The Long March

 With the beginning of a new lunar year, the ritual saga of Gadeed advances toward its final act. Mirroring the other two years with the Long Wake and the Long Peace, this month's lead-up to the next set of Games begins with another time of fasting and quiet penitence, the Long March. This last time of fasting is sometimes also called "The Dread of Gadeed", for it is in memoriam of a time when the fate of Gadeed seemed surely to be razed by Kzinti as Old Tsurr was before, its walls thrown down, its towers cast into ruin, its lands run with blood, and its people enslaved.

It is a time to look back on the last set of Man-Kzin Wars, wherein Gadeed found itself encircled by her Kzin enemies, and was almost finally destroyed.

Yet why is it a "march"? Because this time is also a time of anticipation for the arrival of the Klackons, whose march from the Toxic Jungles far to the east was long indeed, and whose arrival and integration with the growing city of Cothon finally ensured the defense of the united Dual-Cities against the Kzinti. With the arrival of the Klackons--the Xolda and their Attine cousins--the waves of the ocean of warrior cats were finally broken and cast back.

It is traditional during this time to fast throughout the day, and to abstain from meat in general as a way of honoring and remembering the privations of the Klackons on their march across the plains, as well as a way to remember the suffering of the populace of Gadeed at that time. There is no authority enforcing fasting or abstention, and many a barbarian pays no heed to these traditions, but for those who wish to fit in with the society of Cothon-Gadeed, it is considered ill-mannered to flout this custom.

This is also another season in which the mourning-societies are widely employed, by wealthy citizens especially, to process ritually through the cities and along the circuit of the walls with Klackon effigies, recreating the Long March itself.

Other than fasting and abstaining, this is also a time when citizens who would otherwise have little to do with Klackons now make their way into the western neighborhoods of the city to make public donations to the Klackons' shrines in an act of public thanks for their coming and their devotion to the cities. The Dual-Cities will make a public sacrifice to celebrate the Xolda at the end of the four weeks of the Long March, as part of the celebration of the games at that time, but many feel that it is only just to make their own private offerings at this time.

There are several ways for player-characters to interact with this ritual time:

Action	Result
fast and abstain from meat for the month	adventure with -1 to saves through the month; at the end of December receive a permanent +1 to hp
hire a procession of professional mourners to march the circuit of the walls	spend up to 100 xp per level; gain an equal amount of xp
make an offering at the Shrine of Xanna-Haxanna or some other Klackon hero	gain a +1 on reactions with Xolda Klackons for one month for every 100 dinars you spend on the offering; if you spend at least 250 dinars, you may also roll a free relationship cultivation check with any Xolda Klackon you know

To Become a Hansemann

  In the past, Durham has mentioned to the Scribes potential interest in joining the Hanse as a Hansemann. The Scribes thus present now a rubric under which one might become a member of that august body of traders and seamen, whether Durham takes them up, or they pique the interest of other barbarian-adventurers active in Cothon-Gadeed.

As a brief reminder, the Hanse is a confederation of merchants' guilds, especially northern guilds, who have banded together for mutual protection and better control of prices. They are said to have a "miraculous" ear to the waves about prices and demands in various markets, such that they are able to quickly marshal their resources to make a profit by selling exactly what people need exactly where they need it. In this way, they have come into economic competition with the Ten Cities' League, as well as other such leagues. They have guild-warehouses, called kantors, in many cities all around the coasts of Dirac's Sea, within the precincts of which their members are afforded certain rights and privileges as negotiated by the Hanse with the host city.

First, there are a number of requirements in order to qualify for entrance into the Hanse:

• You must have a sponsor from within the Hanse
• You must declare if you are a citizen of a Hanse city (there are many up north), or if you are a citizen of another city (e.g. Gadeed)
• If you are not a citizen of a Hanse city, you must renounce any citizenship you may hold in any other city, and swear that you will never become a citizen of such cities (again, e.g. Gadeed)
• (specific to Cothon--similar strictures apply in other cities)--you must renounce membership in any Tavern except the Kantor Kabljauhof, and must join the Kantor if not already a member (pay 100 dinars per level if that is the case)
• Declare your profession, wealth, and usefulness to the Hanse; this is mostly to ascertain where one might fit within the organization of the Hanse

Hansemänner have certain obligations and responsibilities, through the performance of which they earn the perks of being a man of the Hanse.

