SECRETS of

SILENT STREETS

MONTE COOK
Monte Cook
 Secrets of Silent Streets

SECRETS OF SILENT STREETS

More Than One ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 4

City of Notions ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 8
Satyrine ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 12
The Brickhouse District ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 26
The Celestial Bazaar ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 36
The Confederacy of Cloisters ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 48
The Fade ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 62
Fartown ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 72
The Hollows ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 94
Lower Taverswood ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 104
The Marquis Quarter ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 112
The Palindrome ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 126
Quiet Lake ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 134
The Reinvention ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 144
Rivenhome ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 154
Riveriver ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 162
The Strangeglass District ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 172
The Topiary District ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 182
The Undersling ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 190
Zardim ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 200
The Ruined Expanses ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 208
Index ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 215
Credits ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ 216

2
3
 Secrets of Silent Streets
MORE THAN ONE
Thryst gripped her glass so tightly that it might break in her hand.
Would this man ever shut up?
“And so I said, ‘You can’t talk to me like that, I’m a 2nd-degree
velator of the Vancian Order, my good man,’” he droned on.
The party was crowded, and Thryst was caught between this
puffy-faced Vance and a table covered in hors d’oeuvres on silver
platters. Music, barely audible over all the talk, sealed the cracks of
the wall of sound.
Dead angels, but she hated parties. And she had problems at
home. Maybe coming here was nothing more than another bad idea.
A tall, bald woman with striking features walked by, a raven
on one shoulder and a dove on the other. Thryst wished she
was talking to her, or really anyone other than . . . what was this
fellow’s name again?
“Look, you can’t just cast that spell in that register. Everyone
knows that, right?” He didn’t wait for her to answer before going
on. Which was fine, because Thryst wasn’t really listening. She
scanned the crowd.
A man in a brown suit was showing off what looked like
psychokinetic tricks with a Sooth Deck. A woman with a spider
on her shoulder the size of a dinner plate chatted with another
whose flesh appeared to be covered in keyholes. A man laughed
uproariously in a conversation with a reflection in a mirror on the
wall that wasn’t his own.
Dead angels, but she hated vislae parties.
Finally, she spotted the man she had come here to see. He was
tall but soft shouldered, with the very definition of salt and pepper
in his hair and beard. She was so nervous to talk to him. So
worried that it might be a mistake.
And dammit, the Vance was still talking.
“Actually, most people don’t know this, but the original
monograph for that particular invocation hasn’t been seen in the
city since—”
“Hey,” Thryst interrupted, “Isn’t that Audsley Barron?” She
gestured with her drink into the crowd. Predictably, the man
4
turned, his own story forgotten. “Really? You know, I actually met
Audsley once a few years . . .”
Thryst ducked into the first open path the crowd offered her.
She made her path as direct as she could, ducking elaborate
headdresses, shoulder-candles, serving trays, and hovering
familiars as she darted between people. Worrying over her
full glass slowed her down, so she downed it in a single gulp.
Something the Vance had ordered for her without asking, called
a skeleton tree. It tasted like archeology. She grimaced and kept
moving, putting the empty glass on a side table without slowing
down.
“Charles?” she said as she got close. “Charles Abernathy?” A
name so “un-vislae” that she didn’t know if he was a fraud or a
genius.
He met her gaze and smiled. The delightful lines around his
mouth when he grinned made her realize that if she was at all
interested . . . well, she’d be very interested. “Yes?”
She got close so she could talk without shouting, and took a
deep breath to gather some courage. “You don’t know me, but,
well, my name is Thryst Hanley and I was told that you might
know something about demons.” Ugh. He’s a 3rd-degree Goetic.
Of course he knows something about demons. What a stupid
thing to say.
“A little, I suppose. Nice to meet you, Miss Hanley. 1st degree?”
He motioned toward the Order of Goetica symbol she wore on her
lapel.
She nodded, a little sheepishly. Yeah, she was making that
obvious.
“May I ask you a question?”
He took the last sip of his own drink and nodded, affably.
Inspiration dawned. “Hey, can I get you another drink?” She
gestured toward the bar. “What are you having?”
“Oh, well, that’s very kind. It’s a gin and shadow.”
She nodded and smiled, trying to make it not the sort of smile
that covered awkwardness. She figured she failed miserably.

Thryst took her time in the short line at the bar to collect
herself. She didn’t need to be so nervous. He seemed like a nice
fellow and by all accounts helpful to lower-ranking Goetics. She
ordered two gin and shadows. And at this point, if he couldn’t
help, she had no more backup plans.
Charles stood talking to a woman wearing an elaborate mask
but turned to Thryst when she returned. “Thank you very much,”
he said, taking the glass. “Now, what’s on your mind? You said
something about demons.”
Thryst cleared her throat. “Yes, well, you see, I performed a
summoning two days ago, and . . . I can’t get it to leave.”
Charles’s eyes widened. “The demon? It’s still here after two
days? Where is it?”
“My house.”
“Good gods.”
The next day, the trip to the Strangeglass District took about
twenty minutes on the train and another fifteen on foot. The
street was busy, despite the rain. Thryst looked around for
Charles. Was this the address he’d said he would meet her at? She
checked it. And checked it again.
Soon thereafter, Charles approached with a confident stride and
stopped in front of the door. Or rather, in front of the steps that
led down to the door of what looked like an office in the basement
of the shabby brick building. Her uncertainty must have shown
on her face, because Charles said, “Don’t worry. She’s an expert.”
His suit was perfect, and the black of his jacket matched the
black of his umbrella. She held a newspaper over her head. Her
socks were wet inside her not-at-all-waterproof shoes.
Charles led the way down the steps and closed the umbrella as
he entered. A bell tinkled. Only as she passed through the door
did Thryst notice the little placard on the wall next to it. “Greta
Gethaneme. Demonologist.” It bore a symbol that she felt like she
should recognize, but didn’t.
The office looked more like a library, filled with bookcases
overflowing with books. She smelled incense.
An elderbrin parted a curtain and stepped into the room from
the other side. It had a sort of mushroom-shaped head and a
bird-like face complete with a beak. Under midnight blue robes it
seemed mostly humanoid, although its arms were uncomfortably
long. “Can I help you?” it trilled.
“We have an appointment to see Greta,” Charles said.
More Than One
Thryst was so relieved that he was handling all of this. So
grateful for his help. And it all happened so quickly. He must have
pulled some strings after the party last night. Thryst was certain
that having to call on him like this was going to set back her
advancement in the order, but that couldn’t be helped.
The creature smiled—somehow, with a beak, it smiled. “Of
course, sir.” It slipped behind the curtain again.
The woman who came next couldn’t have looked less the part.
She was short, blond, and wore a bit too much lipstick. Her
flouncy white blouse bore a small greasy stain . . . perhaps from
breakfast? “Hello, Charles,” she said with a broad smile.
“Hello, Greta.” Charles shook her hand and she batted her
eyes at him. Thryst had no idea that people actually did that. She
thought it was just something in books. “This is my associate,
Thryst Hanley. She’s got a demon problem.”
Greta shook Thryst’s hand as well. “Oh dear,” she said. “Tell me
all about it.”
Thryst tried to explain.
She talked about how the demon wasn’t a particularly powerful
specimen, but once conjured, it settled into her house. It sat down
on her couch. In fact, it became a pillow on her couch for a few
hours while she tried to figure out how to get it to leave. None of
her books helped, and she didn’t know any spells or signs or other
practices that would banish it. She tried to explain this all without
getting emotional, but she could feel her heart racing, tears
welling in her eyes.
“There, there,” Greta said, patting Thryst’s hand. “You’re not the
first summoner to make an error in the procedures.”
Thryst started to object—she didn’t think she did anything
wrong—but bit her lip. She glanced at Charles, and he gave an
enigmatic nod.
“Is it still a pillow?” Greta asked.
“No.” Thryst shook her head. “It sneaks around the house and
blends in with whatever. It takes various shapes. I think it was a
spoon in my kitchen drawer for a while.”
“And what’s its . . . disposition?”
Thryst shook her head again. “I can hear it giggling at me. It
giggles through the night. I haven’t really slept.”
Greta looked to Charles and smiled. “Have you seen this
yourself?”
“I haven’t been there yet. I figured we should come straight to
you, the expert.”
Greta actually blushed at that point.
“Well, let me get my things,” she said.
5
 Secrets of Silent Streets
The three of them took a cab all the way back to Fartown. Thryst
insisted on paying for it when Charles tried. She spilled a handful
of crystal and glass orbs into the driver’s hand and gave him an
emphatic look. He didn’t even count it as he pushed it into a bag
and then drove off.
Thryst’s house was modest by vislae standards, which basically
meant that it looked like a house. Her neighbor, a Weaver, had a
house covered in murals. Sometimes, the figures in the murals
would step out of them and look around.
She unlocked the front door and walked in. Greta and Charles
followed, both of them making signs as they did. Thryst
recognized the one he made. It was potent.
“Before I left this morning,” Thryst told them, “it was in my
closet. Just listen for the laughter.”
The three of them walked silently around the house. Greta
pulled a handheld lamp from her bag and turned it on. “Aethyric,”
she whispered to Charles, who nodded.
“I haven’t seen it take spiritual form,” Thryst said. “It’s always
been material. Just in different shapes.”
“There!” Charles pointed.
A potted plant by the window slowly transformed into a squat,
broad-faced thing with eyes all the way around its hairless head. It
laughed and ran toward the kitchen.
“Wait,” Greta said, holding up a hand. She turned to Thryst
and stared her right in the eyes. Only then did Thryst notice that
within her blue irises floated pupils the shape of coiled serpents.
“You summoned that?”
Thryst just nodded.
“That’s a very powerful entity,” Greta said.
“But Thryst is only an initiate of the mysteries,” Charles said.
“How powerful?”
“Far greater than any 1st-degree Goetic could ever hope to
conjure. There’s something bigger going on here.”
“What does that mean?” Thryst couldn’t keep the waver from
her voice.
“It means that this might not be your fault,” Charles told her.
Greta began shining the light all around the walls and furniture.
Charles stared where the light shone, as if expecting to see
something specific.
Thryst pointed at the kitchen. “But what about the demon?”
6
They didn’t reply. Thryst took a few tentative steps and peered
into the next room. The ugly little thing squatted next to the sink,
gnawing on a sponge.
Emboldened by the presence of the others, she took an action
she had been too afraid to try before and cast a quick spell,
hurling its energies toward the beast.
The magic splashed across the demon’s fat belly like a shot glass
of water. It giggled.
Well, that didn’t work.
“Aha!” Greta’s voice came from the living room. Thryst rejoined
them, but looked over her shoulder at the demon every few steps.
The aethyric light shone on a part of the wall next to the
fireplace. It revealed a terrible cyst in the wall. Greta moved the
light away, and then back again. Without the aid of the lamp, the
tumor-like mark was invisible.
“Just as I feared. It’s your house.”
Thryst’s eyes widened. “My house?”
“It’s a sort of magical virus going around,” Charles said, his
eyes trained on the cyst. “It’s from the Red. It calls and empowers
demons. More powerful entities substitute themselves when
lesser ones are called. Unbound, they’re free to wreak havoc or do
whatever they want.”
“It’s called the Red Seepage.”
Ew.
“My house has something called . . . Red Seepage?”
“I’m afraid so.” Charles’s face showed her how serious this was.
“I can get rid of your demon,” Greta announced. “It won’t be too
much trouble. But I can’t help you with this.”
Thryst followed Charles through the Celestial Bazaar. He
walked with purpose, and she just tried to keep up.
Greta had banished the demon, as promised. Thryst had paid
her, although it took every magecoin she’d managed to get her
hands on. Now here they were in the bustling market of the city
and she didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, or, just as
significant, how much it would cost.
Dead angels, but she hated the bazaar. Crowded and noisy.
People in the stalls kept yelling at her to come over and look at
their wares. Didn’t they realize that for some people, that was the
surest way to drive them away?
Not that she could have stopped to browse anyway. Charles was
moving fast through the crowd. That, at least, she could appreciate.

Finally, he walked up to a wooden kiosk covered in herbs,
fetishes, trinkets, and amulets suspended on thin chains from
hooks and nails. “This is the place.”
“This is the place indeed,” the man in the kiosk said. “You are
clearly an intelligent fellow!” The salesman stood a head taller
than Charles, and the left side of his body seemed entirely covered
in tattoos of signs and symbols. Thryst recognized some of them.
Wards, mostly.
A small dog sat on the ground next to him, chewing on
something. Well, not a dog. It had a head that looked a bit more
like an owl. Or maybe a squid.
“A man of discerning taste,” the large man continued, but
Charles held up a hand.
“There’s no need for that. I’m looking for tryber crystals, and
maybe some kallath. Do you have it?”
“Ah, well, let’s see. There’s been a demand for tryber lately.
Makers looking to use it as a catalyst. Why, there’s one friend of
mine, he’s crafting a—”
“So you don’t have any tryber crystal,” Charles said.
“Oh, I didn’t say that.” The tattooed man dug around beneath
the counter he’d been leaning against. The dog-thing ignored
them all and kept chewing.
Then the salesman straightened up, some red and green crystal
shards in his palm. “It’s just that they’re in demand.”
“And demand increases prices.”
“Well, that is the way the world works. I half promised these
to—”
“Just tell me how much, and then tell me you’re going to throw
in the kallath for no extra charge.”
The man laughed. “I like you!”
Charles half smiled and nodded. “I know. You said that last
time.”
“Oh, a returning customer! Well, then, perhaps just five
magecoins to reward your loyalty.”
Thryst put a hand on Charles’s arm. “I don’t have that.”
Charles waved his hand gently. “It’s fine. I’ll handle it.”
“I can’t have you pay. I’m already indebted to you for your time
and attention. I can’t be indebted to you financially too.” And, she
thought, it’ll take me months to come up with five magecoins.
Charles reached into his pocket, pulled out the large coins, and
handed them to the vendor. “And the kallath too.”
The tattooed man shrugged and nodded.
Charles turned to Tryst while the salesman packaged up their
purchase. “Thryst, this is going to deal with the Red Seepage.”
More Than One
“I know. But maybe I can just live with it until I can afford this
stuff myself.”
“No. Even if you did, you couldn’t summon anything in your
house in the meantime, and you’re a Goetic. That will never do.
But worse, the infection will spread to other vislae houses. This is
like a virus. It’s serious.”
The vendor handed Charles the package. “And tell your friends
this is where to get only the finest—”
“Yes, I will. Thank you.” The two of them walked away. “And
as for owing me anything, that’s all wrong too. If anything, I’m
indebted to you. We all are.”
What?
“I don’t understand.”
“You see, we forget about it sometimes—we get lost in the
specifics. The trees but not the forest, you know? But it comes
down to the Invisible Church. We don’t always all get along. One
order thinks one thing, another order believes differently. And
there are other factions and groups dividing us even more finely.
But the truth is, we all have to work together, at least on a basic
level. When something like the Red Seepage comes along, it’s our
duty to bring it to the attention of someone who can help stop it
before it spreads. You did precisely the right thing coming to me,
Thryst.”
Thryst felt a little unsteady on her feet. She hadn’t seen this
coming.
“I’m going to make sure the right people in the order know
about this. It’s going to help your advancement. Should make the
path to 2nd degree pretty easy.”
Thryst beamed.
“Now, let’s get this back to your house. We’ll have to talk to your
neighbors and find out if they’re experiencing any of this as well.
Will you help me with that?”
“Um, of course.”
On the way back to Fartown through the memory gate, Thryst
dwelled on the idea of the Invisible Church. Order of Goetica
aside, she didn’t really like to think of herself as a member of, well,
anything. She rolled her eyes so much at her fellow vislae sometimes
that some people she knew assumed she’d go Apostate eventually.
But the connection between them all, the feeling of cooperation, well,
she could see how they could all benefit from that. With the dangers
and strangeness of the world—particularly the world of magic—
community was likely the only way they’d survive.
“I’m still not going to a lot of parties,” she finally said aloud.
Charles nodded as if he understood.
7
 Secrets of Silent Streets
S
atyrine is the City of Notions. The Heart of
Indigo. The City of Truth. The Center of
the Real World.
Different people know the city from different
perspectives.
Like any metropolis you’re familiar with in
Shadow, it’s not just one city, but many. You can’t
know the whole place, even if you live there your
whole life. A vislae in Fartown and a wealthy
businessperson in the Marquis Quarter both live
Throughout this book, you’ll see page
references to various items accompanied
by the following symbols and colors. These
are page references to books within the
Black Cube, where you can find additional
details about that item, place, creature,
or concept. It isn’t necessary to look up
referenced items in the books, but doing
so will provide useful information for
character creation and gameplay.
THE WAY THE PATH
THE KEY THE GATE
10
A their whole lives in Satyrine, but those are very
different lives. And just as different is the life of the
factory worker in Rivenhome or the unemployed
veteran in the Hollows. These people have few
shared experiences and conjure very different
mental images when they say the name of the city
in which they live.
I’m not going to describe for you every building,
or even every street or neighborhood. The city is
huge—intentionally so. It’s easier to create in prep
or on the fly without having to memorize the layout
of the entire city and every location in it. The places
I’ll describe aren’t the totality, just landmarks or
useful bits to put in your narrative. But just as
useful are the places in between that you create,
probably out of necessity in response to a need
sparked by a player’s character arc.
THE WAY
Spider Whisper, page 93 The PC wants to learn the Spider Whisper secret?
Oh, well then, they have to talk to so-and-so, who
lives on such-and-such street. If you want, you can
pull so-and-so out of this book. If you don’t, you can
make so-and-so up on the spot. Either way, there’s
room for it in Satyrine.
To that end, every district has its own chapter in
this book, filled with locations and characters to use
in your narratives.
Each chapter attempts to describe the mood
and tone of its district. This is a shorthand way to
convey the general idea and the feeling of the place,
for every district is different. In many ways, each
district could be thought of as its own distinct town
or city with its own essence. The Marquis Quarter is
a wealthy area with grand structures. The Hollows
is a poverty-stricken slum. The Confederacy of
Cloisters is filled with churches and convents.
 The City of Notions

And so on. The fact that each district is separated

from the others by the Ruined Expanses makes its
distinct nature even clearer.
Every district has a sample neighborhood, and
thus a sample gerent (person in charge) of the
neighborhood. If you need a neighborhood for a
location quickly, use the one presented in this book.
If you want to use it as an example and create your
own, that works too. The exact number and names
of Satyrine’s neighborhoods is intentionally kept
vague to give you flexibility. But assume that every
district has somewhere between ten and twenty
such neighborhoods.
Every district has a handful of locations and
people. These are not complete listings, obviously.
They aren’t even necessarily the most prominent
places or characters. But they’re all immediately
usable in your narrative.
Last, every district has a story. This is something
you can insert into your narrative if you want to
steer a night’s session in a particular way and
introduce something surprising, perhaps outside
the scope of the characters’ arcs. Even though
Invisible Sun is a player-driven game, there’s
still plenty of opportunity for the GM to interject
surprises. But honestly, most of the stories here
are built to be woven into a character’s arc, if that’s
desired. The player might want a particular thing,
but the stories here will help you provide interesting
ways for them to reach that goal.

Skytower
11
 Secrets of Silent Streets
SATYRINE IS THE
CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
Satyrine in the largest city in existence.*
Everyone comes to Satyrine. Even the angelic
kings and queens, the rulers of the dead, and the
demonic lords themselves come to Satyrine. Its
mighty buildings stretch skyward and caress the
sun and moon themselves.
Satyrine is the center of culture in the Actuality,
for culture is defined by thoughts and ideas, and
in Satyrine these are literally commodities you can
buy on any street corner. The city is the crossroads
of trade, where the Abstraction meets the Alone. All
good things flow through Satyrine.
Look to the Path of Suns. When you discount
Shadow—and you should—Indigo rests at the heart
of the Path. And Satyrine is the Heart of Indigo.
Indigo represents truth and reality. Satyrine is the
hub upon which that wheel of truth turns.
Anything beyond Satyrine is other. Foreign. It
may be interesting. It may even be significant. But
it is not a part of the place and the people that truly
matter. Its importance is limited only to how it
affects Satyrine. Any interest it holds is merely as a
curiosity to those with their attentions on the truly
consequential in the City of Truth.
You could spend your life in Satyrine and simply
ignore the rest of the universe. In fact, you probably
should.
*Editor’s note: When this piece was written,
Satyrine was indeed the largest city, but since the War,
this is no longer true. Today the Actuality’s largest city
is Catafalque, in the Pale, realm of the dead. Which is
really all you need to know about the War.
14
B THE WORLD HAS NO CENTER
To think that the universe has a center is to
profoundly misunderstand it. The universe isn’t a
location, a shape, or a physical object. It is a journey
with a beginning but no end.
The Actuality extends farther than the furthest
reaches of the imagination. Satyrine is great,
THE PATH yes, but there are many great cities. Many
Actuality, page 5 profound places. More than one mind could ever
comprehend. More than any book could ever
Path of Suns, page 34 catalog.
All things come and go. Satyrine had a beginning,
Shadow, page 52
and thus it will have an end. Even the mighty
Indigo, page 46 Deathless Triumvirate will fall, fade away, or leave.
And something new will form in Satyrine’s place,
Abstraction, page 64 just as the current city rose from the abandoned
ruins of the arabast city that stood on the spot
Alone, page 204 millennia ago.
Look to the Path of Suns and the Nightside Path.
Arabast, page 16 They may have a beginning, but that beginning
is also their end. It loops about over and over. It
has no center. Or perhaps, rather, any spot could
be its center at any moment. One could argue that
wherever you are standing now is the center, at least
of your universe. Would you be wrong? No. Because
all people, and all things, matter equally.
Do not look for centers or hearts, other than your
own.
Satyrine

15
 Secrets of Silent Streets
A BIT OF HISTORY
“Where do you begin?”
“At the beginning.”
“What’s that actually mean in the Actuality? The
beginning is in the center. At the heart. It spreads
outward from there.”
“Uh, just start as far back as you can, then.”
In a time period best described as “who knows
how long ago,” the city now known as Satyrine was
founded by people or beings known as the arabast.
Although there are many questionable claims of
knowledge and wisdom about the arabast, provable
facts are hard to come by. (Which, considering the
wealth of divinations and even time manipulation
possible with magic, probably says something
significant.)
The few things we do know include the fact that
the arabast were not human, but they were probably
humanlike. Popular depictions make them thin
beings of chalk-white flesh, but no one can seem
to agree if they were very tall, or in fact somewhat
diminutive. In any case, they were undeniably
fantastic architects and built structures that lasted
millennia. Some of their structures stand today.
They understood magic, but perhaps not in the
same way that humans do. No one seems to think
they cast spells or incantations. They probably
worked more like Makers. Certainly the Order of
Makers often claims that their skills and secrets
were handed down from these ancient peoples, but
we all know that half or more of what the Makers
claim about themselves is a lie.
At some point, the arabast called upon the entity
known as the Angular Serpentine, and its spirit
imbued the city-that-came-before. It was a force
given life in the far-off half-world of Narvago, a
realm that probably no longer exists, and brought
to the city for reasons unknown. Its essence wove
its way through the arabast architecture in uncanny
patterns. One would presume that the entity
became their ruler or master, but perhaps the truth
is more complex—perhaps it became their collective
soul.
16
Abstraction, page 64
Labyrinth, page 119
THE PATH
Unfathomable
Archipelago, page 49
Rumors among learned
vislae say that if you stand
in the light of a sun with a
tattoo of that sun’s symbol
on your flesh, you gain
access to a secret of your
choosing of level 5 or lower
until the sun sets. If you
leave and then return, you
gain the secret again, but it
once again lasts only until
the sun sets. Of course,
some say that you must
have received the tattoo in
Shadow for this to work.
Eventually, the arabast disappeared. Many believe
that they fled into the Abstraction, and perhaps into
the Unfathomable Archipelago, to the half-world
from which they originated. But maybe they went
somewhere entirely different (into the Labyrinth,
perhaps?). Maybe they fused with the Angular
Serpentine and dwelled within it. The entity’s spirit
became their city, and the corporeal one was left
behind.
Or maybe they just all died out.
The human founders of modern Satyrine settled
in the abandoned ruins left behind by the arabast.
How long did the region sit, unoccupied? Perhaps
as much as a thousand years or more. And during
that time, we know that the Angular Serpentine
remained. It waited. It brooded.
The humans sought to create a hub to sell and
trade the thoughts, ideas, sensations, and feelings
created in the Emotion Mills of the Unfathomable
Archipelago. Eventually, some of those milling
operations were brought to Satyrine itself.
The city, then, was initially a mercantile venture.
It grew slowly—again, perhaps a few thousand
years passed. And in that time, the Angular
Serpentine loomed as the city’s undisputed, overt
master. This was the price the emotion merchants
had to pay and they paid it willingly.
Magic became an important aspect of Satyrine
life, and the city became known for its vislae as
much as (or more than) for its emotion trade
(although the moniker “City of Notions” stuck). It
was during this time that the struggle against the
Angular Serpentine occurred. This great and secret
battle was waged between the vislae and the being
(and its minions). There were no overt battles in
the streets. It was a much more metaphysical and
perhaps even metaphorical conflict.
It’s generally accepted that the leader of the
insurrection against the Angular Serpentine was a
woman named Teratei, known most frequently as
the Half-Crowned Queen. She did not survive the
conflict, however, cut down by assassins working
for her enemy. Rumors of her ghost roaming the
Marquis Quarter persist to this day.

Despite the loss of their almost-queen, eventually,
the vislae emerged victorious. The Deathless
Triumvirate took control of the city. For many
hundreds of years, these beings ruled the city and
were respected and appreciated. The Angular
Serpentine remained, but mostly in hiding,
defeated.
During this time, the Deathless Triumvirate
sent Fartown—where most of the vislae lived and
practiced magic—into a different but nearby space
sequestered so as not to present a danger to the rest
of the city. Around the same time, an extraspatial
“something” fell from the sky, forming a connecting
space linking various portions of the city. This
became what is now the Celestial Bazaar. (Some
believe that whatever fell from the sky already had a
huge market within it. If that’s true, there’s no proof
one way or another today.)
Meanwhile, people who didn’t want to be ruled by
the Deathless Triumvirate fled into a giant cavern
beneath the city and built a precarious second,
independent city called the Refuge. This did not
last long, however, in part because the cavern had
a strange link to the destructive forces of the Red,
which made many residents flee their sanctuary
soon after it was built. Eventually Satyrine annexed
the cave and everything built within it. This became
known as the Undersling.
And then came the War. We don’t really talk about
the War, but suffice to say it was horrific and long,
and it inflicted a terrible toll on the city, but it’s over
now and we won. That’s about all you’ll ever get out
of anyone, including—and especially—the War’s
veterans. We don’t speak of the details and we most
certainly do not speak of the Enemy. While the War
wrought death and destruction across the realms,
particularly Indigo, Satyrine suffered worst of all.
Now Satyrine rebuilds. The less devastated
districts connect through the ruins via cleared paths
and roads. Some districts, like the Topiary District,
have been wholly rebuilt, while the Reinvention is
entirely new, having not existed at all before the
War.
Satyrine
IS THE PAST EVEN REAL?
If one believes the idea that a spell created all
existence (or that it is, in fact, a spell in the
process of being cast) and that its origin point
is at the center of both space and time, which
then spread outward in all directions, then how
much of the past actually occurred, and how
Fartown, page 72 much was created by the spread of the spell’s
effect? In other words, while we move forward
in time, and we are not at the “center” of time
yet, we started at some point, but more past was
created “after” that as the spell’s effect spread.
If you start walking down a road, but the road
Celestial Bazaar, page 36 is extending both ahead of you and behind you,
how do you know where you actually started
your trip, and what part behind you was built
after you left?
Did the arabast ever truly exist, or are they
filled-in backstory “created” after the fact?
And is that why it’s so hard to get any real
information about them? When did time
become real, and was everything before that just
backdrop? When did we, as conscious beings,
begin acting in time and space and moving
forward along the timeline, even as it stretched
out before and behind us?
Undersling, page 190 Of course, this might all be a bunch of
rhetorical nonsense spouted by a philosopher,
vislae, or poet to get some attention in a bar one
night.
17
 Secrets of Silent Streets
A CITY (MORE THAN)
HALF IN RUIN
Satyrine is vast, stretching for miles, although
much of it is abandoned. Perhaps once, long ago, its
population numbered in the tens of millions. Now
it is likely no more than one million.
Thanks to the War, much of Satyrine lies in ruin,
even to this day. The districts, either still intact
or rebuilt, are like islands of civilization amid a
sea of wreckage and rubble. The abandoned and
destroyed regions, called the Ruined Expanses,
harbor dangers ranging from criminals to beasts to
vampires and worse.
Still, despite the ruin, the reclaimed and rebuilt
sections of the city have returned somewhat to
normal. Nobles strut and preen, artisans create
and perform, merchants trade, criminals steal,
and vislae tinker with magic. Probably much like it
always has been.
The authorities have done their best to clear the
ruins of Hate Cysts, dangers left over from the War.
These magical remnants of darkness, anger, and
despair are the primary reason why the Ruined
Expanses are still so hazardous. They literally foster
and sometimes create the horrors that lie in wait
amid the rubble. The efforts to find and remove or
destroy them are difficult and ongoing.
Still, to make the city function, paths and
roads connect the districts even through the
ruins. The longest road, called the Spine, runs
northeast/southwest through the length of the
city. The roads through the Ruined Expanses are
patrolled by Satyrine’s Pristine Guard and usually
remain relatively safe.
And yet, even the cleared and restored sections
of the city seem empty. There’s a palpable, quiet
loneliness to Satyrine, particularly in certain
parts. It’s not uncommon to be strolling through
the Brickhouse District, the Palindrome, or the
Strangeglass District and be alone on the street. In
certain places, such as sections of the Hollows or
Riveriver, Satyrine feels more like an empty maze
than a city. Tall, empty buildings stare down at you.
Streets wind through still, empty block after block.
18
Of course, there are also places in the city that
bustle just as you’d expect in a major metropolis.
The central parts of Fartown, much of the
Reinvention, and all of the Celestial Bazaar grow
crowded at midday and the streets are thick with
people.
It’s an odd place. A surreal city, to be sure, with
Almost anywhere you go the magic, the people altered by the changeries, and
in the city, you’ll see an all the rest. But it is a quiet, lonely place too. A place
elderbrin or two—usually where emotions and thoughts are commodities, and
in very odd forms—milling
about, perhaps listless. The
anything—anything—can be bought for the right
human citizens of the city price.
have grown accustomed
to there always being a
few elderbrin hanging DISTRICTS AND
around. They frequently
get ignored. That makes
NEIGHBORHOODS
them good spies. There are seventeen districts in the city, each an
island of safety and civilization amid the ruins of
the War. Each district has its own flavor and feel,
sometimes startlingly different from each other.
Some, like the Marquis Quarter or the Strangeglass
District, are not very different than they were before
the War. Others, like the Reinvention, are basically
new from top to bottom.
Districts serve meaningful distinctions in
regard to proximity and local flavor, but they are
not political. Governance comes from on high
(the Triumvirate) and then the very local, on the
neighborhood level. Sometimes what designates
a neighborhood and where the boundaries lie has
no set definition, but it’s certainly understood by
the people who live there. Just ask—the people of
a neighborhood know precisely where the current
boundaries are (they can and do change) and who’s
in charge.
There are probably ten to twenty neighborhoods
in the average district, with each, on average,
housing somewhere between three and six
thousand residents.

RULERS AND THE LAW
Ruling over Satyrine, the three immortal, godlike
beings known as the Deathless Triumvirate dwell
both within and beyond the city itself.
The power the Deathless Triumvirate wields is
absolute. Their word is law. However, they rarely
speak. For rulers with limitless authority, they in
fact do very little. Only in cases where the entire
city is involved do they take actions or make
rulings. Based on the few actions they have taken
or declarations they have made in recent years, one
would assume that they are primarily concerned
with clearing the Ruined Expanses and keeping
the whole of the city secure from some unnamed
outside threat.
The members of the Deathless Triumvirate do
not make public appearances. Only the rarest few
individuals could even tell you what they look like.
What powers they might wield, beyond apparent
immortality, remain a mystery. They are oft spoken
of, but no savvy Satyrine resident assumes that
their leaders might help them in a particular way
or pass a law that will make their lives better. The
Triumvirate is distant, entirely unknown, and
thought of the way one might think of an indifferent
god. However, it’s worth noting that no one actually
worships them.
The three individual beings that make up the
Triumvirate are not entirely understood. Each has
a dual nature: one physical and in the city, usually
within a massive citadel called the Skytower floating
above Satyrine’s center in the Marquis Quarter,
and one far more ephemeral. It is possible—likely,
even—that the Triumvirate is a manifestation of
Satyrine’s own life force and will. If this secret
proves to be true, then it would not be incorrect
to think of them as the mind and the city as the
body. The Hate Cysts, then, are tumorous, and the
Triumvirate—that is, the city itself—wants them
removed.
Before the Triumvirate came
along, another, far older
entity called the Angular
Serpentine was the ruler
and the spirit of the city that
existed here previously. And
still the Angular Serpentine
remains. If the Triumvirate
are Satyrine’s mind or soul,
the Angular Serpentine
today could be considered a
demon possessing the city.
It’s tempting to compare
Satyrine’s gerents to the
political bosses of the
nineteenth century in the
United States. Although
there are similarities,
the biggest difference is
that there are no political
parties in Satyrine. It is
not a democracy. It might
be better to compare the
gerents to organized crime
bosses, albeit with a slightly
stronger whiff of the official.
Satyrine
GERENTS
Neighborhoods each have a gerent, a person in
charge. The real, day-to-day power of the city
lies in the hands of the gerents. These people
govern a single neighborhood—perhaps a few
thousand residents at most—and yet within that
neighborhood, their power is great. To deal with
issues that extend beyond a neighborhood’s borders,
gerents work with one another, making a byzantine
web of connections, favors, agreements, and
contracts that bind the neighborhoods of a district
together and make it work.
Gerents manage law enforcement, regulation,
safety, and resolution of disputes. As they pertain to
their specific neighborhood, they make laws, and as
they pertain to the whole city, they enforce the will of
the Deathless Triumvirate. They’re also responsible
for taxation and fees, and they make sure to take
their share. Most gerents are quite wealthy.
A small group of influential people in each
neighborhood usually selects a new gerent when a
position needs filling. It’s common, however, that
family dynasties hold sway, so a retired or dead
gerent is often replaced by a daughter or son.
Gerents usually employ their own judges, local
police forces, fire brigades, tax collectors, clerks, and
so on.
LAWS
Laws are poorly codified in Satyrine. In part, this is
because the local gerents make most of the rules,
but it’s also because throughout the city, laws
and crimes are subjective rather than objective.
This means that even the worst of crimes can be
justified, given the right context. If it sounds like
Satyrine is a haven for lawlessness, it’s not. Judges
and gerents can make rulings capriciously. In fact,
if anything, the subjectivity of the law works against
criminals more than for them, because if any crime
can be justified, any normal act can be vilified. It’s
difficult for the accused in any crime to prove their
innocence, and for every terrible crime justified
by circumstance, there is a simple crime given a
surprisingly harsh sentence.
19
 Secrets of Silent Streets

Still, most crimes are straightforward. Murder,

assault, theft, destruction of property—these are
obvious crimes, and laws against them are citywide.
Not coincidentally, these are the kinds of crimes
that attract the attention of the Thah.
The criminality of other activities, like lying to
the authorities, fraud, libel, violating traffic rules,
and so on vary from gerent to gerent and thus from
neighborhood to neighborhood. And again, since
the law is subjective, a judge or gerent might very
well sentence or fine an activity for which there
are no laws just because it seems appropriate or
prudent.
Satyrine doesn’t control substances or items,
so there are no illegal drugs, and there are no
laws against firearms or other weapons. (Certain
gerents might operate differently, but they are by
far the exception, not the rule.) Likewise, activities
like gambling or prostitution, illegal in so many
places in Shadow, are perfectly legal here. However,
conducting any money-making activity or selling
goods or services without giving the local gerent
their cut is almost certainly illegal. Gambling isn’t
illegal, then, but running a secret gambling den
that’s not paying tax to the authorities is.
Although local gerents are both administrator
and judge for their neighborhood, Satyrine also has
Pinnacle Courts, page 120 the Pinnacle Courts, which oversee important legal
proceedings, contested cases, and civil and criminal
matters involving the most influential people.

THE PATH THE THAH ENFORCERS

Squad 57B of the Thah, The Thah work as self-appointed official public
page 145 enforcers. They have gold skin and white hair, and
they wear red coats, tall black boots, and nothing
else. They inflict pain or pleasure with a touch, and
many ride inanimate but floating stone horses.
Thoughtform, page 22 Not human, not thoughtform, no one knows
precisely what the Thah are. Some people believe
them to be the last remaining arabast. Others think
they are physical manifestations of the will of the
Deathless Triumvirate (or perhaps the Angular
Serpentine). Perhaps they’re just created or
conjured entities brought here for a purpose.

20

One thing is for certain: you cannot reason with
them or ask them questions. As such, they do not
investigate crimes (that’s for the gerent’s people)
but instead apprehend criminals in the act and stop
those who seek death, destruction, or mayhem.
The Thah appear almost as if from nowhere
when trouble makes itself known, but then again,
they don’t show up every time. They turn those they
apprehend over to the local authorities (usually the
gerent), unless that’s not feasible, in which case the
Thah disappear with the malefactor, presumably
back to wherever they came from.
These enforcers are enigmatic to say the least,
but the powers that be either tolerate or value them,
for their self-appointed authority is nonetheless
respected by all quarters. Gerents and their police
forces tend to stay out of their way.
SATYRINE LIFE
Post-War, Satyrine is still a fairly empty city. While
many districts are busy throughout the day, in
others it’s not at all uncommon to find oneself alone
on a silent city street. (And, of course, the Ruined
Expanses are more barren and desolate still.) At
night, those streets are lit by shamlight lamps,
surrounded by a surprising number of moths, and
often far lonelier.
Satyrine’s not like Shadow. It doesn’t have the
same level of automation, organization, or cohesion,
and it’s certainly not as regular—every building is
distinct, every vehicle different from all the others,
and every person unique. Although there is a
Satyrine fashion (some returning vislae have noted
that it’s similar to what they would have thought of
as a 1920s American sort of style), the true Satyrine
“look” is one of utter individuality.
Satyrine is unlike a Shadow city in other ways
as well. The streets can sometimes move or shift.
A whole district might be larger or smaller than
the actual space it occupies. Architecture does not
conform to expectations or anything resembling
physical laws or engineering needs. Satyrine boasts
origami structures, buildings of smoke, and floating
Satyrine
fortresses held aloft by fluttering butterflies. And
that’s just for starters.
Satyrine (and all of Indigo) experiences four
distinct seasons, just like much of Shadow.
Summers are hot and humid, winters are cold with
a bit of snow, and spring and autumn are relatively
pleasant. The exception is Fartown, where it is
eternally autumn.
THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY
There are likely a million people in Satyrine.
The most populous districts today are Fartown,
Rivenhome, and the Brickhouse District. The least
are the Undersling and Quiet Lake.
Satyrine is a very stratified city, with great
distinctions in the lives of the wealthy and the
poor. The different classes of people typically
live in different districts or at least different
neighborhoods. Gerents far more often come from
THE PATH the upper classes than the middle or lower.
Elderbrin, page 30 Not everyone is human, of course. Elderbrin
make up about a fifth of the city’s population (not
counting thoughtforms). Though they often live
predominantly in certain neighborhoods rather than
others, every district boasts an elderbrin population.
Those in the city generally conform to the standards
of human society, but fewer than half are employed.
Many elderbrin live on (or beneath) the streets
and have little money, but because they have such
different values and needs, they don’t mind. A fair
number, on the other hand, have adopted human
values entirely (or the pretense of them, anyway)
and hold jobs, value money and possessions, and
THE PATH seek self-aggrandizement.
Lacuna, page 30 In much smaller numbers, lacuna dwell in
small, isolated communities on the fringes of
human society. They rarely mingle and almost
never have standard occupations or understandable
motivations. Few humans know why the lacuna are
in Satyrine at all.
And there are even less common peoples as well,
most hailing originally from the various half-worlds
so close to and yet so far from the city: the four-
21
 Secrets of Silent Streets
armed drune; pinioned kellidos, forbidden to fly
within the city for fear of rooftop fires; Jasterine
idolaters parading about with their huge golden
medallions that allow them to transform into
massive apes, singing chants to their secret god;
glistening, towering secramal dancers, telepathically
whispering to each other secrets no one else could
understand; the cavarani, whose appearance always
causes disgust and fear; the skittering scalopedes of
the Undersling, and more.
Satyrine population figures don’t count ghosts,
spirits, demons, angels, or other such beings,
but that doesn’t mean they aren’t present. Even
discounting those summoned to serve Goetics or
other vislae and thus operating (or bound) within
the city, many such entities call Satyrine home.
Ghost hauntings are not rare (and in certain
districts, like Fartown, are quite commonplace).
Demons and angels dwell in the city in not-
insignificant numbers, and for the most part they
tamp down their tendency to kill each other to keep
from being ejected from the city (or worse, such
as the fate of certain angels in the Pinion Court
in the Undersling). Of course, some—like, say,
the demon who may very well now be a bar called
Zero’s—seem to have turned from their original
ways altogether.
Other creatures, from spiders (and truespiders)
to dogs to ratgoblins to grigs live in the city
too, sometimes on their own, sometimes as the
companion of a human. Some are tolerated or even
embraced, but others are thought to be at best pests,
and at worst threats.
And then there are the Dead. Not ghosts, the
Dead are corporeal enough, although they must
take steps to deal with the decomposition of their
bodies. The Dead are those who have been to the
Pale but have gained permission to leave. Many now
live in Satyrine, but most have only short-term visas
from their Empress (although to the endless Dead,
“short-term” may still be decades).
Last, there are singular nonhuman entities like
Her Elegance, the Half God, Monday, and others,
but they have their own specific stories.
22
THOUGHTFORMS
The people of the city go about their business,
but many of them—in particular the laborers, the
maintenance workers, the delivery people, the
bodyguards, and others—are actually thoughtforms.
In other words, they’re not real, but magical
creations without consciousness, free will, or needs.
They look and act like people, but that’s because
they’ve been created that way by skilled vislae. The
thoughtforms perform all manner of vital tasks and
provide important services. You can engage them in
small talk, but sometimes they perform strangely or
not at all. Still, for the most part, without studying
them, you can’t tell whether someone is real or
thoughtform just by looking.
A thoughtform can be made in any image desired.
A thoughtform can appear to be old, a child, or
anything in between, and its manner and physicality
match that design. Thoughtforms can eat and sleep,
but they don’t need to (unless they’ve been designed
that way for a purpose). Thoughtforms do need to
breathe, and of course if they are harmed they can
Pinion Court, page 194 “die.” Dead thoughtforms fade away into nothing
but the pure thought that created them.
GMs can make thoughtforms easy to pick out by
Zero’s, page 83 making them very plain and ordinary with simple
clothing, simple hair, and no tattoos, jewelry, or
THE PATH other embellishments. Thoughtforms can portray
Truespider, page 145 human intelligence, but they aren’t truly intelligent.
They don’t possess creative thought and do only as
Ratgoblin, page 131 they have been instructed. They’re more like what
in Shadow one might think of as a robot. Actual
Grig, page 129
people typically hold occupations requiring training,
The Dead, page 54 talent, or adaptability. The street sweeper might be
a thoughtform, but the accountant, the jazz singer,
Her Elegance, page 59 and the successful salesperson are almost certainly
flesh-and-blood humans.
Monday, page 95
Not all thoughtforms look like humans. Although
rare, thoughtform lacuna, elderbrin, and even
less common types exist (though they typically do
not possess the abilities of their forms). Far more
common are thoughtform animals. And unlike
The Half God, page 160 real animals that have souls and intelligence,
thoughtform animals most often resemble those

found in Shadow. They do not speak and have only
limited intellects. If someone has a “pet,” it is likely
a thoughtform rather than a natural animal. In fact,
since the vislae returned from Shadow, the number
of thoughtform animal pets has risen dramatically,
perhaps as people miss that aspect of Shadow life.
GETTING AROUND TOWN
Most of the time, traveling from one Satyrine Confederacy of Cloisters all
location to another is simple. Most of the districts
are small enough for people to easily walk from meaning (erroneously) that
one place to another. Walking to another district these four districts make up
is much more difficult, because in many cases
it means traveling through one of the Ruined
Expanses, which can be dangerous. Still, most of
the paths through the destruction are well used
and relatively safe. The longest and most important
of Satyrine’s streets, known as the Spine, runs the
length of the city from southwest to northeast.
The Satyrine Rail runs through the city, with a
station in every district except Fartown, the Celestial
Bazaar, and the Undersling, which all have their
own unique means of egress. The train’s track
is often elevated, and in places it travels around
impossible curves, does spirals and loops, and
runs on its side or even upside down. Regardless,
passengers within the train experience a relatively
smooth and flat ride. The Satyrine Rail connects
with the Indigo Rail system in the Riveriver District.
The city also has various motor vehicles. They’re
not nearly as common here as in Shadow cities, but
they’re not out of place. Most operate as taxicabs or
delivery vehicles, but a few people own their own
personal car to get around.
It should be rare for PCs to have their own
vehicle. Either it should be a distinguishing part of
their character (a Shadow memento, for example),
or it should be an aspirational goal that they can
achieve only after some amount of time has passed
in the game—perhaps it’s even a character arc for
them.
Most likely, PCs will often take taxicabs to get
where they need to go. It costs about 50 orbs to
Satyrine
go from one place in a district to another, and
In the Actuality, anywhere from 1 to 3 crystal orbs to take a taxi from
true animals can be one district to another.
companions, friends, or Taxicabs take many forms—cars, carriages, flying
roommates, but not pets.
carpets, giant birds, ghostly coaches, and stranger
things. There’s even a living whirlwind that hires
itself out as a taxi sometimes in the Lower Third.
Strangeglass, Rivenhome, It’s fun and flavorful to provide different strange
Riveriver, and the taxicabs for the PCs. It’s a real hallmark of the city.
After a while, though, it won’t be necessary for the
form what is colloquially
called “the Lower Third,”
GM to describe every taxi the PCs take (as they will
likely take many).
Since the return of exiled vislae from Shadow,
about a third of the city. a fair number of taxicabs are, for all appearances,
motorized cars, often distinctly from large cities
in Shadow from various points in the twentieth
THE KEY century—for example, black London cabs or yellow
Shadow mementos, New York cabs. In most cases, these are Shadow
page 154 mementos brought to Satyrine, but sometimes they
are the ghosts of cars seen in Shadow and restored
by magical effects.
Of course, because it’s Satyrine, one finds
elderbrin that can fly, vislae with levitation spells,
and trained or conjured mounts of all kinds, as well
Some rituals can be as objects of power that provide transport. Some of
performed only on the the law enforcers known as the Thah, for example,
Satyrine Rail, taking a regularly ride floating (but not animate) stone
full circuit around the
city as an integral part
statues of horses.
of the ritual itself. Despite all of this, most inhabitants of the city
just walk.
23
 Secrets of Silent Streets
RUNNING NPC VISLAE AND OTHER POWERFUL BEINGS
O
bviously, a lot of vislae live in Satyrine, and
more than a few immortal or non-human
beings as well. These NPCs typically have a
wide variety of magical abilities, which are almost
never fully spelled out in the stats provided in this
book (or, for that matter, in the Black Cube). The
reason for this is simple. A defined list of powers is
not the best way to portray them in a narrative.
You need to be able to use these NPCs in a
variety of situations, and vislae (and other beings)
are smart, capable, and most of all flexible. They
have resources at hand that make sense for the
context in which they appear. In one instance,
a vislae expecting danger might have defensive
spells or incantations to ward off attacks. In
another, the same vislae, knowing they’re headed
into a negotiation, might have abilities readied for
seeing through lies (or concealing their own) from
ephemera objects they procured.
The way to portray the intelligence and power
of these NPCs is to let them have something
appropriate no matter what happens. If they need a
ranged magical attack, they have one. If they need
to become invisible, they can.
Obviously, this is a freedom and a power that, if
abused or overused, will feel terrible at the game
table. The players will feel like you’re cheating if
you foil their every attempt with some ad-libbed
defense or ability. So you’ve got to use it judiciously,
carefully, fairly, and without a lot of repetition. If the
PCs encounter a vislae NPC who reflects all their
spells back at them, don’t have the next vislae wield
the same defense (unless there’s a good reason).
In fact, try not to use that precise tactic for many
sessions, or maybe not ever again.
In the same way that you as the GM decide what’s
appropriate for an NPC to say, you can determine
what’s appropriate for an NPC vislae to cast (or
24
A weak or inexperienced
vislae will know only a
couple of spells and won’t
have much in the way
of ephemera. So they
shouldn’t necessarily have
something appropriate
for every situation.
THE GATE
GM shift, page 9
Sometimes, divination
spells or the like should
simply reveal the secret, solve
the mystery, or locate the
fugitive, because it’s good
to be a vislae and wield
magic. If those things never
work because they’re always
countered, that’s no fun.
THE KEY
Logovore, page 96
Converses With
Everything, page 90
THE WAY
Effects by Level table,
page 21
have already cast). Base it on the context. A vislae is
probably better protected in their own home than
in a restaurant. A vislae who’s prepared for the
situation has more appropriate abilities than one
who’s caught off guard. And last—but perhaps most
important—the smarter and more powerful the
vislae, the more leeway you should grant them.
Sometimes, if an NPC does something that’s
exactly the worst thing for a PC (teleporting right
behind them with a poisoned dagger, having just
the right defense to counter their telepathy, and so
on), it’s worth calling that a GM shift and awarding
the player 1 Despair. But you can’t award a Despair
every time an NPC takes a smart action. Save that
for when you’re really pulling out a major benefit
for the NPC.
Running your NPCs this way allows you to shape
the story. If a vislae NPC is on the lam, they’ll have
spells to hide from divinations because that’s the
obvious thing to do. This means that the PCs need
to choose a different option beyond relying on the
obvious.
BUT WHICH ABILITIES?
Okay, so you decided not to prep your NPC vislae
ahead of time, and now you’re at the table and you
need an effect appropriate to the current situation.
But what effect?
Don’t bother choosing spells or other effects from
the cards or books. NPCs don’t work like PCs in
that way (although the spell and incantation cards
can certainly provide inspiration). Don’t worry
about what forte (if any) an NPC has, unless that’s
important flavor, such as if the NPC is a logovore or
can converse with everything.
Instead, the Effects by Level table is your friend.
Match the NPC level with the equivalent effect level,
and anything at that level or below is fair game. Got
 The City of Notions

a level 4 NPC? They can use any effect at level 4 or ATTACKS

below. (Remember that typically an NPC inflicts damage
Need a bit more flavor? Use the current Sooth THE GATE equal to their level.)
card’s meanings. The Sooth Deck chapter in The Sooth Deck chapter, ✦✦ Bolt of flame strikes target

Gate can provide all manner of ideas for the “Game page 73 ✦✦ Nearby object moves and strikes target

Narrative” entry on each card. ✦✦ One of target’s limbs becomes useless

This is not a numbers game. Play the game for ✦✦ Lower half of target’s body turns to water

a while and you’ll see that challenges of 14, 15, or ✦✦ NPC’s arm turns into a monstrous mouth that

higher are reachable by smart, well-prepared PCs. bites

So an NPC with defenses of 13, while awesome, ✦✦ NPC’s arm turns into a gun that fires

isn’t invulnerable. Instead, a high defense will force THE WAY

✦✦ Tiny creatures appear and attack target

the PCs to use their biggest, best effects rather than Magical flux, page 13 ✦✦ Target always incurs magical flux if they use

their low-level ones. magic

With all that in mind, the following are brief ✦✦ Target sinks down into the floor

lists of examples of effects (spells, incantations, ✦✦ Ropes appear and bind target

ephemera, special powers, and so on) that an NPC ✦✦ Target cannot speak

might use when their stats just say “vislae with ✦✦ Target cannot inflict harm on NPC

many spells.” ✦✦ Nearby object animates and acts like a creature

to attack target
DEFENSES ✦✦ Floor opens like a mouth and swallows target

✦✦ First attack fails ✦✦ Target is transformed into a harmless creature

✦✦ Physical attack turns against attacker or object

✦✦ Magical attack reflected back at caster

✦✦ NPC turns insubstantial momentarily UTILITY

✦✦ NPC’s flesh turns to iron, granting Armor ✦✦ Wings sprout from NPC’s back, granting flight

✦✦ Shield of energy surrounds NPC ✦✦ NPC turns to mist

✦✦ Nearby object flies up to block attack ✦✦ NPC can see invisible things

✦✦ Immune to fire (or cold or other) ✦✦ NPC can see through matter

✦✦ NPC regenerates wounds ✦✦ NPC learns the name (not secret soul name) of

✦✦ NPC is an illusion, real NPC is nearby anyone who acts against them
✦✦ NPC removes unwanted effects affecting them

DEFENSES AGAINST EFFECTS ✦✦ Door appears in wall, giving NPC an exit

✦✦ Divinations grant false information ✦✦ NPC walks on walls

✦✦ Divinations work, but NPC is aware that they’re ✦✦ NPC changes form

being used, and by whom ✦✦ NPC creates illusion of something believable

✦✦ Immune to effects using words ✦✦ NPC creates needed tool, key, or other object

✦✦ Immune to effects that hinder movement

✦✦ Caster of any effect on NPC glows brightly

✦✦ Caster must reveal their secret soul name to

affect NPC
✦✦ Caster must know NPC’s secret soul name to

affect them

25
 Secrets of Silent Streets
M
any call this area the University
District, as there are multiple schools
here, including the largest university
C
Llaural: level 6; +1 defenses;
in Satyrine. The Brickhouse District is a stable,
sturdy neighborhood of large, expensive homes,
most quite old but usually well maintained. The
district lives up to its name in the most obvious
way possible. The streets of this affluent residential
district are brick as well.
MOOD AND FEEL
The Brickhouse District is solid and well
established. The buildings are old but well kept. The
schools and universities mean that you’re as likely
to meet a few young people (although not children)
on your walk down the street as you are one of the
late middle-aged, upper-middle-class residents
on their way to their job in a bank or insurance
company.
The typical Brickhouse home has an equally
expansive yard and is girded by a brick wall. The
district also has a number of large brick apartment
buildings and complexes, mainly for housing
university students.
Brickhouse is known for its restaurants, both in
quality and variety.
The streets are usually very quiet, with your own
footfalls on the brick streets the only sound as
you walk between brick-walled yards and perfectly
trimmed hedgerows, both providing the residents
with a great deal of privacy.
28
A BRICKHOUSE DISTRICT
NEIGHBORHOOD
Llaural is the gerent of the Brickhouse neighborhood
+2 social interaction known as Wandering Corners. She’s a wealthy investor
who is known for her striking wardrobe and her integrity.
Wandering Corners is the largest neighborhood
in the Brickhouse District, with more than 9,000
residents—it’s a small town unto itself. Rumor has
it that the neighborhood’s name came from the fact
that decades earlier, the position and even the angular
shape of the buildings would sometimes change. If
true, the neighborhood has “settled down” a bit since
then, as only rarely do residents report such problems
today. (Some warn that it may return to that state
should calamity strike in the neighborhood.)
Although adjacent to Empiternal University, the
neighborhood is residential, with only a few local
businesses to serve the needs of the inhabitants.
There might be a few more bars and restaurants
than one might expect, but the campus drives up
the need for such things.
Gerent Llaural employs a staff of a dozen people
and twice as many thoughtforms to help manage
and regulate the neighborhood. Crime here is quite
low, and life is quite safe. The streets are clean and
the buildings maintained. Taxes, however, are high.
Fonor: level 4; For unknown reasons, creatures called fonor
+1 Withstand and ramble about the neighborhood. Fonor look a little
Dodge; +4 climb like ostriches made out of human arms. Their legs
are arms with hands for feet, their long necks are
arms with a hand for a head, and even their body
is entwined arms. Unlike ostriches, fonor are great
climbers (thanks to all the hands), so they’re found
everywhere—rooftops, the tops of garden walls, and
even in the branches of large trees.
The Brickhouse District

29
 Secrets of Silent Streets

LOCATIONS IN THE
BRICKHOUSE DISTRICT
The following locations lie within the Brickhouse
District.
EMPITERNAL UNIVERSITY
The campus of this large university spreads out in
the Brickhouse District, its many buildings fitting
the aesthetic nicely. Here, students study literature,
mathematics, history, philosophy, sociology, and the
natural world. More than three thousand students
are enrolled in a typical term.
An ancient campus egregor watches over and
helps maintain the university in various ways.
The students refer to it as “the Misty Mind” or
sometimes “the Misty Man.”
to freeze it, cage it, or slay it. Nothing keeps it from
THE PATH just fading away and appearing in the Brickhouse a
Brickhouse District, week or so later, none the worse for wear.
page 80 Thus, most residents have just learned to live
with the creature, and warn their children to stay
well away from it.
HEART’S HEARTH
An expensive but lovely restaurant, Heart’s Hearth
serves comforting food that is well prepared. The
interior is dimly lit by flickering flames, and the
THE WAY place generally smells of rosemary and sage. People
Egregor, page 42 are often surprised to realize that it is owned and
operated by Jason Wells, a sapient shadow who
escaped Shadow a few years ago and has adapted to
Jason Wells: level 3 Satyrine quite well.

