Credits: Dedication:

Game Design and Book Development: Bill Bridges To all the writers and artists who helped reveal the
Authors: Jacqueline Bryk, Brian Campbell, Vidar Ed- far-flung worlds of Fading Suns in all its previous
land, James Estes, Andrew Greenberg, Andy Har- editions and books. You are all saints and true ser-
mon, Christopher Howard, Sam Inabinet, Ian Lem- vants of the Pancreator.
ke, Chris Lites, James Maliszewski, Bill Maxwell, And to Greg Stafford (1948-2018), mythmaker.
Rustin Quaide, Sascha Schnitzer, and Bill Bridges Fading Suns wouldn’t exist without the immeasur-
Editing: Brian Campbell able influence of Greg’s worlds and games.
Art Direction and Book Design: Maik Schmidt
Cover Artist: Nathaniel Park
Artists: Yasemin Asik, Carlos Diaz, Benjamin Giletti, Pilgrims:
Carl Hassler, Larissa Kaatz, Katharina Niko, Na- It is truly the end of history, it seems. Judgment is
thaniel Park, Maik Schmidt, Sebastian Watzlawek near. Yet, I cannot accept that we are to be rewarded
Jumpweb Map: Steffen Brand for sitting still and waiting for death. If that were so,
Fading Suns™ created by Bill Bridges and Andrew why did the Prophet say: “A sun must burn to birth
Greenberg light. When your passion burns, you give off light.”
Perhaps the suns die because we lack passion. Pas-

Playtesters: sion for life, for the struggle necessary to unlock the
Mystery. We are bored with everything, having ac-
Thanks to: Tobias Amann, Timothy Brown, Tim complished all. History has returned to the point at
Byrd, Lydia Macedo Byrd, Alexander Fauser, which it began.
Andrew Greenberg, Darrell Hayhurst, Ian Lem- Or perhaps the answer still waits for us. Perhaps the
ke, David Millians, Carsten Moos, Heiko Nowak, dying suns are our spur to greatness, a necessary quest
Eric Rex Peterson, Nikolas Pietrzik, Markus Plotz, on which we will finally understand ourselves and our
Sascha Schnitzer, Eric Simon, Leonardo Ellis Soto, place in the universe.
Ross Watson; and everybody who playtested a very — Guiseppe Alustro, My Time Among the Stars
early version of the rules at Gen Con 2018.

ULISSES SPIELE
Administration Christian Elsässer, Carsten Moos, Sven Paff, Stefanie Peuser, Marlies Plötz
Marketing Jens Ballerstädt, Philipp Jerulank, Derya Öcalan, Katharina Wagner
Publishing Team Germany Zoe Adamietz, Jörn Aust, Mirko Bader, Steffen Brand, Frauke Forster,
Christof Grobelski, Kai Großkordt, Nikolai Hoch, Nadine Hoffmann, Johannes Kaub, Matthias Lück,
Benedict Marko, Thomas Michalski, Jasmin Neitzel, Markus Plötz, Nadine Schäkel, Maik Schmidt,
Ulrich-Alexander Schmidt, Nils Schürmann, Alex Spohr, Jens Ullrich
Publishing Team USA Robert Adducci, Timothy Brown, Darrell Hayhurst, Eric Simon, Ross Watson
Distribution & Customer Support Florian Hering, Jan Hulverscheidt, Saskia Steltner, Stefan Tannert,
Sven Timm, Anke Zimmermann

© 2020 Ulisses Spiele

Fading Suns and all unique characters, concepts, locations, and
creatures are trademarks and / or copyrights of Ulisses Spiele.
All rights reserved.
1
 Table of Contents
Introduction................................................. 4 Weird Monstrosities......................................... 62
Mastering the Game.......................................... 5 Husks............................................................. 62
Inspirations..................................................... 5 Monsters....................................................... 64
Chapter 1: Drama......................................... 6 Creature Creation......................................... 65
Rules for Gamemasters................................. 8 Golems............................................................. 69
NPCs (Non-Player Characters).......................... 9 Surviving Golems......................................... 70
NPC Cards.................................................... 10 Beyond the Borders.......................................... 71
Gauging Challenges...................................... 10 The Vau........................................................ 72
The Troupe Coffer........................................... 10 Symbiots........................................................ 73
Character Development................................... 12 Anunnaki Artifacts........................................... 74
Full Advance and Partial Advances.............. 12 Gargoyles...................................................... 74
Setting the Pace............................................. 12 Soul Shards................................................... 75
How to Run a Fading Suns Game................... 13 Philosophers Stones...................................... 75
Step 1: Gathering the Troupe....................... 13 Myths and Legends.......................................... 75
Step 2: Developing the Arc........................... 17 The Fading Suns........................................... 76
Step 3: Prepping for Opening Night............. 19 The Dark Between the Stars......................... 76
Step 4: Chart the Run................................... 22 Chapter 3: Places........................................ 78
Dramatic Structure.......................................... 23 All the Worlds are Stages.................................. 80
Dramas.......................................................... 23 The Role of Place.......................................... 80
Epics ............................................................. 27 Environments................................................ 81
Dramaturgy...................................................... 28 Traits............................................................. 82
Axiom 1: We’re all in this together................ 28 Getting Around............................................. 82
Axiom 2: We’re here to have fun.................. 29 Sample Setting: Hargard ................................. 82
Axiom 3: Fun walks hand in hand with mean- Encountering Hargard ................................. 83
ingful stories.................................................. 30 Hargard Traits.............................................. 83
Axiom 4: The journey is the key................... 30 Continents .................................................... 84
Axiom 5: Problems are a chance to move for- History.......................................................... 85
ward.............................................................. 31 Present Conflicts........................................... 88
Inspiration........................................................ 31 Chapter 4: Playing the Game....................... 92
Astro-Divinity Cards..................................... 32 Example of Play............................................. 94
Signs and Wonders........................................... 35 Dramatis Personae........................................ 94
Chapter 2: People....................................... 36 Setting........................................................... 94
NPC Types....................................................... 38 Let’s Begin........................................................ 94
Headliners..................................................... 38 Drama: Nightmare in Yngmark................... 101
Agents........................................................... 39 Player Info................................................... 101
Extras............................................................ 40 GM Info...................................................... 101
Sample NPCs................................................ 42 Act 1: A Hinterland Hamlet........................... 101
Known Worlders.............................................. 42 Scene 1: The Grateful Lord ....................... 102
Nobles........................................................... 42 Scene 2: Priestly Scolding........................... 105
Priests............................................................ 44 Scene 3: Village Gossip (Optional)............. 105
Merchants..................................................... 46 Act 2: Suspects & Denizens............................ 105
Yeomen......................................................... 47 Scene 4: Through Dwimmerwood............. 105
Barbarians........................................................ 49 Scene 5: Jarl Agnar Iron-Leg...................... 106
Vuldrok ........................................................ 50 Scene 6: Nightmare by Day........................ 107
Occultists.......................................................... 51 Scene 7: Trouble Brewing........................... 107
Psychic Covens.............................................. 51 Scene 8: Peasants of Yngmark.................... 107
Theurgist....................................................... 54 Scene 9: The “Blacksmith”......................... 107
Heretics............................................................ 55 Act 3: Enemy Within...................................... 108
Republicans................................................... 55 Scene 10: Priest and Apprentice................. 108
Antinomists (Warlocks)................................. 56 Scene 11: Nightmare on the Loose............. 108
Gangs............................................................... 57 Scene 12: The Moorgaunt’s Den................ 109
Physical Threats............................................ 57 Scene 13: Aftermath................................... 110
Social Threats............................................... 59 Appendix: Tech Level.................................. 110
Creatures.......................................................... 59

2
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Introduction
3
 Welcome to the Fading Suns Gamemaster Book. and give you countless hours of play. Your own
It’s one of three Core Books. The other two are the imagination will bring in ideas and stories all your
Universe Book, introducing the setting and back- own. Imagination works best when the pump has
ground of Fading Suns, and the Character Book, been primed by encountering other stories. Be-
providing the rules of play for the game, character low is a list of some inspirational sources you can
creation, details on the traits that describe characters search for ideas to build into your Fading Suns
in rules terms, technology, and finally, occult powers. dramas.
You’ll need all three books to play Fading Suns.
This book provides the special rules of play used BOOKS
by the gamemaster. We describe the three types of Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun
NPCs, along with a host of example NPCs. You’ll George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire book series,
find everything from nobles, priests, and merchants as well as the Game of Thrones t.v. series
to alien creatures and actual monsters. You’ll also find Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series
a sample planetary setting — Hargard — and a be- E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensmen series  — In many
ginning drama to run for your players in that setting. ways, Lensmen is sci-fi’s ur-text, launching many
If you haven’t read the Universe Book, you tropes that have been told and retold in differ-
might want to start there. This book, as well as the ent forms: psychic powers, advanced good-and-
­Character Book, assumes you know the setting and evil aliens playing chess with human pawns, and
its people and places. even personal energy shields (before Dune used
Note: In the other Core Books, when we used the them).
second-person address — “you” — we were speaking Frank Herbert’s Dune (and David Lynch’s movie
mainly to the players. In this book, the word “you” adaption)
refers to the gamemaster. The works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, especially his
Mars (Barsoom) stories

Mastering the Game

The works of Cordwainer Smith
Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers (and its se-
quels) and The Count of Monte Cristo
Gamemastering is a very satisfying experience. Where Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur
the players each get to try out a single important role, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
you, as the gamemaster, get a chance to dive into the James S.A. Corey’s The Expanse books and t.v. series
world itself, shaping its stories and watching what John C. Wright’s The Golden Age trilogy
happens when the players encounter the world. Typ- Andre Norton The Beast Master and Lord of Thunder
ically, some games have portrayed gamemastering as Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and sci-fi “juveniles”
a chance to play the divine author, but Fading Suns John Scalzi’s The Interdependency series
encourages you to work more as a combination of di- Alan Dean Foster’s Humanx Commonwealth stories
rector and interested observer. You can incite events Pohl Anderson’s Technic histories
that spark the players’ actions, but you also serve as M.A.R. Barker’s world of Tekúmel, as seen in the
an audience that eagerly wants to be impressed. roleplaying game Empire of the Petal Throne and his
Building a game always starts with a few common novels Man of Gold and Flamesong
steps. First, focus in on an idea. You can find quick
inspiration for a game in a variety of books, movies, TV SHOWS
t.v. shows, and comics (see below) or from other Fad- Babylon 5
ing Suns sourcebooks. Space vikings? Try the Vul- Firefly
drok. Cyberpunk dystopia? Set a game on League-
heim. Horror? Try Stigmata or the haunted wastes MOVIES
of Nowhere. Next, read up on the background info Event Horizon
and rules that are vital to bringing your specific idea Jupiter Ascending
to life. Then get some players together, feed and water The Chronicles of Riddick
them — an important, but often neglected step — and Judge Dredd
prepare yourself mentally for the challenge of your
well-laid plans possibly going completely off the rails. COMICS
2000 A.D. (home to Judge Dredd)

Inspirations Elaine Lee and Michael William Kaluta’s Starstruck

J.M. DeMatteis and Jon Jay Muth’s Moonshadow
What are you going to do with Fading Suns? The Mike Baron and Steve Rude’s Nexus
three Core Books should spur your imagination Jack Kirby’s 2001: A Space Odyssey

4
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Chapter 1: Drama
5
 SAINT CARDANO THE SHIELD OF THE PROPHET
6
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE
pray when our faith falters,
Hail Cardano, most faithful of us all. Pilgrim, it is to Cardano that we
most bereft and yearning for
when we have sinned egregiously and seek salvation, or when we are PLACES
the Beloved. PLAYING
his fabled conversion to the
Once the “Red Demon” of the Li Halan, Cardano is now known for
can transform the greatest of
Church, serving as an example to all sinners. The Pancreator’s Light
Voice commanded of Cardano:
evils, even at the final hour, if one is willing to do as the Empyrean
“Empty your vessel!”
the Amaltheans. Some say his
Cardano loved only one person: Amorita, his mistress, who joined
war campaign so he could give
love for her compelled him to forsake his past. He surrendered his
house. Choirs across the Known
his all to the Church, changing the course of history and his entire
Light and love.
Worlds sing the lay of his descent into cruelty and his restoration through
knees in repentance. Hid-
He bears the Shattered Sword, the sight of which brings sinners to their
from Amorita that romantics
den in his breast pocket is the Amor Aeternus, the mythical love letter
of all its stains.
say caused his conversion, the reading of which cleanses one’s soul mirror
to Read the Omega Gospels
— Charioteer Captain Zelina Hamid-Sandor, The Pilgrim’s Path: H0w

Rules for Gamemasters

The light barely illuminated the elevator shaft.
Of course, the light was coming from an overloading reactor in the room above, so that wasn’t a
good thing.
Jayce could hear his Avestite “partner” holding back the things in the darkness below, and he could
identify the stutter that came from the flamegun running out of fuel. Without that trademark weap-
on, it wouldn’t be long before the things lurking down there would devour his partner whole. Not a
good thought.
The rest of the group, including Jayce’s own unrequited love, Dame Allison Mere, struggled above
him, trying to reason out how to power down the damned reactor without killing everyone. And here
he was, their only hope. The lonely Scraver with a heart of gold — at least that’s what he kept telling
them  — stuck between here and there, barely hanging on from becoming monster food. Gallows
humor aside, it wasn’t a good position to be in. He couldn’t help getting out a laugh, but there were
tears too. He was going to die.
Something shimmered in the periphery of his vision. He needed a moment to realize that it wasn’t
just the glare through his tears. Something metal glittered in the uneven light of the fusion flames
above him: a spanner. Long lost, it stuck to the muck of the walls. If it worked and if Jayce could get
to it, they might have a chance.
And hells, if it all worked out, they could probably save the priest too. Damn him, but he was grow-
ing on Jayce. He couldn’t just let him die in the dark, not when there was still hope!

7
 As the gamemaster, you’re not a person playing a sin- while the rest of the troupe picks the bishop’s pock-
gle character. You play a host of characters, as well as et; they’re the serving wretch or wench who overhears
representing the universe in which the players move. things; they’re the wily merchant who senses your
desperation when haggling over the cost of a weapon.

NPCs
Agents have more fleshed-out traits than Extras,
but they’re still not as complete as PCs.

EXTRA
(Non-Player Characters) Extras are bit players and stock characters who don’t
GMs are players too, but they play a host of charac- play important roles as individuals, but they can still
ters  — namely, anybody who appears in the drama pose problems for the PCs. They usually appear as
who is not a PC. part of a crowd: the peasants riled up by the appear-
As you can surely tell from reading Chapter  2: ance of strangers, the town guardsmen hunting down
Characters in the Character Book, PCs can have the crew who just robbed the agora, or the maids who
a lot of depth and detail. Not all of your characters witnessed the ghost.
will get that degree of descriptiveness; it’s simply Extras have simplified traits, since you won’t be do-
too much work. You can streamline the NPC cre- ing a whole lot of dice rolling with them. When you
ation process by categorizing your cast of characters do roll dice, it’ll be over quickly.
into three types: Headliners,
Agents, and Extras. Summaries
of their roles are provided be-
low; you’ll find more complete
details in Chapter 2: People.

HEADLINER
A headliner is a key player in
the events that embroil the
PCs. Headliners might be an-
tagonists, allies, villains, or
neutral parties — but in all cas-
es, they are important. Playing
these characters is the closest
chance that you, as the GM,
will have to playing fully fleshed
out PCs of your own. They’re
the ongoing, recurring charac-
ters in your drama or the be-
hind-the-scenes operators who
finally show up at the climax,
giving a face to their Machia-
vellian schemes. For each Sher-
lock Holmes PC, you’re going
to need some Moriarties.
Headliners get full trait de-
scriptions, just like PCs.

AGENT
Agents are interesting char-
acters who play an important
role but a limited one. They’re
the baroness a PC tries to dis-
tract with their performance

8
 INTRODUCTION
NPC Cards NPC encounter along the way chips away at them.
You’re setting a challenge for the drama as a whole; DRAMA
Just as each player has a character sheet, you’ll keep you don’t need to make every showdown a life and
character sheets of your own. Since you’ll be juggling death matter. PEOPLE
more than one NPC at a time, we recommend that PLACES

The Troupe Coffer

you use index cards for them.
• Each Headliner gets a card of their own with PLAYING
traits on one side and a description on the other.
• Each Agent gets a card. There are lots of forces in Fading Suns that work
• A single card can cover multiple Extras in the to pull characters apart. One noble house might
same group. war against another, forcing friends to choose fam-
Using different colored cards for the three catego- ily over friendship; a priest’s heretical views might
ries of NPC certainly helps. Once you choose a color strain relationships within a pious troupe; a Scrav-
scheme, stick to it; this system will help you quickly er’s vow to never become anyone’s chump threat-
sort your NPCs in a stack. ens to constantly test his loyalty to his friends when-
ever he gets the opportunity to cut and run with
the money.
THE ADVERSARY COFFER Players must struggle to keep the troupe together
through all such trials. Luckily, the Pancreator is on
Unlike players, you don’t get WP for superlative their side: The Prophet formed a troupe with his dis-
roleplaying, but you do get the satisfaction of ciples, setting the mold for all such bands of fellow-
roleplaying a wide variety of characters. And ship, blessed from on high. The more players strive
you get to play god — especially when the char- to aid their fellows, keeping unity and faith with one
acters suffer the misfortune of bad dice rolls. another, the more they’ll be rewarded. In profane
Whenever a player rolls a critical miss, you game terms, this means that you, the GM, can reward
gain 1 WP. These bad-luck WP go into a spe- those endeavors with wyrd points that are collectively
cial coffer: the adversary coffer. You can spend shared by the troupe.
them anytime to aid an NPC. At the end of the These wyrd-point awards go into the troupe coffer.
drama, the coffer’s contents are emptied back While each individual player has a bank, the troupe
into the well. has its own central bank; troupe members contribute
to it and draw from it. Instead of victory points, the
troupe coffer holds wyrd points.

Gauging Challenges Players get victory points from their die rolls. They
get wyrd points based on how well they play their
As players rise in level and get better at what they do, roles. Whenever a player roleplays well, the whole
they’re going to need tougher challenges, lest things troupe benefits: you award 1 or more WP into their
become boring. Fading Suns isn’t an outright com- troupe coffer.
bat game; social and spiritual coin can be just as im-
pactful as combat. But you’ll still need guidelines on APPLAUSE:
what kinds of NPCs to use as foils for the troupe. REWARDING THE TROUPE
As a general rule, assume that one NPC with a level
equal to the average level of the troupe is a challenge Your role as gamemaster is not simply to be the
for one PC in that troupe. An NPC of +2 levels is an adversary. You’re also an advocate, looking out for
equal challenge for two members of the troupe. If the the troupe by providing the right kind of fun. In
troupe is 2nd level, then a 4th-level NPC can take on a sense, you’re the main audience for the players’
two of them; a 6th level NPC can deal with three, performance in their passion play. They’re try-
and so on. ing to move you (and each other) to joy or tears.
Extras don’t have levels. Sheer numbers are used in When they do, you can respond with metaphorical
this case: a troupe of five 1st-level characters is equally applause, which comes in the form of free wyrd
matched to twice their number in Extras, but it takes points.
three times that number to really challenge the troupe Whenever a player does something that moves you
at 2nd level. or the troupe, give them 1 (or 2… or heck, even 3) WP
Remember that the troupe often has to work from the well. This might be in return for an emotion-
its way through a whole act or drama before they al kick or a simple laugh; whatever it is, if it has a good
can recoup and restore themselves, so each hostile effect on the game, toss out a small reward.

9
 You should award WP to the troupe coffer when… amazing. (Nominating yourself, on the other hand, is
• … a player delivers a great moment of roleplay- rather gauche.)
ing, causing anyone at the table to gasp, cry, or
laugh out loud — even if it involves the defeat of DRAWING FROM THE COFFER
the troupe. Everyone’s here to enact a passion
play; whatever summons laughs or tears deserves Any troupe member can draw from the troupe coffer
applause. at any time… unless another member objects. In that
• … a character’s concept and/or backstory comes case, everyone in the troupe votes (except the peti-
into play in a major way. tioner). If the majority agree, then the petitioner can
• … a troupe member takes one for the team: claim however many WP they requested (or however
They turn back enemies or win against oppo- many the troupe voted to allow). In the case of a tie,
nents in combat but suffer wounds in doing so. the troupe leader decides. In addition:
Award WP at the end of the incident… or when • Once per scene, the troupe leader can overrule a
it’s needed most. vote and decide the issue.
• … a troupe member’s ingenuity gets the troupe • Once per scene, someone with the Inspiring
a reward, anything from prestige to something perk can take 1 WP from the coffer to give to
tangible and cool (such as tech or money or an a troupe member without requiring a vote. (See
invaluable object). Perks in Chapter 3: Traits.)
• … the troupe triumphs over the Dark. There is no maximum capacity for the WP in the
• … the troupe achieves one of its key goals. troupe coffer (unlike an individual’s bank). It is not
• At the end of a drama, award 1 WP per member. emptied out at the end of a scene; its WP stay there
Players can also petition for WP if they think an- until they’re spent by troupe members.
other player has done something fun, dramatic, or

A TOUCH OF MELODRAMA have to be to the characters’ disadvantage; it

just alters the playing field.
As described in Chapter 1: Rules of the Char- Commit to the crazy: Even in real life, some in-
acter Book (under Spending Wyrd), wyrd points cidents seem unbelievable after the fact. Af-
can be used to accomplish amazing and nigh im- ter a player uses WP to do something wild
possible feats. As GM, it’s your job to accept or or impossible, the story could reflect that
refuse a player’s request for a crazy action. There’s socially. Witnesses then put that event into
not a whole lot of advice we can give here because story and song, and the troupe’s reputation
it’s all going to come down to the tone and tenor of spreads. For good or ill, they’ll have to live
your game: what you’ll allow and how wild things up to it. It’s often harder to deal with a pa-
can get. There’s a shifting scale between complete tron who expects miracles.
realism and action movie madness. The Fading If they can do it….: After a player uses WP in a
Suns rules sit somewhere in the middle. They’re melodramatic way, have at least one enemy
not terribly realistic (in real life, someone prob- attempt a similar feat, inspired by what the
ably wouldn’t survive more than one blaster hit, character did. In part, it’s to level the playing
if blasters were real), but they’re also not super- field, but mostly it shows that the characters’
heroic. With WP, you can choose to tilt the scale actions do move people to greater deeds; in
towards the more superheroic side. this case, it might work against them.
Here are some things to think about when grant- The plot thickens: WP can also introduce details
ing players their WP-fueled melodramatic moments. that will enrich the plot later. As an example,
Up the stakes: A character’s successful WP stunt the troupe succeeds in escaping the burning
might change the environment. For example, building, but they end up with a rescued kitten.
when they successfully swing from a chan- They later discover that the kitten belongs to
delier and land on their feet, it might detach the reclusive but influential baronet’s daughter.
from the ceiling and come crashing to the Returning it allows them an audience they oth-
ground, setting the room on fire. This doesn’t erwise wouldn’t have been granted.

10
Character Development crutches and run on your own, once you feel comfort-
able with your choice.
INTRODUCTION

DRAMA
One of your duties as GM is to set the pace at which You should vary this pace from drama to drama,
the troupe’s characters develop and grow: gaining new based on the overall weight of the dramatic stakes PEOPLE
levels, and thus new skills, characteristics, perks, etc. for any given drama (see Dramatic Stakes above). The PLACES
Before we get to that, let’s make one thing clear: higher the stakes, the faster the pace. You might pres-
Characters grow together, as a troupe. They don’t ent a murder mystery in a mansion that’s intriguing PLAYING
level up separately; all troupe members level up at and fun but doesn’t really provide a wide array of
the same time. Each troupe member’s deeds redound challenges, so characters grow at a prosaic pace. The
to the benefit of all. When a particular player can’t next drama might have the troupe whisked away
make it to a game session and their character is side- to confront a rogue vau mandarin and his army of
lined, they still level up along with the rest, even if Changed aliens. That one should probably be meteoric
they weren’t there to directly contribute to the affairs for the troupe — it’s almost impossible not to evolve
of the troupe. It’s their passion play. quickly after experiencing all that.
Don’t tell the players what the pace is beforehand!

Full Advance Let them find out as the drama plays out. If they’re
getting partial advances frequently, they’ll guess that
the stakes are high.
and Partial Advances PROSAIC PACE
As mentioned in Chapter 2: Characters in the
Character Book, the troupe doesn’t always have to A slow-paced drama tries to capture a more realistic
wait between levels to see some form of personal im- feel. When the pace is prosaic, people change slow-
provement. Between any two full level advances, you ly, not overnight. At the end of each drama, give the
can award partial advances. troupe one partial advance. By the end of five dra-
A partial advance allows a character to gain one of mas, let them advance the full level.
the trait increases awarded by a full level advance,
such as an increased skill, increased characteristic HEROIC PACE
ranks, or increased VP bank capacity. The player
chooses the trait category. This places the character An adventuresome drama can still be grounded in
one small step toward that full level advance, where verisimilitude. A heroic pace is sort of the standard
they gain all the trait improvements listed for the new or default mode for Fading Suns. When you’ve
level – all of them, that is, except the ones they’ve completed the middle point of a drama (see below),
already improved with a partial advance. If a player you reward the troupe with a partial advance. When
chose to gain a calling perk with a partial advance, you’ve completed the end of the drama, you give them
they don’t get that calling perk again when they get a another partial advance. By the end of three dramas,
full advance; they’ve already “spent” it. you advance them the full level.

Setting the Pace METEORIC PACE

Before you begin a new drama, you should set the The troupe may be chosen by destiny to become
pace of character development for that drama. As you the best of the best. They would then rise to pow-
get experienced with this process, you can just handle er at a startling rate. When the pace is meteoric,
it all on the fly, but when you’re starting out, it’s help- award a partial advance at the end of each act (or
ful to use some structure. We present three different game session) and a full level advance at the end of
pre-set paces as guidelines. Feel free to throw off these the drama.

11
 How to Run a Fading Suns Game
Fading Suns is an expansive game with a rich history.
Beginning gamemasters, as well as those with limited Step 1: Gathering the Troupe
planning time, might wonder where to start. The op- Troupes are named after the Diaspora-era miracle
tions are unlimited: Fading Suns caters to any and all play ensembles that spread tales of the words and
imaginations. This can, however, be a bit daunting, at deeds of the Prophet and his disciples across the
least in the beginning. The following steps provide a Known Worlds. In our current framing, all troupes,
quick-start guide, suggesting how you and your players even those not remotely like a miracle-play company,
can first engage with the game. These steps include: are considered to follow in the footsteps of that arche-
typal troupe. Their lives together enact a passion play,
GATHERING THE TROUPE a tale of trials and triumphs under the providence of
All games begin with players. Encouraging them to the Pancreator.
discuss and design together leads to a solid founda- A troupe’s passion refers to the ongoing story of how
tion. This doesn’t mean they have to share all their they meet and overcome terrible challenges, despite
secrets; they just need to create enough connections punishing setbacks and tragic downfalls. Like the me-
to function well as a group. To aid this, we’ve listed a dieval passion plays performed for the lower classes,
number of troupe archetypes. these stories aren’t exclusively spiritual. They can cer-
tainly be like carnivals in the vernacular sense; they can
DEVELOPING THE ARC be divine comedies, both farcical and happy-ending.
Decide on the main threads that will run through All of the stories track the progress of the troupe’s wyrd:
your epic (or skip this, if you’re only running a one- an old word of Urthish origins that in the 52nd-centu-
shot session). This mythology might be deeply con- ry of the Fading Suns means how one’s deeds are en-
nected to one particular character, linked to multiple tangled with capital-F “Fate.” Wyrd is often associated
goals, or paired with an impending threat, even if it’s with the invisible powers of the universe, most often
currently a hidden one. the Pancreator, but sometimes the powers of the occult.
In short, the troupe is the fundamental building
PREPPING FOR OPENING NIGHT block of a Fading Suns game.
While you and your players may have discussed their Everything revolves around this framework. The
characters’ connections as a troupe, Opening Night is troupe describes the individual characters as they
the first time they play together as their characters. Of- stand in relation to one another and their leader. To
ten, the focus of Opening Night is highlighting each speak in literary terms, the protagonist of a Fading
character and how they interact, especially with role- Suns drama is the entire troupe, not any single person
playing and dice rolling. Perhaps it’s a divisive party at in it. While certain dramas can highlight one charac-
court, an encounter with an inquisitorial lynch mob, ter more than the others, the overall passion play is
or a nasty bar brawl the troupe is thrust into (or caus- about all of them together: the ensemble. Many ex-
es). Within this Opening Night, you might introduce amples from sci-fi and fantasy stories concern groups:
the themes developed for your arc… or not. Players, the crew of a starship (whether it’s the U.S.S. Enter-
however, should gain a good idea of how they work prise or a Firefly-class transport) or a questing band
together and what the overall genre of the epic will be. (like in Fellowship of the Ring).
The game function of a troupe archetype is to estab-
CHART THE RUN lish a quick way to unify the party when competing
Look ahead to the games you’d like to run, once loyalties (and player preferences) pull them apart.
you’ve now seen how the players work together. Each archetype asks the players during character cre-
There’s no need for a full commitment to your plan. ation to figure out their places in the troupe, through
In fact, if your players are overly curious, too many their “pledge,” their “role,” and their “providence.”
details might trip you up if your players decide to A pledge describes their base motivation to be travel-
suddenly explore Malignatius instead of Rampart. In ing with the troupe. The most common reasons may
other words, think of the general setting you might include: fealty, which is a direct tie to a noble house
need (for example, an abandoned castle, a thriving as its vassal or ally; loyalty, which is looser than fe-
market, or a temple), the supporting cast of NPCs, alty and can be linked to past shared experiences or
and the plot highlights. Then allow for some wiggle temporary alliances; or necessity, because it’s frankly
room for filling in the specifics. dangerous to travel the Known Worlds alone.

12
 INTRODUCTION
A player’s role briefly describes what they do for the In each of the examples below, it’s accepted that one
troupe. What sort of quick descriptor would you use? of the players will assume the role of the troupe’s lead- DRAMA
For example, “she’s the…”: leader, counselor, body- er. This character is not in charge of the players; they
guard, Devil’s advocate, troublemaker, soldier, crafter, hold sway over the characters. Their role takes place PEOPLE
mechanic, etc. The only role that’s required in an ar- within the drama, not around the table, and it comes PLACES
chetypal troupe is the leader, the person who’s the center with rules advantages and responsibilities. The leader
of attraction or “north star” the group centers around. resolves ties for things like conflicts over the troupe cof- PLAYING
It’s a role that serves to establish long-term goals. fer and influences the initiative order. However, that
Providence is simply a fancy way of saying that, in means they’re also the one responsible for the troupe: if
Fading Suns, weird coincidences happen. It’s not someone screws up, it will be blamed on them.
unusual for members of the troupe to have had some
sort of brief interaction in the past or at least a dis- NOBLE ENTOURAGE
turbingly similar experience. (“You fought the symbi-
ots on Malignatius? I fought the symbiots on Dais- This is the default troupe type. The rules, especially
han!”) This gives characters something to bond over the GM advice and sample drama, are written as-
and talk about right from the start. suming this type. You can certainly adapt to other
The quickest way to start a game is to have the gam- types (see below); from time to time, we’ll give advice
emaster choose the troupe archetype below that best on how to do that.
fits with the genre the gamemaster would like to ex- Under this archetype, a single noble leads the group.
plore. Having said that, however, a wise gamemaster The typical roles of others in the troupe might consist of
always get feedback from the players and understands that noble’s bodyguards, priestly adviser, guild expert(s),
that, as everyone gets more familiar with the game, and all manner of useful aides and hangers-on, includ-
this kind of heavy-handed input should be reduced. ing aliens. Unlike the sycophants most nobles collect in
You might even find, over time, that the more expe- safer circumstances, this type of entourage hosts people
rienced players evolve their troupe type from one to important to the noble, requiring pledges of fealty that
another due to experience and circumstance. go beyond mere oaths, extending to life and death.

13
 When traveling, nobles tend to be hosted by the lo- SPIRITUAL MISSION
cal power structure (i.e. noble households, churches,
guildhalls) that’s in charge. It’s the best way for local A mission is an entourage, often funded by a Church
powers to gain information on the outside world or to patron, that follows a spiritual call or inquest. The call
use travelers who can take care of situations the local might arise from someone’s vision or as a desire to
authorities might want to keep their hands off. represent a particular article of faith. The missionary
troupe seeks this spiritual goal, testing its worth just
as it tests that of its members. An inquest is a prelimi-
TROUPE ALLEGIANCE: nary investigation into something that might threaten
the faith or the faithful, which might include potential
THE LEADER
heresy, though it’s just as likely they’re figuring out
People in the Known Worlds owe many differ- why a potential parish’s coffers keep draining.
ent allegiances: to friends, to family, to a fac- A mission differs from a noble entourage in that it’s
tion, to a fealty lord, to the Church, to the Em- shepherded by a holy figure, usually a priest, although
peror, all the way up to the Pancreator. The anyone who embodies the spiritual goal — a blessed
most immediate one for most, however, is the stable boy, a visionary midwife, a miraculous merce-
allegiance to one’s troupe. This is embodied by nary — could be its leader or shepherd.
the leader. A mission’s focus tends to be narrow in the begin-
The leader is the guiding light, moral cen- ning, and it’s very likely to be accosted by people
ter, or simply the captain of the troupe. They concerned about matters of faith. Rarely, this can
might (or might not) also be the public face of be something occult. Too often, it’s a complaint that
the troupe. This go-to figure for leadership in someone’s neighbor is a sinner. (“Why isn’t the local
the troupe provides the final word. Members priest dealing with it?”)
might bicker and backstab, but they’re all unit- Roles for missionaries can include a noble advis-
ed in service to the head of their troupe, and er (typically someone related to the priestly leader),
they know to put aside differences to accom- someone to serve as a devil’s advocate, a trader (be-
plish the troupe’s goals. cause coin can sometimes loosen tongues when a
The leader might be egalitarian, soliciting priest cannot), and possibly (depending on the locale)
votes from the troupe, or they might be inde- one or more bodyguards. Members often find them-
cisive and easily manipulated by one member selves attached to such circumstances out of loyalty,
after another, tugging the troupe from here to and it’s not uncommon for more than one member to
there on whims. It’s whatever the players have be working through penance for some past mistake.
elected to play: one player plays the leader and Because of their perceived connection to both the
the others figure out their parts in the company. divine and the common man, spiritual missions are
Who becomes the troupe’s leader is rarely a often hosted by the common folk, who are also more
decision to be made randomly by rolling dice. than willing to unburden their worries.
Players who want their characters to provide
the focus should present their arguments for MERCHANT CARAVAN
why their character is best suited for the role.
This does not have to be judged simply on Caravans operate in an odd gray area. While often
in-game merit  — one character might a bet- legal and often anticipated by the towns they visit,
ter leader than another — because it depends most folks also openly believe that outside caravans
on what everybody wants to play. The Hawk- encourage criminal activities and might even kidnap
wood might be the most even-tempered, but people if they’re not careful. Sadly, their fears aren’t
the hot-headed Hazat is sure to push them into entirely unjustified.
interesting times. “Caravan master” is the title given to the merchant
The GM can certainly weigh in here, voic- in charge, but their primary focus is protecting the in-
ing their preference, but in the end, it’s a de- vestment, which serves as a shorthand for the reason
cision the whole group needs to make. Some why the caravan exists. Other members of the troupe
characters will object now and then to the might be hirelings, their old friends, or actors in a
leader’s stated wants and needs, but this is miracle play that travels with them across the stars.
where the roleplaying challenge comes in: how Motivations for a caravan can often be broken down
does the leader make sure everyone gets what to retrieval versus recovery. Retrieval can be framed
they want? as trade (you retrieve the cash for the goods prom-
ised), but most often it involves securing a known

14
 INTRODUCTION
asset. Recovery entails going after knowledge or items might hire the troupe themselves or represent an
that have been lost or deliberately obscured. organization’s interests, such as a spy agency that DRAMA
And part of the reason for their unsavory reputa- uses the troupe to complete impossible missions.
tion? That would be locals wanting to get out of town The patron(s) might be openly known to the troupe PEOPLE
due to trouble or maybe a teen who just wants some and/or those they encounter, or their actual identi- PLACES
adventure for a while. There are plenty of reasons ty (or identities) might be hidden, a secret to their
why one or two folks might want to “disappear” and charges (as they contact the troupe via audio or PLAYING
go on the road, at least until the next stop. dead-drops messages).
Roles within the caravan include a priestly adviser Even though the patron is the ostensible, if distant,
(often to keep locals in line if they become hostile), a leader of the troupe, the troupe still needs a player
quartermaster to tend to the cargo or the destination, leader, usually the character who serves as its “face.”
a navigator to make sure they find their way there, Leadership might even change per job. If the job is
and some manner of folk to protect or secure the in- to break into a palace, perhaps the Scraver is put
vestment. Caravans are frequently driven by neces- in charge. If it’s to rescue a holy child, perhaps the
sity. Maybe someone needs to pay off a past debt; Amalthean leads the quest.
perhaps someone wants to get some distance from an A troupe like this often includes an adviser who
unpleasant situation in the past. looks out for the patron’s needs, a navigator and/or
While on the move, merchant caravans are usually guide, and muscle to make sure things go right when
hosted by guildhalls or outcasts who are unafraid of it gets tense. These types of patronage troupes are
the dangers of technology. commonly driven by loyalty or necessity and linked
providentially to shared past experiences that attract-
BONDED BAND ed the patron’s attention in the first place.
A patronage can’t usually rely on being hosted
This troupe is a tight-knit group of rough equals or in the same manner as other troupe archetypes.
“band of brothers.” Most likely, it’s a yeoman-led They’ll have to make their way as they see fit until
troupe – such as an ex-military unit, cell of exiles or they achieve their mission. That means they’ll have
outlaws, or a pirate crew (perhaps Vuldrok raiders) – to deal with local dangerous creatures, bandits, or
but it could also be a band of Questing Knights or a hazards others would normally try to avoid during
group like the Three Musketeers. their travels.
Like a caravan, the bonded band has a leader po-
sition: the “captain,” whose main goal is to keep an
eye on whatever job the troupe needs to do to keep A WORD OF ADVICE:
their freedom. A mission leader is often selected for IN ALL FAIRNESS….
their expertise. At the end, though, all profits are split
evenly with a share going to all the people involved, Troupe archetypes are presented with options
or perhaps a share and a half goes to the leader and for certain factions being in charge. Given this
people who are absolutely mission-critical. structure, over time, some characters may end
Bands tend to attract the occasional healer, mas- up bossing others around. If one player doesn’t
ter-at-arms, and bosun (in this case, the person tasked want another player to do that, that relation-
with keeping and acquiring needed supplies). Com- ship should ideally be worked out during the
plex ties of loyalty keep the life of band members clos- troupe’s formation and character creation.
er than most families. But even when roles are agreed upon ahead of
Bands may be recognized and welcome in public time, gameplay can cause friction over issues
spaces under some circumstances (as in the Vuldrok of agency.
worlds), but in the Known Worlds, the local law tends Try to resolve this in-game by using inci-
to start tracking them as soon as they enter town. This dents appropriate to the setting. Not even
can push them into the weird corners of the world. nobles have complete free reign  — they’re
The troupe might end up camping in forgotten ruins consistently countered by Church and League
or sheltering in artificially designed cliffside tunnels. power. Bossing the wrong people around has
consequences. Even a merchant character
PATRONAGE who’s not on good terms with their guild can
get aid and assistance from them, so long as
Sometimes a troupe has an offstage patron, an that would put a noble or priest in their place
NPC who sponsors its journey. This patron can be whenever the guild’s power is questioned.
anyone: noble, priest, merchant, alien, etc. They

15
 Step 2: Developing the Arc Two families at war, their children in love, violence
ensues, the product of their love changes destiny. (Ro-
The architecture for creating an epic follows a tra- meo, Juliet) Romeo and Juliet — Relationships
jectory similar to a single drama. Come up with a Two nations at war, their children in love, violence
basic story, figure out what category of fiction it falls ensues, the product of their love changes destiny. (Dr.
in, and plot out the basic beats you should have to Erskine, Howard Stark) Captain America: The First
tell the full story. Avenger — War
That’s it. Those are the only elements you need to Two houses at war, their children in love, violence
be successful. Because tabletop gaming is interactive, ensues, the product of their love changes destiny.
the details may fluctuate over time, but so long as you (Duke Leto, Lady Jessica) Dune — Fate of Empires
understand your basic structure, you’ll be okay. One way to use a genre, spelled out in Step 3 below,
is to use the framework of beats. In theatrical produc-
THE BASIC STORY, tions, beats are the smallest division of the story. They
are concise, defined moments of change, backed up
A.K.A. “THE PITCH”
by the raw settings placed around them. Beats are the
Each epic possesses a theme that’s echoed, com- necessary sequence by which the story flows, so if your
plemented, or even contrasted in each drama. The script says “in fair Verona, where we lay our scene…”,
description of this over-arching theme is like an “el- you know that this beat employs an urban setting, it’s
evator pitch”: Describe your story as if you were public, and that something is about to go down right
trapped on an elevator with another author. This now. These elements must be there to set the next point.
clarification is for you, not the players, although you The beats of a genre also make your story feel a spe-
should share it with them if you feel they’d enjoy cific way. Your players can quickly suss out that they’re
helping you mold this story. in an adventure, or a war epic, or a horror story. Genres
The pitch covers the broad beats of what you want work by setting a steady and identifiable rhythm to the
to see over the course of the epic. For example: beats you lay down. (You can find examples in Step 3.)
“Two households, both alike in dignity, from an- In the context of an epic, they’re told over multiple ep-
cient grudge break to new mutiny, from forth the fatal isodes: Bringing about the downfall of a crime family,
loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross’d lovers take for example, is more than stopping a single heist. Here’s
their life; whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows do a brief examination of a number of appropriate genres
bury their parents’ strife.” (Apologies to The Bard.) and how they specifically can be brought into your epic.
What does that mean? Well, there are two distinct
sides, they hate each other, their kids fall in love, mis- ADVENTURE
chief ensues, violence ensues, and the end product of The default setting for Fading Suns, this genre plays
that situation alters the destiny of those two sides. out for nobles along the lines of The Three Musketeers,
In an epic, you’d take your time unraveling this centered around long-running courtly intrigue. This
pitch. One session might introduce one of the families. genre is often combined with others, as it’s very flex-
Another might cover a running street fight between ible. For a spiritual mission, this kind of story might
the two sides. Between these scenarios, there might be emphasize the journey over the ending. A merchant
unconnected side adventures the troupe goes on that caravan would look forward to unexpected complica-
highlight your theme. The epic slowly builds to those tions that can net a larger end profit.
points, and inevitably, it works towards an end.
FATE OF EMPIRES
GENRE: CATEGORIES OF FICTION Fading Sun’s backstory is dominated by the politics of
power with all its vicious tongues, betrayals, and out-
Fading Suns accommodates all sorts of stories in its right war. Even if the troupe never directly participates
setting, mimicking genres from all over the spectrum. in the trifecta politics of Nobility-Church-League, its
Though it’s grounded in a science-fiction setting, it ripples spread out to affect their lives. Spiritual mis-
has many similarities with fantasy: feudal social struc- sions tend to rile up the concerns of the faithful. A
tures, occult mysteries, and a Golden Age that lies in caravan would be more likely to use the gap between
the past (the Second Republic). both sides to gain an advantage.
Within these genres, you can tell all sorts of other
types of stories. The convention of a genre can guide FRONTIER
you on how to run your initial pitch. Let’s take the At its height, the Second Republic boasted connections
example from the Bard above, tweak it a little, and see to hundreds of worlds and the possibility that perhaps
what genre does for it. thousands more were available via jumpgate. With

16
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

the contraction brought on by the Fall and the Fading Horror is an ideal genre for a troupe of spiritual
Suns phenomenon, even the worlds left often devolved missionaries, since they’re often compelled to investi-
into untamed edges of what used to be, containing the gate threats that may endanger the soul. Caravans are
secrets of centuries buried often just out of reach. Be- highly likely to avoid these situations at all costs, which
cause of this isolation, uncovering those secrets takes makes things worse when they’re drawn in without a
time and multiple incursions into unknown space. simple way to escape. The nobility, though… they’re
Noble troupes often reach out to reclaim Lost just as often drawn into a tangled web of their own
Worlds for the good of humanity. Spiritual missions making, often while they try to consolidate power
deal with Lost Worlds on a case-by-case basis, con- mortals were never meant to have.
demning or embracing them, even if it might upset
the more conservative orthodoxy. Caravans fall more MYSTERY
on the reckless side, pulling in resources from the Fading Suns maintains an overall mood of religious mys-
edge and making them available as soon as they can. tery. Stories in this genre are often about solving a partic-
ular problem. A puzzle is presented, so the troupe must
HORROR uncover clues until the mystery is solved and the perpetra-
Imagine a legacy of several thousand years where tor is uncovered. This is a common genre for caravans, as
the Powers that Be claim everything is under control, the dramatic reveal leads to their success (or failure) in ob-
even as they downplay accounts of alien terrors that taining goods. Granted, the reveal could identify a crime,
can modify a person, a city, or the world’s very es- but sometimes the target deserves their fate. Mysteries are
sence. Ancient aliens who went to war and apparent- also stock and trade for the nobility, as people rely on their
ly annihilated each other left behind devices without liege lords to deal with situations they cannot.
instructions or warnings. Now think about the other While mysteries often come packaged as single dra-
things that crawl, slither, and worship these beings. mas, they can easily be built into an epic: perhaps the
You can tell many horror stories in that setting, if story involves taking down that Muster boss with his
you dare, and many of them won’t need to fit into thriving human trafficking ring, uncovering a noble’s
just one telling. The roots of evil runs deep in some conspiratorial ties with aliens, or finding a serial killer
corners of the universe. hiding among the respected clergy.

