The Clockwork Circus
Where is this?
This is Thènia. Hsin-Yao. The Clockwork Circus.
[Home.]
Uh, what?
Okay, so Hsin-Yao is a lot of different things. Metropolis. Trading port. Refuge. A thin slice of heaven on a thick slice of hell. You've more than likely come here as a refugee. Someone whose passport, shameful secrets or criminal records made you no good anywhere else. Here, now, on the edge of the civilized world - you need to make a new life for yourself.
[To survive, somehow - and to heck with the consequences.]
So Hsin-Yao is a city?
Yep.
[You got it.]
And Thènia is a nationstate?
Yep again. These days, Thénia - 'Old Thènia' - is a nation riven by civil strife. As the modern world drags it, kicking and grumbling, into the light of modernity, Thènia is very much struggling to define itself. Violently so. There's a heap of various warlords with ridiculous names. A Suzerain that's only nominally in charge. And hordes and hordes of communards, fighting for revolution. Honestly, it's a right mess.
[Mud and morons and death-squads.]
And Hsin-Yao is part of that mess? Wait, have we landed in a damn war-zone?!
Yes and no. While far beyond the front lines of Thènia's strife - at least for now - Hsin-Yao is still marked by it. By suspicious policemen, resentful locals, masses of desperate refugees that've flocked here since the strife began, and by a thriving black market. It's also, in its way, a city marked by shame.
[Marked. Scored. Haunted.]
Shame?
Yep. The shame of harboring an actual, honest-to-the-gods foreign settlement in its midst.
[Lost wars and unkind treaties from the last century made it like that.]
Wait, what? There's a foreign city INSIDE Hsin-Yao?
You know it! A place where Thênia's own laws do not apply, and where Thênia's own citizens may not enter, unless cordially invited. Hsin-Yao's neighborhoods are separated, you see. Into its native sections and rural outskirts on one hand - and its affluent Foreign Quarters on the other.
[Swells on top. Thènians in the middle. Scum at the bottom.]
Foreign Quarters?
M'hm. Quarters like the Bund - where zeppelin-trade from all the world is loaded and off-loaded - and the International Settlement, where Corporations and their courtiers live - in their lush parks and shaded gardens. Parks, by the way, where the entrances are all emblazoned by signs bearing the same blocky letters.
[...]
What letters?
'Dogs and Thènians Not Allowed'.
[That's the rule.]
Okay. Yikes. But what was that about a Clockwork Circus?
The Circus is rock bottom. In the cracks between Hsin-Yao proper and the International Settlement is where you'll find it - a bad, mad ugly slum. If you're not there yet - you're going there soon.
[Best of luck.]
Okay, so I'm digging the premise, and I want to play. What do I do?
Well - for starters, you take a gander at the Character App below.
[Just read through it. It's okay.]
Alright. And then?
Then you see those first four points? The ones about your name, your story, your looks and your alias?
[Go wild. Make something up. Help build a world.]
Hm! That's easy. What's next?
Then you pick your Talent and your Trade. Both have a certain sum attached. Add them up.
[Together, they should come up to between 2 and 5.]
One Talent. One Trade. Add them up. Got it.
Good. Then pick your Flaws and subtract. Pick enough to either hit 0 or go below.
[And finally - a Vice. Don't be shy now, eh? We've all got one.]
Okay. But what if I wanted to pick more Talents and Trades?
Then I'm sorry - but one of each is all you start with! We can't be good at everything - not even you.
[But don't fret. As the game goes on, you'll learn. It's called 'experience'.]
Well - for starters, you take a gander at the Character App below.
[Just read through it. It's okay.]
Alright. And then?
Then you see those first four points? The ones about your name, your story, your looks and your alias?
[Go wild. Make something up. Help build a world.]
Hm! That's easy. What's next?
Then you pick your Talent and your Trade. Both have a certain sum attached. Add them up.
[Together, they should come up to between 2 and 5.]
One Talent. One Trade. Add them up. Got it.
Good. Then pick your Flaws and subtract. Pick enough to either hit 0 or go below.
[And finally - a Vice. Don't be shy now, eh? We've all got one.]
Okay. But what if I wanted to pick more Talents and Trades?