Perks

• Can call on the Company for material assistance; this includes the possibility of taking out a loan of up to 5000 dinars (to be repaid at an interest rate of 3%) for non-officers
• You can call on the Company for transportation or shipping to anywhere within the sphere of the Hanse, within reason
• Special trading options become available to those who are members of the Hanse
• Hansemänner enjoy legal protections in every city where the Hanse has a negotiated presence, which protects them from predation by local courts. Other than in the case of especially heinous crimes, Hansemänner are subject only to the courts of the Hanse

Responsibilities

• Hansemänner must attend Company meetings and give some service to the Hanse. This will be represented by a character spending six downtimes out of every lunar year attending to Hanse duties (these need not be consecutive)
• Likewise, Hansemänner are subject to conscription by the Company during times of extraordinary duress, .e.g. a Hansemann might be called on to serve on a galley during times of pirate raids, or pay wages for someone to stand in their stead.
• Hansemänner are also called to any Diet held by their Kantor; though these council meetings are infrequent, they decided Hanse business, and so are considered especially important. Exceptions for various circumstances are respected.
• Officers and those of higher standing within the Company are expected to perform above and beyond these mere requirements, according to the nature of their office/standing.

To Fete a Souffet

Iqtadar Sesel has spent not a little time in the past year attempting to rub elbows with the movers and shakers of Cothon-Gadeed (specifically Souffet Khusra), especially through the channels of his in-law family, the al Rashids. Though Khusra is now departing office, Sesel’s hobnobbing has not gone unnoticed—and was noticed not in a bad way at all, given the services and heroics Sesel has performed on behalf of the Dual-Cities, especially within the Spire of the Attines and the sea caves of the Ocean’s Throat.

Between his fame and his relationship with Khusra, therefore, it only makes sense that Sesel is already well in view of the incoming Souffets, and so as they enter office, Sesel receives a free single “tick” of “relationship clock” for each, putting Sesel and them at an acquaintance level of relationship.

Advancing the relationship with the one of the most powerful officers of the Ten Cities’ League is no simple thing as can be accomplished with normal relationship-cultivation rules. Rather, something more extensive must be developed to represent the attempt to impress and/or influence the cities’ rulers (whether by flattery, good/shared taste, speaking common sense to cut through flattery, &c), in following with Ben's sketch of a custom clock for pursuing a relationship with the Chatelaine.

As noted earlier in this chronicle, the new Souffets are Bazyadis al Othmani and Urodas al Arasquiy.

(take note that the relationship with each Souffet is tracked separately—one could be cozy with Bayzadis and unknown to Urodas, for instance)

Tick 1 – Standing out from the Crowd

(already achieved for Sesel at this point)

You have already done deeds or feted the notice of a predecessor such that you stand out amongst the crowd of courtiers, flatterers, and hangers-on that constitute the courts of the Souffets of Cothon and Gadeed.

Requirement (for others interested): To roll to see if you even rise to the Souffets’ attention, you must do something grandiose on behalf of the Dual-Cities, for instance, leading an expedition to destroy a major enemy of the city, or putting on an immensely lavish public liturgy, or personally paying for the maintenance of a number of soldiers for the walls, or some such ostentatious display.

Tick 2 – A Constant Presence

You may have been noticed, but in the hubbub of the court it takes more than that to be selected as a favorite of a Souffet. So many people are clamoring for their attention all the time; and so many courtiers become disenchanted with the constant coming- and going of the courts so that they disappear or pursue less lofty personages. But you have remained constant, a face that the Souffet can pick out of the crowd and who may yet serve as trustworthy.

Requirement: to roll for this level, you must spend one downtime out of each of six months attending the court of the Souffet. After the sixth such month, you can begin rolling (once per month) to attempt to advance the relationship by spending a downtime at court.

• You are recognized as a regular at court. Your name is known to the Bani (for good or ill)
• When interacting with lower level functionaries or officers, you may attempt to overawe them by name-dropping other courtiers

Tick 3 – Proving Yourself Useful

Be it a grand deed in service of the Dual-Cities, or simply passing on a choice and unique piece of gossip in the midst of the chatter at court, you have shown yourself personally useful to one of the Souffets. They may seek you out specifically for certain tasks, be they official or discrete (depending on your proclivities).

