the silt verses rpg

FAITH SHEETS

The Trawler-Man 2 The Waxen Scrivener 8

The Pox Martyr 4 The Cairn Maiden 10

The Saint Electric 6 The Watcher in the Wings 12

 faith sheet
THE TRAWLER MAN
Sculptor of Tide and Flesh • Father-in-the-Water • The Mouth Devouring and The Mouth Returning
For centuries, worshippers of the Trawler-Man—the so-called Parish of Tide and Flesh—practiced their faith up and down the waters of the White Gull River, making sacrifices to their
god that walks beneath the tides. While the faith has been outlawed and its followers wiped out or forced into hiding, some still practice the old ways in secret. As a child of the water, you feel its
presence no matter where you go. The winding river is unpredictable—sometimes flooding its banks to swallow everything in reach, at other times receding to leave strange gifts poking from
the mud. But deep down, you know that the river will one day rise and reclaim the settlements that intrude on its borders, heralding a wondrous new kingdom of life reshaped in silt.

Moves drowned, dragged, delivered

You have developed a fierce instinct for survival after enduring
You start with twin mouths .
altar Pick one or make up your own.
A murky aquarium or mason jar, stirring with aquatic life; a crab trap, twin mouths
persecution for your faith and losing people close to you at the
hands of the authorities. When you do something ruthless or illegal
lined with barnacles and bait hooks; a forgotten well or water tank, You know the two faces of the Trawler-Man, shifting like the tides, each in service of the Trawler-Man, mark a box below to automatically
its still waters thick with algae; a rusted tackle box with a hidden wondrous and terrible to look upon. You always have one of the following succeed, no roll needed. When the last box is marked, you are
compartment; a small fishing boat, hidden among the reeds
Conditions, which cannot be cleared—The Mouth Devouring or The confronted by an authority who attempts to capture or kill you. You
Mouth Returning—and each time you use this move, you will switch from may mark the Verse of Prophecy to clear the checkboxes and gain
The Verse of Prophecy one to the other. You start with The Mouth Devouring. access to this move again.
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire The Mouth Devouring. You can consume any object or material—
this character to safety and obscurity instead of evidence, ritual objects, small creatures—without harm to your
writing this verse; tell the other Custodians what body. When you sacrifice something from the land to the water—a the garden below
the future holds for you. Otherwise, mark the first piece of technology, a monument, a sign of modern “progress”— The Trawler-Man’s domain is a kingdom of wonder, for those who
unmarked box. make your next roll with advantage and switch this Condition to open themselves to it. When you submerge yourself in a body of
The Mouth Returning. water large enough to drown in, roll with Vitality.
Psalm: Narrate a flashback
The Whispered Psalm:
The Mouth Returning. You can call water from the ground to form On a hit, clear a Condition and choose one from the list below. On a
to a time when the Parish of Tide and Flesh 10+, choose two.
accepted you as one of their own. a small pool, fill an empty vessel to overflowing, or to wash away
signs of your passage. When you allow the river to speak through You don’t attract any unwanted attention.
Circle Narrate a flashback to
The Ashen Circle: you, it spews forth a torrent of muddy water and silt from your You feel renewed by the invigorating waters—make
a time when you were filled with terror and throat, revealing either a memento for your Altar, or a Clue related your next roll with advantage.
revulsion after witnessing a sacred miracle to an active Assignment—your choice. When you do so, switch this
of the faith. Increase your Communion by 1 You find a Clue—tell the Keeper what it is. The Clue
condition to The Mouth Devouring. cannot conclusively answer a Question by itself.
(Max 3).
Revelation Narrate a
The Bleeding Revelation: the drowning song On a 12+, you also find an item; ask another Custodian what it is
and then add it to your Altar.
flashback to a time when the river first You can always hear the voice of the great river. Once per session, when you