THE GILDED HORROR THE FLOWING ROAD

Not really a location, but absolutely a feature or This road is paved with bricks like the others in the
landmark, the Gilded Horror moves around the Witnesses have claimed that district. However, its bricks seem to possess some
Brickhouse District. It appears to be a shambling when the Gilded Horror kind of intelligence, and they tend to rearrange
bear with multiple heads and far too many limbs, fades away, it appears to themselves so that the road leads to different
be as surprised as those
its entire body covered in glistening gold plating. around it, as though it was
locations, moves altogether, or becomes a staircase
This predator has no guile or stealth—it clatters and not in control of the event. rather than a street.
clanks its way across the brick roads, mostly preying It’s probably more accurate to say that the
on rats or other small animals, but it’s happy to Gilded Horror: level 8; Flowing Road is a collective intelligence, as an
take on larger meals too. It won’t resist rummaging magic (two successes), +4 individual brick, if taken from the street, appears to
through trash cans or gardens for a meal as well. Withstand, −2 Dodge; 4 be just a normal brick.
Armor; −4 stealth; moves
The fact that it is so obvious makes it more a about half as fast as a
feature than a resident. Everyone who lives here has person; fades away if it THE MASKED HOUSE
seen it or at least heard it. “If you see the Gilded suffers more than 1 Wound This large, slightly dilapidated house serves as
Horror, you’ve gone too far,” is a Brickhouse joke or 1 Anguish, or is somehow headquarters for the Xan Weir. Here, members craft
when giving directions. debilitated or seriously masks and interact in social events where anyone is
hindered (fading is not
If given a wide berth, the creature doesn’t present welcome, assuming they wear a mask.
an action on its part, so it
much danger. In addition to having no stealth, it’s fades even if unconscious Above the door is a sign reading, “Existing is your
not particularly fast. If one gets too close, however, or unable to act) only crime.”
the Gilded Horror attacks, with the intent to devour. A woman named Tilda is almost always present.
The problem with the beast, and why it has She’s not the leader of the Xan Weir, but she is the
remained active in a residential district for so long, THE PATH matron of the Masked House and, while there,
is that if seriously challenged with force of arms or Xan Weir, page 115 everyone answers to her. Tilda wears a mask that looks
magic, it simply fades away. The Thah, for example, like the face of a tiger, and typically a gown to match in
have appeared in force on multiple occasions to deal Tilda: level 4; +2 perception some fashion (for example, black and orange stripes, a
with the Gilded Horror, and every time it escapes. and seeing through pattern with tiger faces, or simply sporting a number
Other times, vislae for hire have been commissioned deception of actual claws). She is stern and unforgiving.

30

THE ROYAL ACADEMY
OF LIFESAGES
A brick building with four floors and two large
wings, this school instructs those who would
become diviners or soothsayers. There are typically
eighty to one hundred students in attendance at any
given time, and the coursework takes about four
years to complete.
The head of the school is Adhara Kouri, a woman
with an additional set of arms and a green jewel
floating immediately above her head at all times.
The jewel is the Thanadisa Stone, which grants her
even greater precognitive powers. In addition to
being an augur, Adhara is a 2nd-degree Weaver.
The “royal” descriptor in the name has no real
meaning, although the school’s history says that
it originated in a kingdom far to the south that
purportedly no longer exists. When the academy
moved to Satyrine, it kept the name.
DOCTOR PHILETH’S OFFICE
A well-respected doctor with a reputation for
results, Phileth has some idiosyncrasies. A skilled
healer, he nevertheless is terrified of sick people and
fears contagion more than anything else.
Dr. Phileth insists on wearing a bird-like plague
doctor mask, which also serves as a breathing mask
that filters the air. He wears this at all times and
won’t touch patients with his bare skin.
The doctor employs four aides to assist him with
patients.
THE PILGRIM’S DOOR
A modest little bar, the Pilgrim’s Door is marked
by a grey sign over its red door. It mostly serves ale
and beer, but frequent patrons know that the real
treat is the pear and cinnamon cider brewed on the
premises.
Three nights a week, a woman named Augusta
plays the flute for entertainment. Dressed all in
purple, her playing summons grigs from the
rafters and even from nearby houses, and they all
accompany her.
Olfonse Tre: level 3;
+2 Resist; +3 business and
seeing through deception
Isobel Tre: level 7; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
vislae with some spells;
+2 spellcasting
Adhara Kouri: level 8;
magic (two successes),
+4 defenses; vislae with
many (woven) spells and
precognitive powers
Doctor Phileth: level 7;
+1 defenses; +3 medicine
Augusta: level 3; +3 musical
skill; can summon and
even exert subtle mental
influence over nearby grigs
when playing
The Cuckoo: level 11;
magic (three successes),
+3 defenses; +1 attacks
THE PATH
Grig, page 129
The Brickhouse District
TRE MANOR
The wealthy and eccentric Tre family made their
fortune generations ago in the emotion trade.
Olfonse Tre sits on the board of directors of the
Emotion Mills Consortium. His wife, Isobel, is
an influential Maker (4th degree). They live in the
house with their five children and various other
relatives and permanent houseguests (a dozen
people in all, plus a staff of thoughtform servants).
Tre Manor is one of the largest homes in the
Brickhouse District. From the outside, it seems a
very large brick home surrounded by a walled yard
filled with trees and a fountain. Inside, things get
strange.
Tre Manor is filled with half light, a magical
illumination that lights up precisely half of what it
encounters. This expresses itself in terms of whole
objects or creatures, so when a new thing enters the
half light, it is either entirely illuminated or entirely
not. If a person is illuminated, their clothing and
their possessions are illuminated as well.
Non-illuminated creatures or objects are invisible
in half light. Which means that sometimes
residents are invisible, although they have no
control over this—it changes as they come and go
from the manor.
Tigers wander the halls of Tre Manor, and of course
some are visible and some are not. They do not harm
any of the residents, but intruders are fair game.
PEOPLE OF THE
BRICKHOUSE DISTRICT
The following people can be encountered in the
Brickhouse District.
THE CUCKOO
An angel that has lived among humans for so long
that it has taken on many human characteristics,
the Cuckoo is a recluse. Its real name is unknown,
but most suspect that its secret activities are
clandestine at best. It appears to be a human of
indeterminate gender, but that’s unlikely to be its
real form.
31
 Secrets of Silent Streets

32

EMANUEL
Emanuel is a short, broad man with goggle-like
eyeglasses who wanders the district carrying an
enormous translucent skin of liquid on his back. The
skin narrows at one end and is tipped with a valve that
Emanuel can open and close. When he does, the thick
syrup pours out in a dollop, and he speaks the name of
a mundane object. The dollop forms into the object he
names, taking on that shape permanently.
Emanuel makes items people need and sells them
for a few orbs. No one knows what the liquid is, and
the gossip is that someone once stole the bladder
from him but could not make it work, so the thief
just got away with a bag of goo.
MARTI BLACK AND EDWARD ZANE
This married couple works as writers of history
and fiction. Their successful joint career has
resulted in well over a hundred titles. Their house
in the Brickhouse District is usually empty, as they
frequently tour bookshops and staff their own stall
in the Celestial Bazaar to hawk their work. When do
they actually write? No one seems to know.
A BRICKHOUSE
DISTRICT STORY
“It’s the sun. How can we take a chance with
something so important?”
The PCs need something—it can be a spell, a secret,
an item, a bit of information, or anything else. They
learn that the person who has the needed thing is
a man named Gerhard who lives in the Brickhouse
District. He’s a Vance, but no one’s seen him around
the Vancian Campus in Fartown for so long that
most assume he retired. (Vislae who move to the
Brickhouse District typically do so only when they
retire—at least, that’s the stereotype.)
The PCs arrive at Gerhard’s house, a typical-
looking Brickhouse home, and are let in by a man
named Foster, Gerhard’s husband. Foster is tall and
has short hair and a prominent nose. He looks a
little exasperated and seems skeptical that Gerhard
has time to see visitors, but he’ll go check.
Emanuel: level 3; +2
Withstand; can make
any mundane object
Marti Black and Edward
Zane: level 4; +1 Dodge
and Resist; +2 knowledge
Celestial Bazaar, page 36
Gerhard: level 5; magic
(two successes), +1 defenses;
vislae with many spells;
+1 spellcasting
Foster: level 4; +1 persuasion
The Brickhouse District
He returns a few minutes later and says that the
PCs should come back again tomorrow.
If the PCs have some way to spy or pry, they can
learn that Gerhard is in an upstairs room, obviously
performing some type of long-form magic with all
manner of candles burning and ingredients laid out
in a circle on the floor. Foster won’t willingly share
any more information.
A BIT OF BACKSTORY
About a year ago, an old woman came to Gerhard
and told him a crazy story. She had to tell it again
and again before he would even consider the
possibility of its truth. The old woman said that
the sun doesn’t rise on its own every morning. It’s
brought up out of the night by an invocation called
Sire the Day. It’s always been this way. The sun
itself, the woman’s story goes, is a vital part of the
Legacy—a gift of the creator to stave off the dark.
Literally, the Dark. In the days before the invocation
was used, the world was only the Dark. And those
days will come again if someone—called the
Daybringer—doesn’t use the invocation to wake the
sun and compel it to illuminate the world for a day.
Thus, every day, the Daybringer must perform
the magic. The old woman claimed that she was the
Daybringer and had chosen Gerhard to replace her,
for she could not keep up the practice after so many
decades. She taught Gerhard the invocation.
And then, with a sigh of relief, she died.
Now, Gerhard’s no fool, easily taken in by any
old tall tale told by a stranger. But the look in the
woman’s eyes as she told the story, and as she passed
on to the Pale, made it clear that she at least believed
what she was saying. After much consideration, he
performed Sire the Day. He figured it would buy
him a day to do some research to see if this was
a legitimate situation. And when he finished the
invocation, he could tell it had done something.
A day wasn’t enough time to do much research,
so he performed it again the next morning to gain
another day. And then again the next day. And that
became a week, and a month.
33
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Gerhard learned that he could perform Sire the
Day up to 18 hours ahead of time and it would still
feel like something magical had been accomplished.
Which meant he could perform it on a Tuesday
afternoon to ensure that the sun would rise
Wednesday morning (assuming that’s what was
really going on).
Foster can tell the PCs that Gerhard has become
obsessed with the responsibility. He no longer
doubts the significance of what he’s doing. This has
strained their relationship, because Foster doesn’t
believe for a moment that Gerhard is making the
sun rise.
IF THE PCs RETURN
Gerhard will meet with the PCs if they return the
next day. He’s got a broad face, tired eyes, and
rumpled clothing. Most interestingly, a key is stuck
in a keyhole in the side of his neck. The PCs can
ask for whatever it is they’ve come for—a spell,
secret, or whatever they seek—and Gerhard has
it. He doesn’t want money in exchange, however.
He wants them to perform Sire the Day for him
so he can take a break. He will tell them the whole
tale, and impart—with utter sincerity—the vital
importance of performing the invocation.
The deal is, Gerhard will teach one or more PCs
the invocation, which will require nine days (and
3 Acumen from each PC who learns it). During
this time, he’ll continue to perform it. But then,
after he’s imparted the knowledge, he wants to take
a three-week break so that he and Foster can get
away together. During that time, the character(s)
will need to perform the invocation every day.
Gerhard will provide the required materials (he has
stockpiled them).
Foster, of course, is very interested in this deal
happening. But if the PCs agree, he will try to
ask them privately if they can use the situation to
prove to Gerhard conclusively that the invocation is
worthless after the couple returns from vacation.
34
If asked about the key in his
neck, Gerhard will explain
that it’s a wicked key, used
to save his life when he
was dying of a disease as
a child. Everyone expected
the key and keyhole to fade
away, like used wicked
keys do, but it never did.
It cannot be removed.
Negate the Power:
see the Spell Deck in
the Black Cube
THE INVOCATION
If the PCs agree and learn the invocation, Gerhard
and Foster leave Satyrine on the Indigo Rail. At that
point, the PCs can decide what to do.
1. Continue using the invocation as they promised.
The performer must make a Resist defense
action each day to resist the effect and truly
believe that it is working. Otherwise, they only
know that something happened.
2. Forgo the invocation and lie to Gerhard when he
returns. Nothing bad happens to the PCs. The
sun still rises each day. They’ll have an easy time
convincing Gerhard of their deception, because
he truly believes that without the invocation, the
sun wouldn’t have risen.
3. Forgo the invocation and tell Gerhard the truth
when he returns. Gerhard is under the effects
of the invocation, so convincing him will be
very difficult (challenge 9). If they fail, Gerhard
assumes they did perform the invocation and
are lying to him. He doesn’t give them what they
want and kicks them out. If they successfully
convince him, he’s overwrought with despair,
but Foster makes sure that the characters get
what they were originally after.
The PCs can research the topic, but they’ll find
nothing about the invocation. They can explore the
invocation and make an Intellect-based action (skill
with magical lore would help) to see it for what it
truly is. But to do this, they’d have to perform it at
least once. Of course, divination magic might work,
but the deception involved is potent, and the true
secret of Sire the Day is a level 10 secret.
If a PC is affected by the compulsion of the
invocation, getting them to consider the deception
is an action with a challenge of 9. A remedy that
cancels magical effects, such as Negate the Power, is
probably the only long-term solution.
Unless this is a step in a character arc, these
events are not worth an Acumen reward.
 The Brickhouse District

SIRE THE DAY

(SUPPOSEDLY) (INVOCATION)
Level: 3
Requirements:
✦✦ Herbal mixture sprinkled on the ground in

a circle (1 crystal orb)

✦✦ 9 candles, each colored as one of the suns

✦✦ 1 leaf of fidelity (25 crystal orbs)

✦✦ One hour preparation, and two hours

performance
Ensures that the sun rises appropriately on the
following dawn.
Color: Silver

SIRE THE DAY

(ACTUALLY) (INVOCATION)
Level: 3
Requirements:
✦✦ Herbal mixture sprinkled on the ground in

a circle (1 crystal orb)

✦✦ 9 candles, each colored as one of the suns

✦✦ 1 leaf of fidelity (25 crystal orbs)

✦✦ One hour preparation, and two hours

performance THE PATH

Calls upon the power of the Demiurge itself Demiurge, page 52
to permanently compel the performer to
believe that this invocation causes the sun
to rise.
Color: Grey

35
 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he exact origins of the Celestial Bazaar are
unknown, even by the most knowledgeable
people in the city. The commonly told story
is that a pocket dimension now called the Celestial
Bazaar fell, whole cloth, from the sky one day. It
crashed into Satyrine, where it was adopted as part
of the city. To most, this means that the vendors (at
least the vendors at the time) and their wares also
just immediately appeared along with the space. Is
this possible?
As previously stated, no one is certain. What is
certain is that the Celestial Bazaar occupies its own
unique space. It’s also very possible that the bazaar
was created in the same fashion as Fartown and
the story of the mysterious “crash” is nothing more
than that: a story.
The Celestial Bazaar can be reached from
locations in every district other than Fartown, the
Hollows, and the Undersling. Each of these gates
is referred to as a memory gate, meaning that each
has a toll. When someone passes through a gate,
they lose a single brief memory. The vast majority
of the time, it’s an inconsequential memory—how
much they paid for a loaf of bread last week or the
color of a dress a woman on the street was wearing.
(The memories are used to make orbs.) Most
people don’t think twice about using the gates, but
some avoid it if they can. Each wide gateway has
a posted watcher appointed by the bazaar’s one
gerent, Kaladiasi Fuur. The guards mostly look for
thieves or troublemakers. They each possess the
ability to shut down their gate, so it is possible for
the district to cut itself off from Satyrine if needed
(this hasn’t happened since the War).
38
D The bazaar is almost certainly the largest,
Some believe that the
Celestial Bazaar is not a
place but a being. They say
that an immortal entity, not
a place, crashed to Satyrine
one day in the past, and the
market was formed from its
essence. Whether the being
is still alive and aware is a
matter of contention, even
among those few that believe
this version of the story.
THE PATH
Indigo Sun, page 46
Kaladiasi Fuur, page 44
greatest, and most extensive marketplace in the
Actuality. Vendors bring in fresh food, tools,
clothing, books, jewelry, and the like for personal
customers as well as textiles, paper, lumber, and
other goods for commercial buyers. And of course,
it being Satyrine, people can also shop for ideas,
emotions, magical ingredients and materials,
ephemera, and objects of power. It’s difficult to
think of anything not available in the bazaar.
Throughout the marketplace, performers of all
stripes entertain for a few coins. Seers open booths
and offer to look into one’s future, makeup artists
sit at tables and offer to paint faces, and balladeers
offer personalized love poems or jokes. And that’s
just the beginning.
The Celestial Bazaar is about a mile and a half
(2.5 km) across. The Indigo Sun appears to shine
in the sky during the day, but this is not truly
the realm of Indigo. The weather is always like a
comfortable late spring day.
Some people—particularly the merchants and
those supporting them—live in the Celestial Bazaar
itself. They live over the permanent shops or in
small apartment buildings scattered across the
district.
CELESTIAL BAZAAR RULES,
TRADITIONS, AND POLICIES
The Celestial Bazaar and its people are keen on
traditions. While there are many, here are some of
the most notable.
The Celestial Bazaar

39
 Secrets of Silent Streets
BAZAAR EXILE
Thieves, vandals, or other transgressors are exiled
from the bazaar. This is a harsh punishment
because it literally means that the memory gates
into the bazaar will not admit the exiled person
under any circumstance. Exile, as determined by
Kaladiasi Fuur or her representatives, is permanent
only for repeat offenders.
Entering the bazaar by means other than the
doors, such as mystical teleportation, also results in
exile.
THE CODE
All the vendors in the bazaar are schooled on the
code. In short, they all agree to watch out for each
other. The main application of the code is that if you
observe someone steal from a fellow vendor, you
are obligated to report that thief just as if they were
stealing from you. Violations of the code result in
exile.
(two successes), +3 Resist;
causes anyone she touches to
freeze motionless (2 rests)
40
SELLER’S NIGHT
Once a month, the bazaar closes off access in the
evening to outsiders, and vendors are welcome to
shop at the other booths and stalls at a substantial
discount (usually around 20 percent). Sometimes
non-vendors will clandestinely sneak into Seller’s
Night to enjoy the discounts, but those caught doing
so are exiled.
THE BUST
Throughout the Celestial Bazaar, there is a
phenomenon simply known as the bust. The bust
of a famous philosopher, Callum Reed, appears
every morning in a different place in the market,
and disappears every evening. Once it appears, it
is unbreakable and unmovable. The bust always
seems to draw customers, so frequently, a merchant
will have a 10 percent off sale if the bust appears in
their area.
Hassie: level 8; magic
HASSIE
It should come as no surprise that the bazaar is
haunted. In fact, there are many ghosts here—just
like everywhere in Satyrine—but Hassie is perhaps
the oldest and best known. She wanders the stalls
at dusk, ignoring people but admiring wares. This
translucent apparition seems particularly drawn to
art and jewelry. If left undisturbed, she is fine, but if
anyone addresses her directly or otherwise attempts
to interact with her, she reaches out with her
chilling touch that not only inflicts mental damage
but also freezes the victim motionless. Then she
moves on.
MOOD AND FEEL
The Celestial Bazaar is all commerce, all the time.
It’s huge and packed with vendors, most of whom
have only a single small stall, so there are literally
many hundreds of vendors here—enough that
it’s impossible to know them all. Every trip to
this market should result in a character finding
something new.
 The Celestial Bazaar

Describe this to the players by asking them to GREY MEMORIES

think of the noisiest, busiest, most crowded market Markus Taul: level 5; A relatively new vendor, Markus Taul sells objects
they’ve ever been in, and then double it. Or triple +2 defenses; +1 social taken from Shadow from a wagon filled with
it. While much of post-War Satyrine has become interaction various compartments and storage bins. He buys
a quiet and empty place, the Celestial Bazaar is a Shadow mementos from escaped vislae, but he
definite exception to that rule. THE PATH must have another source beyond that (one that
Celestial Bazaar, page 92
no one knows) to obtain the volume that he has.
Many of his wares don’t function or don’t function
LOCATIONS IN THE properly, but the smartphones, laptops, and
CELESTIAL BAZAAR microwave ovens are still interesting curiosities.
There are hundreds of vendors—perhaps well over a Aditya Nadeer: level 4; And many of the things he sells work just fine: toys,
thousand—in the Celestial Bazaar. Here are just a few. +1 Resist; +1 persuasion clothing, candy and soda, toiletries, and other odds
and tailoring and ends.
AVIARY OF SUITS Rabhya Nadeer: level 4;
A complete enclosed structure rather than just a +1 tailoring HANDS OF THE GREEN
stall, this shop is run by Aditya Nadeer and his Rae Mustran sells small cuttings of carstan in water-
daughter Rabhya. Aviary of Suits sells two types Rae Mustran: level 4; +1 filled jars.
of clothing: suits made of feathers and suits made Dodge; +1 Armor; Imported directly from the realm of the Green
of living birds. The suits of feathers are merely +1 botany Sun, the carstan plant takes root only in animal
decorative—peacock feathers are a popular choice, flesh (living or dead). If a cutting is allowed to
but there are many options. Many things in the Celestial root in a living creature, it grows quickly, with
Suits of birds are made to order, and manifest as a Bazaar are technically vines wrapping around the creature’s limbs and
few dozen birds that can take the shape of a normal magical, but that does torso after about a month. The carstan plant offers
not mean that they are
suit, but can also flutter and fly about as a small ephemera objects or objects
protection (+1 Armor) and the creature suffers no
flock of birds, staying close to the wearer. of power. A few might be ill effects other than occasional mild discomfort—
considered kindled items, particularly during that initial month—and the
BARRISTOL but only those with a need to eat and drink more than usual. (They must
A Maker of great ability, the non-gendered Barristol tangible (game) effect. The spend at least three hours in the sun each week,
rest are just part of the
specializes in weaponry, particularly weapons for but this time need not be consecutive.) After about
surreality of the Actuality.
use against opponents that would normally not four months, the plant flowers for about a month,
fear them. So they make blades and bullets that and the flowers have a stench that grants 2 vex in
will harm insubstantial spirits, incendiary devices Barristol: level 9; magic Interaction. Most people get rid of the plants at that
that can burn fire spirits, and so on. Barristol sells (two successes), +2 defenses; point, but this is a painful process and inflicts 1
a variety of items in a nicely appointed booth in the +3 crafting, +1 social Wound.
interaction; vislae with
bazaar and takes special orders there as well. some spells; +3 spellcasting;
Rae showcases her wares on her own body, so that
many ephemera and people can see the vines as they entwine around her
CLOCKWORKS objects of power that inflict and root in her side.
Ama Halloran crafts some of the finest clocks in harm, even to spirits
the Actuality. All of them are self-aware, but most INFINITE VOIDS WITHIN FLESH
are easy to get along with. They all speak, but some Ama Halloran: level 3; Salih uses ink made of emptiness to create his
know only obscure languages. At least one, with +1 defenses; +4 clockmaking tattoos. The tattoos are almost always something
human hands at the ends of its clock hands, knows very simple: a black circle, a black box, a dark blue
only sign language, which means that when it Salih: level 5; half-moon, and so on. But each is also an infinite
communicates, it’s useless as an actual clock. +3 tattoo artistry void. As negative space, something can be inserted

41
 Secrets of Silent Streets
into the shape. But any object small enough to fit
into the tattoo that is let go is lost forever (though
not necessarily destroyed).
Salih’s tattoos are very expensive—usually 2
magecoins—but highly sought after. Among the
vislae, they are currently one of the trendiest and
most prestigious forms of body art.
LIQUID GOLD
Carlotti cries tears of liquid gold (no one knows
why), and she collects them and makes them into
jewelry. She invests much of her time finding sad
books or poetry to keep her in a good supply of
material for her work. Her booth in the bazaar
is beautifully decorated and her wares tastefully
presented. She also sells the books she reads
secondhand (because they never make her cry on a
re-read).
LOOSE IDEAS
Parmi Fash sells out of a wooden cart that looks like
it just has a number of empty glass jars or ceramic
jugs piled in it. The truth is, however, Parmi collects
ideas. These are miscellaneous ideas that have
been cast aside by their originator, but someone
might find them of interest. She’ll admit that while
none of them are extraordinary, you might find a
new way to decorate your living room, a snippet
of an unfinished song lyric, or just the right name
for your baby. (You might also end up with an
unworkable method for cleaning your fireplace, a
ridiculous get-rich-quick scheme, or an unhealthy
idea for dinner. Not all ideas are good.) Parmi
makes no guarantees, but she charges only 5 crystal
for each one. You don’t know what you’re going to
get before you buy, and there are no returns.
She will, however, buy your unwanted ideas
for 1 crystal each, and she says they have to be
substantive (although sampling her wares suggests
otherwise sometimes). She rarely has enough
containers available to buy more than six or seven
ideas at a time. A sold idea is gone forever.
42
Nicolas Garret: level 6;
+1 defenses; +2 social
interaction; conjures ghosts
up to level 4
Carlotti: level 4; +2 crafting
with gold
Luster: level 7; +1 Dodge;
+3 attacks with, repairing,
or modifying firearms; can
wield four pistols at once
and fire all four in a single
round, attacking different
targets
Parmi Fash: level 5;
+4 Resist; can handle ideas
as if they were a gooey, tarry
substance, even though to all
others they are invisible and
ethereal
Mivael Murillo: level 4;
+3 painting, +2 musical
performance; can turn
music into color
Neimas: level 5
Liavinadi Noeler: level 6;
+2 Resist; +2 book selling
and collecting
LOST SILKS
Nicolas Garret believes that a finely crafted, well-
loved garment has a soul all its own. And he can
prove it. When a beautiful garment is lost forever,
destroyed, or otherwise ruined, Nicolas conjures its
ghost and offers it for sale here. (Despite the name,
not everything he sells is silk.)
LUSTER’S FIREARMS
Luster sells guns from his black wooden booth,
all of them locked in sturdy display cases. Four
of Luster’s six arms float in the air around him.
He does not make the weapons, but he is quite
knowledgeable and can care for them, repair them,
and even modify them if needed.
Luster works as a mercenary or hired gun on the
side, wielding four pistols at once. His prices for
guns are inexpensive, but fees for his services are
very high.
MIVAEL MURILLO, ARTIST
Mivael Murillo is an artist who sells her work from
a stall in the market. She creates paintings with
music, as she can transform sound into color. She
plays guitar and then paints, occasionally humming
while she works the canvas to get a bit more color
to work with. What she really likes, however, is to
paint with other people’s music.
Her paintings sell for 20 to 75 crystal orbs.
NEIMAS PENS
Neimas makes pens that only write lies. An older
woman with long, rust-colored hair, Neimas is
friendly and talkative in her small, covered stall. She
suggests that her pens be used for fiction or similar
pursuits, but she doesn’t judge if the buyer has
other ideas in mind.
RARE BOOKS
There are probably at least five different vendors
in the bazaar who use the sign “Rare Books,”
but among them, Liavinadi Noeler is the most
prominent. She runs a small, permanent shop and
sells exactly what she claims to: rare, difficult-to-find
 The Celestial Bazaar

Luster

books. Her stock includes a few treatises on magical ✦✦ Rope that ties and unties itself
lore, spells, and secrets as well as more mundane In the Props envelope of the ✦✦ String that ties and unties itself
topics. Black Cube, you will find ✦✦ Eyeglasses that change color

Liavinadi got herself into a great deal of trouble Liavinadi’s business card. ✦✦ Marionette that dances on command

a few years back selling some of the few books ✦✦ Teacup that keeps its contents warm

that detailed aspects of the War. These books were ✦✦ Shoes that play music with each step

confiscated by mysterious people wearing black ✦✦ Magnet that clings to wood rather than metal

trench coats, claiming to work for the Deathless Deathless Triumvirate,

Triumvirate. Today Liavinadi won’t even talk about page 19 Xaros might also have a few ephemera objects or
the incident, let alone the books themselves. objects of power.
Her booth looks like a collection of unorganized
SPIDER LADY Xaros: level 6; +2 Withstand junk, much of which is covered in a dusting of
Xaros has a large black spider where her right eye and Resist; +3 interaction webs.
should be, although there’s an eye on the spider’s with spiders
abdomen (which does not match her other eye at TIEDA’S MEATS
all). When she speaks, tiny bits of spider webbing Tieda: level 4; +1 defenses Tieda sells her wares from a large pavilion of
come out. She has quite a rapport with spiders purple and gold silks. She is a zilat with the ability
and even truespiders, and somehow parlays this THE PATH to magically create meat of various kinds, already
into gaining access to rare items and materials not Zilat, page 124 seasoned and spiced (but not yet cooked).
found elsewhere. For example, a typical selection of
wares might include: Truespider, page 145

43
 Secrets of Silent Streets
WATER RIDERS
Virot sells bicycles that can ride on the surface of
water. He is a black-haired man of average height
with thick glasses. The bicycles work normally on
land or water, although if the rider stops on the
water, the bicycle sinks. Each bike costs 25 crystal.
Virot also repairs bicycles and sells parts.
PEOPLE OF THE
CELESTIAL BAZAAR
In addition to the vendors above, here are a few
people found in the Celestial Bazaar.
THE FIREWITCH
Performing an act that is exactly as dangerous as it
appears, the woman known only as the Firewitch
conjures gouts of fire of different colors and shapes
that obey her every command. A musician named
Oilan, who calls himself the Purple Piper, often
accompanies her performances with dramatic
44
Virot: level 4
Kaladiasi Fuur: level 8;
+2 Resist; +3 social
interaction
The Firewitch: level 8;
magic (two successes),
+2 defenses; +2 performance;
can produce fire at a whim
and can control any fire that
she conjures, as long as it is
within long range
Oilan, the Purple Piper:
level 4; +1 Resist;
+2 performance and music
music that seems like far more than what most
people could produce with just a flute.
The Firewitch dresses provocatively and scantily
to garner even more attention, but what she does
wear is unsurprisingly red, yellow, and orange. At
any time, she can create a halo of fire around her
head or her whole body. Also unsurprisingly, Oilan
dresses in all shades of purple.
KALADIASI FUUR
Overseeing the entire Celestial Bazaar is a daunting
task, but Kaladiasi Fuur would never admit such a
thing. She’s extremely capable, but just as extremely
arrogant.
Kaladiasi is almost never seen without a retinue
of assistants, guards, and lackeys. An elderbrin
follows her and writes down everything she says.
She dresses practically but impeccably. She’s also
very old, sustained by magic and granted youth by
the changeries.
 The Celestial Bazaar

MOIRIS THE BALLADEER Stangre: level 7; with work. The man is Stangre, a middle-aged
A busker of no small talent, Moiris sets up his +2 defenses; +1 crafting fellow with a blue mustache and a wide-brimmed
guitar in busy parts of the marketplace and plays and persuasion; can teleport hat. The overworked fellow has noticed the PCs’
himself or others to his
and sings songs of his own creation, usually about “supplier”
interest in his wares and says, “Hello, friends. As
funny or moving things that happened in the bazaar you can see, it’s a very busy day. My assistant is ill
in the past. He has one of those faces that seems and couldn’t come to work. If you are willing to give
eternally young, but a bit of grey in his hair betrays Moiris the Balladeer: me a hand, I’ll give you what you’ve got your eye on
the fact that he’s older than he might appear. Almost level 7; +1 Dodge and for free.”
anyone in the Celestial Bazaar can relate that he’s Resist; +2 performance and Stangre says he needs them to go to his supplier
songwriting, +1 persuasion
been playing there for many years. and perception
and get something. It’s a mystical ingredient or
something similar that’s appropriate to his business
URAMULPUR (which is determined by the GM to suit the PCs’
One of the most influential elderbrin in the city, needs or wants). He says that what he needs is a
Uramulpur seemingly knows everything occurring Uramulpur: level 11; magic light in his supplier’s eye. He’s cagey about further
with his kind, and he is even connected with those (two successes), +2 defenses; details.
that have broken from their families’ ranks. He also +3 social interaction;
various special powers,
wields powers that most people do not associate including mind control,
LIGHT SHINING IN THE EYE
with elderbrin, leading some to believe he is telepathy, and teleportation If the PCs agree, Stangre thanks them and waves
actually a vislae. his hand, and suddenly the PCs are all falling from
a great height. They get a brief glimpse that they are
YULESSES falling into what appears to be a colossal eye, which
Yulesses isn’t a vendor, but an accountant and Yulesses: level 6; magic just might be in a colossal face (but there’s little
banker who caters to the vendors in the bazaar. He (two successes), −1 time to confirm that).
has an office in one of the permanent buildings Withstand and Dodge, +2 The PCs splash down into deep water, unharmed,
Resist; +3 accounting and
and lives in an apartment above. He’s an older finance; produces magical
but the water is actually a part of the giant eye. In
man, probably once broad and muscular but now a flux of a random level and the distance, they see what appears to be a round
bit stooped, with grey hair and a slight limp. He’s nature at random times island in the middle of this calm sea, but it is of
well liked and well respected, but it’s unlikely that course the pupil of the eye. A lighthouse stands on
anyone other than a resident of the district would The GM should have the unmoving pupil, and they must make their way
ever have reason to interact with him except for one Stangre sell whatever it to it either by swimming or other means that they
thing—Yulesses should have been a vislae. Now, in is the PCs are interested provide. The lighthouse is, obviously, the light in
in. If they’re hungry, it’s
the later years of his life, his inherent sorcery leaks food. If they’re in need
the supplier’s eye that Stangre spoke of. Swimming
out to produce unexpected and usually unwanted of decor for their houses, to the pupil takes 30 to 40 minutes and is an
results. he’s got beautiful and exhausting affair.
He’s interested in finding some actual vislae who interesting stuff. If they’re Climbing up onto the pupil feels like climbing
might be able to help him in some way. shopping for ephemera, onto glass. It’s smooth but not particularly slick, and
that’s what he sells.
there’s a gentle slope up the convex “island.” The
lighthouse is a bit more than a hundred feet (30 m)
A CELESTIAL Is the eye (and its owner) high, with a single door at its base. The door is open
BAZAAR STORY fantastically huge, or when the PCs approach. PCs who can fly can easily
Sometimes we all just need a hand. have the PCs been shrunk reach the top directly.
down to minuscule size?
The PCs are in the Celestial Bazaar, most likely There may be no way to
shopping. At a particular stall a man selling find out for certain.
something of interest to them appears swamped

45
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Endravine: level 9; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
+2 perception and +1
magical lore; vislae with
many spells; +3 spellcasting
46
INSIDE THE LIGHTHOUSE
The interior of the lighthouse is mostly just a spiral
staircase to the top. Halfway up, however, there is
an apartment suitable for a family.
Endravine is a powerful Apostate. She and her
3-year-old daughter, Harra, live in the lighthouse,
where she spends most of her time developing new
spells. Harra has three cats named Good, Bad, and
Ugly. Endravine knows Stangre, of course: he’s her
ex-husband and Harra is their daughter. Endravine’s
spectacles only accentuate her glowing green eyes.
Her hair moves of its own volition almost like she’s
underwater. Harra has her mother’s eyes.
The vislae is not welcoming or talkative, and
mentioning Stangre’s name hurts more than it
helps. She’s fed up with her ex-husband and his
reluctance to spend time with their child, always
claiming that he’s too busy with work. Getting her
to do much of anything other than tell the PCs to go
away is a persuasion action (challenge 7).
When they ask her for the item Stangre sent them
to fetch, she says, “If you’re here in Stangre’s stead,
then you have to do Stangre’s chores.” There are
three tasks the PCs must accomplish before she will
give them what they’re after.
1. Repair the inner staircase. If the PCs used the
inner spiral staircase to get up to Endravine,
they’ll have noticed a broken wooden stair.
Endravine can supply them with tools, but
perhaps the PCs have magic that can repair the
stair as well.
2. Clean the light. At the top of the lighthouse is a
powerful magical crystal that produces the light.
It is covered in grime. Cleaning it is a fairly
simple matter of rags and polish, but doing it
without suffering severe eye damage is another
matter entirely. Withstand defense rolls are
required (challenge 7). Those who fail suffer 2
points of damage and gain 2 vex to Perception.
3. Trap the beast. The last task is the most difficult.
Endravine explains that a nameless beast comes
clawing at the door at night, and they fear for the
cats and perhaps even Harra. Harra, however,
insists that the PCs must not kill the beast—
 The Celestial Bazaar

whatever it is—but only subdue or capture it. If

they don’t have spells or other abilities to make
that possible, Endravine can provide them with
an old fishing net. Beast on the eye’s shore:
level 5; +2 Withstand
To find the beast, they can wait until night when and Resist, +1 Dodge;
can sustain 4 Injuries per
it will come to the lighthouse. (This place is on the Wound and 4 Wounds;
same day/night schedule as the rest of the Actuality, can make as many attacks
even though there’s no sun in the sky.) Otherwise, with claws or tendrils as
they’ll have to hunt for it. there are close targets; all
The beast lives right at the water’s edge in a den attacks are envenomed so
that a victim gains 2 vex
of crusted foam. It is a spherical thing about 18
to a random Certes pool
inches (46 cm) across, with an odd assortment of
clawed hands, animal paws, tendrils, and even a
wing or two. A single bloodshot eye stares out from
amid the riot of miscellaneous limbs, and there’s
a toothy maw down in there somewhere. It is a
tenacious, bestial thing that can’t be reasoned with,
but it can be tricked. It’s really only interested in its
next meal (and a nice hunk of a vislae’s leg would fit
that bill just fine).
If the PCs complete all three tasks, Endravine
compliments them and her demeanor softens
(although she remains generally tight-lipped and
enigmatic). She offers them a tasty, light lunch and
the item they came for.
If asked if she has a message for Stangre, her
response is all expletives.

GETTING BACK TO SATYRINE

As soon as the PCs have the item they came for,
they are pulled back to the Celestial Bazaar and
Stangre’s booth. He is true to his word, and gives
them what they were interested in if they give
him the item. In fact, unless the reward is already
substantial, he’ll be quite generous. If the PCs ask questions
If Stangre promised the PCs food or something about the lighthouse or
equally minor, they’ll likely scoff at doing all this the eye itself, Endravine
simply shakes her head
for such a small reward. However, Stangre’s magic and says, “You really
won’t return them to him without the item. They’ll don’t have any idea where
have to return under their own power. you are, do you?” But
Returning with the item for Stangre earns 1 she won’t give more of
Acumen. an answer than that.

47
 Secrets of Silent Streets
S
ome might refer to this area as the “Temple
District,” and the name suits its nature.
Even “Confederacy of Cloisters” was
originally just a nickname. It became the official
name of this district before the War. Most people
call it “the Confederacy” or just “the CC.” Although
it has residential neighborhoods and commercial
areas like all the rest, this large district is notable
for its churches and temples, its monasteries,
and its cemeteries. Not surprisingly, it’s a quiet
district, known for gentle winds blowing through
whispering willows and robed figures silently
walking across cobblestones.
MOOD AND FEEL
Probably no district other than Fartown has as
varied architecture as the Confederacy of Cloisters.
That’s because each religion has its own style, and
thus no temple looks much like those around it. It’s
a quiet district, underpopulated even considering
that most of the buildings in use aren’t homes, but
temples and churches. The people there are often
quiet, perhaps deep in contemplation.
The people of this district probably live here for a
reason. Either they do work related to the temples
or they are extremely devout in their faith to one
religion or another. Despite the Confederacy’s
generally quiet demeanor, it’s not out of character
to see people stopping in the middle of the street at
a particular time to pray, or to see street preachers
trying to convert those of other faiths.
It’s important to remember that a huge portion
of the district is cemeteries. The district likely has
more than its share of the Dead for this connection.
50
E It also means that funeral processions make their
way through the streets on a regular basis.
Having so many people and institutions of
differing faiths in one place brings its own
The priests and officials in problems. Conflicts—sometimes even violent
this district cannot agree ones—arise among the religions represented
as to whether this is The here. Churches are vandalized or even sometimes
Confederacy of Cloisters
or just Confederacy of
destroyed by a rival. Some members of the clergy
Cloisters, but the fact that spend more time plotting against their neighbors
they believe this to be a (either in defense or offense) than they do their
significant issue tells you normal religious activities.
a lot about the district.
A CONFEDERACY OF
CLOISTERS NEIGHBORHOOD
The Redivivus neighborhood is about half temples
and half cemeteries and mausoleums. The only
people who call Redivivus home are those who live
(and thus work) directly in the places of worship
or the cemeteries. A disproportionate number of
Redivivus residents are a member of one priesthood
or another. The rest are morticians or similar
professionals. (Gravediggers and groundskeepers
are likely all thoughtforms.)
The gerent of Redivivus has few constituents,
but more than her share of responsibilities. Her
Anika Anada: level 7; name is Anika Anada, and she is young, focused,
magic (two successes), and professional. She’s also a zilat who can read
+3 Resist; reads minds minds, which certainly comes in handy. Anika
must continually make compromises among the
THE PATH differing faiths and religious organizations in
Zilat, page 124 her neighborhood. One might demand that no
buildings in the neighborhood be painted white to
honor their god, while another might insist that no
other colors exist and to believe otherwise is heresy.
The Confederacy
of Cloisters

51
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Anika has no permanent staff. If she has need
for help, she hires short-time contract workers. If
she needed to investigate a crime, for example, she
would have to hire outside parties (like the PCs).
LOCATIONS IN THE
CONFEDERACY OF
CLOISTERS
The following locations exist within the
Confederacy of Cloisters.
THE AETHYRIC SHRINE OF
BEARABLE EXISTENCE
Accessed only in the evening, the Aethyric Shrine
of Bearable Existence appears to be a shimmering
display of light, almost aurora-like, but vaguely in
the shape of a bronze building with two minarets.
However, this structure of wavering light is no
mirage, and can be entered. Inside, the shrine is
calm and quiet.
The priests inside instruct the faithful in the
glories of life and existence. Death to them is an
anathema and must be avoided at all costs. They
do not recognize the Pale as a physical place and,
despite all evidence to the contrary, believe that
death is only oblivion—more like what is true about
the Dark, actually.
THE CARDIOPHAGES
The cult of Gullam the Devourer is a secret society
devoted to cannibalistic rites to appease their awful
deity. Specifically, in their religious ceremonies,
they each partake of a piece of a human heart.
Some of the flesh they consume is stolen from
mortuaries or hospitals, but—even worse—a great
deal is gained through murder. Even these murders
are ceremonies, and involve magical rites and
invocations to Gullam like Moritat. In essence, then,
it’s a cult of ritual murderers.
For obvious reasons, the truth behind the rites of
Gullam are secret. In fact, the cult operates out of
a temple that they claim is dedicated to a fictional
god named Vesteramulase. The outside and
52
Gullam temple guardian:
level 6; magic (two
successes), +2 defenses;
+1 Armor; can freeze a close
target in time (2 rests)
THE PATH
Confederacy of Cloisters,
page 86
THE PATH
The Dark, page 62
Palintalinosh: level 7;
+2 Withstand and Resist;
has handfuls of poisonous
powder to throw at a close
target who must Withstand
or fall to the ground in
convulsions (1 rest)
THE WAY
Ivum, page 106
Moritat, page 37
Gullam ritual murderer:
level 5; +1 Dodge; +2 stealth
vestibule of the temple is a dull facade with a few
obscure (and completely fake) symbols. Deep within
the building you find Gullam’s true temple, which
drips with leering gargoyles and grim statuary. The
temple guardians look like giant frogs with clocks
instead of heads.
CAVERN IN THE SUN
From the outside, this location seems like an
indistinct shimmer, nothing more. Stepping into
it, however, you enter a cavern-like enclosure, with
what appear to be walls of stone (or something
similar) rising around you and a ceiling like a cave’s
roof 200 feet (60 m) overhead. And yet, you can
still see the sky above and the other churches and
buildings of the district around you as well. All at
the same time.
Stranger still, winding columns of the same
stone stretch across the mammoth cave from floor
to ceiling and wall to wall to form a tangle of stone.
Suspended within this web is a single structure
that is difficult to reach, which serves as a temple
to Naasarthi, god of isolation. The few priests of
Naasarthi dwell in the temple and never leave.
From anywhere within the cavern, you can always
hear deep, resonant voices intoning a quiet but
beautiful song of loneliness. This is known as the
Cavern Hymn and many people come here just to
hear it, then leave without ever making it up to the
temple itself.
THE CRATER HOUSE
South of the district lies the house of the main
supplier of the drug ivum.
Palintalinosh is a very old man, but he’s kept
himself healthy and strong through magic and a
variety of strange substances imbibed, inhaled,
and injected. He stands almost 7 feet (2 m) tall,
with gangly limbs, bulging eyes, and hair like an
explosion of orange and white. He’s very likely
insane, spending much of his time listening to
music at ear-splitting levels and surrounding
himself with what appears to be an amazingly
diverse amount of intricately arranged junk. He

does this as a way to worship an entity called
the Mother of Senseless Things. Wild and
unpredictable, perhaps even unstable, Palintalinosh
is not malevolent. He keeps to himself in his home
in the ruins, takes a wide variety of drugs, and
listens to music. Long ago, he worked for King
Nine, but was able to sever those ties without losing
his life (not always the case with King Nine). Now
he’ll never work for or with anyone else again.
He built his house within a crater in the Ruined
Expanses where an extraordinarily powerful spell
detonated in the last days of the War, injecting the
magical equivalent of fulgurite into the ground.
Palintalinosh uses a number of thoughtform
workers to dig up the material so it can be ground
into ivum powder.
The crater is about 120 feet (36 m) across and
about 40 feet (12 m) deep, pocked with holes the
workers have dug. A narrow, ramshackle (but safe)
bridge slopes down from the side of the crater to the
house in the middle.
You can always hear digging and chipping away
in the crater whenever you are near. The diggers,
in shifts, work around the clock. They don’t pay
attention to visitors.
Palintalinosh’s house is very small, with a front
room, an office, a kitchen, a bedroom upstairs and
a single basement room. The whole place—but
particularly the office and upstairs bedroom—are
filled with a strange miscellany of seemingly useless
objects, mostly from Shadow. The rooms are filled
with limbs and heads from dolls, toothbrushes,
soup cans, lightbulbs, hubcaps, dinnerware, jewelry,
construction toys, buttons, wristwatches, candle
stubs, gelatin molds, flowerpots, and more. They
sit on shelves, tables, and the floor. They hang from
the ceiling and walls by wire and string. Many have
mysterious symbols written, painted, or etched onto
them.
Palintalinosh’s only friend is the elderbrin
Nethven. Nethven takes diminutive forms, generally
standing about 2 feet (60 cm) high, usually with
large eyes and an almost frog-like face.
THE PATH
The Mother of Senseless
Things, page 107
King Nine, page 48
Allozere: level 7; magic
(two successes), +3 defenses;
can control volume (from
silence to deafening noise)
in a medium area
Caretaker: level 5; magic
(two successes), +2 Resist;
+3 maintenance, +1 social
interactions; can heal 1
Wound or Anguish, remove
a curse or other ongoing
effect of level 6 or below,
or grant someone a +2
bonus in all tasks related
to a single undertaking
Nethven: level 4; magic
(two successes), +3 Resist;
+1 mining; shapeshifting
The Confederacy
of Cloisters
THE EUPHONIC CHURCH
Devoted to music and pleasing sounds in general,
the people who come to this church serve no
god directly, but simply dedicate themselves to
harmonious words and music. The church hosts
concerts and other performances every week, and
offers music lessons for free.
Allozere is an angelic being from the realm of the
Silver Sun who oversees and protects the Euphonic
Church. Wealthy donors—patrons of the arts,
really—help fund the temple’s activities.
HOUSES OF THE BLESSED
The Thirty-Five Blessed Spirits are said to dwell,
metaphysically, in this collection of buildings with
elaborately decorated marble facades. Statuary
and ornamentation create a feeling of chaos to the
casual viewer, with nary a straight line in sight. The
decorative elements create sacred geometry invisible
to all but the most discerning eye, which provides a
spiritual place for the entities to dwell securely and
without effort.
The Thirty-Five, as they can be called, are so
numbered because two hail from each sun on the
path (including the nightside of each sun that has
one), as well as a single spirit from the Dark, kept in
check—in theory—by the other thirty-four. They are
powerful immortal entities without physical form
and each has its own outlook and agenda.
The Caretakers are the closest the Thirty-Five
have to a priesthood, and it is the Caretakers’
job to maintain the houses and the sustaining
geometry. In turn, they have the favor of the
Thirty-Five Blessed Spirits and can help petitioners
seeking aid or wisdom with the insight and
power channeled from the entities within their
purview. The Caretakers have been known to heal
wounds, both physical and mental, remove curses,
and grant limited blessings of good fortune in a
venture, all thanks to the power of the Thirty-Five.
They typically ask for money in return to help
with the upkeep of the Houses of the Blessed, but
sometimes one of the Thirty-Five will have some
task that needs doing. For example, Yxarix, one
53
 Secrets of Silent Streets

54

of the Gold entities, hates vampires but doesn’t
want them destroyed—instead, she wants to see
them returned to life. She might want information
regarding the whereabouts of a vampire, or even
want someone to confront one and attempt to use
magic to restore it to life.
The Caretakers never take on tasks for the Thirty-
Five Blessed Spirits other than maintaining the houses.
LIBRARY OF RHOL,
THE LEFT-HANDED GOD
The library is a gothic structure of black stone with
green-tinted windows. An almost serpent-like coil
of mist winds around the spire, obscuring the path
leading up to the top. The mist itself is a living,
intelligent spell, allowing only those with the proper
key to pass.
Inside, the library has the Actuality’s largest
collection of books relating to the Nightside Path. The
library also acts as a sort of house of worship for Rhol,
although Rhol’s dogma is undemanding and does not
emphasize any of the traditional ways of “worship.”
It’s said that Rhol himself can communicate with
those in the library by rearranging the script on any
of the books.
MANDALA GATE
Although Satyrine has no walls, it does have a
gate. Positioned at the end of a wide street cutting
through the Ruined Expanses, the Mandala
Gate sits between two large stone buildings. It
is currently the main entrance to the city and, as
such, sees a lot of traffic of all sorts. The gate is just
a large arch with thousands of tiny symbols and
charms hanging from it, each representing a belief,
idea, emotion, or concept. Most of these were added
by passersby, and more are added each day.
At any given time, the gate is surrounded by
loitering elderbrin, vendors selling cheap goods,
and sapient shadow panhandlers begging for some
way to acclimate, or at least understand.
The Mandala Gate’s not technically in the
Confederacy of Cloisters, but it is closest to that
district.
The Confederacy
of Cloisters
ORCHARD OF MAUSOLEUMS
In this, the largest of the city’s cemeteries, graves
dig themselves and tombs grow like plants,
sprouting from the ground. The graveyard
expands as needed, and produces all the necessary
structures.
Of course, you’d be a fool to think that the orchard
THE PATH doesn’t have more than its share of ghosts. Most of
Orbs, page 131 the ghosts here are orbs, too dull to do anything but
wander the vicinity of their own graves.
THE MAUSOLEUM OF NAHAIRAN
At the edge of the Orchard of Mausoleums stands
a structure inside an open pavilion encircled by
eight columns, topped with a mosaic-tiled dome
that glows at night. This is the tomb of the well-
known General Nahairan, a hero of the War who
died defending Satyrine. While Nahairan has passed
THE PATH peacefully into the Pale, the ghosts of some soldiers
Rhol, page 29 from the War who remain in the city come to the
tomb each night to perform acts of honor and
obeisance.
Locals call them the honor guard, and many
people show up to watch the procession and
ceremony.
MERRIAN’S
Merrian’s cafe caters to the Dead. They don’t serve
food but the memories of food and the sensations
Merrian: level 4 of eating. Merrian, however, is very much alive. Her
husband, Aoard, passed away a decade earlier but
Aoard: level 4; +2 defenses has returned as one of the Dead and visits his wife
routinely when he does not have other business on
Pale Embassy, page 121 behalf of the Pale Embassy.
Some people have compared THE MIDNIGHT CATHEDRAL
the Mandala Gate to the The heart of the Church of Midnight lies in
gateways guarded by the Satyrine, in the Confederacy of Cloisters. Although
warden of each sun.
this cathedral is a place where church members
conduct rites in the name of various demonic
THE PATH entities and dark gods, it’s also a shelter and
Church of Midnight, treatment center for the depressed. A staff of
page 111 therapists and counselors works there every day.
55
 Secrets of Silent Streets
High Priestess Adored Ynfallosa, in charge of the
Midnight Cathedral, is a powerful vislae who uses
glamours to hide her advanced age. A public figure,
she all but dares angels or mortals who fear or hate
the darkness to confront her or her organization.
Sometimes they do, and sometimes there is
conflict. Sometimes that conflict turns violent. But
the Church of Midnight always survives and often
emerges victorious. Either way, the conflict itself is
a paean to at least some of their patrons.
THE SENSORIUM
A broad, two-story structure, the Sensorium is
one of the newer buildings in the district. It is not
so much a temple as it is a business. Within the
sensory chambers, a visitor can experience any
sensation—pleasurable, painful, or otherwise. The
experience feels entirely real but causes no physical
harm or change (mental effects are another matter,
but they depend on the sensation).
The main room of the building holds three
dozen small sensory chambers. Admission to the
Sensorium is 3 crystal orbs, plus 1 crystal for every
minute within a chamber. Sometimes, people grow
virtually addicted to time spent in the chambers,
usually to a specific sensation. Others are only
interested in trying a different sensation every
time. A small group of devotees believes that once a
mortal experiences literally every possible sensation,
they become God.
THE TEMPLE OF IS NOT
Is Not is a god of nonexistence. But that’s not how
those who serve her would say it. They would say
that “Is Not a god of existence.” They’re a confusing
lot.
The temple is a paved, empty lot painted black.
Her faithful sit on the ground there twice each week
and say and do nothing, contemplating oblivion.
TEMPLE OF ONANTHES
Overseer of the Forsaken Sea, Onanthes was once a
water goddess and is now transitioning to be a male
wind god. In his new form, Onanthes is the God of
56
Ynfallosa: level 10; magic
(two successes), +3 Resist;
+2 social interaction;
vislae with many spells;
+5 spellcasting
THE PATH
Unfathomable
Archipelago, page 49
the Awakening Sky. A few of his worshippers have
found it difficult to transition along with their deity,
but most have adapted. In addition, Onanthes has
found new followers, not the least of which are the
fiery winged kellidos, who hail from a half-world
beyond the Unfathomable Archipelago.
Onanthes’s temple is under major renovation,
currently covered in scaffolding. Thoughtform
workers remove blue-green wave imagery and
other marine symbology. Signs indicate that it
will eventually be a beautiful structure of reds and
yellows, with a sunrise motif.
THE YELLOW TEMPLE
People never see anyone entering or exiting this tall,
dingy yellow structure. Roughly conical with a pair
of jutting side towers, this mysterious temple seems
to have no followers, no priesthood, and no services.
Some people believe it to be abandoned. None of
this, of course, is true. The priests and followers
that worship here gain access through hidden
underground tunnels connected to the sewer. The
actual temple is sealed tight, with locks and even
diabolical traps to protect that which lies within.
Within the sanctuary chamber of the temple
is the god itself, called “God” by its worshippers,
and called “the Yellow Thing” by the few non-
devout who have seen it. This 80-foot (24 m) tall
being is formless, with no discernible face and
barely understandable limbs. It pulses and sighs
constantly but rarely moves—not that it could really
go anywhere. It all but fills the tall central chamber
of the structure. Priests and worshippers climb
narrow stairs to reach numerous small ledges and
balconies where they can worship their god up
close. They offer it food sacrifices, which it slowly
devours through absorption. While it eats, it emits
terrible fluting sounds and noxious odors, both of
which the priests claim to translate as prophecy and
divination.
Rumors throughout the district claim that there
are great magical treasures hoarded in the Yellow
Temple, including artifacts not seen in decades or
longer. Thieves enticed by these rumors are never
 The Confederacy
of Cloisters

seen again, which may suggest that perhaps the

sinister priests of the Yellow Temple spread the
rumors themselves.
Priests of the Yellow Temple often wear Priests of the Yellow
yellow hooded robes, but when attempting to be Temple: level 6; +3 defenses;
inconspicuous, they shuck their robes for normal +2 stealth and deception;
typically carry level 6
clothing. Still, one can spot them based on the poison that grants a scourge
yellow runes they bear on the back of each finger. to movement (4 rests)

PEOPLE OF THE
CONFEDERACY OF
CLOISTERS
ABERIDUS
One of the Dead, Aberidus is a tall, imposing Aberidus: level 9; magic
figure in skull-adorned armor of steel and bone. (two successes), +2 Dodge
He spends his time in graveyards and cemeteries, and Resist; +3 searching;
can sustain 6 Injuries per
rousting ghosts and looking for wraiths that have Wound and 6 Wounds;
escaped the Pale. He claims to be an official agent +3 Armor; immune
of the Pale Embassy, but he is lying. In truth, he is to poison and disease;
looking for a specific wraith—his lover, Cornelius. can affect spirits with
his physical attacks
CLEMENCY
The oddly named being known as Clemency is a Clemency: level 3; magic
devout worshipper of Rhol, the left-handed god. She (two successes),
has spent a great deal at the changeries to transform +1 Withstand; +1 knowledge
and persuasion
into what she believes is the personification of Rhol.
In her eyes, this is the serpent-like coil of mist that
winds around the spire at the Library of Rhol. She
can often be found in front of the library itself,
extolling the virtues of Rhol to any who will listen.

