Fragments of The Past - Quickstart - Digital - English

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‘Not even the Immortal Gods can kill because death is but an illusion.’

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Gods and humans, we are all fragments floating in the Ocean of the Past.

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Iskuzai Double-Crested Panther

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pro j ec t m a nager 6 S t rat egi s t

Advertising & Video art

Silvia Furghieri

Daniele Nigro

I t C o n s u lta n t

English Editor

Antonio Scacchetti

Olga Bokareva

a s s t. c om mu n i t y b u i lde r

fav o u r i t e c at

Francalbina Pellegrino

Papuzzini

RULES English Editor

I Ta li a n E D I TOR

Gavin Hamilton

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au t hor , w ri t er , i llu s t rator Massimiliano Haematinon Nigro S

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Paolo Cassiani Ingoni, Maurizio Misceo, Stefano Panza, Veronica Maramonte, Marco Del Pra, Diego Naselli, Jacopo Talamini, Sara Potena, Mauro Sironi, Reddit Italy, Reddit Worldbuilding, AntiShisn, Chester_Allman, ChroniclerofAvaas, not_a_roman, Kanbaru-Fan, Seksin, Silvative, EastwoodBrews, Tom1252, NonBelieverBeliever, Mephil_ and many others! May you all be blessed by the Immortal Gods.

Section I

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An Ancient World Introduction to the themes, world and style of 'Fragments of the Past'

Section II

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Section V

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A land emerged from a sea of blood Geography, History and Gods of Askedoria

The Destiny of the City of Moray Eels A 'Fragments of the Past' tragedy to start playing

Section III

Appendix I 108 Appendix I to Section V: characters of the tragedy

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Protagonists of ancient poems How to create a character in 'Fragments of the Past'

Section IV

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Divine Decrees The Rules of 'Fragments of the Past'

Appendix II 109 Appendix II: Rules cheatsheet

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Fragment xxxviii ‘The Gate of the Vanished Acropolis’ From ‘Letters to Ascilto’, I, Anonymous traveller of Ankilas

My dear Ascilto, I could not help but escape from my father's blood-soaked court. My island and my city are now lost beyond the swirling waters and waves of the Crimson Strait. I embarked at the port of Ankilas the morning after the Foundation Festival, and headed east. The air was still full of perfume, young sailors and dancers could be seen resting in the shade of the sycamores near the port. I did not weep over my exile, I had already shed many tears after the murder of my mother and the suicide of my sister. I took to sea thinking only of the winds; I came off in the ancient Naumapactus and from then on I went on foot, on horseback, on the back of a mule and donkey, on barges and feluccas. I have never been so far away from my island, nor have I ever changed my means of travel so often! I was a guest of the noble Marsinnico of the Nicippidi Lineage, a brave and devoted man, thanks to whom I reached the shores of Adramis, on the East Coast. Everywhere there are ruins and signs of old streets, the most ancient buildings, temples and shrines I have ever seen rise from the tall, dry grass. My belonging to the mysteries of Elaphos allowed me to earn the friendship of a young potter named Zersio, whom I met along the sacred road. Thanks to him, I found shelter in his family house in a small village about three days' journey from the rich Coeia, the Casket of Gold, as they call it here. Marsinnico's and Zersio’s friendship was a comfort and help to me, without them, my beloved, who knows which robbers I would have met and which slave markets I would have ended up in!

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The East Coast is beautiful, less harsh than the black rocks of my house, the winds are moderate and carry fine white sand. If my vow did not push me to continue, I would gladly take a wife in this temperate land that smells of myrtle and laurel! The women are beautiful, tall, with olive-brown skin, they all know many songs and verses of poets: it is clear that every one of them knows how to raise strong and healthy children. Zersio has told me a lot about the ruins I have described to you, he claims they are prior to our conquest of Askedoria and even to the arrival of the Etoi. His grandfather, a skilled and wise cantor, led us to the mouth of the Eris River to contemplate the strangest and most mysterious of these wonders of stone - the locals call it 'the Gate of the Vanished Acropolis'. The Gate is built at the end of the sacred Eritian road and resembles a monumental entrance to an acropolis in every way. However, there is no trace of human presence around it for many stadia. The Gate rises above the edge of a cliff and in clear weather it is possible to see the coast of Epizephria shining beyond the blue horizon. I thought a lot about my sister while watching the sea. Where is the acropolis? Nobody knows, the city and its inhabitants have vanished like candle smoke in the wind. A legend tells that the city was once ruled by the Son of the Golden Arrow, the King-Enchanter Abari, a wise man, until his curiosity led him to offend the all-knowing Cirta. Some say that he tried to seduce Adrasta, the daughter of the Goddess, others claim that he ventured into a secret cave meant only for young Etoi girls and forbidden to men.

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Some poets sing that Abari challenged Cirta in a difficult riddles competition and that the angry Goddess destroyed the city and the proud King with the help of her thunderous son, Zephryos. He sent a gigantic wave against the coast and everything that was touched by the water was removed from the land of the living and carried under the sea. There are those who do not believe in these stories and say that the Gate is even older than Abari himself, asserting that in the 'Tablets of Adramittum' there are mentions of an acropolis of yellow stone, built on the Eritiano river, protected by a pair of divine griffins. What the truth is, I can't tell. I knelt in front of the door and the sacred statues carved around its profile. I thanked the Gods and prayed that, in the near future, I can come back home and hold you. This is the only favor I ask of the Immortals. Health and good luck, my friend!

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Section I An ancient world

What is 'Fragments of the Past'?

What is a role-playing game?

'Fragments of the Past' is a narrative role-playing game based on a homonymous series of tales and legends that evoke the style and themes of the Homeric epics, ancient tragedies and more generally of the great cultural world of the Mediterranean.

Roleplay can be many different things: in 'Fragments of the Past' the narrative and interpretative aspect are privileged. The players are the protagonists: they make decisions, fight, suffer and rejoice like the characters of a drama or an epic. The Storyteller, like an ancient poet, aoidos, plays all the other characters, describes the world and the events. The rules serve only as common ground for resolving conflicts: are the characters able or unable to endure the pangs of fever? Or to seduce a dancer? Or to parry a fatal blow? For each character there is a sheet of attributes which influence the outcome in accordance with the rules of the game.

Although there are many similarities with the ancient Greek, Sumerian, Egyptian and Roman settings, the world of 'Fragments of the Past' is an original creation that is not intended to be a counterpart of the history handed down to us. Imagine it as a world that could have been and was not. You will be the protagonist of an epic poem sung among the red fires of a banquet; you will play the role of awe-inspiring characters whose divine nature is manifested in the breadth of their passions, in the wildness of their instincts or greed of their ambitions. You will live in a world marked by centuries-old maledictions, merciless duels and intricate rituals. In 'Fragments of the Past', Gods manifest themselves in nature: each spring is the evidence of divine intervention, each eclipse is a mysterious sign to be deciphered. Fate can be read in the entrails of sacrificial victims, and a curse cast at the point of death can condemn an ​​entire Lineage to ruin. Cosmos is the proprietary system which has been developed specifically for the 'Fragments of the Past' game. The rules are based on the roll of a d100 or a d10 and are designed to be easily handled by players and the Storyteller in order to adapt to the specific circumstances of their Chronicle.

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Play 'Fragments of the Past'

The adventures of 'Fragments of the Past' revolve around the great passions, crimes and conflicts of human nature. There are two types of events you will experience: Tragedies and Epic Cycles.

A world of bronze and scorching sun

Imagine the intense glare of the sun reflected off the white sand on a coast marked by patches of dry grass and shrubs as green as emeralds. There is a smell of resin, algae and hot limestone. To your right, where the tall pines stand, you can hear the hypnotic hum Tragedies are the darkest and the most grim of cicadas vibrating in the fragrant air. To your left – adventures, very often they take place within a the roar of the deep blue sea furrowed by distant limited space, such as a city or the palace of an ships. A path of deep red stones is leading you along aristocratic family. In such stories, the protagonists the coast and far to where your destination lies: the could be involved in a conspiracy or be victims sanctuary of Cirta, the goddess of caves. of a cruel uncle who has usurped their kingdom. A morbid passion may be hiding in their hearts or You are not alone – other pilgrims have shared this hatred for a tyrant. journey with you. There is a hunchbacked mercenary, with eyes as Epic Cycles are the stories of travel, war and survival, black as bottomless wells. they have a broader scope from the spatial point of view than Tragedies. An Epic Cycle could tell of a siege and the thousand deceptions attempted to storm the walls of a city, of the search for a lost talisman, or of the pilgrimage to a distant sanctuary. The two types are not mutually exclusive, the story in its evolution could alternate the Tragedy and Epic Cycle mood. This guide offers among its contents a tragedy already set (with playing and non-playing characters) through which you can immediately experience the passions and intrigues of two decadent families caught in the snare of an ancient rivalry: the Thesmidai and the Acamantidai.

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More than ten daggers are swinging from his belt, some made of bronze, others of bone, all with a curved tip. There is a copper-haired woman who claims to be coming from Mindos but speaks with that strange, rustling accent of the southern islands. She carries talismans, shells, ivory tesserae, lion figures carved in sandalwood. She sleeps little, and when she does, her sleep is tormented by nightmares. There is a young shepherd who plays the lyre every time the sun sets, a large dog with blue-gray fur follows his every step. The shepherd says his name is Auleo, the name of the God of Knowledge. His head is wrapped in white bandages – the sign of a boy about to endure the harsh test of initiation rites.

He often repeats that he is in love, but that his beloved died at sea, stolen from the world of the living by a storm. He is seeking oblivion, hoping for the water of the sanctuary to erase his memories. This is the world of 'Fragments of the Past', an ancient world of sacred places and untamed wilderness, where the divine spirits dwell.

May you be welcomed.

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An archaic society

The continent of Askedoria is inhabited by many peoples and its history goes back further than even the memory of poets can reach. There are those who say that before the arrival of human beings, bears were the first historians and poets of this ancient land as they engraved, with their strong claws, praises of Gods along the cave walls. People on the coasts and in endless forests of Askedoria live in archaic, ancestral societies, observing reality with a vivid and ardent gaze. Those who inhabit this world consider nothing to be trivial: for them, the roar of the sea is a song, the light of day is a God's gaze, the trees breathe out fragrance, and the rocks reflect the green glow of the moons. Everything is important: the ointments, the laughter, the minutes of rest under olive trees, with white cheese and roast fish for food. The Storyteller should let the players savor the grandeur of small moments. It is not always necessary to describe the simpler acts in detail, but make sure to mention them from time to time and let the players interpret them.

Every fight is fast and ferocious, but it also has a strong narrative dimension, it is a violent flash that can end in a glorious death or a triumphant victory. 'Fragments of the Past' is a world crossed by desires and cravings: both flesh and valor inspire attraction, and passion obscures judgment. A slave's eyes, as green as pine needles, may pierce the heart of a matriarch with love; a pearl fisher's neck, as white as his catch, may outshine all the world's treasures for an almighty tyrant. Love is terrible and it tears the heart as a beast tears its prey; be it underneath the folds of thin linen or a blood-stained lion pelt, a glimpse of human skin lights up even the coldest of souls with desire.

Finally, if you are the Storyteller, show the danger of the wilderness: getting lost in the woods could be fatal, the night comes and nothing can be seen in the labyrinth of trunks. You become prey to wolves, bears, mountain lions, or the mysterious Spirits Who Swarm in the Woods. The sea is just as treacherous: the waves gently lapping on the shore can be shakLet the details be gruesome if needed! Struggle en by a storm and turn into wild horses on whose and war must be terrifying: make the players hear back a wooden boat sways like a toy, always on the the clash of bronze armors and the screams of the verge of being thrown against the sharp black rocks. wounded, describe the blood gushing from severed limbs, sense the dull thud of a defeated warrior falling to the ground in a cloud of white dust that blurs the vision as the battle rages.

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Inscrutable Gods and ancient talismans Every action in a 'Fragments of the Past' Chronicle can become a gesture of consequence: toasting in honor of the Gods, triumphing in a sacred competition, making an arrogant utterance towards a priest, watching a thiasus of girls bathing in the waters of a cave – these are all examples of actions in which divine intervention may manifest itself. The Storyteller decides whether the effects occur automatically or whether they depend on a roll on an Attribute or a roll on the most appropriate Score. Effects could involve blessings, benefits, special items, prophetic visions, or curses. Even in the simplest of cases, there is space for exciting narrative developments: a small bonus to a seduction roll could lead the story to an unexpected outcome.