spoke to you directly, and you felt small and
insignificant in its vast currents. From now
gaze into a body of water and ask the Trawler-Man for a sign to guide your
way, a reflection that is not your own gazes back from the depths. Roll three the fiddler's feast
on, when sharing a vulnerable moment with dice and set them aside. You can then exchange one die from the set aside dice You know the ritual that calls the Trawler-Man’s angels, eager to
for a die in a future roll, at which point all the set aside dice go away. The set feast on what is offered. These creatures might take the form of a
another Custodian during the Journey phase,
aside dice go away if they are not used by the end of the session. swarm of chirping crabs, lobsters large as dogs, a tide of ravenous
you must find a way to mention the rising eels, hungry barnacles poking through the ground, or something
river or the inevitable flood in conversation.
Crucible Narrate a scene
The Sweltering Crucible: bound by the current else. When you mark an offering of flesh for sacrifice, roll with
Communion. If you have the Condition: The Mouth Devouring,
in the present day showing a newfound You know someone from the faith who wants to bring you back into the fold. roll with advantage.
conviction in your faith. You can shape and They are sympathetic to your cause and will aid you in any task—describe
your relationship to this Side Character. Mark the box below when you call On a hit, the angels accept your offering and devour it.
command sources of water from a distance— On a 7-9, choose 1. On a 10+, choose 2.
enough to drag someone under or flood a on them for assistance; any rolls associated with actions they help you with
are taken with advantage. They will then ask you for something in return; The angels are sated and leave without devouring
room. When you channel the river and
unmark the box below when you complete the task they set you to. You anything else.
tides, make your next roll with advantage.
cannot trigger this move so long as the box below is marked. The angels leave no trace of evidence behind.
If the next roll results in a miss, take the
Condition: Flooded in addition to any other The angels leave behind a treasure from the river—add
consequences. Additionally, when you would mark the Verse of Prophecy, you may cross off it to your Altar.
Ascended Say your Final Prayer.
The Flesh Ascended: this move instead. Narrate a scene that shows how you allow your friend to On a miss, the angels attempt to claim you for their feast instead;
suffer the fallout of your reckless actions. You can no longer use this move. immediately make the Revelation Move.
 final prayer
THE RIVER RISES
As the pattern of the tides foretold, the time of reckoning has come. Every town built along the river is a parasite,
always taking more and more, giving nothing back to the sacred river. Every bridge and dam is a pitiful imitation
of the majesty that lies beneath the tides. It is time to right the balance and start anew. As you complete the final
prayer mark which calls forth the Wither Tide, describe how an area the size of a small town is devastated by a
massive flood, each resident and structure transformed by the living depths. What wondrous and terrible shapes
now emerge from the water in a steady, sodden march, bearing the tides inland?
 faith sheet
THE POX MARTYR
Brother Boil and Sister Sore • It Should Have Been Me
Monks of the Retchman’s Order practice a radical form of self-sacrifice by ritually transferring the ailments You were one of them, once. But try as you might, you could never heal all of the hurt. Despite years of
of others into their own bodies. These Pox Monks can be found throughout the territories, but especially in practice, learning to bear the suffering of others so that they would live a bit longer, you could not fully accept
rural places without hospitals or access to modern medicine. By many accounts, faith alone can heal—and the work as a blessing. No matter how fierce the fire of your courage—the pain never ends. And yet, without
who could question the conviction of a healer willing to take on the worst ailments themselves? you, who else would step up? For better or worse, this cruel and twisted world still needs you.