Requirement: to roll for this level of relationship, you must have performed some deed either publicly in service to Cothon or Gadeed, or privately for one of the Souffets directly.

• Having noted your usefulness, the Souffet will occasionally offer specific missions to fulfil their own goals, to be suitably rewarded
• Others in court will recognize your new relationship with the Souffet; though at least one will certainly become a Rival, there will no doubt be some potential Ally hoping to sway the Souffet to their cause by association with you

Tick 4 – Friend of the Cities

"Friend" is not always a word denoting a mere social nicety. "Friend" can also be a title ascribed to someone of high esteem to a king, Souffet, or other such office. It denotes a certain amount of trust, as well as responsibilities to those who bestow the title. Through your deeds and attentiveness, you have now been selected to be awarded this title, "Friend of the City" by the Souffet you have aided.

Requirement: You may roll once per month for this advancement by spending a downtime at court.

• A Friend of the City receives a special ring with the seal of Gadeed. They are technically an officer in the court of the Souffet, though their duties and responsibilities are extraordinary--subject to the whim of the Souffet. This office is re-invested or rescinded at the time of the Lunar New Year.
• Friends have some access to the city treasury and armory. They can take out a loan of up to 10,000 dinars (repayable at 1%) without oversight, or take higher loans with approval. This is intended to assist them in performing duties assigned by the Souffets, and misuse of this privilege is a major crime.
• Beyond the ability to take out such loans, Friends of the City receive a minor stipend of 1d6x100 dinars monthly to be spent as they see fit (the amount is rolled once, and is fixed to that character, barring future changes at investiture feasts or so forth)
• A Friend must attend court at least once every three months (by spending a downtime). They may hear juicy gossip or partake in serious decisions while present.

Tick 5 –  A Trusted Confidant

Though Friends are presumed to be trusted, only certain among them are really trusted with a Souffet's worries or considerations. Having proved yourself, you are now among this "elite"--and not only are you willing to listen to the Souffet's concerns, but they are also willing to hear your mind on things of import to the city, and to the league at large. Nay, they seek your opinion out!

Requirement: You must prove that you understand what must be kept in confidence, versus what, though told in confidence, is actually meant to be noised about. This will be enacted in a series of rumors provided by the referee to the player-character. What they do with the rumors will be up to the character, and determine whether they can become trusted confidants. A roll will still be required.

• You have the Souffet's highest trust. If you have the will and can put forth persuasive arguments, you can affect the policy of Cothon-Gadeed and the Ten Cities in general.
• Pursuant to that, you will have access to information about the broader circumstances facing Cothon-Gadeed and the League.
• You will receive a personal gift from the Souffet, of uncertain but definitely high value, as a sign of their esteem. This will be publicly done, and the demonstration of that gift can be quite persuasive to those who respect the authority of the Souffets
• As a confidant of the court, you must attend court once every month while you are in the city (certain missions, quests, &c. might reasonably take one away from the city, perhaps for some time, and in such a case this requirement is relaxed). These downtimes can be combined with other downtimes (e.g. cultivating relationships with other courtiers, or building institution through connections, or intel-gathering, &c.) though such combinations must be credibly explained.

Complications

1. You have aroused the envy of the court. You gain an additional Rival who will snipe at you with evil gossip at every chance they get (they increase the difficulty of subsequent rolls to cultivate a relationship by imposing a -1 penalty on the 2d6 roll).
2. The Souffet has decided that you are the right person for a mission as a special envoy to a difficult group. This may be something as exotic as dealing with the Attine Klackons, to something as prosaic (and frustrating) as listening to the complaints of the Guild of Longshoremen. You must complete this mission in a reasonable timeframe or suffer the reduction of one level of relationship.
3. Your presentation at court is unacceptable, be it your manners or your wardrobe. You are requested by the Souffet to attend etiquette lessons, purchase a new wardrobe, or otherwise better yourself for presence in the court by spending 4d6x100 dinars and 1d3 downtime actions.
4. The attention bestowed upon you by the Souffet has brought you also to the attention of a third party who now sees you as an avenue into the Souffet's good graces, thence to advance their own interests. They might attempt to blackmail you, bribe you, or otherwise attempt to ensure their own interests.
5. The Souffet invites you to a private liturgy of the cult they personally follow. This may be as innocuous as the sacrifice of a hma and subsequent feast, or some secretive rite of a mystery cult involving strange rites. You will be sworn to secrecy regardless, but the particulars of the liturgy may be beyond the pale of what you can accept.
6. A Rival at court has noticed you in particular and now blackballs you among the Bani and Guilds of Cothon-Gadeed as much as they can. Any attempts to further "build an institution" incur an additional cost of 2d10x100 dinars in red-tape and bureaucratic fees until the situation is somehow rectified.
7. Being known as a favorite of (or even one noticed by) a Souffet can entail unfortunate attention. In this case, a humble petitioner has latched onto you as the means of getting their case heard by one of the two chief judges of Cothon-Gadeed. However mundane the request may be, this individual will hound you until some decision is made--and perhaps even after, when seeking an appeal.
8. Reroll on the table above, or a some other circumstance has arisen in which the Referee will take a personal hand to develop.

