89% found this document useful (9 votes)

5K views441 pages

Faith - The Sci-Fi RPG - Core Book 2.0

Uploaded by

Jason

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

89% found this document useful (9 votes)

5K views441 pages

Faith - The Sci-Fi RPG - Core Book 2.0

Uploaded by

Jason

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 441

The Corvo Species 52 Actions in an Initiative Round 317

Noteri 236

Society 57 Confrontations 317

Velada 238

Economy 59 Steps of a Confrontation 318

Jino 240

The Megacorps 63 Action Value 319

Culture 242

Nation’s Solution 66 Skills 319

Technology 243

Wang Corp 69 Damage Penalties 319

History 246

The Union 72 Advantages and Disadvantages319

Foreign Affairs 251

Secrets of the Megacorps 75 Attributes (Playing Cards) 320

Heimis 252

Law and Crime 79 Level of Success 320

Playing as a Clanmate 256

The Zhui Tong 86 Regular success 320

The Hwang Tong 88 THE HUMAN 258 Decisive Success 320

The Dragonfly Tong 90 Critical Success 320
The Human Species 260

Culture 93 Failure 320

Society 262

Technology 103 Drawing Cards 321

Economy and Social Class 264

History 109 Playing with Ambience & Affinity 321

The Human Front 266

Foreign Affairs 122 Proficiency 321

Culture 271

The Corvosphere 125 Beginning of a Scene 321

Technology 274

Tiantang 126 Running Out of Cards 321

History 277

Quanjie 130 Advanced Rules 321

Humans in the Universe 279

New Quan 134 Collaborative Actions 321

The Coalition 280

Xulong 138 Passive Actions 322

Outside the Corvosphere 280

Zhui Xi 142 Additional Effects 322

Three Skulls Mob 282

Huangdì 145 Permanent 322

The Black Watch 284

Earth 148 Action 322

Earth 286

Mining Planets 150 Activated 322

Playing in the Corvosphere 153 THE RAVAGER MENACE 291 Sustained 322

THE IZ´KAL 157 Instant 322
The Ravager 293

How To Play Example 324

Nature and Behaviour 293

The Iz’kal Species 160

Swarms 294 GAME MASTER’S GUIDE 330

Society 167

Ravager Tech 300

Economy 169 Non-Player Characters (NPCs) 330

Ravager Philosophy 304

The State 173 Level 330

The Ravager War 304

Law and Crime 174 Stats 331

The Coalition 306

The IFF 180 Faith 331

Structure and Functions 306

The Firebirds 182 Playing Cards 331

Joining the Coalition 307

The Whisper 185 Exhaustion 332

An Independent Authority 308

Health 332

THE LOST LOG OF PROFESSOR TURNER
<TIANTANG NEWSFEED 02.27.1966 SA> <FENG CORP IA>
<NEWS ITEM IN CORVO LANGUAGE> <FENG CORP. INTERNAL RESEARCH>
<audio on [terranspeak translation enabled]> <FOR AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY>

“[...] remember Professor Turner for such achievements “This is a cortex-mail from Feng Corp, related to Internal
as tracing a viable path across the Leviathan Pass or re- Affairs of a Corvo Corporation. If you are not the intended
cording the entire ecosystem of the Argyrus Moon, which recipient and have not paid for the right to access this
allowed the Megacorps to install the Argyro T’ian Multi- communication, you are in flagrance of article 327-B of
processing Station, a beacon of progress and civilisation Corvo Communication Regulations. Please unjack, report to
in the savage frontier. After the renowned xenoscientist’s FengCo_CMTangC, and erase.
sudden disappearance, his lab and personal records were
turned over to the authorities of Feng Corp, a branch of The Attached are the personal records and notes by Human
Union Megacorp, which subsidised most of his research. xenoscientist Professor Thessaius Turner, ordered by
And of course, most of us wonder, what is contained in subject -> relevance -> ascending date, and annotated by
those records? What did the Human xeno leave for poster- three members of the FengCo Office of internal Research,
ity? Tune your cortex to our feed and you’ll know as soon as myself included. Given the Human-Corvo calendar discrep-
Corvonet™ knows!” <end of line> ancy and the time variations across star systems, dates
are necessarily uncertain in some parts, which may result
in small timeline inconsistencies.
<REPORT #13400986007A1 - MISSION XA11>
<Captain Sun Tarma - Hung Gao Exp. Force> As per the issues our team was asked to investigate
The Lost Log

<Excerpt 15> re: Professor Turner’s disappearance and the xeno ruins
in Asteroid B69911847000, the organised files offer no
“[...] As reported during the verbal debriefing, Professor conclusive answer, although they do contain some relevant
Turner had become absent-minded and brooding for the intelligence that I’m sure will help clarify the situation,
last couple of missions, ever since that trip to the asteroid as underscored in the complementary annotations and
16 ruins. Also as previously reported, he allowed none of my reports by our research team.
men to follow into said ruins, despite being fully aware of
our duty to protect him. Of course we gave escort regard- Until further instructions,
faith: core book

less, even against his wishes, but there were several times
when he slipped our watch for two or three minutes. Since Dao Eng, C.Sc. Head of IR”
he finally returned unharmed, and the following expedi-
tion found nothing worth reporting in the ruins, the whole
matter was forgotten after a few cycles. <PROFESSOR THESSAIUS TURNER>
<LOG ENTRY #96>
However, during the following five missions he showed <DESIGNATION/SUBJECT: ON THE HISTORY OF THE
increasingly distant and erratic behaviour, the details of UNIVERSE>
which are given in report 13400986007B13, as delivered to
the Conduct Research Team. And yet, when we returned to “History as we know it began not with the first planets,
Feng HQ for the last time, he showed no sign of planning a the first stars or the Big Bang. Mortal History began with
disappearance; I assume HQ security will have much better the first sentient being that knew of the Gods, and discov-
intelligence on whatever actually took place the night he ered he could bend reality to his will through his faith.
went missing.”
Although every species has its own history and records,
<NOTE BY COLONEL YAO TSIN>
there is no Universal History anywhere - scholars have
“Research Team Beta confirms Captain Tarma’s story to research either the Corvo or the Iz’kal version at their
about those asteroid ruins (cf. Report 969915AG-A98); we respective datanets, or else ask a Human or Raag some of
have to conclude the Human Professor Turner found some- their creation myths - which are often closer to the truth
thing in there, something he kept from his armed escort and than the fabrications of either the State or the Megacorps.
even his closest assistants. Do his personal notes have any But there is no unbiased, species-neutral record of History
clue?” anywhere in the Universe. And if there was, it would have to
be told from the point of view of the Gods.
<NOTE BY PROFESSOR XIANG YUEI>
“Colonel, we have sent every last scrap of data to Feng Did they create mortals, or did mortals create them?
Internal Research; I believe they’ll want to check those whatever the case, that’s when History begins.”
personal records first-hand.”
<END OF LOG ENTRY [OK to create a new entry]>
THE VEHICLES 402 NPC INDEX

THE CORVO Other
General Rules 403

The Necromancer 189

Naming a Captain 403 The Megacorps

Kassima Lahan 191

Controlling a Vehicle 403 Megacorp Official 65

Hexian 191

Vehicle Sheet 405 Ma Ng 68

Iz’kal from the Colonies

Vehicle Combat 407 Di Engun 68
Memorial 211

The Initiative Round 407 Wang Xuelin 71

Al’ameen’ai Farmer 211

Maintenance Phase Effects 407 Cho Bei 71

Erthum’ai Nomad 213

Stress 407 Xeon Magno 74

Roothound 217

Strain 407 Kan Jiang 74

Sulivar’ai Hiver 217

Moving Vehicles 407 Perfect Soldier 77

Speed 408 Law Officers THE RAAG

The Vehicle’s Board 408 Commander Lao 80
The Councils

Distance Between Vehicles 408 Military Contractor 80
Shadow Councillor 229

Setting up the Board 408 The Heijian

Enginseer 229

Movement on the Board 408 Sentient Trafficker 83

Grandsister 231

Terrain 408 Deviant Hacker 84

The Clans

Attacking a Vehicle 409 Mona Lisa 87
Gamaar 233

Valid Counteractions 409 Zhui Enforcer 87

Kimora warrior 233

Crew of a Destroyed Vehicle 409 Honcho Hwang Gun 89

Sister Dagun 235

Hacking a Vehicle 410 Hwang Enforcer 89

Eferi Soulbender 235

Repairing a Vehicle 410 Dynamite 91

Vashka 237

Hiding & Searching Vehicles 410 Dragonfly Enforcer 91

Noteri pirate 237

What Ambience? 410 Other

Fraaga 239

Vehicle Creation 411 Mama Soul 94

Velada Tech 239

Systems 411 Big T 99

Captain Dozar 241

Vehicle Models 411 Corvo from the Colonies

Jino Explorer 241

Mark III Spacerunner 411 Scavenger 129

Beast

Am’Undsen Light Craft 412 Quan Conscript 132
Icestalker 255

Heavy Lee War Craft 412 SSF Agent 133

Lin Meng Stealth Craft 412 Poacher 137 THE HUMAN

Al’Mayin Stealth Warship 413 Exotic Quarry 137
The Human Front

Elcano Explorere Vessel 413 The Xulong Dragon 141
Commander Sada Thamp 267

Vehicle Customization 414 Meeki 143

Commander DeFort 267

Core 414 The Dark Wizard 144

Human Fronter 269

Cockpit 414 Gyro Guard 147

Other

Engineering 415 Road Rider 147
Arka Bozag 272

Defence 416 Veteran Merc 149

Scientist 281

Weaponry 417 Pirate 151

Fulcrum 281

Advanced Weaponry 417

THE IZ’KAL Thugs

Missiles 418

Empress Jazmeen 283

Hull 419 Law Officers

Threesk Thug 283

Command 419 Savak Soulbender 164

Wildbill Young 285

Cargo 420 Savak Operative 176

Black Watch Thug 285

Multipurpose 421 Police Officer 176

Earthlings

Non Player vehicles (NPV) 423 Outlaws and Radicals
Eastern Waster 289

Smuggler 179

INTRODUCTORY ADVENTURE 426 Western Waster 289

Gh’Orb 179

A Relic in the Streets 428 The Knight 181 THE RAVAGER

Chapter 1: A Relic in the Streets 428 IFF Radical 181
Harvester 297

Chapter 2: Lair of the Black Watch 430 The Seer 183

Ironskin 298

Chapter 3: The Wild Party 432 Firebird 183

Lurching Horror 299

Chapter 4: The Shootout 432 Kaheem Lahami 184

Techno 300

Ending the Adventure 433 Valko 184

Infiltrator 301

Whisperer 185

Soulbenders in the Iz’kal State are always detected by the GODS IN REAL LIFE
technocrats and summoned for special tasks according to
their specific abilities, to which they are expected to report
and comply immediately. All Soulbenders have a purpose in Although the Gods are acknowledged as real - or perhaps
the State’s great machinery, and they are expected to fulfil for that very reason - very few people pay them any at-
it just as they are expected to fulfil the tenets of their God. tention, and take them for granted as they do with air or
Even Soulbenders that don’t worship Ergon - the Iz’kal’s gravity. However, many people do take the Gods seriously,
official State God - are given something to do, although they and dedicate their whole lives to their study. This not only
are few in number and socially frowned upon. includes Soulbenders or believers, but also scientists and
artists that strive to understand the nature of the Gods.
Human and Raag Soulbenders are more or less left
alone, but they often become warlords or leaders on their As the Gods are real, theology is a natural science in the
own merit, surrounded by small cults of their people. universe of FAITH, and anyone with an interest in the Gods
can study a professional career dedicated to the discus-
In short, while many continue their life unchanged, most sion and analysis of divine forces. These theologians have
visible Soulbenders are summoned from their normal lives written and discovered most of what is currently known
into a higher calling, becoming leaders of their faith among about Gods, even since before the Space Age.
their people.
Most theologians are content with trying to ascertain
AVATARS the way that Gods communicate and transmit their knowl-
edge to believers - theories abound - but a few try to go
Religion: The Gods

The upper echelon of Soulbender hierarchy, the supreme beyond, sending quantum probes to detect energy traces
followers of every God and the most devout beings in the that prove Gods are real. These probes have never turned
universe, are known as Avatars - true manifestations of in any conclusive result, but many have detected subspa-
their God’s will, which resemble their deity so much they tial waves that could prove that Gods are made of mental
represent Him in the material plane. energy. There are hundreds of studies derived from these
probes, intent on determining the true nature of Gods once
The Avatar of a God has an unshakable faith and disre- and for all - but, like every scientist knows, the more you
26 gards all other ways and beliefs. He is usually considered learn, the further you are from the ultimate truth.
a prophet by his coreligionists and his words are listened
to, learned, and studied by theologians and other believers.
faith: core book

GODSEEK
Some Avatars are so powerful, and their willpower is so
strong, they have abilities unique to them that nobody else EXPEDITIONS
in the universe manifests. They tend to be named after this
special power: the most famous Iz’kal Ergonaut prophet is
known as the Necromancer, as it is thought that he can bring There have even been attempts to contact or find the
the dead back to life. The leader of the infamous Firebirds Gods directly. These “Godseek expeditions” are the sci-
pirate organisation is called the Seer. Not only is he always entific equivalent of yearly pilgrimages, where explorers
where he is never expected, but his vessel, the Mockingjay equipped with advanced quantum sensors and computers
- despite the combined efforts of the Iz’kal State and the go ever farther into the labyrinth, trying to penetrate spa-
Megacorps, and the many well-prepared ambushes it has cetime and contact the Gods at their core.
suffered - has never been caught. It is thought that Hexia
has rewarded The Seer with the power of clairvoyance. There has never been a single successful Godseek
expedition, which doesn’t prevent hundreds of scientists
There are many other prophets. Some remain mysteri- and institutions financing such explorations and adventur-
ous and their powers unknown; the only thing everybody ers signing up for them, not only because they pay very
seems to agree upon about them is that their every desire well but also for the promise of discovering the greatest
seems possible. mystery in the universe.

It is estimated that less than 1% of full Soulbenders

THIS BOOK roles, also known as non-player characters (NPCs). In most

cases, each player will design his own character, including
his backstory, Attributes, Skills and Upgrades.

This is the only book you’ll truly need to play FAITH. In Any player can be the GM of a session or adventure, as
it, you’ll find all the core rules, the character creation and long as the other players agree.
advancement rules, and a very broad introduction to the
game’s setting - its core concepts, species, nations, organi-
zations and locations. Furthermore, its pages are filled with WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY
adventure seeds and non-player characters to inspire your
campaigns and make them feel truly alive. Use it to learn Players, any number of them. One will play as the GM and
the game, to create the characters of your adventures and the rest will be characters. While there is no actual limit to
to inspire your stories with FAITH’s deep, complex setting. the number of players, most RPGs work better with groups
It has the following formatting: of three to six player characters. Remember, everyone
should have the opportunity to shine and feel included;
Black text over white background is normal text. It is the bigger the group, the harder that is. If the group is too
used to explain the rules in the relevant chapters, and to large, we recommend breaking it into two groups with two
dive into the lore of FAITH through the words and experi- different GMs, who could be running parallel stories and
ences recovered from Professor Turner’s logs and journals characters could move from one to the other. There are no
in the setting chapters. hard-and-fast rules on how to organise a gaming group.

White text over black background is special text. At least one player deck; the playing cards are used to
Introduction

It is used to give examples in the rules chapters resolve all actions during the game. It can be replaced by a
and to tell stories in the setting chapters. Think of poker deck, by simply translating the suits to their respec-
it as a little window into a table where players are tive meanings in FAITH.
enjoying a game, or into a corner of the universe of
FAITH. One character sheet per player (the GM does not need
8 one). These are used to keep track of such data as a charac-
Black text over grey background is advanced ter’s stats, health, condition and equipment.
text. It is used to create additional depth, via either
faith: core book

advanced rules in the rules chapters or adventure The FAITH system also offers some very useful, optional
seeds in the setting chapters. resources such as Gear cards to represent individual pieces
of equipment and their stats, and non-player character
Italic grey text over white background is ana- cards, which describe the stats and abilities of any enemies,
lytical text. It is used to give cues about how to monsters or allies the players may run into.
use certain rules or link them to their in-game
effects in the rules chapters; and to quote fa- WHY CARDS?
mous people in the setting chapters.
Most RPGs use dice to add randomness into the game.
In FAITH, we use cards instead. Each player has a hand of
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES cards that represents the stamina of their character, giving
them a lot of options when they are well rested and have
You can visit FAITH’s website to find additional resources a full hand, and limiting their options as they get tired and
to help you understand the game and run your campaigns; run out of cards. Playing high-value cards represents a big
and you are welcome to join us in any of our communities to effort that will exhaust them, whereas playing low cars or
get your questions answered by one of the game designers. cards whose suit match the environment will allow them to
draw new cards and save up their energies.

INTRODUCTION TO We want players to be able to manage their luck. In FAITH,

THE SYSTEM players play cards from their hands, always choosing
which card they play. This allows players to calculate their
chances of success when it is their turn and to create a
strategy accordingly. We believe this is an interesting alter-
A roleplaying game is a collaborative storytelling ex- native to rolling dice to resolve actions.
perience with players getting into the role of imaginary
characters in the universe created by the Game Master Additionally, the beautifully illustrated cards of FAITH put
(GM). When playing FAITH, each player controls a single the art of the game on the table and in front of the players
character - except for the GM, who has no character of his at all times. They create an immersive experience and
allow players to familiarise themselves with the universe them. Together, they can create an amazing group of char-
of the game, which can be especially hard in a sci-fi setting. acters that will experience great adventures and be a part
of everybody else’s memories.
Lastly, we have decided to put important pieces of gear
and NPCs on cards, to prevent players from constantly
checking the rulebook to see what they can and can’t do, THE GAMEPLAY
and remind them of the gear they are carrying. By includ-
ing illustrations in all these cards, we aim to keep players As most roleplaying games do, FAITH uses a randomizer
immersed in the stories they are playing, easing the task of (in this case, playing cards) and a ruleset to regulate the
mentally recreating an interesting science fiction setting. gameplay. Additionally, it requires the group to understand
certain abstractions to create an enjoyable playing experi-
ence. Below you can find the most common among them.
THE GAME MASTER
SESSIONS & SCENES
In this rulebook, we will always refer to the GM
in feminine form and to the rest of the players A game of FAITH, called a campaign, can be as long as
in masculine form. This will allow some rules to its players want, so it needs to be divided into sessions and
be clearer and more easily understood. scenes. A session is simply the allocated time frame for
playing the game during a specific day. After each session,
The GM is, above all, a storyteller. She is the person in it is recommended that the players keep their decks, hands
charge of everything but the player characters them- and discard piles for the next session.
selves. She creates - or follows - a story for the players to
adventure in; this story sets the goals for the characters, Scenes are the different situations that the characters of

Introduction
and the GM is in charge of narration, moderating player in- the story might get into. Usually scenes involve the achieve-
teraction, adjudicating rules and creating the drama around ment or failure of a certain goal, or a point during which
story events. there is a long enough break in the action for the characters
to rest. Thus they are similar to scenes in films; a scene
The GM describes the adventure scenarios, decides may be a diplomatic encounter, a creepy walk through an
whether and how the players’ actions impact the story, and alien landscape or a deadly ambush. The GM determines the 9
adjudicates all the rules. If the group cannot find a solution beginning and end of every scene as best fits the story.

faith: core book

for a problem, the GM always has the final word. She should
try to use this responsibility for the good of the story, pre- ACTIONS & CONFRONTATIONS
venting players from getting caught up discussing rules or
arguing out of character. Everything a character does is an action. In FAITH, actions
are usually successful by default. However, actions may fail
The GM also controls all non-player characters, sets if a character is really unskilled, the GM thinks it is interest-
their personalities and interests, decides their actions and ing for the story, or someone being affected by it wants to
speaks for them; some GMs even like imitating voices and stop it. These situations are called confrontations and they
personalities (and a few are very good at it). are resolved by playing cards, sometimes in opposition
to other characters, or against natural obstacles. These
In the end, it all comes down to creating an interesting actions are the building block of the FAITH system, and
story that everyone can enjoy, and to have fun together. games revolve around them and their success - or failure.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS)

THE CHARACTERS
Non-player characters are all the characters in the game
The rest of the players are the protagonists of the story. that are not controlled by a player. Most of the times, their
They take on the role of self-created or assigned charac- actions and intentions will be determined by the GM.
ters, enact their dialogues, decide their actions and carry
out the relevant mechanics of the game to see whether TIME-SENSITIVE EVENTS (TSES)
these actions succeed.
Time-sensitive events (TSEs) are pressing, immediate
Each player controls a single character and develops problems that pose an obstacle to the characters. There
their personality and goals in as much depth as he wishes. is a wide range of events, items, devices, and other things
What are this character’s struggles? What are his dreams? that can originate a TSE, such as a Firewall, an avalanche,
The more compelling a character is, the more rewarding or a high security lock. It is the job of the GM to determine
the experience of playing him. Interesting people attract when such obstacles should be considered TSEs for the
other interesting people. Players are encouraged to talk purpose of confrontations, and to establish their difficulty.
about the history of their characters and how they imagine
INTRODUCTION TO In this universe there are autonomous cities that operate

THE SETTING like clockwork and allow their citizens to indulge in leisure,
but also cities where owning anything fancy is nothing but
a death sentence and piles of misery and dirt block the
streets. The most impressive technological achievement in
FAITH is a roleplaying game in a sci-fi setting, where the known universe is Tiantang, a Dyson ring where billions
starfaring alien civilizations race to explore a dangerous, of Corvo live in all kinds of space stations, a place where
unknown universe. generations upon generations of Corvo have lived without
ever setting foot on a planet or feeling the pull of gravity.
The FAITH campaign is one of valiant space travelers,
remote uncharted stars and bizarre alien technology. But
it’s also a realm of mysterious, invisible forces – the Gods. GODS
These faceless entities rule over the lives of every creature
in the universe; and the only proof of their existence has FAITH’s most distinguishing feature is the existence of
always been the outlandish, supernatural power they grant Gods – mysterious entities, or natural forces, which give
to those mortals that believe in them. supernatural powers to those that follow them. Becoming
a follower is as simple – and as difficult – as living by the
In FAITH, you can be a star explorer, a soldier or a mystic tenets of the God’s philosophy.
believer, using a mix of technology, training and god-
given powers to survive the untamed regions of wild space The Gods of FAITH are Ergon (God of Community),
against rival factions, alien perils and ruthless bandits. Kaliva (God of Survival), Vexal (God of Freedom), Hexia
(God of Progress), and Ledger (God of Chaos). They are
In all, FAITH is a huge, complex universe, and the plasma worshipped equally by all species, which ascribe them the
Introduction

guns and interstellar travel are only the surface of a much same attributes regardless of their culture, location or
deeper mystery of which no single living being can glimpse social structure. This is often cited as proof that the Gods
but the smallest part. are actual entities and not subjective concepts, but the only
conclusive evidence that the Gods exist manifests through
the incredible powers of their true believers.
10 SCIENCE FICTION
If a God’s followers adhere to the corresponding doctrine,
First and foremost, FAITH is a sci-fi setting. As such, it they may gain the blessings associated with that God, in the
faith: core book

alFirst and foremost, FAITH is a sci-fi setting. As such, it shape of preternatural abilities. Thus, in this universe, your
all takes place in a far-future version of our universe, with beliefs indeed become real power.
speculative technology and interstellar travel. Sentient
computers and space travel are a reality, as are the These powers specifically reflect the character and
dangers of uncharted alien space; daring explorers carry doctrine of the respective God that grants them; thus Ergon
high-powered plasma cannons and have their brains linked believers can open channels of communication across
to formidable hacking devices. minds or distances; Hexia grants visions of the future and
cosmic revelations; Kaliva followers are supernaturally
In this Universe technology reigns. Cybernetics and bio dangerous hunters and killers; Vexal followers can freely
modifications are common, and the line between living and move ignoring gravity or solid matter; and Ledger believers
machine is blurred. Computers are so advanced that if it can cloud perceptions and bring madness.
were not for the ban on AI, they would probably be running
the universe instead of their creators. Some people have Only the Gods’ most pious or exemplary believers
even managed to turn their minds into software in a quest display these unusual abilities, and those with the greatest
to achieve immortality, but most people still live and die in devotion or commitment to a God’s ideals are also those
their organic bodies. with the greatest power.

Computers are connected directly to the brain of their From a scientific standpoint, it’s unknown whether these
user, becoming an expansion of the mind rather than Gods are actual divine beings, a myth created to explain the
an external tool. Screens, keyboards and mouses are powers of their followers; or psychic entities of some kind,
obsolete, as cortex connected computers are controlled by created by the collective thoughts of their billions of be-
thought and information is directly fed into the brain. Ideas lievers. Whatever the truth, the fact remains that the most
are directly transcribed to digital documents, and browsing dedicated followers of the Gods can manifest their will with
the internet is just a matter of thinking about it. Analogic powers and abilities that can only be called supernatural.
people are a minority, and most probably weird folk - who
wouldn’t want such an expansion of the self? Thought is This mystifying religion system, which blurs the lines
power, thought is action, thought is control. between psychic power and divine forces, is the main
feature of the FAITH setting – and its heroes. Still more
SECRETS OF THE When Professor Kwang Jiu initially suggested the idea for

MEGACORPS the Hospital of Hell, she was met with rejection and disgust.

Professor Kwang’s idea was that empty moral concerns

and unnecessary budget limitations often stood in the path
Being the largest commercial institutions in the known of medical progress, and that real medicine only advanced
Universe, each Megacorp has more members, offices, in situations that were later condemned as cruel, unsafe
positions and branches than the government of an entire or unhealthy. Even if society decided to punish the method
planet. They also have countless hidden layers, secrets and or the medic, the new discovery remained and benefitted
mysteries. Some of these secrets are suspected by most, society forever. So, for the Corvo species’ greater good,
some unknown by all but a few. But they are all dark and Professor Kwang dreamed up a lab where physicians were
dirty, and give testament to the abyssal depth that an or- allowed, even encouraged, to practice any kind of medical
ganisation as big as an interplanetary Megacorp can reach. experiments they wished, unfettered by moral qualms.

When Professor Kwang gave her proposal during a board

THE DEATH MAZE meeting, she was dismissed as crazy, and the project was
soundly rejected. However, when she approached each of
All Corvo know that weapon smuggling exists in their the board members individually and privately, away from
society; not all of them know that The Union fully subsi- peer pressure, they all more or less agreed that her idea
dises it. With the Megacorp’s blessing and support, millions would work for the greater good of the Corvo. She took

The Corvo Megacorps

of illegal weapons are secretly sold to the tongs, colonial the chance, pressed on, and finally obtained separate sig-
tyrants, death squads, slavers, unauthorised militias natures and commitments that were as good as a majority
and, in short, anyone that the Megacorps’ own law would vote; when she gave her proposal again, the very same
execute or banish if they got caught. For the Union, these board that had dismissed her found itself approving her
hushed, illegal operations are simply an additional source project.
of revenue, a different market with a different demograph-
ic, different distribution channels and different prices. This The Broad Experimental Development Labs And Medicine
gun-running network, completely clandestine but fully sup- (or BEDLAM) Facility of District 99-XC was open within a
ported by The Union, is known in the Heijian underground as year, fully funded and sanctioned by Nation’s Solution. It 75
The Death Maze. soon attracted the most radical medical researchers in

faith: core book

Tiantang, those whose projects had been rejected or for-
More than 80% of the Death Maze market is in Tiantang, bidden, and Professor Kwang promised them all complete
but several radical and paramilitary cells in the colonies funding and support. Investors regretted their choice within
make use of it too. Through the Death Maze, anyone may a week of BEDLAM’s inauguration, but it was too late. By
acquire almost any kind of weapon, regardless of the law the time they thought of shutting it down, their reputations
regarding the weapon or its availability in the open market, and their money were in more danger than if they simply
as long as he has the money. let it continue. They chose to hide the BEDLAM facility from
the general public and officially pretend it didn’t exist. This
Contacting the Death Maze is fairly easy, but danger- actually made it worse - Professor Kwang’s medics were
ous too. Ask the right person and you’re in; ask the wrong emboldened by anonymity, and what started as a center
person and you’re marked by the law. That is why it’s better for disturbing practices became a rampant slaughterhouse,
to wait for someone within the Death Maze to contact you still known in urban legends as the Hospital of Hell.
- or to be an outlaw in the first place, which is a whole dif-
ferent problem on itself. Currently, the Hospital of Hell is covertly used for all
kinds of unspeakable experiments. The staff are allowed
to try any procedure regardless of its safety or ethics,
THE HOSPITAL OF HELL and patients from all Tiantang are tortured, maimed or
mutated in ways too varied and horrible to recount. There
Nation’s Solution employs billions of scientists, physi- are many reasons the Hospital of Hell hasn’t been closed
cians, researchers, technicians and lab assistants. NS labs yet: First, the patients are taken from the lowest levels
have more staff than most planets have people, and like all of Corvo society - outcasts, vagrants, beggars, convicts,
planets, they have their share of crazy and evil individuals. and even patients that were incurable or declared dead.
Statistically, there’s at least one criminally insane scientist Second, most of them are desperate or terminally ill, and
in every NS branch, and the Megacorp has hundreds of thus volunteered for the treatments - and are not allowed
thousands of such branches. to back out later, of course, but that’s not an issue for the
Hospital’s authorities; if the patients are there under their
But only one of these branches is entirely run by mad own free will, the facility cannot be closed down. Third, The
scientists. Hospital doesn’t officially exist, which gives NS authorities
impunity and deniability on any crimes committed inside.
THE PERFECT
SOLDIER PROGRAM
Nation’s Solution and The Union don’t often cooperate,
although they are forced to depend on each other for
many of their respective businesses - The Union needs
NS supplies, while NS needs The Union’s security. Yet, it’s
not common for both Megacorps to openly do business
together. Ironically, the two companies’ longest-running
joint venture is a secret criminal operation.

It started when Perfect Pills, an NS company, developed

an experimental chemical treatment to increase soldier
performance and offered a test batch to one of the merce-
nary groups in its client list. The treatment turned out to be
dangerous and unstable, causing serious side effects such
as brain damage and, in two cases, death. However, the ben-
eficial effects were so astounding that the Union higher-ups
got wind of what happened and, instead of fining or suing

The Corvo Megacorps

Perfect Pills, the Megacorp ordered the experiment to
continue. NS ordered the opposite, however, and Perfect
Pills was banned from further cooperation with The Union.
For a while, that was it - until Doctor Chang. PERFECT SOLDIER
Doctor Chang, the Perfect Pills researcher who had
Lone Wolf :: Unstoppable
initially developed the unstable version of the treatment,
approached an unknown Union officer, perhaps a regional Level 3 :: Corvo :: Loyal
boss or a troop commander, and offered to continue the 77
mov. 5 metres :: weight 61 kg :: height 170 cm
experiment if The Union committed to financing it - and

faith: core book

provided live test subjects. The officer agreed, and the 2
operation went on, only secretly this time. Thus, officially
both companies shut the project down, but in truth it goes 5 4 2 9
on to this day - and it’s close to fruition.

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 4

For the last five years, hundreds of mercenaries - STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 1
mostly Human and Raag, but many Corvo too - have been
taken to secret labs hidden below Perfect Pill facilities,
CLOSE STANDARD
under the pretense of getting medical treatment for crip- QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+
pling wounds; once there, however, they are put through
chemical tests that alter their nervous systems and soft
Pilum
tissue, making them more resistant to pain and giving them
enhanced muscle - at the cost of their cognitive abilities. Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). After
Most successful subjects of the program have become resolving the attack, it automatically aims at the same
super-strong drones, unbeatable in combat but barely target.
capable of independent thought. For The Union officers
overseeing the project, this is of course not a bug, but a
Legionary Suit
feature; the program is close to being called a success, with
dozens of ‘Perfect Soldiers’ ready to march into war. The Activated. He gains one advantage towards agility
greatest point of contention right now is whether The Union or constitution actions OR jumps and runs at twice his
will go public with the project, alleging it was ‘top secret, normal speed.
but legal’, or keep the soldiers a corporate secret even
as they are sent into battle. Doctor Chang would prefer
EM Shield
the latter, but some Union officers are having a crisis of
conscience about the whole thing. Perhaps if something His armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by
happened to them… plasma or neural weapons.

The Perfect Soldiers are the fruit of a top secret

cooperation between The Union and Nation’s
Solution. Do they live up to their name though?
CONFLICT and favor of a God, but also turn her into a weapon in the
eternal struggle between the Gods.
Besides divine powers and technology, the FAITH Universe
is shaped by the relationships between alien species; from When conflict occurs, it’s mostly at the fringes of lawful
the power struggle between the Corvo and Iz’kal, and their society: Opposing trade groups use spies and mercenaries
barely-unified Coalition, to their dominance over their to sabotage each other; bootleggers strive to control the
Human and Raag henchmen; from the social status granted black market; or darker criminals, like secret societies or
by an individual’s species, to her faith in one God or another. cults, kidnap citizens or threaten the status quo.
Also, recent history has been altered by the Coalition’s
struggle against the predatory Ravager species, which is Other than that, the main source of conflict and ad-
surely destined to affect the future of space civilisations. venture is space exploration itself, with its unpredictable
dangers and mysteries - and the unprecedented threat of
There are no good or bad guys in FAITH. The Corvo and the Ravager, which may yet defeat the Coalition.
Iz’kal cultures both have their own ideas of how to run
things, but they honestly seek to make life better, even if As a FAITH campaign begins, the war still rages at the
their views seem heartless or oppressive to outsiders. frontier of civilised space…

The FAITH Universe is held together by belief and point

of view. Every living being, every social group, has its own
truth and stands for it. Intergalactic civilizations fight for
their own ideals and cultures; splinter groups and secret
societies further their own agendas from the shadows; and
an individual’s own philosophy may grant her the attention

Introduction
13

faith: core book

HUMAN RAAG
Illus. Cody Williams
the universe
THE LOST LOG OF PROFESSOR TURNER
<TIANTANG NEWSFEED 02.27.1966 SA> <FENG CORP IA>
<NEWS ITEM IN CORVO LANGUAGE> <FENG CORP. INTERNAL RESEARCH>
<audio on [terranspeak translation enabled]> <FOR AUTHORISED PERSONNEL ONLY>

Some scholars refer to the age before space flight as the THE EARLY SPACE AGE
planetbound era, which started with the first sentient civi-
lisations and ended when the first Corvo astronaut manned During the Early Space Age, the Corvo sent their first
a spaceship. During this era, all sentient species were businesses to space, focused on economic development,
limited to their homeworlds, adopted backward forms of disbanded their nations and began the Dyson Ring project.
organisation such as nations, tribes or empires, and used Both the Raag and the Iz’kal were conquered by - and then
pre-quantum technology. successfully fought back against - the Korian species; and
Humans fought several great wars for profit and resources,
Most historians assume the planetbound era as having which ended with the utter destruction of their civilisation.
started anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 standard years
ago, a period during which all current civilisations first So many similar events in so short a time are often taken
appeared, and ended with year 1 of the Space Age. Of as acceptable proof of Divine influence in mortal affairs.
course, all species remained tied to their respective home- Specifically, they indicate a strong dominance of Hexian and
worlds for more than a thousand years after that; it would Kalivan goals, which were indeed the strongest Gods and
be more accurate to say the planetbound era ended with had the most numerous and powerful soulbenders during
the founding of Tiantang in year 1374 of the Space Age - or, that period. Ergon, unable to advocate union and commu-
for a more species-neutral milestone, with the discovery of nity in such a fragmenting, forward-thinking period, settled
the Labyrinth in 1648. on the Iz’kal State, where it focused on making one species

The Universe
into his image before entering conflict with the other Gods
Regardless, most of the cultural and scientific paradigms - and there he remains to date.
that applied during the planetbound era are obsolete now
- the universe and its people are completely different than THE HIGH SPACE AGE
they were back then. What matters about the planetbound
era is its prehistory. The High Space Age was, and still is, an era of discovery, 17
travel and expansion. It has seen the greatest population

faith: core book

All the first versions of current civilisations appeared boom in recorded history, with new worlds being discovered
during a very short timespan; it is commonly accepted that nearly every year, businesses and information networks
this coincides with the first records of Divine influence on expanding across distances of several billion light-years,
sentient people. Be it on the Corvo, Iz’kal, Human or Raag and the universe becoming both larger and smaller than it
homeworlds, the first tribes and cities were founded and ever was before.
led by the first soulbenders. This is no coincidence; civilisa-
tion began when mortals became aware of the Gods. During So, Hexia and Kaliva remain strong and supreme, but
this era, all Gods seemed to be equally important - Hexia Vexal has slowly grown in power and influence among ex-
gave leadership, Kaliva gave strength, Ergon gave organi- plorers, wandering clans and rebels. The last two centuries
sation, Vexal gave curiosity. For many millennia, sentient in particular seemed to be Vexal’s time to rise; the Human
societies were ruled by this balance. Front appeared in this era, and even the first meeting of the
Iz’kal and Corvo civilisations revealed the manipulations of
What came before that? That’s where scholars begin to Vexal and Ergon, attempting to counter Kaliva and Hexia’s
disagree and versions diversify. Some hold that organised age of competition.
thought gave birth to the Gods, and thus Divine power grew
hand-in-hand with civilisation; others assume that the Gods THE SPACE RACE
chose that period to communicate with mortals, which in
turn led to the development of advanced societies. But However, competition did not end - not by any means.
since that era, the fate of the universe has been tied to the Kaliva and Hexia did influence the relationship between the
appearance and influence of soulbenders. Corvo and Iz’kal, turning it into an expansion and ideology
war, where both species struggle to overcome each other
both militarily and politically.
THE SPACE AGE
This latter period, the second half of the High Space Age,
Officially, this era is divided in two periods - the Early has been defined by haste - to be the first to arrive, the first
Space Age, from 1 SA to the founding of Tiantang; and the to discover, the first to colonise, the first to conquer. Every
High Space Age, or ‘Space Age Proper’, which comprehends sentient, be they Corvo workers, Iz’kal technocrats, Human
the last 300 years since the discovery of the Labyrinth. It mercenaries, or Raag clans are part of the race.
is important to observe that all of these milestones are
Despite the strengthening of Vexal, and the strong tunnels - were dubbed ‘the Labyrinth’, and quickly became
Ergonaut control of the Iz’kal State, Kaliva and Hexia the door to new stars, new worlds, and interstellar travel
managed to retain their supreme power by fostering scien- as we know it today.
tific thought, dissent and ambition. And Ledger?
The Labyrinth is not a ‘place’ as we understand the term;
Ledger was only waiting for his turn, and thus the it actually exists outside conventional spacetime. Its ‘paths’
Ravager came. are actually nothing more than links between distant
gravity centres. Such gravity centres serve as ‘exits’ into
But that’s not History: That is today. And the Universe conventional spacetime, allowing ships to go ‘in’ and ‘out’
may not be the same tomorrow. of the Labyrinth through them.

NAVIGATING THE LABYRINTH

INTERSTELLAR
TRAVEL From the inside, the Labyrinth looks like an endless string
of continuous light beams, with no up or down, no back or
forward, and navigation is all but impossible without spe-
cialised technology.
Understandably, space travel is an essential part of daily
life in the FAITH universe. Without space travel, no galactic Mapping the Labyrinth paths has so far proven impos-
civilisation would be possible. sible - not that Corvo and Iz’kal scientists don’t keep trying
- and the only way to navigate its paths so far has been to
Every day, the sentient species in the known universe determine the coordinates of an exit before entering it,
sends spaceships to other worlds, or other sectors of the after which future journeys can match those coordinates
The Universe

same space station; carrying passengers, supplies, battle- to a ship’s computers to find the exit again.
ready soldiers, pirates, or smuggled goods.
Every interstellar ship is fitted with a Labnav (short for
Interstellar travel covers very great distances, and ‘Labyrinth Navigation’) computer in addition to its standard
travel times are often so long that living passengers need astrogation equipment. Labnavs are strictly used to lead
18 to be put in cryostasis for the majority of the journey. a ship between the two exits of a previously discovered
Labyrinth path.
Space flight technology is still evolving. It was born just
faith: core book

over 300 years ago, and scientists and engineers of all While crossing the Labyrinth from one exit to the next,
species work tirelessly to solve its many problems. In the ship passengers may experience severe sensorial distor-
words of engineering mogul Xeon Magno, ‘If we managed tion from the lack of spatial reference points; thus, most
to make a space civilisation into reality, I have no doubt that spaceships are equipped with sensorial shields to protect
one day we will have a galaxy-spanning travel network’. the crew against disorientation and brain damage.

BEACONS
THE LABYRINTH
Even with the best labnavs and astrogation equipment,
Space travel is only possible thanks to The Labyrinth, traversing the Labyrinth is still risky, and many ships get
a network of wormholes that naturally connects all the lost in its tunnels outside spacetime. To mitigate this,
universe from one end to the other. the Corvo came up with the Labyrinth Beacons - space
‘lighthouses’ that are dropped at various points inside the
The Labyrinth is as vast as the Universe itself, and, Labyrinth, allowing labnavs and comm systems to latch
although all starfaring species have more or less learned onto their signals. Soon the Iz’kal replicated the Corvo tech-
to navigate it, nobody truly understands how it works. It nology, and nowadays beacons from both species dot the
allows ships to go from one end of the Universe to another, Labyrinth paths, safely leading ships to their destination.
and that’s enough for now; but all sentients know that a
true understanding of the Labyrinth would be the ultimate Beacons were designed as travelling aids, but currently
advantage in the space race. their most frequent use is information relaying. As direct
data transmission across the Labyrinth is still impossible,
The Labyrinth was discovered by accident by the Corvo many Corvo and Iz’kal colonies - typically the largest and
scientist Mehdi Ben, who was looking for a way to follow oldest ones - use beacons as stop points for data transmis-
and ‘ride’ gravitational anomalies to large gravity centres, sions, allowing them to keep in touch with other worlds
such as other star systems. The experiment discovered even across the spacetime abyss.
that not only such anomalies were common in the universe
- they already had paths between them. These paths - a
veritable maze of millions of wending, twisting spacetime
DISTANCES AND COMMUNICATIONS four-light-year trip may take six months, while a thousand-
light-year leap might be completed in a few hours.
Even with interstellar technology, the universe is an
unthinkably vast place, and it’s only getting larger as its On average, a Labyrinth trip lasts two weeks, but the
inhabitants colonise more and more worlds. Maintaining variations run the gamut from a few minutes to several
contact, let alone a civilisation, across light-year distances months. Additionally, the spaceship needs to travel from
does not become easier. It becomes much harder as civili- the planet or station of origin to the entrance of the
sations grow in size and influence, with new colonies being Labyrinth, and then from the exit of the Labyrinth to the
founded further from power centres than ever. planet or station of their destination, which can take up to
several weeks or even months. The longest trips often ac-
As a result, the FAITH universe is still a lonely, threaten- commodate for crew members to enter cryosleep during
ing place, particularly for the people in fringe settlements, transport, which usually displaces travellers in time with
far away from the resources and protection of their politi- respect to their neighbours or loved ones, making them
cal and economic centres. younger or older than others born at the same time.

COMMUNICATION
COLONISATION
If space civilisations are as large as their connected
The greatest tool, and also the greatest problem, of in- networks, then the most important tool of colonisation is a
terstellar civilisations is the ability to settle distant worlds. large comm system. The problem is, networking is impos-
New worlds lead to new cultures, new discoveries, new sible between labyrinth exits.
natural elements and new lifeforms; every new colony
sparks huge scientific and social leaps, expanding interga- The Corvo and Iz’kal solved this problem with Labyrinth

The Universe
lactic civilisation in every direction and every aspect. beacons, but these are of course much slower than same-
star transmissions, and data that take milliseconds to
A BORDERLESS MAP cover an entire planet can take hours - or even days - to
travel across the Labyrinth.
As new habitable planets are discovered and occupied,
a civilisation becomes more powerful and numerous. They As a result, the farthest colonies are often behind in 19
are also much harder to manage, as the borders become news and important events. And this is for the largest and

faith: core book

blurred. When anything loses its limits, it loses its shape more travelled colonies, which are the ones with access to
too; and those living in intergalactic civilisations are slowly Labyrinth beacons; very few other settlements even have
losing sight of exactly what or where their civilisation is. a beacon on the path leading to them, and have to rely on
server ships or brave messenger explorers to update them
For many millennia, political borders were the norm for on the state of intergalactic civilisation.
most sentient species in the Universe. Once the Corvo and
the Iz’kal discovered space travel, their national and tribal In short, while an interstellar civilisation may seem
identities all but disappeared, giving way to a new frontier; enormous, organised and all-encompassing on one end, its
one marked by communications. Instead of lines on a map, government may seem remote, careless or barely more
the limits of a civilisation are the reach of its network than a rumour on the opposite Labyrinth exit.
waves. That’s why mastering interstellar travel and finding
paths across the Labyrinth is so important for starfaring SERVER SHIPS
species - the new map is not lines on a sheet, but connec-
tions on a network. A temporary solution for smaller colonies to stay in
touch with the rest of the universe is to launch server ships,
By the same token, those settlements and colonies which carry data to and from planets. These server ships
closer to power centres tend to be larger, more prosper- - which the Corvo rent to the poorer colonies and the Iz’Kal
ous and more advanced than fringe outposts, which rarely freely supply to any new settlement - are equipped with
get news, supplies or any contact from their own people. data relay systems that can transfer thousands of tera-
Once settled, many colonies develop their own cultures, bytes at a time. The ships take the data from a colony to the
governments and identities, almost independently from nearest settled system, from which data is sent through
their civilisation. beacons - or another server ship - to its destination.

TRAVEL DISTANCES While it may take only a day for a labyrinth beacon to
transmit data, a server ship can take months; thus, the
Most interstellar travel is only possible through the most remote settlements often feel disconnected from the
Labyrinth, where trips can cover anything from a half- very civilisation that founded them, which leads to many
dozen to several million light years in one day. Travel times colonies seeking their own independent governments.
through the Labyrinth don’t match actual distances, and a
religion
THE GODS
While there is no reason for the existence of
life, life itself does not care. The problem arose COMMANDMENTS
when it gained consciousness and came to real-
ise that its own existence was an accident. In its
realisation of itself, a voice spoke from within. The Gods of FAITH are fickle beings. However, it is not
It told a truth - the only truth: life ought to cre- rare for them to pay attention to their believers, who are
ate its own reason to be, lest it be consumed. the source of their power and their only way to mould the
Universe to their desires. Gods can grant powers to their
-Amir Da’ab, Iz’kal theologian believers if they like their behaviour, or withdraw their
support if their believers betray them.
The Five Gods of the Universe are the most unique
element of FAITH. No living being can say exactly what they Each God has a set of commandments that instruct fol-
are - five supreme entities sitting at the centre of Creation, lowers on their God’s desires. While their specific interpre-
a collective hallucination, or the manifest embodiment of tation may vary, it is commonly agreed that the Gods agree
belief itself - but few doubt they exist, or that they indeed with many versions of the same concepts.
affect the fates of mortals. Some try to deny their exist-
ence, but they cannot deny their power, even if said power The wishes of the Gods are open to interpretation; as
can only manifest through their believers. they lack a voice to speak, their desires are very much a
matter of faith. Believers follow what they believe is just
Religion: The Gods

The Gods are the force behind every adventure, the and it is proven that there are several correct interpreta-
hands behind the story, the power that makes heroes or tions of the commandments of each God.
monsters out of mortals depending on the one thing that
belongs freely to every one of us - what we believe. Differences in beliefs are common between believers of
the same God. Some are amicable, while others have driven
Some say there are as many Gods as there are minds, different cults to war. Several religious wars have been
each God matching the being to whom they are connected. fought by Soulbenders empowered by the same God on
22 However, most people believe that there are only five both sides, and the common belief that explains this fact is
Gods that take on many forms. Believers do not choose that the Gods do not care much about the trifling differenc-
their God, nor do the Gods choose their believers. Instead, es their followers might have. They only care about making
faith: core book

believers are linked to their Gods through their personali- the world right in their own eyes, and in these wars they
ties. In FAITH, the Gods are not creators or allfathers. They appreciate and support the righteousness of both sides.
are entities that surged from the collective conscience of
beings that have found a similar reason to exist. The Gods
came into existence at the very same time as their believ- THE NATURE OF GODS
ers. Now, every new being that finds a reason to exist finds
a similar God within him.
The Gods are the greatest power of the FAITH Universe,
The Gods are powerful, but intangible; they exist only and its greatest mystery as well. Very few things are known
inside the minds of their believers, yet somehow they exist for certain about them, apart from the fact they exist.
as a single entity in all of them. Gods have no body nor
voice, nor do they have the capacity to affect the Universe There are three principles about the Gods that most
directly. They can only do so through their believers, be- scholars agree upon, known as Da’ab’s laws after their first
stowing their gifts of power upon them, or taking those proponent, Iz’kal theologian Amir Da’ab:
gifts away.
1.
The Gods do exist, and there are no more and no less
When two species meet in the vastness of space they than five.
know they will have at least one thing in common: they all
have the same Gods. 2. The Gods represent rational and moral values and
philosophies.
Those who stay true to the path laid out before them by
their God can expect great powers in exchange: abilities of 3. The Gods grant unique abilities to some of their
a supernatural essence that defy reasoning or explanation. followers.
Throughout the centuries, different people from all species
have studied the signs sent by the Gods and have written Other than the three Da’ab’s laws, nothing about the Gods
the commandments of each God accordingly. is known for sure; not even their names, although Da’ab
also created a system to give them universal names, which
are generally accepted by all starfaring societies.
that their forebears were forced to develop a currency It bears noting there were very few instances of racism in
system so as to manage their excess of goods. Corvo History - the Corvo were so competitive, even within
their own clans and families, that they held no special
After currency came the first carved idols and evidence animosity to other tribes; they mistrusted and antagonised
of burial rituals, and only then did later Corvo learn to craft everyone equally.
iron and bronze weapons, which they used mostly against
stronger and faster predators. Thus armed, the Corvo Curiously, the first Great Corvo Empire came not out of
spent the following 40,000 years establishing themselves Ouzhou, but from one of the Meridian tribes. There are no
as the dominant species in Quanjie, during which most other actual records of what this Empire called itself, but modern
native animal species were driven to the brink of extinction historians have a name for it - a name that is still taught and
- or wiped out altogether. Having evolved to need virtually remembered in the Corvo History InfoNet; a name that has
no additional nourishment or protection, the Corvo didn’t become synonym with grandeur and success. They called
bother to domesticate or coexist with any other creature, it Gong Jingjie.
with some very specific exceptions - most noticeably the
feifeng, from which they extracted several materials for Flourishing along the great Hung River, Gong Jingjie was
building and trading. Other than those few useful crea- the first Great Corvo Civilisation in more than one sense
tures, and the many varieties of plants and fungi that con- - it had the first walled cities, the first writing system on
stituted their main diet, most other beings were either prey record and the longest uninterrupted line of rulers in Corvo
or a danger to the Corvo. Therefore, the rise of the Corvo history - the Erzi, worshipped as divine beings. This led to
was directly proportional to the near-extinction of almost the first organised religion in the known universe.
every other Quanjie lifeform.
Doubtlessly, the near-divine reverence accorded the Erzi
The Corvo History

was key to the formation of the Great Empire. As it has

THE RISE OF GONG been stated elsewhere, homogeneous faith inevitably led

JINGJIE to an uniformity of thought and a spirit of cooperation that

was as yet unheard of among the competitive Corvo. The
moment they found a common cause, the tribes joined and
built great things for the first time. What a strange moment
110 Around 30,000 years ago, the it must have been, to never have known cooperation and
Corvo species had split into three suddenly see it dawn among your people! What spirit, what
main ethnic groups - the Meridian unknowable elation, to have lived in those times!
faith: core book

tribes, characterised for their gold or

tan hides and bulkier frames; the Yu To better please their Erzi, the Jingjiese built taller and
tribes, with bluish-green hide and the grander buildings with every passing millennium. The early
frailest of the three; and the Arctic tribes were content to gather in great walled cities with
tribes, with olive to aqua hides, tall never-before-seen, two-story palaces and temples; at the
and muscular bodies and greater peak of the Jingjie era (around 13000 years BSA) they were
resistance to extreme tempera- building multilevel palaces, impossibly tall spires and the
tures. There was much ethnic great Triangle Temples that remain the oldest symbol of
overlapping, of course, but tides power and tradition in the Corvosphere even to this day.
and seasons divided the species The Jingjiese Triangles have ever been a source of mystery,
in these three rough groups, wonder and adventure, as attested by their unending reap-
which expanded in mostly pearance in every form and medium, from ancient books
separate regions. Of these, and oral tradition to modern games, fictionbits, neurovids,
the tribe that enjoyed the or just about any creation in the last few millennia.
greatest development was
the Yu, particularly the And of course, Gong Jingjie did much more than give
cultures that flourished in Triangle Temples to popular culture. It was the Jingjiese
the Ouzhou subcontinent. that invented advanced agriculture, architecture, a formal
Ouzhonese hunter- system of religion, philosophy, and - during its later stages
gatherers were the first - democratic government.
to invent agriculture and
build cities, which gave All Corvo know the poet-prince Nei Hua. Most Corvo
them a distinct advan- have studied his life and work, and all non-Corvo have
tage over other tribes, heard of him at least thanks to the common saying ‘as Nei
save for a few Meridian Hua said…’, often cited to misattribute virtually any wise
nations, which coinciden- aphorism to him, who was without a doubt the greatest
tally lived near Ouzhou. thinker in Corvo antiquity. Besides his thirteen treatises
on sentient thought - now made mostly obsolete by later
The Corvosphere

126
faith: core book

TIANTANG port ships and everyday commuters. These improvised

space habitats form communities called districts, of which
Planetary Type: Complex of space stations Tiantang has thousands.

Population: Over 100 billion

Each district is completely detached from the others, as
Day: Varies between sectors it isn’t safe to create larger structures. Rich districts are
Culture: Varies between sectors often also isolated from the poorer ones.
Location: Tiantang system, 3.5 standard months
away from Al’ameen While in the Corvosphere, any one can move and settle
on unowned space. Empty areas between districts are
Production: Varies between sectors
owned by aggregations of citizens or corporations, making
Social and Economic Rank: Varies between sectors them private property and therefore allowing the owners
Atmosphere: Vacuum outside; artificial indoors to decide who can or cannot land there.

Transportation between districts is run by companies

“If the universe had a centre, this would be it.”
with large fleets of spacecrafts. Middle and high class
- Human Front founder Giza after his first visit Corvo own personal voidcycles to travel across the void,
filling the vacuum between the districts like a locust cloud.
The capital and power centre of the Corvosphere is
the Dyson Ring of Tiantang, made of thousands of space
habitats and millions of solar satellites. Hosting billions of THE PEOPLE
Corvo and a few millions from other species, Tiantang is in
constant expansion, and more and more ships and stations People of Tiantang call themselves Tian. The richest
are built with distant world materials every day. among them live in their own personal stations full of
servants and unthinkable commodities. Such stations are
With unchecked growth in all directions, the sprawling the summit of Corvo engineering, beautiful as palaces,
Tiantang has become huge and chaotic. New freighters powerful like warmachines, revered like cathedrals, and
are attached to old ones by tunnels, which carry trans- probably the most expensive things in the Corvosphere.
SOULBENDERS SOULBENDERS IN SOCIETY
The most important channel of communication between Most full Soulbenders are eventually forced out of their
Gods and mortals are Soulbenders - people with the ability mundane lives and snatched by the church of their respec-
to alter reality to their Gods’ commandments. There are tive God as spiritual leaders, but many strive to continue
few Soulbenders in the universe, but their abilities and how living as if nothing was happening, keeping their powers in
their faith empowers them are irrefutable proof that the check - which tends to displease the Gods and to eventually
Gods not only exist, but expect something - they care about reduce said powers in turn. Many powerful Soulbenders
mortals, and want them to behave a specific way. became stealthies by virtue of not caring enough for their
own gifts.
The more devout a Soulbender is, the greatest his
powers, and the more Soulbenders a God has, the greater How society treats these cases depends greatly on the
the powers He can grant to each of them. There have been species and culture. For example, the Corvo of Tiantang
recorded eras where one God was vastly more powerful couldn’t care less what a Soulbender uses his powers for;
than the others, only through the presence of an unusual if some Tian commuter teleports to the train platform
number of Soulbenders that worshipped him. The increase instead of walking, onlookers may take a few holopics
in powerful Soulbenders empowered that God, and the for their social networks, but that’s it, and he’s free to do
increase in the Gods’ might empowered more Soulbenders. with his gifts what he likes. Some Tian Soulbenders try to
Thus was the case of Ergon’s ascension when the Iz’kal turn a profit through their powers, with varying degrees of
rebuilt their society at the same time that the Corvo were success; some continue their lives ignoring them and let
finishing their Dyson Ring of Tiantang, and thus is the case their powers die out, with nobody bothering them about

Religion: The Gods

of the increasing power of Kaliva and his followers during it. Conversely, Corvo Soulbenders from other worlds,
the present war against the Ravager. particularly the fringe colonies or mining stations, are
immediately marked out, and may even be hunted down.
TYPES OF SOULBENDERS Theocracies like Zhui Xi revere Soulbenders, and take them
immediately upon discovery, to be raised by the church as
Scientists estimate that about 1% of the universe’s part of a social elite.
sentient population are Soulbenders, with the percentage
going higher among some particularly sensitive species, 25
such as Humans and Iz’kal, and lower among more prag-

faith: core book

matic species like Raag and Corvo.

Soulbenders vary greatly in power and devotion, with

many particularly devout followers of a God display-
ing minor skills such as a sixth sense or never
misplacing anything at home. These are known
as quiet Soulbenders, also called stealthies by
Humans and Corvo, as their power is not obvious and
thus they are not noticed by the common folk. Stealthies
may spend their whole lives without being discovered, or
even without discovering their abilities themselves. Quiet
soulbending has been reported in people of every imagina-
ble background, from Corvo street urchins that had to steal
to survive despite their abilities, to Iz’kal artists that didn’t
understand the hidden reason for their success. Anyone
may be a quiet Soulbender, whether they realise it or not.

A few Soulbenders - about 1% of the 1%, according to

theologians; that is, one in 10,000 sentient individuals in the
universe - have attained such a degree of faith and perfec-
tion in their Gods’ eyes that they display visible, quantifiable
powers that actually alter reality according to their beliefs.
These are known as full or visible Soulbenders, but have
many other nicknames, such as powers, soulies, weirders,
metas, zealots, or simply benders. Most Soulbenders of
this degree pursue careers related to their Gods’ tenets,
such as teaching, philosophy, politics, art or the military,
and all of them are very opinionated and categorical indi-
viduals in their daily lives.
Soulbenders in the Iz’kal State are always detected by the GODS IN REAL LIFE
technocrats and summoned for special tasks according to
their specific abilities, to which they are expected to report
and comply immediately. All Soulbenders have a purpose in Although the Gods are acknowledged as real - or perhaps
the State’s great machinery, and they are expected to fulfil for that very reason - very few people pay them any at-
it just as they are expected to fulfil the tenets of their God. tention, and take them for granted as they do with air or
Even Soulbenders that don’t worship Ergon - the Iz’kal’s gravity. However, many people do take the Gods seriously,
official State God - are given something to do, although they and dedicate their whole lives to their study. This not only
are few in number and socially frowned upon. includes Soulbenders or believers, but also scientists and
artists that strive to understand the nature of the Gods.
Human and Raag Soulbenders are more or less left
alone, but they often become warlords or leaders on their As the Gods are real, theology is a natural science in the
own merit, surrounded by small cults of their people. universe of FAITH, and anyone with an interest in the Gods
can study a professional career dedicated to the discus-
In short, while many continue their life unchanged, most sion and analysis of divine forces. These theologians have
visible Soulbenders are summoned from their normal lives written and discovered most of what is currently known
into a higher calling, becoming leaders of their faith among about Gods, even since before the Space Age.
their people.
Most theologians are content with trying to ascertain
AVATARS the way that Gods communicate and transmit their knowl-
edge to believers - theories abound - but a few try to go
Religion: The Gods

It is estimated that less than 1% of full Soulbenders

become prophets; there are so few of them that the statis- CULTS
tic cannot be fully accurate, but theologians calculate there
must be one Avatar for every billion people in the universe
- roughly one Prophet for each God in any inhabited planet. In the universe of FAITH, most people see their beliefs as
philosophies to live by and ways to conduct their behaviour.
self’ of the Corvo had been squandered and given away by
corrupt corporate interests, the movement wants no less
than an armed overthrow of the Quanjie government, using
outright terror tactics and sabotage to make the planet
secede from the Corvosphere - or make the Megacorps
leave.

To date, the movement has taken credit for no less than

a hundred terrorist attacks, including bombings, mass
shootings and gyro-ship sabotage, in the name of ‘Re-
turning Quanjie to its People’, one of the party’s slogans.
What’s scary is just how many followers have fallen into
the QUAN’s crazy rhetoric, joining its mad crusade against
interplanetary economy and corporatism.

The QUAN started out as the Free Action Quanjie (or FAQ),
a small, harmless separatist cell, a few decades after the
Space Age began, during the Great Sundown Recession.
The group became a much larger and far more serious
organisation after the discovery of the Labyrinth, when
every colony got an influx of corporate investment, which
allowed its members to afford a reform and expansion of
The Corvosphere

their movement. Up to that point the organisation had been

QUAN CONSCRIPT more or less peaceful, limiting their activities to divisive
propaganda and isolated hate crimes. However, after the
first attack by the Human Front, the FAQ became both
incensed and emboldened, and decided to become a military
Level 1 :: Corvo :: Driven group. It still took a few decades to consolidate the power
132 of this new incarnation, but by the time of the first Iz’kal
mov. 5 metres :: weight 54 kg :: height 159 cm
encounter the QUAN was fully formed and established as
a terrorist, totalitarian group - the only known such group
faith: core book

2
in the Corvosphere. It only grew larger with subsequent
4 2 0 8 decades, alternating periods of vicious attacks with long
periods of inactivity, usually associated to the turmoil and
peace of the Corvosphere as a whole.
PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 3
STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1
Currently the QUAN is a very active threat to the peace
and well-being of Corvo society, staging increasingly
CLOSE STANDARD
QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+ deadly attacks and sabotages against important economic
targets in all Quanjie territories; and it has started to spill to
Tiantang as well, with new QUAN members appearing - and
Nemesis
attacking - at some sectors of the Dyson Ring.
Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). The
attack gains one advantage against dodging. The current QUAN leader, and perhaps the craziest Corvo
to ever hold that title, is High General Pao Qin, a man so
fanatic that he seems to be a living, breathing cartoon
super villain. His schemes are equally outrageous, running
Impulsive
the gamut from stealing the drinking water of an entire city
If he is not caught by surprise, his Initiative during the to building a giant plasma cannon to bring down passenger
first round increases to 12. ships. Under Qin, the QUAN has at last been classified as a
planetary-level threat, and the Megacorps are taking steps
to stop him.

“Returning Quanjie to its People” is their motto, but this

one is not sure who the people are or what is meant
to be returned. He loves laser guns, though.
THE SECRET SERVICE
When Quanjie nations lost prominence and use-
fulness, most of their long-standing espionage
departments and intelligence agencies were closed
down - in a world without borders, spies and secret
agents were not needed. Most of these agents
moved to the less glamorous and more covert
world of corporate espionage, but a few remained
behind, working at ever-smaller investigation
agencies that did little more than paperwork.

However, the appearance of the Iz’Kal, the

Ravager War and lesser threats like the Human
Front and the QUAN, have recently called for a re-
activation of the long-idle Corvo Secret Service. As
it turned out, The Jiantian Republic still maintained
an archaic Secret Service office, which it gladly put
at the Megacorps’ beck and call. The small office
was soon infused with more money and resources
than it had in its entire existence, creating the New
Corvo Secret Service, which is still Jiantian-based

The Corvosphere
but now has branches in every Tiantang sector and
many areas of Quanjie and New Quan. SSF AGENT
The Secret Service combats mostly acts of
sabotage by radical groups such as QUAN and the Kalivan 2
Human Front, but it also provides intelligence on Level 2 :: Corvo :: Crafty
the Iz’Kal and for the Ravager War. For the latter, 133
mov. 5 metres :: weight 56 kg :: height 160 cm
a special Secret Service office has been opened to

faith: core book

answer exclusively to the Coalition. 2

Secret Service agents don’t act in groups. They 3 5 0 9

do most of their missions alone, with a single agent
being trained and equipped to incapacitate an entire
PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8
QUAN base or recover data from a Ravager ship 2 2
STAT 2 STAT STAT
- after all, espionage is a war of resources, and
nobody can beat the Megacorps when it comes to
CLOSE STANDARD
budget. QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+

The leaders of the Secret Service are numerous

Nemesis
and anonymous, but the organisation is always on
the lookout for brave new recruits of any species, as Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). The
long as they’re ready to follow orders and become attack gains one advantage against dodging.
elite operatives in the service of the Megacorps. It
highly values Soulbenders, particularly those of
the Vexal faith, for their God-given infiltration skills.
Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)
These Vexal soulbenders form the Secret Service
Special Forces or SSSF, an elite within the elite, sent He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
only to the highest-risk or most important missions. damage).