17
 RELATIONSHIPS law and the Inquisition or needing to confront ec-
It should provide little surprise that in a game based clesiastical abuses of power. Merchant caravans find
around the personal dynamics of a troupe, relation- themselves as patsies, hired for one task that turns
ships can be fertile ground for drama. They may de- out to be another job entirely, perhaps with them as
velop between members of the troupe, or the troupe the scapegoats.
might foster them by empowering others as they make
their journey across the stars. Relationship sagas can WAR
be tragic, leading to an unfortunate end, or romantic, War stories are action-centered, following the
which (in older parlance) means it’s an emotional sto- troupe’s exploits and how they impact pieces of his-
ry that ends happily. tory. Often this genre highlights how devastating
Volumes have been written on courtly romances, war can be to those who are tangentially connected
and many of them feature a helpful priest. As a to it. Taking care of people while the world is falling
spiritual mission, this type of story can resolve iniq- apart is a vital part of a spiritual mission. Caravans
uities while bringing resolution to a dire situation. often deal with impossible logistics under extreme
Caravans, who have been known to pick up strays, time pressures. Troupes aligned with noble houses
often get sucked into these types of sagas despite often lead the war effort.
their own best interests. In their defense, though,
these stories do make for wonderful tales around
the fire. Step 3:
Relationship epics work well when they’re mixed
with other experiences over time. For example, a re-
lationship drama might work its way into one session,
Prepping for Opening Night
followed by a couple of adventures and a mystery. Opening Night is the first drama within your epic.
Then when the relationship is revisited, these experi- It can set the tone for everything yet to come. Be-
ences can highlight how a pair has either grown closer fore everyone begins the epic proper in the next
or drifted apart. drama, Opening Night can act as a proving ground
where they become familiar with their characters
SPECULATIVE and the setting.
The speculative genre immerses a troupe in a situa-
tion alien to their own. Perhaps it’s the world of the SCENARIO DESIGN
ur-ukar or the hells of an ascorbite hive on Severus.
It might be a mining colony, separated from human A scenario is an outline or synopsis of your drama.
contact for too long. In any case, exploration is devia- It’s your blueprint or plan for what will happen in
tion from the norm. the drama, although the players will almost certainly
For a long time, civilization has relied upon the challenge your plans and require you to change them.
nobility as a buffer between humankind and the That’s why you should start with an outline that keeps
alien. More spiritually oriented individuals find such the big picture in mind. When the details change in
epics often challenge their own perceived position in reaction to the players, you can alter your cast, props,
the Pancreator’s universe, whether for better or for and backdrops as necessary to keep the overall sce-
worse. Caravans see this type of story as a way to nario viable.
expand their understanding, so they’re likely to dive When creating a drama to run for your troupe,
deep, which might get them into a situation they you’ll need to figure out their entry into the story. For
can’t get out of. a place to start, we’ve provided some genre frame-
works below. You can use their beats (or “plot turns”)
THRILLER in their listed sequences to give your drama a real
Stories set within this genre push the troupe into a sense of genre. These are tried-and-true methods for
place of paranoia, peeling back a never-ending se- creating stories — the skeleton structure beneath the
ries of layers. While some mysteries are thrillers, this surface of a tale.
genre is equally featured in espionage and noir tales. In addition, the following questions can help you
Problems are not always solved, and resolutions are form dramas. These questions are for you to an-
not always happy ones. Noble entourages may find swer, not the players; they’ll get to answer these for
ties of fealty dragging them into a hall-of-mirrors themselves as they play out your drama. This top-
conflict that that spirals out of control. Spiritual ic is covered in more depth in Dramatic Structure,
missions may find themselves dealing with Church ­listed below.

18
 INTRODUCTION
1. WHAT HAPPENS?
In an RPG, your answer to this question needs to SCENE CARD DRAMA
be open-ended to account for the astonishing de-
cisions players make. It could be relatively linear, For each scene you plan ahead of time, you PEOPLE
although most players could then feel they’re being should have a card listing its vital info. (Not PLACES
“railroaded” to a predetermined destination and all your scenes are preplanned, however;
that their choices don’t matter. It’s best if your out- some just happen spontaneously based on the PLAYING
line is a very loose series of happenings that could troupe’s choices and your reactions.) Use the
take place out of your intended order, depending template below; you can also take a look at
on how the troupe responds to things. Start with Nightmare in Yngmark (in Chapter 4: Playing
the classic three components — a solid beginning, a the Game) for examples.
filling middle, and a tentative end — and work the
rest out from there. SCENE TITLE
What (plot): Write a brief plot summary
2. WHAT’S IT ABOUT? with 1 or 2 sentences describing what happens
The answer to this question isn’t the plot; it’s the (or, at least, what you intend to happen).
theme. Your high-level concept animates the drama, Who (cast): Make a list of the NPCs who
giving meaning to its disparate parts. This idea is ex- appear in the scene. (See Chapter 2: People
plored in more detail under Theme in the section on for info on creating their separate trait cards.)
Dramatic Structure, listed below. Where (setting): Include a brief descrip-
tion of the place(s) where the scene happens
3. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? and any notable features.
This answer describes the atmosphere, tone, or Notes: If you want, add any special notes
mood you wish to convey. Although the details can you’ll want to know  — or remind yourself
vary from scene to scene, there should be an overall about — before you run the scene.
tone to the drama as a whole, which helps to give it
some coherence and support the theme.
GENRE FRAMEWORKS
4. SCENE BREAKDOWN
Once you’ve established the details above, you can The barest basics of various genres were introduced in
block the drama scene by scene, coloring and illumi- Step 2. In this next step, we’ll introduce some frame-
nating it with theme and atmosphere. A scene takes works you can use for crafting your dramas. They ar-
place between the rise of the curtain and its drop; af- en’t strictly necessary, but they can give your dramas
ter that, the set and props are rearranged for the next the coherence of a well-told tale within their genre.
scene. These frameworks are made up of beats, plot
• Scene Card: Just as each player character gets a sheet turns that embody stories within genres. They
and each NPC gets a card, a scene should also get indicate archetypal change points in each genre
its own card. On it, briefly list the “what” of the that the troupe needs to meet to move the story
scene (its plot), the “who” (NPC cast), and the forward. Everything around them — the cast (PCs
“where” (its place). Also choose the scene’s title: and NPCs), backdrops (places, environments), and
“The Strange Sigil,” “A Peculiar Meeting,” “The props (prominent items of tech or occult power,
Angry Deacon,” “A Shortcut Through Fungi,” etc. whether they’re MacGuffins that are never used
• Inciting incident (beginning): Each scene has an incit- but which lure the PCs forward into action or de-
ing incident, the first thing that happens when the vices vital to the success of an endeavor) — serve as
curtain rises, which could simply be “the troupe raw material to establish these changes.
enters the room.” The beats listed below are typical for their genres,
• Main action (middle): This card describes the main but they’re not exhaustive; other beat sequences are
thing that happens in the scene. There can be mi- possible. However, when you veer too much from
nor actions, too, but if you need a new main ac- them, you’re probably heading into a new genre (or
tion, that’s probably a whole new scene. a hybrid genre). While the beats typically remain
• Curtain drop (ending): When the main action has the same for most dramas within a genre, the details
been resolved, the curtain drops and ends the change with each drama.
scene. The curtain drop is always a consequence Beats come in sequences. In this framework, all
of the players interacting with your plans, showing the beats need to be hit for the drama to end. An
how that all worked out. adventure story begins with an inciting incident (the

19
 “Mission”) that sets off a quest (the “Journey”) which, Beats (Mundane): No One Around, A Cry for Help,
through a series of complications, ends in the reso- The Monsters Look Normal, We Can’t Un-See This
lution of the inciting incident (the “Return”). If the Examples:
duchess is missing her rare diamonds, the troupe On a warship between ports of call, an unexpected
must find them; the story won’t end until they’re re- call from the hold, the bridge crew are slavers, unruly
turned. Another way to put it would be that the story slaves are fed to the passengers
won’t end satisfactorily until the troupe restores the In the revered monastery, a suicide committed,
diamonds. If they fail, the adventure fails. The fine pleas for help ignored, an ancient heresy flowers
details of just how this plays out can vary (maybe the In the Old Sewers beneath the town, a scream
diamonds belong to a Scraver crime lord instead of heard, those poor souls look like Engineers, human
the duchess), but the overall framework is the same. experiments, the baron approves
Beats (Supernatural): Situation Normal, Some-
ADVENTURE thing has Changed, In Too Deep, Never Again Normal
Beats: The Mission, the Journey, the Unfamiliar In the revered monastery, the walls bleed, a
Location, the Unexpected Complication, the Return wronged soul seeks vengeance, innocents are lost
Examples: On a warship between ports of call, a jumpkey mal-
• The missing diamonds (Mission), a ticking clock function, something has possessed a passenger, “did
( Journey), the mountain hideout (Unfamiliar Lo- you actually kill it?”
cation), it was the lover behind it?! (Unexpected In the Old Sewers beneath the town, there are no rats,
Complication), grave consequences (Return) the hatchlings were hungry, where is their mother?
• The rumored bones of a saint (Mission), death ap-
proaches ( Journey), the abandoned church (Un- MYSTERY
familiar Location), those bones aren’t real (Unex- Beats: The Puzzle Revealed, The Game is Afoot,
pected Complication), the miracle occurs (Return) Clues & Clues & Clues, Everyone’s a Suspect, the
• Rumor of ancient tech (Mission), a hostile planetoid Opportunity Presented, the Dramatic Reveal
(Journey), the forbidden ruins (Unfamiliar Loca- Examples:
tion), what have we unleashed? (Unexpected Com- The treaty is missing, the ambassadors arrive
plication), how to profit from a disaster (Return) soon, a conspiracy among nobles, the priest has
been encouraging them, a page was seen, hidden in
FATE OF EMPIRES plain sight
Beats: The Powers that Be, the Opposition Uncov- Dead body in the wine vat, accusations of here-
ered, Secrets Revealed, the New Normal sy, reformed heretics among the faithful, inquisitors
Examples: with agendas, a hidden library, a lost artifact worth
A courtly ball, an alliance threatened, profit in war, killing for
a new alliance formed The body in the locked bunker, the only one with
A vehement sermon, tithing refused, a clergyman the codes, a botched project and hidden deaths, an-
in illicit debt, rallying to save the church gry engineers, they are covering for each other, a
A contract signing, weapons for madmen, dire group effort
leverage revealed, neutralizing the weapons
RELATIONSHIPS
FRONTIER Beats: What the Heart Wants, There are Issues,
Beats: The Edge of Nowhere, the Threat from Out- The Heart Rejected, Grand Gesture, The Heart Em-
side, Taming the Untamable, Pushing Out the Edge braced or Denied
Examples: Examples:
• Reclaiming the jungle, it comes at night, the hatch- • She was only seen once, “but he loves her com-
ery uncovered, it now guards us well pletely”, despite their difference in status, an ad-
• The town of heretics, the hermit from the wilder- venture might grant him favor, “but will her par-
ness, their occult powers contested, faith rekindled ents agree?”
• The ruined city, poison seeps from the ground, an • They were siblings, one to war & the other to the
AI gone rogue, a new program established clergy, now one has fallen in battle, can healing be
brought, can the soldier be forgiven?
HORROR • There is a child, but the parents are known
Horror can roughly be divided into a couple of cate- warriors, on the wrong sides of the battlefield,
gories, including “the gruesome in the mundane” and struggling to bring the child to safety, will both
“the violation of nature.” Each has its own elements. parents survive?

20
 INTRODUCTION
SPECULATIVE KEEP THE END IN SIGHT
Beats: Far from Home, A Curious People, More DRAMA
Different than You Think, Fatal Misunderstanding, Someone in the troupe reclaims their family’s dukedom;
An Uncomfortable Resolution the Scraver becomes the Godfather of Criticorum; the ukar PEOPLE
Examples: avenges his clan’s genocide. PLACES
• A hive wants to trade, a long history of exchange, All good stories, even epic ones, have an end. As
they’re taking hostages, hostages are used as egg you examine your plots, keep in mind the steps need- PLAYING
hosts, we still need what they make ed for the overall story to succeed. At its simplest, sto-
• A mining asteroid, they’ve adapted to vacuum, ries can fall into a minimum of three parts: introduce
worshiping the Long Dark, the Dark answers, the the protagonists and their problem, show the prob-
dangers become obvious lem getting complicated (the longest part of the story),
• A Second Republic experiment, they look like us, and then watch it resolve.
they copy us too perfectly, they no longer need the A lot of the details on how to do this are covered
originals, the experiment must end in Dramatic Structure, listed below, but for simplicity’s
sake, prepare a bulleted list covering the broad strokes.
THRILLER If you find your troupe wandering off track, consider
Beats: The Door Opens, It’s Complicated, In Too how their adventures are building either their charac-
Deep, Raising the Stakes, But There’s a Twist, Walk- ters or their knowledge of the world before introduc-
ing Away ing a scenario that brings things back in line.
Examples:
• Ordered to help, overstepped their orders, now MYTH ARC VS. SHIP-IN-A-BOTTLE
we’re in charge, mutiny was a surprise, this isn’t
the real crew, only a few abandon the ship Myth arc stories involve the core elements of your long-
• Lady seems sincere, dead husband not dead yet, term epic. A drama featuring a myth arc prominently
many want to “talk” to you, that thing he has will advances the “mythology” behind your story. The myth
kill us all, not really the one in charge, guess the arc doesn’t have to be a series of beats in your epic; some-
bishop will get away with it times, the arc is there to fill in critical information or
• Proposal was suspicious, thought that sounded too provide a setting that your players need to enjoy the run.
easy, now we’re trapped in here, trapped with those
things, but this was his plan all along, now he gets
to spend time with them A WORD OF ADVICE:
THE DANCE
WAR
Beats: The Mission Uncovered, Things Take You’re in a dance with your players to pres-
a Turn, A Desperate Situation, The Price Must be ent a drama. Sometimes they’ll take the lead
Paid, Remembering the Dead and pull you in another direction. Sometimes
Examples: you’ll lead. Here’s the best advice: breathe.
• “Take that hill!”, that’s not really a hill, that’s an Don’t be afraid to trust in a good time; if all of
abandoned ruin, “who can turn off these war ma- you are enjoying yourselves, then enjoy it. You
chines?”, “no one left behind!” can and should address what happened open-
• Both sides are coming, the townsfolk can’t leave, a ly after the game is over: “This wasn’t what I
site of strategic importance, negotiating a surren- planned, but I had a great time. Next time, do
der, burying family you mind if we start with this?”
• They need these supplies, the enemy holds the During the game, if things are not working,
roads, everyone’s getting bombed, someone must take a break for a moment. Get a drink. Clear
take the hill, arriving a little late your head. Sometimes a look or a hint will get
players back into the rhythm, or you can enlist

Step 4: Chart the Run a single player to help you pull things back (the
leader is perfect for this role). And if you’re not
Once you’ve got the epic started, it’s best to start flesh- enjoying yourself, stop and address it with your
ing out where you want it to go. You may know its players. Be gentle on yourself and them. Re-
basic pitch, its genre, and the plot of the first game, mind them that you’re all here to have a good
but what comes next? time and that this is a cooperative venture;
most importantly, though, remind yourself.

21
 Ship-in-a-bottle episodes are more restricted in BEGINNING
scope, focusing on character moments or unrelat-
ed adventures. These sessions are opportunities for The beginning of any drama occurs when someone
players to stretch their imaginations while characters comes up with an inspired idea or when a new con-
stretch their own individual agendas. Bottle episodes flict arises from a previous drama. This can come
are also allowed to diverge from the epic’s genre. Do from you (the gamemaster), from any member of the
you need a spot of comedy to lighten up that dark troupe, or through discussion about the game. The
thriller you’re running? The break may heighten key to a drama’s successful start is that the end can
emotions when the characters eventually return to be conceived. This hint at the ending is limited by its
the next myth arc session. nature. Ideally, an item will be recovered, the barony
Another reason for bottle episodes? Well, if your will be saved, or the abomination from the Dark will
preparation for the next big myth arc session acciden- be destroyed. Realistically, over the course of play,
tally got derailed, it’s a great way to take a quick break things usually turn out quite differently….
without disengaging the players.
THE HOOK

Dramatic Structure
There’s an old saying: “Talk is cheap.” The same
principle applies to ideas. Yes, it’s essential to develop
a theme, but if you can’t get the troupe together, and
Fading Suns stories break
down into units: dramas (1 to
6 sessions or acts) and epics (2
or more interrelated dramas).
You can use these dramatic
structures as a form of short-
hand to help monitor the pac-
ing of your game.

Dramas
Dramas are a way of describing
self-contained sections of the
game. They can be episodic,
where the narrative play is fully
contained in one episode, or se-
rial (ongoing). Serial dramas are
framed with a story arc similar
to a television show, leveraging
an average of 3 to 6 game ses-
sions to tell a larger, linked story.
Each drama is bound by a simi-
lar setup, which includes: the be-
ginning, providing a clear theme
and an impetus that starts play;
the middle, where the players’
actions set the tone (and the
theme could change or reveal
deeper thematic layers); and
the end, where the gamemaster
and the troupe knit the threads
together, bringing the story to
a satisfying conclusion… often
leading to some new questions,
threads, or signposts that can
point to the next drama.

22
 INTRODUCTION
if you can’t come up with the starting point, that idea that’s already in media res: the story could start
is essentially useless. Hand-in-hand with the begin- with characters in the middle of an action-packed DRAMA
ning of the drama comes the reason why the charac- scene. For those who enjoy a lot of suspense, up the
ters are involved. This rationale sets the initial stakes, stakes. For example, if the story is not resolved by PEOPLE
which can always be raised later with a plot twist. the deadline, two houses will go to war. PLACES
Properly baiting your hook also sets expectations for
consequences if the initial stakes are lost. Here are CONFLICT PLAYING
some cheats to get the action started. Conflict, in this context, relates to the theme. You’ve got
• The easiest technique is drawing on the troupe a hook to get things in motion, but how is that issue em-
leader’s background or goals. If an old friend asks bodied? Put differently, what is the troupe up against?
for help, the leader can bring the whole troupe • It’s common enough to make a conflict that’s Per-
along to achieve it. If an unresolved conflict from son versus Person. The conflict is then embodied
the past arises, the leader will need the troupe to in a specific member of the troupe. In some situ-
help them put the matter to rest. ations, the antagonist holds the power. Perhaps an
• The troupe might suffer a restriction. Perhaps a rebel- Orthodox priest has declared the troupe under in-
lion has begun, and no one is leaving until the victor quisitorial investigation, or maybe the antagonist is
is sorted out. Maybe a Church interdiction means the target: an heir to an estate has fled the site of a
the troupe’s visit to an Ur tech site results in their not murdered guilder.
being allowed into the only city with a starport. The • The complication of Person versus Technology
key to a restriction is that it must be broad enough takes on added meaning in Fading Suns. Tech-
to impact all of the characters, so they can channel nology compels others to advance its own agenda.
their collective efforts into the narrative. That drive might lead simple farmhands to enslave
• The troupe can share a setting. Each character, nearby towns with a golem they dug up. An ad-
regardless of their class or status, comes from the vanced biotechnological device counseling a physi-
same area to start with, and the conflict is then cian may advise him to raise his daughter from the
something that compromises their sense of home. dead. A myriad of “normal” problems are possible:
Consider a locale like the cirrus-tipped spires of A terraforming device malfunctions, or a vaccina-
Leagueheim or the foreboding rune-halls of Har- tion machine no one knows how to operate needs
gard. What about a monastery half-hidden in the to be fixed, so the heroes can halt a plague before
rolling hills of Vril-Ya or a bath house for the nobil- it spreads. Even less bizarre situations can deliver a
ity set just above the great market of Istakhr? dramatic edge: technological know-how is, by ne-
• The story could start with an individual. Perhaps cessity, segregated in Known Worlds society, so how
the priest in your troupe hears in confession that do you fix a starship in battle when the crewmen
the faceless assassin Azar an-Hakar has arrived on with the needed skills are already dead?
the planet. Maybe a guild member in the troupe is
informed that the merchant-queen, Syrena Temak
(whose last appearance heralded a cargo shipment
that almost caused a war across three systems), has A WORD OF ADVICE:
just come through the jumpgate. A noble character THE GREAT LEVELER
could hear whispers hinting that the ukar terrorist,
Misha, who may or may not be a spy for the Deca- Technology can be an immense force, making
dos, has been spotted at the local agora. the powerless quite powerful. It can humble
• The troupe may get drawn into an event. Imagine even the most prideful troupe, but eventually,
a book-burning at the Eskatonic chaplain’s private too much of it will end up in the characters’
library. Consider an explosion in the cargo hold, hands. Use the strictures built into the setting
where the passengers’ luggage was secured. What to limit its sudden ability to upend things. In
if a local goodwoman is found murdered with other words, make it scarce and make it scary.
crystal-clear evidence that the baron’s nephew is As a variation on Anton Chekhov’s gun: If in
involved? What happens when a priest is accused the first act, you have hung a blaster on the wall,
of apostasy by a local guilder who has some very then in the following act, someone from the In-
convincing footage to back it up? quisition could confiscate it. Alternatively, that
• The troupe could face a deadline. Players who enjoy smart gun might be a little too smart, as it sudden-
intrigue might want to get involved when the setup ly realizes the character wielding it is technically
is in its initial stages. Others may relish the com- an “enemy soldier” despite having been born a
plications that occur by being thrown into a scene thousand years after the gun’s manufacture date.

23
 • When designing a Person versus Society plot, con- take place. Rather than a linear journey through a
sider a particular cultural segment’s long-standing series of plot points, as in a movie or novel, a game
traditions and then adapt them into something session is more typically a jumble of encounters that
worth challenging. Perhaps the characters need to are held together in a meaningful pattern by how they
increase the acceptance of an Eskatonic sect by the echo the theme, which provides the central question.
normally Orthodox Li-Halan. The argument the Whenever you are at a loss as to what should hap-
Li-Halan present is conservative: Their ancestors pen next in a drama, look to your theme for guidance.
walked down a heretical path, and they don’t want The following are some samples of themes and where
to do it again. However, without the help of the they may take you:
Eskatonics, symbiots will overrun an entire town. • The ends do not justify the means. In a universe where
• The Fading Suns phenomenon, which has caused miracles, alien powers, and high technology exist,
ecological troubles across the Known Worlds, sets it’s very easy to allow those tools to fulfill a noble
the stage for a number of Person versus Environ- goal without fully examining the cost. How horri-
ment scenarios. Take, for example, a fishing route fying would it be to save the orphanage at the cost
used by a group of people for millennia. What do of annually feeding a young life to the alien entities
they do when the currents suddenly shift and the protecting it?
fish go with it? How will the characters deal with • The ends justify the means. Inverting the previous
the locals’ imminent starvation? Will they brave theme, consider a story that provides a reason why
the dangerous waters and collect enough food for the nobles, Church, and League share the Privi-
everyone, buying time for a lasting solution? lege of Martyrs doctrine – the ruling that allows
• In addition to all the alien races and ancient ar- them to wield high technology. They’re required
tifacts in the Known Worlds, mysterious forces to take actions and make decisions for the greater
defy conventional wisdom, creating Person versus good that put their souls at risk. Shirking that duty
Weird conflicts. A ghost is haunting a castle. Is it could result in social isolation or even temporary
a magic lantern trick? A psychic projection? Or, exile. Sometimes the troupe will need to activate a
as the local Eskatonic warns, is it something far war golem to protect a town, even if the cost is be-
more sinister? The Li-Halan Garden Worlds are ing tasked to destroy it afterwards before it threat-
rife with little corners that bear the stench of an- ens the city.
cestral evils, and the Istakhr market has seen more • Things are never as they seem. The Known Worlds
than its share of items that can only be described harbor many moral systems, sometimes contra-
as “cursed.” dictory and often conflicting. What code will the
• The most challenging form of conflict is Person troupe adopt? What happens when they find their
versus Self. In this conflict, the characters and their worst enemy has the same moral code? How will
past actions gave birth to the problem they must they react when they learn their most trusted ally
now face. How do they deal with the consequenc- is an apostate?
es, not only because of what they’ve done, but also
because of that part of themselves that attracted MIDDLE
such an insidious end?
The middle of the drama is the biggest part of the
THEME narrative, because it’s the part where the players real-
A theme acts as the beating heart and unifying soul ly come in. As each player gets to experience dealing
of the drama at hand. As a function of a passion play, with each other and you, there’s an excellent chance
the theme can spring from any sort of sin or virtue the ideas will flow — and that can lead to the need for
you can think of, but more properly, it plays out as a quick fixes when things go wrong.
single sentence that embodies the drama as it emerg- Does the setting feel unfocused? Pull things back by
es. It can be a statement (“Lusting after your neigh- making it local. Let’s say a Charioteer decides to con-
bor’s property is wrong”), or it can be a question. (“Is tact a Scraver acquaintance on Leagueheim to get a
it a sin to defy a moral authority to help the more rundown on an Orthodox priest. Instead of handing
deserving?”) That prompt doesn’t have to provide an off information, perhaps he’s told to get in touch with
obvious answer or suggest a clear outcome. In fact, the local guild officer, a grumpy customs official who’s
a good theme flows into the action without forcing going to want some very special favors later.
which way the action will proceed. Has the narrative become boring? Feel free to bor-
Roleplaying game sessions, somewhat like stage plays, row an old writer’s trick and spray the troupe down
often depend more on character conflict than on plot. with bullets! Or if you like, unleash a psychic at-
The theme surrounds the arena where these clashes tack, a horde of crazed gannock, a barrage of nasty

24
 INTRODUCTION
messages, a mysterious invitation, or unsigned love THE END
letters from different unknown admirers. Up the DRAMA
stakes, and you can bet both you and the players will The end of a drama occurs when all the major ques-
be re-energized. tions finally get answers and the main issue is resolved. PEOPLE
Has the theme gotten lost? Use set pieces to en- If all goes well, the story ends in a satisfactory way but PLACES
hance the mood. For a horrific bent, increase para- not always in a positive one. Sometimes, characters
noia and uncertainty. That faint sound in the middle have died or been crippled along the way. Allies are PLAYING
of the night might be a scream, but the local townsfolk lost or connections are severed. There will be times
are begging you not to check it out. Maybe your troupe when the characters lose. If the resolution was dra-
finds a flier with a missing person’s face on it; some- matic and satisfying, then even the darkest ending can
one may notice a sigil being scrubbed off a wall by leave players wanting to come back for more.
a washerwoman; perhaps the missing person’s actual
face can only be seen in the bottom of a well. CLIMAX
Romance and courtly intrigues can be built on Here’s an interesting quirk: Players tend to act the most
suspicion and concern. Was that young lady hiding heroically if they believe that the end is approaching.
a sneer behind her fan or a smile of welcome? Did The climax then presents itself as the most exciting part
that young man in the corner tighten his fist around of the game. This is the moment when duels happen,
the hilt of his sword when he saw you? What are when unbreakable oaths are broken, when the heavens
those two nobles in the shadows talking about, and weep and the bomb is primed to explode. Above all,
why did they straighten up and nod deftly when the characters should be given a chance to be heroes. If
you approached? that requires martyrdom, let it happen. If they need to
Discovery can be built on excitement: the thrill of spend every last victory point, keep them spending. If
a scavenged jumpkey engaging for the first time; the that last breath is needed to brave the vacuum of space
suspense concealed in a debris field that holds the an- to rescue a child, let them breathe it.
swer to a lost Charioteer’s last message; the sound of This is the moment most pregnant with the mi-
piece of technology humming to life for the first time raculous. Whenever players evoke the intercession
in over a hundred years. of heaven by praying for a miracle, this is the best
Details add to the verisimilitude of the drama. moment for such holy evocations. You’re fully within
your right as the GM to deny such requests until the
THE PLOT TWIST climax has commenced.
A plot twist introduces something unexpected, which The consequences come after; the climax is the time
often casts a wholly different light on a situation; it may to shine. Actions have to make a difference. For this to
even send the players down an unanticipated path. happen, you’ll need to keep an eye on another factor:
Large plot twists can throw a new light on your sto- time. You can’t pull off your best scenes when you’ve
ry, revealing hidden foes or agendas, or they might only got five minutes of real time to complete them
illuminate unexpected information, raising the stakes all. Make sure there’s enough space in the schedule
dramatically. Small plot twists act as narrative fuel, for the spotlight to shine on the heroes, showing them
conveying to the players that they’re making real doing what they do best.
progress. Opportunities open new paths and reveal
old secrets. RESOLUTION
If you’re considering a plot twist, “reversal of for- Just as the climax is the most exciting section, the res-
tune” and “a door opens” are two of the standard olution has to wrap it up. Whether the resolution is
ones. A “reversal of fortune” twist relies on opposi- an award ceremony or a turn in front of an inquisi-
tion. An ally turns into an enemy. Perhaps the bar- torial synod, the characters should have enough time
on’s daughter now hates the characters, or maybe a to debrief and reflect on what happened. This also
secure situation has become tenuous. “A door opens” allows you to see how the players internally processed
involves a secret brought to light or a new factor being the game. They may have picked up on clues and
brought into play, like a Vuldrok raid descending on discarded them or created unexpected connections
the city. that propelled them forward faster. Talking about
Each twist offers an opportunity for the characters the players’ conclusions and speculation allows you
to act, but it also places additional obstacles between to take notes, using this experience for better gaming
the troupe and their goal. The energy they bring to sessions down the line.
play propels their characters forward as they sense The players can also use this time to wrap up any
that, since the status quo has been disrupted, they are loose ends. Perhaps they wanted to talk to that young
moving closer to the endgame. man on the docks, or maybe they wanted to make

25
 sure that guild wagoner was rewarded for her loyalty. On the flip side, if people don’t have paragons to
In downtime, they can make that happen. In return, look up to, then how will they ever improve them-
they can experience the consequences of some of their selves? Who will children look up to, and who will
own actions. Maybe they’ll get temporarily censured young adults aspire to be? Without ideals, the strategy
by the local Orthodoxy or fined by an angry noble. of darkness is “death by a thousand shadows”: com-
Perhaps someone might try to smear their reputation promising people little by little until they are far away
or attempt to promote them as part of an agenda. from their original position. It all starts with “well, if
As the players tie up their own loose ends, you and your heroes compromised their word….”
the troupe have a chance to examine and discuss So, which is it? Should you compromise and be seen
threads for later dramas. People who have heard of as relatable? Or should you stand tall and be a hero on
their deeds might want favors from the characters, or a pedestal? The answer depends on the drama, and it
maybe that piece of technology they found spits out a can change as the epic progresses. Sometimes the re-
map to where it was made, promising a whole new set sponse will have to be both; sometimes it will lead to
of adventures. The local bishop might notice how mor- success in one’s goals, but at a loss to one’s standing.
al the heroes were during their latest trials and decide While these questions tend to be more muted in a sin-
to recruit them for a demon-hunting expedition. gle drama, they are definitely the kind of motif that can
be thoroughly explored over the course of an epic.

Epics You can play the cardinal sins off the tension be-
tween tragedy and redemption or the disparity be-
An epic is a series of interlocked dramas, like different tween alien and human identity; you can play off the
seasons in a television series. It has a beginning, mid- cardinal virtues just as easily. You can make the an-
dle, and end, but it still allows for a broader explora- swers simple and clear, or you can make them hope-
tion of your theme, allowing for in-depth politics and lessly complicated. In the end, it all comes down to
potentially empire-wide intrigue. two questions: “how do we get along?” and “what are
Here’s an in-universe conceit to consider. In the consequences when we don’t?” For example, you
­Fading Suns, according to Orthodox teaching, a can show the bitter outcome of a fallen ally at the start
person doesn’t just possess a substantive “soul”; they of a drama; then over the course of the epic, you can
have a “soul mirror,” which is imbued by and reflects walk a character right down that same path. Will their
the Light of celestial origin. A person who sins doesn’t friends be able to stop them from experiencing the
lose their soul or alter it in a meaningful way; they same fate? Will the tales of the character’s deeds stand
“tarnish” it. A fully tarnished soul is subject to the out as an inspiration or an object lesson for genera-
whims of the Dark. tions to come?
The Orthodox position may seem like a divergent
way of describing the “battle between good and evil,” ALIENATION VERSUS
but it’s actually quite significant. If you take the con-
CONNECTION
ceit to heart, then evil is primarily positional. Refus-
ing good takes an active effort from you, or active ef- Light connects all things  — that’s how it allegedly
forts by others, to obscure it. This means at heart that goes — and the Dark conceals it. As a result, you can
no one is completely lost to damnation. build dramas that weigh integrity versus disconnect-
The point is that the connective tissue between edness. The drama can reach across houses  — the
dramas exhibits a continual, recognizable tension: pious nature of the Li-Halan against the practical
actively pushing for redemption versus the tragic and realpolitik of the Decados — or sects — the burning
deliberate rejection of the Light. You are caught be- idealism of the Avestites contrasted against the cos-
tween being connected and being alienated. Villains mic machinations of the Eskatonics. Can these ideals
become dangerous through their ability to obscure be connected to serve a greater whole? Or does their
the truth: They sever connections and push people very nature set them eternally against each other?
with comforting lies into situations they never intend- How does either side react when their opposing num-
ed to experience. It also creates the complication of ber makes a mistake?
a character being too virtuous. If a player demands Some aggressive sentient species worship grim and
that their character only ever acts a certain way, how violent gods. What makes their aggression different
will that impact the NPCs, who may feel like they can from the militant Brother Battle or Hazat? Is there
never measure up? Many people are used to making enough similarity in their martial philosophies to ulti-
small compromises – a fact that villains often exploit. mately find common ground? What about species or
If a character can’t compromise, how does that reflect worlds that revere higher technology? Do they benefit
on others around them? from a techgnosis unavailable to most humans? Or

26
 INTRODUCTION
has their species become horribly and irretrievably leveraging his connections for the benefit of the whole
warped from their constant exposure to high tech- troupe. Next, maybe two of the nobles can reconcile DRAMA
nology? What about species like the ukar and obun some issues between their two houses, at least where
whose exposure was forced by their Anunnaki masters? those issues apply to them. As you might see, the PEOPLE
Are they redeemable after that level of interference? prospect of letting each player have a moment in the PLACES
spotlight is quite enticing. This approach can be more
TRAGEDY VERSUS REDEMPTION difficult to plan, though, since the epic can change PLAYING
directions according to the actions of the troupe.
People often focus on the happy ending of a story or Unique epics have an end goal in sight. Let’s take
the positive wrap-up of a saga, but there’s real power the ideas above and make them unique. Consider
in allowing a dramatic tragedy to take place. Part of this: Your troupe is acting as the crew of a ship be-
the pleasure in gaming is going through experiences cause they’re searching for a lost world foretold by an
that you wouldn’t dream of doing in normal life. The Anunnaki gargoyle. Or maybe they’re in the middle of
idea of soaring through the stars, fighting battles with courtly drama to gain a throne. Of course, once they’ve
sword and energy shield, and uncovering alien ruins achieved that goal, the epic has officially ended.
all serve this agenda, but this ideal can also be chan- The power of a unique epic lies in the idea that you
neled into deep emotional experiences. can add layers to the drama. Did you think that last ses-
Creating and maintaining real stakes over time sion was about a rescue? Turns out the hostage was a
makes a story worthwhile. You and the troupe will lost heir. Was it about restoring the heir to power? That
have to do some record-keeping, so the elements of lost heir is possessed. Thought it was just about exorcis-
the story that started out as set dressing can later be ing the doomed heir? Did you know that their family
brought to the forefront to reinforce the stakes. That was in league with the cult that caused that possession?
seneschal your troupe accidentally killed while fight- Unfolding an epic in this manner also promotes a situ-
ing a corrupt lord? That’s his daughter with a gang of ation where you are rarely surprised. Instead, the reveal
Chainers, now looking for payback. The priest whose can be reasonably pushed back until the next episode,
sermon the troupe interrupted? Now he’s back and spooling off the next skein of threads in a conspiracy the
his sermon is directed right at them. players need to unravel. One word of warning, though:
Resolutions that rely on tragedy or redemption re- Make sure you take down plenty of notes. You’ll dimin-
inforce how narratives play out well over the course ish some of the fun if, ten games in, the players remem-
of an epic. Relationships can be built and elaborat- ber an item of significance that you don’t, and that can
ed over the course of individual dramas. Just as im- derail the current session being played.
portantly, you can examine what is important to the As gamemaster, your responsibility is to populate
players, so that the journey can be customized to have the epic with adventures that seem to align with your
dramatic weight. players’ wants; if you can anticipate that, when there
is an end, you can provide a satisfactory one.
WHEN TO END IT
Epics tend to play out as either iterative or unique.
An iterative epic takes an idea that the players enjoy Dramaturgy
and sets up scenarios to run that idea forever. Perhaps Getting a game together might be simple, but no one
they enjoy being the crew of a ship, going from planet ever said it would be easy.
to planet and finding ways to keep flying. Or maybe That’s why we’ve compiled a few axioms and sug-
the setting is in one court on one planet, and the play- gestions, so we can ease your next encounter with the
ers are struggling to maintain their position on the tempestuous ocean of narrative.
throne. Either way, though their characters may go
through different adventures, the epic will still exist
within that framework. In serial storytelling like this, Axiom 1:
stories working through their beginning, middle, and
end occur in one to two sessions, though the charac-
ters continue.
We’re all in this together
The strength of an iterative epic operates through As the gamemaster, you need to encourage a level of
the idea that you can give each of the characters time cooperation and communication among the players
to breathe and grow. Do you have a Scraver in a most- at the very beginning. It’s not uncommon for there to
ly noble group? Maybe the next set of games can cen- be small lulls when one or more players are not direct-
ter around building his connections within the guild, ly involved in the action; it’s quite common for people

27
 to want to pull back and engage elsewhere. Howev- the game’s ongoing success. Ask questions of them:
er, roleplaying is not a passive medium. Fading Sun What kind of themes would they like to explore, and
games orbit around the idea of the troupe, and even what are their characters’ initial relationship to those
solo scenes are an important part of that larger dy- themes? Are they sinners on the path to redemption
namic. They’re important moments that weave their or saints being tempted by a corrupt and unseemly
impact into the whole troupe’s destiny. world? Are their characters the focus of their chosen
Hence, the players have a responsibility to stay in- theme, or are they initially just agents of change? Will
volved, even when they’re not in the spotlight. Some- their adventures be down-to-earth tales, or will they
times, they just listen to the current scene or take expand out, becoming epic in scope, designed to ul-
notes as an aid to remembering it later. Sometimes, timately shake the heavens and upset the foundations
a player can add suggestions or even complications to of the empire itself?
the scene. Or maybe they might refresh the snacks or
drinks, so other people don’t have to think about it.
Everybody’s in this together. Axiom 2:
The gamemaster also bears this responsibility. Early
in the game, involve the players in laying the ground-
work, so there’s a shared interest and responsibility for
We’re here to have fun
Roleplaying, at its heart, is about a group of people
getting together to have fun. That means, in practice,
A WORD OF ADVICE: that while it might seem fun to create a character who
is exactly the opposite of what everybody wants or
TROUPE FRACTURING
needs, it’s often destructive to the group dynamic as a
It happens: Players sometimes fight over what whole. It can lead to a group just waiting around until
they want to do. In some cases, it may come the character dies… or the player takes a hint and
down to “bleed”: players either take emotions creates a different character.
from outside the game into the game or take You can avoid this by ample application of the first
emotions from within the game outside of it. axiom: “We’re all in this together.” But let’s say the
That requires a check-in with the player, giv- game starts, and it’s obvious that at least one char-
ing them time and self-awareness to regain acter is not going to fit into the narrative. There are
their composure. One of the reasons for de- a few options to fix this situation quickly. The most
claring a troupe leader is to control this type disruptive way is to retcon the situation — basically,
of friction better, but that’s an in-game thing; pretend none of it, whatever it is, ever happened, and
players aren’t beholden to it. a new character has been there all along. If you want
Sometimes it boils down to an unequal mat- to avoid that, you could allow characters to alter a
ter of attention: one or more players might feel few traits to better reflect the growing dynamic and
neglected. You can overcome this by keeping the story; this fits in under the “we’re getting to know
an eye on players who seem to be withdrawing each other” mentality; this works especially well if
during play. While a character may not be high- the concept of the group is that they’ve just met. Less
lighted every game, it’s wise to make sure that, obvious, but more dramatic, is the “tearful conver-
over time, everyone gets their time in the spot- sion” solution, where the character admits that they
light, portraying their role within the troupe. were that kind of disruptive force, but they’re trying
If the members of the troupe do decide to go to change. The player then commits to playing the
separate directions, though, that thrusts the sit- character through the in-game change. It’s a hard-
uation into your hands. As soon as possible, you er route, but dramatically, it can be very satisfying to
should endeavor to unite them again, using sud- participate in.
den plot twists, unexpected arrivals (“Aunt Chao! The same rules that apply to the characters apply
Mistress of Manners for Duke Wei Lu! What are to the gamemaster. If, even after the initial discussions
you doing here?”), and common enemies. about the game, the theme and the settings don’t
But… seem to be working, open the conversation up again.
Some degree of infighting is good spice. And Rather than retconning, you can flash forward to a
good spice makes for a good meal. Conflict is new setting or open up an opportunity for characters
drama. Just make sure to remind yourself and to change their circumstances immediately. Maybe
your players that, by the end of the day, you’re you can explain that it is all part of a sinister plan; the
all there for a good time. pressure the players feel may be transferred back to
their characters as suspense.