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Places and objects can also be transformed by the will of Gods. A sword with which a father pierced his son's chest, a ship that escaped a typhoon and the cup that collected the blood from a deer killed at midnight are not usual objects – they become real protagonists of a story. At the rules level, interaction with them may confer certain bonuses or penalties, simultaneously creating opportunities for new stories. These objects seem to have a life of their own and their existence is intertwined with legends, exploits and crimes of matriarchs, tyrants, witches, pirates, heroines and heroes. They are handed down from generation to generation, taken as trophies and transported across the immense ocean; wars may be started with the sole purpose of obtaining these coveted possessions.

These objects are called Talismans: they can be shields, crowns, cups, idols, ships or anything else that originated from or was involved in extraordinary events. Another term to define them is Gheras, an Iskuzai word that means both 'Loot' and 'Honor', referring to the part the hero claims for accomplishing great deeds. Talismans play an important social and political role: they can be donated to distant bloodlines to strengthen alliances or be handed over to rivals worthy of respect; they have a religious function, protecting the city that hosts them, or they are given to the sanctuary of a God to receive divine blessing or forgiveness.

Sword (Kopis) of the Tauromenion Sacred Band, blessed in the name of Phoeraia Demobora.

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The time of history

Each story has an internal structure and knowing how to manage it simplifies the Storyteller's task. A 'Fragments of the Past' Chronicle is defined as a story, a chain of events linked to a specific theme or conflict. A series of Chronicles, which could lead us through a succession of different characters, represents a sequence of stories linked to each other by a particularly vast theme. The group of Chronicles formed this way is collectively called a Mythic Cycle or, more simply, a Myth. An example of a Myth could be 'The glory and decline of a Lineage of kings', 'The arrival of the Iskuzai people in Askedoria', 'The siege and destruction of a city'. A Myth tells a story of a people, a long tale of hatred and love that marked a Lineage, merging together the stories of many characters and recounting the events that had repercussions on a large scale. The Chronicles, in turn, are composed of Acts: an Act is an autonomous narrative element that could be compared to a season in a TV series. Within an Act, smaller conflicts are resolved and new ones are created. The end of an Act is marked by resolution of the main conflict of that narrative section (for better or for worse). Finally, an Act is divided into several Scenes: a Scene is a game session, from when you sit down at the table and until you get up again.

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SourceS of Inspiration

The setting of 'Fragments of the Past' is based on the narrative artbook of the same name which can be considered the game's first lore book. The artbook is a collection of illustrations and narrative fragments that reveal some secrets of Askedoria and its inhabitants, and therefore it represents a precious resource for players and Storytellers. The narrative artbook was written and designed to entertain and enchant, it can be explored regardless of whether the reader wishes to engage in the game set in the world described in the book or not, and it is available in the ArtStation store: https://bit.ly/FOTPstore There is a vast list of literary sources that inspired 'Fragments of the Past'. Some particularly beautiful texts are obviously the poems of Homer, 'The Dionysiaca' of Nonnus of Panopolis, 'The Argonautica' of Apollonius of Rhodes, 'Parallel Lives' of Plutarch, 'The Histories' of Herodotus, 'Helen' of Euripides, 'Oedipus' of Sophocles, 'The Symposium' of Plato, 'The Epic of Gilgamesh', essays of Robert Graves, specialized studies of Károly Kerényi, 'De Bello Gallico' of Caesar, the works of Suetonius and Thucydides, poems of Ovid, verses of Virgil and others. Visually, the greatest sources of inspiration were the paintings of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Fyodor Bronnikov, the orientalists, the great romantic painters and the ancient frescoes of lost civilizations.

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Section II A land emerged from a sea of blood

Geography of Askedoria

Askedoria is the great northern continent, a land of black-topped mountains, copper-colored wheat fields and bone-white rocks, which rose from the waves of the Ophiotaurus Ocean following the great hunt for Askos, the Boar Bearer of Earthquakes. It is said that the Two Moons, the Green-Faced Goddesses, pierced the boar with a divine spear, and as the body of the beast sank, the shores of this new land emerged, bathed in the still boiling blood of the mighty animal. Poets say that blood destined the continent to a history of strife and wars. So it is sung and so it was. The West The largest mountain range of Askedoria is in the Northwest, an inaccessible region battered by incessant winds. Of all its peaks, the most formidable one is that which bears the name of the legendary ruler Acmonides, the Son of the Anvil. Mount Acmonides towers over every other peak and pierces the dome of the sky like a black spear. This region is inhabited by the Agrauran, Iloboi and other savages, many of whom are ignorant of the cult of the Twelve Immortal Gods. Surrounded by the steep slopes of this cold region, an inland sea, called the Ancylus lake, opens up, a misty expanse whose northern coasts are a boundless cold swamp, while the southern ones are covered with lush woods. The lake is vast and deep, but ships prefer to sail with the shore in sight rather than venture into its misty heart. It is said to be inhabited by the spirits of ancient dead kings and the ghosts of their armies.

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As you move south through Phoinikobaptos, the Red Valley, the climate becomes milder and woodlands brighter. That is when you come across the first Iskuzai cities: marble replaces granite, harps and flutes replace drums, olive trees and vineyards offer gifts one would not find in the fruitless north. Here fields of wheat, sacred poppies and barley extend as far south as that region called Crisopan, the All-Gold coast, due to the vastness of its beaches of fine and luminous sand. This long strip of land stretches from Mindos in the west to Letheia in the east, where its golden sand gives way to the black rocks of the Crimson Strait, that sea area whose waters envelope stones in scarlet coral and bright red algae. Life would be sweet in Crisopan if the sea were not infested with pirates. While the coasts are inhabited and there are countless cities along the rivers, the interior of this land is wild. In fact, here begins that tangled labyrinth of trees that the Iskuzai call the Woods of Resins. Many Gods and spirits are said to inhabit the woods: all those creatures are called the Spirits Who Swarm in the Woods and are believed to guard the inviolability of these sacred trees. The air here smells of amber with hints of animal musk, and the arrival of summer is announced by wafts of pungent jasmine joining in. There are many sanctuaries built in honor of Gods in this mysterious region, and even the most daring merchants and warriors are reluctant to disturb this holy land by crossing it.

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The East Beyond the Crimson Strait lies the sacred island of Aulea and the Iskuzai city of the same name where the twelve most celebrated heroes of this people, four for each of the three tribes into which they are divided, rest in multicolored mausoleums of marble and sandstone. Here is where the western Askedoria ends, melting into the wetter expanses of the eastern forests. These forests are also sacred and dedicated to the wild Goddess Phoeraia and are sometimes called the Hunting Grounds of the Goddess. In this region there are many wonderful cities, sanctuaries and oracles, and the traces left by the ancient masters of the land of Askedoria – the cultured Etoi who came from the sea, or the even more archaic Agrauran, the people who built necropolises – remain intact. An unusual legend is related to the eastern forests: long before some dolphins were cursed by Zagrea's anger to leave the sea and become human beings, bears of these woods carved two large idols of the Moon Goddesses in the stone of the tallest mountain rising above this land. This is considered the first temple ever built in honor of the Immortals, and on a clear day it is possible to catch sight of those gigantic figures from far away. As those who have seen them say, at dawn the idols produce the sweetest music.

The southern part of Adramis is wild, inhabited by ferocious pirates and brigands, but it is also dedicated to the Goddess of the Underground River, Cirta the Healer, as here she has created many caves, caverns and pools for her numerous offspring of moray eels and Korsiai, the half-Maidens halfLotuses. Therefore the ancients called this beautiful and dangerous place Korsias. The northern part of Adramis is named Phrizenia, a hot region whose climate would be searing if not softened by the winds blowing from the north. It is a place of flourishing oleanders, figs, orchids, hibiscuses. On the islands off the coast there are still rich and powerful Etoi colonies. Here you find the largest ports that connect Askedoria with Epizephrya, that eastern land that stretches for days and days until it sinks into the sands and fossils of the Shell Desert.

Going even further east, we arrive in the region called Adramis by the Iskuzai and Klaumata by the Etoi, from the name of the divine enchantress who was transformed into a statue by Gods here.

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The Peoples of Askedoria The Iskuzai The vast peninsula of Askedoria has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Many civilizations have risen and fallen, their customs, rites and traditions, incorporated and transformed by those who followed. There are six largest and most powerful societies who still inhabit the continent, its islands and neighboring territories: the proud Iskuzai, worshipers of panthers; the elegant Etoi, refined singers from the Southern Seas; the ancient Agrauran, builders of underground necropolises; the cultured Molubdenoi, rich merchant princes; the daring Hattusas, defiers of the most terrible storms; and the nomads of the Celestial Tribes, embalmers of the dead and worshipers of stars. Nevertheless, no centralized authority has been established on the continent, and the regional variations, even from the linguistic point of view, can be noted: for example, the Iskuzai colonies of the East appear, in the eyes of an Iskuzai of the West, as exotic as the most mysterious of kingdoms. The Hattusas, who travel across the ocean in long canoes, often use the classical Etoi dialect to communicate with each other, as their own language is divided into variants spoken locally. But the two cultures that have left the biggest trace in the fate of Askedoria in the last twelve centuries are those of the Iskuzai and the Etoi.

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The Iskuzai are superstitious people who love war and poetry and are capable of absorbing the most varied knowledge from the civilizations with which they come into contact. With songs, dance and prayers, the Iskuzai still worship the Double-Crested Panther, a beast whose existence is believed to precede that of the Universe. They were once a horde of warriors and city looters that raged in the steppes beyond the Acmonides mountain range. Poems say that they descended into Askedoria under the guidance of the great King Auleo the Cartographer and that they settled on the continent following the contact with and the violent war against the Etoi. The clash between the two civilizations was terrible and is remembered in songs both with words of pride and with lamentations. The Iskuzai subdued the Etoi Eparchies but at the same time they were transformed by absorbing their alphabet, customs, science and religion. Thus it was that they abandoned the nomadic life and founded twelve city-states: four for each of the three tribes into which they were divided. These twelve major cities are bound by a sacred agreement, an alliance that is called the Amphictyony of Aulea, or the pact of non-belligerence that establishes a perpetual peace between them. The Iskuzai of the East, those most influenced by the Etoi culture, are called Zeugridas and matriarchy is still very common among them, while in the West the Iskuzai society is very often led by the patriarchal warrior aristocracy. The Iskuzai believe they are all descended from the goddess of hunting, warfare and pomegranates, the savage Phoeraia.

The Etoi The Etoi are the mysterious people of the sea whose arrival in Askedoria marked the end of their century-long journey across the Ophiotaurus Ocean. They claimed to have left behind a mighty empire, and on these new shores they founded colonies, driving out the bloodthirsty Agrauran. They refer to this long exodus as the Antelope Migration and say that they have not had any contact with their homeland for many millennia. The Etoi brought to Askedoria the faith of the Twelve Gods, the art of navigation, cartography, beekeeping, music and shipbuilding.

The kingdoms they built were called the Eparchies and each of them was governed by an alliance of different thiasoi – political-religious communities led by one or more matriarchs gathered in a council. At the time of the Etoi thiasoi, offspring and men were shared and there was no precise notion of ownership, but everything was distributed by the matriarchs among the members of the thiasus. However, these ancient queens had to swear allegiance to the Sphinx, a semi-divine creature that the Etoi believe to have emerged from the waves at the time of their arrival in Askedoria in order to guide them to conquer the continent. The Etoi say that all human beings were once dolphins and that the Goddess Zagrea punished them, forcing them to abandon the waves and live on solid ground. The Etoi still call the afterlife 'the Kingdom of Dolphins'.

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Phratries and Thiasoi

The main form of social organization among the peoples of Askedoria is a Lineage, also called a Phratry. A Lineage is not made up of members of a single family but represents a group of individuals united by common interests, adoptions and mythical origins, reinforced by blood ties or oaths, like a tribe. It is possible that within a Lineage the descendants of a certain bloodline prevail and all others are merely their subjects, but more often all adults adequately initiated can take part and speak in family assemblies. Members of one Lineage share the reverence for the deeds of their common ancestor: a heroine who founded the city, an infant born of a divine union, or a hero of a glorious destiny. Different Lineages can be united by alliances or by geographical proximity: this means that the main form of government is the model of a city-state, an organized grouping of different phratries.

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The thiasoi of the Etoi are a similar form of social organization, but they do not have a real family structure, bearing more resemblance with religious communities. Each thiasus elects a certain number of matriarchs, who perform both political and spiritual functions; the offspring are educated collectively and there is no real notion of individual responsibility for the children. Members of the same thiasus honor a particular sacred beast which is considered the protector of the community and is often called She Who Intercedes. In the era of the Eparchies, each Etoi kingdom was led by groups of thiasoi united by alliances. With their collapse, some thiasoi founded colonies in the northern archipelagos, others, joining the conquerors, became phratries similar in structure to those of the Iskuzai, but of matriarchal order. Thus were born the Zeugridas, the Iskuzai of the East.