Inner Focus

Passive action. If he doesn’t become Spent this

round, he gains one advantage towards all his actions
next round.

Espionage is back in style thanks to the plenti-

ful menaces faced by the Corvo, from the now-
classic Iz’kal to the up-and-coming Ravager.
The Corvosphere

134
faith: core book

NEW QUAN a year, the Tianta settlement had split from New Quan, and
within a decade there were no less than five large cities
Planetary Type: Water world in the planet’s main continent. After a century, the entire
world’s surface was settled, its land divided and its mining
Population: 11 billion
and natural resources bought by, and split between, the
Day: 27 standard hours Megacorps. Currently, the planet - named New Quan, like
Culture: Eco-friendly techno-industrial settle- its first and largest megacity - still receives some ten to
ments fifty thousand immigrants every day, seeking the promise
Location: Yaolong system, 2.5 standard months of new territories and opportunities. Of course, the planet
away from Tiantang is much less free for the taking than it once was, but it still
offers more space and a lower cost of life than Tiantang,
Production: Biotech, manufactured goods
while offering a much better lifestyle and job opportunities
Social Rank 4: Isolated pockets of stability in most- than other colonies. It is also one of the top touristic spots
ly untamed planet in the Corvosphere thanks to its healthy mix of natural en-
Economic Rank 4: Sharp difference between tribal vironments and expensive resorts.
bartering and thriving cities
Atmosphere: Breathable, clean Despite its development and population, New Quan
remains a mostly quiet, empty, untamed world. This is due
New Quan, the first and largest Corvo colony in the both to its enormous landmass - almost three times that of
universe, was founded 300 years ago when the Corvo dis- Quanjie - and the lack of need for settlements to communi-
covered how to make use of The Labyrinth and sent five cate with each other. Every New Quan city and settlement
ships to the remote Yaolong system, located across the is directly financed and maintained by one of the Megacorps
galaxy from Tiantang. at Tiantang and independent from all others; this, together
with the Corvo’s natural lack of what we understand as a
At first, New Quan was only a small, multicultural settle- national or local identity, has prevented the appearance of
ment, but the planet’s soil and atmosphere, which almost roads, countries, borders, named continents or any settle-
mirrored those of the Corvo homeworld, proved far more ment larger than a big city. The resulting landscape consists
suitable for growth and development than predicted. Within of vast tracts of unsettled land, dotted at large intervals
POWERS THE IZ’KAL STATE
Ergonaut Soulbenders manifest powers that help them The most powerful Cult of Ergon is the Iz’kal State itself,
create unity. They can join minds or places, inspire others, where everyone puts their own needs aside for the common
promote cooperation, communicate telepathically or em- good, and actually achieves the ideal of creating personal
pathically, and even repair objects or heal bodies. well-being out of such selflessness: the Iz’kal have the
better average quality of life of any sentient species, and
BRIDGES they got it by thinking about the group first. If that’s not the
exact definition of what Ergon is about, nothing is.
Many Ergon Soulbenders gain the ability to establish
bridges between people or places; these powers range Furthermore, the State is officially an Ergonaut society,
from promoting understanding between two disagreeing and the faith of Ergon is actively taught as the best and
parties to opening actual, physical portals between distant most wholesome ideology to both children and adults
spots. The mightiest Ergonauts can lead their people from everywhere in Iz’kal society. There are indeed believers
one end of a world to the other. of other Gods among the Iz’kal, but they are more or less
outcast by their kin, or peer-pressured into converting to
COMMUNICATION Ergon’s worship.

This is by far the most common power tree of Ergonaut The Cult of Remembering, the largest organised
Soulbenders, and includes such things as telepathic com- Ergonaut group inside the State, is an officially-sanctioned
munication, reading and understanding the hidden feelings cult dedicated to seeking joint experiences, using Ergon-
Religion: The Gods

of others, joining minds for a single purpose, or giving emo- given powers to relive - always in large groups - events of
tional inspiration to a group. the Iz’kal ancient past, to foster the species’ unity through
their collective memory.
JUDGEMENT
The Sulivar Hive, another State-bound Ergonaut church,
A variation of the communication power tree, this power is a totalitarian sect that believes in squashing all individual
allows Ergonauts to force others into thinking like they thought and promotes a hive mind lifestyle, inspired by the
30 do, or to feel guilt or psychic feedback about being selfish incredible fungal and plant lifeforms of the Sulivar colony.
or causing harm to others. Although this is the darkest Having veered away from the more peaceful outlook of the
Ergonaut power tree, they refer to it as ‘giving back’, traditional Church of Ergon, the Hive believes in strength
faith: core book

meaning those who have caused pain receive pain in return. and unity, training its members to sacrifice their individual
feelings and thoughts for their group.
PROTECTION
Other Iz’kal, and particularly other Ergon cults, see the
A few Ergonauts can shape their will to help and protect Sulivar Hive’s methods as brainwashing and have tried to
others by altering physical laws and forming solid or influence them into giving more freedom to their Hyper-
energy shields around their people. They gain abilities such links. Although it is not openly warlike, nor has it ever pro-
as interposing themselves between their loved ones and an nounced itself against the Iz’kal State or society, the Hive is
attack, or stalling natural catastrophes until their people an anomaly within the Ergonaut Faith, and most other Iz’kal
are safe. Ergonaut Soulbenders with protection powers are are uneasy or outright worried about its existence.
among the rarest and most respected of their kind.
THE PSYCHIC NETWORK
REPAIR
The largest Church of Ergon after the Iz’kal State is the
The least common power tree of Ergonaut Soulbend- Psychic Network, an Ergonaut cult that stays connected
ers is the ability to repair broken things, which includes across cities, worlds and stars.
healing others - with a few very powerful prophets known
for raising the dead - and rebuilding fallen houses or disas- More a star-spanning community than a Church, the
sembled items. Everything that brings unity to disjointed Psychic Network keeps in touch with its members through
matter is within the province of an Ergonaut. daily newscasts, music and arts shows, religious sermons
and social media channels. It was founded by Corvo and
Human Ergonauts that wanted to emulate the Iz’kal Hy-
WORSHIP perlink - and their religion. Nearly every Ergonaut outside
the Iz’kal State is connected to the Psychic Network, which
There are many small Ergonaut cults across the functions as an interstellar parish, cultural identity and
universe, but the largest and best-known is the Iz’kal State, warning system all rolled into one.
which consists of billions of sentients committed almost
exactly to Ergon’s ideals.
Despite the Psychic Network’s name, and the fact that This High Council, made exclusively of Raag matriarchs,
many of its elite members are indeed telepathic Soulbend- rules the - mostly Kalivan - Raag civilisation, and includes
ers, most of its communications use radio and digital many devout Ergonauts, whose soulbending gives them no
signals, and it still needs special beacons and server ships special status beyond the one they already have as leaders
to keep its members informed. Nonetheless, there are of their species.
members of the Psychic Network everywhere from the
slums of Tiantang to the Megacorp districts, from the Coa- HUMAN EQUALISTS
lition ships in the war to the farthest colonies in the edge of
the Corvosphere. Finally, many Equalists - Human members of a political
philosophy that believes in giving priority to social concerns
Every Iz’kal is welcome and able to tune to the Psychic over individual gain - are also Ergonauts, although they are
Network via Hyperlink, but they still must rely on arti- not organised as a cult. There are millions of Equalists in
ficial communications to keep in touch with off-world the galaxy, but not all of them worship Ergon; on the other
parishioners. hand, every Human Ergonaut Soulbender is an extremely
vocal and hard-core Equalist.
Several Corvo corporations have tried to outlaw the
Psychic Network in their jurisdiction, as it fosters resent- A small but noteworthy subset of the Equalists is com-
ment against the Megacorps and an unwarranted admi- prised of Naturalists, tribes of Human Wasters who praise
ration of the Iz’kal State, but as the Corvosphere laws the natural elements that are present on Earth, such as the
demand freedom of religion, they haven’t been able to stop sun, the moon, fire and thunder. Naturalists have attracted
the Network for long. For its part, the State is uneasy that a the attention of Corvo researchers for their extraordinary

Religion: The Gods

potential channel to share secrets between Corvo and Iz’kal Souldbending abilities, leading to the conclusion that Ergon
remains so open and in civilian - and worse, multispecies - is satisfied with the approach taken by these followers.
hands. But they cannot do anything against it either, as its
very existence is basically a celebration of Iz’kal values.
DEPICTIONS
THE BROTHERS AND SISTERS
Ergon’s official symbol is a flower with eight symmetric
The spiritual leaders of the Psychic Network are the petals, representing equality, union and harmony. However, 31
Brothers and Sisters, an elite group of Ergonaut Soul- many artists and devotees have imagined Ergon’s physical

faith: core book

benders with incredible telepathic abilities, who use their appearance, and depicted it in fiction and images.
soulbending powers to help the Psychic Network’s trans-
missions from their respective worlds. Every member of Naturalists on Earth worship Ergon in the form of a leg-
the Brothers and sisters lives in a different planet or a dif- endary woman known as Mari; she is said to manifest in all
ferent star, but they all stay in touch through the Psychic parts of nature, from mountain ridges to creeks and caves,
Network and treat each other as if they were in the same and acts as a symbolic mother to a community of brothers
room talking to each other. and sisters.

Membership to the Brothers and Sisters is reserved to The One Brother, a famous image of Ergon from ancient
Ergonaut Soulbenders with a calling to talk to others; they Human history, is depicted as a naked, tall man with arms
all have their own daily broadcasts, with different subjects, extended. His heart often appears bleeding and tears fall
tone and style, and they are all celebrities and respected from his eyes, but he is always smiling, meaning that his
opinion leaders among the Ergonaut communities. sacrifice makes him happy. He is not a leader, but instead
represents everyone at the same time; he usually appears
Currently, the best-known Psychic Network broadcast- surrounded by other Humans holding hands, at the centre
ers are Sister Yanga (Human, from Tiantang Zuihou sector), of the community where everyone else is equal to his eyes.
Brother Leeng (Corvo, transmitting clandestinely from
the Zhui Xi colony), Sister Hu (Corvo, from Tiantang Non- Some Iz’kal tribes from before the Korian occupation
gchang sector), Sister Arma (Human, from the Huangdì depicted Ergon as The Great Tree, a cosmic tree with infinite
Corvo colony), Sister Tai (Corvo, from Quanjie), and Brother branches and infinite roots, which touched everything in the
Zahim (Iz’kal, from the Coalition War Front). All of them are sky and was touched by everything in the world. The Great
Ergonaut Soulbenders, dedicated to keep their audience Tree gives life to everything, and everything gives life to
informed, hopeful and united. the Great Tree; its fruits feed its own roots, and everything
in the universe flows from root to trunk to branch and falls
THE RAAG HIGH COUNCIL again to the roots - such is Ergon’s way.

The most important group of Ergonauts outside the Iz’kal

State, although they are not an official cult of Ergon, are
the Surani High Council on Heimis, the Raag Homeworld.
HEXIA in one end of society, which in turn enables said end to gain
ever more power in a never ending cycle. The final picture
“In chemistry, when you is something very different from democracy, and way less
want a specific reaction to pretty.
occur, you do not throw in
the mix your favourite com- Hexia looks for people willing to use their genius and
pounds. You study it and use power for the common good. Instead of forcing them
the elements that, under the to submit to the ideas of others, Hexia encourages free
conditions given, will most thought and for people to spread their own ways.
likely produce the desired
reaction. In politics you
should do the same.” BELIEVERS
- Xiang Yi Lee, Corvo politician Followers of Hexia, known as Hexians, want the best
for all people, but they understand that most people are
Hexia is the God of progress through logic, and improve- misguided or unfit to decide what is best by themselves.
ment through understanding. Being better and being right Hexians have come to terms with this sad reality, deciding
are one and the same thing; one cannot improve oneself by to follow their ideas and try to make them a reality for
following the wrong path. everyone else, even those that do not acknowledge those
ideas yet. Hexians know that once their ideas are estab-
Hexia is always objective, always dispassionate and lished, people will be capable of collaborating and forming

Religion: The Gods

always right. He embodies the fact that there is a truth, and a better world in which everyone will learn to overcome
that knowing it empowers, while denying it weakens. Those their personal desires and to see through illusion and de-
that choose to know rather than believe will be better than ception. Mediocrity will be raised to greatness.
others, and thus improve society as a whole.
Hexians want a society for everyone, but it is clear that
letting everyone decide has the grave danger of ending
GOD OF PROGRESS up following the decisions of the most powerful. Hexians
are tired of trying to convince people of complex ideas to 33
At their core, people are simply a combination of improve society, and of being defeated by swindlers selling

faith: core book

complex, ongoing chemical reactions that are constantly short-term happiness and easy ways out.
responding to their environment. The illusion of choice is
powerful and deeply rooted in our rational minds, because Their ways are sometimes unethical, sometimes criminal
there is a tendency to separate the self from the chemistry and most of the times so grey that they are really hard to
that runs our bodies and minds. The truth is that we are explain on their own, but Hexians always look at the bigger
the chemistry, and chemistry works by following rules, not picture: they understand that some steps will be harsh
choices. when creating the path to a new way of living.

When you are in a laboratory and a chemical reaction It is the duty of a good Hexian to find ways to improve
goes wrong, you do not yell at the test tube, and you do society, regardless of what people might think. What
not blame it on the evilness or laziness of the compounds is truly important is that their grandchildren will live in
- they have no choice in how they react. People are like a better place. History will recognise the efforts of the
chemical compounds: they react as such, and they should smart.
be treated as such. And sometimes, one compound needs
to be removed to save the whole reaction.
COMMANDMENTS
Democracy is a beautiful and necessary concept, but
in an unequal society it is destined to fail. In a democracy Hexian commandments encourage a cool head, an
there are different powers, lobbies, groups, associations, objective viewpoint and improving society through well-
industries, and many other kinds of pressure groups. informed, proven criteria.
Choices are made based on what is possible and allowed
by those powers. As they are not constant nor in agree- ◊ Pursue Knowledge and Expertise
ment, changes proposed by many different and conflicted
powers can take place. However, the general trend is ◊ Show Others the Way
obvious and logical: in the long run most changes lean
towards the strongest power, because those that have ◊ Set the Greater Good Above All Else
the most resources have the best chances of winning and
securing even more resources. Power is thus accumulated ◊ Do Not Bend Your Will to the Majority
POWERS Supposedly, the Equation Supreme is a series of numbers
and calculations that reveal the true order of the universe;
Since Hexia’s ethos is concerned with objective reality, it describes, with numerical precision, the exact measure
His Soulbenders are potentially the most powerful - but of spacetime and reality, and the perfect correlations
most never go beyond power over perception; very few between every quantity and measure in the universe. This
achieve true reality control. hypothetical equation cannot be understood or calculated
by common mortals, and only a pure Hexian worshipper
ALTER REALITY could understand its value and meanings. If a Hexian could
achieve such purity and devotion that he was allowed to
The ultimate expression of Hexian soulbending, the understand the Equation, he would be all but omniscient
power to alter reality allows believers to make the universe and omnipotent, seeing the objective nature of the universe
suit their beliefs, mostly through control of time, space as it is.
or distance. Thus a Hexian Soulbender can cover a long
distance in an instant, or make time seem to go faster or There’s an ancient school of Hexian thought that holds
slower. that, as Hexia teaches that there IS an objective universal
truth, then a mathematical equation to measure said truth
Most of these powers are limited to the wielder’s own must necessarily exist as well. Most modern Hexians disre-
reality; that is, self-teleportation or altering one’s own gard the idea, even denouncing it as blind faith and magical
actions across time. Only the mightiest prophets can extend thinking - the exact opposite of Hexian tenets.
this control of reality to other people or things, freezing
them in time or sending them miles - or years - away. As the debate continues, thousands of Hexian scholars
Religion: The Gods

have lived and died seeking pieces of the Equation Supreme.

Potentially, this power tree could allow a very advanced Many have claimed to discover, and even tried to teach, a
Hexian Soulbender to alter the molecular composition fragment of it; others looked across worlds, searching for
of things, but very few believers, even among Hexia’s clues, patterns, measures - anything that helped them find
Prophets, have ever manifested such abilities. the universal secret. Fanatical scientists in mathematics
and astronomy research centres theorise and experiment
ILLUSION different models that could lead to its understanding.
34
Many Hexians display abilities to alter the perception Meanwhile, the Equation Supreme remains elusive - and,
of others, which they usually employ to reveal a truth or if it exists, still hidden from mortal grasp.
faith: core book

explain difficult concepts, but may also use to deceive,

planting illusions in others’ minds for the greater good.
WORSHIP
Some Hexians see this perception manipulation as
contrary to Hexia’s tenets and shun its use, while others Hexian cults exist among every species, and some are
affirm that if His Soulbenders can do it, surely He approves quite large, to the point of becoming organised political
of it. movements. Most Hexian cults, however, are simply groups
of like-minded scholars or scientists.
VISION
THE HEXIAN MOVEMENT
By far the most common power tree of Hexians, this
allows them to see hidden truths and receive revelations, The largest Hexian church in the universe is not a cult
from prophetic visions to the ability to read minds. but a political party, although a somewhat underground
and subversive one. The Iz’kal Hexian Movement seeks to
These revelations are the very essence of Hexian teach- turn the species’ totalitarian State away from its traditional
ings, and most of His Soulbenders have at least a bit of ways and see the objective truth that the Corvo are a better,
ability in this tree. A Hexian Soulbender is always a step more powerful and more dangerous civilisation.
ahead of everyone else, and knows a bit more about every
situation. The Hexian Movement’s main concern is to change their
government and to save Iz’kal society from becoming a
THE EQUATION SUPREME vassal state to the Corvo economic juggernaut. Their plan
to achieve this goal is to use their enemies’ weapons -
Some Hexians believe it is the absolute answer to every mass-production, concentrated leadership and resources,
question; some discard it as pointless wishful thinking. and a more ruthless approach to interspecies relationships.
Some believe it is the core of Hexia’s teachings; some
maintain it goes directly against Hexia’s commandments. While many Iz’kal think the Hexian Movement’s ideas are
Whatever the truth, the Equation Supreme has been dreadful, they don’t understand that the Movement is also
debated by Hexians ever since they can remember. appalled by its own measures - but it also understands it
is the only solution. Either confront the Corvo in their own This is a political and religious group, formed in Iz’kal
arena, or lose the State altogether. That is the terrible truth space at some point before the development of IdeaLab,
Hexia has revealed them. and then stealthily spread across the known universe. At
first a simple club for the free exchange of ideas, it slowly
THE CULT OF ETERNIA became an elite Hyperlink reserved for the smarter, most
knowledgeable Iz’kal - a practice that was very frowned
The secretive Cult of Eternia, the hidden power behind the upon by Iz’kal society. As a result, they left Ergon worship
government of the Raag species, are a cabal of scheming and turned to Hexia, who gave them abilities and knowledge
sages that count many Hexian Soulbenders among their to stay hidden from mainstream Iz’kal society. With Hexia’s
number. blessing, the elite club became a secret society, and then
a covert political group that worked to further knowledge
Members of the Cult worship truth and seek to improve and social improvement from behind the scenes. Since that
their society, but their power in Hexia’s eyes is somewhat moment and for the last thousand years, the Unknown
diminished by their unwillingness to share the knowledge Builders have been a secret, and active, power behind the
with others. Many enginseers - Raag technicians and sci- scenes of the Iz’kal State.
entists, revered as wise men by their people - which have
abandoned the Shadow Council to help the common folk - When the Iz’kal started travelling between worlds,
are stronger in Hexia than members of the Cult. many U.B. agents were aboard the ships, and spread the
beliefs and agenda of their secret order far and wide, even
THE SCHOOL OF THOUGHT recruiting members of other species - mostly Humans, but
also some Corvo. To this day, the U.B. are believed to have

Religion: The Gods

The Church of Hexia has established a Universal Academy influenced every major development in Iz’kal history, from
with chapters in both the Corvosphere and the Iz’kal State. the creation of Idealab to the decision to not fight the Corvo
It’s known as the School of Thought, and it aims at teaching when they first met. The Hexian Movement of the last two
its students as many objective truths as it can in all disci- centuries is clearly an U.B. scheme, and an indication that
plines, from philosophy to astronomy and from history to the Builders are growing in power and influence.
mathematics.

The School’s goal is to educate as many people as it can, DEPICTIONS 35

as only unbiased teaching can improve society. It has no

faith: core book

other political objective or allegiance except for the Hexian Hexia’s dual symbol expresses balance and duality;
faith, which is mandatory to all staff. some Hexians assume it represents truth versus untruth,
while others assume it represents the point and counter-
Manned and maintained by Hexian followers, the School point necessary for any idea to be truth. It also represents
of Thought has campuses in all major Corvo and Iz’kal the balance of forces necessary for the functioning of the
colonies, from Al’ameen to Tiantang. The school doesn’t Universe.
impose worship of Hexia on students, but it doesn’t hide the
Hexian faith of its teachers, nor the reasons for it. This is As regards to other depictions, Hexia is one of the less-
often enough to convince most students of following Hexia visualised Gods, His followers actively avoiding any inter-
as well, as their teachers’ arguments are sound and fact- pretation in their search for absolute truth. This, of course,
based. Many renowned Hexian Soulbenders were trained hasn’t prevented a few groups from giving Hexia a visual
at the School of Thought, and often returned as campus representation.
headmasters.
THE ABSOLUTE EYE
THE TRUTH PARTY
Many Hexian Human mercenaries represent Hexia as
There’s a small radical political cell amongst Human mer- an all-seeing eye atop a pyramid, emitting a beam of light
cenaries in the Corvosphere, called the Truth party. They that reveals all hidden conspirations and deceptions. They
espouse absolutism and objectivism, claiming the Corvo stamp this symbol of Hexia on their armour and ships,
are conspiring to keep the Humans docile and deceived. The but this image is generally frowned upon by mainstream
Truth Party are Hierarchists - Humans that believe in lead- Hexians, even among Humans.
ership over community - and followers of Hexia, although
their Soulbenders are relatively few and not that powerful. THE BALANCE
THE UNKNOWN BUILDERS Many Hexians use the Balance as a symbol of Hexia, rep-
resenting truth, justice and equilibrium. The Balance is not
The most famous, and also the less known, of all Hexian meant to depict Hexia Himself, but it’s a very accepted and
Cults is the Sect of the Unknown Builders, also known as widespread representation of his values and faith.
the U.B.
KALIVA as it reduces that someone to the bearable minimum of a
person. For a person to be truly able to express all of his
“Timid men prefer the potential, and therefore feel empowered and as important
calm of despotism to as he deserves, he must work for it.
the tempestuous sea of
Liberty.”
BELIEVERS
- Thomas Jefferson, Hu-
man politician Kaliva’s faithful are called Kalivans. They are the ones
that build themselves up from nothing, fighting every step
of the way. They are those who let other people deal with
their own affairs and instead put their energies towards
their own. Most of the Universe is led by Kalivans, a fact
of which they are rightly proud. But they are not proud for
Kaliva is the Goddess of Survivalism, of defeating odds other Kalivans who have achieved their dream, as they are
through one’s effort and improving oneself through strife. mere competitors; they are proud because this fact rein-
For Kaliva, conflict is the only path towards growth, and forces the belief they hold as the ultimate truth. While the
cooperation is necessarily weakening - it prevents others followers of other Gods want their futures to be handed
from struggling to improve themselves. over to them, Kalivans create their own and shape the
futures of those around them as they rise towards the top.
Kaliva represents the laws of evolution, and how nature

Religion: The Gods

itself tests every organism, eliminating those that fail Compassion and charity are flawed in the eyes of a
the test and empowering those that succeed. Only you Kalivan. They show weakness and allow others to become
can empower yourself through victory - victory against lethargic and dependent. Each person must become their
everyone and everything else. own, and competition can only promote self-improvement.
Only those that truly deserve it will make it.

GOD OF SURVIVAL Followers of the other Gods condemn Kalivans as evil,

as if they actively tried to harm others. Such a notion is 37
Nature isn’t as kind as one might think. Nature is ruthless ridiculous to a Kalivan, as all they look out for is their own

faith: core book

and cares not for those who fall behind. The strong prey success. This sometimes benefits other people and some-
on the weak, and the weak on the weakest. Why can Nature times hurts them; a Kalivan will not care either way. That’s
be cruel and not be judged? Why do we force ourselves to how life works.
suffer this double standard? Have we forgotten that we are
just a small part of a whole?
COMMANDMENTS
An animal will do what it must to survive, and it will do it
without hesitation. To survive is the most important thing Kaliva’s Commandments seem selfish to other Gods and
Nature asks from us, just like tigers making their way in this their followers, but Kalivans see them as empowering, as
jungle. they promote freedom for everyone in its ultimate form.
If each living being cares about himself, everyone is better
Kaliva respects only one thing in mortals and that is the off for it.
will to improve oneself. She only accepts those who work
hard to achieve their goals and who are never satisfied with ◊ You Are Above All
being in second place. For Kaliva, there is always a way, and
those that do not find it are not good enough. ◊ Do Not Succumb to Weakness

Everyone deserves a chance, and Kaliva will grant it to ◊ Do Not Bear a Master
them regardless of the prospects of failure. Failure is just
a part of the learning process, no matter how many times ◊ Each to Their Own
it happens. For Kaliva, true failure is giving up, feeling satis-
fied with less, or living off of the hard work of others.
POWERS
Taking things for granted and not working hard are
symptoms of a sick society that preys on the goodwill of Kalivan power trees are focused on improving their fol-
hard workers; feed a man everyday of his life and you are lowers’ abilities, particularly skills that help them survive
left not with a productive citizen but a pet. To allow someone against others be it through combat or any other kind of
to rely on another person’s hard work is disrespectful, contest.
FORTUNE THE CORVO CHURCH OF KALIVA
The most common of Kalivan power trees, Fortune The largest cult of Kaliva in the universe is the official
allows Soulbenders to increase their chances of success Corvo Church of Kaliva. This is more of a media network than
at any endeavour, but it only works if the Soulbender does an organised church. It is focused on broadcasting Kalivan
work for it. Many Kalivans shun the Fortune power tree as shows, from fiction series with a Kalivan message, to live
‘lesser’ because it involves luck; it doesn’t actually involve contests and televangelism, and even selling Megacorps
blind chance, but an added reward to those that fight for it. products during commercial breaks. Millions of Corvo tune
in to the Church of Kaliva and follow its celebrities, headed
Kalivans with this kind of power still have to exercise, but by Mama Soul, one of the most famous individuals in the
they get stronger after it; they still have to work, but they Universe.
earn more for it; they still have to fight, but they hit harder.
Regardless of its shallow and commercial nature,
HUNTING the Church does spread the word of Kaliva to millions of
believers, so it still counts as a legitimate Cult and Kaliva
This power tree strengthens the survivalist aspect of approves of it.
Kaliva, which concerns both the skills needed to survive and
those needed to fight others and prevail. THE MAD KALIVA CULT
Hunting powers are mostly about perception; they A strange, small sect of Corvo Kalivans dedicated to love
increase the Soulbender’s senses while they cloud others and hedonism; nobody knows whether the Mad Kaliva cult
Religion: The Gods

to his presence. Thus, this power tree includes the ability does actually worship Kaliva under a very personal inter-
to hide oneself from others, detect others who are hidden, pretation, or they are a disguised Ledger cult.
and chase and bring them down across great distances.
The Mad Kalivans propose that the struggle that Kaliva
A Hunting Soulbender can identify and kill a marked prey advocates has no greater manifestation than an intimate
regardless of how well his target has been hidden, how far act between two creatures, and that sexual attraction and
away it has gone, or how much time has passed. competition are actually the core of Kaliva’s teachings.
38
SUPERIORITY Mad Kalivans don’t strive to be the strongest or toughest,
but the most desired and sexually endowed. They also pride
faith: core book

This is the most common power of Kalivan Soulbenders, themselves in their ability to endure all kinds of intoxication
and many of them display some lesser Superiority abilities. as a mark of survival ability, by which they justify being in
an almost permanent drugged state.
These powers are, in a sense, the opposite of Fortune
abilities, as they reduce random factors in favor of the Other Kalivans see the Mad Kaliva cult as a fraud, a fake
Soulbender; but again, they only work as long as he is and a mockery of their faith; however, the cult does have a
superior to his opposition. By using superiority, a Soulbend- lot of legitimate followers and remains very popular among
er ensures those weaker than him don’t get lucky shots, but the Corvo, plus their leaders seem to be true Kalivan Soul-
he can only use such powers if the odds are already in his benders, with the ability to incite basic instincts in others.
favour; that is the core of Kalivan faith.
THE SECRET ACADEMY
Superiority makes Soulbenders ‘more superior’, but only OF YINSHEN SHI
if they already are; it helps only by reducing the chance that
a weaker opponent will defeat the Soulbender by some The order of Yinshen Shi is one of the most exclusive
unfair fluke. Thus a Soulbender runner can ensure victory and respected Kalivan cults in the universe; it only accepts
at a race, but only if he already is the better athlete; a members with a special set of skills, and all recruits are
Kalivan sniper can guarantee his shot will hit its mark, but sought individually and secretly - there is no open member-
only if his skill has been proven and his aim is sure. ship to the order.

All members of the Yinshen Shi are Corvo Kalivan Soul-

WORSHIP benders, chosen among the students of a Secret Academy
in Tiantang. After induction in the Yinshen Shi order, they are
Kalivan belief is the most widespread across the universe, taught combat, stealth and advanced forms of their divine
and Her followers are the most numerous; to Kalivans, this powers. They then become Yinshen Shi Knights, trained and
is yet another proof that they are the stronger and better encouraged to improve the Corvosphere by striking at the
faith. There are tens of thousands of small Kalivan cults in elements that weaken it - criminals, corrupt businessmen
every inhabited world of every species, including paramili- and those who seek to take away individual freedom.
tary forces, sports teams, and fanatical murdering sects.
Some other cults disagree with the Yinshen Shi for their Although the IFF is officially non-religious, the K’aril Kahil
group tactics and their focus on teaching others, but Kaliva sect behind it is an openly acknowledged Kalivan cult, and
approves imparting skills as long as the student is allowed even its lesser-ranking members have some soulbending
to surpass and defeat the master - one of the main tenets abilities, indicating that Kaliva likes the idea of toppling the
of the Yinshen Shi order. Iz’kal State very much.

THE TRUE NOTERI

DEPICTIONS
A small band of warriors within the Raag Noteri clan,
the self-proclaimed True Noteri are a fanatical Kalivan sect Although Kaliva’s official symbol is the Triangle of
that seeks to restore honour and strength to what they call Opposing Forces, which represents conflicting powers
their ‘decadent people’. but also a pyramidal hierarchy and the victory of one (the
singular) over two (the plural), there are countless depic-
The Noteri Raag are known for their marauding, murder- tions of Kaliva’s hypothetical appearance.
ous ways; all other Raag see them as the Least Clan, little
more than bandits, because they will raid and prey upon Most of these depictions picture Kaliva as a female, but
anything and anyone. some species and cultures have imagined the God as a male
warrior.
The True Noteri seek to challenge their clan’s infamous
practices by seeking only worthy enemies - that is, armed THE AMAZON
settlements, trained warriors, and in short anything that

Religion: The Gods

actually poses a challenge. They are still murderers, but Some tribal cultures see Kaliva as a naked, many-armed
they claim Kaliva has shown them the ‘true way’ - that a woman, with a weapon in every one of her hands. She is
‘real warrior’ seeks battle, not easy prey; that murderers fierce as she is beautiful, and she always wins all battles
are cowards, and that the fittest must fight real battles. despite being unarmoured, indicating she needs no other
protection but her own determination and ability.
The rest of the Noteri despise these radicals, and there
have been many bloody confrontations between the true MOTHER DRAGON
Noteri and their kin. However, the power and sheer quantity 39
of their Soulbenders has allowed the True Noteri to survive Some cultures imagined Kaliva as a gigantic she-dragon,

faith: core book

- and perhaps proved, at least partially, that Kaliva does with one or more heads, which represented either the un-
favour them. beatable beast that every Kalivan must aspire to defeat,
or the apex predator that every Kalivan must aspire to
THE CHURCH OF ZHUI XI become.

The government of the Corvo colony in the ice planet Zhui And thus its double symbolism becomes clear: by trying
Xi is itself a Kaliva cult, and its leaders - incredibly powerful to beat the unbeatable, a Kalivan ensures he will struggle
Kalivan Soulbenders - are also the colony’s rulers. The forever; by struggling forever, he becomes himself the
Church of Zhui Xi is the closest the Corvo people have to a unbeatable beast.
theocracy.
THE SWORD
The Church of Zhui Xi is gentler and kinder than other
Kaliva cults, focusing more on the superiority and self- A simple double-edged sword is a common and popular
improvement aspects than in direct struggle and competi- symbol of Kaliva, as it represents the ability to inflict harm
tion. They rule their colony like some fairy tale kingdom, but also the risk of suffering in the way.
promoting selfishness through happiness.
CREDITS
Other Kalivans see them as weak or pampered, but the
truth is that the Church of Zhui Xi and its prophets may well As unsophisticated as it may seem, credits - or money - is
be the most powerful Kalivan cult in the Corvosphere. one of the most literal representations of Kaliva, and it’s
use as an actual religious symbol is increasing by the day in
THE K’ARIL KAHIL SECT the Corvosphere.

The only significant Kalivan cult outside the Corvosphere Credits embody all of the qualities pursued by followers
is the Iz’kal K’aril Kahil sect. The K’aril Kahil are the leaders of Kaliva - power, independence, status - and their ritualistic
of the Iz’kal Freedom Federation (or IFF), a group of radicals use is embedded in the very fabric of Corvo society. People
that seek to destabilise and depose the Iz’kal State, replac- are known to pray for and to it on a daily basis.
ing it with a military meritocracy.
VEXAL BELIEVERS
“Very few people are smart Vexal worshippers, known as Vexales or Vexalites, don’t
enough to understand their like to follow any rules, but they have a deep respect for
own real needs, and even others and are always willing to give a helping hand. They
fewer are smart enough do not take orders very well and dislike societies that
to understand the needs of expect everyone to live by the same rules; they believe that
others. People with power each person should be treated differently but respectfully.
are more likely to do more
bad than good, even if they Vexalites believe there will never be peace for as long as
have good intentions.“ there is any type of hierarchy; there must be an absolute
dissolution of the principle and practice of authority. This
- OIDIA, [unknown species] hacker is why, while they will not sacrifice their freedom for
anything, Vexalites are always willing to sacrifice their life
Vexal, the God of Freedom, represents the fact that for freedom.
liberty equals truth; whatever isn’t free is fake. He’s a God
of cooperation, as liberating others is the greatest act of While they have a reputation for being poor team players,
freedom possible. In helping others be free, we increase Vexales have proven that they are extremely hard-working
freedom in the universe and thus liberate ourselves. people. Understandably, they want to choose their occupa-
tion and they will not be happy when told what to do, but if
Vexal lives in the random animal instinct, and also in the they do choose to work on something they are very produc-

Religion: The Gods

unpredictable patterns of waves and wind currents. He tive. After all, they are usually caring, curious people who
embodies the idea that there is no universal law; freedom live to get involved in things that matter to them.
equals happiness and vice versa, but authority kills
freedom, so any kind of rule or control over others - in- Being an individualist does not mean that they won’t work
cluding any absolute truth or doctrine - is false, and thus in teams, and they will do so for as long as the group has
doesn’t, and shouldn’t, exist. no hierarchy and every voice is taken into consideration.
Usually these groups are formed around a shared need for
collaboration and only carry on for as long as everyone 41
GOD OF FREEDOM considers it to be their path. However, if rules are imposed

faith: core book

and someone tries to make decisions for everyone else, the
Trying to understand an animal’s true nature by studying Vexales will soon disappear in the wind.
one in captivity will provide you with the wrong answers.
The animal’s habits, behaviour, and mood are completely Vexales tend to become adventurers, hackers, outlaws,
changed from what they would be in liberty. Unsurprisingly, or any other kind of free people. While they generally disap-
it is the same with people. When you hear someone speak prove of vigilantism, which is seen as proud and egotistical,
about our true nature as people, the dangers of it, and how they are not above carrying out their own forms of justice.
we need rules and laws to control it for our own safety, Vexales enjoy exposing the wrongdoings of corporations,
stop for a moment and think about this: the people behind states, and any form of authoritarian power. Their social
those propositions have never seen the true nature of our criticism has shaped the perceptions of many societies, and
species. They are simply basing their studies on specimens has caused the rise or decline of many corporations and
born into submission, fear, preconceptions, and rules. politicians. As Vexales see it, everyone must be an activist
for real change to occur.
Vexal believes we need to be free and equal to even start
scratching the surface of our true nature and all its possi-
bilities. By discovering what lies below the surface, we will COMMANDMENTS
be impressed and humbled by ourselves. By becoming free,
we see that all the evil we suffer today is not in the roots Vexal’s commandments are concerned with freedom,
of our nature, but instead yet another tax of an oppressive, but also with responsibility. One must be free but also help
unjust, and controlling society. others remain free; one must reject indoctrination but also
take charge of his own ideas.
Vexal wants his believers to understand that there is no
‘right’ view on things. Everyone must search for their own ◊ Do Not Bear a Master
truth, as each individual may live in different circumstanc-
es, and even then each person may change his own views ◊ Think For Yourself
with the passing of time. This is why imposing a way of life
and indoctrinating people often has terrible consequences. ◊ Do Not Restrict Others

◊ Benefit Others
The only goals that all Starmappers share, also known as Perhaps the most famous member of the Starmap Guild
the Four Words, are: is Arka Bozag of the Crystal Staff, the Human Prophet of
Vexal. He enjoys no special status within the Guild, but most
Freedom: The Starmap Guild seeks to help free the Starmappers are in awe of him and look for his counsel, or
universe from authority and leaders. Most Starmappers try to follow his search for the universe’s lost relics.
are anarchist collectivists, and believe a leaderless, organ-
ised society is the best, or only, way to save civilisation.
DEPICTIONS
Knowledge: All Starmappers hold knowledge as a
cardinal virtue, second only to freedom itself, for it is only Vexal’s official symbol is a tunnel of spinning cubes, which
through knowledge that freedom is achieved. They all love represent the many realities and Vexal’s ability to see and
a good mystery, however, and prefer to research and look go through them all. There are very few other depictions of
for their information; as learning methods go, an adventure Vexal, mostly because His followers don’t like cults.
is better than a book, and to solve a mystery is better than
to attend a conference. THE SEEKING EYE
Sharing: Freedom and Knowledge are nothing if they are Some of the most scholarly Vexal worshippers, such as
not given to everybody else. Thus the Starmap Guild seeks the members of the Starmap Guild, use a seeking eye as
to liberate and teach others, or at least to offer them the a representation of their God; for them, Vexal represents
tools to do it themselves - if they so wish. inquisitiveness, curiosity and intuition, which are a form of
freedom and, more importantly, a form of travel.

Religion: The Gods

Vexal: All the Starmap Guild acknowledges Vexal, if not
as their patron God, as the best God out there, although WINGS
many Starmappers also appreciate Hexian values.
Vexal has always been associated with flight, so a few
It should be no surprise that the Starmap Guild is a very tribes used a pair of wings - either alone or attached to
divided group, with its members, chapters and subchap- another icon, such as a winged helmet or a winged foot - to
ters constantly seeking separate, and even conflicting, represent Him. After the space age, many have adopted a
goals. This doesn’t lessen their commitment to the cause flying starship or shooting star as the main icon of Vexal. 43
of freedom, however, and they value the bond of their

faith: core book

Starmap membership above any differences that may arise The boy was running through the streets of
- in most cases. Many Starmappers have seceded from the Ölesty, a small waster village near Infernuko
Guild, forming their own splinter groups, that later rejoin Erreka. His feet slipped in the mud, and his captor
or directly oppose the Starmap Guild. These groups rarely was closing in at full speed. “Mom is going to be so
last for long, and the Starmap Guild remains the largest of mad if I die today”, he thought. He wanted to feel
its kind. sad, but couldn’t. Mom urged him not to risk his
life for her, but how could he explain that he wasn’t
Although most people with at least some general knowl- stealing for her? Not entirely, anyway.
edge know the Starmap Guild exists, its membership is
secret and concealed between the layers of intergalactic When he sneaked into the warehouse and
society; they need to remain hidden, since most of their “borrowed” a couple of loaves of bread, a hoe, or a
activities are, if not illegal, at least frowned upon by most malnourished cat, he felt a rush within. He enjoyed
organised governments. Starmappers have infiltrated the pure thrill of fooling around but also the joy
the labs and learning centres of most Corvo colonies, the of helping his mom. That’s why he felt a little sad
Tiantang government and the Megacorps; they are hidden when the pursuers grabbed his arm; he knew it
among the Iz’kal Technocrats and the State Defence Force; meant death.
and have a small elite working from within the Human
Front. They even have agents among the Raag Councils and Then he noticed it. He saw it. He smelled it. He
Enginseers. They have agents in the Coalition and several tasted it. From the void within pure energy flowed
mercenary forces, including some terrorist groups. In into his hand and with a breezy movement he un-
short; the size of the Starmap Guild remains unknown, but tangled himself from the bully. With a quick reflex
they are certainly everywhere. he focused on a wall nearby and suddenly he gravi-
tated towards it, giving him the chance to climb up
By its very rules and beliefs the Guild is leaderless, but to the closest window. In the safety of the dark
a few of its members have become prominent because of room, he heard a voice from within: “now you are
their wisdom, their published works or their famous deeds. me, now you are free”.
These moral or spiritual celebrities within the Guild exert
no power or authority over other members, but when they
give advice, others listen.
POWERS CRIMINAL GANGS
Most Ledger powers are related to causing fear and Ledger may not have an organised cult, but He is quite
planting doubt, as His focus is on destroying ideas, values popular among the Universe’s criminal element. Countless
and beliefs. Anything that weakens and confuses faith, gangs of slavers, pirates, terrorists and marauders have
anything that desecrates, is sacred to Ledger. small altars and sacred symbols dedicated to Ledger, most
often in his guise as a God of chaos and death. Very few
FALSE FAITH of these informal worshippers display true Soulbender
powers, but those that do are the Ledger’s blessed - insane,
In order to bring even more chaos to the Universe, Ledger incredibly dangerous lunatics, feared even by their own
grants powers to his believers that allow them to pretend gangs.
to believe in other Gods, so many of them have been found
causing mayhem from within other Gods’ cults. The cruelest of these Ledger-worshipping gangs include
the Farm Gang of Al’ameen, a secret slavery ring operat-
This is the most common power tree of Ledger worship- ing under the nose of the Iz’kal State, and the infamous
pers, which allows a Ledger Soulbender to freely use and Three Skulls Mob, rightfully known as the most dangerous
display the powers of any other God, undetected by the criminal outfit in the universe thanks to its ruthless boss,
God’s true followers. A Ledger Soulbender can spend an ‘Empress’ Jazmeen.
indefinite time, perhaps his whole life, pretending to be a
Soulbender of another God. It is every Ledger’s dream to THE CHRYSALIS
become a Prophet of another God; they enjoy long and elab-
Religion: The Gods

orate practical jokes, so this may have already happened. One of the largest organised gatherings of Ledger wor-
shippers in the galaxy, and perhaps the most fearsome, is
A Ledger can take a joke so far that he might even the so-called Order of the Broken Chrysalis, or ‘the Chrysa-
increase the reach of the God he is falsely following, taking lis’ for short.
his joke to the grave - or he might blow up a cathedral and
cause a war between two cults instead. Comprised solely of survivors of the darkest experi-
ments performed in genetic and cybernetic labs every-
46 MESS WITH FAITH where, the Chrysalis gathers some of the craziest, most
wretched beings in the universe. Chrysalians - as they call
When a Ledger Soulbender is not stealing another God’s themselves - are few in number, and rarely work together
faith: core book

powers or impersonating their Soulbenders, he is given - which is a blessing, because Chrysalians are very danger-
power to destabilise faith and belief. ous psychopaths.

Thus a minor Ledger Soulbender can make others feel Every Chrysalian was once the subject of a horrid experi-
uneasy about their own opinions, or simply uncomfortable, ment that left him disfigured or physically broken, often
from an itch they can’t find to a sudden, unexplained feeling with devastating or even monstrous results. The Chrysalis
of depression. More powerful Soulbenders can make accepts members of any species and culture - just as un-
others lose control of what they say and feel, causing them scrupulous scientists accept guinea pigs from any genetic
to cry, turn violent without reason or renounce their loved stock - and has been known to welcome victims of Ravager
ones. The mightiest Ledger Soulbenders can induce true Alterants, as well as survivors from underworld Corvo
madness or fear, or even make other Soulbenders lose their hospitals and failed test subjects from Iz’kal labs. There is a
faith - and thus their powers - temporarily or permanently. membership requirement, however - the Chrysalis recruits
only those experiment survivors that have been driven
insane by the experience. Be it because of physical disfig-
WORSHIP urement, genetic tampering, brain damage or cybernetic
modifications, everybody in the Chrysalis is stark raving
Ledger is the only God without any recognised cults. mad.
Most Ledger believers are unstable enough to be too dan-
gerous for each other; they are surely unstable enough to Once a member is inducted, the Order teaches him
be a danger to themselves. But it is in the nature of Ledgers to see his disfigurement as a new stage of being - to see
to not care about themselves, and sometimes misfortune himself as a new, improved creature, transformed into
brings a few of them together, and horrible things happen. something better by his horrible experience. When the
These underground groups never last very long, as even Chrysalis doctrine takes hold, it exacerbates the subject’s
Ledger himself, in all his might, has trouble keeping his fol- madness, turning him into a dangerous, deluded extrem-
lowers alive. It is not known whether he actually cares. ist... and granting him Ledger powers. Chrysalians rarely
live long, but those that do become skilled and dangerous
Soulbenders.
The Chrysalis seeks nothing less than to destroy interga- can sense that a Marked has ‘a bit of Ledger’ inside. Not all
lactic society - partly for revenge - but mostly because its Marked know their own nature, but they sense each other
insane leaders see civilisation as a disease, a decadent path instantly; a Marked one will feel an instinctive kinship in the
that leads to pain and living death. By plunging everything presence of another Marked, even if he doesn’t know either
into chaos, Chrysalians seek to transform the universe as of them is a Marked.
they were once transformed. Their symbol - a dark butter-
fly tattoo - reflects this belief, and has become a symbol of THE WHISPER
terror for the few that have seen it. For Chrysalians, Ledger
is an agent of transformation and evolution, and the Dark The best organised Ledger cult in the universe is the Iz’kal
Butterfly is Ledger’s mark. assassin sect known as The Whisper. Although they are
Ledger worshippers - and count some powerful Soulbend-
The Chrysalis is precariously organised at best, and its ers in their membership - they do have a common goal: the
members are scattered all across the galaxy; but most utter defeat and dissolution of the Iz’kal State. They have no
Chrysalians, even isolated from the rest of the order, other reason to do this than to see the largest, most solid
manage to organise small but fearsome terrorist cells, political entity in the galaxy disappear, and thus Ledger is
dark cults or assassin gangs. Where a Chrysalian goes, pleased with them - but they certainly show too much dis-
death and horror follow. cipline and group identity for Ledger standards. They must
be up to something.
THE MARKED
They are not a group, but they are a tribe. They aren’t DEPICTIONS

Religion: The Gods

Ledger’s favoured, but they are His favourites. They don’t
know each other, but they recognise each other. There are of course no popular depictions of Ledger,
and nobody’s even sure what his official symbol is meant
The Marked are an unusual accident - children of Ledger to represent. Many Ledger followers wear black circles to
Soulbenders, blessed - or cursed - from birth. Since a represent the void, too, and some cults even depict him as
Soulbender’s abilities depend on his personal beliefs, the a mad clown, joking about everything in the universe, but
Marked don’t have Ledger powers unless they actually these, as any representation of Ledger, can’t actually rep-
follow Him; they do have Ledger’s attention, however. resent Him. 47

faith: core book

Not all children of Ledger Soulbenders are Marked, and He opened the bag of crispy bugs and readied
nobody knows what makes Ledger choose one and not himself for the evening of a lifetime. He had been
another; most likely it’s completely random. Regardless following the ‘touring band’, as he called the
of their birth, all Marked seem to be special. They have an Ravager army, for months now, stopping at every
unusual charm, a stronger presence, and others tend to planet the beasts set foot on and delighting in their
treat them somewhat better - or somewhat worse. They - and his own - destructive rampage.
also seem to have important, or at least dramatic, desti-
nies; they are rarely heroes, but seem to be there when He usually travelled with the Ravager cavalry,
heroic - or bizarre or tragic or mysterious - things happen. hidden in plain sight. He had invested a fortune in
the ultimate Ravager-proof equipment, including
The one true power that all the Marked seem to share an Iz’kal stealthcraft, cloaking suits and the most
is a strange kind of good luck. They appear to be favoured outrageous weaponry the Union could produce.
by chance, and things tend to always fall in place for them;
but misfortune follows them too, and even those with the He had witnessed them devour wild planets, full
mildest lives gravitate towards dangerous, unexplained or of weird creatures and plantlife. Slaughtering rare
unexpected situations. And their good luck always runs out; animals along with his unsuspecting companions
at some point, all Marked die or disappear in some bizarre, was mightily enjoyable, but he longed for something
dramatic or mysterious way. more. He wanted to witness an attack on a civilized
planet, full of screaming children and gory organs
Other than that, the Marked seem to have no special he could relate to. More importantly, he didn’t want
abilities, unless they develop Soulbender powers of their to waste all his expensive guns on wild game.
own; if they do, they always seem to be a bit more fanati-
cal, a bit more driven, than their peers. Regardless of their His dreamed day had finally arrived. They had
parentage, the Marked may follow and be granted powers reached a Coalition planet and he was about to
normally by any God, be it Ledger or one of the others. see it consumed. He threw the now empty bag of
crispy bugs to the floor, carefully pulled out his
Despite their name, the Marked are not recognisable in two favourite machine guns, and walked across the
any way; however, any Soulbender that can read minds, exploding landscape, in the most beautiful red dusk
sense souls, gauge divine power or use similar abilities ever, fully loaded and willing to sate his God.
the corvo
Lui Lan
Lui Lan swam in a maze of coral reef, completely couldn’t he let her enjoy the morning at least until
surrounded by it. It grew on deep trenches on she changed clothes? Angry, she floated into the
the seabed, and Lui Lan followed one. She knew locker room and changed into her lab suit. She
her way around it very well. Alien, colourful fish had perfected a technique that allowed her to take
crossed paths with her. Feeling playful, Lui Lan off her clothes and put on new ones while flipping
tried to catch one with her prehensile feet, knowing around in only four consecutive circles. The people
the fish would be too quick to catch it. at the lab loved seeing it, and many tried to learn
by watching her and trying it at home, although
“Lui Lan! Switch it off in here”, Xian Dong, her rather unsuccessfully. She never told them that she
boss, yelled at her. She turned around and saw him learned the first half of the moves while working as
floating in the water right in front of her, wearing his a stripper during college. Anti-Gravitational Dancer,
simple office clothes. He didn’t even wear a breath- they called it, but she knew what it was. It did not
ing mask. matter anymore: a job is a job, and that one paid
well and served its purpose of getting her here.
Lui Lan turned off her “SeaWorld” lifemod, and
the metallic greyness of her office’s reality hit her Here was the largest particle accelerator known
in all its awfulness. “You know lifemods are not to date. It went all around the Shiyan sector, and the
allowed in here. We do delicate work”, Xian Dong company had plans to create an even bigger one,
lectured her. She took the lecture with stoicism. one that would go all around Tiantang. Such was the
reason why a genius like Lui Lan was willing to let
The Corvo

Xian Dong was a real downer. He even paid a a fool like Xian Dong lecture her: She could get a
monthly fee to a lifemod app that made job anywhere she wanted in the Corvosphere, but
him “unreadable” for other people’s she wouldn’t dare miss working on the biggest ac-
lifemods! Once, the office run a Gong celerator in the entire Universe.
50 Jingjie themed lifemod party, and Xian
Dong refused to turn his app off, totally In the main lab, she ruled. There, not even Xian
ruining their fantasy with his ugly ass suit Dong’s father, the company owner, dared contradict
faith: core book

and old school computer helmet. her. Nor he needed to: he couldn’t care less about
whether Lui Lan used the accelerator to heat up her
Lui Lan was going to turn it off herself lunch if she kept making profitable discoveries.
anyways, she wouldn’t dare enter the
lab with it on. She plugged her cortex connector into the super-
But computer and gained control of the whole system.
The computer’s feed became her thoughts: She
“remembered” the notifications the computer had
produced through the night. She also did not have to
read anything; all the information entered her brain
at the speed of light and formed memories clearer
than the VR show she watched last night.

After a quick check throughout all systems

and some tweaking of the daily operations,
she thought of her family and made something
very few controllers ever do: she triggered the
code to bring up the outskulling distribution
for the processing of the computer, and
selected “Space Freighter AC309E” to
add its outskullers to the day’s process-
ing rotation. The computer normally
chose processing areas at random as a
security measure, but everyday Lui Lan
overrode it manually to select AC309E.

Lui Lan did not feel close to her family at all.

She could not even stand five minutes with them
during family reunions, but she did feel a sense of
responsibility towards them. The least she could
do was have her powerful company employ them;
whether they spent all the (very little) money they
made on iDrugs was their decision. How did that
Kalivan saying go? Each suit has its own oxygen
tank — waste yours all you want.

Lui Lan shivered from the mental image of her

ma, pa, and sibling’s outskulling. In a few minutes,
they would be falling into a deep coma to lend their
admittedly limited brain processing power to the ac-
celerator’s computation processes. They would not
remember anything. They would float unconscious
in the small container they called home until a few
hours later, when the automated system would
throw another Space Freighter in the processing
rotation and they would wake up to return to their
daily occupations just a few credits less poor.

Lui Lan would give them money directly, she

made more than enough, but the last time she did
so her little brother overdosed and died. At least
their outskulling wages weren’t enough to buy an

The Corvo
overdose.

Lui Lan returned her thoughts to her work, and

mind commanded the computer and all the workers
cortex connected to the lab’s network. 51

faith: core book

Little did she know a group of hackers had profiled
her, and discovered her connection to her junkie
family. They offered her family money in return for
tampering with their cortex connectors to allow
the hackers to download the information from their
outskulling. What they and other targeted groups
in the same container were processing was less
than a thousandth of the complete program, but it
was enough to allow the hackers to develop a bug
capable of corrupting the accelerator’s computer.
Funnily enough, when the hackers proposed the
deal to Lui Lan’s family, her father jumped the gun
and asked for what he thought was a good price —
but it was actually a thousand times less than the
hackers were willing to pay. Her family sold Lui Lan
out for less than she made in a week.

Six months later the hackers had stolen all of the

accelerator’s research results, and any edge that a
multibillion credit investigation could give Lui Lan’s
company was lost. When the auditors discovered
how it had happened, Lui Lan was fired, fined to her
last credit, and her reputation destroyed. She could
never work in that field again.

Eventually, she moved back with her family.

Whatever she — one of the great minds of her gen-
eration — made outskulling herself, she spent on
iDrugs to forget who she once was.
THE IFF COUNTER-RECRUITMENT
There’s an ongoing operation to counter the IFF’s
The IFF, or ‘Iz’kal insidious recruiting tactics with a bit of subterfuge
Freedom Federation’, is the from the State itself. The Savak and State authori-
most violent organisation ties are sending young agents to known IFF haunts,
ever known or created by posing for suitable candidates. When IFF recruiters
the Iz’kal, and the greatest approach them, they pretend to be interested so as
threat to State stabil- to be taken to the first meetings; if they confirm the
ity save for the Ravager operation is indeed backed by the IFF, they call in
invasion. Led by the K’aril the Savak to dismantle it. So far, several dozen IFF
Kahil order, a group of recruiters have been found and arrested with this
Kalivan radicals, the IFF is the longest-lasting terrorist method - but many agents have died as well.
group in the history of the State, having resisted attempts
to quell it for more than 100 standard years now. Despite Since Savak agents cannot pass as normal Iz’kal
long periods of inactivity, the IFF always rises again - with youths - as they can easily be detected by their in-
a bombing here or a kidnapping there - to remind the Iz’kal ability to enter Hyperlink - the decoy agents are vol-
they cannot rest easy for long. unteers from across the State. These volunteers
may be freelance mercenaries or even civilians,
The IFF seeks to disintegrate the Iz’kal State and instate chosen by their athletic ability and acting skills - a
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

a Corvo-like, free market government with a focus on the rare gift in the candid Iz’kal society.
military. Their goal is to create a Grand Army of the Iz’kal to
conquer other worlds and species as the Korian did to them Of course, the involvement of mercenaries is a
centuries before; for the IFF strength, power, and occupa- double-edged sword; outside agents may not be all
tion are the path to greatness, and the State’s passivity is that loyal to the State to begin with, or could even
an affront to their beliefs. be IFF’s own double agents trained to detect law-
enforcement moles in IFF recruitment drives.
Among other things, the IFF pushes for a stop to genetic
180 modification and an extermination of all ‘variant’ Iz’kal sub-
species, claiming that artificial evolution is a mockery of THE SECRET TECHNIQUE
Kaliva’s will and ‘impure’ Iz’kal are abominations that must
faith: core book

be culled. This, of course, has severely limited the IFF’s Savak agencies suspect the IFF recruiters use
popularity at the Iz’kal colonies. some form of Hyperlink brainwashing technique to
turn inductees into fanatics - maybe a Kalivan divine
The K’aril Kahil order is always led by a hooded figure, gift, or an insidious psychological system. Whatever
self-identified as the Knight. Since the Knight has existed the means, it works, for the IFF is growing.
for almost two centuries, and his identity is unknown, most
Iz’kal assume the hood and title are passed on from one Abbil Baha, an engineer and law enforcement
anonymous leader to the next. The current Knight is no less specialist, believes the State could stop IFF recruit-
bloodthirsty than his predecessors, and calls for nothing ments altogether by discovering their brainwashing
but the utter destruction of the Iz’kal State. techniques. Baha has pushed for the formation
of a special squad consisting of low-power Ergon
Despite the growing danger it represents to Iz’kal society, soulbenders, trained on Hyperlink perception and
the IFF has virtually no support from the Iz’kal general control. They plan to infiltrate IFF meetings, and
public. It is currently seeking to swell its ranks by recruit- then undergo whatever process they use. Assuming
ing dissatisfied, bored Iz’kal youths, with the promise of the agents resist the process, they would then
‘excitement’ and ‘change’. IFF recruiters roam the Iz’kal return with intelligence on how to counter it.
major cities looking for a suitable candidate - usually a
young Iz’kal of either gender that seems to suffer from job The project is still a matter of debate with Savak
burnout or a general feeling of meaninglessness. Then the authorities, as soulbenders are not a common
IFF agents approach the target away from his usual Hyper- resource and Hyperlink spies would be at a high
link, offering a disguised ‘new experience’. Those who show risk of falling into enemy hands. At best, this would
interest are led to a discreet meeting, and then to another; mean giving the IFF involuntary access to com-
the meetings get progressively more serious, the rhetoric promised intelligence; at worst, the agent could
more flagrant, until the youths find themselves inducted in become a traitor and a fanatic himself. However, if
a political cult. an Iz’kal soulbender with great mental resistance
and the right abilities volunteered for the mission,
it could mean a green light to Baha’s special force -
and a mighty blow against the IFF.
ANATOMY AND breath even in the void - although prolonged exposure can,

PHYSIOLOGY and will, kill them like everybody else.

The metabolism of the Corvo is incredibly slow yet ef-

ficient, which helps them make much better use of the air
Corvo are bipedal sentients with head features that they breathe and the food they consume; a Corvo can easily
vaguely resemble some arachnid species. Their hairless adapt to several types of atmosphere and can eat almost
skins are entirely covered in a soft chitinous shell that any organic food. By the same token, a few minutes of
protects them from hostile environments – including, to sleep are enough for a Corvo to function at peak efficiency
some extent, the dangers of open space. A typical Corvo for several hours – although they prefer to sleep in eight-
averages 1.6 metres in height and weighs around 54 kilo- hour periods if at all possible.
grams. They have two arms, two legs, round skulls with
prominent foreheads, and a long, whip-like tail. They are This adaptability has greatly helped the Corvo to better
not strong physically, but their jaws, fitted with sharp bony colonise a variety of different planets, regardless of
ridges, can easily chew most organic material. their composition, seasons or rotation cycle. Their cost-
effective metabolism was the main reason they became
Male and female Corvo have very few physical differ- the dominant lifeform in their home planet, and later of the
ences other than their reproductive organs. Females are known Universe. As the famed xenobiologist Hohn Rhea put
as big and strong and males, but they have wider hips it, ‘slow eating and slow breathing were their fast track to
and abdomens. Also, males tend to be darker-coloured. greatness.’
Other than that, it’s very hard for non-Corvo to distinguish

The Corvo Species

between their genders. On the downside, the Corvo’s physical evolution has been
somewhat stunted due to their very adaptability, which
After millennia of evolution, the Corvo have adapted for required no physical strength or endurance for them to
mobility and survival in space; they are quite at home in survive. As a result, most Corvo are relatively frail when
zero-g environments and have little problem holding their compared to more primitive creatures (such as Humans).

faith: core book

There are many prophets of Ergon in the State, and The Hexian movement has existed for almost 200 years
there’s no single ‘leader’ of Iz’kal religion, as an Ergonaut now, but it hasn’t managed to turn the State around as it
would never claim any kind of authority. For a powerful would like. Now, with the appearance of the Ravager and
enough Ergon Soulbender, just believing himself a leader the founding of the Coalition, the movement sees an op-
would strip him of his power. Nonetheless, the Necroman- portunity to make the State understand the power and
cer is known and admired by everyone in Iz’kal society, not ruthlessness of the Corvo.
only for his devotion and his many recorded feats, but also
because he alone has been granted the greatest of powers: The current Hexian leader, the Prophet Kassima Lahan,
for a few days every standard planetary season, the Nec- is a passionate woman, adamant in her beliefs even to a
romancer has the ability to bring the dead back to life. soulbender’s standards. And like all Hexians, she treats
her beliefs as scientific evidence. Prophet Kassima is con-
When the date arrives, millions of worshippers input vinced that the Corvo are the greatest danger to the State,
requests for an appointment with the Necromancer far more than the Ravager, and that they must be actively
through Idealab; those the system deems most worthy or stopped, not invited to cooperate.
needed are allowed to journey with their beloved dead to
the Prophet’s Temple in Al’ameen, where he reviews each The Hexians have always believed that the Corvo are
case and, if possible, begs Ergon for a chance to restore hatching a secret plot to betray their truce with the Iz’kal
the petitioner’s life. Only citizens dead before their time are State, ever since both species met. Every few decades,
allowed into his presence - i.e., those killed by accidents, some prophet will arise claiming that he has seen evidence,
violence or serious diseases. An Iz’kal that dies of old age revealed directly by Hexia, of ‘the centuries-long Corvo
cannot receive the Necromancer’s blessing. scheme’. The State has never given any serious thought
to this conspiracy theory, mostly because it is a proven
The Iz’kal Culture

If the Necromancer succeeds at a resurrection, it is seen fact that the Corvo are waiting their chance to betray and
as cause for great celebration; but he has also been known pounce on the Iz’kal since day one; the point of disagree-
to fail, which is always interpreted as the will of Ergon - the ment is the State’s passive approach to the issue, where
community was better off if the person stayed dead. This Hexians believe it demands an aggressive retooling of Iz’kal
chance that it will fail actually keeps many people from at- society. A couple of times it got so serious it prompted
tempting the process, anticipating the shame should Ergon violent demonstrations, and almost led to civil war; and it
190 reject their dead. always starts with a Hexian soulbender getting a revelation
of the Corvo’s ‘evil secret plot’.
Other than his resurrecting miracles, the Necromancer
faith: core book

has many Ergonaut powers, which he displays for the

faithful so as to keep the faith alive. HIM
There is a plot to assassinate the Necromancer This is one such time. She’ena, a Hexian Soul-
by the Iz’kal Freedom Federation, a rebellious bender, received vivid images of a secret meeting
anti-State terrorist group; anyone who learned of between several Corvo figures and a ‘Hidden,
the plot and saved the Necromancer’s life would Immortal Master’ (or HIM) that has plotted to
certainly become a hero of the State. conquer Iz’kal space and smother the State ever
since the two species first encountered each other.
She’ena’s vision believes her mission means that
THE HEXIAN the Corvo are poised to strike right now, while the

MOVEMENT Coalition is busy fighting off the Ravager.

