The Spaces Between

“The Ways Between do not measure miles. They measure choices. A wrong turn might lead to yesterday. A right turn might lead to a version of yourself who made a different decision – and is still alive to regret it.”
— The True-Mason

Ubral

The Stone Between Spears.

“Ubral is a land of upland mists, stone cairns, and clan oaths held tighter than iron. Caught between the Aelerian mountains and the lowland courts of Viterra, its hills are scarred by old raids and crowned by watch-fires. Law is written not in charters but in cattle, blood-price, and songs. A guest’s word can buy more than a sword, but one broken vow can spark a feud lasting generations.”
— Lady Isolde of the Scar

What do people eat for breakfast? Oatcakes and skyr – the oats are grown in highland clearings, the skyr is cultured in stone crocks buried in the peat. The peat remembers the old kings. The old kings are buried beneath it.

What does a child learn before they can walk? To count cattle. Ubral children are taught the eight breeds of the hills. The ninth breed has no color – it belongs to the cairn-folk. The dead do not pay taxes.

What is the first thing you notice about a stranger? Their guest-token. A token given by their last host. A warm token means recently welcomed. A cold token means traveling long. No token means a spy. Spies are given a rope.

What is the most common crime? Cattle raiding – but raiding is a sport. A stolen cow is a stolen child. The return is a negotiation. The negotiation is a feud. The feud is a song.

What does no one talk about but everyone knows? The Lady of Tor is not the ruler. The cairns rule. The cairns vote at each full moon. Their votes are carried by the wind. The wind speaks to the hearth-aunts. The clan obeys.

Where do people go when they die? To the cairns. Their bones are added to the cairns. The cairns grow taller each year. The oldest cairn has no name. It remembers the first clan.

How do you apologize for a serious wrong? You offer a wergild – payment in cattle. The cattle are driven to the cairn. If they graze peacefully, you are forgiven. If they scatter, you are not. If they refuse to enter the covenant’s shadow, your claim is blood.

What is the most important festival? The Gathering of the Clans (autumn). The clans meet at the Great Cairn. The cattle are counted. The songs are sung. The feuds are settled. The dead are named. The hills remember.

What is the secret that could destroy a powerful person? The Great Cairn is a prison – the tomb of a Vritann king who tried to conquer Ubral and failed. He was buried alive. His ghost votes with the cairns. He votes for war. The cairns have not yet agreed.

Ubral — “The Stone Between Spears”

Key Demographics: Humans Capital City: Dùn nan Clach

Entanglements

To the West (via Viterra):

Vhasia – The mountain passes funnel exiles and mercenaries; the Sun Court’s Viterran entanglements offers opportunities for the saavy laird.

To the South:

Viterra – The lowland tax collectors and the Queen’s justiciars claim suzerainty; the clans call it “ink on wet stone.” The cairns vote against the crown every season.

To the North:

Aeler – The exiled dwarves of Khaz-Vurim maintain the toll-roads; the mountain’s breath is counted in iron. The under-passages are a source of wealth and danger.

To the East:

The Dolmis Sea – Fishing villages and hidden coves trade in salt and secrets; the sea is a horizon, not a border. The cairns do not face the water; the dead do not swim.

Quick Reference

Tagline: The lowlands write their laws in ink. We carve ours in stone. The ink fades. The stone remembers.

Lady of Tor (Elite): “The stone here remembers every oath sworn upon it and every blood spilled in its shadow. To lead is to understand that the land itself is the true sovereign, and we are merely its stewards. The lowland kings write their claims on parchment. We write ours in cairns. And when the ink fades, as it always does, the cairns will still be here—waiting.”

Hearth-Aunt (Commoner): “Hospitality’s a sacred thing in these hills—break bread at my table and you’re family till the sun sets twice. But cross that trust and the very stones will remember your name. The Viterran tax men learned that. Their bones are under the sheepwalk now. We don’t forget. We don’t forgive. We weigh every slight in cattle and count every insult in winters.”

Genre / Mood: Highland clan honor, misty glens, wergild and blood feuds, exiled dwarves, geometry of grudges, Scottish folk horror.

Starting Location: A Warden’s Cairn at the fog line. Spears planted like grave markers, their shafts wrapped in faded clan ribbons. Hoofbeats echo in the valley below. The Hearth-Aunt offers a cup of small beer and a piece of oatcake. “The Wolf Road wakes,” she says. “Viterran tax men are asking which passes you used. The clans are counting your steps. Speak true, or the cairn will add your name to its tally. And mind the Aeler outcast in the smithy—he’s been here forty years and still forgets to duck under doorframes. He counts his breaths in eights. You should too. If you hear a woman washing clothes by the ford at midnight, do not ask her name. She is the bean-nighe, and she is washing the shrouds of the dead.”

Ubral is a land of knife-edged ridges, mist-veiled glens, dark lochs, and stone cairns that mark the bones of old kings. Caught between the Aelerian mountains to the north and the lowland courts of Viterra to the south, its hills are scarred by centuries of raiding and reprisal. The clans speak a tongue thick with swallowed consonants and older grudges. They measure wealth in cattle, honor in wergild, and time in the generations since a Viterran banner last burned in the high passes. To the east, the gray waters of the Dolmis Sea crash against rocky shores, where fishing villages pay tribute to whichever clan controls the nearest pass—and sometimes to a different one each season.

Exiled Aeler—dwarves who could not abide the Deep Vaults’ suffocating tradition—have found refuge here, sharing their cunning with forge and toll-road, and their outcast bitterness with any clan willing to listen. The lowland lords of Viterra claim suzerainty over Ubral; the clans call those claims “ink on wet stone.” Every pass holds a watch-fire, every ford a memory of a battle, every hearth a knife waiting for a guest who stays too long.

The clans do not fight for land. They fight for honor—a geometry of obligation that stretches back centuries. An insult is not forgiven; it is weighed. A wound is not healed; it is counted against a blood-price. Every death opens a new angle in the feud, every reconciliation closes one—but the shape is never forgotten. The Aeler outcasts, with their breath-counters and bell-codes, understand this geometry better than most. They call it Kon’reh: the game of exits and obligations, where the ninth move is never made.

The old folk still speak of the sluagh—the host of the unforgiven dead that flies through the night sky, snatching souls who have no cairn to call their own. They whisper of the baobhan sith, the blood-drinking woman who dances with travelers before draining them dry, and the each uisge, the water horse that lures the unwary onto its back and drags them into the loch. The clans leave offerings of iron nails at fords to ward off the kelpies, and they never cut the ninth stalk of heather for fear of waking the uruisg, the wild spirit of the glen.

What you notice first: The smell of peat smoke and wet granite. The constant lowing of cattle on distant hills. The way every threshold has a knife hidden nearby—for guests, not against them. The way old men trace patterns in the dirt with sticks, arguing over angles that only they can see.

The one rule that kills newcomers: Never refuse a cup from a hearth-aunt. Hospitality is a contract sealed in salt and bread. Refusal is an insult that blood must answer. And never count to nine in a cairn’s shadow. The dead are counting with you, and they stop at eight.

What Players Actually Do Here

The Ubral highlands are about honor, feud, and survival. A party in Ubral will most often:

• Settle or escalate feuds between clans, using wergild, guest-right, and cairn votes.

• Travel through contested passes, negotiating tolls with Aeler outcasts and avoiding reivers.

• Deal with the dead—cairns that speak, ghosts that count, and the Hollow’s attention.

• Choose between honor and pragmatism, with consequences that echo through generations.

Key hooks:

• The Wolf Road wakes. Viterran tax men are asking which passes you used. Which clan will you offend?

• A Mac Tern groom cannot pay the wergild for an O’Creagh bride. The bride has fled to the Pass of Ashes.

• A cairn on Three-Fires Ridge is weeping water that tastes of salt. The dead are agitated.

In Ubral, the ninth stone in any cairn is always warm. Touch it, and you will remember an oath you never swore. Those who touch the ninth stone three times are said to become a cairn themselves—silent, still, and waiting for the next hand. The Aeler outcasts say the ninth stone is a door to the Deep Vaults they fled. They do not touch it. They count to eight and leave.

The ninth step on any path that leads to a loch is said to belong to the each uisge. Those who step on it hear the sound of hooves beneath the water and feel a cold breath on their neck. If they take a ninth step into the water, the water horse will claim them.

Regional Mood: Cairn, Tor, and the Geometry of Grudges

Here, the past is never past. Every cairn holds a voice, every burn scar on a hillside remembers a raid. Viterra has tried to conquer Ubral a dozen times; each attempt ended with supply lines cut by reivers, passes sealed by Aeler outcast engineers, and lowland knights lost in mist. The Utaran Imperium itself broke its leg on these hills and limped away. Now the clans watch the lowlands with patient eyes, and the exiled Aeler of Khaz-Vurim weigh every traveler’s honor on iron scales. A guest here is kin—until they prove otherwise. And kin here will die for you—or kill you over a stolen cow. The Lady of Tor rules by consent of the Council of Cairns, and the Council speaks for the dead as much as the living. Every nine years, a moot is called at Gray Tor to settle the great feud—a dispute between the two oldest clans that no one can remember the origin of, but everyone remembers the blood.

The clans do not write their laws. They carve them—into stone, into memory, into the bones of their enemies. A feud is not a quarrel; it is a balance, an equation that must be solved in cattle or blood. A clan chief who cannot count the weight of an insult is a chief who will not last the winter. The Aeler outcasts, with their strange obsession for eights and their fear of the ninth breath, have found kindred spirits here. The clans count in eights too—eight cattle for a wound, eight winters for a grudge, eight generations for a blood-feud. The ninth is the Hollow’s share.

Along the eastern coast, the sea cliffs drop sheer into the Dolmis. Fisherfolk in black-hulled boats speak of drowned cairns beneath the waves—ancient stones that mark the graves of clans who lost everything to the sea. Some say the Hollow rises from those waters on the ninth wave of the ninth tide. The fisherfolk do not go out on the ninth tide. They tie knots in their nets and wait. In the dark glens, the bean-sidhe (banshee) keens when a chieftain is about to die. The clans do not fear her; they listen, for her cry is the only honest herald of what is to come.

The Clans of Ubral (A Highland Primer)

The Mac Tern–O’Creagh feud has outlasted every lowland king. Each has a cairn for every generation lost. No wergild has ever settled it; no marriage has ever bridged it. The Lady of Tor keeps the peace by reminding both that a Viterran judge would hang them all—and that the Hollow would thank her for it.

Faction Timers (Campaign Engines)

• The Viterran Yoke [6] – Lowland crown’s creeping control. Advances when a chief accepts a Viterran title, the party enforces lowland law, or a garrison is established. Retreats when a tax collector is sent home empty (or headless) or a claim is exposed as fraud. On full: a Queen’s Justiciar arrives with a circuit court; lowland law becomes default. The cairns fall silent—the dead are watching.

• Tor’s Hold [6] – Lady Uria’s personal authority. Advances when she wins a moot, brokers peace, or gains an ally. Retreats when she loses a feud or a client clan defects. On 0: she is deposed; civil war follows. The ninth cairn will have a new stone.

• Ancestral Grudge [8] – The dead’s patience. Advances when oaths are broken, wergild unpaid, or cairns defiled. On 4: the dead grow restless—navigation rolls in Ubral gain +1 DV. On 8: a cairn-wight (an undead guardian of the stones) rises and demands blood. The dead do not negotiate. They count.

• The Forge Weight [6] – Khaz-Vurim’s economic leverage. Advances when they secure toll contracts, sell iron, or gain a clan’s weight of obligation. On full: they can close a pass to enforce terms. Their iron is cold, but their memory is colder.

• The Deep Road [8] – Aeler outcasts’ secret ambition. Advances as they survey, bribe, or blast. On 4: they find a promising route. On 8: construction begins on a dwarf under-way that would destroy several clan cairns. The mountain will remember. The party can stop it by exposing their plans, sabotaging their survey, or offering a better route.

• Mac Tern’s Revenge [6] – Advances when Mac Tern suffers an insult or loses cattle. On 4: they call a moot to plan a raid. On 6: they launch a devastating raid. The raiders count their steps in eights and leave a single white stone at each burned stead—a promise.

• O’Creagh’s Patience [6] – Retreats when O’Creagh is wronged. When it hits 0, they strike without warning. Their war-cry is a single word: Remember.

Wergild Price Table (Quick Reference)

The Hollow’s Cairn (Legendary Site)

Hidden in the high mist, a ninth stone circle with no clan markings. The dead do not vote here; they listen. Once per arc, a character may climb the cairn and ask one question of the Hollow. The answer is always a weight.

Mechanics:

Spirit + Endurance (DV 6). Success: the GM answers truthfully (one sentence). Failure: the character gains the Condition Marked by the Hollow (the GM may spend 2 SB to have an Oath-Keeper appear). If the character counts to nine while on the cairn, the Hollow answers without being asked—and takes a memory.

Starting Hooks

• The Wolf Road wakes: Viterran tax men are asking which passes you used. The clans are counting your steps. One clan has offered a bounty for the tax men’s heads—in cattle, not coin.

• The Bride-Price Default: A Mac Tern groom cannot pay the wergild for an O’Creagh bride. The bride has fled to the Pass of Ashes. Retrieve her—or pay her price yourself. The groom has offered his sword. The bride’s clan wants his head.

• The Toll-Master’s Burden: Khaz-Vurim has doubled tolls on the Steps. A clan chief suspects they are skimming to fund the Deep Road. Infiltrate the counting-house and find the hidden reckoning. The toll-master counts in eights. Do not let him reach nine.

• The Cairn that Weeps: A shepherd reports that a cairn on Three-Fires Ridge is weeping water that tastes of salt. The dead are agitated. Find out why before the clan blames a rival. The water has a rhythm—eight drips, a pause, eight drips. Something is counting.

• The Kelpie’s Ford: A child has gone missing near the ford of Loch Dubh. The elders say the each uisge has taken her. They offer a fortune in cattle to whoever can retrieve the child—or drive the water horse back to its dark loch.

Folk-Horror Bestiary of Ubral

The glens and lochs of Ubral are home to spirits older than the clans. Use these entries when the party wanders too far from the fire.

Prominent NPCs of Ubral

Names of Ubral

Cairn Vote (d8)

When a cairn is asked to judge a dispute, roll 1d8:

Guest-Right Violations (d6)

When a PC breaks guest-right (refuses a cup, insults a host, draws steel at table), roll 1d6:

Spades — Places

2. Sheepwalk Ledge — Goat path with room for one honest lie at a time. ‘[THRESHOLD]‘ ‘[OATH]‘ The lie must be about an oath you broke. Tell it, and the ledge holds. Refuse, and the path crumbles—start a Fallen Kin [4] timer (the ancestor whose oath you broke is watching). The ledge is eight paces long. Do not take a ninth.
   Guest-right cost: If you cross without offering a pinch of salt to the cairn at the far end, the ledge becomes Desperate for all navigation rolls.
   Blood-price: 1 cow (if the ledge collapses on someone, that is the blood-price).

