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If I could create an ideal world, it would be an England with the fire of the Elizabethans, the correct taste of the Georgians, and the refinement and pure ideals of the Victorians. H. P. Lovecraft In the beginning there were only the waters of chaos. It was an endless and formless primordial void that we have since named the Pontus. This was the scene upon which the Clockmaker first stepped to utter the words, Let there be... Thus the cosmos was made, a masterpiece of precise complexity and interconnectivity. In just six sentences, he created all that is and then withdrew to his heavenly throne to rest. From there, he continues to watch as his creation unfolds according to his design. The civilization of man emulates and manipulates the Clockmakers work. As he created the metals of the earth, we have formed them into buildings that pierce the sky and war machines that keep his peace. As he created the oceans, we have created ships to sail them and boil their waters to fuel our endeavors. Our masterworks now make it difficult to determine where Gods work ends and mans work begins. Together, our enterprises make an integrated creation, both mortal and divine: The Clockwork. It is so splendid a work of order that many have forgotten that it was from out of the void that it was called into being. The cogs and gears of the Clockwork were made from the Pontus. This chaos was taken and formed into our ordered universe, but it did not remain as such. Whether it is because of human action or natural decay, the elements of this world are breaking back down into the Pontus from which they were made. To all who are willing to observe it, it is obvious that the Clockwork is being dismantled, and the question we are left with is, Why? The ability to answer this question may be all that stands between us and oblivion. While some ignore the problem, seeking their own pleasures, and others speed the decay through violence or intrigue, there are those of us who fight back against the Pontus, bolster our orderly society, or investigate the Clockwork in attempts to determine the nature of its unraveling. If there is any hope left for humanity, it lies in stabilizing this crumbling Clockwork world; and if that is ever to happen, it will be through our efforts. If we fail, the Pontus will devour us all.

The Clockwork World

THE WORLD TURNS

Version 0.91 beta Created by Zeke Coughlin Developed & Written by Zeke Coughlin & Nathaniel Dean Edited by Doug Hagler

Consultants and Contributors: Brent Concillio, Dr. Lisa Coughlin, Doug Hagler, Michael McLaughlin, The Rev. Brian Riddle, Jess Shively

Playtesters: Christopher Block, Juliet Brownell, Scott Coniam, Jack Graham, Aaron Grossman, Melody Hadap, Additional Proofreading by Fil Florian & K. Adam Kunst Dr. Matthew Hare, Will Harrison, Rachel Jagielski, K. Adam Cover Art and Layout by Ameen Naksewee & Brian Crick Kunst, Tony Lee, Michael McLaughlin, Jess Noble, Kyle Northrop, Matthew Slavik, Rick Slavik Additional Artwork by Luke Santiago, Erik Skiff, period Additional Thanks: Lisa Coughlin, Seann Eschrich, Pam artwork courtesy of Liam from www.fromoldbooks.com. Hagler, Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, Sarah Noe Book Layout and Design by Zeke Coughlin Get more information about Clockwork: Empire Character Sheet Design by Zeke Coughlin, Nathaniel On the web: WWW.ACLOcKWORKWORLD.cOM Dean, and Dr. Matthew Hare On Facebook: WWW.FacEBOOK.cOM/acLOcKWORKWORLD On Twtter @AClockworkWorld. Card Layout and Design by Michelle Mullen

three-hundred million citizens living in so large a domain that the sun never sets on its soil. We control the largest navy, the largest fleet of airships, and the most sophisticated weaponry on the planet. We have connected economic centers with rail lines and population centers with telegraphy. Our borders are constantly expanding as more of the Earth comes to embrace the stability we bring. Yet this vast Empire, whose far-reaching arms cradle the Earth, is impossible to maintain. Civil unrest among colonialized peoples, ever growing expenses for infrastructure and peacekeeping, the growing self-preoccupation of our citizenry, and a loss of the traditions that uphold our civilization all contribute to our struggle to survive. Meanwhile, those whom we cannot save slip through the fingers of the Empire and fall toward what lies beneath: the Pontus.

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Clockwork: Empire Quick-Start Rules

This book provides everything you need to introduce players and Narrators to the setting and basic rules of Clockwork: Empire, a steampunk role playing game set in a Victorian world of gothic horror. Players take the role of exceptional individuals within the British Empire of 1896 as it strives to maintain tradition in the face of scientific advancement, powerful mystical practices, and the Pontus - the primordial chaos which is slowly reclaiming creation. Characters fight against the supernatural horrors of a decaying world, and fight to build or destroy reputations so that they may ascend the social hierarchy. Reality itself is crumbling while debutantes vie for social currency, bureaucrats backstab one another, pirates plunder the seas and skies, and a few honorable men and women fight back against the chaos that is consuming the world. Intuitive cardbased mechanics keep the action fast and fluid, and a robust social conflict system enables high-stakes intrigues to be the centerpiece of your story. The World Turns. The Empires Falls. The Pontus Rises. Welcome to the Clockwork.

THIS BOOK INcLUDES:

The Clockwork World provides a brief introduction to the setting, which covers the major themes of the Clockwork. Anatomy of a Character provides details on how to play characters within the Clockwork: Empire role playing game. Rules and Systems introduces the core mechanics of the game and provides a framework for players and Narrators to run quick start adventures. Idle Hands is a quick-start adventure. It comes complete with six pre-made characters, extra setting information, and everything you will need to help you navigate your first foray into the Clockwork world. More quick-start adventures will be available soon at www.drivethruRPG.com. Clockwork Cards, the cards used for playing the game. A free deck of black and white printand-play cards is included at the end of this PDF. Beautiful full-art versions of this deck are available at WWW.DRIVEtHRURPG.cOM. ALL MatERIaL RELIQUaRY GaME StUDIOS 2013

Civilization is like a candle burning in the darkness of our frail and decaying world. It is this light that the Empire offers to humanity. The civilization we bring keeps the Pontus at bay, gives order power over chaos, and ensures life as we know it. It is our bounden duty to stabilize the Clockwork by creating, sustaining, and spreading our orderly society to those who, by no fault of their own, are embracing the very chaos that is consuming the Clockwork. In this year of our Lord 1896, Queen Victoria rules over

THE EMPIRE FALLS

The Pontus is all that remains of the primordial chaos from which the world was made. It is an infection slowly eating away at the order of the Clockwork. It bubbles up from the abyss and floats on the surface of creation like a film, always in motion and tainting whatever it touches. The Pontus is drawn to places where corruption and sin erode orderly living. Where it settles, it begins to dismantle the laws and systems that govern our reality. The Pontus will manifest in different ways and with varying severity according to the area in which it finds itself. Cities are chaotic places with shifting populations, crime, and rampant inequality. For this reason, the Pontus seems to be a constant presence in most metropolises; however, it is largely limited to erratic weather and solitary monstrosities. It is as if the chaotic nature of a city acts as a pressure release preventing explosive manifestations. The countryside is not so fortunate. While the presence of the Pontus is rare in the almost unchanging rural communities of the Empire, when it does manifest there, it does so violently. The most common manifestations of the Pontus are meteorological, such as rainstorms of frogs or blood. Disappearances are also common: the ground will simply open to swallow a person whole. Sometimes the Pontus will give back what it has taken, but never as it was; only horrific hybrid abominations emerge from its depths. There have been sightings of tribal societies of chimeric abominations living on the fringes of the Empire, feasting on human flesh, and praying to the Pontus which birthed them. Whole villages vanish. Cattle develop a hunger for their owners. There are rumors of entire towns being overrun by the restless dead. Even natural and physical laws weaken or fade altogether. No horror is too strange where the Pontus rises.

THE PONtUS RISES

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Without self knowledge, without understanding the working and functions of his machine, man cannot be free, he cannot govern himself and he will always remain a slave. G. I. Gurdjieff

Anatomy of a Character

The character sheet contains the characteristics that define the abilities, attachments, and desires of the persona each player will play within the game. Each section of the Clockwork: Empire character sheet is numbered on the graphic appearing on the opposite page. These numbers correspond to those appearing below. Each listing offers a brief description of how that characteristic is used in the game.

The Character Sheet

7. Assets represent atypical talents, possessions, or circumstances that aid a character. 7. Liabilities are the unusual drawbacks and circumstantial difficulties that can hinder a character. 8. Affinities are the deep affections and loyalties that motivate a character. 9. Reputations refer to the perceptions and expectations that color others opinions and reactions to a character. A beneficial Reputation is combined with Class to determine Esteem, and a detrimental Reputation can reduce Esteem. 10. Nature represents the fundamental core of personality that guides a characters actions. 11. Background represents a characters past experiences that have taught him certain skill sets. They may represent her current profession, experiences learned in childhood through the profession of a guardian, or significant exposure to a given trade. 12. Aptitudes measure broad areas of talent that can be applied to a large array of tasks. They are combined with Skills to perform trait tests. 13. Skills measure specialized ability or learning focused on narrow areas of endeavor; they are combined with Aptitudes to perform trait tests. 14. Defense represents a characters ability to protect herself and is used as a Difficulty for attacks made against her. Physical Defense is used against physical attacks and Social Defense against social ones. 15. Dispositions mark how a character feels regarding an argument, a course of action, or another character. Dispositions are chosen at the beginning of social conflict. 16. Esteem is the respect and influence a character is perceived to have in a given social situation. It is calculated at the beginning of a social encounter as the Disposition the room has toward the character. It begins at Guarded and receives a one step bonus for each rank of Class or two ranks of Means the character has above the standard for the social environment. It then gets a one step bonus for each rank of the characters most favorable applicable Reputation and a one step penalty for each rank of her most detrimental applicable Reputation, if any. 17. Armor represents protective clothing a character wears to reduce her chances of sustaining Conditions. 18. Guard represents a characters combat stance and her ability to protect herself with it. It is equal to (GRacE + FOcUS). 19. Wounds represent severe injuries a character sustains. Wound penalties are applied to all trait tests. 20. Lingering Conditions are Conditions that last beyond the end of a conflict. They are recorded on the character sheet until the character recovers from them. 21. Funds cover the cash-on-hand which is readily available to a character. 22. Weapons are any item a character possesses that will do damage to other characters in physical conflict or any special abilities that give them an edge in social conflict. 23. Gear is anything a character happens to be carrying. Allies and antagonists use their own special record sheet You will find these sheets at the end of this book, on our website, in the text of quick-start adventures, and eventually in the bestiary of the Core Rule Book. They differ in seveal ways from a standard character sheet. The Abilities and Notes section provides all assets, liabilities, and any unique abilities an ally or antagonist may have, all in one place. Generic Skills represent an ally or antagonists basic competency in physical, mental, and social Skills. When the Narrator makes a test for an ally or antagonist without a specific Skill, he uses the generic Skill closest to the one needed for the test. Specific Skills represent those special areas where an ally or antagonist has received advanced training. If a character has a specific Skill, it should be used instead of a generic Skill. Morale represents an antagonists Disposition toward fleeing from conflict. It begins at Favorable and moves one step toward Hostile for each level of the antagonists Threat. Threat is a measure of how dangerous an ally or antagonist is. Threat determines how many Initative Cards the Narrator is dealt (p. 10). Wounds represent severe injuries an ally or antagonist sustains. Remember that Threat is reduced by one rank for every wound sustained, thus reducing how many actions an ally or antagonist can take in a single sequence. An ally or antagonist will become incapacitated when they receive a number of wounds equal to their Threat, or when their wound penalties reach -10, whichever happens first. If an ally or antagonist ever has wound penalties of -10 they immediately die.

CHARActERIStIcS

1. Name records the given name of the character. 2. Bloodlines describe the lineages of mortal beings who inhabit the Clockwork, some of which represent supernatural ancestry. 3. Class is the trait defining a characters long-term position in the social hierarchy of the Empire. 3. Means is the abstraction of a characters resources, property, and reliable annual income. 4. Potential is the metaphysical measure of the orderly and disorderly tendencies of a character. There are two types of Potential - Purpose and Ether - both of which can change over time. 4. Purpose is one of the two types of Potential. Purpose represents a characters ability to hold to their course, resist outside influence, and participate in the will of the Clockwork. 4. Ether is one of the two types of Potential. Ether represents a characters tendency to change, create opportunity, and act outside the will of the Clockwork. 4. Corruption is a measure of the power the Pontus has over the character. Characters can gain Corruption through deliberately choosing to commit heinous sins. 4. Integration is the measure of how tied a character is to the divine order of things. 5. Trades are areas of expertise that a character learns within the Artisan, Engineering, Medicine, and Science Skills. They are used in item creation. 5. Masteries are special abilities that a character can learn when she achieves five ranks in a particular Skill. Pureblooded characters receive a Mastery during character creation. 6. Blessings are special benefits a character receives through her Bloodline. 6. Curses are special penalties that afflict a character because of her Bloodline.

Ally & Antagonist Sheet

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In Clockwork: Empire, the properties and abilities of most objects and entities are defined by traits. Traits are specific characteristics measured in ranks on a scale from zero (0) to five (5). Character traits include Aptitudes, Skills, Guards, Defenses, Means, Class, Reputations, and several others. Object traits include Bulk, Complexity, Structure, and Value. Special traits called variable traits may have their current rank value increased or decreased by situational factors. Variable traits are listed on the character sheet with a box to record their fixed value and five circles to record their temporary rank value. The fixed value represents the normal rank value of the trait, while the temporary value represent the current modified value of the trait. When a variable trait must be used in a test, use its temporary value and not its fixed one.

Traits

Architect, Machinist, or Shipwright (more trades can be learned through other means). Fencing is the Skill of sport and mortal dueling. It is taught to most gentleman and can be used as an attack Skill with any balanced, single-handed weapon, including blades, sticks, and canes. Firearms grants the ability to shoot and maintain all forms of personal guns. The use of cannon, artillery, and knowledge of ballistics are governed by Engineering and/ or Profession. Fisticuffs governs the ability to fight without weapons using formalized unarmed techniques such as boxing and wrestling. Gentlemen may also be taught Bartitsu, an English adaptation of Asian martial arts. Guile allows for scheming, lies, and slander to be spread believably; a dubious talent that is most often used to deceive or bamboozle others. Intuition shows ones knack for accurate gut instincts, skill in sniffing out lies, and judging the intent of others. Spiritualists claim that it also grants them sensitivity to the supernatural. Investigation defines facility with modern police techniques as well as the patterns of thought and physical practices which enable research and inquisitive efforts of all kinds. Medicine represents basic first aid up through full training as a physician. Any rank of Medicine may be used to treat maladies and stabilize patients. At rank three a character may choose a single trade, such as Surgery (more trades can be learned through other means). Melee is the ability to fight in the chaotic fray of backstreet skirmishes and battlefields. It governs the use of weapons

designed for such environs like bayonets, sabers, and pikes; it also governs fighting multiple opponents with fists, rifle butts, barstools, or even slamming your opponent into the scenery. It is the only Skill available for Defense when multiple opponents are within a characters zone of control. Mysteries shows learning and insight into the cosmology of the Clockwork, and affords detailed knowledge of angels, devils, faeries, and ritual magic. Parley is the art of public speaking, negotiation, diplomatic argument, and bargaining. Profession is always taken with a specified calling, such as Profession (Locksmith). Each Profession Skill represents a collection of incidental abilities associated with the day to day work and narrow context of its specialized trade. Profession (Locksmith), for example, would cover analyzing, picking, cleaning, and keying locks as well as the ability to market and sell within the field of locksmithing. The Profession Skill may only mimic abilities usually associated with others Skills in passive trait tests. However, it can be used actively for abilities outside the scope of the other twenty-six Skills. Refinement describes ones social grace and mastery of etiquette, manners, and overall ability to comport oneself in polite society, or to flaunt those norms and get away with it. Riding displays horsemanship and knowledge concerning the care of horses. During a conflict, a character must make a passive GRacE+RIDINg tESt for each movement she makes while mounted. The Difficulty for this test is based on the terrain over which she travels. Science represents skill and knowledge with scientific method and experimentation. Any rank of Science represents specialized knowledge in the fields of mathematics, chemistry, geology, physics, astronomy and the like. At rank three a character may choose a single scientific trade, such as Pharmacology (more trades can be learned through other means). Streetwise is common among the lower classes, and is used to carry oneself among thieves and street people. It also affords some knowledge of criminal groups and their affairs. Stealth covers all capabilities to move silently and remain hidden in terrain of any type. Survival defines skill at hunting, tracking, and the ability to survive in extreme weather and wilderness conditions. Tactics is used to plan military operations and orchestrate soldiers in the fray of battle. It is also used to plan and prevent ambushes, and to judge odds of military success. Temptation shows ones talent for leading others into sin, depravity, and all sorts of moral hazard through promises of physical and emotional satisfaction.

Aptitudes and Skills are the traits that define what a character can do and how well they can do it. Broad physical and mental capabilities are defined by Aptitudes, and specialized areas of practice and knowledge are defined by Skills. Many Skills will slightly overlap the abilities granted by other Skills. Any given Skill can be used across a wide variety of circumstances and in physical or social conflict: each is briefly described below to help determine which combinations are the most appropriate for tests (See Core Mechanic: Trait Test).

APtItUDES AND SKILLS

Artisan is ones ability to craft objects. This Skill covers the general ability to fabricate things and work with ones hands, but at rank three a character may choose a single trade, such as Carpenter, Metalsmith, or Tailor (more trades can be learned through other means). Athletics determines ones ability to run, jump, throw, and climb. It may also measure skill and knowledge of sports from a characters native culture and class. Bureaucracy measures familiarity with complex administrative systems such as government, the military, the Church, and big business, as well as how to navigate and manipulate these systems to get things accomplished. Burglary allows for the planning and execution of criminal acts. It covers all aspects of thievery including sleight-ofhand, lockpicking, and the traffic of stolen goods. Command measures the ability to control or lead others through manipulation of their emotions. An inspirational general, an intimidating thug, and an authoritative noble all use the Command Skill to get others to do what they want. Composure covers sensory awareness, mental and emotional tranquility, and self-control. It is used for perception checks and to calculate social Defense. Engineering describes skill in designing mechanical and electrical devices. An engineer can create individual pieces of clockwork, orchestrate plans to dredge a river, or build a factory. Any rank of Engineering may be used to operate, maintain, and repair complicated devices of all types. At rank three a character may choose a single trade, such as

AptItUDES
Grace is a measure of agility and deftness, but also physical bearing and manner. Vigor relates to physical strength and endurance as well as health. Reason is raw intellect and the ability to apply systematic thought. Focus allows concentration in spite of distraction and governs perception and memory. Presence covers natural charm, wit, and the ability to engage with others socially. Will represents dedication, emotional and mental fortitude, and the ability to resist temptation.

SKILLS
Academics represents formalized learning in the arts and humanities. The first rank bestows literacy in ones native tongue and rank three grants the ability to speak, read, and write another language (more languages may be learned through other means).

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Rules & Systems

I cannot imagine a clock without a clockmaker. -Voltaire The story told by the characters and Narrator unfolds like the plot of a book. Hence, like a book, the story is broadly divided into chapters and scenes. Each segment of time will begin and end at the discretion of the Narrator. A chapter is a long series of events that takes place around a central theme or a particular event. A good rule of thumb is that a new chapter begins when a new undertaking or social event begins: a ball, a dinner party, a journey, or a large scale battle. It concludes when the event or undertaking concludes. Each chapter will usually contain several scenes. A scene is a more specific series of events tied together by location or function. While a chapter might encompass the events of an entire ball, the dancing, dining, smoking, and mingling portions of the evening would all be separate scenes within that chapter.

TIME

used to break ties (it also provides a number from 1-100 for percentages). The Condition name is the Condition that can be imposed by this card when used in conflict situations, and the Condition text gives an abbreviated description of what the condition does to the character on whom it is placed.

The telling of a story requires some unexpected elements to represent those things that are beyond both the plans of the Narrator and the control of the players. Clockwork: Empire uses randomly drawn cards to represent these elements. These cards are used during trait tests, and any other time randomness is required. Each card has four characteristics. The card value is the value that is used to resolve trait tests and to determine initiative during conflict. The card number is a unique number Card Value: used for Initiative and Trait tests Card Number: used for breaking ties and generating percentiles

ANAtOMY Of A CARD

At any point in the story, the Narrator may require a character to make a trait test to discover if an intended action is successful. This is normally not required for routine actions, but reserved for actions whose success or failure would cause significant consequences within the story. To perform a trait test, the player and Narrator first agree on an Aptitude and Skill combination that best describes the abilities required for the action being attempted. The player then adds the Aptitude and Skill ranks together and subtracts a Difficulty rank, a number that represents how hard the action is to complete (see below). Lastly, the player draws a card from the play deck and adds its value. The final sum is the Degree of Success (DoS) for the action. A positive number signifies a success; a negative number, a failure. Attribute + Skill - Difficulty + Card Value = DoS The higher the DoS, the more notable the achievement. The lower the DoS is below zero, the more severe or embarrassing the failure. A DoS of exactly zero signifies a partial success that requires more work to complete (such as leaping a chasm only to smash into the other side, clinging to the edge). The Narrator will assign a Difficulty to every trait test. Difficulty ranks associated with specific undertakings within the quick start adventure are provided in the text. Difficulties for attacks and contested actions are equal to the opponents most appropriate Defense value or a relevant AptItUDE + SKILL combination. Elsewise, a Difficulty is assigned by the Narrator. A Difficulty of 1 is a simple task; 3, a challenging task; 5, a daunting task; 7, an overwhelming task. Actions with a Difficulty of 10+ are impossible and cannot succeed unless a character discovers a way to reduce the Difficulty. As the story unfolds without active conflict, keep drawing cards from the play deck without shuffling until the Fate or Doom card is drawn, then shuffle the deck after all results of the test that included that card are resolved. During conflict cards are only shuffled at the beginning of each initiative sequence; keep drawing from the deck even if the Fate and/ or Doom cards are drawn.

THE CORE MEcHANIc: TRAIt TEStS

When a character has as much time as she could want to complete a task and is not distracted by conflict or other environmental factors, she may choose to take a passive trait test. No card draw is required for a passive trait test. Simply take the Difficulty and subtract it from the characters Aptitude and Skill combination. Treat the resulting DoS normally. If this DoS would be a failure, the character cannot attempt a passive trait test. Certain Skills, such as Riding, will sometimes allow a character to take a passive Skill test as they are doing other things. As with all passive Skill tests, a character always has the option of performing a standard trait test instead.

PaSSIVE TRaIt TEStS

Points of Purpose and Ether may be spent within the game to tap into the energies of order and chaos. When a point is spent, erase it from the character sheet, but remember to keep track of both a characters permanent and current Potential points. A character may spend a point of Purpose to produce the following effects: Prevent the outcome of an attack from being imposed on them. This may prevent a character from receiving a Condition or from being wounded, subdued, convinced, or persuaded. Each person is meant to fulfill their purpose, and the Clockwork often gives aid to those who need help in doing so. Give a player extra narrative control over a portion of the current events, allowing him to describe a plausible circumstance that does not contradict something that has already been described by the Narrator or another player. Spending a point of Purpose in this way may create a plausible coincidence (My friend just disarmed his opponent? Well that dagger lands right next to me), describe a plausible piece of scenery (That chandelier has to be held up by a rope that is tied to the wall... right next to me. I cut it), or add a plausible and consistent past event to the current chronology (Of course I grabbed that pocketwatch off the mantle before the house went up in flames). The Narrator may veto circumstances he thinks are disruptive to the enjoyment or flow of the story, but should do so with great discretion.

PURpOSE aND EtHER

Sometimes the gears of the Clockwork align to favor or disfavor a particular action. The turning of the Clockwork seems to show preference to the events an actions success will put into motion, rather than the action itself. Whatever the reason, some actions are fated to occur, while others are doomed to fail. When a character draws the Fate card, her action cannot fail. The Fate card has a value of +5, but the final DoS for a fated action can never drop below 1. Any values or penalties that would lower the DoS below 1 are ignored. Actions that are unquestionably impossible will still fail, but the Fate card will ensure the complete safety of the attempt. If a character draws the Doom card, her action cannot succeed. The Doom card has a value of -5, but the DoS for a doomed action can never be raised above -1. Any values or bonuses that would raise the DoS above -1 are ignored. In addition, if the Doom card creates a Catastrophic Failure (DoS -8 or worse), the entire endeavor is doomed: the acting character suffers a -2 penalty on any attempted action with the same goal for the rest of the chapter. This may be described by the Narrator with an appropriately harrowing series of events.

FatE aND DOOM

A character may spend a point of Ether to produce one of the following effects: Replace any one card just drawn with a new card from the top of the deck. The new card must be used instead. Replace any one card an opponent has just drawn from the deck to resolve an action that elicits a reaction from you. The new card must be used instead.

