation.

A Paladin can draw on this reserve of power at any time, but if they drink too deeply or too often, the well will not run
dry, but grow ever deeper as the Paladin descends into apostasy. As they begin to lose themselves, Paladins begin to lose
control over their powers as well. While in most cases a Paladin will choose to spend or not spend their Corrupted
Empyria to activate their abilities, accidents do happen. For example, in an intense moment of psychological anguish or
deep emotion, a marshal may spend Corrupted Empyria to increase a Paladin's strength or use or activate a power that
the Paladin was unaware that they could perform. This is especially likely if they are using Empyria in extremely stressful
or emotionally wrenching situations, once the gate is opened, the anguish in the Paladin's heart can flow right through.

If the Paladin ever attempts to draw on Corrupted Empyria when they only have normal Empyria remaining, they are
still able to, but their new they gain additional Depravity to make up the difference and create more Corrupted Empyria .
Before a Paladin is completely fallen, any scene in which he expends Corrupted Empyria to activate an ability, regardless
of how many, results in the gain of 1 Depravity at the conclusion of the scene in a random unfilled Depravity slot as his
moral compass begins to falter and loosen.

THE FALL
If a Paladin's depravity ever crosses the threshold noted in their Faith score and begins to gain Insanity,the
Paladinenters a fugue state at the end of the scene. The Paladin is subject to an internal scene where their faith is
tested.If she fails, she rejects the validity of her morality system and is considered "Fallen."

In this state, she can no longer atone for sins and cannot reduce her Depravity score through positive actions. She can,
however, continue to generate Depravity by committing sins as normal, immediately gaining Corrupted Empyria for
each sin committed based on the grade of severity of that sin, 1 for 1, 2 for 2 and so on, however they cannot regain
Empyria normally through rest as normal Paladins do. A Fallen Paladin who commits these sins does not believe that the
acts are acceptable. On the contrary, it is the very emotional stress of behaving in a way that you know is wicked that
generates the Corrupted Empyria. An Antipaladin is a troubled soul who commits true evil for its own sake, because that
is all they have left. This process makes an Antipaladin a dangerous opponent of Paladins, because they seek to commit
all the acts that Paladins fight against for the sake of their own selves and because of their marriage to Depravity, are in
many ways more powerful than Paladins.

DIVINITY

Tier 1
Acute Senses
Lion Heart
Salubrious Gift

Tier 2
Beacon of Hope
Immaculate Appearance
Wisdom of the Kings

Tier 3
Defy Sorcery
Quick Mending
Tireless Devotion

Tier 4
Endless Champion
Heavenly Form
Purity of Heart

Tier 5
Immortal
Transcendence

VISION

Tier 1
Dreaming
Inkling
Silent Tactician

Tier 2
Dead Man's Eyes
Pathos
Life Ken

Tier 3
Forewarning
Spellseer
Unseen Hand
Tier 4
Contact
Grand Destiny
Prophesy

Tier 5
Avatar
Omniscience

MERCY

Tier 1
Forfeit Life
The Good of Others
Soothing Presence

Tier 2
Good Tidings
Lay on Hands
Holy Concert

Tier 3
Channel Life
Reverse Ruin
Spellbreaker

Tier 4
Salubrium
Pillar of Faith
Angelic Caress

Tier 5
Guardian Angel
Pillar of Faith

RECKONING

Tier 1
Faintness of God
Forfeit Life
Precision

Tier 2
Heroism
Holy Smite
Martyrdom

Tier 3
Light of the Soul
Witch's Debt
Sunder Darkness

Tier 4
Sacred Duty
Gaze of the Lord
Light of Heaven

Tier 5
Combat Purity
Wrath of God

Charistmata Ability
Basic ability, once per hour hand gesture to show divine grace (Arms outstretched) which means you cannot cancel her
social skills for 1 min.
Allows the purchase of Paladin Powers for those with Faith in Higher Power

Paladin Powers
Paladins have 5 Empyria to use on powers. Affirmed have 6, Faithful Paladins have 7, and Zealous Paladins have 8. This
recovers at the end of a day. All Paladin powers use at least one Empyria to activate unless they are always working as a
passive ability, and some require additional Empyria to activate.

Paladin powers cost 5 times the Tier of the Power in experience to gain. A Paladin must have at least one power from a
given Tier in a tree to gain a power from a higher Tier.

Paladin powers cannot benefit from Instruction or Pedagogue. Paladin powers cannot be taught, only learned.

DIVINITY

Tier 1
Acute Senses- All of the Paladin's senses are sharpened to extraordinary levels. The Paladin can perform exceptional
feats of perception, such as sweeping a crowded marketplace for a specific word topic being discussed, or read words at a
great distance with just a glimpse. The Paladin also becomes automatically Alert when using this power, and may do so
at any time by picking up nearly imperceptible sensory clues from other characters.
Corruption: Painfully Aware- Sensations become painfully sharp, pleasure and pain becoming a more complete
experience. You may actually see Stealthed characters if they move, and may attack them or identify them as normal, but
are Winded for 1 minute upon activating this power. This power lasts for a duration of one minute.

Lion Heart -Passive. The Paladin ignores his fears and doubts and focuses only on the will of God. Fear can no longer
affect him and he becomes immune to Phobias and Intimidation.
Corruption - Heart of Stone:The Paladin rids herself of all weaknesses of the heart. You may disregard Insanities,
Intimidation, Honor Code and Devotion for one minute.

Salubrious Gift- Passive. The Paladin's holy body is not affected in any way by poisons, drugs, diseases or infection.
Corruption - Slithering Veins -The Paladin's divine being takes on a subtle taint, transforming her blood into a virulent
toxin that may turn another grievously ill or even slay. The Paladin's blood can carry a single trait poison of her choosing
that must be administered intravenously or ingested. That limb suffers from Pain for the next five minutes.

Tier 2
Immaculate Appearance- Passive. Your divinity shows on the surface of your skin as well as on a emotional level.
When people see you, they cannot help but perceive the divine grace within you. Everyone you encounter will react to
you as generally credible and right, wanting to find reasons to like you and agree with you. Any use of the Persuade skill
that you use no longer truly requires a really reasonable argument to succeed.
Corruption -Transfiguration- The door to your soul swings wide open and the majesty of your spirit is obvious to any
who gaze upon you. Anyone who wants to attack, defame, or otherwise act with hostility to you in any way whatsoever
must spend a Discipline for 15 seconds of ordinary action, and no one may cancel the Paladin's Seduce, Intimidate, or
Persuade during that scene.
Wisdom of Kings- Passive. At the conclusion of every game when experience is being awarded, you gain one free Lore
of your choice. This works even if you do not possess any ranks in the Academics ability, but you still need to have the
more general lore before you can get a more specific lore, ie Lore: Undead before Lore: Vampires.
Corruption: Crown of Thorns- Invoke unhad knowledge and have the benefits of any Lore skill at all for ten minutes.
Whenever this power is used one scene's worth of memories is forgotten. Recent or related events are most likely to be
selected by the Marshal.

Beacon of Hope:Passive. You are a walking boon and all who bask in your presence reap the gifts of the Lord. When
you are present, everything seems to be right, and all seems to work as it should. Broken clocks will start working again,
people with chronic pain will feel a little better, and disaster is impeccably averted. Any time you spend Empyria for any
reason (including just to activate this power), you and your closest friends that are present gain Hope. This is
cumulative..
Corruption: Invoke Catastrophe- Every time you spend Corrupted Empyria, all that are present besides the Paladin
gain Despair. This effect occurs whenever you spend Corrupted Empyria once you have this power.

Tier 3
Defy Sorcery- When affected by Arcane Magic, you may spend an Empyria and resist one hit of damage, for War
Magic, or 1 Power of the spell otherwise per dot of Faith they have. Multiple Empyria may be spent to add additional
defense.
Corruption: Witchbane -For the duration of the scene, the Paladin gains the effect of Defy Sorcery and any hostile
magical effects that you fully resist are reflected back at their originator, regardless of the sorcerer's location.

Quick Mending- Passive. The Paladin naturally recovers at an incredible rate. She leave no scars and Maims
automatically heal. Within one hour of incurring a wound, the wounds are fully healed. Maims recover over the course of
a Downtime.
Corruption: Wretched Knitting -Immediately recover from all of your wounds, but keeps hideous scars. You must
costume the scars from then outward.

Tireless Devotion- Passive. The Paladin needs only two hours of sleep per night and ignores the first point of Fatigue
they would normally gain in a day.
Corruption: No Rest for the Wicked -Remove all Fatigue by spending an Empyria in addition to above, allowing the
Paladin to go without sleep or without food or water for days. Empyria cannot be regained normally without rest.

Tier 4
Endless Champion- Passive. The Paladin is so invested with spiritual power that he no longer has any real need for
food, air, or sleep, though can still enjoy these experiences if he chooses to. Furthermore, any Empyria he spends in a
scene is automatically recovered upon rest. His Empyria limit is no longer per day, but until next opportunity to rest,
allowing him to expend massive amounts of holy force at a moment's notice. This power requires Tireless Devotion.
Corruption: Juggernaut -The Paladin drives on like an unstoppable engine. Ignore all threats of exposure and physical
hindrances such as Maims, bonds, or Encumbrance. Gain a temporary Severe Obsession to continue moving, working, or
fighting for the duration. The Paladin cannot sleep, even if they manage to overcome the Obsession for a time. Lasts the
entire day.
Heavenly Form- Variable Empyria . The Paladin transcends her mortal form. She gains shining white-feathered wings
and may fly at incredible speeds, giving her the Escape ability. All of her successful attacks gain the Power advantage,
dealing 2 hits instead of 1, and she gains an extra use of Parry or Dodge that refreshes every 10 seconds. Additionally, the
Paladin in this form goes up one step in every Attribute. This transformation lasts only 10 seconds for every Empyria
spent and afterwards she is Winded and gains Fatigue. This power cannot be used while Fatigued. The additional Faith
also grants additional Empyria for the duration of the effect.

Corruption: Perverted Light -3 Corrupted Empyria . Drinking greedily from the wellspring of holy energies, the effects
of this transformation are the same as Heavenly Form, except that the transformation lasts the entire scene, with no
Fatigue afterward. Additionally, the transformation can be entered while Fatigued, and this power may be used to press
on when Heavenly Form is about to fail for only 1 Corrupted Empyria . In this transformation, the Paladin's wings are
black and inky, and habitual users of this power sometimes have wings that are more leathery and bat-like, even in
Heavenly Form.

Purity of Heart- Passive. All of the impurities in a Paladin's heart have burned away. The Paladin has achieved a
measure of divinity that separates her from the mundane world. The other creatures and people of the world exist in a
way that is fundamentally shallower than she does, and she can step aside from their ability to render harm to her. From
henceforth, she cannot be wounded by mundane forces like simple steel and stone. Swords will slide off of her skin
unopened; a clay jar from above will shatter harmlessly against her. Magic, miracles, malefic creatures and other forces
at least in part supernatural can still harm her.
Corruption: Scornful Heart -The Paladin plunges deep within his own soul, finding all their hidden shame for their past
misdeeds. Their guilt and self-denial bubble forward in a virulent explosion of pure and tangible spite, forgiving
themselves and accepting all of their sins and instead judging all the world with the same caustic bitterness. When this
occurs, the paladin is wreathed in hellfire, rendering him immune to fire and dealing one hit of fire damage per Sin he
has at 3 to those within speaking range every 10 seconds. Treat this like War Magic of appropriate Power. She gains the
Wicked Flaw for any current Depravity. This lasts for one minute.

Tier 5

Immortal- The Paladin cannot be destroyed. He ceases to age at the age that he is when he acquires this gift. If ever he
should die, he rises from the dead in seven days unless slain and buried upon desecrated earth.
Corruption: Revenant -3 Corrupted Empyria : Rises from the dead at full health 10 seconds after being slain. This ability
is activated automatically if the Paladin has the resources available when killed. Every day the Paladin spends dead, he
recovers his Empyria.

Transcendence- Passive. The Paladin has received the full grace of the divine and that which created the world and
that within. The Paladin permanently gains the full effect of Heavenly Form, but as it is no longer a great effort of will,
rather a new nature, she does not suffer Fatigue from using its power, nor is she unable to use the power while fatigued.
Those with this power earn great respect within the Church and are revered by any God-fearing creature. Additionally, if
the Paladin desires, she may affect a seeming of a normal human to become more discrete. Heavenly Form is required to
receive this power.
Corruption: Damnation -Special. The Paladin's desperation or hubris causes her to violate the gift granted to her by the
heavens. When activated, the Paladin's pool of Corrupted Empyria is inexhaustible; she may spend an unlimited amount
for the scene. However, upon every use of this power, the Paladin gains onepermanentDepravity that they may never
atone for, and her pristine wings become increasingly stained, with the feathers turning grey, black, molting, or a
combination of all. This disfigurement carries great shame among those who once praised the Paladin's divinity. After
habitual use, the Paladin's wings are all but barren of feathers and appear as black and leathery bat wings, or are simply
feathered in black. Because the Depravity gained from use of this power may never be atoned for, the Paladin may never
ascend to Heaven, spending her eternity of afterlife in Hell.

VISION
Tier 1

Dreaming- You have become potent in the realm of dreams, able to not just influence your own dreams but the dreams
of others you have met as well. During your rest you may travel to the sleeping minds of any person you know and
communicate as though present. When talking to your target, she will remember all the details of the dream with perfect
clarity upon waking and may even be forced to wakefulness by you. Additionally, you also can remember the details of
any dream you have, fall asleep within a few moments, and wake at a time of your choice though you are still unaware of
your surroundings while asleep. You may design and have sent by staff any dream you wish to another character you
know, anywhere in the world between games, or simply to another player character to be delivered in the morning by
staff.
Corruption: Torment -You construct a terrible nightmare in a sleeping person that can cause insanity. The dream is
realistic in every sense and completely under your control unless the target also has the Dreaming power (in which case
the character with better Faith, or if equal, Intimidation controls). Upon waking, the target will gain a mild phobia of
your choice, depending on the imagery used in the nightmare. Continual uses of this power can aggravate a phobia to the
next grade of severity. Once the victim has a Crippling Phobia, additional aggravation from this power will cause physical
stress on the victim, forcing them to suffer terrible shock in their sleep and awake with Fatigue. When under the effects
of this power, natural recovery of health or Empyria is impossible that night.

Inkling- Passive. Sometimes the Paladin will be given a good or bad feeling about her choices or events around her.
When this triggers is up to the discretion of a Rules Marshal.
Corruption: Instinct- 1 Corrupted Empyria . All events and decisions for the scene yield a good or bad feeling as it
specifically relates to your own well-being.

SilentTactician- Paladin is able to determine the combat strength of an opponent with little or no input from the
target. Simply concentrating for a moment allows the paladin to scan an enemy for weaknesses. Weak links in the armor,
broken scales on the underbelly, a poor ability to parry or a lame leg that prevents dodging are all apparent in a matter of
moments to the paladin. These understandings are always given relative to the paladins own ability or to someone else
they know well such as a frequent ally, rather than definite numbers and statistics. Example, The ogre is stronger than
half a dozen men, but he lacks the intelligence and speed to dodge effectively. This can grant information like the highest
two martial skills, physical flaws, and other generalized pertinent information.
Corruption Preemptive Mastermind Add Mighty and Quick to your weapon for 10 seconds or one attack,
whichever comes first.

Tier 2
Dead Man's Eyes- The Paladin can see the last few minutes prior to death per Empyria spent from the victim's own
eyes, which can be ended prematurely at any time. Re-experiencing the death or agony of the target will cause the
paladin to lose consciousness for the remainder of the scene and the next hour. The paladin at any time may stop this
effect by declaring they have seen enough. If the paladin experiences the any of actual injury that contributes to the
demise, she becomes trapped in the experience and cannot abort.
Corruption: Death Dreamer- The Paladin is present at the past event for the time allotted in a vision and can see things
the dead did not. Witnessing the death does not cause any strain upon the Paladin.

Pathos- The Paladin is in tune with the emotions of others. If a Social skill can be augmented with knowledge of the
target's emotions, the paladin may use the expend Empyria in substitute of any Social Skill. As well, by touching an
object or concentrating in a place, the Paladin may feel a sense of the emotional impressions left in the place from the
strongest events, allowing an understanding of the history of the object and who used it.
Corruption: Dramatic Effect- The paladin can manipulate the emotions of others. Any single emotion may be invoked
in a character with the expenditure of a corrupted Empyria, which lasts in full effect for at least an hour, with the
character tending toward that emotion for the rest of the day.

LifeKen- Detect the health and conditions of others as well as undead in the area. The Paladin also can detect poisons
or diseases affecting others. The Paladin can feel the presence of any living or malefic creature nearby, and behaves as if
she can see for 30 yards distance unobstructed for the purposes of those creatures, such as behind a door or wall.
Characters in stealth are not automatically revealed, but they are not able to reenter stealth once they leave it because
they cannot break line of sight. This lasts for a scene.
Corruption: Shadow Call -You can call the Night Malefic to your aid by shattering the barriers in an area that keep it at
bay. Inviting it within you, it changes you rapidly and openly. Fangs and horns will erupt, muscles will contort with
strength or any symptom of a malefic creature will temporarily find it's way to you. Gain 1 Instinct from the Bestiary
section for the scene and any Malefic creatures you encounter will regard you as an ally and an authority. This ends at the
end of the scene and leaves that area tainted by the Night Malefic.

Tier 3
Forewarning -Passive. The Paladin will become aware if a dangerous or disastrous situation will occur in the next
thirty seconds. She will instantly awaken if someone is about to harm her while sleeping (functioning like the Light
Sleeper Perk), and will be alarmed by poison in the food or drink around her, but will not be aware of what caused the
feeling. The staff may choose to give the player a note with an exclamation point on it to indicate the sensation of danger.
Additionally, the paladin is always considered Alert whenever it would be appropriate to be so.
Corruption: Paranoid Delusions -3 Corrupted Empyria . The Paladin may analyze any set of circumstances to learn the
most direct reasons that caused it. For every 3 Corrupted Empyria spent this way, the Paladin can understand one step
backwards through events to this point. For instance, one could come upon a corpse and see the face of the killer, but
delving deeper could see the man who hired him. Each step delved in this way causes one Mild Delusion that will
influence each vision in some way and persist afterward as normal.

Spellseer- The Paladin can sense magical auras and enchantments and can gain imagery of the spell's intended
purpose and function. The Paladin can also sense charge in wizards and gain 1 free Dodge per scene against magic due to
forewarning. This power lasts for the scene when activated.
Corruption: Eye of the Maelstrom- For one corrupted Empyria, you activate this power for the combat scene. Any
wizard who you witness casting a spell you may point at them and call "Stun" as your very gaze pierces the barrier
between our world and the Maelstrom. One of your eyes glows magnificently bright green.
Unseen Hand- Variable Empyria - The paladin can lift and move objects with his mind. Light objects that can be easily
lifted with one hand require 1 Empyria . Medium objects, like those that can be lifted with two hands weighing as much
as a person require 2 Empyria . Heavy objects, things not normally able to be lifted, such as war horses, loaded carts, or
fallen trees, require 4 Empyria. Extremely heavy objects, things weighing in at several tons, can be lifted but require the
most extreme concentration and your maximum Empyria . Once activated, Unseen Hand stays on for the rest of the
scene to the magnitude activated. Use in combat is allows the Paladin to expend Discipline to use a Grab as per the Brawl
skill, substituting the Paladin's Faith for their Strength. You may also spend Discipline to throw individuals as per the
Slam effect.
Corruption: The Devil's Fist- Double lifting capacity and Slam distance, and add Mighty and Driving to anything swung
by this ability. When using this version of the power, soft handling is impossible. Doors will be blasted from hinges,
bones will be broken during lifting, and projectiles will be twisted and mangled.

Tier 4

Contact- The Paladin can read surface thoughts and speak to others by linking minds. This allows the Paladin to gain a
single piece of information about the subject being discussed from a target character every 10 seconds. You can also
speak and be spoken to by to any character you know intimately, regardless of their location in the world. Anyone who
has spoken to you personally may pray to you and you will know the nature of their prayer.
Corruption: Memory Theft- 3 Corrupted Empyria . An entire scene's worth of memories can be re-written by simply
telling the target what they remember. The memory will be completely believable regardless of how absurd the content
may be. However, anyone with Contact may who touches their mind will know the truth.

Grand Destiny- You are privy to many of the workings of the universe.
At the beginning of every game session, staff will flip a coin a number of times equal to your maximum Empyria. Heads
give one use of the Blessing ability, and tails give one use of the Curse ability. The Paladin may grant either of these
effects to any interaction he witnesses or participates in during the course of that event. Using Blessing ensures that an
action is successful - the first form of defense used against it is wasted, though can still be countered by defense from
another source (such as Armor instead of Parry, or Dogma instead of Persuade). Use of Curse means that an action is
doomed to fail by circumstance, and any assertive action fails without being countered while wasting any relevant
expenditure.
To use Blessing, add "Power" to the call. When using Curse, the subject simply ignores the effect.
Corruption: Fate Stealer -Whenever the Paladin uses a Blessing or Curse this scene, he steals the momentum of fate for
his own purposes, gaining the opposite effect into his repertoire to be used at another time this event.

Prophecy- The staff must answer any one question from the player. However, even simply knowing can change the
future from what you can see. The more who you share this knowledge with, the farther and farther the prophecy shifts
from the absolute truth of the staff's statements. This requires your maximum Empyria and you are unable to recover
them for 3 days.
Corruption - Hand of Destiny:In addition to the prophecy, the player submits a statement with an "and." Afterwards the
staff may submit a statement with a "but." Both of these statements are true.

Tier 5
Avatar -Variable Empyria . The Paladin's mind is a gateway to physical reality, so close are the two to being one.
Through an act of will and faith, the Paladin may call forth a being of holy form and nature to assist her. The exact
features of the being called will vary by Paladin to Paladin, but its holy nature is obvious. Sometimes it may be a steel-
clad angel, or a great lion with a mane of white fire, but all of them can fly at incredible speeds, making the Escape ability
impossible to use, and have one dot in each Attribute for every 2 Empyria spent upon them. The Avatar has no skills, but
attacks and defends with skill levels equal to Empyria spent upon it, and has that many Toughness calls. Once
summoned it can act on its own and needs no further instruction, but will respond to the will of its creator. The Avatar
will vanish at the end of the scene, if destroyed, or if the creator loses consciousness. Furthermore, other Paladins may
participate in the invocation of this ability, donating up to 2 Empyria per additional Paladin.
Corruption - The Conqueror Manifest:Variable Empyria . You can use your mind as a beacon, a bridge that renders it
simple and inviting for a demonic entity to manifest itself. Upon spending an amount of Corrupted Empyria , a demon
will manifest at once and will use its considerable abilities to your benefit for as many rounds as the amount of Empyria
spent. After that time, the demon will still remain until otherwise banished, though its debt to you is paid and it will act
in any way it chooses. It is very unlikely that its true motivations will remain consistent with your own.

Omniscience- Passive: Though you are still limited by the capabilities of your mortal mind to process it, the universe
has opened itself to you and provides you with extra-sensory information about your surroundings. You automatically
are aware of everything in your surroundings, behaving as if you have Perception 5 (Ranks in Perception are refunded as
experience), and may ask for any information about the current area, regardless of how obscure or hidden it may be. For
example, the Paladin could ask whether the tracks in the dust were placed within the last hour, and by whom, or even
whether they were falsely planted to lead a tracker astray. You cannot see within the mind and soul of those around you,
but you are still aware of all physical details. Additionally, by expending Empyria, you may raise any skill by 1 rank, to
the normal maximum of 5, for the remainder of the day, or gain any Lore you wish, no matter how specific. Lore: Count
Heatherfield, for instance, could tell the Paladin information on that person that no one could ordinarily know.
Corruption - Omnipotence:You may change one word of any one detail that you know to be true to something else. This
can be almost anything to almost anything else. For example, one could change the fact that an enemy wields a polearm
against him to be wielding nothing instead. Or, one could change an expression of hate into an expression of love. You
can even change a living person to a dead one so long as you can see them yourself. This change, whatever it is, will last
until you make some other change.

