Voidheart Symphony - Main Book

voidHearT
SYmphonY
pSyChIc rEbElLiOn iN tHe sHaDoWs oF tHe cItY

VeRsIoN 0.5: ReVoLuTiOn aNd ReTaLiAtIoN
CrEdItS
Voidheart Symphony v0.5 Art
Revolution and Retaliation edition. Playbook art created by Marie Enger.
Copyright 2020 UFO Press Limited. Chapter and arcana art created by
Minerva McJanda using photos from
Writing and layout Unsplash.com, taken by the following
Minerva McJanda photographers:
Additional Writing CDC, Luca Bravo, Rowan Chestnut,

Adira Slattery, Charlie Ann Page, Justin Clark, Giano Currie, Jose de la
David Morrison, Declan Winterton, Cruz, Jakub Dziubak, David East,
Eleanor Hingley, Erika Chappell, Saketh Garuda, JC Gellidon, JJ
Evan Saft, Freyja Erlingsdottir, Finn Jordan, Yeshi Kangrang, William
MacGinty O’Neill, Grant Howitt, Krause, Cassie Lafferty, Liam
James White, Lisandro Johnston, Liz Martens, Hector Martinez, Leio
Weir, Martin Silberberg, Misha McLaren, Shamim Nakhaei, Rohit
Handman, Natalie Ash, Paige Foisy, Reddy, Victor Rodriguez, Umara Shi,
Paul Matijevic, Tyler Diaz, Trevor Luke Stackpoole, Jordan Steranka,
Cashmore, Tetra Saturn, Violet Yongguang Tian, Francesco Ungaro,
Henderson. Ferdinand Stöhr, Wyron A,
Muzammil Soorma.
Inspirations
• Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Brain Labyrinth by Alice Noir from
and Meguey Baker. the Noun Project; other icons by Lorc
• Spire: This City Must Fall by Grant from game-icons.net.
Howitt and Chris Taylor.
• Blades in the Dark by One Seven Playtesters
Design. <TBA>
• Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkin.
• Orchestra of Oblivion and Choir
of Souls by Maria Rivera.
• Persona 5 by Atlus Games. Dedicated with love to Bea McJanda
• The World Ends with You by
Square Enix
• Sayonara Wild Hearts by Simogo
• DmC: Devil May Cry by Ninja
Theory
• Psychonauts by Double Fine
• Silent Hill by Konami
• This Spotify playlist: https://
tinyurl.com/ybrhm9qg
2
CoNtEnTs
InTrOdUcTiOn 4 The Chariot 126
Welcome to the Age of oblivion 6 Strength 128
How this works 7 The Hermit 130
Dice Mechanics 10 Wheel of Fortune 132
game Setup 12 Justice 134
The Vagabond 136
RuLeS oF tHe CiTy 18 Death 138
Vital Statistics 20 Temperance 140
The Investigation 26 The Devil 142
The Mundane World 27 The Tower 144
Investigation Moves 28 The Star 146
Covenant Moves 31 The Moon 148
Keeping Yourself Together 32 The Sun 150
Into the Castle 35 Judgement 152
BloOdstained Combat 40
The Aftermath 48 ThE ArChItEcT 154
Retaliation 51 Your Agenda 156
Peace and Quiet 53 What to Say 157
Investigation Overview 54 Principles 158
reactions 162
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 57 Dark Feudalism 166
Playbook Anatomy 58 Making Your Vassal 170
The Playbooks 62 ExAmPlE VaSsAls 172
Qualities 194
The Authority 65 Enforcers 196
The Harlequin 71 The City You Live in 218
The Heretic 77 Steel City Punks 220
The ICON 83 Bandit Country 226
The Inhuman 89 Chicago 230
The Provider 95
The Watcher 101 Voidheart and the
Tarot 234
COvenants 106 Tarot Transposition 236
Minor Covenants 108 Reading tips 237
Scenario Spreads 238
The Fool 112
The Magician 114
The Oracle 116
The Gardener 118
The Auteur 120
The Sage 122
The Lovers 124
3
InTrOdUcTiOn
WeLcOmE tO tHe AgE oF oBlIvIoN
There’s a wound in the world, and nobody cares. If they have to
step over rough sleepers as they walk to work, if the rich grow richer
while children starve, if authorities destroy lives not just through
negligence but through malice… isn’t that just the way of the world?
You don’t have the luxury of thinking that way. Maybe you’re a
second-class citizen, forced to work yourself to the bone for the
money to live. Maybe you have to hide your truth, for fear of what
would happen if you were exposed - or maybe you’re out, and are
living with those consequences every day. Maybe you just can’t
close your eyes and ignore the suffering.
But mainly it’s because you’ve seen the wound: a strange border
between this world and another, tucked away in backstreets and
disused stairwells. The taint of the void seeps out, sickening and
twisting those unfortunate enough to live nearby. And it conforms to
the will of the biggest predator in the area, blighting their enemies
and victims and bringing them fortune whether they realise it or not.
But, if people are causing pain with unearned power, what’s new?
You’re used to fighting for respect, survival, your safety, the safety
of your community. You’ll dive into that wound, steal its power,
and see how that predator topples when the void abandons them.
And what then? Will you go back to the daily grind, putting out the
fires that spread while you were focused on your shadow war? Hold
close to those dear to you, and form new connections? Or rest and
heal, preparing for the next time? Because the wound is still there,
and as long as someone is profiting from the suffering of others the
void will have plenty of Vassals to empower.
This is a political game

All works of art are political, but I’m being clear here: this game
is rooted in my anger at the state of the world, and my need to
push for change. There’s no extradimensional void aiding real-
world predators (capital, privilege and white supremacy are
more than enough) but if we want a better world we’ll need group
solidarity, community accountability, individual empowerment,
and a dream of a better way – just like this game’s rebels.
This is also a personal game, centred in my own particular

history and experiences. It’s plausible something in this book
unintentionally excludes or snubs your own experiences; if so,
I’m sorry for that, and promise to listen if you want to talk.
6 InTrOdUcTiOn
HoW tHiS wOrKs
Voidheart Symphony is a cooperative storytelling game for 3 to 6
players, who'll build up characters and tell their stories together.
Most of the players control a rebel - someone who has seen the
tendrils of thecastle spreading throughout their city and lending
occult power to predatory Vassals, and have decided to fight back.
They start with nothing except that willingness to take a stand, but
as the castle's void seeps into their heart and they deepen their
connections with confidantes, they'll gather extraordinary powers.
One player is the Architect. They're here to keep track of the

setting, provide resistance and challenge to the characters, and
make sure all the players get an equal chance to shine. They’re also
there to portray supporting characters, voicing them in
conversations and giving the players someone to play off of. It’s a
role with a different set of responsibilities, detailed in their own
chapter of this book.
The game unfolds through Investigations. Each begins with a new

invasion of thecastle in your territory. You'll delve into that
nightmare realm, use clues there to identify the Vassal, probe their
weak spots and ruin their plans in the mortal world, and eventually
wrest control of the castle-shard from them - using it to heal,
protect and expand your territory. All while trying to avoid suffering
irreparable harm to your health, finances and relationships.
Between Investigations, you'll rest up, grow up, and look for the
next extrusion of the castle.
The Conversation
Voidheart Symphony draws on the rule design philosophy of Vincent
and Meguey Baker’s Apocalypse World, which means that it concerns
itself first and foremost with the conversation that’s happening at
the table. This is a roleplaying game: a conversation between the
players and the Architect, working together to build a story and see
what happens to the world. Most of the time you’ll be talking
without using any rules. The players describe the actions their
characters or families are taking, the Architect describes how those
actions change the situation, and the conversation continues.
InTrOdUcTiOn 7
Sometimes events in the ongoing conversation will activate a
discrete chunk of rules (called a “move”) that guides the story
based on the player’s dice rolls, choices or established fictional
circumstances. Each move has an in-fiction trigger. This is
something your character or family has to do in the story for the
mechanics to start up. The consequences of moves are often just
as much fictional as mechanical.
It’s vital to note that you can make big changes to the world
without triggering any moves by building on elements already
established in the story. If someone’s already handed you their
prized baseball bat, you don’t need to roll Gearing Up; if you’ve put
a marble pillar between yourself and an adversary, you don’t need
to roll Dodge to avoid their flames.
Other times you may want to use a particular move, but be unable
to. If you’re in a bad situation – say, tied to a chair with your
hands behind your back – your ability to hit your moves’ triggers
and use them to move the story in a favourable direction will be
severely limited.
Simply put: everything in the game starts and ends with the story
you’re telling. Moves tell you how particular flashpoints in the
story play out.
The Architect’s role

The Architect doesn’t make moves, but instead has reactions. These
are specific ways to guide the story towards Voidheart Symphony's
themes and create a fun experience. The Architect never rolls dice,
and instead uses reactions in response to the players’ actions:
when a player rolls a miss, when everyone looks to the Architect to
say what happens next, or when the players do something with
already established consequences (a ‘golden opportunity’).
Each Architect reaction is a way of raising the stakes, shaking up

the situation and providing adversity. Check out p. 162 for more
details on these.
8 InTrOdUcTiOn
ThE FlOw oF tHe CoNvErSaTiOn
ThE cOnVeRsAtIoN: ArChItEcT aNd pLaYeRs dIsCuSsInG wHaT’s hApPeNiNg
nOw, tHe fAcTs oF tHe sCeNe, tHe rEaCtIoNs oF tHeIr cHaRaCtErS eTc.
A pLaYeR dEsCrIbEs aN aCtIoN tHeIr PlAyErS lOoK tO tHe ArChItEcT

cHaRaCtEr oR HoUsE iS tAkInG. tO sEe wHaT hApPeNs.
HaS iT bEeN eStAbLiShEd

YeS
tHaT tHiS aCtIoN wOuLd hAvE
iMmEdIaTe rEpUrCuSsIoNs?
No
No Is tHiS a mOvE?
YeS
Is tHeRe a rOlL?
No YeS
RoLl tHe dIcE.
HiT MiSs
MaKe mOvE rEsUlT cHoIcEs.
ArChItEcT mAkEs a
GrOuNd tHe rEsUlTs iN tHe rEaCtIoN, fOlLoWiNg tHeIr
fIcTiOn. aGeNdA aNd pRiNcIpLeS.
SpEnD HoLd. GeT HoLd.
InTrOdUcTiOn 99
DiCe MeChAnIcS
In Voidheart Symphony, the way you resolve moves depends on
whether you're in the city or in the castle.
In the city, success depends on overcoming the pressures that

society's systems are placing on you. When you turn to dice in the
city, you make a check against one of your stress gauges – you roll
two six-sided dice, and compare them to the ticks in that gauge:
• If both dice are higher than the ticks, that's a strong hit.
• If only one dice is, that's a weak hit.
• If neither dice are, that's a miss, and the Architect will make a
reaction.
If a result takes about 'any hit', that's a strong hit or a weak hit.
Milli has evidence that a doctor at the hospital is using patients as

her personal test subjects, and is trying to get the hospital
administrator to listen. But Milli’s a high school student, and is
having issues getting him to pay attention. She keeps pushing,
and so triggers Make A Stand (p. 28). She has 2 ticks in her Blood
gauge, and when she rolls the dice she gets a 2 and a 5 - a weak hit.
She decides that the administrator can’t dismiss what she says, and
will look into the doctor. The Architect says that the administrator
will cause problems for Milli as he calls security to escort her out,
and won’t focus only on her – the hospital’s security guards will be
on the lookout for other troublemakers too.
In the castle, you're cut free of those fetters, and only have your
own skills to draw on. When you trigger a move in the castle, you'll
be asked to roll +Stat. That means you roll two six-sided dice, add
the named stat, and see what the final result is:
• If the sum is 7 or above, that's a hit.

• If it’s a 7-9, that’s a weak hit; if it’s 10+, that’s a strong hit.
• If the sum is 6 or less, that's a miss, and the Architect will make a
reaction.
10 InTrOdUcTiOn
Milli is facing down the rogue doctor's nightmare avatar - a
looming, gaunt figure wielding a syringe dripping noxious
chemicals. As the avatar summons hordes of orderlies to hold
Milli down, her player describes how she plants her staff in the
chest of an orderly and uses it to vault over the horde and out of
danger. That triggers Dodge (p. 45), so she rolls two six-sided dice
and adds her Wands stat. With a 6 and a 3 plus her Wands of 1,
that's a 10 – a strong hit. She avoids the danger, and picks that
she's separated from her allies.
Occasionally, specific effects might make things harder - or easier

for your character. These come in two different forms:
AdVaNtAgE
When you're benefiting from Advantage, you roll an extra die and pick
the highest two for your result.
For example, if you rolled three dice and get 2, 4 and 5 you'd
discard the 2. A check in the city would be left with 4 and 5; a roll
in the castle would be left with 9+stat.
DiSaDvAnTaGe
When you're suffering from Disadvantage, you roll an extra dice and
discard the highest dice.
For example, if rolled three dice and get 1, 5 and 6, you'd discard
the 6. A check in the city would be left with 1 and 5; a roll in the
castle would be left with 6+stat.
These effects don’t stack – even under multiple sources of

Advantage, you still only roll three dice. Any amount of Advantage
cancels out any amount of Disadvantage, with the result that you
roll normally.
These effects can be fleeting or lasting; fleeting effects are used up

the first time they take effect, while lasting effects keep affecting
the specified rolls until a condition is met.
InTrOdUcTiOn 11
InTrO
gAmE SeTuP
To get your game of Voidheart Symphony started, follow these steps:
1: DiScUsS ExPeCtAtIoNs
Are you planning a one-shot, a short story, a long-term
campaign? How do people feel about antagonism between
characters? Voidheart Symphony is a game about people pushing
back against those oppressing them and benefiting from their
misery - are there any topics and themes that people don’t want
touched on, or even mentioned? Any topics that don’t want to
appear on-screen, even if you can still mention them.
This is also a good time to decide on the broad strokes of your

setting. Are you in London, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, a fictional
city? Is it the present, the recent past, the near future? Put
down a basic map to draw on: anything from a blank sheet of
paper to a satellite map of a city works fine.
2: Pick playbooks
The next thing to do is select who you'll be playing. Everyone
except the Architect picks a Rebel Playbook (p. 34) that fits their
basic idea for their character. There’s no doubling up - each of
you is unique in what you add to the group. As you pick your
playbook, maybe read out its blurb to let the group know what
its deal is, or summarise in your own words.
3: Your First Foe

The player characters have a common enemy - a Vassal of the
castle, a petty tyrant who is profiting from your suffering. Each
Rebel playbook has a question for you to answer about the
Vassal; go round the table, answering these, and filling in any
extra details you want covered.
4: Dive Into Darkness

Your characters have, together, found a gate to the castle: a door,
alley, window, loose floorboard, etc. that leads to the nightmare
dimension that’s empowering the Vassal. Use your answers in
step 3 to decide what lead you here.
12 InTrOdUcTiOn
Each rebel should pick their Particulars – the things the audience
would immediately notice about them, even if there's a deeper truth.
They should also pick their role in the Crew, taking the appropriate
covenant card, and ask the linked question to the group. Remember
that this Covenant gives you useful moves to call on!
5: Facing the Vassal

Normally your rebels would need to search the castle's nightmare
corridors for ways to make the avatar vulnerable; for your first
delve, we're jumping right to the end. Your rebels are gathered in
the avatar’s place of power, ready to kick the tar out of them.
Whenever a rebel use a stat they haven't used before, they assign one of
these values to it: +1, +1, 0 and -1.
Architect: pick three of these Qualities to define the avatar. Check

out Confrontation Moves (p. 44) to see the rules governing this fight.
Arcane Commanding
The Vassal can shapeshift and use The Vassal has hordes of minions.
supernatural forces. Mob a rebel and isolate them.
Lash out with crimson fire. Place a wall of minions between the
Summon walls of boiling blood. Vassal and the rebels.
Break: Twist into a strange form Break: They pick up the mob's
with new movement abilities. weapons for their own use.
Armoured Dark
The Vassal has potent defences. The Vassal controls poison and shadows.
Send an attacking rebel flying back. Teleport from one shadow to another.
Redirect an attack to hit another rebel. Disappear in a cloud of choking poison.
Break: Shed encumbrances and Break: Blind the rebel who struck
lunge for the closest rebel. the darkness away.
Bestial Dramatic
The Vassal is aggressive and twisted into The Vassal is devoted to style, grace and
an animalistic form. acclaim.
Leap across the arena. Dazzle a rebel.
Hit with devastating force. Travel at impossible angles.
Break: Call in a mob of animals to Break: Beg for mercy,
shelter the Vassal. perhaps as a feint.
InTrOdUcTiOn 13
13
6: The Aftermath
This battle will have one of two outcomes:
If the players defeat the Vassal: Every rebel raises Void to 1 - this is
a great time to pick your Castle Form and describe your
transformation! The castle shard's heart shatters, and reforms
into a Hideout. Each rebel names one thing that would make a
place feel like home to them, and it appears. The rebel that struck
the final blow decides where the Hideout’s exit leads in the city.
If the Vassal defeats the players: They wake up where they entered
the shard, with the gate disappeared. The Architect picks an
option from Darkness Falls (p. 22). If the players investigate the
Vassal, they will find they've reached a new rank – they now count
as a Tier 2 target (see Dark Feudalism, p. 100).
7. Back to reality
With your first battle done, it's time to look into your mundane life.
Revisit your Particulars - is there anything you want to change

here? Also consider what other things might be apparent about
your character. Markers of religion, experience, ethnicity,
disability, identity –anything that helps you flesh them out. Once
you've decided your look and given your character a name, also
mark the map with your character’s home. These homes don’t
need to be near to each other, or far away - both are fine.
Next, in your Role section, first choose the general category the
castle would place you into and then the specific way you express
that. Place down on the map a location important to your role -
your workplace, or school, or bar. On your trouble tracks, make
sure to fill in the first red box of the track you get a black mark in.
For Gauges, we see the issues your character is already struggling

with. You'll mark two ticks in the gauges you're better able to deal
with, and three ticks in the others. Note that the Black Mark you
gained from your Role adds onto these, meaning that you'll either
end up with [2, 2, 3, 3, 4] or [2, 3, 3, 3, 3] depending on how your
Role category lines up with your playbook.
14 InTrOdUcTiOn
Contacts are other bonds to Architect-controlled characters.
They're less strong, but still important. When you pick one, write
down this Covenant on your sheet and check out the Covenant
moves it offers you. Mark down on the map a new location
important to the contact, or pick an existing place that's relevant
to them and add an extra detail.
Once you've defined your contact you go around again, picking

another player's covenant, saying how you know them, and
writing them down as a Minor Covenant – your connection with
them is less firm, but it’s still important.
You can take your time with this steps – maybe zoom in and use a
short scene of roleplaying to really flesh out the character's day-
to-day life and reveal their relationships with their contacts.
Once all of these are down, draw rough boundaries around

distinct neighbourhoods. Between 3 and 5 different regions is
good! What’s the mood of each neighbourhood? How do people
travel about this city?
8. The Next Investigation

Once you're done, skip forward some time (a few weeks, maybe, or
a month) and trigger Retaliation to see how the castle responds (p.
51, checking vs a Passive Clock and Tier 1). Then work through
Peace and Quiet, to get you to the point where the characters spot
their next target. Having tasted the shadow, they can now see its
signs in others.
This time they’ll need to run through a full investigation: investigate

the Vassal to find their shard, dive into it to find their Tokens, and
use those Tokens to disrupt the Vassal’s faith in the castle’s promises
– all the while dealing with the challenges of their life in the city.
InTrOdUcTiOn 15
QuEsTiOnS aBoUt tHe cItY
What are its key industries?
Manufacturing, farming, mining/drilling, utilities, IT, finance, transport,
distribution, tourism, education, research, ______
Which is on the rise? Which is in decline?
What sort of professionals does the industry attract?
What costs does the industry levy on its laborourers?
Who are the most powerful blocs in the city?

Old money, new money, predatory capital, faith communities, unions,
suburban professionals, landlords, reactionary movements , ______
What agenda are they pushing?
How do they exert their influence on the city’s governors?
What’s the city particularly failing to provide?

Accessible nutrition, affordable housing, reliable employment, social mobility,
multiculturaism, liberty and security, social security, disability access, ______
Which groups are especially denied this?
How do these group intersect with other marginalised

groups – and with the privileged groups?
What brings the city together?

Parades, festivals, holidays, sports events, days of mourning, ______
Who do these public celebrations still exclude?
What outside force is threatening the city?

Climate change, austerity, national policy shifts, dying industries,
domination by a larger neighbour, ______
Which local groups are agitating for action?
What are its leaders doing instead of taking action?
16 InTrOdUcTiOn
QuEsTiOnS fOr ReBeLs
In what ways are you different from the norm?
Faith, ethnicity, disability, neurodivergence, sexuality, weight, age, class,
education, language, gender expression, ____
Which of these do others ignore or refuse to see?
Which of these do you hide, if you need to?
Which of these are impossible for you to hide?
Which of these do you refuse to hide?
What compromises have you made in order to survive in this world?

People you’ve hurt, evils you’ve tolerated, quirks you’ve suppressed, ____
Are there any compromises you’re not aware you made?
What would you be if you didn’t have to compromise like this?
Who’s most important to you?

Partners, dependents, friends, relatives, neighbours, ____
In what ways are they different like you?
In what ways are they different unlike you?
Was there a point where your life was harder than this?
Living with deprivation, abuse, illness, stress, over-policing, ____
What marks do you still carry from that time?
How has your background made life easier for you?

Class, race, health, inherited wealth, connections, ____
Are you conscious of these privileges?
What obligations are you expected to act on in return?
It’s alright to play a character who experiences a form of

marginalisation you don’t personally deal with, but please:
• Treat the trait with nuance, respect, and empathy.

• Read people’s personal accounts of their relationship with it.
• Remember you’ll get some things wrong, and accept critique.
InTrOdUcTiOn 17
RuLeS oF tHe CiTy
ViTaL StAtIsTiCs
So, you’re rebels - ordinary people who have taken it upon
themselves to oppose the insidious forces of the castle, and have
found strange power in the process.
But what does that actually mean, and how is that represented in
the system? Well, your rebel is measured in four different
categories - the pressures they face in the city, the strengths they
bring to bear in the castle, the covenants they hold onto, and the
potency they accrue as their revolution unfolds.
Pressures in the City

Your rebels spend most of their time in the mundane world – the
streets and buildings of this city. They’ve only recently become
aware of the castle’s intrusions into this world, and they must
contend with the frailties of their health and the demands of their
everyday obligations as they push it back.
Stress Gauges
You have five gauges tracking your rebel’s well-being:
Blood: How healthy you are. The more ticks, the closer you are to
incapacitation.
Lack: The precarity of your social situation. The more ticks, the
closer you are to homelessness and deprivation.
Infamy: Are you famed, tolerated or reviled? The more ticks, the
more you risk becoming shunned by society.
Heat: How aware hostile elements are of your interference in their

activities. The more ticks, the closer the Vassal (and the rest of the
castle’s minions) are to finding out your identity.
Fealty: The depth to which the castle has penetrated your

subconscious. As you accumulate ticks, you grow more likely to
see others only as resources to exploit for your own benefit – and
lose all care for community, kindness and joy.
20 RuLeS oF tHe CiTy

Gaining and reducing stress
Each gauge is 6 ticks long, with more ticks meaning more problems.
When an effect tells you to mark a gauge, you put a line through the
leftmost empty box to tick it.
When a gauge hits 6 ticks, you’re taken out - in hospital, prison, on

the run, swayed to the Vassal’s side. Until the rest of the group
deals with the problem, you automatically miss any check with the
affected gauge and have disadvantage on all other gauges.
When you refresh a gauge, remove a tick from it.
Black Marks
Some effects – such as the role your rebel plays in society’s castle-
influenced systems – make life permanently more difficult for them.
Each gauge starts with a single black mark. Your very existence as
a rebel strains your health, finances, reputation, and faith in
humanity. This black mark can’t be removed while the castle’s
influence is still delimiting human society in your city.
When you receive another black mark, shift any existing marks
one step right, then fill in the leftmost box in a way that makes it
clearly different from other marks (e.g. a different colour).
Black marks count as ticks for the purposes of checks, and can
only be removed by effects that specifically do so.
This rebel has accumulated a few stress ticks and an extra black
mark in Lack. When asked to make a check, they’d need to beat
3 in Blood, 4 in Lack, 2 in Infamy, 2 in Heat, or 3 in Fealty.
Blood ⬛��
Lack ⬛⬛��
Infamy ⬛��
Heat ⬛��
FeAlTy ⬛��
RuLeS oF tHe CiTy 21

Your Strengths in the Castle
When you dive through a breach into a castle shard suspended in
the void, you no longer act by struggling against the fetters of
society. Instead you can take direct, dynamic action, empowered
by your soul and your desires. While in the castle, you use these
stats, rated from -1 to +3:
Swords: Your ability to take direct action against your foes. When
exploring, you use it to smash through obstacles and face down
hordes. When fighting a powerful adversary, use this to get in
their face and throw them off-balance.
Coins: Your ability to use the world around you to your advantage.
When exploring, use it to find your way through and assess your
surroundings. When fighting a powerful adversary, use it to spot
openings and help your allies exploit them.
Wands: Your ability to be quick-thinking and creative. When

exploring, use it to find safe refuge from the castle’s inhabitants
and turn the environment to your advantage; when fighting, use it
to dodge away from blows and use trickery and guile.
Cups: The strength of your passions and ability to open your heart
to the world around you. When exploring, use it to understand the
Vassal’s psyche and reshape the labyrinth. When fighting a
powerful adversary, use it to pull allies from danger.
When you're asked to 'roll +Stat', you roll two dice and add the total to
your stat. For example, if you were rolling +Wands you might get a
2 and 5 on the dice and add your Wands of 1 to get 8.

The Covenants you Cherish
Covenants are the core social drivers of Voidheart Symphony.
They're the bonds that hold your ragtag group of rebels together,
and the outside connections they can call on when they're in
trouble, or need to blow off steam.
You track your most important connections on your character

sheet. Each covenant is in one direction: they represent the
benefits your character has gained from the relationship with the
other character.
Covenants come in three major forms:
Minor Covenants: Fleeting connections, people whose hearts you

have touched only briefly. You can expend the energy in that link
for momentary advantages, or carefully nurture them into...
Major Covenants: Truly important connections that define your

life. Each has:
• An arcanum that gives its general tone.

• A rank, the overall strength of the relationship - rated from 0 to +3.
• Nurture and betray triggers that suggest how the rank might
increase - or decrease.
• Three moves the arcanum grants you so long as its rank is 1 or
more. A hangout move that triggers when you spend time with
them, a city move you can use in the mundane world, and a
castle move. Any and all of these might change their
effectiveness according to the covenant’s rank. If the rank hits
0, you lose access to the moves until you raise its rank again.
And then there’s your crew covenant – the covenant that shows
what you give to the others, or maybe the person you’re becoming
with their help. This offers city and castle moves like Major
Covenants, but its rank changes according to your relationship
with the others – and the hangout move says what happens when
they spend time with you.

The Potency you have Taken
Finally, there’s the way your powers grow as your revolution
unfolds. Unlike Vassals, whose power is granted by the castle and
lasts only as long as they fulfil its wishes, your mystic strength is
earned, or stolen, or cheated. However you want to define it, it’s
yours and nobody can take it from you.
As you fight back against the castle in the shadow world and in the
city, you’ll build an attunement to two fundamental forces:
The World is the city you live in, but it’s not the
bricks and the wires and the tarmac. Or, it’s not just
those - it’s also the history and culture and
community that makes the city its home, the
beautiful singular thing that only exists in this
place and this moment and should be cherished.
You build your attunement with it by building
strong relationships with others, by taking time
to help and protect your community, and by
giving up your power over others and freeing
them to help as they see fit.
World is ‘you matter’, a hand reaching down to

pull others back up to their feet.
The Void is the realm of primal hunger and

isolation that spawned the castle. It’s empowering
and isolating in equal measure, giving power that
demands you set yourself apart from others. You
build your attunement with it by using your
power as a weapon, by taking your enemy’s
strengths for yourself, and by using others as
tools to wage your revolution.
Void is ‘I matter’, fists raised up in defiance

against a hostile universe.

Raising Potency
Certain moves will tell you to markvoid or mark world. When you do
this, mark a box in the appropriate track on your character sheet.
If this takes you to 5 in either track, you...
1. Increase your rank in the appropriate attument (World or Void);

2. Clear out both tracks;
3. Take an advance from your playbook’s list of advances from that
attunement;
4. And elaborate on your rebel’s Castle Form (p. 61).
As your attunement to both forces grows, you can channel the

tension between them into greater power - increased stats in the
castle, Shadow Moves to exploit, and useful facilities emerging in
your group’s hideout. Each type of rebel has a particular menu of
advances to pick from here (see p. 59).
But there’s a limit: if you’re already at 3 ranks in the relevant

covenant, you don’t increase it. Instead you trigger Overwhelmed
by the Void/Overwhelmed by the Void (p. 34).
Void and World can fall in rank as well as grow. When their rank
drops, you erase an advance as the power ebbs out of you.

ThE InVeStIgAtIoN
The clock
Your investigation is a race against time – as you work to bring
down your target, the Vassal is working too. To track their
progress, you use the Vassal’s clock - a wheel divided up into 6
segments. You also track the Pressure on the rebels:
• Passive: The Vassal isn’t aware of the rebels at all. This is the
default starting state.
• Alert: The Vassal is aware the rebels are out there causing trouble
for them, though likely doesn’t know their true identities.
• Hunting: The Vassal knows who the rebels are and is coming for
them.
Daily Procedure
At the start of each day, the Architect marks a segment of the clock.
• If Pressure is at Alert, each Rebel must then mark a gauge.

• If Pressure is at Hunting, each Rebel marks two different gauges.
After ticking the clock, the group picks one: take mundane action
(next page), or delve into the castle (p. 35).
When the clock’s full, the Architect erases all segments and increases
Pressure. If any of the Vassal’s Enforcers are undefeated, one
leaves the castle shard to blight the world (see p. 196).
If the pressure’s already at Hunting, the rebels pick one:
• Targeted Strike. The Architect attacks a rebel directly, maxing

out one of their gauges.
• Imperilled. A Covenant of the Architect’s choice is gravely
wounded, imprisoned or exiled - removing them from the
player’s side.
• The Vassal’s plan completes. Trigger Darkness Falls.
The rebels can always choose to give up an investigation instead of

ticking the Vassal’s clock, in which case Darkness Falls is triggered.
Check p. 54 for an overview of Investigation structure.

ThE MuNdAnE WoRlD
Mundane Action
Each day, you can take one action without risking your mundane
life. To take an extra action, mark an appropriate gauge.
When you act, pick one of these:
Continue your investigation. Say what you’re up to and

who’s with you, and trigger city moves (p. 28) as required.
Work on a project (p. 32). Say how you work on it, and
trigger moves as required. Mark Progress on it; you may
then try to finish it.
Look after someone. Say how you help a rebel; they refresh a
gauge, and you rank up your crew covenant.
Look after yourself and Let Your Hair Down.
Check In with another rebel or a Major/Minor Covenant.
If other rebels join in with your action to help, it doesn’t use up

their action.
What’s a day?
The easiest answer is 24 hours, of course, but that’s not always
narratively appropriate. A sustained campaign to unseat the
mayor could be measured in weeks; a panicked dash to save a
kidnapped friend could tick the clock every few hours or so.

InVeStIgAtIoN MoVeS
When your rebels investigate in the city, you’ll likely use these moves:
LiFt tHe MaSk

When you use a token to undermine the Vassal’s faith in the castle, their
doubt manifests as an imperfection in their Avatar – they’re now
vulnerable. Defeat the Avatar to claim their shard for your own.
For each extra token you hold, pick one:
• Break their confidence. Start the battle with an Opening.

• Get under their skin. Give a rebel’s signature weapon the Bane tag.
• Subvert their power. If you defeat the Vassal, each rebel can
mark [Tier] Progress ticks across their projects.
MaKe a StAnD
When you use posture, force, or intensity to make someone pay attention to
you, check against Blood. On a weak hit choose one, on a strong hit
choose two:
• They don’t cause you problems.

• They can’t dismiss what you say.
• They focus only on you.
PaSs BeNeAtH NoTiCe

When you attempt to Pass Beneath Notice, check against Infamy. On
a hit, you do it long enough to get what you wanted, but it costs
you. On a weak hit pick 2, on a strong hit pick 1:
• You have to leave this situation right now, or be discovered.

• Someone's suspicious of you, and you won't be able to dodge
them next time.
• You get separated from your allies or pulled out of position.

ReBeL EyEs
When you spend time scrutinising a person or situation, say what you’re
looking to find out and check against Heat. On a hit, you’ll have a
clear idea how to get the information, but the Architect may give
you one or two of these conditions:
• It’ll take until later today/tomorrow to get it.

• You’ll have to expose yourself to danger to get it.
• You’ll have to tick a gauge to get it.
• You’ll need _____ to help you get it.
On a weak hit, you’re watched too. The Architect picks someone in

this scene, and one thing they uncover:
• What your true affiliations are.

• What you’re after right now.
• What’s causing you pain.
UsE a CoNnEcTiOn
When you Use a Connection to get access to somone, say which
Covenant you're name-dropping and check against Lack. On a hit,
the target treats you as a peer for a time, but on a weak hit pick
one:
• They aren't impressed. They will end the interaction as soon as

they can.
• You need to make it personal to get them interested. Tick your
Heat gauge.
• They make trouble for your Covenant. Accept it, or start a
recovery project to deal with it.
On a strong hit, pick one of the options above to add the target or
someone else in this scene as a Minor Covenant.

VeNt
When you Vent out the void’s power in the mundane world, pick 1-5 effects:
• Terrify everyone present.

• Conceal your identity from all onlookers.
• Evoke a power of your castle self.
• Perceive something you could not otherwise sense.
• Resist harm that would otherwise wound you.
Check against Fealty. On a strong hit, pick one; on a weak hit, pick
as many as you picked effects; on a miss, the Architect picks as
many as they like.
• The darkness changes some part of your form as it leaves you.

• A quirk of fate inflicts suffering on one of your Covenants.
• A part of the departing shadow will appear the next time you’re
in the castle.
• A part of the departing shadow flees into an animal or object,
granting it smarts and malice.
• Some of the shadow lingers; mark void.
GeArInG Up
When you try to obtain new gear by…
• Dipping into your reserves, check against Lack.
• Working extra hours, check against Blood.
• Stealing it from others, check against Fealty.
On a strong hit, you get it. On a weak hit, the Architect picks one:
• You’ll need to tick a gauge to get it.