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Condition Name: the Condition this card is capable of producing

Condition Description: the effects of this cards Condition

All people have an intended role in the Clockwork those who pursue the path laid out for them find their actions supported by unseen hands, and those who instead forge their own path must seize their own opportunities. The unseen support a character receives to bolster their personal place in the Clockwork is represented by points of Purpose. The ability to create opportunities by acting outside of ones ordained path is represented by points of Ether. The balance of these two energies is referred to as a characters Potential. Depending on the balance of Potential and the characters Bloodline, this may change their Integration. Any character with an Integration other than Native may be subject to additional risks as they have a weak or even no part in the grand plan of the Clockwork. Integration is fully detailed in the core rulebook.

POtENtIAL AND INtEGRAtION:

CORRUptION

If a character ever commits actions abhorrent to the design of the Clockwork - extreme or random violence, murder, demonolatry, corrupt ritual magic or sorcery, or the like - then they will gain Corruption. Such acts strike at the fundamental goals of orderly creation, bringing chaos and destruction, and ultimately contributing to Pontus outbreaks. Exposure to extreme Pontus events can also stain areas and people it touches, leaving a lingering presence that makes future outbreaks more likely. It is only possible to cleanse Corruption through acts of absolution and purification. Corruption is fully detailed in the core rulebook.

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When a conflict is about to begin, all characters refresh their Guard. We recommend using tokens such as glass beads to represent a characters Guard value. Using tokens makes Guard clearly visible to everyone at the table. As Guard is lowered during conflict, simply discard a token for each point it drops. When a player is left without any tokens, that characters Guard is down. In social conflicts, if there is an obvious goal or antagonist, all characters should decide what their Disposition is toward it. Disposition represents how amiable a character is to an idea or person. In order from least to most friendly, Disposition can be Hostile, Guarded, Indifferent, Agreeable, or Favorable. When conflict begins, a player can give whatever Disposition he wishes to his character. That Disposition will slide along the scale as social combatants attempt to convince and persuade one another. If a new goal or antagonist arises during conflict, a new Disposition can be assigned to it at that time. However, once a Disposition is assigned during a conflict, it may no longer be altered by choice; it can only be affected by conflict actions (see Social Attacks, p. 14).

Conflict

Attract: used in social conflict to ensure a single character is paying attention to the attracting character.

ANtagONIStS IN tHE INItIatIVE SEQUENcE

The Narrator deals Initiative Cards to himself a bit differently because he potentially controls several antagonists at once. The Narrator receives a number of Initiative Cards equal to the total Threat ranks from all of the antagonists participating in the conflict. They are placed face up in a single row, and any card may be used for any antagonist. Later, as these Initiative Cards are flipped face-down, they are placed upon the character sheet or note card for the antagonist who used them. This allows the Narrator to keep track of how many times each antagonist has taken a Turn. No antagonist may take more Turns in a single sequence than his level of Threat. Threat is also reduced by one for each Wound an antagonist sustains, in addition to all the normal penalties for Wounds. If this reduction in Threat ranks leaves the Narrator with more Initiative Cards than he can use, they are discarded at the end of the Sequence. When an antagonists Threat is reduced to zero, she has been killed or otherwise incapacitated, but many will surrender or flee before this occurs. If the Narrator is controlling both antagonists and allies, two rows of cards are used. For simplicity sake, we recommend always placing the antagonist row above the ally row. Allies use the cards from their own row and otherwise follow the same rules as antagonists. Initiative Card they choose. During her Turn, a character may either move, maneuver, and act OR move and react. MOVEMENt allows the character to move within her zone of control, an area about four paces (10 feet) in every direction. A character is considered to be moving throughout this zone during her turn, taking her action and maneuver at any time and in any order, and then ending anywhere within her zones boundaries. If 28mm miniatures are being used, use a 5 circular template to represent this zone. ActIONS AND REActIONS allow the character to perform tasks that would require a trait test. In conflict, this usually means attacking an opponent or reducing their Guard through a feint or other mixed action. A character may also trade her action to perform an additional maneuver. MANEUVERS allow a character to do anything that would not require a trait test, including the options below. The Narrator may also allow other simple tasks as maneuvers at his discretion. Aim: Taken before an action to fire a ranged weapon, this maneuver eliminates the -2 penalty for not aiming. A character may not aim if an opponent is within his zone of control.

Disengage: In social conflict, a disengaging character may simply leave the conversation. In physical conflict, a disengaging character may exit the conflict area only if this maneuver does not elicit a reaction from another character. Elicit Aid: Before she acts, this characters asks another character to help her. If that character agrees, she also flips over one of her Initiative Cards and both characters make a trait test to accomplish the same goal. The shared action is resolved using the higher of the two DoS. If a reaction is made against the attempt, it will always use a Difficulty equal to the highest Defense of those participating in instigating action. Interact with your environment (such as opening a door) or accoutrements (such as drawing or stowing a weapon). Run: Move four paces (roughly ten feet, or 5 for miniatures) and change the center of your zone of control. Sidestep: Remove an Avenue of Attack. If a character reduces her Avenues of Attack to 0, she also removes her own ability to attack others (See Avenues of Attack, p. 15). Again, If a character can move, maneuver, and act without involving other characters, then her turn resolves upon her completion of these activities. However, if another character is within the acting characters zone of control while she moves, maneuvers, or acts, an exchange will occur between all characters in the zone. Likewise, any action that directly affects an opponent outside her zone of control (such as with a ranged attack) will instigate an exchange with that opponent.

reach the higher the priority (See Reach & Distance Attacks, p. 13). If a tie occurs, priority is given to characters in advantageous situations (such as standing when an opponent is prone). If characters are still tied, priority is given to the instigating character. In social conflict, Attack Priority goes first to the events host or guest of honor, then to participating characters according to the highest current Esteem. In the event of a tie, priority is given to the instigating character. At any time, if there is no clear Attack Priority (such as two characters with the same reach reacting to the same instigating character), actions are resolved simultaneously.

The order in which characters act within a conflict is determined by the Initiative Sequence. Begin an Initiative Sequence by dealing each character four cards from the play deck. The player will choose three from those dealt to his character and place them face-up on the table near his character sheet, discard the remaining card. These are his characters Initiative Cards - keep them separate from all other cards that come into play. (If a character receives the doom card, it cannot be discarded.) No player character may ever have more than three Initiative Cards in play at any one time. After Initiative Cards are dealt and chosen, the character with the highest Initiative Card value may chose to become the acting character. If that character passes, the character with the next-highest card value may choose to be the acting character, and so on. Ties are broken with card numbers. Once the acting character is chosen, she will declare how she will spend her Turn. If her efforts will not affect other characters, she will flip her highest Initiative Card face-down and take a Turn normally. However, if her efforts do affect other characters, the normal flow of play pauses immediately and an Exchange with one or more reacting characters will occur (see below). After a characters Turn is fully resolved, the next acting character is chosen in the same way.

THE INItIAtIVE SEQUENcE

Before a character may take her Turn, the player must flip over an Initiative Card. For the acting character, this must be her highest valued Initiative Card. Characters participating in an Exchange on the acting characters Turn may flip any

THE TURN

An exchange begins when one character attempts to affect another; or a character moves, maneuvers, or acts while another character is within her zone of control. During an exchange, any character who is affected by such an action can immediately take a turn to move and react, possibly even resolving their turn prior to the instigating character. First, all participants now joining the exchange will declare what they will do on their turn. If the instigating character has already declared her move, maneuver, and action, these may not be changed. Other participating characters will declare their movements and reactions in response to whatever instigated the exchange, usually to counter-attack or actively defend themselves (remember that reacting characters do not take maneuvers). Each participant must flip one Initiative Card face-down before taking their turn. The acting character must flip her highest Initiative Card even if she does not go first. Other characters in the exchange may flip any Initiative Card they choose. These turns will be resolved in order of Attack Priority. In physical conflict, Attack Priority is given to a character according to their weapons reach category - the longer the

THE EXcHaNgE

When all Initiative cards are flipped face-down or all participants with face-up Initiative Cards remaining pass (choose not to become the acting character), the Initiative Sequence is over. Discard all cards in play, including Conditions (remember persistent Conditions are recorded on the character sheet). All characters will refresh a single point of Guard. Then the deck is reshuffled and, if necessary, new cards are dealt for the next Initiative Sequence. In physical conflicts, sequences will continue until the conflict is fully resolved. Social conflicts will only last a single Initiative Sequence (although the timing of this sequence may take as long as a chapter to complete). If the sequence ends before the characters can persuade or convince their opponent of their goal, they are simply unable to do so. However, any change in Disposition remains (although if the players initiate another social conflict in a subsequent chapter or scene, all parties may alter their Dispositions as they deem fit). The players and Narrator may interpret the changes in their characters Disposition at their own discretion, bearing in mind that being hostile is usually a faux-pas. Social conflicts will also end if a physical conflict arises from them.

ENDINg aN INItIatIVE SEQUENcE

INtERRUpt ActIONS
At any time, a character may turn over two Initiative Cards face down to perform an interrupt action (if a character has the Fate card as an Initiative card, she may play it by itself to perform an interrupt action). This immediately makes her the acting character, even if it interrupts another turn already in progress. The interrupting character may then take a full turn. After the turn resolves, play returns to normal. A turn that was interrupted may now be completed. If two or more characters attempt to use an Interrupt Action simultaneously, resolve them in order of the highest played Card Numbers, then return to the normal flow of play.

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 A trait test made to physically attack an opponent will almost always combine the Grace Aptitude with one of the following Skills: Athletics, Fencing, Firearms, Fisticuffs, or Melee. The Difficulty for a physical attack test is always equal to the targets best applicable Physical Defense. The effects of physical attacks depend on the DoS achieved and the status of the opponents Guard. These effects are described below and summarized on the following table. When an attack succeeds while an opponents Guard is up, their Guard is reduced by one point. A Condition is placed on the target if the attacker scores a remarkable success (DoS 4+). If an extraordinary success (DoS 8+) is achieved, the attack reduces Guard by one and will also penetrate the Guard, either subduing or wounding the opponent. When an attack succeeds while an opponents Guard is down, the attack is penetrating and will subdue or wound the opponent. A persistent Condition is placed on the target if the attacker scores a remarkable success (DoS 4+), and if an extraordinary success (DoS 8+) is achieved the attack may also render the opponent Incapacitated (as per the Condition listed on page 16); some weapons may also allow unique effects in lieu of Incapacitation. Regardless of Guard, a partial success (DoS 0) will succeed if the opponent has not declared an action or reaction in the current engagement, and fails if she has. If an an attack places a Condition on an opponent, flip a single card from the play deck and apply the Condition on the card to that character. If the attacker is using a weapon, flip a number of cards equal to the weapons damage rank and choose the Condition from among them. If the defender is wearing armor, reduce the number of cards flipped by the armor rank; if this reduces the cards to zero, no Condition may be placed. If a character receives a Condition, simply place the Condition Card face up on the afflicted characters character sheet. Let it remain in play until its Condition is met or the Sequence ends, then discard the card. If the Condition created by an attack is persistent, write the Condition on the character sheet. These will continue to affect the character after all cards are discarded and reshuffled. Most weapons also have a special Weapon Condition that may be used as a persistent Condition in lieu of one drawn from the deck - the player chooses to use either the Weapon Condition or a Condition shown on any cards drawn whenever a persistent Condition is to be placed. The

Physical Attacks

MIXED aND SOcIaL AttacKS IN PHYSIcaL CONFLIct

Sometimes a purely physical attack isnt the most effective way to get at an opponent. Somtimes a social Skill can make an opening that would otherwise be unavailable. Mixed combinations, such as Grace and Guile (to feint), or purely social ones, such as Presence and Command (to intimidate), can be used to make these attacks. However, neither mixed nor social attacks may ever wound an opponent. Such an attack will be able to reduce an opponents Guard, but would never be able to harm them. A penetrating mixed or social attack can be made to subdue or persuade an opponent. These attacks will use a Difficulty equal to their opponents most appropriate Social Defense. Narrator should describe the nature of Conditions so they flow with the story of the conflict, the nature of the attack, and the weapon being used. A character who is subdued is grappled or held in a compromising manner. This character is immediately considered to be in a disadvantageous position for purposes of Attack Priority, and may not move, maneuver, or recover Guard. This status can be broken with a successful attack against her subduer. A successful penetrating attack can turn a subdued character into the subduer. Wounds represent serious injuries such as being stabbed or shot. For each wound a character sustains, she will immediately receive a cumulative -2 penalty to all actions, may no longer take maneuvers, is dealt one fewer Initiative Card on each subsequent Initiative Sequence, and must put one fewer Initiative Card into play. Not only this, but a characters wound penalties will worsen by -1 at the beginning of each new Initiative Sequence and again for every five minutes after the conflict ends. For this reason, one wound is usually enough to make sane combatants stop fighting. Any character with medical supplies may make a REaSON + MEDIcINE tESt against a Difficulty equal to the injured characters current wound penalties. This will stabilize the character and prevent the further worsening of wound penalties. After a full nights rest, a stabilized characters wound penalties will return to -2 for each wound she has and will no longer worsen. A character dies immediately if her wound penalties reach -10.

REacH aND RaNgED AttacKS

Reach measures the maximum distance at which a weapon can strike an opponent. If a target is beyond a weapons Reach, it cannot be attacked. There are five Reach categories: Touch: can be touched by the attacker: a dagger Close: inside zone of control (a step and reach) or two paces away: a sword, club, cane, barstool. Extended: up to twleve feet or four paces away: a rifle-mounted bayonet, a pepperbox pistol. Short Range: within a large room or about thirty feet/ten paces: a pistol, a thrown weapon. Long Range: can be seen by the attacker: a rifle. (Ranged weapons may attack at this Reach at a -2) Ranged attacks (including Short and Long) cannot be prevented by a defenders Guard. Baring supernatural abilities or mastery-level training, no character can prevent a bullet or projectile from hitting them by means of their own defensive posture. Thus, all ranged attacks are normally considered penetrating attacks. However, a character can make herself harder to hit by making use of cover. When a ranged attacker shoots at a character in light cover, she will draw one additional card and use the lower of the two to resolve her attack. When shooting at a character in heavy cover, the attacker will draw two additional cards and use the lowest of the three. If at any point, the attacker fails to hit with her lowest card, but succeeds with her highest card, she will shoot the cover that is protecting her target. This is especially important to remember when the cover protecting the target is another character. These penalties are in addition to the standard -2 penalty for firing without aiming. An attacker will always suffer a -2 penalty if she does not take a maneuver to aim, and this penalty applies to all cards drawn to resolve the shot. After a ranged attacker takes the maneuver to eliminate this -2 penalty, she may take additional maneuvers to aim in order to reduce the number of cards she must draw to resolve the attack. Each maneuver will reduce the total required draw by a single card. Thus, a ranged attacker firing at a target in heavy cover who takes no maneuvers to aim will suffer the -2 penalty for not aiming and then must draw three cards (one card, plus two cards for the target being in heavy cover). She will use the worst card to resolve her shot. However, if she took two maneuvers to aim before firing, she would receive no penalty and would use the lower of two cards to resolve her shot. Remember that actions can be used to take maneuvers (See The Turn, p. 10), and that weapon Reach will affect Attack Priority (p. 11).

After the conflict is over, wounds and persistent Conditions represent debilitating pain, lingering disabilities, and physical or emotional trauma. For the duration of a characters recovery, she will suffer from the penalties and effects of these maladies on all trait tests and during all conflicts, regardless of type. A character can recover from these maladies via natural healing, medical treatment, or access to transcendent powers. Recovery requires rest; any day a character participates in vigorous activity or physical conflict will not count toward her recovery. A wounded character will naturally and automatically heal one wound or persistent Condition after three days. She will automatically heal another wound or persistent Condition after every three weeks. Recovery for all maladies is on the same timeline, regardless of when they were taken, until the character is fully healed. Characters receiving medical attention heal automatically as above, but also receive the benefit of a physician making REaSON + MEDIcINE tEStS to treat them. The Difficulty for this test is equal to the patients current wound penalties. After three weeks of wound treatment and care, the physician may test once for each malady the character has. Each success will remove one. If any maladies remain, the physician may test again for each remaining malady after another three week interval, and again every three weeks following. A character may also be medicated (usually with laudanum or some other opiate) to avoid the effects of pain while in recovery. A medicated patient will halve her wound penalties (rounded down) so long as she can take the proper dosage. A character who takes more than this may alleviate all pain, but suffers no additional mechanical advantage. In fact, she must make a WILL + COMpOSURE tESt to remain lucid. Any use of opiate medication will carry the risk of addiction.

PHYSIcAL REcOVERY

TABLE 1: EffEctS Of PHYSIcAL AttAcKS

DOS 0 1-3 4-7 8+ OPPONENtS GUARD IS UP (GUARD >0) OPPONENtS GUARD IS DOwN (GUARD = 0) If the target is not acting in the current exchange, treat as DoS 1; otherwise treat as DoS -1. Guard -1 subdue or wound opponent Guard -1, place a Condition on opponent subdue or wound opponent, place persistent Condition Guard -1, subdue or wound opponent as above, and the opponent is rendered Incapacitated

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 A social attack is made to convince an opponent that something is true or persuade them to attempt an action. They are performed as a trait test combining the Presence Aptitude with one of the following Skills: Command, Guile, Parley, or Temptation. Each social attack is made against anyone who can hear the attacker and is willing to listen to the argument. Thus one man may try to convince a whole room if his voice can carry and his audience is willing to hear him out. The Attract maneuver may be used to ensure one person pays attention to one actions worth of argument. Each targeted character or group will defend with their individual Social Defense, but the attacker will make only a single attack test. The Difficulty for a social attack is always equal to the targets best applicable Social Defense. However, if the goal of a social attack would endanger, undermine, or contradict one of a targeted characters Affinities, the Difficulty of the attack is increased by the rank of that Affinity. If the goal of social attack aligns or supports one of a characters Affinities, the Difficulty for the attack is lowered by the rank of that Affinity. Likewise, a characters relevant Reputation may increase or decrease the Difficulty of any social attacks made to convince a third party regarding the character with the Reputation. The Narrator has the final say as to what Affinities or Reputations are applicable to a given social attack, but is encouraged to favor the players. The effects of social attacks depend on the DoS achieved and the opponents Disposition toward the attackers goal. These effects are described below and summarized on the following table. When a social attack succeeds while an opponents Disposition is less than Favorable to the idea being presented, the opponents Disposition is shifted one step in a direction chosen by the attacker (usually toward Favorable). An attacker may also chose to shift her own Disposition rather than that of her opponent (usually away from Favorable, to avoid being convinced or persuaded). A Condition is placed on the target if the attacker scores a remarkable success (DoS 4+). If an extraordinary success (DoS 8+) is achieved, the attack may either convince or persuade the opponent regardless of her Disposition. When a social attack succeeds (DoS 1+) while an

Social Attacks

opponents Disposition is Favorable, the attack is penetrating and will convince or persuade the opponent. A persistent Condition is placed on a Favorable target if the attacker scores a remarkable success (DoS 4+). If an extraordinary success (DoS 8+) is achieved, the opponent also receives a rank 2 Affinity toward the topic of the social attack. Regardless of Guard, a partial success (DoS 0) will succeed if the opponent has not declared an action or reaction in the current engagement, and fails if she has. If an attacker suffers a grievous failure (DoS -4 or worse), her target may shift their own Disposition one step in a direction of their choice. If an attack places a Condition on an opponent, flip a single card from the play deck and apply the Condition on the card to the opponent. If the attacker is using weak evidence, she may substitute Dazed as the attacks Condition. If she is using convincing evidence, she may substitute Overwhelmed. If the evidence is irrefutable, she may substitute Undone. (The quality of her evidence is determined by the Narrator). These Conditions may be used for any attack. If an attack causes a persistent Condition, write the Condition on the character sheet. These will continue to affect the character after all cards are reshuffled, but only with regard to her attackers goal. The Narrator should describe the nature of Conditions so that they flow with the story of the conflict, and in particular so that they make sense given any successful attempts to persuade or convince a character. A character who is convinced of something will believe it as though it were true (unless she spends a point of Purpose to ignore the convincing). This is often the social outcome achieved when trying to lie convincingly (I may be out of uniform, but I am a member of her Majestys army), making an argument for how things should be viewed or interpreted (I know this looks bad, me holding the gun and all, but I did not shoot this man), or convincing someone concerning the nature or character of someone else (The Earl of Wessex is not the gentle man everyone says he is). A character who is persuaded to do something will intend to do it as safely as possible and at her earliest convenience (unless she spends a point of Purpose to ignore

CONDItIONS aND EVIDENcE

the persuasion or think better of it at a later point). Actions, due to persuasion or otherwise, can be damaging to Affinities and Reputations. Any action that endangers, undermines, or contradicts a characters Affinity or Reputation will reduce its current rank by one. A character who has the Affinity Honor and Honesty who is persuaded to break her word will lose a rank of that Affinity. Record both the permanent and current rank of the Affinity or Reputation on your character sheet. Actions can also completely alter an Affinity or Reputation. A duelist who has the Reputation Never lost a fight who loses a fight must not only reduce his Reputation by one rank, but also change its description to something like Only lost once.

While being able to fully convince or persuade a social opponent is ideal, it is not always possible or necessary. Changes in Disposition can dramatically alter how social opponents will act. At times, changing a character's Disposition from Hostile to Agreeable can have effects almost as useful as achieving a successful convince or persuade outcome. While a convinced or persuaded opponent will do as her attacker wishes, an Agreeable opponent may still choose to help on her own terms.

CHaNgES IN DISpOSItION

AVENUES OF AttacK
In order to attack, a character must have the ability to get at her opponent. For physical attacks, this means having a clean line-of-sight for ranged attacks or simply a lack of obstacles for close attacks. In social conflict this means having an open discourse where the opponent is actually listening to whats being said. Either way, these available lanes for striking are called Avenues of Attack. In physical conflict, all characters have three Avenues of Attack. If a character is engaged in close combat with an opponent, that combatant occupies an Avenue of Attack, becoming blocking terrain for other attackers. Hence only three combatants may attack one individual at a time, as each would occupy one of that characters three Avenues of Attack (however, combatants may still assist one another, sharing a single avenue). Ranged attacks need an Avenue of Attack for a clean shot, but do not occupy one. Hence, a battalion of snipers could fire on a single target without blocking one another. Remember that a character can take the Sidestep maneuver during her turn to close an Avenue of Attack; usually this is done by backing up against a wall or using terrain to her advantage. In social conflict, a character has two Avenues of Attack for each Disposition currently being tracked, one reserved for arguments that move that Disposition toward Favorable and one reserved for arguments that move it toward Hostile. Each Avenue can only be occupied by one social attacker. Hence, all social combatants who wish to alter a single Disposition toward the same result must assist this single primary attacking character. A character who uses the Sidestep maneuver in social conflict may declare which specific Avenue of Attack is being closed, choosing to ignore that entire line of argument. A character may also take a Disengage maneuver at any time to close all social Avenues of Attack: one can always walk away from social interactions with a polite Good day, sir; however, certain contexts may provide dire social ramifications for doing so.

CONVINcINg aND PERSUaSION

If a character is convinced that something is true, they will believe it until another social conflict convinces them otherwise. A character who is persuaded will perform the action if and when a safe opportunity arises to do so. Either result may be removed at any time by spending a point of Purpose to think better about the matter. However, a player that chooses to allow his character to endure the results of being convinced or persuaded will receive an additional experience point at the end of the adventure. Choosing this option revokes his ability to ever remove the results of the convincing or persuasion. Loss to Affinities and Reputations will normalize (return to their permanent value) one rank for every three weeks that they are neither raised nor damaged. Thus, upon being damaged, the three-week healing period for an Affinity or Reputation begins anew. Narrators running stories that take place over short periods of time may decide to use a threesession healing period rather than three weeks. Affinities or Reputations whose descriptions have been altered will never return to what they previously were, but may be altered again if the circumstances arise. Since Dispositions are set at the beginning of any social conflict, they may be changed to whatever the player wishes at that time.

SOcIAL REcOVERY

TABLE 2: EffEctS Of SOcIAL AttAcKS

DOS -4 0 1-3 4-7 8+ OPPONENtS DISPOSItION IS NOt FAVORABLE OPPONENtS DISPOSItION IS FAVORABLE Opponents Disposition shifts by 1 rank (defenders choice) If the target is not acting in the current exchange, treat as DoS 1; otherwise treat as DoS -1. Disposition shifts by 1 rank (attackers choice) convince or persuade opponent Disposition shifts by 1 rank, place a Condition convince or persuade opponent, place a persistent Condition on opponent on opponent Disposition shifts by 1 rank, convince or convince or persuade opponent, create a rank 2 Affinity for persuade opponent the opponent

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Conditions represent minor injuries or situational complications that result from successful attacks. Any attack that achieves a remarkable success (DoS 4+) will place a single Condition on the target character. If the attack is penetrating, the condition will be persistent. Penetrating attacks that succeed with an extraordinary success (DoS 8+) will automatically apply an Incapacitating wound, although some special weapons may allow for other effects.