Then I'm sorry - but one of each is all you start with! We can't be good at everything - not even you.
[But don't fret. As the game goes on, you'll learn. It's called 'experience'.]
- Code: Select all
[b]Record your Scriven Name[/b]: (What name did your parents sing upon the day of your birth? What did the priests record?)
[b]Record your Spoken Alias[/b]: (What do men call you, and women whisper? What name is cursed in alleys or shouted in gin-halls?)
[b]Record your Looks[/b]: (If the Courts required a description of your look and manner, what would they write?)
[b]Record your Story[/b]: (Where are you from, brother? What land knows your shadow? And how did you wind up in Thénia?)
[b]Pick your Talent[/b]: (Got something you're good at? Pick ONE.)
[b]Pick your Trade[/b]: (What did you do, up until now? What trade did you keep? What profession did you practice? Pick ONE.)
[b]Pick your Flaws[/b]: (Your Talents and Trades add up. Bring'em back down to 0 or below, and you're good.)
[b]Confess your Vice[/b]: (What's your poison, bratan? Pick ONE.)
[b]Note a Close Friend[/b]: (Keep this area BLANK for now - but remember it.)
[b]And a Rival[/b]: (People in the Circus, maybe even in all Hsin-Yao, will come to know you. Some for the better, some for the worse. Rare are they who leave the Circus in silence.)
TALENTS
Raw, personal capacity. Your birthright.
Raw, personal capacity. Your birthright.
Polymath | +2
Your mind is a crucible of knowledge on a vast array of topics - science, history, literature, and more. Bonus to any tests requiring general knowledge and learning.
[A mind is a terrible thing to waste.]
Tough | +1
You can take a beating beyond all sense and reason, and you can scarce remember the last time you fell ill. Bonus to taking damage, fighting disease and living to tell of it.
[Your heart beats strongly.]
Aristocratic | +1
You're gently bred, and you've been brought up rich. You probably went to private school, had your very own butler, et cetera.
[There's a Code of Conduct to being rich and noble. You still know what that entails. And others can tell.]
Sangfroidal | +2
Where others crack under pressure, you persevere. Stress is gained only half as quickly.
[You can take it.]
Cynophile | +1
Dogs revere you. Horses are calmed by your presence. Cats confide you their secrets. Animals, for better or worse, tend to afford you a level of trust and tolerance others can only dream of.
[To anything with paws, hooves or claws - and some things without - you are a friend.]
Orator | +2
Whatever else men might say about you, you are an excellent public speaker. When it comes to persuasion, rhetorical flourish or even teaching - you are a natural.
[You present truth for what it is - simply and persuasively.]
Charmer | +1
You have a way with words and manners that makes people want to open up to you. Bonus to negotiation, persuasion, and earning someone's trust.
[With a smile and some honeyed words, you can melt even the coldest heart.]
Rapscallion | +2
You know how to cajole, bluff and lie - and nothing you say can truly be trusted. Granted, you may not be able to fool all the people all the time, but if you have anything to say about it? - bratan, you will certainly try.
[For what is a good lie, but another man's truth?]
Savoir Faire | +2
You can be quiet when you want to be. Almost eerily so. If slipping by unseen, and then tumbling out the back is a skill - this is it. It enables you to move with silent footsteps, groove to a good beat, and look great doing it!
[Bonus to silent, sneakful pursuits - and dancing.]
Artistic | +1
You understand creativity. This trait lets you to make fresh associations, delve into world-concepts from postmodernist thought to arabesque architectural schools and even the concept of style – and then, importantly, add your own contributions. Bonus to creative pursuits.
[To create - and be creative - is to be immortal.]
Artful Dodger | +2
You were always on the move - and ran, rowed, pitched balls or lifted weights. These days, you can run faster, jump higher and climb surer than your peers. If the mortal body is a biological machine, you are a most skilled conductor of its workings.
[Run swifter. Dodge cleaner. Climb higher.]
Thespian | +1
Half a fool and half a hero - you are whatever, whenever. You can mimic the voice of another person at will, or the sounds made by any creature.
[Acting, baby! It's the life - and you can certainly play your part.]