Moves a life of service

You start with let it pass unto me . You have traveled far and wide as a member of the Retchman’s Order, saving

altar Pick one or make up your own.

A f ield medic’s kit in a battered steel case; an antique
let it pass unto me
Draw a vertical line on your character sheet bisecting the Conditions
many lives. The first time you arrive at a new Assignment, you can find a
Side Character who remembers you for your service. The Keeper will tell
you who it is; describe how you helped them in the past, then choose two:
doctor’s briefcase, with musty leather with brass clasps;
an heirloom patchwork blanket, covered in small jars lines; you can have up to six Conditions instead of the normal three. Other The Side Character warns you about a Danger nearby.
and bundles of homemade remedies; a stretcher from a Custodians can clear physical Conditions by passing them to you in a ritual of The Side Character has a gift for you—ask another player what it is, then add it to
decommissioned ambulance, hung with prayer tags of transference, provided you have time and a reasonably safe space to do so. your Altar.
various faiths; an abandoned roadside clinic containing
scattered supplies and donations When you transfer a physical Condition from a Custodian to yourself, or a The Side Character will assist you with a single task; gain advantage on the first roll
physical ailment from a Side Character to yourself, note it as a Condition on involving that Side Character when pursuing it.
The Verse of Prophecy your sheet and roll with Vitality. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+, choose two.
You gain an insight about the illness in the form of a Clue; tell the Keeper what it is.
of one flock
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire When acting in defense of a community, you can call on the residents of
this character to safety and obscurity instead You gain an insight about a nearby Danger; the Keeper will describe it.
that community to come together and assist the Custodians in resolving an
of writing this verse; tell the other Custodians You receive a gift (if healing a Side Character). Ask another player what it is, Assignment. Each Custodian present at the Assignment when you trigger the
then add it to your Altar.
what the future holds for you. Otherwise, move, including you, can name a Side Character who joins the effort; that
The ritual does not attract unwanted attention.
mark the first unmarked box. Custodian gets advantage on any rolls associated with that Side Character until
You cannot clear your own Conditions with the Journey Move. Instead, you the Assignment is resolved. The Keeper cannot introduce elements that would
Psalm: Narrate a
The Whispered Psalm: may perform your Personal Ritual during the Journey Move to discover prevent the community from gathering once the move is triggered.
flashback to a time when you wished a Clue for an ongoing Assignment; tell the Keeper what it is. The Clue When you are ready to lead the community effort, give a speech to the gathered
to bear someone's suffering for them. cannot conclusively answer a Question by itself. community about making sacrifices for each other, not only the gods, then roll
Circle Narrate a
The Ashen Circle: You may clear a Condition of your choice when you do any of the following: (no Ability). Add 1 to the roll for each Condition you have transferred to yourself
flashback to your early training in the Put yourself in harm’s way to protect someone else. from any Side Characters present.
Retchman’s Order, when you learned Assist a Side Character in a task without accepting payment. On a hit, reduce the Complexity of a Question connected to the Assignment by 2.
to transfer the afflictions of others to Give a Side Character a helpful item; cross it off your Altar. On a 7-9, a Side Character will demand something of the Custodians for putting
your own body. What was the first Narrate a scene where you listen to the troubles of a Side Character and offer their community in danger.
“blessing” you took on? Increase them counsel. On a 12+, you also uncover a Conspiracy Clue.
your Communion by 1 (Max 3). Hold an overnight vigil over a sick or dying person. On a miss, a Danger manifests and threatens the community.