MERCY
Tier 1

The Good of Others- You can take on the wounds and other ailments of another. Although diseases, maims and
poisons must be transferred in whole, wounds obtained in combat can be partially transferred and split between the
subject and the Paladin, however the Paladin cannot transfer his own wounds to another, the transfer is one way and
once completed cannot be undone. So powerful is this basic power that the Paladin can even undo death itself if the scene
has not yet passed, however transferring the fatality will destroy the Paladin.
Corruption: Share Pain -With a touch and the expending of a Corrupted Empyria, your wounds and maladies are
passed onto another and wounds or maladies they have, if any, are passed onto you.

Shepherd's Crook -Your gentle heart can prevent harm from coming to another creature, even one you are battling
with yourself. By extending the mercy in your heart to your attacks, your weapon deals no damage on its attacks as if it
had the Subduing flaw, though does not require additional strikes as that flaw normally does. This power remains active
for the combat scene.
Corruption: Reaver's Lash -By expending a corrupted Empyria , you let your hate leach out into your very attacks,
allowing any object to become a deadly weapon in your hands. For the remainder of the scene, any weapon you hold
loses any flaws as the force of your vitriolic anger carries alongside the force of the attack.

The enmity between St. Allebrand and the Viscount of Riverbend was legendary in the time of the Second Emperor.
When Allebrand finally accepted the long standing challenge of a duel on the eve of Holdfast, my Father believed he
would finally rid himself of the man. Allebrand's blows struck him again and again, telling blows that should have
killed him. But my father rose again and again, each time more determined than the last, as the challenge wore on. It
seemed my father could not be felled by this man, but when he finally threw his sword down in frustration, realizing he
could never have his spite-born victory, I knew who the true hero was.
-- Memoirs of the Count Riverbend, 78, the Lion Age

Soothing Presence- The paladin emits a soothing aura that pacifies tempers and strong emotions. Angry individuals
will become easier to reason with and the grieving will lift up their heads from their tears. Any individual who is
combative or hostile that is affected by this power will move toward a neutral mood as their mind relaxes and they cease
to have apprehensions. This can effectively momentarily stop a combat in progress, but can't prevent hostilities from
reigniting if given a reason. The Paladin may call a "Hold" and then end the hold with the combat suspended. Once the
power is activated, by controlling this aura and spending an Empyria, you can put those who are otherwise calm into a
normal slumber. If the subject's life is in danger, neither aspect of this power will affect him as his mind will not willingly
settle. Both aspects of this power last for the scene.
Corruption: Fearsome Presence- The Paladin emits an unsettling aura that sends the nerves on edge and the hairs on
one's neck upright. When the aura is erected, people perceive the Paladin's very presence a fearful threat and become
reluctant to initiate conflict. The Paladin may immediately refresh any expended Intimidation uses for the scene. By
focusing this aura onto a single subject and spending a Corrupted Empyria , the Paladin can invoke a flight reflex in a
subject if they are not already fleeing and for the rest of the scene, causing the subject to gain mild phobia of he offending
Paladin. In or out of combat, having this power active always constitutes a "credible threat" for the purposes of
Intimidation.

In the last days of Barahb's siege on the White City of Santrius the people lay starving and desperate within its walls.
During the day, they became like stuck swine, panicking and screaming under Barahb's salvos; During the night, they
becamelike serpents in a basket, turning on one another for the smallest of slights,for it was Barahb's plan to break
the spirits of the men before breaking down their walls.Lucia, grand-daughter of St. Marcellus watched as Barahb
turned her people into swine and upon feeling desperation begin to creep into her own soul she cast it out and stood up
amid the serpents and swine, rendering them shameful and calm. Thus ended Barahb's Siege of Santrius and began
the Forty Days of Bloodshed.
--The White Record, 67, The Lion Age

Tier 2

Good Tidings- Passive. In any scene in which you perform a good deed, regain 1 Empyria at the end of the scene.
Corruption: Ill Intentions- Every time you sin regain a number of Empyria points equal to the level of all of the sins at
the end of the scene.
Holy Concert- Donate Empyria to another Paladin within speaking distance. Empyria is not spent to activate this
power; instead it is directly transferred. The Paladin may donate as much or as little Empyria as they choose.
Alternatively, giving an Empyria to an individual without the Charismata perk confers the basic benefit of that perk for
the scene.
Corruption: Black Cacophony -Leech Empyria away from another Paladin by spending a Corrupted Empyria to invoke
the effect. The Paladin can drain up to three Empyria per 10 seconds, but continuing to drain does not require an
additional expenditure of Empyria. This requires a solid grip on the victim and produces an ear-stinging screeching
sound. Combat use requires a successful Grab attempt. Using this power on a non-paladin gives them one Depravity of
the offending Paladin's choosing per 10 seconds, and per corrupted Empyria spent.

Lay on Hands- When the Paladin touches a wounded person, their wounds begin to close and their body is restored.
Bleeding halts immediately, and if the wound is still fresh (incurred that same scene) can cleanly heal a maim or
otherwise permanent injury. This healing occurs over the course of a full minute. This power does not use Empyria -
instead the Paladin has a resource called Healing that is equal to their dots in Faith, and each use expends one such use
of Healing. Healing recovers in full with your Empyria once rested. This power may not be used on one's self.
Corruption: Harm Touch -If focusing on his hatred and anger instead of a sense of love and mercy, a Paladin can inflict
a grievous and awful wound upon a person with only a touch. The Paladin must lay his palm against someone, requiring
a successful Grab in combat, though this attack ignores all Armor. The Paladin immediately causes a hit to the body that
can only be stopped with Toughness. This attack is said to be the most painful experience one can experience, and leaves
a hand-shaped black scar that never completely fades away. Paladins with the Lay on Hands ability may reflexively
expend Healing to defend themselves against Harm Touch on a one for one basis. The Paladin's Healing resource used in
this way is called Harm, and is consumed and restored the same way.

TIER 3

Channel Life- Passive. Double the rate you can heal with Lay on Hands (from one minute to 30 seconds) and double
your capacity for Healing. This effect is invoked automatically when using Lay on Hands.
Corruption: Channel Hate -The Paladin doubles their capacity to Harm. The Paladin may use two or three Harm
instead of 1 to overcome the resilience of Tough or Stalwart characters. This effect is invoked automatically when using
Harm Touch.

Reverse Ruin- In the wake of carnage, where lives have been destroyed and things are set asunder, the Paladin can set
things right once again. By expending Empyria, the Paladin is able to reverse damage to objects around her: the rubble
of a house will miraculously begin to retake its shape, the shards of a mirror will find their proper places, and sundered
swords will snap back to their original form in a shower of softly glittering light and shining haze. She can even restore a
dilapidated building to its former glory, banishing the rust and grime of years of disuse with an effort of will. The
amount of Empyria required to invoke this effect corresponds to the significance chart; one for trivial, two for lesser,
three for significant and so on.
Corruption: Ruination -Some things should never be set back as they were. Some things are best left done and over,
never to see the light of day again. With this dire invocation, the Paladin can render her deeds patently and completely
irrevocable. An altar shattered can never be repaired, a new one must be constructed. A door broken can not be refitted
to its hinges. A vampire slain can never return. The Paladin lays an unforgiving curse on all they touch, making sure their
works are never countered. However, once this power is used, it is considered always active and can never be ended
again in the Paladin's lifetime, her own action made permanent and adamantine as well. Wounds delivered by the cursed
Paladin will heal as normal as new flesh takes the place of old, but those slain can never be returned.

Spell-breaker -The Paladin may channel holy power to counteract any spell from a wizard that you are aware of in
your vicinity. They must spend 1 Empyria for each level of Power or damaging hit of the spell he dispels. A partially
dispelled effect loses as much potency as was neutralized.
Corruption: Spell-eater -The paladin consumes the raw energies of the spell converting it into usable might. Spending a
single Corrupted Empyria she can resist any spell. When she does so, a number of Corrupted Empyria are restored equal
to the Power of the spell, to your normal maximum. This siphoning of magical energy makes the Magician Winded until
the next day. Additional uses cause Fatigue.

Tier 4

Salubrium- The Paladin spends an Empyria and extend her arms out wide. As long as you maintain this meditative
state doing no more than walking, any characters she wishes within 10 yards recover from one hit of wounds, such as to
their limb or torso every 10 seconds. Every 10 seconds she maintains this ability with taking no other actions consumes
one use of Healing. This effect can be continued for as long as she wishes without spending additional Empyria as long as
no other actions are taken except defensive calls.
Corruption: Dissonantia-The Paladin may spend a corrupted Empyria and hold her arms out wide, thus expending her
ability to Harm against any characters he wishes in the immediate vicinity. For every 10 seconds he expends takes no
other action, he may expend one use of Harm, searing cacophonous shrieking that permeates steel and bone alike fills
the air. All characters affected take a hit of damage to the torso and are affected by Slammed backward.

Pillar of Faith -Undead, Demons, Anathema and other creatures of evil may never willingly enter a space of 10 yards
around the Paladin, and if forced to enter, must attempt to leave the space before taking any other unrelated actions.
Corruption: Bastion of Evil -Malefic creatures within 10 yards of you are made completely immune to any form of
damage so long as the Paladin concentrates on this ability, moving at a walking pace but otherwise able to take actions. If
the Paladin is rendered unable to maintain the ability, the power ends at once. The Paladin does not gain protection from
this ability.

Angelic Caress- Your touch brings with it the grace of the Heavens and by your will you can set calamity aright. The
Paladin may lay their hands upon the victim of terrible injuries or even birth defects to cause them to recover, expending
a use of Healing from their pool to lower the severity of a Maim by one step. As well, you can cause the body to attempt
to battle free of poisons and toxins, increasing the subject's effective Grit by one for every use of Healing expended or you
may spend one Healing to reduce the duration of a disease by one day. Finally, you may expend Healing to reduce the
significance of a disastrous event such as an inferno, flash flood, storm, or rockslide in your immediate vicinity as it
happens.
Corruption: Vile Stroke -Your power is that of ruin; your touch a thing of desecration. By laying your hands upon an
object, you can cause it to be at once destroyed, doing quadruple the normal damage by expending your Harm upon it.
You may destroy armor and weapons that you can successfully touch in this way, as well as any physical barrier
regardless of its durability. If you lay your hands upon living creatures, you can cause maim damage as the muscles twist,
warp, and boil under your touch as if exposed to flame. You may expend Harm to deal maim damage to any part of the
body you can touch on a one for one basis of severity.
Tier 5

Guardian Angel- Passive. Prevents dishonorable death. You will survive unscathed from any non-combat scenario
through miraculous circumstance. This does not include directed physical violence, but does include such things as cave-
ins, long falls, ship-wrecks, hurricanes, rickety suspension bridges, or accidental explosions.
Corruption: Destroying Avenger -You may place your terrible curse upon a single person or thing. By expending all of
your Empyria upon a person or thing, you pronounce doom upon it. Until the target is utterly destroyed, any skills that
are used by the target or to non-aggressively interact with the target automatically suffer a terrible disaster of a failure
and at least one significant disaster will befall the target each day. You may only place this curse upon one target at a
time, though the process of their annihilation typically does not take long. Should you be killed before their destruction is
complete, the effect will end.

Unquenchable Light -5 Empyria . The Paladin's presence banishes the very idea of infirmity of body and form. This
power, once called upon, will banish any injuries suffered upon the Paladins and her allies that are present with such
alacrity that they can scarcely be harmed at all. Every 10 seconds, each person so blessed recovers from any wounds they
may have suffered, purges all poisons or diseases from their systems, and continues in defiance of their foe. Thus, those
affected must be Downed and a Death-Strike completed nearly immediately to end them at all, else nothing is
accomplished.
Corruption: Hand of Death- The Paladin is a the hand of death, the messenger of ruin. Once activated this scene, any
character that the Paladin points to within 15 yards has their soul begin to be ripped violently from their body. A
character with less than 3 Grit dies immediately. Any character still within the power's range (and alive) after 10 seconds
have passed can be pointed to again, and they count as if their Grit were one less each time this occurs. Characters who
are killed by this ability have their soul destroyed, and cannot be resurrected by the Miracle of the Shrine. By spending a
Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin may point at anyone within his line of sight, and that character is treated as if he were
within the Paladin's area of power for the next 10 seconds, or as long as the Paladin continues to maintain the effect with
Empyria.

RECKONING

Tier 1

Faintness of God- The Paladin's kiss upon a weapon infuses it with a subtle power that bypasses defensive powers
granted by the Triumvirate of Thorns for one full day.
Corruption: Absence of God -By expending an amount of Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin can negate a single Paladin
power in use by another Paladin. The Corrupted Empyria spent is equal to the Empyria spent by the Paladin affected,
and that power cannot be reactivated this scene.

The self-styled "Executioner King", Vardak, who had thought to challenge the might of Lethia in the aftermath of the
execution of Tyrel the Witchwarder, was by all accounts invincible. The twin armies of Lord Gant, the Emperor's
younger brother, had marched against his rogue forces of Sharaqin and Hestralian peasants and been smashed
against them like the sea against rocks. Vardak's army marched until it reached the site now called "Fera's Tears"
north of the Godsroad on the outer watch of Lethia. A small girl waited in the road, a shortsword in hand and
armored in a misfitting chain hauberk. When the Executioner King's forces arrived, the girl waited bravely, and called
for the head of their leader, to challenge him in single combat. Vardak thundered with laughter so loud that the birds
fled the nearby trees, it is said, and leaped down from his giant white elephant to accept.

The girl, who is unnamed to this day, knelt, prayed for the strength to defend her homeland, kissed her shortsword,
and commenced the duel. A moment later, she had buried the shortsword into the heart of the Executioner King. No
one knows how, but for the grace of God, she had defeated Vardak but the Kuarlite heretics offered her Vardak's
armor, his mighty axe, and his war elephant. She accepted them all, and told the army to march on Lethia, but
unarmed and unarmored. They were summarily destroyed.
--Secret Heroes, 61, The Lion Age

Forfeit Life- 1 Empyria per scene. Your concern for others has surpassed the instinctual blocks that prevent you from
moving into harm's way. During combat you may take a blow that targets anyone else within 5 feet of you. You may
decide to do this after the wound is declared as taken if you wish when you decide to intervene as your movements are
reactionary and require no thought to recognize when another is in trouble. You may spend your own Defense calls to
negate the attack.
Corruption: Demand Life -1 Corrupted Empyria . The Paladin may simply glance at someone and induce them to
protect the Paladin at any cost. With a successful Intimidate, Persuade, Seduce or Deception use against their victim, the
Paladin may induce someone else to leap in front of a blow for them in combat. The victim must be within 5 feet to
intercept the blow. They become the new target of the attack, but may attempt a defense as normal. This reaction on the
part of the target is automatic and requires only a look, no verbalization from the Paladin.

Precision- For the remainder of the combat scene, the Paladin adds the Beat ability to the Paladin's attacks, per the
Medium Weapons skill.
Corruption: Heart Eater -By spending a Corrupted Empyria, the Paladin's weapon seems to gain a bloodlust of its own.
The next limb hit is considered a torso hit instead as the blade leaps for the heart.

TIER 2
Heroism- The Paladin's Strength or Speed is increased by one step for the remainder of the scene by spending an
Empyria. You may activate both versions of the power at once, but only once for each Attribute.
On the day that Bran the Blessed threw open the doors to the St. Marcus' Cathedral in Evansburg, he cast out the
priests who had spoken against the Lord. He marched to the tainted altar, with its twisted iconography that mocked
the Lord's work. "This citadel of the Lord has been defiled. Never again shall its blasphemy twist the hearts of the
people." He pounded his mailed fist into the altar then, and it did split from his righteous fury, falling inward upon
itself, a white, chalky dust issuing from its crack."
-The White Record, -212, The Age of Witchkings

Corruption: Demoniac -By inviting the possession of a demon or wicked spirit the Paladin increases their Strength or
Speed by two steps for the remainder of the scene by spending a corrupted Empyria. You may activate both versions of
the power at once, but only once for each Attribute. This power does not combine with Heroism.
On that day, Bran the Betrayer had reached a moment of such Wrath that the doors of his soul flew open, and the beast
that he thought he had destroyed at the Surrender of Keys leapt from its den and devoured his heart. The beast's rage
knew no limits, and neither did the hands that the beast now guided. Bran the Betrayer ripped the buttress from the
wall, the stone slabs of the vaulted roof falling around him as he strode seething from the ruin of St. Marcus'
Cathedral.
-Gift Stories, compiled by Surth Rendan, Circa 58, The Lion Age

Holy Smite- You have become the bane of all that is evil. By spending an Empyria alongside any single strike, your
blade will thirst for justice. For each Sin that your target has at 3, your attack deals an extra hit of damage if it lands.
Malefic creatures, or other entities of pure wickedness cause the Paladin's attack to gain a bonus based upon the
Paladin's Faith, dealing an extra hit for each step above normal Faith. Onlookers claim that during such a shattering
blow sometimes the blade shines brilliantly like the sun upon impact, and that white feathers can be found near the
battle.
Corruption: Nemesis Blow -By spending a Corrupted Empyria alongside any single strike, your attack deals one
additional for every sin the Paladin has at 3. Onlookers will sometimes claim that such a brutal attack will have fire
billowing around it and moments after the swing the faint scent of brimstone lingers.

Zuriel, the Angel of Righteousness, bid that mankind should never suffer evil to endure, lest that evil poison them as
well. St. Vorshtadt of Gotha, the Whitehammer, took the angelic scripted name of Zuriel as his war banner, and
marched to the Barony of Sir Gerion, the Six-Deviled Knight. When asked of what crime Sir Gerion had committed, the
Whitehammer said that God would judge the wicked, and that his crimes would be sentenced by God himself, for the
Whitehammer would strike down his foe in a single strike if the Lord wished it, and would fail if he did not. Gerion met
St. Vorshtadt on the hill outside of his castle on the Ostron hills overlooking the Rogalian borders. There, the two titans
selected each other in the melee of their troops, Sir Gerion wearing the horns of a giant ram upon his greathelm,
covering his face, and St. Vorshtadt of Gotha wearing the shield and greathelm in the likeness of Zuriel. The two
clashed, and just as he had forewarned, there seemed to be a mighty crash like the thunder rolling over the
Capacionne mountains. A bright light shone from the Whitehammer, and at once it was over; the False Knight lay
broken, thrown from his black charger. Sir Gerion's men laid down their arms at once, and surrendered themselves to
the mercy of the Lord.
--The Mercy of Victors, 27, The Lion Age

Martyrdom- The paladin is capable of gaining any number of Empyria in a single moment, recharging up to their
maximum. However, strain from such a power takes its toll on the body and the paladin receives a hit to a limb for each
Empyria earned this way. Blood will pour from the eyes and from the palms when this power is used.
Corruption: Martyrize -During this scene, each time you successfully inflict at least 1 hit of damage upon an opponent,
you regain one Corrupted Empyria up to your normal maximum.
It is said that St. Azariah could not bear to see evil go unpunished. Her burning soul would brook no mercy for the
wicked, nor for herself, to let evil endure. When her strength had left her, her brilliance subdued, and her will was
utterly spent, she judged herself most harshly of all, bleeding tears of scarlet from her eyes, such was her anguish at
her own weakness. Her own heartsblood ran down her fingertips as she would rise again, her strength redoubled, her
resolve renewed, and her convictions stronger than ever.
--The White Record, -212, The Age of Witchkings
Tier 3

Light of the Soul- The Paladin may spend Empyria to defend their body from damage, calling "Toughness" for each
Empyria spent in this way.
Corruption: Sup on Sanctity -The Paladin may spend Corrupted Empyria to devour their body's weaknesses, becoming
temporarily immune to any form harm. For 15 seconds after using this power, the Paladin may not be harmed by any
effect. This can be used retroactively, canceling all damage incurred right before the power is called upon. The Paladin's
skin turns black and hard while this power is in effect.

St. Vaniel was said to have endured torture within the confines of the Black Keep of Aemon Renett for over five years.
Rumors speak that no matter the tortures visited upon his body, he would not break. Rumors speak further that Renett
hired the Turpis Vesica to unfold his mind, usurp his mighty faith, and undo his resolve. And still, he did not break.
When the Templar order finally broke the siege wall of the Black Keep, they found St. Vaniel in the dungeons, his body
only mildly scarred, and his soul unbroken and unbowed.
-- Secret Heroes, 30, The Lion Age

Witch's Debt -By spending an Empyria along side a successful melee attack, the Paladin may deliver an attack that
forces any built up charge in a mage's body to dissipate and then some, causing the charge to disappear and creating a
deficiency that prevents the wizard from calling upon any additional power for one minute.
Corruption: Mageruin -These attacks also cause the charge to explode, inflicting extra damage per charge to the
unfortunate mage as if they had struck themselves with War Magic.

Sunder Darkness -On a successfully executed attack, you may spend any number of available Empyria to add Power
to your attack with extra hits equal to the Empyria spent as you sear through defenses with your terrible justice.
Corruption - Reaper of Souls:Spending any corrupted Empyria to charge a Death-strike causes you to regain all the
Empyria spent during this combat scene as it kills the opponent.

Tier 4

Sacred Duty -On the battlefield, you are the staunch anchor, the mighty bulwark upon which your allies rely. When a
Paladin calls upon his devotion to his duties of courage and fortitude, he may call the harm away from his allies and
direct it to himself. Any damage that any of his allies suffer within 5 yards of him, before any Armor of Toughness calls
are used, is directed instead to the Paladin as if he were the target of the attack. The attack hits the Paladin as normal in
the same bodily location, and can be defended by the Paladin's armor or natural resilience. This persists the rest of the
combat scene, or around five minutes out of combat.
Corruption: Deathless Tyrant -Whenever the Paladin takes damage this scene, if there are any other allies or prisoners
in the area, another ally will take that damage instead. The allies are determined randomly, choosing the closest first. So
long as there are allies or prisoners remaining alive, the Paladin cannot be harmed. Substitute targets must be within 15
yards of the Paladin and be cowed by his Intimidation or loyal to the Paladin.

Force of Faith- You can invoke an epic feat of strength such as holding up a crumbling building, smashing through
brick, or ripping the door from a safe.
Corruption: Devastation -When you call upon your strength, such is the terrible force of your blows that you hammer
down all obstacles and defenses. None can stand against your assaults, the force of the very hells pumping through you
like a bellows. All attacks in combat that physically connect, even if stopped by a Defensive call, have the Slam effect, and
cause the target to begin Bleeding as if they were Downed.

Light of Heaven- With this mighty invocation of the Lord, the clouds will part to let the light of the sun stream in,
regardless of the time of day. The sunlight will wash over an area about 5 yards wide that the Paladin points to, and the
evil within that place will be extinguished. The light deals hits to targets in a column with the Power quality, doing a
number of hits equal to the Depravity the target has at 3, as if the Paladin had used Holy Smite on each one. For Malefic
creatures, the Power amount is equal to the Paladin's dots in Faith.
Corruption: Hellfire -Deals one hit of damage to anything and everything in the column for each Sin the Paladin has
Depravity has at 3, including walls, floors, ceilings, people, items and equipment.

Tier 5

Combat Purity- Your martial prowess is without flaw. You are a divine reckoner, and you have come to view combat
in a very different way than most. Gone are the furious moments of panicked urgency where the mind goes blank and the
sword swings madly. Gone is the rapid tenseness of the muscles as you recoil from a crushing blow against your shield.
When you swing your sword to kill, you kill. When you raise your weapon to parry, their weapon slides away. Your melee
attacks cannot be negated by any kind of defensive call, and weapons lose all of their perks when attacking you as you
effortlessly adjust your poise to compensate against them.
Corruption -Invincible Champion:Your combat abilities are invincible, and your mind reasons combat on a completely
different level. You think hundreds of steps ahead and can predict any eventuality in combat. Against your perfect
predictive strategies, you are assumed to have an unlimited supply of Parry and Dodge calls, though means of doing you
harm that cannot be stopped by those defenses still work.