Conditions

shift one step of Disposition to your opponents advantage, then discard this Condition. Unbalanced: Unbalanced characters cannot take maneuvers without turning over an additional Initiative Card. Undone: Treat this Condition as an additional successful attack with a DoS 1. Resolve the second attack and then discard this Condition.

TABLE 3: PHYScIAL WEAPONS

WEAPON
Blackjack Bottle Brass Knuckles Cane/Club Farm Implement Fists Pocket/table Knife Large Knife Polearm Sword FIREARMS Pepperbox Pistol Bolt Action Rifle Standard Pistol Shotgun

REAcH
Touch Touch Touch Close Extended Touch Touch Touch Extended Close

DAMAGE
1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 3

CONDItIONS
Incapacitating Bleeding Staggered Disarmed Staggered None Bleeding Bleeding Crippled Bleeding

NOtES

StANDARD CONDItIONS

Aggravated: An already existing Condition becomes persistent, else treat as Dazed. Damaged: Take a physical or emotional wound, then discard this Condition. Dazed: When choosing to react, Dazed characters must turn over two Initiative Cards instead of one. Disarmed: Lose the use of a weapon, evidence, or armor; then discard this Condition. Disoriented: Disoriented characters automatically lose Attack Priority. Entrapped: Entrapped characters cannot willingly leave the current conflict. Exposed: An additional Avenue of Attack is available when attacking Exposed characters (In social conflict, this allows a maximum of three Avenues per Disposition). Staggered: Do not regain a point of Guard or step of Disposition on your next opportunity to do so, then discard this Condition. Fatigued: Immediately lose one Initiative Card, then discard this Condition. Outmaneuvered: Opponents receive a noncumulative +1 to any trait tests made against an Outmaneuvered target. Overwhelmed: Immediately drop one point of Guard or

When a character makes an attack with a weapon that places a Condition on an opponent, her weapon may offer her an additional Condition option. This Weapon Condition is always added to the pool of Conditions from which a player may choose. The player may choose any Condition from those available, from the drawn cards or from the Condition provided by her weapon. Some weapons will provide Conditions from the Standard Condition list, while others provide more robust options. Bleeding: The standard cumulative -1 for wound worsening is increased by an additional cumulative -1 for each Sequence that the characters wound remains untreated (-2 the first Sequence, -4 the next, -6 next and so on). Successfully stabilizing the character stops the bleeding, but the Condition remains until removed via physical recovery. Remember that a character dies immediately when her wound penalties reach -10. Crippling: A Character suffering from a crippling wound loses the use of one sensory organ or limb. If it is not clear from the situation, the Narrator declares what is lost. Incapacitating: A character who receives an incapacitating wound is rendered unconscious. Immediately discard all Initiative cards, and do not draw new Initiative cards while this condition persists. Another character may spend an action to stabilize this character, rendering her conscious, but the Condition remains until removed via physical recovery.

WEAPON CONDItIONS

-2 to attack

Extended Long Range Short Range Short Range

2 4 3 3

Bleeding Mortal Bleeding Crippling

Tesla Taser

Close

Incapacitating

Single shot -2 to attack if not Aimed 5 shots -2 to attack if not Aimed 6 shots -2 to attack if not Aimed 2 shots -2 to attack if not Aimed, +1 to attack if within Extended range. Single shot and then it is destroyed May place its weapon Condition on any successful hit.

OptIONaL RULE: INFEctION

Infection is a very real danger in the nineteenth century. Groups that wish to have this danger as part of their game may require all characters to make a VIgOR + WILL tESt for each physical wound they receive. If alcohol or other antiseptics are available, infection will only occur if a character catastrophically fails (DoS -8). If no medical supplies are available, infection will only set in on a grievous failure (DoS -4). If the character is recovering in a contaminated area or an environment where it is difficult to keep the wound clean (such as a swamp), infection will set in on a basic failure (DoS -1). Infections are deadly. An infected character will take an additional wound every three days until she dies. If the wound is in an extremity, it may be amputated to prevent the spread of the infection. Otherwise, Victorian medicine is useless at this point. However, a character may seek out less mundane ways to preserve her life.

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Will and Rachel are playing Fitzwilliam and Augusta, a brother and sister who have been investigating their fathers disappearance. Their search has brought them into a dark alley where they have encountered two brigands. One of the brigands pulls a knife and physical conflict begins (as the brigand will be making an attack). Chris, the Narrator, deals four Initiative Cards to both Will and Rachel. Each chooses three to keep and discards the remaining one. One brigand has a Threat of 1 and the other a Threat of 3, so Chris deals himself a total of four Initiative Cards. Each of the players place tokens on their character sheets to represent their characters Guard, and Chris places tokens on the antagonist sheets to represent theirs. Chris (Narrator): The highest card value on the table seems to be you Rachel, with a 4. Would you like to make Augusta the acting character? Rachel (Playing Augusta): Augusta is unarmed and unsure of the situation, so Im going to pass this time. Chris: The next highest card value is a 2, thats you, Will. Will (Playing Fitzwilliam): Fitzwilliam will act. Will flips over the Initiative Card bearing the value of 2. Am I within four paces of one of them? Chris: Yes. The one closest to you is within your zone of control. Will: In that case, I will use my maneuver to unsheathe my sword cane, my move to close on the guy, and my action to swing at him. Chris: Hes going to attempt to react to you by attacking with his knife. However your sword cane has a reach category one step higher than his knife, so you get Attack Priority. Your attack will take a GRacE + FENcINg tESt. However, you are in a back street brawl with brigands, so you can use Melee instead of Fencing if you like. The brigand has a Defense of 2. Will: My Fencing is higher than my Melee, so Im going to use GRacE + FENcINg. I close with the guy and move to swing at his face with the blade. Will adds Fitzwilliams Grace of 2 to his Fencing of 2. He subtracts the Difficulty of 2 based on the brigands Defense and draws a card with a value of 2. 2+2-2+2=4. Fitzwilliam succeeds with a DoS of 4. Chris: Alright, so your attack succeeds, reducing his Guard by one. A DoS of 4 is also a remarkable success, so flip cards for a Condition. Your sword-cane has a damage rank of 2, right? So thats two cards. Will: Will flips two cards from the play deck and looks at the Condition names printed on each: Dazed and Entrapped. I think I want these guys to run away, so Im not going to

Example of Play: Physical Conflict

choose Entrapped. I pick Dazed. My blade nips the top of his ear within just inches of taking his eye out! The sudden smack of pain and fear leave him Dazed. Chris: The brigand is now Dazed. He is going to react now, but hes Dazed, so that means hes got to flip over two of his Initiative Cards to do so. Chris flips two of them over. The brigand lunges at you with his knife. Chris decides that this is a GRacE + MELEE tESt and adds the brigands Grace of 2 to his Melee of 3. Fitzwilliam can choose his best physical Defense: he has only a single opponent in his zone of control so he can choose GRacE + FENcINg. Had the other brigand been in his zone, he would have had to choose GRacE + MELEE, to combat multiple opponents. Thus, Fitzwilliams Defense is 4 right now. Chris subtracts 4 from the total, and then draws a card with a value of -2. 2+34-2 =-1. The brigand fails with a DoS of -1. The brigand thrusts out at you, but you deftly maneuver to the side of his strike. Will: He doesnt scare me. Chris: Next acting character is... Rachel, Augusta is still sitting on that 4, you wanna go now? Rachel: Yes. Rachel flips over the Initiative Card bearing the value of 4. Whats around me in this alley? Chris: Not much, its pretty barren. Rachel: Can I spend a point of Purpose to notice a pile of refuse within four paces (her zone of control), preferably with a large plank of wood in it? Chris: Sure, this is an alley; thats plausible. Rachel: Rachel erases a point of temporary Purpose from her character sheet. I use my maneuver to grab the plank of wood from the refuse pile, close with the brigand, and use my action to smack him in the head with it. Chris: The brigand chooses not to react, his attention is on Fitz. Go ahead and attack, thatll be a GRacE + MELEE test. Rachel: Adds her Grace of 3 to her Melee of 2 and subtracts the brigands Defense of 2. She draws a card with a value of 5! 3+2-2+5=8. Augusta succeeds with a DoS of 8. Chris: Wow! Okay, thats an extraordinary success! Your attack will bypass his remaining Guard. I assume you want to wound him? Rachel: Yes. I swing the board right into the side of his head. Chris: You hear a crunching sound as the board hits his jaw, and some blood flies in the opposite direction. The brigand slams to the ground and is grasping his head. Chris marks the wound on the brigands character sheet and reduces his Threat by one. Chris knows that this means he will deal himself one fewer Initiative Card in the next Sequence (if they make it that far). Also, the brigand may no longer take maneuvers, and is at -2 to all actions henceforth.

Will (as Fitzwilliam): Thats my sister! Chris: The next highest card is a 0, looks like Will and I both have one. Will whats your card number? Will: My zero card has a number of 50. Chris: Mines a 52, so the still-standing brigand will become the acting character. Hes going to rush at Augusta and try to knock her over. He uses his maneuver to Run and his action to slam into her. After his Run maneuver, hell be acting within the boundaries of both of your zones of control. You may both react. Will: Fitzwilliam is going to stab him with the blade as he closes. Rachel: Augusta will level the board so he runs into it. Chris: Okay, Attack priority will go to Augusta, as she has a weapon with an extended reach, then to Fitzwilliam with the sword, and finally to the brigand, who appears unarmed. Rachel: Rachel flips an Initiative Card over. Then she adds her Grace of 3 to her Melee of 2 and subtracts the brigands Defense of 2. She draws a card with a value of -3. 3+2-22=0. Augusta got a DoS of 0, a marginal success. Chris: The brigand is acting in the current exchange, so your marginal success is considered a failure. Sorry, Rachel. Will: Im going to run him through. Will flips an Initiative Card and then adds Fitzwilliams Grace of 2 to his Fencing of 2. He subtracts the Difficulty of 2 based on the brigands Defense and draws a card with a value of 1. 2+2-2+1=3. Fitzwilliam succeeds with a DoS of 3. Chris: You swipe at him and he loses a bit of balance as he dodges your blade. His Guard is reduced by 1. But now its his turn to complete his action. He continues to try to tackle Augusta. Chris adds the brigands Grace of 2 to his Melee of three, subtracts Augustas Defense of three and draws a card with a value of -3. Its just not this guys day. Augusta steps to the side and deftly avoids the attack. It looks like the next highest Initiative Card is you Will, with the zero. Will: I come at him from the side and stab at him. Hes only a Threat 1 antagonist, I bet he only has a Guard of zero, which means its now down! Will flips over his last Initiative Card and then adds Fitzwilliams Grace of 2 to his Fencing of 2. He subtracts the Difficulty of 2 based on the brigands Defense and draws a card with a value of 0. 2+2-2+0=2. Fitzwilliam succeeds with a DoS of 2. Chris: Youre right, his Guard is down. Your blade goes right into his gut. He is now wounded and collapses to the ground. The brigand was only a Threat 1 antagonist, so after receiving a single wound, he is incapacitated. Next up is the wounded brigand who Augusta

smacked int he head. He has an Initiative Card of -1. Hes going to trade his action for a move so he can run away. Rachel: Is he in my zone of control? Chris: Yes. Rachel: Then Im going to react by smacking him with the board. Will: Im out of Initiative Cards, so Fitz cant react. Chris: Rachel, Augustas weapon has a longer reach, so you have attack priority. Go ahead. Rachel: Rachel flips over her last Initiative Card. Then she adds her Grace of 3 to her Melee of 2 and subtracts the brigands Defense of 2. She draws a card with a value of 0. 3+2-2+0=3. Augusta got a DoS of 3. Chris: You clock him across the back. His Guard is reduced by 1. Meanwhile, Chris knows that this last surviving brigand has been wounded, reducing his Threat to 2. That means, the brigand can only act twice in this Sequence. Hes already acted once, so even though the antagonists have two Initiative Cards left, only one can be used. The brigand will use his last Initiative Card to beg for his life. Please, he says, Ill do whatever you want. The brigand has attempted to begin a social conflict, what will you do? Shall I shuffle the cards and deal another sequence of physical conflict or are you done trying to kill him? Rachel: Sure, lets see what we can get out of him. Will: Are you sure I just cant stab him?. Rachel: We want to know who sent him! Will: Oh, okay. Well enter social conflict. Chris: Great. Chris shuffles the cards and redeals for social conflict.

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Will and Rachel are playing Fitzwilliam and Augusta, a brother and sister who have been investigating their fathers disappearance. During their investigation, they were jumped by two brigands in an alleyway. After dispatching one of them, the other surrenders and they are about to question him. Note that a real session might involve a lot more roleplaying than is described below. The purpose of this example is to explain the mechanics, so that is our focus. Chris (Narrator): This brigand is Guarded against telling you anything. Chris decides the brigand is more interested in saving his own life than he is keeping secrets, and translates this to a Guarded Disposition. Hell be attempting to convince you not to kill him. Rachel (Playing Augusta): Augusta would rather not have to kill him, but needs to know where her father is and is willing to do almost anything to find out. Ill say her Disposition is Indifferent toward his pleas. Will (Playing Fitzwilliam): Fitz is equally Indifferent for much the same reasons. Chris: As the players mark their Dispositions with tokens on their character sheets, Chris marks the brigands Disposition on his. He then deals three cards to each player and two to himself, as the brigand has a Threat of 3, but also has one wound (which reduces the number of cards received by one). It looks like the highest card value on the table is a 3, and thats you Will. Will: He flips over his Initiative Card. Well, theres only one Avenue of Attack, so I use my maneuver to get assistance from Augusta and my action to hold my sword menacingly and try to intimidate him. Rachel: She flips over her Initiative Card.Augusta will play good cop to Fitzs bad cop, and Ill try to reason with him, promising well let him go if he tells us what we need to know. Chris: The brigand is going to react by attempting to convince you to let him go, but you are the acting character so you get Attack Priority. Fitzwilliam will be making a PRESENcE + COMMaND tESt and you can add the weapons damage rank to your result since you are intimidating him. Augusta will be using PRESENcE + PaRLEY... unless shes lying, in which case youll need to use Guile. The brigands social Defense is 3 The Brigand actually has a Defense of 2, but also has the Affinity The gang is a cruel but loving family which will add its rank of 1 to his Defense, making it a 3. The brigand is both afraid of and compassionate toward his gang. Will (as Fitzwilliam): You saw what happened to your buddy over there! (Fitz points his sword at the bleeding body

Example of Play: Social Conflict

of the other brigand and then back at the prisoner.) Now youre going to tell us why you attacked us, and everything you might know about where our father is being kept. Chris (as Brigand): I dont know nothin about no father! Me gangs just being paid to put a scare in ya, we got nothing to do with this. Will (as Fitzwilliam): Too bad for you... Will: adds Fitzwilliams Presence of 3 to his Command of 3, subtracts 3 for his opponents Defense, and draws a card with a value of -3. He adds his weapons damage rank of 2 to the result. 3+3-3-3+2=2. Fitz succeeds with a DoS of 2. Rachel (as Augusta): Wait a minute, Fitz. We dont need to kill him. Im sure hes a reasonable man who could help us if we just give him a chance. Rachel: Augusta is not lying, so Ill use Parley. Rachel adds Augustas Presence of 3 to her Parley of 3, subtracts 3 for her opponents Defense, and draws a card with a value of 1. 3+3-3+1=4. Augusta succeeds with a DoS of 4. Chris: Okay, youre aiding one another so we take the better of the two tests. Your collective effort yields a DoS of 4. The brigands Disposition is moved one step to Indifferent. Also, youve scored a remarkable success, so draw a card for a Condition. Will: Flips over a single card revealing the Undone Condition. Will smiles broadly. Chris: Okay, so the Undone Condition will move the brigands Disposition an additional step, making it Agreeable. Hes starting to really believe you might let him go, and thats doing a lot to make him warm up to you. Now he gets his reaction. Chris flips over an Initiative Card. What are your social Defenses? Rachel: My WILL + COMpOSURE is a 4, but can I use Parley? My WILL + PaRLEY is a 5. Chris: Sure, hes trying to reason with you. Parley covers that. Will: Unless I can use Command, Im better off just using my default Defense of WILL + COMpOSURE. Its a 4. Chris (as Brigand): The brigand is currently Agreeable to helping the siblings, so Chris tries to show that in his speech. Listen, we just meant to put a fright into you is all. We werent going to hurt you. You let me go, and Ill tell you what you need to know bout your father. Chris: adds the brigands Presence of 2 to his Parley of 2, subtracts his -2 wound penalty, and draws a card with a value of 5. Will, your Defense of 5 is going to bring his total to a DoS 2 against you. (2+2-2-5+5=2) Fitzwilliams Disposition toward letting him go is going to shift to Agreeable. However, Rachel, you have the Affinity Family comes before all else at a rank 2, so his promise to tell you what he knows is going to be more convincing to you. Your

Defense will be lowered by your Affinitys rank, making it only a 3. (2+2-2-3+5=4) He gets a DoS 5 against you, a remarkable success, so hell get to place a Condition on you. Chris flips a card from the play deck to reveal a card with the Disoriented Condition. His words are convincing to Augusta, moving her Disposition to Agreeable, but they also reawaken her feeling of abandonment. As he says the word father she feels her chest tighten and emotion swell in her gut. She is Disoriented. Rachel: Augusta takes a deep breath and steps back. Chris: The next acting character is... it looks like Rachel and I both have a 2. Whats your cards number, Rachel? Rachel: Ive got a 70. Chris: Ive got a 68, so Augusta is up. Rachel: Augusta is going to continue the negotiation. Shell use her maneuver to get Fitz to help her, and her action to persuade the brigand to spill his guts. Chris: The brigand will react by continuing to persuade you to let him go before he talks. You are suffering from the Disoriented Condition, so you automatically lose Attack Priority. That means he goes first. Rachel: Bollocks! Chris (as Brigand): I swear to you, untie me and let me go and Ill tell you everything I know! Chris: flips his last Initiative Card. Then he adds the brigands Presence of 2 to his Parley of 2, subtracts his -2 wound penalty, and draws a card with a value of -2. Will, your defense of 5 is going to bring his total to a DoS -5 against you. (2+2=2-5-2=-5) Thats a grievous failure. Fitzwilliam hears the same song over again, and its getting old. Because of the grievous failure, Fitzs Disposition shifts back to Indifferent. Rachel, the brigand isnt using words that push your buttons this time, so you can use your full Defense. (2+2-4-2=-2) He gets a DoS -2 against you, so Augusta isnt really buying it either. Rachel (as Augusta): You better stop promising and start talking - Im not going to be able to keep my brother at bay for much longer. Rachel adds Augustas Presence of 3 to her Parley of 3, subtracts 3 for her opponents Defense, and draws a card with a value of 0. 3+3-3+0=3. Augusta succeeds with a DoS of 3. Will: Fitz cleans the blood of the sword menacingly. Will adds Fitzwilliams Presence of 3 to his Command of 3, subtracts 3 for his opponents Defense, and draws a card with a value of 4. He adds his weapons damage rank of 2 to the result. 3+3-3+4+2=9. Fitz succeeds with a DoS of 9! Chris: That will persuade him regardless of his Disposition. He spills his guts. Chris (as Brigand): Alright! Alright! Just keep that bastard away from me. All I know is that your father is being kept in a warehouse. Its down by the docks. Its a big one, painted

red, but all the paints falling off. Thats all I know. I swear! Chris: Next highest card is a 0, thats Fitzwilliam. Will: flips over his Initiative Card. Fitz sheaths his sword and says, Well, thats what we needed. Lets go! I use my maneuver to Disengage and walk away. Im leaving the social conflict. Chris: The brigand has no more initiative cards to attempt to convince or persuade you but he will plead, I told you what you needed to know! You cant just leave me tied up in an alley! Rachel, your Disposition for letting him go is Agreeable, but you still dont feel compelled to do it if you dont want to. He didnt get a penetrating attack on you. You also have the last Initiative Card in play. Rachel: flips the last Initiative Card. My last maneuver is to take pity on him and drop a knife close enough to him that with some effort hell be able to get himself free, and then my action is to walk away.

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Quick Start Adventure Idle Hands

For Satan always finds some mischief for idle hands to do. -Isaac Watts

Reading through the full story is the best way to prepare for Narrating, but this summary provides a thematic overview of each chapter and some important notes.

Story Overview
CHAPtER ONE

Preparing the Story

Idle Hands drops a team of capable but unsuspecting Edinburgh police officers and civilians into the machinations of a group of outlaws playing with dangerous supernatural powers. This story serves as an introduction to the world and mechanics of the Clockwork: Empire role-playing game, as well as to the historical city of Edinburgh. Playing the game will require a deck of Clockwork cards, the Clockwork: Empire Quick Start Rules, and about 3-4 hours. No prior knowledge of the rules is required, and the mechanics are introduced gradually through the course of the tale. This game is designed for 3-7 people to play. One person will take the role of Narrator to tell the story, control the actions of all the antagonists and secondary characters, and help conduct play for the group. Everyone else will play one of the six pre-made characters provided, and will be responsible for deciding all that they say and do. Before going further, decide who will act as Narrator and who will be players. Players and Narrators should first read through the Edinburgh, 1896 section to familiarize themselves with some of the fundamentals of the city. This information will help set the stage for the action to come. Next, players should read through the backgrounds and descriptions of the pre-made characters presented in The Citys Finest and choose which character they will play in the story. Players should not read anything after the character descriptions to avoid spoiling the plot of Idle Hands. The Narrator, however, should read through the rest of the booklet, starting with the Advice to the Narrator section, to familiarize himself with the story. After you enjoy Idle Hands, you can check out suggestions and advice for incorporating this story into a larger campaign in the Continuing the Tale section at the end of the adventure. Information on additional adventures, previews, and design highlights will also be released via the Clockwork website at www.AClockworkWorld.com, so you can continue exploring the Clockwork running up to the release of the full Core Book in 2014.

Edinburgh has always been the seat of royalty, culture, and learning in Scotland, and throughout the 19th century Edinburgh has even more fully bloomed as the center of the Scottish Enlightenment. Luminaries in the arts and sciences from across Europe have walked its streets with their Scottish peers, and it has taken its rightful place as one of

Edinburgh, 1896

the most important cities in the Empire. Yet even still, many survive as best they can in the dilapidated tenements lining the edges of the Auld Toon or huddled in the cellars longsunk beneath the streets. The flowering of art and culture feeds on poisoned soil, and of late the city grows restless as chilling rumors have both citizens and the authorities on edge. Edinburgh is an old city, with a long memory of its darker past, and it is difficult to forget all those who have died for their involvement with cults and witchcraft, treason and murder. Many have lived and worked, or been hanged or beheaded, in the shadow of Edinburgh castle. As recently as two-score years past, resurrectionists stole and sold so many of the bodies of the dead that iron coffins and burial cages are still in use. Nobility and peasantry alike are quick to dredge up the horrors of the past for titillation: the lurid confessions of the witch-covens of Dr. Dee and Lord Nicol, the gruesome murderers Burke and Hare who supplied Dr. Knox with bodies for public dissection, or the sad tale of Jessie King, the murderess and baby-farmer hanged just a few years past in 1889. Other, stranger stories bubble up from those living in the Vaults - the warrens beneath the hill under the old city: tales of disappearances, ghastly sights half-glimpsed, and unwholesome deeds carried out beneath the homes of more decent folk. Of late, a rash of oddities has been reported. Two weeks ago, a pair of masons building a wall along Southgate swore they heard screams and saw blood well up from the brick. The Lord Provost of the city himself has been heard to confirm rumors that he and others have seen strange lights dance atop the crosses on St. Giles Cathedral. Just last week, a mephitic stink welled up around the city chambers and persisted for three days. Perhaps worst of all, several disturbances have been reported near the grounds of the Grange cemetery, and groundsmen have found at least one grave whose occupant had gone missing. With All Hallows Eve just a few weeks away, theres growing panic that something sinister is afoot. Scurrilous broadsheets are quick to print news of a coming catastrophe, while the Evening Post is pleased to announce the expansion of its social pages to track the comings and goings of the citys elite. The police are under increasing pressure to get things in hand, as the Provost fears that bringing in any of the Crowns Witchfinders or involving the military garrison would only fan the flames and lead to civil unrest.

The characters are brought into the action as they respond to a seemingly random act of violence. The characters are presented clear options and incentives to act in defense of the general peace of the city. Some details they might notice hint at the stirring of something strange, but they will quickly unite in the pursuit of a criminal. Basic mechanics are introduced with skill tests and simple physical and social conflicts. These will allow the Narrator and players to become accustomed to Clockworks basic system, and to learn what everything on the character sheet means in play.