3. Warden’s Cairn — Windy tor; signal-fire basket and dry cache; eyes of the hills. ‘[WATCH]‘ The cache holds a single arrow. Light it with the fire, and the message is war. The arrow is fletched with eagle feathers—a clan’s highest oath. The cairn has eight faces. The ninth is hidden.
   Guest-right cost: Asking for shelter here requires you to name a weight you still carry. If you refuse, the Warden marks you—start Suspicion [4].
   Blood-price: 2 cows (the cost of a false alarm).

4. Wergild Ford — Flat stones, deep pools, table rock for counting silver. ‘[LAW]‘ ‘[TRADE]‘ The table rock is smooth as glass. Blood washes off; lies do not. The water remembers every price ever paid here. The ford has eight crossings. The ninth is the Hollow’s.
   Blood-prices paid here are witnessed by the stones. If you cross without paying a due weight, the water rises—test Body+Athletics (DV 4) or lose 1 Supply (drowned cargo).

5. Droppers’ Bridge — Stone span rigged to fall; pins already loosened. ‘[TRAP]‘ The pins are greased with mutton fat. The bridge knows who paid for the grease. Its fall has ended three feuds and started two. There are eight pins. The ninth is a story.
   Crossing cost: Spend 1 Boon or mark 1 Fatigue to notice the loosened pins (Wits+Insight DV 3). On a Miss, the bridge drops—test Body+Athletics or take Harm 1.

6. Scree-Ladder — Climbing to a notch; red rags mark safe steps through danger. ‘[TRAVEL]‘ The rags are old clan banners. Step where they wave, not where they lie flat. One rag is white—that marks a traitor’s grave. There are eight ladders. The ninth is a fall.
   Guest-right cost: A guide demands a story before showing you the safe route. If you refuse, the ladder becomes Desperate for all climbing rolls.

7. Moot Hollow — Ring of standing stones; voices carry and won’t quite stop. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[OATH]‘ The stones have ears. Speak a false oath here, and every cairn will know. The dead vote by how the mist moves. There are eight stones. The ninth is the space between.
   Cairn vote: Any oath sworn here is witnessed by the stones. Break it, and the cairns vote against you automatically (see Cairn Vote table).

8. Reiver’s Gate — Between boulders; cart-ruts vanish into heather’s memory. ‘[STEALTH]‘ The gate has no lintel. Above it, ravens nest in a skull. The ravens are the clan’s spies. They count in caws—never more than eight.
   Passing cost: The ravens demand a secret. Tell a true secret, and they let you pass unseen. Refuse, and they raise the alarm—start Watch Patrol [4].

9. Khaz-Vurim Steps — Dwarf-cut switchbacks with iron mile studs; toll and toil. ‘[TRAVEL]‘ ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ The studs are cold iron. Touch them, and the mountain knows your weight. Aeler outcasts maintain the toll—they accept stories as often as coin. They count in eights. If you hear a ninth, run.
   Toll: 1 Supply or a story that makes the toll-keeper laugh. If you cannot pay, you are turned back—lose 1 segment of progress.

10. Gray Tor Fort — Earthen rampart, timber crown, smoky cook pits. ‘[COMMUNITY]‘ The cook pits have been burning for three hundred years. The ash is deep enough to bury a secret—and more than one Viterran scout. The fort has eight gates. The ninth is a wall.
    Guest-right cost: To enter the fort, you must share a meal. Refusing starts a Grudge of the Hearth [4] timer.

11. Black Broom Bog — Stepping-logs; wrong one drinks you into silence. ‘[DEATH]‘ ‘[FEAR]‘ The logs are painted with warding runes. One is unpainted—that one is the quick way. The bog exhales names of the drowned. There are eight logs. The ninth is a whisper.
    Cairn vote: The bog is sacred to the dead. Any violence here triggers a cairn vote. The dead always vote for war (advance the nearest Feud timer by +2).

12. Bride’s Causey — Raised road to a valley kirk; ribbons hang like warnings. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ The ribbons are from wedding gowns—cut short when the groom fell in a feud. The kirk is neutral ground, but the path is not. The causey has eight spans. The ninth is a promise.
    Guest-right cost: To cross, you must accept a cup of water from the bride’s kin. Refusal is an insult—start Bride-Price Default [4].

13. Three-Fires Ridge — Watchposts that see Viterra and Vhasia both; news travels fast. ‘[WATCH]‘ The fires are layered: birch for peace, pine for raid, oak for invasion. A fourth fire—yew—means the Hollow walks. The watchmen count in eights. The ninth signal is never sent.
    Using the fires: A successful Wits+Lore (DV 3) lets you read the beacon code and learn the state of the passes. On a Miss, you misread the signals—start False Alarm [4].

14. Pass of Ashes — When snow closes here, the upland becomes an island. ‘[WEATHER]‘ ‘[DEATH]‘ The ash is from old sacrifices. The pass remembers every offering. The last sacrifice was a Viterran herald. His voice is still in the wind. The pass has eight turns. The ninth is a cairn.
    Cairn vote: The pass is watched by the ghost of the herald. Any oath sworn here is witnessed by the dead. Break it, and the cairn votes for war automatically.

Hearts — People & Factions

2. Hearth-Aunt — Holds guest-cup and house’s temper; hospitality as power. She has never drawn a blade. She has never needed to. Her hospitality has ended more feuds than swords. She counts her guests in eights. The ninth chair is empty.
   Guest-right cost: She owes a blood-weight to the Mac Tern clan. If you help her pay it (a quest), she gives you a Guest-Token (Diamond). Guest-right cost: share a true story of a broken oath. If you refuse, start Grudge of the Hearth [4].

3. Hill Guide — Thorn-staff and ten quiet shortcuts; the land as a map. He taps each stone before stepping. The stones talk to him. He learned the tongue from an Aeler outcast who went deaf and learned to listen with his feet. He never takes a ninth step in the same direction.
   Guest-right cost: A cup of tea and a moment of silence. If you speak during his listening, he refuses to guide—start Lost Ways [4].

4. Feud-Broker — Knows the weight of a life in cattle and coin; peace as trade. His record is a row of notched sticks. Each notch is a death—or a birth. He has notched both sides of the same feud for forty years. He counts in eights. The ninth notch is a lie.
   Service: He will settle any dispute for a wergild of 3 cows (or 1 Supply). If you pay, gain +1 Position in the next negotiation. If you cheat him, the cairns remember—start Broker’s Grudge [4].

5. Reiver Band — Light on tack, heavy on nerve, laughing in the rain. They wear no colors. Their horses answer to whistles, not names. They raid Viterran supply trains and leave heather sprigs as signatures. They ride in eights. The ninth horse is a ghost.
   Alliance: They will raid a target of your choice—but demand a hostage (a PC becomes a temporary follower of the band). Refusal starts Reiver Hunt [4].

6. Fire Warden — Braziers speak faster than riders; warning as weapon. She can light a signal with a single word. The word is a dead man’s name. The dead man was a Viterran knight who burned her village. She lights eight beacons. The ninth would call the Hollow.
   Guest-right cost: She demands a name of someone who wronged your family. If you cannot give one, she refuses to share her fire—start Exposure [4] (cold).

7. Wergild Keeper — Keeps tallies, ends grudges, starts others; law as math. His reckoning beads are sheep knuckles. He clicks them in his sleep. His grandmother taught him; she learned from an Aeler vent-prior. He counts in eights. The ninth bead is silence.
   Service: He can reckon a blood-weight for 1 Supply. On a success (Wits+Lore DV 3), he finds a hidden wergild that clears 2 segments of a Feud timer. On a Miss, he finds a weight you must settle—tick Wergild Breach [4].

8. Dwarf Warden (Aeler Outcast) — Khaz-Vurim road; toll first, friendship later. Her hammer has a chip where she cracked a liar’s skull. She never fixed it. She came to the surface for the sky—and stayed for the feuds. She breathes in eights. The ninth is the mountain’s.
   Toll: 1 Supply or a story about a betrayal. She is collecting evidence for a case she will never bring. If you lie, she marks you—start Marked Notice [3].

9. Oath-Singer — Verses bind hands and open gates; word as iron. Her tongue is forked—she can praise and curse in the same breath. Her songs are older than the Viterran crown. Each verse has eight lines. The ninth is the silence after.
   Guest-right cost: She asks you to sing a verse of your own people’s oath-song. If you cannot, she refuses to witness any oath you make—start Unwitnessed [4].

10. Lowland Factor — Buying iron blooms, selling trouble; coin as catalyst. He carries two books. One is for the clans. One is for the tax man. The third book is in his head; it lists every bribe he has ever taken. He counts in eights. The ninth entry is a death.
    Service: He can forge a Viterran tax waiver for 1 Boon. On a Miss, the forgery is discovered—start Royal Incursion [4].

11. Bride-Carrier — Peaceweaver walking bloodlines with a knife and a smile. Her knife has a wooden blade. The threat is real. She has walked between warring clans nine times. The ninth was a Viterran lord who wanted a wife. He got a treaty instead. She carries eight ribbons. The ninth is a scar.
    Guest-right cost: She demands a lock of hair from each PC (as a pledge of peace). Refusal starts a Bride-Price Feud [4].

12. Lady of Tor — Clan-chief in cloak and mail; her nod is winter or spring. She lost a hand to a Viterran knight. Her iron hook has a built-in bell. The bell rings when she lies. It has never rung. She holds eight councilors. The ninth is the cairn.
    Guest-right cost: To speak with her, you must first offer a public apology for any wrong your people have done to her clan. If you refuse, she will not hear you—start Tor’s Silence [4].

13. Council of Cairns — Graybeards and granite wills; they do not hurry. They have sentenced men to exile. The sentences take a year to deliver. The exile always knows before they speak. There are eight councilors. The ninth is the dead they serve.
    Cairn vote: The Council speaks for the dead. Any request for their judgment triggers a cairn vote (see table). They never accept bribes—only wergild.

14. Stone-Speaker — Aeler outcast envoy whose word moves roads and rates. He carries a tuning fork. Strike it, and the mountain answers. He has not seen his homeland in sixty years. He calls the mist his ceiling now. He counts his breaths in eights. The ninth is the mountain’s answer.
    Guest-right cost: He asks for a memory of your homeland. If you give a true memory, he grants you a Stone-Clause (Diamond). If you lie, the mountain remembers—start Ancestral Grudge [4].

Clubs — Complications/Threats

2. Upland Mist — Hear horns but not edges; navigation by sound and instinct. ‘[WEATHER]‘ ‘[STEALTH]‘ The horns are calling a muster. Which clan? You will know when they arrive. The mist smells of wet wool and old iron. The horns sound in eights. The ninth note is a scream.
   Cairn vote: The mist is the breath of the cairns. Any failed roll here ticks Ancestral Grudge +1 (the dead are restless).

3. Feud Rekindled — Cousin spits on guest-law; knives wake from sleep. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[COMBAT]‘ The spit lands at your feet. The insult is now yours to answer. The cousin’s father was killed in a cattle raid thirty years ago. He has been waiting. He counts his grudges in eights. The ninth is you.
   Cairn vote: The nearest cairn is asked to judge. Roll a cairn vote (see table). On a Clean Success, the cairn votes for peace ( − 1 segment on Feud timer). On a Miss, it votes for war (+2 segments).

4. Bridge Dropped — Pursuers fall…and the route with them; passage becomes peril. ‘[TRAP]‘ ‘[TRAVEL]‘ The bridge was cut from the far side. Someone expected you. The cut ropes smell of dwarf-made pitch—a signature of the Aeler outcasts. There were eight ropes. The ninth was cut first.
   Blood-price: If someone falls, their clan will demand a blood-price. Pay 2 Supply or start a Vendetta [6].

5. Black-Rent Demand — “Privateering on land”; pay or be “escorted.” ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The escort has a noose. Choose your words carefully. The man collecting is a Viterran factor with a royal warrant. The warrant is a forgery. No one will admit it. He demands eight silver. The ninth is your name.
   Guest-right cost: Pay 1 Supply or offer a hostage. Refusal starts The Viterran Yoke +1.

6. Wergild Breach — Silver short by a head; tempers long by a spear’s length. ‘[LAW]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The bereaved clan has a new widow. She is sharpening a blade. The missing silver was paid in lowland coin—debased, clipped, and worthless. The insult is not the shortfall; it is the contempt. She counts the coins in eights. The ninth is a blade.
   Cairn vote: The widow demands a cairn vote. Roll. On a 1–2, the dead vote for war—advance the related Feud timer by +3.

7. Snow-Squall — Seals the notch; tents turn to coffins if you dally. ‘[WEATHER]‘ ‘[TRAVEL]‘ The snow is tinged gray—ash from the Pass. Someone burned an offering. The offering was a Viterran tax roll. The gods accepted. The snow falls in eights. The ninth flake is a memory.
   Guest-right cost: The only shelter is a cairn. Entering without an offering (1 Supply) angers the dead—start Ancestral Grudge +2.

8. Dwarf Toll Hike — At the Steps; papers right, purses wrong; law costs coin. ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The warden quotes a rate from a book that wasn’t there yesterday. The book was written by an Aeler outcast who lost his sense of humor but not his reckoning. The rate is eight silver. The ninth is a story.
   Toll: Pay double (2 Supply) or offer a story about a broken promise. If you cannot, you are turned back—lose 1 segment of progress.

9. Cattle Scatter — Bells ringing downslope; the cover story runs with the herd. ‘[STEALTH]‘ ‘[DISASTER]‘ The bells are yours. The herd is not. The real owner is a clan chief with a long memory and three sons with sharp swords. The bells ring in eights. The ninth is a war-cry.
   Blood-price: The chief demands 3 cows (1 Supply) as a fine. If you cannot pay, start a Cattle Raid Feud [6].

10. False Alarm — Watch-fire beacons ridge to ridge; levies seize the road. ‘[WATCH]‘ ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ The fire was lit by a child. Or a spy. The levy doesn’t care. The spy is a Viterran agent. The child is his nephew. The beacons burn in eights. The ninth is a lie.
    Cairn vote: The levy will not listen to reason. Roll a cairn vote to see if the dead intervene. On a 5–6, the mist swallows the levy—they disperse.

11. Bride-Theft — A wedding becomes a war-party; you are caught between both. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[COMBAT]‘ The bride’s veil is on the ground. The groom’s own kin drew first blood. The bride was promised to a neighboring clan. She chose her own groom. Now three clans want her head—and her hand. There are eight guests. The ninth is a ghost.
    Guest-right cost: Whoever you shelter, the other two clans will demand a wergild of 5 cows (2 Supply). Refusal starts a three-way feud.