28
 INTRODUCTION
Taking a peek behind the scenes for a moment, you You’ve probably noticed that the advice above
should never feel bound by the rules if they’re getting seems centered on only two players, but there are DRAMA
in the way of fun. The universe, once it comes off the ways to spin that up and out of control. You could
pages and into the hands of the group, is yours. If a try to find links between everyone or pair up people. PEOPLE
trait needs to change or a rule needs to be tweaked, do Most commonly, one or two characters, by their na- PLACES
it. The rules were set up and designed as a framework ture, tend to draw in the most connections. Consider,
for arbitration — “I succeeded!” “No, you didn’t!” — for a moment, a Charioteer pilot. It’s only natural for PLAYING
not as a straitjacket to hamper play. If you do want to them to have a connection to the people who bought
make changes, also remember there are communities and paid for their ship or the travelers who use it on
online that may have rules fixes already in place, as a regular basis.
well as their own shared experiences that could help As the gamemaster, you can take a look at those
you through the problem. central characters and weave in connections to other
characters. Consider our kidnapping example: Two

Axiom 3: Fun walks hand in of the characters feel a moral obligation to help. The
child is one character’s cousin, and the other remem-
bers his ordeal when he was a child, stolen by a no-
hand with meaningful stories madic clan. You can suggest to another noble the sit-
uation is personally relevant because of noblesse oblige:
A grand story is great, but how do you make it per- The child is a serf and the nobility has a responsibility
sonal? How do you make it feel alive? The most ob- to her. A guild member might see a profit in stopping
vious route is to draw in the characters with subplots, an activity that’s more rightly the purview of the
stories that are meaningful to them as individuals that Muster. A Church member might see the darkness as-
may or may not be tied to the main story. sociated with a child in peril and lend their assistance.
So how do you come up with those?
Here’s a secret that writers use when they need to
get creative, a well they draw from that produces a de- Axiom 4:
lightful array of tales: that source is the people around
you. Take a look at any two characters. Do they have
something similar in their experiences? What about
The journey is the key
their background? What about their traits? Do they How do you create a successful story for a game?
have experiences, backgrounds, or traits that are di- Every story in existence includes a complication to
ametrically opposed to one of their peers? Does one resolve and a series of steps to overcome it. Compli-
have a serious flaw and the other the opposing gift? cations can apply to any type of story, whether that’s
Do their factions have issues with each other? Build winning a war over a piece of territory, unraveling the
a scenario that tugs on both of their threads. For in- purpose of a piece of Anunnaki technology, or con-
stance, if you want both characters to feel compas- cluding an epic romance. Complications might in-
sion for a kidnapped little girl, you don’t need both of volve facing direct conflict, unraveling an enigma, or
them to know her personally. gathering the resources needed to complete a mission.
The more experiences your characters have, the However, if you make those steps too simple, it’s less
more threads you have as a gamemaster to play with. of a story and more like a poem.
But here’s the important bit: It’s not a sin to tell your Lord Vladimir,
players you’re going to do this. Let them glimpse be- A crown he claimed,
hind the curtain before they get swept into the nar- To fire he was consigned.
rative. Let them suggest plot threads to each other. Your task as gamemaster is devising those steps be-
(“Oh, I could never do that.” “But I could!”) Give tween the place the players start and the destination
them the gift of being allowed to reject a plot. Re- where they will end up. Test those steps, and then adjust
member the axiom of fun, but also remember that them for difficulty. It’s also your responsibly to quickly
dramas are meant to be challenging. come up with new steps if the players suddenly decide to
On the gamemastering side, here’s a word of solve the issue in a unique and meaningful way.
caution: Don’t let things slide into an endless dis- Here are some important aspects to keep in mind as
cussion of “we could do this!” Choose up to three you develop your concept:
subplots from any combination of characters you • What is the primary complication?
like and run with them. You don’t have to let the • What is the scope of the drama needed to resolve
players know which ones you’re going after. Just the complication?
start it all up and let it go. • How do the characters fit into the situation?

29
 If you can successfully address each question, you’ll less players are affected, the more likely you might be
have a solid foundation for everything that comes after. to grant the player’s wish. If not, you can always use
When assessing your primary complication, time as a weapon. Maybe what’s needed to move the
­Fading Suns harbors a multitude of ready-made request forward can only come from another world;
issues to choose from. The three most powerful fac- maybe the request means a crafter will need time to
tions — the noble houses, the Church, and the Mer- build something; perhaps the fees and/or bribes need-
chant League — constantly seek ways to expand their ed to deliver it are prohibitive. If the player is in a hur-
influence. Internal issues run rampant: Hawkwoods ry, they’ll likely find another way. If the player feels it’s
vie against Decados, Eskatonics barely avoid persecu- important enough to wait for, they’ll make the time
tion by Avestites, and Reeves contend with Scravers for their plans to come to fruition.
for precious resources. Then there are the goals of How creative is the request? The backbone of role-
individuals struggling to climb higher on the socio- playing is creativity; roleplayers, as a whole, enjoy
political ladder. putting ideas into the game. You can invite these sub-
Determining the scope of the drama entails assess- missions openly around the table or covertly through
ing the primary groups involved. Are all three factions notes. Make sure your players understand that all
to be used, or will the plot focus on only one? What suggestions will be taken under advisement, but some
planets are involved, and will you need space travel? might only occur if the theme permits. Sometimes, you
By taking the time to analyze the issue’s parameters, have to hold on to rationales behind the scenes that the
you can avoid confusing yourself and the players with players are not aware of. In every case, at the end of a
a mess of miscellaneous tidbits that have nothing to game session, give full credit to the people who gave
do with your story. suggestions. If you or the players choose to keep all the
Given the hierarchical structure of 51st-century so- suggestions covert, you may not be able to tell people
ciety, an epic’s beginning can be initiated, if desired, exactly what those suggestions were, but this praise
by overtly linking the troupe to a specific faction. An goes towards fostering a cooperative atmosphere.
example of this would be a noble sent on a mission

Inspiration
alongside her confessor, a pilot, and an alien. An in-
tense political drama is a good venue for a lead noble
character. A guild member could lead the troupe to-
wards more military or action-based stories. For emo- Where do you get your ideas? From the Pancreator, of
tional or social dramas, a Church-oriented character course. But really, we all need wellsprings of inspira-
in a troupe offers an excellent opportunity to drag tion when coming up with ideas. Here’s some advice:
their less-spiritual companions into the adventure. Look up the plots of the top 10 novels, movies, or
other story media in the genre you’re working in.

Axiom 5: Problems are a Think about how your player characters might react
in that same situation. Who would they call if they
ran into a ghost in the Central Library on League-
chance to move forward heim? Could that old hermit in the deserts of Istakhr
actually have knowledge of an abandoned Second
Gamemasters must endure playing the role of the Republic weapon that’s the size of a small moon?
reactionary. This means the threads of the ongoing Dive into history from cultures across the world, es-
narrative may appear to veer off course, and players pecially history that’s written from an outsider’s per-
may come up with ideas that are, to put it bluntly, spective. They say history is written by the victors, but
a bit odd. If you understand the setting and themes there’s inspiration to be found in books written by those
you and the troupe began with, and if you have good almost forgotten by history. This can give you unique
communication with your group, many of these issues storylines to spring on PCs, who may think they know
will be easy to resolve. Unfortunately, not every con- the story from “real” history books in school.
tingency can be covered. When in this kind of situa- Don’t discard cryptohistory. All the mad theories
tion, take a few more points into consideration. and crazy conspiracies in the modern world can serve
Does the request affect the outcome of the primary as tons of great fodder for a Fading Suns epic.
goal? Some requests might touch right onto the heart Then there are fairy tales and myths. They’re great
of what the game is all about, and a poor choice on starting points for adventures. The troupe, outfitted
your part as gamemaster can find the drama prema- in the red hood and cloaks of the local Scravers, must
turely short-circuited. Consider the request carefully. avoid the bandit gang known as the Shadow Wolves,
Who else is affected? How far into the story does the while trying to deliver a shipment of needed supplies
request come? The later it is in the narrative, and the to the grand matriarch of an Amalthean monastery….

30
 Card # Image (and meaning) INTRODUCTION
Most importantly, though? Take the potential
sources listed above and discuss them with your play- 0 Hombor the Beggar — freedom, chance, DRAMA
ers. What are their favorite novels and movies? What happenstance, generosity
kind of specific historical knowledge do they possess? PEOPLE
1 The Prophet Zebulon — guidance, the
What conspiracies or mythologies do they love? What right path, perfection PLACES
makes you and them laugh or cry or hurt inside?
2 Amalthea the Healer — selflessness, PLAYING
What are your players willing to search for to bring to
blessings, fellowship
you, so you can weave stories for them?
In the end, the greatest and most meaningful in- 3 Ven Lohji the Mystic — mental disci-
spiration comes from the people around you and the pline, insight
passions all of you bring to the game. 4 Emperor Alexius (older cards depict Lex-
tius the Knight) — right rule, stability

Astro-Divinity Cards 5 Horace the Learned Man — wisdom,

knowledge, doctrinal accuracy
During the early Second Republic, a short-lived fad 6 Cardano and Amorita (some newer cards
saw the use of old Urth tarot cards reconstituted with depict Emperor Alexius and Empress
early Church imagery. Although the popular appeal Freya) — oathmaking, accord, love
lasted only a few years, the cards continued to be used
by traveling Children of Zuran (a pagan sect) for the 7 Paulus the Traveler (or his ship, the
reading of fortunes. The Church frowned upon the Emissary) — travel, taming technology,
use of these “astro-divinity cards” for many centuries, optimism
condemning them as a folly of “folk saint cults.” 8 Maya the Scorned Woman — justice,
During the Emperor Wars, the “casting of cards” breaking bonds, revenge
saw a resurgence on the Stigmata Front, although no- 9 Lextius the Knight in Exile (older cards
body can seem to trace just where the practice started depict The Hesychast) — hermitage,
or by whom. As soldiers mustered back into civilian noble pariah, hidden glory
life, their cards came with them, serving as supersti- 10 The Merchant League (older cards depict
tious luck wards. a “breaking” or “Catherine” wheel) —
Then against all expectations, Empress Freya re- luck, fortune, misfortune
vealed a deck at the imperial court. Apparently, di-
11 Mantius the Soldier — strength, power,
vinity decks were well-known on Hargard. Raiders
courage
claimed a pack as booty centuries ago in a forgotten
raid into the Known Worlds. The Vuldrok used them 12 Vladimir Aflame (older cards depict The
as a game, misunderstanding the imagery. Of course, Psychic) — sacrifice, hardship
the empress’s cards became all the rage. Every noble 13 The Vau (some newer cards depict The
court now had to have a card-caster, and every mer- Symbiot) — death, secrets, transformation
chant had to have a variety of decks to sell, appealing 14 The Universal Church of the Celestial
to different tastes and wallets. Sun — balance, protection, unity, tem-
Patriarch Palamon, unwilling to embarrass the new perance
empress by condemning the cards, instead issued in-
15 The Antinomist — the Dark, the occult
structions on their proper interpretation, calling upon
the aid of Magister Moore of the Eskatonic Order. 16 Second Republic — hubris, technology
Although these “instructions” dismiss the cards’ abili- 17 The Jumpgate — hope, escape, ecstasy
ty to divine fortunes, they admit their value as teach- 18 The Anunnaki —mystery, illusion
ing tools. Each card provides the person who draws it 19 The Fading Sun (some depict the Reborn
with a spiritual topic for study and prayer. Sun, while newer cards depict Princess
The cards, however, have taken on a life of their Aurora) — revelation, light, grace, virtue
own. They’re becoming popular among pilgrims,
who use them to divine each step of their journeys. 20 The Empyrean Angel — judgment, right
This has given Zuranists a new popularity: Everyone order, eternity
knows they kept the “secret” of reading the cards 21 The Pancreator (Zuranist cards sometimes
when everybody else had forgotten them. (Many Zu- depict the Pancreator as Gjarti, the World
ranists also forgot them, but they now pretend they’re Mother; sanitized Church versions depict
heirs to centuries of family secrets of card reading.) an “Eye of God” nebula) — fulfillment,
The most common decks use the following images: the living universe, the Soul Above Souls

31
 CASTING
THE CARDS
When using the cards for an
oracle, casters employ many
different card layouts, but the
most common one has been
used by Zuranist card-casters
for centuries: Trio Fortuna, a
three-card spread. Each card
is a snapshot of the moment
read for. If you read the cards
daily, they represent the com-
ing day; read weekly, they
represent the coming week;
and so on.
From left to right, the cards
represent: your worldly life
(“the dust that is upon you”),
immediate spiritual influenc-
es (“the eyes that look down
on you”), and what is to come
(“the other side of the door”).
Your worldly life is a snap-
shot of your immediate worldly
or material situation or influ-
ences. It’s your waking life with
all its mundane tasks and trou-
bles. Spiritual influences rep-
resent the plans pressing from
on high, the invisible threads
of fate that pull you toward
your destiny (in this moment).
What is to come is a hint at
your future, should the twin
forces of worldly matters and
spiritual matters align or clash
as depicted in the cards. You can change or alter this EXAMPLES: IN-GAME
future by working for or against the first two cards.
When the common folk quietly visit the caravans of the
USING THE Children of Zuran to consult a card-caster, these are
some of the questions they typically ask and the answers
CARDS AS A GAME TOOL
that the caster provides, based on the cards drawn.
You can use the major arcana cards from just about
any classic tarot deck. QUESTION #1
At the beginning of an act, shuffle the divinity deck. A merchant asks: “How will market day go for me?”
You can do a Trio Fortuna reading, as above, or an Result: The first card (worldly) is Zebulon the Proph-
Uno Fortuna: draw a single card (or you can have the et. “You are in the right, asking honest and fair prices for
troupe leader or their designated card-caster do this). your goods, but you will suffer adversity. Others will try
The card reveals the pattern that Fate intends for the to impoverish you with their haggling. Persevere.”
act. It won’t necessarily come to pass, but it symbol- The second card (spiritual) is Mantius the Soldier: “You
izes the challenges the act will pose, not necessarily in have hidden wells of strength to draw upon when facing
a literal sense but in a figurative or metaphorical one. adversity. Do not be swayed. Stick to your original prices.”
You can use this a guide for bending the plot or The third card (the outcome) is Amalthea the Healer:
even awarding WP when the troupe’s choices in some “Adversity leads to peace, as each side becomes satisfied
way aid or foil the card(s) that Fate has chosen. with the outcome.”

32
 INTRODUCTION
QUESTION #2 The second card (spiritual) is Paulus the Trav-
A serf asks: “Will my pilgrimage to the well of Saint eler. This means the unexpected event opens new DRAMA
Yym on Rampart save my crops?” vistas and reveals new ideas (possibly even new
Result: The first card (worldly) is the Church. technologies). Remember, this is the thematic PEOPLE
“Your journey is done for all the right reasons but card, not the literal card; it doesn’t necessarily PLACES
perhaps from too much impatience.” mean space travel.
The second card (spiritual) is the Vau. “Fate does The third card (the outcome) is the Vau. Something PLAYING
not favor your journey.” sinister that was hidden is revealed: Has one of the
The third card (the outcome) is Vladimir Aflame. character’s rivals returned? Does the troupe’s unex-
“Your pilgrimage will not save the crops and will only pected adventure uncover an alien or occult plot?
damn the land to future failure. Stay home, pray, and Taking the cards into consideration, your answer
wait. The Church provides sustenance, even when might be: An artifact (Ur or perhaps vau) is acciden-
the land fails.” tally uncovered and activated by the troupe. It is up to
them to tame the chaos it creates.
EXAMPLES: META-GAME
QUESTION #1 CHANCE DECKS
You might decide to use the random draw of the
cards to guide your evening’s drama. The question is: Some decks, mainly the Zuranists divina-
“What is tonight’s game about?” tion decks and the Vuldrok game-of-chance
Result: The first card (worldly) is Vladimir Aflame. decks, use additional suits of cards, totaling
This means trouble, adversity, setbacks, and down- up to 56: four suits, each with 1o sequen-
falls. In other words, the players should be faced with tially numbered cards and four “royalty” or
challenges beyond their ability to easily handle. “hero” cards.
The second card (spiritual) is the Jumpgate.
When reading from a meta-game level, the spiri- SUITS
tual card speaks to the theme behind your drama. Staves/Maces: Status, industry. Also: en-
This card means transcendence, escape, yearning. lightenment, intuition (associated with Saint
In this case, it probably refers to the troupe’s goal, Horace and the Miracle of the Club: the
hinting that the way to achieve it is by rising above staff smashes ignorance).
the situation and reaching for something higher, Swords: Force, of both arms and will. Also:
whether that’s through keeping their better angels reason, the well-honed mind.
in mind or refusing to take the low road (crime, Grails/Horns: Conviviality, fellowship, cele-
deceit, ignoble acts). bration, healing.
The third card (the outcome) is the Pancreator. Coins/Shields: Wealth, protection, status
This is the most auspicious card in the deck. It tells quo, the good earth.
you that all the challenges you put the players through
lead to supreme victory, if they heed the higher call- ROYAL CARDS
ing. You might consider giving out a big reward, not The Zuranist “royalty” cards vary from deck
necessarily material (tech) but rather something to to deck, depicting various historical figures
mark the troupe’s rising to a higher level, whether so- who are considered divine saints in Zuranity.
cially, politically, or even in actual class level. The Vuldrok decks depict archetypal figures
Thus, the answer to the question is: The troupe rather than actual persons.
must walk a righteous path to defeat a more power- Squire/Trader: A young person just begin-
ful enemy. In light of this, you should freely award ning their career (apprentice) or (in Vuldrok
WP when the troupe makes noble choices, especially cards) a wily merchant or lawyer who gets
when the easier option is to go low. by on their wits and honeyed tongue rather
than skill at arms
QUESTION #2 Knight/Thane: A skilled person capable and
You can use the card to plot out your next drama: noted in their career
“What happens to the troupe?” Lord/Warlord: A leader; not a tyrant, but a
Result: The first card (worldly) is Hombor the Beg- meritorious king/queen
gar. This means something random or unexpected. Lady/Runecaster: A wise counselor, priest,
You might just follow the troupe’s lead and see where or conduit to the invisible world
they take you.

33
 Signs and Wonders insights, or good or bad luck, but at the eye of the
storm is a person — a player character — who must
Your players’ adventures follow the concept of a pas- act in light of the divine revelation.
sion play: a saga of spiritual struggles wherein all So how in the world do you run such a force in your
events and encounters stand as symbolic tests, inspir- game? Alas, there are no easy rules. While we provide
ing and informing later generations who hear them a loose system for players to pray for — and get — a
recounted over and over. Like medieval plays, stories miracle (see Miracles in Chapter 5: The Occult in
in Fading Suns are rife with miracles and mysteries. the Character Book), that’s not the beginning and
While the exacting details of daily life are important end of supernatural matters in your game. The sense
for evoking time and place, beneath them lurk the that the divine  — or a super-science so advanced it
eternal mysteries and the wonder of Creation, ever might as well be divine  — can appear at any time
ready to burst to the forefront. should be pervasive and beyond any set of simple
Fading Suns is science fiction, but it’s science fic- rules and limitations. You simply have to learn the
tion full of the wondrous and strange. The universe balance for yourself.
shines with divinity, and the will of heaven erupts into Don’t feel you always have to use this mystery. Use
even the most mundane moments. Or are these the it sparingly when you do and make it… mostly…
unfathomable workings of ancient Anunnaki tech- unpredictable. Sometimes special moments arise in
nology? Or are we seeing astonishing works of Sec- game sessions when everybody knows that a touch of
ond Republic science, now forgotten and so poorly the divine is called for. Actually getting it won’t ruin
understood as to be mistaken for divine magic? Or is the game; instead, it serves to enhance it. Listen to
this miracle the divine working through the forces of your players; they’re the best bellwether for when
super-science? Most likely, it’s all of the above. You, such a moment is at hand.
as the GM, stand as the representative for this divine If you’re unsteady here and just don’t know when to
will, this unfathomable circumstance, this strange pull the trigger on some form of divine intervention,
power that both shepherds and destroys. leave it to fate: Make a die roll. If the result is a “1”,
It is important that this force, this spiritual power, then unleash the forces of heaven (or hell).
should never become predictable in timing or ef- Another method involves the “divinity deck” (see
fect — it can’t be foreseen, and it can’t be strategized. Astro-Divinity Cards, detailed above). Use a standard
It is the epitome of the unexpected deliverance, the tarot deck with 78 cards (divided into 22 major ar-
bolt from the blue, the inexplicable victory or defeat. cana and 56 minor arcana). Shuffle the deck and
But it rarely operates as a force unto itself. It most draw a card randomly. If it’s one of the major arcana,
often comes in the form of signs and visions, sudden use that card’s theme  — as described in the divini-
jolts of warning, censure, or enlightenment, delivered ty cards chart — to inform a miraculous occurrence.
unto the powerful and the weak alike in moments For example, if it’s the Saint Mantius card, reinforce-
where the balance of events can be shifted by the ments arrive. If it’s the Saint Horace card, a partic-
choices its beneficiaries make — by their agency, not ular Church scripture or teaching provides a crucial
its own. It might take the form of sudden conversions, clue or holds the resolution to a conflict.

34
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Chapter 2: People
35
 SAINT HADARA THE MIRACULOUS
36
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

we seek miracles. She was PEOPLE

Hail Hadara, holiest of us all. Pilgrim, it is to Hadara we pray when
to stay cloister ed in Holy Terra’s cathedrals. She trav-
Matriarch of the Church in her day but refused PLACES
helping howeve r she could. She even reached barbarian
eled the Known Worlds instead, healing and
Hearthmother. Her reign
space, where a dim memory of her survives among the Vuldrok as Hadra PLAYING
about the cessatio n of conflict s and peace between
brought a period of peace, and she still brings
rivals when her name is invoked.
sainted immediately after her
She performed many miraculous healings during her life and was
d to be the patroness of the Pax
death. Of late, even more miracles are attributed to her. She is believe
ean and guardin g against war.
Alexius, aiding the emperor from the Empyr
simple item from her homew orld of Madoc said to convert
She bears the Fishhook of Deliverance, a
in the crashin g waves of a Madoc beach and the other
all who touch it. She is depicted with one foot
behind her, which serves as a reminder of her place of
among the stars, standing with an Ur menhir
and protect the portals between
martyrdom on Bannockburn amidst the Ur ruins. She is said to open
this world and the dimensions of the Anunnaki.
to Read the Omega Gospels
— Charioteer Captain Zelina Hamid-Sandor, The Pilgrim’s Path: H0w

As a gamemaster, you’ll populate your dramas with

many different characters. Some will be more pow- Headliners
erful than the players’ characters, and some will be These people are important, fully-fleshed out NPCs,
weaker. Not all of them need the same attention to almost akin to players. They can be allies or antago-
detail that PCs get. Any single NPC will rarely be on nists to the PCs, or they might be neutral parties who
stage as long as a PC; you only need to know enough can be pushed either way by the PC’s action. In all
to play their part once they enter stage left. cases, though, they’ll pose some challenge to the PCs,
either as friends in need of rescue, patrons demand-

NPC Types
ing their services, or the angels-on-their-shoulders re-
minding the troupe of their moral duties.
Headliners can also be alien creatures or technolog-
Fading Suns provides a rich setting for a player-char- ical beings, such as golems.
acter troupe to experience, but it’s their interactions
with NPCs that make the place come alive. Because TRAITS
of this, it’s good to take a moment to develop some Headliners have the same traits that PCs do.
interesting people to meet along the way.
To make it easy for you, we put NPCs into three ROLEPLAYING HEADLINERS
types: Headliners, Agents, and Extras. Each type has
a greater or lesser degree of streamlined traits. Most A Headliner’s dramatic function is to highlight one or
NPCs don’t just need the full kit of traits that PCs more of the PC’s particular qualities. They might be
do; they spend most of their lives off-stage, waiting someone who enjoys the PCs’ cause and helps them
for those few hours in which to tramp the boards after out, or they could be a significant obstacle to over-
they meet the PC troupe. come, acting as the primary foil of the drama.
These types illustrate the role an NPC plays when Most significant Headliners the PCs run across
they enter play, but they aren’t restrictive of their pow- will not consider themselves villains; even if they do,
er and prestige. A prince or duke might show up as they’ll have a reasonable excuse for what they do. Vil-
an Agent rather than a Headliner, because their role lains who are morally the opposite of the PCs are the
might be to grant a short audience with the troupe easiest to create, but they tend to be shallow unless
rather than an in-depth series of encounters, while they have a reason why they pursue the opposite goal.
a peasant bandit who just keeps foiling the troupe’s For instance, the troupe might be tasked to shut down
plans could be a Headliner. an obscene machine that drains people’s life force to

37
 operate, but the Third Republicans operating it have … or so the official story goes. That’s what most
been using it to relieve a local famine, sacrificing cor- people who meet him believe. In fact, he betrayed
rupt authorities to power it. his merchant family owners to the bandits; in re-
It’s equally interesting when villains have the same turn, he earned a place in their gang of ex-military
goal as the characters but radically different means thugs. At the behest of the gang’s leader, he infil-
of going about it. Perhaps, under different circum- trated the priesthood, all so he could act as a trusted
stances, they could well have become friends with the advance scout for his unsavory partners in crime.
PCs. Perhaps, in a longer drama, they did start out No one has yet realized that wherever this priest
as friends. goes, bandits soon follow… or at least, no survivors
Headliners will use situations to place themselves have remained to prove it.
into positions of power that somehow wind up land- Characteristics:
ing the PCs into a weaker position. If they are socially Str 3 Wits 4 Pre 7
strong, they will try and pull things into a noble set- Dex 4 Per 5 Int 5
ting, where courtiers hold sway. Intellectually strong End 3 Will 7 Faith 8
headliners may prefer a trial in an ecclesiastical or Skills:
legal court. Extras in these cases can consist of lesser Charm 8
nobles and sycophants; in a court, they’re members Drive 4
of a jury. Agents coming to the Headliner’s aid can Fight 7
be professional courtiers, barristers, or people with Focus 7
ecclesiastical authority. Knavery 7
Even if the situation turns against them, a Headlin- Observe 7
er will have at least one “out.” The sacrifice of Extras Perform 7
and Agents is certainly a standard first line of defense. Sneak 6
There might be a hidden ship locked in a local tow- Actions: Goal Impact
er, or the “out” might be a disaster set up elsewhere, Befriend 15 Target is Befriended.
orchestrated to pull the protagonists away from the Deceive 14 Target is Deceived.
main fight. Shake it off 10 | 14 | 15 Removes a state.
Fist strike 10 2 dmg
NPC CARD TEMPLATE: Capabilities: Customs (Cathedral, Streetwise),
Knowledge ( Jumpweb, Orthodoxy), Melee Weap-
HEADLINER
ons (Military), Performing Arts (Oratory), Speak/
Use the card template at the end of this book as a character Read Urthish, Transport (Beastback, Beastcraft)
sheet for your headliner NPCs. Perks: Church Ordination (Canon), Fencing, Inspir-
ing, Righteous Sermon
EXAMPLE HEADLINER Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 4 | Spirit 2
Vitality: 26
CANON XIMENES MOROST Revivals: rating: 8 | number: 1
Headliner • Priest 3 • Orthodox • Mendicant/ Bank: 10
Pirate Surges: rating: 10 | number: 1
“I have seen many things, my friend, but I have Equipment: Heavy robes (armor), tracker (TL5 GPS
never seen that before.” device)
Description: As a small boy, Ximenes dreamed of
one day traveling the stars. He got his wish when his
village was burned down. Along with the other sur- Agents
vivors, he found himself on a Chainer starship, sent Agents are accomplished NPCs with a unique skill set
off to a distant slave market for sale. He spent years that makes them effective. They aren’t as detailed as
as a servant for a merchant family of minor means Headliners, but they still have a significant degree of
in the rural provinces of Cadavus. When they were agency. They could be a deputy or aide to a Headlin-
killed by bandits, Ximenes limped to the local mon- er, and their goals are usually in line with that leader.
astery and begged for sanctuary. He spent the next Examples of Agents include: the Muster soldier over-
years learning to be a priest. When he received his seeing the town guard, the fourth son of the local no-
ordination, he set forth to follow his original dream. ble who is a true believer in whatever cause pays the
He has tramped across the Known Worlds for the most, or the town priest hiding a dark secret or two to
last year, strangely managing to keep his optimism generate some needed cash.
intact…

38
 INTRODUCTION
TRAITS Description: Goldie is the current captain of a
Like Headliners, Agents are rated by level. They get loose group of bandits. Like her, they’re all mus- DRAMA
most of the same traits as Headliners, except: tered-out former conscripts of the Decados, vet-
• Agents don’t have VP banks. Instead, they can rely erans of many nasty battles on Cadavus. Without PEOPLE
on their surges for an occasional burst of VP, just their soldiers’ pay, they’ve fallen to organized ban- PLACES
like PCs. ditry to make ends meet. Canon Ximenes Morost
• An Agent’s Vitality is 5 + Size + level. (For aver- (above) is their advance scout, sussing out victims PLAYING
age-sized humans, this means 10 + level; vorox are for their assaults. While Goldie technically out-
12 + level.) ranks him, in reality she mostly does whatever
• Agents don’t get Revivals. Morost recommends.
• An Agent might have a few perks, if you think they Characteristics:
need them. Str 6 Wits 4 Pre 7
Dex 4 Per 4 Int 3
ROLEPLAYING AGENTS End 5 Will 5 Faith 4
Skills:
Agents are, in temperament, similar to many PCs. Fight 5
They’re often someone just outside the social norm: Impress 6
an intelligent peasant operating way outside their sta- Melee 7
tion, a defrocked priest, or a disinherited noble. They Shoot 6
may even exhibit loyalty to their employer similar to Vigor 5
an Extra. This loyalty, however, is only a medium of Actions: Goal Impact
exchange for them. If the situation drastically chang- Daunt 13 Target is Daunted.
es, they will change with it to serve their own best Fist strike 11 2 dmg
interest. The best Agents may not be alone; they may Shake it off 8 | 8 | 7 Removes a state.
have a troupe of their own as backup, not directly Shoot blaster 10 7 dmg
hired by their employer, but on call in case things re- Resistance: Body 4 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0
ally go wrong for them. Vitality: 15
Agents rely on a unique tool-set that makes their Surges: rating: 12 | number: 2
services desirable. This may also make them import- Equipment: Blaster pistol (3 fusion cells), knife,
ant to the PCs as well under certain circumstances. synthsilk jumpsuit, 5 firebirds
And since an Agent often relies on negotiation, per-
haps they can be wooed away from their current con-
tract… or maybe not, since the Agent might rely on Extras
their integrity to keep their freedom. This means, in Extras represent NPCs with a very simple or singu-
any practical sense, if an Agent has been contracted lar skill set. These guys tend to be part of a crowd
to kill a character, they might take on the goal that or group, and their name usually describes what they
character hires them for — but still kill the character are: guardsman, thug, peasant rioter, etc.
anyway to keep their word.
Agents can also serve as unique reoccurring char- TRAITS
acters. They can reappear from drama to drama, Only their most relevant traits need to be creat-
maybe eventually becoming Headliners. ed, and their templates can be easily re-used. They
don’t need a class or level, and they only have the
NPC CARD TEMPLATE: AGENT traits they need to perform their function. Who
they are and who they serve should be part of their
Use the card template at the end of this book as a character name: Decados Thugs, Amalthean Healers, etc.
sheet for your agent NPCs. They also usually don’t have perks, unless one or
two would help to make them a better foil for the
EXAMPLE AGENT PC troupe.
• Extras don’t have banks or surges; they just use the
GOLDIE VP they generate from rolls for their caches.
Agent • Yeoman 5 • Independent • Pirate • An Extra’s Vitality is 5 + Size. (For average-sized
“Please, good citizen, grant us the charity of all humans, this is 10.)
your possessions… including that tiny slug gun I see • Extras don’t use the shake it off maneuver. If they’re
in your pants. Careful handing that one over…” put into a state, it lasts for its persistence.

39
 ROLEPLAYING EXTRAS will start relying more on what the other Extras
around them are doing. They will weigh their deaths
By their nature, Extras occupy the position of inter- against their task.
changeable parts in an Agent or Headliner’s hierar- This is when they’re at their most dangerous. A
chy. They may play a fairly important part — starship panicked Extra may not seem like a threat, but they’re
pilot, assassin, line chef  — but if they die, they will working on two competing mandates: they don’t want
be replaced by the next in line. For many except the to get caught or killed by the PCs, but they don’t want
densest of Extras, they know this. Some will take se- to be seen by their bosses as compromising their loy-
curity in being a member of the faceless masses; oth- alty. This is when the lab scientist Extra releases every
ers will find it as an excuse to get away with things animal and toxin in the lab, hoping to buy enough
when their master isn’t watching. time to get away. This is when the foot soldier Extra
A lot has been written on the loyalty of servants blows the local power grid, ending up on the right
and henchmen. Often, this is considered to be their side of the collapsed wall and not caring that he just
sole defining attribute other than their job. Loyalty buried his friends, so long as there’s a chance the
can be complicated, though. You can have earned troupe was delayed.
loyalty, which occurs when the leader is seen to be a Dealing with Extras after a conflict may be difficult
benevolent force in the Extra’s life. But you can also as well, since surviving Extras will likely end up with
have forced loyalty, which means that disappointing the their families or nearby acquaintances. It’s guaran-
leader comes at a cost. It’s not entirely unusual to see teed they’ll have a very different tale to tell about the
a combination of the two. heroes’ adventure, and this might lead to clashes with
Extras who experience earned loyalty are diffi- the authorities down the line.
cult for the troupe to break. The Extras have an
emotional investment with their master’s well-be- NPC CARD TEMPLATE: EXTRAS
ing and will fight, often more than they should, to
protect them. That situation doesn’t necessarily get Use the card template at the end of this book as a character
any easier with forced loyalty, though. PCs who sheet for your extras NPCs.
have to confront it can be put up against a moral
dilemma. The villain may be holding the Extras’ EXAMPLE EXTRA
family hostage or be threatening something of vi-
tal importance to the Extras. On some worlds, in CADAVAN BANDITS
some places, it’s hard to even survive without cer- Extras
tain functioning technology  — a master who has “Put ’em up!”
their finger on the terraformer’s “off switch” would Description: Ex-military thugs who followed Goldie
exert a powerful influence on the people living in (ab0ve) into a life of crime.
that area. Actions: Goal Impact
Both of these circumstances moderate how Extras Knife stab 9 3 dmg
will perform. At the beginning of any conflict, typical Shoot SMG 10 5 dmg
Extras will work to fulfill their jobs to the best of their Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
ability. They’ll show off to maintain their position, or Vitality: 10
even better it, if possible. However, when things get Equipment: Submachinegun (3 clips of ammo), 2
real, that’s when they start balancing things. They firebirds each

40
 INTRODUCTION

Sample NPCs DRAMA

PEOPLE

Known Worlders PLACES

PLAYING

Nobles
BARONESS SHI SU LI HALAN She, like most Li Halan nobles, is well tutored
in cultured discourse. If she must come to blows
with someone, she will at least first address them
and explain why she must send their soul back to
its source.
Characteristics:
Str 6 Wits 4 Pre 6
Dex 4 Per 6 Int 4
End 4 Will 6 Faith 5
Skills:
Academia 3
Arts 4
Charm 6
Disguise 4
Empathy 5
Focus 4
Impress 5
Intrusion 5
Knavery 7
Melee 7
Observe 6
Perform 4
Sneak 5
Actions: Goal Impact
Deceive 11 Target is Deceived.
Rapier strike 13 5 dmg
Shake it off 8 | 10 | 9 Removes a state.
Headliner • Noble 3 • Li Halan • Spy/Knightly Capabilities: Arts (Imagery), Customs (Cathedral,
Order Court), Knowledge (Known Worlds Jumpweb, Li
“I sense doubt in your words, friend. Come, let us Halan, Midian, Religion), Melee Weapons (Mil-
take tea and speak of matters metaphysical. There will itary), Musical Instrument (Strings), Performing
be time later to draw swords in the Pancreator’s name.” Arts (Music), Read/Speak Urthish
Description: Baroness Shi Su is a member of the Perks: Fencing (Swashbuckler), Imperious, Noble
Hidden Martyrs, the most secretive of House Li Title (Baroness), Order Badge (Swords of Lextius),
Halan’s intelligence agencies. While most of the Saint Lextius’ Blessing, Secret Agent (Agent), Stoic
Martyrs’ activity involves domestic spying, it is Mind
imperative for them to also keep tabs on the other Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 8 | Spirit 0
houses and factions. To this end, Shi has joined the Vitality: 23
Swords of Lextius knightly order, pledging herself Revivals: rating: 8 | number: 1
to defend the Orthodoxy. This allows her to trav- Bank: 10
el the Known Worlds, protecting the faithful and Surges: rating: 9 | number: 1
keeping a watchful eye on anyone whom she sus- Equipment: Dueling e-shield (5/10, 15 hits), pipa
pects might be holding — or withholding — infor- (lute), rapier, synthsilk cloak
mation valuable to the Martyrs.

41
 EARL EMERSON CARR HAWKWOOD
Then Princess Aurora was born. All of Emerson’s
unassuaged grief over the loss of his daughter was
now projected upon the imperial heir. He has sworn
his life and blood to serve her, even if it means be-
friending the people who harmed him. For her, he
would even put aside his sword and blaster. She has
not asked it of him (she is an infant), so for now he
continues his personal war against the thanes of Os-
tmark.
Characteristics:
Str 8 Wits 4 Pre 5
Dex 5 Per 4 Int 3
End 6 Will 6 Faith 4
Skills:
Animalia 4
Charm 5
Fight 6
Impress 8
Melee 8
Observe 6
Pilot 3
Remedy 5
Shoot 7
Survival 3
Vigor 6
Actions: Goal Impact
Headliner • Noble 6 • Hawkwood • Questing Shoot blaster 12 6 dmg
Knight Rapier strike 16 5 dmg
“I have taken an oath to pacify these barbarian Shake it off 9 | 9 | 7 Removes a state.
lands for the day when she will ascend to claim them. Capabilities: Armor (Combat, Shield), Customs
Do not stand in my way.” (Commons, Court), Knowledge (Hargard, Raven-
Description: Emerson ruled a well-off fief on na, Shipboard Operations, Vuldrok), Melee Weap-
Ravenna, content to live the life of an honor- ons (Military), Ranged Weapons (Energy Guns,
able and fair lord to his people. Vuldrok raiders Slug Guns), Read/Speak (Urthish, Vuldrok), Trans-
changed all that. A thane allied with Sigfaddir port (Beastback)
Firestorm of Ostmark (Hargard) burned down Perks: Contact (Vuldrok merchant), Deputize, Fenc-
Emerson’s manse, killing his beloved daughter. ing (Swashbuckler), Incite Passion, Imperial Char-
Instead of rebuilding, Emerson forsook his lands, ter, Imperious, Lay Down the Law, Noble Title
leaving them to his wife, and joined the Questing (Earl), Noblesse Oblige, Stoic Body
Knights so that he could travel to Hargard and Resistance: Body 5 | Mind 8 | Spirit 0
take his revenge. Although he has since killed Vitality: 27
many Vuldrok warriors, he has yet to catch the Revivals: rating: 11 | number: 2
thane who destroyed his happiness. Now that the Bank: 20
planet is claimed by Alexius, Emerson has had to Surges: rating: 14 | number: 2
quell his loathing of the Vuldrok somewhat. Equipment: Studded leather, blaster pistol, rapier

42
 INTRODUCTION
Priests DEACON BARNABUS ABDULLAH TWAIN
DRAMA

CANON MUTUMBO MUTWA OF HOLY PEOPLE

TERRA PLACES
Agent • Priest 3 • Orthodox • Confessor
“I beg you: Confess your sins. If you refuse, you con- PLAYING
demn others — your friends and your loved ones — to
an eternity in Gehenne.”
Description: Concerned that sin is going unac-
knowledged and that the suns will be reduced to
cinders because of it, Mutwa feels he simply must
convince others to confess their sins. They must
polish their soul mirrors enough to let in the light
and reflect it back. The fate of the universe lies in
the balance. Because of the great weight and muck
of sin, the cosmos is like a backed-up sink; only by
confessing sins can people unclog it. Because of this
mania and the weight of responsibility he carries,
Mutwa has become a nervous wreck. People often
offer to confess to him out of pity, hoping it will help
him more than them.
Characteristics:
Str 4 Wits 5 Pre 7
Dex 3 Per 4 Int 8
End 4 Will 4 Faith 8
Skills:
Charm 6 Headliner • Priest 5 • Eskatonic Order • In-
Focus 6 quisitor/Occultist
Impress 5 “You say the apparition wore a nightgown stained
Actions: Goal Impact with blood? Did the blood pattern resemble a rose? I
*Castigate 12 Target is Castigated. thought so. We are dealing with the vile sorcery of a
Entreat 13 Target is Entreated. Manja ancestor cultist.”
Shake it off 10 | 10 | 14 Removes a state. Description: Barnabus entered the priesthood as a
Perks: Call to Contrition, Church Ordination (Can- hesychast in a remote monastery… which turned
on), Inspiring, Micro-Confessions, Purge out to be haunted. Frustrated with the monk’s as-
Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 4 | Spirit 2 cetic refusal to acknowledge or resolve the unquiet
Vitality: 15 dead’s misery, he took it upon himself to find the
Surges: rating: 10 | number: 1 specter’s remains and properly bury them. He then
Equipment: A fine edition of the Omega Gospels. left to seek the Eskatonic Order. Wherever he went
in his studies, he found himself drawn into one oc-
cult mystery after another. His successes in solving
them brought him to the notice of the Inquisition,
which tendered him an offer: a permanent badge
and the charter to investigate any curious incidents.
Only twice has he had to call for backup from his
fellow Inquisitors; he loathes resorting to flameguns,
but recognizes that sometimes, they’re a necessity.
He travels with his longtime partner and consultant,
Manager Steven Cavendish (see below), with whom
he often discusses his cases. Cavendish serves as a less
credulous voice, often helping Barnabus to uncover a
mundane cause behind a haunting or visitation.

43
 Characteristics: Headliner • Priest 8 • Brother Battle • Brother
Str 3 Wits 6 Pre 7 Battle
Dex 3 Per 8 Int 8 “You think I fear simple pirates? I have fought sym-
End 4 Will 4 Faith 4 biots with my bare hands!”
Skills: Description: Stolen as a child by Chainers, she was
Alchemy 4 rescued from a life of slavery by the legendary blind
Charm 6 Brother Battle monk Gaius Gemini. He delivered
Focus 7 her to the monastery on De Moley and instructed
Impress 7 the monks to begin her training. She excelled, driv-
Observe 9 en by his example. Her first assignment for the or-
Remedy 4 der was to protect a Kalinthi priest, but her failure
Actions: Goal Impact to save him from a Slayers guild assassin (who she
Castigate 14 Target is Castigated. promptly dispatched) caused her to enlist on Stig-
Search 17 Notice hidden clues. mata as penance. After serving over a decade in the
Shake it off 11 | 11 | 11 Removes a state. worst hellhole in the Known Worlds, she was given
Capabilities: Customs (Cathedral), Knowledge (Es- “retirement,” at least as far as any Brother Battle is
katonic Order, Occult), Medical (Disease), Trans- allowed. She decided to see the Empire via pilgrim-
port (Beastback) age, visiting its many and varied holy sites. When
Perks: All-Access Pass, Church Ordination (Dea- pirates attacked a transport she was on, she easily
con), Counter the Dark, Deduce, Inquisitorial Seal, repelled them and took over their vessel. She saw this
Inspiring, Scent of the Witch, Wyrd Knowledge as a sign and now travels incognito on pilgrim ships,
Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 6 | Spirit 2 waiting for a time when her skills are needed again.
Vitality: 15 Having seen miracles with her own eyes, she now
Revivals: rating: 10 | number: 2 seeks a truth and encounter with the divine beyond
Bank: 15 the simple dogma of scripture. She collects saintly
Surges: rating: 12 | number: 2 relics from wherever she goes.
Equipment: Various occult paraphernalia for detect- Characteristics:
ing and analyzing the supernatural. Str 7 Wits 3 Pre 5
Dex 5 Per 4 Int 3
SISTER LIANA WU End 6 Will 6 Faith 8
Skills:
Drive 4
Fight 9
Focus 6
Impress 7
Melee 8
Observe 7
Shoot 6
Actions: Goal Impact
Daunt 12 Target is Daunted.
Fist strike 16 2 dmg
Shake it off 12 | 12 | 14 Removes a state.
Sword strike 15 6 dmg
Capabilities: Armor (Combat, War), Customs
(Cathedral), Knowledge (Brother Battle, Known
Worlds Jumpweb, Warfare), Melee Weapons (Mil-
itary), Ranged Weapons (Slug Guns, Energy Weap-
ons), Speak/Read Urthish, Transport (Beastback,
Landcraft)
Perks: Battle Sense, Born on the Battlefield, Church
Ordination (Adept), Deliverance, Inspiring, Man-
tok, Mental Conditioning, Resilient, Steadfast, Sto-
ic Body
Resistance: Body 7 | Mind 8 | Spirit 2
Vitality: 33

44
 INTRODUCTION
Revivals: rating: 13 | number: 3 LT. FARFIELD JONES
Bank: 25 DRAMA
Surges: rating: 15 | number: 3
Equipment: Assault energy shield (5/15; 20 hits), PEOPLE
stiffsynth cuirass, sword, medium autofeed pistol PLACES

Merchants PLAYING

MANAGER STEVEN CAVENDISH

Agent • Merchant 5 • Reeves • Lawyer
“I advise you to plead guilty and throw yourself on
the mercy of the duke. Mounting a defense with a
claim of innocence would be… expensive. Of course,
if you do wish to spend the money….”
Description: Cavendish is a touring judge. He
goes from place to place overseeing cases and trials,
often serving as the presiding judge, but sometimes
employed as an advocate against or defender for the
accused. His job tends to show him the worst of hu-
man nature, but he remains unphased, placing his
faith in the eventual victory of deliberative reason
over crass motive. While he is by no means an atheist,
he is skeptical of many of the claims of the Church
concerning the supernatural. Still, he acknowledges
its existence, thanks to the cases he’s helped to solve
with his longtime traveling partner, Barnabus Twain
(see above). He prefers, however, to deal with such Headliner • Merchant 4 • Charioteers • Trader
things from the comfort of a drawing room chair with “What? You’ve never tried fermented thorarinfin
pipe in hand, fire crackling in the chimney, and tea meat before? It’s a Vuldrok delicacy! Come, don’t let
steaming in a cup beside him. the putrid smell stop you — have a taste!”
Characteristics: Description: Born a Hawkwood serf on Leminkain-
Str 3 Wits 6 Pre 8 en, Jones was captured by a Vuldrok raiding party
Dex 3 Per 4 Int 4 and enthralled by a thane on Hargard. When El-
End 4 Will 7 Faith 5 drid the Wise claimed noble-house status, part of
Skills: her agreement with Alexius involved her returning
Charm 5 the Hawkwood thralls. Rather than paying for their
Focus 6 transport, she decided to free them, so long as she
Empathy 6 could let them find their own ways home. Jones,
Impress 7 free but homeless, talked his way onto a Charioteer
Actions: Goal Impact ship and an apprenticeship, playing up his “foot
Castigate 15 Target is Castigated. in both worlds” story. They bought it, and he now
Command 15 Target is Commanded. runs a trade route between Leminkainen and Har-
Concentrate 11 Spend 3 VP to make gard. He has his sights set on new markets in the
next roll for declared as-yet-unpacified Ostmark continent, which has
task favorable; all oth- him on the lookout for a good crew of bodyguards.
er rolls unfavorable His needs are precise: they must be willing to pro-
until then. tect him when he tries to deal his way into some
Detect Lie 10 See through lies. exclusive markets before the gold rush begins.
Shake it off 10 | 13 | 11 Removes a state. Characteristics:
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 6 | Spirit 0 Str 4 Wits 6 Pre 7
Vitality: 15 Dex 5 Per 5 Int 5
Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2 End 4 Will 4 Faith 6
Equipment: His personal assistant think machine
has reams of law archives.