Confraternity of 'Issa the Baptist

The last of the Four Taverns to be described in these chronicles, that does not necessarily mean that the Confraternity of 'Issa the Baptist is the least among them. Though the Confraternity itself is a religious organization of cloistered monks and their lay brothers, that does not mean that the Confraternity is a staid place of quiet contemplation. No indeed! The brewers of the brotherhood brew famed beer within the cloister's halls, and serve it readily in the beerhall and the beer garden above.

A brewers' mural on the outside walls

Meanwhile, within the enclosure of the cloister are botanical gardens that both serve to provide alchemical ingredients to sages around the cities, while also serving as the training ground for the famed kyni falcons trained by the Confraternity's brotherhood, kynis that fetch high prices on the market and are the envy of many a noble household.

The Tavern

Popularly called the Cloister, the brewery of the Confraternity is a boisterous and lively place built on the outside of the actual cloistered gardens. The walls of the Confraternity's cloister adjoin to the southwestern walls of Cothon, overlooking the banks of the river below (the Confraternity is responsible for the upkeep and defense of their own tower along the walls); while the Cloister tavern stands at the northeastern corner of the complex, well inside the city itself and fronted by a broad square.

Inside the Cloister is a beerhall, where monks and lay brothers readily pour frothing mugs of ale for any who come with coin. While the hall is a spacious and well-lighted place to drink heartily with one's friends, a broad set of stairs leads up to the roof of the Cloister where a fine garden provides an airier and quieter place to share a drink over a more sensitive meeting or private tryst.

The clientele of the Cloister tend to be mostly human, though if one wished to catch a glimpse of the aloof Alkari, or find a contact among the city's renyu, this would be the place to go. For it is known that envoys from the Alkari semi-regularly fly down into the gardens of the cloister to confer with the monks over whatever private business goes between the two groups; and the Cloister has a dedicated group renyu who drink there, led by the one-eared Rip, who claims, "They train me good here! Me no more free renyu, now good servant of good master, all thanks these good monks training!"

The overseer of this boisterous tavern is one Malthas, a gregarious man who is often out among the patrons drinking and chatting with them, while at the same time keeping a keen eye on the servers and the level of beer in the tapped kegs, and happy to help his staff when they need to roll our another barrel.

The Gardens

Within the Confraternity's walled cloister is a broad gardened courtyard. Outsiders are not typically allowed within its perimeter, though one can catch a glimpse of much of what lies inside from the rooftop beer garden of the Cloister. These gardens serve both as a botanical garden and as the training ground for the monks and lay brothers to train kyni falcons, renyu, as well as other beasts and animals. Those who need an animal or beast trained would be well-served to come to the Guild of Beastmasters, which is headquartered here among the Confraternity of 'Issa.

Among the things grown in the garden, the Confraternity of 'Issa has a monopoly in the Dual-Cities on the growth and sale of the aphrodisiacal tsural flowers. They also grow a variety of other flowers, roots, fungi, and berries, all serving in this or that alchemical pursuit. If one has an alchemical project in the offing, the Confraternity will almost certainly be able to sell you the ingredients you need.