ELLINDA MONARE
Ellinda is a priest serving in the Temple of Nara in the
Confederacy of Cloisters. Her short blonde hair has Ellinda Monare: level 4;
a number of small baubles threaded into it, each +1 defenses; +3 knowledge
representing one of the Greater Laws of Nara. The of the laws of Nara,
+2 public speaking
followers of Nara believe that the only way that a
society can operate is through a careful codification
of laws and rules. Left unchecked by carefully worded
and meticulously recorded rules, they believe,
humanity would quickly fall into barbarism.

57
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Ellinda is devout in her reverence of the Way of
Nara. She usually carries with her multiple books of
laws and rules that help guide every aspect of life.
As the Way of Nara instructs (with rule 18942C), it
is a duty of the priesthood to instruct the ignorant
of the rules that will allow them to live a better life.
Thus, Ellinda is always out on the street in her
district, trying to teach passersby what they need to
know about Nara and the laws.
NILS SORSON
Nils Sorson is a priest of the entity known as the
Captive Beloved. Part of the disturbing philosophy
of Nils’s religion is that if you love something, you
need to secure it so it can never be taken from
you (or leave of its own volition). It’s rumored
that the temple of the Captive Beloved teems with
kidnapped people loved by the worshippers, but
held against their will. Nils is a breatharian and
doesn’t eat or drink, meeting all of his needs by
simply breathing air.
TREYA FETHALMAIS
Caught in a keyfall, Treya was struck by a wicked
key, which left a permanent key-shaped mark on
her face. She and others have tried to use the mark
as a guide to duplicating their own wicked key, but
the resultant keys either have been useless or have
cursed those who make them. Treya lives in the CC
and works as a florist.
THE SISTERS OF
THE LOST MOMENT
Believing that interest and focused thoughts keep
us from finding truth, which can come only from an
utterly distracted and bored mind, this small group
tries to teach people to turn away from anything
that is thought-provoking or compelling. The sisters
have a small meeting hall in the district.
58
THE PATH
Ratgoblin, page 131
Roachgoblin, page 132
Verramin: level 6; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
+3 intimidation; +3 attack
and 9 damage as a shark-
like creature
Nils Sorson: level 10;
+3 defenses; ephemera
and objects of power
grant various abilities
Zern: level 5; +3 Dodge,
+2 Withstand and Resist;
+3 perception, +2 stealth
Treya Fethalmais:
level 3; +1 defenses
THE KEY
Wicked key, page 207
Sisters of the Lost
Moment: level 5; +1 Resist;
can disrupt the next action
of any creature they touch
THE PATH
Zero’s, page 102
VERRAMIN
A caretaker for a small church that is—for some
reason—beset by raids from ratgoblins and
roachgoblins from the sewers below it, Verramin
has developed into a fierce warrior.
She can transform the upper half of her body
into the head and midsection of a shark for a
brief moment—just long enough to intimidate a
surprised foe or even deliver a savage bite.
ZERN
Zern started out life as a fox, but thanks to a few trips
to the changeries, she now has a humanoid body,
albeit one covered in fox fur. And her face is still very
much that of a fox. She wears human clothing and
has human-like hands to manipulate objects. She
usually carries a handgun hidden in her coat, and a
knife in her boot. Her mannerisms and movements
belie the grace and alertness of her origins.
Zern works as a sort of private detective in Satyrine,
with a special talent for finding lost things—including
lost people. This talent borders on the mystical. Most
would at the very least call it “uncanny.” Her fees
are quite high—usually at least 15 crystal a day plus
expenses, with a minimum of 75 crystal.
A CONFEDERACY OF
CLOISTERS STORY
It starts small. A few people in the district can’t
seem to make their minor magic work. Most
shrug it off as incompetence. Then rumors begin
to circulate. Ephemera objects and even objects
of power seem dead. Angels, ghosts, and other
spiritual entities flicker unpredictably. Finally, a
few vislae report that their spells—even their best
spells—don’t seem to be able to draw the power
they need. At least, not reliably. It’s happening
throughout the Confederacy of Cloisters, but it gets
worse as you move toward the center.
The PCs hear about this through whatever
channels they have access to. It might be gossip in
Zero’s one night, an alert from an official source in
their order, or an item in the newspaper.

The news might be such that some characters
will steer clear of the district, but others might be
curious to investigate. Even a little asking around
or further reading reveals that some vislae have had
success in overcoming the problem by altering the
magical current they use to cast their spells or other
magical practices. But of course, not everyone has
the knowledge to do such a thing.
It’s also the case that the problem comes and
goes. Some days—maybe even for a week—there
seems to be no issue. Then someone experiences a
bit of trouble, and later no one can get any magic to
work for hours. And then the situation appears to
right itself.
Most people, of course, simply use the Path
of Suns current, which some call Current A.
A bit of simple deduction suggests that there’s
something wrong with that current, but only in
the Confederacy of Cloisters. A character with the
ability to sense magic in any fashion, such as with
the spell Scent of Magic, or perhaps even the secret
called The Sight (generously stretching its benefits),
can sense that the current’s not faulty or blocked,
but rather, something in the district is drawing
so much of it that there isn’t enough for the other
demands put on it, like a diverted water main
providing little or no water pressure to the pipes
drawing from it.
This might not interest the PCs until they travel
to the Confederacy for some other reason—perhaps
they’ve business there of some kind, related to
another matter. At a crucial moment, their spells
or other magic just don’t work. They can’t seem to
draw any power.
SWITCHING TO A
DIFFERENT CURRENT
There are said to be secrets that allow a vislae to tap
into other currents of magic. Some people believe
there are six, while others speculate at least thirteen
currents exist. Such secrets are difficult to uncover
and learn. For a quick fix, an enterprising Maker
has developed an ephemera object called a Current
Tap.
THE PATH
Currents of magic, page 9
GMs can seed information
on the unreliable magic in
the Confederacy of Cloisters
over time. Gossip, bits of
news, repeated rumors,
and so on can continue for
weeks or even months.
Scent of Magic: see the Spell
Deck in the Black Cube
THE WAY
The Sight, page 92
For more information on
tapping into other currents
and the benefits of doing so,
you can reference
Book M, pages
7–9 and 105.
The Confederacy
of Cloisters
CURRENT TAP
Level: 3
Form: Bronze bracelet
When activated, the wearer can switch from
using the main Path of Suns current (called
by some the A current) to a minor, obscure
alternative current (known to some as the
B current). As this current routes heavily
through the Silver Sun, while tapping
the new current, the vislae can ignore the
penalty any time Silver magic is diminished
as the result of turning a Sooth card.
Depletion: Ends when the sun next sets
The Maker, Udolis Ferent, makes his wares
available in the Confederacy of Cloisters, where
vislae need it most. He charges 1 magecoin for each
tap.
SERIOUS INVESTIGATION
Characters directly affected might be more likely to
look into the problem. Locals shrug and shake their
heads. They’ve learned to live with it. Magic comes
and goes, particularly near the central part of the
district. It’s just a fact of life. Maybe it’ll get better at
some point.
Most of these people, of course, aren’t vislae.
Magic is a part of their life, but for vislae, magic is
life.
Any ability to sense magic, or even just a slow
exploration of the district, casting “test” spells
here and there, will eventually lead to a relatively
innocuous holy site called The Church of Time.
THE CHURCH OF TIME
The Church of Time is small—more of a shrine
tucked between two other temples near the center
of the Confederacy of Cloisters. It’s a circular
building covered on the outside in clock faces of all
59
 Secrets of Silent Streets
sorts. The inside is mostly a single open room with
an altar in the middle of it.
There is one reverend, a woman named Ophelia.
She has a hollow space in her torso with an
hourglass set into it, which constantly shows the
passage of time. Rather than welcoming new people
into her church, she’s suspicious of newcomers.
Her church has many rivals and not many
adherents.
Set atop the altar—which is a huge clock made
of brass and glass—is a magical candelabra, its
only power to light upon verbal command. The
candelabra, however, is malfunctioning thanks to
some random bit of magical flux. It is drawing vast
amounts of magical power into itself, disrupting
magic use throughout the district. Ophelia has no
idea that this is happening and is very unlikely to
believe anyone who tries to explain it to her. To her,
this seems like the trick of some enemy.
60
Ophelia: level 6; magic
(two successes), +3 Resist;
+1 perception; can alter
the perception of time for a
nearby being so they move
almost imperceptibly slow,
they feel suddenly decrepit
and ancient, or they feel like
a helpless infant—in all
cases, the being can take no
meaningful action (2 rests)
THE WAY
Magical flux, page 13
Close range: within
about 10 feet (3 m)
Near range: within 10
to 50 feet (3 to 15 m)
A GM shift at the time of
the candelabra’s destruction
invoking a grand flux event
might be appropriate.
If the PCs can get past Ophelia one way or
another, they can reach the candelabra. However, it
is filled to bursting with magical power. Interacting
with it now is very dangerous. Even picking it up
forces a Resist defense action (challenge 7), with
failure meaning that the vislae suffers an automatic
major magical flux event. A new defense roll is
required each round.
The candelabra needs to be destroyed to stop the
detrimental effect to magic. It’s made of brass, so
doing so will likely require tools or magic (or both.)
However, destroying the candelabra releases a wave
of raw power that is extremely dangerous. What
happens to those nearby depends on how close they
are when the magic is released.
Touching it: An object touching the candelabra
when it is destroyed is also destroyed. A creature
touching the candelabra when it is destroyed
automatically suffers 1 Wound and 1 Anguish, and
must make a Resist defense action (challenge 10) or
gain 1 scourge in their Sorcery pool that lasts until
the effect is removed by something that can counter
a level 10 effect.
Close to it: Creatures and objects close to the
destroyed candelabra sustain 7 points of damage.
Creatures lose all the bene from their Sorcery pool.
Creatures can attempt a Resist defense action
(challenge 7) to ignore both effects.
Near it: Creatures and objects near to the
destroyed candelabra sustain 4 points of damage.
Creatures can attempt a Resist defense action
(challenge 4) to ignore the damage.
RESOLUTION
If word gets out that the PCs fixed the magical
current problem in the district, people in positions
of influence and power will certainly be impressed,
and the characters can expect free drinks at Zero’s
the next time they visit thanks to grateful vislae.
They also earn 2 Acumen.
The Confederacy
of Cloisters

61
 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he Undersling does not have a monopoly on
the concept of “Satyrine district devoted to
disintegration,” for that could also describe
the Fade as well. As portions of the ground upon
which Satyrine rests break away and drift into
the Abstraction, a district more or less devoted
to the process (or perhaps simply a captive of it)
has formed. It’s called the Fade. Surprisingly, this
is a populated section of the city, and despite the
fact that it will inevitably disintegrate one day, city
officials did not hesitate to rebuild it after the War.
In many ways, the Fade is the “other” port in the
city, offering berths to flying craft and creatures
carrying goods and people to and from the islands
of the Unfathomable Archipelago and the half-
worlds beyond. This is also where the sunships
dock when they come to Indigo.
The Fade also has a lot of manufacturing. The
irony that so much is made where the world is
literally crumbling is not lost on the residents. In
fact, they relish that irony. Irony, some say, is the
secret language of the Fade.
THE ABSTRACTION
The Abstraction is where that which seems
concrete, measurable, and solid becomes even
more true—which is to say, less tangible and more
abstract. The confluence of Indigo (truth) and Blue
(mind) showcases the truest truth of all: that it’s all
in your mind.
Thus, in a literal way, matter slowly breaks down
in the Abstraction. It may take many centuries,
or more likely millennia, but all of Satyrine will
crumble and fall into the Abstraction eventually.
64
F The islands of calved-off land that float off the
edge of the city remain a part of the city, and fall
under the jurisdiction of the district of the Fade.
These islands eventually join the Unfathomable
THE PATH Archipelago.
The Abstraction, page 48 Once into the Abstraction itself, gravity has
crumbled and fallen apart as surely as matter. If you
leap from the edge of the land into the void, you
don’t fall, you drift. But slowly. “Everything happens
slowly in the Abstraction,” as the saying goes,
“because even time breaks down and disappears.”
Because the Abstraction is a borderland between
Indigo and Blue, dreams and thoughts seep out of
THE PATH the Blue and form banks of majestic dream clouds
Unfathomable that roil and drift through the Abstraction. These
Archipelago, page 49 dreams and thoughts give just enough “something”
for brave sailors to travel across as they sail toward
Sunships, page 38
the Unfathomable Archipelago.
As the Abstraction is a tangible absence, it draws
air toward it, so there is always at least a light
breeze—and sometimes a much stronger wind—
blowing through the Fade from west to east.
Beings dwell in the Abstraction, beyond those
who call the Unfathomable Archipelago home.
They exist within the drifting clouds. Like the
clouds, these beings are dreams themselves, likely
having originated in the Blue. But some people
think that once free from the Blue, dreams have
lives of their own, and perhaps even children. The
children of dreams would be dreams never actually
dreamt. Their existence is solely their own.
The Fade

65
 Secrets of Silent Streets
TRAVELING INTO
(OR OUT OF) THE ABSTRACTION
The sailors who brave the Abstraction are a hardy
lot. They sail on floating and flying craft, many
propelled by feathered or insect-like wings. Others
are more typical airships, with balloons or inflated
bags of gas. Rarer Abstraction-sailing ships include
one that resembles a huge ceramic dragon, a
platform supported by hundreds of birds, or a sledge-
like barge that somehow skates on the nothingness
of the Abstraction itself, as if it were ice.
The most common craft, however, appear to be
conventional ships that sail upon the clouds of
dream. However, because the clouds are not flat like
a typical ocean, only a careful and experienced sailor
(or a potent magical craft) can navigate their peaks
and valleys.
Most of these ships sail out to the Unfathomable
Archipelago, also known as the Feyward Lands and
even more commonly as the half-worlds. Most of
this is for trade, although rarely, passengers wish to
visit the islands, or those dwelling in a half-world
desire to live in Satyrine (or beyond). A variety of
SCALOPEDE Crafter
66
Kellidos, page 159 peoples, like the kellidos, the scalopedes, and the
cavarani, all originally hail from the half-worlds.
Scalopedes, page 197
EMOTION SMUGGLING
THE PATH One of the major criminal endeavors in the Fade
Cavarani, page 68 involves smuggling in emotions. The Emotion
Emotion Mills Mills Consortium has the exclusive rights to import
Consortium, page 118 emotion leaves into Satyrine, so those coming from
other sources are contraband and illegal by order
Deathless Triumvirate, of the Deathless Triumvirate. This empowers and
page 19 emboldens smugglers to sneak emotions into the
city to sell on the black market.
Although these can usually be obtained for
cheap—15 crystal rather than the standard price
of 25—there are risks. Some of these emotions
are tainted, low-quality, damaged, or old. Using
them for personal use can lead to confusion or
even trauma. Using them in a magical working can
THE WAY result in slightly diminished effectiveness or even a
Major flux, page 14 major flux.
Emotion smugglers typically come in from the
Abstraction under cover of night, often with their
wares hidden within something else.

MOOD AND FEEL
The Fade is a wistful, thoughtful place. It’s
the sort of place where one might just sit for a
whole afternoon staring off into the Abstraction,
consumed with deep thoughts far more vital than
any physical action. Thoughts and dreams drift into
Satyrine as clouds coming in from the Abstraction
(yes, against the wind), and emotions and ideas
come in the holds of ships as cargo shipped from
the Emotion Mills.
It’s ramshackle. The factories, the homes, the
other buildings, and of course the land itself are
breaking apart. People have done their best to
cobble it together, but nothing here looks new,
pristine, or perfect. And thus most people don’t
worry about such things. Making things perfect,
or making them beautiful, is a waste of time in the
Fade, although that means that in the process of
breaking down, things take on their own beauty.
It’s important to note that this dissolution is
different than the disintegration and decay one will
find in the Red or even the Undersling. While it
seems physical, it’s actually conceptual. The point
isn’t the process, but the end result, or rather the
realization that comes with the end result: the
things you think are real are real only because you
think.
A NEIGHBORHOOD
IN THE FADE
The Vedanta neighborhood is a jumbled mix of
factories, workhouses, and homes. Black smoke
rises from smokestacks, but the winds from the
Abstraction keep the air fairly clear. The gerent is
Markaus Pilanon, an older man whose body (but
not head) has been transformed into that of a much
younger one. Thus, he is fit and healthy, but his face
shows wrinkles and the weariness of age.
Markaus’s house and office occupy a single
building, and the stone and wood structure stands
on four catlike legs. The building can walk and
crouch like a cat, and is actually quite nimble. He
employs a staff of ten people for the administration
THE PATH
The Fade, page 88
Noösphere, page 14
Precisely where the crumbled
bits of land in the Abstraction
cease being islands and
become independent (half)
worlds unto themselves is
never entirely clear. But at
that point, reaching those
shores becomes much more
difficult. The deeper one goes
into the Abstraction, the
longer and more arduous
each step of the journey
becomes, and the likelihood of
return diminishes.
Markaus Pilanon: level 6;
+2 defenses; +2 persuasion,
+1 to any physical activity
THE PATH
Deeps of Sleep, page 45
The Fade
of the sizable and well-populated neighborhood,
and another ten to police and maintain order.
LOCATIONS IN THE FADE
You can find the following locations within the Fade.
THE AUTONOMIC ACADEMY
Students enrolled in this university don’t attend
conventional classes. Instead, they spend about 90
percent of each day asleep, and their unconscious
mind taps into the Noösphere to learn from it. Not
all of the classes offered are purely academic. Some
are physical in nature (climbing, dance, crafting,
and so on). Visitors might find it unsettling to see
sleeping students up and moving around, practicing
fighting, sports, or pottery (for example) while
dreaming.
THE BLACK GARDENS
Each of the eighty-seven trees in the garden has
been carefully shaped and groomed to appear like
a giant human head. Specifically, each looks like
an individual from history, although many of those
depicted are still alive.
The garden is surrounded by a high wall of dark
bricks, and each brick is made from the grave dirt of
a different person. The wall likely gives the garden
its name, but the place’s reputation for dark acts
solidified it.
The fact that the Black Gardens are used for
particularly bloody and dark magical practices is not
a well-kept secret. Visitors stumble upon evidence
of their workings—including used candles, knives,
and other implements, bloodstains, and of course the
remains of their murderous rites—on a weekly basis.
THE DREAMERY
A monastery-like complex, the Dreamery is where
you can find some of the foremost experts on
dreams and the Deeps of Sleep. The people here
regularly practice lucid dreaming and psychic
travel into the Deeps and teach classes on these
techniques as well. The head of the facility is
67
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Dorian, a round-faced, unassuming man, and his
assistant, Mariusa, who looks very much like Dorian
despite the fact that they are not related.
The Dreamery boasts one of the best libraries in
the city on the Deeps of Sleep and sleep in general.
There’s even a gift shop that sells books, sleep aids,
and pajamas.
THE HOUSES OF THE WINGED
A large array of tenements hover in the air, related
but seemingly separate. This is not actually true,
however, as the tenements are all portions of the
same building.
You don’t need wings to reach the various
tenements. There are virtual corridors connecting
them, as if they were part of a normal apartment
building. These corridors (and anyone or anything
within them) are unseen from the outside, and exist
only once you are inside the building.
THE HYPAETHRAL
This building lies on a portion of the district that
has, in the last few years, broken away from the
city. The “island” so created is only a bit bigger than
the structure itself, and a half dozen thick metal
cables anchor it so that it doesn’t float too far. The
island rests about 150 feet (45 m) from the rest of
the district, and a pair of zilats with the ability to
fly and make things (including people) temporarily
weightless make a good profit ushering people and
shipments to and fro.
Unlike what one might initially assume, the
people behind the Hypaethral wanted their little
section to break away. They may have even used
rituals or processes to encourage or hasten it. This
is because the building is a sort of observatory, and
being out in the Abstraction, even a bit, makes the
night sky darker and clearer. Plus, the Abstraction’s
lack of weather helps too.
As the name suggests, this structure’s roof is
open to the sky. In fact, an effect on the roof is
that at night, from the inside looking up, the view
of the stars is magnified and clarified. Thus, even
without a telescope or other device, the Hypaethral
68
Dorian: level 6;
+3 knowledge of dreams
Mariusa: level 4;
+3 knowledge of dreams
Great Observatory of Zuin,
page 204
Tania: level 6; magic (two
successes), +2 Resist;
+2 astronomy; vislae with
many spells; +2 spellcasting
THE PATH
Zilat, page 124
Garrett, Margo, and
Biresh: level 5; magic (two
successes), +1 defenses;
+2 crafting, +1 stealth;
vislae with a few spells and
items; +1 spellcasting
is a fantastic observatory, particularly for amateur
astronomers, followers of astrolatry, or casually
interested people. Certain types of long-form magic
having to do with the stars are better performed
here than anywhere else in Indigo. (Unlike
the Great Observatory of Zuin in Zardim, the
Hypaethral welcomes visitors and amateurs.)
Three nights a week, the Hypaethral hosts
a musical performer or group to play beneath
the stars, usually creating a particularly relaxing
experience for visitors.
A ghost occupies the same space as the proprietor,
Tania. One can see the ghost as a halo around her,
with a ghostly limb sometimes reaching out from
her corporeal form. Tania and the ghost share a
telepathic link and can coordinate their actions. Tania
is a professional astronomer and musician, and a
vislae who specializes in magic related to the stars.
Her small staff is almost always present.
OLAMIC DREAMS
This is a small shop just down the street from the
Dreamery. The services offered here range from
insomnia cures and other sleep aids to potions,
powders, and other ephemera that help direct and
guide your dreams. All of these are essentially level
1 ephemera objects and vary in effectiveness. They
are created by a trio of Makers who run the shop:
Garrett, Margo, and Biresh.
Olamic Dreams, however, also operates as a secret
refuge harboring living dreams that have escaped
to Indigo from the Deeps of Sleep. These dream
beings are often not welcome by the people of
Satyrine, and some gerents in the Fade will capture
them and ship them back into the Abstraction in
the hold of the next ship leaving. Sailors usually do
not treat them well, to say the least, and most are
dumped unceremoniously overboard.
Escaped dreams often stow away on ships coming
in from the Unfathomable Archipelago, but others
slip in through other avenues. Ironically, one such
path is the dreams of those who visit the Deeps of
Sleep, where the dreams become stowaways of a
metaphysical kind.
 The Fade

The escaped dreams live in shuttered cupboards the branches. Shyn-nu is cold and compassionless,
in a winding hall that extends from the back of the as are many who work with her.
shop into a surprisingly extensive back area with
many rooms and corridors. The proprietors of
Olamic Dreams try to acclimate them to Satyrine PEOPLE OF THE FADE
life so they can pass for “normal” (non-dream) These people can be found in the Fade.
people, but so far they have not had much luck.
ASH CEVELIN
REAVER SHIRTS Ash Cevelin: level 6; Ash Cevelin is a person of indeterminate gender
Known for their t-shirts, Reaver makes low-cost +2 defenses; +2 perception, with an eyepatch over their right eye but a third
(and low-quality) work clothing. The factory is run +1 stealth; can see things eye in the middle of their forehead. Ash works
normally invisible, can
down and quite large, with the workers (mostly perceive magic and magical
as a private investigator finding lost (or hiding)
Rivenhome residents) all sewing clothing by hand. natures by sight people, looking into crimes and indiscretions, and
The factory has a large sign over it with the words recovering lost items. They are extremely good at
“Reaver Shirts,” but in truth it produces a wide what they do because their dead husband, Monroe,
variety of garments. comes to them in dreams to provide insight and
The building is haunted by the spirits of those Angry worker spirit: level clues into their current cases.
who spent their life toiling here for long hours 5; magic (two successes),
and low pay. Occasionally, these worker spirits get +3 Resist; inflict 1 Anguish CRYTER MINISS
with a touch
violent and attack someone when they’re alone, so A Weaver suspected to be involved in a variety of
most of the people here know to always operate in Cryter Miniss: level 13; nefarious enterprises, Cryter Miniss wears a blank
groups, even on break. magic (three successes), bronze mask at all times. He carries a sack filled
+4 defenses; +1 Armor; with dozens of extra hands, each of which he can
vislae with many spells,
SUNSHIP BERTHS including effects like
control even as they fly about (but no more than
Tall, secured towers provide a stopping point for invisibility, improving four at a time).
sunships here, with gantries and accessways for defenses, mental and Cryter is an assassin and a spy for hire, but he
people and goods to move to the ships as well as off physical attacks at long also manages his own coterie of underlings and
and away from them. range, and teleportation; agents that operate out of a tall building that serves
+5 spellcasting
A few restaurants and hotels offer services to as offices, storehouse, and living quarters for
those who travel by sunship but stay in Satyrine the whole organization. He specializes in dream
briefly, on their way to somewhere else. THE PATH assassinations and crimes and thus operates out
Sunships, page 38
of the Fade most of the time, although he has
TOWER OF LOST SLEEP safehouses and other bases throughout the city.
Rivals of those in the Dreamery, the people working Malurus: level 7; magic Cryter’s ex-wife, Chele, is also a Weaver who lives
out of this tower call themselves the Woken. They (two successes), +3 Resist; in Fartown. They have two children, Seth and Anra,
despise sleep and call it “stolen life.” In the tower, +6 persuasion and Cryter has abducted his son and keeps him in
they magically collect sleep from across Satyrine his building in the Fade. He plans on using magic
and use its energies to keep themselves awake. This Shyn-nu: level 6; magic to make the boy forget all about his mother and
causes insomnia in other people across the city, (two successes), +4 Resist; sister.
some of whom try to gain access to the tower to get can put any close being to
sleep for an hour or more,
their lost sleep back. or can drain physical or
MALURUS
The leader of the Woken is a woman named mental energy with a touch Malurus looks like a translucent sculpture of a
Shyn-nu. She has what appears to be a leafless tree in the form of 2 Wounds or man, filled with tiny jellyfish. A total of thirty-two
for a head, filled with glowing insects flitting about Anguish men and women have pledged their love to him,

69
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Memom: level 4; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
+2 social interaction
Secramin: level 4; magic
(two successes), +4 Dodge,
+2 Resist;+2 any movement
action
Zoara: level 8; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+3 Armor; +3 deception
and stealth, +1 perception;
gun sends a faraway target
outside of time to precisely
24 hours later
Calter Padilla: level 5;
+2 defenses; +2 perception;
gun fires bullets that inflict
4 damage and 2 vex in both
Movement and Accuracy
CrYter Miniss
70
and he says that he loves all of them as well. It is
difficult for many people to see how he could be
so compelling, but Malurus doesn’t seem to take
advantage of his inexplicable charisma. All thirty-
three individuals involved appear to be very happy.
MEMOM
Memom is an elderbrin who manages a very large
association of sex workers, both elderbrin and
human. They operate out of a beautiful (but slightly
run-down) hotel in the Fade, charging high prices
for extreme discretion and a wide variety of services
offered and needs met. Thanks to this business,
Memom is extremely wealthy and is in line to
become gerent of the neighborhood.
SECRAMINS
Not an individual but a whole people, secramins are
tall and lithe, their golden skin glistening in even
the palest light. Hailing from the half-world of Ux,
these beings speak in telepathic whispers and spend
most of their time gracefully dancing in the streets
of the Fade.
ZOARA
Zoara is a high-ranking peacekeeper in one of the
larger neighborhoods in the Fade. She’s well liked,
experienced, and tough, with skin that can transform
into stone (bricks, actually) and a gun that literally
sends a target into tomorrow. She’s also secretly a
close ally of Alexander Masselred, head of the largest
criminal organization in the district. Masselred’s
people are emotion smugglers, extortionists, and
hijackers. And Zoara helps them at every turn by
providing them with information and looking the
other way when they commit their crimes.
A STORY OF THE FADE
Every journey begins with a single step, but only if
you get to take it.
Calter Padilla is an explorer on his way to the
realm of the Gold Sun. He’s booked passage on a
sunship, gathered his gear, and is ready to go. He’s

packed his pistol, which fires poisonous beetles
as bullets. His partner, a Goetic named Mallory
Yin, was supposed to meet him at the sunship
berths, but she never showed. Instead, a messenger
delivered a note from her, saying that she couldn’t
go on the trip and that he should leave without her.
Calter had already missed the sunship leaving
that day and would have to wait until the next day
anyway, so he went back to the house they share,
but there was no sign of her. Thus, he found
himself on a stool in the local bar, The Misstep,
drinking away his troubles but intending on leaving
tomorrow.
ENTER THE PCs
The PCs need to be in The Misstep to get involved.
There could be many reasons for this: they’re
meeting someone of importance to a character arc,
one of them has been sent there by a superior in
their order to receive a package, or it’s just random
chance. Regardless, Calter is a figure of some
renown for his explorations, and one of the PCs
might recognize him. Or they might just happen to
strike up a conversation with the sad man at the bar
dressed like he’s ready for a dangerous expedition,
complete with pistol and pack.
Calter’s a bit drunk, and he will tell his sad story
to anyone who will listen. He’ll even pull out the
note from Mallory and show it to whomever is
nearby. And that’s when the story really starts,
because the GM should use a shift (granting the
character 1 Joy) and inform one of the PCs that
they sense a strange aura of magic around the note.
Something is not what it seems.
Further investigation of the note (using
divinations or something of that nature) reveals
that the note was conjured as a spell, not written.
If informed of this, Calter says that Mallory knows
a spell to conjure a piece of paper with writing on
it, but the writing carries a compulsion to believe
what’s written.
But why would Mallory use that on Calter? He
is under the compulsion to believe the note, so
the PCs may find that they have to convince him
Mallory Yin: level 4; magic
(two successes), +2 Resist;
+1 stealth and deception;
summon up to level 3
spirits; vislae with a few
spells; +1 spellcasting
Dillon Farragay: level 4;
+1 defenses; +2 sailing
The GM could say to
one player, “You see the
well-known explorer Calter
Padilla at the bar, looking
morose. Your character
has a connection with
him—what is it?”
The compulsion spell
embedded in the note
is a level 5 effect.
The Fade
otherwise (challenge 5) or somehow remove the
effect. If they succeed, Calter asks if the vislae have
a way to find Mallory so he can ask her what’s really
going on. If they do have such a spell or ability, they
can continue to the end of the story. Otherwise, to
continue they’ll need to do some detective work:
talk to the neighbors and look through the things in
their house. (Mallory clearly packed some bags and
left, seemingly with no intention of returning.)
MALLORY
Mallory has fallen in love with someone else. She
wanted the note to convince Calter to go on his
expedition alone, as she knew he’d be happy once he
was exploring new and interesting territories, and
then she’d be free to be with her new lover.
Mallory can be found in the apartment of
Dillon Farragay, a sailor on a ship that travels the
Abstraction. He’s only in town for a week or two at
a time between voyages. If the PCs have a way to
track her to Dillon’s home—whether it be through
magic or tips gained through investigation—they
find that she’s not in distress, or held under duress.
She’s in love.
If Calter is with them, particularly if it’s the same
night and he’s still a little drunk, he reacts poorly to
finding her there with another lover. He might even
pull his pistol and threaten Dillon with it. The PCs
can use magic, force, or persuasion to keep him
from doing something stupid.
Dillon, on the other hand, probably tries to get
Calter and the PCs to leave. The situation is likely
to bring Mallory to tears. The whole thing’s an
emotional mess.
WRAPPING UP
Not all stories wrap up neatly. Calter and Mallory
are going to split up. The best thing anyone can do
for Calter is convince him to go on his journey after
all. Mallory might be embarrassed that a group of
strangers tracked her to Dillon’s apartment, and
Dillon’s likely very angry about it.
If the PCs successfully help Calter find Mallory,
they gain 1 Acumen.
71
 Secrets of Silent Streets
“W
elcome to Fartown,” says no sign
anywhere. Fartown folk don’t
like tourists and they don’t like
sightseers, even though there are many, many
sights to see. You either belong there and you’re
part of the whimsical, magical cacophony of chaos,
or you don’t, and you’re not.
It’s always autumn in Fartown. The air is always
crisp and cool. The leaves are always turning color
and just starting to fall from the trees.
There are two stories to explain why Fartown
lies forever in the sway of autumn. The first is that
a curse from a vengeful warlock grips the district
forever in a time of dying, yet never allowing it to
reach death. The second says that it was a blessing
from a satisfied god seeking to end an oppressively
long and terrible summer’s heat with cool breezes
and shorter days. It’s possible—even likely—that
neither of these is true. Each seems to rely on the
storyteller’s or the listener’s opinion of autumn.
Fartown gains its name from the fact that it does
not lie in the same physical dimension as the rest
of the city. Long before the War, the Deathless
Triumvirate placed the district that would become
Fartown in its own half-world, which they created
to contain dangerous magic and those who would
wield it. They designed it to be a place where the
city’s so-called “on-the-cusp” sorcerers, witch-
touched, and houngan (or whatever vislae were
calling themselves back then) could practice their
arts without endangering everyone else. Even
today, Fartown is home to many experimenters,
concoctors, and summoners, any of whom could
bring the reality of Satyrine crashing down around
them with their half-finished spells, experimental
74
G concoctions, or barely controlled otherworldly
menaces.
Fartown’s population is likely about 100,000
people, and probably around half of those are
vislae. With so much spellcasting and magic use
occurring in one district in the city on an almost
continual basis, it’s a wonder that Fartown remains
in existence at all.
THE PATH Travelers reach Fartown through a large archway
Narrow Sannyasa River, located beside the Narrow Sannyasa River, opposite
page 94 the Hollows. It’s never locked or guarded, but many
people believe that it’s impossible to pass through
Angular Serpentine,
without it being noted and recorded by the Angular
page 66
Serpentine. There is no feeling of transition when
you pass through this arch, so it’s easy to forget that
Hollows, page 94 one has actually passed into another world entirely.
MOOD AND FEEL
In Fartown, every building is a story, and every
story is surreal. Sprawling mansions sit next to
tiny, crooked houses. Twisting towers reach to a
Deathless Triumvirate, sky filled with living hot-air balloons, giant moths,
page 19 and inexplicably floating people. A 1960s New York
Yellow Cab drives down the street past a fish-headed
man selling newspapers. This is the most surreal
part of a surreal city.
It is autumn. Always autumn.
Fartown is the vislae district. And it suits them well.
Fartown exists as a 5-mile (8 km) long mass
of solid ground with trees and grass as well as
streets and buildings. However, at the edges of its
Ruined Expanses, page 208 perimeter, beyond sections of Ruined Expanses,
space and time become blurry and seep slowly into
an unknown elsewhere. This border is called the
Fartown

75
 Secrets of Silent Streets

Bleed, and it’s not safe to go there. Fortunately, the
weird runoffs and emissions from the experiments,
summonings, and creations in Fartown that
eventually flow into the Bleed at least have a place to
go where they can (presumably) do no harm.
Fartown is filled with vislae houses, and vislae
houses are always strange. Each one is unique.
Use this list when you need to quickly describe the
house of a vislae, but never use the same idea twice.
✦✦ Inside the trunk of a living tree

Although most of Fartown has been reclaimed, ✦✦ Perched on spiral supports

there are still ruins on the outskirts, before one ✦✦ Perched on a single column

gets to the Bleed. These are similar to the Ruined ✦✦ A giant orb

Expanses in the rest of the city. ✦✦ A giant cube

Fartown can be as whimsical or as darkly ✦✦ A large pyramid

terrifying as you want to describe it. It can vary ✦✦ A glass dome

from session to session, the players never quite ✦✦ A stone tower

being able to wrap their minds around it. When ✦✦ Made entirely of books

they come upon an important building, focus just ✦✦ A wooden ship

on that location—particularly if it’s a vislae house. ✦✦ Made entirely of metal

Vislae houses have the ability to seem to stand alone ✦✦ Made entirely of light

(metaphorically) even on a crowded street. ✦✦ Within a giant statue of a crouching lion

✦✦ Perched atop an impossible spire of rock

✦✦ Floating

NPC VISLAE AND ✦✦ Floating upside down

VISLAE HOUSES ✦✦ Covered in elaborate murals

People in other districts sometimes call Fartown ✦✦ Tall house curves down so the roof touches the

“Far Down.” (Kids tend to call it “Fart Town,” but ground

that’s often because of the strange smells.) It’s ✦✦ Tall house bends at a 90-degree angle halfway

not a place of the respectable, the wealthy, or the up

beautiful. It’s dangerous and transitory. Even today, ✦✦ Built of bones and skulls

homes, buildings, or entire blocks sometimes ✦✦ A pool of water

explode, fade away, or transform into sentient ✦✦ Hidden among the hairs on a cat’s back

motes that fly off into the aethyr to find meaning in ✦✦ Within a giant statue of a human head

their own lives. And yet vislae tend to look upon the ✦✦ Contained within the reflection of a pool of

non-Fartown parts of Satyrine with disdain. In other water

words, both the vislae and the nons hold each other Vislae sometimes refer to ✦✦ Entirely within a lush garden

at arm’s length. Both groups appreciate Fartown’s non-vislae as “nons.” ✦✦ Has a giant eyeball on the front

metaphysical separation from the rest of the city. ✦✦ Looks so ramshackle that it shouldn’t even be

That said, Fartown has become the domain standing

of artists as much as vislae, although there are ✦✦ A cloud bank

no galleries. It’s the home of theater folk, but no ✦✦ Made of mirrors

theaters. Fartown has little in the way of commerce ✦✦ Actually a wooden ship

or culture, other than the activities vislae conduct ✦✦ Suspended in a spider’s web

among themselves. (And seeing as vislae have their ✦✦ From the outside, nothing but a staircase up to

own currencies, that is, perhaps, a fair bit.) a door

Not all vislae live in Fartown, of course, but ✦✦ Entrance is on the third floor

virtually all of them are familiar with its streets, its ✦✦ Windows are eyes

sights, and its smells. ✦✦ Made of modular cubes that move and shift

76
 Fartown

✦✦ Made of centipede cocoons
✦✦ Suspended by cables from something very tall
✦✦ Walks around on four animal-like legs
✦✦ Looks like a giant book
✦✦ Looks like a giant teapot
✦✦ Looks like a giant shoe
LOCATIONS IN FARTOWN
The following locations exist within Fartown.
ASSEMBLAGE OF INK
You’d be forgiven if you thought this merely a tattoo
parlor. From the outside, the lone window in front
displays a variety of designs, and the sign above the
door is modest. But this place is far more than the
establishment of a tattoo artist. Little can prepare
you for that first step inside, as you are drawn into
the building not unlike how a mouthful of wine is
swallowed down a throat. After a bewildering array
of (tattooed?) images assault your senses, you find
yourself, alone, standing on soft ground, a night sky
above you.
Only then do you meet the proprietors, a cabal of
vislae artists who do not give their names, referring
to themselves only as the Assemblage of Ink. The
“soft ground” on which you all stand is your own
flesh, and with magical ink they can give the ground
any tattoo you request while you watch. The tattoo,
of course, appears on your body as well as the
Philippa Red: level 4;
+3 mathematics, +2 music
THE PATH
Fartown, page 99
Berdun: level 4; +1 Resist;
+2 musical knowledge
Assemblage of Ink
member: level 6; magic
(two successes), +3 defenses;
+3 tattoo artistry; vislae
with many spells; +2
spellcasting
Regardless of whether you
visit the Assemblage of Ink
with companions, you enter
alone.
Nalo Farroa: level 6; Armor
1; magic (two successes),
+3 defenses;
+3 perception, deduction,
and stealth; vislae with
many spells, most dealing
with stealth and divination;
purchased for 1 crystal orb for an evening, but
those who apply and are accepted can become
standing members, the dues for which are 10
crystal per month. Membership grants access to
not only the bar but also the theater that offers
unique performances of music and dance (standing
members have assigned seats, based on seniority).
The Benighted Song features Philippa Red on the
mathematical organ. This musical instrument is
played by pushing buttons like a calculator, and as
long as the input equations are correct, the music is
wonderful. The more involved the math, the more
complex the music.
Sometimes other guest musicians, singers, and
dancers perform as well.
Membership in the Benighted Song is prestigious
and sought after. There’s typically a wait list.
BERDUN’S MUSIC SHOP
Berdun’s Music Shop exists only as a painting on an
easel standing in a vacant lot. The painting depicts
the shop, and one can step into the painting and
thus the shop. Berdun offers musical instruments,
sheet music, phonographs, and record albums.
Perhaps even more interesting is how much more
of the street (called Ambassador Street, according
to the sign) you can access once you’re in the
painting—even buildings that can’t be seen in the
initial image. These include:
✦✦ The office of Nalo Farroa, a vislae private

ground. +2 spellcasting investigator.

The image carries a magical effect of your ✦✦ The office of Contard Imports, which seems to

choosing as well, although the artists reject Otaseu: level 7; magic (two never be open.
requests where the image and effect do not match successes), +3 Resist; +1 ✦✦ The studio of Peter Obara, a painter (who

conceptually. The effect can be activated whenever magical lore; can turn into
an insect and command
you wish, but only once, at which point the image insects; vislae with many
fades. Tattoos are priced like ephemera objects, spells; +3 spellcasting
painted the original work that grants access to
this area).
✦✦ The home of Otaseu, a secretive Vance who

based on the level of effect. trains insects to obey simple commands.

Library of the Undone, ✦✦ A mostly vacant single-story building used for

THE BENIGHTED SONG page 195 storage.

The entrance to the Benighted Song looks like a ✦✦ A mostly vacant three-story building occupied

moth, with the wings serving as swinging doors. THE PATH

only by a wrongcat.
This social club caters to vislae, but it’s no mere Wrongcat, page 134 ✦✦ The occasional location of the Library of the

bar. Temporary membership to the club can be Undone.

77
 Secrets of Silent Streets

If you move even farther down the street, you find

yourself on the actual Ambassador Street, although
any of the buildings in the painting are no longer
accessible, except back through the painting again.

CAFE/BAR
Cafe/Bar is a bistro-style cafe called Bar when
the sun is up, and a wine bar called Cafe when it
has set. The building, the furniture, and even the
thoughtform waitstaff all instantly transform at
sunset and sunrise.
Sarai Nagolis: level 6; The proprietor of Cafe/Bar is Sarai Nagolis, a
magic (two successes), retired zilat who can grant happiness or misery with
+1 Resist; a touch. Sarai accentuates her great height with very
+1 administration; affects
mood with a touch
high heels, and her skin is literally silver. She is
rarely present, and when she is on the premises, it’s
in Cafe rather than Bar.

THE CALIVAN MADHOUSE

The Calivan Madhouse was established before
the War. Under the direction of current head
doctor Nadia Gorre, the asylum does as it always
has, specializing in vislae who have gone mad
through use or misuse of magic. She has theories
on treatment, but for the most part the asylum
simply keeps the rest of the city safe from the
crazed magic-use of the inmates. Those kept in the
Calivan Madhouse are few in number but all quite
dangerous.
Doctor Gorre: level 6; Doctor Gorre has large, bird-like eyes and a
+5 Resist; carries three splay of multicolored feathers rather than hair.
syringes filled with a level 7 She usually wears a white lab coat and carries
sleep poison (3 rests)
a clipboard and a few notebooks filled with
information about the patients. Doctor Gorre
spends most of her days distracted by her own
thoughts, always jotting notes for new areas of
inquiry.
Doctor Sohn: level 5; The other doctor of the facility, Doctor Sohn,
+4 Resist; carries two answers to her, although they are rarely on duty at
syringes filled with a level 7 the same time. Sohn is an older man who walks
sleep poison (3 rests)
with a severe limp. He rarely speaks, and when he
does it is with a hoarse whisper. He tends to cloister
himself in his office and fall asleep on his shift.

78

Both doctors have taken steps to make themselves
very resistant to magic, for all the obvious reasons.
Security in Calivan’s is strict. It’s maintained
by Marcus Asuran, who has bronze plates fused
into his flesh and a bulbous head like a puffball
mushroom with six thin tendrils always in motion
around it. These tendrils secrete a potent mind-
altering drug that puts a living creature to sleep.
Typically, this tactic is used to calm a dangerous
inmate.
THE CAROUSEL OF STORMS
In Fluted Green, a peaceful park with a small
pond and many trees, stands an elaborate, baroque
carousel of mirrors and wood. Rather than horses
or animals, however, the aspects that turn about the
carousel are clouds. Those who ride the carousel
are whisked away to float about on storm clouds,
wrapped in gales, hurling lightning, and reveling in
thunder. When the carousel stops, the riders return,
although about once every other month, a rider does
not return and is never seen again.
CASTLE OF THE LIE
An homage to Shadow, the Castle of the Lie is a
huge museum that holds all sorts of objects, books,
photographs, and films of what happens in Shadow.
For the price of a single crystal, one can find all
manner of mementos and nostalgic remembrances
of that world. Television shows, music, toys,
computers, clothing, kitchen appliances . . . it’s all
here.
The owners of the castle, a group of former vislae
who like to keep a low profile, have a connection
with Markus Taul of Grey Memories in the Celestial
Bazaar, and they get first pick of some of the
Shadow wares he procures.
Of course, incidents of vislae being drawn back
into Shadow in and around the Castle of the Lie are
many.
Marcus Asuran: level 6;
+2 defenses; +2 Armor;
+2 perception; tendril
touches put creatures to
sleep (2 rests)
Erglin: level 7; +4 resist
Torinalli’s: level 5
Grey Memories, page 41
Fartown
CONVERSATION ALLEY
The buildings on both sides of Conversation Alley
are sentient, and bear faces. One, a clock repair
shop, is possessed by multiple spirits called erglin
from the realm of the Gold Sun. The other, a
bookshop, came to self-awareness on its own—it
claims because of “the endless chattering of the
erglin next door.” The two structures engage in
seemingly endless discussions and debates, day and
night, sometimes over such minutiae that no one
else can even fathom what they’re talking about.
The bookshop is called Torinalli’s and offers
popular fiction, the latest periodicals, and a few
other books, but nothing particularly in depth.
The shop is more knowledgeable than any of its
contents.
THE CHANGERIES
There are many changeries, but they are all
clustered together in one part of the district. Each
is a large building filled with strange devices. Fat
smokestacks belch foul-smelling smoke, and thin
chimneys release colored mists. Pipes exude strange
residues and wastewater that sometimes makes the
oddest sounds—the crying of a baby, the screeching
of an owl, or the babbling of a madman.
Usually, a front office offers menus of possible
changes or consultations with an employee wherein
a customer can describe exactly what they want
done. These offices are welcoming, quiet, and clean.
No one—other than employees and the customer
undergoing the procedures—is allowed into the
much larger back rooms where the work is actually
done.
Most changeries have spells of forgetfulness so
that those undergoing alterations don’t remember
the horrors required to accomplish the desired
changes.
The people changed in the changeries, called
the Perfected, are typically vislae. This means that
Fartown has the majority of the Perfected within
its confines. Of course, people in other districts—
particularly the wealthy—occasionally come here to
be changed.
79
 Secrets of Silent Streets
FALSE ARCH
A large, empty arch stands in an abandoned piazza.
It looks identical to the arch that serves as the
gateway back to the Hollows (and thus, Satyrine).
People speculate that it once went somewhere too,
but there’s not even a speck of residual magic about
it now. If it did lead somewhere once, no one today
seems to know where.
A singular being seems to be tied to the False
Arch—a smoky apparition of a creature that is equal
parts human and rat. It appears from time to time,
wandering the perimeter around the piazza. Cats
seem drawn to it, warily. Interacting with this being
(image?) seems impossible.
GATE TO THE HOLLOWS
The gateway is a gathering place in the district, a
site for merchants to set up food carts and for other
vendors to peddle vislae-oriented wares. It’s the
busiest part of the district and a good place to catch
a cab. The gate itself is a massive stone arch in the
middle of an open square.
THE GOETIC HALL OF RECORDS
The foreboding appearance of the Goetic Hall of
Records befits an order that spends more time
talking to immortal beings than to mortals. The
large gothic structure has five towers (one of them
is a clock tower), each decorated with carvings and
statuary of leering demons, noble angels, and other
spiritual beings.
All the high-ranking members of the Goetic
hierarchy maintain offices here, which includes (but
is not limited to) every 6th-degree member. Some
of these offices are empty all the time because the
office holder is elsewhere, but if the member is
alive, their office is maintained. Each office is tied
to a position rather than a specific individual. Thus,
there is an Office of Demonic Names, an Office of
Ceremonies, an Office of Initiations, and so on.
Mostly, though, the vast edifice is a library of
records. It keeps not only an extensive catalog
of members, prospective members, and their
activities, but also (perhaps more important) a
80
record of all known summoned entities, pacts,
and more. The order stores thousands of names of
demons, angels, and other beings, as well as their
appearance, demeanor, powers, and other details.
Carter Varde: level 8; Some of this information is incomplete, however,
magic (two successes), and in some cases, it’s entirely wrong. This can
+2 defenses; +3 magical create potentially dangerous problems, to say the
lore; Goetic summoning;
vislae with some spells;
least. Further, getting access to these records can be
+1 spellcasting difficult, and it is restricted based on degree (non-
Goetics are, of course, forbidden).
Gre: level 9; magic (two Two 5th-degree Goetics, a man named Carter
successes), +2 defenses; Varde and a woman named Gre, are responsible for
+2 magical lore; Goetic the library and the actual hall of records (which is,
summoning; vislae with
some spells; +2 spellcasting
in fact, multiple halls).
GRYNN’S GRAMARYE
This chained library contains the books required
to learn most general spells, at least up to level 8.
Grynn was a wealthy vislae from before the War.
Today, Tiora, the cousin of his granddaughter’s
husband, owns and runs the establishment. She has
Tiora: level 6; magic (two a staff of six assistants.
successes), +4 Resist; vislae As stated, this is a chained library. All the tomes
with many spells; are chained to the shelves to prevent theft. You
+3 spellcasting
must study your spells here at the tables provided.
Tiora charges 1 crystal per day of study. This has
made the place a bit of a vislae hub, and a number
of small coffee shops and cafes have opened around
it in the last few years to cater to those who use the
general location to meet up and spend time.
KRYVEN’S BOOKS
A general bookshop offering the latest in fiction,
a smattering of general interest nonfiction, and a
large selection of gossip magazines, Kryven’s Books
lies between a coffeehouse and a bakery. It serves
the (nonmagical) literary needs of many vislae. It’s
Kryven: level 7; magic (two also notable in that Kryven, the owner, is a vislae
successes), +3 defenses; himself, and he lives inside one of the books in the
vislae with many varied shop. That book, Guidon’s Guide to Mapmaking, isn’t
spells; +3 spellcasting
for sale, of course, but for reasons unknown, people
keep coming into the shop to try to buy it. The
bookstore is run most days by Kryven’s aging and
Leonard: level 3 cantankerous father, Leonard.

