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Secrets

Universal

Secrets - Universal

Blessing
The character can bless endeavors, tools and places with a ritual of his faith. The player makes a PRAY (V) check to create the blessing as an Effect which is then moved to the recipient’s character sheet. Blessing Effects are spent as bonus dice; usually they manifest in the fiction only subtly, but when Keys are activated simultaneously, supernatural light effects or such might happen as well. Blessing Effects are not affected by Pool spend caps under the LIMITED EFFECTS variant rule.
Cost: as per normal for Effects.
Conditioning (Pool)
The character has been especially conditioned in one of his Pools, either intentionally or by cruel fate. The Pool spend cap is increased by one for the Pool; while others can only spend one Pool point per Ability check on bonus dice, this character can spend two from this Pool. This Secret can be purchased multiple times.
Contacts
The character is well-traveled and knows people in many places. A VAGRANCY (I) or LOCAL (R) check is enough to establish that the character has in fact visited a given place in the past. The player may also activate this Secret to establish that his character has a pre-existing relationship to another character in the game; the player describes the relationship with a short phrase, while the controller of the other character establishes the attitude of the other character and the current state of the relationship.
Cost: 1 POOL for locations, 3 for characters, Pool mix chosen by the Story Guide: VIGOR for buddies, INSTINCT for lovers and REASON for colleagues, for example.
Counsel
The character knows how to heal broken spirits. Sometimes this is taught, but most often it is instinctual kindness. When the character advises another and the advice is accepted, the player may make an appropriate emotional Ability check such as PRAY (V), MUSIC (I) or STORYTELL (R) to heal mental or social Harm for the target.
Cost: 1 appropriate Pool
Culture (specify)
The character loves his people. He can use any CULTURAL STRENGTHS listed for the culture in question as if he had the corresponding Secret.
Cost: 1 POOL appropriate to the situation.
Dark Rhetoric
The character may impose the KEY OF DESPERATION upon another character with a successful SPEAK (R) check. The target may RESIST (R), of course. The target pays for the Key normally, going into Advance debt if necessary.
Cost: 2 Instinct.
Requirement: KEY OF DESPERATION
Day Labor
The character does not pay Pool to create Effects with the HARD WORK (V) Ability as long as he doesn’t possess any Vigor-based Effects.
Enhancement (Ability)
The character has a heroic Ability that does not have a Pool spend limit. This might be because of specialized initiation, exotic training or simply from being so cool. Regardless, the Pool spend cap for this Ability is lifted altogether: the player can buy however many bonus dice he wants for this Ability.
Experience
Whenever the character does something notable, the player may choose to record his Ability check as a free Effect under this Secret. These Effects are free of Pool costs, but they cannot be used during the session they were recorded. Later the Effects can be used normally when the character encounters situations similar to his past experience.
Herbal Medicine
The character has studied natural remedies. A WOODCRAFT (R) check allows him to know and locate suitable herbs to treat most injuries and illnesses. The check may directly heal Harm or allow further checks to treat the patient (e.g. HOUSEWORK (R)).
Cost: 1 REASON
Home Set (specify)
The character has a milieu particularly important to him. The player can make an appropriate LOCAL (R) check to force the next scene to happen there. The Story Guide can make the obligatory scene a cut scene if he wants. Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Inner Meaning
The character’s art has an expressive spark to it regardless of his level of skill. A piece of art created with CRAFTWORK (I) or other suitable Ability, when turned into an Effect, may at the player’s choice influence anybody witnessing the art emotionally, akin to how MUSIC (I) would. The target may resist the influence with RESIST (R) against the Effect value.
Cost: 1 REASON per check forced.
Knockback
The character may send others flying with his powerful blows. In extended conflict this can end the conflict if the player’s check was the highest of all during a round; such a conflict ends without resolving the stakes, making for an opportunity to back off.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Language (specify)
The character knows an extra language in addition to his own. If no character in the campaign has this Secret, then it’s up to the Story Guide to decide how much pain in the ass he wants language to be, case-by-case.
Luck
When the character gets GIFT DICE from others, the player gains an equal number of dice into his own Gift Pool to redistribute. Even if the group is not using Gift Dice, other players can still each give one Gift Die to this character to any checks they want.
Mighty Blow
When the character deals injury to another by violence, the player may choose to increase the level of Harm caused by paying VIGOR: 1 point per one level of increase. The maximum level of Harm is MORTAL (6), however.
Cost: 1+ VIGOR
Past
The character has a rich and meaningful past. Whenever this backstory comes up in play, the player may choose to frame a flashback scene revealing a part of it. Play the scene as cut scene if appropriate.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Prophecy
The character gets prophetic flashes. Either the player or the Story Guide may activate this Secret to have the player make a PRAY (V) check; the player may call for his character to RESIST (R) the vision, however. Success indicates important visions of the future or far away places, narrated by the player who called for the prophecy. The check result may be made into an Effect by anybody the prophecy pertains to (whether present or not); anybody who hears of the prophecy can duplicate the Effect by paying for it, making it viral. The prophetic Effect provides bonus dice normally, and may also be used for penalty dice on pertinent opposing checks.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Prophecy #2
The player can make a PRAY (V) check to get a look at the Key Elements list in advance. The Story Guide shows him as many Key Elements as the level of his check indicates.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Quest (specify)
The character has a treasure map, plan or other precepts for achieving a major goal, which probably involves gaining some rare Secret or Key or such. This Secret is replaced with the target Secret after three successful conflicts towards the goal: the Story Guide includes the quest in the stakes of appropriate conflicts. He also determines whether losing the conflict risks the whole plan or not.
Retrain (Ability, Pool)
The character has undergone some special training or exotic conditions related to the Ability in question. For example, he might practice a Reason-based musical style taught in old Maldorian art academies. The Ability is now associated with both its original Pool and a new Pool. The two Pools have separate point spend limits for this Ability. The player may also rename the Ability at this point to reflect the changing emphasis; this might be useful in moving between cultures that have similar but separate Abilities, for example.
Scribing (specify)
The character knows how to read and write in one writing system. If no character in the campaign has this Secret, then it’s up to the Story Guide to decide how much pain in the ass he wants literacy to be, case-bycase.
Shrew
The character is skilled at tugging at the heart-strings of others with their manipulation. The player may opt to spend a successful social Ability check result as penalty dice against the target character if the target opts to act against the advice given by the shrew. This works even for social Effects created in earlier scenes. The shrew does not have to be present to spend the dice, as long as the target remembers their earlier interaction.
Sidekick (person)
Choose an amiable secondary character that has no Abilities higher than the character’s highest. The secondary character is now assumed to stick with the player character and help him out of loyalty to common motives, payment or other suitable motive. The sidekick follows instructions for the most part; the Story Guide may contest individual commands with a RESIST (R) check. The secondary character has KEY OF SERVANT for free, but may not use any other Keys; the player character may not gain experience due to interaction with his sidekick. Should the sidekick decide to leave, he decides whether the master gains back the Advance spent on this Secret.
Specialty (focus)
The character has focused his skills to a specific direction. Choose a specialty that is narrower than an Ability. The character gains a free bonus die to any Ability check made within the specialty.
Sudden Knife
The character is practiced as a killer. When the player activates this Secret in a violent conflict, death for the losing party becomes a part of the stakes. Either party may voluntarily de-escalate, but as long as the assassin continues to seek death, he gains a boon: for each ‘ ‘ overflow die in his Ability check, he causes a penalty die for his target’s check (opposed checks only in extended conflict).
Cost: 3 from the Pool associated with the current conflict Ability, 1 from each other Pool.
Synergy (Ability, Ability)
The character has learned to combine the two Abilities seamlessly in situations that utilize both. The character may use either Ability to support the other in extended conflict as a normal support chain that does not expend a round. In normal conflicts check both Abilities simultaneously and have the worse check support the better, regardless of other conditions.
Vagabond
The character has lived among different cultures through his life. For each time the player takes this Secret he may add one background culture for his character, allowing him to use crunch from several cultures in character creation and later development. The cultures have to border each other geographically or be otherwise connected. (Note that characters can gain crunch from other cultures without this Secret in play. The Secret just formalizes the fact that the character has spent a long while with a culture and can improvise crunch from it like he were native.)

Equipment

Secrets - Equipment

Secret of Equipment (specify)
The character owns a piece of rated or imbued equipment. The Effect rating of the equipment is a free Effect with no upkeep, although fixing the equipment (rerolling the Effect rating) costs normally.
Secret of Creation (Ability)
The character is skilled in equipment creation using a particular Ability. When he creates rated mundane equipment, the player gets to choose all of its ratings. The player may also imbue the item with mundane Secrets, and determine its introduction cost profile.
Cost: VIGOR per item’s quality, 2 REASON per imbuement.
Secret of Equipment Mastery
The player can consume a ‘+’ overflow die to activate an applicable equipment rating: the rating acts at a level one step higher than normal for this check.
Secret of Weapon Mastery
The player can consume a ‘+’ overflow die to activate an applicable weapon rating: the opponent’s check suffers penalty dice equal to the rating.
Secret of Armor Mastery
The player can consume a ‘+’ overflow die to activate an applicable armor rating: an incoming Harm is reduced by the value of the rating.
Secret of Tool Mastery
The player can consume a ‘+’ overflow die to activate an applicable tool rating: he immediately gains the rating in pool points usable freely as bonus dice or in activating Secrets. If not used, the points become a free Effect.
Secret of Overflow Control
The player can use empty ‘ ‘ overflow dice in lieu of ‘+’ dice when activating his Secrets.
Name Imbuement
The item has a name, it’s unique and famous. The character may call out the name when introducing the item to pay the item’s introduction cost out of suitable Effects related to the item.
Expert Imbuement (Ability)
The item is complex and difficult to use. The character using it has to succeed in the chosen Ability check when introducing it. The introduction cost is reduced by the check result, but failure damages the item’s quality by one.
Null-rate Imbuement
The item is not broadly useful, and does not have ratings. Instead its introduction cost is halved, round down.
Secret of Signature Equipment (specify)
A piece of equipment the character owns is particularly important to him. Reduce the introduction cost of the item by two points when he is using it himself.
Secret of Shattering (Ability)
The character can destroy equipment and other material Effects with particular fluency when using the chosen Ability. In normal conflict his check result is deducted from the Effect’s value even if he lost against it; in extended conflict he can pay Pool associated with the Ability to increase damage he causes to an Effect.
A Simple Sword
This sword’s quality rating is GREAT (3), so we might consider it a masterwork weapon. It’s the sort that might be used in Maldor or Goren.
Ratings: +2 against other swords. +1 for fighting against people. +1 for fighting animals.
My Amazing (4) Warhorse
A horse wouldn’t necessarily be equipment, it could be just a color element or a character in its own right. Making it equipment emphasizes that it is essentially furniture when the character is not using it. This trained horse provides a discount to its introduction cost with a CAVALRY (V) check. It can trample others with the SECRET OF MIGHTY BLOW. It can also see spirits and associates INSTINCT with CAVALRY (V), perhaps due to its northern stock.
Ratings: +3 for charging in formation. +2 against infantry. +1 for fighting outdoors. +1 for traveling overland.
Imbuements: Expert (Cavalry) (V) Mighty Blow (V) Spirit Sight (I) Retrain (Cavalry, Instinct)
Cost: 2 VIGOR and 2 INSTINCT per scene, minus the Expert deduction. The introduction cost is not paid for merely having the horse in the scene, but even using the ratings triggers it.

Near

Secrets - Near

Moonman Secret
This character’s death is always a valid stake in conflict, regardless of propriety. When the character dies, the player gets to narrate how one part of Near fails; might be right here, might be far away, but something was depending on him. A part of the setting is now dead. Treat this as a transcendence narration insofar as the rest of the campaign is concerned. Requirement: only at character creation.
Secret of Bodhisattva
The character refuses to let go, preferring to continue in the campaign: when the character makes a TRANSCENDENT (7) level success in an Ability check, the player may opt to roll additional penalty dice into the check before accepting the result, thus potentially lowering it from TRANSCENDENT. Cost: 1st level Harm per penalty die. Requirement: at least one Ability at GRAND MASTER (4).

Maldor

Secrets - Maldor

Secret of Counter-strike
The character can use DUELING (V) in a fight to counter a Secret with a Pool cost another character is trying to activate by paying INSTINCT equal to what the opponent is paying. If he succeeds, the opponent suffers penalty dice equal to INSTINCT spent if the fight continues.
Cost: 1+ INSTINCT
Secret of Culture
The character with this Secret has been schooled in the tradition of the old Academies, making his mind into a weapon; when a conflict concerns academic knowledge, the player may opt to not roll and use the Ability value directly as the result.
Cost: 1 REASON
Secret of Dueling Stance
As long as the character can hold to a disciplined stance with DUELING (V), he can lower any fighting Harm coming his way by paying INSTINCT on a 1:1 basis.
Cost: 1+ INSTINCT
Secret of Fealty
The character can refresh his Pool by working to fulfill his duty as a vassal. The refreshed Pool depends on the type of work as determined by the Story Guide. Vigor is most likely for commoners.
Secret of Ladyship
The character can use Pool and Effects for bonus dice on behalf of others she has met, even when not present. She can also use the Pools and Effects of the same people herself when they are present, spending at most points up to an ETIQUETTE (I) check (possibly RESISTED (R)).
Requirement: KEY OF NOBILITY
Secret of Lordship
Whenever the character would gain bonus dice from fealty and respect of his vassals, he may turn them into penalty dice for said vassal at his pleasure. Additionally, the character does not pay creation nor upkeep costs for one such Effect per vassal.
Requirement: KEY OF NOBILITY
Secret of Noble Blood
The character’s descent from the ancient nobility of Maldor runs true. He has an extra generic Pool point that refreshes at the end of each scene.
Secret of Pretender
The character can use a Secret associated with a social position he does not actually hold with a successful DECEIT (I) check. If he takes the result as an Effect, he can continue using the Secret as long as his deceit holds.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT
Secret of Scavenging Grounds (area)
The character has a certain area, such as a seminal battlefield or large ruin, which he knows particularly well. The player can make the area itself an equipment, creating it with the SCROUNGING (I) Ability. Suitable equipment ratings might concern finding certain kinds of supplies there, seeking shelter or knowing the pitfalls therein, for example. The character can also use the SECRET OF CREATION (SCROUNGING) while in the area, except that he pays INSTINCT instead of VIGOR for any equipment he finds, the equipment does not have to be mundane, and the Story Guide gets to choose all but one of the ratings and half of the imbuements in the item.