Ancient Myths

In Askedoria there is a widespread ancient Agrauran myth, according to which the Universe emerged from the torn body of the Ophiotaurus, the creature devoured by the Double-Crested Panther. The myth does not speculate about what existed before these two cosmic entities, and as poets say: 'Bold are the mortals who sing about the origin of all things, but not even Gods dare to sing about what was there before'. From the blood, the seed, the flesh, the bones, the lymph, the cartilages, the tendons and every single part of the Ophiotaurus, all the thingsthat-are were born, from the Immortal Gods to every grain of sand. This ancient myth is the basis of the cult of the Twelve Gods, which, as practiced in Askedoria, is the result of the encounter between the Etoi religious tradition and the Agrauran beliefs. The Etoi brought myths and stories from an unknown distant southern continent: this new faith spread among all peoples, except for the proud Molubdenoi, who do not like to talk about their legends, hiding them behind complex calculations.

The Iskuzai learned the mysteries of the cult from the Etoi Eparchies and united them with veneration of the Double-Crested Panther and the Ancestors – a tradition borrowed from the people of the Shell Desert. With the creation of the Amphictyony and the twelve major city-states, a mixed but distinct culture spread across the continent of Askedoria, and myths of different origins formed a coherent whole. Of all the deities of this religious tradition, the Iskuzai favored those that came closest to their values, or those more directly involved with their destiny. There is certainly no lack of holidays, shrines and sacrifices in honor of all the Twelve Immortals, but the dominance of the Iskuzai culture in the continental Askedoria ensured that the cult of four specific Gods spread and flourished with particular strength. Collectively, those Gods are called the Tetrad of Askedoria.

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The Tetrad of Askedoria

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Phoeraia

Cirta

Leondmèter (the Lion Tamer), Despoinaroa (the Lady of Pomegranates), Mèter Iskuzoin (the Mother of the Iskuzai), Agria (She Who Lives in the Wild Lands), Apoteria (She Who Changes Herself Into a Beast), Balustia (the Pomegranate Flower), Alalkomena (the Protector), and known under many other names, addressed with many different epithets, revered with religious passion. She is the wild Goddess of the hunt and of war, protector and destroyer of cities and armies, mistress of wild beasts, but also the Goddess of fertility, harmony and the fruits of the earth. Phoeraia is symbolically related to big cats and for this reason is considered the favorite daughter of the Double-Crested Panther. The Iskuzai believe they descend from her womb which they call ‘the Scarlet Cradle’. The Etoi learned the cult of Phoeraia from the Agrauran, who considered her the very personification of ruin and destruction, calling her ‘Demobora’, 'the Devourer of Peoples'

Iatromantis (the Mentor of Healers), Ctoniapotnia (the Underground Lady), Upogeia (She of the Underground Places), Megaketes (She of the Deep Chasms), Gorguraroa (She of the All-Swallowing Underground River), Igeia (the Curing One), Mètermena (Mother of the Moons), and known under many other names, addressed with many different epithets, revered with religious passion. She is the Goddess of life and death, associated with the infinite underground waters and the invisible waters suspended above the skies. She is mainly honored in nocturnal rites, in natural sea caves. Cirta is a deity of oriental origin, quite like the cult of the Two Moons, of whom she is considered the mother. Although she is often referred to with terrifying names, Cirta is also the loving Goddess who heals the wounds of both body and mind. Even today, among all the peoples of Askedoria, the sick, the infirm and the mad are placed under the protection of Cirta and among the Zeugridas she is also called ‘Adona’, which means at the same time 'She Who Calms All Pains', but also 'She Who Brings Back Pleasures'.

Auleo Matematos (He Who Understands), Grammatopinax (the Cartographer), Aimonios-Astron (the Blood Red Star), Pheoeraiade (Son of Phoeraia), Koreamunter (the Protector of Our Daughters), Emerotes (the Civilizer), and known under many other names, addressed with many different epithets, revered with religious passion. He was the ancient King of the Iskuzai who led his people to conquer Askedoria. The God of knowledge, or as the sages say, of cognition, – since not even the Gods are allowed to know everything – he is said to have ascended to join the Immortals following his suicide near the Crimson Strait – an event celebrated in many songs. Auleo is the divine protector of the homonymous island and city, a symbol of the harmony among the Iskuzai. It was he who willed the construction of the Geographic Temple, a place where all the knowledge of Askedoria is gathered. His cult is prevalent mainly among the Iskuzai and the Hattusas, while the Etoi consider him a demigod. He is identified with the red star that shines with a particular intensity on the celestial sphere. Although the Molubdenoi reject the worship of Gods, they call Auleo ‘Masfen-Qasis’, ‘the Prince-Priest’.

Erigonio Kateudon (He who Rests), Akephalos (the Headless One), Scorpiogenetes (the Father of Scorpions), Adumeles (He With Beautiful Melodies), Philokteanos (He Who Loves to Possess), Basanistes (the Torturer), and known under many other names, addressed with many different epithets, revered with religious passion. He is the God of violence and music, sharing the possessive power of both. Just like music invades and subjugates its listeners with its rhythm, so Erigonio possesses bodies and dominates them. He is feared and considered malevolent by the Etoi, and is most often invoked only to ward off his terrible manifestations. He is associated with the solar god by the Agraurans and is considered the son of Phoeraia by the Iskuzai and Hattusas. Erigonio was made insane and unpredictable by the loss of his head. His feasts and celebrations are solemn and strictly regulated, which is due to the hallucinogenic substances ritually consumed that otherwise might turn the celebration into a rampage the outcome of which is impossible to predict. Erigonio’s Head is said to be preserved in an ancient sanctuary across the sea and protected by a caste of bloodthirsty eunuchpriests who castrate themselves in his honor.

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Sibaris, South of Askedoria sibaris notos askldorial

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SeCTION III Protagonists of ancient poems

How to create a character First phase: Origin, Name and Lineage

Soma

It all starts with our ancestors. The player establishes two key concepts: the character's cultural Origins and family Lineage, These elements define the context in which he or she grew up and the legacy that derives from it. Is the character an Iskuzai from the rugged Northwestern regions? An Etoi from the mysterious Antelope archipelago? Or does he belong to a family of prisoners, enslaved for generations to a warrior prince of Mindos? Finally, it's time to choose the name. At this stage it is possible to create subplots and different narrative ideas: connections with important family members, rivalries, secrets, legends and rumors about the Lineage. This is also a time to connect with other players. What if two characters belonged to the same family or even were father and son? What if they served in the same regiment? Or what if a longstanding rivalry between them has kindled mutual respect, even a form of friendship? All decisions made at this stage add to the narrative and will be reflected in the selection of Epithets, the Gift, and the Passion.

Soma is the body in its vigor, prowess, endurance and adaptability. As an example, among the areas that fall under the influence of Soma are: strength, speed, agility, reflexes, tolerance to poisons, resistance to fatigue, hunger and physical pain. Dancers, warriors, rowers, blacksmiths, archers, sailors, swimmers, pilgrims – characters of this type may have higher than average Soma.

Sarx Sarx is charisma, social skills, beauty and the ability to influence the emotions and feelings of others. As an example, among the areas that fall under the influence of Sarx are: the ability to persuade or to arouse emotions through dance and singing, the skill of managing and establishing complex networks of alliances and favors, the talent to lie, seduce or intimidate, to bargain or inflame the minds of citizens gathered in an assembly.

Second phase: Attributes Each character is defined by 4 attributes: Soma, Sarx, Pneuma e Psike, each of which has an area of application. At creation, the player distributes 160 points freely between them.

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Aristocrats, flutists, dancers, merchants, hierophants, ambassadors, commanders, heralds, tyrants, priests, prophets – characters of this type may have higher than average Sarx.

Psike Psike is the analytical mind, the ability to solve problems in a rational way, or the mastery of complex techniques in different spheres. As an example, among the areas that fall under the influence of Psike are: construction or maintenance of ships; creation of statues or forging of weapons; the ability to learn or to decipher riddles; erudition, quick calculations, medical, astronomical and cartographical knowledge. Magistrates, strategists, healers, astronomers, scholars, navigators – characters of this type may have higher than average Psike . Pneuma Pneuma is the intuitive mind, instinct, sixth sense and sensory perception. As an example, among the areas that fall under the influence of Pneuma are: faith and security in one's own convictions; the ability to notice details, to perceive an animal or an ambush in the depths of a forest; the spiritual strength to invoke divine intervention and the natural inclination to come into contact with the sacred. Priests, hierophants, advisers, merchants, hunters, navigators, sailors, shepherds – characters of this type may have higher than average Pneuma.

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Third phase: Voluntas, Fortuna and Hybris

Fourth phase: Gift and Passion

At character creation, the player decides how to distribute 10 points between Voluntas and Fortuna and starts the game with 0 Hybris points, unless Epithets, Gift or Passion determine otherwise.

At character creation, the player chooses only one Gift and one Passion. The mechanics of Gift and Passion are identical to those of the Epithets, but they represent the most extraordinary experiences or facts in the character's life.

Voluntas points

Gift

Voluntas points represent willpower, the ability to impose one's will on life circumstances, the determination to face obstacles, or even defeats, and pursue one's goals. Voluntas points range from 0 to 10.

The Gift is a point of contact between Gods and humans, the sudden intrusion of the sacred into a mortal life. The Gift could be a mysterious divine ancestry, a closely guarded secret, an extraordinary life experience, or a particular knowledge. In no way can a new Gift be obtained after the character Fortuna points creation is complete, but the player could leave Fortuna points represent fate's favor and divine this decision until later and let the game lead to the protection, the possibility of running into lucky choice of a Gift. events or averting disasters and ruin. Fortuna points range from 0 to 10. Hybris points

Passion

Hybris points represent how much the character has interfered with destiny and divine laws, and the scope of their transgressions. The score signifies the measure of the Immortal's anger or their contempt for the character. Hybris points range from 0 to 10.

The soul of a mortal is marked by many an affliction, some might say the greatest good is not to be born at all. The Passion represents the most tormented part of a character, the part in which all their sufferings and crimes are collected. The player should choose the Passion very carefully because it may provoke a conflict situation that could lead the narrative in one way or another. Whole stories can be told simply by focusing on the characters' Passions and how they push them to act or react.

For details on how the Voluntas, Fortuna and Hybris points operate, see the paragraph ‘Use and effects of Voluntas, Fortuna and Hybris' on page 58.

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Fifth phase: Epithets

How does one get new Epithets?

At character creation, each player chooses 4 Epithets. Epithets are sets of specific knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired over time through training or particular life experiences. For example, one character may have served as a hoplite in an army, while another spent his youth searching for pearls among rocks or studied history and poetry in an Etoi thiasus. Each Epithet provides a specific bonus at the game mechanics level, simultaneously opening up interesting narrative paths. For example, anyone who has served in a regiment of hoplites could meet an old comrade in arms, while an initiate of a particular cult could receive guidance from a group of its more experienced members. Epithets always specify the experience or circumstances with which they are associated and determine the effects at the rules level. An Epithet always takes precedence over the base rules. For example, although you are supposed to roll Sarx in social interactions, an Epithet might allow you to roll your Pneuma score.

At the end of an Act, players can request new Epithets based on their actions and the events they were exposed to. The process of assigning an Epithet is agreed between the players and the Storyteller and represents an important stage in the character's growth. It is worth noting that an Act is the end of one narrative unit constituting the Chronicle. The end of the Act coincides with the closure of a significant conflict and can be compared to the last episode of a TV series' season.

Be inspired! An Epithet is a narrative element that can inspire players. Let's take an example. Mitrephorus of Skie: you are one of the few who have managed to reach the end of the long Enthousiasmia, the road of burning coals on which all the citizens of Skie must walk reciting verses during their initiation. To commemorate your triumph, the Elders of the city presented you with a Miter of Skie, a conical-shaped headdress, adorned with laurel and myrtle leaves. Effects: You can roll Pneuma +10 to heal from wounds and for all Resistance rolls that generally pertain to Soma (fatigue, pain, poisoning, sickness, hunger, thirst, and others) and for healing from wounds and damage. How did the character manage to accomplish the feat? How did his family react? Do you still keep the miter, or was it stolen by a rival? This Epithet can also inspire the player to suggest some contradictory details about his character: a man so celebrated by his fellow citizens could then have been exiled, taking with him the only memory of his past life – the miter he had earned once on a cold winter morning.