The Bleeding Revelation:
Revelation If at any time you have six Conditions and would take a seventh, you must When you trigger this move, mark the box below; the move cannot be triggered
Narrate a flashback to a time you instead mark the Verse of Prophecy. again if the box is marked. You can unmark the box when you have no Conditions;
lacked the courage or conviction if you had no Conditions when the move triggered, leave the box unmarked.
to heal someone by taking on their what was bestowed
affliction. Hereafter, when you You have taken on and recovered from many “blessings”—but some take
encounter a Side Character for the
first time, you can ask the Keeper
root and become something more. When you declare that one of your
Conditions can never be healed, make a note that it is permanent. Then, what sickness dwells
mark a box below: You can draw out the sickness that festers in ruined places. When you seek to cleanse
what ails them; the Keeper will a Location of its affliction, ask the Keeper what haunts or harms it, then roll with
answer honestly. You no longer require (circle one): food, water, sleep.
Vitality. On a 10+, the affliction is cleansed and you may choose one from the list
You can communicate with animals, and wild creatures regard you as an ally.
The Sweltering Crucible:
Crucible below. On a 7-9, as above, but you also take the cleansed affliction as a Condition. On
You have limited command of (circle one): earth, wind, fire, water.
Narrate a scene in the present day a miss, the affliction is not cleansed and you also take it as a Condition.
showing how you are determined
to serve your faith again, no matter
touched by the angels Other Custodians may clear a Condition the first time they return to this Location and rest.
Your exposure to countless gods and their angels gives you a tangible You may clear up to two Conditions the first time you return to this Location and rest.
what happens to you. insight into their effects on the body. Add 1 to your Communion (Max 3). Ask the Keeper to describe a Danger related to a current Assignment; it will no longer
Ascended Say your
The Flesh Ascended: You can always discern if an illness was caused by a god or other divine appear in this Location.
Final Prayer. source. The first time you act on that information, roll with advantage. This move can only be used once per Assignment.
 final prayer
THY TREMBLING FLESH
BEAR WITNESS
“O Kindly Pair, hearken to me,
Brother that itches, Sister that drips,
My flesh is yours. I make my plea.
What was bestowed—let it flow from them, and pass to me.
What harm was done—let it flow from them, and pass to me.
What sickness dwells—let it flow from them, and pass to me.
What poisons, what chokes, what twists, what breaks—let it pass to me!”
- Invocation of the Retchman's Order -
Narrate a scene in which you draw out the sickness of the land around you, of every person suffering needlessly
without hope of relief. What new life blooms as the land is cleansed? What possibilities open within each person,
now freed of their burden? What revelations bloom in your weary flesh, endless intricate prayer marks folding in
on themselves as you are consumed in a blazing pyre of agony?
 faith sheet
THE SAINT ELECTRIC
Maiden of the Caged Sun • Madame Light • The Blazing Martyr • The Neon Messiah
Easily the most well-known deity across the Peninsula, her prayer-stamps appear on every household appliance and piece of industrial machinery. The Saint’s iconography depicts a
silhouetted woman, wreathed in flame, caught within the grid-bars of an electrical circuit. Everyone knows of her, but most forget her past as an ancient fire deity, fueled by mass sacrifice
during drawn-out wars which transformed entire towns into smoldering, immortal charcoal saints. The Saint’s sacrifices are carried out more discreetly now, in wind farms and power plants
far from the public eye. You served the Saint once—after enduring the agonizing blessing of her touch, you gained miraculous abilities as a conduit of her sacred currents. Your path forward is
less certain now, but She is never far from you—speaking through the radio, humming through cables underground, illuminating entire cities with her radiance.