Individual scenes are presented with a brief block of italicized text that can be read or paraphrased to the players. The events of the scene are then described for the Narrator, and any threats or challenges are detailed in stat blocks for easy reference. The scenes in chapters one and three are set in motion by events beyond the characters control and will flow directly into one another sequentially, but those in chapter two will lead in different directions based on player choices. Some Scenes will have relevant information that will already be known by specific characters. In these cases details will be presented as a sidebar in the text for the scene, and Narrators should feel free to remind players of what their character might know.

Reading the Scenes

The grim designs of the bodysnatchers trap the characters in dire circumstances facing a rising of the Pontus. An unexpected, and perhaps unwelcome, ally will present themselves to help them move forward, but also rely on them for aid. Inexplicable and unbelievable events will test their resolve. Multiple skill tests and conflicts will occur as they encounter others caught in the strange events of the night. Player decisions and character actions will lead them through several different mix-and-match scenes as they choose how to react to the dangers in which they find themselves. The way the player characters and non-player characters they encounter work together or fight could give them extra benefits or penalties going into the conclusion of the story.

CHAPtER TwO

THE CItYS FINESt: CHaRactER SELEctION

Six pre-made characters are presented for Idle Hands. They are listed on the final pages of this adventure with full descriptions and character sheets. They may be used in any combination of them can be used to play the scenario. However, depending on the number of players, some character combinations will provide a better balance of capabilities and story options. It is recommended that groups include characters in the following order for their first play-through: 1. Constable Jock Mathieson 2. Constable Alec Dubh 3. Constable Gavin MacLeod 4. Ms. Dora Ramsay 5. Inspector Colum Campbell 6. Dr. Iain Trowbridge Given the events of the story, it is extremely unlikely that any single play through of Idle Hands will cover every scene and event. As a result, subsequent runs with different characters and different choices could lead to very different experiences.

The characters come face-to-face with the root cause of the recent disturbances, and the dangers confronting them and the city are thrown into stark relief. If they flee or falter, even greater terrors might follow. The characters must make a critical decision in which of two threats to face, and whatever they dont address will have consequences for them and the city later. The climactic scene brings the characters into mortal struggle against the remaining criminals and the instigator of their activities, or fighting to quell the Pontus outbreak and prevent it from spreading; they cannot do both. As the story concludes the characters will have glimpsed the deeper struggle going on in the world, and gained allies and enemies already steeped in that conflict. Whether they return to their lives as though nothing happened, or choose delve deeper into the unknown is left unanswered, but could be explored in another story.

CHAPtER THREE

GaVINS GLaMOURS
Here are expanded versions of the glamours rules Minor Illusions: Use a Maneuver to test PRESENcE + GUILE, DIFFIcULtY OF tHE taRgEtS WILL + COMpOSURE. If successful, create an illusion that affects one sense of the target for their next action. Beguile: Before a social conflict begins, spend a point of Ether and choose a target you can see. The targets disposition cannot be worse than Indifferent towards your argument in the next social conflict in that scene.

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The evening of October 6th is dark and blustery and most folk remain indoors. As its a new moon, the only lights are those spilling from windows and the gas lamps flickering along some of the main streets. Sgt. Mathieson and Constable Dubh are two hours into their evening patrol route, snaking among the narrow closes and wynds of the old city flanking the Royal Mile that runs between Edinburgh castle atop the hill and the royal estate at Holyrood Palace at its base. Constable MacLeod is finishing a non-productive, though perfectly enjoyable dinner with Ms. Ramsay at the Saracens Head public house. Dr. Trowbridge and Inspector Campbell are heading down the high street after leaving an appointment at the City Chambers. The characters begin going about their business separately in the environs of the city around the Royal mile, but the events of the first scene will quickly bring them together. Depending on which characters have been chosen, the Narrator may wish to put any and all police characters together, as due to the growing unrest they may have increased patrol sizes as a show of strength to citizens. Ms. Ramsay may well be going to or coming from any number of other social engagements and could happen upon the action and join up with the constables in an effort to get a line on a real story. Dr. Trowbridge could be appended to any other group of police; he would not typically rush to potential danger if given an alternative, but if hes already engaged with the police when danger occurs, he wouldnt outright flee.

Chapter 1 The Butchers Bill

Walking about the hill around the Royal Mile is a cold prospect. Although the day was mild, the wind and misting rain makes being out in the night uncomfortable, even for those in overcoats and hats. Theres little traffic on the street, as the early nightfall and inclement weather keep most folks at home about their business. To get a minute out of the wind and catch a bit of warmth with a few puffs on a pipe, Sgt. Mathieson and Constable Dubh duck off into Fleshmarket Close to take shelter. Even washed by the rain, the street still smells faintly of blood and offal from the several butcher shops and victuallers clustered at the top of the steep cobbled street, leaving it doubly-deserted and a quiet haven for the two policemen. After taking refuge in a door frame and just getting the pipe going, both officers notice the odd sight of a figure trudging up from the base of the hill carefully carrying a small wheelbarrow so it makes no noise on the cobbles, and trying to avoid the few pools of light spilling onto the street. Two doors down from the officers nook, he steps to the door of butcher McFadyens shop, looks about the street for a moment, then taps on the window glass twice. Although the shop is closed and the windows are dark, the door opens a few moments later and the caller enters without a word, barrow and all. The player characters should make a standard perception test: FOcUS + COMpOSURE, DIFFIcULtY 3. Success indicates the observer discerned the person appears to be a man based on his size and gait, and appeared to be trying to hurry even with the risk of falling on the rain- slick cobbles. A Remarkable success (DoS 4+) also reveals the tell-tale shape of a pistol butt at his waist as his coat moves when he knocks on the glass. Characters attempting to sneak up to the shop window can test GRacE + StEaLtH, DIFFIcULtY 0 (the Difficulty is lower as they are aided by the conditions outside). The door is currently locked from the inside. If they go to investigate, they see very little: The shop window has an array of empty hooks and a tiled shelf that would be used to show the days goods, but now all is empty. Even with eyes used to the dark, the interior of the store can barely be made out, save for a bit of flickering light visible from the staircase into the cellar. After two minutes, the light from the stairwell dances wildly and a shot can be heard (no Test necessary). Moments later the figure comes pounding up the stairs with a large and very full sack slung awkwardly over his shoulders. He drops the sack onto his wheelbarrow, rushes to the door and flings it open. The man fleeing is Thomas Corddray, and hes just accidentally killed Mr. McFadyen over the butchers lastminute attempt at price-gouging. The argument had erupted over the sale of a particular human corpse Thomas wanted retrieved from the cemetery. The gun went off in a scuffle. Thomas is terrified that the police will be called because the shot was heard, and will make every effort to escape and make it to his scheduled meeting place with the body in tow. Remind the characters that their first duty is to raise the hue

CHAPtER 1, ScENE 1: FLESHMARKEt CLOSE

and cry, and that they were issued police whistles for this reason. As soon as the whistles are blown, cut to Constable MacLeod and Ms. Ramsay as they are walking out from the Saracens Head around the corner and trying to find a carriage for Ms. Ramsays ride home, then to the Inspector and Dr. Trowbridge, as they walk down the hill. The policemens duty is to rush to a fellow officer in trouble; Ms. Ramsay should be interested to catch a story firsthand, and Dr. Trowbridge would likely want to respond in case anyone is hurt. Even as the other characters come to aid their aid, Sgt. Mathieson and Constable Dubh will have one full conflict Sequence dealing with Thomas before any help arrives. Environment: The cobbles are steep and slippery; any combatant may attempt to knock another off balance with a VIgOR + MELEE tESt, DIFFIcULtY equal to the targets physical defense. A success (DoS 1+) will knock the opponent prone, but this will not reduce Guard or cause a wound. Attacking someone who is prone is an advantageous condition, so that could change Attack Priority. Anyone knocked down can take a maneuver to stand up. Ranged attacks with firearms at any target outside the attackers zone of control are made at a -2 penalty due to the darkness and rain. Thomas is dealt three initiative cards and will use all his efforts to escape. If he is able to act first he will spend his move, maneuver, and action to run. If not acting first he will not react to any actions as he desperately wants to use his

maneuvers to escape. Instead, he will use the alchemical flash powder he has on him with a single GRacE + StREEtWISE tESt; compare the result against the Physical Defense of all people within his zone of control. Anyone Thomas succeeds against with a DoS of 1+ suffer from the Dazed condition until the end of the Sequence. If Thomas is inside the zone of control of the characters at the end of the Sequence he will draw his pistol and threaten to shoot the officers, which should send them scrambling for cover (remind characters that they cant raise their Guard against firearms unless they have cover, so any successful attack will automatically wound them) and give him a chance to run. Observers may make a REaSON + FIREaRMS tESt, DIFFIcULtY 3 to realize the gun is only a single-shot model; if Jock or Alec succeed on the test theyll know he didnt have time to reload it and that it is currently empty. If Thomas is outside the zone of control of the characters at the end of the Sequence it will start a foot chase where everyone is moving at the same speed. Instead of a Sequence, have the characters and Thomas make VIgOR + AtHLEtIcS tEStS, DIFFIcULtY 3. If Thomas scores a higher DoS than everyone chasing him he remains out of reach of his pursuers. Any characters that score a higher DoS than Thomas will catch up to him and can restart a conflict Sequence, though the pursuing character(s) and Thomas will start outside of each others zone of control, so if Thomas goes first hell continue to run away and stay out of reach. If such a Sequence does start, any characters not caught up should only be dealt two initiative cards, as they will need to spend a full activation just to catch up. If Thomas can outrun the pursuers for two consecutive tests he will make it to a crowded tenement building along Southgate moments before them, getting inside and locking the door. PROcEED tO ScENE 2.

Thomas Corddray
Aptitudes
Native Pureblood Thug

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO Guile ________________ OOOOO Streetwise ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Guard

CHaRactER KNOWLEDgE
If Thomas is caught and Gavin MacLeod has a chance to see him clearly, he will recognize him as Thomas Corddray, a fence and sometimes informer that helps traffic stolen goods through the Vaults. The last two times Gavin visited him for information, though, Thomas was unhelpful. Gavin is beginning to suspect he has gotten involved with something dangerous, but didnt have any leads as to what. Any other police characters can make a FOcUS + StREEtWISE tESt, DIFFIcULtY 3 to recall Thomas name and that he had a reputation for acting as a fence. A remarkable success (DoS 4+) will also let them know he sometimes informed to the police.

P H G G

S I I

Dispositions Morale _____________

A A

F F

_____________ H

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Knife 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Ranged Pistol 3 Bleeding (one shot) ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes Flash Powder, overcoat, corpse of Bill Trifle in large sack, ______________________________________________ small wheelbarrow ______________________________________________ Morale: Begins Hostile to surrendering ______________________________________________

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 If Thomas is caught his first instinct is to fight to the last since he knows he faces hanging for his crimes. If the characters subdue him (by working through his Guard and choosing to subdue rather than wound) and then spend an action to handcuff him; he will surrender. If he is not subdued, he will keep fighting until he takes three wounds, then collapse under the weight of his grisly burden and surrender. He will be near hysterical, knowing that hes like to hang if he doesnt die of his wounds first. When subdued or if he suffers 3 wounds, he will say: I had no choice...they, they made me, you have to believe me! It were the only way, they said, we needed to get enough for everyone, so they made me....I didnt want to, I knew it were the devils own work, but...they made me. Dont let me hang! I swear Ill help you swing them that made me do it. Youll find them in auld Nicols basement now...see if ye dont...ah...ah God ...theyve killed me. If Thomas is incapacitated he will go into shock. Characters can make a REaSON + MEDIcINE TESt, DIFFIcULtY 6 to stabilize Thomas, but cannot rouse him to sensibility, getting at best disjointed muttering about his own impending doom. If Thomas is subdued, any police character can get him to spill more information with a success on a single PRESENcE + the players choice of BUREaUcRacY, COMMaND, PaRLEY, OR StREEtWISE tESt, DIFFIcULtY 2 as Thomas is desperate to bargain for his life. If any policeman promises that his cooperation will prevent hanging success is automatic. Thomas will explain: I never meant to kill McTavish...I just went there to buy the--the body. The greedy bastard wouldnt sell it to me for the ten pounds we agreed, tried to twist me on the price. I didnt have time, ysee, Mack said we needed em all tonight, and if I didnt have it, I wasnt in. We got into a scuffle and the gun went off. Why wouldnt he just take the money? Look, look, it was all a mistake, I know that. Ye can get em all, Mack and the rest, theyre all in the Vaults tonight. I dont know how manys they are, but theres at least Mack and two others Ive met. Go to Southgate, just a few doors up from the last nice townhouse and theres a green painted door. Marys the woman who lives there, the entrance is in the cellar. Please, just get em and Ill say whatever ye need me to afore a judge. Please, just dont let me hang. The characters will presumably search Thomas after he is subdued, wounded, or killed, and find 10 pounds worth of crumpled notes and assorted coins, his pistol, an almostempty tin flask with a swallow of cheap gin, and a slip of paper with Oct. 6, Southgate, 3 doors down. Auld Nicols basement. scrawled on it (this is the location for Scene 2).

There is a corpse in a moderate state of decay stuffed in the sack. On a successful test of FOcUS + COMpOSURE or StREEtWISE, DIFFIcULtY 3 any of the police or Ms. Ramsay will recognize the body as that of Bill Trifle, a thief and charlatan of note who was hanged a fortnight ago.

Mary MacTavish
Aptitudes
Native Pureblood Worker

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

As Southgate cuts off from the Royal Mile it quickly descends from the townhouses of the wealthy to the overcrowded tenements of the working poor. Three doors down from the last of the grand townhouses you spy a small patch of light as it flashes out onto the street and vanishes a moment later; and the heavy thud of a door slamming closed greets your arrival at the suspects destination. The rest of the street is deserted, with barely any windows showing even flickers of light through their shutters. Its oddly quiet; even on an unpleasant night such as this you would expect a few folk about, and certainly some indication of activity from the buildings nearby. The thin light of your own lanterns and the steaming of your breath is the sole sign of life. If the players advance to the door that they just saw closed they will find it locked and barred from the inside. Knocking on the door will bring no immediate response. Should they attempt to batter it down it will require two successful tests of VIgOR + AtHLEtIcS, DIFFIcULtY 3, or one remarkable success (DoS 4+). Alternately, a GRacE + BURgLaRY tESt, DIFFIcULtY 5 will jimmy the handle and free the bar, letting you open it normally. As soon as the characters attempt to force the door, or after a failed attempt to unbar it with Burglary, a womans voice will call out and tell them: We dinnae want nae trouble with no one. Please, leave us be. Even without a test its obvious that the woman is tense and upset. She and her family have been browbeaten and threatened by the criminals using the building as an entrance to the Vaults and she fears for her familys safety, but also sees this as a chance to hopefully get rid of the thugs. Her own worry and indecision are what complicates this situation enough to require a full social conflict to get her to cooperate, rather than just a single skill test. If the characters announce that theyre police Mary starts out with an attitude of Indifferent; if they simply demand she open the door with no explanation she starts with an attitude of Guarded and it will be almost impossible for the characters to talk their way in. Many different combinations can be used for the test, depending on the line of argument, but most police characters would use PRESENcE + COMMaND to order the door open on their authority as constables. PRESENcE + PaRLEY could be used to gently persuade the occupant that they have no ill will.

CHAtPER 1, ScENE 2: AULD NIcOLS BASEMENt

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
Guard G G Dispositions Aid the Party _____________ Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Artisan ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO Guile ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

RUNNINg SOcIaL CONFLIct

Remember that because this is a social conflict, the players only have a single Initiative Sequence over the course of the scene to attempt to make their arguments. Anyone working towards the same goal (e.g. convincing the occupant to open the door) makes tests to assist each other as part of the same initiative action. The benefit to this is that so long as any of them succeed, it will improve their targets disposition by one step; this protects against missed opportunities for successes or grievous failures (DoS -4 or less) dropping the disposition back towards Hostile and risking an early end to the conflict. Allow players the chance to speak in character, help and reinforce one anothers positions, and interact with the unseen resident. Good roleplaying can be rewarded with a +1 bonus on players tests. Checks should happen quickly, though, as this is a tense and time-sensitive situation, especially if Thomas managed to escape in the first scene.

P 2 H G G I I

A A

F F

_____________ H

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Kitchen Knife _____ 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

If the characters convince her to open the door willingly she directs them to the basement to where a shelf conceals a hole in the brickwork that leads into the cellar of the building next door. Ms. MacTavish will also tell them that starting back in July a man she never met before approached her and offered her two pounds up front and then 2 shillings a month to let he and others use her flat as an entrance into the Vaults. She needed the money and so so let them start, but since getting the initial two pounds they havent paid, and instead have beaten her once and have turned to threats that if theyre ever caught theyll name her an accomplice in any of their crimes. She doesnt know names, but says shes seen at least six different men, so the characters have to catch all of them or shell have hell to pay. If the characters force the door she wont provide any details, and will briefly protest that she doesnt know whats going on, but will then direct them to the basement. A quick search of the tiny basement turns up a meager store of food and some baskets of cloth scraps as well as some broken furniture. A successful FOcUS + INVEStIgatION tESt, DIFFIcULtY 1, or FOcUS + COMpOSURE tESt, DIFFIcULtY 3 reveals that a shelf along the wall opposite the staircase has scuff marks around it on the floor, and that the brickwork along the left side doesnt match the rest of the cellar; the case swings open to reveal a hole through the wall that leads into another basement.

DISpOSItIONS
This is a good opportunity to remind or instruct players what various Dispositions entail: Hostile indicates that they refuse to listen to or engage with an argument in any way. In many circumstances, being openly Hostile is a social faux pas. Guarded indicates that they are mistrustful and will challenge the position, but are willing to listen and may be persuaded with strong arguments. Indifferent indicates the character has no strong feeling or conviction to either agree with or oppose the position being argued. Agreeable indicates sympathy and growing agreement that could come around to the position with some light persuasion. Favorable indicates a character broadly agrees with the position and only needs a bit more certitude to determine how best to put the position into practice. Once someone is at Favorable the person making the argument can make a penetrating attack which can Convince them to hold a belief, or Persuade them to pursue a given course of action.

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The shelves swing out on a concealed hinge to show a gaping hole thats been knocked through the brickwork. Bringing up a lantern to peer in reveals it opens onto another cellar mostly filled with earth and rocks. A trapdoor that would lead into the building above has had a bar and lock attached to its underside, preventing anyone from coming down. Another hole has been broken into the wall opposite you and shored up with beams. A tunnel angles down into darkness. Both Alec Dubh and Inspector Campbell can test REaSON + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 3, to piece together that the area theyre heading into is the site of the former home of Nicol Edwards, Lord Provost of Edinburgh during the reign of King James. He is a man with a dark reputation even two-hundred years after his death: he had his wife exiled for shouting at him in public, and was rumored to have buried the bodies of the suspected witches that he personally tortured in the basement of his home along with a fortune in gold and silver. PROcEED tO tHE OpENINg ScENE OF cHaptER 2.

Chapter 2: The Hollow Hill OPENING ScENE: AN UNEXPEctED RESURREctION

Descending into the cramped, earthen tunnel you are struck by an unwholesome musty stink permeating the air. As the passage winds downwards you are forced into a shuffling half-crawl, making the lanterns almost useless as your bodies block the light. You hear the sounds of shouting and scuffling ahead, and as you round a final bend and emerge from the cramped tunnel you step into a scene out of some nightmare. An once-grand but now partially-collapsed room is picked out in wildly flickering lantern-light. Corpses are laid out in a line atop a long trestle table by one wall, and a knot of combatants is locked in a desperate fight in the center of the room: two men in the distinctive dark longcoats of the Witchfinders against two others in threadbare working clothes, with one more in plainclothes down and dying from a suppurating wound to the chest. With a curse one shabby combatant ducks back from the melee to snatch up a bloody bag and a pistol from the table strewn with bodies. He levels the pistol at the Witchfinders; the echo in the closed space makes it roar, and one of them drops to the ground with a cry. His companion steps in front of him defensively, but the two in plainclothes disengage and rush off through a doorway behind them, taking potshots back into the room to cover their retreat. The uninjured Finder shouts Stop! In the name of the Queen, Stop! but its unclear if hes shouting at you or his fleeing foes. Players have just come in on the tail end of a conflict between members of the gang Thomas was working with and a group of Witchfinders in service to the crown. Make it clear to the players that the other combatants have fled and they wont be able to immediately catch them as they have several move actions head start, but they can start an Initiative Sequence if they want. The standing Witchfinder is Canon Alder, and the Witchfinder that was just shot is Rowan Star. Canon Alder will call on the characters to stand down and render aid as required of all citizens by the Act to Reform the Bailiffs of the Star Chamber of 1648. His immediate priority is to stabilize Rowan. After that, he will instruct the characters to wait in this area while he pursues those who fled. He will brook no argument on this; he invokes his rights as an agent of the Crown, and insists that a pair of already-injured criminals are well within his powers to apprehend. Leaving to continue pursuit, Canon Alder says: Theres something deeper stirring here; Rowan, confirm with the officers if they know the bodies to be from criminals, but I think theyre using them for hands of glory, which cant be good for anyone.

THE WItcHFINDERS
Since the mid-1600s the British crown has maintained special bailiffs of the royal court to deal with magical and supernatural occurrences. The Witchfinders originally worked primarily to deal with those suspected of witchcraft and sorcery, but have also come to be involved with investigating and responding to outbreaks of Pontus events. Witchfinders are officers of the crown and are granted extraordinary legal authority which lets them command assistance from any subject of the Empire. Typically this is used to enjoin cooperation with inquiries or provide room and board, but can also extend to dragooning people to assist them with more dangerous work. Witchfinders demands of cooperation from the characters are legally mandated and failure to assist could result in being fired from the police force and/or criminal charges. During their service Witchfinders give up their names and any connections and communication with their family, lest they expose themselves and others to supernatural risks. Teams are assigned names for the duration of a period of service - trees were used here. Canons are all religious scholars, primarily drawn from Cambridge. Stars come from some other branch of civil service, but are most often drawn from regiments with royal patronage and proudly bear the reference to the Star Chamber, the personal royal court of inquiry. Finders are often possessed of special gear and equipment, and their distinctive peaked hats and leather longcoats are alchemically treated to give them extraordinary protection. Narrators can add almost any gear they see fit to the basic list of accoutrements provided.

Rowan Star will instruct some of the characters to keep watch by the tunnel the criminals fled down, and the rest to begin preparing the bodies for eventual removal by bringing them over towards the tunnel they just came through. The corpses are all in varying states of decomposition, with bloated and weeping flesh, and have a sickening stench coming from them. Strikingly, each one is missing one of their hands, with a series of strange symbols lightly cut into the skin of the arm above the point of amputation. Testing FOcUS + MEDIcINE, DIFFIcULtY 2, reveals that the cuttings and separation all occurred post-mortem. Testing REaSON + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 3, affords some recognition of the symbols used as excerpts from Solomonic seals. Remarkable successes (DoS 4+) reveal them to be invocations and bindings for spirits of greed and darkness. If asked about how the Finders entered, Rowan will smirk and say We used a door that used to be here, but only Alder has the key. They entered using a magical ritual that allowed them to bypass the sealed entrance in the previous chamber, but it cannot be replicated without Alder to perform the rite. After several minutes of conversation have the characters test FOcUS + COMpOSURE, DIFFIcULtY 3. Anyone who succeeds will notice that one of the corpses seemed to twitch. Nothing will happen with that corpse, but one of the others will make a more noticeable motion (no check required) a moment later. Read to the players: Rowans eyes grow wide and his voice quickly raises to a shout no no No, NO! Not now damnit! All of you, on your feet and help me up, we have to get out of here and get to Alder. The Pontus rises! Even as he speaks-against all reason-the corpses begin moving. A few spastic moments are spent lurching upright, but with frightening quickness new life and coordination animates the festering bodies and they begin moving towards you. We cant fight our way past, theres almost nothing we can do to slow them, and theyre ungodly strong. Our only hope is to get away for now and try to find Alder, he can help set things right before this spreads. Into the Vaults! GO! If the characters attempt to engage the corpses over Rowans objections, he will continue shouting at them to flee and find Alder, but he will try to provide them with an opportunity to escape by engaging with the dead so long as any other characters remain engaged as well. The Witchfinder is a skillful fighter, but even if he werent wounded hed be no match for the risen dead on his own. Make all attacks from the corpses target Rowan until he is killed, which could well be a single Sequence since Rowan will start with a Guard of 3 and will lose the ability to act if he takes an additional wound (He will die immediately if his total wound penalties exceed -10). If he falls, the mob of corpses will spend the following action ripping him to pieces. This fight should be described in ghastly detail to help dissuade the characters from trying to combat the dead head-on.