Wrath of God -You are the mortal manifestation of divine justice, the personification of holy anger, and it shows.
Those who stand against you do so at their own peril, for they stand against the might of God and no creature on earth
can withstand such a foe. Any time you succeed at any aggressive challenge or use any aggressive skill against another
character, they automatically receive a Phobia of God's Judgment, beginning at mild and strengthening from there with
subsequent applications. This includes such things as being successfully grappled, done damage to, or intimidated by the
Paladin. This Phobia is as permanent as any other and must be challenged in the normal way.
Corruption: There is No God -There is no force so profoundlywrongas you. Your very existence and presence is
disturbing to those you encounter on a level so profound that it is impossible to come away from an encounter with you
entirely sane and whole. Any character you succeed any aggressive challenge with automatically gains an Obsession with
Depravity, beginning at mild and raising from there. Survivors of this power are the most depraved of lunatics and
murderers.
 DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION

Since the dawn of mankind we have fought. Fought for our food, for our land and for our beliefs. Though our fighting
has progressed, changed, and become ever more complex, it remains the very same regardless.

Combat is deadly. There is no leniency for mistakes or incompetence. In a single motion one can be rendered from a
living man to a corpse. Allies can and will be lost fighting hordes of Anathema, the orc, barbarians and brigands. Ideally,
all your obstacles may be circumvented without the shedding of blood, but, in a world of merciless circumstance, this
will most likely not be the case. Luck plays a hand, always, but there are only so many times one can draw a weapon to
invite death before death invites you back.

LEGAL ATTACKS

In order for an attack to cause an injury, it must strike the body hard enough to be definitely noticed, even if the subject
wasn't paying attention, and must use at least 45 degree arm extension between any previous strikes. Attacks that skip
across the surface gently, tag the clothes, or are rapid repeated bouncings an inch from the previous attack are not
considered damaging attacks.

Attacks to the head are illegal. Accidents happen, but the head should be avoided, and any accidental hit to the head is
discarded as a miss. Attacks to the hands while wielding a weapon are to be avoided, but do count if they occur.

ATTACKS AND INJURIES

"It is a profound tragedy that these lowly creatures will never know the light of God; that I must banish them with my
sword to a place beyond redemption."
--Elias Allard, Grand Master Paladin of the Sacred Order of the White Lion

Combat in Gothic: the Lion Age uses a vital area system. During combat, a weapon attack that connects with a given part
of the body disables that part of the body from injury. Attacks that connect against the arms or legs are called limb hits.
Limb hits disable that limb from further use; an arm dangles helplessly, dropping whatever is held within it and can no
longer grasp anything. A leg hit renders that leg unable to bear any weight, forcing the injured fighter to drag the leg,
unable to take complex or sudden actions that require two legs or to walk quickly or effectively. Characters with two
injured legs can walk slowly with the help of another character. Hits to the same injured limb do not contribute
additional damage, except that three strikes to the same area of the body can result in Maiming.

If a character takes an injury to the torso, or loses two different limbs, such as an arm and a leg or both arms, the pain is
too intense and the character collapses to the ground, helpless. This condition is calledDowned.A Downed character is
bleeding to death. Downed characters may not move, stand, or speak (though they can groan), and will bleed to death in
5 minutes. Any other character can stop the bleeding by placing both hands on the body of the injured character. If the
wounds are stopped this way for 5 minutes, the character will stabilize and isBattered.

How functional a Battered character can be is based upon their Grit skill. Characters with no Grit are conscious, but are
also in terrible pain and unable to use any Skills they may have. If their legs aren't injured, they can hobble back to safety
on their own; otherwise, they need assistance to walk. Characters with the Grit skill can limp along on damaged legs and
can run and move normally otherwise. The Grit skill allows characters to retain some or all of their skills, depending on
their rank in Grit. Injured limbs are still Injured as long as the character is Battered, and the Battered character will still
need to Rest after regaining consciousness to recover any lost uses of their Skills.

If a character is hurt by a weapon with the Subduing weapon flaw, any wounds dealt recover with Rest. If a character
would be Downed, that characterBlacks Outinstead. Blacked out characters behave like Downed ones, except they are
at no risk of bleeding out, and it lasts only 2 minutes before the character regains their senses.

Characters that are Downed or Blacked Out can be executed if their attacker wishes to do so. To do so, the attacker needs
to raise their weapon above their head and silently count to 5, then bring their weapon down and attack their opponent
one more time. Thisdeath-strikekills the character at once.

"I have ended his iniquity once and for all. He is a better man for it."

RECOVERY
If no form of aid is rendered, injuries recover over the course of the Downtime period between games, and any character
who was not killed during the game session can be said to have made a full recovery over the Downtime and be healthy
when they next enter play. Some characters are tougher or more resilient than others, and can partially recover from
injuries or take more to truly injure. Characters with the Grit skill can push themselves to a place where they can regain
partial functionality.

Very few other forms of healing or recovery exist, though some faithful people seek the services of the Hospitalier priests
and their knowledge of sacred medicine to help them recover from injuries.

DEFENSES
A character can intercept any attack with their weapon or shield if they have the first rank in the appropriate Skill. Even
if an attack actually partially lands against the body, an attack that has been significantly disturbed by your own weapon
raised in defense is considered successfully stopped.

Defensive skills can also be used to cancel attacks that already succeeded by expending a use of that skill, referred to as
"Calling Defenses." Different Defenses can protect a character from different kinds of attacks, depending on the skill
used. TheParryskill protects the user from melee attacks, while theDodgeskill protects the user from melee, ranged
and spell effects, but cannot be used in most kinds of armor. When an attack successfully lands and would cause a
wound, expending a use of Defense skill causes that attack and all attacks in that Clash to be retroactively blocked.

AClashis the quick series of hits that happen in rapid succession between two or more opponents, often so quickly that
individual attacks are difficult to determine, and ends when the fighters physically disengage from extreme close
quarters. If a fighter would be injured by one of the attacks they failed to stop during a Clash, the use of a Defense stops
all successful attacks that kind of Defense is capable of preventing.

Certain weapon qualities, such as Mighty or Quick, cause hits from their weapon to be unable to be stopped by Parry or
Dodge respectively. If calling a Defense still leaves the target injured from some other attack the Defense could not
prevent, the injury still stands unless they can call an additional Defense that would prevent the missed attack. For
example, if two enemies attacked the same fighter, and one of them had a greatsword with the Mighty perk while the
other had an ordinary sword, calling Parry as they both connected hits would prevent the damage from the sword but not
the greatsword, but Dodge would successfully stop both attacks.

Some attacks are so deadly that they might deal more than one "hit" worth of damage in a single attack. This is called
thePowerquality. These attacks are rare, but when they do occur successfully, they force the defender to use more than
one valid defense call to avoid injury. For example, an attack that dealt 3 hits of damage with the Quick perk would
require the defender to discard 3 Armor or Parry calls, or other valid defenses, and those can be distributed between
different kinds of defenses. If the defender is unable to do so, they discard whatever they can, and then take damage as if
they were hit normally. The appropriate call for these sorts of hit are specific to the ability being used, but will include a
number, and that is the amount of Defenses that must be used to counter them. A call of "Power" is sufficient to indicate
1 extra defense is needed. "Power 2" means 2 extra defenses are required, and so on.

ARMOR
The truest armor is faith in God. It can protect far more than your body. It can protect your mind and spirit as well.
However, covering yourself in metal plates never hurts.

Armor grants its wearer additional Defense calls that can stop any kind of damaging attack. A character is said to be
wearing a given classification of Armor, Light, Medium, Heavy or none, and when wearing that armor has access to the
benefits of the Armor for any incoming attacks. Attacks need not actually impact a place on the body that the armor
covers.
Armor level is determined based on an evaluation by a staff member. On average, 5 pieces of armor of a given grade
constitutes that tier of armor, but allowances can be made for combinations therein, considering how cool it looks and
what it is made of.

Sidebar:
Costume Grade vs Combat Grade:
Costume Grade armor (PVC, Aluminum chain, and other Ultra-Light) reduces the grade of the armor by one. Thus
costume Grade leather armor (leather jacket or supple leather) is considered Costume, or no armor, and it is impossible
to have true Heavy Armor that isnt real metal platemail.

Armor created by extremely skilled craftsmen can gain theLightweightperk, which overrides this rule. See Trade and
Production for more details on crafting high quality items.

Armor gives the following benefits:

Light Armor - Leather or hides

One use of the Armor Defense call per vital area covered.

Medium Armor - Chain or scale armor

Two uses of the Armor Defense call per vital area covered.
Cannot use the Dodge skill

Heavy Armor - Metal plates supported by chainmail

Two uses of the Armor Defense Call per vital area covered.
Automatic reduction of 1 hit of damage.
Cannot use the Dodge skill

Armor can be called as a Defense against any melee, ranged or war magic effect. In those cases, Armor works exactly like
Dodge or Parry would, stopping all attacks during the Clash. Weapons with the Driving quality ignore the benefits of
armor, and Armor cannot negate such attacks. When Driving weapons strike against a Heavy Armor, the hit ignores the
automatic reduction of 1 hit of damage. The Armor defense calls can still be called as normal against Driving attacks, but
it allows the weapon to fight the heavily armored combatant by traditional means.

If a given vital location is covered by two different grades of armor, the armor physically struck is the armor that counts
for that hit. For example, a soldier wears heavy plate pauldrons on the shoulder, and plate gauntlets, but the exposed
upper forearm and elbow is chainmail. If the gauntlet were struck by an ordinary weapon, the hit would be negated
because of Heavy Armor. If the elbow were struck, the hit would be considered to strike Medium Armor and an Armor
call would need to be spent to ignore the hit.

No individual vital may benefit from a cumulative total better than the best armor present. For example, if a leather
glove were hit and Armor were called, then chainmail on the upper arm were hit, the Armor call for that second hit
would count as the second Armor call used for that limb that combat, not the first. If the hit had struck the gloved hand
again, they would not be able to call Armor at all.

WEAPONS
Here is your sword. Use it wisely, for you use it in the Lord's name.

Weapons come in various lengths, sizes and configurations. Melee Weapons come in three broad categories - Light,
Medium, and Heavy Weapons, and each has a corresponding Skill.

Light Weapons are those weapons which are 24 inches or shorter in length from blade tip to pommel. Light weapons are
capable of being concealed on your person by placing a black cloth on the weapon. Light weapons shorter than 12 inches
automatically gain the Quick or Thrown Perk.

Medium Weapons are those weapons which are between 24 and 42 inches in length from blade tip to pommel.

Heavy Weapons are those weapons which are 42 and larger in length from blade tip to pommel. Because Heavy
Weapons are always Large, requiring two hands to wield, all Heavy Weapons have a Weapon Perk.
OnlyStrongcharacters may purchase the Heavy Weapons skill.

PERKS AND FLAWS

Some weapons have special qualities associated with them that make them better or worse under certain conditions.
Most weapons have no perks or flaws, and those that do are clearly marked with a special signal such as a colored tag
that indicates at a glance what qualities it has. There is also a type listed for the usual shape and form of weapons with a
given quality. Putting a perk on a weapon whose type does not match the suggested one requires approval, and this is
usually for the second perk on a given weapon that already meets the type for its first perk.

A character must have at least Rank 1 in the appropriate Weapon Skill to benefit from any Perks.

Weapon Perks:
Quick
Signal: Blue Tag
Type: Appropriate for sword-like or light weapons.
This weapon flies wickedly quick, making it difficult to evade. Quick Weapons cannot be Dodged.

Mighty
Signal: Red Tag
Type: Appropriate for sword-like or Large weapons.
The force of this weapon is difficult to stop. Mighty Weapons cannot be parried.
Driving
Signal: Purple Tag
Type: Appropriate for spear-like or hammer-like weapons.
This weapon can punch or pound through armor as if it weren't there. Driving weapons ignore armor.

Sundering
Signal: Green Tag
Type: Appropriate for Axe-like weapons
This weapon is ideal for hewing apart objects. Three hits from a Sundering weapon destroys a shield.

Thrown
Signal: White Tag
Type: Small weapons, padded on all sides.
This weapon can be thrown and maintain its lethality. Hitting an enemy by throwing this weapon at them counts as a
ranged attack and cannot be parried except with a shield. Thrown weapons use the skill set of their ordinary weapon
class for the purposes of proficiencies.

Note: Any weapon granted this perk must meet certain safety requirements.

Long
Signal: White tag on the hilt
Type: Usually slender weapons that are lighter than usual compared to weapons of their length, such as a rapier or an
estoc.
The weapon's light weightand nimble balance means that it can be used equally well with the Weapon Skill of the class
below it. For example a 40" rapier could be used with either Medium Weapons or Light Weapons and a 49" estoc could
be used with either Heavy or Medium Weapons.

Weapon Flaws:
Crude
Signal: Brown Tag
Type: Any
This weapon is typically a farming implement or some other easy to create, rough-hewn or makeshift weapon and has a
tendency to fail you when used in the rigors of combat. This weapon automatically breaks at the end of each combat
scene it is used in, and requires repair to function again.

Subduing
Signal: Yellow Tag
Type: Blunt weapons
The weapon's damage is more painful than lethal and cannot be used to kill or otherwise cause grievous wounds
immediately. It takes 2 successive hits for this weapon to deliver its effect, the hit location for the final hit being where
the injury occurs. Injuries from this weapon recover on their own with Rest and characters that would be Downed by this
weapon receive Blackout instead. Subduing weapons cannot perform a death-strike.
When using a Subduing weapon, call "Subdue" for hits that do not deliver damage, and call nothing for those hits that
land normally.

Weapons with both Subduing and Large (such as a wooden staff) tend to be of lighter construction and can be treated as
a Medium Weapon at the player's option.

Unbalanced
Signal: Two red tags on the hilt
Type: Weapons with all the weight on one side like an axe, hammer or flail.
The weapon is hard to move deftly and thus is a pig to parry with, typically found on heavy-headed weapons. You may
not use the Parry skill while this weapon is readied.

Cumbersome
Signal: Two blue tags on the hilt
Type: Large weapons, wide weapons
This weapon is ungainly and difficult to tote about. You may not use the Dodge skill while this weapon is readied.

Large
Signal: All Heavy Weapons
Type: All Heavy Weapons
The weapon requires two hands to use properly if you are making any attacking or defensive actions with it.

Fragile
Signal: Two green tags on the hilt
Type: Slender or thin weapons, weapons with the Long Perk.
The weapon is of delicate construction and can be broken more easily than other weapons. Any physical strike that lands
against the weapon from a weapon it the Large flaw or the Sundering perk automatically sunders the weapon without the
use of a maneuver.

RANGED WEAPONS
Fighting at range with a bow, crossbow, firearm or some other ranged weapon is a time honored tradition for making a
fight less fair. Whereas melee fighters must dance with death every moment, an archer can choose his targets selectively
and set up his shots to perfection.

ARCHERY
Due to the additional layers of complexity required to deal with missile weapons additional information on Archery is
presented separately:

Archery

FIREARMS

DWARVEN INVENTIONS

Platemail isn't a human invention; it was created by the dwarves and, through trade, human ingenuity has produced a
variant suitable for their own use. Since then, platemail and heavy armor have become a staple for knights and other
nobility throughout the Throne. Even so, the latest injection of dwarven craftsmanship, the long rifle, has begun to
change the landscape of war already, and mankind has created its own miniature variant, the matchlock pistol. A
dwarf would scratch their chin at the idea of a miniaturized version of their black powder weaponry for concealability
and ease of use, but human minds are adept at taking what they find and bending it to their needs.

To use a firearm in combat, the user simply draws the firearm, points at their target, and yells "BANG!" as loudly as they
can. If the target is unable to call a Dodge defense, they take a hit to whichever part of the body the user wishes, or the
body by default. All firearms ignore armor as if they had the Driving perk.

Firearms are a relatively new concept in the Throne. A rich man's weapon, they are dazzlingly effective when they are
employed, but have a number of less advertised quirks that can make them a challenge to own and operate. Gunpowder
is exensive and rare - only the dwarves know the secrets of its creation, and so even in the best of times, shot is in limited
supply. Enough shot to fire the weapon one time costs 1 silver shield. Reloading is also problematic, taking a full 30
seconds to completely remove all spent shot, replace the bullet, pack and tamp the new shot, and prime the weapon for
firing. Firearms are incredibly loud and startling for everyone involved. Except for the gunman himself, everyone who
hears the Firearm being shot, friend or foe is considered Stunned for 3 seconds after the weapon is fired if they are
within 10 feet, making the weapons problematic in many situations. Lastly, the black powder that firearms rely on is very
sensitive to moisture. Guns will not fire in the rain, and even rainy weather causes all firearms to jam, requiring a repair
from a professional to regain functionality for the day.

The range of a pistol is talking range, or about 10 feet. The range of the long rifle is shouting range, about 50 feet.

TERROR, TRAUMA AND DEATH

"Those who die for the glory of God shall eat at His table, where their cup shall never empty..."

The Throne is a dangerous place rife with peril and unfortunate endings. The likelihood of death in a campaign or even a
single adventure is very high (and possibly an eventuality) as long as combat remains a recurring event. This section
talks about the occurrence of severe injury and character death.
FEAR OF DEATH
All men fear death. At the moment when death's door opens for you, your quality is tested. Fear on the battlefield can
occur for a number of reasons:

Whenever you enter a combat situation with no Defense Calls or you spend your last Defense Call in combat.
A friend or an ally is Downed in combat near you, leaving you outnumbered.
Particularly frightening moments as called out by a Marshal or specific powers and abilities that inflict Fear.

A character stricken by Fear is unable to use combat maneuvers, channel magical power, perform rituals, or use any
other special power or ability except basic attacks and defenses, except for Defensive Calls. A character with the
Discipline skill may expend Discipline to dismiss an incident of Fear, and be protected from it until the next Fear
inspiring thing happens. Fear lasts until Rest.

HOPE AND DESPAIR

"God never fails. It is the faith of men which fails."

The human heart is fierce and valiant, able to struggle through adversity and perform feats of valor, kindness, and terror
in the name of the things that it holds dear. The heart is the seat of human passion, but passion is fickle, and subject to
the ups and downs of circumstance and the trials and successes of dramatic events. When events transpire which uplift a
character, they gainHope. Hope allows a character to refresh one use of one spent ability as if they had rested, or use
one skill a single time as if it were one rank higher than it is. Certain powers, abilities, and rituals grant Hope to their
beneficiaries, and characters also gain Hope when a scene resolves in favor of their Devotion. Hope can stack up to 5
times, though can only be used to increase a skill by one rank for a use - more Hope gives more applications of the single
additional Rank. Unused Hope fades after one hour.

Just as Hope uplifts,Despairgnaws at the soul of men as well. Despair is more insidious, creeping into the heart and
settling there like a cancer. Characters gain Despair when they undergo personal tragedies or challenges to their core
principles, such as the following circumstances:

A friend or companion dies in combat.

You are forced to work against your Devotion or Honor Code.
Your Devotion suffers some major damage or setback

Despair damages the character's ability to believe in themselves and others, and reduces all of their Skills by 1 Rank.
Despair can stack up to 5 times, and is difficult to shake once acquired. Some men shake it by dulling the pain with wine,
women, or violence, escaping into Depravity to soothe their hurts by inflicting their pain on the world. For every point of
Depravity earned, the character loses 1 Despair. Some people cope by letting the Despair change their personality for
good, accepting the darkness by giving it cracks to bury itself in and trouble them no more. If the character accepts a
related Insanity, either starting a new Mild Insanity or increasing an existing one by one grade, they may remove a point
of Despair.

Once affected by Despair, all Hope fades immediately, and the character cannot gain Hope while they have any Despair.
If Despair is gained that would bring a character over the 5 Despair maximum, one Despair is immediately spent toward
gaining an Insanity to make room for the new one. These Insanities tend to bring the character closer to actions that
may lead them to suicide, or some other ignoble end.
.

SICKNESS AND STARVATION

Disease
Diseases are spiritual in nature, and come either from God's own judgment or the awful possession of a demonic entity.
Each disease is linked with a certain sin, and the people of the Throne view these horrible maladies as either just
punishment or regretful consequence of an impure lifestyle. In the case of either Judgement or Possession, a priest of
Benalus can attempt to rid the body of the infirmity by appeasing God or by driving out the demonic taint.

Characters gain Diseases in two ways - either by infirmity of body, whether through a naturally poor constitution (the
Sickly flaw) or from being worn down by starvation, or by contact with others that are sick.

In this dreadful world, Diseases of Possession are the most common. Unclean spirits that serve Kuarl, the crimson lord,
often leap into new victims through the bite or blood of one already possessed, often inspiring madness and aggression.
Some possessing spirits, those which serve Tarranthalus, Master of Slaves, infect a sinner through physical union, and
mark the unclean. Wicked spirits that serve Lazarolth, the one who waits beyond death, often cause rot, whether inside
or out, vomiting, death-like sleep or paralysis, hacking and wretching until there is little left of a man, and are the most
feared of all.

Unless otherwise noted, Diseases generally can be recovered from by the next event session. Some diseases might require
the Downtime be spent in bedrest, some require specialized medicine, and some may not be curable at all.

There are also Diseases which are believed to come directly from God, not possessions but rather Judgments upon
sinners, or tests for the righteous. These diseases need no contact with the unclean, they strike as God wills it.

Contagion
Each disease is given a virulence rating which determines how hostile it is when in contact with others. If a diseased
individual is within close contact (such as a private conversation) for more than five minutes, and they have equal or less
Grit than the Virulence of the disease, that person is now possessed as well of the wicked spirit.

Starvation
Poor health is often the cause of many weaknesses of the body, and this often comes from poor diet. Each character
needs to consume 3 crates of Vegetables or 1 side of meat over the course of a month, else become malnourished,
deliverable just before or just after the Downtime. Without, they are considered to have scraped by somehow over the
course of the Downtime, and won't simply die of starvation between events, but will be in quite poor health when they do
enter play, suffering the conditions of Fatigue as well as gaining a Disease determined by Staff.

Sickly characters gain a Disease regardless, though if they eat properly they do not suffer Fatigue. Characters who benefit
from a Feast are considered well-fed enough to not gain a Disease next game, even if they are Sickly, though if they do
not continue to eat, they will still suffer the Fatigue.

The effects of such poor nutrition are deeply engrained over the course of weeks, and one or two meals had in real time
during the game does not make enough difference to abate the symptoms of starvation right away.

MAIMING
Being stabbed with a sword is always serious, but there are wounds, and then there are wounds. The possibility exists
that a character can be permanently injured in such a way that they never fully recover. CalledMaims, these injuries,
even after the wounds have recovered, persist with some sort of harmful side effect that will trouble the character to the
end of their days without extraordinary circumstances to correct them.

Maims occur in a given broad location - legs, arm, or head, and in three levels of severity - Mild, Severe, and Crippling. A
single clean hit to a limb means that the limb is injured and rendered useless, as discussed earlier. However, if the limb,
already injured, continues to take punishment from repeated attacks, the wounds can still become more serious. If an
injured limb is hit two more times with a weapon after already being downed (a total of 3 hits), the character suffers a
Maim to that location. Maims to the head occur from being Stunned 3 or more times in the same combat scene. This can
be intentional on the part of the attacker or something of a circumstantial accident, but the effect is the same regardless.

Example Maims

Mild Leg Maims

Cannot Jump - Damage to the joint means the character can no longer spring their legs and jump for any reason.
Trick Knee - You have a damaged muscle that causes your knee to slip out of place at the worst moments. Any
time you are the subject of the Stun, Bleed, Grab, or Pain effects to the leg, you also suffer Knockdown.