The State is, as always, ignoring the signals, but

She’ena doesn’t want to start a revolution - she
There is also a growing Hexian movement in the State, intends to gather proof. Since the State Intelligence
which understood the arrival of the Corvo as a warning Department won’t help, she intends to recruit her
from the universe - a warning to change the policies of the own spies in the name of Hexia. She’ena’s visions
State before it’s too late. have pointed her to Wang, the shady Megacorp
behind all Corvosphere telecommunications and
Hexians claim for the State to restructure itself and technology; unbeknownst to her, the HIM of her
imitate the Corvo hierarchy of management boards and visions could very well be the Xuelin conscience.
mass-produced new discoveries, so as to be able to
compete with the voracious economy of the Corvo. If the If a brave mercenary, preferably a Hexian Human
State doesn’t learn from its rivals, the Hexians insist that or Corvo, could infiltrate the upper echelons of
the Corvo will defeat them everywhere and soon the Iz’kal Wang Corp to obtain proof of HIM’s existence and
will be confined to a handful of inhabited worlds, doomed to his secret plot, the Hexians would have a good case
become absorbed into the Corvosphere or disappear. to try and change the State’s mind once and for all.
the Corvo’s mass-media culture, and many shorthands The Corvo are at the same time monogamous and pro-
and slang terms have become accepted words. This forces miscuous. They marry and share their lives with a single
the Corvo to keep updating their automatic translation partner, but they traditionally practice out-of-marriage sex
software almost weekly, and makes the Corvo Tongue as a means for additional prestige and empowerment. Sex
seem shallow and informal to members of other species. is seen as a token of success for both genders - something
to keep score and brag about, among acquaintances or even
Back at Quanjie, the Corvo used to have thousands of between two married Corvo. It is not uncommon for Corvo
different languages, but the Space Age changed that. spouses to be aware and proud of the love achievements
Although their ethnic groups are still varied and mostly of their partners. Same-sex relationships are common,
intact, the advent of space exploration gave prominence and they are not treated any differently. Polyamory is less
to the Jiantian Republic, the most developed Corvo culture, common, but neither rare nor frowned upon.
both financially and technologically. Before the Corvo
launched their first spaceships, many Quanjie nations and Corvo marriages are relatively free affairs, more a kind
ethnicities had already adopted Jiantianese culture at least of trade pact between individuals or families than anything
partially, and it was only natural for the Corvo Interplan- else. It is commonly accepted that both partners must con-
etary Federation to keep the Jiantianese language with its tribute material ‘gifts’ - usually a sizeable monetary invest-
word structures and naming customs, which helped shape ment from each spouse and/ or their respective families
the current Corvo culture. - that vary according to the couple’s social background and
resources. Other than that, there is no spiritual ceremony
or significance attached to the act of marrying, although
SOCIAL INTERACTION weddings tend to be as grandiose and sumptuous as the
involved families can afford.
The Corvo Society

Corvo are sober and unempathetic by Human standards.

They do not show their feelings openly; their only means to FAMILY
show respect or love are personal praise or material gifts,
rather than spoken or physical affection. Most of their in-
teraction with others is some form of competition. Corvo find a lot of pride in family, and both spouses will
58 raise their children together.
As a result, most Corvo have a hard time asking for help,
as they know that they should be able to achieve anything A Corvo family often revolves around their family
faith: core book

by themselves. However, their consumerist society keeps business, and it is common for children to work for and
them longing for new material things; this makes money- eventually join this business. New generations are judged
lending a common activity among Corvo, although they by how effectively they are able to manage and benefit
remain very coy and discreet about asking for a loan - the their family trade. While the Corvo are a self-made people,
Corvo tongue has more than a hundred informal euphe- they have no problem riding the wave of their families’
misms for ‘borrowing money’. success for as long as their contribution enhances it.

The concept of friendship as Humans understand it is Corvo couples have many offspring (averaging 3.4
unknown in the Corvo culture; the only related word in their children per couple), which means that the population
language is hé, which roughly translates as ‘partnership’. nearly doubles every generation. Governments have tried
This means that two Corvo will only become emotionally to establish some control over natality, but the Corvo do
attached when they are working together on a common not allow their personal freedoms to be compromised.
project or enterprise, be it business, a game, marriage or
family. Corvo lovers are hé as they have a mutual agree- The Corvo urgency for expansion is both cause and con-
ment to give each other pleasure; teen Corvo gang members sequence of this population boom; those that cannot afford
hanging out near a mall are each other’s hé as long as they to move to a new colony must survive, impoverished, at the
stand for the gang, and so on. In no event or situation is fringes of Corvo society. Those that prove deserving move
friendship or love given any actual value by itself. on, and start their own families in new places and new lives.

GENDER EDUCATION SYSTEM

Corvo culture sees males and females as equal, and The Corvo have no separate school or education centres.
doesn’t ascribe them predefined roles. However, males When a child is old enough to learn or practice a trade, he is
and females traditionally dress differently, which is the eligible for employment at a coaching centre, where Corvo
only way the untrained eye can distinguish between Corvo children acquire the basic skills needed for several jobs
genders - and of course hasn’t hurt their fashion industry. while they perform minor tasks.
Coaching centres are flashy, fun and colourful places, poorest Corvo are forced to move away from their homes
custom-built for kids and full of entertainment applications to try and make a living, leaving behind families and friends,
and media; but they are still workplaces, and Corvo children but this necessity always holds the promise of success. It
are fully paid for their time working at them. is not easy, but the Corvo are naturally built to overcome
hardship.
Many Corvo children handle their own money, although
sometimes it is their parents who do so - in the latter case, Thus the poor yearn, strive, struggle and fight each
the money is still for the child to spend as he sees fit, but other to become rich, which keeps the workforce active and
the parents receive a small percentage for ‘management motivated, while the rich and powerful keep the industry in
services’ rendered. It is common to see very young Corvo perpetual expansion. Of course, it also bolsters inequality
children working at menial jobs, assistant chores or intern- and corruption, but let us remember - the Corvo do not see
ships all across the Corvosphere; this is not frowned upon these as setbacks. Dishonesty is seen as a mark of virtue
by Corvo society as a rule, and the children themselves are and intelligence among Corvo, while inequality is an inspira-
treated in accordance to their age and the responsibility tion to improve for rich and poor alike. There’s of course
given to them, which depends on the job they are perform- the fact that life is hard for the millions of underprivileged
ing or training for. Corvo (and alien immigrants to the Corvosphere), but they
gladly pay that price in exchange for the opportunity that
As children grow, they are promoted by being given more one day they’ll earn a better lifestyle. While most of the
complex and important jobs according to their skills, drive middle class are in huge debt, they remain optimistic due to
and maturity, and most have made the leap from coaching the ever-growing Corvo economy.
centre to corporation by the time they become teenagers.
While the Corvo do not display racial prejudice from one

The Corvo Society

Sadly, there are not enough coaching centres for the ethnic group to another - all Corvo ethnic groups display
number of children in the Corvosphere, and many kids skip roughly the same proportion of wealth and poverty - there
this stage of education, either because the local centres is some class bigotry from the rich towards the poor,
had no place for them or because their area had no coaching which are generally regarded as inferior - until they stop
centre at all. Such kids may learn the needed skills later on being poor, of course, at which point they become success
their adult jobs, but they are much less likely to be hired. stories and go from ‘lazy’ and ‘useless’ to ‘enterprising’ and
‘self-made’. 59
Corvo adults that couldn’t attend or underperformed

faith: core book

at coaching centres as children have only two choices - to So, while most Corvo endure a life of hardship, those
remain unemployed or become ‘skullers’, donating their that make the effort and prove themselves worthy become
brain power to the megacorps for a relatively low wage. owners of more land than they can dream; some even own
entire planets, having riches beyond what they can spend in
their lifespans - even considering that the richest Corvo can
SOCIAL CLASS live up to 200 years or more. There is no limit to what one
can achieve in the Corvosphere.
“Only a small percentage of the population can
be CEOs, famous people, or leaders. They are
inherently limited in their membership, yet we ECONOMY
have a society based on the desire to become
one of them. How healthy can it be to live in “The Corvo pride themselves on the competitiv-
a society where most dreams are doomed to ity of their society. They claim it forces com-
fail?” panies to improve and offer best services or
prices, or else they will be taken out by the
- Lee Yin, Corvo philosopher and supporter of competition’s better options. For a consumer
the Iz’kal State based society, it sounds pretty reasonable -
disregarding the personal and ecological fac-
To say that there’s a social class gap in Corvo society, tors affected by it - but the theory does not
even a wide one, is an understatement. It would be more survive real-life testing as well the Corvo would
accurate to state that class differences are the basis of like. The main reason is that it’s just not effi-
Corvo society. cient to compete in certain services.

While some Corvo pursue opulent lifestyles, there is a It does not make sense for several Corvo train
great majority that live very precariously. The poorest companies - e.g. the X-Railways Company and
Corvo live in derelict 0-G environments or in lunar habitats, the SmoothTrain Company - to develop and
while others are richer than the districts or colonies they maintain a train line service each to the same
live in. However, no one stops the poor from becoming town of a few thousand inhabitants; or for
wealthy and powerful if they work for it. Many of the the Caretakers, the DPP, and the local police
company, to provide simultaneously policing
services to the same neighbourhood, each to business. This keeps the money flowing and the Corvo
different houses within it (even different flats industry in expansion. The most lenient colonies - among
in the same block!). This similarly applies for them Tiantang - even allow taxation to be voluntary.
internet, energy, and other services. For this
reason, localised monopolies are bound to ap- When mandatory, taxes are indeed extremely low and
pear (see appendix A22 for a list of such mo- only used to pay for the most basic services from the gov-
nopolies in the Corvosphere), which hits the ernment. Most other amenities are in the hands of private
hardest on the weakest communities, as other companies, which provide their services citizen-to-citizen,
companies have no reason to waste resources free from interference by the state.
trying to develop an alternative to the current
monopoly. Such ongoing monopolies stunt the The government suffers very little from the low taxes;
development of the affected communities.” as most services are only available to those that can afford
them, taxation is simply a form of insurance policy - those
- Excerpt from Moore’s diary; a treatise com- that do not pay are not assisted in security and justice
missioned by the Iz’Kal xenology department. affairs, and that’s it. Plus, the Megacorps oversee and
routinely - and immediately - annex every successful new
Despite the billions of Corvosphere citizens currently enterprise, which adds a few working-class Corvo to the
living in poverty, the Corvo enjoy the most powerful and ranks of the rich and powerful, and helps the Megacorps -
far-reaching economy in known space. The Corvo economic that is, the Government - in the long run.
system (digital credits) is an easy, relatively species-
neutral and practical method for pricing goods, services, The end result is that the Corvosphere keeps on expand-
and working wages, so most of the sentients that come ing at an incredible rate. Of course it all happens at the
The Corvo Society

in contact with the Corvo end up using their credits as expense of the immense majority of Corvo that do not
well. This of course doesn’t include the isolationist Iz’kal succeed, but even they are content with this system, as it
State, but the Raag and Humans have adopted the Corvo allows any one of them to maybe, one day, by their own
monetary system at least partially. This includes especially efforts, become a successful businessperson too.
immigrants living in the Corvosphere or under its jurisdic-
tion, but also some free-ranging mercenaries and settlers
60 from the savage frontier. CREDITS
In the Corvosphere, it is up to each citizen to find their The Corvo economy works by an electronic currency
faith: core book

livelihood. A Corvo from a poor slum may become the system. These digital ‘coins’, or credit points - ‘credits’ for
owner of a solar system while one of his neighbours, given short - are the basic unit to measure the worth of every-
the exact same opportunities, suffocates after not being thing in the Corvosphere. All trade goods, services, wages
able to pay for enough oxygen. As private property is the and labour are valued, bought and sold in credits.
most important value for Corvo, whatever a Corvosphere
citizen can buy is his and he has the right to defend it as he Credits appeared as soon as the Corvo started colonis-
sees fit within legal boundaries. Everyone has a price in the ing space and had to decide on a single currency system,
Corvosphere, but you get to decide your own worth. which didn’t favor the economy of a Corvo nation over
another, and remained efficient, adaptable and easy to use.
It also needed to be digital, so as to maintain trade flowing
ECONOMIC SYSTEM smoothly between interplanetary colonies. The answer
was electronic credit.
“Free market is based on the flawed idea that
it is free.” A single credit was originally meant to equal the
minimum wage a standard hour of Corvo labour could be
- Lee Yin, Corvo philosopher and supporter of
worth - thus, menial tasks that require little to no skill are
the Iz’kal State
worth 1 credit per hour.

While government systems, laws, and individual wealth This, however, varies wildly from system to system, as
vary wildly across the Corvosphere, all its citizens and in- fluctuating economic conditions and available resources
stitutions agree on one thing: their love for the free market change what credits are worth, what bosses can afford to
economy. pay, how high the cost of living is, and even how long an
hour lasts. As a result, what people actually get for their
Corvo economy sustains itself on the ability of citizens credits depends heavily on where they are. A 100-credit
to create, and succeed at, their own businesses. Taxes on daily wage may be a fortune in some border mining outpost,
new enterprises are surprisingly low - the lowest in the but it’s a miserable amount in the more crowded, expensive
recorded history of any species in any era -, creating fertile and competitive habitats of Tiantang.
ground for any Corvo to compete fairly against any other
aquatic surface platforms and beachside towns. Most of
these failed underwater cities were taken apart and the ma-
terials used in their construction recycled, but a few were
unrecoverable due to structural damage or other causes.
These ruins were made into heritage sites, which eventually
became touristic attractions for their historical and artistic
value, and are occasionally used as short-term underwater
research centres.

HAI’KAL SANCTUMS
Hai’kal sanctums fulfil a unique function, which non-Iz’kal
would roughly understand as a mix of research centres,
natural history labs, museums, schools, temples and
field science camps. Contrary to Zaaki-Waha cities, these
sanctums are unique to Al’Ameen’ai culture, and they have
failed to catch on at other Iz’kal settlements, presumably
because of their demand of resources, which are far more
scarce and regulated in the colonies.

Every Hai’kal sanctum is located on a remote natural

The Iz’kal Colonies

spot at Al’ameen, following the strictest eco-friendly pro-
cedures, and then dedicated to the study of that specific
environment and its conditions. Hai’kal are classified by
the environment they work on, so there are swamp Hai’kal,
seaside Hai’kal, river Hai’kal, astronomy Hai’kal and so
on. Nobody lives at a Hai’kal, but scientists teams rotate
to keep it functional all year. A Hai’kal managers have the
responsibility to keep it stocked with samples, exhibits and 209
experiments revolving around research of the surrounding

faith: core book

area, and offer advanced courses, tours, academic conven-
SETTLEMENTS tions, school trips and wildlife retreats.

To outsiders, Al’ameen would look like an uninhabited While Iz’kal colonies have never grown large enough to
planet, as cities are so few and far between that the planet be able to support a Hai’kal sanctum, citizens from every
is virtually the same as it was before the Iz’kal came to be. settlement in the State travel to Al’ameen to visit its Hai’kal,
which are a source of pride for the planet and its citizens.
There are, however, several types of Iz’kal settlements
in Al’ameen. First there are the planet’s Zaaki-Waha cities; ALHENA
tall citadels of a few thousand inhabitants that barely pass
as artificial structures at first glance. There are thousands One of the most unspoiled sanctuaries of the planet is
of smaller communities scattered all across the surface, Alhena, a network of caves in the heart of Al’ameen, illumi-
although usually most end up joining an existing Zaaki-Waha nated by gigantic and luminescent fungi. This magical place
or growing into one themselves. survived the Korian conquest, as the invaders never discov-
ered it. Iz’kal from all around the Universe make a seasonal
Al’ameen’ai Zaaki-Waha are comparable to those found pilgrimage to this place, which they hold as sacred. When
in other colonies; harmonious communities with advanced in Alhena, all the Iz’kal join in a single Hyperlink with their
technology, no crime, prosperity and a tranquil daily life. fellow pilgrims so that they may share their minds freely.
Here, Iz’kal from all colonies share their experiences with
AQUATIC SITES each other and together are able to learn things that they
were not even capable of imagining alone - about ways of
Over the centuries, the Iz’kal have made several attempts life on strange planets, about ideas they had never heard
to build underwater Zaaki-Waha, to test the benefits of a of, and about personal life experiences and the thoughts
closer contact with their species’ aquatic origin; however, behind them, which give them an incredible insight on the
these experiments have always been short-lived, as the reasons of other people’s behaviour. This is, for many Iz’kal,
amphibious Iz’kal are not really suited for prolonged life the most intense and beautiful experience of their lives.
in the depths, and the technology to achieve it waste s Some are actually addicted to the Alhena pilgrimage, and
too many resources and disrupts the environment. The religiously request the State to make it every year, even if
Alameen’ai have had to content themselves with building they dwell in the other side of the Universe.
THE MEGACORPS
“Corvo economy is based on the ridiculous no-
tion that capital owners want to play ball us- Every medium-to-large company in every Corvo colony
ing the same rules as the small entrepreneur. belongs, to one degree or another, to one of the megacorps,
They don’t want an equal playing field - that is even if they are not aware of it.
just the ideology they sell the middle class to
support their system. Even if a libertarian state The bigger the megacorp, the more powerful the owners
was to appear spontaneously, it would not take of all the companies that fall under its umbrella. Mega-
long for differences in economic means to sur- corps are owned by so many businessmen from so many
face, and the top capitalist would soon push for industries that they operate as de facto countries, or even
a patronage system as a tool to fight competi- entire planets, with their own ruling bodies and economic
tion; so we would have a minimum government and military interests.
for sure, but chosen only for, and by, the top
players.” Business competition in the Corvosphere is relentless
and uncompromising. While there are millions of compa-
- Zhen Engfui, Corvo writer and Quingga phi- nies and owners, most of them are part of one of the three
losopher existing mega corporations, which gives them the power to
fight off competitors; those that resist assimilation end up
Small governments are incapable of achieving great bought out by bigger fish.

The Corvo Megacorps

things; therefore, the conquest of the stars was left in the
hands of private interests. It bears noting that, as there are so many companies
and trademarks operating under a single Megacorp, most
By the time the Corvo launched their first spaceship, of these companies are so far down the command ladder
corporations all but ruled their planet - plus, no single that they lie almost outside the Megacorp’s central control.
Quanjie government had the resources to finance massive This allows for various different policies in issues such as
space exploration. So, when they stopped pretending and prices, working conditions or quality standards, within a
simply left the space-age Corvo government in the hands single Megacorp. Thus, when there’s a complaint against
of corporate interest, it was a quick, seamless transition the standards, policies or terms of a lower-level company, 63
that surprised nobody. its parent corp (or corps), and of course the Megacorp

faith: core book

itself, can claim ignorance and deny any responsibility.
Even with the great capitals in charge of space expedi-
tions, the largest ventures required such amounts of As they grew by assimilating other businesses, the
wealth and resources that small companies chose to Megacorps defined themselves by the industries they
merge into larger companies, which in turn allied and monopolised.
grew into massive corporate holdings. Not wanting to be
left behind, all lesser businesses sought an alliance with, There are currently three Megacorps in the Corvosphere,
or became absorbed by, these super-corporations. The each of them having the monopoly of one of the three major
resulting economic giants then joined in a common cause to industry sectors of their civilisation:
achieve even greater things, such as opening wormholes or
mining entire solar systems; thus the mega-corporations Nation’s Solution, or NS, owns the Corvo medical
(or megacorps) were born. industry, which includes hospitals, foods and pharmaceu-
ticals, and also most scientific - biomedical, biogenetic and
This is not to say a merged company disappears into the chemistry - research labs.
Megacorp it joins. Most smaller companies see a merger
as nothing more than an alliance for mutual, and some- Wang Corp owns the cybernetic and digital industry,
times temporary, benefit; and they retain their identity including computers, media, information and advertising,
and a degree of independence, to the point that it’s not but also cybernetic labs, gadgets, engineering, tools and
uncommon for a company to secede from its Megacorp industrial design,
to join another. Also, the lesser companies that form the
Megacorps are known for their endless struggles and The Union owns the weapons and manpower market,
squabbles; competition, backstabbing and shifting loyalties branching into construction, vehicles, military designs and
are often more common within a Megacorp than between every mercenary and worker management company.
different Megacorps. Let us keep in mind that corporate
ruthlessness is seen as a virtue in Corvo society, and their Between the three of them, the main areas of public
corporate executives are the best of the best. service - or more accurately, ranges of services to the
public - are covered: healthcare, education, housing, and
One way or another, most businesses and companies information are private business that try to reach the
in the Corvosphere work for one of the three Megacorps. greatest number of citizens, if only for the profits it entails.
employment due to automation and overpopu-
WHAT ARE THE lation, the megacorps can set the rules of the

MEGACORPS? game as they see fit and those that do not play
ball simply don’t get jobs. Without jobs there
is no money and without money there is no liv-
ing. The Corvo are never forced to do anything,
The Three Megacorps are the joint governing body of the yet they are given few choices, none of them
Corvosphere, and their main shareholders are the de facto of their own making. Crime seems to be a com-
rulers of Corvo civilisation. mon way out for many.”

Every megacorp runs its business at two different - Amir Kaham, Iz’kal sociologist
levels. First, there’s the official branches - the hundreds
of thousands of companies openly acknowledged as part Megacorps all but rule the Corvosphere, but their role as
the megacorp, as which they enjoy official, institutionalised a governing body is barely acknowledged. Officially, there
protection and financial assistance. On the other hand are is NO Corvo state as we outsiders understand it; the current
the submerged branches - a vast collection of businesses Corvo society has no concept of any purely political entity,
that include everything from lesser factories and research and no living Corvo remembers a time where their culture
centers to shell firms and criminal organisations. While was not ruled by corporate leaders.
these companies are controlled by a Megacorp, they are
not under its direct protection, mostly to avoid any legal re- Such is the key to understanding the Megacorps: They
percussions should their not-so-ethical activities be made are not a “real” government - the Corvosphere has no such
The Corvo Megacorps

public, but also because the company’s revenue is not (or government - it is simply that the Corvo have built their
not yet) high enough to justify a higher involvement by the civilisation around the structure of the Megacorps.
Megacorp.
All Corvo politics come from the power struggles and
Most Corvo can’t identify Megacorp owners by name or business opportunities within and between the Megacorps,
image. Some of their identities are unknown even to their and all Corvo culture comes from the Megacorps’ products
peers, as they will only show to meetings as holographic and marketing campaigns. In short, the Megacorps are
projections. Some are believed to have found a way to Corvo society itself.
64 dump their consciousness into the net, becoming digital
beings that have transcended mortality. Under the direct Space exploration, technological breakthroughs, artistic
command of these silent leaders are the visible executive pursuits, social welfare and even military actions all
faith: core book

officers of the megacorps; rich, powerful and notable. happen because it’s convenient for the Megacorps - and
Contrary to their bosses, these public CEOs are well known as the Megacorps expand and prosper, so does the Corvo
and admired by most of Corvo society. civilisation. The Corvo have needed no other kind of govern-
ment for millennia, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
While all three megacorps have diverse branches and
attempt to cover every potential source of profit, they each Of course the Megacorps dictate policies and rules, just
specialise in one or two main areas. as a company’s shareholders do. They dole out rewards
and punishment in the same fashion. The central “govern-
Each megacorp monopolises several fields of business, ment” at Tiantang is the Corporations’ HQ, while the Corvo
while relying on the other megacorps to provide them with settlements and colonies are branches, franchises and
whatever it is that they can’t produce themselves. This subsidiaries with their own rules, relatively independent.
creates a dependency between the megacorps that has
kept a delicate balance of power and prevented any of them Other than that, the Corvo are essentially a free people.
from growing too much, while also allowing each of them Belonging to a company and submitting to its laws is volun-
to focus their research and investments on only a select tary, and everyone has the life they can afford.
few areas instead of trying to compete with the others over
control of the entire market. This ensures a faster and more This, of course, doesn’t protect the Corvo people from
efficient growth and development for each megacorp. the Megacorps in any way. There is no Corvo rights charter
to speak of; if a Corvo citizen is mistreated or harmed by the
authorities, he is free to quit his job at any moment. It goes
THE ROLE OF without saying that an overwhelming majority of Corvo

MEGACORPS prefer to endure a certain level of abuse rather than lose

their jobs; therefore, just as the Corvo people are free to
leave their jobs at any moment, so the Megacorps are free
“It is neither a dictatorship nor a partnership. to abuse their employees. While there are no records of
Employees are coerced, by the need for money, systematic mistreatment, and when it happens it’s more or
to submit to this covert slavery. Given the unless frowned upon, it’s not uncommon to hear of malprac-
tice, exploitation, overworking, illegal experimentation and
other abuses by Corvo corporations, which their employees
accept willingly and often go unreported - and unpunished.

If anything, the Megacorps function as three separate

powers in a state - Nation’s Solution handles science,
theory, health and lifestyle; The Union oversees most
space exploration, mining and the military; Wang Corp
handles engineering, technology and communications.
Thus they all need each other and they all cooperate, just as
they viciously compete in a three-way war for supremacy.
And that, too, is the Corvo way.

CORPOCRACY
“Fear those men whose shadow is bigger than
themselves.”

- Old pre-space age Corvo saying

The Corvo Megacorps

Corvo are ruled by money, plain and simple. The most
rich and powerful Corvo are the leaders of their civilisation,
while the less wealthy majority are their employees. This
system works because every Corvo has the freedom to
become wealthy - and thus a leader - if he can.
MEGACORP OFFICIAL
The de facto ruling body of the Corvosphere are the three
Megacorps, which function less as an executive institution Level 1 :: Corvo :: Negotiator
and more as an interplanetary stock exchange. The Mega- 65
mov. 5 metres :: weight 54 kg :: height 160 cm
corps regulate trade, levy fines and distribute bonuses

faith: core book

among those who can use them - which happens to include 2
the leaders of every Corvo colony and entity.
2 4 0 3
The Megacorps don’t mess with the laws and regulations
of any colony, but have enforced an Economic Equality Pact
PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 5
(EEP) that holds all Corvo entities to the same economic STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2
conditions. Other than that, they don’t interfere with laws,
limiting themselves to buying and selling, creating jobs,
HIT GRAPPLE
expanding industries and supervising the Corvo people. (DEX)
1 (CON)
0

The resulting government is extremely hands-off, and

Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)
lets Corvo citizens get away with almost anything as long
as it doesn’t interfere with their colony’s economic stabil- He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
ity. The Corvo are very protective of their freedoms, and damage).
all attempts to create stronger governments have failed
against popular outrage from all social classes.

Persuasive
As regards political identity, there is no patriotism to
speak of in the Corvosphere, as the Corvo have replaced He gains an advantage when trying to convince other
their sense of community with corporate interests. At characters.
worst, Corvo don’t feel part of anything but their family, if
they even have one; at best, they are part of a corporation.
Rather than identifying as members of a nation or race, the
Rational
Corvo belong to their job. They are not divided by borders,
blood or beliefs, but by corporate rivalry and social class. He can only be convinced with facts. He is immune
When giving personal data, a Corvo will always refer to his to dialectics, and he gains one advantage to determine
workplace before his place of birth or residence. However, a whether something has been fact checked.
corporate identity is not really deep-rooted after all, so it is
accurate to say the Corvo do not feel any kind of belonging.
Stocks, shares, markets and stabs in the back. Don’t cross
these guys, for they are unstoppable forces of greed.
NATION’S SOLUTION all the land and production from every animal or vegetable
farm, ranch or breeding facility in every colony in the Cor-
We Are Your Health™ vosphere. Thus NS controls not only branded, industrial
foods, but also every step in the production and process-
Nation’s Solution Megacorp ing of edibles. Every meal that finds its way to a Corvo
(Shortened to NS or NSM) mouth is stamped, packaged and charged for by NS-owned
oversees the Corvo indus- companies.
tries of nanotechnology and
genetic modification. They CHEMICAL
also own most private
medical services across the As one of the two scientific branches of Nation’s
Corvosphere. NS has most Solution, chemistry and its derived products are all in the
of the control over all food Megacorp’s hands. This means all beauty product brands,
production chains, medical chemical labs and raw material companies are owned by
facilities and bioenhancement NS - and also that NS is the Corvosphere’s main sponsor of
centres. natural sciences. Nearly 80% of scientific labs in the known
Universe are paid with Nation’s Solution money.
Nation’s Solution is always looking to expand their bio-
logical understanding, including the uses of new species and FOOD INDUSTRY
biospheres. They are highly interested in the exploration
The Corvo Megacorps

and discovery of new biomes and lifeforms, and are always NS owns all food processing and packaging companies in
the most dedicated investors in projects of this type. the Corvosphere, and all the logos and trademarks of every
edible product known by the Corvo people. All the colourful
As a result, Nation’s Solution is often forced to rely food brands whose names and jingles Corvo children know
on other Megacorps to aid their expeditions - Wang Corp by heart, from Cor-a-licious™ to Sugar Scales™, from Dagun
provides software and data tools, while the Union helps Drink™ to Fao Fast Foods™, are ultimately owned by NS.
them defend their interests in the colonies. However, this
puts NS at risk of corporate espionage and even sabotage HEALTH CARE
66 from both their rivals. NS generally avoids violence, but
they will use any method available to keep their sharehold- Ironically, the industry most commonly associated with
ers happy. Nation’s Solution is also the one where it has the least
faith: core book

control. The healthcare business, which handles medical

technology, facilities and goods, is heavily contested among
BUSINESS INTERESTS all three Megacorps; while NS owns pharma and medical
licenses, The Union owns medical vehicles and hospitals,
Nation’s Solution owns all the Corporations that manage while Wang owns most medical software and technology.
health, foods and general well-being in the Corvosphere. However, the other two Megacorps downplay their own
Most of its subsidiaries fiercely compete against each other, involvement in the healthcare industry, allowing NS to keep
stealing, boycotting and sabotaging their partners’ new the credit, as they also depend on NS-owned companies for
medicaments or chemical breakthroughs, but all revenues their own employees’ health.
end up enriching Nation’s Solution and making it larger.
PHARMACEUTICAL
WATER INDUSTRY
As anyone in the Corvosphere knows, NS’ largest and
An often overlooked industry in any civilisation, more so most profitable business comes from medical products.
in the complex corporate system of the Corvosphere, is Every pharmaceutical company, from Hao-Gong™ to
water processing. Most people know who sells and brands Bailabs™, is a Nation’s Solution subsidiary. It is also one of
their foods, but very few know who controls their drinking the fiercest and less ethical business fields in the Corvos-
water. In the Corvo’s case, it’s Nation’s Solution. It’s true phere, as company owners constantly attack and discredit
that every Corvo colony has its own water extraction tech- each other, doing anything to make the people depend on
nology and installations, but it was NS-owned companies their latest drug while fostering mistrust of their rivals’
that put it there. products.

AGRICULTURE FASHION AND CLOTHING

One of NS’ less-publicised business markets is the agri- Another oddity in the list of NS’ business interests is the
culture industry. The general Corvo public does not realise fashion industry. It makes sense after thinking about it -
it, but Nation’s Solution - through its three competing sub- Nation’s Solution owns all textile farms and cloth manufac-
sidiaries FoodEA, Spacepackers, and The Little Bug - buys turers, thanks to the companies that oversee the required
chemical processes. This has the added benefit that fashion Ma Ng’s testament, changed and rewritten at
is the only branch of entertainment that Wang Corp does least a dozen times in as many decades, currently
not own - not for lack of trying, of course, but they have benefits his older grand-nephew, Ma Gongzuo.
no way to wrest a market that is so utterly controlled by Sadly, after Gongzuo realised he was being geared
NS-owned brands. to succeed his uncle as the most powerful man in
the universe, he broke down and became an irre-
Wang officials tried - and failed - to expand their software sponsible, drug-addicted wastrel, often appearing
designs into smart clothes, digital accessories and other front and center in all kinds of gossip and embar-
fashionable gadgets intended to steal business from NS, rassing scandals all over the Corvosphere.
but Nations’ Solution monopoly over the fashion industry
became unbeatable after the development of aesthetic Ma Ng knows his time is near; furthermore, he is
body modifications, which gave the control of fashion to exhausted. He wants to give the reins of Nation’s
whoever possessed the best biogenetic labs. Which wasn’t Solution to somebody, anybody; but he would give
Wang Corp. anything - and in his case that means anything - to
find a worthy, capable, blood relative other than his
greedy cousins and his useless nephew.
MA NG
Behind NS’ board of directors and its main shareholders DI ENGUN
stands a very powerful man, perhaps even the richest man

The Corvo Megacorps

in the Corvosphere - which would make him the richest man The CEO of Nation’s Solution is the Corvo guolie arche-
in the known universe: Ma Ng, head of the Ma family and type - a businessman in a drab suit, with a datafile in one
owner of most of the shares of NS and each of its branched hand and a commlink in the other. Plain and unassuming,
companies. somewhat shorter than the average Corvo, Engun looks
more like an employee or office manager than the leader of
Ma Ng - nicknamed ‘the Mightiest Man’ by friends and the richest corporation in the Universe. He is quite ruthless
foes alike - is an old, stern Corvo with an all-business and commanding when needed, though; very few people
attitude and a rigid, focused mind. He looks extremely old in the Universe are more feared than him, and with good
and withered, his features twisted by age into a creepy, reason. It’s by his decision that medical advances and food 67
almost monstrous visage; nonetheless, he always dresses productions are approved, vetoed or suggested all across

faith: core book

and behaves with impeccable taste. the Corvosphere; as the saying goes ‘the Corvo live or die
at the sufferance of the NS CEO’, and this little bureaucrat
To Ma Ng, everything is about business; like all members is fully aware of the fact.
of his family, he took the reins of Nation’s Solution by
buying and inheriting shares from his closest relatives, Like other Megacorp CEOs, Di Engun is well ap-
not because he particularly cared about science of health. praised that some of the corporations he oversees
However, he is a veritable expert in both subjects, having dabble in, or cover up, illegal activities. Since most
overseen their market, business and trends for his entire drug trade and organ trafficking fronts are linked
life. And he has certainly benefited from them; thanks to to NS, the Megacorp is perhaps the dirtiest of the
special treatments and medical products from his own three at its lower levels, hiding even illegal experi-
company, Ma Ng has managed to live to 163 years and mentation labs. Di Engun has made no move to stop
counting, and his health shows no signs of failing. these activities - any revenue is good revenue - but
he doesn’t take part in any of them, and has been
Although Ma Ng is a public figure, very few people know known to severely chastise anyone that does it
he and his family are the major shareholders of NS. Those openly. He once cut all ties with one of the most
who do know are dismissed as conspiracy theorists when lucrative companies under NS when its CEO offered
they suggest the Ma family actually controls one-third of him a share of its illegal drug trade earnings, which
the Corvo civilisation. Di Engun rejected and donated to scientific research
before ordering the offending company to immedi-
Despite his great power, Ma Ng has an equally ately disband and be sold for parts.
great problem - his inheritance. For all his titles,
for all his properties across ten galaxies, for the If the general public learned of the criminal op-
endless resources in genetic science he has access erations allowed by Nation’s Solution, such as the
to, the Mightiest Man could never produce an heir of Hospital of Hell or the Perfect Soldiers project,
his own blood. His relatives have known this for the the first - and perhaps only - head to fall would
better part of a century now, and have lived - and be Engun’s. Therefore, it’s in his best interest to
died - waiting for him to pass away so as to divide maintain the facade of an impeccable businessman;
his properties. a well-planned blackmail would be his greatest
weakness, and he knows it.
The Corvo Megacorps

MA NG DI ENGUN
Kalivan Prophet :: Proficient Kalivan 2
Level 3 :: Corvo :: Negotiator Level 2 :: Corvo :: Driven
68
mov. 5 metres :: weight 45 kg :: height 145 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 54 kg :: height 160 cm
faith: core book

2 3

2 6 0 8 3 6 0 8

PHYSICAL 4 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 4 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8

STAT 1 STAT 1 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 3

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 (DEX)
1 (CON)
0

Shamayin 2 (LinkWave 50) Engun’s Rig 2 (LinkWave 150)

He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS He can perform Hacking actions. Ghost.
damage). Activated. He gains one advantage OR causes
2 additional ACS damage.

Unreadable Expression Rational

He gains one advantage towards social interactions. He can only be convinced with facts. He is immune
Other characters suffer one disadvantage when trying to dialectics, and he gains one advantage to determine
to read his emotions, expression, or intentions. whether something has been fact checked.

Shrewd 2

He draws two cards at the beginning of the round.

Whenever he or an ally are in a confrontation, they can
play any of those cards instead of playing from the top
of the deck.

There’s old and then there’s Ma Ng. There’s rich and As far as mottos go, “any revenue is good revenue”
then there’s Ma Ng. The wealthiest being on the is not the most sophisticated, but it’s served
universe is lacking a single, simple thing: an heir. Nation’s Solution and CEO Engun just fine.
WANG CORP EDUCATION
There’s Always Wang™ Education is an overlooked business in Corvo society, as
children are considered workers and employees as soon as
Wang Corporation bases its they can walk, talk and feed themselves; Wang saw the op-
business on the creation of portunity and developed thousands of patents for teaching
software and hardware for all software, which now is standard issue in every Corvo class-
electronic devices in the Corvos- room. This gave Wang complete control of the education
phere. They hold the rights to X system, from preschool to advanced scientific teaching.
OS, the largest operating system
in the known Universe. ENTERTAINMENT
Wang Corporation is entirely After software and cortex connectors, the entertain-
dedicated to innovation. They ment business is Wang’s most profitable branch. Every
recognise the importance of major Neuronet Studio, Neurocast network and music
technological advancement company belong to larger companies that in turn belong to
and strive to be at the forefront of all development. They Wang’s Entertainment Division.
heavily invest into mining rare materials, often from gas
giants, in order to fuel their research, and they put out FINANCIAL SERVICES
thousands of tech patents every month. They continuously

The Corvo Megacorps

grow and invest in great ideas and innovations, in an effort This is not common knowledge, but Wang all but handles
to avoid losing clients to alien competitors. Wang Corpora- its rivals’ businesses. Why? Because Wang software
tion recognises the importance of cyber security, and they handles digital money. Every credit issued in the Corvos-
boast the strongest cyber-defence systems in the Corvos- phere comes from Wang software, which means all finan-
phere, so as to ensure that their great ideas remain theirs. cial companies depend on Wang. This means Wang owns all
banks and money in the Corvosphere, which in turn means
While Wang Corp depends on Nation’s Solution for food that everyone, even the owners and CEOs of the other two
and health, they are always looking for alternatives; they Megacorps, are Wang customers.
also depend on The Union for internal security and to 69
extend their business into alien territory. So far they have Of course, Wang must handle its rivals’ money through

faith: core book

found some modest success with the Raag, but have failed financial institutions that pretend to be neutral - even
to enter the uber-protectionist markets of the Iz’kal. though everybody knows who owns them - and follow the
strictest privacy rules. This prevents Wang from accessing
the financial information these companies handle. However,
BUSINESS INTERESTS this is a business field where Wang’s rivals have to concede
its supremacy, and can’t do anything to change it.
Wang Corp’s business interests are the less diversified of
the three Megacorps - it deals only with information, cyber- NEWS AND MASS MEDIA
netic and digital technology. However, this specialisation
gives Wang control over almost every aspect of Corvo life. Although in the Corvosphere this industry is all but a
branch of the entertainment business, it means a very dif-
COMPUTERS ferent medium and source of revenue for Wang Corp; es-
pecially because News and Mass Media companies dictate
Wang’s main business is computer technologies. They what the Corvo people know and what they think about it,
have several macro-corporations that pretend to compete swaying or focusing public opinion according to the needs
against each other with new hardware models, but Wang of the Megacorps - most frequently Wang itself, although
owns all of them. Wang also has the monopoly on X OS, the Union and NS also pay to have their own news channels.
the Corvosphere’s universal operating system, which runs
every computer and every data system in every home. TELECOMM
CYBERNETICS Last but not least, all telecommunication lines in the Cor-
vosphere belong to Wang Corp, which means they own both
As soon as Wang was formed, it made a bid to control all the information itself and the means through which that
cybernetic labs, workshops and research centres, buying information travels. Wang Corp built, developed and now
cyber-implants companies from NS and cyber-weapons owns the Corvo internet, all wired and wireless communi-
tech companies from The Union. Now, most products that cation systems, all the companies that provide and install
involve an organic-machine interface belong to Wang com- them, and every signal sent through them. Wang also mo-
panies, including the most widespread cybernetic device in nopolises the beacon technology that allows colonies to
the Universe - the Cortex Connector. communicate and broadcast news across the Corvosphere.
WANG XUELIN earnings to increase perceptibly, and a long-term plan for
corporate health gives no immediate returns, much less if
There’s an urban legend that the true leader of Wang it’s done at the expense of economic growth.
Corp exists as a purely digital entity, having downloaded
his conscience into an AI. The rumour is absolutely true, She mistrusts the Xuelin Conscience, but has learned to
but it falls short of the truth: the leader behind Wang Corp respect his insight and follow his advice on most things.
is actually Wang Xuelin, the very same man that founded They have a rather grudging partnership, where Wang
the Megacorp 616 years ago, and has lived for almost six Xuelin plays the part of the jaded mentor and Cho Bei the
centuries as an uploaded mind, directly advising the Wang wary trainee that knows they’re not telling her everything.
board of directors from the Megacorp’s system. But she always gets what she wants, and what the corpora-
tion needs - which is enough for her.
Not all Wang shareholders are aware that Wang Xuelin
still exists, and those who are have sworn secrecy; the rev- Actually, Cho Bei is not that into Wang Corp’s policies in
elation would send turmoil down the corporate hierarchy general, and has many enemies both within the board of
and potentially affect company shares. Furthermore, if directors and among the leaders of branched companies.
shareholders discovered Wang Xuelin’s current status as a She is too young, questioning and confrontational, and has
digital entity, they - and other Megacorps - would rightfully called out more than one of her colleagues and subordi-
assume he is, for all intents and purposes, an AI, which are nates on their incompetence or corruption.
completely illegal in the Corvosphere. If NS or The Union
found out that an AI is directing Wang Corp, they’d have The leader of Cho Bei’s enemies is Tai Lai, an old-
The Corvo Megacorps

the final weapon they need to cut off their rival’s head and fashioned, closed-minded computer and marketing
weaken Wang enough to remove it from the corporate race. genius who covets - and is doubtlessly qualified
for - Cho Bei’s position. Tai Lai has been building a
Meanwhile, the Xuelin conscience - as he is known - growing mob of supporters among Wang’s regional
remains behind every decision taken by Wang directives branch leaders, and would have much to win from
ever since the company was founded six centuries ago. Cho Bei’s disgrace.

Currently, Xuelin resides on a secret, secured Despite her growing - although grudging - friend-
70 server at Wang Corp sector; although there’s ship with the Xuelin Conscience, Cho Bei could very
already a cloud backup in place - the access codes well be relieved from her duties - or worse - before
of which are written in quantum tech and have long, and she knows it. She needs allies inside Wang
faith: core book

only been given to the Wang board, each member if she’s going to keep cleaning the company. She
possessing just one piece of the code - the bunker is the best thing that’s happened to Wang Corp,
holding Xuelin’s memory is the best hidden and but she needs something else to remain at the
protected place in the entire Corvosphere, guarded helm - she needs to fight back. Her best hope is to
against everything from EMP generators to nuclear secure the loyalty of Tai Lai’s opponents, the most
warheads, from cloud hacking to physical infiltra- important being Tai Mei - Lai’s own sister, and joint
tion. Only the Wang board has access to Xuelin, and inheritor of their father’s shares of Wang Corp. Mei
only when Xuelin wishes it. has often voiced her disgust for her brother - Could
she be the unexpected ally the CEO needs?
The Xuelin Conscience reflects the personality of
Wang Xuelin in his prime - curious, clever, proactive, Cho may have no choice but to accept an offer
inspiring, creative. In fact, the X OS system, which she absolutely loathes, one she recently got from
sustains most of Wang’s revenues, is based on certain ‘messengers’ from the Heijian underworld.
Xuelin’s brain patterns. So, when Wang Corp used They suggested that, in exchange for her help in
the slogan that all X OS users had ‘a bit of Wang certain matters concerning the leaders of The
with them’, they were saying the literal truth. Union Megacorp - something to do with Kan Jiang
accepting a deal with the Tongs - they could deal
with Tai Lai definitively and discreetly, meaning
CHO BEI that neither the general public nor the other Wang
leaders would ever learn what happened. Cho’s
The current CEO of Wang corp is Cho Bei, a young and answer was to fire the ‘messengers’ immediately
talented Corvo woman who has curtailed a bit of Wang’s - after all, they were Tong collaborators within
rampant tech acquisitions to focus on cleaning and improv- Wang Corp’s lower leadership - but recently the
ing the Megacorp’s function as it currently stands. Under messages have been repeated, this time revealing
Cho Bei, Wang Corp has had very little growth, but has a terrible suggestion: in exchange for her coopera-
improved its efficiency and reduced inner corruption and tion, they would ‘not reveal her boss’ true nature’.
bureaucracy by nearly 500%. Not all shareholders are Do the Tongs know of Wang Xuelin? Can Cho Bei
happy with her policies, however, as they expected their afford to ignore their offer?
The Corvo Megacorps
WANG XUELIN CHO BEI
Lone Wolf :: OS Affinity Hexian 2 :: OS Affinity
Level 4 :: Corvo :: Strategist Level 2 :: Corvo :: Cunning
71
mov. N/A :: weight N/A :: height N/A mov. 5 metres :: weight 48 kg :: height 158 cm

faith: core book

4 3

* * 0 9 2 6 0 8

PHYSICAL 16 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 21 PHYSICAL 4 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 17

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
1 (CON)
0

Xuelin’s Rig 3 (LinkWave 500) Shamayin 2 (LinkWave 50)

He can perform Hacking actions (causing 3 ACS She can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
damage). damage). Activated. She gains one advantage OR
causes 2 additional ACS damage.

Virtual Conscience Rational

He must be installed in a robot as a virus. He will She can only be convinced with facts. She is immune
control it as if it was his body, using his own Stats. He to dialectics, and she gains one advantage to determine
can perform two actions during his turn. Action. He whether something has been fact checked.
can infest a robot to install a dormant copy of himself.
Instant. He can become a dormant copy, and one of his
dormant copies will become him. Judge of character

Characters attempting to lie to her suffer one

disadvantage.

Wang Xuelin is the stuff of legend in the Corvos- Cho Bei is an unlikely Megacorp CEO: young, sober and
phere. If it were confirmed that he’s lived as an AI professional, she has focused on the cleansing of internal
for 600 years, the world would change forever. corruption at the expense of short term growth.
THE UNION ARMS
The Advance Force™ The best-known and more profitable branches of The
Union are weapons manufacturers. These companies run
The Union Megacorp the gamut from large and respected conglomerates to
creates all weaponry, and shady black market ops. They sell weapons to everyone
hires and trains most of from police forces to Coalition soldiers to crime families,
the military in the Corvos- including even Iz’kal insurgents and Human radicals.
phere. Of the three Mega- Everyone in and outside of the Corvosphere depends on
corps, they are the most Union-owned weapon companies, from pirates and gang-
interested in mining and sters, to the war effort against the Ravager invasion.
space exploration.
Since The Union controls both the legal and illegal
The Union prioritises weapons markets, it has to pretend that there’s a division
weapon and spacecraft de- between them, and often has its police companies denounce
velopments. They have the best technicians for their mining or even fight the customers of its shadier weapons trade.
facilities and the best staff for their military and work- Since it feeds and collects money from both sides, the
force. They also hire more aliens than any other megacorp, Union loses no profit by this practice.
hoping to use the diverse capabilities and cheap labour of
lesser species to their benefit. Most of the Humans in the CARGO & TRANSPORT
The Corvo Megacorps

Corvosphere work for The Union.

The Union handles all cargo and delivery companies in
The Union depends on Nation’s Solution to satisfy their the Corvosphere, which means everything that requires
basic needs, and on Wang Corp for their software and basic transportation - that is, anything that isn’t digital informa-
hardware; as the other two Megacorps, The Union is looking tion. As a result, most ships in the Corvosphere, from pas-
for an alternative to this dependency, a backdoor into its senger ships to supply traders, belong to a Union company.
rivals’ systems, or even perhaps the chance for a hostile And even NS and Wang companies need to transport their
takeover. people and materials from one place to another.
72
The other Megacorps look down on the Union for its de- CONSTRUCTION
pendence on manpower to function, and even mock them
faith: core book

for ‘monopolising people’. But the joke is actually close to The most widespread Union businesses are construction
the truth: The Union’s reliance on living employees is its companies. The Union has bought or founded all companies
greatest strength. that make buildings, gyro-zhans, omnirings, mining facili-
ties and space stations. In fact, The Union got its name from
In fact, The Union has a policy of non-automation in the merger of all the companies that built the Tiantang
most of his companies and factories, and it has the lowest Dyson Ring around Quanjie’s sun, making it the oldest of the
skulling job ratio of the three Megacorps. Its workers Three Megacorps.
are ‘living, breathing and awake’, as the company slogan
proudly says. DEFENCE
Even though the Corvo prohibition on AI allows for non- The defence industry handles exclusive contracts for
independent robots, The Union prefers to employ living soldiers and official approval for military-grade weapons,
workers when it can, strongly encouraging all its owned vehicles and operations. It is a very separate business from
companies to follow the same policy. This has a double ad- weapons manufacturing, although the general public often
vantage - first, it gives the Megacorp the greatest popular confuses the two - not that it truly matters, as The Union
support among the Corvo people; and second, it keeps The controls both industries. It has created several companies
Union independent from Wang Corp’s cybernetic systems. that own ‘official licenses’ to legally provide trained merce-
naries, soldiers and equipment for armed ops; any weapon
or agent without these licenses is a black market product.
BUSINESS INTERESTS
ENERGY
The Union’s business branches are mostly related to
mining, construction, transport and warfare - anything A very important and overlooked aspect of Union
that requires lots of manpower to operate. After all, The business is the energy industry. While all three Megacorps
Union’s main trade good is people. own and produce electricity, fossil fuels or quantum power,
most of the engines and procedures to extract them belong
to The Union. Although it officially claims no monopoly on
energy sources - Corvo law expressly forbids it - The Union
does own most of the energy in the Corvosphere, which Xeon Magno doesn’t look eye to eye with The Union CEO,
means most of the technology. This is where The Union has and rumours of replacement are currently flying; everyone
its competitors by the tail, and they know it. at the Megacorp knows that both men have a battle of wills
going on, and that they are waiting for the Ravager war to
SPACE TRAVEL end before making their next move.

The Union handles all intergalactic starships, Labyrinth

exploration grants, interstellar travel licenses, and every- KAN JIANG
thing related to space travel. The Union is in charge of en-
forcing the laws to move from one Corvo colony to another, The Union CEO is Kan Jiang, a veteran space explorer
and into or out of the Corvosphere. This has allowed it to turned entrepreneur out of friendship with the sharehold-
impose heavy taxes on Wang or NS ships that wish to estab- ers and members of the Union board. He is an old, grim and
lish colonies or mining facilities across the Labyrinth, and iron-willed Corvo, who still looks and moves like he’s in his
has led to its slogan of being ‘the Masters of the Universe’. prime thanks to a healthy and active lifestyle. He is used
to giving orders and being obeyed, and even some of The
VEHICLES Union shareholders are in awe of him.

The Union also owns all vehicle manufacturers in the Kan Jiang is very loyal to The Union, and will do
Corvosphere. Union companies build and produce every- anything for the company; this sometimes includes
thing from street gyrocycles to military-grade warships, turning a blind eye, or even giving aid, to the many

The Corvo Megacorps

from deluxe designer space cars to transport shuttles. The illegal weapon smuggling operations taking place at
companies are equally diversified, from luxury automotor the lower echelons of the corporation. He doesn’t
brands to large-scale industrial transport manufactur- like to aid the mob, but he compensates by invest-
ers. As is the case with most Megacorp subsidiaries, they ing heavily in law enforcement. Besides authorising
fiercely compete against each other for the same market, weapons sales to the Tongs, he considers himself
even though the revenues always find their way to the their sworn enemy and has vowed to bring Zhui Yan
same place - The Union shareholders. in, personally if needed.

After the Coalition formed, Kan Jiang has been 73

XEON MAGNO more busy than ever, as the responsibility for

faith: core book

winning the whole Ravager war has fallen almost
The main shareholder of The Union is Xeon Magno, a entirely on his shoulders. This has taxed even his
relatively young and ambitious Corvo businessman who legendary mental strength, and rumours abound
saw that the future of investment was in weaponry and that Kan Jiang may be replaced after the war ends,
warfare; after the battle of Izuan Tai, he sold his company even though he’s faithfully served as Union CEO for
to The Union and made sure to acquire as many Megacorp the last 50 years.
shares as he could. Then slowly, by cautiously buying and
selling, he ended up becoming the Megacorp’s main share- Kan Jiang is very invested in the war against the
holder. When the Coalition formed, his fortune increased Ravager. He needs it to be a resounding success, not
exponentially, and now he is one of the richest men in the only to save his species from extinction, but also to
Corvosphere. When he was invited to the board of share- increase his leverage and clout among Union share-
holders of The Union, he had little to no acquaintance with holders, so as to prevent ‘that upstart Magno’ from
the other members. firing him. He has also drawn fire from the Zhui
Tong, despite allowing them to buy Union weapons,
Xeon Magno is a sharp, smartly-dressed, outgoing and by his very public and outspoken comments against
assertive man, experienced in projecting power and confi- organised crime. In short, the old soldier is on the
dence. After his power became real, he only became more crosshairs of the corporate world, and though that
self-assured; now, those who meet him feel like they are is exactly how he likes it, he may need allies if he
in the presence of royalty. He is the most famous of all expects to win a war in so many fronts.
Megacorp owners, and has made no effort to conceal his
identity or role in the company. For now, he is offering outrageous sums of
money - as much as one of the ten richest men in
Xeon Magno doesn’t like ostentatiousness or hoarding; the Corvosphere can offer - for information on Lady
he keeps his money flowing, and as soon as an investment Zhui’s or Honcho Hwang’s plans, whereabouts or
yields returns, he invests most of it back. By the same weaknesses. As he sees it, if he can wipe the Tongs
token, he is a big spender in his personal life, althouhg he is from Tiantang without hurting Union’s business, his
sober and tasteful in his hobbies and acquisitions. His only battle in every arena would be all but won.
accumulation habit is his famous collection of weapons,
safely kept in a bunker in his residence at Tiantang CS.
The Corvo Megacorps

XEON MAGNO KAN JIANG

Ghost :: Proficient Lone Wolf
Level 3 :: Corvo :: Driven Level 3 :: Corvo :: Loyal
74
mov. 5 metres :: weight 57 kg :: height 165 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 63 kg :: height 169 cm
faith: core book

2 3

4 6 0 9 5 5 1 9

PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 (DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+

Magno’s Rig 2 (LinkWave 150) Shamayin 2 (LinkWave 50)

He can perform Hacking actions gaining one advan- He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
tage (causing 2 ACS damage). damage). Activated. He gains one advantage OR causes
2 additional ACS damage.

True Kalivan Respected Leader

He can use the Natural selection and Greed divine His allies within 2 metres gain Loyal Bodyguard:
powers at prophet level. Instant. If he is aware of it happening, he can become
the target of an action that targeted Kan Jiang.

Overwhelming Presence Natural Selection

He gains one advantage towards social interactions Instant. He suffers 2 neural damage and gains one
with characters with Cunning lower than his Mental advantage.
skill.

Ravagers have done a lot of harm to the known Jiang, CEO of The Union, wages a personal war
universe, but there’s a silver lining: thanks to their against the Tongs while he manages a steady
threat, Xeon Magno’s pockets are deeper than ever. supply of weaponry for the Coalition.
SECRETS OF THE When Professor Kwang Jiu initially suggested the idea for

MEGACORPS the Hospital of Hell, she was met with rejection and disgust.

Professor Kwang’s idea was that empty moral concerns

When Professor Kwang gave her proposal during a board

The Corvo Megacorps

faith: core book

Tiantang, those whose projects had been rejected or for-
More than 80% of the Death Maze market is in Tiantang, bidden, and Professor Kwang promised them all complete
but several radical and paramilitary cells in the colonies funding and support. Investors regretted their choice within
make use of it too. Through the Death Maze, anyone may a week of BEDLAM’s inauguration, but it was too late. By
acquire almost any kind of weapon, regardless of the law the time they thought of shutting it down, their reputations
regarding the weapon or its availability in the open market, and their money were in more danger than if they simply
as long as he has the money. let it continue. They chose to hide the BEDLAM facility from
the general public and officially pretend it didn’t exist. This
Contacting the Death Maze is fairly easy, but danger- actually made it worse - Professor Kwang’s medics were
ous too. Ask the right person and you’re in; ask the wrong emboldened by anonymity, and what started as a center
person and you’re marked by the law. That is why it’s better for disturbing practices became a rampant slaughterhouse,
to wait for someone within the Death Maze to contact you still known in urban legends as the Hospital of Hell.
- or to be an outlaw in the first place, which is a whole dif-
ferent problem on itself. Currently, the Hospital of Hell is covertly used for all
kinds of unspeakable experiments. The staff are allowed
to try any procedure regardless of its safety or ethics,
THE HOSPITAL OF HELL and patients from all Tiantang are tortured, maimed or
mutated in ways too varied and horrible to recount. There
Nation’s Solution employs billions of scientists, physi- are many reasons the Hospital of Hell hasn’t been closed
cians, researchers, technicians and lab assistants. NS labs yet: First, the patients are taken from the lowest levels
have more staff than most planets have people, and like all of Corvo society - outcasts, vagrants, beggars, convicts,
planets, they have their share of crazy and evil individuals. and even patients that were incurable or declared dead.
Statistically, there’s at least one criminally insane scientist Second, most of them are desperate or terminally ill, and
in every NS branch, and the Megacorp has hundreds of thus volunteered for the treatments - and are not allowed
thousands of such branches. to back out later, of course, but that’s not an issue for the
Hospital’s authorities; if the patients are there under their
But only one of these branches is entirely run by mad own free will, the facility cannot be closed down. Third, The
scientists. Hospital doesn’t officially exist, which gives NS authorities
impunity and deniability on any crimes committed inside.
And last - and most important - the horrible experiments As of today, RavLab is in the process of breeding more
do every now and then get results that actually benefit specimens of HHD and expanding its research into new,
medical science. This allows for the development of patent possibly custom-designed species, looking to launch
products and methods that in turn report huge earnings to Corvo-owned Ravager organisms to the black market.
Nation’s Solution.

In short, the Hospital of Hell won’t go away anytime THE NEURO-DRUG

soon. Unless someone was brave and cunning enough to
uncover it... Experience drugs, or XDs, are the cultural and techno-
logical pinnacle of Corvo entertainment. They are legal,
highly entertaining, and somewhat harmless despite the
THE RAVAGER FACTORY side effects of prolonged use, which include severe addic-
tion and psychological damage.
Nation’s Solution and its subsidiaries are the most
advanced and successful biomedical firms in the known However, there’s one XD that’s not only forbidden, but its
universe. They are responsible for medical breakthroughs sale and consumption is actively persecuted by Corvo law.
that have affected the lives of all sentient beings, from It’s called Link, or ‘the Neuro-drug’, and it can only be used
aesthetic body mods to safe life-extending treatments. through a cortex connector.
Some Corvo media personalities have joked that the only
thing that Corvo scientists haven’t achieved is to create life. By adding an illegal chip to one’s CC, it can be turned into
The Corvo Megacorps

a receiver for a special electrical injection that directly acti-

Well, Nation’s Solution is not one to refuse a challenge. vates the user’s synapses; that’s how Link is administered.
Injectors are one-use only, and acquired from dealers at
Once the fearsome Ravager species made itself known outrageous prices.
at the border outposts of the Corvosphere, and reports
came in from the Coalition describing these aliens’ ability By firing a large amount of synapses at once, the user
to design their own genes almost from one day to the experiences a high that typical XDs, with all their neural
next, corporate interest was piqued. Some rogue agents tech, cannot hope to match; however, by combining the
76 from NuiCo, a pharma labs firm, put out a reward for fresh neuro-drug with an XD, the user exponentially increases the
Ravager parts, and actively hired mercenaries to search virtual sensations, getting a hyper-load of the XD. Addic-
for them near recent battle sites. Before a standard year tion to Link is incredibly dangerous, however, as madness,
faith: core book

had passed, the clandestine operation had acquired its sudden death and strokes are common from firing a single
first samples, and launched a hastily-built lab to analyse shot of the neuro-drug. That could actually be the best
them and try to reproduce the Ravager’s genetic abilities. scenario; long-time survivors of Link addiction inevitably
The project was dubbed RavLab, and was kept secret from suffer at least one type of permanent brain damage, and
everyone, including NuiCo directives; against expectations, many end up as vegetables for life.
they succeeded.
Link use has grown so heavily in fringe areas of Tiantang,
Barely a decade after RavLab’s founding, during which it such as the Gu or Xiao sectors, that it’s begun to impact the
functioned as a clandestine centre for the study of Ravager skulling business, affecting all Corvo industries. It’s likely
breeding and biogenetics, the project gave birth to its first to get worse before it gets better.
Ravager specimen - an unknown, unidentifiable breed, the
likes of which Coalition soldiers had never encountered The Union, through their law enforcement branches, has
in battle. RavLab was quick to patent the new lifeform, promised to eradicate Link from Tiantang streets, not only
dubbing it Hui Huài dì (Little Ravager brother), or HHD; they because it affects their business, but also because they
believe it may be a sample of true basic Ravager stock, know that Link is a fully-sanctioned Wang Corp product.
before any genetic adaptation. Data on the HHD species Although Wang denies and condemns the existence of the
could change the war if RavLab could go public with their neuro-drug, and there’s no conclusive proof to connect the
discovery - but it also could make a fortune for a few vi- Link trade with Wang officials, it’s an open secret in the
sionary businessmen. Knowing this, RavLab revealed its corporate world that Link came from a failed experiment at
success and the existence of the HHD to select members Gonga labs, a Wang subsidiary. Since the ‘failed experiment’
of the NuiCo board. is still being mass-produced and sold on the streets, and
Gonga is still a fully-funded Wang company, it’s a matter
After a series of calls to certain shady associates and of time before the leads point at some Wang high-up. The
potential interested parties among the Tong crime families, Union wants to be there when that happens.
the NuiCo board voted to keep funding RavLab, not as an
official company project, but as a joint venture with the
Corvo underworld; thus RavLab became a monster factory
for the Tongs.
THE PERFECT
SOLDIER PROGRAM
Nation’s Solution and The Union don’t often cooperate,
although they are forced to depend on each other for
many of their respective businesses - The Union needs
NS supplies, while NS needs The Union’s security. Yet, it’s
not common for both Megacorps to openly do business
together. Ironically, the two companies’ longest-running
joint venture is a secret criminal operation.

It started when Perfect Pills, an NS company, developed

The Corvo Megacorps

faith: core book

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 4

The Perfect Soldiers are the fruit of a top secret

cooperation between The Union and Nation’s
Solution. Do they live up to their name though?
LAW AND CRIME
“There is only one cure to savagery: abundance
of resources. Empathy is a luxury for those social domination and create injustice. While there is no
struggling to survive.” consensus around the issue of how much power the gov-
ernment should wield, all colonies have found a common
- Aliyah Saab, Iz’Kal sociologist ground by limiting the government to the administration
and enforcement of laws - which rarely if ever implies
For the Corvo, “crime” means “to interfere with some- power over police forces, as seen further in this document.
one’s private property without authorisation”. Thus judges are paid by the government, but lawyers, at-
torneys and police officers are not. No prosecution will be
This, of course, describes stealing, counterfeiting and made, regardless of the crime, if the appropriate fees are
unlicensed trade, but it also includes murder and slavery, not paid.
as a Corvo’s life is considered their own property too. In
an interplanetary, information-based society such as the
Corvosphere, the definition also includes malicious hacking. COMMANDER LAO MENG
Outside the above definition of crime, everything else is The woman in charge of law and order in Tiantang is Com-
open to interpretation; it depends heavily on the specific mander Lao Meng, a veteran mercenary from a family with

The Corvo Law and Crime

situation, the laws of the respective colony, and most a long tradition in law enforcement.
particularly on how much the affected parties can pay. In
short, what you did is bad depending mostly on who you Commander Lao is not a member of any mercenary
did it to. outfit, but is tasked with overseeing the operations of all
private police forces in the name of The Union. As a Union
Under Corvo law, “debatable” crimes include (but are not representative, she answers directly to Chief Zhang Ye,
limited to) espionage, forgery, extortion, gambling, drug the Head Security Executive of Tiantang and one of the
trade and most moral offences. members of The Board, the executives in charge of all
Tiantang operations.
Even more, Corvo written laws are extremely compli- 79
cated; this means cases may last months or even years, Commander Lao is a honest woman, but she also knows

faith: core book

which further limits the ability of lower-class Corvo to when to bend the law, and realises she cannot maintain
defend themselves, as lawyers charge by day and are control without allowing certain lesser crimes to occur. She
rarely in a hurry to reach the end of a case. By the same doesn’t, however, cut any slack to the Tong mobs; she’s had
token, corporations rarely lose any litigation, as they have more than a few run-ins with Lady Zhui and Hwang Gun, the
the resources to pay not just for a longer trial, but also to mightiest crime bosses of Tiantang, and they have learned
prolong it in their favor. to steer clear of her path. As long as they don’t call undue
attention to their operations, she is content with maintain-
ing the status quo and supervising that the Tiantang merce-
LAW nary outfits protect the general populace as best they can.