In a secluded part of the courtyard there is also the ritual stepwell where initiates to the Confraternity are baptized, in keeping with the practices of the founding hero, 'Issa the Baptist. This ritual is supposed to be one of cleansing, of the washing away of sins. This much at least is known; to delve further into the mysteries one would have to be an initiate oneself, to go through baptism, and to be catechized in the secrets of the Confraternity. Monks and lay brothers (and sisters) alike are tightlipped with outsiders about their specifics of their religion, though it is known that they keep certain strict hours of prayer, of fasting, and have somewhat strange dietary practices.

The Library

Attached to the beerhall of the Cloister is another building, inside of which certain members of the Confraternity labor away as scribes, scratching letters onto parchment with inked quills for a variety of clients, as well as a library that rivals those of the other Great Taverns. Access to this library is open only to members of the Confraternity, or to those who pay a nominal fee of 100 dinars per week.

The topics of books and scrolls kept for the Confraternity's use tend to cluster around specific topics, which allow them to be researched in particular by those accessing the stacks:

• falconry in particular, from the training of kynis and other raptors, the identification of a variety of birds, and the means of capturing such birds in the wild, as well as raising them domestically
• animal training in general, esp. semi-intelligent animals like renyu or chnelh
• Alkari culture in general, and the history of the Alkari tribes in the vicinity of Cothon-Gadeed and their relations with nearby polities
• botany and gardening, the identification of various plants, their uses, &c.
• religious histories, especially of the Confraternity itself, but also of various sects in an around Cothon-Gadeed with whom the Confraternity has long had contact

Like the other libraries, there are also a number of spellbooks available for use by members of the Confraternity, or by those who pay the access fee for the library:

A Prayer for the Deepest Stillness of Contemplation
Inscribed around and inside a singing prayer bowl, this is a prayer for utter stillness, that being the best state to meditate and contemplate the deepest mysteries. One memorizes the prayers, strikes the bowl, and then draws the striker around the lip of the bowl so that the sound grows ever greater and more concentrated, until it seems to take up all space in the mind, precluding any action other than to hear and to draw the striker ever around.
A magic-user who learns these spells from this "book" must use a singing bowl to cast either spell.
II. hold person
V. hold monster

Manual for the Wholeness of Health
by Gal al Nousriy
This is indeed a manual for health. It contains numerous recipes for the use of various herbs and berries, be they in poultices, simples, or potions. This includes the use of certain herbs to ward away "evil eyes" and other such curses. The recipes all appear to be eminently useful and quite potent when compared to other simpler recipes.
A magic-user who learns these spells from this book must have material herbal components in order to cast the spells.
I. cure light wounds
II. remove curse, cure disease

Al Kiforrad: the Rose and the Renyu
by Norm of Brideswell
A narrative poem about the eponymous renyu who discovered a miraculous rose. While in possession of the rose, Al Kiforrad could himself grow to great size and strength, or he could wield the rose such that it became like a great ladder, or a scourge, or grow in a variety of other ways. The verse repeats the imagery with such fantastic language that one can literally envision such growth happening, allowing a magic-user to effect a mirrored realization in the real world.
III. growth of animal
IV. growth of plants

Beads of the Saints
Not a book, per se, but a string of prayer beads, each devoted to particular prayers to one of the saints. Some of these saints are exclusive to the liturgies of 'Issa, while others are more widely known heroes or other saints. Many are non-human. Each bead on this string is engraved in miniature with litanies to that saint. Most of the prayers involve bequests of preservation, protection, and purification, though certain saints who are remembered as great heroes are said to raise morale in battle.
A magic-user who learns spells from this "spellbook" must have a string of prayer beads in order to cast these spells.
I. protection from evil, purify food and drink
II. bless/blight

Paean to Tlalos, Lord of Rains
Accounted by many as a friend of Jabborg, smith of the stormlord, Tlalos is a lord of winds and rains. This simple paean is one used to call out to him for his blessing, for the coming of the pure water of rain that helps to reinvigorate men and to give life to the land.
IV. create water

There is also a two-volume work by one Tinaliya into the absolute universals of language, Tinaliya being a person widely understood to have been one of the mysterious Zoq-Fot-Pik that dwell like kobolds in the depths of the earth. This Tinaliya was apparently able to converse with any creature he came across, be it animal--or even fungus or plant!