LORELEI OF THE BIRDS
Floating high above the street, a pagoda-like
structure balanced on a silver sphere provides a
home to Lorelei of the Birds.
Lorelei is an immortal being, likely from the
Green, but perhaps from one of the Leech Worlds
that clings to the Green for life. She appears as a
human woman, beautiful by anyone’s standards
(her appearance is relative to whomever is looking
at her), often surrounded by flamboyantly feathered
birds of no known species.
The house in which she dwells is an aviary, filled
with birds of all types that seem to come and go
with such regularity and speed that no one could
keep track of them all, but Lorelei does. She knows
them all by name, in fact, and speaks fluently to
each one. While she is in or near her home, she can
call them and they arrive, instantaneously—there
are always as many birds in and around the house
as she needs. Thus, she can cause them to swirl
around to blind or confuse people, to protect herself
from danger, or to carry her aloft to and from the
hovering building.
The house is said to hold doorways that lead all
across the Actuality, even to places unreachable
otherwise. Accessing them without Lorelei’s
permission, however, would certainly be a
challenge.
THE MALVOACH LIBRARY
The Malvoach Library is a substantive library with
books on a wide variety of topics. The librarians
(about half of which are thoughtforms) charge 1
crystal orb for admittance, and no books are allowed
to be removed. In the middle of the library’s central
room is an enormous marble statue that has been
known to move and even talk when the mood
strikes it.
SUGAR & REGRET
PHANTASMAGORICAL CUPCAKES
This small, newly opened bakery is the labor of love
of baker Schaelee Mizzencort. Schaelee belongs
to the Order of Weavers, and is always awash in
Lorelei: level 8; magic (two
successes), +2 defenses; can
speak to birds, and summon
them in any number if in or
near her home; +3 Armor
and Dodge defense if in or
near her home, thanks to
the birds
THE PATH
Leech Worlds, page 43
Chele Miniss: level 4;
magic (two successes),
+1 baking; vislae with some
spells; +1 spellcasting
Cryter Miniss, page 69
Venna Allaman: level 4;
+3 Resist; +2 social
interaction
Schaelee Mizzencort: level
6; magic (two successes),
+1 Resist; +3 baking,
+1 knowledge of dreams and
the Deeps of Sleep; vislae
with many spells, especially
those dealing with weather,
movement, and sleep;
+3 spellcasting
Fartown
whispered words of advice by unseen versions of
herself she knows from her own dreams. They can
see things she can’t, so thanks to their warnings,
she’s usually aware of things that others are not.
As a vislae, she is a potent force of creative spell-
weaving, but as a baker, her creations are perhaps
even more remarkable. She infuses her cupcakes
with ideas, concepts, and emotions, particularly
those inspired by her travels all along the Path
of Suns and even into the Deeps of Sleep. A
popular flavor is the feeling of leaping into the
air, at the moment right before you begin to fall.
Schaelee caters primarily to vislae, and provides
the refreshments at many important parties and
gatherings.
Chele Miniss, ex-wife of Cryter Miniss, works
in the bakery assisting Schaelee. Chele is also a
Weaver, but not as skilled or experienced.
TARAQAL ARTIST COMMUNE
Fartown isn’t just the domain of vislae. A great
many artisans, writers, and actors live here as
well—many of them in Taraqal, a large communal
apartment complex and workspace. This is a place
where artists of all stripes can live and work for
free. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, at least for
some. A few people who have lived there and left
describe the place as a totalitarian regime under a
charismatic, aging actor named Venna Allaman.
Through nothing more than the authority she’s
claimed, she decides who can enter the commune
and who can’t, who lives and works where, and
what duties residents are given (such as cleaning,
maintenance, and so on).
THIRTEEN STATION
Above the door of a dilapidated brick building, a
large sign reads, “Thirteen Station.” This was to be
a train station back when the Deathless Triumvirate
promised to get the city’s train system to connect
to Fartown, despite it being located in a different
world from the rest of the city. The War prevented
the initiative from ever coming to fruition, and the
station was never used. It has always sat empty, the
81
 Secrets of Silent Streets
domain of squatters and transient homeless people.
The locals say today it’s haunted by the ghosts of
the commuters who never got to ride the promised
train—ghosts from an unrealized future, so to
speak.
THE VANCIAN CAMPUS
Vances simply call it “the Campus.” 17 buildings
provide the large and bustling order with
administrative offices, records offices, lecture halls,
laboratories, and more—much more than the
headquarters of the other vislae orders. Almost all
members spend a great deal of time here. If a Vance
isn’t taking a class, they’re probably teaching one.
Classes offered range from introductory courses
to very advanced workshops. They include the
following:
✦✦ Introduction to Intonation
✦✦ Using Matter
✦✦ Psychology of the Living Spell
✦✦ Opening Doors to Elsewhere
✦✦ Words of Power
✦✦ Spellbook Upkeep
✦✦ Advanced Energy Wielding
✦✦ Advanced Spell Mechanics
And that’s only a sampling. There are hundreds
of classes, and almost as many instructors.
Classes are scheduled in eight-week blocks with
a single week in between (9 is the Invisible Sun’s
number), and most classes are not offered each
time. Only members of the order can attend a
class, and—as one might expect—registration is a
very formal process. Advanced classes have degree
82
requirements. Some charge fees, which often cover
the cost of texts or laboratory materials, if any.
Sometimes the topics discussed in Vancian
classes are interesting and applicable enough that
members of other orders attempt to infiltrate them.
They use disguises (magical and otherwise), forged
documents (magical and otherwise), spells of
invisibility, remote viewing, and other means. These
attempts almost always fail, as the Vances have put
up various wards to keep such intrusions out.
The Campus also offers two different libraries—
Udula Moroe: level 8; one just for spells, the other for more general
magic (two successes), esoteric studies. Not surprisingly, all of the spells
+3 Resist; +2 perception and recorded here are Vancian spells, not general spells.
knowledge of the Vancian
Order; vislae with many
The Vancian Campus keeps a high standard of
spells; +3 spellcasting lawn and facilities maintenance, and it employs a
rather large security force.
Typical Preserver: level 4; Udula Moroe is the 5th-degree Vance in charge
magic (two successes), of greeting visitors, giving tours, and interacting
+2 defenses; +1 Armor; with the public at large. It’s likely that non-Vances
+2 stealth and acrobatics;
attacks ignore physical
coming to the Campus would interact with her or
armor her staff.
Preserver abbot: level 8; VENOMHOME
magic (two successes), To those in the know, Venomhome is the sanctum
+3 defenses; +1 Armor; of the Preservers of the Serpent’s Secrets, a secretive
+3 stealth and acrobatics;
attacks ignore physical
organization devoted to the Serpent—the same
Serpent that some vislae call upon as a living
armor and can make a
human freeze motionless for manifestation of magic (such as those who Call Upon
a round the Serpent). These people operate in secret and train
Master of Venom: level 10; in their sanctum to learn terrifyingly deadly martial
magic (two successes), arts supplemented by the power of the being they
+4 defenses; +2 Armor; revere. High-ranking members are called abbots,
+5 stealth and acrobatics;
while the most learned Preserver is called the Master
attacks ignore physical
of Venom, or sometimes Fang’s Master.
armor and can make a
human freeze motionless for The Preservers are a deadly lot.
a round, can slice through A Preserver can make the two fingers on their
any barrier (even magical) right hand like a dagger that can punch through
lower than level 8
steel (not to mention flesh). They call this dreaded
maneuver “Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth.”
Preserver abbots can use the move called the
THE KEY
Calls Upon the Serpent, “Viper’s Twitch” to strike a nerve in a human,
page 82 causing them to freeze motionless for a round.
The Master of Venom can take the Sharper Than
 Fartown

a Serpent’s Tooth attack one step further and use

it to cut through almost any object or barrier, even
magical ones, calling this move “Pierce the World.”
From the outside, Venomhome appears to be
a nondescript place, perhaps a small apartment
building. Inside, magical illusions continue to
give this impression, although if one can see past
the illusory veil, a facility almost like a temple or
monastery is revealed, with an overt serpent motif
in relief, banners, and sculpture.

ZERO’S
Fartown has more than its share of bars,
restaurants, and cafes. (Vislae, it seems, don’t like
to eat or drink at home too often.) None are more
popular among vislae than Zero’s.
You get a different version of the story
depending on who you ask, but it seems that Zero Zero: level 17
was a powerful, ancient demon who eventually
transformed himself into a bar.
Some people say that Zero gained a soul. Others
say he just had a change of outlook (a pretty
fundamental occurrence, if true). But Zero seems
to have no interest in the destructive or corrupting
activities that other demons have. At least, not
anymore. It’s not possible to summon Zero, and
most magic that applies specifically to demons has
no effect on him.
Zero’s does not have a standard location. Its
entrance appears somewhere different every time,
and only at night. It’s impossible to find the place
during the day. It very likely doesn’t exist in the
daylight. But in the darkness, it’s always easy to
find if you’re looking for it, and sometimes even
when you’re not. The entrance appears in the back
of an alley, or in the side of some other structure.
It’s always somewhere different, but the entrance is
always the same: a heavy wooden door in need of
paint with a flickering, buzzing neon sign above it
that says “Zero.”
And it gets weirder. Zero’s isn’t just a Fartown
establishment. Although it doesn’t appear elsewhere
in Satyrine, it does show up throughout the
Actuality. It’s possible to stumble into Zero’s in

83
 Secrets of Silent Streets

many different spots (very likely many different

locations at the same time), but when you leave
through the door, you always emerge where you
entered. And the patrons are mostly—but not
always—from the same general location as you.
So if you enter in Fartown, most if not all of the
people inside are vislae, but if you enter from the
City of Orphans under the Gold Sun, most of the
customers are from that location.
Zero’s isn’t always the same. (Demons are, of
course, shape-changers—it’s perhaps naive to think
that a demon who becomes a bar always remains
as the same bar.) One night the inside is that of
a dingy, dimly lit, smoke-filled dive with peanut
shells on the floor, sticky with spilled drinks. The
next night, it’s a brightly lit, well-kept place with
comfortable seating, music, and a dance floor. The
night after that, it’s a refined, wood-paneled hall
with patrons quietly sipping port. And so on.
Two things are always the same, however. First,
the restrooms in Zero’s are always filled with
graffiti. Spending an hour or more reading it all
earns a character 2 points of Hidden Knowledge,
but this can occur only once per PC. Second, there’s
always an electronic “love tester” machine in the
corner. It works—apparently normally—but some
people speculate there’s more to the machine than
it appears.
The bartender is as much a part of Zero’s
as the stools or the light fixtures, although he
changes along with the bar from night to night,
in both appearance and demeanor, to something
appropriate for the scene. It would be wrong to say
that the bartender is Zero himself. The whole bar is
Zero. The bartender is just a part of him.
Although Zero serves all the expected wines,
beers, and alcohols, the bar offers far less standard
drinks as well, usually featuring one per night. A
few include:
A Death: This is the distilled essence of
someone’s actual death, which you experience a tiny
fraction of when you drink.
High Water: “It’s a better choice than Hell,” the
label proclaims, playing off the name’s reference to

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 Fartown

“Come hell or high water.” This is a cheap drink, PEOPLE OF FARTOWN

just 18 orbs a shot, but you get what you pay for. It’s
standard custom, after taking a shot, to say, “I made
the wrong choice.”
Red Wine: Everyone’s heard of red wine, but
this is Red wine. It is bottled in the Red and
carries the essence of that sun. It’s delicious, but it
burns. Drink a little and the endorphin rush that
accompanies the slight intoxication is an interesting
experience. Drink too much, and you’ll literally
feel the lining of your esophagus disintegrating,
and you’ll suffer 1 point of damage with each glass
beyond the first. Drinking contests with Red wine
can be deadly.
Roulette: This magical concoction changes taste
with each drink. It might taste of rum one sip and
tequila the next.
Ubara: Ubara is an effervescent drink brewed
in the Feyward Lands (another name for the
Unfathomable Archipelago). Using cold that is
colder than cold, vulture-faced, blue-eyed karids
freeze the recitations of epic poems and dissolve
them in liquid, bottled before a single stanza or
couplet can escape. Once poured into glasses, each
bubble carries with it a single syllable. Very rarely,
one might whisper an entire word, or—if you’re
very lucky or very patient—you might hear an entire
line or perhaps a name that suggests which poem
had been frozen, and thus you can know the vintage
of the brew. It’s a bar game to be the first to name
the source of a particular batch. This expensive
drink is 2 crystal a glass.
Wardrobe Change: This potent grain alcohol
causes the imbiber’s clothes to change. The clothing
they are wearing disappears forever, and the clothes
that appear in their place are suitable and well-
fitting, but utterly new to the drinker.
White Noise: Distilled by monks in the Ticking
Forest by means of a ritual kept secret from
the outside world, White Noise comes in small,
glistening white bottles. This drink makes you
essentially deaf for about a half hour, but for White
Noise aficionados, the euphoria that comes with it is
completely worth it.
Aabr: level 5; magic (two
successes), +2 Withstand,
+1 Dodge, +3 Resist;
creates portals to potentially
dangerous places to unleash
burning lava or freezing
winds
THE PATH
Lacuna, page 30
Charles Abernathy: level
9; magic (two successes),
+2 defenses; +3 knowledge
and social interaction;
vislae with some spells;
+4 spellcasting, Goetic
summoning
THE PATH
Unfathomable
Archipelago, page 49
Avitt Sloan: level 5; magic
(two successes), +3 Resist;
+2 magical lore; can negate
any ephemera object, object
of power, or similar item of
level 7 or below
THE PATH
Ticking Forest, page 49
The following people and beings can be
encountered in Fartown.
AABR
Aabr is a lacuna who runs a small business in
Fartown. Their portal body usually shows pleasant,
green pastureland. They’ve been treated poorly by
bigoted humans, however, and targeted in more
than one robbery. Aabr’s looking for help, or they
will be forced to take matters into their own hands.
CHARLES ABERNATHY
A 3rd-degree Goetic, Charles is tall, handsome,
and charismatic, with salt and pepper hair and just
enough scruff to be appealing. However, appearance
isn’t that important to him (no one values what
they have, do they?). He’s also grown bored of the
Order of Goetics. Instead, he enjoys meeting vislae
who’ve recently left Shadow and asking them about
their Shadow lives. Those he finds particularly
interesting, he befriends. This isn’t a ruse or a ploy.
Charles is helpful and kind, and he finds tales from
Shadow a welcome diversion to Satyrine life, which
he finds inexplicably boring.
AVITT SLOAN
Sometimes, you just have too much magic. Avitt
can help. Avitt Sloan is a zilat nullifier, meaning
that she cancels the magic of an ephemera object or
object of power that she holds.
Avitt lives in Fartown, where her power is a useful
resource from time to time. People come to her
when there’s an object that’s malfunctioning or
cursed. However, for all the obvious reasons, her
talents make it difficult for vislae to trust or even
like her. It’s not fair—she’s actually quite nice—but
she’s a bit of a social pariah.
Avitt is short, dresses plainly, and keeps to herself
most of the time.

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
WILLIAM BALLOND
A 5th-degree Maker, William has a wide variety of William Ballond: level 11;
objects of power, particularly weapons. But he is magic (two successes),
getting on in years, too old and too feeble to really +4 Resist; vislae with a few
spells; +4 spellcasting; many
use what he’s made. He is slowly divesting himself ephemera and objects of
of various objects, either as gifts or through sales or power
barter. Thieves thinking the old man an easy mark,
however, find that Makers can also make elaborate The Cicatrix: level 5; magic
traps and defenses that don’t require the strength or (two successes), +2 Resist;
even the presence of their creator. +3 deception; can project
her spirit from her body to
explore and spy; vislae with
AUDSLEY BARRON many spells; +2 spellcasting
Audsley Barron is a powerful Weaver, but more
important (to her), she is a high-class socialite. She
THE PATH
has just the right house, attends all the right parties, Order of Honed Thought,
and knows all the right people. page 118
Audsley lives in a cul-de-sac in Fartown along
with a handful of other vislae who are also movers Audsley Barron: level 7;
and shakers in high-class society. It’s a little magic (two successes),
posh enclave in the district. Her house is tall and +3 Resist; +3 knowledge of
all high-class things/people/
beautiful, with a small but well-kept lawn. places; vislae with many
She has two pet ravens that perch upside down spells; +2 spellcasting
within their cages. Audsley’s skin bears a black-and-
white checkered pattern and she dresses elegantly, Grynn’s Gramarye,
smoking a cigarette in a long black holder. page 80
Audsley is pompous, haughty, condescending, Donus Poole: level 4;
and arrogant. +4 knowledge of spiritual
entities
BLUE Blue: level 4; magic (two
Blue is a cat that can speak a number of human successes), +2 defenses; +2
languages. Her blue hair seems to show the Blue Perception and knowledge;
minor magic
Sun moving across the sky as the day progresses,
and it becomes black as night after the sun sets. Enridima: level 7; magic
She is not a true vislae, but she knows a few minor (two successes), +3 defenses;
magic practices and a fair number of secrets. Blue +2 knowledge and social
interaction; vislae with
likes hanging around vislae, however, and always many spells, including effects
seems to know more than one might expect. In such as seeing the invisible,
exchange for information, she always has some relating to spirits, defending
odd but relatively minor task she wants someone to against spirits, harming
accomplish. spirits, and invisibility, +4
spellcasting; many ephemera
and objects of power; special
relationship with spirits
86
THE CICATRIX
Patience is for the Pale. Confident and fashionable,
The Cicatrix wears her black hair close-cropped,
never obscuring her sardonic facial expressions.
Along with her Apostate medallion, she wears a
large opalescent pendant with an affinity for Pale
magic. If the tales are to be believed, she “had an
experience with the Pale”—perhaps returning from
Death, unlike her ghostly girlfriend Ouri.
The Cicatrix is galvanized by her mission to
restore the Order of Honed Thought to its former
prestige and glory, occasionally straying from her
moral compass along the way. Rooting out rumors
and secrets, she frequents Grynn’s Gramarye in
the flesh and wanders stranger locales in her spirit
form. An encounter with the Cicatrix is likely to
result in a recruitment effort, but her contacts and
information may be worth the price.
DONUS POOLE
Donus Poole is a scholar who has studied spiritual
entities his whole life. He lives in Fartown, but
he’s not a vislae. He is often found in his garden,
tending to flowers that bear humanlike mouths in
their blooms, whispering things in the languages of
various spirits.
ENRIDIMA
A self-proclaimed expert on ghosts, the Dead, and
“necromancy,” Enridima plays the part well. She is
tall, her natural paleness is enhanced by cosmetics,
and her long black hair hangs about her shoulders
like serpents. Her house is covered in gargoyles
(some of which are animate beings that help watch
over the place) and filled with ornate, spooky decor.
It’s also very likely the most haunted locale in
Satyrine, as she encourages ghosts to cohabitate
with her.
Despite the theatrics, Enridima truly is one of
the foremost experts among the living regarding
ghosts, wraiths, and dealing with either using
magic. She often has relevant ephemera—and even
occasionally objects of power—to sell or trade.
 Fartown

Enridima has a thoughtform butler who takes the

form of a tall, pale giant and responds to her calls
simply with, “You rang?”

FIONA SPEARES
Eternally fashionable, whether in a suit striped with
light or a dress built of butterflies, Fiona is a 5th- Fiona Speares: level 7;
degree Goetic who is delighted by beauty. So much magic (two successes),
so that she made a Goetic pact with Aroethe focused +3 Resist; +3 persuasion;
Goetic summoning; vislae
on the sacrifice of beauty—one of the first new with some spells;
pacts in a long time that anyone can remember. She +1 spellcasting
works to honor it by bringing beauty to the Actuality
in whatever ways she is able. Beauty, as they say, is Aroethe, page 148
in the eye of the beholder. And Fiona is eternally
beholding.
This isn’t to say that her life is perfect, nor even
perfectly beautiful. Beneath her overcoat of elegance
and pulchritude, a darkness brews, for she has been
thrice blemished: once her heart, once her mind,
and once her body. And she will have her most
beautiful of revenges.

KRAU EIRIS
Krau is an older woman who wears a monocle. Krau Eiris: level 5;
She works as an interior decorator and specializes +2 decorating; can create
in vislae houses. She understands the mysterious minor permanent effects in
a vislae house
nature of these dwellings and knows how to work
with them rather than against them when making
changes to a house. Likewise, she gets along well
with ghosts and knows how to charm a grig or other
being that might infest a vislae home.
While not a vislae or even really a zilat, she has
skills in manipulating the magic of houses that few
possess. She can teach any house secret as well as
create magical changes to a house (or change the
magic of a house). Need a lock for that mysterious
door? Need wallpaper to cover a wall of ice? Need to
hang a chandelier in a room with no material ceiling?
Krau can help with all of these situations and more.

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 Secrets of Silent Streets

KEANNA LYTER Behind his back, vislae sometimes say “Don’t be a

Keanna is a zilat musician. Using magic, she can Keanna: level 5; +1 Resist; Nevrimol” when someone acts as a know-it-all.
play any instrument and create impossible sounds. +3 music; can make
For example, she can play a single wind instrument musical instruments NERRIL TOBIAS
produce amazing sounds
and sound like a whole orchestra. She is slight, with Nerril is a 3rd-degree Vance with a reputation as
long brown hair the color of willow bark. Nerril Tobias: level 6; a reclusive but extremely knowledgeable scholar.
Made wealthy by her talent, she only rarely magic (two successes), Part of that reclusion is forced upon him, however.
performs today, and instead spends her time in a +2 Resist; +3 magical lore Nerril is cursed. The curse has rendered him
and history; permanently
huge house filled with rare and collectible musical invisible; vislae with many
permanently invisible. While this can come in
instruments. spells; +1 spellcasting handy in some situations, it’s certainly a detriment
in many others. The only exception to this
KENDON Kendon: level 6; magic invisibility is that he still has a reflection, so he can
Kendon is a magical con artist and thief. Tall with (two successes), +1 Dodge be seen in mirrors, still pools, and so on.
short white hair, her most distinctive feature is her and Resist; +3 deception, Nerril is happy to help those in need with his
stealth, and lockpicking; can
large glasses, which display a single-digit number make up to nine duplicates
knowledge and experience, but those in need have
in the lenses (the numbers have nothing to do of herself but must deceive to be able to find him, which, for obvious reasons,
with the glasses—they are her eyes). The numbers someone to make a isn’t always easy.
indicate the number of times she has successfully duplicate
and meaningfully deceived someone that day. They SANNE
also indicate how many duplicates she can make of Sanne: level 4; magic (two A 2nd-degree Goetic named Sanne spends a great
herself. The duplicates can all take separate actions, successes), +2 Resist; +1 deal of time in the Goetic Hall of Records and
but if one suffers harm, they all do. They must social interactions; Goetic knows many of the members of the order. She is
summoning; vislae with a
remain within long range of each other. few spells; +1 spellcasting
normally rather nondescript looking, but she can
Kendon prefers elaborate heists for expensive open her face like it’s on a hinge, and inside her
but easily transportable rewards, like art or magical Mika: level 2 head is a little nest for a bat named Mika. Sanne is
objects. She is tied to a secretive network of people studious, smart, and friendly. Her idol is Fedona
willing to purchase stolen goods. Fedona Whethel, page 169 Whethel, the former Goetic, and she is secretly
Aroethe, page 148 fascinated by the entity known as Aroethe.
JUN
Jun is a standoffish Apostate with a wide variety of Jun: level 5; magic (two SAVION CLAY
interests. She is often found browsing a library or successes), +2 defenses; +1 After seeking vengeance on his horrific father,
bookshop. Thanks to a changery, she has the head knowledge; vislae with many Warrick, Savion learned that the father he hated
spells; +2 spellcasting
of a stylized owl with a third glowing eye above her had actually been possessed by a demon. A Goetic,
angular brow. Savion Clay: level 5; magic Savion wears ten rings, each inscribed with the
(two successes), +1 defenses; name of an angel (on his right hand) or devil (on his
NATHAN NEVRIMOL Goetic summoning; vislae left hand) that he can call on for special favors. The
with some spells;
A very intelligent and knowledgeable vislae, Nathan +2 spellcasting
anger toward his father had, in many ways, molded
nevertheless has few friends. This is due to his habit him into the man he is today. Now he must cope
of eavesdropping on other people’s conversations Nathan Nevrimol: level 7; with the knowledge that his anger was misplaced
in public places (such as Zero’s) and then breaking magic (two successes), and find something to do with the rest of his life.
in when someone says something he thinks is +3 Resist; +4 knowledge;
vislae with some spells;
mistaken. He starts most of his sentences with “Well, +3 spellcasting
actually . . .” In truth, he’s often right, and he really
just wants someone to acknowledge that.

88
 Fartown

SERU
Seru is a Weaver who recently started his own Seru: level 6; magic (two
cell and is looking for members. Seru is a glass successes), +2 defenses;
craftsman and calls his cell the Fellowship of Glass, +2 crafting; vislae with
many (woven) spells;
but one does not need to be a craftsperson to join. +2 spellcasting
He himself is slowly transforming into glass for
reasons he will not share, but he embraces this fact.
The Fellowship of Glass meets at Seru’s home
in Fartown, but many people feel that the house is
hard to find, even if you’ve been there before.

SOMIN
Somin is a zilat whose magical talent lies in Somin: level 3; +1 Resist;
sculpture. She likes to hide secrets within her +2 crafting
creations. She once made a sculpture that was a
replica of the Black Cube and hid a secret within the THE PATH
cube itself, written on a small piece of paper. Zilat, page 124

THAE NITARIS
Tall, dark-skinned, and bald, Thae has violet eyes, Thae Nitaris: level 6; magic
with a raven on one shoulder and a dove on the other. (two successes),
She’s an Apostate and seems to spend most days in +3 defenses; +3 knowledge
and social interaction; vislae
or around Grynn’s Gramarye, studying spells or just with some spells,
talking to other vislae. She’s very gregarious and +3 spellcasting
introduces herself to everyone there. She’s friendly, if
a bit brash and loud. Her interests seem . . . random Grynn’s Gramarye, page 80
and scattered. It’s clear that she spends a lot of time
studying magic, but often switches to a new spell or
secret before finishing what she started.
Her dove’s name is Real and the raven’s name is
Imaginary.

VARO MIST
Varo Mist is a Weaver who specializes in the arts of Varo Mist: level 5;
deception and lies. They are of average appearance, +1 Dodge and Resist;
other than the fact that a Fanadon Orb is embedded +3 deception and seeing
through deception,
in their left shoulder. Varo is a compulsive liar, but +1 stealth; vislae with many
they are very good at it—they don’t lie for the sake spells, focusing primarily on
of untruth unless there’s a very good chance they illusions and obfuscation;
won’t be caught. +2 spellcasting Thae Nitaris
Varo’s house is a tall, almost pyramidal structure
with life-sized statues of historical vislae near the THE KEY
pointed top. The knocker on the door is a brass cat’s Fanadon Orb, page 76
head holding a mouse by the tail.

89
 Secrets of Silent Streets

VINCOME Brickhouse District). She enjoys the company of

Vincome is a zilat with a talent for finding things. Vincome: level 3; +2 Resist; vislae, so that dictates the nature of most of those
She calls herself a Finder, and if it’s in Satyrine (and +3 interaction invited to the soiree at her house.
not heavily protected by anti-divination wards), she
can probably find it. Vincome finds objects, though, The GM should pepper a BLAVANISH HOUSE
not people. few NPCs from this chapter A sprawling, older manse, Blavanish House is
into the party. tastefully decorated, and well lit on party night with
WYSTRIN paper lanterns filled with glowbugs. A musician
A 4th-degree Vance, Wystrin is well known and well Wystrin: level 8; magic (two plays a large organ with pipes that end in actual
respected. She teaches Advanced Spell Mechanics successes), +2 Withstand, human mouths that sing the notes.
on the Vancian Campus and keeps a permanent +4 Dodge and Resist; About three dozen attendees are present for the
+2 knowledge; vislae with
office there. Businesslike to the point of being many spells, including such
party, and there are ten servants (all thoughtforms).
considered severe, she lets her (proverbial and effects as improving defenses, Partygoers don’t necessarily know each
literal) hair down once a week to find a dance hall dispelling magic, physical other, so there are a lot of introductions made.
with excellent music. Rumor has it that she lost her attacks, summoning needed Madame Blavanish seems to have invited vislae
true love when she was young and has no interest items, and enhanced of some prominence rather than only friends or
movement; +4 spellcasting
in romance or even real friendship today. acquaintances. It’s likely, for example, that the PCs
have never met her.
CHAONA ZACH Throughout the evening, a number of party
A woman named Chaona Zach is a Maker who Chaona Zach: level 6; games are played, and eventually Madame
has a shop in Fartown where she sells a variety of magic (two successes), Blavanish invites the PCs to play a game called
ephemera for standard prices. She’ll make items +2 Resist; +2 Armor from Musical Virgin Heir.
an object of power;
of level 4 or lower to order in the workshop behind +3 crafting and knowledge
the store, but always requires two weeks to deliver of crafting; vislae with a MUSICAL VIRGIN HEIR
special orders. She also sells a wide variety of few spells and a variety of This is a game for three players, and obviously
materials, ingredients, stabilizers, catalysts, and ephemera objects and objects Madame Blavanish will play. If there are more than
power sources for other Makers, up to level 4. of power; +1 spellcasting two PCs involved, they will have to choose who will
Chaona has a friendly dog named Backward that play.
seems to move backward all the time except if he or The game creates five very temporary
Chaona are threatened, in which case he transforms thoughtforms of young men. They’re all attractive
into a level 6 demon. and charming. Their names are:
✦✦ Abraham

ZAHRM ✦✦ Bertrand

Zahrm is an elderbrin who drives a taxicab in Zahrm: level 3; magic (two ✦✦ Cabot

Fartown and changes his appearance with every successes), +2 defenses; ✦✦ Dietrich

new fare. +1 social interaction and ✦✦ Evan

knowledge; shapeshifting

The object of the game is to guess which of the

A FARTOWN STORY
An invitation to a party arrives at the PCs’ homes.
The invitation comes from a wealthy woman named
Madame Lucille Blavanish. She’s not a vislae, but
her now-deceased husband, Kester, was, and she
still keeps a house in Fartown (as well as in the
young men is the heir to the Valloth family fortune.
There is no Valloth family—it’s just a part of the
game—so there is no heir, but one of the young
men truly believes they are the heir. The rest just
attempt to lie.

90
Fartown

91
 Secrets of Silent Streets

enridima
92

Players have three aspects of the young men to go
on: their musical talent, their sexual experience, and
their family. Each claims to be a musically talented
virgin who is the eldest child of the Valloth family.
One aspect (musical talent) is provable, one
aspect (virginity) is true or false, and one aspect
(being the heir) is never true, but one man believes
it to be true.
Keeping in mind that all of the young men claim
to be all of these things, and they are all decent liars,
here is the truth:
✦✦ One of them (Cabot) is none of these things.
✦✦ One is musical (Evan) but neither virgin nor
heir.
✦✦ One is a virgin (Dietrich) but neither musical
nor heir.
✦✦ One is both musical and a virgin (Abraham) but
not the heir.
✦✦ One of them is all three (Bertrand).
Each player has a turn. On their turn they can do
one of four things.
1. Ask one man a question. Everyone in the room
must hear the question and the response.
Direct questions are the easiest for the men to
respond to with falsehood (challenge 7 to sense
deception). Clever questions are harder to respond
to with lies (challenge 5 to sense deception).
Questions about being the heir are extremely easy
to respond to with falsehood (+5 to the challenge to
sense deception).
If the question is about sexual activity, there’s
nothing wrong with polite but straightforward
questions. Tact is essential. Particularly lewd or
crass statements will gain the disapproval and
disdain of those listening, and overtly disgusting
references or questions may result in being asked to
leave the party.
2. Ask one man to perform musically. This is very
difficult to fake. Dietrich can fake his way passably,
but the challenge to see through his efforts is only
4. No die roll is needed for any of the others.
Let any players with
characters not participating
in the game speak with
or advise those playing as
much as they want, but they
do not get turns in the game.
THE KEY
Establishment, page 169
Fartown
3. Cast a spell. The magic of the game is such that
no spell can reveal the truth about more than one
aspect of one man. Further, everyone in the room is
aware of the result of the spell.
It is possible that certain immunities or other
effects might prevent a party guest from being
aware of the result of the spell. It’s also possible that
a PC might be able to cast a spell surreptitiously
without anyone knowing. However, both of these
are considered cheating and, if discovered, result
in disqualification. The cheater would also face
embarrassment in front of the party as they’d be
asked to leave. Certainly their social standing would
take a hit.
4. Guess the heir. An incorrect guess is an
automatic and immediate forfeiture of the game, so
random guessing is risky.
ENDING THE GAME
The GM should play out the game. Madame
Blavanish participates (asking questions on her
turn) but wins only if both of the PCs make a guess
and fail. She’ll always guess last.
If a PC wins, various NPCs take note of that
character, and at least one influential partygoer
contacts them later with an offer of business or
trade or some other opportunity that otherwise
would not have been made.
There are no Acumen awards for this scenario
unless it fits into a character’s arc. A winning PC
who has the Establishment arc would certainly
progress a step—in fact, the party and game could
be the climax for anyone with such an arc.
93
 Secrets of Silent Streets
A
lthough it too exists along the banks of a
river, the Hollows could hardly be more
different from Riveriver. The Hollows is a
slum, where once the poorest of the poor of Satyrine
were relegated to crowded tenements along the
polluted Narrow Sannyasa River. That, of course,
was when the population of the city was far more
than it is today. Today, there is no reason to crowd
anywhere, and the classist laws of the city have long
been abandoned. (Classism is still rampant, but it is
not held up by law.)
Today the Hollows are a very quiet, lonely place.
For the most part, only those who choose to live there
do so. They call themselves hollows, which was a
derogatory term used by elitists in days gone by, but
has now been claimed by the residents. This term,
however, gets confused by many with the Hollowfolk,
which are something very different indeed.
Some claim it ironic that the Hollows were
relatively untouched by the War, but perhaps the
forces in that conflict merely felt it was not worth
the effort. Regardless, the run-down, sometimes
ramshackle buildings and shacks of the district
remain as they always have been.
The Narrow Sannyasa River, despite its name,
seems fairly wide. (Outside the city lies the Wide
Sannyasa River, and it is indeed wider.) It runs
through Satyrine, and in particular the Hollows.
Along its banks, the houses are typically small and
overcrowded. Living by the river holds no prestige
or pleasure—just the opposite. Its waters are very
polluted with trash and human waste, although a few
times a year, thoughtform workers and zilats with
appropriate abilities do much to clean the river. Still, in
the Hollows, the river is known mainly for its smell.
96
H THE HOLLOWFOLK
The Hollowfolk aren’t human at all, but animate
ceramic beings that are, as the name suggests,
hollow on the inside. They look like humans, or at
least fired clay statues of humans. They walk and
talk and eat and breathe just like the humans they
resemble.
THE PATH The Hollowfolk hail from an island in the
Unfathomable Unfathomable Archipelago called Hrimras,
Archipelago, page 49 which in the language of the Hollowfolk means
“something amid nothing.” Their word for
themselves is similar, Hrimran, meaning “nothing
within something.” Those who speak the language
A number of tall brick of Indigo seem to have no problem being referred
buildings near the district to as Hollowfolk, and in fact they feel that it is a word
center suggests that before synonymous with their own name for themselves.
the Hollows was a slum,
long before the War, this
According to their own tales, the Hollowfolk fled
area was perhaps a modest, their island centuries ago after a volcano threatened
middle-class residential to destroy them all. As a displaced people seeking
area, probably with a refuge, they made their way to Satyrine and
different name. eventually to the Hollows, apparently based on the
name alone. A few have, over the years, sought to
return to their native land. Those who came back
refused to speak about what they found.
Most of the Hollowfolk have known no other
home than Satyrine.
MOOD AND FEEL
All the most well-known residents of the Hollows
are criminals. It’s a rough place for rough people.
THE PATH While not everyone here is a cutthroat or a thief,
Zilat, page 124 everyone is certainly acquainted with one or more.
You can of course be a good, upstanding citizen in
the Hollows, but you have to adapt to the presence
The Hollows

97
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Goetic Summoning in
Front of the Houses
of nearby criminals. The gerents do a decent job,
however, of making sure that hollows do not prey
on their own.
Many of the hollows live in their district out of
spite, claiming that it was good enough for their
grandparents, so it’s good enough for them. A few
live there because it is affordable, and they can raise
a large family for a third of what it would take to do
so in the nearby district of Lower Taverswood, for
example.
Buildings by the river are little more than
cobbled, rickety shacks. The rest of the district is
mainly dilapidated structures covered in graffiti.
Many of these are empty and abandoned, making it
difficult for some to tell the difference between the
Hollows and the Ruined Expanses (this is, however,
an unfair assessment).
There is no memory gate to the Celestial Bazaar
in the Hollows, but there is a stop for the Satyrine
Rail.
98
of the Winged
A HOLLOWS
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Knocks is a neighborhood in the Hollows run
Fenn Shepherd: level 5; by gerent Fenn Shepherd. Fenn is a middle-aged
+2 defenses; +3 man with a metal leg that he claims he got in the
intimidation, +1 social War, but no one believes him. Like basically all the
interaction
gerents in the Hollows, he employs a large number
of hired toughs to keep his people safe and collect
protection money from them in return. (Gerents in
other districts might be accused of doing the same,
but in the Hollows they’re more straightforward
about it.)
The Knocks is mostly residential and somewhat
more populated than most neighborhoods. A
multigenerational street gang calling themselves
the Hard Knocks causes trouble for Fenn and his
people, which sometimes comes to outright, out-in-
the-open clashes of violence. Rumor is, the leader
Tallisa: level 5; +3 Dodge, of the Hard Knocks, Tallisa, wants to be gerent and
+2 Withstand and Resist; thinks that “overthrowing” Fenn is the way to get
+1 stealth and deception there.

LOCATIONS IN
THE HOLLOWS
The following locations exist within the Hollows.
HOTEL MORIBUND
This place, located just on the edge of the Ruined
Expanses, caters to those who are dying, not
unlike a hospice, except that some of the guests
aren’t sick—they’re suicidal, about to engage in an
endeavor in which they will surely die, or “dying” in
some other way. It’s a dark, grim place where people
are assured of being left alone.
ORALINE’S SHELTER
For those particularly down on their luck, Oraline
provides beds and meals for as many as a hundred
tired, hungry souls every day. While many of the
residents of the Hollows are squatters (there are
certainly enough empty buildings), most of these
places are grim and sometimes dangerous, while
Oraline’s is clean, dry, and safe, albeit very simple.
Oraline is a woman of huge generosity, mirth,
and size. Her laughter echoes through the building,
bringing an almost supernatural comfort to all
within.
No one knows where Oraline gets her funding,
but she happily takes donations from those who can
afford it.
THE PENNYFAIR
The Pennyfair is a very inexpensive market, like a
low-class version of the Celestial Bazaar. Still, there
are likely things that can be found only here, like
Noral Fincher’s cinnamon cakes and the paintings
of surreal artist Yalli, who paints scenes from
Shadow. Mostly, however, the Pennyfair offers food
and mundane necessities of modest quality.
Because it’s in the Hollows, the Pennyfair is
known as a haunt for gangs and criminals, and a
not-insignificant portion of the goods sold there
might be stolen.
THE PATH
The Hollows, page 94
Oraline: level 6;
+3 Withstand and Resist;
+4 social interaction,
+2 cooking
Amone: level 9; +5 defenses;
Armor 3; +2 stealth and
seeing through deception;
numerous magical wards
and defenses
Rumors say that Oraline is
in fact some kind of demon
that somehow preys on the
residents, but all evidence
suggests that these are
vicious lies.
Cryter Miniss, page 69
Therian Newell, page 176
The Hollows
THE REVELATION
Not really a location, the Revelation is a criminal
organization with a vast network that extends
throughout all of Satyrine, but its base of operations
lies within the Hollows. The primary activities
of the organization include general thievery
and burglary, but can also involve extortion,
kidnapping, and murder for hire. Occasionally, a
particular neighborhood will pass laws forbidding
something—anything from gambling to books on
a particular subject to a specific narcotic—and the
Revelation will swoop in and exploit this, but that
kind of need for black market operations is fairly
rare. There just aren’t that many things outlawed in
Satyrine.
The head of the organization is Amone Shaenon.
She prefers the title “Boss.” She is an older woman
with an ornate brass plate permanently fused to
half of her face like a mask, and a sixth finger on
her right hand. Expensive spells and treatments
keep her extremely fit regardless of her age. She is
vindictive, spiteful, and petty, and her wrath terrifies
all who work for her. The horrific punishments
visited upon those who cross her have achieved
infamy.
Amone has a lieutenant in every district of
the city and probably well more than a thousand
criminals working for her. Some say that if she
wanted to, she could raise an army of violent thugs
to challenge the Deathless Triumvirate, but that is
probably an exaggeration.
While there are other criminal organizations in
Satyrine, such as that led by Cryter Miniss, none
of them challenges the Revelation. Why Amone
Shaenon allows them to exist rather than just
incorporating them remains unknown.
Therian Newell in the Strangeglass District works
as the lawyer for the Revelation when they have
need (which is frequently).
The headquarters of the Revelation is also the
Boss’s home. It appears to be a simple, if somewhat
larger and better-kept house in the Hollows, but
spells have made the inside vast, with offices,
meeting rooms, storehouses, armories, an entire
99
 Secrets of Silent Streets
dungeon-like jail (complete with interrogation and
torture rooms), a barracks, and more. The house
is also filled with galleries of stolen art (some of
it quite infamous, and often believed long ago
destroyed).
THE THEATER OF SCRIPTURE
This low-cost, low-class theater shows bawdy
plays and ribald comics, as well as excellent
burlesque. However, it’s all a front for Hiram and
Nadine Errae, brother and sister, and their twisted
enterprise. The Errae siblings believe that the secret
to life is written in God’s book of scripture, but the
pages of that “book” are human souls. Their goal is
to kidnap as many people as they can and coax their
souls out of them through all manner of torture,
coercion, and magic so they can read the words of
God.
PEOPLE OF THE HOLLOWS
The following souls can be found in the Hollows.
JEREN THE DEVOURED
Those who know of Jeren know him as the most
(in)famous idea thief in Satyrine, a prominent
figure in the occult underground of magic-using
thieves and spell-slinging criminals that thrive in
the Hollows. Jeren steals rare and remarkable ideas
and sells them to the highest bidder. Long ago, he
ran afoul of a terrible creature that ate large portions
of him while he tried to fight the beast off. Today he
has extensive prosthetics and artificial replacement
parts made of silver.
Jeren has a young teenage son, Udarian, who
already has a reputation for getting into trouble with
the authorities. Both frequent a small casino called
the Silverjack.
THE NINE SISTERS
The Nine Sisters aren’t actually sisters—they are
magically created duplicates of a single woman
(though she has abandoned her individual identity
and name). The sisters do everything together.
100
Hiram and Nadine Errae:
level 6; Withstand and
Dodge, +4 Resist;
+2 social interaction and
stealth
Nivet: level 8;
+2 Withstand, +5 Dodge,
+3 Resist; +5 stealth and
acrobatics; uses level 8
paralysis poisons (3 rests)
Thanae: level 8;
+3 defenses; in a single
action, can completely alter
a foe, but only if they have
a significant amount of
darkness within them
Jeren the Devoured:
level 9; +2 defenses;
+4 stealth; steals ideas
THE WAY
Idea theft secret, page 89
Udarian: level 5;
+2 defenses; +2 stealth
Nine Sisters: level 5;
+3 Withstand; can create
doves and control their
actions
Stranger still, when they stand overlong in one
place, the hems of their long dresses take root in the
ground. Given an hour or so, the roots run beneath
the ground and sprout upward, giving birth to nine
fully formed doves. The sisters can see through the
doves’ eyes and control their actions until the sun
next sets.
They can forbid their dresses from taking root,
should they wish.
NIVET
Nivet is a serial murderer. With catlike deftness,
she walks along the clotheslines strung between
buildings to hang the wash. From these unexpected
perches, she watches potential victims, not unlike
a vulture in appearance and demeanor. She uses
her supernatural grace to enter apartments through
windows and escape via narrow ledges. Once in the
home of a victim, she uses specially crafted powders
blown through a short tube to induce a waking
paralysis.
THANAE
Thanae looks like a human woman, but she is a
powerful being that feeds on darkness and brings
light. She is short and petite, with long dark hair
and soft eyes. She intentionally puts herself in
situations to draw predators—people who would
rob, assault, or even murder her. She goes on dates
with obviously questionable men. She strolls alone
through dangerous areas of the city. And then, she
turns the tables on her assailants and devours all
the darkness from them in a flurry of ethereal claws
and teeth.
The result isn’t that she changes them—she
literally alters reality so that they are now (and
always have been) a completely different person,
with a different name, appearance, background, and
perhaps gender. The one thing that unites these
new creations is that they are all extraordinarily
positive, loving, and kind (and always have been).
Very rarely, someone will remember the original
person—who no longer exists—but it’s always
someone who disliked them.

Is Thanae demon or angel? Or something else?
No one knows, and she’s not telling. She craves
darkness, yet seems at least somewhat pleased that
she leaves only light in her wake.
Thanae’s potent abilities are useless against
someone who does not contain a significant amount
of darkness and means her great harm.
TURAL
Tural is a gregarious, friendly child who seems
to prefer the company of adults over that of other
children. She often says things that don’t sound like
something a child would say, as if she once read
it in a book and is now repeating it without truly
understanding its meaning. She is a scavenger and
a navigator who often knows about hidden places
and secret ways. Two creatures that she calls her pet
mice—but which look like dried roses—live in her
hair.
Unelind: level 7;
Withstand and Dodge,
+4 Resist; +3 social
interaction; magical
persuasion
Some people say that
Unelind is a zilat with
persuasive powers, but if
that’s true, it’s a secret she’s
keeping to herself.
Tural: level 2; +2 social
interaction and navigation
The Hollows
UNELIND
Despite the district’s reputation, not every hollow
in the Hollows is a criminal. Far from it, actually.
Unelind works to help organize her community,
encouraging people to stand up for themselves
and better themselves. She has personally
started schools for young children in multiple
neighborhoods, created food banks for the needy,
and more. She is an older woman but still very
active and strong. Exceedingly well spoken, clever,
and charismatic, she can charm anyone, the story
goes—and that might be the case.
A HOLLOWS STORY
Every plan has a flaw.
The PCs make their way down an empty street in
the Hollows, on their way to a destination of their
choosing. Suddenly, one of them vanishes before
the eyes of the rest.
Now, smart, cautious, or paranoid vislae likely
have a way to locate their errant companions,
101
 Secrets of Silent Streets
perhaps for just such a situation. If the PCs have
this ability at their disposal, they’ll likely discover
that their missing friend is now a few blocks away.
If they try to make their way there, however, they
are immediately ambushed by thugs. The four
thugs are less interested in fighting or even killing
the vislae, and instead just try to slow the PCs
down. They each carry a short length of rope that,
when hurled, turns into a small, python-like snake
that attempts to wrap around the legs of the nearest
person. A PC must succeed at a Dodge defense
action (challenge 4) to avoid being coiled, or they
are held in place until they can break free with a
Physicality action (challenge 4).
These thugs flee if seriously challenged.
WHAT’S GOING ON?
A criminal gang called the Static use a grabber zilat
to bring a single, wealthy-looking target to them,
where the victim can be safely mugged. The PC
102
Muggers: level 4; each
carries a knife and a pistol
Thugs: level 4; each carries
a python rope, a club, and a
knife; one carries a pistol
Ferret: level 5; +1 defenses;
+1 Armor; carries a knife
and a pistol
Lila: level 5; +1 Dodge
and Resist; can apport a
living creature from up to a
quarter mile away and have
them appear anywhere close
THE PATH
Grabber zilat, page 124
Conversation Alley
who’s been grabbed finds themselves surrounded
by five sinister figures, most armed and ready to
fight, whereas the victim is not ready at all. The
muggers get to act first and attempt to physically
restrain the PC, who can try to resist on their turn
with a challenge 7 Physicality action (the challenge
is so high because three of the muggers grab them
at once). The leader, a man named Ferret, demands
all the PC’s money.
The fifth figure is Lila, the grabber. She doesn’t
get physical and is not armed. If she is threatened,
she’s likely to “grab” a random person in the
neighborhood and have them appear between her
and the danger.
The rest of the gang (the other four muggers)
are the “spotters” who pick the target and note any
companions. If the companions look as though they
might successfully intervene, the spotters attempt
to slow them down so the grabbed victim can be
successfully robbed and the others can get away.
 The Hollows

THE FLAW IN THE STATIC’S PLAN

If the victim hands over all their money, this
essentially solves the problem. Ferret and the others
let them go and then scatter. The PC is free to
return to their friends.
If the victim puts up a fight and wins, the gang
members flee if possible.
If the victim puts up a fight and loses, Ferret is
hard on them, beating them pretty badly while the
others hold them. Then the muggers take their
money.
If the victim’s friends reach the gang while they
still have the initial victim, the muggers threaten to
kill the grabbed PC, effectively holding the character
for ransom, demanding money from all the PCs.
But here’s the real flaw in the Static’s plan: if the
grabbed victim attempts to reason with the gang
members, asking to be let go, at least one mugger
will be swayed if the PC succeeds on a persuasion
action (challenge 2). “This plan’s stupid, Ferret,”
the man says. Ferret tells him to shut up. Should
the PC then exploit this contention with another
such action (challenge 3), they can perhaps coax
real conflict among the muggers. At least some
of them are far more interested in beating on the
others than on the PC. A smart PC might use this
opportunity to slip away.
The members of the gang don’t like each other
much. They don’t respect Ferret, and they are a little
spooked by Lila. The group is essentially a powder
keg with a short fuse.

WRAPPING UP
The PCs are likely to survive this encounter, albeit
perhaps lighter on funds. No one in the Static is
interested in murder for its own sake, and they
certainly have no interest in dying. Should the PCs
defeat the gang one way or another, that might be
worth 1 Acumen.

103
 Secrets of Silent Streets
E
veryone always forgets about Lower
Taverswood. Most people can name sixteen
of the 17 districts in the city, but no one
seems to remember this one. Mostly because it’s
generally unremarkable.
No one knows how this district originally got its
name. There is no “Upper Taverswood.” A local joke
is that there used to be, but it got bored and left.
The truth is, Upper Taverswood disappeared when
a being known as the Unlocked Angel consumed it.
Lower Taverswood is green with trees and lovely
little paved stone paths.
HIDING IN LOWER
TAVERSWOOD
When the legendary Unlocked Angel took away
Upper Taverswood—long before the War—it
did . . . something to the district it left behind.
The fact that no one seems to remember Lower
Taverswood and no one thinks about it much is a
powerful magical effect.
The result is that spells and other effects used to
locate someone or something in Lower Taverswood,
when cast from outside the district, add +1 to the
challenge. And there are rumors of a secret one can
learn to enhance this more fully.
MOOD AND FEEL
Homey. Safe and warm. Dull. All these things
describe time spent in Lower Taverswood. It’s like
a quaint little small town stuck in the middle of
a big city. The houses and other buildings are a
mixture of stone and wood, but mostly wood. None
106
I of the structures are particularly old, but nothing
Hiding in Lower
Taverswood is a level 4
character secret. Knowing
it allows you to add +2
(for a total of +3) to resist
divinations or other effects
to locate you while you’re in
the district but the person
looking for you is not.
Melda Ambrose: level 5;
+1 Resist; +3 deception
Kyllan Ambrose: level 4;
+2 defenses; +2 perception
looks new either. There’s not a lot in the way of
ostentation—no statues on the street, no big murals
on the sides of buildings. You’re more likely to find
a tree where two young lovers have carved their
initials.
The people on the street are likely to be families.
Children play and run about, but the district is quite
still most of the time. You’ll find yourself the only
one on the street fairly often.
A LOWER TAVERSWOOD
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Rampallion stretches from Coach Street to
Buckminister Avenue. Like much of the district, it’s
mostly a residential neighborhood, with businesses
being small, local, and oriented toward the nearby
residents: a small grocery store, a hardware store, a
couple of bars, and so on.
Melda Ambrose serves as the gerent of
the Rampallion. Chosen by the people of the
neighborhood, she’s well liked and efficient. What
most don’t know, however, is that she’s an alcoholic.
Her addiction is a well-hidden secret, but it does
occasionally cause problems, for it means she
essentially disappears one day out of the week and
is unreachable. She also occasionally shows up at
important meetings or functions inebriated.
Melda’s brother Kyllan heads up law enforcement
in the district, with the title “sheriff.” Kyllan’s got
one full-time deputy, but he can call on up to a
dozen others in times of trouble. Melda has a staff
of a half-dozen clerks and others to help her run the
generally peaceful and low-key neighborhood.
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107
 Secrets of Silent Streets
About a thousand people live in the Rampallion
neighborhood. The residents’ modest wooden
houses are secluded in overgrown yards and
gardens, and a variety of apartments can be found
above the local stores and bars.
LOCATIONS IN LOWER
TAVERSWOOD
The following locations lie within Lower
Taverswood.
GAO HOUSE
The Gao family has lived in the same elegant, well-
maintained house for generations. The current
owner, Lin Gao, is an older woman with a number
of adult children, none of whom currently live in
the family house.
The house is surrounded by flowers made of ice,
constantly melting but never fading. The house’s
wooden walls have painted murals that move and
shift like animated films.
The problem is that Gao House is currently
cursed. Horrific creatures like vugs and kithra (or
worse) leap out of the murals from time to time
and prowl the district, hunting for prey. Lin cannot
afford to pay to have the curse removed, nor does
she know where the curse came from. She is at a
loss as to what to do—she’s even attempted to cover
up or scrub away the murals, but their magic is too
great for mundane solutions. Plus, she’d really like
to keep her family’s murals intact if possible.
108
THE PATH
Lower Taverswood,
page 79
Lin Gao: level 4;
−1 Withstand and Dodge,
Resist +3; +2 art and social
interactions
THE PATH
Vug, page 134
Kithra, page 130
Aria North: level 3;
+2 Resist; +3 perception and
research
The Daily Sights
Fartown’s Oldest Newspaper
Fartown, the Hollows, and Lower Taverswood, August 16
Weather: In Fartown, clear skies. In other districts, clouds with a chance of rain.
EDIBLE DARKNESS CLOSED FOR THIRD DISAPPEARANCE IN
SUSPECTED MIRROR VIRUS AS MANY WEEKS PROMPTS
QUESTIONS, BUT NO ANSWERS
By order of gerent Nialis Barthomas, the restaurant, and plan to investigate
a beloved restaurant in Fartown has them fully. We should have more
been closed because of a suspected information in a few hours.”
mirror virus outbreak. Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to
Edible Darkness will be closed for reach Fayz for further comments.
at least a week while the authorities
and local vislae attempt to investigate UPDATE: Edible Darkness owner
the illness reports and locate the Jaquan Platon issued this statement
source, or sources, of the virus. this morning:
The closure came two days after “When we were informed of
another nearby restaurant, The the outbreak, we immediately took
Winter Stranger, was closed due to corrective action to thoroughly
a similar suspected outbreak. It is sanitize our establishment from top
currently unclear whether the two to bottom, removing all mirrors
suspected outbreaks are connected. from the premises. We understand
In a statement received yesterday, how troubling this news is to our
Ersilia Fayz, an expert on the mirror loyal guests, and hope we can
virus, said, “We’ve received multiple continue to earn their patronage in
reports of mirrors appearing inside the future.”
Tick-Tock, a Clock Shop
Need to be on time, make up for
lost time, or perhaps lose an hour
here or there? (No one will miss
it; we promise.) Whatever your
first- and second-hand needs,
make Tick-Tock, a Clock Shop your
source for all time.
We specialize in the finest of
timepieces, including clocks,
watches, sand dials, hourglasses,
ephemera objects, objects of
power, and more.
For everyone’s safety, we do not
carry or purchase objects that
purport to kill time.
Tick-Tock, a Clock Shop
Manas Dand Ivaylo Vilis VII,
Proprietor
Open at the eleventh hour in the
shadow of Death (around the
corner from Carpe Donut)
Volume XXXIV, No. 17
Most knew Handa Zist as a helpful,
outgoing Weaver who was always
willing to open her door, and her
heart, to neighbors in need.
“She was just ready with a hand
or a kind word,” said Ursul Wolk,
who has lived next door to Zist for
most of his life. “Not a day would go
by when you didn’t hear about her
doing something nice for someone.”
Wolk’s comment is just one
of the many reasons Zist’s recent
disappearance has taken a toll on the
neighborhood.
“You know these things happen
sometimes,” said Wolk. “It’s
Fartown, right? But when it happens
to someone as kind as her, you
just . . . I hope they find her soon.”
Zist, who was reported missing
about a week ago by her music
students, is the third such individual
to disappear from Fartown in as
many weeks. Two weeks ago, a
young Maker named Elwin Uster
disappeared as he was walking home
from the store where he worked.
The first reported disappearance
was perhaps the most well known:
Yill the Apostate, head of the nearby
community center, who is running
for political office in Satyrine.
“We don’t know for certain that
these disappearances are connected,
beyond all of them being from
Fartown,” said local gerent Katrina
Rontz. “But evidence points to the
possibility. What we don’t know is
why or how.”
The evidence that Rontz speaks
of is the scorch marks that appear
in the spot where the individuals
BARAT’S RENTALS
Barat rents everything from simple garden tools
to bicycles and automobiles. Everything requires
a refundable deposit of three times the rental fee.
Rental fees are per day or portion thereof.
Rental Fee Item
3 to 10 orbs General tool
2 crystal Bicycle
3 crystal Two-person bicycle
3 crystal Lawnmower (push powered)
3 crystal Winch
3 crystal Water pump (hand powered)
3 crystal Icebox
3 crystal Oven
5 crystal Aethyric-powered tool (saw,
vacuum, blower, sander, etc.)
10 crystal Concrete mixer
10 crystal Rock grinder or general
compactor
10 crystal Wagon or trailer
15 crystal Small automobile
25 crystal Truck
THE DAILY SIGHTS
The Daily Sights, a small newspaper, is distributed
throughout Fartown, parts of the Hollows, and
the district that holds its editorial offices, Lower
Taverswood.
Aria North works as a reporter at the Daily Sights.
She frequently works on a multitude of stories at
once, and she has contacts all over the city. Always
3 ORBS
on the go, she sometimes freezes utterly still for
two seconds. She knows that she does this, but she’s
unaware of when (or why) it happens.
were taken. The marks are silver in
appearance, about 6 inches long, and,
according to reports, nearly identical
from site to site. Sources say that a
fourth scorch mark appeared last
night, a rumor that authorities are
not willing to confirm or deny.
So far, authorities say that
they’ve come up with few additional
connections between the missing
people. “The scorch marks, and
the fact that they all contacted the
Noösphere in the hours prior to
JUPITER GROCERY
their disappearance, are the only
things we have to tie these incidents
together,” said Rontz. Authorities
are attempting to trace the
Noösphere connection in the hopes
that it will lead to further discoveries.
“It’s possible that everyone who
disappeared was in contact with the
same person, or perhaps they are
A local neighborhood store, Jupiter Grocery
part of an organization that we’re
unaware of,” Rontz continued.
The news has the community
upset in more ways than one.
“How do you go outside, how do
you use the Noösphere, when you
know that at any moment, you could
serves residents well and is renowned for its fresh
just be taken away by demon knows
what?” said Wolk. “If they took
someone as good as Handa, they can
take anyone.”
Authorities say that they
will continue looking into the
disappearances, and assure the
community that they will soon have
produce. It’s also a front for a safehouse for people
answers. They ask that anyone who
has information about the missing
people or who knows the origins
of the scorch marks contact them
immediately.
hiding from those who would do them harm.