“Killing is not innately bad. We frown on killing One thing Commander Lao doesn’t tolerate is police cor-
on the grounds that a society cannot prosper ruption. She is relentless in prosecuting any police officer
if killing exists. But the most animalistic call is or team that blatantly breaks Tiantang law. This is harder
to try and get what we desire without planning than it sounds, as many of her own underlings - sector
for future consequences, and killing sometimes and district law operations managers - are in the Tong’s
is an efficient and easy way of achieving things. payroll, and she is responsible for overseeing their good
Even less intelligent animals understand this behaviour. Many a lenient law officer has been discharged
problem, and they have strict codes of behav- under Commander Lao’s term, which has earned her quite a
iour: A pack predator that kills another will be few enemies, both among the Tongs and within the shadier
abandoned by the pack. So, not killing is mostly levels of The Union Megacorp.
something we do in the hope that others will do
the same and won’t kill us back.” Chief Zhang believes in her, however, and fully supports
her policies, usually agreeing to her budget requests -
- Xue Lin, Corvo comedian and political activist although he always pretends to be horrified at her staff and
gear demands - so Commander Lao’s job is not in immediate
Corvo civilisation is built around freedom of choice and danger. She is still under a lot of pressure, coming specifi-
private property. They are very wary of governments and cally from two fronts: One, the increasing activities of the
political organisations that could mess with their freedom, Dragonfly Tong, which are stirring the Heijian underworld
and they understand that these institutions are forms of and making the other Tong mobs increasingly tense and
The Corvo Law and Crime

COMMANDER LAO MILITARY CONTRACTOR

Teamplayer
Level 3 :: Corvo :: Loyal Level 2 :: Corvo :: Cautious
80
mov. 5 metres :: weight 62 kg :: height 170 cm mov. 10 metres :: weight 58 kg :: height 165 cm
faith: core book

4 5 2 - 4 3 1 8

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 6 PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5

STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
2- QUARTERS
4 DISTANCE
4+

Extended Awareness Reaper

She cannot be caught by surprise and will always be Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour).
able to confront any action against her. Extended range: 300 metres, damage 3.

EM Shield Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)

Her armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
plasma or neural weapons. damage).

Relentless EM Orbital Suit

She does not lose her turn when she performs a He can move flying, and his armour value cannot be
counteraction. reduced or ignored by plasma or neural weapons.

Commander Lao is an old school officer of the Law, In the Corvosphere, personal safety costs big
honest and brave. In her tenure, police corrup- bucks, and military contractors are at the core
tion has decreased, but Tongs remain powerful. of this buoyant business operation.
could soon lead to a three-way gang war; second, she’s for their incredible feats, such as single-handedly taking out
under pressure from her Sector officials - particularly entire pirate outposts or surviving for years on desolated
officer Lu, in charge of Xiao sector - to strike a deal with the planets, and as a result have become renowned across the
Zhui gang to shut down their rivals, the Hwangs, in a joint Corvosphere. A few of them are true celebrities, used by
covert operation. Commander Lao sees the advantages of military agencies to advertise their services and to attract
this plan, but she’s uneasy about opening up to the Zhui and new recruits among young Corvo.
to Lu’s informant within the Hwang gang. Not only is this
because of her moral sense, but also because Kan Jiang, Military contractors are also most likely used for unof-
CEO of The Union and the boss of the boss of the boss of her ficial, black operations against the Iz’kal or Corvo radical
boss, has expressly forbid all Union officials from striking cells, and even in sabotage raids against other corporations.
any kind of deal with the Tong mobs. Her choice could have
a number of different outcomes and consequences for law
and order in Tiantang. PUNISHMENT
In short, Commander Lao needs help. She needs more “They only took his life.”
men in the streets to keep an eye on the increasing violence,
- Corvo saying meaning “it wasn’t that serious”
and she needs spies and intelligencers on both the Hwang
and Zhui Tongs to let her know what she’d be really getting
into by accepting the deal against the Hwang gang. She, In the Corvosphere, fines are the most common punish-

The Corvo Law and Crime

however, needs to get this help discreetly, without mixing ment, even for serious crimes. The second most common
her boss’ name in it. Who could come to her aid? sentence is exile of forced labour to some colony, usually
when the defendant can’t afford bail. These convicts
become little more than slaves - indentured servants to the
MILITARY CONTRACTORS government, that is, the Megacorp - until they fulfil their
sentence, which may be never.
“Never shoot a gun cocked by someone else.”
Imprisonment without forced labour is available as
- Kalivan saying
a ‘middle ground’ when the defendant can pay to avoid
exile, but not enough to cover the amount of the fine 81
Other than a few rare exceptions, police forces are out stipulated by the state. In this case, convicts serve most

faith: core book

of the government’s jurisdiction and answer directly to of their sentence in privately-owned jails, paying for their
private companies. That means that they will only protect stay from their own pocket until their sentence ends or the
those areas and neighbourhoods that pay for their services. money runs out, at which point they are sent to labour in
As a result, private police forces compete for the business exile like everyone else.
of upstate or more populated areas. It is common to see
advertisements on different private police services and Some crimes are considered dai, or too heinous for
their superior training methods or technology. In certain fines, and are automatically punished by exile or, much
boroughs where the neighbours don’t agree on contract- more rarely, death. Every colony has its own rules about
ing the same service, each house may even fall under the which crimes are considered dai and which aren’t, but they
protection of a different company. almost always involve crimes threatening the livelihood or
economic stability of the Corvosphere as a whole, such as
There’s even an - unproven and mean-spirited - urban sedition, industrial sabotage or mass murder.
legend that some police forces move bodies to the jurisdic-
tion of other companies, to avoid having to resolve complex Murder and theft, while completely illegal, are not
or undesired crimes. uncommon, especially in the poorest districts where crooks
and other lowlifes that have failed to make an honest living
As it is not uncommon for Corvo to own personal weapons try the easy way out. Not much can be done about it; police
for extra safety, some even disregard the services of police services must be hired by citizens, and very few can afford
forces altogether, and prefer to rely on their own abilities to it. On rare occasions, wealthy businesspeople may pay for
defend themselves. a raid or two in a dangerous slum, but only when they fear
that their interests or social stability might be in danger.
On the other hand, Megacorps use military contractors On the other hand, those who can afford the fees will have
for their expansion enterprises to protect their spacecrafts the best lawyers in the known Universe, and will find their
and colonies. These contractors - the closest thing to an justice.
army in the Corvosphere - hire and train their own person-
nel, using the most advanced weaponry in the Universe. Unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority (97.7%)
There are plenty of these companies, most of them belong- of Corvo convicts come from the lower classes, which
ing to The Union Megacorp, and there are millions of merce- includes foreign Humans and Raag. In fact, while Human
naries working for them. Some mercenaries are renowned immigrants make up roughly 0.001% of the Corvosphere’s
population, they represent more than 10% of the inmates That’s what the Heijian means - it represents the con-
at penal labour colonies. It’s estimated that the Human cealed part of the visible world. Willingly entering it is dif-
population at Corvo penal colonies is several times as large ficult, falling into it by accident is easy - and both paths are
as the total Human population outside the Corvosphere. dangerous.

In short, ‘Heijian’ is the fancy word by which most crimi-

THE HEIJIAN nals, particularly the Tongs, and many mercenaries and ad-
venturers, refer to any kind of outlaw activities. For those
that know the term, it’s become an elaborate synonym of
The Corvosphere is a huge place, perhaps the largest the underworld. An adventurer may spend his entire life
entity in the Universe. It has room for all kinds of people, outside the law without ever hearing the word - but he’ll be
cultures and societies. There are urban and space environ- living in the Heijian anyway.
ments; rural and digital societies; there are the wealthy
and varied degrees of poverty; there’s the corporate world
and the zero-g slums. Despite the countless environments SLAVERY
inside the Corvosphere, most of them never touch each
other. Slavery is a widespread crime across the Corvosphere,
but it takes several disparate forms.
But there’s another world, one that’s a shadow of all
The Corvo Law and Crime

the other worlds - a hidden world that is everywhere and Forced labour, the most common form of slavery, is
touches all others. It exists just below the Corvosphere’s completely legal and government-sanctioned. Mostly used
facade of law and order, behind every building, every as punishment for several crimes, it’s also available to less
financial transaction, every job and every family. It lurks fortunate citizens as a way out of debt or poverty, as any
just under the sweatshops, the apartments, the zero-g citizen may choose to become an indentured servant to the
habitats and the community parks. It slinks past the Megacorps or their subsidiaries as payment for any service
corporate offices and gyrocycle repair shops, brushing or financial dues. A lucky few of these citizens are assigned
against everyday people as they walk down the street, to everyday jobs at normal offices, but most indentured
never seen, always there. It lives in the gutters, below the servants are sent to forced labour under the same condi-
82 streets, among the lost numbers of the stock exchange tions as criminal convicts - that is, exile, extremely long
and the lost children that are never found. It’s the home of hours, poor nutrition, and no freedom until the labour
the petty thieves and the gangsters, where all the hookers period is fulfilled.
faith: core book

and drunks and stolen babies live. Is the story told by sex
slaves and brave mercenaries, by daring smugglers and Then, there is actual sentient trafficking; every day,
drug addicts. It’s the underworld, the dark reflection of the hundreds of thousands of Corvosphere citizens are kid-
Corvosphere. napped and sold into slavery by the Tongs. These slaves
are then used to serve the entertainment and sex industry,
Those who live in it call it The Heijian - the underground, or as forced labourers - treated exactly as indentured
the dark mirror of normal life. Although it coexists with servants or exiled convicts. Some slaves are also used as
every society and environment within the Corvosphere, involuntary guinea pigs in the development of illegal drugs
it’s almost a different dimension; once you enter the Heijian and weaponry.
- once you kill your first man, seal your first secret deal,
leave your home on an adventure - you are in a new world. This kind of slavery is actively opposed and fought by
You look through a new glass at what once was familiar and Corvo law, which considers it a dai (heinous) crime at most
reassuring. It’s another thing now, a scary, dangerous thing. settlements; however, it remains unbeatable, as the rate
It’s not that the Heijian is a different place; it’s just that the of expansion, economic growth and quality of life of the
places around you are never the same once you’ve seen it. Corvosphere cannot be maintained without the effort of
underpaid workers - and there’s a huge market for extra
And the Heijian is everywhere. No matter where you hands (and brains) in every Corvo colony, especially if said
are in the Corvosphere, if you turn your head to the right hands can be made to work for free.
place, you may see it through the cracks - those fleeting
shadows turn out to be two hoodlums dividing up a stolen Finally, there are entire crime organisations dedicated to
bag. Those two unknown gentlemen that just brushed smuggling immigrants. As millions of Corvo citizens cannot
against each other actually exchanged illegal merchandise. fulfil the requirements for travelling from one colony to
The department that the respectable, well-dressed man is another, they are easy victims for slavers and bootleg
just leaving, has a dead female in a closet. That baby isn’t runners offering them an ‘easy route’.
sleeping - it’s been drugged and kidnapped. That innocent-
looking gyrocycle with dark windows contains a half-ton of Some of these immigrants are sold into outright slavery;
stolen medicaments. those that don’t are still merchandise, ‘bought’ by entre-
preneurs that pay well for smugglers to find and transport
cheap workers. Although these workers are paid, their
wages are so low that they have become a highly sought-
after commodity for Corvo businessmen. Finding and
routing immigrant workers is a growing, and completely
legal, business, although it basically treats living people
as merchandise and the Megacorps management officially
acknowledges it as a necessary evil.

CYBERCRIME
Cybercrime is the most extensive type of crime in the
Corvosphere; everyone is connected to the net, and new
ways to exploit software weaknesses are constantly being
discovered.

It is also a very safe type of crime as it can be performed

from home, and is difficult to trace without the aid of a
private security company. Therefore, most criminals

The Corvo Law and Crime

target lower or middle class citizens, aiming for large
numbers of easy victims instead of the more enticing, but
difficult, upper class.

That said, there are some fantastic hackers known

for being capable of penetrating the strongest of digital
SENTIENT TRAFFICKER
defences and uncovering the most closely guarded secrets
of the Megacorps. These hackers must live in complete
anonymity as they risk not only their freedom, but often Level 1 :: Corvo :: Malicious
also their lives. 83
mov. 5 metres :: weight 54 kg :: height 160 cm

CC CYBERCRIME

faith: core book

Cortex connector hacking is one of the most important 3 2 0 3

forms of cybercrime in the Corvosphere.

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 3

It’s a common practice for software crackers to invade STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1
CC lines and steal a fraction of the device’s Processing
Power Rate (PPR), to be sold later on to a data, cybernetic
CLOSE STANDARD
or information technology company (sometimes the same QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
1 ++
company from which they stole it in the first place) at a
lower price. This limits the PPR that the owner of the device
Nobrainer
can access and causes the price of PPR to increase.
Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
Infotech companies are constantly investing on CC digital ignores armour).
security improvements, some going as far as implementing
systems in their Closed versions that induce constant pain
on the wearer if the device is tampered with, until checked
Soulhunt
by one of their techs.
He always knows the exact location within his solar
Other hackers use this system to fish for information. system of one character he has seen before. He can
Corporations have near-impregnable security systems, choose a different target but will lose track of the
but even the largest corporations need to use CCs, which previous permanently.
are far easier to hack into. However, additional steps are
required in order to extract any information from these
CCs, as information that goes through them is always
codified and divided into tiny bits that are sent to different
cortex connectors, making it impossible to extract any
information from any single cortex connector even if the
encryption code could be cracked.
Slavers enjoy the silence and indifference of an
uncaring society, and can even get some Kalivan
powers if they reach new heights of selfishness.
Data mining requires the hackers to access the distribu-
tion algorithm from the target company and infect every
cortex connector that receives the information just to get
the encrypted data. Despite the enormous complexity of
this procedure, it is often easier than accessing the central
servers of the most powerful corporations - and the
rewards are well worth the pain.

OIDIA
“Oops, I did it again” or OIDIA is one of the most
notorious and wanted hackers in the entire Corvo-
sphere. He is named after the signature he leaves
behind and is known for his peculiar outlook on data
as a living organism - just another form of life, that
can be tamed like an animal.

Some think that he is code itself, that he is the

The Corvo Law and Crime

first real AI. Others believe that he was killed during

his latest job. Some believe OIDIA is not a single in-
dividual, but a long line of hackers that have passed
the title down for several generations.
DEVIANT HACKER Despite all this, from time to time some astonish-
ing hacking attack turns Corvo society upside down
with the signature “Oops, I did it again”, to prove that
Level 1 :: Corvo :: Cunning he, she, or it is very much alive.
84
mov. 5 metres :: weight 50 kg :: height 165 cm
Whatever the truth, OIDIA is without a doubt the
greatest hacker in the Corvosphere, well known by
faith: core book

2
his approach to hacking; that data can be trained,
2 4 0 6 tamed and cared for like a living thing. He seems to
have the right idea - or an uncanny intuition - because
he has guessed passwords and bypassed security
PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5
2 2 systems that no living person - or program - could
STAT 1 STAT STAT
have decoded. Some believe that, somehow, he can
actually predict how data strings will behave.
HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
1 (CON)
0
His goals seem to vary - he can steal millions
one day, and the next just mess with business data
Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)
to spit the Megacorps. Although he appears to be
He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS mostly in it for the money, he also wants to leave a
damage). message - specifically that the Megacorps are NOT
all-powerful, and that the little man can hurt them
back.

Repair Drones
Many corporations have bounties on OIDIA, willing
Activated. He removes 2 ACS damage from a char- to pay large sums for any information leading to
acter or piece of gear up to 10 metres away. ‘his’ capture. But OIDIA remains uncannily hidden
and out of the law’s reach, as the legend grows.

“There is a war going on, but it is no longer about who has the
most bullets, power, or money. It’s about the dominion over
little ones and zeroes, those tiny bits of data. What we see,
read, hear, and think, its all about controlling information!”
THE MOB It is not unknown for the Tongs to turn legit and cut ties
with all illegal activities; conversely, many a legit company
“The problem was never bad politicians, but a goes from toying with minor misdeeds to all-out crime,
system that allows bad people to become poli- competing with other Tongs for control of the underworld.
ticians. Or even worse, one which creates bad
people that go on to become politicians.”
TONG FAMILIES
- Hamid Al-Razim, Iz’kal philosopher
Although there are thousands of Tongs in the Corvo-
In a society known both for its efficiency and its disregard sphere, a few families stand out from the others, be it
for laws, it was inevitable for organised crime to appear. because of the size of their gangs, their ruthlessness or the
Corvo crime families, most commonly known as Tongs, amount of money they handle. These few, stronger gangs
control all unauthorized trade in the Corvosphere, from dispute the top of the food chain today, but tomorrow
small-scale hacking to massive heists, from forgery of im- one or all of them may fall and leave their space to a new
migration licenses to actual slavery. predator.

Although everybody knows they exist, and sometimes The largest Tong in the Corvosphere is the Zhui family,
even their names and headquarters, Tongs are secret soci- which controls most illegal trade - from data to living
eties, and anything known about them is mere speculation beings - in the outer sectors of Tiantang. The Zhui are busi-

The Corvo Law and Crime

at worst and an open secret at best. nesspeople first and foremost, and care about nothing but
profit. Keeping a focus on earnings has helped them retain
A tong leader is called a Tong Zong, with the office and authority and control where more hot-headed mobs have
status of both family head and executive president. Under fallen to the competition or their own internal strife. Their
the Tong Zong there are several lieutenants and vice presi- Tong Zong is Zhui Yan, or ‘Lady Zhui’; a powerfully built and
dents, who oversee the bureaucracy of the Tong itself - incredibly smart old woman that has built her empire on a
much like a legal corporation. mix of prestige, wits and bravery, in roughly that order.

In the Heijian underworld, the Tongs are the government. The Zhui’s greatest rivals are the Hwangs, a somewhat
Tong leaders decide and lay out the rules, their thugs smaller Tong that, while less powerful than the Zhui, has 85
enforce them, and their illegal trade is the stock market a longer reach and dabbles in more diverse businesses not

faith: core book

by which all criminals and outsiders live. Any outcast or only near Tiantang but across the farthest Corvo colonies
adventurer living in the Heijian knows to respect the Tongs as well. This diversification dilutes the Hwangs’ power but it
and their power; in the underworld, they are as mighty as also increases their territory. The Hwang Tong is also more
Megacorps, as proud as nobility, and far more fearsome visibly ruthless than the Zhui, favoring public executions
than any ruler of the lawful world. and bloody examples that other Tong would find distaste-
ful. Their Tong Zong is Honcho Hwang, considered public
The Tongs work outside the jurisdiction of the Mega- enemy number one by half the police forces in the Corvos-
corps, but they are a part of them, just as everything else in phere, and a famously flamboyant and prodigal bandit, who
the Corvosphere. Every criminal society is a part of a larger has built a sort of personality cult around himself and is
organisation, which in turn belongs to an even larger enter- actually lauded as a hero across the poorer Corvo sectors.
prise, and so on; larger businesses need to be legal, or at
least keep a pretence of legality, and every legal business Other Tongs are either too small to be of any concern to
in the Corvosphere is part of a Megacorp. Plus, most Tong the Zhui or the Hwang, or else are quickly bought - or dis-
bosses have some front or real job that is somehow related mantled - by the larger organisations. An exception to this
to a lawful enterprise. By the same token, all crime families rule are the Dragonflies, a small but feisty gang that has
launder their credits through dummy firms, or even overtaken a few Tiantang districts thanks to their designer
actual companies, that are almost invariably subsidiaries drugs, hacking skills and sheer guts. Although both the Zhui
of a larger corporation, which in turn is part of one of the and the Hwang regard them as small-time punks, the Drag-
Megacorps. But if Megacorps directives know this, they can onflies have started making noise on the older Tongs’ turfs,
pretend it’s all beneath their notice, as most Tong connec- and a gang war may be just around the corner. The leader
tions are far enough down the chain of command that they of the Dragonfly gang is Dynamite, a relatively young biker
don’t have to acknowledge its existence. girl, with little respect for any kind of authority and the
stomach for any crime, regardless of how bold or impos-
There is, of course, a so far unsubstantiated rumour that sible it seems.
some Tong Zong are actually very high up in the Megacorps
- but no Tong has been proven to have corporate links of
such calibre.
THE ZHUI TONG worst, she could try and buy out the Dragonflies,
recruiting them against the Hwang; but so far
they’ve proven too volatile to control or appease.
The Zhui are the oldest
and largest criminal outfit Recently, however, Lady Zhui’s spies in Tiantang
in the Corvosphere. Their police brought her interesting information - Lao
agents and enforcers have Meng, the chief of police of all Tiantang, has an offer
a finger in almost every from Hwang Mob lieutenants that wish to ally with
illegal pie in Tiantang, and the police to betray Honcho Hwang Gun, their boss,
even some mining colonies and bring him to justice. According to Lady Zhui’s
that all but belong to their agents, Officer Lao is currently torn between strict
outfit. They are honour- adherence to the law and allying with the Hwang
able, organised and reliable, lieutenants to overthrow their leader. Thus Lady
but absolutely heartless if Zhui has decided her best bet is to use her contacts
slighted in any way. They in law enforcement and actually encourage the
like the good life, and make no attempts to hide their deal, promoting legal action against Honcho Hwang
wealth - but they also have an appreciation for sobriety Gun. With the Hwang warlord dead or in jail, her
and good taste. Lady Zhui, their leader, runs the gang like a problems would be practically over. So currently,
tiered corporation, with local bosses answering to regional her best friend may be Lao Meng, the woman that’s
The Corvo Law and Crime

leaders, which in turn report to the family council which she always been her worst enemy - or anyone that
presides like a majority shareholder. In fact, she encourages helps the deal between Lao and the Hwang mob to
all of her people to refer to their Tong as ‘the business’, and come through. Lady Zhui will listen to any proposal
frowns on explicit references to illegal activity. from any Hwang member, Tiantang police agent,
or freelance mercenary that comes to her with a
proposal to either weaken her rival gangs or help
LADY ZHUI ‘MONA LISA’ the deal between Lao Meng and the Hwang traitors -
taking out the deal’s opponents, for example, either
The head of the Zhui tong is one of the most imposing, among the Hwang or among the law.
86 cunning, and ruthless Corvo in Tiantang, and perhaps the
entire Corvosphere. She is a gigantic Corvo, taller than
some Humans, and almost as broad as a Raag thanks to a THE MONA LISA SMILE
faith: core book

mix of fat and muscle. Her voice is deep and soothing, and
her manners calm and composed. She sports a half-smile, Intrigued by the nickname received from her Human mer-
which she can effortlessly switch from reassuring to intim- cenaries - and after having a couple of them killed before
idating. This has earned Lady Zhui the sarcastic nickname she understood the joke - Lady Zhui sought the original
‘Mona Lisa’ from the Human mercenaries that know her. Mona Lisa, a painting of an enigmatic Human woman. Finding
it was quite an ordeal by itself, as she had to bribe Corvo
Above all, Zhui Yan is a businesswoman willing to negoti- pilots to carry her men to Earth, and these men had to seek
ate any situation, even if she seems to have the advantage, the painting all across the planet with no other clue than
just to make sure her business gets the best possible deal. some rumours and scattered data about ancient Humanity,
She likes stalling for resolutions while staring her target in even though the territory had become a dangerous, post-
the eye. For more stubborn interlocutors, she resorts to apocalyptic war zone.
subtle intimidation, aided by whatever information she may
have gathered on her target beforehand. If all else fails, Contrary to all predictions, Lady Zhui’s men did find the
Lady Zhui is a powerfully-built Corvo, stronger than almost Mona Lisa in an ancient museum and sent it back to their
any other member of her species, and is always accompa- boss across The Labyrinth. Not caring about the painting’s
nied by about a dozen of highly trained, elite bodyguards. meaning or history, or even about her nickname, Lady Zhui
kept and hung it on her office, as a reminder that nothing in
the Universe was outside her grasp.
AN END TO WAR
Not long ago, someone stole the painting.
Lady Zhui likes the status quo, and would live Nobody knows who had the gall to steal from the
her entire life maintaining things as they are - but most feared crime boss in the Corvosphere, or why
now, the rise of the Hwang and Dragonfly Tongs has they did it. The Corvosphere is far larger than Earth,
given her a short-term crisis to deal with. She has and recovering the painting has proven harder than
already tried to make peace with the Hwang and it was to find it in the first place. However, she won’t
squash the Dragonflies a couple of times, so far let go of the issue, and put out two large rewards in
without success. She needs to make sure the three- the Heijian underworld - one, for getting the painting
way gang war ends before it begins - decisively. At back; the other for the head of whoever stole it.
The Corvo Law and Crime
MONA LISA ZHUI ENFORCER
Kalivan 2 :: Unstoppable Mob
Level 3 :: Corvo :: Resourceful Level 1 :: Corvo :: Crafty
87
mov. 5 metres :: weight 92 kg :: height 182 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 55 kg :: height 160 cm

faith: core book

7 5 1 - 3 4 0 -

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 18 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 5

STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
4+ (CON)
3 ++ QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
2

Commanding Window of Opportunity

She can declare a character at the beginning of the When he performs an action against a Spent charac-
round. All her allies gain one advantage to attack that ter, he gains one advantage.
character.

Enigmatic Smile

She gains one advantage towards social interac-

tions, and two towards hiding her intentions.

Nicknamed after an enigmatic Human legend thanks Low ranking Zhui enforcers achieve a singular
to her equally cryptic smile, Lady Zhui is a stunning balance between honourability and heartless-
Corvo specimen in both brains and muscle. ness. After all, you lose nothing by being polite.
THE HWANG TONG Corvosphere - a luxurious, fully-armed floating palace
in orbit around a paradise planet. Rumour has it Honcho
Hwang keeps most of his money stashed in a secret place
The Hwang are the at that planet, where he also buries his enemies. The citadel
opposite of the Zhui in has well-tended and fully-equipped quarters for every
many respects; they are member of his family, staff and personal guard, as well as
brash, blustering, crude an emergency security bunker and all of Honcho Hwang’s
and proud of it. They run exotic collections, from his personal zoo to his extensive
their turf like conquered and priceless personal arsenal.
territory, their bosses
behaving like autocratic
warlords and their men AN END TO WAR
like their militia. They
are much more diversi- Honcho Hwang is always in more trouble than
fied, having business in he thinks, but this time it’s serious. Shen Shao, one
countless illegal factories, labs, and workshops across of his lieutenants, has become an informant for
the Corvosphere. The Hwang are explicitly vicious, gladly the Xiao district police force, and is trying to reach
making public examples of anyone that crosses them. Their Commander Lao Meng, the Tiantang chief of police,
inner organisation resembles a dysfunctional family, where to strike a deal. If that deal comes through, it could
The Corvo Law and Crime

brother slays brother and is gruesomely punished by the mean the end of the Hwang Tong. The main actor
father; in this sense, the father of everyone is Hwang Gun, against this deal is Kan Jiang, CEO of The Union, who
their fearsome Tong Zong. has expressly forbid all police forces to strike any
kind of deal with criminals under pain of a lifetime
corporate ban on the infractors. Kan Jiang’s ban
HONCHO HWANG GUN could mean ruin for Commander Lao if she takes the
deal, but the chief officer is not that keen on making
The Hwang Tong leader, the ‘dictator’ heading the super- deals with gangsters. However, if The Union upper
power, is ‘Honcho’ Hwang Gun, the most famous criminal command saw the benefits of an informant within
88 in the Corvosphere and official public enemy number one the Hwang Tong, it could become an exception to
for all Corvo law enforcement outfits. Honcho Hwang is the policy and the downfall of Honcho Hwang.
quite proud of this reputation, and takes advantage of it at
faith: core book

every opportunity he gets. He is a smiling, bragging Corvo Finally, Lady Zhui, Honcho Hwang’s main rival and
covered in gaudy clothes and accessories, with an aesthetic head of the Zhui Tong, is secretly pushing for the
body modification to look like he has a tall fin on his skull - deal to come through, using her corrupt officials to
which was a fashion trend in Xiao sector when he grew up influence Commander Lao’s choice. It is all happen-
there. Honcho Hwang’s head fin has become a symbol of ing under Honcho Hwang’s nose; if he got wind of
death, terror and crime in the poorer sections of Tiantang, Shen Shao’s betrayal, heads would surely roll.
where he is actually admired for his feats and adventures
against the law. Right now, the fate of organised crime in Tiantang
rests on a knife’s edge - and it all depends on
Hwang Gun is an overbearing narcissist with very little whether the deal goes through or not.
patience; he’s been known to kill people for changing the
subject of a conversation or looking away when he’s talking A freelance mercenary with good skills, good
to them. He’s also one of the fastest gunmen in Tiantang, contacts and nothing else to do could benefit from
fully capable of taking on an armed squad on his own. But this situation in several ways: Helping either the
what really makes Honcho Hwang so dangerous is that he Zhui or the Hwang traitors to locate Union officials
believes himself immortal, untouchable and supreme: He’ll who are both open-minded and important enough
indulge in anything if it strikes his fancy, with no fear of the for them to influence Kan Jiang’s ban on mob deals;
consequences. helping Honcho Hwang to find and kill said Union of-
ficials, said traitors and all involved Zhui and police
agents; hiring out to the Hwang traitors, the Zhui or
ZHUSHAN CITADEL to the police to locate corrupt police officers on the
payroll of the Hwang mob and prevent them from
Honcho Hwang is known for his displays of wealth and telling everything to the Hwang boss; entering law
power, but none of them equal his acquisition of an entire enforcement or simply seek Lao Meng’s people
Corvo colony, which he bought privately and turned into and convince them to make the deal, either for the
his personal resort. Although nobody outside Honcho’s benefit of the cops or in the Zhui’s or Shan Sao’s
closest family and associates has seen the citadel and lived, payroll; and of course, be there when things get
by all accounts it is one of the most beautiful places in the ugly and everyone starts shooting at each other.
The Corvo Law and Crime
HONCHO HWANG GUN HWANG ENFORCER
Kalivan 2 :: Lone Wolf :: Master Mob
Level 4 :: Corvo :: Ruthless Level 1 :: Corvo :: Aggressive
89
mov. 5 metres :: weight 68 kg :: height 172 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 58 kg :: height 165 cm

faith: core book

5 5 2 8 4 3 0 -

PHYSICAL 20 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 7 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 3

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
3 ++ DISTANCE
3 QUARTERS
2 ++ DISTANCE
2-

Honcho’s Guns Doorkicker

Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). The The attack doubles its base damage against char-
attack can target a second character OR damage its acters with armour 1 or less OR it ignores 1 point of
target twice. armour and gains one advantage in Standard Distance.

Enraged Bully

When he reaches negative health, he doesn’t die and He gains one advantage against opponents who have
he ignores damage penalties. If he is damaged again, suffered more physical damage than him.
he dies.

Merciless

Instant. He can cause 2 unpreventable physical

damage to a friendly character, who gains one advan-
tage towards his next action and takes his turn if we
was Ready or becomes Ready if he was Spent.

Honcho and his abominably modified skull Members of a dysfunctional gang, Hwang enforc-
are synonym to death and terror. ers have to be ruthless, vicious and gruesome
if they want to keep their limbs intact.
THE DRAGONFLY TONG sisters pretend to be loyal to her, as she’s been ten times
the leader they were, and under her the Dragonflies have
reached heights they had never dreamed of.
The small Dragonfly gang
is just another Tong from the However, they are planning to oust her and
fringe sectors of Tiantang, recoup their former status. As the sisters see it,
but their bold crimes - be- now that the Dragonflies are powerful, nobody
ginner’s luck, the Zhui call needs Dynamite anymore, and nobody would care
it - have earned them some if she accidentally killed herself during one of her
prestige in the underworld crazy stunts, fell in the hands of the police during an
and they have actually ambush... there are many ways it could happen. It’s
done some damage to Zhui only a matter of time, or hiring the right freelancer,
and Hwang operations. one without ties to the Dragonflies. It can be made
Regarded - perhaps with to look like an accident - something bound to happen
good reason - as just ‘a rowdy biker gang with delusions to someone as reckless as Dynamite anyway.
of grandeur’, the Dragonflies nonetheless keep gaining
territory and power by the sheer madness of their tactics. Of course, that freelancer could also go to
They mount suicide operations, assault heavily guarded Dynamite with information on the sisters’ scheme
facilities, antagonise dangerously powerful enemies, and and help her punish them. There’s money and
The Corvo Law and Crime

so far have miraculously succeeded at most of their hits. prestige to be had either way.
Like typical bullies, they always look like they are having
fun, particularly after they have scared or hurt someone.
AN END TO WAR
All Dragonflies have a dragon tattoo on their backs;
those who leave the gang are either killed or disfigured with Unknown to the Dragonflies, there’s currently
acid to remove the tattoo. an important situation that involves their main
rival, the Hwang Tong. There’s a traitor among the
Hwang that wants to reach the chief police officer
90 DYNAMITE of Tiantang for a deal that would leave the Hwang
weak and leaderless. If Dynamite learned of this
Dynamite, the Tong Zong of the Dragonflies, reflects deal, she would do anything in her power to make
faith: core book

the personality of her entire Tong - she’s an impatient, ir- it go through, including killing any police officer or
reflexive and boisterous show-off, a party animal and an Hwang mobster opposed to the plan. Whoever gave
overconfident bully. She’s a relatively young - looking much her the tip would likely receive the chance to join in
younger than she actually is - Corvo biker, dressed in gyger on the action and prove their loyalty, as well as a
gear and riding a streamlined, modified gyrocycle that’s decent sum of money, when and if they survive.
always far better groomed than she is. Dynamite is often
followed by a gang of maddened, noisy and wild Dragon- There’s a twist, however. Dynamite has always
fly bikers, and takes the most handsome and muscular of believed she is nothing but a street orphan, with
them for her personal retinue. no parents and no past. In fact, she is one of the
hundreds - some say thousands - of illegitimate
However, just like her juvenile demeanour hides a shrewd, children sired by Honcho Hwang Gun himself.
grown woman, Dynamite’s wild and suicidal facade hides a Neither Honcho nor Dynamite know this, but Shan
very cunning tactician. Most of her actions are far better Sao, the Hwang traitor and main instigator of the
thought and calculated than it seems, and while she cer- deal with the police, knows. Because Shan Sao is
tainly takes many needless risks, she is far from the hare- Dynamite’s mother.
brained berserker she affects to be. She is quite ambitious
and has big plans for the Dragonflies, which she intends to Shan Sao used to be one of Honcho Hwang Gun’s
grow into the most powerful Tong in the Corvosphere. many lovers. When she got pregnant Honcho forced
her to give the baby to a homeless shelter, but she
secretly kept track of her daughter, and followed
THE DAO SISTERS her exploits from a distance.

Dynamite’s main obstacle to power is her own reckless- This is why Shan Sao seeks to topple her ex-
ness and addiction to danger, of course, but there’s some- lover’s criminal empire; she wants to reunite with
thing more tangible in her way: the Dao sisters. They were her daughter, or at least to get Dynamite to rule
the Dragonfly leaders before Dynamite rose to power; both the Hwang and the Dragonflies, knowing that
when she defeated them, she kept them as Tong members she fully deserves it. And perhaps, she also wants
and allowed them to lead their own smaller gangs. The Dao to know she did right by her little girl after all.
The Corvo Law and Crime
DYNAMITE DRAGONFLY ENFORCER
Kalivan 2 :: Lone Wolf :: Proficient Mob
Level 3 :: Corvo :: Strategist Level 1 :: Corvo :: Unpredictable
91
mov. 5 metres :: weight 54 kg :: height 157 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 58 kg :: height 163 cm

faith: core book

4 6 2 8 3 3 1 -

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 3

STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
2+ (CON)
0+ QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+

Dynamite’s Bombs Kaive

She has an unlimited supply of all kinds of grenades.

Extended range: 300 metres, damage 3. Action.
She can throw grenades up to 50 metres away with Shoot any grenade up to 50 metres.
one advantage.

Mark of the Deceiver Double-edged Sword

Instant. She triggers the effect of playing a joker, Activated. The winner of this confrontation increas-
then suffers 2 neural damage. es their level of success to the next best level.

Shrewd 2

She draws two cards at the beginning of the round.

Whenever she or an ally are in a confrontation, they
can play any of those cards instead of playing from the
top of the deck.

Dynamite, leader of the Dragonflies, appears The Dragonfly tong is known for their extrava-
to be juvenile and irreflexive, but she has high gant antics and their brash attitudes. Even the
hopes both for herself and her mob. lowly enforcers think they are hot stuff.
HISTORY
“It is a strange feeling, to know there’s more
of your species’ history that has already hap- THE CORVO AGE
pened, than history that will happen. You can
feel the coming extinction in your guts.”
Such was Earth’s situation when the Corvo came through
- Remko Vugac, Human explorer a wormhole, and it was easy for them to take over. They
first established a base on no man’s land in what used to
According to Corvo historians, Humans used to have a be the Human continent of Africa, from which they initiated
civilisation at least as prosperous and advanced as that economic and military negotiations with the locals. Their
of pre-Space Age Quanjie, but there’s precious little infor- wealth and power, supported by a universal economy,
mation about that period of their history. Humans seem made them the strongest faction on the planet. Eventu-
to have evolved from simian lifeforms into a tool-using ally, most Humans were working for the Corvo and fighting
civilisation in less than a million standard Corvo years, after wars against their enemies, which were often fellow Human
which they experienced a cultural and industrial leap that factions that did not want to work for the Corvo or owe
led them to colonise their entire planet and become divided them anything. Earth became a colony of the Corvosphere.
by nations and economic systems.
Shortly after the occupation, Humans started gaining
There are some surviving records that indicate the names a reputation as very capable mercenaries. They were
and languages of some of these entities, but the Humans far more prepared for physical tasks than their Corvo

The Human History

themselves seemed to have largely forgotten them, and all counterparts. The corporations specialising in military
but lost the ability to interpret or use such records. contracts, defence, and security started hiring Humans in
great numbers. Entire bands of warriors joined military
What the Corvo have deduced is that Earth must have contractors.
been a very prosperous civilisation on the verge of achiev-
ing space flight and joining the other starfaring races - but Thus, Earth became a breeding and training ground for
then, somehow, Humans fell. Most researchers agree the Human mercenaries; a planet controlled by raider gangs
Humans’ own adaptability was their doom, as their expo- and small settlements in constant war with each other and 277
nential exploitation of Earth’s resources drove them to the with limited resources is the perfect place to secure an

faith: core book

point of near extinction when everything suddenly became endless supply of soldiers, and the Corvo made sure that
scarce in a span of less than a century. Earth stayed that way by supplying them with weapons
whenever they requested it. The harsh conditions on Earth
Unwilling to make concessions for the ecosystem at the mean that there are always Humans willing to leave their
cost of reducing profit and power, the political and economic lives behind to work, and many Human warlords pay their
entities that ruled Earth failed to prevent the disaster, and debts to the Corvo corporations with the labour of their
at some point there was no return; the environment of young people.
Earth could not sustain Humans any longer. Their only hope
was to somehow develop far more advanced technology, Humans started to flock to Corvo settlements on Earth,
which allowed them to heal their world and at the same or to visit space in large numbers, to work for the Corvo.
time survive - but that required the governments and cor- They became leaders in many black-ops against pirates,
porations to let go of their power, and they would not go rebels, other corporations and, of course, the Iz’kal State.
down peacefully.

The ensuing war, of which virtually no records remain THE HUMAN

other than wrecked bunkers and ancient weaponry, ended
Human civilisation in a few years. Soon, all that was left SPACE AGE
of Humanity were those who stood aside and who no one
cared to kill.
A couple centuries later, Humans had repaid the Corvo’s
With no internet, no fuel and no social systems, Humanity favour and colonised the Corvosphere as their elite military
survived in small villages so far from each other that they class. Millions of Human soldiers, guards and mercenaries
could have been on different planets. Warlords, tyrants, entered service at the Megacorps and armed groups from
prophets and all kinds of leaders led the tribes. Humans law enforcement to organised crime. Humans became a
became tough and heartless. common sight in the Corvosphere, and gained their current
reputation as the best warriors in the universe.

For a century or so, it was an uneventful, mutually ben-

eficial relationship, with the Corvo providing the resources
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
As stated before, the Corvo don’t easily understand
abstract values or unproven truths; in fact, their language
has no word for ‘belief’. Thus, god worship was slow to
appear in Corvo society. When Kaliva inspired the heroes
and rulers of ancient Corvo history, most of their subjects
- and most chroniclers of the time - attributed their as-
tounding powers and achievements to their own greatness,
and ascribed divinity to the individuals themselves, not to
an invisible force that favoured them. There were many
attempts to establish a church of Kaliva, or even Vexal,
during Corvo history, but it was only later, when the exist-
ence of the Gods was proven and confirmed by theologians,
that the Corvo founded their organised religion. In this, the
Corvo worked inversely to other starfaring species, ques-
tioning the Gods first and accepting them later. For many
Corvo philosophers, this skepticism is the very reason the
Corvo succeeded and expanded where other species didn’t.

Most Corvo worship Kaliva, who favours individualism,

competition, and competence, but all Gods have followers in
The Corvo Culture

the Corvosphere. Millions of Corvo worship Vexal because

MAMA SOUL they seek true freedom, and for them success is removing
the shackles of material needs; but many also worship
Ergon or Hexia because they believe in the prosperity and
Kalivan Prophet
advancement of the Corvo species as a whole. Worship of
Level 4 :: Corvo :: Negotiator Ledger in the Corvosphere is clandestine and unquantified,
94 as it is everywhere else. There’s even an urban legend
mov. 5 metres :: weight 62 kg :: height 167 cm
among the Corvo lower classes that the Megacorps’ CEOs
don’t actually believe in progress, success or wealth, and
faith: core book

have built the whole of Corvo culture out of an elaborate

4 6 0 - joke by a secret Ledger cult.

For the Corvo, the Gods are service providers at best,

PHYSICAL 16 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 16
STAT 1 STAT 3 STAT 2 and a resource to be exploited at worst. The Corvo know
of the Gods’ existence and the powers they grant, but
don’t believe in moral right or wrong; thus, they follow
HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 the Gods fully expecting to get something in return. That’s
why Kaliva’s faith is so prevalent in the Corvosphere - as
Kaliva rewards self-sufficiency and unaided success, most
Emotional
Corvo are automatically rewarded by following his tenets,
Facts don’t have any special effect on her. needing very little actual, direct help from him. By com-
parison, the rewards gained by following other Gods are
far less obvious and frequent; as far as most Corvo are
concerned, Gods other than Kaliva are an inferior product.
Judge of character

Characters attempting to lie to her suffer one

MAMA SOUL
disadvantage.
The leader of the Corvo church and Supreme Prophet
of Kaliva, known by the colourful moniker of ‘Mama Soul’,
is one of the Corvosphere’s greatest superstars. A great
Subjugation
public speaker and staple public personality, known to
Action (Mental). She suffers 3 neural damage and every last one of the billions of Corvosphere inhabitants
targets a character within 20 metres, with one ad- due to her advertisements and freely-accessible broadcast
vantage if her Faith is higher than her target’s, and speeches, Mama Soul is the face of Kaliva for the average
reducing her target’s Mind by 1 per level of success Corvo, which in the shallow culture of the Corvosphere
until the end of the scene. If his Mind is reduced below means she’s more powerful and famous that Kaliva herself.
1, she gains absolute control over him.
Mama Soul is the biggest celebrity in the Corvos-
phere. Her broadcasts amass millions of viewers,
making her an extremely influential figure.
Mama Soul is also a very powerful Soulbender, with the tionalities and capabilities, in an effort to keep the attention
gifts to stir, manipulate and draw the attention of everyone of a public that is never satisfied. Corvo companies have
that looks at or listens to her. She has been known to devised all kinds of creative methods to attract consum-
convert followers of other gods to the Kalivan faith after a ers, from standard billboard advertisements to 3-D senso-
single, short speech; many Corvo officials and leaders see rial feeds in the streets of virtual worlds. People that enter
her as a very dangerous loose cannon, and even a criminal, certain commercial areas with CC feeds have the impulses
for her ability to tamper with the free will of others. But to buy, eat or enter a store directly fed into their brain.
the church of Kaliva expressly forbids limiting others’
freedoms, so Mama Soul is bound by her own credo to The Corvo enjoy a highly technological lifestyle, in
never use her powers as a means of mass control. None- which they spend most of their time connected to the net.
theless, she remains one of the most powerful beings in Thousands of different virtual worlds are hosted on their
the Corvosphere. networks, readily available to those with a cortex connec-
tion. Most travel agencies offer special cortex-connected
The problem is, Mama Soul is actually working vacations to wonderful virtual worlds, as real travelling is
to subvert the Corvo people. She wants to turn the extremely expensive and the Corvo are very dependent on
Church of Kaliva itself into a Megacorp; she knows their jobs. They normally do not like to leave their job for
that if all Kalivans joined forces, they would be more than a week at a time, as they feel they are damaging
larger than any one of the Megacorps, and become their possibilities to ascend the corporate ladder.
a single-minded power of such strength that no
species or government, not even the Ravager Complete immersion in the net-worlds is delicate, as
themselves, would stand before them. As a real bodily functions decrease when the mind becomes absent
follower of Kaliva, she seeks to become stronger - this way. Thus, the Corvo health department - controlled by

The Corvo Culture

stronger in her Faith, in her material success and in Nation’s Solution, a rival to Wang Corp which created and
her physical power. Placing the church of Kaliva as distributes cortex connectors - strongly recommends not
the ruling body of the Corvosphere will grant her all to stay connected for more than 16 hours every day. There
three goals, and make her even mightier in Kaliva’s have been cases of people that have died after neglecting
approval. While she indeed can’t control minds their physical bodies. Only the richest Corvo can afford
directly, she is very influential and smart; she has long periods of virtual immersion, as they have access
been leading a decades-long scheme, which started to high-end machines that keep their bodies healthy and 95
with her own planned ascension to superstardom, nurtured while their minds spend their whole lives in all

faith: core book

to become popular enough to challenge the power kinds of net-worlds.
of the Megacorps. Her next step is to undermine
the Megacorps’ credibility; any proof of the Mega- Many Corvo oppose CC virtual worlds, lifemods and
corps’ corruption or their worst practices would be experience drugs, and there’s a growing movement in the
the excuse she’s been waiting for all these years: largest Tiantang districts to ‘unplug from the CC’, claiming
Her cue to initiate a smear campaign against the that CC dependency is a real threat to the Corvo as a
Megacorps. And then, the next step: to subtly goad species. As productivity itself depends on Corvo plugging
the Corvo people into asking for a stronger, unified themselves to the neuronet for long hours, the movement
leadership - a religious leadership. has not really caught on, but CC dependency does carry
very important health risks, from muscular atrophia to
In short, Mama Soul wants nothing less than withdrawal syndrome. Some spokesmen of the ‘unplug
turning the Corvosphere into a theocracy, and movement’, as it’s unofficially called, claim that the lack
Kaliva is very definitely on her side. of empathy so common among Corvo is a socially-learned
behaviour, caused by peer pressure, commercial sensory
bombardment, and a lack of physical interaction rather
LIFESTYLE than a genetic trait.

“Money is like oxygen: you need it, but it will

poison you if you have too much.” RECREATIONAL CC USE
- A’idah Al-Enezi, Iz’kal ambassador (excerpt Although cortex connectors are the main source of
from the first Iz’kal-Corvo embassies meeting) employment in the Corvosphere and the lynchpin of Corvo
labour economy, they were created for entertainment, and
Corvo consumerism is legendary. Their society is ruled that remains their most popular use. Recreational use of
by the appearance of new technologies and fashion. Being cortex connectors is so ingrained in the Corvo lifestyle that
able to afford the latest in Corvo products, or exotic goods most Corvo - even those who cannot afford their own CC
from remote planets, is intrinsically related to popularity - consider cortex connection to be as necessary as food,
and pride. Corvo industries are always coming up with new shelter or clothing. Even the most miserable Corvo will set
models of their products, with new and fascinating func- aside a few credits to rent CC time at the nearest parlor.
Humans in the Universe
EASTERN WASTER WESTERN WASTER
Affinity :: Mob Lone Wolf
Level 1 :: Human :: Crafty Level 1 :: Human :: Cautious
289
mov. 5 metres :: weight 71 kg :: height 185 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 80 kg :: height 180 cm

faith: core book

3 3 0 - 4 3 1 -

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 3

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD HIT GRAPPLE

QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
2+ (DEX)
3+ (CON)
0

Stealthy Unhinged

She gains one advantage towards hiding actions. Activated. He gains one advantage towards his
action. If he fails, the action of his opponent is consid-
ered a critical success regardless of action values.

Charge I

His unconfronted running actions are considered

passive, and his next Close Quarters action causes 1
additional damage.

Baizhi and Laonese, two very different Quanjie cultures, For example, Gyro Gangs, or Gygers, are a widespread
are often confused by non-Quanjiese, as they share the ste- urban tribe from Tiantang, whose followers like hard li liang
reotyped traits of high education, sarcastic humor, airs of music; their very lives revolve around li liang and gyrocycle
superiority and pedantry. They are still less sophisticated racing. Gygers wear edgy, aggressive clothes, using body
than the average Tian, at least in the areas of technology modification to look more menacing. A Gyger’s ideal is
and modern media, but most other Corvo typecast them as to look as intimidating and at the same time beautiful as
classical geniuses - absent-minded, annoying and academic. possible. This concept of fear and beauty mixed, known to
The Corvo Culture

Gygers as Kepa, is very admired outside their scene, and

NQers are urban settlers of the New Quan colony, many non-Gygers like and follow Gyger fashion.
famous for being even more daring and enterprising than
the average Corvo, while upholding certain values like The Si Xiang Jia scene, or Sixies, also like li liang music,
beauty, peace of mind, and environmentalism as assets of but they mix it with deeper, more complex Bang music; they
successful business. A typical NQer is young, idealistic (to gather at their friends’ houses to plug their CCs on audio
98 Corvo standards) and business-savvy. And, if you ask other datasets and chill out to the music, perhaps exchanging
Corvo, insufferably arrogant too. a comment or two over the neural link about a particular
passage or some trivia on the musicians. Sixies frequently
faith: core book

The Xu culture is native to Xulong, a mega-mining station attend and even organise underground li liang or Bang
with almost as much population as a Tiantang sector. Its concerts, which often include other art forms such as
miners are so numerous that they have developed their own spoken performance or a digital show. They pride them-
culture based on stoicism, resistance and resignation. For selves on appreciating good art and sharing it with others.
the Xu, life is grim, and virtue lies on taking it with a straight Many Sixies, particularly those from Nongchang sector, are
face. They are famous for being both stubborn and defeat- also Jibusai (see below).
ist, an unusual mix that puzzles and annoys most other
Corvo, who write Xu off as apathetic and unreasonable. The urban subculture known as Zhiegun, although they
call themselves just Zhi, are the lower classes’ answer
Zhuixians, natives to the Zhui Xi colony, are known to be to fashion trends. They use intentionally cheap versions
optimistic and unrealistically friendly and peaceful, despite of current fashions and strive to live the most luxurious
their almost fanatical belief in Kaliva, which most Corvo lifestyle available, an aspiration that’s present in both their
see as a God of competition. This apparent contradiction clothes and their music. Zhiegun listen mostly to Yunlu
belies a very sophisticated, well-educated culture, that dancing music, and most come from the zero-g slums of
prides itself on its open mind and tolerance as much as Gu and Xiao sector at Tiantang. Zhi have also developed Xu
on its own achievements and competitiveness. Actually, dance, or xu-ing, a mix of dancing and acrobatics that can
Zhuixians see friendliness, understanding and curiosity as a only be practiced in zero gravity. Some Xu-ers are veritable
way to improve themselves too. They are also stereotyped geniuses, capable of unimaginable feats while they leap
as faith-crazy zealots - the fact some of them actually and tumble in their gravity-less neighbourhoods, often to
become insane from their world’s freezing atmosphere the beat of Yunlu.
doesn’t help their case.
Jibusai are street artists and performers that struggle to
Wu Rén are Corvo in Human lands. They are known for get out of poverty by creating entertainment and culture.
their professionalism and detachment, and for being a little They come mainly from Nongchang sector, where they
less competitive and aggressive than the average Corvo; gather to listen to music, perform live-action theatre and
there are many jokes about how hanging out with Human discuss artistic and cultural trends. Jibusai are proud of
‘badasses’ made the Wu Rén ‘pansies’, and such. Wu Rén their poverty and their outcast status, and tend to shun
culture has incorporated many Human customs, including society’s materialistic outlook - although their goals are
THE RAVAGER
<HUD log 5027.3. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out- sides of the battle and releasing the prisoners from their
post/Torin Prime sector/1st contact event> terrible fate.
<audio playback on [transcription enabled]>
Then it happened to the Iz’kal, too - countless, variously-
shaped aliens in irregular, organic-looking ships, fell on the
<00:00> We don’t know where the Ravager originated or Parsaius colony. But the Iz’kal were prepared. The Corvo
what they are. The ones we encountered were so mutated had warned them. They called these aliens ‘The Ravager’,
from the host lifeform it was impossible to tell what re- and I swear to Vexal I can think of no better name for those
mained of the original creatures, if anything at all <video horrors. The Iz’kal and Corvo had prepared for future
playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> Ravager attacks, so the Iz’kal weren’t exactly caught
<01:24 feed continues> Most of what we know of the unawares… and the Corvo, the Corvo flew to their aid…
Ravager comes from the few specimens recovered at the But... I know men that fought there, that saw the Corvo and
battle at Parsaius and the clues from the, uh, ravaged Iz’kal joining forces for the first time… well, ever. That’s
worlds they leave behind. what gave birth to the Coalition, of course. But… Despite
the time they had to prepare for the attack and the intel
At first, they were nothing but a rumour; tales of aban- they’d gathered on their enemy at Izuan Tai… let us say the
doned colonies and spaceships, looking like something had assault took a high toll in lives <feed interrupted>
eaten them. Eaten spaceships. How could we take such a
<07:06 feed continues> We had gained essential knowl-
thing seriously?
edge about our common enemy, but the price we paid was
far too high. And we knew it would get worse <end of line>
The Ravager

Then the things attacked Izuan Tai.

We know what happened - nightmarish things out of SO, WHAT ARE

nowhere surrounding the entire planet and slaughtering its
entire population in a matter of hours. Nobody had time to THE RAVAGER?
292 even realise what was happening, and even those few that
managed to escape into the Labyrinth were not entirely <A NONGCHANG NETTM NEWSSPEC as brought by
sure what they were escaping from. The most accurate Lilac Lounges, the Heart of your Home>
faith: core book

descriptions were of monsters, aliens, nightmares - but no <LIVE BROADCAST ALREADY STARTED>
two accounts described them similarly. Some believed it
<TUNING IN>
had been some kind of collective hallucination.
“...parasites, yes. That’s as accurate a way to describe
When the Corvo went back to Izuan Tai to see what had them as any. Yet this term, as well, is too small for what the
happened… I read the reports of what they found. Even Ravager are. It falls short. They take over other lifeforms
remembering that stills sends chills down my spine. The and add their genes to their… swarms, Humans call them.
planet had been engulfed by a strange looking substance, But these swarms are not made of infected hosts, as we
and a closer look revealed that many inhabitants of the once believed. Or at least not exclusively. Once the Ravager
planet were inside that substance, trapped alive and being have your genes, they can mass-produce them. They can
slowly digested. Tendrils emerged from some kind of recreate an entire species from a single being - but it’s not
enormous, pool-like structure on the surface of the planet, the same species anymore. It has been modified, altered to
like roots extending out of a tree, and they stretched out as suit the swarm’s needs. It has become Ravager.”
far as the eye could see into the substance, pulsating as they
carried the digested matter of the Corvo people back to the “But professor, does this mean the Ravager could make
processing pool, bubbling with activity and some unknown a - let us say - modified army of what? Cloned Corvo?”
biological process… <[transmission interrupted]>
“They could? Mr. Chang, I’m positive they already have.”
<[transmission resumes]> ...Corvo had sent a huge fleet
to Izuan Tai, mind you. Not just your typical scouting party,
<audience exclamations and murmurs drown
but a real fleet, ready for any fight… but they weren’t ready
out professor Xing’s commentary> “...and while
for that. Despite their technological and military superior-
they swarm our worlds with their seemingly mixed alien
ity, the fleet was vastly outnumbered and it quickly became
armies, they are certainly using us - or rather their twisted,
clear it was a battle they couldn’t win. Then… it was cour-
mindless version of us - as their foot soldiers in some other
age, I guess... or desperation… Well, you know what went
world, in some other galaxy, right as we’re speaking…
down. The Corvo fleet fought its way to the surface of the
planet and blew it up, annihilating every living being on both
<And now for a commercial break from our
sponsors!>
Corvo music genres include Bang (‘smart music’), an in- SPORTS
novative genre with complex harmonies and virtuoso per-
formers, which can be instrumental or have witty and ironic “For our idols, kindness, coolness, friendship,
lyrics; Bao (‘light music’), an easy-listening genre designed love, all these things have been made void, turn
as a soundtrack for daily life, and the most popular genre into publicity stunts. Pretending to be happy
in the Corvosphere and its audio stations; li liang (‘power is taking all our energies away, we don’t have
music’), a rhythmic and energetic genre with angry lyrics enough left to actually search for what actu-
and powerful arrangements; Tuo lian (‘crying music’), the ally makes us happy. Even posting this is just
second most popular genre, with languid melodies and deep down a pretence of honesty to gain the
romantic or soulful lyrics, featuring the best singers in the approval of people I don’t know.”
industry; and Yunlu (‘dancing music’), a throbbing genre
with a contagious beat that has popularised mostly among - Online post by Sparks, a famous corball play-
the lower classes of Tiantang. er, which gained 1.348.821.752 likes

There are many other music genres and subgenres in the Contrary to what one would think, the Corvo do have
Corvosphere, and also a few ‘non-genres’, such as Jinxi, and practice sports. Athletic activities are sponsored by
which encompasses all out-of-fashion or ‘classic’ music, Nation’s Solution Corp, which doubles as the Corvo depart-
and Wén, which is used as a derogatory term for all music ment of health - and, coincidentally, is a rival of Wang Corp,
genres that nobody listens to anymore. which produces Lifemods and other digital entertainment.
There are many interplanetary athletic competitions every
year across the Corvosphere, with the presence of athletes
LIFEMODS from every Corvo colony and station. Most Corvo sports
The Corvo Culture

are zero-g activities, and include racing, acrobatics, zero-g

The best known art medium in the Corvosphere is the ‘swimming’ and team sports.
creation of virtual environments, or lifemods, for AR
helmets and CC implants. Lifemods completely recreate the
appearance of reality for the user, allowing for a personal CORBALL
an interesting way of experiencing life. This allows for
100 fans of certain games, books, films, etc., to see the world Corball is the most popular sport in the Corvosphere,
around them as if they were living in their favourite piece and perhaps the most extreme sport in existence. It started
of fiction, making the urban environment of Tiantang look as a training exercise for EVA operators during the early
faith: core book

like an underwater city or a jungle - with buildings as trees stages of the construction of the Tiantang Ring, but an
or mountains. Most people use lifemods of some kind, and investor saw lots of promise in revising the exercise as a
some very powerful models can even change the looks of competitive sport. It soon became the favourite of station
people, not just inanimate objects or landscapes. workers and began broadcasting in Quanjie, the Corvo
homeworld. Today it is watched and played all over the
Using lifemods has its risks: lifemods that are in beta or Corvosphere, but the playing fields in Tiantang, also called
have not passed all required safety tests can disrupt the moon-stadiums, remain the biggest, and it is there where
user’s experience of reality in a harmful way. For example, the Universal Championships are held.
when someone crosses a road and a certain model of car is
not recognised by the AR, the lifemod could glitch and make Corball is played by two or more teams of 5 members
the car appear to be immobile. It is recommended to keep each, called flyers. Flyers wear deployment suits and are
lifemods up to date and only use those sold by recognised fired at incredible speeds using railguns that launch them
companies, as hackers can very well affect how others see around a moon-stadium - an asteroid or large omniring
reality. And there are plenty of lifemods created by coders without an atmosphere. The players remain in orbit at high
or pirates as their way to express themselves and their view speeds until they are somehow stopped. There are several
of the world. Some might change street advertisements railgun rings distributed around the moon-stadium as well,
into anti-system messages, while others list the horrors which players can use to increase or decrease their speed,
that take place to create such products, including child while they control their flight with their deployment suits.
labour, slavery, abuse, and the pollution of alien planets.
Teams compete for the control of a ball. The matches
Lifemods are fantastic ways for workers to escape their last 20 minutes and a team scores a point for every full
routine. Some days their work place will look like a tranquil minute that the ball is under their control, without inter-
forest and other days like an epic volcano. Lifemods have ruptions. The team with the most points at the end of the
become one of the most used and sold types of software match wins. No weapons are allowed, but it is a full on
in the Corvosphere, outselling even food and shelter in an contact sport in which flyers physically assault each other
alarming number of neighbourhoods. for control of the ball, either to defend their carrier (the
that includes castes bred from the genetic material of con- HERALDS
quered worlds. Which means the Ravager would need to
<02:48> Heralds are by far the most dangerous creatures
keep changing and adapting their basic hierarchy depending
in a Ravager swarm. Incredibly fast and strong, their bod-
on what DNA they have to breed their soldiers from… so
ies can alter their own structure almost instantly, allow-
they may not be that dumb. Or remotely dumb at all. I’m
ing them to adapt to most of our tactics and weapons in a
actually starting to think their hive mind is the greatest in-
matter of seconds. We believe they act as the link between
telligence in the Universe right now. If the idea terrifies you,
the Queen and her proxies and Spawn, thus allowing her to
then no worries, you’re sane. It terrifies me.
control the entire Swarm. The more Heralds a Queen can
keep under control, the larger the Swarm can become, but
<00:41> ...We’ve managed to differentiate the different Queens must be careful of spawning too many Heralds,
ravager according to their role and importance. It started as they sometimes try to take over the hivemind. When a
when we discovered how their hive mind works. While the queen dies or fails to keep her Heralds under control, the
queen is ultimately in control of everything that happens Heralds will escape to start their own swarm or kill each
in a swarm, she will usually do so through other Ravager, other in a tooth-and-nail competition to replace the Queen.
who act as the link between her and the rest of the colony.
Heralds are extremely intelligent and deceitful, and we
We have roughly classified the different ravager into four
have encountered several Ravager fleets led by Heralds -
levels - Queens, Heralds, Alterants and Spawn, in order of
which were as difficult to deal with as those led by a Queen,
authority and power.
even though they were considerably smaller. In spite of
their great value to a fleet, Heralds can often be found
THE RAVAGER QUEEN in the vanguard of Ravager fleets, leading the attack and
<01:03> The Queen lives aboard a swarm’s mothership - giving direct assistance when needed. While easy to spot,
working as both the ship’s pilot and its engine, both its nav- they are extremely hard to kill. When Heralds enter battle,
The Ravager

com and inner workings. In fact, a Queen is the mothership, death follows.
as her body is so deeply fused within the ship’s structure
that we can’t tell where one ends and the other begins. At ALTERANTS
least we couldn’t find any traces of a separate, conven- <03:25> Alterants are in charge of the DNA harvest and
tional body in the mothership we recovered from the debris spawning pools. They analyse the gathered DNA samples,
296
of Parsaius. The entire ship was made of different resins, integrating those that prove valuable to the Queen’s ge-
some of which we haven’t been able to identify yet. But nome, and perform experiments on some of the captured
faith: core book

what made us think of it as a living being was the presence lifeforms. Alterants are rarely found on the front lines, and
of nerve endings within the resin itself, along with a circula- will usually remain near or inside the Queen until the fight
tory system and some other traces of organs embedded is over and the first samples have been collected, at which
deeply within the structure of the ship. They all seemed to time they will descend to the spawning pools and begin
originate from the mothership core, where we imagine the work on the new specimens.
brain of the Queen would be, but the core we recovered was
too damaged to draw any conclusions. This confirms the Alterants are the best-protected members of a Swarm.
worst predictions from xenotech - if a Ravager Queen and Most appear near the core of the mothership, working in
her ship are a single creature, they’re easily the largest liv- what I can only describe as, well, laboratories... filled with
ing beings that have ever existed, perhaps in the entire uni- tanks... tanks containing specimens belonging to different
verse... <playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> lifeforms. Despite the poor state of the specimens aboard
the mothership we found, it’s clear they were subject
to terrible experiments; their bodies showed mutations
<2:14 feed continues> ...Current theory is that Queens so horrible that we couldn’t even recognise those that
are Herald-class Ravager that have undergone a meta- belonged to known... <video playback error [feed
morphosis, shedding their previous body and covering disabled/corrupted]>
themselves in some kind of biopolymer that eventually be-
comes the mothership. As Queens age, their bodies grow <14:24 feed continues> ...we thought Alterants were
and the motherships become larger; this allows them to some kind of proxies… As their wave emission pattern was
carry more ravager while their brains mature, increasing quite complex, we thought they might be able to control
their power as a hivemind and allowing them to keep more other Ravager, and so functioned as the link between the
Heralds under control. That means that a Queen’s age is di- Heralds and the rest of the Swarm, but it seems we were
rectly related to the size and power of her swarm. Older dead wrong. Alterants have little to no contact with Her-
Queens will try to eliminate the younger, weaker ones to alds or Spawn, focusing solely on their research and experi-
secure their long term survival, whereas young Queens, ments.
aware of their vulnerability, will collaborate in order to Despite their frail appearance, Alterants are pretty re-
stay alive and outlive - or depose - the older ones. We have sourceful and dangerous enemies, and perfectly capable of
no idea about the age limit on a Ravager Queen, or if these handling themselves in battle - as many good men learned
hellish things even have one. the hard way.
TECHNOLOGY
Corvo technology is renowned across the galaxy for BUILDINGS AND
its accessibility, design, ease of use and low prices. The
greatest advances in digital software and Information Tech HABITATS
have been discovered in the Corvosphere, and even the
hyper-advanced Iz’kal envy some of their designs. “In the Corvosphere everyone lives in slums,
most made of plastic and recycled metal, some
of durable materials, a few of marble and pre-
QUANTUM POWER cious metals, but all of them slums, just as
their inhabitants, are poor of soul.”