Tinaliya's Universal Grammar, Primer
by Tinaliya
The basics of Tinaliya's universal approach to language. Using these principles, a magic-user can communicate with any creature or animal.
II. comprehend languages, speak with animals

Tinaliya's Universal Grammar, Expanded
by Tinaliya
This volume expands upon the universal grammar such that anyone utilizing it can also understand and communicate with plants.
IV. speak with plants

Downtime: For Fun and Profit!

[Written by Jacob, with some revisions by the Scribes–thanks Jacob! Like most of the game, these are provisional rules and are subject to change as we learn better how they interact with everything]

or Institutions Expanded

Much like the expanded merchants (Piedrajoya Guild), these rules fall back on the basics presented by Ben L:

http://maziriansgarden.blogspot.com/2020/03/downtime-activities-building-institution.html

However, I wanted to expand upon institutions, the benefits, risks, and tools an institution might have. Granted, these could all be ignored, falling back to the original institutions, and working with the DM for whatever one might want to have happen. These are simply another tool in the world-engagement toolkit.

To start, first here are the various tiers of institution provided by Ben:

1. Inconsequential

2. Minor

3. Middling

4. Major

5. Influential

6. (In)Famous

7. Legendary

Advancement and expenses related therein will continue to use the existing rules.

What is not commented on much in Ben’s post, however, is the benefits, resources, or other features, tools, etc that owning an institution might confer. That is what I propose to expand upon here.

There are times when one has money, and wishes to invest in one's institution, but not necessarily to "build it up" to the next level (i.e. from Minor to Middling)--perhaps one would rather spend money on better infrastructure or certain assets, without necessarily increasing the "clout" of the institution as represented in the table above.

It is also possible that one wishes to utilize an institution to expand the scope of available actions–have your employees research something for you, or perhaps even engage in the takeover of another institution! These proposed rules provide a framework for undertaking such actions.

Those who do not wish to worry about minutiae need not worry–they can continue to build their institution in peace without reference to these rules, and NPC institutions won't take action against them, other than through the normal complication rolls. These rules are entirely voluntary.

Assets and Infrastructure
The core concept being proposed here is that institutions can be expanded or improved by the acquisition of assets or the building of infrastructure (physical or procedural). At the moment, assets generally refers to people and infrastructure to physical improvements, but these ideas could certainly be expanded.

An institution is limited to the number of assets or infrastructure improvements it can encompass at any particular level; once that number is reached, the institution must be improved by "Building an Institution" before any further improvements can be added.

Institutional Level	Cost per Asset*	No. Assets and       Infrastructure Allowed
Inconsequential	250 dinars (gp)	3
Minor	500 d.	6
Middling	1000 d.	10
Major	2000 d.	16
Influential	4000 d.	24
(In)Famous	8000 d.	32
Legendary	per negotiation with Referee	per negotiation with Referee

*this refers specifically to Assets; the prices of Infrastructure improvements are always subject to negotiation with the Referee

Assets
At the moment, this list of assets is almost entirely "human resources" based, i.e. trusted employees or a base of workers. This is not an exhaustive list, but a list of examples; other ideas are certainly welcome, especially regarding non-person based assets that might improve an institution's functions.

Steward

Having a Steward allows the institution to take 1 “building a relationship” downtime action per month. Any consequences are suffered by the institution, not the steward. Likewise, the benefits of improved relations are with the entire institution. Any expectations of those relationships fall upon the leadership of the institution.

Slaves
Owning slaves grants an institution the ability to ‘work overtime’ during a month, as slaves cannot simply decline to work. This grants the institution 50% greater income for that month, but 25% reduced income for the following, as the slaves are all exhausted and continuing to work them overtime would inevitably result in several (if not all) of them dying.

Spy
Having a Spy allows an institution to take 1 “gather information” downtime action per month.

Ghilman
Above and beyond a normal ‘guard’ or ‘mercenary’ this individual is a permanent addition to your institution’s retinue. A ghilman is a level 1 Fighter, and comes equipped with mail, a sword, and shield. However, they are a member of the institution, and not a hireling. They do not go on adventures, but may be involved if ‘adventure’ comes to the institution. They are leveled using institutional upgrades, but cannot go higher than level 4 (unless they somehow earn experience from an adventure session). Their equipment does not upgrade, any such upgrades must be provided explicitly by the institution.