Elias Strange is the owner of Jupiter Grocery,
and at the same time he’s well connected to many
groups and organizations. For a fee (usually
about 300 crystal orbs per day), Elias provides a
comfortable hiding place suitable for up to six
people. Thanks to the inherent magic of the district,
coupled with enchantments and secrets built into
the grocery store itself, those within the store or the
hidden apartment in the basement are immune to
any magic that could be used to find them.
Elias also has connections that can sneak people
out of the city, forge new identification papers, and
even get them into a back-alley changery in Fartown
to alter their appearance. Fees for all such services
are extra.
Elias retains the right to refuse to hide certain
people. He’s not interested in helping violent
criminals, for example, without extenuating
circumstances. He’d rather help those on the
run from violent criminals or perhaps the falsely
accused.
PELLIMERE’S HOUSE
Pellimere is one of the rare vislae who lives in
Lower Taverswood. She’s a 3rd-degree Vance,
and she’s got a reputation for being an excellent
reference for a vast number of spells. Her entire
family died in the War, and they were all Vances.
She has all their various spellbooks and grimoires.
Pellimere is loyal to the Vancian Order, to the
point that she will not work with members of other
orders without explicit instructions from a higher-
ranking Vance. When she works with other Vances,
she’s likely to charge them 5 crystal orbs per day to
study from her collection of tomes.
Her two-story house sits atop a tall hill,
surrounded by a well-kept yard, complete with
a pond and a tiny storm cloud about 5 feet (1.5
m) across that waters a small section of her lawn
at a time. Pellimere’s yard is always filled with
flamingos.
Even the brick walkway up the hill is unique. Each
of the bricks in the walkway is a living creature, like
a flat-backed frog. These tiny animals are clustered
Elias Strange: level 7;
+4 Resist; +3 stealth and
deception; cannot be found
by magical means no matter
where he is
Elias’s sister is Calliope
Strange, the famed actor in
the Palindrome.
Chirasda: level 6;
+2 defenses; +3 stealth
Pellimere: level 7; magic
(two successes), +1 Dodge,
+3 Resist; +3 magical lore;
vislae with many spells;
+4 spellcasting
THE PATH
Zilat, page 124
Ruined Expanses, page 208
Lower Taverswood
together and move slowly as a unit, so the walkway
drifts across the lawn over the course of the day
while the animals eat grass, insects, and grubs they
find on the ground.
THE SECRET BAR
The Secret Bar is located beneath a laundry, with a
secret entrance in the side of the building.
Like a secret society, the patrons of the bar swear
in a mysterious ceremony to keep the place’s
location and nature to themselves. The owner is
Chirasda, a stooped woman with feathers and the
head of a parrot.
Coasters from the Secret Bar, which are simply
emblazoned with a question mark, are collector’s
items among those in the know.
THE SINGING STREET
Each cobblestone in one street in the district
produces a musical note when touched, so that
as one walks along, music plays. It’s not always
pleasant.
ZILAT CLEANING SERVICES
As the name suggests, this cleaning service makes
use of zilats with magical powers to aid in their
duties. They range from psychokinesis to clean
hard-to-reach spots and tidy quickly to those with
the ability to utterly eradicate stains.
They have a support staff of non-zilat cleaners as
well.
Zilat Cleaning Services can handle surprisingly
difficult jobs with ease. Which is why they get away
with charging double what other cleaning services
charge.
RECLAIMED AREA 38
A section of the Ruined Expanses to the southwest
of Lower Taverswood has been reclaimed. About
nine months ago, a group of powerful vislae
destroyed a Hate Cyst and cleared out all the
residuum of its dire effects. In the intervening time,
some enterprising builders moved in to tear down
ruined structures and either refurbish those still
109
 Secrets of Silent Streets
relatively intact or build new ones. It’s about a nine-
block area that is filled with construction.
But now rumors have begun to circulate. Strange
things are happening. Foul sights are witnessed.
Construction workers have gone missing. The
whispers say that people have acted in too great a
haste. They say that the Hate Cyst, or some remnant
of it, persists in the area.
Construction tools have taken on lives of their
own and attacked their wielders. Apparitions of
workers’ loved ones are seen tortured and slain.
Snake-like beings with multiple heads squirm up
out of the ground at twilight.
The call has gone out for aid from brave vislae to
investigate, but no one has risen to the occasion as yet.
PEOPLE IN LOWER
TAVERSWOOD
The following people can be encountered in Lower
Taverswood.
LIEUTENANT FISK
A veteran of the War, Fisk is an older man with
a haunted look. Bringing up the War is likely to
trigger strange effects in him, and he begins to
babble about battles and death, but none of it makes
any sense. Weirdly, those listening to Fisk see vivid
images in their mind’s eye of what he’s saying, but
no two listeners seem to see anything close to the
same thing.
TERRITHANC
Territhanc is a lacuna, living in a small cluster of
other lacuna. An enterprising soul, he has educated
himself about hundreds of locations in Satyrine and
can open himself up like a doorway to any of them.
For a fee, he allows a non-lacuna to travel through
him to a location of their choice—or the nearest
destination he knows of. He usually charges about
20 crystal, but he’s open to negotiation.
If threatened, Territhanc is not beyond forcing an
opponent through him into a terrible location he
knows of in the Ruined Expanses.
110
Fisk: level 7; +3 Withstand,
+2 Dodge, +3 Resist
Eden (weakened): level 8;
magic (two successes),
+3 defenses; regenerate
1 point of damage each
round; gaze mesmerizes
close foes; transform into a
bat; truly destroyed only by
sunlight or a wooden stake
through the heart
Territhanc: level 4; magic
(two successes), +2 Resist;
opens himself as a portal
to various locations in
Satyrine
THE PATH
Lacuna, page 30
A LOWER TAVERSWOOD
STORY
Vampires are typically thought to be a problem in
Rivenhome, or perhaps scattered about the Ruined
Expanses. But the thing about vampires is that they
can be found literally anywhere, mixed into human
society in the most surprising of places. And no
place is more unsuspecting than Lower Taverswood.
MAELSTROM HOUSE
This large manor seems out of place amid the
modest homes around it, but the interior is more
out of place still. The inside of Maelstrom House
is an open void filled with a roiling storm of fire,
winds, and lightning. Magical rods hold back the
storm and form rooms and corridors in the storm
itself. The “walls” are not walls at all, and a visitor
could accidentally or intentionally step through one
and into the storm (and very likely their doom).
There are no doors in Maelstrom House, no
windows to the outside, and nothing hangs upon
the “walls.” But otherwise, the rooms are furnished
nicely. Floating stone slabs, hovering in the storm,
provide a floor. (A misstep moving across the floor
can send one hurtling down into the storm below.)
Over the years, many people have owned the
manor and called it their home. Currently, it’s a
flophouse for a group of vampires that have fallen
upon hard times and bad luck. The de facto leader
of the pack is Eden, a thin, matronly woman
who grabs whatever victim she can find in the
surrounding quiet neighborhoods, bringing them
back (mesmerized) to Maelstrom House where she
feeds upon them, but takes only half their blood.
The other half she doles out to the other eight
vampires in the house. This tiny modicum of blood
is just enough to keep the vampires from expiring
entirely, so they lie about on the floor, in bed, or
on couches at all times, as though sick or drugged.
Eden herself—getting only half the blood—is weak
for her kind.
 Lower Taverswood

DRAWING ATTENTION
Eden and her brood might gain the attention of the
PCs by feeding on someone they know. Or perhaps
it is Maelstrom House that attracts the characters—it
has been the home of vislae and various important
people (and beings) in the past, and perhaps the PCs
hear that it holds a secret they need.
In any event, whether the characters know to
expect vampires or not, the inside of Maelstrom
House is likely to surprise them.

THE OFFER
“Take pity on us,” Eden pleads. She doesn’t use
violence or even mesmerism to deal with the PCs
when they arrive. Her voice is the exasperated
whisper of someone almost out of options. “We are
dying, but in the way of our kind, that death is long
in coming and drags us down roads of withered
agony. But you can help us. Send those to us that
you want us to feed upon. Those whose existence is
anathema to you. We promise that we will not hunt
the innocents of your kind, as long as you keep us
sated with those of your choosing. We are weak
now, so send those who are weak or few in number
at first. But eventually, even your greatest foes can
be dealt with.”
In other words, Eden will kill the PCs’ enemies
(assuming they can trick said enemies into coming
to the house) and won’t harm innocents as long
as they have enough to eat. Even just one victim a
week will keep them going.

RESOLUTION
If the PCs accept Eden’s offer, they have a way to
dispose of their enemies and gain free access to
Maelstrom House (if they’re looking for secrets).
Unless they have a lot of enemies and strong
stomachs, however, this deal will go poorly eventually.
This outcome earns no Acumen, but depending on
the characters, it might result in Joy or Despair.
If the PCs decline and decide to destroy the
vampires, only Eden puts up a fight. She will die Gao House
defending the others. Destroying the house of
vampires earns each PC 1 Acumen.

111
 Secrets of Silent Streets
L
ocated at the heart of the city, the regal
Marquis Quarter is the seat of power in
Satyrine. This is the home of the Skytower,
the suspended dagger-like structure wherein the
Deathless Triumvirate themselves dwell.
During the War, the Marquis Quarter was the
best defended against the destruction, and thus it
is among the most preserved districts from before
the conflict that destroyed so much of the city.
Government buildings and offices fill this district,
and likely represent the only reason that outsiders
ever come here—to obtain permits and licenses, pay
fees, or conduct other government business.
But it’s not just government buildings and official
offices here. The Marquis Quarter is where the
city’s wealthiest and most influential residents live.
Satyrine doesn’t have a formal system for nobility,
but that doesn’t stop the residents from acting as
though one exists. The district is also where you’ll
find the very finest (and most expensive) shops and
restaurants.
Here, the buildings rise high above the wide
streets. Marble steps and columns are everywhere.
Well-cared-for parks and plazas stretch out
throughout the district, many filled with enormous
statues or other monuments. Thoughtforms keep
the streets free of trash and keep the shamlights lit.
Unlike every other district, the Marquis Quarter
is not divided into neighborhoods run by gerents.
Instead, the Deathless Triumvirate and their
representatives control the entire district directly.
Order is kept by the soldiers of the Pristine Guard,
often simply called Defenders.
114
J MOOD AND FEEL
Deathless Triumvirate,
page 19
The uneducated in the
city call this the Marquee
Quarter, but that’s not
entirely incorrect, at least
in concept. Playing on that
fact, people outside the
district call the residents
here Marquees, and it’s not
meant to be complimentary.
THE PATH
Shamlight, page 20
Gerents, page 71
The Marquis Quarter is as high-end as it gets. It
has the feel of a European capital like Paris, Rome,
or Vienna at its height. The architecture is in the
Renaissance and Baroque styles, with a surreal flair.
Because the people of this district have so much
money, they’ve paid to have things glisten, float, and
play music.
When the PCs go to the Marquis Quarter, take
some extra time to describe the opulence. Talk
about the Skytower overhead and the colossal
buildings all around. Describe gilded carriages
pulled by teams of glistening thoughtform horses.
Mention the jewelry of the people who pass by on
the street, and the clothing that probably carries a
price tag similar to a house in another district.
When in doubt, there’s an elaborate fountain in
the middle of a piazza. A marble statue twice life-
size on the street corner. A building’s facade with
gold plating worked into it. Marble columns girding
the entrance to a building.
The people are well dressed, snobbish, and even
imperious. They see Satyrine as the center of the
universe and this district as the center of Satyrine.
They recognize the importance of magic, but for
the most part it’s something for other people to
create and perform. (Not unlike how a rich patron
appreciates art, but never considers working as an
artist themselves.)
And, of course, not all the people in the district are
mortal. While this is true of the entire city, it’s probably
most true here. Entities from across the Actuality who
come to Satyrine often come to the Marquis Quarter.
When a powerful angel or devil visits Satyrine, this is
usually where they can be found.
The Marquis Quarter

115
 Secrets of Silent Streets

THE EREMITE FISH Pristine Guard Finally, a small unit of appropriately named
Large fish, sometimes almost ghostly or translucent Investigator: level 5; Investigators investigates crime and focuses
to the eye, “swim” through the air in this portion +3 Resist; +1 Armor; on crime prevention. A significant number of
+2 perception and social
of the city. People call them eremite fish, and most interaction (including
Investigators are vislae or zilats, who use magic
learn to ignore them, although a few use specially seeing through deception); (particularly divinations) to aid them in their duties.
crafted transdimensional nets or weapons to catch many are vislae with
or hunt the fish and drag their flesh into our world. divinatory, truth-
The fact that eremite fish swim about the compelling, and protective LOCATIONS IN
district in what appear to be schools seems like a
spells; +2 spellcasting
THE MARQUIS QUARTER
contradiction of the reclusive nature suggested by You can find the following locations in the Marquis
their name. But in fact, they’re not congregating in THE PATH Quarter.
Marquis Quarter, page 74
schools. Each eremite fish lives in its own separate
world that barely intersects with Satyrine (just CHROMALIA’S COURT
enough for us to see them, but not enough for them Pristine Guard Defender: A veritable castle in the middle of the city,
to see us) and doesn’t intersect at all with the worlds level 6; +2 defenses; Chromalia’s Court serves as a major landmark in
of the other eremite fish. +3 Armor; +1 perception the district, with high obsidian walls (representing
the Dark) bearing flags and banners of all the colors
Chromalia’s thoughtform of the suns. The walls are 30 feet (9 m) high, and
THE PRISTINE GUARD guards: level 5; most people believe them to be ensorcelled to be
DEFENDERS +3 Withstand, +1 Resist;
+3 Armor; +2 perception,
indestructible and extremely unfriendly to any
The personal troops of the Deathless Triumvirate, +1 to attack and 6 points of
unwanted persons attempting to scale them. No
dating back to the War, are called the Pristine Guard damage with hand to hand one alive knows for certain because no one’s tried to
Defenders, or—colloquially—simply the Defenders. break into the Court in generations.
They serve as equal parts police force and soldiers Chromalia: level 11; magic Chromalia’s thoughtforms guard the gate and the
assigned to defend the quarter (and, ostensibly, the (three successes, interior of the keep and bailey. They have all been
city). The Pristine Guard not only keeps order here +5 Withstand and Resist; cast in the shape of powerful men with the heads
+2 social interactions,
but also patrols the roads and paths between the +1 general knowledge; wields
of apes. They wear red and green tabards over plate
districts in the Ruined Expanses. so many potent magical and chain armor.
Defenders wear golden armor and faceless, abilities that she might as The central keep, made of granite and massive
mirrored helmets. They carry long rifles as well as well be considered a vislae, copper supports, is surrounded on three sides by a
glistening swords and are found standing guard in including undoing and lush courtyard. A copper hourglass stands 20 feet (6
reversing magical effects,
front of the most important government buildings m) tall in the center of the yard. Instead of grains of
healing, teleportation, and
as well as patrolling in groups of five. These soldiers compelling calm; sand, it holds small alarm clocks.
have no interest in chit-chat. They are serious +3 spellcasting Inside, large brass bells, many of them cracked
individuals—although not as ruthless as the Thah. and tarnished, hang from the ceiling. When
Speaking of which, thanks to the heavy rotation Chromalia casts a spell in the house, the bells ring,
of the Defenders, the Thah seldom come to this THE PATH adding to the power of the spell (+1 level).
district. Presumably, this is because they rarely feel The Dead, page 54 Chromalia is one of the Dead in Satyrine and has
they need to. almost certainly been here the longest. Wealthy and
By order of the Deathless Triumvirate, the Pristine Guard Protector: influential almost beyond measure, she is powerful
Pristine Guard has three special units purely for level 5; +2 defenses; enough that people in need beseech her as though she
fighting fires, administering emergency medical +1 Armor; +2 climb, were a goddess, or at least a force that even the Deathless
perception, and firefighting
services, and handling other rescue-related Triumvirate must contend with. (This perception is
operations. These are called the Protectors. likely an exaggerated mistake, but not by much.)

116

Visitors to the court include many of the social
elite, both living and Dead. A few spend so much
time there that they essentially have taken up
permanent residence, but no one knows how
they’ve been granted such an honor by Chromalia
(and they’re not sharing the secret).
Bella Astra is a prisoner held in the castle by magic.
People think she’s a ghost, but that’s not correct. Bella
is permanently insubstantial. She can speak and
observe, but nothing else. There’s also a bit of magic
that makes anyone aware when she is near, so she
can’t be unobtrusive or stealthy. She mostly keeps
to herself in isolated portions of the vast structure.
Neither Bella nor Chromalia willingly reveal why she’s
imprisoned there, but it is clear that she was very
powerful magically when she had a corporeal form.
EMOTION MILLS CONSORTIUM
HEADQUARTERS
The Emotion Mills Consortium is the powerful and
wealthy conglomerate of businesses that deal in
the creation, transportation, and sale of emotions.
The Marquis Quarter facility, as opposed to the
Strangeglass offices, is a private, closed facility
where the heads of the organization meet and work.
The office in the Strangeglass District is where
meetings and dealings with the public occur.
The headquarters is a narrow spindle tower with
a unique sphere atop it, making it far larger at
the top than at the bottom. It is well guarded and
magically warded. Rumors say that the interior
holds vast vaults of the jaw-dropping wealth of the
consortium and a stockpile of emotions itself worth
more than most people would even believe.
THE GRAND ASSEMBLY
This large facility boasts a variety of halls, theaters,
meeting rooms, and more to accommodate Satyrine’s
most prestigious large events. Concerts, plays, and
performances of various kinds are staged here, but
even more interesting are the different annual events.
A small sampling of events include the following:
Annual Longbriar’s Dog Show: The dogs of
Satyrine hire human groomers and companions to
Office of the Emotion Mills
Consortium, page 177
THE PATH
Vatic Order, page 118
The Marquis Quarter
help them in this prestigious competition judged by
both humans and dogs.
Order of Makers’ Annual Creator’s Prize
Ceremony: This formal ceremony presents awards
and prizes for excellence in the crafting and
making of magical objects. Prizes are awarded
for aesthetics, function, originality, and other
categories. Some people believe this ceremony to be
a sham, or at least a front for some other secret or
ruse of the Maker organization.
The Pale Gala: The Dead hold a formal gathering
every year for all of their kind in Satyrine. This
event is technically hosted by the Pale Embassy, but
Lady Chromalia is very likely the quiet driving force
behind it, both financially and organizationally.
There are typically about 300 attendees. The living
are not welcome except as part of the waitstaff or
other help, although that is mainly provided by
thoughtforms. Understandably, ghosts and spirits
are forbidden, and security is tight, usually provided
by capable vislae and zilats specializing in dealing
with the incorporeal. Many spirits attempt to sneak
in, perhaps just on principle.
The Vatic Conclave: The Vatic Order has a
yearly gathering of all members (about 300) in the
Grand Assembly. Members attend lectures and
conferences and generally confer about the future,
offering insight and support to their fellows.
The August Invisible Tournament: This week-long
competition is held each year for all vislae. They
compete on a number of fronts, from the aesthetics
of a cast spell to the use of magic to enhance one’s
physical prowess to creative problem solving using
magic. Musical and theatrical performance produced
primarily through sorcery is a popular event to
participate in or just to observe, as are the magical
baking events. Although the tournament includes
physical contests involving magically enhanced
speed, strength, dexterity, and so on, there are no
combat-related events, as they are deemed too
dangerous (to contestants and spectators) and
the violence involved too crude. The judges and
organizers of the August Invisible Tournament see
their event as one of class and dignity, and they
refuse to allow anyone to tarnish that ideal.
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 Secrets of Silent Streets
THE HOTEL OF WORDS
Said to have been erected in the early days of the
human establishment of the city (after the arabast
left) when words of creation were uttered by a
powerful entity, this grand building is a thing of
architectural beauty and wonder. And beyond its
appearance, every surface of the structure seems to
contain a word that can be heard if touched. These
words give the sections of the building their names,
such as Efflorescence Hall, the Incipient Garden,
the Panoply Chamber, and so on.
Today, the building serves as an elegant hotel for
elite visitors to the city. When Her Elegance comes
to Satyrine, for example, or Queen Frageliva, they
stay in the Hotel of Words. Even the simplest room
is a thing of opulence and costs 100 crystal orbs per
night. The three penthouse suites are said to be
larger than the average home and cost 10 gem orbs
a night.
118
Arabast, page 16
Typical Magisterium
keeper: level 13; magic
(three successes),
+3 defenses; +2 magical
lore; various abilities and
spells, which often include a
very powerful offensive and
defensive option
THE KEY
Soul Guardian, page 140
THE PATH
Her Elegance, page 59
Queen Frageliva, page 39
THE MAGISTERIUM’S
COURT AND THE LABYRINTH
Hidden by both clever placement and crafty spells,
the Magisterium’s Court—the meeting place of all
thirteen keepers of the secret soul allegiances—lies
within the Marquis Quarter. These people are not
the secret Soul Guardians, all of whom are mystic,
quasi-godlike beings. No, the keepers are mortals,
each the head of the organization that represents
the agents of that soul. Confusingly, each keeper
is addressed by the secret soul title—the Silver
Star, the Old Man, the Child, and so on—which
makes it seem even more like they are the actual
Soul Guardian. Some play up that confusion, while
others downplay it. A few—the current Old Man,
Hammer, and Abyss—all outright claim to either be
the actual guardian or be possessed human hosts
for the guardian of their soul. (And maybe one or
more of them is telling the truth. Stranger things
have happened.)
Each member of the Magisterium has a retinue of
agents and assistants, all, of course, with the same

soul. And each soul’s allegiance organization has its
own secret base of operations in Satyrine, many of
which lie hidden within the Ruined Expanses. They
are spread throughout the city. This means that to
talk directly, the Magisterium must gather in their
hidden court.
Its appearance on the outside is obfuscated,
but within the court is a vast circular structure
with columns and thirteen throne-like seats.
No agents or servants are allowed in—only the
Magisterium members themselves. A small group
of thoughtforms, each of which has the appearance
of a human with a massive pyramid for a head,
maintains and guards the court.
Meetings are very rare. They occur in one of two
situations. First is when a threat arises that gains
the attention of all thirteen souls, which happens
perhaps only once or twice in a lifetime. The more
common—but still quite rare—event is that a vislae
wishes to enter the Labyrinth. Entrance can be
gained only through action of all thirteen members
of the Magisterium.
The Labyrinth represents the pinnacle of magical
power, skill, and knowledge. Successfully passing
through the Labyrinth allows a vislae to reach a new
understanding of reality in ways that are not fully
understood. What the Labyrinth actually is—a literal
maze, a magical crucible, some sort of mystical
transcendence, or something incomprehensible to
most people—is not known. Everyone who enters
the Labyrinth disappears forever. It’s assumed
that most die. Or worse. (Considering that the
Magisterium is involved, complete and utter soul
destruction is a possibility.)
Getting the Magisterium to gather to grant access
to the Labyrinth is extraordinarily difficult. Figuring
out how to do so and accomplishing it is what
keeps out all but those truly worthy of an attempt
at the Labyrinth. Whatever the method, it involves
knowledge, understanding, diplomacy, extremely
rare rituals, secrets, and a very high level of magical
might. But all that merely gains one the opportunity
to enter the Labyrinth. Conceivably, the trials faced
within are far greater.
The current menu for the
Magniloquent Moth can be
found in the Black Cube’s
handouts envelope.
Salinday: level 8;
+3 Withstand, +3 Resist; +4
cooking; zilat food conjurer
Magisterium thoughtform
guard: level 7; +2 defenses;
+2 Armor, +1 perception
and stealth
Oddamore Roth: level 6;
+3 Resist; +2 hatmaking
Other assistants: level 3
Opt: level 4; magic (two
successes), +2 defenses;
change shape
The Marquis Quarter
THE MAGNILOQUENT MOTH
The Magniloquent Moth is a restaurant offering
expensive and elegant dining experiences with
unique dishes. Culinary artiste and gourmet
conjurer Salinday is well known throughout the
district for his incredible creations. The fashion-
obsessed members of the upper class love the
Magniloquent Moth, and the proprietors ensure
that whenever trends threaten to send such patrons
elsewhere, the restaurant changes its menu,
interior, and overall theme to remake itself all
over again as the hot new eatery. The owners, the
wealthy Illianitas sisters, have made a pact with
powerful beings from the Gold Sun to ensure that
the restaurant’s rebirth is always a successful one.
THE MILLINER’S COLLECTION
If the name of this place sounds like a hat store,
that’s because it is. The Marquis Quarter store is
very large and has two floors, filled with carefully
arranged shelves and displays showing off men’s
and women’s hats of all kinds. Some are simple
top hats or trilbies, but others look like swans or an
entire elaborate scene from history, complete with
moving figures. But unbeknownst to most, some of
the hats are extraordinary in other ways too.
Oddamore Roth is the owner, designer, and
proprietor of the collection. He is almost sickly
thin, with a narrow face and a large nose. He’s
supercilious and condescending to customers and
imperious and mean to his three assistants. Two are
simple thoughtforms and the other is an elderbrin
named Opt who often takes the form of a dog-
headed bird or—if physically threatened—a bear
with dogs for hands.
No one (including Oddamore) knows why, but
some of his hats are intelligent. What’s more, they
know secrets and can be convinced to whisper
their knowledge into the ears of their owner while
on their head. There are 500 hats in the store, and
the cheapest ones cost 25 crystal, while the most
expensive run 5 gem orbs. Without Oddamore’s
knowledge or blessing, Opt has tried on every hat
in the collection, convinced it they were its owner,
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 Secrets of Silent Streets
and learned which hat knows what. But Opt doesn’t
reveal this information easily, because they don’t
want their employer to know that they’ve been
trying on and interacting with the hats, awhich
they’ve been forbidden to do. Opt is quiet and a
little sheepish.
THE OBSCURE PALACE
Technically, the Obscure Palace is not in the
Marquis Quarter, but in the Ruined Expanses
outside it, to the south. But the well-traveled road
through the expanse down to the Brickhouse
District runs right past the gorgeous palace of
marble and bronze. It rises above the ruins around
it, as if the weapons used in the War could not affect
it in any way. Most people of Satyrine know nothing
of this place, and even those who have heard the
name or have passed it on the road think little of it,
assuming the tales told are simply legends. Those
legends claim the Obscure Palace to be the home of
mysterious beings that grant audience only to those
who intrigue them.
This is true.
The beings are called the Knights of the Vine, or
sometimes the Wine Knights. The Knights of the
Vine come from a wide variety of places and even
times. Lady Tessaline, for example, is an immortal,
angelic being from the realm of the Silver Sun.
Lord Renau claims to be an arabast hailing from
the distant past (although some doubt the claim’s
veracity). Lady Ea is a vislae who grew up in the
War-torn streets right here in Satyrine.
There are twelve knights at any given time,
although in the past, they’ve made exceptions and
have had as few as nine and as many as fifteen.
Petitioners wishing to become members are
always rejected. Members are selected and invited,
often without even knowing the knights existed
beforehand. The criteria are mysterious, but raw
magical power seems to be a prerequisite.
Although their iconography has a classical
“knighthood” theme—armored warriors on
horseback with sword and lance—this is not an
accurate picture of the Knights of the Vine at all.
120
Escaping the winding
corridors of the Obscure
Palace requires an Intellect
action with a challenge of
11. Check once a day.
Lady Tessaline: level 16;
magic (three successes),
+1 defenses; can sustain 6
Injuries per Wound and 6
Wounds; various powers, all
dramatic and using silver
light
Lord Renau: level 13;
magic (three successes),
+2 defenses; various powers
and spells, including the
ability to stop or speed up
time
Lady Ea: level 11; magic
(three successes),
+1 Withstand and Dodge,
+4 Resist; vislae with many
spells, including many
divinations and illusions;
+3 spellcasting
The Knights are a varied lot, and there’s not a lance
to be found in the entire palace.
The Obscure Palace looks like a castle of black
stone with bright green vines growing all over it,
both inside and out. These vines produce grapes
that can be made into a potent magical wine, giving
the knights their name.
The palace’s corridors wind about and around
themselves such that an unwelcome visitor can
become lost forever. There are said to be at least a
dozen would-be thieves and spies still wandering,
and not all of them are human.
Those who call this place home involve
themselves in all sorts of Satyrine matters, but
attempt to do so without drawing attention to
themselves. They influence events, fund and
support endeavors, and quietly eliminate problems
through the use of money, magic, and hired or
manipulated underlings, many of whom don’t
realize who they are working for. Occasionally,
one or more knights will directly intervene in a
situation, but only when great power is needed and
the risk of attention is warranted.
Secrecy and anonymity grant the Wine Knights
some of their power, not only in terms of their
ability to act unobserved, but also literally. Secrets
grant them power.
THE PINNACLE COURTS
Tall glass spires rise above even the large buildings
of the Marquis Quarter, representing the highest
and most powerful court in the city. The Pinnacle
Judges report directly to the Deathless Triumvirate
and hear only the cases involving people and issues
of the greatest import.
Lesser issues and crimes are tried by local
gerents, who are both judges and administrators in
their individual neighborhoods.
The buildings surrounding the Pinnacle Courts
are mostly law offices and businesses catering to
lawyers and advocates.

THE PALE EMBASSY
Known just as often as the Dead Embassy, this is
where those working directly for Empress Xjallad
regulate travel to and from the Pale and monitor the
activities of the Dead in the city. It’s important to
understand that the embassy claims no jurisdiction
over ghosts, who have never moved on to the Pale.
People wishing to visit the Pale must come
to the embassy and obtain a visa first. This is a
byzantine process of filling out forms and talking to
administrators. Everyone working in the embassy is
dead. The head of the embassy is the Ambassador
(no other name), although she is rarely present.
Instead, Minister Horan oversees most of the day-
to-day operations, including administrating the
hunt for escaped wraiths.
SARTORIAL ART
One of the most prestigious and expensive clothing
stores in the city, Sartorial Art sells couture that is
sophisticated or elaborate, and sometimes both.
The owner and manager is also one of the three
main clothing designers who works here. His name
is Emilan Kartu, and while most people assume that
he uses magic to aid his designs, he does not.
Emilan and Sartorial Art sponsor a yearly
fashion show at the Grand Assembly, a prestigious,
invitation-only affair, but not the only fashion show
in the city.
THE SKYTOWER
Hanging above the Marquis Quarter like a needle
(or, more ominously, like a dangling knife), the
Skytower is a massive structure 3,000 feet (900 m)
tall that floats another 1,000 feet (300 m) above
the ground. Most of it holds incredibly expensive
apartments, but it is also used as offices for some of
the particularly large and affluent businesses in the
city.
The Skytower also serves as the home of the
Deathless Triumvirate, and thus the location they
almost never leave. The entire upper third of the
building is theirs, and is entirely closed off from
the rest of the structure. The Pristine Guard High
THE PATH
Empress Xjallad, page 54
The Ambassador: level
9; +4 Resist; +3 social
interaction
Minister Horan: level 7;
+2 Resist; +1 social
interaction
Rumor has it that the
Ambassador loves to partake
in the pleasures of the living
world perhaps a bit too
much.
Emilan Kartu: level 5;
+1 Resist; +4 clothing
design, +2 managerial tasks
Therrest YiGanna: level 6;
+4 Dodge, +2 Resist;
+3 knowledge
The Marquis Quarter
Command is also located here, so the place is
extremely well defended.
The space directly below the structure is a large
park filled with green and red trees; an artificial
pond, river, and waterfall that move in gravity-
bending ways; and an outdoor amphitheater.
There are many ways of getting to the Skytower,
and all of them are expensive. Near the base is
a kiosk labeled Nril’s Jumpers, which uses zilat
teleporters to send people to the tower. (Nril has a
similar kiosk in the lobby of the Skytower where
one can hire teleportation back down.) Nril’s
charges 25 crystal for a one-way trip. Those in less
of a hurry can employ The Magic Word to ferry
them up to the base in flying gondolas for a fee of
15 crystal per passenger. Finally, on clear, calm days,
an elderbrin named Aemae uses a uniquely shaped
hot air balloon to transport up to four people willing
to pay 50 crystal for a luxurious ride. Locals know
that Aemae’s balloon is actually her siblings taking
on proper forms.
THE TEMPLE OF THE PAST
The Temple of the Past is the city’s greatest library
focused entirely on historical and legal topics. It is
also a functioning place of worship dedicated to the
concepts of both Time and Universal Order.
Therrest YiGanna works as head librarian in
the temple. Claiming to be a native of some other
world, Therrest says that his people can smell
the future, determining what is yet to come by
the odors around them. He does seem uncannily
informed.
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 Secrets of Silent Streets

PEOPLE IN THE MARQUIS

QUARTER
The following are a few people you can encounter
in the Marquis Quarter.

CAPTAIN ELLA FOSTIAN

Captain Ella Fostian:
level 7; magic (two
successes); +3 defenses;
+3 Armor; +1 perception;
vislae with a few spells,
including one that grants
her more health and one
that summons dead spirits
A high-ranking member of the Pristine Guard
Defenders, Captain Ella is well respected in the
Marquis Quarter, if not well liked. For a non-vislae,
she’s learned a great deal of magic, and all on her
own. (In fact, she might very well be a vislae, but
without any real training.) She keeps this a secret,
both because she doesn’t want to be known as a
vislae and because it gives her an advantage that
those who might oppose her will never suspect. Her
reputation for being particularly hardy, for example,
might come from a spell of protection. Her insight
might be thanks to a divination or a summoned
spirit.

MINISTER AUG FULLAN

Ancient and unable to walk on her own, the
Minister of Public Works rides in a circular sedan
chair carried by huge, brutish thoughtforms
Minister Aug Fullan: wherever she goes. Minister Fullan’s responsibilities
level 5; −1 Dodge, +3 Resist; include the reclamation of the Ruined Expanses in
+3 social interaction the city. She and her staff recruit people who are
Hate Cyst, page 210 willing and able to deal with the Hate Cysts and the
dangers they spawn to root out and cleanse the city
of that corruption.
Should she encounter a group of vislae in any
context, she might subtly attempt to learn if they are
capable enough to work for her in this endeavor.

ORESTRE
Wealthy enough to have had extensive alterations
Orestre: level 6; magic in a changery, Orestre has no legs, and rather than
(two successes), a head she has what appears to be an entire living
+5 Withstand, +1 Dodge, shark that swims above her body.
+3 Resist; +4 Armor;
+2 deception and seeing
Orestre maintains a secret financial concern in
through deception; bite various criminal organizations throughout the city
inflicts 2 Wounds (not in her own district). She bankrolls operations

122
 The Marquis Quarter

and gets a significant return on her investment.

Orestre plays no favorites, and might very well be
secretly investing in the workings of rival criminal
gangs.
Orestre has no family, keeps her own company,
and does not employ bodyguards when she is
out and about. In her sprawling manor, she has a
handful of thoughtform servants.

THE SPIRIT GAOLER

Rumors abound regarding this vislae, but the only
thing that anyone knows for certain relates to his
striking appearance—energy tendrils extend from
his eyes, each holding a struggling, captive spirit.
The Spirit Gaoler speaks in riddles, making abrupt The Spirit Gaoler:
appearances in high-class establishments and then level 9; magic (two
disappearing soon after. successes), +1 Withstand,
+2 Dodge, +4 Resist; vislae
with many spells, including
those involving capturing
A MARQUIS and restraining physical
QUARTER STORY and spiritual entities;
A well-dressed young man approaches the PCs +4 spellcasting
while in the Marquis Quarter, beads of sweat on
his brow. “You simply must help me,” he says, and
pulls out a jeweled flask. “Keep me from drinking
this,” he says, yanking out the cork and preparing to
drink.
If he manages to take a drink, he disappears.
If someone stops him (a Physicality action with a
challenge of 2) he thanks them and explains. His
name is Tyler Austrain and he’s under a magical Tyler Austrain: level 3;
compulsion he doesn’t fully understand. What he +1 Dodge; +1 social
does understand is that if he drinks what’s in the interactions
flask, he’ll suddenly appear somewhere else. New
flasks keep appearing around him wherever he
goes, and he feels forced to drink them.
He’s recognized that the PCs are vislae and
believes that they can help him in ways that perhaps
others cannot (and he’s probably right).
If Tyler drank and disappeared, he shows up
again about 45 minutes later and says “Please,
you’ve got to stop me,” and then goes through it all In'kalia Segali
again with another flask.

123
 Secrets of Silent Streets

WHAT’S GOING ON If the PCs don’t worry about
Tyler is the son of a wealthy family. His father, Bechalm and just deal
with Tyler’s dilemma, they
Bechalm, is a judge in the Pinnacle Courts.
should read or hear the news
Tyler is under a curse by a devil working for his the next day that Bechalm
father’s rival, Nestor Crane. Anytime his family Austrain was found dead.
bodyguards come near, a flask appears somewhere
Jykan and Armanen,
near him and he is compelled to drink it. The liquid bodyguards: level 4;
in the flask causes him to teleport about a quarter +1 defenses; +1 Armor;
mile away in a random direction. This has led his +1 perception
bodyguards on a merry chase all over the district. The Enemy of Justice
And that’s the point. With the family guards chasing (minor): level 7; magic
Tyler around the city, Bechalm is unguarded at (two successes), +3 defenses;
home, where the devil plans on carrying out the +2 Armor; touch causes
1 Wound and 1 Anguish
murder it was summoned to perform.
with unholy flame; can
The guards, Jykan and Armanen, are capable burn most objects and burn
but this situation is well outside their normal through most barriers with
experience. a touch in a few rounds
STOPPING TYLER
THE PATH
If the PCs can keep Tyler from drinking, the Demons of the Dark,
bodyguards catch up, but they don’t know any more page 27
than Tyler. Stopping him is not as easy as it might
seem, however, because the curse is quite insidious.
New flasks will continue to appear if others have
been broken or hidden away from him. If Tyler
himself is restrained, an uncorked flask will appear
in his lips (characters will have one round to keep
him from drinking). Only contradictory magical
compulsion on Tyler (or the removal of the devil’s
curse) will truly keep him safe.
The moment he does drink, the bodyguards run
off to find him, and he tries to run back to find the
PCs.
At some point, Jykan will mention that they’ve
been chasing Tyler all day, leaving his father alone
at home, which should be enough of a clue to send
interested PCs to find Bechalm.
THE DEVIL AND THE JUDGE
The devil is from the Dark and serves The Enemy of
Justice. It looks like a well-dressed human man with
a bare skull for a head and bare bones for hands.
Its hands and eye sockets flare with sickly green
flames.

124
 The Marquis Quarter

Bechalm is no idiot. He’s not going to face the

devil, but instead will run to hide in a secure room
upstairs with sturdy locks and a reinforced door.
The devil uses the bodyguards’ preoccupation
to attack Bechalm Austrain in the family’s manor,
which is also in the Marquis Quarter. If the PCs
come to the manor, estimate how long it took them
based on their actions with Tyler.
PCs arrive quickly: The devil is in the foyer of the
house, surrounded by the burnt remains of a few
thoughtform servants. Bechalm is nearby.
PCs arrive in reasonable time: The devil is
searching the house. The servants are all dead.
Bechalm is hiding in a secure room on the second Bechalm: level 4;
floor. +3 Resist; +3 legal
PCs take quite a bit of time: The servants are all knowledge
dead. There are minor fires throughout the house.
The devil has found Bechalm’s secure room and is
in the process of burning through the door.
PCs take far too much time: Bechalm and the
servants are dead. The house is on fire. The devil is
gone.

CONSEQUENCES
If the PCs intervene and stop the devil, saving
both Austrains, they have gained a powerful THE KEY
and influential ally. (An NPC bond might NPC bonds, page 157
be appropriate.) As a contact, patron, or ally,
Bechalm can help in many ways, pulling strings
in the government or courts, or just providing
information. He’ll also give the PCs a gift of 5 gem
orbs.
Bechalm takes little time to determine that it was
Nestor Crane who summoned the devil. If the PCs
are interested in lucrative employment, he would
be very interested in taking his revenge outside the
law.
Successfully helping Tyler earns 1 Acumen.
Saving Bechalm earns another.

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he Palindrome gains its name from the
fact that it is the same going out as it was
going in. That’s the way people always say
it, and it’s basically true. Thanks to huge walls and
other structures, you can enter this district without
difficulty only from the southeast or the northwest.
When you walk from one end to the other and reach
the halfway point traveling in either direction, you
end up passing by everything you’ve already passed,
but in reverse order. So from one perspective,
a certain museum might be east of a particular
theater but also west of it.
Parks, libraries, museums, and theaters fill the
Palindrome. Well-maintained streets and bright,
shamlight-illuminated plazas make it one of the
quieter, safer, and more serene of the districts. It’s
not uncommon to see wealthy and upper-class
citizens strolling down its tree-lined avenues.
Very few people live in the Palindrome, but it is
usually busy with people coming and going from
other districts.
MOOD AND FEEL
The Palindrome is serene and stately, with a feel
not unlike that of a history museum. The streets
are wide and newly paved. There are statues,
monuments, and artistic displays everywhere. This
is the district where you’re likely to see rich, well-
dressed people on a stroll past museums, galleries,
and theaters—perhaps on the way to the opera or
a gala event. For this reason, it’s as active in the
evening as it is during the day.
Crime is quite rare, as the district’s gerents
employ an abundance of security and peacekeeping
128
K forces who patrol the streets regularly, sometimes
on horseback (or on some other creature’s back).
A PALINDROME
NEIGHBORHOOD
If you speak the palindrome Erricot is a large Palindrome neighborhood,
“never odd or even,” you although so few people live there that the
find yourself in a secret word almost feels wrong. Unlike most
location within the district,
but not in the district.
districts, Palindrome is divided into only three
neighborhoods, and they are much larger in
area than most. Erricot is home to about 1,500
permanent residents, most living in small
THE PATH apartments and working as support staff for various
Shamlight, page 20 institutions—theaters, museums, and so on—as
well as local restaurants and similar businesses. To
buy groceries or other goods, you very likely have to
make the trip to an entirely different district.
Theo Knudsen: level 6; Theo Knudsen is the gerent of Erricot. Rotund,
+1 administration balding, and sporting a large mustache, Theo is
always well dressed and smoking an ornate pipe.
He’s also the epitome of the corrupt gerent who
collects a cut of the profits from all the institutions
and businesses in the neighborhood. In return,
he pays a large force of peacekeepers to keep
property and patrons (and residents, of course)
safe. Essentially, it’s extortion money. He has three
dozen peacekeepers (who also work as firefighters)
patrolling the district, and many have thoughtform
dogs with them, mostly for the intimidation factor.
Theo’s office—where he employs another dozen
personnel—is a stately building near a large opera
house, where he attends almost every performance.
The Palindrome

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
LOCATIONS IN THE
PALINDROME
The following locations lie in the Palindrome.
THE GARDEN OF OFLIM
A walled garden said to hold plants from every sun’s
realm, the Garden of Oflim also contains the Forty
Apodictic Faces of Wisdom. These are large, carved
stone monoliths, each bearing a humanlike face in
the center. Each one possesses its own intelligence,
but it is difficult to rouse them. People come to the
garden to beseech the faces for advice, but only
rarely do they get what they came for.
The garden is tended by a woman named Ella
and her four thoughtform workers. Thanks to a
changery, Ella has an additional set of arms to go
with her natural ones, although all four are so long
and lithe as to make you wonder if they aren’t just
a bit unnatural. She has hair the color of polished
steel and eyes to match.
THE MUSEUM OF KEPT THINGS
This looks like nothing but a gathering of trees.
There’s no building or structure of any kind—not
even a walkway up to the trees.
The copse of trees, however, holds a secret.
With the right gestures and thoughts (qualia),
one can step toward the trees and part them as if
they were a pair of curtains. Behind these curtains
lies the Museum of Kept Things, which is owned
and operated by a woman named Luisthe. The
photographs within the museum are all hers, but
she is no artist. All the framed works are actually
people and things trapped in two dimensions.
Luisthe has a dark cloud for a head, making her
appear a little like an erupting volcano. Although
this almost certainly is thanks to the work of a
changery, unlike most vislae, she was never human
in the first place. Rather, she is something—
perhaps a singular something—from one of the
Feyward Lands of the Unfathomable Archipelago.
130
THE PATH
The Palindrome, page 81
Chalamadan: level 6;
magic (two successes),
+1 defenses; +2 searching
Ella: level 4; has four arms
Ella’s thoughtform
workers: level 3
Luisthe: level 5; magic (two
successes), +2 defenses;
+2 photography; vislae with
many spells, including the
ability to trap close objects
and creatures in a two-
dimensional state;
+2 spellcasting
THE PATH
Unfathomable
Archipelago, page 49
THE MUSEUM OF NATURAL BEAUTY
As the name suggests, this museum attempts
to showcase objects of natural beauty—plants,
animals, rocks, and so forth. Sometimes,
photographs or magically prepared images of
waterfalls, rock formations, or other aspects too
large to move here are on display.
Chalamadan, an elderbrin, serves as head curator.
Like most of their people, Chalamadan takes
a different form nearly every day, but each one
always incorporates a cube—a cube-shaped head,
a cube-shaped chest, a cube-shaped hand, and so
on. Chalamadan commissions interested travelers
to seek rare natural finds from throughout the
Actuality to display in the museum.
THE MUSEUM OF YOU
The facade of this building is a beautiful design
of mirrors and reflective surfaces. A curious
enchantment makes it seem, upon first glance, as
though the name of the place bears the viewer’s
name. If Schaelee is the one looking at it, the
sign seems to read “The Museum of Schaelee.” A
moment later, however, it’s clear that what it actually
says is “The Museum of You.”

Only one person can enter the Museum of You
at a time. Once inside, the visitor sees displays
representing their own life—triumphs and
failures, lovers and enemies, good times and bad.
Even secret, private moments are on display. The
museum creates paintings, statues, placards, and
moving sculptures of light to show the visitor’s
life. Unless magically protected, the visitor has no
secrets from the museum.
Visiting the museum is shockingly unnerving to
all but the greatest of narcissists. Memories long
forgotten, scenes of moving moments one would
have thought they would never see again—it’s hard
to take without a few emotional tears mixed with
a feeling of profound loss of privacy. However,
those who do explore it fully, which takes about
an hour, gain 3 points of Hidden Knowledge from
self-knowledge. Most people also come away with
1 Despair, but a supreme narcissist likely walks out
with 1 Joy.
If the Museum of You has a curator, their identity
remains a mystery.
THE PYRAMIDS OF GLASS
Rows of dozens of pyramids fill a large park near
the center of the district. Each pyramid contains
a tree from a different dead half-world, preserved
within the last remnants of the atmosphere of its
home. Each bears a bronze plate commemorating
the original home of the tree and providing some
basic facts about it.
THE SILENT CHURCH
An imposing, cold, and somewhat lonely structure
of glass and stone, this church rarely has many
people in or around it. On the lintel above the door,
an engraving reads, “She is Gone. But Her Legacy
remains.” The Silent Church is the one temple
of the Legacy (or rather, of the creator who left
the Legacy) in the city, and one of the few in the
Actuality.
The forces of the Legacy do not seek worship—
they value understanding. Thus, no prayers or
hymns break the silence of the church here.
Calliope Strange: level 5;
+4 acting, +3 singing and
costuming
Calliope Strange is the
older sister of Elias Strange,
owner of Jupiter Grocery in
Lower Taverswood.
Alexis Targete: level 6;
+3 Dodge and Resist;
+3 stealth, lockpicking, and
pickpocketing; +2 deception
The PCs might encounter
Alexis in another
district—a criminal-heavy
bar, perhaps—where she’s
recruiting help.
Amone Shaenon, page 99
Kendon, page 88
THE PATH
The Legacy, page 6
The Palindrome
Instead, this is a place of contemplation and deep
thinking.
Sometimes angels stand outside the church and
weep, but they never enter. The church has a few
caretakers, but no clergy.
THANAVEVE HALL
This building is a waterfall, cascading down from
a hole in the sky. Inside, however, it is a fairly
normal, albeit impossibly large, theater that stages
lavish productions of older, classic works. The star
of most of the plays and operas performed here
is a woman named Calliope Strange. Calliope
uses the changeries in Fartown like someone else
might use a wardrobe. She’s always changing her
appearance—so much so that people refer to her as
an elderbrin behind her back.
THE WINDING GALLERY
This art museum looks a bit like a corkscrew from
the outside. Inside, the entire structure is a curving,
seemingly never-ending hall filled with artwork.
Every painting in this gallery holds a secret. Some
of the paintings are haunted, some cursed. Others
are intelligent or enchanted, or they show important
locations of power or treasure, if only someone
knew how to find them.
PEOPLE OF THE
PALINDROME
The following people can be encountered in the
Palindrome.
ALEXIS TARGETE
Alexis is a thief, connected to Amone Shaenon,
the crime boss in the Hollows. She’s also a friend
and occasional partner (and occasional rival) of
Kendon in Fartown. Alexis is convinced that her
next big job should be in the Winding Gallery, to
steal one of several valuable paintings inside. Right
now, though, she’s looking for help—specifically,
for vislae who have magical talents that might
help her. She’s also interested in finding people to
131
 Secrets of Silent Streets
inadvertently help her—as they go into the gallery,
she’ll surreptitiously plant a coin (an ephemera
object) on them that tests the strengths of magical
fields and sends that information back to her. She’s
looking for a path past any wards. She has another
coin that temporarily suppresses magic in a small
area (depletion 0; check each round) that she might
plant on someone to trigger when they get inside.
JIANYU VANG
Jianyu is in the Palindrome looking for a way
to remove a malady that has befallen him. It’s
language related, so he thought the Palindrome
might have the answer. He approaches people in
the district, asking for help, although it seems as
though he speaks gibberish. An Intellect-based
action (challenge 4) suggests that he’s actually
talking backward.
Jianyu stands about 6 feet (2 m) tall, with dark
hair and eyes. He’s got a ring on each finger. (In
fact, it’s his most recently acquired ring that carries
the curse afflicting him.) Normally, he’s a chef in
a restaurant in the Brickhouse District, where he
lives.
TINATA AND CORIAN
Using magic, Tinata arrested the physical
development of her child before it was born. As
such, Corian, her daughter, has been within Tinata
for eighteen years. The two can communicate in a
telepathic fashion, and Corian serves as an advisor
for her vislae mother. The child is a zilat seer, able
to predict the future. However, because Tinata is
a very large woman, no one has ever known that
she is “with child.” Tinata lives in a set of hidden
underground chambers below one of the Pyramids
of Glass.
A PALINDROME STORY
The PCs make their way through the Palindrome
on business (or pleasure) of their own when they
spot a beautiful red ribbon lying in the street,
running down its length and around the corner. If
132
Jianyu Vang: level 4;
+2 cooking
Brickhouse District,
page 26
Tinata/Corian: level 10;
magic (two successes),
+2 defenses; +2 knowledge
and stealth; vislae
with many spells, with
effects such as telepathy,
divination, improving
defenses, and charming
others; +5 spellcasting
THE PATH
Zilat, page 124
Use a GM shift to ensure
that the four men in the
alley escape if necessary.
Vaay: level 9; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
numerous magical abilities,
including creations, healing,
and illusions; incapable of
violence, either directly or
indirectly
they ignore it, nothing happens. But if they follow
it and see where it leads, they find something of
interest, a sad story, and some real danger.
THE RIBBON
The ribbon appears in a quiet place where there’s
little traffic. No one is around when the PCs spot
it. Should they pick it up, they find it’s simple
red fabric—they could cut it if they wish. It’s also
taut, as if it’s attached to something, perhaps right
around the corner.
Following it, the ribbon stretches down the street
for quite a length before leading around yet another
corner. Should the PCs continue to investigate,
the ribbon “leads” them on a merry chase through
the streets of Palindrome, sometimes ducking
between buildings or leading down little-used
alleys. Occasionally, the PCs pass by someone else
on the street who likely looks at them with a bit of
curiosity. No one the PCs encounter has any idea
what the ribbon is, where it came from, or where
it leads. No passersby seem to have anything more
than fleeting, idle inquisitiveness.
THE END OF THE LINE
The ribbon finally leads straight to a closed door. The
ribbon is tied to the handle. The door is at the front
of an older stone building that appears to have been
converted into four apartments, and the door leads
into one of them. The PCs very likely will suspect
that the ribbon is a trap, but it is not. It is an appeal.
It’s then that the PCs perhaps notice that there are
four men watching them from a nearby alley. Faces
obscured, these men dress identically, in black
coats and blue fedora-like hats, but they all stand
at different heights. If confronted, they somehow
disappear down the blind alley.
The interior of the apartment is filled with
hovering tea sets and other bits of servingware,
all chittering like birds. Within the apartment
waits a being known as Vaay. Vaay is an immortal
nonhuman entity, but at this point they have the
form of a man with the head of a stag. They used
magic to create the ribbon, knowing that they
 The Palindrome

would attract the attention only of curious and

capable souls. Vaay is in love with yet another
entity, Allozere. The two had a brief, torrid affair
in secret, but Allozere eventually left Vaay. Soon
thereafter, the Severmen appeared to punish Vaay
for their indiscretions. These mysterious entities
seek to discipline Vaay for their love of Allozere
due to reasons that mortal minds simply cannot
understand, but having to do with the politics and
social quirks of realms beyond. Vaay has hid from
them in Satyrine, but they are now close at hand.
Vaay will offer the PCs tea and explain all of this,
but very briefly. They know that time is short.

ATTACK OF THE SEVERMEN

While the PCs are visiting with Vaay, the Severmen Severman: level 4; magic
burst in. These are the four men from the alley, but (two successes), +2 Resist;
now their form is clearer. Under their hats, their +1 attack; hands or face
inflict 5 points of damage
faces are functional scissors, and the hands that and a struck foe must
protrude from the sleeves of their black coats are succeed at a second Dodge
knives. They attack Vaay and anyone who gets in defense roll or have some
their way. body part—a finger, a hand,
If slain, Severmen crumble into a pile of broken an ear, etc.—severed and
suffer an additional Wound
razors and knives.

RESOLUTION
If the PCs defend Vaay and save them, Vaay can use
their innate power to reattach or regrow any severed
body parts and generally heal Injuries and Wounds.
Vaay cannot restore life or aid with mental damage
or Anguish.
Once safe, Vaay thanks the PCs and grants each
character an ephemera object that they seem to
create in midair. Draw cards randomly from the
Ephemera Objects deck (found in the Black Cube)
to generate each object, but do not use any that
inflict harm. Vaay then says that this event should
put the Severmen off their trail long enough for
Vaay to find a new hiding place. The Winding
Gallery
If asked about Allozere and whether the PCs
can offer further help, Vaay says with despair that
Allozere left them, and Vaay will respect Allozere’s
wishes and not try to find them.
PCs who help Vaay gain 1 Acumen.