Perceptive | +1
You know what's going on, even when others don't. You're quick to react, and any cove looking to surprise you has their work cut out for them.
[You can sense the riot before it happens. The blow before it lands.]
Electro-Chemycal | +1
There is an animal within you. A beast! - one longing to be unleashed to indulge and enjoy. It lets you straight up love, and be loved, by all the awful, lurid substances that cloud the mind, cleanse the body and gladden the hearts of men.
[Need to get blitzed and still stay on your feet? Or talk to someone blasted out of their skull? El-Chem is there to guide you.]
TRADES
The fruits of training, dedication and the sweat of your brow.
The fruits of training, dedication and the sweat of your brow.
Author | +1
You wrote words for a living. Speeches. Diatribes. Essays. Articles. If ever printed ink held the power to move men's hearts and electrify their souls - this is a power that you wielded.
[Good for newspaper critics, Communard pamphleteers and freelance journalists.]
Fingersmith | +2
If it was in a bag or in a pocket - you could take it. If it was behind a locked door or guarded vault - you could spring it. And you did.
[Handy with a Lockpick and skilled at picking pockets. That's what you are.]
Card Shark | +2
You know the rules, and - what's more - you know the players. Or at least how to read them. Be it back-alley baccarat, a noble hand of whist or even plain poker - if there's chance involved, you can swing it.
[You don't cheat. You don't have to. In games of chance, like it or not - you know when to hold'em, know when to fold'em, know when to walk away.]
Occultist | +3
There is a world beyond our own. Where the air is silver-bright and frost is black upon the glass. You have dealt in its ways, its rules, its rituals. You know what awaits you there. And maybe it knows you.
[Useful for dealing with the restless dead, speaking with spirits and practicing the Invisible Arts.]
Tinkerer | +3
Were you an apprentice sparksmith? Or blackthumbed machinist? Whatever the case, with the right materials and equipment, you can move the world - or at least jury-rig it.
[Useful for creating items. Requires access to Tools.]
Gun-Trained | +2
You wore a uniform and marched in lock-step. When the radio sang of the Boy With the Golden Scythe - it sang of you. Maybe you used to be a Gendarme? Or spent time in a regional militia? Whatever the case, you know the basics of firearms drill.
[Bonus to gunplay, powder and shot.]
Chemyst | +3
The blood of science - acids and biomass - form the building blocks of the World-That-Is.
[Useful for crafting strange and esoteric substances like alcohol, drugs and gunpowder. Requires access to a Laboratory.]
Pugilist | +2
Be it Barrack-room boxing, Fairground prize-wrestling or bastardized Kara-Te - you know more than the mere basics. Enough to show off. Enough to hurt.
[Bonus to brawling with your hands and feet.]
Tracksman | +1
You know how to observe, chase and track. Whatever your prey, you will either have it - or at least know where it went.
[You can stalk and track, seek and find.]
Scrapper +2
With club or knife, sword or hatchet any man can be a danger. But you? - you, bratan, can be deadly. Be it back-alley knifery or formal duelling, you know your stuff.
[Bonus to brawling with a weapon to hand.]
Chef | +1
'Butchering', 'braizing' and 'boiling' are just words to some. To you, they are a way of life. With access to but a few simple utensils, you can make a feast of even the blandest fare. And with spices, you are a veritable magician.
[The food you make is worth more, and heals more.]
Hawker | +1
For both fun and profit - but mostly profit - you've devoted much of your time to optimizing business expenses and balancing your books. Whenever you deal, trade and sell - you tend to walk away with more gilder than others would.
[Bonus to bargaining and negotiating.]
Medicus | +2
By dint of careful study, you have become familiar with the basics of human biology, medicine and the symptoms of common illnesses.
[Bonus to healing, be it yourself or others that you choose to tend to.]
Tattooist | +2
Your body is a canvas, and you have mastered the art of inscribing designs into flesh using inks and needles. Your tattoos are in high demand.
[Your indelible marks adorn the elite and the rabble alike.]
Sawbones | +2
While not quite a trained doctor, you have field experience tending to wounds, setting bones, and amateur surgeries out of necessity.
[When limbs need sawing and wounds need binding, they call on you.]