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Example of creating a character First phase: Origin, Name and Lineage

Third phase: Voluntas, Fortuna and Hybris

Sarah wants to play a noble princess who has become a slave. She decides that she will be called Clizo and that her Lineage will be that of an ancient Iskuzai family, now fallen into decay: the Eadi. After her Phratry's collapse, Clizo was sold as a slave in the Market of Beitris, her kin executed or enslaved in their turn. In particular, Clizo wants to find her brother, the poet Pherantes. The Storyteller finds this plot line so beautiful that he wants to make it the leitmotif of the first Act of the Chronicle. It will tell a story that develops through a series of political intrigues, violent clashes, with ambition, redemption, and revenge as its central themes.

Considering the fall of Clizo's Lineage, Sarah assigns 7 points to Voluntas and 3 points to Fortuna. Finally, she scores 0 for Hybris points. Fourth phase: Gift and Passion

Two Gifts attract Sarah's attention. The warlike nature inherent in her blood may be described by the 'Bloodline of the Anvil' Gift, which determines her belonging to the line of the mythical King Acmonides. Another option is the 'Ophiogenous' Gift, which instead links her family's origin to the mysterious demi-god Terpos, half-man, halfrattlesnake. Fascinated by the idea of being resistant to poisons and wounds that this last Gift confers Second phase: the Attributes (both of those being a valuable advantage in a story ​​ Sarah distributes the 160 points: 40 points to Soma, of intrigue) and amused by the idea of possessing 50 to Sarx, 35 to Psike and 35 to Pneuma. She wants snake-shaped amulets, she opts for 'Ophiogenous '. to create a charismatic character whose lack of Sarah then carefully reflects on the choice of her prudence is reflected in a score of Psike and Pneuma Passion: it could be nightmares, memories of the bloody night when her family was massacred slightly below the average. ('Tormented by Nightmares').

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Thus the character would embody the tormented hero archetype. But Sarah intends Clizo to have a different imprint. Yes, her family was exterminated, but what if their murderers were justified in their actions, after all? She chooses the 'Cruel' Passion, meaning that Clizo can only find satisfaction in others' pain and suffering.

The fourth Epithet is an opportunity to give the character a new edge. Sarah establishes that Clizo, in the course of her misadventures, has spent plenty of time fleeing, forced to rely on rumor and hearsay, trying to predict her persecutors' moves, so the choice is the 'Whispers collector' Epithet.

The character is complete! However, Sarah might want to enrich the story with more details: drawing the Eadi coat of arms and describing some memories At this point, it's time to bring the character's from her childhood or particular family customs and experiences on board. traditions. Sarah decides that, like many Iskuzai of noble rank, Clizo grew up participating in sacred games and competitions, which gives her the 'Iskuzai Athlete' Epithet. However, Clizo has since been taken into slavery, and therefore, the next Epithet is 'Slave'. Sarah sees Clizo as a character who survived her family's massacre and was made strong and determined by this tragedy. So the third Epithet is 'Survivor of a massacre'. Fifth stage: Epithet

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Managing a blockbuster: creating extras and co-stars

Death awaits all living beings

The Storyteller has the critical task of creating different characters, some of whom will play a fundamental role as co-protagonists or antagonists and are therefore so essential to the plot that they deserve their own character sheet with Epithets and scores. For all the other characters, we recommend using a shortcut. Instead of making a sheet for each character that the players will encounter, it might be enough to establish a threshold of success and failure for that character’s roll. For example, let us suppose that the players were to fight a group of spear-wielding warriors. The Storyteller could first establish that they are well-trained men, they can overcome fear with a roll of less than or equal to 6 on Voluntas, and are capable of striking with a Soma roll of less than or equal to 60 and parry a counter strike with an identical roll. When the occasion requires it (if it is necessary, for example, to establish the number of Hybris points), the Storyteller could determine the scores according to the type of character without establishing which Epithets and effects generate precisely that number. The important thing is to maintain the consistency, flow and general balance of the game. Similar regulations can be applied when managing animal characters, such as horses, wolves, bears, lynxes, snakes, etc.

Few inhabitants of Askedoria meet their end exhausted by old age: their life is often short, as quick as a fire that burns and suddenly goes out. Characters may die, but their end is an integral part of the great epic of which the players are at once the protagonists and audience. Every story finds its last, profound conclusion with its protagonists' death! Players who have lost their character can create another one from scratch. However, to keep the game tied to the given themes and events, the best choice might be to continue playing as a supporting character who was close to the deceased, such as a pupil, a son, a mother, a lover, or even an enemy – someone to continue their mission or bear the weight of their crimes. The story will continue in a world marked by the exploits of the deceased, a world which celebrates their life story, sings songs and holds feasts in their honor, or hurls curses at their legacy.

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Actors of a great tragedy

Playing a character means speaking and acting like him or her. The more you know about the character's past, thoughts and emotions, the more passionate you become about the story. But knowing the character does not mean tracing each family bond with absolute precision or describing their childhood in detail. It is enough to outline some critical moments, like those crucial experiences reflected in the Epithets.

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When we look back at the past, some sensations, smells, images that stand out from the mass of anonymous everyday experiences cross our mind again. It is enough to establish the most vivid memories to give depth and plausible motivations to a character: the day of initiation with its intricate and cruel tests, or a shipwreck the character survived and woke up, exhausted but alive, on a warm beach of an unknown island.

Character sheet

As a Storyteller you will be able to breathe life into each of the minor characters in the same way: just establish a small trait, like a scar, a coat of arms, a particular manner of speaking or dancing, details that echo the vicissitudes of life, the heroism shown or the crimes committed by this man or woman. There are also opportunities for flashbacks, for example, when a present experience brings back important memories. Thus the story can unfold, allowing players to explore both their characters' future and the adventures that made them what they are.

In the next three pages, the character sheet will be presented, the first two pages are essential and sufficient for playing the game. In addition to providing more space for new Epithets, the third page offers the opportunity to include a portrait and any temporary effects. These effects may consist of blessings and curses resulting from the influence of divine powers, as well as intoxication, poisoning and so on.

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SeCTION IV Divine Decrees

The Rules

The rules of 'Fragments of the Past' have been formulated to be simple and to allow for narrative play. Roll a die when there is a margin of uncertainty – it makes no sense to ask for a roll for effortless actions without great narrative value or for events that are bound to happen. All other cases, however, imply conflict.

The golden rule

When a character takes action or is in a state that involves conflict, a die is rolled on the Attribute or score corresponding to the area of that conflict. A result equal to or less than the Attribute or score is equivalent to success, a result greater than the Attribute or score is a failure. Examples Climbing a steep rock face falls within the scope of the Soma score, so Soma will be the Attribute involved. Resisting fear in the face of a cavalry assault falls within the scope of the Voluntas score, so Voluntas will be the score considered for the roll. All Attribute rolls are made with the d100. All rolls on Voluntas, Hybris and Fortuna scores are made with the d10.

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Examples. Zenas wants to chase a marauder who tried to ambush him, he rolls his Soma of 45 and scores 45 – success! He will be able to capture him. If he had scored 46 it would have been a failure. Zenas is surrounded by a group of Iskuzai pirates armed with spears and nets, probably slavers. The Storyteller requests a Fear resistance roll, Zenas rolls his Voluntas score of 5 and scores 6 – failure! Both the Storyteller and the player can request a roll Example Storyteller: ‘You are somewhere in a wild, dark forest growing around the Dictinno promontory. Through the canopy of branches, you can see one of the two moons shining, while the other one is hiding her face behind a thick veil of black clouds.’ Sarah: ‘I would like to take a Psyche roll while observing the sky to orient myself by the stars.’ External circumstances of any kind may result in a bonus or a penalty Example Hitting a crow with an arrow at night is very difficult, the shot will be taken with a penalty of -30 Soma (i.e. the Attribute is considered reduced by 30 points for that shot); and vice versa, the same weapon requires less effort to hit a wounded warrior at close range as he is trudging up a beach at noon, so the attempt is made with a bonus of +20 Soma.

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Use and effects of Voluntas, Fortuna and Hybris Voluntas points: Willpower Epithets How are they used? Epithets represent a further point of contact between the narrative and the rules: they describe » The player may decide to spend a Voluntas point the character, speak about his or her life and before an Attribute roll to get a +10 for that single experiences, and often affect the dice rolls or the attempt. No more than one point can be spent rules in general. per roll. » Certain Gifts or Epithets permit other uses of Example Voluntas points. Biantes has the 'Iskuzai Athlete' Epithet: 'As is the way of most Iskuzai, you are used to physical When are they rolled? exercise in order to stay prepared at all times for war or competition in the great sacred games. » Difficult circumstances that test the character's Effects: +10 Soma on all rolls'. willpower require a roll on the Voluntas score. For example: enduring a disastrous failure, conquering fear during the war chariots charge, refraining from killing a sworn enemy you've found unarmed inside a sacred place, overcoming numerous shortcomings in the endeavor to sculpt a statue, and so on. » The effects of a failure depend on the roll's circumstances: the most common outcome would be the immediate loss of a Voluntas point, but other eventualities are also possible, for example, a failure on a Voluntas roll to resist temptation would mean the inability to hold back. » For the effects of a failure on a Fear resistance roll, see below: 'Effects of Fear' on page 66.

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Example After a heroic escape from the slave market of Tauromenion, Ersinna was captured before being able to board a departing ship. At this point, the Storyteller requests a roll on her Voluntas score. It is a tragic event that may have terrible repercussions on Ersinna's soul. Ersinna has 5 Voluntas points, a roll of 5 or less means success. Ersinna rolls the die, and the result is 7 – failure. She loses 1 Voluntas point and drops to 4 as her anguish takes hold of her heart.

It is essential to remember that as a character reaches 0 Voluntas points, he or she has fallen into the depths of despair, feeling defeated and exhausted. The player should be encouraged to interpret this mental state. .

How are they earned? » Significant personal triumphs and long periods of happy rest could allow the player to regain one or more Voluntas points, at the Storyteller's discretion. » Also, some Epithets will enable characters to regain Voluntas points on certain specific occasions.

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Fortuna points: fortune How are they used?

When are they rolled?

Fortuna points can be spent to go through an ordeal » without fatal consequences for the character. This use, always possible for all player characters, is called spending points on a “favorable case”.

All circumstances that depend on the whims of fate or on the unfathomable divine decrees call for a Fortuna roll. For example, this category includes the risk of provoking the divine wrath for trespassing on sacred ground, or of being recognized by a group of assassins while crossing a crowded square. » In case the roll is to affect the fate of the whole group of players, for example, to determine if they will come across a pirate ship on their sea journey, it is always the most unfortunate player to roll (the one with the lowest score).

» After spending the point, the player, in agreement with the Storyteller, describes an alternate outcome. For example, it could happen that a fatal blow is prevented because for a crucial second the light reflected off your helmet dazzles the attacker. However, the point cannot be used to harm another character directly. Finally, the use of the 'favorable case' is limited to no more than one point per Scene. (a Scene being a The effects of a failure or success on a Fortuna roll game session, from when you sit down to play are at the discretion of the Storyteller, who will until the game ends). consider the narrative circumstances. Example Phittile falls into a ravine and is about to be killed; Phittile's player decides to spend a Fortune point, describing what saves her: 'At the bottom of the ravine a deep river flows, Phittile falls into the water without being injured apart from a few bruises'. The player then subtracts 1 from Fortuna and adds 1 to Hybris. If Phittile finds herself in danger again during the Scene, she can't hope for a 'favorable case' to escape tragic consequences. » Another method of using Fortuna points is called ‘Destiny’. This particular use is ensured by certain Gifts and Epithets and is limited by them. Still, in general, spending a Fortuna point for 'destiny' does not prevent the player from playing out the 'favorable case' scenario in the same Scene. In other words, multiple Fortuna points may be spent in the same Scene. » The use of a Fortuna point automatically leads to gaining a Hybris point.

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Example: As the storm rips through the sky, Margarion finds herself battling the waves, looking for a floating support she could hold onto. The player rolls Fortuna and scores 1. Chance favors Margarion, and so among the waves one of the large crates her ship was carrying appears.

How are they earned? » It is not easy to gain Fortuna points – only exceptional circumstances allow it, such as having served at a temple or triumphing in an important celebration of the sacred games. Storytellers are encouraged to invent particular events in which this exceptional evidence of divine favor could be manifested: ablutions in holy sources, consumption of rare magical substances, assassination of a tyrant who has defied the Gods. Additionally, some Epithets or Gifts allow players to regain Fortuna points under certain circumstances.