Moves
You start with sacred conduit.
sacred conduit ghost in the machine
altar Pick one or make up your own.
A circuit board, soldered with fragments of sacred relics; a toolbox
A spark of the Saint’s power still lives within you. When you channel the You have a keen understanding of the miracles of the Divine
full of rare parts from salvaged electronics; a vintage portable radio, divine currents of the Saint Electric, mark a Charge box and make your Current. Increase your Insight by 1 (max 3). Once per session,
covered in re-stamped foil prayer marks; a portable generator, next roll with advantage. If another move already gives you advantage, roll when you encounter an object, device, or apparatus that uses
bristling with various outlets, ports, and cables; a sacrificial birdcage, with double advantage (roll 4 dice and take the two highest results, or make electricity, you may tell the Keeper an unknown fact about
complete with heating coil and spark wires
disadvantage into advantage). how the Saint powers it. When acting on this information, roll
with advantage.
The Verse of Prophecy
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire a voice in the static
this character to safety and obscurity instead of When the Charge track is full, an arc of raw divine current erupts from The Saint favors radio as a means to communicate with
writing this verse; tell the other Custodians what your body. Roll with Vitality. On a hit, unmark all Charge boxes. On a 7-9, her followers; her steel signal towers are found almost
the future holds for you. Otherwise, mark the first choose one. One a 10+, choose 2: everywhere. When you tune into the airwaves, your
unmarked box. The divine lightning discharges safely, without striking anyone nearby. consciousness spreading across the landscape like a radiant
Mechanical objects nearby are unaffected and do not become a Danger. lattice of energy, roll with Communion. On a hit, you
Psalm: Narrate a flashback
The Whispered Psalm: are answered by an entity or Danger related to an active
to the time the Saint touched you directly, The divine current reveals a Clue—tell the Keeper what it is. Assignment. You may ask two questions from the list below.
in the blinding, agonizing grace of her On a miss, you are transformed into an immortal saint of the divine current; The answer will not come directly, but in the form of a
currents, and your miraculous survival. describe it and then retire this character. Clue—or a description that reveals a Clue nearby. On a 10+,
Circle Narrate a flashback
The Ashen Circle: your radio conversation does not alert anyone or anything to
to the time when you discovered your new inspired circuitry your whereabouts.
abilities, and were contracted in service to You are skilled at connecting dormant objects to the divine current. Add the Where is your haunt?
the Saint. Increase your Communion by 1 following items to your Altar: Consecrated Electrician’s Tools, Sanctified What do you hunger for?
(Max 3). Cables, Hallowed Battery. Additionally, when you improvise in a situation
Revelation Narrate a
The Bleeding Revelation: using whatever is at hand, ask the other players and Keeper to name three other What do you intend to do?
flashback to the tragic incident which electric or mechanical objects you find in the environment. So long as you can What frightens or angers you?
caused you to step down from the Saint’s give a plausible explanation for how one or more of these objects can help you
with an action, you have advantage on a single roll related to that action. How can I help you to ?
service. Why do you blame yourself for what
happened?
Crucible Narrate a scene
The Sweltering Crucible: the body electric brand recognition
in the present day showing how you are You have embedded a piece of hallowed circuitry under your skin. You can The sign of the Saint is so commonplace that no one questions
vibrant and glowing in your faith again. How communicate with other Custodians telepathically over long distances, power the methods or purpose of anyone bearing her insignia. Add 1
does your appearance begin to mirror the simple electronic devices by touch, and cause a part of your body to illuminate to your Presence (max 3). Once per session, you can enter any
Saint? Residents of the cities view you with at will. If you would be struck dead, the Saint’s circuitry will respond with Location without drawing suspicion or being questioned about
wonder and fear. Roll with advantage when a shock that reanimates your body. Narrate the moment of your miraculous your activities. When you leverage your association with the
giving commands to city-dwellers or acting recovery, then mark the box below and lose access to this move. Faith Electric to gain someone’s trust or gather information,
in the name of the Faith Electric. roll with advantage.
Ascended Say your Final Prayer.
The Flesh Ascended:
 final prayer
BLACKOUT
Your Saint, radiant in her cage of blazing wire, opens her arms to welcome you home. You, her chosen herald, glow
bright as the sun as you draw upon the network of her countless worshippers, receiving the divine current as you
become a beacon of the Faith Electric. Narrate a scene that shows you channel the power of an entire city grid, caus-
ing an immediate blackout. What glorious sacrifices are made in Her name in the aftermath? What transcendent
new form do you take as you tower over the land, bright and terrible for all to see?
 faith sheet
THE WAXEN SCRIVENER
The Eight-Limbed Scrivener • The Black Beetle of Knowing and Forgetting • The Endless Inkwell
Followers of the Waxen Scrivener devote their lives to the recording of knowledge—scribbling down every keen insight, every tantalizing observation onto sheets of parchment or in
old journals—and then abandoning it. They leave their wealth of pages to rot in the back rooms of old verminous bookshops and dank ancestral libraries. Some even cultivate colonies
of rats, bookworms, and paper-flies for the purpose of destroying the pages. The sacred act is putting down pen to paper—that’s the sacrifice the Scrivener requires. And knowledge,
like skin, must be shed to be renewed.

