TEXT: POST-APOCALYPTIC GOTHIC FANTASY 
  CAMPAIGN SETTING
  
  2
  Genesys: Sunfall
  Credits
  design And development
  Anastasia Steele
  lAyout And grAphiCs
  J. Scott Zumwalt
  AdditionAl tAlents
  Guillaume Tardiff and J. Scott Zumwalt
  This product was created under license. GENESYS and its logo, and GENESYS FOUNDRY and its logo, are 
  trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Fantasy Flight Games charac-
  ters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Games.  
  www.FantasyFlightGames.com
  This work contains material that is copyright Fantasy Flight Games and/or other authors. Such material 
  is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Genesys Foundry. All other original 
  material in this work is copyright 2020 by Anastasia Steele and published under the Community Content 
  Agreement for Genesys Foundry.
  Document Version 1.0.0
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  3
  tAble of Contents
  Introduction ....................................................................4
  A World Without Flame .....................................................4
  Themes ..................................................................................4
  Tropes ....................................................................................4
  Part 1 Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance............................7
  Chapter 1: As Above, So Below ........................................8
  The Rise and Fall of the Moristagian Empire ...............8
  Ever-Living Fire ..............................................................10
  Chapter 2: Life in a Sunless World .................................11
  Chapter 3: The Powers That Be .......................................14
  The Brimstone Republics ..............................................15
  The Mandate of the Faith ..............................................16
  The Peoples of the Wastes .............................................18
  Chapter 4: Varieties of Belief ...........................................19
  The Faith ..........................................................................19
  Wasteland Beliefs ...........................................................23
  Chapter 5: The Mysteries of Magic .................................24
  Thaumaturgy and the Soul............................................24
  Pyromancy and Daemonkind ......................................27
  Chapter 6: The Marvels of Technology .......................30
  Technology of the Blessed Age .....................................31
  The Ruins of the Old Empire ........................................31
  Part 2 Number, Weight, and Measure ...........................33
  Chapter 1: Character Creation ........................................34
  Archetypes ......................................................................34
  Careers .............................................................................36
  Secrets ..............................................................................40
  Chapter 2: New Skills and Rules .....................................40
  Skills .................................................................................40
  New Rules .......................................................................42
  Chapter 3: Magic ............................................................44
  Thaumaturgy ..................................................................44
  Compel ............................................................................44
  Pyromancy ......................................................................45
  Exorcise ...........................................................................46
  Magic Implements .........................................................46
  Chapter 4: Talents .............................................................49
  New Talents ......................................................................49
  Revenant Talents .............................................................53
  Visitant Talents ................................................................55
  Chapter 5: Gear .................................................................56
  Weapons.............................................................................56
  Craftsmanship ...................................................................61
  Item Attachments .............................................................61
  Gear ....................................................................................62
  Potions, Intoxicants and Other Substances ...................63
  Currency ............................................................................65
  Trade Goods ......................................................................66
  Part 3 Crown, Sword, and Scepter ................................67
  Chapter 1: Nuragos and the Republic of Esca  .............68
  Nuragos ...........................................................................68
  The Republic of Esca ......................................................68
  Chapter 2 : Istria and Livadi ............................................71
  The Istrian Steppe ..........................................................71
  The Most Serene Republic of Livadi ............................73
  Chapter 3: Other Powers of the Western Byssarian .....75
  Pelasgos & the Kyriades .................................................75
  Ammunir, Ithobaal and Ter Suoli ................................77
  Chapter 4: Tur Moresh and Pagamea .............................79
  Tur Moresh......................................................................79
  Pagamea ..........................................................................80
  Chapter 5: Other Powers of the Mandate ......................83
  Isbanir ..............................................................................83
  Chapter 6: The World Below ...........................................86
  On the Nature of the Immaterial .................................86
  Part 4 Bell, Book, and Candle .......................................88
  Chapter 1: General Advice ..............................................89
  On Bad Behavior ............................................................89
  On Party Composition ..................................................89
  On the Folly of Armaments and Material Wealth .....89
  Suggested Reading .........................................................89
  Chapter 2: Plot Threads and Political Tensions ............90
  The Istrian Gold Rush ...................................................90
  The War of Unification ..................................................90
  The Faith & the Dissidents ............................................91
  Dungeons & Delvers ......................................................91
  Chapter 3: Allies and Adversaries ..................................92
  Beasts ...............................................................................92
  Constructs .......................................................................94
  Humans, Visitants & the Undead ................................96
  
  4
  Introduction
  INTRODUCTION
  A World Without flAme
  T
  he world of Sunfall ended not once, but twice. The 
  first Apocalypse was brought by the death of its sun, 
  and the second — by the destruction of the Sun’s 
  artificial replacement. It is a bitter world, a world that has 
  forgotten itself. The vast, crystalline corpse of the Second 
  Sun hangs ponderous overhead, and in the aftermath of its 
  death, fire has vanished from the world. Nothing ignites. 
  The world is quiet, desolate, wreathed in the pall of eternal 
  winter. The ruins of great civilizations dot the landscape, 
  slowly crumbling under the weight of the snow, their most 
  precious treasures untouched for generations, their greatest 
  secrets lost to blind oblivion. 
  Despite this, life persists. A handful of plant and animal 
  species originally native to the far north have spread far 
  beyond it, and many from warmer climes were altered and 
  adapted for cold, lightless conditions by skilled magicians of 
  ages past. Forests deep as oceans tower over tangled ever-
  green shrubs and growths of moss and lichen underfoot. 
  Herds of elk, bison, and mammoths walk the plains and the 
  woods; wolves, bears and long-toothed tigers follow, and 
  stranger beasts still dwell close to the ruined towers and lab-
  oratories of long-gone sorcerer-kings.
  The remnants of human civilization huddle in cities, 
  towns, and villages built over portals to the World Below, 
  a fiery spirit realm that provides heat and trade at the cost 
  of human bodies and souls. The spirits themselves walk 
  the earth or strike pacts with mortals, their terms invari-
  ably Faustian — the petitioner’s soul in exchange for magic, 
  power, and knowledge. Fire from Below is one of the most 
  valuable commodities on the market, followed closely by 
  human souls and salvaged machinery from ruins of prior 
  ages. Although they cannot hope to recreate or even fully 
  comprehend the past, the people of this world look to the 
  future with hope — the world may be cold and forbidding, 
  but recent years, arriving in the aftermath of a too-long dark 
  age, have brought with them a flourishing of arts, culture 
  and scientific and magical innovation — a Renaissance 
  among the desolation. 
  themes
  Sunfall is a post-apocalyptic Gothic fantasy setting for the 
  Genesys Role-Playing Game. Its historical equivalent falls 
  somewhere between the late Renaissance and the 18th cen-
  tury, and its overarching theme is the fragility of human 
  civilization and social order set against a backdrop of cul-
  tural and scientific progress. At the moment, humankind 
  flourishes: a significant portion of the population — those 
  fortunate enough to live in cities and above the poverty line 
  — can forget, at least for a time, that the outside world is a 
  desolate wasteland, frozen and unsuited to human life. This 
  newfound wealth and security makes leaders look outwards, 
  contemplating the idea of political unity in a world that has 
  not known it in centuries — a world that will undoubtedly 
  resist it at every turn. The invention of the printing press, 
  meanwhile, has allowed for a rapid and unprecedented 
  spread of information among the literate, thus causing a 
  proliferation of heretical thought and bringing the part of 
  the world described in this document to the brink of violent 
  schism. 
  The Gothic aspect of the setting is present in the land-
  scape, majestic in its desolation, and in the presence of the 
  supernatural. Actual practitioners of magic are somewhat 
  uncommon, particularly outside of large cities, but its exis-
  tence is well-known and beings born of or created through 
  magic — daemons and the undead — walk among mortals, 
  often in the open, both threatening and sublime in their 
  monstrousness. This, of course, only serves to create new 
  divisions in a place already divided, and to tip communities 
  past their breaking points. The arrival of a group of the liv-
  ing dead, a case of daemonic possession, or an accusation of 
  witchcraft — this is all it takes to reduce a formerly thriving 
  community to a frozen desolation. 
  A Sunfall campaign does not have to be set in the midst of 
  mass social upheaval, but rather on the very edge of it. The 
  world is a powder keg of contrasts: rich and poor, city-dwell-
  ers and Wasteland holdouts, heretical firebrands and dog-
  matic counter-reformers, those who celebrate magic and 
  those who condemn it. The breadth of information provided 
  in this document should allow Game Masters and their 
  groups to tell a wide variety of stories and approach a variety 
  of subjects, ranging from exploration and dungeon-delving 
  to religious horror and political intrigue.
  tropes
  Sunfall is a heady mixture of Gothic, fantasy, and historical 
  tropes, their selection guided only by whimsy and caprice. 
  Do with them what you will
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  5
  ruin
  Ruin is a staple of both Gothic literature and fantasy tabletop 
  RPGs: the former is lousy with crumbling estates, the latter 
  — dilapidated temples and dark dungeons. Although often 
  depicted as purely architectural, ruin is not limited to phys-
  ical structures. Scandal or economic misfortune destroy 
  grand households; mad or incompetent leaders bring low 
  entire governments and religions, nations succumb to 
  infighting and corruption, and natural disasters or outside 
  interference wreak havoc on entire biospheres. Ruin can 
  even be cosmological, presenting the players with a world 
  in which a formerly present deity or deities have abandoned 
  the world, died, or become insane and malevolent. This 
  sense of decay permeates every fiber of Sunfall, and its pur-
  pose is to create a sense of wonder and mystery, but also of 
  melancholy and desolation: the player characters are drop-
  lets in an ocean, tiny figures wandering through cyclopean 
  ruins, scavengers picking at the carcass of greatness.
  renAissAnCe
  Though far from historical fantasy, Sunfall is nevertheless 
  supposed to invoke the image of the Renaissance, partic-
  ularly as it occurred in Italy and, to a much lesser extent, 
  along the Silk Roads. Great city-states and petty kingdoms, 
  threaded together with trade routes like pearls in a rich tap-
  estry, are a dream world of art and culture. There is a renewed 
  interest in history and the humanities — which means that 
  many nobles and members of the gentry spend obscene 
  amounts of money to sate their appetite for knowledge and 
  for art, commissioning great painters and sculptors to cre-
  ate masterpieces and hiring the foolish and the intrepid to 
  retrieve antiques for their ever-growing collections. Schol-
  ars and historians pore over ancient chronicles or classics of 
  literature and philosophy and cherry-pick from the writings 
  of their ancestors, willfully ignoring the ignoble complexity 
  of their thoughts and deeds. Merchants venture further and 
  further in search of riches and exotic goods, and bring back 
  accounts of lands almost too distant for the common man to 
  comprehend.  Organized religion, too, flourishes and wields 
  a significant degree of political power — a bishop may not 
  have de facto control of his diocese, but he does have author-
  ity over belief (which moves mountains) and access to the 
  coffers of the Church (which moves bigger mountains). 
  eArly modernity
  Sunfall’s second historical influence is the Early Modern 
  period, which begins at the very end of the Renaissance. It 
  is a time of reform and upheaval — the spiritual authority 
  of the Catholic Church, once absolute in Western Europe, 
  suffers a crippling blow from an unruly collection of indig-
  nant religious movements armed with and the printing 
  press. War, like religion, experiences significant changes: the 
  bow and crossbow start giving way to the musket, armored 
  knights find their match in squares of pikemen and brigades 
  of arquebusiers, and professional soldiers replace levied 
  militias. The trappings of feudal society fade into the past, 
  and out emerges a class of people who are neither rich nor 
  poor, who own property, congregate in urban centres, and 
  practice some form of skilled labor.
  Early Modern fantasy is not heroic or chivalric. Evil is not 
  cosmic, but human, banal in its mundanity: Early Modern 
  antagonists are individuals like corrupt church officials, 
  amoral mercenary bands, scheming politicians, ruthless 
  inquisitors and fanatical witch-hunters. There is no more 
  glory in war — there never was any to begin with, but the 
  individuals who sustained the illusion have either died out, 
  or merely given up. 
  eCleteCh & CloCkpunk
  Even on Earth, technological development is far from the 
  vision of orderly progress that dominates popular culture. It is 
  messy and nonlinear, rife with setbacks and shocking insights 
  that seem far ahead of their time. Add magic to the mix, and 
  it becomes a tangled nightmare: the inhabitants of the world 
  of Sunfall are able to construct clockwork automations and 
  arcane engines of fantastic complexity...yet at the same time, 
  the printing press is a relatively recent invention that has 
  taken the world by storm and the steam engine is an unlikely 
  curiosity, rather than the driving force of industry. Overall, 
  this setting falls closer to Leonardo’s Venetian workshop than 
  it does to the factories of Victorian Britain: all machinery is 
  intricate clockwork, hand-made by master artisans. Advanced 
  technology, such as it is, has the trappings of magic: while a 
  contemporary reader may think of a weapon that discharges 
  beams of concentrated light as a ray gun or laser rifle, individ-
  uals inhabiting a world in which magic is real and firearms are 
  rare might call it an arcane beamcaster. 
  spirits And fAustiAn bArgAins
  Sunfall’s spirits and demons (or daemons) are similar to 
  those one may find in Gothic fiction: immaterial beings, 
  insidious and deceitful, insinuating themselves into mor-
  tal minds and bodies, combating shamans and exorcists 
  who would oppose them. Consider the creature possessing 
  Regan in The Exorcist, Vanessa’s demon from Penny Dread-
  ful, or well-spoken Mephistopheles, who came to Doctor 
  Faustus in the guise of a Franciscan friar. Faustian bargains 
  feature prominently in Sunfall: a mortal beseeches an older 
  power for magic and knowledge, and pays for it a terrible 
  price. In many stories featuring a Faustian bargain, that 
  power — usually the Devil — gives the mortal petitioner 
  what they wish for a number of years, and then comes to 
  collect their debts. Faustus himself suffers this fate at the 
  hands of Mephistopheles, who drags him to Hell at the end 
  of his twenty-five years. Other, more cunning characters 
  sometimes manage to outwit or outdo their supernatural 
  adversaries: the Devil has no luck in Georgia, slinking back 
  to Hell short one fiddle made of gold.
  
  6
  Introduction
  grAy morAlity
  Instead of the stark contrast between black and white, good 
  and evil, gray morality provides ambiguity. In any given 
  gray-and-gray conflict, particularly on a large scale, neither 
  side is completely right nor completely wrong — both have 
  justifiable reasons for their behavior and beliefs, as well as 
  goals more complex than “kill everyone” or “save everyone”. 
  There are no easy solutions to any given moral quandary, 
  just as there are no evil sorcerers throwing maidens into 
  volcanoes and no knights in shining armor riding out to 
  stop them. This is not to say that people with strong moral 
  convictions do not exist, but rather that those convictions 
  are constantly tested and subject to change. Characters in 
  gray-and-gray stories are often conflicted about the right or 
  necessary course of action, and they find their assumptions 
  about the world and the nature of good and evil shifting as 
  the story progresses. 
  melodrAmA
  Emotion runs high in Gothic fiction. Everyone should be 
  soliloquizing, professing love undying, swearing vengeance, 
  and having dramatic standoffs with their hated rivals all the 
  time. And how can a Gothic setting stay Gothic without 
  the Gothic villain, that brooding miscreant surrounded by 
  a gaggle of cringing minions as he expounds, with raving 
  gusto, on the dark past that so torments him?
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  7
  RESOLVE, RUIN, AND 
  RENAISSANCE
  “Woe to you, you wicked souls!
   Have no hope of ever seeing Heaven.
  I come to take you to the other shore,
   To endless darkness, to fire and to ice.”
  Dante Alighieri, Inferno, Canto III (84-87)
  in this pArt of the 
  book, you Will find…
  • Chapter 1: As Above, So Below explains the relation-
  ship between the spirit and material worlds and the 
  history of the region covered in this document, and 
  provides a basic understanding of how human life 
  persists in a frozen, sunless world. 
  • Chapter 2: Life in a Sunless World provides a basic 
  understanding of the landscape of the Sunless Age, 
  and insight into the day-to-day life of the inhabitants 
  of city-states and smaller townships. 
  • Chapter 3: The Powers That Be contains general in-
  formation pertaining to the culture and politics of the 
  major power blocs of the Byssarian — the Mandate of 
  the Faith and the Brimstone Republics — as well as a 
  general overview of holdout peoples who live in the 
  wastelands outside major cities. 
  • Chapter 4: Varieties of Belief describes the spiritual 
  landscape of the Byssarian: the Faith, the major 
  religion of the region, as well as other minor religious 
  traditions and belief systems.
  • Chapter 5: The Mysteries of Magic concerns itself 
  with the two magical disciplines of the setting — thau-
  maturgy, the magic of the human soul, and pyroman-
  cy, the magic of daemonkind — in addition to specific 
  information about daemons, necromancy, and the 
  undead. 
  • Chapter 6: The Marvels of Technology delineates the 
  extent of technological development in the setting, in-
  cluding brief descriptions of technology of prior ages 
  and the peculiar subculture of scholars, scavengers, 
  and other individuals dedicated to unearthing and 
  selling the secrets of the past.
  PART 1
  
  8
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  ChApter 1: As Above, so beloW
  T
  o understand the history of Arnai — this world — 
  one must first understand its structure and its nature. 
  It consists of two halves: the World Above, a material 
  realm of mortal souls inhabiting physical vessels, and the 
  World Below, a fiery, ethereal realm of disembodied spirits 
  — daemons, as some call them. When a soul perishes in the 
  World Above, it sinks to the World Below, where daemons 
  nourish themselves by stripping the soul of memory and 
  breaking it down into raw spirit essence. Afterwards, new 
  souls form from the scattered remnants of the dead, ready to 
  be born into the World Above. This constant flow of essence 
  between the two realms is integral to their continued sur-
  vival: without souls to consume, daemons would starve and 
  dissolve, and without daemons to assist it, the reincarna-
  tion of souls would grind to a halt, ultimately leaving Arnai 
  devoid of sapient life. 
  The two Worlds are inseparable. Sometimes, they draw 
  closer to each other, their boundaries becoming less dis-
  tinct. Daemons find their way to the World Above, possess-
  ing the living for a taste of embodied existence, of the plea-
  sures of the flesh. Human oracles kneel over fissures in the 
  earth, inhaling blistering vapors and incanting sacred words 
  to commune with the otherworld. The truly ambitious strike 
  desperate bargains, offering the daemons their very souls in 
  exchange for powerful, fiery magics that cannot be achieved 
  through ordinary arcane study.
  Every human culture in existence has a different concep-
  tion of the World Below and of the places where it comes 
  into contact with the World Above. Some think of it as a 
  divine realm, others — quite the opposite, this due to the 
  fact that the appearance (but not the actions or hazards) 
  of the World Below and its inhabitants changes based on 
  the preconceptions of the mortal observer. A traveler who 
  believes the World Below to be Hell will find themselves 
  trudging through a scovrching wasteland populated by all 
  manner of monsters and devils, while another traveler, one 
  with a less harsh view of the other world, journeys through 
  a sacred spirit-realm. Both of these experiences and many 
  more besides are true, because in the end, the World Below 
  is formless and chaotic, and its denizens constantly shift and 
  change in accordance with mortal belief. 
  the rise And fAll of 
  the moristAgiAn empire
  Of all the great empires to have graced the mortal world, 
  there was one whose mastery of the magical arts was beyond 
  compare. Arising east of the Byssarian Seas, the Moristagian 
  Empire was as magnificent as it was cruel, achieving such 
  a degree of arcane understanding that they could shackle 
  the human soul and bind it to a body of bronze. An empire 
  already fattened with victories against neighboring peoples, 
  the Moristagians had the resources required to turn a curi-
  osity — an executed prisoner transformed into a mechani-
  cal servant and presented to the Emperor by an ambitious 
  court magician — into an engine of conquest. Shortly after 
  that fateful day,  the Empire commanded scores of voiceless 
  automated workers, toiling in foundries that churned out 
  mechanical legions to further the ambition of their masters. 
  It was an empire of the living, raised to the height of its 
  glory on the backs of the imprisoned dead. Most of the 
  neighboring powers fought back and met their end on the 
  spears of bronze men, while a few others surrendered will-
  ingly. The Moristagian Emperor’s tireless metal army, the 
  Ten Thousand Immortals, was far kinder, far more merciful 
  than any invading human force could ever hope to be. The 
  mechanized dead did not rape and pillage, did not desert 
  and band into murderous gangs of looters that would plague 
  the countryside for years to come. Their advance was cease-
  less, orderly, preceded by the arrival of well-spoken digni-
  taries who always offered a choice to the kings and gener-
  als who would defy them: surrender peacefully, give to the 
  Empire a gift of earth and water, or be cast in bronze and 
  bound in eternal service to the August Throne. 
  But not all citizens of the Empire agreed with this flagrant 
  defiance of the natural order. A religion — one whose origi-
  nal name is lost to time, one that is now known only as the 
  Faith — understood reincarnation as a Great Wheel. A sacred 
  mechanism, the Great Wheel combated the decay and cor-
  ruption that sprung from the World Below, which the Faith 
  knew as Hell.  To interfere with the Wheel, argued these early 
  Faithful, was a crime — not only against humanity, for the 
  souls inside Immortal bodies suffered perpetual agony,  but 
  against the will of Heaven itself. Though the Empire attempted 
  to stamp out this threat to the wars that so enriched it, the 
  Faith captured the hearts and minds of the people, spread far 
  and wide until it could not be ignored, until its high priests 
  stood behind the August Throne, giving whispered counsel to 
  a ruler they decreed divinely ordained. 
  But the foundries of the Empire did not stop. Its mechan-
  ical legions continued their indefatigable march, because 
  the cost of victory, the cost of what Old Imperial scholars 
  called progress, could never be too high. And, after all, sin-
  ful souls, seditious souls, souls who questioned the Throne, 
  had to serve a fitting penance and better the lot of the righ-
  teous living before returning to the Wheel. Thus entwined, 
  the Empire and the Faith flourished until the death of the 
  Sun a thousand years ago. As with most information dating 
  to this turbulent epoch, this Age of the Dying Sun, recorded 
  history is scant and what few primary sources remain often 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  9
  contradict each other. Below is an attempt to reconstruct a 
  cohesive narrative from the few facts that remain consistent 
  between all extant chronicles. 
  the Age of the dying sun
  The end of the Sun was a slow and painful one, lasting 
  roughly a century. It began with a gradual leaching of heat 
  and color, sunrises that would take longer and longer with 
  each passing day. The world grew colder and darker; trees 
  withered and animals wasted away until the day no light 
  crested the horizon. Fire, too, has disappeared — without 
  the Sun, nothing would ignite, and without fire, without a 
  means of staving off the encroaching chill, humanity faced 
  extinction. It was a doom that many foresaw, with the 
  greatest minds of the Empire desperately seeking a means 
  of outlasting it. Some constructed great crystal domes over 
  their cities, to shield them from the worst of the storms. 
  Others gathered and cataloged crop varieties, stored seeds 
  in great underground vaults. Many more labored to alter 
  flora and fauna to suit this new, sunless world. The most 
  skilled of these ancient sorcerers, however, looked for a 
  means to preserve humanity itself — a staggeringly ambi-
  tious project, considering the scope and severity of the 
  situation. A rapidly cooling world. An empire sprawling 
  across two seas and the shores of three continents. Mass 
  panic and popular uprisings, galvanized by centuries of 
  resentment towards the nobility and the mages — it was 
  so easy to blame the sorcerers, with their machines and 
  their towers, for bringing forth the Apocalypse in fit of 
  arrogance. Vast northern armies, trailed by vaster armies 
  of refugees, marching south in desperate search of warmth. 
  And an economy devastated by a great war against the 
  spirit world — against Hell and its demons. 
  the sAges And the first 
  ChthoniC mArCh
  The royal mages’ attempts were desperate. The first, Aux-
  entios, was in favor of leaving Arnai behind altogether and 
  seeking out a new world with a new sun. Having drawn 
  up plans for great black barges that could sail the celes-
  tial aether between and beyond the stars, Auxentios led an 
  expedition seeking a new home, never to return. The sec-
  ond, Amestris, dedicated herself to transcending the laws 
  of magic and the immutable nature of the human soul—
  instead of binding, destroying, or dividing the soul, as her 
  predecessors have done, she would alter it, grant it the abil-
  ity to shield the body from the cold and conjure flame at 
  will. Her research culminated with an arcane disaster: the 
  inexplicable disappearance of an entire metropolis — the 
  Shining City that still captures the imaginations of many 
  scholars and adventurers from across the known world. 
  The third and last, Oxyathres, proposed that for human-
  ity to survive, it must first perish. (Scholars of later years 
  would credit him as the father of necromancy). 
  In the end, it was the Faith that held the key to salvation. 
  Armed with millions of devotees,  immense wealth, and the 
  backing of the royal family along with some of the greatest 
  mages of their time, the clergy staged a massive and success-
  ful invasion of the World Below, the First Chthonic March. 
  The reasoning behind the March was simple: although fire 
  has vanished from the World Above, the Sun’s death had no 
  effect on Hell; therefore, the death of the Sun must have been 
  the work of the forces of corruption that dwelled within. At 
  the end of a long and grueling conquest, the Faith’s militant 
  arm, spearheaded by the Order of St. Khosrau the Adamant, 
  routed and captured a daemon-king of immense power. 
  They dubbed him the Adversary, and believed him to be 
  an emanation of the Devil who stood in opposition to their 
  god. They bound him with powerful magics, brought him to 
  the World Above, and placed him inside an artificial, crystal 
  Sun to be raised up and set in orbit. This act restored fire 
  to the world and began the Blessed Age, or the Age of the 
  Second Sun. 
  the blessed Age And the 
  neW empire
  During the Blessed Age, the Adamant Order tightened its 
  grip on the Adversary’s former domain in the World Below, 
  restructuring it to better fit the Faith’s vision of the afterlife 
  — one in which the wicked are punished, and the righteous 
  are permitted to pass through unscathed and able to reincar-
  nate more completely than ever before. They captured and 
  converted daemons to Faithful doctrine, punished resistance 
  with starvation, and the few spirits who did not bow down to 
  their new masters fled to the World Above. In the meanwhile, 
  human civilization rebuilt, although much knowledge was 
  irreparably lost during the Age of the Dying Sun. While the 
  Faith waged its wars in the World Below, the Empire suffered 
  so greatly that the end of the March saw the end of the Old 
  Empire, and the rise of a new one from its ashes — though 
  one of its two capitals fell to civil unrest and revolutionary 
  sentiment, the other remained. The surviving members of the 
  royal family and roughly a third of the court managed to flee 
  to the Western Capital, where they could begin anew. 
  Even at the height of the Blessed Age, the New Empire was 
  but a shadow of its former self, both in terms of territorial pos-
  sessions and arcane, scientific, and historical knowledge. The 
  Imperial bureaucracy diverted resources it could once use to 
  maintain Imperial holdings in the material world to Hell, which 
  saw frequent rebellions against the iron rule of the Adamant 
  Order. The much-feared Immortals vanished, lost in the chaos 
  of the Dying Sun, and thus were unable to respond to provin-
  cial uprisings. But the Empire adapted, taking a softer approach 
  to its subjects and neighbors, turning to mercantilism, political 
  maneuvering, and espionage to stave off their rivals and pre-
  serve what territories remained. The Faith, in the meanwhile, 
  made use of the New Empire’s trade network and spread far 
  beyond the borders of its home, the clergy flourishing until it 
  superseded the power of the Throne in all but name.
  
  10
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  the sunfAll And the sunless Age
  The Blessed Age lasted for roughly four centuries, and came 
  to an end when the Adversary found a fault in the design of 
  his crystal prison. The consequences were nothing short of 
  apocalyptic: the Sun ruptured, and its furious captive bore 
  down on the world like a comet, laying waste to cities and 
  vast swaths of land. He set the World Above ablaze, and then 
  left it to freeze — a catastrophic series of natural disasters 
  scholars call the Sunfall. Satisfied with his vengeance — the 
  destruction, and the end of fire — the Adversary returned to 
  restore himself to his rightful position as a king in the World 
  Below, rallying three-quarters of subjugated daemons to 
  his side and forcing most Adamants to retreat to the World 
  Above. Despite this, the Order managed to maintain control 
  of a portion of their holdings in the World Below. The Ada-
  mantine Province, as it came to be known, now functions 
  as a conquered nation that provides hellfire and support to 
  surviving Faithful remnants of the New Empire while wag-
  ing an endless war against the Adversary. Because the royal 
  family and all but a few members of these high nobility per-
  ished during the Sunfall, the August Throne stands empty 
  until the soul of an emperor is born again into this world. 
  The Pontifex of the Faith oversees the remains of the Empire 
  in the interim — a rule by Mandate of the Faith.
  Seeing the Sunfall as proof of the Faith’s folly, a number 
  of Imperial provinces, those who had staged unsuccessful 
  rebellions against the Throne during the Dying and Second 
  Suns,  renounced their ties to the religion, instead opting 
  to form trade partnerships with Hell — souls, bodies, and 
  other goods in exchange for fire. Not all succeeded in this 
  venture; the remnants became a quarrelsome body of city-
  states: the Brimstone Republics. Although the Mandate and 
  the Republics despise each other, there has yet to be a great 
  war between the two powers. They seem content to snarl at 
  each other across a cultural and religious divide, impose trade 
  embargoes, and wage the occasional petty war, usually fought 
  by mercenaries and tithed peoples who stubbornly cling to 
  their ancestral homes in the frozen Wastes. The most recent 
  political upheaval of the Sunless Age is the Sulfurite Wars of 
  Unification: Sabine Verdurio, the Prince of the Republic of 
  Esca, has declared his intent to conquer and unify the other 
  Republics into a Brimstone Kingdom, and though the idea 
  still seems ludicrous to many, his success becomes more likely 
  with each passing season. It is enough for Mandate powers 
  to begin gathering their own armies, lest the western invader 
  come knocking on the gates of their cities.
  ever-living fire
  Though the Sun is gone, the cold is not absolute. The life-
  less chill of the Void between the stars does not encroach on 
  Arnai to an extent that would make survival entirely impos-
  sible. A well-fed, hale person properly equipped against the 
  cold can endure for up to a day without heat or shelter if they 
  venture outside, provided the winds stay quiet. Long-dis-
  tance travel is both possible and frequent among certain 
  subsets of the population: nomads, merchants, mercenaries 
  and vagabonds; the daring, the foolish, the most ambitious 
  and the most desperate. These travelers either hire guides 
  capable of conjuring fire, or carry their flame with them, 
  carefully preserved in mageglass spheres, guarding it with 
  their lives and never, ever allowing it to go out.
  The death of the First and Second Suns has done some-
  thing peculiar to the physics of this world: natural mech-
  anisms of ignition simply do not work. Striking a firesteel 
  produces no spark, and the friction of a bow drill against 
  drywood generates a negligible amount of heat but no 
  ember. An existing flame will burn and spread as normal, 
  consuming fuel and warming the surroundings as long as 
  there’s fuel to burn; however, the loss of all natural flame 
  is a commonly accepted fact. The only fire in this world is 
  hellfire from Below, smokeless and oxblood red in color, 
  bargained for or taken by force. Heat is both a vital, shared 
  resource and a precious commodity: something to covet, 
  something to trade, something to hoard whenever possible. 
  Life in the Sunless Age is characterized by its fragility. All 
  it takes to kill a thriving township is a removal of its heat 
  source, whether it be an open passage to the World Below, 
  a communal flame kept lit at all costs, a store of magical-
  ly-contained hellfire, or its resident pyromancer. Most small 
  communities have at least two of the above, with additional 
  contingency measures in the event of a disaster — constant 
  vigilance, networks of messengers, and a means to send a 
  distress signal to the next town over. It is not uncommon, 
  however, for small, isolated towns and villages to go dark 
  and quiet, and for travelers to never reach their destinations. 
  Large cities, with populations numbering in the tens or hun-
  dreds of thousands, often sprawl under transparent mage-
  glass domes that shield them from the worst of the winds, 
  and always have a massive Gate to the World Below in close 
  vicinity — a trade connection and source of sustainable 
  ambient heat for the city and its immediate countryside. 
  Cities located entirely underground are, sadly, not viable — 
  though modern waste disposal and recycling systems are 
  efficient, they are not efficient enough, and the human soul 
  needs starlight the same way a green plant needs the Sun. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  11
  ChApter 2: life in A sunless World
  How does life persist after the loss of fire?
  the Wilderness
  Many people, mostly holdouts, take issue with city-dwell-
  ers describing everything outside their walls as a wasteland, 
  because it is anything but. Certainly, the wilderness is dan-
  gerous, the climate unforgiving, but the environment is hos-
  tile to human life, rather than all life. The last-ditch efforts 
  of Moristagian sages to preserve and fortify flora and fauna 
  netted enough viable organisms to create sustainable eco-
  systems for a cold and dark world. And though the Blessed 
  Age’s range of temperatures was nothing like the brutal chill 
  of the Sunless Age, enough of these organisms persisted 
  until the Sunfall, either in the northern wilds or as parts 
  of menageries and private collections. Mammoths, white 
  tigers, and trees with leaves of black velvet, were shows of 
  status and opulence, gifts given to and received from for-
  eign rulers. When the Sun shattered, these luxuries became 
  necessities, and wildlife that fled the Byssarian heat returned 
  to the place of its birth, to be fruitful and to multiply. 
  All life, even life made for a sunless world, hungers for 
  heat. Warmer parts of the world — those near geothermal 
  fissures, active volcanoes, and passages to the World Below 
  — are always lush. Plantlife burgeons, growing at unprece-
  dented speeds, and beasts gather to feed on it or each other. 
  Bioluminescence is a common trait of flowering plant life, 
  particularly in forests. The leaves of most plants barring a 
  few deciduous species, are a matte black or dark blue. Most 
  people around the Twin Seas have likely never seen, and will 
  likely never see, a single green leaf in their entire lives. 
  the seAs And WAterWAys
  As one can see on the map, the name so often applied to 
  the Byssarian — the Twin Seas — is a misnomer, the leg-
  acy of ancient sea captains with limited understanding of 
  the geography of the region. The Greater Sea is much bigger 
  than the Lesser, and divided into the Sea of Silk to the north 
  of the Kyriades, the Narrow Sea to the south of the islands, 
  and the Dappled Sea to the east. The Sea of Silk is named for 
  the relative abundance of giant pen shells from whose fibers 
  skilled craftsmen weave fine golden silks. The Narrow Sea 
  is just that: narrow, separating the northern coast of Khera 
  from the islands of the Kyriades and the Sea of Silk. Dappled 
  Sea derives its name from patches of bioluminescent algae 
  common around the eastern shores. 
  The Lesser Sea, on the other side of the Pearl Strait, is 
  shallower and more prone to freezing than the Greater. Its 
  bounty is scarce compared to that of the Greater Sea — there 
  are no whales in the Lesser Sea, no silk-bearing shells, and 
  fewer large fish — and its main value lies in providing a 
  quicker route from the Great Western Ocean to the Sullen 
  Ocean to the east, and better trade access to wealthy nations 
  that lie east and south of the Mandate. 
  Contrary to what one might think, the seas and rivers do 
  not freeze in their entirety. Permanent ice sheets do exist, 
  and are most frequent along coastlines with a lighter human 
  presence. Cities tend to clear away the ice for ease of harbor 
  operation and maritime industry, and natural patches of ice 
  may break due to collisions with free-floating masses of ice, 
  or the opening of large Gates on the seafloor. Just like the 
  lands around them, these waters are far from lifeless: fish 
  are plentiful, as are whales (in the Greater Sea), mollusks, 
  black plants and algae, and stranger creatures lurking in the 
  uncharted depths. 
  Unlike the Greater and Lesser Byssarian, the Great West-
  ern Ocean has very few ice sheets, making the shipping 
  lanes along the western coast some of the most contested 
  and most profitable. 
  gAtes, geothermAl fissures, 
  And volCAnoes
  Many people on Arnai understand volcanic eruptions and 
  earthquakes to be the physical manifestation of daemonic 
  activity in the World Below. This assessment isn’t entirely 
  untrue; conflicts Below do cause eruptions Above, but it isn’t 
  entirely correct, either — sometimes, a geyser field is just a 
  geyser field, and not a council of devils squabbling in the oth-
  erworld. Still, this doesn’t deter particularly desperate indi-
  viduals from making offerings in these places in hopes that 
  someone would answer from the other side. 
  The opening of Gates to the World Below often occur 
  during or after bursts of geothermal activity. Most Gates look 
  like caverns in the sides of mountains or yawning fissures in 
  the earth, issuing forth the stench of sulfur and an unbearable 
  heat. If one peers into an open Gate, they will see nothing but 
  a blistering darkness. Natural Gates occur spontaneously, are 
  rarely larger than a man is tall, and usually disappear within 
  a month of their opening. Powerful daemons can open Gates 
  between the Worlds and hold them open — this is the prom-
  ise at the core of every Brimstone Republic’s Charter, a docu-
  ment that is both code of law and binding agreement between 
  a city and it otherworldly patrons. The size of an artificial Gate 
  depends entirely on the daemon who creates it — a great and 
  ancient daemon can make a rift large enough to heat and sus-
  tain an entire metropolis, while a lesser one can barely keep a 
  creek from freezing. 
  The Gates located inside cities look like actual gates — that 
  is, the caverns where they begin have doors and shutters 
  
  12
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  attached, along with a customs house and a large detachment 
  of soldiers, mages, pyromancers, and other security personnel 
  tasked with monitoring traffic between the two Worlds. 
  seAsons & timekeeping
  The modern calendar begins with the Sunfall, and years are 
  recorded as part of the Sunless Age.  A year consists of 13 
  months; each month is 28 days and 4 weeks; each week is 7 
  days. The Crystal Sun, though damaged beyond repair, still 
  collects and amplifies starlight, casting the land and sea in a 
  ghostly pearlescent light. It moves through the heavens in 
  geocentric orbit, occupying the precise position of the van-
  ished true Sun, rising and setting as it once did and making 
  it possible to distinguish day from night by looking skyward. 
  The movements of Arnai’s two moons — great silver Enzu 
  and little blue Ningal — remain just as constant, and are the 
  basis of certain foreign calendars. 
  One can see quite easily in all directions on a bright and 
  cloudless day, though carrying a lantern is still advisable. To 
  a reader accustomed to sunlight, a bright day in the Sun-
  less Age would look very much like the pale hour before 
  dawn; conversely, dark nights are that much darker. And if 
  there is one good thing to be said about the Sunfall is that 
  it revealed to humanity the true glory and splendor of the 
  heavens. There are few sights as breathtaking as the dance of 
  an aurora — a jewel-toned ripple in the aether — through 
  the velvet darkness around it, refracted and reflected many 
  times in the cloud of glittering shards around the great husk 
  of the Crystal Sun. 
  As temperatures don’t change much anymore, seasons are 
  reckoned by light level and storm intensity — summer and 
  spring are milder and lighter, fall and winter are darker and 
  stormier. As before the Sunfall, nations wage wars during 
  late spring and summer, with fall and winter as times to 
  retreat, resupply, and reconsider one’s position. The Man-
  date’s Chthonic Marches against the Adversary are one nota-
  ble exception to this rule, as the weather in Hell is not sub-
  ject to seasonal change. 
  Months are numbered, not named. 
  Days of the week are named after stages of an ideal human 
  life as described in the Faithful holy texts. A person begins 
  as a child (a scion), attains mastery of a craft and wisdom of 
  age, then dies and is guided to the afterlife by the Watcher at 
  the Threshold, where their soul is weighed and measured by 
  Heaven’s Judges. Soul’s Day and Judges’ Day are supposed to 
  be days of rest and contemplation, but many choose to rest in 
  taverns and contemplate the bottle instead of, as the priest-
  hood suggests, the ultimate fate of their immortal souls.  
  Scion’s Day, Wright’s Day, Master’s Day, Sage’s Day, 
  Watcher’s Day, Soul’s Day, Judges’ Day.
  Sample Dates: 
  Judges’ Day, 28th of the First Month,  477 Sunless.
  Soul’s Day, 13th of the Third Month, 125 Blessed.
  Master’s Day, 2nd of the Fourth Month, 25 Dying Sun.
  Cities, toWnships, And villAges
  Major cities have populations that number in the tens or 
  hundreds of thousands. Their streets and thoroughfares are 
  cobbled, though once one leaves the city center and wealth-
  ier neighborhoods, one is likely to encounter a warren of 
  narrow streets and alleyways paved with nothing but dirt 
  and packed snow. On warmer days or in the immediate 
  vicinity of buildings and structures that pour heat out into 
  the streets, this quickly becomes a freezing slush. Slick, 
  sucking mud is an unfortunate reality of life in the slums of 
  both Mandate cities and the Brimstone Republics. There are 
  trees within the confines of cities, but very few parks — only 
  small plots on some rooftops, and the pleasure gardens of 
  the noble and the wealthy. 
  Because every extant city has been continuously inhab-
  ited for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, many of the 
  structures found therein are ancient or built on top of 
  ancient foundations. Modern Mandate architecture con-
  sciously emulates the soaring Old Imperial style with its 
  domed roofs, slender towers and painted archways, while 
  the Republics have a more patchwork appearance — a com-
  bination of local style and generations of architects tugging 
  their city in the most fashionable direction of their time. 
  Townhouses have heated floors and can be heated room 
  by room to conserve fuel, while tenements have central heat, 
  and only during the night and evening hours; landlords 
  love nothing more than to count their money as they raise 
  rents and skimp on fuel. Most buildings, save for the oldest 
  and most decrepit, have hot running water, and each bor-
  ough has an underworks, a collection of service tunnels and 
  chambers dedicated to maintenance of the sewage system 
  and processing of the city’s waste into fuel. This is where one 
  will find some of the largest and most sophisticated arcane 
  mechanisms of the age — waste disposal and sanitation are as 
  Ce l e st ia l sp h e r e s
  It is a well-known fact that all nearby celestial bod-
  ies move around Arnai on paths along the inner 
  surfaces of aetherial spheres while performing their 
  own epicyclic revolutions. The great astronomical 
  dispute of the age is whether Arnai, its moons, and 
  its host of stars follow the same pattern, revolving 
  around a hypothetical center of the universe, or 
  whether Arnai itself is that center. There is a small 
  but disproportionately vocal number of scholars 
  who propose a heliocentric model of the universe 
  as the order of things during the First Sun, but that 
  theory holds as much water as the absurd and anti-
  quated notion of the world as a flat disc balanced 
  between the horns of the Celestial Ox.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  13
  important to the health of the city as heating and clean water. 
  Some cities and towns in the Byssarian are situated under 
  great crystalline domes that shield them from the worst 
  of the weather and help contain heat. These domes aren’t 
  perfectly circular but are rather composed of octagonal seg-
  ments, some of which can be opened or shuttered to admit 
  visitors or provide ventilation. Overall, domed cities are 
  warmer than their counterparts, but are often overcrowded, 
  have stale air, and require the government to keep a small 
  army of mages, laborers and engineers on hand for dome 
  maintenance and operation. 
  Smaller townships are in many ways like cities, but they 
  are often newer and built on a far more modest scale. 
  Depending on the size of the town, it may have sophisticated 
  infrastructure, a dome, its own Gate and, depending on its 
  loyalties, a Faithful battalion or an Infernal Charter binding 
  it to a patron from the World Below. 
  nomenClAture
  The Byssarian resembles, if you squint at the map just so, 
  the Earth’s Eastern Mediterranean — and so the names 
  of people who live around the Greater and Lesser Seas 
  resemble the names of people who live on the shores of the 
  Mediterranean and Black Seas, with a touch of antiquity. If 
  one moves westward on the map, the names of people and 
  places will resemble Spanish and Italian ones; if one goes 
  east and south, they will be derived from Turkish, Per-
  sian, Arabic, and southern Slavic languages. The Kyriades 
  and the peninsula immediately north of the islands veer 
  Ancient Greek, but have a significant share of names that 
  are directly translated to English to create a sense of the 
  local language as a trade tongue that is spoken and under-
  stood across much of the region (e.g. Berenike is translated 
  as Victory-in-Her-Hands and Androkles becomes Glory). 
  Ithobaal borrows heavily from Phoenician and Sumerian 
  names despite its location on the western cape — like Car-
  thage, it was once a far-flung colony of a people who origi-
  nally came from eastern shores, a colony grown richer and 
  mightier than its parent cities. 
  Finally, many people and places across the region have 
  translated names that say something about their bearers. A 
  village sitting on the junction of two rivers may be called 
  Watersmeet, a steep ravine with a fast babbling brook at its 
  bottom may be called Singing Water Gulch; an elderly bandit 
  chief may simply go by Uncle, and a holdout child whose par-
  ents belong to once-feuding clans might be called Makepeace. 
  AgriCulture, food And drink
  Despite the lack of light and brutally unforgiving tempera-
  tures, agriculture is possible, albeit difficult. Farmers grow 
  a significant proportion of their crops in greenhouses or 
  under domes, but hardier, magically altered varieties can 
  survive on raised and heated platforms close to small gate-
  ways between the Worlds. It is not uncommon for isolated 
  farming communities to have arrangements with their 
  downstairs neighbors. In some places this manifests as out-
  right paganism (the difference between a harvest god and 
  a powerful daemon holding open a gateway that heats the 
  earth around it is rather academic); in Mandate lands, par-
  ticularly desperate Faithful homesteaders perform astound-
  ing feats of logical contortionism to reconcile their beliefs 
  with the bargains that permit their continued existence. In 
  country stories about fire-witches, those witches are most 
  often successful farmers, millers, or landowners, and when 
  poor circumstances or a charismatic leader whip an isolated 
  Faithful commune into a witch-finding frenzy, it is those 
  individuals who find themselves on the receiving end of vio-
  lent popular zealotry. 
  The average person eats a lot of tubers, mushrooms, and 
  grains; meat and fish make infrequent appearances at the 
  table of the average city-dweller, but are a staple among 
  nomadic holdouts and the wealthy. Fresh fruit and veg-
  etables are a luxury, but preserves — pickled, sugared, or 
  roasted and marinated in oil — are cheaper, and widely con-
  sumed. Imported or difficult to cultivate crops, such as pep-
  pers, tomatoes, and citrus fruits, are almost unimaginable 
  th e pe o p l e o f t h e tw in  
  se a s
  Beyond a shared past as people conquered and ruled 
  by the Old and New Moristagian Empires, the deni-
  zens of the lands around the two seas have no single 
  ethnicity or culture. The concept of race explicitly 
  does not exist — while everyone is aware that peo-
  ple from the north are often paler and people from 
  southern lands tend to have darker skin tones, one’s 
  physical appearance cannot compare in importance 
  with one’s clothing, the language they speak, any 
  overt shows of religious or political affiliation, and 
  their apparent wealth. A wealthy Pagamean mer-
  chant might look down on a recent immigrant from 
  the Wastes not because they are darker or lighter or 
  have a different hair texture, but because the quilted 
  coat they wear is heavily patched and three decades 
  out of fashion and because they speak with a strong 
  provincial accent. 
  In addition, the Byssarian Seas and the lands sur-
  rounding them are a small part of a much larger 
  world. There are vast continents to the north, 
  south, and southeast, oceans to the east and the 
  west, and countless roads and trade routes that run 
  far beyond the confines of the map on page 14. The 
  Byssarian is the crossroads of the world — if play-
  ers wish to create characters from distant lands or 
  characters whose families came from distant lands, 
  they are welcome to do so. 
  