ALEcS WaRNINg
All nephilim bear an incredible benefit of their angelic heritage: near immortality. They may die in any number of horrible ways, but will always return to life with one less wound three days after they die. However, as all nephilim are descended from the fallen Grigori, their birthright is also debased. Each naphil has one substance or circumstance - their Bane - that can kill them permanently. Exposure to a Bane is incredibly risky, as even a touch can cause excruciating pain and greivous injuries. Alec Dubh is a naphil that doesnt fully understand her background. Shes already died once, yet doesnt understand her protection from normal death, but she also doesnt know her Bane or the risk is poses. As soon as shes in the presence of the Witchfinders she feels an icy dread unlike any shes ever felt before. Pass a note or discreetly tell the player running Alec about the unfocused terror she suddenly feels; keeping this knowledge secret from other players at the table will help drive the experience for all. Alec doesnt - and shouldnt - find out what it is during this adventure, but one of the many oddities the Finders are carrying is her bane. The feeling persists as long as she is in near either of the Finders, but lessens when she is only with one or the other.

HaND OF GLORY
A successful REaSON + StREEtWISE tESt, DIFFIcULtY 7, or a REaSON + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 3 will let the character know that a hand of glory is a grisly totem believed to give thieves and sneaks protection in their endeavors by dulling the senses of guards and causing others around the scene of their crimes to fall into a deep stupor. They are allegedly created with a ritual performed on the night of a new moon requiring the severed hand of someone hanged for thievery. The fetishs power is activated by lighting the fingers, which burn like candles, and it will persist so long as its user keeps it lit and carries it with them. If asked, Rowan will only indicate that a hand of glory is a disgusting relic created by lost and deluded men, and that if anyone who would seek one is a threat to any community in which they hide.

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RUNNINg ScENES WItHIN tHE VaULtS

As the characters attempt to make their way deeper into the Vaults there are several paths open to them, and how long they spend working through the underground should be managed by the Narrator. If the characters are taking their time and following physical clues of passage - disturbed dirt, clear paths, and operating doors - everyone working to track can test FOcUS + INVEStIgatION, DIFFIcULtY 2, to stay on the trail. Since those characters will be cooperating, so long as one test is successful, they can track their quarry reliably and directly. Run two scenes - Here and There and one other of the Narrators choice for a standard game of about 4 hours. Alternately, if the characters are not following the trail, deviate from the path, or if everyone is having a great time and the characters remain relatively free of wounds, Narrators may wish to continue and can include more of the scenes described below or others of their own devising.

If the characters take Rowans advice and flee he will stop moving once clear of the immediate threat, and briefly explain: Weve no time to go into all the whys and wherefores, but you need to know that right now its simply the nature of dead flesh to move. Theres no thought behind it, they feel no pain, and need to be taken completely to pieces to be destroyed. We need to get to Alder so we can try to put a stop to the Rising thats causing it. Keep moving, lest they catch up with us, but be careful, as theres like to be more strangeness below. PROcEED tO VaULt ScENE A. If the characters stay and fight to the point that there are 5 or more wounds between all characters before either fleeing or defeating the dead proceed by running only the vault scenes A Here and There and B The Lost and the Lonely then move on to Chapter 3. If the characters fought and defeated the dead and lost Rowan, most of his accoutrements were ruined during his grisly death: the most they can salvage are some coins, his badge of office, sword, gun, and ammunition.

5 Mutilated Corpses
Aptitudes
Outsider Corpses

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Rowan Star
Aptitudes

Native Pureblood Witchfinder

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
Guard G G G Dispositions Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
Guard G G G Dispositions Potential

Physical OOOOO -4 Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO Investigation ________________ OOOOO Medicine ________________ OOOOO Tactics ________________ OOOOO Parley
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

The Vaults are a confusing and chaotic place at the best of times, and the Pontus outbreak is distorting the normal constants of the world, making the normally arduous attempt to navigate them infinitely worse. Although in truth the characters are working their way through a straightforward series of rooms with infrequent physical danger, they will be suffering through strange disruptions in themselves and their surroundings that they must either overcome through mental and emotional effort on their own, or through teamwork and cooperation to compensate for one another. Although these can all be bested reliably with time, the biggest threat comes from the pursuing dead, so if progress stalls, let characters hear the shuffle and thud of their approach drawing nearer to help keep the tension present and motivate them onwards. Spread out these effects between each scene by applying one effect at a time to the entire party: once now, and then once between each subsequent scene as directed in that scene (so, one would apply now, one after the first scene used, etc). Specific maps are not provided for these encounters as they can be applied at any point in the trip through the Vaults. Using description alone helps reinforce the sense of confusion and distress that the characters are trying to work through. If the players dont find these distortions to be a credible threat or hindrance, Narrators may wish to introduce some additional element of risk by applying them in areas with some other physical danger for poor navigation such as a narrow walkway or ledge, or during one of the other scenes with an encounter; this works especially well with the scene Beasts and Bogies. However, beware of creating a situation that is too complex to run smoothly. Choose or randomly determine which effect the characters encounter, then read them the opener and the relevant text below. If randomly selecting the effects, draw a card and compare the Card Number in the upper right to the list below: Card Number Result 1: All characters are overwhelmed with crippling fear and lose one point of Purpose 2-25: Unnatural Angles 26-50: Dilation 51-75: Compression 76-99: Impenetrable Darkness 100: No effect All effects are very localized at this point; each character will navigate through them with two successful tests as listed in each entry. Rushing deeper into the Vaults plunges you further into a fever dream:

VAULt ScENE A: HERE AND tHERE

BaD BLOOD
If the Unnatural Angles effect comes up it will only apply to Alec Dubh and Gavin MacLeod, and will be an immediate sign that something is terribly wrong, not just with the environment, but with the characters themselves. The Witchfinder will immediately be suspicious of both, and closely watch them for any indication they are ritualists, sorcerers, or possessed of any supernatural abilities. Gavins small amount of faerie blood is of little consequence, especially since he has almost no talent for glamours. Alec is at risk if she reveals her death and resurrection, or her ability to gain skills or memories by tasting flesh and blood, as the Finders are wary of nephilim at the best of times. If she does so in a way that helps the Finders, they will accept it out of necessity, but warily. The very shape and position of objects around you warps and twists violently, and each step sends you reeling as walls, floor, ceiling, and your compatriots are displaced to new and strange relations. This is a mental effect that will not impact any character with a Native Integration (p. 4) as the Pontus outbreak is attempting to influence the characters directly and those that are in their proper place in the Clockwork benefit from its protection. Anyone with an Integration status of Emigre will be subject to the effect for no more than three rounds. Those with a status of Outsider will be subject to the effect indefinitely for the scene until the effect is resolved by succeeding three times the test outlined below. Normal spatial relations are meaningless, and each step forward seems to turn in a different direction. To proceed normally, characters must succeed testing REaSON + AtHLEtIcS, DIFFIcULtY 3. Failure results in them aimlessly flailing about and making no progress.

UNNatURaL ANgLES

P 10 S G G I I

P G G

S I I

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

Every motion slows to a crawl as it must cover vast gulfs of time and space. Your fingers are miles long, and each step ahead of you must cross continents. The exit that was steps away from you a moment ago now lies on the distant horizon, and will take lifetimes to reach. The act of coordinating body motion while under this effect is daunting: any progress through this area requires a successful test of FOcUS + INtUItION, DIFFIcULtY 2. Tests for any action that requires fine dexterity or coordination, such as manipulating an accoutrement, tying a rope, or combat, is almost impossible, and has its difficulty increased by 5.

DILatION

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Flailing Limbs _____ 3 Touch ____________ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Cannot use Initiative Cards to react or interrupt. ______________________________________________ Wound penalties are -1, instead of -2. Immune to all ______________________________________________ social conflict. Large: +1 available Avenue of Attack ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Sword 3 Bleeding Close ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Ranged Pistol (6 shots) _____ 3 Bleeding ____________ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes Wounded: -4 penalty on all Tests, cannot take Maneuvers. ______________________________________________ Accoutrements: Witchfinder Leathers(Ar. 2), sword, pistol ______________________________________________ 2 sets handcuffs, rank 1 and 2 ritual reagents, electric torch ______________________________________________

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As you step forward the walls and ceiling begin to pulse and bulge outwards towards you, attempting to close the way forward. Your only hope is to rush ahead, lest you be trapped here and crushed. The structures and objects around the characters are pressing in on them. Moving at all requires testing either VIgOR + AtHLEtIcS or GRacE + AtHLEtIcS tESt, DIFFIcULtY 2. Success lets them move forward slowly, as they are squeezing through the bulging, putty-like masses of the walls, floor, and ceiling. Failure has them crushed and suffocated, and applies a -2 penalty on the next check. If they fail 3 tests they can no longer proceed under their own power, and are utterly immobilized, and automatically suffer one wound. Having another character push or drag them physically from the room with a successful test of VIgOR + AtHLEtIcS, DIFFIcULtY 3, is the only way to free them. The effect will persist for several minutes, and then irregularly subside for a few rounds before recurring.

COMpRESSION

2 Lost Wretches
Aptitudes

Native Pureblood Unfortunates

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
Guard G G Dispositions Morale _____________ Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Athletics ________________ OOOOO Guile ________________ OOOOO Intuition ________________ OOOOO Streetwise ________________ OOOOO Survival ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

If the characters try to calm the wretches down and get information from them there is the potential for more beneficial interactions: begin a social conflict. For a reminder of what various Dispositions mean, see p. 27. The Vault-dwellers begin with a disposition of Guarded, as they are justifiably frightened by the strange events afoot. If the characters approach the conversation calmly and try to reassure them or otherwise offer assistance to the wretches they benefit from a +1 bonus on their tests. As the characters improve the Dispositions of the Vaultdwellers, they will be provided with additional information: Indifferent: the unfortunates will tell them of their confused flight to this spot after their usual shelter Got passing queer. We was sitting, and started hearing summat strange. Of a sudden, it sounded as if a hundred church bells were booming inside our heads. It were so loud it drove us half-mad and we fled. Agreeable: they tell the characters This is the worst weve ever seen...there have always been uncanny things ye hear about, and some ye find yersel, but theyve been getting worse the last few weeks, since those strange men started mucking about down ere. Favorable: they reveal I dont...I should keep to meself, but since theyve been coming round theyve driven us and other folk out. The chambers they took over near Southgate are where we used tae stay, and it was a fine spot, living in a lords old home, with a fireplace an all. Theyve stirred sommat up, havent they? Penetrating Attack: If the characters manage to succeed on a penetrating attack to convince the wretches to render aid, Mary will tell the characters shes seen at least six different men, though one of them only once, and he seemed to be directing the others. John will offer to guide the characters towards where the strangers have been spending most of their time the past two weeks, though he wont actually go in himself as hes afraid hell be killed if anyone finds out hes helped the characters. PROcEED IMMEDIatELY tO CHaptER 3 WItH NO FURtHER PONtUS EFFEctS OR OtHER ScENES. Hostile: If the characters drop the wretches disposition to Hostile at any point during the social conflict it immediately ends; John brandishes his knife and yells at them that hell hear no more and they should be on their way. If the characters continue it will result in a physical conflict. Should the characters assail the unfortunates the wretches will be quickly overwhelmed, but provide no additional information. THE
cHaRactERS WILL ENcOUNtER ONE aDDItIONaL

For a moment it appears that youve come to a dead end as the passage youre in ends abruptly at the site of an old collapse, but after a few moments search you find that you can scramble up the rubble and move through the breach into an adjacent room. The space beyond is cold and still, a bare stone room with an imposing metal door fitted in one wall. A pile of metal in one corner may once have been a length of chain, but its now rusted to uselessness. The brittle remnants of a rust-eaten metal brazier lay in the middle of the floor and soot stains the walls and ceiling; a tiny grate above might have served to let out the smoke. In one corner a large cabinet of some kind is partially visible beneath a rotting sheet, surrounded by dark stains on the floor. As the characters enter the room have them each test FOcUS + INtUItION, DIFFIcULtY 1. Anyone who succeeds feels a sense of foreboding and malevolence. Those who succeed with Remarkable success (DoS 4+) also feel a separate and distinct sense of loneliness and fear. Anyone who fails with a Remarkable failure (DoS -4 or lower) instead begins feeling angry and distrustful of others. Regardless of success or failure on the Test, characters will begin having unsettling sensory hallucinations: the faintest echo of a scream, the splash of blood on stone, the hiss or smell of burning flesh, phantom heat as though they suddenly stepped in front of a fire, and the like. In the initial moments of inspection it becomes apparent that the door is locked from the other side, though the frame itself is old and ill-maintained enough that it should be possible to break it down. If anyone attempts to investigate the object under the sheet, or at the first attempt to open the door, read the following: Your lanterns gutter for a moment, and in the gloaming darkness you see the outline of a young woman begin to take shape in the center of the room. As her form comes more fully into focus the room likewise grows oppressively hot, and the air tastes thick and sooty. The figures visage is that of a plain woman, but almost imperceptibly you see flickers of another, ravaged face as though through cracks in a mask. She appears to be wearing little better than rags, but even they have holes, cuts, and dark stains appear and vanish across them. Even as you steel yourselves for some new horror a pure, sweet voice speaks out. Help me. Please, please you have tae help me. Dinnae leave me here wi him. Please. Help me, Im alone here and I cannae escape. Rowans voice cuts through hers. Ignore it, all of it. It is a memory, an echo stirred up by the Rising, no different than the other strangeness weve already come through. Work on getting through the door. The door can be knocked down, but will require several minutes of effort and using the rubble to batter it out of its frame. Using brute force doesnt require a successful test, but does take time and makes a great deal of noise. Alternately, the lock can be picked by successfully testing GRacE + BURgLaRY, DIFFIcULtY 5. A test can be made once for every 5 minutes of effort.

VAULt ScENE C: THE DEAD AND DAMNED

P 2 H G G I I

A A

F F

H Aid the party _____________

As you look ahead the world washes to black and white for an instant, then a surging tide of darkness boils up from nothing and envelopes you. Even if you look to where the lantern was you see nothing more than the faint twinkle of a distant star, illuminating nothing. While so afflicted, nothing will provide sufficient illumination to see. Characters can attempt to physically grab hold of one another and stay together (though this may cause other difficulties if other effects are in play). They may test FOcUS + COMpOSURE, DIFFIcULtY 2, to remember their approximate position in the room and how they need to move to get to the exit or entrance. Alternatively, they can attempt to feel their way through their environment carefully by testing either GRacE + AtHLEtIcS or GRacE + INVEStIgatION, DIFFIcULtY 2. Witchfinder Rowan, if he lives, will tell the characters that Pontus uprisings can cause impossible things to happen. This is permanent, and can spread if not corrected. Its urgent that Alder is found as soon as possible and a ritual begun that will halt the spread, lest effects like this cascade throughout the Vaults and threaten the city above.

IMpENEtRaBLE DaRKNESS

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Small Knife 1 Bleeding Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Morale: Begins as Agreeable towards fleeing, shifts one ______________________________________________ towards Favorable every time a Wound is suffered. ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

trying to remain hidden behind a pillar. One of them sees you, and calls out shakily,Stay where ye are and leave us be. Theres some madness about tonight, and Ill have nought from ye. The two huddling in the niche ahead are some of the otherwise-homeless working poor that use the Vaults as refuge from the elements and landlords both. The Pontus outbreak is centered in this general area of the Vaults, but has also occurred elsewhere, and these two have fled here to seek refuge. They are both frightened and unsure of whats going on right now, but have valuable information that could aid the characters if they are successfully engaged. Have the characters test REaSON + INtUItION, DIFFIcULtY 1: anyone who succeeds realizes the speakers feel threatened by the characters unexpected arrival. Pushing them will likely make them snap. If Rowan is alive and with the characters hell share that his injuries are tiring him and he cant present himself forcefully. Hell instruct the characters to tell those ahead to aid them or stand aside with a Presence + Command test. If the characters attempt this and are successful, the wretches offer no resistance and stand aside so long as there are no real or perceived threats to their safety in doing so. The characters will travel onward and encounter another Pontus event as described in Scene 2, then proceed to Chapter 3, Scene 1.

After pushing through the strange distortions you come back to normality in a narrow defile between two walls, long ago arched over. Shuffling along the narrow path your clothes are stained and dampened from the nitre coating the structures. You welcome the gradual widening of the path as it breaks into a series of small groined arches, but as you begin to hope the way ahead is clear you note a dim light being quickly covered, and a faint sobbing. A pair of hunched figures is visible ahead,

VAULt ScENE B: THE LOSt AND LONELY

PONtUS

EFFEct, tHEN pROcEED tO

CHaptER 3.

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The shade is one of Lord Nicols torture victims, Anne Lewis. She was accused of witchcraft and Lord Nicol had her taken here and he put her to the question himself. Anne died of the grievous injuries she suffered, but by the time she passed she had become so maddened by her fear and hatred of Lord Nicol that her soul has remained trapped here, and has become a shade. The only way for her spirit to move on and find rest is if the room itself and the objects within it are destroyed, and she will use her sad tale to being a social conflict in the attempt to elicit the characters aid and convince them to help her. She is completely immaterial and cannot be effected by any physical means, so there is nothing the characters can do to avoid her while trying to get through the door. Characters should choose their starting disposition based on whether or not they feel any sympathy for her and are even willing to listen. Rowan begins the exchange at Hostile. Characters can choose their dispositions freely. For a reminder of what various Dispositions mean, see p. 27.

Anne Lewis
Aptitudes
Outsider Shade

Threat
Skills & Traits

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
Guard Dispositions Potential

Penalty

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Guile ________________ OOOOO Mysteries ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

P
_____________ H _____________ H

S I I

G G

A A

F F

SHaDES
You may read or paraphrase to any characters who succeed a test of REaSON + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 4. If no characters succeed, Rowan will use some of this information in his arguments to them to ignore the shades pleading. SHADES Greek , Latin umbra The whole of a person is made up of both a body and a soul. The teachings of the Church tell us that upon death the soul departs to dwell elsewhere while the body decays, but that the two shall be united and made perfect on the Last Day. However, not every soul travels to its intended resting place. There are instances where the souls of the dead refuse to leave the mortal realm until they have attended to some unresolved trauma. These remnant souls are called Shades. They are half of a person, mere shadows of a complete self, which are tethered to this world by their attempts to resolve what they could not in life. Having no physical body and only half a mind, they often lack both the means and sanity to complete their tasks, hence they often manipulate the living for aid. However, Shades all too often lose sight of what would actually complete them, instead falling to the lure of revenge, the sating of desires, and other, baser cravings. The result is that most Shades, once tethered to the moral realm, never find the resolution that would allow them to leave. Instead, they are driven further and further into insanity as they grasp at straws in attempts to release themselves, and end up dragging many a mortal down into misery with them.

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Sad Tale 2 Undone Voice ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Area: Extended Visage of Terror _____ 2 ____________ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes "Visage of Terror" requires 1 point of Ether to use. ______________________________________________ Immaterial: cannot be engaged physically ______________________________________________ Tethered: cannot leave the room where she dwells ______________________________________________

menace lurking in the room, as if the mere discussion of Lord Nicol is enough to endanger them all. Rowan will be arguing against all of this, urging the characters to ignore her tale and help him batter the door down. If Anne succeeds on her test it will increase anyones disposition towards Favorable; if Rowan succeeds on his PRESENcE + COMMaND test, it will push their disposition towards Hostile. If Anne succeeds with a DoS of 4+ and is able to place a condition, she can substitute anything drawn with Undone instead, which will change her targets disposition by two steps. Her second action will be to plead with the characters to destroy her prison, referring to both the room the characters are now in which was the scene of her torture, as well as the cabinet in the corner that holds her mortal remains. All the characters need do is collapse the walls further and the room should be filled in. Any character can test REaSON + ENgINEERINg, DIFFIcULtY 3 to see that it would be fairly simple work to bring the room down, but its also obvious that doing so would have a potentially devastating effect on the structure of the Vaults around it, and it would be almost impossible to plan or execute safely. A much more arduous process would be to fill in the room with earth, which poses no risk to the Vaults, but would be a very difficult task to perform. Rowan will continue to berate anyone thats giving credence to the shades request. If after two actions the shade has not improved any listeners Disposition to Amenable or better, she will spend her last activation working herself into a screaming rant that they will suffer a worse fate than she, and attack them with her Visage of Terror ability which manifests as her spectral image rapidly and grotesquely displaying the mutilation she suffered during her torture, then vanishing completely from view. Even after disapparating, her voice will continue to scream incoherently in pain and madness until the characters leave the room. Ye are monsters, monsters all! As bad as the deil Nicol himself. See, see what Auld Nic has done to me, and what I will do to ye until I find peace! As she shouts at you, ragged strips peel from the flesh of her arms, her hair is ripped to bloody stubble, and the sickly-sweet smell of burned meat overwhelms you as you see her feet and legs blister, swell, and burst. Her form is bent double as bands of ghostly metal enclose her, and compress her in ways that would cripple anyone. The cage shrinks and her screams become ever more cacophonous until her tormented image disappears in a flash of blinding light. The smell of her blood and terror coils in your nostrils, and her piteous shrieking rings in your ears. A viscous puddle of gelid blood begins leaking out from the base of the shrouded cabinet in the corner, oozing towards you even as you redouble your efforts to batter down the door and escape. If the shade convinces someone to promise to help her, or if a character promises to help her regardless of whether theyve been convinced, Annes shade begins

weeping tears of joy and the room immediately returns to the same damp chill as the rest of the Vaults, and the sense of unease is replaced by one of peace. The ghostly form seems whole for a moment, and moves to hover inches away from the promisor, saying Thank ye, kind heart, for the care ye spare for me. Ive been all alone with him...for so long I almost lost all hope. The pain, ye see, its...a hard thing...but I dont have to bear that alone any longer. Thank ye. With that the shade leans forward and kisses your forehead. In that instant you see the chamber as it is for her, the brazier filled with smoking embers, heating cruel goads and brands; the bloodstained chains glistening on the wall, the cabinet displaying all the finely-made flensing knives, and little jars of teeth, and hair, and fingernails from other victims. And there, in the cupboard space in the bottom, the cruel metal cage with a broken, bleeding young girl bent double and staring into your eyes with a beatific smile on her split lips and shattered teeth. Thank ye. Ill be waiting. The door unlocks and the characters can leave freely. As soon as theyre outside the room Rowan barks You bloody fool! As if all werent bad enough now well like have to get an exorcism as well. For a lark, try doing as I tell you next time. CONtINUE ON tO CHaptER 3.

VAULt ScENE D: BEAStS AND BOGIES

Before starting this scene have the character(s) taking point test FOcUS + COMpOSURE, DIFFIcULtY 2 to attempt to notice faint scuttling and animal noises coming from the room that opens up at the end of the tight passage they are moving through. Remarkable successes (DoS 4+) will reveal that there are two distinct but intermingled types of noises: quick, high-pitched scratching and squeaking noises and intermittent snuffling noises at a lower register. The noises stop as soon as the characters light is visible. Coming to the end of the cramped passage, you draw up short as the lantern-light flashes into the room ahead and reveals a sickening sight. A mass of rats crawl and swarm over and around each other in a writhing mound in the middle of the floor, seemingly locked in some vicious struggle amongst themselves. As soon as they are aware of the light they begin churning towards you, not as individual vermin, but as crude amalgams of flesh and fur, each composed of near a dozen rats apiece. As they pull away, you see the rat-things were swarming over the misshapen husk of dog that now stands, its oversized jaws slavering viscous drool and its torn and bleeding body undulating with bulges sliding beneath rents in its skin as rodents still burrow within it. Coming upon such an unexpected, revolting sight, combined with the strain of recent events brings the characters up short when they are first confronted with these

Tactics: Anne uses her first action to tell of her false accusation and torture by the monstrous Lord Nicol. Even after starving her, depriving her of sleep, burning and mutilating her hands and feet, and her frequent protestations that she would say anything he wanted to get it to stop, he kept asking her for the truth. Lord Nicol didnt care what she said, it was never enough to make him stop. During this dialogue, the characters themselves feel a growing sense of

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abominations. Have all characters test WILL + COMpOSURE or WILL + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 2. If they are successful, they overcome their shock with no further effect. Anyone who fails will be dealt one fewer initiative card for the first Sequence, as it takes them a moment to come to their senses after their initial revulsion. Anyone who grievously fails (DoS -4 or worse) will additionally suffer the Disoriented condition. The condition will be resolved and removed automatically at the end of the first Sequence just like any other temporary condition. If there are 4 or fewer characters playing, or characters are already wounded, run the encounter with 3 rat amalgams and 1 afflicted canine. If there are 5 or more characters, run 3 rat amalgams and 2 afflicted canines. THE aNtagONISt SHEEtS FOR tHE Rat aMaLgaM aND aFFLIctED caNINE caN BE FOUND ON pagES 40 aND 41 RESpEctIVELY. Tactics: The rat amalgams should attack first and will all attack the same character, if able, and continue to do so until they are incapacitated. The dog(s) will attack a

different character than the rats, and react to that characters actions whenever possible. The beasts will not use any more sophisticated tactics than these, and are killed outright when their Threat is reduced to 0. AFtER tHE FIgHt cONcLUDES, tHE cHaRactERS SUFFER aNOtHER PONtUS EFFEct tHEN pROcEED tO CHaptER 3.

