TEXT: HOUSE of BARDS
  A WORLD OF 
  ADVENTURE FOR
  DAVE CHALKER
  
  This adventure was made awesome thanks to our Patreon patrons at patreon.com/evilhat—thanks guys!
   
  INSIDERS
  Alan Bartholet
  Alexander Keane
  Alexander R. 
  Corbett
  Anne-Sylvie Betsch
  Antero Garcia
  Arlo B Evans
  Brett Abbott
  brian allred
  C. J. Hunter
  C.K. Lee
  Cerity 
  Charlton Wilbur
  Chris Bekofske
  Christopher 
  Gunning
  Christopher Vollick
  D.C. Upton
  Daniel 
  Daniel Gallant
  David Dorward
  David E Ferrell
  David L Kinney
  Demian Buckle
  Dustin Evermore
  Edgardo A Montes 
  Rosa
  Edward MacGregor
  eneko zarauz
  Eric Bontz
  Eric Willisson
  Frank 
  Frédéri POCHARD
  Garrett Rooney
  Gavran 
  Glenn Mochon
  Graham 
  Graham Wills
  Griffin Mitchell
  Haakon 
  Thunestvedt
  Igor 
  Isabelle Parsley
  J Quincy Sperber
  James F Thunberg
  James Rouse
  Jamie Smith
  Jason Blalock
  Jason Cotton
  Jeff Chaffee
  Jeff Craig
  Jeremy DeVore
  Jeremy Tidwell
  Jim Hart
  Jim Nicholson
  Joakim Andersson
  Joe Littrell
  Joe Trzos
  John Beattie
  John Donahue
  John Rogers
  John Rudd
  John Wyatt
  Jon-Pierre Gentil
  Jordan Dennis
  Joshua Lutz
  Katie Berger 
  Tremaine
  Katie Ramsey
  Keith Stanley
  Ken Ditto
  Kieren Martin
  Laura 
  LilFluff 
  Lore Graham
  Lowell Francis
  Luke Green
  MAINGUET Francois
  Marc Mundet
  Maria Rivera
  Mark 
  Martin Felczerek
  Marty Chodorek
  Matt and Nykki 
  Boersma
  Matt Anderson
  Matthew  Orwig
  Matthew Broome
  Matthew Whiteacre
  Michael Bowman
  Michael Cambata
  Michael Dean 
  Hannah
  Michael Pedersen
  Mitchell Evans
  Morgan Ellis
  Nick Daly
  Nick Reale
  Nicola Urbinati
  Nicolas Marjanovic
  Osye Pritchett
  Pablo Martínez 
  Merino
  Patrick Mueller-Best
  Paul 
  Paulo Rafael 
  Guariglia 
  Escanhoela
  Pavel Zhukov
  peter burczyk
  Peter Gates
  Peter Woodworth
  Philip Nicholls
  Randy Oest
  Rhel 
  Richard Bellingham
  Rick 
  Rick Jakins
  Robert Hanz
  Robert Kemp
  Rod Meek
  Roger Edge
  Ryan Singer
  Sarah Vakos
  Sean 
  Sean M. Dunstan
  Sean O’Dell
  Sean Smith
  Selene O’Rourke
  Stephen Rider
  Svalander 
  Taylor Hensley
  Thom Terrific
  Tim L Nutting
  Timothy Carroll
  Troy Ray
  Tyler Hunt
  vargr1 
  Volker Mantel
  Will Goring
  William J. White
  William Lee
  William McDuff
  Woodrow Jarvis Hill
  Zach  
  ADVENTURERS
  Aaron W Scott
  Adam Buehler
  Adam C.
  Adam Gutschenritter
  Adrian Arias-Palomo
  Aharon sharim
  Aidan Grey
  Al Billings
  Alan Phillips
  Alan Timothy Rogers
  Alan Twigg
  Alex Norris
  Alexander 
  Alexander Gräfe
  Alexander Permann
  Alexander 
  Podczerwinski
  Alexis Lee
  Allan Bray
  Alloyed 
  Amanda Valentine
  Andrew Betts
  Andrew Dacey
  Andrew Grant
  Andrew Loch
  Angus 
  Angus MacDonald
  Anthony Popowski
  Antoine Pempie
  Ariel Pereira
  Arlene Medder
  Arthur Lace
  ArthurDent 
  athalbert 
  Aviv 
  B. Bredthauer
  Barac Wiley
  Bastien Daugas
  Becca 
  Ben 
  Ben Scarbeau
  Benjamin Cush
  Benjamin Wandio
  Benjamin Welke
  Bill 
  Björn Steffen
  Blake Hutchins
  Bo Bertelsen
  Bo Madsen
  Bob Hiestand
  Brad Davies
  Brad Osborne
  Bradley Eng-Kohn
  Brandon Metcalf
  Brandon Wiley
  Brandt Bjornsen
  Brendan Clougherty
  Brendan Conway
  Brent Ritch
  Brian 
  Brian Bentley
  Brian Creswick
  Brian Ericson
  Brian Koehler
  Brian Kurtz
  Brian S. Holt
  Brian Shourd
  Bruce 
  Bryan 
  Bryan Gillispie
  Bryan Hilburn
  Bryce Perry
  C 
  Carl McLaughlin
  Carl-William 
  Charles  Evans
  Charles Kirk
  Chip Dunning
  Chris Caporaso
  Chris Kurts
  Chris Mitchell
  Chris Nolen
  Christian 
  Christian Lajoie
  Christoph Thill
  Christopher Allen
  Christopher Smith Adair
  Christopher Stilson
  Christopher Stone-Bush
  Christopher W. Dolunt
  Chuck 
  Chuck Dee
  Cody Marbach
  Colin 
  Colin Matter
  Craig Maloney
  Craig Mason
  Curt Kremer
  Curt Meyer
  Cyrano Jones
  Dain 
  Daniel Byrne
  Daniel Chapman
  Daniel Hägglund
  Daniel Kraemer
  Daniel Ley
  Daniel M Perez
  Daniel Markwig
  Daniele Galli
  Darren Lute
  Dave 
  Dave Joria
  David 
  David Bellinger
  David Bowers
  David Buswell-Wible
  David Fergman
  David Goodwin
  David Griffith
  David Maple
  David Millians
  David Morrison
  David Olson
  David S
  David Silberstein
  David Starner
  David Stern
  Davide Orlandi
  Declan Feeney
  Denis Ryan
  Derek Hiemforth
  Devon Apple
  Dianne 
  Didier Bretin
  Dirk Methner
  Don Arnold
  Don Bisdorf
  donald murray
  Donald Wheeler
  Doug Blakeslee
  Doyce Testerman
  Drew Shiel
  Drew Smith
  Drue Tucker
  Duane Cathey
  Duncan 
  Earl Butler
  Ebenezer Arvigenius
  Edward Sturges
  Eirch Mascariatu
  Elsa S. Henry
  Elsidar Amhransidhe
  Emmanuel 
  Emmanuel Genot
  Enrique Esturillo Cano
  Eric I
  Eric Proton
  Erich Lichnock
  Erik 
  Erik Belsaas
  Erik Ingersen
  Ernie Sawyer
  Ezekiel Norton
  Fábio Emilio Costa
  Fabrice Breau
  FelTK 
  Florent Poulpy Cadio
  Florian Greß
  Francisco Castillo
  Frank 
  Frank Beaver 
  Frankie Mundens
  Frédérick Périgord
  Gabriel Whitehead
  Galen Pejeau
  Garrett 
  Garrett Jones
  Garth Rose
  Gary Anastasio
  Gavin Oliver
  Genevieve 
  Geoff 
  Georg 
  George Harnish
  Gian Domenico Facchini
  Glynn Stewart
  Gozuja 
  Graham Meinert
  Greg Matyola
  Gregg Workman
  Gregory Fisher
  Gregory Hirsch
  Gustavo Campanelli
  Hakushaku 
  Hans Messersmith
  Heather 
  Herman Duyker
  HFB 
  Howard M Thompson
  Ian Charlton
  Indi Latrani
  Irene Strauss
  Istrian Gray
  J. Keith Wykowski
  Jack Gulick
  Jackson Hsieh
  Jacob 
  Jake Linford
  Jake Rides Again
  Jakob Hallberg
  James 
  James Beal
  James Endicott
  James Husum
  James Marston
  James Pacheco
  James Schultz
  James Winfield
  Jamie Lynne 
  Powell-Herbold
  Jamie Wheeler
  Jan Stals
  Janet 
  Jared Hunt
  Jason 
  Jason Bean
  Jason Best
  Jason Heredia
  Jason Mill
  Jason Pasch
  Jason Pelloni
  Jason Penney
  Jason Tocci
  Jayna Pavlin
  Jean-François Robillard
  Jeff Boucher-Zamzo
  Jeff Pitrman
  Jeff Vincent
  Jeffrey Boman
  Jeffrey Collyer
  Jens 
  Jens Alfke
  Jere Krischel
  Jeremiah McCoy
  Jeremy 
  Jeremy 
  Jeremy Glick
  Jeremy Hamaker
  Jeremy Kear
  Jeremy Kostiew
  Jess Morris
  JF Paradis
  Joanna 
  Joe 
  Joe.D 
  Joel Beally
  Joel Beebe
  Johannes K. Rasmussen
  Johannes Oppermann
  John 
  John 
  John 
  John 
  John Bogart
  John Buczek
  John Clayton
  John Fiala
  John Griogair Bell
  John Halsey
  John Helmuth
  John Hildebrand
  John Lambert
  John Portley
  John Taber
  John Tobin
  John William McDonald
  Johnathan Wright
  Jon Smejkal
  Jona Littler
  Jonas Matser
  Jonas Richter
  Jonathan 
  Jonathan 
  Jonathan Finke
  Jonathan Hobbs
  Jonathan Korman
  Jonathan Perrine
  Jonathan Young
  Jordan Deal
  Jose A. 
  Joseph Formoso
  Josh Salyers
  Joshua 
  Joshua Ramsey
  Joshua Reubens
  Juan Francisco Gutierrez
  Julianna Backer
  Julien Delabre
  Justin 
  Justin 
  Justin Beeh
  Justin Thomason
  Kaarchin 
  Karl Thiebolt
  Katherine Malloy
  Kent Snyen
  Kevin 
  Kevin Lindgren
  Kevin McDermott
  KevIn oreilly
  Kevin Veale
  Krista 
  Krzysztof Chyla
  Kurt Zdanio
  Kyle 
  Larry Hollis
  Leif Erik Furmyr
  Leonardo Paixao
  Lester Ward
  Lisa Hartjes
  Lobo 
  Luca Agosto
  Lukar 
  M. Alan Thomas II
  m.h. 
  Manfred 
  Marc 
  Marc Kevin Hall
  Marcel Lotz
  Marcel Wittram
  Marcus 
  Mario Dongu
  Mark 
  Mark A. Schmidt
  Mark Diaz Truman
  Mark Harris
  Mark Richman
  Mark Widner
  Markus Haberstock
  Markus Schoenlau
  Markus Wagner
  Marley Griffin
  Martin 
  Martin Cumming
  Martin Deppe
  Martin Terrier
  Mathias Exner
  Matt Landis
  Matt Timm
  Matthew Caron
  Matthew J. Hanson
  Matthew Miller
  Matthew Price
  Matthew Whalley 
  Matti Rintala
  Max 
  Max Kaehn
  Micah Davis
  Michael 
  Michael 
  Michael Barrett
  Michael Bradford
  Michael Brewer
  Michael D. Blanchard
  Michael D. Ranalli Jr.