133
 Secrets of Silent Streets
W
ithin the city of Satyrine lies a placid
lake more than a mile across. The city
surrounds and includes Quiet Lake. Its
L or renting an entire island. Some of the islands are
waters are deceptively deep. Small, often perfectly
square islands cover its surface, reached mainly by
boat (although there are bridges between a few).
Most of the islands are surprisingly flat and covered
in extremely thick, tall trees, giving the whole lake
the appearance of a labyrinth of waterways (and, in
fact, a portion of it is an actual maze).
The dark, still waters are said to conceal all
manner of secrets, including entire submerged
structures and complexes accessed by submersible,
spell, or sometimes transparent cylinders called
dive tubes.
Wealthy individuals, including some reclusive
vislae, own homes on these islands, most of which
are just large enough for a house and a small yard.
Many of the islands, however, are long abandoned,
with strange, sometimes sinister-looking, brooding
houses amid overgrown trees and other vegetation.
The waterways between the islands are like liquid
streets, some even lined with lights and marked
with signs so that the islands have addresses like
anywhere else in the city.
At least some of the islands are fake. They are
basically large, rectangular rugs that float on the
water but provide a stable base until their magic
malfunctions and they sink, drift, or sometimes
float up into the air, carried aloft by the breeze.
Along the sides of Quiet Lake stand more homes,
a few businesses—eateries and boutiques, mainly—
and boats for hire, both piloted and unpiloted.
It’s expensive to live in Quiet Lake, because you’re
not just buying or renting a home, you’re buying
136
quite small, but a few are many times larger than
the rest. It’s also expensive to get around. Everything
comes in by boat. You can’t walk to the store.
But you don’t live in Quiet Lake because you want
affordable housing. You live in Quiet Lake to be far
from people. Introverts, hermits, celebrities, artists,
and others who don’t want to be bothered dwell on
their own private islands.
MOOD AND FEEL
Quiet Lake is, of course, quiet. Serene. Peaceful—
but perhaps ever so slightly ominous as well. If
you’ve ever spent time near a good-sized freshwater
lake in a northern clime, you’ll understand. The
waters are murky and cold. Waves calmly lap at the
shores but never get very big or powerful (and in
Quiet Lake, they are even milder than normal).
Moving through Quiet Lake—probably on a
boat—isn’t all that different from moving down the
streets of some other quiet Satyrine neighborhood.
QUIET LAKE
NEIGHBORHOODS
Like any other district, Quiet Lake has neighborhoods,
but unlike the other districts, there are only three and
each has only about three or four hundred residents.
North Lake, South Lake, and Midlake are all very
similar. The gerents each live and work on their own
islands, and each has only one or two assistants.
Jointly they employ a group of peacekeepers and
troubleshooters that enforce laws and help with
disasters (fires, damaged boats, and so on).
Quiet Lake

137
 Secrets of Silent Streets
THE SHORELINE
Along the north shore, giant mushrooms tower
like trees over sandy beaches. Most of the rest
of the shoreline is lined with tall deciduous and
coniferous trees. Only here and there does the lake
offer anything that might be considered a beach,
and even then it’s more rocks than sand. Along
these small beachfronts, one will find what the
locals call hardshell wisps, or sometimes just wisps.
Although they appear to be clamshells on the beach,
if approached they flutter and fly like butterflies.
The houses and businesses on the shore are
included in the boundaries of the Quiet Lake
district.
LOCATIONS IN QUIET LAKE
The following locations can be found within Quiet
Lake.
ABETH’S BOATS
Along the shore of the lake stands a wooden shack.
Numerous docks thrust out into the water, with
boats of all shapes and sizes tethered.
Abeth rents boats to visitors. They range from
one-person skiffs to small barges that hold up to ten
people. Some are self-powered and self-piloted, and
others are more conventional, requiring at least a
little skill or practice to use.
Abeth asks for a refundable deposit equal to the
boat rental fee. None of his boats are for sale.
Boat Daily fee (minimum one day)
Skiff, normal 3 crystal orbs
Skiff, powered 10 crystal orbs
Rowboat, normal 6 crystal orbs
Rowboat, powered 25 crystal orbs
Barge, normal 10 crystal orbs
Barge, powered 100 crystal orbs
138
THE CROWDED GARDEN
This square island is about 150 feet (45 m) to a side,
with a perimeter of tall spruce trees obscuring the
interior from sight. That interior is filled with all
manner of statues.
The locals say that the statues come to the
Crowded Garden of their own volition. Left alone in
courtyards and galleries abandoned in the War, the
statues silently and stealthily made their way here
for protection and companionship. Thus, all types
of media, styles, and sizes of statues are crowded
here together. No one’s ever seen a statue traveling
to the garden, but a new one seems to appear every
few months—a significant slowdown from the days
during the War, most likely, but no one was paying
much attention then.
THE PATH
Quiet Lake, page 89 THE FONT
The water in the lake is fed from a bubbling spring,
Ticking Forest, page 49 itself fed—rather impossibly—from the Wide
Sannyasa River well outside of Satyrine. The Wide
Sannyasa disappears somewhere in the Ticking
Forest and comes out here, at a point deep below
the surface of the lake. The water from the lake
Abeth: level 4; +2 boat then flows out into the Chirdes River as well as the
piloting Narrow Sannyasa River. Both flow into the sea.
Next to the Font itself, deep beneath the surface,
Barrett Noon: level 10; stands a house. This is the home of Barrett Noon,
magic (two successes), a 5th-degree Vance with manta-like “wings” that
+3 defenses; +2 swimming, she can spread out to swim with speed and grace.
+1 magical lore; can breathe
underwater; vislae with a
She can breathe water as well as air, and she has
vast number of spells; +4 a pair of extremely large freshwater butterflyfish
spellcasting companions whose language she knows.
Freshwater butterflyfish THE MAZE
companions: level 3 The islands of the eastern portion of the lake
are girded by high stone walls so that the watery
channels between them become passages in a
maze. Large sections of the maze are also covered,
making the passages dark and claustrophobic.
There are many hidden places within the maze,
difficult to reach even with patience and a boat.
 Quiet Lake

NAVER BATHHOUSE
One entire island is the site of a stately structure
of marble and silver, the Naver Bathhouse. For 2
crystal orbs, patrons can get a steam bath or sauna,
as well as luxuriate in one of many pools (some
hot and some cold). The bathhouse is far larger
on the inside than the outside would suggest—
which is of course nothing out of the ordinary in
Satyrine—but the extra space within is not used in
a logical or straightforward fashion. This means
that visitors can easily become lost in what amounts
to a labyrinth of literally hundreds of small steam
rooms, steam showers, saunas, and pools.
It also means that clandestine meetings and
rendezvous occur deep within the baths all the time
among those who have learned their way around.
All attendants of Naver Bathhouse are Naver attendant: level 3;
thoughtforms that have been designed without eyes blind but operates normally
to further the impression of privacy. without sight

SEROTINAL SHORES
Along the western edge of the lake is a small region
called the Serotinal Shores. What makes it unique
is that it is always out of sync with the rest of the
district (and the city) regarding the season. When
everywhere else is experiencing winter, the leaves
on the trees of Serotinal Shores are just beginning
to fall to the ground. When everywhere else is
blooming in spring, the shores are still as cold and
dead as winter.
The waters get very deep very quickly off Serotinal
Shores, but they are also very clear compared to
the dark waters in the rest of the lake. One can see
submerged statues and buildings surrounded by
aquatic plants and small schools of fish. Sometimes,
there are lights in the windows of the buildings, and
more than one person claims to have seen people
walking the underwater streets between them as if
nothing were out of the ordinary.

THE SINGING TOMB

This island holds nothing but a solitary mausoleum
covered in baroque imagery and decoration. At
night, sometimes, a child’s voice can be heard

139
 Secrets of Silent Streets

here, singing songs long out of date. Sometimes,

the voice is that of a woman. Sometimes both.
Sometimes, a whole choir of people or children
seem to be singing songs from a hundred years ago.
Investigations have never shown the presence
of any ghosts, and through magic, vislae have
confirmed that the occupant of the mausoleum, a
woman named Shari Mezzotharan, is content in the
Pale and has never visited her tomb.

THE SUBMERGED OPERA

Beneath the waters of Quiet Lake lies a fully
functioning opera house that is owned, operated,
and attended only by those who can safely spend
hours or more underwater. This includes vislae
with water-breathing spells, people with ephemera
objects, and those who have permanently adopted
gills (and at least one performer that hails from a
distant half-world where everyone breathes water
rather than air). The nature of the opera house
allows performers to sing—and everyone else to
talk—within its water-filled walls, but the sound
never leaves the place, keeping Quiet Lake . . . quiet.

THE ISLAND OF TOSH

This square island in the lake seems rather
unremarkable. A thick perimeter of trees makes
it difficult to see into the island itself. Among the
trees stands the ruined foundation of a circular
building and a few miscellaneous stones. Again,
fairly unremarkable.
However, the island has a secret. There is a
written language called Somis that can be read
and understood only on Tosh. Those who know
the language can feel safe knowing that messages,
instructions, or even whole books in Somis cannot
be deciphered anywhere—even using magic of any
kind—except here.
Rumors among the very learned suggest that
there is a secret form of Somis that can be read only
on the Island of Tosh at night, illuminated solely by
Savion Clay moonlight. If this “Moonlight Somis” exists, it’s a
secret within an already well-kept secret.

140
 Quiet Lake

PEOPLE OF QUIET LAKE

The following people may be encountered in Quiet
Lake.

WILLARD MOORE
A renowned but retired archeologist, Willard Willard Moore: level 6;
Moore is perhaps one of the foremost experts on +3 defenses
the arabast. He lives with his family in an elegant Arabast, page 16
manor in Quiet Lake, reportedly with a hoard of
valuable (and in some cases dangerous) artifacts of
the past.

MORATH
A killer stalks Quiet Lake, and though no one knows
it, his name is Morath. Possessed by spirits of Morath: level 9; magic
murder and at least one powerful demon, he is kept (two successes), +3 defenses;
in check by one thing: the entities possessing him +3 stealth; +1 Armor;
ever-changing spirit-granted
rarely agree. The demon wants to go on a killing abilities
spree, while the spirits of murder are interested
in preying on Morath’s dark world slowly and
carefully so he will never be caught and his reign
of blood can continue for years. Morath’s victims
are sometimes killed in subtle ways, via poisons or
similar means. Their bodies are arranged artfully
and with symbolic importance. The rest of the
time—at the demon’s urgings—his victims are
savagely dismembered by acts of pure violence.
Thus, most people believe that (at least two)
different serial murderers operate in the district,
when it is in fact just one.

RANETTE PINOCH
Ranette has worked as an orator, a priest, and a Ranette Pinoch: level 6;
writer. She has taught her ideas and philosophies +2 Dodge, +4 Resist
throughout the city, imparting wisdom on
motivation, productivity, and transforming belief
into reality. Ranette’s ex-husband, however, was a
powerful criminal boss who is now serving a long
sentence in prison. She worries sometimes because
her house still contains hidden caches of ill-gotten
goods and funds, but, perhaps fortunately, it also
has all of his magical safeguards and wards.

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
RUMAN
This Weaver has no mouth in his bronze face, but
he carries a short staff topped with a bronze skull.
The skull speaks for Ruman, or Ruman speaks
through the skull (the distinction is unclear). He
lives in a sprawling house on one of the false
islands in the lake, the basement of which extends
far underwater. Ruman is standoffish, vengeful, and
even cruel, yet he is the keeper of many secrets, so
young vislae often seek him out to learn from him
and hear what he has to say, or what the skull has
to say.
A QUIET LAKE STORY
The depths have depths, they say in Quiet Lake.
Most non-residents don’t know what that means,
but some find out.
This story involves the PCs needing information
about almost any topic—the whereabouts of a
missing person, a magical secret, or a foe’s secret
soul name, for example. The GM reveals that the
142
Ruman: level 7; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+4 magical lore; vislae with
many spells; +2 spellcasting
information they need is in the hands of a group
that calls themselves the Citrine Court. The court is
a group of vislae who live in Quiet Lake.
Finding the Citrine Court almost certainly
involves visiting the district, as people outside
Quiet Lake don’t have many details about them.
However, even the locals don’t know very much.
Only that there is a dive tube that extends out of the
water near the middle of the lake, and occasionally
thoughtform servants come up out of it to purchase
supplies and claim that they serve the Citrine Court.
FINDING THE COURT
A dive tube extends down into the depths. It’s
essentially a clear, hard shaft that extends down
into the water, just big enough for a person to crawl
through. Rungs like a ladder’s offer a way to make
the vertical climb and descent easier. Fish swim
around the climber, particularly if they bring light.
The bottom of the tube extends into the interior of
an airtight structure. This is the home of the Citrine
Court.

As befits the name, their submerged home is
made of yellow-gold stone. The interior surfaces
hold a polished luster, although the corners
come at harsh, sharp angles. Anyone entering
is immediately confronted by two thoughtform
servants asking the intruders to identify themselves
and their business.
The PCs will need to convince the servants to
allow them to have an audience with the court, but
that isn’t too difficult (challenge 3). Before they can
be brought before the court, however, they must be
ritually cleansed. The thoughtforms insist upon it,
and there is no dissuading them (without magical
mind control or something similar).
RITUAL CLEANSING
The cleansing room has a large rectangular pool,
about 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. It is filled with fish. Those
to be cleansed must enter the pool (clothed or not,
the thoughtforms do not care), where the fish nibble
at them. This is disconcerting, but the fish inflict no
harm and, in fact, restore all the stat pools of those
bathing.
Should any of the PCs examine the pool closely,
they notice a glowing green stone at the center,
at the bottom. This is a madstone—specifically
a Masticating Stone. If anyone wants to take this
ephemera object, they’ll have to do it without the
servants spotting them (challenge 3) or they’ll be
forcibly asked to leave. If the stone is removed, the
pool and the fish lose any special properties in a few
days.
AN AUDIENCE WITH THE COURT
The members of the court number nine, and each
of them has a book rather than a normal head. Each
book is a well-known novel from Shadow: Of Mice
and Men, Catch-22, Moby Dick, A Tale of Two Cities,
and so on. Each court member tries to exemplify
the novel in some way in their personality, but they
don’t all excel in that endeavor. Regardless of the
book involved, each member is difficult to deal with.
Thoughtform servants:
level 3
GMs should choose a few
novels specifically related
to players in the group.
If someone is a fantasy
fiction fan, use The
Hobbit. If someone hates
Jane Austen, use Pride
and Prejudice. If possible,
have the court members
use famous quotes from
their book as a part of their
speech, even if it’s forced.
Masticating Stone: see the
Ephemera Objects deck in
the Black Cube
Citrine Court member:
level 7; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+3 general knowledge; vislae
with many spells;
+3 spellcasting
Quiet Lake
“Call me Ishmael,” Moby Dick says.
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of
times,” A Tale of Two Cities states drily.
The PCs, of course, need to convince the court
to give them the information they want. But
convincing the members of anything is difficult.
They are contrary, rude, and capricious. In fact,
they’re basically all mad. Plus, it’s difficult to tell one
member from another unless you get close enough
to read the text on each book and can identify them
by their book. The PCs need to get at least three
of the members on their side, each requiring a
different persuasion action (challenge 8).
If court members are asked why they are
associated with the novels, or really anything
about the books, they become offended as if deeply
insulted. This adds +1 to the challenge.
However, if the PCs provide the court with
something interesting, it counts as a persuasion
success. Interesting, in this context, could include:
✦✦ The gift of something magical or rare
✦✦ Performance of a visually interesting magical
practice (that doesn’t harm a court member or
the court)
✦✦ Quoting from memory from one of the novels
represented (but not something a court
member has already said)
✦✦ An entertaining performance (music, poetry,
dance, etc.)
RESOLUTION
If the PCs get what they want, they can leave any
time. If they’ve been entertaining, the court won’t
ask them to leave, hoping for more diversion (and
the PCs might have more than one question).
Should the PCs fail to persuade or entertain the
court, they are asked to leave. If the characters
refuse to go, the court members all cast spells to
teleport the PCs to the shore of Quiet Lake.
Acumen awards for this story should come from
appropriate PC character arc steps.
143
 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he Reinvention is still a work in progress,
although it’s impressive as it is. When the
area previously known as the North End
was reclaimed after the War, it was nothing but
ruin. The Hate Cysts had been found and cleared,
but nothing remained to salvage. An influential
leader and former gerent named Brell Millarane
inspired the rebuilding of the old district entirely.
And because they started from scratch, they gave it
a new name: the Reinvention, for reinventing the
district is exactly what they were doing. Millarane
funded the initial construction himself, but he
found other investors eventually as well. Nothing
is too grand or dramatic for the Reinvention.
Sweeping spiral roads, huge structures, colossal
statues that loom over the streets below, ziggurats,
and other dramatic edifices make the district
unique.
LINK TO THE GOLD SUN
There is an inherent magic in the Reinvention
linked strongly to the Gold Sun. Every great once in
a while, objects change into other objects or repair
themselves if broken. These changes are always
gradual.
A few vislae have managed to harness this power
and draw upon it to repair objects or heal injuries.
They’ve set up shop (sometimes literally) in the
district to perform magical renewals.
146
M MOOD AND FEEL
Rumors abound that Brell
Millarane designed and
funded the building of the
Reinvention as a magical
working of some kind, the
effect of which has not yet
come to fruition.
Emilia Ditroliski: level 5;
+2 Resist; +2 architecture
Clean. Bright. Shiny. Ostentatious. These describe
the feel of the Reinvention. Even by Satyrine
standards, this is a place you see construction and
edifice and don’t bother asking why someone would
build them. They did it because they could. To
many architects and builders, the Reinvention was
a blank canvas, and they were assured that money
was no object. So they built and built, in some cases
making things three times as large, as tall, or as
elaborate as they really needed to be.
The styles here are varied, but overall an early
twentieth-century New York feel is not too far off,
particularly mixed with a dash of modern Las Vegas
(at least insofar as it is filled with a hodgepodge of
new construction aimed at recreating the feel of
other places or older times with a “bigger is better”
motif ). In some ways, it may be hard to distinguish
the district from the Marquis Quarter, but the
idea here is that it’s more stately in the Marquis
Quarter. The feel of the Reinvention isn’t wealth on
display—it’s progress and engineering.
A REINVENTION
NEIGHBORHOOD
In many districts of the city, the neighborhoods
grew and developed organically, over time. But in
the Reinvention, they were all carefully planned
and drawn up ahead of time with clear borders.
The neighborhood known as the Chimera is no
exception. The current gerent, Emilia Ditroliski, is
quiet and reserved. A former architect, she designed
the building that serves as her headquarters and
home in the neighborhood, a narrow, five-story
The Reinvention

147
 Secrets of Silent Streets
structure with shops on the ground level and
administrative offices above. It’s more space than
she needs, but that’s the essence of the Reinvention,
it would seem.
Emilia uses about two dozen thoughtforms
to keep the neighborhood running safely, and
her husband, Viton, serves as her administrative
assistant.
The Chimera is a mix of residential high-rise
buildings and the shops and services that cater to
the almost 10,000 people who live there. At its heart
is a huge open square called Chimera Plaza, filled
with abstract sculptures that incorporate multiple
fountains. Vendors of all stripes offer food and
games and other entertainment there.
LOCATIONS IN THE
REINVENTION
The following locations can be found within the
Reinvention.
AERRAT BUILDING
(THE TOWER OF TIME)
The newly constructed Aerrat Building has already
turned some heads in the Reinvention, and
likewise, it’s already got a new name as far as the
locals are concerned. The owners may call it the
Aerrat Building, but to everyone else it is the Tower
of Time, because the entire 45-story building is
made of clocks. Mostly used as office space, the
interior of the Aerrat is a bit mazelike, and many
of the people who work there have adopted charms
or other means to preserve their hearing from the
incessant ticking.
CHALMARA HOUSE
Headquarters of the Chalmara Sodality, this
structure is essentially an art gallery filled with
all manner of paintings, sculpture, and artwork.
Because the group is so hated, they employ a private
staff of guards to protect the building. One famous
work of art housed here is the Spinning Blue Jewel,
a floating globe 3 feet (1 m) across that is made of
148
Viton: level 4;
+1 administration
Chalmara guard: level 3;
+2 Withstand and Resist;
+1 Armor
Dechine: level 5; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
+4 stealth, +2 perception;
can teleport up to 10 miles
and destroy matter with a
touch
Aroethe: level 17; magic
(three successes); very wide
array of magical powers
THE PATH
The Reinvention, page 84
Hotel of Words, page 118
THE PATH
Chalmara Sodality,
page 117
precious stones and represents the Shadow-ideal
“Earth.” Recently, a group of thieves attempted to
break in and steal the globe, but they were found
on the street, decapitated, the next morning. The
members of the Chalmara Sodality claim that
they have no knowledge of what occurred, and the
guards of Chalmara House recall no attempted
break-in.
DECHINE’S RESTAURANT
This establishment is wreathed in dark, polished
woods and velvety surfaces. It’s quite busy at night,
but almost always empty during the day (although it
is open during the day). The owner and proprietor
is a devil named Dechine. She resembles a darkly
beautiful woman with black hair, narrow red eyes,
and hands made of the night—midnight black and
full of stars.
Dechine works for a being that calls himself
Aroethe. Others refer to him as the White Duke, or
just the Duke. These same people might try to get
you to believe that Aroethe is the Duke, as in the
Duke of Demons, lord of all demonkind in the Red.
Aroethe never claims such a title. He is, however,
extraordinarily powerful. He appears to be a thin
human man with alabaster flesh and all-white
hair and eyes. He typically wears an expensive and
fashionable white suit with a red handkerchief
in the pocket. He does not live permanently in
Satyrine, but when in the city he conducts all of
his business out of a back booth in Dechine’s. He
stays at the Hotel of Words in the Marquis Quarter,
but few know that. His business is mysterious and
clandestine, but he seems to be interested primarily
in two things: a secret war with demons of the Dark
and the mortals who would help them in Satyrine,
and the establishment of a new pact with a willing
Goetic to help further the bonds between mortals
and demons of the Red.
The patrons of the restaurant are sophisticated
people looking for a quiet, mannered evening. Some
or all of them may actually be demons or mortals
possessed by demons.
 The Reinvention

FAR PYRAMID THEATER

This huge, lavish theater of metal and glass in
the shape of a pyramid shows plays and musical
performances four times each week. Tickets are
usually about 10 crystal. The theater boasts 4,000
seats. The manager is Ama Vancroft, the daughter Ama Vancroft: level 4;
of famous (and retired) entertainer Aida Vancroft. +2 business management
She not only runs the theater but also considers
herself a bit of a talent scout, and has made various Aida Vancroft worked for
entertainers’ careers and given starts to dozens. decades in Satyrine as a
comedian and ventriloquist.
She has secretly retired to
GAMROSE TOWER the Silent City southwest of
Known as the Bleeding Building for obvious reasons, Satyrine.
Gamrose Tower has many businesses in the lower
floors and apartments above. Its name comes from the
waterfall of red liquid that pours out of the exterior of
the building, near the top. The building also appears
to float about 40 feet (12 m) off the ground, but this is
due to the fact that the lowest portions of the building
are invisible. This unseen area only holds stairs up to
the rest of the building, but many people talk about
how unsettling it is to climb so many stairs without
seeing them, particularly as a waterfall of blood
descends from above. The pouring liquid ends in a
fountain at street level and drains away—somewhere.
The liquid is indeed blood, but not human or even
animal blood. Although it’s not common knowledge,
the truth is that it’s the blood of Jilamanthica, the
Ever-Dying, a goddess who is always on the brink
of death and yet never dies. She “lives” in the
penthouse of the building.
A massive snail-like being with telepathic powers
named Omarius guards and cares for the god. Omarius: level 8; magic
(two successes), +4 Resist,
STARSBIRTH ARENA −1 Dodge; +3 Armor;
can read minds, speak
Larger than many small towns, the Starsbirth Arena telepathically, move
is big enough for any ten concurrent sporting up to 1,000 pounds
events, reenactments of historical events involving psychokinetically, and inflict
thousands of actors, or concerts, plays, or other 2 Anguish on up to three
entertainments. The arena seats 200,000 people, targets within long range
using a mental attack
but reportedly it’s never been more than a fifth full.
Once every year, the arena is filled with water, and Gamrose Tower
hundreds of ships sail about within it in a dramatic
spectacle. Tickets are usually about 8 crystal.

149
 Secrets of Silent Streets
TELLIAN THEATER
This theater hosts the Cirque Surreal, a troupe of
performers that use magic as a part of their act.
Zilats, vislae, nonhumans, and the inexplicable
make up the Cirque, and the roster always seems to
be growing and changing. The Tellian is a theater
in the round that can seat up to 900 people. It could
hold many more, but the stage is enormous to
accommodate the performers and ensure the safety
of the audience. Featured performers include:
✦✦ Angela the Raptor flies through the air
performing aerial stunts without a net or
trapeze.
✦✦ Ferelli breathes fire and ice, and in so doing
creates temporary sculptures of either or both.
✦✦ Kiaman is a musician who plays an instrument
of his own creation called the Omnitron.
He claims it can produce any sound that a
conventional instrument can produce and a
variety that they cannot. He conjures additional
arms made of violet energy to allow him to play
this massive instrument.
✦✦ Sabestian doesn’t juggle balls or even physical
objects, but patterns and images of light.
✦✦ Xambor the Iridescent conjures ghostly choirs
to perform.
Stephe is not a performer, but instead their
manager. She is an entirely black wolf with a tattoo
in a shaved spot on her right temple in the shape
of the symbol of her Vancian order. However, she
is also—at the same time—an all-white wolf with a
similar tattoo, but of the Order of Weavers. Stephe
inhabits both bodies simultaneously, and is both a
Vance and a Weaver.
THE TROSEVAN
This tall cylindrical structure appears to be a giant
aquarium holding a pod of orcas. It stands 250 feet
high and 140 feet across (76 by 43 m). The truth
is, the Trosevan Building is inside the aquarium.
It’s accessed via an underground tunnel so that
you come up from below the enormous water-filled
structure. The building is the ancestral home of
150
Angela the Raptor: level
5; +3 Dodge; +4 acrobatics;
can fly at will
Ferelli: level 4; magic (two
successes), breathes and
shapes fire and ice
Chester: level 2; +5 Resist;
+3 perception
Kiaman: level 5;
+1 defenses; +3 musical
performance
Sabestian: level 4;
+2 Resist; +4 juggling and
dance
Xambor: level 7; magic
(two successes), +2 defenses;
conjures up to a dozen level
3 ghosts at a time
Stephe: level 8; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+3 stealth and perception;
vislae with many spells;
+2 spellcasting (use stats for
both forms)
Translation Doll: see Object
of Power deck in the Black
Cube
Norien Koral: level 4; +2
Resist; +1 Armor;
+1 deception
THE PATH
Spearhead of the
Unknowable, page 119
Order of Honed Thought,
page 118
the wealthy Myron family, repaired and refurbished
after the War, with the aquarium built around it
only recently. The Myrons still live there when they
are in the city (which is rare), but the building is
also an art studio (which holds art classes as well)
and a boarding house for artists in need.
PEOPLE OF THE
REINVENTION
You’ll meet the following people in the Reinvention.
CHESTER
Chester is a ventriloquist’s dummy, once used by
famous (now retired) entertainer Aida Vancroft.
After years of adoration and fame, Chester gained
sentience and mobility all his own. Aida suspected
but never knew for certain that it had happened.
Before Aida moved away, Chester slipped off on his
own and now lives on the streets of the Reinvention,
trying to find his way in the world. He still has
long periods of inactivity where he appears to be
a lifeless wooden doll. If asked, he is interested in
finding Choo Choo and Betty Bop, two of Aida’s
other ventriloquist’s dummies, as he suspects they
are like him.
Stranger still, there are other Chesters in the city
and throughout the Actuality. At the height of Aida’s
popularity, Chester replicas were sold throughout
Satyrine. Apparently, some or all of them have at
least a modicum of intellect and a small amount of
independent mobility. At least one Chester is being
used by a vislae as a Translation Doll object of power.
NORIEN KORAL
Norien Koral is a veteran of the War and has heavy
metal prosthetic legs so that he clanks noisily when
he walks. Like most veterans, he won’t talk about
the War and in fact gets very annoyed if anyone asks
him about it or his legs. Norien is a member of the
Spearhead of the Unknowable, although he used to
be a member of their rival organization, the Order
of Honed Thought. He fancies himself a psychic
sensitive, but he really isn’t.
 The Reinvention

TORQUAN THE REFLECTION
So named because they change their shape and
appearance to match whomever they are talking to
at the time, Torquan is one of the very few elderbrin
who will take human form. What people do not
realize is that this is the result of a rare disease
among elderbrin. They cannot control it.
UPARA
Upara is an Apostate, or at least she used to be.
She works as a ticket-taker in the Tellian Theater
and lives in a tiny apartment nearby. She had all
but given up on magic, but things got weird for her
recently when she met her exact double—a different
modality. This impressive version of her from
elsewhere had kept up with her magical studies and
was a powerful vislae. Now she’s rededicated herself
to the mastery of magic, but she wants a shortcut
to make up for lost time. She’s willing to do almost
anything to get a leg up on learning a potent spell
or secret, obtaining a great object of power, and so
on. She’ll lie. She’ll cheat. She’ll steal. She’ll make a
dangerous deal.
A REINVENTION STORY
Rust leeches. It started with rust leeches.
The destructive little vermin drained the life
out of a brand-new iron support beam beneath a
platform near the Starsbirth Arena, leaving nothing
but rust. The platform, designed to provide access
to hot-air balloons that moored there, collapsed.
This severed the mooring lines tethering a balloon
there, which sailed off into the sky.
THE BALLOON
This round balloon looks like a giant eyeball, and it
always appears to be looking right at you, no matter
where you stand. Beneath it hangs a rattan basket
covered in long multicolored streamers that hang
well below it when it flies.
The balloon’s basket held a single occupant when
it came loose, an elderly man named Scothin Lake.
Scothin is a wealthy gentleman whose prestigious
Aidry Colm: level 6;
+1 Dodge and Resist;
+3 piloting, +1 acrobatics
Torquan: level 6; magic
(two successes), +1 defenses,
change shape
Upara: level 5; magic (two
successes), +2 Resist;
+3 deception, +2 stealth;
vislae with a few spells;
spellcasting +1
The Balloon: level 8; magic
(two successes), +2 Resist;
+3 perception; can ram
itself into up to three targets
if they are in a small area,
inflicting 6 damage; can
lower its level by 1 to grant
itself +3 Armor; can cause
very faraway targets to swell
up like a balloon, inflicting
3 damage and 2 vex in all
Certes pools
THE KEY
Apostate, page 60
THE GATE
Modality, page 43
The GM should give the
PCs opportunities to try to
get up to the balloon, like
running to and quickly
climbing to the rooftop of a
building in its path to try to
jump in the basket.
Scothin Lake: level 5;
−2 Withstand and Dodge;
−2 remembering
family was going to take a tour of the district from
the air with the service of a balloon pilot named
Aidry Colm. Only Scothin was on board when the
balloon launched, and the rest of his family and
their attendants were injured in the collapse. In the
confusion and chaos, Scothin was forgotten. Worse,
the old man is in the thrall of dementia and has
little concept of what’s going on around him. He
leans over the side of the basket, staring transfixed
at the city below. Sometimes he waves.
The balloon itself is semi-intelligent and
generates its own hot air to keep itself aloft (or to
rise or lower). It can even adjust itself to move one
way or another, although it isn’t able to forcibly go
against the wind. The balloon is happy to be free
and on its own. It hates and resents Aidry, and isn’t
really fond of people in general. It has little regard
one way or another for Scothin.
THE OFFER
The PCs are in the Reinvention for whatever
reasons their own business might have brought
them there. They see the loosed balloon float above
them, with an old man leaning over the side of
the basket giving them a wave. Suddenly, a man
comes running toward (and eventually past) them,
shouting, “I’ll give anyone 5 gem orbs if they can
get that balloon to land safely!”
The man is Ulthin Lake, Scothin’s nephew. His
concern for his uncle is sincere, and borne out of
affection. His offer is genuine as well—the family is
wealthy and Ulthin has that much money on him.
There’s not much time for him to explain if the PCs
express interest. “Runaway balloon!” he says. “My
uncle’s trapped up there. Please help!” If the PCs
don’t proffer help or they want more discussion,
Ulthin gives up on them and keeps running after
the balloon, which he fears will fly right into the
Abstraction.
BRINGING DOWN THE BALLOON
There are many ways for the PCs to intervene in the
situation, should they choose to, and not all of them
are good ideas.

151
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Damaging the balloon: Attempts to damage the
balloon in any way result in the balloon taking
defensive, and then hostile, actions of its own. It
can’t move enough to deftly dodge attacks, but it
tries anyway. What it can do as its action, however,
is produce (through budding) tiny replicas of itself
that absorb incoming attacks—effectively giving
itself Armor. It will then retaliate against attackers
with an equally weird offensive capability. It causes
a target within very long range to swell up like a
balloon themselves. The target becomes slightly
buoyant (with no control over their own buoyancy),
suffers 3 points of damage (Armor will not provide
protection), and gains 2 vex in all Certes pools. When
all the vex are gone, the character returns to normal.
Getting up to Scothin: The PCs don’t know that
Scothin operates at a diminished capacity. Getting a
rope or something similar up to him is likely to be
frustrating because he won’t help or comply with
their requests. Flying or teleporting up to him is
likely not a problem, but a more conventional leap
from somewhere high into the basket or onto the
balloon itself is a Movement-based action with a
challenge of 8. Scothin, meanwhile, won’t listen to
reason and will try to resist any attempt to forcibly
take him out of the balloon. Convincing him to do
otherwise is an action with a challenge of 7. Kind,
soft-spoken words are more effective with him than
harsh ones, but kindness takes time.
Forcing the balloon to land: Magical effects that
can push or drag the balloon to the ground will be
tricky. It has a lifting power of about 2 tons. Worse,
it will see any attempt to do so as an attack and
will retaliate. Someone in the basket can attempt
to use the controls there to make the balloon land,
but doing so requires a piloting action every round
for three rounds. The challenge is 8 because the
balloon resists with all its might.
Convincing the balloon to land: The PCs don’t
know that the balloon is intelligent. If they manage
to figure this out, however, they can attempt to
152
If the PCs are after
information, money, or
something of that sort, they
might have come to the
Reinvention looking for the
Lake family, in which case
they likely want to get in
their good graces as much as
Aidry does.
reason with it. It wants to be free and doesn’t care
about Scothin. Convincing it to stop and land is
challenge 10, but convincing it to slow down and
allow Scothin to be removed in some fashion is a
challenge 6 task. The challenge of both of these
actions is 2 higher for anyone who attempted to
harm the balloon earlier.
THE SECOND BALLOON
Complicating matters, Aidry Colm shows up in
a powered aerostat to attempt to catch up to and
commandeer the escaping balloon. This powered
balloon has a magical engine that looks like a giant
frog that expels air from its wide mouth, propelling
the balloon in whatever direction Aidry steers. Her
goal is to get close enough to leap from her balloon to
the other and then take control of it and get it to land.
As mentioned earlier, though, the escaping
balloon hates Aidry and will flee from her. Should
this fail, it will attempt to cause her to fall as she
tries to cross into the basket. Anyone (including
the PCs) apparently working with her also earns its
distrust and ire. Add +1 to any challenge to interact
with the balloon, either peacefully or otherwise.
Further, the appearance of Aidry and her flying
craft shocks Scothin enough that any prior success
at calming or charming him is undone.
The GM should also use at least one GM shift (if
not more!) to have Aidry’s attempts get in the way of
or otherwise foil or befuddle whatever the PCs are
doing. The truth is, she wants to save Scothin on
her own, showing off her bravery and skill. Thus,
cooperation between her and the PCs will likely be
inadvertent at best.
RESOLUTION
Aidry wants to rescue Scothin because she wants to
get in the good graces of the Lake family. Without
help, however, she’ll not only fail, but fall to her
death trying to cross from her aerostat to the balloon.
(The balloon and Scothin will then soar into the
Abstraction, probably never to be seen again.) In
the end, if the PCs intervene, Aidry might end up
looking like the hero, depending on circumstances.
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153
 Secrets of Silent Streets
D
ark, gloomy, and preyed upon by vampires
and similar creatures, Rivenhome seems
almost strikingly different from the rest of
Satyrine.
Mostly the working lower class dwells in
Rivenhome, and it’s not generally regarded as
a happy place. The new buildings are somber,
and—particularly strange for Satyrine—show little
variance from each other. Grey stone slabs make up
tall tenements, and wide, straight roads are grim,
decorated only with the occasional War monument
dedicated to the fallen and the lost in angular,
violent, and surreal representations.
Crime is commonplace in Rivenhome, which is
ironic, as the gerents have extensive police forces,
but it’s understandable because these forces are the
epitome of corruption and graft.
MOOD AND FEEL
In Rivenhome, oppressive grey buildings loom above
you as you walk down the street. Staircases lead to
nowhere. Archways give way to empty courtyards.
Windows face blank walls. Most people would
describe Rivenhome with the word “grim.” Its role is
primarily residential. Its entirety has been reclaimed
from the Ruined Expanses. As a district, it did not
exist before the War. Thus, all the buildings are new or
extensively refurbished. But you almost couldn’t tell.
Describe Rivenhome as a city in an Eastern Bloc
country in the 1960s, or at least how such places
are portrayed in films—grim, grey, and oppressive.
Somehow, the weather is always cold and rainy,
regardless of the time of year. Nights seem to last
much longer here, and they are always pitch black.
156
N THE BUREAU OF SAFETY
Unlike in other districts, the gerents of Rivenhome
comprise an organization that keeps records, issues
licenses and permits, and has its own force for law
enforcement and criminal investigation. They call
this joint commission the Bureau of Safety. The
gerents all have an equal voice in this organization
and can draw on its resources equally.
While it seems like the Bureau would work
toward the common good—certainly the name
suggests it—it is in fact mostly a force to keep the
citizens organized and in line.
Many of the neighborhood gerents still employ
their own private police forces, which have at times
worked at cross purposes or even come into conflict
with the Bureau. Rivenhome is a difficult and
dangerous place.
A RIVENHOME
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Borisav is a large neighborhood in Rivenhome.
Like much of the district, it is filled with tall
grey tenements, narrow streets, and cold, empty
courtyards.
Zdekis Slowinsk: level 14; Zdekis Slowinsk is the gerent of Borisav. Zdekis
magic (three successes), is notable because he is not human but a spirit of
+2 defenses; +3 social oppression. Most people don’t know this—they
interaction; magically
crushes wills, forcing victims
believe him to be a reclusive male human. It would
to do his bidding seem that in addition to his goals as a gerent, he
seeks to engender a feeling of grim oppression in
others.
The neighborhood has a large municipal building
at its heart, where Zdekis and his people work, keep
their extensive files on all the residents, and conduct
Rivenhome

157
 Secrets of Silent Streets
the business of the bureaucratic administration they
maintain (encouraged by Zdekis to further increase
the feelings of oppression).
Zdekis employs a number of demons who take
human form to serve as his enforcers. They have
been instructed never to kill or even seriously harm
one of the neighborhood residents, but instead to
bully and command them, threatening them with
violence should they resist. In other words, oppress
them. Some of Zdekis’s enforcers are human, but
they are all so cruel and imperious that you couldn’t
tell the difference between them and the demons
without a spell.
More than six thousand people live in Borisav.
Zdekis’s enforcers number about fifty, and his
bureaucracy employs another hundred—which
is ridiculous, but in keeping with the rest of the
district.
LOCATIONS IN RIVENHOME
The following locations exist within Rivenhome.
THE ASH GARDENS
Young children toil in these expansive enclosures,
forming glass orbs to be used for currency. The
children roll the orbs from ash in a secretive
process, and fill them with minor thoughts and
ideas.
Those in charge of the Ash Gardens are Milos
Frabinia, a slight but cruel fellow, and Garand Osh,
a plump mustachioed man whom the children
love. Garand’s fun and caring demeanor is all an act
to get the children to work harder, however. He’s
actually as cold and heartless as his comrade, Milos.
THE BONE PIT
Although there are cemeteries in Rivenhome,
the Bone Pit is a more common place to inter the
dead. Corpses are lowered with ceremony into this
extremely deep pit, its sides lined with ledges and
niches filled with bones and skulls. Rumors abound
that there are things living in the pit that feed on
the corpses placed there. While one would expect
158
Narjiv and Sandre Bradris:
level 3; +2 deception
Kiver: level 8; magic (two
successes), +3 Withstand
and Resist; +4 Armor;
+2 perception; touch causes
paralysis (2 rests)
THE PATH
Rivenhome, page 78
THE KEY
Glass orbs, page 181
Milos Frabinia: level 4;
+2 Resist; knows a few signs
Garand Osh: level 5;
+2 defenses; +3 deception
Federik Stoma: level 7;
magic (two successes),
+1 Withstand, +3 Resist;
+2 social interaction
(including deception); often
carries a few ephemera
objects or objects of power
that confer +2 Armor, the
ability to teleport, and the
ability to communicate
telepathically to summon
his underlings
perhaps ratgoblins or roachgoblins, many people
believe them to be something far worse. No one
knows how deep the pit goes.
BRADRIS GROCERY
This quaint grocery store offers locals all the basics
at a decent price. It’s owned by Narjiv and Sandre
Bradris, an older couple that mostly keeps to
themselves.
Their son, Kiver, was born . . . different. To some,
it would seem that he has the blood of demons or
gods in his veins. To others, he seems cursed. Kiver
looks like a young male human, but that’s thanks to
powerful glamours covering his actual appearance,
which is a monstrous thing with bubbling orange
flesh, multiple mouths, too many eyes, and a
variety of tendrils and pseudopods rather than
conventional limbs. His parents will do anything to
keep his nature a secret, for the local gerent would
likely have him put down just for appearing to be a
dangerous threat.
THE ORACLE STAIRS
A staircase consisting of 444 steps doubles back
on itself multiple times, providing access to a
higher portion of the district. A ritualized means
of climbing the stairs involving the exact speed one
takes to reach the top and the movements made and
words spoken while doing so is said to provide the
climber with some truth about the near future.
STOMA MANOR
Federik Stoma is the latest in a long line of bosses
that manage this family-based criminal syndicate.
The Stoma family, sometimes called Federik’s
family, is the most powerful criminal organization
in the district.
The house is a looming, dark mansion with
gargoyles and disturbing relief sculptures. The
Stoma family has never hidden their nature. The
authorities know exactly where to find Federik and
what he does—but he pays them all so much in
bribes that they happily look the other way.

What at first appear to be thick-trunked trees Federik’s hound: level 4;
surrounding the manor are instead huge arms magic (two successes),
+3 defenses; +2 perception
thrusting up toward the sky. These arm-trees are
and stealth; magical
alive, but despite their appearance they are more creature; bite freezes foe
like trees than arms. motionless for one round
Federik is short and broad. He dresses well and
Nylaveth Stoma: level 6;
is never without his two hounds. Both dogs are
magic (two successes),
all straight lines and acute angles, creatures of +3 defenses; +1 deception;
geometry rather than flesh. As such, they can rob an vislae with many spells,
opponent of all ability to move in three-dimensional including divinations, wards
space. that can foil intrusion, and
putting foes to sleep; +2
Federik’s sister Nylaveth does not live in the house spellcasting
but is there frequently with her daughter, Ullone.
Nylaveth is a Weaver and Federik calls upon her Ullone Stoma: level 3;
magical abilities frequently. Ullone is a budding thief. +2 Dodge; +2 stealth and
deception
TRYPA Anbeista and Kavirsta:
This huge structure is a large tenement building level 7; +3 Withstand,
with thousands of hole-like windows in its almost +4 Dodge; +3 perception, +2
knowledge
organic-looking exterior walls. Those who live here,
speaking with dark cynicism, call their homes
pods or eggs and refer to themselves and the other THE PATH
Vespertine, page 114
residents as worms or insects.
The Trypa serves as an excellent example of the
outright evil that can be achieved thanks to the
The Trypa and the
corruption of this district. The tenement is used by Unnamed are not near each
psychopaths from the Vespertine to slowly drain other, but people who know
the life force of those who live inside. In a way, the the truth of both understand
that, on some level, the
building is a living thing, but it’s a parasite. The
two odd structures are foes
residents are depressive and sickly—but not so that wage a secret war on
sickly as to cause panic or suspicion—and they die a level of reality beyond
young. The Vespertine, who secretly own the Trypa, that which can be easily
pay off the local gerent to look the other way when observed. Agents acting on
behalf of one—knowingly or
there are complaints. Meanwhile, the dark fanatics unknowingly—strike blows
use the energy they steal to fuel their black-hearted against the other, although
schemes. the nature of these attacks is
not always clear.
THE UNNAMED Karam Asfour: level 5;
This structure bears no name because, at least as magic (two successes),
it’s described, no language can contain it. Its form +2 Dodge, +1 Resist; +1 stealth;
and color are always shifting, yet it is perfectly safe can teleport a creature
or object his own size or
to enter and occupy. Currently, the building serves smaller that he is aware of
as a tenement, with a number of small businesses from up to 1 mile away to a
on the lower level. close spot of his choosing
Rivenhome
The indefinable nature of the building is a boon
to the tenants, both residential and commercial.
Somehow this nature, not fully comprehensible
by the mortal mind, keeps those within it safe and
even empowers them. The people are healthier
and happier, and the businesses more prosperous.
And yet the place’s nature still frightens many away.
People fear what they cannot understand.
PEOPLE IN RIVENHOME
The following unfortunate souls live in Rivenhome.
ANBEISTA AND KAVIRSTA
Anbeista and Kavirsta are kellidos that live in
Rivenhome. In their homeland, deep in the
Feyward Lands, kellidos soar across the sky on
volcanic wings. But when they were forced to flee
their homes years ago, the only way the authorities
in Satyrine would allow them to stay was if they
willingly gave up their dangerous flaming wings.
Now these vaguely avian humanoids with
scraggly orange and red plumage live atop one of
the tallest buildings in Rivenhome in a nest-like
structure of twigs and garbage. They are extremely
intelligent and resentful of their current lot. Do
they plot revenge? Perhaps, but they know all too
well that they agreed to the actions that led to their
current fate, and how do you really take vengeance
on yourself? So they spend their days brooding
and selling bits of obscure lore known only by their
people.
KARAM ASFOUR
Tall and thin, Karam is a zilat apporter, or “grabber.”
He can teleport people and objects from up to a
mile away to where he is. While many grabbers
use their ability to steal or kidnap, Karam attempts
to use his powers to help others. He lives off the
generosity of those he helps, but he’s frequently
accused of theft by those who learn of his talents,
so he lies low when possible. He lives on the streets
most of the time.
159
 Secrets of Silent Streets
THE HALF GOD
The Half God is not a demigod but a god that was
torn in half in battle. Some say this happened
during the War, but that might be apocryphal.
It’s likely that it happened much longer ago. Now
the Half God wanders the streets of Rivenhome
or stands in the shadows, watching silently. Most
people consider an encounter with him to be a bad
omen.
MARALLI THE FINCH
A self-appointed defender of the downtrodden,
Maralli is an Apostate operating in secret
throughout Rivenhome. She attempts to bring food
and other assistance to the poorest families in the
district and works against the forces of both the
criminals and the corrupt officials there.
RAX JAROS
Rax is a young criminal with a head that’s made
of glass and filled with fish. He leads a small gang
of ruffians in Rivenhome who fill their nights
with muggings and minor burglaries. They are
headstrong and belligerent, but if you can somehow
get them talking, they have a uniquely informed
view of the district and its current events at any
given time.
VINALIN
Vinalin is a wealthy landlord who owns multiple
apartment buildings. He is also a member of the
Chalmara Sodality, who see the Actuality as a work
of art. His face is faceted like a jewel, each facet
a mirror with a different color tint. Vinalin helps
finance the Sodality’s violence and offers places for
members to meet, live, or hide.
160
The Half God: level 16;
magic (three successes),
can sustain 8 Injuries per
Wound and 8 Wounds;
various powers, all subtle
Menter’s Square, page 167
Maralli: level 8; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+3 stealth; vislae with many
spells, including effects such
as telepathy, invisibility,
counterspelling, walking
through walls, inducing
sleep and forgetfulness;
+4 spellcasting
Rax Jaros (and the rest of
his gang): level 4;
+1 defenses; +1 stealth
Vinalin: level 4; +2 Resist;
+2 stealth and deception
THE PATH
Chalmara Sodality,
page 117
A RIVENHOME STORY
“Life is just a lock, waiting for the right key so
you can pass through the doorway into the next—
better—realm. I am that key. I’m here to help.”
Lorus Styler grew up in Rivenhome, and his story
is all too typical. An unhappy childhood of abuse
and neglect turned into an adulthood of more of
the same. Lorus, however, was smarter than the
other children, and eventually became smarter than
most other adults. He spent every spare second
in libraries, even traveling all the way to Menter’s
Square and plumbing the depths of the stacks.
There, he learned secrets that shaped him, and he
in turn shaped the secrets.
Lorus has the ability to create a key for any lock
in no time at all, literally pulling it out of his own
flesh as if it had always been there, just under the
surface. This allows him to pass through any door.
Further, he can use a key to alter himself to render
himself invisible. Finally, he can kill with a key,
inflicting 3 Wounds with but a touch.
Now, Lorus Styler is a murderer, slipping into
stranger’s homes, killing them with a key, and
cutting key-shaped symbols into the flesh all over
their body. He has killed eighteen people so far,
each murder separated by about two or three weeks.
Locals have given him the lackluster name of the
Key Killer (which Lorus hates.)
Lorus sees life as a curse and believes that
the murders he commits are a gift he bestows.
He couldn’t really tell you why he ritualistically
mutilates the corpse after bequeathing his gift,
but it’s likely a deep-seated need to be noticed and
understood. Every murder he commits is a sort of
subconscious message to the world, insisting that
he is not bound by its horrors and in fact is helping
others to be free.
Lorus is a large, physically fit man with pale skin
but dark hair and eyes. In his right arm, one can see
what looks like a key just below the skin.
 Rivenhome

INSPECTOR TIRRES
Inspector Tirres stands but 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, but Inspector Tirres: level 5;
you’d never judge her by her size, as she’s capable, +2 defenses; +1 Armor;
smart, and—not to put too fine a point on it— +2 investigation and
perception
mean. Tirres works for the Bureau of Safety in the
district.
She’s realized that to stop the Key Killer, she
needs magical help, and that means vislae. Through
various connections or channels appropriate to the
PCs, she contacts one of them and asks for their
help. She offers to pay them in a coin they can THE KEY
respect—magecoins. She’s managed to procure 10 Magecoins, page 182
of them. Don’t ask her how. But to earn them, the
PCs have to find and stop the Key Killer in any way
they see fit.

THE INVESTIGATION
A few divination spells are very likely all the PCs
need to learn the identity or location of Lorus. He
has no protection against such things. (In almost
any other district, someone would have taken such
action against him much earlier.) If they don’t use
magic to find him, the PCs will need to look for
clues and interrogate witnesses. This will take ten
times as long, but eventually a lead will draw them
to Lorus. Perhaps a witness saw him leaving one
of the murder scenes and mentions the telltale key
beneath his skin.

CONFRONTING THE KILLER

Lorus has an escape plan should someone come for Lorus Styler: level 6;
him in his flat, where he lives alone in ramshackle magic (two successes),
squalor. He takes a mazelike route through a series +1 Withstand, +2 Dodge,
+3 Resist; +2 stealth and
of locked doors leading through empty apartments perception; can open any
in his building. This path has a number of hiding door, turn invisible, and
spots where he can wait invisibly. It’s likely that he inflict 3 Wounds with a
will slip away the first time the PCs come looking touch of a key
for him. They’ll have to find some other way to
locate and confront him.
When they do, Lorus will use his deadly key
ability to try to defend himself. He’ll attempt to fight
to the death, which is ultimately what he desires for Rax Jaros
himself anyway.
Stopping Lorus earns the PCs 1 Acumen each.

161
 Secrets of Silent Streets
W
hen you visit, pronounce it “Rive-
river,” not “River-iver,” or the locals will
chuckle at you.
In this mostly residential district, riverside
properties are the most desirable, but most of the
people of Riveriver are decidedly middle-class.
Seven bridges span the Chirdes, and thus have
become the focal points of the district.
It’s also a transport hub for the city, with Seagate
Docks and the Indigo Rail station both found here.
THE CHIRDES RIVER
The Chirdes River, which gives the district its name,
is fast moving and clear. Nice homes line the banks
in most places, with many having a small dock
for a boat. Pleasure boats on the Chirdes are not
uncommon, but neither are small fishing boats.
Along the riverbed, small aquatic beings called
niathisa dwell. Niathisa look like 2-foot (60 cm) long
fish with humanlike hands rather than a head. They
use their hands to dig up objects that have fallen
into the riverbed over the years and trade the scrap
to merchants who come to the river. Occasionally,
however, they find something truly valuable, and
they’re smart enough to recognize it when they do.
MOOD AND FEEL
Riveriver is quiet, its people insular. Outsiders
commonly visit to use the rail station or Seagate
Docks, or maybe visit Menter’s Square, but they
rarely explore the rest of the district. The homes and
buildings here are usually simple, of dark wood,
with frequent trees and nearby parks. Portraying
164
O Riveriver as a small town on its own rather than a
district of a larger city might be appropriate.
A RIVERIVER
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Velleity neighborhood is close to Long Park
(which is in a neighborhood also called Long Park).
About half the neighborhood is residential and the
other half filled with shops and services that cater
strictly to locals.
The gerent is actually two people who share a
Mika Tomi: level 5; single body. Mika Tomi and Randolf Grammar both
+1 Resist; +2 persuasion act as gerent, with Mika using their shared body
Randolf Grammar: level 5; on most days, and Randolf operating it at night—
+1 magical lore meaning that they can be active around the clock.
The body is originally Randolf’s, so they appear
to be a white-haired man in his early fifties with
a well-trimmed white beard and striking, angular
Niathisa: level 3 features who wears bright blue eyeglasses. They live
with Randolf’s large extended family, most of whom
seem to prefer Mika to Randolf.
In general, Mika is polite and relatively altruistic.
Randolf is more selfish (and he resents Mika for
taking his body half the time, hoping to get rid of
her one day).
In Velleity the gerent does not employ
thoughtforms, so their two assistants as well as
their six full-time police officers are human.
Riveriver

165
 Secrets of Silent Streets
LOCATIONS IN RIVERIVER
The following locations are found within Riveriver.
THE BLUE EVENING STABLES
A series of wooden buildings painted blue, the
Blue Evening Stables are owned by Hiram and Kai
Brotheran, siblings and business partners.
The stables house horses made of tangled briars,
mist, or water. Not to mention a carousel horse.
Plus a horse with a swirling cloud for a head, one
that’s riddled with holes, another with headlights
and the front bumper of an old car, and a shockingly
long-legged thing named Timothy with a mass of
oversized eyes where his head should be.
THE HOUSE OF THE SEA LOST
This tower is just a large column of water
suspended in air. To enter, one must be able to
breathe water. Most people use spells, but there are
a few devices that amount to hoses that connect
to the outside of the tower. Visitors can breathe
through them, although they stink of the breath of
all the others who have used them before. Within
the House of the Sea Lost, a number of businesses
keep their offices. Foremost among them is the
Bureau of Salvage, which records every ship and
sailor lost at sea and any and all salvage recovered.
INDIGO RAIL STATION
This large station is where trains come in from
outside the city, bearing passengers and goods of all
kinds. It also serves as a Satyrine Rail station, so it’s
convenient for almost anyone in the city to transfer
here and travel throughout Indigo.
The trains that come through here are noisy
and churn up smoke, so living by the station is
not desirable. A few nearby homes, however, have
installed sound dampeners made by a local Maker.
These elaborate constructs are, curiously, made
of bits of multicolored cloth. Near the station, one
can see these walls of cloth pieces fluttering in the
breeze.
166
THE PATH
Riveriver, page 85
Clarke: level 3; +1 Resist;
+3 poetry
Hiram and Kia Brotheran:
level 4; +2 Dodge;
+2 handling animals
Music creature: level 5;
magic (two successes),
+3 Resist; immune to
physical damage; can
magically create food and
simple objects out of music
Outside the rail station, every day, stands a
homeless man named Clarke. He has antlers like
a deer and a grizzled face, and he wears layers and
layers of shabby clothes. Should anyone give him a
handout, he will recite a poem for them, and a large
handout will prompt him to compose a poem in
their honor on the spot. He’s an established fixture
of the station and the surrounding neighborhood,
well liked and treated well.
LONG PARK
As its name suggests, Long Park stretches for a
great distance—a sort of winding rectangle.
The centerpiece of the park is a structure made of
seventeen living trees, curving toward each other and
eventually knotting together halfway up their 80-foot
(24 m) trunks to make a sort of dome underneath.
This grand natural structure is used as a theater for
plays and oratory, as well as dances and parties.
To some, Long Park is notable for intelligent
plants called wary shrubs. They give off a trilling
sound if any creature gets too close. If someone can
manage to calm them (which requires speaking
their language, and probably requires some kind of
magical influence), they know many secrets.
Long Park is also home to a number of animals
of living glass—birds, squirrels, rabbits, and even
the occasional fox or cat. No one knows the origin of
these creatures, and they’re not telling.
The park also hosts a variety of homeless people who
camp here in makeshift tents. (Clarke, who spends
his time by the rail station, stays in the park at night.)
The people of Long Park are cared for by mysterious
creatures made of sentient music. In return, the people
try to protect the music creatures from those who
would like to know more of their nature or origin.
MARKET BRIDGE
Seven bridges in the district cross the Chirdes,
and one of them, a wide bridge of white stone,
serves as a market with buildings and stalls built
upon it. Market Bridge is used almost solely by
Riveriver locals, and non-locals can find that they’re
overcharged in their purchases.