Sun & Moon

Secrets - Sun & Moon

Secret of Concomitance
The character has learned how to calculate backwards from patterns of solar and lunar eclipses, thus predicting with a successful ASTROLOGY (R) check where and when somebody transcends in Near. The character can also identify people born or initiated with celestial Secrets (such as the MOONMAN SECRET) with these arts. I really don’t recommend this Secret to groups uncertain of their SOLAR SYSTEM skills, it can go to some intricate places!
Secret of the True King
Insofar as anybody in the campaign is, this character is Absolon Reborn. Unless the character carries the Secret unknowingly, it will be bestowed upon him by some sort of sword-in-the-stone deal when the issue is affirmed. The character ignores Pool spend caps in any checks when the stakes concern his identity, and he pays no Advances for crunch bestowed upon him by the virtue of his nature; the supernatural phenomena (blinding light, flocking birds, whatever) make this latter really obvious to on-lookers when it happens.
Cost: 3 VIGOR to skip an Advance payment.
Secret of Lunar Child
The character gains a bonus die to all Ability checks made when the Moon is visible to her. The character is visibly marked with a sign of her lunar allegiance, however; crescent-shaped birthmarks on the face and neck are common, as is silver (not grey) hair.
Secret of Moon-Armor
The character has an ephemeral blessing that acts like equipment and protects her body from harm, but only where moonlight touches her skin. The armor is magical as per the equipment rules, and manifests under the Moon. The character has to be naked to moonlight when paying the introduction cost for the armor, if any. The quality of the armor is determined by a PRAY (V) check each time it is invoked; the player tracks which ratings and imbuements the armor has displayed in the past and chooses among them according to the quality check at each introduction, creating new powers should the PRAY (V) check surpass prior efforts.
Known ratings: +3 against physical harm on body parts naked to moonlight.
Requirement: SECRET OF LUNAR CHILD
Secret of Raising the Moon
The revolutionary may temporarily raise the Aspect of the Moon (as per Gorenite Witchcraft, chapter 18) with blood-letting rites or an orgy on the full moon. A check of ASTROLOGY (R) is made into an Effect that represents the strength of the Aspect. The rites (but not the Pool cost) need to be repeated each full moon for the Aspect to endure. A solar believer may dissolve the Aspect by overcoming it with PRAY (R). Cost: 1 from each Pool
Tricks of Moonlight
The Moon-witch understands that the Queen stands for change against stasis and new things against history.
Astrology: If conception of a child happens at the character’s chosen time and under moonlight, the child will have the SECRET OF LUNAR CHILD or MOONMAN SECRET for free.
Astrology: The character can manipulate moonlight and moonshadow to confuse others and hide in shadows.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Maiden: The character gains a bonus die for seducing an already married man.
Crone: The character can capture moonlight within a mirror as an Effect, releasing it later when the time is right.
Cost: 1 REASON and the cost of the Effect.
Arcana of the Queen: Face
The character can seem like another person to an onlooker. However, she must never reveal her real name to anybody, or she loses this power until that person is dead.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT for a generic woman, 2 for a specific woman, 4 for a man.
Requirement: Embody the Queen
Arcana of the Queen: Charm
The character can allure another to do things they never would. However, if she falls in love herself, this power stops working.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT for ratkin, 2 for men, 4 for women.
Requirement: Embody the Queen
Secret of the Servitors
Although the Servitors are normally not discerned by the unaided eye in modern Near, the character has studied their routes and knows when one of them is overhead, day or night. A successful ASTROLOGY (R) check allows the player to name one of the eight Servitors (apart from Near) as present in the sky during a scene; any characters acting in accordance with the Servitor’s role in the celestial court gains a bonus die to their Ability check. (The player may also opt to create Effects from these checks.) Invoking Near the Royal Doctor in this manner is also possible, but would need to be done with the lost art of geomancy, not astrology.
Cost: 1 REASON

Warcraft

Secrets - Warcraft

Secret of Discipline
The character knows how to train warbands into military units, which count as equipment for their commanders. Make a BATTLE (R) check to train the unit into equipment, as per the SECRET OF CREATION. The commander of such a unit may be disarmed by breaking the unit’s cohesion on the field, and the unit may be destroyed (or at least scattered from the field) by normal rules for destroying equipment.
Cost: as per SECRET OF CREATION, except swap REASON and VIGOR costs.
Soldier Imbuement
A military unit with this imbuement has SUPERIOR LEVERAGE in battle against characters not backed by a warband; it wins martial encounters without conflict.
Secret of Formation
When a character with this Secret fights in closed formation with MELEE (V), he gains bonus dice equal to the warband’s Effect value, if any. When imbued into a military unit, the commander gains bonus dice equal to equipment quality to BATTLE (R) checks appropriate for closed formation fighting.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Secret of Charge
When a character with this Secret charges as part of a warband with CAVALRY (V), he causes penalty dice to a resisting opponent equal to the unit’s Effect value, if any. When imbued into a military unit, the commander causes penalty dice equal to equipment quality to opponents resisting the unit.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Secret of Elite
If a character with this Secret has to make a Passive Ability check when part of a warband, he gets synergy with the commander’s BATTLE (R) as per the SECRET OF SYNERGY. When imbued into a military unit, the commander can protect unit cohesion and prevent it from breaking by suffering any results that would cause such as REASON-based Harm on himself.
Secret of Warfare
The character knows how to conduct major battles with multiple units attacking and supporting each other in coordination, allowing for such maneuvers as flanking, reserves and orderly retreats. Make a BATTLE (R) check to form an army out of several military units and warbands as an Effect. An opponent wanting to disrupt the army’s chain of command has to attack this Effect to do so. An army has SUPERIOR LEVERAGE against individual warbands when it comes to direct encounters on the battlefield; only another army may resist its might directly.
Cost: 1 REASON per trained or restructured army, plus cost of creating and maintaining any Effects.
Requirement: SECRET OF DISCIPLINE
Castle Imbuement
This imbuement is placed on a dedicated defensive structure, appropriately enough. A castle might be built as equipment with the SECRET OF CREATION (ENGINEERING), or a character might come to possess one by other means. Either way, the castle imbuement provides SUPERIOR LEVERAGE to a suitable defensive force against enemy warbands, making it impossible for the opponent to attack the defenders directly. Even if the enemy has the means to try storming the castle, they will suffer penalty dice to any Ability checks to do so equal to the current quality of the castle.
Secret of Siege Warfare
The character is familiar with classical siege warfare and may thus direct circumvallation, sapping, building and moving siege machines and so on. A siege conducted with these strategies may directly attack the Effect value of opposing fortifications with ENGINEERING (R) checks. The character’s war machines allow him to use ENGINEERING (R) to support in appropriate violent conflicts.
Secret of Field Surgeon
Civilian medicine in Maldor is non-invasive and mostly based on Three-Corner philosophy. A military field surgeon works with limited knowledge, but plenty of experience: when a character gets seriously injured, the field surgeon can work to stabilize him by activating this Secret. This prevents the character from bleeding to death and prepares him for long-term care with real medicinal practice. Additionally, Pool paid to activate this Secret also counts towards natural healing as if the patient had spent it.
Cost: 1 REASON per Harm on the patient.
Secret of Evaluation
The character can find out the mechanical statistics of others by observing them in combat or training conditions. The player gets to ask one question per level of success on a BATTLE (R) check. Appropriate questions could involve ranking the character’s Pools against each other or against other characters, finding out the exact current value of a single Pool, finding out the character’s highest Ability and its level, recognizing a Secret the character used or whatever other questions the group finds reasonable; a lot depends on how the group handles this information normally.
Cost: 1 REASON
Secret of Tactics
The player gets to choose and frame the turning-point of a given simple conflict, as the character influences the situation to unravel to his benefit. In practice this means that the player gets to choose the Abilities used by both sides of the conflict, as he describes the exact moment of conflict resolution in the fiction.
Cost: 1 REASON for non-martial conflicts, or REASON equal to opposing BATTLE (R) check (if any) for martial ones.
Secret of Born Soldier
The character gains one Pool point in his current weakest Pool every time he activates a Martial Key. However, he also refreshes each Pool to one point less than his maximum for each Martial Key he has.

Three-Corner

Secrets - Three-Corner

Common Secrets

Magical Hand
Normally, a character must touch a target to affect it with magic. With this Secret, they can affect any target they can see or have the effects of their magic occur anywhere they can see.
Cost: 1 point from the associated pool.
Magical Contagion
Normally, a character’s Three-Corner magic affects one target. With this Secret they can spread their magic over a group of targets by spending points from the associated pool.
Cost: Per magnitude:
1 A team (5)
3 A group (25)
6 A crowd or herd (100)
10 All targets in the scene.

Creation Secrets

Magical Persistence
Normally, a character’s magic can last for a maximum of one hour. With this Secret they can extend the duration by spending from the associated pool.
Cost: Per magnitude:
1 Until the next sundown (or sunrise)
3 Until next moon phase (weekly)
6 Until next eclipse (monthly)
10 Until next solstice (biannually)
Magical Cunning
Normally, Three-Corner magic is always primarily opposed by RESIST (R) when directed at an unwilling target. With this Secret the character can choose another Passive Ability to be used against his working.
Cost: 1 point from the associated Pool.
Magical Ritual
Normally, Three-Corner magical workings have to be executed and paid for in Pool all at once, without rest. With this Secret the character can stop a magical working in the middle to resume it later: pay a part of the working’s Pool cost and make at least one focus Ability check before making the latest Ability check into an Effect. The ritual can be finished later as long as the character preserves the Effect, which may then be used normally as bonus dice for the rest of the ritual.
Cost: the cost of creating the Effect.
Spellcraft
Spells are cheaper to cast for the character: for every Advance invested into the spell, he may halve the Pool cost of the spell (round down) instead of reducing it by one point.
Cost: 1 point from the associated Pool per halving.
Law of Effort
If the character does not have enough Pool for a Three-Corner working, the player can activate this Secret to roll penalty dice into the check (distributed freely to multiple checks if there are multiple foci) to reduce the Pool cost on a 1:1 basis. If a check fails, however, the character suffers a MAJOR (4) Harm from the backlash.
Cost: 1 point from the associated Pool.
Create Anything
The character can create any pure material he wants. “Pure” materials are simple natural or crafted, homogenous materials – not modern base elements so much as things like wood or steel or tar. Only one material may be created with one activation.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Create Energy
The character can create “energy”, a massless, semi-opaque substance that releases light when disturbed. Energy does not occur in pure form naturally and cannot be mistaken for any natural substance. It is considered the ideal matter by many wizards.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Requirement: CREATE ANYTHING
Energy Imbuement
The user of an item made of Energy can pay VIGOR to reduce any harm to the item on a 1:1 basis, forcing it to keep its form against attempts at breaking it. The light (or heat, when adjusted) released by Energy on impact causes any opponent in violent conflict to suffer a penalty die to their checks. Remember that Energy created by Three-Corner magic is not permanent.
Create Volume
The character can create large amounts of material. The material comes to existence in a simple geometric shape such as a sphere, wall or cube.
Cost: 1 VIGOR + extra per magnitude:
1 A knapsack’s worth
3 Enough to fill a pit
6 A ship’s hold
10 A city wall
Overlay Creation
Normally Three-Corner Creation does not work to overlay substantial resistances, only to gently displace them. This Secret allows the character’s creation to share the space with other matter. Depending on the nature and shape of the creation, this might result in impalement, explosive displacement or instant and uniform mixtures of matter.
Cost: 1+ the target’s RESIST (R) check in VIGOR.

Destruction Secrets

Inner Damage
The character can damage a target’s Pools instead of causing physical Harm. Pool points of your choice equal to the success level of a DESTRUCTION (V) check are lost.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Massive Damage
Harm caused by a DESTRUCTION (V) check is multiplied by the VIGOR spent, but only to the maximum level of MORTAL (6).
Cost: 2+ VIGOR
Crippling Damage
Harm caused by the character is marked AGGRAVATED,I accordingly on the Harm track. Such Harm does not shake down and cannot be healed naturally. The target also suffers an additional penalty die when the aggravated Harm causes penalties.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Destroy Magic
The character can damage immaterial magical phenomena, such as Three-Corner workings of other wizards and spirits.
Cost: 1 VIGOR

Enhancement Secrets

Artifice
When using (or having an ally use) the SECRET OF CREATION, the character may assign magical traits and imbuements to the equipment. Treat the appropriate craft Ability as a necessary additional focus for the working. The character can only imbue spells and Three-Corner Secrets he knows or creates for the purpose. Unlike normal Three-Corner magic, these items are permanent, made so by the craftwork.
Cost: an additional 2 INSTINCT per magical function (which may be presented by several ratings, note).
Burst of Power
Another character’s activity is blessed with a blatantly supernatural power. For every blank ‘ ’ result in the Ability check overflow, roll a bonus die into the check. This goes for blanks rolled from the bonus dice as well.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT and 1 point from the Pool associated with the other character’s action.
Empower Others
The character can spend his Pool points on the target’s stead, following his own Pool spend caps. This works in activating Secrets, too.
Healing Touch
The character can use ENHANCEMENT (I) to heal Harm and resist diseases by quickening the natural healing process.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT
Empower Magic
Pool spend caps do not concern the character in this working.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Use Equipment
A piece of equipment the character is using is activated using any equipment mastery Secret.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT

Transformation Secrets

Beast Morph
The character can mold the target life form into an animalistic creature (see chapter 27), moving their Pool scores around freely in the process. This costs two INSTINCT. In addition, each of the following costs one extra point: Double or half the target’s size Flip two Ability scores Add an animal Secret Add an Advance of BESTIALITY (V)
Cost: 2+ INSTINCT
Craft
The character can create craft products instantly, provided that he has the skill and the raw materials. Treat the appropriate craft Ability as a necessary additional focus for the working.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per craft
Gravity
The character can negate gravity for one man-sized target for 2 INSTINCT. In addition, each of the following costs one extra point: Affect a twice as massive target. Cause extra pull equal to the target’s weight in one direction.
Cost: 2+ INSTINCT
Pool Shift
The character can translate the check result’s worth of the target’s Pools into another type, even taking him over his normal Pool limit.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT

Divination Secrets

Know Truth
The character can use ENTHRALLMENT (R) without the target realizing that they are being manipulated.
Cost: 1 REASON
See Far
The character can see far-away places, things and people as long as he has something to go on, such as a memory of the sight, or a sufficiently specific name.
Cost: REASON per magnitude:
1 Beyond a wall or other obstacle
3 Beyond several obstacles
6 This side of the horizon
10 On the same continent
Or, when appropriate to your campaign:
6 Same cultural region
10 Anywhere in Near
Know Capabilities
You learn game statistics about the target, such as their best Ability, a specific Ability, details of a spell or a current Pool size. One bit of information per REASON spent.
Cost: 1+ REASON
Mundane Interface
The character can replace one focus from this Three-Corner working with another Ability from the same Pool.
Cost: 2 REASON for a Passive Ability, 3 for any other.

