Character Creation

Each player creates a character by working through the steps below. You can fill in your character's name, pronouns, and description at any point during the process.

Throughout this section, we'll build an example character: Izzo (he/him), a wiry Eclipsed investigator with cool-grey skin and restless jade-green eyes that trace patterns only he can see. He's a truth-seeker who solves problems through analysis and intuition rather than force.

Your lineage reflects your character's genetic background: supernatural ancestry, enhanced humanity, or baseline human resilience. Choose one:

Each lineage provides two starting talents. Record your lineage and note its talents.

Mixed Lineage. To create a character with complex heritage, take the first-listed lineage talent from one lineage and the second-listed talent from another.

Full lineage descriptions and talent lists are available in the Lineage Talents reference.

Example: Izzo chooses the Eclipsed lineage. His heritage gives him expanded spiritual perception and a unique relationship with failure.

Your calling represents your fundamental approach to life: how you channel your abilities and what role you naturally fill. Choose one:

Each calling grants:

• Access to two domains: specialized areas of expertise (like Grit, Glass, or Shrine) that provide unique talents.
• A unique way to spend balance tokens beyond the standard use, reflecting your character's signature approach to overcoming challenges.

Record your calling and its two domains. Each domain supplies a starting talent that you should note on your character sheet as well. Full calling descriptions are in the Calling Talents reference. Domain talents are in the Domain Talents reference.

Example: Izzo chooses the Oracle calling, which grants the Shrine and Glass domains. Shrine connects him to divine investigation, while Glass sharpens his ability to uncover hidden truths.

Your character has four capacities. All start at 1, then you distribute 12 additional points among them. No capacity maximum can exceed 7.

If you're unsure how to distribute, try 4, 3, 3, 2 as a starting split.

Example: Izzo wants to be a cerebral investigator. He distributes 12 points as +0, +6, +5, +1, giving him Vigor 1, Wit 7, Zeal 6, Protection 2.

Each capacity governs three actions: specific approaches to problem-solving.

Vigor Actions

• Clash: Direct combat, fighting techniques, tactical strikes
• Maneuver: Movement, positioning, stealth, physical coordination
• Overwhelm: Raw force, breaking things, physical intimidation

Wit Actions

• Augur: Perception, pattern recognition, intuition, sensing hidden truths
• Craft: Technical skill, engineering, building, repair
• Judge: Analysis, strategy, research, logical deduction

Zeal Actions

• Assert: Leadership, command, intimidating presence
• Cultivate: Relationship building, spiritual connection, earning trust
• Seduce: Manipulation, deception, calculated charm

Assign each action a rating from 0 to 4. The total ratings within each capacity cannot exceed that capacity's maximum.

Your ratings feed into two calculations:

• Action proficiency (for safe rolls) = action rating + current capacity score
• Action luck (for risky rolls) = action rating + 2

Example: Izzo's capacities are Vigor 1, Wit 7, Zeal 6, Protection 2. He distributes his action ratings as follows:

• Vigor 1: Clash 0, Maneuver 1, Overwhelm 0 (total: 1)
• Wit 7: Augur 3, Craft 1, Judge 3 (total: 7)
• Zeal 6: Assert 2, Cultivate 2, Seduce 2 (total: 6)

With his Wit score at 7, his Judge proficiency is 10, so he succeeds on a safe roll of 10 or lower. His Judge luck is 5, so risky Judge rolls use 5 dice.

Weapon

Create your weapon by choosing a handling and a range.

Handling determines which actions your weapon can be used with.

Range determines where you can strike:

• Here: Targets in your current zone. Indirect line of sight (can target around cover).
• There: Targets in adjacent zones. Requires direct line of sight. Cannot attack targets in your own zone.

Armor

Choose one piece of armor by selecting a type and coverage level. Each type protects differently but constrains your capabilities by raising capacity minimums.

Traditional Armor: Physical protection that stops or deflects attacks.

Clockwork Armor: Exoskeletal frames powered by Link-driven pneumatics, with spring-loaded joints and pressure-regulated pistons that amplify reaction speed.

Aetherial Armor: Blessed items, ancestral tokens, and divine artifacts worn as spiritual protection.

Reflex adds to your Protection score when making Protection rolls to avoid wounds. Unlike Protection, Reflex never degrades during play.

Soak prevents wounds. Mark soak instead of marking a wound segment. Once all soak is used, wounds must be marked normally. Soak is only restored through specific talents or certain cutscenes.

You cannot equip armor that would push any capacity minimum above its maximum.

All characters begin with a handful of Links (standard currency).

Example: Izzo picks a Technical + There weapon (a modified slingshot with pressure-calibrated sights). He takes Minimal Aetherial Armor (+1 Soak, +1 Zeal Minimum). His Zeal minimum is now 2.

Talents are specialized abilities. They come in three types:

• Passive: Permanent augmentations (always active)
• Active: Techniques requiring dice rolls
• Instant: Quick abilities usable in the instant window
• Reactions: Reflexes that are triggered by specific effects, can be used at any time

You begin with talents from several sources:

Final choice: Pick one path:

• Divine Path: Gain 1 favor level with a god and learn one of their boon talents.
• Mortal Path: Gain an additional weapon talent or domain talent.

You must meet all talent prerequisites. During character creation, if one talent grants a prerequisite for another, you can select both simultaneously.

Favor represents your relationship strength with a god. Higher favor unlocks more powerful boon talents. See Favor & Boons.

Example: Izzo gains 2 Eclipsed lineage talents, 1 Oracle calling talent, 1 Shrine domain talent, 1 Glass domain talent, and 1 Technical weapon talent. For his final choice, he takes the Divine Path: he gains favor level 1 with Apollo and learns one of Apollo's boon talents, reflecting his devotion to truth and illumination.

• Life Lines: All characters start with 1 life line, creating a 2-segment wound clock. Some lineages grant additional life lines.
• Apply talent bonuses: Record any capacity improvements, special abilities, or equipment modifications from your talents.
• Adjust for armor: Update capacity minimums based on equipped armor. Verify no minimum exceeds its corresponding maximum.
• Set current scores: All current capacity scores start equal to their maximums.

Example: Izzo starts with 1 life line (2-segment wound clock). After applying his Minimal Aetherial Armor, his Zeal minimum is 2. His final starting scores: Vigor 1/1, Wit 7/7, Zeal 6/6 (min 2), Protection 2/2, plus 1 Soak.

Your spark is the personality that turns statistics into a character. All elements are optional narrative tools.

Origin: Where and how your character grew up. Choose from established origins (see Origins reference) or invent your own.

Ethos: Your moral compass. A short phrase guiding your character's decisions when the stakes are high. Example: "Honor in every step, courage in every strike" or "Expect the worst and you'll never be disappointed.

Color: A color that captures something essential about your character. It becomes a visual thread through your appearance, equipment, and abilities.

Focus: Your driving motivation, starting with "I want..." Examples: "I want to earn a name worthy of song" or "I want to free my family from their debts to the Forge Lords."

Example: Izzo's spark: Veilspun origin (raised in a spirit-adjacent community), ethos of "Balance above all," jade green as his color, and a focus of "I want to uncover truths hidden from mortal investigation."

Introduce your characters to each other: names, pronouns, descriptions, backgrounds. Discuss potential connections between player characters. Use guided questions or natural conversation.

Any player can suggest a relationship. Any player can decline one. Not every character needs connections to every other character.

If you chose the Divine Path in Step 6, record your divine relationship as well.