Sanguisuge | +2
You practice the ancient art of leech therapy and bloodletting to treat ailments and balance "humors." An unsavory but legitimate trade.
[The loathsome yet helpful leech is both your tool and friend.]
FLAWS
Those parts of yourself you'd rather not talk about.
Those parts of yourself you'd rather not talk about.
Stigmatized | -2
Due to your heritage, appearance, or past deeds, you are shunned and looked down upon by many in Hsin-Yao society.
[The looks of disdain and derision follow you wherever you go.]
Debtor | -3
You are deep in debt to some very unsavory sorts, who will stop at nothing to collect what's owed...with interest.
[The loan sharks are always circling, waiting to take a pound of flesh.]
Vengeful| -1
You cannot let go of grievances, no matter how small or long ago. This has made you quite a few enemies over the years.
[Hell hath no fury like you, once you've been crossed!]
Illiterate | -2
You simply can't read. Letters quiver! Sentences crumble! While you can still get the gist of logos or short words - reading anything beyond the briefest sentence is sadly beyond you.
[Books, letters, pamphlets and newspapers are little more than kindling to you.]
Addiction | -2
It's not that you want it, you just need it.
[If you don't get your fix, you will suffer a cumulative -1 to Focus and +1 to Stress until you either kick the habit - or it kicks you.]
Craven | -3
When the senses are shaken, and the soul is driven to madness - who can stand?
[Malus to brawling, be it unarmed or with a weapon to hand.]
Unlucky Stars | -1
As a rule, games of chance tend to unnerve and unsettle you. They trigger your temper, quiver your knees, and crack your voice! If Lady Luck is a hooker - you're just perpetually out of cash.
[For whatever reason, gambling just isn't your forte.]
Oddball | -2
Be it eyes of distinctly different colors, a queer gait or even a specific way of talking - there's just something about you that people remember.
[When you're involved in something illegal, you tend to draw more Heat.]
Haunted | -1
You are haunted by dreadful nightmares; courtesy of horrors real or imagined.
[Unless drugged into a stupor by laudanum, there is a small-but-distinct chance you will recover no Focus, even after a full night's sleep.]
Criminal History | -1
You are, for better or worse, a 'known quantity' in the criminal underworld. The Gendarmes of the International Settlement have your name and number on file.
[And they will likely find your presence in Hsin-Yao very interesting. Oh, yes.]
Arrogant | -1
You can't help it. There's simply a distinctive whiff of blue-blooded condescencion about you. Needless to say, it rubs people the wrong way.
[People tend to dislike you. Probably because they're intimidated by your royal bearing and alpha-masculine attitude.]
Shot-Shy | -2
Guns, and even the prospect of gunfire, terrifies you. Not so much using them yourself, mind - but being threathened by them? No. No, thank you.
[Oh, blast. They've got guns! Facing firearmed assailants costs you extra Stress.]
Deformity | -3
It's a scar that aches on cold days, a withered hand lost to disease, or just a plain old limp. Whatever the case, you're not quite as nimble as everyone else!
[Penalty to running. Climbing. Jumping. It's hard, okay?]
Superstitous | -2
Sorcery, and those that practice it, can not be trusted. For whatever reason, you have a hard time dealing with servants of the supranatural.
[Facing spookums and sorcery cost you extra Stress.]
Sickly | -3
Be it a distinct shortness of breath or an unhealthy pallor to your skin - it is clear, even at a glance, that you are ailing.
[-2 Vis and Max Vis.]
Bad Aim | -2
Try as you might, you simply can't shoot straight. And Lord, how you've tried.
[Penalty to operating firearms. Swinging them as impromptu clubs is fine, though.]
How do you deal with stress?
Your Vice is simply your favorite distraction. Criminal capers and day-to-day survival out in the Circus will more than likely mean you need it. That's where your Vice comes in. Vices help you deal.
FAITH
You’re dedicated to the worship and prayer-songs of an unseen power.
[A forgotten god from the dark between the stars, a sainted ancestor, et cetera.]
GAMBLING
You crave games of chance, betting on sporting events and the rattle of dice.
[For there is a moment, when the dice flies, when nothing is certain and everything is real. In that moment, you are King.]
