Character Creation

The basic rules you need to start playing can be found here.

You can get tips on starting kit here.

Things Everyone Knows

• You're in Clare, an independent city between two great powers.
• To the temperate north are the Venucci Republics, who dress flamboyantly and like science.
• To the frigid south are the Austral Enclaves, who dress somberly and like magic.
• Magic seems to be fully returning to the world after being largely sealed away for centuries.
• Clare's ruling Council has recruited people like you to investigate it.

Creating a Character

• Where are you from?
  • PCs can be inhabitants of Clare, or they may have come from one of the two major powers of the Venucci or Enclaves.
  • Nearby enclaves and cities and the capitals are defined on the map, but you can define your own cities and enclaves if you wish.
• Which culture do you prefer?
  • Even though Clare stands between the two major powers, the vast majority of inhabitants of Clare still show a distinct affinity for one of Venucci or Enclave culture.
• How do you feel about the other culture?
  • While almost everyone has an affinity for a culture, their level of discrimination for the other culture may vary.
• Are you a follower of one of the major religions?
  • There are three major religions in Clare that you might follow.
• How do you feel about magic and science?
  • Those of Venucci culture tend to prefer science, and Enclavees tend to prefer magic, but this isn't a hard rule. In addition, some have a very practical view of magic and science, while others have a more spiritual perspective on them.
• Are you a member of a group?
  • You can be independent, or if you wish you can create a small Cabal, House or religious sect to be a part of or lead. A group you create as part of your background can only be a very minor power in the city (though you can change that!). You cannot begin as a formal member of one of the major factions in Clare, nor working directly for a foreign power, but this is something you can achieve in play.
• Do you have an Elemental Touch?
  • PCs can only start untouched or with Brush With Element. This could have come from a chance misfiring of thaumaturgy or alchemy, or perhaps by a mysterious encounter in an isolated area that you didn't fully understand.
• What motivated you to join the task force?
  • Example motivations are:
    • You want to make a difference
    • Adventure and challenge
    • Knowledge and the power that might come from it
    • The Clare Council is throwing a lot of Ducatto around and you want some of it...
    • Or maybe more subversive reasons… Joining for self-interested reasons and incidentally undermining the task force is totally fine, but if you want to start with the explicit goal of undermining the task force, please talk to the refs about your idea (mostly so we can make sure not everyone is a foreign agent).
• What's your name?
  • The most difficult question. You can find some guidance here.
• What are your skills?
  • You begin with the Free Skills, and then pick another 7 skills. If you're creating a character after the start of the campaign, you will receive the same number of skills as all other players are currently on.
  • All children in the known world have access to a basic education including literacy and numeracy. While you can choose to be illiterate or innumerate this would be highly unusual and isn't recommended.
• Submit your character
  • If you have any questions that aren't answered by the FAQ , feel free to email the refs.
  • Once you've decided everything, you can fill out a form here to send your character in.