• It’s not openly for sale, but you find someone who can lead you
to someone selling it.
• It’s not openly for sale, but you find someone who recently sold
it and may be willing to introduce you to their previous buyer.
• It’s not available for sale, but you find something similar. Will it do?
On a miss, the Architect picks one and ticks your Infamy or Heat
as your desperation is noticed.
To make these items useful in the castle, you’ll need to reinforce

them with your own power - see Dive Into Darkness, p. 35.

CoVeNaNt MoVeS
To wage a war against the castle, you'll need allies. That's where
covenants come in. They come in three forms: your Crew
Covenant with the other player characters, strong and lasting
Major Covenants with Architect-controlled characters, and
fleeting and momentary Minor Covenants.
Your Crew and Major Covenants are defined by one of 21 different

arcana (see their chapter, p. 107). A covenant’s arcana guides their
strengths, the moves they grant you, and clues to their personality.
ChEcK In
When you meet with a Major Covenant, trigger their Hangout Move and
mark progress on a project involving them (see Projects, p. 32).
When you meet with a Rebel, trigger each other’s Hangout Move and
rank up your Crew Covenants.
When you meet with a Minor Covenant, the Architect will tell you what
they’re looking for (see p. 110 for inspirations). If you do it, mark
world and add them as a Major Covenant.
EvOkE tHe CoVeNaNt

When you support another rebel, mark world and spend a point of
your Crew Covenant to give their roll Advantage. You'll share in
the consequences of their move, good and bad.
BeTrAy tHe CoVeNaNt

After rolling the dice, if you’re desperate for extra power, mark void and
say how your actions hurt a Covenant or ignore their needs. Rank
down your Covenant with them and reroll one of the dice.

KeEpInG YoUrSeLf ToGeThEr
A life under the castle's rule faces constant pressure – that's doubly
true for your rebels. You’ll need to juggle your actions fighting
Vassals , and efforts to maintain and improve the lifestyle of you and
your loved ones . These rules tell you how that all works.
PrOjEcTs
When you start a new long-term task, write it down alongside its
aspect – growth (+) if it's an active effort to build up your life, or
recovery (-) if it's an attempt to stop things getting worse. Give it
Progress 6, and write down what you think the first step is.
When you hit the current step, or do something the table agrees would help
the project, erase the current step and subtract 1 from the project's
Progress. Then write a new step.
When you try to finish a project, check against Progress.
On any hit, it's done!
For a recovery project, the trouble's dealt with. If you want to

build on this momentum, you can immediately convert it into an
growth project with Progress 5.
For an growth project, pick a lasting benefit:
• A new major covenant;

• An increased rank of an existing covenant;
• A fully refreshed trouble gauge;
• An erased black mark.
Describe how this resolution unfolds.
On a weak hit, there's unexpected consequences. Pick one: accept

them and mark a gauge, or start a new recovery project at
Progress 4 to reduce with the consequence.
On a miss, the project is lost. The Architect will say what happens,
and give you a choice: start again at Progress 7, or suck it up and
mark a gauge.

LeT YoUr HaIr DoWn
When you Let Your Hair Down, say where you go to relax and get
away from it all and refresh a gauge. Then check against Fealty.
On a hit, mark world and pick one:
• You make a new friend. Gain them as a Minor Covenant.

• It’s particularly healing. Refresh another gauge.
• You realise a truth about yourself. Lose a rank of Void and say
how your self-perception has changed.
On a weak hit or a miss, the Architect picks one:
• Society disapproves; tick your Infamy gauge.

• The castle hurts or taints someone you care for.
• You overindulge; take ongoing disadvantage on all rolls tomorrow.
ThE GrInD
At the start of an investigation, check against your highest gauge.
On a strong hit, you're fine. On a weak hit, there's trouble coming;

start a recovery project at Progress 4.
On a miss, it’s dire; the project has Progress 6, and the Architect
makes an immediate reaction showing how bad things could get.
Example Issues
Blood You’re sick, you can’t sleep, you’re overstressed.
Lack You’re going to be evicted, you can’t afford food, your

car’s busted.
Infamy Criminal allegations, malicious rumours, you can’t meet

clothing standards, your past shame is coming to light.
Heat Harassment campaigns, being watched, tanked credit

score, threats to your employer.
Fealty You lashed out and need to make it right, you can’t
enjoy a cherished activity, you’re alienated from society,
you’re having to pass as something you’re not.

By aNd By
At the end of each session, take stock of what happened. Each rebel
may choose one:
• You made a difference to someone. Mark world, describe how

you feel different afterwards, and shift a rank between World
and Void.
• Someone helped you out. Say which rebel went out of their way
to help you; you refresh a gauge, and they rank up their crew
covenant.
• You focused on your own battle in the castle. Mark void, and
shift a point between your castle stats (max +3, min -2).
• You focused on your mundane life. Say one thing you cherish
about it, and mark Progress on a project.
OvErWhElMeD bY tHe WoRlD

When your World affinity would increase but it’s already at 3, instead of
increasing it pick one:
• Collateral damage. One of your Covenants or contacts joins the

fight and invades the castle, wholly unprepared for what they’ll
find there. Unless you rescue them, they’ll soon be lost to you.
• Back Away. You become overwhelmed by all the many voices
crying out for aid. Your World rank drops to 2 as you disengage
and recover, and the Architect will increase the Progress of 1-3
projects you have to step away from.
• Retire from the rebel life. You become an Architect-controlled
character helping the city through purely mundane means;
make a new Rebel.
OvErWhElMeD bY tHe VoId

When your Void affinity would increase but it’s already at 3, instead of
increasing it pick one:
• Devoured heart. Lose a Covenant, permanently - they just don’t

mean anything to you any more.
• The darkness tears free from you. Your Void rank drops to 2,
and spirits or monsters escape the castle to haunt the world.
• Be claimed by the void. You become an Architect-controlled
monster; either a creature that stalks the halls of the castle and
the void beyond, or a fully bought-in Vassal. Make a new Rebel.

InTo tHe CaStLe
Delve Moves
These moves govern the general progress of your journey into the
shard-realm the Vassal’s mind has shaped this part of the castle into.
You Dive Into Darkness to enter in the shard, and see what state
the rebels are in when they arrive. As you Travel the Labyrinth you'll
arrive at new locations, facing down their challenges to learn
Traces of the shard’s layout and gain Tokens of the Vassal. When
you Find Shelter, you rest and put together those Traces to map
out the shard. And when it’s time to leave, you Return to Reality
and see how much these struggles in the castle have cost you.
DiVe InTo DaRkNeSs

When you travel across the border between reality and the castle, the
current leader checks against Blood.
On a hit, you appear on the other side in a safe and advantageous

location. On a strong hit, each rebel picks a boost for this delve:
• Make mundane clothing grant 1 Armour.

• Give a mundane object a weapon perk and flaw.
• Give a tool particular potency and 2 charges; spend a charge to
do something appropriately useful with it.
See Bloodstained Combat (p. 40) for details on weapons,

wounds, and armour.
As you cross the threshold, the leader may call out to rebels unable to
join the delve thanks to other commitments, injury,
imprisonment, even death. If they answer, they manifest a wraith of
themselves – as seen through the lens of their crew covenant.
When the wraith would take a wound, they instead lose a rank of their
Crew Covenant. If it hits 0, the wraith is banished.
The next time that rebel sleeps, they'll vividly dream of the events
their avatar experienced, remembering as much or as little as
their player desires.

TrAvEl tHe LaByRiNtH
When you navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the castle, the leader
rolls +Coins to find out where their wanderings have brought
them. On a 7-9 they pick 1, on a 10+ pick 2:
• This area contains something valuable.

• This area's residents aren't immediately hostile, and may be able
to offer aid and advice.
• You learn a secret method you can use to escape this area.
• You see a clear sign of the insights this area holds.
Something in this area will hold an insight into the Vassal's

psyche: the way minions fight, details of the environment,
perhaps even a Token of the Vassal. When you find it, gain 1 Trace.
Spend these Traces to pick where you go when you Find Shelter.

FiNd ShElTeR
When you search for a safe space to hide and recover, roll +Wands. On a
hit, each rebel picks 1:
• Treat another rebel. Pick one of their wounds and bind it.
• Look after your gear. Remove a mark from an Armour box, or
restore a Signature Weapon that was lost, damaged or unusable.
• Encourage another rebel. Rank up their Crew Covenant.
If you wish, you can also use your playbook’s Shelter Move.
On a 7-9, your foes regroup too; the group takes Disadvantage on

their next Travel the Labyrinth.
On a miss, you find shelter, but your foes will breach it before you
have a chance to use any of the options above.
When you leave the shelter, pick one:
• Return to Reality.
• Travel the Labyrinth.
• Spend 1 Trace to return somewhere you’ve been before.
• Spend 2 Traces to arrive at an area guaranteed to hold a Token.
• Spend 3 Traces to arrive at the lair of an Enforcer or the Avatar.
ReTuRn tO ReAlItY
When you leave the castle, check your wound track (see p. 42). If your
most severe wound is…
• …minor: you feel worn out, grouchy or headachey, like you’ve pulled
a late night. You have fleeting disadvantage in Blood or Fealty.
• ...major: you find it hard to focus, and keep seeing flashes of the
castle in the corners of your eyes. Tick Blood or Fealty.
• ...deadly: you’re woozy, numb, or heartbroken. Take a Black
Mark in Blood or Fealty.

Exploration Moves
When you're dealing with the dangers of the castle, you need to call
on particular skills to survive. These moves are here to help you
navigate that environment and overcome the obstacles in your path.
SeE ClEaR
When you try to read a dangerous situation, roll +Coins. On a hit, you
can ask the Architect questions. On a 7–9 ask 1, on a 10+ ask 3, on a
miss, ask 1 but prepare for the worst:
• Which exit takes me to my goal?

• What here is valuable?
• What can the enemies here do?
• What should I be on the lookout for?
Get fleeting advantage when you act on each answer.
DrInK DeEp
When you form a bond with a token or minion of the Vassal, roll +Cups.
On a hit, you’ve formed a bond – the Architect will give you an
impression of what it means to the Vassal.
A bonded token can be taken out of the castle, and a minion will
help you so long as they can safely do so.
On a 7-9, there’s a cost:
• Your mind touches the Vassal’s. Mark Heat.

• The shard pushes back. Minions and Enforcers are coming.
• The bond feeds on your reality. Take a minor wound.
When you call on the token or minion for aid, mark void and describe
how the landscape of the shard is altered.

An attuned token can be erased to mark prog
PoWeR ThRoUgH
When you hurl your strength at the castle's obstacles, roll +Swords. On a
hit, pick one:
• You destroy an obstruction or piece of scenery.

• You knock back and scatter a group of minions.
• You give another Rebel a clear path out of danger.
On a 7-9 the Architect gives your action a cost: a wound, lost gear,
or you mark void.
FlOw LiKe WaTeR

When you perform a feat of daring athletics, roll +Wands. On a 7-9 pick
one, on a 10+ pick two:
• You’re where you need to be.

• You leave a danger behind.
• You can bring another Rebel with you.

BlOoDsTaInEd CoMbAt
As you travel the castle, you'll face opposition. Hordes of minions,
deadly traps, powerful enforcers, and the Vassal themselves. Each
of these has:
• A description guiding their actions in the fiction.

• A rating for how much Harm their attacks deal to rebels.
• One or more Qualities: packages of reactions tied to a
particular strength of the adversary. When all qualities are
destroyed, the adversary’s defeated.
Minions
As you explore the castle you’ll encounter the rank and file of the
Vassal's minions: the strange inhabitants of the Vassal’s shard, the
actors and extras that play background roles in their
psychodramas. They need very few details - just a description and
a single Quality for the group.
Example Minion: Office Drones

Bug-headed figures in suits and button-down shirts, wings
pushing through the fabric on their backs.
• Vomit acid on a rebel (minor wound).

• Quickly fly across the room.
• Get distracted by a pile of tasty paperwork.
Traps
This is a broad heading for every hostile feature of the shard’s
architecture: spikes extending from walls, boiling vats of poison,
labyrinthine mazes of teleporter traps, and so on. To put together
a trap, first decide how complex the encounter is going to be.
If the players just need to get through the trapped area, decide for
yourself what would trigger the trap and ask them what they do,
triggering exploration moves according to the fiction.
If, on the other hand, the players need to defuse or solve the trap
to get through, or it's an additional hazard in an arena, give it a
Quality. When the quality is destroyed, the trap is disarmed.

The Vassal and Their Enforcers
There are, of course, more potent foes than minions. One of these
foes is the Vassal's avatar, glorious and invulnerable – until you
use a Token to break the Vassal’s confidence and suppress the
energy flowing into them from the castle.
The Vassal also has enforcers: important fragments of their

personality, obsessions or fears that walk the castle's halls as a kind
of immune system.
All Enforcers have three Qualities. The Avatar will also have three,
and on top of those have one Quality granted to them by each
surviving Enforcer.
Enforcer and Avatar qualities work similarly to those of Minions

and Traps, with one crucial difference: each quality also has a
Break Action which triggers when it's destroyed. This is here to
ensure that significant foes keep the players on their toes even as
their strengths are stripped away! Here's some ideas:
• Retreat to a vantage point.

• Call in a mob of minions.
• Create barriers or obstacles.
• Lash out at the closest threat.
• Create a hazard in the battlefield.
• Split up the rebels.
• Set great danger in motion.
There’s also more rewards when they’re defeated. Each Enforcer

has a Token at its heart, automatically bonded to the rebel who
struck the final blow. And when the Avatar’s killed, the rebels seize
the power in this shard and use it for their own ends – see Rivers
in the Desert, p. 48.
For example Vassals and Avatars, see p. 172.

For example Enforcers, see p. 196.

Taking Wounds
The Avatar and their minions aren't going to take your invasion
peacefully. As you clash with them, as you face their traps, as their
curses and venoms eat away at your, you take Wounds. Here's how
they work.
Wounds
When a blow hits your character, the Architect will tell you how
severe it is: grazing, minor, major or deadly.
When you take a wound, mark a box of the appropriate severity and
suffer the effects.
When a wound is bound, that box remains marked but you stop
feeling the wound’s effects.
If all boxes of the appropriate severity are marked, you must mark a
worse box. If there aren’t any, the darkness calls to you: rank up
Void, or be forever lost.
If you have Armour, you may mark it off to downgrade the wound by
a rank before marking a wound box. Marked Armour boxes don’t
come back for the rest of this delve.
Wound types
Grazing wounds are fleeting inconveniences. You'll normally take
them as part of an attack with some other consequence, or by
using armour to downgrade a minor wound.
When you take a grazing wound, don’t mark anything down, but
you’re knocked back, knocked down or winded.
Minor wounds are momentary annoyances – you’re confused,

bleeding, sprained, bruised. You have two minor wound boxes.
Until a minor wound is bound, you’re too hurt, angry or imperilled to
Evoke the Covenant.

Major wounds are significant impediments: your leg’s broken,
you’re blinded, you’re terrified. You have one major wound box.
Until a major wound is bound, take Disadvantage on all rolls.
Deadly Wounds strike to the heart of you. You have one deadly
wound box.
Until a deadly wound is bound, you’re out of action.
Even once it’s bound, you’ll need another rebel’s aid to take action.
Example OF Wounds
Rose is fresh and healthy:
minor major Deadly Armour
|
As she Strikes a pack of hellhounds, she chooses ‘the foe lashes out at you -
suffer a wound’. In this case, the wound is Minor.
|
After a gruelling journey through the Vassal's junkyard, she’s found 1
Armour but finds herself facing an Enforcer: Our Lady of Tetanus, a lupine
creature of rusted metal. As the Enforcer rakes her claws across Rose's belly
- a major wound - Rose declares the claws glanced off the breastplate she’d
found. She marks 1 armour box and another minor wound box.

Confrontation Moves
In these fights, your rebels must find Openings to attack as they
weather the foe's assault. These Openings don't stack: you have
one, or you don't. Each successful Strike against the foe strips away
one of their qualities, bringing you closer to victory even as the foe
grows more frenzied and deadly.
You still have access to the Exploration Moves if you need them –
Power Through and Flow Like Water are particularly likely to be
useful – but without Openings you’ll have difficulty controlling the
flow of combat.
StRiKe
When you take advantage of an Opening with...
• Stealth and guile, roll +Wands.

• Physical force, roll +Swords.
• Precise insight, roll +Coins.
• Arguments and emotional appeals, roll +Cups.
On a hit, you remove the Opening and break one of the foe’s
Qualities. If you break its final quality, it’s defeated and no longer
a threat. Otherwise, the Architect will trigger that Quality’s Break
move, and on a 7-9 also pick 1:
• They lash out, and you take an appropriate wound.

• They single you out, isolating you from allies.
• They reshape the arena, introducing a new threat.
LiNe It Up
When you size up the enemy to locate a weak spot, roll +Coins. On a hit
you find an Opening. Say where it’s coming from – the
environment, a chink in their armour, a flaw in their fighting
style. On a 7-9, pick 2, on a 10+ pick 1:
• The foe sends an attack your way.

• The Opening only lasts a few moments.
• The foe sees you; get fleeting Disadvantage on Strike.

CoNfRoNt
When you clash with a foe, intercepting their attack or launching your
own, roll +Swords. On a hit, you throw them off-balance and create
an Opening, but they’ll hit you too. On a 7-9 pick 2, on a 10+ pick 1:
• Their attack hits you harder than you expected.

• They move to escape you and/or attack someone else.
• Their power infects you: mark void.
DoDgE
When you try to avoid incoming danger, roll +Wands. On a hit you
successfully dodge; on a 7-9 pick 2, on a 10+ pick 1:
• You’re separated from your allies.

• You stumble, gaining fleeting Disadvantage.
• You leave something valuable behind.
StAnD WiTh Me
When you heal or encourage an ally, roll +Cups. On a 7-9 pick 1, on a
10+ pick 3:
• They’re rescued from danger: a precipice, a grapple, poison,

a curse, etc.
• You bind their lightest wound.
• The enemy will target you instead of your ally.
• You give their next action Advantage.
FlEe
When you use up an Opening to escape the arena, any rebel who wishes
can escape with you. If you were fighting the Vassal, tick their clock.

Weapons
Your armaments in Voidheart Symphony are simple, defined by
perk tags and flaw tags. Your starting gear has one of each, but
rare weapons can have many perks or no flaws. Weapon tags
govern the situations where your weapon is effective, and the
effects that attacks with it have on your target and you.
Bane It cuts through an Avatar’s sorceries, illusions and
Perks
blights. Only available through Lift the Mask.

Cleave It can impact many foes in a single attack.
Defensive You can keep up your guard while using it.
Flexible It bypasses defences and can be redirected mid-attack.
Hefty It knocks an enemy down or flying back.
Lingering It causes ongoing, distracting pain.
Piercing It can punch through armour and hide.
Long-Range It can attack foes from far outside their threat range.
Shifting It has different modes. Pick two flaws; only one is
active at any one time, and can be switched at will. If it
has other perks, those perks shift alongside its flaw.
Stun It makes enemies slow and sluggish.
Tether It lets you hold onto or keep up with the foe.
Ammo or It’s likely to break or become unusable, only rearmed

Flaws
Fragile when you take Shelter or start a new delve.

Bulky You need solid footing and room around you to use it.
Close You have to get within a foe’s threat range to use it.
Grazing The blows it deals are easily shrugged off.
Talisman It’s formed from an item important to you – if it’s
lost or damaged, you mark a gauge.
Painful Using it puts you in danger of taking a wound.
Reload or You need to take some action to recover it or make it
Brace usable again after attacking.
Unstable Using it staggers you, making you vulnerable and slow.

ExAmPlE WeApOnS
Knight’s Greatsword A huge blade that can cut through a
Cleave, Bulky whole host of foes – if you have room.
Pirate Cannon Set your feet, light the fuse, point it at
Long-Range, Brace your enemy and BOOM!
Crystal Rapier A sparkling, brittle blade that can slice
Piercing, Fragile through anything.
Prismatic Raygun Fires a bolt of brilliant colour across
Long-Range, Unstable the battlefield, leaving you dazzled.
Shocking Grasp Your hands crackle with lightning,
Stun, Close stunning those that get close.
Weighted Net Throw it to pull someone down – but
Tether, Reload you’ll need to gather it up afterwards.
Six-Shooters A pair of revolvers that’ll blow away a
Cleave, Ammo horde of goons, until they run dry.
Curse Doll Stab in a nail to strike to their heart,
Piercing, Painful offering your flesh up in return.
Energy Shield Spin up the shield and step forward to
Defensive, Brace block blows and smash faces.
Swarm of Dream Bees They follow you as a buzzing rainbow,
Lingering, Painful stinging your foes (and also you).
Claw Hammer Step under their blows, and swing it
Stun, Close down on a knee or a head – lights out.
Baseball Bat Batter up! With room to swing, you
Hefty, Bulky can send them flying for the fences.
Cutting Words Sticks and stones have nothing on you,
Piercing, Painful but a sharp tongue cuts both ways.
Whip Sword Let it fly to lash distant foes, or retract it
Shifting, Close/Bulky into a sword for close-range work.
Soulbeast Stampede Summon illusory beasts from a precious
Cleave, Talisman keepsake to trample your enemies.
Guitar Solos Command their attention and leave
Stun, Grazing their ears ringing.
Firebombs Set light to your foes – but don’t throw
Cleave, Painful them too close.
Thorned Sword Ornate barbs break off in the wounds
Lingering, Fragile you leave, requiring regular repairs.
47
ThE AfTeRmAtH
RiVeRs iN tHe DeSeRt
When you defeat a Vassal’s avatar, the power they’ve gathered is
yours to control - to bring new life to this city.
If this is the first Vassal you've defeated, this shard is now yours, and
reshapes itself to suit your group's personalities. It'll be a hideout
that only you can enter, from a entrance placed by the rebel who
struck the killing blow.
Otherwise, as this energy flows into you each rebel picks one, with
effects according to the Vassal’s Tier.
As for the Vassal, they’re stripped of their castle-given power. If

they ever re-enter its service, it’ll have to be at a lower rank.
Expropriation
You extract material benefits from the castle’s systems.
Mark void, and get these cumulative benefits:
Tier 1+ Strike off a recovery project - it’s no longer an issue.
Tier 2+ Fully clear out a trouble gauge.
Tier 3 You remove a long-running pain from yourself or a

contact. If it’s you or another Rebel, they erase a black
mark. If it’s an NPC, erase any recovery projects relating
to them and rank up your covenant with them.
Reformation
The Vassal grows a new-found conscience. They’ll publicly confess to their
crimes – though the more they’re embedded in the castle, the more it’ll
continue to cause problems with or without their consent.
Mark world, and get advantage on the Retaliation check as the
castle’s forces focus on the turncoat in their ranks.

Liberation
You push the castle out of a neighbourhood of your city, giving - bringing
new opportunities, equality, health, and happiness to its residents.
Mark world, and...
Tier 1 Name an establishment in this area that’s dear to you.

Their fortunes will improve, and your hideout grows an
entrance here.
Tier 2 This area dreams of life out of the castle’s shadow. It grows
secret pathways that your enemies cannot walk, with
shops, clubs and hostels that would astound the city's
everyday inhabitants.
Tier 3 This area is roused to action against the castle. Once and
once only, while you’re in the Castle you can forcibly pull
everyone around you back to this place. Minions and
adversaries will be stripped of their powers and made very
mortal, but so will the rebels. If a Vassal's avatar is killed in
the city, the Vassal dies with them.
Redefinition
You feed parts of yourself to the hungry dark, gaining something new in
their place. Mark void, and pick one:
Tier 1+ Severance. Remove as many ranks of World and Void as

you wish, along with the associated advances.
Tier 2+ New Perspective. Change your crew covenant to the

arcanum of your choice, and describe how you change
your role in the group.
Tier 3 Transformation. Change as much of your mundane

physical form as you wish. It’s up to you if others will still
recognise you, and you may reduce or discard NPC
Covenants as much as you feel is appropriate - and change
your playbook, if you like.

Occupation
You take the Vassal’s place in the castle’s hierarchy.
Mark void and gain a black mark in Fealty, and...
Tier 1 At the start of each investigation, the Architect will give

you a vision of what the castle at large is working on in
this city.
Tier 2 Once per investigation, you can mark void to direct your
underlings to cause problems for your target and remove a
tick from their clock.
Tier 3 You may mark void to send your Enforcer on a delve

instead of going yourself. They inherit your stats and
moves, but you may give them a different castle look and
signature weapon. In addition, you may take action in the
mundane world while the group is delving, and you suffer
no ill effects when the group Returns to Reality.
These benefits are cumulative. If you lose the black mark, you lose
the position – and vice versa
DaRkNeSs FaLlS
When the rebels abandon an investigation, the Architect can declare
that the Vassal’s plan comes to pass in the city. They pick one:
• They lash out at the rebels and cost them status and opportunities.
Each rebel changes Role to something less prestigious, and gains a
black mark in Lack, Infamy or Health.
• They make a neighbourhood more in tune with the castle. Say how
it changes to be less friendly, vibrant, diverse or communal, and
pick a location to mark down as ruined, abandoned, or annexed.
• They cover up all evidence of past misdeeds, and ensure they’ll
move into a new position easily able to commit further crimes.
The Vassal is promoted to a higher level in the castle’s hierarchy, and

brings in new blood to replace them in the tier they just vacated.

ReTaLiAtIoN
The castle is a jealous master, and will not tolerate rebels misusing
its power. When you complete a successful investigation, the lead rebel
rolls a check set by the state of the Vassal’s clock – 2 for Passive, 3
for Alert, 4 for Hunting – with results based on your target’s tier:
Tier 1
Liberty
The castle’s influence will soon return, but for now your people can breathe easily.
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

Hostile
StRoNg HiT Liberty Radio Silence
Environment
WeAk HiT Contact Pressured Accursed
Broken
MiSs Crackdown Scorched Earth
Windows
One of the player’s Covenants embarks on an ambitious project

which may leave them vulnerable when the castle’s influence
returns, but could make a real difference to their lives.
Contact
Someone with power notices the rebels, and seeks an alliance.
They might be an inhuman creature, another enemy of the castle,

or even another Vassal from a competing branch of the castle -
whatever they are, they have power and their own agenda.
Broken Windows
The castle sends a message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
The Architect picks a Covenant who’s hurt by the arbitrary

punishments. Unless someone completes a recovery project to
help them, they’ll be unavailable for this next investigation.

Tier 2 Tier 3
Hostile Environment Radio Silence
The castle employs collective The rebels keep their heads low and
punishment, pulling strings to send wait for all this to pass them by.
cops, bailiffs, immigration
enforcement and more to your Each rebel names a long-term
neighbourhood. issue they’re unable to deal
with while they keep out of
During the next investigation, trouble, and adds a black mark
all attempts to complete to a relevant gauge.
projects have Disadvantage.
Accursed
Pressured Human Vassals have failed the
A Covenant, family member or castle, and so it despatches one of its
colleague is seized by the castle’s inhuman servants to hurt the rebels.
forces and pressed to give up details.
It’s haunting, hunting and
The players pick how the hurting you - treat it as an
contact fares: Enforcer that has breached into
the mundane world.
• They spill details and each
rebel marks Heat. Scorched Earth
• They’re kept in the castle’s The castle knows who you are, and
clutches until a recovery has sent a trusted Vassal to make
project to free them is you pay.
completed.
The players pick one:
Crackdown
The castle tasks a Vassal with • Offer up a rebel as a sacrifice
hunting you, specifically. to satisfy the castle’s wrath;
• Face down this Vassal as
Whatever Tier they are, your your next investigation, with
next target is already actively Pressure starting at
causing issues for the rebels, Hunting.
and Pressure starts at Alert.

PeAcE aNd QuIeT
In the downtime between missions, your rebels can attend to the concerns
of their normal lives. Go round the table, giving the table a glimpse
of what your character’s day-to-day is like. With the group’s
consent, your scene might include...
• A glimpse of what life could be without the castle.

• A connection to other rebels in farflung cities.
• A moment of genuine peace and joy.
• A reunion with a long-lost friend.
• An unfolding tragedy, in this city or another.
• A sign of change in this city, for better or worse.
If your life has changed significantly, feel free to change your Role.
Pick a project on your sheet to keep there; all others are erased. For
each erased recovery project, the Architect will mark an appropriate
gauge or lower the rank of a Covenant.
yOuR nExT tArGeT

Then decide on your next target, describing as many of the below
as you'd like:
• Their tier (p. 170), and their mundane role.

• What brings them to your attention.
• What shows you that the castle is supporting them.
• Which rebel their actions are directly threatening.
• What you think will happen if they're left to complete their plans.
The Architect will decide the rest, and let you know the details.
Then they'll draw a new Vassal clock for them, and each rebel rolls
The Grind to see what troubles they're facing at the start of the
investigation.

InVeStIgAtIoN OvErViEw
Here's a summary of how an investigation works:
The Setup
• Work through YourNextTarget (p. 53) to set up the incoming Vassal.
• Trigger TheGrind (p. 33), setting up the problems in each rebel's life.
The Investigation
The Vassal has a clock, made of six segments, tracking their
progress towards their goals and the danger they pose to the rebels.
See p. 26 for details about what this means.
At the start of each day, the Architect ticks the clock and describes
any results. Then the group picks what they’re doing that day:
• Take action in the city.

• Delve into the Vassal's castle shard (once you’ve found its entrance).
Here's what you can do in the city:
• Get a sense of the Vassal’s personality, strengths and weaknesses.

• Make new friends and Covenants.
• Work on projects to improve your life and avoid danger.
Here's what you can do if you delve into a shard:
• Find tokens that reveal what the Vassal truly cares for.
• Fight the Vassal’s Avatar.
• Defeat Enforcers that would cause trouble for you in the city,
and make the Avatar harder to defeat.
Achieving Victory
To beat the Vassal, you'll need to:
1. Find the entrance to their shard.

2. Get tokens from their shard.
3. Use these tokens with Lift the Mask (p. 28) to undermine their
faith in the castle and make their Avatar vulnerable.
4. Travel to the heart of their shard and defeat their avatar.

Aftermath
Once the avatar is defeated, work through these:
1. Decide what to do with their power (Rivers in the Desert, p. 48).

2. See if the rest of the castle's Vassals respond (Retaliation, p. 51).
3. See what your mundane life is like (Peace and Quiet, p. 53).
InTrOdUcE tHe VaSsAl
InVeStIgAtE
TiCk tHeIr ClOcK
InCrEaSe PrEsSuRe/
cLoCk. FiLlEd? PiCk RePrIsAlS
FiGhT tHeIr mInIoNs iN PrObE tHeIr sTrEnGtHs MaInTaIn

tHeIr cAsTlE sHaRd aNd iN tHe mUnDaNe wOrLd. yOuR lIfE.
gEt tOkEnS.
FiGhT tHe VaSsAl DaRkNeSs FaLlS
WoRk tHrOuGh DoWnTiMe

ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
PlAyBoOk AnAtOmY
Here’s what goes into a playbook in Voidheart Symphony:
Core Details
These are the foundational parts of your character:
Particulars
What do you look like? When others first glance at you, what's their
impression? In your intro scene, what would the camera show?
This isn’t intended to be comprehensive. There are factors that

may be core to your identity, but can't be given justice in a fixed list
like this. This game is – in places – a story of marginalisation, and
the way your character's marginalisation has robbed them of the
luxury of ignoring the castle. Think about the ways your character
might be marginalised, and the ways they might not be - and what
those mean for your character and your story. Are they disabled?
LGBTQ+? A member of a minority ethnicity or religion? When
playing a character who experiences avenues of marginalisation
you do not, remember to be respectful and do your research.
If you wish to give these vectors of marginalisation a presence in

the mechanics – and it's fine not to – you can put a Black Mark
in a relevant gauge:
• Blood for something that affects your physical fortitude.