Merchant
A merchant has two options any given month, the institution may select either at the start of the month. The first is to simply increase the income of the institution by 5%, as they are highly skilled in wheeling and dealing. The second is to provide 1 “finding the right buyer” downtime.

Alchemist
An alchemist allows an institution to take 1 “Alchemical Pursuit” downtime action per month. They will still need to be provided with any relevant materials/etc.

Sage/Researcher
A sage allows an institution to take either 1 “magical research” or 1 “non-magical research” downtime action per month. They will still need access to any relevant library/knowledge/etc.

Infrastructure
This refers to either physical improvements to the institution, i.e. building a new structure or improving an existing one, commissioning a new ship, &c. OR investing in better business practices to allow the institution to work more efficiently.

Because these improvements could be pursued in a variety of ways, which involve radically different prices, infrastructure improvements must be proposed to the Referee, who will then provide quotes on prices, timeframes, &c. The only exception to this is that once per institutional level a proprietor may choose to improve his or her institution by streamlining business practices to insure an Income.

This process costs the same as an asset at the same level, but the income varies depending on the type of service an institution offers. For example, a fishing enterprise would receive a vastly different kind of monthly income than a whitesmith's shop. They're just very different business types. (the equivalent cost is mostly for ease of the game, but could perhaps be envisioned as e.g. a whitesmith needs very good tools that will last a long time; a fisherman needs to a large amount of lower cost tools and supplies, rations for his crews, caulking for his boats, &c. &c. … just to aid the imagination in what's going on)

Upgrading an Asset
After the first level of an institution the option to Upgrade your assets becomes available. Doing this grants a number of bonuses, depending on the type of bonus offered by the asset. An asset can be upgraded multiple times, but some benefits will have maximums.

The cost to upgrade an asset is half the price for an asset at the level the institution is at, i.e. a Minor institution with a Ghilman asset could upgrade the Ghilman with another level by paying 250 dinars.

• Assets that grant downtime actions gain a +1 to the roll (maximum +3)

• Assets with levels go up once in level (maximum level: 4)

  • The asset is unavailable for a number of weeks equal to the level they are increasing to, as they undergo training

• Assets that provide a bonus to income have that bonus increased by 2%

  • This does not impact reduced income

Institutional Actions
NOTE: None of these actions can be taken upon a Player institution which is -not- participating in the use of these rules. NPC Institutions are assumed to be taking these actions through the complications table, not rolled explicitly.

In addition to setting up new assets I also put forth actions that an institution may take, with their assets. Note that institutional actions take 1 month to complete (rather than 1 week), and during such time an asset does not provide their normal benefits. However, an institution is not restricted to a single action per month. They may take as many actions as are made available by their assets.

Like other downtime actions, 2d6 are rolled to determine the outcome. However, because an institution is performing these, and thus there is logistics, communication between several parties, and the organization of those things, they are inherently more difficult and prone to failure. A roll of 2-5 results in consequences, 6-8 is simply failure with no additional consequences, 9-15 are success, with anything above a 15 indicating remarkable success. Note that remarkable success is not possible without fully upgrading an agent, and even with that there is still some chance of consequences.

Circulate Rumors
The agents of the institution begin circulating rumors about another institution. This causes the target institution to risk losing a level if they don’t respond over the course of the next 2 months. If the rumors are true this roll is at +1.

A Steward asset provides a +1 (increasing by +1 per upgrade to a maximum of +3).

Covert Assault
Covert, in that it would obviously be illegal to take any overt hostile actions against any institutions of Cothon-Gadeed. Add a +1 to this roll for each level of any soldiers or spies participating. Taking this action has an increased difficulty, in that your roll is additionally reduced by 1 for every level of ghilman in the target institution.

Successfully completing an assault allows you to select one of the following:

• Steal an asset of the target institution (only if you have previously gotten enough intel to identify a specific asset)

  • It does not automatically work for you, but you can begin to convert it (DM’s discretion, likely a custom clock)

• Assault an asset

  • Destroying notes, infrastructure, or otherwise wreaking havoc around an asset to reduce its level, and ultimately remove it from play.

  • This brings an asset down 1 level, if the asset is already at level 0 (ie: has no upgrades) then it is removed from the institution.