Enthrallment Secrets

Gentle Touch
The character can divine the answer to any question phrased as such. The Story Guide determines the clarity of the knowledge based on the DIVINATION (R) check.
Cost: 1 REASON
Alter Senses
The character can manipulate the senses of the target, making them experience illusions.
Cost: 1 REASON per sense
Alter Memories
The character can manipulate the memories of the target, creating new ones (potentially played out as flashback scenes) or clouding the old.
Cost: 2 REASON per memory.
Requirement: ALTER SENSES
Sympathetic Magic
If the character has at hand property or body parts that uniquely identify a given person, they will find his magic much more difficult to resist: the player can expend any bonus dice to his check as opponent penalty dice, instead.
Cost: 1 REASON per sense

Ratkin

Secrets - Ratkin

Secret of Ratkin
The character gains a bonus die to any ANIMAL HANDLING (I) checks involving rats. He is also able to communicate with rodents in their own language. His thick fur and claws mean that he takes no circumstance penalties for BRAWLING (V) against an armed opponent.
Secret of Rat Companions
Ratkin often carry a few friendly rats with them, perhaps members of their litter. The rats in toto are a secondary character EXPERT (2) with stealthy rat-type things. They have one Pool-point, or three if the player has named individual rats or otherwise focused play on them. The rats usually follow instructions, but they scatter immediately under violent attack and only return in the next scene.
Secret of Sibling Rivalry
Fighting with a member of his litter refreshes the character’s INSTINCT Pool. Any Harm caused by the litter-mates to each other is reduced by the value of the attacker’s LITTER BOND (I).
Secret of Curiosity
The character can use tools and equipment he found with SCROUNGING (I) instead of the proper Ability, but only as long as he hasn’t figured out the proper use of the tool.
Cost: 1 REASON, cumulative per tool.
Secret of Resistance
The character is highly resistant to toxins and disease. When succumbing to such is at issue, the player may opt to pay VIGOR to turn a failed ENDURE (V) check inconclusive; the character has a slight fever and does not develop a resistance to the disease, but does not suffer any ill effects, either.
Cost: VIGOR equal to check difference for opposed checks, 1 VIGOR otherwise.
Secret of Rat-Stealth
The character has learned to avoid human attention. As long as he stays in hiding and does nothing to attract attention, he has SUPERIOR LEVERAGE against humans in skulking. Doesn’t work against dogs and other creatures more aware of their environs.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per human present.
Secret of Bond-Speech
The character can communicate with members of his litter with a successful LITTER BOND (I) check (made by both for twoway communication). The communication is incomprehensible or even invisible to outsiders, consisting of small signals. The player may spend Instinct to allow the character to communicate over distance and through obstacles, using a means mysterious to non-ratkin.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per obstacle and 3 for a long distance.
Secret of Mind-Speech
The character can use BOND-SPEECH with other ratkin and rodents aside from his own litter. Doing so at distance pretty much requires knowing the scent of the target.
uirement: SECRET OF BOND-SPEECH.
Cost: 1 REASON per target.
Secret of Rule-Speech
The character can try to force a target of BOND-SPEECH to act against its will.
Requirement: SECRET OF BOND-SPEECH.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per target.
Secret of Toxoplasm
The toxoplasm is a parasite living inside a host brain, most likely a human. A character with the toxoplasm is considered ratkin for the purposes of BOND-SPEECH. In addition, the character suffers a penalty die against ratkin in social conflicts. The character might be able to use LITTER BOND (I) after living among ratkin for a long while.
Requirement: The character is human.
Secret of Albino Weird (Secret)
The character is an albino, with white fur and red eyes. He suffers a penalty die for everything he does in direct daylight, due to his sensitiveness. The character also has a weird: in times of stress the character manifests a culture-appropriate magical Secret of the player’s choice; if the Secret requires the use of an Ability, the Ability can be substituted by BESTIALITY (V). If the character learns the Secret in question, swap the weird to a different Secret. The Secret may also be swapped prematurely in a life-threatening situation.
Cost: 1 REASON to use, 3 INSTINCT to force the Secret to swap to another one.

Ammeni

Secrets - Ammeni

Secret of Kata Nei
Kata Nei is a bamboo fighting style mostly favored by high-class Ammeni. It utilizes improvised weapons, preferentially untreated bamboo stalks, which the fighter cuts and splinters into nasty instruments during the fight. The character gains bonus dice to his BAMBOO WARRIOR (V) checks in a fight by breaking his weapons: each expended bamboo stalk gains one die, to a maximum of two (one for each hand) per check. Replacing the weapons mid-fight ranges from trivial (i.e. in a bamboo forest) to impossible; in extended conflict it requires either advance preparations or a defensive round spent in procuring replacements.
Secret of Bamboo Mercenary
Most mercenary officers in Ammeni are from Maldor, but half of the men are locals as well. Those units that cannot afford metal arms are forced to adapt to native conditions. The character with this Secret can use MELEE (V) and BAMBOO WARRIOR (V) interchangeably.
Secret of Healing
When the character is healing another with an Ability check, he can make an Effect off the result. As long as he maintains the Effect, the target character heals one Harm under the Effect level for every scene of bed rest. However, if the patient acts against the Effect’s recovery instructions, he suffers the Effect level as Harm as his wounds reopen.
Secret of Ritual Dance (specify)
The character has learned a specific, complex dancing performance purported to have wondrous power. If any character declares that a Secret his character possesses would be greatly supported by the preternatural qualities of this particular dance, this will be so: not only can the dancer support the Secret in action, but he can also share his Pool points with the user of the Secret. The player should keep a list of the Secrets that have been associated with the dance under this Secret.
Cost: the other character pays REASON equal to the number of Secrets aided by this particular dance before adding his.

Alchemi

Secrets - Alchemy

Secret of the Still
character knows how to create INFUSIONS, powerful alchemical concoctions. The alchemist pays a REASON cost for his infusion when it is created. Complex infusions take great skill to create: each stage past the first incurs a cumulative penalty die to the creation check.
Cost: 1 REASON per stage past the first.
Secret of the Funnel
Activate this Secret to rearrange or remove the stages of a finished infusion. The player also has to reroll the Effect value of the infusion; failure ruins it. Each moved or removed stage causes a penalty die to this check. The funneling process may also be used to reverse engineer and master an infusion from another alchemist’s notes, although the Story Guide may mess with the exact composition and order of the stages during the process.
Cost: 1 REASON to move a stage, 2 to remove a stage, 1 to reverse engineer a stage and 1 mandatory to reroll the Effect.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE STILL
Secret of Metastasis
Activate this Secret to cancel the penalty dice caused by alchemical apparati such as the STILL or the FUNNEL. The player makes the choice to activate metastasis for each roll separately.
Cost: 1 REASON.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE STILL
Secret of Botany
A concerned naturalist can get more out of HERBALISM (R) than just simple Effects: He can cause penalty dice instead of bonus dice with his herbal Effects. He can create herbal incenses and pastes to deliver the Effect in different ways. The LIMITED EFFECTS variant rule does not concern his Effects. He can create first-stage INFUSIONS.
Secret of Laboratory
The character owns a dedicated laboratory for his alchemical work. As long as the character has access to the lab, he can reduce the upkeep costs for his alchemical and herbal Effects by the value of a suitable Ability check whenever he refreshes Reason. Each useful Ability may be checked separately for each Refresh; suitable Abilities might include ALCHEMY (R) and HERBALISM (R), and perhaps others.
Cost: 1 Reason per Ability checked.
Secret of Fire Fruit
A cook with this Secret can use COOKING (I) with such exotic skill that it resembles alchemy. He can create orally delivered first-stage infusions out of foods and spices. Such cooking infusions are impossible to recognize as drugs (which they really aren’t). Often their effects are delayed by digestion unpredictably, and a victim might not even realize that they are being poisoned.
Secret of Iron Stomach
Natural inclination or deliberate acclimatization has made the character resistant to ingested poisons and other harmful substances. The player may pay Vigor to cancel out infusion stages in addition to those cancelled by the ENDURE (V) check. In addition, the player may create Effects with ENDURE (V) to represent immunities to specific poisons.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per cancelled stage.
Secret of Serpent Blade
The character knows how to boil an infusion into a sticky paste suitable for treating weapons. The paste preserves well and takes effect once the weapon pierces skin.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per treated weapon.
Secret of Serpent Fog
The character knows how to mix an infusion into an air-weight vapor that takes effect through the lungs.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per roomful of fog.
Alchemical Imbuement
A piece of equipment with this imbuement provides the effects of a specific INFUSION constantly at a level equal to the equipment quality; the infusion has no maintenance cost.
Secret of Addiction (specify)
The character is addicted to the specified substance and will have trouble doing well unless satisfied regularly. The addiction affects one of the character’s Pools, causing normal Pool refreshment to return only one Pool point for the character. A full refill, instead, is gained by partaking of the addiction. However, this only works once per session, extra satisfaction only returns one Pool point per scene. (For multiple addictions in one Pool, all have to be satisfied for full satisfaction, but each can be satisfied independently for partial.) Addiction can be broken by long-term denial and RESIST (R) check, but the Secret remains and becomes active if the character ever indulges again; only extraordinary measures (a QUEST, say) can remove an addiction altogether.

Trade

Secrets - Trade

Secret of Fortune
The character has more than any one person could ever need. The form of the wealth might be specific or ever-changing, depending on the character. Any material Effects he chooses to garner by wealth come to him effortlessly, without Pool cost. Similarly, he pays a Pool point instead of an Advance to wield mundane equipment that can be bought. The only limitations to this are practical, such as time and availability; the Story Guide might consider one application per scene a good rule of thumb on this. The Ability used in the procurement of Effects and equipment is WEALTH (R), unless the task is left to a suitably skilled client. The character still pays Effect upkeep on refreshes for any Effects he chooses to maintain, and he has to invest the Advance to keep any equipment at the end of the session.
Cost: 1 VIGOR to use mundane equipment.
Requirements: Difficult to achieve, see main text.
Secret of Client
The character is client to a powerful and rich patron who has the SECRET OF FORTUNE. He may use the patron’s wealth as his own (as if he had the Secret himself), contingent on the patron’s pleasure. He may also provide his Ability checks for the patron, interchangeably from the patron’s own in most situations. Should the client refuse his patron and lose this Secret, the patron decides whether the client gains back the Advance expended on the Secret.
Requirement: Continuing pleasure of the patron.
Secret of Slavery
The character has a number of slaves at his disposal. The slaves are MEDIOCRE (0) when compelled to act for the master, but they can be objectified into a piece of equipment as well by training. Slaves allow the master or his representative to use SLAVE DRIVING (V) to achieve whatever goals a bunch of subjugated people could.
Requirement: SECRET OF FORTUNE
Secret of House Slave
A house slave is utilized for his special skills and usually has somewhat less strenuous tasks than a field slave. The slave with this Secret can act with his own full Abilities to fulfill the master’s interests.
Requirement: owner has SECRET OF SLAVERY
Secret of Contract
The character knows how to create contracts with suitable Abilities, such as WEALTH (R) or BARTER (I). The contract is an Effect that may be spent by the player freely as penalty dice against a contracting party as long as the contract stands unfulfilled. Should the contract be completed, the remaining Effect value becomes experience points for each contracting party separately.
Secret of Route (specify)
The character is established on a specific trade route. He can activate any of the trade right Secrets without needing to know them. Additionally, any messages he sends along the route reach their target in time with a successful TRADE ROUTES (R) check.
Cost: 1 appropriate Pool plus Secret’s cost to activate each Secret.
Secret of Market (specify)
The character is established at a specific market. He can activate any of the trade right Secrets without needing to know them. Additionally, he can use any trade route going through his market with permission from the owner of the route, or he can prevent such routes from functioning with an appropriate LOCAL (R) check.
Cost: 1 appropriate Pool plus Secret’s cost to activate each Secret.
Secret of Travel
The character can get safely and quickly from one place to another within his trade right. A successful TRADE ROUTES (R) check allows him to arrive in his destination for his very next scene.
Cost: 2 VIGOR for seemingly impossible distances.
Requirement: some trade rights
Secret of Rarity
The character has access to goods or services not normally available in the environment, but available in some part of his trade right. A TRADE ROUTES (R) or LOCAL (R) check may be used to procure an appropriate item, knowledge or other thing from a distant land; they will usually appear surprisingly quickly.
Cost: 2 REASON for a seemingly impossible find. Requirement: some trade rights
Secret of Spy Network
The character has informers in his market area, and is generally aware of significant events therein. A LOCAL (R) check allows him to know of the events of any scene happening locally after the scene but before the next one. This works for routes with TRADE ROUTES (R) as well, but only very narrowly along the established road or shipping line, or at waystations.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT for seemingly impossible spying. Requirement: some trade rights
Secret of Smuggling
When the character’s illegal trade affair falls through, the player can establish a reasonable means of escape and damage control retroactively with a THIEVERY (I), TRADE ROUTES (R) or LOCAL (R) check. An extra boat moored behind rocks, a waterproof alibi, or whatever makes sense to the group. This only works within the character’s trade rights, however.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT for seemingly unlikely preparations. Requirement: some trade rights

Zaru

Secrets - Zaru

Unimpeded Flow Technique
The character has learned to move continuously, without breaking for thought. In extended conflict his UPTENBO (I) action counts for both bonus dice and Harm against the opponent, but only if the next action is made with UPTENBO (I) as well. In a normal conflict treat this as the SECRET OF SYNERGY for UPTENBO (I) with itself.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT per check
Force Redirection Technique
The character has learned to redirect strength arrayed against him. He gains bonus dice to his UPTENBO (I) check equal to the opposing check result.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT per check
Constant Motion Technique
The character has learned to move steadily in everything he does. He has synergy as per the SECRET OF SYNERGY between his UPTENBO (I) and all of his other Abilities. However, activating it costs Pool.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT per check
Flexing Stem Technique
The character has learned to give way against greater strength and make the best of his loss. When losing an Ability check with UPTENBO (I), the character may convert the winning check into penalty dice for himself instead of suffering the default outcome. The dice are held by the opponent and allocated to further checks the character makes as long as the situation continues. A normal conflict is pre-empted by this technique as if a tie, but it may be reattempted by either side. In extended conflict the character may force the penalty die pool to disappear by taking a Defensive Action.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Shield Meditation Technique
The character has learned to prepare his mind for the non-violent combat method. Meditation is depicted by UPTENBO (I) Effects such as “I am ready to oppose the Master”, for example. Instead of spending such an Effect as bonus dice, this Technique allows the player to swap a pertinent Ability check with the Effect value during a conflict.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT to swap.
Rising Pumsa (two Techniques)
When the character uses the first of the two techniques in a fight successfully, he can activate the pumsa to deduct the first technique’s Pool cost from the cost of the second technique, provided that he follows up immediately. The discount is Poolspecific.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Requirement: the techniques combined
Breaking Pumsa (two Techniques)
When the first technique is used by an opponent in combat, the character can nullify its effect by successfully performing the second technique. The characters still conflict normally, it’s just that the opponent doesn’t benefit from his technique at this time.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Requirement: the second technique
Secret of Uptenbo Mastery
The character can use any PUMSA with his Uptenbo Techniques, and Pumsa he already knows do not cost Pool for him to perform. He may also discover individual techniques instantly in a flash of insight, if there are any he does not know.
Cost: 2 REASON to invent a technique on the spot.
Requirement: two Pumsa.
Secret of Breaking Chain
Nobody has this Secret yet, but this is how I would misuse Uptenbo against its own aims: the character may now expend VIGOR to activate Uptenbo techniques. When he does, instead of humbling or subduing, the attack breaks bones or organs and kills.