Severe Leg Maims

Cannot Run - Injuries to the muscles or joints are extensive and the character cannot keep his balance while
running, and needs a cane or staff to walk on Bad Terrain. You may never move at a full run, and can never have
more than one Dodge.
Cannot Crouch - Injury to your hips and lower back make it impossible for you to crawl on hands and knees
through tight spaces, and make crouching and ducking very painful. You can never take more than 1 step during
Stealth.

Crippling Leg Maims

Cannot Walk - Injuries to the hip, spine or nerves have left the legs useless, and the character can no longer walk
at all, even with assistance. He must be moved manually, or rolled about in a cart.

Mild Arm Maims

Weak Grip - Wrist or muscle injuries cause a weak hold on gripped objects. Any strike with a Mighty or Large
weapon against your weapon causes it to be Disarmed automatically.
Imperfect Range - Due to a shoulder injury, you cannot lift your arm above your eyeline, making almost any
attempt to climb vertically impossible, and you cannot engage opponents who are on higher ground than you.
Severe Arm Maims

Missing fingers - Important fingers like the thumb, forefinger or both are missing from one hand, and it makes
fine manipulation with that hand exceptionally clumsy. You are unable to use a traditional bow or fire a pistol with
that hand, and opening a lock with Mechanics takes 5 minutes instead of immediate.

Crippling Arm Maims

Missing Hand - Your hand has been removed totally at the wrist or lower, or the hand has otherwise been
rendered totally useless by injury. Any use that rely on the dexterity of your bad hand automatically fails, and you
are unable to use weapons with the Large flaw. If this is your dominant hand, you lose any skills Staff feels
appropriate, but can regain levels of them at a rate of 1 Rank per game session as you learn to use your remaining
hand.

Mild Head Maims

Headaches - You are wracked by painful headaches that get worse as you strain yourself. Resting takes a minimum
of 10 minutes as it takes a while for your headaches to subside.
Hearing Loss - Injuries to your inner ear have reduced your ability to pick up certain pitches. Perception abilities
that make you Alert based on sound do not work.
Loose screws - All that pounding has broken something. You gain a permanent Mild Insanity.*

Severe Head Maims

Scarred - Injuries to your face have ruined any hope of handsomeness or traditional beauty, and try as they might,
it is difficult for people to see past your face. You must spend two uses to attempt Seduction, Persuasion, and
Sincerity.
Vision Loss - Your eyes are blurry, you have some double vision, or perhaps it just hurts to look at light, but tasks
that require keen use of the eyes have become very difficulty for you. You cannot become Alert by any Perception
skill use that relies on sight, and you cannot fire ranged weapons at any target farther away than 10 feet.
One Eye - One of your eyes has been completely ruined or lost and you no longer have any vision with it. You must
wear an eye patch or other covering as part of your costume.*
Migraines - After exerting yourself you are wracked with blinding pain for a good while after. Resting takes at least
an hour, and bright light or loud noises reset the time.
Detachment - Damage to the brain has caused you to become unhinged. Gain a Severe Insanity.*
Siezures - Whenever you suffer Fear, you automatically fall to the ground and are suffer Blackout as you struggle
with fits.

Crippling Head Maims

Blinded - You have completely lost your vision. You should wear a blindfold or other sight impairing device, but
for safety reasons you may take it off to navigate difficult environments, and may use a material that can be
partially seen through.

*These are not available as part of the Old Wounds flaw during Creation. See Sick in the Head and One Eyed Jack
instead.
CONDITIONS AND CALLS

While there are many abilities and techniques that can add combat capabilities to a character, there are a limited number
of effects that can be applied to your character so that it is easier to remember what does what.

The following are calls that may occur during a combat, and should be memorized to make combat go smoothly.

CALLS:

BLEED
Effect:Target begins bleeding profusely from the struck location.
Resolution:At the end of 1 minute, the target will be Downed. The target (or another character) may place a hand over
the injury, which suspends the time as long as the hand remains there. Bleeding stops on Rest.

DEFENSE (Specific)
Effect:Defense calls come from various sources, such as Parry, Dodge, Armor, Toughness, Discipline, and others, but
all essentially function the same way when the conditions allow them to be effective. The otherwise successful attempt to
injure, influence or otherwise affect the character is foiled.
Resolution:Immediate

HEAL (LOCATION)
Effect:Through some miraculous means, the character immediately recovers from some or all of their injuries. "Heal
Leg" would mean an Injured leg regained full use. "Heal all" means that any injuries suffered are all removed and the
subject regains perfect health.
Resolution:Indefinite.

KNOCKBACK
Effect:The target is forced backward.
Resolution:Take one step back.

KNOCKDOWN
Effect:Can take no actions, cannot move.
Resolution:Touch both knees and both hands (or weapon hilts) to the ground.

PAIN
Effect:The affected limb suffers a traumatic hit and goes limp from pain or numbness, effectively treating it as if it had
been Injured.
Resolution:After 10 seconds, Pain subsides.

POWER (X)
Effect:The effect used is exceptionally more effective than ordinary, and requires greater defense expenditures to
counter. "Power" alone indicates 1 extra defense is needed, while "Power 2" indicates 2 extra are needed, "Power 3"
indicates 3 extra are needed and so on.
Resolution:Target spends additional defenses to successfully stop the attack or receives the effect.

POISON
Effect:The target has been poisoned by some means, whether by a coated blade or some other method.
Resolution:Tear the item card for the poison and hand it to the target. Most poisons have a delay before they take
effect.

SLAM
Effect:Take 3 steps backward, then Knocked Down.
Resolution:Touch both knees and both hands (or weapon hilts) to the ground after taking 3 steps back.

STUN
Effect:Cannot take steps, cannot call Parry or Dodge defenses, cannot effectively attack or physically block.
Resolution:Place hands to the sides of the head and do a 720 degree spin.

SUBDUE
Effect:The target was struck with a Subduing weapon, which takes longer to affect the character. This call indicates the
previous hit can be ignored, but the next one will land normally.
Resolution:Upon next successful hit with the weapon.

WINDED
Effect:The target may only walk and may not use any ability that requires them to expend a use, such as Parry or
Escape.
Resolution:The effect ends upon Rest.

CONDITIONS:

The following are conditions which apply some effect to the character. Very occasionally, they may be used as a call
themselves in combat to indicate that the subject is now under that condition.

ALERT
Effect:The subject feels uneasy and is expecting danger. She may call Defenses against attacks from Stealth, cannot be
Assassinated, and while they cannot actually see or identify the threat, they may leave the area or react accordingly.
Resolution: End of scene

BAD TERRAIN
Effect:Characters in Bad Terrain cannot call Parry or Dodge defenses, and also cannot remove both feet from the
ground (but can shuffle). If they do, they fall and suffer whatever consequences, usually Stun for short falls or Downed
for long ones. Off path areas of heavy brush and bramble are always Bad Terrain.
Resolution:Leave Bad Terrain, or have the Footwork ability from Mobility.
BATTERED
Effect:All Skills limited by character's Grit level.
Resolution:Full recovery, usually during the Downtime.

BLACKOUT
Effect:Target loses consciousness.
Resolution:Target will awake again after 2 minutes.

DESPAIR (X)
Effect:The subject gains Despair, which reduces the effective levels of all Skills by 1.
Resolution:Various rigorous means; see Hope in Despair in this chapter.

DOWNED
Effect:Target is grievously injured and is dying. They may not move, fight, or speak, but can cry out, groan, and moan
if they wish.
Resolution:The character will die after 5 minutes. A conscious character can place their hands upon the wounds with
pressure for 5 minutes to restore the character to Battered.

FATIGUE
Effect:Total exhaustion, sickness, or some other ailment means that normal Resting is impossible.
Resolution:6 hours of uninterrupted sleep or time lying in bed.

FEAR
Effect:Cannot perform Maneuvers, channel magic, cast spells, use Paladin powers, perform rituals or any similar
abilities.
Resolution:Spend Discipline or combat ends.

HOPE (X)
Effect:The subject gains Hope, which can be spent to increase a Skill you already possess by one rank for a single use,
or to refresh a single use of an expended ability without Resting.
Resolution:Upon being spent, or an hour passes.
Advanced Combat

Combat is more complicated than simple attacks and defenses. In addition to gaining combat skill in a certain weapon, a
character can also begin to spend experience to purchase combat maneuvers. These special attacks add some sort of advantage to
your attack method, but typically have some kind of drawback or take extra time to perform due to their additional complexity.

Maneuvers have a single use per combat, refreshing with all other calls at Rest. Some maneuvers give a passive benefit, adding a
new capability that is always on.

BASIC MANEUVERS
Basic maneuvers are any set of moves that may be trained in with little outside input simply by watching or experiencing first
hand, the rigors of combat. Whether or not the execution remains amateur depends on the skill of the character. These skills
typically don't require a teacher and can be learned and even perfected with practice alone. Each one of these techniques costs 1
skill point.

Assist
(Passive)
By placing your hand on an adjacent ally and expending Steady, your ally gains the benefit in your place.

Await
(Passive)
Point at your opponent and take no other offensive action, or defensive call, or move, for at least five seconds; your next
melee attack gains the perk of your choice for one attack. You may pivot, but if you move from your spot you lose effect.
You may only Await one opponent.

Backhand
After declaring a "Parry" you can mime a backhand and call "Stun"

Body Check
(Passive)
You can interpose your body to check, shove, and shoulder your opponents. You may use Parry defensive calls while
unarmed.

Brutal Intercept
Charge and add Mighty to your attack once. The attack must happen at a full run. Not compatible with Lightning Dash.

Chuck
Against a Stunned opponent, you may throw a weapon with the "Thrown" perk to apply Knockdown to that opponent.

Dirty Fighting
Mime grabbing dirt off the ground, after which you may throw an "Earth" spell packet at your opponent. If it hits, the
opponent is Stunned.

Disarm
Strike the opponents weapon and call "Disarm." Your opponent must drop weapon immediately. This may not be used
against shields or a weapon wielded in two hands.

Face Smash
(Passive)
The other guy's face and a handy rock make a grisly pair. With a little time, you can line up for a final strike, no matter
what you wield. You may use a Subduing weapon or simply the heel of your boot to perform a Death-strike. A full helm
protects against this.

Falcon Strike
(Passive)
Like a bird of prey, your reflexes allow you to snatch things out of mid air. You may physically parry projectiles with
drawn weapon, or use the Parry call against them.

Freedom Fighter
(Passive)
You are excellent at squirming out of a dogpile. When being grappled by multiple opponents, each opponent must cancel
your attempts to escape to prevent you from escaping each time you attempt it.

Gentle Thunder
(Passive)
By taking double the time during your reload, you may remove the Stun from your next firearms attack as you carefully
measure out only the minimum amount of black powder to make your shot.

Great Divide
When wielding a Medium or Heavy Weapon in two hands, and raising your weapon above your head for five seconds,
like in a deathstrike, you may add Quick and Driving to your attack.

Head Butt
When in a grapple, by miming a head butt and grunting you may Knockback the opponent and break the grapple
immediately. A full helm protects against this effect.

Hinder
You know how to strike for pain, even if injury is prevented. When striking a limb, if "Parry" or "Armor" is used as a
defense, you may deliver Pain, temporarily disabling the struck limb.

Hip Kick
You know how to capitalize on a staggering opponent. Mime a kick, and Knockdown a Stunned opponent

Hold the Line

(Passive)
If you do not take any steps from your spot for 10 seconds you gain a free use of "Parry". Continuing to stay in the
position refreshes that Parry to a maximum of 1 free "Parry".

Instep
Gain one free Dodge while performing a sudden advance on a weapon that is longer than yours. Cannot be used when
Dodge is restricted.

Interceptor
You can switch the grip on your weapon to maximize it's defensive capabilities. Reverse the grip on your weapon, such
that the blade is pointed down, and gain 1 free call of "Parry".

Jabs
(Passive)
You can make quick, hard jabs and make them count. Your Brawl abilities gain the Quick Perk.

Joint Lock
You can trap your opponents arm against their own nerve and put them in a precarious position. If you meet all the
requirements to do so you may immediately call "Grab" after you call a Parry while unarmed.

Kip Up
(Passive)
Your flexibility and balance allows you to recover quickly from knockdowns. This reduces effect of Knockdown to only
needing to apply one knee and one hand to the ground.

Lacerate
During a hit where you cause damage or hit an already Injured limb, you may call "Bleed" and they gain the Bleeding
effect. Toughness may be called to ignore the damage, but the Bleeding effect still occurs.

Lightning Dash
Charge and add Quick to your attack once. The attack must happen at a full run. Not compatible with Brutal Intercept.

Misericorde
(Passive)
When performing a deathstrike with a light weapon you may ignore the five count and simply slit their throat.

Oblique
You know how to yank your opponent onto your weapon and forcibly expose the weak points in their armor. The first
weapon attack used in a grapple gains Driving.

Pin
You are excellent at keeping people where you put them. Once grapple is established, you may call "Pin" and your
grapple gains Power. Stronger characters 'pinned' must also expend a "Brawl" to escape.

Pommel Punch
(Passive)
You know how to tuck and smash your weapons into your foe to great effect as if they were your own hands, and lock
your opponent's weapons to tangle them. You may use your Brawl abilities while holding a weapon in your hands.

Power Swing
You may use a Medium or Heavy Weapon in two hands and take a mighty swing. You may add Mighty and Driving to a
single attack but are thrown off balance and take a Knockdown effect immediately.

Pugilism(Passive)
You have additional training in unarmed combat and can use it more effectively than most. You may use Punch on an
armed Opponents.

Pummel
(Passive; requires safe pommel on weapon)
You can change your grip on a weapon to strike your opponent with the flat of the blade or pommel. This allows you to
strike your opponent in a grapple with the pommel of a medium or heavy weapon. The weapon gains the Subduing Flaw.

Second Skin
(Requires Dodge Skill of 1 or higher)
Taking extra time to check and fit every buckle and joint, you can get your armor to fit you perfectly and know how to
move with its weight. You may use a single Dodge while wearing medium or heavy armor.

Shield Edge
Immediately after taking a hit to the shield you can call one free "Shield Bash" as per Shields ability.

Shield Pin
If an opponent blocks your melee attack with a shield, you may call "Grab" and initiate a grapple. The weapon used in
the initial attack may not be used in the grapple and may not be dropped.

Strongarm
(Passive)
Your attacks have considerable force, and you know how to land them for maximum effect. Your Brawl abilities gain the
Mighty Perk.

Subdue
(Passive)
You can use your weapon somewhat other than its intended way to stun rather than injure. You may add Subduing to
your weapon at any time. If available and safe, the blow should comes from the flat of the blade along with a call of
"Subduing".

Sunder
Strike your opponent's weapon with a Sundering weapon and call "Sunder." The weapon is destroyed and may not be
used until repaired. It requires a Steel weapon to sunder other Steel weapons.
Swashbuckler
(Passive)
If you maintain constant movement at high speed, remaining still for never more than 1 second, you gain a free "Dodge"
to a maximum of 1 that refreshes every five seconds

Sword Cross
(Passive)
If your weapon and the opponent's weapon lock together in combat, you may use the "Beat" ability as per Medium
Weapons skill to press your opponent for that Clash.

Throw Off
(Passive)
You are an expert in slipping free from others, able to leverage your body better than most. When attempting to escape
grapples your Strength counts as one higher.

Tumble
(Passive)
Allows player to take a tumble (where at least a shoulder and back hit the ground once) instead of the normal
prerequisites for a Knockdown.

Weapon Coordination
(Passive)
You can manage the control and dynamics of two weapons at once, allowing you to wield one in each hand. You must be
capable of using Basic Maneuvers for both weapons.

Choke
You can wring the life out of someone who is in your power. If you are able to hold a grapple uncontested for 15 seconds,
you can call "Black Out" on your opponent, causing them to lose consciousness for 2 minutes.

ADVANCED MANEUVERS
We stared at each other through the rain for what must have been ages, Horace and I. Our minds examining the
possibilities of openings and counter openings. We stood there planning the final moves in a game of chess that had yet
to begin. Horace tilted his sword a little. A nervous twitch? An opening? His mind is elsewhere. Thank you, Horace. I
do believe it is my turn. Check.

Mankind, with its infinite capacity to creatively destroy, constantly produces new means by which to kill one another. There are
no shortage of weapons in this world or ways to wield them. Across the Throne, weapon schools have cropped up. Methods that
have been time tested in the crucible of war.

Throughout the world there exist elite schools of martial training that have honed and perfected a particular style of combat.
These schools are rarely free to attend and admission is usually only available to a privileged few. Within these schools, however,
combat styles are taught that allow more powerful maneuvers. These schools have a variety of incarnations, from the tuition
based fencing schools of Hestralia to the elite blademasters of the Elven royal guard. Each of these styles contains several
individual maneuvers and usually requires a specific condition with which to perform them with. To use a style, you must meet
the requirements listed while using it, such as the weapon it is performed with. Once instruction is gained, each maneuver costs 5
skill points to learn. These maneuvers always require some kind of instruction from another who already knows the art, and they
may be learned in any order within a given school.

There are three types of Advanced Maneuver groups: Weapon styles, Movement styles, and Conditioning Styles. A warrior may
use one of each group at a time.

The abilities granted to the warriors who train in these arts are kept secret. To learn about their exact rules, you may
need the appropriate Lores. The arts listed below are examples - there are certainly more than these in the world that are less
well known.

WEAPON STYLES
BEAR'S AXE
Uses: Medium and Heavy Axes
Kept by: Njordic Thanes
Harsh places produce harsh men, and the environs of Njordor are the harshest. The northmen expertly hew what trees there are
into warm cabins and sturdy longships, but there are worse things that must be solved by an axe in the North. The bears, the orc,
and sometimes even the svartalf are dangers that can kill you faster than the winter cold. The brave men of the North fear no
battle, however, and will fell a foe like felling timber. In the North, thanes serve a similar role to the vested knights that serve
noble houses. These brave champions of the ice-hardened Jarls of the north are trained in the ferocious arts of the northmen, and
use it to protect the lands of the lords and destroy their enemies.

JORDERMUND'S FIST
Uses: Maul or Great Mace
Kept by: Njordic Skalds
There is a song in Njordor, an epic tale of courage and battle called Jordermund's Fist. In the tale, a legendary band of heroes
must do battle against a black dragon called from the frozen north, who's eyes could freeze a man's blood and choke him to death
with fear. Jordermund, the prince of the North, and his old mentor Bjorgir track the monster to an icy fortress in the Frozen
Wastes, Jotunkoenig, home of the giant king. When they reach the inside, the giant king demands that they pay for trespassing
in his hall, and Bjorgir gives himself as a prisoner. On the highest tower of the fortress, Jordermund and Skaedve, his one time
enemy, now trusted friend, face the dragon. The beast carries them high into the sky, but Skaedve places the mask of rage on his
face and drives his Frozen Slayer into the beast's skull. The black dragon lands nearby, dead, but the Betrayer, He WhoLost His
Name, kills Skaedve. Jordermund takes up Skaedve's mask of rage, destroys the Betrayer with his mighty maul before dying
himself of his wounds. Jordermund raised up to become a storm god, to fight forever in the afterlife.

Skalds, traveling warrior-singers of the northmen, consider this story a favorite among the people of Njordr. They learn its secret
ways and demonstrate it for those they tell of tale, and though it is used ceremonially in this respect, the art is as deadly as the
warrior for who it is named.

LUCCIAVELLI FENCING SCHOOL

Uses: Rapier
Kept by: Lucciavelli Fencers
Far away from the turbulent borders of the Empire, the well-protected region of Hestralia prospers in trade and art. Hestralians
wishing not to dull their martial prowess on such leisure will often seek admission into a fencing academy to hone their skills to a
razor edge. The Lucciavelli Fencing School produces the quickest, the sharpest, and the most aggressive swordsmen in Hestralia.
These men seem to develop a healthy amount of bravado and showmanship along with their blade arm, their fighting style as
flamboyant as the Hestralians themselves. The Lucciavelli school, founded by Anton Lucciavelli in Lion Age 430, charges high
fees for its tuition - upwards of 5 gold for the time it takes to learn a single technique, and although the school is only found in
Hestralia, graduate swordsmen sometimes travel to other lands to find students to recoup the costs of their own training.

STRATIVINCI FENCING SCHOOL

Uses: Rapier and Dagger or Main Gauche
Kept by: Stativinci Fencers
The Strativinci Fencing School produces the most precise, calculating and patient fighters in Hestralia. When training, Strativinci
fighters stand on a chalked diagram of angles, perpendicular lines, and measurements that demonstrate every possible maneuver
and attack that an opponent could attempt called the Face. The Strativinci, holding a rapier in one hand and a dagger in the
other, make attacks against them impossible with a series of movements that correspond to points on a clock. These cool and
calculating fighters seem to have no fear of the danger of battle, confident that they can wait out their foe and strike at the perfect
opportunity. Like the their rival school, the Lucciavelli, the Strativinci Fencing School costs at least 5 gold per term of tuition,
enough time to learn a single maneuver. Its students spread the technique to other, less calibrated swordsmen, to cover the costs
of their training.

DUNLAND BOXING
Uses: Unarmed
Kept by: Dunnick Farmers
The Duns have less call for weapons than other folks might. Being on islands with controlledresources,an occupying military
force, andholding a reputation with their nearest neighbors in Rogalia as maniacs and wildmen, invaders are few and far
between. The Dunnick stick close with one another and form friendships and bonds strong enough to withstand a few punches
and kicks, but likely not a sword thrust. Furthermore, the Duns are forbidden by Rogalian law to carry weapons of any kind. For
this reason, the Dunnick rarely carry weapons, but fight all the same with their fists and knees. When things get ugly, the
Dunnick don't hesitate to dive in, elbow and knee. To a certain point, friendly violence is part of the Dunnick culture. People
don't usually get lastingly injured in these types of brawls, and a Dun who beats a person more badly than they meant to will
often take the time to offer his defeated foe some pointers or technique over the next round of beers.

ANCESTRAL MOORSWORD
Uses: Moorsword
Kept by: Highland Warriors
The moorsword is the traditional warrior's weapon of Dunland. Very few are created today, as there is a ban on Duns carrying
weapons of any kind, and fewer still know the secret techniques to forge them. The moorswords that one sees are usually
ancestral weapons, handed down from father to son for generations. The moorsword is a long, thin-bladed, greatsword with
large, angled quillions. The highland clans that holdout in the hills and bluffs of Dunland, living fugitive in defiance of the
Rogalian occupation, train with them tirelessly, preparing for the time when they will throw their Rogalian oppressors from their
islands and reclaim their home. The moorsword has become a symbol of a free Dunland. The highland warriors use them as a
matter of coarse, and are willing to teach their arts to those who they believe worthy of the ideals that they fight for.

BRIGAND KNIFE FIGHTING

Uses: Two Light Blades
Kept by: Capacionne Bandit Lords
The smallfolk of Capacionne have long feared to tread the king's roads, day or night, for fear of brigand assault. There is good
reason behind these fears. Highwaymen, dangerous rogues with more scars than scruples take what they please, disenfranchised
from the taxes the King has levied on them to defend the eastern borders against the enemies of the Throne. When a man lives
outside the law, he must learn to be remorseless, letting no opportunity slip past. The same holds true in combat, and the
brigands know every trick in the book. Bandit lords only take the toughest and meanest of would-be robbers for their gangs.
Developing a fighting style such as this among such esteemed company is a matter of coarse - the brigands fight with a
ruthlessness even grim and salty soldiers and mercenaries would balk at.