Hybris points: impiety What effect do they have? » Low scores (1-4) could reflect difficulties in » Actions contrary to divine laws can increase finding the way in the woods, hunting wild the Hybris score: destruction of a sacred grove, animals, or the inability to participate in sacred slaughter of a consecrated cow, interruption games without incidents. of a rite, or a crime committed against a priest. » Intermediate scores (5-8) could trigger adverse Heinous crimes such as incest, spilling the weather when the character takes to the sea, blood of a family member or desecration of an cause physical distress or attacks of predators idol will cause the acquisition of several points in the wilds. simultaneously. » High scores (9-10) represent cataclysmic events: the region through which the character How are they purified / lost? is traveling could suffer the effects of fires, eruptions, tsunamis, epidemics. The character » Extraordinary acts of contrition, reparation, pilgrimages, and other similar signs of devotion and those around him may experience fits will purify the character. The Storyteller may of madness with anguish and delirium. This require a roll on Pneuma or the Luck score experience is disastrous and so it must be clear depending on the situation. For example, a beyond any doubt what furious forces have failure may mean that the Gods did not accept been unleashed. the offering or that the character's repentance is » When the characters are in places particularly purely external. Some Epithets allow you to lose close to sacred powers, Hybris score should be Hybris points under certain circumstances. considered double. For example: in the open sea, on high mountain peaks, in the heart of a desert, or in the thickest part of the woods.

How are they acquired? » Spending a Fortuna Point automatically generates a Hybris point since the character has escaped what destiny had in store for him, thus violating the divine decrees.

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The Clash of weapons: combat

Combat in 'Fragments of the Past' is fierce. Although the emphasis of the game is on narration and interpretation, fights should not be considered foreign to storytelling: battles are an integral part of an ancient epic – the fateful moment in which everything is decided in the blink of an eye. As a rule, to simplify managing this situation, the fight is divided into exchanges.

With the rules in mind, as an example, the following is possible: » the fighters injured each other (if they were both successful in the attack and both failed in defending themselves); » one has parried the opponent's attack and managed to hit him; » a weapon struck a weapon without drawing blood (if the characters involved were successful both in the attack and defense).

In an exchange, both fighters try to hit each other and parry the attacks. The attacks occur simultaneously, A fighter can only parry one attack per exchange, so it is possible within the same exchange that the and, faced with multiple opponents, a decision has two fighters injure each other. to be made which one to defend yourself against. Attacking: The fight is resolved in a similar way to all other rolls. The corresponding Attribute is Soma. The player describes the attack, how and where he or she wants to strike their opponent. Any bonuses and penalties determined by Epithets and surrounding circumstances are taken into consideration. If the roll is lower than the sum of Soma, bonuses and penalties, it is a success. A failure is equivalent to the opponent dodging the blow or the attacker blundering.

Example: Zenas versus Nirto

Sarah, playing Zenas, declares: ‘I draw my sword and strike to cut off the hand in which he is holding his weapon! I want to see that infamous man mutilated! I spend a Voluntas point! ‘ The exchange begins. Sarah rolls for the attack and counts 40 (Soma) + 10 (Epithet: Iskuzai Athlete) +10 (a bonus deriving from the Voluntas point) = 60. Parrying the attack: If the attack is successful but the Sarah throws a d100, and the result is 33, success. circumstances allow for a new manoeuvre (there is Nirto makes the attack roll on 40 (Soma). The a shield or some weapon at hand to take the blow), Storyteller rolls a d100 for Nirto and the result is 39, it is still possible to deflect it. The corresponding success. I due colpi sono entrambi un successo, è Attribute (Soma) is rolled, once again taking bonuses dunque tempo di parare! and penalties into consideration. If the blow is The strikes are both successful, so it is time to parry them! Sarah rolls and decides to spend another parried, no damage is inflicted. Voluntas point; the result is 41 out of 60. Success! For an attempt to parry the blow with any object Nirto does the same, but the result is 67, a failure! other than a shield, the player suffers a -10 penalty. Finally, the Storyteller describes the outcome of the exchange in accordance with the rules: As the exchange comes to its end, the Storyteller Storyteller: 'Your strong arm parries Nirto's blow, describes the results. and with momentum you break his defense and sink the sharp bronze into his wrist.'

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Allocation of damage

Types of weapons

Damage is inflicted on the Soma Attribute and is Each weapon creates a certain amount of damage, subtracted from it. Damage is calculated at the end depending on its type. The weapons listed here of the exchange. represent a guideline to help the players and the Storyteller to organize them; it is not an exhaustive When Soma reaches 0, the character dies. Damage and comprehensive list of offensive weapons. to the torso is increased by 5 points, head damage by 10. » Bare-handed attack, damage: A tenth of your Soma score. Please note: the Soma score is therefore reduced » Light class weapons (knives, daggers, sling): 15 by the wounds suffered and any subsequent roll damage. involving Soma must be performed taking into » Medium class weapons (swords, gladiuses, account that penalty until the damage is healed. . maces, axes, bows, javelins): 30 damage (each medium-class weapon carried imposes a -3 penalty on Fatigue resistance rolls). » Heavy class Weapons (spears): 40 damage (each heavy weapon carried imposes a -5 penalty on Fatigue resistance rolls). » Well-forged weapons created by skilled artisans could give small bonuses (+2), while ruined or poorly built ones could impose penalties (-2). Finally, some weapons could be Gheras – Talismans with unique properties.

Death comes with first blood! The fight against secondary characters can be simplified further at the discretion of the Storyteller. One single success may be enough for the player to decapitate the opponent or sink the knife into his throat. Characters of this type have no luck points, they can parry the blow but apart from that they have no other way to escape the attack. Fortuna points are reserved only for important nonplayer opponents or narratively relevant companions, at the discretion of the Storyteller. 66

Absorbing damage

Effects of Fatigue

The defense equipment consists of a helmet, a cuirass, two bracers and two greaves. The combined set of all these elements is called a 'panoply'. If you are wearing a panoply, you are considered fully armored, in other words, you don’t have any unprotected parts. Each piece of equipment offers a level of protection equal to the class to which the piece belongs (light, medium, heavy), reducing the damage suffered accordingly. However, if the blow hits an exposed, unprotected part, the damage cannot be reduced. Certain Epithets allow characters to target gaps in fully armored opponents, thus allowing them to inflict full damage. For example, attacking the neck or the armpit area.

Fighting a long battle, walking on foot for hours, fighting against the waves, spending many nights without sleep, or more generally making physically strenuous efforts bring the risk of wearing out even the most trained character. The Fatigue resistance roll is made on the Soma score and the Storyteller, at his or her sole discretion, requests it. Effects should be managed narratively. For example, a character who has failed a Fatigue resistance roll after a long march will be forced to stop. However, during combat use a simple guideline:

Types of defensive equipment » Light class (wool, leather, bone): -10 damage taken. » Medium class (scale armor, treated and reinforced leather): -20 to damage taken (-3 to Fatigue resistance rolls for each piece carried). » Heavy class (armor of metal, such as bronze, well-forged and massive): -30 to damage taken (-5 to Fatigue resistance rolls for each piece carried). » Well-forged armors created by skilled artisans could give small bonuses (+2), while ruined or poorly built ones could impose penalties (-2). Finally, certain parts of the equipment could be Gheras – Talismans with unique properties.

Failure imposes a penalty of -15 on all Attributes. The character is exhausted. If the character has a chance to rest, the Storyteller may ask for another roll until the fatigue crisis is overcome.

It is possible to wear mixed armor, such as a bronze breastplate and reinforced leather boots. Since the head and the torso are particularly vulnerable, they are most important to protect.

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Effects of Fear

Healing from damage

Brave as they are, mortals must face not only the dangers that their difficult life imposes on them but also the terror that lurks in their hearts. The Storyteller may ask for a roll on the Voluntas score against fear for many different reasons: think about a warrior deafened by the clamor of a cavalry regiment, a sailor holding onto the helm of his ship as the storm rages, or a citizen awaiting the assembly's judgment. The effects of a failure are all the more engaging when handled right narratively. For example, a merchant fearing retaliation may be forced to bring dangerous conspirators on board his ship, while a character on trial may begin to stammer as the judges prepare to read the verdict. As in the case of the effects of fatigue, a guideline might be of use, especially during fights:

Fights, falls and other unforeseen mishaps can inflict damage on Soma. Healing is never simple: without a healer's help or divine forces, it is easy to contract an illness. To help someone, a character must have an Epithet that justifies his competence in the subject such as, for example, the Epithet ‘Initiate to the Mysteries of the Pomegranates’ or ‘Iatromantis’.

Failure imposes a penalty of -15 on all Attributes. The character is in a panic.

When an attempt at healing is made, both the healer and the injured will roll the dice. The healer rolls on his Psike Attribute. If successful, the ill or hurt character will be able to regain some Soma points thanks to the benefits deriving from the intervention. In any case, the injured character rolls on his Soma Attribute, to determine how his body will respond to treatment, or how it will fight the infection by relying on its natural strength.

The Storyteller determines when to request additional rolls. The pace of healing, the period of If the character has the opportunity to get to safety, recovery and the effects of the injury or illness are the Storyteller may ask for another roll until the fear all elements that must have a narrative role, rather crisis is over. than being rigidly regulated by mechanics. The Storyteller may take several rolls on Soma, Pneuma, Psyche or Voluntas depending on the affliction types.

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New subplots could be woven into the storyline: characters might go on a search for a particular healing plant or a specific sanctuary capable of healing the body or mind. As always, some guidelines might be helpful: Each successful Soma roll of the injured character will regain +2 to Soma. As for the effects of medical intervention, we can rely on these guidelines: » Quick aid and bandage (a roll that can be done immediately after first aid): +2 to Soma. » Carefully prepared remedies, with quick recovery (a roll that can be done after 2 or more days of treatment): +10 to Soma. Long rest period and a series of carefully attended treatments (to be performed after a week or more of treatment): +15 to Soma points.

One or more failures during the process could lead to a worsening of the injured person's condition, at the Storyteller's discretion.

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Music, poisons, drugs, alcohol and other things affecting the mind and body

Blessings and Curses

The body and mind of characters can be influenced by different circumstances: trance rituals, intense cold, intoxicating wines, seductive music, consumption of ancient drugs, effects of a viper bite. These examples all represent events that could affect a character's story and their sheet. The Storyteller is encouraged to outline each of these elements' mechanics, also taking into account narrative coherence. For example, a failure on a Cold resistance roll could reduce the character's Soma and cost the loss of a Voluntas point; the ingestion of the Crimson Spice obtained from the molluscs and shells of Aulea could increase Psike score by +5 for a few days, but reduce the Voluntas score.

Divine powers pervade the world of 'Fragments of the Past': nature is sacred, all reality around the characters is sacred. Therefore, it is up to them whether they receive a favor or suffer the wrath of the Immortals. Crimes, impiety and broken taboos can unleash fury, while acts of devotion, humility, sacrifices, libations, songs and pilgrimages can pacify the Gods or even arouse the divine love and benevolence.

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Interaction with the spiritual reality of 'Fragments of the Past' is of crucial narrative importance. Gods manifest themselves not as gross violations of the natural order – they are the Cosmic Order and sometimes appear as extraordinary portents.

For example, Phoeraia's favor could be shown in the encounter with a strangely meek wolf who leads the characters to a source to drink from, while Cirta's anger could manifest itself in a sleep haunted by nightmares. The presence of a deity may be more evident in some special cases: a flock of ravens perched on one tree, cawing darkly or staring silently; oaks dripping with honey when certain symbols are carved into their trunks. The characters themselves can grant blessings or cast curses, or the circumstances may favor their intentions: seeking a God's blessing after accomplishing a remarkable feat in his name deserves a bonus to the roll, yet someone guilty of infanticide must be marked by a curse.

The roll for interaction with the divine is on Pneuma. Players can also be plagued by curses cast by their infuriated opponents, or suffer due to the nefarious acts they might have committed, such as desecrating a burial. Blessings and curses have varying durations, they could last for one night, for a few days, until the end of the whole Act, or be a permanent mark. The narrative coherence and the events in the game will prompt the Storyteller to choose the most suitable duration.

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Mysterious forces, not bonus givers! The effects of divine interventions must have a narrative justification and contribute to the atmosphere. Spending your time hurling curses or asking for divine help for every roll does not work. For example, events symbolically charged enough to call for the intervention of sacred Raccontare combattimento forces, couldil be: e la» sua strategia Invoking the blessing of Phoeraia by singing a hymn in her honor during a night feast before a battle; » Bringing a gift of incense and anemones at Auleo's temple to beg for his favor during a trial; » Giving an amulet to your beloved one, hoping it will bring her luck.