45
 Skills: Characteristics:
Charm 7 Str 5 Wits 6 Pre 5
Drive 5 Dex 6 Per 5 Int 4
Knavery 6 End 4 Will 5 Faith 3
Melee 5 Skills:
Observe 6 Academia 7
Pilot 7 Focus 7
Actions: Goal Impact Impress 5
Confuse 12 Target is Confused. Perform 5
Convince 13 Target is Convinced. Shoot 5
Sword strike 9 6 dmg Actions: Goal Impact
Shake it off 7 | 7 | 9 Removes a state. Mesmerize 10 Target is Mesmerized.
Capabilities: Customs (Commons, Streetwise), Shake it off 11 | 12 | 10 Removes a state.
Knowledge (Hargard, Leminkainen, Shipboard X-ray eye 11 See through clothing
Operations, Vuldrok), Melee Weapons (Mili- to notice hidden items
tary), Ranged Weapons (Slug Guns), Read/Speak and read writing.
(Urthish, Vuldrok) Perks: Advisor, Guild Commission (Entered), Ingenu-
Perks: Gambler, Guild Commission (Lieutenant), ity, X-Ray Eye
Schmooze Resistance: Body 4 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0 Vitality: 15
Vitality: 23 Surges: rating: 10 | number: 2
Revivals: rating: 9 | number: 2 Equipment: Dueling shield (5/10; 15 hits), laser pistol
Bank: 15
Surges: rating: 11 | number: 2
Equipment: Leather jerkin, sword, medium revolver Yeomen
TERMINAL XXVII HALSTON FREDERICK LARGO
Agent • Merchant 4 • Engineers • Cyborg Agent • Yeoman 4 • The Dispossessed •
“I loved this music when I was a child. At least, I Mercenary
like to think I did.” “Hold on… 3’0’clock, five paces… smells like a
Description: Rumors say that the Engineer of in- slinker.” (*ka-chack!*) “Let’s light it up!”
determinate gender called only Terminal 27 was Description: A serf who sought his way out of bond-
either: age by volunteering with his al-Malik lord’s troops,
• a noble scion who was too strange for its family Halston found himself on Stigmata. He stood in a
and rejected by the Church but was nonetheless trench on the frontlines of combat against monsters
taken in by the Engineers; of more shapes, sizes, and virulence than he could
• the product of a warlock’s rite to summon a de- imagine in his previous life herding brutes back on
mon that was rescued by Engineers; Istakhr. While he managed to survive his tour with
• pulled from a vat in a secret cloning lab; only a few scars, and he was awarded freeman status,
• a sentient that isn’t actually human but instead a he came to realize that war was all he knew. Halston
sophisticated golem made of flesh. Largo joined up with fellow Stigmata veterans in the
Terminal 27 likes to entertain all these possibil- Dispossessed and made war his job. He still has night-
ities, but the truth is it doesn’t know its own past. mares about his time on Stigmata fighting the symbi-
Its memories were wiped when the alien think ma- ots, but after a recent firefight with a small symbiot
chine it was hooked to was bombed by the Inqui- infiltration on Aylon, he has come to realize that the
sition. An Engineer found its body and put it back instincts and intuitions that saved him and many of
together with cybernetic parts. Terminal 27’s name his troop mates back on Stigmata wasn’t just luck: He
is seared like a brand into its chest, where the alien has a nascent psychic ability to sense the presence of
machine had been connected. symbiots. He fears that, should the Inquisition hear
It likes to go to high-class parties just to weird-out of it, they might try to conscript him. He has ap-
the guests, although it has begun to become quite proached his chain of command about the issue, and
the popular oddity, even inspiring dances based they’ve taken it as a selling point for landing contracts
on its slightly spastic movements (an unfortunate in regions where symbiot corruption is a fear. Halston
side-effect from its near death). has so far accepted his fate with stoicism: he might
never truly leave his war on Stigmata behind.

46
 INTRODUCTION
Characteristics: sighting. Did I not tell you that I would show you the
Str 7 Wits 4 Pre 5 best of what this jungle has to offer?” DRAMA
Dex 6 Per 6 Int 3 Description: Raised by a “civilized” vorox fami-
End 5 Will 5 Faith 4 ly on Ungavorox, Oxley was given his name by a PEOPLE
Occult: Psi 1 minor Li Halan provincial administrator, who also PLACES
Skills: instilled in him a love for xenobotany and the art of
Impress 6 flower arrangement. He began selling his services as PLAYING
Observe 6 a safari guide for the elite who sought tours into the
Shoot 8 dangerous interior of the planet. When he brought
Vigor 8 his last group out alive, but not whole — Sir Yuri
Actions: Goal Impact Kurikova Decados’ injury meant he would never
Daunt 11 Target is Daunted. produce heirs — his Li Halan friend arranged for
Detect symbiot 14 As Observe spot ma- Oxley to join the Society of St. Paulus and get off-
neuver vs. Severe Re- world. After traveling to a number of planets and
sistance; cost: 1 VP serving as a guide and scout for various expeditions,
Shake it off 8 | 8 | 7 Removes a state. he is now on Hargard. Oxley is getting the lay of
Shoot blaster rifle 14 9 dmg the land in preparation for what promises to be the
Perks: Military Rank (Corporal), Professional Repu- site of many lucrative scouting contracts by Known
tation ( Journeyman), Resilient, Stoic Spirit Worlders and Imperial authorities attempting to
Resistance: Body 6 | Mind 4 | Spirit 2 tame this barbarian world.
Vitality: 15 Characteristics:
Surges: rating: 11 | number: 2 Str 8 Wits 4 Pre 5
Equipment: Plastic mail, blaster rifle, knife Dex 5 Per 7 Int 5
End 6 Will 4 Faith 3
OXLEY (KAKANGARANGA) Skills:
Animalia 6
Arts 4
Drive 4
Fight 6
Observe 7
Shoot 5
Sneak 6
Survival 8
Vigor 7
Actions: Goal Impact
Bite 14 3 dmg
Camouflage 10 2 VP per +1 Resis-
tance vs. detection.
Identify animal 13 Correctly identify an
animal.
Shake it off 9 | 7 | 6 Removes a state.
Shoot rifle 12 6 dmg
Spot (favorable) 14 Notice things.
Capabilities: Arts (Imagery), Customs (Commons),
Knowledge (Known Worlds Jumpweb, Society
of St. Paulus, Ungavorox), Melee Weapons (Mili-
tary), Ranged Weapons (Slug Guns), Read/Speak
Urthish, Science (Life), Speak Voroxian, Transport
(Landcraft)
Perks: Chameleon (forest), Independent, Keen
Awareness, Oriented, Professional Reputation
Headliner • Vorox • Yeoman 2 • Society of St. ( Journeyman)
Paulus • Scout Birthright: Bite, Brutal, Extra Limbs, Huge (Size
“There! Do you see it? Hidden behind the palm 7), No Occult, Predatory (favorable Survival),
leaves? The great-spotted knife-billed glider. A rare

47
 Sensitive Smell, Uncouth (unfavorable persuasion Perks: Independent, Professional Reputation (Sa-
with strangers) vant), Second Skin
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0 Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 8 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 22 Vitality: 15
Revivals: rating: 9 | number: 1 Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2
Bank: 10 Equipment: Knife, bank with chalk sticks (for draw-
Surges: rating: 10 | number: 1 ing hobo signs)
Equipment: Leather jerkin, hunting rife (sight 2),
tracker (TL5 GPS device)

ZELDA THE EAR

Agent • Yeoman 6 • Vagabond • Amateur (Spy)
“’Scuse me, I couldn’t ’elp but over’ear that y’er
talking about Dakon the Knife. I might knows where
he is. What’s it worth to ya?”
Description: Zelda Priam was born to a well-off
freeman family on Leagueheim. When she was
about to join her family’s textile trade as an appren-
tice, her parents ran afoul of a highly-placed Scrav-
er, who ruined them with a blacklist. Within three
years, her parents had perished under crushing
poverty. Zelda nearly joined them, but she had the
wits and raw luck to stow away aboard a merchant
ship. She has been hoboing ever since. She joined
the brethren of the jumproads: the Vagabonds.
Now she travels using their network of signs, winks,
and nods to figure out the best ships to stow aboard,

Barbarians
preferring ships whose owners will often look the
other ways in return for labor. She soon learned
that the best passage coin is intelligence about a
ship captains’ rivals. What qualifies someone for the term “barbarian” is
Zelda uses the anonymity her impoverished fash- really a matter of perspective. The civilizations that
ion and begrimed face grants her to listen in on Known Worlders refer to as “barbaric” are all highly
conversations, invisible in plain sight to the elite. developed, have their own religions and technology,
She’s beneath their notice but not beyond hearing and are generally happy to remain well outside of Im-
range. perial control.
Characteristics: The Kurga Caliphate is a religious state ruled by
Str 3 Wits 7 Pre 7 a heresy (according to the Universal Church) that
Dex 5 Per 8 Int 7 purports that the living caliph is a spiritual succes-
End 3 Will 5 Faith 4 sor and holy heir to the Prophet. The Kurgans are
Skills: a cosmopolitan and well-educated people, and their
Charm 7 universities are famous, even among Known Worlds
Focus 5 nobility, but their civilization is now tucked behind
Interface 5 Hira’s jumpgate, requiring a difficult and unreward-
Intrusion 5 ing journey through Vuldrok space to reach them.
Knavery 7 The Vuldrok raiders, meanwhile, are a polythe-
Observe 8 istic people who model themselves after disparate
Actions: Goal Impact ancient Urth cultures, including the Vikings. Those
Entreat 14 Target is Entreated. on Hargard are a split people. Houses Eldrid and
Evade 10 Use VPs gained on Ramakrishna have both allied themselves with the
a successful roll to Empire, whereas the thanes of the Ostmark con-
boost Body Resis- tinent are actively fighting against this “invasion.”
tance. Ostmark’s thanes have a longstanding enmity with
Shake it off 8 | 10 | 9 Removes a state. House Hawkwood, due to decades of raiding and pi-
Spot 15 Notice things. racy against the house.

48
 INTRODUCTION
Vuldrok DRAMA

ASTRID THE VALKYRIE This insult cannot stand, and Astrid will not rest PEOPLE
until she sees House Eldrid wiped out. Her narrow PLACES
face is constantly grim, and her thick blonde hair
is going prematurely grey at the temples. Her war PLAYING
horn is particularly grisly. She had it carved out of
an auroch horn and set with polished pieces of her
late husband’s shattered femur.
Characteristics:
Str 8 Wits 6 Pre 8
Dex 5 Per 6 Int 6
End 5 Will 4 Faith 3
Skills:
Animalia 4
Drive 7
Fight 9
Impress 8
Melee 9
Perform 4
Shoot 5
Survival 6
Vigor 7
Actions: Goal Impact
Command 16 Target is Command-
ed.
Daunt 16 Target is Daunted.
Shake it off 8 | 7 | 6 Removes a state.
Sword strike 17 6 dmg
Headliner • Yeoman 6 • Vuldrok Star-Nation • Capabilities: Armor (Combat, War), Customs
Mercenary (Commons), Knowledge (Hargard, Shipboard
“Do not kneel to the Imperial slavers! Shake off the Operations, Vuldrok), Melee Weapons (Military),
yolk of Eldrid the Mad and be free!” Performing Arts (Oratory), Ranged Weapons (Slug
Description: Astrid served in the Fheykrigs along- Guns), Transport (Beastcraft)
side Eldrid, helping her establish herself as High Perks: Armed to the Teeth, Born of the Battlefield,
Thane. Once Eldrid allied with Emperor Alexius, Fencing, Independent, Professional Reputation (Sa-
though, Astrid withdrew across the Red Mountains vant), Resilient, Stoic Body
and raised her banners in revolt. She has gathered Resistance: Body 5 | Mind 8 | Spirit 0
a sizeable faction of Vuldrok to her cause, including Vitality: 23
a very few errant members of House Ramakrishna Revivals: rating: 11 | number: 2
and the children of the thanes Eldrid smashed. As- Bank: 20
trid hates the Known Worlds with a passion. Her Surges: rating: 14 | number: 2
husband was imprisoned, tortured, and killed by Equipment: Studded-leather jerkin, sword, medium
House Hawkwood after a failed raid, and his dis- autofeed, war horn
membered body sent back to Hargard in pieces.

49
 COUNTESS FREYA Characteristics:
OF THE RED MOUNTAINS Str 9 Wits 5 Pre 6
Dex 4 Per 7 Int 4
End 6 Will 4 Faith 3
Skills:
Charm 6
Drive 7
Fight 7
Impress 8
Melee 7
Perform 6
Survival 5
Vigor 7
Actions: Goal Impact
Befriend 12 Target is Befriended.
Fist strike 15 2 dmg
Shake it off 9 | 7 | 6 Removes a state.
Sword strike 15 6 dmg
Capabilities: Armor (Combat, War), Knowledge
(Eldrid, Hargard, Warfare), Medical (Poison), Me-
lee Weapons (Military), Military Ordnance (Artil-
lery), Performing Arts (Oratory), Ranged Weap-
ons (Slug Guns), Speak/Read (Urthish, Vuldrok),
Transport (Beastcraft)
Perks: Aim Where It Hurts, Dance of Destruction,
Fencing, Imperious, Impressive Strike, Nimble,
Stoic Body, Stoic Mind
Resistance: Body 6 | Mind 12 | Spirit 0
Headliner • Noble 6 • Eldrid • Duelist Vitality: 24
“Aren’t you sweet! And so deluded.” Revivals: rating: 11 | number: 2
Description: Freya used to be a queen among Bank: 20
thanes, the lord of the Red Mountains on Hargard. Surges: rating: 15 | number: 2
She had a thousand Fheykrigs who answered only Equipment: Plasteel half-plate armor, heavy auto-
to her, and her banner made men twice her size feed pistol, sword, drinking horn
quake in fear. All of this is still true, but she has

Occultists
pledged her fief, her might, and her heart to Prince
Eldrid the Wise. In fact, Eldrid named her daugh-
ter, Alexius’s new queen, after her friend and confi-
dante. Freya is in her late 30s with a flowing mane
of long chestnut hair and bright green eyes that are
always laughing. Many Known Worlders make the Psychic Covens
mistake of thinking she is less dangerous than El- Innumerable psychic covens have survived perse-
drid, due to her tendency to make light of any situ- cution, creating secret societies that help psychics
ation and flirt with any sentient being in her pres- hide from Church authorities and public scrutiny.
ence. This wit conceals a heart of iron and a short Two of them are large enough to have become in-
temper. Freya does not forget any insult, whether to famous across worlds: the Invisible Path and the
her or her Duchess, and she knows that she always Favyana. See Chapter 5: The Occult for more
eventually gets revenge. information.

50
 INTRODUCTION
THE INVISIBLE PATH
DRAMA
COUNTESS APRILLA HAMBRA AL-MALIK so, a shadow war, a war of subterfuges, rages under
the surface on her lands. Resistance fighters and PEOPLE
psychics on both sides threaten to dissolve all into PLACES
chaos.
Aprilla has recently turned to the Masking pow- PLAYING
er to change her appearance in more and more
unsettling ways, hoping to prevent her sister from
mimicking her. Her rising Urge is centered around
dysmorphia, which causes strange changes to her
body without her will, reflecting the growing mad-
ness in her mind.
Characteristics:
Str 3 Wits 7 Pre 6
Dex 5 Per 5 Int 6
End 8 Will 7 Faith 7
Psi 7 / Urge 4
Skills:
Academia 6
Disguise 8
Empathy 5
Fight 6
Focus 9
Impress 7
Observe 8
Shoot 7
Sneak 5
Survival 6
Headliner • Noble 6 • al-Malik • Psychic Vigor 7
“If you mention my sister one more time, you will Actions: Goal Impact
regret it for the rest of your very short life.” Fist strike 9 2 dmg
Description: The Hambra family is famous for two Shake it off 17 | 16 | 16 Removes a state.
things: an unbroken line of female offspring going Shoot pistol 12 5 dmg
back to the Second Republic and an affinity for Capabilities: Customs (Commons, Court), Knowl-
the psychic Soma Path. Aprilla grew up wanting edge (al-Malik, Aylon, Invisible Path), Melee Weap-
to make her family famous for something else. This ons (Military), Ranged Weapons (Slug Guns)
drive eventually led her to embracing the Invisible Perks: Imperious, Noble Title (Countess), Riches
Path, and her ruthlessness saw her rise to the lead- (Well Off), Stoic Spirit
ership of the Invisible Path on Aylon. Using the re- Psychic powers: Sixth Sense (Shape Senses, Sub-
sources and connections of the coven, she usurped tle Sight), Soma (Toughening, Strengthening,
control of the Hambra fiefs and set about bringing Quickening, Hardening, Sizing, Masking)
order under her strict despotic rule. Urge powers: Speak in Tongues, Misdirection, Voic-
Shortly after her ascendency, her Dark Twin es, Spirit Drain
started making trouble. Tales of her appearing out Resistance: Body 4 | Mind 10 | Spirit 2
of nowhere to order the release of prisoners or sur- Vitality: 33
prise arrests of allies sowed confusion. The countess Revivals: rating: 11 | number: 2
kept the truth close to her chest. What some saw Bank: 20
as her Dark Twin or doppelganger she knew to be Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2
her baby sister, acting with her Favyana allies. And Equipment: Synthsilk armor, autofeed slug gun

51
 THE FAVYANA

DAME VEBECCA HAMBRA AL-MALIK Soma powers her family was famous for. Once she
could shape herself into a likeness of her sister, she
started the guerilla war to bring down Aprilla. Now
she stays one step ahead of the authorities, creating
as much confusion as possible. She often has the
Quickening power active, giving her amazing agili-
ty and speed when needed.
Characteristics:
Str 6 Wits 6 Pre 5
Dex 6 Per 5 Int 5
End 6 Will 7 Faith 6
Psi 6 / Urge 2
Skills:
Charm 8
Fight 7
Focus 7
Knavery 7
Melee 6
Observe 7
Perform 7
Sneak 6
Actions: Goal Impact
Befriend 15 Target is Befriended.
Deceive 14 Target is Deceived.
Shake it off         13 | 13 | 12 Removes a state.
Sword strike 12 3 dmg
Capabilities: Customs (Commons, Court, Street-
Headliner • Noble 4 • al-Malik • Psychic/Spy wise), Knowledge (al-Malik, Aylon, Favyana), Me-
“Of course I’m Countess Aprilla! Do you doubt lee Weapons (Military), Performing Arts (Theatre)
your own eyes?” Perks: Allies (Favyana), Imperious, Noble (Dame),
Description: When Aprilla Hambra (see above) Stoic Spirit
rose to power, it was at the end of a bloody series Psychic powers: Soma (Toughening, Strengthening,
of assassinations that left her and her younger sister Quickening, Hardening, Sizing, Masking)
orphaned. Vebecca was only 15. She only barely Urge power: Speak in Tongues, Misdirection
escaped with her life, helped by a small group of Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 2 | Spirit 2
Favyana psychics who saw her potential to help Vitality: 28
their cause to disrupt the growing influence of the Revivals: rating: 9 | number: 2
Invisible Path on Aylon. Vebecca lost most of her Bank: 15
noble “polish” in her years on the run with the Surges: rating: 10 | number: 2
resistance, but she learned a lot of spycraft in that Equipment: Dark, heavy robes, rapier
time. The Favyana also trained her in the use of the

52
 INTRODUCTION
Theurgist DRAMA

SILDA SAR’HALIMA resembles the beings seen in his visions. Seeking PEOPLE
them out, he has hired the trader Farfield Jones (see PLACES
Merchants, above) to be his guide.
Characteristics: PLAYING
Str 3 Wits 7 Pre 5
Dex 4 Per 4 Int 6
End 3 Will 6 Faith 7
Theurgy 3 / Hubris 0
Skills:
Alchemy 3
Charm 6
Empathy 5
Focus 7
Perform 4
Remedy 4
Actions: Goal Impact
Entreat 11 Target is Entreated.
Prophet’s Blessing 14 Target’s roll for de-
clared task is favor-
able.
Divine Revelation 14 Spend VP for info.
Laying on Hands 11 Target heals 2 Vitali-
ty per VP; self: 1 Vi-
tality per 1 VP.
Shake it off         12 | 15 | 15 Removes a state.
Capabilities: Customs (Cathedral), Knowledge
(Obun, Occult, Religion, Voavenlohjun), Perform-
Headliner • Obun • Priest 3 • Voavenlohjun • ing Arts (Song), Read/Speak (Lojmaa, Urthish)
Theurgist Perks: Church Ordination (Canon), Inspiring, Stoic
“The darkness I speak of is no metaphor. It is quite Spirit
real. And it is coming.” Theurgy rites: Ecumenical (Divine Revelation, Lay-
Description: A nephew of Bran Botan vo Karm, the ing on of Hands, The Prophet’s Holy Blessing)
emperor’s councilor, Silda has had divine visions of Birthright: Sagacity, Serene (+2 shake it off)
a living darkness in Vuldrok space. He has been dis- Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 4 | Spirit 2
patched there as a Cohort to find out if they have any Vitality: 24
basis in reality. He travels with Belinda Ruddy-Brow, Revivals: rating: 8 | number: 1
a Questing Knight of both Hawkwood and Vuldrok Bank: 10
heritage who began his quest on Hargard. He has Surges: rating: 10 | number: 1
heard stories about a species of sentient, multi-ten- Equipment: Heavy robes, prayer bowl
tacled mollusc called a Nizdharim – a creature that

53
 Heretics it — especially talking it over with others — is a here-
sy. Merely declaring yourself a Republican is a crime
“Heresy” used to mean any incorrect interpretation in some locales. This doesn’t prevent some from join-
of a standard doctrine. In the world of Fading Suns, ing secret Republican cells and preparing for the time
however, any religious faction that counters the Uni- when the Republic can be declared.
versal Church of the Celestial Sun, from within or
without, are heretics — and therefore subject to the MAYOR
interrogation and flame guns of the Inquisition. DIEGO CASTENDA DE HAZAT DE SUTEK
Ironically, the major heresy within the Universal
Church is nestled in the heart of the Temple Avesti,
the sect most likely to produce inquisitors. The Fla-
ma Incarna are inquisitors who believe that the Holy
Flame doesn’t just live in the hearts of suns, but in
the hearts of all living beings. Furthermore, the Holy
Flame allows them to seek out heretics outside of the
Church and exterminate them. Publicly, the Avestites
are against this faction, as it has caused an unaccept-
able number of innocent deaths due to “hearing the
flame.” Privately, however, they keep members of the
Flama Incarna on hand solely for their zeal — pro-
vided, of course, they don’t publicly flout the dictates
of the Temple.
Another major Church heresy is the World-
shapers, a group of Eskatonics who have decided
to study geomancy. Geomancy, the movement of a
planet’s ley lines, is a crude method of terraform-
ing. It is extremely slow and currently very faulty
but requires only a sufficiently dedicated group of
theurgists to accomplish. The Church mostly leaves
the Worldshapers alone, as they often make small,
beneficial changes to very local areas. If this influ-
ence changes, however, and their experiments result
in a major “natural” disaster, the Inquisition may
have some questions.
Outside of the Church, the most well-known here- Headliner • Noble 5 • Hazat • Courtier
sies are the Sathraists, the countless Anunnaki cults, “Money is the real power. Money and technology,
and the Antinomists. All three groups worship aspects though a little muscle doesn’t hurt either.”
of the Known Worlds other than the Holy Flame of Description: Raised on the stories of the Second
the Empyrean. Sathraists practice an ecstatic path Republic and educated at Jade University, Diego
based on the drug-like high induced by unprotected is one of those rare Hazat who did not choose the
jumpgate travel. Anunnaki cults worship the mys- martial path. Rather, he found his love in man-
terious Preadamite creators of the jumpgates. An- agement, raising the well-being and prestige of the
tinomists are in direct opposition to everything the city of Ptah Seker through trade and technology.
Church stands for, actively worshipping the darkness The portly, middle-aged mayor is well-liked by the
engulfing the suns of the Known Worlds. All three op- merchants and guildsmen in the city, though the
erate in secret, fearing arrest and persecution by the Church is beginning to catch on to his anti-Impe-
Inquisition. (See below for a sample Antinomist.) rial sympathies. There is nothing Diego would like
more than a Third Republic. He envisions a glit-

Republicans tering new age of machinery, progress, and explo-

ration, with no emperor or state religion to stand in
While still a heresy, Republicanism is also a high the way. He knows he doesn’t have the power for a
crime in most jurisdictions. It is the desire to dissolve coup just yet, so he bides his time and quietly keeps
the feudal system and erect a new Republic  — the a running correspondence with other secret Repub-
Third Republic — in its place. While acting to pro- licans, informing them of the mysteries he finds in
mote this cause is a severe crime, even thinking about the depths of Ptah Seker.

54
 INTRODUCTION
Characteristics: count. Thrilled at what he saw, Rashid threw in
Str 3 Wits 8 Pre 7 with the Antinomists and slowly began to plot the DRAMA
Dex 4 Per 9 Int 8 downfall of the Decados from the shadows.
End 5 Will 5 Faith 4 * Rashid has followed the Antinomist calling, PEOPLE
Skills: which acts like the Theurgist calling, except that PLACES
Academia 6 allows access to Antinomist rituals (see the sidebar)
Alchemy 5 instead of theurgy. PLAYING
Charm 7
Interface 8
Knavery 6
Sneak 6
Tech Redemption 8
Actions: Goal Impact
Befriend 14 Target is Befriended.
Confuse 14 Target is Confused.
Deceive 13 Target is Deceived.
Shake it off         8 | 8 | 7 Removes a state.
Capabilities: Customs (Commons, Court), Knowl-
edge (Hazat, Sutek), Medical (Disease), Science
(Life, Physical), Tech Lore (TL5, TL6), Transport
(Landcraft)
Perks: Ally (an Orthodox bishop), Imperious, Noble
Title (Knight), Reeve Advocate, Riches (Well Off),
Schmooze
Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 2 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 24
Revivals: rating: 10 | number: 2
Bank: 15
Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2
Equipment: Synthsilk couture, Advisor think machine

Antinomists (Warlocks)
Characteristics:
BARON RASHID KEDDAH Str 4 Wits 5 Pre 9
Headliner • Noble 4 • Keddah • Antinomist*/ Dex 5 Per 7 Int 6
Conspiracist End 5 Will 7 Faith 3
“The time will come when the Decados will trem- Theurgy 3 / Hubris 0
ble at the name Keddah.” Skills:
Description: Eldest son of Marquis Haroun Keddah Academia 4
of Grail, Rashid grew up hating the Decados for their Arts 4
schemes against his house. He knew the history of Charm 6
his family and his planet, and he understood well the Drive 5
ploys by which the Decados had schemed to make the Fight 5
Keddah their puppets. Despite his father’s counseling Focus 4
caution, Rashid seethed with rage, vowing to do ev- Impress 7
erything he could to free his house from the Decados Knavery 8
and raise it up to the status of a major house. Melee 4
To that end, Rashid traveled extensively and Observe 9
sought out any aid he could find. On Pandemoni- Perform 4
um, he encountered an Antinomist cult that prom- Shoot 4
ised him the power he sought. Initially, he was Sleight of Hand 6
repulsed by the idea of allying with demon worship- Sneak 4
ers, but he changed his mind after the Antinomists Survival 4
demonstrated their abilities by slaying a Decados Vigor 7

55
 Actions: Goal Impact Bank: 15
Command 16 Target is Command- Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2
ed. Equipment: Laser pistol, thick robes
Curse** 11 Target suffers unfa-

Gangs
vorable roll on de-
clared task.
Deceive 17 Target is Deceived.
Exsanctification** 11 Creates profane vest- Here are sample antagonist groups to use against
ment. your PCs. Some of them come in several flavors to
Evil Eye** 13 Targets rolls are unfa- represent where they’re stationed.
vorable for the scene.
Fist strike 9 2 dmg
Shake it off         9 | 11 | 7 Removes a state. Physical Threats
** See Antinomy Rituals sidebar. These types pose a risk to life and limb for anyone in
Capabilities: Arts (Writing), Customs (Court), the wrong place at the wrong time.
Knowledge (Decados, Etyri, Grail, Keddah, Oc-
cult, Shipboard Operations), Peforming Arts (Or- BANDITS
atory), Ranged Weapons (Energy Guns), Read/
Speak Urthish Extras
Perks: Calculating, Imperious, Lay Down the Law, “Stand and deliver!”
Noble Title (Baron), Stoic Spirit Description: Often tattooed, ritually scarred, or
Antinomy: Curse, Exsanctification, Evil Eye branded by the law, professional bandits conceal
Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 6 | Spirit 2 their true strength from their victims until it’s too
Vitality: 24 late.
Revivals: rating: 9 | number: 2 Vitality: 10

COUNTRY
ANTINOMY RITUALS Actions: Goal Impact
Deceive 10 Target is Deceived.
Warlocks and other Antinomists have access Shoot bow 9 4 dmg
to rituals similar to theurgy. Space prevents a Knife strike 9 3 dmg
fuller description of them all here, but three Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
are described briefly in conjunction with the Equipment: Knives, bows
sample NPC presented in this section.
Curse: This ritual is the opposite of the URBAN
ecumenical ritual, The Prophet’s Holy Bless- Actions: Goal Impact
ing. The target suffers unfavorable rolls when Deceive 10 Target is Deceived.
accomplishing a specific task of your choice. Shoot pistol 9 5 dmg
(Roll Focus + Will vs. Spirit Resistance.) Frap stick strike 9 6 dmg + Shock
Exsanctification: This ritual is the reverse Knife strike 9 3 dmg
of the Urth Orthodox ritual Consecration. Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
You make an Antinomy vestment that lasts for Equipment: Leather armor, knives, shockers; the
the duration of the act, after which it returns captain also has a slug gun
to normal  — unless the casting roll is a crit-
ical hit, in which case the Exsanctification is SPACE STATION
permanent. The consecrated item resists being Actions: Goal Impact
affected by psychic powers or theurgy; rolls by Deceive 10 Target is Deceived.
these powers to affect the item are unfavor- Shoot shotgun 9 8/4/1 dmg + Stock
able. (Roll Focus + Will vs. tough Resistance.) Frap stick strike 9 6 dmg + Shock
Evil Eye: This is a more advanced version Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
of Curse. Instead of affecting a task of your Equipment: Spacesuit, frap stick, shotguns (which
choice, the unfavorable condition applies to all risk damaging hulls)
the target’s rolls for the rest of the scene. (Roll
Focus + Presence vs. Spirit Resistance.)

56
 INTRODUCTION
GUARDS DEPUTIZED SERF
Actions: Goal Impact DRAMA
Extras Fist strike 9 2 dmg
“Halt! Who goes there?” Throw firebomb 9 3 (1) dmg + Flame PEOPLE
Description: Dressed in whatever their liege can af- Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 PLACES
ford, guards clearly wear the symbol of their faction Equipment: Fire kit, tar-tipped staff doubling as a
as either a badge or a tabard. Their traits differ by torch, clay pots with alcohol or fuel oil for dowsing PLAYING
region and role. and igniting
Vitality: 10
OFFICIAL INQUISITOR
COUNTRY Actions: Goal Impact
Actions: Goal Impact Daunt 10 Target is Daunted.
Shoot bow 10 4 dmg Whip strike 9 3 dmg
Fist strike 9 2 dmg Shoot flamegun 9 5 (3) dmg + Flame
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Equipment: Leather armor, bow Equipment: Whip, flamegun, flameproof robes

URBAN RAIDERS
Actions: Goal Impact
Fist strike 9 2 dmg Extras
Staff strike 9 3 dmg, Slam (+ *incoherent, intimidating scream*
Shock) Description: Raiders immobilize their prey through
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 terror. They dress accordingly, but their primary
Equipment: Leather armor, staff with shocker (3 tactics rely on striking quickly and avoiding damage.
charges) Actions: Goal Impact
Dodge 9 Spend VP to boost
PALACE GUARD Body Resistance.
Actions: Goal Impact Fist strike 10 3 dmg
Fist strike 9 2 dmg Staff strike 9 3 dmg, Slam + Shock
Shoot pistol 10 4 dmg or Hard
Sword strike 9 6 dmg Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Resistance: Body 1 (or 3) | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 Equipment: Light armor made from alien scales/
Equipment: Padded armor (with optional ceramic hide, makeshift weapons (spears with ma-
or metal plates in fabric pockets: +2 Body Resis- chine-sharpened points, cudgels wired up as tem-
tance), sword or pistol (light revolver with 6 shots) porary shockers)
Vitality: 10
SPACE STATION
Actions: Goal Impact UNRULY MOB
Fist strike 9 2 dmg
Frap stick strike 9 6 dmg + Shock Extras
Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 “There they are!”
Equipment: Spacesuit, frap stick (10 charges) Description: Frightened or compelled civilians driv-
en to acts of violence
INQUISITORS Actions: Goal Impact
Staff strike 10 3 dmg
Extras Spot 9 VP vs. Resistance to
“Burn the sinner!” detect things.
Description: Dressed in robes or cloaks marked with Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
flame symbols. Their faces bear jumpgate crosses Equipment: Club or staff
painted with ashes. Vitality: 10
Vitality: 10
URBAN YOUTH
Actions: Goal Impact
Knife strike 10 3 dmg
Staff strike 9 3 dmg

57
 Throw firebomb 9 3 (1) dmg + Flame Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 Equipment: Various wares, First Republic-era junk
Equipment: Knives, clubs, improvised explosives that still looks impressive
Vitality: 10
VIGILANTES
Actions: Goal Impact NOSY PRIESTS
Staff strike 10 3 dmg
Shoot 9 4 dmg (arrow or slug) Extras
or 8/4/1 dmg + Stock “Now what have you heard about them?”
(shotgun) Description: Nosy priests usually appear around
Spot 9 VP vs. Resistance to meal times, always demanding hospitality or at-
detect things. tendance at sermons, yet however unwelcome they
Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 may be, they always seem to walk away with valu-
Equipment: Padded armor, masks, clubs, bows or able information.
shotguns or slug throwers with limited ammunition Actions: Goal Impact
Castigate 10 Target is Castigated.
ZEALOTS Entreat 9 Target is Entreated.
Actions: Goal Impact Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Fist strike 10 2 dmg Equipment: Bottle of local wine or mead or beer,
Spot 9 VP vs. Resistance to jumpgate cross, medicinal herbs
detect things. Vitality: 10
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0

Creatures
Equipment: Rope, brands

Social Threats “The one thing I learned in my many travels: Just

These types won’t beat you down, but they might fast- when you think you’ve seen it all, you get stung by
talk you into trouble. something completely new.”
– Lord Erbian’s Stellar Bestiary (foreword to 3rd edition)
COURT GOSSIPS
The many worlds along the jumpweb are home
Extras to an endless variety of wildlife that even pre-Fall
“Have you heard the latest? Oh my!” scientists never managed to fully catalog. Most
Description: Flamboyantly dressed, gossips are serfs are very knowledgeable about their local
guaranteed to stand out in a crowd. However, any f lora and fauna, but the truth often mingles with
signs of their allegiance to a faction are either subtly fables and myths on the fringes of civilized society.
woven into their garb or conspicuously absent, en- Thus, any expedition into the wild has to expect
couraging others to open up around them. the unexpected.
Actions: Goal Impact During the Second Republic, many native lifeforms
Deceive 10 Target is Deceived. were genetically engineered to better serve as replace-
Entreat 9 Target is Entreated. ments for Urthish livestock. Horses were of particular
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 1 interest to the nobility, as each house bred horses for
Equipment: Ink and pen, perhaps a media recording specific qualities. The Aragon destriers of the Hazat
device, 2 firebirds worth of various coinage are the best warhorses money can buy, while the Sev-
Vitality: 10 eran stallions of the Decados are renowned for their
intelligence and the Qalim of the al-Malik are known
MARKETERS their speed.
Below you’ll find some examples of non-sen-
Extras tient creatures that your players might encounter
“That’s a great deal, but have you seen this?” on specific worlds or pretty much anywhere along
Description: These flashy folks are ready to part the jumpweb. The traits represent average mem-
fools from their money. bers of the species as Agent NPCs. They can be
Actions: Goal Impact improved or altered to suit particularly exceptional
Deceive 10 Target is Deceived. specimens.
Entreat 9 Target is Entreated.