  Michael Hill
  Michael Hopcroft
  Michael Sawi
  Michael Shumate
  Michael Thompson
  Miguel 
  Mike Vermont
  Mikey McC
  Misdirected Mark 
  Productions
  Mishy Stellar
  Mitch Christov
  Mitchell Smallman
  Mook 
  NA 
  Nat 
  Nate Parrish
  Nathan Barnes
  Nathan Reed
  Nessalantha 
  Nichlas Dyhr 
  Hummelsberger
  Nicholas Pilon
  Nicholas Sokeland
  Nick 
  Nick Bate
  Nick pater
  Nikke 
  Noel Warford
  Olav Müller
  Oliver Scholes
  Olivier Nisole
  Owen Duffy
  Owen Thompson
  paolo castelli
  Patrice Hédé
  Patrice Mermoud
  Patrick Ewing
  Patrick Fittkau
  Paul 
  Paul Arezina
  Paul Bendall
  Paul Olson
  Paul Rivers
  Paul Stefko
  Pedro Godeiro
  Pete Curry
  Peter Griffith
  Peter Kahle
  Phil Groff
  Philippe Marichal
  Philippe Saner
  Phillip Webb
  PK 
  Porter Williams
  R R Clark
  R Roy
  Rachael Hixon
  Ralf Wagner
  Randall Orndorff
  Randy Eckenrode
  Raun Sedlock
  Raymond Toghill
  Red Dice Diaries
  Remy Sanchez
  Renzo Crispieri
  Rich Hewett
  Rich Hilborn
  Richard 
  Richard Greene
  Richard Lock
  Richard Scott Slater
  Riggah 
  Rishi 
  Rob Howell
  Rob Meyers
  Rob Voss
  Robb Neumann
  Robert 
  Robert Biskin
  Robert Daines
  Robert Huss
  Robert Rees
  Robert Rydlo
  Robert Slaughter
  Robert Zasso
  Rodrigo 
  Roger Carbol
  Ron 
  Ron Müller
  Roy 
  Ruben Smith-Zempel
  Ryan C. Christiansen
  Ryan Gigliotti
  Ryan Junk
  Ryan Lee
  Sam Hawken
  Samuel Hart
  Samuel Steinbock-Pratt
  Samwise Crider
  Sarah Williams
  Schubacca 
  Scot Ryder
  Scott 
  Scott 
  Scott Dexter
  Scott Greenleaf
  Scott Hamilton
  Scott Martin
  Scott Puckett
  Scott Thede
  Scott Underwood
  Sean Sherman
  Sean Smith
  Sean Walsh
  Seth Clayton
  Seth Halbeisen
  Seth Hartley
  Shadowmyre Kalyn
  Shai Laric
  Sharif Abed
  Shawn Fike
  Simon Browne
  Simon Brunning
  Simon White
  Simon Withers
  Sion Rodriguez y 
  Gibson
  Sirsmeg 
  Sławomir Wrzesień
  Sophie Lagace
  Spencer Williams
  Stefan Feltmann
  Stephan 
  Stephanie Bryant 
  (Mortaine)
  Stephen Figgins
  Stephen Holder
  Stephen Hood
  Stephen Waugh
  Steve Discont
  Steve Gilman
  Steve Kunec
  Steve Radabaugh
  Steven Code
  Steven D Warble
  Steven desJardins
  Steven K. Watkins
  Steven Markley
  Steven sims
  Stuart Dollar
  Svend Andersen
  Tabletop Audio
  Tara Zuber
  Tatu Sara-aho
  Teresa O
  Terry Willitts
  Tevel Drinkwater
  The Roach
  Thomas 
  Thomas Balls-Thies
  Thomas Elmeblom
  Thomas Maund
  Thorin Tabor
  Tim 
  Tim 
  Tim Davis
  Tim Popelier
  Tim Scott
  Timothy Seiger
  Todd Estabrook
  Todd Grotenhuis
  Todd Willey
  Tony Ewing
  Torolf de Merriba
  Travis 
  Travis B.
  Trevor Crosse
  Tristan Smith
  Tyson Monagle
  Urs Blumentritt
  Victor Allen
  Ville Lavonius
  Vincent Arebalo
  Vladimir Filipović
  Vrakul 
  waelcyrge 
  Wayne Peacock
  Wes Fournier
  William Chambers
  William Johnson
  WinterKnight 
  Wolfgang Reich
  wtfbananas 
  Wulf 
  Xavier 
  Aubuchon-Mendoza
  Yonatan Munk
  Z Esgate
  Zeb Walker
  
  HOUSE OF 
  BARDS
  A WORLD OF 
  ADVENTURE FOR
  WRITING & ADVENTURE DESIGN
  DAVE CHALKER
  DEVELOPMENT
   ROB DONOGHUE
  EDITING
  JOHN ADAMUS
  PROJECT MANAGEMENT
  SEAN NITTNER
  ART DIRECTION
  MARISSA KELLY
  LAYOUT
  FRED HICKS
  INTERIOR & COVER  
  ARTWORK
  TYLER CLARK
  MARKETING
  CARRIE HARRIS
  BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
  CHRIS HANRAHAN
  
  An Evil Hat Productions Publication
  www.evilhat.com • feedback@evilhat.com
  @EvilHatOfficial on Twitter
  facebook.com/EvilHatProductions
  House of Bards
  Copyright © 2015 Evil Hat Productions, LLC and Dave Chalker.
  All rights reserved.
  First published in 2015 by Evil Hat Productions, LLC.
  10125 Colesville Rd #318, Silver Spring, MD 20901.
  Evil Hat Productions and the Evil Hat and Fate logos are trademarks 
  owned by Evil Hat Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.
  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a 
  retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, 
  electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, 
  without the prior express permission of the publisher. 
  That said, if you’re doing it for personal use, knock yourself 
  out. That’s not only allowed, we encourage you to do it.
  For those working at a copy shop and not at all sure if this means 
  the person standing at your counter can make copies of this thing, they can. 
  This is “express permission.” Carry on.
  This is a game where people make up stories about wonderful, terrible, 
  impossible, glorious things. All the characters and events portrayed 
  in this work are fictional. Any resemblance to real people, politicians, 
  scheming elves, acclaimed actors, muckraking dragonkin, or streaming 
  television programming is purely coincidental, but kinda hilarious.
  
  CONTENTS
  House of Bards .................................................................................. 2
  Political Drama and Fate ................................................................. 3
  Making Characters ............................................................................4
  High Concepts.............................................................................................. 4
  Trouble ............................................................................................................ 4
  Ambitions........................................................................................................6
  Crossing Paths ..............................................................................................6
  Changes to Skills ..........................................................................................7
  New Skills ........................................................................................................9
  The City of Costracinni ................................................................... 11
  The Districts of Costracinni .................................................................... 12
  The Ruling Council .................................................................................... 15
  The Key Players of Costracinni .....................................................20
  The House of Bards ..................................................................................20
  The Church & The Inquisition ...............................................................24
  Licensed Wizardry ....................................................................................24
  The Guilds .................................................................................................... 27
  The Emperor and the Secret History of Costracinni ...................29
  New Rules .........................................................................................31
  Social Stress and the Effects of Stress .............................................. 31
  Creating Social Advantages  
  and Connecting Outside the PCs ........................................................ 31
  Running a Dramatic Game .................................................................... 32
  Vignettes..........................................................................................36
  Beginning: The Cold Open & The Inciting Incident .....................36
  Heating Up: Power Plays ........................................................................39
  Campaigning  .............................................................................................43
  End Game: Election Day ........................................................................43
  The Aftermath ............................................................................................44
  
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government 
  except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. 
  —Winston Churchill
  The City of Costracinni, after seventeen generations of expansion, contraction, 
  upheavals, plagues, egress and ingress, is now one of the world’s largest cities, 
  playing host to millions of people. Humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, dragonkin, 
  and more all mix together in the metropolis that is Costracinni, across all its 
  major districts. 
  It sits at the heart of the Empire, a bellicose, ever-expanding nation, driven 
  by an unbroken line of 17 generations of Emperor who have ensured that war 
  is forever. 
  While the Emperor oversees wherever the war might go next, Costracinni’s 
  Benevolent Ruling Council shapes the life of all the Empire’s citizens. Its elected 
  councilmembers guide the domestic life of the Empire, passing legislation osten-
  sibly in the best interests of its citizens, but more often, what is in the best 
  interests of special interest groups with varying amounts of influence in the city.
  Within the city, the troubadours, entertainers, reporters, editors, and spies of 
  the famed House of Bards follows its duty to expose the truth, no matter whose 
  path they cross: and there are no shortage of paths to cross. 
  Lobbyists influence the council for power and wealth, including a battle of 
  words and spells between the Mage’s Guild that wants magic to be free and the 
  religious Inquisition that want to bring all wizards beneath their heel.
  You’re an overworked halfling bard on assignment that discovers a power-
  ful senator is an agent of a Tyrant Dragon. You’re an elven evangelist trying to 
  expose a plot by rogue wizards to magically influence the next election. You’re 
  the dwarven political fixer willing to stop at nothing to make sure that your boss 
  is re-elected. And for each of you, your ambitions cannot be stopped.
  There’s an Empire to command. Let’s get to work.
  2
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  POLITICAL DRAMA AND FATE
  House of Bards is a political adaptation of Fate, blending a massive fantasy city 
  with a system of government that bears some similarities to ours in order to tell 
  stories of ambition, deception, and power in an adventure game framework. 
  House of Bards takes place in a world not unlike those that have played out 
  across millions of kitchen tables. A world of magic, monsters, humans, elves, 
  dwarves, wizards, clerics, and so on. The distinguishing feature is The Empire of 
  Costracinni, the focus of the campaign. Many of the exact details of exactly what 
  fantasy staples the game embraces are left up to the devices (and machinations) 
  of the GM and the players.
  Where House of Bards differs from those familiar games is in a focus on drama 
  and conflict rather than procedure and challenge. The focus of the game takes 
  the player characters and puts them up against other characters (including each 
  other), instead of focusing primarily on working together against external forces. 
  This means that this is not structured like many other adventures that may be 
  able to follow a more linear track. House of Bards gives you, the GM, a setting to 
  play with, within which the players make characters who will disrupt the estab-
  lished order. This book contains a series of vignettes that the GM can assemble 
  to place the PCs in a variety of situations. Since the PCs are driven by their 
  ambitions, the games are designed to be more proactive than reactive. The end 
  result is a short, several session campaign built from the characters, all leading up 
  to a climactic event that changes the status quo (or brutally enforces it.)
  For more discussion on dramatic versus procedural in games, check out 
  Hamlet’s Hit Points published by Gameplaywright Press, and for a dra-
  matic RPG built from that foundation, check out Hillfolk published by 
  Pelgrane Press, both written Robin D. Laws. The scene structure and 
  dramatic conflict in House of Bards owes a lot to Fiasco, published by 
  Bully Pulpit Games and written by Jason Morningstar.
  3
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  MAKING CHARACTERS
  House of Bards takes place in the City of Costracinni, with the players taking 
  the role of up and coming movers and shakers among the city’s elite. Player 
  characters can come from any angle of the city, so it’s OK if some characters are 
  involved with the actual House of Bards, some are involved with the council 
  (including members of the council, and their staff), and others are magical activ-
  ists. The strength of their ambitions has tied them together through past events, 
  so even two characters who seem like they have nothing in common may have 
  crossed paths before, or collided head-on.
  For more information on the different power players in Costracinni and how 
  a player character could fit in with them, see the setting starting on page 20. 
  High Concepts
  The kingdom of Costracinni exists within a familiar-seeming fantasy world, but 
  the characters themselves are overlaid with their political aspirations.
  An easy way to start your High Concept for a House of Bards character is to 
  pick some descriptors you’d use in other fantasy settings. On the next page are a 
  few examples to roll up a starting point using 4dF. 
  You can go in reverse as well, starting with the role you want in the game 
  and add a fantasy descriptor. Crusading Journalist becomes Dragon-blooded 
  Crusading Journalist or Community Organizer becomes Community 
  Organizer with the Mark of the Chosen.
  Trouble
  The trouble aspect is a source of compels and trouble. In House of Bards, this 
  encompasses the skeletons in the closet and personality issues of the characters, 
  just waiting to be exposed to the world.
  Some examples of personality issues are:
  Unfailingly Ruthless
  Prone to Gaffes
  Unwilling to Let Go of Any Insult
  Decidedly Uncharismatic
  Secrets are also a good source of trouble, and are discussed in greater depth 
  on page 35: 
  Illegal Magic User
  Spy for a Rival Empire
  Lost Bastard Child of the Emperor
  4
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  BACKGROUND 
  –4
  Extraplanar
  –3
  Dragonkin
  –2
  Gnome
  –1
  Dwarf
  +0
  Human
  +1
  Elf
  +2
  Halfling
  +3
  Orc
  +4
  Unique
  CLASS
  –4
  Rare/Unique Class
  –3
  Barbarian or Monk
  –2
  Rogue
  –1
  Fighter
  +0
  Non-Adventuring 
  Profession
  +1
  Bard
  +2
  Wizard or Sorcerer
  +3
  Cleric or Paladin
  +4
  Druid or Ranger
  SETTING
  –4
  Imperial (Staff, Nobility, Foreign Dignitary)
  –3
  Political Football (War Hero, Witness, Joe the Barbarian)
  –2
  Other Political (Activist, Agitator, Bureaucrat, Lobbyist)
  –1
  Council-related (Politician, Aide, Operative, Candidate)
  +0
  House of Bards (Journalist, Spy, Entertainer, Editor)
  +1
  Mage’s Guild (Licensed, Unlicensed, Supporter, Revolutionary)
  +2
  Inquisition (Inquisitor, High-Ranking Clergy, Local Clergy)
  +3
  Other Guild (Merchant, Manufacturer, Corrupt Boss)
  +4
  Outcast (Tyrant Dragon-Related, Unconquered Nationalist, 
  Conquered Separatist)
  5
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Ambitions
  In House of Bards, the characters aren’t defined by paths they’ve crossed: they’re 
  defined by ambition and who got in your way.