Zu

Secrets - Zu

Secret of Zu
The character with this Secret has unlocked the full power of Zu and may use any words of power he commands. The character also knows the special word, ZU, meaning agreement. Speaking ZU allows the character to add a bonus die to any ongoing Ability check he focuses on.
Cost: 1 REASON
Requirements: The character has never taken a person’s life. Should he do so, he loses this Secret.
Secret of Uz
The character with this Secret has unlocked the full power of Zu and may use any words of power he commands. The character also knows the special word, UZ, meaning denial. Speaking UZ allows the character to add a penalty die to any ongoing Ability check he focuses on.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Requirements: The character has killed a person.
Secret of Grammar
The character can utter and pay for zu syllables one by one, letting the Story Guide judge on the overall effect after each syllable; thus the player always knows whether he needs to add more syllables to gain the effect he desires. The player also can negate the utterance without effect if the desired outcome is not reached. Finally, if he has time, the character may make a ZU (R) check in advance to get the Story Guide to judge on the likely outcome of a sentence of up to the check result in syllables. The player may write down such a judgment as an Effect, which makes it binding for as long as the Effect is retained.
Secret of the Quickening
If the character kills (or is present at the death of) the keeper of a Zu syllable, he can obtain it himself: make a ZU (R) check to capture syllables up to the check result in number from the dying essence. Pay Advances normally.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per captured syllable.
Requirement: SECRET OF UZ

(Every word known as a word of power also is a secret)

Khale

Secrets - Khale

Secret of Eight Forms
The character has concertedly taught himself to fight and kill humans. The student is supposed to learn this by observing the eight moietic animals, because other skins won’t share their secrets with you; in practice HEROES teach these arts freely to anybody. A character with this Secret can use his SPEARFIGHTING (V) with any (and I mean any) weapons, and even without, although he does suffer circumstance penalties. He also has no Pool spend cap on bonus dice when disarming opponents, and can use his own bonus dice as opponent penalty dice if they are fighting with unfamiliar weapons.
Perfect Chord of Joy
A successful MUSIC (I) check causes swellings of joy in the listeners. They also gain the KEY OF JOY until the end of the scene if they can. This Key is not in the book – you will have to create it yourself.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT.
Requirements: Buy off a pertinent Motivation Key.
Perfect Chord of Sleep
A successful MUSIC (I) check causes the audience to slumber.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT.
Requirements: Buy off a pertinent Motivation Key.
Perfect Chord of Sorrow
A successful MUSIC (I) check causes tears of sorrow for the listeners. The check heals or causes INSTINCT Harm depending on the situation.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT.
Requirements: Buy off a pertinent Motivation Key.
Perfect Chord of Longing
A successful MUSIC (I) check causes a sense of yearning for the audience. The Story Guide frames a flashback scene related to the situation.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT.
Requirements: Buy off a pertinent Motivation Key.
Perfect Chord of Fear
A successful MUSIC (I) check causes dread and terror in the listeners. This chord has a bad reputation among most tribes.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT.
Requirements: Buy off a pertinent Motivation Key.
Secret of the Lyric
By combining STORYTELL (R) into his music, a bard may direct the feelings caused by his PERFECT CHORDS into specific conclusion. This allows the player to control the effects and audience of the chords in a much more exact manner, convincing them of a specific point related to the song.
Cost: 1 REASON.
Secret of Full Music
Many legends are told of bards skilled enough to allure animals of the forest, force people to dance, beat King Khale himself in a contest, kill with a song and so on. Normally this sort of thing would require a TRANSCENDENT (7) Ability check, but with this Secret the character may do musical magic regardless. This only works when conducted with passion (a greater activation of a Motivation Key), and the character needs to use one or more perfect chords to channel the power of his music.
Cost: VIGOR equal to 7 minus the check result.
Requirements: Three PERFECT CHORDS
Secret of the Questor
This is the same as the SECRET OF TSAFARI from Qek. Tying knots in the Green World is much easier in that there are no time limits or other ritual constraints. Some of the other knotwork crunch might also be available in Khale to questors.
Secret of Forest Transport
The character can bring others into the Green World with him, holding the portal for them. The ancestors will hold the character responsible for the actions of the visitors.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per visitor
Secret of Bough’s Bosom
While in the Green World, the character can use any of his Pools interchangeably to heal naturally. Ability checks made to heal him in the Green World gain a bonus die as well.
Wooden Imbuement
Khaleans create out of wood items that would be made of metal in other places, such as tools, weapons and armor. The equipment is light, and has the effects of one equipment mastery imbuement of the creator’s choice, but it is somewhat frail: any attempts to break it use the SECRET OF SHATTERING.
Moon-Metal Imbuement
An item made of moon-metal is light, gleaming, stainless, flexible and sharp as it needs be. Whenever the item would normally be destroyed or broken, its quality merely decreases by one step. A moonmetal item does not have a limit to the number of imbuements it may have, and imbuing it gains a discount of one point. However, the item suffers when striking wood, breaking like a normal item subjected to the same Ability check; this can be resisted reflexively (that is, without effort or spending actions in extended conflict) by the user’s LUNAR FORGING (R).
Secret of Moon Heart
The character has consumed a quantity of moon-metal, which has bonded permanently to his flesh. He no longer needs fire to shape moon-metal, and may spend unlimited VIGOR for bonus dice in LUNAR FORGING (R). The character cannot enter the Green World, however, and Harm caused to him by wooden weapons is AGGRAVATED, marked accordingly on the Harm track. Such Harm does not shake down and cannot be healed naturally.
Secret of Hero Band
The character can form an elite warband out of people who are united by purpose, tribal, family and moiety ties. Use GENEALOGY (R), STORY-TELL (R) or SPEAK (R) to unite the warband into a HERO BAND. Such a band is created like equipment as per the SECRET OF CREATION, with the PURPOSE IMBUEMENT automatically included. Hero Bands can also imbue Keys. A hero band can be used by any member as equipment, although they can be disarmed by separating the character from his peers. The hero band is quite difficult to destroy, as named characters are more likely to escape and regroup than get killed; attacking their sense of purpose and loyalty is much easier mechanically.
Cost: as per the SECRET OF CREATION, except swap INSTINCT and VIGOR costs.
Purpose Imbuement
A HERO BAND always has this imbuement, as they have a definite purpose to which they are created. Using it for other reasons is only possible if the character convinces the heroes to take the new mission. The character might also lose the support of the band if he insists on going against its purpose. On the other hand, band members can only be suborned by overcoming the band quality, and they’ll always return for the character if he’s lost to them.
Initiation Imbuement
A HERO BAND with this imbuement can only be joined through initiation tests set by the hero band creator. Anybody wanting to join the band (creator included) has to pass the set check difficulties in specific Abilities. For each two levels of initiation decrease the introduction cost of the band by one point.
Key Imbuement (specify)
A HERO BAND with this imbuement has a Key that the character can use as his own. If anybody buys it off, all characters in the hero band gain experience.
An Example Hero Band
This AMAZING (4) hero band was formed by Lugh Salmon-Skin to fight the Ammeni. His heroic friends Kelvin Tree-hand and Witch Deirdre are members, as are two dozen most cunning woodsmen of thirteen tribes.
Ratings: +3 for fighting in water. +2 for fighting Ammeni. +1 for fighting. +1 for druidic magic.
Imbuements: Purpose (defeat the Ammeni) (V) Initiation (Amazing Woodcraft, Good Guerrilla Warfare and Good Spearfighting) (I) Sidekick (Kelvin) (V) Sidekick (Deirdre) (I)
Cost: 1 INSTINCT per scene.

Qek

[[Secrets-_Qek?|Secrets- Qek]]

Knotwork

Secrets - Knotwork

Secret of Knot Lore (area)
The character has lived in an area for a while and has collected knowledge of several knots therein. Collect all known knots from the area into a list under this Secret. These knots do not require upkeep as Effects.
Cost: 1 REASON to bypass upkeep
Secret of Tsafari
The character can create knots. A PRAY (V) check tells the character whether a given place is already or can be knotted. A new knot is created by staying in the place until the end of the month and making a LOCAL (R) check. An existing knot can be unmade with a similar ritual and a successful PRAY (V) check. Creating knots challenges the spirit of the place: the Story Guide introduces a mortal hazard to the character during his stay in the place. The character buys the SECRET OF KNOT for his new knot when he finishes the creation.
Secret of Knot (knot)
The character has a special relationship with a particular knot, which becomes a free Effect for him. He has no Pool spend cap for Ability checks when utilizing the terrain of the knot to his advantage. When using the terrain against an opponent, he may spend the Pool to give penalty dice to the opponent as well. This does not work against an opponent with a better knot rating.
Requirements: the best current knot rating for this knot in the campaign.
Secret of the Hermit
The character may refresh his Vigor and Reason Pools by spending a day alone in a knot he masters. Cost: 2 INSTINCT.
Requirements: SECRET OF KNOT
Secret of Area (area)
The character has all the benefits of the SECRET OF KNOT and it’s associated Secrets anywhere within the defined area. He also cannot get lost within it.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT.
Requirements: SECRET OF KNOT for all the knots that define the area.
Secret of Jungle Travel
The character may make a WOODCRAFT (R) or LOCAL (R) check when lost to skip an encounter the Story Guide is trying to frame for him: the character avoids the encounter or simply never comes upon it. Then the Story Guide reframes with something else. The player has the right of refusal on scene ideas equal to the check result before he has to accept the next scene. This may allow a character to get where he was going in the first place, depending on what the Story Guide decides to offer. Should the Story Guide run out of ideas, the player gets to choose the scene himself.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT

Spiritwork

Secrets - Spiritwork

Secret of Walozi
Some Qek are born weird, others gain the power by training: a walozi can contact spirits with the correct rites and a PRAY (V) check. The rite probably takes about fifteen minutes, unless the spirit is already present.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Ritual of Spectral Form
The walozi gives form to a sasha or zamani with a successful CRAFTWORK (I) check. The rite probably takes about half an hour, depending on how much effort the walozi wants to put into it. The spectral form becomes an Effect and lasts as long as the Effect is maintained.
Cost: 1 VIGOR and 1 INSTINCT for the Effect.
Requirement: SECRET OF WALOZI
Ritual of Binding
The walozi binds a spirit to a suitable body. This does not require an Ability check, but a resistant spirit may make a RESIST (R) check to make it more difficult. The rite probably takes about a half hour per paid Vigor point. Rejoining your own body is free and immediate.
Cost: 1 VIGOR plus VIGOR equal to the resistance.
Requirement: SECRET OF WALOZI
Ritual of Severance
The walozi severs a spirit from a body or spectral form with a successful BRAWL (V) check. This has no cost, but the walozi has a condition penalty unless he is himself severed, which can be done with this ritual as well. The severance may be resisted by this same ritual or the RITUAL OF BINDING. The ritual takes about a minute when corporate, while a spirit fight is instantaneous.
Requirement: SECRET OF WALOZI
Ritual of Zamani Control
The walozi can control zamani with a successful CHARM (I) check, needing little but a special intonation and a hand signal. Zamani are otherwise consumed by their need for destruction, normal communication does not work.
Requirement: SECRET OF WALOZI
Ritual of Vessel Preparation
The walozi can prepare a body to accept a spirit with a successful HOUSEWORK (I) check. The ritual takes all day, as organs are removed and the body packed with herbs, powders and wax. The resulting body is unnaturally durable: MAJOR Harm is considered MINOR for all purposes. The body is also now considered equipment, which can be further enhanced accordingly.
Requirement: SECRET OF WALOZI
Secret of Eccentric Practice (Ability, Ability)
The Abilities used by walozi ritual craft are to some degree arbitrary. A walozi with this Secret has learned an eccentric form of the rites: the player may choose one ritual Ability and swap it with another Ability for all ritual purposes.

Goren

Secrets - Goren

Secret of Vice-Troll
A goblin who revels in his moral turpitude might in Goren become a vice-troll, a softspoken creature that is able to entice others to share his vices with CHARM (I). Those who fail to resist purchase the KEY OF VICE appropriate to the troll.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT
Requirement: be a goblin
Secret of Filth-Troll
A goblin who lives in the soil drainages of the closely built, unhygienic Gorenite towns might become a filth-troll, a creature that mends its scaly hide and survives almost everything. He may use his ADAPTATION (V) to heal his own Harm.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT
Secret of Berserking
A berserk fighter fights without care for his own safety. Gorenite carls know how to encourage this mental state. A berserk warrior feels no pain, and thus treats all of his Harm as one class less serious insofar as penalties go. Berserking characters can use only SKIRMISHING (V), BRAWLING (V) and similar Abilities, and can’t spend Pools other than Vigor. Ending the state suddenly requires a RESIST (R) check.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Secret of Troll-slaying
Gorenite coistrels have studied goblin anatomy and may cause them grievous injuries. When the character causes Harm to a goblin, that Harm is AGGRAVATED, marked accordingly on the Harm track. Such Harm does not shake down and cannot be healed naturally. Additionally, the goblin suffers penalty dice equal to the highest aggravated level of Harm to any use of his ADAPTATION (V) Ability until healed.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Secret of the Forge
When the character is working on equipment at least partially SMITHED (V), he can choose to create the work (and pay the Pool costs for it) in several phases; each phase has to end with an Ability check made into an Effect; failure ruins the work so far. Additionally, the character can imbue any number of Secrets into the equipment he creates, not limited by quality.
Cost: 1 extra Vigor for imbuements over quality.
Requirement: ability to imbue equipment.
Secret of the Skald
Gorenite music is heavily based on poetry; the instruments and singing tend to be simple. A character with this Secret can learn and create LAYS, long poetic Effects that can be preserved for later and duplicated by teaching the lay to another. A skald performing a lay can either take bonus dice equal to the Effect (not expending it), or swap his Ability check result with the Effect value, depending on whether he wants to rest on the virtues of the original text as he remembers it or strive to impress with his account and improvised additions.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT to invoke, 1 REASON to swap.

Sky God Faith

Secrets - Sky God Faith

Secret of Civic Virtue
The Book of Light calls higher virtues that may only be fulfilled through society CIVIC virtues. These are Abilities just like the natural virtues, except that they are always associated with two Pools. JUSTICE (I, R), for example. With this Secret the character may learn these more complex virtues.
Secret of Spiritual Virtue
The Book of Light calls the singular highest virtue by the name of SPIRITUAL, as it may only be fulfilled in communion with God. The spiritual virtue is an Ability just like other virtues, except that it is always associated with three Pools. With this Secret the character may learn SPIRITUALITY (V,I,R).
Requirement: SECRET OF CIVIC VIRTUE
Secret of the Axiom
A character with this Secret may gain Blessings. Either he asks for one with PRAY (V), or has an AXIOMATIC REVELATION with an appropriate virtue Ability. In the former case the player chooses the Blessing (designing it with the Story Guide if necessary), while in the latter the Story Guide chooses a Blessing that relies on the virtue in question. Either way, the Blessing costs an Advance.
Cost: 7 minus the check result in Ability-appropriate Pool
Requirement: Have no vices.
Secret of Monastic Life
The character’s Pool spend caps for all of his Virtue Abilities are raised by one, akin to the SECRET OF CONDITIONING. This Secret may be picked multiple times.
Secret of Hagiography
The character can learn Blessings from accounts of the BOOK OF LIGHT (R) and other holy writings. The Story Guide chooses what is available; the player has the right to refuse suggestions equal to the level of success in the Ability check.
Cost: 1 Reason per activation, cumulative
Secret of Deaconate
The character is a church official in charge of a parish. He can replace the Ability requirements of any Blessing with his knowledge of the BOOK OF LIGHT (R) and PRAY (V) when leading the congregation, as assigned by the Story Guide.
Cost: 1 Pool associated with the original virtue per check, cumulative over the scene.