  14
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  luxuries only present at the tables of the rich. To compensate 
  for the lack of variety, people spice and add handfuls of fresh 
  or dried herbs to their food and drink. Most herbs and cer-
  tain spices are reasonably cheap — ginger, pepper, aniseed 
  and nutmeg — but others, such as saffron and cloves, are 
  prohibitively expensive. When a highwayman sleeps, they 
  dream about spice merchants traveling without an escort — 
  a few sackfuls of cinnamon or cloves is enough to raise a 
  pauper to sit among the rich. 
   Tea is an Eastern novelty, brought over by foreign mer-
  chants traveling northwest along the Royal Road and sold 
  in the form of bricks or cakes. It is particularly popular in 
  Mandate cities, which have an abundance of tea houses 
  where the local residents converse, exchange news, or attend 
  performances and debates conducted by poets, musicians, 
  and traveling scholars. Coffee is outrageously expensive, 
  unknown to all but the richest of the rich, and imported 
  from the southern kingdom of Sedjai. 
  honor & duelling
  Personal and familial honor are of immense import — 
  though what precisely constitutes that honor varies by cul-
  ture; for instance, calling a man a liar is a deathly offense 
  in the Mandate, yet a low-caliber slight in the Republics. 
  Insults to one’s family name, however, are not to be tolerated 
  without some form of retribution. In the Wastes, this means 
  that one of the chief reasons nomadic clans band into coa-
  litions or refuse to cooperate is bad blood, either recent or 
  ancient  — some of the older clans go so far as to keep led-
  gers of ancestral grudges. In cities, honor becomes postur-
  ing, pageantry, and a means to undermine one’s rivals. The 
  cleverest of nobles and courtiers issue insults and dismissals 
  with surgical precision, knowing that to fail to challenge an 
  insult, or to decline a duel — even if it is a duel one cannot 
  win, or a duel to the death — can be a socially ruinous sign 
  of weakness. There is no worse thing to be than a coward.
  In addition to being a means of defending one’s honor, 
  duelling is, perhaps, the best-known and most popular form 
  of sport around the Byssarian Seas. Everyone who’s anyone 
  knows the rules, from the most effete dandies to the most 
  pious of priests or the most hardened of wasteland outrid-
  ers. In some cities, the best, most famous fencing masters 
  are more renowned for their victories than generals are for 
  theirs. (This is a source of much consternation for the gener-
  als). The current set of duelling rules is an Escan invention, 
  a means of weaning the public off blood sports and stop-
  ping the gentry from murdering each other over the slight-
  est insult. Instead of fighting to the death or serious injury, 
  the modern duellist fights to three marks — three successful 
  strikes against the opponent, all under the watchful gaze of 
  an impartial duelmaster. 
  ChApter 3: the poWers thAt be
  D
  uring the First and Second Suns, the lands sur-
  rounding the Byssarian Seas had a mild, mediter-
  ranean climate; now they are as cold and desolate 
  as the rest of the world. The preferred method of traveling 
  across the seas is in sled-ships that glide across the ice or 
  sail across the waters. The last remnants of the New Empire 
  are situated on the eastern coast of the Greater Byssarian 
  and ruled by the Mandate of the Faith, while the Brimstone 
  Republics dominate the west and the south.  Neither power 
  is a nation - they are loose coalitions of fortified city-states, 
  each governing a number of smaller settlements who pay 
  a tax for protection and provide troops and supplies in the 
  event of a war. 
  Currently, the region is on the brink of turmoil: the Man-
  date’s sphere of influence wanes while the Republic’s are on 
  the rise, with the city-state of Esca spearheading a move-
  ment to unify them into a single kingdom. This is met with 
  a significant degree of resistance: naturally, the Escan Prince 
  assumes that the mantle of rulership will fall to him, and the 
  rest of the Sulfurite rulers resent that notion, on the grounds 
  of their own ambition and the Republics’ history of rebellion 
  and hard-earned freedom from Imperial rule. 
  Meanwhile, to the east, an alternate translation of the 
  Faithful holy texts has created a Dissident movement within 
  the Faith, which takes issue with the absolute authority of 
  Faithful nobility as advocated by mainstream doctrine. The 
  Mandate is facing pressure from the Adamant Order to 
  conduct a thorough purge of the heretics, a task Mandate 
  authorities cannot accomplish as most Dissidents have gone 
  to ground or sought refuge in the Republics after the first 
  wave of imprisonments, executions, and exiles.  The Faith 
  will either suffer a schism or be reformed - and only time 
  will tell which will come to pass. 
  on  way s a n d  Me a s u r e s
  The map of the Byssarian provided on these pages 
  does not provide a scale. This is because exact num-
  bers are often irrelevant to RPG campaigns — very 
  few tabletop scenarios require exact calculations of 
  distance, and most in-game travel happens “at the 
  speed of plot.” For the sake of reference, however, 
  the Greater Byssarian Sea is a little smaller than the 
  Mediterranean, and the distance from Esca to Pag-
  amea is roughly the same as the distance from Bar-
  celona to Istanbul. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  15
  the brimstone republiCs
  The Brimstone Republics are a motley collection of free cit-
  ies, unified in their opposition to the Mandate in theory, but 
  fiercely independent and preoccupied with trade squabbles 
  and territorial rivalries in practice. Though diverse in terms 
  of culture and language, the Republics share two overarching 
  traits: allegiance to the Adversary and an insistence on elect-
  ing their leaders. Denizens of the Republics, called Sulfurites, 
  balk at the notion of living under a hereditary ruler who can’t 
  be unseated by their people. They have fought too hard and 
  too long for their independence from the Empire, and firmly 
  believe that any leader who does not have the fear of their 
  people keeping them in line is not a leader worth having. 
  These lofty ideals lose some of their luster when one con-
  siders the fact that only citizens can vote and that not every 
  Sulfurite is a citizen, as well as the fact that bribery, black-
  mail, and misinformation are as effective at accumulating 
  votes for the right candidate as good intentions and a well-
  run campaign. For all their posturing about equality and 
  democracy, the Sulfurites make no pretense to virtue in the 
  Faithful sense — instead, they embrace the dark reputation 
  of their patron with vim and brio, and scoff in derision at 
  the delicate sensibilities of the Mandate.  Why look to the 
  Heavens, to a god that has clearly forsaken its Faithful, when 
  one can look down, towards the future? Why fight an end-
  less, fruitless war against an immortal enemy when one can 
  embrace him instead? Aligning oneself with the Devil is the 
  surest path towards damnation, but isn’t every soul born 
  into this bitter, ruined world already damned by virtue of 
  having to live in it? 
  government & politiCs
  The political landscape of the Republics shifts rapidly: one 
  year, two cities may be steadfast allies, the next — bitter 
  enemies. Municipal politics are similarly unpredictable 
  and rife with scandal and intrigue: fortunes rise and fall in 
  a single day, and blackmail and assassination are distress-
  ingly common occurrences among both land-owning gen-
  try and elected officials. A typical Republic has a Merchants’ 
  Council and a Petty Council, the former representing the 
  city’s richest denizens and the latter elected from individual 
  boroughs and neighborhoods of the city. Both Councils, in 
  turn, answer to the Prince, an official elected by the Mer-
  chants’ Council to serve in a supervisory capacity, usually 
  for the rest of their natural lifespan. Considering that dae-
  mons aren’t uncommon in the Republics and the death of 
  the body does not always constitute the end of one’s life, a 
  sufficiently canny and capable Prince could theoretically 
  retain their title indefinitely. 
  Each Republic has a Charter, which serves as both code 
  of law and a binding agreement between a vassal of the 
  Adversary and a city: the city’s Gate to the World Below 
  remains open and provides heat and flame in exchange 
  for continued trade relations and a tithe, which is usually 
  paid with the souls of condemned criminals and citizens 
  
  16
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  who die of sickness, exposure or old age. A Charter also 
  protects the Republic’s human citizens from unsanctioned 
  possession — daemons who have sworn loyalty to the 
  Republic’s otherworldly patron cannot violate the Charter, 
  and those who have not risk severe punishment for violat-
  ing it. Citizenship is hereditary, but can be granted by the 
  Prince or the Merchants’ Council, purchased, or obtained 
  in other, more dubious ways. If one wishes to relinquish 
  their citizenship, they can, but few choose to do so — most 
  prefer life in the Republics, as vicious and cut-throat as it 
  can get, to freezing out in the Wastes. 
  Culture & relAtions
  Bowing to no god and viewing the Adversary as a distant, 
  vaguely benevolent patron rather than an embodiment of 
  primordial evil, the Sulfurites value personal freedom and 
  self-reliance above all. The Republics are, allegedly, a land 
  of opportunity and advancement; the way Sulfurites like 
  to tout it, a holdout nobody can become a famed scholar, 
  a Petty Councillor or the owner of a successful enterprise 
  if they work hard enough at it. There is some truth to that 
  notion — compared to the Mandate, at least, there’s a much 
  greater degree of upward mobility. Many Sulfurites are lit-
  erate, and anyone who can afford higher education may 
  study at a university regardless of their birth. However, the 
  gulf between the rich and the poor is vast, and there are just 
  as many opportunities for failure as there are for success...
  and the consequences for such failure can be dire. Instead 
  of going to a debtors’ prison, the most desperate and desti-
  tute often wind up renting or selling their bodies to fleshless 
  daemons, or, in some cases, forfeiting their souls and their 
  lives in order to save their loved ones from a lifetime of debt. 
  It is unsurprising, then, that the soul trade flourishes in 
  the Republics. With the appropriate permits and enough 
  money, it is entirely possible to legally purchase droves 
  of disembodied human souls. Those are generally kept in 
  engraved quartz lenses the size and thickness of a man’s 
  palm, a method of storage that allows merchants to exam-
  ine and appraise a normally invisible spirit. Most merchants 
  who deal in souls offer their wares to wizards’ universities 
  (for scientific study and implementation in machinery), or 
  cater to wealthy daemons with particular tastes and prefer-
  ences. Human souls are in many ways similar to wine: the 
  very best ones are intoxicating, multilayered and complex, 
  enriched with hardship and aged to perfection. 
  Though cleverness and unscrupulous ambition are the 
  qualities most valued  by the Sulfurites, the residents of the 
  Republics are not without a sense of honor. Personal and 
  familial vendettas are incredibly common and confronta-
  tions, particularly those in which pride is stung, family is 
  insulted, or lovers are accused of infidelity are often melo-
  dramatic, and often end in duels. Duelling scars, particularly 
  upon one’s face, are seen as attractive and worn proudly, as 
  badges of courage — just as they are in Faithful lands. 
  In the eyes of the Mandate, the Republics are a hotbed of 
  blasphemy and infernal corruption, but the harsh reality of 
  life on Arnai makes for strange bedfellows. It’s not uncom-
  mon for merchants to trade in goods from both places 
  and for less scrupulous sorts on both sides to forge trade 
  permits and ferry contraband. The holdouts and nomadic 
  clans of the Wastes, meanwhile, view the Republics with a 
  mix of respect, fear and derision - trading with them is 
  profitable, but these great cities are often too close and too 
  hungry for comfort, and their residents too soft to survive 
  outside their domed cities. 
  the mAndAte of the fAith
  The main governing body of the former Western Provinces 
  of the New Empire, the Mandate of the Faith is comprised of 
  Faithful clergy, monastic orders, and the co-opted remnants of 
  Imperial bureaucracy. It is, without a doubt, the oldest extant 
  institution on Arnai, one whose name has its roots in the idea 
  that in the event that the August Throne ever becomes vacant, 
  the highest echelons of the Faithful clergy are obligated to 
  oversee the Empire in the absent monarch’s stead. This has 
  been the case since the end of the Blessed Age, as the royal 
  dynasty perished during the Sunfall and no suitable heir has 
  surfaced since. (There has been a truly staggering quantity 
  of aspiring Imperial pretenders, however.) Lacking a de jure 
  ruler and central government, the Mandate is not a unified 
  state, but rather a complex system of obligations and alliances 
  between a number of Faithful city-states, their royalty and 
  nobility, smaller protectorates, the clergy, and Pagamea, the 
  former Imperial capital  — and while it is technically possible 
  for two or more Faithful city-states to wage war against one 
  another, such wars are vanishingly rare.
  Though its cities are few in number, Mandate territo-
  ries are vast, and the Mandate itself is byzantine and full 
  of secrets. It is conservative and authoritarian and utterly 
  ruthless when it comes to stamping out heretical thought. 
  Sometimes, it is predatory and corrupt, prone to espionage 
  and dark machinations. Yet at the same time, the Mandate 
  collects tithes and builds roads, upholds the peace between 
  its polities, and provides a social safety net for its poor and 
  destitute. To the Faithful, the Mandate and its component 
  states are a continuation of a proud legacy, the inheritors of 
  thousands of years of history and culture and knowledge, 
  their very existence — a valiant battle against the forces 
  of darkness and a testament to the strength of the human 
  spirit. Where the Sulfurites fall to decadence and temp-
  tation, where they forget themselves and their Imperial 
  heritage, the Faithful stand firm, and remember who they 
  are. As Pagamea has endured the most perilous events in 
  human history, from the Dying Sun to countless attempted 
  invasions during the Blessed Age to the Sunfall itself, so will 
  they, for all ages to pass. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  17
  government & politiCs
  The single most powerful individual in the Mandate is the 
  Pontifex, a high priest or priestess who represents the will 
  of the Faith’s solitary god on Arnai, bridging the Heavens 
  and the mortal world. The Pontifex’s rule is not absolute, 
  however — most monumental decisions, both political and 
  ecclesiastical, are made by the Synod, a council that includes 
  the highest-ranking members of the Faithful clergy, includ-
  ing the cardinals and the archchancellor of the Inquisition. 
  The Pontifex may overturn decisions reached by the major-
  ity of the Synod, but this occurs rarely and often costs the 
  Pontifex a significant degree of political support and influ-
  ence on the council. 
  Instead of attempting to yoke together its geographically 
  and culturally disparate holdings, the Mandate favors a 
  fairly hands-off style of government, leaving local matters 
  in the hands of local nobility and focusing instead on the 
  collection of taxes and maintenance of infrastructure. When 
  it does feel the need to exercise its power on a local level, 
  the Mandate’s approach is subtle: behind the queen or king 
  of every city is a small army of bureaucrats, tax collectors, 
  magistrates and other civil servants, individuals who either 
  grease the wheels of administration or make it grind to a 
  halt. Clerical workers, in other words — and any wise ruler 
  ought to remember that in the Mandate, higher education 
  is often synonymous with ecclesiastical affiliation. And if 
  co-opting the inner workings of a government is not enough 
  to bring a rebellious king to heel, the cardinals and Pontifex 
  possess the power of excommunication, as well as the abil-
  ity to call upon the Orders Militant, monastic organizations 
  that dedicate themselves to worship and the study of war 
  and magic, in the event of a crisis. 
  The most powerful of the Orders Militant, the Order of St. 
  Khosrau the Adamant, rules the Adamantine Province — 
  the portion of Hell that remains under human control. The 
  Grandmaster of the Order functions as both general and 
  governor, fighting a war against the Adversary and admin-
  istrating the Mandate’s infernal holdings. In recognition 
  of their service to the Mandate and the importance access 
  to the Province plays in the Mandate’s continued survival, 
  the Adamant Order is the only Order Militant with its own 
  seat on the Synod. This seat does, however, remain empty 
  for most of the meetings: the Adamantine Province is con-
  stantly at war, and the Grandmaster is usually more needed 
  Below than they are Above. 
  Culture & relAtions
  Faithful societies are a lot more stratified than their Sulfur-
  ite counterparts; there is precious little in the way of upward 
  mobility for those of common birth. According to the Faith, 
  one is only born a peasant or laborer as restitution for sins 
  committed in past incarnations, and if the peasant or laborer 
  performs their duties diligently, endures their trials, and lives 
  a life of righteousness, they will enjoy higher status in their 
  next life. Those of noble birth must have led lives of great vir-
  tue to be born into such privilege, and thus ought to be pro-
  vided for and awarded utmost respect and reverence by their 
  inferiors. The nobility is in turn obligated to care for and pro-
  tect the common folk. In theory, one of the Mandate’s duties 
  is to hold the nobility accountable for its actions; in practice, 
  the Mandate often closes its eyes at abuses of local power in 
  exchange for tithes and continued military support. 
  Literacy beyond learning hymns and ballads by rote and 
  sounding out street-signs is uncommon among the low-
  born, and the overwhelming majority of universities will not 
  admit students who cannot furnish proof of noble descent. 
  It is important to note that the Faith does not condemn 
  science or education — quite the contrary — but rather 
  considers scholarship to be a privilege reserved for those 
  of high birth. Faithful nobles are expected to write poetry, 
  speak multiple languages, and have a keen understanding 
  of rhetoric, theology, history and philosophy: law is noth-
  ing without either the rhetorical means to express it or the 
  divine and logical underpinnings that inform it. In addition, 
  the Name granted stewardship of Arnai to humankind, so 
  it would stand to reason that a noble Faithful soul should 
  strive to study and understand the world it is tasked to over-
  see. Academia can be perilous for the careless, however, 
  and not even high birth can protect a careless or dissenting 
  scholar from being branded a diablerist or apostate. Some-
  times, heresy trials are made into spectacles for the public, 
  and the guilty are either hanged or cast out into the cold. 
  Most of the time, people simply disappear. But at the very 
  least, the poor aren’t forced to lend their bodies to daemons 
  should their fortunes fail them — each parish gives food, 
  shelter and support to its poor and destitute, and the Man-
  date pours a significant amount of its funds into charitable 
  works, such as the construction and maintenance of hospi-
  tals, orphanages, and halfway houses. 
  The only reliable means of moving upwards in the Mandate 
  is to do a tour of duty in the Adamantine Province, fighting 
  alongside the Order to repel the Adversary’s encroaching 
  forces. A typical term of service for an auxiliary is roughly 
  five years, and many troops who journey to the Adamantine 
  Province are volunteers seeking to escape the cycle of pov-
  erty. However, most settlements above a certain size have 
  a draft quota to meet when the Pontifex calls for another 
  Chthonic March, which has been happening more and more 
  often in recent decades. Having fought in Hell or having a 
  relative who did so is becoming commonplace. Most foot 
  soldiers who manage to survive and return to their homes 
  are physically and psychologically scarred, but much more 
  respected, given an opportunity for education, and compen-
  sated for their service. Many, however, do not find the com-
  pensation adequate for the death toll of the Marches and the 
  horrors they witnessed and survived in Hell.
  The human cost of the Mandate’s Hellish campaigns, the 
  rigid stratification of Faithful society, and the emergence of 
  
  18
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  a highly literate middle class of Chthonic veterans have laid 
  a foundation for a Dissident movement within the Faith, 
  which adheres to an interpretation of the religion’s holy texts 
  that does not treat the class divisions of Faithful society as 
  immutable. The vast majority of prominent Dissident think-
  ers are educated or well-off, coming from discontent lesser 
  nobility and low-ranking members of the clergy, while their 
  followers  are Hellish veterans, or disillusioned smallfolk who 
  suffer under unjust rulers. Due to relentless persecution on 
  behalf of the Mandate’s Inquisition, many of these Dissidents 
  flee Faithful lands, although a number of brave (or desperate) 
  souls still remain, living in secret enclaves or hiding in plain 
  sight. 
  The Faithful, like their Imperial predecessors, consider 
  deception to be among the chiefest of sins, and so most Sul-
  furites think the average Faithful shockingly tactless and 
  hilariously naive. They view the Mandate as a bloated and 
  tyrannical institution that punishes dissent and ambition and 
  publicly exiles or secretly executes its best and brightest. But 
  the worked brass and copper from the Adamantine Province 
  are too lovely, the trade opportunities too lucrative to miss, 
  and any Sulfurite merchant with half a brain would laugh at 
  the notion of a permanent embargo on ideological grounds. 
  In the Wasteland, the Mandate’s sphere of influence is 
  large but plagued by social unrest. Though there are plenty 
  of holdout clans that follow a version of the Faith, many 
  Wasteland peoples resist conversion, sometimes violently; 
  others tolerate missionaries as a necessary evil. And despite 
  the Inquisition’s best efforts, pockets of the heretic Dissi-
  dents still survive, their creed continuing to spread and 
  erode the legitimacy of the Mandate’s rule. 
  the peoples of the WAstes
  It would be wrong to assume that a region as large and varied 
  as the Byssarian would be neatly and evenly split between 
  two great powers. The Mandate and the Republics are forces 
  to be reckoned with, certainly, but they are not the be-all 
  and end-all of human civilization. The people of the Wastes, 
  termed holdouts for their stubborn refusal to abandon the 
  land for almost 500 years since the Sunfall, are staggeringly 
  diverse in terms of language and custom, sharing little in 
  common aside from a desire for independence and the con-
  siderable skill and resilience required for continued Waste-
  land survival. This section will cover, in very broad strokes, 
  the few other commonalities holdout folk share in terms of 
  tradition, beliefs, ways of life, and attitudes towards their 
  more cosmopolitan neighbors. 
  government & politiCs
  Holdouts are as diverse in governance as they are in custom, 
  but can be grouped into three loose categories based on the 
  environments they inhabit: sea people, mountain people, 
  and the people of the plains. Most individual clans, regard-
  less of the lands they inhabit, are small, with roughly 80 to 
  200 capable adults, in addition to children, the elderly, and 
  the infirm, as well as any animals that they may keep. Some 
  govern themselves with a council of elders, others elect one 
  or several individuals to lead them, others rely on hered-
  itary rulers or follow their most skilled and accomplished 
  warriors or artisans. A holdout leader may be a king, but his 
  kingdom is small, and he toils in the fields or the mines just 
  as his subjects do. 
  Alongside secular and political leadership, whatever form 
  it may take, is usually a person of spiritual importance: a 
  mystic, healer, or exorcist who bargains with daemons for 
  the fire and magic that keeps their people alive. The domain 
  of such individuals is sacred, and largely separate from mor-
  tal concerns: they are the ones who speak to spirits, offer 
  counsel, and perform rites and rituals. Just as a king would 
  be foolish to try and command his outriders to wage a war 
  against devious and intangible spirits, so would a fire-caller 
  be confounded when made to negotiate an alliance, find 
  new hunting grounds, or rally neighboring clans against a 
  common enemy. 
  Sometimes, nomadic holdout clans band into confeder-
  acies to defend themselves against the encroaching threat 
  of Sulfurite or Mandate expansion, to wage war against one 
  another, or to better harry and harass their sedentary coun-
  terparts. These confederacies are most often led by the head 
  of their most powerful and prosperous member clan. The 
  rule of these individuals is rarely absolute, weaker in con-
  federacies that have little shared custom, common ancestry, 
  or few marital ties between the coalition’s composite clans, 
  and stronger in alliances bound together by generations of 
  cooperation, fellowship, and intermarriage. 
  Culture & relAtions
  The sea people are often nomadic, traveling vast distances 
  across the seas in their sled-ships. Unlike their plains coun-
  terparts, who often live hundreds of miles from their ances-
  tral lands, the sea tribes’ travels are seasonal, and many of 
  them are ultimately tied to a particular part of the coast or 
  an island that they call home. Renowned as daring naviga-
  tors and worldly polyglots, the sea folk trade in goods from 
  across the region, as well as bounty they take from the sea 
  - fish, amber, dyes, whale oil and ivory, and fine golden 
  sea-silk. When trade is slow, however, many of these mer-
  chant-clans turn to coastal raiding; some forego mercantil-
  ism altogether in favor of simple piracy, using their superior 
  mobility and knowledge of the seas to confound would-be 
  counterattackers. 
  Like the sea clans, the people of the plains are nomadic, 
  but their migrations are more ambitious and their ways — 
  more warlike. Some plains coalitions become so fearsome 
  as to extract tribute from weaker Faithful polities and hold 
  their own against Sulfurite mercenaries, but the age of thun-
  dering nomad armies bringing empires to their knees has 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  19
  passed. Cities are too well-defended, the human cost of such 
  invasions is too high, and a wise queen of the plains pre-
  fers to trade and defend her territories, rather than risk her 
  status and the fate of her people on a doomed, foolish cam-
  paign. But even in this age, an age without glory, the plains 
  people are incomparable archers and riders who control vast 
  amounts of flatlands and the trade routes that come with. 
  Their fortunes are made through animal husbandry — swift, 
  enduring horses, proud rams, shaggy camels and hardy elk 
  — and the byproducts thereof: meat, fleece, leather, glue and 
  bone, dairy and alcohol. 
  Of all holdouts, the mountain people are the most reclu-
  sive and most clannish, living in cliffside dwellings or settle-
  ments nestled in the creases and folds of mountain ranges. 
  They are the most linguistically diverse, with nearly every 
  tribe speaking their own language or dialect of the common 
  tongue grown strange with time and isolation. They are also 
  riddled with royalty: nearly every camp or valley has its own 
  monarch, who dresses in slightly finer clothing and lives in a 
  slightly bigger lodge than those who they govern. Unlike the 
  majority of holdout clans in the Byssarian, mountain people 
  tend to be homebodies, and are loath to leave the moun-
  tains for any reason other than absolute necessity. Because 
  many of these clans live in close proximity to deposits of 
  various gems and ores, they are among the best metalsmiths 
  and stonecutters of the region. Although they are less prone 
  to warfare than their nomadic counterparts, they are fierce 
  defenders of their homesteads, excelling at guerrilla tactics 
  — it’s hard to contend with a few dozen mountain archers, 
  armed with stout longbows, hiding themselves in the treach-
  erous rocky foothills of their ancestral lands. 
  Holdout society, by and large, revolves around alliances 
  and kinship groups — an individual is defined by their rela-
  tionships with others first and foremost, and their personal 
  achievements a distant second. Those who are cast out for 
  being criminal or politically inconvenient, as well as those 
  who leave their people willingly, perhaps to settle in a Man-
  date town or one of the Republics, are viewed with discom-
  fort and derision. To leave one’s people is an act of betrayal 
  — not only of said people, but also of oneself, of one’s roots. 
  As with everything about Wasteland peoples, attitudes 
  towards the Mandate and the Republics vary wildly, though 
  there does seem to be an undercurrent of contempt for 
  city-dwellers. At best, city-folk are soft, naive, unskilled in 
  finding their way through or surviving in the Wastes. At 
  worst, they are treacherous, untrustworthy, greedy, and 
  seeking to expand their spheres of influence at any cost — a 
  bleak assumption that proves itself true too frequently for 
  comfort. It is important to note, however, that no matter 
  how conceited the Sulfurite or how high-born the Faithful 
  courtier, they do not consider holdout folk savage, uncivi-
  lized or barbarian. Uneducated, provincial, boorish, cling-
  ing to outdated or heretical custom — most certainly, but 
  human civilization takes myriad forms, and any group of 
  people who manage to not only survive, but thrive in the 
  wilderness is worthy of respect. 
  ChApter 4: vArieties of belief
  E
  ven at the height of the Faith during the Blessed Age, 
  the Byssarian was home to a multitude of religious 
  traditions, ranging from Faithful mystery cults dedi-
  cated to one saint or another, to ancestor worship and furtive 
  veneration of pagan gods and spirits from the World Below. 
  All of the above were persecuted, with a varying degree of 
  intensity (generally, the Inquisition did not drown or cast 
  Faithful cultists in bronze). Despite this, many survived into 
  the Sunless Age, a time in which the Faith no longer wields 
  absolute power and authority in matters spiritual. 
  the fAith
  Perhaps the most significant piece of Imperial heritage, the 
  Faith used to be practiced in most of the known world but 
  has waned in popularity since the Sunfall. Nevertheless, it 
  still holds considerable sway in the cities and the Wastes 
  of the Byssarian alike, and its cultural impact cannot be 
  denied: everyone uses the Faithful calendar and Faithful 
  terminology for things concerning the immaterial; even the 
  daemons sometimes refer to themselves as devils. The head 
  of the Faith is the Pontifex, a high priest or priestess who 
  resides in the old Imperial capital of Pagamea, while each 
  former provincial capital still following the Faith has its own 
  bishops and Cardinal. An adherent of the Faith is called a 
  Faithful; due to the emergence of a splinter denomination 
  roughly a decade ago, those who follow doctrine authorized 
  by the Pontifex call themselves Moristagian Faithful, and the 
  denomination that embraces new and controversial teach-
  ings is called Dissident. 
  Cosmology
  The two central texts of the Faith are the Canticle of the 
  Name and the Word, which contains the tenets and mythol-
  ogy central to the religion, and the Litany of the Dead, which 
  describes in detail the soul’s journey through Hell and the 
  punishments it must endure to repent for its sins before its 
  next incarnation. The Canticle begins with the Faith’s god, 
  the Name and the Word (also called the Immaculate Truth) 
  speaking Itself into existence. Saddened by Its solitude and 
  the stillness of the Void, the Name spoke Creation: the Cos-
  
  20
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  mos, comprised of the aether, the stars, the moons and other 
  celestial bodies, and the World, comprised of the Sun, water, 
  earth, and all manner of plants and other living things. Its 
  final, most perfect work is the human soul, to which it gave 
  the divine gifts of speech, magic and the ability to create and 
  take joy in the act of creation. 
  But just as anything brought into the light casts a shadow, 
  so was the creation of all that is good followed by the advent 
  of all that is wicked. In time, another being came from the 
  Void, a being that was as full of hatred as the Name was of 
  love, a being whose first wish was to destroy, rather than cre-
  ate. Where the Name made a World of sunlight, cool waters 
  and swift winds, the Adversary devised for himself a realm 
  of darkness, fire, and brimstone. Where the Name created 
  the luminous and perfect soul, the Adversary begat lesser 
  devils and let them loose upon the World and the Cosmos. 
  The Adversary’s third and most abhorrent corruption was 
  that of language — where the Name spoke the truth, the 
  Adversary’s words carried nothing but falsehood. In an act 
  of horrific treachery, the Adversary deceived and struck 
  down the First Man, which brought Death into the World, 
  sullying Creation and causing humankind to follow in the 
  footsteps of their ancestor, their souls now subject to cor-
  ruption and their bodies weakening and dying in their old 
  age.
   Furious, the Name combated the Adversary and spoke 
  the Words that would become the Great Wheel: a divine pro-
  cess that would undo damage to Creation and uplift the soul 
  where the Adversary tries to cast it down. The First Man, 
  now First of the Dead, became the Watcher at the Thresh-
  old, who presides over the Wheel and guides the soul from 
  Life to Death and Death to Life. To the remaining mortals, 
  the Name entrusted the sacred task of making the corrupted 
  World just and pleasing to all living beings once again.
   To assist in this sacred task, the Faithful must be stead-
  fast, observing the proper rites and rituals and performing 
  virtuous deeds. When a soul dies, the Watcher takes it to 
  the Judges, angels of the Immaculate Truth who weigh and 
  measure it, and decide its fate. Should a soul’s evil words, 
  thoughts, and deeds outweigh their good ones, the soul is 
  doomed to be devoured and torn apart in Hell for a dura-
  tion proportional to the number and severity of its mis-
  deeds in life, but ultimately restored to life as a being of a 
  lower order. If a soul is more righteous than it is wicked, its 
  passage through Hell ennobles it and strengthens it for its 
  next life. And the most virtuous souls who have followed 
  the Name’s commandments without error and bore the 
  vagaries of mortal incarnations without complaint escape 
  the Wheel altogether and attain eternal bliss in Heaven. 
  The most exceptional of these pure souls are posthumously 
  canonized as saints by the Pontifex and Cardinals, and are 
  thought to be excellent vehicles for prayer — a mortal soul 
  is too tainted to address the Truth directly, but a saint may 
  pray to It on their behalf. 
  As for the most wicked of souls, those who fail, again 
  and again, to lead virtuous lives and stray, again and again, 
  from the Faith, may eventually become so corrupt as to 
  turn into devils themselves, doomed to eternal hunger, 
  falsehood and torment. 
  virtues & viCes
  Regular prayer and attendance of religious services is man-
  datory. One should, at the very least, make oneself present 
  and visible on the High Holy Days. Cleanliness of the body 
  and the soul is important: one can become spiritually tainted 
  under various circumstances (interacting with the dead and 
  the severely ill; venturing deep into the wilderness; going to 
  Hell; mourning, taking on the mantle of exorcist, recover-
  ing from possession, etc), and must undertake the proper 
  purification rites in order to be fit for the company of others.
  virtues
  I. Honesty and integrity.  The Faith places great impor-
  tance on always speaking the truth — the Name is 
  the Immaculate Truth, after all, and the Adversary is 
  called the Prince of Lies for a reason. 
  II. Moderation in matters of worldly pleasures. Both 
  gluttony and starvation lessen the soul, as do lechery 
  and self-denial.
  III. Toil and industry. The Name made humankind to 
  labor and create, and idle hands are the devils’ play-
  things. 
  IV. Forgiveness, charity and mercy. All souls were spoken 
  into being by the Name, and thus carry in them a 
  kernel of the divine and the possibility of redemption. 
  V. Unwavering faith. Doubt, like its sibling deception, 
  cheapens the soul.
  VI. Respect for one’s elders and superiors. One’s birth 
  and place in the world is determined by the Judges 
  in accordance to their actions in a past life; therefore, 
  one should not strive to be above their station. 
  viCes
  I. Deceit and inconstance. By spreading deception 
  throughout the world, one aids the Adversary in his 
  endless quest to corrupt and destroy all of Creation. 
  II. Excess and deprivation. The soul was made to be 
  content, not to starve or glut itself. 
  III. Sloth and idleness.
  IV.  Pride and arrogance. 
  V. Apostasy and devil-worship. The world is rife with 
  false gods and creeds, and it goes without saying that 
  consorting with devils is a mortal sin.
  VI. Malice and vengefulness. The righteous may take of-
  fense, and act on that offense, but they may not hold 
  grudges and let them fester. 
  iConogrAphy 
  Depictions of the Name and the Adversary Themselves as 
  material beings are forbidden; instead, religious art con-
  cerning either of the two makes use of heavily stylized 
  calligraphy which, in turn, uses euphemisms such as “the 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  21
  Immaculate One” or “the Prince of Lies”. There is no pro-
  hibition on graven images of devils, saints, the Judges, or 
  the Watcher; many shrines and temples have lavish frescoes, 
  stained glass panels or mosaics depicting scenes from holy 
  texts. Most Faithful households have an icon or two in addi-
  tion to the holy books, usually placed on a small shrine in 
  their dwelling’s common area, visible and accessible to all 
  members of the household. 
  The symbol of the Faith and the Mandate is the serpent, a 
  long-extinct but still sacred animal that is said to have been 
  able to shed its skin and be born anew. The cassocks of priests 
  and exorcists have cuffs and collars embroidered with silver 
  serpents, and all members of the clergy wear ring-shaped 
  medallions fashioned to resemble a serpent biting at its own 
  tail. Faithful layfolk sometimes wear smaller, humbler ver-
  sions of the symbol, though this is not universal. 
  the Clergy
  Like everything else about Faithful society, the clergy is strat-
  ified and hierarchical in nature. At the bottom are individ-
  uals who labor in service of the Faith but have not attended 
  seminary and are not ordained as priests: monastic acolytes 
  and laypeople. In order to join this liminal stratum of reli-
  gious society, one must relinquish a significant portion of 
  their worldly possessions and take on the vows of modesty 
  and obedience. Usually, layfolk serve their communities or 
  monasteries for a specific length of time (three to five years is 
  common) and then rejoin their worldly brethren; sometimes, 
  however, those who decide to commit their lives to a monas-
  tic order take the required oaths and join the order as novices.
  Priests are seminary-educated rank-and-file members of 
  the clergy either appointed to specific parishes or traveling a 
  circuit between hamlets too small or distant to have their own 
  resident preachers. Unlike exorcists, members of the priest-
  hood are encouraged to marry and have families of their own. 
  Unmarried priests above a certain age are odd and not con-
  sidered for promotion beyond the low ranks — how can a 
  priest or priestess assist their flock in finding the path to righ-
  teousness if they cannot even find a suitable spouse for them-
  selves? By and large, priesthood is a family trade, and once 
  a family joins the clergy it is unlikely that their descendants 
  would ever leave it: many clerical and ecclesiastical positions 
  of rank are well-paid, and a family’s prestige within the clergy 
  is bound to grow as generations pass. 
  Like priests, exorcists are ranking members of the clergy, 
  but occupy a very strange place socially: they are revered 
  for their service to the divine, and reviled for the infernal 
  bargain that grants them their magic. A village without a 
  Gate to the World Below needs an exorcist (and, by exten-
  sion, a devil) to survive, but the exorcist’s bond with said 
  devil means that they are spiritually and physically tainted. 
  They are sacred pariahs, respected by their communities but 
  forced to the sidelines and closely watched for signs of cor-
  ruption. Those who do not tend to a particular place often 
  travel a circuit, like ordinary ministers, tending to the spir-
  itual health of minor or far-flung Faithful communes, and 
  are thus even less trusted than their settled counterparts. 
  In order to become an exorcist, one must first attend 
  seminary and be chosen for the role by a committee of the 
  seminary’s teachers; the choice must later be ratified by the 
  local bishop or, in the event of the prospective exorcist being 
  exceptionally high-born, the Cardinal. Then, the initiate 
  must swear an oath, perform a series of purification rites, 
  and strike a bargain with a Mandate-approved devil under 
  Adamant and Inquisitorial supervision. Although exorcists 
  aren’t outright prohibited from marrying and having chil-
  dren, it is severely discouraged, and the children of exorcists 
  are shunned and considered to be illegitimate, as they bear 
  the Devil’s mark upon their very souls.
  At the very top of the Faithful hierarchy are bishops, 
  elected from among the priesthood and overseeing dioceses 
  comprised of a small number of communities, Cardinals, 
  who manage the ecclesiastical affairs of entire city-states and 
  their outlying holdings, the abbots and abbesses of influen-
  tial monastic orders, the heads of the Orders Militant, and 
  the Pontifex, who is elected by the cardinals from among 
  their number and whose authority in matters of the Faith is 
  near-absolute. 
  the orders militAnt
  The Orders Militant are the closest thing the Mandate — as 
  opposed to each of its component states — has to a standing 
  army. Although steeped in monastic tradition, the Orders 
  live up to their name and are heavily oriented towards war-
  fare, ensuring that their initiates are as pious and learned 
  as they are skilled in the art of war. Though most Faithful 
  knights of ages past were vassals of high nobility, a small 
  portion of these knights came from the Orders and had no 
  loyalty or obligation to any power but the Name and the 
  Word. As the clergy grew in power during the Blessed Age, 
  the institutions of secular vassalage and landed knighthood 
  gradually withered (mostly due to a healthy fear of pro-
  vincial rebellion on behalf of the ruling dynasty), and the 
  Orders stepped in to fill in the gap.
  Members of the Orders run the gamut from armored 
  swordsmen to mages to bare-fisted warrior monks, and 
  each Order has its own martial specialty. For instance, the 
  Order of St. Myron is an order of mages, and the members of 
  the Order of St. Idris take oaths to never cast spells or wield 
  blades in battle, focusing instead on bludgeoning weapons 
  and unarmed combat. The heads of Orders Militant most 
  often hold the title of Grandmaster, acknowledging the 
  martial focus of their organizations; however, some of the 
  Orders began as purely monastic institutions and refer to 
  their heads as Abbot or Abbess instead. 
  
  22
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  the inquisition
  Of the Mandate’s many arms, the Inquisition is perhaps the 
  one whose history is both the bloodiest and the best known. 
  Like most large-scale Faithful organizations, it has its roots 
  in an old Imperial institution — namely, the Old Empire’s 
  secret police, the same people who used to brutally execute 
  early Faithful for practicing their religion. As with all things 
  Imperial, it was eventually co-opted, absorbed into the Faith 
  and put to use, moving from rooting out Faithful insurgents 
  onto violently persecuting heretics, witches, and the pos-
  sessed well through the Blessed Age. Accounts of Inquisito-
  rial brutality are so abundant and so egregious that even the 
  Mandate, notoriously proficient in the alteration of history, 
  has given up on concealing them from public view. Instead, 
  the Inquisition was purged and reformed roughly two cen-
  turies back, and assigned a new task.
  Today’s Inquisition is as much of a political institution as 
  it is a religious one, its primary purpose — law enforcement, 
  espionage, and counterintelligence. The average contempo-
  rary Inquisitor is more of a spy or detective than a witch-
  hunter, as Hellish corruption is almost synonymous with 
  Sulfurite machinations. Of course, there is the occasional 
  practitioner of infernal magics who must be brought to jus-
  tice, and the ideological threat of the Dissidents cannot be 
  ignored, but the methods of modernity are a far cry from 
  those of antiquity. The executions, the exiles, the burning 
  of books and the sentencing of criminals are best left to sol-
  diers and magistrates — the Inquisition's purpose is to point 
  the way and to expose the rot. They are calculating, discreet 
  professionals, preferring to avoid combat and coercion but 
  adept in both should the situation call for it. 
  the AdAmAntine provinCe & 
  the order of st. khosrAu
  The Adamantine Province is the place where Faithful sin-
  ners are punished for transgressions committed during their 
  lifetimes, and the source of fire magics practiced by Mandate 
  exorcists. Functionally, it is much like a conquered nation, 
  supplying the Mandate with fire, devils, and certain other 
  Hellish goods, and the Mandate, in turn, sends foot soldiers, 
  beasts of burden, and food. (Agriculture, while possible, is 
  difficult in Hell and the Order gratefully accepts dispensa-
  tions of untainted Surface grain.)
  The contemporary incarnation of the Adamant Order 
  is one of the greatest — if not the greatest — human mar-
  tial traditions the world has ever seen, and an insular and 
  secretive organization whose primary task is to hold back 
  the Adversary's forces and ensure Surface Faithful have a 
  steady source of heat. Due to centuries of isolation, warfare, 
  and constant exposure to what they believe to be the forces 
  of darkness in a place that is actively shaped by belief, the 
  Order is much more conservative in its interpretation of the 
  Faith than any other branch of the Mandate. They are proud 
  of it — while the Faith Above is mutable and prone to giving 
  in to social pressure, the Order has managed to preserve an 
  older version of the religion in the face of cosmic evil. 
  Unlike members of the other Orders Militant, Knights 
  Adamants are either born into or adopted into the Order 
  as young children. Older initiates simply would not do in 
  the Province: Below, faith is paramount. It shapes the enemy 
  and the battlefield, and those indoctrinated to believe cer-
  tain things from a young age usually believe in those things 
  more firmly, and are a lot more difficult to sway from the 
  path of righteousness than those exposed to alternate doc-
  trines and ways of life. 
  There’s an aristocracy in the Province — direct descen-
  dants of the knights and soldiers who had come Below 
  during the First Chthonic March. They are the officers and 
  commanders, educated as rigorously as Faithful noble sci-
  ons Above. Given the likelihood of an early death, Adamant 
  nobility sometimes practices a form of adoption, naming 
  lower-ranking but capable members of the knighthood as 
  their legal heirs and ensuring that the family name would 
  survive even if their bloodline ends with them. This creates 
  another division among the Order — those who can claim 
  direct descent from one of the original Knights Adamant 
  command greater respect than those descended from a low-
  born soldier or officer adopted into a noble bloodline.
  Other Adamant initiates are, simply put, children who do 
  not belong in Faithful society — the abandoned, the ille-
  gitimate and the devil-born, all taken from temples and 
  orphanages across the Mandate’s lands, brought Below and 
  raised into the Order’s creed. Some children are sent Below 
  out of necessity: sometimes, a hamlet in the borderlands 
  cannot pay its tithes. Due to a ruined harvest, bandit dep-
  redations, plague, or similar misfortunes. When that is the 
  case, the Mandate’s tax collectors ask for a tithe of children 
  instead. Parents sorrow, as parents do, but fewer hungry 
  mouths to feed can make the difference between life and 
  death, and knowing that their children will be fed, clothed, 
  cared for and educated to live lives of glory in the Faith is a 
  comfort to many.
  There are, of course, scabrous rumors in the Republics 
  about child soldiers fighting the Mandate’s Hellish wars, 
  but these rumors are false; no one is fully initiated into the 
  knighthood and sent to the frontlines until they achieve the 
  age of majority. These lowborn Adamants form the main 
  fighting body of the Order, elite infantry and artillery corps 
  feared and renowned in both worlds, or do civilian work that 
  supports their more martial brethren. Their children, if they 
  live long enough to have them, will enjoy higher status than 
  they did, and a few generations later, their descendants will 
  find themselves in the ranks of the Province’s minor nobility. 
  Despite its seclusion in the World Below and the Grand-
  master’s frequent absence from meetings of the Synod, the 
  Order’s influence Above cannot be denied. Knights Ada-
  mant guard or supervise almost every Gateside fortress in 
  Mandate lands, and the Pontifex chooses their palace guard 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  23
  from members of the Adamant knighthood. Cardinals and 
  other high-ranking clerics court favor with the Order as 
  ardently as they do with each other, and every new Pontifex 
  treads lightly around high-ranking members of this institu-
  tion: there have been bloody upheavals in Pagamea, when 
  the Synod elected someone the Adamant Order did not con-
  sider fit for the title. 
  the dissident movement
  The largest noncomformist movement in the Faith, the 
  Dissident creed has its roots in two things: a growing and 
  increasingly dissatisfied population of literate Chthonic 
  veterans, and a recent translation of the Canticle from the 
  ecclesiastical High Moresh and into a number of vernacu-
  lar languages. Although similar to the version sanctioned by 
  the Mandate, the Yasarevic Canticle, named for the theolo-
  gian who brought the translation to the public eye, espouses 
  the idea that the soul may be purified and uplifted during 
  one’s mortal life, and not only after the Judges have passed 
  their verdict and the soul has entered Hell. In practice, this 
  means that through just and righteous action, one of low 
  birth could potentially surpass their highborn peers. This 
  idea, called the Doctrine of Immanent Excellence, is a far 
  cry from the radical (and therefore dangerous) notion of 
  equality, but it is enough to have caused great unrest, both 
  social and intellectual, in Mandate lands. 
  The vast majority of prominent Dissident thinkers come 
  from lesser nobility, the lower ranks of the clergy, and the 
  literate middle classes formed by educated smallfolk and 
  returning Chthonic veterans. It is a reform movement with-
  out puritanism, one born of the Mandate’s political machina-
  tions and the rigidity of its social structure as opposed to its 
  extravagance. Among other things, Dissidents take issue with 
  the fact that Mandate priests are permitted to marry, a prac-
  tice they believe encourages nepotism and bars the lowborn 
  from entering the clergy. Due to heavy persecution, many 
  Dissidents have fled Mandate cities for secluded mountain 
  enclaves and the Republics. A significant minority of Dissi-
  dent refugees in the Republics are wealthy or at least fashion-
  ably bohemian, enjoying the attention and patronage of the 
  upper layers of Sulfurite society — religious transgression has 
  a certain allure to it, and having the privilege to host a foreign 
  intellectual makes one interesting to one’s superiors and envi-
  able in the eyes of one’s peers. Dissidents of lesser means are 
  less fortunate. Many remain in hiding in Mandate cities, and 
  the Republics force Dissident refugees to the fringes of society 
  and heavily tax them for the right to practice their religion. 
  the fAith in the WAstes
  Some holdout communities follow a version of the Faith that 
  has very little to do with the religion in Pagamea. The trap-
  pings of the Faith are there — the icons, the hymns, the hol-
  idays, a priest in the temple and an exorcist on the outskirts 
  — but should one look closer, one would find centuries-old 
  pagan tradition beneath a thin Faithful veneer. The intent 
  and basic tenets of the Faith are central to these communities 
  — that is, worship of the Name and fear and derision of the 
  Adversary — but the rituals surrounding these things most 
  certainly do not appear in any sacred literature. Many Faith-
  ful villages are unfamiliar with the tales and writings of the 
  saints; some are so far removed from official doctrine that a 
  man may have an icon of a saint hanging above his hearth and 
  be unable to tell another who that saint actually is. 
  The Mandate sends priests and missionaries to remedy 
  the situation, but a smattering of backwater parishes with 
  strange customs is hardly the most pressing matter on their 
  hands. These near-pagans are usually not persecuted for 
  their beliefs, provided said beliefs don’t directly contradict 
  the Faith, carry a taint of Dissident heresy, or condone infer-
  nal magics and consorting with devils. 
  WAstelAnd beliefs
  Away from Pagamea’s looming shadow, the Wastes teem 
  with a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. Given 
  the mutable nature of the World Below and the necessity of 
  associating with its denizens, it is not surprising that many 
  Wasteland-dwellers have a worldview that tends towards the 
  animistic. They believe that the world is home to a multi-
  tude of intangible spirits — of the land, the sea, the heavens, 
  and their own long-gone ancestors. Among those spirits, the 
  fire-spirits who come from under the earth are most likely 
  to concern themselves with petty mortal affairs, for they are 
  the only ones among the spirits who experience hunger and 
  desire in a way not dissimilar to that of humanity. All other 
  spirits rarely bother showing themselves in ways more direct 
  than the ebb and flow of the tides, the gathering of a storm, 
  and the odd feeling one sometimes experiences when stand-
  ing over an ancestral barrow.
  Because the Faith’s influence stretched so far and wide 
  at the apex of its power, most minor religions and cults in 
  the Byssarian acknowledge the existence of a higher power 
  of some sort, and many of these spirit-worshippers are no 
  exception. They do, by and large, consider direct worship of 
  a creator god to have as much effect as a serf entreating a dis-
  tant emperor for personal assistance with the harvest. It is 
  better, faster, and more convenient to bargain with the spir-
  its directly and to leave the Name and Its servants to their 
  task of managing the inner workings of Creation. 
  Of the many servants of the Name, it is the Watcher at the 
  Threshold who most often captures the imagination of both 
  the living and the dead. Though a major figure in the Faith’s 
  worldview, information regarding the Watcher specifically 
  is scarce and apocryphal, and those who choose to dedicate 
  themselves to worship of the Watcher gather in secretive 
  mystery cults. Some of these cults, made up of the ignorant 
  living, strive for the secret of immortality discovered by 
  Sage Oxyathres during the Dying Sun. Others, with undead 
  
  24
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  individuals who have mastered those secrets in their ranks, 
  have a more contemplative and spiritual approach, seeking 
  enlightenment and a better understanding of the Wheel 
  through meditation and asceticism. Finally, there are those 
  who believe that the undead are horrific violations of the 
  cosmic order that must be destroyed at all costs, and their 
  books of foul necromantic rites burnt to ash. 
  In the end, it is as impossible to prove the veracity of any 
  of the above varieties of belief as it is that of the Faith. The 
  only aspects of the metaphysical that can be witnessed are 
  souls, daemons, the World Below, and (to some limited 
  extent) the cycle of reincarnation. Everything beyond that is 
  a matter of faith and speculation — if higher powers of any 
  kind exist, they are not available for comment. 
  ChApter 5: the mysteries of mAgiC
  J
  ust as the World itself is comprised of two halves, so 
  is magic divided into two disciplines. Thaumaturgy is 
  magic of the soul and can only be practiced by humans, 
  while pyromancy comes from the World Below and is the 
  province of daemons and those who bargain with them. 
  These disciplines cultivate different characteristics in their 
  disciples, and their practice is what sustains human life on 
  Arnai. Pyromancers, human or daemon, are the only ones 
  who can conjure flame in this flameless world, and thauma-
  turgy is, in many ways, the vehicle of technological and sci-
  entific progress. The development of steam power, pyrotech-
  nics, and internal combustion is slow, limited to eccentric 
  scholars with time and resources to spare, while thauma-
  turgical mechanisms light city streets, shield them from the 
  worst of the storms, and make life in large urban settlements 
  more comfortable in countless other ways. 
  thAumAturgy And the 
  soul
  essenCe & the soul
  Every living creature more complex than a plant, lichen, 
  or a fungus is filled with animating essence, intangible 
  energy that ensures that an animal organism is truly living 
  as opposed to performing baseline biological function. One 
  may think of essence as a sort of instinctual proto-soul: it is 
  the reason deer run, tigers hunt, and moles burrow into the 
  earth instead of lying comatose and slowly rotting in their 
  dens. And among all living things on Arnai, only human-
  kind is blessed with the soul: a combination of animating 
  essence and the capacity for symbolic thought, language, 
  complex long-term memory, and magic.
  The human soul is a paradox. It is a powerful, almost inex-
  haustible font of magical energy, it is cold; it has an impulse to 
  create and to sustain and to be eternal. Yet at the same time it 
  is subject to reincarnation, shackled to a vessel that is warm, 
  mortal, a vessel that hungers, a vessel that begins dying the 
  moment it is born. If this tenuous yet vital connection between 
  the body and the soul breaks, whether through exorcism or 
  death of the body, the weight of consciousness and memory 
  pulls the soul down to the World Below and the body remains 
  behind, either dead or merely inert and unresponsive. 
  thAumAturgy
  Thaumaturgy, sometimes called the Elder Science, is human 
  magic; the magic that comes from the soul. Its second 
  name has its roots in the fact that the Byssarian approach 
  to soul-magic is rigorous and mathematical, relying on pre-
  cise, geometric sigils and arrays to direct and channel spell-
  work. The effects of thaumaturgical spells are spectacular to 
  behold: bolts of cold lightning, spells that manipulate, com-
  pel, and even trap the spirits of others, spells that protect 
  and preserve, and engraved sigils that contain, amplify and 
  transform energy, allowing for the existence of otherwise 
  impossible machinery. This does not mean, however, that 
  all view the Elder Science as strictly beneficial and hold its 
  practitioners in high esteem. Mages, sorcerers and arcane 
  engineers are subject to much fear and superstition in the 
  Wastes, the inhabitants of which are not unfamiliar with 
  hostile Old Imperial constructs or magically engineered 
  beasts, or the mad workings of Incandescent sorcerers. 
  Although every human being, at least in theory, has the 
  latent ability to cast thaumaturgical spells, the path to unlock-
  ing that ability is so arduous that very few individuals follow 
  it through. In order to become a mage, one must undergo a 
  rigorous course of study — geometry, mathematics, magical 
  theory, the nature and anatomy of the human soul — in addi-
  tion to a set of grueling trials that psychologically break and 
  then rebuild the aspiring magician . These trials, collectively 
  dubbed the Mage’s Ordeal, vary, ranging from strenuous fasts 
  to long periods of sensory deprivation and ingestion of potent 
  hallucinogens, but the final trial is always the same: a silent, 
  solitary and sleepless vigil in a cold tower that ends only when 
  the aspirant’s soul awakens to its power.
  But not all would-be mages can bear the brunt of the 
  trials. Unsuccessful aspirants are met with understanding 
  rather than pity, and see no shame in their failure. Disap-
  pointment, devastation, even heartbreak — certainly. But 
  instead of punishing failed magicians for their shortcom-
  ings, most centers of arcane learning strive to support them 
  and encourage an alternative course of study: literature, 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  25
  history, mathematics, mechanics, engineering, or medicine. 
  Some even attempt their trials again, but are not permitted 
  to do so immediately after failure — most universities do 
  not encourage self-destruction, and would prefer their stu-
  dents to at least try to move past their experiences before 
  restarting the Ordeal. 
  The greatest limitation of thaumaturgy is its inability 
  to produce heat. Lamps, automatons, and other machines 
  powered by souls or augmented with magical sigils run cold 
  instead of hot, absorbing heat where they should be ema-
  nating it. Amounts of heat absorbed by such devices are 
  usually negligible, particularly in townships or great cities 
  with access to a sufficiently large portal to the World Below. 
  And of all the mechanical accomplishments of the Elder Sci-
  ence, the most impressive and the most brutal is the Way of 
  Bronze, the art of imbuing a metal construct with a soul to 
  create a mechanical soldier or servitor. As with every other 
  type of magical and scientific knowledge, much information 
  regarding the Way was lost during the chaos of the Dying 
  Sun. The current version of the discipline is reconstructed 
  and heavily bastardized, its products imperfect and laugh-
  ably inferior to the Immortals of antiquity. 
  inCAndesCenCe
  Incandescence is a rare and peculiar metaphysical ail-
  ment that affects only mages. It begins with a dream, 
  usually, but not always, of a cold blue Sun. Apprentices 
  and unskilled journeymen almost never have the dream; 
  it is far more common among master magicians and 
  adepts of remarkable talent. A lucky few who glimpse this 
  dream-Sun’s merciless glory manage to turn away, purge 
  themselves of the idea, and forever abandon the study of 
  magic. The rest succumb to an obsession so powerful that 
  it warps and sickens their very souls.
  All human souls have at their core an intense desire for 
  creation, and so the Incandescent are compelled to make. 
  The form this takes depends on the individual: one might 
  etch miles of nonsensical magical sigils into the ice, another 
  might build machines, the third might be compelled to write. 
  Regardless of the form such creations may take, they are 
  always harmful: the magical sigils blast any living thing wan-
  dering too close, the machines are rabidly hostile to all life, 
  and reading the writings left behind by an Incandescent either 
  causes the reader to have the Incandescent dream themselves, 
  or drives them to violent, self-destructive madness.  
  The Incandescent care little for biological function. They 
  don’t eat, they don’t sleep, and they appear to be impervious 
  to pain and exhaustion.  Many in early stages of the condition 
  appear filthy, starved, frostbitten, or wounded, indistinguish-
  able from ordinary people if not for the sickly, feverish light in 
  their eyes. As the condition progresses and the Incandescent 
  soul grows in power, their body begins to wither. Their skin 
  cracks and peels from them in tatters; the flesh sloughs off, 
  and when what little remains of the body can no longer with-
  stand the magnitude of the spirit, it ruptures and caves in on 
  itself, fragile and lifeless as an eggshell. Afterwards, the soul 
  itself is nowhere to be found — it disappears from the World 
  Above and never enters the World Below.
  For all their power and all their creations, the Incandes-
  cent are not invincible. Most destroy their own bodies within 
  weeks or months, and they don’t appear to be intelligent in 
  the way other beings understand the concept of intelligence. 
  They are idea without thought, inspiration without sapi-
  ence, magic without consciousness, creation without rea-
  son. Some scholars posit that just as a pyromancer opens 
  their heart to a daemon from the World Below, so does a 
  thaumaturge open their soul to a hypothetical Higher World 
  and its inhabitants; Incandescence is merely a risk of tap-
  ping an unknown realm for power. Certain hardline Faithful 
  thinkers consider this affliction to be divine punishment for 
  sorcerous hubris; holdout elders, meanwhile, just call it the 
  blue madness, tell their children to never trust city wizards, 
  and leave it at that.
  neCromAnCy
  The art and science of anchoring living souls to magically 
  preserved dead bodies is an obscure, mostly theoretical, 
  and wildly illegal subset of thaumaturgical study. Though it 
  bears several passing similarities to the old Imperial art of 
  shackling a soul to bronze — similar sigils and incantations, 
  the overall aim of binding a living soul to an inert vessel — 
  the two are nothing alike. The former, concerned primarily 
  with the obedience and efficiency of the constructs it cre-
  ates, does not take into account the well-being of the spirit: 
  the purpose of the Way of Bronze is to create the perfect 
  soldier and the perfect servant. Guided by this intent and 
  little else, practitioners of the Way use spells that are as sub-
  tle as blows from a sledgehammer: souls subjected to them 
  become half-mad, fractured things, self-aware and capable 
  of complex thought but lacking autonomy and any capacity 
  for self-expression. Necromantic rites, on the other hand, 
  strive to preserve the soul as it was in life — its intelligence, 
   un e x p e C t e d  Gif t s o f 
  Ma G iC
  Not all thaumaturges study and deliberately pre-
  pare to awaken their magical potential. “Accidental” 
  mages who come into their power during a war, fam-
  ine or similarly harrowing event are rare and a dan-
  ger to themselves and to others. They have too little 
  knowledge and discipline to use their magic safely, 
  and tend to discharge bolts of magical energy or cast 
  compulsion spells when they feel threatened. Many 
  such mages die before receiving any kind of aid or 
  training, and almost all of those who survive eventu-
  ally succumb to Incandescence, a sickness of the soul 
  that only plagues the magically gifted. 
  