  In the third stage of character creation, instead of writing your first adven-
  ture, write your character’s core ambition that drives what she does. Try and 
  pick something concrete yet grandiose, particularly starting with an “I will…” 
  statement.
  Examples:
  • I Will Become the Head of the Council
  • I Will Arrest the Emperor for War Crimes
  • I Will Expose the Truth of Our Endless Wars
  • I Will Be the Voice of the Revolution
  • I Will End the Corruption Within the Inquisition
  While your Ambition will probably get you into trouble, make sure it doesn’t 
  overlap too much with your Trouble aspect. Your Trouble aspect is where you are, 
  and your Ambition concerns where you want to be.
  Crossing Paths
  In the course of following your ambition, you’ve crossed paths with the other 
  characters. Like the standard Fate Core character creation, you’ll pass your char-
  acter to the player on your left. Describe how that character’s ambitions crossed 
  paths with yours. Sometimes, this will be for a (temporary) alliance. Other times, 
  your ambitions have put you in direct conflict.
  Think about how your two characters could have gotten involved. It could be 
  on a civic matter, or before the two of you obtained the positions you’re in today. 
  Then think about how your character would have reacted to the situation. From 
  that, you’ll write your Aspect about your involvement. These stages are a great 
  chance to show just how far you’ll go to achieve your ambition - or if you’ll shy 
  away from it if the cost is too high.
  6
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Changes to Skills
  Most notably, the Contacts and Resources skills are a critical part of the game, 
  and as such, now have attack and defend actions. Most characters will want 
  some ability in at least one, and the true power players will have both. 
  Magic also gets its own skill in House of Bards, with a number of options for 
  customizing the feel of magic in your game, especially if you plan on dropping 
  Costracinni into another campaign.
  Finally, there are a few really quick notes on a few other skills:
  • Crafts: The Guilds practice various forms of crafts, and magic is “indus-
  trialized” enough that you can introduce functional magic items as you 
  need to. For example, The Examiner makes use of a magical image-cap-
  turing device.
  • Drive: Horses, other pack animals, and both pulling carts. Many of the 
  roads in Costracinni are pretty wide. High speed cart chases have been 
  known to happen. 
  • Shoot: Bows and crossbows are a popular weapon throughout the 
  Empire, though this same skill applies to magical and chemical advance-
  ments that blow things up.
  Contacts
  A
  Attack: You know how to harm someone by knowing the right people. 
  You can use Contacts as an attack in order to disseminate rumors, gossip, 
  and innuendo into the right circles in order to attack someone’s credibility. Such 
  an attack usually takes the form of Social Stress, but not always. Spreading 
  vicious personal attacks about an individual might cause Mental Stress, and 
  attempting to incite riots and even encourage assassination attempts might lead 
  to Physical Stress. 
  D
  Defend: In addition to defending against advantages, contacts can be 
  used to defend against a direct social attack. It can also be used in situa-
  tions where a well-placed contact might be able to intervene at an appropriate 
  time. For example, if you’re attacked via your Resources by attempting to seize 
  your holdings, a contact roll might tell you whether you have enough advance 
  knowledge from a well-placed government official to try and head it off before 
  the damage is done. 
  7
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Resources
  A
  Attack: Money is a means to power, but not power itself. Of course, 
  that distinction may seem a little fine to those on the receiving end of 
  it. Applying resources directly to a problem is a means of exercising that power.
  What that means is that a Resources attack roll can be used in situations where 
  money could be used to influence negative change on a person or group. For 
  instance, a Resources attack roll might be used to launch a negative advertis-
  ing campaign against an individual, attempting to undermine that individual’s 
  standing (Social Stress). Resources also weaponize bribes: a well-placed and 
  substantial enough “tithe” to the Inquisition might bring an illegal magic inves-
  tigation down on a group, scrutinizing every decision made. 
  Hiring someone to discretely poison, magically curse, or otherwise “remove” 
  another individual can lead to Physical Stress. In short, Resources are an incred-
  ibly versatile tool for inflicting damage on others through direct and indirect 
  means. This is on purpose.
  D
  Defend: Resources are likewise a very flexible means of defending oneself. 
  Being harassed by a citizens’ group? Buy the building they use. Smear 
  campaign being launched from someone else’s Contacts roll? Bribe the bards to 
  cover something else. Long distance magical assault on your health? You’ve got 
  the best counter curse money can buy.
  In some cases, use of Resources as a defense might first require the use of a 
  fate point in order to establish a fact not already covered or declare an Aspect of 
  the situation. If you’re attacked in a crowd, you might not have previously estab-
  lished that you hired extra security in the crowd, but a fate point plus Resources 
  defend roll might allow it.
  8
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  New Skills
  House of Bards also adds a Magic skill to the skill list.
  Magic
  The default way magic is handled is purposely vague, or to put it another way, 
  can easily fit into what everybody “knows” about how magic fits into a fantasy 
  world. Magic requires this magic skill, an aspect that justifies possessing it, and 
  spending a fate point for effect (in lieu of a bonus) whenever used. More than 
  anyone else in Costracinni, mages are constantly pulled by obligations, restric-
  tions, and secrets. In game terms, since mages need fate points to cast spells, they 
  get them by being compelled all the time.
  The actual effects should be flavored as wizards casting spells with ridiculously 
  long names, priests praying for divine healing and wrath, and sorcerers chan-
  neling raw magic. Also discuss how obvious casting a spell tends to be, so if the 
  magic is supposed to be subtle, other precautions must be made. A common cost 
  for succeed at a major or minor cost results are making the spells bright and loud.
  Just remember that in Costracinni, the Inquisition regulates use of magic, and 
  so violating their rules (especially on dangerous and illegal spells) can lead to 
  serious civil penalties as well as backfires from the magic itself.
  While Magic is purposely vague and flexible, not all actions that involve 
  Magic have to be the Magic skill. Magic is much more used for raw applica-
  tions of magical power. Using Magic to help charm someone is more likely to 
  be a Rapport/Deceive roll, where your magical High Concept is able to help. If 
  there’s ever a question of overlap between Magic and another applicable skill, 
  use the lower of the two.
  O
  Overcome: You weave a spell that helps bypass an obstacle in your path, 
  whether it be a divine spell of speed to quickly escape or a fire blast to take 
  out a barrier in your way.
  C
  Create An Advantage: You conjure up a magical effect that assists you in 
  the situation, from an Elemental Servant who can help you scan through 
  tomes twice as quickly, to a magical booming voice that allows you to cut 
  through the din.
  A
  Attack: Utilizing magic to attack is a common enough occurrence, as 
  long as you’re not caught damaging property (or somebody important) in 
  the process. Dealing physical stress is common for classics such as energy mis-
  siles, though magical psychic attacks for mental stress are not uncommon as well 
  and leave less physical evidence to find later. Social stress is rarely a direct result 
  from attack magic.
  D
  Defend: A quick energy shield to defend from harm is a frequent use of 
  magic, or utilizing charms and wards against other offensive spells.
  9
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  OTHER MAGICS
  By default, House of Bards uses a loose magic system; encompassed by one, 
  single flexible skill. It’s powerful, but also dangerous and controlled in setting. 
  It’s designed to fit in with other fantasy kingdoms you might be familiar with 
  already.
  However, Chapter 8: Magic in Fate System Toolkit contains a number of variant 
  magic systems that can drop into a House of Bards game just fine. As the intro-
  duction says, “Magic says incredibly important things about your game” and 
  what you choose will flavor your game appropriately.
  Some quick examples:
  Stormcallers: Stormcallers aren’t known for their subtlety, so the Inquisition 
  doesn’t worry much about mind control but does have to respond quickly to 
  those who can’t control their earthquakes, fires, or floods destroying large por-
  tions of the city. The laws heavily restrict what effects are legally manifested, 
  and most high ranking officials will have their own defensive Stormcaller to 
  defend against big threats. The Inquisition itself might largely be non-magical, 
  and have no role in healing and restoration, and instead operates much more 
  like a military.
  Storm Summoners: The rich and powerful command elemental servants, which 
  take care of upkeep, transportation, home heating, and all manner of mundane 
  tasks. Wizards are sanctioned by the Inquisition in what strength of elemen-
  tals they are allowed to summon based on their power: most are only certified 
  to summon drudges, while those who are sanctioned to summon full blown 
  attendants can fetch a mighty sum. Creating new elementals of anything above 
  wisp requires a lot of paperwork. If you’re not one of the rich and powerful, you 
  might have had your livelihood replaced by an elemental who can do your job 
  all day without resting or being paid. This is a source of some tension.
  The Six Viziers: Their power might be from the constellations and come from 
  the same source of divine providence as the Emperor, or they might have been 
  originally taught by the six ancient Tyrant Dragons. Regardless, those marked 
  with the power are easy enough to spot, and not easily understood. An entire 
  wing of the bardic library is dedicated to studying all the possible manifestations 
  of this power. And while the Inquisition’s official agents are those who follow 
  The Eye, all of the signs are present, and watched to various degrees.
  Voidcallers: These wizards are never sanctioned by anybody, and zealously 
  hunted by the Inquisition. If you want a more traditional “holy army hunts 
  down wizards summoning bad things” then this is your mode.
  10
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  THE CITY OF COSTRACINNI
  The Empire is massive and unwieldy. The impe-
  rial army is the largest in the world, and shows 
  no sign of slowing down its march of expansion. 
  While there are distant enemies that pose a chal-
  lenge and keep the army at bay, the main enemy 
  of the Empire’s war is that of logistics. Because 
  it is so spread out, supply lines and deployments 
  make engagements last many months. Soldiers 
  tours of duty are rearranged and extended. Each 
  new conquest leads to new conscripts, as well as 
  another protectorate that the Empire must cover. 
  The war has had pauses, ceasefires, even trea-
  ties. Yet the war has never completely ceased, not 
  since the founding of the city of Costracinni. 
  The Empire is ruled by Emperor Principi 
  Costracinni, 17th of her name, a hereditary 
  position that dates back to the founding of the 
  capital of Costracinni at the fork of the Oricellari 
  river. (For more on the current Emperor, see 
  page 29.) The original Emperor founded the 
  city by driving out the Tyrant Dragons, claiming 
  divine heritage as granting his abilities.
  The first Emperor declared three major edicts:
  • Until the people of the world were free 
  from the Tyrant Dragons, the battle must 
  continue, and the Pax Costracinni must 
  be extended wherever the dragons strike.
  • The Pax Constracinni shall be the main 
  responsibility of the Emperor, the internal 
  workings shall be decided by a Benevolent 
  Council that come from the People.
  • The Empire cannot stand without the 
  Divine, but it cannot be ruled by the 
  Divine.
  These edicts would later be expanded upon 
  by later Emperors, but formed the foundation 
  of the city of Costracinni. With the city the seat 
  of power for the Emperor, it would continue to 
  grow in importance along with the Empire as 
  a whole, until it became the self-declared Most 
  Important City in the World.
  11
  
  The Districts of Costracinni
  The city is divided into anywhere between 40-50 districts, depending on who 
  is in power in the council at any given time and just how gerrymandered the 
  districts are. There are always four external districts as well, representing the 
  northern, western, eastern, and southern holdings of the Empire as a whole. 
  The exact districts of Costracinni are left undefined at the start of the cam-
  paign. Instead of generating 50 districts whole cloth, you’ll generate a small 
  number of them as needed for your game such that they involve your player 
  characters. Start by rolling two districts per player in the game, and lay those 
  out as the foundation. Player characters—and NPCs that are described through 
  character creation—can attach themselves to these districts as makes sense. If 
  the character is involved with the council, one of them will be the home district 
  for that council seat. If the character is a Bard, that district involves their beat, 
  or is somehow otherwise important. Not every character has to be attached to a 
  district, but the more there is, the more the characters will feel at home.