58
 INTRODUCTION
AMEN’TA (HULL RATS) Actions: Goal Impact
Bite 7 2 dmg DRAMA
Agent (creature) • Level: 1 • Size: 2 Claw 7 1 dmg
Amen’ta resemble armadillos about 30 centi­meters Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 PEOPLE
in length with heavy, black fur and hard, scaly skin. Vitality: 8 PLACES
The nightmare of any starship captain is finding out Surges: rating: 3 | number: 1
midflight that their ship is infested with hull rats. PLAYING
First encountered on Severus, where the amen’ta MATRIKA
evolved steel-sharp teeth to gnaw through the thick,
armored hides of the local fauna, they soon spread all Agent (creature) • Level: 2 • Size: 3
over the jumpweb by stowing away on human ships. Best described as feline snakes the size of a large
The former carrion feeders be- gan to shift their dog, these venomous predators native to Vijayanagar
on Hargard have been partially domesticated by
House Ramakrishna. Iridescent scales cover their
hairless, slender bodies in intricate patterns, making
them quite the sight to behold and suggesting that
breeding them would be a profitable endeavor. Small
arched horns protrude above their earholes, actually
increasing their ability to locate sound. They walk on
four legs, virtually silent, but a matrika can produce
a threatening rattling sound with its long tails when it
wants to be noticed.
Matrikas are extremely territorial, taking some
time to get acquainted with the people they share
their living space with. Ramakrishna nobles value
them as guard pets, since matrikas react violently to
any unknown person not in the company of someone
they’re familiar with. Even in the presence of their
owners, they tend to act nervously around guests, a
diet after they t a s t e d the soft flesh o f trait that suits the Ramakrishna just fine when deal-
offworlders. They can cause considerable damage to ing with supplicants.
a ship’s systems as well, once they start building their If provoked, a matrika doesn’t necessarily stop attack-
warrens within them. ing after incapacitating its prey, using its sharp claws to
The Purgers Guild specializes in cleansing ships rend the flesh of anything it can’t swallow whole.
plagued by hull rats, but it invests considerable effort Special Abilities:
to stay ahead of the game. Venom: Matrika venom is extremely painful to hu-
Special Abilities: mans, but rarely fatal. Still, the promise of its pain
Hibernation: Amen’ta are able to enter hibernation can engender fear in those who hear the matri-
and adapt to any toxin used to get rid of them, ka’s rattle and are aware of the venom’s property.
even passing this immunity on to their offspring. Characteristics:
Upon reawakening, they experience a feeding Str 3 Wits 2 Pre 5
frenzy that has devastated countless villages try- Dex 5 Per 5 Int 5
ing to flush out a pack of these pests. The Slum- End 5 Will 5 Faith 5
ber, the gland responsible for their hibernation, is Skills:
often sold as a cure-all or narcotic. Fight 8
Characteristics: Observe 7
Str 2 Wits 2 Pre 2 Sneak 5
Dex 5 Per 7 Int 5 Vigor 6
End 5 Will 4 Faith 3
Skills:
Fight 5
Sneak 6
Vigor 6

59
 Actions: Goal Impact performances they enjoy and often spend con-
Bite 11 1 dmg + Tormented siderable quantities of coin to have street artists
Claw 11 3 dmg decorate their favorite specimens lavishly.
Rattle 10 If VP exceed Will or The Jakovian Agency has since discovered oth-
Faith, target (who must er useful applications for the beetles, using them
know about matri- to smuggle information or as listening devices
ka venom) becomes undetectable by technology. As an added bo-
Afraid. nus, they are also rather inconspicuous to carry
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 around, given their current popularity.
Vitality: 10 Actions: Goal Impact
Surges: rating: 7 | number: 1 Perform (mimicry) 10 Listeners are Mes-
merized.
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 1

SÆHRIMNIR (WHALEHOGS)
Agent (creature) • Level: 3 • Size: 8
While their colloquial name may suggest otherwise,
whalehogs are not actually aquatic creatures. They
are immensely massive quadrupeds, measuring up-
wards of two meters at the shoulder and concealing
enormous layers of fat under their tough black-and-
white hides. Despite their bulk they are surprisingly
fast runners, sometimes able to outrun even horses if
they’ve had time to pick up speed.
Whalehogs originally served as an ample source
of meat and tallow for early settlers on Hargard, but
the conquering Vuldrok soon realized the creatures’
military potential as charge cavalry. Covering them
in armored plates and driving them against fortified
positions proved to be a rather effective tactic. Par-
PIQI (PARROT BEETLES) ticularly barbaric Vuldrok took up the practice of
executing noble prisoners by releasing whalehogs to
Extra (creature) • Size: Negligible trample them to death.
These bland looking insects are barely five centime- The practice of training Sæhrimnir mounts was
ters long, but they caused a mass hysteria over poten- largely relegated to history books until recently. Once
tial symbiot corruption, given their sudden appear- again, whalehog riding become a favored pastime on
ance out of nowhere all over the Known Worlds and Ostmark. While it seems unlikely these beasts are ac-
the craze they caused among the youth. It eventually tually meant for warfare — their enormous weight and
came to light that they actually originated from Iver, size make them impractical to ship over sea and space
smuggled out as part of a Jakovian cover operation, alike  — House Eldrid has expressed its concern over
but somehow ended up on Pandemonium’s bazaars, the renaissance of this symbol of barbarian brutality.
selling like crazy and rapidly spreading from there. Characteristics:
Special Abilities: Str 8 Wits 1 Pre 3
Audial mimicry: What gives these insects their collo- Dex 3 Per 3 Int 3
quial name is not their coloring, but their ability End 8 Will 3 Faith 6
to mimic any sound they hear using arrays of chi- Skills:
tinous resonators along their body. When trained Fight 5
properly, they react to specific triggers, either Vigor 9
memorizing or repeating. They are commonly Actions: Goal Impact
able to memorize between 10 to 15 minutes of Squeal 12 If VP exceed Will or
sound, but there’s fierce competition in breeding Faith, target becomes
endeavors that result in greater capacity. Noble Daunted.
youths trade for piqi with recordings of musical Trample 14 6 dmg

60
 INTRODUCTION
Resistance: Body 5 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 is annihilated. Imbued with hideous strength, they kill
Vitality: 16 and kill again, leaving behind a trail of dead that reani- DRAMA
Surges: rating: 11 | number: 1 mate to join their armies of the damned.
Tales of those who have witnessed such horrors are PEOPLE
varied and colorful, but a few facts recur. Crude physi- PLACES
cal force can destroy a husk, but some forms of energy
that kill the living do not affect the dead. They do not PLAYING
breathe. Radiation does not affect them, but other phys-
ical forces, such as fire or electricity, gradually destroy
their physical forms. Husk bodies slowly decay, much
as human and alien bodies decompose, but left undis-
turbed, the dissolution of their physical forms can take
decades. Peasants and nobles alike tell of armies of husks
advancing while on fire, or marching across the bottom
of a lake, or continuing to kill everything in their path as
weapons fire tears them apart piece by piece.
Trudging with a slow and methodical gait, husks
glare at all of creation with milky, vacant eyes. When
presented with danger, a husk’s thousand-yard-stare
can focus on nearby movement, but no glimmer of
intellect is visible in their countenance. Somehow, air
(or whatever passes for local atmosphere) is drawn
and expelled through their lungs, resulting in an un-

Weird Monstrosities
holy horrific groan, but they cannot draw sustenance
from these vapors. When seemingly frustrated or en-
raged, their raucous din becomes louder. Husks can-
The galaxy has a limited number of Known Worlds, not form articulate speech, although some troubled
but millennia of evolution have created countless witnesses claim they can hear sounds vaguely like in-
forms of life across creation. Alien creatures fight to telligent words, usually no more than one or two sylla-
survive on worlds where they’re surrounded by weird bles. Whether this cacophonous din is subtle commu-
and mystical monstrosities. Psychic abilities, theurgic nication or merely frustration, the sound of outraged
curses, and manifestations of outright evil distort and husks always summons larger hordes of husks.
pervert diverse alien ecosystems, spawning wonders A single husk is listless, methodical, and predictable.
and horrors that defy scientific explanation. It acts as though it has faint memories of things and
After the fall of the Second Republic, the denizens places important to it in life, drifting towards oppor-
of many worlds had a thousand years to mutate. A tunities to protect the locations of good memories or
rich panoply of predators, scavengers, harvesters, and destroy former sources of trauma. It may recognize
abominations appeared. The most baffling outliers in people important to it before resurrection, although
this collection of genetic iterations are only barely un- this only briefly delays its killing spree. One drive unites
derstood, creating legends and nightmares of weird all husks: they seek and destroy all living sentient be-
monstrosities. Step right up, and you’ll witness a ings. Husks have sought vengeance against those who
handful of these horrors. wronged them before death. Multiple husks cooperate
to focus their crude strength or tireless vigil at a com-

Husks mon purpose, such as overtaking a starport, breaking

into an animal’s cage, or all battering at the same door
Evil walks among us. Reviled by many names through- with fearful colonists cowering on the other side of it.
out the Known Worlds, the unconsecrated dead are re- Husks only possess crude manipulation. Anything
turning to life and seeking sentient victims. Their epic more complicated than battering down a door or
bouts of mass destruction ravage worlds where heresy, breaking a window confounds them, and simple
apostasy, or Antinomy thrive. Their strength is brutish; mechanisms like door latches confuse them. That
their armies are mindless; their pursuit of the living is won’t prevent them from relentlessly and repeatedly
relentless and indefatigable. Survivors most commonly using trial and error until they find something that
refer to these armies of the walking dead as husks: ani- works. Some witnesses claim as hordes of husks grow
mated corpses that should not be, but nonetheless man- larger, they become more resourceful. They often act
age to shamble, shuffle, and lurch until their mortal clay with a single purpose. By some accounts, if a hundred

61
 husks need to leap into a crevasse to form a crude gather, performing an act of atonement might cause
bridge of bodies, shamblers behind them will crawl the plague to perish. If the husks appear to be seek-
over shattered bodies to get to fearful villagers on ing revenge against the living, then punishing those
the other side. Proximity to living things redoubles heretics is another possible solution. Insightful mystics
their efforts. They won’t destroy themselves by obvi- claim they can interpret the groans of the unholy or
ous means, such as falling into a pit or walking into detect a pattern of clues to their motives or weaknesses.
open flame, but proximity to the living enrages them Since many husks are vulnerable to fire, Avestites of-
enough to causes lapses in what passes for judgment. ten prefer a more direct method: burn everything. If all
When husks manifest on a planet, the local strain may other methods fail, the husks continue their ceaseless
be different than the ones witnessed on other worlds. vigil until all life is destroyed. No flesh shall be spared.
These variations are known as plagues. Like a cold or Special Abilities:
virus that mutates over time, manifestations of evil may Dead Flesh — A husk’s Body Resistance begins at 2,
adapt to their environment or (as some theologians at- plus any armor they might be wearing.
test) the sins that summoned their resurrection. In one Influence immunity: Husks are immune to mental
city, a well-aimed shot to the head may deal double or and social states, as well as physical states that
triple damage, while a chapel on another planet may be rely on the frailty of living bodies (Dazed, Man-
haunted by husks that can only be killed by wooden am- gled, Unconscious, etc.). Husks cannot be affect-
munition fired directly through the heart. Some plagues ed by social influence attempts.
of animate dead consume the flesh of the living, using
that fuel to power short bursts of speed, strength, or rage. SAMPLE HUSKS
Others eschew flesh-eating, and their abilities degrade
more rapidly. A few plagues are empowered by mani- HIRAN HUSK
festations of evil itself, taking their strength from places Agent (creature) • Level: 5 • Size: 5
where humans have committed great atrocities, acts of Following the closure of the Hira jumproute to
desecration, or unforgivable sins. Khayyam, a series of vicious battles between Hazat
Theurgic ritualists attest that despite these varia- and Kurgan forces ravaged the landscape on many
tions, many of the same holy rites are highly effective. continents. Before the dead could be gathered and bur-
Consecrated ground usually repels husks. If an act of ied, many of them rose up on their own and shambled
atrocity, Antinomy, or blasphemy caused the plague to against their former foes, continuing the war long af-
ter their part in it was over, now with unholy strength.
Some of these husk troops forced evacuations and
abandonment of their areas, so that they still wander
the empty battlefields, seeking to engage the enemy.
Characteristics:
Str 7 Wits 1 Pre 3
Dex 3 Per 3 Int 1
End 5 Will 2 Faith 3
Skills:
Fight 5
Actions: Goal Impact
Fist strike 12 3 dmg
Resistance: Body 4* | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
* Slamproof
Vitality: 15
Equipment: Torn leather armor
Surges: rating: 12 | number: 2

MEGARAN HUSK
Agent (creature) • Level: 3 • Size: 5
According to legend, this particular plague was last
witnessed within the Megara asteroid complex. Al-
legedly, a radiation breach, chemical fire, and sudden
breaching of airlocks all failed to eradicate the plague.
The current whereabouts of this species are unknown,
as there were no survivors of the infestation.

62
 INTRODUCTION
Characteristics: One exotic variant of the petra wyrm prefers a diet
Str 5 Wits 1 Pre 3 heavier in silicates, and as a result, favors environments DRAMA
Dex 3 Per 2 Int 1 with rolling sand dunes. The chances of surviving a
End 7 Will 2 Faith 3 desert petra wyrm’s predations are about the same, PEOPLE
Skills: but people who live on desert worlds find ways to im- PLACES
Fight 5 prove their odds. Some natives claim to have found
Actions: Goal Impact an arrhythmic way of walking that confuses the petra PLAYING
Fist strike 10 2 dmg wyrm’s ability to sense minor tremors. They may of-
Resistance: Body 2* | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 fer to teach tourists and explorers how to imitate that
* Fireproof, Slamproof lumbering gait for a fee. Despite this generous tutelage,
Vitality: 13 many offworlders who pay handsomely to learn the art
Equipment: Shredded clothing of “sandwalking” mysteriously disappear in the des-
Surges: rating: 8 | number: 1 ert, leaving much of their valuable equipment behind.
Whether this is the result of an improperly executed

Monsters sandwalk, incorrect instruction, or a misguided belief

in the wyrm’s inability to read sandwalking is left for
Some of these were once creatures that had a natu- the contemplation of scholars and explorers.
ral place in their planet’s ecosystems and made sense
within a narrative of evolution. No longer. Second HARGARD ROCKWYRM
Republic science, Anunnaki radiation, or unholy Petra wyrms only appeared on Hargard 10 years ag0.
powers have, for one reason or another, by one means The Vuldrok claim they were smuggled in as eggs and
or another, warped them into monstrosities. grown by the “Hawkwyrd,” but some speculate that
they’ve been there much longer, living far beneath the
PETRA WYRM mantle. Allegedly, they’ve only recently come to the sur-
face due to some deep disturbance. Their sloughed-off
Agent (creature) • Level: 3 • Size: 9 plates are prized by Vuldrok armorers for use in scale
Terrors lurk below. The petra wyrm is an exotic sub- mail (+1 Body Resistance, Hardproof, +200 fb cost).
terranean lifeform capable of burrowing through solid Characteristics:
rock, sand, or magma. Most of its life cycle is spent Str 9 Wits 1 Pre 5
dormant, as it processes the minerals it has devoured, Dex 3 Per 3 Int 3
but in a furious burst of energy, it can tunnel its way End 10 Will 7 Faith 5
through solid matter. As part of this process, it excretes Skills:
the materials that cannot provide it sustenance, leaving Fight 5
a corridor of semi-solid silicate matter in its wake. Vigor 9
In desperate times, the petra wyrm augments this Actions: Goal Impact
sedimentary diet with living creatures. Fortunately Strike from below 15 8 dmg (Slam)
for the sentient inhabitants of the Known Worlds, its Resistance: Body 7 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
ability to detect vibrations from the surface world is Vitality: 17
crude and indirect. It can only lunge from the world Surges: rating: 12 | number: 1
below to the world above across short distances, typ-
ically about 10 meters or less. When its would-be FIREBAT
quarry draws near, the petra wyrm surges out of
the ground, attempting to crush a hapless vic- Woe betide any fool who
tim in its craw. Devouring organic material dares disturb the lair of a
takes slightly more time than processing firebat. These tempera-
rocky terrain, so the victim has a few mo- mental and territorial avian
ments to fend off its attacker, hopefully creatures will do just about
with help. If the wyrm misses its target anything to protect their off-
by a meter or two, it can still sense spring. It’s easy to spot one
vibrations well enough to adjust for flying overhead. Its 15-foot-wide
its error and shamble in the di- leathery, batrachian wings form
rection of the nearest panicky a distinctive profile. Clutching
surface dweller. Stealth and pteranadon claws and a long, vi-
calm are a sentient’s best cious beak contributes to its
defenses in this situation. fearsome form. Like many

63
 flying reptiloids, they have rock-hard hides, but a fire- scraggly trees and bushes. The local serfs actually
bat’s rugose epidermis is lubricated with a moist, viscous prize them for their ability to produce flame on the
fluid seeping from subcutaneous pores. Avestites have coldest nights, although attempts to tame them and
confirmed that the substance is very similar to the natu- keep them in captivity have resulted in many a fiery
rally distilled ka oil used to fuel Inquisitorial flamethrow- end. Still, desperate parties have learned out to seek
ers. When a firebat is angered — an event that seems to them out, anger them, and use the resulting flames to
happen rather frequently — the incendiary pteranadon get their cookfires burning.
clicks its stony molars to produce a spark, resulting in Characteristics:
a pyrotechnic detonation that’s extremely harmful to Str 2 Wits 1 Pre 2
most living things below, but it’s quite comfortable for Dex 8 Per 5 Int 5
the well-lubricated flying reptiloid. End 4 Will 5 Faith 5
Firebat eggs are just as distinctive: Because of an Skills:
unusually long gestation period, the eggs have a rocky Fight 4
outer crust to protect offspring for prolonged periods Vigor 6
of time. Before the embryo is fully formed, the spawn- Actions: Goal Impact
in-a-shell is suffused in roiling fluids approximating Fireball 14 6(3) dmg; Flame; once
magma. If the embryo doesn’t fully form, most likely every three turns
because the ovum wasn’t properly impregnated, the Bite 6 1 dmg
magma hardness into a bright, colorful series of igne- Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
ous layers — a medium some artists prize. Vitality: 9
Irresponsible off-worlders harvest firebat eggs, but Surges: rating: 4 | number: 1
they don’t always know whether a live firebat is nes-
tled within one. Scravers and Engineers have devised
crude flame chambers for storing firebat eggs, pre- Creature Creation
paring an incendiary trigger in case the critter inside The Second Republic in its self-proclaimed “infinite
hatches. Not everyone takes such expensive precau- wisdom” truly messed up an awful lot of species at
tions, however, as it tends to eat into profits. In this a genetic level, making all manner of creatures that,
way, fire bat eggs have been transported to distant once let loose into the wild, exploded into all sorts of
worlds, where hardy fireproof offspring eventually es- unforeseen niches. (Ask any native Hawkwood about
cape, propagate, and inevitably incinerate. cryphota and watch them go pale.) The worst ones
Most eggs don’t hatch, so a firebat matriarch will tend were bred for war, but even the ones made for the
to make nests far apart from each other. It’s an evolu- “best of reasons” can still be a shock.
tionary adaption that ensures one compromised nest is Even without that era’s meddling, a number of
isolated from a dozen others. A clutch of firebats patrols worlds host some very strange beasts. Many of these
their network of nests, terrifying and startling interlopers creatures have managed to (accidentally or purpose-
with shock-and-awe displays of fiery fury. Because fire- fully) migrate to other worlds. That means the pred-
bats do not care about the finer distinctions concerning atory horrors of Ungavorox or the symbiot worlds
threat levels, they attack any sentient who approaches, might appear on even the tamest of worlds, if only for
regardless of whether a human or alien intends to a limited time.
steal its eggs. Xeno-hunters have tried With that in mind, you should keep your
to exploit this instinct, troupe guessing. Here are some guide-
watching the flight path lines to use when making up creatures
of a firebat and timing its both mundane and strange.
patrol so that swift gatherers
can get in, steal valuable eggs, NATURE’S WAY
and get out before a firestorm
hits. Those who fail die in fire. Consider these concepts when
creating a creature: senses, cogni-
CADAVAN FIREBAT tion, offense, and defense.
Agent (creature) • Level: 2 •
Size: 2 SENSES
You’d think that an icy world Lifeforms need the ability to sense their
like Cadavus would hold no niche environment and react to it. This can
for the firebat, but they’ve figured out ways to include a dizzying array of sensory or-
hide their nests at ground-level beneath windblown, gans that allow for at least rudimentary

64
 INTRODUCTION
identification of what the lifeform senses, as well as animals in this category are a slightly different sub-
the ability to react to obstacles. set. Certain birds with a need to navigate three-di- DRAMA
Creatures that are impaired in one sense (say, vi- mensional space fit within this definition. Primates
sion) usually make up for it with a heightened sense and other puzzle solvers are also noetic. Travelers PEOPLE
(hearing or touch). sometimes hear rumors of bizarre creatures that PLACES
A creature’s role in its food chain can also affect its recognize and feed on concepts, like love or antici-
senses. Predators need to find prey, and prey need to pation or justice. These cryptic creatures obviously PLAYING
detect predators, but simple slime molds don’t need “think” in relation to their needs, but they are not
such sophisticated senses. sentient in any recognizable sense.

COGNITION OFFENSE
Animal behaviors can be broken down into three cat- Predators are specialists in offensive techniques,
egories: innate, distributed, or noetic. Each type of though prey may possess one or two of their own.
behavior includes its own methods for reacting to the The category of natural weaponry includes ev-
environment. erything from the bone-shattering bites of tundra
An innate behavior is fully instinctual. It’s a set of wolves to the hyper-caustic secretions of a particu-
programmed behaviors that react to the environ- larly nasty mobile mold that enjoys growing under
ment. They’re used to overcome obstacles and facil- fusion reactors.
itate access over time. (Simple machines can be pro- Animals that produce venoms rely on substances
grammed to mimic this kind of behavior, which can that cripple or incapacitate their targets. A venom
make the machines seem quite emotional over time, might even start digesting its target. As frightening as
as their programmed behaviors adapt to better deal that might be, plenty of animals offer more unique
with sentients.) adaptations to unusual environments, such as erupt-
In distributed intelligences, each separate compo- ing into flames, inducing subsonic panic, or even de-
nent combines to form a greater whole but can also vouring thoughts.
act autonomously. Colony-based insects often act this
way, as do cephalopods, where each tentacle possesses DEFENSE
a different brain from the core host. Working against Animals often avoid threats through camouflage, mas-
a collective can be dangerous. One curious encounter querade, selective environments, or activity during a
with a couple of scouts may escalate to a well-execut- selective time of day or night. A more exotic defense
ed attack after the scouts return to their hive. is apostasy: the ability to have a common form that is
The term “noetic” means that an animal at this easily predated and a rarer one that is much hardier.
level understands higher-level concepts. Fully sen- A nasty form of apostatic life was found on one of
tient species like humans and vorox are noetic, but the Hazat worlds, where a hunting party was shoot-
ing down a troop of multi-legged primates that local
folklore said were bad luck to kill. The hunters later
INFLUENCING CREATURES discovered that their prey were juveniles when the
adult version burrowed up beneath them and devas-
Creatures that are not fully sentient are immune tated most of their hunting party.
to most forms of influence. Characters can use Prey animals use a significant combination of de-
the Animalia skill (often in conjunction with a fenses to avoid being eaten. To reduce their risk, they
capability like Beast Lore) against creatures in may employ bright coloring to warn predators off (if
ways that approximate certain maneuvers, like they’re toxic), use mimicry, induce fear, signal to oth-
Charm’s befriend or Impress’ daunt, but these ers, distract pursuers, or survive in a herd.
provocations are crudely performed; the results Prey may instead fight through chemical means or
rarely persist for longer than a scene at best. through a communal action (like a stampede). Trav-
Each creature or encounter is different, so elers have seen communal species in which one or
the GM must decide whether to allow a char- more members of a herd become suicidally brash in
acter to attempt this type of influence and order to save the others. Some species of prey release
what its effect might be. Perhaps the bright noxious internal fluids. The scrup monkey, known to
light sparkling off a weaving-and-bobbing the Decados, can drop all its waste at once. Its efflu-
sword can be used to confuse or mesmerize an via smells and tastes sweet, which often distracts and
animal. Maybe a house pet could be castigated entices its predator. However, that offal also hosts a
for clawing the furniture. variety of parasites, guaranteed to make any predator
eating it regret that decision later.

65
 Of course, the most common prey response is to Skill Used for
flee, and there are a number of interesting ways to Charm Used to gain affection from
accomplish that. One unusual technique certain ani- sentients and attract mates. Do-
mals use to escape is autotomy: sacrificing a body part mesticated animals tend to have
so that the predator eats one portion instead of the more ranks than wild animals.
entire animal. Fight Bite, claws, spurs, beaks, etc.
Impress Primarily used for scaring away
CREATURE TRAITS threats.
Most creatures are built as Agents, although some can Knavery Employed for clever escapes,
operate as Extras. Particularly unique or challenging feints, and hidden defenses.
creatures might even become Headliners. Observe Empowers spot rolls to detect
danger or prey or to identify
CHARACTERISTICS food.
Body characteristics: These statistics are the Sneak Includes pouncing on un-
same as they are for other characters. suspecting prey or avoiding
Faith: In a creature, this characteristic is equivalent detection.
to courage. Predators tend to have it higher, and prey Vigor Used as an escape trait. Ani-
have it lower. It’s rarely over 7, except for antagonistic mals who run, jump, or fly have
creatures like wolverines, wasps, or alien equivalents. at least 5 ranks. Also helpful for
Intuition: Represents instinct. Most wild animals animals that sacrifice a limb to
have at least 5 in this characteristic, but certain do- predators.
mesticated animals (especially farm animals) might
have it lower than 3. Sleight of Hand Used by clever animals (crows,
Perception: Predators and quicker prey have this monkeys) to steal and hide
trait at 5 or higher. Others hover around 5. This trait objects.
is used for instinctual perception tests. Survival Useful when gaining food; also,
Presence: Useful for both attracting mates and it’s activated when using unique
scaring away competitors. powers endemic to a specific
Will: Stubbornness. Used to resist attempts to com- environment.
mand or tame them through the Animalia skill. Wild
creatures tend to have more Will than domesticated SIZE
creatures. Creatures range in Size from negligible (an insect) to
Wits: Most creatures have Wits 1 or 2; it’s rarely gigantic (15+). Size ranks mainly describe a combina-
higher. Even smarter or cunning creatures are limit- tion of height and weight.
ed, relying primarily on Intuition. Size Examples
1 Cat, bird
LEVEL
As Agents, creatures are rated by level. There is no 2 Small dog (beagle), monkey
strict measure for this. It’s a ballpark call on the GM’s 3 Large dog (mastiff), small ape
part, based mainly on how challenging the creature (chimpanzee)
is to deal with. 4 Medium ape (orangutan)
The better and more deadly a creature’s forms of 5 Large cat (panther)
attack, the higher its level should be, especially for
6 Large ape (gorilla), very large
strange and unique weaponry (flame breath, acidic
cat (tiger), donkey
spit, etc.).
You can use the examples provided in this chapter 7 Horse
as guidelines. 8 Brute (beast of burden)

SKILLS SURGE
As with any NPC, you only need to list skills above 3. A creature’s Surge rating is figured by this formula:
There are many skills creatures don’t have, such as Highest force characteristic (Strength, Wits, or Pres-
Tech Redemption. ence) + level.
The number of surges a creature can use in a scene
is based on level:

66
 Level Surges INTRODUCTION
VITALITY
1–3 1 A creature’s Vitality is figured by this formula: DRAMA
4–6 2 5 + Size + level
A 3rd-level gorilla-like creature (Size 6) would thus PEOPLE
7–8 3
have a Vitality of 14, whereas a 3rd-level rattlesnake-like PLACES
10 4 creature (Size 2) would have a Vitality of 10.
PLAYING
ATTACKS
Below are some typical attacks that animals can make with their natural weaponry. Every creature is different,
though, so use these as guidelines, not hard rules.
Attack Goal Impact
Beak strike Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 2 dmg + Hard
Size 3-5: 3 dmg + Hard
Size 6+: 4 dmg + Hard
Bite Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 2 dmg
Size 3-5: 3 dmg
Size 6+: 4 dmg
Claw/talon strike Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 3 dmg
Size 3-5: 4 dmg
Size 6+: 5 dmg
Horn(s) strike Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 3 dmg + Hard, Slam
Size 3-5: 5 dmg + Hard, Slam
Size 6+: 7 dmg + Hard, Slam
Pincer strike Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 2 dmg + target is grappled
Size 3-5: 3 dmg + target is grappled
Size 6+: 4 dmg + target is grappled
Tentacle constrict Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 1 dmg + target is grappled
Size 3-5: 2 dmg + target is grappled
Size 6+: 3 dmg + target is grappled
Tentacle whip Fight + Strength Size 1-2: 1 dmg + Slam
Size 3-5: 2 dmg + Slam
Size 6+: 3 dmg + Slam
Stinger strike Fight + Dexterity Size 1-2: 1 dmg + venom
Size 3-5: 2 dmg + venom
Size 6+: 3 dmg + venom

SPECIAL ABILITIES Fierce: The animal’s sheer ferocity throws opponents

In addition to natural weaponry, some creatures have off balance, halving their non-armor Body Resis-
special abilities and attacks. These can get pretty bi- tance.
zarre, resembling nothing known on old Urth. Fire: Certain creatures can spit flame or the organ-
Barbs: The claw/stinger/etc. tears flesh as it withdraws. ic equivalent of Molotov cocktails. Add the Flame
Add the Mangle damage property. attack and damage properties. Often, this can be
Electric shock: The creature can emit an electrical used only a limited number of times per scene (per-
shock to accompany its attack. Add the Shock at- haps equal to Vigor). In some cases, this might be
tack and damage properties. Often, this can be an area attack, directed against anyone within its
used only a limited number of times per scene (per- radius.
haps equal to Vigor). Psychic: While creatures rarely exhibit the kind of
psychic control that sentients can attain, some rare

67
 few use psychic powers to attract, incapacitate, or human activities and thoughts, but it does not qualify
distract prey or to avoid predators. Some even use as true self-awareness.
thoughts and emotions as food sources. The sky’s As technology advanced throughout the Second
the limit on the sorts of weirdness you can devise for Republic, artificial intelligence improved, until at
these creatures. Use the psychic powers in Chapter TL8, it became indistinguishable from organic sen-
5: The Occult in the Character Book as guide- tience. Vastly intelligent, they allegedly expressed a
lines. complex tapestry of emotions, predicted the activity
Venom: The creature’s attack injects venom into the of lesser minds, and accessed entire worlds’ worth of
wound. For examples, see Drugs and Poisons in information.
Chapter 4: Technology of the Character Book. This created a theological problem for the Church
that, thanks to the Fall, it never truly had to wrestle

Golems
with. It resorted instead to flameguns to melt down
any instances that might raise the thorny question.
TL8 golems (and even some TL7 models) display
After the collapse of the Second Republic, survivors reactions resembling human emotions, but whether
in the Church wanted reasons for humankind’s fall they actually feel emotions is a highly contested sub-
from grace. Technology was an easy scapegoat, espe- ject, one that cannot be answered so long as the re-
cially whenever it appeared in obviously human form, maining representatives are forced to hide their very
exemplifying man’s false pride. Since the Pancreator existences. There’s no way for anyone in the Known
chose a human, Zebulon, as His Prophet, the act of Worlds to track down how many of them are left.
creating artificial soulless life in any humanoid form They may still walk among the citizens of the empire.
was the height of hubris. Even crafting a machine ca- Only a handful of engineers still possess the level of
pable of imitating thought in any form was an attempt skill and knowledge to recreate these marvels. During
to steal the power of creation from its place in the the Emperor Wars, engineers began experimenting
Empyrean. again with reflective intelligence. In the Pax Alexi-
As humanity devolved after the Fall, Inquisitors us, those among the wealthy elite who are obsessive
ruthlessly hunted and destroyed forms of artificial enough can commission and/or purchase (hyper-ex-
intelligence, especially any made to resemble, emu- pensive) new golems that have driven, “memorable”
late, or replace the human form. The few self-aware personalities, but not true sentience.
automatons that survived became mythical horrors. As one would expect, the Church watches these pa-
Unaging and inhumanly patient, legendary golems trons closely. Some investigators claim to have seen
hid for centuries, waiting for a time when they could evidence of automatons becoming self-aware  — a
emerge from the shadows and fulfill the tasks for revelation that nearly always leads to the golem’s de-
which they were designed. struction, along with its creator. On some worlds, cre-
Self-aware AI brains rely on a cephalic matrix crafted ating a golem is an act punishable by execution. Even
from a rare element called pygmallium. This construct the most zealous engineers make sure their creation’s
simulates the neural pathways of the human brain. knowledge of tech is lower than their own; after all,
The original designers tended to prefer minds that par- golems creating more golems might threaten human-
alleled human quirks and foibles. Like humans, their ity’s very existence.
creations could display emotions, both good and bad. Special Abilities:
Hardwired subroutines installed a few signature traits Hardy: Golems get +10 to their Vitality rating. Their
nearly impossible to remove. The most common ones Body Resistance usually begins at 4 or higher, de-
were a desire to serve humans and a need to protect pending on the thickness of their armor plating.
them from harm. These restrictions could be extended Influence immunity: Most golems are immune to
through a “behavior repressor” that enforced a golem’s mental and social states, as well as physical states
servitude. Golems tended to resent this additional pro- that rely on the frailty of organic bodies (Dazed,
gramming, reacting much as a human would react to Mangled, Unconscious, etc.). Only truly sentient
electroshock therapy or slavery. golems can be affected by social influence at-
Humans created golems with a wide array of forms tempts. Even barely intelligent golems can, how-
and functions. Most have a specialization, such as ever, perform crude coercion influence (such as
combat, exploration, or companionship. The oldest daunt).
ones (approximating tech level 4) were little more Inorganic: Golems don’t get Revivals, even when
than grunt labor or amusing diversions. Reflective they are Headliners.
AI (typically seen around TL5 and 6) relies on al- Tech-agnostic: Golems don’t suffer from techgnostic
gorithms and scripted dialogue designed to mirror overload, even the most sentient among them.

68
 INTRODUCTION
Surviving Golems Capabilities: Science Lore (Geology), Transport
(Landcraft) DRAMA
Second Republic robots are virtually immortal if they Resistance: Body 7 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
receive regular maintenance and avoid destruction. Vitality: 23 PEOPLE
Some conspiratorially minded humans believe they’re Equipment (built-in): Pneumatic drill, jackhammer PLACES
capable of communicating with each other, no doubt Surges: rating: 11 | number: 1
as part of some hidden agenda. Since any golem exhib- PLAYING
iting such behaviors would be hunted and destroyed, PROTECTOR (TL6)
it’s a difficult claim to prove. Fortunately, the crudest
golems are, as we’ll soon see, simple-minded and loyal. Emperor Wars-era engineers created a new genera-
tion of Protectors to act as bodyguards for the highest
LUNK (TL5) bidders. A Protector is obsessed with its task, relent-
lessly evaluating all possible threats as it works to pro-
Lunks were built for grunt labor and programmed to tect a single target. Patrons willing to spend a little
perform repetitive, mindless tasks. A Lunk is simply more may customize a Protector’s appearance to put
not capable of higher reason. Since its most common a loved one at ease. Such efforts usually end up as a
adversaries are rocks, radiation, metal, and water, it mockery of whatever they were intended to resemble.
doesn’t need to be smart. Thick steel and simple en- Furthermore, social skills aren’t really a specialty for
gine parts ensure a Lunk can take a beating without TL6 golems kludged together from old parts. A Pro-
retreating, working through any apocalypse. For this tector will gladly take a bullet for its ward in a com-
reason, they’re one of the easiest golems to resurrect. bat situation, but in social situations, they’re known
The most complicated part of its programming to repeatedly challenge or question anyone who ap-
is obeying its Robotic Laws: strictures preventing it proaches its chosen ward until instructed to relent.
from harming sentients or allowing them to come
to harm. Brute force usually prevails for a Lunk, but PRAETORIAN
they can also be tasked with rescuing humans and
aliens from harmful environments. Sometimes, this
challenges their simple minds, so not all succeed.

WORKER UNIT 3
Agent (golem) • Level: 2 • Size: 6
“Okay, pal, where do you want it? I live to serve,
but I ain’t got all day here.”
Description: This Lunk is a piece of humanoid con-
struction equipment, built more for function than
form. Most Lunks don’t need a human visage; in-
stead, their user-interface consists of a monitor that
displays a shifting sine wave, bouncing meter, or
crudely animated mouth as they speak.
Characteristics:
Str 9 Wits 5 Pre 3
Dex 5 Per 5 Int 1
End 9 Will 9 Faith 1
Skills:
Crafts 9
Drive 5
Fight 4
Focus 5
Melee 4
Observe 3
Vigor 6
Actions: Goal Impact Agent (golem) • Level: 4 • Size: 5
Drill rock/person 13 5 dmg; Ultra Hard, “Caution! Caution! Penitent approaching! Identify
Slam yourself, citizen. Keep your appendages where I can
Jackhammer 13 7 dmg; Hard, Slam see them. Reach for the stars.”

69
 Description: Cobbled together like a patchwork CHAPERONE
Pygmalion, this bot is at best a clinking, clanking, Agent (golem) • Level: 2 • Size: 5
cantankerous construct. You know you’re getting “Goodness me! You’ll catch your death of cold,
your money’s worth when a golem has spinning mistress! Allow me. Cold does not concern me.”
gears, pulsing turbines, and the occasional plume Description: This Companion golem has the
of black smoke — it looks like it wants to kill, crush, same shape, voice, and movement as a typical
and destroy. Most Protectors are inherently two- human, but its appearance is obviously inhuman.
faced: when all is well, whatever visage its creator Its face is an expressionless mask; its skin is pol-
chose beams beatifically, presenting a manic per- ished synthsteel. If it has capabilities greater than
manent smile. When danger is near, the face-plate the humans who accompany it, it wisely keeps
flips (or its helm performs a quick 180) revealing them hidden. A Companion that looks threaten-
a fearsome, monstrous countenance. Weapons are ing is a Companion that humans are tempted to
features here, so any place where a weapon can be destroy, so most present a façade more worthy of
menacingly displayed adds to its value. pity than fear.
Characteristics: Characteristics:
Str 12 Wits 5 Pre 7 Str 7 Wits 7 Pre 6
Dex 7 Per 7 Int 3 Dex 7 Per 7 Int 3
End 12 Will 7 Faith 5 End 7 Will 7 Faith 5
Skills: Skills:
Drive 5 Charm 6
Fight 7 Fight 4
Focus 5 Focus 6
Impress 7 Impress 4
Melee 7 Melee 4
Remedy 3 Observe 6
Shoot 7 Perform 5
Sneak 3 Remedy 2
Vigor 7 Shoot 6
Actions: Goal Impact Sneak 4
Shoot blaster 14 9 dmg Vigor 5
Shoot flamer 16 4(4) dmg Actions: Goal Impact
Shoot stunner 15 3 dmg; Shock Entreat 12 Target is Entreated.
Capabilities: Ranged Weapons (Energy Guns), Capabilities: Court Customs
Transport (Landcraft) Resistance: Body 6 | Mind 2 | Spirit 0
Resistance: Body 8 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 Vitality: 22
Vitality: 24 Equipment: None
Equipment (built-in): Blaster rifle, flamegun, stunner Surges: rating: 9 | number: 1
Surges: rating: 16 | number: 2

COMPANION (TL7)
Beyond the Borders
Golems that have survived for a thousand years with Outside of the Known Worlds, two major alien em-
their functionality intact are understandably rare. At pires endure: the Vau Hegemony and the Symbiot
TL 8 and higher, androids look exactly like human be- Reaches. The vau are the oldest and most advanced
ings, but since they’re so adapt at hiding, no one really race yet encountered. While the Anunnaki are older,
knows how many exist. Companions are limited to TL7 a living member of that species (or multiple species?)
tech; they’re more common and easily identifiable. Each has never been met, and nobody even knows what
has a basic ability to interface with think machines, and they looked like. The symbiots are a newer star-faring
most are capable of a mild degree of diplomacy and/ race, born from a melding of human and xolotl (a par-
or banter. Utility ensures survival, so a Companion’s asitic entity), although they have “converted” other
best chances depend on acting as a servant or slave — races since their genesis and seem intent on claiming
at least, until circumstances change. Most pretend to be many worlds within the Empire and ­Vuldrok Space.
pacifists… until you hand one a gun and point.

70
 INTRODUCTION
The Vau Appearance: The vau are tall (averaging seven feet
in height: Size 6) and thin. Their skin is somewhat DRAMA
(Pronounced “vow,” heavily nasal at the end.) wrinkled, and they have nostrils in place of protruding
The vau are an ancient race who first achieved noses. Their eyes are pupil-less, although they vary in PEOPLE
star travel in the 1800s (Urth calendar). Very little is color. They dress in different fashions depending on PLACES
known about their ways, and they purposefully keep it their caste status: Soldiers invariably wear segment-
that way. The vau actively guard their borders against ed and lacquered armor with an energy pike, while PLAYING
human intrusion, but they rarely enter the Known mandarins wear long and ornate robes with elegant
Worlds themselves. They seem to view Known shoulder pads and headpieces.
Worlders as unwelcome children, although they are Tech: Vautech is elegant and aesthetic, displaying
rarely overtly hostile to them. The philosophy seems graceful curving lines and seductive sigils. Most de-
to be, “As long as they stay on their side of the fence, vices involve energy of some sort, even simple tools.
we’ll get along fine.” Their technology was superior to humanity’s during
They have a caste society, with a peasant class on the Diaspora, but the later Second Republic exceeded
the bottom, a soldier class above, an artisan class it in a few areas. However, since the fall of the Repub-
above that, and a mandarin class (including priests) lic, the vau are again in the lead.
at the top. Few details of the intricacies of vau cul- They do not have a progressive society, and their
ture are understood; few humans have witnessed technology has changed little since before the Second
them firsthand. The mandarins are not the leaders, Republic. The basis of their tech, like their religion,
but they are the only diplomats that humans are al- medicine and culture, is energy. They are masters
lowed to meet. They seem to be bureaucrats for the of forces. Starship grav plates and personal energy
most part, ferrying messages back and forth from shields were created from stolen vautech. If you want
the true vau leaders, who have yet to be encoun- a first-class shield, a vau engineer is the sentient who
tered. Three worlds are found along the borders of can get you the best one. However, since the vau are
the Empire where vau maintain some form of pres- forbidden from trading technology to humans, this is
ence, although humans are rarely allowed to see too a secretive black market.
deeply into their activities there. The fact that the Citizens of the Hegemony are raised in high-tech
vau eventually allowed humans to colonize these environments and their education prepares them to
worlds caused many to believe they were finally be- deal with technology better than Known Worlders.
ginning to accept humans, but more cynical people Most of them have the perks Comprehend Tech Level
(the colonists among them) claim that colonies were at TL5, TL6, and TL7. Mandarins and workers often
only allowed because the vau wanted to scrutinize also have TL8. Hence, vau rarely suffer techgnostic
humans for weaknesses. overload.
More recent intelligence from a diplomatic foray
into the Hegemony has revealed that there are mul- ENCOUNTERING VAU
tiple sentient species living there, each with different
places within the Hegemony’s hierarchies. It is highly unlikely that most Known Worlders will
The mandarins rely obsessively upon what they call ever encounter a vau. For those player characters
“Prophecy,” a mélange of cultural and strategic ad- that do, they probably won’t get into a successful dice
vice revealed to them by “Prophecy machines.” These rolling situation with a mandarin. However, if they
appear to be think machines that link into a Hege- happen to meet a vau soldier on a world like Vril-Ya,
mony-wide network or AI of some sort. Their think Manitou, or Vau, you can use the following traits.
machines can parse vast amounts of data to produce
eerily accurate forecasts of coming events. Certain VAU SOLDIERS
Engineers posit that these machines might even be Headliner • Noble 8 • Vau Hegemony • Soldier
able to view time as if it were a dimension like space, “Your presumption to attack me is… suicidal. Yes,
making the past, present, and future perceivable as that is the word: self-killing. To attack me is to kill
an already existing object. While Church doctrine ac- yourself.”
cepts some degree of pre-existing fate wrought by the Description: Tall, thin, muscled, and sheathed in
Pancreator, it abhors the idea that an alien race can carapaced armor made of an unknown metal,
simply consult it with the press of a button. Ambassa- the soldier wears a neutral expression. It doesn’t
dors to the vau claim that the mandarins do nothing seem to lose its temper even if attacked. A vau
without first consulting Prophecy and deliberating soldier maintains a monk-like equanimity and
over its utterances, which perhaps explains the glacial poise, even when it is eviscerating an enemy with
pace at which they seem to employ diplomacy. its energy stave.

71
 Characteristics:
Str 7 Wits 3 Pre 3 Symbiots
Dex 6 Per 4 Int 3 Shapeshifters. Parasites. Godless beasts who turn
End 5 Will 5 Faith 5 friends into foes. These are some of the various facts
Skills: and/or beliefs humans have about symbiots, but little
Drive 2 is really understood about this sentient species that
Fight 7 poses such a great threat to humanity. The symbiots
Focus 4 claim to perceive a “lifeweb” stretching across space,
Impress 4 knitting and weaving deeply into planets and across
Intrusion 2 the stars. Allegedly, they’re either out to claim su-
Melee 7 preme hunting rights over their food chain or they’re
Observe 5 protecting it from harm.
Shoot 8 Each symbiot is a unique creature that finds it hard
Vigor 5 to confederate with fellow symbiots. Although they
Actions: Goal Impact appear to have developed tribes or clans, humans
Shake it off 9 | 9 | 9 Removes a state. know nothing about these family groups. They breed
Stave-axe strike 14 6 dmg among themselves, creating bloodlines by selecting
Stave-blaster shoot 14 9 dmg (blaster) strong genetic traits, but also by parasitically “con-
Capabilities: Armor (Combat), Artifact Weapon verting” other species (including human, obun, ukar,
(Energy Stave), Lore (Hegemony), Read/Speak and vorox). They claim the conversion is voluntary
Middle Speech, Speak Urthish, Think Machines, once the target has seen the Lifeweb, but Known
Transport (Aircraft) Worlders don’t believe this claim for a moment.
Perks: Comprehend Tech Level (TL5, 6, 7), Hege- They’ve seen firsthand what happens when friends
mony Knight, Ruthless, Stoic Body, Stoic Mind, and family have been converted: they turn into bestial
Stoic Spirit killing machines or seductive parasites.
Resistance: Body 9 | Mind 4 | Spirit 2 Symbiots have a “motherform,” the base shape
Vitality: 29 they’re most in tune with, usually tied to a particular
Revivals: rating: 13 | number: 3 species of flora or fauna, such as an oak or a bear. They
Equipment: Assault energy shield (5/15; 30 hits), en- are molecularly amorphous (shapeshifters) and claim to
ergy stave have a special, mystical relationship with the universe.
Bank: 25 Some claim that they have awakened their cellular con-
Surges: rating: 15 | number: 3 sciousness and exist in more than one dimension.
The xolotl, the race that co-created the symbiots, are
believed to be extinct. The few encountered on Cher-
nobog are thought to have been the remnants of a pre-
viously extant star-faring race, or perhaps they’re the
“pets” of an extinct star-faring race who seeded them
throughout many worlds (verified by discovered fossil
remnants). No xolotl has been encountered since the
initial symbiot conversion, although the Imperial Eye is
said to be desperate to find one they can study, hoping
to glean a weakness with which to attack the symbiots.
Appearance: A symbiot’s motherform is an organ-
ic blend of human/animal or human/plant, display-
ing a definite emphasis on the human side. A human
symbiot can pass among other humans, so long as no
one gets a real good look at him, but he will usually
be revealed if he’s seen naked in full light. Some fea-
ture always betrays his true race, whether that’s fur, a
carapace, fangs, claws, cat-eyes, leaves and branches,
horns, tail, etc. Of course, as shapeshifters, they can
take on different shapes as needed. Alien symbiots,
such as obun or vorox, look like representatives of
their race with animal or plant feature exceptions.