LUXURY
Expensive or ostentatious displays of opulence. It doesn't need to be in good taste - but it does need to be flash.
[Does it have gold filigree and roseate marble? Does it come with ermine sleeves or tripple-layered chocolate frosting? Then you must have it.]
OBLIGATION
You’re devoted to a family, a cause, an organization. A venerable charity, a sacred brotherhood or secret coven.
[By your deeds, you honor them. By your oath, they keep you.]
PLEASURE
Gratification from lovers, food, drink, drugs, art, theater.
[For your heart can resist anything except temptation.]
STUPOR
You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drinking to excess, getting beaten to a pulp in the fighting pits. Whatever the hurt, whatever the cost, you can always do one more.
[Just one more.]
WEIRD
You experiment with strange essences, seek truths behind the surfaces of moonlit mirrors, consort with rogue spirits and observe bizarre rituals or taboos beyond the ken of polite society.
[Iä! Iä!]
. . .
And - once you've chosen your vice?
Who's your purveyor?
Your Vice is simply your favorite distraction. Criminal capers and day-to-day survival out in the Circus will more than likely mean you need it. That's where your Vice comes in. Vices help you deal.
FAITH
You’re dedicated to the worship and prayer-songs of an unseen power.
[A forgotten god from the dark between the stars, a sainted ancestor, et cetera.]
GAMBLING
You crave games of chance, betting on sporting events and the rattle of dice.
[For there is a moment, when the dice flies, when nothing is certain and everything is real. In that moment, you are King.]
LUXURY
Expensive or ostentatious displays of opulence. It doesn't need to be in good taste - but it does need to be flash.
[Does it have gold filigree and roseate marble? Does it come with ermine sleeves or tripple-layered chocolate frosting? Then you must have it.]
OBLIGATION
You’re devoted to a family, a cause, an organization. A venerable charity, a sacred brotherhood or secret coven.
[By your deeds, you honor them. By your oath, they keep you.]
PLEASURE
Gratification from lovers, food, drink, drugs, art, theater.
[For your heart can resist anything except temptation.]
STUPOR
You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drinking to excess, getting beaten to a pulp in the fighting pits. Whatever the hurt, whatever the cost, you can always do one more.
[Just one more.]
WEIRD
You experiment with strange essences, seek truths behind the surfaces of moonlit mirrors, consort with rogue spirits and observe bizarre rituals or taboos beyond the ken of polite society.
[Iä! Iä!]
. . .
And - once you've chosen your vice?
Who's your purveyor?
TOOLS
Crowbar - A satisfyingly heavy crowbar - known as a 'Prybar' back home - can break locks, doors and arms in almost equal measure.
Lockpick - A handly little thing for discreetly picking mechanical locks. Just don't let the Gendarmes catch you with it!
Laboratory - Beakers, flasks, a siv and some truly ghastly jars. Useful for crafting strange, mysterious chemicals.
Bandolier - Made from worked leather or oiled linen, a good bandolier makes having just the right item to hand that much easier.
Kitchenware - Rather a set of items moreso than just one thing - be it a whisk, a ladle or any number of pots and pans. Useful for preparing food that's good enough to sell; or at least worthy of the name.
Lighter - Pocket-sized mechanical lighters aren't cheap. In fact, in Hsin-Yao, they're very much a status symbol. Useful for exploring dark places, or lighting your cigarillo with a careless flick of the wrist.
Disguise Kit - Powder, rouge, base and eyeliner, along with a pocket-mirror and who knows what else? An impressive array of expert appliances to fool the eye.
Mechanical Tools - Another set of not-very-specific tools, be it a miniature lense, a small lathe, a ball-peen hammer and perhaps a pair of pliers. Useful for crafting handy equipment.
ARMOR & CLOTHING
Chestplate - A big, clunky metal-plated vest - like something out of a Rennaisance painting. It'll turn many a blow, for sure - and more than a few bullets, too. But you weren't born to be subtle.
Dark-Sight Goggles - Darkened lenses in metal fittings that'll make the dimmest night seem like the brightest day.
Shadow-Cloak - Black, sleek and not even the least bit frumpy - this cloak greatly helps its wearer blend with the dark.