  If none of the districts on the table feel right for a particular purpose, keep 
  making new ones until you find one that fits. It’s better to have more districts 
  defined than too few. However, you shouldn’t generate all 40-50: the campaign 
  will mainly focus on the major districts and the ones “in play” in an upcoming 
  election.
  To start making a new district, get an index card, and roll its primary issues 
  using 3 Fate Dice. Roll twice, each time moving to the right for each + and 
  down for each -. If you get the same one more than once, the issue is particu-
  larly vital and contentious in the district:
  0
  +
  +
  +
  0
  Taxes
  War/ 
  The Military
  Foreign 
  Policy
  Guild/
  Trade-Specific
  -
  Magic/
  Religion
  Jobs
  Domestic 
  Issues
  -
  Immigration/
  Cultural
  Crime & 
  Punishment
  -
  Special 
  Interest
  For each issue, write an aspect. (If, for example, you rolled Taxes twice, you’d 
  write two different tax-related aspects.) If nothing jumps to mind, either roll 
  1dF or choose from the examples on the following page.
  After you’ve figured out the two issues, write a third aspect that acts as what 
  “everybody knows” about that district, regardless of if you feel it’s the truth or 
  not. (This aspect probably looks a little like a high concept aspect, but for a place 
  instead of a person.)
  12
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT:
  + 
  We Need Less Inquisition and More Policing
  0 
  Scrying Magic Should Be Used To Prevent Crime
  - 
  Death Penalty For All Illegal Mages
  DOMESTIC ISSUES
  + 
  The Price Of Healing Is Too Damn High
  0 
  Wagon Traffic Is Out Of Control
  - 
  Won’t Somebody Think Of The Children?
  FOREIGN POLICY
  + 
  Our Taxes Should Stay Here
  0 
  As Long As Dragonkin Breathe, None of Us Are Safe
  - 
  The Outer Powers Deserve Equal Representation
  GUILD/TRADE-SPECIFIC
  + 
  Import Restrictions Are Starving Us
  0 
  We Must Protect The Sanctity Of Elven Craftsmanship
  - 
  Deregulate Our Local Industries
  IMMIGRATION/CULTURAL
  + 
  This Is The Only Place Us Halflings Feel Safe
  0 
  Those Dragonkin Must Be Kept Out Of Our Neighborhood
  - 
  Too Many Refugees From The Outer Provinces Steal Our Jobs
  JOBS
  + 
  If The War Stops, Our Economy Collapses
  0 
  There Aren’t Enough Jobs To Cover Population Growth
  - 
  Whatever Happened to Locally-Made Steel?
  MAGIC/RELIGION
  + 
  Sick of Magical Regulatory Red Tape
  0 
  The Inquisition Are Bullies
  - 
  Wizards Constantly Endanger Us All
  SPECIAL INTEREST
  + 
  Dwarves For The Ethical Treatment of Horses
  0 
  Unchecked Magic Is Causing Global Warming
  - 
  You Can Have My Wand When You Pry It From My Cold, Dead Hands
  TAXES
  + 
  Middle-Income Earners Cannot Survive On Their Current Salaries
  0 
  The Wealthy Are Taking Their Gold Elsewhere
  - 
  It’s Too Expensive To Own A Home
  WAR/MILITARY
  + 
  Bring Our Fighting Forces Home
  0 
  Veterans Should Be Healed At No Charge
  - 
  Red & Yellow Ribbon Campaign to Support the Troops… Or Else!
  13
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Two of these three aspects—the one “everyone knows” and either of the 
  remaining aspects—are public, and are freely taggable by anyone. If the charac-
  ter is very familiar with that district (attached through character creation) they 
  know all three of them, unless the GM wants to keep one part hidden for a 
  particularly juicy secret. The others are discoverable through investigating, cam-
  paigning, etc. later. See page 34 on different ways to handle secret aspects.
  You can also keep a few of these aspects blank, to fill in during play: just be 
  sure to note what kind of aspect it is. When someone does ask what district is 
  known for having the best stonemasons, you can grab the mostly filled in one 
  that makes sense, and fill in that blank, after the character has done the appro-
  priate discovery legwork.
  Once you have a stack of districts on note cards, you’ll need to do two more 
  things with them. First, arrange them in a way that shows some vague sense 
  of geography. You should also leave some blank cards in between to indicate 
  districts that are unimportant (at the moment), and for some landmarks like 
  the council building (see page 15) near the center and the Emperor’s palace 
  somewhere outside. You can also add major natural landmarks like a central 
  river, or an ocean with port.
  Second, mark which districts you’ve created are definitely “in play” for the 
  current election: their council seats are involved in the upcoming election. 
  Additionally mark any district that the characters are involved with.
  From these steps, you’ve got a rough map. No matter what, always try and 
  work to incorporate the characters into the setting, so keep on the lookout for 
  interesting ways to change aspects that fit character concepts. At this point, it’s 
  probably a good idea to take a photo of the spread; so you can reference it later.
  14
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  The Ruling Council
  Formally known as The People’s Benevolent Ruling Council, The Council is 
  charged with making domestic decisions for Costracinni, while The Emperor 
  handles foreign relations. At least, that’s the theory, but when you have an ever-
  expanding empire engaged in never-ending conquest, the line between what is 
  foreign and what is domestic can get a bit blurry. In the words of one notorious 
  bard, “It’s the job of the Council to clean up the Emperor’s messes.”
  The Council is chosen by popular vote, conducted across the Empire. 
  Candidates must first pass a primary in the district that they are representing, 
  and must have official residence in that location. The primaries put forth a can-
  didate from that district, but since there are fewer councilmembers than districts, 
  not every district will get full representation, and a single councilmember may 
  have multiple districts he represents depending on the election results. Those 
  running for office need both the support of their home district, as well as appeal 
  and recognition outside their district.
  Elections are held every two years, with approximately one third of council 
  seats up for vote each time. The base term is four years, and there are no explicit 
  term limits on being a councilmember. In practice, if a councilmember outstays 
  their welcome, they’ll either find pressure among their coalition to retire, or the 
  Council may decide to redistrict. The total number of councilmembers is sup-
  posed to be 50, but because of redistricting and other factors, the exact number 
  of council spots fluctuates in the 40-50 range.
  In addition to the councilors of the city of Costracinni itself, all the other ter-
  ritories of the empire are divided into the North, West, East, and South districts. 
  Theoretically, the conquered nations largely govern themselves, and the rulers of 
  each report to their representative councilor to express any larger concerns to the 
  Ruling Council as a whole. In practice, it tends to work the other way around: 
  new empire-wide taxes and other new laws come back from the Council and 
  are delivered to the various governments by the councilmember for that region, 
  without a lot of back and forth. Bards specializing in history often point to this 
  as being a frequent reason for revolutions and other secessionist movements 
  elsewhere. However, all attempts to change the system by which other territories 
  are governed, giving them more representation, have always been shot down 
  in Council, though it is a frequent move for political attention and good will 
  during election season.
  Among the Council, in addition to a truly staggering number of committees 
  and subcommittees, there are a few positions elected by the council itself: a 
  Speaker who enforces Council rules and sets agenda, a Vice Speaker who serves 
  as support for the Speaker, and a Prime Minister who serves as primary liaison 
  between the Council and the Emperor, as she does not attend sessions herself.
  Each councilmember receives a generous stipend (not officially a salary), 
  decided by the Council itself. They also receive public funds in order to provide 
  them with comprehensive staff in execution of their duties. Councilmembers 
  are publicly discouraged from acting in the interests of their own personal and 
  financial gain, though given that the council itself enforces those rules internally, 
  it is a rare offender that actually is punished for it, when the council needs to 
  make an example.
  15
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  The Hall of the Council
  One of the oldest buildings in Costacinni, built overtop where the Tyrant 
  Dragons were routed by the Emperor, in the heart of the old city itself. As the 
  city has expanded and become more massive, the buffer zone around the Hall 
  has pushed out, taking over the oldest buildings for staff and other administra-
  tive government offices. 
  The actual hall where the Council does its business is massive, allowing each 
  councilmember their own desk and assistant, around a central elevated podium 
  where the Speaker and Vice Speaker conduct their business, and a main floor 
  where those speaking before the Council are heard. A few ancient enchantments 
  are weaved into the floorboards, giving an extra oomph to anyone who speaks 
  while officially holding the floor, which can be taken away by the Speaker when 
  needed. The Office of the Speaker denies that any such enchantments really exist, 
  and so what other effects may be there from the hundreds of years it has existed 
  is unknown. 
  An Archbishop from the Inquisition oversees matters in the Hall, ostensibly 
  to ensure that no outside magical influence is affecting Councilmembers (a job 
  they take very seriously.) The Bishop in charge also ends up being almost a de 
  facto member of the Council (without being elected) by being allowed to weigh 
  in on magical and church issues.
  The “Press Box” is another elevated section that corrals all of the bards who 
  cover Council issues and report it to the public. Tight security (and distance) 
  keeps them from interacting with the Council directly while inside the chamber, 
  though this has still lead to occasional protests from those who have managed to 
  get their hands on credentials.
  District Councils
  Each district has its own small, local councils, along with a number of other 
  elected positions. This is the “accepted” path to getting elected into the People’s 
  Council, though there are plenty with fame, fortune, and/or family that opt to 
  skip having actual experience in government service before deciding to run for 
  one of the most powerful positions available. 
  The councilmember for the district is supposed to stay in regular contact 
  with the District Councils in order to keep a pulse on the constituents of the 
  area. Actually following through with this is up to the complete discretion of 
  the councilmember. Some choose to live in outer estates, and let the District 
  Councils run the district as they see fit, while others stay intimately involved, 
  for better or worse.
  The local District Councils are also elected on the same day as the People’s 
  Council, though only those registered in that district vote for them. There is no 
  primary process with the District Councils, meaning that it is very common for 
  the local elections to have a considerably longer and more complex part of the 
  ballots than the national portions.
  16
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Example Council Characters
  Stats for these example characters are found on the following pages.
  WARREN STONEREAVER
  Warren Stonereaver is a staunch Inquisition ally, whose questionable theories on 
  magic and how it works have made him popular among his base but a dangerous 
  opponent to anyone who knows what they’re talking about. When anything can 
  remotely be blamed on magic, Stonereaver is the first to denounce it and call for 
  tougher reforms. It is unclear to his fellow politicians how much is an act and 
  how much is just a surefire means of raising political capital.
  MINNA
  While Minna may seem like an unassuming woman, sitting and observing coun-
  cil sessions, she’s actually one of the most well-connected political operatives 
  around. She chooses who she works with carefully, and will always claim to be 
  loyal to whomever is paying her retainer, but she has no qualms about moving 
  to another candidate if the winds blow that way. Crossing means that all of her 
  friends find out about it, and just how many friends she has in important places. 
  The best way to try and retain her services is by getting an invitation to one of 
  her extravagant parties—before it gets out of control—and catching her eye 
  with a stunning outfit.
  NEW ASPECTS FOR NPCS
  While the player characters are defined by how their ambitions have 
  crossed paths with them, NPCs in House of Bards work slightly differ-
  ently. Each of the NPCs listed have a hidden Secret aspect, which if 
  discovered, might provide some solid leverage against them. They also 
  have a Connection aspect, with a blank. If circumstances bring them 
  into a story, the GM can fill in that blank with one of the PCs to immedi-
  ately create history. If the NPC is being used as a social advantage (see 
  page 31), then the PC that created that advantage will fill it in.
  This also means that all the NPCs here are full-fledged main NPCs. 
  Nameless NPCs and supporting characters can still come up (and any 
  of the ones here can be “downgraded” in a pinch) but the ones here are 
  designed to be complex characters, with their own agendas.
  17
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Warren Stonereaver
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Conservative Dwarven Council-
  member
  Trouble: Dangerously Ignorant of Magic
  Ambitions: I Will Become the Most Influential 
  Councilmember
  Secret: Only Religious When Convenient
  Connection: Frequent Opponent to ____ Over 
  Magical Issues 
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Contacts 
  Great (+4): Resources, Provoke
  Good (+3): Rapport, Deceive, Crafts
  Fair (+2): Empathy, Athletics, Investigate, Will
  Average (+1): Notice, Lore, Fight, Shoot, Drive
  STUNTS
  The Distinguished Gentleman From District 7 
  (Contacts): When defending against attacks to 
  your social standing, you may use Contacts instead 
  of Will.