• Infamy that makes people dismiss you.
• Lack for something that affects your financial security.
• Heat for something that draws unwanted attention.
• Fealty for something you’re suppressing or denying.
The Crew
This group of rebels is a major force in all of your lives - but here, you
get to decide what it means for you in particular. Is it a source of
comfort? Guidance? Challenge? Entertainment? A means to an end?
You'll gain your choice here as a Crew Covenant at Rank 1, gaining

its benefits as you fight against the castle. You trigger its Hangout
move by spending time with the crew as a whole, and gain access
to all its moves for your own use.
58 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Covenants
These are the important people in your life – your friends, family,
and comrades in your battle against the castle. Each has an
arcanum defining their strengths, weaknesses and personality –
and also granting you special abilities in the city and the castle.
You’ll also have minor covenants, more superficial connections that

don’t grant you lasting abilities but can be spent for momentary
benefits – or nurtured into full-fledged major covenants.
Affinities
Your power grows as you walk the line between two poles:
• The Void that birthed the castle and embodies hunger, power,
and isolation.
• The World that surrounds you, home to the communities your
actions are impacting.
As you act, you’ll be asked to mark world or mark void. Once you’ve
got five marks in one affinity, you erase all marks and gain a rank
in that affinity.
When you gain ranks of World or Void you gain an advance from
playbook-specific lists tied to each affinity; World advances give
you supernatural powers or mysterious fortune in the city, while
Void advances give you extra potency in the castle.
If you’re at Rank 3 and fill that track, you become overwhelmed by

it (see p. 34). Keep an eye on your mental state to avoid this fate.
Whether you’re playing in person or online, you can find

handouts of these playbooks to help you along at
ufo-mina.itch.io/voidheart-symphony
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 59
PlAyBoOkS
City Details
Then there’s the parts of your character that are relevant in the city:
Gauges
These five tracks show what pressures you’re currently dealing
with (see p. 20). Your playbook will note two gauges you start
better off in, and three that start under particular stress.
Role
What’s your rebel’s mundane context? They’ll fall into one of three
broad categories, with attendant difficulties to face, according to
how the castle would dismiss them:
Delinquents are generally between 15 and 25. They’re likely still in

high school, though may have dropped out or at the upper end
moved onto college/university. Their main challenge is
powerlessness: others will ignore them, take their things from
them, load them down with make-work and threaten the entire
course of their future. Delinquents have a black mark in Infamy.
Prodigals are generally somewhere between 20 and 30. They may

be university students, young professionals, NEETs or gangsters.
Their main challenge is disenfranchisement: they’re expected to
stand on their own two feet and provide for themselves, but the
support structures that are meant to help them have been
defunded and devoured by a system that only values them as
exploitable workers. Prodigals have a black mark in Lack.
Traitors are generally 25 and older. Their main challenge is

complicity: their identity is bound up in the same systems that the
castle has permeated and used as a weapon. They must struggle
against the reflex to keep their head down when others are hurt,
or find justifications for the atrocities that maintain their
comfortable lifestyle. Traitors have a black mark in Fealty.
Minor Covenant Moves

Your fleeting connections can be nurtured into full covenants, or
expended to provide potent effects. If you let them go, you gain
insights into your situation; if you forsake or betray them, you gain a
brief burst of terrifying power.
60 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Castle Details
Finally, there’s your particular strengths in this shadow realm:
Castle Stats
When you enter the castle, power stirs within you. Your capabilities
here are measured by four stats: Swords, Coins, Cups and Wands
(p. 22). Whenever you use a stat for the first time, give it one of
these ratings: +1, +1, 0, -1. You can only use each number once.
When you defeat your first Vassal, assign ratings to any

remaining undefined Castle stats.
Castle Form
As your revolution progresses, you may be surprised by what you
become. Each time you gain a rank of Void or World, you pick
another way your castle form shifts and changes. What does your
avatar say about your self-image? When you lose a rank you lose
one of these features, moving closer to the ‘mundane’.
When the power returns, you might choose to regain the lost
feature. If you do, I’d encourage you to show how your character
views it differently having lost it before.
Shadow Moves
When your Void rank rises, you can choose to pick up a special
power that lets you break the rules of the castle. For the most part
these moves don’t need you to roll to use them, but there’s a cost -
each of them needs you to mark void to use them, drawing you
closer to becoming overwhelmed.
Gear
When you gain your first rank of Void, you’ll also gain a signature
weapon – an expression of character’s soul and will to make a
change, a thing that’s always there with them. It can be whatever
you want, as long as it expresses its Perk and Flaw (p. 46).
You also have one other item, chosen from your playbook’s list.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 61
ThE PlAyBoOkS
Each rebel is unique, formed from their own particular pressures
and drives. But for ease of play, Voidheart Symphony presents nine
different Rebel Playbooks for you to pick from:
The Authority
The Authority pushes back against the castle by building their own
kingdom. They're an inspiring leader, or a wise mentor, or an
intimidating gang leader. In the castle, they can guide or inspire
their allies, or exert authority over the actions of their foes.
The Harlequin
Maybe they don't think your little rebellion is going to change
anything. Maybe they're trying to keep morale up. Or maybe they
think a revolution without dancing is no revolution at all. Either
way, the Harlequin tries not to take things too seriously. In the
mundane world, they might be the class clown, a slacker, or a
provocative artist; in the castle, they find alternative solutions to
problems, clown on their foes, and keep allies upbeat.
The Heretic
The Heretic rebels against the castle's insidious tendrils by
spurning all authority and forging their own path in life. They
might be a class troublemaker, a political agitator, or a grifter.
In the castle, they misdirect foes, find hidden paths, and avange
their friends.
The Icon
The Icon is adored by society – but that adoration can be its own
set of chains. They might be a top athlete, a model or a celebrity.
In the castle, they may be a paragon of excellence, an opponent
their foes cannot ignore, or an unassailable beacon of perfection.
The Provider
Sometimes the best you can do is to keep those close to you safe.
Whether they're a parent, a volunteer or a carer, the Provider spends
their time protecting and nurturing those that depend on them. In
the castle, they heal their companions, keep the group together,
and see deep into the Vassal’s heart.
62 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
The Watcher
The signs of the castle are everywhere, if you know how to look. The
Watcher has developed the keen insight to match their hunger to
know more – useful in their daily life as a nerd, an academic, or
maybe an investigator, but also a great asset in navigating and
surviving the castle.
These next playbooks are a little weirder – they’ll work with the
other ones just fine, but might distract from the mundane side
of city life if they outnumber the ‘regular’ playbook types.
The Inhuman
The strange forces of the void sometimes find root in unexpected
places, gifting sentience to animals, forces of nature and the
spirits of the unquiet dead. And sometimes, a castle-shard’s
inhabitants break free of those fetters and seek out others
rebelling against the castle. Whatever their origin, now they walk
the mundane world as an ordinary animal, a human simulacrum,
a symbiosis of willing human and alien entity. In the castle, they
can blend in with the Vassal's minions, gain insights into their
enemy's motivations and use mystical powers.
The Penitent
The castle forces those living under it to be complicit in countless
evils – and some are more actively and enthusiastically complicit
than others. The Penitent was one of those, but now they’ve
turned against the castle and joined the rebels. Can they wield the
power it gave them without tainting the rebel’s cause, and make
amends for the suffering they inflicted?
The Resident
Not everyone hurt by the castle walks away from it. The Resident’s
body may be in a coma, imprisoned, dead, or lost – but their mind
is a spectre trapped in the void, walking the castle’s corridors, and
haunting the city. Can they make their way back to a mundane life?
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 63
ThE AuThOrItY I kNoW tHaT yOu'rE lOsT aNd dEsPeRaTe.
DoN't wOrRy, I'm hErE nOw.
MaKiNg yOuR AuThOrItY
First Descent
Before your first delve, work through these, and answer:
What’s your personal connection with the Vassal?
Particulars The Crew
Pick from each, or make your own: Pick one to represent what you offer the
group, and gain it as a Crew covenant:
• Feminine, Masculine,
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � Auteur: Leadership, structure,
• They, She, He, ____ paternalism.
• Pristine uniform, a symbol of Ask: Which of you works for me?
authority, � Justice: Truth, fairness,
rumpled and overworked, accountability.
____ Ask: Which of you did I help find
• Bright eyes, ruthless eyes, justice or escape injustice?
kind eyes, watchful eyes, ____ � Sage: Guidance, tradition,
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, spiritual wisdom.
Senior, ___ Ask: Which of you regularly comes
to me for advice?
Embrace The Darkness

When you gain your first rank of Void, work through these:
Gear Castle Form
Create a signature Your shape in the castle shifts with your
weapon (1 perk, 1 flaw), growing power. When you gain a rank of
and pick one to have world or void, pick one from the lists below (or
every delve: make your own) to add to your avatar. Every
time you lose a rank, erase one.
� Badge of authority
(expend to force • Myth: Angel halo, dragon skin, infernal
compliance with a horns, vampire grin.
single, one-word • Clothes: Regal vestments, military dress
order). uniform, academic robes, haute couture.
� Metal plates (1 • Accessories: Wings, constellations,
Armour). echoing voice, mirrored eyes.
� A noble sword • Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
(piercing, close). more true, more serene.
66 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
When you return to reality, decide on these:
Role
Pick a category and main occupation:
� Delinquent: Class president, team captain, gang leader, _______

Mark a black mark in Infamy.
� Prodigal: Store manager, apprentice, vigilante, _______
Mark a black mark in Lack.
� Traitor: Lawyer, politician, doctor, _______
Mark a black mark in Fealty.
Gauges
You're self-assured and resourceful. Mark one tick in Infamy and Lack,
two in the rest.
Contacts
Pick one to gain as a Rank 1 Covenant, and give them a name:
� Chariot: The rival who spurs you to excel.

� Fool: The novice you’re teaching.
� Magician: The headhunter scouting you.
Then pick another rebel’s contact, say what links you, and add them as a
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 67
AuThOrItY AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
When you let go of a Minor Covenant, mark world and ask the Architect:
Who here could benefit from my advice?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and choose
someone in your presence. They cannot contradict what you say or
physically block your actions until you leave their presence.
When you take Shelter, you inspire the others and uplift their hearts.
The next time they would rank down their Crew Covenant, they may
ignore that cost.
Shadow Moves
� JuSt YoU aNd Me
If a foe’s within arm’s reach, you can mark void to reshape the castle
and trap you both within an empty room. The previous state is
restored when you will it, or when you take a major wound.
� HeRoIc InTeRvEnTiOn
When an Adversary is bearing down on an ally, you can mark void to
immediately close the distance between you and Confront them –
gaining Advantage on the roll.
� WaR CrY
When you let out an intimidating war cry, mark void to choose an
option from Stand With Me and apply it to yourself.
� VoIcE oF CoMmAnD
Once per delve into the castle, you may mark void to command a
minion of the castle to serve you. When they fight alongside you,
your attacks gain the cleave tag.
When you send them to act independently of you, the Architect will
decide how well they do.
When you would take a wound with them nearby, you can choose to
have them be destroyed by the blow instead.
68 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
AuThOrItY AdVaNcEs
When you get a new rank in void or world, get an advance.
When you lose a rank, lose an advance.
World Void
� Pick one of your castle abilities; get �� Add +1 to a Castle stat.
advantage using it with Vent. �� Gain a ShadowMove.
� Mystically provide a friend or follower � Gain a second
with financial security. Gear option.
� Minions arrive in the hideout, eager to help � Add a perk to your
with research or red tape. signature weapon.
� Organisation charts and pinboards appear
in the hideout, automatically updating as
you learn more about the castle.
PlAyInG tHe AuThOrItY

<TBA>
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 69
ThE HaRlEqUiN WoE iS mE, fOr iN fIgHtInG tHe cAsTlE I
hAvE bEcOmE iT. ExCePt wAy cOoLeR, lOl
MaKiNg YoUr HaRlEqUiN
First Descent
What did the Vassal do that you can’t just laugh off?
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � Fool: Innocence, sponteneity, new
• They, She, He, ____ starts.
• Threadbare uniform, Ask: Which of you did I believe in,
comfortable clothes, when no one else would?
weird clothes, ____ � Vagabond: Letting go, new
• Laughing eyes, bloodshot perspectives, pauses.
eyes, sleepy eyes, Ask: Which of you enjoys wasting time
bright eyes, ____ with me?
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, � Oracle: Intuition, spirituality, the
Senior, ___ subconscious.
Ask: Who did I help by showing a
third way out of a dilemma?

Gear Castle Form
weapon of your choice growing power. When you gain a rank of
(1 perk, 1 flaw), and pick world or void, pick one from the lists below (or
one to have every delve: make your own) to add to your avatar. Every
� Lucky charm
(Expend to reroll a • Myth: Will’o’the’wisp aura, siren scales,
missed roll). rabbit ears, monkey tail.
� A fancy jacket (1 • Clothes: Jester motley, shapeless habit,
Armour) catwalk fashion, dandy coat.
� Confusing fighting • Accessories: Laugh track, narcotic haze,
style (cleave, close). prism eyes, quicksilver mask.
• Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
more true, more serene.
72 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
Role
� Delinquent: Class clown, dropout, dreamer, _______

� Prodigal: Stoner, artist, temp, _____
� Traitor: ‘Independant means’, scam(?) Psychic, cashier, _____
Gauges
You laugh it all off. Mark one tick in Heat and Infamy, two in the rest.
Contacts
� Temperance: The co-worker/classmate who’s always free to hang.

� Hermit: The recluse you bonded with over a common interest.
� Moon: The fellow survivor who reminds you of a time you’d
rather forget.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 73
HaRlEqUiN AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
Who here would appreciate a distraction?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and say what
performance you begin. Until it’s over, nobody outside the crew can
look away from you or disrupt you.
When you take Shelter, you may kick back and relax; say how. You
and anyone who joins you erases 1d6 marks from void or world,
but gains fleeting Disadvantage.
Shadow Moves
� MaDe YoU LoOk
When you make yourself the centre of attention, mark void to pick one:
• The enemy reveals a hidden weakness or limitation.

• The enemy turns their attention away from your allies.
Whoever takes advantage of this has fleeting Advantage. The

enemy will act against you, of course. That can’t be helped.
� TeArS oF a ClOwN
When you put on a pantomime of emotion in front of an enemy, mark void
to strike to the heart of them. They’ll be overcome with the
emotion you were performing; each Rebel gets fleeting Advantage
taking advantage of it.
� I WaS NeVeR HeRe

When you roll a 10+ on Dodge, mark void to leave a duplicate in your
place to be the target of the enemy’s attack. Mark void again to
blow it up (stun, close).
� AnD nExT yOu’lL sAy...

When you tell an opponent what they’ll do next, mark void to make them
pick: do exactly what you predicted, or stumble, hesitate or flinch.
If they do what you predicted, you may reveal a trap you’d set up to
take advantage of that and gain Advantage on Strike.
74 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
HaRlEqUiN AdVaNcEs
World Void
� Give an enemy or rival unexpected � Gain a second
good fortune that will shock and Gear option.
unsettle them, giving them a new � Add a perk to your
perspective on life. signature weapon.
� Rolled dice, shuffled decks, and flipped
coins will tell you the result they expect
to give before anyone else knows.
� Add a relaxation space to the hideout:
a karaoke bar, a cafe, a library,
whatever fits your group.
PlAyInG tHe HaRlEqUiN
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 75
ThE HeReTiC StAnD wItH mE aNd wE'lL bUrN tHiS
wHoLe rOtTeN tHiNg dOwN.
MaKiNg yOuR HeReTiC
First Descent
Before your first delve, work through these and answer:
How did you realise there was a supernatural power behind the Vassal?
• Feminine,Masculine,
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � Devil: Temptation, heresy,
• They, She, He, ____ iconoclasm.
• Distressed uniform, Ask: Which of you gives me comfort
alternative fashion, identity- when it gets too much?
hiding � Magician: Innovation, sleight of
mask, ____ hand, improvisation.
• Sardonic eyes, wary eyes, fiery Ask: Which of you depends on my
eyes, frightened eyes, ____ talents?
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, � Tower: Upheaval, hard times,
Senior, ___ transformation.
Ask: Which of you helped me put
my life back together?

Gear Castle Form
� A reminder of your
cause (Expend to • Myth: Lupine claws, promethean fire,
avoid marking void). gorgon hair, skeleton grin.
� Reinforced coat (1 • Clothes: Assassin robes, insurgent
Armour). fatigues, punk motley, outlaw coat.
� Improvised bombs • Accessories: Shadow tendrils, mirage
(cleave, ammo). duplicates, pyrotechnics, shifting face.
78 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
Role
� Delinquent: Runaway, hoodlum, defiant, _______

� Prodigal: Punk, activist, thief, _____
� Traitor: Thinker, scene mom, whistleblower, _______
Gauges
You live for the fight. Mark one tick in Heat and Fealty, two in the rest.
Contacts
� Vagabond: An old friend battling chronic illness.

� Sun: The visionary firebrand who fills you with righteousness.
� Oracle: The artist who helps you see a better world.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 79
HeReTiC AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
When you let go of a Minor Covenant, mark world and ask the
Architect: Who here is desperately yearning to be free?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and pick a
rule - written or unwritten - governing the social context you’re in.
Nobody will be able to apply it to you for the next scene, no matter
how hard they try.
When you take Shelter, ask the Architect: What danger should we be
most on the lookout for? They must answer honestly.
Shadow Moves
� ShAdOw StEp
When you hide in the shadows, you can mark void to reappear from
any other shadow in sight.
� AvEnGeR’s ReSoLvE
When another rebel takes a major or deadly wound, you may mark void
to heal any wound of your own.
� A ShAdOw LiKe a MiRrOr

When you Flow Like Water, you may mark void to leave a duplicate of
yourself in place. You can mark void again to reveal that the
‘duplicate’ was the real you.
� SuBvErSiVe WhIsPeR
When you spy on minions of the castle unobserved, you can mark void to
whisper an incendiary secret into their minds and turn them
against a target of your choosing.
80 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
HeReTiC AdVaNcEs
World Void
� Erase all traces of a friend's debts or � Gain a second
criminal convictions. Gear option.
� You may talk to one form of vermin � Add a perk to your
that lives in your city. signature weapon.
� Add a costume rack to the hideout,
filled with props and uniforms that’ll
let you blend in anywhere.
PlAyInG tHe HeReTiC

<tba>
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 81
sdsdwd
82 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
ThE IcOn ThE dArKnEsS cAn’t sToP uS -
83
nOt wHeN I cAn oUtShInE tHe sUn.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
MaKiNg yOuR IcOn
First Descent
How is the Vassal exploiting your image?
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � Strength: Courage, compassion,
• They, She, He, ____ energy.
• Customised uniform, athletic Ask: Which of you am I teaching
gear, stunning cosmetics, confidence and resilience?
____ � Chariot: Travel, willpower,
• Bright eyes, intense eyes, discipline.
laughing eyes, Ask: Which of you gives me a place
sunglasses-hidden eyes, ____ to crash when home is too far away
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, or too much of a burden?
Senior, ___ � Lovers: Harmony, consensus,
shared goals.
Ask: Which of you is in a
committed relationship with me?

Gear Castle Form
� Loyal fans (can be
sent off to perform • Myth: Siren voice, Sylph wings, stag's
simple tasks). antlers, infernal hooves/tail.
� Bulletproof • Clothes: Wrestler's costume, diva's
confidence (1 gown, sharpest suit, trendsetting style.
Armour). • Accessories: Champion's laurels,
� Microphone (stun, spectral backing singers, gleaming
grazing). medals, glorious jewellery.
84 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
Role
� Delinquent: Track champ, diva, vandal, _______

� Prodigal: Athlete, influencer, streamer, _____
� Traitor: Author, celeb, pundit, _____
Gauges
You're spotless. Mark one tick in Infamy and Blood, two in the rest.
Contacts
� Auteur: The coach guiding your growth.

� Wheel of Fortune: An old rival, fallen on hard times.
� Star: A new talent, naive in the ways of your trade.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 85
IcOn AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
Architect: Who here is looking for their chance to shine?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and say how
you borrow unreal grace, strength or presence from your legend.
It’ll last for the scene.
When you take Shelter, you may ask the Architect: What is the
Vassal currently feeling most guilty about? They will answer
honestly, and you gain fleeting advantage acting on it.
Shadow Moves
� ImPoSsIbLe PeRfEcTiOn
You are impossibly beautiful, and that perfection cannot be marred.
So long as you're least wounded rebel in the party, you can mark void to
reduce the severity of an incoming wound by a rank.
� StEaL YoUr HeArT

When you attempt to sway, dazzle or seduce a minion of the castle, mark void
and roll +Cups. On a hit, they're enamoured with you – pick one:
• They'll actively fight other minions.
• They'll see your allies as friendly too.
• They tell you something useful.
On a 7-9, your influence only lasts a few moments - and once it's
broken they'll hate you for the manipulation.
� AuDaCiTy
When you encounter the Avatar or an Enforcer, mark void to prevent any
immediate hostilities and pick one:
• Your castle self obfuscates your city form, and you refresh Heat.
• They let slip how you can reduce the Pressure of their clock.
• They reveal deeper meaning to a Token you hold.
� BeSt oF tHe BeSt

When you attempt an impossible feat of grace, strength or endurance,
mark void for each benefit:
• For as long as the feat takes, you have +1 Armour.
• You can easily stop doing it if you need to.
• No-one who sees you can do anything but watch.
86 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
IcOn AdVaNcEs
World Void
� Grant a friend or ally whatever they � Gain a second
need to have creative independence. Gear option.
� Awaken images of you; you can talk to � Add a perk to your
them, ask what they’ve seen, and get signature weapon.
them to change their pose and expression.
� Add a broadcast studio to your
hideout, with which you can record
and send out messages to the city.
PlAyInG tHe IcOn

<TBA>
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 87
ThE InHuMaN
ThE vOiD dOeSn't uNdErStAnD yOu hUmAnS,
aNd hAtEs yOu fOr iT. I'm nOt sUrE I gEt yOu
eItHeR, bUt I lOvE eVeRy sEcOnD.
MaKiNg yOuR InHuMaN
First Descent
How did the rebels catch your attention? Why are you helping them?
• Feminine, masculine,
agender, concealed, __ � Moon: Illusions, primal nature, fear.
• They, She, He, ____ Ask: Which of you is obsessed with
• Animal, construct, spirit, me, and doesn't quite know why?
ghost, dream, ____ � Star: Hope, faith, new things.
• Human(ish), urban animal, Ask: Who is trying to bring out my
bizarre creature, ____ potential?
� Death: Change, endings,
transformations.
Ask: Who remembers me as I used to be?

Gear Castle Form
� A disguise (Expend
to pass as a castle • Myth: Ghostly veil, animal gait, cosmos
minion). eyes, automaton gears.
� Hardened skin (1 • Clothes: Something archaic, something
Armour). futuristic, nothing at all.
� Gleaming claws • Accessories: Lesser spirits, eerie music,
(piercing, close). localised storms, runic halo.
• Mien: More mundane, more pleasant,
less true, more chaotic.
90 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
Role
Pick a category and a vocation:
� Pretender: Ordinary high school student, office drone, pensioner, ____

Mark a black mark in Blood.
� Interloper: Surreal performer, mystic consultant, nomad, possessor, _____
� Lurker: Stray, haunter, monster, _______
Gauges
You're not completely real. Mark a tick in Blood and Lack, two in the rest.
Contacts
� Judgement: An ancient inhuman, ambivalent to humanity.

� Sage: A humble shop owner teaching you how to be human.
� Strength: An activist ostracised from society like you, but still
standing firm.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 91
InHuMaN AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
Who here is longing to express their wild side?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and indulge
your inhuman nature. Pick one: terrify someone present, move
faster and further than humanly possible, or sense something you
should not be able to sense.
When you take Shelter, you may tap into the thoughts of a nearby
Enforcer. The Architect will describe what they can see and hear, and
you may ask a question about what they’re thinking and feeling.
Shadow Moves
� My TrUe FoRm
You realise that the castle had a stronger hand in your creation
than you thought. Describe how your Castle Form changes to
reflect this. You may mark void to grow an organ or limb - arms,
tentacles, eyes, wings, mouths or similar.
� GhOsT EaTeR
When you defeat a minion of the Vassal, you can consume its body and
roll +Cups. On a hit, you ingest it; on a 7-9, it taints you and you
mark void. So long as the creature is ingested, you can freely use one
of its moves. When you would mark void, you can destroy the
ingested creature instead. You must destroy your currently ingested
creature to catch another.
� PsYcHoPoMp
When you leave Shelter, you can mark void and spend 2 Traces to
guide your group to or from: any individual’s psyche, the land of
the dead, the castle's home realm.
� ApPaRiTiOn's BlAdE
You are a conduit for the hunger of the Void. Mark void to channel
its full power into an attack, giving it Advantage and a tag of your
choice.
92 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
InHuMaN AdVaNcEs
World Void
� Free an Enforcer from their Vassal and � Gain a second
let them build a new life. Gear option.
� Add a portal to your hideout leading � Add a perk to your
directly to your target’s shard. signature weapon.
� Grant sentience to the hideout, and give
it some kind of avatar that can speak to
you all and use the hideout’s facilities.
PlAyInG tHe InHuMaN
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 93
ThE PrOvIdEr We hAvE tO cArE fOr eAcH oThEr. ThAt’s tHe
oNlY wAy tHiS bEcOmEs sOmEtHiNg tHaT lAsTs.
MaKiNg yOuR PrOvIdEr
First Descent
Before your first delve, select these two and answer:
Who did the Vassal hurt, and how did you comfort them?
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � Gardener: Nurturing,
• They, She, He, ____ procurement, protection.
• Practical uniform, a bag of Ask: Which of you can always come
supplies, rumpled and to me to feel cared for?
overworked, ____ � Temperance: Moderation,
• Kind eyes, weary eyes, hooded patience, advice.
eyes, intense eyes, ____ Ask: Which of you trusts me to rein
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, you in when you go too far?
Senior, ___ � Wheel of Fortune: Celebration,
investment, stockpiling.
Ask: Which of you did I guide
through misfortune?

Gear Castle Form
� Home cooking
(Expend when you • Myth: Medusa hair, dryad bark, spider
Shelter to let eyes, merfolk scales.
everyone pick an • Clothes: Blue temple robes, doctor's
extra option). coat, quartermaster’s bandoleers,
� Hard-wearing bodyguard’s armour.
clothes (Armour 1). • Accessories: Flocks of doves, floral
� Sanctified bow wreaths, belts of potions, a caduceus.
(ranged, brace). • Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
96 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
Mundane Life
Role
� Delinquent: Big sibling, gardener, carer, _______

� Prodigal: Bartender, teaching assistant, medic, _____
� Traitor: Emergency responder, parent, cleric, _____
Gauges
You stay strong for others. Mark a tick in Fealty and Blood, two in the
rest.
Contacts
� Tower: The charity case you can’t help but take care of.
� Death: A critically-ill confidante, unsure if they’ll be able to find
treatment.
� Lovers: Your paramour/partner who you can trust implicitly.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 97
PrOvIdEr AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
Architect: Who here needs a hug or a kind word?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and say what
wound, illness or affliction you purge from them. They’ll feel a
compulsion to perform a single favour in return.
When you take Shelter, you may ask the other rebels: who has a
problem with another rebel? If you help them work through their
problems, they each rank up their crew covenant.
Shadow Moves
� HeLp tO hEaL
When you bind someone else’s wound, mark void to also give them 1
Armour. Their next wound this delve will be automatically bound.
� MaMa BeAr
You can mark void to augment your strength and stability, letting you
carry any weight. Leverage may still present issues.
� EnDlEsSlY ReSoUrCeFuL
When you reach into your bags and pockets, mark void to pull out
something impossible: something too big, too dangerous, on the
other side of the world, or previously in your opponent’s hands.
� MoThEr oF MoNsTeRs
When you craft a creature from the swirling chaos, markvoid and describe
them to the group. They have a weapon (one perk, one flaw), and can
take one wound; the second kills them.
Pick one, or two if you markvoid again:

• They’re obedient.
• They’re knowledgeable.
• Their desires and interests are humanlike.
At the end of a delve, mark void to let them leave this shard and
become a permanent resident of your hideout.
98 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS
PrOvIdEr AdVaNcEs
World Void
� Pick a community nonprofit, food bank, � Gain a second
mutual aid society, etc. that will no Gear option.
longer need to worry about resources. � Add a perk to your
� Gain the aid of a guardian spirit; when signature weapon.
you send it to watch over someone, you’ll
know if they run into danger.
� Add plentiful supplies to the group’s
hideout, able to feed, rest and care for
about a dozen people.
PlAyInG tHe AuThOrItY

<TBA>
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 99
ThE WaTcHeR
HoW dO yOu fIgHt sOmEtHiNg yOu cAn't eVeN sEe?
By lOoKiNg fOr tHe pAiN iT cAuSeS, tHe oNeS wHo
bEnEfIt, tHe cRaCkS iTs sHaDoWs lUrK iN.
MaKiNg YoUr WaTcHeR
First Descent
Who’s the Vassal going after now?
Ambiguous, Concealed, ____ � The Hermit: Insight, awareness,
• They, She, He, ____ distance.
• Sturdy coat, drab Ask: Which of you knew me by my
camouflage, nerd chic, ____ handle long before we met IRL?
• Shiny glasses, hooded eyes, � The Sun: Perception, clarity, vision.
piercing eyes, ____ Ask: Which of you found fortune
• Teen, Young Adult, Adult, through my advice?
Senior, ___ � Judgement: Analysis,
discernment, absolution.
Ask: Which of you have I been tasked
with assessing?

Gear Castle Form
weapon of your choice (1 growing power. When you gain a rank of
perk, 1 flaw), and pick world or void, pick one from the lists below
one to have every delve: (or make your own) to add to your avatar.
Every time you lose a rank, erase one.
� Detailed notebook
(Expend for • Myth: Grigori eyes, gargoyle skin,
advantage on See mothman wings, ghost translucence.
Clear). • Clothes: Street camo, PI longcoat,
� Smoke bomb cyberpunk apparel, urbex rigging.
(Expend to disappear • Accessories: Hacker tech, goggles and
from sight). lenses, satchels of books, occult junk.
� Hunting rifle (ranged, • Mien: More glorious, more terrifying,
ammo). more true, more serene.
102 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS

Mundane Life
Role
Pick a category and a vocation:
� Delinquent: star pupil, nerd, junior reporter, _______

� Prodigal: blogger, hacker, researcher, _____
� Traitor: PI, professor, conspiracy theorist, _____
Gauges
You maintain your distance. Mark a tick in Infamy and Heat, two in
the rest.
Contacts
� Devil: The journalist you swap tips with.

� Gardener: The (surrogate?) parent who makes sure you’re safe
and well.
� Justice: The whistleblower who leaks to you.
Minor Covenant.
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 103

WaTcHeR AbIlItIeS
Core Moves
Who here is lost in confusion or indecision?
When you forsake or betray a Minor Covenant, mark void and name
someone. Anyone. You’ll get a flash of what they’re doing right
now – and can ask a follow-up question from the Rebel Eyes list.
When you take Shelter, you may submerge your mind in the
shifting chaos of the labyrinth. Roll 2d6; on a 7+ gain a Trace, on
a 6- mark void. Either way, tell the group what you understand
better about this castle shard or the Vassal.
Shadow Moves
� BrAiN RaDiO
When you’re in the castle, you can mark void to talk to any one person
who’s felt the castle’s touch – rebels, Vassals, covenants, etc.
� EyEs oN tHe InSiDe

You can mark void to perceive the intangible and immaterial -
auras, thoughts, hearts. When you use this sight to guide your mystic
arts, roll +Coins instead of +Cups on Drink Deep.
� ChAoS EyEs
Some eyes are windows to the soul; yours are portals to the
shifting chaos of the void. When someone meets your gaze, mark void
to force them to pick one:
• They cannot think or move for a few moments.

• They must move far away from you.
� AsTrAl PrOjEcTiOn
You may mark void to send your soul out into the castle. As long as
you concentrate you can see through its eyes and - with effort -
pull switches, open doors, move small object, etc. Most castle
minions won’t be able to see or interact with it. Most.
104 ReBeL PlAyBoOkS

WaTcHeR AdVaNcEs
World Void
� A friend or ally gains a sixth sense that � Gain a second
can detect the castle. Gear option.
� Gain an animal familiar that you can � Add a perk to your
project your mind into. signature weapon.
� Scrying windows appear in the
hideout, able to observe locations you’ve
been to in the city and the castle.
PlAyInG tHe WaTcHeR

<TBA>
ReBeL PlAyBoOkS 105

CoVeNaNtS
Covenants are the core social drivers of Voidheart Symphony.
They're the bonds that hold your ragtag group of rebels together,
and the outside connections they can call on when they're in
trouble, or need to blow off steam.
You track your most important connections on your character sheet.

Each covenant is in one direction: they represent the benefits your
character has gained from the relationship with the other character.
They might have a matching covenant for you, or might not.
MiNoR CoVeNaNtS
Sometimes you’ll touch another’s life only lightly. Not all
acquaintances are long-lasting, or life-changing - even if they can
become that in time.
These fleeting contacts are represented as Minor Covenants.