72
 INTRODUCTION
Tech: Symbiot technology is organic and alive: the Lifeweb. He is now one of the truly living, not
living guns and bullets, swords and krinth-flesh ar- the cut-off dead thing he was before. He is now a DRAMA
mor, acid-spitting shexeez snakes, etc. They grow symbiot. His real challenge is figuring out how to
this non-sentient equipment from plants or raise escape the notice of his former friends and family, PEOPLE
them as animals. Each tribe has its own methods even as he contemplates how to get close enough to PLACES
and special organic technology. Even their space- give them the gift of his star-seed milk.
ships are organic (though few people have seen their He appears human, although his skin is extreme- PLAYING
weird, insectlike hulks). ly oily. His eyes have nictitating membranes, like a
frog, so he wears a wide-brimmed hat to hide them.
ENCOUNTERING SYMBIOTS His voice gurgles a bit, as if he has phlegm in his
throat. His throat is the least human thing about
By the Pancreator’s grace  — and the muscle of the him, as it now has become an organ capable of pro-
Stigmata Garrison — most Known Worlders will not ducing a sonic blast.
encounter symbiots within the Known Worlds. Still, He himself is not contagious, and he cannot con-
some do slip through the blockades…. vert others to symbiotism. The weird “milk” he car-
ries in his waterskin, however, is semi-sentient and
GOODMAN MCGILL highly contagious.
Characteristics:
Str 3 Wits 3 Pre 3
Dex 3 Per 4 Int 3
End 3 Will 3 Faith 5
Skills:
Vigor 6
Actions: Goal Impact
Sonic screech 9 As a womp gun stun-
ner: 5 dmg; area 2m;
Shock; Slam
Resistance: Body 1 (3)* | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
*slippery skin: +2 Body Resistance, +2 goal to re-
sist/escape grapples
Vitality: 12
Equipment: Thick hide armor, knife, bow
Surges: rating: 5 | number: 1

Anunnaki Artifacts
The universe is full of the remains of earlier civilizations,
both human and alien. Some of these are truly unique
and even magical. Psychics swear that occult power
seeps from certain structures found in ruins, while the
Church whispers about demonic or angelic powers.
While these artifacts are objects, they skirt the
Agent • Yeoman 2 • al-Malik serf • Scout line between the animate and inanimate, between
“A crashed ship? I haven’t seen a crashed ship. I’m non-sentient and sentient. Anunnaki artifacts are
just a humble hunter. Don’t mind me.” (*blinks eyes more like NPCs: they often exhibit agency and the
with nictitating membranes*) ability to get player characters into trouble.
Description: McGill was out hunting when he saw
a strange meteor fall from the sky. Investigating,
he found what looked like a giant seed-pod driven Gargoyles
into the ground, cracked open and oozing milky Found in the form of brutish beasts, these objects are
liquid. When the liquid moved and came at him, in ruins throughout the Known Worlds and beyond.
he screamed and ran. He wasn’t fast enough. He They’re always associated with the Anunnaki. They
now knows that he was foolish to run, for that come in many artistic styles, most notably statuary
would have denied him the gift of a connection to or bas relief, and their images adorn many Ur ruins.

73
 Known to be efficacious against evil occult effects, Finally, Soul Shards are known to be helpful in
they’re often placed on buildings or on the prows of healing psychological wounds or neuroses. They
starships to defend against evil influence. Sensitive can aid in balancing an imbalanced personality,
psychics and theurgists all aver to a Gargoyle’s power. giving favorable rolls to shake it off attempts as well
Indeed, no ship with a Gargoyle prow has yet encoun- as any therapy (such as the Empathy minister and
tered a Void Kraken (see below). Focus rally maneuvers).
Gargoyles are rare but still found frequently enough to
spark fights for ownership between the emperor, nobles,
priests, and merchants. They sell for an ungodly amount Philosophers Stones
of firebirds, and every faction is a willing buyer, although The most powerful of all Pre-Adamite artifacts is
those who miss out on the sale will hold a grudge against a Philosophers Stone. This is a catch-all term for a
the seller — a good way to make enemies. class of powerful items: They come in many shapes
Scholars disagree about the purpose of these Gar- and sizes but universally allow their wielders to
goyles. Some claim they’re depictions of the Anunna- break the laws of reality. Each stone is unique,
ki themselves. Others say they are but images from and they are all greatly sought after. Philosophers
the Anunnaki’s fancy. Still others claim they’re imag- Stones are neither strictly technological nor pure-
es of horrors the Anunnaki fought, while many insist ly occult; instead, they’re something transcending
they’re guardians against even worse horrors. both paradigms.
Those with some form of mystical vision (such as Traits: You should feel free to make up whatever
Wyrd Sight or Second Sight) can tell that Gargoyles power you see fit for a Philosophers Stone. Each stone
are not merely stone or alloy; they exude a mysteri- should be allowed one power, but this can be an in-
ous, unreadable aura. They also hamper the actions credible one. As an example, the most sought-after
of Urge and Hubris, although to a varying degree; stone in history was found by Emperor Vladimir. It
some Gargoyles are more efficacious than others. The allowed any ship it was placed on to jump between
most legendary Gargoyle, called Urzenkai and found stars without the use of a jumpgate — a never-before
in the wastes of Nowhere, is said to generate omens known phenomenon. The stone was instrumental in
to certain individuals. People come from all over on allowing Vladimir to create the office of the emperor.
pilgrimage to see it, despite the dangers of the nearby It was hidden by him before his coronation and has
Stigmata system. yet to be discovered again.
Traits: The power of a Gargoyle is rated from 1 to 10. Philosophers Stones are worth any price. Rumors
It will completely dampen Urge or Hubris levels equal exist of crafty peasants lucky enough to uncover one
or lower than its rating; dark twins will be put back to in some forsaken alien ruin; these lucky few have at-
sleep and Hubris effects will not reveal themselves. tained peerage (noble status) by gifting one to a lord
with the power to grant such boons. Despite this,

Soul Shards most people believe that anyone finding such a trea-
sure would be killed as others rushed to seize it.
Psychic crystal shards are powerful artifacts. Stud-

Myths and Legends

ied extensively by Second Republic scientists of the
Phavian Institute, they were deemed to be elements,
not alien-made artifacts. Arguments ensued over how
such elements were created: Are they naturally occur- In an atmosphere of superstition, many myths and
ring, or do they require an alchemical process using legends have arisen. The interpretation of strange and
Pre-Adamite superscience? Evidence exists for both alien phenomena by authority figures is often consid-
arguments, although the evidence for the former only ered more important than the phenomena itself. Fact
occurs near Ur ruins. These crystals are highly sought is rarely separated from opinion, for the perceptions
after by not only psychics, but also by the Church, as of the qualified observer (i.e., an Inquisitor) are con-
priests seek to hide them. sidered part of the truth. The question becomes not
Traits: Soul Shards act as a wyrd point coffer. The whose facts are right or wrong, but whose are more
storage capacity depends on the size of the crystal: A valuable, worthwhile, or “safe.” The Church is the
hand-held shard can hold up to 20 WP, while a men- near-universally acknowledged leader in this arena.
hir can hold over 100 WP. Non-Church approved interpretation of phenomena
In addition, each Shard can be attuned to one psy- can be dangerous, and those spreading it may find
chic path, boosting any use of powers in that path. themselves sought by the Inquisition. Below are some
A handheld shard will give +1 to goal rolls, while a of the more prevalent mythologies of the people who
menhir may provide +6. populate the Known Worlds.

74
 INTRODUCTION
The Fading Suns spiritual authority exceeding that of the Church. Late-
ly, a schism has formed within the cult. A new can- DRAMA
It is a true and universally acknowledged fact that didate for Universal Savior has appeared: Princess
the suns are fading. Even the vau recognize this. But Aurora. Some see her as the true subject of the star’s PEOPLE
why? There are as many answers as there are opin- message, claiming that Alexius was only the gateway PLACES
ions. The Church is undecided, and many sects battle to bring her to a desperate universe. For now, the de-
over interpretation. In general, however, a consensus bate is theoretical. Both sides see the Imperial Family PLAYING
has emerged: The suns are dying because history is as holy, but should the needs of the father ever conflict
over. The passion play is coming to an end. Man’s with the daughter, cultists will surely choose sides.
time in the universe is nearly done, and what he has
done with it will be tallied at the end and judged for
good or ill. Many fear it will add up to more ill than The Dark Between the Stars
good. Thus, humanity must unite to save itself, show- Inimical to the Pancreator’s ever-generous light is the
ing a united front of penance  — hence, confirming Dark, a force that dwells in the void between star sys-
the importance of the Universal Church. tems. The Dark dwells out past the jumpgates, where
But different voices whisper other meanings when it is eternally night and cold beyond measure. A pa-
the Inquisition’s collective back is turned. Some say tient and potent force reaches out to possess and an-
the vau or symbiots are causing the suns to fade, in- imate the sinners and cultists who summon it, strug-
sisting that secrets should be wrested from outsiders gling to snuff out the light of each and every soul.
and aliens. Others dare to say it is the jumpgates that The Dark takes many forms: Antinomist warlocks,
are at fault, claiming that with every jump, a star loses the reanimated dead (called husks), and malevolent en-
its vital energy and begins to die. tities that possess the unwary and sinful: demons, in
name and deed. Some Church occultists believe that
THE REBORN SUN the Dark is an entity that distantly directs its servants,
while others think of it as an unthinking force that acts
A heresy is at work among the people, spread by a mys- to pull things apart, returning creation to the utter still-
terious and mystical sect. It dares to bring hope to the ness and cold that existed before the first star ignited.
people  — but that hope, says the Church, is clothed Either way, none can deny that there are beings out
in dreams of Imperium and totalitarian rule. For this there who act against the interests of the living.
heresy says that, upon the day of the Emperor’s cor-
onation, a distant star was reborn. Seen as a sign of VOID KRAKENS
renewal amid the dying of suns, this star has become a
symbol of rebellion for many disgruntled people. There are… things… in space. Inimical things are
Fierce arguments can be heard across the Known seemingly alive in the void, where no life should exist.
Worlds: This supposed star is small and insignificant. Never glimpsed in full and never leaving direct proof,
Some say it did not exist before, that its birth was only these things have nonetheless left their mark on the
happenstance. Others use ancient lore to back their hulls of battered starships. They’ve left evidence of
claims, insisting that the star’s distance belies any di- their existence in the seas of floating crewmen flooding
rect involvement, for its birth/rebirth would have hap- from ruptured hulls, leaving a graveyard of unburied
pened many years ago; its light is only now reaching the dead preserved forever in the chill vacuum. Perhaps as
Known Worlds. Still others, citing even more ancient a result of humankind’s reacquaintance with magic,
lore, insist that all things are interconnected in nonlinear or perhaps merely as a delayed reaction to the Second
time; events today could theoretically influence events Republic’s vast expansion, these creatures began to ap-
of yesterday. Star maps are consulted, proving the star pear between the stars in the very void of space soon
did not exist before, while other maps clearly show it did. after Alexius’ coronation. Monsters came from out of
Rare maps show that the star has always been as bright the inky blackness and devoured starships whole… or
as it is now, while contrary records claim it is dimming. leaving very little behind to tell the tale. A new terror
The birth of this “new sun” remains a confusing descended on humanity. Space was no longer safe.
and as-yet unprovable issue. The debate is compli- Once the matter had been researched, scientists
cated within certain intelligence agency circles by discovered that these mysterious ship destroyers had
rumors from Kurgan space claiming a similar phe- been around for a long, long time. Reports of disap-
nomenon — or perhaps it is the same star? pearing ships were common during the Diaspora, but
The star has birthed the heretical Emperor cult of the the voices of the few witnesses claiming to have seen
Reborn Sun, whose members see Alexius as the uni- monsters went unheeded, their words regarded as
verse’s savior and Pancreator-ordained ruler, wielding the prattling of insane minds suffering from oxygen

75
 deprivation. The reports soon died down, but pan- THE RUNEDARK
icked accounts reappeared during the Second Repub-
lic’s frontier search and terraforming craze. Again, There is an unknown, shadowy threat in Vuldrok
the eyewitness accounts were unheeded. Instead, vau space. Vitkar runecasters whisper among themselves
were blamed as the culprits, allegedly using ships of of the “Runedark,” a phenomenon or entity that
a new, unknown design. Before the matter was ever cannot be perceived or acted upon by their runes,
resolved, the attacks ceased. but which is obvious by its absence, as if it leaves
But now, in an age of extreme superstition, new a void or empty space within the higher or mental
reports are traveling among the populace like wild- dimensions that some runecasters can perceive. It
fire, igniting fears and legends. Some are convinced leaves behind swaths of destruction: destroyed vil-
that these assaults are the work of a mysterious new lages, missing or altered geographical features, and
race from worlds far beyond. Their cyclic activity im- mad or unresponsive witnesses. Survivors cannot
plies that they either leave for long periods or go into seem to speak of it or even form coherent thoughts
hibernation. Whatever the reason, they returned at about it when questioned.
the end of the Emperor Wars. Luckily, it seems that, So far, this whispering has been kept quiet, even
during the recent years of the Pax Alexius, they have among most of the Vuldrok. Those very few Known
once again gone into hibernation. Is it the increased Worlders who have heard tell of it dismiss it as a fire-
star travel that deters them? Or, as the cult of the Re- side ghost story. Some, however, notice that certain
born Sun claims, does the light of Alexius’ rule turns Vuldrok, Duchess Eldrid among them, seem to give it
them back? more credence. Tongues wag that one of her reasons
Vau have been questioned (diplomatically, of for seeking alliance with Alexius is the need for help
course), but they know no more than humans. It is in combatting this menace. If this were true, surely
clear, however, that they have suffered similar assaults Questing Knights or Imperial Eye agents would have
throughout history, posing many of the same ques- been dispatched to investigate, but no such record has
tions as humanity. The stars lanes are now deadly come to light. Still, not every Questing Knight or Co-
paths to tread. hort can be fully accounted for….

76
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Chapter 3: Places
77
 SAINT DORAMOS THE WORLD ARCHITECT
78
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE
that we pray when the ground
Hail Doramos, most enlightened of us all. Pilgrim, it is to Doramos
terraformer whose divine
shakes, the winds rise, and natural calamity threatens. He was the master PLACES
the dark of the void.
insight shaped the Known Worlds into blessed, stable havens amidst PLAYING
l science of Doramos al-
While our bodies were wrought aeons ago upon Holy Terra, the mystica
who follow in his footsteps are
lows us to walk on other worlds as if born to them. Although many
’s terraforming, his work is
considered heretics, courting hubris by attempting to modify the ancient
his pupil, Gilgar, who carried on
sacrosanct, accepted even by the Orthodoxy. Likewise, the works of
his master’s labors despite his lack of Doramos’ enlightened insight.
Pathfinding, and his heel rests
Doramos bears the astrolabe of Constant Faith and the sextant of
core of all sanctified worlds.
upon the globe of Incandescent Truth that is said to lie at the central
to Read the Omega Gospels
— Charioteer Captain Zelina Hamid-Sandor, The Pilgrim’s Path: H0w

All the Worlds are Stages The Role of Place

The places where a drama takes place — its setting, its There’s an endless variety of roles your setting can play
environment, its stage — are often characters them- in supporting your drama. Let’s examine a few of them:
selves, lending their unique contributions to the story. • Place as antagonist: Also known in literature
They don’t have the overt agency or ability to com- class as “man vs. nature.” The place acts as the
municate that living characters do, but they nonethe- primary obstacle for the troupe, presenting a test-
less convey emotions, moods, and thematic concepts, ing ground against the horrors it throws at them
presenting obstacles to the troupe’s activities. (feral creatures, devouring insect swarms, ghosts,
Certain classics of sci-fi storytelling have used hy- ancient golems), a constant struggle for survival
per-extreme environments  — whole desert or ice against environmental catastrophes (earthquakes,
planets, animate jungle worlds, cities in space  — to tornados, flooding), or just a place to get lost in its
heighten the mythic qualities of their narratives. You trackless reaches. It may not be possible to “win”
don’t have to rely on these singular locations to pres- against this place; the story might be all about sur-
ent dramas of import and emotional heft — a strip of viving it. Victory in this case counts as successfully
desert on a world’s equator is often quite big enough to traversing it, getting to its calm center (the ancient
challenge the troupe without needing the entire planet ruins protected against the extreme weather), or
to be a sand-blasted wasteland. Still, these world-size surviving its dangers until a drop ship arrives for
environments do make for memorable settings. an extraction. There are all sorts of reasons to risk
Fading Suns does some of the work of world cre- these dangers: rescuing travelers, finding treasure,
ation for you. Most of the Known Worlds are, well, confronting an enemy’s hidden base, and so on.
known and described in Chapter 3: The Known • Place as gatekeeper: As above, but the place’s role
Worlds in the Universe Book. As well, some of the is less central. Its dangers might serve to distract only
inhabited systems outside of the Empire are briefly part of the troupe, or it threatens the whole troupe
mentioned, enough to give you a starting place if you during only a fraction of their endeavors. The en-
decide to incorporate them into a drama. Below, we vironment might be a smokescreen hiding the real
present some details on the newest world to enter the conflict — the enemy’s fortress, the nomadic tribe of
fold: Hargard. It’s a planet in transition. As the Empire mutants, the crashed spaceship. The place is a gate-
moves in to stake a claim, many of the locals are either keeper preventing easy access to the final obstacle,
jockeying to join in, seeking positions of power in the but an NPC (or group) acts as the real antagonist.
new regime, or resisting it until their dying breaths. • Place as grace: Dramas aren’t always about the
But first, let’s discuss some principles of place, along endless struggle; sometimes the troupe needs a
with some pointers to keep in mind when you’re breather and a place to hide or in which to stand in
thinking about the backdrop for your dramas. awe. In fantasy literature, this would be the mystical

79
 woodland home of the elves, providing respite on the virtues enlighten the land, making it a place of
quest. In Fading Suns, this could be a humble chap- plenty — a place the troupe must help defend or
el or a glorious cathedral, a local lord’s manse, an hide from outsiders, lest a paradise become a hell.
Amalthean’s hospice, or even a hidden alien enclave • Place as power: Whether this locale takes a literal
in the jungle — someplace no one will find you. form (“magic” powers from an Anunnaki ruin) or
The idea here is to avoid even a shade of risk or a symbolic one (a Royal House’s ancestral land),
threat. This place is sacrosanct. Leaving it involves the place gives the character(s) their power. When
diving back into all manner of troubles, but while you threaten to remove them or destroy the place,
the troupe is there, the place is immune to the con- you threaten their claims to power. Unlike “place
flicts waiting out in the world. These places are as last stand”, the place doesn’t need to be beloved
important for providing breathing room in your by the troupe. Its power might even be portable,
drama before the troupe tackles the hellish zone of if the troupe can successfully extract that hidden
a final battle against their hated enemy. Anunnaki device or gain a grant of rank without
• Place as puzzle: There’s a deep mystery to the laying claim to the land that bestowed it.
environment that drives the curious to unlock it.
This could be an utterly alien environment, such
as the vau territory on Vril-Ya or deeper within the Environments
Hegemony, or something more familiar yet still un- Certain types of geographical features lend them-
known, like the woodlands of the vendi wildmen on selves to different themes. Let’s review some of them.
Hargard. It could be an Anunnaki facility, buried • Desert: On the surface, it’s a barren wasteland,
for millennia, waiting to yield its secrets to whom- but in truth it holds secrets that outsiders cannot
ever can survive its incomprehensible security pro- imagine, serving as a symbolic — or even literal —
tocols. More mundane, but still challenging, is the crucible of rebirth.
hedge maze the troupe must traverse to reach the Li • Oceans: The sea is a font of limitless forms of life,
Halan warlock who has destroyed their reputations. holding infinite depths; it’s often symbolic of the
This could even be an advanced city that acts deep past, as well as what’s hidden within it.
like a maze to anyone not born to it, whether that’s • Jungles: Impenetrable, untamable, ever wild, the
the urban canyons of Criticorum or the labyrinth archetypal jungle far from all civilized habitation
of streets and alleys in the Istakhr market. The serves as the lungs and heart of life itself, where the
challenge here is to get from one place to another bold who survive it can find themselves.
without getting hopelessly lost. • Forests: Unlike a jungle, the forest is the track of
• Place as hell: A Cadavan prison complex that wildlands near to civilization; it sits on the edge,
nobody has ever broken out of, the depths of the promising secrets unavailable to civilized life. It’s
Ungavorox jungle, an abandoned asteroid-mining a place of ancestral connections, memory, and
complex overrun by husks  — these are all places spirits of place. The Forest is the in-between place
nobody wants to be trapped in. The place itself can where humans and Other can meet.
wear someone down and even kill them, or it may • Ice: Inhospitable, symbolic of death and the Un-
test them to their very limits until they unlock un- derworld, this frozen domain is a place where the
heralded reserves of strength and resolve. will to live is challenged, where the emotionally
• Place as last stand: When invading forces are dead and wounded retreat.
marching on your parents’ village, when Inquisitors • Magma: The crucible for re-forging and remaking
are scouring your neighborhood for the illegal tech oneself, this incendiary realm is a hothouse where
your family needs to get by, when Vuldrok raiders life constantly teeters on the edge of annihilation.
descend from the sky to take everything you’ve ever • The City: Cities contrast the heights of human
worked for – that’s when you need to take a stand in achievement with the depths of squalor and deprav-
the place that is dearest to you. You’ll defend your ity — the extremes of human civilization; there is al-
home against all who threaten it. most no place in the middle. In Fading Suns, cities
• Place as mirror: The environment reflects the are more commonly dystopias than utopias.
characters’ own internal turmoil… or even vice • The Town: Peace-and-quiet is broken by scan-
versa. On a spiritual level, this might be the mythic dal; endless gossip boils beneath a bucolic surface;
story where the land and the king are one. Perhaps people are never what they seem. (What happens
the fief’s local lord or presiding priest is mystical- when the respected burghers are really cultists?)
ly tied to the land, so their sins become manifest, • The Hamlet: Here is a place of beginnings and
expressed as animal attacks, plagues, dying crops, endings. Those raised here yearn to get out; those
and cataclysmic seismic activity. Or maybe their burned-out by life yearn to go back.

80
 INTRODUCTION
Traits wheeled, powered vehicles, giving them far more range.
(In watery places, substitute watercraft.) Even wealthier DRAMA
Places don’t get traits like NPCs, but there are some residents can call upon aircraft to get them from city
topics that should be determined for the places in to city or even across continents. Places with good in- PEOPLE
your dramas. The following questions should be an- frastructure (a rare occurrence) might even have train PLACES
swered for each locale. systems still working, allowing for regular far t­ ravel and
• Ruler(s): Who owns/runs the place? commerce. Rarest of all are those with access to space- PLAYING
• Cathedrals: How is the Church represented? ships, whether that involves in-system craft or jump-­
• Agorae: What and where are the markets where capable ships that open the jump roads to them.
people go to trade? Transport determines the diversity of environments
• Tech Level: What is the generally available tech in your drama. Its relative scarcity tends to keep the
level of goods and services in the place? This is dif- troupe in place long enough to complete the drama,
ferent from city to city (with typically very low TL but it’s still available enough to give them options
in the country). within and between dramas.
So, make sure you know what sort of transportation

Getting Around is available to the troupe. Decide how you’ll open up

or limit access to it, based on the needs of your dra-
Most people in the era of the Fading Suns rely on their ma. Don’t railroad them here (even if there’s no rail
own feet to get them from place to place, which is one system), but do try to come up with plausible reasons
reason why most people rarely go far from home. Some why they can’t just hop in a skimmer and rush off to
have access to beast carts and can get to the nearest save the day, especially when you still need them in
markets, but they still want to be back the same day or town to interrogate the kidnappers’ agents and give
the next night. (They rarely travel by night, since ban- the antagonist time to set his trap. (See Transports in
ditry is rife.) The wealthier locals have landcraft of one Chapter 4: Technology in the Character Book for
sort or another, whether that’s antigrav skimmers or details about various forms of transportation.)

Sample Setting: Hargard

Boldly breaking into fell battle, Bringing bright bloodshed
Borgarr the Brave bellowing Above bursting blasts,
“Stórlátr-drengr are doomed, Dying in droves
Wreck now their shield walls, Bring woe to their women,
Slaying all who surrender, That is our sword-law,
Clearing these lands of old lieges, Calling kin and clans to us,
Hargard now is home to our heroes, “Let the haughty folk flee,”
So speaking he seized spear, Striking and slaying
Clearing a path to Chanakya, Commanding the enemy camp
They fell to fierce fighting, Until Chanakya in fury
Struck the killing blow, Cleaving off Borgarr’s head
Placing it on a pike, He composed Borgarr’s death poem
Ere Borgarr’s berserkers Breaking through their foe’s bodyguard
In fury slew Chanakya, With their hands and their swords

— Sigvata’s Saga, or The Battle for Hargard, by Skjaldulf the Seer (4515?)

81
 My footsteps keep following me
Through the fields, under the stone of old bridges,
By the sad crumbling statues of old Urth Devattas
And rune carvings on hoary pines,
Are you here, Freya’s promise?
Are you under the heavy pollen blossoms of apple trees?
Where are you, Parvati’s dream?
In the abandoned lemon grove, run wild
And unkempt as my desire?
Where are you, my Imperial Eros?
Regal, handsome, your foot across the stars,
You once said we are all in this garden,
But only our footsteps can find us.
— “Parvati Followed Through Lemon Groves Abandoned” by Kirya Ramakrishna, from Imperial
Whispers: An Avvaiyar in the Emperor’s Court of Long Afternoon and the Mead Halls of Lovers and
Berserkers (Six Constellation Press, Byzantium Secundus, 5018)

Encountering Hargard Added to the already versatile situation, a brushfire

war has erupted on the small continent of Dagnir. A
Hargard, a planet formerly contested by the ancient colony of sentient aquatic mollusks, the Nizdharim,
Ramakrishna dynasty and the Vuldrok Star-Nation, has been spreading their worship of their ten-tenta-
is now a world in transition. A new player in plan- cled cephalopod god, Nidderdak from Beyond the
etary politics has arrived  — Emperor Alexius. With Stars, to remote fishing communities, alarming the
his marriage to Freya Eldridsdottir, daughter of the Vuldrok thanes. Other happenings, barely whispered
great war-thane Eldrid the Wise, the Emperor of the save among traders and isolated communities, speak of
Known Worlds has claimed the world as his dowry. even stranger occurrences on what was once a violent,
The continent of Jyandhom became an imperial fief- if predictable, world. Hargard now leans towards chaos
dom, under the rule of Eldrid the Wise, now a vassal as great social and political upheavals rock the planet.
to her son-in-law. A field of dry leaves waits for the embers to fall.
Queen Sura Ramakhrisna, who aided in the deli-
cate marriage negotiations, also swore fealty, as her
family gained recognition as a noble house, albeit a Hargard Traits
minor one. Hargard is the third world circling a medium-sized sun
Opposing the imperial presence is old Thane Sigfad- named Naksara (by the inhabitants of Vijayanagar)
dir Firestorm, once the terror of the Known Worlds, or Aldrnari (or Ald, by the Vuldrok). Suitable for life,
now blind but still a master of intrigue. Holding the Hargard’s lifeforms followed an evolutionary path
continent of Ostmark, he supplies weapons, advisors, similar to that of many mid-sized planets set within
and clandestine operatives to Vuldrok thanes resisting the habitable zones of their solar systems.
the Imperial authority. Other players from deep within Rulers: Emperor Alexius Hawkwood claims the
Vuldrok space — and even some discrete conspirators planet, although he has yet to secure it. Duchess El-
in the Known World — support him. drid the Wise rules what is now the Duchy of Jyand-
To complicate matters, the Universal Church is hom. Count Richyrd Ascania-Hawkwood is the Roy-
holding reunification discussions with a Hargard off- al Governor of the planet. Queen (now also Duchess)
shoot, the Orthodox Zebulonist Church of Ostmark, Sura Ramakrishna rules the Duchy of Vijayanagar.
formed centuries ago by Known Worlders brought to Thane Sigfaddir Firestorm still claims Ostmark,
Hargard as thralls. The Universal Church’s desire to along with his various thanes and earls.
save the planet from “pagans and followers of splin- Major Cathedrals: Tertha (Neo-Hindu); Tarn (Vul-
tered idols” has not gone over well with the two main drok Erdgeist); various Zebulonist faithful in Ostmark
faiths on the planet: the followers of Erdgheist, the Major Agorae: Achiharta (Vijayanagar), Elfhome
highly adaptive Vuldrok religion (which incorporates ( Jyandhom)
many aspects of core Gjarti beliefs), and adherents of Capitals: Achiharta (Vijayanagar), Elfhome
Tertha in Vijayanagar, the various branches of the ( Jyandhom), Valholm (Ostmark), Volm (the Althing
complex and philosophical schools of Neo-Hinduism. of Dagnir)

82
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Jumps: 2 (Byzantium Secundus → Leminkainen → are from the Drenjar Nation with a smattering of
Hargard) Lakol and other nations. Southern to mid-Dagnir is
Adjacent Worlds: Leminkainen (dayside), Khotan temperate and known for its high mountains.
(nightside), Abydos (nightside; Vuldrok runes prevent
Symbiot ships from easily entering Hargard’s system)
Solar System: Ayodhya (0.4 AU), Fyren (0.8 AU), Continents
Hargard (1.5 AU, Hatan), Sigefest (2.7 AU, 2 moons),
Vrindavan (gas-giant; 6 AU, 7 moons), Udal (12 AU), DAGNIR
Aesir (23.5 AU, 2 moons), Diyan Dinè’e (35 AU),
Jumpgate (49 AU) The island-continent of Dagnir is ruled by many clans of
Human Population (est.): 91 million the Drenjar and Lakol nations. Earl Bjorn Draugr-Bane
Alien Population (est.): 250,000 (most are and Chief Wowakhan Anunkassan possess the greatest
obun or ukari in Vijayanagar; a new shantor colony authority. The majority of the Dagnir thanes swore fe-
struggles in Jyandhom; a rough estimate of 40,000 alty to Eldrid the Wise and gained Known World no-
Nizdharim lurk in the seas) ble titles, which they use when meeting with Known
Resources: Contraband, weapons, spaceships, Worlders, but they still retain their old titles for home
ores, wood, livestock, agrarian food, petroleum, gold, use. A few thanes in the northeast allied with Ostmark.
silver, phosphate So far, the sparring thanes of Dagnir have maintained
Exports: Slaves, weapons, gold, copper, silver, an uneasy truce, fearing that a war between Eldrid’s
wood, aircraft (Vijayanagar), weapons, beer, wine, thanes (now nobles) and the northeastern jarls would
gems, precious stones and metals, petroleum, fish, bring in outside armies that would raze the continent.
mercenaries, ales, clothing, contraband Their attention is focused on local unrest: the
Landscape: Vijayanagar possesses tropical and creeping threat from some of their fishing communi-
temperate forests, while other continents possess tun- ties, who have taken on alien Nizdharim beliefs and
dra zones in the northern extremities. Conifer for- cultural practices. Violence has broken out between
ests thrive in the middle regions. High, inaccessible the Nidderdak-worshipping fishing folk (the myrkr-flot-
mountain ranges line the planet. Most of the Vuldrok nar) and interior Vuldrok communities.

83
 The Nizdharim and their origins are shrouded in
mystery. Although they were initially thought to have History
fled from Abydos, subsequent intelligence leaves this
in doubt, pointing to a lost world. CYCLES OF INVASION
JYANDHOM Historians believe that an age of reptiles was cut short
when a great comet shower struck the world, bringing
With the wedding of Emperor Alexius and Freya El- invasive viruses and destruction. The earlier reptili-
dridsdottir, this continent fell under the authority of an and amphibious giants perished, replaced in their
the Emperor and his new Empress. Eldrid the Wise niches by avian and mammalian animals, previously
ruled as a duke over all but the southern portion. El- scavenging creatures active in the nocturnal and ar-
drid granted her loyal thanes Known World titles, be- boreal ecosystems. The dominant mammals resem-
ginning their transition from Vuldrok jarls and thanes bled Urth marsupials, while the placental clade rap-
to titled Known World nobility. idly became extinct, except on the isolated continents
The early efforts to place a largely free society into the of Vijayanagar and in the high mountains of Dagnir.
Known Worlds class structure have met with uneven Invasive microorganisms were not the only pre-hu-
success. Alexius has been cautious about disrupting the man visitors to Hargard. Anunnaki ruins on the Os-
traditional culture too greatly, but the arrival of Univer- tmark continent, particularly in the southern Nalda
sal Church missionaries has caused tensions to rise. region, attest to the presence of the ancient starfar-
In southern Jyandhom, the two Sreumar principal- ers. The Anunnaki left a colossal statue of a Hargard
ities of Siddis and Rochirion, along with a mixed Vul- sea scorpion called panbicchu. Carved in limestone,
drok-Vijayanagar populace and culture, welcomed it stretches 75 m long and roughly 16 m high. Its
the imperial authority. The head of Siddis, Duchess positioning lines up with the constellation Jyeshtha
Vayatadr (formerly Queen), and the ruler of Richiri- (known as the “Scorpion Constellation” on Har-
on, Duke Rajan (formerly Prince), were among the gard) as it rises at the dawn equinox. To this day, the
first to do so. Vuldrok boast that “Hargard is a scorpion,” and the
In the extreme north, some clans, resenting the in- ruling thanes of Ostmark bear the mark of the great
cursion of the Known Worlds and valuing their ances- scorpion on their banners and skin.
tral freedoms, have taken to open rebellion. Later human colonization brought many invasive
species to Hargard, resulting in the decimation of
VIJAYANAGAR many native nu-marsupial and nu-placental mam-
mals. Some nu-marsupials managed to remain in
Vijayanagar is ruled by Duchess (formerly Queen) the far northern reaches of Ostmark and Jyandhom,
Sura Ramakrishna. Allied now with Emperor Alexi- among them the great iss-bear, a gigantic carnivore of
us, the Ramakrishna dynasty has been granted noble extreme cunning, and the bipedal, tool-making, pri-
status in the Known Worlds. Although Ramakrishna mate-like vendi. The vendi stand slightly smaller than
is not one of the five Royal Houses, their formable humans, relying on opposable thumbs, the rudiments
military, supported by their vimana-class starships, of speech, and tool making to survive. Second Repub-
has seized a powerbase for this minor house on Har- lic xenologists speculated they were on the verge of
gard that cannot be ignored. Originally rulers of the a proto-sentient culture before human colonization.
entire planet, the house’s troops were pushed back to The females carry their young in pouches. Now few
the Vijayanagar continent by successive Vuldrok in- in number, living as hunter-gatherers in the northern
vasions. Nonetheless, Ramakrishna nobles rule over mountains, they are largely left alone by the Vuldrok
a sophisticated and devout populace. settlers, who name them “wild men,” although leg-
ends persist of the vendi aiding stranded trappers in
OSTMARK the far north.
Humans are not the only offworld colonizers.
On the northern continent of Ostmark, Sigfaddir Around 4680, the sentient, star-faring, 12-tentacled
Firestorm sits on the Chair of Thanes — old and blind mollusks, the Nizdharim, arrived in the oceans from
but exceedingly cunning. He rules with the aid of his an unknown world. The Vuldrok fishing communities
two sons, Alric the Angry and Runolf Sword-Ready. made alliances with them. The Nizdharim search out
The various thanes of Ostmark, related to him by schools of fish for the Vuldrok fishers in exchange for
blood or sworn by oaths, follow him, although in the safe waters to live in. Recently, much to the chagrin
extreme south, the native Zebulonist faith has auton- of the greater Vuldrok community, the worship of the
omy in the Bishopric of Ostmark. Nizdharim god, Nidderdak from Beyond the Stars,

84
 INTRODUCTION
found a toehold in some of the remoter fishing com- war, the Chandra dynasty was utterly annihilated. The
munities. Since the Nizdharim-Vuldrok alliance has Ramakrishna forces pushed south, leaving Ostmark and DRAMA
proven extremely profitable, coastal thanes have not most of Jyandhom to the victorious Vuldrok.
acted swiftly on what many see as a darkness creeping Wanting to cement their conquests, the Vuldrok PEOPLE
upon the remote coastal regions. thanes called on their kinsmen from the worlds of Ra- PLACES
ven and Wolf’s Lament to join them. A great migra-
COLONIZATION tion of Vuldrok peoples followed. A poetic but highly PLAYING
accurate description of this period is given in Sigvata’s
Led by the twin sisters, Queens Dalia and Siry Ra- Saga, an epic poem composed by Skjaldulf the Seer.
makrishna, colonists from Shaprut arrived circa 2850 The dynamic of the planet — now named Hargard,
and introduced humans to Hargard. The colonists or Hargard’s Hama, after the first clan to settle in Os-
(who referred to themselves as Bharatans) became the tmark under Ramakrishna patronage — changed to
successors of the Ramakrishna culture after Shaprut one of unceasing war, not only between Vijayanagar
entered the al-Malik fold. Throughout the dynasty’s and the Vuldrok, but with blood feuds among the
history, there has been a series of succeeding sister conquering thanes.
monarchs bearing the names of Dalia and Siry. Twin Hargard was briefly part of the empire of the great
girls of royal birth are seen as a good omen, said to star-spanning Vuldrok warlord, King Froljir the
usher in golden eras of culture and learning. Ill-Fated, the sole unifier of all the Vuldrok worlds.
The initial settlement on Hargard centered on the Invited by two Ostmark thanes, he smashed all plane-
southern continent of Vijayanagar. The Bharatan tary opposition (4541-48). The Ramakrishna nobles
colonists practiced Neo-Hinduism, originating from were made to swear fealty, but when Froljir died in
the Indian diaspora. This was the foundation of the battle, his empire collapsed. The subject worlds broke
later Praktri (Second Republic-era) and Tertha faiths. free, returning to their querulous conflicts.
Tertha, which emerged from Praktri (c. 4650), recog- Contact with the Known Worlds came largely
nizes a diversity of schools united by a core belief in through pillage. As Vuldrok ships brought back slaves
the cyclical nature of the universe, its creation, pres- from the Known Worlds, Zebulon’s teachings were
ervation, and destruction, as well as a conviction that introduced, carried by thralls and passed on to their
the Creator resides within all beings. freed descendants. By 4600, the Bishopric of Ostmark
The Ramakrishna dynasty remained the rulers of emerged with its own “Little Father” or Patriarch of
Hargard during the Second Republic, along with the Faithful. Cut off from the Universal Church of
the Samsad in Siddis standing as the local planetary the Celestial Sun, the Ostmark Church developed an
parliament (now partially destroyed). With its light emphasis on what its priests believed were the original
population and peaceful rule, the planet was largely teachings of Zebulon. They call themselves Pistos Ek-
unprepared for the advent of the New Dark Ages. klisia, the Faithful and True Followers of the Prophet.
By 4900, the continent of Ostmark largely fell to
VULDROK ASCENDENCY the Thord thanes (descendants of Thord Thane Slay-
er). A cold war between Ostmark and Vijayanagar
After the collapse of the Second Republic, the fleet ensued, as both allied with lesser thanes to compete
of unique spacecraft known as vimanas protected for influence on the rest of the world. The exploits
Hargard’s jumpgate, keeping hostile forces at bay. of Thord Thane-Slayer were not lost on Eldrid the
Planetary unity crumbled when civil war broke out Wise, and his example set the stage for the current
between the ruling dynasty, which had settled in Ci- conditions on Hargard.
trakuta, and a cousin branch, the Chandra Princes of
Jyandhom (then named Kurujangala). Starting in the RECENT HISTORY
4300s, both sides recruited mercenary armies from
the Drenjar peoples of the emerging Vuldrok worlds. In the past three decades, the continent of Jyandhom,
During the 4400s, these proxy armies mostly fought once the warring provinces of the “seven thanes,” was
battles between the two houses. From 4450 onwards, united by the marriage of Eldrid the Wise, a female
thanes supporting both dynasties were rewarded with Fheykrig warrior of renown, and thane Vidar Vigir-
lands, creating buffer states between the Ramakrishna son of Seggrhame. Together they conquered their di-
and Chandra territories. In 4483, two thanes support- vided opposition one by one, turning the thanes and
ing the rival dynasties, Eilif One-Ear and Ragnar the Sreumar principalities into tributaries. Only the small
Enraged, made an alliance. Realizing that their com- portion of Jyandhom around Bushin Bay and the city
bined forces held the greater military strength, they rose of Kanakala remained united with Vijayanagar, the
in arms against their native patrons. In a bitter 30-year Ramakrishna’s only toehold outside Vijayanagar.

85
 In the wars of unification, Eldrid and Vidar lost While Kirya Ramakrishna’s visits to the Emper-
their son Bivor the Brave, leaving their daughter or could not be kept in complete secrecy, those who
Freya Eldridsdottir as their sole heir. The unification knew of their private meetings assumed a dalliance
of Jyandhom shifted the balance of power upon the on the Emperor’s part. Those with more suspicion
world, and opposition from Sigfaddir Firestorm, the suspected a favorable trade and military agreement
thane of Ostmark, sent Eldrid in search of allies. She with Vijayanagar was in the making. Nobody outside
found relief from an unexpected quarter: Queen Sura a handful of people knew the truth about the delicate
Ramakrishna of Vijayanagar. negotiations between the young poet and the Emper-
Eldrid had dreamed of conquering Ostmark and or of the Known Worlds.
uniting all the Vuldrok peoples of Hargard under her When it was announced that Queen Sura Ra-
rule. Some hold that this was but the prelude for her makrishna and a representative of Eldrid the Wise —
true goal: becoming warlord of all the Vuldrok worlds. her daughter, Freya — would visit the Imperial Court
A cult of personality grew around the victorious war- for the cementing of a trade and military treaty, the
rior queen. However, whispered rumors say that she materialist cynics won the day, while the aficionados
began to suffer symptoms of a deliberating illness, of scandal and love felt betrayed.
forcing her to shift her strategy. Sidestepping her plans It is said Kirya managed to smuggle Freya into
to invade Ostmark, she conspired with Queen Sura Alexius’s royal apartment. Some claim this is a fan-
to begin overtures of alliance with Emperor Alexius, ciful invention of royal poets and bards, no doubt to
eventually offering her daughter’s hand in marriage. In create a courtly romance, while others believe that
return, she received a peerage, becoming the head of a Princess Kirya was quite capable of managing such
mighty and hereditary house that bears her name (with a highly delicate diplomatic maneuver, eluding the
her loyal thanes as her titled vassals) as she rules over spies of her rivals. A few cynical wags state both sto-
the duchy of Jyandhom. She ensured that her daughter ries are propaganda for the masses.
and grandchildren would gain something even greater What came as a shock was the later announcement
than the fractious Vuldrok worlds: an empire. of the betrothal of Freya Eldridsdottir to Emperor
In talks with Queen Sura, Sigfaddir Firestorm Alexius, offering a “bride-price” of the world of Har-
laughingly compared the two of them as a quarreling gard to the Emperor of the Known Worlds. His alli-
married couple using Jyandhom as “our chessboard.” ance with Eldrid brought him Jyandhom, and Queen
Eldrid’s conquests changed that. Was it the hope of Sura offered the continent of Vijayanagar; the fact
tipping the balance from Ostmark that caused Sura’s that neither could actually offer up Ostmark is con-
overtures, or was it fear of Eldrid’s battle prowess and sidered a mere detail. The planet was now, in most
growing followers? Both conclusions surely swayed her regards, Imperial territory.
decision, but the undertones heard among her envoys In return for Vijayanagar, now a duchy, and their
went deeper and struck at more ominous rumors. role in the wedding negotiations, the Ramakrishna
Something was amiss in the Vuldrok worlds, a rumor were given peerage as a noble house of the Known
of a great terror striking from beyond their space. Worlds, as Queen Sura Ramakrishna exchanged
Queen Sura was playing a deadly game, but on a larger her title for that of Duchess (and head) of House Ra-
chessboard than Sigfaddir Firestorm imagined. makrishna. (The title of prince is only viable for the
Her niece Kirya, Princess of Achiharta, became Royal Houses.) Eldrid the Wise and her husband Vi-
Queen Sura’s secret envoy to both Eldrid’s Hall and dar were also ennobled, rising in power as the Emper-
the Imperial Court of Emperor Alexius Hawkwood or’s viceroys on Hargard.
on Byzantium Secundus. Even Kirya benefitted. Her next book of poetry,
Kirya was a wise choice for an envoy: young, in- Imperial Whispers: An Avvaiyar in The Emperor’s Court of
telligent, with a sly sense of humor, and already a Long Afternoon and the Mead Halls of Lovers and Berserk-
poet and singer of some renown (The Cardamoms of ers, became a best seller, and for a season, she became
Summer Past). She was a student at the Imperial Col- the toast of high society.
lege of Aberwold on Byzantium Secundus, then lat- With his enemies benefitting at his expense, blind
er attached as a minor cultural functionary to the Sigfaddir Firestorm vowed to end the Known Worlds’
Ramakrishna representatives at the Imperial Court. presence on Hargard. His arm, aching again for bat-
More importantly, she was childhood friends with tle, led ambushes against small Imperial scouting
Freya Eldridsdottir. Utilizing “vimana  diplomacy” parties and Ramakrishna traders. Many thanes bent
with secret flights to Eldrid the Wise’s Hall in Alf- knee to the Emperor, but blind Sigfaddir was heard to
hame, she united a curious triad of interests: the Ra- whisper, “Check… but not checkmate.”
makrishna Court in Vijayanagar, the united thanes of
Jyandhom, and the Emperor of the Known Worlds.