  Born of Stone (Will): One per session, at the cost of 
  a fate point, you can reduce a consequence result-
  ing from Magic that targets you specifically.
  STRESS
  Physical 2
  Mental 3
  Social 4
  18
  
  Minna
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Halfling Political Fixer
  Trouble: Sucker For A Pretty Face
  Ambition: I Will Be The Most Connected Operative 
  In The Council
  Secret: What Happens At My Parties Should Stay 
  In My Parties 
  Connection: _______ And I Grew Up Together
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Contacts
  Great (+4): Notice, Rapport
  Good (+3): Deceive, Provoke, Investigate
  Fair (+2): Empathy, Magic, Resources, Will
  Average (+1): Athletics, Physique, Stealth
  STUNTS
  Fly on The Wall (Contacts): Once per session, at the 
  cost of a fate point, you can automatically discover 
  the results of a secret meeting, as long as there is any 
  plausible way the information could have leaked 
  out.
  A Shame If Your Wife Found Out (Investigate): 
  When using Investigate to Create an Advantage 
  based on a secret, add a +2 bonus to the roll.
  Second Chance (Physique): Once during a conflict, 
  when using Athletics to defend against a physical 
  attack and spending a Fate Point, reroll the dice and 
  add a +2 bonus.
  STRESS
  Mental 3
  Physical 3
  Social 4
  19
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  THE KEY PLAYERS OF COSTRACINNI
  While the Emperor and the Council are the official government of Costracinni, 
  they are both dependent upon the people. Through the years, several influential 
  groups have developed outside of the government (and sanctioned by it to vari-
  ous degrees) that represent the life of the citizens of Costracinni. 
  The House of Bards
  Formally known as “The Imperial Academy of Bards, Criers, Minstrels, and 
  Scribes,” the Academy and its various branch houses are known to most as the 
  House of Bards. 
  Many years ago, during a particularly difficult wartime campaign, civil unrest 
  hit an all-time high. People in the imperial capital weren’t getting reports back 
  of what was going on with their loved ones fighting the war, and a particularly 
  zealous city watch was oppressing the population, leading to widespread protests 
  that threatened to shut the city down.
  The Emperor issued a rare proclamation, granting traveling entertainers 
  unprecedented rights in witnessing, retelling stories, reporting, and most sur-
  prising of all, ability to speak out about the government without fear of reprisal. 
  At first, this was intended as just a way to keep the masses happy by giving 
  approval to the bawdy singers that frequented taverns. In order to enjoy these 
  protections, the bards needed to attend the Imperial Academy, in the hopes of 
  providing some measure of legitimacy (and control) over the graduates.
  What the proclamation really did was kick off a journalistic revolution. As the 
  Imperial Academy took in more recruits, eager to contribute, the ancient codes 
  of those who carry on oral traditions was instilled. Commitment to the truth, 
  a good story, and integrity were instilled upon the new students. The Imperial 
  Academy was not only training musicians, but scribes, frontline war reporters, 
  satirists, and more.
  The House of Bards is the fourth estate of Costracinni, with no official influ-
  ence beyond what it can find and with the power of protection. It sits in balance 
  to many of the other powers, not because it can directly affect policy like many 
  of the other parts of Costracinni, but it can provide pressure and public expo-
  sure. As long as the operation has the Emperor’s protection behind it, the Bards 
  are an important part of life in Costracinni.
  20
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  The Examiner
  The largest (but not only) newspaper of Costracinni has its own devoted wing 
  of the Imperial Academy, where dozens of editors coordinate hundreds of staff 
  members to investigate, report, and publish the daily newspaper. The Examiner 
  also has smaller bureau locations in each major district and in many countries 
  abroad. Magical communication assists with filing stories remotely, and guild 
  wizards work in concert with staff in order to mass produce the paper. The pro-
  cess by which the wizards are able to create the printings is a closely-held guild 
  secret, but it involves a ritual that can be seen whereby words are “pressed” into 
  paper, and those who work for The Examiner are often colloquially referred to 
  as “the press.” 
  The Examiner is a place that pushes the boundaries of its freedoms via the 
  Imperial Decree. It is the more likely than other bardic organizations to become 
  an enemy of those in power, and be a source of controversy among the people, 
  than any individual Bard or Minstrel operating on their own. It is not immune 
  to blowback, from organized boycotts to councilmembers making the Imperial 
  Academy’s operations difficult.
  And while The Examiner enjoys a number of legal protections, it still must 
  worry about market forces. The Examiner receives a grant from the Imperial 
  Academy as a cut of tuition, takes advertisers in the paper, and sells the paper. 
  Despite all that, it is an operation with quite a lot of overhead, and there’s always 
  a chance some new magical innovation will make the newspaper obsolete. 
  Corrupt reporters taking payola for good coverage and editors getting a kickback 
  for killing critical stories before press time are always possible. 
  The Archives
  The House of Bards maintains the largest collection of historical documents and 
  records in the known world. As part of its agreement with those that it trains, 
  any documents that a trained bard produces (be it notes, books, music, etc.) 
  are to be placed in the Archives. It is an incredible storehouse of information, 
  dating back to the days of when oral tradition first started to give way to written 
  tradition.
  Like a lot of the other parts of the House of Bards, the main issue it suffers 
  from is underfunding. As a result, more documents come in than can be quickly 
  indexed, and lack of organization has been an issue for the better part of a cen-
  tury. The dedicated librarians of the archives do their best, and have their own 
  oral tradition about what documents are where, but that knowledge only goes 
  so far.
  In short, there is a lot of power in the Archives. If you can find it.
  21
  
  Example House of Bards High Concepts
  • Zealous Truthseeking Elven Bard
  • Muckraking Dragonkin Editor of the Examiner 
  • Double Agent Dwarven Arch-Spy
  • Traveling Entertainer to the Noble Court
  Example House of Bards Characters
  RENA NOSK
  Rena Nosk is one of the most feared editors at The Examiner, and not just 
  because she can breathe fire. Rena has published more stories that have landed 
  the newspaper in trouble by the council than any other editor, a point of pride 
  for her. Her token punishment has been shuffling her off important beats and 
  onto the night desk, but that has just driven her to get more work done while 
  everyone else is sleeping. 
  Rena Nosk
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Dragonkin Night Editor
  Trouble: Won’t Back Down From A Story
  Ambition: I Will Ruin Those In Power
  Secret: Related To A Tyrant Dragon
  Connection: Published A Hit Piece Against _______
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Investigate
  Great (+4): Notice, Rapport
  Good (+3): Contacts, Lore, Will
  Fair (+2): Deceive, Empathy, Fight, Provoke
  Average (+1): Crafts, Drive, Physique, Resources, 
  Shoot
  STUNTS
  Dragon Breath (Physique): You can use Physique to 
  attack by breathing fire.
  Threat? Menace? (Investigate): You can use 
  Investigate to attack someone’s social standing as 
  long as you can publish a story about it.
  STRESS
  Mental 4
  Physical 3
  Social 4
  22
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Izandi 
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Elven General Interest Bard
  Trouble: No Interest In Serious Journalism
  Ambition: I Will Have The Most Read Stories
  Secret: Paid Off By Various Politicians
  Connection: I Owe A Debt To _________
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Rapport
  Great (+4): Investigate, Contacts
  Good (+3): Deceive, Empathy, Provoke
  Fair (+2): Burglary, Drive, Stealth, Notice
  Average (+1): Athletics, Fight, Physique, Resources, 
  Will
  STUNTS
  Glamour-ous (Rapport): Twice per session, you may 
  upgrade a boost you receive with Rapport into a full 
  situation aspect with a free invocation.
  STRESS
  Mental 3
  Physical 3
  Social 4 
  +1 mild consequence
  There’s no explicit writing or other art skill in Fate Core. Instead, think 
  about the end result of the writing or art to be created. Is it about a 
  crime? Use Investigate. Is it an editorial trying to sway readers for a 
  cause? Use Rapport. Is it a work of malicious slander? Try Provoke. In 
  many cases, no roll is necessary just for a bard to do their job, unless 
  it’s specifically for some specific purpose, in which case that purpose 
  should point to the skill used.
  IZANDI
  Izandi became a journalist for the money, which was her first 
  mistake. When the editors of The Examiner refused to cover 
  her lavish expense reports, she decided to make her own for-
  tune on the side by striking deals with the politicians she 
  was assigned to cover in exchange for favorable press. After 
  getting in over her head with dangerous deals, she was reas-
  signed to the general interest beat. There, she uses her innate 
  elven charm to get the story, make some extra coins, and not 
  run across any more powerful enemies.
  23
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  The Church & The Inquisition
  The faiths present in Costracinni are diverse, with various pantheons and indi-
  vidual deities forming a complex landscape of belief and worship. History tells of 
  wars waged in ancient times between these individual churches, from factional 
  infighting to traditional infidel purges of anyone judged by the Paladins as evil.
  Then came the Emperor, who claimed a lineage to the divine, without 
  referencing any specific power. As the Empire rose to prominence, various inter-
  pretations came out tying the Emperor to one church or another, though none 
  dared to start a holy war over these differences, for fear of retribution by the 
  Emperor. 
  In those early days, a group of wizards from a nearby kingdom threatened to 
  tear the fledgling Empire apart with unchecked magic. The Emperor went to 
  war against the kingdom, bringing in help of the “more pure” magic of the vari-
  ous faiths to defeat them.
  While that threat was dealt with, the Emperor realized that there would be no 
  way to keep magic in check indefinitely: the world was just too complex for that. 
  The only ones who could be trusted with such power, he said, were those who 
  received their gifts from the gods themselves, and the only ones with the pure 
  authority to enforce rules about magic.
  From this coalition of faiths charged with monitoring spellcasters came The 
  Inquisition. At first, each church recognized by the Empire handled its own 
  enforcement, but in time, the Inquisition has coalesced itself into a central 
  enforcement body, which has integrated itself into Costracinni’s bureaucracy. 
  The modern Inquisition wields an enormous amount of power, both civically 
  and literally.
  The individual churches still exist, and play a role in local life and in the vari-
  ous neighborhoods, providing life teachings and divine spellcasting, but each 
  faith knows that the way to real influence is to get its representatives into the 
  Inquisition.
  Licensed Wizardry
  All spellcasters, regardless of the source of their abilities, must swear oaths and 
  become licensed to practice magic. This is part of the graduation process of the 
  Wizards Guild Trade School, but anyone coming to these talents from elsewhere 
  (including divine casters, natural spellcasters, discovering an artifact in distant 
  lands, practicing magic when coming from another conquered territory, etc.) 
  must report to an Inquisition office for testing and screening. This license must 
  be maintained every 3 years in order to continue to practice spellcasting. Failure 
  to do so can lead to harsh punishments.
  Of course, some choose to hide what they can do from the law, or claim more 
  obscure exemptions. Unregistered spellcasters offering discrete work can fetch a 
  tidy sum in the Empire for their services.
  24
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Regulated Spells
  The Inquisition is run by five Cardinals, advised by a larger pool of Archbishops, 
  who among other duties meet to decide what spells are allowable on a common 
  usage basis, what spells are restricted, and what spells are banned outright. The 
  last category tends to pass without disagreement; it’s the other two categories 
  that shift depending on who is in power and, often, political pressure. 
  For instance, magic that creates materials out of thin air might become 
  restricted depending on what manufacturing guilds have to say and what kind 
  of influence they can exert. Restrictions on simple spells like “Create Water” may 
  vary wildly in times of drought and flood. While many agree that scrying spells 
  should not be available to the common citizen, not everyone agrees that the 
  government services should have access.
  Likewise, the Inquisition is made up of followers of various faiths, who have 
  a near monopoly on curative magic, and so can determine what rates they can 
  charge for it. Minor cure spells and most cure disease spells are common enough. 
  However, when the Inquisition makes proclamations warning against over use 
  of magic and creating magic-resistant diseases, matters become more complex.
  The biggest conflict comes in resurrection magic. Resurrection is only allowed 
  in specific circumstances by direct endorsement of the Emperor in circum-
  stances that would serve the state, and often, require a hefty donation to the 
  Cardinal performing the ritual. This often means that only the highest of the 
  upper class are allowed to return from the dead, yet, that doesn’t stop griefing 
  petitioners of all kinds. 