After surviving the effects of the Pontus outbreak, the characters will find Alder and have the chance to risk life and limb to provide vital assistance to him by stopping a greater threat than any of them previously realized, or retreat back into the Vaults to try to quell the upwelling before it spreads, but there isnt time for both. The Witchfinders themselves are of a split opinion, and will need the characters support to succeed in either endeavor, so they must decide - quickly - how best to serve the city. If Rowan is alive and with the party, read below: The room you come to seems to be a dead end; the floor before you slants down at an angle, ending in a jagged hole where it partially collapsed in the corner. The sharp scents of blood and gunpowder hang in the air. A strong voice calls up from the hole Come at me if you will, and Ill send you to eternity! Rowan gestures to hold steady and breathes a sigh of relief. Rowan says, Are you done lazing about and writing your Sunday sermon yet Alder? Get up here, weve work to do. Theres a Rising and its like to worsen if we dont stop it now. Canon Alder then emerges from the hole in the corner, his leathers spattered in blood and filth. Now that you can get a proper look at him hes shorter and stockier than his partner, but has a more authoritative carriage. As he comes up into the room and crosses towards you its evident hes favoring his right leg, and his britches shine wetly below a bloody cloth tied round a cut in the thigh. Theres work, indeed, yet it lies below. Its been a hot chase, and they almost took me in an ambush. I needed to patch up a bit before continuing on, but they shouldnt be much further ahead. Rising or no, interrupting these bodysnatchers is our task and duty; if the disturbance in the Vaults is a serious breach, as you say, itll take more than just me to place a proper ward anyway. Were best served by ending the corpsethieves and getting back above to put out a call for proper aid. Alder turns to you. Were in no shape to handle either alone; I need you to come with me to round up the bodysnatchers. If they make any Hands of Glory, this is only the start of the trouble theyll cause. True, Rowan counters, but thats a future worry when you all know theres present danger spreading through the Vaults. If we dont put a stop to it now it definitely will get worse. Mark me, this is only the start of it. Both Witchfinders turn to go, each expecting you to follow.

Chapter 3: The Devils Playground

If Rowan is dead or incapacitated, read below. The room you come to seems to be a dead end; the floor before you slants down at an angle, ending in a jagged hole where it partially collapsed in the corner. You hear the crack of a pistol shot ring out from below and a heavy thud. The sharp scents of blood and gunpowder cut through the damp air. A familiar voice solemnly states Forgive them Father, they know not what they do. It seems youve found Canon Alder at last. After announcing yourselves, the Witchfinder calls you over to the collapse, which you can now see opens into a slanting natural cave. Canon Alder is seated on a shelf of rock, his leathers spattered in gore. Now that you can get a proper look at him, hes shorter and stockier than his partner, but has a more authoritative carriage. His britches shine wetly below a gash cut in the thigh, which he bandages while you tell him your tale of the events above. After meeting with him and explaining what happened to Rowan and the experiences in the Vaults, Alder will shake his head sadly and murmur something unintelligible under his breath, then look to the characters sternly. He will charge the characters with assisting him in apprehending the criminals under the statutory authority: Rowan was a good man, who served bravely and well, but theres work to be done. As hes no longer able to stand to the task, I must work with what instruments I have: I command you all in the name of the Queen, for love of God and your fellow man, to come with me and do as I say. The criminals below must be stopped, lest they create more havoc when none are able to stand against them. If the characters decide to push ahead with Alder to thwart the ritual pROcEED tO CHaptER 3, ScENE A. If Rowan is present to present his case and the characters support Rowans position that sealing the Pontus upwelling while its small is paramount, pROcEED tO CHaptER 3, ScENE B.

ABERRatIONS
If Dr. Campbell is in the party he automatically knows the following information. If other characters succeed testing REaSON + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 3 they will have heard rumors of monstrous Aberrations, but lack any specific knowledge. ABERRATIONS Animals seem especially vulnerable to the presence of the Pontus. Those who are exposed for any length of time become hopelessly aggressive and are prone to maul and devour even the most innocuous life they encounter. Longer exposure can afflict the animal with dramatic warping of the flesh, including the growth of horns, spinal spikes, flaming eyes or breath, and other malicious malformities. These deformed animals are called Aberrations and are one of the more common symptoms of breaches of the Pontus. CHIMERA Greek ; Latin Chimaera Those animals unfortunate enough to be swallowed by the Pontus may sometimes emerge as horrible hybrid creatures, bearing the features and limbs of anything else the Pontus has devoured. This may be a simple combination of two creatures such as the lizard-folk rumored to inhabit the Floridian peninsula or more horrific mixtures, such as the thirty-meter long, three headed, rhinoceros-hide beast killed in the Bolivia as reported in the Anglo-Brazilian Times, March 24th, 1883.

Canon Alder
Aptitudes

Native Pureblood Witchfinder

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO -2 Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Athletics ________________ OOOOO Firearms ________________ OOOOO Investigation ________________ OOOOO Melee ________________ OOOOO Mysteries ________________ OOOOO Stealth
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Guard

P 4 G G I I

Dispositions

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Sword 3 Bleeding Close ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Bleeding Ranged Pistol (6 shots) _____ 3 ____________ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes Wounded: -2 penalty on all Tests, cannot take Maneuvers. ______________________________________________ Accoutrements: Witchfinder leathers (Ar. 2), sword, pistol ______________________________________________ ritual book, rank 1, 2, and 3 reagents, electric torch ______________________________________________

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CHAPtER 3, ScENE A: CHAPtER AND VERSE

Alder takes the lead Follow me. They tried to ambush me, but there were better places for an ambuscade earlier, so they must be trying to defend wherever theyre performing this blasphemy. We should find them soon, so be prepared to act decisively as soon as we come upon them. If theyre still in the midst of any ritual I can try to stall it, but Ill need cover from you lot to do so effectively. Do anything you can to interfere with anything odd you see them doing. If were unlucky and they have any hands of glory completed, we have to stop any of them escaping. The priority is hands first, then anyone making them, then anyone else - are we clear? Capture is preferred, but kill if you need to. After taking a moment to ensure everyone has weapons ready, you descend into the natural cavern below. A dozen yards along a narrow passage you come to a tight corner and can hear the echoes of chanting ahead. Creeping to the edge of the corner and peering around, you can clearly see the flicker of light: it appears youve found your quarry. When the characters first round the corner they see: A long natural cavern stretches away from you, its length worming from side to side and broken up with curtains of stubby stalactites and collections of odd materials gathered from the the Vaults or the city above - stacks of wood scraps, piles of dirty clothes and linens, boxes of candles, even a bedroll and military pack - but you quickly focus on the ring of torches encircling a crude stone altar at the opposite end of the space. A tall figure wearing faded robes embroidered with strange sigils and patched with deep brown stains holds a severed hand in each of his own, dipping the corpse fingers into a pot of liquid wax in front of him while uttering strange cadences. The stone of the cave around the altar has been covered with odd script made of unfamiliar angles and circular marks. A shot echoes through the chamber and your cheek is grazed with shards of stone as it misses you by inches, then a harsh voice brays At em lads. Were nearly done, we just needs tae holdem back, but killin em works as well! You see a group of figures detach themselves from the shadows and start towards you, weapons glinting in the torchlight. When the first character has the ritualist in their zone of control, they see: Closing on the ritualist you see that what you originally took for some mantle or capelet on the robes is a pronounced irregular hump deforming the upper back and shoulders of the figure. Snapping his visage towards you with a snarl, you can see the face is crosshatched with old, puckered scars and an oft-broken nose. His eyes are luminous ice blue, and scattered

around them and across his forehead a half dozen or more wrinkled, fleshy bumps seem to quiver in time with his unbroken rhythmic cant in some foreign tongue. Narrators should take care in laying out the physical area of the cavern for the final confrontation to manage the challenge. The bigger the space and the less cover there is, the harder it will be on the players to close without getting shot. It should take characters at least three movements to make it across the length of the cavern from where they enter to physically reach the ritualist. It should take them at least two movements to reach either the mob of criminals or Mack Andrews, the gangs lieutenant. At the very rear of the cavern is an exit shaft that leads through a series of other natural passages to exit the hill to the north, free of the city. Anyone in the area around the altar will notice the passage, no Tests required. The total Threat of the encounter should also be managed depending on the number of characters and how wounded they are. The basic Threat for a group of 4 players with an average of 1 wound each (or less) should be 9, as presented (4 for the ritualist, 2 for the mob, 3 for Mack). For each player beyond 4 increase the Threat of the mob by 1. For every 3 total wounds the characters have, decrease the Threat of the mob or Mack by 1, to a minimum of 1 each. The Threat of the Ritualist should always be 4.

TactIcS:

Witchfinders: Alder gets 2 Initiative cards and Rowan (if alive) gets 1. They will each spend their first turns move and maneuver getting into cover near the rear of the cavern, where they will hang back and try to provide covering fire for the characters. Due to their Wound penalties, -4 for Rowan and -2 for Alder, they are unlikely to be much assistance. If characters are injured they will attempt to help get them out of immediate danger and stabilize any wounds. Ritualist: The ritualist is intent on completing the hands of glory, and will spend his first four activations to finish the ritual. He will not react, interrupt, move, or take any maneuvers or actions other than finishing the ritual. (This will normally occupy his entire first Sequence of actions, but if the players are brilliant or lucky, they may manage to wound him and cause him to lose an initiative card in the first Sequence and force it into the second) As soon as he has a hand of glory complete the ritualist will act normally, attempting to shoot at characters out of cover, while he himself takes cover behind the altar. If he takes two wounds, or Mack or the thugs are down, he will attempt to flee, using a completed hand of glory to aid his escape if possible. Mack Andrews: Mack was Wounded by Alder in the ambush attempt, so all his tests will suffer a -2 penalty and he is unable to take maneuvers. He will hang back in cover and take shots at the characters, prioritizing anyone getting close to the altar and his boss, the ritualist. He will fight very defensively. If the bodysnatchers Morale begins to flag he will make a PRESENcE + COMMaND tESt to bolster their spirits and keep them in the fight. If the ritualist is incapacitated or killed Mack will automatically surrender. Mob of Criminals: They will use the highest initiative cards from the thieves to rush the characters and bog them down near their entrance to the cavern. The individual members of the mob will try to create engagement with as many characters as possible. Characters: Narrators can use Rowan or Alder to remind players that interrupting the ritual is the main goal. Characters can best do this by catching the naphil ritualist, but disarming him and taking control of any completed hands of glory is also viable. If a character reaches the altar, they can take an action to try to destroy the other, incomplete hands, take them away from the altar and ritualist, or upset or destroy the various reagents being used for the ritual. Any objects not being held or manipulated by the ritualist are considered to have a physical defense of 2 due to their small size and/ or durability. Objects held by the ritualist have his current Guard and normal physical defenses, and can only be specifically targeted with a penetrating hit or affected with the Disarmed condition. Any successful hit with a weapon will render an item such as an un-enchanted hand or the bowl of wax useless.

THE HaND OF GLORY RItUaL

HaND OF GLORY, Corrupt Ritual Destroy Awareness Duration 2, Potency 3, Scope 3 Multiple Activations - Up to two uses for no more than 4 hours total. The effect begins when the fingers of the hand are lit like candles, and ends when they are extinguished. Participants 1, Reagents 5, Time 2 Exact Time 2, Mandatory Participants 1, Mandatory Reagent 5 (hand of a recently hung murderer or thief), Mandatory Timing (night of a new moon) Difficulty 5. At the completion of the ritual the reagent is prepared as the focus of the effect. Activating a hand of glory requires one Maneuver to light the fingers of the hand with any ready source of flame. A hand of glory is a magical creation, and cannot be extinguished through non-magical means unless its bearer wills it. Anyone in sole physical possession of the hand of glory is considered its bearer. EFFEct: When active, up to 5 targets in the area, starting with those closest to the source of the effect must pass a WILL + COMpOSURE TESt, DIFFIcULtY 3 or suffer from the Unconscious condition. While the effect is ongoing all targets in the area must make the test at the beginning of each of their actions. The difficulty to rouse any targets from the Unconscious condition is 3. The Unconscious condition can be avoided by spending Purpose as usual, though it only prevents the effect for a single Turn. Whenever 5 targets are Unconscious as a result of the hand no one else needs to take the test, but if any victims are roused, the nearest targets are again subject to the effect until there are again 5 Unconscious targets. Anyone not affected by the Unconscious condition suffers a -3 penalty on all tests made to perceive the bearer of the hand when testing with the Focus aptitude, as the magic of the ritual hides their movements and muffles sound. The characters are completely successful if the ritualist is captured and no hands of glory were made, or any that were completed are in the characters control. The characters are partially successful if the ritualist escapes, but does so without any hands of glory. The characters fail if the ritualist escapes with any functional hands of glory. PROcEED tO EpILOgUE.

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Mob of 2 Criminals
Aptitudes
Native Pureblood Thugs

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Mack Andrews
Aptitudes

Native Pureblood Gang Lieutenant

Threat 3 Wounds OOOOO

Penalty

Cat Aberration
Aptitudes

Emigre Aberration (Felis pontusiensis)

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Ranting Madman
Aptitudes

Emigre Pontus-Touched Pureblood

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Burglary ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO Melee ________________ OOOOO Streetwise ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO -2 Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Firearms ________________ OOOOO Fisticuffs ________________ OOOOO Melee ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Melee ________________ OOOOO Survival ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Guard

Guard

Guard

Guard

P 4 H G G I I

P 4 H G G I I

P 4 G G I I

P 4 G G I I

Dispositions Morale _____________

A A

F F

Dispositions Morale _____________

Dispositions

Dispositions

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H
Weapon Broken Stone ____________ Crazed Ranting ____________

A A

F F

_____________ H

_____________ H

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Knife 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Morale: Begins as Hostile towards fleeing, shifts one ______________________________________________ towards Favorable every time a Wound is suffered by any ______________________________________________ antagonists in this scene. ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Knife 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Bleeding Ranged Pistol (6 shots) _____ 3 ____________ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes Wounded. Accoutrements: Leatherbound notebook and ______________________________________________ Keyring (1 key for trapdoor in Ch. 2, Sc 1.; 1 key for door ______________________________________________ to Anne's Chamber Ch. 2, Sc 1.; 1 key for an unkown lock) ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Ragged Claws 2 Outmaneuvered Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Mindless: Immune to social conflict and Morale ______________________________________________ Small: Has only two available Avenues of Attack ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

2 Touch _____ _______ ______________ Voice 2 Disoriented _____ _______ ______________

Dmg Reach Condition

Abilities & Notes Alternate Form: After the Madman suffers its second ______________________________________________ wound, it will die and rise at the begining of the following ______________________________________________ Sequence as the Animate Dead antagonist. ______________________________________________

Stephan Kirs
Aptitudes

Outsider (Demonic) Naphil ritualist

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Rat Amalgam
Aptitudes

Emigre Aberration (Rattus pontusiensis)

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Dog Aberration
Aptitudes

Emigre Aberration (Canis pontusiensis)

Threat

Wounds OOOOO

Animate Dead
Aptitudes
Outsider Corpse

Threat
Skills & Traits

Wounds OOOOO

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Athletics ________________ OOOOO Command ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO Firearms ________________ OOOOO Guile ________________ OOOOO Temptation
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Athletics ________________ OOOOO Melee ________________ OOOOO Stealth ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G G Potential

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO Composure ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Skills & Traits

Penalty

Grace OOOOO Vigor OOOOO Reason OOOOO Focus OOOOO Presence OOOOO Will OOOOO Purpose OOOOO Ether Ether OOOOO Purpose Potential Corruption OOOOO
G G G Potential

Penalty

Physical OOOOO Mental OOOOO Social OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO ________________ OOOOO
Defenses
Armour

Guard

Guard

Guard

Guard

P 4 H G G I I

P 2 G G I I

P 6 G G I I

P 7 G G I I

Dispositions Morale _____________

Dispositions

Dispositions

Dispositions

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

_____________ H _____________ H

A A

F F

_____________ H

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Dagger 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________ Bleeding Ranged Pistol (3 shots) _____ 3 ____________ _______ ______________ Abilities & Notes Accoutrements: Magically reinforced robes, ritual reagents, ______________________________________________ vellum manuscript for the Hand of Glory ritual, a ______________________________________________ completed Hand of Glory (if created during the encounter) ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Gnashing Teeth _____ 2 Bleeding Touch ____________ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Mindless: Immune to social conflict and Morale ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Fangs 3 Unbalanced Touch ____________ _____ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Mindless: Immune to social conflict and Morale ______________________________________________ Painless: Wound penalties are -1, instead of -2 ______________________________________________ ______________________________________________

Weapon Dmg Reach Condition Flailing Limbs _____ 2 Touch ____________ _______ ______________

____________ _____ _______ ______________

Abilities & Notes Mindless: Immune to social attacks and Morale ______________________________________________ Painless: Wound penalties are -1, instead of -2. ______________________________________________ (This is the Alternate Form of the Ranting Madman above) ______________________________________________

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CHAPtER 3, ScENE B: FROM HELL tO BREAKfASt

With a snort Alder adjusts his pack and glares at Rowan. I see youve all been rattled by what youve already run through. Something tells me that whatever our body-snatchers have in mind will leave this outbreak looking like a drop in the ocean by comparison, but if your minds are set and your will is firm thats what well need to try to set a ward, so lay on. As you begin to head back into the Vaults Rowan explains, Well need to press on until we can find a serious effect of the Rising, and then Alder and I can enact a ritual to establish a ward that can block it from spreading. The ritual isnt terribly complex, but it can be draining and requires a great deal of concentration, so it will be up to you to handle anything odd or dangerous that comes up while the ritual is underway. If we are interrupted or further injured it might fail, which would be terrible for all of us, and the city as well. Youve handled yourselves well in difficult circumstances so far. I have faith in you. You come through several minor distortions without great difficulty, but each time Alder or Rowan dismisses it as too small to serve as the locus for the ritual; Alder complains with ill grace throughout the trip about the lost opportunity to prevent the resurrectionists from completing their goal. Eventually, you come upon some of the arched tunnels that serve as a rudimentary drainage system for many of the streets and squares on the hill. It only takes you a moment to notice that the water appears to be flowing up the walls back into the drains and grates above. Well, Alder sighs, it appears that this might be serious after all. He carefully removes several small jars and packets from his satchel and the various pockets in his coat, then draws his pistol and offers it handle-out. Im about to have my hands busy, and you dont seem to be terribly well armed. Do try not to shoot me when things start becoming more...fraught. After passing the pistol off, the Witchfinders and any volunteers aiding in the ritual take their places. Alder begins to lead a fervent declamation while Rowan starts combining several strange powders in a small stone bowl. Everything proceeds uninteruppted for more than twenty minutes, but as the ritual nears compleation you hear splashing and the incomprehensible echoes of shouts and howls ringing from the tunnels. From the drains and grates around you masses of maddened, misshapen rats come scurrying into your torchlight, and a cat with too-long limbs and ragged claws like fishhooks scrabbles along a ledge of brick, hissing balefully as it crouches to leap. Hold them back! Rowan shouts over Alders chanting, We cannot let the ritual falter! The Witchfinders will be completely absorbed in the ritual which will take 10 successful actions to complete (or just over three complete Sequences if both Rowan and Alder are able to perform them uninterrupted; remember that if Rowan has 2 wounds and Alder has 1, there are only 3 total Initiative cards dealt for both of them). While engaged in the ritual the Witchfinders cannot take any other actions. Rowan and Alder automatically succeed on tests to perform the ritual, no card flips are necessary.

AIDINg IN tHE RItUaL

Of the characters provided for Idle Hands, only Alec Dubh, Dr. Trowbridge, and Inspector Campbell are able to participate in the ritual to aid it along. If all three of them attempt to assist it could greatly speed its completion at the risk of being poorly defended against the attacks of the Pontus-touched creatures. Given Alecs low Mysteries Skill she has a less than even chance of success, but could improve her odds if she uses her naphil birthright Knowledge in the Flesh to gain a temporary boost to her Mysteries skill by drinking a mouthful of blood from either of the Witchfinders or Inspector Campbell. The request would be shocking to the other characters - especially Jock - but it could make a critical difference in the amount of time it takes to complete the ward. So long as Alec has not done anything to upset Rowan or Alder the Finders are both pragmatic enough to see the necessity and benefit, and can be convinced to do so without the need for social conflict. However, if Alec seems overly excited or too casual about the act they refuse. Between the two of them, Alder would be the one to offer some of his blood as Rowan is already badly injured. Regardless of whether or not they allow Alec to use her birthright, both of them will definitely be paying close attention to her after the night is over. Any character with a Mysteries skill of 1 or higher can also participate in the ritual to attempt to speed it along. If a character wishes to aid, they must be standing within Close range of the Finders and use their entire turn to test WILL + MYStERIES, DIFFIcULtY 4. If the test is successful, it will move the ritual one step closer to completion. A Remarkable success (DoS 4+) will instead count as two successful actions. A failure on the test will instead remove one actions worth of progress, while a grievous failure (DoS -4 or worse) will remove two actions worth of progress. Any time a successful penetrating attack is made on a ritual participant it also increases the actions needed to complete the ritual by one. The ritual should take approximately four Sequences to complete. If the ritual is not completed at the end of 5 Sequences it fails automatically as it is overwhelmed by the rising energies of the Pontus outbreak. If both Witchfinders are incapacitated before the ritual is complete the characters must finish it by the end of the current Sequence, otherwise it will fail as detailed below.

As the ritual is performed the pontus energy is being gathered and concentrated before being contained. As this occurs all manner of bizarre effects will harry the characters, but will not negatively impact the pontus-touched creatures. Narrators should describe these effects as they see fit. Sequence 1: No effect. Everyone notices that water begins flowing into the tunnel at a much higher rate, and it starts deepening on the ground. Sequence 2: Disorientation. All characters must test their WILL + COMpOSURE, DIFFIcULtY 3 at the beginning of the Sequence. Those that succeed suffer from the Disoriented temporary condition, those that fail suffer from the Unbalanced temporary condition. Sequence 3: Rising Waters. At the beginning of the Sequence the water flowing through the tunnel becomes completely still for a moment, then begins wildly frothing and pulling at the characters, flowing up and along them, burning hot, freezing cold, and at times even constricting. All characters suffer a -2 penalty on their first action in the Sequence. Sequence 4: Inconstant Gravity. At the beginning of the Sequence the direction of gravity changes, dropping everyone to the walls or ceiling and leaving them prone. All characters immediately lose a point of Guard from the shock. It requires a Maneuver or Move action to stand.

PONtUS EFFEctS

The antagonists have all been warped by the Pontus, and the ritual presents a clear threat, so they will attack Canon Alder first, then anyone else participating in the ritual. The Ranting Madman will make social attacks using VIgOR+COMMaND to intimidate and reduce Guard before attacking physically. (Dont forget the +2 bonus to intimidation from his weapon, for a total base combination of 8). If the ritual succeeds, the Pontus outbreak will be contained and the Pontus effects described below will immediately end. All antagonists in the fight will immediately suffer one Wound. Complete the physical conflict with any remaining antagonists and proceed to the Epilogue. As the terse chanting of the ritual comes to a climax there is a sense of some great pressure welling all around you, threatening to crush you to nothing...and then lightness and clarity. Those things warped and twisted by the pontus halt, then simply collapse. The waters subside, once more obedient to the mute laws of nature. If any Witchfinders are still conscious, continue: Well done, youve much to be proud of, but theres more to do. The resurrectionists are sure to be well and gone by now, and theres no telling what theyre after. We need to get back up into the city and start preparing for the next incident, whatever it will be. Take a moment to collect yourselves, youve earned that much, and the thanks of the Witchfinders as well. If the ritual fails read the following: Even before it happens, you can tell that something is dreadfully wrong. The nerve-wracking strangeness that has been building seems to coil in on itself for a moment, but its the tide rushing out before a wave, and you seem to feel the world itself snap and fall out from beneath you. You cannot say if its moments or millennia, but you lose yourself struggling through a storm of shattered perceptions, pain and euphoria. The characters are completely successful if the ritual is completed and both Witchfinders are alive. The characters are partially successful if the ritual is completed and any of the Finders have died. The characters fail if the ritual fails, regardless of whether or not the Witchfinders are still alive. PROcEED tO EpILOgUE.

TactIcS

ANtagONIStS

Begin the encounter with the antagonists below. Then, at the start of each new Sequence add at least one Threat worth of enemies for every two characters without wounds. Less than that and it is too easy to defend the ritual, more than that and the characters will likely be overwhelmed. However, if the characters are waltzing through the fight feel free to include other random Pontus effects, or have additional antagonists join the conflict during the middle of a Sequence by dealing them one Initiative card and having them begin one Move action away from the center of the room.