  26
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  its character, its emotional stability and control over its ves-
  sel — and to shield said vessel from the ravages of time, 
  which it accomplishes through mummification. 
  As far as Byssarian scholars are aware, there is no necro-
  mantic ritual that results in the creation of the kind of mind-
  less, shambling undead one may read about in sensationalist 
  broadsheets. 
  revenAnts 
  Revenants are undead who fully preserve their humanity as 
  they step into eternity. The Rite of Resurrection and other 
  major works of the necromantic sciences are attributed to 
  Sage Oxyathres, who wrote his first treatise on the thau-
  maturgical properties of human cadavers in the 64th Year 
  of the Dying Sun. He, along with his eight daughters and 
  his many disciples, condensed his findings in what is now 
  called Tome of the Gentle Death and committed ritual 
  suicide. What happened after is unclear — according to 
  one chronicle, Oxyathres rose from the dead, attempted to 
  impose his salvation on the general populace, was defeated 
  and subsequently executed by immolation; according 
  to another, Oxyathres succeeded in his resurrection and 
  evangelized undeath to the populace, but went to volun-
  tary exile to the North after the completion of the Crystal 
  Sun and the realization of his own irrelevance; according 
  to a third, his resurrection failed altogether and it fell upon 
  his daughters to complete his work. What is clear is that 
  there is a method, however obscure, of transcending death 
  itself. 
  In order to join the ranks of the undead, a mage must 
  tattoo, burn, scar, or otherwise permanently mark the con-
  tainment arrays onto their own skin. In the event that the 
  revenant-to-be lacks magical talent, they must have a mage 
  do it for them. Total consent of the subject soul is a vital 
  part of the process; sigils placed upon unwilling or uncon-
  scious bodies never take hold or function as intended. At 
  best, those individuals bear a score of painful but entirely 
  non-magical markings for the rest of their lives; at worst, 
  they risk rising as ravenous ghouls upon death. 
  Even those who do wish to become undead suffer while 
  they yet live. The containment sigils cause intense discom-
  fort to the aspiring revenant as their soul strains against its 
  bonds, but shortly after they die, they awaken to a second life. 
  Barring extensive damage to the sigils, a revenant’s body can 
  endure in perpetuity: it requires no food or drink and feels 
  little in the way of pain (or pleasure, for that matter). The cold 
  concerns a revenant only insofar as they risk freezing solid if 
  they are not careful. Decomposition, too, is a trivial matter: 
  the magics that anchor the soul to the body dessicate the flesh, 
  strengthening and preserving it for ages to come.
  This does not, however, prevent the decay of memory. All 
  revenants begin to suffer from long-term memory loss a few 
  decades into undeath. This is not a form of dementia; old 
  revenants are perfectly lucid, and don’t suffer from impaired 
  reasoning or any other decline in mental ability. Rather, the 
  past fades away to make room for the present and the future; 
  just as an old man, weighed down by decades of memory 
  and experience, struggles to recall his childhood, so does 
  an older revenant struggle to remember his time among the 
  living. Many revenants find the prospect of forgetting them-
  selves utterly terrifying and become obsessive archivists and 
  meticulous record-keepers, striving to preserve themselves 
  against the ravages of time; others accept it to be a natural 
  part of undeath. 
  Because the revenant’s soul is in such violation of the cos-
  mic order and so tightly bound to its physical vessel, the 
  undead cannot forge or even maintain daemonic pacts. A 
  pyromancer’s inner gateway to the World Below becomes 
  inert upon completion of the sigils, breaking the bond 
  between them and their daemon. Some desperate individ-
  uals seek undeath as a means of escaping their eventual 
  doom, and some even succeed in slipping their infernal 
  bonds — but most daemons are canny enough to recognize 
  and harshly punish any attempt to shirk a pact. Daemon-
  kind, overall, has little love for the undead — while they 
  can possess them, dead bodies provide little in the way of 
  pleasure and sensory experience, and very few spirits would 
  wish to reside inside a mummified corpse for long. 
  The Rite of Resurrection is a well-kept secret, and the 
  few extant copies of the Tome and subsequent works on the 
  subject are sequestered in restricted sections of university 
  libraries and private collections of wealthy, eccentric sor-
  cerers. Revenants, as far as the broader public is concerned, 
  aren’t real; they are Wasteland bogeymen, monsters from 
  grisly fireside tales. Some souls, it is said, are so wicked that 
  even Hell wants nothing to do with them, and so they wan-
  der the Wastes, shackled to their wretched, rotting bodies, 
  ever-hungry for the flesh of the living...
  ghouls
  Either products of forcing the Rite onto the unwilling or the 
  handiwork of unskilled necromancers, ghouls are among 
  the chiefest reasons why the public meets the undead with 
  murderous hostility. The Rite is notoriously complex; the 
  texts are old, faded, often inaccurate, and the failure rate is 
  high. Most often, an imperfect Rite simply causes the body 
  th e Bl u e pl a G u e o f 
  t h e hu M a n  sp ir it
  A single unnoticed case of Incandescence in a city 
  can very quickly turn into three or more  -- the 
  close proximity of other thaumaturges and, in 
  recent years, the possibility of printing and distrib-
  uting the maddening words of an Incandescent en 
  masse make large institutions of arcane learning 
  into potential breeding grounds for the madness of 
  the soul. No large-scale outbreak has taken place as 
  of yet, but the very possibility of one is incredibly 
  worrying to rulers and mages alike. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  27
  to remain inert upon death, a rune-scarred corpse bathed in 
  cold and eerie light hours after the departure of the soul. But 
  sometimes, the body stirs back to a facsimile of life. They no 
  longer feel pain. They shrug off mortal injuries. They have 
  nothing to fear from the cold. If they had undergone the Rite 
  willingly, they are made euphoric by their defiance of death. 
  And then the hunger starts to set in. 
  It is agonizing and inescapable. No ghoul is ever fully 
  sated. Their soul leaks from their body, a slow, constant loss 
  of essence and memory that can only be mitigated by con-
  suming the souls of others, which they accomplish through 
  simple cannibalism. In folklore, ghouls have a reputation as 
  corpse-eaters and grave-robbers, but that is false. Dead flesh 
  does nothing for them. The only corpses that interest them 
  are freshly killed ones. When they feed, they do so quickly, 
  with big ragged bites, gobbling up the soul before it has a 
  chance to shuffle off this mortal coil. 
  The closest a ghoul gets to feeling sated, to feeling com-
  plete, is when they feed on the souls of their loved ones, who 
  they pursue with a freakish tenacity. A loving husband who 
  would kill for his wife becomes a ghoul who would die to 
  consume her. An adoring mother who would die for her 
  son would stop at nothing to kill him in death. And after 
  the ghoul makes their way through their friends, family and 
  lovers both current and former, they turn outwards. They’re 
  social, cosmopolitan creatures, difficult to distinguish from 
  the living when they’re well-fed — unlike revenants, they do 
  not mummify, and the souls they consume keep the rot at 
  bay. A starved ghoul is a shambling, reeking thing; a well-
  fed one is hale and good-spirited, with a rosy glow in their 
  cheeks and a sparkle in their eye. Many ghouls manage to 
  eke out an existence on the periphery of human civiliza-
  tion, befriending and consuming someone, and moving on 
  before the local authorities begin investigating the murder. 
  Older, less impulsive ghouls cultivate elaborate networks of 
  relationships with all the care and affection a shepherd feels 
  for his sheep, and cull from their flocks as they see fit. 
  All souls a ghoul consumes remain inside the ghoul, 
  half-conscious and removed from the Wheel until the final 
  death of their host. With time and discipline, a ghoul can 
  learn to access their memories. For the practical ghoul, this 
  means dozens, hundreds of lifetimes’ worth of skill and expe-
  rience within an arm’s reach. The sentimental ghoul, mean-
  while, does not believe that their predation on the living is at 
  all equivalent to murder; to them, eating their beloved and 
  keeping them from the devils of Hell and the cruelty of the 
  Wheel is the highest, most selfless form of devotion…and if 
  their beloved happened to be a talented scholar, warrior, or 
  mage in life, then so much the better. 
  And so it is that elder ghouls, the ones who make it past 
  the initial shock of becoming a cannibalistic abomination 
  and prove themselves cruel and cunning enough to endure 
  for decades, are among the most frightening beings one 
  could possibly encounter in the Wastes. They grow stron-
  ger and wiser with age. Unlike revenants, they forget noth-
  ing if they keep themselves fed. An elder ghoul’s store of 
  knowledge is vast, and their knowledge of the human soul 
  is unparalleled. They are the only beings on Arnai who can 
  reliably detect possession at a glance, and they detest dae-
  mons for poaching their livestock and poisoning the met-
  aphorical well — if a ghoul devours a possessed individual, 
  the daemon escapes and the ghoul derives no nourishment 
  or pleasure from the soul-dregs they leave behind. One can 
  sometimes tell the body of a possessed traveler apart from 
  those of their companions - one among a dozen corpses 
  is mutilated but uneaten because the ghoul who ambushed 
  them would not stoop to feeding on spiritual carrion.
  However, all ancient ghouls, no matter how powerful 
  and cunning, inevitably lose themselves in the abundance 
  of memory. They drown in it, forget themselves, become 
  erratic and animalistic. Logic gives way to instinct; subtlety 
  — to hunger. True death, usually at the hands of a furious 
  mob or the sword of a soldier, soon follows.
  pyromAnCy And 
  dAemonkind
  dAemons
  The daemon is the mirror image of the soul. Both are invis-
  ible, intangible spirits capable of warping the world around 
  them to produce magical effects, but one is cold and the other 
  hot, and where one creates and sustains, the other destroys 
  and consumes. Unlike souls, which suffer when expunged 
  from their host, disembodied daemons remain stable, alert, 
  and capable of possessing the bodies of others. And while 
  some facets of daemonic psychology are undoubtedly alien, 
  such as their tendency to think on the scale of centuries and 
  their general incomprehension of the concept of childhood 
  — prolonged contact between the Worlds Above and Below 
  has ensured that the inhabitants of both can communicate 
  with and relate to each other. 
  One of the most distinct features of daemonic psychology 
  is their peculiar inability to break a formal oath or promise 
  — while they can lie and cheat as well as, if not better, than 
  their human counterparts, a daemon’s word can be used to 
  bind them. If they swear an oath of allegiance, they cannot 
  violate it. If they promise to never lie to any one individual, 
  they will not be able to utter a direct falsehood — bending 
  the truth until it breaks, however, is an entirely acceptable 
  course of action. As a daemon grows in age and experience, 
  they become better at the kind of logical and rhetorical gym-
  nastics one is required to perform in order to avoid being 
  trapped by one’s own words; younger daemons, however, are 
  far more naive and prone to being taken advantage of by 
  cunning humans and cunning spirits alike. 
  In order to maintain structural integrity and awareness, a 
  daemon must feed on souls. They do not require much — a 
  carefully rationed, living soul can sustain a daemon for years 
  
  28
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  — but they find the process extremely pleasurable, cannot 
  experience satiety, and are therefore prone to gluttony and 
  excess. To worsen the matter, all daemons are terrified of the 
  prospect of starvation. If a daemon consumes nothing, not 
  even the barest morsel of a soul, for a long enough period 
  of time, they will begin to suffer memory loss and dissolve 
  into lesser beings called imps. Conversely, if a group of imps 
  is sufficiently well-fed on essence and souls, it will coalesce 
  into a new daemon, capable of speaking, acting and rea-
  soning like an emotional adult from the very moment they 
  spring into existence. Generally, newborn daemons lack 
  memory, but some retain vague and indistinct recollections 
  of their past selves. Younger daemons’ lack of experience 
  belies naivete, and they often find themselves at a loss in 
  social situations, fumbling their first contracts and swearing 
  allegiance to the wrong people. Lacking parents, they name 
  themselves, either inventing names, taking words from one 
  of the languages of the World Below, or merely assuming the 
  name of the first human they successfully possess. A dae-
  mon is just as likely to be called Beleth or Asmoday as, say, 
  Dante or Beatrice, and none of the above names would be 
  considered strange by their peers. 
  In the end, all spirits from Below are no more intrinsically 
  evil than the natural processes of entropy and decay. They 
  can feel remorse, and love, and pain, and grief, and they are 
  as capable of good deeds as they are of evil ones. But they 
  also consume human souls for sustenance and possess the 
  unwilling, so the assumption that all of them are evil, while 
  technically incorrect, is not unreasonable.  
  imps
  Imps are lesser spirits, about as intelligent as apes, parrots, 
  particularly clever dogs or very young human children. Like 
  all spirits, they are invisible and intangible in the World 
  Above, and they suffer from a relentless hunger. Unlike all 
  other spirits, they seem to be functionally immortal — they 
  aren’t subject to starvation and dissolution. But neither 
  do they have the faculties to forge pacts with or possess 
  ensouled beings — possessed animals, however, are not 
  uncommon. Many imps have a limited capacity for speech 
  and vague, fragmented recollections of their parent’s life. 
  An imp with a noble progenitor might affect an attitude; 
  an imp born of a tippler might possess a monkey, steal a 
  cask of wine, and then look for a new host once their first 
  inevitably dies of overindulgence. Most daemons find imps 
  unpleasant. They think of their own “children” as disgusting, 
  embarrassing and off-putting, and are loath to be around 
  them for any reason. Humans balk at this absence of paren-
  tal instinct, but then again, no human on Arnai has ever for-
  gotten their spouse’s name and then immediately given birth 
  to a monkey.
  greAter dAemons
  Not all daemons are created equal. Most are roughly on par 
  with one another in terms of magical and spiritual potency, 
  their intelligence equivalent to that of a human being, their 
  presence tame enough to be contained within the bounds of 
  a single human vessel. To greater daemons, these ordinary 
  spirits are what a candle is to a roaring wildfire. Greater dae-
  mons are old and immense, most of them so powerful that 
  they cannot possess ordinary mortals without destroying 
  them completely. Their battles in the World Below shake the 
  earth, change the course of rivers, and awaken mountains to 
  volcanic fury; their pacts, when they choose to strike them, 
  are not with individuals but with entire cities. Every Repub-
  lic’s Charter is a pact between one or several of these dae-
  mons and a city, even if the vast bulk of the citizenry doesn’t 
  remember who, exactly, is their liege lord. In Faithful belief, 
  greater daemons are the grand dukes and generals of Hell. 
  To many other cultures and peoples throughout human his-
  tory, they have been gods: fire gods and forge gods, gods of 
  the hearth and of harvest, of secret knowledge, war, hunger 
  and the drowning waters. 
  There are, perhaps, a dozen of these greater daemons 
  remaining in the portion of the World Below that corre-
  sponds to the Byssarian. The rest perished during the First 
  Chthonic March, or fled like cowards, never to return. These 
  remaining few are more fearful than they were in their glory 
  days, choosing to lead their armies from the back and collect 
  soul tribute from their Republics, rather than gore them-
  selves on Adamant spears. 
  To beings like the Adversary, greater daemons are what a 
  firestorm is to a sun. 
  da e M o n s, de v il s a n d  
  t h e de v il
  Though many of the World Below’s bodiless natives 
  prefer to be called spirits, daemon is a term widely 
  accepted and used in every land around the Seas. 
  Devils are Faithful daemons, who genuinely believe 
  themselves to be expressions of cosmic evil. They’re 
  usually very cruel; many are compulsive liars; all are 
  quite miserable and hate themselves with a passion. 
  Technically, one may call a non-Faithful daemon a 
  devil, but many consider the word unpleasant and 
  mildly insulting. 
  In the Faith, the Devil is the abstract ideal of evil of 
  who the Adversary is but an emanation. The Devil is 
  a like a man sitting before a fire inside a cave, and the 
  Adversary and other creatures like him are shadows 
  dancing on the cave’s walls. This distinction matters 
  most to theologians and to individuals discussing 
  matters of the Faith with foreigners; lay worshippers 
  are content with an understanding of the Devil and 
  the Adversary as entirely synonymous.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  29
  spirit pACts
  The name of this magical discipline is misleading: the scope 
  of pyromantic magics reaches far beyond the conjuration of 
  fire. A pyromancer (or witch, in Faithful parlance, though the 
  term is considered derogatory) can bestow curses, strengthen 
  the body or spirit, and perform exorcism rites. Pyromancers, 
  save for Faithful exorcists, must remain hidden in Man-
  date-aligned settlements. They can, however, practice their 
  arts in the open in the Republics and the wide open Wastes, 
  as many holdout folk  have a very different conception of the 
  world than that of the Mandate. Where the Faithful see devils, 
  they see fire spirits; where the Faithful see witchcraft and Hell-
  ish corruption, they see a sacred, life-giving bond between the 
  mortal realm and the spirit world.
  All daemons are innately capable of casting pyromancy 
  spells, but few are skilled enough to do so while inhabit-
  ing a living vessel. Human practitioners, having no innate 
  connection to the World Below, must strike a bargain with 
  a daemon in order to gain the ability to use their magic. 
  Regardless of whether a pyromancer is human or an embod-
  ied daemon, they draw their magic from the World Below 
  through a miniature gateway inside their body. This gate-
  way is a literal rent in the heart which remains sealed until a 
  pyromancer chooses to cast a spell; casting multiple spells in 
  a short period of time takes an immense physical toll on the 
  caster as the rift in their heart yawns wider and wider. Pyro-
  mancy is agonizing. The witch struggles to breathe; their 
  ribs shift and bend under the skin; their heart threatens to 
  rupture, like an overripe fruit… and if thy overexert them-
  selves to a fatal extent, they quite literally open, becoming 
  a brief and bloody doorway through which one may pass 
  from one World to another. 
  In order to forge a pact with a daemon, all a human sup-
  plicant requires is their own body and soul, an open path-
  way to the World Below, and a sacrifice to draw out a dae-
  mon. This sacrifice can be of the supplicant’s own blood or 
  an animal they consider valuable - a strong white bull, a 
  stallion of fine breeding, or even a beloved dog. Human 
  sacrifice, while undoubtedly effective in getting a daemon 
  to manifest, is unhelpful in pact-making: most daemons 
  don’t bother with bargaining, snap up the freshly deceased 
  soul and depart, making both a fool and a murderer of the 
  petitioner. But if everything is conducted correctly — if the 
  sacrifice is accepted and the daemon manifests, if the sup-
  plicant knows how to ward themselves against possession 
  and how to negotiate the terms of their bargain, such as how 
  much power is given and how long until the daemon claims 
  the supplicant’s soul - then, a pact is struck and the suppli-
  cant becomes a pyromancer, a threshold between the two 
  Worlds. These pacts usually have a duration — ten, twenty, 
  sometimes even forty years — and at the end of that term, 
  the pyromancer perishes, and the daemon is free to either 
  devour the soul and depart, or occupy the body completely, 
  taking it as their own. 
  As with everything, there are exceptions. Some daemons 
  are gracious enough, or attached enough to their bonded 
  humans, to offer pacts that do not kill them in the end. 
  Depending on their precise wording, these bargains can 
  be inherited or passed to others - indeed, some of the 
  wealthiest Sulfurite families are attended by daemons who 
  have served them for generations, and Wasteland fire-call-
  ers pass their spirit pacts to their children or apprentices. 
  Many superstitious Faithful refuse to accept gifts from or 
  even touch the gravely ill and the dying, as the motif of a 
  good man accepting a parting gift from someone dying by a 
  crossroads and then finding himself shackled to a devil is a 
  common one in folklore.
  possession
  When one hears the word possession, the image that comes 
  to mind is that of a visitant, a daemon who has crushed their 
  unwilling host’s soul so completely that they have total control 
  of the body. But that is rarely the case. As fragile as it is, the 
  human soul can be a formidable opponent within the con-
  fines of its own vessel. Daemons know this, and only the most 
  desperate are ever willing to give the body’s rightful owner a 
  fair fight. Unless put under exceptional duress or a time con-
  straint, a daemon works slowly, wearing down the body to 
  exhaust the occupying soul over weeks or even months before 
  attempting to assume direct control. A possession manifests 
  itself as subtle audiovisual hallucinations, paranoia, sleepless-
  ness, odd dreams, fevers, strange aches and muscle twitches 
  — in other words, things that could be symptomatic of an 
  ordinary illness. Because of this, and the lack of a truly reliable 
  means of detecting a daemonic presence, the work of an exor-
  cist begins as equal parts medicine and investigation and they 
  do not attempt an exorcism until they are absolutely certain 
  that it is the right course of action. The spells involved can 
  be deadly for the possessed, and if there is no invading spirit 
  to expel, an exorcist risks injuring themself and permanently 
  disembodying the “possessed” individual’s soul. 
  Though human pyromancers are not possessed, they are 
  bonded to a daemon, and the gateway in their heart allows 
  their ethereal partner to communicate with them whenever 
  they wish. Immaterial and confined to the World Below, 
  these daemons manifest as persistent and frighteningly 
  convincing audiovisual hallucinations to advise, annoy, and 
  otherwise interact with their pyromancer. A pact is also one 
  of the few things that can provide some form of protection 
  against spiritual assault; while a daemon cannot prevent 
  possession, they are watchful keepers of their bonded souls.
  visitAnts
  A visitant is an embodied daemon who has completely sup-
  pressed the soul of the mortal they are possessing, anchoring 
  themselves to their host. Until their bodies die or they are 
  successfully exorcised, visitants are not drawn to the World 
  Below and do not suffer from starvation, rationing the host 
  
  30
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  soul to stave off the hunger. Compared to their disembod-
  ied or oathbound brethren, daemons who have extensive 
  experience with complete incarnation are, or at least appear 
  to be, a touch more human in their psychology: they form 
  attachments and relationships with humans, develop mortal 
  virtues and mortal vices, and tend to think on the scale of 
  months and years, as opposed to decades or centuries. Like 
  the rest of their kind, they still suffer from a peculiar inabil-
  ity to break a formal oath, but it does not hinder them much 
  — many are quite adept at self-deception and unconven-
  tional thinking, such as convincing themselves and others 
  that it is their host who swore the oath, and not them. 
  Dislodging a visitant from their body is both difficult and 
  dangerous — not only is it likely that the spirit has grown 
  attached to the body, and would fight tooth and nail to stay 
  in it, but the state of the captive soul is often so piteous as 
  to make many veteran exorcists believe that death would be 
  a greater mercy. This is not always the case — sometimes 
  a former visitant is just as vibrant and alive as they were 
  before, if more forgetful (this is usually the fate of Sulfurite 
  debtors who manage to survive their possession), but full 
  recovery is an exception, rather than the rule. 
  CAmbions
  Since many daemons possess mortals with the express pur-
  pose of indulging in the pleasures of the flesh, it is unsurpris-
  ing that sometimes this leads to children. Sometimes these 
  children are even wanted: daemons, like mortals, are capable 
  of experiencing love, and some spirits are willing to entertain 
  the possibility of procreation and parenthood, out of curiosity 
  and otherwise. Pyromancers, too, often choose to have fam-
  ilies — and the parent’s daemonic pact sometimes affects the 
  souls of their children, for better or for worse. 
  These children, called changelings or cambions, are 
  human, save for the fact that their souls are markedly differ-
  ent from those of ordinary mortals. When disembodied and 
  properly examined, they gutter and flicker instead of giving 
  off a steady light, and their owners are capable of reflexively 
  casting a simple pyromantic spell. Many cambions learn 
  the truth about their parentage when someone strikes them 
  or shouts at them — their magic tends to manifest during 
  stressful or traumatic moments. Sulfurites acknowledge 
  cambions as a natural. Byproduct of life in close proxim-
  ity to the World Below, holdouts often elevate cambions to 
  positions of authority or choose them to inherit their clan’s 
  infernal pact, and the Faithful consider cambions to be 
  cursed and of illegitimate birth. 
  Children born of or begat by changelings are human 
  unless the changeling becomes possessed or strikes a dae-
  monic pact. This is not always acknowledged, and individu-
  als of known “devilish” descent are sometimes treated differ-
  ently, for better or for worse. 
  ChApter 6: the mArvels of 
  teChnology
  ArmAments
  The level of scientific and technological development in the 
  Sunless Age is in some ways equivalent to the Earth’s Early 
  Modern period, but simultaneously more and less advanced. 
  For obvious reasons, the proliferation of firearms and black 
  powder did not occur on the same scale as it did on Earth: 
  while such things certainly exist, they are rare, difficult to 
  use without a daemon or pyromancer on hand, and com-
  paratively primitive. An arquebus is a curiosity, a rich man’s 
  toy — not a weapon in the hands of a soldier. Instead, indi-
  viduals inclined to violence make use of arcane weaponry: 
  bows, crossbows, and other devices engraved with arcane 
  sigils that propel ammunition, imbue it with magical energy, 
  or both. Crossbows and other mechanically sophisticated 
  projectile weapons engraved with thaumaturgical propul-
  sion arrays are called runelocks, the same way firearms with 
  flint-based ignition mechanisms are called flintlocks. Most 
  runelock weapons, including cannons and thaumaturgical 
  ballistae — have to be wound up by living, ensouled beings. 
  The effect of the aforementioned cannons and ballistae is 
  devastating and terrifying to behold — bolts of lightning 
  and beams of sharp blue light, annihilating all in their path 
  with a high keening sound louder than thunder. 
  mAChinery
  On a more peaceful front, the technological landscape is 
  dominated by clockwork, whose inefficiency is remedied 
  with a judicious application of magic. Thaumaturgical sig-
  ils and arrays can be used to transmute and amplify kinetic 
  energy (but not heat), and certain materials can serve as 
  magical conduits — silver, copper and tin  are quite effective 
  in that regard, while quartz and treated glass are excellent 
  materials for capacitors. When one winds a device outfitted 
  with a crystal capacitor, they power the sigils that keep the 
  machine wound for far longer than one would think possi-
  ble: days or even months, depending on the quality of the 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  31
  capacitor. Fuel isn’t an issue, but the wear and tear of material 
  components present significant challenges: wires fray, sigils 
  wear out, and replacement parts are often expensive or dif-
  ficult to come by. Thaumaturgical machines are a vital part 
  of any large urban center — arcane lanterns light the streets, 
  clockwork horses pull carriages of the wealthy, mechanical 
  guardsmen stand vigil near the manors of merchants and 
  nobles, and churning mechanisms in a city’s underworks 
  dehydrate and process human and animal waste into fuel.
  industry
  Despite the abundance of machinery, Sunfall is pre-indus-
  trial, in part because most technology relies on magic. Not 
  only are sigils complex and difficult to engrave, but they have 
  to be made by mages to function; magical arrays stamped 
  out by a machine or an unskilled worker are little more than 
  fancy patterns on a sheet of metal. Even the sigil-less mun-
  dane components are not mass-manufactured; everything is 
  handmade by clockworkers and magicians, and thus expen-
  sive and in limited supply. Particularly large and impressive 
  works of magical engineering are almost always owned by 
  city-states or obscenely wealthy private individuals, and the 
  people who build and operate these machines are almost 
  always highly paid and in limited supply. It is for this rea-
  son that contemporary wars are fought primarily by mortal 
  soldiers and not automatons: a clockwork army, while not 
  impossible, is far more difficult to build and maintain than 
  a regular one. Hiring ten mercenaries is both cheaper and 
  faster than building and infusing three clockworks with a 
  single bound human soul.
  teChnology of the 
  blessed Age
  The Blessed Age saw a surge in mundane, non-magical tech-
  nology and a significant decline in the study of the Elder 
  Science. Many of the First Sun’s scholars of magic perished 
  or permanently departed from the World Above during 
  the Dying Sun, and most of the Byssarian’s leading magical 
  institutions fell victim to the mass civil unrest that charac-
  terized that troublesome age. In the Old Empire, only the 
  high nobility and the members of secretive monastic orders 
  had the privilege of arcane education, and mages, with their 
  soaring towers and soul-powered constructs, were easy to 
  blame for the weakening of the Sun. If these reclusive schol-
  ars, so susceptible to Incandescent madness, had not dab-
  bled with things the mortal mind was not meant to compre-
  hend, if no soul had ever been removed from the Wheel in 
  a fit of mortal arrogance, the frightened public thought, the 
  world would not have come to an end. (Whether this is true 
  or not remains a mystery. In the Sunless Age, most scholar-
  ship does not concern itself with eschatology — the world 
  has already ended, twice, and it’s very unlikely that a third 
  sun-related apocalyptic event is forthcoming.)
  There are few, if any, magical artifacts or sophisticated 
  arcane machines stowed away in most Blessed Age ruins: 
  the great inventions of this age were steel,  vertical windmills 
  and improved water mills, other innovations in mundane 
  (as opposed to arcane) architecture, and modest advances 
  in the alchemical sciences, medicine, and astronomy. In 
  other words, Arnai’s Blessed Age roughly corresponds to 
  the Earth’s Middle Ages and its greatest treasures are illu-
  minated texts, preserved statuary and tapestries, precision 
  optics, imperishable alchemical reagents, jewels and pre-
  cious metals — objects that are interesting to historians and 
  art collectors, or things that can be sold or used in day-to-
  day life. Many scavengers prefer Blessed Age ruins for this 
  precise reason: salvage from that time is more abundant, 
  sells reliably, and the dangers involved in procurement are 
  fewer and a good deal more predictable. But the best in the 
  business, the most eccentric and the most knowledgeable, 
  seek out older, hidden places. 
  the ruins of the old empire
  The current understanding of the Old Empire, particularly 
  as it was before the adoption of the Faith as state-sanctioned 
  religion, is that it was a decadent magocracy so sophisticated 
  as to be almost incomprehensible. The decadence is evident 
  from the art — all Old Imperial ruins are lavishly decorated 
  with sculpted friezes, mosaics, and frescoes — as is the 
  cruelty so ubiquitous in antiquity: many of the abovemen-
  tioned lavish frescoes and bright mosaics are disturbing to 
  behold. They often depict scenes of conquest, warfare, and 
  execution, as well as cruel arcane experimentation on living 
  spirits, human and otherwise, all overseen by dispassionate, 
  stiff-backed nobles, scholars, and generals. 
  What the magi and artisans of the Old Empire built, they 
  built to last: some  untouched Old World ruins still hum 
  with active thaumaturgical arrays and echo with the foot-
  steps of their mechanical guardians. Their works are fantas-
  tic stuff, both inspiring and discouraging to contemporary 
  scholars and engineers: fields of altered time, non-Euclidean 
  architecture, magical constructs so intelligent and sophisti-
  cated that they may have surpassed their creators. Unfortu-
  nately, much of the knowledge required to properly operate 
  or recreate such things has been lost during the Blessed Age. 
  What remains is often translated into long-dead tongues 
  and tightly encrypted: Old Imperial archmages were secre-
  tive and perpetually locked in vicious power struggles with 
  one another despite their shared allegiance to the August 
  Throne. Contemporary scholars can only try to decipher 
  their works, and the bulk of literature recovered from Old 
  Imperial ruins is often mundane in nature: poetry, courtly 
  romances, and countless ledgers full of thrilling information 
  about crop yields, taxation and textile shipments. 
  
  32
  Part I: Resolve, Ruin, and Renaissance
  ...And those Who plunder them
  Wherever there are ancient structures, there are always those 
  brave or foolish enough to venture inside, and the Byssarian 
  is no exception. Daring scholars, cunning survivalists and 
  ingenious explorers, delvers are those who plumb the ruins 
  of the Old World for wealth and knowledge. There’s no great 
  society of delvers, no guild or organization save for a set of 
  shared principles, superstition, and a vague camaraderie that 
  sometimes translates into gestures of goodwill. Delving is 
  dangerous, thankless work, and the world is a cold and cruel 
  place in which doing good often goes unrewarded, but profes-
  sionals have standards. Most delvers find themselves attached 
  to crews of five or so individuals, preferring to keep to them-
  selves in their explorations, scouting out ruins and collabo-
  rating with other groups only when the situation calls for it. 
  These solitary tendencies are a byproduct of secrecy — there 
  are few untouched Old World ruins in the region, and those 
  who find them guard their maps with utmost jealousy. The 
  makeshift, opportunistic nature of delver alliances ensures at 
  least some degree of honor and civility: in a situation where a 
  rival may become an ally in the span of weeks, one strives to 
  keep a veneer of civilization over one’s hatreds. 
  City-dwellers, Faithful and Sulfurite alike, romanticize 
  this and imagine some kind of formal code, some sort of 
  secret society or adventurers’ club, but no such code or orga-
  nization exists. There are merely unspoken promises to not 
  impede each other’s progress, and to share resources and 
  information whenever possible. There are hidden caches 
  in the Wastes, most of them under shrines dedicated to the 
  Watcher at the Threshold, containing charts and supplies 
  and a thick logbook in which any passing delver can note 
  their name, what they took from the cache, and any infor-
  mation pertinent to dig sites in the area that they are willing 
  to share. To take something from a cache without marking 
  the ledger is bad luck; to take something and not repay the 
  implicit debt it creates is a terrible sin. So most delvers note 
  what they take, note their names, swear before the Watcher, 
  and pay their debts at any cost. 
  Relationships between larger delver crew are another mat-
  ter altogether. Having a stable, reliable group of more than 
  a dozen allies erodes the necessary camaraderie between 
  smaller enterprises, and though the habit of civility can be 
  difficult to shake, feuds between crews have a heightened 
  chance of bloodshed. But even then, most delvers are loath 
  to kill one another without good reason, and even those 
  operating as part of a larger group realize the relative imper-
  manence of their situation and the danger of ruining possi-
  ble future alliances. It’s not uncommon for many disputes 
  between delvers to be resolved the same way as disputes 
  between rival noblemen or members of the gentry — with 
  a duel. There’s honor among thieves, after all, and it’s better 
  to concede a claim and live to complain about it than die for 
  some Old World trinket leagues away from home. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  33
  NUMBER, WEIGHT, AND 
  MEASURE
  “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” 
  King James Bible, Daniel 5:27
  in this pArt of the book, you 
  Will find…
  • Chapter 1: Character Creation contains setting-specif-
  ic character careers and archetypes, as well as guidelines 
  for generating Secrets — an optional alternative to Mo-
  tivation. 
  • Chapter 2: New Skills and Rules details new skills, as 
  well as rules for possession and formal dueling. 
  • Chapter 3: Magic describes the two magic disciplines 
  specific to the setting, thaumaturgy and pyromancy, as 
  well as magic implements for both. 
  • Chapter 4: Talents provides a list of talents from the 
  Genesys Core Rulebook and Realms of Terrinoth that 
  can be used in this setting, as well as a number of new 
  talents unique to Sunfall. 
  • Chapter 5: Gear lists and describes weapons, armor, 
  and sundry items one may come across in their journey 
  across this frozen and desolate world.
  PART 2
  
  34
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  ChApter 1: ChArACter CreAtion
  ArChetypes
  Detailed below are 8 Archetypes specific to the Sunfall setting.
  the urbAnite
  Urbanites are those who have lived in a city or town most of 
  their life, reaping the benefits of civilization under the aus-
  pices of the Mandate or the Republics. They are scholars, 
  bureaucrats, members of the clergy, or just well-read laypeo-
  ple. Regardless of their past, one thing is abundantly clear: 
  they have never had to get their hands dirty in their line of 
  work, and they would prefer to keep it that way. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Protect Me!: Sometimes, discretion is the better part of 
  valor. Once per session, when your character is the tar-
  get of a successful combat check, you may spend a Story 
  Point as an incidental to redirect one hit of the attack to 
  an ally within short range. 
  • Knowledge is Power: Urbanites start with 1 rank in 
  Knowledge (Scholarly), Mechanics, or Knowledge (Old 
  World). They obtain this skill rank before spending ex-
  perience points, and may not increase this skill above 
  rank 2 during character creation.
  the trAveler
  Silver-tongued, urbane, and familiar with the customs of 
  far-off places, a traveler has a magnetic personality and a riv-
  eting tale for every occasion. Peddlers, storytellers, messen-
  gers, itinerant preachers, or diplomats, travelers are a motley 
  crowd, ranging far from the place of their birth but rarely 
  straying from trade routes and established paths. Their rea-
  sons for living on the road vary; many dream of settling 
  down,  and many others dread it. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Judge of Character: Once per session, a traveler may 
  spend a Story Point as an incidental to reveal one of an 
  NPC’s motivations of the GM’s choice. 
  • Canny Socialite: Travelers start with 1 Rank in Charm, 
  Deception or Negotiation. They obtain this skill rank be-
  fore spending experience points, and may not increase 
  this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
  the veterAn
  A veteran is no stranger to violence, an individual with a 
  storied past...a past they struggle to leave behind. Some were 
  hired swords for the Brimstone Republics, others did a tour 
  of duty in Hell, fighting alongside the Adamant Order, oth-
  ers still ran with gangs or rode with bands of holdout raid-
  ers. Whatever it they did, it changed them — whether that 
  change is for better or for worse remains to be seen.
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  1
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  1
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  ru l e o f dr a M a
  The Veteran archetype represents an individual 
  with a storied and complicated past — a staple 
  of Gothic literature. Because it is difficult to 
  mechanically represent renown and notoriety, 
  this author suggests that the players and GM do 
  so narratively, through the expenditure of Story 
  Points. A player with a Veteran character may 
  spend a Story Point to recognize an adversary 
  or NPC as a former comrade in arms, friend, 
  or lover; the GM, meanwhile, can spend Story 
  Points to alter these relationships, or to have the 
  Veteran be recognized in turn by someone they 
  would rather not see. And, of course, this use of 
  Story Points is not limited to one archetype — 
  any character can brood over their tragic back-
  story if they so desire. 
  This is best played for drama and suspense, and 
  the GM has final say on which NPCs do and do 
  not know the character, and whether the cur-
  rent circumstances lend themselves well to this 
  kind of revelation.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  35
  • Tough as Nails: Once per session, your character may 
  spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental immedi-
  ately after suffering a Critical Injury and determining the 
  result. If they do so, they count the result rolled as "01". 
  • Hardened: Veterans start with 1 Rank in Melee (Light), 
  Melee (Heavy) or Ranged (Mechanical).  They obtain this 
  skill rank before spending experience points, and may not 
  increase this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
  the holdout
  Holdouts call the Wastes are their home, one their ancestors 
  stubbornly refused to leave in the wake of the the Sunfall. 
  Some holdouts are raiders, nomads and freeholders, while 
  others are farmers, trappers, and rangers under the patron-
  age of the Mandate or the Republics. Proud of their resil-
  ience, most holdouts scoff at the idea of leaving the Waste-
  land for the cities, but a few admit in private that they draw 
  no comfort from the wilderness — only fear. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Weathered: Because of a lifetime of practice, holdouts 
  can tolerate Arnai’s unforgiving temperatures slightly 
  better than city-folk. When making skill checks, a hold-
  out may remove j imposed by weather conditions (but 
  not darkness). 
  • Survivalist: Holdouts start with 1 Rank in Survival, 
  Vigilance, or Resilience. They obtain this skill rank be-
  fore spending experience points, and may not increase 
  this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
  the visitAnt
  A visitant is denizen of the World Below, an unusually 
  strong-willed daemon inhabiting a stolen or legally obtained 
  human body. Many visitants are traders, spies, or diplomats, 
  walking the Surface at the behest of their superiors. Just as 
  many are fugitives fleeing the wrath of the Adamants or the 
  yoke of the Adversary, or thrillseekers, reveling in the end-
  less possibilities of embodied existence. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 8+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 11+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 160
  • The Spirit is Willing: As an action, a visitant can aban-
  don their body and attempt to possess a living human 
  Minion in Short range. In order to do so, they must make 
  an opposed Discipline vs Discipline check. On a suc-
  cess, the visitant takes control, replacing their Brawn and 
  Agility with those of the host body, but retaining their 
  Wound threshold. They may not use any skills or abilities 
  the Minion had access to before possession. On a failure, 
  the visitant becomes disembodied, and must make an 
  Average (kk) Discipline check. If they succeed, they 
  may return to their original host body. If they fail, they 
  are drawn to the World Below, which is equivalent to 
  character death. 
  • Red Right Hand: Mandate officials, Faithful folk, and 
  the friends and loved ones of the possessed aren’t too 
  keen on visitants and would see them exorcised or 
  killed. Your character must add j to any check they 
  make to avoid detection by trained exorcists or individ-
  uals who knew the host prior to possession. 
  • Self-possessed: The visitant’s dominion over their host’s 
  body and soul is absolute. They are immune to possession. 
  • Unearthly Wit: Visitants start with 1 Rank in Charm, De-
  ception, or Knowledge (Chthonic). They obtain this skill 
  rank before spending experience points, and may not in-
  crease this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
  the CAmbion
  A cambion is an oddity, an ordinary mortal with an extraor-
  dinary soul. They may not be aware of it, but one of their 
  biological parents was possessed by a daemon, which left a 
  mark on their child’s spirit, making it a frail, volatile thing 
  capable of unexpected bursts of chthonic magics. They are 
  feared by the Faithful and celebrated in some Wasteland 
  communities, and their own attitudes towards their heri-
  tage, if they are aware of it, are similarly varied. Some reject 
  it, others embrace it, others still — the children of exorcists 
  and fire-callers — accept it as a fact of life. 
  Many more Knights Adamants are cambions than the 
  Order likes to admit. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Spirit Lash: Once per session, a cambion may use a Sto-
  ry Point upon being hit with a Brawl or Melee attack. 
  After calculating damage, the attacker suffers half the 
  Wounds the cambion does, rounded up. 
  • Otherworldly Guile: Cambions start with 1 Rank in 
  Deception, Stealth or Coercion. You still may not raise 
  this skill above 2 during character creation. 
  3
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  1
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  1
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  
  36
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  the hellborn
  The hellborn are just that: human individuals, born and 
  raised in the World Below. Many of them are part of the 
  Adamant Order; others are the children of Sulfurite mer-
  chants, soldiers, or officials who found themselves travel-
  ing through or posted in the World Below. Their souls are 
  untainted, wholly human — unlike the souls of cambions 
  — but they are nevertheless easy to pick out in a crowd of 
  people from Above. Some of them have the staccato Hellish 
  accent, others have the rigid posture of trained soldiers, and 
  all of them possess an intensity that many Surfacers find dis-
  tasteful and off-putting. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Stranger in a Strange Land: Hell is no place to learn 
  good manners, and others are sometimes forgiving of 
  social faux pas the hellborn so often make. Once per 
  session, a hellborn character may spend a Story Point to 
  remove f or hh from a Social skill check.
  • Hellish Training: A hellborn character starts with 1 Rank 
  in Discipline, Melee (Light), or Resilience. They obtain this 
  skill rank before spending experience points, and may not 
  increase this skill above rank 2 during character creation.
  the fool
  Sometimes, a person leads a perfectly unremarkable life 
  before feeling an almost irresistible, inexplicable urge to 
  strike out on a journey of some sort. Some of these individ-
  uals manage to refuse this urge...and are then swept up in 
  events beyond their comprehension and expertise, finding 
  themselves leagues away from home and everything they 
  know. Every night they lie awake, cursing themselves for 
  ever leaving home. What a foolish decision that was. 
  • Starting Wound Threshold: 10+Brawn
  • Starting Strain Threshold: 10+Willpower
  • Starting Experience: 100
  • Favored Soul: Many people throughout history have 
  claimed to have attracted the attention of a power beyond 
  the two known Worlds. Sometimes, these claims are even 
  true. Once per session, a Fool may spend a Story Point 
  before making a skill or combat check. On a success, the 
  Fool adds aa to the check; on failure, hh.
  • A Life, Abandoned: Fools start with 1 rank in any skill 
  they like, and may not increase this skill above rank 2 
  during character creation. 
  CAreers
  Sunfall uses 7 original careers and modified versions of 
  the Soldier, Healer, Leader and Scoundrel careers from the 
  Genesys Core Rulebook. 
  ArtisAn
  Artisans are skilled laborers, plying a trade that has been 
  passed from parent to child, master to apprentice for gener-
  ations untold. Painters and tailors, woodcarvers and clock-
  workers, butchers, bakers, and candlestick-makers, Artisans 
  take pride in their craft and their knowledge above all things. 
  Many Artisans are city-dwellers, but holdouts, too, boast 
  many skilled craftsmen and professionals, such as the smiths 
  and masons of the mountain clans, the leather workers of the 
  plains, and the shipwrights and silk-spinners of the sea.
  The Artisan counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Athletics, Cool, Knowledge (Scholarly), Mechanics, 
  Negotiation, Perception, Resilience, and Streetwise. 
  Before spending Experience during character creation, the 
  Artisan may choose four of their Career skills and gain one 
  rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:  
  • Dagger or Hand Crossbow
  • Gambeson or Heavy Robes
  • Alchemical Lantern or Adriole
  • Backpack
  • 200 cash
  delver
  Delvers are tinkers, engineers, salvagers, or explorers, 
  enamored of the Old World and wishing to unbury its bur-
  ied secrets. The bulk of them don’t boast much in terms of 
  formal education, instead relying on experience and patch-
  work knowledge gleaned from the stories of other Delvers, 
  or the occasional book. Some Delvers dig for riches, some 
  for knowledge, some for fame — but all look at the ruined 
  crypts and towers of the Old Empire  with hunger in their 
  eyes, instead of fear. 
  The Delver counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Athletics, Coordination, Mechanics, Knowledge (Old 
  World), Ranged (Mechanical), Riding, Stealth, and Sur-
  vival. Before spending Experience during Character Cre-
  ation, a Delver may choose four of their Career skills and 
  gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Beamcaster or M&V Reprimand
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  3
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  37
  • Gambeson
  • Cartographer’s Kit or Alchemical Lantern
  • Camping Gear
  • 125 cash 
  doCtor
  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak — and who better 
  to repair said flesh than a trained professional with a steady 
  hand? Granted, not all who call themselves Doctors have 
  had the privilege of an actual education, but you’ll be sur-
  prised what you can do with a length of suture, a bone nee-
  dle, and half a flask of bittermoss whiskey. 
  The Doctor counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Alchemy, Charm, Discipline, Knowledge (Scholarly), 
  Medicine, Melee (Light), Resilience, and Survival. Before 
  spending Experience during Character Creation, a Doctor 
  may choose four of their Career skills and gain one rank in 
  each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Apothecary’s Kit with 2 Herbs of Healing or an Alche-
  mist’s Kit
  • Dagger or Fine Cloak
  • Heavy Robes or Gambeson
  • 200 cash. 
  entertAiner
  Singers, musicians, courtesans, dancers, and acrobats, 
  Entertainers can be found in all corners of the world, pro-
  viding a much-needed diversion from the toil and trouble 
  of everyday life. Some of them do what they do for money, 
  others — for art, and others still play roles in darker machi-
  nations, serving as spies, saboteurs and assassins to advance 
  a cause, noble or otherwise. 
  The Entertainer counts the following skills as Career 
  skills: Charm, Coordination, Deception, Discipline, 
  Leadership, Melee (Light), Skulduggery, and Stealth. 
  Before spending Experience during Character Creation, an 
  Entertainer may choose four of their Career skills and gain 
  one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Sword Cane or Stiletto
  • Fine Cloak or Gambeson
  • Musical Instrument or Thieves’ Tools
  • 250 cash
  JoCkey
  Jockeys are daredevils and swashbucklers who feel at home 
  on the road, and there’s nothing they can’t do from the back 
  of their trusty steed. Couriers and messengers, cavalry sol-
  diers and holdout lancers — they are a wild and reckless 
  crowd, born in the saddle, laughing in the face of death.
  The Jockey counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Athletics, Cool, Discipline, Medicine, Melee (Light), 
  Resilience, Riding, and Vigilance. Before spending Expe-
  rience during Character Creation, a Jockey may choose four 
  of their Career skills and gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Sword or Spear
  • Brigandine
  • Bottled Courage or Alchemical Lantern
  • Riding Horse
  • 175 cash
  leAder
  When they speak, others listen. A mercenary captain is a 
  leader, but so is a merchant-venturer, a holdout monarch, 
  a Sulfurite politician, a traveling minister, or a particularly 
  influential criminal. Leaders can come from all walks of life, 
  but the one thing they share in common is an iron will and 
  a spark of ambition. 
  The Leader counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Coercion, Cool, Discipline, Leadership, Negotiation, Per-
  ception, Ranged (Archaic), and Vigilance. Before spending 
  Experience during Character Creation, a Leader may choose 
  four of their Career skills and gain one rank in each of them. 
  Leader characters may optionally switch Ranged 
  (Archaic) for Ranged (Mechanical).
  Starting Equipment:
  • Longbow or Crossbow
  • Gambeson or Brigandine
  • Fine Cloak or Symbol of Authority
  • 255 cash
  pyromAnCer
  Whether they are a human practitioner with a pact or a par-
  ticularly gifted visitant, all pyromancers’ power comes from 
  the World Below. In the case of human pyromancers, their 
  pact ties them to a specific denizen from the World Below, a 
  daemon who is their closest friend and ally or their bitterest 
  enemy. Wasteland healers, witches and fire-callers are pyro-
  mancers, and so are Mandate exorcists and Sulfurite fops 
  who inherit the pact with the family fortune.
  The Pyromancer counts the following skills as Career 
  skills: Deception, Negotiation, Melee (Light), Knowledge 
  (Chthonic), Pyromancy, Perception, Survival, and Resil-
  ience. Before spending Experience during Character Cre-
  ation, a Pyromancer may choose four of their Career skills 
  and gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • An Exorcist’s Censer OR Invigorating Herbs
  
  38
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  • Dagger or Quarterstaff
  • Heavy Robes
  • Two Bitter Tinctures
  • 200 cash. 
  sCholAr
  Academics, students, private tutors, and all other manner 
  of intellectuals  who prefer book learning and parlor con-
  versation to honest work. Particularly erudite graverobbers 
  also consider themselves Scholars, claiming that their inglo-
  rious business is called archaeology and is, in fact, a per-
  fectly respectable academic discipline. The notion that most 
  of their discoveries eventually find their way into the hands 
  of antique merchants is nothing but a vile rumor spread by 
  unsophisticated, lowbrow commoners.
  The Scholar counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Alchemy, Charm, Knowledge (Scholarly), Knowledge 
  (Old World), Mechanics, Medicine, and Perception. 
  Before spending Experience during Character Creation, a 
  Scholar may choose four of their Career skills and gain one 
  rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Alchemist’s Kit or Cartographer’s Kit
  • Dagger or Quarterstaff
  • Heavy Robes or Gambeson
  • 150 cash. 
  sCoundrel
  The farmer, upon raising a healthy crop, thanks whoever 
  it is he worships. The shopkeeper savors the click-click of 
  her abacus as she tallies her profits.  And the scoundrel? The 
  scoundrel pauses to reflect when they set their eyes on an 
  overconfident gambler testing her luck, a foolish merchant 
  traveling without an escort, or a naive holdout trying to 
  make their way in the big city. Honest work is for fools. 
  The Scoundrel counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Charm, Cool, Coordination, Deception, Melee (Light), 
  Ranged (Archaic), Skullduggery, Stealth, and Streetwise. 
  Before spending Experience during Character Creation, a 
  Scoundrel may choose four of their Career skills and gain 
  one rank in each of them.
  Scoundrel characters may optionally switch Ranged 
  (Archaic) for Ranged (Mechanical).
  Starting Equipment:
  • Two Daggers or Hand Crossbow
  • Brigandine or Heavy Robes
  • Thieves’ Tools or Gaming Set (Crooked) or Fine Cloak
  • Bitter Tincture
  • 200 cash. 
  sCout
  Surveyors and skirmishers, hunters and explorers, outlaws 
  and outriders, Scouts venture further into the wilds than 
  most people in the Byssarian. Many are restless and nomadic, 
  knowledgeable about the natural world but uncomfortable 
  among the dizzying masses of humanity in major cities 
  and large townships. Armies, mercenary companies, and 
  nomadic holdout coalitions use Scouts as vanguard troops, 
  relying on them to strike swiftly and before vanishing into 
  the blank vastness of the Wastes. 
  The Scout counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Knowledge (Scholarly), Melee (Light), Ranged (Archaic), 
  Perception, Stealth, Survival, Riding, and Vigilance. 
  Before spending Experience during Character Creation, a 
  Scout may choose four of their Career skills and gain one 
  rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Shortbow 
  • Extra Quiver or Waybread
  • Brigandine
  • 175 cash.
  soldier
   The world is a cold, hard place and war is as profitable of a 
  business as it’s ever been. Campaign life suits a soldier fine 
  — their camp is their home, their regiment is their family, 
  and their sword and arbalest are their bosom friends. To rea-
  son, question, and reply is the lot of officers — a soldier’s 
  task is to do and die.  
  The Soldier counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Athletics, Brawl, Coercion, Melee (Heavy) or Melee 
  (Light), Perception, Ranged (Mechanical), Riding, and  
  Vigilance. Before spending Experience during Character 
  Creation, a Soldier may choose four of their Career skills 
  and gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Crossbow or one two-handed weapon (greatsword, bill, 
  polearm, or pike)
  • Gambeson
  • Two Bottled Courage
  • Alchemical Lantern
  • 110 cash. 
  thAumAturge
  Students of the Elder Science, Thaumaturges — sometimes 
  called mages or wizards — are iron-willed spellcasters who 
  can debate intricacies of magical theory and hurl cold light-
  ning at distant foes with equal ease. Most, however, prefer 
  peaceful pursuits, such as research and engineering, to the 
  chaos of war — there are ample opportunities out there 
  for highly educated individuals skilled in the magical arts. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  39
  Although knowledge is an important part of magic, every 
  Thaumaturge unlocks their magical potential by undergo-
  ing the Mage’s Ordeal — a grueling series of physical and 
  psychological trials designed to push the aspiring wizard to 
  their limits. The few Thaumaturges who awaken to magic 
  without undergoing the Ordeal usually do so in the after-
  math of an experience similar to the Ordeal in intensity — 
  wars, sieges, plagues and famines always leave a handful of 
  “natural” mages in their wake. 
  Characters using the Visitant archetype cannot choose 
  this Career at character creation. 
  The Thaumaturge counts the following skills as Career 
  skills: Alchemy, Coercion, Discipline, Knowledge (Thau-
  maturgical), Mechanics, Stealth, Thaumaturgy, and Vig-
  ilance. Before spending Experience during Character Cre-
  ation, an Arcanist may choose four of their Career skills and 
  gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment: 
  • Magic Gloves or Magic Bracers
  • Gambeson or Heavy Robes
  • Cartographer’s Kit or Alchemist’s Kit
  • 275 cash.
  trAder
  Furs, spices, Adamantine metalwork, fine Sulfurite glass, 
  salvage, hellfire, even souls — a trader can name the price 
  for anything and everything in this world. With a winning 
  smile, a mind for numbers, and eyes much bigger than their 
  belly, traders are never quite sure of the next step of any of 
  their ventures — only that at least one of them is bound to 
  end in profit. 
  The Trader counts the following skills as Career skills: 
  Charm, Cool, Negotiation, Deception, Knowledge (Schol-
  arly), Streetwise, Perception, and Riding. Before spending 
  Experience during Character Creation, a Trader may choose 
  four of their Career skills and gain one rank in each of them. 
  Starting Equipment:
  • Dagger or Hand Crossbow
  • Fine Cloak or Backpack.
  • Alchemical Lantern or Cartographer’s Kit.
  • 350 Cash
  SAMPLE SECRETS
  d10
  Secret
  1
  Debt. Your character owes a monstrous debt to a member of the nobility, a crime boss,  or a powerful daemon. Their debt may be 
  monetary or, in the event that the lender is a daemon, bodily or immaterial.
  2
  False Identity. Your character is traveling under a false name or using a set of false credentials, and they would do anything to pre-
  serve their cover. Perhaps they are a wanted criminal, a fugitive of a Sulfurite state or the Inquisition, or someone who had a sordid 
  affair with a noble and is fleeing their jealous spouse.
  3
  Bastardry. Your character or your character’s host body is an illegitimate child of a king, Sulfurite Prince, nobleman, or similarly 
  powerful individual. Your character’s influential parent may or may not be aware of this, but if they ever find out, they are unlikely 
  to be pleased by the fact of your character’s continued existence.
  4
  Clandestine associations. Your character is a member of a secret society or fringe religious movement.  They may be a dissident 
  traveling the mandate, a member of one of the many necromantic cults of the byssarian, a daemon-worshipper, a criminal, or a 
  member of a revolutionary cabal.
  5
  Disgrace. Your character has done something (or been accused of doing something) appalling and is fleeing disgrace and humilia-
  tion. Perhaps they were a noble caught in a torrid affair with a commoner, an academic rightfully accused of plagiarism, or an officer 
  responsible for a recent military disaster. Whatever happened, it left your character’s good name and reputation in tatters.
  6
  Affliction. Your character is cursed, suffering from a physical illness, or, if they are a thaumaturge, in the earliest stages of Incandes-
  cence. They are desperately searching for a cure, but cannot reveal their condition even to their most trusted confidantes.
  7
  Contraband. Your character is in possession of something small, stolen, highly illegal, immensely valuable, and — most importantly 
  — incredibly difficult to fence. This item could be anything, from a large and distinctive gemstone, to a slim volume of arcane lore, 
  to an ancient daemon in a bottle or a distinguished human soul. Whatever it is, the authorities will happily put your character to the 
  sword if they ever find out about it — and so will their rivals.
  8
  Espionage. Your character is a willing informant for the Mandate’s Inquisition, a Brimstone Republic, one of the Adversary’s gener-
  als, or a foreign government — whoever their employer may be, they must be antagonistic to the party.
  9
  Possession. Your character begins play possessed by an antagonistic daemon (see p. Xx for details), who is using the character to 
  pursue their own obscure agenda. If your character is already a visitant, the soul of their host is actively resisting possession, forcing 
  them to act in accordance to its desires at the worst possible times.
  10
  Plot Twist. Roll twice on this table and keep both results. Decide which result is true and which is false; if your character has to 
  disclose their secret, have them disclose the false one first. (E.g. if someone rolls 6 and 9, Possession and Affliction, they might be 
  possessed, but claim that their strange actions are the product of a shameful curse.)
  