  Broad Discretionary Powers
  The Inquisition regularly publishes reports of errant spellcasters they have cap-
  tured attempting to practice dangerous, unpredictable magic. They make sure 
  that everyone knows the threat they’re up against: individuals that can alter 
  minds, summon otherworldly creatures, and tear out the threads of reality. 
  In that fight, the Inquisition uses a lot of power in the enforcement of its 
  duties, with much greater access than other kinds of law enforcement within the 
  Empire. The Inquisition can orchestrate raids and seize property if they feel it is 
  the best interests of rooting out dangerous spellcasting.
  There are times when the Inquisition has stepped too far and suffered sanc-
  tions from the Ruling Council and even the Emperor herself, but largely, it leans 
  on the importance of its duties and divine mandate to keep doing what it wants. 
  While the Inquisition is supposed to be incorruptible due to its divine origins, 
  it is anything but. 
  Example Inquisition High Concepts
  • Folksy Healer Fed Up With Bureaucracy
  • Honest Inquisitor Fighting Injustice
  • Bishop To The Rich 
  25
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Example Inquisitor
  BISHOP BENNET
  Bishop Bennet follows the tenets of Saint Cu-Bree-Teth, an obscure saint among 
  the officially recognized religions in Costracinni. Cu-Bree-Teth teaches justice, 
  of the “eye for an eye” kind. Bennet spent years fighting in the Imperial army, 
  only to grow sick of the needless bloodshed. Now, he serves as an advisor to the 
  Inquisition branch that seeks out and punishes rebel wizards, but due to his 
  experiences, passes along information to try and help the wizards so there is not 
  a violent confrontation that results.
  Bishop Bennet
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Human Battle-Priest of 
  Justice
  Trouble: Can’t Leave The Wars Behind
  Ambition: I Will Ensure Justice For All 
  Throughout The Empire
  Secret: Shelters Underground Wizards
  Connection: Bishop To ______’s Parents
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Empathy 
  Great (+4): Fight, Magic 
  Good (+3): Lore, Physique, Rapport
  Fair (+2): Athletics, Contacts, Deceive, Will
  Average (+1): Crafts, Notice, Resources, Shoot
  STUNTS
  Confess Your Sins (Empathy): You can use 
  Empathy in place of Provoke to attack some-
  one emotionally.
  Inquisitor’s Defense (Magic): When defend-
  ing against hostile Magic, add a +2 bonus.
  Elder Scholar (Lore): When Creating an 
  Advantage related to studying another’s 
  Magic, gain an additional free invocation 
  when using it to unravel that magic.
  STRESS
  Mental 3
  Physical 4
  Social 4
  26
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  The Guilds
  The Guilds are organizations made up of like-
  minded individuals who participate in similar 
  trades. Guilds must register officially with the 
  Costracinni government, and while it’s not a 
  requirement to join the associated guild when 
  entering a trade, it’s strongly recommended to 
  ensure proper training, protection, and repre-
  sentation in government. At least, that’s what 
  the guilds say. In practice, the guilds want 
  their dues, which is one of many reasons inde-
  pendent tradespeople can run into difficulties 
  in the city.
  The one exception to the “optional” nature 
  of guilds is becoming a wizard, which is illegal 
  in the Empire without registration through 
  the guild.
  The Wizards Guild
  Far-off lands exalt their wizards by putting 
  them through universities, putting the mas-
  ters of the arcane into positions of power. In 
  Costracinni, wannabe wizards are organized 
  by the Wizards Guild, through a series of 
  trade schools. Wizard is a vocation, not a title, 
  and after a period of training as an apprentice, 
  they’re put to work as soon as possible. All the 
  while, the reminders are there that if they use 
  their spells beyond the prescribed boundaries 
  of their job, the Inquisition will be waiting.
  This is not a situation the Wizards Guild 
  particularly appreciates, and while not in the 
  official curriculum, many of the instructors of 
  the Wizards Guilds have been known to teach 
  ways to practice magic subtly and best prac-
  tices for avoiding the ire of the authorities.
  The guild itself, in addition to training new 
  generations of recruits and placing them with 
  appropriate jobs, is also responsible for main-
  taining records and licenses, and regulating 
  what kinds of wizards are guild-certified. Like 
  the other guilds, this ultimately boils down 
  to money. 
  27
  
  The Wizards Guild not only takes money from those wishing to get into the 
  wizarding game, they take money from those who need the services of wizards, 
  and are responsible for determining who gets to go where. This process leads 
  to considerable amounts of backroom dealing, favor exchanges, and outright 
  corruption. 
  The public at large recognizes the value of the Wizards: they provide a number 
  of important amenities for city life. The right to cast spells is a frequent topic of 
  discussion in every election, as the enforcement powers of the Inquisition wax 
  and wane, and new spells are developed that push the boundaries of what is 
  acceptable. However, those who have been on the wrong side of either a rogue 
  Fireball or a particularly shady guild contract have reason to be trustful that the 
  Guild is the right side to back.
  ARCANE VS. DIVINE
  If you’ve played D&D or anything like it, you’ve probably seen the dis-
  tinction between Arcane and Divine spells. To put it simply, Arcane 
  casters memorize complex spells in order to use their magic, while 
  Divine casters receive their powers from a divine force. Each one has 
  limits to what kind of effects they can create-healing vs. destruction 
  being a big difference- though there are always gray areas of overlap 
  between them. Additionally, the list of what Divine magic can do is rela-
  tively static, passed down within the tenets of faith and what divine 
  power it is granted them, whereas sufficiently advanced magic is always 
  discovering new effects and refining existing ones.
  This distinction is most represented in the approaches of the Wizards 
  Guild and the Inquisition. You might choose to detach this distinction in 
  your game, or go with the idea that the magic is basically all the same, 
  it just matters on what institution you learn it from. A supernature vs. 
  supernuture, if you will.
  Other Guilds
  Most of the other guilds are common trades that, by organizing, gain a measure 
  of collective bargaining and influence over the Council that can have dramatic 
  effect on their fate. From the various manufacturing guilds like woodworkers 
  and masons, to the professions like merchants and traders or sailors, each one 
  represents a part of the infrastructure of Costracinni that is not particularly 
  flashy but is nonetheless important. These guilds have their minor struggles with 
  each other, and much more often, have a very contentious relationship with the 
  Wizards Guild. The Wizards Guild has the most attention and the most power, 
  which works to the other guilds benefit when their interests are aligned, and 
  to their detriment when there is a general blowback against “the guild system” 
  when something goes wrong with the wizards.
  28
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  The Emperor and 
  the Secret History 
  of Costracinni
  Emperor Principi Costracinni the XVII 
  is a young Emperor, having ascended 
  to the throne just shy of her 19th birth-
  day. As Emperor is a hereditary position 
  given to the eldest regardless of gender, 
  the term “Empress” has never caught on 
  in the Empire as it has elsewhere. The 
  Emperor has spent more time in the 
  Imperial Palace, a secluded and fortified 
  estate on the outskirts of the city, then 
  many of her predecessors, but rumors are 
  that will change soon with a new north-
  ern offensive. Though like all Emperors 
  she is largely kept away from the public, 
  those few who have met her and spoken 
  to the bards about her say she is naturally 
  charming and is expected to be much 
  more active than her father, Emperor 
  Nostrum Costracinni the XVI.
  The Emperor’s Secret
  It’s the greatest secret and the most 
  vigorously-defended lie in all of the 
  Empire. There are maybe five creatures 
  in the entire realm who know the truth, 
  though more suspect something is up. 
  Expressing any thoughts publicly doubt-
  ing the official story is dealt with swiftly.
  THE TRUTH...?
  If you’re planning on playing a 
  House of Bards game instead of 
  running it, this might be a good 
  part to skip if you want to be sur-
  prised and have it come out during 
  play.
  29
  
  The truth is: there has only ever been one Emperor, and she’s not what she 
  appears.
  For many ages, the lands far and wide were ruled by the Tyrant Dragons and 
  their dragonkin off-spring. A group of wizards decided they were tired of being 
  oppressed by the dragons, and devised a powerful ritual to summon a creature 
  into this realm to battle them. Something that was powerful enough to drive the 
  dragons away and protect the people, and cunning enough to match wits with 
  the dragons.
  What they got was a shapeshifting creature from the infernal realms, a spirit 
  that thrives on conflict and war itself. The creature did two things when sum-
  moned. First, the creature questioned why it was summoned. The second thing 
  was to destroy its summoners.
  The creature created the would-be Emperor guise, and appeared to the tribes 
  ruled by the dragons, and stirred them to action. As the new Emperor rallied the 
  tribes, she gained more strength from the conflict itself, and was eventually able 
  to kill or drive off the dragons.
  That was not enough for the Emperor, however. In order to sustain her exis-
  tence in this realm, she needed to continue to be involved in war. Likewise, if 
  anyone knew the truth, a powerful enough spellcaster could banish it back to 
  the infernal realms. The Emperor created the Empire in order to control spell-
  casters and stop them from ever getting to close to revealing the Emperor’s secret, 
  while waging near continuous war to feed itself.
  The creature’s shapeshifting is powerful enough to pass as human, and even 
  have children. When it’s time for the old Emperor to “pass on,” the creature 
  devours its child and changes its form into the new child to take over, and it has 
  done so through at least 17 generations to date. 
  The Emperor has been propagating itself for so long and is empowered by 
  a large, ongoing war that it doesn’t make many mistakes that would expose it. 
  However, that doesn’t mean it’s totally safe.
  The family that serves as the Emperor’s personal aides are descended from the 
  original settlers. They may have some inkling, though they are sworn to secrecy 
  via ancient and terrible rites. 
  The Tyrant Dragons are just as long lived, and a few survived the initial purges 
  when the Empire was first founded. They may be in hiding still, or biding their 
  time, since they would be an easy target for the Emperor’s wrath. Their suspi-
  cions have spread throughout the dragonkin that still walk the lands.
  And there’s always a chance that a transition to a “new” generation of Emperor 
  could go wrong, especially if there were outside forces involved (in an assassina-
  tion attempt, or an errant spellcaster.)
  In any case, finding out this secret could mean you possessed the most impor-
  tant secret in the realm, and also the most dangerous.
  30
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  NEW RULES
  Social Stress and the Effects of Stress
  Just as suggested on page 50 of Fate Core, House of Bards adds a third stress track: 
  Social Stress. Social Stress represents a character’s reputation and general social 
  standing. (For more ideas and an in-depth discussion of Social Stress, see the 
  Dresden Files Roleplaying Game: Your Story.) This allows characters to absorb a bit 
  more punishment overall before being taken out. Use Rapport as the relevant 
  skill for extra stress boxes for social stress.
  In House of Bards, the characters involved fuel the drama, and so stay in the 
  picture for longer, and driving them out whether through destroying their repu-
  tation (social stress), pushing them to the brink emotionally (mental stress) or 
  arranging for them to suffer an “accident” (physical stress) requires more work 
  over a longer period of time.
  The consequences taken inform how a character is affected by stress, and has 
  the most long term, mechanical effect. However, looking at the stress a character 
  has taken can also inform the GM on a character’s general state. Especially for 
  social stress, several dots marked off over the course of a scene might show them-
  selves as rumors and whispers following the character around. 
  For more specifics at how direct social conflicts can be taken, revisit the Fate 
  System Toolkit, page 54, for more options in social conflicts.
  Creating Social Advantages and 
  Connecting Outside the PCs
  Much of a dramatic game involves creating a large cast of characters. The Contacts 
  skill gets a particular workout in this setup, bringing in new resources and allies. 
  Other skills, especially social skills like Rapport, Empathy, and Provoke, all are 
  important for direct interaction, though GMs are encouraged to be flexible in 
  allowing skills to be applicable in other situations.
  PCs are free to trade favors and make bargains, especially in the context of 
  the Succeed at Cost tweaks listed on page 33. However, when a PC draws 
  upon an outside party, using a Create An Advantage roll to call in someone to 
  help, keep that resource around, even if all the free invocations are used up. That 
  advantage is a character that can be called upon later, either by the initial creator 
  or used against them if someone else discovers it.
  A simple nameless NPC is easy enough to start with, but after the free 
  invocations are used, make a note of who created that advantage, and create 
  a connection between them. Were they just hired to do a job, and can now 
  be bought by anyone? Was the contact a matter of family, shared beliefs, or a 
  common foe? Turn that into a connection aspect, as you populate Costracinni 
  with specialists, temporary allies, and other character resources.