SHADOW FANGS
Uses: Two Daggers
Kept by: Spider Cult Assassins
In Gotha, there is little the Emperor does not see. Laws are tight, doors locked tighter, but murders happen even still. There are
politics, and commerce, and crowded cities with hot emotions. In a place such as this, people who wish murder but have no
means find a spider. The Spider Cultists are experts at infiltration and assassination. They can bypass locks, traps, walls, guards,
and reason. The Spiders are feared in Gotha, and in the Throne at large for their ability to move as they wish, but it is the
Shadow Fangs that makes them deadly. A secret art, passed down to those Spiders who become the elite assassins, allows a
Spider to silently kill even the most well defended knights, the swiftest cowards, and vanish again unwitnessed. Rumors abound
about the cult's motives or ambitions. Some say they worship the blood-spilling ways of Kuarl, others the secret death worship of
Lazarolth or that they serve secret masters even more elusive. Whatever the truth, it is known that they perform certain rituals in
the secret chambers they haunt when not out for a kill, the nature of which, and the secrets of these assassins, only members of
the cult know for sure.

FERRUM EX TEMPLARI
Uses: Greatsword
Kept by: The Vigilant Order of Templars
The Templar Order has an ancient history, dating back even before the Throne and the Lion Age, it is the oldest human
organization that exists today. Throughout their long history, their traditions have remained powerful and iron-clad to this day:
Destroy the heretic. Direct or subtle, overt or covert, the Templar order is the renouncing word of humanity against the
Anathema. It is their stern defiance, their absolute commitment to find, declare and destroy every last heretic in the Throne so
that their ways and their lore will die forever, that gives them their dauntless power in battle. To become a Templar, each
member of their Order must show these traits, in turn, the Order shares its traits with them - a communion of steel.

ROGALIAN SORTIE
Uses: Tower or Heater Shield and a Medium Weapon
Kept by: Rogalian Field Marshals
If the Rogalians do one thing well, it is war. Rogalian battle tactics have been a part of all major battles since the formation of the
Throne at the start of the Lion Age. Because of the high concentration of wealth and nobility in Rogalia, almost all those in
important positions on the field are armored knights and lords who can afford the protection of steel plate and a large shield.
Rogalian battle tactics involve standing shoulder to shoulder forming a shield wall while the line of heavy footmen advance,
placing their large shields between their foe and themselves, and making precise attacks from behind a strong guard. They use
their natural advantage to muscle their foes to the ground, slamming into them with their shields, executing them, and
continuing the advance. For this tactic to work properly, all soldiers who function in a vanguard are drilled in these maneuvers,
ready to lock together to form an unbreakable wall of steel and grit.

LAZARINE DEATHSCYTHE
Uses: Engraved scythe, Faith in Lazarolth
Kept by: The Abyssal Order
No one wants to think that the Anathema are organized; that they are anything more than heretic cells of unstable or misguided
lunatics that crop up on the fringes of humanity where the Church's vigil is weakest. No one wants to fearfully believe that an
army of heretics, highly trained and organized, could be marshaling within the borders of the Throne, able to march upon the
walls of any city at any time. Such fears, however, are not without basis. Disturbing accounts have cropped up with increasing
regularity of groups of armed and seasoned Lazarines, whipping around ghastly weapons of bone and steel, chanting the name of
their black god with a droning regularity as they carve through whatever cadre of city watchmen or militia were unfortunate
enough to discover their movements. It is said that their weapons emit a haunting wail with each swing through the air, and that
those who are struck by their blades and live are never the same. It seems as though single agents of the black god travel to new
cells of Lazarines hiding within the Throne to train them in their secrets, so they, in turn, may train others, this dark art
spreading like a cancer through the Throne that will one day boil over and destroy it from within.

Shariqyn Dervish
Uses: Hooked scarf
Kept by: Aa'boran Magi

MINER TUNNEL FIGHTING

Uses: Pick, Crowbill or Mattock
Kept by: Iceforge Dwarves
Mining is important to the dwarven communities. A dwarf can always find work in the tunnels, gathering precious ores and gems
hidden by Magnir, expanding the tunnels for later expansion, making life safe for other dwarves. Sometimes, however, a
collapsing ceiling is not as dangerous as what lurks in the deep darkness. Monsters hide in the deepest places of the world, and
goblins dig tunnels too. Even another dwarf who has lost his integrity may try to steal your gems in the darkness of the tunnels.
For this reason, a Dwarf must be wily, and cautious. The pick in your hand is the only thing between you and them; best learn to
use it, and to mind your surroundings.

TWO MOUNTAINS
Uses: Two Light or Medium Hammers
Kept by: Underlord Dwarves
The Dwarves of the more southron mountains have things in some regards easier than their northron brothers. While they can
leave the warmth of the forges and go outside without the cold freezing their blood, the orc favor such land too. The
mountaineers of the southron clans fight on the rocky terraces and unstable crags of the mountain sides, riding down a rockslide,
starting avalanches and hopping from stone to stone with two hammers in hand, leaping and smashing as the rocks themselves
do, the very mountain coming alive to defend the children of Magnir.

DEADLY ROSE
Uses: Twin Sword or Diving Swallow
Kept by: Sworn Elven House Guard

SWORD BROTHERS
Uses: Any matched weapons
Kept by: Elven Aspect Courts
 TRADE AND PRODUCTION

CURRENCY

The entire Throne is backed by currency of 3 precious metals: gold, silver and copper. Currency is a measure of both material and
social wealth, and a carefully designed system restricts the use of some kinds of currency from some kinds of people. Each rung
of society is given a means of currency which serves to make sure they have what they need, and also to ensure that they do not
have what they do not need. This is a deliberate construction, chiefly championed by the Church, to try to slow down or eliminate
social climbing. Peasants often lack the means or need to spend anything larger than copper anyhow, but these measures are
chiefly aimed at the burgeoning urban Merchant Class whose existence does not fit neatly into the hierarchy that the Holy
Fathers have designed for the Throne - their growing social and political power begins to become a factor in the decisions of the
Nobility, which undermines the idea of an authority derived from training, power, and divine selection. The class system is
important to the Throne's identity and culture, and the Church will do whatever it takes to prevent its erosion.

The price for a given good or service is typically listed in the coinage that the Merchant offering it wants to receive - usually silver,
but perhaps copper based on the type of business and its clientele. The good must be paid for in this currency. While there is a
rough conversion rate between the three metals, it is forbidden by law to change money upward. That is, no one may see a money
changer and offer 10 coppers in exchange for a silver, though they may offer a silver and expect 10 copper shields. If, for example,
a peasant man were to attempt to purchase a sword from an armorer and offer the merchant the amount of silver the man would
ordinarily charge, he would most likely refuse the purchase, assuming that the coinage were stolen or at least come upon by
illegal means. A Merchant who knowingly accepts Crowns or Lions from a Peasant is always in violation of their Guild's bylaws,
which are required to include the local legal practices for commerce, and anyone he does not know is always assumed to be of the
lower class. Merchants and Nobles arrange their transactions by legal contract, so the difference is fairly obvious.

Copperis the most common kind of currency and is used by the most common kinds of people - those of the rural and urban
lower classes, the peasants of the field and the scum of the gutters. Copper is used for everyday transactions such as buying
lunch, replacing missing fasteners, and quickly consumed items like candles, oil, or arrows. Copper coins are referred to as
Shields, as they are stamped with the crest of Imperial House Herkheist. A copper coin is about a day's wage for a serf, and is
enough to purchase a hot meal and a beer, a small bundle of arrows, a tallow candle, or some other basic consumed commodity.
Common quality commodities such as Soft Iron ore, a box of Vegetables, Softwood logs, Scrap Leather, and Hemp for textiles
usually cost on the scale of two to three coppers per measure. 10 copper is about the measure of a single silver.
Silveris a means of goods transfer and is used for more important transactions. Silver is used for larger and less frequent
transfers, such as durable tools, room and board for a party of people at an inn, or skilled labor such as a professional bodyguard,
the services of a contract negotiator, or the construction of military equipment and weaponry. Silver coins are referred to as
Crowns, and have a likeness of the crown worn by the Emperor. Silver pieces are the usual medium from Merchant to Merchant
or Merchant to Noble transactions. If a Knight wishes to arm his peasants to form a militia, he will purchase the weaponry in
bulk from a Merchant for later delivery. If the same swordsmith needs to purchase wooden hilts from a local woodworker, he will
pay for his order in silver, and charge silver to the Knight to fulfill the order. Higher quality goods, those suitable to make
products produced by skilled tradesmen, generally are sold in orders paid for in silver. These include Hard Iron ore for blades or
armor, Hardwood lumber, sides of Meat often prepared for travel to military supply lines, and Wool made for high quality and
durable outfits. 20 silver is about the measure of a single gold.

Gold is the currency of the mighty, and is usually for things that ordinary people would never even think to buy, such as jewelry,
gemstones, mercenary wages, or on some occasions, extremely large orders to Merchants. This last is the subject of much debate,
but as the Throne grows and prospers and travel becomes easier, larger and larger operations begin to take place, and some of
them involve contracting with people across a sea in another country, making gold far more easy to transport long distance
simply on weight alone. Gold coming into the hands of Merchants is supposed to be converted to silver at earliest convenience,
but there are plenty of excuses why doing so might not be convenient. Gold coins are referred to as Lions, and they have the
golden lion that is the shared symbol of the Holy Church and House Herkheist. If commodities are traded in gold, they are only
the most rare of materials such as Dwarven-made ashsteel, Elven starmetal, dragonscales, or other special goods.

Other Forms of Money

1 "Penny" - One copper split in half with a knife, or by teeth. Enough to purchase small goods, like a single drink, or a spool of
twine.
1 "Hay-Penny" - One quarter of a copper, or a 'half-penny'. Used to purchase something small, like a candle.
Bursar's Note - The Church runs a bursary for travelers and wealthy individuals. If an individual surrenders a given amount to
the Church, the church will give them an encrypted note for that value that can be redeemed at any other Church who will
surrender a like amount of goods if they are available.
Guild Note - Individual Artisan Guilds give out paper certificates that can be claimed for a certain amount of goods, regardless of
their actual monetary value. A Guild Note from the guild of Carpenters may entitle the bearer to "One Large Cabinet with
Crowned Edges". Guild notes sometimes also serve as means of transfer themselves, especially in secondary markets that some
Merchants use for speculation, buying things like apple futures. In these cases, a specific amount of coin or goods are
surrendered now, in exchange for a Guild Note stating the specific exchange, and the transaction is finished. A Merchant who
spends 10 silver now for 20 crates of apples next year may turn a tremendous profit when he returns that note during a drought
and can resell those apples for twice that or more.
Barter - Trading goods for goods is still widely accepted in the Throne, even after hundreds of years using coin. Some traders,
especially outside of populous towns, even find coins to be too inconvenient and easilystolento use in trade, and will often
request that the character trades in more substantial terms.
Jewels - Large sums are often converted to gems for ease of travel and storage. They are often set into a precious metal and worn
as jewelry as a way to display one's wealth while it is frozen in this form.


PRODUCTION

Resource Common Uncommon

Metal Soft Iron Hard Iron

Wood Soft Wood Hard wood

Leather Scrap Leather Heavy Leather

Food Vegetables Meat

Textiles Hemp Wool

Information on crafting, items, resources and production

Resources:

To produce a good, the character must have the skills necessary to create the item, the materials required for the construction, as
well as professional tools. Once they have gathered them, they may approach the Logistics staff and declare their intention to
create the item. Production takes a base time of 1 hour per item to be created, though some items may take a different amount of
time if noted specifically. During the time that the construction is occurring, the crafting character may roleplay their production
of them items, or they may spend time volunteering as an NPC. Goods may also be produced between games, and you may
convert as much material into goods in that time as you choose to.

Once a good is created, it gains representation in game. All created items require a prop to represent them, whether it is a
combat-ready sword or piece of armor, or a set of feastware, a lantern, or some other utility item. Objects also gain a unique item
number which is recorded by Staff, and contains any other data that may be relevant to the item, such as a weapon's Perks and
Flaws.

Below is the tables for crafting items and what benefits they provide. This table is broken into two distinct categories, Component
Items and finished Goods.

Component Items are items that are used in the construction of Goods and will require a very specific skill to create. With the
exception of Ink all are made with either Leatherworking, Metalworking, Tailoring, or Woodworking. For these Professions the
crafter will need to have the requisite skill level to work the type of material listed. For working common goods such as Soft Iron
or Hemp you will need the skill at at least 2, and for making components that require at least one uncommon good, you will need
to have that Profession at at least 3. For Ink, you simply need to have at least one rank of Apothecary. For example, if you were a
Metalworker and wished to make a Bracing you would need to have Metalworking at three or higher since it requires working a
Hard Iron.

Goods are items that are a combination of various Component Items and have some kind of mechanical benefit. To craft these
items you will need at least one rank in the appropriate Profession. Some of these items have more than one Profession and for
those any one of those Professions is good enough to put together the Components into the Good.

Of special note is that this list does not have the cost of items listed on it. This is intentional as those with Mercantile are the only
ones who truly know the market value of items in play. People can roughly guess the cost of certain items since the cost of the
Resources used at the base of all these is a relative constant in the world with little fluctuation in the economy. This, however,
does not account for production costs and profits that the merchants and crafters append to the costs to make a profit. Market
value will shift constantly due to supply and demand of the given region.

Common Commodities cost, on average, 3 Copper

Uncommon Commodities cost, on average, 2 Silver

COMPONENT ITEMS
Item Material 1 Material 2 Material 3 Material 4 Material 5 Material 6 Profession Special Notes

Strap Scrap Leather Leatherworking

Harness Heavy Leather Leatherworking

Book Binding Heavy Leather Leatherworking

Shortblade Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Wedge Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Ball Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Longblade Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Plate Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Guard Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Greatblade Hard Iron Hard Iron Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Bracing Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Gearbox Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Weight Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Gun Barrel Hard Iron Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Hardware Soft Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Links Hard Iron Charcoal Metalworking

Padding Wool Tailoring

Rope Hemp Hemp Tailoring Can be used to bind people, requiring a Feat of Strength to break.

Sheaf of Paper Hemp Tailoring Requires Uncommon Lore: Papermilling

Bowstring Wool Tailoring

Pouch Scrap Leather Wool Tailoring

Lining Wool Hemp Tailoring

Linen Hemp Hemp Tailoring

Garment Wool Wool Tailoring

Charcoal Soft Wood Woodworking

Hilt Soft Wood Woodworking

Handle Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Plank Soft Wood Woodworking

Haft Hard Wood Soft Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Grip Soft Wood Woodworking

Stock Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Box Hard Wood Soft Wood Woodworking

Glass Trade Item Rare Commodity

Spices Trade Item Very Rare Commodity

TRADE GOODS
Item Material 1 Material 2 Material 3 Material 4 Material 5 Material 6 Profession Special Notes

Riding Horse Trade Item Allows Additional Travel Distance

Gunpowder Trade Item Required for using Firearms. Price includes shot.

Draft Horse Trade Item 1 Additional Food or Textile when Farming

Beer Vegetables Apothecary Requires 1 Downtime. Intoxicant.

Wine Vegetables Apothecary Requires 2 Downtimes. Strong Intoxicant.

Spirits Vegetables Apothecary Requires 1 Downtime and a Still. Strong Intoxicant.

Professional Tools Any 10 Uncommon Resources Desired Profession Half must be from the desired Profession

Feast Meat Meat Meat Vegetables Vegetables Spices Etiquette 2 Staves off Sickness, all participants gain 1 exp, must feed real food to everyone to benefit, max 15 participants

Light Shield Strap Harness* Plank Leatherworking

Basic Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 1 -2

Intermediate Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 3-4

Advanced Skill Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rank 5

Common Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Common Lore

Uncommon Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Uncoomon Lore

Rare Lore Book Book Binding* Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Leatherworking Instruction Benefits for Rare Lore

Boots Strap Harness* Leatherworking Armor call on foot, usable against Caltrop

Climbing Gear Rope Rope Harness* Bracing* Leatherworking or Metalworking Allows Climb of 30 ft instead of 10

Light Armor Piece Strap Harness* Padding* Leatherworking or Tailoring

Crossbow Grip Stock* Bowstring* Gearbox* Mechanics

Rifle Stock* Gun Barrel* Gearbox* Gun Barrel* Mechanics Rare Lore: Gunsmithing

Pistol Grip Gun Barrel* Gearbox* Mechanics Rare Lore: Gunsmithing

Lock Gearbox Hardware Mechanics See Mechanics

Still Hardware Hardware Barell Mechanics Requires the codes "STIL"

Shortblade Hilt Strap Short Blade* Metalworking

Hatchet Hilt Strap Wedge* Metalworking

Swords Hilt Strap Long Blade* Metalworking

Medium Shield Strap Plank Plate* Metalworking

Greatsword Hilt Strap Guard* Greatblade* Metalworking

Heavy Shields Strap Plank Plate* Plate* Metalworking

Medium Armor Piece Strap Bracing* Light Armor Piece Metalworking

Heavy Armor Piece Strap Strap Plate* Medium Armor Piece Metalworking

Lantern Bracing* Metalworking People may not enter or re-enter Stealth within Lantern light; allows use of light source at night

Merchant Scales Weight* Bracing* Metalworking Grants 1 free use of Haggle per Scene

Caltrops Ball Hardware Metalworking Creates Bad Terrain slowing pursuers

Chain Links* Links* Links* Metalworking Rope that requires Mighty Strength or Sundering attack to break

Crowbar Strap Wedge Metalworking Feat of strength for opening things

Manacles Links* Bracing* Lock* Metalworking Like chain in durability and can constrain someone

Signet Ring Precious Metal Metalworking People cannot create forgery works from "you" without the Signet Ring

Spyglass Soft Iron* Glass Glass Charcoal Metalworking Use of binoculars or spyglass

Holy Symbol (iron) Soft Iron* Strap Charcoal Metalworking

Holy Symbol (silver) Precious Metal* Strap Charcoal Metalworking

Feastware Precious metal Charcoal Metalworking Eating a feast with Feastware allows people to join Leadership group for free

Chest Hardware Box* Bracing* Metalworking or Woodworking Used to store valuables, combined with a Lock will require Feat of Strength to open or Lock to be picked

Small pack Strap Pouch* Tailoring Lets you have item cards instead of phys reps up to 3 small hand sized items

Large pack Strap Harness* Pouch* Tailoring Lets you have item cards instead of phys reps up to 5 items of reasonable size

Noble Outfit Garment* Lining Lining Linen Ink Ink Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Peasant Outfit Linen Linen Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Merchant Outfit Linen Linen Lining Lining Ink Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Gutter Outfit Linen Hemp Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Magician Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Priest Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Knight Outfit Garment Lining Linen Ink Strap Tailoring See Outfits in Trade

Dark Cloak Padding Strap Ink Tailoring Allows you to take Stealth steps while standing instead of crouching

Deck of Cards Sheaf of Paper Ink Tailoring Allows you to use a deck of cards for gambling games

Blackjack Handle* Ball Woodworking

Barrel Plank Plank Plank Plank Woodworking Keeps your food from spoilage, else being eaten by rats over the Downtime; Can hold 5 Units of a Food

Traveler's Wagon Plank Plank Plank Hardware Haft* Haft* Woodworking Bring items from afar & requires a Draft Horse to pull

Writing Kit Ink Ink Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Sheaf of Paper Box* Woodworking Don't need to buy more Ink or Paper for writing letters and missives

Dice Plank Woodworking Allows you to use dice for gambling games

Bow Haft* Strap Bowstring Woodworking

Musical Instrument Bowstring Strap Handle* Hardware Woodworking Assists Performance as if it were an additional musician of equal skill.

Axes Handle* Wedge* Woodworking or Metalworking

Hammers Handle* Weight* Woodworking or Metalworking

Light Spear Haft* Short Blade* Woodworking or Metalworking

Polearms Haft* Longblade* Wedge* Woodworking or Metalworking

Great Axe Haft* Wedge* Wedge* Harness* Woodworking, Metalworking, or Leatherworking

Maul Haft* Harness* Weight* Weight* Woodworking, Metalworking, or Leatherworking

Jewelry Precious Metal Precious Metal* Jewel Metalworking

PRODUCTION, ASSEMBLY, REPAIR AND SALVAGE

Production
With appropriate materials in hand, a craftsman can attempt to create a desired Good by first making the basic components.
Creating components requires 30 minutes of in game time for each Common commodity, and 1 hour of in game time for each
Uncommon commodity. Of note, any use of the Metalworking skill requires that Charcoal be consumed in the process to feed the
forge. Charcoal does not count toward the construction time.

For example, a craftsman who wished to forge a sword would undergo the following process:

A sword requires a hilt, a strap and a longblade. A hilt requires one Softwood resource, and thus Woodworking Rank 2. With 30
minutes of effort, a Woodworker carves the softwood into a hilt.
The strap requires scrap leather, and thus Leatherworking Rank 2. With 30 minutes of effort, a Leatherworker produces the strap
that will form the grip of the sword.
The longblade requires two hard iron to produce, and this requires Metalworking Rank 3. After using the charcoal to prepare the
forge, a Metalworker spends two hours of effort and creates a longblade.

This kind of production can be done between games within reason. Especially large orders may require a Downtime action to be
spent.

Assembly
With all of the items in hand, the item is ready for Assembly. Assembly requires one hour of effort and at least Rank 1 in the skill
relating to any of the Primary components (those marked with an asterisk). This labor is time consuming but not difficult, and is
often given to a craftsman's apprentice while the master spends his time on work that requires more skill. With Assembly
complete, the finished Good is ready and is recorded by Staff and given an ID number, ready to enter play.

Repair
Items, especially weapons and armor, may sometimes come under hard wear and require repair. If a single armor location loses
all of its Armor Defense calls in a single engagement, it is considered damaged and will not refresh with Rest. A weapon struck
with a Sunder attack is considered broken as well. Occasionally goods and other equipment will become damaged due to
circumstances or perhaps spells and require Repair at Rules Marshal discretion.

In any case where an item is damaged, it is not functional for any significant purpose until Repaired. Repair requires at
least 1 Rank in the Craft Skill appropriate the item's Primary Component (*), 30 minutes of time and one Common
commodity of the appropriate type. Once Repair is completed, the item returns to a functional state.

Repairs that use Metalworking require Charcoal to be spent.

Salvage
In some situations, an item is more useful as its constituent parts than in its current form. Often this is the case for gear stolen
from the fallen. Salvage is possible, which returns the item to its basic resource pieces. The Salvage process takes 30 minutes per
Component item and returns to the salvager the commodities used in the item's creation. Crude items cannot be salvaged - it falls
to useless pieces during the salvage process.

It should be remembered that entire suits of armor are actually 5 pieces, taking 5 Salvage actions, and that Medium and Heavy
Armors themselves include lesser grades of armor in their construction. In these cases, the Medium or Light Armor is separated
from the other pieces and returns to being its own item, which then can itself be Salvaged separately.

Salvage that uses Metalworking requires Charcoal to be spent.

APPRENTICEWORK
Occasionally it may become necessary to produce work that is below normal standards. If there is poor access to Hard Iron, for
instance, a sword that requires high quality metal may be impossible to make, at least at the standard of quality people would
ordinarily expect. With at least Rank 2 in a given craft skill, items that ordinarily require higher quality materials can be made
instead with lower quality ones, but they automatically gain the Crude Flaw, causing them to break after each use and are in need
of constant Repair. If the craftsman is of Rank 3 or higher, this work is identical in appearance to normal pieces until tested.

CUSTOMIZED AND MASTERWORK EQUIPMENT

Characters naturally want the best tools and equipment to do their jobs with, and those artisans that are skilled enough can make
items that are superior to standard quality goods. Equipment is differentiated by assigning Perks and Flaws to equipment which
describe its non-standard qualities. Some kinds of items, such as arms and armor, have specific lists of Perks and Flaws that they
utilize, while others, such as tools like lanterns or climbing gear have more open ended perks that are defined by the crafter
themselves and approved by staff.
Customized Equipment
Perks add a specific positive quality to the item, and are achieved by either adding a Flaw with the Customization ability or
having them item be of Masterwork quality. Only one Flaw may be added in this way.