These suggestions assume four healthy characters, if there are five or more characters introduce the Ranting Madman in the first Sequence instead of the second. Antagonist sheets for these antagonists are found on the previous pages. Sequence 1: 3x Rat Aberrations, 1x Cat Aberration Sequence 2: 1x Ranting Madman Sequence 3: 1x Dog Aberration Sequence 4+: Introduce 1 Rat Aberration if the characters have 3 or less remaining Threat for all Antagonists that remain in the fight.

SUggEStED ENEMIES

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There are too many variables to account for at the end of the adventure, so rather than presenting specific ends for every possible outcome you can use the general information below and embellish it with the specifics of the characters success or failure. Regardless of the outcome, any surviving characters have many leads and options to follow if they wish to continue investigating what exactly the thieves were planning, discover more about the Pontus and the threat it poses, or even start working with the Witchfinders.

Epilogue: Continuing the Tale

Despite their best efforts the ritualist escaped with a completed hand of glory. Its cold comfort at best to know that the situation is certainly less dire than if the entire gang was free with them, but the Witchfinders know that youve bought time at best. Other Finders are brought in to help deal with the Pontus outbreak in the Vaults, but with the police stretched thin and only a small number of Witchfinders able to pursue the bodysnatchers and deal with the Pontus outbreak its likely that the characters will need to be pulled back in to help in the aftermath of tonight.

CHaRactERS FaILED agaINSt tHE BODYSNatcHERS:

lingering manifestations of the Pontus breach and then take over pursuit of the bodysnatchers. Given their extraordinary involvement, the characters are approached by these replacement Finders, Canon Cypress and Linden Star, and asked if theyd be willing to step forward again to aid them in their inquiries. After all, the police have enough to handle as it is, and the characters have already proven themselves able to stand unblinking in the face of terrible danger.

By the time of their release the problems in the Vaults have been mostly contained at great cost by the police, with some support and direction from the Witchfinders. There are many casualties among the working poor that lived in and near them, and a rising panic is gripping the city. With the strain on resources to respond, the characters will, reluctantly, be called back by the police and Finders to help with the aftermath of that fateful night.

FOUGHt tHE BODYSNAtcHERS

CHaRactERS cOMpLEtELY SUccESSFUL agaINSt tHE BODYSNatcHERS:

QUELLED tHE RISING

CHaRactERS cOMpLEtELY SUccESSFUL IN cONtaININg tHE RISINg:

They return to the city above with any captives, and more than enough evidence to put anyone involved on trial for their lives. If Alder and Rowan survived they take custody of the naphil ritualist and perform their own interrogations of him separate from the characters, while any other prisoners are left with the police. If the Witchfinders perished the ritualist is taken into police custody along with any other surviving bodysnatchers. The characters themselves all gain the rank 1 Reputation Dauntless in the face of danger, thanks to the police working with the Evening Post to spread the story of how their brave boys (and Ms. Ramsay if she participated) cracked the ring of bodysnatchers, and how the city can now rest safe. All characters will also enjoy a potential boost to their careers, as their superiors will gain increased respect for their skills and attempt to make use of their temporary fame. The Witchfinders will work closely with the police - and very likely the characters - to follow up on addressing the ongoing Pontus outbreak in the Vaults, and in pursuing the larger motivations and plans of the thieves.

Although their ends were not perfectly achieved, the characters have much to be proud of in thwarting the worst outcomes of a major threat to the city. The actions of the bodysnatchers were at least somewhat disrupted, though further vigilance is required. Other Witchfinders are called in to help put down the lingering disruptions from the Pontus event. The characters proved their mettle, and after they recover, the police and Witchfinders will call on them again to assist in further investigation of the deeper schemes discovered.

CHaRactERS paRtIaLLY SUccESSFUL agaINSt tHE BODYSNatcHERS:

After quelling the Pontus outbreak the characters return to the safety of the streets of Edinburgh and report the situation to the police. With the direction and support of the Witchfinders, the constabulary sweeps through the Vaults and suppresses the few remaining pockets of disturbance lingering after the Rising was halted. Given the instrumental role the characters played in resolving the matter, they have the opportunity to assist in these efforts and are able to maintain contact with the Witchfinders and ingratiate themselves with the police, and all characters gain the rank 1 Reputation Favored by the police. Evidence of the bodysnatchers activities is found in the Vaults, and clues suggest that they managed to complete several hands of glory and flee. Some insight to their motives can be gleaned from the items recovered from their lair, and it is learned that they were gathering information on both Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace in the city and its chilling to think what mayhem and harm they could cause by breaking into either. As the danger posed by the bodysnatchers becomes clear, the characters are asked to step forward once again and help the Finders put an end to this lurking menace.

As other Witchfinders are called to the city and work through the Vaults in the following days, they find the surviving characters scattered and lost, raving incoherently about their experiences and suffering from dreadful injuries. The characters are brought to the hospital, and given care by Dr. Ramsay and other police surgeons on staff. Their bodies will mend quickly, but their minds are a different matter, and it takes weeks of rest and treatment before they are again themselves. All characters gain the one point Reputation Recovering Lunatic.

CHaRactERS FaILED tO cONtaIN tHE RISINg:

Despite the losses suffered in the horrors of the Vaults, the determination and grit showed by the characters won the day. After making their way back to the world above the characters are able to rest and recover in the care of the police physicians and surgeons at the medical college. After interviewing the characters Chief Constable Mackenzie sets the police to begin a systematic sweep of the Vaults to find anything they can relating to the bodysnatchers, and another team of Witchfinders is assembled to clean out any

CHaRactERS paRtIaLLY SUccESSFUL IN cONtaININg tHE RISINg:

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Leith 1866 to _______________ 12 July Sgt. Jock Mathieson This is a record of ______________________, born on __________ in the year of our Lord _____ in the city of _____________. James & Flora Nature:____________________ Warrior Police Background:_____________________________________________

Pureblood Bloodline:________________ Status Class . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO Means . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO 1 Potential 3 OOOOO Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OOOOO Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Native Integration __________________

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Brawler (Melee Mastery): +1 Phys. Defense _____________________________ if 2 or more enemies are in Zone of Control _____________________________ _____________________________

Masteries & Trades

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Blessings & Curses

Social Conflict
Social Defense
(WILL + skill)

Physical Conflict
Talent: One Mastery for a core Skill _____________________________ Driven: Refresh one point of _____________________________ Purpose at the start of each session _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Accoutrements
Physical Defense
(Vigor + skill)

Funds

5
Skill: Composure _______ _______ Skill:

5
Dispositions
H G I A F ____________________________

6
Guard

1
Athletics _______ Armor Melee
(GRACE + FOCUS)

2 6 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Weapons
Weapon Dmg Reach Condition
Truncheon

Assets & Liabilities Member: Edinburgh Constabulary 2 _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Affinities

G H

A I G

F ____________________________ A F

2 Disarmed Close _________ ___ ____ ______ Ranged ______ Bleeding Revolver 3 _________ ___ ____ Incapacitated Close Tesla Taser 1 _________ ___ ____ ______

Wounds
Penalties

Dutiful Son 2 OOOOO __________________ The Constabulary is Family 1 OOOOO __________________ Mentoring Alec Dubh 1 __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat (Armor 1),

Reputations

___________________________

Esteem
H G I A F

Brand: Edinburgh Police 3 __________________ OOOOO Stubborn as a Mule 2 OOOOO __________________ Rough and Tumble 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Gear ________________________ police truncheon, 6-shot revolver with 12 rounds of ________________________ ammunition, gun license good through Jan. 1897, ________________________ police whistle, handcuffs, electric torch, blackwood pipe, ________________________ tin of tobacco, book of matches ________________________ Tesla Taser: one-shot electricity gun, causes condition on hit ________________________ 47
(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep) 2013 Reliquary Game Studios

23

jun sakurai (order #5260230)

AccOUtREMENtS
Right lads, all together and theres nought can stop us.

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

Sergeant Jock Mathieson

MS. DORa RaMSaY A writer from the Edinburgh Evening Post, usually specializing in articles about tea cups and similar ridiculousness in Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat, police truncheon, 6 shot revolver with one reload of ammunition, gun license effective through January 1897, police whistle, handcuffs, electric torch, blackwood pipe, tin of tobacco, book of matches, two shillings sixpence. Jock came to Edinburgh as a teenager from the neighboring port of Leith. He arrived after leaving a short and terrifying career as a sailor when the freight steamer he served on, the Gemma, foundered and he almost drowned. Originally coming to the city as one of the working poor, Jock has climbed into a more rewarding career with the constabulary, gaining a respectable station for himself with brighter prospects for the future. Proud of his hard-won increase in standing, Jock can be prickly if he perceives hes being sneered at by his betters. This has led him to occasional difficulties with his superior officers even though he knows it hurts his chances of getting further along in the force. He has little patience for abiding foolishness from anyone, regardless of their standing. Among his fellows, Jock is known to be a good man to have at your back in a scrap, and a useful connection to the residents of the old city. He takes his position seriously and is always ready to step into harms way to fulfill his duties or to protect another constable. CONStaBLE GaVIN MacLEOD A slick man thats so sharp he might just cut himself. Though a bit more of a politicker than yourself, hes still a good constable and cares about doing his job well, so youve no complaint there, but when he gets too smug about his own bright future its hard to take it well. In physical conflicts, Jocks best attack is GRacE + MELEE, which can be used with his truncheon, any other hand held weapon, or to smash his opponents into the scenery by hand. In social conflicts, Jock can use PRESENcE + COMMaND to order people around or intimidate them. CONStaBLE ALEc DUBH A young constable whom you have taken under your wing, the lads got grit and just needs a chance to use it for something good. Alec is scrappy, and has had a rough life, but is trying to do right for himself. Hes got the makings of a good constable or a good criminal - all the best police do - so take the chance to keep the boy on the straight and narrow. You recognize a runaway when you see one, but given the haunted look in the lads eyes, he likely had reason to run. Give advice where you can, but especially with women! The lads hopeless, and finding him some young thing to fill up his off time would probably be good for him.

TActIcS

the social pages, but recently youve come to hear of Mad Miss Ramsay from gossip in the force. When you heard she was speaking to some of the officers you thought it was a bad joke, but apparently someone high and mighty got their nose tweaked and forced into it. Youre fit to leave it as a comedy of politics and be done with it. The sooner shes back to writing on dinner parties the happier youll be.

DR. IaIN TROWBRIDgE A physician from the medical college who assists the inspectors from time to time. What you know of him and sixpence will get you a good beef pie at the Saracens Head, and thats about that.

INSpEctOR COLUM CaMpBELL A man to respect. Hes helped build up the constabulary to what it is today, and is one of the best when it comes to the worst sorts of cases - bodies turning up from nowhere, odd disappearances, and other uncanny things. Youve had little cause to work directly with the man, and are happy for it.

Manchester 1878 to _______________ 1 April Constable "Alec" Dubh This is a record of ______________________, born on __________ in the year of our Lord _____ unknown parents in the city of _____________.

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Vagabond Background:_____________________________________________

Accoutrements

No reason Im askin, Im just interested in all sorts o uncanny things...

Skill: Composure _______ Guile _______

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Nature:____________________ Seeker

Social Defense

None _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

Knowledge in the Flesh: Gain Skill or _____________________________ memories by eating flesh or drinking blood. _____________________________ Fluid Mein: Your appearance will change _____________________________ according to your balance of Potential _____________________________ Bane: Special item needed to kill you _____________________________

Assets & Liabilities Member: Edinburgh Constabulary 1 _____________________________ Sensitive Palate: Knowledge in the Flesh _____________________________ only needs 4 oz. of blood to use. _____________________________ Unknown Bane _____________________________

2 OOOOO Discover what I am! __________________ Find a place to call home. 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Nephilim Bloodline:________________ Status Class . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO Means . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO 1 Potential 2 OOOOO Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 OOOOO

Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Integration Outsider __________________

Blessings & Curses

SERgEaNt JOcK MatHIESON The big brother and father you never had. For all that hes a bit gruff, you can tell that Jock is a genuinely good man. Its painful to have to lie to him, but youre afraid of what might happen if he ever found out any of the truths youre hiding.

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

Reputations

Affinities

Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat, truncheon, brass knuckles, police whistle, handcuffs, electric torch, one shilling tuppence.

48
jun sakurai (order #5260230)

24

Brand: Edinburgh Police 2 OOOOO __________________ Scrappy Lad 2 OOOOO __________________ Jock's Favorite 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO

Masteries & Trades

AccOUtREMENtS

In Physical conflicts, Alec can use GRacE + MELEE to attack with a truncheon; however, when not making a penetrating attack, Alec may use GRacE + GUILE to feint. In social conflicts, PRESENcE + GUILE is useful for lying and trickery.

TActIcS

(WILL + skill)

Alice is doing well for a dead girl. She was abandoned as an infant and grew up in one of the Boys and Girls Welfare Society homes. Compared to some of the other institutions in the area, the Society were saintly - she got a basic education instead of being sent off to one of the factories for labor but she still hated it there. She was odd, with a tendency to speak her mind and knack for knowing when others were lying, which earned her scorn from the other children and frequent punishment from the adults. Never having been adopted, she ran away from the home at 14. She spent two years living rough on the streets, gaining skill in begging and petty thieving to supplement the bit of work she was able to secure in a mill. It was a hard life in a hard city, but she was scraping through. She should have known better than staying with Flash Jimmy that night, but it was so cold, and he had a nice warm spot hidden in the train yard. She knew he fancied her, in his way, and that he was used to getting his way from the others in his gang. They both split a stolen jack of gin, and things were fine at first, but when he wouldnt stop and she slapped him, he went for his knife and she died. There were terrible visions of blood and secrets, but then she woke, wrapped in a bloody blanket, disposed of on a freight train, with a scar where there should be a terrible wound, and a new life. Since then, shes spent 3 years passing as the boy Alec, travelling about trying to discover who and what she really is. Through misfortune and misadventure, shes learned that she cant die, that she cant seem to finish growing up, and - after one terrifying moment when she bit off an attackers ear to force him to let her go - that tasting blood or eating flesh gives her temporary access to the skills or memories of the source. Shes made her way to Edinburgh to see if she cant find out more about herself by exploring its many supposed ties to the supernatural. If she can manage to steer clear of the Witchfinders, she just might have a chance to learn what she is.

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Athletics _______ Armor Melee

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

Physical Defense

____________________________

____________________________

DR. IaIN TROWBRIDgE Youve never met the man, and only heard that hes from the medical college and that he sometimes talks to the inspectors.

49

(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep)

___________________________

Social Conflict

Dispositions

Esteem

INSpEctOR COLUM CaMpBELL Of anyone on the force, you think Inspector Campbell is the one most likely to be able to help you discover more about what you are. Hes had some proper learning, and hes the officer that deals with all the queer cases that still pop up from time to time: rumors of witchcraft or devilworshippers under the Auld Toon and the like. Hes not a Witchfinder, but youve heard hes worked with them in the past ,so youre not sure if hed turn you over to them or not. For now, just focus on getting the basics down of being a decent constable, and maybe once youve established a reputation within the department you might be able to approach him more safely.

(GRACE + FOCUS)

(Vigor + skill)

Guard

Penalties

Skill:

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Physical Conflict

Wounds

MS. DORa RaMSaY You dont read much, and you havent the coin to spend on the Post regardless, so all you know of her is what youve heard. Evidently, the Post let one of their social writers start writing about police business and it has some folk in a huff. The thought of Ms. Ramsay snooping around the precinct makes you fear what would happen if anyone you knew found out you were really a lass, not to mention previously dead. Then, the best you could hope for would be that maybe Jock wouldnt hate you and no one would turn you over to the Witchfinders.

2 Touch ______ Staggered _________ ___ ____ Truncheon 2 Close Disarmed _________ ___ ____ ______ _________ ___ ____ ______

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Gear Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat (Armor 1), ________________________ police truncheon, brass knuckles, police whistle, ________________________ handcuffs, electric torch ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________

0 1 2 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Weapons

Funds

Dmg Reach Condition

Constable Alec Dubh

CONStaBLE GaVIN MacLEOD Hes quite the charmer, and one of the sharpest constables on the force. You respect him, admire him, and in a distant, guarded part of you that still holds some innocence, fancy him. You realize how utterly impossible it would ever be to act on anyone you fancy...there are just too many lies in the way.

Weapon

Brass Knuckles

2013 Reliquary Game Studios

Portnalong 1870 to _______________ 21 Sept Constable Gavin MacLeod born on __________ This is a record of ______________________, in the year of our Lord _____ Dougal & Clara in the city of _____________.

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Standard ______ 2 Disarmed _________ ___ ____ _________ ___ ____ ______ _________ ___ ____ ______

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

Physical Defense

(GRACE + FOCUS)

(Vigor + skill)

Guard

____________________________

Skill: Composure _______ Guile _______

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Nature:____________________ Schemer

Social Conflict

Dispositions

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

Social Defense

Esteem

Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat, police truncheon, police whistle, handcuffs, tin cigarette case, book of matches, small pad of paper, pencil, three shillings.

Glamours: Minor illusions. Maneuver _____________________________ _____________________________ to make Pres + Guile vs. target's _____________________________ Will + Comp. DoS 1+, trick 1 sense _____________________________ Beguile: 1 Ether to fix target's dis_____________________________ position to you to Indifferent

_____________________________ None _____________________________ _____________________________

Assets & Liabilities _____________________________ Member: Edinburgh Constabulary 1 _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

2 OOOOO Self-Advancement __________________ Edinburgh Police 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Changeling Bloodline:________________ Status Class . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO Means . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO 1 Potential 3 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OOOOO

Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Integration __________________

CONStaBLE ALEc DUBH One of the fresh crop that started a few months back. Smarter than he lets on, and very observant. Jocks already taken to mentoring the boy, which is probably all for the best as from what little you know the lads had a rough go of things what with his family passing not that long ago. The constables have a few misfits, and so long as Alec can pay attention and swing a truncheon at the right time, the

In Physical conflicts, Gavin can attempt GRacE + MELEE to attack with a truncheon; however, a feinting attack using GRacE + GUILE or an intimidation attack using PRESENcE + COMMaND will be much more effective. For gentler social conflicts PRESENcE + GUILE or PaRLEY are preferred.

TActIcS

50
jun sakurai (order #5260230)

Edinburgh Police 2 OOOOO __________________ 2 OOOOO __________________ Social Climber Ladies' Man 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO

Masteries & Trades

Blessings & Curses

Reputations

SERgEaNt JOcK MatHIESON Jocks a good man and a good officer. The men he works with respect him, and he keeps them in good order. Personally, you dont interact too much as he usually runs night watches, but when you have, hes been genial and good company. Being friendly with him now will put you in good stead when you inevitably get promoted past him, so stay on his good side without getting too close. Hes a good man to have at your back and someone you genuinely like, but were he to be a true friend, it would only make it difficult to be above him later.

DR. IaIN TROWBRIDgE An uncanny fellow from the medical college, and a disciple of Drs. Bell and Littlejohn. When a crime calls for some medical expertise, Dr. Trowbridge is often dispatched to lend aid to the police. Once you make inspector youre likely to deal with him, but so far youve had little interaction with the fellow.

(WILL + skill)

INSpEctOR COLUM CaMpBEL Still a man in his prime, hes been an inspector for near a decade and already in a position to advise some of the chief officers. If the amount of contact he has with the medical college and even, on occasion, the Witchfinders is any indication, the inquiries hes assigned are among the most challenging and important. Youre hoping to be made Inspector yourself soon, and any opportunity to work with or learn from this man should be eagerly pursued.

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Affinities

51

(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep)

___________________________

AccOUtREMENtS

____________________________

Penalties

Skill:

Gavin has managed to turn his natural charm and knack for getting on with people into a major asset in the constabulary, despite the touch of fey blood thats evident in his grass-green eyes and unusual features. His skill at getting people to see things his way has allowed him to build up a network of informants among the commons that help tip him off to many a productive lead. Though only on the force for a little over two years, hes already close to making inspector and bypassing the drudgery of being on a beat. With that possible future in mind Gavin takes his standing with other constables seriously. Hes very conscious of the opportunities before him and will do what he can to protect and further his position. He won't cross the line of morality or the letter of the law, though hes quite prone to some lenient interpretations of either when it suits his purposes. Gavins family line has connections back to the MacLeods of Dunvegan, the old Lords of the Isles. However, with the failure of the Pretender in the Jacobite revolution, the ensuing highland clearances, and sad state that most of his clan (and his branch of the family in particular) had come to by the time of his birth, he has little use for the past. Theres opportunity to be had in the city for a bright young man, and the lasses do seem to fall more easily for a braw lad in uniform.

Rogue Background:_____________________________________________

Accoutrements

You can trust me, Im a constable.

MS. DORa RaMSaY At first, when Chief Constable MacKenzie ordered you to take around some fussing scold from the Post for a few days, it seemed like a punishment. However, Ms. Ramsay turned out to be a spirited young woman rather than the harridan you imagined. The Chief Constable wants you to end the Posts interest in the recent rumors of body-snatching, and Ms. Ramsay is trying to to charm you into lowering your guard and letting something slip. The past two days have met the Chief Constables requirements and let you enjoy Ms. Ramsays company. Youre beginning to think that she could be a worthy person to pursue; shes intelligent, lively, and from a well-off professional family. Given a promotion, it might not be out of the question that her father would consent to your courting her, and it just so happens you should have a promotion or two coming up quite soon.

Athletics _______ Armor

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Physical Conflict

Wounds

Gear ________________________ police truncheon, police whistle, handcuffs, tin cigarette ________________________ case, book of matches, small pad of paper, 3 pencils ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ ________________________
Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat (Armor 1),

3 0 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Weapons

Funds

Dmg Reach Condition

Constable Gavin MacLeod

lad may well have a profession thatll keep him out of the poor house and maybe even put some starch on his collar one day.

Weapon

Truncheon

2013 Reliquary Game Studios

Aug. 3 This is a record of ______________________, born on __________ in the year of our Lord _____ Archibald &Fiona in the city of _____________. Dora Ramsay 1874 to _______________ Edinburgh

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Silver Tongue (Parley Mastery): Once _____________________________ per social Conflict, nominate one Test. _____________________________ If successful, shift Disposition twice. _____________________________

Talent: One Mastery for a core Skill _____________________________ Driven: Refresh one point of Purpose _____________________________ at the start of each session. _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Assets & Liabilities None _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

My Beloved Father __________________ 1 OOOOO Women's Rights 2 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Bloodline:________________ Pureblood Status 2 OOOOO Class . . . . . . . . . . . Means . . . . . . . . . . 2 OOOOO Potential Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OOOOO Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 OOOOO

Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Integration __________________ Native

Blessings & Curses

TActIcS

Feinting attacks using GRacE+GUILE or pistols with GRacE+FIREaRMS are Doras best bet in physical conflict. In social conflict she is a negotiator, using PRESENcE + PaRLEY.

Reputations

Affinities

DR. IaIN TROWBRIDgE A medical college man up from England. Your father knows him professionally, and hes supposedly a confidant or aide to Inspector Campbell. If you cant manage to talk to Campbell, Dr. Trowbridge might be just as informative.

52
jun sakurai (order #5260230)

Boundary Breaker __________________ 2 OOOOO __________________ Tenacious Reporter 1 OOOOO __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Ever since you lost your mother as an infant, your father, Dr. Archibald Ramsay, has doted on you. Widowed young, but consumed by the demands of his work, he never remarried, and you were his only child. As a result, you had a very strange childhood. Never around other children much, you became very independent, and after Father taught you to read at a young age, you spent much of your early years in books. Your housekeeper, dear old Mrs. Archibald, and later, years at a boarding school provided the social polish you needed as part of the professional class, but even still youre accustomed to being more or less on your own. As you grew into womanhood Father seemed little interested in pushing you into a marriage and you took over running the household. You did step out to engage in Edinburghs social life, but mostly around the growing art and academic flowering, rather than the endless afternoon teas and supper parties that most women your age flock to in search of a husband. Not content to merely be an ornament, you began writing thoughtful retrospectives of the various salons you were part of in order to memorialize the discussions. At a small dinner party you were hosting with Father you had the chance to speak with Mr. Ross, an assistant editor at the Edinburgh Evening Post, and when he complained about the vapidity and wasted ink they had for their social pages you leapt at an opportunity to share some of your work. A few weeks later you were officially on the staff of the Post, and have been working on changing their society coverage into something with real value, rather than just gossip of who said what to whom. You know that theres a deal of tut-tutting and head-shaking behind your back at the paper and around the town, but to Hell with anyone that cant see women as good for anything more than being inoffensive social ornaments kept for breeding. Its been hard, but all your efforts and, admittedly, your fathers support and social pull, have finally begun to bear fruit. The writing youve done for the Post is letting you make a name for yourself on your own merit. Women throughout the Empire are beginning to push into a few professions, and you are proud to be among the first to gain credibility in journalism. The senior editors at the Post are still very leery of allowing a woman to

Background:_____________________________________________ Professional

Accoutrements

Please go on, I assure you I am paying the utmost attention.