MENTER’S SQUARE
This square has a clocktower in each corner, each
showing a different time. The locals all have their
favorites, and conflicts over various clocks can
become physical.
What you might not realize when walking
past is that the square also offers entrance to the
largest library in the city. It’s ostensibly located
underground, although some argue that the miles of
shelf-filled tunnels are actually an extradimensional
realm all their own. The library, just called Menter’s,
employs at least five hundred librarians.
Some people claim that the library is infinite, but
that seems implausible to most. No one librarian in
Menter’s—even Aarav Khatri, the head librarian—
knows the entire layout, however. They all have
their areas of expertise, but there are so many of
them that not every librarian knows all the other
librarians, let alone all their specialties. Menter’s
can be a confusing place, but in theory every book
is there. Every book. Finding the right book, on the
other hand, can be quite difficult.
It’s possible that the books
themselves create the world
deep within Menter’s
through the osmosis of
information, ideas, and, in
some cases, fiction.
Aarav Khatri: level 6;
−1 Withstand, +4 Resist;
+4 knowledge of the library,
+2 administration and
general knowledge; can
teleport anywhere in the
library he has been before
Riveriver
The library is so vast that some people have
become lost within it. These so-called “people of
the stacks” have formed bands and now live out
their lives (or their descendants live out their lives)
amid the books with no intention of leaving. The
librarians do what they can to stay on friendly
relations with the people of the stacks, who have
developed their own language and customs.
The people of the stacks feed on rats and other
vermin they hunt, as well as a certain kind of edible
fungus that grows on the books in the lower levels.
They speak of creatures much larger than rats down
very deep in the stacks, but they don’t share much
detail. It would seem, however, that the deeper
into the library one goes, the more it becomes an
independent world than a library, and in between it
is both at once, with books filling what would seem
to be meadows in a forest or grottos within caves.
167
 Secrets of Silent Streets

MERIWEATHER HOSPITAL Sun floating in it. She possesses the ability to give
One of the largest medical facilities in Satyrine, Conditions of level 7 and anything she touches—creature or object—an eye
Meriweather Hospital has more than a hundred below can be successfully that lasts for about an hour, through which she can
beds, with ten doctors on staff, thirty nurses and treated and cured in a see.
week’s stay at Meriweather
other attendants, and another thirty support staff. Hospital.
Meriweather boasts a unique form of care in that a
special staff of nine birds of different types, with an PEOPLE IN RIVERIVER
angel named Yi-Mun at their head, visit the hospital These people can all be found in the Riveriver
once a week and administer aid to the seriously ill District.
or injured.
A stay in the hospital costs 12 crystal orbs per Alamathi: level 11; CAPTAIN ALAMATHI
night. +4 defenses; +4 sailing; Unnaturally tall and thin, Alamathi is the captain
Emergency care (healing a serious injury) costs can sustain 5 Injuries per of the Turn of the Page, a magical ship made
Wound and 5 Wounds
an additional 25 crystal. entirely out of books about the sea, its creatures,
and its gods. She knows the Alone as well as (or
SEAGATE DOCKS THE PATH better than) anyone alive. She and Grabollis of the
Ships from the Alone come into this port, bringing The Alone, page 48 Valedictorian are rivals and hate each other.
all manner of strange goods: talking fruit from
Durrentam, rope made of stone from the Floating SARA DATHAFORD
Isles, and bricks made of smoke from the Ju-nui- Sara Dathaford: level 4; Poet and actress, Sara recently moved to Riveriver
Pron, just to name a few. Ships of sail, those of +2 Dodge and Resist; and seeks to raise funding to start her own
steam, and those pulled by trained jellyfish are all +2 social interaction theater/bar. While she would like legitimate
present here. investors, she’s not opposed to getting involved with
The docks are girded by a row of warehouses shadier elements.
to store all the incoming (and outgoing) goods. A
very tall signal tower rises above them. Most of the FARROW
dockworkers are thoughtforms and never leave the Farrow: level 5; +2 defenses; Farrow is a living drawing, animated a few years
dock area. +1 persuasion ago by a vislae’s spell that for some reason never
depleted. Now Farrow is an independent entity in
THE VALEDICTORIAN In’Kalia Segali: level 5; their own right. They look like a hastily sketched
The Valedictorian is a huge ship that serves as a magic (two successes), human man, with a somewhat endearingly lopsided
mobile university studying the sea, its creatures, +3 Resist; +2 metalworking; face. Farrow eats, breathes, and sleeps just like they
vislae with a large number
and all manner of related topics. In addition to a of spells and items she has
were a living human. They work as a barista in
crew, the university has fifteen professors, twenty- created; +2 spellcasting Metzi’s, a coffee shop in Riveriver, and try to figure
two administrators and staff, and usually around out what to do with their surprise existence.
140 students. When it comes to Satyrine, which it Grabollis: level 7; magic
does about once a month, it docks in Riveriver at (two successes), +3 defenses; IN’KALIA SEGALI
Seagate. +2 perception and stealth; An insatiable logovore with a unique set of
can sustain 4 Injuries per
The captain of the Valedictorian is a woman Wound or Anguish, and 4
principles, In’Kalia’s skin drips with ink, covered in
named Grabollis. She is secretly a member of Wounds and Anguish words she has eaten. Atop her silvery hair, she often
the Vespertine and operates as a clandestine wears her signature Maker object: a bronze mask
spy gathering information for the organization. THE PATH
topped with elegant, curving horns. She is mostly
Grabollis has no face, just an empty dark blue void Vespertine, page 114 generous, helpful, and kind, but for those who
where it should be, with the symbol of the Indigo attempt to control or harm others’ minds, she will

168

respond swiftly and in kind, often using an item
she’s crafted just for that purpose.
In’Kalia takes great pride in infiltrating libraries,
bookstores, and other knowledge-filled places,
where she surreptitiously eats from tomes that she
believes no one else loves (or will miss). She has a
particular affinity for Menter’s, even though she has
been banned from entering. She lives in Fartown
but can often be found outside that huge library,
trying to find new ways to get in.
Those who introduce her to a previously
unknown stash of knowledge will likely garner her
favor, and possibly find themselves on the receiving
end of a gift in the form of something she’s made.
LARAKALIA
One of the Dead, here by permission of the Pale,
Larakalia looks like a fleshless skeleton draped in
robes. They wander Riveriver, playing a red and black
viola for reasons all their own. Although this seems
to have no real effect, many residents believe that the
music brings bad luck or is at least a poor omen.
NIDAS
Nidas has six arms and wears large golden
spectacles. He brews potions, elixirs, and alcohol,
and his business employs seven apprentices
and four thoughtforms. Nidas is a member
of the Spearhead of the Unknowable and can
communicate mentally with anyone nearby and—if
they are well known to him—anyone in the city.
FEDONA WHETHEL
Fedona Whethel is a very old Goetic (retired) who
now lives in the Riveriver District in a simple little
house on a simple little street near Long Park. The
thing is, in her time, Fedona walked the Nightside
Path and consorted with all manner of demons in
all manner of ways. She firmly believes that demons
are—by most people—misunderstood. She thinks
that many of them (those most often referred to as
devils) are much more sophisticated and nuanced
than most depictions of them suggest. She’s not
naive about their overall nature, though.
THE PATH
Duke of Demons, page 27
Menter’s Square, page 167
Aroethe, page 148
Timeaus: level 4;
+3 Withstand; +2 Armor;
+3 woodworking and
shipmaking
Larakalia: level 4; +2 Resist;
+2 musical performance
Nidas: level 6; magic (two
successes), +1 Dodge, +3
Resist; +2 brewing; telepathy
The Warazax: level 5;
magic (two successes),
+2 Resist; steals thoughts
with a touch of a tendril
(1 Intellect bene)
THE PATH
Spearhead of the
Unknowable, page 119
Fedona Whethel: level 6;
magic (two successes),
−2 Withstand and Dodge,
+2 Resist; +4 knowledge of
demons; vislae with a few
spells; no longer has the
stamina to cast many spells
THE WAY
Beseech, page 31
Riveriver
Fedona is a great and often untapped resource
regarding demonkind. She has written an obscure
book called Politics of the Red, in which she
speculates that there is an actual Duke of Demons,
and he may be what keeps the Red from erupting
into nothing but violence and destruction. In
person, she may admit that she had a long romantic
relationship with someone she believes was the
Duke (although he never called himself that). That
entity was Aroethe, although that’s not the name he
used back then.
TIMEAUS THE SHIPWRIGHT
It would be tempting to call Timeaus a centaur.
The upper torso of the man appears to rise from
a quadruped’s body. However, there’s nothing of a
natural animal in his lower half. Instead, his four
legs look more like the legs of a piano, table, or
other piece of elegant wooden furniture. He spends
all of his time at Seagate Docks, where he plies his
craft. While Timeaus is not an actual Maker, his
ability to craft ships is enhanced by some kind of
magic, as he can accomplish the task in half the
normal time or less. For this, he charges twice as
much, so he is a wealthy man.
THE WARAZAX
The Warazax is an animate aquatic plant sheathed
in water. It has a vague humanoid shape, but its
leafy tendril arms number as many as ten if needed.
It carries its water with it when it is not submerged
in the Chirdes, which it calls home. The Warazax
knows many secrets related to water and the moon,
which it worships like a god. It feeds on ideas, and
if it is starving and alone, it devours its own.
A RIVERIVER STORY
Sometimes talent is a threat rather than a gift.
A teenaged girl named Myara and her friend
Bellan found an old, wrinkled, and stained
monograph of the Beseech invocation. It turns out
that Myara has some natural vislae talent, but she
isn’t really aware of the fact. So they were able to
169
 Secrets of Silent Streets
perform the invocation in Bellan’s basement, but
because they were untrained and the monograph
not entirely clear or complete, things went awry.
Something listened. And it came. And it wouldn’t
leave.
Myara and Bellan fled, and said nothing.
Suddenly, Bellan’s parents disappeared. Then others
in the neighborhood disappeared. Rats and spiders
and other basement-dwelling creatures began to act
strangely and gather in unprecedented swarms. The
neighborhood is spooked. The local gerent has sent
some people to investigate, but they found nothing
with a cursory look around.
BELLAN’S STREET
The houses on Bellan’s street—like many Riveriver
houses—share connected basements. The
basements are damp, dark, and used mainly for
storage. They’re home to rats, spiders, centipedes,
and various other creatures.
The PCs get involved by accident, as they make
their way through the district and a swarm of rats
suddenly rushes toward them, likely right in the
street (which is, of course, Bellan’s street). The
animals act in concert but seem deranged. They bite
everything they come across, including inorganic
inanimate objects. It’s as though they’re exploring
by tasting. Treat the rats as a single entity.
If the PCs drive off the rats, the creatures flee
toward the cellar door of a nearby house. Should
the PCs investigate, they find no one at home in the
rather simple wooden house, but the cellar door is
open a crack. Below, the God of the Basement waits.
THE GOD OF THE BASEMENT
Not all gods are equal. The God of the Basement—
also known as the Cellar God—is a quasi-intelligent
thing only partially aware of its surroundings. All it
knows is that it is unhappy, hungry, and trapped. It
looks like a bronze pyramid, 8 feet (2.5 m) to a side,
with a single green eye and huge green wings that
also look like giant hands.
170
Rat swarm: level 3;
+1 Dodge; can attack
all close foes, inflicting 1
damage
There are no accidents.
Only synchronicity.
The God of the Basement:
level 14; magic (three
successes), +2 Withstand,
−5 Dodge; can sustain 6
Injuries per Wound and 6
Wounds; can attack all close
foes with its huge hands,
inflicting 6 points of damage
to each; touch also inflicts 2
Anguish
Things that dwell in dark, dank basements and
cellars worship—or at least pay homage to—the
God of the Basement. The domain it presides over
is one of mold, damp, and things that have perhaps
never seen the light.
The God of the Basement cannot eat directly, but
it can form a psychic link to a creature that worships
it and force the creature to eat what it wants them
to, taking nourishment through the link. It wants
nothing to do with the PCs, can’t meaningfully
communicate, and isn’t interested in combat for
its own sake, so if the characters bother the god, it
likely leaves after showing its displeasure with an
act of violence or two.
Fighting the god is probably not wise unless the
PCs are extremely powerful, because it is a god,
after all.
There are some scattered, well-gnawed bones
in the basement, along with the remains of three
people (including Bellan’s parents) and a few dogs,
cats, and other creatures.
NEXT STEPS
If the PCs discover the god and escape alive, they
have a variety of options.
1. Leave. It’s not unreasonable to think that the
PCs will just leave well enough alone.
2. Investigate the street or neighborhood. It’s not
difficult to hear the rumors from locals—people
disappearing, vermin acting strangely, and noises
heard in the basement. But no one in the area
knows what’s going on. Someone might point
out that while the couple in the house the PCs
investigated disappeared (Esther and Anoan), their
son Bellan was seen at the house of his friend,
Myara.
3. Research. Menter’s isn’t far away, and a
challenge 4 research action and about four hours of
time (three if the PCs get a librarian to help) reveals
the identity of what the PCs saw, and the basic
details of the God of the Basement’s nature. This
is likely a very important step in dealing with the
problem.
 Riveriver

The only real way forward is to find Myara. She’s

tall and thin, with long golden hair. Bellan is a
bit shorter, with dark skin and hair. Myara is the
vislae talent, but Bellan is the talker, and he’s very
protective of her. She and Bellan are scared, but a
well-phrased plea (or a heaping helping of guilt)
will convince them to talk (a challenge 5 Interaction
action). Myara can show the PCs the monograph,
and examining it might suggest where things went
wrong. The miscast invocation summoned the god
without giving it a way to leave.
The solution is to obtain a proper monograph of
Beseech—or, if a PC already knows the invocation,
just perform it—and use it to ask the God of the
Basement to leave. And it will. It’s that easy. The
god is a barely aware entity, after all. But whomever
uses Beseech must know what they are beseeching.
(The PCs might come up with their own alternative
solution too.)

RESOLUTION
It will become clear that Myara is a potentially
powerful and innately talented vislae, but since she
has no training and has done no studying, she’s just
a danger. Responsible vislae will want to get her
somewhere where she can learn to use her talents
properly and safely. If the PCs come from different
orders, they may have differing opinions on who
can best instruct her. They’ll have to work that out
themselves.
Turning Myara and Bellan over to the authorities
only gets them sent to prison for murder and
public endangerment.
If the PCs encounter the God of the Basement
but leave without solving the problem, there is no
reward. Those who see it all the way through gain
2 Acumen for saving the neighborhood. Getting
Myara the help she needs is worth another 1
Acumen reward.

The Trypa

171
 Secrets of Silent Streets
C
rowded streets. Sometimes such a thing is
rare in Satyrine, but not in Strangeglass.
Strangeglass serves primarily as a
commercial district. In particular, the emotion and
thought trade for which Satyrine is so known is
conducted primarily in Strangeglass.
Hundreds of businesses and services are based
here, and many of the people who work here live
in the district as well. It’s also the location of many
factories and light industrial work (refineries,
smelting, and so on). Whether you’re looking for
a lawyer, an assayer, an accountant, a metal lattice,
or just a nice new pair of shoes, the Strangeglass
District likely has what you’re looking for.
There are those who say this entire district has
its own consciousness. If they are to be believed,
the district is female, and is very protective of her
residents.
MOOD AND FEEL
Strangeglass is a very middle-class business
district, with offices, businesses, and homes,
probably in that order. You’re more likely to see
a businessperson in a suit on the sidewalk than
someone with grocery bags.
Most of the buildings here are three stories or
less, and—by Satyrine standards, anyway—fairly
conventional. Taxis are everywhere, and it’s a pretty
busy place overall.
And yet there’s a feeling of something being a
little . . . off here. It’s nothing obvious. Nothing
that a character can give a name to, but it’s there,
lingering at the edge of perception. It’s like being
in a room with too many mirrors, or when you’re
174
P listening to music but there’s another song playing
Strangeglass, Rivenhome,
Riveriver, and the
Confederacy of Cloisters all
form what is colloquially
called “the Lower Third,”
meaning (erroneously) that
these four districts make up
about a third of the city.
Hall of Honed Thought,
page 176
Branford Thomas: level 4;
+1 Dodge; +4 perception,
+1 social interaction
Bran’s Brood: level 3;
+2 Dodge, +1 Resist;
+1 stealth
that you can just barely hear in the pauses between
notes.
A STRANGEGLASS
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Calamera neighborhood is a strange mixture of
homes, small businesses, and other buildings. It’s
thick with trees and hedges, with stone buildings
hidden within the lush foliage and stone walls
surrounding courtyards and cloistered gardens.
The neighborhood gets its name from the fact
that so many of the buildings are dark brown, and
calamera is a popular type of coffee in Satyrine. The
Hall of Honed Thought can be found here, as well
as a variety of dentist and doctor’s offices, a few
restaurants, bed and breakfast inns, a mail-order
bookseller, and other miscellaneous office spaces.
Branford Thomas is the gerent of the district
and, as gerents go, he’s not a bad one. Older than
he looks, Branford is tall and thin and has an
enchanted brass eye that hovers around his head,
always looking where he is not. He’s a difficult
fellow to surprise.
The gerent employs a team of a dozen
thoughtforms that all look like dogs. However,
each has the ability to transform into a dog-
human hybrid, standing erect with hands that
end in opposable thumbs. These thoughtforms—
called Bran’s Brood—keep the peace, help those
in need, and do general service work in the
neighborhood. They answer directly to the gerent.
The neighborhood also employs about a dozen real
humans to do clerical and administrative work.
The Strangeglass District

175
 Secrets of Silent Streets

THE PATH
LOCATIONS IN THE Strangeglass District, aged man with scars on his neck and silver-grey
STRANGEGLASS DISTRICT page 77 eyes. Natanal—Nat to his friends—was a protégé of
The following locations can be found in the General Cherevon Kol, a former leader of the order
Strangeglass District. Prosody, page 69 who kept the group tight and focused. Nat took
on the mantle of leadership after Kol disappeared
COIFFURE EXTRAVAGANCE Marcus Errant: level 3; during the War. The loss of Kol caused the order to
Marcus Errant makes no apologies for the +4 hairstyling devolve into its current, far more casual status.
audacious name of his establishment or the prices Kallie: level 4; +2 Resist;
he charges. He and his staff produce some of the +3 poetry, +2 business KALLIE’S
most elaborate and beautiful hairstyles seen in the Trent Coyal III: level 3; One of the best-known prosodies, Kallie’s caters
city. +3 pharmaceuticals, to the businesspeople of Strangeglass as well as to
Coiffure Extravagance is a fantastic place to gather +2 shopkeeping poetry fans who come from other districts to enjoy
information about the latest comings and goings of Therian Newell: the verbal treats offered here.
the upper classes without going to an upper-class level 8; magic (two Kallie’s main stage is a theater in the round,
area of the city. The wealthy and trendy are willing successes), +3 defenses; where table seating is offered—while food isn’t
+4 law and persuasion,
to make the trip to this district for Marcus. +2 stealth; vislae with many
served (obviously), a variety of teas and coffees are.
spells; +2 spellcasting There are two smaller stages.
COYAL PHARMACY Kallie herself is a poet, although she very rarely
The Coyal family has owned and operated this The Revelation, page 99 goes on stage. She’s young, smart, and driven.
pharmacy for three generations, and the current
manager, Trent Coyal III, is a good businessman. Gielis the ghost: level 6; THE LAW OFFICES OF NEWELL,
Unfortunately, his grandfather had a secret, which immune to physical effects; KEMPER, AND BUNDT
he buried in the business—literally. The body of a +3 Resist; −2 perception; Therian Newell is head of this legal firm, which
move through matter; move
man he killed in a crime of passion is buried in the things with psychokinesis
works primarily for one of the powerful organized
walls of the pharmacy. Now the ghost of the man, crime syndicates in Satyrine, called by most the
Gielis, has finally gained the experience and the Verdun Kemper: level 6; Revelation. Therian is a vislae as well and uses
power to make himself known (it takes some ghosts +2 defenses; +2 law and magic in his research, including divinations to help
a long time). Gielis searches for the elder Coyal, research, +1 persuasion him plan for defense strategies. He’s never lost a
not realizing he’s been in the Pale for more than a case.
decade. Over time, Gielis grows more confused and Alicia Bundt: level 6; Verdun Kemper and Alicia Bundt are not vislae,
violent. +3 Dodge, +1 Resist; +2 law but capable lawyers. Alicia is particularly ruthless
and deception, +1 attacks and never hesitates to stoop to illegal or even bloody
with poisoned knife (level
HALL OF HONED THOUGHT 6 poison deals 1 additional
tactics if she believes it will help her.
The district is the home of the headquarters of Wound) The office is large and well appointed, but not
the Order of Honed Thought. This long, low showy. Three clerks and five thoughtform assistants
building with an elaborate entrance is marked by an are always on hand.
acheiropoieta said to have seeped from the dream of THE PATH
Order of Honed Thought,
a sleeping god. Members are to recite the mantra of page 118
MARIONETTE HOTEL
honed thought before entering. True to its current A large, well-appointed, and comfortable hotel, the
nature as a social club, the hall is mostly just a Marionette has a good reputation as a safe and clean
firelit, members-only bar. Some offices and the like Natanal Vig: level 7; place to stay with a friendly staff. The hotel appears
remain in the back. +2 Withstand and Dodge, to rise eight floors above the street, making it one
The current leader of the order, and the occupant +5 Resist; +2 social of the taller buildings in the district. What many
interaction
of one of those offices, is Natanal Vig, a middle- people don’t know, however, is that the hotel has

176

Malani Maleago
an entire secret ninth floor of rooms for rent. It is Rellis Awen: level 7;
literally invisible from the outside and impossible to +2 defenses; +2 persuasion
and deception; can see
reach from the inside without a proper key. People through up to 6 inches
desire these rooms when they’re in hiding or need (15 cm) of any material
to meet clandestinely with someone. The entire
floor is proof against divinations of all sorts (level 13 Consortium security:
level 5; +2 defenses;
and lower). +3 Armor; +2 perception
Niles Chorulan manages the hotel and entrusts its
secrets with very few. He’s a churlish, surprisingly
THE PATH
young man who smokes invisible cigarettes (that Zilat, page 124
produce visible smoke).
A typical room at the Marionette costs 50 crystal Niles Chorulan: level 6;
each night. A room on the ninth floor costs 200 +3 Resist; thanks to
crystal each night. special enchantments, he
is immune to magic that
compels or controls his mind
OFFICE OF THE EMOTION
MILLS CONSORTIUM Malani Maleago: level 5;
This massive building looks more like a palace than magic (two successes),
+7 defenses; +3 business
an office building. It serves as the headquarters
and persuasion; +5 Armor;
of all businesses having to do with the creation, sports a number of magical
transportation, and sales distribution of emotions. All defenses that make her very
Consortium business is conducted within these walls. difficult to harm
The Strangeglass District
Rellis Awen runs the office. She is a sophisticated
businessperson in an impeccable suit that can
change colors and styles based on her wishes. She’s
also a zilat, with the ability to see through matter
when she concentrates, but only her very closest
confidantes know this to be the case.
The Consortium employs a private security staff
that is like their own small army, and they are based
here.
MALEAGO INSURANCE
This large round building floats on a round pool.
The building is surrounded by red swans that
live in the pool. It serves as the headquarters for
Satyrine’s only insurance company. Maleago insures
property against damage and loss, and recently
started offering life insurance policies (coming
back from the dead causes problems, obviously, but
contingencies for that are worked into the policy).
Malani Maleago is the wealthy head of the
company. She is always accompanied by a pair of
red swans and bears red swan feathers on various
177
 Secrets of Silent Streets

portions of her own flesh. She is infamous for her beings throughout the Actuality. He might be far
paranoia and over-cautious nature. better known in some places far away from Satyrine
than he is in his own district.
SPIRITUAL THERAPY Kudash is always looking for people to help him
Mina Michelet is a therapist who works with spirits Mina Michelet: level 4; procure and safely transport things to the city from
and ghosts. Her offices are comfortable and homey, magic (two successes), elsewhere.
more like someone’s living room. She is a very +3 Resist; can see and hear
spirits
casual person, but caring and honest. She treats LEIGH STRATHIAN
people who are possessed as well as haunting Leigh Strathian: level 9; Leigh belongs to the sect known as the Xan Weir,
spirits, or those who Listen to the Whispers. In her magic (two successes), and as such she wears a mask at all times. She also
work she is willing to come to someone’s home, +2 defenses; +4 stealth often wears a cloak that is like a mirror that reflects
and perception; vislae with
particularly if the spirit in question is tied to the many spells and secrets;
entirely different parts of the city. Leigh is a vislae,
location. Mina is even willing to try to hunt down +3 spellcasting but she does not use her spells and abilities openly.
and reason with dangerous spirits like wraiths, but She avoids social contact in general, in fact, keeping
she (wisely) flees in the face of real danger. THE PATH
to herself in her apartment above a plumber’s office
Xan Weir, page 115 in Strangeglass.
TOMASA SERVICES However, Leigh knows many magical secrets,
Located in a large office building, Tomasa Services so sometimes other vislae track her down to learn
offers thoughtform creation and assignment THE KEY them. She always refuses at first, but a compelling
to businesses and individuals. Tomasa keeps Listens to the Whispers, story and a silver tongue (and magecoins) can
accurate records of all their transactions, so they page 108 convince her.
probably have a more complete accounting of the
thoughtforms in Satyrine than anyone else. MAVEN NARR
Maven Narr: level 5; +2 A businessperson, Maven appears unremarkable
VENURES Resist; +3 persuasion and in a suit, with short hair and a stern face. She’s got
A dance hall playing big band tunes six nights a deception a thoughtform assistant she calls Karl. Maven’s a
week. The band leader Edmund Sayers plays the Karl: level 4; +2 Withstand cheat and a scoundrel, however, robbing customers
piano here. Every time his fingers touch the keys, and Dodge; +1 Armor through overcharging or selling cheap, almost
magical lights, sparks, and streams flare from the worthless goods or services. To help her, she has
piano. Edmund Sayers: level 5; a few bits of minor magic or ephemera objects to
+2 Resist; +4 music, either deceive people or prevent them from seeing
+1 social interaction through deception.
PEOPLE IN THE
STRANGEGLASS DISTRICT VARAN
The following are a few people you can encounter Varan: level 6; magic (two Varan is a young zilat prodigy specializing in
in the Strangeglass District. successes), +3 defenses; exorcism. What he lacks in social skills he makes up
−2 social interaction, for in knowledge and intelligence. He tries to come
+4 to find and identify
KUDASH spirits; banishes spirits
across as extremely professional but ends up just
This wealthy businessman was once gerent of his being gruff and sometimes even rude. Varan’s gum-
neighborhood. He’s retired from that role and lives Mourm: level 4 chewing elderbrin assistant, Mourm, carries all his
in a mansion with his wife and two children. Now gear and does the menial labor portion of each job.
Kudash specializes in procuring extraordinarily rare Kudash: level 7; +2 defenses;
substances from other suns and bringing them to +3 social interaction
the city. As such, he does business with people and

178

YMASS
Ymass is a drune, a creature from a half-world,
who now lives permanently in Satyrine. There are
probably about five hundred drune in the city, and
a quarter of them live in a small commune in the
Strangeglass District, which is where Ymass dwells
as well.
Ymass stands more than 6 feet (2 m) tall, with
brownish-red (almost purple) flesh and four
muscular arms. He stands out from others of his
kind because he’s adapted so well to human society.
He speaks the language, dresses more or less like
a human (as much as possible), and understands
the idiosyncrasies that otherwise form a barrier
between his kind and the rest of the city.
Ymass works as a delivery person in the district,
riding a large, modified bicycle that has two wheels
in front. Because he moves around town quickly
and interacts with various businesses, Ymass likely
possesses a lot more information than most people
suspect.
A STRANGEGLASS STORY
“I will carve my name in the flesh of the world.”
Narlus Breech is ruthless to the point of psychosis.
He wants to create something that will make history
remember him, and the easiest thing to create is
destruction.
To that end, this malicious Maker has created
a sort of bomb and planted it in the heart of the
Strangeglass District. He plans on taking credit
for it only after it detonates, at which time he will
go into hiding even as he promises that more will
come.
The PCs hear about this from an NPC with whom
one or more of them have a bond—a friend, a
compatriot in their order, or someone like that. This
NPC knows Narlus and has read between the lines
of things he’s said and done, leading the NPC to
suspect (correctly) what the Maker plans. The NPC,
unable to act on these suspicions, or at least act on
them alone, approaches the PC they know for help.
The Strangeglass District
“Narlus is a Maker . . . a fucking crazy Maker.
Ymass: level 5; magic (two He’s always grumbling about how he hates the
successes), +4 Withstand, world, always talking about putting people who
+2 Dodge, +1 Resist; have wronged him ‘on his list.’ In particular, he talks
+1 Armor; +2 gossip and
general knowledge
about how much he hates a lawyer named Niaboa
Curtan, who represented another Maker in a case
against him. Narlus lost most of his money as well
THE PATH as his rep when the judge ruled against him. He
Half-worlds, page 51 doesn’t blame the other Maker or the judge, but
instead the lawyer.
“Anyway, I think he’s built something . . . awful. I
don’t know the precise details, but I think he’s going
to use it to get at Niaboa, and I think it’s going to
hurt a lot of other people too. But I don’t have any
proof. I can’t go to the gerent, and even if I did,
I don’t know if I should go to the one in Narlus’s
Fartown neighborhood or Niaboa’s Strangeglass
neighborhood. Can you help me?”
TAKING INITIAL STEPS
The NPC’s suspicions are right on all counts.
Narlus is going to plant a bomb in Niaboa’s office
building, which happens to be one of the largest
buildings in the district. But none of the gerents the
PCs might contact provide any real help without
some hard evidence.
The PCs can check into Narlus’s Fartown
house, but by the time they do, he’s gone from
there. There’s little left in the house—it’s basically
abandoned. Narlus had to sell most of what he
owned to buy the materials for his bomb, and what
he didn’t sell, he packed into his bag, which he now
carries with him.
The only thing the characters find in the house
is a crumpled piece of paper with partial notes
and plans for what he’s making. A Maker PC can
THE KEY automatically get information from this (or anyone
NPC bond, page 157 else can with a challenge 3 Intellect action) to learn
that he’s making something that will adversely—
probably violently—affect people’s minds in a very
large area.
179
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Niaboa Curtan: level 6;
+2 Resist; +3 law, +1 social
interaction
Narlus: level 6; magic (two
successes), +2 defenses,
+1 crafting; vislae with
a few spells, including
opening locks, creating a
defensive shield that grants
2 Armor, and a mental
shock spell that inflicts 6
points of mental damage
180
NIABOA
Niaboa Curtan, a lawyer specializing in vislae law, is
wealthy and arrogant. She doesn’t even remember
Narlus, and if someone tries to warn her, she
brushes them off. “You don’t get where I am in life
without leaving some angry people in your wake,”
she says. Her terrible attitude might make the PCs
not want to help her, but it’s more than her life
that’s at stake (assuming that’s something they care
about).
Niaboa lives in a large house in a nice
Strangeglass neighborhood—a different
neighborhood than her office. The PCs probably
surmise that Narlus will either strike there or strike
at her office. They have no real way of knowing
which for sure, so they likely have to make a choice,
or somehow watch over both. But Narlus is going
for her office.
The office building is a glistening structure of
silver and glass, standing twenty stories. It is filled
with offices of all kinds. Two elevators connect all
the floors.
THE PLAN
The Maker’s plan is simple. He will go up to the
floor with Niaboa’s office, break into a janitor’s
closet (using a spell to unlock the door), plant his
bomb and set it to go off five minutes later, and
then leave, locking the closet door behind him.
The truly awful bomb is a level 10 ephemera
object that can be set to activate on a delay of up to
five minutes. It inflicts 9 points of mental damage
in a very large area, and anyone who survives
must make a second Resist defense action or be
compelled to eat human flesh of anyone nearby.
The depletion of this secondary effect is 0–5 (check
each hour).
PCs watching over the office will have a chance to
spot Narlus. He’s trying to be surreptitious, but he’s
no master of stealth. (The challenge of the action is
6, but only if they’re looking for him.) If they don’t
spot him going in, the most dramatic thing to have
happen—which might be time for a GM shift—is
to have the PCs see him exit the building. If they
 The Strangeglass District

do, they can try to intercept him, but even if they

succeed, the bomb will go off in five minutes. So
maybe they should ignore him and search for the
bomb. But that’s up to them.
If the PCs find the bomb (the closet door it
lies behind is level 3), a Maker can deactivate it
immediately, and anyone else can deactivate it by
succeeding at an Intellect-based action (challenge
4).
If the bomb goes off, unless all the people in
the building get out (which seems unlikely), those
caught in its very large area suffer 9 points of
mental damage unless they resist its level 10 effect.
This turns a lot of brains to mush, and those who
survive are compelled to eat the flesh of anyone
nearby, living or dead. This compulsion lasts for at
least an hour.

CONSEQUENCES
Should Narlus get away, he goes into hiding, then
sends letters to newspapers around the city that
he will detonate similar bombs all over Satyrine.
Fortunately, in the crumpled note the PCs found
in his house, there’s a reference that they thought
meant one thing in context, but now suggests a
different meaning altogether. The note seemed to
refer to particular materials that would entrance the
victims, but in fact it refers to a secret hiding place
for his lab that has an entrance in the old boarded-
up well down the street from his house. The PCs
can investigate that on their own or turn it over to
the local gerent—who will act on it now that there’s
evidence.
Stopping the detonation earns 1 Acumen, and
apprehending Narlus also earns 1 Acumen.

The Cicatrix

181
 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he Verdant Quarter. The Virescent District.
The many names of this area of the city
suggest the green, lush nature of its
predominant feature: bushes and trees. As the
name “Topiary District” implies, though, they’ve
all been trimmed to take on various shapes. Entire
houses, buildings, and complexes are carved from
hedges, with functioning (but living) swinging
doors, staircases, furnishings, and more.
The Topiary District is a middle-class
neighborhood, with its share of parks and businesses
that service the residents—groceries, pharmacies,
restaurants, and so on. Even by Satyrine standards,
however, the district is underpopulated. Long
stretches are just rows of shaped trees or hedgerows
with no occupied buildings.
The Topiary District suffered greatly in the
War, and much of it has been rebuilt—or rather,
regrown. They say the fires during the War
were . . . well, we don’t talk about the War.
MOOD AND FEEL
This district is quiet and lonely. It’s well kept, but
the streets are often empty. A weirdly cut tree in the
shape of some monstrosity looms over you, with no
one around to reassure you that it is just a tree.
It’s also a confusing place. Hedge mazes are
common, and sometimes it seems as though a side
street simply becomes a maze without warning.
Describe the structures as often having
incorporated the topiary. It’s just not animals and
people or random shapes—the arboreal artists
here have created topiary walls, buildings, working
doors, ramps, and more.
184
Q THE WANDERING TREES
It comes as no surprise to most people that some of
the topiary in this district have taken on their own
sapient lives and even gained mobility. Trees and
shrubs in the shape of bears, lions, or people move
Wandering tree: level 4; about surreptitiously. These wandering trees are rarely
magic (two successes), seen, preferring to blend in with the other topiary
+3 Withstand, +2 Dodge, to avoid the thoughtform tree shepherds that try to
+1 Resist; +2 Armor;
+5 stealth (only when
capture them and haul them away to be replanted.
among trees) Tree shepherds look like green-skinned humans
and often carry long, pincer-like weapons to grab
and immobilize a wandering tree.
Tree shepherd: level 3; It’s said, however, that the wandering trees know
magic (two successes), rare secrets, and many times vislae or other people
+2 defenses; +1 Armor; try to find them and help them hide from the tree
+3 perception
shepherds to gain their favor and learn their secrets.
A TOPIARY DISTRICT
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Zephyr neighborhood gets its name from a
prominent restaurant that once operated in the
middle of the area. The Zephyr was destroyed in
the War and never rebuilt, but the neighborhood
carries its name as a legacy. Shops and restaurants
abound, often with residential space above them,
and they are ringed by residential blocks of houses
and apartments.
Hilas Strom: level 4; Hilas Strom is the gerent of Zephyr. He’s a
+1 defenses; +2 seeing very old man and has served as the leader of the
through deception neighborhood for most of his life. His long, straight
grey hair is always pulled back to show the tattoo of
a large Z that takes up half his face. Rumors are that
when he sleeps, the tattoo leaves his face and moves
about his office, with its own agendas.
The Topiary District

185
 Secrets of Silent Streets
About 4,800 people live and work in Zephyr.
Hilas employs a staff of a dozen people who see
to the business of the neighborhood, including
peacekeeping and firefighting as well as
recordkeeping, tax collecting, and so on. He also has
about the same number of thoughtform workers
who perform sanitation and upkeep duties. The
most prominent of them is Jou, an elderbrin who
serves as Hilas’s right hand—particularly as it’s
getting harder and harder for the gerent to get about
or recall everything he needs to remember.
LOCATIONS IN THE
TOPIARY DISTRICT
The following locations exist in the Topiary District.
AETHYRIC RADIO
A tall, rune-covered tower of metal girders and
poles rises above the single-story brick building
bearing the sign Aethyric Radio. This is the most
popular of Satyrine’s three radio stations. (All radio
in the Actuality is aethyric, of course, but only one
station has that as its name.)
The owner and manager of the station, Ila
Younger, directs those who work for her to play
mostly music, either prerecorded or broadcasts of
live performances from around the city. Very rarely,
the station broadcasts brief news snippets or items
of general interest.
Yeardly Kane is the station’s most popular and
well-known announcer and on-air personality.
She is a bit of a celebrity in the city, highly sought
after in various musical venues to broadcast
performances.
The station is, of course, haunted. This almost
goes without saying given the nature of the aethyr.
It draws ghosts and spirits to it like a beacon. Many
of these are simply spirit fragments—no longer
fully aware, thinking beings, they’re all that’s left
of ancient ghosts long deteriorated into a single
thought, emotion, or personality trait.
The ghosts—both whole and partial—accumulate
over time to the point where transmission becomes
186
Varan, page 178
Jou: level 5; magic (two
successes), +3 defenses;
+2 social interaction;
shapeshifting
THE PATH
Topiary District, page 84
THE KEY
Aethyric devices,
page 185
Ila Younger: level 5;
+1 defenses;
+2 administration
Yeardly Kane: level 6;
+3 public speaking,
+2 social interaction
impossible. About every three months, a specialist
(like Varan from the Strangeglass District, but there
are others) must be employed to clear the station
of spirits, spiritual residue, and sometimes even
excess ectoplasm. Sometimes, these specialists will
sell residue or ectoplasm to an enterprising Maker
looking for materials or ingredients.
BRISTALL APIARY
The source of Satyrine’s honey and the bees that
pollinate most of the Topiary District, Bristall Apiary
is the home of more than a hundred thousand bees.
It includes wooden hive houses in a surrounding
park filled with flowers.
There are no beekeepers.
The hives operate as a single entity, with a queen
serving as a mind and the rest of the bees as limbs.
They cannot speak, but they do know how to—as a
swarm—spell out words that humans can read.
Once, there were beekeepers who built the hive
houses and gathered the bees together initially,
but they were killed in the War. The bees, however,
survived and adapted.
Most people in the district consider the bees to
be a positive force, respecting them and the hives
as a whole. It’s said that the queen is ancient and
knows many secrets and even spells that she can
cast through the hives. Gaining audience with her
presents a real challenge, as it would require a great
deal of trust.
CARVER’S STREET
The locals call this road Spiderhaunt Street. Here,
the fabric of space wears thin, and you can see
through to some unknowable elsewhere, where
titanic spiders spin colossal webs. They can see
you as well and lunge down, hoping to trap you in
their silken mesh, but they can no more touch you
than you could them. Specters of spiders, then,
forever hunt pedestrian prey, unable to ever catch
them. Scryers and diviners have attempted to locate
the mysterious otherworld where the monstrous
spiders dwell, but no one has yet succeeded.
 The Topiary District

GARVER’S CAFE built a pagoda in the Topiary District, surrounded

Garver is a self-aware tree that owns and runs by topiary of calm people and animals. Before she
this cafe, and physically makes up at least half died, Theriale put money in a trust for the pagoda
of it. Garver identifies as female and is chatty, Garver may or may and book to be well cared for.
welcoming, and pleasant. With animate branches, not be an elderbrin in Members of the Calming Susurrus visit the book,
she cooks and serves at the same time. the shape of a tree. reading its oversized pages, and sit in meditation in
Garver’s is technically an outdoor cafe, but Garver and around the pagoda.
can move her huge canopy of upper branches to A menu for Garver’s
provide protection from the elements if needed. Cafe can be found in THE RAVELED LODGE
The menu doesn’t really change. Patrons enjoy the Black Cube. This rather nondescript but well-kept building is
Garver’s for its stability. “You know what you’re surrounded by a walled courtyard. The high wall
going to get, and it’s good, solid food,” someone THE PATH
is made of brown and grey stone and surrounded
might say. “Nothing fancy, but it’s reliable.” The Enemy of by abstract topiary. Within it, in front of the lodge
Compassion, page 27 itself, is a grassy lawn and two almond-shaped pools
OLIAS’S GREENERY about 8 feet (2.5 m) across.
The most well-known and successful plant nursery Urgeborn, page 26 The two pools’ resemblance to eyes is not a
in the city, Olias’s Greenery employs more than coincidence. They serve as eyes, and the fish within
forty people and another sixty or more thoughtform Olias: level 5; +4 them as pupils, for a demon that possesses the
workers. The Greenery is a complex of buildings Withstand, +2 Dodge, courtyard. Quadalarime, a demon of the Dark,
the size of a large city park, including three long +1 Resist; +5 plant lore and belongs (loosely) to the lord known as The Enemy
care; often has a number
greenhouses, a tool shed, a sizable barn, and a of magical devices kept for
of Compassion. Quadalarime serves those within
central administration building. And of course, emergencies the lodge but has its own goals as well. Quadalarime
many hundreds of trees and other plants. has spawned many urgeborn and they spread out
Olias is a man with a lion’s head with a braided Nary: level 4; magic (two into the district, looking for easy victims to possess.
mane. He typically wears a top hat that is a birdcage successes), +2 Dodge, The current occupants of the lodge are Nary and
holding a pair of brightly plumed canaries. +3 Resist; vislae with a Bulchold Frein, a married woman and man. Nary is
few spells; +2 spellcasting;
A staff of sixteen arboreal artists work for Olias, usually has a level 3 demon
a Goetic, and Bulchold is a zilat tormentor. They are
creating topiary works of art that defy what should guardian all that remains of the Order of Recusants, a small
be possible. They include topiary with moving parts, group of self-serving nihilists interested in using
portions that are as solid as granite, or portions that Bulchold: level 5; magic the Nightside Path and the Dark to further their
are as transparent as a window. (two successes), +2 defenses; own power. Over the last year, most of the members
Olias also uses a number of tree shepherds inflicts 5 points of damage died or were imprisoned for various crimes, leaving
through pain on nearby
to capture wandering trees to repurpose for his target
only Nary and Bulchold.
business. The couple still has plans to use their abilities
Quadalarime: level 6; to further themselves. First, they need funds, and
THE PAGODA OF THE BOOK magic (two successes), in fact they currently plot a daring break-in of a
The sacred text of the Calming Susurrus, a +3 defenses; immune to wealthy merchant’s nearby home.
physical attacks;
contemplative belief system practiced by a small but +4 perception; unable to
Quadalarime serves as their watcher and
devout following, is titled The Whispered Way. The affect the physical world; guardian, but does not leave the courtyard.
original edition of the book was magically enlarged can cause disorientation
to stress its importance to the universe as a whole, (lose next action) or mental TOLLISBERRY PARK
and is now 9 feet (3 m) across when opened. pain (6 points of mental With its fluttering, steam-powered birds and
damage) on anyone in the
To house this one-of-a-kind tome, a wealthy skittering, jewel-eyed squirrels, this is, by most
courtyard
member of the Calming Susurrus named Theriale estimations, the “park of parks.” Literally thousands

187
 Secrets of Silent Streets

of topiary sculptures decorate a hundred acres of It’s said that the Undersling SANDERS PILLE
parkland with animals, monsters, heroes, villains, has a “touch of the Red.” Sanders is a topiary artist with a fussy, irritable
and entire historical and literary scenes displayed. If that’s true, the Topiary (and likely irritating) sensibility. If he sees anyone
has a “touch of the Green.”
Plants—and living things
accidentally harming a topiary—or even coming
in general—flourish close—he will chide them and lecture about how
PEOPLE OF THE here, more than would be difficult they are to create. If he sees someone
TOPIARY DISTRICT expected. trimming them (even qualified, sanctioned people)
These are some of the people one can find in the he will stop to second-guess their choices and
Topiary District. Sanders Pille: level 3; criticize their work.
+3 artistry, −1 social
GORMAL interaction SLIPPING JACK
It’s hard to even guess what Gormal is, and if you A grifter, thief, and con man, Jack is not a human
ask, it won’t tell you. It appears to be an almost Gormal: level 7; at all, but a human shell filled with spiders who
egg-like entity, 5 feet (1.5 m) tall, floating 3 feet (1 magic (two successes), control his every move, word, and gesture with near
m) above the ground. Its outer surface is riveted +3 Withstand and Resist; flawlessness. It’s only if Jack’s ever injured that
+4 Armor; can attack all
metal, and in various places, the metal plates have close foes at once, inflicting
anyone might discover his true nature. Slipping
hooks and rings to which iron chains are attached. 7 points of damage Jack (as he’s known among grifter friends) very
The chains hang down to drag on the ground. The likely has motives beyond that of just lying and
only part of Gormal that isn’t covered in metal is Slipping Jack: level 7; stealing, but if so, he has never revealed them.
a rectangular slot in the middle where its large magic (two successes),
mouth, complete with ruby-red lips, is exposed. +3 defenses; +4 stealth and THERAI CAPTHINE
social interaction
Gormal wanders the Topiary District—more Therai helps supervise the legion of thoughtform
often cutting through the parks and lawns rather Therai Capthine: level 4; workers that trim and shape some of the topiary in
than following the streets—seemingly looking for +3 knowledge the district. As such, no one likely knows the area
something. It won’t explain. It will talk to people, as well as she does, both in terms of layout and in
though, and ask odd questions like, “Have you terms of past and current events. For the price of a
found a spot recently that smells differently than bottle of apple whiskey or lunch at Garver’s Cafe,
those around it?” Or, “What’s the reddest thing Therai often will share what she knows. She hates
you’ve seen lately?” Sanders Pille and avoids him if she can.
If threatened, Gormal’s chains animate and form
balls of fire at the end, making formidable weapons.
A TOPIARY DISTRICT STORY
KWAMIL The connection that links the PCs to this story is
Kwamil is just nine years old, and he’s already a Kwamil: level 4; magic one of their NPC bonds or a connection one of the
skilled vislae and 1st-degree Vance. He lives in the (two successes), +2 Dodge, characters has to a group. It can be as simple as
Topiary with his parents but travels to Fartown at +2 Resist; +4 knowledge; “I’m contacting you about a friend of a friend,” or
can sustain 2 Injuries per
least once a week. He is a genius, with the ability to Wound and 2 Wounds;
perhaps a higher-ranking member of a PC’s order
remember everything he reads, hears, or otherwise vislae with some spells; asks for a personal favor for their nephew, Tristan.
experiences, seemingly forever. +2 spellcasting In any event, someone who is acquainted with
Kwamil collects people’s names (by memorizing Tristan Farn and his situation contacts the PCs and
them) and associates them with their mother’s asks for help.
name, forming a portmanteau of his own creation THE KEY
that combines both. He claims that he has about NPC bonds, page 157
nine thousand of these.

188

TRISTAN FARN
Tristan is a young man who lives in the Topiary
District. He works as a waiter at a small restaurant
called the Rock Garden, but what he really wants is
a job helping to tend the topiary, or maybe working
at Olias’s Greenery. He’s no artist, but he loves
plants. He’s got dark hair and eyes and is slight of
build, made all the worse by his constant slouch.
Tristan, however, is wanted for the murder of
Choa Ganedel, an act he committed in front of
dozens of witnesses in the middle of a busy street in
the Zephyr neighborhood. But what no one knows
is that Tristan’s mind was controlled by the spell of
a woman named Ella Ganedel, Choa’s twin sister.
Whomever asked the PCs to intervene is
convinced of Tristan’s innocence, or at the very least
believes that something odd is going on. They insist
(correctly) that Tristan would never do such a thing
normally.
Tristan is in hiding in Tollisberry Park. He’s been
there for three days. The authorities from Zephyr
are looking for him, obviously, but haven’t found
him yet. They’re getting ready to employ a zilat
finder named Reckart.
ELLA GANEDEL
Ella is a young Apostate. Long jealous of her twin
sister’s skill with research and creativity, she spent
all her money on an ephemera object that will
control someone’s mind so she can use a proxy to
kill Choa. More than just an act of jealousy, she’s
hoping this vile murder will count as her initiation
into the Church of Midnight (which may or may not
be appropriate). She’s short, has a distinctively large
nose, and wears mostly purple. If asked about Choa,
she plays the distraught sister.
Tristan Farn: level 3;
+2 plant knowledge,
+2 stealth
Jou, page 186
THE PATH
Zilat, page 124
Church of Midnight,
page 111
Reckart: level 4; +1 Resist;
+1 perception; can locate
a creature whose name he
knows
Ella Ganedel: level 5;
magic (two successes),
+1 defenses; +1 deception;
vislae with a few spells,
including a venomous
touch that inflicts 5 damage
and the ability to levitate
into the air; +1 spellcasting
The Topiary District
INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION
The PCs can speak with Jou, the right hand of the
gerent of the Zephyr neighborhood, to learn the
details of the crime, which are straightforward.
Tristan stabbed Choa to death in front of many
witnesses on the street, dropped the knife, and then
ran off. Choa had a twin sister named Ella, who also
lives in the neighborhood. Both Choa and Ella were
budding vislae.
The PCs can try to find Tristan, hopefully before
Reckart does. Reckart is open to bribery (probably
at least 50 crystal) to conveniently not find his
subject, should it come up. The characters have no
idea where to start looking, but a divination would
easily locate the young man. Speaking with one of
his friends—maybe a coworker at the restaurant—
might give them a hint to look in the park, but it’s
a very big park. If found, Tristan shares his belief
that his mind was controlled, but he has no idea
who would do that, and has no memory of the
event. The only thing he knows about the murder
is where it happened, but that’s easily learned
information.
The PCs can speak with Ella, who pretends
not to know anything. If they see through her
deception, she reacts with immediate anger and
violence. If things go poorly for her, she will try
to flee, with the intent of finding and joining the
Church of Midnight.
The PCs can use magic to learn the truth. Ella
hasn’t covered her tracks in any way. Again, she
reacts very poorly if her deception is not believed.
If the PCs learn of the mind control or otherwise
prove Tristan’s innocence, his name is fairly
easily cleared, and he can get back on with his
life. Clearing him is a task worth 2 Acumen to all
involved.
189
 Secrets of Silent Streets
T
he Undersling is a place of prowess tested
by violence. It’s difficult to reach and mostly
unpleasant, so the only reason to go there is
to find a physical training facility, fighting arena, or
weapons dealer. Not surprisingly, it’s also a place of
weaponsmiths and Satyrine’s largest prison.
You’ll find the Undersling beneath the streets
of Satyrine, specifically beneath the Confederacy
of Cloisters and part of the Palindrome. After
descending one of two major broad staircase
entrances, you come to a huge cavern stretching
more than a mile into darkness.
Illuminated in the center of this cave, the
Undersling hangs from the ceiling, suspended from
hundreds—if not thousands—of ropes, chains,
and cables of all sorts like a fly trapped in a web.
The district is small compared to the others but
huge when you look at it, a solid mass of stone,
supplemented by wood and metal platforms and
scaffolding, upon which hundreds of buildings rest.
The whole thing hangs from the ceiling of the cave
over a drop into darkness (and certain death). You
have to be brave or insane to even visit, let alone live
there. And that’s the point.
A narrow and not particularly safe bridge extends
from the ledge to the Undersling itself. The clear
remains of prior bridges suggest that it is not the
first and probably won’t be the last such bridge.
For those unwilling to brave the bridge, a few
enterprising souls have skiffs that ferry people
through the air and across the gap, for a fee of 3
crystal.
The Undersling long ago fell under a curse,
although no one knows the source of it. The curse
brings a subtle but constant aura of decay and
192
R destruction. Thus, the remains of broken support
ropes and chains hanging down from the sides
of the Undersling far outnumber those currently
holding it. A team of workers toil daily affixing new
supports to replace those that snap. Likewise, the
From time to time, remnants of past bridges from the entrance to the
the Undersling sways sling are many. And one day—perhaps soon—the
uncomfortably. current bridge will collapse as well. And, most
likely, it will be quickly replaced with another.
People say the Undersling
has a “touch of the Red” MOOD AND FEEL
to it. The Undersling is about danger and violence. But
in a way, it’s also about justice, particularly if you
believe that might makes right. The people of the
Undersling have their own sort of moral code and
don’t brook people breaking it. That code, however,
is a bit different than you might expect. If you cheat
to win a fight—good on you, you found a new way
to win, and winning is everything. If you sidestep
a fight and win by dealing with your opponent in a
different way (like having them arrested or burning
down their house with them in it), you’ve broken
the code. The code respects bravery and direct
action—a meeting of force against force.
Magic—at least, the kind of magic embodied by
vislae spells and ephemera—isn’t well accepted
here. Vislae have to take an extra step to prove
themselves. Straightforward battlemagic or
murderspells are fine, but subtler effects, or
influencing someone’s mind—that’s not really the
Undersling way.
Buildings here are simple, and even crude by
Satyrine standards. Everything in the district is
slowly disintegrating, rusting, or falling apart.
The Undersling

193
 Secrets of Silent Streets
Makeshift repairs are always ongoing. The only
exceptions to this are weapons. Weapons don’t
decay, and in fact fare better here than elsewhere.
Blades take longer to dull, and firearms don’t need
as much upkeep.
Living in the Undersling is an act of confidence
and a show of fearlessness. “Tough enough for the
Undersling” is a phrase used throughout the city to
mean someone brave and hardy.
AN UNDERSLING
NEIGHBORHOOD
The Undersling is small for a district and has only
a few neighborhoods. One is called Counterpane
and boasts a bit fewer than a thousand residents.
Like most of the district, Counterpane is a jumble of
houses, apartment buildings, businesses, bars, and
a handful of gymnasiums and arenas.
Karlus Bettermen is the gerent. Thanks to a
changery, he appears to be a fit 18-year-old despite
the fact that he’s actually close to 80. As you might
expect, at least to some degree, a gerent in the
Undersling maintains their position through
strength, and Karlus is no exception. He is trained
in a variety of weapons and fighting techniques
and always wears armor under his clothing. He
has a few hired guards for himself, his home,
and his office, but the neighborhood has nothing
resembling a police force. In the Undersling, people
solve their own problems, and if things get too far
out of hand, the Thah will take care of it.
LOCATIONS IN THE
UNDERSLING
The following locations can be found within the
Undersling.
THE BENTHOUSE
This training facility and exercise gym specializes
in combat instruction. Not just self-defense, but
real fighting techniques for those interested in
being sport fighters or soldiers, or chasing even
194
Oja Kilendaris: level 10;
+2 Withstand, +4 Dodge,
+2 Resist; +2 attacks and
any physical movement
action
Bode: level 5; +3 Resist;
+3 deception, +2 other
interactions; uses a variety
of poisons with varying
effects
Erlosk: level 6;
+3 Withstand, −1 Resist;
+2 Armor; can sustain 5
Injuries per Wound and 4
Wounds
Karlus Bettermen: level 8;
+2 defenses; +1 Armor;
+2 attacks, +1 administration;
can sustain 4 Injuries per
Wound and 4 Wounds
THE PATH
Charnel Heart agents,
page 143
The Undersling, page 90
Thah, page 20
more violent pursuits. The Benthouse boasts many
trainers, but chief among them is Oja Kilendaris, a
woman of advanced years with an eyepatch and a
second pair of arms that she never uses in combat
unless she’s fighting at least three opponents.
CADAVERS
A man named Bode owns Cadavers, one of several
bars that also serve as small fighting arenas for
patrons to view combats while they drink. Bode
is slight and soft spoken, traits that belie his
ruthlessness.
There is, in fact, a circuit of bar-fighting
competitions that occur here and elsewhere, with
a new champion named if the current champion
is defeated. The Cadavers champion (but not the
circuit champion) is a hulk named Erlosk, clad in
permanently affixed metal bands and plates, with
his hands permanently fused into spiked balls.
THE CHARNEL HOUSE
Headquarters of the dark assassins’ guild known
as the Charnel Heart, this place is in a basement in
what appears to be an abandoned building in the
Undersling. It’s a sort of temple where a growing
glass shard, 12 feet (4 m) tall, rises up from the
basement floor. The shard is certainly mystical
and—according to agents of the group—intelligent
and aware. It’s practically their god.
FOUNDRY 7
This steelworking factory gets its name from
the number of the Red Sun, for it specializes in
weapons and everything it makes has a particular
red hue. Things made in the foundry also bear a
simple “7” stamped into the metal.
PINION COURT
The cobblestone surface of this square is always
covered in feathers, for this is where angels are tried
and punished, their wings torn from them. Angel
feathers never decay and those torn in humiliation
are not subject to wind, so the feathers forever mar
the piazza.

