La escenografía volátil

Creating a society is not v

ery different from cr_{eating faces (see Chapt} er 7: Being the Gamemast

er). In fact, you will pr_{obably need a f}

ew faces to populate it so t_{he PCs can i}

nteract with the society

, or the society can exist only as a bac

kground set piec

e, in which case it’_{s only a description aspect} on the district or sc

ene. Here is an ex_{ample of a society t}

hat scours ancient temples, lab

yrinths and t

ombs in the Kausao r

egion in search of ancient Jadetech secrets:

 _{Sacred Artifact H} unters Portrayal: Knowledg

e is the Key to Our F_reedom Need: No Myths. G_{ive Me Somet}

hing Solid to Go _On Secret: Funded B

y a High Ranki_{ng Government Official}

If this group is g

oing to be somet

hing the PCs i

nteract with regular_{ly, then} you’ll want to attac_{h one or mor}

e faces to it. If the gr_{oup is only set dr} ess- ing for your story, a si_{ngle aspect (lik}

e _{Sacred Artifact H}

unters Operate Here_{) is enough.}

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Heir to the Forgotten Throne

The Heir started out as your standard con artist. H

e had a crew, he scammed, grifted, and conned his way thr

ough the middle class and the rich. Years ago, while planning t

he next scam, his crew was hit, and hit hard, by the city guard. He returned to fi

nd them hanging from a bridge near their hideout. Somet

hing snapped in him that night. He now believes the stories he tells, st

ories of an ancient kingdom, of lineage and justice and peace. He is quit

e mad, but that has not re- moved his powerful personality and ability t

o sway people to his way of thinking.

Portrayal: The King in Waiting Need: Claim the Throne of Kausao

Secret: Mad as a Jackal-Hare

The Red Stars

“Dai Byong was real! Her descendant still exists. The rightful ruler of Kausao, the King in Waiting, is ready to take back his kingdom. His rule will bring the wisdom of heaven to the city. Justice and fairness are his watchwords. Rise up, true sons of Kausao! Rise up and strike down these oppressors who claim to own the city. Bring the King in Waiting his throne. Bring peace and justice to the city!”

Named after the supposed god of the original peoples of the Kausao region, these freedom fighters follow the Heir to the Forgotten Throne. He claims to be the last in the royal line dating back to before Kausao City was founded. He calls his followers to drive out these outsiders, after which he will reign with justice and compassion. A great many martial artists and disaffected youth have joined his cause.

Portrayal: Serve The One True King Need: Converts

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The Will of the People

“Become the new man. Stand for the people, with the people. It is the will of the people alone that grants power. Those on high seek to repress the truth of things. Come citizen. Stand for science. Stand for the future. Stand for the people.”

A faction that does not care who is in charge so long as the people are cared for. René Deuchampe speaks the truth. The books of Piotre Ivanoff and Xiu Hoshi are the path to freedom. Freedom from the rule of false kings and money men.

Portrayal: Of the People, For the People Need: People are a Means to an End

Secret: Seeks a Regime Change, Not Freedom

René Deuchampe

When Aerum conquered Gahul, only one member of t

he royal family

escaped. René was away at university and t_{hus survived the short and brutal}

war. When he received the news, he dove deeper i_{nto his studies. He became}

convinced that the aristocracy was the cause of all pr

oblems. Every remove

from the will of the people is a contamination of pur_{e government. He seeks to}

bring the will of the people to the forefront and g_{ain control of the governance}

of the world.

Portrayal: Effete Scholar of the People Need: Someone He Can Trust Secret: Deposed Royalty on the Run

was quite bland, without the robust taste of coffee, and it lacked the kick one needed to really get moving. He was about to take another disgusting sample of the beverage when one of his detectives burst into the room.

“Sir, there’s been another insurgency attack, and we’ve had a break in the case.” The commissioner gratefully set down the cup of tea. “Show me,” he said, leading the detective to a wall in the office where a colossal map of Kausao City hung. It had numerous pins, some with strings connecting them, tacked onto it.

The detective referred to a piece of parchment he was holding, then placed a new pin over an area near Refinery Row. “A powdery, sir.”

“That’s the third one this week,” the commissioner said, exasperated.

“Yes, sir. We believe we’ve found a connection. Each powdery specialized in a par- ticular color of jade, and all three were primary suppliers to the city watch.”

The commissioner rubbed his chin as he considered the map carefully. “They can’t attack us directly, so they’ll make it more difficult for us to operate by attacking our supply chain. But that’s not a sustainable strategy. There’s no endgame.”

Almost unconsciously, he picked up his cup of tea. “What are they playing at?” He took a sip and immediately spit it back out, remembering that it wasn’t coffee. He was about to curse before his meeting was interrupted by a presence at the door.

“I believe I can help you with that, commissioner,” the Kaiyumi man in the door- way said.

Once again the commissioner happily set down his cup of tea. “Mr. Harada,” he said in greeting. “Good of you to come. Please,” the commissioner motioned to a chair in front of his desk. He nodded to the detective, who nodded and left immediately.

“I heard of the attack this morning. I believe my...organization, can help,” Harada said as he took his seat.

The commissioner wore a smile for the first time all day. “I certainly hope so. I like what we discussed regarding placing shadow agents in the Jianghu. I assume you have a few agents in mind.”

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