  40
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  seCrets
  Instead of, or in addition to, Motivation, Sunfall characters 
  begin play with a Secret. To generate a Secret, roll on the 
  Secrets table and collaborate with the GM on the specifics. 
  Ideally, a Secret should be relevant to the plot of the adven-
  ture and campaign, and terrible, or incriminating enough 
  that a character wouldn’t reveal it to their traveling compan-
  ions unless pressured to do so. For example, in an adven-
  ture wherein the characters are a group of delvers searching 
  an Old Imperial ruin for a stockpile of dangerous magical 
  artifacts, one character could be a spy or informant for a 
  faction that opposes the party and wants the ancient trea-
  sure-trove for their own. Alternatively, one character could 
  owe a monstrous debt to a powerful NPC, or have orders to 
  assassinate an otherwise allied NPC — orders that cannot be 
  disobeyed without incurring the wrath of somebody power-
  ful and vengeful. 
  Secrets are purely optional — they run counter to Genesys’ 
  player-facing nature, and not every game benefits from as 
  heavy a dose of intrigue and conflict as secrets can generate.
  ChApter 2: neW skills And rules
  skills
  This section introduces new skills specific to the Sunfall set-
  ting. The table opposite here includes both new skills and 
  skills from the Genesys Core rulebook that are used in the 
  Sunfall setting.
  CombAt skills
  rAnged (ArChAiC)
  Even in this age of increasingly intricate crossbows and 
  runelock weapons, no-one will dispute the power of a bow 
  in the hands of a skilled archer. The Ranged (Archaic) skill 
  defines a character’s ability to use bows and thrown weap-
  ons, such as hatchets, knives, and javelins. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • They are using a bow or another weapon that uses the 
  Ranged (Archaic) skill. 
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They are trying to fire a crossbow, beamcaster or anoth-
  er weapon with mechanical components. Those weap-
  ons use the Ranged (Mechanical) skill. 
  rAnged (meChAniCAl)
  An inevitable side effect of technological and scientific prog-
  ress is the invention of more and more elaborate means of 
  killing. The Ranged (Mechanical) skill reflects a character’s 
  familiarity with modern and mechanical weaponry, such as 
  crossbows, runelocks, and beamcasters. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • They are using a crossbow or runelock weapon. 
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They are trying to repair a broken crossbow or runelock 
  weapon. This falls under the purview of Mechanics. 
  fe a r ru l e s
  Sunfall uses the Fear rules listed on page 243-244 of 
  the Genesys Core Rulebook. The  frozen wilderness 
  beyond city walls is terrifying in its own right, but the 
  most frightening creatures are the ones that lurk in 
  the hearts of men — both literally and figuratively. 
  wh y n o t  
  ra n G e d  (he av y)  
  a n d  ra n G e d  (liG h t)?
  Although the Genesys Core Rulebook provides a 
  wide variety of skills that could be used in most 
  settings, the Ranged weapon skills presented 
  therein do not account for a distinction between 
  mechanically sophisticated ranged weapons 
  and their earlier counterparts. This distinction 
  is crucial in a setting that is, at least in spirit, 
  Early Modern: there are no guns, but there are 
  gun-equivalents.  Separating the skill one uses to 
  wield them from prowess with bows and thrown 
  weapons seems fitting for a world in which prog-
  ress marches on, but not quite so fast as to make 
  these earlier weapons completely obsolete. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  41
  knoWledge skills
  ChthoniC
  Chthonic knowledge of the World Below, relevant to the 
  practice of pyromancy, and it encompasses daemonic psy-
  chology, the languages and customs of the World Below, and 
  information pertaining to the regions of Hell that fall out-
  side the Adamantine Province. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • They are trying to interpret the remains of pyroman-
  tic casting. 
  • They are trying to communicate with daemons who are 
  not well-versed in human speech. 
  • They are trying to find a loophole in, or wriggle out of, 
  an infernal pact. 
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They wish to cast a spell. Use Pyromancy instead. 
  • They are trying to recall facts about the Brimstone Re-
  publics or the Adamantine Province. This falls under 
  the purview of Knowledge (Scholarly). 
  old World
  The past is an ocean: vast, dark, impossibly deep, at times 
  inscrutable. This skill allows a character to plumb these 
  depths; it summarizes their understanding of  the languages, 
  history, and customs of the ages before the Dying Sun — the 
  time of the Old Empire, and maybe even a time before.
  your ChArACter should use this skill if...
  • They wish to recall information about the Ages of the 
  First and Dying Suns. 
  • They wish to decipher an inscription, or read a text in 
  an extinct language. 
  • They wish to determine the purpose of non-mechanical 
  Old World artefacts: strange tools and vessels, and more.  
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They wish to recall information about the Sunless or 
  Blessed Ages. They ought to use Knowledge (Scholarly) 
  instead. 
  • Decipher a chthonic language or recall information 
  about the World Below. They ought to use Knowledge 
  (Chthonic) instead. 
  • They are trying to repair or operate a piece of ancient 
  machinery. Use Mechanics instead.
  sCholArly
  Knowledge is power, and one should never underestimate 
  the power of mundane erudition. This skill represents your 
  character’s general education and their understanding of 
  geography, recent history, politics, living languages, and 
  other matters concerning life in the World Above. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if...
  • They are trying to recall information concerning recent 
  history, geography, or politics in an area. 
  • They wish to identify and recall information about the 
  flora and fauna of a region. 
  • They are conducting research in a library. 
  SKILLS FOR THE SUNFALL SETTING
  Skill
  char.
  type
  Source
  Alchemy
  Intellect
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 57
  Athletics
  Brawn
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 58
  Brawl
  Brawn
  Combat
  Core Rule Book p. 67
  Charm
  Presence
  Social
  Core Rule Book p. 54
  Coercion
  Willpower
  Social
  Core Rule Book p. 55
  Cool
  Presence
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 59
  Coordination
  Agility
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 59
  Deception
  Cunning
  Social
  Core Rule Book p. 56
  Discipline
  Willpower
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 60
  Knowledge (Arcane)
  Intellect
  Knowledge
  Sunfall
  Knowledge (Chthonic)
  Intellect
  Knowledge
  Sunfall
  Knowledge (Scholarly)
  Intellect
  Knowledge
  Sunfall
  Knowledge 
  (Old World)
  Intellect
  Knowledge
  Sunfall
  Leadership
  Presence
  Social
  Core Rule Book p. 56
  Mechanics
  Intellect
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 60
  Medicine
  Intellect
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 61
  Melee (Heavy)
  Brawn
  Combat
  Core Rule Book p. 67
  Melee (Light)
  Brawn
  Combat
  Core Rule Book p. 67
  Negotiation
  Presence
  Social
  Core Rule Book p. 56
  Perception
  Cunning
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 62
  Pyromancy
  Cunning
  Magic
  Sunfall
  Ranged (Archaic)
  Agility
  Combat
  Sunfall
  Ranged (Mechanical)
  Agility
  Combat
  Sunfall
  Resilience
  Brawn
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 63
  Riding
  Agility
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 63
  Skulduggery
  Cunning
  General 
  Core Rule Book p. 64
  Stealth
  Agility
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 64
  Streetwise
  Cunning
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 65
  Survival
  Cunning
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 65
  Thaumaturgy
  Willpower
  Magic
  Sunfall
  Vigilance
  Willpower
  General
  Core Rule Book p. 65
  
  42
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They are trying to recall historical information dating to 
  the Dying Sun and before. This falls under Knowledge 
  (Old World).  
  • They are trying to repair or maintain a piece of machin-
  ery. Use Mechanics instead. 
  • They are trying to navigate a criminal underworld. This 
  falls under Streetwise.
  thAumAturgiCAl
  Thaumaturgy is called the Elder Science for a reason, and 
  this skill encompasses the discipline’s mundane and theo-
  retical aspects. This includes mathematics, geometry, array 
  composition, the anatomy of the human soul, metallurgy, 
  glassblowing, and the art of cutting and gemstones and 
  crystals.
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • Your character wishes to determine the purpose or 
  function of a thaumaturgical sigil or array. 
  • Your character wishes to interpret the remains of thau-
  maturgical spellcasting.
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They wish to cast a spell. That would require the thau-
  maturgy skill instead. 
  • They try to repair or operate a piece of magically-pow-
  ered machinery. This is handled by Mechanics. 
  • They try to recall historical information about the Age 
  of the Dying Sun, or prior epochs. Recent history is 
  handled by Knowledge (Scholarly), and ancient history 
  — Knowledge (Old World)
  mAgiC skills
  thAumAturgy
  The cold magic of the human soul. One must attend univer-
  sity or undergo a similarly rigorous course of academic study 
  to become a mage and unlock the full magical potential of 
  their spirit through the Mage’s Ordeal. This skill represents 
  the mage’s ability to turn that potential into magic — finesse 
  and efficiency come with knowledge. For more information 
  on thaumaturgical spells and spell effects, please refer to 
  Chapter 2: Magic. 
  If your character has the Thaumaturgy skill, they may 
  not purchase ranks in Pyromancy unless they acquire the 
  Threshold talent. In the event that they do so, they immedi-
  ately lose access to the Thaumaturgy skill. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • They wish to cast an Thaumaturgy spell. 
  • Your character should not use this skill if...
  • They are trying to interpret arcane sigils or the remains 
  of thaumaturgical spellcasting. That would fall under 
  the purview of Knowledge (Thaumaturgical). 
  pyromAnCy
  The searing magic of the spirit world. Pyromancy can only 
  be practiced by visitants or humans who have struck a pact 
  with a daemon. This skill represents a pyromancer’s raw 
  strength — finesse and efficiency come with knowledge. 
  For more information on pyromancy spells and spell effects, 
  please refer to Chapter 2: Magic.  
  If your character has the Pyromancy skill, they may not 
  purchase ranks in thaumaturgy or acquire the Ordeal talent. 
  your ChArACter should use this skill if…
  • They wish to cast a Pyromancy spell. 
  your ChArACter should not use this skill if...
  • They are trying to recall information about the World 
  Below. Use Knowledge (Chthonic) instead. 
  neW rules
  dueling
  The purpose of this optional ruleset is to provide a situa-
  tional and, in some cases, non-lethal alternative to regular 
  combat encounters. As opposed to ordinary  combats, duels 
  are a series of skill checks — two fencers in a salon, rather 
  than two fighters locked in lethal melee. 
  Everyone duels, or at least knows the rules. A formal duel 
  looks like this: two duelists armed with swords or daggers 
  circle each other within the confines of a small ring. A duel 
  master, ideally impartial, watches over the proceedings and 
  calls out fouls; as opposed to ordinary melee, wherein a 
  fighter must turn anything and everything to their advan-
  tage, dueling rules prohibit grappling, tripping, grabbing the 
  opponent’s weapon, and the use of heavy armor and magic. 
  What constitutes cheating depends on context — shoving 
  the opponent or throwing snow in their face is a perfectly 
  acceptable tactic among wasteland scavengers and back-al-
  ley bravos, but highly frowned upon among professional 
  fencers and members of the upper classes. Most matches 
  consist of 3, 5 or 7 bouts; a duelist wins a bout when they 
  touch the opponent with their weapon or force them out 
  le t h a l du e l s
  A duel to the death is a combat encounter, albeit 
  one in which a character fights alone. Both par-
  ticipants are not permitted to use magic or wear 
  armor that provides any defense and more than 
  +1 soak, and each uncancelled s grants +2 
  damage, instead of +1, to both expedite the pro-
  cess and impress upon the players the danger of 
  such combats.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  43
  of the ring. For the sake of expediency, this author recom-
  mends the GM limit the length of most duels to 3 bouts. 
  In a bout, both duellists must make a competitive Aver-
  age (kk) Melee (Light) check, upgraded a number of times 
  equal to the opponent’s ranks in the Parry talent. Should a 
  character wish to cheat — shove or distract an opponent, 
  or use a hidden weapon while under the watchful eye of 
  the duel master — they may opt to make an opposed Skul-
  duggery vs Vigilance check instead of a competitive Melee 
  check, upgraded once if the duel is public. If they succeed 
  on this check, they win the bout. If they fail, however, the 
  GM may decide whether the duel ends, continues with the 
  aspiring cheater forfeiting the bout, or if the duel becomes 
  an ordinary combat encounter (as is often the case outside 
  of salons and arenas). 
  possession
  In the event that a human or revenant player character is 
  under threat of possession by a daemon, they must make 
  an opposed Discipline vs Discipline check. If the char-
  acter succeeds on this check, they successfully fend off the 
  invader. If they fail, however, they are now possessed — and 
  most likely, they do not realize it. 
  A possessed player character behaves as normal, however, 
  once per session, the GM may spend a Story Point for the 
  possessing daemon to influence the character. Upon spend-
  ing the Story Point, the GM presents the player of the pos-
  sessed character with two courses of action, each terrible or 
  catastrophically at odds with the goals of the party, such as 
  fleeing, attacking an ally in the midst of a battle, insulting a 
  king to his face, or destroying a valuable object. The player 
  must choose one and have their character carry it out to 
  the best of their ability, spending their action to do so if the 
  possession manifests during a structured encounter. In the 
  aftermath, the player character must make a Hard (kkk) 
  Discipline check; if they fail, they wholly and irrevocably 
  believe that whatever terrible thing they did was their own 
  decision and not a result of otherworldly influence. 
  If they succeed, however, they realize that they are possessed, 
  and may inform (or try to convince) their allies of this fact. Other 
  characters who realize that their ally is possessed may attempt to 
  expel the daemon either by paying an exorcist, or by casting the 
  Exorcise spell on the possessed themselves. If the possessed char-
  acter is a pyromancer, they cannot exorcise themself. 
  py r o M a n C e r s a n d  
  po s se s sio n
  Because daemons tend to their bonded souls 
  with the dedication and jealousy of sheepdogs 
  watching their flocks, characters with the Pyro-
  mancy skill may add j to any check they make 
  to resist or recognize that they are possessed.
  SPENDING a, t, h, AND d TO 
  RESIST POSSESSION
  reSult
  Narrative
  a
  The character recovers from 1 Strain.
  t 
  On Success: the character learns a piece of crucial 
  information about the possessing daemon or their 
  plans; or they learn a piece of information relevant 
  to their current adventure.
  On Failure: the possession does not manifest during 
  this session. If the check generates more than 1 Tr., 
  this effect is cumulative (e.g. on 2 Tr., a possession 
  cannot manifest for 2 sessions)
  h
  The character suffers 1 Strain.
  hhh or d 
  The daemon catches the character’s soul in a 
  moment of weakness, and gains the upper hand.
  On Success: the daemon learns a secret or piece of 
  crucial information about the character , the party, 
  or the party’s plans, which they will use to their 
  advantage in the future.
  On Failure: the GM can trigger this possession 1 
  additional time per session until the character is 
  exorcised.
  SPENDING a, t, h, AND d TO 
  RECOGNIZE POSSESSION
  reSult
  Narrative
  a
  The struggle for self-awareness invigorates the 
  character, adding j to their next check. If the 
  check generates multiple a the GM may decide to 
  extend the duration of this effect until the end of 
  the encounter.
  t 
  On Success: the character’s soul lashes out at the 
  daemon, expelling them from the body without an 
  exorcism.
  On Failure: the character’s soul is strong enough to 
  resist possession, at least for a time. The possession 
  cannot manifest for 1 session.
  h
  The character becomes disoriented for the next 
  round. If the check generates multiple h, the GM 
  may decide to extend the duration of this effect 
  until the end of the encounter.
  d 
  On Success: the character’s present circumstances 
  inspire a visceral fear of all daemonkind. They gain 
  an additional Fear motivation related to daemons 
  and the World Below.
  On Failure: the daemon lashes out at the soul, mak-
  ing it recoil in agony. The character must increase 
  the difficulty of all Cunning and Willpower-based 
  checks by 1 until the end of the session. They gain 
  an additional Fear motivation related to daemons 
  and the World Below.
  
  44
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  These rules are optional, and oriented towards groups that 
  enjoy roleplaying inter-party conflict, love drama, and do 
  not shy from a more adversarial relationship between play-
  ers and GM than Genesys assumes. GMs can use possessed 
  characters to push the story in a certain direction or advance 
  the dastardly plans of secret antagonists.
  ChApter 3: mAgiC
  S
  unfall uses the spellcasting penalties detailed in Table 
  III.2-3 on page 210 of the Genesys Core Rulebook, and 
  the options for spending h and d on magic checks detailed 
  in Table III.2-3 on page 211 of the Genesys Core Rule Book 
  for both Thaumaturgy and Pyromancy. 
  thAumAturgy
  Thaumaturgy, the cold magic of the human soul, is the con-
  fluence of a strong will and years of dedicated study. It is a 
  forceful art that can manifest the caster’s will into bolts and 
  shields of luminous energy, mesmerize and compel others, 
  and dispel the magic of other casters. It also has mechani-
  cal applications — indeed, thaumaturgical energies power 
  many weapons and machines throughout the world. The 
  greatest limitation of thaumaturgy is that it cannot produce 
  heat or cause something to ignite. 
  Visitants cannot cast thaumaturgical spells at all; 
  human and revenant characters who do not have Thau-
  maturgy as a Career skill cannot cast Thaumaturgy spells 
  until they acquire it as a Career skill. 
  thAumAturgiCAl CAsting
  To cast a spell, a mage requires the free use of their hands 
  and their voice, as well as a magic implement, such as 
  a set of specifically prepared magic rings or a gauntlet. 
  Casting without a magic implement is possible, but any 
  spells cast under these circumstances are much more 
  likely to be dangerously unstable. 
  When your character casts a Thaumaturgy spell that 
  requires a check, they suffer 2 strain regardless of whether 
  the check succeeds or not. 
  mAgiC ACtions & AdditionAl 
  effeCts
  A mage has access to the magic actions listed in the table 
  below, in addition to a magic action specific to Sunfall, Com-
  pel.  All spell effects listed in the Genesys Core Rule Book 
  can be used in thaumaturgical casting, and all Thaumaturgy 
  spells and spell effects that use a Knowledge skill use the 
  Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) skill . All spell effects listed in 
  the Genesys Core Rule Book with the exception of the Holy 
  / Unholy effect of the Attack magic action, and the Sanctu-
  ary effect of the Barrier magic action can be used in thau-
  maturgical casting as long as the character has access to the 
  magic action in question. Characters may use the Fire qual-
  ity of the Attack magic action, but its narrative effect does 
  not produce flame or heat — the resulting bolt of energy is 
  either corrosive or cold enough to scald living flesh. 
  Compel
  Concentration: Yes
  Skill: Thaumaturgy
  Compel is a magic action specific to Sunfall. The caster 
  attempts to enforce their will on another being to distract 
  them, dull their senses, or even force them to obey mental 
  orders. To compel a target in Short range, a character must 
  make an Average (kk) Thaumaturgy check. In combat, 
  the basic form of a compulsion spell dazes the target, forcing 
  them to suffer 2 strain for each maneuver or action they take 
  before the end of the caster’s next turn. 
  Outside of structured time, Compel may be used to alter 
  the target’s perceptions or emotional state to hide in plain 
  Ma G iC a l re B o u n d
  The purpose of magic implements is to increase 
  a mage’s efficiency when casting spells, and 
  to shield the mage against some of the worst 
  potential effects of their magic. If pressed, a 
  mage can cast without a magic implement, but 
  the difficulty of any Thaumaturgy check made 
  is upgraded once, and the caster must suffer 1 
  additional Strain after resolving the check.
  THAUMATURGY MAGIC ACTIONS
  Magic 
  actioN
  deScriptioN
  Attack
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 212, 215
  Barrier
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 212, 216
  Compel
  Sunfall p. 44
  Dispel
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 213, 217
  Utility
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 214
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  45
  sight or avoid unwanted conflict. In order to Compel a crea-
  ture outside of a structured encounter, a character must make 
  an opposed Thaumaturgy vs Discipline check. Boosts and 
  setbacks can be added at the Game Master’s discretion. 
  pyromAnCy
  Pyromancy is a form of magic innate to daemonkind and 
  available to those mortals who dare to bargain with them. It 
  is the fiery magic of change and transformation whose scope 
  extends past the simple conjuration of flame: pyromancers 
  can bestow otherworldly curses and blessings, summon crea-
  tures and objects, and even force a spirit to abandon its body. 
  Revenants cannot cast Pyromancy spells at all; human 
  characters who do not have Pyromancy as a Career skill 
  cannot cast Pyromancy spells unless they obtain the 
  Threshold talent. 
  pyromAntiC CAsting
  In order to cast pyromancy spells, a caster must be able to 
  speak, sing or at the very least hum their invocations, and to 
  perform the accompanying gestures. Unlike thaumaturgical 
  magic, pyromancy is taxing on the body and not the soul: 
  possessed berserkers  steam in the frigid air, and the major-
  ity of experienced fire-callers have extensive burn scars lin-
  ing their hands and forearms. 
  When your character casts a Pyromancy spell that 
  requires a check, they suffer 2 wounds regardless of whether 
  the check succeeds or not. 
  mAgiC ACtions & AdditionAl 
  effeCts
  A pyromancer has access to the magic actions listed in the 
  table below, in addition to a magic action specific to Sunfall, 
  Exorcise.  All spell effects listed in the Genesys Core Rule 
  Book can be used in pyromantic casting as long as the char-
  acter has access to the magic action in question.
  exorCise
  Concentration: Yes
  Skill: Pyromancy
  Exorcise is a magic action specific to Sunfall. The caster 
  attempts to violently expunge a soul or daemon from their 
  physical vessel, and cast them into the World Below. Outside 
  Me M o ry alt e r at io n
  Some unscrupulous mages of ages past have dis-
  covered that compulsion spells can also be used 
  to erase or alter the memories of others. This is 
  delicate, widely condemned, and highly illegal 
  work. The difficulty of any Thaumaturgy check 
  to tamper with a target’s memory should be 
  opposed by the target’s Discipline, and upgraded 
  a number of times equal to the number of hours 
  the character wishes the target to forget. 
  ADDITIONAL EFFECTS (COMPEL)
  effect
  difficulty Mod.
  Frighten: While the spell is active, the target must always act on the last initiative slot available. 
  +k
  Befuddle: If the Compelled creature generates hh or d on a combat check, they attack a randomly determined 
  ally instead of their intended target. 
  +k
  Range: Increase the range of the spell by 1 band. This effect can be used multiple times, increasing the spell’s difficulty 
  by 1 each time. 
  +k
  Disorient: The target is disoriented for the duration of the spell. 
  +k
  Additional Target: The spell affects one additional target within range of the spell. In addition, after casting the 
  spell, you may spend a to affect one additional target within range of the spell (and may trigger this multiple times, 
  spending a each time).
  +kk
  Control: The caster can use their action to command a target of Silhouette 1 or smaller to act on the caster’s turn for 
  the duration of the spell, starting this turn. At the end of each of the caster’s turns for the duration of the spell, the 
  target can make an opposed Discipline vs Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) check as an incidental. On a success, the 
  target is free to act at will. This cannot be combined with another spell effect. 
  +kk
  Dominate: The target suffers the Control effect, but must do the caster’s bidding for a number of hours equal to the 
  caster’s ranks in Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) without the caster maintaining concentration. At the end of every hour, 
  the target can make a contested Discipline vs Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) check to break free of the enchantment. 
  The target is fully conscious for the duration of the spell, but believes that they are acting of their own volition; if the 
  original Thaumaturgy check generated multiple h or d, the target realizes that they were acting under a compulsion 
  spell as soon as the spell wears off or as soon as they  break free. 
  +kkk
  
  46
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  of structured time, a pyromancer may use this spell to initi-
  ate a social encounter with the possessed individual. In this 
  encounter, only the pyromancer may attack the possessed’s 
  Strain Threshold; however, other characters may assist the 
  pyromancer by restraining the possessed, comforting them, 
  or encouraging them to fight the invading spirit. The exor-
  cism is a success if the pyromancer forces the possessed to 
  capitulate, or if the possessed exceeds their Strain Threshold. 
  The exorcism fails if the pyromancer exceeds their Strain 
  Threshold. In the event of failure the pyromancer may not 
  attempt to exorcise the same individual again for the rest of 
  the session. 
  In a structured encounter, a rushed exorcism causes the 
  target intense, searing pain as spirit is torn from flesh. The 
  caster must make an Average (kk) Pyromancy check. 
  Upon success, an ensouled or possessed target in Short 
  range suffers 2 wounds, and an additional 2 wounds if they 
  remain within Short range of the caster by the end of the 
  caster’s next turn. 
  rites
  Given sufficient time and materials to prepare, pyromancers 
  may perform rites, working their magic slowly and carefully 
  as to not incur a physical cost. To perform a rite, a pyromancer 
  must build a ritual pyre, make a sacrifice — animal or mate-
  rial — and speak an extended invocation, bringing the Worlds 
  Below and Above closer together for a brief time. Some rites 
  are reasonably short but others are day- or night-long ordeals, 
  reserved for the most powerful and grievous magics. 
  Spells performed as rites can be maintained in narrative 
  encounters and brought into combat encounters if a pyro-
  mancer imbues an ember talisman  (p. 47) with some of the 
  ritual flame beforehand. 
  All Pyromancy spells can be performed as rites. 
  mAgiC implements
  Pyromancers and thaumaturgists use different kinds of 
  magic implements and instruments. The former employ 
  censers, herbs, chimes, and similar instruments to create 
  appropriate environments for daemonic magics, and the 
  latter rely on thaumaturgically conductive gauntlets, gloves, 
  and jewelry to channel and direct the energies of their souls. 
  A pyromancer’s censer would be as useless in the hands of a 
  mage as a mage’s silver amulet in the hands of a pyromancer. 
  PYROMANCY MAGIC ACTIONS
  Magic 
  actioN
  deScriptioN
  Augment
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 212, 215
  Conjure
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 212, 216
  Curse
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 213, 217
  Exorcise
  Sunfall p. 45
  Utility
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 214
  ADDITIONAL EFFECTS (EXORCISE)
  effect
  difficulty Mod.
  Range: Increase the range of the spell by 1 band. This effect can be used multiple times, increasing the spell’s difficulty 
  by 1 each time. 
  +k
  Forbiddance: The target suffers 1 additional Wound if they move towards or attack the caster. This effect can be used 
  multiple times, increasing the spell’s difficulty by 1 each time. 
  +k
  Potency: The target suffers 1 additional Wound at the end of the caster’s turns for the spell’s duration. This effect can 
  be used multiple times, increasing the spell’s difficulty by 1 each time. 
  +k
  Additional Target: The spell affects an additional target within range. In addition, after casting the spell, you may 
  spend aa to affect one additional target within range of the spell (and may trigger this multiple times, spending 
  a each time).
  +kk
  Rend the Spirit: The target is unable to cast spells while they are affected by the exorcism. This does not affect ongoing 
  spells and does not prevent the target from performing the Concentrate maneuver; however, the caster may spend 
  aa on a Thaumaturgy check they make or h on a check the target makes to break the target’s concentration.
  +kk
  Discarnate: Upon success, a Rival or a number of Minions equal to the caster’s ranks in Knowledge (Chthonic) are 
  instantly forced from their physical vessels and incapacitated. On hh or d generated on this Pyromancy roll, the 
  disembodied souls or daemons may use their action to resume possession of their bodies on their turn. 
  +kkk
  RITE DURATION & EFFECT
  duratioN
  effect
  1 Hour
   The spell does not incur the Wound cost. 
  2 Hours
  The spell does not incur the Wound cost. The 
  difficulty of the Pyromancy check is reduced by 
  1, to a minimum of Easy (k)
  4 Hours
  The spell does not incur the Wound cost. The 
  difficulty of the Pyromancy check is reduced by 
  2, to a minimum of Easy (k)
  8 Hours
  The spell does not incur the Wound cost. The 
  difficulty of the Pyromancy check is reduced by 
  3, to a minimum of Easy (k)
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  47
  thAumAturgiCAl implements
  brACers
  Braces of boiled leather inscribed with protective sigils are a 
  popular choice among defensively-minded magicians, and a 
  common gift from a master or professor of thaumaturgical 
  sciences to a talented graduate. 
  Attack spells cast by your character while using a gaunt-
  let increase their base damage by 3; in addition, when your 
  character casts a Barrier spell, they may add the Empowered 
  effect without increasing the difficulty. 
  mAgiC gAuntlet
  Favored by a certain kind of muscle-bound war-wizard, a 
  magic gauntlet bears a superficial resemblance to a gauntlet 
  from a suit of old-fashioned plate armor, save for the lace-
  work of silver inlay arrays that channel thaumaturgical ener-
  gies. Most magic gauntlets are bulky, ornate and ostenta-
  tious, immediately identifying the wearer as a thaumaturge 
  and making it difficult to perform tasks that require a great 
  degree of manual dexterity — which is why war-mages only 
  wear one at a time, rather than two. 
  Attack spells cast by your character while using a gauntlet 
  increase their base damage by 4; in addition, adding the Close 
  Combat and Impact effects does not increase the difficulty of 
  the magic check, this due to the fact that mages’ gauntlets are 
  made for both spellwork and fisticuffs. 
  The Magic Gauntlet can be wielded as a Brawl weapon with 
  the following profile: (Engaged range, +1 Damage, Crit. 4, 
  Disorient 2)
  mAgiC gloves
  A pair of magic gloves are luxurious and flexible, if not the 
  most durable as far as magic implements are concerned. 
  Unlike a gauntlet, which marks the caster’s belligerent and 
  martial nature, silver-embroidered gloves are subtler and 
  indicative of a gentler, more refined character. In more prac-
  tical terms, the degree of manual dexterity allowed by a pair 
  of gloves makes it easier to cast spells that affect more than 
  one object or individual. 
  Attack spells cast by your character while using a gaunt-
  let increase their base damage by 2; in addition, when your 
  character casts a Thaumaturgy spell, adding the Additional 
  Target effect does not increase its difficulty. 
  mesmerist’s medAllion
  The back-and-forth sway of a non-magical medallion on a 
  chain can, under the right circumstances, put a person into 
  a trance state. A silver-inlaid medallion in the hands of a 
  skilled thaumaturgist is vastly more dangerous, dazzling and 
  putting all but the strongest of will under their spell.
  When a mage wielding a mesmerist’s medallion casts the 
  Compel spell, the spell lasts for the rest of the encounter 
  without having to use the Concentrate maneuver. Adding 
  the Control effect to the spell does not increase the difficulty 
  of the magic check. 
  rings & brACelets
  Magic jewelry has always been a fixture of lurid tales of 
  sword and sorcery, but in truth, a single engraved silver ring 
  or bangle are simply too small to be of any significant use 
  to a mage. Several engraved silver rings or bangles, how-
  ever, make for an effective set of tools particularly useful to 
  wizards who use the purest expression of thaumaturgical 
  energy: bolts of cold blue lightning. 
  Attack spells cast by your character while using a set of 
  magic rings increase their base damage by 4; in addition, they 
  may add the Lightning effect with no increase of difficulty.
  fir e!
  The pyromancer’s most prized gift is their abil-
  ity to bring flame into this world. All creatures 
  and objects created through the Conjure magic 
  actions appear to be made of smokeless flame 
  and emanate heat, although they do not set 
  anything they touch ablaze. In order to light a 
  small flame, such as a torch or campfire, out-
  side a combat encounter, a caster may use the 
  Utility magic action; in a combat encounter, the 
  GM may allow a pyromancer character to make 
  an Easy (k) Pyromancy check as an action in 
  order to set an object — but not a creature — of 
  Silhouette 0  in Short range ablaze.
  THAUMATURGICAL IMPLEMENTS
  iteM
  daMage
  eNcuM.
  price
  rarity
  Bracers
  +3
  1
  600
  4
  Magic Gauntlet
  +4
  2
  850
  5
  Magic Gloves
  +2
  1
  600
  5
  Mesmerist’s Medallion
  +0
  0
  1300
  7
  Rings & Bracelets
  +4
  0
  1000
  5
  
  48
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  pyromAntiC implements
  ember tAlismAn (lesser)
  A fist-sized ivory lantern, packed with salt and slow-burn-
  ing incense. If  a pyromancer lights an ember talisman while 
  casting a spell normally or by performing a rite, the spell 
  lasts for as long as the incense burns. 
   A lesser ember talisman can hold one Pyromancy spell of 
  Average (kk) difficulty or less for the duration of one com-
  bat or narrative encounter, or for 8 hours. While the ember 
  talisman burns, the caster does not have to perform the 
  Concentrate maneuver in order to sustain an active spell. All 
  Ember Talismans break and become unusable after 1 use.
  ember tAlismAn (greAter)
  A larger, more ornate ember talisman capable of sustaining 
  more sophisticated enchantments. If  a pyromancer lights 
  an ember talisman while casting a spell normally or by per-
  forming a rite, the spell lasts for as long as the incense burns. 
  A greater ember talisman can hold one Pyromancy spell 
  of Hard (kkk) difficulty or less for the duration of one 
  combat or narrative encounter, or for 8 hours. While the 
  ember talisman burns, the caster does not have to perform 
  the Concentrate maneuver in order to sustain an active spell. 
  All Ember Talismans break and become unusable after 1 use.
  exorCist’s Censer
  M
  any exorcists use small brass or pewter thuribles on 
  long chains in their ceremonies, swinging them back 
  and forth over the possessed to purge the invading spirit 
  from their body. Of course, because hellfire is by nature 
  smokeless, burning incense in an exorcist’s censer has no 
  visible result, but the peppery aroma it produces is strong 
  enough for some particularly sensitive individuals to claim 
  that it’s the evil stench that drives a devil out, and not the 
  exorcism. 
  When your character casts a spell while using an exor-
  cist’s censer, the first Range effect added to the spell does not 
  increase the spell’s difficulty. In addition, when your char-
  acter casts an Exorcise spell, they may add the first Potency 
  effect without increasing the spell’s difficulty. 
  invigorAting sAlts
  Snuff boxes or bottles filled with a mixture of Hellish salts, 
  ground spices — powdered ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and 
  blue pepper from Below — and dried herbs are a staple 
  among pyromancers specializing in blessings and healing. 
  Although there is no magic that can cure sickness or heal a 
  wound as fast as a blade can make one, there are spells that 
  can strengthen the body and help it recover from injury and 
  disease. The presence of “pungent and fiery atmospheres” 
  fills the ill and bedridden with renewed vigor, which usually 
  manifests as desperate attempts to move as far away from 
  the healer and their “atmospheres” as possible. 
  When your character casts an Augment spell while using 
  invigorating salts, they may add the Divine Health effect 
  without increasing the spell’s difficulty. Additionally, when 
  your character successfully casts an Augment, Exorcise or 
  Utility spell, they heal 1 Strain. 
  orACle bones
  Two carved, flat bones on a chain or leather cord, usually 
  worn about the neck. Ancient oracles would inscribe animal 
  or human scapulars with invocations and questions before 
  heating the bones over a gate to the spirit realm and divining 
  the spirits’ answers from the pattern of cracks that would 
  spread across the bone. If the events foretold did not come 
  to pass, the bones would be discarded, but those that proved 
  accurate would be kept and passed down to the diviner’s 
  children and their descendants. Pairs of oracle bones — one 
  with an ill omen, one with a good one — are a potent mag-
  ical instrument, bringing luck to the pyromancer and mis-
  fortune to their enemies. 
  When your character casts any Pyromancy spell while 
  using a set of oracle bones, they add j to the check. In 
  addition, adding the Doom effect to a Curse spell does not 
  increase the spell’s difficulty. 
  pAlindrome ChArm
  Palindrome charms are wooden, bone, or boiled leather 
  plaques painted or engraved with a sacred word square. 
  Despite their simple appearance, true palindrome charms 
  (as opposed to cheap imitations) are rare and difficult to 
  PYROMANTIC IMPLEMENTS
  iteM
  daMage
  eNcuM.
  price
  rarity
  Ember Talisman (Lesser)
  1
  50
  4
  Ember Talisman (Greater)
  2
  100
  6
  Exorcist’s Censer
  1
  600
  4
  Invigorating Salts
  1
  600
  5
  Oracle Bones
  1
  850
  6
  Palindrome Charm
  0
  1300
  7
  Summoner’s Chimes
  1
  1000
  5
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  49
  manufacture, as they require extensive knowledge of Hell-
  ish tongues and a particularly rare confluence of omens and 
  atmospheres. Each row, column and diagonal of the square 
  spells out a word of warding and protection in one of the 
  languages of the World Below; combined, the words form 
  a universal invocation meditating upon which can ease 
  the pain of spellcasting. The writing on these charms is so 
  stylized that it is hard for the uninitiated to distinguish the 
  words from a decorative pattern of vines and leaves. For 
  this reason, palindrome charms are popular among unsanc-
  tioned pyromancers in Mandate territories — oracle bones 
  or a censer of exorcist’s incense look (or smell) a lot more 
  incriminating than a painted wooden trinket around the 
  neck of a country yokel. 
  When your character casts an Exorcise spell while using 
  a palindrome charm, they may add the first Forbiddance 
  effect without increasing the spell’s difficulty. In addition, 
  you may spend aa generated on any Pyromancy check to 
  reduce the wound cost of the spell by 1.
  summoner’s Chimes
  A set of 5 to 9 brass or copper chimes with bone handles, 
  suspended from a belt or kept in a carrying case. Each chime 
  produces a deep, resonant tone that can pacify a conjured 
  spirit so that it wouldn’t lash out against the summoner the 
  moment it enters the material world. And while any combi-
  nation of these tones cannot possibly be considered music in 
  the human sense, imps and daemons alike often find them 
  beautiful, making it easy for a skilled conjurer to soothe 
  even the most vicious of spirits. 
  When your character casts a Conjure spell, they may add the 
  Summon Ally effect without increasing the spell’s difficulty.
  ChApter 4: tAlents
  C
  haracters in Sunfall are able to choose from a vari-
  ety of talents from the Genesys Core Rulebook and 
  Realms of Terrinoth in addition to a number of new tal-
  ents unique to the setting. 
  neW tAlents
  tier 1
  delver’s sense
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes
  After your character makes a Perception, Vigilance, or 
  Knowledge (Old World) check to notice, identify, or avoid 
  a threat in a ruin, tomb, or similar ancient structure, your 
  character adds a number of a no greater than their ranks 
  in Delver’s Sense. 
  steAdy Aim
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Your character does not suffer a penalty on Ranged (Archaic) 
  or Ranged (Mechanical) attacks made while mounted. 
  street smArts!
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Active, Incidental
  Ranked: No
  In an urban environment, your character may use Streetwise 
  instead of Cool or Vigilance to determine initiative. 
  tender merCies
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Active, Incidental
  Ranked: Yes
  Whenever your character makes a Brawl or Melee attack 
  against a prone or immobilized opponent, that attack gains 
  a Vicious quality of 1, or its Vicious quality increases by 1 
  per rank of Tender Mercies. 
  WAstelAnd instinCts
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Active, Incidental
  Ranked: No
  Your character may use Survival instead of Cool or Vigi-
  lance to determine initiative in the wilderness. 
  tier 2
  ArCAne Absorption
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
  Ranked:  Yes
  Requirement: The character must have Thaumaturgy as a 
  Career skill. 
  Your character has learned how to divert incoming arcane 
  energies to invigorate their soul. When an opponent makes 
  a Thaumaturgy check against your character, the character 
  may use a number of h generated on that check to heal 
  an equal amount of Strain. This number cannot exceed the 
  character’s ranks in Arcane Absorption. 
  
  50
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  disguise enthusiAst
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes
  Your character adds j to any check they make to dis-
  guise themselves or another character per rank of Disguise 
  Enthusiast. 
  JACk of All trAdes
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Your character gains 2 non-magic skills of your choice as 
  Career skills. Both of these skills cannot be of the same type 
  (e.g. both skills cannot be Social skills).
  no sell
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Your character removes a from all social checks target-
  ing them per rank of No Sell. 
  open soul
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive.
  Ranked: No.
  Requirement:  The character cannot be a visitant. 
  Some souls, through a quirk of their nature, are more open 
  to forming connections with invading spirits than others. 
  They grant the spirit a greater degree of control but allow 
  themselves to tap into the spirit’s abilities in turn.
  Whenever your character becomes possessed, one char-
  acteristic of your choice increases by 1 until the character 
  is exorcised. However, the GM may trigger the possession 
  twice per session, as opposed to once. 
  ordeAl
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: The character cannot be a visitant, or have 
  Pyromancy as a Career skill. 
  Your character’s soul has been broken and reforged through 
  hardship, intentionally or not. They gain Thaumaturgy and 
  Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) as Career skills. 
  This talent can only be taken if it is narratively appropriate 
  and if the Game Master approves.
  sAWbones
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Ranked: Yes
  Before making a Medicine check to heal another character 
  in a structured encounter, your character may suffer 3 strain 
  to remove f equal to 1+ranks in Sawbones from the check. 
  strong soul
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes
  Requirement: Your character must be human or a revenant. 
  Your character adds j to all attempts to possess or magi-
  cally compel them per rank of Strong Soul. 
  stunning bloW
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Ranked: Yes
  Once per encounter, your character may make a Melee 
  (Light) combat check against a target that has not yet acted 
  in combat. If the check succeeds, this attack has the Stun 
  Damage quality, as well as a Disorient quality equal to 
  1+Ranks in Stunning Blow.
  tempering invoCAtion
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes
  Requirement: The character must have Pyromancy as a 
  Career skill. 
  Your character has learned an invocation that dulls pain and 
  centers the spirit. 
  When your character makes a Cool or Discipline check 
  to recover strain at the end of an encounter, they may use a 
  number of Adv. up to ranks in Tempering Invocation to heal 
  an equal number of wounds. 
  threshold
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: The character cannot be a visitant or a 
  revenant.
  Your character has opened their heart to the World Below, 
  and — perhaps — struck a bargain that will surely doom 
  them in the end
  They gain Pyromancy and Knowledge (Chthonic) as 
  Career skills. 
  If your character has Thaumaturgy as a Career skill, they 
  lose their ability to cast Thaumaturgy spells. 
  This talent can only be taken if it is narratively appropriate 
  and if the Game Master approves. 
  triCk rider
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Incidental)
  Ranked: Yes
  Before your character makes a Riding check, they may add 
  an equal number of s and h to the results. The number 
  may not exceed the character’s ranks in Trick Rider. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  51
  tier 3
  AWAkened soul
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Requirement: Your character must be human or a revenant. 
  On occasion, your character’s soul awakens to a trove of 
  memory from its past incarnations, overwhelming your 
  character with knowledge and haunting recollections of its 
  many lives and deaths.
  Once per session, you may spend a Story Point as an inci-
  dental prior to making a Knowledge check and add a Tr. to 
  the result. If the check is a failure, the GM may spend sym-
  bols as if it was a fear check.
  poker fACe
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
  Ranked: No
  When your character is targeted by a social check, they may 
  spend hhh or d to reduce any strain the check inflicts 
  by a number equal to their ranks in Cool. If they do, the 
  character who targeted them suffers an amount of strain 
  equal to the amount of strain reduced. 
  unimpressed
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Your character reduces the difficulty of all fear checks they 
  make by 1, to a minimum of 1. 
  tier 4
  drAmAtiC flourish
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Active (Maneuver)
  Ranked: No
  Once per round, a character may suffer 2 Strain, upgrad-
  ing the difficulty of the next Melee (Light) or Melee (Heavy) 
  combat check they make once. If the check succeeds, the 
  character adds a t to the results; if it fails, a d.  
  hunter’s eye
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Active (Incidental)
  Ranked: No
  Once per encounter, your character may choose a visible 
  target in Long range and suffer 2 Strain, reducing the Criti-
  cal Rating of all Ranged (Archaic) and Ranged (Mechanical) 
  attacks they make against that target by 2, to a minimum of 
  1, for the rest of the encounter. 
  taleNt
  raNked
  Source
  tier 1
  Apothecary
  Yes
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Bought Info
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 72
  Bullrush
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Challenge!
  Yes
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Clever Retort
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Desperate Recovery
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Delver's Sense
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 48
  Duelist
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Durable
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Finesse
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Forager
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Grit
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Hamstring Shot
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Jump Up
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Knack for It
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Know Somebody
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 73
  Let’s Ride
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  One with Nature
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Otherworldly Senses
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Painful Blow
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Parry
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Proper Upbringing
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Quick Draw
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Quick Strike
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Rapid Reaction
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Resurrection
  No
  Sunfall p. 52
  Revenant
  No
  Sunfall p. 53
  Second Wind
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Shield Slam
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 84
  Steady Aim
  No
  Sunfall p. 48
  Street Smarts!
  No
  Sunfall p. 48
  Surgeon
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 74
  Swift
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Tavern Brawler
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 87
  Tender Mercies
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 48
  Toughened
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Tumble
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 87
  
  52
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  taleNt
  raNked
  Source
  Undead Vigor
  No
  Sunfall p. 53
  Unremarkable
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Wasteland Instincts
  No
  Sunfall p. 48
  tier 2
  Arcane Absorption
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 48
  Berserk
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Block
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 87
  Bulwark
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 87
  Chest
  No
  Sunfall p. 53
  Coordinated Assault
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Counteroffer
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Defensive Stance
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 75
  Dirty Tricks
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 88
  Disguise Enthusiast
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 49
  Dual Wielder
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 76
  Flash of Insight
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 88
  Grapple
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 88
  Heightened 
  Awareness
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 76
  Heroic Recovery
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 88
  Impaling Strike
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 
  Inspiring Rhetoric 
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 76
  Inventor
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 76
  Jack of All Trades
  No
  Sunfall p. 49
  Lucky Strike
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 76
  No Sell
  No
  Sunfall p. 49
  Open Soul
  No
  Sunfall p. 49
  Ordeal
  No
  Sunfall p. 49
  Otherworldly 
  Resilience
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Phantasmal Form
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Project Thoughts
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Puppeteer
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Reckless Charge
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 89
  Runic Enhancement
  No
  Sunfall p. 53
  Sawbones
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 49
  Scathing Tirade
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 77
  Side Step
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 77
  Signature Spell
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 89
  Strong Soul
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 49
  taleNt
  raNked
  Source
  Stunning Blow
  Yes
  Sunfall p.49
  Tempering 
  Invocation
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 49
  The Flesh is Weak
  No
  Sunfall p. 54
  Threaten 
  Yes
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 89
  Trick Rider
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 49
  Undead Vigor 
  (Improved)
  No
  Sunfall p. 53
  tier 3
  Animal Companion
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 77
  Awakened Soul
  No
  Sunfall p. 50
  Backstab
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 89
  Battle Casting
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Body Guard
  Yes
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Cavalier
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Counterattack
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Dodge
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 78
  Dual Strike
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Eagle Eyes
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 78
  Field Commander
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 78
  Forgot to Count?
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 78
  Heroic Will
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Inspiring Rheto-
  ric (Improved)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 78
  Monstrous Visage
  Yes
  Sunfall p. 54
  Natural
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Painkiller 
  Specialization
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Parry (Improved)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Poker Face
  No
  Sunfall p. 50
  Potent Concoctions
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Pressure Point
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Precise Archery
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Pressure Point
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 90
  Project Thoughts 
  (Improved)
  No
  Sunfall p.55
  Rapid Archery
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Scathing Tirade 
  (Improved)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Unimpressed
  No
  Sunfall p. 50
  You Wound Me!
  No
  Sunfall p. 54
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  53
  mArksmAn’s sAtisfACtion
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Active (Incidental)
  Ranked: No
  Once per encounter, your character makes a Ranged 
  (Archaic) or Ranged (Mechanical) attack against a target 
  and if the attack hits, they may heal Strain equal to half the 
  damage taken by the opponent, rounded up. The character 
  must activate this talent before making the check. 
  touCh of fAte
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Active (Incidental, Out-of-Turn)
  Ranked: No
  Once per session, when your character is targeted by a check 
  but before dice are rolled, your character may spend a Story 
  Point to add a d to the check. 
  tier 5
  for honor
  Tier: 5
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Ranked: No
  Once per session, when a social or combat encounter 
  against one or more sentient beings is about to begin, the 
  character may make a Daunting (kkkk) Charm, Nego-
  tiation or Leadership check to challenge the leader of the 
  opposition to a duel. If successful, the combat encounter 
  instead becomes a formal duel between the character and 
  the opponent they challenged. Either party may nominate a 
  champion to fight in their stead if they so desire. 
  revenAnt tAlents
  tier 1
  resurreCtion
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Restriction: Cannot be obtained by visitants. 
  Your character has, for better or for worse, completed the 
  Rite of Resurrection, ensuring that they will join the ranks 
  of the undead once they perish. The effects of this talent, 
  aside from the character’s ability to rise from the dead, are 
  negative, representing the toll the Rite takes on the living 
  body and the living soul. When purchasing this talent, 
  your character gains the following abilities:
  Metaphysical Constraint: Your character’s Wound 
  and Strain thresholds are lowered by 3, and any attack 
  made against them gains Vicious 2 (or increases its 
  taleNt
  raNked
  Source
  tier 4
  Back-to-Back
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Can’t We Talk 
  About This?
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Conduit
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Deadeye
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 79
  Defensive
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Dramatic Flourish
  No
  Sunfall p. 50
  Enduring
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Field Commander 
  (Improved)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Hostile Takeover
  No
  Sunfall p. 55
  How Convenient!
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Hunter’s Eye
  No
  Sunfall p. 50
  Inspiring Rheto-
  ric (Supreme)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Mad Inventor
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 80
  Marksman’s 
  Satisfaction
  No
  Sunfall p. 52
  Runic Armor
  No
  Sunfall p. 54
  Scathing Tirade 
  (Supreme)
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 81
  Signature Spell 
  (Improved)
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Touch of Fate
  No
  Sunfall p. 52
  Unrelenting
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Venom-Soaked 
  Blade
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  tier 5
  Dedication
  Yes
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 81
  For Honor
  No
  Sunfall p. 52
  Indomitable
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 81
  Let’s Talk This Over
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Master
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 81
  Retribution
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Ruinous Repartee
  No
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 81
  Whirlwind
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  Zealous Fire
  No
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 91
  