Divine Intervention guidelines

Curses

Below you can find a series of examples which you » may consider a reference for the assignment of bonuses and penalties. Remember: crimes against Gods or relatives unleash torments and frightening visions, they have an effect that transcends the number or rules mechanics. Likewise, the divine favor can materialize in many ways, such as a ship » that was lost in a storm finding its way back. Blessings

The character offended a priest, spoke disrespectfully of a God, failed to show up for a small celebration, or committed a minor transgression. Effect: penalty to an Attribute equal to -2 / -4. The character hit a priest, interrupted a rite, did not show up at an important feast, insulted or made fun of a God, walked on forbidden ground, or frightened animals consecrated to an Immortal. Effect: penalty to an Attribute equal to -4 / -8.

» The character participates in a small celebration or prays for God's favor by offering a sacrifice. Effect: Attribute bonus equal to +2 / +4 (for example, an offering to Auleo may grant a +2 » The character killed a priest, committed a major bonus to Psike). transgression, destroyed or profaned a temple, damaged a statue of a God or looted a sacred » The character performs an important service place. Effect: penalty to an Attribute greater for a temple, offers blood or puts something than -8, or the loss of 1 or more Fortuna points precious on the altar, makes a pilgrimage or and Hybris points acquisition. participates in an important festival. Effect: Attribute bonus equal to +4 / +8. » The character has found a lost Talisman, saved a hierophant, a temple or a city blessed by a God's idol. Effect: bonus to an Attribute greater than +8, or the acquisition of 1 Fortuna point or the loss of Hybris points.

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Storytelling of fights and their strategy Combat is a crucial narrative occasion, players can develop strategies to determine favorable circumstances and use the environment in which they find themselves. But it is also an exciting dramatic moment for war screams or for singing hymns to the Immortal Gods before taking up the shield and standing up against the enemy phalanx. The Storyteller, according to the situation, can then use modifiers to the rolls to transform a complex set of variables at the rules level, for example by assigning small bonuses or penalties. Let's take an example.

Sarah rolls Pneuma 40 + 10 (Pious) + 10 (a bonus that the Storyteller adds considering Elico's abominable actions) and scores 20 – success! The Storyteller decides that the Gods' intervention will manifest itself with a violent gust of wind and sand that will obscure Elico's vision at a decisive moment. Storyteller: You can roll for the attack, but add +15 points to your total! It is a high bonus because Elico's legs are close to you; so it's considerably easier to hit him.

Sarah's character has Soma 40 + 10 (Iskuzai Athlete) and -10 for the damage suffered and a +15 for the circumstance. The total is 55. She scores 53 – success. The Storyteller rolls the dice for Elico's attack, remembering that the Gods disfavor him for the duration of this exchange. Elico has committed an act of impiety by kidnapping and insulting one of the priestesses of the Underground Goddess Cirta. Elico has Soma 40 + 15 for the advantage position but 20 for the divine anger. The total is 35. He scores 10 – success. Before describing the result of the action, the Storyteller invites Sarah to roll again to parry Elico's blow; the entire exchange must end before being narrated. Sarah rolls 20 out of 55 – success once again, while Elico scores 50 out of a total of 35 – a Sarah: But I will have a penalty on the roll if I try to failure. hit the torso from the ground, right? Storyteller: That's right, it's a tricky attack from the Storyteller: while a stiff wind rises from the beach blurring Elico's vision, the roar of bronze merges position you're in. Sarah: Then I attack his legs. Even if I don't hurt with that of the waves. You parry the attack of the him, I want to unbalance him with the force of the impious warrior by lifting your sturdy shield. Then impact, and when he's on the ground I will vanquish you quickly slice the air and deliver a blow of your sword on the bronze greaves, knocking down Elico him. Storyteller: The 'Pious' Epithet grants you a bonus by the sheer force of the impact. of +10 Pneuma on all rolls related to the request for divine help. You also gain another bonus to that roll considering Elico's blasphemous behavior. Roll Pneuma to see if the Immortals smile at you. Storyteller: You have been knocked down by your opponent's shield hitting your torso. You can feel the taste of blood and sand on your tongue. You take 10 damage. Now, Elico is near you; you can see his greaves shining in the sun not far from your face, as he prepares to deliver a blow. A new exchange begins. Sarah: I pray that all the Immortal Gods assist me at this moment as I strike at his legs. I invoke their blessing! Elico has offended the Divine Forces by kidnapping one of Cirta's priestesses; I'm hunting him to avenge her. Storyteller: Right, but are you sure you want to hit the legs? They are well protected by bronze greaves, while the torso is covered with tanned leather and wool armor.

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SeCTIOn V The Destiny of the City of Moray Eels Number of Players: 2 to 4 + the Storyteller Introduction for the players You are the last of the Acamantidai, the mighty Lineage of ancient Etoi origin that once reigned over the city of Beitris, one of the capitals of the Eparchies before the Iskuzai invasion. Beitris never wholly surrendered to the conquerors: Acamante, the last reigning matriarch at the time of the invasion, preferred suicide to surrender to the usurpers from the North, the Thesmidai Lineage. In order to avoid bloodshed, a democratic order was established in the city, with representatives of all Lineages in Beitris, including those of the Acamantidai and the Thesmidai, gathering in an assembly.

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However, the struggle between these two families never subsided, it continued in the shadows, causing mourning on both sides. The situation has changed recently after the death of Erigone, the matriarch of the Acamantidai, taken from the world of the living by the bite of a crested viper while she was resting by the sacred pools of her palace. After long negotiations, Telesphorus, the most ambitious of the noble lady's children, orchestrated a marriage between Pasitea, his sister and a legitimate pretender to the place of the head of the family, and Corephos, a prince of the Thesmidai, son of the patriarch Eliabron.

The marriage should have put an end to the ancient struggle, but excluded Pasitea from the line of succession and led to Telesphorus controlling the Lineage with the title of ‘Regent’. But this gesture triggered numerous conflicts within the Acamantidai: in particular, Biantes, Telesphorus's younger sister, wants to defend the ancient customs; she accused her brother of impiety and she cannot forgive Pasitea for having consented to the union with their family's hated enemies. However, the wedding was celebrated, and now, a month later, Pasitea has invited her siblings to a delicate diplomatic meeting.

There will be a feast, the first one in which Pasitea will present herself to the Acamantidai as one of the Thesmidai. There will be rituals, chants, games and dances, and all this will take place in the sumptuous Pavilion Palace located in the Wisteria Hills, north of Beitris. Once owned by the Acamantidai, the building fell into the hands of the Thesmidai after the Invasion. You, the siblings of Pasitea, followed by a group of slaves, are approaching the Palace, when one of your men, sent forward to patrol the area, returns with a gloomy look on his face...

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Characters Each player must choose a character from those listed here. Their sheet and their portraits are available at the end of the section dedicated to players. The Storyteller could reduce the number of siblings to allow smaller groups to play or take control of characters who weren't chosen by the players. The group of the Acamantidai is also composed of a few slaves and two donkeys to carry the ritual gifts to be offered to the Thesmidai: cups, braziers, tripods, balms and so on. Agipon, The Born From the Mist The firstborn of Erigone the Matriarch, the fruit of an adulterous relationship with who is believed to have been a spirit of the rivers. Agipon was raised together with his brothers and sisters by his mother's will, and according to the ancient customs of the Etoi Thiasus. In his youth, he learned the secrets of medical art in the underground temples of Cirta the Healer, however he was not able to save Erigone from the bite of the viper. The thought of this failure overwhelms him and poisons his heart. Agipon supports the position of Telesphorus and holds his wisdom in high esteem; at the same time he considers Biantes too undisciplined and wild to lead the family. However, doubt consumes his soul: is it possible that the shame of this hateful marriage was the only way to end the feud? Telesphorus, The Luminous-Eyed

The secondborn of Erigone and firstborn among her legitimate children, Telesphorus is the current Regent of the Acamantidai. After the death of his mother, Telesphorus took the opportunity to trigger a secret network of alliances. Thanks to the family warriors' support, his siblings' confusion, and the marriage agreement he had struck with Eliabron, Telesphorus managed to take the power from the hands of Pasitea, the legitimate heir, and from Biantes. The former was persuaded to marry Corephos, the heir of the Thesmidai, to end the conflict that had for too long haunted the city.

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The latter tried to stop the scheme but was unsuccessful. Now Pasitea is Corephos's wife, and the fight is finally over, but Telesphorus knows he has not completed his task: he must make sure that the alliance lasts for the good of his Phratry and the whole city. Pindus, The Aoidos The third son of Erigone. Pindus is a giant with a sublime voice: when the Moons inspire him, no poet in the whole region can rival his verses. However, Pindus is plagued by some mysterious madness which has worsened after Erigone's death: when the voices swirl in his mind, it is almost impossible not to take heed of their dark whispers. He loves Pasitea deeply, with sincere and loyal affection, probably he is the sibling who misses her the most. He tolerated Telesphorus’s decision only because Pasitea had accepted it. Pindus discovered the lifeless body of Erigone in the family’s sanctuary and most of his visions are haunted by that excruciating memory. Biantes, The Keeper of the Aegis The legitimate heir after Pasitea's marriage, she is the last of the Acamantidai. She hates but respects her brother Telesphorus, envying his cunning, yet unable to forgive his intrigues. An intense hatred for the Thesmidai devours her, and only for Pasitea's sake has she accepted to tolerate them and join the feast. She often tries to embarrass Telesphorus and challenge his role, yearning to take control of the family and bring it back to its old ways. Yet, no one in her Lineage is so influenced by the war culture, the desire for competition and the predilection for strength typical of the Western Iskuzai – a paradox she does not notice. Despite her anger towards Telesphorus, Biantes still considers him part of her family, and she knows that staining herself with the blood of a brother would be an unholy crime.

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Introduction for the Storyteller This section is reserved for the Storyteller only. The Tragedy revolves around the conflict between the two bloodlines and the intrigues orchestrated to gain dominance over the city of Beitris. The story is divided into two Scenes and an Epilogue: the events may unfold in multiple ways, depending on which characters the players decide to play and which choices they make. The first Scene is designed to be played in one session (3-4 hours of play), the second and the Epilogue in another session of similar duration. However, it is possible to complement the script to prolong it. Furthermore, the Tragedy can represent the starting point of a larger Epic Cycle. Rather than providing a rigid sequence of pre-established scenes, this guide has the task of clarifying the intentions and intrigues of the player and non-player characters. However, here you will find simple guidelines to bring the story to life and manage it. In this guide, a novice Storyteller will find useful support, an expert one – a series of suggestions and ideas. For simplicity, only the four Acamantidai have a sheet; all the other characters are managed by establishing thresholds for their successes and failures. Their profiles are presented in the appendix. Places The events take place in the Wisteria Hills, a semiwild region about three hours' walk from Beitris. Here stands the Pavilion Palace of the Thesmidai, a place used for ritual occasions, which was once, before the Invasion, the palace of the Acamantidai. The palace is destroyed, its ruins remain: walls frescoed with once bright colors, a few mosaics emerging from the tall grass. The Thesmidai hung large curtains, fixing them on long bronze rods, to remember the ancient times, when the Iskuzai were a nomadic tribe of warriors. Woods surround the Pavilion Palace.

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Main non-player characters Pasitea, the Bride The legitimate heir to the matriarchy of Erigone, Pasitea was born after Pindus. She is an aristocratic woman, with bright blue eyes and a complexion similar to the sheen of a pink pearl – the very image of beauty for the Iskuzai. She seems to love her siblings profoundly and suffers from being separated from them. Pasitea is aware of her marriage's strategic importance; still, she sometimes regrets the loss of the freedom and power she could enjoy among the Acamantidai. Corephos, the Bridegroom Pasitea's husband, the son of Eliabron and the heir of the Thesmidai. An impulsive, strong and daring man, burdened by the confrontation with the Acamantidai: he would like to impress his wife and his peers, gain his father's respect and admiration of the citizens of Beitris, but more often than not he is chastised by Eliabron for his lack of prudence. He values ​​Telesphorus' cunning and despises Biantes's arrogance. Glaucon, the Younger Son Corephos's younger brother, renowned for his wits, cheerful spirit, and skill with the harp. Eliabron, the Patriarch The elderly lord of the Thesmidai, a formidable warrior whose body and mind are now worn out by old age. Cribonius, the Chief of the Thesmidai Guard Cribonius is a mature warrior, wise and capable like a grey wolf; he's an extraordinarily prudent and skilled man. After a long life as a mercenary, he offered his services to Eliabron who placed him in charge of his guards. Trobe, the Slave Trobe is a Hattusas slave in the service of the Acamantidai. At the behest of Telesphorus, she accompanies the beautiful Pasitea in her new life with the Thesmidai. 99

Extras and secondary characters Getilon, the Hedonist The younger brother of Erigone, uncle of the Only Telesphorus, Cribonius and Trobe, a faithful Acamantidai siblings. Getilon leads a life of pleasures slave to Telesphorus, are aware of this secret and vices, and regardless of the family’s good, he agreement. refused the invitation of the Thesmidai. Trobe Lutzo, the Slave Corephos's slave, companion and lover before Trobe followed Pasitea to her new home under the his marriage to Pasitea. Lutzo still loves his master direction of Telesphorus, to watch over her and profoundly and is willing to sacrifice his life for him. act as a liaison with Cribonius. The slave is loyal to Telesphorus due to a specific agreement: the Slaves of the two families Regent has promised her freedom once Cribonius is There will be many slaves, with colorful clothes and leading the Thesmidai. jingling anklets.