Moves the paperflesh covenant

You start with paper & ink . The Waxen Scrivener uses you as its own medium for recording
altar Pick one or make up your own.
A portable writing desk, foldable and easily stored in the trunk of
paper & ink knowledge. When you whisper prayers to the Waxen Scrivener while
tattooing a part of your body with your sacred ink, mark Ink, describe
a car; a roadside lending library that only you have the key to; a
When you were stronger in your faith, you recorded every piece of new the tattoo, and add it to your Altar.
particular study carrel in the library of a nearby university, on long- and interesting information you came across, but now you only perform
term lease; the breakroom of a bookshop you ostensibly work at; a
library cart with no wheels, stored in the bed of your truck
this sacrifice when you want to call on the power of the Scrivener. Add
the following to your Altar: Rolls of Parchment, Empty Journals, and
automatic writing
When you spend a day or night writing at your Altar in a stream-
Quill. Additionally, you have a pot of blacker than black ink, sweet- of-consciousness way, mark Ink and then discover a Clue or
The Verse of Prophecy smelling and sacred.
Whenever you are instructed to mark Ink, either by a move or the
Conspiracy Clue (your choice) in what you’ve written; the Keeper
will tell you what it is.
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire
this character to safety and obscurity instead of Keeper, mark a box below. When the track is full, actions that require
writing this verse; tell the other Custodians what the use of your sacred ink can no longer be taken. profane media
the future holds for you. Otherwise, mark the first Despite your waning faith, you still find the use of electronic
unmarked box. data storage to be profane—knowledge is meant to be lost!
Whenever you destroy a tape, disc, hard drive, memory card, or
Psalm: Narrate a
The Whispered Psalm: other piece of electronic data storage equipment, take your next
f lashback to when you were initiated roll at advantage.
into the faith. What did you have In order to clear the track, you must create more sacred ink. Each
to write as part of your initiation? follower of the Waxen Scrivener has their own method for doing so. phantasmagoria scriptoria
Where did you have to write it? Your method of creating sacred ink is (pick one): You can write a prayer mark somewhere to turn that space into a
To decoct it from the blood and bile of an academic. writing cell for a long-dead worshiper of the Scrivener, an angel
Circle You were
The Ashen Circle: of your faith. If you do so, roll with Communion. If you use your
commanded to discard or destroy your To press it from the thoraxes of a particularly rare beetle. sacred ink to write the prayer mark, mark Ink and take advantage
initiatory writings, but you secretly To perform a vile fermentation process involving a dangerous on this roll. On a hit, a ghostly writer will be drawn to the writing
disobeyed. Why couldn’t you destroy amount of your own blood. cell and begin transcribing sheet after sheet of knowledge from
that sacred knowledge? Increase your To extract secretions from a blind person’s eye sockets and the Other Side; any rolls associated with actions the angel helps
Communion by 1 (Max 3). optic nerves. you with are taken at advantage. On a 10+, the angel won’t ask for
anything in return.
Revelation Narrate
The Bleeding Revelation: To create a poisonous mash of particular strains of cave fungi.
a f lashback to when you discovered Something else .
that your initiatory writings Creating sacred ink is a dangerous and complicated process, and should
are somehow connected to the involve multiple scenes and die rolls to accomplish.
Mouldering Litany. When a fellow Custodian writes a prayer mark, you can let them use some
Crucible Narrate a
The Sweltering Crucible: of your sacred ink. If they accept it, mark Ink and they take a single roll
associated with writing the prayer mark at advantage.
scene in the present day showing how
you are strong in your faith again. as it is written
Ascended Say your
The Flesh Ascended: You can alter reality by writing about it. When you write about a Side
Final Prayer. Character or Location while at your Altar, mark Ink and then tell the Keeper
a single detail about your subject that is now true; the Keeper will incorporate
this new reality, in whole or in part.
 final prayer
THE MOULDERING LITANY
All knowledge must rot to nothingness. You are the Waxen Scrivener’s vessel, its censer of decay, spreading a smoke
of disintegration across the land. You speak the words of the Mouldering Litany, you perform the rites; narrate a
scene showing how all written and stored information within a three-mile radius is destroyed. What are the long-
term effects of this divine intervention upon the world?
 faith sheet
THE CAIRN MAIDEN
Old Soil Breath • The Bone Crow • She Who Follows Upon A Straggling Path • Her Amongst the Wreckage
In time, all places will come to ruin. The Cairn Maiden dwells in those desolate and lonely places, and that’s where you’ ll Stewards of the Cairn Maiden carry out her work in solitude, performing the acts
see her at first. A stooped and silent figure in the distance, shrouded in white, with hands wide as shovels and grave dirt of her final tenderness as they bury the forgotten corpses that lay in fields and along
trickling through her gentle, rake-like fingers. When you reach that spot, she’ ll be gone—but the longer you walk, the empty roads, and give comfort to those dying alone. The Cairn Maiden may appear
more likely you are to see her again. A bit closer, a little more distinct each time. One day she may whisper to you, and if frightening at first, but she only wants one thing from anyone—to meet you at last,
you do not yet understand her words, you will when you’re ready. She waits for you even now, as each step you take brings in your appointed place. To cradle you in her long hands, and lay you gently in soft
you closer to the place she has prepared for you—a place that’s been sleeping in you since the beginning. earth, watching over your body as it slowly becomes a ruin among ruins.