12. Royal Incursion — Neighbor’s “lawful” arrests in the uplands; flags and chains. ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The flags are Viterran. The chains are new. The prisoners are children. The crime is not paying a tax that was never law. The clans are calling the muster. The flags have eight stripes. The ninth is blood.
    Cairn vote: The cairns vote on whether to resist. Roll. On 1–2, the dead advise patience—the clans hesitate. On 5–6, they vote for war—advance The Viterran Yoke +2.

13. Clan Muster — Horns call men from steadings to spears; all traffic stops. ‘[WATCH]‘ ‘[COMBAT]‘ The muster stone is black with old blood. The new blood will be red. The last muster was forty years ago, to drive out a Viterran garrison. The garrison’s bones are under the sheepwalk. The horns sound eight times. The ninth is silence.
    Blood-price: To pass through the muster, you must pay a blood-price to the clan’s cairn—1 Supply or a hostage. Refusal means you are conscripted into the war.

14. Hill-Fall — Rain liquefies a slope; trail, proof, and bodies slide together. ‘[WEATHER]‘ ‘[DEATH]‘ The mud is warm. Something underneath is still breathing. The slide exposed a mass grave—clan warriors who fell in a forgotten feud. Their ghosts are counting the blood-price still outstanding. They count in eights. The ninth is you.
    Cairn vote: The ghosts demand payment. Pay 3 Supply (wergild for the dead) or roll a cairn vote. On 1–2, the ghosts attack—treat as a Cap 3 adversary.

Diamonds — Rewards/Leverage

2. Guest-Token — One hearth owes food, bed, and steel at dawn. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ The token is a knucklebone from a feast. The host’s name is carved on it. Break it, and the obligation ends. The host will not thank you. There are eight notches on the bone. The ninth is the breaking.
   Blood-price: 3 cows. If you are wronged by the host, you may demand this value in cattle or public apology.

3. Guide’s Braid — Lawful passage on named sheepwalks (once). ‘[TRAVEL]‘ The braid is woven from horsehair and a promise. Unravel it to return. The promise was made to a hill guide who died last winter. His ghost still checks the knots. The braid has eight strands. The ninth is a memory.
   Guest-right cost: Using the braid obliges you to leave an offering at the guide’s cairn (1 Supply). If you forget, start Ancestral Grudge +1.

4. Ford Remission — Cross Wergild Ford free for a season; water as ally. ‘[TRAVEL]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The remission is a white stone. Skip it across the ford to pay. The stone was taken from a Viterran courthouse. The law has not found it yet. The stone has eight facets. The ninth is a crack.
   Blood-price: The stone can be used as payment for any wergild of 5 cows or less. Once used, it crumbles.

5. Feud-Charter — Two clans sheath blades until the next harvest. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[OATH]‘ The charter is a broken spear. Each clan keeps a half. The spear was used to kill a Viterran tax collector. His family still wants it back. The spear had eight notches. The ninth broke it.
   Cairn vote: The charter is witnessed by the cairns. If either clan breaks it, the cairns vote for war automatically.

6. Bloom Allotment — Claim on a week’s iron from a hill bloomery. ‘[TRADE]‘ The bloomery is a woman’s name. She decides how much you get. She is an Aeler outcast’s granddaughter. Her iron is harder than any lowlander’s steel. She counts her blooms in eights. The ninth is for the cairn.
   Blood-price: The iron can be traded for 2 Supply or used to forge a weapon (grant +1 die on one melee attack).

7. Watch-Code — Today’s beacon order from Three-Fires Ridge. ‘[WATCH]‘ ‘[TRAVEL]‘ The code is a sequence of smoke puffs. Read it, and the hills will watch for you. The code changes weekly. The fire wardens burn the old codes—the smoke carries the memory. The code has eight signals. The ninth is a warning.
   Guest-right cost: To receive the code, you must share a secret with the fire warden. If you lie, the code is false—start False Alarm [4].

8. Pass-Ring — Dwarf road priority for one train of carts. ‘[TRAVEL]‘ ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ The ring is iron. Wear it on your off hand. The Aeler outcasts who made it stamped their names inside. One name is scratched out—the smith was killed in a feud. The ring still works. The ring has eight runes. The ninth is a scar.
   Blood-price: The ring can be used as a toll waiver for any dwarf road (value 2 Supply). Once used, the ring cracks.

9. Bride-Escrow — Hold the bride-gift; both sides must humour you. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[WEIGHT]‘ The purse is a leather bag. The coins inside are from a dead man’s hoard. The dead man was a Viterran lord who tried to tax the clans. His ghost asks for his money back. The purse has eight seams. The ninth is a stitch.
   Guest-right cost: The ghost will appear if the purse is opened without a witness. If you fail to provide a witness, start Haunted [4].

10. Shelter Writ — Gray Tor opens its gates during storm or pursuit. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ The writ is a raven feather. Burn it to claim shelter. The raven was a clan spy. His memory still watches the gates. The feather has eight barbs. The ninth is a secret.
    Guest-right cost: The writ only works if you swear an oath of non-violence within the fort. Refusal voids the writ.

11. Oath-Bracelet — One binding vow ends cleanly, witnessed. ‘[OATH]‘ ‘[MAGIC]‘ The bracelet is silver. The clasp is a wolf’s head. Bite it to break the oath. The wolf’s head was a seal of a Viterran king. The oath was sworn under duress. The bracelet remembers. The bracelet has eight links. The ninth is the bite.
    Cairn vote: Breaking the oath triggers a cairn vote. The dead always vote for the wronged party—advance the related Feud timer by +1 per broken oath.

12. Council Audience — The Cairns hear you alone; precedent sticks like stone. ‘[SOCIAL]‘ ‘[LAW]‘ The audience is held at midnight. The stones glow when they agree. The last audience exiled a clan chief. He is still walking the passes, looking for a cairn that will forgive him. There are eight councilors. The ninth is the stone.
    Guest-right cost: You must leave an offering of silence (no speaking for one hour) before the audience. If you break silence, the cairns refuse to judge.

13. Road Commission — Collect tolls on a stretch of pass (for now). ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ ‘[TRADE]‘ The commission is a wooden staff. Plant it at the toll gate. The staff was carved from a gallows tree. The last toll-keeper was hanged. The staff still creaks. The staff has eight knots. The ninth is a creak.
    Blood-price: The commission allows you to demand 1 Supply from any traveler. If you abuse it, the cairns vote against you—start Ancestral Grudge +1.

14. Stone-Clause — Temporary exception to dwarf toll or law, sealed. ‘[AUTHORITY]‘ ‘[OATH]‘ The clause is a single rune. Carve it on the toll post, and the mountain will honor it—once. The rune was taught to the clans by an Aeler outcast who wanted to see a Viterran knight pay double. The rune has eight strokes. The ninth is the mountain’s answer.
    Guest-right cost: Using the clause obliges you to perform a service for the Aeler outcasts (a quest). Refusal starts Deep Road +1.

Quick use notes

• Draw until you have all four suits: Spade = place, Heart = actor, Club = pressure, Diamond = leverage. Highest rank sets the main Timer (2–5 → 4, 6–10 → 6, J/Q/K → 8, A → 10).

• Diamonds are codified outcomes (oaths/rights/tokens) that change position rather than call for a roll.

• If any A appears, echo stone and spear motifs—cairns that watch, voices that echo, oaths that cut deeper than steel. The ninth stone is warm. The dead are counting.

Additional Features (Cultural Mechanics)

• Guest-Law: Breaking hospitality stains a name worse than breaking a sword. Guest-right tokens guarantee shelter, but abuse invites a blood feud. A Viterran lord who broke guest-law at Gray Tor had his name struck from the Council’s cairn. His own clan disowned him. The cairn has eight names. His is not among them.

• Wergild System: Every injury has a price in cattle or coin. Wergild keepers maintain reckonings that outlive the injured; weights pass to kin. The lowland courts have no equivalent; they imprison the poor and hang the desperate. The clans consider that barbaric. The clans count in eights. The ninth is the Hollow’s.

• Dwarf Toll Roads: Khaz-Vurim gates charge for passage, but their roads are sure and swift. Pass-rings grant priority, but dwarf law is strict. The Aeler outcasts who run the tolls are exiles—they fled the Deep Vaults because they could not abide the counting. Now they count for the clans, and they are gentle with the weary. They never count to nine.

• Scottish Folk Horrors (Ubral Bestiary): See the Folk-Horror Bestiary table above for creature mechanics and hooks.

• Local Patrons (Syncretic Names):

  • The Bone Keeper — Varnek Karn. The chronicler of ancestral wergild; the witness to every blood price. He counts in eights. The ninth is the grave.

  • The Iron Crown — Mykkiel. The law of the lowlands, cold and distant; the clans honor it by breaking it. Its scales have eight weights. The ninth is empty.

  • The Gray Mare — The Traveler. The rider who never tires; the path that leads home through the mist. Her hooves fall in eights. The ninth is a whisper.

  • The Forge Father (Aeler outcast cult) — The Sealed Gate. The fire that shapes iron; the exile who builds a new hearth. He counts his breaths. The ninth is the mountain’s.

  • The Cailleach (Winter Hag) — The Pale Shepherd. She who brings the frost and the long dark. Her staff is the ninth branch of the world tree.

Lore Echoes (Cross-Expansion Hooks)

• The Bitter Root: Daughters of the Cord run a hospice near the Pass of Ashes, tending to the wounded of both sides of the Great Feud. A renegade Sister has hidden a Hollowed in a cairn, trying to settle a blood-weight by feeding the Hollow memories of Viterran tax collectors. The clans do not know whether to thank her or burn her. The cairn now has eight stones. The ninth is her name.

• Malachai, the Chained Angel: A silver coin that never spends appears in the palm of every third corpse pulled from a hill-fall. Take it, and the dead will give you their last breath—but the coin will taste of peat smoke and regret. The coin has eight edges. The ninth is a scar.

• The Gray Wanderer’s Grimoire: Ubral psions are called “Stone-Listeners.” They press their foreheads to cairns and hear the names of everyone who has touched that stone. The Lady of Tor employs three; they have not spoken aloud in a decade. They count in eights. The ninth name is always theirs.

• The Threshold Compendium: The Pass of Ashes is a Class II Anchor—the spirits of Viterran knights who froze to death in a blizzard still march there, looking for a way home. Saikou Ira left a silver mirror at the summit. The mirror shows the knights their own corpses. They have not advanced since. The mirror has eight sides. The ninth is a crack.

Ubral Superstitions (burn for +1 die once)

• Bread to the Cairn: Crumble a crust at the base of a standing stone. Ignore the first Upland Mist penalty. ‘[SUPERSTITION]‘

• Knot the Guest-Cup: Tie a single knot in the handle of a drinking cup. Cancel Feud Rekindled or take  − 1 die on your next hospitality roll (your choice). ‘[SUPERSTITION]‘

• Name to the Ford: Whisper a dead enemy’s name into the Wergild Ford. Gain +1 Effect when claiming redress from their kin this scene, but mark Obligation to the Lady of Tor. ‘[SUPERSTITION]‘

• Count the Eighth: Before entering a cairn’s shadow, count your breaths to eight. Stop. If you reach nine, the cairn will count you. ‘[SUPERSTITION]‘

• Iron to the Kelpie: Drop a cold iron nail into a loch before crossing. The water horse will not trouble you for one crossing. ‘[SUPERSTITION]‘

Thematic SB Spend Table

Minor Complications (1 SB)

• Exposure: Your actions draw unwanted attention from clan guards or reiver scouts.

• Noise: Sounds of your actions alert nearby watch-fires or hill guides.

• Trace: Evidence of your passage marks your route for trackers or feud-kin.

• Delay: A brief but meaningful setback costs you time or favorable weather.

• Supply Strain: Mark +1 segment on a relevant resource timer.

Moderate Setbacks (2 SB)

• Alarm Raised: Hill guide or clan chief becomes aware and begins responding.

• Position Lost: You lose advantageous ground/cover/stealth due to mist or bridge collapse.

• Foe Appears: A reiver band or feud-kin arrives on scene.

• Gear Trouble: A piece of equipment becomes Compromised/Neglected.

• Lock/Barrier: A simple obstacle now requires a test to overcome.

Serious Trouble (3 SB)

• Reinforcements: Additional clan warriors, reivers, or dwarf wardens arrive.

• Key Gear Breaks: A crucial tool/weapon becomes temporarily unusable.

• Major Twist: The situation fundamentally changes—feud declared/bridge falls/snow closes pass.

• Rail Tick: Advance a relevant campaign/front timer by 1 segment.

• Condition Applied: Mark Fatigue 1/Harm 1/Condition appropriate to fiction.

Major Turns (4+ SB)

• Trap Springs: A prepared danger activates with full effect.

• Authority Arrival: Lady of Tor, Council of Cairns, or Stone-Speaker intervenes.

• Scene Shift: The environment changes dramatically—mist thickens/bridge drops/hill falls.

• Patron Omen: Divine/arcane forces take notice—omen appears/blessing lost/curse manifests.

• Narrative Pivot: The story takes an unexpected turn that reframes objectives.

Region-Specific SB Options

• Ubral (Stone & Oath): Cairns shift position, voices echo from empty air, oaths bind mid-speech. The ninth stone glows.

• Ubral (Hill Law): Paths reroute without warning, tolls increase mid-journey, guest-rights expire. The eighth cup is the last.

• Ubral (Feud Culture): Insults are overheard, weapons appear in sheaths, kin arrive unsummoned. The dead are watching.

Pursuit Ladder (Near / Mid / Far)

• Advance/Withdraw (Wits + Navigation): On a hit, shift one band. On a strong hit, also impose Bog Mist.

• Cut the Bridge (Presence + Sway): On a hit, freeze range for one exchange; if a Pass-Ring is in your possession, +1 die.

• Weather the Squall (Endurance + Survival): On a hit in Snow-Squall, you pick who finds shelter; on a miss, the GM does.

Boss Seeds (Stone & Spear)

• The Wolf-Road Captain (reiver-king on a piebald mare) — Phases: Ride-Through → Torch the Fold → Laugh in Rain. Cracks: present a Watch-Code or Guide’s Braid to reduce his effect; strike a truce with a season’s cattle. He counts his victims in eights. The ninth is himself.

• The Bride-Thief of Black Broom (mask of bog-rush) — Phases: Switch the Bride → Bog Embrace → Nettle Oath. Cracks: play a Bride-Charter to freeze blades; a Well-Blessing nulls one bog move. She has stolen eight brides. The ninth stole her.