Cribonius

Thesmidai Hoplites

Cribonius desires Pasitea more than anything else, A small regiment of hoplites under the command of but he is a very measured and wise man, adept at the Thesmidai defends the Pavilion Palace. Some of hiding his intentions. He deeply despises Corephos them are loyal to Eliabron, others respect Cribonius, and considers Eliabron a man of worth who is, and some are devoted to Corephos. If conflicts however, too old now for the leadership role he arise, an internal fight among these warriors will insists on holding. break out. Pasitea Secrets of the characters Telesphorus Telesphorus managed to persuade the old Eliabron to agree to the marriage between Pasitea and Corephos thanks to the intercession of Cribonius, the Kiliarchos (commander) of the Thesmidai palace guard. Cribonius has agreed to help Telesphorus and to support him as the new leader of the Acamantidai on one condition: upon the death of the patriarch, Corephos will have to die, and it will be he, Cribonius, who will take his place next to Pasitea, thus obtaining both the control over the Lineage and the possession of the woman he desires.

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As for Pasitea's secrets – they will be described in the next section, the plot.

The plot Pasitea is a cunning weaver of deceptions. Resenting her mother's inability to lead the family with sufficient strength, Pasitea poisoned her using a stinger soaked in a powerful poison called Dusoneiros, ‘full of bad dreams’. Pasitea then let her brother organize the wedding to become part of the Thesmidai family. She plans to kill the heirs of the Thesmidai (Corephos and Glauco) and imprison or kill her brothers (Agipon and Telesphorus) to simultaneously inherit the control of both families. She considers Pindus faithful and blinded by madness, therefore easily controllable. She is conflicted about Biantes: her younger sister is an enemy of Telesphorus, but also a violent woman who could seek revenge. Pasitea created an elaborate plan with Getilon, Erigone's brother. Promising herself to her uncle's incestuous desires, she won his support to create a deadly conspiracy: She will eliminate all her opponents on one single occasion. When the time comes, she will have Getilon put to death, accusing him of the crimes committed. The first move was to get Getilon to enlist a squad of mercenary archers; the second was to organize the feast in the Pavilion Palace to take her siblings away from Beitris. The orders are to attack the Pavilion Palace by surprise, slay Corephos, Glaucon, Eliabron, Cribonius, Telesphorus and Agipon. If necessary, Pasitea will give orders to kill Biantes and Pindus as well. However, something went wrong: on the day of the feast, Glaucon began to suspect his young sister-in-law and demanded to talk with her in a secluded place near one of the ancient ruined buildings of the Palace. Arriving at the meeting place, Pasitea distracted Glaucon by claiming to be innocent and then killed him with the same stinger with which she had poisoned her mother. She then walked away to play the part of the melancholy princess and welcome her siblings.

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Main Events These events represent the main narrative nodes of the story and constitute its structure. ScenE I Event I: The death of Glaucon

Event II: The arrival

The Acamantidai are walking through the woods, followed by a small procession of slaves and donkeys in the Wisteria Hills. The air is heavy with scents, crocuses cover the ground in purple patches, the last songs of cicadas can be heard in the air as they slowly disappear, making room for crickets' voices. The siblings are talking to each other; the surroundings remind them of all the tales about their Lineage's glorious past when they reigned alone over Beitris. Biantes may already take the opportunity to accuse Telesphorus of having imposed upon them the humiliation of this peace treaty. Some could say that even Getilon the Hedonist, Erigone's brother, could not bear to bow to the invitation of the Thesmidai, refusing to attend the banquet. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of a slave sent by Telesphorus to patrol the area. The man brings grim news: Corephos's brother, the young Glaucon, has been found dead. It seems that the bite of a viper killed him. Not being able to do anything and having no other news, the group moves on.

The beautiful Pasitea is the first one to welcome the Acamantidai. The noblewoman confides to her siblings that Glaucon was very dear to her, stating that he alone treated her with deference due to a matriarch. In reality, what is hiding behind her tears is the irritation at the hasty murder that she had to commit. The Storyteller should roll on Pasitea's Sarx score. In the event of a failure, the siblings may understand that there is something strange in her reaction: maybe is she hiding a forbidden relationship with Glaucon? In any case, after a brief conversation between the siblings, Corephos arrives.

How to involve players Players should be encouraged to feel comfortable in their role as the Acamantidai – it is their family! They could invent traditions, greetings, small narrative details about their customs or shared memories related to the mother figure. While having no effect at the level of rules, these details allow the players to step into the role and collectively contribute to enriching the course of this Tragedy with exciting ideas. The Storyteller should be ready to be inspired by the players' inventions or elaborate the material presented here, adding or removing events, clues, and so on.

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Event III: The Encounter with Corephos Corephos proves to be a gracious host, responding with care to any demonstration of respect by the Acamantidai towards him. He praises the virtues of Pasitea, thanks Telesphorus for having granted him his sister's hand, however, it is obvious he abides by the patriarchal customs of the Western Iskuzai. For example, he greets Telesphorus, Pindus and Agipon by clutching their forearms, as members of the warrior aristocracy do among themselves, and treats the young Biantes not as a warrior peer, as she would like to be treated, but with the ritual courtesy that is due to an unmarried girl. This could lead to further conflicts. Event IV: The deceased Corephos does not seem very saddened by his brother's death, he pays him words of respect, but his face is not marked by despair. He welcomes condolences if there are any, but he is definitely unwilling to tolerate criticism, complaints or sarcasm from Biantes or anyone else. The Acamantidai group is invited under the tent of the Pavilion Palace. The hoplites of the Thesmidai are guarding the perimeter, there are pyres on which slaves roast meat and fish, while young boys and girls serve fragrant wines, beer, honey cakes, figs, grapes and loaves of poppy seeds bread. There are dancers and flautists: the atmosphere would be festive if there were no air of unresolved tragedy. The music is slow, and the bronze instruments breathe out soft low notes. There is no trace of Eliabron, the father of Corephos. Pasitea's husband assures his guests that the patriarch will join them as soon as the funeral procession, started at the spot where Glaucon's body was found, reaches the Palace.

First, the songs of this procession are heard in the distance, and then, from the incipient twilight, the figures of the bearers emerge, carrying the body of Glaucon on two large shields. Cribonius is leading the small procession, but Eliabron is still nowhere to be seen. The Kiliarchos states that the old patriarch needs a moment of rest after the announcement of his son's death, but he is stingy with further details and greets the Acamantidai, not letting the tension rise. He saw many of his men killed by Erigone's Lineage, and the reverse is also true: many Acamantidai perished pierced by the spear of Cribonius and his hoplites. The Acamantidai siblings, if they inspected the body of Glaucon, could detect with a Perception roll on Pneuma, the strange wound on the dead man's neck. Success on a Psike roll could remind the characters of the wound on Erigone's body. Moreover, Agipon and Pindus - the first to find their mother's corpse - with a roll on Pneuma can also recognize a sweetish scent, similar to the one that enveloped the matriarch's body shortly after her death. Other details or clues could be provided by the Storyteller, at the initiative of the players. Circumstances do not allow for a careful inspection of the corpse unless one of the players finds some plausible excuse.

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Questioning the slaves Some players may decide to speak to the slaves for various reasons; the Storyteller may manage these interactions freely. When asked about the relationship between Glaucon and Pasitea, the slaves tend to avoid the conversation, preferring not to meddle in the affairs of their masters. Success on the Sarx roll with a penalty of -20 could persuade them to describe the relationship between Glaucon and Pasitea in less idyllic tones than those declared by her, saying that it felt as if Glauco did not trust the wife of his brother. In their words, there could be mixed gossip, for example, that Glaucon was jealous of his brother and wanted Pasitea. Additionally, Telesphorus or the other brothers may wish to speak to Trobe, the Hattusas slave in the service of Pasitea. Trobe could confess to Telesphorus that Glaucon had made an appointment with Pasitea a few hours before his death, but she does not know if her mistress met him.

Event V: the Taurobolium This event is the moment of highest tension in the first scene. Corephos wants to hold funeral games in honor of his brother, and the most sacred of them is the Taurobolium, the bull fight. Corephos challenges the Acamantidai to compete against him: the task is to face an adult bull with only a knife for a weapon. The winner is the one who manages to kill the animal first. Corephos is close to being insolent in his insistence to force the Acamantidai to compete. The Iskuzai love challenges and consider funeral games a duty that is not easy to escape. Corephos proposes a bet: if he were to lose, he would return the entire region of the Wisteria Hills and the Pavilion Palace to the Acamantidai, but if he wins, he will get the banner of the Acamantidai as a gift. This gesture of giving away your banner echoes the handing over of the war banners, a symbolic demonstration of inferiority. The game requires up to two contenders per side: Corephos will have Lutzo as a companion if two Acamantidai decide to rise to the challenge. However, the Acamantidai who do not participate in the fight may still try to help their siblings. For example, Pindus could encourage them with chants and then intimidate the Thesmidai with his booming voice. The players have the task of developing the most appropriate strategies.

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For details relating to the ritual see the corresponding section on page 104. For details on Corephos, the Bull and the men of Corephos, see the appendix on page 108. The confrontation will not be easy. The Storyteller will have the task of describing the ritual by showing the violence of the arena, the smell of roasted meat mixed with that of skin and leather, soaked in sweat, the roar of the bronze trumpets that announce the start of the game and then its end. Depending on the players' skill, the Storyteller may decide to help them by simplifying this fight. Remember, Lutzo is loyal to his master to the point of risking his life to save him. At the end of the game, the victor will have the honor of eating the defeated animal's heart. This sacred raw meat will give the winner the 'Blessing of the Bull' which allows the character to ignore all the penalties to Soma resulting from injuries until the end of the two scenes that make up the Tragedy. While the ritual songs are being sung at the end of the competition, the old Eliabron arrives drawing a veil of silence over the Pavilion Palace. Whether the Acamantidai have won or not, Eliabron is angry with his son: Corephos should not have promised the lands that do not yet belong to him; furthermore, asking for a Lineage banner is a reckless and arrogant gesture.

Eliabron is furious. At this point many conflicts could emerge: Eliabron will not agree to give the Acamantidai the lands so painfully won, or he will not allow his son to take possession of the banner of his new relatives. This is one of the cases in which the Storyteller should rely on the unfolding of events and the characters' interpretation, rather than on a rigid pre-built structure. However, the discussion is abruptly interrupted when a hoplite arrives with terrible news: he claims to have seen a regiment of Acamantidai mercenaries in war gear walking in the shadows of the woods.

End of Scene I

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Fragment of the Taurobolium The mythical events that led to the creation of the world are echoed in the Taurobolium: it is from the death of the Ophiotaurus that all Gods, the world and even the monstrous Silver Peoples that reign beyond the borders of the Shell Desert were born. So the Iskuzai fight against a large bull, armed only with a Knife (15 damage; light class) and with nothing covering their vulnerable skin. The ritual goes as follows: the bull is led to the center of the arena and tied to a sacrificial pole. The animal must be robust, in good health. The slaves incite him with long thorny branches; then the contenders enter the arena. Often two groups challenge each other to the game, each made up of one or two athletes. In this second case, each group elects an 'Initiator' and a 'Terminator', who both take turns fighting against the animal by approaching the pole. The initiators, one for each group, start the fight. After the first assault, they must retreat and give space to the terminators. The sequence continues until one of the athletes kills the bull. Coloro che morissero nella competizione verranno ricordati nei versi dei poemi. Another possible outcome is that the bull dies in an exchange where both athletes have inflicted damage on the beast. Since the exchange is a series of nearly simultaneous actions, they have killed the bull together. In this event, the athletes will continue the fight against each other with their bare hands, until one falls exhausted or declares himself defeated. At the end of the game, the winner will eat the heart of the beast raw. It is said that the Agrauran taught Taurobolium to the Etoi and that the Sphinx, the queen of the Etoi, was willing to teach it to Auleo in exchange for a priceless gift.