  54
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  Vicious rating by 2). In addition, your character cannot 
  heal from Critical Injuries. 
  Cold Soul: Your character cannot cast Pyromancy 
  spells, gain ranks in the Pyromancy skill, or purchase the 
  Threshold talent. 
  Watcher’s Touch: Once per session, your character may 
  move a Story Point from the GM pool to the player pool 
  as an incidental, but the next combat check targeting them 
  automatically adds a t. 
  Death is Not the End: Upon death, your character rises 
  as one of the living dead, replacing the Resurrection talent 
  with the Revenant talent. Their Wound and Strain thresh-
  olds are restored to their previous values, they recover from 
  all of their Critical Injuries and their effects, and they heal 
  half of their Wounds and Strain, rounded down. In a nar-
  rative encounter, this occurs immediately after death; in a 
  structured encounter, this constitutes an action and occurs 
  on the last initiative slot available. 
  This talent can only be taken if it is narratively appropriate 
  and if the Game Master approves. 
  revenAnt
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have purchased the Res-
  urrection talent. 
  O Death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 
  When purchasing this talent, your character gains the fol-
  lowing abilities:
  Undead: Your character does not need to eat, drink, or 
  breathe; they are immune to poisons, and they do not suffer 
  from the adverse effects of exposure. As an ensouled being, 
  they do need to sleep. 
  Vital Sigils: Your character is animated by an intricate 
  network of arcane sigils and arrays that cannot be dispelled, 
  but do have the unfortunate side effect of amplifying incom-
  ing arcane energies. All Thaumaturgy spells targeting your 
  character automatically receive aa. 
  Cold Soul: Your character cannot cast Pyromancy spells, 
  gain ranks in the Pyromancy skill, or purchase the Thresh-
  old talent. 
  Dead Flesh: Your character cannot benefit from healing 
  items, such as healing elixirs and healing herbs, but they do 
  add jj to any Medicine checks made to heal them. 
  Abomination: Your character cannot be seen in public 
  without a disguise of some sort, on penalty of a second, 
  more permanent death. The difficulty of all social skill 
  checks made against individuals not accustomed to the liv-
  ing dead is upgraded twice.
  This talent can be taken during Character Creation if the 
  Game Master approves. 
  undeAd vigor
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Incidental)
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent. 
  Your character is learning how to push their body beyond 
  mortal limits. Once per encounter, your character may suf-
  fer 2 Wounds to increase their Brawn or Agility by 1, to a 
  maximum of 5, for the rest of the encounter. 
  tier 2
  Chest
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Maneuver)
  Ranked:  No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent. 
  Most revenants learn, sooner or later, that many internal 
  organs become superfluous after death. Your character 
  has emptied their ribcage, converting it into a cozy storage 
  space. They may use a maneuver to store or remove an item 
  or creature of Silhouette 0 from their now-empty chest cav-
  ity; if your character has the Quick Draw talent, they may 
  do so as an incidental. Because they are no longer carrying 
  around a mass of unnecessary viscera, their encumbrance 
  threshold goes up by 4. 
  runiC enhAnCement
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Incidental
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent.
  Although the primary purpose of the sigils on the revenant’s 
  skin is to contain the soul, they can be used by another mage 
  to direct and amplify their spellwork. 
  Once per encounter, your character can suffer 2 Strain 
  and activate this talent as an out-of-turn incidental, granting 
  an ally of your choice within Short range of j to any Thau-
  maturgy checks they make until the end of the encounter. If 
  that ally is engaged with your character, they may  add jj 
  instead. 
  undeAd vigor (improved)
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Reve-
  nant and Undead Vigor talents.
   The Wound cost of Undead Vigor is reduced by 1. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  55
  tier 3
  monstrous visAge
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked:  Yes
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent. 
  Threats of violence are simply not that effective against the 
  undead, who no longer fear pain, and the living cannot help 
  but fear them in turn. Your character automatically adds s 
  and a  to any Coercion check they make against a human 
  opponent, and hh to any incoming Coercion checks made 
  by human opponents against your character.
  you Wound me!
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Active (Incidental, Out of Turn)
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent.
  Upon being hit with a Melee attack and after calculating 
  damage, a revenant may suffer 2 additional Wounds to have 
  the attacker’s weapon become lodged inside their body. The 
  character may then use a maneuver to pull the weapon out, 
  whereas the attacker must spend an action and make an 
  opposed Athletics vs Athletics or an opposed Athletics 
  vs Coordination check to retrieve it. The GM may decide 
  that this talent does not affect some melee weapons, such as 
  hammers, clubs, and other blunt objects. 
  tier 4
  runiC Armor
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Active (Incidental)
  Ranked: No
  Requirement: Your character must have obtained the Rev-
  enant talent.
  Once per turn, your character may suffer 2 Strain and 
  increase the Critical Rating of all incoming non-magical 
  attacks by 2, to a maximum of 6, until the end of your char-
  acter’s next turn.
  visitAnt tAlents
  tier 1
  otherWorldly senses
  Tier: 1
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes.
  Restriction: Visitant
  Your character can now see in the dark. They remove up to 
  jj imposed by darkness from any skill check they make. 
  tier 2
  otherWorldly resilienCe
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: Yes.
  Restriction: Visitant
  All Pyromancy checks made by opponents targeting your 
  character receive j per ran1k of Otherworldly Resilience. 
  phAntAsmAl form
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Ranked: Yes
  Restriction: Visitant
  Your character may temporarily abandon their physical 
  vessel without completely severing their bond to it. While 
  disembodied,  they are intangible, invisible, do not need to 
  breathe, and cannot suffer wounds or receive Critical Inju-
  ries. They may speak freely, and move anywhere within 
  Short range of their body ignoring walls and similar obsta-
  cles, but they may not perform actions that affect other char-
  acters or objects, such as attacking, moving something, or 
  casting a spell. While they are disembodied, their body is 
  incapacitated, and suffers wounds and Critical Injuries as 
  normal. Should the body die, they are immediately drawn 
  to the World Below, which is equivalent to character death. 
  Each Rank in Phantasmal Form increases the distance the 
  visitant may travel while disembodied by 1 range band.
  proJeCt thoughts
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Action)
  Ranked: Yes
  Restriction: Visitant
  Your character may suffer 2 Strain to cause a target they are 
  engaged with to hear one or two sentences in their head. No 
  one but the target can hear what has been said and the target 
  will hear these thoughts in your character’s voice.
  puppeteer
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Active (Maneuver)
  Ranked: Yes
  Restriction: Visitant        
  Some visitants can become so skilled in the art of manipu-
  lating flesh that they are able to reach out and possess a small 
  part of an opponent’s body without leaving the confines of 
  their own vessel, causing a muscle spasm or making them 
  flinch at a crucial moment.
  Once per round, your character may suffer 2 Strain to add 
  h equal to ranks in Puppeteer to any combat checks made 
  
  56
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  by an opponent in Engaged range until the end of the char-
  acter's next turn. 
  the flesh is WeAk
  Tier: 2
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Restriction: Visitant        
  Your character may add j to all checks made while using The 
  Spirit is Willing Visitant archetype ability to possess another. 
  tier 3
  proJeCt thoughts (improved)
  Tier: 3
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Restriction: Visitant
  Your character may target creatures in Short range when 
  using Project Thoughts, and they may also attempt to mimic 
  another voice by making a Deception check opposed by the 
  target’s Vigilance.
  tier 4
  hostile tAkeover
  Tier: 4
  Activation: Passive
  Ranked: No
  Restriction: Visitant
  Your character may now attempt possession of a Rival when 
  using The Spirit is Willing. 
  ChApter 5: geAr
  WeApons
  WeApon properties
  ConCeAled
  Add j per rank of Concealed to any Perception or Vigi-
  lance checks made to spot this weapon. 
  subtle
  This weapon produces little to no light or sound when it is 
  fired. 
  unreliAble 
  If a combat check generates hhh or d, the weapon jams 
  and cannot be used for the rest of the encounter.
  melee WeApons
  Axe
  A logger‘s tool turned to deadly purpose, or a weapon of war 
  good for cutting wood. 
  brAss knuCkles
  Simple, elegant, affordable. The weapon of choice for a 
  bruiser on a budget. 
  bill
  A somewhat obsolete Northern polearm, the bill most 
  resembles a halberd or poleaxe with a hooked blade. Like 
  pikes preferred by more modern soldiers, bills are most use-
  ful against mounted opponents — the hook can find and 
  latch onto a chink in a cavalryman’s armor and drag him off 
  his horse, where a sword or dagger can finish the job.
  If the bill’s Ensnare quality is triggered, the character 
  may not use the bill as a weapon while the target remains 
  ensnared. A character wielding a bill can spend aa gener-
  ated on a successful Melee (Heavy) check to force a mounted 
  opponent (but not the steed) to fall prone. 
  dAgger
  A short, utilitarian blade. The distinction between a short 
  sword and a long dagger can be a touch nebulous, but one 
  wouldn’t whittle wood or cut ham with a sword.
  mACe
  A type of short and heavy bludgeon with a weighted and 
  flanged head at the end of the handle. Good for denting 
  plate and bashing heads. 
  su B t l e t y
  When a character fires a weapon that produces 
  any significant amount of light or sound in a 
  populated area, any NPCs present in the vicinity 
  must make a Vigilance check to see or hear the 
  weapon. The difficulty of this check depends on 
  distance and equals 1 per range band between 
  the character and the observer.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  57
  mAul
  The modern version of a war hammer, a maul is a long-han-
  dled weapon with a heavy lead or iron head. Customarily, 
  one side of the hammer is blunt, to dent armor, and the 
  other consists of a long, curved spike to tear through helms.
  pike
  Like a spear, but longer. Much longer. Pikes are most use-
  ful against cavalry — few warhorses survive unscathed after 
  charging a square of pikemen bristling with iron.
  A character may use a pike to attack opponents in Short 
  range (the difficulty of the check remains Average (kk)), 
  but may not attack opponents in Engaged range. When a 
  mounted opponent spends a maneuver moving towards a 
  character wielding a pike, they add hh to their next Melee 
  check targeting that character. 
  poleArm
  In cities, glaives, halberds, and pollaxes are ceremonial 
  weapons wielded by palace guards and soldiers on parade. In 
  the Wastes, and in the hands of a capable fighter, a polearm 
  is a deadly force — deadlier still if said fighter happens to be 
  mounted.
  If a rider with a polearm spends a maneuver to engage an 
  opponent, they may add j to their next combat check.
  quArterstAff
  Many magic users carry staffs — not because they cast 
  through them, but because a whack or two from an iron-
  capped oaken pole does wonders for many problems that 
  can’t be solved by the esoteric arts.  
  shield
  Larger shields as used by the Adamant Order in its heyday 
  have gone out of style a few decades back, but no-one will 
  argue with the fact that a thick plank between a fighter and 
  an enemy can mean the difference between life and death. 
  shoCker
  A telescoping dull gray metal rod pulled from the innards 
  of an Old World machine. Its original purpose is a mystery, 
  but it’s hefty and the lacework sigils on one end hum with 
  thaumaturgical energies. 
  speAr
  A length of wood with a sharpened metal head, held in 
  higher esteem by holdouts than the sword. Most Byssarian 
  spears are ranseurs or partizans, outfitted with crossguards 
  to deflect sword strikes and stop wild beasts from goring 
  themselves on the weapon in order to get to the wielder. 
  Melee WeapoNS
  NaMe
  Skill
  daM crit raNge eNcuM hp price rarity
  Special
  Axe
  Melee (Light)
  +3
  3
  Engaged
  2
  1
  250
  1
  Vicious 1
  Bill
  Melee (Heavy)
  +3
  3
  Engaged
  4
  2
  325
  4
  Cumbersome 3, Pierce 
  2, Ensnare 1 
  Brass Knuckles
  Brawl
  +1
  4
  Engaged
  1
  0
  40 
  1
  Concealed 2, Disorient 3
  Dagger
  Melee (Light)
  +2
  3
  Engaged
  1
  1
  60
  1
  Accurate 1
  Greatsword
  Melee (Heavy)
  +4
  2
  Engaged
  4
  2
  300
  4
  Cumbersome 3, 
  Mace
  Melee (Light)
  +3
  4
  Engaged
  2
  1
  100
  1
  Defensive 1
  Maul
  Melee (Heavy)
  +5
  4
  Engaged
  4
  2
  500
  4
  Cumbersome 4, Inaccurate, 
  Knockdown, Pierce 2
  Pike
  Melee (Heavy)
  +4
  4
  Short
  4
  2
  125
  2
  Prepare 1, Cumbersome 3
  Polearm
  Melee (Heavy)
  +3
  3
  Engaged
  5
  3
  300
  4
  Defensive 1, Pierce 2
  Quarterstaff
  Melee (Heavy)
  +2
  3
  Engaged
  2
  1
  60
  1
  Defensive 1, Disorient 2
  Shield
  Melee (Light)
  +0
  6
  Engaged
  2
  1
  80
  3
  Defensive 1, Deflection 1, 
  Inaccurate 1, Knockdown
  Shocker
  Melee (Light)
  6
  4
  Engaged
  1
  1
  400
  8
  Concealed 1, Stun Dam-
  age, Disorient 3
  Spear
  Melee (Light)
  +3
  4
  Engaged
  2
  1
  125
  3
  Accurate 1, Defensive 1
  Stiletto
  Melee (Light)
  +2
  3
  Engaged
  1
  1
  80
  3
  Concealed 1, Pierce 2
  Sword
  Melee (Light)
  +3
  2
  Engaged
  1
  1
  250
  4
  Defensive 1
  Sword, Cane
  Melee (Light)
  +2
  2
  Engaged
  4
  0
  350
  6
  Defensive 1, Concealed 1
  Sword, Phantom
  Melee (Light)
  +3
  2
  Engaged
  3
  2
  800
  10
  Defensive 1, Pierce 3, Sun-
  der, Unwieldy 3, Vicious 2
  
  58
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  stiletto
  Stilettos are smaller and slimmer than most daggers, and 
  lack a cutting edge. The narrow cross-section and sharp 
  point of a stiletto reduces friction upon entry, and the slim-
  ness of the blade makes it quite easy to conceal, making sti-
  lettos a favorite among assassins. 
  sWord
  A sharp, pointed murder implement that never goes out of 
  style. At the moment slim, basket-hilted thrusting swords 
  and cavalry sabres are in vogue among Sulfurites and Faith-
  ful both, but it wouldn’t be difficult to find an old-fashioned 
  scimitar or longsword further out in the Wastes.
  sWord CAne
  Bring a rapier? To a soiree?! I would never!
  phAntom sWord
  An Old World oddity that looks like a bladeless, engraved 
  silver hilt. The blade is invisible unless bloodied or other-
  wise sullied, and it is cold and smooth to the touch, like a 
  pane of glass. Phantom swords are viciously, impossibly 
  sharp, slicing through metal armor as if it were paper, and 
  thus require a great degree of skill to wield properly.
  rAnged WeApons
  Sunfall has a variety of ranged weapons, from bows and 
  throwing knives to crossbows, arbalests, and runelocks. 
  Runelock weapons are the Byssarian equivalent of fire-
  arms: much like a flintlock pistol has a flint-striking ignition 
  mechanism, a runelock weapon has a number of miniature 
  thaumaturgical arrays that charge, propel, or outright create 
  a projectile. Much runelock weaponry in the Byssarian is 
  manufactured by the Munitions House of Minor and Vio-
  lante, a Livadian establishment on a mission to redefine the 
  words superior firepower, though a number of rival arti-
  sans and manufacturers are beginning to challenge M&V’s 
  monopoly.
  beAmCAster
  A makeshift runelock weapon comprised of a crossbow 
  stock, a slot for a thaumaturgical capacitor, an optical array, 
  a simple trigger mechanism, and a tangle of brass and cop-
  per wires. Instead of discharging physical or arcane projec-
  tiles, beamcasters fire thin rays of concentrated light — not 
  strong enough to outright pierce armor, but so precise that 
  one does not need to be a marksman to hit a joint or seam 
  in the steel. 
  raNged WeapoNS
  NaMe
  Skill
  daM crit raNge eNcuM hp price rarity
  Special
  Beamcaster
  Ranged (Mech.)
  5
  2
  Medium
  1
  2
  750
  7
  Accurate 1, Pierce 2
  Crossbow
  Ranged (Mech.)
  7
  2
  Medium
  3
  2
  600
  4
  Pierce 2, Prepare 1
  Crossbow, Hand
  Ranged (Mech.)
  5
  2
  Short
  1
  2
  700
  5
  Pierce 1, Prepare 1, Subtle
  Crossbow, 
  Hand, Repeating
  Ranged (Mech.)
  5
  3
  Short
  1
  1
  750
  7
  Linked 3, Prepare 2, Unreliable
  Crossbow, Heavy
  Ranged (Mech.)
  8
  2
  Long
  4
  2
  1,000
  5
  Cumbersome 3, Pierce 
  2, Prepare 2
  Crossbow, 
  Pulse Burst
  Ranged (Mech.)
  5
  4
  Medium
  3
  1
  750
  8
  Prepare 2, Blast 3, 
  Vicious 2, Unreliable
  Dagger, 
  Throwing
  Ranged (Arch.)
  +2
  4
  Short
  1
  0
  40
  2
  Concealed 1, Limited 
  Ammo 1, Pierce 1, Subtle
  Hatchet, 
  Throwing
  Ranged (Arch.)
  +2
  3
  Short
  1
  0
  40
  2
  Inaccurate 1, Limited Ammo 
  1, Vicious 1, Subtle
  M&V Mk. I 
  “Reprimand”
  Ranged (Mech.)
  7
  3
  Medium
  3
  2
  800
  6
  Ensnare 1, Prepare 
  1, Stun Setting
  M&V Mk. IV 
  “Censure”
  Ranged (Mech.)
  9
  3
  Long
  4
  2
  1250
  7
  Accurate 1, Ensnare 2, 
  Prepare 2, Stun Setting
  M&V Mk. VII 
  “Little Bastard”
  Ranged (Mech.)
  8
  4
  Extreme
  4
  1
  1600
  8
  Accurate 1, Burn 3, 
  Limited Ammo 2
  Longbow
  Ranged (Arch.)
  8
  3
  Long
  2
  2
  450
  2
  Unwieldy 3, Pierce 2, Subtle
  Runebow
  Ranged (Arch.)
  8
  3
  Long
  2
  2
  1300
  8
  Guided 2, Pierce 2, Unwieldy 3
  Runebow, Heavy
  Ranged (Arch.)
  10
  3
  Extreme
  3
  2
  2050
  10
  Guided 3, Pierce 3, Unwieldy 4
  Shortbow
  Ranged (Arch.)
  7
  4
  Medium
  2
  1
  300
  2
  Unwieldy 2, Subtle
  Sling
  Ranged (Arch.)
  4
  4
  Medium
  0
  0
  25
  1
  Disorient 1, Prepare 1, Subtle
  Spear Thrower
  Ranged (Arch.)
  5
  4
  Medium
  2
  1
  65
  1
  Defensive 1, Subtle
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  59
  CrossboW    
  More sophisticated and less unwieldy than bows, crossbows 
  even the odds when it comes to the skill required for blood-
  shed. An untrained farmer with a good crossbow is a fair 
  match for a Wasteland archer who’s held a bow since they 
  could walk — provided the farmer has time to reload. 
  hAnd CrossboW
  A crossbow in miniature, preferred by assassins and back-alley 
  toughs for its subtlety and compact size. Despite this, a hand 
  crossbow isn’t the easiest thing to hide on one’s person — too 
  complex and fragile to be shoved in a boot or inner pocket. 
  repeAting hAnd CrossboW
  Slightly larger than an ordinary hand crossbow, a repeating 
  hand crossbow has a boxlike magazine that holds three bolts, 
  instead of one. It is a weapon of skirmishers and city-dwell-
  ers — the reloading process requires a significant degree of 
  precision, and the sheer complexity of the design makes the 
  weapon prone to jamming. 
  heAvy CrossboW
  A crossbow built on a larger scale. Definitive proof that no 
  matter what they say, size does matter.
  pulse burst CrossboW
  A runelock crossbow that launches exploding bolts of thau-
  maturgical energy — blue light arcs through the air and a 
  powerful shockwave soon follows. 
  throWing dAgger
  A small, slim dagger, weighted for throwing. Can be used as 
  a melee  weapon using the following profile: (Melee; +1 
  Damage; Crit 4; Range [Engaged], Pierce 1)
  throWing hAtChet
  A small hatchet, weighted for throwing. Can be wielded as a 
  melee weapon using the following profile: (Melee; +2 Dam-
  age; Crit 4; Range [Engaged], Vicious 1)
  minor & violAnte mk. i “reprimAnd”
  “How Dare You!” M&V’s first venture into the realm of bolt-
  less runelock crossbows, the Reprimand is an old but well-
  loved model, engraved with propulsion arrays and fitted 
  with a replaceable crystal capacitor. Similar to the newer and 
  much more intimidating Censure, the Reprimand spits cold 
  lightning and can be adjusted to stun an opponent, turning 
  a lethal confrontation into a teachable moment. 
  minor & violAnte mk. iv “Censure”
  “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” One of Minor & Violan-
  te's less ostentatious models, which isn't saying very much. 
  Censure is a runelock arbalest that fires bolts of arcane 
  energy instead of physical projectiles. It has a small knob 
  near the catch that lets the wielder lower the charge intensity 
  from lethal to shocking. 
  minor & violAnte mk. vii “little 
  bAstArd”
  “Say Hello To My Little Friend!” A nightmarish contraption 
  of polished redwood and brass with a caged imp on one end 
  and a long, fluted barrel emerging from the other. Aside 
  from a tendency to overheat and shriek obscenities when 
  displeased, the Little Bastard is not unlike an arquebus in 
  function, if arquebuses fired leaden slugs that ignited the 
  target on impact. 
  This weapon is alive and will malfunction in the hands of 
  a wielder it does not respect or fear. If that is the case, add 
  jj to all checks made while using this weapon. The Players 
  and GM should discuss how exactly one may frighten the 
  Little Bastard, or earn its respect. 
  longboW
  Most often made of larch or yew, longbows are longer than 
  a man is tall when unstrung and require great skill to fire 
  properly. Like the spear-thrower, the longbow is a holdout 
  weapon; many are taught to use one from a very young age, 
  which is why a good number of Wasteland archers have a 
  distinct lopsided stance.
  runeboW
  A treasure! An Old Moristagian artefact, this shortbow is 
  made of bronze and silver, its grip inlaid with still-glowing 
  arcane sigils — and though it has no bowstring, it main-
  tains the shape of a bow newly strung. If one feels the air 
  where the string ought to be, they will notice a small degree 
  of resistance, and if they hold the grip firm and draw the 
  runebow as one would a regular bow, the movement would 
  create an arrow of shimmering white light — an arrow that 
  will chase its target if it misses. 
  h and a cannot be spent to make a runebow run out 
  of ammo. 
  heAvy runeboW
  Large, more intricate, and harder to draw than an ordinary 
  runebow — moving a hand through the “string” is distinctly 
  uncomfortable, like moving against an icy current in a river. 
  h and a cannot be spent to make a heavy runebow run 
  out of ammo.
  shortboW
  Having a much lower draw weight than longbows, short-
  bows are simultaneously less devastating at long range and 
  much easier to wield. Most bows of this variety are com-
  pound recurves made of wood and sinew, but smaller self-
  bows or flatbows aren’t uncommon. 
  sling
  A leather cord or piece of sturdy cloth, used to throw stones and 
  hunt small game. Not the kind of weapon anyone would bring to 
  an actual fight, but desperate times call for desperate measures. 
  h and a cannot be spent to make a sling run out of ammo. 
  
  60
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  speAr-throWer
  Little more than a carved, weighted piece of wood with a 
  cup on one end, a spear-thrower lets a skilled user throw 
  a little javelin almost twice as far as they would without. A 
  weapon for the quick and resourceful — it’s easier to knap a 
  spearhead and find a good stick than it is to fletch an arrow, 
  and in a pinch, you can use a spear-thrower as a club. 
  A spear-thrower can be wielded as a Melee (Light) weapon 
  using the following profile: (Engaged range, +1 Damage, 
  Crit. 4, Disorient 1, Defensive 1)
  Armor
  brigAndine
  A thick, padded tunic with small, oblong scales riveted 
  between the inner and outer layers of cloth. A brigandine 
  makes the wearer look bulky and awkward, but it’s a small 
  price to pay for stopping an arrow or turning away an angry 
  blade. In addition, a well-made brigandine is rather warm, 
  and its layers of quilted cloth cushion and muffle the clink-
  ing of plates and rivets against each other, making it the 
  obvious choice for fighters seeking a balance between pro-
  tection, comfort, and ease of movement. 
  gAmbeson    
  Thick enough to turn away a small blade or withstand the 
  bitter frost of the Wastes for a short time, the gambeson 
  or arming doublet is a long, padded and quilted jacket. In 
  the Blessed and early Sunless Ages, a gambeson counted as 
  armor on its own, but the advent of runelock and pyroman-
  tic arms rendered it all but obsolete as a form of protection. 
  Ever-reluctant to give up on an additional layer, the mod-
  ern soldier wears her gambeson under heavier armor, but 
  almost never by itself. 
  Though holdouts don’t usually wear arming doublets in 
  the style of Mandate or Sulfurite soldiers, the long overcoats 
  they favor function much the same way, providing insu-
  lation and a small degree of protection while allowing the 
  wearer freedom of movement. 
  esCAn rivet
  Escan rivet is a reasonably flexible half-suit of muni-
  tions-grade plate armor for both foot and cavalry soldiers. It 
  is usually uncomfortable to wear, this due to the fact that it’s 
  manufactured for army use on a “one size fits most” model. 
  Not every suit of Escan rivet is of Escan make; rather, this 
  style of armor was pioneered by the Escan armed forces 
  and quickly became a much-bemoaned fixture of army life 
  across the Byssarian. It consists of an overlapping chest piece 
  and back piece, sliding on rivets and accompanied by tassets 
  and light pauldrons, all of which are worn over a thick arm-
  ing jacket. Despite the discomfort, this kind of armor is easy 
  to customize, as detaching and replacing individual pieces 
  is not very difficult; older suits of Escan rivet tend to look 
  nothing like the original (but somehow manage to be just 
  as ill-fitting).
  Characters wearing Escan rivet add j to any Stealth 
  checks they make while wearing it. 
  heAvy robes
  The ceremonial dress of priests and nobles across much of 
  the known world, usually embroidered, lined with silk or 
  sporting a luxurious fur trim. Such garments vary wildly in 
  shape, cut, and color, and often hold religious significance, 
  though for some it’s little more than a fashion statement.     
  lAmellAr Armor    
  A suit of armor made of small, hard plates of ironwood, 
  ceramic, or metal laced together in a horizontal pattern to 
  form a chest piece, tassets, greaves, and gauntlets. Though 
  it became briefly obsolete during the late Blessed Age, when 
  knights favored steel plate, lamellar armor made a trium-
  phant return during the Sunless Age — it is much lighter 
  and easier to layer with wool and fur for cold weather. Like 
  brigandines, good-quality lamellar armor is most often 
  found among holdouts who pass ornate suits of it on to their 
  descendants, and light cavalry soldiers, who value the insu-
  lation and flexibility. 
  Because the plates click against each other when one 
  moves, a character wearing lamellar armor must add j to 
  any Stealth checks they make while wearing it. 
  mirror Armor
  The most expensive and comprehensive of protection avail-
  able. A suit of mirror armor consists of a long riveted mail 
  hauberk over a reinforced arming coat, gauntlets, greaves; 
  larger plates worn over the chest, back, shoulders and hips, 
  and smaller pieces of metal shielding joints and bridging 
  gaps between the larger pieces. The chest and back plates are 
  either rectangular or circular — Sulfurite artisans favor the 
  former, while Mandate smiths prefer rondels — and often 
  arMor
  NaMe
  Soak
  defeNSe
  eNcuM
  hp
  price
  rarity
  Brigandine
  +1
  1
  2
  1
  400
  5
  Gambeson
  +1
  0
  2
  0
  50
  2
  Escan Rivet
  +1
  1
  3
  2
  550
  4
  Lamellar Armor
  +2
  0
  4
  1
  550
  4
  Mirror Armor
  +2
  1
  4
  2
  1000
  6
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  61
  quite ornate, engraved or inlaid with gold and polished to a 
  reflective shine. A warrior in full mirror armor looks splen-
  did and dramatic, and has more in common with an Old 
  Imperial cataphract than a Blessed Age knight in full plate. 
  The only downsides of mirror armor are its weight and the 
  inevitable noise of plate against chain. A character wearing 
  mirror armor must add jj to all Stealth checks they make 
  while wearing it. 
  CrAftsmAnship
  Sunfall uses the Ancient, Iron and Steel Craftsmanship rules 
  listed on p. 97-98 of Realms of Terrinoth, in addition to two 
  new types of craftsmanship: devilbone and ironwood. 
  devilbone
  Ivory-colored, alchemically-treated ceramics fired in the lit-
  eral pits of Hell and sold at ludicrous prices in the World 
  Above. Devilbone is harder and holds an edge better than 
  steel, but devilbone arms and armor are brittle and difficult 
  to repair and maintain outside their place of manufacture, 
  as Hellish artisans are loath to let go of trade secrets as prof-
  itable as theirs. Suits of devilbone armor are also warded 
  against devilish magics and fire, making them a staple in the 
  Mandate’s war against the Adversary. 
  Armor: Increase the armor’s defense by 1. Upgrade all Pyro-
  mancy checks targeting the character wearing devilbone 
  armor once. Upgrade the difficulty of all checks made to 
  repair devilbone armor once. 
  Weapon: The weapon gains the Accurate 1 item quality, or 
  its Accurate item quality increases by 1. Upgrade the diffi-
  culty of all checks made to repair ceramic weapons once. 
  Price: Cost x2.
  Rarity: +3
  ironWood
  Ironwood comes from several species of knotted, thick-
  trunked trees that grow high up in the northern mountains. 
  Living ironwood is no more resilient than fir or cedar, but 
  hardens after the tree is cut down, and hardens even more 
  after an artisan carves it and cures it in alchemical reagents. 
  Skilfully carved and treated ironwood makes for light and 
  flexible armor, but poor weapons — no matter how hard 
  one may try, it is near-impossible to hone a wooden blade 
  to the same edge as steel or devilbone, and ironwood maces 
  and cudgels are too light to be as effective as their metal 
  or ceramic counterparts. Ironwood is also one of the least 
  thaumaturgically conductive materials, warding the wearer 
  from hostile and friendly spells alike. 
  Armor: Reduce the armor’s Encumbrance value by 2, to a 
  minimum of 1. Upgrade all Thaumaturgy checks targeting 
  the character once. In addition, your character removes j 
  from Stealth checks they make while wearing a set of iron-
  wood armor. 
  Weapon: Reduce the weapon’s Encumbrance by 1, to a min-
  imum of 1. Increase the weapon’s Critical rating by 3, to a 
  maximum of 6. 
  Price: Cost x2.
  Rarity: +2
  item AttAChments
  bAyonet
  A short blade fastened to the business end of a crossbow or 
  runelock weapon. 
  Use With: Crossbows and other weapons that use the 
  Ranged (Mechanical) skill, with the exception of the hand 
  crossbow, as it is very small. 
  Modifiers: A character wielding a bayoneted weapon may 
  use it as a Melee (Light) weapon with the following profile: 
  (Engaged range, +2 Damage, Crit. 4, Vicious 1). The bayonet 
  can break off if the character generates hhh or d on any 
  Melee combat check they make using the bayoneted weapon. 
  Hard Points Required: 1.
  WEAPON ATTACHMENTS
  attachMeNt
  hp 
  required
  price
  rarity
  Source
  Balanced Hilt
  1
  1000
  6
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 207
  Bayonet
  1
  100
  3
  Sunfall
  Duelist Crossguard
  1
  800
  5
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 207
  Recurve Limbs
  1
  300
  4
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 208
  Serrated Edge
  1
  75
  2
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 208
  Superior Weapon Customization
  1
  750
  7
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 208
  Weapon Sling
  1
  25
  1
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 209
  Weighted Head
  1
  250
  2
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 209
  
  62
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  geAr
  The right tools for the task at hand. 
  CAmping geAr
  Traveling the Wastes is a sign of great courage; doing so 
  unprepared is a sign of even greater stupidity. A standard 
  set of camping gear includes an alchemically insulated tent 
  that can house one or two people, a bedroll, a mess kit, and 
  a light, collapsible tripod or brazier to hold a hellfire globule.
  CArtogrApher’s kit
  Quills, ink, paper, a magnetic compass, as well as an astro-
  labe or sextant — in other words, everything needed for 
  map-making. With this, a character may create a map of the 
  region they are exploring, or merely assist in navigation.
  Any character in possession of a cartographer’s kit may 
  add aa to any Survival checks they make to navigate. 
  fire globule 
  Anything can be tamed with enough skill and patience, even 
  hellfire. Fire globules are made of thick, engraved crystal 
  similar but inferior to the material used for the Second Sun. 
  If one presses a small sigil in the globule’s side, a thin seam 
  appears on otherwise seamless crystal and the globule splits 
  neatly in two, and if one brings the two halves close together, 
  the seam vanishes. Any flame placed inside burns almost 
  indefinitely without fuel as long as the globule remains 
  sealed, however, sealed globules do not emit heat  and are 
  cold to the touch. 
  An open fire globule provides the same amount of heat 
  and light as a campfire and consumes fuel as normal. 
  fireWorks
  A small bundle of rockets, firecrackers and Akkari sparkling 
  candles, imported along the Royal Road or one of the other 
  eastern trade routes. Many  people, particularly holdouts 
  and the urban poor, have never seen any kind of pyrotech-
  nics and easily mistake such things for shows of magical 
  prowess. And how could you not — the sounds! The colors! 
  Blessed Name, the colors!
  gAming set
  Dice, cards, or a game board with pieces. Excellent for pass-
  ing time in good company.  
  gAming set (Crooked)
  Loaded dice, marked cards, and other tools of a certain clan-
  destine trade. 
  When your character uses a crooked gaming set, they may 
  add s and h to any skill checks they make to gamble. 
  AlChemiCAl lAntern
  A round-bottomed glass flask with a stopper and a leather 
  strap for tying to belts, harnesses, and the like.  Inside is an 
  alchemical solution that does not freeze, and emits a bright 
  golden light if one gives it a vigorous shake. The solution 
  retains its luminosity for a few hours when removed from 
  the flask and can be applied to a variety of surfaces and 
  objects to make them emit a faint golden glow. Technically, 
  the contents of such a lantern can also be drunk, but that 
  is as inadvisable as it is wasteful: while harmless, the liquid 
  makes the drinker look like a jaundiced buffoon for months 
  afterwards. 
   A stoppered alchemical lantern removes j added to 
  checks due to darkness and sheds bright light in Short range. 
  An open alchemical lantern or the contents of one spilled 
  or painted onto an object or surface do not emit a strong 
  enough glow to see by, but can be used for the purposes of 
  deception and distraction. 
  spyglAss
  Useful for looking at things that are very far away or affect-
  ing the airs of a sea captain.
  The user may add aa to all Perception checks they 
  make while using a spyglass to look at a distant object or 
  creature; for obvious reasons, using a spyglass to look at 
  something nearby grants no mechanical benefit and makes 
  the user look like a fool. 
  symbol of Authority
  A badge, amulet, document, or piece of clothing indicative of 
  a position of legal or ecclesiastical authority, whether earned 
  or obtained through less legitimate means. Depending on 
  arMor attachMeNtS
  attachMeNt
  hp 
  required
  price
  rarity
  Source
  Deflective Plating
  1
  450
  4
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 209
  Intimidating Visage
  1
  125
  3
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 209
  Gilded
  0
  1,500
  5
  Realms of Terrinoth p. 108
  Reinforced Plating
  2
  8000
  7
  Genesys Core Rule Book p. 209
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  63
  the situation and the GM’s approval, a symbol of authority 
  may allow a character access to information and locations 
  previously closed to them. 
  In the correct context and with the GM’s approval, a char-
  acter in possession of a symbol of authority may present it to 
  add s to a Social skill check. 
  symbol of Authority (forged)
  A reasonably convincing forgery of a badge, amulet, docu-
  ment, or piece of clothing indicative of a position of legal or 
  ecclesiastical authority. A forged symbol of authority may 
  allow a character access to information and locations previ-
  ously closed to them.
  In the correct context and with the GM’s approval, a char-
  acter in possession of a symbol of authority may present it to 
  add s and hh to a Charm, Leadership, or Negotiation check.
  Winter Clothing
  Technically, all clothing in this world is winter clothing, but 
  there are garments that can withstand the worst of the high 
  winds, and there are those that cannot. This, whatever form 
  it may take — a giant bear- or tigerskin coat, alchemically 
  insulated wool and leather, or something more exotic — 
  squarely belongs in the former category. 
  potions, intoxiCAnts 
  And other substAnCes
  ACid flAsk
  A glass flask containing a volatile admixture of weak azothic 
  tincture and vitriol. Useful for etching, engraving, or cor-
  roding locks and similar small mechanisms; if one is feel-
  ing particularly mean-spirited, they may also throw it and 
  drown the immediate vicinity in a cloud of corrosive vapors. 
  Adriole
  In its natural state, adriole is a deciduous shrub with black 
  needles and  tiny red berries. Certain enterprising herbalists 
  collect adriole berries, boil and mash them,  then cure the 
  resulting mass into a blackish jelly which they sell in little jars. 
  Their customers, in turn, scoop fingerfuls of the stuff, rub it 
  on their gums, and very rarely smile. This is because adriole 
  slowly, but permanently, blackens the gums and gives one’s 
  teeth a pinkish tinge. More immediately, adriole makes the 
  user focus with almost inhuman intensity on whatever task 
  lies before them, to the exclusion of all else, until they collapse. 
  Adriole jelly is a favorite among sharpshooters (it “steadies 
  the hands”) and thaumaturges (it “steadies the soul”). 
  GEAR PRICES
  NaMe
  eNcuM
  price
  rarity
  Source
  Alchemist’s Kit
  3
  300
  6
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 100)
  Apothecary’s Kit
  2
  150
  4
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 100)
  Backpack
  +4
  50
  3
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 100)
  Bedroll
  1
  15
  1
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 100)
  Camping Gear
  3
  90
  3
  Sunfall
  Cartographer’s Kit
  1
  50
  3
  Sunfall
  Extra Reload
  2
  25
  2
  Genesys Core Rule Book (p. 169)
  Fine Cloak
  1
  90
  4
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 100)
  Fire Globule
  1
  200
  5
  Sunfall
  Fireworks
  1
  100
  6
  Sunfall
  Gaming Set
  1
  20
  1
  Sunfall
  Gaming Set, Crooked
  1
  50
  4
  Sunfall
  Lantern, Alchemical
  1
  50
  1
  Sunfall
  Pole
  2
  10
  1
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Rope
  1
  5
  1
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Symbol of Authority
  0
  -
  5
  Sunfall
  Symbol of Authority (Forged)
  0
  300
  5
  Sunfall
  Spyglass
  1
  25
  2
  Sunfall
  Thieves’ Tools
  1
  75
  5
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Torches (3)
  1
  1
  0
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Wagon
  -
  200
  2
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Waterskin (Empty)
  1
  5
  1
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  Winter Clothing
  4
  100
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 101)
  
  64
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  A character under the effect of adriole adds jj to all 
  Willpower and Intellect-based skills checks, as well as all 
  ranged combat checks, until the end of the scene or encoun-
  ter. Until the character sleeps for 8 hours, they cannot 
  recover from strain through spending symbols and do not 
  make checks to recover from strain at the end of encounters.
  Azoth
  A tablespoon of creamy cobalt paste in a triple-sealed 
  alchemical electrum container. Azoth is the universal sol-
  vent, a substance so potent that it can eat through and dis-
  solve anything except for alchemical electrum. Artisans 
  working with materials as tough as devilbone sometimes use 
  extremely diluted azothic tinctures for etching, engraving, 
  and removal of damaged components. Thankfully, azoth 
  begins to evaporate on contact with air, and its vapors are 
  nowhere near as corrosive as the parent substance — while a 
  spill of unadulterated azoth is an alchemist’s worst and most 
  expensive nightmare, it is not entirely impossible to contain.
  Azoth will eat through any surface except for alchemical 
  electrum, and is very useful for silently passing through 
  vault doors and similarly forbidding physical barriers. The 
  lengthy process of opening the container and safely spread-
  ing the substance makes it more valuable as a tool than a 
  weapon. In the event that a character uses azoth in combat, 
  this author recommends it to have a drastic, but narrative, 
  effect — burning away limbs and inflicting grievous, dis-
  abling wounds all while completely ignoring any armor the 
  victim may wear. 
  bitter tinCture
  A dark and bitter mixture of distilled herbs and alcohol, 
  prized for its powerful numbing effect but difficult to find 
  outside a surgeon or physician’s practice. Each dose can be 
  used a total of 3 times per session; each heals 2 wounds. 
  After the fourth use, a bitter tincture has no effect. 
  hellsbreAth
  Pungent yellow gas in a little bottle with an indecent pic-
  ture of a knight wrestling a devil on the label. Despite claims 
  to the contrary, this is an alchemically synthesized gas and 
  not the literal fumes of Hell: in antiquity, a gas similar to 
  hellsbreath was used to inspire “courage” in pit fighters and 
  gladiators. In lower concentrations, hellsbreath is referred to 
  as musk and used as an aphrodisiac.
  Inhaling one dose of hellsbreath increases the user’s 
  Brawn characteristic by 1 until the end of the encounter; if 
  POTIONS, INTOXICANTS, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES
  NaMe
  eNcuM
  price
  rarity
  Source
  Acid Flask
  0
  200
  6
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 102)
  Adriole
  0
  50
  5  (R)
  Sunfall
  Azoth 
  0
  1000
  8 (R)
  Sunfall
  Bitter Tincture
  0
  25
  6 (R)
  Sunfall
  Bottled Courage
  1
  25
  5
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 102)
  Hellsbreath
  0
  75
  5 (R)
  Sunfall
  Immunity Elixir
  1
  100
  4
  Sunfall
  Fertilizer, Alchemical
  0
  200
  6
  Sunfall
  Lubricant, Alchemical
  1
  200
  4
  Sunfall
  Moonmilk 
  0
  250
  6  (R)
  Sunfall
  Poison
  0
  200
  5 (R)
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 102)
  Smokebomb Vial
  0
  25
  4
  Realms of Terrinoth (p. 102)
  Waybread
  0
  25
  2
  Sunfall
  re st r iC t e d  
  su B sta n C e s a n d  
  ad d iC t io n
  Several substances in this section are labeled 
  as (R), indicating that they are restricted 
  — either considered to be wholly illegal, or 
  require special documentation to possess. In 
  the case of intoxicants, the rich and powerful 
  don’t care quite so much for matters as trivial 
  as legality, but it is considered to be in good 
  taste to not reveal one’s more outrageous vices 
  in public. A noble scion who spends the bulk 
  of their allowance betting on dogfights and 
  horse races is a wastrel, but one who over-
  indulges in strong drink and stronger sub-
  stances is a disgrace to the family. 
  All consumable substances marked R are addic-
  tive, and if everyone at the table is comfortable 
  with touching upon the subject of addiction in 
  game, the GM may wish to use the Addiction rules 
  listed on p. 100 of Shadow of the Beanstalk. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  65
  the user’s Brawn characteristic is already 5, they gain jj 
  to all subsequent Brawn-based checks until the end of the 
  encounter. At the end of the encounter, the user suffers 
  strain equal to half their Strain Threshold, rounded up. 
  AlChemiCAl fertilizer
  One of the alchemical arts is the reduction of elements and 
  compounds to their purest essences — from a gargantuan 
  redwood to an impet of fragrant oil, from a mass of clay 
  to an unbreakable devilbone scale. This wax-sealed vial, 
  labeled CAUTION!!! AGRICULTURAL USE ONLY!!!, con-
  tains the unadulterated essence of a great herd’s worth of 
  dung; such vials are always sold or packaged with one dose 
  of a minty ointment that somewhat drowns out the stench. 
  Worth twice the asking price to a rich prankster or very des-
  perate farmer. 
  A character holding a vial of fertilizer can uncork and 
  upend it as an action. All other characters with functional 
  noses within Short range of the fertilizer must make a 
  Hard (kkk) Resilience check and suffer 1 strain for every 
  uncancelled f or h. They must repeat this check until 
  they move away from the stench, which remains until the 
  end of the encounter or until a strong wind disperses it. If 
  one wishes, they may also throw or pour the fertilizer onto 
  another character, treating it as an improvised weapon with 
  the Limited Ammo 1 quality. 
  AlChemiCAl lubriCAnt
  A large bottle of viscous and transparent liquid that makes 
  things extremely slippery. Held in high esteem by clock-
  workers, engineers, and practical jokers; unfortunately for 
  more adventurous individuals, alchemical lubricant irritates 
  the skin and mucous membranes and is therefore unsuitable 
  for internal or external use. 
  Alchemical lubricant can be poured on flat, snowless 
  ground or the floor of a building to create difficult terrain, 
  or thrown on an opponent of Silhouette 1 or smaller as an 
  action; for this purpose, treat the bottle of lubricant as a 
  small improvised weapon with the Limited Ammo 1 quality. 
  The players or GM may spend hh or d on the lubricated 
  character’s combat checks to make them fall prone or drop 
  an item they’re holding. This effect lasts for the rest of the 
  encounter, or until the affected character spends an action 
  cleaning themselves off. 
  moonmilk
  Concentrated extract of the moon rose, a creeping plant 
  with robust, thick-petaled blue flowers. Moonmilk is sweet 
  and dangerously intoxicating, and largely consumed as an 
  additive to wine or spirits. Its immediate effect is soporific; 
  a few drops of moonmilk can make the consumer near-im-
  pervious to pain and a full spoonful can send them into a 
  deep and dreamless sleep. For this reason, surgeons pur-
  chase vials of the stuff as often, if not more often, than rec-
  reational consumers. 
  A character under the effect of moonmilk may ignore 
  the effect of a single Critical Injury until the end of a scene 
  or combat encounter; the GM may rule that the mechani-
  cal effects of some critical injuries — such as the loss of a 
  limb— cannot be mitigated with a dose of moonmilk. Once 
  this effect ends, the character suffers the effects of the injury 
  as normal, and must add j to all checks until the end of the 
  session. 
  WAybreAd
  Sold in fist-sized lumps, waybread is a bittersweet mixture 
  of dried and ground cave mushrooms, fermented tea and a 
  handful of herbs for additional flavor. Waybread derives its 
  name from its doughy texture and its ability to stave off hun-
  ger while keeping the consumer alert and awake. Popular 
  among holdouts, watchmen and bandits, who pinch pieces 
  off the main lump, roll them into pellets for chewing, and 
  spit out the juices. 
  A character who consumes a pellet of waybread recovers 
  from all strain and adds aa to all Perception and Vigi-
  lance checks until the end of the scene or encounter. How-
  ever, at the end of the scene or encounter, they suffer strain 
  equal to half their Strain Threshold. Waybread can only be 
  used once per encounter. 
  CurrenCy
  Coinage in the Byssarian is staggeringly diverse. Every city 
  mints its own money, and though the weight of the coins 
  remains the same, their design varies from year to year. 
  The appearance of the Escan grosso, for instance, changed 
  drastically after the election of Prince Verdurio, and though 
  all Mandate cities mint thrones, a Pagamean throne looks 
  nothing like one from Isbanir or Zviadi. 
  Regardless of the city of their origin, most coins are cast 
  from copper alloys and have a square hole in the middle. 
  Strings of 100, 500 or 1000 copper pennies function as larger 
  wh y no t 
  pa in k il l e r s?
  One painkiller, as listed in the Genesys Core Rule 
  Book, heals 5 wounds upon first use and can 
  heal a total of 15 wounds if administered to the 
  same character. In the opinion of this author, this 
  makes healers and characters with the Medicine 
  skill that much less valuable to a group of adven-
  turers, discouraging players from choosing these 
  roles. A less effective “painkiller,” meanwhile, 
  provides a means to take the edge off a serious 
  injury while making characters capable of reli-
  ably generating s and a on Medicine checks a 
  tremendous asset to the party.
  