LIBRARY OF THE UNDONE
When books are begun but never finished, a man
named Torre collects their ghosts and secretes them
away in his collection, which he calls the Library of
the Undone.
Torre keeps the entirety of his collection in a
series of magical bags, each containing five hundred
times more than they should hold. He knows his
books completely, but there’s no browsing—you
have to ask for a book or a topic.
The location of the library changes frequently to
foil would-be thieves. It’s in the Undersling now,
but if Torre gets nervous (and he’s a very nervous
fellow), he will grab his bags and move in short
order.
NEVERLIGHT PRISON
Beneath the streets of the Undersling, within the
giant slab of stone it’s built upon, is the largest and
most infamous prison in Satyrine. There are local
jails in every district, but Neverlight is for those
sentenced to do long sentences for serious crimes.
Neverlight is a hellish horror. Many areas are, as
the name suggests, entirely dark at all times and
very cold. Inmates are mistreated and neglected,
both physically and emotionally abused. The guards
employed by the prison are specifically chosen for
their cruelty. If the Pinnacle Courts or the Deathless
Triumvirate object to these conditions, they keep
it to themselves. Over the decades, the number
of successful escapes have been very few, and the
prison operates on a very reasonable budget.
Prisoners here are confined by wards and
suppressive magic that keeps them from using
spells or powers. The worst of the prisoners are put
in huge birdcage-like cells and suspended from the
bottom of the Undersling by chains—and more
than one of those chains has broken over time.
The warden is a powerful Vance named Chen
Zhao who is always clad in black metal armor,
including a helmet that covers even her eyes,
although she can see just fine. Her skin looks like
she’s made out of jagged blue glass. She is hard
and ruthless, and maybe just a little paranoid. She
Torre: level 4; +4 Resist;
+4 knowledge
Chen Zhao: level 9; magic
(two successes),
+2 Withstand, +4 Resist;
+3 Armor;
+2 administration,
+1 magical lore; vislae with
many spells; +3 spellcasting
The Undersling
believes that the inmates of the prison are hers to
do with as she pleases, and no one ever seems to
intervene to say otherwise.
NORTH POST
The North Post serves as a training center and
meeting space for the Phalanx of Liquid Granite. It’s
a stout building crowned with a ring of statues of
people and animals.
The Phalanx of Liquid Granite is a society of
warriors that use something called absurdity
magic. Harnessing absurdity magic, according to
members of the Phalanx, is incredibly difficult, as it
means coming up with absurd—but still potentially
possible—physical feats and then attempting
them, buoyed by the magic. And the decision must
come quickly, almost on instinct. Contemplating
the absurd in this way accomplishes nothing. The
more absurd, apparently, the more magical power
one can draw, but no amount of absurdity magic
can accomplish the impossible. Thus, many of the
practitioners die making a split-second decision and
taking it too far.
Still, Phalanx of Liquid Granite warriors have
been said to:
✦✦ Leap into a group of foes and get them all
to strike each other while doing nothing but
dodging.
✦✦ Run along a railing while throwing shuriken at
foes on both sides of it.
✦✦ Throw a knife at a foe, run up to them before
they drop, pull it out, throw it at another foe,
run up to them before they drop, pull it out,
and so on.
✦✦ Stand on a rooftop, throw a handful of knives at
the wall of a nearby building, making a stair-
like path down, and then leap off and run down
the “stairs,” pulling out each knife with their
foot and sending it flying at a foe with each
step.
Members call their society liquid granite because
they are strong but move quickly and fluidly. And,
of course, because it’s a bit absurd.
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 Secrets of Silent Streets

THE SPIDERS OF COLOON material things very seriously. And the way that they
Although it’s a business, the Spiders of Coloon express this is that once each week, they conduct a
operates out of Coloon’s house. She breeds and (very illegal) ceremony wherein they cut one rope or
trains a very specific sort of spider and then sells chain that holds up the Undersling.
the eggs. The spiders here weave webs of emotion,
and these webs trap dreams as surely as a typical
spider’s web traps flies. Captured dreams can be PEOPLE OF THE
used for a variety of things, including as narcotics, UNDERSLING
carriers of secrets, or ingredients for Makers. These people can be found in the Undersling.
Coloon herself has no lower half, and she floats Coloon: level 5; +1 defenses;
in the air. Her long black hair is threaded with silver +2 spider interactions; AMBASSADOR OF THE RED
strands that look like spider silk but are actually 6 damage with diamond Obviously, there is no official position of
whip
wisps of spun diamond that she can use as terrible ambassador of the Red, but if there were, Narthalam
whips to defend herself. Narthalam Kur: level 8; Kur would hold it. A native of the Red, Narthalam is
+3 defenses; +4 intimidation; a scarred, hulking beast of a man whose very touch
TOWER OF THE BREATHED BIRDS can sustain 5 Injuries per ages and crumbles inanimate objects should he will
Wound and 5 Wounds
This tower gains its name from a ritual performed it. His knowledge of the realm of the Red Sun—
here, in which small statues of birds are crushed including demonkind—is extensive, and many
and then inhaled by the practitioners. The people come to him for information. However,
bird statues are made of a special powder that Karson and Rill Akakla: to gain it, one must pay homage to the Red and
transforms the inhaler into a savage beast with a level 7; +3 defenses; destroy something of value before Narthalam. His
birdlike head and a hooked beak almost like an axe. +2 Armor; +3 stealth and smile upon witnessing such an act is enough to give
perception, +2 attacks;
A father-daughter duo named Karson and Rill can sustain 4 Injuries per
a sane person nightmares.
Akakla founded the loose society that operates out Wound and 4 Wounds
of the tower. They work as mercenaries with a very (transformed, they gain BARADOS
dangerous reputation. People hire them to go into magic (two successes), Barados fancies herself a gunslinger, wearing
treacherous situations, wreak havoc, and very likely +1 attacks, +2 damage, and a pistol in a holster on each hip. She’s got olive
can sustain 5 Injuries per
kill large numbers of people. skin and dark eyes, and almost always wears red.
Wound and 5 Wounds)
Barados is for hire, either as an enforcer or as a
TEMPLE OF THE BURNED WICK Transformed mercenary: trainer. She’s self-serving in the extreme and won’t
The Wickburners are a solemn, heavily ritualized level 6; Magic (two risk her life for anyone or any cause, but if she’s
group of people in the Undersling who believe successes), +3 Withstand paid well she can be a valuable asset.
and Dodge; +1 Armor;
that reliance on material things—or just matter can sustain 4 Injuries per
in general—makes a soul weak. Their dogma is Wound and 4 Wounds THE MAN
complex, however. The Wickburners use things. In The Man is not a man. It’s an immortal entity
fact, they use things a lot. But they consume them, Barados: level 5; drawn to the very concept of violence. It is, in
never save them. Their name comes from a sort of +1 Withstand, +3 Dodge, fact, violence personified. Does it cause violence
mantra, “Tomorrow will bring another light,” which +2 Resist; +2 attacks with or does it merely find it? One thing is certain—it
a pistol
itself comes from a longer phrase from a never takes violent action itself, even if attacked.
200-year-old work by the playwright Nordia: The Man: level 9; magic Those near it, however, often soon find themselves
“Blowing out today’s candle is a waste of breath— (two successes), +4 defenses; committing an act of violence or suffering from
tomorrow will bring another light.” +2 stealth; can force a one.
nearby target to commit an
Their belief system, however, goes well beyond act of violence
The Man rarely speaks. It is tall and thin, with
“don’t hoard things.” They take the reliance on unkempt brown hair. It usually smokes a pipe. It is

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 The Undersling

drawn to the Undersling but occasionally wanders AN UNDERSLING STORY

into other districts, almost as if lost, eventually
causing bloody events. It likely is a native of the Red.
NABROUS WELT
Twisted, scarred, and ugly by conventional
standards, the man named Nabrous Welt has a
reputation for being one of the greatest warriors
in Satyrine, skilled with blade, pistol, and his
own massive, misshapen hands. Despite the fact
that Nabrous lives a life of violence, working as a
mercenary, guard, or enforcer, he maintains a strict
code of integrity and honesty. In private matters,
he’s kind and generous. But if he’s paid to do so and
you’re not helpless or a child, he’ll wring your neck.
THE SCALOPEDES
Everyone knows that the areas beneath the city
teem with unsavory creatures like ratgoblins and
roachgoblins. However, in the Undersling, people
called scalopedes dwell (and, in fact, hunt and
eat ratgoblins and roachgoblins). Scalopedes are
not human, but rather some kind of intelligent,
multilegged insect-things with heads not unlike that
of a wasp and bodies a bit like an enormous mantis.
But all the scalopedes’ limbs end in six-fingered
hands, and they use tools and weapons similar to
how a human would. Scalopedes keep to themselves
but get along well enough with humans. Humans
find that they have a horrible acrid odor, however.
VA
Va is an angel in hiding. Fallen but not truly evil,
Va has simply lost her way and made a series of bad
decisions. Now she’s hunted by those of her kind
for two murders—one she did not commit, and
one she inadvertently did. She wears a disguise to
conceal her strikingly gorgeous human-seeming
features. She can spread wings of solid light like
those of a dragonfly, but she does not do so unless
she absolutely must. Va doesn’t really have a plan,
but she wants to stay out of the Pinion Court and
has—rightly or wrongly—determined that hiding
near that place will make her harder to find.
Yestr as a human: level 6;
+2 Withstand and Dodge;
+1 attacks; can sustain
5 Injuries per Wound and
4 Wounds
Yestr as a beast: level 7;
magic (two successes),
+1 defenses; +1 perception
and stealth; can sustain
5 Injuries per Wound and
4 Wounds; can attack one
foe for 7 points of damage
or two foes in one round for
3 points of damage each
Nabrous Welt: level 11;
+3 defenses; +3 attacks and
any physical movement
action; can sustain 6
Injuries per Wound and 5
Wounds; +1 Armor
Scalopede: level 4;
+3 defenses; +4 climbing;
+2 Armor
Va: level 7; magic (two
successes), +4 defenses;
+2 disguise, perception,
and stealth; can sustain
4 Injuries per Wound or
Anguish
Pinion Court, page 194
Blood. Murder. Pain.
These are the essence of the Undersling, but even
these must crumble and fade eventually. Time has a
way with all things, and even decay must . . . decay.
Yestr has been cursed. Once a powerful warrior,
beloved by the crowds at fighting rings throughout
the Undersling, she now wanders the district,
constantly shifting from one state to another. In
one, she is lucid and appears to be herself—a broad-
shouldered woman with scars mixed into her body
tattoos and the left side of her face replaced with a
plate of dark wood. In the other state, however, she
is a hound-like beast with a fin on her back like a
shark’s, and she sees hallucinatory threats wherever
she looks.
Yestr won one too many of her fights. A mobster
named Corriane paid a vislae to put this curse
upon Yestr to both punish her and keep her from
fighting.
A SAVAGE BEAST
The PCs are in the Undersling and turn a corner
to see an older man attempting to defend himself
and a young woman from a terrible, ravenous beast.
Without warning, the beast suddenly takes the
form of a scarred and tattooed woman who seems
shocked and confused. The two victims use the
opportunity to get away.
The PCs may just keep walking. But if they
intervene, they can learn that the older man,
Kadaphius, and his daughter, Millene, were on their
way home from working in the foundry when they
were attacked. They really just want to go home.
And the PCs might be able to learn that the woman
is, of course, Yestr. She’s not entirely sure how she
got there and mumbles something about a curse
and some dust. Before she can explain, however, she
instantly transforms into the beast and attacks the
nearest person, whom she perceives to be a threat.
In the middle of a confrontation with Yestr, she
turns back into a human. When she transforms, 1
Injury and 1 Wound instantly heal and any ongoing
effects afflicting her—positive or negative—end.

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
“Please,” she says, “get me somewhere where I
won’t cause any more harm.”
The PCs can take her to her home, about five
minutes away, for which she’ll provide the address.
It’s a very simple apartment above a bar called
Candlecat’s. They should take precautions, however,
because in the time it takes to get her there, she
transforms again. Typically, she’s human for a
few minutes and the beast for no more than one
minute, but this can vary.
As a human, Yestr will explain her plight—she’ll
tell the PCs that she’s a fighter, that she’s cursed,
and that Corriane is behind it. If they have the
means, the PCs can try to remove the curse, but
it’s a level 9 effect. If they don’t, Yestr will tell them
about something called the Dust of Anigo’s Father
and where to get it. If they get her to her home,
she’ll even give them the money to pay for it.
THE DUST OF ANIGO’S FATHER
Ten years ago, a man named Anigo came to
Satyrine and dug up a grave in the Orchard of
Mausoleums. He claimed—the story goes—that the
grave was that of his father, a powerful vislae from
before the War. All that was left was dust, but Anigo
took the dust and began selling it around the city
to those who could appreciate its potency. Anigo
disappeared soon after, never to be seen again.
The only known pinch of Dust of Anigo’s Father
is in a tiny back-alley shop in the Undersling, run by
a woman named Cirde. Cirde is tall and imposing,
with midnight-blue skin and blood-red hair. She’ll
sell the dust for either 5 magecoins or 5 gem orbs.
(If Yestr gave the PCs money, it amounts to 15 gem
orbs.)
Cirde also has a variety of trinkets to sell,
including six random ephemera objects, if the PCs
are interested. Unlike most vendors, she’ll take gem
orbs or magecoins for them.
The Dust of Anigo’s Father (level 7) can be
inhaled and causes serious hallucinations. However,
it also removes any magical spell or effect upon the
inhaler lower than level 10.
198
If the PCs put Yestr in her
home, they’ll need to figure
out some way to secure her
there, or she’ll just transform
again and leave.
Corriane’s thugs: level 4;
+1 Withstand and Dodge;
+1 Armor
Orchard of Mausoleums,
page 55
Corriane: level 7; +2 Resist;
+2 interactions
Cirde: level 6; +2 Withstand,
+4 Resist; +2 haggling
CORRIANE
But wait!
Corriane knows about Yestr’s hope, and has no
intention of letting her or anyone else get hold
of the Dust of Anigo’s Father. She’s got people
watching Yestr’s home and thugs positioned in the
alley of Cirde’s shop. If Yestr or anyone coming
from her home enters the alley, the thugs accost
them. They try to warn the PCs off from the shop,
and are willing to use violence to back up their
position.
The seven thugs are armed with knives, although
one has a pistol as well. All wear tough leather
jackets. They’re not interested in killing the PCs,
just showing them the error of not obeying their
order to leave the alley and forget about Yestr.
Yestr told the PCs about Corriane, so it should
be no surprise who sent the thugs. If the thugs
successfully intimidate the PCs or physically keep
them from getting the dust, they have to give up on
Yestr or find another way.
If the PCs want to try to reason with Corriane,
they can find her at one of her inhalation parties.
These small affairs involve a conjured being that
looks like a cloud of black smoke in the form of a
man wearing a suit (appropriate for a formal party).
The guests take turns with tubes (like drinking
straws) inhaling small puffs of the being, which
brings a euphoric high.
Corriane is short and stocky with a broad face.
She wears a ring on each finger, in each ear, and
in her nose. She has no intention of negotiating a
deal that will help Yestr, but she’s no idiot. If the
PCs make a truly valuable offer, she might accept it.
She’d be particularly interested in getting a group of
vislae to deal with some of her other enemies in the
city, for starters.
RESOLUTION
If the PCs get the dust to Yestr, they’ll have made an
ally in her, but also very likely a powerful enemy in
Corriane. They earn 2 Acumen.
The Undersling

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 Secrets of Silent Streets
Z
ardim is known for many things, but
perhaps the first that come to mind are its
origami buildings, many of which have
no foundation and are simply tethered so that the
wind does not move them too far. Still, most of the
structures here are more conventional.
There is more to Zardim (called “the Zardim” by
many residents) than origami buildings. It’s also a
district known for its docks and ships, as the Alone’s
waves wash upon its southwestern reaches. Finally,
it’s also called the Crafter’s District, as Zardim
is where many people ply their trade by making
things. Artisans craft goods from glass, gold, silver,
leather, paper, stone, water, fire, and other materials.
Zardim has also attracted a fair number of poets
and musicians.
MOOD AND FEEL
Zardim is an artistic seaside community. The
origami buildings offer just one (albeit dramatic)
expression of that nature. It’s a place of calm and
peace, but also hard work and dedication. As you
walk down the street, caricature artists offer to
sketch you, a poet tries to sell you a hand-stitched
book of their work, and all the while craftspeople
bustle past to get to their workshops or to buy
supplies to ply their trade. Meanwhile, travelers
from afar and sailors wander the district on their
own business, likely just happy to be on dry land
and away from the endless, quiet expanse of the
Alone.
202
S A ZARDIM NEIGHBORHOOD
The Flechazo neighborhood is near the docks, but
not actually at the seaside. Narrow streets connect
wide piazzas filled with workshops and crafters of
all kinds, many of whom live and work in the same
building. Flechazo is known as a place to take a
romantic stroll, and many small bars and cafes cater
to those doing just that.
The heart of Flechazo is a wide-open square
with a small green park in the center known as
Anne Ceves: level 5; Siren’s Wake. The gerent, Anne Ceves, lives here.
+3 Resist; +2 social She’s an older, stout woman who always wears
interaction and seeing elaborate blue dresses. Her office is in her home,
through deception
but she’s rarely there—she prefers to walk about the
neighborhood with a small retinue and check in on
every workshop, every studio, every shop, and even
every home in her jurisdiction. Everyone calls her
Miss Ceves.
The Flechazo neighborhood does not have
traditional police or firefighters, but rather a
powerful spirit that watches over the entire area,
manifesting when and where it’s needed. This spirit
The Szaz: level 7; magic is called the Szaz, and it was originally summoned
(two successes), +3 defenses; and bound to the neighborhood by Miss Ceves’s
invisible and incorporeal Goetic father.
when it wishes to be
About 1,000 people live and work in the
neighborhood.
Zardim

203
 Secrets of Silent Streets
THE PATH
THE ALONE Zardim, page 82
Stretching into perhaps limitless space beyond
Satyrine to the west, the ocean known as the
Alone is typically calm and grey. Occasionally, a
storm will brew and strike with little warning.
The Alone is filled with a multitude Arabast, page 16
of islands, many quite small and most
uncharted—or rather, uncharted together in the
same maps and texts. The location and details
of an island in the Alone is often as rare a secret
as any other in Satyrine, available only to the
diligent and the studious, or perhaps those
with money to spend. Many islands hold their
own utterly unique flora and fauna, and even
settlements of humans or people not human
at all. Paying homage to the obvious clichés,
sometimes powerful vislae head out into the
Alone to build a lonely tower on an island so
they can be left to their own thoughts and
devices.
Sailors who cross the Alone always bear tales
of strange sights: a heretofore undiscovered
island or a sea beast or strange ship. But some
people believe these to be tall tales inspired
by the monotony and silence that can only be
found days from any shore, sailing across this
isolating sea.
Still, in the docks of Satyrine, you will hear
stories of floating cities adrift, aquatic peoples
who live inside gigantic fish, warded islands
imprisoning terrible demons, and ships with
feathered sails crewed by angels. And that’s just
for starters.
Hypaethral, page 68
Marli and Tobran: level 5;
+3 astronomy
204
LOCATIONS IN ZARDIM
The following locations lie in Zardim.
THE GHEYAL
Not so much a location as an encounter, the Gheyal
is a 100-foot (30 m) statue of stone and urgalic steel
thought to date back to the arabast. It depicts a
huge being, vaguely humanoid, with six arms and
crossed legs. Most notably, however, the Gheyal
moves around Zardim, floating a few feet off the
ground, occasionally pausing for three or four
minutes before moving again. It always takes the
same winding, convoluted path, and since it’s older
than any portion of the district, no one’s ever built
anything to block its movements (attempts to do so
have always failed). Instead of fighting it, the people
of Zardim have embraced it. They climb aboard and
ride it like a form of reliable public transportation.
There are always a dozen or more passengers
wherever the Gheyal goes, some riding on an arm
or its lap, while others perch on wooden platforms
people have affixed to its sides.
THE GREAT OBSERVATORY OF ZUIN
A slender, seemingly impossible spire rises up
near the sea, with a dangerously steep and narrow
spiral path leading from the ground to the top.
Perched precariously at the pinnacle is what
appears to be a too-large-for-its-position structure
topped with a massive dome. And from the dome
extends a telescope of spectacular size. This is the
Great Observatory of Zuin. Named for a famous
astronomer, the observatory concentrates on the
study of the stars and their mystical significance.
Unlike the Hypaethral in the Fade, the
Great Observatory of Zuin welcomes neither
unannounced visitors nor amateurs. Instead, if
you’re not part of the official staff, you need to make
an appointment before visiting.
Heads of the observatory staff are Marli and
Tobran, twin siblings and both expert astronomers.
The twins appear much younger than they are,
with freckled light brown skin, reddish-blond hair,
and eyes that blaze like golden stars. Appointed by

the city government, they run the observatory like
a fiefdom. Their staff consists of six humans, two
elderbrin, and, interestingly enough, three bat-
winged creatures called orum that can fly to and
from the city below with speed and ease.
Layout: Filling the entrance hall are creatures that
look like a cross between a goose and a saxophone
(with the mouthpiece being the bill, the bell being
the back end, and the neck being, well, the neck).
They produce a musical cacophony that might, in
itself, be a spell that helps to preserve and protect
the observatory.
Beyond the entrance hall are a number of well-
kept offices, storerooms, and meeting rooms, but
the main attraction, of course, is the observatory
dome itself. Filled with thousands of arcane
glyphs, sigils, and other magical symbols relating
to the heavens and the objects adrift within it,
the observatory seems more like a summoning
chamber than anything else.
THE HOUSE IN THE SEA
Stairs lead down into the sea. They continue
underwater into a deep, water-filled hole. At the
bottom of the 60-foot (18 m) deep hole lies a house.
IMYASIS
The only erotic prosody in the city, Imyasis does not
sate appetites for food, but for sex. Those who leave
after enjoying the sexually charged poetry recited
nightly feel gratified, their needs (whatever they
may be) met.
One of the strange things about Imyasis is the
erotic graffiti art scrawled on many of the walls. It’s
not strange because it exists, but because no one
knows who drew it, and why it sometimes changes
and even moves (lewdly).
THE KITE TOWER
Although the lightweight nature of the origami
buildings means that the wind can move or topple
them easily (and thus they are secured to the
ground with cables), this is never more apparent
than with the Kite Tower. This origami structure
Orum: level 4; +2 Dodge
Neshana: level 8; magic
(two successes), +3 defenses;
+2 Armor; +2 papercrafts;
vislae with many items and
a few spells; +2 spellcasting;
can create and control an
origami creature as an
action
Neshana’s origami
creature: level 5; magic
(two successes), can
sustain 6 Injuries for
each Wound; suffers
double damage from fire
THE PATH
Prosodies, page 69
Seagate Docks, page 168
Zardim
is designed to catch the wind in massive sails. It
frequently rises 30 feet (9 m) or more in the air,
and then comes back down. Within the Kite Tower,
a visitor will find a popular restaurant, a variety of
shops, and a few private offices.
NESHANA’S HOUSE
Neshana is the most prominent vislae who lives
in Zardim. She’s a Maker, but she actually gives
the organization and its teachings little thought.
Neshana has a unique talent. She makes origami
creatures. While many origami artists can claim
such a skill, her quickly folded creations take on
enormous form and life at her command. She wears
origami clothing that serves as armor, and her violet
eyes literally glow in the dark.
Neshana’s house is as dramatic as she is. It is not
origami, but rather wood. However, once inside,
Neshana—or anyone else with some skill—can fold
or move the walls, creating a door or passage where
there was none, or expanding the size or shape of a
room in just a few moments.
The house is well warded, and the only way
to enter is through the front door (teleportation,
incorporeality, and so on will not work), which
bears a prominent lock. If someone says the words
“Open,” “Key,” or “Lock” when close to the lock, the
word takes physical substance in the air and forms
a key in the speaker’s hand. However, only “Open”
actually unlocks the lock. The other two trigger a
magical trap and an alarm inside the house. The
level 8 trap causes the offender to fold like paper
again and again until they are nothing but a two-
dimensional square (4 rests).
THE PAPER PIERS
Akin to many of the buildings here, a wharf of
paper piers and docks provides strange purchase
for incoming ships. Most ship captains prefer the
Seagate Docks in Riveriver, but the more whimsical
come here, as do those bringing goods bound for
the businesses located in Zardim, the Hollows, or
Lower Taverswood (which is not all that many).
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 Secrets of Silent Streets
THE PRISM SHIP
About ten days in a month (usually two stints
of five days in a row), the Prism Ship is docked
at the Paper Piers. The ship of faceted glass has
a crew of twelve and a captain by the name of
Angus Marunder. Captain Marunder specializes in
transporting magical—even dangerous—cargo and
vislae passengers. The hold of the Prism Ship has
many warded vaults, and the ship itself is highly
resistant to magic (no effect below level 10 can
affect any portion of it).
PEOPLE IN ZARDIM
The following are just some of the interesting
people encountered in Zardim.
BAO
Bao looks like a black silhouette in the shape of a
woman, with facial features crudely scratched into
where her face would be. Using horrific magic, she
draws energy directly from the souls of those near
her. She is clever and devious, and quite mad.
Bao hates Marli and Tobran, jealous of their
positions as heads of the Great Observatory of
Zuin. She feels an affinity for the stars and the
night sky that she cannot fully explain and believes
that the observatory should be hers. She’s looking
for assistance in getting in, for which she will pay
handsomely. At the same time, the folks at the
observatory have already dealt with her a few times
and would reward assistance in keeping her away.
CADGE THE SEER
A zilat seer of great skill, Cadge uses the Sooth Deck
to tell fortunes and previse the future. People of
influence and power throughout the city visit Cadge
to gain her oracles, but she is just as happy plying
her craft on behalf of the common folk as well. She
dresses provocatively but has absolutely no interest
in sex or romance.
206
Lavender: level 5;
+1 defenses; +2 crafting
Captain Angus
Marunder: level 5;
+2 Withstand, +1 Dodge,
+3 Resist; +2 sailing and
magical lore
Bao: level 7; magic (two
successes), +2 Withstand,
+4 Resist; +2 stealth; can
cause all close creatures to
suffer 1 point of damage,
which grants her +1 to all
actions
Cadge the Seer: level 7;
+3 Resist; sees the future
LAVENDER
A crafter of glass, crystal, and the ghosts of melted
ice, Lavender is a composite entity of two fused
sisters. She refers to herself as a single individual
and looks like a typical woman, except that she has
two faces about 45 degrees apart. Both personalities
shine through Lavender, and they are quite
different, giving her a manic-depressive reputation.
A ZARDIM STORY
The PCs are in need of one or more physical
objects, and learn that it (or they) are coming in on
a ship in the Paper Piers in Zardim. They need to
go to the ship and acquire the item directly.
THE NIGHTSHIP
The ship the PCs need to meet is called the
Nightship, and as its name suggests, it sails only at
night. Thus, it comes into port at night.
The Nightship is black like a midnight sky
(complete with stars) and has giant moths for sails.
Its captain is Sybil Uenara, a muscular woman
whose legs and half her face have been replaced
with molded, animate onyx.
The ship has a crew of twenty and typically carries
cargo and a few passengers. About five days in a
month (usually in a row), the Nightship is docked at
the Paper Piers.
THINGS GO AWRY
When the PCs arrive at the Nightship, there’s a
commotion. Not many people are around the piers
at night, but the few who are present run from what
appear to be three angry vislae casting spells.
The three vislae all wear green robes and have
sparkling jewels floating around their face and head.
They call themselves the Coven of the Diamond
Cloud and gesture when they cast spells as though
they draw power from the jewels (although they
technically do not). The coven is made up of two
men and a woman, and they all look fairly similar,
as though they are siblings (they are not).

Each coven member uses a different spell. One
casts a spell that freezes a close target motionless
in a mass of ice (2 rests). Another casts a spell of
illusion to make it seem as though there are six
coven members, not only to intimidate, but also to
confuse and distract. This raises the challenge to
target a particular coven member by +2. The third
simply conjures crystal shards that fly at a faraway
target and inflict 5 points of damage.
Sailors and dockworkers do not stick around to
confront magic-wielding vislae. If left alone, the
vislae cause some destruction and then flee into
the night. They head to Fartown, where they live;
however, they are confronted by a squad of the Thah
that subdues them and leaves them for the local
gerent to deal with.
If the PCs intervene at the docks, the coven
fights with manic glee and does not flee. If the
coven is victorious, they head to Fartown, but if
the PCs are victorious, Captain Uenara thanks
them and promises to turn any survivors over to
the authorities. She says the coven members were
stowaways who seemed interested in making off
with valuables once the Nightship reached Satyrine.
The captain rewards the PCs with 2 magecoins
each, and of course whatever it is that they came for.
MORE TO THE STORY
Captain Uenara is lying. The Coven of the Diamond
Cloud were paying passengers coming from
the Silent City and were quiet and unassuming.
Something crawled aboard the ship one night at sea,
however, and attacked the crew. The vislae and the
sailors drove the skull-headed fungus thing off the
ship. What Uenara suspects—correctly—is that the
three vislae were infected by some kind of mental
spores from the thing that attacked, eventually
driving them into a violent state. But she doesn’t
want anyone to know that, as she can’t take the time
to get involved with such a tricky matter involving
multiple gerents (she’s massively in debt and needs
to earn orbs fast by hauling cargo again as soon as
the ship can get loaded). What she doesn’t know is
Coven member: level 5;
+2 defenses; +2 stealth;
vislae with a few spells;
+1 spellcasting
Captain Sybil Uenara:
level 6; +3 defenses;
+3 Armor; +3 sailing,
+1 attack with cutlass
and pistol
Nightship crewmember:
level 3; +1 defenses;
+1 sailing and climbing
Violent fungal infection:
level 5; wears off after two or
three days
Thah, page 20
THE WAY
Water Mage, page 93
THE PATH
Silent City, page 50
Zardim
that she and her entire crew are also infected. They
just haven’t shown any violent symptoms yet.
Should the PCs do any kind of research or
investigation into the Coven of the Diamond
Cloud, they’ll learn that the vislae were peaceful
and studious types who never caused trouble. If the
characters stick around and watch the crew, they’ll
notice a growing antagonistic and violent nature
building up in them.
No matter what the PCs do, if they suspect that
there’s more going on with the Nightship, they
are correct, and if they return to the craft, they’ll
find that Uenara and her entire crew are now
showing every sign of infection and acting with
wild aggression. If left to their own devices, the
crew attacks the nearest ship and attempts to set it
aflame.
Some nearby sailors and dockworkers might
help fight off the infected crew’s rampage, but they
were not expecting this attack. If the PCs do not
intervene, eventually the local authorities will deal
with the situation, but only after great damage and
casualties have been inflicted.
RESOLUTION
If the PCs manage to restore Uenara’s mind, or
if they talk to her after the infection is over, she’ll
come clean and tell them the story of the skull-
headed fungus thing. In return for their help—and
perhaps their discretion—she gives them a book
that holds the Water Mage secret and tells them
mysterious tales from the sea that grant them each
2 points of Hidden Knowledge.
Regardless, if the PCs successfully intervened
with the coven, they earn 1 Acumen, and if they also
stopped the captain and her crew from doing too
much damage, they earn another Acumen.
207
 Secrets of Silent Streets
I
RNDXPNS
t’s easy to forget, but to get from one district to
another, at least in most cases, one must pass
through some amount of what are known as the
Ruined Expanses. About half of the city lies in ruins
from the War. Whole districts were wiped out, and
almost every district was at one time much larger.
Buildings were damaged or completely pulverized
by powerful weapons, fire, or rampaging warbeasts.
Other sections are relatively intact, but the buildings
now lie in decay from years of abandonment when
tens of thousands of people fled the conflict.
Years ago, right after the War ended, things were
worse. Almost every part of the city was damaged
in some way. But rebuilding efforts have repaired
many structures and erected entirely new ones.
Certain districts, like the Reinvention, are entirely
new, built after the War amid what was once
nothing but ruin.
Rebuilding is made all the more difficult by
leftover remains of weapons used in the War,
today called Hate Cysts. These cancerous things,
deeply embedded into the ruins, fester and seethe
in secret, thwarting attempts to restore the ruins
around them through terrible but varied means.
The Hate Cysts spread disease, discontent, and
depression. They cause machines to seize up, crane
cables to snap, scaffolding to collapse, and other
accidents to happen. And then, most overtly—and
most terrifyingly—they spawn terrible beings and
mutate existing creatures that prey upon mortals
who enter the expanses.
The Ruined Expanses are not safe, and while the
Hate Cysts exist, they cannot be made safe. Rooting
out and destroying a single Hate Cyst allows for
rebuilding to occur, but only in that immediate
210
T vicinity. No one, however, has figured out a solution
other than finding and eliminating them one by
one. And the task is exceedingly dangerous. It’s
THE PATH probably a task only for vislae, and even then only
The War, page 65 the most skilled and powerful vislae.
HATE CYSTS
Hate Cysts are the remnants of the terrible weapons
unleashed in the War. Like malignant tumors, they
spread if left unchecked. They hide in the ruins of
their own making so they can spread their influence
secretly.
Every cyst is different. Some have a sentience all
their own, while others seem to be raw emotion
and pure power fused together in the worst of ways.
Reports from those who have encountered them
directly vary, but accounts include diseased, organic
masses as large as a small building, swirling holes
of darkness, and fluctuating nodes of destructive
energies. The cysts are often buried in rubble,
but sometimes they lie within the empty shells
of ruined buildings or underground, beneath the
wreckage above.
Most often, Hate Cysts aren’t seen at all—only
their effects. Some of the crimes against nature that
the cysts perpetrate include:
✦✦ inducing terrifying hallucinations or
nightmares
Cyst spawn, page 212 ✦✦ spawning horrific monstrosities
✦✦ influencing or even controlling minds to
commit heinous acts
✦✦ mutating creatures into deformed beings
✦✦ unleashing diseases and curses
✦✦ altering probability to cause deadly “accidents”

The Deathless Triumvirate offers a standing bounty
of 100 gem orbs for proof of the destruction of a Hate
Cyst, with the idea that once a cyst is removed, that
portion of the Ruined Expanse can be reclaimed and
rebuilt. (Attempting to do so with a cyst still present
and active leads only to death and dismay.)
MOOD AND FEEL
These regions of desolation and neighborhoods
of destruction are like stretches of apocalyptic
wilderness dividing many of the intact districts.
Traveling from one district to another often involves
passing through one of the expanses, and doing so
can be dangerous.
Explosion craters, empty buildings, partially
collapsed structures, soaring mounds of rubble,
debris-choked streets that create dead ends, and
more kinds of wreckage fill the expanses. In some
areas, plants have overgrown the ruins. Others are
lifeless without a hint of green. Some areas are
flooded while others are as dry as a desert.
The Ruined Expanses
Deathless Triumvirate, In some expanses, paths have been cleared
page 19 through the rubble, or simply blazed through and
over the wreckage, to facilitate travel across the ruin.
But make no mistake—these locales are not yet
reclaimed. They are dangerous and unpredictable
for many reasons. The architecture is unstable,
brigands and thieves make their lairs there, and
THE PATH creatures like ratgoblins and roachgoblins lurk
Ratgoblins, page 131 around every corner. Ghosts of those killed in the
War roam the streets. But more than that, the Hate
Roachgoblins, page 132
Cysts are still quite active.
One strange effect of the cysts is the oppressive
gloom that hangs over the ruins. No matter the
weather or season elsewhere in the city, entering one
of the Ruined Expanses brings on an almost cave-like
atmosphere. Many people think of the ruins as being
underground and even describe the grey ceiling
overhead, though there is no literal truth to it.
Walking through the ruins, one finds the rubble-
choked streets and empty piazzas unsettlingly quiet,
even in a city as sedate at Satyrine.
211
 Secrets of Silent Streets
CREATURES AND BEINGS OF
THE RUINED EXPANSES
The following are just some of the horrors that lurk
in the Ruined Expanses.
VERMIN
Rats, giant insects, and other creatures dwell in
the ruins. Left to their own, most of these vermin
would not be overt threats to people, but they are
frequently controlled by worse things—vampires,
cyst spawn, and so on—to attack as a swarm.
Other larger, more predatory vermin, like
ratgoblins or roachgoblins, are just as prevalent, and
present more of a threat. These creatures and others
like them attack people who enter the ruins, but
usually only if they significantly outnumber their
victims.
THIEVES
While criminal gangs can be a problem in many
areas of the city, in no place do they present a
greater danger than the Ruined Expanses. Partially,
this is because there is no law here. In addition, the
ruins are so deadly that thugs and brigands living
here need to be particularly capable and particularly
ruthless to survive.
VAMPIRES
Vampires present a very real problem in Satyrine,
and almost all of them live in the Ruined Expanses.
They exist in the greatest numbers around the
Rivenhome district, preying upon its populace for
their needs.
The term “vampire” is not one with a precise
definition. You’ll find so-called experts who will
say “vampires are immune to such-and-such” or
“vampires can be killed by such-and-such,” but the
truth is, it can vary from vampire to vampire. What
is true, however, is that the “rules” that govern a
vampire typically pass to anyone they transform
into one of their kind. This makes vampires seem
almost like strains, families, or tribes.
This means that while vampires are sometimes
loners, they are most often found in small groups.
212
Typical ruin thief: level 4;
+1 defenses; +1 Armor
THE PATH
Vampires, page 139
Feral shepherd, page 128
Rivenhome, page 154
Gthal: level 5; +2 Resist;
intangible and invisible;
cause all within hearing
to feel one of the following
effects: forget the last few
minutes, tear at their own
flesh and inflict 1 Wound,
or use their most potent
attack, spell, or other effect
harmlessly into the air or
the ground (gthal’s choice)
Rictus hunter: level 6;
+2 defenses; +1 Armor; gaze
paralyzes (2 rests)
They operate like a wolf pack, with a single leader—
often the vampire that created the others—and a
well-organized group that seeks to worry prey with
repeated attacks until they bring it down.
A vampire lair often has at least one non-vampire
guardian quite loyal to its masters. Some vampires
can summon and control hordes of bats, rats,
insects, or other vermin to guard them as well.
Further, the vampires who sleep in traditional
coffins (remember, not all vampires have the
same traits) hide the coffins, sometimes in all-but-
unreachable places. Alternatively, they use false
coffins and devious traps to catch would-be vampire
hunters.
Another vampire group might not require coffins
but instead have a hidden, sealed chamber where
they sleep during the day. Others might need to
bathe in blood or immerse themselves in the glow
of a vile mystical light. Whatever requirements a
vampire may have, it’s safe to assume that they’ve
used their long “life” and considerable power to
ensure that they will always be able to fulfill those
requirements, and won’t be disturbed while they do
so.
Regardless of whatever plan you have to hunt
and destroy a vampire, all but the youngest of their
kind have probably already taken steps to prevent it
from working. From concealed armor plates to turn
a wooden stake aimed at their heart to a bewitched
vislae servant trained to cast a spell to block out any
sudden exposure to sunlight, vampires take steps to
cover their weaknesses.
CYST SPAWN
When those in the know hear the words “Cyst
Spawn,” they most often think of the beings called
Feral Shepherds. But Cyst Spawn are varied and
numerous. For example, gthal are intelligent
tones, typically high pitched, but some are low,
reverberating noises that rattle your teeth. Invisible
and intangible, they can be dealt with only via
magic, and they use sound as a weapon.
Likewise, rictus hunters are spawn that resemble
large, predatory cats with heads like vultures, but
 The Ruined Expanses

with beaks twisted into a terrible toothy grin. Their

gaze can cause one to freeze in their tracks.
As one last example (of a nowhere near complete
list), the scorned resemble old men whose heads Scorned: level 5;
open as if on hinges, releasing a caustic slime that +3 Withstand and Resist;
turns flesh to salt. slime inflicts 1 Wound
and renders one of the
victim’s limbs immobile due
SIEGE WORMS to an encasement of salt
Siege worms were sentient, demonic weapons of transformed from their own
war, laying waste to huge areas or smashing the flesh
sturdiest of defenses. A few remain in the Ruined
Expanses, now asleep. But if awoken—usually Siege worm: level 10;
by using potent magic (or particularly magical +4 defenses; +4 Armor;
flux) near them—they are terrifying engines of can sustain 6 Injuries per
Wound or Anguish,
destruction and death. They take different forms, and 5 Wounds and 4
but most are gigantic, multilimbed worm-like Anguish; touch deteriorates
things of some configuration. inorganic matter and
sickens living matter,
inflicting 1 scourge in all
A RUINED EXPANSE STORY pools (3 rests)

The PCs need to (or simply decide to) eliminate a

Hate Cyst. This might be to earn the bounty or for
a more personal reason—perhaps, for example,
they want to build in the ruined area themselves.
Regardless, they should come well equipped for
both physical and mental challenges and danger.
Finding the cyst is the first challenge. While it’s
not entirely accurate, it’s expedient to think of the
Hate Cyst as an intelligent entity that attempts
to hide its presence most of the time. The vislae
almost certainly need some kind of magic to locate
the cyst, and even then, they’re likely to turn up a
number of false positive results before finding it.
The cyst has a level of 10 for these purposes. This
process likely takes hours.
THE CONTAMINATION
Even being within the general vicinity of the
Hate Cyst is dangerous. A mental whining grows
louder as long as the vislae continue to search.
Eventually, they must succeed at Resist defense
actions (challenge 8) or suffer 1 point of mental
damage every ten minutes until they leave the area.
Should someone sustain an Anguish from this,
THE WAY
Magical flux, page 13
Depending on how long it
takes to find the cyst, the
PCs might also incur an
unrelated encounter, such
as with criminals or a
wandering predator looking
for victims. This is likely the
result of a GM shift.
they immediately begin to hallucinate, seeing their
nearest ally transform into a horrific monstrosity.
The victim must flee screaming or strike out with
intent to destroy, depending on their nature. The
hallucination lasts until the Anguish is alleviated.
THE GUARDIANS
If the PCs get too close to the cyst, they are
confronted by two horrific entities emerging from
the ruins. One looks like a horse with transparent
flesh that makes its bones, muscles, and internal
organs fully visible. It has an oversized mouth with
razor teeth and a cavity in its breast that can open
to produce thin, skeletal arms with clawed hands.
The other creature looks like a human male that
has been ripped in half in the midsection, with

213
 Secrets of Silent Streets
the upper torso floating above the lower. In the
gap, wormy things emerge with disgusting, toothy
mouths.
The horse-thing attacks with bites and kicks, but
begins its assault with a high-pitched keening that
turns living flesh to liquid, inflicting 2 Wounds,
unless the victim succeeds at a Withstand defense
action (challenge 8).
The man-worm thing makes no sound at all,
seemingly fading in and out of existence in a
regular pattern. It bites with the many mouths of
the emergent worms, and it can attack insubstantial
targets as well as material ones. Worse, it passes
right through a victim’s Armor when it strikes, and
spells or other magical effects that would prevent
attacks are negated.
These beings fight until destroyed.
THE CYST
The Hate Cyst lies deep in the basement of a ruined
structure with no easy or straightforward access.
214
Horse-thing: level 8;
+3 defenses; +2 Armor;
can sustain 5 Injuries per
Wound or Anguish, and
4 Wounds and Anguish;
keening inflicts 2 Wounds
on all faraway living
creatures
Man-worm thing: level 7;
+4 Resist, +2 Withstand
and Dodge; can sustain
4 Injuries per Wound or
Anguish, and 4 Wounds
and Anguish; attacks bypass
Armor and negate any
magical effect that would
thwart or defend against
them; can attack all close
foes as a single action
Vislae will have to dig through extensive rubble to
get to it (they likely have magic to expedite this).
Once they reach it, it looks like a throbbing sac
of diseased tissue, about twice the size of a person.
This close to the cyst, the flesh of intruders begins
to flake off, liquefy, or bubble up with terrible sores.
Those failing a Withstand action (challenge 10) in a
given round suffer 1 Wound.
Dealing 20 points of damage from magical attacks
to the cyst will destroy it. But each time a vislae
successfully inflicts damage on the cyst, they see a
vision of a loved one suffering that damage instead,
inflicting an equal amount of mental damage upon
the vislae if they fail a Resist action (challenge 10).
WRAPPING UP
Destroying a Hate Cyst is likely worth 3 Acumen
and quite possibly 1 Joy, depending on the
character. Alternatively, it’s also a large-enough
accomplishment that it should be a step—if not the
climax—of one or more character arcs.

Aabr 85
Aberidus 57
Abeth’s Boats 138
Abstraction, the 64
Aerrat Building
(the Tower of Time) 148
Aethyric Radio 186
Aethyric Shrine of Bearable
Existence, the 52
Alexis Targete 131
Alone, the 204
Ambassador of the Red 196
Anbeista and Kavirsta 159
Annual Longbriar’s Dog Show 117
Ash Cevelin 69
Ash Gardens, the 158
Assemblage of Ink 77
Audsley Barron 86
August Invisible
Tournament, the 117
Autonomic Academy, the 67
Aviary of Suits 41
Avitt Sloan 85
Bao 206
Bar/Café 78
Barados 196
Barat’s Rentals 108
Barristol 41
bazaar exile 40
Benighted Song, the 77
Benthouse, the 194
Berdun’s Music Shop 77
Black Gardens, the 67
Blavanish House 90
Blue 86
Blue Evening Stables, the 166
Bone Pit, the 158
Borisav 156
Bradris Grocery 158
Brickhouse District, the 26
Bristall Apiary 186
Bureau of Safety, the 156
bust, the 40
Cadavers 194
Cadge the Seer 206
Cafe/Bar 78
Calamera 174
Calivan Madhouse 78
Captain Alamathi 168
Captain Ella Fostian 122
Cardiophages, the 52
Carousel of Storms, the 79
Carver’s Street 186
Castle of the Lie 79
Cavern in the Sun 52
Celestial Bazaar, the 36
Chalmara House 148
Changeries, the 79
Chaona Zach 90
Charles Abernathy 85
Charnel House, the 194
Chester 150
Chimera 146
Chirdes River, the 164
Chromalia’s Court 116
Church of Time, the 59
Cicatrix, the 86
City of Notions 8
Clemency 57
Clockworks 41
code, the 40
Coiffure Extravagance 176
Confederacy of Cloisters, the 48
Conversation Alley 79
Counterpane 194
Coyal Pharmacy 176
Crater House, the 52
Crowded Garden, the 138
Cryter Miniss 69
Cuckoo, the 31
Current Tap (ephemera object) 59
cyst spawn 212
Daily Sights, the 108
Deathless Triumvirate, the 19
Dechine’s Restaurant 148
Doctor Phileth’s office 31
Donus Poole 86
Dreamery, the 67
Edward Zane 33
Ellinda Monare 57
Emanuel 33
Emotion Mills Consortium
headquarters 117
emotion smuggling 66
Empiternal University 30
Enridima 86
Eremite fish 116
Erricot 128
Euphonic Church, the 53
Fade, the 62
False Arch 80
Far Pyramid Theater 149
Farrow 168
Fartown 72
Fedona Whethel 169
Fiona Speares 87
Firewitch, the 44
Flechazo 202
Flowing Road, the 30
Font, the 138
Foundry 7 194
Gamrose Tower 149
Gao House 108
Garden of Oflim, the 130
Garver’s Café 187
Gate to the Hollows 80
gerents 19
Gheyal, the 204
Gilded Horror, the 30
God of the Basement, the 170
Goetic Hall of Records 80
Gormal 188
Grand Assembly, the 117
Great Observatory of Zuin, the 204
Grey Memories 41
Grynn’s Gramarye 80
Half God, the 160
Hall of Honed Thought 176
Hands of the Green 41
Hassie 40
Hate Cyst 210
Heart’s Hearth 30
Hollowfolk 96
Hollows, the 94
Hotel Moribund 99
Hotel of Words 118
House in the Sea, the 205
House of the Sea Lost, the 166
Houses of the Blessed 53
Houses of the Winged 68
Hrimras 96
Hypaethral, the 68
Imyasis 205
In’Kalia Segali 168
Indigo Rail Station 166
Infinite Voids Within Flesh 41
Island of Tosh, the 140
Jeren the Devoured 100
Jianyu Vang 132
Jun 88
INDEX
Jupiter Grocery 108
Kaladiasi Fuur 44
Kallie’s 176
Karam Asfour 159
Keanna Lyter 88
Kendon 88
Kite Tower, the 205
Knocks, the 98
Krau Eiris 87
Kryven’s Books 80
Kudash 178
Kwamil 188
Labyrinth, the 119
Larakalia 169
Lavender 206
Law Offices of Newell,
Kemper, and Bundt 176
laws 19
Leigh Strathian 178
Library of Rhol, the
Left-Handed God 55
Library of the Undone 195
Lieutenant Fisk 110
Liquid Gold 42
Long Park 166
Loose Ideas 42
Lorelei of the Birds 81
Lost Silks 42
Lower Taverswood 104
Luster’s Firearms 42
Maelstrom House 110
Magisterium’s Court 118
Magniloquent Moth, the 119
Maleago Insurance 177
Malurus 69
Malvoach Library, the 81
Man, The 196
Mandala Gate 55
Maralli the Finch 160
Marionette Hotel 176
Market Bridge 166
Marquis Quarter, the 112
Marti Black 33
Masked House, the 30
Mausoleum of Nahairan 55
Maven Narr 178
Maze, the 138
Memom 70
Menter’s Square 167
Meriweather Hospital 168
Merrian’s 55
Midnight Cathedral, the 55
Milliner’s Collection, the 119
Minister Aug Fullan 122
Mivael Murillo 42
Moiris the Balladeer 45
Morath 141
Museum of Kept Things, the 130
Museum of Natural Beauty, the 130
Museum of You, the 130
Nabrous Welt 197
Nathan Nevrimol 88
Naver Bathhouse 139
Neimas Pens 42
Nerril Tobias 88
Neshana’s House 205
Neverlight Prison 195
Nidas 169
Nightship, the 206
Nils Sorson 58
Nine Sisters, the 100
Nivet 100
Norien Koral 150
North Post 195
NPC vislae and vislae houses 76
Obscure Palace, the 120
Office of the Emotion Mills
Consortium 177
Olamic Dreams 68
Olias’s Greenery 187
Oracle Stairs, the 158
Oraline’s Shelter 99
Orchard of Mausoleums 55
Order of Makers’ Annual
Creator’s Prize Ceremony 117
Orestre 122
Pagoda of the Book, the 187
Pale Embassy, the 121
Pale Gala, the 117
Palindrome, the 126
Paper Piers, the 205
past, the 17
Pellimere’s House 109
Pennyfair, the 99
people of Satyrine 21
Pilgrim’s Door, the 31
Pinion Court 194
Pinnacle Courts, the 120
Prism Ship, the 206
Pristine Guard Defenders 116
Pyramids of Glass, the 131
Quiet Lake 134
Rampallion 106
Ranette Pinoch 141
Rare Books 42
Raveled Lodge, the 187
Rax Jaros 160
Reaver Shirts 69
Reclaimed Area 38 109
Redivivus 50
Reinvention, the 144
Revelation, the 99
Rivenhome 154
Riveriver 162
Royal Academy of Lifesages, the 31
Ruined Expanses, the 208
Ruined Expanses thieves 212
Ruined Expanses vermin 212
Ruman 142
running NPC vislae and other
powerful beings 24
Sanders Pille 188
Sanne 88
Sara Dathaford 168
Sartorial Art 121
Satyrine 12
Savion Clay 88
scalopedes 197
Seagate Docks 168
Secramins 70
Secret Bar, the 109
Seller’s Night 40
Sensorium, the 56
Serotinal Shores 139
Seru 89
siege worms 213
Silent Church, the 131
Singing Street, the 109
Singing Tomb, the 139
Sire the Day (invocation) 35
Sisters of the Lost Moment, the 58
Skytower, the 121
Slipping Jack 188
Somin 89
Spider Lady 43
Spiders of Coloon, the 196
Spirit Gaoler, the 123
Spiritual Therapy 178
Starsbirth Arena 149
Stoma Manor 158
Index
Strangeglass District, the 172
Submerged Opera, the 140
Sugar & Regret
Phantasmagorical Cupcakes 81
Sunship Births 69
Taraqal Artist Commune 81
Tellian Theater 150
Temple of Is Not 56
Temple of Onanthes 56
Temple of the Burned Wick 196
Temple of the Past, the 121
Territhanc 110
Thae Nitaris 89
Thah, the 20
Thanae 100
Thanaveve Hall 131
Theater of Scripture, the 100
Therai Capthine 188
Thirteen Station 81
thoughtforms 22
Tieda’s Meats 43
Timeaus the Shipwright 169
Tinata and Corian 132
Tollisberry Park 187
Tomasa Services 178
Topiary District, the 182
Torinalli’s 79
Torquan the Reflection 151
Tower of Lost Sleep 69
Tower of the Breathed Birds 196
travel in Satyrine 23
Tre Manor 31
Treya Fethalmais 58
Trosevan, the 150
Trypa 159
Tural 101
Undersling, the 190
Unelind 101
Unnamed, the 159
Upara 151
Uramulpur 45
Va 197
Valedictorian, the 168
vampires 212
Vancian Campus, the 82
Varan 178
Varo Mist 89
Vatic Conclave, the 117
Vedanta 67
Velleity 164
Venomhome 82
Venures 178
Verramin 58
Vinalin 160
Vincome 90
Wandering Corners 28
wandering trees 184
Warazax, the 169
Water Riders 44
Willard Moore 141
William Ballond 86
Winding Gallery, the 131
Wystrin 90
Yellow Temple, the 56
Ymass 179
Yulesses 45
Zahrm 90
Zardim 201
Zephyr 184
Zern 58
Zero’s 83
Zilat Cleaning Services 109
Zoara 70
215
 Secrets of Silent Streets

CREDITS

DESIGNER Monte Cook

MANAGING EDITOR Shanna Germain
EDITOR/PROOFREADER Ray Vallese
ART DIRECTOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bear Weiter

CARTOGRAPHERS
Lee Smith, Bear Weiter

ARTISTS
Martin de Diego, Jason Engle, Michael Franchina, Aldo Katayanagi, Kezrek Laczin,
Eric Lofgren, Irina Nordsol, Roberto Pitturru, Maichol Quinto, David Seidman,
Joe Slucher, Zoa Smalley, Matt Stawicki

Secrets of Silent Streets is a supplement for Invisible Sun.

You need the Invisible Sun Black Cube to play.

© 2018 Monte Cook Games, LLC. INVISIBLE SUN and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook
Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are
trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC.

Printed in Canada

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