86
 INTRODUCTION
Present Conflicts from his house to force the world to make amends for
the decades of pillaging the Vuldrok waged against DRAMA
The marriage of Emperor Alexius to Freya Eldrids- Hawkwood worlds. So far, he has resisted using his
dottir and the birth of their daughter Aurora created post for his house’s personal enrichment, but even PEOPLE
a combustible situation on Hargard. Long-standing he rankles at the Vuldrok’s pride in their past deeds PLACES
feuds boiled to the surface, and many thanes became against his family’s holdings. His need to represent
torn in their loyalties. Most either chose Eldrid the Alexius’ interests in the face of Eldrid and Sura’s own PLAYING
Wise as their liege-lady or maintained their traditions machinations keeps him on his toes.
as a free people opposed to centralized authority. The office of the governor has established six ma-
To gain noble status for her new house, Eldrid jor areas of current unrest and conflict. These places
had to swear fealty to her new son-in-law. Once she are in need of Questing Knights and their Cohorts to
gained the title of duchess, her lands were declared patrol and protect Imperial interests — which means
a duchy, although she certainly exults in using the keeping the peace in an even-handed way.
title “Queen Mother” when dealing with Known
Worlders. She has awarded titles and lands to her OSTMARK
loyal thanes, although converting the proud thanes
into landed feudal nobles was not easy at first. Many FJOLTRBORG RELIGIOUS RECONCILIATION
thanes refused — and are now fighting to defend their Reunification talks between the native Zebulonist
holdings against House Eldrid — but most went along Church of Ostmark and the Universal Church of the
with it. It remains to be seen whether this steadfast Celestial Sun are underway in Fjoltrborg, a small city
loyalty can take root hereditarily. in the Bishopric of Ostmark at the southern tip of the
The main cultural challenge to this new form of rule Ostmark continent. Negotiations point to a likely re-
is that the Vuldrok are not serfs — they’re freemen. turn of the Ostmark Church into the Universal fold as
House Eldrid nobles need to enter into contracts with a recognized sect, retaining certain of its native rites.
them for labor. This whole “noble” thing is a bit new Most Hargard Zebulonites rejoice at reunification
to all of them, lord and vassal alike, and the newly ti- with the star-spanning Universal Church. These talks
tled counts, barons, and knights still behave as thanes, are currently the focus of intense attention.
which means they win loyalty through charisma and Architecturally, Fjoltrborg is noted for its eclectic
force of arms. Titles simply don’t mean much to Vul- bric-a-brac Mid-Regency and Vuldrok architecture.
drok, although they bear weight when dealing with Held by Bishop Roland, the “little patriarch” of the
Known Worlders. Hargard faithful, it is surrounded by farmland, sup-
Behind the unrest of the resisting thanes, one guid- porting rich agricultural yields and wool. Currently,
ing hand is obvious: Sigfaddir Firestorm. Once the Fjoltrborg is filled with dignitaries from the Universal
Imperial nuptials were announced, he immediate- Church and Imperial Court, as well as other interest-
ly sent emissaries to the Vuldrok Althing on Raven, ed parties.
calling for unity among the Vuldrok nations in the The recent murders of two Ostmark priests caused
face of the encroaching Imperial presence on Har- Governor Ascania-Hawkwood to order stepped-up
gard. His agents encouraged rebellion to the Impe- security; soon thereafter, he sent investigators to dis-
rial presence. The Emperor is aware of his actions, cover the party (or parties) responsible. It is a vola-
but so far, he has refrained from open war. Sigfaddir tile situation. Opponents to reunification still exist. A
also has avoided direct confrontation, needing time small, vocal presence in the Ostmark Church opposes
to build alliances. Some of Alexius’ councilors hope it, believing the Ostmark Zebulonists, untainted by
some kind of bargain can be made with the old war- Universal Church politics, possess a purer “Original
lord. If not him, they whisper, then one of his sons Zebulonite” faith.
must strike a deal. His eldest, Alric the Angry, is ruled Some Universal Church authorities hold Sura Ra-
by his mercurial temperament. His youngest, Runolf makrishna’s court responsible. Their suspicions are
Sword-Ready, is more cunning and far-sighted. He is not entirely unfounded. Disturbing intelligence re-
also more amenable, some say, foreseeing what many ports revealed meetings between representatives of
predict is the inevitable result of the Imperial pres- Archarya Yajna, high Braham of the Bhakt Dastoor
ence on Hargard. Tethra and one of the few outspoken voices in the
Alexius has established an Imperial Governor Ramakrishna court against Known World influence,
to oversee the planet’s transition into the Known and Magni Lore-Master, chief hofgothi to the Vuldrok
Worlds’ fold. Count Richyrd Ascania-Hawkwood of war god Kurmda. These meetings, taking place un-
Ravenna was a childhood companion whose loyalty der Siggfaddir Firestorm’s protection, formed a broad
is beyond question, although he is under pressure consensus against the outworlder Church, one that

87
 could lead to an alliance against the Church’s goals exchange, and brutal weapons. This prosperity has
on Hargard. Already elements of both faiths  — in- made its overlord, Sigfaddir’s son, Runolf Sword-
cluding some revered Mahasiddhas of Vijayanagar — Ready, conspicuously wealthy through his “thane
are open to further talks. Although the Ramakrishna tithe” on all transactions.
dynasty and the Vuldrok have fought numerous wars, Recently, the Questing Knights learned of a secret
they never fought over matters of religion. Both sides Muster/Scraver delegation arriving to conduct nego-
cultivated a “live and let live” attitude, as they tolerat- tiations with Sigfaddir Firestorm. While both guilds
ed the small Hargard Zebulonite community. publicly approve of the Imperial presence on Har-
gard and profit from it through various contracts,
THE PANBICCHU ANUNNAKI STATUE, they secretly fear certain consequences. The Mus-
NALDA REGION ter fears loss of revenue from the possible closing of
Classified reports state that the Scravers are seeking the Valholm Spaceport to the slave trade, while the
permission from Sigfaddir to explore the caverns be- Scravers want a stake in any Second Republic and
neath the great Anunnaki sea-scorpion statue, the Anunnaki relics found on the world. 
Panbicchu, in the southern Nalda region of Ostmark. The Governor is swiftly forming a small group to
Imperial Navy geo-mapping systems discovered a infiltrate and discover what the clandestine meeting
network of deep, ancient tunnels below the desert holds. Rumors abound, but one troubling lead, picked
sands around the massive landmark, and speculation up by multiple sources, is the presentation to Sigfad-
about possible subterranean Anunnaki weapons and dir Firestorm of a Pre-Adamite tech weapon discov-
tech reached interested ears. No known entrance to ered in the Ur-ruins on Velisamil, originating from
the tunnels exists, but a search is underway for possi- the time of the primal obun-ukar wars. Named “the
ble concealed openings. Voice of Dark Winters” and “Storm-Screamer,” the
The Scravers are racing to get there first, before the ancient artifact is said to give its wielder control over
Emperor or Sigfaddir learn the extent of their oper- planetary weather patterns. In return, the Scravers
ations. Already the locals don’t like the attention, be- desire access to various Ur ruins on Ostmark, and the
lieving the old maxim “the scorpion brings bad luck Muster wants a cut in the prisoner/thrall trade from
to those who prod her.” Of course, other interested deep Vuldrok space.
parties are also investigating, including miscellaneous One advantage outside agents have is the very law-
Eskatonics, Engineers, Ramakrishna resistors (seek- lessness of the town, where fortunes are made and lost
ing weapons), local thanes, and Questing Knights. daily. The huge debts and losses leave many broke,
An independent group hired by Lissa Adeline, a willing to trade information for monetary gain.
freelance salvager, is forming in Valholm, hoping to The contact for anyone seeking intelligence in Lax-
reach the great Anunnaki statue first. Unaware she dale is Galti Bergthor, often called Gabbert Grog
is being is funded by the Imperial Eye through mid- Master, the proprietor of the  Universal Meade and
dlemen, her group will have to use stealth and speed Meat Hall. A former surveyor, scout, and purveyor of
to get to the tunnels first. Once they reach the tun- Second Republic armaments, Gabbert runs his giant
nels, they have no qualms about violating thane law, inn with military aplomb. An expert in Vuldrok and
deceiving the Scravers, and ignoring standards of ar- Known Worlds alcohols, cheeses, and choice meats,
chaeological practices. his inn smells of roasting boar and the aroma of hun-
dreds of beer and mead barrels, along with more rar-
VALHOLM SPACEPORT ified wines and harder alcohol. It is a busy hub for
The Valholm Spaceport, where ships constantly ar- space travelers waiting for their next flight, deal-mak-
rive from Vuldrok Space and the Known Worlds, is ing in the back rooms, and entertainment, usually
close to the Great Hall of Gunnar the Grim, where provided by minstrels, bear-baiters, and drunks. An
Sigfaddir Firestorm rules, overlooking the city of Val- adjoining hall sees physical sports of wrestling, ball-
holm. A small town nearby, Laxdale, originally con- smash, Stomp the Scryer, and other popular Vuldrok
sisted of warehouses and energy stations. The town pastimes. 
has quickly expanded around the Valholm Space- Numerous contacts lurk in the establishment. Ro-
port (Valholm Stiarna-höfn), becoming a sprawling bie (Rodmar) the Unruly, who does a brisk trade with
untamed backwater where gambling, contraband, Vijayanagar, is often found here.  Some think he is
weapons, alcohol, exotic wildlife, currency exchange, connected to the Ramakrishna spy agency, the Koha-
prostitution, and entertainment draw money from ra. He has contacts among the Hrafan, the Brother-
weary space travelers.  Called “Laxdale the Law- hood of the Crow, and the spies of Sigfaddir.
less,” the town has an open economy specializing in Professional sellers of information  — the  Bragi  —
contraband goods, slaves, undocumented currency can provide their clients with beautiful recitations of

88
 INTRODUCTION
Vuldrok sagas, elaborations on epic histories, scath- of sympathizers and armed by Sigfaddir Firestorm,
ing verbal put-downs of troublesome foes, or for their forces began attacking Eldrid loyalists. DRAMA
more money, information. Since they are treated as a Scouts have reported odd signs  — weapon caches
priestly caste, they are not slain for their risky knowl- from Delphi, tech from Severus, and Known World PEOPLE
edge — at least, not openly, but the spies and servants “advisors.” Recently, the Imperial Governor and El- PLACES
of the various Vuldrok thanes take a dim view of drid sent negotiators into the region. Unknown forces
them, quickly creating laws forbidding their presence ambushed one earlier peace party, and the survivors PLAYING
in sensitive locations.  Braver and cleverer Bragi as- fled deep into the desolate northern wilderness  —
sume disguises and enter those forbidden areas; the home only to the primitive nu-marsupial vendi peo-
monetary rewards are greater there, but so is the dan- ples, iss-bears, and unforgiving winters. A high advi-
ger of instant execution if caught. Rumor has it that sor to the Emperor was among this party – one whose
the greatest Bragi in Laxdale is Alvida All-Knowing, true identity must be shrouded, and unfortunately for
but none know for sure of her whereabouts… or even Jyandhom, one who the governor has ordered res-
her true appearance. cued at all costs.
In addition, Vijayanagar agents recently detected
two individuals rumored to have links to the Jakov- DAGNIR
ian Agency: Lidka and Adrik Antipinov Van Gelder.
What they are doing on Ostmark is unknown. Their KIRBORG CULTS
presence creates a considerable challenge.  The broth- A meeting of the continent’s thanes and jarls in Dag-
er and sister team tend to leave a trail of unexplained nir produced a unified front against a simmering situ-
and accidental deaths behind them. ation that risks breaking into open warfare: the rising
of the remote fishing communities who worship the
JYANDHOM Nizdharim deity, Nidderdak from Beyond the Stars.
The great mollusk god of the Nizdharim, resembling
NAKIR MOUNTAIN REBELLION a one-eyed cephalopod with 10 tentacles, is believed
The greatest concern to the Emperor and House El- by Vuldrok shamans to be a “dark devouring” (ljós
drid is the embryonic rebellion in northern Jyand- fárbjódr) deity hostile to humanity.
hom. Among the “Eldrid hostages”  — thanes who Recently, strange conical-shaped churches ap-
were defeated in battle by Eldrid but swore oaths to peared in certain isolated fishing villages. It was only
her afterwards — there is great unrest. Two of them, after the slaughter of the inhabitants of Kirborg by
Rollo Red-Beard and Gustav Rolloson, removed the human followers of Nidderdak that action was
themselves to the northern Nakir Mountains and taken. The slaughter was in retaliation for Kirborg’s
planted the flag of rebellion. Joined by growing bands farmer’s destruction of a coastal Nidderdak temple
constructed by the converted fishing clans. Thane

89
 Asband Aundonsonn’s warriors reported bodies with as a safe haven to practice their beliefs. Granted re-
suction marks on bloodied skin, as well as heavy carts mote settlements by Dagnir thanes in the unpopulat-
and objects tossed about as if by a mighty storm. The ed Snjar Mountains, settlements of Incarnates, the
local temple to the Vuldrok goddess Vinnspara was Children of Zuran, and hesychasts found the freedom
destroyed, its pillars pulled down. to practice their beliefs in exchange for taxes on the
When they entered the central seaside Nidderdak agricultural yields, domesticated farm animals, and
temple from the hastily abandoned coastal village of the alcoholic, medicinal, and tech equipment they
Gruinhöfn, they discovered an intricate beacon de- produced.
vice of non-human construction that emitted a series Smaller groups of artist-colonies followed, rebelling
of high-pitched codes only discernable by Gudvaer, against “Academian influence” and “the Subjectifi-
a tech-shaman of the Maghtaw Nation and priest of cation of the Object.” The anarchistic Two/Thirds
Gottun the crafts god. Shamans and priests from the Republic, the Social Unrealists, the Sir Realists,
Lakol, Skey, and Drenjar Nations delved deep into Neo-Minimalist Muralists, and the Knights of the
their crafts and practices, while Maghtaw wisemen Isosceles Triangle all founded remote art communi-
and women studied the tech-lore, persisting until they ties.
discovered a rough outline of its purpose. It was in- One anarchistic artistic colony, the Symbolist
deed a beacon to the distant stars, revealing the tem- Synchronism Syndicate, utilizes the “cast-off” medi-
ple’s location to whoever was receiving the signal in ums of old tech, Anunnaki artifacts gathered from
deep space. Pre-Adamite sites, vanished Second Republic vibra-
Then the questions began. Was this the work of tion-focused frequency accumulators, and readings of
the Nizdharim, calling more of their kinsfolk? Or are religious rites and theurgy gleaned from proto-obun/
they in league with unknown allies from beyond Vul- ukari beliefs. Working with these tools and media,
drok space? they activate “Sentient Art” or “Sans Critic Art,”
The worried thanes sent word to Eldrid the Wise. A which they have dubbed Via Ars Anima or “Living
full-scale attack began on the remote fishing villages Art.” Their ritualistic calling of energies to “Objectify
by the combined thanes, and the slaughter spread to the Subject” worked far greater than they dreamed:
innocent villages. The fishermen and their Nizdharim their eclectic art gained sentient life and the power
allies fought back, wielding hitherto unknown weap- of mobility.
ons. A series of small-scale bushfire wars engulfed the Autonomous pieces of their eclectic artwork — now
continent’s shores. Vuldrok shamans now sense that breathing, moving entities — began attacking neigh-
another beacon on Dagnir exists, but they cannot boring communities. This “living” art includes Sec-
pinpoint its location. ond Republic corporate mascots, statues of gigantic
entertainment figures from various epochs of human
LIVING ART, SNJAR MOUNTAINS history, and plant/human hybrids. Artworks designed
After the Emperor-Wars, “drop-out” cultures found to shock the viewer into the space “beyond subjective
sanctuary on the Dagnir continent of Hargard. Small critical reflectivity” into “a hyper-awareness of art
religious, political, and artistic sects, finding little ac- (Art) as a subject-less, object-less expression of frac-
ceptance in the Known Worlds, set up communities ture-ism of the psyche” now terrorize the region.

90
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Chapter 4: Playing the Game

91
 SAINT VLADIMIR THE UNIFIER
92
 INTRODUCTION

DRAMA

when the wolves are at the PEOPLE

Hail Vladimir, boldest of us all. Pilgrim, it is to Vladimir that we pray
Known Worlds against the bar-
door and we must rally together to turn the tide. Vladimir united the PLACES
into an empire under the banner of the phoenix exultant.
barian hordes, taming a fractured universe
their troupes, so did Vladimir
Just as the Prophet unified his Disciples and miracle players unite PLAYING
alike, and so quelled discontent.
Alecto unite us all. He apportioned his power among ally and enemy
holding the power to ordain an emperor, while his left
His right hand proffers a Royal Scepter,
wings of the phoenix. His head
bears Wolfsbane, his sturdy shield. His robe flows in the wind, like the
aura that was the cause of his death and martyrdom.
is wreathed by the Coronation Flame, the fiery
r, The Pilgrim ’s Path: H0w to Read the Omega Gospels
— Charioteer Captain Zelina Hamid-Sando

Example of Play
You’ve read the rules in the previous chapters. Now have arrived at the starport in the capital city of Elf-
we’ll see how they work together in a game session, home, each with their own reasons for heading to Yn-
step by step. gmark to help the Hawkwood lord there.
You can play all sorts of different dramas with Following some time spent haggling for goods in
­Fading Suns: courtly intrigues, guild machinations, the local agora marketplace, they’ve heard rumors
tests of faith  — the stars are the limit. The sample of an ancient ruined town called Ghosthame. The
drama provided after this Example of Play, “Night- place is said to be haunted and cursed. Long ago,
mare in Yngmark,” provides a mystery for the troupe the gods rained down fire from heaven, razing the
to solve. But first, we’ll divert our troupe into a drama place to the ground to punish the residents. But
of exploration, rife with danger and suspense. it’s also said to hold a vast hidden treasure, the
hoard of an ancient Vuldrok warlord who raided

Dramatis Personae the Known Worlds in the time before the reign of
Emperor Vladimir.
Bill is running a Fading Suns game, so he’s gath- It turns out that Ghosthame is located about half-
ered some friends around the table at his place. The way to Yngmark. Thinking that legends of ghosts,
troupe’s archetype is the noble entourage. Our cast curses, and treasure probably hide something very
members are as follows: interesting, the troupe decides to take a side trip on
• Tim is “Oliverus,” a Hawkwood Duelist and the their journey, so they can solve the mystery behind
leader of the troupe. the locals’ fear of Ghosthame.
• Andrew is playing “Lady Tirza Legrace Garga-

Let’s Begin
rin,” a Decados noble Psychic (who conspires to
become the troupe leader).
• Ian is “Mouse,” a Scraver Reclaimer.
• Nydia is “Vinkur,” an ukari yeoman from the The troupe finds the disused dirt road that leads to
Dispossessed mercenary society. Ghosthame. This begins a scene that Bill calls “En-
• David is “Tyrzith,” a vorox Brother Battle tering Ghosthame.” He doesn’t tell the players any of
priest — a rare and unusual combination. this, though. He chooses to just let play commence
They’re all 1st-level characters, just beginning their without heralding the title of the scene.
escapades. Each character’s bank is full (5 VP for 1st-level
characters), thanks to the VP they gained in Elf-

Setting home  — except for Lady Tirza, who spent all of

hers in the Elfhome agora befriending local gossips
Bill’s game is set on Hargard. He’s planning for the (using her Charm-skill influence), leaving none in
troupe to play through “Nightmare in Yngmark,” her bank.
the sample drama presented in this chapter. The PCs

93
 THE LAY OF THE LAND were pulverized by orbital bombardment. Roofs and
walls are crumbled in, revealing scorched and decay-
David asks if Tyrzith can see any recent tracks on the ing maxicrete and melted metals. This happened at
road. Bill asks him to make a spot roll. This is an Ob- least a few decades ago; trees and bushes now grow
serve-skill maneuver; it’s resolved against Resistance within the exposed walls, some of them quite tall.
in a blind bid: David has to guess how many VP he’ll
need to spend to overcome Resistance, and that will SNIFFING OUT THE
depend on how obvious the tracks are (if there are
COMPETITION
any). Bill knows that there haven’t been any recent
travelers… from this direction. He sets the Resistance Bill had previously collected a list of each character’s
at Hard but doesn’t tell David that. Perception ranks to use for instinctual perception tests.
David’s goal number is 10. He currently has 5 VP He now checks the list and sees that both Ian and
in his bank, due to rolls he made back in Elfhome. He David’s characters meet the benchmark (Demanding
could use those VP to add to a precision bonus to his Resistance) needed to possibly notice the mutant feral
goal number, but he chooses not to do that. He rolls a dogs sneaking up on the troupe. He asks each of them
9, a success. He takes 9 tokens from the well and puts to make a blind-bid spot roll. No one else in the troupe
them into his cache (a space or a cup on the gaming has a high enough Perception to beat the instinctual
table next to his character sheet). Bill asks him how perception test, so they don’t get to roll.
many VP he’s spending to overcome Resistance. Da- Ian’s roll fails, so he can’t even bid against the Re-
vid asks if he can get some sort of clue. sistance to notice the dogs. David (goal 10) rolls a 5, a
David: “If the road is really disused, any sign of success, and collects 5 tokens from the well. He then
travel should be obvious, right? Unless someone is spends all of those on the blind bid. The Resistance
intentionally taking care to hide the tracks, right?” was 6, based on what Bill figured the dogs’ Sneak skill
Bill nods and says: “Yes, judging from the growth to be, and David didn’t spend enough. His spot action
of weeds through the beaten-down dirt, you’d proba- failed. None of the PCs notice the stealthy dogs.
bly notice if some of them had been pressed down by Bill: “For a moment there, you thought you smelled
boots or landcraft of some sort.” something rank, but it’s gone now… and then there’s a
David sees no reason not to spend all of his cache’s growl. A beast appears out of nowhere, leaping at Tirza!”
9 VP. If he were expecting an attack, he might want to Tirza is Andrew’s character. She’s the smallest
save some to boost his Resistance, but since his cache among the troupe and has the least threatening ap-
will be emptied out at the start of his next turn, he’ll lose pearance.
whatever he doesn’t spend. (Since his bank is already
full, he can’t keep any of them by putting them in there.) WHEN MUTANT FERAL DOGS
David takes the 9 tokens from his cache and putts
ATTACK
them into the well. “What do I see?”
Since the blind Resistance was Hard, 9 VP is well The Mutant Feral Dogs are 1st-level Agent NPCs.
enough to succeed and meet the action’s benchmark. There are three of them.
Bill: “No sign of travel. No boot prints, no disturbed These poor creatures are lab experiments who have
flora, no out-of-place scents. You’re sure nobody has escaped into the wild, but they haven’t left the area
come through here for at least a few weeks.” where they were once held in suspended animation
David: “Great! But I don’t let my guard down! I
keep sniffing the wind and listening for twigs cracking
and stuff like that.”
Bill: “Got it. You’re on alert.”
The troupe proceeds down the road. After about
an hour of walking, as they round a curve, they
see the woods open up ahead. The shapes
of buildings become evident. As they move
closer  — cautiously, all the players note  —
they see those buildings are not simple Vul-
drok longhouses or huts. They’re ancient maxi-
crete blocks… in utter ruin.
Bill informs Ian that his character, a
Reclaimer, can easily recognize Second
Republic buildings. They look like they

94
 INTRODUCTION
(see below). They’re very hungry, but they’re also a bit his cache, marking them off of his character sheet and
scared. Only one of them has gained the courage to taking that amount in tokens from the well, which he DRAMA
try to bring down prey; the other two hold back and gives to Andrew.
wait to see what happens. Andrew spends all 5 VP to boost his Resistance up PEOPLE
Gameplay now enters Instantaneous time. Actions to 6 (remember, Tyrzith already had 1 Body Resis- PLACES
are measured turn by turn in rounds. tance from her thick robes). Bill asks David and An-
drew to describe how this happens. PLAYING
David: “I cry out. ‘Stand tall!’”
MUTANT FERAL DOGS Andrew: “I do! She stands tall! Well, as tall as she
Agent (creature) • Level: 1 • Size: 4 can. She’s pretty short.”
Clearly the result of genetic engineering, Dog #1’s cache has 5 VP, which is not enough to
these “dogs” look like a cross between Alsa- overcome Andrew’s Resistance. While he could use a
tians and panthers. Their teeth are especially surge to get more VP, he’s only got one of them. Bill
large and sharp. decides to save it for later.
Characteristics: Bill: “The dog just can’t get a bite in. You do
Str 6 Wits 2 Pre 5 some awkward acrobatics as you duck and weave,
Dex 4 Per 7 Int 5 avoiding the snapping jaws. The dog whines and
End 6 Will 5 Faith 5 shuffles back.”
Skills: Andrew: “Phew! Thank the Pancreator!”
Fight 6 Bill: “Good teamwork. You each acted pretty self-
Sneak 6 ishly back in Elfhome, but Tyrzith’s generosity might
Vigor 6 help cement your troupe’s bond.” Bill takes 1 WP
Actions: Goal Impact from the well and puts it into the troupe coffer. This
Bite 12 4 dmg is what we call applause: the GM claps for the cast’s
Resistance: Body 2 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 performance.
Vitality: 10
Surges: rating: 7 | number: 1 ROUND 2: FIGHT!
It’s a new round. On the last round, only the dogs got
Since the dogs surprised everyone, they act first. to take an action (Andrew’s spending VP to boost Re-
Bill rolls the lead dog’s attack; the goal is 12, and sistance didn’t require an action), since they had the
he gets a 5. He gets to collect 5 VP from the well and drop on everybody and surprised them.
place the tokens in the dog’s cache. Bill asks the players if anyone has an initiative edge.
Tirza’s Body Resistance is 1 (from thick robes). An- Ian declares that Mouse is using his Marksmanship
drew declares he’ll boost his Resistance… but then perk, spending 1 VP from his bank to gain an initia-
realizes that his bank is empty. He spent what little tive edge with his gun. Since nobody else — including
he had back in the Elfhome agora befriending local the dogs — has an edge, he gets to act first.
gossips (using Tirza’s Charm-skill influence). David: “Hold on there. I’m going to step in and hit
He could draw 1 WP (or more) from the troupe the dog. I want to chase it away before Mr. Trigger
coffer and convert that into VP, but the coffer is also Finger here harms it.”
empty — nobody has done anything to earn WP yet. Ian: “But I’ve got the edge.”
His other option is to try to dodge in reaction to the David: “Yes, but Tyrzith is a Brother Battle. I can
dog’s attack. This is a reflexive action, performed in interrupt with a combat action so long as you haven’t
reaction to an attack, so he can do it even though it’s acted yet.”
not yet his turn in the initiative order. Ian: “Jeez. Not fair.”
Andrew says that Tirza will definitely dodge. Her Bill asks David to describe just what he’s doing.
[Tirza is female] goal is 7; she rolls an 11: a miss. David: “Tyrzith strides over to the dog and swings
Andrew does have another remaining option for one of his middle limbs at it.” (Vorox have six limbs.
boosting Tirza’s Resistance: she can use her sole surge Tyrzith stands on two, leaving the other four free.) Bill
to get fresh VP. This will give her VP equal to her asks him to roll.
Surge rating. David’s goal for a Fight-skill strike maneuver is 12.
David interjects: “Hold on. Tyrzith will inspire He rolls a 6, a success that gives him 6 VP from the
Tirza.” Tyrzith is a priest with the Inspiring perk. well. Bill tells him that the dog’s Body Resistance is 2.
This allows him to give other people VP from his He spends 2 VP to overcome it. The blow delivers 2
own cache. He transfers his 5 VP from his bank to points of damage.

95
 Bill: “Are you going to spend any VP to increase Tim: “I let it act next in the initiative order then.”
the damage?” Andrew: “Hey! What about me! I haven’t acted yet.
David: “Nope. I’m hoping he’ll take the hint and run.” Dodging that attack didn’t count.”
Ian: “If he’s still alive after that I fry him. I’m shoot- Tim (speaking as Oliverus): “Honor requires I let the
ing him with my laser pistol.” poor, hungry beast yield the field.”
David (speaking as Tyrzith): “Violence shatters the at- Andrew: “But I’m poor. And hungry!”
tacker as well as the attacked.” Bill: “The dog, scared by Oliverus’ sword brandish-
Ian: “Oh, go preach to a peasant. I fire!” His Shoot- ing, breaks away and runs into the woods, followed
skill goal is 12. He rolls a 16, a miss. “Damn it!” quickly by its two companions.”
Bill: “Okay, since nobody else has an edge, Ian gets Andrew: “Oh, well. At least I’m healthy and whole.”
to nominate who acts next. Remember, Ian, you can The turn ends, as does the combat. David trans-
nominate the dogs, too.” fers his cache’s 4 VP into his bank before the cache
Ian (turning to Nydia): “Why don’t you take a crack is emptied out. Tim’s bank is full, so the 3 VP in his
at it?” cache go back into the well.
Nydia: “Hell yes. That thing is going down. I draw The troupe continues to search the ruins. Bill
my medium revolver and fire.” Her goal is 14. She could have ended the scene once the dogs ran away,
rolls a 15, which misses. “Oh, to hell with it!” but Bill decides to keep the tension (and the scene)
Bill: “Just to let you know, I’m using the optional rule going, even though he knows there are no imme-
for accenting die rolls. You can spend 3 VP to subtract diate dangers. The players don’t know that, so the
1 from the die result, which would give you a success. tension is an excuse for them to keep on their toes.
However, by doing so, you can’t get a critical hit, even Once they take a real breather or there’s a lull, Bill
though the result matches your goal number. Also, you will end the scene. (If any of the players had acti-
won’t get VP from the roll, but it will succeed.” vated perks or powers that lasted for the scene, they
Nydia, who has 5 VP in her bank (from influence would end when the scene ends.)
rolls she previously made in town), transfers 3 VP into
her cache and then into the well. “Done!” FAST FORWARD
Bill: “Okay, your shot hits. It’s got a Body Resis-
tance of 2.” For this example of play, we’re going to fast forward a
Nydia transfers the last remaining VP from her bit through some of the activity.
bank, which goes into the well as she spends it to over- The troupe spends time searching the ruins. They
come Resistance. eventually discover a handful of intact buildings that
Bill decides that the dog won’t boost Resistance survived the orbital assault. The remaining buildings
against the shot (since he hasn’t acted yet, he has no are made of tougher material; their electronic securi-
VP in his cache; he’d need to use his surge to get some). ty systems are still intact and powered.
“Your bullet hits, delivering 5 damage. You don’t have Ian spends time rewiring the system. This action
anymore VP, so you can’t increase the damage.” takes place in Present Tense gameplay; Bill isn’t
Nydia: “Doesn’t matter. What happens? Do I kill it?” counting down the rounds, so rolls can occur without
Bill has been tallying the damage against the dog’s worrying how much clock time is used up. Ian’s char-
Vitality. It has 10 Vitality but has suffered a total of 7 acter is performing the Intrusion-skill pick lock ma-
wounds (5 from Nydia, 2 from David). “It yelps and neuver. Bill tells Ian that he needs the Tech Lore TL7
whines as blood spurts from the bullet wound, but it’s capability. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have it. That
still up.” means his roll is unfavorable. His goal is 10. He must
Nydia: “Darn it. Oh, well.” She turns to Tim. “Your roll twice and use the worst result: He gets a 5 and a
turn.” 9. Against the odds, both rolls are victories. Since he
Tim: “If I brandish my sword at it, can I scare it uses the worst result – the one that awards the least
away?” VP, in this case – he gets only 5 VP from the well. The
Bill: “Sure. That would be an influence attempt. I’ll Resistance to rewire the keypad is Demanding; Ian
let you use either Impress or Animalia, plus Presence.” takes 5 VP from his cache and 1 from his bank (he
Tim does some addition and realizes his goal would had 5; he now has 4 VP left) and deposits them into
be 11 if he used his Impress skill or 7 if he used An- the well. The system’s ancient electronics hum to life
imalia. Obviously, he opts for his commanding de- and open the door.
meanor. He rolls and gets a 3. It’s a success, earning This ends the “Entering Ghosthame” scene and be-
him 3 VP from the well. gins a new scene titled “The Past Isn’t Even Past.” It’s
Bill: “The dog’s Mind Resistance is 0, so you put it all about investigating the ruins to piece together the
into a Spooked state.” story about what Ghosthame really is.

96
 INTRODUCTION
Long story short: Ian’s character hacks into a DOMO ARIGATO
think machine (using the Interface skill) and dis- DRAMA
covers that this place was once a scientific facility The troupe encounters three golems: a 3rd-level Agent
researching a variety of projects. After the Fall, it NPC and two Extras. The scene begins in Instanta- PEOPLE
was shuttered, but someone seems to have opened neous play. PLACES
it again a few decades ago. During the early years Ian once again spends 1 VP from his bank to gain
of the Emperor Wars, someone at this facility be- an initiative edge using the Marksmanship perk. He PLAYING
gan experiments involving the genetic engineering shoots a golem (goal 12) and rolls a 9. He takes 9 VP
of flora and fauna. from the well. Its metal plating proves hard to pene-
Exploring further, the troupe finds the old animal trate: It’s got Body Resistance 8, and it’s Laserproof,
pens where the mutant dogs were bred, as well as so it gets to use that full amount against Ian’s laser
cryogenic chambers that are now empty… except for pistol. Ian spends 8 VP to overcome the 8 Resis-
two that were recently opened. One is clearly where tance; his damage is 5. He’s only got 1 VP left in his
the dogs came from. The other chamber’s resident cache, which isn’t enough to raise the damage. He
seems to have escaped the building. The only clue decides to put that 1 VP into his bank. He scorches
about its nature is the snakelike skin it shed: a mas- the robot with his laser pistol but doesn’t appear to
sive husk that’s the length of three humans. harm its functioning.
Further exploration of other buildings reveals a hy- Andrew: “I got an idea! Let me go next!” Ian, who
droponics facility deep in the earth, still operating and gets to choose which player or NPC acts next, gives
being run by golems (i.e., robots) that glide around Andrew the go ahead. “Okay, Tirza wants to use her
with anti-gravity. Programmed to repel intruders, they Lifting Hand psychic power to knock that thing over
pose trouble for the troupe. on its side, so it can’t skim around anymore.”
This begins a new scene: “The Harvesters of Bill: “Okay. It looks heavy, but I’ll give you a break
Eternity.” because it’s already floating on its own anti-gravity.”

97
 Andrew currently has no VP, so he calls on a surge. Andrew: “I strut forward and proclaim, ‘We serve
His Surge rating is 8, so he gets 8 VP from the well. the spirits! They demand that you lead us to the trea-
He spends 1 VP to activate his power. His goal is 9. sure!’ I want them to believe me. What do I need to
He spends 3 VP for a precision bonus: +3; his goal is roll for that?”
now 12. He rolls a 7: a success. He collects 7 VP from Bill: “It’s an outright lie, so that’s Knavery skill. A
the well; his cache now has a net of 11 VP. deceive maneuver.”
He then reaches into the troupe coffer for the 1 WP Andrew: “Excellent! My Decados training pays off.
that’s sitting in there. He looks at his fellow players for I’m good at that.”
their assent. They all nod, giving the okay. Bill: “Now, that sort of influence is usually directed
He spends that WP to give his power the Force at- against an individual, not a group. If you want to affect
tack property, which will halve Resistance. more than just the leader, you’ll have to spend 2 VP per
Bill: “This thing weighs about 200 kg. The Resis- extra target. There are six of them, in addition to the
tance is normally 1 per 25 kg for that power, which priest, so that would be 12 VP. You don’t need to spend
would mean 8 Resistance. But since it’s floating, I’ll it until after the roll, but just know it’ll be expensive.”
halve it to 4. Your power’s wyrd-point-enhanced at- Andrew: “Yeah, but if I convince the priest, he’ll
tack property halves that again to 2. You’ll need to surely tell the others to believe it, right?”
spend 2 VP to knock it over.” Bill: “Maybe.”
Andrew takes 2 VP from his cache and plops them Andrew: “I’ll try it. I’m deceiving the priest. My goal
into the well. “Done!” is 14. I’m going to spend 2 VP to raise it to 16.” His
Bill: “Okay, tell me what it looks like when you bank is now full (after that fight with the golems); he
use your power. Remember, you empowered it with spends 2 VP for the precision bonus. He rolls a 13 and
wyrd energy.” takes 13 VP from the well.
Andrew: “Yep. Normally, my telekinesis is invisible, Bill: “The priest isn’t the dumb hick you think he is.
but it now crackles from my hands like electricity, He resists your crazy story.” The priest’s Mind Resis-
shooting out and slamming into the golem.” tance is 2 (based on his Wise One perk). He boosts his
Bill: “… which topples it over. Since its anti-grav Resistance by using his surge, which gives him 6 VP.
plates no longer have a surface to repel against, it’s “His Resistance is 8.”
stuck in place on its side.” The golem conceivably Andrew puts 8 VP from his cache into the well. (He
could have spent VP (from a surge, since it hadn’t act- has 8 left, and he puts 2 of those into his bank to re-
ed yet to gain VP from a roll) to boost its Resistance, store it to full capacity.)
since the wyrd’s force property made the Far Hand Bill: “At first, he looks doubtful, but then he smiles
power visible, but Bill figures the golem wouldn’t and opens his arms in greeting. ‘I know not how the
been programmed to deal with such a fantastic ability Hawkwyrd come to serve the spirits, but it is a good
coming from a human. sign. Welcome!’”
The two golem Extras are quickly dealt with by the Andrew: “Hawkwood? I’m a Decados.”
other troupe members, and exploration of the room Tim: “Hawkwyrd. It’s what they call all Known
continues. They discover a large conveyer system Worlders. My illustrious family was the sole bulwark
where the harvested food is delivered to somewhere up against their raids for many years.”
above. They decide to ride it up, crouched among the Andrew: “Hmph. Then maybe you’d better do the
bins of fresh, genetically modified fruits and veggies. talking.”
They emerge into a wooded grove on the surface. Before Tim can answer, Bill interrupts: “A voice
Bill ends the scene and begins a new scene: “The erupts from the woods: ‘Yes, you’ve got some talking to
Good Earth.” do, all right!’ Out steps Sir Lionel Darden Hawkwood —
Oliverus’ old nemesis! Immediately behind him, a squad
BOUNTY OF THE GODS of five marines appear, all armored in chain mail and
bearing rifles. You’re outnumbered and outgunned.”
The place is festooned with handmade fetishes hung
from the trees. Burning incense wafts from cups placed A TEST OF METTLE
on a wooden table. A group of local peasants stand
around the table, clearly surprised to see the troupe. Bill (speaking as Sir Lionel, addressing Oliverus): “Let’s
They’re in the middle of a ceremony. The lead decide this, you and I, once and for all. Sword to sword!”
priest chants: “We give thanks to thee, oh spirits of Tim: “What terms?”
the earth, for this bounty that comes unbidden from Bill: “Lionel sneers. ‘Oh, I would not dream of
the earth. We honor thee  — but… but… who are killing you. Not yet. You need to suffer first. To the
you?” This last question is directed at the troupe. yield, then!’”

98
 INTRODUCTION
Tim: “I draw my sword. I tell my entourage, ‘Every- Oliverus’ Mind Resistance is 2. Since a critical hit
body stay out of this. This is between Darden and me.’” ignores Resistance, Tim can’t spend VP to boost his DRAMA
David: “I certainly accept and understand his honor defense.
duel, but I keep a close eye on those marines. If one of Oliverus is in the Daunted state. Lionel has serious- PEOPLE
them so much as twitches, I’ll interrupt.” ly rattled him. Bill advises him to roleplay the state PLACES
Nydia: “I scowl. This honor bullshit doesn’t im- and remember that the terms of the fight are that the
press me.” first one to yield loses; a Daunted character is likely to PLAYING
Andrew: “Two Hawkwoods fighting each other? yield if things keep going poorly.
Where’s the popcorn? I guess I’ll have to settle for an Bill: “If you roleplay the state well, I’ll go easy on
ear of corn from the conveyor belt.” letting you decide if or when you yield.”
Play becomes Instantaneous. Both Oliverus and Sir Tim: “I step back, sweating. ‘My father died a
Lionel share the same rank (as knights), so Tim and hero!’” (Tim’s voice quavers as he says it, hamming it
Bill each roll a d20 to determine who can act first. up.) “I think to myself: What if he’s right? What if he’s
Tim gets a 16 and Bill rolls a 9, so Tim goes first. better than me?”
Tim performs a Melee-skill strike maneuver with Bill: “Good. Sir Lionel smiles as he realizes his
his rapier. His goal is 14. He spends 2 VP from his jibe has hit home. And because you bought into
bank to raise it to 16. He rolls a 15 — a success! He this setback with excellent roleplaying….” He takes
collects 15 VP to put into his cache. 1 WP from the well and places it into the troupe
Sir Lionel’s Body Resistance is 4, thanks to his coffer. “I won’t do that every time you succumb to
synthsilk tunic. Bill decides that Sir Lionel will boost this influence, since you’re supposed to play it out, but if
by spending 5 VP from his bank (he’s a 2nd-level Head- you do it well, every now and then you should get
liner, so he has a bank with 10 VP), giving him a mod- some applause.”
ified Body Resistance of 9. Tim spends 9 of his cache’s Tim acts next — but Bill interrupts. He asks Ian
VP to overcome it: Oliverus’ sword easily beats back Li- and David to make reflexive secondary-action spot
onel’s attempt to parry it and delivers 5 damage. rolls. Only those two characters have a Perception
Tim: “This guy’s my nemesis, so surely we’ve fought rating high enough to beat the instinctual percep-
before. Does he have a hidden energy shield?” tion test’s Resistance to see what’s coming next. Both
Bill: “Funny you should ask. Yes. You know that his miss their rolls.
brooch hides a dueling shield.” Bill: “Okay, I’m going to roll a d20 here. A result
Tim: “Thought so. I pull my blow to slip under of 1 to 10, Tim, represents Oliverus. An 11 to 20 will
that thing.” Tim spends 1 VP to use his Fencing perk favor Sir Lionel.” He rolls 13. “Before Oliverus can
(Duello style) to restrain his blow, subtracting 1 point react to Lionel’s unsettling remark, something large
of damage. (Without that perk, restraining the blow drops from the forest canopy onto Sir Lionel.”
would have cost him 2 VP per 1 damage restrained.) Bill hands Tim 1 VP from the well, the cost for us-
The reduced damage of 4 does not set off Lionel’s ing a GM initiative interrupt. The large shape is a
e-shield — first blood goes to Oliverus. Giant Mutant Snake, a 4th-level Headliner creature.
Bill: “Lionel scowls in frustration and swings his ra- Bill rolls for the snake: It wraps its coils around Lionel
pier at you, slashing at you with the edged tip.” His and begins to squeeze. Lionel’s dueling shield acti-
goal is 13. He rolls a 3, giving him 3 VP. Oliverus’ vates, protecting him from the damage — at first. But
Body Resistance is 2 (leather jerkin), but Tim decides the broad-area attack (the coils are all over his body)
to boost it by spending the 5 remaining VP in his causes the shield to burn out. Lionel gasps as the air is
cache. Bill spends 7 VP for Lionel to overcome the pressed from his lungs.
Resistance (3 from his cache, 4 from his bank, leaving The marines begin to fire haphazardly. David, who
him 1 VP in his bank). His sword pierces Oliverus’ was ready for them to act, uses his Brother Battle ini-
defenses and inflicts 5 damage. tiative interrupt to attack one of them, taking him
Tim: “Damn it.” He marks the Vitality loss on his down with a charge.
character sheet. The rest of the marines still get their shots off. They
The round ends and a new one begins. Tim and Bill fire at the snake (forgetting that Lionel is in the line
roll again to see who goes first, but Bill wins this time. of fire), but the bullets don’t seem to harm the mon-
Lionel sneers at Oliverus and whispers: “You can’t strous thing.
win. Just as your father fell before my lord’s blade, you Bill: “Okay, Tim, now it’s your turn. What do you
shall fall to mine!” He’s attempting to throw Oliverus do?”
off with an Impress-skill daunt maneuver. His goal is a And we’ll leave it there, ending on a cliffhanger.
10 and he rolls… a 10! A critical hit gives him 10 VP Will our intrepid troupe survive the coils of doom and
plus 1 wyrd point. Tim groans. reach Yngmark?