• Stone Warden of Khaz-Vurim (Aeler outcast toll-magistrate) — Phases: Double the Toll → Weigh the Lie → Seal the Switchback. Cracks: present two of {Pass-Ring, Stamped Load-List, Named Sponsor} to downgrade his authority. He counts in eights. Do not let him reach nine.

• The Oath-Eater Wight (cairn-bound revenant) — Phases: Take the Word → Cold of Cairn → Bind Witness. Cracks: Oath-Bracelet or a skald’s stanza spoken over bread and blood cancels one move; settle an ancestral wergild. It was betrayed on the ninth oath. It will not forgive.

• Gray-Tor Hedge-Witch (heather crown, ash staff) — Phases: Weather-Turn → Hag-Stone Sight → Bind the Gate. Cracks: gift a Bloom Allotment or a winter’s salt; a Council Audience compels parley. She speaks in eights. The ninth word is a curse.

• The Each Uisge (Lord of the Loch) — Phases: Beckoning → The Ride → The Drowning. Cracks: offer a cold iron bridle, speak its true name (carved on a stone at the bottom of the loch), or sacrifice a horse in your place.

Legendary Sites & Trials

• Sheepwalk Ledge Trial — Speak one honest lie to pass. On success, set Position one step safer for the next border scene; on failure, start Kin Arrive. The ledge has eight steps. The ninth is a story.

• Wergild Ford Weighing — Cast silver on the table-rock. If paid in full, clear 1 Feud-Smoke; if short, Wergild Breach enters play. The rock has eight weights. The ninth is a ghost.

• Pass of Ashes Vigil — Hold a fire through the night storm. Success grants Shelter Writ; a miss summons the Oath-Eater Wight at weak strength. The fire must be fed eight times. The ninth feeding is your memory.

Extensions (Plug-in)

• Oath Dial (Honor ↔︎ Cunning): Track the party’s footing between honor and pragmatism.

  • Honor High: +1 Position when invoking guest-right, keeping truce, or paying wergild promptly; first ambush/raid action each session starts one step worse.

  • Cunning High: +1 Effect on raids, evasions, and border tricks; first formal parley or oath-bound request each session starts one step worse.

  • Center the dial by restoring stolen cattle, hosting an enemy well, or submitting to a cairn ruling. The dial has eight positions. The ninth is a truce.

• Feud Math (fast settlement): Lay three markers: Blood, Beasts, Blame.

  1. Make a single Parley/Command/Study roll per side. On a hit, move one marker to your side; great Effect moves two.

  2. Win any two to settle: Blood = oath/hostage, Beasts = wergild in cattle/coin, Blame = public apology/verse.

  3. Miss: mark Feud-Smoke [4]. At 4, the losing side names a lawful target (bridge, herd, guide). The target has eight days to pay. The ninth is the Hollow’s.

• Guest-Right Procedure:

  • Present a Guest-Token (or bread and salt). Host must choose: Shelter, Escort at Dawn, or Neutral Meal.

  • Breaking it creates Blood-Oath [6] against the violator; any Ubral ally may spend 1 ◇ to tick it twice.

  • Abiding it clears 1 tick from Feud-Smoke and grants +1d to the next social action in that steading. The oath is witnessed by the hearth. The hearth counts in eights.

• Watchfire Net (ridge signals):

  • Two timers: Beat the Beacons vs Ridge Aflame (size by highest rank in your seed).

  • Choose a lane each exchange: Low Fold (slow, stealth), Sheepwalk (tricky, quick), Road (fast, obvious).

  • Advantage: Low Fold ⊳ Road (conceal), Road ⊳ Sheepwalk (speed), Sheepwalk ⊳ Low Fold (shortcuts).

  • False Alarm (1 SB): light or douse a misleading brazier; shift one segment between the two timers. The beacons have eight signals. The ninth is war.

• Reiver Ride (mounted chase):

  • Track Remounts (3): each push for speed trades 1 remount for +1d or +1 Effect. At 0, gain Blown Mounts condition.

  • Hag-Stone Cut: pass a known gap (Sheepwalk Ledge, Droppers’ Bridge) to force pursuers to roll or fall behind.

  • The reivers ride in eights. The ninth horse is a lie.

• Khaz-Vurim Protocol (Aeler Outcast Rules):

  • Present any two: Pass-Ring, Stamped Load-List, Named Sponsor. Two = safe passage; one = pay toll + scrutiny; none = delay and search.

  • Stone-Clause may override one dwarf law once; afterwards start Marked Notice [3] with the wardens (prices rise, patience falls).

  • Measured Truth: you may substitute exact weights/measures for charm or coin to improve Position by one step with dwarves.

  • Aeler outcast smiths accept stories as payment for small repairs—the story must be about a betrayal. They are collecting evidence for a case they will never bring. They count their breaths. The ninth is the mountain’s.

• Bride-Peace Interlude:

  • Play a Bride-Charter to suspend violence at a scene. Everyone sheaths—or earns Song Shame [4]. When it fills, a skald memorializes the insult (ongoing -1d with that clan).

  • The bride has eight ribbons. The ninth is a knife.

• Start-of-Scene Omens (1d6):

  1. Clear Ridge: first signal test gains +1d.

  2. Lowing Herd: +1d to tracking or herding; -1d to stealth near cattle.

  3. Wet Stone: climbs start one step worse; mending gear is easier (free repair tick).

  4. Old Verse Remembered: first oath/plea gains +1d if spoken in rhyme.

  5. Border Drums: Viterra patrols near; papers safer, raiding harsher.

  6. Dwarf Toll Day: prices firm; any ◇ tied to roads counts double value at the Steps.

• Plug-in SB Conversions (Ubral Flavor):

  • 1 SB → Mud and Heather: footing worsens; next physical action  − 1d or mark Winded.

  • 2 SB → Kin Arrive: add a rival cousin/ally who changes the ask or splits the pot.

  • 3+ SB → Cairn Decrees: a standing stone “speaks” (witnesses recall the law); swap one held ◇ for a lesser right until you make amends. The stone speaks in eights. The ninth word is your name.

• Reputation Echoes:

  • Guest-Faithful: once/session downgrade a social backlash inside a steading; next time you refuse hospitality, mark Feud-Smoke +1.

  • Reiver-Favored: +1 Effect to seize cattle/contraband on the move; city gates start one step worse Position.

  • Stone-Friend: +1d with dwarf wardens on roads; any false measure triggers Marked Notice +1.

In Ubral, power flows through clan bonds, guest-right, and the careful balance of honor and iron. Clan chiefs maintain authority through wergild, moots, and the respect of their people, while the Aeler outcasts of Khaz-Vurim wield influence through their control of mountain passes and forges. Law is personal and passed down through generations, with each oath and weight creating a web of obligation that can last centuries. The Viterran crown claims suzerainty; the clans call that claim “the ink of thieves.”

But older powers stir in the glens and lochs. The cailleach watches from the high corries, and the each uisge waits beneath the black water. The clans do not fight these spirits; they propitiate them with offerings of iron, salt, and silence. A chief who forgets the old ways may find his cattle drowned and his children cursed.

For the GM: Patronage in Ubral revolves around hospitality, protection, and the resolution of feuds. Rewards often take the form of tokens, charters, or safe passage that can be leveraged into greater influence. To emphasize this, use the faction timers, let rival clans issue conflicting protections, and remember the Aeler outcasts—they are exiles, not tourists. They will help a clan for a story, but they will never forget a slight. They count in eights. Do not let them reach nine.

In Ubral, your word is your bond, and your bond determines whether you walk in peace or peril. The lowlands write their laws in ink; Ubral carves them in stone. The ink fades. The stone remembers. And the dead are always counting.

Silkstrand

City of Bridges & Dyewater.

“Silkstrand is a city strung across canals and arched bridges, where every crossing is a negotiation and every current carries coin. The silk looms never sleep, the Exchange never closes, and the Archivolt’s notaries seal fates with a drop of wax. The canals are not just water – they are memory. Every bribe, every broken promise, every cargo never declared – the canals remember.”
— The Bravo of Silkstrand

What do people eat for breakfast? Rice porridge with dried fish – the rice is from Oshiiran barges, the fish from Zakov fleets. Both are smuggled. Both are delicious. Both are paid for in favors.

What does a child learn before they can walk? To count bridges. The eight bridges of the city: Merchant’s, Weaver’s, Dyer’s, Cooper’s, Pilot’s, Beggar’s, Saint’s, and the ninth – the bridge only there at low tide. The ninth bridge leads to the Sunken Quarter, where promises go to drown.

What is the first thing you notice about a stranger? Their ink. Every Silkstrand merchant has a seal-ink stain on their right thumb. Fresh ink means new to the trade. Faded ink means retired. No ink means not a merchant. Not a merchant is not a person.

What is the most common crime? Contract fraud – but fraud is a negotiation. Contracts

Contracts are written in disappearing ink. The notaries sell the antidote. The antidote is the fee.

What does no one talk about but everyone knows? The Matron is not the ruler. The canals rule. The canals set the prices. The canals decide who drowns. The canals are the city’s memory. The memory is the Matron’s.

Where do people go when they die? To the canals. Bodies are wrapped in silk and sunk in the deep channels. The channels are the city’s archive. The archive is never balanced.

How do you apologize for a serious wrong? You offer a bridge – a toll paid to the Bridge-Lords. The toll is calculated by the wronged party’s estimate of loss. The silver is melted and poured into the canal. The canal remembers the weight.

What is the most important festival? The Dyeing of the Waters (spring). The dyers empty their vats into the canals. The water turns red, blue, green, gold – the year’s fashions. The Matron’s favorite color is the one that sells best. It is also the color she dyed her own hair.

What is the secret that could destroy a powerful person? The canals were dug by a Sidhi engineer paid in promises. The promises were broken. The engineer cursed the city. Every ninth drop of water is a tear. She has been crying for nine centuries.

Silkstrand

Key Demographics: Humans

Entanglements

To the West:

Ecktoria – The Archivolt’s clerks and the Amber Palace’s factor are the city’s financial compass. The Vigil’s accountants have a permanent office on the Exchange.

To the East:

Vhasia – The Lame King’s envoys and the Sun Court’s diplomats frequent the Exchange. The dyewater runs red when the chevauchée burns.

To the North:

The Acasian Curse – The Broken Marches bleed into the canals; the Curse’s weight is felt in the dyewater. The Ragman’s bravos are the city’s only shield against the Hollow’s attention.

To the South:

The Amaranthine Sea – The canals meet the salt water; the Zakov pirates and Kahfagian privateers are both customers and rivals. The tide brings cargo; the tide takes evidence.

Quick Reference

Tagline: Every bridge is a promise. Every canal carries a secret. But the true pacts are sealed in whispers, not wax.

The Matron (Elite): “In this city, every bridge is an arrangement and every current carries a rumor. The pacts struck in our shadows never quite fade, and the waters remember every handshake. Trust the silk, not the smile. And never mistake a favor for a gift — threads can be pulled from either end.”

Bobbin-Runner (Commoner): “I can cross this city faster than any grown-up, and I know which planks creak and which merchants lie. The bridges remember every step, and the canals carry more secrets than fish. The nobles think they rule, but the Ragman owns the stairs they climb. Stay off the water after midnight — the night-boats don’t carry cargo, they carry whispers between patrons.”

Genre / Mood: Mercantile intrigue, Renaissance urban drama, layered loyalties, high stakes.

Starting Location: Three-Queens Bridge, crowded with market stalls, its stones worn smooth by centuries of footsteps. A Guildmistress with a silver whistle offers a stamped chit. “The Exchange boils today,” she says. “And something in the canals remembers your face. Bring me three bolts of untaxed crimson before the closing bell, or the Archivolt will have your name on a dead seal-keeper’s scroll. And watch your back on the Ropewalk — the Ragman’s bravos are hungry. If you need a patron, ask for the Contarini factor. If you need a knife, ask for the Tide Father’s man. Just know which one you’ll answer to afterwards.”

Silkstrand is a city strung across canals and arched bridges — a place where every crossing is a test of trust and every current carries secrets. The silk looms never sleep, the Exchange never closes, and the Archivolt’s clerks bind fates with a drop of wax. Merchants rise and fall with the turn of the market, bravos carve reputations on the planks of Three-Queens Bridge, and the city’s underworld runs on whispers and borrowed keys.

But trade is the veneer. The real power moves through older channels: the client–patron relationships that stitch the city together from the waterline up. The old patrician families — Contarini, Morosini, Dandolo — hold charters signed by emperors who are now dust. The crime lords — the Ragman, the Tide Father, the Silk Mother — hold the alleys, the night-boat landings, and the bonds that leave no mark. The Matron rules from her palazzo stairs with velvet and iron, but she rules because she balances these threads, not because she cuts them.

What you notice first: The clash of water against ancient stone. The constant rumble of cart wheels on bridge planks. The way every handshake lingers a heartbeat too long — as if both parties are checking for hidden blades — and the way every favor is named aloud, so witnesses will know who stands in whose shadow.

The one rule that kills newcomers: Never name a rival while crossing a bridge at night. The water remembers, and the curse you send may come back wrapped around your own throat. But the deeper rule: never accept a favor without speaking its terms. An unspoken kindness is a thread that can be pulled from either end — and the other end is always held by someone who has been playing longer than you.

Regional Mood: Silk, Steel, and Shadow

Here, fortune is written in silk and sealed with a handshake — but the handshake is witnessed, and the witness takes a share. Silkstrand is not lawless; it is layered. Above the tide lies the world of guild charters, sealed archives, and the Matron’s velvet justice. Below the bridges, in the weeping arches and the midnight boat lanes, a quieter economy runs on whispers, borrowed keys, and the careful naming of old ties. The old patrician families hold the long view — a promise recalled after twenty years is still a promise. The crime bosses hold the short view — a knife in the ribs settles a score by morning. Every alliance is a knot that can be pulled loose. Every fortune is a thread that can be cut. And every thread has two ends.

The Patrician Families (Old Blood)

The great families of Silkstrand trace their lines to the founders of the republic. They hold the oldest charters, the tallest palazzos, and the longest memories. They do not trade in silk; they trade in access — to the Exchange, to the Archivolt, to the Matron’s ear.

The Underworld Powers (Shadow Patrons)

Beneath the bridges, other powers hold court. They do not sit in palazzos; they sit in warehouses, in the holds of night-boats, in the back rooms of coffee houses. They trade in what cannot be declared.

Prominent NPCs of Silkstrand

Names of Silkstrand

Inspired by the mercantile republics of the southern coast: liquid vowels, soft endings, and surnames that recall a bridge, a canal, or a trade.

(Bridge/Canal/Market)

Three-Queens Bridge with stacked stalls; Archivolt arcade of clerks; Salt Gate quay with customs.