Making a Customized item requires no additional resources or expenditure but people wishing to purchase these items can see a
significant markup of cost, as artisans of this capability are rare. The craftsman assembling the Good and creating the Primary
Component (*) must have the appropriate craft at 4 or higher to create the item. Individuals can expect to pay at least a 50%
markup for Customized equipment.

Masterwork Equipment
Making a Masterwork item requires significantly more to create. First, every common good must be replaced by its uncommon
counterpart during the creation of the Component Items, so every Soft Wood must be upgraded to Hard Wood, etc. In addition
to this, all Primary Components (*) in the Goods table for the item must be crafted by someone with the appropriate Skill at 5,
which may include more than one piece of the finished process. For example, to make a Masterwork Hammer one would need a
Master Woodworker to fashion the Haft and a Master Metalworker to fashion the Weight. While normally the final assembly can
be handled by anyone with basic skill in the appropriate crafts, in this case the final materials must be assembled by someone of
the appropriate Profession at level 5, and this step requires a Downtime Action to perform.

These items are so rare, due both to the fact that the resource expenditure is immense and also due to that fact that Masters are
exceptionally rare, that they are incredibly expensive. Expect to pay at the very least double for a Masterwork Item, and they are
not ordinarily available to be purchased from guild merchants.

ARMOR PERKS AND FLAWS

WEAPON PERKS AND FLAW SUMMARY

See Death and Destruction for more information

Perks

Quick - Signal: Blue tag

Cannot be dodged

Mighty - Signal: Red Tag

Cannot be Parried

Driving - Signal: Purple Tag

Ignores Armor

Sundering - Signal: Green Tag

Destroys shields

Thrown - Signal: White Tag

May be thrown effectively

Flaws

Crude - Signal: Brown Tag

Breaks after use
 Subduing - Signal: Yellow Tag
Non-lethal weapon

Unbalanced - Signal: Two red tags on the hilt

Cannot use Parry

Cumbersome - Signal: Two blue tags on the hilt

Cannot use Dodge

Large - Signal: All Heavy Weapons

Needs two hands

Lightweight
Made from special materials and construction methods, this armor is lighter than normal but just as strong.
Armor made from sub-standard materials like PVC, Poly-urethane, jacket leather, and so on can be treated as if they are
functional armor rather than costume or one grade poorer.

Strong
The armor is especially powerful with extra reinforcement in key areas and an emphasis on durability.
Armor gains one additional Armor call over its normal value on each vital location.

---

Rigid
The armor is especially rigid, heavy or difficult to tote about.
Regardless of Armor skill, characters wearing this armor may not run and are restricted to a walking pace.

Brittle
The armor tends to rip apart quickly in a terrible chain reaction once it starts taking damage. Instead of each vital area getting an
Armor call in defense, the entire armor set gets the amount of armor calls prescribed by its class, so Light Armor would have a
total of 1 Armor call regardless of where it was struck, Medium Armor would have 2, and Heavy Armor would also have just 2,
though retains its damage absorption ability.

OUTFITS
Outfits are groups of clothing that have been created by a professional tailor with a design emphasis in mind. Different
from everyday clothes, tailored outfits are carefully made to produce a specific effect and give off a certain impression.
All outfits are designed in the style of a certain culture and social class. The cultural and class-related identity of the
clothes imparts certain kinds of abilities on its wearer. When wearing an Outfit that corresponds to a given culture and
class, others see you as representative of that group, and assign you certain expectations, positive and negative.
Members of your own culture or class feel a kinship with you and are more ready to take your word seriously. When
speaking to someone that is of the culture or class that your Outfit represents, you may use a class corresponding skill
with that person as if it were extra uses of the Persuade skill.
Merchant: Mercantile
Gutter: Streetwise
Peasant: Survival
Noble: Etiquette
Magician: Academics
Priest: Liturgy
Knight: Leadership

KEY ELEMENTS
In order to count as the appropriate Outfit, style of clothing must contain certain key elements which identify it as the iconic
cultural dress of the specific Culture and Class that is being represented.

Gothic:Only black, white or grey colors may be used (except the accent colors for nobles). A hood or other head covering must
be worn.
Njord: Fur lining and fur trim are used prominently. Beads and charms of bone or stone must be used as adornment.
Dunnick:The colors of green and brown are prominent. A plaid tartan representing familial affiliation is present.
Rogalian: A coat with high collars that cover the neck, often the use of chokers for women. The device of the noble house to
whom you owe fealty.
Hestrali:At least five different prominent displays of color, often in the form of scarves, sashes, and other cloth
accessories. Cosmetics or coal used to darken around the eyes.
Shariqyn:Robes and flowing garments. A headdress that covers the head and hair. At least ten pieces of jewelry, regardless of
their worth.
Cappacian:Long coats that reach the backs of the legs, upraised collars. A hat with a wide brim or triangular design.

Merchant: A cloth sash worn from the shoulder to opposite hip bearing the symbol of your advertised trade. It is illegal
for a non-member of a local Trade Guild to wear such advertisement.
Gutter: Torn, ratty, patched or tattered clothing. Rags, often with bloodstains, tied around rips or holes in the clothing
from scuffles.
Peasant: Off-color patches on the knees and/or elbows. Dirt on the hands and face. A hat or other head covering.
Noble: Rich fabrics in the colors of the house you represent. Jewelry and other accessories befitting wealth and station.
Magician: Robes bearing the classic colors and symbols of the order. Fire mages use reds, blacks and grays with
designs of flame, Earth mages use browns and greens with eye designs, Water mages use blues and turquise with a
mirror design, and air mages do not use a standard outfit whatsoever.
Priest: Priests use white robes with lion elements, incorporating fur trim or mantles, as well as a stole.
Knight: Arming jackets or tabards featuring the standards and coat of arms.

This means that if a Gothic Nobleman were wearing an Outfit befitting one, he could use any ranks in Etiquette as extra uses of
Persuade with any Gothic characters and any Noble characters. A Gothic Peasant could do similar things with other Peasants and
other Gothic characters with the Survival skill. As well, a character of the wrong culture or class can still benefit from an Outfit
they have the skill for, such as a Merchant pretending to be a Nobleman.
Some Outfits designed by masters of their craft can produce even better results, using the Perks and Flaws below.

OUTFIT PERKS
Competent
The outfit gives off an air of confidence and properness, common of formal attire or business attire.
Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Persuade skill.

Daring
The outfit pushes the limits of common decency in a way that causes the viewer to be impressed by your boldness
Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Seduce skill.

Official
The outfit serves as an indicator of official authoritative position, and gives off an air of certainty.
Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Sincerity skill.

Elite
The outfit has clean lines and colors that let the user know that the wearer is of the highest quality and caliber, no one to be
trifled with.
Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Intimidation skill.

Uniform
The outfit reminds the wearer and those who see them of the responsibility and trust required in the one who wears it.
Effect: The wearer gains an additional use of the Discipline skill.

FLAWS
Ridiculous
The outfit's fashion is shocking and it is difficult to take the person wearing it seriously.
Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Persuade skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

Mismatched
The outfit just doesn't look right, and it is distracting. The person wearing it has trouble convincing people that they can keep
control of situations.
Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Seduce skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

Strange
The fashion of the outfit isn't technically wrong, but it is very unusual and people seem to be automatically on their guard while
dealing with its wearer.
Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Sincerity skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

Silly
Anyone who would wear such a thing obviously doesn't think very highly of themselves, and no one is scared of them.
Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Intimidate skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

Uncomfortable
The outfit is scratchy, or tight, or just doesn't feel right, and it is hard to feel centered or relaxed while wearing it. All you can
think of is when you can get out of this thing.
Effect: The wearer must expend twice the uses of the Discipline skill while wearing this to activate the skill.

HERBS, DRUGS AND POISONS

Herbs are used by Herbalists and Apothecaries to produce effects, both helpful and harmful to the human body, from the saps,
unguents, seeds, juice, and other pulps and parts of various herbs. The knowledge and skill to know all the various herbs and
their uses is found in the Herbalism skill while the ability to work and process them into drugs or poisons is found in the
Apothecary skill. The skills of herbalists and apothecaries are looked upon with some level of suspicion by common people
because woods witches and druids are known to use these techniques as well, though they are able to produce effects that
common apothecaries cannot begin to reproduce. Most herbalists and apothecaries are benign people simply seeking to benefit
from nature, but their association with heresy, witchcraft, poison, and their refusal to rely only on the sacred medicine of the
Hospitalier Order are all grounds to keep them at arm's length.

All herbs have 3 traits. When a character with the Herbalism skill locates an herb in game by its distinctive orange tag, they may
pick up the tag and bring it to Logistics to learn its effects based on the unique ID number on the tag. The herb will have 3 traits,
but the Herbalist may not be able to recognize all of the traits on the Herb, depending on their skill. Herbs that are not fully
identified keep their ID number so the effects may be referenced later when the drug or poison is used. The different herb traits
will be described in more detail below.

DRUG TRAITS

UPS AND DOWNS

If an effect, either magical or chemical, causes an Attribute to artificially reach the first or higher level such that it
 would unlock a new skill the player doesn't have, they automatically gain the first level of that skill. For example, if a
character with average Fortitude took a Fortifier, they would gain the first rank of Grit for free. This effect increases if
the gain is substantial. For each additional dot of an Attribute gained, they gain an additional level of this skill up to
the normal maximum of 5 while the drug is in effect. Thus, if the same character took a drug with Fortifier x2, he would
gain 2 Grit. In the special case of Grit, this particular gain does not dilute its own effect, but doses after the first are
affected.

The bonus ranks of the skill, if any, are derived from the amount increased, not the new total, and do not add on to
existing ranks, only adding if they are not already present.

Poisons and other effects, such as magic, can damage the Attributes themselves. If Attributes should fall below the -1
Value (such as Simple, Pushover, Heartless, Feeble, etc), the character suffers an immediate catastrophic state, the
nature of which is determined by whichever Attribute is affected.

Strength: Muscles cannot move. Immediate death by cardiac arrest.

Speed: Full body paralysis. The subject collapses and cannot move until the drug wears off.
Fortitude: Immune system failure. Death by shock at the end of an hour.
Faith: Catastrophic delusional episode. Gain a new Crippling Delusion.
Intellect: Neurological shutdown and brain damage. Total brain death.
Resolve: Catastrophic psychotic episode: Gain a new Crippling Obsession or Phobia

Changes to Attributes occur somewhat gradually, taking place of a number of hours. The first change occurs
immediately according to the Delivery method, and then changes occur each hour afterward. For example, suppose
Father Bernard ingested a poison with Relaxant x2, and has no Grit. Father Bernard has only average Strength, so
this poison will surely kill him. Once the effect begins, he will lose the first level of Strength, becoming Feeble. If no
antidote is rendered within one more hour, he will suffer a heart attack and die. Alternately, an apothecary could use a
strong Purger to reduce the power of the poison, just enough to save his life.

Drugs delivered intravenously enter the bloodstream at once and the effects occur much more rapidly. The effects,
whatever they may be, occur over a rate of minutes instead of hours, as other poisons. If a poison were to reduce Speed
by 2, the effects would occur over the next 2 minutes where they would stay for one minute, and then wear off just as
quickly, returning one level every minute, supposing the victim survived the rest of the encounter.

Attribute Increasing:
Steroid (STR up)
Fortifier(FORT up)
Stimulant(SPD up)
Clarifier (FTH up)
Nimblemind(INT up)
Focus Aid(RES up)

Attribute Reducing:
Relaxant (STR down)
Paralytic (SPD down)
Immune Shock(FORT down)
Depressant (FTH down)
Neurotoxin(INT down)
Mindburner(RES down)

Flat Effect Traits:

Pleasant:Drug is easy to imbibe and can mix with food without being obvious. Besides the effects being generally pleasurable,
The Perception skill will not discover the drug.
Tolerance: The subject gains a cumulative +1 to Grit when resisting subsequent uses of the other drug traits present with the
concoction. Tolerance loses one level for each event where it is not consumed.
Foul:Tastes awful and has a distinct and obvious smell. It cannot be hidden in food, and those without at least Grit 1 vomit it up
after 10 minutes, preventing progress on the drug.
Antidote:Normalizes the effects of the rest of the traits present in the drug. Antidote bypasses Grit, and normalizes the
effective levels of drugs in effect by the amount present in the drug. For instance, Antidote with Paralytic x2 would normalize a
Paralytic effect by 2.
Potent:This drug is especially concentrated and has a dramatic effect on the immune system. Like in an Overdose, the
subject's Grit is ignored.
Mending: This drug has a beneficial effect on the body, causing hurts to soothe and the body to recover more easily. If
ingested, a Battered character may become Healthy after sleeping for at least 6 hours. If used as a Contact drug, it may
restore useful mobility to an injured limb after one hour.
Apathetic: The drug induces a sort of lethargic bliss in the user, leaving them highly suggestible. They gain the effects
of the Pushover flaw.

Stackable Traits:
Drowser: Induces sleep at next available lull in action. The subject will sleep for at least 30 minutes per stack, and is extremely
difficult to rouse unless they suffer attack or injury.
Excitant:Temporarily removes Fatigue, but restores it and induces a Drowser effect at the end of the duration. This lasts for
one hour per stack, and adds one Drowser stack at the end.
Irritant: Prevents rest from headaches and nausea
Purger: Induces vomiting and diarrhea. Lowers all existing drug values by 1
Addictive: Positive attribute increases do not cause a crash afterward. Instead, the subject automatically gains a
Compulsion to consume again, which grows in severity each time it is taken.
Hallucinogen: Subject gains Severe Delusions for duration. Additional traits are additional Delusions.
Anesthetic: Subject is immune to trauma and pain related effects such as Torture, but does not know how much
damage they are suffering. The subject does not need to spend Discipline to avoid Fear in combat.
Intoxicant:The drug behaves as if the user had imbibed 3 drinks.

EFFECTIVE SPEEDS BY DELIVERY METHOD

Different delivery methods affect the body more quickly or more slowly because of how quickly they reach the
 bloodstream, heart, and other organs, and also how quickly the body can metabolize it.

Slow-acting drugs, those delivered through ingestion and contact, take effect about a half hour after they are
introduced and increase their effect every hour after that until it peaks, then the missing attributes return one hour at a
time as well.

Fast-acting drugs, those delivered intraveinously or inhaled, take effect in only one minute, and their effects
worsen quickly, also every minute after. At their worst point they then hold for one minute before recovering at the
same speed.

With the desired herbs in hand, a character can attempt to fashion them into a mixture. Depending on the desires of the
apothecary, different methods of delivery are possible. Ingested drugs are the easiest to take, and most beneficial drugs will use
that method for simplicity of creation. Poisons and other more malicious concoctions may need a more subtle approach, and may
be mixed into something that can coat a blade, or be thrown into the eyes or face. Such adaptations of the drugs are more
difficult to make, but take far less time to take effect once they find their mark.

When a foreign drug or poison enters the body of a character, good or ill, the body will attempt to resist it reflexively. Characters
automatically subtract their Grit rating from all values of the foreign substance. For instance, if a character with Grit 1 were to
ingest a drug with Paralytic x2 and Drowser, they would not feel the effect of the Drowser and would be affected by the Paralytic
as if it were only level 1, losing 1 level from their Speed Attribute.

Positive effects work the same way, the body automatically resisting with Grit. A drug with Steroid x3 ingested by a character
with 1 Grit would raise the character's Strength by 2, such as from normal Strength to Brawny for the duration. However, using
drugs to push a body to exceed its normal limitations is dangerous. At the end of the duration of the drug, the body will crash,
and the character will receive a penalty equal to the bonus they received for the duration of the day. This manifests itself as sore,
torn muscles, numbness, pounding headaches, confusion, and listlessness as the body recovers. If the crash is too serious because
of an earlier overdose of performance enhancing drugs, the character's Attribute may fall to dangerous levels, leaving the
character in a very serious detrimental state.

REFINEMENT AND OVERDOSE

With Apothecary skill of 3 or higher, an Apothecary is able to refine drugs into more specific or powerful forms. The
Apothecary may combine two different herb sources, and either combine the two by replacing an unwanted trait with
one from the second source, or create a new six trait drug, or remove any three traits from a new 6 trait drug.
Refinement takes 15 minutes of grinding, boiling, creating emulsions, and mixing. With enough herbs and enough time,
an Apothecary can create customized drugs to her specific needs.

If a drug is delivered three times over, or a drug has the Potent trait, its effects behave as if the subject had no Grit.

ALCOHOL AND INTOXICATION



It is said that the truest expression of a man's character is when he is deep in his cups, besotted, and truly drunk. What
shape that character takes is expressed in the form of your character's Reveler's Trait. Every character chooses one
Reveler's Trait from the list below at character creation, and this trait never changes.

Characters become drunk when they imbibe two more than their Grit ranks in alcoholic drinks. A character with no Grit
at all will be drunk after two drinks, while a character with 3 Grit will be drunk after five, though it takes at least 15
minutes from the first drink to have an effect. You are drunk for one hour for every drink more than your limit. A drink
is one ale, one glass of wine or one shot of spirits. When consuming alcohol in character, the drink's item card should be
placed under your cup while you drink some actual liquid of appropriate quantity, and then torn up when you are done.
After an hour, one drink leaves your system.

While drunk, a character may never spend Discipline, and gain whatever effects their Reveler's Trait prescribes - if a
Reveler's Trait includes something your character already possesses, such as Harsh Temper, the effects intensify. When
drunk from Wine rather thanAle or Spirits, you get theReveler's Trait next on the list from your normal trait.

Surly - You gain the effects of the Harsh Temper flaw, and must always answer aggression with even more aggression,
escalating the conflict, however while drink you are immune to Fear and Intimidation.

Decadent - You gain the effects of the Hedonist Flaw (though you may not spend Discipline to resist it), however you
do not gain any Depravity for level 1 sins while intoxicated, as the results of last night are hazy at best.

Adventurous - You feel adventurous while the liquor still flows - you gain 1 Hope every time you succeed at using any
Skill, including successful social skills or combat attacks which cause damage, though you gain Despair at any failed skill
use or overall defeat. Both the Hope and Despair disappear when the intoxication ends.

Cantankerous - You gain the effects of the Pig-Headed flaw, but also retain the ability to spend Discipline against
social skills, as well as gain an extra use of Discipline against the first use of a social skill each conversation.

Brooding - You gain the effects of the Abhorrent trait, unable to use Persuade or Seduce to attempt to convince other
characters, but your Intimidate attempts gain Power.

Loquacious - You lose all internal filter when drunk, and become indiscrete in conversation. You will never refrain
from speaking about a subject based on who you are speaking to, and cannot defend against any Social skill meant to get
you to disclose information, however, you gain the effects of the Wit ability.

Enthusiastic - Drink fills you with more than a warm buzz, and you feel a profound sense of belonging, community,
and easy acceptance of the world. You gain the effects of the Nave flaw, but increase your Faith by one level.

Amorous - The more you drink the lonelier your lips feel. You gain the Vainglorious flaw, but you gain a Seduce
attempt that automatically refreshes once per minute.

Daring - Alcohol is an impressive substitute for reason. You gain the effects of the Daredevil perk, but you must accept
and cannot back down from any dare or challenge that would trigger Daredevil, no matter what happens after you
accept.

If a character has twice the amount of drinks in their system than the amount that would get them drunk they Black Out
for five minutes and will have Fatigue the next 8 hours from hangovers and sickness.

 WARFARE

All of Mankind's myriad gifts are bent to one pursuit, that pursuit which has given us so much, and taken from us so
much. Of all Man's terrible powers, of all its great endeavors, it is war that is our one true art.
~Count Ferril Baines, Lion Age 561

Warfare is inevitable, even in the Throne where ostensibly all mankind is one. During these conflicts, mighty forges
produce massive shipments of armaments, huge trains of food are rallied andgreat hosts are put to field. The following
systems are used to adjudicate these massive conflicts, which take place between game sessions at the direction of orders
that in game commanders give to their soldiers and captains in the field.

CONDITIONS

LEXICON

Unit - A single choice of levied troops

Force - A grouping of one or more Units that operates as one.

Army - The entirety of a Knights control group formed by one or more Forces.

Month - A single Downtime.

Season - Following the Calendar Seasons.

Condition - An effect that is temporary.

 Formation - The order that the Units are placed on the field during a Conflict.

Order - A task assigned to a Force.

Phase - A portion of each month where a single set of Orders are resolved globally.

Hope - Rewarded for winning a recent combat. A Force that has Hope gains an additional point of Resilience
and Strength for each of its Units in any remaining Conflicts this turn, as well as any Conflicts in the next turn.
If a Force gains any Despair or has any Despair when they gain Hope, they instead lose the Hope. This may
not be applied multiple times.

Despair - Losing a battle will cause Despair. Each Unit that has Despair lowers its maximum Resilience by
two. This can be applied multiple times. If this would drop a Unit to zero Resilience or less, then they will
disband and leave the Force..

Out of Supply - A Force that is Out of Supply will lower its maximum Strength and Resilience by one for each
month that it is Out of Supply. A Unit with zero Resilience will disband and leave the Force. In addition to
this, a Force that is Out of Supply also gains the status Fatigued.

Fatigued - A Force that is Fatigued has expended much of its energy performing some other task. If a Force
has this condition then they lose half of their Resilience (before other modifiers) rounded up. In addition to
this, any Force that attacks a Force that is Fatigued will gain an Edge. Unless there is something that
maintains the Fatigued Condition, such as still being Out of Supply, this is removed at the start of the next
month.

Below Notice - A Force that is Below Notice will not be seen in Surveillance Reports, they are simply too small
to be seen travelling through large Provinces. Any Force that is comprised of a single Unit gains this
Condition. Supply Lines always have this Condition. Forces that are Below Notice are only able to be seen
through the use of a Scout Order.

ORDER OF OPERATIONS
Receive Levies - At the start of each new season new Levies will arrive automatically. You must declare either
Stragosa or a Port that is controlled by the Allied Forces. Your new Units will be placed on that location and
may be given Orders in the current Declare Orders phase. The number ofUnits received will be based on the
players Leadership value. Units Levied will be in the form of Levy Spearmen from your home country. These
Units will begin play with the Green Trait (see Unit Traits in the Unit Types section.) At times, if your Knight
Rank is high enough, you will receive Special and/or Rare Units in place of these Levy Spearmen when it is
appropriate to do so. For more information on Units please see the Unit Types section below.

Gather Your Supplies - Covered in game by obtaining Writs of Supply and taking from the citys stockpiles or
by offering up commodities that they have available from their own stores. Each Unit will require 50 Meat
or150 Vegetables each month to keep up its Strength. A Force that is not supplied enough Food will gain the
Out of Supply Condition.
Discharge Units - This is the time to discharge any units you may no longer need or desire in your force.
There are times when supplies will be low and scarce and threat of starvation and desertion are imminent.
Sometimes it is best simply to downsize your Army, and send some troops home than to see them pillage and
raid and betray to survive.

Declare Orders - An Army is only as effective as the orders they are given. A Force that does not receive
Orders for the Downtime will stay and protect the Province they are in. Every Knight ranked Knight Protector
and above, who wishes to command their troops, must, before midnight Saturday night, approach the Logistics
table and declare in secret a number of Orders up to their Leadership value for their Forces. A Force that is
Fatigued may not accept any other Order that would cause Fatigue. A Force is further limited in that it may
not be given the same Order twice to increase the effect of that Order, such as two Defend orders to gain two
Edges when the battle occurs, etc. The first Order is sufficient that your Force is doing all it possibly can to
obey that Order.

Orders should be specific and easily understood. If an order given is illegal, hard to understand, or made
illegal by another Force, your Force will fail to perform the Order and simply remain in the Province running
drills. Some examples of good orders would be, The Force in the Blah Province will perform an Attack Order
on the enemy Force in Bleh Province. or The smaller Force in Blah Province will perform a Move Order to
Bleh Province. or The Force in Blah Province will perform a Defend Order in Blah Province. Orders will
be accomplished sequentially in the Phase that they are given and performed simultaneously with the orders of
every other commander who made Orders in the same Phase. See the Orders Section below for a list of
available Orders.