Spring-Heeled Boots - Tall leather boots with a bit more to them than meets the eye. If you need to get up on a ledge or over a fence - these are a good bet.
Waxed Coat - Heavy leather coat. Wards off most blows and shallow cuts.
Fancy Duds - Lookin' good! Is this a sharply pressed suit? A florid evening gown? A burgundy sash and silk-sleeved shirt? Whatever the case, it should let you blend right in with High Society.
Spiritbane Charm - This innocuous-looking charm - traditionally of carved whale bone - is deeply feared by spirits.
Spirit Mask - An arcane item that allows the trained user to see supernatural energies in grim detail. Also affords some measure of protection against ghostly possession.
[Each mask is unique. What does yours look like? What makes it strange and disturbing?]
WEAPONS
Cane-Sword - A slim sword and its sheath, disguised as a nobleman's cane. It will probably fool a cursory inspection.
[Probably.]
Palm-Pistol - A small firearm with a weak charge, easily concealed up a sleeve or in a waistcoat.
[Single shot.]
Knife - This slim, functional-looking blade does exactly what you'd expect.
Knuckle-Dusters - Rugged, ugly and decidedly impolite, they're pretty handy in a fight!
[No pun intended.]
Flintlock Pistol - A variety of different models - from the machine-stamped A9 'Armistice' to the Thénian 'Sarduur-Noir' - are common on the streets of Hsin-Yao. Is yours a gang-marked piece with a bone-paneled grip? Or a no-nonsense Gendarme-issue with a boot-blacked barrel?
[Get creative.]
Musket - Heavy, intimidating, and effective at up to 100 meters - muzzle-loading muskets are never-the-less slow to reload, and only good for a single shot.
[Thankfully.]
MISCELLANEOUS
Sparkware Torch - A clear yellow lense in a brass housing. Just add a battery - and there you go.
[Light, eternal.]
Spirit-Key - An arcane device that can open ghost doors. There's an echo of the entire city, across the ages, trapped in the ghost field. Sometimes a door to that place can be found.
[There are many doors. Death is but the first.]
Loaded Dice - A plain-looking pair of dice configured to favor a specific outcome. Gamblers caught using these tend to face some pretty severe consequences.
Manacles - A souvenior from your latest brush with the Gendarmes?
[Good for restraining an otherwise unwilling victim.]
Spyglass - Finely-cut lenses arranged in a collapsible wooden tube. Useful for viewing far-off things as though they were up close.
[Can be attached to a musket with little effort.]
Lotus Pipe - To some, a chariot of dreams. To others, a key to smoky misery.
[Useful for imbibing certain smokey black vapours.]
CONSUMABLES
Canned Food - Consumed by the turn. Handy for avoiding starvation.
[1 Food = 1 Turn = 1 Week.]
Thénian Whiskey - A rare destillation, potent both in its alcohol and its ability to impress.
[Drink with care.]
Laudanum - A brown, treakly concoction said to calm the nerves, dull the senses and even deny sleepers entry to the Kingdoms of Dream.
[Save us, O Laud, from the dream-lit realms.]
Cat - Eats your food. Purrs occasionally. Nice to have around.
[Meow.]
Batteries - Handy for powering any number of gadgets and sparkware devices.
[Just slot it in.]
Smoke Bomb - Crack its copper casing, and this innocent-looking tube spills forth a room-full of oily black smoke.
[Perfect for hiding, blinding or tactical retreats.]
Ammunition - A paper-packed cartridge. Used in firearms.
[Ready, aim, fire.]
Black Lotus - Commonly sold in well-appointed dens and parlors across Shin-Yao, this tarry black resin is smoked in decorated pipes. Induces coma-like stupor and visions.
[Dangerously addictive.]
VIS
Your vitality and bodily integrity. Max 8 by default. Starts from 8. You lose Vis whenever you are injured or due to medical conditions, lack of sleep or starvation. To maintain your Vis, you must eat once a day. If you do not manage to get any food during the day, lose 1 Vis and 1 Max Vis. Avoid starvation at all costs. Please keep track of your VIS throughout the story.