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ScenE ii Event I: The Betrayal There is dismay in the Pavilion Palace, the Thesmidai gaze with suspicion at the Acamantidai. The sentry swears he saw Acamantidai archers silently approaching the Palace. Players may try to defend themselves against the accusation. If none of the players proposes it, Eliabron himself may invite one of the Acamantidai, escorted by three hoplites, to meet the archers' regiment and order them to explain their presence. The escort’s purpose is first of all to kill the Acamantidai on the spot if they intend to escape. Furthermore, at least one of the Acamantidai, besides Pasitea, will be held in the camp as a hostage. The group splits up.

Fatal fights In an introductory game, the Storyteller should be forgiving. This adventure is designed for both experienced players and for those approaching role-playing for the first time. In the latter case, the aim should be to bring the story to its conclusion, however tragic it may turn out to be. The advice is to treat the Taurobolium as an exciting competition that should end in the victory of one of the two sides. Players may be forced to spend a Fortuna point to survive, or they may suffer serious injuries. The Storyteller could let the Thesmidai win if one of the Acamantidai is about to be killed. In this case, a shrewd move by Corephos would end Taurobolium with his triumph. Furthermore, as it will be seen, Corephos has a critical role in the story: it is his destiny to commit the heinous crime of patricide. He should, therefore, have Fortuna Points. Furthermore, his gift is 'Husacci's Favor' which allows him to spend more than one Fortuna point per scene to save his life.

Event II: Fights in the woods and in the Pavilion Palace In the Pavilion Palace, Corephos approaches the Acamantidai with a bold proposition: ‘My dear relatives, your life is at the mercy of my father, a man not famous for his good heart. I am sure of your loyalty, and I believe you are not involved in this vile trap. Listen to me: my father is an unjust and cruel man, ready to kill you! You have seen how coldly he greeted the death of a son and with what contempt he treated me. The time has come for him to die. Many hoplites are faithful to me, help me overthrow this tyrant, and I promise you I will respect our alliance and your life.’ Corephos tries to persuade his wife's family to help him to fight against the opposition that might arise after his attack. Whatever the players' response, Corephos tries his luck and by throwing a javelin pierces Eliabron's heart. The crime will unleash a violent struggle: if the players oppose Corephos to help Cribonius instead, they will have to fight the parricidal Thesmides. They might try to escape, but their route will be cut off by the hoplites loyal to Cribonius, and they will have to fight them. If they decide to help Corephos, they will fight the hoplites of Cribonius or the Kiliarchos himself.

Without the help of the players, Corephos's attempt is destined to fail, and Corephos will be killed by Cribonius. If the players help Corephos, there will be a chance to win the fight. Meanwhile, the other Acamantidai must find the mercenary regiment in the woods by rolling Pneuma on a Perception roll. The night is illuminated by the green glow of the Hekaterides, the Moons, but since the woods are dense and it is not easy to walk and search in the darkness, the Storyteller might consider a penalty of -10 on all Perception rolls. Getilon's mercenaries may also notice the presence of the Acamantidai with the same roll on Pneuma. The players have various options: they could try to talk to the mercenaries to invite them to explain themselves or command them to retreat, but in any case, they will be attacked. The mercenaries are divided into small groups and communicate with each other thanks to light signals sent through a veiled lantern that is rhythmically uncovered: it is a communication code typical of the Acamantidai, a secret language that the siblings know and that they could interpret with a successful Psike roll and if, of course, they could first spot it with success on Pneuma. 107

Epilogue The mercenaries transmit information on the positions they must occupy before the attack. Thanks to this information, the Acamantidai are able to ambush one of the groups of archers more easily. The mercenaries will be subject to an additional penalty of -10 on Pneuma's roll to notice their presence before the ambush. The number of mercenaries in each small group should roughly correspond to the number of people in the group formed by the hoplite warriors and the Acamantidai. Depending on the experience of the players, an archer may be added or removed. Whether the Acamantidai attempt an ambush or are surprised by their enemies, to get the Thesmidai hoplites' help, they will have to convince them. The hoplites may not trust the proposition of an ambush, or they may have no wish to risk their lives to defend Erigone's children. In the event of a fight, another group of mercenaries may roll on Pneuma for perception, and in case of success, they will rush to help their companions. If the Acamantidai and the Hoplites are outnumbered, they will have to make a Fear resistance roll on Voluntas. This fight might have different effects: the players may be able to capture a wounded warrior or force one of the mercenaries to surrender. If they decide to question him, the mercenary will be able to reveal little about this conspiracy. However, he may confess that he was enlisted by Getilon, the uncle of the Acamantidai, and that he saw a mysterious veiled woman in his company. In any case, if the Acamantidai succeed in killing at least one squad of mercenaries, the surprise attack by the traitors fails, and the fight against the remaining Thesmidai hoplites at the Pavilion Palace will prove fatal for the archers. Vice versa, if the Acamantidai do not stop at least one group of mercenaries in the woods, the hoplites at the Pavilion Palace are doomed to defeat.

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The epilogue depends on how the latest events unfolded: if the siblings triumphed they might try to group together and might start to have an inkling about Pasitea's involvement, or they might simply want to talk with her about what happened. Coming face to face with her siblings, Pasitea must roll on Sarx with a penalty of -20; the situation is not easy for her: her plan has been obstructed and continuing to lie is increasingly difficult. Her voice may betray emotions that are very different from what the Acamantidai expect. If questioned , Pasitea will attempt to divert suspicion from herself. Still, if confronted with direct accusations, she will eventually admit her guilt and reveal all her hatred for the Thesmidai, accusing her mother of having been a weak matriarch incapable of leading the Acamantidai to victory. If she feels the risk of being publicly executed, or if the fate of exile looms over her, Pasitea will ask her siblings to kill her or she will try to commit suicide with the poisoned stinger hidden under her clothes. However, Pasitea's plan could also end with a partial victory. For example, in case the mercenaries are defeated and both Eliabron and Corephos are killed, Pasitea will become the regent of the Thesmidai. The epilogue revolves around the resolution of the conflict between the two families, in one way or another. A possibility remains to continue the Chronicle with a second Act focused on how the Acamantidai will deal with the betrayal of Getilon. There are many potential developments, for example, the eventual attempt of Cribonius to marry Pasitea, the liberation of Trobe, the relationship between Corephos and the Acamantidai siblings and what other deceptions Pasitea might plot if she does not die.

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Appendix I: Non-Player Character sheets The Sacred Bull

Cribonius

The Sacred Bull is an animal with special characteristics. The bull has 80 Soma. However, it is tied to the sacrificial pole by a heavy bronze chain, therefore it suffers a -25 on every roll; however its formidable constitution makes it immune to the penalties from wounds. The Sacred Bull cannot parry blows. Its horns and hooves inflict 20 damage that cannot be parried. Finally, it can make two attacks per exchange.

Soma success threshold: 65 Sarx success threshold: 45 Pneuma success threshold: 50 Psike success threshold: 40 Voluntas points: 5 Cribonius fights with a medium sword (-3 on Fatigue resistance rolls) that inflicts 30 damage, and wears a heavy bronze helmet that absorbs 30 damage (-5 on Fatigue resistance rolls) and a medium-class All non-player characters, except for the Sacred armor of tanned leather and wool that absorbs 20 Bull and Pasitea, have Soma 50. Therefore, they die damage (-3 on Fatigue resistance rolls). after taking 50 damage. Thesmidai Hoplites / Thesmidai Athletes / Lutzo Corephos

Soma success threshold: 50 Soma success threshold: 60 Sarx success threshold: 40 Sarx success threshold: 60 Pneuma success threshold: 45 Pneuma success threshold: 30 Psike success threshold: 40 Psike success threshold: 30 Voluntas points: 5 Gift: Husacci's Favor Effects: you can spend more Hoplites fight with a heavy spear (-5 on Fatigue than one 'favorable case' Fortuna point per Scene. resistance rolls), which inflicts 40 damage, and they Additionally, you gain +2 Fortuna points have a heavy bronze shield (-5 on Fatigue resistance Voluntas Points: 5 Fortuna Points: 2 + 2 (Gift) rolls, +5 on parry rolls) and wear a heavy helmet Corephos fights with a medium sword (-3 on Fatigue of bronze that absorbs 30 damage (-5 on Fatigue resistance rolls) that inflicts 30 damage, and wears resistance rolls). Lutzo has the same equipment, but a heavy bronze helmet that absorbs 30 damage (-5 when fighting in the Taurobolium, he is equipped on Fatigue resistance rolls). Additionally, he could only with a bronze dagger (15 damage, light class). be equipped with a bronze teardrop shield (-3 on Getilon's Archers Fatigue resistance rolls). Pasitea Soma: 30 Soma success threshold : 30 Sarx success threshold: 80 Pneuma success threshold: 30 Psike success threshold: 60 Punti Voluntas: 8 Pasitea possesses the poisoned Dusoneiros stinger, and whoever is stung by it, dies with no chance of being saved, unless an iatromancer intervenes promptly. Any roll to heal the body from poison still suffers a -10 penalty. 110

Soma success threshold: 45 or 55 (when attacking with the bow) Sarx success threshold: 40 Pneuma success threshold: 45 Psike success threshold: 30 Voluntas points: 5 Mercenaries fight with a medium-class bow (-3 on Fatigue resistance rolls) that inflicts 30 damage, or with a light-class dagger that inflicts 15 damage. They are equipped with a complete light-class armor (helmet, two greaves, two bracelets and a cuirass) that absorbs only 5 damage.

AppendiX II: cheat sheet Combat

Fatigue

Combat is divided into exchanges. An exchange includes a single attempt to attack and parry the attack. A character cannot parry more than one successful attack per exchange, in case of multiple attacks, you need to decide which one to parry. Defending oneself with an object other than a shield suffers a penalty of -10. Damage is inflicted on the Soma attribute. When Soma reaches 0, the character dies. Injuries to the torso are increased by +5 points, injuries to the head are increased by +10.

The Fatigue resistance roll is made on the Soma attribute. Failure imposes a penalty of -15 on all attributes. The character is exhausted. If there is an opportunity to rest, the Storyteller may require further Fatigue resistance rolls on Soma until the crisis of fatigue is over.

Classes of weapons » Bare-hand attack: A tenth of your Soma score. » Light (knives, daggers, slings): 15 damage. » Medium (swords, gladiuses, maces, axes, bows, javelins): 30 damage (each medium weapon carried imposes a penalty of -3 on Fatigue resistance rolls). » Heavy (spears, sarisse): 40 damage (each heavy weapon carried imposes a penalty of -5 on Fatigue resistance rolls).

Fear The Fear resistance roll is made on the Voluntas score. Failure imposes a penalty of -15 on all attributes. The character is in a panic. If there is an opportunity to escape from the dangerous situation, the Storyteller may require further rolls until the crisis is over. Voluntas points The player can decide to spend one Voluntas point (no more than one) to obtain a +10 bonus on the following roll. Other uses are permitted by Epithets and Gifts. Fortuna points

The player may decide to spend one Fortuna point to avoid death. Spending one Fortuna point for this » Light (wool, leather, bone): -10 to damage sufpurpose is limited to once per Scene and is called a fered. 'favorable case'. The use of a Fortuna point always » Medium (scale armor, reinforced leather): -20 to generates a Hybris point. Other uses are permitted damage suffered (-3 on Fatigue resistance rolls by Epithets and Gifts. for each piece carried). » PHeavy (metal armor of precious alloys): -30 to Rolls on Fortuna points damage suffered (-5 on Fatigue resistance rolls The Storyteller may request a roll on Fortuna points for each piece carried). to determine the outcome of random events. If the Defensive equipment classes

Healing and recovery Successful Soma roll by the patient: +2 Soma points. Successful Psike roll by the healer: » First aid (immediate intervention): +02 Soma points. » Medication and short recovery (in 2-3 days): +10 Soma points. » Long recovery and extended treatments (in 7 days): +15 Soma points.

roll has an effect on the entire group of players, the character with the lowest score will roll the die. Hybris points The total number of Hybris points has to be considered doubled when the characters are in places particularly close to divine powers, like in the wilderness, in unexplored areas or on the open sea.

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'The Gods rule over the heavens, the earth and what lies beneath, but their thrones rise over the hearts of mortals.'