EXAMPLE :

COMMANDER A (2 LEADERSHIP) COMMANDER B (3 LEADERSHIP)

Order 1) Move Force 1 to Province X Order 1) Move Force 2 to Province Y

Order 2) Force 1 Defend Order 2) Force 3 Support Force 2

Order 3) Force 2 Attack Force 1 in

Province Z

In the above example, Force 1 and Force 2 would both move at the same time. Force 1 would prepare to
defend itself at the same time that Force 3 sets up to support Force 2. And finally Force 2 performs the
attack on Force 1 in Province Z. Now, it seems that since Force 1 moved and is now in Province X,
Commander Bs last Order has been made invalid so that Order does nothing.

Current Position of Army - Unexpected things can arise when issuing orders to an Army miles away. They
may be slowed by unexpected resistance, fall into an ambush, orders were unclear, or any other number of
delays and inconveniences. Messengers take time to travel between the Knight and his forces. The captains of
his forces will do the best they can but sometimes, plans don't always work out the way they were intended. At
the beginning of next game session a Staff member via messenger will reveal to the Knight which Provinces his
Forces are currently located in.

Results of Any Conflicts - Conflicts arise, and they arise frequently. If a conflict arises during the month you
will be appraised of the results of such by messenger by staff at the beginning of game sometime Friday
evening. Only the forces involved in the conflict will have the results given to them at this time. For more
information on Conflicts please see the Conflicts section below.

Surveillance Reports - Knowing your surroundings and the movement of other nearby Armies is key to
victory on the field. Moving through unscouted territory is dangerous for small and large Forces equally. At
each event, the results of your Surveillance will be delivered to you to help you make your next moves. For
more information on Surveillance Reports please see the Army Logistics section below.

ARMY LOGISTICS
Formations - Every Force is arranged into its own Formation. Each Unit is ordered top to bottom in a line.
This line will determine the match-up for each Unit to be put up against in a Conflict. When two Forces enter
a Conflict, the first Unit in your Force will fight the first Unit in the opposing Force and so on.

Supply Lines - Every Force has a lifeline called their Supply Line. This is a way to gather equipment, food, orders and
everything else a Force needs to move and operate, to maintain morale and health. These are represented by a near
invisible line, like a bell divers air hose, that stretches out from Stragosa following the path the Force has taken and tying
the Force to the city itself. Should this ever be subject to a Raid Order or cut off in some way, such as a Mountain Pass
closing, then the Force will be considered Out of Supply for this month. These Supply Lines are Below Notice.

Surveillance Reports - A Force will automatically send out scouts around them to ensure they are not being
followed or to look for enemies in the field. These scouts will investigate each of the nearest surrounding
Provinces around your Force and report back on any Forces and the number of Units in each one. These will
be delivered in Surveillance Reports. Anything Below Notice will not be reported in this normal method.
Please see the Scout Order if you wish to have more detailed reports.

Points of Interest - There are wonders, and terrors, to be found in this forgotten land, whether it be something as
simple as resources or as mysterious as a lost artifact there are things to be discovered for those that explore the map. A
Scout Order is needed to locate these curiosities on the map, and a Force is needed to move into the appropriate Province
and perform an Explore Order. Be warned, commanders, there are terrors that hide in the ancient holes of this land.

Refitting Units - At times you may want to 'upgrade' or refit your Units, to do so the Force must currently
not be Out of Supply and you must send them a Reorganize Forces Order along with the required equipment
cost listed under the Unit in the Unit Types Section.

Mercenary Units - Mercenaries may be purchased at their listed Mercenary Cost during any month and arrive on the
field during the next Receive Levies portion (at the beginning of the next game.) Mercenaries will remain in service and
under contract for three months, at which point itwill be up to their employer to renew the contract, paying their cost
again, or let them go. Mercenaries come with all their own equipment and do not start play with the Green Trait. In
addition to this, while they still require a Supply Line they will cover the expenses for their own Food and do not require
monthly Food rations. Mercenaries may not be purchased during the Winter Season. Mercenaries gain the Combat
Doctrine and Cultural Advantage of their host Army.

ORDERS
Move: Each Force has a number of Movement Points at its disposal for the purposes of movement, this is
equivalent to the lowest Move Value of each of your Units in the Force. If you Move into a Province that has a
hostile Force (excepting Forces that are Below Notice or if your own Force is Below Notice), your own Force
will cease the rest of its movement. Moving through a Province costs a number of Movement Points as listed
in the Terrain Section. If your Force runs out of Movement Points you will cease your movement in the
Province that you ran out of Movement Points in. Moving out of this Province costs 0 Movement Points in the
following month. Ending your movement in an otherwise empty Province that has Fortifications (See Fortify
Order) allows you to claim them as your own.

Forced March: Force gains double their normal Movement Points for the turn and may move as according to
the Move Order. They gain the Fatigued Condition.

Attack: May engage a specific Force in an adjacent Province or one within the same Province. You must be
aware of the enemy Force in order to give this Order. You will begin a Conflict with this enemy. (See Conflict
Section below)
Defend: May guard against an impending enemy Forces attack by creating temporary defenses and preparing
for the assault. This Order also allows you to utilize any Fortifications that are present in the Province as long
as they are not claimed by someone else. Gain an Edge against any attacks that may occur on this Force
during this round. If this Force moves for any reason after receiving this Order they lose this benefit.

Fortify: Spend time building longer term defenses. Your Units gain the Condition Fatigue. For each turn a
Province has had time spent fortifying it the owner gains a Wall Unit in any Defend action taken in this
Province. These Units are placed at the top of the Order for the benefiting Force. A Province may only be
fortified three times. Any Units participating in the defense of these Fortifications will gain use of the Flanking
Trait for the purposes of this Conflict. Forces inside of a Province with maximum Fortifications are immune to
Night Malefic attacks.

Scout: Your Force may double its normal Surveillance range and be able to spot things that are Below Notice.
Included in the Report for these actions will be a list of all Units alphabetically within those Forces. This will
also reveal any Points of Interest on the map.

Support: You may have your Force Support another Forces action, the Supporting Force must be within
normal Movement range of the Force it is supporting as per the Move Order (although this does not
necessitate your own Force to move). Its Units are added to the end of the normal Forces Formation in the
Formation that they are listed. Supporting Forces neither gain Hope, Despair, nor experience towards gaining
the Veteran Trait.

Rally: Your Force rallies and loses a point of Despair they have. If they had no Despair then they gain Hope.

Last Stand: Ignore Retreat rules but risk Forces annihilation. For any Conflicts they engage in this turn, they
gain the Conflict Advantage. If your Force loses a Conflict this month then they do not Retreat, they are wiped
out to a man. This Force may not be given any other Orders this turn.

Reorganize Force: Combine Units or Forces in a single Province into a single Force or split a single Force into
any number of smaller Forces, this also allows you to reorganize the Formation of your Units within the Force.
This Order will also allow you to reassign Units to another Knight with a Force in the same Province
permanently, though the other Knight must also spend an Order for Reorganize Force to integrate the new
Units into their Formation. These Units lose your Combat Doctrine and Cultural Advantage and gain the
Combat Doctrine and Cultural Advantageof their new owner. As long as your Force is not Out of Supply
currently you may also use this Order to refit your Units by paying the required equipmentlisted under the
cost for each Unit.Although if this Supply Line is Raided in the same Phase or before then that equipment is
plundered by the enemy.

Raid: Attack an enemys Supply Line that exists within the Province you are in. This will immediately put that
Force Out of Supply for this month. Successive Raids over the course of several months against the same
Supply Line will cause the cumulative effects of multiple months of being Out of Supply. You must be aware of
the enemy Forces Supply Line to declare this Order. You may also use this Order to dismantle a Fortification
that you currently lay claim to (see Move Order) in the Province you are in. This will lower the Fortification
level in that Province by one.

Lay Ambush: This Force is unable to move, but gains Below Notice. This Force will also no longer gain
Surveillance Reports from neighboring Provinces. Should an enemy Force move through this Province, they
will immediately halt all future movement and come under attack. This gives the ambushing Force an Edge.
In addition, should they succeed in ambushing an enemy, their Units will gain one free attack on the enemy
Units without them getting a chance to retaliate. If, however, this Force is instead attacked they will give an
Edge to the enemy instead. This Order will stand until this Force is given any other Order.

Explore: This Force will explore a Point of Interest in the Province that they are currently in. The results of
this will be relayed in the next Surveillance Report.

SPECIAL ORDERS:
Special Orders are only available to players with the prerequisite Combat Doctrine.

Provoke (Seduce) - You may issue an Order against an enemy Force within an adjacent Province to your own.
By doing this you will override their normal Order (if they have one) and cause them to attack the Force that
gave this Order. This forces them to fight you on your terms and on the Terrain your Force is standing on.
Gain an Edge for this attack; this Order can be given by a Force that is lying in Ambush without spoiling that
Order.

Parlay (Persuade) - You may issue an Order that allows you to meet with your enemy commander on the
field to discuss terms. This will allow you to RP a scene with the enemy commander where you may possibly
be able to reach some sort of favorable conclusion.

Lay Traps (Trapping) - You may issue an Order to lay a series of traps in the Province you are staying in.
These traps are considered Below Notice. If a Force, other than your own, moves over a Province with traps in
them they will immediately stop movement and gain Despair. These traps will remain forever until triggered.

Feint (Sincerity) - You may issue an Order that creates a decoy Force within two Provinces of the one that
gave this Order. This decoy Force will look exactly like your own in Surveillance Reports but will not stand up
to the closer scrutiny of a Scout Order. If you move your Force in anyway after performing this Order the
decoy will disappear, though you may issue other Orders such as Defend, Fortify, or Ambush.

Espionage (Finesse) - You may issue an Order against another Force within three Provinces. By doing so you
will receive a report of every Unit within that Force and the Formation of them, as well as the location of all
other Forces in that Army.

Conversion (Liturgy) - You may issue an Order against another Force in an adjacent Province to convince a
random Unit in that Force to join your own, this Order will not work on non-human Forces or Forces of the
Triumvirate.

Gather Intel (Streetwise) - You may issue an Order against another Force within two Provinces to discover
the last and current Orders their Commander issued.

False Flag (Tailoring) - You may issue an order to remake banners, tents and other signaling devices such
that your Force appears in Surveillance Reports to be that of any other Army you choose. This does not hold
up against the closer inspection of a Scout Order. Non-Human Forces and Forces of the Triumvirate are
immune to this Order.


UNIT TYPES
Every Unit of your Army has certain perks and flaws associated with it based on the type of Unit it is. There
are three main Characteristics of every type of Unit, each rated in their own way. Along with this each Unit
will have a series Traits that represent these Units' tactical strengths. A Unit represents a group of one
hundred men or, in the case of cavalry, fifty horses and fifty men.

UNIT CHARACTERISTICS
Movement - This value represents how quickly this Unit is able to move during a given month. Certain types
of Terrain will affect different Units' Movement values. See the Army Logistics section below for more
information on Terrain. This value is normally rated 1 to 3.

Strength - This value represents a Units' core military Strength. There are several things that can affect the
relative value of a particular Units' Strength characteristic in any given Conflict; situations, opposing forces,
and weather patterns are some prime examples of this. These values should be considered heavily before
giving orders to your Army. This value is normally rated 1 to 5.

Resilience - They say an Army is only as strong as it's constituent parts. This value represents a Units'
resilience and morale in a combat situation. Supply and Despair are the main things that will affect this trait.
This value is normally rated 1 to 10.

UNIT TRAITS
(If a Unit has the same Trait multiple times, then it receives the benefit multiple times.)

Ambusher - These Units, if part of an Ambush Order, double their Strength for the Conflict after any
modifiers from terrain or weather. (Additional instances of this Trait increase the multiplier by one.)

Armor - These Units will ignore the first one damage from each attack made against it.

Black Powder - These Units will cause one damage each round to the Resilience of every adjacent Unit, friend
or foe, unless they also have the Black Powder Trait.

Driving - These Units will discount an Armor Trait of the enemy Unit they are attacking.

Flanking - If undefended against they will attack the nearest enemy Unit.

Fortification - These Units do not count for the sake of Victory or Defeat. If a Force with Fortifications loses
all Units except the Fortification, they are still Defeated. These Units are also immune to the effects of
Weather, Terrain, and gain no bonus or penalty from Chaos of Battle.

Ghost - These Units will never be lost or gain Despair due to Defeat in a Conflict. This Trait is lost for any
month that the Unit is part of a Last Stand Order or if the unit is involved in a Force Annihilation due to being
unable to retreat.

Green - All freshly Levied troops begin with this trait. These Units lower the maximum of their Strength and
Resilience by one. After winning a Conflict, this Trait is lost.

Intimidating - These Units, in addition to their normal attack, will also deal one damage to the enemy Units
Resilience. This damage bypasses Armor.

Lock-Up - If these Units do damage during their normal attack, they will lower the Strength of the enemy Unit
they are attacking by one; this is cumulative with further attacks.

Rally - After their normal attack, these Units will restore one point of Resilience to the allied Unit missing the
most. If there is a tie for the most missing it will be given to the nearest one of them.

Ranged - These units will direct their attack at the enemy Unit with the lowest Resilience on the field. If there
is a tie for lowest, then itll be the nearest enemy Unit among them.

Selective Targeting - A Unit with this trait acts like Ranged but attack Units that have the highest Strength
instead of lowest Resilience.

Siege - Will target Wall Units first if Ranged, as well as gaining double Strength after Terrain and Weather
modifiers when attacking Walls.

Specialist- This Unit is comprised of ten or fewer individuals and thus does not require Food. They must still maintain
a Supply Line for various tools, components, or other things they need to complete their missions.

Stalwart - After their normal attack, these Units will restore one point of missing Resilience to themselves.

Stunning - If these Units deal damage, the opposing Unit loses its next attack.

Veteran - These Units will strike first in Conflict instead of simultaneously each round. This Trait is earned
after taking part in and winning five Conflicts.

Well-Armed - These Units gain an additional point of Strength. This Trait is earned if you give the Unit Gold
equivalent to its Mercenary Cost for better weapons.

Well-Armored - These Units gain 2 additional points of Resilience. This Trait is earned if you give the Unit
Gold equivalent to its Mercenary Cost for better armor.

GENERAL UNITS
These Units are available to all Commanders capable of Levying Forces. These Units will gain the Cultural Advantage
and Combat Doctrine in line with the Knight Order they follow.

Levy Spearmen (Infantry/Light)

Cost: Free

Move: 2 Strength: 1 Resilience: 5

Traits: Lock-Up

Mercenary Cost: 5Gold



Skirmishers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Dark Cloaks

Move: 2 Strength: 1 Resilience: 2

Traits: Ambushers, Ghost

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Archers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Bows

Move: 2 Strength: 2 Resilience: 4

Traits: Ranged, Ambushers

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Heavy Infantry (Infantry/Heavy)

Cost: 100 Swords, 100 Pieces of Medium Armor

Move: 1 Strength: 3 Resilience: 6

Traits: Armor, Stalwart

Mercenary Cost: 30Gold

Auxiliaries (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 RidingHorses, 50 Light Spears

Move: 3 Strength: 2 Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Ambushers

Mercenary Cost: 30Gold

Cataphracts (Cavalry/Heavy)

Cost: 50 Riding Horses, 50 Pieces Heavy Armor, 50 Medium Swords

Move: 2 Strength: 4 Resilience: 8

Traits: Flanking, Armor

Mercenary Cost: 45 Gold

Wall (Fortification)

Move: 0 Strength: 1 Resilience: 7

Traits: Armor, Fortification, Ranged

CULTURAL UNITS
Each Culture has it's own way of fighting and training it's Units, this is called Cultural Advantage. All Units in your
Army gain the Cultural Advantage based on the Culture of their Commander. In addition to this each Commander is able
to refit their Units into a Unique Unit that is unavailable to Commanders of other Cultures. The only way for
Commanders of other Cultures to gain access to these Units is to purchase them as Mercenaries.

Capacionne

Cultural Advantage: "Skilled Riders" -Cavalry Units gain +1 Movement and all Capacionne Units ignore the
effects of Spring Rains

Unique Unit: Chevaliers

Chevaliers (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 Riding Horses,50 Light Spears

Move: 3 Strength: 2Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Rally

Mercenary Cost: 30 Gold

Hestrali

Cultural Advantage: "Fortune Favors the Bold" -All Move Orders act as an Attack Order upon any enemy Force they
come across, even without being otherwise aware of the unit (excluding Forces Below Notice) and all Hestrali Units gain
an additional one Strength when attacking.

Unique Unit: Corsairs

Corsairs (Infantry/Light)
Cost: 100 Medium Swords

Move: 2 Strength: 2 Resilience: 5

Traits: Flanking, Driving

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Rogalian

Cultural Advantage: "Tactical Superiority" -May deliver the Reorganize Force Order for free at any time,
without consuming any Orders, and all Rogalian Units come into game without the Green trait and only
needing three victories to gain the Veteran Trait.

Unique Unit: Longbowmen

Longbowmen (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 CustomizedBows

Move: 2 Str: 3 Res: 3

Traits: Ranged, Driving

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Shariqyn

Cultural Advantage: "Desert Fury" - May perform a Forced March without any penalties and all Sharaqyn
Units ignore effects of Summer Heat

Unique Unit: Horse Archers

Horse Archers (Cavalry/Light)

Cost: 50 Horses, 50 Bows

Move: 3 Str: 2 Res: 5

Traits: Ranged, Ghost

Mercenary Cost: 30Gold

Dunnick

Cultural Advantage: "Highland Warriors" -Infantry Units gain +1 Movement and all Light Infantry Units gain
an additional one Strength.

Unique Unit: Kerns

Kerns (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Short Blades, 100 Small Packs

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 3

Traits: Ambushers, Ghost, Ranged

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Njordic

Cultural Advantage: "Frost Iron Warriors" -May Levy during Winter Season and all Njordic Units ignore the
effects of Winter Snows including being able to traverse Mountain Passes safely.

Unique Unit: Berserkers

Berserkers (Infantry/Light)

Cost: 200 Hatchets

Move: 2 Str: 2 Res: 5

Traits: Stalwart, Intimidating

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

Gothic

Cultural Advantage: "Holy Conquest" -Immune to Night Malefic attacks and Fortification bonuses apply to all
Gothic Units in adjacent Provinces as well as the same Province to a maximum of 6 Walls

Unique Unit: Zealot

Zealot(Infantry/Light)

Cost: 100 Holy Symbols (Iron), 100 Lanterns, 100Small Packs

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 6

Traits: Rally, Intimidating

Mercenary Cost: 15Gold

COMBAT DOCTRINES
Every Knight Order has its own unique way of fighting. This uniqueness is demonstrated by its own Combat Doctrine. A
Knight Orders Combat Doctrine is determined by that Orders Valor Skill. Each Doctrine gives the Knight access to a
special ability as well as their own unique Special Unit and Rare Unit. Special Units are accessed at Knight Commander
and Rare Units are accessed at Master. An Army may only include up to five Special Units and two Rare Units. These
Units may not be given to other Knights, regardless of Rank, unless they are of the same Order. These Units may not be
purchased as Mercenaries. These Units come fully equipped and do not start with the Green Trait. Special Units have a
Edge Bonus, which means they will grant an Edge to the Force they are a part of anytime the prerequisite is met, as well
 as a Combat Advantage Bonus, which means that as long as their Force has the Combat Advantage they also gain the
additional abilities or cause the effect to occur.

Archery : Darkening the Skies - All Units with Ranged gain one free attack prior to the fight starting in any
Conflict.

Brawl: Unexpected Blows - Enemy Formation is disrupted and randomized at the start of the Conflict.

Dodge: Swift as the Wind - Your Units negate the first Ranged attack against them each Round of a Conflict
from enemy Units.

Firearms: Roaring Thunder - Your Units are immune to the negative aspects of the Black Powder Trait.

Heavy Weapons: Strike First, Strike Once- All Units gain a Lock-UpTrait

Light Weapons: We Strike True - All Units gain a Driving Trait

Medium Weapons: Press The Advantage - Forces that lose against you lose two random Units as opposed
to one.

Parry: Steel Upon Steel- Your Units negate the first non-Ranged attack from enemy Units.

Shields: Hold The Lines - All Units gain an Armor Trait

Steady: Caution in All Things - Immune to Special Orders such as Taunt, Parlay, or Feint.

Finesse: Know Your Enemy - Allows Use of Espionage Order

Grit: Never Surrender - Units in Conflict that fall are refreshed at the end of the round with Resilience of 1.
This effect occurs once per Conflict.

Stealth: They Wont See Us Coming - All Units gain AmbusherTrait.

Mobility: Fleet of Foot - All Terrain Movement Point costs are 1.

Mining: Striking From Below- Forces may move through any Mountain Terrain as if they were Mountain
Passes

Forestry: Masters Of The Wood - No Penalties in Forests, Units gain an additional Strength in Forests

Mercantile: We Know Your Price- Cost of Mercenaries are reduced by 50%

Trapping: Watch Your Step - Allows Use of Lay Traps Order

Farming: The Land Belongs To Us - 50% Reduction in Supplies needed to feed your Army

Herbalism: Oak Hearted - All units gain Stalwart for the first two rounds of Conflict.

Leatherworking: Our Hide Is Thick - Light Units automatically gain Well Armored.

Woodworking: Sculpting The Weapons Of War - Light Units automatically gain Well Armed.
Metalworking: Strength In Steel - Heavy Units automatically gain Well Armored.

Tailoring: Follow The Banners - Allow Use of False Flag Order

Mechanics: The War Machine Marches- Take no penalty while building Fortifications, allowing them to
accept the Fortify order multiple times.

Apothecary: The Poisoned Knife - Units automatically cause Despair at the start of combat.

Special Unit: Asp Archers (Infantry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge when facing a Force with Despair prior to the combat

Combat Advantage Bonus: Gain Lock-Up, Lock-Up

Move: 2 Str: 1 Res: 5

Traits: Selective Targeting, Driving

Sincerity: Trust Us- Allow Use of Feint Order

Intimidate: Terror Tactics - All Units gain Intimidating.

Special Unit: Border Reivers (Cavalry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge when alone.

Combat Advantage Bonus: Enemy Force randomly changes Formation at the start of the
Conflictuntil they receive an Organize Force Order.

Move: 3 Str: 2 Res: 3

Traits: Ghost, Intimidating

Seduce: Come At Me- Allow Use of Provoke Order

Persuade: Words Best Steel- Allow Use of Parlay Order

Performance: Hope Lights Our Path- Will never gain Despair.

Streetwise: We Know Your Secrets- Allow Use of Gather Intel Order

Survival: We Know The Hidden Ways- Supply Lines are invisible and may not be raided

Etiquette: You Have Met Your Match - Formation will be optimized for every Conflict.

Perception: Surprise Is Ours Alone - Double Scouting Range and automatically detect Forces Below Notice

Academics: Know Thyself - Chaos of Battle is rolled with 3 6-sided Dice and discount the lowest.

Special Unit: Fire Mages (Infantry/Light)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge on Plains

 Combat Advantage Bonus: Gain an additional Chaos of Battle die, if this takes any Chaos of Battle
result above 12 then Units receive +3 Strength Bonus.

Move: 2 Str: 4 Res: 3

Traits: Ranged, Driving, Specialist

Liturgy: Holy Crusade - Allow Use of Conversion Order

Special Unit: Mithrihim Priests (Infantry/Heavy)

Edge Bonus: Gain an Edge against Heretical Forces.

Combat Advantage Bonus: Upon death, re-enters Formation at end of round at full starting stats
(still have penalties from Fatigue and Despair), this may only occur once per combat.