Gather Intel
Similar to the normal downtime activity, this has an additional benefit of informing you to one of the following, chosen before rolling:

• The types of assets an institution owns (but not the count)

• The number of a specific kind of asset

  • Can be done without knowing which assets an institution owns, but the result may return 0 if they do not own any.

• The identities of key players of an institution (excluding fully secret individuals)

• The identity of a single secret individual associated with an institution

A Spy asset provides a +1 (increasing by +1 per upgrade to a maximum of +3).

Rebuild
This is the process of rebuilding, retraining, or otherwise recovering after a successful assault, and so cannot be taken if the institution does not have lost or damaged assets. This downtime does not require any rolls, but it does require investment of dinars. Rebuilding a damaged asset only ‘rebuilds’ a single level per use.

Any number of assets can be rebuilt during a single downtime. The cost to take the ‘rebuild’ action scales with the number of assets being rebuilt. The cost is 250 x (the number of assets being rebuilt, squared). So the first asset is 500 dinars, the second 1000, the third 2250, and so on. This represents the additional labor, materials, etc that are required to organize and manage increasingly larger efforts.

Hostile Takeover
For when you’re so wealthy and powerful you can just walk over to the next guy and say “I own you now”. A hostile takeover actually requires several Institutional Downtimes, and is a custom clock. During a hostile takeover neither institution may increase their rank.

To progress the clock you must first expect dinars equal to 35% of the cost to attain whatever level of institution the target is currently on. Then roll the Institutional Downtime normally. On a remarkable success the cost is reduced to 25%.

Hostile Takeover Clock:

1. First, you have to begin buying up resources and redirecting customers to yourself. This is a slow process, but begins putting the pressure on the target institution.

2. Next you start leaning on the members and assets of the institution. Making them wish they were in your institution instead.

3. Finally, before you fully take over the institution, you have to put pressure on the leadership. Make them feel like there is literally no other option but to accept your buy out.

4. And, at last, the pay off. Your institution absorbs the target, taking over all their assets, any explicit resources. Their members may choose to leave, rather than join the new institution. Any relationships the target institution had transferred to you at -2 levels (minimum 1)

Consequences and Complications
If your Institutional Downtime resulted in a complication, roll 1d8 on the table below.

1. Blackballed. You have been blackballed by (roll 1d6: 1: Guild of Stewards, 2: The slave merchants of Cothon, 3: The fighting institutions, 4: Merchants guild, 5: Guild of alchemists, 6: Sage’s guild) and until reparations are made worth 1d30x100 dinars you cannot hire any new assets of that type, and any downtimes relating to those actions are at a -1.

2. Retaliation! The target institution will take an Assault action upon you at their next possible chance.

3. Rumor mongering… The target institution discovers your plots, and begins rumor mongering against you.

4. Pay offs… In order to keep the authorities out of your business, you have to pay 3d100 dinars, ensuring the silence of the parties involved. If you do not, your activities will be alerted to the authorities.

5. Damaged Asset… A random asset involved in the action becomes damaged 1 step.

6. Hostile Takeover! If possible, the target institution increases 1 step on a Hostile Takeover track against you. They will not increase it manually, but if this result is rolled too many times it may cause you to become a subsidiary of another institution.

7. Overextended. Your attempts to complete your task at any cost have overextended the institution. Your institution functionally drops down 1 level, though you do not lose any assets associated with your previous level. In order to return you must pay 75% of the cost, and redo the Building and Institution roll.

8. The authorities are alerted! Whatever the reason, they are certain your institution is to blame for some major crime. They will remain ‘alerted’ for 6 months, unless you find some way to dissuade them or otherwise distract them.

The Authorities
For the purposes of these mechanics, if the authorities become ‘involved’ in your institution, it is NOT a good thing. Your institution becomes under heavy watch, routinely audited by the relevant Kataba, and your ability to execute Assaults is entirely removed. Circulating Rumors and Gathering Intel are both rolled at -3.

Beyond that, however, it is up to the DM how this otherwise impacts your institution and the members therein. Perhaps it leads to a legal (or regular) battle in the arena? Perhaps it leads to government raids on your assets, increased taxes, or even mercenaries contracted to ‘deal with the problem’. If an institution either remains with the authorities ‘alerted’ for more than 6 consecutive months, or gains a consequence that alerts the authorities while they are already alerted, then the DM should determine some grander result of “the law” coming down upon the institution.