Blessings

Blessing of Spirit Strike
The character can see and strike his opponent’s spirit in combat. This not only allows fighting with spirits, but also renders conventional armor useless against the character; does nothing against spiritless targets, though. Use a COMPASSION (I) check against misguided opponents and VALOR (V) against evil; the check result difference against the opponent’s RESIST (R) becomes persistent bonus dice in conflict against this one opponent. The result can be made into an Effect to extend its duration.
Cost: 1 Pool associated with the Ability.
Blessing of Lowden the Judge
The character can unearth the truth by divine insight. Use an HONESTY (R) check when merely penetrating lies or misdirection and a JUSTICE (I,R) check to garner information currently unknown to witnesses. The outcome provides the character with pertinent facts equal to the check result regarding a moral dilemma.
Cost: 1 or 2 Pool associated with the Ability, depending on the usage.
Blessing of Light
The character may make himself or a held token shine with unearthly light. Use an HONESTY (R) check for a revealing light or a VALOR (V) check for a blinding one. The check result may be used as penalty dice against creatures of the night.
Cost: 1 Pool associated with the Ability.
Saintly Blessing
The character can distribute his own Secrets (Blessings included) as Blessings to others, with the player redesigning them to accord with the theology (appropriate use of Virtues, Pool costs, etc.). Any Secret so distributed is lost to the character himself, unless the recipient pays an Advance for it. Use SACRIFICE (V,I) when touching the recipient and SPIRITUALITY (V,I,R) if doing this at the moment of Transcendence. In the latter case the character is literally taken to the Sky, and the player may take his time to distribute the character’s Blessings as he pleases to anybody in Near.
Cost: 2 Pool associated with SACRIFICE (V,I) or 3 with SPIRITUALITY (V,I,R).
Blessing of Healing
The character can heal others of their ills with a preternatural force that makes things whole. Use a COMPASSION (I) check for physical injuries and HONESTY (R) for others. This may only be done immediately after noticing the injury; hesitation closes the window.
Cost: 1 Pool associated with the Ability.

Witchcraft

Secrets - Witchcraft

Secret of Raising the Maiden
The character may embody the Goddess Aspect of Maiden temporarily with a successful MAIDEN-WAYS (I) check. The result of the check becomes an Effect representing the persistence of the Aspect. The witch needs to engage in sexual intercourse weekly to retain the Aspect. The Aspect will also dissolve if the witch’s desirability is challenged by a RESIST (R) check that overcomes the Aspect Effect.
Cost: 3 INSTINCT
Secret of Raising the Mother
The character may embody the Goddess Aspect of Mother temporarily with a successful MOTHER-WIT (V) check. The result of the check becomes an Effect representing the persistence of the Aspect. The witch needs to craft a doll she dotes upon daily to retain the Aspect. The Aspect will also dissolve if the witch’s motherhood is challenged by a REACT (R) check that overcomes the Aspect Effect.
Cost: 3 VIGOR
Secret of Raising the Crone
The character may embody the Goddess Aspect of Crone temporarily with a successful CRONE-WISE (R) check. The result of the check becomes an Effect representing the persistence of the Aspect. The witch needs to perform significant blood-letting rites every season to retain the Aspect. The Aspect will also dissolve if the witch’s fearsome visage is challenged by an ENDURE (V) check that overcomes the Aspect Effect.
Cost: 3 REASON
Secret of the Warlock
The character can learn Aspect Abilities and initiate into Gorenite witchcraft despite being male. Also, the character can use the appropriate Aspect Abilities to masquerade as a female well enough to fool other people.
Secret of Potion-making
The character knows how to create POTIONS, Tricks that can be administered to others. The appropriate Trick is performed, and the check used to support a HERBALISM (R), HOUSEWORK (R) or other appropriate craft check, which then becomes an Effect; the Effect can be given to another character or stored for later need. Once consumed, the Effect replicates the Trick in question at the Effect’s level.
Cost: The cost of the Trick and the Effect.
Secret of Witch Blood
Witch blood runs strong in the veins of the daughters of Goren. Usually only witchbloods are initiated into covens. The benefit of the blood is that the character can improvise Arcana: whenever the player develops an improvisation that is too strong for a Trick, the Story Guide can declare it an Arcana instead, and one which the character can immediately learn. Thus the character can improvise Arcana.
Secret of the Covenant Rites
The character has the basic knowledge required for participating in Gorenite ritual magic, making her able to spend Pool and make Ability checks for ritual working.
Secret of Blood-letting
The character is skilled in blood rituals, and can make a RITUAL MAGIC (R) check to cause Harm to a ritual sacrifice and draw an equal number of Pool points from it, just like if she were shedding her own blood. The target has to beat the level of Harm with ENDURE (R) to stay conscious; if repeated to an unconscious victim, this is fatal, as is going over MORTAL (6) Harm.
Secret of the Warrior Rite
When the character creates a ritual Working in the Covenant Rites, she may connect herself to the Working, making checks and taking Harm through it, just like it was herself who took the form of the magic. A Working like this is controlled by the player in how and when it comes about; however, it may manifest in at most as many scenes as its Effect value indicates before dissipating. The character herself is only vaguely aware of what the Working is doing on her behalf; Harm manifests as dizziness and illness that drains her of life.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE COVENANT RITES
Secret of Archaic Rites
The character can use her Arcana through a Working to decrease its costs, provided that the Arcana’s Aspect is present in the ritual. Any part of the Working that is visualized to accord with a magic in her Arcana is not considered for the cost of the working. In this use her Arcana may target others than herself as well.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE COVENANT RITES

Tricks

Tricks of Breath
The character knows how breath, wind and life go together.
Maiden: The character’s singing is pleasing to both man and beast, even if clearly not high art. Use MAIDEN-WAYS (I) to replace MUSIC (I).
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Mother: A successful MOTHER-WIT (V) check allows the character to gain one point of REASON or INSTINCT by calming her breath. Suffer a penalty die for each cumulative use per day.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Crone: A successful CRONE-WISE (R) check allows the character to stop breathing and feign death. Turn the result into an Effect to carry it for several scenes.
Cost: 1 REASON
Tricks of Hair
Maiden: A successful MAIDEN-WAYS (I) check makes the character’s hair change in color and length.
Cost: None
Crone: A successful CRONE-WISE (R) check makes treated hair tough like steel wire, and sharp as well if she wants.
Cost: 1 REASON

Arcana

Arcana of Maiden: Shapeshift
The character can change her seeming into that of a natural beast. She gains the attributes of one, and gets to swap any number of her Abilities and Secrets for those appropriate to that kind of animal. The change is permanent until dispelled. The character can only change her shape (to either direction) when nobody else knows where she is.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT for large mammals, 4 for others.
Requirement: Embody Maiden
Arcana of Mother: Command
The character can force others to do as she wills by the mere use of her voice. However, if the other person is hurt in consequence, her voice loses its power for as long as it takes for the injury to heal.
Cost: 2 VIGOR per target.
Requirement: Embody Mother
Arcana of Mother: Healing
When the character heals Harm with an Ability check, she can spend Vigor to raise the effective level of healing on a 1:1 basis. The patient has to stay in bed for a day per point spent, however, or the Harm comes back.
Cost: 1+ VIGOR
Requirement: Embody Mother
Arcana of Crone: Spirit Sight
The character can see invisible and hidden things, including seeing through lies. When it comes to conflict over this, she can pay the difference between the check results in REASON to tie the opponent and make the result inconclusive (effectively meaning that she suspects but does not know). If she refuses to know something, however, the sight is lost until the truth is revealed to her.
Cost: 1+ REASON
Requirement: Embody Crone
Arcana of Crone: Horror
The character can make another feel unreasoning, primal fear by her mere visage and voice, intense enough to force the person to escape or even die of fright. However, this power is lost if any should laugh at her, only coming back if she manages to scare a person again.
Cost: 1 REASON for social stakes, 2 for escape, 3 for paralysis and eventual death.
Requirement: Embody Crone

Vulfen

Secrets - Vulfen

Secret of Vulfen
The character has natural weapons akin to the SECRET OF NATURAL WEAPONS, and the Vulfen may use any equipment mastery Secrets with these ratings. The equipment ratings are the same for all Vulfen in the campaign, determined initially by the first character to have this Secret and added to later when characters gain better quality ratings. Vulfen have clumsy paws, and thus suffer a penalty die to all Ability checks that require manual dexterity.
Secret of Truthful Snout
The character can smell lies on other people with SCENT (I). He can even smell their true intent; on a success the player of the other character is obligated to reveal their intent if it hasn’t come up yet.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Secret of Psychometry
The character’s sense of smell is so keen that he can interpret past events to a great degree of accuracy by examining places and items and making a SCENT (I) check. Activating this Secret bestows the Vulfen with full knowledge of the events of one scene; if the particular events were not played, the Story Guide frames them as a flashback scene or cut scene.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT
Secret of Dream Prophecy
Vulfen are not usually dream-shamans, as the animal totems do not speak to them. However, a Vulfen with this Ability is more tuned to Agarim’s dream than the rest: the player can invoke a prophetic dream with a successful BESTIALITY (V) check; the player gets to choose the topic of the dream, while the Story Guide chooses the rest of the dream. If the check is made into an Effect, other Vulfen reminded of it have to make a successful RESIST (R) check to not remember having the same dream. Otherwise this Secret functions as the SECRET OF PROPHECY.
Secret of the Bite
The character may cause AGGRAVATED damage with his teeth, marked accordingly on the Harm track. Such Harm does not shake down and cannot be healed naturally. Additionally, the opponent has to make an immediate ENDURE (V) check after the battle against the highest level of aggravated Harm to avoid paying for and gaining the KEY OF CRIPPLE, unless he already has it. The player of the victim decides how the character is crippled by the bite.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per bite.
Secret of Animal Attraction
The character is a majestic beast or cuddly pet insofar as humans are concerned. He can use his BESTIALITY (V) in lieu of CHARM (I) when interacting with humans.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Secret of the Howl
When howling with BESTIALITY (V) and using MUSIC (I) in support, you can communicate complex messages in your howl, ones that are heard far away on the tundra.
Secret of Pack Tactics
Vulfen are accustomed to hunting together. When the character does, he can share Pool freely with his pack.
Secret of the Long Run
The character can make an ENDURANCE (V) check to run and not stop before reaching his destination. To interrupt the run before the destination is reached, other characters need to overcome the check result.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per day of running.
Secret of Duel Tactics
Vulfen resolve their disagreements with BESTIALITY (V) domination duels, both within and between packs. The character with this Secret can use other Abilities in those situations without fighting dishonorably.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per scene
Secret of Valru
The character is the leader of his pack. He can provide others in his pack with INSTINCT refreshments by leading them.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Secret of Fetch
The character has a fetch, a human slave. The relationship is seamless enough that the Vulfen can use his own Abilities through the fetch, thus avoiding penalties for using his hands. The fetch can also act at some distance from the Vulfen, though the players should keep in mind how difficult a lone human might find survival on the tundra.
Secret of Dire Vulfen
The character has grown into a larger, more primal beast. He now has to pay a point of REASON to use his hands at all, in addition to the penalty die. However, he may now activate any equipment mastery for his SECRET OF VULFEN with VIGOR instead of an overflow die.
Cost: 1 VIGOR.
Requirement: KEY OF AGARIM

Vulfland

Secrets - Vulfland

Secret of Many Snows
The character is adept at recognizing and dealing with the dangers of the snow and ice, such as crevasses, avalanches and breaking ice. When he traps another with a LOCAL (GLACIER) (R) check, the target takes an additional Harm equal to the number of ‘ ‘ overflow dice in the check. When trying to avoid these dangers himself, the character gains a bonus die for each such overflow die.
Secret of the Scentless
Some Inuk are born without a natural scent; it is said that this is the fate of those given birth on the glacier under the aurora. Vulfen will usually try to slay such humans, but they (and other scent-dependent creatures) suffer a penalty die for each ‘-’ overflow die in their own check when interacting with the scentless. The scentless in turn suffers an additional penalty die to his ANIMAL KEN (I) due to this weird.
Requirements: be human, be born with it.
Secret of the Wendigo
Characters with the KEY OF THE CANNIBAL URGE or who have otherwise broken a spirit taboo do not pay an Advance for this Secret. The wendigo gains the SECRET OF ADDICTION (HUMAN FLESH, VIGOR) for free. Furthermore, this Secret does not disappear if the character is exorcised; it causes him to suffer penalty dice equal to his currently expended VIGOR to any attempts to resist spirit possession when he is currently not being possessed.
Secret of Scarification
Vulflanders do not write, but their scarmarks are very intricate and may be deciphered with CARVING (I) checks. A character with this Secret can transmit specific messages carved to materials, even flesh. Unlike writing, scar-marks are context-dependent, and the carver can decide who is supposed to be able to interpret the message. The carving check itself can be used as either bonus or penalty dice for anybody trying to decipher the message.
Secret of the Possessor
The character is possessed by a spirit with personality, name, specific motivations and powers. The Story Guide creates the possessor as a dream spirit, like the character was its SIDEKICK, except the spirit may choose which of the character’s Keys is left active, and the character can’t leave. When the possessor wants something, the character has to succeed in a Resist (R) check to not obey.
Secret of Waste-Walker
The character is immune to cold and can see heat signatures in total darkness. Whenever he would take Harm from cold, his body just gets more sunken and wasted.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE WENDIGO
Secret of Dream Exorcism
The character is experienced in dealing with hostile dream spirits, and can use PRAY (V) freely to support his dealings with them, and to exorcise their possession if need be. The target of possession regains any Advances they’ve been forced to spend on spiritual Secrets when the shaman frees him.
Secret of Predator
The character gains natural weapons akin to the SECRET OF VULFEN, except the player gets to pick the ratings freely. The character can also learn SCENT (I) and BESTIALITY (V).
Requirement: SECRET OF THE WENDIGO
Secret of the Swear
The character can use social Abilities to cause penalty dice to his enemies with his terrible language, provided they understand him. However, most other languages are not as facile in cursing as Vulfen, so circumstance penalties are suffered.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT
Secret of Spirit Boon (specify)
Spirit boons are blessings gained by pleasing spirits or mighty totems. They are exactly like witchcraft ARCANA, except they employ cultural Abilities and require the character to embody the totemic Aspect of the spirit animal the blessing comes from.
Requirement: a specific KEY OF THE TOTEM
Secret of Scar-Rune
A powerful scar-mark created by the master carver can affect the recipient in a drastic manner. The rune is an Effect created with CARVING (I); the carver determines the message and who is supposed to be able to read it. Whenever it is deciphered, the rune causes a dice pool equal to its value, used by the player of the carver to help or hinder the task the rune encourages or warns against. Cost: 1 REASON to create the Effect.
Requirements: SECRETS OF SCARIFICATION and SWEAR.