Spades — Places

2. Three-Queens Bridge — Stacked market stalls; cells under arches, reputations made and broken. The cells are for those who could not settle their standing. The walls are washed with canal water so no one forgets the smell. [TRADE]

3. The Archivolt — Arcaded street of clerks, seals, and quiet knives. The clerks write in lemon juice. Heat reveals the truth — or a facsimile. The ninth seal is never used. It belongs to the Ragman. [LAW]

4. Silk Exchange — Floor with chalk circles and clappers for opening bids. The clappers are whale ribs. The bids echo, and sometimes the echo answers. The ninth bid is never recorded — it is the Ragman’s portion. [TRADE]

5. Salt Gate Quay — Rope booms, chalk tallies, tired eyes; customs and silver. The chalk is mixed with ground bone. A false sign writes itself in a dead hand. The ninth sign is always wrong — by design. [AUTHORITY]

6. Palazzo della Matrona — Ruling seat with private river stairs; velvet and iron. The Matrona’s barge is rowed by those who have repaid their standing in years, not silver. The ninth oar is never used. It is for the Hollow. [AUTHORITY]

7. Spindle Tower — Creaking windlass-lifts and posted rates; heights and hazards. The lift operator has a bell. He rings it once for every passenger who crossed without leave. He never rings it nine times. [LABOR]

8. Ropewalk Sheds — Arrow-straight; bruisers hired by the yard, muscle for hire. The rope-walkers never look back. They say a rope remembers who pulled it last. The ninth rope in every coil is cut — a tithe to the Ragman. [LABOR]

9. Old Arsenal — Free Company’s barracks now; arms and ambitions stored. The arsenal’s bell rings at odd hours. No one admits ringing it. The ninth ring is a summons. No one has answered it in a generation. [MILITARY]

10. Exchange Coffee House — Where merchants insure cargo and spread rumors. The coffee is thick as mud. The policy rates change with the wind. The ninth cup is never poured — it is for the witness no one wants. [SOCIAL]

11. Flood-Stairs — Bronze flood marks, bell rope ready when the Strand runs wild. The flood marks go up to nine. The ninth step is underwater — always. That step belongs to the Tide Father. [WEATHER]

12. Basilica of Azerin — Weaver-saint; confraternity rooms hum with vows. The saint’s icon has one eye. The other was traded for the secret of the unbroken thread. The ninth vow whispered here is heard by the Hollow, not the saint. [FAITH]

13. Burdened Arcade — Row of pawn shops and surety houses; promises carved on the pillars. The pillars are scored with signs. The oldest ones are from three centuries ago. The ninth mark on each pillar is a scar — the Ragman’s signature. [WEIGHT]

14. The Unwritten Canal — A buried waterway that appears only in the lowest tides. It leads to a vault where pacts are kept that were never meant to be spoken. The ninth pact is blank — it awaits a name. [MYSTERY]

(Guild/Factor/Crown)

Bobbin-runner child with feet sure on parapets; foreign factor seeking warehouse and friend at customs; a Contarini factor offering a sealed charter; a Ragman’s bravo with a knotted cord around his wrist.

Hearts — People & Factions

2. Bobbin-Runner — Child with sure feet on parapets, rumors in pocket. She ties a knot in her apron string for every secret she carries. The apron is nearly solid knots. The ninth knot is always loose — for the secret she cannot tell. [STEALTH]

3. Mulberry Steward — Counting leaves; desperate for pickers, quick with silver. His left hand is missing two fingers — lost to a cocoon-rot curse. He calls it a trade. The Silk Mother still holds claim to the ninth. [LABOR]

4. Foreign Factor — Seeking warehouse and friend at customs; connections for sale. He carries three scrolls. One for the Matron, one for the Archivolt, one for himself. The ninth page of each is blank — for the promise he has not yet spoken. [TRADE]

5. Guildmistress — Silk guilds’ hands stained, permits tighter than purse strings. She can tell your guild by the thread on your cuff. She never forgets a pattern. Her own cuff has a ninth thread — black, a sign of her silent alliance. [AUTHORITY]

6. Bridge Bailiff — Rents stalls, sells gossip by the breath; power in position. He rings a small bell before each announcement. The tone tells you if it’s truth or theater. He never rings it nine times. [LAW]

7. Archivolt Clerk — “Fixes” missing entries — for a fee; law as service. His seal is a wolf’s head. He stamps it with a whisper. The ninth seal he stamps each day is never recorded — it is a gift to the Ragman. [LAW]

8. Watch Captain — Condotta to three lords; passwords change with the wind. He wears a mask on feast days; no one has seen his face in seven years. The mask was a gift from the Contarini. He does not know what bond it placed upon him. The ninth mask in his closet is the Ragman’s face. [MILITARY]

9. Exchange Caller — A clap can still a thousand voices; auction master. He lost his voice to a curse. Now he claps in a language only the bids understand. The ninth clap is silence — the Ragman’s answer. [TRADE]

10. Covenant Broker — Writes pledges on cargo, lives, and sometimes conspiracies. His quill is a stiletto. He has used it as both. The ninth pledge he writes each month is hollow — a tithe to the Bookman. [FINANCE]

11. Night-Boat Smuggler — “Ravel,” silent oar, louder favors; shadows for silver. His boat has no name. The canal would remember it, and memory is a kind of tax. He works for the Tide Father. The ninth passenger he carries each night is not charged — they answer an old summons. [STEALTH]

12. The Matron — Patient, velvet, iron; the city’s thread pulled through her hands. She has never raised her voice. The city learned to fear her silences. Her cord has nine knots — one for each family bound to her by old pacts. The ninth knot is loose. It is for the one who will betray her. [AUTHORITY]

13. Lame King’s Envoy — Velvet boots; claims certain alleys “protected.” His cane is hollow. Inside is a letter of marque that expired a decade ago. The ninth alley on his list is the Ragman’s court. He does not go there. [POLITICS]

14. Saint of Warps — If real: sees curses braided in cloth; holy unraveler. Her eyes are milk-white. She sees not the cloth, but the threads of promise within. The ninth thread she cuts each day is her own — she does not know why. [FAITH]

(Flood/Interdict/Riot)

Flood siren with gates lowering — move crates or kiss them goodbye; quarantine flag at the tannery sealing a district; Loom strike over unpaid wages.

Clubs — Complications/Threats

2. Flood Siren — Gates lowering; move crates or kiss them goodbye to tide. The gate-keeper’s palm is marked with a bell. Cross it with silver to hurry. The ninth bell is the Tide Father’s. He does not hurry. [WEATHER]

3. Quarantine Flag — A district sealed; your cargo implicated. The flag is brushed with ash and something else — something that smells of graves. The ninth flag raised each year is the Ragman’s signal. [AUTHORITY]

4. Loom Strike — Weavers idle over wage disputes; streets fill with idle frames. The striking weavers wear red threads around their wrists. They will not speak first. The ninth weaver in the picket line wears black — the Silk Mother’s thread. [LABOR]

5. Seal Counterfeit — Discovered at Archivolt; all charters frozen. The forged seal is warm. The real one is cold. Touch both to know which is which. The ninth seal in the Archivolt is the Ragman’s. It is never cold. [LAW]

6. Bridge Riot — A dropped stall blocks lanes; tempers boil faster than kettle steam. The riot started over a missed bell-ring. Or a stolen bolt. Or a look. The ninth stone thrown always hits a Ragman’s bravo. He does not forget. [SOCIAL]

7. Condottieri Flip — Colors change; watchwords shift, escorts vanish. The captain’s new banner is stitched with thread from his old captain’s shroud. The ninth thread is from a banner that never fell — the Ragman’s. [MILITARY]

8. Pledge Fraud — A warehouse burns; the pledge is a forgery. The broker has fled. His scrolls are full of ships that never sailed. The ninth page of each scroll is blank — for the ship that will sink tonight. [FINANCE]

9. Coin Clipping — Light silver floods the market; the Exchange locks its doors. The clippings were melted into a statue of the Matron. She is not amused. The ninth coin in every bag is a clipping — the Ragman’s tithe. [TRADE]

10. Salt-Tax Doubled — At Salt Gate; boats stack three deep, gifts flow. The tax collector wears a mask. Beneath it, his face is a salt-caked skull. The ninth boat in line is never taxed — it belongs to the Tide Father. [AUTHORITY]

11. Duel Challenge — Booked on Three-Queens Bridge; you’re named as seconds. The challenge is written on silk. Burn it to refuse — and lose face forever. The ninth duel of the season is always fought over a Ragman’s thread. [SOCIAL]

12. Exchange Corner — Rivals hoard raw silk; prices go vertical. The cornering merchant has a book bound in human skin. The names inside are his competitors. The ninth name is his own — a reminder. [TRADE]

13. Saint’s Procession — Closes half the wards; ignore at peril, faith walks the streets. The icon weeps oil. The faithful collect it in silver cups. The ninth cup is never filled — it is for the saint’s tears that have not yet fallen. [FAITH]

14. Curse Awakened — In canals: no route reaches the address you seek. The water is still. Your reflection is gone. You are still here — for now. The ninth reflection in the canal is the Ragman’s. He is not reflected. He is behind you. [DEATH]

(Permit/Seat/Escort)

Bridge token for peak-hour cart crossing free; Exchange floor pass; Matron’s seal for a single charter.

Diamonds — Rewards/Leverage

2. Bridge Token — One peak-hour cart crossing free; traffic as currency. The token is a bronze coin with a hole in the center. The hole is the toll. The ninth token minted each year is the Ragman’s. He does not use it. [TRAVEL]

3. Exchange Pass — Day pass to trade without sponsor; freedom in paper. The pass is stamped with a spider. The spider’s legs are the signatures of three guilds. The ninth leg is missing — it belongs to the Ragman. [TRADE]

4. Watergate Priority — Skip one flood closure when it matters; tide waits for none. The priority token is a dried eel skin. Show it, and the gate-keeper spits but stands aside. The ninth token is the Tide Father’s. He never waits. [TRAVEL]

5. Sealed Indulgence — Retrofit a missing entry; past deals stand. The indulgence is written in lemon juice. Heat it to see the terms. The ninth indulgence is blank — it awaits a name and a reckoning. [LAW]

6. Warehouse Seal — From Matron’s office; rivals legally shut out. The seal is a brass bell. Ring it once to claim the space. The ninth seal is the Ragman’s. He does not ring it. He knocks. [AUTHORITY]

7. Ropewalk Trust — Hire crews before you have silver; muscle on promise. The trust is a knotted rope. Cut a knot for each promise claimed. The ninth knot is the Ragman’s. Cutting it costs more than silver. [LABOR]

8. Arsenal Key — One night’s issue for retinue; arms in trusted hands. The key is a finger bone. The lock is a gauntleted fist. The ninth key is the Ragman’s. He has the fist. [MILITARY]

9. Pledge of Surety (Blank) — Insure one cargo against any loss; the pledge pays in silver. The pledge is a prayer. The prayer is a pact. The pact is a wager. The ninth pledge is the Bookman’s. He always wins. [FINANCE]

10. Condotta Rider — City watch escorts through any ward, once. The rider’s horse has iron shoes. The sparks tell him who to watch. The ninth rider is the Ragman’s. He rides alone. [MILITARY]

11. Matron’s Audience — Private whisper becomes policy; velvet commands. The Matron’s ear is a bell. Speak into it, and the city listens — once. The ninth audience is never granted. The Matron does not explain why. [AUTHORITY]

12. Toll-Farm Share — On Three-Queens stalls for a season; profit in vendors. The share is a tally stick. Break it in half to claim your portion. The ninth share is the Ragman’s. He does not break it. He collects. [FINANCE]

13. Golden Thread — Temporary charter to set tolls on a named canal. The thread is real gold. It will not break — but it will stretch. The ninth thread is the Tide Father’s. He sets tolls in silence. [AUTHORITY]

14. The Unwritten Bond — A blank parchment signed by a dead seal-keeper. Fill it in. The seal-keeper’s ghost will enforce it. The ghost has a sense of humor. The ninth bond is blank — it awaits a name that has never been written. The Ragman keeps it. [MAGIC]

Quick use notes

• Draw until you have all four suits: Spade = place, Heart = actor, Club = pressure, Diamond = leverage. Highest rank sets the main Timer (2–5 → 4, 6–10 → 6, J/Q/K → 8, A → 10).

• Diamonds are codified outcomes (permits, passes, seals) that change position rather than call for a roll.

• If any A appears, echo silk and water motifs — threads that bind, currents that remember, bargains that stain the hand. Also echo the ninth: a missing step, an unwritten charter, a silence where a name should be.

Additional Features (Cultural Mechanics)

• The Measure of a Favor (Patron–Client Bond): In Silkstrand, favors are the true measure of standing. Each favor has a measure — a sense of what it cost to grant and what it will cost to call in. Favors are remembered not in scrolls but in threads — a red thread tied around the wrist of the client, a black thread around the wrist of the patron. When the favor is answered, the threads are cut. A character may start with 1d3 favor threads (minor promises owed or owed to them). The GM may award threads for significant aid. A thread can be spent to gain +1 Position on a social roll with the patron’s faction, or to demand a minor service (safe passage, a night’s shelter, a warning). Holding more than nine threads is dangerous — the ninth thread is always the Hollow’s.

  • Minor Favor (1 thread): A night’s shelter, a message delivered, a blind eye turned.

  • Significant Favor (3 threads): An introduction to a patron, an altered record, a small stake.

  • Major Favor (6 threads): A change in policy, a life spared, a charter voided.

  • Unpayable Measure (9 threads): The Ragman’s favor. You do not want to carry this. The ninth thread is never cut.

• Patron–Client Mini-Generator (d6): When the party seeks a patron or encounters a client relationship, roll to determine the nature of the bond.

  1. Blood Bond: The patron and client share a family tie — or a family feud. The promise is old, deep, and bitter.

  2. Silk Bond: The patron holds the client’s bond in the form of a silk charter. The terms are written, but the reckoning is not.

  3. Shadow Bond: The patron is a crime lord (the Ragman, the Tide Father, the Silk Mother). The client owes a service that cannot be named aloud.

  4. Stone Bond: The patron is a patrician (Contarini, Morosini, Dandolo). The client holds a charter or a seal. The promise is public but the measure is private.

  5. Bridge Bond: The patron and client met on a bridge at night. The favor was sworn without witnesses. Only the water remembers.

  6. Ninth Bond: The patron is the Hollow. The client does not know they are bound. The ninth thread is already tied.

• Duel Etiquette: Duels fought on bridges draw crowds eager to wager on blood. Refusing stains a name worse than losing. The winner may claim the loser’s bridge token (if any) as a trophy. A duel may also be fought to settle a favor’s measure — the loser’s bond is transferred to the winner’s patron.