  31
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Additionally, many of the NPCs listed in House of Bards have an empty 
  Connection aspect. Instead of just writing down an aspect, the GM can select 
  an appropriate NPC, fill in the name of the PC who called upon them under 
  their Connection aspect, and have a fully formed NPC ready to go already. Such 
  a connection has a bit more to them than a typical created advantage (though 
  the same number of free invocations applies based on the roll, at first), but it’s an 
  easy way to draw a new character in the story to play off of later.
  Running a Dramatic Game
  The traditional structure of RPGs, from its roots in D&D, is that the players 
  usually all work together on the same side, save for the occasional disagreement 
  about how to split the loot or doppelganger infiltration.
  A game like House of Bards, however, follows a more dramatic structure. Instead 
  of the action being driven by external threats, the player characters are put at 
  various cross-purposes and thrown into conflict with one another, driving the 
  action. When temporarily allying, or even when part of the same organization 
  working cross-purposes, different goals and drivers push tension among each 
  other. Characters in House of Bards are also more proactive than reactive: while 
  outside factors will intrude, it is up to the characters to decide what to do with 
  the information and put forward their own ways to use it to their advantage.
  In the context of Fate, this has a few important parts to stay aware of.
  Opposed Rolls and Player vs. Player Compels
  Inevitably, the characters are going to oppose each other, and that means dice 
  rolls. Sometimes, this will be a one-off roll, when an investigating bard attempts 
  to get a councilmember to slip up under questioning. Sometimes, this will be a 
  contest between multiple rolls, such as a formal debate.
  There will be plenty of times where what you know and can exploit about your 
  opponent is what will make the difference in a conflict, and that comes down to 
  using the aspects. As mentioned on page 71 of Fate Core, a player can propose 
  a compel for another player, complicating their life based on their aspects. This 
  is generally done in situations where the player’s character who is initiated the 
  compel is somehow involved in the turn of events.
  Likewise, in an extended conflict, consequences are going to come into play, 
  giving free invocations to their opponent when things get bad. With social stress 
  in play, these consequences can represent various ways the court of public opin-
  ion shifts to what’s happening.
  32
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Succeeding at a Cost
  When rolling against another player character, the one setting the stakes of the 
  roll rolls first, and then the other. Whomever has the lower result has the first 
  opportunity to invoke aspects in order to improve the roll. If the roll improves 
  to a better result than the other player, the other player now has the chance to 
  invoke aspects. If the roll does not beat the other player’s roll, the same player 
  has the option to continue invoking aspects. Essentially, the player on the lower 
  side of the roll always has the option to try and improve the roll.
  When both players are finished rolling, or whenever there is a tie, there is an 
  opportunity to succeed at a cost (either minor on a tie or serious on a failure.) In 
  the case of a minor cost, either player might propose a minor cost to the other. 
  If the players come to an agreement on appropriate cost, then the action goes 
  through.
  For example, a muckrucking bard may be trying to get a council-
  member’s aide to give up a vital bit of information. After the rolls, the 
  two are tied. The aide says that she’ll give up the information, if the 
  bard agrees to include something in the story that the councilmem-
  ber wants leaked as well. The two agree that the cost is appropriate, 
  and go from there.
  A serious cost can be a little more tricky between two players. The player with 
  the lower roll can propose the serious cost to the other player, but the higher 
  rolling player can always refuse, and simply let the result of a failure stand, and 
  the GM will narrate the results. 
  Following the previous example, let’s say the bard failed her roll by 
  2 against the aide. The aide can simply let the roll stand and refuse 
  to give up the information. Or the bard might propose the aide gives 
  up the information, and in the process, the bard accidentally gives up 
  what the story is about and a way the councilmember can get ahead 
  of it.
  When you factor in compels, these situations can turn into a rather elaborate 
  negotiation. The important part is that every development is narrated in context 
  of the scene, and not just the dice and fate point exchanges. In any case, the 
  GM is the final arbiter of what counts as a minor or serious cost, even when it’s 
  between two players. Just like rolls against the GM’s opposition, making failure 
  interesting keeps the story moving, even when it’s against someone else in your 
  group. 
  33
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Aspects: Hidden, Open, or Discoverable 
  As noted on page 79 of Fate Core, there’s room for secret or hidden aspects, espe-
  cially about situations. However, that still assumes that the players will generally 
  know each other’s aspects. In a game that throws the characters into such direct 
  contention, that may not necessarily be the case. There may also be power in 
  dramatic revelation when a Trouble aspect or Ambition is particularly shocking. 
  There are a few ways to handle it.
  Everybody Be Cool: Obviously, when the aspects are written on the character 
  sheet, and the players can read them, there’s a limit to the amount of secrets. 
  This model just assumes that while the players may know, their characters won’t 
  know what the aspects are. This is the easiest for a group of experienced roleplay-
  ers who trust each other to serve the story with their knowledge.
  Secrets and Lies: In this version, the only aspect that starts open is the High 
  Concept. Trouble is hidden from all other players, and only players who have 
  directly crossed paths with a particular Ambition aspect know what it is. When 
  it comes to light in the game, it is then revealed. Players can still invoke aspects 
  by telling the GM “I invoke my Trouble” without stating what it is, though that 
  may give clues and ammunition for other players to guess it. 
  Smokescreens: In this version, players have a public-facing character sheet, 
  with all the aspects they’d normally have. Those are the aspects that “everybody 
  knows”, both among the characters and the public. At any point, those aspects 
  may be swapped for alternate ones, revealing another layer to the character, and 
  most likely, more sinister.
  For example, the public Trouble might be Loses His Temper When 
  Cornered but the truth is Prone to Violent Mood Swings Thanks to 
  Magic Drug Addiction.
  Players start out being able to compel the public aspects, while the GM com-
  pels the private ones. 
  34
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Compelling Secrets
  The revelation, and the tension about when a secret will be revealed is part of the 
  critical engine of drama. If it’s a piece of a character the audience never gets to 
  see, that’s not an interesting secret, that’s just a missed opportunity.
  When working off a secret aspect, no matter who actually knows what it is, 
  the aspect can be compelled either by consequences of that secret, or that secret 
  becoming revealed. If the GM tempts the player into a situation that would 
  involve that secret coming to light, that’s a compel. If the player puts the char-
  acter into a situation that tempts that secret being revealed, that’s a form of 
  self-compel.
  For example, a character might have the Trouble aspect The Eyes of 
  The Emperor are Upon Me. The GM might compel that aspect to get 
  the character involved in a clandestine meeting where an agent of the 
  Emperor will see her. Likewise, when in danger, the player may decide 
  to self-compel by setting up that clandestine meeting and revealing 
  that they aren’t alone.
  Table Information, Secret Notes, and General Backstabbery
  It’s important to have everyone on the same page at the start of the game. A 
  setting like House of Bards is supposed to throw the characters into conflict in 
  a dramatic way, not the players themselves. Setting the expectations up front at 
  the start of the game prevent real conflicts later.
  Some important decisions to discuss about the game:
  • Is all table information public, or will there be hidden elements? (see the 
  Aspects: Hidden, Open, or Discoverable discussion above)
  • Will there be secret notes and meetings between the GM and players, or 
  will all action take place “on camera” for all players to know but not all 
  characters?
  • Are the players going to be totally opposed and cut-throat with each other 
  and grudges stay permanent, or will there be times of coming together 
  and drifting apart?
  35
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  VIGNETTES
  House of Bards does not follow a traditional, linear story structure. Instead, it 
  provides collections of scenes based on a theme that can be adjusted to fit the 
  players involved. Think of it as a toolbox of events to plug in to frame the scenes. 
  Primarily, look at what the characters want, and what stands in their way: espe-
  cially if it’s another one of the players. 
  Beginning: The Cold Open & The Inciting Incident
  First, establish the status quo in Costracinni, and how the characters fit into it. 
  The character sheets describe what has happened, but start establishing the now.
  Take this opportunity to ask questions about each character, and introduce 
  them each in their own scene. This is a chance to see all the characters in action 
  in their normal environment, and start to concoct the situations that will drive 
  the game. Ask questions like “what does your character do on a regular day?” 
  “What is the latest project your character worked on?” “Who do you rely on a 
  regular basis?”
  These scenes frame the campaign. It’s not necessary yet to roll any dice or even 
  multiple characters in the same scene yet.
  The following are a few sample starter scenes to kick the campaign off. If the 
  characters have all roughly the same focus, one might be sufficient. Otherwise, 
  look for opportunities to connect the dots between different inciting incidents, 
  stretching and criss-crossing throughout the campaign to lead to some darker 
  places.
  The Lines Are Drawn 
  Redistricting has always come with opportunities—and risks. One of the char-
  acters is a councilmember hoping to expand their influence or perhaps someone 
  looking to enter the council race for the first time. Whichever the case, their 
  allies have long promised that the time has come and all favors will be paid back, 
  and funds are lined up for the big opportunity.
  Only, the political winds have shifted, and the establishment has decided it 
  needs to be someone other than the character. (Maybe it’s even one of the other 
  characters.) A supposedly friendly face tells them that now is not the right time. 
  Maybe in four years?
  Will the character accept this, and try to figure out another path to satisfy their 
  ambition? Or will they run for council anyway, and anger every ally they have?
  36
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  No Holds Bard
  The legendary editor of The Examiner, Denid Ettin, has announced he is step-
  ping down after the current election. Different editors are vying to replace him, 
  if only they can crack a big story. The bards are out in full force under pressure to 
  find THE hot story that will distinguish them and let them take over when the 
  power vacuum fills. It also means that every other organization in Costracinni is 
  on its guard to not let anything slip out.
  This starting scene involves floating a juicy, complex story in front of the 
  characters. They might start out investigating something as simple as an affair, 
  but beneath it should hide a much greater secret: possibly going all the way up 
  to the Emperor herself.
  A Magical Powder Keg
  While leaving his house to go to the council session, the head of the Magical 
  Subcommittee was killed by a series of 17 fireballs from the sky.
  In the wake of this high-profile magical assassination, the Wizardry 
  Enforcement Act is quickly moving through the council chamber. The act would 
  give the Inquisition unprecedented authority to investigate magic usage among 
  the populace. Privacy, civil rights, and magical advocacy groups all protest. The 
  Wizards Guild prepares for the worst, and if need be, war. The Inquisition wel-
  comes the new law, but also struggles with internal corruption, which will only 
  become worse without some new housecleaning.
  There are those who are protesting the new law, and those who champion it, 
  with precious few in the middle. The city prepares for riots and even a possible 
  civil war. The characters start on their sides, but may discover there’s more to 
  this law than it first appears. And where did all the witnesses to the assassination 
  go anyway?
  An Unexpected Opportunity
  Kel Raven is a wizard on the run. She wasn’t entirely licensed by the Inquisition 
  to begin with, having had her magical abilities passed down from her Elven 
  ancestors. She was employed by Councilmember Sturn as a magical safeguard, 
  helping encrypt his sensitive documents and making sure his offices weren’t 
  being scryed upon.
  In the performance of her duties, however, she accidentally eavesdropped on 
  a high level confidential meeting between Sturn and the Inquisition. What she 
  found out would shake the Empire, and Sturn knows she has the information. 
  Now the Inquisition is out to find her under the pretense of performing “danger-
  ous” unlicensed wizardry. She comes to one of the PCs in the hopes that she can 
  trade what she knows for safety. But can her information be trusted?
  Kel promises that the scoop could bring down Sturn, opening his seat up on 
  the council and his committee positions. Publicly crossing the Inquisition is 
  dangerous politically, so either they’ll have to spin Kel’s role somehow, or work 
  some shadowy operations to hide her presence. The latter move might just be a 
  trick to get you to expose your operations.
  37
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Kel Raven 
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Elven Intelligence Wizard
  Trouble: Unlicensed Fugitive
  Ambition: I Will Bring Secrets To Light
  Secret: Magic Has Taken Its Toll
  Connection: Distantly Related to _________
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Magic
  Great (+4): Lore, Stealth
  Good (+3): Burglary, Deceive, Notice
  Fair (+2): Athletics, Fight, Investigate, Will
  Average (+1): Crafts, Empathy, Physique, Provoke, Rapport
  STUNTS
  Magical Codebreaker (Magic): When using Magic to Overcome an 
  Obstacle like encryption or surveillance, add a +2 bonus.