They’re inherently more disposable than the covenants represented
by the Major Arcana, and their rules impact is a lot more uniform.
Gaining Minor Covenants

You can grab a new Minor Covenant in one of two ways:
• Once per investigation, each rebel can say that an NPC they
just interacted with becomes a Minor Covenant. The rest of the
group can veto this if they think the interaction was too hostile
or brief to form a connection.
• Certain moves can add a Minor Covenant - see Let Your Hair
Down, or Use A Connection.
When you gain a new Minor Covenant, you can choose to draw a
random Minor Arcanum card to show what drives are lying
beneath the superficial traits shown already (see the table on the
following pages). Or, if you have a strong sense of their personality
already, you can go ahead without drawing a card. Either way,
write them down somewhere to keep track of them.
108 CoVeNaNtS
Using Minor Covenants
So what can you do with them? Here’s some options:
Cultivate
You can Check In with them to work out how to build them into a
full-fledged Covenant. If you successfully do this, pick an
appropriate Major Covenant for them and mark world.
Burn
You can burn up the bond, consigning it to the Void and gaining a
personal benefit appropriate to your playbook. If the Minor
Covenant appears on screen again, they’ll have experienced some
tragedy, misfortune or disillusionment, as if they were a Rebel
who’d maxed out a Trouble Gauge.
Release
You can set the bond loose, removing your hold over them and
letting them devote that energy to improving the World. As a side
benefit, you’ll be able to ask the Architect a question about your
current circumstances based on your playbook. If they appear on-
screen again, they’ll have shifted to some kind of mentor,
guardian or advocate role - doing their bit to improve the city in
their own way.
CoVeNaNtS 109
WhAt wIlL EaRn tHeIr tRuSt?
Swords Cups
Ace Give them clarity about what to do next. Give an outlet for stifled creativity.
Stop them from making rash decisions Show them you’re in this for the long
2
and taking on too much responsibility. haul.
3 Help them get over a messy breakup. Give them a community to be a part of.
Give them a chance to recover from Give them peace and space to reflect on
4
burnout. their desires.
Back them up as they confront their

5 Help them process their past trauma.
antagonists.
Help them move house (and deal with

6 Revel in nostalgia with them.
any ensuing drama).
Show them they can trust you with their Show them which of their dreams is the
7
secrets. real deal.
Help them see why they’re feeling

8 Break them out of their tunnel vision.
unfulfilled.
Act as a sounding board for their Bring about a dream they’d suppressed
9
anxieties. as unrealistic or childish.
Care for them as they recover from a Show them the value of their existing
10
disastrous betrayal. relationships.
Indulge the passionate desire for truth Push them out of fleeting comforts so
Scholar
that burns within them. that they pursue their deeper passions.
Show you can be the partner they need Resolve a quarrel between them and their
Envoy
to put their dreams into action. partner before feelings spiral out of control.
Be honest with them about your true Stop them living in other people’s heads
Avatar
goals and what you want their help for. and give them emotional autonomy.
Give them a well-researched plan of action Get them out from under a toxic,
Crown
that’ll get them out of their current crisis. controlling partner.
110 CoVeNaNtS
Wands Coins
Commit time to hearing out their new Help them sort out the red tape that
Ace
idea and giving honest feedback. came with an unexpected windfall.
Work with them on a plan for their Help them balance their main job and
2
future. their side hustle.
Show them that their ambitions can Find them skilled people to collaborate
3
take them far further than they imagine. with.
Help them celebrate a major event Help them find a sense of financial
4
(graduation, family wedding, birthday, etc). security.
Help them stop arguing with their Spend time volunteering with the
5
colleagues and find a way to listen. charity they work for.
Win them public recognition for their Get them out from under an onerous
6
good deeds. debt.
Protect them from people seeking to Spend time cultivating a garden or park
7
tear down their achievements. with them.
Take care of their mundane needs as they Offer them your labour and let them
8
throw themelves into an opportunity. teach you a new skill.
Help them take a break from their Get them to take time out of the city and
9
struggles and recover from burnout. enjoy nature.
Show them they can give you some of Plan out with them how they can
10
their burdens. provide for their family.
Relight the spark of inspiration they had
Scholar Help them prepare for a job interview.
for an old project.
Find them a patron who’ll let them Build a daily routine together that gives
Envoy
spread their wings. each of you a sense of stability.
Back them up as they attend a high- Help them move from nurturing others
Avatar
stakes social event. to seeking their own flourishing.
Find them a crew of people who will be Show them the harm done by inequality,
Crown
able to put their vision in action. and push them to rethink their own wealth.
CoVeNaNtS 111
l
ThE FoO
Free, pure, naive

At their best, the Fool is honest, At their worst, the Fool is reckless
inquisitive and courageous, showing and proudly ignorant, risking things
people new ways and unseen important to them when they should
alternatives. know better.
Nurture this covenant when… Betray this covenant when…

you do something spontaneous they ask you to do something
together, at your prompting or foolhardy and you refuse, or you
theirs. abandon them when they need you.
112
Hangout Move
When you hang out with the Fool, the Architect will describe a strange coincidence that
strikes nearby. If you get to the truth of what happened, you’ll discover something
that refreshes a gauge or gives information on the Vassal or their victims.
City Move
Sometimes things just work out, against all odds. When you go over the top to fix a
problem in your life, roll a single dice. On a 4+, it somehow works - clear all marks in
the appropriate trouble gauge. On a 1-3 things go very wrong - max out the gauge
instead.
Castle Move
You live a charmed life. When you search for a way out of lethal danger, roll +Fool Rank.
No matter what, you’ll be removed from the situation; on a 10+ you say what state
you’re in when you return, on a 7-9 the Architect will. On a 6- we’ll next see you in the
Avatar’s company.
The Winter Wanderer By Violet Henderson

A nature lover and forager, her heart is always wandering the wild and untamed
places, outside of the cities. She spends her free time exploring the quiet and
forgotten parts of the world where the castle has not yet laid claim. However, these
places are shrinking, the castle's borders expanding. More and more of the wild
places are being fenced off, turned into gardens, lawns, and estates.
How they can help: The Castle’s Threats:

• Secret Ways: She spends a lot of • Trespass: She is not always vigilant
time in the wilderness around the when her wandering takes her across
city, searching out old forgotten the invisible walls of the castle's
paths or forging new ones herself. If influence, where its laws of property
you need a way into or out of and ownership threaten to ensnare her.
somewhere quickly and quietly, she • Enclosure: As the castle pollutes and
may be able to lead your way. corrupts with one hand, the other
• Hidden Places: The Winter paints visions of a brighter future
Wanderer knows cloistered places, within its walls. The wanderer may be
sheltered by leaves and branches, tempted by promises of
where prying eyes might be evaded conservation, green power initiatives,
for a time. When you need and 'sustainable' development, and
somewhere to lay low for a few days, aid the castle in bringing the
the Winter Wanderer can always wilderness to heel. Turning from
point you in the right direction. exploring to mapping, foraging to
• Foraged Food: The Winter Wanderer farming, camping to enclosing.
knows which wild growing berries • Isolation: Her skills at skirting the
are safe to eat, which bark can be castle's sight also make it a little too
used to make kindling for a cooking easy for her to retreat from the castle's
fire, and how to make river water walls. When things get too hard,
safe to drink. She can provide simple when the world grows too dark, she
food and warmth for those who have may be tempted to withdraw and
nowhere else to go. leave others to their plight.
113
i CiAn
ThE MaG
Skilled, Creative, Hungry

At their best, the Magician is At their worst, they’re manipulative,
inspiring, resourceful, and driven. egotistical and power-hungry.

you collaborate with the Magician you use the Magician’s work
to create something better than without crediting them, or you
either of you could make on your sabotage their efforts.
own.
114
Hangout Move
When you help the Magician with a project of theirs, they teach you a mundane skill
you didn’t know before (lock-picking, painting, mixing music, etc). The next time
you use it, roll with advantage.
City Move
The Magician inspires you to go beyond. When you finish a project, pick 1 for each
Magician Rank:
• It’s impressive: refresh Infamy.
• It’s appreciated: mark progress on a Project relating to your Role.
• It’s enticing: someone you pick who sees it wants to meet.
Castle Move
When you improvise a ritual to protect from danger, grant a temporary ability, or make a
potent weapon (2 perks, 1 flaw), roll +Magician Rank. On a hit, it works, at least for
this delve. On a 7-9 the Architect will give your magic a weakness, quirk, or
unintended side effect.
The Charming Tailor By Tetra Saturn

The Charming Tailor makes clothes for people, and it gets them by, but it's not
what they want. They want to make Clothes for people. Garments that astonish
and impress. Once upon a time they dreamed of fame and fortune, but their
reality fell short. They practice crafting elaborate masterpieces in their off hours,
and are itching to find someone who will appreciate their true handiwork.
How they can help: The Castle's Threats:

• Costume Designer: Striking outfits • Fickle Heart: The Charming Tailor is
are the Charming Tailor's specialty, more concerned with entertainment
the more audacious and complex the than ideals. If a more appealing gig
better. Whenever you need a new comes up, their attention and
edition to your wardrobe, they'll be support will start to waver.
ecstatic. (And ready with plenty of • Ambition: The Charming Tailor
fashion advice if you want it.) yearns for excitement, and while
• Flashy: Glitz, glamour, smoke, and working with you provides some, the
mirrors. The Charming Tailor castle has grander audiences and
dabbles in special effects. They can opportunities to offer. They may be
supply you with the necessary drawn to the possibility of
materials to make any number of Vassalhood.
properly dramatic entrances. • Stardom: While the Charming Tailor
• Bit Part: Back in their theatre days is used to a supporting role, there is
they used to fill in when actors got a part of them that wonders what it
sick or an extra was required. If you would be like to play the
need a quick impersonation or act, a protagonist. To be a mysterious lone
cover or phone call, the Charming wolf, cut off from you, displaying
Tailor is happy to provide. their talents to the fullest. This
would not end well for them.
115
cLe
ThE OrA
Secretive, Spiritual, Perceptive

At their best, the Oracle is At their worst, the Oracle is
empathetic, insightful and intuitive, withdrawn, secretive and indecisive,
helping you understand your disregarding facts and trusting in
motivations. gossip.
Nurture this covenant when… Betray this covenant when..

you reveal something you value the material over the
significant to them about your spiritual, or are too busy with your
dreams, hopes or ambitions. mundane obligations to heed their
advice.
116
HaNgOuT
When you let the Oracle show you a hidden place in the city, their player will describe
what makes it beautiful, and how it’s at risk. When you magnify its beauty or protect it
from danger, refresh a stress gauge.
CiTy MoVe
Once per investigation, you can declare that you had a dream about your current
situation. Ask the Architect a question in the form of ‘What will happen if I ____’ -
they’ll relate an element of your dream that answers your question.
If you go ahead with your proposed action, roll with Advantage.
CaStLe MoVe
When your make your faith manifest, roll +Oracle Rank. On a hit, radiant light
prevents creatures of the castle from coming within a few metres of you.
On a 7-9 pick 2, on a 10+ pick 1:
• You can't move without breaking the shield.
• You can't attack without breaking the shield.
• It only shields you.
The Bookseller’s Assistant By Natalie Ash

No one comes to see the bookseller, though many people come to the shop for it’s
collection of rare books. Patrons return for the assistant. She has a good knowledge of
history, but is sought for her empathy and spiritual advice.

• Track that book down: The • Victim of the market: Megastores
Bookseller’s Assistant may not do the and online shopping have hit
ordering, but she has access to the independent booksellers hard,
trade connections and databases. It including this one. Rare books
might take some time, but if a book is collectors and locals have kept it open
for sale she can tell you where and for so far, but if an online marketplace
how much. turned its attention to rare books,
• Naïve wisdom: With a brain soaked in that would be the shop’s death-knell.
history, and a heart full of empathy, the • Too Helpful: The Bookseller’s
Bookseller’s Assistant has a way of Assistant prefers emotional truths
cutting through the clutter of modern and doesn’t care so much about facts
life and simplifying problems. A way and factions – unless it makes a good
that, often, presents a more ready story – and is equally as likely to help
solution than first thought. the castle as she does the rebels.
• Community of believers: The many • Betrayed by Reality: A frequent giver
people the Bookseller’s Assistant has of advice, the Bookseller’s Assistant is
helped haven’t exactly formed a bound to get it wrong sometimes.
religion, but they’re fairly When her advice worsens someone’s
interconnected. With a phone call or situation, she becomes withdrawn
two, she can probably find someone in and tentative. This happens even if
a position to help the rebels a little bit. her advice was good, but the
surrounding situation changed.
117
d EnEr
ThE GaR
Maternal, Powerful, Abundant

At their best, the Gardener gives At their worst, the Gardener
others a supporting, nurturing constructs stifling relationships,
environment that lets them grow into quashing potential so that it doesn’t
their true potential. threaten their authority.

you grow into greater beauty or you ruin your own chances out of
strength with their support, or spite, or try to control another’s
cultivate a person (or creature) growth.
to a significant milestone
following the Gardener’ example.
118
HaNgOuT
When you visit the Gardener, they give you something impractical but important; a
book, an accessory, a pot plant, etc. If you start an growth project to understand it and make
it part of your life, whenever you make progress on it you also refresh a gauge.
CiTy MoVe
When you spend your action Looking After Someone (p. 27), you may refresh one extra
gauge of theirs per Gardener Rank. If you do, pick the cost:
• Tick Lack, as you dig into your own stocks.
• Tick Fealty, as you resent them a little for needing this.
• Grow protective, taking fleeting Disadvantage the next time they’re wounded.
CaStLe MoVe
The Gardener haunts you, gauzy and insubstantial. When you ask the spirit for
advice, roll +Gardener Rank. On a hit, ask a question and the Architect will
answer. On a 7-9 pick one:
• They confuse parts of their life for your situation.
• They cannot perceive some significant detail.
• They ask you to promise something before they answer.
The Student Teacher By Violet Henderson

A polymath and a lifetime student, her passion is for teaching and for learning
through teaching, growing as she nurtures growth in others. She teaches whatever
captures her interest, or at least whatever will pay her bills this month. As a freelance
educator she works with local colleges, online courses, charity initiatives, and
sometimes, when desperate, with more insidious clients from within the castle's walls.

• Shared Skills: the Teacher Student is • Corruption: while she aims to
always chasing new passions, and nurture good seeds, circumstances
always willing to share them with dont allow her to be so discerning.
anyone who's interested. If you go to Those she teaches may go on to bear
her with an open mind and a willing poison fruit, and go to root in the
ear, you'll always come away having castle's soil.
learned something new. • Burnout: her work makes constant
• Contacts: In her freelance work the demands of her both physically and
Teacher Student works with people emotionally, made worse by her
with a huge range of skills, talents, precarious place as a freelancer, a
and ideas. If you need to find string of bad jobs could run the risk
someone with a certain skill set, she of breaking her spirit entirely.
can always find some skilled if • Stability: the castle constantly tempts
maybe not entirely scrupulous her with the promise of stability,
individual who fits the bill. even luxury, if she would only turn
• Nurturing Ideas: The Teacher her skills towards the castle's ends.
Student will never disregard an idea She could buy her way out of years of
out of hand. When you come to her suffering by training just one
with a plan or a project she can help banker, policy maker, or drone
you to interrogate, explore and reflect operator.
to guide the idea into its fullest form.
119
eUr
ThE AuT
Paternal, Established, Imperious

At their best, the Auteur brings At their worst, the Auteur is
structure, stability, and wisdom into inflexible in their opinions and seeks
other’s lives. to control the actions of others.
Nurture this covenant when… Betray this covenant when… you

you teach the Auteur respect someone else’s advice over
something new, or thank them the Auteur’s, or suffer by doing
for the success their advice has something they told you not to.
brought you.
120
HaNgOuT
When you spend time with the Auteur, they can offer you a job to help their
organisation. They get to decide what it is, you decide if you want to take it.
If you carry it out, you both refresh Infamy or Lack on top of any other outcomes.
CiTy MoVe
You draw structure and certainty from your relationship with the Auteur. When you
comprehensively reject a group identity society has placed on you in favour of one you’ve found
for yourself, remove one notch in Fealty per Auteur Rank.
CaStLe MoVe
When you use an Opening to display your power over an opponent, roll +Auteur Rank. On
a hit, remove the opening; on a 7-9 gain 1-Insight, on a 10+ gain 3. So long as you
have Insight, that opponent’s attacks cannot deal wounds to you. Spend a point to:
• Redirect the opponent’s attack towards you.
• Reveal their weakness and give an ally fleeting advantage.
The Caring Boss By Tyler Diaz

The Kindly Boss is the last bastion of a desperate person. The Kindly Boss is, by all
measures of the word, a hardened criminal. Head of an organized crime
organization, the Kindly Boss has his fingers in all kinds of less than legal pies.
But while ruthless, the Kindly Boss is not without scruples. He’s amongst the first
to lend a hand when his subordinates or friends are targeted. After all, it’s hard to
stay on top when everyone hates you.
How They Can Help The Castle’s Threats

• Yeah, I Can Get That: The Kindly • Corruption: There’s nothing like
Boss has a bit of a flexible view on grasping at power to make the castle
what’s entirely legal. As such, even see you as an opportunity. The
when he can’t directly provide an Kindly Boss needs to watch out that
asset, he can usually point you in the he doesn’t step on people in his
right direction for who might. ambition.
• This Is My Territory: The Kindly • Suspicion: The Kindly Boss is not fond
Boss is a little bit less kindly when it of those he perceives to be a threat. It
comes to people pushing in on what might not take much of a push to
he perceives to be his. So when the make you seem like usurping upstarts.
castle’s Vassals make their presence • Knocked Down: The castle isn’t above
known, he tends to make his empowering some other wannabe
displeasure known in return. His kingpin to bring this contact down.
people will have your back.
• Port In a Storm: The Kindly Boss has
boltholes and safehouses, where he and
his men can safely go to ground when
things get hot. And if he likes
somebody enough, he might be willing
to leave a spare key under the mat.
121
e
ThE SaG
Institutional, Mentoring, Orthodox

At their best, the Sage passes down At their worst, the Sage is a
wisdom and initiates their wards into gatekeeper, only passing down
a higher station. wisdom to those who meet their
biases or standards.

you let the Sage teachings you spurn tradition, or burn
guide you in making a bridges with an institution you’re a
significant decision. member of.
122
HaNgOuT
When you go to the Sage asking for their advice with a problem, they can tell you what to
do. While you are following this advice, you roll with advantage.
CiTy MoVe
The Sage has given you access to a exclusive group. When you use your membership of
this group to open doors, gain advantage on any Infamy check. If you miss the check,
the Architect will say how this ends up hurting the group.
CaStLe MoVe
With the Sage’s influence you can better understand the nightmare physics of the
castle. When you use Drink Deep to warp the castle, also gain 1 Trace.
The Old Boy By James White

Maybe he is a member of a London Club, or a Masonic Lodge, or maybe something else
entirely. The Old Boy is friends with everyone –“Everyone important”, he will say with a
wink – and so he gets invited everywhere. He may be a bit twee and a bit patronising,
but the rebels have his sympathy and so, after sharing his avuncular wisdom, he
whispers in an ear here, writes a memo there, all for you. Just try not to embarrass him.

• One More Thing: The Old Boy’s had some • A New Deal: The Old Boy is
interesting hobbies in his time, as have his only human: it is not
friends. If the rebels need something inconceivable that the castle
specific, he might know where to get it. This could offer him something
might be an unusual object or piece of that he wants, something
equipment, or something rare and expensive which would disentangle him
which would usually be beyond the rebels’ from the rebels forever.
means. Unless they have a very good reason, • The Old Problem: There are
though, he is going to want it back. reasons why the Old Boy does
• One of Them: Some of the castle’s most prized not put himself in harm’s way.
agents brush shoulders with people in the Old Old injuries or a life of
Boy’s world. Whether it’s because of his charm indulgence have taken their
or his cultivated bumbling mien, the castle toll and could yet prove
thinks the Old Boy harmless – a mistake debilitating or deadly.
which works in his favour. The Old Boy’s • The Young Ones: The Old
ability to pick up and piece together gossip Boy’s position stems from a
allows him to give warnings and advice to the carefully managed act of
rebels, which are usually reliable. Usually. smoke and mirrors. If the
• One of Us: Trouble follows the rebels rebels call on him too often,
wherever they go. The Old Boy’s or create too much of a mess,
considerable resources can help to make he may find his influence
some of this trouble disappear. Given waning, or even vanishing
enough time and information, the Old Boy forever.
can help deal with consequences arising
from a maxed-out stress gauge.
123
eRs
ThE LoV
Dependable, Loving, Harmonious

At their best, the Lover is a reliable At their worst, the Lover may be needy
partner and paramour, helping their or distant, but always frames the
companion be the best they can be. problems in their life around their
partner.

you take time to bond with The you let the Lover down on a
Lover, making them feel valued. promise, or make them feel like a
resource instead of a partner.
If your character is in a relationship with multiple partners, you could use this
covenant to represent the whole group - or pick one partner who provides this
covenant’s benefits, and pick out other covenants for your other paramours.
124
HaNgOuT
When you spend time with the Lover, ask them: what do you most love about me? When
you act in line with the vision of you they see, roll with fleeting advantage.
CiTy MoVe
With the Lover held close, you gain a better understanding of what others hold
precious. For every five minutes you watch someone socialise, you can ask the Architect
one of these questions; their player will answer honestly.
• Are they in love?
• Are they satisfied with their life?
• What is most precious to them?
• Who here do they most rely on?
CaStLe MoVe
The Lover gives you the resolve to endure. When you mark off a wound, roll +Lover
Rank. On a hit, you draw strength from your relationship; erase a less severe wound
or get fleeting advantage. On a 7-9, promise the Lover something you’ll do for them
when you get out of here. If you don’t do it, rank down this covenant.
The Hopeless Romantic By Eleanor Hingley

The Hopeless Romantic wears her heart on her sleeve, falling fast and hard and
completely. She doesn't mean to hurt people when she moves on, but that's
usually how it happens. Who doesn't want to try and hold a flame that burns so
brightly? She loves not wisely but too well, pouring passion into a million hobbies,
and collecting friends and lovers with ease.

• Lovable: She can charm anyone. Even • Broken heart: The Romantic does
better, she loves your bright and dark not take rejection well. If
sides, your good days and your bad someone she loves pushes her
ones. Always happy to be a distraction away, she might collapse in on
or a shoulder to cry on, the Romantic herself or burn the world in her
can calm antagonists or recruit allies. anger.
• Passionate: Due to her endless • Broken trust: The Romantic
enthusiasm, the Hopeless Romantic assumes the best of people, but
has an eclectic range of skills, from that can make her vulnerable to
sailing to slam poetry. While she may the minions of Vassals, or people
not excel at any of them, she can who don't have her best interests
produce something competent and full at heart.
of passion at short notice. • Ennui: Passion might be the
• Inspiring: The Hopeless Romantic is a Romantic's drive, but the lack of it
muse and a demon in one vivacious grinds her soul down. She
package, an inspiration to anyone who becomes listless and easy prey for
expresses a spark of creativity. She the castle's influence when bored
believes in you one hundred percent - or frustrated, often taking
one thousand percent! Of course, any reckless action to reignite the
artist swept along by one inspiration spark.
risks losing their way when their muse
moves on.
125
r IoT
ThE ChA
Dynamic, Determined, Assertive

At their best, the Chariot is At their worst, the Chariot is either
independent and self-contained, fully pig-headed and stubborn, or all too
determined to achieve their goals. willing to move on when things get
tough.

you go somewhere new you realise you don’t know what
together, somewhere neither of you want, or give up on achieving a
you have gone before. goal because it’s too hard.
126
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Chariot, they can dare you to do something dangerous. If
you go through with the dare, raise this covenant's Rank; if you stand your ground
and refuse, they’ll respect it but the next dare will be riskier.
CiTy MoVe
When you need to get somewhere fast, the Chariot can speed you along. As you begin
your sprint, gain 1 Hold per Chariot Rank. Spend 1 Hold to:
• Dodge around an obstacle in your path;
• Evade a pursuer;
• Gain definite hold of a means of transportation.
CaStLe MoVe
Against an unbeatable foe, you become an unstoppable force. When you charge an
enemy, roll +Chariot Ranks. On a hit, you crash into them and push them far away
from where they were. If you had an Opening, exhaust it to pick one:
• Smash them into something, dealing damage as per Strike;
• Hurl them far away, giving your group breathing room.
The Elite Gamer By Paul Matijevic

The Elite Gamer is a prominent member of the local fighting game tournament
scene, and she dreams of going higher. She struggles with a community hostile to
outsiders and peers who don't respect her, but she has the skills and determination
to make it big and refuses to let other people tell her what to do.

• Assist Character: The Gamer has a • Chip Damage: The Gamer is tough,
nice streaming setup, a car, and a but the mud her opponents sling at
willingness to perform repetitive tasks her would wear anyone down. As
for a long time. She's willing to set Vassals encourage more and worse
aside a day of her time to help you out, attacks on her, she'll eventually be
provided it's not tournament day. pushed to her limits.
• Relax, I understand j00: If you ever • Guard Crush: The Gamer's financial
need someone to listen to your situation is a little precarious right
problems and offer advice without now. If she's prevented from
judgement, the Gamer can do it over competing or winning for long
some Mario Kart. Never enough, she might push harder to
underestimate the value of a new earn money outside tournaments –
perspective. and burn herself out trying to keep
• Tag Tournament: The Elite Gamer her dream alive too.
naturally has a lot of gamer friends. If • Mind Games: If the castle can't drive
you have a problem she can't help the Gamer out, it might try to make
with, she can probably put you in her part of the establishment. She
touch with someone who can. could find herself swimming in new
offers of sponsorship or friendship,
but if she accepts, her new "allies"
will start controlling her actions.
127
Th
StReNg
Courageous, Wise, Resilient

At their best, Strength knows which At their worst, they have lost
challenges they can overcame and confidence in their ability to make
brings endless determination to bear changes to their world, and sink into
against them. a depressive funk.

you overcome a great obstacle you use your strength without
through stamina and intention, lashing out and causing
persistence. suffering.
128
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with Strength, you can bring up an intense emotion you're
struggling with. The next time you miss a move while indulging in that emotion,
you can collect yourself and upgrade the result to a weak hit/7-9.
CiTy MoVe
Strength teaches you how use the solidarity of your allies. So long as you are standing
side by side with allies, you pick an extra option on Make a Stand - two on a weak hit,
three on a strong hit.
CaStLe MoVe
You have the strength to be there when your friends need you most. When another rebel
is hit by a blow that would mark their DeadlyWound box, you can take the blow instead as
a Deadly Wound – reduced as if you had Armour equal to your Strength Ranks.
The Brawler By Misha Handman

The Brawler cares deeply about the people around them, but has been convinced
that they aren’t smart enough or quick enough to really help. They usually work as
a bouncer, security guard, or other profession that lets them use their fists to
protect people, and they actually will try to keep their charges safe, but their
constant frustration at the suffering they see leaves them easily provoked to
violence, and they don’t have good tools to express why they’re unhappy.

• Let You In: The Brawler has access to • Corruption: The Brawler has
somewhere normally secure, and strength that the castle values. If the
can get you access or bypass lengthy castle can break their idealism or
check-in procedures. plunge them into cynical selfishness,
• Lend A Fist: The Brawler is always up they will stop caring who they’re
for a fight, and can be persuaded to violent on behalf of.
join in a minor brawl or to help • Destruction: The Brawler fights
protect someone. against evil, but lacks discretion. The
• Let It Out: When you’re exhausted castle’s Vassals may consider them
and need to vent, the Brawler knows an obstacle to be removed, through
all the best places in town to go to legal or extra-legal violence. The
unwind, and can get you there on Brawler is particularly vulnerable to
short notice. being targeted by the police as a ‘bad
apple’ in need of pruning.
• Isolation: The castle could use its
influence on the Brawler and their
friends, pushing them apart and
using the Brawler’s own temper as a
weapon against them. If isolated
from the people they care about, the
Brawler is likely to give up instead of
trying to improve.
129
mIt
ThE HeR
Isolated, Watchful, Introspective

At their best, the Hermit has used At their worst, the Hermit disdains
their isolation to gain perspective and broader society, viewing themselves
self-discovery, sharing their insights as superior and ignoring the broader
with a select group of friends. social fabric they rely on.

you give them something that invade their privacy, or share with
helps them follow their others something they meant for
interests, or help them cope you alone.
when a social situation becomes
too much.
130
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Hermit, in-person or online they'll tell you something
interesting they spotted recently - about a location, a local celebrity, or a new social
trend. Get fleeting advantage when you make use of the lead.
CiTy MoVe
The Hermit shows you a way out. When you search for a hidden entryway, exit, or hiding
place, reduce your Hermit Rank by 1 to immediately find it.
CaStLe MoVe
When you use a distraction to escape an opponent's attention, roll +Hermit Rank. On a hit
you can put a safe distance between you and them. On a 10+ pick one:
• You're hidden from all foes until you next take action;
• Your disappearance confuses the foe, giving your allies breathing room.
The Chatroom By Blue Maelstrom

Whether organized through messaging apps, fan forums, or IRC servers, The
Chatroom is a close-knit online community formed from like-minded folks
seeking an escape from the loneliness and stress of offline life. The Chatroom can
be chaotic, full of clashing opinions and over-the-top drama, but it can also be a
source of empathy and community.

• Crowdsourcing: Chat members • Toxicity: Bad actors are a threat to any
come from diverse online community, and as the castle’s
backgrounds, possessing all power grows, the Chatroom struggles
manner of expertise. Want more and more to deal with toxic
personal advice, info on a niche individuals. Nontoxic members are
topic, or even just emotional cowed into silence, moderators become
support? Chances are inactive, and soon the loudest voices in
somebody’s online and willing the room are the ones spewing hate.
to help. • Anti-Privacy: The Chatroom is the perfect
• Crowdfunding: The Chatroom breeding ground for subversive discourse,
looks out for its own, and making it a tempting target for
members are quite willing to authoritarian Vassals. ISPs and websites
pitch in for a good cause. A few gladly sell the chat members’ data for the
dollars from each member can right price, and Vassals can abuse that
add up to a sizable sum. info to identify and monitor members.
• Long distance relationships: • Controversy: Not everyone in The
Not everybody in The Chatroom Chatroom shares the same way of
is a city native, and these friends thinking - sometimes the most innocuous
in far-off places can be a huge disagreement sparks a server-wide flame
boon. When the rebels need war. With the pressures of the outside
items from outside the city, world closing in, frustrated chat
someone in the room can members become more likely to tear each
probably hook them up. other apart.
131
F FoRt UnE
WhEeL o
Prepared, Passive, Enduring

At their best, the Wheel of Fortune is At their worst, the Wheel of Fortune
frugal in times of plenty and giving in is passive and unwilling to act,
times of trial. trusting in destiny to fix their
problems for them.

you find a way to turn a tragedy you hold onto a plan when it time
into victory, or find dreadful and again results in failure, or
failure despite your best efforts. refuse to help a friend who has
fallen on hard times.
132
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Wheel of Fortune, flip a coin. On heads, they show you an
opportunity you hadn't considered. On tails, they show you how the course you're on
might lead to disaster. Gain fleeting advantage acting on their insights.
CiTy MoVe
When you help someone in need, gain 1-Balance. Spend 1-Balance to declare that
someone offers you unexpected charity or camaraderie, giving you fleeting
advantage on Gearing Up or Let Your Hair Down.
CaStLe MoVe
When you would roll without Advantage or Disadvantage, you may get 1-Balance by
giving yourself Disadvantage, or spend 1-Balance to give yourself Advantage.
You can keep points of Balance up to your Wheel of Fortune Rank;

any excess spills out as random good fortune for the people around you.
The Medic By Freyja Erlingsdottir

The Medic is constantly teetering on the edge of burnout, unwilling to quit his job
in case his intervention might save another life even as his superiors take
shameless advantage with long shifts and endless overtime. His personal life is as
good as nonexistent, and yet he would rather sacrifice his time for others than
take any for himself. He feels powerless to improve his life, reasoning that his
trials are simply the cost of the work.

• Medic: The Medic can advise on • Hopelessness: He got into the
medical matters and fix you up if business to help people, but he is
you’re hurt, no questions asked. He close to losing hope altogether. A few
can even get you some prescription more disappointments or too-long
medicines, if you push him or shifts may push him over the edge of
convince him you need them. total burnout, leaving nothing – and
• Someone to talk to: The Medic will no one – else to fill his life.
always lend you a sympathetic ear. He • Bargain: He won’t help himself, but
keeps tight confidence, raises spirits if offered a better way of life while
and gives good advice, especially on still helping others, he may accept it,
how to avoid danger to yourself. even if means becoming a slave to
• Small acts of kindness: Years of the castle instead.
giving people aid means the Medic • Sacrifice: If the need is urgent and if
know a surprising amount of people given the opportunity, The Medic will
willing to give help back. However, he readily sacrifice of himself to heal
only accepts it for the sake of others. another, whether that is his dreams,
his truths, his life, even his soul…
133
JuStIcE
Fair, Righteous, Campaigning

At their best, Justice gathers power so At their worst, Justice trusts in and
that they can help others and bring supports the structures of society
low those that use society's structures without recognising the institutional
to cause pain and misery. harm they propagate.

you get them evidence or a lead you avoid responsibility for the
that helps them fight injustice. suffering you have caused.
134
Hangout
When you spend time with Justice, you can help them talk through the details of their
current case or sit in on a meeting with community members. Pick one to learn
about: the Vassal's current activities, a potential minor covenant who needs help, a
threat to another rebel's role.
City Move
The systems of this city are unjust and perpetuate inequality, but with Justice you
can – for a moment – force them to work towards their putative lofty goals. When
you’re trying to convince a public servant to do their job, you can Make a Stand checking
against Fealty instead of Infamy.
Castle Move
Where a community comes together to support each other and correct the scales,
Justice is there with them. When you list an adversary's crimes as you spur your allies to
Stand with Me, you may pick an option to apply to each rebel in earshot.
The Grassroots Organiser By McKayla Roundy

The Grassroots Organiser is passionate about improving their community and
making life better for the average citizen. During their career, they’ve done
everything from organising protests to direct action against government
corruption. Their exhaustive work for change has won the support of the
community, and many local politicians draw inspiration and support from them.

• Spontaneous demonstration: • Blackout and Smears: Despite their
There’s no shortage of issues for the popularity, the Organiser has never
Organiser to mobilise their been popular with the media firms
supporters over, and the castle is owned by the castle’s Vassals. The
often a cause of them. When the castle has prevented the Organiser
rebels need attention off of from getting attention, while also
themselves, the Grassroots besmirching their actions, policies,
Organiser is able to whip up a and support.
protest to keep the castle occupied. • Palm-greasing: It takes money to
• Been around the block before: cause political change, money the
They’ve been in this game for a long Organiser tends to lack. More than
time, and with that has come a once, the castle’s systems have tried to
truckload of experience. Everything seduce them with promises of funding
from legal protesting advice to a to achieve all their goals… though the
number of political contacts could castle always collects its debt.
be obtained from them. • Nihilism: While unrelenting in their
• Hope and Progress: The fight push for change, not every
against injustice often feels like one movement or policy can be
step forward and two steps back. successful, especially against the
During those times the Grassroots castle’s systems. Losses are
Organiser is quick to comfort, devastating and take their emotional
offering hope for a better future and toll, and there are only so many
reminding you how far society has losses one can suffer at once before
come in the fight. giving up all hope.
135
G aBoN d
T h E Va
Easygoing, Indecisive, Self-Sacrificing

At their best, the Vagabond is calm, At their worst, the Vagabond is
collected and observant. They never passive and apathetic, unwilling to
rush into things, but their perspective risk the disruption action might
is often valuable. bring.

you find peace or insight by you demand they change when
surrendering to the whims of they don’t want to, or suffer
fate. burnout from pushing yourself
too hard.
136
Hangout
When you hang out with the Vagabond, you can tell them about a dilemma you’re
facing. Whether through the Vagabond’s advice or otherwise, the Architect will tell
you what the immediate consequences of each choice would be.
City Move
The Vagabond gives you the patience to watch and wait. When you stake out a target, a
hit on Pass Beneath Notice gives you fleeting advantage on Rebel Eyes.
Castle Move
The Vagabond teaches you serenity in pain. When you take a wound from an adversary,
hold 1. Spend 1 to reveal a weakness in their fighting style and give another Rebel
advantage against them. Spend 3 to create an Opening.
TBA
137
DeAtH
Catalyzing, Callous, Fatalistic

At their best, Death shows you which At their worst, Death is brutal and
parts of your life are causing pain or callous, pressuring you into changes
holding you back, and helps you let go so that you can be who they want you
of them. to be.

you show willingness to make cling to your status quo even as it
significant changes to your life. causes you pain or misery.
138
HaNgOuT
When you spend time with Death, they can ask you one of these:
What’s your biggest regret? Who do you wish wasn’t in your life? What’s your biggest worry?
You don’t have to answer honestly, but both of you will know if you lie.
CiTy MoVe
When you stage an intervention for someone you care for, pick one per Death Rank:
• They’re driven to change things;
• They don’t resent you;
• There’s a clear route to a better life;
• They have the support they need to make the change.
CaStLe MoVe
Sometimes part must die for the whole to live. When you surgically amputate part of
someone, deal them a Major Wound and pick one:
• They won't suffer any penalties the next time they Return to Reality;
• They refresh Blood;
• Their Void covenant is reduced by a rank.
Any amputated part returns in the city - but the scar lingers.
The Nurse By James White

The Nurse is vague about whether she has any medical qualifications. The Nurse is
even vaguer about where she gets her stash of needles and chemicals and gossip but
there is no arguing with results. The Nurse is a source of advice, care and unusual
items for the resistance but just how she finds what she finds might be troubling to
some. Does she have her reasons, or is something more sinister at play?