Quantum power is the Corvo’s main energy source, more - Badi al Zaman, an Iz’kal radical who advocated
expensive but far more efficient than any other known to for war against the Corvo
date. It is the use of nuclear reactions to obtain nuclear
energy that generates electricity upon being absorbed by After cortex connectors, the technology the Corvo
nanotubes. These nanotubes are made from the highly are best known for their space habitats. The Corvo have
unstable Jiu, a synthetic material developed by Corvo engi- mastered the art of living in the worst conditions with the
neers in Quanjie before the space age. least amount of resources, and their housing tech is no

The Corvo Technology

exception - especially their zero-g living environments.
Quantum power allowed the Corvo to reach space flight
long before most other interstellar species, and is the basis
of all Corvo space programs and spaceship models - which ZERO-G HABITATS
are faster and more powerful than most other spaceships.
Roughly 90% of Corvo buildings are simple, plain zero-g
‘Quantum power’ refers not to the type of energy itself, habitats. These buildings are the trademark of Corvo ar-
but to the procedure by which said energy is obtained. The chitecture, and one of their main engineering exports, as
Jiu material is compressed and stored inside nano-cells they are cheap and easy to build. At first, small spaceships 103
containing a Q-needle, a mono-particle filament capable were refurbished to house one or more families. The need

faith: core book

of absorbing the energy released by the nuclear reaction for more cheap housing led Corporations to build zero-g
of the Jiu and transforming it into electricity. The reactors ‘houses’ from scratch.
used to control the nuclear reactions and regulate the elec-
trical energy are known as Quantum engines (shortened to Consisting of a simple arrangement (usually cube-
Quangines or Q-gi in the Corvo tongue). shaped) of pressurised, thermal plates with artificial
atmosphere systems, fastened to one or more mooring
These reactors have been a key target of terrorist cables, a zero-g habitat can be safely attached to any plan-
groups, knowing as they know that any disruption in the etary surface or space station. Protecting its inhabitants
provision of energy can have serious impacts in the Corvo from harmful radiation and heat, extreme cold and solar
economy. winds, zero-g houses need no ventilation, and all their walls
- a zero-g building has no ‘floor’ or ‘ceiling’ to speak of - are
Versatile and fairly safe to use, Q-gis are used on every- lined with bars, dents and ledges, which double as furniture
thing from astronautics to cybernetics, from construction and multi-use surfaces. A few wealthier Corvo can afford
to information networks, and currently almost everything to install magnetic surfaces, which work better as support
in the Corvosphere either runs on quantum power or is points.
solar powered.
Easily customizable, zero-g habitats can be fitted with
Furthermore, as quantum power is cost-effective but any additional amenities their owners can afford, from
costly to begin with, it keeps cheap energy in the hands of cooking stoves to fridges to holovid sets. Most zero-g
the wealthiest corps and institutions, which have an addi- owners can’t afford any of these, but many middle-class
tional incentive to support the continued use of quantum Corvo have managed to turn their plain habitats into very
power all across the Corvosphere. comfortable, even cozy, homes.

Of course, the Jiu material was a limited resource - as of

this writing, it’s become nearly extinct on Quanjie and the SMART BUILDINGS
few colonies where it has been found - which forced the
Corvo to seek larger energy sources - such as their sun. Smart buildings, regarded as the ‘average building’ by
This, in turn, led straight to the Corvo Dyson Ring project - most of Corvo society - although there’s one Smart building
and the building of Tiantang itself. for every hundred zero-g habitats - are plain houses, built
of metal and plastic alloys, and lined with digital appliances
through their walls, floors and ceilings. Most are one-sto-
rey buildings, but there are also versions with two, three or
more storeys, although these tend to be available only to
wealthier tenants.

Smart buildings, as their name implies, are fitted with

several digital appliances such as voice-controlled lights,
windows and temperature, plus most of them have inte-
grated neuronet panels inside their walls, allowing anyone
within their walls to access the neuronet via CC, directly
from their brains. They are also equipped with solar panels
that absorb and provide near-unlimited energy for the
building’s integrated systems.

Smart Buildings can be built on a world’s surface, and

also as floating stations on space. In the latter case, they
are built with extra heating and heat shielding. Although
Corvo are naturally accustomed to zero-g conditions,
members of other species - and some of the most ostenta-
The Corvo Technology

tious Corvo, too - living in zero-g smart buildings usually

pay to install artificial centripetal-force systems, so as to
be able to stand and walk normally while inside the house.

OMNIRINGS
The pinnacle of Corvo engineering, omnirings are huge
104 round buildings that float all around Tiantang and the
most advanced Corvo colonies. A single omniring can
house thousands of corporate offices, shopping centres,
faith: core book

cultural spots, parks or amusement facilities, or millions of

residential areas. Some omnirings, also called gyro-zhans,
are large as moons, while others are as small as an Earth
skyscraper. In fact, omnirings and gyro-zhans would be the
Corvo equivalent of what skyscrapers were for Humans.

Their ring-shaped nature makes optimal use of space,

and the Corvo, used as they are to moving through Gravity-
less environments, are not bothered by the lack of gravita-
tional reference points. However, gyro-zhans have built-in
centripetal force generators, which may be turned on or
off, to give non-Corvo (or those Corvo who need to work
on solid ground) a sense of ‘up’ and ‘down’ and ensure they
feel no disorientation.

COMPUTERS AND
GADGETS
Information technologies and digital processes have
control over almost every aspect of Corvo society, from
entertainment to engineering, and from medicine to
warfare. Incredibly advanced computing systems control
everything from the largest planet-fueling engines to the
nanochips on an electronic toybug.
Although most Corvotech mirrors the tools developed by CC costs money: lifemods, apps, entertainment - The pos-
other species, such as holovids, hacking rigs and cyber-im- sibilities are too irresistible, and the average Corvo spends
plants, there are also many devices designed exclusively by a bit more than half his salary on his CC.
and for the Corvo. These Corvo-exclusive gadgets include,
of course, the Cortex Connector and its developments - the There are two kinds of contract for CC use, which depend
neuronet, VR mods and experience drugs - but also a few mostly on the user’s buying power.
other devices.
Open Cortex Connectors are fully user-owned. If the
wearer uses it for skulling he can control how much of
CORTEX CONNECTOR TECH his brain’s Processing Power Rate (or PPR) is given to his
employers. Such CCs seldom have any side effects on the
All Corvo information and computing devices are mind, as it’s up to the user to determine the PPR used, and
equipped with a cortex connector jack, which the user can all devices have safety systems installed against this and
link into, using his own brain as processing power for the other possible CC-related health issues (experience-drug
device. The devices that can be accessed by a cortex con- overdose, muscle atrophy, dehydration, starvation, etc.).
nection are mostly computers, but also include advanced On the other hand, an Open CCs is expensive, and the user
weapons systems, auto-powered suits, vehicles, and other must pay for it in advance or add the instalments to the
devices. device’s monthly cost.

Created during the ‘Media Revolution’ around 300 Closed Cortex Connectors are owned by the hardware

The Corvo Technology

standard Corvo years ago, cortex connectors are thumb- company, not the wearer. When hiring a closed service,
sized chips that may be bought on the open market and the wearer enters into a contract that allows the company
injected on the receiver’s brain by a simple and painless to drain a set amount PPR from the wearer’s brain. The
procedure. wearer is basically paying for it through his skulling job,
which, depending on the conditions of the contract, can
There are thousands of cortex connector stations, or ‘CC be activated at any time of the day, and sometimes for
parlors’ in Corvo slang, where anyone can go have a cortex any amount of time required by the company, turning the
connector fitted, repaired or replaced for a relatively low wearer into little more than a battery, living in a dormant
fee. CC parlors also allow those without a cortex connector state for an indefinite period. Depending on the terms, the 105
to rent a temporary connection at fixed per-minute rates. Closed CC can be from cheap to free, sometimes including

faith: core book

the internet connection. Additionally, a closed CC contract
Cortex connectors were originally built to work exclu- often includes some long term benefits, such as having the
sively with Corvo nervous systems, but they have recently CC changed by the company free of charge every time a
added a ‘generic’ version, which works on non-Corvo and is new model comes out, as they want to obtain the best PPR
freely available to everyone. A cortex connector can only available. Some of the more experimental and unstable
be implanted or removed by someone with the specific models were first tried on monitored groups of Corvo
knowledge and tools to do it, but otherwise they are easily under a closed contract.
interchangeable and unnoticeable.
Regardless of the type of contract, most cortex con-
CCs started as nothing more than the means to link the nectors of the same generation are similarly powerful re-
user’s brain into a computer, but then the Corvo developed gardless of the developer - after all, all CC manufacturers
computational cortex connectors (at first called CCCs or ultimately belong to Wang Corp.
3Cs), which included a built-in, fully-functioning computer
of their own and left the CC jack free to link to other devices, However, each generation of CCs comes with its own
which resulted in ten to twenty times the total processing deluxe version, known as neuroenhancers, which
power. are specialised, carefully customised Cortex
Connectors, installed through a complex
Now, all CCs include their own processors, which makes surgical procedure to ensure optimal
them the most common computer devices in the Universe, output while minimising any possible
as most Corvo and a significant number of aliens own one. interference with the user’s cognitive
capabilities. Additionally, they can
CC MODELS shut down specific brain activities to
enhance the wearer’s performance in
Cortex connectors have a very high upkeep. While those other tasks for limited periods of time.
developed by good brands require very few repairs, the cost These devices are extremely expen-
of owning a CC quickly piles up: A CC should be replaced with sive; it’s rare to find a neuroenhancer in
a newer model every year to keep up with tech advances. the hands (or rather, brain) of any but
There are monthly software update fees, plus fees for the the richest Corvo.
internet connection, plus almost everything accessible via
BODY MODS QUANTUM SYSTEMS
As masters of genetic engineering and cybernetics, the The discovery of quantum fuel in the first decade before
Corvo are heavy users of all kinds of body modification. the Space Age allowed for the development of supercon-
These ‘body mods’ take many forms, from the useful to the ducting computer chips, which transmitted information
decorative; from the harmless to the illegal; from aesthetic at the smallest possible scale - via streams of photons -
alterations of the flesh and genetic tattoos to integrated and led to the first AIs and their only remaining offshoot:
weapons systems; from sex-reassignment or rejuvenation quantum encryption.
to muscle and brain enhancers. Most Corvo have at least a
small body mod, though only the wealthiest can afford the Quantum-encrypted systems have dynamic, ever-chang-
most extreme and game-changing models. ing security codes, and are thus uncrackable by standard,
non-sentient computers. A true AI can break such systems
Most body mods are purely aesthetic, but they also can without trouble, but the current prohibition on sentient
work as a Bio Upgrade. Any Corvo that picks a Bio Upgrade machines has made quantum encryption all but foolproof.
may assume it comes from a body mod.
Of course, there’s no lock without a key, and Corvo
hackers soon learned to use limited - and still illegal - AIs
DRONES to develop near-sentient programs that can crack quantum
security, in most cases.
The Corvo Technology

Despite true artificial intelligences being illegal in the That’s why, in the Corvosphere, a hacker’s skill depends
Corvosphere, many Corvo own drones, a type of non- mostly on his ability to create a cracking program that,
sentient automaton that can execute basic commands while remaining non-sentient, has the right amount of
according to its pre-programmed function. Drones come initiative and creativity to hack into quantum encryption.
in all models, from seeing-eye aids for disabled Corvo, to Hacking has never, in any society or era, come so close to
servant/assistants for the wealthy, to military spies and an art form as in the modern Corvosphere.
even weapon-deployment function.
106
Most drones are fitted with hoverware that allows them AUTOMATIC
to float in any direction, as well as a surveillance system
TRANSLATORS
faith: core book

that allows a living user to see through its sensors and

relay orders to it remotely. Most drones are designed with
cortex connectors in mind, and any sentient with a CC can
control one with nothing but his own brainwaves, provided One of the Corvo’s most impressive advances is also
the drone has been previously attuned to his cortex con- one of the less noticed - the automatic translator, or AT.
nector. For this reason, all drones come with top-of-the- These small portable cybernetic implants allow anyone
line security systems against hijacking. with a cortex connector to have an approximation of the
meaning of any spoken language conveyed directly into his
brain. The algorithms required to do this are only possible
NEURAL UPLOAD with quantum processors, which can interpret signals and
improvise scenarios almost as a real AI. Of course, the pro-
cessor inside an auto translator is too limited to develop
The most recent Corvo tech to be tested is the neural sentience, but it’s the closest that the Corvosphere has to
upload, a process by which a Corvo may transfer his ‘con- widespread AI tech.
science’, or neural patterns, to a mechanical body. Although
the technology is still in its early stages, several successful
cases have been reported. Whether an uploaded conscious- A SOCIETY
ness is still the same individual or only a digital copy, this
remains a subject for debate. WITHOUT AI
Also debatable is the legality of the process, faced
with the Corvo prohibition on advanced AIs. The question One of the drawbacks of endlessly reducing costs is that
has proven controversial - Would ‘uploaded’ workers be it necessarily stops at the point where the people lose the
‘stealing’ jobs from organic ones? Does a digital conscious- ability to spend. One of the best ways to reduce costs - re-
ness enjoy the same rights as an organic citizen? So far, the placing labour with machines - had the serious downside
issue is too new for deeper analysis, but it’s guaranteed to of reducing employment, and with it the buying power of
somehow reshape Corvo society in the not-so-far future. workers, who are also the consumers of the products they
work on. This problem has caused its fair share of economi-
the core rules
HISTORY
“Luck is nothing but the factors not taken into
consideration by the original plan.” of all Corvo subspecies, and only Quanjii, which presumably
had evolved to need less food and air than their cousins,
- Old Corvo saying could adapt to the new environment. This is the most wide-
spread theory; however, certain evidence suggests a more
The Corvo were among the first known space-travelling sinister possibility. Records from around 120,000 years
species, and as such they boast a longer and richer history ago – the approximate date of the extinction event – show
than most other civilisations. From their humble beginnings the presence of foreign harmful elements, both organic
as stumbling arthropoda in the remote mudball of Quanjie and inorganic, in the remains of C. Gensis settlements and
to their now legendary leap to the stars and the founding of habitats. These ranged from minerals that killed the soil’s
the largest starfaring culture in the Universe, the history of fertility and rarefied the air to poisonous plants that grew
the Corvo is a tale of beating the odds, of resourcefulness far from their usual environments. The dates are only es-
and independence – just like the Corvo racial character. timates, and the evidence is not conclusive – but the fact
remains that these elements came from various, disparate
sources, and that they all seemed to appear at the same
TIMELINE time and only near C. Gensis territory.

Whatever the truth, the fact is that barely a thousand

The Corvo mark their calendar by one important count: years later the only extant Corvo species was Corvo Quanjii
their Space Age, which began when the first Corvo space- - later known only as the Corvo.

The Corvo History

ships were launched to put satellites around their world.
Thus, all Corvo dates are counted in years BSA (Before
Space Age) or SA (Space Age; the current era). THE FIRST CORVO
As of this writing, the Space Age milestone - when Liu
Liwei, the first Corvo in space and the closest the Corvo The earliest evidence of complex social be-
have to a Saint, made that first historic trip - took place haviour from prehistoric Corvo comes from 109
1966 years ago; thus the current date (in Standard Corvo findings dated around 100,000 years ago.

faith: core book

years) would be 1966 SA. Intriguingly, these findings include small
metal tools with no discernible material
use. Some scholars have posited that these
BEFORE THE CORVO unidentified metal pieces may be a form
of archaic coins, and that the Corvo may
have invented currency at the very
In the distant past, the Corvo evolved from the weak dawn of their civilisation,
Corvacius variant of koomos, large prehistoric crustaceans even before religion or
native to the remote world that is now known as Quanjie. crafts. Specifically,
that the Corvo’s
Ironically, the very weakness of Corvacius led to the sparing diet and
survival of only the most adaptable branches – specifically, economic metab-
the genus Corvo, distinguished by its ability to slow their olism could have
metabolism to need less resources, which in turn led to an led to a surplus
erect posture, bipedal locomotion and manual dexterity. of resources,
to such an
Scientists believe that about half a million years ago the extent
Corvo genus included five distinct species, of which Corvo
Gensis (stronger, fiercer and distinguished by reddish exo-
skeletons) and Corvo Quanjii (leaner, weaker and grey- or
bluish-hued) were by far the most evolved. Both C. Gensis
and C. Quanjii had developed tool use and rudimentary sen-
tience, including primitive social structures.

Prehistoric evidence suggests that, for a time, C. Quanjii

faced extinction at the hands of their stronger relatives,
until an unknown event led to the sudden, complete dis-
appearance of C. Gensis. Most scholars believe a sudden
climate change or other catastrophe led to the extinction
effects. If there were none, it is successful only
against those who counteracted with an equal or
lower action value.

E.g. Mark throws a grenade inside a room with

an Ironskin and a Harvester inside, and they try to
dodge the explosion. In the ensuing confrontation,
the Ironskin achieves the highest action value,
followed by Mark, while the Harvester has the
lowest action value. The Ironskin manages to get
away from the blast radius, but his Dodging action
cannot make Mark’s action fail. Consequently, the
Harvester is blown to pieces.

On the other hand, if the Ironskin had chosen to

kick the grenade away, Mark’s action would have
failed, and the Harvester would not have been

The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

affected by the action.

NOTE: If a TSE achieves a higher action value than the

triggering action, the reason for failure determined by
the TSE that was declared comes true and the success or
failure of all other counteractions is determined as usual.

9. The GM determines the level of success of any suc-

cessful actions, and describes the failures.

ACTION VALUE ADVANTAGES AND

319

faith: core book

The action value is a numerical value used to determine
DISADVANTAGES
the result of a character’s action during a confrontation.
There are several things that can modify the value of an Advantages (also represented by a “+” symbol) repre-
action and its final value will affect the outcome of the sent having a form of upper hand over an opponent, while
confrontation and determine its winner. disadvantages (also represented by a “-” symbol) repre-
sent difficulties or hindrances a character can have when
trying to perform an action. TSEs can also be affected by
SKILLS advantages or disadvantages.

Every time a character performs an action he is using one Each advantage adds 5 points to the character’s starting
Skill to do so. The Skill value is the initial action value of that action value, and each disadvantage subtracts 5 points
character during a confrontation. Additionally, if the Skill from the character’s starting action value.
value of a character is 0, he will suffer one disadvantage.
NOTE: A character’s starting action value can be a
DAMAGE PENALTIES negative number if he has suffered disadvantages.

Skill values are reduced by one for each damage point Both advantages and disadvantages can be gained
(both physical and neural) the character has suffered, to a through equipment, Upgrades, or Powers that grant them;
minimum of 0. or through roleplaying the situation. A character can gain
advantages from several sources at the same time or even
Neural damage suffered as the result of using an Acti- several advantages from the same source if the benefit it
vated or Sustained effect occurs as the action resolves, provides is very strong. There are so many possibilities that
and does not incur Skill penalties for that action. it is the job of the GM to determine how and when to grant
advantages or disadvantages to characters.
neurosophical discoveries, but still a source of wonder and hegemonic power of Gong Jingjie eroded to such an extent
knowledge for anyone willing to spend the time accessing that it could not defend itself from its enemies anymore.
the files on the neuronet - Erzi Nei Hua invented astronomy
and calculus. He also wrote hundreds of lines of timeless, Instead of presenting a single military and political block,
beautiful poetry. His long rule - around 45 standard Corvo the Empire had splintered into several factions,or Xianates,
years - was one of the mightiest and most prosperous of as each belonged to a separate Xian. These Xianates didn’t
the seven millennia that Gong Jingjie lasted. But of course, invade each other or fight for the land, but instead waged
his greatest achievement, and the one the Corvo remember a hidden, bloodless war for control of the trade routes, re-
him most for, was the creation of free enterprise and de- sources and ever-growing businesses. It was the corporate
mocracy, two discoveries that the Corvo have always seen equivalent of a feudal civil war. In this state, Jingjie simply
as one and the same. had no organisation to stand against an invasion.

It was Nei Hua which gave the first votes to the common And an invasion did come - in the form of the Yi horde
people, although his system was different to modern de- from Ouzhou, which, as a few historians like to claim, could
mocracy - or even the democracy known by our ancestors have razed Gong Jingjie without spilling a drop of blood.
on Earth - in that votes were tied to wealth; thus prosper- However, the Jingjiese lived in such luxury and their culture
ous citizens, those that built healthy businesses, were was so alluring that the Yi invasion became a massive im-
given, and encouraged to enforce, the same rights as the migration instead. Suddenly, the invaders began deserting
nobles in the government. This new system gave freedom their armies en masse to adopt Jingjiese culture.
and aspirations to the common people and freed the flow
of trade, which allowed for unprecedented economic and In the end, the invasion was so diluted and diminished that
industrial growth. This encouraged scientific discoveries Jingjie all but assimilated the Yi, and the barbarian warlords

The Corvo History

and land expansion, and ultimately led to the creation of the suddenly found themselves ruling a peaceful, decadent
plutocracy that preceded the modern Corvo government - kingdom that hadn’t fought back.
and, paradoxically, to the downfall of Gong Jingjie, as any
Corvo historian will tell you. Thus both nations fell - the Yi were absorbed by Gong
Jingjie, while their massive immigration destroyed what
But those consequences were still far in the future when remained of Jingjie’s political stability. Barbarian generals
Nei Hua died as the old, accomplished and universally deserted, but Jingjiese Xian abdicated to Barbarian leaders, 111
loved ruler of the known world and the greatest Empire which in turn fell to internal squabbles and betrayals, fol-

faith: core book

Quanjie had ever known. His funeral is thought to have been lowing the tradition of their predecessors. The Greatest
attended by more than a million Jingjiese, and inspired the Empire was depleted of all resources and any semblance
building of the famed Xulong Triangle - which still existed in of unity, and its glorious trade routes and commercial
Quanjie barely four hundred years ago. infrastructure was replaced by a dark age of isolated city-
states. The Jingjiese culture did not disappear, but the influ-
The Corvo timeline is dotted with such great minds, some ence of the Yi invasion changed its customs, language and
more praiseworthy than others, and some unfairly forgot- society forever.
ten - but very few have historically received such deserved
respect and universal acclaim as Erzi Nei Hua. And so the two greatest empires of Corvo antiquity can-
celled each other out, which officially ended Corvo ancient
History, and began its Middle Age.
THE YI INVASION
THE THREE
A few centuries after the death of Nei Hua, the once-
mighty power of the Erzi had diluted to almost nothing. The CULTURES PERIOD
surge of the new social class - the Xian; voting landowners
and entrepreneurs - had turned the Erzi into little more than
celebrities - ornamental rulers that presided ceremony and Just before the Yi invasion, business competition had
went through the motions while real decision-making fell on already forced some of the Jingjiese Xianates to relocate
the Xian. And this decision-making was already a quagmire to the borders of Gong Jingjie, and even beyond. As a result,
of interests and counter-interests, where everybody voted several of these Xianates had formed alliances - and even-
and bribed for or against bills that affected them or their tually new states - with some Yu Tribes from the South. The
alliances - most of which were made or broken with com- Yu were far less advanced than the Jingjiese, but their lands
mercial goals. Merchants and trade ruled the Empire, and were rich and their leaders astute; they saw opportunity
the cohesion and uniformity of thought that had long been in the Jingjiese division, and seized it. They let themselves
the unsung cornerstone of Jingjiese civilisation all but dis- be annexed to the Xianates, thus becoming wealthier and
appeared. Guilds and Federations formed, quarrelled, and acquiring the advantages of Jiangjiese culture. These
- the unthinkable - seceded from the Empire. The formerly Southern Xianates were left relatively untouched by the
Yi invasion that came in the following decades. When the that warred and struggled among themselves. The era of
dust settled, the Northern region of Jingjie - occupied by the conflict didn’t last, however, and after a couple centuries
Yi - and the Southern Jingjie-Yu Xianates, were two separate one of these small states arose above all others.
States. The Northern half retained the name of Jingjie
(without the ‘Gong’), and the Southern Xianates became A mostly unidentified warlord - known today as Siangxia
known as the Xian Federation. the Conqueror, but whose real name and personal life
remain unknown -defeated and united many of these
Then there were the T’sai. states. He enforced a common language and culture with an
iron fist, and quenched any dissension through such means
The Yi invasion had forced hundreds of thousands of as book burnings and massive exterminations. In fact, all
Jingjiese out of their territory; more than half of these dis- we know today about Siangxia is from the remaining great
placed citizens emigrated to the Shao subcontinent, where buildings and half-erased records of his despotic rule, plus
they had formed their own new tribes and cultures. These a couple of stone likenesses that most likely didn’t actually
tribes were nomadic, but retained the plutocratic, civilised resemble the real person. There are, of course, several
ways of the old Jingjiese Xianates. They did not have a he- legends about him, most of them presenting him as a
gemonic government, but followed a set of commercial, mighty prophet of Kaliva with the ability of toppling all the
religious and political practices that gave them, if not a armies and empires that stood against him.
common identity, at least a similar culture. This culture
called itself the T’Sai. Left alone for many centuries, the Whatever the truth, and despite his ruthless methods,
T’Sai people multiplied and expanded until they had more Siangxia succeeded in establishing absolute power over
land than either the Xian Federation or Jingjie remnant, half the Corvo world, and he created a prosperous,
while almost matching their population and power. single-minded nation whose economic and military power
The Corvo History

far outshone the golden age of Gong Jingjie, albeit with a

As they grew, the three nations warred time and again lesser focus on culture and arts. Siangxia called his nation
for borders, trade and resources. The Jingjie remnant saw The Laodong Empire, which as we all know would grow to
itself as the one true Empire of the world, while the Xian become the Corvo nation of Lao. This country was still one
looked to expand and conquer as many lands as possible; of the mightiest in the world during the Space Revolution
meanwhile, the T’Sai wished mostly to be left alone, but millennia later, and the Laonese remain a significant Corvo
112 their growing power was a threat to the other two. As the ethnicity even today.
three forces battled, they made and broke alliances with
each other and also with lesser tribes that they annexed
faith: core book

or simply traded with. Even their own provinces periodi- THE GREAT DIVISION
cally seceded and rallied, split and joined, which constantly
shifted the balance of power and even the maps of the
three nations. While the Laodong Empire expanded everywhere from
Meridional Ouzhou to the South Pole, a new power rose
The Three Cultures period lasted nearly 400 standard half a world away. The tribes of Northwest Ouzhou, which
Corvo years, during which many great leaders and strat- had remained barbaric and primitive for many millennia,
egists arose among the plutocratic Xian, the proud Jingjie perfected such techniques as mounted warfare, stone for-
Empire, and the mighty T’Sai warriors. The battles they tifications and advanced metal weapons and armour, and
fought were mythicised in famous stories and epics that several powerful nations arose in a feudal landscape that
still exist in holobits and datapacks - as you read this, there’s closely resembled the Three Cultures period of previous
a massively successful VirtualRom on the legendary T’Sai centuries. But one of these cultures became remarkably
chieftain Hu Ingfui streaming in systemwide datanets - and stronger than the rest, conquering many weaker nations
remain popular allegories about the greatest virtues of and a few of the stronger ones, and mirroring in Ouzhou
Corvo culture: independence, inventiveness, ruthlessness what Laodong was doing in the rest of the world.
and victory against long odds.
This nation was known as the Baizhi Empire, or just Baizhi,
and its military might was only matched by its advanced
SIANGXIA THE culture - it taught arts, science and philosophy to every

CONQUEROR nation it conquered, and established a political system that

closely resembled the structure of later multi-state Re-
publics in that every occupied nation retained identity and
independence while paying tribute to Baizhi and adopting its
In time the three great cultures declined, their power religion (an advanced and tolerant form of Hexia worship),
waned and their borders diluted. Power rested more on language and customs. This soon made Baizhi the greatest
the heads of the separate provinces and city-states than power in the North, as many tribes actively sought to
on any hegemonic ruling body, and soon the fabled Three submit to their advanced culture, benevolent occupa-
Cultures became thousands of independent feudal states tion terms and comfortable lifestyle. Most of the Corvo
languages that subsisted to the modern era were derived every aspect of Corvo culture, from money counting to
from, or based on, the Baizhi tongue. mass production.

When the Laodong Empire and Baizhi met, both nations The technology boom caused by the Block Calculator
suffered massive culture shock at the other’s wildly was the dawn of Corvo modernity, and it introduced indus-
different traditions, lifestyles and trade goods. Thanks trial and scientific advances that catapulted the Corvo from
to the efforts of daring merchants and explorers from the Steel Age to the first digital technologies in less than a
both empires, many of these trade goods were exported century.
between both empires, leading to important changes in
their customs, religions and technology. More importantly, the new technologies made wars of
conquest a thing of the past, and ended millennia of shifting
Knowing they had both encountered a neighbour they borders and changing governments, as the new wars were
couldn’t overpower, Baizhi and Laodong implicitly agreed fought on the arena of commercial relations, production,
to respect each other’s territory, and to remain on their imports and exports.
respective corner of the planet. This divided the Corvo
world in two, and every nation and culture that came after This ‘Technopeace’ allowed all the Corvo nations to con-
was influenced by either Baizhi or Laodong. This split Corvo solidate, their economies to grow and their focus to shift
countries and cultures into what is still known to the Corvo to more scientific and industrial advances. This led to an
as the ‘Septentrional’ and ‘Meridional’ worlds. overall improvement of living conditions for most of the
Corvo peoples.

THE GENTLE FALL

The Corvo History

THE GREAT WAR
In time, Baizhi and Laodong waned too; although both “He found a way to win the war for us.
nations lasted until the Space Age, their land and power We had to kill him in his sleep.
diminished as many of their vassal states grew in might, Imagine the horror, how
allied with and warred among each other. This divided the many businesses would
world into separate, roughly equal nations, a situation that have been destroyed? 113
lasted more than a thousand years and saw the birth of How many people

faith: core book

most of the ninety countries that have existed in Quanjie would have lost their
since then. Some of these countries adopted either the jobs? Madness.”
Septentrional or Meridional culture, although some were
varied mixes of the two; some were more totalitarian and - Xue Lin, Corvo come-
some were more free and enterprising, but most of them dian and political activ-
based their power on competition and trade first, and ist
military conquest second.
Of course, wars fought
This millennium was known as The Gentle Fall, for it rep- with money are still wars,
resented the decline of the last Corvo Great Empires and and competition among
the establishment of dozens of lesser but more-or-less nations was, if
evenly matched states, shaping the modern Corvo political anything, fiercer
landscape. than it had ever
been in Corvo
history. The
THE TECHNOPEACE prize was not a
patch of land or a
conquered city anymore, but
The Gentle Fall ended when the Corvo discovered ma- planet-changing technologies
chinery and automated production, which shook up their or worldwide monopolies
culture and economy to the core. on essential supplies. When
two nations fought for
The first automated Corvo engine was the well-known industrial prominence, they
Block Calculator, originally made of wooden blocks and sometimes took the military
pistons, created by the legendary Corvo polymath and path. Although the Technope-
economist Bao Sanzhi and perfected by the Ling Brothers ace ended millennia of constant
shop in the State of Wu. The Block Calculator was the first bloodshed, many small-scale
ancestor to modern computers, caused the first workers’ wars were still fought for some
revolts in Wu - later in several other nations - and changed new resource or a new technology
prototype. But the largest and most devastating of these agreements with Yuelin. Baizhi sided with neither, becoming
conflicts was the Great War fought among the Yao Alliance the weakest of the three nations.
and the Gaotian Empire.
To prevent this ‘Cooling’ from escalating into a new war,
Ostensibly, the war started as a political alliance between the three nations - along with the less powerful countries
the Democratic Republics of Yuelin, Meng and modern-day of the rest of Quanjie - signed the GenCorp pact, which
Baizhi, as they intended to ‘free’ the small nation of Yao required every Corporation in Quanjie to submit to a set of
from the clutches of the ever-growing Gaotian Empire - a fair competition laws, overseen by a single neutral, mul-
militaristic nation that had recently formed in Northern tinational governing council. This council had a share on
Ouzhou. Actually, what the Yao Alliance sought was the every corporation founded and listed under GenCorp, which
Gaotian’s monopoly on the rare Jiu material, which they had made all nations in the GenCorp partners of most compa-
learned to process into quantum fuel. nies in the world.

The Gaotian answered by launching a ruthless invasion This maintained peace and neutrality among nations,
on the territories of Yao and Yuelin, which almost oblite- while dramatically increasing the wealth of the rulers of the
rated both nations and helped cement the Gaotian’s current Corvo world. Far more importantly, it was the template for
reputation as a murderous dictatorship. But history would what would become the Corvo Megacorps - a multi-partner
be taught differently, that perhaps the Gaotian would have venture that doubled as a worldwide government and main-
become the rulers of the known world if it hadn’t been for tained cooperation through (roughly) equal market shares
Professor Pei Qin. for all the politicians involved.

Renowned across the Corvosphere as the greatest sci-

The Corvo History

entist and spy that ever lived, Pei Qin famously defected
from the Gaotian. Offering his service to the Yao Alliance,
THE AI REVOLUTION
Pei Qin sought to keep his discovery of Jiu-based quantum
weapons from the hands of his cruel government. This, The most important consequence of Professor Pei Qin’s
of course, put quantum weapons in the hands of the Yao, Quantum technology was not Jiu-based weapons, as most
which promptly won the war against the Gaotian and oblit- non-Corvo believe, but the development of the first real
114 erated their nation, dividing it among themselves and rees- artificial intelligences. Tachyon-based networks allowed
tablishing the thus far lesser nation of Meng as the mighty digital systems to add a ‘maybe’ to their yes-no binary
Jiantian Republic, the most powerful nation of modern thought, and Jiantian was developing its first truly sentient
faith: core book

Corvo history. nodes only a decade after the war. This is not general
knowledge of Corvo history because of how fast the AI was
Concerning Professor Pei Qin, it’s commonly believed he almost killed after it was born.
died of natural causes after the war, although history says
otherwise. When Professor Pei realised he hadn’t helped As most of the hard labour across the world was already
world peace but had simply given Jiu-based weapons to performed by machines, most paid jobs in Corvo society
someone else, he joined a radical cell and attempted to were decision-making positions. When it was first imple-
sabotage the Jiantian government. He was caught, executed mented, AI caused massive layoffs, which led to worldwide
and buried anonymously, a fact that the government kept civil unrest as workers paraded against the new technology
secret until Jiantian itself was dissolved after the Space and even formed labour unions, a mostly unheard-of - and
Revolution. The current Corvo government hasn’t exactly very dangerous - idea in Corvo society.
bent over to correct Jiantian’s omission, but a quick infos-
earch on any neuronet will reveal the truth. Unrest was quickly stifled, of course, but during the next
decade the Quanjie stock exchange took a massive hit as
workers all across the planet lost purchasing power and
THE COOLING markets plummeted, which led to all international curren-
cies losing most of their worth. To prevent a collapse of
world economy, the GenCorp council took the emergency
After the defeat of the Gaotian, the three nations of the measure of virtually shutting down most AI-based systems
Yao Alliance distanced themselves from each other. Yuelin in the world. They imposed a ban on most kinds of artificial
and Baizhi resented the newly formed Jiantian Republic for intelligence and passed a law that required every decision-
having acquired the most power and prominence after the making position - and even a few drudgery jobs such as
war - ‘Meng’, the Jiantian’s pre-war name, is still a mild police and military work - to be given exclusively to living,
insult in Yuelin and Baizhi, meaning ‘one that has forgotten breathing, paying Corvo.
he rose from humble origins’. Yuelin annexed Yao with the
excuse of protecting it from the Jiantian’s imperialistic am- To date, only the most basic AI systems - mostly non-
bitions, and Jiantian severed all economic ties and ended all quantum, but in general those that require living Corvo to
give them the parameters of their job - are allowed to exist,
and the most advanced systems are strictly regulated and One thing was clear - the Corporation could not maintain
not allowed to work outside the highest levels of the Corvo its monopoly.
Government.
So Jiaoyang was forced to turn to two other corpora-
tions, which had taken property and usage rights over
THE CORVO the other mineral planets in the Corvo solar system. The

SPACE AGE two smaller corps readily signed a trade agreement with
Jiaoyang, which led the GenCorp council to change its laws
to favour free trade and limit monopoly practices. Thus the
greatest recession in Corvo history led to the birth of the
The Corvo began their space age only three years after species’ current economic system.
the AI Revolution, when Liu Liwei of Lao became the first
sentient being to enter outer space. After Liwei’s success,
five corporations from Lao, Jiantian and Yuelin signed a deal THE CORPORATION
for long-term collaboration towards space exploration.
Their common vision was to harness - and jointly own - a AGE
limitless energy source that would make them indispensa-
ble to the future of Corvo civilisation, at least for the next
billion years, which seemed like enough. They intended to After the Three-way Trade Agreement was signed, the
establish a ring of solar powered satellites around the sun two smaller corporations were in turn guilty of not comply-
(what we Humans would call a Dyson Ring) which would ing with the new free trade laws, as they had unilaterally
send the energy back to Quanjie through microwaves. claimed the land of two entire mineral planets; this

The Corvo History

These satellites would receive solar energy every single forced their shareholders to sell the
second that they operated, with no power lost to the at- companies back to Jiaoyang. Thus
mosphere or other celestial bodies that could stand in the the larger corporation, to comply
way. Thousands of Corvo workers and technicians moved with the new antitrust laws,
to space bases that slowly became part of the Dyson ring. split into two companies: one
that focused on the mainte-
This new system was extremely costly, but it had trans- nance of the 115
formed Corvo economy well before it was even completed. satellites

faith: core book

The five corporations merged into a single entity, which and the
eventually became the first Corvo Megacorp: it was known workers’
as Jiaoyang, and took over more than 60% of all businesses. bases, and
another
The Corvo didn’t realise it yet, but the Dyson Ring project in charge
was their first step towards seeing themselves as a single of pro-
political entity - a single worldwide civilisation with one viding
driving goal. services to
new compa-
nies and workers
THE GREAT SUNDOWN who needed astronaut

RECESSION training and transportation to

the Dyson ring.

Thus both the mining

Despite the initial success of the Dyson Ring project, the planets and the Dyson
supposedly limitless energy of the sun was, in practice, ring became work-
limited to the amount of energy that each satellite could places for hundreds
provide. Meanwhile, on the surface of the planet Jiaoyang of thousands of Corvo
had recklessly expanded in scope and ambition, taxing the workers and astronauts,
energy output provided by the first few satellites it had and ‘space worker’
already placed in orbit. The sudden shortage of resources became a standard - if
caused a worldwide recession, during which Jiaoyang’s not the standard job - of
shares and stock prices fell as it failed to fulfil goals and Corvo society. An unex-
the public accused it of establishing a monopoly over the pected consequence of this
Corvo space age and the sun’s energy. was that Quanjie, the Corvo
homeworld for a thousand
This crisis was known as the Sundown recession, and generations, suddenly became
almost caused Jiaoyang to stop the Dyson Ring project. just another place to work.
You either lived and worked planetside or at one space THE LABYRINTH
station around the Dyson Ring or the mining worlds.

The new paradigm ended the patronage system used by When it seemed like the Corvo expansion had reached its
Corvo corps up until then; thousands of companies started limit, exhausting most of the resources available in their
to work on the Dyson ring to produce energy, to perform solar system, a team of scientists at Tiantang claimed that,
maintenance work for the satellites, and to provide services with a large enough energy output, they could create a
to the ever-growing population of workers, while others wormhole. This team was led by now legendary Professor
took control of thousands of interplanetary mining sites. Mehdi Ben, a Corvo astrophysicist - whose name translates
thus because we Humans first learned of him through the
This was the Corvo corporation age, and the true dawn of Iz’kal, whose names are translated to our Arabic languages.
Corvo society as we know it today.
The discovery of Professor Mehdi’s team opened a new
door for space exploration, as lightspeed remains unat-
TIANTANG tainable for manned spacecraft, and a wormhole could
allow the Corvo to explore other stars - and expand the
resources available to the Corvo corporations.
With thousands of corporations working on it, the Dyson
Ring at last had enough resources to expand, and it grew To create a wormhole, Mehdi and his team needed to
exponentially from that moment. The Ring was finally com- create matter with negative mass, or else find it at one of
pleted, and it was named Tiantang. several naturally occurring spots in space, which Mehdi
dubbed N-regions in which mass arbitrarily changes from
The Corvo History

Besides Quanjie, the Corvo had mined two other planets positive to negative. Creating matter with negative mass
to their core, and with a condensed ring of space stations would require an incredibly expensive process, and it also
and satellites barely 1 AU away, nearly half the Corvo popu- needed an huge, continuous amount of energy in order to
lation had moved to live and work in Tiantang or nearby remain stable and not collapse upon itself.
mining bases. Not only had the majority of the Corvo
industry and services moved to space, but also their entire Mehdi Ben convinced several corporations to invest
116 financial system. In a genius move, several corporations heavily into his project. If it worked, his team could create
agreed to have the stock exchange and currency markets a door to a whole new star system, brimming with the re-
moved to Tiantang, which expedited energy exploitation for sources and job opportunities the Corvo (and the corpora-
faith: core book

the Dyson Ring, but resulted in a delay of 3 light minutes as tions’ business) needed so much.
information travelled from Tiantang to Quanjie, and made
all planet-side corporations unable to compete against What Mehdi Ben did not tell his investors was that it
their space-based rivals. was impossible to choose where the wormhole would
lead to. The experiment indicated that the other end
Suddenly, all the important and well paid jobs were in of the wormhole would theoretically open at a nearby
Tiantang, and many service companies moved to space N-Region, most of which tend to form relatively close to
stations in the ring. Quanjie was slowly but surely depleted star systems. This was enough assurance for Mehdi that
of its most capable citizens and industries, as well as most the wormhole would take them somewhere useful. He kept
of its resources. the uncertainty from his investors, who he knew would ap-
preciate their money more than a leap of faith.
It was during this time that most Quanjie nations disap-
peared - some joined or were annexed by larger nations, When the wormhole was created, something completely
such as Jiantian or Yuelin; some split not into smaller unexpected happened - Instead of taking them to an un-
nations, but into corporations and companies. Some coun- charted N-region, it took them to a natural wormhole that
tries were bought wholesale by the Tiantang-based corps. was connected to thousands of points throughout the
Many political entities remained, but the massive paradigm Universe, thus creating an artificial path between their
shift had already taken place. The Corvo were no longer location and countless others. This was a success beyond
divided by nations, but by companies and employment. what their wildest theories had predicted. The Corvo busi-
nesses and people now had an open door to the Universe.
Thus the new Corvo space civilisation was born, and it
had wholly new material needs; it required new forms of They called it the Labyrinth.
software, entertainment, energy, and resources. And the
CEOs of the largest companies were well aware of what
would happen to their economy if they could not keep up
with this new world they had just created.
THE AGE OF The term ‘Corvosphere’ came into use in 1699 SA, when

EXPANSION the well-known media commentator Xiao Yao used the

word to refer to the shared culture and trade laws of two
recently founded Corvo colonies. Pretty soon everyone
was using it, including the government and Megacorps.
The first trips across the Labyrinth were less a success Now, the Corvo ‘world’ is not a planet, a star system or
than Mehdi’s original optimism suggested. Once it was a corporation - it is a bodiless institution, an all-encom-
through, a ship lost all contact with Tiantang, and there passing unsubstantial entity that the Corvo unconsciously
was no way to make sure where, or if, it had safely arrived. picture encompassing the Labyrinth and every star system
Of the first three manned flights into the Labyrinth, none connected to it. When they think of the Corvosphere, they
returned. see the whole Universe as their ‘world’. And they may just
be - or eventually become - right to do so.
Then the Megacorps paid for the development of trave-
ling beacon ships - specialised vessels, either manned
or automated, equipped with portable network relays THE MEDIA
through which ship crews could communicate even across
a wormhole. These beacon ships were launched to several REVOLUTION
spots across the Labyrinth, allowing ships to arrive to
their destinations safely even if they lost contact with the
Tiantang network. As the Corvo territory grew and more colonies were
founded from an end of the Labyrinth to the other, free
The Corvo even regained communication with one of the thought and a growing economy, mixed with longer distanc-

The Corvo History

three lost Labyrinth missions, which became such good es from the Corvo power centre, gave birth to a number
news that ‘Reunion Day’ remains a holiday observed across of independent philosophies; most of these questioned and
the Corvosphere. even challenged the Corvo status quo.

The development of beacon ships was the spark that The Qing Gao movement particularly denounced Corvo
finally jump-started Corvo expansion across the Labyrinth, consumerism and called for a return to self-knowledge;
and the first Corvo colony - the settlement of New Quan to focus individualism towards greater wisdom instead 117
on Yaolong 6B - was founded in 1657 SA, just over a decade of away from it. Qing Gao proponents, pejoratively called

faith: core book

after the discovery of the Labyrinth. Then, they discovered qings or qingga by the older generations, listened to lyric-
Earth two years later (1659 SA, 2347 CE for us), the facts of heavy music, left anonymous minimalist poems in hidden
which are not needed here as it’s the greatest milestone in databits across the neuronet and rejected commercialism,
Human history and everyone knows the details. buying only their basic needs and mocking a society that
filled itself with luxuries and escapism. The only hedonism
From that moment on, the Corvo have precariously the Qingga tolerated was performance arts, parties and
but steadily founded new colonies and established their drugs, which they claimed to use only to expand their self
dominion over further and further star systems. understanding. Buy yourself, a witty aphorism by Qingga
poet Dao Enmeng, became a slogan of the movement and a
These colonies are relatively few, very remote and have catchphrase of Corvo popular culture.
achieved uneven levels of development and quality of life
when compared to the Corvo capital of Tiantang, but they Qingga subculture was very attractive for a whole gen-
finally consolidated the Corvo as an interstellar civilisation. eration of younger Corvo, which led to a huge generation
schism - young Qings saw themselves as ‘the children of
the Labyrinth’ and claimed that the discovery of interstel-
THE CORVOSPHERE lar pathways marked a new spiritual era that gave them a
deeper understanding of self than their archaic, Tiantang-
bound elders.
When it became clear the Corvo civilisation had left
behind not only the traditional cradle of its home world, but The Qings also denounced the corruption and insensitiv-
also their star system, they began seeing themselves as a ity of the Megacorps, performing sit-downs, demonstra-
new kind of entity, one previously unknown even to them. tions and even civil wars in several sectors of Tiantang
and remote colonies. They had the honest belief that they
Although the closest the Corvo have to a local identity could transform Corvo society by transforming its self-
remains tied to Tiantang and the Megacorps, they slowly perception, and constantly promoted a new outlook away
understood their civilisation had become a much more far- from consumerism, leading to a new set of social values,
reaching entity - an entity for which they have no name. via altered states and new states of conscience.
Eventually the Qings won the cultural clash - by losing these aliens had no understanding of trade or negotiation
it. The Qingga movement sparked a cultural and marketing was beyond Zhaozu’s understanding. Even after news of
revolution, but it was not because of the Qings; rather, it the meeting traveled across both civilisations, it took a
was because entertainment networks and media Corps few days for the Corvo to truly grasp the significance of
espoused - or pretended to espouse - Qingga values to what had just taken place - their first contact with another
attract more audience, and eventually turned the Qings’ interstellar civilisation.
internalist philosophy into a very profitable fashion trend.
Thus, young Corvo flocked to digital shops to buy the buy A biped, amphibious species ruled by a totalitarian tech-
yourself signature for their digital interactions, or ‘Qing- nocracy on the world of Al’Ameen, the Iz’kal had learned
style’ clothing and accessories. interstellar travel roughly at the same time as the Corvo,
though their approach to space exploration was quite
But the most important legacy of the Qingga revolution different. Where the Corvo sought to expand and exploit
was much longer-lasting. As nearly all Corvo youths had resources, the Iz’kal sought knowledge and living space.
gotten ‘into’ the experience of changing their perceptions Where the Corvo saw every interaction in the light of a
to reshape reality, the Megacorps scrambled to provide customer-provider relationship, the Iz’kal didn’t quite
artificial means of doing it. This led to a boom of mass- understand or tolerate individualism or the unexpected,
produced virtual reality experiences and the development much less an entire alien culture fully based on trade and
of the Megaworld, a massive virtual reality experience that competition.
all Corvo could connect to and pay for different, new expe-
riences, fed directly to their brains and bypassing sensory The only reason the Iz’kal didn’t flee or attack out of
output or physical drugs. These new ‘customer experi- sheer disgust upon first contact was that they, unlike the
ences’, called lifemods, revitalised the market of massive Corvo, had some previous experience dealing with alien
The Corvo History

virtual entertainment, brought the concept of digital drugs species, and thus were not as surprised and repulsed by the
to mainstream Corvo culture, revolutionised the structure Corvo as they might otherwise had been. In fact, the Iz’kal
and technology of mass media, and a couple years later led were interested in learning more about the Corvo, although
to the development of the most impor- they kept every interaction cold and professional.
tant Corvo technology - the cortex
connector. What came after were several meetings and peace talks,
118 and the encounter became a historic milestone. But the co-
operation between both species was far from guaranteed
THE IZ’KAL - in fact, it would soon be put to the test...
faith: core book

Of all the discoveries The THE TAI MENG REVOLT

Labyrinth brought to the Corvo,
none was more important than
encountering their main rivals in Often the greatest challenges to the Corvo lifestyle and
the space race – the Iz’kal. stability came from within the Corvosphere itself. Civil
unrest became a common occurrence as soon as the Corvo
The first meeting of started building colonies - the Zhui Xi riots come to mind,
both species occurred as well as the famous hackers’ strike of Tiantang 998B -
when the now-famous although revolts remained relatively harmless and far
Zhaozu Corp’s ex- between. It wasn’t the case of the Tai Meng Revolt.
pedition sought to
colonise a mining It started as the settlers of the Tai Meng colony, a
world in the star recently discovered source of Jiu material- the first out of
system the Corvo Quanjie, and currently the largest in the known universe -
call Mu Tai - only to find went on strike against the Corporations demanding better
it already occupied working conditions.
by someone
else - an Iz’kal The delegates of Hao Corp, the branch of The Union
xenostudies Megacorp that oversaw the Tai Meng works, claimed their
lab colony. treatment of workers was lawful and well within interplan-
etary rights, and that more leniency or better wages would
Finding result in a fall of productivity, which would severely impact
aliens was Corvo expansion as Jiu exports fell behind. The Megacorps
strange predictably ruled in favor of Hao’s reasoning, but the Tai
enough, but Meng workers went berserk at the verdict - they sabotaged
finding that the machines, took the whole colony by storm, lynched the
Hao delegates and threatened to blow up the Jiu yields if the This move by CEO Mei No wasn’t without its detractors,
Megacorps didn’t agree to their demands. but it succeeded on sweetening the deal for the separatists
and giving them a reason to lay down their weapons rather
At first, the Megacorps tried to play it all down, claiming than joining the Iz’kal state. Perhaps Lo Lau’s mysterious
the Tai Meng rioters were but thugs and terrorists, hell bent death at the hands of unidentified assassins had something
on destabilising the Corvo economy. But the general public to do with the decision, too. Anyway, Tai Meng became a
wasn’t as easily assuaged, and many popular sectors, lawful and obedient colony once more, fully rejoining the
particularly in ‘sensitive’ (meaning poor but economically Corvosphere and rejecting the Iz’kal deal.
significant) sectors of Tiantang, rose their voices in support
of the rebels. Soon, the lower classes across the Corvos- That, however, wasn’t the masterstroke - Mei No’s real
phere became a powder keg that threatened to blow in the genius strategy, and the one by which she is still remem-
Megacorps’ faces. Meanwhile, Hao Corp threatened to gas bered today, was the Bill she wrote and proposed, which
the Colony and kill all the workers stationed there if they changed the economy of the Corvosphere forever.
didn’t reopen the trade routes.

To soften their stance, the Megacorps destituted the Hao THE EEP
directive and put a friendlier delegate - the thus far unknown
Lo Lau - in charge of the Tai Meng colony. However, Lau took
advantage of the situation to dramatically increase the The Law the Corvo government came up with was
prices and taxes on Jiu exports, claiming that mistreatment dubbed the EEP, or ‘Economic Equality Pact’. This bill basi-
of the workers gave them the right to economic compensa- cally required all colonies to accept a single chart of pro-
tion beyond their demands. The Tai Meng miners idolised Lo portional commercial rates, and to abide to a common set

The Corvo History

Lau, and the colony soon became a near-independent en- of acceptable trade practices. Other than signing the EEP,
terprise, which answered to the Megacorps only nominally, Corvo colonies were required to obey no set laws other
and enjoyed the full support of Hao Corp, which was getting than those of the Corporations that ran their respective
richer by Lo Lau’s punitive measures against Tiantang. operations.

The Megacorps threatened to shut Tai Meng down if Hao The EEP was a roaring success. Most Colonies whole-
didn’t agree to more reasonable trade rates, to which Hao heartedly embraced it, and its terms were equally benefi- 119
replied citing Corvo colonial law, which basically allowed cial for the Megacoprs and the colonial governments. More

faith: core book

them to adjust their prices as needed according to demand importantly, it specifically prevented another Tai Meng by
- and the long strike had created an inordinate demand for clearly stating limits to acceptable prices, taxes and fines
Jiu material. Meanwhile, Lo Lau threatened to turn Tai Meng among colonies; it also guaranteed the workers would
into an independent colony - a new state, fully separate receive certain basic rights, including a variable minimum
from the Corvosphere - with the full support of its inhabit- wage according to each Colony’s resources, which made it
ants and the reluctant backing of Hao Corp itself. a hit among the working classes, too.

The delicate situation was decided, as it often happens, Thus, the EEP allowed Mei No, and through her the entire
by an outside, unexpected force. Apprised of the situation, Corvo government, to establish the trade rules that have
Iz’kal diplomats saw Tai Meng as a chance of toppling the kept the Corvosphere peaceful and its economy prosper-
‘aberrant’ Corvo government, and gave the workers their ous for the last two hundred years, to the chagrin of its
full support, with as many resources and even weapons detractors, both within and without the Corvo species.
as they needed, offering them to join the Iz’kal state (along
with their Jiu-filled planet) and enjoy the full protection As the economist Po Qie stated, ‘Tiantang was the cradle
and patronage of Al’Ameen. Now the revolt threatened to of Corvo Economy - but Tai Meng was its first job’.
become a full-blown interplanetary civil war - and it would
certainly have were it not for Mei No, the chairwoman of
The Union Megacorp. THE SPACE RACE
After a week-long summit with the heads of the other
Megacorps, Mei No convinced them of the terrible danger to After the EEP and the Iz’kal takeover attempt, it didn’t
Corvo society if the Tai Meng rioters went to war supported take long for both species to realise they weren’t going to
by the Iz’kal. All three Megacorps passed an emergency bill be friends.
that required Hao’s shares to be sold at the Tiantang Stock
Exchange - as it had threatened the stability of its parent The Corvo felt uneasy about the Iz’kal’s wasteful philoso-
corporation - and hired a new corporation, one led by Bao phies and totalitarian state, and the Iz’kal were appalled by
Chong, a vocal and explicitly progressive entrepreneur who the Corvo’s materialism and pointless individualism. But
had frequently spoken in favour of the Tai Meng workers. they also knew they were not only political opposites - they
were innate rivals. Without planning or asking for it, both
species were suddenly on a race not only to expand their THE COALITION
territory, but to spread their culture and ideology across
the universe before the other. The Iz’kal had a long head
start, having learned space travel from previous alien It wasn’t long before another Ravager fleet was detected
encounters, but the Corvo were far more numerous and approaching Parsaius, a large Iz’kal colony. Without any
enterprising. need for previous agreement or explanations, both the
Iz’kal and Corvo forces flocked to the spot. For the first
Both species have committed covert acts of sabotage time in history, the rival species joined together to face a
against each other’s exploration efforts - let us remember common threat, one that they both understood could very
how the Iz’kal manipulated the population of Hung 10-B into well bring about the end of the known universe.
sedition, which put plans for the colony on hold indefinitely,
or the poisoning of the Agora clouds by Corvo spies - but The joint effort managed to defeat the Ravager, but just
officially the competition remains fair and respectful. barely; Despite the time they had to prepare for the attack
and the intelligence they had gathered during the battle at
To this day, the Corvo and the Iz’kal remain rivals, and Izuan Tai, the assault took a high toll in lives.
every time one of them settles a new planet, it forces the
other to settle two. After Parsaius, the Corvo and the Iz’kal knew they
couldn’t face the Ravager and each other at the same time.
However, something would happen that would change They agreed to cease all hostilities, and even stop their
the stakes of their rivalry forever. unofficial ‘Space Race’, to focus all of their resources on
fighting this new menace. Within a year, the Megacorps
and the Iz’kal State had signed the Iz’kal-Corvo Military
The Corvo History

THE FALL OF Coalition, or just ‘The Coalition’ for short. It was the largest

IZUAN TAI military alliance in known history, and the only one of its
kind, where two disparate interstellar species pooled their
resources towards a single defence force.

For a long time, the menace we know as the Ravager were The Coalition didn’t answer to either the Megacorps or
120 no more than a myth; mere stories from space sailors and the State, but only to an emergency council composed in
tradesmen, who spoke of colonies and spaceships that had equal parts by Corvo and Iz’kal delegates, which agreed - in
been found abandoned, with no signs of life and with entire writing - to pursue only the best interests of both species
faith: core book

sections that looked like they had been devoured whole. for as long as their alliance existed.

At first, the Corvo and Iz’kal obviously blamed each other Of course, the ‘truce’ between the Corvo and Iz’kal never
for the disappearance of their colonies. Open war became went much deeper than the pretty speeches, and currently
a real threat, and diplomats from both species called for both species maintain their covert enmity through espio-
retaliatory, ‘preventive’ strikes. nage, counter-espionage and sabotage while they keep the
pretence of cooperation. The Coalition still exists, however,
Then came the onslaught. Creatures out of a nightmare, and the army under its jurisdiction remains a joint, fully
in numbers that darkened the sky, fell upon Izuan Tai -one cooperative effort; while their governments still backstab
of the economic centers of the Corvo. The defenses of the each other routinely, the Coalition itself is well aware that it
planet were overrun in a matter of minutes and those who can’t afford discord in the war against the Ravager.
tried to escape the slaughter were hunted down. Only the
fastest spaceships managed to find their way into the Laby- As of this writing, the Coalition has existed for no more
rinth to carry word of the attack back to the Corvosphere. than a few years, but their brave efforts still keep the
Ravager at bay in the border of known space. Many of our
One month later, a large Corvo fleet arrived at Izuan Tai people are fighting that battle as you read these words; we
and, after a desperate battle, was forced to blow up the still don’t know if, when, or how the conflict will end.
planet to stop the spread of the terrible creatures that had
taken over it. What we know is that the Coalition is the only hope, not
only of the two species that conform it, but also of the Raag,
For lack of a better name, the Corvo called the creatures Humans, and any still undiscovered species that remain in
the Hui Huài (‘Ravager’ in modern Human Speech), and they the Ravager’s path.
remain known as The Ravager throughout civilised space.
But the effects and significance of their appearance were Whatever happens, the Ravager are either stopped, or
just beginning to make themselves felt. they end life in the universe as we know it.
THE CORVO TODAY
Despite their political and economic ups and downs,
and even through the war against the Ravager, the Corvo
remain the most prosperous and advanced civilisation in
known space.

The Corvosphere keeps on growing exponentially, as the

Corvo are adept at finding new solutions to new problems
- the exploitation of their planet’s resources was well
underway when they set their eyes on asteroid mining and
efficient energy sources.

The Corvo CEOs always have long-term goals in sight,

perhaps thanks to their naturally long lifespan. This is why
they understood the value of investing in R&D, and found
space to be the bottomless mine their economies needed.

The Corvo now use the Labyrinth to create new colonies

wherever they find habitable planets, and mine dozens of
planets and asteroid rings for the ever-growing satellite

The Corvo History

ring of Tiantang.

Some dream of creating a solid sphere around the star,

which would allow them to collect virtually all of its energy
output without any loss. Although this would require
creating a surface area several billion times that of the
surface of a planet, something scientists see as impossible 121
now and highly unlikely in the future, the Corvo are not a

faith: core book

people who take no for an answer - and Tiantang keeps
growing every year.

The Corvo have successfully expanded to other star

systems, and have built new homes for their people at
several worlds. Millions of Corvo inhabit hostile worlds
where they spend their lives mining vital minerals, and a
few of their richest citizens live in paradise retreats in lush,
undiscovered worlds.

Only the species’ rivalry with the Iz’kal, and of course the
Ravager threat, cast any shadow over the Corvo’s bright
future - but it’s a shadow that may well engulf and snuff out
its utopia of success, freedom and prosperity. And what the
future holds, only the Gods may know.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
“The Corvo have created a new civilisation for ship. Only a state of the people for the people is
a new millennium. They have taken their cities a system capable of sustaining itself. “
to space, where they can feed from what is vir-
tually an eternal source of energy. No longer - Hamid Al-Razim, Iz’kal philosopher
coerced by the weather, the availability of land,
the changes in tectonic plates, the atmosphere The relationship between the Corvosphere and the Iz’kal
or any other planetary problems. They expand State is the most famous rivalry in the known universe.
without restraint through the Labyrinth, from Despite their recent military Coalition, both species
where they can obtain any amount of resourc- maintain a fierce competition and a political domination
es whenever needed. race, their cultures and philosophical views too different
for each other to tolerate.
The Iz’kal accuse them of having unsustainable
exponential growth, but with the discovery of In fact, both species see the other’s culture as nothing
the Labyrinth, growth is no longer a liability - less than a deadly menace to their very existence; the Iz’kal
it is a necessity. Who knows who else is out state feels threatened by the Corvo’s free-market society,
there? What species and what powers might and the Corvo see the Iz’Kal state as a dangerous tyranny
one day come out of an unexplored region of that could snuff out free thought.
The Corvo Foreign Affairs

the Labyrinth. The Corvo are doing what they

must for their survival. Holding hands and rain- Outside the Coalition, Corvo that travel to Iz’kal space
bows are all fine until you are conquered by a are regarded with suspicion and watched with the utmost
stronger foe, after which the only thing your attention to their every move, as they could be spies or
hands will hold will be a pick and a shovel, and financial saboteurs - which in fact they often are. Sadly
you will be forced to terraform your beloved for the Corvo, the Iz’kal State has no currency, and thus is
planet to some strange creatures’ climate, all but impervious to the penetration of a market culture,
hoping that once you are done you might be much less an economic takeover.
able to at least breathe what they breathe.
122 Furthermore, some Corvo - not that many, but still a
The Iz’kal have to stop working with dated con-
cepts from single-planet economies. The Laby- surprising figure - have actually been convinced that the
Iz’kal State is the better culture. These Corvo radicals
faith: core book

rinth is the most dangerous thing to ever occur

to our species, but it is also our greatest op- often preach the errors of free market and the benefits of
portunity. History will prove who is right. The a totalitarian State, either from within the Corvosphere or,
Iz’kal should work harder if they want to write more rarely, actually defecting to the Iz’kal State. Again,
a few pages of it.” the Iz’kal’s closed, xenophobic society makes free immigra-
tion hard at best, and very few Corvo succeed in joining the
- Excerpt from “A Free Society” by Abbas al Din, State, even as second-class citizens.
Iz’kal dissident and statistician at The Union
Ironically, any Iz’kal wishing to defect to the Corvosphere
The Corvo may seem heartless and materialistic to are greeted with open arms; many economists and social
most other species’ standards, but they’re actually very scientists see this as proof that the Corvo are, if not better
tolerant, having almost no notion of xenophobia or preju- to the Iz’kal, at least better equipped to learn from their
dice. As a result, the Corvo have entered the interstellar enemies.
community with open arms - but also with open eyes: For
the Corvo, all other sentients are either a workforce to be
tapped, or competition to watch out for - and often both, THE COALITION
given the Corvo policy of free opportunity.

The Corvo-Iz’kal Military Coalition (or simply ‘The Coali-

THE IZ’KAL STATE tion’ for short) is the greatest interspecies cooperation
achievement, not only by the Corvo (or the Iz’kal), but by
“The concept of the State is not the problem, any known species to date, and its very existence changed
but the very solution if applied correctly. An- the Corvo’s foreign policy forever.
archist ideologies will only slow down the pro-
cess, as at some point organised groups will Originally created as a joint defence effort to thwart the
grow, as it is an easy way to gain power, and Ravager invasion, the Coalition is an army - led by soldiers
they will soon impose their ways. Anarchism is and politicians from both the Corvo and Iz’kal species.
doomed to live in a vicious circle with dictator- The Coalition itself is an independent entity, beholden to
the interests of both species but subservient to neither wastelands of Earth or the borders of known space, or
government. even raiders or pirates in the fringe of the Corvosphere. The
Human Front, a terrorist cell dedicated to ‘save’ Humanity
To the Corvo general public, the Coalition is just another by targeting Corvo buildings and military groups, is an
enterprise - another extension of the Megacorps, which infamous example of this.
sells no less than the safety and defence of Corvo space.
But many Corvo social scientists see it as a success - a
triumph of the open-minded Corvo culture over Iz’kal isola- RAAG
tionism and xenophobia.