  66
  Part II: Number, Weight, and Measure
  units of currency, accepted by merchants based on their 
  nominal value rather than weight — checking hundreds 
  of 1000-coin strings for counterfeit or damaged currency 
  is too tedious of a task even for the most pedantic individ-
  ual. Other forms of currency include gold and silver coins 
  (uncommon and used primarily in international trade due 
  to their great value), promissory notes from Sulfurite and 
  Mandate banks, Myrnean blood-debts, and foreign moneys 
  (Sedjai ceramic beads, black iron rings from the North, or 
  square coins from the Pillared Kingdom). 
  For the sake of simplicity and convenience, in-game cur-
  rency is referred to as cash. 
  trAde goods
  Money, for all its worth, can only do so much far from 
  the reach of urban civilization. As one moves further from 
  the great cities, their roads and their protectorates, the value 
  of their money diminishes — such is the way of the world. 
  One cannot eat coin, or drink it, or use it for fuel, or fashion 
  a new coat from it. But trade goods, necessities and luxuries 
  alike, retain, and sometimes increase in value. Knowing how 
  to navigate the barter economies of far-flung outposts is a 
  vital skill for any traveler.
  trade goodS
  iteM
  value
  One pound of oats, barley, or dried mushrooms. 
  1
  One pound of flour, one chicken, or one rabbit. 
  2
  One pound of pig iron, one bottle of low-quality wine or 
  one bottle of rotgut spirits. A satchel of onions, cabbages, 
  or sweet tubers. 
  5
  One pound of compressed tea adulterated with herbs or 
  sawdust. One pound of copper. 
  10
  One goat or lamb. A barrel of fruit or vegetable pickles 
  or preserves. 
  15
  One pound of average-quality compressed tea, one 
  pound of ginger, pepper, or nutmeg. 
  20
  One pound of high-quality compressed tea. One square 
  yard of linen.
  40
  One pound of salt, one pound of silver, or one square 
  yard of thickly woven woolen cloth. 
  50
  One square yard of eastern silk. A thick sheet of stained 
  mageglass, or a thick plank of uncarved ironwood. 
  150
  One pound of saffron, one pound of roasted Sedjai coffee 
  beans. One dim or flickering human soul. 
  200
  One square yard of golden byssus. One human soul of 
  average quality. One riding horse, elk, or camel in good 
  health.
  500
  One pound of gold, or one pound of sur dye. A satchel 
  of viable seeds of an exceedingly rare or allegedly extinct 
  plant, such as coffee or the opium poppy.
  1000
  One pound of platinum or alchemical electrum. The soul 
  of a leader, scholar, or mage of note; or a properly con-
  tained Incandescent soul. 
  5000
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  67
  CROWN, SWORD, AND 
  SCEPTER
   "I have been in several provinces. In some one-half of the people are fools, in others they are 
  too cunning; in some they are weak and simple, in others they affect to be witty; in all, the prin-
  cipal occupation is love, the next is slander, and the third is talking nonsense."
   Voltaire, Candide
  in this pArt of the book, you 
  Will find…
  • Chapter 1: Nuragos and the Republic of Esca provides 
  a detailed description of the westernmost peninsula 
  of the Byssarian basin, and the bellicose Republic that 
  claims dominion over it.
  • Chapter 2: Istria and the Most Serene Republic of 
  Livadi concerns itself with the great frozen plain north 
  of the Greater Byssarian and the domed, opulent city-
  state at its heart. 
  • Chapter 3: Other Powers of the Western Byssarian 
  contains information pertaining to the rest of the Brim-
  stone Republics — Myrnos, Palla, Ter Suoli and Itho-
  baal. 
  • Chapter 4: Tur Moresh and Pagamea is an introduc-
  tion of the eastern shores of the Greater Byssarian and 
  the chiefest power of the Mandate — ruined, glorious, 
  enduring Pagamea. 
  • Chapter 5: Other Powers of the Mandate lists and 
  describes the major powers of the Mandate: Kurtalan, 
  Zviadi, and Isbanir. 
  PART 3
  
  68
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  ChApter 1: nurAgos And the 
  republiC of esCA 
  nurAgos
  Once the farthest-flung of Old Imperial provinces and the 
  last great conquest of the Ten Thousand Immortals, Nura-
  gos is a mountainous, volcanic peninsula that separates the 
  Byssarian from the Great Western Ocean. In antiquity, most 
  believed that the Serra di Oro, the Golden Mountains on the 
  western side of the peninsula, marked the edge of the world. 
  Civilization, in the Old Moristagian sense, never quite took 
  hold in this place, and neither did the Faith. The Conversion 
  of Nuragos was a protracted, bloody affair: the tribes of the 
  mountains and the lowlands fought hard for their fire gods, 
  whose strivings and skirmishes beneath the earth moved 
  mountains and made the soil rich with ash and black glass. 
  Of all recorded Faithful martyrs, most found their martyr-
  dom here. And of the many rebellions of the Blessed Age, 
  the longest and the bloodiest started here. 
  In the past, the fertile river valleys of the Rialene Low-
  lands — so named for the Ter Riali, the three rivers crossing 
  southeastern Nuragos — were the breadbasket of the penin-
  sula. In this age the bulk of agricultural activity has moved 
  to the volcanic foothills of the Serra, which are dotted with 
  tiered fields, orchards, and vineyards. The Lowlands are a 
  hard and barren place. Almost nothing grows in the frozen 
  peat flats, and so Rialene townsfolk and holdouts make their 
  meager living herding goats or gathering and curing medic-
  inal mosses and lichens. The richest part of this otherwise 
  sparse country are situated along the coasts. Northern tribes, 
  seasonally nomadic, follow pods of whales in their brightly 
  painted ships and profit from the sale of whale oil, meat, 
  ivory, blubber and ambergris. Those living on the shores of 
  the gulf sustain themselves through fishing, the harvesting 
  of fine silk from colonies of giant pen shells along the shore, 
  and trade with the westernmost islands of the Kyriades.
  There is a significant amount of cultural overlap between 
  Nuragos and these islands, this due to the fact that many 
  old coastal towns were islander colonies or trade outposts 
  in antiquity. The most audacious of these claims of relation 
  is that Nuragos’ only Brimstone Republic, the great city of 
  Esca, had its start as a penal colony, a refuge for disgraced or 
  politically inconvenient poets and politicians. (Telling this 
  to an Escan’s face will almost certainly send them into a fit of 
  quivering, patriotic rage). And though the Escan Princes are 
  traditionally viewed as patrons and protectors of the entire 
  peninsula, the Wars of Unification have caused a degree of 
  resentment among lesser Nuragic protectorates: a large por-
  tion of Prince Verdurio’s army consists of conscripts from 
  the lowlands and mountains, and Esca sustains its war effort 
  through brutal taxation of its immediate holdings. Though 
  initially enthusiastic about the possibility of riches, many of 
  Nuragos’ inhabitants have become bitter and disillusioned 
  with the Prince’s campaign to unify the Republics into a sin-
  gle kingdom. There has been no word of a rebellion, but the 
  possibility of one is becoming more and more likely with 
  each passing season.
  the republiC of esCA
  Built on the eastern shore of a vast salt lake, Esca was the 
  first city to declare itself a Brimstone Republic in the wake of 
  the Sunfall. It is a vastly old city, famous (or infamous) for its 
  history of rebellion against Imperial rule and the atrocities 
  perpetrated by the old Inquisition in their attempts to erad-
  icate witches and fire-cultists. No matter how thoroughly 
  the Inquisition scoured the city for any sign of heresy, no 
  matter how many shrines it tore down and how many pagan 
  corpses it displayed outside the Old Imperial Courthouse, 
  heathen teachings would creep back in.  Conspirators would 
  gather in firelit lakeside caverns to swear terrible oaths of 
  loyalty and fraternity amidst idols of the old gods. Weeks 
  later, a servant would find the Imperial governor dead in his 
  bed with a thin obsidian knife between his ribs, and Esca 
  would erupt, once more, into fire and blood. 
  The city’s name comes from the name of its crater lake, Eo. 
  Even in this age, Eo does not freeze. Its waters are luminous 
  green, and the Escan poor toil in sweltering salt-houses, turn-
  ing brine into salt for a pittance and a warm place to sleep, so 
  that merchants could eventually convert the salt to silver in 
  distant lands. Local cuisine makes extensive use of the lake’s 
  bounty — Escans are infamous for salting and pickling just 
  about anything, even the sweetest of fruits. In the old days, 
  Escans believed that a particularly powerful god lived at the 
  bottom of their lake — a Lady who whispered the secret wis-
  dom of iron and bronze into the ears of the first smiths and 
  the first assassins. In this age, however, there are roads that 
  worm their way under the caldera, through the Salt Gate that 
  leads to the World Below, and Eo is just a lake, no matter what 
  superstitious salt workers may say.
  Esca itself is crescent-shaped, hugging the Eo on the lower 
  side of the caldera, and its streets are spanned with elegant 
  arches and arcades. There is no dome to shelter the city from 
  the elements, but even so, most of the buildings do not rise 
  higher than four floors. Some of the buildings have niches 
  above the windows and doorways, where the Escans place 
  votive statuettes of devils and ancestor-godlings to bring 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  69
  wealth and ward off evil. Horses and mules are a com-
  mon sight in the city, as are large dogs: the blue-tongued, 
  black-furred lake mastiff is among the most prized of Esca’s 
  exports, known for its loyalty, ferocity, and unnatural intel-
  ligence. Any household that can afford dogs has at least 
  one, and the animals are fat and happy. Their owners dote 
  on them like beloved children. Most shops invest in a guard 
  dog or two, who lie in alcoves near the counter and impas-
  sively watch their masters’ customers. A purebred lake dog, 
  as the Escan merchants happily tell anyone who asks, can 
  tell an honest man from a crook by smell alone half a league 
  away. And the best way to accuse a shopkeeper of dishonesty 
  would be to insult the pedigree of their mastiffs. 
  The very soul of this city rests upon four pillars: a love of 
  dogs, a love of wine, a love of pungent fermented fish sauce, 
  and a powerful desire to seek glory in the arena. The Impe-
  rial elite deemed blood sports barbaric and outlawed them, 
  leading to a proliferation of underground fight clubs and 
  dog-fighting rings during their regency. In the five centuries 
  of Escan independence, these things returned to the fore-
  front of city life, albeit in a form altered and softened with 
  time. There are a number of public arenas, yes, but there are 
  no more ritualized, lethal melees to appease the gods of the 
  mountains. Men and women still bet obscene amounts of 
  money on dog fights — the best kennels in the city claim to 
  breed only from winners — but combats end when one ani-
  mal yields or whimpers. Bear- and bull-baiting has almost 
  entirely gone out of fashion, and the number of fighting 
  swans and cockerels has declined greatly in the past century. 
  The most popular, most riveting form of sport, however, is 
  the duel, and accomplished duellists draw raucous crowds 
  of spectators and admirers. When they retire, these sword-
  masters either try to open a sword school in the city (almost 
  impossible given the steep competition), or find employ-
  ment as esteemed tutors for children of the foreign rich. 
  Aside from salt, dogs, and has-been fencing masters, Esca 
  exports herbs, fruits, and other crops grown in greenhouses 
  on the mountain slopes immediately outside the city. The 
  soil is black and rich with volcanic ash, and the Salt Gate 
  warms it to an unparalleled softness. Agriculture in the 
  Sunless Age is an uphill struggle, but it is the Escan farmer 
  who toils least to reap the richest crop. Though the Wars of 
  Unification began in Esca, the city has not yet experienced 
  any of the devastation. It is well-defended, and the worst 
  of the fighting is overseas, too far for the common folk to 
  take notice. Most “Escan” soldiers are, in fact, Suolan mer-
  cenaries, islanders, and conscripts from the countryside. As 
  a result, the Wars — and the man who started them— still 
  find ardent support among the citizenry. 
  the prinCe
  Everyone agrees that the Prince of Esca, Sabine Verdurio, 
  is brilliant. Handsome, charismatic, a skilled orator and an 
  even more skilled commander, Verdurio is young for the 
  title, having just celebrated his twenty-ninth birthday at the 
  time of his nomination.  A man of common birth, Verdurio 
  is one of the two Escan Princes who had never served on 
  the Merchant or Petty Councils. The referendum to appoint 
  the new Prince after the passing of his predecessor was 
  reportedly strange: despite the presence of more conven-
  tional candidates and the abundance of murderous rivalries 
  among the daemonic members of the Merchants’ Council, 
  all visitant Councillors voted unanimously to appoint a 
  fresh-faced young captain, moderately famous for his role 
  in a few recent border skirmishes, to the highest position of 
  leadership in the city. 
  He has proven himself surprisingly capable, particularly 
  in the matters of war, and he is well-loved by the common 
  people and the army. This is a source of great anxiety to the 
  Merchants’ Council, accustomed to leveraging their wealth 
  to manipulate or outright depose weaker rulers. Now, that 
  wealth is channeled almost entirely towards the cause of 
  uniting every Republic beneath an Escan banner, with King 
  Sabine as first of many great rulers to come. And despite 
  his opponents’ best efforts, the Prince’s dream of a crown 
  is slowly becoming a reality. The mercenary armies of Ter 
  Suoli stand united behind him without thought of disobedi-
  ence, the troublesome island-state of Myrnos has been pac-
  ified, and islander troops have joined Escan forces in their 
  twin campaigns against Palla to the northeast and Ithobaal 
  to the south. 
  In private, the Prince’s hands tremble. He is prone to 
  coughing fits, which are often bloody but have thus far 
  stayed out of the public eye. At most, some members of his 
  inner circle of advisers and sycophants may suspect that he 
  is dying of consumption, but his private physician, a small 
  woman by the name of Vanna Trevisande, knows that this 
  is not the case. Unlike the advisors, she has seen the steam-
  ing green brine and obsidian shards he vomits during the 
  most severe bouts of his illness. She suspects, correctly, that 
  the extent of her knowledge is inversely proportional to her 
  chances of surviving her tenure at court, and has thus cho-
  sen to make a virtue of incuriosity. 
  the lAdy in the lAke
  In truth, the Escan Wars of Unification are much greater 
  than one man’s wish for a kingdom — they are an illegiti-
  mate extension of the daemonic war against the Mandate. 
  Despite centuries of warfare, the Adamant Order remains 
  entrenched in the World Below, a thorn in the Adversary’s 
  side. The consensus of the majority of the Adversary’s war 
  council is that the best approach to this problem is a war 
  of attrition. The greatest weakness of the Order is mortality, 
  and those mortals who do not perish on the battlefield suc-
  cumb, eventually, to sickness and old age. No matter how 
  many detachments of Faithful conscripts join the Order on 
  the battlefield, Adamant influence Below is dwindling, the 
  eventual fall of the Mandate is a near certainty, and no dae-
  mon would complain about the steady influx of souls a per-
  petual war inevitably generates. 
  
  70
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  The problem with this approach is time. A war of attrition 
  is a viable strategy in a static environment against a static 
  opponent, but times change. There have been some worry-
  ing developments in recent years — take into consideration 
  the great cannons the Order receives from Pagamea, or the 
  runelock crossbows Livadian merchants sell to anyone who 
  can afford them. And though the Order does not yet enter-
  tain ambitions of a second infernal conquest, there are those 
  on the Adversary’s war council who believe that it must not 
  be allowed to do so. 
  In order to conquer the Order, one must first seal the Ser-
  pent Gate in Pagamea, cutting off the Adamants’ most vital 
  supply line. In order to conquer Pagamea, one must conquer 
  a good half of the Mandate before attempting a siege, and no 
  single Republic is even remotely capable of accomplishing 
  that feat. United, however, they can topple the giant — and 
  the great daemon Eo, the one who the Escan salt workers 
  know from the stories of the Lady in the Lake, has dedicated 
  herself to uniting the Republics and breaking the Faith no 
  matter the cost.
  By the standards of the Adversary's  generals, Eo is young 
  and impetuous. By the standards of things like language, 
  war, and human civilization, she is almost impossibly old. 
  When one looks at the shrine-carvings in the hidden cav-
  erns riddling the shores of her lake, they see plumes of 
  smoke forming the face of a wild-haired, scowling woman, 
  her eyes bright and narrowed in fury. Her power is such that 
  her gaze scorches, her voice boils the blood, and her touch 
  immolates the soul. The sheer magnitude of it is Eo’s greatest 
  limitation, forcing her to delegate field command to lesser 
  daemons, or operate through a human proxy, if the matter 
  in question is as clandestine as an unsanctioned war. 
  And so, a young and staggeringly ambitious officer went 
  down a winding path carved into the side of the caldera — 
  a path he had seen in his dreams since he was a boy. He 
  had recently won a battle and attained a degree of renown, 
  but he understood the limitations of the formerly poor in a 
  society governed by the excessively wealthy. And like those 
  Blessed Age heretics who rankled under Faithful rule, he cut 
  his hand with a thin obsidian blade and swore a terrible oath 
  of loyalty before an idol of an old god. 
  Eo’s pact with Verdurio is both unconventional and 
  uncomplicated. Instead of giving him magic (which would 
  destroy him), she offered him a path to greatness. She 
  would give counsel and guide ships and armies to victory. 
  She would raise her Prince by the hand and set him among 
  heroes and emperors and conquerors; she would enthrone 
  his descendants in fire and glory. A great many daemons 
  owe allegiance to her, and cannot disobey orders given in 
  her name — she would let her Prince command them until 
  the end of his days. 
  There is one condition: his armies must breach the walls 
  of Pagamea and seal the Serpent Gate by the end of the cen-
  tury, and though Verdurio has made great progress, he has 
  encountered spirited resistance both east and south. And 
  Eo, though she is not unkind by the standards of creatures 
  of her caliber, is making her displeasure clear. The Prince 
  suffers from fevers and nightmares, and an awful sickness 
  eats away at the Prince’s body and soul. If he does not win 
  the great victory he promised his mistress soon, he will die, 
  and his death will pale in comparison to what awaits him 
  afterwards. So his campaigns grow more frantic, his ploys 
  more desperate. He has stopped caring quite so much about 
  casualties and the rules of war. If future historians write of 
  him, they will write of Sabine the Butcher. 
  ChApter 2 : istriA And the most 
  serene republiC of livAdi
  the istriAn steppe
  It is an old place, this vast and trackless plain beyond the 
  Serra Lunae. It is where the first bow was made, where the 
  first saddle was placed on the back of the first horse that did 
  not shy away from human touch, where the first arrow was 
  fired from the first war-chariot at the command of the first 
  king and the first queen. No horse is as fine as an Istrian 
  horse, and no sky is as fathomless and splendid. 
  This has always, and will always be true. For all of the mas-
  sive, apocalyptic upheavals that shook the world, the plain 
  remains largely the same. Civilizations tread lightly across 
  it, leaving few marks that outlast them. The horse is still the 
  primary export and most valued possession of its people, 
  and the vast majority of Istrian holdouts follow in the foot-
  steps of their nomadic predecessors, moving their herds 
  from pasture to pasture and performing daring migrations 
  from one end of the steppe to another. The animals they 
  breed are small, shaggy, hardy things that dig for lichens and 
  moss under the snow — a far cry from the graceful mares 
  and stallions of old. The herders themselves worship or pay 
  tribute to the great spirits of the wind, the sky, and the stars. 
  The color blue is sacred to many, and persons of import — 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  71
  warriors, royalty, fire-callers and wise folk — are often tat-
  tooed with indigo whorls and stars, arrayed in constellations 
  that mirror the heavens with startling accuracy. When they 
  die, their kin and loved ones do not cremate them, but give 
  them to the skies as offerings. They wash their bodies and 
  lay them out on the steppe, to be eaten by great black tyrant 
  owls, messengers of the heavens. 
  Too barren to support many large cities and too huge for 
  any one city to police effectively, Istria serves as a buffer 
  zone between the two great powers of the Byssarian. Smaller 
  Faithful and Sulfurite protectorates crouch on its eastern 
  and western edges, and plains holdouts extract tribute from 
  both with equal enthusiasm, threatening to blockade the 
  roads and rivers should these petty settlements fail to meet 
  their demands. 
  the river of stArs
  The plains people may rule the steppes and the land trade 
  routes that cross it, but they make no such claim over the 
  Striva. A wide river, among the longest in the known world, 
  the Striva flows too quickly to freeze completely. It is capri-
  cious and unpredictable: small gateways to the World Below 
  open and close in the deepest parts of it, drastically altering 
  the temperature and speed of its currents. Parts of the Striva 
  thaw and freeze, seemingly at random. Calm waters trans-
  form, almost overnight, into furious rapids; the river itself 
  boils and thrashes with rage, escaping its bounds before 
  settling back into its old bed. Most merchants are unwill-
  ing to risk it, even if it means faster passage, preferring to 
  use the roads even if they must pay exorbitant tolls to the 
  nomads. The ones who are willing, however, hire riverfolk 
  barges and navigators to guide them through the Striva’s 
  worst peculiarities. 
  The river clans came to Istria from the south, from the 
  sea, hauling their shallow-bottomed ships all the way to 
  the heart of the steppe. Although they are recent arrivals to 
  the plain, closer in language and custom to their seafaring 
  brethren than the Istrian nomads, they know the shores 
  of the Striva and her daughter-rivers as well as any plains 
  tribe knows the steppe. They are familiar with the rivers’ 
  mercurial thaws and freezes, and largely nomadic, travel-
  ing in ornate horse-headed barges. They build more per-
  manent settlements and camps near Old Imperial bridges 
  and river fords, tightly controlling all crossings likely to 
  be used by merchants, travelers and, most recently, groups 
  of wild-eyed adventurers chasing rumors of riches on the 
  northern edges of the steppe. 
  the tombs of the steppe
  As much as some Mandate historians may wish otherwise, 
  countless great civilizations preceded the Old Empire and 
  the people who ruled Istria in that dim and distant past had 
  been one of them. They tamed the horse and set wheels upon 
  an axle; they brought their language and craftsmanship and 
  a new way of making war to every corner of the plain.  Their 
  name for themselves is unknown, but their successors called 
  them the Golden Horse People or the People of the Sun Stal-
  lion, named for the beasts that had given them dominion 
  over the land and for the fiercest, brightest of their gods. 
  But by the time of the Moristagian conquest, by the time the 
  Immortals had crossed into the steppe, the Golden Horse 
  People had long vanished, leaving behind them a handful of 
  half-remembered superstitions— fairy stories and nursery 
  rhymes about the Sun sleeping in a barrow. 
  Until very recently, what little was known of the Golden 
  Horse People came from the writings of Late Imperial 
  scholars, who did not bother to discuss the quaint beliefs 
  of steppe herders or the history and customs of long-ex-
  tinct barbarians in detail. Once great shapers of history, the 
  Golden Horse People became a footnote in its annals. Schol-
  ars brought their very existence to doubt — if there had 
  indeed been vast kingdoms on the steppe, ruled by horse 
  and bow and chariot, then where were their ruins? Where 
  were their descendants, their writings, their ancient works? 
  There was nothing in Istria; nothing but hills and wind and 
  a vast indifferent sky. 
  But now, everyone, merchants and beggars alike, knows 
  about the tombs. They were very well-hidden — a means 
  to prevent the defiling of ancestral bodies — but eight years 
  ago, a hillock collapsed under a caravan traveling along one 
  of the lesser roads north of the Striva. Under the hillock, 
  now strewn with debris and panicked animals, was a lavish 
  earthen chamber with a raised dais at the center, upon which 
  lay the mummified body of a woman and a small moun-
  tain of burial gifts. Clothing and weapons, jugs of soured 
  wine and tattered animal pelts, and, most importantly, gold. 
  Golden bracelets and golden torcs, belt buckles, rings, and 
  combs, even a suit of gilded scale and a ceremonial helm in 
  the shape of a lion’s head. The news of the find traveled east, 
  but did not generate much excitement: it was one tomb, a 
  singular, unlikely find in a steppe big as the sea. But when 
  a particularly tenacious scholar discovered another tomb 
  under a hillock that looked almost exactly the same as the 
  first one, and then a third and a fourth, the trade towns along 
  the Striva and the Royal Road exploded into frantic activity. 
  The plains north of the great river were an ancient burial 
  ground, dozens upon dozens of generations of tombs, secret 
  and scattered and full of ancient treasure. Istria became the 
  land of riches. The land of opportunity. 
  the long sleep of the deAd
  Of course, not everyone who comes to Istria dreams only 
  of money — the tombs are of immense interest to scholars 
  and historians. But even scholars like to be paid, and unim-
  portant, fleeting things like correct archaeological proce-
  dure fall away at the sight of precious metals and ancient 
  coin. When they aren’t breaking skeletal fingers to snatch 
  the jeweled rings adorning them or prying golden teeth out 
  of mummies’ jaws, the scholars sometimes notice the tattoos 
  
  72
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  on their victims’ leathery bodies: indigo in color, geometric 
  and precise. Individuals versed in a certain esoteric subset of 
  arcane theory may note that these sigils resemble thauma-
  turgical arrays, similar to those used in some obscure and 
  largely unsuccessful variations on the Rite of Resurrection. 
  And, much to the horror of greedy bonepickers, this resem-
  blance isn’t just visual: some of these corpses, disturbed by 
  light and the touch of human hands, shudder back to life. 
  Almost inevitably, these revenants meet their final death 
  before they can climb out of their caskets, as their panicked 
  desecrators hack and bludgeon them to pieces with their 
  picks and shovels. This murderous panic has saved the lives 
  of more than a few prospectors; many of the revenants would 
  not take kindly to crude strangers desecrating their graves, 
  and most of the Golden Horse warriors lay buried with their 
  bows, axes and spears. But more often, the newly-awakened 
  revenants are as terrified and confused as the grave-robbers. 
  They raise their withered, clawing hands in self-defense, and 
  their desiccated throats so distort their pleas for mercy that 
  many Istrian graverobbers firmly believe that a revenant’s 
  shriek can kill whoever hears it outright, or, at the very least, 
  curse them with grievous misfortune. 
  The tongue of the Golden Horse People is as dead as they 
  are. It has not been heard in this world for many thousands 
  of years, and it has no living descendants. And whether 
  these ancient revenants remember their world, its bright 
  skies and sunkissed meadows and silver grass swaying in 
  the wind, remains a mystery...but if they do, the sight of the 
  dark, frigid plain beyond their tombs is unlikely to inspire 
  anything but abject sorrow and despair. 
  The revenants, however, are not the only occupants of 
  these burial mounds. The Golden Horse People cared a great 
  deal about the animals that gave them their name. They wor-
  shipped horse-gods and interred steeds with the same honor 
  as their riders, embalmed, adorned, and ready to serve their 
  masters in the afterlife. The coats of these mummified horses 
  are sleek and pale gold, and their fleshless skulls crawl with 
  the same magical sigils that grant their masters a chance at 
  undeath. But unlike their gentle human counterparts, the 
  horses that awaken to unlife are ferocious, trampling and 
  devouring any living thing that comes close before burst-
  ing out onto the plain. Now, there are stories of emaciated 
  golden beasts, beasts that have forgotten fear and fatigue, 
  slaughtering entire herds to sate a monstrous hunger, and of 
  brave, foolish people who set out to capture and break them. 
  All of this is causing some degree of upset among the 
  plains and river tribes. They do not care about the burial 
  mounds of the Golden Horse People — though there may 
  be some relation between the nomads of today and the dead 
  buried under the hills, the gulf of time is far too wide for 
  those blood ties to have any meaning. They do, however, 
  care about the disruption of merchant shipping and the 
  influx of Sulfurite and Faithful trespassers, as well as the 
  upturned pastures and ravenous ghoul horses rampaging 
  across the steppe. Sometimes, tensions between the nomads 
  and the prospectors boil over into violence: the nomads 
  slaughter entire expeditions, and settled protectorates orga-
  nize raids in retaliation. On occasion, some enterprising 
  nomads may hire themselves out to provide “local exper-
  tise” to would-be archaeologists, which usually means that 
  their naive employers unknowingly consign themselves to 
  abandonment and almost certain death. 
  Although there still is an influx of looters and prospectors, 
  the mass desecration of Istrian tombs is drawing to a close. 
  The steppe may be an ancient burial ground, but tombs of 
  kings and rich men are few and far in between. Any given 
  gravesite of the Golden Horse People is far more likely to 
  contain objects of sentimental value and a furious undead 
  horse than the kind of fortune wild-eyed hopefuls imagine 
  as they sell all their earthly possessions to buy passage north. 
  Most ventures end in bitter disappointment, and groups of 
  sour-faced men and women sitting next to ransacked burial 
  mounds and making tea over burning mummies are a com-
  mon sight on the plain. A good number of these unhappy 
  prospectors have already begun their glum march westward, 
  to the closest Brimstone Republic. 
  the most serene 
  republiC of livAdi
  The jewel of the cold plains, Livadi is among the largest of 
  the Republics. Due to its strategic location along the Royal 
  Road, an Old Imperial highway running the length of the 
  Greater Byssarian and beyond, Livadi is a major trade power, 
  one that is ever-hesitant to go to war — hence its epithet, 
  Most Serene — and an intermediary between the rest of the 
  Republics and the Mandate. It has a population of approx-
  imately 150,000 individuals, discounting those unfortunate 
  enough to be disembodied or live in the freezing slums out-
  side the dome, making it the most populous of the Republics 
  and the second most populous city of the Byssarian.
  Its dome is a sight to see. Among the first constructed 
  during the Dying Sun, it was too massive a feat of arcane 
  engineering to tear down completely during the Blessed 
  Age. Imperial engineers removed roughly a quarter of it 
  after the successful conclusion of the Chthonic March; 
  half of what remained shattered during the Sunfall, raining 
  shards of mageglass onto the city but protecting it from the 
  worst of the conflagration. The city rebuilt it soon after — 
  Livadi was one of the few places around the Byssarian that 
  boasted an institution of higher arcane learning with mas-
  ter magicians skilled enough to do so. The dome may not 
  be what it once was, but its completion coincided with the 
  signing of Livadi’s Charter, saving the city and its surviving 
  inhabitants from the bitter winds to come.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  73
  the northern CrossroAds 
  Having always been a trade city, Livadi is a dizzying blend 
  of language and culture from across the Byssarian: masked 
  islanders jostle with hard-bitten steppe nomads in the mar-
  kets, purple-cloaked Ithobaalim haggle over the wares of 
  silk-robed merchants from the distant south, Dissident ref-
  ugees huddle in the slums, and Escan swordmasters give lec-
  tures to rapt audiences at Mandate-style teahouses. Livadi’s 
  gateway to the World Below, the Devil’s Grin, lies at the bot-
  tom of a deep gulch on the western side of the city. Much 
  of Livadi is built around the Grin, the city’s tiered, narrow 
  streets snaking and twisting until they encroach on its bor-
  ders. Arcane lanterns and braziers of hellfire light the main 
  thoroughfares, and a sultry gloom permeates the alleyways. 
  Animals larger than rats, cats, and small birds are uncom-
  mon under the dome; the Councils do not permit horse-
  driven carriages within city limits for sanitation reasons. To 
  travel across the city, visitors and citizens alike must suffer 
  the indignity of walking, or, if they are wealthy enough, hire 
  a spider-legged clockwork carriage. 
  Livadian opulence is a somewhat recent development: 
  before the current Prince, the city was in a state of life-threat-
  ening decrepitude, a victim of mismanagement and corrup-
  tion on behalf of generations of its former leaders. Away 
  from the clean-swept promenades and bustling markets 
  of the city center, slums cling to the sides of the dome like 
  swallows’ nests, and the scalding warrens of the Underworks 
  teem with the poor, the criminal, and the Faithful. And 
  in some parts of the city, splendor and its squalor exist in 
  uncomfortable proximity — the white marble of the Arcane 
  College stands in stark contrast to the Jumble, a constantly 
  building and rebuilding shanty-town bustling with students, 
  servants, hawkers, criminals, bureaucrats, booksellers, and 
  impoverished academics. Due to an antiquated bylaw con-
  cerning the College, the Jumble is not technically a part of 
  Livadi but an independent state under the Republic’s aus-
  pices, and its Petty Councilor is functionally an absolute 
  ruler, responsible for taxation and law enforcement within 
  their little demesne. Traditionally, the title of Councilor of 
  the Jumble belongs to the Arch-Lector of the Arcane Col-
  lege, but seeing as the last Arch-Lector has retired due to 
  political disagreements with the city’s Prince and the cur-
  rent Arch-Lector seems uninterested in juggling municipal 
  politics with those of academia, the Jumble is in the throes 
  of its first proper electoral cycle in over two generations. 
  the sun prinCe
  The Prince of Livadi is quite old, many times older than the 
  city he now governs. His mind is sharp as ever, but it buckles 
  under the weight of memory. With every passing year, he 
  recalls less and less of the place that gave him his name. Still, 
  of the countless spirits in and around Livadi, Prince Agares 
  alone remembers the Sun. The true Sun. The first Sun, and 
  not pitiful, crystalline facsimile of the Blessed Age. 
  He has not been in power for very long — only for a few 
  years, the start of his illustrious rule coinciding with the des-
  ecration of the steppe. When the first wave of prospectors 
  began overturning the frozen earth in search of old gold, one 
  particular group discovered the tomb of a king. It was a fan-
  tastic find — three golden chariots emblazoned with silver 
  suns, a small mountain of jewelry and coin, the king himself 
  and his servants and horses shriveled and harmless in death. 
  One of the items listed in the inventory of the Sun Chariot 
  King’s tomb was a sealed ivory casket engraved with the same 
  geometric patterns seen on the mummified body of the king. 
  It was heavy for its size. One of the men struck the seal with 
  a shovel, hoping for more gold...but, much to his chagrin, the 
  casket contained nothing but stale air. The looters, thrilled 
  with their haul despite this minor disappointment, packed 
  up their camp and started back towards Livadi. And the man 
  who broke the seal began to dream of a green world of impos-
  sible beauty and brightness and warmth. 
  In retrospect, the two pyromancers traveling with the 
  expedition should have noticed the abrupt shift in one of 
  their companions’ tempers, his newfound skill with a bow, 
  how disturbingly good he had become with the horses. The 
  man, too, should have panicked when he first felt a foreign 
  intelligence caress his thoughts. But gold in such ludicrous 
  quantities is as intoxicating as any wine, and even the barest 
  glimpse of the Sun was enough to entrance a soul to whom 
  its light was but a legend. And so it was not him, not really, 
  who entered the gates of Livadi at the head of the expedition. 
  The spirit Agares, who had once been a vizier to a great 
  dynasty, who was loyal enough to follow his most beloved 
  king into death, was awestruck. He had never seen such com-
  plexity, such a marvel of human ingenuity and artifice, such 
  brazen defiance in the face of the bitter land around it. He had 
  su n  Ch a r io t kin G
  Unlike many other mummies, the body of the Sun 
  Chariot King became part of an antiquarian’s col-
  lection, rather than fuel. Its owner perished unex-
  pectedly and named none of her heirs in her will, 
  leaving a veritable treasure-trove to the state. The 
  city liquidated the vast bulk of the collection, but 
  The Sun Chariot King, re-wrapped and adorned 
  with the few items from his tomb that did not pass 
  to foreign collectors, now rests in a mageglass curio 
  in the Prince’s offices. The body and the trinkets 
  it wears are near-worthless to most buyers, but of 
  great value to Prince. This is not a well-known fact 
  — based on Agares’ general disregard for anything 
  but Livadi, one would be hard-pressed to assume 
  that he would be particularly shaken by the loss of 
  a withered corpse. 
  
  74
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  resolved to take this shining city for himself, and learned and 
  schemed and sold his share of the treasure, leaving behind a 
  trail of soulless, sun-struck bodies until the portents were ripe 
  to seize power in a swift and decisive coup.
  Livadi flourishes under Agares. The dome, once spider-
  webbed with cracks and threatening to collapse, is under 
  repairs. Wealth flows into the city, from the steppe (the defil-
  ing of his people’s tombs, as much as it pains Agares, must 
  continue for the sake of the city) and the other Republics. 
  The Wars of Unification, as devastating as they are to the 
  Western and Southern Byssarian, are an opportunity, and 
  Agares turns a tidy profit by permitting and encouraging the 
  sale of arms to both sides. The state lends much of the rev-
  enue from arms sales back to the Arcane College and inde-
  pendent arms manufacturers, such as Minor & Violante, to 
  develop deadlier weapons still. Gold, to steel, to more gold 
  — such is the alchemy of politics and war. 
  And yet Agares is a deeply unpopular ruler. He is chilly, 
  inscrutable and uncharismatic, an unknown variable on the 
  city’s political scene, abruptly replacing trusted local author-
  ities with flinty-eyed bureaucrats in his ruthless campaign 
  to stamp out corruption and nepotism. He makes no oaths, 
  and owes no debt or allegiance to any other living daemon. 
  He is shockingly indifferent towards the near-constant 
  threat of assassination. To this day, he has not spoken of 
  his origin, thinking it both unsuitably personal and deeply 
  irrelevant to his rule. Most outrageously, he seems immune 
  to bribery and seduction. The long vigil in the royal tomb 
  has impressed upon Agares the transient nature of mortal 
  flesh and its pleasures, and the erasure of the Golden Horse 
  People from recorded history instilled in him an obsession 
  with forging Livadi into a state that will persist without end. 
  The Wars of Unification threaten that vision. Although it 
  is possible that they will end with the mutual destruction 
  of both parties, Agares has taken a number of measures to 
  deter an Escan invasion, or Mandate forces taking advantage 
  of the chaos of the Wars. He drove a wedge between two of 
  the larger Istrian nomad coalitions, backing one side in the 
  inevitable series of skirmishes that followed. This secured 
  a debt of gratitude and a network of alliances that provides 
  the domed city with the greatest cavalry force in the region, 
  securing its safety and prosperity for the days to come. 
  ChApter 3: other poWers of the 
  Western byssAriAn
  pelAsgos & the 
  kyriAdes
  Pelasgos consists of the two northernmost peninsulae jut-
  ting into the Greater Byssarian and the rocky islands of the 
  Kyriades gird the sea, dividing it into the Sea of Silk to the 
  north, and the Narrow Sea to the south. Both the islands and 
  the peninsulae are craggy, and have poor soil compared to 
  lands both east and west, forcing their inhabitants to rely on 
  the waters’ bounty from the very beginning of human his-
  tory. The original inhabitants of both Pelasgos and the Kyri-
  ades were a number of related tribes and peoples who spoke 
  the same language and shared much in the way of culture. 
  Prior to the arrival of the Moristagian armies from the 
  east, the many ancient Pelasgian and Kyriadic city-states 
  dominated the Sea of Silk. They made attempts at merchant 
  empire, establishing a myriad colonies and trading posts on 
  foreign shores - the town of Pagamea among them - and 
  bringing their neighbors into their cultural and trade sphere 
  whether they agreed to it or not. They were great travelers 
  and namers of things and places; their ubiquity suffused 
  most languages in the Byssarian with Pelasgian loanwords 
  and made their angular script the standard system of writing 
  in much of the ancient world. Unlike many of their contem-
  poraries, they had a vigorous literary tradition, producing a 
  multitude of histories and ethnographies of dubious accu-
  racy; it is because of Pelasgian historians the people of the 
  Moresh and the Tagiyan kingdoms to the east became col-
  lectively known as the Morestagoi long before they united 
  and brought forth the Old Empire. 
  In the Sunless Age, Pelasgos and the Kyriades are staunchly 
  Sulfurite lands: Myrnos commands the islands, and Palla -- 
  the peninsulae. The two cities are bitter and ancient rivals, 
  but they put their animosity aside to marshall their forces 
  and halt the Escan advance eastward. This fragile alliance 
  shattered after a particularly brutal series of battles on the 
  southernmost islands: what remains of the Myrnean forces 
  pledged themselves to the Prince of Esca, forcing a signifi-
  cantly weakened Palla to fend off the invasion by itself. 
  pAllA
  Palla is the birthplace of literature, rhetoric, the democratic 
  process, but also political corruption, mercantile imperial-
  ism, and the most vicious forms of tribalism and interne-
  cine conflict. It survived both the Old and the New Empires, 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  75
  changing surprisingly little since antiquity. Now encased in 
  a shining dome,  it is still a pillared and raucous center of 
  philosophy and trade and learning, practically crawling with 
  writers, musicians, playwrights, actors and pyromancer-phi-
  losophers. Many of the latter group live in an almost perpet-
  ual state of nudity, shielding themselves from the cold with 
  infernal magic, taking shelter under fishmongers’ stalls, and 
  claiming that the life of an ascetic refines the soul and opens 
  the mind to a higher truth. The city is as obsessed with art, 
  philosophy and aesthetics as Esca is with dogs and gladia-
  torial combat and Pagamea — with tea and its own faded, 
  hollowed glory. Every street vendor in Palla writes poetry, 
  every courtesan paints, every artisan is a critic, and every 
  beggar is a performer. Many are, in fact, professional actors 
  and members of a mystery cult whose tenets explicitly pro-
  hibit them from holding any other position. As acting is a 
  seasonal and not particularly lucrative occupation in Palla, 
  the task of supporting the city’s cultist-thespians in the off 
  season falls on the city’s public, which, thankfully, happens 
  to be quite charitable when it comes to the dramatic arts. 
  A pair of heavily stylized scales features heavily in Pal-
  lan heraldry and architecture; a symbol not of justice, but 
  of balance and equitable trade. During the First Sun and the 
  Blessed Age, Palla was a commercial hub and the lynchpin 
  of trade between the westernmost Moristagian provinces, 
  the islands to the south, the new western capital of Pagamea, 
  and the rest of the Empire. Imperial authorities converted 
  the ornate and ancient citadel-temple at the city’s apex into 
  a massive customs house after the conquest, which reaped 
  the fruits of trade for the Moristagian heartlands far to the 
  east. And while the honor of being the first Sulfurite state 
  to coalesce in the wake of the Sunfall belongs to Esca, the 
  ancient Pallan mode of government is what the rest of the 
  Sulfurite cities strive to emulate: a republic whose ruling 
  elite is partially elected by the common citizenry. 
  Palla itself cleaves closer to its origins than its sister-cit-
  ies, whose approach to governance favors profit over peo-
  ple. Instead of distinct Merchant and Petty Councils, Pal-
  la’s main governing body is an Assembly twice as large as 
  a Petty Council in any other Republic. Half of its members 
  are elected representatives of their boroughs, the other half, 
  however, are chosen by lot. The Prince of Palla does not 
  govern, but rather resolves disputes and settles ties between 
  various parties of the Assembly. In addition, they serve as an 
  oracle through which daemonic officials from Below may 
  speak, and organize the Manumission, an infamous yearly 
  festival during which the city’s beggars choose a new Prince 
  for the year, noblemen prostrate themselves before their 
  servants, dramatists compete for the Silken Crown and no 
  deed, no matter how vile, is a crime. 
  Leading up to the Wars of Unification, the other Republics 
  deemed Palla deemed politically irrelevant and left it to its 
  peculiarities: its erratic government, lavish masques, bizarre 
  schools of thought, and semi-regular naval skirmishes with 
  Myrnos and Ithobaal to the south. Now, its location at the 
  north of the Greater Byssarian is of great interest to Ver-
  durio, who wishes to use the city’s harbors as a launching 
  point for future naval attacks against Pagamea and an even-
  tual land campaign against Livadi. The Pallans, however, 
  find Escan hubris appalling, balk at the idea of a western 
  barbarian for a king, and staunchly refuse to surrender to 
  Verdurio’s army of boorish mercenaries, peasant levies, and 
  masked traitors. 
  myrnos
  Though Palla may have been the richest of the ancient 
  Pelasgian city-states and the seat of art and wisdom, Myrnos 
  was the most fearsome. Perched upon a high cliff and pre-
  siding over rocky isles that simply could not support its peo-
  ple, the city sustained itself through warfare, coastal raiding, 
  and the abominable institution of slavery. Its gods were war 
  gods and storm gods, ravenous and merciless, demanding 
  offerings of sacrificial blood and threatening to destroy the 
  city if these demands were not met. Its legal code, perhaps 
  the single most unpleasant body of law in human history, 
  structured the life of the city to prioritize military matters 
  to the exclusion of all else. Might trumped virtue and valor 
  trumped justice; every trial within Myrnean walls was a 
  trial by combat, and outside the city, the mere sight of red-
  trimmed Myrnean sails on the horizon would inspire noth-
  ing but hatred and dread.
  Infamous and powerful, Myrnos was the first true test of 
  the Moristagian Emperor’s Immortal army. At the time of 
  their arrival, all the Pelasgic city-states were united under the 
  banner of Lord Iskander, a conqueror and warrior without 
  peer. Iskander was young and brave and handsome; he made 
  a habit of personally leading boarding parties and cavalry 
  charges, he never lost a battle, he rode into the utmost north 
  of barbarian Istria and returned. To Myrnos and to the rest of 
  the Pelasgian civilization, Iskander was a living god, the tri-
  umphant culmination of an ancient martial tradition, bound-
  less potential and heaven-high ambition made flesh. And so 
  when the first of the Moristagian ships arrived in the great 
  harbor of Myrnos and the Imperial envoy demanded the sur-
  render of the isles, Iskander, in his arrogance, sent her severed 
  head back to the Emperor and began preparations for war.
  At the end of a season of bloody battle, the Moristagian 
  Emperor himself came to the gates of Myrnos with the head 
  of Iskander. The city tried to defend itself, but could not, and 
  though the Immortals did not raze it to the ground, it died a 
  slow death. For centuries, Myrnos dwindled until it became 
  an inconsequential cliffside fishing town nestled in the ruins 
  of a once-fearsome state, known for its olives (one of the 
  few crops that could abide the stony earth and unrelenting 
  sun) and a tradition of burying its dead in ornate masks. The 
  olive groves burned and withered during the Sunfall, but 
  the Myrnean mask-making tradition blossomed in the age 
  to come, becoming the defining characteristic of an island-
  state that not only recaptured, but exceeded its former glory. 
  
  76
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  Contemporary Myrnos is the City of Masks. Every 
  embodied denizen of the city wears one. There are times 
  and places where one need not be masked, such as in one’s 
  home or among family or bosom friends, but unmasking 
  oneself among strangers is more shocking and uncomfort-
  able than public nakedness. Forcibly unmasking a stranger 
  is a particularly vile form of assault, and an invitation to a 
  lethal duel. Each Myrnean mask serves a specific purpose: 
  one does not wear their war-face to the theatre or the mar-
  ket, and Councillors never don the masks of office unless 
  they convene in the Council Chambers to discuss matters 
  of state. The wealth and prestige of a Myrnean can be easily 
  determined by the number, craftsmanship and specificity of 
  ornate visages in their possession— the rich are said to be 
  able to live for years without donning the same face twice. 
  Most outsiders are largely unaware of the subtleties of the 
  Myrnean mask and prone to social faux pas, and all diplo-
  mats bound for Myrnos pack the gray-and-white mask of 
  the envoy before departure. 
  Another Myrnean peculiarity is the blood debt — the 
  city’s Charter and contract with the World Below is far more 
  brutal than those of the other Republics, demanding such a 
  yearly quota of souls that the city would have to execute its 
  own citizens en masse in order to keep the Wolf Gate open. 
  There simply aren’t enough natural deaths, debtors, and con-
  demned criminals to meet it — and so Myrnos turns out-
  wards, embracing its past as a city that preyed upon others 
  to sustain itself. Every citizen (and here one must remember 
  that not all Myrneans are citizens) owes to the city at least 
  one soul per year; if they fail to procure it, they must offer 
  their own soul instead. The debt sometimes functions as a 
  form of negative currency among the citizenry; one may 
  agree to shoulder another’s debt for the year in exchange 
  for favors, goods, or services. Longer arrangements and 
  deferrals are common among the warrior-nobility, who take 
  on the debts of their retainers in exchange for service and 
  loyalty. The commanding officer of any Myrnean raiding 
  party holds the debts of her subordinates; she leads them 
  and ensures that they are well-equipped and they, in turn, 
  collect sacrificial souls for the Wolf Gate. 
  For the most part, Myrnean raids target small coastal Man-
  date protectorates, though it turns against Sulfurite towns 
  and Palla in leaner years. Before its defeat at the hands of 
  the Escans, Myrnos was a staunch opponent of unification, 
  primarily because it needs raids and near-constant war-
  fare to survive, and Prince Verdurio’s promise of an Escan 
  Peace across the Byssarian is a direct threat to the contin-
  ued well-being of their city: without the constant infighting 
  that so plagues the Republics, Myrnos would devour itself 
  in the span of a few generations. Now, Myrnean masked 
  raiders form the vanguard of Verdurio’s forces: as much as 
  they disagree with the purpose of the campaigns, they must 
  serve, for the Wolf Gate hungers and cares nothing for petty 
  human politics. 
  Ammunir, ithobAAl 
  And the threefold 
  republiC of ter suoli
  Ammunir
  Once, there was a great kingdom that stretched southward 
  along the wide river Khmun. It was a melancholy civiliza-
  tion, old and insular and preoccupied with the mysteries 
  of the afterlife; its tombs were twice as lavish as its palaces. 
  Its residents grew wheat and barley in the silty floodplains 
  along the river, and built great stelae and monuments in 
  the surrounding desert to honor their queens, who they 
  worshipped as living goddesses. This kingdom, Ammunir, 
  became a province of the Old and New Empires, but did not 
  survive the tumultuous early years of the Sunless Age. Its 
  capital, Ta-Senet, the oldest city in the world, managed to 
  secure a Charter but collapsed shortly afterwards, becoming 
  the crowning glory of a civilization known for expansive and 
  extravagant burial sites. It is the biggest tomb in the world, 
  now — in nearly every house there is a body, perfectly fro-
  zen for generations to come. 
  Nobody lives in Ta-Senet save for the occasional passing 
  band of nomadic holdouts or delvers hopeful for ancient 
  treasure overlooked by scavengers of ages past. It is an awful 
  place, a dead place, gruesome in its scope — cursed, some 
  say; by all accounts, the city was granted a Charter and 
  should have survived — and an uncomfortable reminder of 
  how little it takes to topple the wisest and most venerable of 
  human civilizations. The Khmun, once a great vein of trade, 
  seems to have died with the people who lived on its banks. 
  It flows slowly; its floods strain the ice but rarely ever crack 
  it. Its shores are deserted. All attempts to resettle Ammu-
  nir thus far have failed: great and inexplicable misfortunes 
  befall any township that springs up on the river shores. Now 
  its only inhabitants are wolves, jackals, hyenas, and implaca-
  ble mammoth herds, but human life perseveres to the west, 
  in the Republics of Ithobaal and Ter Suoli. 
  ithobAAl
  The city of Ithobaal, with its twin harbors, busy markets, 
  and secret society of merchant-navigators, claims dominion 
  over the Narrow Sea. It is Esca’s oldest and bitterest rival, 
  blocking it from the most lucrative maritime trade routes 
  to the south while growing richer and more powerful itself. 
  This has always been the case: before there were Esca and 
  Ithobaal, there were the Nuragic peoples to the north and 
  the Hadashtim to the south, the former contending with the 
  latter over mastery of the seas from time immemorial. 
  Undeterred by northern depredations, the Hadashtim 
  would eventually build a great city on the westernmost cape 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  77
  of the Narrow Sea. They protected their waters and mastery 
  of the navigator and shipwright’s crafts with utmost jealousy. 
  They were voyagers and seafarers who would burn their 
  charts rather than share them with their rivals; their most 
  skilled artisans and navigators would render themselves 
  mute to prove their dedication to the city and prevent their 
  most precious trade secrets from escaping out into the world. 
  This commitment to secrecy did not survive the Moristagian 
  conquest, but it did provide the Hadashtim with an oppor-
  tunity to negotiate their surrender from a position of power. 
  The Queen of Ithobaal threatened to execute all the master 
  shipwrights and navigators in the city if the conquerors did 
  not agree to her terms, and the Empire conceded. So it came 
  to pass that Ithobaal and its province received unique privi-
  leges among the conquered territories — lower taxes, a lesser 
  degree of oversight, and a right to keep some of their secrets, 
  making Hadashtim shipwrights and sailors a fixture in every 
  Imperial city with a harbor. And just like their ancestors, 
  modern Ithobaalim merchants and mariners are among the 
  most daring and far-venturing in the world, sailing along the 
  west coast of Khera to opulent Sedjai and beyond in search 
  of more and better opportunities for trade. 
  Today, Ithobaal is the city of craftsmen and of guilds: arti-
  sans and laborers of every kind band together into state-sanc-
  tioned fraternities and societies based on their profession to 
  ensure fair pay, protect trade secrets (though nowhere near 
  as fiercely as their ancestors), and push out competition. 
  There is even a Thieves’ Guild, which is entirely legal; most 
  of the wealthier citizens pay a fee to limit theft to one act of 
  minor larceny per quarter, or one act of major larceny per year 
  (which can be scheduled in advance for an additional fee). 
  The Guild’s publicity and acceptance by the establishment 
  are rooted in the fact that like every other professional fra-
  ternity, the Thieves’ Guild pays a tax to the city — an exceed-
  ingly steep tax, at that — and this tax is a more reliable way of 
  squeezing revenue out of the  upper classes than coaxing the 
  Merchants’ Council into passing new tax laws. 
  Every licensed pickpocket, cutpurse, burglar, and “entry 
  consultant” in the city carries a Guild token and pays Guild 
  dues; unlicensed practitioners risk the attention of the city 
  guard or the tender mercies of Guild enforcers. Professional 
  thievery is not a respected or even particularly profitable 
  occupation — crime is still crime and guild dues are steep — 
  but it’s better than nothing, and the public treats token-car-
  rying Guild thieves as a menacing inconvenience rather 
  than the scum of the earth (which is the sad fate of ordinary 
  tax collectors, in Ithobaal and many other places beside).
  The most prestigious guilds in the city, however, are the 
  Mariners’ Guild and the Dyers’ Guild. The former, once the 
  crown jewel of the city, has faded somewhat into obscurity 
  and became little more than a secretive and prestigious busi-
  nessmen's club that sends out the occasional expedition to 
  chart uncharted lands and dispel boredom. The latter, how-
  ever, keeps Ithobaal rich: these artisans specialize in the 
  manufacture of sur, a family of violet and purple dyes worth 
  more than their weight in gold. Sur is made from crushed 
  and fermented sea snails, and though many places outside 
  Ithobaal make dyes from the same kind of mollusks, they 
  quite literally pale in comparison. True sur is rich and dense, 
  like clotted blood; so deep is its hue that no painter or mosa-
  icist can replicate it without using it. The only downside of 
  this otherwise profitable industry is the stench. The vats in 
  the Dyers’ Quarter (and the dyers themselves) reek so per-
  vasively of pungent herbs and rotting fish that only in Itho-
  baal can a person be granted a divorce solely on the basis of 
  their spouse’s profession. 
  In short, Ithobaal is a maritime superpower. Its riches made 
  it idle, complacent: though its navy is the best in the known 
  world and its merchants are among the wealthiest, the city 
  was not ready for a war. While it wins naval battles more often 
  than not, Ithobaal lacks the same power on land — its troops 
  are largely mercenary, abundant but disorganized. Under nor-
  mal circumstances, Ithobaal would subcontract Ter Suoli to 
  quench Escan ambition, but seeing as the Suolans have made 
  a shocking declaration of allegiance to Esca at the very start 
  of the war, they are forced to turn to hiring troops from the 
  city’s hinterland and from the southern lands beyond. More 
  recently, the city has received substantial aid — money, sol-
  diers, weapons, camels, horses, war mammoths — from the 
  wealthy southern kingdom of Sedjai. Some say that this is so 
  because the southern monarch is hopelessly infatuated with 
  the Ithobaalim Prince; more pragmatic individuals speculate 
  that this is nothing but an attempt to transform Ithobaal into 
  Sedjai’s northernmost vassal state. 
  ter suoli
  Originally a semi-permanent mercenary camp squatting in 
  the blasted remnants of a failed Republic, Ter Suoli is one 
  of the two southernmost Sulfurite cities. Its history has its 
  roots in a rather embarrassing series of conflicts between 
  Esca, Myrnos, and Ithobaal, now called the Foolish Wars. All 
  three cities hired substantial numbers of mercenary troops, 
  and the three biggest companies (The Flint-and-Steel, The 
  Gracious Sisters, and The Company of the Rose) brokered 
  a secret alliance amongst themselves, extracting pay from 
  their employers while fighting staged battles, claiming to have 
  “just missed” the enemy army in the field, and pillaging the 
  countryside at their leisure. Though the three conducted their 
  operations separately, they did use an island off the coast of 
  Nuragos to trade and negotiate amongst themselves and out 
  of sight of their employers. As the “wars” went on, the camp 
  became a town and then a city, and the three captains of the 
  three companies decided to petition the World Below for a 
  Charter. They did so separately — all three were ambitious 
  and mistrustful of the others. The Adversary was generous 
  beyond belief, but the Devil’s generosity is a mixed blessing: 
  he granted all three captains three separate Charters, patron-
  age, and rulership of the same small patch of land. 
  Now over a century old, Ter Suoli is more of a political 
  and legislative nightmare than all other Republics combined: 
  