• Canal Omens: Canals run strange colors at dawn; red foretells riots, blue brings calm, black means a curse has awakened. A successful Wits + Lore test (DV 3) allows a character to interpret the omen and gain +1 die on the next roll to avoid or exploit the coming event. Green water means the Hollow is near.

• Matron’s Seal: Any charter bearing her seal is law — but the Matron is known to rescind seals without warning, leaving promises tangled. A seal may be challenged by producing an older Matron’s seal; the older one always holds. The ninth seal is the Matron’s own — she has never used it.

• Exchange Volatility Timer [6]: Tracks market instability. Each time a major cargo is seized, a trade route is cut, or a merchant falters, tick the timer. At 3: prices of all goods increase by 1 Supply. At 6: a panic hits — the Exchange closes for 1d3 days, and all standing agreements are voided unless witnessed by the Matron. The ninth time this timer fills in a decade, the Ragman collects.

• Local Patrons (Syncretic Names):

  • The Saint of Accounts — The Witness. Every transaction is a prayer. Every signature is a confession.

  • The Unbroken Seal — Mykkiel. Charters are sacred. To break one is to break the city.

  • The Tide Father — Khemesh. The canal’s hunger; the pull of a promise never kept.

  • The Lantern Bearer — The Traveler. The light that guides lost ships — and the lost.

  • The Ragman — The Ninth. The unspoken promise. The thread that is never cut.

Lore Echoes (Cross-Expansion Hooks)

• Saint Lazarus of the Unwritten Accord (The Witness): The Archivolt clerks keep a sealed archive of unwritten pacts — promises that were never stamped. The Order of the Witness claims that reading even one of these binds the reader to fulfil it. The Matron has never opened the archive. The Red Clerk has, and his seal now weeps blood. The ninth pact in the archive is blank — it awaits the Ragman’s name.

• Saint Fina of the Silken Veil (Isoka): The Basilica of Azerin has a side chapel dedicated to the Shedding Saint, whose mosaic shows a silkworm breaking its cocoon. Pilgrims who leave a confession there wake the next morning having forgotten one sin — but also one kindness they received. The Guildmistress permits the chapel because the offerings keep the silk guilds wealthy. The ninth confession each day is heard by the Hollow, not the saint.

• The Weavers of Mercy (The Silk-Shrouded): A hospice near the Salt Gate is run by gray-robed healers who ask no payment. They are tolerated because they treat wounded condottieri for free, but the Black Purse faction suspects they also ease burdens — scrolls left near their doors have been found blank. The Order’s rule: “You do not pay back. You pay forward. But woe to the one who strikes a healer.” The ninth bed in the hospice is always empty — it is for the Ragman, should he ever need mercy.

• The Scroll of Unbroken Promises (The Syndicate Seal): A small but influential order of clerks based in the Archivolt. They adjudicate disputes over charters, cargo claims, and bridge tolls. Their judgments are always delivered in triplicate, and they accept no bribes — only binding oaths. Those who lie before a Covenant judge find that their next three shipments are impounded. The ninth judgment each year is never delivered — it is the Ragman’s veto.

• The Ninth: In any Silkstrand scene, the ninth bridge crossed in a day leads somewhere unexpected. The wise stop at eight and take a boat. Those who cross the ninth are said to hear a faint laugh from the water — and their pacts are never quite fulfilled. The ninth bridge is the Ragman’s. He built it. He did not pay.

Silkstrand Superstitions (burn for +1 die once)

• Bread to the Canal: Toss a crust into the water before crossing a new bridge. Ignore the first Bridge Riot penalty. [SUPERSTITION]

• Knot the Thread: Tie a single knot in a scrap of silk. Cancel Seal Counterfeit or take –1 die on your next negotiation (your choice). [SUPERSTITION]

• Name to the Water: Whisper a client’s name into the canal at dawn. Gain +1 Effect when collecting from them this scene, but mark Bond to the Archivolt. [SUPERSTITION]

• The Ninth Thread: If you hold nine favor threads, cut one immediately. The ninth thread is the Ragman’s. He will find you. [SUPERSTITION]

Thematic SB Spend Table

Minor Complications (1 SB)

• Exposure: Your actions draw unwanted attention from city watch or rival merchants.

• Noise: Sounds of your actions alert nearby crowds or bridge traffic.

• Trace: Evidence of your passage marks your route for trackers or customs.

• Delay: A brief but meaningful setback costs you time or favorable tide.

• Supply Strain: Mark +1 segment on a relevant resource timer.

Moderate Setbacks (2 SB)

• Alarm Raised: Bridge bailiff or guildmaster becomes aware and begins responding.

• Position Lost: You lose advantageous ground/cover/stealth due to crowd movement or flood.

• Foe Appears: A rival merchant or hired bravo arrives on scene.

• Gear Trouble: A piece of equipment becomes Compromised/Neglected.

• Lock/Barrier: A simple obstacle now requires a test to overcome.

Serious Trouble (3 SB)

• Reinforcements: Additional condottieri, smugglers, or guild enforcers arrive.

• Key Gear Breaks: A crucial tool/weapon becomes temporarily unusable.

• Major Twist: The situation fundamentally changes — flood hits/charter voided/duel declared.

• Rail Tick: Advance a relevant campaign/front timer by 1 segment.

• Condition Applied: Mark Fatigue 1/Harm 1/Condition appropriate to fiction.

Major Turns (4+ SB)

• Trap Springs: A prepared danger activates with full effect.

• Authority Arrival: The Matron, Watch Captain, Guildmistress, or Ragman intervenes.

• Scene Shift: The environment changes dramatically — flood rises/bridge collapses/procession blocks streets.

• Patron Omen: Divine/arcane forces take notice — omen appears/blessing lost/curse manifests.

• Narrative Pivot: The story takes an unexpected turn that reframes objectives.

Region-Specific SB Options

• Silkstrand (Bridges & Trade): Bridge planks shift underfoot, agreements restructure mid-speech, silver changes hands without touch.

• Silkstrand (Canals): Water levels rise without warning, gondolas block routes, a sudden fog hides a rival’s approach.

• Silkstrand (Duel Culture): Challenges are issued mid-conversation, seconds appear from the crowd, honor prices rise with each breath.

• Silkstrand (The Ninth): A bridge appears where none was before. A charter’s ninth clause writes itself. A thread tightens around your wrist. The Ragman is watching.

Pursuit Ladder (Near / Mid / Far)

• Advance/Withdraw (Wits + Stealth): On a hit, shift one band. On a strong hit, also impose Fog Bank.

• Cut the Bridge (Presence + Sway): On a hit, freeze range for one exchange; if a bridge token is in your possession, +1 die.

• Weather the Flood (Endurance + Athletics): On a hit in Flood Siren, you pick who keeps their footing; on a miss, the GM does.

Boss Seeds (three-phase foes)

• The Ragman (Lord of Unspoken Pacts) — Phases: Polite Reception → Forgotten Promise → The Ninth Thread. Cracks: burn a favor thread in public; settle a bond with a story, not silver; cut the ninth thread — but it will grow back.

• Archivolt Agent (collector of “missing entries”) — Phases: Quiet Inserts → Scroll Hunts → Bridge Vetoes. Cracks: win a duel for precedent; expose a hidden altar; break his pen with the Matron’s Seal.

• The Tide Father’s Enforcer (a living pledge) — Phases: Grace Period → Due Date → Reclamation. Cracks: pay in stories; find the original bound party; renegotiate the bond under a neutral bridge — the ninth bridge, which does not exist.

In Silkstrand, power flows through commerce, connections, and the careful weaving of influence — but the loom belongs to the patrons, not the merchants. The Matron maintains control through a web of guilds, factors, and condottieri, each bound by charters and customs that shift like the tides. The old patrician families hold the long view — a promise recalled after twenty years is still a promise. The crime lords hold the short view — a knife in the ribs settles a score by morning.

For the GM: Patronage in Silkstrand revolves around access — to bridges, to warehouses, to the Exchange floor itself — but access is granted through trust, not purchased with silver. Rewards often take the form of tokens, seals, or safe passage that can be leveraged into greater influence, but each such reward carries a thread — a promise owed to the patron who granted it. To emphasize the layered client–patron dynamic:

• Tie rewards to visible symbols (seals, tokens, charters) that can be challenged, stolen, or voided — and that carry a thread of promise to a specific patron (a Contarini seal, a Ragman’s knot, a Matron’s ribbon).

• Let rival patrons (Contarini vs. Ragman, Morosini vs. Tide Father) issue conflicting charters, forcing players to choose whose favor matters more — and whose measure they are willing to carry.

• Use the bridges, markets, and Exchange as arenas for social contests, where reputation and connections determine success — and where a well-timed favor can turn the tide.

• Track favor threads as a tangible resource. Holding threads is power; holding too many is danger. The ninth thread is always the Hollow’s.

In Silkstrand, your word is your bond, and your bond determines whether you rise or drown. But your bond is also a thread, and every thread has two ends. One end is in your hand. The other is held by someone who has been playing longer than you.

Midh-Akhaz

The Violet Gate.

“Midh-Akhaz is not a city. It is a gap in the world where trade is the only law. No walls, no gates – just the smell of horse sweat, cedar smoke, and the copper tang of coin paid in blood. The grass grows tall to conceal the fallen, not to honor them. Ecktorian emissaries call it “the Brink” – the edge where coin buys survival. Caravan guards call it home – a temporary respite from the weight of the road. Thieves call it paradise – a place where the only law is the weight of a knife in the belt.”
— Aeler True-Mason

What do people eat for breakfast? Curd cheese and flatbread – the cheese is from Ykrul herds, the bread baked in dung-fire embers. The poor dip it in salt; the rich dip it in honey stolen from a border hive.

What does a child learn before they can walk? To count horses. The eight gaits of a healthy mount. The ninth gait – the death-sprint – is never taught. It is discovered when the rider’s life depends on it.

What is the first thing you notice about a stranger? Their braids. Ykrul warriors braid with clan colors. Vilikari traders wear oiled braids with silver beads. A stranger whose braids are loose has just fought. A stranger with no braids is a slave or a ghost. Neither stays long.

What is the most common crime? Grass-right forgery. The Oasis Compact issues branded sticks for grazing rights. A clever carver can duplicate the brand. The penalty is exile into the tall grass at dusk. The grass has no court of appeals.

What does no one talk about but everyone knows? The Khatun is not the only ruler. The Silver Stall stable master knows where every stolen horse sleeps. The Dust Market auctioneer knows the price of every sin. The Iron Well keeper knows the name of everyone who will die before the next grass moon. They meet once a season. The grass records it.

Where do people go when they die? To the grass. Bodies are left beyond the caravan rings. The grass grows tall and green where a body falls. A patch of deep violet means the dead were not properly mourned. Locals avoid those patches.

How do you apologize for a serious wrong? You offer a blood-price on the Coin-Weigh Tribunal’s scales. If the scale tips in your favor, you are forgiven. If it balances, you owe a story – a true story that makes the wronged party weep. If it does not, you owe a finger.

What is the most important festival? The Grass Moon (autumn equinox). The violet seed-heads glow under moonlight. The tribes ride in a great circle, singing the names of the dead. At midnight, the Khatun pours water onto the earth. If it steams, the Hollow is walking. No one sleeps.

What is the secret that could destroy a powerful person? The Oasis Compact’s original seal was stolen by a Vilikari factor who wanted to control water rights. The factor still lives in the Foreign Quarter under a false name. The seal is hidden in a hollow horse skull buried under the Grass Ring. The skull belonged to the Khatun’s favorite stallion. The stallion did not die of old age.

Midh Ahkaz — “The Violet Gate”

Key Demographics: Ykrul and Humans

Entanglements

To the West:

Vilikari – The Foedus Stone’s jurisdiction ends at the Violet Gate; the two-law dialectic is a brisk trade. The gate is the edge of the Federate King’s memory.

To the North:

Ykrul – The Khatun’s riders and the Khagan’s envoys pass through; the gate is a neutral ground for tribute. The grass is tall, and the dead do not rest.

To the South East:

Acasia – The Broken Marches’ mercenaries and refugees seek shelter at the caravanserai; the Curse does not cross the gate’s shadow. The Violet Gate is a sieve, not a wall.

Quick Reference

Tagline: Coin talks. Grass walks. Blood settles the rest.

Khatun of the Ring (Elite): “The wind carries names, not tallies. But here, in the shadow of the Oasis Compact, both trade and oaths change hands. Do not mistake our patience for weakness. The grass remembers every hoof that crossed it. And now the serpents coil beneath the dust—the Shedder offers renewal, but her cup is poison.”

Vilikari Factor (Commoner): “Ecktoria calls it uncivilized. We call it unbeatable. No writs, no seals, no questions. Coin talks. The rest walks. And if a snake offers you a sip from its cup, walk faster. The Shedder’s smile has too many teeth.”

Genre / Mood: Frontier grit, steppe noir, law of the rope and the blade, creeping cult horror.

Starting Location: The Violet Bazaar at dusk—torches gutter, braids slap against leather vests, and a one-eyed horse trader spits into the dust at your feet. “You’re new. The Oasis Well runs low, the Khatun’s coughing blood, and someone’s been passing hollow silver. Pick a problem — or I’ll pick one for you. And keep your hand off your steel near the Serpent Pit. The Shedder’s children have eyes everywhere.”

The Almanac of Ordinary Days

A commoner’s view, overheard at the Silver Stall Stable.

• What do people eat for breakfast? Curd cheese and flatbread — the cheese is from the Ykrul herds, the bread is baked in dung-fire embers. It tastes of smoke and the open sky. The poor dip it in salt; the rich dip it in honey stolen from a border hive.

• What does a child learn before they can walk? To count horses. Midh Ahkaz children learn the eight gaits of a healthy mount: walk, trot, canter, gallop, pace, amble, rack, and the ninth — the death-sprint that only a stolen horse knows. The ninth gait is never taught; it is discovered when the rider’s life depends on it.

• What is the first thing you notice about a stranger? Their braids. Ykrul warriors braid their hair with clan colors; Vilikari traders wear oiled braids with silver beads. A stranger whose braids are loose has just fought. A stranger whose braids are cut has lost a blood-price. A stranger with no braids is either a slave or a ghost. Neither stays long.

• What is the most common crime? Grass-right forgery — but forgery is not a crime, it is a negotiation. The Oasis Compact issues branded sticks for grazing rights. A clever carver can duplicate the brand. The penalty is exile into the tall grass at dusk. The grass does not have a court of appeals.

• What does no one talk about but everyone knows? The Khatun is not the only ruler. The Serpent Cult’s high priestess, the Shedder, knows the price of every sin. Her followers gather in the sunken pit behind the Dust Market, and the venom they drink either kills or transforms. The three powers — the Khatun, the Dust Market auctioneer, and the Iron Well keeper — meet once a season. No one records what they say. The grass records it.