Not counting a few exceptional immigrant cases and the

HUMANS occasional visitor, the Corvo have no presence in the Raag
homeworld; the planet isn’t that rich in resources and the
“We did not expect that the invisible hand would Corvo aren’t that welcome among the traditionalistic,
be this good at strangling.” isolated Raag.

- Human worker at a metal mine in the A9dJJV However, thousands of Raag workers and mercenaries
asteroid field travel to the Corvosphere every day, for all the hard labour
tasks that the Corvo consider too simple or too complex for

The Corvo Foreign Affairs

The Corvo have all but occupied Human space; Megacorp machines to perform. There are comparatively few Raag in
franchises are constantly built and established all over the the Corvosphere, but in all Corvo cities and settlements it’s
Human homeworld, and Human servants and mercenaries quite normal to see a Raag bouncer, thug or construction
are a common sight in the daily lives of Corvo, from their worker here and there.
homes to their warships.
As with all other species, the Corvo don’t see the Raag
Despite having the obvious upper hand in the relation- as inherently inferior, and there have been a few cases
ship, the Corvo don’t act as masters or conquerors; just like of individual Raag achieving fame and success in Corvo
second-class citizens of the Corvo species, Humans have society. However, even the tolerant Corvo tend to regard
the same opportunities and spaces as wealthier Corvo, and the Raag as simple brutes, and rarely consider them for 123
are given whatever respect and status they earn for them- complex tasks or social interaction; that is, until they allow

faith: core book

selves. Thanks to the Humans’ unique role as the best-paid themselves the surprise of actually having a conversation
soldiers in the galaxy, that can mean a lot of respect and with - or getting their skull crushed by - a Raag.
status indeed.
Other than that, the character of the Raag and Corvo
By the same token, the Corvo are more or less welcome races is surprisingly similar, and below the surface of the
on Earth, the Human homeworld. As the Humans left their Raag’s natural hostility and the Corvo’s natural indiffer-
own world and civilization in such a sorry state, they don’t ence, every interaction between the two species seems
feel that attached to it, and the Corvo are doing a much to follow an implicit agreement of efficient, wordless
better maintenance job anyway, at least in the areas under cooperation.
their control - which are few, but more with every passing
year. The Raag appreciate the Corvo’s unaffected straightfor-
wardness and lack of sentimentalism, while being amused
These areas, which include all the healthier, richer, more by their over-the-top frivolity; the Corvo like the Raag’s
productive spots in the planet, keep spawning Corvo build- focus, stoicism and ruthlessness.
ings, offices, watchtowers, military bases and business
centers, which are open to any Humans that want to try It’s widely believed, and likely true, that Corvo Tongs
the Corvo lifestyle instead of surviving precariously on the maintain a far-reaching Raag slave trade. Rumor has it that
wasteland of their homeworld. millions of Raag slaves are forced into lethal jobs such as
deep-asteroid mining, drug manufacturing, lab testing, or
That is not to say that all Humans are happy in the Cor- even gladiatorial fights.
vosphere. Although they are theoretically given the same
opportunities, many of them remain second-class citizens The Raag would not react kindly to widespread confirma-
in practice, and as such must endure the harshest laws and tion of this rumour, as they have troubling memories of
hardest living conditions, working for lower wages and their subjugation by the Korian; so, it remains in the best
under worse contracts. interest of the Corvo to seek, find and, if it exists, dismantle
the Raag slave trade before it hurts a - thus far - productive
Many Humans find the ways of the Corvo stifling and interspecies relationship.
alienating, and prefer to remain independent, either as
freelance mercenaries, free-roaming wanderers in the
GAME MASTER’S GUIDE
These are resources to aid GMs in their endeavours to
create challenging and interesting stories.

NON-PLAYER
CHARACTERS (NPCS)
Non-player characters (NPCs) are characters controlled
by the GM. They are the key to many stories, and they can
be friends, foes, or simply neutral. They can be as simple or
as complex as the GM wants: she is in charge of developing
their backstories, if they need them. While with many NPCs ILLUSTRATION
most interactions will consist of talking or trading, others
might perform actions and engage in confrontations.

NPC cards represent simplified characters with the infor-

Game Master’s Guide

mation needed to use them in a quick encounter. Addition-

ally, they can be used as a base for the GM to create a more
elaborate character if the story requires it. HUMAN FRONTER NAME

Teamplayer TRAITS
LEVEL Level 2 :: Human :: Loyal
mov. 5 metres :: weight 75 kg :: height 180 cm
INFO

330 You can use the NPC level as a guide to determine the 2 ICONS
difficulty of an encounter. A recommended encounter has 5 3 2 8
as many NPC of the current encounter level as the number
faith: core book

8 6 4
of PCs. Adding or removing NPCs can be used to balance PHYSICAL
STAT 2
INITIATIVE
STAT 2
MENTAL
STAT 2 STATS
the difficulty to the taste of the group. Using a higher level
NPC instead of several low level NPCs can be used to add CLOSE
3+ STANDARD
3+ ATTACK
QUARTERS DISTANCE
variety. Varied encounters will force the players to play
smart and try to gain advantages through role playing to Nemesis ENERGY
rise victorious. Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). The
attack gains one advantage against dodging.

◊ Level 1: It’s recommended you use these until the

Frag grenades
players obtain 30 experience points in addition
Action (Physical). One advantage if thrown within 10
to their starting experience, or as cannon fodder
metres, or one disadvantage for every 10 metres or
later on. fraction further (up to 50). Causes 4 physical damage CHARACTERISTICS
up to one metre from impact point, and 1 less damage
for every metre or fraction further.
◊ Level 2: It’s recommended you use these after the
Relentless
players obtain 30 experience points and until they
obtain 60 experience points, or as cannon fodder She does not lose her turn when she performs a
counteraction.
later on.

◊ Level 3: It’s recommended you use these after Human Fronters want a fresh start for Humanity, FLAVOUR TEXT
far from the influence of alien species, and they’re
level 2 NPCs start to feel easy. It is good to mix willing to go to great lengths to achieve this goal.

them with some cannon fodder.

◊ Level 4: It’s recommended you use these for dif-

ficult challenges late in the campaign.
The Corvosphere

126
faith: core book

TIANTANG port ships and everyday commuters. These improvised

space habitats form communities called districts, of which
Planetary Type: Complex of space stations Tiantang has thousands.

Population: Over 100 billion

Transportation between districts is run by companies

Immigrant Corvo arrive by the millions every day and

are sucked into the space slums: old space freighters the
size of islands, now too old to be operational, which have
been transformed into precarious living space. There, layer
over layer of containers extend as far as the eye can see,
each housing one or more families, all of them living in the
worst possible 0-G conditions. Most families live and die in

The Corvosphere
one of these containers without ever experiencing gravity.
They stay alive thanks to the intake of G-pills that reduce
the effects of the gravity lack on their organs. Their only
chance of a better life is being seen as a capable worker by
their foremen, and getting a proper job in a gyro-zhan.

Many Tian resort to crime. The worst districts are con- 127
trolled by Tongs, mafias that decide who gets to work when,

faith: core book

and on what. While there is almost no crime whatsoever in
Middle class Tian citizens live in comfortable, safe the richer districts, most lower-class Corvo are unable or
and beautiful districts, composed of a single, immense unwilling to pay for police protection. Therefore, there are
omniring, called a gyro-zhan. Gyro-zhans are large omnir- millions of Corvo that live in the slums without even the
ings that spin continuously to recreate a sense of gravity most basic of services. Most spend their days in a stupor,
through centripetal force and can host several thousand or even unconscious, outskulling for some company. Some
people. Thus, inhabitants of a gyro-zhan live on the outer- with even worse luck live in the same factory ships they
most section of the space station, with their ceiling being work on every hour they are awake, building new ships
in the direction of the center section of the space station. or satellites, fabricating weapons, anti-matter batteries,
Like an onion, there are several floors from the outer- or operating food processing chains, pharmaceutical pro-
most section going into the centre, each of them a ring in cesses, etc.
the station. Since gravity diminishes the closer you are to
the centre, most core services, gardens, and storage are
located in the central areas. The main hangar of a gyro- THE BOARD
zhan is located at its core, with an airlock in the exact centre
of the station. This is the only point of the gyro-zhan that is The Corvo don’t like the idea of a government and don’t
easily accessible to large transport spaceships. have a concept of political institutions as we do. Tiantang is
not a political entity but a private, shared corporate asset.
People in a gyro-zhan work all types of jobs: information Even so, there are people responsible for the operation and
technology, transportation, debris collection, brokerage, performance of this asset; corporate managers in charge
law, entertainment, services, healthcare... Gyro-zhans are of managing resources, personnel, schedules and space.
beautiful and magnificent. They are where people have the These administrators are what passes for appointed gov-
space and time to grow and learn all the information ever ernment officials in the Corvosphere, although they have
recorded from the largest privately owned libraries. In no legal authority over the people.
these libraries, the most powerful minds of the Universe of
all the species meet to discuss all kinds of issues. The top executives in charge of Tiantang are known as
The Board. This corporate body consists of three managers,
However, most Tian live in space freighters, which one belonging to each Megacorp - The Union, Wang Corp
are better known as space slums. While the demand for and Nation’s Solution - who are ultimately responsible for
the correct operation of Tiantang businesses and habitats. industrial satellite, is full of mercenary camps and training
Neither of these three managers is a high-level authority in centers, as well as weapons manufacturers and vehicle
their respective Megacorp, but they are the senior execu- factories; Wang Sector, a massive hi-tech station, is a hub
tives of the Tiantang entity; the de facto ‘CEOs of Tiantang’. of software and cybernetics firms, with large convention
halls where new technologies are introduced in monthly
events; and NS Sector, a large habitat with beautiful
THE SECTORS OF TIANTANG gardens and vivariums with species from all the known
Universe, is completely occupied by laboratories, technical
The Dyson Ring is divided in eleven sectors, with varying training grounds, hospitals and research centres.
sizes and levels of prosperity. Most habitats and stations in
Tiantang – except for a few stray unregistered freighters - The companies belonging to each Megacorp often rival
are a part of one of the Eleven Sectors. eachother, and their internal squabbles and power strug-
gles are their respective sectors’ equivalent of civil unrest.
Every sector governs itself independently, but they are
all owned by one or more Megacorps or its branches, and Each of the three Megacorp sectors holds billions of em-
the Megacorp directives remain the one true effective gov- ployees at any given time. By law, they have no residential
ernment of each sector. areas, but commuting complications have led to the creation
of several hotels and guest houses, where workers lodge
Travelling between sectors is handled via voidcycles or indefinitely to remain close to their jobs. Although offi-
transport ships, but passage is costly, and poorer Corvo cially these lodging houses are not residential areas, it goes
are all but stuck in their slums for their whole lives. It is without saying that they are always at full capacity. There
possible to move freely from one sector to another on are waiting lists of tens of thousands of Corvo, as many of
The Corvosphere

private vehicles, but one still must pay spacelane fees. them lose more time and resources commuting back home
than they would if they missed several work days.
TIANTANG CS
Population: 1 billion For their part, the CEOs of each Megacorp indeed have
properties and temporal residences in these sectors,
Tiantang Capital Sector, or Tiantang CS, is the most although they tend to spend more time in their Tiantang CS
128 important sector of the Dyson Ring, with its own nominal homes or privately-owned asteroids or planets.
government and law system. This is where the richest
Corvo live, which makes it the hardest sector to move to. Despite lacking an organised government other than their
faith: core book

More importantly, it is the financial center of the Corvos- respective board of directors, the three Megacorp sectors
phere, housing the Corvo stock exchange. Other than the are the true power centres of the Corvosphere, where
largest and most important corporate buildings in the Cor- most decisions are taken, while Tiantang CS and its repre-
vosphere, Tiantang CS is mainly residential; but it also has sentatives serve as the mere, public face of the Megacorps.
several shopping malls such as FengZhao centre, beautiful
parks and both live and digital museums. OTHER SECTORS
Total population: Over 60 billion
Despite its importance, Tiantang CS is a relatively small
sector, with barely one-third of the mass and population of Besides Tiantang CS and the Three Megacorp sectors,
the average gyro-zhan; exclusivity requires keeping most which concentrate most of the workforce and employment
people at bay, and no one does that better than Corvo elites. in Tiantang – and thus of the entire Corvosphere – there are
seven more sectors in the Dyson Ring, all of them adapted
MEGACORP SECTORS from or built upon large spacecraft.
Total population: 27 billion
The most famous sector in Tiantang, even more than
After the Capital Sector, the three foremost sectors of CS or the Megacorp sectors, is Taiyang, the commercial
Tiantang are the respective HQs of the Megacorps that sector, known across the universe for its mega-malls,
rule the Corvo. Each Megacorp has its own private sector, entertainment centres, touristic attractions and media
reserved for offices and business, with restricted access to scene. Everything in the universe is for sale in Taiyang, from
anyone that doesn’t work at the corresponding Megacorp luxury trips to living persons, from vehicles to real estate,
or its subsidiaries. from entertainment and drugs to gadget and furniture.

Megacorp sectors are named after their correspond- The Wei sector is the secondary financial centre of the
ing Megacorps; there’s Union Sector, Wang Sector and NS Corvosphere. Wei is the HQ of all the banks and trade houses
(for Nation’s Solution) Sector. Each of these three sectors that are available for all Corvo, as opposed to the exclusive
- the three largest of all Tiantang - houses thousands of financial institutions and stock exchange of Tiantang CS.
companies and sub-companies, all somehow related to Wei is safe, fancy and expensive to live in.
the Megacorp that owns them. Thus Union Sector, a bleak
The Gu industrial sector is a place of danger, poverty and
underemployment, where the Corvo crime families own
secret warehouses and poor neighbourhoods struggle,
mostly without success, to stay away from poverty crime.

Nongchang is a residential and touristic sector, famous

for its artistic, media and cultural scene. Its inhabitants are
relatively lower class, but cultured and sensitive.

Shiyan is a very important sector, as it houses the most

respected coaching centres, research labs and science fa-
cilities of the Corvosphere. It is also famous for its artificial
ecosystems, which give it a semblance of being a natural
world rather than a Corvo-built mega-satellite.

Xiao is the slum sector of Tiantang, with mostly residen-

tial areas dotted by informal business and united, feisty
neighbourhoods full of the most loyal, tough and tradition-
alistic folk in the Corvosphere. The sector is controlled by
old-school, grassroots crime families.

Zuihou is a smaller, dull residential sector, full of work-

The Corvosphere
ing-class Corvo that often seek employment or at least
long vacations at any other of the Tiantang sectors. SCAVENGER
Affinity
THE LOST SECTORS
Level 1 :: Corvo :: Cautious
Tiantang has been built over the course of several 129
mov. 10 metres :: weight 51 kg :: height 154 cm
centuries, with billions of Corvo working on thousands of

faith: core book

stations and engines across a span of millions of kilome-
tres; over the decades, some spots spent years without
ever communicating with the rest. And some of those spots 2 2 0 -
never got in touch again. These are the Lost Sectors - huge
stations and habitats that became isolated from the whole
PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5
of Tiantang over the years, their sections drifting alone in STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1
space, thousands of kilometres from the nearest civilised
spot, their existence lost in the paperwork, and their people
CLOSE STANDARD
forgotten by the Corvo public at large. QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
2

A lost sector usually consists of a few habitats or satel-

Hunter Instincts
lites, long forgotten and abandoned by Corvo civilisation.
Most lost sectors are just drifting junk with few reusable He gains one advantage towards hiding and search-
resources and no survivors, their occupants rescued or ing actions.
dead of radiation exposure many years earlier.

However, some lost sectors remain inhabited by the

descendants of the technicians and passengers that were
first marooned with the sector. When one of these sectors
is found, it is quickly annexed to the nearest official sector,
and any survivors and resources are welcome as part of
the Corvosphere again.

Nobody knows just how many of these lost

sectors remain, and finding them has become a
hobby for many adventurers, scavengers and
mystery aficionados with nothing better to do. Who
knows? Perhaps one of them will find something...

What’s the difference between a filthy scavenger and

an exemplary entrepreneur? The value of their loot.
The Corvosphere

130
faith: core book

QUANJIE In practice, the planet has become just another Corvo

colony, with several settlements owned by the Megacorps,
Planetary Type: Water world except that these settlements are, or used to be, regarded
as sovereign states. However, since the concept of sov-
Population: 17 billion
ereign states lost all meaning once the Corvo civilisation
Day: 30 standard hours moved to Tiantang, nations and political titles are but deco-
Culture: Corporate industrial ration - obsolete rites and remnants from a culture that no
Location: Tiantang system Corvo lives by anymore. Now, what used to be borders and
countries are just isolated neighbourhoods, office space,
Production: Manufactured goods
mining sites and agricultural reserves.
Social Rank 3: Declining society and quality of life,
few and isolated governments The ancient political institutions that used to rule Quanjie
Economic Rank 3: Trade and currency depend on are still in force and remain an authority, but they have
off-world corporations become extensions of the Megacorps - franchises, run
Atmosphere: Breathable, high pollution rate by politicians instead of entrepreneurs. Other than that,
Quanjie is but a worker’s colony, where those that wouldn’t
The Corvo homeworld remains inhabited, although or couldn’t move to Tiantang stayed behind.
most of its governments and institutions have migrated
to Tiantang. Most Quanjie nations have disappeared or dis-
banded, being absorbed by other nations or literally bought THE PEOPLE
by the Megacorps.
The planet’s inhabitants are called Quanjiese, which
Once a thriving world full of great cities, buildings, roads, applies to all the Corvo that live in Quanjie regardless of
bridges and multiplexes, Quanjie has become a nearly rural what settlement or nation they live in.
planet, with vast tracts of empty plains dotted here and
there with a single factory or farm, or an isolated, industri- As a rule, Quanjiese are hard-working and straight-
alised city beside an empty road. forward, but also relatively obtuse, narrow-minded and
unsophisticated compared to Tiantang-bound Corvo. They
shop and factory under its jurisdiction - is nothing more
than an extension of Wang Corp and its interests, which
means Wang corp is the de facto ruler of Quanjie.

The Jiantian Republic also has a higher quality of life than

most other Corvo entities - and all Corvo entities outside
of Tiantang. Most Jiantianese work as business managers -
crunching numbers, overseeing staff or handling resources
for one of the millions of enterprises in their territory. They
typically work long hours, usually returning home for only
a few hours before going to their jobs again.

People from the Jiantian Republic are among the most

competitive, brash and materialistic individuals in the Cor-
vosphere; of all Corvo social groups, the Jiantianese fit best
the species’ stereotype of ruthless capitalism. They have a
reputation, even among other Corvo, of stopping at nothing
to rise in the social ladder, and having no respect for others’
property or lives.

OTHER QUANJIE NATIONS

The Corvosphere
As Quanjie has become mainly a manufacturing planet,
all of its nations are but extensions of the Megacorps, and
most of them disbanded or sold out to the many corpora-
tions that control the economy of Quanjie. However, a few
nations maintain official sovereignty, along with a sem-
blance of culture and national identity, which nowadays 131
relates mostly to what they produce and export for the

faith: core book

Megacorps.
are also used to a gravity environment, which gives them a
wholly different outlook on life to their spaceborn kin. Foremost among the remaining nations of Quanjie are
Yuelin and Baizhi, Jiantian’s former allies and currently
its bitter rivals; and the Lao Federation, the oldest extant
THE JIANTIAN REPUBLIC nation of Quanjie, which survived the planet’s corporatisa-
tion by sheer tradition and cultural identity.
The strongest political entity remaining in Quanjie is
the Jiantian Republic, which was the largest and mightiest
Corvo nation before the Space Age. THE QUAN
The corporation that would become Wang Corp, and the The Quanjie United Armed Nation, or QUAN, is the only
original project for the Tiantang Dyson Ring, were born at political movement in the Corvosphere, and an extremely
Jiantian. The modern Corvo tongue, spoken by hundreds of dangerous organisation as political movements go.
billions of sentients across the universe, is a variation of the
Jiantian language. Originally a small party that united a few scattered
fanatics in isolated towns of Yue and the Jiantian Republic,
When the Corvo culture migrated to Tiantang - which was it slowly grew in power and influence until Quanjie corpo-
also a Jiantian initiative - and the Megacorps were estab- rate authorities had to ban its activities for fear it would
lished, the entire Jiantian Republic became the property of destabilise society. Currently, the QUAN is an underground
Wang Corp. Through Jiantian’s political power and interna- paramilitary organisation with around 2 million members,
tional deals, Wang Corp and its subsidiaries have acquired which is a larger population than some pre-Space Age
land, businesses and borders in every region dominated by Quanjie nations. And they are armed members, which
the Republic. makes it even more dangerous.

Now, Jiantian functions as Wang Corp’s political strawp- The QUAN was founded by right-wing partisans, outraged
erson in Quanjie, affecting democratic rule over what by the loss of political institutions and borders, as well as
actually are Wang properties. Although officially it remains the massive sale of nations to the Megacorps. Calling for a
a political entity, The Republic - and every territory, city, return to National Identity, and maintaining that the ‘true
self’ of the Corvo had been squandered and given away by
corrupt corporate interests, the movement wants no less
than an armed overthrow of the Quanjie government, using
outright terror tactics and sabotage to make the planet
secede from the Corvosphere - or make the Megacorps
leave.

To date, the movement has taken credit for no less than

their movement. Up to that point the organisation had been

“Returning Quanjie to its People” is their motto, but this

However, the appearance of the Iz’Kal, the

faith: core book

answer exclusively to the Coalition. 2

Secret Service agents don’t act in groups. They 3 5 0 9

The leaders of the Secret Service are numerous

Inner Focus

Passive action. If he doesn’t become Spent this

round, he gains one advantage towards all his actions
next round.

Espionage is back in style thanks to the plenti-

ful menaces faced by the Corvo, from the now-
classic Iz’kal to the up-and-coming Ravager.
The Corvosphere

134
faith: core book

New Quan City, also shortened to Nuke City or NQC, is the

oldest and largest settlement in New Quan. It grew from a
small colony to the largest planet-bound city in the Corvo-
sphere in the span of a few years, and is currently a famous
hub for trade, travel and industry.

At first glance, NQC resembles a large Earth city, with ur-

banised suburbs and street signs leading into its outskirts.
However, two features distinguish it: the lack of roads and
the shapes of buildings. Like Tiantang neighbourhoods,
New Quan City needs no ‘streets’ as Earthlings knew them;
gyrocycles and other vehicles use mostly hovercraft tech-
nology. Buildings are mostly omni-spheres, giving the city
the appearance of a gigantic molecule or scaled planetary
system; larger and smaller spheres perpetually rotate
alongside each other, the moons of smaller businesses
and houses orbiting the much larger worlds of government
buildings and shopping centres.

The Corvosphere
There are, of course, no gyro-zhans or zero-G buildings in
NQC, as the planet provides all the gravity and atmosphere
its inhabitants need - which is a source of mild surprise and
discomfort to most Corvo tourists.

Like most other Corvosphere entities, NQC has no formal 135

government, and the official responsibility of overseeing

faith: core book

the city and its suburbs, as well as its business in other
by industrial complexes or enormous megalopolises, filled entities, falls on the hands of the Megacorps. All three
to the brim with overpopulated omnirings and vehicles. Megacorps have an equal presence in the New Quan City
Although the land between these megacities is owned, ex- Ruling Council, although it’s an open secret that Quantech,
ploited and surveyed by the Megacorps, it remains wild and a Wang Corp brand, owns most of the delegates through
dangerous, both because of the sparsity of settlements, bribery and behind-the-curtain business deals. This has
and because most New Quan criminals retreat to the wilds spurred the other Megacorps to invest heavily in the NQC
to avoid the reach of the law. area, establishing franchises and even building their own
cities from scratch in a - so far unsuccessful - attempt to
wrest Quantech’s de facto control of the area.
THE PEOPLE
Other than that, NQC itself has no political power over
Newquaners (nicknamed ‘Newquies’ or ‘Nukes’ by the its people or the surrounding countryside, and remains an
Tiantang Corvo) are extremely diverse in their cultural intermediary between the Megacorps - mostly Wang - and
traits, customs, professional backgrounds, economic their citizen/ employees.
conditions and even physical characteristics. There are
so many kinds of settlements in New Quan - megacities,
industrial complexes, Megacorp franchises, remote farms, OTHER SETTLEMENTS
holistic tribes, artistic communes, small towns - with so
many kinds of Corvo living in each of them, that it would There are no borders or continental divides in New Quan.
be impossible to ascribe a single cultural character to the As the Corvo are not inclined to national identity, Newquan-
inhabitants of the whole planet, other than the stereotypes ers - both founders and immigrants - simply settle on a
of the Corvo character itself - enterprising, competitive, Megacorp-sponsored, isolated community and spend most
amoral, uncaring. If anything, Newquaners are somewhat of their lives working there.
less ambitious and predatory than other Corvo; they also
have a reputation for being irresponsible and happy-go- Towns and farms: The most common view in New Quan is
lucky, but this is mostly the stuff of jokes and myths. a few clustered houses amidst a wide tract of empty or cul-
tivated land. These small towns either disappear in a couple
generations as they fail to generate enough resources or a
sense of community, or else grow until they become cities HUNTER HELPERS INC.
themselves. Immigration keeps the number of new com-
munities constant, and small towns are always popping up As a mostly civilised but not fully industrialised world,
and disappearing all over New Quan. New Quan has one of the largest and most dangerous
natural environments in the Corvosphere, as well as an
Cities: To an outsider, all New Quan cities are basically excellent infrastructure to safely explore such an environ-
the same - immense complexes in the middle of the empty ment. A few Newquaner entrepreneurs and their custom-
vast, full with omnirings, business offices and floating ers noticed the situation and decided to make use of it by
gyrocycles. City folk rarely step outside their controlled creating Hunter Helpers Inc., a high-class company dedi-
environments, just as most country Newquaners lack the cated to offering exclusive hunting tours across the most
resources or motivation to move to a city. As a result, all dangerous and beautiful spots in New Quan.
New Quan cities remain mostly isolated from the rest of the
planet, including other cities. For countryside Newquaners, Hunter Helpers is a very exclusive business, reserved
cities are but a faraway mirage on the horizon, reserved for only for the wealthiest of Corvo. Rich people from all over
the crazy, the stupid or the successful. the Corvosphere flock to it every year, looking for the
thrills and dangers of nature - in a controlled environment,
Tribes: When New Quan was first settled, as smaller com- of course.
munities failed to take hold and disbanded, hunter-gatherer
tribes began wandering the land. Contrary to the process There’s an accusation against Hunter Helpers by some
seen in primitive worlds that evolve into advanced cultures, groups that deem it useless to spend resources on killing
these disenfranchised communities banded together and, non-threatening species and putting Corvo citizens in un-
unable or unwilling to locate to a city, returned to a nomadic necessary danger; the company’s answer has always been
The Corvosphere

life. Since most of New Quan’s natural landscapes are more that the space and resources are there, equally unexploited
or less left alone thanks to the isolationism of its cities, by the Megacorps, and that they will continue to make free -
some of these tribes spend months or even years without and legally authorised - use of them for as long as the New
coming across a ‘civilised’ settlement. Quan ecosystem remains unoccupied.

Most New Quan tribes are peaceful and their members

136 are basically wandering country folk, but some have ILLEGAL HUNTING
adopted a more warlike or even raiding lifestyle, becoming
a danger to those who brave the wilds. After the success of Hunter Helpers, many less-
faith: core book

er-known - or less legal - enterprises have started

There are so many independent tribes in New Quan that popping up in the New Quan wilderness. Similar
some radical - mostly non-Corvo - sociologists see them businesses try to latch on to Hunter Helpers’
as proof that a holistic lifestyle is the ‘natural’ path for the customer base, offering basically the same service
Corvo species. under a different brand, and hosts of independent
hunters and adventurers offer their freelance - and
Megacities: Besides NQC, there are seven megacities in unsanctioned - services as wilderness guides.
New Quan, each of them a state in its own right, surpassing
fifty million inhabitants. Life in these megacities is thriving, The situation has also inspired hundreds of
bustling and active, full of new and successful businesses poachers to take to the wilds on their own and
that deal directly with the Megacorps at Tiantang. gather living or dead specimens of native plants
and animals, to sell whole or scrap for parts in the
Space stations: New Quan started putting satellites in black market.
orbit almost as soon as it was settled; while most of the
planet’s surface remains relatively untouched, there are There’s very little the Megacorps can do against
currently hundreds of satellites and several space stations these ‘pirate’ hunting services, except fining them
providing energy, surveillance and communication to all if they are caught. Thus, the battle against illegal
New Quan cities. Millions of Newquaners live and work at hunting in New Quan falls almost entirely to local
these space stations, whose zero-g habitats are the first tribes - and the odd eco-friendly organisation.
choice for Tian immigrants that still feel disoriented on
solid ground. New Quan also has a dozen moon-stadiums Such organisations and tribes are usually keen to
in orbit, of which the Black Nuke colosseum and the Shanbi- enlist the help of a group of concerned adventurers
Huangshan twinsats are the best known by far. or mercenaries willing to venture into New Quan’s
jungles on a quest to stop illegal hunters. They can
The largest orbital station around the planet is Xiaoxing, a not offer big rewards, but a savvy, ecologically
vast omniring the size of a small moon, and home to nearly responsible band of intrepid explorers may see the
a half-billion Newquaners - nearly 20% of the total New value in exploiting the valuables and contacts of
Quan population - that spend most of their lives in space. dead or captured poachers.
TEAMWORK TIME-SENSITIVE
When the NPC attacks a character who has been already EVENTS (TSES)
attacked by an ally of the NPC this round, they gain one
advantage.
Time-sensitive events (TSEs) are time sensitive problems
UNSTOPPABLE that pose an obstacle to the characters. There is a wide
range of events, items, devices, and other things that
The NPC ignores all physical damage penalties. can generate a TSE, such as the Firewall of a device, an
avalanche in a mountain, or a high security lock. It is the
VOIDWALKER job of the GM to determine when such obstacles should be
considered TSEs for the purpose of confrontations, and to
Each maintenance phase, the NPC regains as much neural establish their difficulty.
health as the number of cards indicated by their Mental
Stat. If the characters are using a Skill with a value of 1 or
above and time is not of the essence, they can overcome the
obstacle without a confrontation. The GM should consider
SPECIES TRAITS the difficulty of the task, the Skill level of the characters
and the needs of the story to decide how long it takes them.
The GM can decide to apply the traits of the species to
an NPC as she sees fit, as well as apply any other rules to E.g. Nadia has Survival 3. She is trekking through

Game Master’s Guide

better reflect the nature of the NPC she wants to use in the the steppes with enough supplies for one month,
story. and the GM determines it would take a skilled
trekker two weeks to travel this route. Nadia is only
an average traveller, so the GM determines she
FRIENDLY NPCS can do it without a confrontation, but it takes her a
whole month, exhausting her supplies.
Not all NPCs must be enemies. Most will be neutral, but a
few might be friendly or even allies. Some NPCs might act E.g. Lee has Hacking 2. He is trying to open the 333
as friendly NPCs even though they are not, because they safe box of the offices where he has broken in. The

faith: core book

are pretending, they are forced to do so, or other reasons. electronic lock is not very good, but Lee is not a
Regardless of the reason, when the GM declares a friendly great hacker, either. The GM determines he can do
NPC joins the group, she can give control over him to any of it without a confrontation, but it takes him the rest
the players (or to the team as a whole). The GM can retake of the night. When he finally opens it, it is already
control over an NPC at any time for any reason (e.g. The dawn...
players are not playing them correctly, they are abusing
their power, the NPC has different ideas about what should Otherwise, if the characters are in a rush or are using a
happen, etc.). Skill with a value of 0, a TSE will confront them as if it was
an NPC, playing a number of cards against them and with an
A robot that belongs to a PC is considered a friendly NPC initial action value of 0. TSEs do not have a Skill value and
under his control, and the GM cannot take back control over they do not suffer a disadvantage because of it.
it. To gain control over a robot, a PC must buy it, have its
control transferred to him by his previous controller, or E.g. If Nadia were in a hurry (perhaps she does
completely change its core code after hacking it and turning not have a month worth of supplies, or she has
it off (performing a hack that changes the controller of a somewhere to be), she could push her luck and
robot is a big deal as it changes the most basic program- trek through the steppes faster. In this case, the
ming of the robot and the most protected part of it. This GM determines that Nadia is confronted by a TSE.
can only happen if the GM approves of it and it should take If she loses, she could end up delayed, lost, or
several hours or even days of rewriting code while con- even worse, as determined by the GM; but if she
nected to the robot). succeeds, she completes the trek faster.

138
faith: core book

XULONG behind the term itself, as it was the first large Corvo settle-
ment outside of Tiantang or a planet’s surface, and its very
Planetary Type: Mining station around a gas giant existence changed the concept of the Corvo civilisation as
a whole.
Population: 12 billion
Day: 20 standard hours Xulong is a web of thousands upon thousands of inter-
Culture: Industrial connected space stations, mostly dedicated to extracting
Location: Wangmu system, 3 standard months gases and minerals from Wangmu. As it grew, the Xulong
away from Tiantang megastation developed its own culture and political
identity, being recognised as a sovereign colony barely 50
Production: Wang gas, mineral ores, raw materials
years after its founding. The entire colony consists of space
Social Rank 3: Low quality of life, very limited live- habitats, zero-g slums, and mining machinery, and it’s the
lihood largest space settlement after Tiantang. For this reason,
Economic Rank 3: All citizens are employed by off- it’s often called Xiao Tiantang, or Xiongdi (‘Little Brother’).
world corps
Atmosphere: Unbreathable gases outside; artifi- Despite Xulong’s gloomy environment and harsh working
cial indoors conditions - among the worst in existence; Xulong com-
panies always take up around half the list in the official
The Megastat (short for Mega Gas-Mining Station-State) ‘Bottom 10 Workplaces in the Corvosphere’ yearly ranking
of Xulong is one of the Corvo’s oldest interstellar mining - the Megastat is the only place in the Corvosphere where
colonies, and the largest by a wide margin. At first it was employment is guaranteed; Wangmu’s natural resources
nothing but a mining platform orbiting the Wangmu gas are virtually unlimited and the mining companies just keep
giant at Gamma Dengbao IV, but it eventually became a full- growing unchecked, which keeps Xulong in permanent need
grown colony and the largest known space station outside of new hands. Many Corvo with no other way out choose
Tiantang. a life in the Xulong gas mines, which is a grim life - but a
honest and financially secure one.
Founded in 1690 SA, before the concept of a ‘Corvo-
sphere’ existed, Xulong is famous for being the reason
strict and ruthless. The death penalty is quite common in
the Megastat, as most criminals have little else to lose.

Besides miners, Xulong employs a percentage of profes-

sionals to provide for the workers’ basic needs, such as
medics, technicians, engineers and mercenary guards - but
they all share the same cultural character and lifestyle.

THE PLATFORMS
All Xulong mining facilities, from giant drills to extrac-
tion installations, are collectively known as platforms, or
the platforms. The term is used indistinctly to refer to any
place where one goes to work, as opposed to their living
quarters - although millions of workers, lacking proper
residence, actually live and sleep in the platforms.

In all, the Platforms make up a little over 80% of Xulong’s

total mass and employ an estimate of 15 billion workers
- mostly miners, but also medical, feeding, scientist, en-
gineering and maintenance teams - at any given time. The

The Corvosphere
Platforms stretch across thousands of kilometres over the
gas clouds of Wangmu, and any of their titanic, kilometres-
long gas drills can be seen from anywhere in the Megastat.

The Platforms are mostly dedicated to mining Wang Gas

- the main element that makes up Wangmu’s atmosphere,
no relation to Wang Corp - a reliable, clean and high-output 139
fuel source for Quantum engines. Around 18% of Platforms

faith: core book

are instead equipped to harvest various minerals from the
THE PEOPLE air particles of Wangmu, using magnetic drills to attract
and condense these minerals into usable extracts. Despite
Xulong folk, called simply Xu, are mostly average Corvo literally pulling the minerals out of thin air, the yearly
- ruthless, cunning and competitive - but their harsh life output of Xulong’s magnetic Platforms numbers in the tril-
has taught them to be much less ambitious. They are also lions of metric tons.
generally hardier and less emotional than their kin; years
of working over the sick glow of Wangmu has given them Some Platforms have even identified slight traces of
a resigned, bleak outlook in life, and they pride themselves Jiu element, but not enough to process it to significant
on being practical, realistic, reserved, stoic and enduring. amounts. These traces, however, have been more than
An Xu will be ‘first to admit defeat, but last to give up’, as enough for the X-Mag to finance hundreds of research
the saying goes. teams dedicated to search and confirm the presence
of larger Jiu concentrations. It’s a long shot, but if these
Most Xu Corvo are mine workers, tirelessly overseeing teams succeeded on mining Jiu out of Wangmu, Xulong
and maintaining the Megastat’s unending network of gas would become an energy powerhouse rivalling, or perhaps
harvesters, mining platforms and cloud drills. There are surpassing, Tiantang itself.
very few high-class Xu, even less so than in the rest of the
Corvosphere; even business owners are proud to avoid
luxury or any kind of pampered lifestyle, focusing instead THE HABITATS
on their job, duty and productivity. They enforce even
harsher policies on their workers, of course, which contrib- Outside of the Platform there’s the habitats; that is, what
utes to the dismal working conditions in Xulong. passes for residential and recreational areas in Xulong.
A typical habitat is a network of mass-produced, eerily
Xulong is also the Corvosphere’s top spot for forced similar zero-g dwellings, stretching out beyond sight in
labor sentences; around one in three Xu miners are prison- every direction. For the most part, these zero-g buildings
ers, indentured servants or fugitives that chose the ano- are the homes of miners and their families, but they can
nymity of the gas mines to hide from the public eye. Even also be restaurants, hospitals, bars, X-drug parlors, sports
so, or rather because of it, crime rates are high all across centres, zero-g parks or even digital libraries, distinguish-
Xulong. Law enforcement, however, is correspondingly able from each other only by the digital signs on their walls.
The dreary character of the Xu doesn’t mean they can’t a particularly long-lived myth, becoming an enduring part
have a good time, and there are many recreational habitats of Xulong folklore for several generations.
that, if rather dull on the outside, can be mad fun within;
some of the craziest li liang dances and parties in the Cor-
vosphere have taken place in the underground dives of the BEHIND THE LEGEND
Xulong habitats.
The Xulong dragon does exist, of course, and it’s
An unforeseen consequence of free time in the dreary probably not a single creature, but several speci-
environment of Xulong is drug addiction - many Xu workers mens of some gigantic, void-resistant alien species.
are hooked on XDs, which impacts their performance The thing is stealthy, carnivorous and larger than a
and has become a serious labour concern all across the starfighter, but so far nobody has seen it alive and
Megastat. X-Mag doesn’t dare prohibit drug use, but not brought proof. Until someone manages to fight and
even salary discounts or massive layoffs have dissuaded kill one of these creatures, the Xulong Dragon will
workers from drugging themselves senseless to escape remain a local legend - a deadly one.
from the grim working life. It’s a vicious circle with no exit in
sight, as returning to work makes the workers want to get Some Tubers claim to have seen the Xulong
high again, and many Corvo officials predict, perhaps ac- Dragon, and there’s a small unofficial cult that
curately, that a prohibition would lead to strikes, riots and a worships the beast. Tubers pray to the Xulong
worse labour problem than the current one. Dragon for a productive scavenging trip, for another
day safe and alive, or simply leave offerings so it
THE WARREN won’t eat them. But this worship only reveals they
don’t actually think the creature exists, or at the
The Corvosphere

The Xulong Platforms contain some of the largest very least that they don’t think it is a real life animal.
machines in the Corvosphere, which necessarily includes As an example, some of the supposed ‘sightings’
the largest machinery sections. Below these great mining of the dragon took place as visions in the witness’
engines, kilometres upon kilometres of maintenance dreams, conceding the creature a mystical nature
tunnels, vents, tubing and sewers stretch endlessly in the that is actually far from its very real, physical
darkness. This maze of machinery tunnels is known as existence.
140 The Warren, and is the least-seen section of the Xulong
Megastat. Already a deathtrap because of heat and vapour Unknown to all Xulong inhabitants, the Dragon
vents, acid spills and crackling plasma security shields, the used to be a normal cephalopod - or a clutch of
faith: core book

Warren is made even more dangerous for the presence of such cephalopods -, either native to the gas giant
vagrants, radicals, escaped convicts and other criminals or brought aboard some freighter long ago, and no
that use the tunnels as a refuge and hunting ground. longer than one inch. Then, the thing - or things -
somehow fed on the Wang gas, growing to colossal
In some areas, the tubes are large enough to lodge entire proportions over the years. Whether the species
cities, and several underground communities have taken was naturally able to feed on Wang gas, or mutated
up the less dangerous zones as a refuge from either the thanks to some kind of residue in the mining
law or their miserable lifestyle. Such societies, nicknamed process, is still a mystery.
tubers or tunnelers, become close-knit and well-organised
groups; they must, if they are to survive the heartless con- Either way, there’s profit to be made and respect
ditions of the Warren. Forced outcasts, such as victims of to be earned for a valiant crew that proves itself
a plague, and the very rare unemployed - or unemployable capable of not only bringing down the beast (or
- inhabitants of Xulong, tend to drift to tuber communities one of these beasts, assuming there are more than
as well, becoming a part of the Warren’s hidden society. one), make it out alive, and bring proof in the form
Tubers are somewhat more peaceful than hidden criminals, of a corpse to the mining station HQ.
but not harmless by any means, much less to outsiders -
‘skysiders’, as tubers call them - which they have learned
to avoid and mistrust.

THE XULONG DRAGON

It all started as an urban legend. First, a worker died
here and there, the bodies never recovered. Then, reports
came in - sightings of a huge, monstrous dark thing lurking
under the tunnels of Xulong. Then expeditions, hoaxes, fake
digital images. So far, there’s no conclusive proof that the
Xulong Dragon is anything more than a myth - but it’s been
XULONG DRAGON
The Xulong Dragon is made of two parts, The Dragon gains one advantage towards hide in plain sight. It gains one advantage when
Body and Tail. Both act and suffer damage searching. It can move on any surface, it hiding, and characters further than 20 metres
independently, but they must remain together. cannot be detected with thermal sensors, and away suffer one disadvantage towards
If Body dies, Tail also dies. its skin mimics its surroundings, allowing it to actions that require line of sight on it.

BODY TAIL
Unstoppable :: Lone Wolf :: Space Affinity Unstoppable :: Defender :: Teamwork

14 9 1 5 1

28 22 8 20 22 12
HIT TRAMPLE INITIATIVE HIT GRAPPLE INITIATIVE
2 2 3 2 2 3

9 ATHLETIC 19 15
SURVIVAL THROW
3 /EVA 2 2

HIT TRAMPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
4 (CON)
3+ (DEX)
3 (CON)
0

Devastating Blows Lash Out

Body ignores one armour when hitting. Tail’s CQC attacks reach 10 metres. It gains one advantage when
confronting a Ballistic action.

Trample Throw

Action. It cannot be used as a counteraction. Characters who Action. Tail throws one grappled character against a target up
dodge against it gain one advantage. to 20 metres away. Its target suffers as much physical damage as
Body moves up to 25 metres in a straight line. All characters in its the thrown character’s CON (or the attribute of his Physical Stat)
path are affected by this attack. plus his armour. Regardless of the outcome, the thrown character
is no longer grappled, and he also must confront this action to avoid
suffering the same amount of damage.
ZHUI XI THE PEOPLE
Planetary Type: Ice world Zhuixians have a reputation for being a little touched in
the head, not only because of their slightly exaggerated re-
Population: 9 billion
ligious zeal, but because the extreme cold actually affects
Day: 38 standard hours Corvo brains, causing sluggishness and, rarely, permanent
Culture: Corporate theocracy brain damage accompanied by such symptoms as chronic
Location: Zhui system, 3 standard months away hallucinations. These cases are few and isolated, but a few
from Tiantang isolated cases are more than enough for urban legends
to take form, and the symptoms of ‘brain freeze’ (as Tian
Production: Water processing
newscasters jokingly call it) are very similar to lunacy or
Social Rank 4: Unequal yet utopian society hallucinations.
Economic Rank 4: Self-sufficient, prosperous sin-
gle-product civilisation Other than their admittedly greater faith in Kaliva and
Atmosphere: Breathable and clean, low-tempera- the ‘brain freeze’ stereotype, Zhuixians are as smart and
ture hazards resourceful as any Corvo, and their society is actually
one of the most prosperous in the Corvosphere. Perhaps
The Water Station of Zhui Xi is one of the largest and it’s the piety with which the Kalivans inspire the populace,
most powerful Corvo colonies, ruled by the closest there is or perhaps it’s the generous financial support from NS
to a theocracy - or to any government - in the Corvosphere. and Starwaters, but class differences are somewhat less
pronounced in Zhui Xi. While there’s still a huge economic
Originally a pleasure retreat belonging to the Gao-Yuezhi gap, the poorest are a little less poor than in Tiantang and
The Corvosphere

clan - one of the five richest families in the Corvosphere - the colonies, and the richest a little less rich - save for the
Zhui Xi was built as a luxury citadel in orbit around the icy Kalivan elite and the Starwaters shareholders, which of
planet of the same name in Meng Naixi VII. Then, the Gao- course includes the Gao-Yuezhi family.
Yuezhi moved on and sold most of the property, which was
given to the church of Kaliva as a donation by the family. In fact, Kaliva seems to be quite satisfied with the
By Corvo law, the church is not a corporate entity, so the Zhuixian culture, and He has explicitly blessed several of
142 Kalivans needed to strike a deal with a Megacorp to make the planet’s inhabitants by giving them lesser manifesta-
good into the transaction. Enter Starwaters - a subsidiary tions of His power. There’s also an unusual abundance of
of Nation’s Solution, of which, curiously, the Gao-Yuezhi are albino individuals - bluish-white Corvo, with bright blue
faith: core book

major shareholders - which became the Kalivan’s partner eyes - which the Kalivans have interpreted as a signal of
to register the property, and promptly built a prosperous Kaliva’s pleasure. These white Zhuixians, while enjoying no
industry based on the ice planet’s main resource: water. special status per se, are nonetheless treated like blessed
people.
By privatising the largest water source within the Cor-
vosphere, Starwaters turned Zhui Xi into one of the most
important colonies under Corvo rule, and all kinds of busi- THE KALIVAN CHURCH
nesses bloomed in the previously deserted, frigid world.
Millions of jobs were created for engineers and other spe- Although the actual rulers of Zhui Xi are Nation’s Solution,
cialists to man and oversee the costly water-processing Starwaters and the Gao-Yuezhi partners, the visible leaders
machines, and thousands of space habitats were built to of the colony - at least in a spiritual sense - are undoubtedly
house the new workers and cover their food, shelter and en- the priests and prophets of Kaliva. The top Kalivan officials
tertainment needs. By 1770 SA, Zhui Xi was a large colony, in the planet are a Triumvirate, formed by Prophet Gui,
filled to the brim with Corvo looking for new opportunities. Prophetess Xia and Prophetess Mei Shanguang. The three
priests are born orators, sharing the same Kalivan powers
Despite Starwater’s smooth move, which snatched the to sway and inspire the masses, and enjoy an uncanny
business of a lifetime from under the noses of the Kalivans, sense of the weaknesses in others, which they use to give
the Church’s representatives held on to their claim of own- them exactly the inner strength they need.
ership, and were given nominal rule over the colony - that is,
the right to invite and organise the people, as the Corvo rec- The Triumvirate are not official rulers, but their church
ognise no institutional leadership. However, these priests is quite wealthy from the Starwaters deal, and they enjoy
and prophets are charismatic and popular, and most of the all the privileges and luxurious lifestyle of the elite, beside
7 billion Zhuixians follow their faith and believe in them. their soulbender powers.

Currently, Zhui Xi looks like some fantasy world, with More than an authority figure, the Triumvirate play
floating cities, gyro-zhans and huge machinery orbiting a the part of celebrities; the general public is swayed by
mysterious crystal-ice landscape. their slightest public statement, and everyone follows
their private lives as closely as possible. There’s even a
digital reality show over the neuronet, where citizens may
connect to a live transmission of the Triumvirate’s daily
routine, enjoying everything from Xia and Gui’s philosophi-
cal debates and squabbles, to the moment when Mei Shan-
guang takes her daily purifying bath.

The Triumvirate and their priests use over-the-top

rhetoric and great power displays to maintain their popu-
larity and a sense of community; they constantly extol the
virtues of the icy planet as a world-sized avatar of the heart
of Kaliva and His cold, demanding will, and how all Zhuixians
are blessed to live so close to such a manifestation of the
Great Challenger.

THE DARK WIZARD

Despite - or because - the success and idyllic life
of the Kalivan triumvirate and their loving subjects,
they have more than their share of enemies: petty
individuals that seek to bring them down for no
other reason than the fact they are happy and

The Corvosphere
powerful. Foremost among these is Kanatos, the
Dark Wizard of Zhui Xi. MEEKI
Born Chong Du, a simple restaurant owner in a
middle-class district, the man who grew to become
Ledger 2 :: Lone Wolf
the Dark Wizard saw his life change forever when Level 2 :: Corvo :: Unpredictable
he started manifesting Ledger powers. His dark 143
mov. 5 metres :: weight 52 kg :: height 158 cm
ambitions and long-contained anger were beginning

faith: core book

to spill out, and they took the form of dark night-
mares and vortices of unreality.
4 5 0 -
Embracing his newfound power, Chong took the
name Kanatos - a word that, he claims, Ledger
PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 7
whispered to him personally - and embarked in a STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2
crusade to thwart the success of the Kalivan trium-
virate, ending their reign and submerging Zhui Xi in
HIT GRAPPLE
chaos. (DEX)
2+ (CON)
0+

Despite his rather tacky background and objec-

Neural Spike I
tives, Kanatos is a very powerful Ledger soul-
bender, and he has actually threatened the lives and Action (Mental). He suffers 2 neural damage and
work of the Triumvirate more than once, although attacks a character within 20 metres and line of sight,
they always defeat him in the end. Such conflicts gaining one advantage if his Faith is higher than his
of ‘good vs evil’ are so rare in the Corvosphere that target’s, and causing 3 unpreventable neural damage.
some people believe Kanatos is not a real enemy, This action can be confronted as a projectile.
but a character made up and created by the Trium-
virate, to reinforce their reputation as powerful
saints and give the people a ‘villain’ to cheer against.

However, Kanatos is very real, and he will stop

at nothing to someday achieve his goal of throwing
the happy government of Zhui Xi into mayhem and
despair. He has attracted a small but extremely
devoted troupe of misfits - affectionately named
Meeki by the Wizard - who adore him, and follow
him everywhere he goes to help him spread the
chaos across Zhui Xi.
Meekis are followers of the Dark Wizard of Zhui Xi,
an extremely dangerous Ledgerite soulbender
that wants to wreak havoc in the colony.
THE DARK WIZARD
The Dark Wizard is composed of two NPCs, They are completely independent NPCs, diately. Then, if the Mortal Body is in normal
the Mortal Body and the Immortal Soul. Both but if the Immortal Soul moves further than health, it will reappear at the beginning of
have Faith 4. Additionally, neither becomes 20 metres away from the Mortal Body or the round anywhere within 20 metres of the
Spent after performing counteractions. becomes Traumatised, it will banish imme- Mortal Body.

MORTAL BODY IMMORTAL SOUL

Lone Wolf :: Teamplayer Lone Wolf :: Teamplayer

7 9 1 0 6

17 SOUL 9 10 18 9 10
HIT INITIATIVE HIT GRAPPLE INITIATIVE
3 DRAIN 3 3 3 3 4

6 10 ATHLETIC 10 ATHLETIC 14 12
SURVIVAL CUNNING SURVIVAL
3 3 EVA 3 EVA 3 3

HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
3 (CON)
0 HIT
(DEX)
3 GRAPPLE
(CON)
0

Jester Ethereal
Instant. Suffer one neural damage and gain the effect of a joker. The Immortal Soul can fly and move through obstacles. If it is
Instant. Transfer any amount of physical damage to the Immortal not attacking or using an ability, it is immune to physical damage. Its
Soul as neural damage. It may exceed the immortal soul’s health. attacks ignore armour. Instant. It can cause 2 neural damage to the
Mortal Body to swap places with it.

Soul Drain Grapple

Action. It targets a character within 20 metres as if it was Action. If successful, it possesses the target and cannot perform
shooting, gaining one advantage for every point his Faith exceeds actions nor be targeted. Any damage transferred to it is also dealt
his target’s. If successful, the target must discard one (modified to the host. While possessed, the character is considered an NPC
by the level of success) card from his hand, becoming Traumatised controlled by the Dark Wizard. Before the maintenance phase, he
if he can’t reach that number. NPC targets lose their turn instead. can try to escape with a Cunning action using Mind.
HUANGDÌ Even centuries after its occupation, travelling across
Huangdì remains an adventure. The untamed wastes
Planetary Type: Desert world between one town and the next are rife with natural
dangers, predators and outlaw gangs; civilised spots are
Population: 1 billion
far between, and each of them has its own law and govern-
Day: 41 standard hours ment - mostly by petty warlords or autocratic landowners
Culture: Isolated survivalist settlements - which makes even the towns of cities of Huangdì rather
Location: Shuang system, 5 months away from dangerous. Tiantang has tried to invest and create industry
Tiantang in Huangdì, but the planet’s resources don’t allow for an
economic boom, plus the remoteness of the colony, even
Production: Farming, low-yield mining
across the Labyrinth, makes it very hard to lend any kind
Social Rank 2: Some peaceful communities but of aid or establish a working trade relationship. Nonethe-
mostly unequal and dangerous less, the Megacorps have succeeded at establishing several
Economic Rank 3: Most citizens overworked and factories and businesses in the desert planet, and are in
underpaid, limited corp investment the process of financing larger cities and creating massive
Atmosphere: Breathable, isolated toxic environ- employment booms, which has reduced the insecurity and
mental events lawlessness in several areas.

Across the universe from Tiantang, and more than a full Megacorp intervention hasn’t been free of conflict,
AU from the closest Labyrinth exit, lies a silent planet with however, as several smaller businesses and cooperative
a thin atmosphere and fell weather, under the dim but re- guilds have resisted assimilation, and see the Megacorps
lentless light of a dying binary star. Only the most stubborn as unfair competition rather than benefactors. As of this

The Corvosphere
and resourceful species could have found a way to settle writing, Huangdì remains the only in the Corvosphere where
such a remote, forbidding place; the Corvo thrived on it. local businesses outnumber Megacorp offices. The Mega-
They call it Huangdì. corps are bound to eventually absorb and defeat all inde-
pendent companies, but they ‘sure ain’t going down easy’.
Huangdì is a typical Corvo colony - the perfect example
of the average Corvo outpost at the fringes of known space. Given the difficulties of Megacorp intervention and the
These outposts include brave settlements, remote mining long distance from Tiantang, the colony’s future is still 145
stations, military watch stations at Labyrinth entrances, uncertain as of this writing, but the people of Huangdì have

faith: core book

and some planets that, while including all of the above, managed to survive thus far, so the odds would seem to
remain fierce, untamed and inhospitable. remain in their favour.

Huangdì was discovered by one of the first ‘lost’ Corvo

expeditions across the Labyrinth, back when the Corvo THE PEOPLE
hadn’t found a way to stay in touch with successful colonies
and assumed their first flights were all lost or unsuccess- Huangdì Corvo call themselves Huang, or Huanese.
ful. While many of these brave ships indeed became lost They are proudly independent and capable like all of their
forever, one expedition succeeded at founding a small, species, although the Huang would seem to be even more
thriving colony in the world Alpha Shuang III - the remotest brave and loyal to their families than other Corvo. They
non-mining settlement inside the Corvosphere. The colony also mistrust strangers far more, after decades of living in
was called Huangdì and it proved space colonisation their dog-eat-dog, survivalist culture.
possible long before the invention of beacon ships - but it
took its inhabitants decades to regain contact with Tiantang. Social classes work at an altogether different scale in
Huangdì. There’s indeed a very rich 1% in the planet, while
In 1697 SA, when Huangdì managed to rebuild their ex- the rest of the population goes from comfortably getting by
peditionary force and send a ship back to the Megacorps, to the most abject poverty; however, the richest of Huanese
Tiantang sent more flights to the colony, and found a businessmen earns just a little more than the average Tian
populated world, with several towns and cities that had blue-collar worker. By the same token, what in Tiantang is
managed to prosper into a new Corvo culture - a hardened, barely enough to keep a man from starving, in Huangdì can
survivalist Corvo culture. feed a family of farmers for several months. Other than
that, the class divide is as real and sharp in Huangdì as it is in
Huangdì is a mostly desert planet, with just enough water the rest of the Corvosphere, and resentment between the
to sustain organic life in the form of a few lakes, rivers and rich and poor, between the less and more fortunate, shapes
underground streams. After the success of the first few most Huang cultural dynamics.
colonies, the Corvo expanded across these water sources,
and currently most of them are occupied by a Corvo town The great majority of Huang people work as farmers or
or city. run small businesses in the planet’s towns and cities; some
work in law enforcement, making sure peace and quiet is
maintained across the land, while a few others try to live farm and the closest town, or between a mining site and
the easy way, outside the law and bullying or murdering the nearest city. An attack on a gyro-van is considered a
their way to easy money or land. Most criminals join gangs dai crime in Huangdì, and yet such convoys are a preferred
that practice extortion, smuggling, robbery and marauding, target of bandits and raiders, which are almost guaran-
most of which are punished by death; therefore shootouts teed to find something of value by attacking any random
between mercenary law enforcers and criminals, or even gyro-van they find. For this reason, one of the first and
between rival gangs, are a common occurrence in Huangdì. most important investments the Megacorps have made
in the colony is to improve the security and performance
A very few Huang own larger tracts of land, factories or of gyro-van convoys; despite digital communications and
larger businesses, or have direct links to the Tiantang Meg- advanced banking systems, gyro-vans are still what keeps
acorps; these landowners and entrepreneurs are the elite Huangdì businesses - and thus life in the planet - running.
and ruling class of Huangdì, although, like in most Corvo
societies, their authority is not political but economic.
THE GYRO GUARD
THE LAW As the Huangdì colony becomes larger and more danger-
ous, gyro-vans become more necessary for the common
There is no government in Huangdì and the economic folk - those without support from Tiantang or the Mega-
responsibility over the colony rests, as usual, on the Mega- corps. Without gyro-vans, the poorest and remotest set-
corps. Thousands of envoys and representatives of subsid- tlements cannot trade and are all but isolated from the
iaries from all three Megacorps work and oversee business modernised areas.
all across Huangdì; however, their authority extends only to
The Corvosphere

giving or withdrawing funds - the law is in the hands of local Sadly, gyro-vans remain a favourite prey of bandits and
mercenaries that answer directly to town councils. This raiders, and the Megacorps are not spurred to do anything
has made criminals quite bold, as the authorities are very about it, as they use air drops and digital transfers instead.
limited in their ability to control their activities. Thus, the only hope for little towns is the Gyro Guard.

After the introduction of Tiantang money into the A private mercenary group specialised in the escort and
146 planet’s economy, a few Huang criminals are joining more protection of Gyro-vans across Huangdì, the Gyro Guard is
organised syndicates and establishing legal businesses as the most elite and respected law organisation in the colony.
front for their activities. This has allowed them to buy and Paid not by big business but by the small towns that benefit
faith: core book

bribe law officers, which is less dangerous and more stra- from it, the Gyro Guard is also the most democratic police
tegically sound than engaging in plasma gun fights. Some force in the Corvosphere.
gangsters have even turned legit - at least in appearance
- and come under the employ of Megacorp representatives, Gyro Guard members are known as Gyro guards them-
which pretend not to know or help bury their new recruits’ selves. They all carry plasma pistols and rifles, and they
shady past in exchange for their expertise and commercial all ride custom gyro-bikes, specially built for the Huangdì
contacts in Huangdì. In short, even though most Huang are terrain. Gyro Guard teams are usually comprised of four
law-abiding citizens, crime in Huangdì is rampant when or five armed mercenaries, each riding his own bike along a
compared to almost every other entity in the Corvosphere, gyro-van, protecting it from potential attacks.
and maintaining a semblance of law and order in the colony
is an uphill battle. Being chosen for the Gyro Guard is an honour for merce-
naries of all social classes and backgrounds - and species.
The Gyro Guard is open to non-Corvo, and a few Humans
HUANGDÌ TOWNS and Raag have joined its ranks. The only requirements to
join the Gyro Guard are good character (proven honesty,
The only point of reference in the endless wastes that bravery and loyalty) and a steady hand (good fighting skills
make up most of the Huangdì landscape are the many and gyro-bike riding).
cities, ranches and towns that the Corvo have managed to
build near local water sources. These towns run the gamut The Gyro Guard firm, jointly owned by several Huangdì
from precarious farms to large ranches and from three- landlords, provides all its members with their weapons -
hovel hamlets to large cities, with an occasional high-tech usually two small pistols and a rifle - and gyro-bikes.
metropolis or two.
Many Gyro Guards die in the line of duty, but only
As towns are far apart and barely self-sufficient, cargo a few gyro-vans under their protection have ever
vehicles are vital for the survival of the Huangdì colony. Gy- failed to arrive safely. What this means is the Gyro
ro-vans - gyrocycles of unusual design, built to withstand Guard often needs to enlist independent contractors
the harsh local conditions - are used daily to transport for one-off jobs that require additional security,
goods and passengers across the long distance between a provided they meet their strict requirements.
The Corvosphere
GYRO GUARD ROAD RIDER
Teamplayer Mob
Level 2 :: Corvo :: Crafty Level 1 :: Corvo :: Reckless
147
mov. 10 metres :: weight 60 kg :: height 165 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 52 kg :: height 155 cm

faith: core book

4 4 1 - 3 3 1

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 6 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 3

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+ QUARTERS
2 ++ DISTANCE
2-

Kaive Doorkicker

Extended range: 300 metres, damage 3. Action. The attack doubles its base damage against char-
Shoot any grenade up to 50 metres. acters with armour 1 or less OR it ignores 1 point of
armour and gains one advantage in Standard Distance.

Bodyguard Window of Opportunity

Instant. If he is aware of it happening, he can become When he performs an action against a Spent charac-
the target of an action that originally targeted a charter, he gains one advantage.
acter up to 2 metres away from him.

Unyielding Resolve

Instant. He takes one physical damage. He can play

one additional card during one action or discard two
neural damage or ignore all damage penalties until the
end of the round.

These guys are equipped with plasma pistols, rifles, and a Marauders abound in the HuangdÃ¬ colony, and
pure and unadulterated pride in the task they perform. most are fully motorized riders that assault
loaded gyro-vans with restlessness.
EARTH other kin, perhaps because being near the savage Humans
forces them to mellow by comparison, but they are also
Planetary Type: Water world detached and professional. The needs of Corvo colonies on
Earth have required most Wu Rén to either be scientists,
Population: 100,000 (plus 2 billion Human)
xenobiologists, lab experts or explorers, or to come from
Day: 24 standard hours a family that practiced one of these trades at the time of
Culture: Survivalist tribal colonisation. As a result, Wu Rén tend to be more learned
Location: Sol system, position undisclosed and open-minded than the average Corvo.

Production: Manpower
While most Wu Rén simply run the local military or
Social Rank 2: Unequal and unsafe society research bases, many have fully adapted to life on Earth.
Economic Rank 2: Unstable, primitive economy, They have built their own homes and even cities - complete
save for Corvo havens with omnirings and gyrocycles - on the ruins of Human
Atmosphere: Breathable, toxic and polluted spots buildings. These Wu Rén still feel like expatriates, even
if they were actually born on Earth; Corvo sociologists
Earth was one of the first Corvo colonies. The Corvo theorise this is entirely due to the Human presence, which
found it only two years after the founding of New Quan, instinctively makes Corvo feel like outsiders, preventing
while exploring new Labyrinth exits. The Corvo’s first any lasting bonds with their adopted world.
impression of Humans - the Earth natives, which Corvo
call Guangdan - was that of a decadent, fallen and violent All three Megacorps have established business centers
species, living precariously on the radioactive ruins of a at various spots on Earth, and they oversee their interests
wasteland world. However, after first contact, the Corvo in every transaction between colonists and natives, just as
The Corvosphere

found that Humans had once formed a peaceful and they rule economic life in Tiantang or the other colonies.
sprawling civilisation, which simply nuked or polluted itself The Humans are not even aware of this, but the Megacorps
into disaster many years before the Corvo’s arrival. now own Earth too.