FOCUS
How focused you are. Goes from 0 to... just about anywhere, but stands at 1 by default. Can be increased and decreased by modifiers. When doing combat or risky business, your focus is taken into account to calculate results.
HEAT
Accumulated attention from the forces of law and order - which, in Hsin-Yao, usually means Gendarmes. The higher your accumulated Heat, the more severe the pressure.
GILDER
The currency of the Clockwork Circus. Comes in the form of good old cash notes or plain coins. Either earn it through hard work - or steal it like an honest hoodlum. The government award refugees with a credit slip worth a paltry 5 G to start their new lives. Keep in mind - physical cash can also be stolen.
ITEMS
The items you carry around. You can carry as many as you want, within reason. Please, keep track of the items you have.
AREAS
The Clockwork Circus and Hsin-Yao as a whole are both divided into a handful of areas, a few kilometers or so wide. Each area contains several different Locations. You can explore areas to find new locations.
LANDMARKS
Each landmark is typically a building, or part of a building offering some kind of service or opportunity for work. Some abandoned landmarks may be scavenged for resources.
SCRAP
Rusty metalware that can be reprocessed into useful materials. The bones of industry!
SPARKWARE
Copper wiring that can be taken apart and used to make new stuff. The nerves of progress!
CHEMICALS
Biomass, acids and petroleum derivatives. The blood of science!
FOOD
Comes in many shapes and forms. Each can have a different side-effect. Be sure to consume 1 unit of food each day.
STRESS
Stress is the unfortunate side-effect of living in the Clockwork Circus. In the mechanics of this RP, gaining Stress can both help you avoid bad consequences as well as earn better outcomes. However, be careful. When your character gains enough stress, they suffer trauma.
TRAUMA
Trauma usually takes the form of a condition: Cold, Reckless, Unstable, et cetera. You can come back from trauma, but it'll most likely flavor your writing. Leave you shaken. Drained. Mad, bad and dangerous to know.
Your vitality and bodily integrity. Max 8 by default. Starts from 8. You lose Vis whenever you are injured or due to medical conditions, lack of sleep or starvation. To maintain your Vis, you must eat once a day. If you do not manage to get any food during the day, lose 1 Vis and 1 Max Vis. Avoid starvation at all costs. Please keep track of your VIS throughout the story.
FOCUS
How focused you are. Goes from 0 to... just about anywhere, but stands at 1 by default. Can be increased and decreased by modifiers. When doing combat or risky business, your focus is taken into account to calculate results.
HEAT
Accumulated attention from the forces of law and order - which, in Hsin-Yao, usually means Gendarmes. The higher your accumulated Heat, the more severe the pressure.
GILDER
The currency of the Clockwork Circus. Comes in the form of good old cash notes or plain coins. Either earn it through hard work - or steal it like an honest hoodlum. The government award refugees with a credit slip worth a paltry 5 G to start their new lives. Keep in mind - physical cash can also be stolen.
ITEMS
The items you carry around. You can carry as many as you want, within reason. Please, keep track of the items you have.
AREAS
The Clockwork Circus and Hsin-Yao as a whole are both divided into a handful of areas, a few kilometers or so wide. Each area contains several different Locations. You can explore areas to find new locations.
LANDMARKS
Each landmark is typically a building, or part of a building offering some kind of service or opportunity for work. Some abandoned landmarks may be scavenged for resources.
SCRAP
Rusty metalware that can be reprocessed into useful materials. The bones of industry!
SPARKWARE
Copper wiring that can be taken apart and used to make new stuff. The nerves of progress!
CHEMICALS
Biomass, acids and petroleum derivatives. The blood of science!
FOOD
Comes in many shapes and forms. Each can have a different side-effect. Be sure to consume 1 unit of food each day.
STRESS
Stress is the unfortunate side-effect of living in the Clockwork Circus. In the mechanics of this RP, gaining Stress can both help you avoid bad consequences as well as earn better outcomes. However, be careful. When your character gains enough stress, they suffer trauma.
TRAUMA
Trauma usually takes the form of a condition: Cold, Reckless, Unstable, et cetera. You can come back from trauma, but it'll most likely flavor your writing. Leave you shaken. Drained. Mad, bad and dangerous to know.