  78
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  though it appears to be a single polity on the map, it is three 
  cities, with three separate Charters, three Legionary Councils 
  (there are no Merchant Councilors among mercenaries) and 
  three Captain-Generals (there are no Princes among merce-
  naries, either), all of who can declare war, create legislation 
  and collect taxes separately. Law enforcement, such as it is, 
  runs a heady gradient between ostentatiously dressed palace 
  guards and bands of hired thugs. Borders, drawn along the 
  lines of city blocks and the old canal network criss-crossing 
  the city, shift almost daily. Sometimes,  although not in recent 
  years, Ter Suoli is even at war with itself.
  The only benefits of Ter Suoli’s threefold government are its 
  relatively egalitarian approach to its subjects and its accept-
  ing attitude towards outsiders seeking Sulfurite citizenship. 
  Obtaining citizenship in one of the Three Cities is easier and 
  requires less of an investment than in other Republic,  as long 
  as the prospective citizen is willing to join one of the compa-
  nies as a soldier of fortune and fight, if necessary. (It usually 
  is, even outside military campaigns; crime is rampant and all 
  Suolan citizens are expected to personally defend themselves 
  and their belongings in the event that they find their homes on 
  the wrong side of a border). Suolans come from all corners of 
  the Byssarian and all walks of life, and usually have a far stron-
  ger attachment to their companies, detachments and regiments 
  than to the creeds and vocations of their ancestors. Although 
  the Suolans do not necessarily support the Wars of Unification, 
  the vast majority of the city’s fighting force is effectively under 
  Verdurio’s command, as the Captain-Generals and a significant 
  number of their officers are visitants who cannot disobey the 
  word of the Escan Prince’s infernal superior. 
  ChApter 4: tur moresh And 
  pAgAmeA
  tur moresh
  Tur Moresh is a stretch of land on the eastern shore of the 
  Byssarian, taking its name from the Moresh, nomadic peo-
  ple who came from the Land of the Twin Rivers at the dawn 
  of time and settled on the shores of the Dappled and Lesser 
  Byssarian Seas. Their descendants would eventually forge 
  alliances with or crush neighboring states, rule one of the 
  greatest of Arnai’s empires, topple a king of the World Below 
  and build their own sun.
   To a reader accustomed to manageable temperatures and 
  a sunlit sky, all of Arnai, the Moresh lands included, is hope-
  lessly barren. To a reader unfamiliar with such luxuries, 
  these densely forested, rocky highlands boast an astound-
  ing amount of life, both plant and animal, and an unrivaled 
  level of development: there are many towns, as well as com-
  pounds and manors belonging to local nobility, and a great 
  multitude of well-maintained roads and causeways. There is 
  also an abundance of Blessed Age and Old Imperial ruins, 
  most of which have been gutted and repurposed to better 
  fit the needs of their current occupants. Mountain for-
  tresses formerly belonging to court wizards are now farm-
  ing communities, with animal pens and orchards of stunted 
  fruit-bearing trees nestled in the collapsed remnants of 
  audience chambers and laboratories. On occasion, the peas-
  ants allow curious scholars and historians to take rubbings 
  of old engravings and reliefs on the walls of their homes, but 
  not often, and almost always for a hefty fee. 
  That is not to say that there are no untouched places in 
  the Moresh highlands altogether; rather, they are few and far 
  in between, their locations remote, secret, and guarded by 
  jealous treasure-hunters or superstitious highlanders. The 
  mountains are rugged, and the forests so foreboding that 
  the nobles hunt almost exclusively in carefully cultivated 
  deer parks and game preserves. The loggers, meanwhile, are 
  willing to brave the woods for the gnarled highland cedar, a 
  wood sought by carpenters and shipwrights for the beauty 
  and strength of its wood since ancient times, so much so 
  that the tree was almost extinct by the end of the Blessed 
  Age. To the cedar — or, at least, to the magically engineered 
  subspecies of the tree — the Sunfall was a blessing. The for-
  ests may have burned, as did everything, but the collapse 
  of human civilization gave them time to recover and grow, 
  so M e w h e r e, Be y o n d  
  th e se a ...
  The Great Western Ocean is a tumultuous, stormy 
  mystery. Scholars are aware of the existence of a vast 
  continent in the west; Hadashtim voyagers have made 
  the journey 700 years ago and charted a portion of 
  its coastline (the chart allegedly resides in the secret 
  archives of the Mariners’ Guild), but no modern indi-
  vidual in their right mind would even consider financ-
  ing or participating in an expedition to the West — 
  not while there is a war underway, and less costly and 
  vastly more lucrative opportunities to the south.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  79
  only to be cut down once more, the lustrous wood shipped 
  to distant places along the long, wide highway that runs 
  through the highlands. 
  the royAl roAd
  Perhaps the best-preserved of the Old Empire’s great works, 
  the Royal Road is the vein of trade that links the many petty 
  states of the Byssarian basin to each other and to lands 
  beyond. It was as much of a renovation project as a feat of 
  construction; instead of building new roads, Imperial engi-
  neers often chose to link existing roads and highways to 
  form a greater whole. Thus, the result of their labors weaves 
  and winds through difficult terrain, avoiding cities as often 
  as it passes through them. Its efficacy in expediting travel 
  and trade, however, cannot be denied — any courier, trav-
  eler, soldier, or merchant would prefer a convoluted path 
  through the wilderness to no path at all. 
  Even today, the Mandate maintains the Road with a fervor 
  that borders on the religious. Where it goes, trade follows, 
  and where there is trade there is law. To a traveler looking 
  from on high, the Royal Road is a thread of light in a sea of 
  darkness: the fiery red of shrine and watchtower braziers, 
  the cold blue of arcane beacons at crossings and junctions. 
  Every watchtower has a rotating contingent of guards, who 
  collect tolls and ensure the safety of merchants and trav-
  elers. Highway robberies do occur, but along less guarded 
  thoroughfares — bandit attacks on merchants traveling the 
  Royal Road almost always end poorly for the bandits, and 
  the scarcity of attempts means that the guards spend more 
  time drinking tea and playing backgammon than guarding. 
  Particularly daring or desperate outlaw chiefs, however, find 
  it difficult to resist the temptation of one last job that could 
  buy them a life from the cold, sharpening their weapons 
  away from the road and waiting for an unprotected caravan 
  or a darkened watchtower. 
  Aside from hopeful bandits and bored guardsmen, the 
  Royal Road and its many tributaries boast a number of rest 
  stops and caravanserais, most of which double as waysta-
  tions for messengers of the Bayaspan, a mounted courier 
  service that survived both the Dying Sun and the Sunfall. 
  Originally, the Bayaspani messengers were used only by the 
  Emperor and his governors, but times have changed — now, 
  they carry missives for anyone wealthy enough to afford 
  them, with an ironclad promise of rapid transit and abso-
  lute confidentiality. When they travel, Bayaspani couriers 
  ride at breakneck speeds, almost leaping from one mount 
  to another when their steeds are too exhausted to carry on. 
  When one courier’s shift ends, another one takes up the 
  message, ensuring that every missive travels as fast as it pos-
  sibly can, regardless of whether it’s encoded diplomatic cor-
  respondence, sordid love letters from one noble to another, 
  or something else entirely.
  Most people, however, choose to send their letters via 
  messenger birds, or simply entrust them to traveling mer-
  chants, ordinary couriers, or one of the many itinerant 
  monks and nuns from the Two Holy Mountains. 
  the tWo holy mountAins
  If a traveler looks up while walking the Moreshi highlanders, 
  they will see the jagged crowns of Sagr-e-Kah and Aluh-e-
  Kah soaring high above every other mountain. Old Imperial 
  chronicles describe the two great mountains as active volca-
  noes, prone to rumbling and issuing plumes of smoke at the 
  behest of devils gnawing at their roots. Both have since been 
  pacified by the Adamant Order — the devils responsible 
  have either fled, starved to dissolution, or found themselves 
  pressed into service in the Adamantine Province — and 
  since the Order used chthonic gateway between the moun-
  tains in their invasion of the World Below, both mountains 
  have become significant in the eyes of the Faith, attracting 
  the devout from across the region. 
  The taller of the two, Sagr-e-Kah, is also called Hawk 
  Mountain and its slopes are honeycombed with shrines, 
  monasteries, nunneries, and ascetic retreats of every kind 
  imaginable. Hawk Mountain, a traveler once wrote, is lousy 
  with goatherds and holy men: if upon entering a valley one 
  does not see a sullen highlander lookout eyeing them from 
  a steep crag, they will likely run into a gaggle of shivering 
  novices practicing their verses out in the cold. In addition 
  to monks, Hawk Mountain boasts a sizable hermit popula-
  tion, surviving on donations from holdout clans and Faith-
  ful nobility. This is motivated in part by faith and compas-
  sion (the holy fools freeze on their own), in part by avarice 
  (wise men attract pilgrims and pilgrims have money), and 
  in part by a desire for prestige (what better way to impress 
  one’s piety on one’s peers is there than having a picturesque 
  hermitage on the edge of one’s estate?)
  Unlike ever-popular Sagr-e-Kah, few visitors walk the 
  trails leading to the peak of Tiger Mountain, Aluh-e-Kah. 
  Like Hawk Mountain, Tiger Mountain is home to a number 
  of religious organizations, but ones with stricter oaths and 
  requirements for admission: none of the six Orders Mil-
  itants whose compounds ring the mountain’s peak admit 
  men into their ranks, or even permit men to ascend past a 
  certain altitude. They enforce the Rule of Tiger Mountain 
  strictly, with applications of thaumaturgic force. In order 
  to support their otherwise isolated convents, the nuns of 
  Aluh-e-Kah operate a number of vineyards, and the amber 
  wines of Tiger Mountain are highly sought by collectors and 
  connoisseurs from across the Byssarian. Trade does, unfor-
  tunately, require a certain degree of interaction with the out-
  side world, and that responsibility falls on the Order of St. 
  Katayun the Inevitable. Of all Aluh-e-Kah nuns, the Inevi-
  table Sisters are most likely to be present in the villages at 
  the base of the mountains, negotiating shipments of supplies 
  up to the mountainside convents, serving as priestesses, or 
  leading hunting parties in pursuit of bears, tigers, or other, 
  more elusive quarry. According to an old legend, Oxyathres 
  the Necromancer built a secret library somewhere on the 
  
  80
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  slopes of Tiger Mountain...and though it may not actually 
  be there, the legend is enough to attract treasure-hunters, 
  aspiring or practicing necromancers, and the undead.
  The current Abbess of St. Katayun’s is a tall highlander 
  woman called Victory-In-Her-Hands. In her youth, she 
  was quite the huntress, and even today she wears the pelt 
  of an enormous snow tiger. Wound around her neck is a 
  long string of prayer beads, ivory in color. Some of the more 
  impressionable novices claim that the beads are made of 
  ghoul teeth, but when anyone asks Abbess Victory directly, 
  her answer is only a wry smile. 
  pAgAmeA
  Pagamea is the Pearl of the Byssarian and the Mother of 
  Cities, the subject of countless songs, plays, and poems. It 
  is the Gate of Felicity that connects East and West, North 
  and South, the Crossroads of the World, the place through 
  which all wealth and wisdom flow. At the apex of its power, 
  it housed over two million people and its golden spires 
  grasped like fingers at the heavens. Today it is a shadow of 
  its former self, devastated during the Sunfall more than any 
  other part of the world, many of the towers teetering on the 
  brink of collapse, its population diminished to a tenth of 
  what it once was. 
  Much of Pagamea is uninhabited, but it is far from 
  deserted. Even when fire rained from the sky and the tallest 
  of the spires, Sun’s Shadow, cleft the city in half as it fell, 
  a significant portion of its residents refused to abandon 
  their homes, and the descendants of these survivors walk 
  the streets to this day. In Pagamea, as everywhere else in the 
  world, wealth and noble descent determine the prestige of a 
  family, but a Pagamean family’s standing also depends on its 
  history with the city. A cobbler who can trace his descent to 
  th  days before the Sunfall is more respectable than a wealthy 
  merchant whose family is a more recent arrival, and a noble-
  woman whose forefathers refused to abandon their burning 
  estate is beyond reproach. 
  Needless to say, everyone from outside the city is a pro-
  vincial boor in the eyes of most Pagameans. It doesn’t mat-
  ter if they come from another of the Mandate’s great cities, 
  or how wealthy they are, or how high their birth: an out-
  sider nobleman, no matter how rich, is nothing more than 
  a country gentleman, quaint in his dress, his speech and his 
  manners. This can be quite infuriating for visiting nobility, 
  who cultivate an accent, obsessively study fashion plates to 
  avoid ridicule, and complain, endlessly, about how even the 
  dogs in that wretched ruin seem to look down on them. 
  the old And the neW
  It is true — Pagamea is a ruin, though wretched may be a bit 
  of an overstatement. The capital consists of two parts: the 
  New City, which has come to be habitable and even beautiful 
  over the generations, and the Old City, a maze of ruins eight 
  times the size of the New City. Its restoration is an ongoing, 
  centuries-long project not unlike the taming of a wilderness: 
  beasts, taking advantage of the comparative lack of human 
  activity, den in the blasted ruins and the lack of law enforce-
  ment draws criminals, heretics, and outcasts. The absence 
  of heat and infrastructure, as well as the constant threat of 
  collapse — some of the old towers are still standing — does 
  not seem to deter them at all. 
  The unenviable task of bringing the Old City within accept-
  able margins of law-abiding civilization is the burden of the 
  Order of St. Myron the Posthumous, an Order Militant that 
  has transformed, over generations, into an organization con-
  sisting primarily of scholars, architects, bureaucrats, and 
  arcane engineers. They are an oddity among the Orders Mili-
  tant, and the subject of many jokes: an Adamant knight draws 
  a sword to slay an enemy of the Faith, while a Myronite bores 
  them to death with a lecture on Blessed Age urban planning. 
  Knight-Architects, as they are called, are well-liked in Pag-
  amea and command admiration for work they do: they are 
  the people who keep the lights on and stop the teetering spires 
  of the Old City from crushing the New. Entry into this Order 
  is somewhat difficult; due to the abundance of prospective 
  recruits eager to receive a thaumaturgical education and 
  stable employment in the heart of the Mandate, prospective 
  Knight-Architects must sit a series of comprehensive exams 
  and make a sizable “donation” to the Order’s coffers. 
  The Order uses most of its Mandate-alotted funds to 
  finance the small army of construction workers who bring 
  the Knight-Architects’ clever designs to fruition, and a con-
  tingement of guards to monitor the border between the Old 
  and New Cities. The Myronites’ Master of Acquisitions com-
  mands what little remains, hiring marginally gifted indepen-
  dent contractors to explore, map, or retrieve artifacts from the 
  Old City. The Office of Acquisitions sends items that carry 
  even a trace of arcane power directly to the College of Elder 
  Science at the Royal University, and returns anything bear-
  ing the seal of an extant noble house to the descendants of its 
  original owners. However, the Myronites sell or distribute the 
  vast bulk of these finds to private collections, often those of 
  tea house owners, who proudly display Old Imperial curiosi-
  ties in cabinets along the walls of their establishments. 
  teAhouses And the order of 
  the red sWAn
  Pagamea does not have much of a drinking culture. Taverns 
  do exist, but drunkenness is a vice, and the city taxes alcohol 
  at a rate that makes many prospective bar owners open a tea 
  house instead. There is approximately one such establish-
  ment per two city blocks, sometimes more, and all of them 
  brew their tea so dark and strong that a customer is likely 
  to vomit if they drink it too quickly. It is served in small 
  cups, and taken with pastries or sugared dates so sweet that 
  they hurt the teeth, which further slows down the process 
  and gives ample time for conversation. The tea house is the 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  81
  primary avenue for casual socialization, sharing of news and 
  intellectual debate — indeed, many low-born Pagameans 
  receive an education not at the Royal University (which 
  requires all but the most gifted of its students to furnish 
  proof of noble descent), but through listening to traveling 
  scholars, poets, and philosophers at tea houses. 
  The Inquisition, unsurprisingly, takes a keen interest in 
  these establishments. The Dissident heresy began in a tea 
  house called The Red Swan, where the theologian Ada Yasa-
  revic gave her first lecture on the Doctrine of Immanent 
  Excellence. The Red Swan is long gone, its owner and most 
  of its patrons dead or in exile, but its legacy drives those Dis-
  sidents who have not yet fled the city in fear of the Inqui-
  sition. All Dissident pamphlets from the secret presses in 
  the Old City bear the sign of the red swan, and the brave 
  and furtive individuals who operate the presses, distribute 
  the pamphlets, and smuggle their fellow Dissidents out of 
  the city are sometimes collectively referred to as the Order 
  of the Red Swan. There is no greater hierarchy among the 
  Swans; the organization has a cell-based structure so that 
  in the event of capture by the Inquisition, a given Swan can 
  only reveal the names of five or six others without endan-
  gering the whole. In addition, a small yet significant portion 
  of the Myronite Order and the workers they hire have Dis-
  sident sympathies, and often choose to wilfully ignore Red 
  Swan safehouses in the Old City.
  the serpent gAte
  Unlike the impressionable Myronites, the Adamant Order 
  remains free of heresy. Their stronghold in Pagamea is the 
  Serpent Gate, a walled compound on an island in the Pearl 
  Strait. It is heavily guarded, staffed almost entirely by hellborn 
  soldiers and officers, and considered to be an unclean place 
  by ordinary citizens — this is the place where one may enter 
  Hell through a tunnel that runs under the island. Its gates only 
  open to admit merchant convoys carrying grain and weapons 
  for the Order, platoons of soldiers headed to the frontlines 
  of the Adamantine Province, and expel Adamant dignitaries 
  and bands of returning infernal veterans. Massive bells toll 
  from the three towers high above the compound, signaling 
  the opening and closing of the Serpent Gate. The schedule 
  of the bells is highly regular, and a prolonged silence from 
  the three towers is a terrible omen — it indicates that some-
  thing in the Adamantine Province might have gone terribly 
  wrong and that Pagamea may soon suffer an incursion from 
  the World Below and fall, once again, to infernal chaos. 
  the empty throne
  Pagamea is the heart of the Mandate, and the heart of Pag-
  amea is the White Gold Palace, sometimes called the Court 
  of Bliss. It fell to ruin twice: once when northern invaders 
  sacked Pagamea near the end of the Blessed Age, and a sec-
  ond time during the Sunfall. It has been rebuilt, more splen-
  did than ever before, the frescoes repainted, the mosaics and 
  reliefs recreated in painstaking detail. Though it bustles with 
  clerics, bureaucrats, and courtiers, its largest, most beautiful 
  chamber is always silent and almost always empty. 
  The August Throne, upon which sat kings of kings and 
  lords of lords, rightful sovereigns of all the world under 
  Heaven, stands in the center. No one dares to touch it, except 
  for the servants responsible for its upkeep (dust does gather, 
  even on the most precious object in the Byssarian) and the 
  Pontifex of the Faith, a gaunt, hawk-faced old woman who 
  rules the city with an iron fist. Vigilant and jealous, she has 
  defended the Throne from pretenders for over four decades, 
  but sometimes she lingers by it when she passes through on 
  her way to the chambers of the Synod, and runs a curious 
  hand over the three peacocks carved into its back. 
  The Pontifex, Darya VI, died peacefully in her sleep ten 
  years ago. Next morning, she arose at dawn to lead the ser-
  vice in the Temple of the Word, as she has done every day 
  for the past thirty-five years. Necromancy is, of course, an 
  abomination in the eyes of the Name, but allowing one of 
  the bickering, feeble-minded fools on the Synod to elect one 
  of their number Pontifex would be a much greater offense 
  against the divine, particularly in the midst of a crisis. Pon-
  tifex Darya does not revel in her abominable condition, but 
  sees it as a sacrifice and an act of martyrdom in the service 
  of the Mandate. She will guide it through this troubled time, 
  quell the heretics, and weather the storm gathering in the 
  far west no matter the cost. Still, the Pontifex dreads the 
  Judgment that awaits her after her final death, and clings to 
  power with the desperation of a woman drowning. 
  A shrewd, ruthless politician, an expert on ecclesiasti-
  cal law, and a mage of considerable talent, Darya has not 
  changed much since her death. Her manner of dress is som-
  ber and severe, as befits a woman of her standing, and she 
  has worn a widow’s veil ever since her husband’s passing 
  two decades ago. The veil she wears now is thicker, more 
  opaque, making it easy to mistake a dessicated visage for 
  one that is merely aged and gaunt. And if someone, by some 
  odd chance, catches a glimpse of the Pontifex unveiled or 
  discovers a certain book in her private library...well, there 
  are few things in this world that cannot be amended with a 
  th e Ca p ita l
  For all of its posturing, Pagamea is not the orig-
  inal or even the only Moristagian capital. It is 
  the second, western capital, a city that gained its 
  high status through its fortuitous location and 
  the sheer scope of the Old Empire at its height. 
  The Eastern Capital and the birthplace of most of 
  the Old Emperors is Akkar, the city of wheat and 
  red clay, which lies far to the southeast and com-
  mands a sizable, but heathen, empire of its own.
  
  82
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  well-placed compulsion spell. The Synod has not yet called 
  her longevity into question, although the Cardinal of Isbanir 
  suspects that something may be amiss. 
  Unbeknownst to the Pontifex, a legitimate heir with a 
  royal soul — specifically that of Ardashir, the first great con-
  quering Moristagian king  — has been born into this world. 
  Her name is Khatuna, and she is twelve years old. Her father 
  and mother, former holdouts and the owners of a fashion-
  able seaside tea house, adore their daughter and are unaware 
  of this fact. Khatuna has the temperament and interests of 
  an average twelve-year-old girl born into a moderately 
  wealthy, devoutly Faithful family. She likes cats and horses, 
  goes to services with her parents and siblings every Soul’s 
  Day, and wants to be a wizard when she grows up. She has 
  dreams, sometimes, of throne rooms and elegant courtiers, 
  and of feeding the peafowl in fragrant green gardens. She 
  hasn’t told anyone about these dreams yet, but it is likely that 
  she will soon. 
  ChApter 5: other poWers of the 
  mAndAte
  isbAnir
  The birthplace and former seat of the Faith, Isbanir is a place 
  of immense holiness and spiritual importance. Its political 
  and strategic relevance has waned considerably over the 
  centuries. During the rise of the New Empire from the ashes 
  of the Old and the consolidation of what would eventually 
  become the Mandate, the vast bulk of the clergy moved to 
  Pagamea in order to be closer to the seat of Imperial power, 
  where they have remained ever since. Now, the Pontifex 
  and the Cardinals, as well as members of the high nobil-
  ity, generals, archmages and rulers mostly come to Isbanir 
  after death, to be interred in the sprawling Necropolis on the 
  northern side of the city. 
  The City of the Dead is a massive walled expanse of tombs 
  and mausoleums, both lavish and humble, just outside the 
  dome. Although officially it is a place for the dead, it boasts 
  a robust population of the living: priests, mausoleum guards, 
  gravediggers, embalmers, masons, professional mourners 
  and all manner of other laborers and artisans in the business 
  of burial, interment and tomb upkeep. Vagabonds, criminals, 
  cultists, heretics, and those who otherwise cannot live in 
  Isbanir proper also make their homes among the dead, some-
  times going so far as to squat inside abandoned tombs. One 
  of the most feared street gangs in the city is a Necropolis gang 
  — the murderously nostalgic descendants of a ruined noble 
  house and their assorted sycophants and hangers-on, whose 
  headquarters are located under the ornate tomb of their most 
  esteemed ancestor. Among the many unsavory things they do 
  to maintain a sumptuous manner of living befitting nobility 
  is smuggling, which they conduct through the upper layers of 
  the vast Catacombs under the city. 
  The Catacombs, like much of Isbanir above, are of Old 
  Imperial construction, an elaborate web of tunnels and rooms 
  that defies all attempts to measure it. Hallways and chambers 
  shift, contort and expand without the city above taking notice, 
  and seasoned explorers speak of the Catacombs as they would 
  of a temperamental animal. The analogy holds up particu-
  larly well in certain high-vaulted chambers, where one can 
  hear a distant and thunderous growl emanating from some 
  unknown space below. Reliable maps of the tunnels do not 
  exist (some claim that the very act of mapping them forces 
  them to rearrange), but there is an oral tradition and records 
  of certain enchanted rooms that can be encountered below. 
  Those who pass the threshold the Red Flower Chamber, for 
  instance, waste away and die exactly three months after; any-
  one walking through the cavernous Chamber of the Tortoise 
  moves half again as fast with every step (the middle of it is 
  littered with the skeletons of would-be explorers), and anyone 
  who passes through the Chamber of the Moon ages back-
  wards at a terrifying pace, becoming an infant and vanishing 
  in the span of weeks. Maintaining the security of the Cata-
  combs — that is, ensuring that trespassers stay far from the 
  more dangerous Chambers, that Necropolis smugglers don’t 
  feel too comfortable in the safer tunnels, and that anything 
  untoward that wanders from the lower tunnels never reaches 
  the city or its underworks — is the responsibility of the city 
  guard and the Isbaniri crown. 
  The current king, Emre, is hardly what one would call a 
  good king: he is short-tempered, easily distracted, and vastly 
  more talented in the consumption of expensive alcohol than 
  he is in managing the affairs of a city-state. He mistakes his 
  ineptitude and boorish reputation at court for earthliness 
  and disdain for the excesses of noble life. He thinks himself 
  a man of the people. Certainly, he has redeeming qualities 
  — he is brave, and charismatic, and sincere in his convic-
  tions, as erroneous as they may be. He is a steadfast ally and 
  an excellent soldier. But he is not a good king. In the span 
  of five years, he managed to bring a once-prosperous city 
  to the brink of bankruptcy. And when the Dissident her-
  esy took root within his walls, his immediate response was 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  83
  far more forceful than strictly advised: when the Inquisition 
  succeeded in the capture of the founder of the movement, 
  the young king, thinking it would put an end to the troubles, 
  arranged for an ostentatious public execution instead of qui-
  etly sending her to face trial in Pagamea. 
  Now, Isbanir is a study of Mandate intervention in action: 
  the king, having found his ministers refusing to carry out his 
  orders, stews in his powerlessness and frustration while the 
  new Cardinal governs the city in his name. Pagamea, gener-
  ous as ever, sent enough silver to ameliorate the suffering of 
  its sister city, but the public outrage surrounding the execu-
  tion is a much more difficult and persistent problem. Emre 
  not only failed in ending the heresy, but succeeded in the 
  creation of a Dissident martyr: the speech the condemned 
  gave on the scaffold has been embellished, amended, altered 
  printed and reprinted too many times to count and dis-
  tributed far beyond the walls of Isbanir. To counteract this, 
  Cardinal Ayaz has chosen to lay the city’s recent economic 
  misfortunes and the death of its last king (a great man, much 
  beloved by the people) at the feet of heretics, foreigners, and 
  devil-worshippers who squat in the Necropolis and the Cat-
  acombs, causing frequent breakouts of sectarian violence in 
  the slums and among the tombs. 
  The Cardinal is young for the title, dissatisfied with his 
  station in life, and ruthlessly ambitious. He is confident that 
  once the current Pontifex passes away he will be elected as 
  her replacement, and not shy about shortening the span 
  of time in which this blessed event is bound to take place. 
  He has already attempted to poison his way to the throne 
  behind the Throne twice. He does not know for a fact that 
  the Pontifex is undead — it is possible that the old woman 
  has simply built up a monstrous tolerance for certain toxins 
  over the years, as do many who fear assassination — but has 
  reason to suspect that it is so. 
  kurtAlAn
  Kurtalan may lack the imperious prestige of Pagamea, but 
  it is a thriving center of Faithful scientific and intellectual 
  life and the Mandate’s gateway to the interior of Khera. The 
  Royal Road bisects the city northwest to southeast, and 
  many Faithful consider the eastern gates of Kurtalan to be 
  the true border of the Mandate proper — the little towns 
  and protectorates further East are too sparse in population, 
  too far from Pagamea, and too prone to changing allegiances 
  to truly count as Faithful holdings. During the Old and New 
  Empires, Kurtalan was a relatively minor seat of provincial 
  power, notable for its position along a key trade route and 
  little else. Now, the city is home to the House of Wisdom,  
  the second best institution of arcane and academic learning 
  in the Byssarian (the first being the Royal University in Pag-
  amea, and the third — the Arcane College in Livadi).
  In addition, the city hosts the largest chapter of the Order 
  of St. Idris the Joyful (also known as Fat Idris, or Idris the 
  Cook). The Order’s primary focus is good and charitable 
  works; the Brothers of St. Idris run the majority of Kurtalan’s 
  orphanages, hospitals, and kitchens for the destitute. Like 
  the Myronites in Pagamea, the Idrisans have an odd repu-
  tation among the other Orders Militant as St. Idris himself 
  explicitly forbade his followers to use magic or wield a blade 
  in battle. When questioned about this set of tenets and their 
  status as an Order Militant, Idrisan Brothers are quick to 
  point out that their saint was neither a pacifist nor a martyr, 
  that he was as notorious for brawling with other monks as 
  he was celebrated for sheltering the destitute and feeding the 
  hungry, and that he made no mention of a prohibition on 
  fists, clubs, maces, and hammers. 
  It is the Joyful Order that oversees the Painted Gate in 
  Kurtalan, and not the Knights Adamant, which gives the city 
  itself a significant degree of leeway where religious ortho-
  doxy is concerned — the Joyful Brothers do not aggressively 
  persecute heretics, as running foreign merchants out of a 
  trade city for practicing an unorthodox version of the Faith 
  or another religion is both foolish and counterproductive. 
  It is these merchants, after all, who ensure that the best for-
  eign goods — the finest teas, the sweetest fruits, the fresh-
  est spices, the most beautiful silks and ceramics — stay in 
  Kurtalan, and Pagamea and Isbanir receive only the dregs. 
  Coffee, for instance, is so abundant in Kurtalan that it alone 
  boasts the prestigious and exotic institution of the coffee 
  house, which is very much like a tea house but smaller, serv-
  ing an entirely different range of food and drink, and cater-
  ing only to merchants, nobles, and members of the clergy. 
  The Queen of Kurtalan, Isra the Young, is a patroness of 
  the arts and the sciences. Though she  lavishes the House 
  of Wisdom with gifts and royal attention, she herself lives 
  sparsely — a habit from her days preparing for the Mage’s 
  Ordeal, which she could not complete due to the unexpected 
  death of her father and her own subsequent coronation. Her 
  advisors and her Cardinal agree that the young queen is too 
  soft-hearted and inexperienced to steer the ship of state, 
  and that she herself would much rather continue her studies 
  than navigate the intricacies of diplomacy and court life.
  And they are not wrong, at least about Her Majesty’s love 
  of scholarship. Her greatest treasure is her extensive, laby-
  rinthine and beautifully appointed library, a small portion of 
  which opens to foreign scholars and the literate public during 
  the winter and on High Holy Days, thus attracting a great 
  many learned individuals from as far east as the distant Pil-
  lared Kingdom, and as far south as Sedjai. It is said, in Kur-
  talan and outside of it, that one comes to the White City for 
  three weeks, or for three generations — and the population of 
  the city reflects this saying. There are merchants and laborers 
  and artisans from Sedjai, from the Pillared Kingdom, even 
  from Akkar and the distant North, a smattering of Sulfur-
  ites, and, of course, a prodigious number of Dissidents from 
  Isbanir and from Pagamea. The latter group are far from safe 
  — the Inquisition’s eyes are ever-watchful — but it is easier 
  for them to hide themselves among immigrants and visiting 
  scholars than an entirely Faithful population. Some of them 
  
  84
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  are quite vocal — far more vocal than they should be permit-
  ted to be, which makes a portion of the public suspect that the 
  queen herself may have heretical sympathies. 
  Though she doesn't consider herself a Dissident, the queen 
  is quietly preparing for Kurtalan’s eventual defection from the 
  Mandate— the tension in Pagamea is becoming unbearable, 
  and Isra feels that she does not have much of a choice. Kur-
  talan will not — cannot — stay orthodox enough to avoid 
  wholesale slaughter when the Mandate finally caves to Ada-
  mant demands for a purge against the heretics. Should the 
  city survive the turbulent period immediately after its dec-
  laration of independence — the battles between her soldiers 
  and Mandate loyalists, and the inevitable arrival of a chap-
  ter of the Adamant Order through the Painted Gate — trade 
  along the southern third of the Royal Road would sustain 
  the city until she could negotiate vassalage under the kings 
  of Sedjai or bargain for a Charter with a representative of the 
  Adversary and dedicate a new Gate. She does not know yet 
  where her loyalties lie, but the choice she will make will shape 
  the destiny of the White City for the years to come. 
  zviAdi
  Unlike other Mandate cities, Zviadi was the capital of a 
  province that successfully broke from the Old Empire at the 
  start of the Blessed Age, but did not stray from the Faith. 
  Though first offended by this show of disloyalty, the New 
  Empire soon came to appreciate the kingdom of Anzora 
  for what it was — a buffer state between lawless Istria, the 
  heathen North, and itself. Throughout its existence as an 
  independent power, Anzora had to defend itself against 
  northern incursions and nomadic depredations with little 
  in the way of Imperial assistance, a task they performed 
  admirably until the Sunfall. And though the kingdom built 
  its cities to last, only Zviadi, the capital, was able to survive 
  the conflagration relatively intact. The city owes its survival 
  to its architecture — half of it perches on a mountainside 
  that shields it from the worst of the winds, and the other 
  is carved deep into the stone. In truth Zviadi is more of a 
  fortress than a city — high walls, tall and narrow windows, 
  twisting streets and insular, self-sufficient neighborhoods 
  that can easily be blocked off from the palace district in the 
  event of an invasion. The culture of former Anzora is simi-
  larly insular and insulated —  taking considerable pride in 
  defending themselves and the Faith on their own for centu-
  ries, Anzorrans have retained a significant degree of cultural 
  and linguistic independence from the Mandate. These hold-
  outs feel a much greater degree of loyalty towards a city than 
  is customary for holdouts elsewhere, even though they insist 
  that the kingdom itself has died long ago. 
  Zviadi is very much a border city, delineating where Faith-
  ful lands end and the North begins; unlike Kurtalan, how-
  ever, Zviadi does not have much in the way of wealthy trade 
  partners. There is little overt opulence in the Walled City, lit-
  tle excess — but there is also little in the way of disunity. The 
  proximity of the Northern Commonwealth, the residents of 
  which practice a religion that stands in even starker oppo-
  sition to the Faith than flippant Sulfurite atheism, gives the 
  citizens and clergy of Zviadi a common cause and a com-
  mon enemy. There is no fertile ground for dissent in Zviadi, 
  and there will be none as long as Zviadian scouts both dread 
  and anticipate the sight of an army under the silver three 
  banner, and as long as Northern spies and Zviadian Inquis-
  itors wage their silent, invisible war. Curiously enough, this 
  mindset benefits Zviadian dissidents: in this city, the Inqui-
  sition tries and convicts fewer heretics than spies and trai-
  tors. This is because Zviadian standards for proper Faithful 
  behavior are much lower than those in Pagamea or Isbanir 
  — as long as the supposed heretics worship the Name and 
  do not assist a foreign power in weakening the state, they are 
  allowed to practice their creed within the private confines of 
  their chapels and their homes. Heresy trials do take place, 
  but they are relatively few in number and their purpose is 
  not to inspire zeal or intimidate the public into orthodoxy, 
  but to assure the authorities in Pagamea that Zviadi does not 
  waver in its faith and commitment to the Mandate. 
  Nowhere in the Mandate is the Inquisition as central to the 
  operation of a government as it is in Zviadi. Its Grandmaster, 
  one Valerian Eristavi, is a broken, mutilated husk of a man. A 
  nobleman and former warmage, he spent over three years in 
  the North as a prisoner of war, and returned to Zviadi blind 
  and horrifically disfigured, simultaneously an insult to the 
  queen and a part of a prisoner exchange. Too proud to retire, 
  th e no r t h
  The North is the collective name for the lands that 
  lie beyond the Anzoran Mountains. The politics 
  of this place lie beyond the purview of this book, 
  but are as fractious and convoluted as those of the 
  lands surrounding the Twin Seas. The Northern 
  religion, called the Path of Penance or the Path of 
  Sorrow, does not acknowledge any gods or believe 
  in the the complete reincarnation of the soul. Pen-
  itents, as devotees of the Path of Sorrow are called, 
  argue that all humankind is irrevocably tainted 
  by the hubristic actions of the First Man, that 
  the chiefest sin is the practice of thaumaturgical 
  magics, that the actions of mages will usher forth 
  the End of Days, and that all souls must atone for 
  the sins of their forefather by living wholesomely 
  ascetic, virtuous lives. 
  Needless to say, the Sorrowful Path is deeply 
  unpopular in both the Mandate (which takes 
  issue with the absence of divinity and the concept 
  of original sin) and the Republics (which do not 
  approve of any worldview that advocates against 
  excess and hedonism). 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  85
  too broken to continue active military duty, and too grotesque 
  for the court, the Lord Eristavi was granted a supervisory 
  position in the Inquisition and has proven himself frighten-
  ingly capable in this new set of duties. 
  He wears no mask to hide the hideous remains of his face, 
  nor does he bother to cover his gaping eye sockets. Though 
  eyeless, he has taught himself to see with  magic, giving some 
  credibility to the rumors that the Lord Inquisitor can peer 
  through a man’s soul as easily as one sees through a pane of 
  glass. Now he is a mesmerist and interrogator without peer, 
  and the prisoners of the Inquisition dread the possibility of an 
  audience with the Man Without Eyes. There are ways to resist 
  magical compulsion, of course — psychological conditioning, 
  magical wards, raw willpower — but the Grandmaster’s ten-
  der ministrations invariably end with a neatly signed confes-
  sion, a detailed report, and a gibbering, near-soulless thing 
  that was once a foreign operative or informant. 
  The Anzoran Mountains are rich in coal and valuable met-
  als and minerals — iron for swords, tin for bronze, copper 
  and silver for coin, conductors and wires — and Zviadi itself 
  is home to a mint that is responsible for roughly half the 
  silver Mandate coins in circulation. The Northerners, how-
  ever, do not care for this as much as they care about the coal 
  seams in the mountains around Zviadi. Their beliefs pro-
  hibit them from the use of thaumaturgy and thaumaturgical 
  machinery, but have no such strictures against fire magics 
  and pyromantic engines. The weapons they field are strange, 
  reliant not on arcane arrays but on black powder and other 
  explosive admixtures. The process of manufacturing these 
  machines and substances are tightly guarded secrets, and 
  a significant number of spies sent North are tasked with 
  industrial sabotage and the theft of scientific research and 
  schematics, in addition to military intelligence and insight 
  into Northern political struggles. 
  ChApter 6: the World beloW
  on the nAture of the 
  immAteriAl
  Hell, in the writings of Faithful theologians, is both a physi-
  cal place and a state of mind. While most of them have never 
  experienced it first-hand, this assessment of the underworld 
  is astonishingly correct. It was once believed that the World 
  Below was literally below — that is, underground — but it 
  is elsewhere, much deeper than any cavern. To travel to or 
  from the World Below, an embodied individual must phys-
  ically enter a gateway, which usually resembles a fissure in 
  the earth, a crack in a mountainside or a well at the bottom 
  of a body of water. Eventually, in a span of a few days or a few 
  weeks (or, in some rare cases, a few months to a few years) 
  the traveller would emerge on the other end. Travel times 
  at the largest gates, such as the Serpent Gate in Pagamea or 
  the Salt Gate in Esca, are faster and more predictable, but a 
  traveler passing through a natural gateway in the wilderness 
  risks arriving years or decades after their departure. 
  Though the methods of entry and egress are common 
  knowledge, the true nature of travel between the Worlds is 
  far from understood. Something must lie between — oth-
  erwise, the journeys would be instantaneous — but that 
  liminal space remains a mystery.  No mortal or daemon 
  who has ever traveled between the Worlds remembers the 
  journey itself, though sometimes they emerge scarred or 
  wounded, or covered in silvery-gray dust. The Grayways, as 
  the hypothetical routes between the two Worlds are called, 
  are the  subject of much heated scientific and theological 
  debate: the fact that most travellers reach their destination 
  without any memory of the journey, Faithful scholars argue, 
  lends credence to the belief in the Judges and the Watcher 
  at the Threshold. More skeptical individuals simply believe 
  in a spirit’s instinctive, unconscious ability to find its way 
  through the pathways between the two Worlds. 
  Individual human accounts of the World Below vary 
  wildly; it is a difficult place for the living soul to perceive 
  and comprehend. A vast, red plain under an impossible sun 
  the color of the midnight sky. An infinite chain of islands 
  in a sea of drifting, fetid yellow dust. A tangled, burning 
  forest of muscular trees with human hands for leaves and 
   in f e r n a l do M a in s
  Adamant records claim that at the end of the First 
  Chthonic March all of Hell was subdued to Faith-
  ful rule. This, visitants from foreign lands claim, is 
  patently untrue: there were no Moristagian knights 
  conquering the underworlds of Sedjai, or the Pil-
  lared Kingdom, or the North. Likely, what the 
  Knights Adamant meant by “all of Hell'' was the 
  domain of one particular daemon lord — one now 
  called the Adversary. 
  There are other domains in the World Below, but 
  the geography of the spirit world is a contentious 
  and negotiable matter, and it is difficult for mor-
  tal travelers to cross from one domain to another 
  without a daemonic guide. 
  
  86
  Part III: Crown, Sword, and Scepter
  human eyes for fruit. The scalding interior of a vast mech-
  anism. Daemons, when observed by the living in Hell, are 
  similarly varied: giants with the heads of owls and limbs of 
  apes, shining, amorphous masses of eyes and wings, three-
  headed serpents with leonine bodies, who walk and speak 
  like men...Despite this, the World Below and its residents 
  become more stable when observed by groups of the liv-
  ing: all soldiers in a Faithful battalion see the same foe and 
  the same environment, but no two battalions deployed to 
  the same portion of the World Below can ever agree on the 
  details. Perhaps because of the length of occupation and its 
  relatively high human population, the Adamantine Province 
  and its daemonic residents are more constant in form: the 
  Province is a rocky, largely featureless steppe under a white 
  and sunless sky, and the daemons themselves resemble pale 
  spiders, worms, and other repulsive vermin. 
  the AdAmAntine provinCe
  This land — “land” being an extremely generous term for a 
  location in the World Below — is barren and harsh. Its pri-
  mary industry is the punishment of sinners, which, in more 
  practical terms, means the manufacture of clockwork sol-
  diers. There is no shortage of flame or souls, and what ores 
  are absent Below can be imported from Above. The Ada-
  mantine Province is a province in name only; more accu-
  rately, it is a series of fortresses and foundries surrounded 
  by military encampments of truly prodigious size, where the 
  knighthood trains and houses troops from Above. There are 
  fields of weak and insubstantial grain, scant flocks of sheep 
  and goats — usually mutated, with multiple eyes or heads 
  (Hell does not allow wholesome animal life to propagate 
  unchanged). There are temples for the Adamants, and pits 
  for the squirming, subjugated devils, many of who believe 
  quite earnestly in the Name and are dedicated to carrying 
  out their purpose in the universe. 
  Those who leave the Province for the World Above find 
  it difficult to adjust to life on the Surface, but many of them 
  find that they prefer it. Certainly, the cold is beyond endur-
  ance and the people are baffling and overwhelming in their 
  diversity and complexity, but compared to the Province, the 
  frozen World Above is a paradise. It permits natural life. 
  Animals are born healthy after the third, even fourth gener-
  ation. The strange, black plants grow and bear the same kind 
  of fruit every year. The food is richer; the drink is stronger; 
  there are forests, and the great wide sea, and mountains; the 
  heavens are kaleidoscopic in their beauty, vast, incompre-
  hensible. Even the gnawing melancholy so common Below 
  shrinks and withers under the stars.
  the domAin of the AdversAry
  The Adversary has secluded himself, and his generals 
  have taken it upon themselves to govern his reconquered 
  domain. Once a formless place of primordial chaos, then a 
  realm bound and shackled by Adamant forces and world-
  view, the Adversary’s domain is now somewhere between 
  those two extremes. The power structure present therein is 
  nowhere near as loose as the one before the First Chthonic 
  March. Instead of promises, which can be negotiated, most 
  daemons swear oaths to greater daemons — oaths that often 
  lack a concrete date of expiry. The Adversary’s generals 
  care little about the fate of individual daemons — they are 
  insignificant, like droplets in the sea — and are altogether 
  too willing to sacrifice thousands of their subordinates to 
  succeed in a military ploy. Daemons cannot truly die in the 
  World Below, after all; physical or magical onslaught can 
  only reduce them to imps, who will eventually reform into 
  new daemons. Even if the newborn spirit is not the same as 
  the one who perished, there is no net loss of daemon-mat-
  ter. Dissolution is an abstract, distant idea to greater dae-
  mons, but an ever-present fear for their oathbound soldiers 
  and servants. Those who manage to slip the shackles of their 
  oaths flee to the World Above — incarnate existence may 
  be perilous and demanding (bodies are so fragile, and need 
  and want so many things), but it is better than slavery and 
  Adamant brutality on the battlefield.
  wa r fa r e in  t h e wo r l d  
  Be l o w
  Mortal armies owed their victory in the First Chthonic 
  March to faith, desperation, and humanity’s inherent 
  ability to shape the World Below through the very act 
  of perception. In addition, the World Below saw very 
  few battles, let alone wars, before the Age of the Dying 
  Sun. This is due to the spirits’ inherent (and inexpli-
  cable) inability to violate formalized oaths and prom-
  ises. A rebellious daemon cannot cast off the bonds of 
  vassalage as easily as their human counterpart. One’s 
  word was their bond in more than metaphor, and 
  most of the World Below’s greatest battles were those 
  of wits, rather than arms. 
  When the March came, the Adversary’s subjects 
  did not anticipate the power and desperation of the 
  Moristagian armies. Though cunning and skilled in 
  the magical arts, the daemons were no match for 
  the might of an empire in the throes of despera-
  tion, whose soldiers and generals genuinely believed 
  themselves to be fighting devils in Hell. Every single 
  member of the Old Imperial armies, from the lowli-
  est soldiers to the most esteemed archmages, under-
  stood that surrender meant extinction. The March 
  was the most brutal war in human history, its death 
  toll numbering in the millions. Imperial troops and 
  commanders behaved in ways that would horrify 
  today’s soldiers and scholars: they were insane, cal-
  lous, suicidal in their fanaticism. No sacrifice was 
  too great, and no victory too costly. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  87
  BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE
  “One who becomes a prince through the favour of the people ought to keep them friendly,  
  and this he can easily do seeing they only ask not to be oppressed by him.” 
  Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
  in this pArt of the book, you 
  Will find…
  • Chapter 1: General Advice contains general advice for 
  running a Sunfall game, as well as a brief list of books 
  and other media that may prove helpful or inspiring for 
  players and Game Masters alike. 
  • Chapter 2: Plot Threads and Political Tensions gives 
  insight on how Player Characters may become involved 
  in some of the major conflicts and political tensions of 
  the Sunless Age, as well as a brief note on how to com-
  plicate traditional dungeon crawls. 
  • Chapter 3: Allies and Adversaries lists setting-specific 
  NPC profiles, including those for beasts, clockwork au-
  tomatons, humans, daemons, and the undead.
  PART 4
  
  88
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  ChApter 1: generAl AdviCe
  on bAd behAvior
  This setting lends itself particularly well to bannerless vag-
  abonds, shameless miscreants, and other semi-criminal 
  and unsavory individuals who exist on the very periphery 
  of civil society. One can theoretically run or play in a Sun-
  fall game in which player characters are heroic heroes per-
  forming stunning feats of righteous violence against two-di-
  mensional villains, but why in the world would they? Scam 
  a nobleman. Rob some merchants. Rig an election. Live a 
  little, and dare to be dastardly. 
  on pArty Composition
  As tempting as the idea of a group of an entirely daemonic or 
  entirely undead party sounds, this kind of PC group compo-
  sition can impose significant limitations on the party’s abil-
  ity to interact with certain locations and NPCs. The undead 
  are so widely feared that they are often killed on sight, and 
  exposing oneself as a visitant (or even an unsanctioned 
  pyromancer) in a Mandate city is sure to result in an exor-
  cism or an execution. In addition, stark contrasts between 
  party members can create interesting tensions and narrative 
  opportunities for both the players and the GM.
  on the folly of 
  ArmAments And 
  mAteriAl WeAlth
  Game Masters often feel tempted to grant the player char-
  acters wealth in two forms: weapons and armor, or money 
  (with which characters can buy more armor and more 
  weapons, ad infinitum). While both have their place in any 
  adventure, restricting the loot selection to weapons and 
  money is, in the opinion of this author, a poor choice.
  If the Game Master only gives the party weapons and 
  other combat-oriented items, the players are likely to see the 
  game as a sequence of increasingly difficult combats with a 
  reward at the end. While this can be fun — who doesn't want 
  to see their character grow stronger and more dangerous? 
  — it drastically curbs the need for creativity and non-linear 
  problem-solving and, this author would argue, greatly limits 
  the actions of player characters. A character with a bottle 
  of alchemical epoxy, some fireworks (and a means to light 
  them), and a spool of magically-conductive silver wire will 
  approach a difficult situation very differently than one with 
  a  cuirass and a big magic sword. 
  The same principle applies to valuables that litter the 
  dungeon floors: priceless works of art and piles of money 
  are just not that interesting by themselves. The perfect 
  loot  is both valuable and useful, items that can do more 
  than take up space in a character’s inventory until they sell 
  them. An ornate gold ring with a diamond the size of a 
  robin's egg  is boring, but a gold signet ring bearing the seal 
  of a major noble house from a conveniently distant city is 
  not. It's both expensive and useful — player characters can 
  sell it, wear it as part of a disguise, or use it to forge letters 
  and official documentation. 
  suggested reAding
  For gritty, witty low fantasy taking place in distinctly Early 
  Modern settings, look to works of Joe Abercrombie (Best 
  Served Cold, Red Country, The Heroes) and Scott Lynch’s 
  Gentleman Bastards series (The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red 
  Seas Under Red Skies, Republic of Thieves). Abercrombie 
  in particular tends to write character groups that read like 
  wonderfully scummy RPG parties: in Best Served Cold, a 
  disgraced mercenary, a drunkard, a convict, a poisoner, a 
  hapless foreigner and their assorted hangers-on set out to 
  avenge a hideous betrayal and kill the Grand Duke of a 
  powerful, vaguely Italian city-state...Guy Gavriel Kay’s The 
  Children of Earth and Sky is a gorgeously written low fan-
  tasy novel about a painter from a city that is certainly not 
  Venice, journeying to a city that is certainly not Istanbul to 
  paint a portrait of a man who is certainly not the Ottoman 
  Sultan. It is excellent in its portrayal of Renaissance mer-
  chant republics and of religion during the same time period, 
  in particular the latter’s effect on regional and international 
  politics — all of not-Christendom reels from the recent fall 
  of not-Constantinople to the not-Ottomans, while not-Ven-
  ice sees it as both a political and commercial opportunity. 
      For historical material, conside1r Ruth Goodman’s 
  How to Be a Tudor and How to Behave Badly in Elizabethan 
  England. Both are quick and engaging reads, and while not 
  at all about the Mediterranean world, they provide an excel-
  lent overview of life in 16th century England and enough 
  accounts of rude, crude and criminal behavior to squeeze 
  out at a good number of NPCs and urban encounters. Ian 
  Mortimer’s The Time Traveler’s Guide to Restoration Britain 
  is similarly useful, eminently readable, and exhaustive, cov-
  ering all aspects of English 17th century life from agricul-
  ture to science to food and fashion. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  89
  Finally, for those interested in older material, Mar-
  lowe’s Dr. Faustus and Dante’s Inferno number among the 
  works most responsible for the portrayal of devils and Hell 
  in European literature. Alexandre Dumas’ D’Artagnan 
  Romances (The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years Later, and 
  The Vicomte of Bragelonne) are thrilling visions of adven-
  ture and courtly intrigue, complete with espionage, melo-
  drama, and a scheming Cardinal who codified Bond-style 
  villainy long before Ian Fleming’s novels. (BBC’s Three 
  Musketeers series is also fantastic). Last but not least, John 
  Aubrey’s Brief Lives is a collection of short biographies of 
  the best and brightest of Elizabethan London, from the 
  notorious occultist John Dee to William Shakespeare; and 
  is excellent for generating NPCs on the fly. 
  ChApter 2: plot threAds And 
  politiCAl tensions
  the istriAn gold rush
  A game set in Istria has the potential to be a Western 
  game. All of the building blocks are there — a vast and 
  difficult to police stretch of frontierland, horse-riding 
  daredevils, a gold rush, claim-jumpers and boomtowns 
  and treasure-hunters who would do all manner of ter-
  rible things for the sake of a fortune. Player characters 
  could take on the roles of scholars or graverobbers (or 
  both — in Istria, the difference is academic), hired mus-
  cle protecting the aforementioned scholars and graverob-
  bers, local residents, or individuals committed to resolv-
  ing some of the unfortunate side effects of a gold rush 
  — rampant crime, rising tensions between the Istrian 
  nomads and the newcomers, and dozens, if not hundreds, 
  of ghoul horses rampaging across the steppe. 
  In addition, there is the matter of the owners of the 
  tombs on the steppe — not every grave-robber shoots 
  first and asks questions later, and a group of adventur-
  ers might find themselves trying to communicate with a 
  revenant from a time before the Old Empire. Istrian rev-
  enants are generally not hostile, and individuals this old 
  most certainly need someone to guide them through the 
  vagaries of the Sunless Age and — potentially — protect 
  them from the kind of unscrupulous necromancer who 
  would kill to study a variation on the Rite of Resurrection 
  that can seal a daemon within a casket for millennia and 
  preserve the memories of human revenants for thousands 
  of years. Furthermore, an Istrian survivor might prove 
  helpful in rounding up the undead horses, and may know 
  the location of troves of ancient treasures and knowledge 
  — a location they may be willing to divulge in exchange 
  for continued safety and assistance.
  the WAr of 
  unifiCAtion
  As war ravages the Greater Byssarian, characters could 
  become plausibly deniable catspaws for either side in the 
  conflict. Although the war is seasonal — winter storms 
  greatly complicate the logistics of large-scale land and naval 
  warfare — it doesn’t truly stop. Both Verdurio and his oppo-
  nents make use of spies and saboteurs in the off season to 
  gain the upper hand on the opposition — ideally, without 
  violating the winter armistice. Alternatively, player charac-
  ters could take a more overt role in the conflict, serving as 
  part of a mercenary outfit working for either side. A game 
  centered on the Sulfurite War of Unification would be heavy 
  on both action and travel, regardless of whether the charac-
  ters are sleek intelligence operatives, cunning diplomats, or 
  soldiers on campaign. 
  The motivations of characters participating in the War 
  vary: some might harbor a genuine desire to see one side 
  prevail over the other, and others might see it as an oppor-
  tunity for personal enrichment. (The latter group in par-
  ticular is liable to betray their employers should the enemy 
  offer better pay). Finally, even though the War is not yet a 
  Mandate conflict, the Inquisition in Pagamea takes a keen 
  interest in major shifts in the power balance of the Brim-
  stone Republics. While no Mandate power (with the possi-
  ble exception of Kurtalan) is likely to overtly align itself with 
  one side or the other, they may provide indirect assistance to 
  a power whose victory would benefit Pagamea or the Man-
  date as a whole. Overall, Faithful powers do not want the 
  Republics to become a larger, unified state; while the initial 
  years of King Sabine’s rule would likely be chaotic and his 
  
  90
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  holdings would be too exhausted to compete for mercantile 
  or military dominance of the eastern Byssarian, a Brimstone 
  Kingdom could prove a dangerous enemy if it has time to 
  grow, especially since the Mandate itself seems to be fractur-
  ing on ideological grounds. 
  the fAith & the 
  dissidents
  The conflict at the core of the Faith has its roots in class divi-
  sions, the lack of upward mobility in a society desperately 
  clinging to an ancient social order, growing dissatisfaction 
  with the Mandate as a political institution and the actions 
  of the upper echelons of the clergy. Many Dissident lead-
  ers embrace the Yasarevic gospels because of their politics 
  rather than their religious beliefs: some crave power, oth-
  ers — independence or reform. Many Dissident leaders are 
  quite idealistic, fighting for the common man, but their lofty 
  goals do not always align with the methods they use to attain 
  them.
  Wherever there is a possibility of revolution, there is also 
  the possibility of revolutionary and counter-revolutionary 
  extremism. Both sides have members who are willing to 
  go to shocking lengths for their beliefs, and both sides have 
  members who are willing to compromise these same beliefs 
  for the sake of wealth, power, or survival in a politically 
  unstable environment. The leaders of a rebel government 
  attempting to cement its political or religious legitimacy 
  may become cruel in the process, and seek scapegoats to 
  maintain either popular fervor or popular terror. Half-pa-
  gan peasants, those whose religious peculiarities the Man-
  date chose to overlook, are likely to become the first of these 
  scapegoats as they are both too distant and too powerless to 
  retaliate in any meaningful way. 
      On the Moristagian side, the Inquisition is an institu-
  tion with questionable practices and a long and poorly bur-
  ied history of brutal zealotry. Within Mandate borders, one 
  can think of the Inquisition as a secret police: while they 
  generally don’t stage loud and public raids, they have net-
  works of informants and an ability to make confirmed or 
  even suspected Dissidents disappear. There haven’t been any 
  ostentatious mass purges or exiles, not yet, but it is unlikely 
  these events will not come to pass: the Dissident heresy is 
  not only an ideological threat, but a threat to the Mandate 
  itself, and only time will tell when the high clergy will cave 
  to the Adamant Order’s demands for more drastic measures. 
  dungeons & delvers
  This is where Sunfall is at its most sword-and-sorcery: there 
  is an abundance of ancient ruins, and some of them may 
  even be untouched by the time the player characters reach 
  them. These places are difficult to find, and most likely the 
  former residences, libraries, and vaults of long-dead arch-
  mages or members of Old Imperial nobility. And considering 
  the wealth and power of these ruins’ builders and masters, 
  how jealous they were of their secrets, many of these ruins 
  boast robust security systems: patrols of ensouled automata, 
  traps both mechanical and arcane, and many other dangers 
  beside. Death waits amid these hallowed stones. But so does 
  wealth beyond imagination. 
      The first step of any ham-fisted dungeoneering adven-
  ture is finding the treasure, and the oft-neglected last is fig-
  uring out what to do with it. A small mountain of gold ingots 
  each the size of a baby, an arcane weapons installation, or a 
  vast library full of ciphered magic books are fantastic finds 
  in theory, but they’re not very liquid or immediately use-
  ful forms of wealth. Revealing or even knowing the location 
  of such treasure-vaults can create interesting and perilous 
  complications for the player characters. Having completed 
  a grueling trek across the wilderness and bypassed many an 
  ancient trap, the heroes arrive in the inner sanctum of the 
  Library of Artaxerxes to discover that every book in the col-
  lection is made of solid gold. It is the greatest find of the cen-
  tury, unthinkable riches and secret knowledge, but it would 
  take a lifetime to copy the books to paper, and each indi-
  vidual text is so heavy that transporting even a few across 
  the mountain passes would be an incredibly difficult task. 
  Meanwhile, a larger and far better equipped group of rival 
  treasure-hunters has spotted the ruin, and is likely to try and 
  eliminate any and all competition...
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  91
  ChApter 3: Allies And AdversAries
  beAsts
  boAr (minion)
  Large. Dangerous. Delicious. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  5
  0 0
  Skills (Group): Brawl, Vigilance
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities: 
  • Goring Charge: A group of boars engaged with an ene-
  my may sacrifice one of its number to add 4 damage to 
  its next attack as an incidental.
  Equipment:
  • Tusks: Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Vicious 1, Knockdown.
  ghoul horse (rivAl)
  The loyal companions and war steeds of the kings, queens, and 
  nobles of the Golden Horse People, these beasts have followed 
  their riders into an existence beyond death. Now masterless, 
  they roam the steppes, trampling and devouring every living 
  thing that crosses their path, indefatigable and driven by a 
  hunger that can never be sated. They are hard to distinguish 
  from ordinary horses at a distance — decay touched them 
  lightly and left them beautiful, with slender legs and pale gold 
  coats. Some of them even lower their heads to the ground, as 
  if grazing (undoubtedly some old instinct from better, sunlit 
  days). But should one come closer, they would see that the 
  beasts’ heads are grinning, fleshless skulls. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  4
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 2, Coordination 2, Brawl 3, Survival 2, 
  Vigilance 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • Silhouette 2
  Abilities:
  • Terrifying: At the start of the encounter, all characters 
  must make an Average (kk) Fear check.
  • Charge!: If a ghoul horse spends a maneuver moving 
  towards an opponent, its next attack targeting that op-
  ponent gains j and the Knockdown quality. 
  • Devourer: A ghoul horse inflicts 3 additional damage 
  on prone or immobilized targets. 
  • Master?: After engaging a revenant that has not attacked 
  it first, a ghoul horse must make an Average (kk) Dis-
  cipline check as an incidental in order to attack. If it 
  fails, it must choose the closest living opponent instead. 
  • Undead: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; im-
  mune to poisons and toxins and can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  Equipment:  
  • Hooves and teeth: Melee; Damage 7; Critical 4; Range 
  (Engaged); Vicious 2.
  inAmorAtA (rivAl)
  Vicious, pony-sized invisible predators that stalk the deep 
  woods. They often hunt in pairs, and are notorious for 
  their uncanny intelligence, their ability to mimic human 
  speech, and their taste for human flesh. When a pair hunts, 
  one mimics a sound likely to attract human attention — an 
  infant’s cry, perhaps — and draws unsuspecting prey deeper 
  into the woods, while its partner closes in. 
  When killed, an inamorata slowly fades into visibility, 
  revealing its true form: a rangy fox with a gleaming, pearles-
  cent white coat and two deformed heads at the end of a 
  crooked, elongated neck. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  4
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  16
  1 1
  Skills: Brawl 3, Deception 2, Perception 2, Stealth 3, 
  Survival 2
  Talents: 
  • Silhouette 2
  Abilities:
  • Mimicry: An inamorata may spend a Story Point to 
  mimic the voice of someone beloved to a player char-
  acter of the GM’s choice, upgrading the difficulty of any 
  checks made against the inamorata’s Deception twice.  
  