• Angel of Mercy: The Nurse can provide • Nightingale or Vulture? The Nurse’s
most forms of medical care, and find agenda might not fully overlap with
someone who can provide the rest. the rebels’. If her interests are
Such care might come with hidden threatened, it may not take much
costs or other strings attached, but it for her to seeing the rebels as tools
can mean the difference between life to use – or pawns to sacrifice –
and death, between swift recovery and instead of allies worth nurturing.
lingering decline. • Shatter the Shell: Something
• Oracle of Apollo: The Nurse has seen it ruthless and fierce burns within the
all, heard it all, and experienced much Nurse. If she thinks it necessary to
of it herself. Her advice is surprisingly discard someone, anyone, to
comprehensive, and often cuts directly achieve her goals, she won’t
to the heart of the matter. hesitate long.
• Treasurer of Shennong: As long as • Wings of Icarus: If the Nurse is
you refrain from asking awkward disinclined to exploit her allies, she
questions, the Nurse can provide may instead take too much on
medicine and – depending on herself. Her operation is a risky
payment – other restricted one: it wouldn’t be hard for her to
substances, embargoed information over-reach, expose herself, and risk
on treatments, decommissioned discovery, blackmail,
medical equipment, and more. imprisonment, or worse.
139
nCe
TeMpErA
Balanced, Moderate, Patient

At their best, Temperance is a At their worst, Temperance ignores
moderating force in other's lives, the root causes of other's joy and
bringing them balance, patience and sorrow, instead pushing them to stop
stability. harshing Temperance's mood.

you reconcile a conflict between an excess of emotion leads you into
friends, or your patience and disaster, or you alienate a friend by
vision bears fruit. holding firm to your beliefs.
140
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with Temperance, they help you balance out the worries in your life.
Move a tick from your stress gauge with the most ticks to the one with the least; work
out with the Architect what advice Temperance gave you to effect this change.
CiTy MoVe
Temperance teaches you… well, temperance. When you Let Your Hair Down, the
Architect doesn’t pick a downside on a weak hit. When you Vent, get advantage on
the Fealty check if you picked no more options than your Temperance rank.
CaStLe MoVe
When you act as a mediating force between your friends, you can work a strange
alchemy. Pick one other Rebel per Temperance Rank, and average out the Void
or World marks you each have recorded. You say where any remainder goes.
For example: You have 2 Ranks in Temperance and mediate Void between yourself
and two others. The three of you have one mark, three marks and four marks,
so there's 8 marks to distribute – leaving you at 3, 3 and 2.
ThE PrOlIfIc FeNcE-SiTtEr By Laurence Phillips

The Prolific Fence-Sitter is a writer and correspondent. They are highly educated,
privileged, and well-placed in the halls of traditional journalism, but are
otherwise a static force. Entrenched in conventional wisdom and the mythology
of the Golden Middle, the Fence-Sitter has the intelligence and resources to speak
truth to power but is saturated with a timidity born of a fear of being wrong.
HoW tHeY cAn hElP: ThE CaStLe’s ThReAtS:

• Placater: By fixing their ideological • Assimilation: The Fence-Sitter is only a
rudder firmly to the centre, the step or two away from becoming part of
Fence-Sitter rarely makes enemies the system they claim to hold to account.
in the corridors of the mighty. By controlling access to the information
They are trusted to always provide they require, a Vassal can turn an
a “fair and balanced” viewpoint, upstanding journalist into a PR machine.
and as such elites find it easy to • Conditional Love: The Fence-Sitter’s
make time for them. family are willing to support them as
• Silver Spoon: They come from a long as they maintain their upstanding
privileged background, and have reputation. Should their commitment to
access to private wealth and the status-quo be brought into question,
property. If properly motivated all that has been given can be taken away.
they can easily provide a secluded • Dying Breed: The Fence-Sitter is a
holiday home to lie low in, or a bulwark of a dying medium. At any
brown envelope full of cash. moment the financiers behind
• Classical Education: A fastidious traditional journalism could decide to
researcher and minor intellectual consolidate their losses, throwing all
in their own right, they have the who rely on their money into the snake-
drive, passion and single- pit of freelance journalism, to write
mindedness to uncover all listicles on the latest pop culture fad.
manner of deeply hidden secrets.
141
iL
ThE DeV
Transgressive, Tempting, Hedonistic

At their best, the Devil’s temptations At their worst, the Devil seeks to
show you a part of yourself you were break down your self-image so that
in denial over - rejecting society’s they can be the one who defines who
conditioning to embrace who your you are.
truly are.

you realise something life- you place the needs of others or
changing about yourself - and society as a whole above your own
follow through on it. self-actualisation.
142
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Devil, they test your boundaries. Their player secretly
decides if they’re going to be helpful or hurtful; you secretly decide if you're
receptive or dismissive. If you're receptive and they're helpful, it's better than you
expected - refresh Fealty and mark void. If you're receptive and they're hurtful, it's
worse than expected - mark Fealty and lose a Rank in this covenant. Otherwise, it's
a pretty normal hang.
CiTy MoVe
The Devil encourages you to play fast and loose with responsibilities. When you fake a
solution to one of your projects, spend a Devil Rank to get Advantage on the roll to finish
the project. If the roll results in a weak hit or miss, the consequences may be dire.
CaStLe MoVe
The Devil wants you to live free of restrictions, no matter what others say. When you
mark void, you can mark extra points equal to your Devil Rank.
The Criminal Lawyer By Lisandro Johnston

The Criminal Lawyer won't claim she's on your side. Alliances are flimsy things,
after all. As a lawyer, she's seen and committed her fair share of atrocities, yet even
she understands that certain people need to be brought down. Luckily, regardless of
what side she's on, desperate people flock to her like moths to a flame. Everyone
wants a way to game the system, and she just happens to have the rulebook in hand.

• Ocean's Unlucky Thirteen: Assuming • Pariah: No one likes lawyers, not even
you have the cash to pay for it, the those who hire them. The Lawyer’s
Criminal Lawyer will plan out opportunistic personality and her
whatever heist or crime you have in lack of filter certainly haven't made
mind, all equipment included. her any friends. She doesn't have
Blueprints, tools, disguises, the works. anyone to rely on in times of need.
• Rulebook: The more powerful • Indulgent: The Criminal Lawyer has
someone is, the more rules society a refined palate and very expensive
places upon them, and Vassals have tastes. Wine, sweets, fancy furniture;
power to spare. The Criminal Lawyer she's in the habit of spending her
will happily ascertain what those money in all kinds of places. Almost
rules are, and how to exploit them in all merchants know her, even those
your favour. who regularly deal with Vassals.
• Small World: What if there's • Weak-willed: It's true she would never
someone out there planning the work with someone who is truly evil,
same crime as you? If so, the but the world isn't divided into good
Criminal Lawyer most likely knows people and Vassals. For the right sum,
them. And for a price, you can know her allegiance could be bought by a
them too. less than reputable client.
143
eR
ThE ToW
Scarred, Seasoned, Tragic

At their best, the Tower is a resolute At their worst, the Tower is a constant
and steadfast friend when things are drain on their friends, always having a
going bad - they’ve seen it all. new sob story to explain why their
life is off track.

you meet the Tower on their you do something to try and fix
own terms, without judgement their life without their consent, or
or condescension. abandon them in a moment of need.
144
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Tower, they say what they’re looking for: escapism or
assistance. If you provide what they’re looking for, mark Progress on a project
involving them. If you let them down - and especially if you push for the one they
didn’t pick - they may not push it but they won’t be there for you next time you
need them.
CiTy MoVe
When you’re at your lowest point, the Tower is there to let you know you’re not alone.
Once per investigation when you max out a trouble gauge, the Tower will appear and help
with your problems - refresh one tick in the affected gauge per Tower Rank.
CaStLe MoVe
There’s power in destruction, even when it’s indiscriminate. When you accept pain in
order to achieve your goals, you can mark your Deadly Wound box to automatically
succeed at a move as if you’d rolled a 10+.
The Crow By Lisandro Johnston

An ex-soldier turned priest, The Crow realised after retiring from the army that
his true enemies were not the fellow men he'd been ordered to slaughter, but the
ones pushing him to do it in the first place. Against such monsters, unfortunately,
the strength of one man is useless. As such, he's turned to the only force greater
than the greed of man; Unity. An odd choice for a deity, yet he knows that even
the simplest of gods can instil faith in people.

• Helping Hand: In exchange for an • Nothing's Free: Indiscriminate
honest day's work, he will provide charity is looked down on by those
you with shelter, basic supplies and who control the lives of others
even rudimentary weapons, through extortion – The Crow must
depending on your needs. keep a low profile to avoid the wrath
• Forgiveness: While it is only human of Vassals and their allies.
to sin, he believes that forgiveness is • Scarcity: The more desperate people
transcendent. Do you have a this afflicted city throws his way, the
confession to make? If so, he will not harder it’ll be to lend a helping hand
judge, and he will not tell. to all of them.
• Consecration: Although he's given • One-man army: He'll stop at nothing
up combat, he'll occasionally teach to help those in need – and if they’re
those interested enough to learn. A beyond his ability to help, he’ll burn
necessary evil, he calls it. Yet one himself out or get deep into trouble
that works wonders to defend before he accepts it.
oneself against evil worse than man.
145
r
ThE StA
Talented, Generous, Mercurial

At their best, the Star is a creative At their worst, the Star is naive and
genius, their raw potential shining amateurish, and unwilling to accept
through their ever-improving art and other's advice or instruction.
bringing hope and life to those
around them.

you bring a change of you see someone in crisis and
perspective to someone's life hoard resources you could have
and help them find a new way to used to help them out of it.
be happy.
146
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Star, they'll say what they're in the process of creating. It
might be a new project, or the next stage of a familiar one. At some point in the
scene they'll ask you what you think; describe your honest feelings about it and your
place in the world to mark world or void as appropriate.
CiTy MoVe
The Star lets you find unexpected paths when you think you're lost. If you find yourself
unsure where to go or can't see a way out, call on the Star. The Architect will give you a
definite way forward or way out, and you get fleeting advantage acting on it. Using
this reduces your Star Rank by 1.
CaStLe MoVe
The Star awakens inner potential. Once per delve when you spend some moments
meditating on who you want to be, pick a Shadow Move from a playbook no-one else is
using. You can use that move Star Rank times, and then you lose it.
The Gamemaker By Declan Winterton

The gamemaker is a bright and brilliant soul who weaves weird worlds and
strange stories for the delight of others. Around her table friends and strangers
try on new skins and different minds. She loves the way her game can change
people’s perspectives or inspire imaginations, but can risk losing herself in the
joy of creation and the worry of perfection.
HOW THEY CAN HELP: THE CASTLE’S THREATS:

• Insight to your ills: The character you • Perfectionism: The Gamemaker loves
bring to the gamemaker’s session is a her story and so do her players. It just
reflection of one of your current needs something more and it would
worries or problems. In playing the be perfect. She’ll spend more than she
session you gain a measure of insight has in time, money and promises to
on how to work towards solving or make it as good as she dreams it can
dealing with that. be. And it still won’t be enough.
• Bardic Inspiration: The • I Am Your God: She admits she can be
Gamemaker’s stories fill you with a little uptight about the rules, but
hope and daring as she inspires you sometimes it goes from bad to worse.
to dive forward into a new plan or Sometimes her pride won’t let her
project with new vigour. back down and she’ll lose friends,
• Cosplay Night: When you’ve been family, everyone to that burning
through hell the Gamemaker can desire to be right.
help you relax and refresh, enjoy • Legend-Maker: At her core the
playing a game with your friends Gamemaker is a performer and fame
and coming back to the world and glory call her. She’ll happily take a
renewed. promise of spreading her stories and
inspiration to millions without
checking whose hand she’s shaking.
147
n
ThE MoO
Primal, Nightmarish, Liminal

At their best, the Moon brings At their worst, the Moon offers only
subconscious insights to the fore and illusions and doubts, trapping you in
puts you in touch with something your own anxieties.
larger than yourself - primal, vast and
mysterious.

you trust in your instincts in you wallow in the Moon's illusions
the face of danger and your and weirdness, to the point it
common sense. harms your mental health.
148
HaNgOuT
When you hang out with the Moon, anything can happen. It might be a hallucination, a
vision, or the world's wonders becoming visible. Either way, stick with the Moon
and you'll see things you never saw before.
CiTy MoVe
When you consult your dreams for guidance, toss a coin. On heads, the Moon is present in
your dreams, and will show you something important. Gain fleeting advantage acting
on their message. On tails, the dreams are nightmares. Pick one: gain fleeting
disadvantage the next day, or realise something uncomfortable about yourself.
CaStLe MoVe
When you push your body beyond humanity, describe how it twists and changes. Gain 1
hold for each Moon Rank, and spend it to:
• Gain 1 Armour against a single hit.
• Go somewhere it'd be impossible for you to go normally.
• Turn your limbs into mercurial weapons (tether, flexible, close).
The Nighttime Wanderer By Tetra Saturn

Passing over the night soaked streets, bathed in electronic light, the Nighttime
Wanderer knows this city in and out. And still they find ways to get lost in it. They
disappear into a cold, sleepy job during the day, collapse as soon they get home, and
then brighten up at duskfall. That's when everything comes alive for them.

• Escape: They know that things can • Adrift: The Nighttime Wanderer
get tough or brutal. When you need likes to wander. And at some point,
to get away, for a breather, a chat, or they may decide to wander
a shared silence, the Nighttime somewhere else. To a new map of
Wanderer will always know a route routes, hideaways, and stories for
out. And have just the place to them to learn.
introduce you to. • Lost: The Nighttime Wanderer likes
• Every nook and cranny: The places uncanny or out of the
Nighttime Wanderer knows this ordinary. The castle is one such space
city better than the back of their in heaps and spades, and they may
hand. If there's something you want wander off into its corridors.
to know about it, all you need to do • Terrified: At some point, The
is ask. At the very least, they'll know Nighttime Wanderer might find
where to look. somewhere to belong. And that will
• Pulse: The Nighttime Wanderer be new and precious to them. The
keeps track of what's afoot. And risk of losing their newfound home,
always has plenty of personal or bringing trouble to it through
anecdotes and insights of the city associating with you, may spook
that they'll gladly share. They aren't them into ghosting you.
just an observer, and get involved in
all sorts of happenings.
149
ThE SuN
Direct, Insightful, Positive

At their best, the Sun brings clarity At their worst, the Sun is idealistic
and optimism to your life and clears and uncompromising, showing an
out your doubts and uncertainties. almost childlike stubbornness to
deviate from their ideals.

you join the Sun in you compromise your ideals in
enthusiastically celebrating service to the 'greater good'.
their ideals through art, protest,
celebration or labour.
150
HaNgOuT
When you spend time with the Sun, at any point in the conversation you can ask them
one of these questions. The Sun will do their best to answer, and their answer will be
more right than wrong.
• Who's really behind ____ ?
• What's the connection between ____ and _____ ?
• Who's keeping ____ a mystery?
If the Sun is another Rebel, they can consult with the Architect before answering.
CiTy MoVe
When you speak truly and honestly to someone when you Make A Stand, all present know
that you speak the truth.
CaStLe MoVe
When you bring out the light within, roll +Sun Rank. On a hit, you illuminate the area
with warm yellow light. On a 7-9 pick one, on a 10+ pick two:
• You burn away illusions and shadow.
• The light illuminates something useful to you.
• Hostile creatures may only see you.
• You can wield the light as a weapon (long-range, stun, grazing).
The Lark By Lisandro Johnston

As a travelling performer, Lark has always loved tales of the absurd and fantastic.
However, one day she learned that, as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.
After that, she began collecting stories from a different source; normal people.
Their struggles, failures and triumphs. Their secrets. After all, what could be
more entertaining than naked, unvarnished reality? And, as long as you don't ask
too many questions, she'd be happy to share one of these stories with you. All she
asks in return is one of your own.

• Intel: All stories contain nuggets • Wanted: No one likes their dirty
of truth – Lark's are simply laundry aired out in the open, much
thicker and juicier than most. less the castle's Vassals. Lark claims her
Interested in a specific one? Then stories to be fictional, yet her clients
you better have sharp ears, and an aren't the only ones who can read
even sharper mind. between the lines.
• Are you not entertained? From • Vagrant: The more clients she attracts,
costumes to special effects, Lark the more often she has to move in fear of
spares no expense to make a attracting too much attention. As such,
spectacle of her stories, the kind she is not the easiest woman to find.
which is hard to come by these days. • Overzealous: Lark always puts her
• Perfect Audience: Need a shoulder storytelling before her own safety. In
to cry on? Is there a secret you her eagerness to entertain and be
desperately need to get out of your entertained, she might unknowingly
chest? Lark is all ears, as long as walk herself –and all of her well-
you make it entertaining. earned secrets– into a trap.
151
EnT
JuDgEm
Alien, Enlightened, Potent

At their best, Judgement calls on you At their worst, Judgement is disdainful
to move beyond the mundane and of the day-to-day lives of regular people,
seek a higher power. seeing them only as raw materials to
be refined by their fire.

you cast aside a large part of you put off making a choice until it's
your life to become something too late, or return to a situation or
greater. relationship that was harmful to you.
152
HaNgOuT
When you meet with Judgement, it'll be in a liminal space only lightly touching the
mundane world. If you ask them to, they can perform a ritual to swap out any one of
your Advances for another.
CiTy MoVe
Judgement lets you peer into the disposition of souls. When you suspect that someone
within eyesight is empowered by the castle, you can ask the Architect and they’ll answer
truthfully. If they are, you may spend a Judgement Rank to isolate your target from
the castle's influence and power for a day.
CaStLe MoVe
Judgement encourages you to take the long view and see the greater good. When you
intentionally Betray the Covenant in order to teach another rebel a hard lesson, they can
rank up their Crew Covenant – if they accept the lesson.
The Fallen By Trevor Cashmore

The Fallen was left devastated by a Vassal of the castle, and are now trapped in
limbo – a hospital bed. Their loss made them feeble, yet gave them new
understanding and power. They are not ashamed of having been a victim of the
castle, for they were not defeated – they were reforged. What are they now?
Wounded? Inhuman? A ghost? They refuse to answer – and perhaps don’t know
themselves. The Castle’s Threats:

• Cold case: The castle is eager to finish
How they can help: the job. By erasing evidence,
• Judged According to their Deeds: intimidating or killing witnesses, or
From much experience, the Fallen even going after the Fallen themselves,
knows Vassals and their dark they gradually erode the Fallen’s belief
deeds well, and can provide clues in second chances and karma.
towards their motivations, • Revenant: Their fall ignited in the
strengths and weaknesses, and Fallen a burning conviction to bring
identities. down Vassals. This desire is something
• Katabasis: The Fallen provides, to the castle can twist and goad into all-
the worthy, access to the dark consuming vengeance, which would
delights and resources of the devour all their supporters as fuel for
city’s underworld. Criminal? the hunt.
Literal? That’s for you to earn the • Wraith: The Fallen will forever mourn
right to discover... what the Vassal took from them. The
• Fruit of the Poisonous Tree: more the castle taunts them with their
What the Fallen lost, they gained past, the more they become obsessed
in esoteric knowledge and power. with reclaiming what they lost, and in
They can provide insights into the doing so, fail to realize that this
castle, or power of Shadow, but impossible quest will only doom them
always with a cursed price. to lose all that they gained instead.
153
ThE ArChItEcT
YoUr AgEnDa
You have three guiding rules as you run this game:
Make the city feel real

You make the city feel real by using your narration to highlight
the quirks and routines of the city's inhabitants, by grounding the
characters in their day-to-day life, by taking the troubles assailing
the rebels and their friends as seriously as they deserve. You do it
by treating the city as a place that could exist, and staying true to
the city that your group has built up in their minds.
Make their revolution feel necessary - and possible

Voidheart is a game about revolution. That's why it's important to make
their revolution feel necessary -and possible. The first part means that
the castle's Vassals shouldn't be a mere annoyance, a thing you go and
fight because you're bored and it sounds like fun. They should represent
an existential threat to the rebel's way of life and to the society they'd
want to live in. But they can be fought. Make the revolution possible by
showing the weaknesses and corners cut in the Vassal's operations, by
showing how a group of psychonautic revolutionaries can worm
beneath their defences and tear their plans apart.
Play to find out what happens.

Finally, this is a game that thrives on the story being wild, untamed,
able to push in any direction that takes its fancy. You play to find
out what happens by rejecting any notion of a pre-planned plot,
and giving your shared conversation and the game's moves the
authority to decide where your game ends up.
156 ThE ArChItEcT

WhAt tO SaY
Always say...
• What the principles demand.

• What your prep demands.
• What the rules demand.
• What honesty demands.
A key part of running a game well is being fair. You should never
attempt to negate a player’s unexpected victory by inventing new
threats or rewriting old ones, but neither should you change
things about to make things easy for them. The characters should
live interesting lives, but not effortless ones.
Between sessions you might decide things about a Vassal’s

strengths, the incoming dangers the rebels will have to face, and
the concerns their Covenants are going to bring to them. If you’ve
set up a conflict based on this prep, don’t pull your punches and
reverse it half way through – or add extra challenge to undercut
the player’s unexpected victory.
Also remember that your prep isn’t everything; players will always
come up with left-field solutions to the problems they face, and it’s
important to keep an open mind. When they try something
unexpected, consider the situation in the fiction, the rules, and the
Principles, and say what makes sense to you.
ThE ArChItEcT 157

PrInCiPlEs
Your Principles are how you pursue your Agenda. They’re
guidelines to keep in the back of your head as you play.
Build tension in the city; Bring catharsis in the Castle.

These two principles are the heart of Voidheart's flow. For all their
passion and righteousness, the rebels are weak and vulnerable in the
real world. Their investigation into the Vassal is a game of cat and
mouse, where they race to get the information they need without
putting their health, status, friends and living situation at risk.
Make sure to use mundane world scenes to raise the tension of

your story. The Vassal's plans are coming to fruition with every
day that passes. The rebel's investigation is pushing them to blow
off obligations and let their friends and loved ones down. And as
their desperation pushes them to more and move overt action, the
risks become more severe and more direct.
But this isn't a game about disempowerment. In the castle, your

rebels are a true wild card, calling on powers their enemies could
never dream of. In the castle, it's your job to make the characters
feel like badasses, like action movie heroes who can face down a
legion of demons with a wink and a grin.
This doesn't mean that you should make their battles effortless.
Your players need to feel the danger, so that they draw satisfaction
from overcoming it. Make combat a dance of threat and response,
attack and counterattack. Escalate the audacity of the adversary's
attacks, and encourage the players to match and exceed them.
As a final note – a rebel growing into their Castle Form is a key

moment of catharsis. It's their moment of expressing an identity
for themself that's truly self-defined, a rejection of society's
assumptions and a search for a better self. It's a combination of
coming out the closet and a superhero revealing their costume. As
a rebel's power rises, their look becomes more and more elaborate
as they get a stronger sense of their identity, but it's not fixed -
options can be lost, and then regained, refined or replaced.
158 ThE ArChItEcT

Begin and end with the fiction.
Remember that moves and their effects exist only within the
fiction unfolding at the table. When your players make a move, its
trigger should colour its results, and its results should be
concretely contextualised in the fiction.
Be a fan of the characters.

Like an audience member, you’re here to celebrate their victories
and mourn for their losses. Put them into interesting situations,
but never force them in a particular direction.
Show the cost of using power to cut corners.

Voidheart Symphony’s view of power is that it’s a shortcut - a way
for those who have power to skip over the checks and obstacles the
less-privileged must deal with. But there’s a cost, and power just
means someone else is paying it. For every Elon Musk getting high
on their own ego, there’s thousands of technicians, engineers,
janitors, miners and more, labouring in service of their boss’
dream. Show the cost the Vassal is happy to pay – but also show
the consequences if the rebel use their void-given abilities to
ignore the problems in their own lives.
All Cops Are Bastards

This is not a world where the authorities are there to help you.
Their overriding agenda will always be to protect the status quo,
and the interests of the powerful – and police in particular have
long history as a weapon used against non-white and queer
communities, and leftist organising. Yes, well-meaning and good
people may exist in those structures, but the good they do will
always be channeled towards the castle’s goals – that, or lead to
them being isolated, punished and demonised by their colleagues.
Show the Castle and the city in every Vassal.

Each Vassal, no matter how twisted by the castle’s influence,
started out as a mundane person. There was a life they could’ve
lead that didn’t bring them to this point, intentional choices to
ignore the needs of others and put themselves first despite the
harm caused. But, and this is important, they’re not monsters.
ThE ArChItEcT 159

Give the Castle’s victims passions and drives.
Just as Vassals are more complex than cackling villains, their
victims are more than distressed damsels passively waiting for the
player’s aid. Show the wonderful things they could be doing if they
didn’t have to deal with the Vassal’s bullshit; their hobbies and
passions, the ways they’ve found to relax and forget the pressures
of the city, and the people and pets they care for.
Covenants must be cultivated with care.

Covenants aren’t just sources of strength and power for the rebels
- they’re the important people in the rebel’s lives, and your job is
to make sure that the players form a strong emotional connection
with them. It’s fine for characters to treat their covenants
carelessly and exploit their affections, but it’s your job to make
sure that has consequences in the narrative - by triggering Risk the
Covenant, if nothing else.
Be flexible with your responsibilities.

Sometimes it’s more interesting to put decision-making power in
someone else’s hands. This can be one of the players, giving them
the choice of how a situation resolves, or letting them say what’s
happening when the spotlight moves to them. It can even be one
of your characters, letting you make the choice that makes sense
according to the characters and world as established.
Make your reactions look natural.

When you use a reaction, consider the current story and what
you’d like to see the players deal with. Don’t give away any kind of
meta-textual concern, though: channel your reactions through
established parts of the fiction and maintain the illusion that
they’re a natural consequence of a living, breathing world.
160 ThE ArChItEcT

Ask questions and use the answers.
Use questions to focus the group’s imagination on specific elements
of the world. When you want to highlight someone’s day to day life,
their motivations, or their history, just ask them. Answers build ties
to the world, and give you foundations to build your own ideas on.
Try to avoid completely open questions, though: giving a player the
authority to declare too much in one sweep might make them feel
crushed by the responsibility, or force you to step on their toes if
something they suggest is harmful to the tone you all want from the
game.
Think off-screen too.

Sometimes it’s better not to show the players the immediate
consequences. Make a note and bring them to light later. Make
sure their source is clear when they’re revealed, so that it’s clear
you’re not just inventing extra adversity as a power trip. And be
careful with consequences that don’t have a clear tie to the rebel’s
actions - used too much, it can rob players of a sense of
connection to their character’s successes and failures.
ThE ArChItEcT 161

rEaCtIoNs
As the Architect you’re here to manage the pacing of the game,
push the players into interesting decisions, and portray the world
and its inhabits. As such you don’t make proactive moves so much
as reactions. You make reactions in four situations:
• When a player rolls a 6- on a move.

• When everyone’s looking to you to find out what happens next.
• When the Vassal's clock ticks.
• When the players offer you up a golden opportunity.
To explain that fourth point, it’s when the fiction so far has
established that an action will have a specific and direct
consequence. If it’s been previously established that stepping on a
pressure plate will trigger a trap, and a player describes their
character stepping on the plate, that’s a golden opportunity. The
difference between this and the first two categories is that the
Architect can actively interrupt a player’s narration to give an
immediate reaction. The Architect should only do this when the
trigger has been firmly established in the fiction.
The strength of a reaction

When you make a reaction, it can be hard or soft.
A soft reaction is one that leaves room for the players to react - for
example, describing a treasure chest the characters spot on the
other side of a gate (Offer an opportunity), or that a werewolf
bares her fangs and charges the Icon (Put someone in a spot).
Once you’ve described the reaction, you ask the players what they
do and work through the actions they describe.
A hard reaction is one that cuts straight to the consequences.

They tread on a weak floor section and fall into the cavern below
(Separate them), or they get home and find that their brother
found their hidden savings and spent them all (Mark a trouble
gauge). Often enough, a threat introduced by a soft reaction can
lead to hard reactions down the line if the players overlook it or
decide to focus their efforts on other dangers.
162 ThE ArChItEcT

Your Reaction List
Use a reaction from a minion or foe. If you’ve prepared an
antagonist, you’ll likely have an idea of how they involve
themselves in the narrative. Prepared reactions that do different
things than the standard set are a great way of showing what
makes an antagonist special.
Reveal an unwelcome truth. Something about the situation is

more dangerous than the players thought, or one of their
strengths is revealed to be less potent (or reliable) than they were
expecting. Use this to add tension to the scene, but not necessarily
in a way that demands immediate action.
Forecast doom. Show that misfortune is waiting on the horizon, if

the players don’t stop it. This works best when the players have a
good idea what actions will stop it, and what’ll happen if they don’t.
Deal wounds as established. In the castle, tell them to mark a

wound appropriate to the danger (see p. 42). In the city, wounds
will have effects in the fiction, but will mainly be represented by
the next reaction.
Mark a trouble gauge. This is a nice, reliable reaction to take if a

rebel’s actions in the mundane world will make life harder for
them but don’t demand a specific, immediate response.
Mark the Vassal’s clock. Use this sparingly, to represent the

progress of the Vassal’s plan and their reprisals against the rebels.
Remember that if their clock is in the Alert or Hunting state, this
will also lead to all rebels marking gauges.
Take away their stuff. This works in the castle and in the city. In the
castle, loss of a signature weapon or piece of gear can dramatically
raise the stakes - and a rebel’s sight or hearing or mobility can also
be taken away from them, at least temporarily. In the city, well, it
should be clear how much trouble the loss of a car or a house or
your one good suit can cause to a rebel.
ThE ArChItEcT 163

Turn their move back on them. Whatever they were trying to do,
they end up on the other side of. If they were Passing Beneath
Notice, someone gets the drop on them. If they were trying to
Confront an enforcer, they end up pressed into a corner.
Separate them. By splitting up the rebels, you deprive them of

their ability to rely on each other’s strengths - and raise the
tension as the rebels struggle to reunite with each other.
Put someone in a spot: force someone into a situation where they

must make a decision. You can describe the situation and give
them their options, or you can show that their current situation is
untenable and let the player decide what decision they make. Use
this to bring the scene’s tension to boiling point.
Highlight a weakness of their gear. Each weapon in the rebel’s hands

has at least one flaw tag - bring its downside (e.g. breaking a
Fragile weapon) or reshape the battlefield so that they find it
harder to bring it to bear (get distance from a rebel with a Close
weapon). Out in the city, your possessions often have clear
downsides. The uniform that helps you blend in at work can mark
you as an outsider at a high-class party. Fancy gear to explore the
tunnels under the city is expensive and might mark you out for
thefts. And think how many of the strange things in the rebel’s
pockets could raise an eyebrow if the police had cause to
investigate them.
Spotlight their strengths. Remember, you’re here to be a fan of the

player characters. Place a rebel in a situation you know they’ll be
good at - a bow-using Watcher spots gun-toting minions getting
into position on the far side of the arena, or a kindly Provider
notices the despair filling a bartender’s eyes when they think no-
one’s watching.
Tell them the consequences and ask. If the thing a character’s

doing may cost them, you can say what the consequences will be
and ask if they still want to go through with it. This way you can
complicate their life while giving them the power to choose how
much they suffer.
164 ThE ArChItEcT

Offer an opportunity, with or without cost. Show them
something they want, and say what they need to do to get it.
Sometimes you’ll want to put a huge cost on this to force a
dilemma on the player; other times you’ll make it easy because it’s
more interesting to see what the player does with it.
Strike at their allies. As their revolution grows, the rebels will

gather a horde of helpers around them - and the castle is happy to
tear away this support network. The contacts listed alongside the
major arcana on pages 112-153 each give examples of how the castle
can attack, co-opt, or stymie the rebel’s contacts. But be careful
not to tear away beloved contacts without fair warning - players
can surprise you with the depth of emotional attachment they
form with NPCs.
Force them to take on a recovery project. If something’s going to

cause long-term problems unless the rebel fixes it, tell them to
write it down as a recovery project. This works particularly well if
the rebels aren’t feeling much need for haste – give them
something to split their attention, and ramp up the pressure.
After every reaction: "what do you do?" Make it clear after every
reaction that the ball is now in the rebel’s court. Answer any
questions they have, but it’s their turn now to act.
ThE ArChItEcT 165

DaRk FeUdAlIsM
Thecastle is a paradox. It promises its Vassals the power to break free of
society’s rules, but that power is contingent on accepting the castle’s
shackles. If you make it your god and king, you can rule over all these
mere humans. But – and of course, there’s always a but – the castle has
many servants, and you’re likely not going to be the person on top.
There’ll be more Vassals more powerful, more established than

you, and if you want more of that power you’ll need to find ways to
suck up to them, undermine them, or outplay them. You’ve been
‘liberated’ from the strictures of regular society, but locked into a
far more hostile, corrosive and controlling society in return.
How does this work in practice? Essentially, your Vassals won’t exist
in a vaccum. There’ll be a whole hierarchy of Vassals, and while you
don’t need to have it fully mapped out as an organizational chart it’s
helpful to have a good idea of what the castle looks like in your city.
That way, you’ll be better able to present a coherent depiction of
toxic power structures and hegemony in your city, and improvise
new Vassals as the game goes on.
To build your hierarchy, there’s a few basic patterns you can pick.
Each gives an idea what Vassals at different tiers are pursuing,
intentionally or unintentionally. Pick one that makes sense for you,
mix and match, or build your own!
Example Patterns of Hegemony

Conspiracy
A conspiracy is a simple form of this structure. The hierarchy is
working towards an overall goal to reshape society, and each
Vassal is working towards that to a greater or lesser degree. They
form pyramids - a lot of tier 1 Vassals, less tier 2, only a few tier 3s.
• What is the conspiracy’s end goal?

• How do its members show their membership to each other?
• Which mundane organisations have the conspiracy claimed?
Tier 1 Vassals are foot-soldiers and grunts. They go after groups

making trouble for their higher-ups and secure resources for the
grander plan.
166 ThE ArChItEcT

Tier 2 Vassals are managers and implementers. They’re there to
organise the resources of the conspiracy, and put the grand vision
into practice.
Tier 3 Vassals are visionaries and generals. They have an idea of

how they want society to be, and an iron grip on the rest of the
conspiracy.
Tendencies
Completely on the other side of things, it’s possible for your
hierarchy to have no explicit goal. The castle’s influence is corrosive
to any notion of justice and equality; its Vassals don’t need any kind
of grand evil plan to make your city worse. Your hierarchy can be
looser, too, according to what works for your story.
• Which marginalised group does the castle target?