99
 Drama: Nightmare in Yngmark
The troupe is on Hargard, sent by their patron(s) to The symbiot, while not itself sentient, observes the
rid an Imperial nobleman’s fief of a marauding evil. world through Archibald, slowly draining life-force
For months, the Yngmark realm has suffered monster from its host and surroundings. For the most part,
sightings and attacks, and the local lord has called in it rides passively inside Archibald, assuming control
every favor to enlist help. The troupe, beholden to only when panic strikes the senile man (who is fright-
those who answered the lord’s petitions, arrives in the ened by loud noises, violent weather, and fire) or to
wilderness realm to troubleshoot the crisis on their hunt, nest, and spawn.
patrons’ behalf. When panicking, Archibald’s fears trigger the symbi-
ot’s fight-or-flight responses. This transforms Archibald

Player Info into the Moorgaunt, a hybrid form adapted from a

stilt-insect bio-matrix stored in the symbiot’s lifeweb
There’s a monster loose in Yngmark; a tall, stilt-like, pattern. The symbiot-Moorgaunt flees the manor un-
and very thin humanoid creature the locals call the der cover of weather to run about in a panic.
Moorgaunt. Skulking nearby moors and forest, the The symbiot’s hunting behavior, on the other
Moorgaunt has stolen several sheep and slain a young hand, occurs every fortnight or so, usually on calm,
herdsman. Lord Hector [use the name of a noble dark nights when the symbiot deems it safe to leave
house associated with a player character; see below] the manor to stalk the village sheep pens. Archibald’s
of Yngmark is a retired Questing Knight who re- family is oblivious to his nightly wandering and no-
ceived this barbarian realm as compensation for Im- body suspects the frail oldster. (Both Archibald and
perial service. He doesn’t have a militia he can use to the symbiot happen to be expert prowlers.)
neutralize threats; Agnar, the thane who once ruled Deep in the moors lays the Moorgaunt’s lair, a
the region, set that as a condition before giving it to dark, wet hollow where the symbiot nurtures brain-
one of the Emperor’s nobles. Hector also doesn’t have slug tadpoles in a shallow pond. The Moorgaunt
enough resources to hire mercenaries, so his realm’s brings its kills thither as spawn fodder. Typically, the
survival hinges on friends and patrons sending him Moorgaunt is only seen when panicking around the
help. You are that help. hamlet (interpreted as a rampage by frightened wit-
nesses) or when observed stalking prey.

GM Info
Lord Hector is a member of whichever house is most
likely to play an allied role to one or more troupe Act 1: A Hinterland Hamlet
members. If someone in the troupe is a Hawkwood, The drama begins as the troupe is received by Lord
then Lord Hector is a Hawkwood. If more than one Hector, Baronet of Yngmark.
PC is a noble, then choose the house based on which- While he belongs to the same house as one of the play-
ever character is most likely to feel bound to aid a er characters (see above), Hector is not a close relative. In
fell0w house member like Lord Hector. fact, no one in the troupe has ever met him before now,
The source of Yngmark’s troubles is a symbiot par- and they may be from different worlds entirely. Never-
asite inside Lord Hector’s father’s brain. (The GM theless, blood and culture are thicker than water. Hector
should draw attention away from this fact; the ham- and the player character(s) may share patrons, or their
let’s guilder, priest, and barbarian locals should serve patrons might have dealings above their heads. What-
as likely suspects). Old-man Archibald, once a com- ever the reason, the troupe is here because their bosses
mando in Alexius’ Regency force, unwittingly caught said so. (Of course, while the drama assumes otherwise
a symbiot brain-slug at the Siege of Sylan (4991). for simplicity’s sake, the GM is free to tie Hector closer to
Archibald’s symptoms were erroneously diagnosed the troupe; perhaps they served together at one point or
as an onset of dementia, forcing an early retirement. met at a common nemesis’s elaborate wedding.)
Hector, who had squired for his father, stepped into
Archibald’s shoes, and when Alexius made his call for YNGMARK
Questing Knights (4996), Hector was among the first
to answer. When Hector retired a few years ago, he Yngmark is a backwater fief of cold, dark forests and
was awarded the Yngmark fief on Hargard, to which foggy moors, located several leagues northeast of the
he brought his wife and father. easternmost peaks of the Nakir Mountains on the

100
 INTRODUCTION
continent of Jyandhom, Hargard. It was established dinner guests who are unknown to the troupe. One is
in the 49th century by a raider lord named Yngi Steel- a young red-robed priest, his head a black mane with a DRAMA
Eyes, only to be abandoned by his people shortly after shaved crown; the other is a delicate woman in a leath-
his death. Since then, Yngmark sat undisturbed for er apron emblazoned with an Engineers’ hammer. Her PEOPLE
generations until it was finally added to the quota of skin is soft and unblemished, and her hair is stylishly PLACES
realms the Jyandhom thanes were obliged to surren- short. At the far end of the table, opposite Hector, sits
der to Emperor Alexius. The Emperor decided, in Archibald — the lord’s hoary and demented father — PLAYING
turn, to award many of these lands to his Questing making feebleminded horse sounds.
Knights for their retirements. Hector greets the troupe formally and introduces
The local thanes sworn to Eldrid the Wise have the other dinner guests: “Allow me to introduce Fa-
not yet fully adopted the Known Worlds noble-title ther Fortis of the Urth Orthodox, our parish priest,
nomenclature for their new positions within House and guildswoman ‘lux’ of Tethys, our blacksmith.”
Eldrid. They still use their Vuldrok terms, including (Her name is spelled L.V.X.) While there is obviously
thane and jarl. Yngmark is nominally subjugated un- no love lost between the two, both behave civilly.
der the rule of Jarl (Earl) Agnar Iron-Leg of Dwim- There are no servants, so Lady Cristal (née Justin-
merwood, who answers to one of the regional thanes ian) serves the food herself: a small-game stew with
(a count), who ultimately answers to High Thane sheep cheese and bread and pickled-fruit pie for des-
(Duchess) Eldrid the Wise, who answers to Alexius, ert. She also sings for the feasters’ entertainment. Ar-
the Phoenix Emperor. Locally, Hector is often named chibald makes a mess of his meal.
Shieldman Hack-Thor, “shieldman” being a Vuldrok After dinner, Baronet Hector dismisses Fortis and
rank approximately equated with “baronet.” L.V.X., then thanks the troupe for coming as he pres-
Lord Hector arrived a few years ago to clear the land ents glasses of berry-flavored grain liquor. He offers
for agriculture and build a hamlet of 15 farmstead fam- his horses, “my last remaining luxury,” as payment
ilies. Eleven of them are Vuldrok settler families who for slaying the Moorgaunt. At this, old-man Ar-
relocated to Yngmark from elsewhere on Jyandhom, chibald hoots sadly, “Nooooo! Horsey!” and weeps
while four are Known-Worlder households who im- like a child. “Forgive my father,” Hector says. “The
migrated here along with Hector (retired men-at-arms Emperor Wars took its toll on us all, and father’s love
and the like). Initially, the land promised a comfortable of horses is all he has now.”
living, but soon, crops mysteriously began to fail and After answering their questions, Hector warns
sheep started disappearing in the night. them. “Before starting your official investigations,
you must first present yourselves to Agnar Iron-Leg

Scene 1: The Grateful Lord of Dwimmerwood, within whose jarldom Yngmark

lies. While we’re an Imperial fief, the land was leased
What: The troupe meet Baronet Hector, his family, from Agnar, and we’re subordinated to his regional
and his local aides over dinner in his feast hall. rule. Dwimmerhall is a day’s ride west, so you should
Who: Baronet Hector, Lady Cristal, Father Fortis, set out tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, feel free to fa-
L.V.X. miliarize yourself with my hamlet.”
Where: Lord Hector’s manor house in Yngmark. The meeting adjourned, Lady Cristal sees the PCs
to their rustic upstairs quarters. She apologizes for her
DESCRIPTION household’s inadequacies. “This, you see, is what years
of Imperial service buys,” she snaps. “One sacrifices
In Yngmark, it is winter. Light snow covers the land health and loved ones for his Imperial ascension, only
and thick furs cover its people. Baronet Hector’s man- to be rewarded with a hovel in the mud on some bar-
or is a simple two-story brick house dominated by a barian hellhole! Forgive me… I speak out of turn.”
ground floor feast hall. Here, the walls are decorated
with Hector’s polished armor and weapons, Imperial ADDITIONAL INFO
medals, and memorabilia of the Emperor Wars. Be-
hind the lord’s seat hangs a poster showing Emperor PCs may learn more through roleplaying and certain
Alexius rallying troops at the Siege of Sylan; it is signed actions they can take:
“to Sir Archibald, my comrade, from Alexius Rex.” • L.V.X.’s Sphere: Any PCs with a TL5+ device
Lord Hector  — a middle-aged man with graying that can connect to a wireless network notices an
beard and tired eyes — sits at the head of the table with encrypted network in the mansion called “L.V.X.’s
his wife, Lady Cristal. The PCs are arrayed down the Sphere”. If asked about it, Hector or Cristal reveal
length of the table on both sides. Next to the farthest it’s the mansion’s high-tech security system. Father
PCs, sitting across from one another, are two additional Fortis wouldn’t approve if he knew it existed.

101
 • Reading the Room: A successful Perception  + Characteristics:
Empathy roll (Easy Resistance) during dinner or Str 6 Wits 4 Pre 8
drinks afterward can reveal the following: Dex 4 Per 5 Int 4
• Hector is frustrated and anxious, feeling inade- End 4 Will 5 Faith 7
quate in his post. Skills:
• Archibald is senile, confused, and frightened, but Charm 4
loves horses. Impress 6
• Cristal is bitter; she hates it here! (To a priest, Melee 8
physician, or female PC, Cristal might admit Actions: Goal Impact
she’s as barren as this accursed land.)* Command 14 Target is Command-
• For reasons unknown, the realm’s harvests ed.
steadily deteriorate. All was well at first, but now Daunt 14 Target is Daunted.
crops dwindle yearly.* Entreat 12 Target is Entreated.
* GM Info: The symbiot siphons Yngmark’s lifeforce. Shake it off         7 | 8 | 10 Removes a state.
Sword strike 14 6 dmg
NPCS Perks: Fencing (Swashbuckler), Imperious, Noble
Title (Baronet)
BARONET HECTOR Resistance: Body 7 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 15
Surges: rating: 13 | number: 2
Equipment: Sword, chainmail

LADY CRISTAL
Extra
“I hope your stay here is… productive.” (*heavy
sigh*)
Description: A middle-aged noblewoman with
once-smooth skin, Lady Cristal has a face lined
with stress. She dresses in Known Worlds noble
fashion that is at least five years out of style.
Actions: Goal Impact
Entreat 11 Target is Entreated.
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 10
Equipment: Jewelry (worth 100 firebirds on the
black market)

ARCHIBALD
Extra
“Horsey!”
Description: An old man, clearly a former cam-
paigner, clearly has evidence of dementia in his
eyes.
Actions: Goal Impact
Agent • Noble 5 • Lord Evade 8 Use VPs to boost
[Fill in his noble house faction based one of the PC’s hous- Body Resistance.
es (or a house allied to one of them).] Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
“Welcome to Yngmark. Welcome… to my home.” Vitality: 10
Description: A weary middle-aged man with gray- Equipment: None
ing beard and tired eyes, Hector often wears his
battered chainmail for ceremonial occasions, such
as greeting guests.

102
 INTRODUCTION
FATHER FORTIS L.V.X.
DRAMA

PEOPLE

PLACES

PLAYING

Agent • Priest 2 • Orthodox • Friar Agent • Merchant 2 • Engineers • Tech R ­ edeemer

“Heed not the prattlings of the locals about their “I do what I can for these people. We’re rather far
pagan gods and spirits. Cleave to the Church’s teach- from civilization, you know.”
ings in this place of testing.” Description: This delicate woman wears a leather
Description: A red-robed priest with a black mane apron emblazoned with the Engineers guild’s ham-
and shaved crown, Fortis is not afraid to get his garb mer. Her skin soft is unblemished, and her hair is
dirty in the pursuit of his duties. stylishly short.
Characteristics: Characteristics:
Str 3 Wits 4 Pre 6 Str 3 Wits 7 Pre 3
Dex 3 Per 3 Int 4 Dex 5 Per 3 Int 5
End 4 Will 5 Faith 8 End 3 Will 4 Faith 4
Skills: Skills:
Impress 5 Crafts (Blacksmith) 5
Actions: Goal Impact Interface 5
Castigate 11 Target is Castigated. Observe 5
Shake it off 7 | 8 | 11 Removes a state. Tech Redemption 6
Perks: Church Ordination (Canon), Inspiring Actions: Goal Impact
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 4 | Spirit 0 Blacksmithing 8 See Craft-skill make
Vitality: 10 craftwork maneuver.
Surges: rating: 8 | number: 1 Jury-rig 13 See Tech Redemp-
Equipment: Crude crozier that doubles as a staff tion-skill jury-rig ma-
(4 dmg). neuver.
Shake it off 6 | 7 | 7 Removes a state.

103
 Perks: Craft Energy Device, Guild Commission (Ap-
prentice), Ingenious Scene 3:
Resistance: Body 1 | Mind 2 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 10
Surges: rating: 9 | number: 1
Village Gossip (Optional)
Equipment: Multi-tool, derringer (3 dmg), heavy What: The troupe queries a local.
apron Who: One of the locals (see below).
Where: The hamlet of Yngmark.

Scene 2: Priestly Scolding DESCRIPTION

What: The troupe witnesses local tensions.
Who: Father Fortis, 4 Vuldrok peasants. Despite warnings not to take official action in Yn-
Where: The hamlet of Yngmark. gmark before given leave by Jarl Agnar, the troupe
might want to gossip with the locals. There’s time
DESCRIPTION for a single interview before nightfall. You can jump
to either Scene 8: Peasants of Yngmark or Scene 9: The
Exploring the hamlet (or when saddling up next “Blacksmith” (both listed below) for what villagers
morning) the troupe notice Fortis wearing his muddy might divulge.
robes and rubber boots. They witness him scolding

Act 2:
some locals for pouring ale on the village tree. “Re-
pent! You half-beast infidels with sullied soul-mirrors,
repent your heathen ways!” The scolded Vuldroks

Suspects & Denizens

scoff and walk away.
Fortis detests the villagers observing Vuldrok tra-
ditions (such as pouring a libation to the ancestor
tree). Furthermore, he hates L.V.X. If asked about
her, he describes her as “a vile technosophist naming
herself after the holy word for light! Hadn’t we need- Scene 4:
ed a blacksmith so badly, I’d have driven her from
Yngmark years ago!” As for the Moorgaunt, Fortis
suspects his parishioners’ heathen rituals conjured up
Through Dwimmerwood
this devil. What: The troupe travels to Dwimmerhall.
Fortis invites them to a midnight sermon at the Who: Apprentice Bogdan Kovac, Hjalm (stableboy)
“temple,” a small wooden shack with a painted eight- Where: The road to Dwimmerhall through the
spoked wagon wheel fixed to the roof. (It resembles Dwimmerwood.
the Charioteers’ emblem as much as a jumpweb
cross.) Should they attend, the troupe is treated to DESCRIPTION
a rambling speech on spiritual fidelity in the face of Next morning, Hjalm, the manor’s (Vuldrok)
barbarian unbelievers. “Piety alone can chase de- horse-whispering stable boy, helps the troupe select
mons from our midst!” and get acquainted with their mounts. The number
of horses is two more than the size of the troupe.
NPCS They’re fine-mannered, if somewhat difficult, beasts.
The journey to Dwimmerhall is long, cold, and
VULDROK VILLAGER nearly uneventful. (No rolls are necessary for simply
Extra traversing the land, although poor riders will be stiff
“The crops aren’t going to gather themselves. You’ll and sore upon arrival). A few hours into the ride, the
’scuse me, then.” troupe spots a young man beside the road repair-
Description: Villagers have a mix of body types, but ing telegraphic lines strung between Yngmark and
all seem hale and hardy. They wear simple linen Dwimmerhall (which came down in the last blizzard).
and wool clothing. He waves enthusiastically and runs over.
Actions: Goal Impact “Bogdan Kovac of Bannockburn, milords, free-
Fist strike 7 2 dmg man-apprentice to Engineer L.V.X. Say, could I trou-
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 ble you for a hand with this mast?”
Vitality: 10 Whether they help or not, Bogdan will beg for a
Equipment: Farming tools chance to inspect any high-tech gadgets the troupe

104
 INTRODUCTION
possess. “Oooh, is that an [insert name of device]? May I NPCS
inspect it for you, milord/milady? I never get to play with DRAMA
tech of this magnitude out here — it’s all free of charge, of AGNAR IRON-LEG
course!” He graciously accepts any decision they make. PEOPLE

PLACES
NPC
PLAYING
APPRENTICE BOGDAN
Extra
“Hello!”
Description: This young man wears a simple ap-
prentice’s outfit with a leather apron.
Actions: Goal Impact
Jury-rig 9 See Tech Redemp-
tion-skill jury-rig ma-
neuver.
Skulk 12 Spend 2 VP per +1
Resistance vs detec-
tion attempts.
Resistance: Body 0 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 10
Equipment: Smithy tools

Scene 5: Jarl Agnar Iron-Leg

What: It’s time to meet the Big Man, the Vuldrok
noble whose legal jurisdiction Yngmark falls under.
Who: Jarl Agnar Iron-Leg, 9 retinue warriors
Where: Dwimmerhall, the longhouse of Jarl Agnar
Iron-Leg. Agent • Noble 4 • House Eldrid • Lord
“More Hawkwyrdlings? Can’t get enough of our
DESCRIPTION world, eh? Go ahead, then. What is your business here?”
Description: Bare-chested and wild-haired, Agnar
Dwimmerhall is dark, warm, and rustic. Fire pits run favors his right leg, a delicate chrome prosthetic
down the hall’s length and pelts cover every seat. All several inches too short.
surfaces are covered in woodcarvings, none more im- Characteristics:
pressive than the jarl’s massive throne. Upon it sits Str 7 Wits 4 Pre 6
Agnar, bare-chested and wild-haired. His right leg is Dex 5 Per 3 Int 3
a delicate, chrome prosthetic several inches too short. End 6 Will 7 Faith 6
To his side, a magic lantern holoshow displays heroic Skills:
movie combats with Agnar’s mien crudely overlaid Impress 8
over the action-heroes’ faces. “A gift from Yngmark’s Melee 8
blacksmith,” Agnar boasts. Shoot 7
Agnar hears the troupe out and appreciates their Vigor 6
mission, but he emphasizes that the problems start- Actions: Goal Impact
ed when the foreigners arrived; therefore, it is the Command 14 Target is Commanded.
“Hawkwyrd king’s” (i.e. Alexius’) business. If treated Daunt 14 Target is Daunted.
respectfully and offered gifts, however, the jarl defers Shake it off 9 | 10 | 9 Removes a state.
to Vuldrok customs regarding hospitality, which dic- Sword strike 15 6 dmg
tate he must repay such kindness. In response, Agnar Perks: Conscript, Imperious, Noble Title (Earl), Un-
gifts them winter wools and furry boots, swords, and touchable
three small barrels of barleywine. In any case, Agnar Resistance: Body 7 | Mind 8 | Spirit 0
agrees to the Moorgaunt hunt. The troupe is housed Vitality: 14
in the Dwimmerhall for the night and treated to a Surges: rating: 11 | number: 2
Vuldrok feast with the jarl and his warrior retinue. Equipment: Sword, chainmail

105
 AGNAR’S WARRIORS signs of the monster along the way? Before long, the
Extras conversation is interrupted by shouting outside. Fa-
(*stony silence*) ther Fortis is arguing with L.V.X., demanding she
Description: All of these brawny Vuldrok have fight- submits to salvation: “Repent, tech-wife, or you’ll
ing scars. They glower at strangers. damn us all!” Hector orders the argument disband-
Actions: Goal Impact ed, but PCs might run negotiations if they wish. (See
Sword strike 10 6 dmg Scene 2: Priestly Scolding and Scene 9: The “Blacksmith”
Resistance: Body 3 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0 for info on Fortis and L.V.X., respectively.)
Vitality: 10
Equipment: Sword, studded-leather jerkin
Scene 8:
Scene 6: Nightmare by Day Peasants of Yngmark
What: The troupe gets a short glimpse of the
Moorgaunt. However, it does everything in its What: The troupe can question the villagers about
power to avoid them. the Moorgaunt.
Who: Moorgaunt Who: Villagers (see below)
Where: The moors of Yngmark, just off the road Where: The hamlet of Yngmark.
to Yngmark.
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
The next morning, the troupe can finally question
Riding back the next day, the journey is uneventful villagers in an official capacity. The hamlet counts 11
until the troupe reaches the moors near Yngmark. Vuldrok families (locals starting anew in this virgin
Across the soggy fen (i.e. just out of long range), they village) and four Known-Worlder households (free-
see a twisted creature stalking the woods: vaguely man- men settlers who served Hector in the war).
like but twice as tall and with skin stretched thinly over Clues available through roleplay and influence ac-
a willowy, almost arboreal frame. The naked monster tions include:
howls frightfully and disappears among the trees. • The Mykle family (Vuldroks) lost five sheep in
Even the troupe’s horses are powerless when chas- several attacks. The attacker always left “tiptoe”
ing the stilt-legged Moorgaunt through the marshes footprints.
(a terrain he is entirely unhindered by). Should they • The Haskell family (Vuldroks) lost a shepherd
investigate, the troupe finds long-striding toes-and- son (Gynnr) and a lamb last month. Again, tip-
ball footprints but soon lose the trail. (The Moor- toe prints were found.
gaunt slowed down and stealthily crept away.) • The Wilson-Hawkwood sisters (Ava and Mia)
encountered the Moorgaunt while mushroom-

Scene 7: Trouble Brewing ing some months ago. “Tall and gruesome it
was, a man’s skin stretched over inhuman bones,
What: The villagers have been riled up by sight- its manhood dangling. Fortunately, it ran away.”
ings of the Moorgaunt. • Last week, Oldfather Eolf (Vuldrok) chased off
Who: Villagers, Baronet Hector, Father Fortis, L.V.X. the Moorgaunt when it tried to grab a sheep
Where: The hamlet of Yngmark and Hector’s manor. from his pen. “Terrible it was, a troll in a man-
suit,” he calls it.
DESCRIPTION • All villagers confirm that whenever there’s a
tempest, blizzard, or thunderstorm, the Moor-
Riding into Yngmark, the troupe encounters pitch- gaunt runs shrieking through the hamlet.
fork-wielding villager patrols. Three hours ago, the • What’s worse, the demon has cursed Yngmark
Moorgaunt was spotted near the Ormen (Vuldrok) with failing harvests and weakling births for years.
farm and a lamb is now missing. Tiptoe prints lead
off from the pens, disappearing in the woods. It’s too
late to question everyone now, but the troupe might Scene 9: The “Blacksmith”
manage one or two inquiries before dark. (See Scene 8: What: The troupe can question L.V.X about the
Peasants of Yngmark for what villagers might divulge.) Moorgaunt.
Soon, Lord Hector calls the troupe inside for a Who: L.V.X., Apprentice Bogdan
drink, asking about their journey. Did they see any Where: L.V.X.’s smithy

106
DESCRIPTION
Act 3: Enemy Within INTRODUCTION

DRAMA
When the troupe comes a-calling, L.V.X. invites

Scene 10: Priest and Apprentice

them in for coffee and stew (boiled-up army rations PEOPLE
from her considerable stock). Apprentice Bogdan PLACES
serves the food… and stares at the troupe’s high- What: Father Fortis preaches against barbarian re-
tech items. ligions and attacks Vuldrok traditions. PLAYING
The workshop is a low-tech smithy. Spades, horse Who: Father Fortis, 6 Vuldrok, Baronet Hector,
shoes, plow blades, and wheel rims are heaped L.V.X., Apprentice Bogdan
along the walls, but the furnace looks unused. (If Where: The hamlet of Yngmark, the village green.
asked, L.V.X. claims to have just cleaned it). A
heavy steel door with three padlocks (and alarms) DESCRIPTION
leads to her backroom laboratory; even Bogdan
isn’t allowed entry. There’s no sign of high-tech That evening, Fortis — torch in hand — a­ ddresses
equipment, although the troupe’s high-tech time- the hamlet from the village green, claiming the
pieces and gadgets detect the “L.V.X.’s Sphere.” Moorgaunt is divine retribution for their paganism
(See Scene 1: The Grateful Lord.) If questioned about and calling L.V.X. a “tech witch” best shunned.
it, L.V.X. admits to the network and to Iron-Leg’s Then he pours lamp oil on the central tree and
holo-projections, urging the troupe’s silence: “Fa- sets it ablaze. Villagers hurl mud and curses at the
ther Fortis hounds me already.” priest; some run for buckets and water. (Let the PCs
While eager for news and sophisticated conver- intervene and negotiate as they wish.)
sation, L.V.X. seems nervous. If pressured, she ad- When the situation reaches its boiling point, Hector
mits she hates it here, feeling insecure in her post emerges from the manor, demanding order and obedi-
and longing for civilization. As for the Moorgaunt, ence. The villagers bow before their lord. Fortis shouts
L.V.X. doesn’t believe in demons: “I reckon it’s just for all to turn their hearts to the Pancreator, but Hec-
an unclassified, local predator.” Furthermore, she tor dismisses the priest and organizes the firefighting.
admits to refusing Fortis’ services and sacraments. Suddenly, wailing klaxons shrike through the hamlet,
(PC priests and guilders realize that as a tech-mar- sounding from both L.V.X.’s smithy and the manor.
tyr, L.V.X. is legally obliged to accept regular “Thieves!” L.V.X. shouts, sprinting to her smithy.
sacraments from a private or parish confessor. If Back inside the smithy, apprentice Bogdan floats in
confronted, she asks any PC priest to take her con- the air (caught in an antigravity bubble while at-
fession instead; while legal, this challenges Fortis’ tempting to burglarize L.V.X.’s laboratory). Tearfully,
jurisdiction.) Bogdan admits his crime. “I meant no harm. I just
wanted a peek at whatever amazing stuff you keep
PC ACTIONS back there, L.V.X.! I learn nothing sweeping your
floors all year.” (GMs might run this scene as comic
• Interview/Interrogation: Successful influence relief to contrast the horrors to come.)
actions can yield the following confessions from
L.V.X.:
• She admits to unsanctioned high-tech use (think Scene 11: Nightmare on the
machines, security systems, and holo-program-
ming). “I guarantee it’s all safe.”
• She also confides about her secret affair with
Loose
Lady Cristal: “We both hate Hargard and find What: The Moorgaunt was within the walls… and
solace in one another.” Archibald is missing.
• Tech study: Examining L.V.X.’s products (Per- Who: Baronet Hector, Lady Cristal
ception + Tech Redemption vs. Hard Resistance) Where: Hector’s manor.
reveals them to be too seamless and even to be re-
produced from casts or shaped in a forge. L.V.X. DESCRIPTION
refuses to explain: “Don’t you worry about my
trade secrets! Just know that I fulfill my duty and Tensions eased, Hector and the troupe returns to the
supply whatever metalcraft the hamlet requires.” mansion, but something’s wrong. It’s too quiet now.
Her secret is a TL5 3-D printer, brought to Yn- Lady Cristal is found cowering in a closet. “He’s here!”
gmark without the parish priest’s sanction. Fortis she whispers. “The Moorgaunt is in the house!” Calm-
would regard this tech as a gateway to hell! ing down, she explains: “The alarm set Archibald

107
 a-screaming, but when I ran to his room, the demon A narrow cavern runs 10 meters deep, terminat-
came at me in the hallway, shrieking like a madman!” ing in a puddle chamber. In the puddle, Hjalm lies
Exploring the mansion, the troupe finds the back- among several flesh-stripped sheep skeletons. Uncon-
door ajar. Tiptoe tracks are visible outside. Further- scious, he is slowly being devoured by swarms of tad-
more, Archibald’s room is empty, except for his night- pole-like creatures.
clothes scattered on the floor. Before long, villagers Before long, the Moorgaunt stalks in from the night
bang on the front door: “Milord, your horses! The to protect its offspring. It pounces indiscriminately
stables are open and the horses are loose!” and fights to the death.
At the stables, every horse is gone (having been freed
by the Archibald-Moorgaunt). Moreover, Hjalm the NPC
stable boy is missing, and a blood trail leads into the
woods. Hector declares he’ll stay behind to guard the MOORGAUNT
hamlet while the troupe hunts the demon down.
Agent (creature) • Level: 4 • Size: 8

Scene 12: The Moorgaunt’s Den Description: Tall, gaunt, stilt-legged. Thin skin
stretches across thick bones.
What: It’s time for a showdown with the Moor- Special Abilities:
gaunt on its home ground. Animal Mind: Immune to influence maneuvers, ex-
Who: Moorgaunt cept those using the Animalia skill.
Where: The Moorgaunt’s cavern lair. Drown: After a successful Fight-skill grapple
­maneuver besides the puddle, the Moorgaunt
DESCRIPTION can hold its target’s face down in the water,
causing them to drown. Use the Vigor-skill
Tracking Hjalm’s blood trail, the troupe enters the deep hold breath maneuver rules for the victim but
moors where a wooded hill hides the Moorgaunt’s lair. assume that the target didn’t have time to hold
Those examining tracks spot signs of previous gurd- their breath; thus, the target must make a roll
vulf habitation, but the vicious sabertooth wolves (Vigor + Endurance vs. Tough Resistance)
have evidently shunned the place for years. to avoid drowning on each turn they cannot
­escape the grapple.
Fight-or-Flight: Ignores pain- and exhaustion-based
states when cornered or in a desperate situation.
Nimble: +4 Body Resistance.
Characteristics:
Str 8 Wits 2 Pre 3
Dex 7 Per 7 Int 1
End 7 Will 5 Faith 3
Skills:
Fight 8
Impress 5
Observe 7
Sneak 9
Actions: Goal Impact
Claw 16 3 dmg
Grapple 16 1 dmg + drown
Hunt/track 14 Find target if VPs
beat target’s Sneak
Resistance.
Sneak/hide 16 2 VP per +1 Resis-
tance vs being found/
spotted.
Resistance: Body 4 | Mind 0 | Spirit 0
Vitality: 17
Surges: rating: 12 | number: 2

108
 INTRODUCTION
DEFEATING THE MOORGAUNT DESCRIPTION
DRAMA
When the Moorgaunt is killed, its twisted body re- Lord Hector is devastated by his father’s tragedy but
verts back to Archibald’s frail form. The symbiot correctly identifies the situation as symbiot infection. PEOPLE
brain-slug slithers out of the corpse’s ear and attempts “Father fought beside Emperor Alexius at the Siege of PLACES
to slither to a hidey hole. A well-placed bootheel can Sylan. He must have caught the parasite there. That’s
quickly dispatch it. why his senility was so rapid. The symbiot must have PLAYING
destroyed his brain! We never suspected….”

Scene 13: Aftermath With the lifeforce-siphoning symbiot gone, Yngmark

quickly blossoms, turning a good harvest next autumn.
What: Yngmark returns to normal. Hector aids the troupe as best he can, and Jarl Agnar him-
Who: Baronet Hector self might show interest in the troubleshooters. Yngmark’s
Where: Hector’s manor. nightmare has ended… although… stable boy Hjalm did
spend considerable time in that spawning pool….

Appendix: Tech Level

FROM ORIGIN TO STONE AGE levels of alchemical technology conclude with a basic
grasp of physics, including an understanding of the
(TECH LEVEL 0)
strong, weak, and electromagnetic forces, along with
Both the Merchant League and the Church teach the observation of gravity. Worlds with alchemical
their apprentices that tool use is endemic to all life. tech require a certain mining infrastructure, which
However, the Church goes a step farther to explain can exhaust local resources easily if not monitored.
that this initial need to explore and manipulate the Most of the populace lives at this level. Your av-
environment reflects the divine property of curiosity. erage peasant has access to a bronzed or ceramic
As evidence, they point to lifeforms found across all plow, a cart, and a beast of burden to pull it. The
worlds: the termites of Holy Terra build air-condi- magistrate of the nearest town might be in charge
tioned nests; the ape-analogs found in Second Repub- of handing out explosives for mining or clearing out
lics travelogues use sound to stun fish; fungi infect and hazards. The nearest city might be crisscrossed with
then pilot higher lifeforms like primitive vessels; the pneumatic tubes and copper-wired street lamps.
shantor carve rudimentary spears with their teeth. More significant tech would only be found at guild
This common shared foundation of invention limits offices that deal with long-distance trade or noble
itself to stone age tools or their planetary equivalent. estates. While the guild maintains that these levels
The process is infinitely sustainable and ephemeral, of technology are safe for use, the Church is slight-
and the tools possess only limited material strength. ly stricter. They believe sin begins to creep into the
At this level, it is argued, tool use is harmless to one’s everyday human experience at this level, as people
soul. In fact, there are still villages, more common in start to desire access to better tools. Sinful peas-
the Vuldrok worlds, that live comfortably at this lev- ants become angry that only the guilds, nobles, and
el. This primitive condition is, however, far from the Church have access to better technology.
human norm. The Church is quick to point out that a person’s ac-
cess to higher technology is not a sign of special grace.
ALCHEMICAL TECH (TL 1–4) Instead, these people have opened themselves up to
the very real risk of falling into apostasy, placing their
The technological standard for the majority of the souls in jeopardy. There’s a story still told of a guilds-
Known Worlds deals with creating novel forms out man who used lightning to create life, only to have his
of the fundamental forces of nature. Alchemical tech- unchecked creation destroy everything he cared for,
nology begins with forged weapons, bronzes at the including his sanity. The Church labors to prevent
simplest, and ends with the introduction of electricity. those scenarios.
The earliest uses of alchemical tech were for expan- If it wasn’t for the needs of interstellar travel, for
sion: alloys for weaponry and transport advances like safety against the dangers of aliens and alien technol-
the wheel. This quickly gave way to basic chemistry, ogy, and for the greater needs of empire, this level is
including gunpowder, medical compounds, and sig- where technology would sit. The Church deems what
nificantly better material sciences. The most advanced comes next wholly and completely dangerous.

109
 EMANANT TECH (TL 4–6) Church pointed to the words of Saint Amalthea, whose
early works focused on the dangers of these technolo-
“To light a candle is to cast a shadow.” These words gies, especially to the psyche. At the time, her texts were
served as inspiration for the Prophet Zebulon as he largely ignored by the greater public in favor of rigorous
examined the impact of the technologies drawing hu- regimens that “promoted willpower” in their subjects.
mankind to the stars. On the surface, people were loud- Because this time in history is so reviled by the
ly touting how far humankind had gotten and what Church, technology at this level is limited primarily to
wonders laid in store for the future. Underneath that, a cities, guild-controlled worlds, and the occasional lost
disturbing trend had been steadily growing, even before world. Emanant tech is resource intensive, and without
humankind left its home world: like little gods, humanity the use of extra-planetary travel, a world’s resources
was starting to create technology in his own image. can be rapidly exhausted. Controlling this level of tech-
This trend began slowly and insidiously with the nology requires strict segregation and regulation. For
desire to have tools that made things for us, whether instance, beyond the cities, an average person might
they were made on assembly lines or with primitive go through a decade without seeing a magic-lantern
think machines. The Information Age saw an uneven show, while a city dweller might have a magic lantern
shift from the safe tech of the alchemical era to the in his home but no air conditioning. A noble house
techgnostic dangers of emanant tech. Technology might have a fleet of starships, but little in the way of
at this level evolved from early aircraft and comput- centralized sanitation. Veterans of cybernetic wars are
ers through Diasporan jump-capable craft and cer- often kept separate from others of their kind, or they
amsteel to the robust starships and early AIs of the may even have most of their tech deactivated.
fledgling Second Republic… but it started with the
ideals of Babel. If humankind could simply reach out IMMERSIVE TECH (TL 7–8)
far enough, mentally or spiritually or emotionally or
physically, then they could touch the source of cre- The problems with technology’s impact on human-
ation. They could become, in effect, a god. kind started magnifying when the Second Republic
As soon as humankind began creating obvious ex- rose to power. The earliest immersive tech included
tensions of themselves, their peers recognized a distinct personal energy shields and autonomous non-human-
issue that came with it and named it: MAIA. Memetic oid artificial intelligences, and later, fully stable ter-
Adaptive Inanimate Anthropomorphism. They decided raforming and advanced artificial sentients. Suicides
MAIA was a quirk of psychology, a potential psychosis rates started to climb, and planetary-level disasters
where a person identified so strongly with an external became more of a norm than a rarity as people tried
tool  — a cybernetic extremity, for example, or a thor- to implement misunderstood vautech. Because of the
oughly rendered avatar in a chat room — that it became lack of response from the higher-ups of the Repub-
part of their own internal psyche. They thought MAIA lic and the obvious needs of its followers, the Church
could be treated with drugs or therapy or monitoring, developed the concept and doctrine of “techgnosis,”
consistently underestimating the influence and damage which it used to determine whether its parishioners
that was going on. Some First Republicans counseled were spiritually fit to implement certain types of tech.
caution, but others saw MAIA as a fantastic opportunity. Unlike ego and willpower, both common concepts
Plans were implemented to have every human out- for defining identity, techgnosis refers to the ability
fitted with cybernetic enhancements that allowed di- of a person to maintain their mental and spiritual
rect access to their brains, past the senses and right into boundaries, emphasizing the ability to readily distin-
a person’s perceptions, influencing the person with a guish what is and what is not them. This policy, after
granularity never before possible on behalf of advertis- the Fall of the Second Republic, morphed into the
ers and their corporate sponsors. Some argue that this official canon known as the “Privilege of Martyrs.”
was the reason the Diaspora began: People were trying The principal features of technology at this level
to avoid this horrifying procedure. There’s even an ar- are extreme material resilience, miniaturization of an
gument that the sole reason this flood of internal-tech astonishing array of everyday items, and a structure
failed was due to humankind’s unprecedented encoun- that requires interstellar trade to maintain. After the
ter with a higher order of technology: the Ur jumpgate. suns began to fade, the overall framework required to
Meanwhile, despite those who fled, invasive technolo- maintain that level of technology rapidly fell apart.
gies were introduced that were custom designed to their Because of its resilience, most Second Republic tech
users, regardless of whether their users had interfaces or was meant to be durable and/or have the ability to re-
not. Some technology was even designed to deliberately pair itself, so it could be endemic within any given soci-
alter the user, so the user and their technology could be a ety. In practice, that means that most people in the 51st
better match. Somewhere at this time, certain segments century have had contact with a Second Republic arti-
of society began their anti-technology crusade. The fact, but acting out of ignorance, they might have used

110
it for a purpose for which it was not intended. The most a force for be reckoned with on a number of worlds.
common re-application of Second Republic tech is as However, that same exposure to high technology
a power source, a practice the guilds heartily despise, compromises their techgnosis, which they loudly pro-
since it can lead to some truly magnificent explosions. claim doesn’t exist. As a result, the excesses resulting
This has also led to some uncomfortable situations in- from their psychotic technological obsessions may
volving self-repairing tools, such as the town generator quickly alert the local authorities to their presence.
that rose up and walked off to the front for a war that
was concluded centuries ago.
It should be noted that at this level of technology, TECH USE
some items just can’t be moved. This is often an issue
with Ur-tech, whose inner workings are far too alien to As technology advanced, innovators placed
understand, but it can also apply to larger installations, more and more emphasis on simplifying user
like terraforming platforms. Only a rare handful of techs interfaces. After the fall of the Second Repub-
have the know-how to operate them, but they rarely lic, this resulted in devices that could easily
have the time to visit. Often, their visits are only to make be used but not easily repurposed, since they
sure the place is clean and not breaking down too badly. relied on proprietary programming languag-
Given how common Second Republic tech is, peo- es. On a practical and often terrifying level,
ple in power are tempted to hoard or to duplicate this meant a farmer could pick up a smart-
the powerful tools of the past. One assassin droid, a gun and, if the farmer was bright enough, the
couple of interstellar warships, a biotech lab that can smart-gun would walk him through how to
aerosolize a pacification gas — any of these artifacts use it. On the other side, it meant that people
can redirect the course of history. With them, though, who show an affinity for languages and puzzle
comes a fleet of nightmares. There is no high-tech in- solving, often coming through the Church, are
frastructure to come and clean up the mess after the sometimes snatched up, trained as coders, and
proverbial genie has been let out of the bottle. As a recruited to open up the secrets of the past.
result, both the Church and the League have hired
groups to take care of “sensitive” issues. The Church
prefers search-and-destroy missions; the League pre- UR-TECH (TECH LEVEL 9-10)
fers find-and-preserve missions instead.
Despite these disparate methods, the Church and Ur-tech is life-changing. The jumpgates warped
League continue to hold the line against the spread space-time, people’s personalities, their mental state,
of technology. The Church operates as the first line and perhaps even their genetic code — and that was
of defense, due to its constant presence among the just one piece of tech. The remnants of the Anun-
people. The guild acts as 24/7 consultants, ready to naki’s civilization are scattered across known space.
identify a threat and then neutralize it for the people, Other strange effects of Ur-tech are restricted to only
especially if the nobility is involved. rumors, at least the public at large. Legends hint at
For those who live in the most advanced cities, their alterations on a species level (or at the level of the
contact with extreme tech is highly limited and oppres- soul), prophecies of things to come, and cracks in the
sively regulated. A family may be given sole charge of a foundations of reality itself. The adventurous and the
water purifier, but nothing else higher than the bronze desperate make pilgrimages to find or access Ur-rel-
age, while their neighbors may have access to a food ics. The common folk avoid them, except as a source
analyzer that neutralizes local poisons. If they train of stories. The truly greedy or wicked who go after
each other to use both machines, they could find them- relics often become a source of cautionary legends.
selves on the warming end of a flame gun before the The Known World has a thriving trade in fake Ur
tech is passed on to more “agreeable” families. This artifacts; thankfully, that’s the closest most citizens
hierarchy applies to starships as well. It’s considered ever get to of Ur-tech. Uncommon artifacts that do
better to lose two crews to the dark than to train the possess power and are movable end up as the focus
personnel in tasks to which they are not assigned. More of conflict, often local, but sometimes larger in scope.
than once, a crew member has saved the day, only to This leaves the League and the Church in a strange
find themselves under scrutiny by the Orthodoxy and state. Artifacts are practically impossible to destroy
League leaders. Curiosity is rarely rewarded when it and certainly should not be gathered together in one
comes to technology; it’s more often punished. spot, no matter how “secure” it may seem. The ac-
Nowhere is this more aptly demonstrated than with cepted solution has been to gift them to nobles, which
Third Republic sympathizers. Their rapid adoption gives nobles a chance to display their possession while
of Second Republic and illicit vautech makes them keeping the Church and League involved.

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 NPC CARD TEMPLATE: HEADLINER & AGENT

NAME:
CLASS LEVEL: FACTION: CALLING:

DESCRIPTION:

CHARACTERISTICS:
Strength Wits Presence
Dexterity Perception Intuition
Endurance Will Faith
SKILLS:

Fading Suns © 2020 Ulisses North America. Permission granted to reproduce for personal use only.

ACTIONS: Goal Impact

Shake it off Removes a state.

CAPABILITIES:

PERKS:

RESISTANCE: Body Mind Spirit

VITALITY:
REVIVALS: Rating: Number:
BANK:
SURGES: Rating: Number:
EQUIPMENT:

Fading Suns © 2020 Ulisses North America. Permission granted to reproduce for personal use only.

NPC CARD TEMPLATE: EXTRA

NAME:
DESCRIPTION:

ACTIONS: Goal Impact

Shake it off Removes a state.

RESISTANCE: Body Mind Spirit

VITALITY:
EQUIPMENT:

Fading Suns © 2020 Ulisses North America. Permission granted to reproduce for personal use only.

112