After they achieved peaceful contact with the Human, As for Humans, refer to document ZzI013-C, appendix IX,
which didn’t seem to care about their world anymore, the for details on their species and various cultures.
148 Corvo simply took possession of anything the Humans
were not using: wartime relics, ruined weapons, wrecked
buildings, unexploited resources - anything. The Humans EARTH AFTER THE WAR
faith: core book

didn’t object, mainly because the Corvo came not as con-

querors but as neighbours, and clearly did a better job of The Corvo have not fully deciphered what happened to
caring about Earth than Humans themselves. Humans during the event that destroyed their civilization,
which they refer to broadly as simply ‘The Long Winter’.
To date, the Corvo have established several bases on They know it was some kind of world war, and that the
Earth, of which they share some with the Guangdan, used Humans’ hate grew to such irrational heights that they
for business with Human cities and towns. Corvo sell them recklessly used mutually destructive weapons on each
food, crops, clothes, weapons, and many other resources other, ruining their world’s ecosystem in the process. For
needed for survival in exchange for their natural resources, the Corvo, who only ruined ecosystems if it explicitly turned
labour, and mercenary work. Many warlords give the Corvo a tangible profit, such pointless destruction made no sense.
their young men and women in exchange for weapons to
maintain their control over the local populations. After the war, the Earth looked like a savage world;
violent tribes roamed the ruins of their civilisation, either
Corvo are also interested in tech-archaeology from the raiding other tribes or struggling to become peaceful and
Human period previous to their civilisation’s fall. Most of sedentary again. Their resources were meagre, their tools
the hardware is broken and the software corrupted or the damaged, their environment harmful - a business opportu-
language now forgotten, but the Corvo have already found nity if there ever was one. Without delay, the Corvo set out
several pieces of software of great value that they have to offer repair services, health care and terraforming tools
modified and implemented into their own systems. - for a very affordable price, of course - to the survivors.

In practice, this has turned out a bit like a farm, where the
THE PEOPLE Corvo are the farmers. As Human mercenaries are a high-
priced commodity in space thanks to their combat abilities,
Earthbound Corvo are less at home than other settlers, the Megacorps send resources and incentives for Humans
mainly because the planet’s natives are still occupying to settle down and procreate. All Corvo-given cities and
the area. However, they are slowly developing their own habitats are actually destined to Human well-being and
culture which they call Wu Rén. These Wu Rén Corvo are reproduction, just like a zoological reserve or livestock
slightly more peaceful and less competitive than their breeding centre. The Humans in these cities don’t complain,
as they are given complete freedom and a comfortable life-
style; however, many Humans from the wastes mistrust
these ‘glory cities’, as they are popularly known, and prefer
their free-ranging life in the wastes despite its dangers and
hardships.

Thus Humans are divided in two - those that live in Corvo-

rebuilt cities, tended and cared for by the Wu Rén Corvo,
and those that roam the post-apocalyptic wastes in their
lawless world of precarious settlements, raiders and
scavengers.

EARTH CULTURES
As far as the Corvo have deduced, Earth used to have
separate nations and governments just like the Corvo did
before the Space Age, but it has now fallen into a leader-
less, survivalist culture, where the rule of the strongest is
the law. The Corvo don’t interfere with Human customs, but
they have done what they can to nudge Humans towards
a more proactive lifestyle, showing them the advantages

The Corvosphere
of free market over wanton violence, and healthy competi-
tion and corporate backstabbing over unproductive death
battles over territory.
VETERAN MERC
Lone Wolf
Some Earthlings refuse to leave their barbaric ways,
but many are gradually adopting the more civilised Corvo Level 2 :: Human :: Cautious
lifestyle, although officially they retain their independence. 149
mov. 5 metres :: weight 78 kg :: height 185 cm

faith: core book

THE WU RÉN COMMAND
4 4 1 -
The Corvo executives in charge for the Earth colony
are collectively known as the Wu Rén command, and they
PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 6
are a rotating board of businessmen and scientists with STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2
the responsibility of overseeing building, infrastructure,
research and archaeology on Earth.
CLOSE STANDARD
QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+
To reinforce the bonds between Humans and Corvo,
the Wu Rén command periodically invites one Guangdan
Kaive
to become a member of the board for a full period; this
ensures that Human concerns are heard first-hand in the Extended range: 300 metres, damage 3. Action.
council. Shoot any grenade up to 50 metres.

Currently, the Wu rén command is aggressively

recruiting scientists, mercenaries and diplomats to
Hunter Instincts
venture into the wastes and convince Human settle-
ments to join the Corvosphere and allow annexation He gains one advantage towards hiding and search-
to the safety of Corvo city-sanctuaries. These ‘per- ing actions.
suasion teams’ consist of a group of armed guards,
a Human or Corvo emissary empowered by the Wu
Rén Command, plus one or two science specialists
for research support. Joining a persuasion team
is dangerous and often lethal, but a successful
mission is worth it, not only for the Corvosphere but
for the Humans who agree to join it, leaving their
dangerous world behind.

A combination of prowess, quick reflexes, empathy

and the oh so Human ability to always keep an ace
up their sleeves makes these guys invaluable.
The Corvosphere

150
faith: core book

MINING PLANETS All Kuàng tái are paid for by one of the Megacorps. More
than 80% belong to The Union, but even those not owned
Population: 60 billion total, mode under one billion by them contribute to their business: law requires outposts
to have a security foce and every authorised mercenary
Culture: Industrial
outfit works for a company owned by the Union anyways.
Production: Raw materials
Social Rank 3: Low to average quality of life, lim-
ited livelihood options TAI MENG
Economic Rank 3: All residents are employed by
off-world corps The greatest Kuàng tái after the Xulong Megastat, Tai
Meng was built around the largest Jiu mineral yield found
Other than the colonies listed in this chapter, and a few outside of Quanjie. Tai Meng alone provides nearly 70% of
precarious settlements resembling Huangdì, the rest of the the power and fuel required for Tiantang’s Quantum engines
Corvosphere is made up of mining posts, called Kuàng tái. to operate, which makes it arguably the most important
place in the whole Corvosphere after Tiantang itself.
These posts vary from single-mine sites in remote min-
eral-rich worlds to huge space stations extracting minerals As is widely known, Tai Meng was the scenario of the
from asteroid rings or entire star systems, some of them infamous Tai Meng revolt that ultimately forced the Mega-
almost as large as Xulong or even a Tiantang sector. The corps to create the EEP for fair trade between colonies.
smallest Kuàng tái are staffed by a few dozen people; the
largest employ hundreds of millions. The size of a Kuàng
tái, the resources it requires, and how many workers it HUNG 10-B
employs depends on the size and yield of the mineral field.
Hung 10-B is a mining colony covering almost all the
A typical Kuàng tái consists of an orbiting station with surface of the small moon of the same name, which was
the appropriate machinery (mineral drills, extraction plat- found to contain thousands of different precious minerals
forms and so on), plus a ground facility where possible, for yields. This makes Hung 10-B a treasure world and one of
closer exploration and support of the operation. the richest planets in the Corvosphere.
DEALING DAMAGE COVER
Dealing damage is calculated in four steps: A character is considered behind cover when at
least half of his body is not within line of sight of the
1.
Calculate the base damage: Base damage is deter- attacker. When you attack at a target behind cover,
mined by the weapon, NPC or alternative source of you suffer one disadvantage.
damage.
Additionally, cover might provide armour against
2. Calculate the modified base damage: Apply armour regular successes. It is up to the GM to determine
and other effects that affect base damage. If it is not the amount of armour provided by each material,
specified, effects always modify the base damage if any (i.e. light wooden materials might not provide
by default. any, bricks or soft metal sheets can provide 1, high
quality wood or strong metal 2, etc).
3. Calculate the final damage applying the appropriate
level of success. Decisive and critical successes
multiply the modified base damage. HEALTH STATES
4. Calculate the modified final damage: The final Depending on the amount of damage a character has
The Characters - General Rules

damage may be further modified by certain powers, suffered, he can be in three different health states or even
abilities and gear that specifically affect final dead.
damage.
NORMAL
E.g. Jon attacks with his ERE sword using its
Explosive Reactive Edge activated effect, which The health state of a character is normal for as long as he
increases his base damage by 2. His target has is not affected by any of the following states.
armour 2 and is protected by a Divine Shield of Faith
2. Jon achieves a decisive success. His BLEEDING OUT
weapon’s base damage is 3 + 2 from
342 its activated effect, but it’s reduced A character is bleeding out when his physical health is
by 2 by his opponent’s armour, for below 0. Characters cannot perform actions nor engage
a total base damage of 3. The final in confrontations while Bleeding Out. During each main-
faith: core book

damage value is 6 after doubling tenance phase, a bleeding out character will suffer one
it thanks to the decisive success, unpreventable physical damage.
and the Divine Shield protecting
his opponent reduces the final NPCs will generally ignore characters who are Bleeding
damage by 2, for a modified final Out until they have taken care of all other threats.
damage of 4.
TRAUMATISED
A character is traumatised when his neural health is
ARMOUR below 0. The character is unconscious and will not regain
consciousness until his neural health is 0 or above. Char-
Some pieces of equipment acters can recover neural damage points by medical
and other effects provide attention.
their users with an armour
value. Whenever the character DYING
is about to receive physical
or neural damage from an If a character is bleeding out and traumatised at the
external source, subtract its same time, he dies automatically. If at the end of a scene
armour from the base damage. a character is bleeding out and he has not received medical
attention from a First Aid action, he dies.
UNPREVENTABLE
A character can also die of starvation, exposure to the
DAMAGE
vacuum of space, drowning, excessive mutilation, etc.
Unpreventable damage cannot The effects of these possibilities are left for the GM to
be reduced, cancelled, or prevented determine.
in any way.
SUPPRESSIVE FIRE Additionally, hitting actions can use one of the
following effects.
Firearms only. When performing this action,
characters designate a small area, like a door or Block
a window, as a target. Suppressive Fire allows the
character to confront anyone performing actions Activated. It can only be used as a counteraction
within the designated area with a passive Shooting against CQC actions. Gain one advantage and if you
action. All passive Shooting actions after the first are successful you will make your opponent’s action
during the same Round will suffer a disadvantage. fail as usual, but your action won’t deal damage.
Its effect lasts until the weapon runs out of ammo,
or the character performs a different action, or Mighty Strike
decides to stop it. Suppressive Fire spends one of
ammunition per Initiative Round, regardless of the Activated. Suffer one disadvantage and increase
number of Shooting actions it ends up performing. the base damage of your attack by one.

Additionally, Suppressive Fire should discourage

most characters from approaching the target area,
in fear of being shot.

The Characters - General Rules

CRITICAL EFFECTS
The most common critical effect would be to triple the
damage you deal, but you can use other narrative options:
Shooting them in the knee to stop them, shoot their weapon GRAPPLING
and break it, etc. Any of these options must be accepted by
the GM. Using Constitution, you attempt to subdue your
opponent. Grappling can only be used against characters of
similar size to yours or smaller. Grappling can also be used
CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT by a grappled character to free himself. 345

Most often used with Dexterity or Constitution.

faith: core book

A successful grappling action will allow you to immobi-
lize your target. While grappled, your target will suffer one
The Close Quarters Combat (CQC) Skill must always be disadvantage towards any actions he tries to perform; you
used when fighting enemies within a 2 metre (~6.5 ft) radius can chose to confront any actions he tries to perform with
of the character, regardless of the type of weapon used. a grappling action, even if they don’t target you.

HITTING Additionally, if you are using a weapon, the grappled

character will take the damage specified by the weapon.
Using Dexterity, the character employs combat and
martial arts knowledge to hit and deflect attacks. The While grappling a target, you can perform any other
effects of a successful hitting action will be different de- actions, but you will suffer a disadvantage if they don’t
pending on whether the attacker was wielding a weapon or target the character you are currently grappling. You can
not: choose to release your target at any time.

If you are not wielding a weapon, you must choose to CRITICAL EFFECTS
cause either neural or physical damage when declaring
the action. If successful, you will deal as many points of The most common critical effect when hitting would be
damage as your Constitution. Choosing to inflict neural to triple the damage you deal, but you can use other nar-
damage represents you are trying to knock out your enemy, rative options: Disarming an opponent, taking him prisoner,
whereas physical damage represents you are trying to deal or knocking him unconscious. Any of these options must be
lethal damage. accepted by the GM.

If you are wielding a weapon, successful attacks will Critical effects when grappling may include choking your
cause the amount of damage listed in the weapon’s de- opponent and dealing as much neural damage as deter-
scription. Unless otherwise specified, the damage of a CQC mined by the GM every round he remains grappled, dislo-
weapon is physical damage. Improvised weapons will cause cating a joint to grant him a disadvantage towards certain
damage and/or give advantages to attacks as determined actions. It is up to the GM to accept or suggest additional
by the GM. effects for your action.
HACKING tion can be accessed in one turn, reading and understanding
it will take longer.
Almost always used
with Link when using The amount of information a hacker finds will greatly
software, or with depend on the target he chooses to access. In FAITH, in-
Mind when figuring formation travels between star systems in huge server
out possibilities or ships. Therefore, available information depends greatly on
implications. location, as it takes time to spread throughout the galaxies.
It is very important for the GM to consider what is best for
Hacking allows characters the story when deciding how much information to reveal.
to disable or gain access to hackable For example, the networks of mining planets are usually
devices, and to stop other hackers from set up for the purpose of allowing workers to communicate
affecting their own devices. Only devices with each other; there is very little information available
with Firewall are considered hackable (i.e. consider to them. However, the networks of large cities or business
that all electronic devices have some kind of Firewall as districts contain a lot of information about the companies
determined by the GM). that operate there, amongst many other interesting things.

To perform a Hacking action, the hacker needs to be INFEST

The Characters - General Rules

using a computer or rig and its target needs to be in hacking

range. A device is in hacking range if at least one of the fol- A successful Infest action will cause your oppo-
lowing conditions is met: nent’s action to fail. Additionally, it will apply one of
the following effects to the hacked device:
◊ It is physically connected to the rig or computer.
Backdoor: The Firewall of this device plays one
◊ It is a rig or computer being directly used by the card less against you from now on. A Purging
hacker. Systems action does not remove a backdoor.

◊ It is connected to the same network as the hacker. Virus: The device will suffer one disadvantage
346 until cleansed. When a character tries to cleanse it,
◊ It is within LinkWave range of the hacker’s rig. the device’s Firewall will confront them.
faith: core book

In all Hacking actions, the character attempting the CLEANSE

action is called the hacker and the device targeted by the
action is called the target. Cleanse can be used on any infested piece of
gear. A successful Cleanse action will cause the
DENIAL OF SERVICE (DOS) Firewall’s action to fail. Additionally, it removes all
viruses and backdoors from the target device.
A successful DoS action will cause your opponent’s
action to fail. Additionally, it causes as much ACS damage PURGING SYSTEMS
to its target as determined by the rig you are using, or when
performed by a Firewall it will be equal to the number of Purging systems can only be performed by a
cards it played. character carrying the gear it targets. A successful
Purging Systems action removes all viruses from
SNIFFING all your cortex connected gear and any one piece of
gear not cortex connected.
A successful Sniffing action will allow the hacker to read
all the data stored on his target, be it code, video, audio, LINKWAVE
or any other type of information, including passwords and
access codes. A device with LinkWave increases the hacking range of
its user. The hacking range around a device with LinkWave
Sniffing can also be used to extract information from is a sphere with a radius equal to its LinkWave value, in
networks as a powerful form of online research. These metres (10 metres ~16 ft). A character will be aware of the
networks can contain all kinds of sources and information: presence of any hackable devices or creatures within his
sensor feeds, software, online papers, websites, social LinkWave range.
networks, commercials, blogs, archives, online services,
forums, chat rooms, internet caches, and more. CONFRONTING HACKING ACTIONS
A sniffing attack is very fast and accurate thanks to You can only detect and confront hacking actions that
partial-AI search engines. However, although the informa- originate from within your hacking range (i.e. only charac-
LIFESTYLES WORKING CLASS
You have a stable job and a few low-cost prop-
INDIGENT erties. You are in between two worlds: You
dream of reaching up and mingling with the
You have no job or properties. To survive, you rich, but you have nightmares of falling over
must earn (or steal) each meal as they come. your mortgage and losing everything. You have
You live in the streets of a low class slum, to work for a living, but it “ain’t that bad”, and
an abandoned warehouse, or a junked space you have time for a hobby or two.
freighter, stealing oxygen from the closest op-
erative air recycler. Monthly earnings: 500 credits.

Monthly earnings: 0 credits. A Working class character must work on their job forty
hours a week to maintain their lifestyle. If they lose their
An Indigent character must “work” (begging, stealing, job and do not find another within three months, their life-
dealing drugs, looking through garbage for scraps, etc.) style will be reduced to Poor.
sixty hours per week to survive. If they stop “working”
and do not find a comparable or better occupation within a They can afford decent clothing and food, collective
month, they will die of starvation. transport fares, occasional private transportation, rent in a
Playing in the Corvosphere

small apartment, eating out in humble restaurants, staying

They can barely afford anything other than eating scraps at normal hotels, and one month off their job per year.
and ragged clothing. If they want to acquire any gear they
must steal it, complete a mission, or other suitable activity. A Working class character can only have one Bio or
Tech Upgrade installed every three sessions, unless they
An Indigent character can not raise their Attributes due purchase them on the black market or have another char-
to the lack of nutrients and basic health care, and they can acter install it for them outside a medical centre.
only obtain Tech or Bio Upgrades in the black market at a
significant cost.
154 MIDDLE CLASS
POOR You own a small business, shares in a company,
faith: core book

significant properties, or a similar source of in-

You have a precarious job, but no properties. come. You live comfortably thanks to your hard
You are at the bottom of the working force. work or your inheritance. You can afford long
While you can cover a small rent and some ba- vacations and plenty of pleasures.
sic needs, whether or not you can keep up next
month is always uncertain. You can not afford Monthly earnings: 1,000 credits.
anything non-essential. Your job is wearing you
out and taxing on your health. A Middle class character must work on their job or take
care of their means of income for at least forty hours a
Monthly earnings: 100 credits. week to maintain their lifestyle. If they lose their means of
income and do not find a suitable replacement within one
A Poor character must work fifty hours per week to year, their lifestyle will be reduced to Working class.
maintain their lifestyle. If they stop working and do not find
a similar or better job within a month, their lifestyle will be They can afford nice clothing and food, having a part-
reduced to Indigent. time chauffeur, owning a nice apartment, eating out in
decent restaurants, staying at nice hotels, and a one month
They can afford cheap clothing and food, collective trans- vacation at a comfortable place in their star system.
port fares, rent in a tiny cubicle, eating out in the cheapest
canteens, staying at shady motels, and two weeks off their A Middle class character can only have one Bio or Tech
job per year. Upgrade installed per session, unless they purchase them
on the black market or have another character install it for
A Poor character cannot raise their Mind due to their them outside a medical centre.
extreme stress. They can have one Bio or Tech Upgrade in-
stalled every five sessions, or more if they purchase them
on the black market or have another character install it for WELL OFF
them outside a medical centre.
You own a business, shares in a big company,
lots of property, or another good source of in-
come. Your life is great, and you can’t help but
think of yourself as a rising star. their lifestyle affected thanks to tax schemes and fiscal
manoeuvres. The added lifestyle value of the characters
Monthly earnings: 5,000 credits. being maintained must be equal or lower than the lifestyle
value of the character maintaining them. To calculate life-
A Well off character must work on their job or take care style values, use the highest equivalent Profession value
of their means of income for a few hours each week to from ‘Starting lifestyle and credits’ on page 153.
maintain their lifestyle. If they do not work or take care of
their assets for a period longer than two years, their life- BEING MAINTAINED
style will be reduced to Middle class.
An Indigent, Poor or Working class character can receive
They can afford excellent clothing and food, a private alms or be employed by another character. If they do, they
air and land vehicle with a private chauffeur, owning a few do not need to work on their day job to maintain their life-
houses in different houses or one big personal station, style and monthly earnings, but the character maintaining
eating out in fancy places, staying at the best hotels, and them may impose conditions, such as becoming their body-
six months of vacations at expensive locations each year. guard or give them their proxy in group decisions.

The Bio or Tech Upgrades a Well off character can gain E.g. Wilfredo’s character Xiang owns a spaceship
per session are only limited by their experience points. and he wants to hire a crew to go out on adventure,
discover alien planets, and amass a little fortune.

Playing in the Corvosphere

Diego, Sergio, Pedro, and Che are Poor characters
WEALTHY in hopes of finding an exciting new job. Xiang’s life-
style is Well off, which allows him to employ them
You own an important business, lots shares in a and depart to the depths of space on a deranged
big company, extensive properties, or another adventure without worrying for their day jobs. This
excellent source of income. Your assets make makes Xiang the de facto captain, and the crew
up for your lack of fluff text. trusts him not to abuse such power.

Monthly earnings: 25,000 credits. DELEGATING

155
A Wealthy character does not need to spend time taking A Middle class or Well off character can delegate

faith: core book

care of their business or assets to maintain their lifestyle. their work to NPC employees or brokers. If they do, their
They will only see their lifestyle reduced to Well off if there monthly earnings are reduced to the next lower lifestyle,
is some kind of catastrophe that affects their business or but they do not have to spend any time working on their day
assets, their personal financial manager betrays them, or jobs to maintain their lifestyle.
some other kind of unforeseen disaster.
SELLING OUT
They can afford the fanciest clothing and food, all
kinds of private transportation with personal chauffeurs, A Middle class or Well off character can sell their source
owning several residences at different places or even star of income to improve their lifestyle to the next level for
systems, going to the most exclusive restaurants and one year, and then permanently see it reduced to two levels
hotels, and as much vacation time as they wish in exclusive below their original lifestyle.
resorts all over the Corvosphere.
SKULLING
The Bio or Tech Upgrades a Wealthy character can gain
per session are only limited by their experience points. An Indigent, Poor, or Working class character with a
cortex connector and located in the Corvosphere can
As can be imagined, there is people richer than decide to skull instead of working a boring day job that
Wealthy characters in the Corvosphere, but such would keep them away from adventures and missions.
excesses require their own story and it is up to the Skulling allows characters to maintain their current life-
GM to allow such kind of profligacy. style without working, but it needs to be done at all times,
without interruption.

ADVANCED RULES An Indigent skulling character suffers one semi-perma-

nent point of neural damage, while a Poor or Working class
character suffers two semi-permanent points of neural
MAINTAINING OTHERS damage. If they ever decide to discard them or become
Traumatised, they stop skulling and are immediately fired
A Middle class, Well off, or Wealthy character can from their skulling job, without a second chance to recover
employ or give alms to other characters without seeing it unless they pay a hefty fine to their skulling employer.
the iz ’ k al
CORTEX CONNECTOR 2.0
6 points (or 3 points if you replace an existing Cortex
Connector 1.0 with this upgrade). It works just like a Cortex
Connector upgrade, and additionally you can have as many
cortex expansions installed as your Link. Cortex expan-
sions do not count as Tech Upgrades, but you can obtain
and install them in the same manner:

DATA STORAGE
6 points. This expansion will allow you to store and
access any information that was available to you the last
time you had access to the internet as if you were still con-
nected. The information will not update until you reconnect
to the internet.

DOUBLE JACK
The Characters - Upgrades

3 points. You can connect an additional that require to

be Cortex Connected. This cortex expansion can be chosen
more than once.

DRONE STATION
9 points. You can perform the action Issue command
(Technical) as an activated effect.

364 IMPLANTED PROCESSOR

6 points. Replaces the internal computer of the Cortex
faith: core book

Connector with a Rig of your choice. When installing this

Upgrade, choose between any of your readily available
rigs to be the Implanted Processor. The rig won’t show
externally.

Additionally, the implanted processor allows you to in-

stantly read and understand all data found online or down-
loaded to the rig, and to perform calculations as fast as any
other computer. You can send and receive radio signals with
your brain up to a thousand kilometres away.

MED-INJECTOR
6 points. It can be loaded with any injectables that you
have. Designate a friendly character to control the injector.
While you are within 50 meters, he can use it to administer
any of the loaded injectables as an instant (he must still
confront a TSE if the injectable requires it).

NEURAL LIBRARY
9 points. Activated. If you spend one hour connected to
the net and resting, you can download a neural map for a
given Skill. Choose a Skill to have its value become 2/4/6
depending on your Mind until you stop this ability or become
traumatised or bleeding out. No talents are allowed for
skills gained this way. You cannot spend experience on a
Skill that is being affected by this.
“What kind of job is that? What exactly do you take care “I haven’t seen any stores. Where do you buy stuff?” The
of?”, asked the one identified by his scanner as a female - Corvo named Ling Mang asked the questions.
Jabir simply believed it; for him, all Corvo looked like clones.
“On the Idealab store.”
“I walk around the city and report things that are not
working properly. I talk to people who need to talk to “Do you have to buy everything online?”
someone. I hear people’s complaints and register them
with the city council. I also help lost tourists — usually other “Yes, it’s more efficient that way”.
Iz’kal, but we treat everyone equally here”.
“Yes, but a completely digital market reduces sales. The
The Corvo were surprised, but their translator software real estate, staff, and distribution expenses associated
was probably reassuring them that the chances of finding with well positioned physical stores is well worth it…” He
a thief in the State were close to nil, and started looking stopped talking. He seemed to be getting some info from his
more at ease. computer. “Right, you guys don’t really care about sales.”

“Does this job have a name?” “The less stuff there is, the more efficient our world is”,
Jabir answered, which made their jaws drop.
“I am a city carer.”
Later on, they asked him, “So, if all you do is walk around
Their eyes lost focus for a second as they searched their and help around, which, erm, seems very useful and all,
databases for info about such a job. When they read it was but… Well, what does a doctor think of getting paid as much
a common job they seem relieved, and also curious: “Do as you are?”
you really pick up the rubbish from the streets in those
clothes?” “I guess the doctor is happy for me.”

The Iz’kal
“There is not that much rubbish in our streets, we mostly “But…”
clean the dust and… Well, I don’t actually do it myself, the
robots do. I take care of the city in general, however I see “Look, being able to get things does not matter. Doctors
fit. I walk around and report things”. want to help others, and to feel appreciated. Also, most 159
doctors are actually robots, and thus don’t really want

faith: core book

“Alright, so you are more like a guardian?”. anything.”

“Not really. Let’s get going and I’ll tell you all about it”. The Corvo were not convinced by Jabir’s explanation.
However, they did not ask any more questions about it.
The Corvo agreed and walked with him. They were more They found it obvious that Jabir would not complain about
interested in finding out about his job and how much he got the situation, and they thought they ought to ask a doctor
paid (Jabir’s translator had trouble getting the meaning instead.
across, as nobody in the State is really “paid”) than in his
explanations of the historical city. The Corvo seemed to enjoy their time with Jabir, and were
very enthusiastic about what they had seen - although he
Jabir ended up spending the whole day with them. He took sensed some condescence in their comments, as if they
them to the most interesting places, including the best lial talked about how wonderfully smart their pet was because
shop and his favourite restaurant. They especially enjoyed it could open the door by itself.
places that gave away free samples and took more than
they needed with them, and by the end of the day their Jabir led them back at the majmoa that was hosting them.
pockets were stuffed. He also told them about his life and They tried to pay him for his services that day, but Jabir had
his job, and they were captivated by everything they had no interest in their stuff - he had too many things already.
learnt about the Iz’kal on that day. Plus, Corvo credits weren’t really useful in the State.

They walked really fast, which was quite exhausting, and Jabir arrived home to his partners and told them all about
kept asking Jabir whether he truly did not need to be some- his new acquaintances. He explained he found them to be
where else. They failed to understand how someone could very nice people with interesting ideas, and suggested they
spend the entire day showing strangers around for free. invite them over to their majmoa. They all agreed.

Jabir found them fascinating. They told him about their They all also agreed it was a shame that the Corvo as a
lives, their work, their status, and about what was new in species ought to be exterminated. Sadly, paradise comes
the Corvosphere. They were very careful not to talk about at a high price.
the ongoing conflict between their nations, and Jabir was
happy to avoid the subject.
THE IZ’KAL SPECIES
“Iz’kal society is so surprisingly different from
ours that half of what I say about them has NATURE AND
to address what they don’t have or don’t do -
stuff that seems so normal to us that if I omit BEHAVIOUR
it you’d assume they have it too.”
“They live long and healthy lives, yet they do
- Extract from “A characterless society” by not own them. They are more spectators than
Gong Cixi, Corvo xenoscientist participants. They know not of pain, yet they
barely understand pleasure. They do not know
The Iz’kal are a species of amphibious humanoids with of the grey scale in things, nor of black and
an organised, strict society and a strong communal mind. white - they have only seen white and their
They are telepathic, able to communicate among them- stares are just that: blank, white, and bored
selves without words, and live in a cooperative, egalitarian looks of the walking dead.”
society; thus they are a collective both by genetic predispo-
sition and by political rule. - Xeon Magno, main shareholder of The Union,
after his visit to Erthum
The Iz’kal State is the largest, strongest political block
in the universe - a technified, leaderless government of The Iz’kal are a gregarious and proud people, as peaceful
billions of people that police each other through a tel- as they are mistrustful of other species. They live in large,
epathic connection. This connection, which the Iz’kal call silent, technified cities that seem paradises of organisation
The Iz’kal Species

the Hyperlink, is the most important trait of the species, and coexistence.
and serves both to maintain communication between Iz’kal
and to facilitate their bureaucratic, absolutist civilisation. Iz’kal are very honest and straightforward, and instinc-
tively helpful; this is why they tend to be wary of non-Iz’kal,

160
faith: core book
Thus the Iz’kal gave themselves vocal cords - which they which allow for night vision and are well protected against
originally lacked - to be able to speak, specialised digestive dust and smoke.
systems and activity cycles to adapt to the day length and
available nutrients of the planets they inhabit, and so on. Shajara Iz’kal are also called Tree Iz’kal because of their
wide, stubby legs, knobby skins and thick muscles. They
The Iz’kal’s ability to genetically alter themselves guar- were created to withstand high pressure and gravity, and
antees that there are a lot of different Iz’kal subspecies, are far stronger - if somewhat slower - than common Iz’kal.
depending on the type of environment they live in.

COMMUNICATION
IZ’KAL SUBSPECIES AND LANGUAGE
Thanks to genetic modification, the Iz’kal have devel- “When teaching, there is always some informa-
oped different strains of their own species, adapted to tion gap between what is taught and what is
the various planetary environments they colonise. While learned. There are thousands of reasons for
specific ground and atmospheric conditions almost require such gaps. To me, the size of this gap is the
a different Iz’kal subspecies for every colonised planet, most important indicator of how advanced a
they can be roughly classified into six major groups: society is.”

Waha’i Iz’kal, virtually always called simply Iz’kal, are - Extract from the talk by Zainab Haddad, Iz’kal
the unmodified breed of their species. As their evolutionary behavioural engineer, at the “Understanding
The Iz’kal Species

ancestors, they are adapted to life in temperate, oxygen- Cognition” convention

rich water worlds such as Earth, and prefer swampy, humid
environments. Their physical and biological characteristics Thanks to their telepathic Hyperlink, the Iz’kal evolved
correspond to the basic template featured in the rules apart from all sentient species, which has forced them to
section. drastically modify their own genetic structures to interact
with other civilisations.
162 Batil Iz’kal (or Crystal Iz’kal) are genetically modified for
space activity; they are the ones sent to space stations or
lifelong Labyrinth trips. Batil Iz’kal need much less humidity IZ’KAL SPEECH
faith: core book

than their kin, and their powerful, protected circulatory

systems can go long hours without breathing, allowing The Iz’kal naturally lacked vocal cords, as they only
them to exist in high pressure or little oxygen. They are not needed the Hyperlink to communicate with each other.
as adept for water movement as other Iz’kal, however, and However, they later gave themselves the ability to speak
are most at risk of Hyperlink withdrawal, being also the via genetic modification, partly to reassert their status as a
most affected by its symptoms. free people after centuries of being treated as speechless
animals by the Korian, but mostly to be able to communi-
Dhahab (or ‘Golden’) Iz’kal are adapted to life in desert cate with other species. If other sentient species prided
planets, with high temperatures and very little water. themselves on their ability to speak, why should the Iz’kal
These Iz’kal have been modified to require no humidity and be any less?
suffer no dehydration symptoms, which gives them a gold-
tanned, heat-resistant skin, plus better liquid retention. The first language the Iz’kal developed was a variation of
Golden Iz’kal can go for days without food or water. the Korian tongue, the first spoken language they learned
centuries ago when the Korian subjugated them. The Iz’kal
Fadi (or ‘Silver’) Iz’kal are adapted to life in extremely hate all memory of the Korian, so they treat this modified
cold environments. Their skin has been changed from a language as their own invention.
single membrane to many thick layers of fat; this skin is
much more delicate, but the constant humidity in the cold As a wordless species, adopting a verbal language was a
air helps maintain it. Also, Fadi Iz’kal have very efficient long and difficult step for the Iz’kal, but their telepathic link
energy systems, and take much longer to become fatigued. with each other helped them greatly through the process.
Now, Iz’kal Speech - totally different from the intra-species
Iz’kal’asud (also known as Dark Iz’kal) were modified for ‘thoughtspeak’ of their Hyperlinks - is the official language
life in planets where the air is oxygen-thin or too smoky, they use when dealing with other, verbally-speaking
with scarce or very scarce life-giving liquids and reduced species.
light due to the thick atmosphere. Iz’kal’asud resemble Batil
Iz’kal, but have also increased muscle mass to withstand The Iz’kal first developed their Speech to communicate
much stronger gravity and magnetic fields, making them with the Raag, and later with the Corvo, but they have
a bit slower and clumsier. They also have nictitating eyes, always assumed it as their own spoken tongue. Very few
Iz’kal use it among themselves, of course, as their tel- tion among Iz’kal, and has shaped their view of the universe
epathic Hyperlink is a much more effective, nuanced and and social relationships for many centuries now.
expedient means of communication.
Thoughts expressed through the Talk convey additional
information that is hard to express with words: Feelings
THE HYPERLINK about the issue, the origin of the idea, the degree to agree-
ment with your own comment, etc. This means that Iz’kal
As it’s been said, the Iz’kal communicate telepathically from distant planets understand each other better than
via the Hyperlink - a special range of perception that only any other species, who usually develop their own versions
the Iz’kal have. Not exactly a psychic network nor a mental of their language, and when they talk to someone from a
language, the Hyperlink is more akin to a unique sense, different planet they miss the subtleties and get confused
through which the Iz’kal can convey information to each by slang words.
other.
Talks can only be established with Iz’kal close by, but as
The Hyperlink is possible thanks to the Iz, or ‘head tail’ every Iz’kal added to the Talk can reach further and further,
that all Iz’kal have, which allows them to clearly perceive some Talks can grow large enough to cover an entire city.
the thoughts and feelings of other Iz’kal. An Iz’kal deprived Such city-wide Talks allow Iz’kal to share their thoughts,
of his Iz suffers no ill effects on his health, but loses the discuss the latest news and engage in idle chat with their
ability to enter Hyperlink, which for most Iz’kal amounts to fellow citizens, while also enjoying a shared mental map of
a slow, lonely death. the city. Even when visiting a new city, an Iz’kal will easily
find his way around, and feel like a small but essential part
The Hyperlink allows Iz’kal to establish telepathic com- of a whole, thanks to Hyperlink Talks. However, the largest

The Iz’kal Species

munication with other members of their species. Non-Iz’kal Hyperlinks are mentally and emotionally taxing, and may
are all but incapable of understanding the actual nature permanently harm an Iz’kal’s sense of self if he or she
of the Hyperlink, as they are genetically unequipped to remains connected for long periods.
experience it. A simplified explanation of the Hyperlink
would classify its function in three different levels of Any Iz’kal can enter or leave a Talk at will, and also be
communication: expelled by the other Talkers if his presence becomes dis-
ruptive for any reason. Hyperlink Talks are the most open 163
The first and most rudimentary Hyperlink level - and and free means of communication in Iz’kal society, and

faith: core book

likely the first to evolve - is the Scream; the ability to perhaps in the entire universe.
project one’s emotions outwardly. Such a projection often
takes the form of a powerful and brief message, that The third level of Hyperlink, known as The Bond, is
nearby Iz’kal automatically feel whether they want it or reserved for intimate contact, either among friends, lovers
no. Such ‘screams’ reach the minds of every Iz’kal in sight, or very involved colleagues. Iz’kal who are very emotion-
and can even be felt in a radius of several kilometres if the ally invested in each other fall into a Bond. Once they do, its
message or emotion is strong enough. The Iz’kal developed effects are all but permanent. Two Bonded Iz’kal are always
this ability to warn each other of danger, request help or aware of each other’s feelings, thoughts and emotions
signal the discovery of food or shelter; it was from this without reserve, including their deepest fears, shame and
primal skill that the full Hyperlink developed. secrets. All members of a Majmoa - the Iz’kal family unit -
are Bonded with each other, and so share a more intimate
A Scream is an uninvited interaction, and as such is con- relationship than non-Iz’kal can conceive.
sidered rude by other Iz’kal unless used with a very good
reason. Most Bonds last through the members’ lifetime, as
they’re very hard to turn off at will; in the rare cases where
The second Hyperlink level, and the most common, is a Bond ends, it is because the Bonded individuals suddenly
called the Talk, which indeed allows the Iz’kal to enter a or gradually stopped caring for each other somehow - an
mental conversation. This requires all involved Iz’kal to be extremely rare occurrence among the empathic, gregari-
allowed and willing to join the conversation, which is quickly ous Iz’kal.
decided by a series of mental invitations and requests. Once
a Talk starts, the participants simply express their ideas Regardless of the Hyperlink level, Iz’kal in the same
through the Hyperlink for others to share, analyse and reply Hyperlink can directly experience each other’s thoughts
to. A Hyperlink Talk differs from a spoken conversation in and feelings. Witnessing the internal processes of another
that it is atemporal - any participant can access any shared person creates a strong bond and makes everyone very
thought and analyse it for as long as he wants without in- empathetic; this is one of the reasons why violence and
terrupting or waiting for other Talkers. Late comers to a discrimination are so scarce in Iz’kal society.
Talk can simply access all thoughts previously shared to
the conversation, and intervene with their own thoughts as A common misconception by non-Iz’kal is that the Hy-
they see fit. The Talk is the most common means of interac- perlink is a sort of hive mind that joins every single Iz’kal.
Actually, a Hyperlink only joins specific groups of Iz’kal -
usually no more than a few dozen at any given time, up to
many thousands in the case of citywide Hyperlinks - and is
more a social gathering than a pervasive collective brain.

Other than that, any Iz’kal can - and often will - have
several Hyperlinks open at the same time, and turn them
on and off depending on his needs.

Iz’kal learn to control the emotions they share at an early

age, since their feelings can easily influence those around
them. Individual sentiments of anger, fear, sadness or
hate are usually suppressed, but when an Iz’kal feels his
feelings are too intense to keep inside, he will refrain from
establishing any kind of Hyperlink to avoid affecting others’
psyches with his personal problems. Such Hyperlink time-
outs take as long as the individual needs to come to terms
with whatever affected him.

If for any reason an Iz’kal becomes so emotionally

scarred that he can’t ever join a Hyperlink again, he risks
depression and death - or becoming a voidwalker.
The Iz’kal Species

SAVAK SOULBENDER VOIDWALKERS

Proficient :: Hexian 2 :: Voidwalker
Level 3 :: Iz’kal :: Strategist When an Iz’kal spends a long time disconnected from Hy-
164 perlink, he is overcome by anxiety, loneliness and depres-
mov. 5 metres :: weight 67 kg :: height 168 cm
sion. If Hyperlink deprivation is long enough, or produced by
a shocking enough event, some individuals might lose the
faith: core book

2
ability to connect through Hyperlink altogether. Before the
4 5 1 8 Iz’kal modified themselves into having a spoken language,
this meant not being able to share their thoughts and
feelings with another person again. It was the ultimate iso-
PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7
STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 lation. Such individuals slowly lose the will to live until they
die of loneliness and deprivation.

HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
3+ (CON)
2 ++ The very few Iz’kal that manage to survive without a
Hyperlink become voidwalkers.
Savak Blade
Besides their inability to enter Hyperlink, a voidwalker is
It ignores 1 point of armour. different from all other Iz’kal because of the changes that
take place in his organism. A voidwalker’s iz organ changes
all the way down to the genetic structure; now, instead
of an open channel to connect to other Iz’kal, it becomes
closed to neural transmissions. This helps the Iz’kal deal
Ki Suit
with the mental isolation, which is probably the reason
Activated. He gains two advantages towards agility why the species developed this trait; however, it has a very
actions OR moves at twice his normal speed. important side effect.

Having a closed iz renders the Iz’kal nearly immune to

distractions or neural tampering of any kind. Besides its
Overpower immediate evolutionary uses, this transformation greatly
If he wins a Close Quarters confrontation, he gains increases the voidwalker’s mental strength, focus, and
one advantage towards his next Close Quarters action willpower. In short, the affected Iz’kal’s new iz makes them
against the same target. a mental powerhouse, capable of maintaining concentra-

Reviled and revered in equal measure, voidwalkers

cut their iz along with their ties with society. What
they get in return is incommensurable power.
tion and handling thought processes in ways undreamed of
by any other sentient creature on record. THE IZ’KAL OUTLOOK
The second most noticeable side effect of becoming a
voidwalker is a change in the individual’s personality. It goes The Iz’kal are very quiet and unassuming for other
without saying that they tend to turn quiet and detached, species’ standards, and very worried about their own
but in fact they gain a hormonal propensity to antisocial, feelings and those of others, even appearing passive-
even aggressive behaviour. aggressive to other species as they go out of their way not
to offend while they act outraged by words and thoughts
Some scholars believe the voidwalker transformation is that other species would never find offensive. This is what
actually a form of regression to an earlier stage of Iz’kal Iz’kal understand as kindness; as they are very open about
evolution, when the species hadn’t developed Hyperlink their inner feelings, they treat the feelings of others with
communication and relied on physical violence to survive. extreme care, to extremes that could seem ridiculous to
outsiders.

VOIDWALKERS AND Some aliens can’t believe such forced politeness is

genuine, and assume the Iz’kal are sarcastic - although
SOULBENDING irony, sarcasm and black humour are all but unknown for
the Iz’kal, who are used to having immediate access to the
The most important consequence of having an increased whole truth when dealing with others.
psychic power is, of course, related to soulbender powers.
Besides their increased concentration and willpower, void- Once a sentient gets to know them - as much as an

The Iz’kal Species

walkers become extremely devoted to their values and outsider can actually know an Iz’kal, which some argue isn’t
beliefs, probably as a part of the same genetic process that really possible - the Iz’kal are helpful, proactive and fully
allows them to cope with isolation. This means that most honest, always looking for a way to help and improve any
voidwalkers become soulbenders, and very good ones too, situation they are in.
wielding the powers of their Gods at a whole new level.
They instinctively tend towards teamwork; they are,
Some Iz’kal religious zealots undergo Hyperlink depriva- however, handicapped when dealing with non-Iz’kal. Their 165
tion on purpose, so as to gain a voidwalker’s ability; those unfortunate contact with the Korian introduced them to

faith: core book

who survive have their power dramatically increased by the deceit and aggressiveness, which were all but unknown to
experience. them, plus their way of handling feelings makes inter-racial
relations awkward.
Most voidwalkers gain at least a few partial, or ‘quiet’,
soulbending abilities, but over half of them develop full- Thus, they approach other species with a mix of naiveté
fledged soulbender powers. If the individual was already and cautiousness that makes things even harder. This,
a soulbender at the moment of becoming a voidwalker, his added to their natural xenophobia and standoffish charac-
powers increase dramatically over a period of a few weeks; ter, has given Iz’kal a reputation for haughtiness - which is
more than a few Iz’kal voidwalkers have become true not entirely incorrect; after all, the Iz’kal do feel superior to
avatars of their gods and legends of their species. all other species, mostly because of their peaceful, utopian
State. Who else can claim to have eradicated crime, war,
disease, hunger, danger and poverty?
VOIDWALKERS IN SOCIETY
Iz’kal who join the Coalition are actually given a special
Average Iz’kal treat voidwalkers with a mixture of training course that focuses on interspecies relations. This
respect, fear, and pity; losing the ability to communicate course introduces them to concepts that are alien to them,
through Hyperlink is seen by all Iz’kal as a great loss, and such as irony, deceit, forgery, cons, fraud, etc.
the events that lead to that loss are usually just as terrible.
]Aware of their outcast status, voidwalkers strive to stay The aim is to prepare them to interact with members of
away from other Iz’kal, keeping mostly to themselves. other species, with a special focus on Humans, who, due to
their superior ability to separate their thoughts from their
The Iz’kal State has seen the value in voidwalkers and speech, can get Iz’kal into all sorts of trouble.
have created an elite military group, known as Savak, that
is composed solely of voidwalkers. These people who have There’s no candy sweeter to a conman than a lonely Iz’kal
lost everything have been given a new reason live and die, lost on a Tiantang street...
and they’re even better soldiers because of it.
SOCIETY
“The Iz’kal don’t allow for things to occur natu-
rally. Everything is decided by committees. But SOCIAL INTERACTION
we know that many a great idea was consid-
ered dumb at first, until a visionary (or simply
lucky) individual believed in it and made it his Iz’kal interactions may be unsettling to other sentients,
private mission, until time proved him right. as they are completely honest with each other, holding no
This will set the Iz’kal back more than their lack ideas or opinions back, and having very few instances of
of competitiveness.” lying or any form of shame. Plus, they are taught to think
of others before themselves almost from birth, so they
- Xeon Magno, Leader of The Union help each other almost instinctively, and often without
even asking. For an Iz’kal, any member of his species is an
It’s not that the Iz’kal like to form groups - it’s that they open book, a comrade, and an asset unless proven other-
don’t know any other way to live. For the Iz’kal, social inter- wise. However, Iz’kal temper their openness and honesty
action is at least as necessary as food or breathing. They by being extremely careful about not offending each other;
spend their whole lives coming in and out of Hyperlinks, this seems awkward and touchy for other sentients, but is
browsing news, listening to art broadcasts or gossiping the basis of Iz’kal interaction.
with their neighbours - all the while performing jobs they
are taught to love for the good of their society. There are no social classes or hierarchies in Iz’kal society,
and every Iz’kal treats every other Iz’kal as an equal; team
An Iz’kal simply has no concept of individualism, and only leaders obey their subordinates, teachers learn from

The Iz’kal Society

the slightest notions of loneliness. But in truth, Iz’kal - even students, and children are reared in groups.
those that lose their Hyperlink ability - are never truly alone,
for they instinctively look out for and back each other. Thus, Conversation is a daily part of Iz’kal routine, much more
rather than having a society, it’s more correct to say that frequent than sleep, food or any other physiological need
the Iz’kal are their society - social interaction defines their - they are always talking with each other. An Iz’kal city is
nature as much as their physical form. always abuzz with small groups enthusiastically engaging
in all kinds of topics. Ironically, since the Iz’kal don’t need 167
verbal communication among themselves except via
CITIZENS AND

faith: core book

their Hyperlink, all this gossip happens in dead silence. An

TECHNOCRATS outsider can only tell everyone’s talking by the fact that
they are standing close together and vaguely looking in
each other’s general direction. Sometimes their Iz tentacles
wave and sway as they talk, but there’s no other percepti-
The Iz’kal have no single governing body, yet their gov- ble indicator that two Iz’kal are talking.
ernment is one of the strictest and most constraining in
history. The Iz’kal State governs itself by a form of abso- Spoken conversation among Iz’kal is frowned upon, and
lutist democracy, where each citizen has the same level speech is mostly reserved to interaction with aliens; even
authority and responsibility over the species’ welfare as a in these cases, however, the speaking Iz’kal can maintain
whole. several active Hyperlinks at the same time as they talk, and
it’s not uncommon for an Iz’kal talking to an alien to revert
Government activities include technology creation, law to Hyperlink on reflex.
proposals, diplomatic decisions and resource allocation.
All of these decisions are taken by as many Iz’kal as want
to take part in the process, first at a neighbourhood level, PEER PRESSURE
then city-wide, then planet-wide, then all across the State.
There are no boss-employee relationships, nor leader
Any citizen that takes an active part in State legislation and follower, as everything in Iz’kal society is egalitarian
or industrial research and development is called a techno- and collaborative. Despite that, social pressure is strong
crat, which is an honorary, official title given to every State and if the majority within one’s social group requires a
citizen. There’s no separation between a technocrat and certain task, one is expected to put aside their personal
common citizens - most Iz’kal citizens are technocrats as needs and perform it. Of course, strong laws defending
long as they work for the benefit of their society, and thus personal dignity and life are in place to avoid abuse of
they are all part of the Iz’kal governing body. They are all individuals by the group, which seems to be the largest
the rulers of the State. problem in Iz’kal society.
MAJMOAS majmoa he will be born into. While this practice might seem
strange, Iz’kal see no problem with it and everyone in the
majmoa will behave as caring fathers and mothers to this
The Iz’kal basic social unit is the majmoa, which in their new child.
society fulfils the role of family, marriage, intimate rela-
tionship, friend clique and neighbour community, all rolled
into one. All Iz’kal societies that have been studied through- EDUCATION
out history have had group relationships similar to the
Majmoa, even before genetic manipulation and the Korian. “When an Iz’kal is born, she has around a dozen
parents. When she goes on to study, the choic-
A majmoa is a group of three to twenty Iz’kal of both es of subject, location, and ways are already
genders, which support, commit and profess loyalty and made for her. When she begins to work, she will
faithful love to each other. Members of a majmoa may face hundreds of experts parenting her. When
or may not engage in sexual activity with each other, but she goes to choose the colours of her home,
they very rarely do it outside their majmoa. Members of a she has experts making the choice for her. The
majmoa are very close, sharing all their experiences and State treats its citizens like children for their
emotions through Hyperlink and devoting themselves to whole life. The Iz’kal have yet to reach the ma-
each other. Each majmoa shares a house and any child born turity of their society.”
to one of its members is considered the child of the whole
group. - Feng Wang, Corvo politician and businessman

The Iz’kal acquire their education and knowledge in

GENDER AND
The Iz’kal Society

State-provided schools, where young Iz’kal are sent at the

REPRODUCTION appropriate age and at scheduled dates, to follow strict and

well-organised programs of study in the trade they were
chosen for at birth.

The Iz’kal are mammals and, while female and male Schools are organised by subject and social relevance
168 members have different physiologies, their social struc- - for example, medicine is seen as more relevant than en-
ture does not enforce differences between them. gineering, which is more relevant than philosophy, which in
turn is more relevant than physical disciplines, which take
faith: core book

Reproduction is controlled by the State; for an Iz’kal precedence over performing arts, and so on.
female to get pregnant, she needs State authorisation - the
Iz’kal have modified their genes so as to be incapable of re- The Iz’kal revere knowledge in all its forms, and there
production without medical aid. Only in special cases, most are schools on every subject imaginable, from sciences and
often when a group of colonists is sent to a new planet, is arts to technology and social disciplines, from physical ac-
an Iz’kal natural reproductive physiology restored to allow tivities to military tactics; whatever there is to learn about
her to have children without State intervention. anything, the State probably provides it.

Bringing a new child to the Universe requires State However, no Iz’kal is allowed to pick what he wants to
approval to keep the population levels low enough to study; an Iz’kal’s predisposition for a particular activity
maintain the extremely high quality of life the Iz’kal are is chosen at birth, and then the State assigns the older
known for. When a majmoa wishes to have a new child, children to a school of the trade they show a better aptitude
they can apply to the State, and if they meet all the re- for Since genetic modification at birth includes brain dispo-
quirements, they will be granted permission. It is up to the sition as well, most Iz’kal are happy with the choices made
majmoa to choose which among the willing females will be for them; a few are not, but they are taught to bear it and
impregnated with the baby. This is one of the few instances comply with social needs.
where individual choices are allowed and not frowned upon
by Iz’kal society.
HYPER SCHOOLS
The baby himself is genetically designed in a laboratory,
following the highest standards to ensure that the new Hyper schools are one of the most open-minded inven-
specimen is as healthy as possible and improves the genetic tions of the Iz’kal, and when they were proposed many
diversity of the Iz’kal species - an effective, controlled Iz’kal suggested they were a decadent and even dangerous
defence against epidemics or other similar threats. The idea. In time, however, they proved to be a marvellous way
State also reserves the right to switch newborns between to share knowledge, which has done far more for Iz’kal
two majmoas if either baby is more suitable for the other education than the traditional school system.
group. This can very well mean that the baby might not
share any genetic traits with any of the members of the
Hyper schools are specialised forums open to the
general public, where respected scholars and specialists in VISITORS
all areas of knowledge engage in Hyperlink with visitors, to
share their knowledge and recent discoveries. They are not
meant to replace the traditional learning system, but often Immigrants to the Iz’kal State have a hard time being
surpass it as information and learning centres, keeping accepted as citizens, and even casual visitors have to go
the population up-to-date with recent breakthroughs and through a strict background check to protect the Iz’kal
in tune with the current state of science, technology and against Corvo espionage - simply because the Iz’kal are
society. afraid of outsiders.

As Hyperlink doesn’t depend on having listened to a Conversely, once a tourist is allowed into an Iz’kal city, he
conversation from the beginning, and updates can be given is very well-treated; the Iz’kal are nice and caring, although
automatically at the speed of thought, any Iz’kal can enter they won’t hide their reservations towards members of
a Hyper school and attend a lecture at any moment, and other species. After the Iz’kal encountered the Corvo and
leave at any moment too. This is why the efficiency of Humans, they started building special facilities to hold and
Hyper school learning is so hard to understand to verbal- house non-Iz’kal tourists; these ‘special neighbourhoods’
language species, but it remains an unsurpassed means of are intended to separate the aliens from Iz’kal daily life, but
acquiring new knowledge. don’t have restricted access - once allowed to enter, any
tourist can leave and go anywhere as long as he respects
Iz’kal laws.

Nadia When there are no facilities available, or they are filled

The Iz’kal Society

to capacity, local majmoas gladly volunteer to house the
visiting aliens, giving them the best treatment they can.
Nadia always wanted to be a singer, but it was
decided that she was better suited to be a diplomat. A few special visitors, such as singers and Human mer-
She was trained from an early age and, when the cenaries, are not only welcomed but given special status
time came, she was sent to Tiantang to aid the Iz’kal in Iz’kal society, with cities and majmoas competing to host
ambassador. The relations between the Iz’kal and them. 169
the Corvo have always been cold at best.

faith: core book

Nadia hated Tiantang, but she understood that ECONOMY
her work was a necessity to her people back
home. After all, the diplomatic games between the “You feed a man every day of his life and you
two peoples were only a gateway for espionage do not have a productive citizen but a pet. It is
and counterespionage. Each species allowed an disrespectful to that person, to reduce him to
embassy in their capital in exchange for having their the bearable minimum of a being.”
own in the other’s capital, and both hoped to best
the other and to gain more information than they - Mama Soul, Corvo Prophet of Kaliva
would lose.
The Iz’kal State is a moneyless and ownerless organisa-
She knew this better than anyone else. Nadia’s tion. It bears repeating: the Iz’kal do not trade. No currency,
job was to stop any information from leaking at any no barter, no transactions of any kind.
cost. Any Corvo who learned too much, and any
Iz’kal who deserted their people, would soon learn Instead of currency, Iz’kal society uses a fluid system
about Nadia’s lost love for singing, as she hummed that takes into consideration the labour force, production
her favourite piece before they died to her skilled capacity and stored resources of any entity - a city, colony
hands. The song served as a reminder of her failed or nation - and manages these parameters to figure out
childhood dreams, and she sung it while dreaming how to run the entity with basic sustainability principles and
about the different life she could have led, if only technical capacities in mind, obtaining the most efficient
she had been a little less capable with a knife. lasting results.

Nadia continues to play her part in the great Iz’kal people spend their whole lives working at the job
schemes of her species. She is willing to do what that best suits their genetic makeup, regardless of their
needs to be done, whether it’s seducing and killing, personal interest in it, although personal interest usually
or performing mindless paperwork. Her life is what implies better results and the Iz’kal are generally very sat-
it should be: nothing less, and nothing more. isfied with their roles. After all, they see themselves as an
extension of the society as a whole and are mostly willing
to sacrifice any personal agenda for the good of all.
The majority of Iz’kal work in the scientific, technologi- clothes, can be acquired for as long as one lives, as it would
cal, sociological, or entertainment fields, as most physical be inefficient to transport them between houses while they
labour is performed by machines. Physical activities are are not being used. Thus, majmoas improve the usage ratio
encouraged and required for all citizens, but they are rarely of most appliances and other household goods.
present as part of the entity’s economic workforce. Most
Iz’kal are therefore engineers, poets, writers, scientists, Whenever an Iz’kal wants to acquire a product, from
musicians, dancers, actors or philosophers. All of their a nail to a house, he uses his ID to place a request on the
work is shared freely, to be used, manipulated, improved, Central of Resources, which is a digital, State-wide system
and shared by everyone else. of item ordering and acquisition. The Central of Resources
then puts the Iz’kal on the waiting list for that item. This
As there is a direct link between the citizens and the can also be done in person, going to the nearest Central
production of goods without a trade or monetary exchange of Resources office. An Iz’kal’s place on the waiting list is
in between or any possible personal gain, all new policy based on how much the person requesting the item needs
considerations are based on the new product’s utility, and it when compared to others. If the system decides that you
there is no planned obsolescence or any kind of market don’t need an item, you won’t be able to get it even if you’re
resistance to new products that might put old products out the only one on the waiting list.
of business.
How fast the waiting list moves depends on how fast
the item is produced, which in turn depends on that item’s
PROPERTY AND POSSESSION relevance and the current needs of the society. Necessary
items, such as food, are usually acquired at the moment of
“For a person to be truly able to express all of the request, and the citizen is then pushed back a reason-
The Iz’kal Society

his potential and to feel as empowered and im- able amount of time on the waiting list before being able to
portant as he deserves, he must have to work request it again.
for it. It is society’s duty to create a booming
economy so everyone has the space to make Some items are produced on request and delivered fol-
something of themselves.” lowing the waiting list. 3D printing technologies and mallea-
ble polymers allow each citizen to build what he personally
- Zhong, speaker of the Kal cult, a group of Ka-
170 needs, accessing the best designs available in the system
liva followers
or creating his own. Each citizen receives a given amount of
raw materials for these uses depending on the availability
faith: core book

The Iz’kal have no currency. In fact, the very concept of of resources, and must make do until more is available,
currency is a difficult one to grasp for most Iz’kal. Although reusing what he has if he wants to create something new,
it is known that Iz’kal societies previous to the Korian did or giving it to someone else when he doesn’t have use for
use it, after the Uprising they created a way to live without it anymore.
private property, and no living Iz’kal remembers any other
kind of organisation. A citizen that creates or builds technology designs
through the system is cooperating with the State and thus
How individuals get the usage rights of an item depends with Iz’kal society as a whole, and considered a technocrat.
on a system of waiting lists. While some items are consum-
able (such as food) and therefore cannot be given back, SHIP PROPERTY
most other items are acquired for a given time period,
depending on their use. Public transport is by far the most common form of
transportation, but other types of vehicles can also be
Each Iz’kal is imprinted with a unique ID onto their genome requested when time is of the essence or when travel-
during conception. Through this ID, the system can access ling to rare locations. When in need of a vehicle, an Iz’kal
all relevant information about a citizen, such as his place must submit a request to the system, which will determine
of birth, job, hobbies, relationships, and the complete list whether it is a reasonable request, and if so, which vehicle
of items and services he has ever used or requested. All is the most adequate for the journey. Once the journey is
this information is taken into account when an Iz’kal citizen finished, the vehicle will be returned and made available for
wants to obtain an item or property, and complex algo- someone else.
rithms are used to place him on the waiting list for that
object or service. RECYCLING
Things are always in use by someone. As soon as an Iz’kal The Iz’kal are a very eco-friendly and minimalistic species
stops using an item, he hands it over to the next person with a deep interest in preserving their natural resources.
who needs it. Some items are only available at specific They strive to create items meant to last, and to be
locations, and anyone who wants to use them has to go to upgraded instead of replaced when possible. So, while it
those locations. Other items, such as house appliances or is possible for an Iz’kal to request a copy of every existing
item, the central service of resources will take this into doesn’t need. This keeps the waiting list processes stream-
account and the delivery of items deemed unnecessary by lined and fairly fast.
the system could be postponed for so long that the Iz’kal
dies before having access to the requested item. ACCESS TO GOODS
Asking for an update or a repair on an existing item is In rare times of a scarcity of resources, such as droughts
usually faster than requesting a new one, and while there and wars, first necessity items are rationed and given spar-
is also a waiting list for this, it is favoured by the system as ingly to extend their availability. Priority will be given to
it saves resources. those citizens that are most valuable to the preservation of
the species, as determined by the system.
Iz’kal frown upon excessive waste and material needs,
sometimes avoiding Hyperlinks with those interested in Iz’kal streets have almost no stores, and most items are
such things. There is a strong social pressure to behave in a purchased from the Central of Resources website or built
respectful and conservative manner towards the resourc- at home. In contrast to the Corvo, for whom shopping is one
es of all, and it is rare for an Iz’kal to request something he of the most pleasant activities and a sign of social status,
doesn’t actually need. The absence of any kind of market- most Iz’kal consider the acquisition of items an undesirable
ing in the entire State also contributes to this behaviour, necessity and will only do so when they must.
since there is no reason for an Iz’kal to desire something he

The Space Between

The Iz’kal Society

The empty space between the two seemed to have the something between them that had been worth it. They didn’t
consistency of stone. blame anything on the other. It would have been easier if
she could hate him, but he didn’t deserve to be hated.
They could feel the solidity of the air between them 171
wherever they would go. When they had lunch together, in Already on the ship, Aaliyah read the pamphlet again. It

faith: core book

the distance between her sofa and his armchair, between promised a new beginning.
his desk and hers. Even at night, they would only enter their
bed through opposite sides. But she wasn’t so sure. Aaliyah saw the wormhole
through the monitor. She felt as though the same pressure
Aaliyah could feel on her skin the icy touch of the mass that crushed the dust specks that came to realise the
that separated them. whole of the Universe now took hold of her own heart. The
promise of an unexplored wormhole exit could take her to
Their voices entered through it, but they arrived dis- a place so far away that it was possible that the light of her
torted and empty. They became like the sound of voices of native star had not yet reached it.
long lost friends in distant memories, but so distant that
they became unrecognizable and like figments of imagina- The man that was sitting next to her encouraged her: they
tion. Aaliyah always answered gently, but she could never were going to make history. Perhaps they would discover
remember what they actually said. worlds where other creatures shared their vision of life. Or
maybe planets where the soil was so fertile that there was
Her friends recommended her to join a majmoa. They no need to cultivate.
warned her about the solitude of monogamy, but she did
not feel like opening her heart to a multitude, and neither Aaliyah smiled at the enthusiasm of the stranger who
did he. Perhaps what was wrong with them could not be shared her enthusiasm.
fixed by sharing it.
But in an instant, the wormhole swallowed them whole.
She was waiting. Routine would drag out each little task Their ship never made it back, and the ship sent after them
and make distant the memories of the past. It was only never returned either. It was determined that the worm-
when a colony ship arrived at their planet did she realise hole’s exit was unsafe and any rescue was abandoned. A
that ten whole years had gone by - and that she didn’t know committee determined that it probably exited too close to
what she had been waiting for. It certainly wasn’t that ship, a sun, but in reality, they had no idea.
but she decided to get on it anyway.
Halim never married again. He lived the rest of his life in
He cried, for two reasons: to make her feel something the house he had shared with her. And at times, he could
about leaving him, and to remind her that there was once still feel the space between the two.
THE STATE
“The Iz’kal are not gov-
erned by tyrants, yet ing again, the State gave very little attention to weapons
they are not free. They development or military organisation. This changed when
oppress their fellow the Iz’kal met the Corvo and saw their borders and their
man and woman, and sovereignty threatened for the first time in nearly a mil-
in the same way they lennium; and now the State is rushing to improve, expand
feel oppressed them- and strengthen its defences, which has sent shockwaves
selves. It is the govern- across all levels of Iz’kal society, and led many citizens to
ment of the behavioural question the State’s usefulness.
coercion of the peers.
An Iz’kal city feels like The Iz’kal founded their State at a very early stage of
their Alhalam - still run- their society - in fact, the Iz’kal are at an early stage of their
ning, but not even itself society even now. This is why the State seems simplistic,
knows why or what for. even flawed, to Corvo and Human thinkers; however, the
It just can’t stop.” State has worked perfectly and without changes for almost
a thousand years - quite a feat for a flawed system.
- Jiao Sheng, Corvo economist

The State is the concept around which the Iz’kal society WHAT IS THE STATE
is organised.

The Iz’kal State

The State is not a nation or a high council. It’s more In short, the State is the Iz’kal government, except this
accurate to say it is a social agreement - a set of rules that government has no leaders or hierarchy; everybody has
all Iz’kal agree to live by. And the most important rule of the same vote, can propose and pass laws, and votes eve-
this system is that everybody makes the rules all the time. rything through their dedicated digital network.