Dreaming

Secrets - Dreaming

Secret of Dreamwalking
The character can leave a dream and enter another, but only if he is lucid and the target is sleeping as well. The character in whose dream he starts in (probably himself on the night’s first walk) has to know the target character, and he may suffer conditional penalties for distance. The target may RESIST (R) reflexively, in which case a DREAM-TELLING (R) check is needed. The dreamwalker can take other dreamers with him, although those may resist as well.
Cost: 1 POOL per traveler
Secret of Nightmare
The character’s actions in a non-lucid dreamer’s dream may cause Harm or burn Pool points from the target: one point from a chosen Pool may be taken with a successful Ability check. Dream Harm is similar to normal, except that only the highest inflicted level counts; it becomes real Harm come morn. This Secret may affect a lucid dreamer as well, but only if he opts to not wake up. A non-lucid dreamer may wake up as well, but only after a successful RESIST (R) check.
Cost: 1 POOL per Ability check.
Requirement: SECRET OF DREAMWALKING
Secret of Dream Visitation
The character may refresh Pools and heal emotional Harm within a dream, and otherwise have positive mechanical interactions with others. Unwilling participants can opt out akin to the SECRET OF NIGHTMARE. Non-lucid dreamers remember a dream visitation vividly, unless made to forget.
Cost: 1 POOL per scene per person present.
Requirement: SECRET OF DREAMWALKING
Secret of True Dream
The character may define a dream space within which events are real and consequences follow dreamers into reality. Injuries, healing, learning, sex, even death – all become real for everybody in the true dream space. All interactions are possible just like they would be in reality. Characters may enter and leave the true dream by dreamwalking or getting out of the defined space otherwise. Waking up within the true dream is impossible; only waning of the place or getting out ends the dream.
Cost: 2 POOL per person present at creation.
Requirement: SECRET OF NIGHTMARE or SECRET OF DREAM VISITATION.
Secret of Dream Conditioning
The character knows how to shape the dreams of another person to control their actions in their waking moments. A conditioning attempt is made by shaping the dreams of the target and making an Effect out of the Ability check; if the target later encounters the situation described in the Effect, he has to immediately win the Effect with a RESIST (R) check to avoid acting according to his conditioning.
Cost: As normal for Effects.
Requirement: SECRET OF NIGHTMARE or SECRET OF DREAM VISITATION.
Secret of Imagination
Normally characters acting within dreams need specific, appropriate Abilities to their conditions. Thus a character flying in a dream might need a FLYING Ability of some sort, for example. With this Secret the character can replace any Abilities needed within a dream with artistic Abilities, such as STORY-TELL (R) or CRAFTWORK (I). This even works for DREAM-TELLING (R) when used to shape dreams directly (but not for dreamwalking or other non-shaping activities).
Cost: 1 POOL per check.
Secret of Mode Shift
A particularly sensitive dreamer may have the initiative in this manner: the character may force a dream’s mode to shift by bidding Pool. The mode may still shift out from under him, but he can pay to have to change back. Using this Secret clears any prior checks to change the mode, so any Ability check at all changes the mode easily again.
Cost: 1 POOL appropriate to the shift.
Secret of Dream Summoning
The character can attract or newly shape dream spirits while lucid. A successful DREAM-TELLING (R) check is required. If creating a dream item, handle it like equipment created with the SECRET OF CREATION, except for the cost and the fact that dream items do not need to be mundane. Summoned spirits are not necessarily friendly, and have to be controlled in some other way.
Cost: 3 POOL
Secret of Soft Place (specify)
The character knows of a soft place; these are by definition secret and secluded, as an oft-visited place soon hardens. The player may choose to have the place require a LOCAL (R) check or other travel Abilities to reach it, but then he has to live with those limitations himself as well.
Secret of Hibernation
The character can sleep for unnaturally long periods of time, up to his DREAMTELLING (R) check in days at once. This sleep protects him from moderately low temperatures, bad air and lack of water. Lucid dreams in this state are not limited in length.
Cost: 1 VIGOR
Secret of Hypnos
The character has conditioned himself to fall to sleep immediately with a DREAMTELLING (R) check. He cannot be awakened before he himself wills it. What’s more, his environment can become a temporary soft place for as long as he remains asleep.
Cost: 1 POOL to create a soft place, +1 per awake person in the place. Double the cost to manifest the soft place immediately.
Requirement: SECRET OF TRUE DREAM

Human Equation

Secrets - Human Equation

Secret of Sociopathy
A sociopathic character is, properly speaking, not a member of any species. He cannot take any species crunch. The sociopath can ignore any social conflicts he did not initiate himself; he simply doesn’t have those strings to pull on.
Red String Secret (person)
The two characters are fated to be together. Either player or the Story Guide can activate this Secret to introduce a coincidence to benefit their love.
Cost: 1 Pool appropriate to the coincidence, cumulative through a session.
Secret of the Power of Love
The character’s love is so sweet and pure that it actually influences events. Either member of the romance may opt to pay Pool (or even share the cost) to improve an Ability check result by one step when either acts to preserve their love. This may make a result TRANSCENDENT (7). I’d be leery about using this Secret without some sort of songand-dance number or such, myself.
Cost: Points equal to the old check result, from the Pool pertinent to the check.
Requirement: Appropriate KEY OF LOVE
Secret of Reincarnation
The character has the reincarnated soul of a lover. He may purchase crunch related to the old relationship whether he’s met the object of the love yet or not. Should they meet, the character may have a flashback scene to their past life when the two are together.
Cost: 2 Instinct per flashback

Elves

Secrets - Elves

Secret of the Elf
Elven bodies are formed from the aether by willpower alone. An elf that dies in Near returns within 28 days. The Story Guide and the player cooperate in choosing the time and the place; a story-relevant solution is preferred, but note that nobody has ever seen an elf rematerialize. The character loses a level from each Pool and a level from all Abilities, as the process of rematerialization is not perfect and the elf needs to readjust to his new body. The player can choose to have his character not return; in this case, however, the reason will not be established.
Secret of the Polymath
In an elf’s long life, many Abilities have waxed and waned. Using this Secret allows the elf to use their PAST LIVES (R) in lieu of any other Ability they are physically capable of using. This lasts for the entire scene.
Cost: 2 REASON, and the next available Advance goes to improving the Ability used.
Secret of Enlightenment
The character Transcends, ascending to Heaven. The other players decide whether Near continues to exist. If it will, the character will not be heard of in Near anymore, but the player may opt to expend any of his Pools as bonus or penalty GIFT DICE for other characters as long as they last.
Requirement: PAST LIVES (R) at Grandmaster.
Aura of Fading the Illusion
An elf with this secret can, through force of will, make the illusion of the world temporarily grow dim and ghostly outside his aura. To everyone else, it appears the elf has become translucent and incorporeal. This lasts for one scene, during which the character can pass through the smallest crack and cannot be harmed physically.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Aura of Protection
The character’s aura grows thick and smothering, protecting him softly from the external world. The elf can spend REASON to lower incoming physical Harm. Cost: 1 REASON per step lowered.
Aura of Sight
The character’s aura is no brighter from afar, but up close up it is bright enough to see in clearly.
Aura of the Tower
The character’s aura is polarized, giving it a weird dark-and-light flavor. Passive Abilities are now all associated with the character’s current strongest Pool.
Aura of the Ancient
The character’s aura has a calm frisson. He can use CHARM (I) to calm down animals, and giants with temper have to overcome him in a direct contest of wills to act against his wishes.
Aura of the Imperator
The character’s aura waxes as he enforces his will, making him appear taller and more majestic. The opposing player has no input into the stakes of this social conflict, which may cause the moment to resemble mindcontrol.
Cost: 1 Vigor
Aura of the Lunar Sphere
The character has an affinity with the Moon. He suffers a penalty die to all social checks towards other elves, and cannot Transcend. When the character dies, he returns to Near during the next night. He does not lose Abilities; instead, he loses this Secret.
Cost: 2 INSTINCT to return via the Moon.
Secret of Aura Imbuement
The character’s aura is strong enough to influence any equipment the character carries on his person or handles on a regular basis. The character can create rated or imbued equipment in this way from ordinary items, which slowly grow towards perfection in the elf’s hands; instead of an Ability check, the elf slowly invests into the item, one xp per scene, until he’s happy with it. All items developed by this Secret have the ELVEN IMBUEMENT for free.
Cost: 1 EXPERIENCE POINT per a point of quality imbued into the item, and 2 xp per Secret.
Secret of Aura Smithing
A skilled aura smith can further improve on the process: an appropriate crafting Ability check allows the character to immediately improve the item with the check result in xp (he himself pays only to activate this Secret, note). This can be done only once per month.
Cost: 2 EXPERIENCE POINTS.
Requirement: SECRET OF AURA IMBUEMENT
Elven Imbuement
All Elven items have an Elven aura. Any elf who is familiar with the item and at peace with its creator gains a 1 point discount to the Pool costs of any imbuements in the item. This imbuement can be stacked on an item, which increases the discount and also gives a 1 point discount to non-elves at peace with the creator.
Memory Imbuement (Ability, level)
The item has a memory of how it was used by its creator, at one level under the creator’s Ability. The current user can loan these memories to make an Ability check at the level stored in the item. The effect lasts for the whole scene once activated. Cost: 1 REASON per level of Ability, and the next available Advance goes to improving the Ability used.
Requirement: ELVEN IMBUEMENT
Ego Imbuement
An item with this Imbuement has developed a self-identity of the sort you’d expect from magical talking swords or such. It doesn’t necessarily talk, however; the item can only do the things it has Abilities for, as determined by the MEMORY IMBUEMENT, which it uses for free. Ego items do not normally have Pools or Keys, but can use those of their operator. The item has no limit to its number of Imbuements.
Requirement: two ELVEN IMBUEMENTS

Goblins

Secrets - Goblins

Secret of the Goblin
Goblins are all gripped by addictions that control much of their being, even being addicted to things that are in no way alluring to humans. The character does not pay Advances for the SECRET OF ADDICTION. The Story Guide may require Resist (R) checks from a goblin to avoid developing new addictions to experiences they encounter; each existing and active addiction provides a bonus die to resisting new ones.
Secret of Adaptability
The character can change himself quickly and drastically to conform better with his current environment. When indulging an addiction, instead of regaining Pool, swap the level of ADAPTABILITY (V) with any other Ability. The change is permanent.
Secret of Deep Adaptation
In lieu of the normal activation of the SECRET OF ADAPTABILITY the character can regain Advances from Pools, Abilities and Secrets, and invest free Advances to the same very quickly. An ADAPTABILITY (V) check result determines how many Advances can be freed or invested.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Requirements: SECRET OF ADAPTABILITY
Secret of Quick Adaptation
While other goblins usually do not warp into new form, the character adapts all but instantly. Furthermore, he may trigger an adaptation cycle at will. There is a downside: the Story Guide may cause an adaptation cycle to trigger when conditions suddenly change, should the character fail an ENDURE (V) check to control himself; if the addiction can’t be immediately satisfied, this costs Pool.
Cost: 3 VIGOR to trigger adaptation.
Requirements: SECRET OF ADAPTABILITY
Secret of Animalism
The character’s form has become recognizably animal-like. He can use animal crunch freely, as if he were beastkin himself.
Secret of the Fur
The character has a thick, warm fur that makes him both pretty and able to survive in cold environments. Weather is of no concern to him. Requirement: SECRET OF ANIMALISM
Secret of Ravenous Hunter
The character can smell things that satisfy his severe addictions, even if they do not normally carry a smell. REACT (I) can be used to make checks to this purpose.
Requirement: SECRET OF ADDICTION
Secret of the Chameleon
The character’s skin changes color at will or instinctively to match the environment. He can use his ADAPTABILITY (V) when trying to hide from others.
Requirement: SECRET OF ANIMALISM
Secret of Connoisseur (specify)
The character has become an expert on the subject of one of his addictions. He can use the Pool associated with the addiction freely for bonus dice on any Ability checks where this knowledge would be useful.
Requirement: SECRET OF ADDICTION
Secret of Ur-Pattern (specify)
The goblin has become locked into an UrPattern, reducing his adaptability considerably: each adaptation cycle now changes the character for one Advance’s worth (with larger changes done in parts). He also gains the specified Ur-Form for free. His progeny will all have the Ur-Form for free.
Secret of the Ur-Goblin
The character can possess several URFORMS (bought as Secrets), but he cannot use the SECRET OF ADAPTABILITY at all. His progeny will all have the SECRET OF URPATTERN for free once for each of his UrForms.
Requirement: SECRET OF UR-PATTERN
Trollish Ur-Form
A troll shakes off any compulsions when indulging his addiction, realizing his true course. As long as he follows the course, he may support his social Abilities with his ADAPTATION (V). Trolls are large and powerful, and may learn STATURE (V) and SECRET OF BULK.
Ghoulish Ur-Form
Ghouls almost always are addicted to the flesh of dead people; each time they consume it, the character has to resist the addiction. A ghoul consuming a dead person’s body gains a free Effect off his ADAPTATION (V) based on the person’s life. Thus the ghoul learns the tale of his dinner.
Deep One Ur-Form
Deep Ones can breathe both air and water, although they suffer a penalty die on physical tasks out of the water. They move very efficiently in water, gaining superior LEVERAGE in comparison to human swimmers.
Orcish Ur-Form
Orcs have a dark side and an inclination for brutality; each time they experience war, they have to resist addiction. An orc who would be losing a conflict or failing an Ability check can try again with ENDURE (V) by taking a 1st level Harm.

Dwarves

Secrets - Dwarves

Secret of Dwarf
The character belongs in a number of dwarven rings at most equal to a FAMILIA (R) check, made into a free Effect associated with this Secret. He can determine ordinance with his ring-fellows, and may share Pools with them by simple companionship. Players may assume for simplicity’s sake that a character has a FAMILIA (R) check’s worth of points available in this manner at any given time; the obligation runs both ways, though.
Secret of Purpose
The character has a personal PURPOSE in harmony with those of his rings. He may convert experience points into Pool points of his choice.
Secret of Alder
The character is the head of a family of dwarves, forming a family ring. By definition, he needs to have the highest ordination, others are expected to either relinquish ordination to him or leave the family. The alder phrases the family’s overall purpose.
Requirements: SECRET OF PURPOSE
Secret of Guildmaster
The character is the head of a dwarven guild. Guilds are like families, except that they count ordination with an appropriate craft Ability instead of FAMILIA (R). A dwarf may belong in both a family and a guild, and a guild may have members of several families. The guildmaster is treated like an alder for the purposes of other crunch if the guild has members of several families; like a thane if it has members from several clans and so on.
Requirements: SECRET OF PURPOSE
Secret of Thane
The character leads several dwarven families as a thane, forming a clan ring. Alders of the clan automatically belong in the clan ring and determine family ordination against each other and individual dwarves in the clan ring; dwarves in the clan families may use this family ordination when they do not have any mutual rings. Requirements: SECRET OF PURPOSE, three alders willing to obey the thane.
Secret of Brotherhood (person)
The character shares his ordination with another; the two characters are considered of equal ordination, a concept otherwise unknown to dwarven society. The target of brotherhood may make free use of the rings of this character; the two are considered spiritually and legally same by other dwarves, to such an extent that one killing the other would not be seen as murder, but as self-amputation.
Secret of True Brothers (person)
The two characters are bonded not only in form, but in spirit as well. Either may use the other’s Secrets when the two are together, and now both characters can use the rings of either character interchangeably.
Cost: 1 POOL appropriate to the Secret.
Requirement: the target has a matching SECRET OF BROTHERHOOD.
Secret of Ring Tongue (specify)
The character has invented a secret language supporting a particular ring’s purpose. The player gets to choose one Ability that gains a bonus die to all characters that learn the language. Members of the ring learn it automatically within a year and a day of its release at the latest, and need no Secrets to know it. Others need the SECRET OF LANGUAGE.
Secret of Ringcraft
The character has learned secrets that are not even expressible in natural languages, which lack the necessary grammar. He can create equipment and rituals using any Ability a ring tongue of his supports, just like if he had the SECRET OF CREATION. All equipment created by him has the DWARVEN IMBUEMENT for free.
All dwarven items have this imbuement, reflecting their stark, alien function. The item’s creator chooses one ring tongue for which the equipment has been designed; users of that ring tongue pay any introduction costs the item has only once per session, instead of per scene. An item may have this imbuement several times to make it usable for several languages.
Secret of the Wondersmith (theme)
The character has become a master of his craft, creating new things in obsession. Equipment and rituals created by the character do not need to be mundane, and may in fact be built to use any Secret mechanics in the game as long as they follow the THEME: the wondersmith has to choose a particular material, topic or function he specializes in, and all of his wondrous creations have to accord with it. The character can take this Secret several times to broaden his horizons, of course.
Cost: An additional 1 INSTINCT per magical rating and 2 INSTINCT per magical Imbuement.
Requirements: SECRET OF RINGCRAFT
An Example Rite
The war-dance of this dwarven clan in Qek helps them remove the heads of the unworthy to store zamani in. It allows the dwarf to use the SECRET OF SUDDEN STRIKE. The ritual remains in effect until the next time the dwarf sleeps.
Ratings: +3 for removing the heads of the wicked. +2 for removing heads. +1 for fighting with an axe.
Imbuements: Dwarven (chadu, the fighting tongue) (V) Sudden Strike (I)
Cost: 1 VIGOR and 1 INSTINCT per session
Requirement: Know chadu, the fighting tongue of the Headhunter clan.
Secret of Law-speak
The character can use FAMILIA (R) as a social Ability to issue orders to others of lower ordination, but only if he is speaking a mutually intelligible ring tongue.
Dwarven Imbuement (language)