• What in-group does the castle raise above others?
• How does the castle spread its message to the broader population?
The goal of tier 1 Vassals is to nudge people back to the orthodoxy

the castle desires. They might be managers who call you in to ask
you to stop rocking the boat, parents concerned that their kids will
have a bad life if they don’t rein in these childish fantasies, or
bullies attacking those who step outside the norm. Whether they
believe their actions are motivated by concern or they revel in
making other’s lives difficult, they’ll mainly pick targets they
encounter in their day-to-day life instead of seeking them out.
Tier 2 Vassals play a more active role in enforcing social

hegemony. They’re the vloggers who tear apart harmless posts as
‘cringe’, radio DJs filling airwaves with soft, banal bigotry, thugs
who walk the streets on a Saturday night looking for misfits who
they can bully and attack. Their public enforcement of society’s
rules sets the tone for what tier 1 Vassals do in private, but they
take their lead from the highest tier.
Tier 3 Vassals make the rules. They’re the media moguls pushing a
narrative across dozens of outlets, the landowners who reap the
rewards of gentrification, the mayors pushing policies that hurt
ThE ArChItEcT 167

167
marginalised communities so that they look tough and can win
re-election. They decry the rhetoric spewed in Tier 2 and the
actions taken by Tier 1 (when they become newsworthy), even as
they profit from the consequences.
Factions
Vassals don’t always serve a united front. It’s perfectly possible for
your castle to empower warring factions of Vassals, each pushing
their own agenda for the city. This model is particularly reactive to
the player’s actions - as they take out Vassals in a faction, and
maybe even steal their place in the hierarchy, that faction’s
fortunes will wane and the other factions might take action
against them.
• How many different factions are there?

• What sets them against each other? Different goals for the city, different
beliefs about the castle, sectarian disputes?
• What signs mark the city when each faction is ascendant?
The structure of the hierarchy in a faction game is very similar to

that of a conspiracy - the main difference being that it’s divided
into at least 2, and probably no more than 4 factions. Decide how
players can tell a given Vassal’s allegiance - aesthetics shared
between castle shards, spheres of society that their plans tend to
focus on, cultural groups the Vassal originates from?
This style of campaign is one that gets the most benefit from
having a sketched-out map of the Vassals, so that you can work
out how the balance of power will shift when the players strike
their targets down. Vassal’s plans will also likely target those in
other factions (while creating plenty of misery in the wider world)
- bear that in mind too if you trigger Darkness Falls.
Finally - decide what the castle’s getting out of all this. Is there a
secret faction of puppetmasters who have engineered the chaos?
Is it a trial by fire, with the winning faction creating an
unassailable organisation? Or is the castle itself fracturing?
168 ThE ArChItEcT

ThE ArChItEcT 169
MaKiNg YoUr VaSsAl
Tier
The first thing to decide with a Vassal is their Tier - how powerful
they are in the castle’s feudal system.
Tier 1 Vassals (knights) are entry-level monsters, barely touched by

the castle’s power. Its halls haunt their dreams, urging them towards
greater monstrosity. They might be tyrannical managers, mentors
who steal their student’s works, or extortionist gang leaders.
• Knight’s castle shards are simple things with one enforcer.

• Knights are unaware of the castle, and their only city-side boon
is that their underlings will not flip on them without
exceptional effort from the players.
Tier 2 Vassals (nobles) have learned that they will be richly

rewarded for inflicting pain and misery. The nightmare
architecture of the castle spreads into their waking mind, showing
the world through the lens of master and serf. They might be local
politicians, police chiefs, or established mobsters.
• Nobles’ castle shards with two wards, each with its own
enforcer.
• Nobles know there’s a dark power behind their success, and
have embraced it. Their underlings fear them, and one or two
have inhuman abilities - supernatural strength, agility,
resilience or perception - along with some hard-to-conceal sign
of their augmentation.
Tier 3 Vassals (monarchs) tread the halls of society’s elite,

wielding the castle’s power as a weapon to maintain their position
and accumulate ever-more wealth and prestige. They’re likely to
be CEOs, top-level government officials, generals and media
celebrities.
• Monarchs have a castle shard with three wards, each with its
own enforcer.
• Monarchs are fully aware of the castle, and has embraced the
power it gives them to reshape society. Along with a whole
squad of empowered minions (see nobles), the Monarch can call
on their Avatar’s qualities similarly to a rebel using Vent -
though it removes a tick from their clock if they do so.
170 ThE ArChItEcT

Motivations
What's their Drive? Each Vassal has an intense desire burning in
their heart. As the castle whispers poison into their minds, even the
noblest goals are soon twisted into a blight on the world. Here's
some ideas:
• Dominion: The Vassal seeks power, authority and acclaim.

Impulse: Offer rewards for service.
• Excellence: The Vassal wants to be the best - the best soprano,
the best duellist, the best painter in the world. Impulse: seize a
chance to demonstrate their skill.
• Insight: The Vassal wants to know why something happened, or
who was truly behind a crime, or how the world really works.
• Impulse: Relentlessly pursue hints to their goal.
• Avarice: Is it the most luxurious food, silks and wines the
Vassal desires? Or is there a particular work of art, luxury, or
even person that they seek to own? Impulse: Covet the most
precious possessions of others.
It’s by showing the Vassal that the castle can’t give them what they
truly want that the rebels can make their Avatar vulnerable - see
Lift the Mask, p. 28.
What's their plan? Each Vassal has a reason they took the castle's
aid, and a plot they're working towards. Take a look at the options
in Darkness Falls and pick out which one you're working towards
for now, though be willing to switch things round depending on
how the Vassal's interactions with the rebels go.
Qualities
While the Vassal’s connection to the castle is solid, the Avatar is
invulnerable. In this state, its Qualities can’t be removed by Strike
or any other moves; rebels have little choice but to try and escape
from the fight.
The Vassal’s Avatar has a base of three qualities. They’re granted

extra qualities by their Enforcers - see p. 195. The Avatar is the
climax of this investigation, so don't be afraid to make their
qualities explosive, dramatic and awe-inspiring.
ThE ArChItEcT 171

ExAmPlE VaSsAlS
The Arms Dealer
By Evan Saft
A flash of a smile, a firm handshake, and a sizable campaign

contribution: all weapons in the arsenal of the Arms Dealer. Weapons
are his bread and butter; if it shoots, cocks, or reloads, the Dealer
knows it intimately and wants you to have it. Of course, he would
never deign to sell a gun himself. He deals in much deadlier
merchandise: policy.
After all, what is a firearm if you’re not allowed to sell it? Somebody
has to make sure that the government doesn’t get any wrong ideas
about gun control and that profits keep rolling in. That somebody is
the Arms Dealer. Besides, you know what they say: guns don’t kill
people...
Drive: Comfort. The status quo fits the Dealer just fine. He’s got a
comfy gig, and anyone that tries to upset that is sure to provoke his
ire.
Plan: Unfortunately for the Dealer, the latest sway of public

opinion has managed to attain some staying power, and there’s
now a bill in motion that will completely ban guns in the city and
the surrounding areas. If that passes, the nation is sure to follow,
but, if it fails, it’ll be years before anyone manages to drum up
support like this again, and the Dealer will get to kick his feet up...
Tier 3: The Dealer’s right-hand man carries soldiers from the Dealer’s
shard within him; with a handshake they will invade a victim’s mind
to seek and destroy their conscience. His hand itself bears a hole
resembling a gunshot wound, and the skin around it is charred and
burnt.
Reveal:
• In an out of character move, one of the players’ contacts
appears on the news to speak out against gun control.
• The dreams of one of the rebels (or one of their contacts) are
plagued with visions of goose-stepping soldiers.
172 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
The Arms Dealer’s shard is a war-torn city, under occupation by a
ruthless army. Explosions and ash mark the skyline as gangs of
soldiers rove through ruined streets, seeking out signs of
resistance. His minions are infantry- their arms replaced by rifles-
, back alley merchants who trade in blood, and fires that move
unnaturally towards signs of life. Treasures are luxury items to be
enjoyed or used for bribery, like fine cigars and expensive scotch,
and decadently framed photos of the Dealer with his targets:
animals to be hunted, or politicians to be swayed.
Qualities
Misinformation Campaign: The streets of the city are lined with
loudspeakers broadcasting endless eldritch propaganda in the
Dealer’s voice.
• Distort a rebel’s senses
• Pierce a rebel’s eardrums with feedback (Minor Wound)
• Speak falsehoods that become true
• Break: The propaganda gives way to an endless shriek, and
incites a crowd to violence against the rebels
Man-At-Arms: Wherever the Arms Dealer reaches, he finds a new

firearm to wield.
• Shoot with deadly accuracy (Major Wound)
• Engulf the area in suppressing fire
• Cause a civilian casualty
• Break: The Dealer’s guns fly from his hands and begin to act of
their own volition, shooting indiscriminately at anyone who
comes into their line of fire.
Blood Money: The Arms Dealer bears the same hand wound as his
henchman; from it, and all other wounds, money spews forth
rather than blood.
• Trap a rebel under the weight of a fortune
• Unleash a deluge of cash
• Erode surroundings with a torrential windfall
• Break: The Dealer’s wounds pack and scab with wealth,
forming into affluent armour.
ThE ArChItEcT 173

ThE ClEaNeR
By Minerva McJanda
When a corporate executive crashes a car and kills their PA,

someone needs to convince investigators to avoid asking certain
questions. When an employee is threatening to blow the whistle,
someone needs to convince them to sign an NDA. When a
company wants to look respectable before they float their shares,
someone needs to clear out their dirty laundry.
That’s where the Cleaner comes in. Coming in from private

security, she’s become adept and turning the vices of her
employers into business opportunities. She’s built a network of
agents across the corporate landscape combining investigation
and suppression - seeking out skeletons in their closet, offering to
make it go away, and then erasing every shred of evidence except
for the scraps she keeps as trophies - and insurance.
Drive: Dominion. She seeks power and acclaim, and relishes the
feeling of knowing the dirty secrets of the city’s movers and shakers.
Plan: Now she’s trying to turn legit - or at least, use her troves of
blackmail to buy support for her ascension. To ensure nobody can
turn against her, she’s got one final cleanup job - erasing the
agents that know her dirty secrets.
Tier 2: The Cleaner is a Noble of the castle, meaning that she’s

somewhat aware that her success has been partly due to the castle’s
grace. Two of her agents have been blessed with a touch that
erases information from documents and devices, and they can
temporarily remove identifying features from a victim. They’re
marked by a greyish pallor to their skin - their blood, if spilt, will
resemble printer ink.
Reveal:
• One of the players (or one of their contacts) is targeted by one of
the Cleaner’s agents for silencing.
• One of the agents turns up dead at one of the rebel’s workplace,
and they (or one of their contacts) is framed for the death.
174 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
The Cleaner’s shard evokes the utilitarian back corridors of a
colossal office building. In these spotless halls, incriminating files
are locked in walls of cabinets, the floors are carpeted in shredded
documents, and pools of indelible ink seep under doors. Her
minions are headless clerks with void-black skin, tendrils of
night, and armoured riot cop enforcers. Treasures are things that
remind her of her triumphs (diplomas and medals), prized
trophies of certain coverups, and things that remind her of her
human side - her housecat, pictures of family, etc.
Qualities
Redacting Sight: The gaze of the Cleaner’s avatar strips away
everything inconvenient to them.
• Destroy a piece of gear.
• Erase terrain features and obstacles.
• Weaken a rebel’s sense of self (Minor Wound).
• Break: Plunge the arena into darkness.
Lakes of Ink: The arena is filled with pools of roiling, corrosive,

indelible ink.
• Blind a rebel.
• Fountain up obscuring clouds of ink.
• Surge up and grip at rebel’s ankles.
• Break: Recede to reveal gaping chasms separating parts of the
area.
Stun Baton: The Cleaner twirls a staff crackling with electricity,

also wielded by her agents.
• Smash a limb (Major Wound)
• Paralyse a limb.
• Catch and redirect a missed attack.
• Break: The electric aura grounds through the Cleaner, creating
a crackling aura that threatens danger to any who get near.
ThE ArChItEcT 175

The Child-Catcher
By Misha Handman
The Child-Catcher works for the region’s Child Protection Services,

directing investigations away from powerful abusers in exchange for
favours, and stealing the children of those who are suffering. When a
case worker raises concerns about a family, she determines whether
they could be useful to her, and then takes action appropriately.
The Child-Catcher particularly delights in targeting struggling

parents, especially those trapped by the legal system on drug
charges. She removes their children and sends them to be adopted
by wealthy families, and then ‘loses’ the paperwork so that their
parents will never find them.
Drive: Dominion. The Child-Catcher exults in having power over

others, whether they are the families that she destroys or those
that she created.
Plan: The Child-Catcher wishes to ensnare new Vassals, who will

owe her dearly. She is tempting wealthy families into knowingly
stealing children, whose desperate parents are then lured into
self-destructive acts of vengeance. She will finally offer the castle’s
power to the wealthy for protection and as blackmail.
Tier 2: The Child-Catcher is roughly aware of the castle’s power,

and she wishes to know more. She has been gifted with two pairs
of glasses that cause those who wear them to see the world as she
does, and has turned two of her most compassionate service
agents into loyal agents. When one of them is fired or arrested,
she recovers the glasses and ensnares someone new.
Reveal:
• A child or sibling of a player or one of their contacts is targeted
for removal.
• The rebels recognise a neighbourhood child standing glassy-
eyed next to her new ‘parents’.
176 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
At first glance, the Child-Catcher’s Shard appears to be a
monument to precision; carefully-arranged furniture, shelves
lining corridor walls filled with perfectly-aligned trinkets, and
playrooms with every toy in its proper place. Disturbing the
pristine surroundings shows glimpses of fat crimson worms,
leering faces, and blood dripping down the walls.
The Child-Catcher’s minions are the things in the walls and

beneath the floors – tendrils of blood, whispering husks shaped
like children, and twitching maggots. Her Treasures are proof of
her dominion – gifts from parents saved from revelation, arrest
reports and obituaries of shattered lives, and children’s pictures
on every wall.
Qualities
Crimson Threads: The threads that dance from the Child-
Catcher’s hands reshape the world around her.
• Create obstacles in enemies’ paths.
• Drive the rebels apart.
• Collapse an obstacle onto a victim (Minor Wound).
• Break: Everything in the arena is shattered and broken, leaving
it a dangerous field of rubble.
Mirror-Polished Armor: The Child-Catcher wears a gleaming suit

that reflects anything back on her attackers.
• Turn an attack from one rebel against another one (Minor Wound.)
• Slip out of any restraint or confinement.
• Appear innocent of malice.
• Break: Fall from around the Child-Catcher, revealing the
squirming worms of her flesh.
Silent Venom: The Child-Catcher can spit a venom that silences

whomever or whatever it touches.
• Silence a weapon or trap to deploy it against the rebels.
• Cut out someone’s voice.
• Twist words or instructions to distort their meaning.
• Break: All lost sounds erupt at once, filling the area with a
deafening howl.
ThE ArChItEcT 177

The Copmaker
By Paige Foisy
Once a hotshot engineering and compsci major with good

prospects, The Copmaker has turned his bright future dark with
combining his knowledge of electronics with a love of justice and a
fundamental misunderstanding of how society works. He is under
contract with local government, providing algorithms and crime
statistics with local law enforcement, all of which betray his
prejudices and failings.
What’s more, he’s tapped into the power of the castle, and is
beginning to learn to harness it’s power in order to make his
machines and programs stronger. Each time a new update is
released, it now becomes more and more biased against people of
colour, women, the queer community, and the destitute. As time
progresses, the data his programs put out skew more and more
towards the side of the oppressor - and make him more and more
sure that what he believes about minorities is fact.
Drive: Insight. The Copmaker desires, more than anything else, to

be sure the misinformation he spreads is fact, and to learn to use
the castle to do it.
Plan: That’s why he’s trying to get a contract with the city to
mechanise the police force. If he can manufacture the devices
making arrests, he can manufacture arrest statistics as well. Once
all the right people are in prison.
Tier 2: The Copmaker is a Noble of the castle is aware, to an extent, of

the castles part in his success, and working to increase its influence over
the city. Two of his constructs have taken on a life of their own, but the
wretched grace the castle provides. Both have been blessed with the
ability to immediately communicate information to the Copmaker.
Reveal:
• One of the players or one of their contacts is roughed up by a
mechanized officer on a test run.
• One of the players or one of their contacts is algorithmically
and incorrectly marked for arrest.
178 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
The Copmaker’s shard is all greebled machines and white plastic
hallways leading to automated assembly lines and prison blocks. As
you get closer and closer to the Copmaker himself, the halls are
coated with discarded pieces of machinery, owner’s manuals, and
sparking cables, the walls becoming less and less pristine and
coated with engine lubricant, and the low hum of server banks
drown out by the sounds of industry. The Minions of the Copmaker
are computer-monitor-headed guards, strung with wires, and
shambling piles of electronics. Treasures are things make him feel
smart, such as successful programs, or binders filled with his
research.
Qualities
Predictive programming: The code that flows through the
Copmaker’s dark form allows him to look ahead to make educated
guesses about the future.
• Find a better way forward.
• Immediately counter a rebel’s actions.
• Prophesize a new environmental hazard.
• Break: No longer able to predict what should happen next, the
area glitches, with strange and abstract objects hurtling around
the area at high speeds.
Plexiglass Shield: The Copmaker carries the shield of an officer of

the law, and wields it with Strength and Precision
• Defend against a blow
• Pin a rebel down
• Make a rebel go flying (Major Wound)
• Break: The shards litter the battlefield and grow into large,
spiked, crystals, painful to touch.
Cords and Cables: The area is filled with wires of all thicknesses
and materials.
• Hoist a rebel into the air
• Lash out at a Rebel (Minor Wound)
• Create barriers and platforms
• Break: The cords pulse and fall limply to the ground, slamming
into the rebels and trapping them underneath.
ThE ArChItEcT 179

The False Friend
By Violent Henderson
The False Friend is the owner of many of the city's evening

establishments. He grew his initial empire by providing an open
door and blind eye to the town’s growing queer community in
decades past. Over the years his bars and restaurants have
provided employment and safe social spaces for queer people with
nowhere else to turn.
Recently though, that nightlife has started to bring fashionable

attention to the town, a wealthier and more respectable class of
patrons. The communities that kept the places alive, the less
'desirable' patrons who would take refuge there all day and only
buy one drink, are finding themselves unwelcome.
Drive: Acclaim. He wants his establishments to be talked about in

all the most fashionable circles, and attended by all the most
influential patrons.
Plan: He's started to see an upturn in his fortunes, but doesn't want to
be a flash in the pan. He’s looking for investors to turn his past
wealth, and present attention, into a firm foothold in the future of the
city's social scene. But that means cleaning things up and making
things more presentable – including the class of his patronage.
Tier 1: The False Friend is a knight – he’s started to receive the

castle's favour but is not yet aware of the reasons for these boons.
Favourable reviews of his establishments have started to appear in
local newspapers and national radio. This attention has funnelled
a stream of influencers towards his bars and restaurants, an
opportunity from the castle to prove his worth.
Reveal:
• A Rebel sees a bouncer violently ejecting a group of queer students
from a bar, freeing a table for the wealthy tourists waiting outside.
• A Rebel or contact, finds their workplace under new
management, hours and pay cut, prices raised, and new
policies for handling customers enforced.
180 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
His shard is a place of precisely cultivated effortlessness,
naturalistic and rustic stylings all measured and sculpted to the
millimeter. Asymmetrical Edison bulbs hanging from exposed
roof beams coat the shard in a sterile amber glow. At the far end, a
single stage light highlights the polished bar where the False
Friend's avatar stands, flanked by shelves upon shelves of
expensive spirits and small-batch beers. Between there and the
door stand his minions: besuited bouncers with smiling faces on
the backs of their heads, groups of laughing patrons who move
together in jerky snapshot motions, and clockwork baristas with
their faucet-like hands dripping sweet-smelling poison.
Qualities
Drinks on Tap: The False Friend's avatar spews rivers of
intoxicating liquid.
• Disorient a Rebel with the fumes.
• Separate the Rebels with flows of liquid.
• Knock a rebel to the ground with a torrent of booze (Minor wound).
• Break: Intoxicating liquid rains throughout the arena.
Bar Furniture: The arena is a maze of heavy wooden tables,

wrought iron bar stools, and other fixtures favouring aesthetics
above accessibility.
• Create a shield from overturned tables.
• Send lightbulbs crashing down, showering the Rebels (Minor
wound).
• Obstruct the Rebels' movement as the furniture shifts.
• Break: Metal warps and wood splinters to form hazardous
spikes coating the arena floor
Sanitizing Camera: the False Friend's avatar sees his world through
the lens of a camera, its gaze wiping away anything unsightly.
• Temporarily blind a rebel with a flash.
• Reveal a new path, allowing the avatar to catch the rebels off guard.
• Highlight a Rebel’s vulnerabilities, removing their Armour.
• Break: The avatar's veneer of civility falls away, and their
attacks become erratic and violent.
ThE ArChItEcT 181

The False Prophet
By McKayla Roundy
The False Prophet straightens his tie and brushes off his suit
before approaching the podium. In his sermon he promises hope,
truth, and security to his thousands of followers desperate for
some relief during times of crisis and hardship. His intoxicating
words draw you further into his grasp, before something he says
snaps you out of it. Most would not think any of it, but it sticks out
to you, a backhanded attack on who you fundamentally are.
Nothing but hate masquerading for love.
The False Prophet has been climbing the ranks of the castle's
hierarchy for most of his life, every step along the way causing
untold suffering to those different from him. Now he's at the top
and has it all; wealth, power, political influence, and the obedience
of hundreds of thousands of followers. For a long time, his victims
had little agency to fight back, but now you can hear them loud
and clear. The ghosts of those he has damned cry out for justice.
Drive: Conformity. He seeks nothing less than complete and total

control over others in order to reshape the world in his image. No
wealth, power or influence will satisfy his lust for control, not until
every person on the planet submits to his “perfect” plan for humanity.
Plan: Spouting hate towards those who were different used to be

easier. No one cared for the people that the False Prophet
demonises, but now it’s a different story. The Prophet and his
faith is becoming seen as one that harms the most vulnerable
members of society, and he is losing followers and influence fast.
That is, unless he can rebrand his cult, gaslighting his detractors
and convincing the public of the legitimacy of the faith.
Tier 3: The False Prophet has long known about the power of the
castle, and gratefully submits to it. In exchange he has been
rewarded with unnatural powers of persuasion and guile, and his
agents have been granted a gift of tongues to command those
around them to temporarily follow the will of the False Prophet.
They’re marked by their deathly pale skin, unnatural serpentine
flexibility, and thin forked tongues. They are constantly wearing
the same suits as the False Prophet.
182 ThE ArChItEcT

Reveal:
• One of the rebels, contacts, or loved ones is approached by one
of the Prophet’s agents in an attempt to convert them.
• The rebels befriend a former follower of the False Prophet –
now being shunned and abandoned by their family and peers
after embracing their identity.
Shard Aesthetics
The False Prophet’s shard is the platonic ideal of his chapels. It is a
perfectly organised and twisted contradiction of welcoming
cleanliness and sanctity, with an uncanny and oppressive reverence
for the False Prophet. Altars and pews line the halls, with minions
filling the place of priest and worshipper alike. Wearing the same
suits as the false prophet and his agents, minions traverse the halls in
an endless sea of uniformity, ghostly white featureless faces and
gentle serpentine movements making each minion indistinguishable
from the next. The walls and altars of the shard are covered in the
False Prophet’s treasures; religious icons, symbols, and paintings,
with the False Prophet’s likeness in place of familiar religious figures.
Qualities
Eye of Providence: A gold and ivory obelisk towers over the arena,
capped by a singular unblinking eye watching over the battlefield.
• Reveal a rebel that is hiding or taking cover.
• Smite a rebel with a beam of “holy” light (Major Wound).
• Broadcast a secret shame of one of the rebels to the arena.
• Break: Destroy all shelter and hiding places in the arena.
(Minor Wound to all rebels currently in cover)
Hands of the Shepherd: The False Prophet’s coercive tendrils

permeate the arena, slowly reshaping everything into his image.
• Recruit bystanders and beasts to the False Prophet’s control.
• Reshape a piece of the terrain.
• Make a rebel see allies as enemies, and vice versa.
• Break: The False Prophet’s minions and thralls enter a fanatic fury.
Twisted Tongues: The False Prophet speaks with many snake-like

tongues, cutting deep at insecurities before striking.
• Intensify a rebel’s doubts (Minor Wound)

• Snare or stun a rebel
• Tempt a rebel into lowering their guard
• Break: The broken tongues drop to the floor, transforming into
multiple serpents with the same powers as the False Prophet.
ThE ArChItEcT 183

The General
By Erika Chappell
Violence is the castle’s currency, and when push comes to shove it

is the only thing it values, the only thing it truly respects. But
more than that, violence inherently fuels and justifies itself,
making it the most lucrative game in town. War consumes, then
points at its own consumption and demands more to put an end
to it. Make war, they say, to end the war.
The General was once just a part of the violence, the humvee cowboy
moving pieces on maps, before he realised that you didn’t have to
wear a uniform to fuel a war. Now he wears sharp suits and owns
yachts and sells the equipment he once commanded to armies, police
forces, mercenaries, rebels, anyone who can pay. He likes to say that
guns always sell in pairs, because when you sell one, somebody else
out there will suddenly find themselves needing protection.
Drive: Indulgence. Oh sure, the money is great, power’s great, but

at the end of the day he’s just a fan of his toys and he loves sharing
them. He’ll talk for hours about his favourites, and nothing
brightens his day like seeing them show up on the news. He’s
getting on in years, so it’s nice to have a legacy.
Plan: Bring the chaos home. The General has benefited immensely
from globalised violence, but he wants his city to feel it especially.
Scared people are potential customers, after all. He wants
something big and showy that will convince everyone they need
protection.
Tier 3: The General honestly believes he is a self-made man, that

everything he is he fought for tooth and nail. Of course, in reality
he has been carried to success by many factors, and the castle is a
fairly significant one. His ignorance at this point must be wilful,
as his agents grow more inhuman by the day. They speak as
though through a crackling radio, and they always seem capable of
producing weapons from every pocket, drawer, and closet they
reach into. Everything they touch becomes smeared in cosmoline.
184 ThE ArChItEcT

Reveal:
• The players find themselves surrounded by a tide of rising
violence, fuelled in large part by easy access to lethal
instruments. It isn’t hard to find out who is providing them.
• The rebels break up a fight, only to find one of the assailants
was an agent of the General, trying to spread the chaos.
Shard Aesthetics
The General’s shard is a theme park dedicated to humanity’s
guilty obsession with weaponry, filled withcylindrical halls with
rifled grooves or conveyor belt rides past screen after screen of
cheesy war movies. His minions are the attendants, playacting
warriors of history with a smile always plastered on their face,
drained of colour like an old film. His treasures are newspaper
clippings, evidence of the chaos he has caused through the world,
infamous weapons he tracked down for display, and memorabilia
of classic cinema, especially anything to do with John Wayne.
Qualities
New Recruits: The General’s avatar always seems to have help,
minions emerging from every nook and cranny.
• Reveal new foes even as old ones fall.
• Pin the rebels down with the ferocity of their attack.
• Blindside the enemy with an attack (Minor Wound).
• Break: The arena suddenly contracts, getting dangerously intimate.
Living Warzone: As the fight drags on, the arena fills with the
detritus of war, all of it dangerous in its own way.
• Wrap barb wire around a rebel’s leg.
• Fill with gunsmoke and thunderous noise.
• Reveal a trap a rebel is about to step on.
• Break: Melt away until everything is simply a thick, sucking pit
of mud.
Big Iron: The General falls back on his pearl-handed revolver,

which operates on the logic of a low-grade western. And it sure as
hell holds more than six shots.
• Aim true (Major Wound)
• Shoot the weapon out of someone’s hand.
• Collapse part of the environment to cut off an attack or escape.
• Break: Every remaining minion, agent, and ally of the General
descend in one last, desperate wave.
ThE ArChItEcT 185

The Philanthropist
By Liz Weir
The Philanthropist’s charitable works are a fixture of the city,

hostels and soup kitchens a lifeline in a dark time - for the people
he sees as worthy of his aid. To the people he turns away, the
presence of his works is a twist of the knife - “we could help, if only
you weren’t the wrong kind of desperate.”
At first, it was just those he felt were exploiting his aid; then
anyone disruptive, or ungrateful. Now anyone who criticises him
or his works at all joins that number - the Philanthropist knows
he’s a good person, so anyone who disagrees must be hiding
something.
Drive: Excellence. Every benevolent act reinforces his certain

belief that he’s a good person; he’s not in it for the adulation, but
to feel like he, personally, is doing good.
Plan: Until now, his work has been local to the city, but that’s
going to change. A representative of a respected national charity
criticised his operation, a sure sign that their whole organisation
is corrupt - he’s going to bring them down, and take their place.
Tier 2: The Philanthropist is a Noble of the castle, and on some level

he knows he’s drawing on something greater than himself. He’s
convinced himself it’s anything but dark, though - if the rebels
confront him with the castle’s nature, he’ll tell himself the sickness
is their doing. His two biggest hostels are managed by his
confidantes, empowered by the castle to curse those they cast out
to be easier to ignore than aid. The castle’s mark seems at first just
to be a faintly unnerving smile, but it never changes. They don’t
blink. They don’t even open their mouths to speak.
Reveal:
• A friend or contact is kicked out of a hostel, and now it’s like
nobody even sees them - except the rebels.
• A fixture of the rebels’ neighbourhood receives an offer of support
from the Philanthropist’s organisation. All they’re asked in return
is that their benefactor gets some input in how they operate.
186 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard aesthetics
Clean city streets, a confusing mix of houses missing walls with
their private lives exposed and facades whose doors and windows
open on blank brick walls. Many of the minions are half-finished,
given just enough detail to need aid of some kind. Paramedics
stalk the streets, scalpel-sharp hands ready to cut the vulnerable
open and expose their needs. Hidden doors and hatches lead
backstage, disgorging gangs of stagehands who undo any good
works and spread misery, preparing the world to be set right again.
The backstage ward is a confusing warren of cramped tunnels, and
at its heart is the nest of an avian Enforcer who emerges to steal
away whatever the Philanthropist wants forgotten.
Qualities:
Concealing Shadows: Soft shadows pool around, concealing what
the Philanthropist’s avatar won’t allow to be seen.
• Reveal a hidden weapon (Minor Wound).
• Take away a piece of gear.
• Trip a rebel on hidden fissures.
• Break: Flood the arena with blinding light.
Defining Voice: What the Philanthropist’s avatar declares s truth -

either because of piercing insight, or because reality shifts to
match it.
• Reveal a rebel’s secret.
• Warn of imminent disaster.
• Remind them they were warned and manifest doom (Major Wound).
• Break: The arena shatters into floating shards.
Floating: The Philanthropist is above it all - even when he comes

down to meet the rebels on an even footing, his feet are a few inches
above the floor.
• Retreat to the chamber’s heights.
• Leave a rebel weightless.
• Bring them down to earth with a crash (Major Wound).
• Break: The Philanthropist slams into the ground, and the shock
knocks the rebels down.
ThE ArChItEcT 187

The Representative
By Charlie Ann Page
“Case law suggests that a couple of slices of toast a day is sufficient

nutrition, and furthermore…”
The Representative works in the welfare system as a mid-level

manager. When not in court fighting against appeals from
claimants, he trains his team and sets the very targets that once
warped and twisted his own outlook. With each accolade he
receives and each new suit he buys, he finds a little more of his
confidence and purpose he lacked for so long.
Drive: Recognition. He used to be a fairly unremarkable employee

of the welfare office - diligent, meticulous, but ultimately
overlooked by his peers and management. As the policy was
warped to be more cruel, so too was he, and he excelled - spurred
on by accolades and promotions.
Plan: The Representative’s efforts in the welfare office have been

noticed, particularly in court and in mentoring his team of
assessors. He is looking for promotion to the head office, and a
high-flying job where he gets to spread his methods all around the
country.
Tier 1 - Knight: The Representative is currently unaware of the castle

and the thousand tiny ways it has paved the way for his ambitions.
Those higher up the hierarchy have both stoked and exploited his
cruelty, lavishing him with promotions and their tutelage.
Reveal
• One of the rebels has their welfare claim denied, and overhears
a conversation between their assessor and The Representative.
• One of the rebels strikes up a conversation with a woman in
tears outside the local courthouse, and she tells them of what
just happened to her.
188 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
The Representative’s shard is a seemingly endless office building,
with doors and windows that seem to shift and move as you
traverse it. If you listen closely, you can just about hear whispers
of half-truths in the distance.
At the shard’s heart, a courtroom grander than even the most

extravagant of the City, where a throne sits next to an old three-
legged stool facing the judge’s bench. It’s there the
Representative’s avatar sits, ruling over his domain.
Qualities
Red Tape: The Representative’s avatar carries a spool of red ribbon
that can be used to confuse and bind the rebels.
• Attempt to bind a rebel.
• A flurry of ribbon hides the Representative’s avatar as he
prepares an attack.
• Break: The spool breaks, scattering the ribbon across the
battlefield.
Courtroom: The Representative’s avatar rules the courtroom he

resides in, bending the very walls and furniture to his whim.
• A desk moves to obstruct the charge of a rebel.
• The furniture in the courtroom rearranges itself, preparing to
strike the rebels. (Major wound).
• Break: The arena is littered with broken furniture.
Files: The Representative is a meticulous researcher and just as

equally adept at weaponising that knowledge.
• The Representative’s avatar uses a dark secret against a rebel.
(Minor wound).
• The Representative’s avatar learns from a rebel’s attack, making
him more able to dodge it in future.
• Break: Losing the primary tool at his disposal, The
Representative lashes out, physically and violently.
ThE ArChItEcT 189

The Social Media Mogul
By Freyja Erlingsdottir
It started as a college project. A cute electronic yearbook with

photos, basic information and space for fellow students to write
comments. When those posts drove a fellow student to suicide, it
sparked awareness in The Mogul that there was power in what he
had made, and the castle took hold in his mind.
Today, the social media giant made from the bones of this
yearbook practically isn’t voluntary, and yet to have an account
means signing over more than you know about yourself. Thus is
spun the spider’s web, and it hungers.
Drive: Panopticon. He seeks to know everything, about everyone,

both past and future. Thus he shall control everyone and
everything, enemy, rival and ally alike.
Plan: He plans to insinuate himself into every system in the world.