• Where do people go when they die? To the grass. Bodies are carried beyond the caravan rings and left for the wolves and the wind. The grass grows tall and green where a body falls. A patch of deep violet is a sign that the dead were not properly mourned. The locals avoid those patches.

• How do you apologize for a serious wrong? You offer a blood-price in silver, weighed on the Bronze Court’s scales. If the scale tips in your favor, you are forgiven. If it tips against you, you owe a horse. If the scale balances, you owe a story — and the story must be true, and the true story must make the wronged party weep. If it does not, you owe a finger.

• What is the most important festival? The Grass Moon (autumn equinox). Violet seed-heads glow under moonlight. The tribes ride in a great circle, singing the names of the dead. At midnight, the Khatun pours a cup of water onto the earth. If the water sinks, the winter will be mild. If it pools, the winter will be hungry. If it steams, the Hollow is walking. The festival ends at dawn. No one sleeps.

• What is the secret that could destroy a powerful person? The Oasis Compact’s original seal was not lost. It was stolen by a Vilikari factor who wanted to control water rights. The factor is still alive, living in the Foreign Quarter under a false name. The seal is hidden in a hollow horse skull buried under the Grass Ring. The skull belonged to the Khatun’s favorite stallion. The stallion did not die of old age. And beneath the Iron Well, the First Shedder waits—a serpent that has not eaten in three hundred years, feeding on the cult’s offerings.

Prominent NPCs of Midh Ahkaz

Names of Midh Ahkaz

First Names (Male): Orun, Tokan, Korvash, Dmytro, Sarkis, Kostya
First Names (Female): Yara, Szik, Olena, Anush, Zoya, Nadia
Surnames: Gray Ash, Iron-Blooded, Swift, Voloshyn, Bondarenko, Torosyan
Epithets: the Disgraced, the Iron-Blooded, the Swift, the Gray, Tide-Foot, the Unpaid

Spades — Places

2. Violet Bazaar — Felt stalls, chalk circles, horse traders and rumor merchants. The chalk circles are for disputes. Step inside and speak truth — or settle in grass. Blood washes off the chalk, but the stain stays. [TRADE]

3. Bronze Court — Tariff court under a canvas dome; scales of bronze and iron. The scales were blessed by a dying Sky-Speaker. They tip even when the wind is still. The clerk has never smiled. [JUSTICE]

4. Oasis Well — Stone-rimmed pool, token-keeper with a leather bag of water rights. Each token is a carved pebble. Lose it, and your herd drinks dust. The keeper’s knife is sharper than his tongue. [SURVIVAL]

5. Steppe Ranger Camp — Tent line on the eastern edge; trackers, scouts, feud mediators. The rangers wear wolf tails. They do not smile — they wait. Their campfire is never allowed to go out. [WILD]

6. Caravan Rings — Concentric circles of wagon shelters; fires lit inward, watch posts on ox carts. The inner ring is for sworn allies. Outsiders sleep in the second ring, uneasy — and a knife in the boot. [TRAVEL]

7. Sky-Speaker’s Cairn — Stone heap atop a low hill; wind-knot ropes and bones. The shaman leaves offerings of horsehair. The wind carries his prayers to Kuva — and sometimes his curses. [RITUAL]

8. Dust Market — No-questions auction at the city’s edge; stolen goods, cursed relics, bad memories. The auctioneer wears a hooded mask. No one knows his face. No one has asked twice. [UNDERWORLD]

9. Silver Stall Stable — Remount station; horses for hire, gossip for free, blood for more. The stable master has three fingers on his left hand. He lost the others in a bet over a mare. He won the bet. [TRAVEL]

10. Grass Ring — Ritual dueling ground; mourners and bookies share benches. The grass grows back faster after a duel. The dead fertilize the peace. [COMBAT]

11. Foreign Quarter — Ecktorian, Vhasian, and Viterran merchants in permanent felt mansions. The Ecktorian envoy winters here. He has not left in five years. He has a name on a list in three countries — but Midh Ahkaz does not extradite. [POLITICS]

12. Khatun’s Ring — Largest tent, carpeted with woven battle scenes; the old chieftain’s seat. The carpet is made of enemy cloaks. Each sash is a surrendered banner. The air smells of smoke, old blood, and the fear of petitioners. [AUTHORITY]

13. Under-Arcades — Earthen tunnels below the bazaar; root-walled, bone-dusted. The walls are packed with bone dust and old burrows. The dead whisper route tips — for a price. The trade is never silver. [STEALTH]

14. Iron Well — Ancient Aeler shaft, now used for vengeance contracts and whispered names. The water tastes of rust and memory. Those who drink never lie again — or never speak. The keeper writes the names of the condemned in ash. The ash floats. [DEATH]

15. Serpent Pit (Cult Temple) — A sunken amphitheater behind the Dust Market, reeking of incense and old venom. The walls are lined with shed skins — some as long as a horse. At midnight, the faithful drink from a bronze cup. Some rise renewed. Some do not rise at all. The Shedder has not aged in twenty years. [MYSTERY] [DANGER]

Hearts — People & Factions

2. Horse-Braid Apprentice — Young Ykrul with a head full of trade routes and a knot diary. She ties a new braid for every paying passenger. Her hair is a map of promises — and grudges. [TRADE]

3. Ostrikari Arms-Master — Selling short bows and longer grudges; fights for coin. He names each bow after a dead rival. The bows never miss. His left ear is missing — a score he settled in flesh. [COMBAT]

4. Bronze Court Clerk — Ink-stained, patient, scales in her eyes; never lies, never forgives. She records weights in blood. A single drop seals a verdict. She has never been wrong — or so she says. [JUSTICE]

5. Vilikari Factor — Braided, oiled, quick with a smile and a second set of weights. His caravan has three names. Only the real one buys safe passage. The other two are for the tax man and the grave. [TRADE]

6. Steppe Ranger — Tracker with a wolf-tail cloak and a blood-oath to the Sky-Speaker. He never draws his bow unless watched. Hunger is his real weapon. His arrows are fletched with crow feathers. [WILD]

7. Tokan (Ykrul Scout) — Mute, sharp-eyed, always smelling the wind; her ears miss nothing. She signs with her knuckles. Three taps is “danger.” One tap is “run.” No taps means you are already dead. [STEALTH]

8. Ecktoria Emissary — Proud, wax-sealed, fuming at the “primitive” customs. He carries a copy of Imperial Code that he has never opened. The flies love his ink. The locals love his purse. [POLITICS]

9. Sky-Speaker’s Shadow — Elder’s quiet apprentice; listens more than the wind. She can name every clan’s sky-omen. She cannot name her own origin. Her eyes are the color of ash. [RITUAL]

10. Knot-Keeper (Tulkani) — Counts caravan promises with a rope of nine strands. Each knot is a promise. Untie one and the bond dissolves. Cut one and the one who swore dies in his sleep. No one knows how. [SOCIAL]

11. Dust Market Auctioneer — Hooded, genderless voice; knows the weight of every sin. The hammer is a thigh bone. The block is a skull altar from the Direwood. The skull’s jaw moves when the price is right. [UNDERWORLD]

12. Khatun of the Ring — Gray-haired, one-eyed, still deadly at sixty; speaks for seven clans. She lost her eye to a Linn raider. She killed him with his own hook. She keeps the hook on her belt. [AUTHORITY]

13. Kuva’s Voice (Wandering Priest) — Weathered, ash-marked, offers omen readings for grass. He prays to the sky by throwing bones. The bones never lie — they just mislead. The ash on his forehead is from a fire that hasn’t been lit yet. [RITUAL]

14. Iron Well Keeper (Vengeance Broker) — Mute, scarred, accepts names written in ash. A drink from the well costs a memory. A death costs a fortune. His mark is carved on his own arm — the names move. [DEATH]

15. The Shedder (Serpent Cult High Priestess) — A woman with snake-scale tattoos covering her arms, her voice a dry rustle. She offers the Cup of Renewal. Drink, and she promises you will shed your weakness. Some wake stronger. Some wake as snakes. She never drinks herself. [MYSTIC] [DANGER]

Clubs — Complications/Threats

2. Dry Well Ration — Water shares halved; prices spike, tempers fray. [SURVIVAL] [SOCIAL] The token-keeper has a list. The list has a knife mark beside your name. He didn’t put it there.

3. Blood-Claim Feud — A killing in the Horse Ring; kinsmen demand redress in silver or flesh. [WEIGHT] [COMBAT] The victim’s tribe drums the death rhythm. Every beat is a warning. The crowd is already wagering on the retaliation.

4. Locust Swarm — Grass blackens; caravans stranded, fodder worthless. [WEATHER] [TRAVEL] The swarm leaves a sticky residue. It smells of burnt honey and dread. The locusts spell words as they fly — sometimes a name, sometimes a warning.

5. Hollow Silver — Light silver floods the Dust Market; Oasis Compact inquiry. [WEIGHT] [JUSTICE] The hollow coins are warm. The real ones are cold. Touch quickly. The maker has a scar on his left thumb.

6. Grass Fire — Wind-whipped flame from the east; evacuations, scorched trade paths. [WEATHER] [DISASTER] The smoke spells a name. Yours. Or your enemy’s. Hard to tell. The fire moves against the wind.

7. Horse Sickness — Contagion at the Silver Stall Stable; quarantines, lost mounts. [DEATH] [TRAVEL] The sick horses dream. Their screams sound like your last argument. The stable master is weeping. He never weeps.

8. Khatun’s Illness — Old chieftain fading; succession knives out. [POLITICS] [WEIGHT] Her death will split seven clans. The Sword Oath lasts one year. The poisoner is already savoring his reward.

9. Census Raid — Ecktorian legion patrol “just visiting”; tensions high, bribes higher. [AUTHORITY] [SOCIAL] The patrol leader wears a mask of imperial wax. Pull it off and see a dead man’s face. The face is yours — from a life you haven’t lived yet.

10. Sky-Omen (Red Wind) — Dust storm from the Ashaani desert; all navigation Desperate. [WEATHER] [FEAR] The dust tastes of iron and old blood. Breathe it and dream of falling. The wind whispers a name. Listen and you’ll answer.

11. Oath Challenge — A Kon’reh master demands geometry arbitration; your bond is the stake. [WEIGHT] [SOCIAL] The board is a painted skull. The pieces are horse teeth. The master hasn’t lost in forty years. He’s due.

12. Court Strike — Bronze Court clerks refuse to speak the measures; trade freezes, tempers explode. [JUSTICE] [TRADE] The clerks chant a measuring song. Stop them before they reach nine. The ninth note is not a sound. It is a name.

13. Duel for Rights — Two clans claim the same well; witnesses needed to prove water share. [COMBAT] [JUSTICE] The duel is fought with blunt spears. First blood wins the well. Both bleed. The well doesn’t care.

14. Kuva’s Vengeance — The sky itself turns; hail, lightning, and a voice from the clouds. [DEATH] [PATRON] The voice names a sinner. Your name. The hail has teeth. The lightning writes your confession in the grass.

15. Serpent’s Due — Cult enforcers demand a “gift” for the Shedder. Refuse, and you may wake with a viper in your saddlebag — or in your bed. [DANGER] [MYSTERY] They do not ask for coin. They ask for a name, a secret, or a hair from a purebred horse. The Shedder weaves these into her nest.

Diamonds — Rewards/Leverage

2. Grass Right — One season of grazing on a named meadow; herders pay you tribute. [TRAVEL] [SOCIAL] The right is a branded stick. Burn it to end the lease — or renew. The brand is a wolf’s head. It howls when the meadow is overgrazed.

3. Oath-Bead — A single knot of horsehair; compels a Kon’reh master to arbitrate your dispute. [JUSTICE] The bead grows warm when the master speaks truth. Cold when he lies. He has never felt it grow cold.

4. Water Share — Priority access to a well during drought; token from the Oasis Compact. [SURVIVAL] The token is a polished pebble. Drop it in the well to claim your draw. The well will remember your face.

5. Steppe Ranger Favor — One dangerous tracking job resolved off-screen. [WILD] The ranger marks your name on his tent pole. He never forgets a favor. He also never forgets a slight.

6. Vilikari Voucher — No-questions cargo space on three caravans; smuggle as you will. [TRADE] [STEALTH] The voucher is a strip of oiled leather. The factor’s scent guides the mules. The mules are smarter than the factor.

7. Census Waiver — Ecktorian patrol leaves you alone for one crossing; paper shield. [AUTHORITY] The waiver is stamped with a bear. The bear’s eyes follow you. The stamp is a lie. The waiver still works.

8. Khatun’s Whistle — Summon a small warband once (Cap 3) for a single scene. [COMBAT] The whistle is a hollow horse tooth. Blow it and the grass shivers. The riders come. They expect to be repaid in stories.

9. Sky-Speaker’s Omen — One weather forecast that cannot fail; plan your escape. [WEATHER] The omen is a bone thrown into fire. Read the cracks — carefully. The fire will answer. It will also ask.

10. Silver Stall Chit — One free remount exchange; never be horseless. [TRAVEL] The chit is a brass hoof. Present it and the stable master nods once. The horse will be fast. The horse may also be cursed.

11. Burned Mark — A written promise from a rival, witnessed by three camp elders. [WEIGHT] [SOCIAL] The mark is burned into a leather strip. Wash it and the vow dissolves. Burn it and the rival dies in his sleep. No one knows why.

12. Dust Market Share — A portion of the auctioneer’s commission for a season; wealth in sin. [TRADE] The share is paid in mismatched coins. Spend them fast before they curse you. The auctioneer’s mask has a new scratch every week.

13. Kin-Bound Bond — A criminal clan owes you a life; they will kill once for you — or die trying. [DEATH] [WEIGHT] The bond is a braid of enemy hair. Cut it to call the blood. The clan’s matriarch will come. She will ask whose.

14. Seal of the Oasis Compact — Casting vote on any water right dispute. Once. [JUSTICE] [AUTHORITY] The seal is a bronze well with a snake curled at the bottom. Turn it and the water booms. The snake will bite if you turn it back.

15. Cup of Renewal (Cult Favor) — A single sip from the Shedder’s cup. You may reroll any failed Body or Spirit roll once, but gain a permanent snake-scale mark on your palm. The mark will itch when the cult calls. [MAGIC] [DANGER]

Regional Mechanics & Lore

• Kon’reh Arbitration: Disputes are settled on a board painted on hide. Winners gain seasonal rights. Losers yield grass or labor — or blood if they have neither left to give. The board is set up in the Grass Ring. The spectators bet on the outcome.

• Grass Omens: The steppe flickers violet when rain is near. When the seed-heads droop at noon, a blood feud approaches. When they stand straight at midnight, the Hollow walks. No one stays outside when the seed-heads stand straight.