Giants

Secrets - Giants

Secret of Giant
Giants are much larger than most people. When a giant can make his size count in conflict, he can annul the result by flexing himself; this does not by itself cause a simple conflict to extend, but if it does, the opposition cannot benefit from SURPRISE bonus dice. However, there is a price: the giant heals slowly, and any Harm he has at the end of extended conflict goes up one step (to a maximum of MORTAL (6)) instead of shaking down.
Cost: check difference in Vigor to shake off the result.
Secret of Bulk
The character has an extra level in his Harm track, sharing a number with an existing level. This Secret can be gained multiple times. The first extra level is Mortal, the second Major, the third Minor, and repeat; the extra levels are distributed evenly to numbers in their categories.
Secret of Soft Touch
The character has learned to restrain himself when interacting with lesser creatures. His STATURE associates with INSTINCT as well, and he can buy penalty dice for it as well as bonus dice, should he wish to intentionally reduce the impact of his size on the environment.
Secret of Deep Sleep
The character’s rest is deep and healing. By forgoing a refreshment opportunity and sleeping instead, he can shake down all of his Harm and make a STATURE (V) check to heal a level. Waking up to disturbance requires a RESIST (R) check.
Secret of True Avatar
The giant’s dream avatar can be a person who visits the dreaming place. The giant is aware and can communicate with his avatar freely. He can also share his Pools with the avatar, as well as any Secrets the avatar is physically capable of using.
Requirements: SECRET OF DREAM AVATAR
Secret of Temper
The character has awakened his AURA. The character can shake off any social or magical compulsion by going into a rage; this does not by itself cause a simple conflict to extend, but if it does, the opposition cannot benefit from SURPRISE bonus dice. However, there is a price: anybody refreshing Pools with the giant is prone to suffer Harm equal to a STATURE (V) check when interacting intimately with his unrestrained nature; a REACT (I) check from the victim can be used to reduce the amount of Harm.
Cost: check difference in Instinct to shake off the result.
Secret of the Sleep of Seasons
The giant can go into a long, deep sleep. The sleeping giant is considered a part of the landscape by the fauna and flora, and will not care for sustenance nor conditions of his environment while he sleeps. The sleeping giant can awaken by being Harmed or with a successful REACT (I) check in reaction to considerable disturbance; otherwise he continues sleeping indefinitely. The sleeping giant is healed of all Harm, and will not need sleep afterwards for however long the sleep of seasons lasted.
Requirements: SECRET OF TEMPER, SECRET OF DEEP SLEEP.
Secret of Chaos Aura
The character’s very movement causes a disturbance within his aura. Elven auras are suppressed in the presence of the giant, unless the elf succeeds in a RESIST (R) check against his STATURE (V). When the character rages, others nearby have to make REACT (I) checks against his STATURE (V) to regain their balance.
Requirement: SECRET OF TEMPER
Secret of the Giant Dream
The giant’s dream world is somewhat real, reflecting his experiences and knowledge welling from deep inside. The character may have normal scenes framed for him within his dream, in which he is human and not a giant. Anything may happen to the character mechanically in the dream, except that dying in the dream ends the sleep.
Requirements: SECRET OF DEEP SLEEP
Secret of the Evil Eye
The character’s eye holds such power that it kills on sight. Using the eye enables mortal stakes in conflict. A RESIST (R) check against his STATURE (V) may be used to resist. The eye cannot be turned off.
Requirement: SECRET OF TEMPER
Secret of Encompassing Dream
The giant’s dream influences the place of his rest in subtle ways. The spot becomes a soft place of dream shamanism. The player of the giant can describe how natural forces and happenstance shape the terrain. In any scene happening in the place, the player can make a STATURE (V) check for a pool of dice, usable as bonus or penalty Gift Dice for anything happening in the scene.
Requirements: SECRET OF THE SLEEP OF SEASONS
Secret of Colossal Size
The character is of an older breed, of a clearly larger scale than the average giant. He can feasibly use his STATURE (V) for Gulliver-style feats, such as damming rivers with his body. He also has superior LEVERAGE in conflicts where his size matters; he wins wrestling matches and such automatically against lesser creatures. However, the colossal giant does not recover normally: he cannot use natural healing or plain Ability checks to heal Harm.
Requirements: SECRET OF TEMPER, more SECRET OF BULK than any other character in the campaign has at the moment.
Secret of Dream Avatar
The sleeping giant’s consciousness can possess the form of an animal in his place of dreaming. The giant is still dreaming, so the avatar’s actions are non-aware, even if full of intent. If the giant’s spot is a soft place, he can also manifest in a elemental shape or plant life.
Requirements: SECRET OF DEEP SLEEP

Beastkin

Secrets - Beastkin

Beastkin Secrets

Secret of Centaur
Centaurs are large quadrupeds from the Great Plains, just my example of yet another Beastkin all but unknown in Near. They get a RUNNING (V) Ability and never run out of VIGOR: they always have one point left as long as they get enough to drink.
Secret of Gharial
These crocodile-men would be found in very small numbers in Qek; I’m told that they worship death gods in ancient temples there. They do not grow old, ever, and they grow larger and stronger with age, gaining Pool points.
Secret of Losing the Mind
A beastkin may make a BESTIALITY (V) check to fall into a seizure or frenzy that removes the check result in Advances from the Reason Pool, (R) Abilities and Secrets associated with intelligence. All but one (or two if even) of the Advances are immediately distributed between VIGOR and INSTINCT Pools. The change is permanent.
Secret of Animal Speech
Animals are actually not much for speaking, but whatever degree of communication they manage, this beastkin understands without Ability checks and regardless of prior experience with the animal in question. Most beastkin understand animals related to them naturally, but for others they need this Secret. Cost: 1 REASON
Secret of Moon Instinct
The character always knows where the Moon is, even if hidden. Cost: 1 INSTINCT

Animal Secrets

Secret of Sociality
A social animal associates its BESTIALITY (V) with INSTINCT as well. It can engage in social conflicts over dominance, initiative and other cooperative issues.
Secret of Cunning
A cunning animal associates its BESTIALITY (V) with REASON as well. It can conflict over avoiding traps, understanding what happens around it and other such issues of rudimentary intelligence.
Secret of Tameness
A tame animal can refresh Pools like people. It can also learn the TRAINING (R) Ability.
Secret of Natural Weapons
An animal with this Secret has equipment ratings that depict its natural strengths, such as thick skin, teeth or wings. The “equipment quality” of the beast is established with a BESTIALITY (V) check, which may be rerolled in a refreshment scene. Natural weapons do not have imbuements.
Secret of Small Size
An animal with this Secret is smaller than a human, and thus gains a bonus die every time being small helps them; others gain a penalty die when the small size impedes their actions.
Secret of Great Size
An animal with this Secret is so big that it has STATURE (V), which it can use to overcome small obstacles with mere size. The animal can also get the SECRET OF BULK.
Secret of Flight
An animal with this Secret can fly. The cost is paid whether the animal flies or not. Cost: 1 VIGOR per scene
Secret of Nocturnality
An animal with this Secret is usually awake at night, and has adapted to low-light conditions. The animal associates all of its Abilities with INSTINCT at night-time and does not receive circumstance penalties for lack of light.
Secret of Man-killer
The animal does not fear people. When fighting with BESTIALITY (V) against a member of the old species, any Harm it causes is increased one step, but not over MORTAL (6). Requirement: has killed a person.
Secret of Trad Animal
The old TSoY rule for animals is to give them any Secrets that make sense for them, sort of like how item imbuements work. You can do that here as well: have the animal use its BESTIALITY (V) or TRAINING (R) or Passive Abilities instead of the Abilities the Secret requires, of course.

Animal Training Secrets

Animal Imbuement
The equipment is an animal. The character may use his ANIMAL KEN (I) or other animalhandling Abilities in lieu of BESTIALITY (V) or other animal-only Abilities to activate imbued animal Secrets.
Pool Imbuement
The equipment has a separate Pool. This mostly makes sense for animals, but there are other places in the book for this as well. The Pool is one point in size and can be used whenever the character uses the equipment, as whichever type of Pool. It replenishes when the equipment is maintained.
Secret of Beastmaster
The character can tame normally untamable creatures with his ANIMAL KEN (I), forcing them to take the SECRET OF TAMENESS. He can also make any animal he tames a sidekick with the SECRET OF SIDEKICK regardless of Ability levels. When he tames an animal that doesn’t have established statistics, the player gets to allocate his check’s worth of Advances for the animal, while the Story Guide allocates twice that.
Secret of Behavior (specify)
The character gets along especially well with animals that have a certain Behavior Key. He has no Pool spend cap when interacting with the specific sort of animal.

Orania

Secrets - Orania

Kalderonite

Secret of the Senator
The character has been voted into the Kalderonite Senate, which enables him to use SPEAK (R), DIPLOMACY (R) and other appropriate Abilities to control the arms and treasury of the state. As long as he remains human, each scene during which he makes an Ability check to participate in the Senate he has to check RESIST (R) against his own check; failure compels him to lose a piece of human crunch (regaining Advances) or gain a piece of crunch from another species appropriate to the character (going into Advance debt if necessary). The gained crunch has to be the mandatory Secret of the species (changing the character’s species permanently) if he already has more Advances invested into the species than his RESIST (R) check’s value.
Secret of the Magister
The character is an officer of the Kalderonite civil service. The powers of his office are termed in a senatorial degree, which is created by a LAW (R) check made into an Effect that describes the office and is maintained however long the magister needs those powers. The character can draw bonus dice equal to a suitable office’s value to issues of authority, but not against a higher-valued applicable office. He can only be prosecuted for his actions in office by stripping the office from him, which requires overcoming the Effect. In fact, casting the office in doubt would probably be necessary to get a Kalderonite to even manhandle the magister, such is their respect for the civil service and the laws protecting it. Career civil servants often hold multiple offices simultaneously, shedding and obtaining them freely; the player decides when to allow the Effects to lapse and when to seek new ones.
Secret of the Office
When the character’s office aligns with a Servitor present in the sky, he does not need to make a check in fulfilling his duty at all: he can just use the value of his office directly. Cost: 1 Pool appropriate to the replaced Ability.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE MAGISTER
Secret of Citizen (district)
The character knows a specific district of Kalderon very well. He can use its power for the citizen cost and gains a bonus die on any checks where knowing the district is useful. Other characters can enter the district and use it as well once at least one character in the game has this Secret, but only by paying the full cost.
Bazaar District
The Bazaar of Kalderon is a debilitated and lazy place, but it is large and full of old, slow merchandise. Characters can buy almost any equipment here: a BARTER (I) check establishes the quality of item the character can afford. The details of the item are established in half by the player and the Story Guide. Characters can also sell equipment: the character regains the Advance and gains a free Effect equal to equipment quality in trade.
Citizen Cost: 2 REASON if buying a magical item.
Full Cost: VIGOR equal to the number of Bazaar citizens in the game to enter or leave. Citizen cost and 1 INSTINCT per Imbuement on bought items.
Knife Street District
Life is cheap on the alleys around the Street of Knives and Knaves. Any Harm caused here is increased one level, to a maximum of MORTAL (6). Making any Ability check costs; characters who can’t pay in Pool pay as Harm equal to the Pool debt.
Citizen Cost: no cost.
Full Cost: VIGOR equal to the number of Knife Street citizens in the game to enter or exit the district. 1 INSTINCT per check.
Senatorial District
Most senators of Kalderon move in to live near the Senate; it almost seems that they live in there. Characters in the district can speak to senators and use the SECRET OF THE MAGISTER.
Citizen Cost: 1 INSTINCT per social check.
Full Cost: VIGOR equal to the number of Senatorial citizens in the game to enter or exit the district. Citizen cost and 1 REASON per check.
Secret of the Lictor
The character has a bought, assigned or inherited right to carry weapons in Kalderon. He can enter or leave any district brought into the game for no extra cost.

Skironite

Secret of Initiation
The character can initiate others to the various Blessings known to the tribes. This always requires set numbers of worshippers, testing of the initiates, a minimum number of initiates, some of which are left out, drawing lots, several tribes, specific genders, specific politics (Kalderonite or Traditionalist) and other such constraints. In the fiction these demands depend on the specific theological history of the blessing, but for our purposes the player gets to concoct whatever demands he wants, backing them with a PRAY (V) check. Another priest can override with his own offer only by beating the prior check with his own or by waiting until the next season. The actual initiation ritual is conducted with MUSIC (I).
Cost: 1 REASON to establish the ritual, 2 to conduct it.
Weather Blessing
The character can control the weather with an appropriate Ability check: STARGAZING (R) at night, CLOUD-READING (R) at day. Larger weather events can take several days to arrive. The check result may be used as bonus or penalty dice in Ability checks as appropriate.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Blue Light Blessing
The character masters the blue light, a fearsome Skironite combat magic. It gathers around him when he threshes his weapons, becoming especially potent when he jumps or otherwise gets off the ground. An enemy struck by the force suffers AGGRAVATED Harm, marked as such. Release the force at an enemy from afar with ARCHERY (I) or up close with WRESTLING (V). The force is completely drained when the character goes prone.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Blessing of Kalder
This is the same as the BLESSING OF LOWDEN JUDGE, except use LAW (R) when nobody is lying and REACT (I) when somebody is.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Hippogriff Blessing
A hippogriff from the mountains is attracted by the character. It is commanded with FALCONRY (I) and ridden with HORSEMANSHIP (I). Keeping the hippogriff in service for longer than you need it makes it sad; release it, and it will return to you.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Requirements: a prior initiation to another Blessing.
Blessing of the Moon
The character can change his sex, becoming a member of the other gender. This may only be attempted when the Moon is full; use BRAWLING (V) to change into a man, FEMALE RITES (R) to change into a woman.
Cost: 2 VIGOR
Requirements: a prior initiation to another Blessing.