  92
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  • Invisibility: Add jjj to any checks made to detect 
  an inamorata that has not yet acted in the encounter. 
  Unless detected, an inamorata may use Stealth instead 
  of Cool or Vigilance to determine initiative. 
  • Vanish: After performing a check, an inamorata may spend 
  aa or t to hide from all characters in the encounter.
  Equipment:
  • Fangs: Brawl; Damage 7; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Knockdown, Vicious 2.
  mAmmoth (rivAl)
  The resurrection of the mammoth from a single preserved 
  tusk and Ammuniri elephant stock is one of the greatest 
  achievements of the Elder Science during the Dying Sun. 
  Now, these shaggy giants roam the Southern Continent 
  and, bizarrely, the northernmost reaches of the Istrian Plain. 
  They are intelligent animals, but prone to nigh-unstoppa-
  ble rages during the spring and summer: a farmer hates the 
  mammoth the same way a shepherd hates the wolf. Many 
  protectorates and nomad clans on the plains both north and 
  south mount expeditions to thin the herds, save their crops, 
  and make a little coin off the meat and ivory. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  4
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  6
  25
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Survival 3, Vigilance 3
  Talents: 
  • Silhouette 3
  Abilities:
  • Terrifying: At the start of the encounter, all opponents 
  must make an Average (kk) fear check. 
  • Charge: If a mammoth spends its maneuver moving to-
  wards an opponent, it may add jj to its attack against 
  that opponent. If the check succeeds, a mammoth may 
  spend aa to shove an opponent one range band away 
  from itself. 
  • Trample: A mammoth inflicts an additional 4 damage 
  and 4 strain damage on prone or immobilized targets. 
  Equipment:
  • Tusks: Brawl; Damage 8; Critical 2, Range (Engaged); 
  Disorient 2, Knockdown; may spend aa to knock 
  down all characters engaged with the target.
  tiger (rivAl)
  Tigers are not native to the mountains of the Byssarian; lions 
  are. The lion, however, is a sickly curiosity in the menag-
  erie of a queen or nobleman, and the tiger — an unfortunate 
  reality of life in the wilderness. For the most part, tigers are 
  solitary and territorial, though one may sometimes stumble 
  upon a mother tiger and two or three of her near-adult cubs. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Coordination 3, Survival 3, 
  Resilience 1
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Pounce: A tiger may spend aa generated on an ini-
  tiative check to gain a free maneuver on the first round. 
  If a tiger spends a maneuver moving towards a charac-
  ter and then succeeds on a combat check against that 
  same character, the attack gains the Knockdown quality. 
  • Maul: A tiger adds jj to all combat checks targeting 
  prone or immobilized opponents. 
  Equipment: 
  • Fangs and claws: Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 2, Range 
  (Engaged); Pierce 2, Vicious 2
  tyrAnt oWl (rivAl)
  Tyrant owls are massive creatures, tenuously related to Old 
  World eagle owls, but pitch-black in plumage and dappled 
  white and gray. Their wings are broad and soft; in flight, they 
  are silent as ghosts. Despite their impressive size, they are rather 
  light — strong enough to lift a deer or small horse off the ground 
  in their talons, but not strong enough to carry it. A tyrant owl 
  hunts travelers the same way an eagle hunts a tortoise, swoop-
  ing in, lifting its prey high, and letting gravity do the rest.
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  13
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 3, Brawl 2, Stealth 3, Survival 2, Perception 2
  Talents: 
  • Wasteland Instincts: Use Survival instead of Cool or 
  Vigilance to determine initiative while in the wilderness.
  • Silhouette 2
  Abilities:
  • Flyer: This creature can fly. 
  • Keen Eyes: A tyrant owl may remove up to jj from skill 
  checks imposed by darkness or low-light conditions. 
  • Swoop Attack: After making a Brawl combat check, a tyrant 
  may move from Engaged to Short range as an incidental. 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  93
  • Lift: A tyrant owl may spend its maneuver to move an 
  Ensnared target by 1 range band in any direction, in-
  cluding up. 
  Equipment:  
  • Talons: Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Ensnare 2, Pierce 2; (the tyrant may not use its talons if 
  it has triggered the Ensnare quality).
  • Beak: Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 2; Range (Engaged);  
  Pierce 1, Vicious 2.
  Wolf (minion)
  There is no sound more chilling than the long, lilting howl 
  of a pack of wolves reverberating through the high passes. 
  Use the same Adversary Profile for dogs. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  2
  4
  0 0
  Skills (Group): Brawl, Survival, Perception
  Talents:
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Keen Hearing & Smell: Add j to all Perception checks 
  relying on scent or sound. 
  • Maul: Wolves add jj to all checks made against prone 
  or immobilized opponents. 
  Equipment:
  • Fangs: Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Vicious 2.
  Wolverine (rivAl)
  An adult wolverine is a stocky, fuzzy animal the size of a 
  medium dog, weighing somewhere around 25 kilograms. 
  This does not stop the adult wolverine from routinely dis-
  emboweling elk. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  10
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3,  Survival 2, Perception 2, Vigi-
  lance 3
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Frenzy: Once a wolverine suffers Wounds or a Critical In-
  jury, it may reduce the Critical Rating of all its attacks by 1.
  • Tenacious: Once per encounter, a wolverine may spend 
  a Story Point as an out-of-turn incidental to avoid be-
  coming incapacitated due to exceeding its Wound 
  threshold,  instead suffering Wounds up to its Wound 
  Threshold - 1. 
  Equipment: 
  • Fangs and Claws: Brawl; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Vicious 2.
  ConstruCts
  CloCkWork beAst (minion)
  Whether they’re long-legged mechanical birds, apes, or 
  watchdogs, clockwork beasts are works of art and miracles 
  of the Elder Science. Many wealthy households use them 
  as guardians, but some view them as pets and companions. 
  Each one is powered by animating essence from an animal 
  sacrificed during their creation, but must be wound up once 
  per day to function at full capacity. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  4
  0 0
  Skills (Group): Brawl, Perception, Vigilance
  Talents:
  • Silhouette 0
  Abilities:
  • Mechanical: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; 
  immune to poisons and toxins, can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  • Ornamental: When inert, clockwork beasts add j to 
  all Perception checks an opponent makes to spot them. 
  Equipment:  
  • Beak, fangs or fists: Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 4; Range 
  (Engaged), Vicious 1, Disorient 2.
  CloCkWork soldier (minion)
  The clockwork soldiers of the Blessed and Sunless Ages are 
  a pale imitation of the Old Empire’s Immortal army: though 
  they are mechanically sophisticated, the enchantments 
  binding spirit to bronze are too crude to permit much in 
  the way of strength or independent thought. Each group of 
  three to five soldiers is called a Hand, and all soldiers in a 
  Hand share a single human soul, divided among its machine 
  vessels. As the process of manufacturing a clockwork soldier 
  is both lengthier and costlier than training and equipping 
  a human one, a platoon of clockworks is more of a show of 
  wealth and power than a viable fighting force. 
  
  94
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  5
  1 1
  Skills (Group): Melee, Ranged (Mechanical)
  Talents:
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Mechanical: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; 
  immune to poisons and toxins, can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  • Strength in Numbers: Clockwork soldiers add j to all 
  combat checks targeting an opponent who is engaged 
  with at least two friendly constructs, and j when the 
  opponent is not engaged with any machines at all. 
  Equipment:
  • Spear: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Accurate 1, Defensive 1.
  • Ancient crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 7; Critical 
  2; Range (Medium); Pierce 1, Prepare 1
  immortAl (rivAl)
  The vast majority of the Immortals are gone, either lost or 
  destroyed during the Dying Sun, but a few stragglers remain 
  — entombed, hidden away, or on display in the homes of 
  ostentatiously wealthy collectors. They are much heavier 
  than their modern clockwork counterparts, yet more grace-
  ful and lifelike, closer to classical statues than crude autom-
  atons. Their makers fashioned them in the likeness of Old 
  Imperial soldiers and officers, but faceless and eyeless, with 
  only a smooth, matte pane of metal where a face ought to 
  be. Unlike newer constructs, genuine Immortals sometimes 
  have something akin to personalities and are capable of dis-
  obeying direct orders, although the latter is likely the result 
  of  the sheer age of their enchantments and the absence of 
  the Old Imperial mages and officers capable of commanding 
  the bronze legions. Every one of these ancient machines has 
  a fascination with flowers and other beautiful things, and 
  a violent hatred of mirrors and other reflective surfaces, 
  which they smash until nothing remains. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  4
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  17
  2 1
  Skills: Athletics 2, Discipline 1, Melee 2, Vigilance 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • Swift: This character may ignore difficult terrain.
  Abilities:
  • Mechanical: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; 
  immune to poisons and toxins, can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  • Breathless Terror: When an Immortal incapacitates or 
  inflicts a Critical Injury on an opponent, all other oppo-
  nents in Short range must make an Average (kk) fear 
  check as an out-of-turn incidental. On failure, charac-
  ters lose their free maneuver on their next turn in addi-
  tion to the normal effects of the Fear check. 
  • Loathsome Reflection: If an Immortal glimpses itself 
  in a mirror or another reflective surface (such as an op-
  ponent’s metal breastplate), it must make an Average 
  (kk) Discipline check. If it fails the check, the Immor-
  tal must spend its next action attacking the mirror or 
  surface to the best of its ability; if the surface in question 
  is an opponent’s armor, the Immortal adds j to its next 
  combat check targeting that opponent. 
  Equipment: 
  • Ancient sword: Melee; Damage 7; Critical 2; Range 
  (Engaged); Defensive 1.
  • Shield: Melee; Damage 4; Critical 6; Range (Engaged); 
  Defensive 1, Deflection 1, Knockdown
  oCulus (minion)
  Peculiar, spherical machines that patrol some Old World 
  ruins, hovering without wings or any visible mechanism 
  of propulsion.  Mostly harmless, save for their ability to 
  soundlessly call their allies if they detect an intruder. Some 
  wealthy individuals use jury-rigged oculi as watchdogs for 
  their facilities, estates, and holdings. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  1
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  2
  4
  1 1
  Skills (Group): Ranged (Mech.), Perception, Vigilance
  Talents:
  • Silhouette 0
  Abilities:
  • Mechanical: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; 
  immune to poisons and toxins, can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  • Flyer: Can move in all 3 dimensions! Must spend a ma-
  neuver to move in order to keep aloft. 
  • Intruders!: On a failed Stealth check against the oculus, 
  the oculus may alert all other automations in the area 
  as an action on its turn. On a failed Stealth check with 
  hhh or d, the oculus alerts its allies immediately 
  before the start of the encounter.
  Equipment:  
  • Beamcaster Lens: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 5; Critical 
  3; Range (Medium); Pierce 2.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  95
  humAns, visitAnts & 
  the undeAd
  AgAres (nemesis)
  The weary and severe Prince of Livadi, Agares is a relic of a 
  time before the Old Empire, a vizier to an ancient dynasty 
  buried with its last and greatest king. The arcane seals on 
  his casket kept him in a state of torpor, sparing him from 
  hunger and dissolution. This allowed him to emerge with 
  his memory and faculties intact when a particularly unfor-
  tunate graverobber broke the seal on his casket. Once 
  freed, Agares, alone in a world so different from the one he 
  remembered, possessed, fought, and schemed his way into a 
  position of power in the city-state of Livadi. As Prince, he is 
  intent on dragging Livadi into a golden age whether it wants 
  one or not. 
  His Excellency’s obsessive devotion to his city is similar 
  to how many other spirits feel about food, drink, violence, 
  or the pleasures of the flesh. Agares dresses plainly, never 
  drinks, and eats only because his body would perish if he 
  did not. He adores the process of government, and clings to 
  his work as a cure for grief and the last shred of familiarity 
  in the Sunless Age. Though he has no interest in the kind 
  of dictatorial showmanship and opulence that so tempts 
  human rulers, Agares has no qualms about brutally sup-
  pressing dissent, quietly removing vocal political opponents, 
  and fueling an already devastating war in the west and the 
  south by remaining neutral and selling arms to both sides. 
  2
  Willpower
  4
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  4
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  5
  15
  14
  1 1
  Skills: Cool 3, Charm 1, Deception 3, Discipline 3, Knowl-
  edge (Chthonic) 3, Leadership 3, Negotiation 3, Melee 2, 
  Pyromancy 4, Skulduggery 3
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 2: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Natural Leader: Prince Agares’ allies add a to all skill 
  checks they make within Short range of the Prince; op-
  ponents in Short range add h instead. 
  • Cold Disdain: Whenever another character in Short 
  range or closer fails a social check targeting the Prince, 
  they suffer 2 Strain. 
  • The Flesh is Weak: When Agares exceeds his Wound 
  or Strain thresholds, he may spend a Story Point as an 
  incidental to abandon his body and escape. 
  • Daemonic Alacrity: The Prince may choose two targets 
  in Short range and make a Hard (kkk) Pyromancy 
  check. If the check is successful, the targets can perform 
  2 maneuvers and an action per turn without incur-
  ring the Strain cost, and increase the ability of any skill 
  checks they make by 1. This effect is sustained as long as 
  Agares maintains concentration. 
  Equipment:
  • Sword cane: Melee; Damage 5 ; Critical 2; Range (En-
  gaged); Concealed 1, Defensive 1
  • Fine coat: +1 soak
  ArCAne engineer (rivAl)
  Grease-stained individuals with diplomas from prestigious 
  universities. Arcane engineers don’t have the talent or the 
  connections that would allow them to make a living prac-
  ticing the magical arts alone, but they are skilled enough 
  mechanics to sustain themselves by tending to their wealthy 
  employers’ clockwork armies and menageries. 
  3
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Cool 1, Discipline 2, Knowledge (Scholarly 1) Knowl-
  edge (Thaumaturgical) 2, Mechanics 3, Ranged (Mechani-
  cal) 1, Thaumaturgy 1, Vigilance 2
  Talents:  
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Adversary Spellcasting 2: An Arcane Engineer can cast 
  2 spells per encounter without incurring the Wound cost.
  • Battlefield Repairs: An Arcane Engineer can make a 
  Hard (kkk) Mechanics check to revive a downed con-
  struct as an action. If the check is successful, the con-
  struct heals 3 wounds plus 1 wound per each uncan-
  celled s and aa and may stand up from prone as 
  an incidental. 
  Equipment:  
  • Boltless runelock: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 8; Critical 
  2; Range (Medium); Ensnare 1, Stun Setting, Prepare 1.
  • Sturdy vestments: +1 Soak
  • Engineer’s toolkit. 
  CuirAssier (rivAl)
  Heavy cavalry for the modern day, cuirassiers and 
  demi-lancers bring the romantic image of the Blessed Age 
  knight together with the latest advances in arcane weaponry. 
  Instead of wearing a full suit of plate like their predecessors, 
  cuirassiers limit themselves to a well-made chest piece, tas-
  sets, and a helm, sacrificing armor for fluidity of movement 
  and a lessened risk of freezing solid in a sleet storm.
  
  96
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  3
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  15
  2 2
  Skills: Athletics 2, Discipline 2, Leadership 1, Melee 3, 
  Ranged (Mechanical) 2, Resilience 2, Riding 3, Vigilance 2
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • None.
  Equipment: 
  • Cavalry sabre: Melee; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range (En-
  gaged); Defensive 1 
  • Heavy runelock: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 9; Critical 
  3; Range (Medium); Accurate 1, Stun Setting, Prepare 1.
  • Engraved cuirass: +1 defense, +2 soak
  • Volume of romantic poetry (dog-eared, with floral 
  bookmark). 
  delver (rivAl)
  Wasteland scavengers, self-styled scholars and survivalists 
  on the hunt for Old World salvage, treasures, and anything 
  else that could possibly fetch a decent price on the market. 
  Clever, resourceful, superstitious and furtive. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Ranged (Mechanical) 2, Melee 3, Knowledge (Old 
  World) 2, Mechanics 2, Survival 2, Perception 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Jury-Rig: Delvers add j to all Mechanics checks they 
  make to repair, build or maintain weaponry and Old 
  World machinery. 
  Equipment:
  • Repeating hand crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 6 
  Critical 2; Range (Medium); Limited Ammo 3, Superi-
  or, Unreliable
  • Spear-thrower: Ranged (Arch.); Damage 5; Critical 4; 
  Range (Medium); Defensive 1
  • Spear: Melee; Damage 5 ; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Accurate 1, Defensive 1.
  • Heavy clothing: +1 soak
  • Rich Delver, Poor Delver (pamphlet; educational).
  exorCist (rivAl) 
  A pyromancer specializing in exorcism — either an adher-
  ent of the Faith, a Sulfurite practitioner, a Wasteland fire-
  caller, or something else entirely. Whoever they are, they 
  negotiate the boundary between the Worlds with skill and 
  finesse and are experienced in the matters of expelling for-
  eign spirits from their hapless clients. 
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  12
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  16
  0 0
  Skills: Charm 2, Knowledge (Chthonic) 3, Melee 2, Negoti-
  ation 2, Pyromancy 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Adversary Spellcasting 2: An exorcist can cast 2 spells 
  per encounter without incurring the Wound cost.
  • Spiritualist: An exorcist may add j to any check they 
  make to determine if a character is possessed or a visitant. 
  Equipment:  
  • Ceremonial dagger: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; 
  Range (Engaged); Accurate 1
  • Thick overcoat: +1 soak.
  footpAd (minion)
  Bandits and highwaymen preying on merchants in the 
  Wastes, or common criminals stalking the back alleys 
  and seedy neighborhoods of protectorate townships and 
  city-states. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  4
  1 0
  Skills (Group Only): Coercion, Melee, Ranged (Mech.), 
  Skulduggery
  Talents:
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Eat the Rich: Footpads add aa to any combat check they 
  make against wealthy or apparently wealthy opponents. 
  Equipment:
  • Light crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); 6 Damage; Critical 3; 
  Range (Medium); Pierce 1, Prepare 1
  • Dirk: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Defensive 1.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  97
  inCAndesCent (nemesis)
  A mage in the final stages of Incandescence. Most of the 
  flesh is gone, and now the spirit is ripe for dissolution. It 
  burns brightly in the visible spectra, hazing the pitiful, with-
  ered remains of the Incandescent’s body in a cobalt glow. 
  Their very presence chills the air. Plants wither and animals 
  flee, but humans and daemons alike cannot resist the allure 
  of a soul so radiant: every Incandescent has a small coterie 
  of non-Incandescent thralls, who follow their mad masters 
  until either they or the Incandescent perish. 
  Every Incandescent is preoccupied with craftsmanship 
  and creation, though that creation is usually nonsensical 
  and always harmful to those around them: rampaging con-
  structs, chains of thaumaturgical sigils, maddening writings. 
  Despite their obvious intelligence and skill, the Incandes-
  cent are terrible conversationalists. When they deign to 
  speak, their words are the incoherent ravings of madmen. 
  Each Incandescent’s ravings are unique and usually related 
  to their Great Work, but most of them seem to be obsessed 
  with the “Invisible Sun” that shines “behind the world”. 
  4
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  4
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  6
  18
  15
  0 0
  Skills: Brawl 3, Knowledge (Old World) 2, Knowledge 
  (Thaumaturgical) 4, Mechanics 5, Thaumaturgy 4
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 2: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character twice.
  Abilities:
  • Radiant Soul: The Incandescent can make an Average 
  (kk) Willpower check as an action. If successful, all 
  opponents within Long range who can see the Incan-
  descent suffer 1 strain per s. If the check generates t, 
  the Incandescent may choose to immobilize one target; 
  if the check generates aa, the Incandescent can Stag-
  ger a target until the end of the next round. Staggered 
  targets must spend their free maneuver moving toward 
  the Incandescent. 
  • Freezing Aura: A character who begins their turn with-
  in Short range of the Incandescent suffers 1 Wound and 
  2 Strain. 
  • Gnosis: Once per encounter, an Incandescent can spend 
  a Story Point to reroll the dice pool after making a check. 
  • Logos: An Incandescent reduces the difficulty of all 
  Thaumaturgy checks they make by 1, to a minimum of 1. 
  • Dissolution: When the Incandescent dies, all characters 
  in Short range must make a Hard (kkk) Discipline 
  check. A character suffers 1 strain for every uncancelled 
  f and h generated on this check; on a d, the affected 
  character must make a Daunting (kkkk) fear check 
  as the last scraps of the Incandescent’s fevered essence 
  tries to take root in their mind. 
  Equipment:  
  • Fists and teeth: Brawl; Damage 5; Crit 4; Range (En-
  gaged); Inaccurate 1, Vicious 1.
  inquisitor (nemesis)
  The Mandate’s official authority does not extend beyond the 
  borders of its lands, but its Inquisition is not quite so con-
  strained by political boundaries. Their agents travel wide, 
  serving as spies, investigators, and — on rare and grievous 
  occasion  — assassins. 
  4
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  4
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  3
  16
  16
  1 1
  Skills: Cool 2, Coercion 3, Deception 3, Knowledge (Schol-
  arly) 3, Ranged (Mech.) 3, Stealth 3, Skulduggery 2, Street-
  wise 3, Vigilance 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 3: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character three times.
  • Scathing Tirade: The Inquisitor may use this talent to 
  make an Average (kk) Coercion check. For each s 
  the check generates, one enemy within short range suf-
  fers 1 strain. For each a, one enemy affected by Scath-
  ing Tirade suffers 1 additional strain.
  Abilities:
  • Trained Eye: If a Charm or Deception check targeting 
  the Inquisitor generates any uncancelled h, the Inquis-
  itor may spend a Story Point as an out-of-turn inciden-
  tal to double the number of h generated. 
  • Spy Network: An Inquisitor may spend hhh or d 
  from any check a character makes in public to learn 
  their present location. 
  • Turn the Screws: An Inquisitor adds s to all Coercion 
  checks they make. 
  Equipment:
  • Sword cane: Melee; Damage 5 ; Critical 2; Range (En-
  gaged); Concealed 1, Defensive 1.
  • Wrist-mounted poison dart gun: Ranged (Mech.); 
  Damage 6; Critical 3; Range (Short); Subtle, Limited 
  Ammo 3; upon a successful attack target must make 
  a Hard (kkk) Resilience check, suffering 4 damage 
  on failure. If the check generates hh or d, the target 
  must repeat the check next round on their turn.
  • Drab coat: soak +1. 
  
  98
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  fAithful noble (rivAl)
  An individual of higher standing, blessed by the Name to 
  be born into a position of power and privilege. Or so they 
  believe themselves to be.
  3
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  15
  1 1
  Skills: Charm 3, Knowledge (Scholarly) 2, Leadership 2, 
  Melee 2,  Negotiation 2.
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • Scathing Tirade: The Faithful Noble may use this talent 
  to make an Average (kk) Coercion check. For each s 
  the check generates, one enemy within short range suf-
  fers 1 strain. For each a, one enemy affected by Scath-
  ing Tirade suffers 1 additional strain.
  Abilities:
  • Commanding Presence: Once per encounter, a Faith-
  ful noble can spend a Story Point to add f  or hh to 
  another character’s next social skill check. 
  Equipment:  
  • Heirloom sword: Melee; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Defensive 1.
  • Fine clothing: soak +1.
  ghoul (rivAl)
  A genial, smiling stranger who happens to be an undead 
  abomination with few desires beyond befriending and 
  later cannibalizing almost every human they meet. They’re 
  almost impossible to distinguish from ordinary, living peo-
  ple — the only thing that marks their wretched nature are 
  the arcane tattoos on their limbs and torsos, which they hide 
  under clothing and bandages. 
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  14
  1 1
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Charm 1, Deception 2, Leader-
  ship 2, Resilience 1
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Strength of Body: As an incidental, a ghoul may suffer 
  1 Wound to add s and a to their next Brawl or Ath-
  letics check. 
  • Bloodthirst: As an action, a ghoul may make a bite 
  attack (Brawl; Damage 4; Critical 4; Range (Engaged), 
  Vicious 1) and heal a number of Wounds equal to the 
  damage inflicted with the bite. 
  • Undead: Does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; im-
  mune to poisons and toxins and can survive in cold or 
  underwater conditions. 
  Equipment:  
  • Honed dagger: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Pierce 2
  • Winter coat: soak +1.
  guArd  (minion)
  Law and order in theory, a uniformed protection racket in 
  practice. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  4
  1 1
  Skills: (Group Only) Coercion, Melee, Vigilance
  Talents:
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Reinforcements!: Once per encounter, guards can 
  spend hh or d from an opponent’s check to sum-
  mon a Minion group of 3 more guards.
  Equipment:  
  • Standard-issue sword: Melee; Damage 6; Crit 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Defensive 1
  • Uniform cuirass: +1 soak.
  • Badge and manacles. 
  guArd CAptAin (rivAl)
  Officers in charge of a detachment of regular guards, the 
  night watch, or the personal security of a wealthy family. 
  These individuals are often intimately acquainted with the 
  specifics and peculiarities of their respective jurisdictions, 
  though their position as law enforcement and authority fig-
  ures makes them untrustworthy in the eyes of many.
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  6
  14
  1 1
  Skills: Charm 1, Coercion 1, Leadership 2, Melee 2, Ranged 
  (Mech.), 2 Streetwise 3, Vigilance 1. 
  Talents:
  • None.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  99
  Abilities:
  • Mean Streets: A guard captain adds s and h to all 
  Streetwise checks they make. 
  • Dubious Evidence: A guard captain can spend hhh 
  or d from any character’s check to find or create tenta-
  tive evidence of a crime, real or imagined — not enough 
  to convict, but enough to arouse suspicion.  The precise 
  nature of this crime depends entirely on the environ-
  ment and the ongoing narrative, and can be anything 
  from petty theft or tax fraud to serial murder. 
  Equipment:  
  • Standard-issue sword: Melee; Damage 6; Crit 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Defensive 1.
  • Crossbow: Ranged (Mech); Dam 7; Crit 3; Range (Me-
  dium); Pierce 1, Prepare 1
  • Captain’s cuirass: +1 soak.
  • Official badge. 
  mAge Adept (rivAl)
  A professional thaumaturge who graduated from a uni-
  versity or pursued a course of self-study with enough pig-
  headed determination to gain a degree of magical prowess.
  3
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  2
  14
  1 1
  Skills: Discipline 2, Knowledge (Thaumaturgical) 2, Knowl-
  edge (Scholarly) 2,  Mechanics 2, Thaumaturgy 3
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Adversary Spellcasting 3: A mage adept can cast 3 
  spells per encounter without incurring the Wound cost.
  Equipment:  
  • Dagger: Melee; Damage 4; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Accurate 1.
  • Fine coat: +1 defense.
  merCenAry (minion)
  “Mercenaries are disunited, thirsty for power, undisciplined, 
  and disloyal...they have no fear of God, they do not keep faith 
  with their fellow men; they avoid defeat just as long as they 
  avoid battle; in peacetime you are despoiled by them and in 
  wartime by the enemy.”
  - Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  5
  1 1
  Skills: (Group Only) Athletics, Brawl, Melee, Ranged (Mech.)
  Talents:  
  • None
  Abilities:
  • Cowardice: Without a Mercenary Veteran or Captain 
  present or when outnumbered, mercenaries upgrade all 
  incoming Coercion checks once. 
  • Hired Muscle: Mercenaries add a to all combat 
  checks targeting an opponent they have been hired to 
  kill or capture. 
  Equipment:  
  • Sword: Melee; 6 Damage; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Defensive 1
  • Crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 7; Critical 2; 
  Range (Long); Pierce 1.
  • Brigandine: +1 soak, +1 defense.
  merCenAry veterAn (rivAl)
  Head and shoulders above rank-and-file killers, mercenary 
  veterans carry state of the art weaponry and collect twice the 
  pay of their unseasoned counterparts. 
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  15
  1 1
  Skills: Athletics 2, Coercion 2, Brawl 1, Melee 2, Ranged 
  (Mech.) 3
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • Quick Draw: Once per round, may draw or holster an 
  easily accessible weapon as an incidental.
  Abilities:
  • Hired Muscle: Mercenary veterans add a to all com-
  bat checks targeting an opponent they have been hired 
  to kill or capture. 
  Equipment:  
  • Pyromantic blunderbuss: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 6; 
  Critical 3; Range [Extreme]; Accurate 1, Burn 3, Limit-
  ed Ammo 2.
  • Sword: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); 
  Defensive 1.
  • Brigandine: +1 soak, +1 defense.
  
  100
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  merCenAry CAptAin (nemesis)
  The commanding officers of the numerous free companies 
  plying their bloody trade on the shores of the Byssarian Seas 
  are as skilled in matters of money as they are in the matters 
  of war. Many of these captains have a reputation for cunning 
  and pragmatism, and care little for battlefield valor. They 
  are also infamous for their capriciousness: the loyalty of a 
  mercenary is directly proportional to the generosity of their 
  employer, and very few captains see anything objectionable 
  about defecting to the richer side in the middle of a war. 
  Still, there’s some romance to the profession — renowned 
  captains are larger-than-life characters, men and women 
  who live sumptuously, dress ostentatiously, and rarely speak 
  about the burning and pillaging in public. 
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  4
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  4
  20
  12
  2 2
  Skills: Coercion 3, Cool 3, Deception 3, Leadership 2, 
  Negotiation 3, Ranged (Mech.) 3, Melee 3, Resilience 2, 
  Skulduggery 3
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • School of the Rose: Use Agility instead of Brawn to de-
  termine the dice pool when making Melee checks.
  • Vicious Thorns: All Melee attacks gain the Vicious 2 
  quality, or increase their Vicious quality by 2.
  • Scathing Tirade (Improved): The Mercenary Captain 
  may use this talent to make an Average (kk) Coer-
  cion check. For each s the check generates, one ene-
  my within short range suffers 1 strain. For each a, one 
  enemy affected by Scathing Tirade suffers 1 additional 
  strain. Additionally, enemies affected by this add j to 
  all skill checks they make for 3 rounds.
  Abilities:
  • Get ‘em!: A mercenary captain may spend a maneu-
  ver giving orders to all Minions and Rivals under their 
  command in Short range, granting them j on their 
  next check. 
  Equipment:  
  • Arbalest: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 9;  Critical 2; Range 
  (Long); Prepare 1, Pierce 2.
  • Fine sword: Melee; Damage 6; Critical 3; Range (En-
  gaged), Defensive 1.
  • Cuirass: +1 soak, +2 defense.
  • Ego: bloated.
  myrneAn rAider (minion)
  Unlike ordinary pirates, those who sail under the red hawk 
  of Myrnos rarely, if ever, fight to kill. They fight to capture 
  — the Wolf Gate of Myrnos hungers for souls, and each and 
  every one of them must bring back one sacrificial captive 
  before the end of the year. If enough of them do not, the 
  Gate will close and their Republic will die. As is the custom 
  in Myrnos, all Myrnean raiders wear masks — carved and 
  painted war-faces, in their case; grinning ogres and snarling 
  gorgons. 
  2
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  1
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  4
  1 1
  Skills (Group Only): Coercion, Coordination, Melee, 
  Ranged (Archaic), Stealth
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • War-face: Myrnean raiders add aa to all Coercion 
  checks they make. 
  • Net: As an action, a Myrnean raider may make a net 
  attack (Melee; Damage 3; Critical 6; Range (Engaged); 
  Ensnare 2, Knockdown). 
  Equipment:  
  • Spear: Melee;  Damage 5; Critical 2; Range (Engaged); 
  Defensive 1.
  • Shortbow: Ranged (Arch.; Damage 7; Critical 3; Range 
  (Medium); Unwieldy 3; Subtle.
  possessed berserker (rivAl)
  Most daemons possess mortal vessels for pleasure of one 
  kind or another, and some think that bloodshed is the fin-
  est of all pleasures. These spirits have nothing to fear from 
  death. They face it, court it, laugh in its face. Many of their 
  fellows call them mad, but they laugh at that, too. Only a 
  fool sees madness where there is only joy. 
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  16
  1 1
  Skills: Melee 2, Knowledge (Chthonic) 2, Pyromancy 3, 
  Ranged (Archaic) 1
  Talents: 
  • None.
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  101
  Abilities:
  • Adversary Casting 1: A possessed berserker may cast 1 
  spell without incurring the wound cost. 
  • Final Conflagration: If a possessed berserker who is 
  engaged with an opponent has suffered more than 10 
  wounds, they may choose to sacrifice themselves as an 
  incidental. Their next (and last) attack deals an addi-
  tional 6 damage and has a Burn quality of 2. 
  • Dauntless: Berserkers upgrade the ability of Discipline 
  checks they make to resist fear or intimidation twice. 
  Equipment:  
  • Axe: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (Engaged); Vi-
  cious 2.
  • Javelins: Ranged (Arch.); Damage 5; Critical 3; Range 
  (Short); Accurate 1, Limited Ammo 2.
  • Furs: +1 defense. 
  possessed monkey (minion)
  Whoever imported and released monkeys in the Byssarian 
  is second only to the Adversary in their wickedness, and the 
  monkey itself is beyond a doubt an invention of the Devil 
  — consider the eyes, the hands, the buttocks! Would the 
  Name have made such a crude and blasphemous parody of 
  the human form? It’s no wonder that imps, the lowliest of all 
  devils, possess them so often.
  Unlike good Faithful folk, mercenary captains love pos-
  sessed monkeys. They are a cheap, disposable, and renewable 
  workforce. They breed quickly, and gladly eat the corpses of 
  their fellow monkeys if times are scarce. More importantly, 
  they’re very strong for their size, and very nimble; smart 
  enough to dig latrines, climb the walls of besieged cities and 
  wind up runelock cannons, yet stupid enough to do all of 
  the above for a bottle of rotgut spirits and a bag of peanuts. 
  Everything one could possibly wish for in a soldier! Such a 
  pity so many of them struggle to follow even the most basic 
  of battle plans. 
  Aside from more practical considerations, a troop of 
  monkeys greatly enhances human morale and combat per-
  formance. They simultaneously remind the rank-and-file 
  that a monkey could do the bulk of their work (the fear 
  of unemployment stops the troops from asking for higher 
  wages) and bring a degree of levity into the otherwise dreary 
  life of a soldier on campaign (monkeys are funny, and bet-
  ting on drunk monkey fights is a time-honored tradition). 
  Some companies even make little uniform jackets for their 
  monkeys, mostly to be able to distinguish them from all the 
  other monkeys on the battlefield. 
  Possessed monkeys who have escaped military service 
  often take up a life of crime. Like all possessed animals, pos-
  sessed monkeys can understand and mimic human speech. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  2
  4
  0 0
  Skills (Group Only): Brawl, Coordination, Skulduggery, 
  Ranged (Mech.)
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities: 
  • Climber: Possessed monkeys may move up or down 
  vertical surfaces, across ropes, and otherwise impass-
  able structures. 
  • Monkey See, Monkey Do:  If a possessed monkey ob-
  serves a human, visitant or simian superior or com-
  manding officer perform a skill or combat check before 
  its turn, it adds one symbol of each type generated on 
  the superior’s roll to its next check of the same type, di-
  rected at the same target. If the superior’s check gener-
  ates a h or d, the possessed monkey must add a s or 
  f instead. 
  • Silhouette 0 
  Equipment:  
  • Fists and fangs: Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 4; Range 
  (Engaged); Pierce 1, Vicious 1.
  • Tiny crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 5; Critical 3; 
  Range (Short); Pierce 1, Prepare 1.
  • Ratty uniform. 
  possessed monkey sergeAnt 
  (rivAl)
  Large monkeys who display an aptitude for leadership (i.e. 
  bullying other monkeys) can rise to the rank of sergeant, 
  and must be addressed as such by their human comrades-
  in-arms. This is to ensure that enlisted men, corporals, and 
  other lowly forms of life don’t experience undue feelings of 
  superiority. A monkey sergeant’s buttocks are larger and 
  redder than those of his subordinates, which is how one can 
  tell that he is a sergeant. Like all possessed animals, mon-
  key sergeants can understand and crudely replicate human 
  speech. 
  Outside a military hierarchy, a monkey sergeant is a mon-
  key boss, a crafty and enterprising individual at the head of 
  a gang of simian criminals. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  1
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  4
  10
  0 0
  
  102
  Part IV: Bell, Book, and Candle
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Coordination 1, Leadership 1, 
  Ranged (Mech.) 2,  Skulduggery 1
  Talents: 
  • Silhouette 0.
  Abilities: 
  • Climber: A monkey sergeant may move up or down 
  vertical surfaces, across ropes, and otherwise impass-
  able structures. 
  • Brass Monkey: Upgrade the difficulty of all checks tar-
  geting the monkey sergeant once for every group of 3 
  possessed monkeys within Short range of him. If the 
  check fails, one individual monkey dies or is incapac-
  itated in a comical manner. 
  • Gorilla Warfare: A monkey sergeant may spend hh 
  or d on an opponent’s check to summon one possessed 
  monkey as an out-of-turn incidental. 
  Equipment:  
  • Fists and fangs: Brawl; Damage 5; Critical 4; Range 
  (Engaged); Pierce 1, Vicious 1
  • Tiny crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 5; Critical 3; 
  Range (Short); Pierce 1, Prepare 1.
  • Monkey sergeant’s jacket: soak +1.
  • Buttocks (colorful). 
  sCholAr (rivAl)
  Academics, lecturers, graduate students, and other lay-
  abouts spending the taxpayer’s coin on frivolous nonsense 
  like mathematics and the liberal arts.
  2
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  1
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  2
  12
  1 1
  Skills: Charm 1, Cool 1, Knowledge (Scholarly) 3, Knowl-
  edge (Old World) 2, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1
  Talents: 
  • None.
  Abilities:
  • Imperfect Comprehension: Scholars add 1 s and 
  hh to any check made to decipher or comprehend 
  ancient or encoded writing. 
  • University Affiliation: While in a city with a university 
  or library, a scholar reduces the difficulty of all Knowl-
  edge (Scholarly) checks by 1. 
  Equipment:  
  • Dagger: Melee; Damage 3; Critical 3; Range (Engaged).
  • Scholarly vestments: +1 defense.
  sulfurite gentry (rivAl)
  The upper crust of Sulfurite society — someone who either 
  earned their position at the top of the social hierarchy, or 
  just poisoned and blackmailed their way upwards. 
  2
  Willpower
  3
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  1
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  3
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Charm 2, Cool 2, Deception 3, Melee 1, Skulduggery 2
  Talents: 
  • Clever Retort: Once per encounter, your character may 
  use this talent to add automatic hh to another char-
  acter’s social skill check.
  Abilities:
  • Everything I Own Is Poisoned: A member of the gen-
  try can spend a Story Point to retroactively declare that 
  one Silhouette 0 object in their power or possession 
  is poisoned; one character who touched it in the last 
  round must make a Hard (kkk) Resilience check or 
  suffer 4 Wounds and become Staggered until the end of 
  their next turn. 
  • Vicious Gossip: A member of the gentry can spend a 
  Story Point to become aware of a piece of incriminating 
  or personal information about another character. 
  Equipment:  
  • Ornamental rapier: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range 
  (Engaged); Pierce 2.
  • Fashionable clothing: +1 soak.
  outrider (rivAl)
  There are no better archers than those who come from the 
  Wastes. Those who question this truth in particularly stupid 
  ways often find themselves trampled under the hooves of a 
  horse or looking, in shock, at the half-dozen arrow wounds 
  that weren’t there a second ago. 
  1
  Willpower
  1
  Presence
  2
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  3
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  M/R Defense
  5
  14
  0 0
  Skills: Melee 2, Ranged (Arch.) 2, Riding 3, Resilience 1, 
  Survival 2
  Talents: 
  • Hamstring Shot: Once per round, Outrider may use 
  this talent to perform a ranged combat check against 
  one non-vehicle target within range of the weapon used. 
  If the check is successful, halve the damage inflicted by 
  the attack (before reducing damage by the target’s soak). 
  
  Genesys: Sunfall
  103
  The target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
  • Steady Aim: No penalty from using ranged weapons 
  while mounted.
  Abilities: 
  • Born in the Saddle: When an outrider directs their 
  mount, the mount may perform an action and maneu-
  ver and is not limited to using its maneuvers to move. 
  Equipment:  
  • Light spear: Melee; Damage 5; Critical 3; Range (En-
  gaged); Accurate 1, Defensive 1.
  • Shortbow: Ranged (Arch.,); Damage 7; Critical 4; 
  Range (Medium); Unwieldy 3, Subtle.
  • Quilted coat: +1 soak.
  • War mount. 
  tAbnit of ithobAAl (nemesis)
  One of the most celebrated and prolific theatrical directors, 
  satirists and playwrights of recent years, Tabnit of Ithobaal is 
  a reclusive genius with a wicked sense of humor and a great 
  fondness for travel. He is also a flesh-eating ghoul. Although 
  he appears to be in his late thirties, he is at least three times 
  as old and far more dangerous than his unassuming appear-
  ance may suggest. Over the course of his long life, Tabnit 
  has written and directed under multiple aliases, faking his 
  death once his appearance could no longer match his sup-
  posed age, going to ground for a few years, and resurfacing 
  in another city as a playwright or director who then “redis-
  covers” a “lost” theatrical masterpiece attributed to one of 
  his dead selves. His talent is immense and quite literally 
  unnatural: he was mediocre at best when he started his jour-
  ney in the world of theater, but undeath and a steady diet 
  of poets, actors and the occasional mage have changed that. 
  He is, however, starting to get bored with his current fare 
  and profession, and is considering switching to painters and 
  sculptors instead. 
  4
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  3
  Intellect
  3
  Cunning
  4
  Brawn
  2
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  5
  16
  16
  0 0
  Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 3, Charm 2, Deception 3, Knowl-
  edge (Thaumaturgical) 1, Melee 2, Stealth 2, Skulduggery 2, 
  Thaumaturgy 2
  Talents: 
  • Adversary 1: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  • Clever Retort: Once per encounter, your character may 
  use this talent to add automatic hh to another char-
  acter’s social skill check.
  Abilities: 
  • Dread Hunger: At the start of a combat encounter, all 
  opponents must make a Hard (kkk) Fear check. 
  • Bloodthirst: As an action, Tabnit may make a bite at-
  tack (Brawl; Dam 5; Critical 4; Range (Engaged), Pierce 
  2, Vicious 1) and heal a number of Wounds equal to the 
  damage inflicted with the bite.
  • Soul Eater: After inflicting Wounds with a bite attack, 
  Tabnit may add j to his next skill, combat or magic 
  check. If Tabnit incapacitates a character with a bite at-
  tack, he upgrades the ability of his next skill, combat, or 
  magic check once. 
  • Undead: Tabnit does not need to eat, breathe, or drink; 
  he is immune to poisons and toxins. 
  Equipment:   
  • Sword cane: Melee; Damage 6 ; Critical 2; Range (Engaged).
  • Fine coat: +1 soak.
  • Latest manuscript
  • Genuine and utterly disarming smile. 
  yAsmin sArrAf (nemesis)
  One of the greatest war mages of her generation, Dr. Sarraf 
  spent her youth in Hell, serving as support and artillery for 
  a detachment of the Knights Adamant. Having since retired 
  from a life in the field, she presides over the Serpent Gate in 
  Pagamea, serving as both its commander and its last line of 
  defense. She gives the occasional lecture at the Royal Uni-
  versity from time to time. Her students are terrified. 
  4
  Willpower
  2
  Presence
  4
  Intellect
  2
  Cunning
  2
  Brawn
  3
  Agility
  Soak
  Wounds
  Strain
  M/R Defense
  3
  15
  16
  1 1
  Skills: Cool 2, Coercion 3, Discipline 3, Knowledge (Thau-
  maturgical) 3, Knowledge (Scholarly) 2, Leadership 2, 
  Ranged (Mechanical) 1, Thaumaturgy 4
  Talents:  
  • Adversary 2: Upgrade the difficulty of combat checks 
  targeting this character once.
  Abilities:
  • Sarraf’s Shockwave: Dr. Sarraf may choose one target 
  in Short or Medium range and make a Hard (kkk) 
  Thaumaturgy check. If this check is successful, this at-
  tack inflicts 6+ 1 Damage per uncancelled s, with the 
  Blast 3 and Concussive 1 properties. 
  • Mesmerize: Dr. Sarraf can make a Hard (kkk) Thau-
  maturgy check to captivate all hostile targets in Medi-
  um range, Disorienting and dealing 3 Strain per turn to 
  each target until the end of her next turn. 
  Equipment:  
  • Hand crossbow: Ranged (Mech.); Damage 5; Critical 3; 
  Range (Medium); Pierce 1, Prepare 1. 
  • Sigilwood armor: soak +2; upgrade all Thaumaturgy 
  checks targeting Dr. Sarraf once more.
  
  Genesys Core Rulebook and either the 
  Genesys Dice or Dice App are required to 
  use this supplement.
  Dice App  
  available where 
  apps are sold.
  a thouSaNd yearS ago, the SuN periShed.
  To cope with a cooling world, a great empire staged a successful invasion of the spirit world, captured a dae-
  mon prince, and imprisoned him in an artificial Second Sun.
  It has been almost five centuries since the Second Sun shattered and its furious prisoner bore down on the 
  world like a comet. Now, the ruins of antiquity dot these frozen, starlit lands as human civilization, resilient as 
  ever, thrives among the desolation. Great city-states shelter and protect their inhabitants through tithes and 
  pacts with the spirit world or by waging war against it, and foolhardy daredevils strike out into the Wastes in 
  search of riches and glory -- or seek adventure within the confines of city walls. 
  Sunfall is a post-apocalyptic Gothic fantasy setting for the Genesys Role Playing System. In this 104 page 
  sourcebook, you will find new rules, mechanics and options for character creation, advice for Game Masters, 
  and a rich, baroque world of war, magic, and intrigue. 
  • 
  8 new Archetypes, including the Visitant, an otherworldly spirit in a stolen body, 
  for use in Sunfall or other settings. 
  • 
  13 new Careers, many of which fit seamlessly into steampunk or fantasy settings. 
  • 
  42 new Talents, 2 new spells, 3 novel weapon properties, 2 new Craftsmanship 
  options and a multitude of new items. 
  • 
  Rules for duelling, demonic possession, and exorcism. 
  • 
  A map and detailed descriptions of the lands surrounding the Byssarian Seas, 
  including politics, a major religion, 10 city-states, and multiple story hooks for 
  Players and Game Masters alike. 
  • 
   New Adversaries, including (but not limited to) possessed monkeys. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/sunfall (genesys)/Genesys - Sunfall v101.pdf