Moves not yet time

You start with a long and lonely road.
altar Pick one or make up your own.
An empty reliquary from a ruined church; a box of personal artifacts a long and lonely road
When a Custodian would mark the Verse of Prophecy to avoid death,
you can offer to bear the burden instead. If they accept, they mark
from unidentified corpses you have laid to rest; a bundle of loose bones
The Maiden is never far from you—sometimes walking slowly at a nothing and you mark Fate; describe a vision you received from the
from different creatures; the ruins of an estate home, its crumbling Maiden that shows why it is not yet their time to die. That player
walls open to the sky; an abandoned parking booth, surrounded by distance, waiting at the edge of your vision, or standing alone in a ruined
cracked pavement and dying weeds. and forgotten place. The Maiden still has a plan for you; whenever then describes how they narrowly avoid death.
you are instructed to mark Fate, either by a move or the Keeper, mark Additionally, whenever you mark the Verse of Prophecy, cross off a
The Verse of Prophecy a box below. The Keeper will then describe what task the Maiden asks
of you—usually something unrelated to the current Assignment, such
box from Fate; that box can no longer be marked.
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire
this character to safety and obscurity instead of as a lone corpse awaiting burial, a dying person in need of company, or
something else ready to be laid to rest. If you complete the task, unmark
she waits in ruin
writing this verse; tell the other Custodians what Once per session, you can appear in any scene, looming in the
a Fate box. Say your Final Prayer when all the boxes are marked—you
the future holds for you. Otherwise, mark the first background as a silent witness. So long as you do not speak, you can
will serve the Maiden’s ends one way or another.
unmarked box. choose any one of the following:
Psalm: Narrate a flashback
The Whispered Psalm:
to the first time the Maiden appeared to
FATE You find a useful or interesting item; ask another player in
the scene what it is and add it to your Altar.
you. You see the Maiden in your dreams You find a Clue where no one else could notice it—tell the
most nights, and sometimes waiting on the Keeper what it is; the Clue cannot conclusively answer a
horizon. Question by itself.
Circle Narrate a flashback to a
The Ashen Circle: Additionally, when you enter a dangerous situation without concern for You learn something about a nearby Danger: roll with
time you perceived death as a peaceful thing. your physical safety, mark Fate and take your next roll with advantage. advantage the first time you act on this information.
Increase your Communion by 1 (Max 3).
hollow gaze
Revelation Narrate
The Bleeding Revelation:
a flashback to a time you lost someone the maiden's embrace Most people aren’t ready to meet their own death, and find your
important to you, and how, in your anger and You can speak with corpses as if they were Side Characters, and the closeness with the Maiden to be disconcerting. Add 1 to your
dying can communicate with you clearly no matter their lucidity. Presence (max 3), but cross off a box from Fate; that box can no
despair, the Maiden’s silence felt empty. You
longer be marked. Roll with advantage when acting to throw
perceive the Maiden more often now, at the When you give comfort to the dying or perform final rites over a someone off guard, discourage unwanted attention, or de-escalate
edges of your vision, or trailing behind you at corpse, roll with Communion. On a hit, you may clear a relevant a situation through patience and silence.
a distance. Condition. On a 10+, you may also choose one:
Crucible Narrate a scene
The Sweltering Crucible: The person reveals a Clue; tell the Keeper what it is. The desolate and forgotten
in the present day showing how you are Clue cannot conclusively answer a Question by itself. During the Journey phase, you can summon another Custodian to
strong in your faith again. You can see the The person makes a final request of you; the Keeper walk the Maiden’s path with you. If they accept, mark Fate and
Maiden whenever you look for her, gesturing describes the task. When you complete it, mark XP. you both spend the remainder of the Journey phase in a shadowy
silently or whispering fragmented portents. You are given a memento; ask another Custodian what it is realm, as if viewing the world from behind a veil. Each of you will
Once per session, when you ask what she is and add it to your Altar. describe something from your past that you are letting go of—a
trying to tell you, the Keeper will answer painful memory, a burden that isn’t yours, a futile struggle you now
in the form of a Conspiracy Clue related to On a miss, mark Fate. relinquish. This functions as the Journey Move, except the Keeper
death or ruin. will reveal an additional Clue or Conspiracy Clue (their choice).
Ascended Say your Final Prayer.
The Flesh Ascended:
 final prayer
THE CAIRN MAIDEN'S BENEDICTION
“This is the place. This has always been the place.
You were always walking towards this moment.
We were always waiting for you here.
The soil will swallow you.
The roots will tear at you.
Foxes and flies will bear you away.
There’s nothing left to hold on to.
There’s nowhere left to go.
There’s no need to worry any more.”

Narrate a scene in which you reach your final resting place, leaving your companions
and everything else behind. What is the Maiden’s expression beneath her veil as she
sweeps you off your feet and lays you into deepest slumber? How does the landscape
change around you, the dissolution of your body affecting and echoing in every living
thing and every crumbling structure in sight? How do you now stand vigil over this
desolate place, more peaceful and silent than it has ever been?
 faith sheet
THE WATCHER IN THE WINGS
Mister Marrow • Last One Onto the Stage • Old Lights Up • The Falling Curtain
Right now, there is a god watching you. Every word you utter, every movement and expression, is being weighed, critiqued, discussed by a thousand whispering voices in the
darkness. You, the chosen performer, bear a heavy burden—for only you know the true weight of your words. Others don’t yet realize the significance of the part they play in this
world, of the consequences should their performance be found lacking. But you can show them true magic, if they listen. Pray that they listen, and play their parts well, for every
moment counts. Places, everyone! LIGHTS UP!

Moves a spellbinding tale

When you recite a story that is wildly unbelievable in order to charm
You start with all the world's a stage . a Side Character, roll with Presence.

altar Pick one or make up your own.