AccOUtREMENtS

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Athletics _______ Armor Melee

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

Physical Defense

(Vigor + skill)

Guard

____________________________

____________________________

Skill: Composure _______ _______ Parley

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Nature:____________________ Visionary

Social Defense

INSpEctOR COLUM CaMpBELL Everyone at the Post knows hes the man that works all the strange cases. Youve seen his name come up in notes, but more often than not, the editors see to its removal from the paper. Youre not sure exactly where the pressure on the editors is coming from, but if you could actually get in touch with the man, who knows what you might find.

(WILL + skill)

Masteries & Trades

53

(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep)

___________________________

Social Conflict

Dispositions

Esteem

CONStaBLE GaVIN MacLEOD Your charming, handsome, genteel minder. If the man was any less likeable, youd probably hate him for how effectively hes doing his job of preventing you from doing yours. At this point, youre strongly considering trying to blush and flirt some information out of him, but youre neither sure how effective, nor how false, that behavior might be.

Penalties

Skill:

CONStaBLE ALEc DUBH Not a name youve run across.

(GRACE + FOCUS)

Wounds

Sgt. JOcK MatHIESON Youve heard people mention him as a good officer, and a career constable. Hes also one of the sergeants who run the night patrols, so hed be a fantastic source to talk to if you could manage to see him without Gavin at your elbow.

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Physical Conflict

Handbag with small hand mirror, tin of mints, white linen kerchief, coin purse with assorted coinage worth 6 shillings, derringer pistol and ammunition for two reloads, gun license good through November 1896, pad of paper, two pencils, small pocket knife.

_________ ___ ____ Bleeding 2 Extended ______ Pistol, Pepperbox _________ ___ ____ ______ 1 Bleeding Pocket Knife Touch _________ ___ ____ ______

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Gear ________________________ Handbag, small hand mirror, tin of mints, white linen ________________________ handkerchief, coin purse, pad of paper, two pencils, ________________________ small pocket knife (for sharpening pencils), ________________________ pepperbox pistol (2 shots), 4 additional bullets, gun ________________________ license good through November 1896 ________________________

0 6 0 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Weapons

Funds

Weapon

Dmg Reach Condition

Ms. Dora Ramsay

cover anything of politics, but you have recently managed to get approval to work on some broader issues involving the public. Right now youre working on a piece about the rumored resurgence of body-snatching, but the Police have kept you on a short leash. If you cant get something on this story in the next few days, youre very worried that the editors will give it to someone else and youll have missed your biggest opportunity yet.

2013 Reliquary Game Studios

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

____________________________

____________________________

Skill: Composure _______ _______

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Nature:____________________ Gallant

Social Defense

Palace of Memory (Investigation Mastery): _____________________________ May make a Focus+Investigation, Diff. 5. _____________________________ Success = have perfect recall of one scene. _____________________________

Talent: One Mastery for a core Skill _____________________________ Driven: Refresh on point of Purpose _____________________________ at the start of each session. _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Assets & Liabilities Member: Edinburgh Constabulary 2 _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Family First 2 OOOOO __________________ Truth before Politics 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Pureblood Bloodline:________________ Status Class . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO Means . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO 1 Potential 4 OOOOO Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO

Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Native Integration __________________

Sgt. JOcK MatHIESON A solid enough constable, and by all accounts a good officer. He cares for his lads, and his bunch are generally kept with a bit more spit and polish than those under some of the other sergeants. You respect that hes another man whos worked himself up from nothing through a career with the police.

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

In physical conflict, Colum relies on his truncheon to do the talking, using GRacE + MELEE. Colum also excels at tracking opponents and finding clues with FOcUS+INVEStIgatION. When Colum aids others in social conflict, they will benefit from his high Social Defense.

TActIcS

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Brand: Edinburgh Police 3 OOOOO __________________ Relentless Pursuer 2 OOOOO __________________ Man of Integrity 1 OOOOO __________________ __________________ OOOOO

Masteries & Trades

Blessings & Curses

Reputations

Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat, police truncheon, police whistle, handcuffs, horn-handled jackknife, pocketwatch with cameo of wife Kate, small pad of paper, pencil, eight shillings fuppence.

AccOUtREMENtS

DR. IaIN TROWBRIDgE Dr. Trowbridge has been a help and confidant for some time now, and youre glad to have someone else thats seen some of what youve seen. It helps you keep perspective, that youre not alone in this, and that even the strangest things youve dealt with are really happening. Hes become a comrade, not a friend. Youd risk your life for his in the midst of something dire - and have - but you cant sit down and have a pint with him. You each have different lives to go home to, and you dont want any reminder of the slice of life you do share to come away with you when not in uniform.

(WILL + skill)

Affinities

55

(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep)

___________________________

Coming up from being a county constable in Perthshire, Inspector Campbell is very used to operating more or less on his own. Self-reliant, clever, and more widely experienced than someone growing up in the Midlothian countryside has any right to be, Colum was brought on to the Edinburgh constabulary as an inspector near 10 years ago after making a name for himself by tracking down a murderer that had evaded them for months. Ever since, hes cemented a reputation as a dogged pursuer and not one to let a case go. Experiencing first-hand the perils of competence, Inspector Campbells early successes quickly led him to be the one assigned the hardest and most unusual cases that came up in Edinburgh. Murders, rapes, and all the worst crimes fell to him when no one else could or would get them solved. Given the citys history, it was almost inevitable that he would eventually brush up against inexplicable and seemingly supernatural events, and due to such hes had to work with an assortment of doctors, scientists, alchemists, and Witchfinders. Dr. Trowbridge is but the latest that hes had to mind, and for all the mans oddity he at least seems to care about the poor wretches that end up hurt by some madman or bogey. Although quite grounded and not given to credulousness or religious sentiment, the many disturbing occurrences Inspector Campbells had to labor over professionally have left him genuinely concerned that the proper order of the world might well and truly be breaking down. He keeps his worries to himself, though, as hes keenly aware that if he starts sounding spooked or too strongly affected by his work hes like to be put back on a beat, and he could not abide that now that he knows there are deeper, darker things abroad in the world. His wife Kate and daughter Mary live with him in a small flat in the New City, and they are his hope and his truest loves. The desire to protect them and build a better life for them is what drives him to keep stepping out into the night.

Police Background:_____________________________________________

Accoutrements

God rest the poor soul. Ill find whoever...or whatever ...did this.

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Athletics _______ Armor Melee

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

Physical Defense

Social Conflict

Dispositions

Esteem

MS. DORa RaMSaY She and others like her set you on your heels. You think of wee Mary and could see her with a future not necessarily just as someones wife, but at the same time you do what you do to fight and claw your way up precisely so you can see her happily wed, spending her days in a nice flat with a few bairns of her own. Its all well and good for Ms. Ramsay and others to put women forward, but its also a damn nuisance to have folk nosing about some of the things you have to investigate.

(GRACE + FOCUS)

(Vigor + skill)

Guard

Penalties

Skill:

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Physical Conflict

Wounds

CONStaBLE GaVIN MacLEOD That ones bound for officers brass sooner than later. Hes sharp, and a fair face for the constabulary to show to some of the more genteel folk in the city, but from what youve heard hes a middling investigator at best. If he tries to go for Inspector rather than work up within the ranks youll be damn sure hes got the skill to pull his weight on tough cases before he gets your blessing for anything more.

Weapon

Truncheon

Police uniform with reinforced greatcoat (Armor 1),

CONStaBLE ALEc DUBH Something about the lad doesnt sit well with you. Youve no cause to say why, but the once or twice youve run across him, hes raised your hackles. When you can spare an eye, hes one to watch.

2 Close Disarmed _________ ___ ____ ______ Jack knife 1 Touch ______ Bleeding _________ ___ ____ _________ ___ ____ ______

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Gear ________________________ truncheon, police whistle, handcuffs, horn-handled ________________________ jack knife, pocketwatch with cameo of wife Kate, ________________________ small pad of paper, pencil ________________________ ________________________ ________________________

8 4 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Weapons

Funds

Dmg Reach Condition

Inspector Colum Campbell

Penicuik 1862 to _______________ Jan. 3 Inspector Colum Campbell born on __________ This is a record of ______________________, in the year of our Lord _____ in the city of _____________. James & Laurie

2013 Reliquary Game Studios

Newcastle 1864 to _______________ Oct. 15 Dr. Iain Trowbridge This is a record of ______________________, born on __________ in the year of our Lord _____ William & Clara in the city of _____________.

Presence . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Professional Background:_____________________________________________

Accoutrements

I didnt say anything about fangs, Constable, I said, uh, youd have my thanks, if youd send someone to fetch Inspector Campbell for me. You moved to Edinburgh back in 84 to study at the medical college, and after graduating went back to your familys home in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne to start your own practice, but the whole endeavor fell flat. After being part of the bustle of the medical college, the participation in some of the new methodologies being developed for investigative medicine, and the opportunity to work with Dr. Bell...the personal complaints of your clients just didnt hold your interest. So, by 90 you were back in the city and formally part of the adjunct staff at the college. You have paid your dues and for the past three years have worked indirectly for Drs. Bell and Littlejohn as theyve developed some very interesting new applications of forensic science. Your own skill as a surgeon, interest in challenging cases, and involvement in forensics all coincided to bring you to your current position after you were called in to determine whether or not a body was killed by a beast or some type of weapon. The trauma was unlike anything youd ever seen strange puncture wounds in an asymmetrical pattern around the gut, and jagged slashes that appeared to be defensive wounds on the victims arms. After much back and forth you determined that it had to be an animal attack, but one unknown to science. A week later, you had your initial pronouncement confirmed when Inspector Campbell brought you the body of some twisted thing that might once have been a dog, but bore a terrifying, sucker-like mouth in the middle of its body. Campbell had managed to use the location and timing of the attacks to suss out the things likely lair, and managed to bring it down. You had the chance to autopsy it and...there are hardly words. Since then, youve been attached to Inspector Campbell as hes investigated the strangest occurrences and crimes in and around Edinburgh. You still work for the medical college, but in a very quiet position helping research oddities and terrors like those the Inspector sometimes comes across. You are part of a small but vital cadre of scientists throughout the Empire that are beginning to shed the light of reason and rigor of science on the beasts and nightmares that were previously left to childrens stories. There is terror to it, and risk, but the chance to work on something so truly rare is priceless to you.

CONStaBLE ALEc DUBH An unknown member, which usually indicates a constable is very new... or incompetent. CONStaBLE GaVIN MacLEOD A name youve heard mentioned a few times over the last few months. The man seems fit to make Sergeant or Inspector soon, but from the few tidbits of gossip youve caught from Inspector Campbell, you get the sense that he is perhaps more flash than substance. MS. DORa RaMSaY The daughter of Dr. Archibald Ramsay, and by all accounts both clever and unusually strong-willed in the best way. Youve had some contact with Dr. Ramsay - hes a successful practitioner here in Edinburgh and publishes with the school. If his daughter is half so focused as he shell certainly make a name for herself. It is good to see talented women trying to step forward in life, but you worry that trying to dive so openly and directly into the politics of a city like Edinburgh is folly. INSpEctOR COLUM CaMpBELL A missed opportunity for the scientific community. Had the circumstances of his life been different, this man could have made a wonderful doctor. Hes possessed of a rigorous nature and keen mind, and has been a good partner for you. You do what you do for love of knowledge and discovery, he does his part for love of family...and at times you envy him greatly.

Weapons

Sgt. JOcK MatHIESON By all accounts, a solid member of the force. Youve not had the pleasure of working with him directly.

Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fisticuffs . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Guile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Investigation . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Melee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Mysteries . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Parley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Athletics _______ Fencing Armor

Sword cane 2 Close Bleeding _________ ___ ____ ______ Pocket knife 1 Touch ______ Bleeding _________ ___ ____ _________ ___ ____ ______

Profession . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Refinement . . . . . . . . OOOOO Riding . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Science . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Streetwise . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Stealth . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Survival . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Tactics . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Temptation . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Aptitudes Reason . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Focus . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Skills

Physical Defense

(GRACE + FOCUS)

(Vigor + skill)

Guard

____________________________

____________________________

Penalties

Skill:

___________________________ ___________________________

Lingering Conditions

Physical Conflict

Wounds

Gear Medical bag, basic first aid supplies, stethoscope, ________________________ calipers, measuring tape, small bottle of alcohol, ________________________ 4 empty glass bottles w. stoppers, 1 dose laudanum, ________________________ pocket knife, small steel flask with whiskey, sword cane ________________________ ________________________ ________________________
Friend of the Police 1 OOOOO __________________ Medical Expert 2 __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO Beloved Ms. Moira Donaldson __________________

1 2 6 ___ ___ s ___ d (1/20/240) ___________________________ ___________________________

Funds

Weapon

Dmg Reach Condition

Dr. Iain Trowbridge

THOUGHtS ON OtHER cHARActERS

Skill: Composure _______ _______

Academics . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Artisan . . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Bureaucracy . . . . . . . . OOOOO Burglary . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Command . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Composure . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Engineering . . . . . . . . OOOOO Fencing . . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Grace . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Vigor . . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO

Nature:____________________ Seeker

Social Defense

Surgeon (trade): Can perform surgeries _____________________________ Steady Hands (medicine mastery): Flip two _____________________________ cards and use best when aiding in recovery _____________________________

Talent: One Mastery for a core Skill _____________________________ Driven: Refresh on point of Purpose at the _____________________________ start of each session. _____________________________

_____________________________ _____________________________

Assets & Liabilities _____________________________ Member: Edinburgh Medical College _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Pureblood Bloodline:________________ Status Class . . . . . . . . . . . 2 OOOOO Means . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO 2 Potential 4 OOOOO Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . Ether . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 OOOOO

Corruption . . . . . . . . . . OOOOO Native Integration __________________

2 OOOOO 1 OOOOO __________________ OOOOO __________________ OOOOO

Masteries & Trades

Blessings & Curses

Medical bag with basic first aid supplies, stethoscope, calipers, measuring tape, small bottle of rubbing alcohol, 4 empty glass bottles with stoppers, notebook, two pencils,1 dose laudanum, pocketknife, small steel flask with whiskey, 1 pound two shillings sixpence of assorted coinage.

Unlock the Secrets of Biology __________________

AccOUtREMENtS

Dr. Trowbridge prefers to use the blade of his sword cane when physical conflict presents itself. These attacks use GRacE + FENcINg. However, his most exceptional skills lie in healing the injured using REaSON+MEDIcINE; tracking opponents and looking for clues with FOcUS + INVEStIgatION, and anything involving thinking or planning.

(WILL + skill)

TActIcS

Reputations

Affinities

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(Guarded + Class/Means Diff + Best Rep - Worst Rep)

___________________________

Social Conflict

Dispositions

Esteem

2013 Reliquary Game Studios

27

Index
A
ABBERatION..........................................36, 40-41, 43 ActION........................................................see also Turn
and Threat.......................................................................5

AFFINItIES............................................................4, 15 AIMINg...................................................................10, 13 ALLIES

Ally & Antagonist Sheet Explained................................5 Canon Alder..........................................28, 37-39, 42-43 Rowan Star....................28-30, 32-33, 35, 37-39, 42-43 ANtagONISt Ally & Antagonist Sheet Explained................................5 Idle Hands Antagonists: Sheet, Text References Anne Lewis....................................................34, 33-35 Cat Abberation..............................................41, 42-43 Dog Abberation..............36 and 41, 35-36 and 42-43 Lost Wretches.................................................32, 32-33 Mack Andrews....................................................40, 38 Mary MacTavish............................................27, 26-27 Mob of Criminals................................................40, 38 Mutilated Corpses...........................................30, 29-30 Rat Amalgam.................36 and 40, 35-36 and 42-43 Stephan Kirs.........................................................40, 38 Thomas Corddray............................................25, 24-26 AptItUDE.................................................................4, 6 ARMOR...............................................................4, 12, 16 ASSEtS............................................................................4 AttacK PRIORItY......................................4, 11, 16 AVENUES OF AttacK..........................11, 15-16

Jock Mathieson....................................................46-47 CHaRactER SHEEt...........................................4-5 CHIMERa.....................................................................36 CLaSS..............................................................................4 CONDItION.......................................4-5, 12-14, 16-21 Gaining and Losing..................................................12-13 Lingering Conditions.............................................5, 12-13 Standard Conditions.................................................16-17 Weapon Conditions...................................................16-17 CONFLIct..................................................10-15, 18-21 Physical Conflict..................................................11, 18-19 Social Conflict.....................................................11, 20-21 CORRUptION....................................see under Potential COVER...........................................................................13 CURSES............................................................................4

Sc. B..............................................................32-33 Sc. C..............................................................33-35 Sc. D.............................................................35-36 Ch. 3, Sc. A.............................................................38-39 Sc. B..............................................................42-43 Epilogue....................................................................44-45 INFEctION.................................................................13 INcapacItatED..................5, 10, 16-17, 37-38, 42 INItIatIVE....................................................10-11, 16 Interrupt.........................................................................11 React.................................................9-11, 12, 14, 36, 38 INtEgRatION...................................................4, 9, 31 Emigre............................................................................31 Native........................................................................9, 31 Outsider..........................................................................31 INtERRUpt.......................................See under Initiative

RaNgED AttacKS...............................................13 REacH..........................................................................13 REact.................................................see under Initiative REpUtatIONS...........................................4, 15, 44-45 RItUaL........................................................38-39, 42-43
see also Hand of Glory Aiming.....................................................................10, 13

Beginning and Ending...............................................10-11 See also Initiative SHaDE...........................................................................34 SKILL.............................................................................4-7

SEQUENcE...............................8, 10-12, 17-19, 42-43

and Social Tests..................................................20-21, 43 DEatH.....................................................................5, 12 DEFENSE, PHYSIcaL & SOcIaL.......4, 7, 12 DEgREE OF SUccESS (DOS)...................12-16 Partial Success..........................................................12, 14 Extraordinary Successes and Failures.................12, 14, 16 Remarkable Successes and Failures...........................16, 42 DISpOSItION.....................4, 14-16, 20-21, 27, 33, 35 Changing Disposition................................................15-16

DaMagE..................................................12, 17, 18, 20

LIaBILItIES..................................................................4

TESt..............................................................................8-9 THREat...................................................................5, 10
see also Degree of Success (DoS)

MaLaDIES................see under Healing and Recovery MaNEUVER...........................................see under Turn MaStERIES.........................................4, 47, 53, 55, 57 MEaNS...........................................................................4 MIXED AttacKS................................10, 12, 43, 50 MOVE.........................................................see under Turn NatURE.........................................................................4 NEpHILIM........................................see under Bloodline
Avoiding with Purpose......................................................9 Convince.........................................................................14 DoS and Placing Outcomes................................12, 14, 16 Persuade..........................................................................14 Subdue............................................................................12 Wound............................................................................12

BacKgROUND.............................................................4 BaNE..............................................................................29 BLESSINgS....................................................................4 BLOODLINE...............................................4, 29, 31, 42 CaRD

Card Number......................................................8, 31-32 Card Value...................................................................8-9 Drawing Cards.....................................................8, 10-11 Fate and Doom Cards...................................................8-9 Shuffling..................................................................8-9, 11 CHaNgELINg...............................see under Bloodline CHaRactER Character Selection for Idle Hands..................................23 Sample Characters Alec Dubh..........................................................48-49 Colum Campbell..................................................54-55 Dora Ramsay......................................................52-53 Gavin MacLeod..................................................50-51 Iain Trowbridge...................................................56-57

EDINBURgH.........................................................22-24 EMpIRE.....................................................................3, 22 EStEEM..........................................................................4 EtHER.................................................see under Potential EVIDENcE.................................................................14 EXcHaNgE...................................................11-12, 14 GLaMOUR.............................................................23, 51 GUaRD................................4, 10-13, 16, 18-19, 25, 43

N O

Adjusting Encounter Threat...............................35, 38, 41 TIME.................................................................................8 TRaDES....................................................................4, 57 TURN........................................................................10-11 Action............................................................................10 Exchanges......................................................................10 Maneuver.....................................................10-11, 12, 16 Move...............................................................................10 see also Initiative

OUtcOMES.....................................9, 12, 14, 16, 18-21

Determining Guard..........................................................4 Gaining and Losing............................................11-12, 16

Weapon Conditions...................................................16-17 Weapon List...................................................................17 WItcHFINDERS.......................................................28 see also Allies for Canon Alder & Rowan Star WOUNDS.........................................5, 12, 38, 40, 42-43 Wound Penalties..............................12, 16, 30, 37-38, 40 and Threat........................................................................5

WEapON............................................................5, 16-17

HaND OF GLORY...............................28-29, 38-40

Character Knowledge Sidebar...........................................29 Ritual.............................................................................39 HEaLINg aND REcOVERY.....................12-13 Social Recovery................................................................15

IDLE HaNDS

Ch. 1, Sc. 1..............................................................24-28 Ch. 1, Sc. 2..............................................................26-28 Ch. 2, Sc. 1..............................................................28-30 Ch. 2, Sc. A.............................................................31-32

Pontus Effects.....................................................31-32, 43 POtENtIaL..................4, 9, 14-15, 18, 23, 31, 34, 51 Corruption....................................................................4, 9 Ether.........................................................4, 9, 23, 34, 51 Purpose................................................4, 9, 14-15, 18, 31 PUREBLOOD....................................see under Bloodline PURpOSE.............................................see under Potential

PENEtRatINg AttacK..........12, 14, 16, 39, 42 PONtUS.............................2-4, 23, 28-33, 36-37, 42-45

ZONE OF CONtROL..........7, 10, 17-19, 25, 38, 47

ALL MatERIaL RELIQUaRY GaME StUDIOS 2013.

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Doom
Damaged

-5

-5

Disarmed

Disarmed

Print & Play Cards

Copyright Reliquary Game Studios 2013 Layout & Design by Michelle Mullen Game Design by Zeke Coughlin and Nathaniel Dean These printable cards and a copy of the free Quick-Start Rules are all you need to begin playing the Clockwork: Empire tabletop role-playing game. The Quick-Start Rules, full-art cards, and all other Clockwork: Empire releases are available from www.drivethrurpg.com. News, previews, and more game materials are on our website at www.aclockworkworld.com. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @AClockworkWorld.

-5

-5

-4

Disarmed

Disarmed

Disarmed

-4

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Disarmed

-4

Disarmed

-4

Disarmed
61

-4

10

-4

11

-4

12

-3

19

-3

20

-3

21

Disoriented

Disoriented

Disoriented

Entrapped

Entrapped

Entrapped

-4

13

-4

14

-3

15

-3

22

-3

23

-2

24

Disoriented

Disoriented

Disoriented

Entrapped

Entrapped

Entrapped

-3

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16

-3

17

-3

18

-2

25

-2

26

-2

27

Disoriented

Disoriented

Disoriented

Entrapped

Entrapped

Staggered
63

-2

28

-2

29

-2

30

Staggered

Staggered

Staggered

Fatigued

-1

37

Fatigued

-1

38

Fatigued

-1

39

-2

31

-2

32

-2

33

Staggered

Staggered

Staggered

Fatigued

-1

40

Fatigued

-1

41

Fatigued

-1

42

Staggered

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-1

34

Fatigued

-1

35

Fatigued

-1

36

Outmaneuvered

-1

43

Outmaneuvered

-1

44

Outmaneuvered

65

45

Outmaneuvered

46

Outmaneuvered

47

Outmaneuvered

48

Overwhelmed

0 1

55

Overwhelmed

0 1

56

Overwhelmed

57

Outmaneuvered

49

Outmaneuvered

50

Overwhelmed

51

58

59

Overwhelmed

Dazed

Dazed

60

Overwhelmed

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Overwhelmed

53

Overwhelmed

54

Dazed

61

Dazed

62

Dazed

67

63

Dazed

64

Dazed

65

Dazed

66

Unbalanced

73

Unbalanced

74

Unbalanced

75

Dazed

67

Unbalanced

68

Unbalanced

69

Undone

76

Undone

77

Undone

78

Unbalanced

68
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70

Unbalanced

71

Unbalanced

72

Undone

79

Disoriented

80

Entrapped

69

81

Dazed

82

Unbalanced

83

Exposed

84

Exposed

91

Aggravated

92

Aggravated

93

Exposed

85

Exposed

86

Exposed

87

Aggravated

94

Aggravated

95

Aggravated

96

Exposed

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88

Exposed

89

Exposed

90

Aggravated

97

Aggravated

98

Aggravated

71

99

100

Fate
None

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