When laws are unwilling, his Black Hat hacker puts pressure on
lawmakers to adopt “security solutions” by attacking hospitals and
power plants. When competitors arise, his White Hat hacker
“exposes vulnerabilities” and encourages adoption of his apps and
firewalls instead.
Tier 3: The Mogul knows the castle, and aims to sit at its very
centre. He knows everything his agents know, but this is not
mutual. His agents are blind in one eye. His hackers have the
ability to sense secrets by scent and sight and find cracks in any
defence, and the mogul’s Hound can smell data trails, hunting
quarry via security cameras and phone GPS, though most often
she is kept back guarding the Mogul’s shard.
Reveal:
• One of the players (or one of their contacts) becomes aware of
constant surveillance, or stops a Hacker from cracking a system.
• The White Hat recruits a player to help stop a malicious attack,
but shows too much of their hand.
190 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics
The Mogul’s shard is navigated like a nightmarish webpage, its pixel
brightness made up of thousands of tiny eyes tracking every move.
Adorning its walls are paintings that play like videos when someone
draws near, showing lies and propaganda with snappy editing and
friendly colours. The shard overwhelms with information; every
wall a memory from a relative, every tile a post you’ve made.
His minions take the form of faceless stalkers with camera lenses
for eyes, dog-shaped automata who track your shard browsing
history, and ambushing popup ads with hidden blades.
Treasures include details of The Mogul’s activities in exhaustive

detail, and scraps of information about him, his eyes blacked out in
every photo.
Qualities
Panopticon: The Mogul’s avatar hungers to know with his eight
secret eyes.
• Neutralise a skill or advantage.
• Know a rebel’s secret.
• Rip into a rebel’s memories (Minor Wound).
• Break: Crash the local network, breaking the arena apart.
Data Web: The arena is covered by entrapping webs, each strand

seemingly sentient.
• Be a sticky nuisance.
• Obstruct paths.
• Constrict and suffocate a rebel.
• Break: Burn away to reveal a direct path to the spider.
Subtle Knife: The Hackers have hidden knives. The Tracker has
four fangs. The Mogul has eight claws.
• Stab the vitals. (Major Wound)
• Strike from stealth at a distracted target.
• Bleed a rebel over time.
• Break: A thousand invisible strands fill the air, cutting those
who move too quickly.
ThE ArChItEcT 191

The Stained Glass
By Tetra Saturn
When a corporate focused political party wants to gather the

support of the marginalised, someone needs to make the most
beautiful promises. When bad publicity rears its head, someone
needs to smile for the cameras. When anger and disappointment
bubble, someone needs to take the fall without letting the
curtain slip.
The Stained Glass knows just the right words, has just the right
style, and often is just clueless enough to make it all work. They
give a face to actions taken by large groups. They gather support,
they take the blame, while the engine keeps running behind them.
They are backed by countless organisations, individuals,
structures, privileges. At once they are merely a mask for others,
at once they hold absurd power, station, and popularity.
Drive: Emblem. To maintain the way things currently are, to feel

they are doing the right thing in the broken system they love so
dearly.
Plan: A turning point is arriving, a chance to lose or bolster the

support they have gathered. They are tidying away the mess while
preparing a nice arrangement to put on display.
Tier 3: The Stained Glass is a Monarch of the castle, they are aware
that the castle grants them power and they are grateful for it. They
see the castle as something wonderful and sacred to defend. An
entire squad of their agents can manifest broken rules or
procedures into physical consequences. They wear badges and
pins that reflect terrifying forms.
Reveal:
• A rebel (or one of their contacts) is hit hard by a negligence or
disaster that the Stained Glass is sweeping under the rug.
• One of the Stained Glass's agents comes to a rebel (or one of
their contacts) with a deal with generous strings.
192 ThE ArChItEcT

Shard Aesthetics:
The Stained Glass's shard is immaculate. It showcases what the
traditions they uphold find beautiful, while staying hip to the
current times. Under the surface is something else, murkier and
abyssal, but it's unclear whether even they know what lies behind
the wallpaper. Their minions are secretarial staff made of glass,
mimics, and liquid light security guards. Treasures are things that
bring them reassurance (favourable news articles), keepsakes of
important connections, and things that remind them of the past -
old books, faded photos, etc.
Qualities:
Resplendent glow: The Stained Glass can twist light from the
arena's windows to their whim.
• Form a reflective shield.

• Transform part of the arena.
• Create an illusion of safety (Minor to Major Harm if they don’t
realise the danger in time).
• Break: Become a maze of images that the Stained Glass phases
through.
Stacks of History: Documents around the arena await the Stained

Glass's call.
• Bind a rebel with a rule. (Major Harm if broken)

• Requisition a piece of the rebels’ gear.
• Push a rebel into danger.
• Break: Erupt into a vicious storm.
Heavily Connected: The Stained Glass can summon the weight of

their corporate backing with a phone call.
• Demolish part of the arena.

• Summon a gargantuan edifice (Major Harm if it lands on them).
• Increase gravity's pull on a rebel.
• Break: Spill oil and deadly chemicals.
ThE ArChItEcT 193

QuAlItIeS
Complex adversaries (Enforcers and the Avatar) have three
Qualities. Each should represent some aspect of the adversary's
behaviour and abilities, and any quality's loss should markedly
affect how the adversary fights.
A basic setup for complex adversaries gives them something like this:
1. A quality representing the main way they attack.
2. A quality giving them useful movement abilities, letting them
close the gap with the rebels or escape close combat.
3. A quality that lets them alter the battlefield: plunge it into darkness,
open fissures, command hordes of minions, unleashing traps.
Remember that each Quality also has a break action - something

that happens when the Quality is removed. These are best used to
split up the players, add extra perils to the environment, or give a
lingering benefit to the adversary that makes dealing further
harm difficult.
To mix things up, try one of these:
• They have a defensive quality that the rebels must remove to

target their other qualities.
• Only one quality is active at any one time. As the rebels strip
each one away, the next one activates and the battle enters a
new stage. Each individual quality will need to pull more
weight here, so write ones that give offense and defence.
• The acolyte is multiple individuals. Maybe each individual is
represented by their own quality - remove the quality, remove
the adversary. Or maybe the rebels are striking away their
formation, their cohesion, their armaments.
Or some hybrid of the above!
194 ThE ArChItEcT

Minions have a single Quality, and it’s fine to be simple with this -
it has to bundle up their attack(s) and their defences, after all.
Remember that they don’t have break actions - if a player takes out
a minion, that’s it for them. A single Quality should cover an
entire mob of minions; if you want more complex encounters,
present disctinct minion types with out quality each, like a
hulking robot flanked by scuttling gremlins.
Harm
Each attack has a wound rating attached. Here are some guidelines –
feel free to adjust up and down depending on the circumstances in play.
• Grazing Wounds: An adversary may deal a grazing wound if they

are particularly weak in a certain circumstance - for example, if a
fire demon is attacking you while you're underwater.
• Minor Wounds: The default. Stick with this if you don't have
reason to change it.
• Major Wounds: An attack that the adversary needed to take
some action setting up. For example, if a flesh demon needs to
merge with your flesh before bursting out in shower of gore.
• Deadly Wounds: These are only dealt by attacks that need setup,
give plenty of opportunity for the players to get away, and destroy
one of the adversary's qualities once the attack goes off.
ThE ArChItEcT 195

EnFoRcErS
ThE MoDeRn GoEtIa
The castle seeps into the Vassal’s mind through its cracks: their regrets and
frustrations, flaws and shortcomings. Their Drive is the most Void-touched
part of the Vassal’s mind, and it’s through this channel that their Avatar is
empowered (see p. 171), but as the connection between the Vassal and the
castle deepens it’ll find other flaws and embody those too.
These lesser flaws are the shard’s Enforcers. They’re an immune system for
the shard, ruling its minions and hunting down invaders. As the Vassal grows
closer to the castle and rises in Tier, more Enforcers form within their shard –
one per Tier, each with its own fiefdom.
Here you’ll find 21 Enforcers, one for each arcanum. In a tarot draw, you may
read a reversed card as a blockage or imbalance of that card’s energy; here,
each card is a complex, delusion or fixation in the Vassal’s life – and the
Enforcer it births within the castle.
What does an Enforcer do?

Fight the rebels. Each Enforcer is a terrifying monster and fierce foe, with three
Qualities at their disposal. As the rebels raid the shard, the Enforcers loom over
them – stalking distant hallways, rousing fear and violence in the minions, and
filling the labyrinth with the noise of their approach. As an reaction, the
Architect can describe the Enforcer’s approach or even have them ambush the
rebels – particularly after a miss on Travel the Labyrinth or Find Shelter. And
if the rebels beat them, they’ll find a Token within the Enforcer as their reward.
Strengthen the Vassal. Each Enforcer is a channel through which the

castle’s power flows into the Vassal, and while they’re at large in the shard
they lend the Avatar one of their Qualities.
Blight the world. Any time the Vassal’s clock fills (p. 26), the Architect picks a
surviving Enforcer to leave the shard and cause problems in the mundane
world. These problems are supernatural, but not blatant: the Enforcer can
spread a bizarre pox, wear a not-quite-perfect human disguise to corner a
rebel in their workplace, or cause freak weather disasters – but they’re not
going to be a shrieking demon throwing fire down main street. In terms of
scope, each Blight should do one of these:
• Inflict widespread suffering across a neighbourhood of the city.
• Cause an immediate and dangerous problem in a Rebel’s mundane life.
• Strike at a Covenant in a way that greatly hinders their ability to help –
though it shouldn’t take them out of the story.
But, hey - while they’re out of the shard and causing problems, at least
they’re not strengthening the Vassal.
196
ThE FoOl
The Grinning Machine
The Fool, Inverted
The Vassal is erratic and wild, driving towards multiple goals with no long-
term plan. They come out intact but leave the lives of others in ruins.
DESCRIPTION
A shimmering digital smear of flickering screens and glitching output; a
golem of static and noise. It moves in a juddering, unpredictable fashion
and takes wild lunges towards its prey; its body is semi-real, and flickers in
and out of space as it is attacked.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Machine manifests as ominous, threatening messages
that flash on computer and TV screens – disrupting a rebel’s workplace.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar’s face shifts and changes to the
Familiar Faces of the rebels’ loved ones as they speak.
Digital Projection
The creature amplifies Familiar Faces Distraction Swarm
its size with the aid of a The Machine’s screens Around the arena,
semi-organic projector flicker with the grinning surfaces flicker and
hidden within its body. faces of people the stutter in strobe patterns
rebels know and love. that disorientate and
confuse.
Reaction 1
Reaction 1
Reaction 2 Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the Reaction 2
creature is reduced in When broken, piercing
size, but seems much laser-light spears from When broken, the arena
heavier and vicious. cracked screens. is pitched into darkness.
197
ThE MaGiCiAn
The Knight of Endless Summer
The Magician, Inverted
The Vassal is thick-headed, unobservant, over-confident and completely
unaware of their own ineptitude; they bluster through life unconcerned
with the impact that they have on others.
DESCRIPTION
A bellicose ogre with a grotesquely oversized mouth. The Knight is a
hedonist, and is never able to satisfy its hunger for meat, physical
pleasure, or loud noises. It is an idiot, but a powerful one, and its inability
to conceive of its own defeat can be a strength.
BLIGHT
When it leaves the shard, a district of the city is struck with a vicious heatwave.
Unable to sleep, people start pointless fights and mess up simple tasks.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar holds a Hammer of Consumption, the
hilt of which sears and cooks the Avatar’s hand as it’s used.
Armour of a Hammer of Consumption Noonday Banner

thousand julys Nothing stops this This silken banner
Thick plates of steel hammer; it desiccates displays an idealised
that turn aside attacks whatever it touches, image of the Knight
with ease. and smashes it to dust. that fuels its self-
assured nature.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the When broken, the
corpulent body of the Knight furiously When broken, the
Knight burns with a attempts to gain Knight realises that
furnace heat, revenge against the maybe it could be
exhausting all those person who broke it. defeated, and it gains a
around it. cruel humiliated spite.
198
ThE OrAcLe
The Bound Demon
The Oracle, Inverted
The Vassal seeks approval from multiple outside sources, and is trying to
keep too many people happy at once to maintain a sensible outlook.
DESCRIPTION
A tangle of muscular limbs in a broadly human shape, topped with a bald
head that cries out in muffled anguish, its mouth sealed over with flesh. It
is bound by thick red ropes that extend out to the edges of the arena and
wrench it into a variety of stress positions.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Bound Demon manifests as a swarm of pecking,
screeching birds; each of them has red string tied around their left leg.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar has a harness made of Red Ropes that
contorts them into impossible positions to evade incoming attacks.
Red Ropes SPIKED COLLAR Keen Eyes

The crimson ropes that The leather collar the The Demon’s mouthless
restrain and steer the creature wears is spiked head bears two wildly-
Bound Demon move and on both sides; it digs oscillating eyes that
twist of their own into their flesh and hunt out weak spots in
accord. leaves blood dripping its opponents’ defences.
down their body.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, they whip When broken, the
around the arena and tie When broken, the mad, creature’s true “head” is
up rebels. unrestrained enforcer revealed - an eyeless,
becomes enraged and ravening mouth
vengeful. between its
shoulderblades.
199
ThE GaRdEnEr
The Bounteous Harvest
The Gardener, Inverted
The Vassal has begun a systematic campaign of betrayal against those who
have aided them in the past; they are willing to burn any bridge to get ahead.
DESCRIPTION
A great and rusted machine, brimming with spinning blades – like three
combine harvesters crashed into each other at once and then got up and started
walking. The deafening noise of screeching metal alone is hard to endure.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Bounteous Harvest takes on the form of a literal
blight: crops die, trees wither, plants dry and food spoils.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar holds a single harvester blade,
rusted but wicked-sharp, clutched in one bleeding hand.
Harvester Blades Incomprehensible Monochrome Grass

A whirling, sparking Machinery The arena sprouts with
mess of scything blades. A forest of hissing hip-high grass that’s
pistons, rattling chains white as paper; as the
Reaction 1 and spinning dials. machine moves
through it, it sprays
Reaction 2 Reaction 1 stinking, blood-red
machine oil.
When broken, the Reaction 2
blades spin loose and Reaction 1
embed themselves in the When broken, the
walls and floor of the machine catches fire Reaction 2
arena. and the blaze spreads
around the arena. When broken, the
machine begins to
spark and screech even
louder than before.
200
ThE AuTeUr
The Master of Our Desires
The Auteur, Inverted
The Vassal is desperate not to disappoint someone - and they’ll never feel
like they’re living up to their imagined expectations. A desire to impress
has turned toxic and bitter, and the person they’re trying to make an
impression on may not even know they exist.
DESCRIPTION
An idealised marble titan clutching a bronze sword; its body looks like the
person the Vassal would like to become, and its face is a flat mirror on support
struts. As it moves, the stone around its joints cracks and scrapes painfully.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Master manifests as a hulking figure in a barely-
convincing human disguise. They corner the rebel, throw them an improvised
weapon of some kind, and order them to fight. Killing them doesn’t always take.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar wears the mirror-mask fashioned into
a Venetian style.
Marble Skin Great Sword Mirror-Mask

A tough stone skin A blunt, heavy, bronze An armoured mask that
capable of turning aside sword that the creature reflects an idealised
blades and bullets alike. swings with ease. form of the viewer;
calm, fitter, healthier,
Reaction 1 Reaction 1 and more productive.
Reaction 2 Reaction 2 Reaction 1
When broken, the When broken, the giant Reaction 2

cracked giant lunges begins to punch its
after the rebel who hands beneath the When broken, great
caused the damage and surface of the arena to shards of mirrored
exact a terrible revenge. pull up another from the glass fall from the
ground. ceiling of the arena.
201
ThE SaGe
The Throne
The Sage, Inverted
The Vassal believes that there is a right and a wrong way to do things, and
those who step outside the clearly-marked boundaries of society deserve to
be ostracised, punished and exploited.
DESCRIPTION
A winged figure with six heads – some beasts, the others human – that
speaks with the voice of the Vassal. It is righteous to the point of madness,
and anything that disagrees with it (or stands near it, in the case of rebels)
is to be destroyed as an abomination against the Vassal’s internal reality.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Throne manifests as a far-right website espousing
fiercer laws against the rebels’ communities. If investigated, the identities
of the contributors and owners of the site are completely manufactured.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, the Avatar bears the Phoenix Wings as a tattoo of
wings across their shoulderblades.
THUNDERING VOICE RIGHTEOUS HANDS PHOENIX WINGS

One of the heads The pristine hands of Great burning wings
proclaims the majesty the Throne are capable smoulder and spread
and indominability of of ripping apart ashes throughout the
the Vassal at a volume anything it dislikes. arena as the creature
that ruptures eardrums swoops into battle.
and causes nosebleeds. Reaction 1
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
Reaction 2 When broken, the
ground where they fall When broken, they’re
When broken, the other cracks into a great replaced with
heads mourn the loss, chasm. spasming, unstable
weeping a river of tears wings of pure fire.
that floods the arena.
202
ThE LoVeRs
The Unconjoined
The Lovers, Inverted
The Vassal is heartbroken, and their devotion to the person who left them
has become poisonous and harmful.
DESCRIPTION
A monstrous creature with gangly limbs that drags the carcass of its conjoined
lover behind it as it fights. Pathetic, certainly, but it perceives almost any
activity as a threat to its lover, and will fight viciously to defend their honour.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Unconjoined manifests as a series of unexplainable
bitter reprisals similar to those performed by a bitter ex-lover - vandalism,
arson, theft, and so on.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer is alive, The Avatar carries with them the ghostly spectre
of their dead lover, hovering in the air behind them.
Leather Veil Dead Lover Cloud of Vermin

As the Unconjoined The dead lover whispers Fuelled by twisted
peers out through this words of longing and adoration, the creature’s
veil, the world becomes regret that rid it of fear, wounds knit closed as
eerily sombre. pain and doubt. long as it wears the ring.
When broken, the When broken, the When broken,the

creature sees itself for creature undergoes the regeneration goes into
what it truly is, and heartbreak of loss a overdrive, and the
tries to claw a new veil second time, and lashes Unconjoined manifests
from the face of the out in blind terror. huge cancerous
offending rebel. growths of muscle.
203
ThE ChArIoT
The Copper-Caged Wolf
The Chariot, Inverted
The Vassal wants to move, to take action, to be dynamic and
unconstrained; this enforcer was born of that frustrated impulse.
DESCRIPTION
A crackling beast made of solid lightning, bound and imprisoned within
an articulated cage of copper wiring. It paces its cell, waiting for its chance
to escape and rejoin its pack in the clouds.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Wolf manifests as a vaguely lupine storm cloud and
howling winds. This lightning storm ravages the city, flooding the parts of
it one of the rebel calls home.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar crackles with the electric power of a
Voltaic Beast.
Faraday Armour Voltaic Beast Storm’s Howl

Coils of copper cage the Once freed, the wolf The winds serve the
beast in a metal shell. revels in its newfound, wolf, deafening and
ozone-scented glory. pummelling the rebels.
Lash out with sparks Bolt across the arena. Deafen them.
(Minor Wound)
Breathe in deep. Scatter them.
Batthemasidewithapaw.
After breathing deep, Cover the arena with fog.
Electromagnetically grab exhale a torrent of plasma
a weapon or item. (Major Wound)
When broken, the When broken, storm When broken, the

Voltaic Beast is freed clouds start randomly winds lift the wolf to a
and leaps across the striking the arena with safe refuge to let it lick
arena lightning-fast. lightning. its wounds.
204
StReNgTh
The Untamed Fire
Strength, Inverted
The Vassal is destroying everything in their path; exerting their will on the
world with little thought as to consequence or outcome but relishing in the
power they can exert over others.
DESCRIPTION
A great feline beast built from steel and chains that houses a barely-contained
continual explosion in its centre. The metal that makes up its body is under
so much tension that it screeches and sings whenever it moves, but it’s
mostly drowned out by the furious roar issued forth from its terrible jaws.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Fire manifests as a bulldozer; there’s no driver, and it
doesn’t have any markings indicating the place of its manufacture. It will drive
itself into a location important to the rebels, and smash straight through it.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar wears a pendant holding a
scintillating gem containing an echo of the Eternal Combustion Engine.
ETERNAL COMBUSTION STEEL CLAWS SPIKED TAIL

ENGINE Twisted, juddering, A bundle of chains and
A roiling, screaming red-hot forelimbs of pistons that can fling
chaotic explosion in the steel and hate. hissing shards of iron
centre of the creature. across the arena.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the
When broken, the fire creature howls and shifts When broken, the tail
rages out of control, into a bipedal giant. spasms wildly and
and the detonations lashes around of its
tear chunks out the own accord.
floor of the arena.
205
ThE HeRmIt
The Misanthrope
The Hermit, Inverted
The Vassal’s self-reliance has become toxic and unhealthy. They no longer
trust others, and obsess over planning for every eventuality.
DESCRIPTION
The arena is bare aside from a table at the centre, holding a note that reads
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. When the rebels read it, the
room transforms into a nightmarish maze of traps, blind alleys, pitfalls,
sentry guns and mirrors. The enforcer themselves – a pallid bundle of skin
and wires – is in a hidden compartment nearby.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Misanthrope manifests as a trap placed somewhere
important to the Rebels. They’re designed to maim, not kill - razorwire nooses
around limbs, acid, holes deep enough to fracture ankles on a fall, and so on.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar wears a cog on a necklace that
commands the Manslaughter Machines hidden around them.
MANSLAUGHTER HALL OF MIRRORS SENTRY GUNS

MACHINE The labyrinth is ringed Vintage machine guns
Beneath the shifting with mirrors that bristling with cameras
floor of the arena is a confuse and mislead and twitching in search
vastly complex array of rebels into making bad of a target.
cogs and engines that decisions.
power the deadly traps. Reaction 1
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, razor- Misanthrope leaves their
When broken, every sharp shards of mirror hiding place holding a
trap in the arena is line the arena. slow-firing rifle – whose
triggered at once. bullets pierce walls and
armour.
206
WhEeL oF FoRtUnE
The Jigsaw Man
Wheel of Fortune, Inverted
The Vassal is unable to take control of their life. They perceive the world as
a jumble of stress and noise, and as such, they exist in a constant - perhaps
entirely imagined - struggle for survival.
DESCRIPTION
A rapidly-forming and reforming cluster of semi-solid threat imagery; a
storm of data in the rough shape of gangly, too-tall humanoid with a
predator’s grin. Its body is a staccato flicker of teeth, blood, and fire; its voice
is the roaring calls of a dozen apex predators overlaid atop one another.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the creature becomes a dog, fox, coyote – some local
predator that could seriously hurt an unwary human. They’ll hunt one
Rebel in particular, attempting to do as much damage as possible before
they’re driven off or killed.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar’s throat glitches and twists
and their voice has a subharmonic Bass Roar.
THREAT STORM BASS ROAR HUNTER’S TEETH

The creature’s very body The Jigsaw Man’s The creature’s teeth
is a barrage of growls turn your latch onto its prey and
instinctively upsetting stomach and make the lash it from side to side.
imagery. hair on the back of your
neck stand up. Reaction 1
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the creature uses its arms
images slip off the When broken, the to fling opponents into
thing’s pallid skin and discordant screech is no the walls and floor of
display themselves longer terrifying – but the arena instead.
brightly on the walls of it’s sharp, and loud to
the arena. the point of pain.
10
207
JuStIcE
The Burdened Wretch
Justice, Inverted
The Vassal is drowning in self-loathing. They see themselves as the lowest of
the low – and, as such, all their transgressions against others are justified.
DESCRIPTION
A slug-like creature with a vaguely humanoid head; diseased-looking organs
shift underneath a bulging translucent skin, and a dozen arms line the
flanks and scratch with torn fingernails at anyone who comes near. It carries
a lashed-together ball of rusted junk and leaking canisters on its back.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Wretch manifests as pollution, rust and decay; it targets
areas open to the public – community gardens, parks and playgrounds.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar carries their own Bundle of Burdens:
an overstuffed satchel containing many useful (and useless) items.
ADDITIONAL ORGANS BUNDLE OF BURDENS A DOZEN HANDS

At least three extra On occasion, the They grasp and claw at
hearts and more lungs Wretch reaches into the the Rebels, drawing
than it strictly needs stack of supplies on its them towards a blunt-
makes the Wretch hard back and retrieves toothed maw on the
to kill. something useful or creatures’ underside.
dangerous.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, hissing When broken, the
bile and stinking pus When broken, the Wretch wails and cries
pools across the arena. bundle comes loose and so loud it makes noses
rolls towards the bleed and eardrums
Rebels. rupture.
11
208
ThE VaGaBoNd
The Dyspeptic Spectre
The Vagabond, Inverted
The Vassal is making the same bad decisions over and over as they refuse
to examine the broader impact of their actions.
DESCRIPTION
You can hear this thing grinding its teeth before you ever see it. A knot of pallid,
skeletal-thin limbs dangle from a huge bloated head that moans in perpetual
discomfort as it floats unsteadily through the sky. Advertisements – some you
recognise, some you don’t – are reflected in its glassy, mismatched eyes.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Spectre manifests as a malformed humanoid that
hides in a covenant’s house and tempts them into making those same bad
decisions. They’ll get back together with their unstable ex, pick up a drug
habit, gamble, buy things they don’t need to fill the void, and so on.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar bears dozens of
grasping hands lying in wait beneath their clothing.
Grinding Teeth Huge Eyes Grasping Hands

Huge worn-flat molars Its eyes can trick anyone A writhing nest of
grind against each who looks into them double-jointed hands
other in the back of this into making impetuous that quest disgustingly
thing’s jaw. decisions. inside mouths and ears.
Grab armour or a weapon Askarebel:whichofyour Pluck out vocal cords or

and grind it down. alliesdoyouhatethemost? plug eardrums.
Grab a limb in its teeth. Implant recklessness Poke and prod painfully
(mark a gauge). (Minor Wound)
Bite down on a grabbed
limb (Major Wound). Hold a rebel with its gaze.
When broken, the When broken, the When broken, they drop
spectre’s off-putting blinded beast flails off from the central head
moan turns into a full- recklessly about. and skitter around.
blown scream of pain.
12
209
DeAtH
The Blind Gaoler
Death, Inverted
The Vassal is bound by indecision, resisting change that would free them
from toxic relationships or life patterns.
DESCRIPTION
A towering figure dragging heavy padlocks on chains behind them,
scraping their shoulders against the ceiling. Their head is enclosed in an
armoured helm, itself triple-locked, and their presence turns the land
around them to stinking, waterlogged mud.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Gaoler manifests as a tall blindfolded man. He has a
keyring on his belt that can unlock or lock any door – usually choosing
doors that would cause the PCs the most trouble.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Indolence Charm appears
on the Avatar as a similar, if smaller, necklace.
Armoured helm Chains and Padlocks Indolence Charm

Deflects attacks unless Heavy enough to crush A faintly-glowing charm
they’re focused on the a ribcage and swung of bone and barbed wire
weak spots - the with terrifying force. hung around the
padlocks and the hinges. creature’s neck.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, you
When broken, the learn that they were for When broken, the
furious, enervating your safety – the gaoler charm goes out of
gaze of the giant blazes speeds up significantly. control, and the whole
across the arena. arena becomes a
flooding quagmire.
13
210
TeMpErAnCe
The Hungering Furnace
Temperance, Inverted
The Vassal is consuming everything around them in a heedless rush for
overindulgence. Anyone who dares to oppose them is quickly cast aside
after their usefulness has been exhausted.
DESCRIPTION
A mechanical behemoth that looks a little like a steam train with great steel
limbs instead of wheels. Towards the front of the creature, an opening to a
smoking furnace in its belly is ringed with grasping mandibles.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Furnace takes the form of a swarm of insects: termites,
ants, silverfish, woodlice, and so forth. They infest a building important to
the Rebels and chew it apart from the inside.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar’s innards
and Fiery Belly glow through their skin.
STEEL PLATING HOOKED MANDIBLES FIERY BELLY

Inch-thick plating Barbed forelimbs that A furnace that belches
protects the Furnace’s snap closed around forth huge gouts of
more vulnerable areas. attackers with flame and smoke.
mousetrap quickness.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
reduced weight allows When broken, the creature becomes
the creature to leap and Furnace bleeds molten desperate to add more
skitter around the metal from its fuel to the fire.
arena, clinging to walls shattered mouth.
and ceilings like a
spider.
14
211
ThE DeViL
The Gracious Lord
The Devil, Inverted
The Vassal sees themselves as a capable and fair leader, but in reality they
are cruel exploiters of weakness and need. They maintain a network of
sycophants and dependents to protect themselves from criticism.
DESCRIPTION
A sumptuously-dressed figure atop a platform, smoking a cigarette and
idly toying with an ivory-handed hunting pistol. The platform is supported
on the backs of six blindfolded and chained people, either naked or dressed
in silken rags, each facing in a different direction.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Lord manifests as a pathetic, malnourished dog that
follows the Rebels around. It howls and barks throughout the night, abuses
any kindness shown to it, and bites the hand that feeds it.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar smokes a cigarette
from a black packet with a gold-embossed Devil symbol.
HUNTING PISTOL HOWDAH CIGARETTE

The sort of thing you’d A raised platform that Plumes of blueish
use to stop a charging allows a superior view narcotic smoke dull
elephant. over the arena and pain and impart strange
provides protection visions to those to
Reaction 1 from melee attacks. approach the Enforcer.
When broken, the Reaction 2 Reaction 2

Enforcer attempts to
steal a replacement When broken, the When broken, the
from the Rebel with the people who carried it creature stops fighting
fanciest equipment. on their backs leap to and languidly lights
the defence of the another, siccing the
Enforcer with a people who carry the
competitive zeal. howdah on the Rebels.
15
212
ThE ToWeR
Our Lady of the Preemptive Strike

The Tower, Inverted
The Vassal is convinced that everyone is out to get them. They see enemies
behind every corner, and lash out in response to imagined threats.
DESCRIPTION
A biomechanical, spider-legged monstrosity clad in pauper’s rags with a
vaguely humanoid torso extruding from a central thorax. It wears a crown
that is ringed with dozens of eyes (some animal) and whirring, clicking
camera lenses; its right is a claw that drips with poison that it coughs up
and spits onto it intermittently.
BLIGHT
Outside of the shard, the creature manifests as a swarm of spiders that have
an uncanny knack for finding sensitive information stored on paper and
putting it in places where it will be noticed by others - especially the Vassal.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar wears The Crown of Eyes,
a jagged loop of silver ringed with blinking red orbs.
Metal Limbs Crown of Eyes Poisoned Claw

At least eight armoured The creature cannot be Wicked-sharp and
legs of brass and steel surprised while it wears dripping with a hissing
that pierce flesh with this all-seeing crown. toxin.
their sharp points.
Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the paranoid visions leak creature starts spitting
controlling wires out, and the PCs are the toxin directly at its
plunge into the ground assaulted by enemies.
and burst from surfaces hallucinations of
all over the arena. betrayal.
16
213
ThE StAr
The Vacuum Abhorrent
The Star, Inverted
The Vassal is hopelessly sad. They attempt to alleviate the anhedonia with
anything to hand - drugs, sex, abuse of power, danger - but nothing’s really
making a dent, and their life teeters on the brink of ruin.
DESCRIPTION
An amorphous black smear; a greasy stain on reality, a hole in space that
consumes everything around it. On occasion, the shape rationalises into
the shadowy form of a hunched figure staring directly forwards, rocking
from side-to-side.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Vacuum becomes a torrential rainfall in an area that
the Rebels frequent.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar wears sunglasses
that project an aura of Devouring Midnight.
Devouring Midnight 2D FIGURE NIGHT-BLACK BLADES

The creature is made ofFrom certain points of A storm of scintillating
a hungry emptiness view, the smear resolves black crystalline shards
that sucks in anything into a hunched and that lacerate and gouge.
that comes close. inhumanly strong and
resilient figure, so thin Reaction 1
Reaction 1 it confuses the eye.
Reaction 2
When broken, the
When broken, streams Reaction 2 arena sprouts similar
of vicious colour and outcroppings at
captured emotion spray When broken, the random.
out of the Enforcer, sadness spreads as an
staining the arena. ever-encroaching void
over the arena floor.
17
214
ThE MoOn
Abhorrent Tenebral Wings
The Moon, Inverted
The Vassal’s fears and anxieties are boiling beneath the surface - they
dread the things that haunt the night beyond their walls. Those fears are
weaponised, now, with this creature.
DESCRIPTION
It's like a neural net trained on deep-sea fish was asked to draw a picture of
a bat. A great rush of wings heralds its arrival, dark and leathery and
abhorrently writhing. Is that its head? It certainly has teeth. Are those its
talons? The eyes make you think otherwise, but you’re seized either way.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Wings are a cluster of night vermin appropriate to
your city. A rebel or one of their Covenants finds their home besieged by
vermin - lurking at the edge of eyesight, chewing at cables, boring through
walls and snapping at heels.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar is shrouded in a Cloud of Vermin.
Beating Wings Chaotic Maw Cloud of Vermin

This creature rules the This orifice – maybe a Vermin surround the
skies, impossible to pin mouth? – is densely beast - flying, crawling
down. packed with bone fangs. and squirming.
Take to the skies. Bite deep and tear flesh Mob a rebel with a horde
(Major Wound). of fluttering wings.
Blast them with a gust of
wind (Minor Wound). Inject lingering infection. Whisper doubts in a
rebel’s ear.
When broken, it can When broken, the teeth When broken, the
still protect itself by continue growing where creature grabs the
sheltering under the they fell, covering the offender up to seek
crumpled wings. arena with spikes. vengeance for its
children.
18
215
ThE SuN
The Knight of Golden Glory
The Sun, Inverted
The Vassal is good at what they do, and they know it. They view most
mundane tasks and concerns as beneath them as they cruise forward
fuelled by an impenetrable self-confidence.
DESCRIPTION
A lithe, heartbreakingly beautiful figure that stands a little over ten feet
tall. Clad in resplendent armour with an open helm, they are under a
perpetual spotlight, and the area around them is cast into darkness.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Knight manifests as a variety of aspirational adverts that
display human faces idealised to the point of alien beauty. Those under the
advert’s influence will feel worthless and desperate to change their situation.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar wears a breastplate and pauldron
fashioned after the Armour of Glory.
HEARTBREAKING ARMOUR OF GLORY METEOR SWORD

BEAUTY The Knight is protected This oversized blade is
The Knight’s face is so by shining steel armour so sharp that the edge
excruciatingly perfect that reflects blows back divides air molecules in
that it hurts to see. on the attacker. a shimmer of sparks.
When broken, they When broken, their When broken, the

lunge at the Rebel who bare, scarred torso Knight will switch to a
attacked them in an catches and traps brutal grappling style to
inchoate rage. weapons rather than choke the life out of its
deflecting them. opponents.
19
216
JuDgEmEnT
The Hunter of Witches
Judgement, Inverted
The Vassal has taken it upon themselves to burn a perceived evil out of the
world by whatever means necessary. While the thing they hate may be
broadly harmful, the way they go about ousting it is causing untold harm.
DESCRIPTION
An old-school inquisitor wearing black armour, a long coat and a wide-brim
hat, they pronounce judgement on any Rebels that would dare invade this
shard. Beneath the coat, they are little more than an assemblage of shadows.
BLIGHT
Outside the shard, the Hunter manifests as a wretched homunculus –
little more than a tangle of meat and detritus – that follows the rebels and
reports their actions to authorities via anonymous phone call.
QUALITIES
While the Enforcer’s alive, the Avatar has a Bloody Left Hand, represented
by a set of rings with spikes that pierce the flesh of their fingers.
BURNING TORCH BOOK OF BLOODY LEFT HAND

A flaming brazier that CONDEMNATION The Hunter’s left hand
the creature swings in Tearing pages from this is a claw sharp enough
great arcs. religious text, the to lacerate and tear the
Hunter hammers them flesh of Rebels.
Reaction 1 into the bodies of
Rebels with a hammer. Reaction 1
Reaction 2
When broken, the
Rebel who destroyed it Reaction 2 When broken, a lashing
is lashed by an unseen tendril of blood whips
hand to a burning pyre When broken, book from the stump.
that bursts out of the splits apart and the
floor of the arena. pages spiral to provide
cover for the Enforcer.
20
217
ThE CiTy YoU LiVe iN
The city itself is another major character in your campaign. It’s a
major part of your aesthetic palette when running this game - the
bare fact of setting a game in London instead of Tokyo will have a
huge difference on the characters you’re playing and the strictures
they’re pressing up against (let alone the impact of setting the
story in a different time period than the modern day).
Whether you’re playing in a very familiar city, somewhere else in

the world, or a metropolis of your own creation, here’s some
important things to consider:
• What’s beautiful in this city? What makes it worth fighting for?