• Khatun’s Braid: The chieftain’s hair holds the memory of every oath she swore. Cutting a braid voids a promise — but the severed braid becomes a curse token. The current Khatun has nine braids. She is saving the tenth for something important.

• The Law of the Rope: Midh Ahkaz has no jail. Serious offenders are tied to a post in the Grass Ring and left for the steppe. If they survive the night, they are free — and must answer to the family of their victim. No one has survived the night in seven years.

• The Shedding (Cult Rite): Once per month, the Serpent Cult holds the Rite of the Cup. Participants who survive the venom gain +1 die to resist poison and disease for one month, but also gain a random quirk (nightmares, a phobia of open flames, an insatiable hunger for raw meat). The GM may offer this as a bargain — but the cult always asks for something in return later.

• Local Patrons (Syncretic Names):

  • The Wind Father — The Traveler. He who reads the grass and knows the safe routes — for a share of the cargo.

  • The Scale Mother — Mykkiel. She who weighs the oath and the old score; her clerks carry knives.

  • The Grass King — Grimmir. The wild that pushes back against the ring of tents; he demands a sacrifice of horseflesh each spring.

  • The Toothless One — Malachai. A silver coin in the dust market that guarantees a fair deal — until the grass remembers.

  • The Shedder (Cult) — Isoka. She who teaches that weakness can be burned away. Her cup is poison. Her mercy is a fang.

  • Crom (Vilikari Barbarian Cult) — Unknown. A few Vilikari outcasts worship a god of uncivilized strength, called Crom. They say he sits on a mountain and does nothing, but that he laughs when you kill your enemy with your bare hands. His shrine is a pile of skulls behind a ruined bathhouse. No one knows if he exists. No one argues with his worshippers.

Lore Echoes (Cross-Expansion Hooks)

• The Bitter Root: Daughters of the Cord run a “free soup” wagon near the Dust Market. They ask no coin — but they measure your shadow. A renegade Sister hides among the horse-braid apprentices, trying to untie her cord from a blood feud.

• The Threshold Compendium: Saikou Ira once tracked a ghoul to the Under-Arcades. He left a silver mirror in the wall. It still shows the ghoul’s face. The ghoul is still watching.

• Malachai, the Chained Angel: A broken Kon’reh board at the Iron Well is said to compel truth. Players who touch it gain +1 die to resist lies — but mark 1 Obligation to Malachai. The board was broken by a merchant who lied about a horse. The horse was a demon.

• The Gray Wanderer’s Grimoire: Midh Ahkaz psions are called “Wind-Readers.” They sense lies by the tremor in grass. The Khatun employs two; they never speak to each other. They communicate by writing in the dust. The dust blows away after each message.

• Isoka’s Serpent Cult: The cult’s venom is said to be harvested from a great snake that lives in a sealed cave beneath the Iron Well. The snake is called the First Shedder. It has not eaten in three hundred years. It does not need to. It waits.

• The Ninth: In any Midh Ahkaz scene, the ninth horse table in the Violet Bazaar sells nothing but bad advice. Spend a Boon to reroll a failed negotiation — but the advice may haunt you. The table is always empty except at midnight. At midnight, a hooded figure sits there. No one knows who.

Midh Ahkaz Superstitions (burn for +1 die once)

• Hoofprint Pour: Pour a cup of water into the first hoofprint of a new horse. Ignore the first Horse Sickness penalty. [SUPERSTITION]

• Braid the Knot: Tie a strand of mane hair around your wrist. Cancel Counterfeit Coin or take –1 die on your next Charisma roll (your choice). [SUPERSTITION]

• Name to the Grass: Whisper an oath-breaker’s name into the wind at noon. Gain +1 Effect when collecting from them this scene, but mark Obligation to a Sky-Speaker. [SUPERSTITION]

• Scale on the Tongue (Cult superstition): If a serpent crosses your path, spit three times. The next venomous bite against you automatically misses — but the Shedder will know your name. [SUPERSTITION]

Thematic SB Spend Table (Midh Ahkaz)

Minor Complications (1 SB)

• Exposure: Your actions draw attention from Steppe Rangers or Bronze Court clerks.

• Noise: The sound carries across the grass; a rival clan’s scout overhears.

• Trace: Hoofprints, broken grass, or losing an arrow marks your path.

• Delay: A water ration takes longer; a horse tires without rest.

• Grass Strain: Mark +1 segment on a relevant resource timer.

Moderate Setbacks (2 SB)

• Alarm Raised: Border riders converge on your position; a horn sounds.

• Position Lost: You lose high ground/cover/the wind due to a grass fire or horse stampede.

• Foe Appears: A vengeance broker, Ostrikari sell-sword, or clan champion arrives.

• Gear Trouble: A bridle breaks, bow string snaps, waterskin leaks.

• Oath Hearsay: A false rumor about your oath reaches the wrong ear.

Serious Trouble (3 SB)

• Reinforcements: Additional horsemen, kin-claim hunters, or Dust Market thugs arrive.

• Key Gear Breaks: A horse goes lame, seal ring cracks, bound-mark burns.

• Major Twist: The situation changes — Khatun dies, well runs dry, duel interrupted by grass fire.

• Rail Tick: Advance a relevant campaign/front timer by 1 segment.

• Condition Applied: Mark Fatigue 1/Harm 1/Condition (e.g., Blinded by dust, Parched).

Major Turns (4+ SB)

• Trap Springs: A hidden pit, poisoned water share, or false oath activates.

• Authority Arrival: Khatun’s warband, Ecktorian patrol, Sky-Speaker, or the Shedder intervenes.

• Scene Shift: The environment changes — grass fire sweeps through, dust storm blinds, night falls without warning.

• Patron Omen: A bolide, strange animal, or wind that speaks your name appears.

• Narrative Pivot: The story takes an unexpected turn — the real falsifier was your ally; the water right was a trap.

Region-Specific SB Options

• Midh Ahkaz (Grass & Trade): Grass catches fire, horses spook at shadows, bargains settled with a knife on the table, violet seed-heads floating in the wind.

• Midh Ahkaz (Oath & Sky): Clouds spell forgotten names, wind carries false testimony, a duel’s outcome shifts with the sun, a violet dusk signals a spirit.

• Midh Ahkaz (Horse & Bow): An arrow splits in flight, a horse refuses a rider, a bowstring sings a dying clansman’s tune, a braid comes undone at the wrong moment.

• Midh Ahkaz (Serpent Cult): A shed snakeskin is found in your tent; a cup of warm milk appears on your saddle; a whisper from the dark says, “The Shedder invites you to dine.”

Pursuit Ladder (Near / Mid / Far)

• Advance/Withdraw (Wits + Ride): On a hit, shift one band. On a strong hit, also impose Dust Cloud.

• Cut the Herd (Presence + Sway): On a hit, freeze range for one exchange; if a Grass Right is in your possession, +1 die.

• Weather the Stampede (Endurance + Survival): On a hit in Horse Sickness, you pick which mount survives; on a miss, the GM does.

Boss Seeds (three-phase foes)

• The Hollow Scale (cursed scale bound to the Oasis) — Phases: Fair Measure → Thirst Unearned → Naming the Bound. Cracks: burn a false token in the Oasis well; satisfy a seven-clan water claim; let a Sky-Speaker rebless the scale.

• Grass Reaver (vengeful horse-lord, half-legend) — Phases: Hoof Drum → Ghost Herd → Blood-Claim Ride. Cracks: confess a broken oath at his cairn; return a stolen foal; outrun him on a borrowed horse.

• The Hollow Merchant (greedy soul who sold his reflection) — Phases: Roll of the Lost → Chain of Measures → Break the Seal. Cracks: settle a forgotten claim; break his bond before witnesses; let the Iron Well drink his name.

• The Shedder (Serpent Cult Ascendant) — Phases: Invitation → The Cup → Transformation. Cracks: refuse the cup three times; show her a scale from the First Shedder; cut her braid — she will shed her skin and flee, but she will remember your face.

Quick use notes

Draw until you have all four suits. Highest rank sets main Timer (2–5 → 4, 6–10 → 6, J/Q/K → 8, A → 10). Diamonds are narrative permits (grazing rights, oaths, witnesses) that shift Position. If any A appears, echo grass and wind motifs — shifting alliances, old claims that ride with the seasons, the sky as witness, a body that vanishes into the tall grass by morning. The violet seed-heads of the steppe are a recurring omen: when they glow under moonlight, a spirit walks; when they shed, a caravan will be late — or never arrive. If a Serpent (S) entry appears, introduce a cult encounter, an omen of shedding, or a venomous complication.

In Midh Ahkaz, power flows through horseflesh, water rights, and the geometry of oaths. The Khatun rules by consensus, but the true authority rests with the Oasis Compact — a loose council of clan elders, Vilikari factors, and Steppe Rangers who interpret the Wind Law. When the Compact fails, the Grass Ring becomes the courtroom, and the duel is the verdict.

But a new power coils beneath the old: the Serpent Cult of Isoka. They offer a different kind of power — transformation through poison, renewal through death. The weak are shed like skin; the strong rise reborn. The cult does not seek to rule Midh Ahkaz. It seeks to own the people who will rule after the old ways die.

For the GM — Actionable Examples:

• A player who wins a Kon’reh match earns a Grass Right (Diamond). That right could be contested by a rival clan the very next session — forcing a rematch or a chase across the prairie. The grass will be cut for the rematch. The loser’s grass will be salted.

• A Water Share token is stolen. The thief leaves a violet seed-head as a signature — and a single snake scale. Tracking them leads to a seasonal camp where the Serpent Cult is holding a secret Rite of the Cup. The party must decide whether to interfere — or to drink.

• The Khatun’s illness (Club) is not natural. A Vilikari factor (Heart) knows the poisoner’s name but demands a Burned Mark (J♢ Diamond) in exchange — a dangerous witness the player must then protect. The witness is a child who cannot speak. She draws in the dust. Her drawings keep showing a serpent eating its tail.

These hooks turn the generator entries into immediate playable situations.

Sword & Sorcery — The Serpent’s Favor and the Steppe’s Code

Serpent’s Favor (GM Eyes Only)

Isoka’s attention is a subtle currency. Track it secretly for each PC.

• Gain Serpent’s Favor: Accept a boon from the cult, drink the Cup of Renewal, or roll a natural 1 on a Spirit roll in the cult’s presence. The GM may also award it when a PC shows weakness the cult can exploit.

• Effects (the PC thinks they’re becoming legendary):

  • 0–3: Nothing yet. A strange luck, a coincidental escape.

  • 4–7: +1 die once per scene from “instinct” (the serpent’s nudge).

  • 8–12: +1 die to all rolls involving “serpent intuition” (notice, poison, deceit).

  • 13+: +2 dice, but civilized folk give you strange looks. Your shadow sometimes moves a half-step behind you.

• Corruption Score (visible to the player): Track separately. At 6+, gain Serpent’s Senses (+1 die to Notice in the dark). At 11+, gain Scaled Skin (+1 Armor). At 16+, gain Cosmic Insight (ask one question about cosmic threats per session) — but you also hiss when you speak.

• The Price: When the GM spends 3+ SB, Isoka may call in a favor. Refusal costs 1 Corruption.

The Steppe’s Code (Visible Timer)

The opposite of the serpent’s whisper: the hard law of the open grass.

• Track the Code [0–6]: Advances when a PC keeps a blood-oath, pays a wergild, shows hospitality, or defies the cult openly. At 3, gain +1 Position on all parley with Ykrul and Vilikari. At 6, the sky itself will bear witness to one oath you swear — breaking it invokes Kuva’s Vengeance.

• Erosion: The Code erodes when you break an oath, refuse a blood-price, or accept a gift from the Shedder. At 0, you are “grassless” — no clan will shelter you. The wind no longer carries your name.

Sword & Sorcery Cult Encounters

Roll d6 when the Shedder’s influence manifests:

1. A cup of warm milk appears on your saddle. There is a scale floating in it.

2. A child you helped now has snake-scale tattoos on her arms. She smiles with too many teeth.

3. The Dust Market auctioneer offers you a “gift” — a silver coin that is warm to the touch. Isoka wants a name.

4. Your horse refuses to cross a patch of violet grass. Beneath the soil, something sheds its skin.

5. The Iron Well Keeper writes a name in ash. The ash floats toward you. It is not your name. It is the name of someone you love.

6. A whisper in the dark says, “The Shedder invites you to dine. Bring a story worth remembering.”

Blood and Steel — Quick Duels

When a dispute is settled in the Grass Ring, use this fast procedure:

1. Each duelist chooses a stance: Guard (defense, +1 armor this exchange), Lunge (attack, +1 die, but -1 armor), Feint (trick, test Wits vs. opponent’s Wits to gain +2 dice next exchange).

2. Roll Body + Melee (or relevant skill). The winner claims the round.

3. Three rounds: best of three wins the dispute. The crowd bets, the grass drinks the blood, and the dead remember who fought true.

Serpent’s Coil Set-Piece Generator (For when the cult is central)

When the party enters the Serpent Pit or a cult stronghold, roll 1d6 for the chamber’s nature:

1. The Shedding Floor: A pit of writhing serpents. Crossing requires a Body + Athletics test (DV 4). On a failure, the serpents bite (Harm 1, and mark a Serpent’s Favor tick). On a success, you find a shed skin that can be used as a Cult Token (Diamond).

2. The Altar of Names: A stone slab covered in carved names. A character who touches it must test Spirit + Endurance (DV 4) or have a name (a memory, a bond, a secret) pulled from them and carved into the stone. The GM gains a String on that character.

3. The Whispering Gallery: The walls speak in the voices of those who drank the Cup and failed. They offer warnings — but each warning costs a story. The GM may offer a clue about the Shedder’s weakness in exchange for a memory.

4. The Hatching Chamber: Dozens of eggs pulse in the warmth of a central brazier. The cult is breeding a new generation of serpents. A successful Craft or Lore test (DV 4) can sabotage the brazier, destroying the eggs and gaining 2 Serpent’s Favor (but also gaining 2 Corruption as Isoka’s anger burns through you).

5. The Vault of Skins: Shelves of shed skins, each labelled with a name. Some are decades old, some are fresh. Reading a name grants a clue about the person who wore that skin — but the skin will remember your touch. Mark 1 Serpent’s Favor.

6. The First Shedder’s Chamber: A sealed cave beneath the cult temple. The air is hot, and the walls pulse with a heartbeat that is not your own. The First Shedder sleeps here. If you enter, test Spirit + Endurance (DV 5) or gain 2 Corruption. If you survive, you may take one Scale of the First Shedder (Diamond, can be used to rebless the Oasis Compact or to bargain with Isoka herself).