Inselburg

Secrets - Inselburg

Secret of Magistery
The character knows how to create COLLEGIUMS by investing holy vows that bind. The vows are created by one or more PRAY (V) checks made into Effects which determine the power of the vows and the consequences for breaking them. The collegium is created by choosing a Secret the character knows, renaming it appropriately, perhaps changing some Abilities it requires and reducing its Pool cost by one point per vow connected to it. (The vows can also provide bonus or penalty dice as appropriate to Secrets that do not have a Pool cost.) The magister can now teach the new Secret to his collegiates without caring for any requirements the Secret used to have. The magister can have the collegial magic strike anybody who knows the Secret with the power of the Effect to cause the consequences indicated by the vows to befell him, but only once per Effect per target. The target may RESIST (R) the magic. This does not expend the collegial Effect; it (and the discount on the Secret) remains as long as the magister continues to maintain the collegium.
Secret of the Skyfire Cult
The Skyfire Cult is native collegium of Inselburg. It believes that the Skyfire was a fortunate event that saved the world from tyranny; Skyfire cultists tend to argue for liberty even at pain of death in the Congress. The first degree initiates learn to shape “skyfire”: the initiate’s touch is sufficient to ignite things, and he may shape fire by hand, even making it cling to empty air for a while.
Cost: 1 VIGOR (1 vow)
Secret of the Star Captain Brotherhood
The Star Captain Brotherhood is a native collegium that only initiates captains, pilots and hopefuls. Its members usually vote for increased trade and Fleet patrols. The initiate can use a compass or other divining tools to find his way towards a clearly visualized goal.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT (1 vow)
Secret of the Wind Scout Collegium
Despite its name, this collegium is actually a cult worshipping Lady of Wind, a minor aspect of the Goddess. Only women are initiated. Members vote with the Star Captain Brotherhood in Congress. The initiate can fly on the slightest winds.
Cost: 1 INSTINCT (1 vow)
Secret of the Eclectic
The character is skilled at predicting and avoiding bad magics. He needs a metal staff and gloves to do his trick. A successful PRAYER (V) check transfers an incoming magic’s power through the staff into the earth, the sea or into another person, depending on where the eclectic roots his staff. Success levels equal to the eclectic’s check are diverted from the opposing magician’s check before it reaches its target. This trick suffers a circumstance penalty die against Three-Corner magic and two against any other magics, except collegial arts of Inselburg.
Cost: 2 REASON
Secret of High Seas Fleet
The character has been taught how to sail the black ships, and he is thus capable of using his appropriate Abilities for the purpose. The ships and their equipment are a technological aberration at present time, so operating them ranges from difficult to impossible without in-depth tutelage in various applied sciences. Characters with this training may consider any High Seas Fleet equipment to have an appropriate EXPERT IMBUEMENT for free.
Black Sail Imbuement
The black ship sails are superior to modern solutions, being usually the only propulsion such a ship uses. The ship with this rigging can compete or overcome galley arrangements in most winds, especially when it has room to maneuver. It has SUPERIOR LEVERAGE against galleys on open sea when it comes to maneuvers or long journeys; the black ship chooses whether to engage and how in those conditions.
Black Hull Imbuement
The larger black ships are much taller than most modern ones, except perhaps for the giant galleys of Ammeni. This is not entirely beneficial in shallow waters, but in close engagement it makes boarding action impossible for an unprepared enemy. The ship may also have an unlimited number of other imbuements thanks to its size.
Cannon Imbuement
The black ship has cannons. There is very little that lesser ships can do against them at range: when the cannons are used with DEMOLITION (R) (or COMMAND (I) if directing fire for a battery), normal Ability checks cannot be used to resist them at all. An opposing ship or coastal target needs magic or other equivalent leverage to defend or counterattack meaningfully, otherwise a simple check suffices for the cannons. Cost: 1 Vigor per shot
Explosive Imbuement
This single-use imbuement can be used with a DEMOLITION (R) check. One equipment rating in the equipment gains a +2 to its value for this roll; however, if the check is opposed, the character suffers an additional Harm equal to the check difference (towards his actual check, not the equipment rating). The imbuement is removed after use.

Pere-di-Fey

Secrets - Pere-di-Fey

Secret of the Refugee
The character is a relatively recent arrival in Pere-di-Fey. He can take crunch from another culture freely in addition to that of Pere-di-Fey; however, it can’t be a culture another player character is from, unless the other player accedes to it. In addition, the character always regains one extra Pool point when refreshing Pools with another refugee; this point comes on top of the character’s Pool size and is spent first.
Requirement: only at character generation.
Secret of Folk Magic
The hybrid culture of Pere-di-Fey has many superstitions from all over the world, some of which are actually true to a degree. When the character decides to take a superstition seriously for the moment, the player can create an Effect out of a REACT (I) check to make note of it. The Effect can later be used as either bonus or penalty dice according to the superstition, even against the character himself; the Story Guide decides when the Effect is activated.
Secret of Sea-step
Sailors from Pere-di-Fey are accustomed to boat life, and rarely miss a step in their work, play and dance. When footplay is at issue in an Ability check, the player can take bonus dice equal to the character’s REACT (I) Ability level.
Boomerang Imbuement
The item is a boomerang, used by the Kairakau now and then in hunting seabirds. This simply means that the throwing weapon returns to the character after any missing throw that was not an Ability check failure.
Shellstone Imbuement
Shellstone is a very, very hard mineral mined sometimes on the Feyan islands despite the resistance of land-speakers. Items made of it can only be damaged or destroyed by a LEGENDARY (5) Ability check.
Talalag Imbuement
The item is actually a specialized Talalag the clever islanders use as a musical instrument, digging tool or for some other specialized purpose. Whatever it is, the Talalag holds a point of ICHOR, which can be spent as a bonus die when using the item. The Ichor returns when the Talalag gets a scene of rest in a beach setting.
Secret of the Plank
When the character manages to Harm an opponent in a conflict at sea, the player may choose to cause a MINOR (2) Harm instead of his normal result. The opponent ends up in the water, which will probably end the conflict.
Cost: 3 INSTINCT
Secret of the Governor
Only one character can be the Governor. He has the SECRET OF EXPERIENCE, except the player gets to fill it with at most one check per Ability above MEDIOCRE (0) before play. He also has the SECRET OF THE PAST, except part of the story is already known.

Seafaring

Secrets - Seafaring

Secret of the Captain
The character is a natural captain of a ship. He pays the introduction cost of his ship and other naval equipment only the first time it makes an appearance in the session.
Crew Imbuement
The crew of the ship can make Ability checks independently to support the character or do things for him. Their Ability level is equal to an applicable equipment rating (which cannot be further modified for this purpose by other Secrets), and they use the character’s own Pools.
Cost: 1 Ability-appropriate Pool per check.
Hold Imbuement
The ship has extra hold for supplies, which translates into Pool: the ship has a Pool point that can be used as any Pool by the character. It is refreshed when the ship restocks in harbor.
Luxury Imbuement
The ship has luxurious accommodations for the officers and passengers. This might play

Nine Celestials

none

The Horned God

Secrets - The Horned God

Tricks of Conspiracy
The character knows how to avoid detection and use force in a meaningful manner. The tricks are bound by a collegial oath, providing a discount.
Man: A successful MAN-WILL (V) check intimidates another into signing any document. Cost: (1 vow)
Man: A successful MAN-WILL (V) check allows the character to lie without blinking an eye. Cost: 1 INSTINCT (1 vow)
Arcana of Horn: Renew
The character can heal one thing by sacrificing another. This allows him to move levels of Harm between characters, or even channel them into objects. He must not heal himself, however, or he loses the power for the week.
Cost: 2 VIGOR per shift (1 vow).
Requirement: Embody the Horned God
Secret of Vengeful Blow
This is actually a sophisticated ThreeCorner spell. The target of the spell is pierced by powerful pain where they were stricken by the caster, causing double the Harm indicated by the check result; if caused Harm is MAJOR or worse, a dark horn impales the stricken spot, nailing the target to the ground. The spell is resisted by ENDURE (V). The cost is reduced in half for each invested Advance, instead of deducted by one. The spell requires checks of CREATION (V) and DESTRUCTION (V).
Cost:
OVERLAY CREATION: 1+ check in VIGOR
MASSIVE DAMAGE: 2 VIGOR
MAGICAL CUNNING: 1 POOL
SPELLCRAFT: 1 POOL per Advance
CONDITIONAL MAGIC: -3 POOL
Total: Half the target’s ENDURE (V) check in VIGOR. (1 vow)
Secret of Raising the Horn
A Horned Consort can raise the Aspect of the Horned God with a ritual hunt, feast and blood-letting. These may be done in any order, with a MAN-WILL check for each, with the Ability associated with each of the three Pools in turn. The highest single result becomes the strength of the Aspect, which will last until the next solstice. The Aspect may be dissolved by a woman who beats it with a Passive Ability check.
Cost: 1 VIGOR, INSTINCT and REASON. (3 vows)
Arcana of Horn: Strength
The character is supernaturally strong. He has no Pool spend cap on checks that benefit from strength, and he can use the SECRET OF MIGHTY BLOW. The character must never ask anybody else for help, or he loses the strength until he may help the other in turn.
Cost: the first spend per check is free (3 vows).
Requirement: Embody the Horned God
Arcana of Horn: Hunt
The character can evade his hunter or trail his quarry over any terrain as long as they actually leave a trail. Any checks needed to find the target or avoid the hunter (not just tracking) and not spent otherwise are pooled into a cumulative pool the character can use as Pool points or free bonus dice in any check against the target as long as the hunt lasts. If the character ever disrespects the hunt, he loses this power until being hunted himself.
Cost: free (3 vows)
Requirement: Embody the Horned God
Secret of Conditional Magic
The character can try to work with a fine touch in his Three-Corner working by declaring a minimum level of success higher than MARGINAL (1). Any success below this level becomes Harm for the character in a backlash, while reaching the minimum makes the magic work normally.
Cost: Pool discount equal to the declared level of success, minus three. (3 vows)
Hunting Spell
The target of the spell is marked so that the caster knows their location at all times. Furthermore, the caster may compel the target to return to him as long as the spell lasts. The spell runs out if the target gets more than a day’s journey away, or at next sunrise. The spell uses the DIVINATION (R) focus, and ENTHRALLMENT (R) if the second part is activated.
Cost:
SEE FAR: 3 REASON
MAGICAL HAND: 1 POOL
MAGICAL PERSISTENCE: 1 POOL
Total: 1 REASON (3 vows)
Collection Spell
A woman touched by the character is forced to obey him until the next sunrise, unless she RESISTS (R) successfully at some point before then. The character has no Pool spend caps on this spell. The spell uses ENTHRALLMENT (R) and ENHANCEMENT (I). The character gains a bonus die to either check.
Cost:
EMPOWER MAGIC: 1 INSTINCT
MAGICAL PERSISTENCE: 1 POOL
Total: free (3 vows)
Secret of the Rite Magnificent
This is like the SECRET OF COVENANT RITES, except that the Horned God cannot grant Workings or Arcana; instead, after invoking Him, the participants can share their Pools freely and sacrifice by the Covenant Rite rules in performing Three-Corner magic, and they can include Arcana into their workings as Three-Corner Secrets; sacrifices of blood from involuntary women are only worth one Pool point per woman, however, no matter the degree of sacrifice. The magic done within the ritual is limited by both the Three-Corner laws and the laws of High witchcraft, and any spells formed with Arcana only work for characters embodying the proper Aspect. The participants gain two extra bonus dice to be used at any point in the rite.
Cost: (3 vows)
Secret Gift of Hamond
The character can invoke Hamond the Craftsman in a witchcraft ritual to invest wellbuilt items with magical powers. The resulting equipment’s quality cannot surpass its original quality (or the simple crafting Ability check) before the ritual, but it may get worse, depending on the check made. Hamond himself supplies any magic that involves the item performing its purpose; other magics might require other invocations.
Cost: 1 VIGOR per magical rating, 1 REASON per magical Imbuement, 2 INSTINCT to avoid messing the item’s quality. No discount for Consorts; they pay extra to force Hamond. (3 vows)

Sireap Valley

Secrets - Sireap Valley

Secret of Sireap
The character has lived for a long time in Sireap. The Farro no longer influences him.
Secret of the Usher
Ushers train each other to fight with their incredible physical skills. The character can take a Defensive Action with FOOTWORK (V) and use any bonus dice derived from it in combat as opponent penalty dice, instead.
Feat of Flying Leap
The character can leap unnaturally high, long jumps. Cost: 1 VIGOR for jumping at human peak effortlessly, 3 for jumping ridiculously high, such us up a tree.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER
Feat of Endless Run
The character can run (or otherwise exercise) an unnaturally long time. Cost: 1 VIGOR for running at human peak effortlessly, 3 for ridiculous terms, such as a week without stopping.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER
Feat of Fast Feet
The character can sprint at surprising speeds.
Cost: 1 VIGOR for sprinting at human speed, 3 for ridiculous speeds, such as outracing a flying bird.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER
Secret of Usher Skirmish
When the character spends any Pool on the Usher feats in the scene, the points go into a separate usher pool that can be spent in a fight as bonus dice or opponent penalty dice by the character under his normal Pool spend cap. The pool empties at the end of combat or when the character reorients.
Requirement: SECRET OF THE USHER
Secret of Jump Attack
The character can make the powerful jump attack: all Pool caps are removed as the character jumps high and comes down hard.
Cost: 1 point from the usher pool.
Secret of the Bull
The character can do the work of a single bull, when it comes to strength and stamina. He can use his FOOTWORK (V) to support any feats of strength.

First City

Secrets - First City

Secret of the Crystal
The character integrates with a crystal from the First City with a successful ADAPTATION (V) check. Failure causes a MAJOR (4) Harm, success only a MINOR (2) one. The crystal is plainly visible on the character’s skin, collecting sunlight. The crystal allows the character to receive/steal and store a Zu syllable, and use it without the ZU (R) Ability: the crystal sounds the syllable when pressed correctly (by the internal muscles of the character, or by somebody else manipulating it). Use MUSIC (R) checks instead of ZU (R) when working through a crystal. This character pays the Pool costs, no matter who manipulates the crystal. The same character can have many crystals, but the required success level for the integration rises by one for each.
Requirement: Be a goblin.
Formulae Trianguli Zuonis
This Secret, learned from a book by the same name, represents the collective knowledge of the Three-Corner Academy on the Zu syllables and their use. A character with this Secret can use Zu syllables as part of Three-Corner magical workings: CREATION (V) is used for the Declarative mode, ENTHRALLMENT (R) for the Imperative; Optative cannot be currently handled by Three-Corner. Syllables can be used in Spells, in which case the Syllable does not have to be mastered by the user of the new Spell; however, should the syllable be in use elsewhere while such a spell is in effect, it ends immediately.

Going Out

Secrets - Going Out

Secret of the Unknown
The character can use EXPLORATION (I) or STORYTELLING (R) to establish KEY ELEMENTS (as per the SOLAR SYSTEM) with total experience value equal to the check result. These are always things about which the character knows nothing certain, such as the lost valley of Sireap or the Gharialin Templars.
Cost: 1 REASON per check.

Define external redirect: Secrets- Qek