Move: 1 Str: 3 Res: 6

Traits: Armor, Rally, Specialist

Leadership: Tactical Diversity - If your action is being Supported by another Army, you and all other Armies
gain the Combat Doctrines of each other.

THE WORLD
TERRAIN
Plains - Movement Cost: 1

Conflict Bonus: Cavalry gain two Strength

Conflict Penalty: Unable to declare Ambush Order

Rolling Hills - Movement Cost: 1

Conflict Penalty: Unable to declare Ambush Order

Mountain Passes - Movement Cost: 3

Conflict Bonus: Units with the Ambushers Perk gain an additional multiplier totheir Strength bonus, and
Ranged gain one Strength

Conflict Penalty: Cavalry lose two Strength

Forest - Movement Cost: 2

Conflict Penalty: Ranged lose one Strength, Cavalry lose one Strength.

Wetlands - Movement Cost: 2

Conflict Penalty: Cavalry lose one Strength, Heavy lose one Strength.

Water- Movement Impossible; Combat may not occur

Mountains - Movement Impossible; Combat may not occur

SEASONAL WEATHER PATTERNS

As the Seasons change, so too does the predominant weather patterns. Each Season brings with it a specific
penalty to certain Units.

Spring Rain - Units with Black Powder have Strength reduced to zero after other modifiers, Cavalry Units
Lose one Strength

Summer Heat - Heavy Units Lose two Strength

Autumn Winds - Units with the Ranged Perk lose two Strength

Winter Snows - Mountain Passes close and Forces that have been left in Mountain Passes will Retreat.
Armies may not Levy during the Winter. Light Units Lose one Strength and all Units are reduced to a Move
of 1.

THREATS OF THE WORLD

Night Malefic- The Night Malefic is a constant threat to anyone outside the walls of a city. Any Force found
outside of a citys walls are vulnerable. If a Force moves over a Province or stays in a Province plagued with
these horrors they will gain Despair and lose a Unit at random for every month they are there. There are
several of these threats looming in the world and they will move randomly at the beginning of every Season.
There are even some places that are just so stained with violence and terror that they are permanently haunted
with Night Malefic. These threats are Below Notice.

Rogue Forces - These Forces are generally small and are comprised of bandits, displaced populace, and Units
that have fled their home nations Forces. They will feed off of the land, steal from the populace, and Raid
other Armies Supply Lines. Unless they are very large and powerful, it is unlikely they will ever directly face
another Force straight on, unless they look weak or are outnumbered.

Non-Human Forces - Elves, Dwarves and Orcs are rarely seen outside of their native lands, andForces of
such even less so. Orcs may be the most populace along their own border, driving raids into the lands of
Capacionne when they can. At times a tribe of them is foundhiding inmountains,caves, and other dark
places of the worldwhere human settlements are non-existent. For the most part though, these races keep to
themselves and remain mysterious and unknowable.

Triumvirate Forces - Heretics, no longer Human, evil. These followers of Kuarl, Lazarolth, and Taranthalus
are the bane of Humanity and must be purged above all else. These Forces are generally small but augmented
through their dark gods unholy gifts. Their ways are anathema, they must be stopped.

CONFLICT SYSTEM
When two opposing Armies meet in the field a Conflict occurs. A Conflict represents a series of skirmishes or
significant battles over the course of the month that ends in a Province having one clear and decisive
controller. The losing force takes casualties and is forced to retreat from the location to a neighboring
Province.

STEPS OF CONFLICT

1. Units are arranged in a line against one another according to their Formations.

2. Edges are determined, each side assessing their amount of Edges, the side with the most has a Conflict
Advantage.

Conflict Advantage - The side with the most Edges gains the following benefits for theduration of the
Conflict.

A bonus of +2 Strength to all units.

Units with special abilities often require Combat Advantage to execute those abilities. The abilities work
automatically when Combat Advantage is achieved.

3. Add any modifiers based on Orders, Terrain, Weather, etc.

4. Units using an Ambush Order make one free attack against their counterparts.

5. Roll Chaos of Battle dice (2 6-sided dice) and each result is added to each side according to their respective
rolls. These bonuses are added to the corresponding sides Units Strengths for each round. Any previous
bonuses/penalties from previous rounds are dismissed as the new result is applied.

Roll Result Bonus

2-3 -2

4-5 -1

6-8 0

9-10 +1

11-12 +2

6. Starting at the top of the Formations each pairing of Units perform simultaneous attacks against each other.

7. Once a Unit has dropped to zero Resilience they Fall Back and are removed from the field. Any remaining
Units will move to fill any gaps at the end of each round, sliding upwards towards the first slot.

8. Continue this process, steps 5 through 7 until one side has lost all of its Units.

9. Loser Retreats to a neighboring friendly Province along their own Supply Line and loses a Unit at Random.
If they cannot Retreat along their own Supply Line, due to enemy Forces or some other unfortunate situation,
they will flee as best they can away from Enemy Forces. If they cannot flee, they are wiped out in entirety. In
addition to losing a Unit they also gain Despair.

10. The winner gains Hope.

 DEPRAVITY AND INSANITY

MORALITY
"A sheathed sword in the face of evil is tantamount to evil itself."

Gothic has a Morality system to represent the values of the culture that the characters belong to, and to provide a mechanical
anchor to represent the mental or spiritual strain that they represent. The morality system for most characters in Gothic is
represented by the Seven Deadly Sins. The reason for this is not necessarily that the Seven Deadly Sins are correct or accurate,
but that the characters in Gothic subscribe to them. A character from a very different background or location may have a
different set of rules that they live by, but this is uncommon for characters that live in the Throne.

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

WRATH
1. Impassioned violation of another. Undue threats and aggression.
2. Intentional injury or violation of another. Killing in self-defense.
3. Premeditated murder or torture. Killing in cold blood. Inflicting unusual horrors upon another.

Wrath sins specifically apply to God-fearing humans, however gratitude from the church has stretched this to cover dwarves as
well.

HERESY
1. Blanching in the face of evil.
2. Suffering a witch or heretic to go unpunished.
 3. Extending welcome, aid, or brotherhood to a heretic.

SLOTH
1. Telling small lies. Unnecessarily using powers when mundane solutions are available. Lies for personal benefit.
Impunctuality. Laxity in routines
2. Abandoning your dour duties or breaking oaths. Refusing others help when doing so is within your means.
Compulsive lying of any kind.
3. Dereliction of all responsibilities. Allowing injustice to transgress.

LUST
1. Sexual behavior without proper union
2. Prostitution of your body. Using sex as a tool to get your way.
3. Rape and extreme sexual perversion

GLUTTONY
1. Becoming intoxicated by choice
2. Recreational or abusive drug use
3. Voluntary addiction to anything

VANITY
1. Bragging of your personal ability or past accomplishments.
2. Abusing your position or authority for self gain outside of the duties of your station.
3. Forcibly sacrificing someone's life for your own gain.

GREED
1. Taking without asking when it will go unnoticed or unmissed. Not giving when within your means.
2. Stealing for personal benefit.
3. Hoarding surplus in times of another's need. Profiteering off of the desperation of others.

What is essential is invisible to the eye. Only with your heart can you see rightly.


SINKING INTO DEPRAVITY

Morality decisions and the advancement of Depravity are kept and recorded by the Staff. If a character ever gains an amount of
Depravity that exceeds the value allowed by their Faith Attribute, their deeds begin to truly come into conflict with their ideals. A
character in this position begins to redefine what they believe to be right and wrong, what is acceptable and unacceptable, and at
the same time begin to loosen the psyche bonds that keep their behavior in check. Such characters begin to aquire Insanities to
represent this change in their mental state, beginning with one appropriate Mild Insanity at the time in which their Depravity
first surpasses their Faith and continue to either gain new Insanities or exacerbate existing conditions for each Depravity they
gain after that. A normal character can have 5 Depravity before this occurs. An Affirmed character can have 6, a Faithful character
may have 7, and a Zealous character may have 8. Heartless characters may only have 3.

For example, Colette's recent encounter with her one-time rapist has pushed her beyond the realm of caring about what is right
and wrong, and she has murdered the man in an act of revenge. Colette has ordinary Faith. Colette already had 3 Depravity in
Vanity on another occasion, and premeditated murder is a Wrath 3 sin. This gives her 3 more Depravity for a total of 6, one more
than her ordinary Faith allows, and yields a Mild Insanity. The Staff decides that the emotional trauma over the event has pushed
her to never place herself in such a situation ever again so that she will never again have to kill someone else. Colette has a Mild
Compulsion to never allow men to touch her body in any way. See Insanities for specific rules.

Colette cannot gain any further Depravity for Wrath, having already maxed that category at 3. Having already broken that mental
barrier, she could kill other people without further emotional strain. The next man who tried to rape her might find her more
than willing to open his belly with the knife she keeps hidden in her blouse.

If Collette then stole money from her place of work in an unrelated situation to help pay for her own debts, that would be an act
of Greed 2. She would gain 2 more Depravity, bringing her total to 8. Collette would gain either an additional two levels onto her
existing Insanities, or 2 new mild Insanities, or any combination therein. The storyteller decides that her continued disregard for
other people in favor of herself has turned her Mild Compulsion to throw off men into a Severe one. This means she will actively
seek out the opportunity to make it happen, encouraging or teasing men into making advances against her just so she can throw
them off in spite. As well, the storyteller gives her the Mild Delusion that the law doesn't truly apply to her, and that when the
opportunity arises, she can do as she likes without really considering the law's consequences.

INSANITY

THE BREAKING POINT

There exist things in the world that the human psyche was not meant to interpret. There exist truths so horrible that they change
a man forever through their knowing. To survive these stresses, the mortal mind warps thought and reason. This is insanity, and
it can manifest itself in many shapes and to many degrees. Terrifying experiences can leave a person with relevant (or irrelevant)
phobias, and intense emotional loss of control can push a player into obsession. In a world so bleak and bereft of hope, madness
can lurk within the most unlikely places. Those that brave the unknown do so at their peril.

When you've lost who you are...what else is left?

THROUGH THE DOOR

When an insanity first manifests, the effects are usually much more controllable than they may later become. Aggravation of
weak points in the psyche can often make the problem worse, as can the stress of harsh resistance. Insanities come in three levels
of intensity: Mild, Severe, and Crippling. If something occurs to make an insanity worse, it will jump to the next tier of potency,
the effects will intensify, and it will be more difficult to resist. Resisting Insanities is done through the use of Discipline. As well,
knowledge can banish terror and bring rationality back into scope. An appropriate Lore can be added as a temporary Discipline
for the purposes of resisting insanities, as a bulwark against the madness.

Mild insanities require you to spend 1 Discipline to overcome for a scene. Usually at this stage, the insanity requires only
some small concession to be satisfied. If it requires a certain task or behavior from the character, such as setting a fire, stealing
something valuable, or cutting one's self, it will generally be something small and unnoticeable, but potentially humiliating to the
victim. Some people can go years with these sorts of insanities without anyone but the victim (or victims, as the case may be),
ever realizing.

Severe insanities are a different matter entirely, require you to spend 2 Discipline to overcome for a scene. These sorts of
inconsistencies come from long periods of denial, exceptionally fierce emotional stress, or serious personal failure when your
strength was needed most. Insanities of this caliber are much more difficult to hide from those that interact with the victim. At
this level of severity, in order to sate an insanity a much larger concession must be made. Unlike mild insanities, those afflicted
with this more severe variety, whether they would admit it to even themselves or not, often find ways to make the offending
circumstance occur, causing it to become a problem far more often. This stage includes people seeking privacy to harm
themselves or act out their desires, jumping to far flung conclusions about what is what, and the general endangerment of
themselves and others as reality and fantasy vie for equal footing.

Crippling insanities are exactly as their name implies: Crippling. Characters this far gone have serious difficulty functioning
in their world and may be incapable of taking care of day to day activities because of the interference of such a condition. An
insanity advanced to this level is nearly impossible to hide for long, and takes 3 uses of Discipline to overcome for a scene.
Madness of this level demands drastic behavior as the forces of reality and logic truly take a backseat to the character's inner
trials. This stage is marked by behavior that barely seems human, with decency and morality lying in tatters behind it as all law
and reason vanishes.

ON A PATH OF SHATTERED GLASS

There is a safe haven from this madness. There is a path back to the peace of sanity, for those of strong will and desire.
Recovering from Insanity requires that you face your tormentor and defeat it. In order to overcome their infirmity, a character
must enter a situation in which they must attempt to resist their Insanity, and then choose to spend 2 more Discipline than what
would normally be required. For example, someone wishing to recover from a Severe Insanity would require 4 uses of Discipline
at once, which is 2 more than normally required to resist. If they succeed at such a feat, their Insanity relaxes by one grade,
dropping from Crippling to Severe, Severe to Mild, or Mild to nothing at all.

A character can only perform this once per game session, and can only do so after having the insanity for at least one game
session.

A character can choose to spend their Downtime action working with another character and supporting them through their
personal issues. If this occurs, that character can grant one level of Discipline for the purposes of resisting Insanities above
normal. The character may use these Discipline levels to resist individual incidents of Insanity or acquire these over time and
accumulate them until they have enough to challenge their madness the next time they are faced with it.

STEPPING INTO ONE'S SHADOW

Insanities come in three general categories: phobias, delusions, and obsessions/compulsions. These categories follow the same
progression of Mild, Severe, and Crippling, but are different in what triggers them. Phobias trigger when the character is
presented with the object of their fear and Discipline would be required to enter a situation where their fear might be present.
Delusions are a constantly present alteration in how the character perceives reality and Discipline would be required to act or
reason in a way that contradicts the delusion. Obsessions and compulsions are things that the character must think about or
must do and Discipline would be required to not forsake other things in favor of an obsession or to not act on a compulsion.

The breakdown of insanities is as follows:

PHOBIAS:
Mild - Faced with the object of one's terror, in its direct presence, or with the reasonable expectation that their terror may be
present, 1 Discipline must be spent to proceed with that action. Even if Discipline is Spent, this situation and all more severe ones
inflict Fear on the character, making the use of any special combat maneuvers impossible. An example would be entering a room
where a zombie is known to be contained.

Severe - In any situation where there is a remote chance that their terror may be present, 2 Discipline must be spent to
proceed, plus the Fear status is applied. An example would be entering a crypt or graveyard, because zombies may or may not be
present.

Crippling - Any situation where the most remote of possibilities exist that their terror may be present requires 3 Discipline to
undertake, plus the Fear status is applied. Examples include turning out the lights or opening a door one has never opened
before, because a zombie may be hiding within.

DELUSIONS:
Mild - One minor thing in your reality is permanently changed, and all judgments related to this thing change with it. No
amount of rationalization or proof can dissuade you, your delusion will grow to include falsities in the proof. 1 Discipline would
be required to contradict your delusion in some manner for a scene. An example would be that your friend has actually dyed her
hair to reach its current color, or that you had once spent time in prison if you had not.

Severe - Your delusion grows to include a more elaborate explanation of the previous incarnation, and a relatively major fact
about your reality becomes permanently changed. Reasoning or acting in contradiction to the delusion for a scene now requires 2
Discipline. Examples include that your friend dyed her hair to avoid pursuit from the current government because she is a spy, or
that your time in prison included torture that you swear revenge over against those that imprisoned you.

Crippling - Your delusion becomes all encompassing as it includes vital facts about your every day life. Contradicting your
delusion in reason or action now requires 3 Discipline. For example, the spy you thought was your friend has sold you out to the
government to save herself, and now you must kill any government officials you see if you wish to survive, and likely swear
revenge on your betrayer. Your captors were foolish to torture you, and more foolish to permit your escape, for your true powers
have now awakened, and since you are a god, if not God himself, nothing can stop you.

OBSESSIONS & COMPULSIONS:

Mild - You find yourself thinking longingly constantly about a certain factor in your life, or simply unable to control the urges
related to this factor when it is present. In the presence of the focus of your obsession or compulsion, you must spend 1
Discipline to resist the urge to forsake all thoughts and desires in favor of your Obsession or the urge to act on your Compulsion.
An example of this would be ignoring all friends and allies in favor of a specific person, regardless of their needs or dangers, or a
compulsion to cut yourself whenever a knife and reasonable privacy is present.

Severe - The inability to separate yourself from your focus causes it to be the primary focus of your daily life. If the opportunity
exists to turn all of your attention to your specific focus, you must spend 2 Discipline not to do so. An example would be leaving
what you are doing to focus your attentions on a specific person, whenever it is possible to do so, regardless of what your
conspicuous absence from your duties or your possibly unwelcome presence will result in. Another example would be sneaking
off to cut yourself, and otherwise creating opportunities whenever possible to act on your focus.

Crippling - At this level, you will brook no further argument. You are simply unwilling and unable to accept a situation where
you are not in direct contact with your focus. Your aim is to make sure that there is no further distinction between you and it, and
whenever 3 Discipline is not spent to desist, you will do whatever is necessary to make this happen. Examples include kidnapping
the object of your obsessions and tying her up in a secluded place where you can be with her as much as you like, possibly until
one of you dies of starvation. Another example would be a refusal to allow any part of your body to be without its cut, slicing
away at any closed skin until wounds were all you were made of, regardless of the dire physical consequences.
 DOWNTIMES

DOWNTIME ACTIONS

Every character gets one Downtine Action that they can use to accomplish something during the time between game
sessions. All Active characters (those that have played at least one time in the past 3 game sessions) may participate in
the game through Downtime actions. Certain skills give ways to spend Downtime Actions to produce specific results,
such as Mining or Trapping, and some skills provide a new way to use your Downtime action once you achieve a certain
rank, such as Marketeer at Mercantile 5.

Any Character may use the following Downtime Actions.

Muscle - You may attempt to prevent characters from taking other kinds of actions. If someone tries to use Muscle to
prevent you from taking an action, Intimidate is compared, plus one for every person using Muscle on a given side. The
side with the most prevents the other side from taking the action.
This can be used for such things as guarding a place or object, trying to use a resource node like the mine when another
character wishes to use it, and so on.
Investigate - By exploring, digging through ruins, reading ancient documents and other sorts of research, you may try
to learn something about what happened here before the Throne arrived to take it over. At the end of the Downtime
period, a clue will be given to you about what happened. High levels of Perception and Academics will help you discover
better clues.
Vocation- [See Trade Guilds] Sell your products or services to others to attempt to make money during the Downtime.
The use of this Downtime action is partially dependent on membership in a Trade Guild, though anyone can attempt it.
Only a certain amount of uses of this Downtime are possible per Skill each Downtime.
Therapy- [See Path of Shattered Glass onDepravity and Insanity]Give up your downtime in order to comfort the
mentally ill. The downtime gives them +1 discipline in the upcoming game to resist/shake off their insanities

The following kinds of Downtime Actions are dependent upon some other Skill or ability, and their details are listed
under that ability on the Attributes and Skillspage.

Marketeer- [See Mercantile on Skills] Raise or Lower the Market values of goods and services
Gather - [See Skills] Use your gathering skill to gain common or uncommon goods
Language - [See Character Creation] Learn a language
Instruction - [See Academics on Skills]Reduce the exp needed for purchasing a new ability through dedicated teaching
Streetwise - [See Skills] Gather information on an individual over the course of a month
Connections - [See Character Creation] Call upon your social connections to gain a favor
Trade Guilds - [See Character Creation] Gain information on wars, politics, and trade
Invention - [See Attributes] Create a new Mechanic for the game
Mechanics - [See Skills] Break down codes and open locks
Research - [See Skills] Learn a new Focus, Liturgy Code, or refine an Arcana. Requires Literacy.
Mass Production -[See Skills] Produce large amounts of goods (More than 10. Less does not require a Downtime
action)
Mastercrafting -[See Skills] Produce a single masterwork item, if your skill is great enough.

To submit your Downtime Action, please use the following form:

* Email Address

* Player Name

* Character Name * Downtime Type

* Leading?
No

Just Players

Just Retainers

Players and Retainers

* Details
 FOR GLORY!

Glory is an out of character resource that players can earn for helping the game in some way. Similar to experience
points, it is earned instead by the player and spent for out of character considerations instead of in character abilities.

Below is a list of things that one can earn Glory for, and that it can be spent on. This list is not necessarily intended to be
exhaustive. If you help the game in some significant fashion that is not included on the list, it can still earn you Glory at
the Staff's discretion. Likewise, if there is some other special consideration you want that is not listed below, talk to Staff
to see if Glory is an appropriate way to resolve it, and how much it might cost.

Glory is transferable between players.

Contribution Glory Earned

Set up 1 Glory

Materials or Cash Donation 1 Glory/ $20 or equivalent value

Finish Tear Down 1 Glory

Support Staff 1 Game 3 Glory

Extra NPC duty when requested 1 Glory

Recruiting: New Player's First Game 1 Glory to Each

Recruiting: New Player's Third Game 5 Glory to Recruiter

Promotion and Advertising 1 Glory

Consideration Glory Spent

50% Game Cost Discount 5 Glory

No NPC Duty 5 Glory

Personal Plotline 10+ Glory

1 Experience Point 25 Glory

1 Missing Experience Point 5 Glory

Create Canon 5+ Glory

Serendipity 10+ Glory

Access to Perk or Flaw Outside Culture or Social Status 3x cost in Glory

Begin Play with Knighthood Perk 10 Glory

Begin Play with Holy Ordination perk 10 Glory

Begin play with Arcane Circle Initiation Perk 15 Glory

Begin play with the Heir Apparent Perk 20 Glory

Begin play with the Charismata Perk 30 Glory

Begin play as a Villain Concept 30+ Glory

50% Game Cost discount - We hope that cost never be a barrier to play in Gothic: the Lion Age. For those that have
difficulty paying the game's entrance fee, this option allows you to help the game in other ways instead of paying the full
cost.

No NPC Duty - Ordinarily players will be asked to volunteer to help staff as NPCs for 2 hours during each event,
blocking out the time during sign in. For those that wish to help the game in other ways, they can do so with this option.

Personal Plotline - Suppose you had unfinished business in your character's personal story (and you really really
should!). Perhaps his sister went missing when they were children and was never found. Perhaps a mentor promised to
one day impart all he knew, when the time was right. Perhaps your wizard is having trouble convincing her superiors
that she deserves promotion, and just needs a chance to prove it. Plots can and will happen to each character, and some
of them will be inspired by the details of specific character's backgrounds, flaws such as enemies or debts, and other
inspirations as they become appropriate, but this option allows the player to push things along on your schedule instead
of staff's. The scope of the plot and how much it affects current events determines the Glory cost.

Missing Experience Point - Different from the experience point option, this allows you to make up experience points
for games which you could not attend for whatever schedule or personal reason may have occurred. This only works if
you did not attend and gain experience points in any other way, if you attended the game as a full time NPC, or if the
game occurred after you began attending events of Gothic: the Lion Age.

Create Canon - If your character concept requires that some specific detail about the world be fixed into place in a way
that permanently changes the landscape of the game or may affect other people's character details in the future.. Perhaps
your concept is that your father is the head of the Cyanahim order, who raised to his position through treachery. This
means that detail becomes fixed into place and may affect other characters playing Cyanahim from here out. While its
true that every character's mere existence changes the world, this is for especially widespread or important changes to
canon. If someone has previously fixed the detail you are trying to fix, this may be unavailable or an alternative may
need to be found. The amount of characters and concepts possibly affected by the change and how much it may affect
them determines the Glory cost.

Serendipity - Sometimes something would work out if not for circumstance. Serendipity allows you affect
circumstantial events in the game world that are probably only important to you and your specific wants. Your character
may wish to meet a Strativinci fencing master so that she can learn their art, but none have happened to make the
journey to Stragosa. Serendipity could see one arrive in the town for a time, but it should be clear that this in no way
makes the master want to teach the student or inclines the character to any particular advantage. All of that must be
done on her own. The otherwise unlikeliness of this event, as well as its negative impact on existing plots determines the
Glory cost.