• What are some of its neighbourhoods? Think up cool places for the
rebels to live, work, and visit, and decide on the troubles they’re
currently facing. A varied set of neighbourhoods helps keep your
campaign feeling fresh as you move from Vassal to Vassal.
• How do the castle’s Vassals move in this city? What are some
ways Vassals might channel the castle to cause misery and
enrich themselves, at each tier of Vassal?
You’ll be able to work those out for your home city better than I can,
but if you want something a bit off the beaten path we provide
some example cities, for you to use directly or draw inspiration
from:
• Steel City Punks presents the Sheffield, UK of 1984. As miners

clash with police and new wave musicians push back against
the superficial glitz of Thatcherite prosperity, your rebels have
their own struggles to face.
• Bandit Country swaps out the urban city for a more isolated
setting - the fading towns and peat bogs of rural Ireland. What
can those of you unable to escape their small town do to make
things better? What is it about the bog that draws the castle here?
• Chicago [BLURB]
218 ThE ArChItEcT

ThE ArChItEcT 219
StEeL CiTy PuNkS
By David Morrison
Introduction
Iron flows in the veins of Sheffield, the hills bleeding into its
rivers, driven by the pounding heartbeat of the drop forges. For
centuries, the skill and ingenuity of artisans in silver and steel
brought prosperity and renown to the market town and clustered
villages nestled in the hills and valleys. But the industrial
revolution put Sheffield on the map. The power of the five rivers,
easy access to coal and iron, and the ambition of powerful men.
Sheffield became a crucible, transforming the labour of its people
into the wealth of nations. Stainless steel emerging from soot-
caked factories, fed by the blood of the earth and men. But there is
turmoil in the castle, and now, in 1984, that change is shaking even
the solid foundations of the City of Steel.
The financial boom of the 80s and the politics of Thatcher and
Reagan are reshaping who holds wealth and power. Old industries
are being forced out of profitability, and those whose livelihoods
are dependent on them are hit the hardest. The government is
pursuing an ideologically motivated clampdown on unions,
leading to the general Miners Strike. Women and people of colour
fight to have their voices heard. And the growing AIDS crisis
highlights the discrimination against the queer community even
as it makes it starker. Against this grim backdrop, people still live
their lives and fight for what they believe in. Forging
communities, creating art, grasping at progress, and refusing to
be cowed.
This setting is a retro-punk journey to a version of Sheffield - an

industrial city in Northern England - based in reality but shaped
by the baleful influence of the castle. Rebels in the city will have to
fight against grasping industrialists exploiting their workforce to
compete in a market that cares only for profit, a neglectful council
leaving its city to ruin, and the seemingly insurmountable foe of
the Thatcher government, hell-bent on crushing the labour
unions.
220 ThE ArChItEcT

Places
Castle Market
Sheffield's literal castle, an imposing fortress at the confluence of
the Sheaf and the Don rivers, was a victim of a former power play -
razed to the ground by Parliamentarians during the Civil War.
Now, its remains lay buried under the Castle Market. A concrete
warren of a building, staircases, walkways, and odd passages
surround the central foodhall. The wares on sale in the white-tiled
hall speak to the diversity of the town’s residents. Under the
foodhall is a manhole that leads to the ruins of the old castle - and
maybe a shelter for those who fight the new one.
Sheffield Town Hall Extension

While the town hall proper is a neo-gothic artifact of the late
Victorian period, the new extension was built in 1977. Colloquially
known as “the egg box”, it was built to last 500 years, and looks like
a bulbous insect nest of concrete and glass. Its dark reflection is a
hive of workers, who can reshape people's fortunes with ink and
ThE ArChItEcT 221

paper. Corruption lurks at the heart of the hive, bending the workers
to the desires of its Vassal. The Vassal seeks to render the people of
the city into easily controlled numbers, seeing only costs, and
rendering them uniform. They serve their more powerful rulers.
Mine Workings
The city is riddled with old mine tunnels, though no working pits
lie within the city boundaries. Occasionally a sinkhole will open
up, even swallowing buildings whole. Buried spectres of a bygone
era haunt these tunnels, lives sacrificed in the pursuit of wealth
and power. These tunnels may lead to the shards of industrialists,
keen to maintain their link to past glories. Or the ghosts may offer
safety to those who fight the castle anew.
The Leadmill
A relatively new club in an old flour mill (Leadmill is the name of
the street), it opened in 1980 initially as a community centre, but
has grown in fame as a music venue. Particularly supportive of the
local music scene, many of the synth bands the city is establishing
a reputation for play here. It also hosts overtly left-wing political
events. It is a place rebels can come to cut loose after tense
skirmishes with the castle, or meet up with like minded comrades.
222 ThE ArChItEcT

Park Hill Flats
A brutalist series of council flats, perched on a hill overlooking the
city. When they were constructed at the end of the ‘50s, clearing
the old tenement slums, they were a utopian dream. Streets in the
sky, where families could live in maisonettes with modern indoor
bathrooms and central heating. But neglect of the buildings and
the council’s byzantine housing practices are isolating the estate
and turning it into a darker, crueller place. People trapped in
concrete cells and despair. But even as the castle tries to break their
will, they cannot truly break the cosmopolitan community spirit.
The flats may well be home to the rebels and their contracts. They
have a presence in the castle as well, where shadowy figures exploit
the fears and insecurities of those who dwell there, and the
shadow image is a stark tower in monochrome.
The Peak District

While Sheffield is a surprisingly green city for its heavy
industrialisation, with numerous public parks and many of its
roads flanked by mature trees, the city limits also encroach on the
Peak District National Park. Sandwiched between the two
industrial juggernauts of Sheffield and Manchester, the peaks are
an unspoilt swath of hillside and moorlands. The pull of the castle
is weaker here in general, and it provides a spot where rebels can
rest up and heal in moderate safety. Though it is also dotted with
old manor houses, where isolated but powerful shards of the castle
may be found, the vestiges of feudal power.
ThE ArChItEcT 223

People
Immigrant Communities
Like most cities, Sheffield has a diverse population. As a large
industrial city, like many in the wake of WW2 its workforce was
depleted. There was therefore considerable immigration by the
so-called “Windrush Generation” - immigrants from the former
British Empire, spearheaded by the arrival of a ship called the
Empire Windrush in 1948. In particular, Sheffield attracted people
from Bangladesh, Pakistan and the West Indies, as well as
significant populations from Somalia, Yemen and Hong Kong.
Lesbians & Gays Support the Miners

An group of mostly working class activists in the queer community,
they banded together to arrange fundraising events to support
striking miners. While initially centred on London, many of its
members had come from smaller towns around the country,
particularly those affected by the strikes. Their efforts on behalf of
the miners saw an increase in queer representation in the trade
union movement, and was an example of grass-roots activism and
solidarity.
New Wave
While the era as a whole may be more associated with the anger of
punk, Sheffield would become an important birthing ground for
new wave and synth-pop music in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Acts
like Cabaret Voltaire were particularly influenced by the industrial
nature of the city and this shows in their music. Other important
bands from this period include ABC, Heaven 17, the Human
League and Pulp. The movement is still influenced by the political
nature of punk, but with a more avant garde sensibility, and some
members of the scene may be rebels or contacts.
224 ThE ArChItEcT

The Miners Strike
The miners strike was a general strike called by the National Union
of Miners (NUM) which lasted from 1984 to 1985. It is best
remembered for the uncompromising nature of both sides - the
Thatcherite Conservative government and the union led by Arthur
Scargill, and the brutal tactics employed by the government. Mining
towns were flooded with police, usually drawn from external forces
- particularly the Metropolitan Police. They used heavy-handed
tactics and violence to break pickets, including at the infamous
Battle of Orgreave, which took place just outside Sheffield. On top
of this they froze the NUM bank accounts, which meant the union
was incapable of financially supporting the striking miners. This
amounted to siege warfare against the miners and their families,
and the economic effect on mining regions was devastating,
persisting long after the strike was broken. It had a knock-on effect
in Sheffield, hastening the decline of the already struggling steel
industry as a major employer.
From the perspective of the castle, the brutal action against the
miners strike represents not only an effort to bring ordinary
people to heel, but a shift in the internal power structure of the
castle itself. The old order of Empire and industry is collapsing,
supplanted by globalisation, finance and media control. Initially
the rebels may engage with the foot-soldiers of the castle - massed
ranks of faceless truncheon-wielding police in a blue wall, led by
horrific centaurs with great clubs. But as they pierce deeper, they
will encounter vulture-headed capitalists intent on stripping the
carcasses of businesses for whatever they can take, and slimy
politician-leeches willing to sacrifice entire communities to
maintain their grip on power.
ThE ArChItEcT 225

BaNdIt CoUnTrY
By Finn MacGinty O’Neill
Otterby, North Westmeath, Ireland

Population: 950 and falling
Humans first set up camp on the shining shores of Lough Liara
about ten thousand years ago, and progress has been slow since.
Across the lake, the fishing village Ballnacut grew into a thriving
town of around 12,000. On this side of Liara, however, we haven’t
had much luck. The town if Otterby once hosted an abbey, a
hospital, an inland port on the Royal Canal, a breadcrumb factory,
all ruins now. Now all that's left is the old and those too strange to
emigrate. Same as any other small town.
But there's something about Otterby. The castle doesn’t have as

much power here. Castle Shards near Otterby have a moist, filthy
quality to them. Vassals find their powers numbed, their energy
drained, their minions erratic. Why? Mother Bog, my friend,
Mother Bog. You see, our Malnagh Bog is something like a
sponge. She absorbs water, and carbon, and hope, and the alien
evil of the Void. The energy drained from the castle renders the
surroundings a blindspot.
Action is difficult, observation impossible. In other words, the

perfect spot for psychic guerilla warfare.
226 ThE ArChItEcT

Places to be in Otterby
It’s better to be anywhere else, if we’re being honest.
Marnagh Bog
A sodden desert, the shadow that encloses Otterby. Willow trees,
mountains of turf, and stripped cranes. Ancient people build an
oak trackway for sacrifices, but it has since sunk into the muddy
waters beneath. Men from the company mash the bog into
compost bags and truck it down roads that rise and fall like the
universal breath.
Barton Lodge
Formerly the Hotel Otterby, but changed after the ‘such a lovely
face, such a lovely place’ jokes became unbearable. Features a fully-
stocked kitchen, two conference rooms, thirty guest rooms, and
they’re all uninhabitable thanks to black mold. Only the bar and
the lounge remain usable, the rest of the hotel quarantined for the
safety of the customers.
The Islamic Cultural Center

An unremarkable semi-detached. It was meant as a stopgap: use
Imam Khan’s house as a temporary mosque, then build a better
one in Ballnacut. Then the housing market crashed, so the Muslim
population of Westmeath makes do with it. Shoes off by the door,
the ablution sink is the first door to your right, and remember,
Mecca is that way.
Leam Hill
A green snake wrapped in gorse and barbed wire, crowned by
three burial sites. These cairns, as they’re called, have kept a stern
watch over Lake Liara for the past few thousand years. A favorite
spot of witches and neo-pagans the county over, and not just for
the delicious mushrooms that grow upon it. The stones catch the
starlight in such an enchanting way...
ThE ArChItEcT 227

The Castle in Otterby
Mother Bog shelters all.
Just because this place drains the Void does not mean it is free
from it. Instead, Otterby is a city of refuge for those among the
castle who have angered the castle or been broken by it. The lines
between Vassal and Rebel blur in these wild lands, leaving it up to
the involved parties who is friend and who is foe. Remember: the
enemy of your enemy is not always your friend, and never forget
what you're fighting for.
Tier 1: Knights of Otterby

Let’s pretend you’re a Knight. Let’s say you have failed the castle.
Failed badly enough to actually infuriate it. You don’t even know
what you’ve done, but a feeling from the very bottom of your gut
tells you that something very big and very angry is coming for you.
What better place to hide than by the bog?
Knights of Otterby are usually on the run, or pursuing those on

the run. Technically the castle withdraws privileges from traitors,
but if you’re in the Marnagh Bog it’s easy to trick the castle, like
stealing electricity from the neighbors. Rogue Knights are harder
to predict than regular Knights, as they are aware that they have
some sort of strange power, but are even less informed than
Rebels about what that means. This makes them more likely to
form cults or gangs, exploiting the bog’s blackspot to create their
own tin Castle out in the middle of nowhere.
Tier 2: Nobles of Otterby

There’s an open secret among Nobles of the castle. After twenty
years of continued exposure, the Void becomes cancerous. This is
a diagnosis no doctor can save you from. The only known
treatment is retirement on the Marnagh Bog. Retired Nobles of
Otterby have even formed a little group called ‘the Brotherhood’,
which has meetings in Barton Lodge every Tuesday. Part of their
charter states they are no longer fighting for the castle, having
already done everything they needed to.
228 ThE ArChItEcT

Some Nobles will even introduce themselves to Rebels as ex-
servants of the castle and act shocked if there’s a problem with that.
However, the Vassals being Vassals, it’s likely they’ve still got a
couple dread plans on the side. Besides, isn’t it a bit galling that
these guys get to enjoy a happy retirement?
Tier 3: Monarchs of Otterby

There are two shadows crushing Otterby.
First is the True Gardener. The True Gardener is the ‘community

representative’ for the multinational corporation mulching
Marnagh Bog into compost bags. She has made Otterby her white
whale, believing that Marnagh Bog is ‘bindweed’ strangling the
castle's influence, and by 'uprooting' it she can destroy the rogue
Vassals once and for all. Rumor has it that she's willing to turn a
blind eye if Rebels keep ‘murdering the living shite out of’ these
traitors to the castle, which has caused no end of inter-Rebel
conflict in the area.
Last, but not least, is the Starlight Usurper. The Starlight Usurper
is old, older than any other Vassal. In a time before time they
betrayed the castle and fled, burying their Shard far beneath Leam
Hill. Some Rebels seek to make contact with the Starlight Usurper,
believing them to be the key to defeating the castle for good, but
others are not so sure the enemy of their enemy is their friend.
Translations from the ancient gaelic are vague, though: the
Usurper could be buried ‘below’ Leam Hill, or ‘above’...
ThE ArChItEcT 229

ChIcAgO
By Adira Slattery
The city is hungry. Its steel is quenched in hog’s blood, hard rivets
weaving through a flaming wreckage. One hundred and forty nine
years ago Chicago burned to the ground and was reforged. The
swamps and wild onions making way for straight planned streets,
tall buildings, slaughterhouses, and rail. Skyscrapers were birthed
here, and then pushed to the limit. Something here wants to tear
down the sky and eat the clouds raw, and the people were more
than happy to feed it. The city of Big Shoulders worked and
worked and worked, and created a modern henge girded in iron.
The hawk wind howls off the lake through the wild skyscrapers.
Piles of snow and hard rain fall in April. At 10am on the first
Tuesday of every month, a piercing siren reminds you of the
tornadoes menacing just beyond the border. It’s not called The
Windy City for little reason, and Chicago’s weather is as
temperamental as they come. The people just plow through it all
the same, even as every season is represented during a single week
in January. And if you beat the weather, then you lay your claim.
Stake out a space in the winter with a folding chair, protect your
shady spot of the lakefront in summer. Just because the train
caught on fire doesn’t mean you can be late to work, it’s always
catching on fire this time of year. Chicago does not broker
weakness, and the castle smiles.
You have to know the right people to get anything done in

Chicago, and as such you gotta “know a guy.” You know a guy for
the roof. You know a guy for baseball tickets. You know a guy for
your parking ticket. You know a guy for every little detail. Then
when the deed is done, shake hands and pass money in your
palms without anyone seeing. Always a little extra. For his mother.
For discretion. For protection.
The political machine closes schools for more police academies,

splits the city with rail, and builds ever higher. Luxury apartments
loom over the public waterfront, and highways cut through
historic neighborhoods to separate the city with red lines. Law
abiding politicians don’t get elected in Chicago. Who would trust a
230 ThE ArChItEcT

ThE ArChItEcT 231
politician when you don’t know what’s in his closet? With a
crooked politician, the city works. Corrupt politicians just want
everything to run smoothly, so that you don’t notice them giving
the big contract to their cousin. And it all just works, why mess it
up with oversight? One alderman retires, just elect his even more
crooked son.
The Void in Chicago

The Void bleeds easily into Chicago, and the castle’s Vassals oversee
every section of life. From cops to the mayor’s office, everyone
bends the knee eventually. The castle touches every part of life from
north to south. More than any other place, the castle is happy to set
up a number of little kings and then have the petty fiefs fight for
its amusements. Only the strong survive in Chicago, and the
strong serve the castle.
The people of Chicago have always found ways to fight back. All
the way back to the Haymarket Affair people have been pushing
back and getting shot, blown up, or jailed. Chicagoans don’t lay
down though. They get right back up, swinging. The people have
taken the worst this city has to offer, and come out on the other
side. Neighborhoods band together and create a better world.
That’s what the Rebels represent in a place like Chicago, a way to
break the eternal cycle of graft and abuse.
NEIGHBORHOODS
Chicago is filled with neighborhoods, at least 77 depending on
how you count. Here are just four specific areas to give you a cross
section of the Windy City.
The Loop
Bordered by a circle of elevated train tracks, the downtown center
of Chicago awakes with a bustle of activity as the sun rises. Lower
Wacker fills with cars whose GPSes don’t work underground, and
Lake Shore Drive accommodates driving 65 on a road designed for
a 45mph speed limit while the cops drive past you going 80. Filled
with activity, Vassals look out over the skyline from corner offices
and dream of higher floors. The courts come into session, and the
trading floor opens. But then, with the setting sun, the castle falls
232 ThE ArChItEcT

back asleep. No one is in the Loop after 6PM. Tourists wander the
dark corridors between the skyscrapers and think, “Isn’t this the
downtown? Shouldn’t there be something to do?” But everyone
who lives there has retreated up their elevators to their glistening
apartments, and won’t come down until the sun returns.
West Ridge
Tucked into the very northern edge of the city, this residential
neighborhood sits peacefully. Touhy and Devon, the major roads
of West Ridge, are both lined with stores and restaurants. While
Touhy is the center of Orthodox Jewish life in Chicago and
slumbers on the weekend, Devon’s South Asian corridor bustles at
every hour. The multiethnic nature of West Ridge makes it the
most diverse neighborhood in a city plagued by segregation, and
the castle would love nothing more than to tear it apart.
Gold Coast
Glittering and fabulous, the Gold Coast is where those with real
money live and play. Boutiques and bars create the Viagra Triangle
where rich older men come just a short way north from the Loop
to meet young and desperate women. The castle has an iron grip on
Chicago, but here it is so powerful that the Vassals can afford to
live a little and flex their power.
Pilsen
Building up in the early 20th century, Chicago needed a massive
influx of immigrants. From German, to Czech, to Italian, to
Mexican, Pilsen has been home to a never ending cycle of
communities calling this neighborhood home. But now as society
shifts, a new group has been coming in with trendy coffee shops
and upscale bakeries. And the castle is more than happy to stoke
the fires of gentrification.
ThE ArChItEcT 233

VoIdHeA
rT aNd
tHe TaRo
T
TaRoT TrAnSpOsItIoN
Readers familiar with the tarot may have noticed that the deck
described in Voidheart Symphony isn’t 100% accurate to the
arcana as set out in the Rider-Waite deck. As I made this game, I
found places where the tarot was unnecessarily gendered, or its
archetypes didn’t fully hit what I was shooting for – so I changed
some card names to improve the fit.
If you’d like to use a ‘traditional’ deck with this game, or simply

want to look up what the arcana in this book correlate to, here’s a
transposition guide:
Voidheart Card Traditional Card
Oracle High Priestess
Gardener Empress
Auteur Emperor
Sage Hierophant
Vagabond Hanged Man
Scholar Page
Envoy Knight
Avatar Queen
Ruler King
236 VoIdHeArT aNd tHe TaRoT

ReAdInG tIpS
There’s a few card interpretation strategies I bounce between. The
simplest one is to look up a card writeup online - Biddy Tarot is
often pretty good, though I’m also a fan of the per-card breakdowns
Pixel Occult do for their decks (e.g. their Neon Moon deck).
Another strategy is to build a set of structural guidelines, different

axes of meaning you can locate your card on. Some examples:
• Suit: Coins govern financial and material things. Wands are

passions, inspirations, creativity. Cups are emotions, communities
and relationships. Swords are actions, intellect, and belief.
• Court Cards: A Scholar is starting a journey into the suit’s element.
An Envoy brings the suit’s element into someone else’s life. An
Avatar is encapsulating the suit’s element within them. And a
Crown is using the element as a tool, mastering it and directing it.
• Upright/Reversed: An upright card has its core meaning; a
reversed card is a modifier to that. A reversed card might invert
the core meaning, showing a lack of whatever the upright card
indicated; it might block the core meaning, suggesting
something impeding the core meaning from coming about; or
it might internalise/externalise the core meaning, reading a
card normally about a person’s environment as a description of
their mental state or vice versa.
• Progression through the Arcana: The Major Arcana can be read
as a journey from complete naïveté (The Fool) to complete
enlightenment (The World). When interpreting a Major
Arcanum, you can read it as a guide towards the target’s
spiritual/philosophical/intellectual development - the higher its
number, the more lessons the target has learned from the
world. I find this less useful, but it might help you.
A final strategy is simply to see what the card’s art suggests to you.
Tarot cards are often full of dense, mysterious, and often
contradictory symbolism - see what it suggests to you! This point
is also why it’s important to pick a deck that’s meaningful to the
tone of your campaign. Looking at my own decks, Neon Moon
would work well of a high-tech, almost cyberpunk-flavoured
campaign; Oriens encourages me to think in terms of nature,
animals and ecosystems; and the traditional Rider-Waite deck
puts the spotlight on traditional occultism, folklore, and
institutional, historical systems of power.
VoIdHeArT aNd tHe TaRoT 237

ScEnArIo SpReAdS
So, you’re starting up a new Voidheart Symphony investigation, and
want inspiration for the Vassal the players are investigating, their
particular position in the shadow hierarchy of the castle, and the
resources they can bring to bear both in the mundane world and
in their personal castle-shard. Here’s one method of doing that,
using a standard tarot deck.
Preparation
Get a deck with Major and Minor arcana, and half of the cards
reversed. Shuffle it.
Reading
1. Draw a card for the Vassal’s Tier.
How high up they are in the castle’s ranks.
• Reversed Minor Arcanum: Tier 1 (Knight). Interpret it to

answer: How is the castle nurturing their darkness?
• Upright Minor Arcanum: Tier 2 (Noble). Interpret it to answer:
What responsibility has the castle given them?
• Major Arcanum: Tier 3 (Monarch). If upright, the Monarch is
local to this city; if reversed, they’re brought in from elsewhere
as part of the castle’s plan. Interpret it to answer: What end are
they steering the castle towards?
If their Tier has already been decided, just interpret the card to
inform the answer to their Tier question.
2. Draw a card for the Vassal’s Drive.

Interpret it to answer what the castle promised them, and what their
main impulse is. If you like, you can fit it into this book’s set of:
• Dominion: Power, authority, acclaim.

Impulse: Offer rewards for service.
• Excellence: Become the best in their field.
Impulse: Demonstrate their mastery.
• Insight: Answers to a burning question.
Impulse: Relentlessly pursue any clues.
• Avarice: The finest things in life.
Impulse: Claim other’s most precious things.

3. Deal three cards to guide their Tokens.
Interpret them to reveal what Tokens the rebels might find in the
castle shard, and what doubts and ideals those tokens may
suggest that the rebels can exploit.
• The first is their regrets - the things they wish had gone
differently.
• The second is their aspirations - their most lofty goals and
noble intentions.
• The last is their cherished connections - the people (or pets)
whose presence they value.
4. Draw cards for their support.

Interpret these cards to reveal the other entities helping the
Vassal.
• One for their mundane connections. These are the underlings

that serve them, and maybe the powers those underlings have
access to.
• One per Tier for their Enforcers. Work out what flaw in the
Vassal each represents, and start thinking about how it may
manifest in the castle and in the mundane world.
5. Draw a card for their danger.

Interpret it to show how they directly pose a threat to the rebels
and their community. If it’s a...
• Covenant’s arcanum: The Vassal is endangering that specific

Covenant.
• Minor Arcana: The Vassal is endangering the systems and
structures that the rebel’s community depends on.
• Major Arcana: The Vassal is endangering an important figure in
the rebel’s community, though not someone they have direct
ties too.

An Example Reading
To demonstrate, here’s an example spread:
4a
1 2 5
4B
Step 1: Tier
The Lovers, reversed
The Vassal is a monarch, newly arrived in this city to serve some

goal wider than the city itself. The Lover represents, well, love,
along with alignment and choices. Alignment is interesting -
forming new partnerships. I think that this Vassal is in the city as
an ambassador for a broader wing of the castle, and is here to fold
the city’s Vassals into their organisation - either as a mutually
beneficial partnership, or a hostile takeover. Either way, it’ll only
strengthen the castle in this city.

Step 2: Drive
The Moon
The Moon is a card of illusions and nightmares. What this tells me

is that the world scares the Vassal, and the castle offers them a
perspective that makes the world simple. Their impulse is,
perhaps, to ignore complexity and act according to a simple
paradigm – you can serve or you can suffer.
Step 3: Tokens
Four of Coins, Reversed; Crown of Swords; Eight of Cups
Regrets: The reversed Four of Coins can represent materialism,

frugality, selfishness. Perhaps the Vassal made decisions in the
past driven by material needs (miserly withdrawal or acquisitive
hunger) and regrets the consequences of that? But I’m not really
feeling that one. Perhaps, it’s a lack of what the upright card
represents – control over your assets and financial stability. Maybe
the Vassal was careless with how they used the riches the castle
funnelled to them, and it hurt or upset someone they cared for.
Aspirations: The Crown of Swords is one entirely in charge of

their intellect and authority. The Vassal wants to be a wise ruler,
fully a master of their domain - and there’s a vein of noblesse
oblige running through them. They view it as admirable for the
one in charge to care for the needs of their lessers, even if they
cannot imagine a world outside the hierarchy of the castle. Tokens
might point to underlings they think they’ve helped, or victims of
other Vassals that this Vassal uses to convince themselves they’re
one of the good ones.
Connections: The Eight of Cups is a card about introspection -

brooding on your purpose in life, and what you need to do to feel
fulfilled. I think the Vassal has someone that they go to when they
want to get things off their chest; maybe this city is home to an old
friend or even old flame of theirs, and they’re viewing this trip as
an opportunity to catch up and ground themselves a bit.

Step 4a: Mundane Support
Two of Coins, Reversed
The Vassal has a whole squad of supernaturally-augmented

minions serving them. Coins puts them in the financial sphere, and
the reversed Two of Coins specifically represents financial
instability and neglect. This makes me think of a business of
auditors or financial consultants, with the ability to corrupt and
contaminate numbers. They can come into a business, twist its
records, and cause its ruin (or serve it up on a platter to regulators).
Step 4b: Supernatural Support

Seven of Swords; Two of Swords; Six of Coins
The Seven of Swords is deception and secrecy. The Vassal is

unhappy with the underhanded way they enforce the castle’s will
(as described in Mundane Support). They don’t like acting like a
thief or assassin, even if it’s ‘necessary’. So in the castle, this is a
cloaked assassin jumping between shadows, swamping rebels in
confusion and cutting them open to spill out their precious assets.
If it breaches into the city, I might have them be a doppelganger to
steal a contact’s business from them and asset-strip it, or straight-
up act as an assassin assaulting the rebels in the night.
The Two of Swords is stillness, indecision, stalemate. The Vassal is

tired of the status quo, but they’re so locked into the castle’s
hierarchy that they don’t know what ‘different’ looks like. In the
castle, this constricting structure manifests as a knight on a
chessboard - constraining rebel’s movement, lunging from oblique
angles, and shifting to match the tactics used against it. If it
breaches into the city, it causes stultifying stillness to settle over a
neighbourhood. The air grows sluggish and humid, water is brackish
and flows fitfully, the roads are gridlocked, and red tape piles up.
The Six of Coins is prosperity, flow of money, generosity. This is

the Vassal’s perception of themself as a generous ruler, ignorant of
the harm they cause. In the castle they drown rebels in torrents of
coins, command a flock of minions, ‘buy’ the rebel’s gear and
replace it with useless trinkets. In the city, they are an angel
investor for a contact’s venture, giving them everything they ever
wanted but pulling them into the castle’s systems.

Step 5: Danger
Scholar of Wands
What’s the immediate risk to the rebels’ community? As a minor

arcanum this means that it’s a structural change, and wands puts
this in the realm of creativity and inspiration. The scholar, in
particular, makes this a question of initiation, of people setting
out on a journey of creation. So I think it’s the arts scene of the
rebels’ community that’s under the hammer. This isn’t likely to be
a targeted attack, but a pretty common gentrifying pathway is:
1. An area has cheap property values, maybe thanks to it previously

being home to an industry that’s declined and shut up shop.
2. Artists and students move in, seeking cheap accommodation.
Over time the area gains a reputation as ‘cool’ or ‘artistic’ or
‘bohemian’.
3. Prices rise as the area becomes desirable and developers seek
to exploit its reputation. First the long-term residents of the
area are pushed out, and then the artistic community, until it’s
only home to upper-class professionals who want to look
cultured and arty.
So! This Vassal is coming in to fold this city’s castle into their
network, and one of their first steps is to get a strong financial
foothold. They’ll do this by noticing a part of the rebel’s
community that is at step 2 in that chain above, and start buying
out houses and meeting spots to start developing them into
something more profitable. This fragments the artistic
community in the area, and if left unchecked will dilute the
neighbourhood’s vibrancy until it’s bland and commodified and
marketable to the people with money to really matter.
Conclusion
So that’s our Vassal: a deal-maker at the summit of a pyramid of
financial institutions. They rely on the castle to give them simple
rules for life that’ll bring them prosperity, but they’re finding it
harder to ignore the complications and nuance. And while they
want to be a good ruler to those under them, they cannot see the
beauty that can only exist outside their walls.

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voidHearT

pSyChIc rEbElLiOn iN tHe sHaDoWs oF tHe cItY

Additional Writing CDC, Luca Bravo, Rowan Chestnut,

This is a political game

This is also a personal game, centred in my own particular

One player is the Architect. They're here to keep track of the

The game unfolds through Investigations. Each begins with a new

The Architect’s role

Each Architect reaction is a way of raising the stakes, shaking up

A pLaYeR dEsCrIbEs aN aCtIoN tHeIr PlAyErS lOoK tO tHe ArChItEcT

HaS iT bEeN eStAbLiShEd

RoLl tHe dIcE.

MaKe mOvE rEsUlT cHoIcEs.

SpEnD HoLd. GeT HoLd.

In the city, success depends on overcoming the pressures that

Milli has evidence that a doctor at the hospital is using patients as

• If the sum is 7 or above, that's a hit.

Occasionally, specific effects might make things harder - or easier

These effects don’t stack – even under multiple sources of

These effects can be fleeting or lasting; fleeting effects are used up

This is also a good time to decide on the broad strokes of your

3: Your First Foe

4: Dive Into Darkness

5: Facing the Vassal

Architect: pick three of these Qualities to define the avatar. Check

Revisit your Particulars - is there anything you want to change

For Gauges, we see the issues your character is already struggling

Once you've defined your contact you go around again, picking

Once all of these are down, draw rough boundaries around

8. The Next Investigation

This time they’ll need to run through a full investigation: investigate

Which is on the rise? Which is in decline?

What sort of professionals does the industry attract?

What costs does the industry levy on its laborourers?

Who are the most powerful blocs in the city?

What agenda are they pushing?

How do they exert their influence on the city’s governors?

What’s the city particularly failing to provide?

Which groups are especially denied this?

How do these group intersect with other marginalised

What brings the city together?

Who do these public celebrations still exclude?

What outside force is threatening the city?

Which local groups are agitating for action?

What are its leaders doing instead of taking action?

Which of these do others ignore or refuse to see?

Which of these do you hide, if you need to?

Which of these are impossible for you to hide?

Which of these do you refuse to hide?

What compromises have you made in order to survive in this world?

Are there any compromises you’re not aware you made?

What would you be if you didn’t have to compromise like this?

Who’s most important to you?

In what ways are they different like you?

In what ways are they different unlike you?

What marks do you still carry from that time?

How has your background made life easier for you?

Are you conscious of these privileges?

What obligations are you expected to act on in return?

It’s alright to play a character who experiences a form of

• Treat the trait with nuance, respect, and empathy.

Pressures in the City

Heat: How aware hostile elements are of your interference in their

Fealty: The depth to which the castle has penetrated your