all the world's a stage On a hit, they fall for your charm and will aid you in a
You have the power to alter reality by performing as if you were task OR reveal a Clue, your choice.
A stained wooden stool and copper donation bucket, set up on a busy
street corner; an antique fold-up puppet theater with fading circus reading a script aloud on stage—so long as it pleases the Watcher. On a 10+, they won’t ask for anything in return.
paint and velvet curtains; a battered handheld camcorder and series of When you deliver a theatrical monologue and narrate what you hope On a 12+, the Keeper will tell you an aspect of your story
cassette tapes; a tarnished pulpit, dragged from a forgotten chapel; an is about to happen in a scene, roll with Presence. You may invite your that is now true in the world.
abandoned and crumbling theater, to which only you have the key.
fellow Custodians to play along by contributing a single detail to the
The Verse of Prophecy monologue; add 1 to the roll if each Custodian participates. If you have he of many faces
the Condition: A Disappointment, roll with disadvantage. In your countless performances for the Watcher, you have played
If there are no boxes marked, you can retire every role imaginable. Any time you attempt to act under a false
this character to safety and obscurity instead of On a hit, some detail about the world from your performance
is now true; say what it is. The Keeper will incorporate this persona, name the character you are playing and roll with Presence.
writing this verse; tell the other Custodians what On a hit, your deception is convincing enough to avoid
new truth into the scene, in whole or in part.
the future holds for you. Otherwise, mark the first unwanted attention.
unmarked box. On a 7-9, the performance is deemed acceptable, but not
impressive. Each Custodian who participated gains the On a 10+, your performance is so persuasive you bring the
Psalm: Narrate a flashback
The Whispered Psalm: Condition: A Disappointment. character to life—literally. The Keeper will record this
to the first time you felt the presence of the persona as a new Side Character and introduce them in a
Watcher. How did you feel truly seen for the On a 10+, the Watcher is entertained, for now. Any Custodian future session. You cannot use this move to impersonate
first time? with the Condition: A Disappointment may clear it. All that character again.
Custodians who participated in the scene may take the On a miss, as 10+ above, except the new Side Character
Circle Narrate a flashback to
The Ashen Circle: Condition: Inspired. They can clear this Condition at any
a time your words had dire consequences believes you must die in order for them to live. Take the
time to get advantage on a roll. Condition: Marked by [name of new Side Character].
which you could not take back. Increase your
On a miss, your performance flops. The Watcher speaks from
Communion by 1 (Max 3).
Revelation Narrate a
The Bleeding Revelation:
the shadows to narrate his favorite kind of story instead—a prop work
tragedy that ends in blood. If you have the Condition: A You are a master of improvisation, able to craft a captivating story
flashback to when you realized even your best Disappointment, the Keeper will describe how you are killed with whatever materials are available—and sometimes with things
performance would never be good enough. on the spot in gruesome and theatrical fashion. that did not exist until a moment ago when your lines called for
What terrifying premonition drove you them. Once per session, you can declare any practical item—a
onward? When you encounter a new Side tool, resource, weapon, or religious paraphernalia—now exists as
Character, you can ask the Keeper what o, for a muse of fire “a part of the set” and add it to your Altar. The Keeper can make
role the Watcher wants to see them play; the Your very presence stirs with creative spark; you command the space alterations or ask how the item is connected to the current scene.
Keeper will answer directly or cryptically between concept and reality. So long as you are present in the scene, The item vanishes at the end of the session.
(their choice). when a fellow Custodian would mark the Verse of Prophecy, they can
Crucible Narrate a scene
The Sweltering Crucible:
mark this move instead and describe how you inspire them to boldly behind the mask
seize the moment. When all three boxes are marked, mark XP and you At times, the Watcher looks through your own eyes, laying
in the present day showing how you are
no longer have access to this move. unwelcome truths bare. You can always tell when a Side Character
inspired by your faith again.
is lying or concealing something from you. Once per session,
Ascended Say your Final Prayer.
The Flesh Ascended: when you reveal an unwelcome truth about yourself to a Side
Character—a secret you haven’t told anyone, a personal weakness, a
failure from your past— that Side Character is compelled to do the
same. This secret, revealed by the Keeper, counts as a Clue for an
active Assignment.
 final prayer
THIS IS HOW IT ENDS
All we have is this fleeting life, a story told in a few brief acts of triumph and
tragedy—and your life has merely been a rehearsal for this glorious ending, the
likes of which have never been seen before and will never be seen again. When you
are called up for your final performance, hold nothing back. Narrate a scene in
which a crowd, a town, an entire city is held in rapt attention as you perform and
are transformed under the gaze of the Watcher. Your flesh and bones unfurl like
parting curtains and dancing marionettes, your voice trembling in revelation as
the deepest joy, sorrow, wonder, and terror are borne from your resounding words.
Describe how the world shifts to reflect this new reality that so many have now
witnessed. The Keeper and other players will each add a detail about how it is either
more HOPEFUL or more TRAGIC than you have described.