  STRESS
  Mental 3
  Physical 3
  Social 3
  Councilmember Sturn 
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Chairman Of The Intelligence Committee
  Trouble: Too Used To Getting His Way
  Ambition: I Will Keep The Empire Safe From All Internal Threats
  Secret: Regularly Abuses Power To Eliminate Enemies
  Connection: Owes a Favor To _________
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Resources
  Great (+4): Contacts, Investigate
  Good (+3): Deceive, Notice, Provoke
  Fair (+2): Empathy, Lore, Physique, Will
  Average (+1): Athletics, Burglary, Fight, Rapport, Shoot 
  STUNTS
  Money Talks (Resources): You can use Resources instead of Rapport in 
  any situation where ostentatious displays of material wealth might aid 
  your cause.
  Spy Network (Contacts): You can use Contacts instead of Lore in any 
  situation where you have received intelligence reports about the topic.
  STRESS
  Mental 3
  Physical 3
  Social 3
  38
  
  Heating Up: Power Plays
  “When in doubt, have a man enter with a gun in his hand” is the advice to keep 
  a plot lively. These are the political equivalents of the man with a gun. Whether 
  it’s the players coming up with the idea or a trusted aide floating a vague notion, 
  here’s some major scenes that the characters can proactively initiate that will 
  cause major waves. 
  Alternatively, the power plays listed below can be used against the PCs, but 
  that puts them into a more reactive mode, and should be used sparingly. 
  Assassination
  The most direct of all ways to eliminate a rival is also the most dangerous. Besides 
  the particulars of arranging an assassination in the first place, but the suspicious 
  death of any high-ranking or powerful individual is likely to draw scrutiny from 
  across Costracinni. 
  Hiring a professional assassin involves working your Contacts in order to find 
  someone for the job. Costs associated with this roll could involve needing to 
  trust an unreliable source to put you in touch, or not being able to find a profes-
  sional in time and instead needing to rely on someone less experienced, or that 
  the professional hired is planning on using the job for blackmail later. 
  Then, a Resources roll is required to make the appropriate payment to arrange 
  the assassination. A higher profile target, increases the difficulty. A fair difficulty 
  for a minor unguarded functionary, up through stupendous for the rich, pow-
  erful, and well-protected. Costs for the roll might involve extra favors for the 
  professional in addition to a monetary payment, or that there’s an inconvenient 
  paper trail that could lead back to you for the payment.
  If the target is an NPC, let the hiring player take over the NPC for a scene of 
  how it plays out (using the same pool of fate points as their primary character.) 
  If the target is another PC, let them defend against the assassination attempt. 
  Remember that conceding instead of being taken out can lead to more plots 
  further down the road: perhaps the assassination becomes a kidnapping instead, 
  with all the complication that entails.
  MOHAWK
  The Dwarf known only as “Mohawk” has shaved all her hair except one red 
  patch on top of her head. She takes jobs only via dead drop known to a select few 
  in the criminal underworld. While she seems to mostly concentrate on eliminat-
  ing criminal targets for other criminals, she’ll kill anyone if the price is right: the 
  higher ranking the target, the higher the price. Those few who have met her and 
  lived say she will only kill those who she judges Wicked, and nobody has even 
  been judged otherwise. She prefers to kill close up, but will use whatever means 
  are necessary to get the job done herself, and slip away once the deed is done.
  39
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Mohawk
  ASPECTS
  High Concept: Unrelenting Dwarven Assassin
  Trouble: Costracinni’s Most Wanted
  Ambition: I Will Eliminate The Wicked
  Secret: Favored By Death
  Connection: Killed a Member of _________’s Family
  SKILLS
  Superb (+5): Fight
  Great (+4): Shoot, Stealth
  Good (+3): Athletics, Deceive, Will
  Fair (+2): Investigate, Notice, Physique, Provoke
  Average (+1): Burglary, Crafts, Drive, Lore, Resources 
  STUNTS
  I’ll Be Back (Will): When conceding a conflict involving 
  physical violence, you can forego the Fate Point to slink 
  away, to return at a later time.
  Killing Stroke (Fight): Once per scene, when you force an 
  opponent to take a consequence, you can spend a fate point 
  to increase the consequence’s severity (so mild becomes 
  moderate, moderate becomes severe). If your opponent was 
  already going to take aa severe consequence, he must either 
  take a severe consequence and a second consequence or be 
  taken out.
  STRESS
  Mental 4
  Physical 3
  Social 2
  40
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Staging a Scandal
  Bards have a wide latitude in criticizing those in power thanks to ancient impe-
  rial decree. This leads some to believe that they are immune to prosecution, and 
  they look for other lucrative opportunities, like slander for pay.
  Staging a scandal requires creating the scandalous moment, and then publiciz-
  ing it far and wide. Sometimes it’s enough to create the illusion that something 
  improper is going on through some orchestrated public scenes, and other times, 
  putting someone in a position to do something improper means their baser 
  instincts will take over. 
  First, getting to know the target of the scandal is important. Knowing their 
  aspects in advance means being able to manipulate (compel) them in appropri-
  ate circumstances. Then getting them into the scene requires another pretense: 
  a party, a meeting, or other diversion. Rolling Deceive opposed by Empathy 
  can at least hide your true intentions, but ultimately, it must be something that 
  makes sense.
  Then it’s a matter of getting the target into a compromising situation. The 
  most common method is trying to manipulate someone into a libidinous situ-
  ation, particularly for a married or especially religious target, then make that 
  situation public. 
  Once that happens, either making sure that the setup involves the Press “acci-
  dentally” finding it, or a bard on the payroll of whoever’s arranging it ready to 
  find the compromising situation. Such a discovery is a major story and sells 
  newspapers, but it’s certainly going to raise questions about how they were in 
  the right place to get the story. 
  The end result for the target is likely Social Stress, especially those that turn 
  into longer-term consequences. The Bard covering the story might roll Provoke 
  to gauge how effective the story is at swaying the public. If the results are bad 
  enough, the target might drop out of public life completely.
  41
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Vote-Fixing
  For a campaign that involves an election, election day (see below) might be the 
  big moment of the campaign. However, if campaigning isn’t enough, it might 
  be time to take matters into your own hands with some good old-fashioned 
  voter fraud.
  The Inquisition guards zealously against magical influence in voting. However, 
  that doesn’t mean that tampering with it in other, non-magical ways can’t still 
  work, though that’s certainly also not without safeguards.
  Working ahead of the election, enterprising character might try to influence 
  the voter rolls, contained in the Inquisition Hall of Records. Divine spells are 
  used to sanctify and keep the Hall protected from magical influence, but due 
  to the size of bureaucracy involved, some infiltration and inside sources might 
  allow some changes in paperwork. And given the Imperial demands of who is 
  allowed to vote and who is not, disenfranchising certain districts might be a 
  direct way to cut out a rival’s power base. The more influential and known that 
  district is known, however, the more likely it is to call unwanted attention to 
  the tampering later. 
  With access to the Hall, the fixers could also try adding voters, and then use 
  a variety of agents to vote as directed under these new identities. Identity paper-
  work is a common forger’s target, it just requires a large operation to make this 
  work. A base of operations nearby the voting centers is a must, like a trusted 
  tavern or inn.
  42
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
  Campaigning 
  From the creation of the city earlier, you have your districts, and what you know 
  and can find out about those districts. Now it’s time to turn those districts into 
  votes.
  As a candidate campaigns, each district is effectively running a separate 
  Contest (as described on page 150 of Fate Core.) The skill rolls involved are 
  based on the method of campaigning. In fact, some may be contests within 
  the larger contest: a debate against an opponent may involve multiple rolls to 
  resolve, using a variety of social skills, and then winning the debate counts as a 
  win towards the larger contest.
  The amount of opposition might not be always clear, either. An overcome 
  roll against the district’s population (a set difficulty) might not show its results 
  until later. The GM can compare the results to the difficulty, and make a note, 
  then spring the result weeks later. For example, running campaign ads in the 
  newspaper for the district might start with a Resources roll to pay someone to 
  make the ad and run it. However, the actual effect on the population won’t play 
  itself out until later, perhaps when the candidate makes a personal appearance 
  in the district. Then the GM can show the results of being a success or success 
  with style based on how the appearance is attended, or offer a mild or severe 
  consequence (like needing to partner up to a particular unsavory local politician 
  to get the word out.) 
  In any case, while each contest is its own issue, the overall issue is opportu-
  nity cost. Time and staff are not infinite. While moving the spotlight around 
  to each different player and what they’re doing, keep track of how long each 
  step is taking. While a contest might be spread out over many months, only 
  getting to three successes fully guarantees a district will vote for the candidate. 
  Others might be more up in the air. And in a setting without telephones, poll-
  ing constituents is much more unreliable and time-consuming (not to mention 
  tension-building.)
  Remember that it’s not just the candidate herself that can contribute to these 
  rolls. Campaign staff will also be making these kinds of rolls to influence dis-
  tricts. This is especially where alliances and special interests come in to play: they 
  can work on the candidate’s behalf while the candidate is doing other tasks. Of 
  course, there’s no guarantee that support is going to work either.
  End Game: Election Day
  Election day makes a natural climax to a game. For politicians, it’s the biggest 
  deal, trying to secure a more powerful position or seek re-election against a 
  tough challenger. It’s where favors fly fast, hoping that the end result pays off. 
  For the House of Bards, there’s everything from election news, to candidate pro-
  files, to speculation on what the effect the elections could bring to Costracinni. 
  Wizards, Inquisitors, and guild members all want to get their candidates elected, 
  and have to decide where to throw their muscle to achieve their outcomes. 
  43
  HOUSE OF BARDS
  
  Under Campaigning, there’s a method for determining how the players 
  influence the individual districts. There may be some districts that have been 
  completely won over by a specific candidate, while others have a mixture of suc-
  cesses, failures, and incomplete activities. Those can be used as a rough checklist 
  of how a candidate is performing overall. If enough districts are won over, they’re 
  likely going to be elected. If it hasn’t been going well, then that might be appar-
  ent too, in which case it can be interesting to see what the candidate decides to 
  do to try and hold on to some influence.
  In many other cases, the outcomes won’t be so cut and dry. While the GM has 
  perfect knowledge of where everything stands, the players will have less informa-
  tion, between rolls that may be murky in their effectiveness and other players 
  making secret moves. This is a chance for the GM to float out which districts 
  are still in contention, and really push the players into action. A review of the 
  stakes helps here: if this candidate gets in, it will likely have these changes, if this 
  candidate fails, it means this, etc. This helps draw in all player types, to influence 
  for their desired outcome, or just to expose the truth.
  It’s also a chance to suggest some last minute desperate power plays, as listed 
  above, to those who might not be doing so great, or even those candidates who 
  are doing well but might have a lot of favors hanging over them as they get ready 
  for office.
  Regardless, on election night, the GM can read off the election results based 
  on the successes thus far, and may even read that some areas are too close to call. 
  To inject some extra uncertainty into districts that haven’t been locked up, can-
  didates can roll, and instead of using a skill, with a bonus equal to the number 
  of successes scored in that district previously. High roll takes the district, with 
  ties going to a truly random roll.
  The GM should set an electable margin for number of districts carried, based 
  on the number created in play. If most or all of the players are candidates or cam-
  paign staff, a larger number of districts is appropriate. If there’s only one or two 
  players that care about the election, keep the number of districts available small 
  to zoom in on those more. If a player-controlled candidate can take a plurality of 
  those districts, they’re elected to a vacant seat (and remember, there are multiple 
  candidates who gain council seats every year in Costracinni, so if the numbers 
  are close enough, the GM should choose multiple candidates to take seats: just 
  as long as there are losers as well.)
  The Aftermath
  Election night is only one possible end point. After the results have been estab-
  lished, there are campaign promises to follow (or ignore), favors to return, and 
  secrets to be uncovered. While election night might be a natural stopping point 
  depending on the results, if the characters still have stories to tell and activities 
  to follow up on, the game can go until there’s a natural stopping point. When 
  enough characters have succeeded in their ambitions, or failed spectacularly, it 
  can be time to leave the Empire. Either that or they can come up with a whole 
  new, even grander ambition to follow...
  44
  FATE: WORLDS OF ADVENTURE
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/FATE (fudge) [multi]/World of Adventure/WOA 16 - House Of Bards (Updated).pdf