The State is controlled by each and every Iz’kal citizen in The State is also the idea that incorporates everything 173
the universe, with every inhabitant of every city and colony Iz’kal related, from their society and culture to their gov-

faith: core book

having the same voice in State-wide decisions. Thus, it is an ernment, from the planets they inhabit to their spacecraft
absolutist government where power is shared by billions and technological designs, and even their habitats in the
of citizens, where everyone has the same voice. A ‘tyranny worlds of other species. All of the above, including every
for everyone’, as the Corvo comedian Xue Lin called it once. Iz’kal living under the State’s jurisdiction, along with any
naturalised citizens of other species, is a part of the Iz’kal
Every State citizen - known officially as a ‘Technocrat’ - is State; all of it is the State.
entitled to propose and pass laws, technological advances
and social rules by majority vote. This is made possible by
Idealab - a massive database that stores every political HOW THE STATE
proposal, technical design and social contract and also
tallies the votes, opinions and status of every citizen. WORKS
The State was formed about 800 standard years ago,
after the Iz’kal successfully rebelled against the Korian The State is the organisational structure and system of
tyranny. As they exterminated their tormentors to the governance of the Iz’kal society, in which all citizens take
last one, the Iz’kal rushed to establish a government that part as State administrators, under a hierarchy based on
made sure they would never be enslaved again - and that their expertise and hard data.
nobody would claim authority over their people ever again.
Thus the State came to be, based on the ideas and treatises When an Iz’kal becomes actively involved in State man-
of various Iz’kal philosophers and rebellion leaders. The agement - which can be most of the time, depending on the
Iz’kal transformed from a hunter-gatherer society into an individual’s day job or his level of expertise - he is called
advanced totalitarian collectivism in less than a millennium. a Technocrat. This term describes any Iz’kal citizen that is
actively working to improve the State and Iz’kal society -
Despite its bloody genesis, or rather because of it, the that is, proposing or analysing new laws, bills and inven-
State remains the most peaceful political institution in ex- tions. Since the State is a collective government, everybody
istence. It is based on cooperation and the free sharing of has the right - and the responsibility - to be a Technocrat.
knowledge, so its strengths lie in the scientific and social
fields. Despite being well equipped against any future All Iz’kal citizens have free access to a huge digital
invasion, to prevent the Korian tragedy from happen- network called the Idealab, where every citizen can input
their ideas for laws, technological designs, social innova- STEP BY STEP MOTIONS
tions or anything that could improve their society. The
automatic system organises each and every proposal by Technocrats can put forward new motions to resolve
relevance, and then matches it to the needs of citizens all existing problems or improve old systems. A motion
across the State. If many citizens ask for a design or look must follow an acceptable scientific method approach to
for a law resembling the one proposed, they can search be accepted into the system; once approved, proposals
among the archived systems by Idealab’s easy to use, ef- are presented anonymously and reviewed by groups of
ficient indexing system. experts. These groups of experts are automatically chosen
by the idealab based on their trajectory and level of exper-
As regards political organisation, the State is divided in tise in the required field; when an Iz’kal is called upon to vote
Departments by subject and industry; there is, for example, on a proposal, he is bound by law to apply and participate.
the Department of Defence, the Department of Civil Works,
the Department of Water Distribution, the Department When these proposals have been deemed viable at the
of Performing Arts, the Department of Job Assignments technical level, they are distributed among the State De-
and so on. Every Iz’kal city and settlement has its own set partments that might be affected by the changes proposed.
of Departments, which are in turn part of the Statewide The technocrats of these fields take into consideration how
Departments. it would affect their work, and how their own field could
improve the motion. These critiques or offers for collabo-
ration are once again distributed. The team that originated
IDEALAB the idea takes them into consideration and works upon
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

them. They are usually joined by teams of other depart-

ments to create a multidisciplinary motion.
The Idealab functions based on public interaction and col-
laborative design - that is, citizens provide themselves the Once these improved motions have taken into considera-
designs of new buildings, inventions and scientific discover- tion their implications at all levels, and the availability of
ies to improve society. These designs and proposals are the resources and labour needed to implement them, they
defined as motions. Everyone can input a new motion into are compared with other alternatives and the most effec-
Idealab thanks to its open-access system, which everyone tive one is applied.
174 has access to; plus, any motion is free for everyone else
to improve or modify, or turn into a better proposal. A All motions are open source at all times, and accessible
massive vote decides which motions are produced, which through Idealab. This means that any other technocrat can
faith: core book

happens almost instantly thanks to a highly mobile labour build his own motion upon a proposed system, or perhaps
force, and primary and secondary sectors based almost request that the team already working on it takes into con-
entirely on automated machinery. sideration some variable or idea the technocrat has come
up with.

LAW AND CRIME

“The story of every criminal before his crime is and reported by other technocrats as soon as they become
the story of a victim of somebody else’s crimes. aware of them. The citizen that committed the hafua must
The story of every criminal after his crime is appear before a commission whose job is to figure out
the story of a victim of his own crimes.” the cause of his behaviour. Hafua convicts are treated as
mental patients that require re-education, and there are
- Aliyah Saab, Iz’kal sociologist many social workers whose job is to figure out a way to
improve the patient’s life through Hyperlink and psychol-
The need to enforce laws is almost unknown in Iz’kal ogy, allowing the patient to function along other techno-
society, which has never had anything resembling a justice crats, and ultimately return to society.
apparatus. Crime is extremely rare in the State, being
uncommon even in Iz’kal fiction. More serious crimes are usually due to strong mental ill-
nesses that cannot be treated by social workers. Neurosci-
In a society as emphatically connected as the Iz’kal, ence is making big advancements in these areas, and most
people are always aware of the feelings of others, and of the patients affected by mental illnesses can now be
most problems can be tended to before they affect treated and restored to a normal brain function. Extreme
society. Still, there is no such thing as a perfect society, cases, which are usually so out of touch with society so as
and certain individuals perform minor crimes - such as to be considered irrecoverable, are eventually turned into
keeping items outside of their usage rights or having minor voidwalkers, and many of them end up joining the Savak.
violent outbursts. These crimes are called hafua, ‘lapses’,
And then there are the true criminals - Iz’kal that com-
pletely renege on the State and its values for some reason,
and retire to wild space to live as rebels or adventurers.
These criminals are most feared by the State, as the vast
majority of Iz’kal is incapable of comprehending such be-
haviour. For a lawful Iz’kal citizen, an individual that would
rather live in anarchy and lawlessness is a dangerous,
inexplicable madman. These extreme criminals are com-
paratively few, although ‘one is one too many’ as the saying
goes.

THE SAVAK
The Savak - the closest there is to an Iz’kal police force -
is an elite militia composed of voidwalkers, Iz’kal who have
lost their ability to enter Hyperlink and have undergone an
important physical and mental transformation.

The Iz’kal Law and Crime

Those that choose to join or are sent to the Savak are
trained under one of the most rigid and demanding military
systems in the Universe, taxing their physical and mental
abilities to heroic levels.

The Savak are taught to forget and cut all ties with their
past life; their individuality is erased even more thoroughly
than that of the average Iz’kal, and they are given a single
purpose in life: to defend the State. 175

faith: core book

The Savak have little to do in the peaceful Iz’kal society,
so their missions deal mainly with border bandits, pirates,
space gangsters, alien spies and, more recently, Iz’kal mal-
contents that decided to oppose the State with violence.
The Savak are equally ruthless and coldly effective against
all of these threats, showing no mercy or hesitation in
dealing with a problem.

Although many Iz’kal fear the rigid moral code and lack of
empathy of the Savak, most citizens accept their existence
and agree that this is the best life for those that have lost
their purpose. There is some risk of Savak soldiers abusing
their power, but no one else is willing to fight the wars that
the State must fight for the survival of all.

THE STATE
DEFENCE FORCE
Despite its peacefulness, cohesion and organisation,
the State does need a military. Millions of men and women
serve in the Iz’kal army, officially called the State Defence
Force, or SDF.

The SDF includes army, navy, and air force troops for
planetside combat, and a mighty space fleet to protect the
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

SAVAK OPERATIVE POLICE OFFICER

Proficient :: Teamplayer :: Voidwalker Defender
Level 3 :: Iz’kal :: Ruthless Level 1 :: Iz’kal :: Driven
176
mov. 5 metres :: weight 69 kg :: height 172 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 68 kg :: height 172 cm
faith: core book

2 2

4 5 1 8 3 4 1 8

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 7 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 5

STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+ QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
1 ++

Decognitator Nobrainer
Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
ignores armour). ignores armour).

Crypsis Suit EM Shield

Characters further than 20 metres away from him His armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by
suffer one disadvantage towards actions against him plasma or neural weapons.
that require line of sight. Ghost.

Bulwark

At the beginning of the round, he can choose an ally

as partner. He can confront any actions that target
them ignoring exhaustion.

If you’ve lost everything that matters, the State can Even lowly police officers of the State can be fast and furious
provide you a suitable occupation. Defend it against when needed. Try to behave yourselves around them.
internal and external threats, join the Savak force!
State against alien threats and to aid in the colonisation of citizens, in matters of war and defence of the State against
wild territories. foreign threats.

The fact that the Iz’kal - a mostly peaceful, non-expan- The identities of TDS members are not known by the
sive society - have such large and mighty armed forces, is general public, but they are constantly Hyperlinked among
a paradox to many xenoscientists, and even sociologists themselves, making tactical decisions critical to the entire
within the State itself. One possible explanation is that the State at the speed of thought.
Iz’kal still haven’t forgotten the horror of their centuries
of slavery under the Korian, and remain on their guard by If one of the TDS dies, he is not replaced unless another
sheer racial memory. Another possibility is that their long citizen has achieved - by combat experience or military
time as Korian slaves altered their genes, giving them some training - the same level of military ability, as judged by the
tendency towards violence; proponents of this theory Idealab system.
suggest that, were it not for the Hyperlink, their egalitarian
society and their natural empathy, the Iz’kal would have The TDS oversees the Iz’kal troops sent to serve at the
become a very warlike species - as proven by the Voidwalk- Corvo-Iz’kal military coalition, but it’s acknowledged as
ers, who become killing machines almost as soon as they little more than an advisory body, whose decisions cannot
are cut off from the rest of society. override those taken by the Coalition’s own (and species-
mixed) High Command. This has led to many frictions
The SDF follows the same rules as the rest of Iz’kal between the Coalition and the TDS, which feel they are
society - military designs, campaign tactics and rank or- losing their authority and ability to take part in the Ravager

The Iz’kal Law and Crime

ganisation are all discussed and voted on through Idealab, war.
with career soldiers having the prevalent vote in all deci-
sions. However, there is a military rank within the organisa-
tion, corresponding directly to each soldier’s measurable INTRA-MILITARY
experience and knowledge. This military rank overrides
the votes and decisions of Idealab, so as to allow for quick ESPIONAGE
military actions without a long bureaucratic process.
Those with more experience are allowed to give orders to
younger or less knowledgeable soldiers, orders that must As a consequence of its power struggle with the Coalition 177
be obeyed without question. High Command, the TDS has unanimously voted to recruit

faith: core book

and send secret informants to the Coalition itself, spying on
For many centuries, the SDF has had little use except their own soldiers - the first time such a thing has happened
to wipe out a few primitive lifeforms that attacked State in the history of the State.
expeditionary forces. This all changed with the appearance
of the Corvo, which put the whole SDF on alert against a These missions are usually given to Ghyr agents - Human
possible attack from this new, untrustworthy alien civilisa- mercenaries working for the Iz’kal State - as they’re unde-
tion. The situation got a lot worse a few decades later, when tectable from loyal Coalition soldiers and tend to have no
the Ravager arrived and half of the SDF was assigned to join qualms about spying on Iz’kal; plus, they can’t be probed
the Corvo-Iz’kal Coalition. through Hyperlink. However, spies of any species are
welcome in these missions, as long as they have proven
Currently, the SDF is more active than ever before in the their loyalty to the Iz’kal military.
Iz’kal’s long history, and war has at long last knocked at
the State’s door. Luckily, its soldiers were well-trained and
well-prepared; all that’s left to hope is that it is enough in DISSENT
the long run.
“You are the only one qualified to decide how

THE TECHNOCRAT to live your life. Take a step, raise your arm in
the air, and claim your freedom. You are an in-
DEFENCE STAFF dividual, not a gear of the State. Stand up. It is
the time of change.”

- Karim El-Amin, Iz’kal political activist and

Although Iz’kal society has no hierarchies, some citizens member of the Guanchang
of the State are far more versed in military tactics and
campaigns than others. Of these, the most experienced Even in the totalitarian Iz’kal society, there are some
form the Technocrat Defence Staff (or TDS), a group con- groups and individuals who disagree with the State, and
sisting of a few hundred career officers - those tied for the seek to leave it - or actively oppose it. These include anti-
top spot in military skill across the whole Iz’kal population - state rebels, space pirates, anarchists and, more recently,
that have the main vote, and an executive veto against other Hexian radicals and Corvo sympathizers.
ANARCHISTS AND RADICALS GH’ORB
Over the centuries, many dissident voices have sounded The legendary astropilot Gh’orb used to be a hero of the
against the State and its absolute control of Iz’kal society, State air force. She deserted after she was sent to fight in
claiming for more individual freedom. These run the gamut the Coalition; not, like so many others, because she was
from moderate objectors that, while happy with the State, attracted by the Corvo lifestyle - but because she wanted
suggest a discrete increase in personal liberties, to violent to join and help Humanity against both the Corvo and Iz’kal.
radicals that hack the Idealab system or put bombs in Iz’kal Gh’orb reneged from the State, abandoned the Coalition and
cities looking to bring the State down in flames. There have went looking to join the rebellious Human Front. The State
always been such groups, although they are small, few in issued an order to capture her and warned everyone in
number and easily dispatched by the Savak; however, the the Corvosphere about the dangers she represented; they
arrival of the Corvo a few centuries back has emboldened haven’t managed to catch her yet, but they have indeed
more and more malcontents to speak up, or try more ag- made her famous.
gressive ways to call the State’s attention.
Currently, Gh’orb is a polarising legend for all three
The main reason why Iz’kal dissidents have never suc- species, loved by some and despised by others. She may be
ceeded is that they are actually not opposing anyone; as the the most famous freedom fighter in space right now, and
State has no leaders, there are no tyrants to turn against. half the universe is following news of her latest escape or
Thus, dissidence among the Iz’kal is mostly a matter of the most recent rumour of her death.
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

gradually changing the minds of people around, until the

dissident Hyperlink is large enough to catch on to a larger She has been declared a dangerous terrorist by both the
sector of society. A few of these movements actually seek Corvo and the State, but she has also gathered hundreds of
to obliterate the State entirely, regardless of how many followers, who either cheer her on from their respective
lives it costs, and hope to force the Iz’kal to start again worlds; or seek her out to join her now famous squadron,
from scratch with a new system. ‘The Grey Wings’, and help the Human cause.

Gh’orb doesn’t reject anyone professing to be

178 THE GUANCHANG an ally, and that may prove to be her greatest
weakness - she is too trusting. The Hwang Tong
This radical group seeks to secede from the Iz’kal State mob has already placed an undercover agent into
faith: core book

and join the Corvosphere as a Corvo colony. The Guanchang her squadron, with orders to bring her back dead or
admire the Corvo system and the individual freedom they alive - Honcho wants in on the reward.
enjoy; rather than being impressed by riches or luxuries,
they want to achieve independence from social pressure If someone helped this undercover gangster,
and live as a sovereign state. they could partake on a huge reward from the
Megacorps or the Tongs; conversely, if they found
The Megacorps have already announced the Guanchang Gh’orb and saved her in time to help her join the
would be welcome to join the Corvosphere, even promising Human Front, both Sada Thamp and Commander
them sanctuary at Tiantang - at reasonably low prices - but DeFort could feel very grateful towards such a
the overwhelming majority of Iz’kal Technocrats voted person or crew.
against the Guanchang’s secession. The point is, that is
exactly why the Guanchang wants to secede - they don’t
want to have to ask anyone else. But they have to keep their FRINGE CRIME
attempts diplomatic, lest the Savak go after them.
Iz’kal space pirates, bandits and gangsters are not
Meanwhile, the Guanchang tries to sway public opinion considered part of the State, although they try to affect
so that other Technocrats vote for their secession; the it. These criminals are not much of a threat to the State,
problem is, the State fears that if the Guanchang is allowed as they are quite rare; they have no real goals other than
to leave the State, soon other splinter groups would feel wreaking havoc at the State’s borders, and the Savak fight
empowered to leave as well, which could mean the collapse them ferociously - and effectively - at every turn. Very
of the State in certain entities. Currently, the negotiations few fringe criminals survive more than a few months in
are deadlocked - but neither side is above hiring freelance or against the State, but those that do briefly become folk
‘troubleshooters’ to ‘take care’ of their opponents to tip the legends… or rather, nightmares.
vote in their favour.
The Iz’kal Law and Crime
SMUGGLER GH’ORB
Space Affinity Vexale 2
Level 1 :: Iz’kal :: Crafty Level 2 :: Iz’kal :: Crafty
179
mov. 5 metres :: weight 62 kg :: height 165 cm mov. 10 metres :: weight 68 kg :: height 175 cm

faith: core book

3 3 0 - 3 5 2 8

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5 PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 9

STAT 1 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 3

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
2- QUARTERS
2 ++ DISTANCE
2-

Secret Hold Doorkicker

She gains one advantage towards hiding and search- The attack doubles its base damage against char-
ing actions. acters with armour 1 or less OR it ignores 1 point of
armour and gains one advantage in Standard Distance.

Gh’Orb’s Suit

She can move flying, and she gains one advantage

towards agility actions. Ghost.

In a universe with so many planets, colonies Gh’Orb deserted the Iz’kal State to, of all things, help
and uncharted worlds, smugglers fulfil an im- Humanity reach independence. Now she’s trying to reach
portant task of intercultural pollination. the Human Front while avoiding her newly created enemies.
THE IFF COUNTER-RECRUITMENT
There’s an ongoing operation to counter the IFF’s
The IFF, or ‘Iz’kal insidious recruiting tactics with a bit of subterfuge
Freedom Federation’, is the from the State itself. The Savak and State authori-
most violent organisation ties are sending young agents to known IFF haunts,
ever known or created by posing for suitable candidates. When IFF recruiters
the Iz’kal, and the greatest approach them, they pretend to be interested so as
threat to State stabil- to be taken to the first meetings; if they confirm the
ity save for the Ravager operation is indeed backed by the IFF, they call in
invasion. Led by the K’aril the Savak to dismantle it. So far, several dozen IFF
Kahil order, a group of recruiters have been found and arrested with this
Kalivan radicals, the IFF is the longest-lasting terrorist method - but many agents have died as well.
group in the history of the State, having resisted attempts
to quell it for more than 100 standard years now. Despite Since Savak agents cannot pass as normal Iz’kal
long periods of inactivity, the IFF always rises again - with youths - as they can easily be detected by their in-
a bombing here or a kidnapping there - to remind the Iz’kal ability to enter Hyperlink - the decoy agents are vol-
they cannot rest easy for long. unteers from across the State. These volunteers
may be freelance mercenaries or even civilians,
The IFF seeks to disintegrate the Iz’kal State and instate chosen by their athletic ability and acting skills - a
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

be culled. This, of course, has severely limited the IFF’s Savak agencies suspect the IFF recruiters use
popularity at the Iz’kal colonies. some form of Hyperlink brainwashing technique to
turn inductees into fanatics - maybe a Kalivan divine
The K’aril Kahil order is always led by a hooded figure, gift, or an insidious psychological system. Whatever
self-identified as the Knight. Since the Knight has existed the means, it works, for the IFF is growing.
for almost two centuries, and his identity is unknown, most
Iz’kal assume the hood and title are passed on from one Abbil Baha, an engineer and law enforcement
anonymous leader to the next. The current Knight is no less specialist, believes the State could stop IFF recruit-
bloodthirsty than his predecessors, and calls for nothing ments altogether by discovering their brainwashing
but the utter destruction of the Iz’kal State. techniques. Baha has pushed for the formation
of a special squad consisting of low-power Ergon
Despite the growing danger it represents to Iz’kal society, soulbenders, trained on Hyperlink perception and
the IFF has virtually no support from the Iz’kal general control. They plan to infiltrate IFF meetings, and
public. It is currently seeking to swell its ranks by recruit- then undergo whatever process they use. Assuming
ing dissatisfied, bored Iz’kal youths, with the promise of the agents resist the process, they would then
‘excitement’ and ‘change’. IFF recruiters roam the Iz’kal return with intelligence on how to counter it.
major cities looking for a suitable candidate - usually a
young Iz’kal of either gender that seems to suffer from job The project is still a matter of debate with Savak
burnout or a general feeling of meaninglessness. Then the authorities, as soulbenders are not a common
IFF agents approach the target away from his usual Hyper- resource and Hyperlink spies would be at a high
link, offering a disguised ‘new experience’. Those who show risk of falling into enemy hands. At best, this would
interest are led to a discreet meeting, and then to another; mean giving the IFF involuntary access to com-
the meetings get progressively more serious, the rhetoric promised intelligence; at worst, the agent could
more flagrant, until the youths find themselves inducted in become a traitor and a fanatic himself. However, if
a political cult. an Iz’kal soulbender with great mental resistance
and the right abilities volunteered for the mission,
it could mean a green light to Baha’s special force -
and a mighty blow against the IFF.
The Iz’kal Law and Crime
THE KNIGHT IFF RADICAL
Kalivan 2 Lone Wolf
Level 4 :: Iz’kal :: Driven Level 2 :: Iz’kal :: Reckless
181
mov. 5 metres :: weight 72 kg :: height 172 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 66 kg :: height 170 cm

faith: core book

5 6 2 - 4 3 1 8

PHYSICAL 19 INITIATIVE 12 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
3 ++ (CON)
0 (DEX)
3 ++ (CON)
0

The Knight’s Sword Vibroblade

It ignores 1 point of armour. Instant. The card played It ignores 1 point of armour.
by the target of this attack is changed to the Skill value
of the attacker (limit once per confrontation).

Counterattack Ki Suit

Immediately after dodging an attack, he can perform Activated. He gains two advantages towards agility
a Close Quarters action against the character who actions OR moves at twice his normal speed.
attacked him gaining one advantage.

Swift Like the Wind Radical

He gains two advantages towards dodging or Activated. He and his opponent must play all their
running. cards simultaneously and face down. Then, reveal
them and resolve the confrontation. The winner of the
confrontation increases their level of success to the
next best level.

Utter destruction of the State. That’s the lofty A single-minded goal is the ideal soil to grow devotion for God.
ambition of The IFF movement and their leader The Tread the IFF soldiers lightly, for they are true devotees.
Knight, an - allegedly - 200 year old figure.
record of arrests and at least two ongoing Netcasts
THE FIREBIRDS about their exploits. Any Iz’kal law enforcer or
Human Ghyr mercenary is welcome at the FCS, if
he can prove his loyalty and competence - which
An unauthorised merchant is not hard, since the FCS famously offers no form
group, a fleet of space of salary or compensation; every FCS agent is a
pirates and a gang of smug- committed volunteer. They are deservedly known
glers - the Firebirds are all as the best, most incorruptible police force in the
that and more. This band of universe - this alone is enough motivation for most
interplanetary ruffians once volunteers.
tried to run pirated weapons
and merchandise into the However, the FCS’ success and efficacy means
State, but were severely nothing to Lahami as long as the Seer remains
chastised by the army and free. What began as duty became a matter of
the Savak; so, they have become enemies of the State out personal honour, and now it’s a furious obsession
of revenge. Where they once targeted every space civilisa- that occupies Lahami’s every breath and heartbeat.
tion, they have now marked the State as their main prey. Lahami’s men may be an elite police force, focused
on cleaning the State borders - but their chief
Unable to sell inside the State, they have set up trading officer has only ONE goal, and he won’t rest until
posts of pirated goods just outside the State’s jurisdiction, he’s dead - or the Seer is behind force fields.
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

where any citizen may visit but the State can do nothing
against them; they also make hit-and-run strikes against
State convoys, frontier bases and military outposts. LAHAMI’S LEDGERS
The Firebirds’ leader, known as the Seer, is so cunning Lahami has always known that the Seer only
as to seem clairvoyant, having evaded capture by both keeps thwarting him because of his powerful soul-
the State and the Megacorps for decades now. His ship, bending abilities - he is all but omniscient, immune
known as the Mockingjay, is like a ghost that comes out to any trap or ambush. As his obsession mounts
182 of nowhere, strikes and disappears, without anyone being and his efforts keep failing, he has sought other
able to do anything about it. soulbenders - be them Hexians, like The Seer, or
Vexalites, so as to try and outrace him, even if they
faith: core book

The Firebirds are willing to take soldiers of the Iz’kal, cannot outsmart him.
or any other species, as long as they have the guts and
the skill to run merchandise wherever trade is forbidden. Unfortunately for Lahami, the State has noticed
Any interested mercenary that proves the ability to move his fanaticism and extreme measures, and have
a significant amount of credits through the black market all but threatened to remove him from the FCS
without being caught by Iz’kal law may be considered for command. In a desperate move, Lahami did the
Firebird membership. And if the petitioner is secretly a unthinkable and went behind the State’s back,
traitor or a spy, rest assured - The Seer will know. hiring unauthorised freelancers - a secret squad of
Ledger soulbenders.
Anyone that provides help or information leading to the
capture of the Mockingjay or its captain, the Seer, will be Lahami knows he is playing with fire, and that
generously rewarded by either the State or the Megacorps. Ledgers may betray him or the FCS as readily as
they will help him - but Ledger soulbenders are
masters of deception and stealth. The old Savak is
THE FCS currently looking for the most powerful Ledgers in
the darkest corners of the universe, with only one
The Seer may have become the enemy of the common trait: they must be powerful enough to
State out of personal revenge, but he’s not the only surprise a Hexian Prophet.
one with a score to settle.
To lead these men, Lahami just freed Valko, a
Kaheem Lahami, the Savak officer that first fearsome Raag serial killer that the State had sen-
arrested - and almost jailed - the Seer, has become tenced to life in rehabilitation. Valko is known to be
fixated with capturing the elusive criminal, and incredibly powerful - and incredibly unstable. If any
has mobilised an inordinate number of Savak and Ledger soulbender joins Lahami’s special force, he
soldier forces to the State’s borders to find the Seer must know he will be working under someone even
and bring him to justice. This small army, which crazier and deadlier - which to a Ledger is an addi-
Lahami calls the Fringe Crime Squad, has become tional incentive, of course.
a legendary peacekeeping force, with an unbeaten
The Iz’kal Law and Crime
THE SEER FIREBIRD
Hexian Prophet Defender :: Ghost
Level 4 :: Iz’kal :: Resourceful Level 1 :: Iz’kal :: Loyal
183
mov. 10 metres :: weight 62 kg :: height 163 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 65 kg :: height 170 cm

faith: core book

3 2

4 8 1 4 3 3 1 8

PHYSICAL 16 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 16 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+ QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
2

Decognitator Firebird Blade

Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and It ignores 1 point of armour.
ignores armour).

Orbital Suit Crypsis Suit

He can move flying. Characters further than 20 metres away from her
suffer one disadvantage towards actions against her
that require line of sight. Ghost.

Precognition

He always goes first in Initiative order and he cannot

be caught by surprise. When he is not the triggering
character, he gains two advantages.

The leader of the Firebirds is one of the most elusive The Firebirds are a band of interplanetary ruffians
figures in the universe. He uses his soulbend- that trade black market goods outside of the
ing abilities to fool his enemies once and again. State’s jurisdiction. Lighthearted pros.
The Iz’kal Law and Crime

KAHEEM LAHAMI VALKO

Ledger 3 :: Unstoppable :: Lone Wolf
Level 3 :: Iz’kal :: Driven Level 4 :: Raag :: Unpredictable
184
mov. 5 metres :: weight 64 kg :: height 165 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 122 kg :: height 215 cm
faith: core book

2 3

4 4 2 8 8 6 2 8

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 16 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 16

STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD HIT GRAPPLE

QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
2- (DEX)
4 ++ (CON)
0

Kaheem’s Rig 2 (LinkWave 300) Valko’s powered fists

He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS Instant (Grappling) The card played by the target of
damage). this attack is replaced by the top card from the deck
(limit once per confrontation).

Strong Headed Charge II

He cannot be convinced to change his mind about His unconfronted running actions are considered
anything. passive, and his next Close Quarters action gains one
advantage and causes 1 additional damage.

Persuasive

He gains an advantage when trying to convince other

characters.

Playing with fire is taken to another level by Kaleem Epitome of all things Ledger, Valko has been recently
Lahami: he’s enlisting Ledger prophets to capture freed by Kaheem Lahami to capture The Seer. He’s
The Seer, a powerful Hexian soulbender. unstable and murderous. What can go wrong?
THE WHISPER
A fleeting masked figure. A whipping tail.
A scream. An order of murderous zealots. A
fearsome shadow extending under the State.

The Whisper is a secret order of fanatical assas-

sins that works for the destruction of the State. As
opposed to the IFF and other rebellious militias, The
Whisper is not interested in guerrilla warfare or
wholesale massacre; their tactics are always indi-
vidual, key targets, and their hits are always meant
for the most far-reaching destabilisation with the
least effort.

Nobody knows who funds the Whisper or what

are its ultimate goals beyond toppling the State.
Some assume it’s financed by the Corvo, and that’s

The Iz’kal Law and Crime

as plausible an explanation as any. However, since
the Whisper worships Ledger, it’s also likely they
have no funding, no patrons, and no true goals
beyond chaos for chaos’ sake. WHISPERER
Human Ledgers are known to contribute to
Ledger 2 :: Voidwalker
the Whisper’s cause, and their cunning mind and
innate abilities to devise sophisticated plots against Level 2 :: Iz’kal :: Unpredictable
specific targets make them very valuable assets 185
mov. 5 metres :: weight 57 kg :: height 159 cm
within the organization.

faith: core book

A widespread old Earth myth tells the story of a
Human leader, the White Runner, who was allegedly 3 4 0 -
assassinated by Ledger terrorists. They planted
a bomb in a sewer right below the road where the
PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8
Runner was driving. The blast was such that the car STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2
flew up to the moon.

HIT GRAPPLE
Despite its evidently exaggerated nature, this (DEX)
2+ (CON)
0
myth illustrates the methods favoured by Ledger
terrorists, and Whisper Humans have been known
Whisper Knives
to try and imitate their ancient predecessors.
Throwable. It ignores 1 point of armour. If the attack
The Whisper is considered the fourth greatest is successful, its target gains toxicity 1.
danger to the State after the Ravager, the Corvo,
and the IFF; and the Iz’kal are always looking for
able-bodied mercenaries and freelancers that
Martial artist I
can provide help or information on the Whisper’s
schemes and strikes. She gains one advantage towards dodging and
running actions. Instant. Immediately after dodging
Very few individuals that go against the Whisper an attack, she can perform a Close Quarters action
are ever heard of again, so recruitment against against the character who attacked her.
them is not that successful - but whoever manages
to hurt the Whisper will be doing the State a really
great favour.

Members of The Whisper cause chaos and mayhem in the

State with grace and elegance, rare traits among Ledgerites.
CULTURE
“Iz’kal storytelling is very strange to the other
species. They rarely have main characters; the The Iz’kal drink lial in all social situations - when engaging
stories tend to focus on large groups of char- in hobbies, in parks, theatres and sports centres, and even
acters or society as a whole. Their tropes are during hyper school lectures.
also different, so aliens find them either un-
readable or very interesting - there seems to
be little middle ground.” ART AND MUSIC
- Extract from “A characterless society” by “Thoughts are the expression of the mind.
Gong Cixi, Corvo xenoscientist Dancing is the body’s way of thinking.”

Iz’kal culture in general is marked by one all-important - Naja Haje, Iz’kal choreographer
trait - they give no value to the individual. Every custom,
every work of art, every superstition - even their religious The lack of individualism in Iz’kal society doesn’t mean
cults - all of it is made by, for and to celebrate the group, there are not any forms of art or other personal means
the community. of expression. Yes, there are more orchestras than solo
performers, and more art collectives than career artists,
All forms of art - from short stories to decoration appli- but all forms of art are well-valued in Iz’kal society. Yes,
ances, from songs to video games - are published through basic needs are taken care of first; but, as resource control
the Iz’kal collective design system, called Idealab, for free allows for the Iz’kal people to enjoy an incredible quality of

The Iz’kal Culture

access to any citizen who can modify and improve these life all across the State, there’s always time for an Iz’kal
designs as they see fit. to enjoy art pieces and beauty. That is, if the rest of the
majmoa agrees, of course.

THE ART OF ADOPTED SINGERS

LEARNING 187
The Iz’kal did not have natural vocal cords, and thus they

faith: core book

were always fascinated with the singing of other sentients,
Science and philosophy are the other two main forms especially Humans. Good singers from any species are
of entertainment for the Iz’kal, who are encouraged to be always welcomed in an Iz’kal community, where they will
curious from early ages, continuously engaged with the be hosted by a different majmoa every day. In small towns,
Idealab and the hyper-schools where learning is the main the arrival of a singer is a celebrated event and most people
focus. They are fascinated by metaphysics and the whole will attend their performances. In the big cities there are
process of understanding the Universe, life, the Gods, and stadiums where thousands of Iz’kal watch concerts by
themselves. Human or Corvo singers.

Many Iz’kal are granted special permissions to travel the Having an excellent voice is one of the easiest ways for an
Universe as hamla - groups of explorers looking for new alien to be accepted in the State as a citizen, and many are.
places through the Labyrinth, or as missionaries trying to Some alien communities are aware of it and some Corvo
bring the Iz’kal ways to other species. from the poorest neighbourhoods train their children’s
voices in the hope that they will be brought to a place where
all their needs are taken care of. Many spend their savings
LIAL on a one way trip to an Iz’kal colony, where they hope to be
welcomed.

Lial is a typical Iz’kal drink that has become representa-

tive of their species’ culture and society. It is often sold in DANCING
lial shops that line the streets of every Iz’kal settlement.
Lial is a soothing, spicy and refreshing beverage made of the Iz’kal are considered to be excellent dancers and have
juice of a rare coral native to the Iz’kal homeworld. It can be a great reservoir of varied choreographies and traditions.
consumed and enjoyed by most known humanoid species, The Iz’kal have a form of instrumental dancing groups,
and remains one of the best-known Iz’kal products outside known as ghaziwas, which are so beautiful to watch that
of the State. Bever*Age, one of the largest Corvo consorti- they are often lured into the Corvosphere with the promise
ums and a NS branch, has launched a mass-produced lial- of riches and prestige, to play in galas and parties of the
based energy drink, called LiaLoco, which remains one of highest level.
the most popular drinks in all the Corvosphere.
There is a trend of Corvo infatuated with Iz’kal costumes their powers, their material state (if any), their influence,
and their fashion, a new-age confrontation resembling the their philosophies, their commandments, and so on.
political realities of their species. The trend is believed to
originate from Corvo that believe that they are above politi- Most Iz’kal worship Ergon, and actually believe He was
cal conflict. For this very reason, the State has hardened its the force responsible for delivering their people from
emigration and movement laws - making it very hard for an the Korian tyranny centuries ago - the power of Commu-
Iz’kal to move to the Corvosphere. nity itself, enduring and overcoming violence and brute
strength. For an outsider, Iz’kal history teaching can sound
suspiciously like religious indoctrination.
FASHION No religion is forbidden in the State, but individuals that
do not worship Ergon are strongly discouraged by their
The lack of individualism in Iz’kal culture also implies peers, and passively-aggressively forced into at least pre-
there is no fashion industry - the Iz’kal don’t feel any special tending to worship Ergon in social events, and avoiding the
pleasure about following trends in either music, clothing subject when in Hyperlink. In fact, non-Ergonauts are very
or pop culture, and dress however they like, with designs rarely invited to Hyperlink with others; that must be why
acquired from the collective system. there are so many Iz’kal soulbenders of Hexia or Vexal - as
many chose, or were forced, to become voidwalkers after
Many Iz’kal create their own clothes based on freely being rejected by their peers.
distributed designs, or develop their own if it’s not too
stressful for their acquaintances. Since Iz’kal sensibilities Kalivans are scarce in the State, as Her doctrine of
give a rather low priority to aesthetics against usefulness, struggle and strength clashed with the basic Iz’kal nature,
The Iz’kal Culture

the wildest clothing designs remain in the system, unused but after contact with the Corvosphere thousands of Iz’kal
for years, and most Iz’kal clothing is utilitarian and simple. are converting to the new religion, expecting it will give
them the power the State has been keeping from them.
Clothes are also useful - and used - to indicate belonging
to a professional trade, philosophy group or age category,
but in no case does this represent individual expression; the COLLECTIVE AND INTRINSIC
188 Iz’kal dress this way to help others identify them.
There are two main schools of thought regarding the
Gods in the Iz’kal State.
faith: core book

RELIGION AND
SPIRITUALITY The first theory, and the most accepted by far, is that the
Gods are collective entities; that is, thought into existence
by the values and opinions of millions of sentient beings.
“Ergonauts try to pass Kalivans as an evil and In other words, the Gods are belief itself, given existence
selfish people, without understanding the big- by psychic power alone. That’s how collectivists explain
ger picture of their ideology. Kalivans want the Ergon’s supremacy over all gods - he is fed by communitar-
best for themselves, and who doesn’t? They ian thought itself. By the same reason, collectivists believe
have a clear understanding of reality and of the Iz’kal species is sacred because of its ability to join
people’s true nature. Taking things for granted minds and think up something that’s greater than the sum
without having to work for them are symptoms of its parts - just like the Gods.
of a sick society that preys on the goodwill of
hard working people. Those hard workers must In fact, collectivism would already be an accepted law
pay, with their work, for the laid back lifestyles were it not for the many supporters of the theory that
of people that don’t care enough to bring them- the Gods are Intrinsic; that is, independent, living beings of
selves to act.” a superior rank to mortals, with such psychic power that
it seems divine to those who contact them. Intrinsicists
- Cho Bei, CEO of Wang Corp believe collectivism is just superstition, and that any being
with the power of a God has to be a knowable, physical - and
The Iz’kal are deeply religious; the best theologians come likely mortal - entity, even if its tremendous might makes it
from the State. The Iz’kal have known and believed in the appear like a timeless metaphysical force to lesser beings.
Gods for as far back as their history records go, and regard
them with a mix of awe and gratitude for their power.
They have spent countless centuries, texts and treatises THE NECROMANCER
studying and analysing the nature, purpose and reach of
the Gods, and were in fact the first sentients to develop The mightiest soulbender in the State, Holy Avatar of
theoscience as a discipline. Iz’kal theoscience has several Ergon and Prophet of the Collective, is the Necromancer,
branches, which study various aspects of the Gods such as the closest thing in the Iz’kal State to a celebrity.
THE NECROMANCER
The Necromancer has a Mortal form and an Atonement: Action. Target a character not Healing Surge: Instant. Remove a total of 4
Ascended form. They share damage and have in normal health. He must play a card and damage of any kind from friendly characters.
Faith 4. Once per round they can use one of add his Faith, if the result is 10 or higher he Ascension: Instant. Suffer 4 neural damage,
the following: removes all of his damage, else he dies. become Ascended until the end of the Round.

MORTAL ASCENDED
Ergonaut Prophet :: Defender :: Master Ergonaut Prophet :: Defender :: Master

6 12 1 12

HIT 11 14 12 HIT 19 14 16
MEDICAL INITIATIVE MEDICAL INITIATIVE
GRAPPLE 2 3 3 GRAPPLE 3 3 3

7 7 12 14 17 22
ATHLETIC SURVIVAL CUNNING ATHLETIC SURVIVAL CUNNING
2 3 3 3 2 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
2+ (CON)
0 (DEX)
4 (CON)
0

God’s Will Ascended Form

During the maintenance phase, he discards 4 neural damage if he He ignores 4 final damage per attack, as well as all damage
is not Traumatised. penalties. If he suffers physical damage, it is converted to neural
Instant. Once per confrontation, he may use Judgement against damage.
his opponent without suffering neural damage. During the maintenance phase he discards 2 physical damage.

Undying Spirit Divine Force

Forced instant. As soon as he becomes Bleeding Out, he becomes Action. He attacks an area 4 metres in diametre up to 20 metres
Ready, and Ascended until the end of the Round. away, which can be confronted as a projectile. It causes 3 physical
damage and 3 unpreventable neural damage to affected characters.
There are many prophets of Ergon in the State, and The Hexian movement has existed for almost 200 years
there’s no single ‘leader’ of Iz’kal religion, as an Ergonaut now, but it hasn’t managed to turn the State around as it
would never claim any kind of authority. For a powerful would like. Now, with the appearance of the Ravager and
enough Ergon Soulbender, just believing himself a leader the founding of the Coalition, the movement sees an op-
would strip him of his power. Nonetheless, the Necroman- portunity to make the State understand the power and
cer is known and admired by everyone in Iz’kal society, not ruthlessness of the Corvo.
only for his devotion and his many recorded feats, but also
because he alone has been granted the greatest of powers: The current Hexian leader, the Prophet Kassima Lahan,
for a few days every standard planetary season, the Nec- is a passionate woman, adamant in her beliefs even to a
romancer has the ability to bring the dead back to life. soulbender’s standards. And like all Hexians, she treats
her beliefs as scientific evidence. Prophet Kassima is con-
When the date arrives, millions of worshippers input vinced that the Corvo are the greatest danger to the State,
requests for an appointment with the Necromancer far more than the Ravager, and that they must be actively
through Idealab; those the system deems most worthy or stopped, not invited to cooperate.
needed are allowed to journey with their beloved dead to
the Prophet’s Temple in Al’ameen, where he reviews each The Hexians have always believed that the Corvo are
case and, if possible, begs Ergon for a chance to restore hatching a secret plot to betray their truce with the Iz’kal
the petitioner’s life. Only citizens dead before their time are State, ever since both species met. Every few decades,
allowed into his presence - i.e., those killed by accidents, some prophet will arise claiming that he has seen evidence,
violence or serious diseases. An Iz’kal that dies of old age revealed directly by Hexia, of ‘the centuries-long Corvo
cannot receive the Necromancer’s blessing. scheme’. The State has never given any serious thought
to this conspiracy theory, mostly because it is a proven
The Iz’kal Culture

has many Ergonaut powers, which he displays for the

MOVEMENT Coalition is busy fighting off the Ravager.

The State is, as always, ignoring the signals, but

faith: core book

4 7 0 - 4 5 2 -

PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 6

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
1-

Charismatic Diaperer
She gains one advantage towards social interactions Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
when using her voice. ignores armour).

Rational
Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)
She can only be convinced with facts. She is immune
He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
to dialectics, and she gains one advantage to determine
damage).
whether something has been fact checked.

Subjugation

Action (Mental). She suffers 3 neural damage and

targets a character within 20 metres, with one ad-
vantage if her Faith is higher than her target’s, and
reducing her target’s Mind by 1 per level of success
until the end of the scene. If his Mind is reduced below
1, she gains absolute control over him.
Doom and gloom are in the future of the Iz’kal species, Hexians want the best for Iz’kal society, but they consider
if we believe in the “prophecies” of the Hexian it unfit to make decisions. They have a clear idea of what
Movement and their leader Kassima Lahan. the State should be, and won’t stop until they apply it.
TECHNOLOGY
“When you treat a society like a computer, and
when you run things with algorithms instead bacteria to the point they are not a problem anymore. In
of your conscience, you come across a society short, the Iz’kal are all but immune to most kinds of illness.
that spends no effort whatsoever to help mi-
norities, and abandons them as it only cares for Finally, the Iz’kal have achieved the ideal point of evolu-
the greater good.” tion, where they only need to analyse a new environment,
study its pros and cons and work a few weeks in a lab to
- Kalam El-Maham, Iz’kal activist, working with make themselves capable of inhabiting it. This effectively
patients affected by rare diseases means the Iz’kal can colonise and inhabit virtually any
kind of life-sustaining environment with only a little bit of
The Iz’kal are the most advanced species in the universe, previous scientific research.
both socially and technologically. They have learned to effi-
ciently put the greatest technical advances in the service of
their well-being, more so than any other species on record, DIGITAL NETWORKS
with eco-friendly, effective, easy to use, controlled tools
that focus on improving the quality of life of citizens and at
the same time respect the natural balance. Using the advanced information technologies of the
Korian - which they used only to warn each other of con-

The Iz’kal Technology

And they owe it all to centuries of tyranny under one of querable planets and such news - the Iz’kal developed a
the cruellest and most backward species in history. powerful, State-spanning infonet. Although their natural
Hyperlink somewhat reduced the need for social networks,
The Korian species, who enslaved the Iz’kal centuries their internet is invaluable to share information and pro-
ago, owned unbelievably advanced technology of unknown cessing power from one end to the State to the other.
origin, and the Iz’kal gradually mastered it as the Korian
subjugated and tortured them. Learning to harness their Currently, the largest and most powerful digital network
torturers’ tools, the Iz’kal rebelled and annihilated the in the State is the one used for Idealab, the universal centre
Korian, after which they adopted Korian technology as their of idea management where every citizen can take part and 193
own. cooperate with the State government.

faith: core book

The advanced science that the Iz’kal inherited included
advanced space flight, digital networks, high-tech 3D FREE BUILDING
printing and item construction, incredibly advanced genetic
manipulation and environment control, as well as limited
applications of artificial intelligence. Iz’kal technology is inextricably linked to its economy;
one would not be possible without the other. Thus, the
community economy that the Iz’kal have achieved owes it
GENETIC all to their capacity to create any item from scratch, from

MANIPULATION any blueprint, using polymer-based, cheap material. Any

Iz’kal that has an idea for an engine, building or item that
could improve their life, needs only to submit the design to
Idealab and wait for authorisation to construct a working
The greatest advance of Iz’kal science, and the one model to test the design. Many of these test models end
they’re best known for, is their ability to manipulate DNA up becoming common household items across the whole of
structures. Given the proper materials, Iz’kal can freely Iz’kal society; those that don’t, remain on the system to be
play with and modify the genetic structures of any living studied, improved and eventually produced under another
being. form.

This has allowed the Iz’kal to fully control their food, The lack of ownership on such an endless creative engine
creating super-products that provide the best nourishment would crash any market outside the Iz’kal State - this is the
possible with the least resource consumption. All Iz’kal main reason why the Corvo fear Iz’kal economic penetra-
citizens have free access to these superfoods, and even in tion, and also why the Iz’kal want to spread their economic
times of famine and rationing, the poorest Iz’kal has a far system to other species.
better nutrition than the richest Corvo.
One of the most important goals of the Corvo Megacorps
Genetic manipulation has also allowed the Iz’kal to in their economic war against the State is to take over
eradicate most genetic diseases, and to weaken viruses and Idealab and Iz’kal free production facilities, making them a
privately-owned system and charging for its use.
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
The Iz’kal also have the best robotic science in the
universe, boasting unmatched advances in cybernet-
ics, from limb replacement to actual artificial sentience.
Self-aware drones are a common sight in the State, used
to oversee everything from manufacturing facilities and
Idealab server nodes to streetlights and library archives.

Out of simple caution, the Iz’kal have limited the ability

of self-aware systems, making them unable to acquire
sentience beyond a certain point. As a result, most State
AIs are little more than automated processors, with just
enough initiative to choose the best way to obey externally
given orders.

This doesn’t mean that Iz’kal AI technology is limited; the

The Iz’kal Technology

State is indeed capable of producing fully aware drones,

and the proposal to mass produce AIs has been submitted
to the Idealab thousands of times by thousands of citizens,
only to be rejected time and again by the majority, which
consider the State doesn’t need intelligent machines, and
that the risks far outweigh the asset.

194 TERRAFORMING AND

WEATHER CONTROL
faith: core book

Another technology that the Iz’kal learned to develop far

beyond the uses the Korian were giving it - mostly warfare,
of course - was the ability to alter the ecosystem.

The Iz’kal have atmosphere-cleaning tools and soil-fer-

tilising techniques that are quantum leaps ahead what any
other species currently have, and guard these techniques
jealously. With Iz’kal technology, it is possible to turn a
barren wasteland into fertile soil in a few months, and to
clean a radioactive atmosphere in less than a year. It can
also control rain seasons, as well as cold or warm weather.
Many Iz’kal ecoscientists maintain that the greatest fear
of the Corvo is Iz’kal terraforming, as it could make all
colonies independent from the Megacorps, and eventually
end all monopolies on energy processing.

However, the Iz’kal use this technology sparingly, not

wishing to tamper too much with natural environments, and
as a general rule colonising only planets that are relatively
friendly to life forms to begin with. This always requires
minor environment tweaking anyway, and Iz’kal technology
is more than up to the task.
WEAPONRY This has helped the Iz’kal to set up peaceful and prosper-
ous colonies in places that would be considered uninhabit-
able by other species, even the hardy Corvo. However, it
The Iz’kal have very advanced weaponry, with a very still wouldn’t be possible if those special houses were not
significant difference from Corvo or Human armament: part of the Iz’kal greatest engineering achievement - Zaaki-
Most Iz’kal weapons are neural, which means they are Waha cities.
equipped to emit an electromagnetic wave that disrupts the
synapses of living beings, causing a short-circuit in nervous
response without physically hurting the target. ZAAKI-WAHA CITIES
Neural payload is clean, quick and rarely lethal, which Planets have limited resources, and the Iz’kal have
allows Iz’kal to win battles with no casualties and no fuss. managed to make the best of the environments of their
There are some investigations into claims that neural colonies, building smart cities, efficiently managed by
weapons cause permanent brain damage, but so far this highly specialised teams.
type of weapon remains the most peaceful in the galaxy.
Although very expensive to build, these cities, dubbed
The Iz’kal also use plasma and ballistic weapons, but to Zaaki-Waha, have proven to be the most cost-efficient way
a significantly lesser degree than neural guns. Yes, they to live for big communities in the long term. The buildings
are far more expensive to make, but the State’s commu- recycle all the waste their occupants generate and their
nity economics place no resource disadvantage in mass- industrial parks generate an almost organic symbiosis

The Iz’kal Technology

producing rare weaponry. between factories, bringing the usage of raw materials to a
minimum. Public transport is constantly evolving to better
suit the needs of the citizens, and while it might be confus-
ORGANIC DISINTEGRATORS ing for a newly-arrived visitor, the neural webs that the
Iz’kal form through their Hyperlink allow them to manage
For the past few decades, technocrats have been the apparent chaos with ease.
working on a specific wavelength for neural weapons to
disrupt the molecular cohesion of carbon-based organic Water is stored in centralised deposits, and energy is
matter, effectively achieving the disintegration of living usually generated with a well balanced mix of solar and 195
beings. The technology turned out feasible, and several geothermal energy, coupled with nuclear fusion during

faith: core book

tests have proven it relatively safe to use in combat; the periods of low light. The water tanks are used as batteries,
only reason the State hasn’t approved it for military use is pumping the water up when there is an excess of energy
the Technocrat’s uneasiness at unleashing such a weapon generation and allowing it to flow down again when there
into the universe. So far, the organic disintegrator remains are energy shortages.
nothing more than a blueprint, but many Corvo spies and
terrorist organisations are looking to steal the data and put Everything in a Zaaki-Waha serves a purpose, and the
one - or a few - together. constant monitoring of resources, citizens, and the environ-
ment allows the automated systems to take care of almost
every problem without any assistance. Most routine tasks
BUILDINGS are performed by robots; the only non-robotic workers
are police officers and archivists that constantly study the
workflow of the machines, seeking ways to improve them.
For all the technological skills the Iz’kal learned from After many years, the systems have been almost perfected
their early conquerors, they developed their greatest in most colonies, but Iz’kal leave no stone unturned in their
advance mostly on their own - and that’s the very places quest for efficiency.
they inhabit.
But what allows a Zaaki-Waha to function as well as it
does is, mostly, the cooperation of its inhabitants; every
ECO-ADAPTIVE HOUSING Zaaki-Waha is like a large - admittedly very large - house or
building, with its streets, parks and apartments playing the
With the Iz’kal’s concern for the environment, their terra- part of gardens, corridors and individual rooms. Everyone
forming abilities and their advanced science, it goes without at a Zaaki-Waha is, at least figuratively speaking, a part of
saying their house designs are always adapted to whatever the same majmoa, and since most maintenance work on the
world or terrain they build them in. The Iz’kal have technol- city is automated, its inhabitants have a lot of free time,
ogy to adapt any house to any land or climate, with houses which they use to think, improve and manage their living
designed to withstand cold, heat, storm, dust, alien attacks, conditions, proposing new and better ways and methods
acid, plasma fire or several of the above at once. through the local Idealab.
HISTORY
“They are a species whose only achievement
has been to kill the hand that fed them. It ap- and as told by Iz’kal witnesses that survived their yoke,
pears that killing off enemies and those that the Korian did not understand their own technology, nor
think differently is a characteristic of all gov- did they know how to create new devices or even replace
ernments, regardless of the species.” the existing ones. Their devices worked through voice
commands, and they had powerful self repairing systems,
- Di Engun, CEO of Nation’s Solution so that they needed little maintenance.

The Iz’kal began their existence as primitive amphibious The Korian were very comfortable with their ways and
lifeforms in the world of Al’ameen, and grew to be the had no real interest in developing further, with only a few
dominant species of their world thanks to their incred- rare cases of individual Korian studying any kind of science
ible ability to communicate telepathically with each other or engineering. On the whole, Korian technology allowed
through their Iz head appendages. them to enjoy all the pleasures of life as they saw it: eating,
sleeping, fornicating, and warring.
Many xenohistorians, particularly among the Corvo,
argue that the Iz’kal had no real history or evolution, as their They did not keep records, data or any kind of archives,
predestined development was both stunted and accelerat- nor did their machines or computers, which had only kept
ed by the Korian invasion, which in only a few centuries gave the code they ran on. Therefore, there is no history to be
space technology to a species that hadn’t even learned to studied; all that is known is what the Iz’kal survivors left
handle an industrial age. As a result, the Iz’kal have a unique behind in the shape of stories - stories clearly tainted with

The Iz’kal History

approach to technology and social organisation. Having hate. The Iz’kal were a preliterate species at the time of
the tools to dominate and transform their world, they Korian domination, and it took them a long time to reach
are still a humble species with a deep respect for nature; literacy. In that time, most of the Korian and Iz’kal history
and having the resources and technology to expand and had died.
conquer any number of worlds, they have chosen to live in
relatively small, population-controlled communities. Thus, The Korian only cultivated two arts.
even though they didn’t ‘earn’ their social and technological Their culinary trade, of which they were 197
progress by actually developing it, they have proven to be very proud of, consisted of recipes that

faith: core book

what is perhaps the most advanced and enlightened society used spices from dozens of planets; and
in the universe. their martial art, called Meriam, was
a matter of great importance and
devotion, which they practiced every
THE KORIAN day of their lives. They also
became intoxicated by the
dancing rituals of the
A thousand years ago, when the Iz’kal were a primitive, Iz’kal and would spend
pre-literate species still in the dawn of civilisation, newly their long and copious
arisen to walk the land from their aquatic origins, they were meals watching their
attacked by the Korian, a powerful and brutal species that slaves dance. According to
came to their planet from outer space. some records, the dancers
were ordered to copulate
The Korian were a strong species of conquerors that trav- after the performance, with
elled through the Labyrinth taking whatever they desired their masters sometimes
from wherever they landed, with little to no regard for the joining them.
biosphere of those places. They had a monarchic system
based on very rigid and backwards laws that disregarded The Korian had no entertain-
the rights of their own people and of course considered all ment apart from fighting,
other species as nothing more than insects in their soup. watching the Iz’kal dances,
and having the Raag -
And they created Iz’kal civilisation. another of their slave
species - fight one
Not much is known today about the Korian, but they seem another in combats
to have been a post-literate species, as it is a requisite for to the death. They
technology development. had no television
or music - nothing.
They are thought to also be post-industrial and post- There are no pictures
technological. As learned from archaeological evidence or drawings of the Korian
either, as they did not allow any of the species they had to be believed, they killed off several species they found
enslaved to develop their own arts. during their travels for this very reason. However, back
then, Iz’kal could only communicate through Hyperlink;
Although modern technology allows the reconstruction they had no evolutionary need for vocal cords, which made
of the Korian likeness from bones (with proper cloning as a them mere animals to the Korian.
possibility), the Iz’kal are still in mourning; and bringing the
Korian back to life is unthinkable, though many Corvo from It was only after the Iz’kal regained their freedom and
anti-Iz’kal groups would love to get their hands on some built their State that they genetically manipulated their
Korian genetic material. genome to develop vocal cords, supposedly to better com-
municate with alien species, but some xenosociologists
The true origin of the Korian is completely unknown. have suggested that they wanted to overcome the feeling
Korian that lived in the times of the Iz’kal probably had no of inferiority that the Korian had imposed upon them.
idea as well. There are several theories about this and it is a
favourite subject in Iz’kal historian circles. The Iz’kal were the submissive slaves of the Korian for
two centuries, during which they went through all kinds of
It’s possible that the Korian simply lost interest in vexations and tortures without a single Iz’kal going rogue
progress, didn’t see the necessity of further developing or revealing their secret telepathic language and intel-
their technology, and in time left all of it in the hands of ligence. They waited and learned from their new masters
their primitive automated systems. After that, they ended while serving them meekly, finding solace in the secret con-
up focusing on violence and conquest, as such traits would nection they shared with each other, burying their hatred
have hindered their progress towards such technical ex- and preparing for the moment when they could retaliate.
pertise, or at least would have kept them inside their home
The Iz’kal History

planet. Some historians do not believe in this romanticised idea.

They agree that it had to be rare for an Iz’kal to betray their
More popular and recent theories, based on comparative species looking for a position of favour from the Korian,
studies of their technology, make experts believe that the but some theorise that the Hyperlink was made mandatory
Korian did not actually develop it on their own; they had so that each individual Iz’kal was at all times part of the
to either steal it or receive it from another species - or an common Iz’kal mind, making the individual needs of each
198 earlier Korian civilisation, now extinct. All of the machines Iz’kal seem insignificant. Those that tried to turn on their
that are left use the exact same type of hardware and own would then have to leave the link-mind and be killed by
software; this is unusual for a civilisation as large as the the rest of their kin.
faith: core book

Korian, seeing as they would likely own some updated

systems. It seems like all of their technology came out of Twenty generations of Iz’kal lived and died as slaves,
the factory on the same day. hoping that their sacrifice would increase the chances of
survival of the species in the long run. For them, a species
There is also no archaeological evidence of previous in the bronze age, the machinery of the Korian was nothing
technology, or the factories needed to build it, on any of the short of magic. They studied it nonetheless, understanding
Korian worlds. While factories could have been lost during that in it lay the power of their masters. The Korian had no
their post-industrial age, some archaeological remains interest in understanding technology, only in using it, and
would have emerged by now. Some counter this by saying they saw the Iz’kal interest in it as an animal’s curiosity. It
that the Korian come from an unknown planet from which did not take the Iz’kal long to know more about the technol-
they built all of their technology (or that they perhaps ogy than their masters.
created in space, in a fashion similar to the Corvo). This is
supported by the lack of archeological evidence of Korian Once they knew enough about the technology and they
presence on any planet for more than a few hundred years. outnumbered the Korian, the moment came for them to
strike back. All the anger and hatred that had been sup-
pressed, pulsating like a living being deep within their shared
THE UPRISING mind, urging them to fight, finally surfaced. It erupted with
the silent scream of millions of voiceless souls, a wail that
froze the blood of the Korian - a promise of retribution and
When the Korian landed on Al’Ameen, the Iz’kal were death. That moment is now known as the Uprising.
easily subjugated and enslaved, and solemnly endured
every punishment and hardship their masters put them When the Korian finally surrendered, no mercy was
through. shown to them. The Iz’kal lusted for vengeance, their anger
feeding those around them, unquenchable and too loud to
The Korian used Iz’kal as servants and pets, finding them be ignored. The Korian were brutally massacred down to
harmless as they lacked, to their eyes, the “gift of talking” the very last one. Those who tried to hide were hunted and
as they called it. The Korian tended to feel threatened by those who tried to run were chased down.
species that could talk and, if the stories told by Iz’kal are
Despite the sudden rebellion that caught the Korian the community spirit that drove the Iz’kal to union and, by
unaware, the Iz’kal paid a high price for their freedom: the same token, to victory.
almost half their population died, and most Korian tech-
nology was destroyed. Cities were levelled to the ground, Too young to have taken part in the war, and too old to
space stations shattered, and many colonies starved to enter the few, newly-founded schools for Iz’kal children,
death before the Iz’kal could put themselves back together Sahir travelled to Al’ameen to attend lectures by Uprising
and use the few remaining Korian spaceships to go save survivors and technology researchers, and learned from
them. the best minds of his time. He discovered the possibility
of the Korian’s digital network, and wrote a long, multi-
It would take three hundred years for the Iz’kal to volume essay with his thoughts on social organisation, the
properly understand the complex technology left by the Iz’kal nature, and collectivist philosophy. He uploaded the
Korian. In half a millennium, they went from the bronze age essay to the network, which was still mostly unused by
to an intergalactic empire. It was only because they were Iz’kal researchers, for free access to everyone; and soon
such a united and selfless society that they were able to every Iz’kal, everywhere, was reading it and agreeing with
avoid internal battles, which could have left them divided it. Thus the Idealab was born.
and broken across the galaxy.
More importantly, Sahir’s treatise dealt at length on
Today, the Iz’kal stand tall and proud upon the civilisation what the Iz’kal had to do to remain united and free, and
of their old oppressors, a bloody reminder of the fate of underlined the importance of institutionalising a leader-
any species that might try to take away their sovereignty. less society - not only enjoying it because it was natural,
but writing laws that ensured it remained that way. It also
underlined the values of sharing, free resources and, most
THE STATE

The Iz’kal History

particularly, free access to information, which for Sahir
was the lynchpin of any successful civilisation and the
reason the Iz’kal won and the Korian didn’t.
As soon as the Iz’kal eliminated the Korian species, they
formed the State almost instinctively. Having never experi- Aadam Sahir’s credo spread like
enced any kind of organised society other than leaderless, wildfire across all Iz’kal colonies,
peaceful communities, they simply used the technology and by the same Idealab of shared 199
from their old masters to extend this social organisation thought he inadvertently helped

faith: core book

to the whole of their species, maintaining their collectivist create, many other thinkers
outlook, which had only been strengthened during their and ideologues added to his
silent enduring of Korian tyranny. words, creating the laws of
the State as they stand now.
The State was born almost as the Uprising ended, when
all Iz’kal felt and celebrated their victory and the freedom The first to call it ‘the
of their people through massive Hyperlinks all across their Iz’kal State’ and to propose
territory. But it was not called ‘the State’ until much later. it as the official name
of Iz’kal civilisation - a
For many decades, the Iz’kal had to rebuild, regroup proposal that won by an im-
and reorganise over the ruins of the costly war that won pressive majority, although
them their freedom. They had little time for science, art Sahir himself voted against
or historical records; in fact, that’s mostly why currently it - was Va’adim Wahidi, a friend
there are no reliable, detailed accounts of the Korian or and student of Sahir that later
the Uprising. In time, even though they hadn’t completely became estranged from his
understood Korian technology, the Iz’kal achieved peace mentor when Wahidi proposed
and some communication between their surviving colonies. stricter State control and a
They had time to sit and reflect upon what had happened, doctrine he called The Rule of
to create national holidays, to retake worship of Ergon, and Many, by which he intended to
to study their own history. instate the rule of the group
over the individual. Sahir did
Aadam Sahir, considered the greatest Iz’kal thinker who not agree with this, and the
ever lived by many non-Iz’kal historians - as the Iz’kal two great thinkers grew apart
impose no such titles - lived during this time. precisely during the era of
greatest Iz’kal union, enthusi-
Sahir grew in an isolated majmoa, on a farm in one of asm and organisation.
the surviving colonies of the Korian dominion; there, he
wondered how the war had been, how it began, and about Nonetheless, it is told that,
when Aadam Sahir died of old
age a half century later, Wahidi called him ‘the Real Father advances or social rules through Idealab. By these means,
of the State’ during the memorial service. Wahidi often the Iz’kal State achieved an unparalleled quality of life for
denied the story, as individual acclaim was against his own its citizens, and had no reason to believe things would ever
doctrine, but he openly referred to Aadam Sahir as a loved be different.
friend and teacher.
And then came the Corvo.

THE BIRTH OF It happened in 1236 AU, when a Corvo exploration ship

IDEALAB landed in the Iz’kal research station of Hab’Abir.

The Iz’kal had encountered no other species in more

than a thousand years, and the only aliens they maintained
Although its prototype was born with the influx of contact with were the Raag, which they had first met during
thoughts and treatises that followed Aadam Sahir’s famous the Korian domain. Finding a new species was almost as sur-
essay, the final version of Idealab was not completed and prising as if it was the first such encounter in Iz’kal history,
released until more than one century after Sahir’s death. and it certainly was as far as the State was concerned.
By then, the system had been used as a thought-sharing
system for decades, but now, thanks to the laws proposed The Corvo had developed space travel on their own and,
by Sahir, Va’adim Wahidi and other thinkers that followed like the Korian, colonised a number of worlds, although they
on their footsteps, it was the one official channel for gov- disguised their conquering ways with a free market society.
ernment and improvement of the Iz’kal State.
The concept of ‘market’ was very hard to grasp for
The Iz’kal History

It was through Idealab that the Iz’kal finally perfected the Iz’kal, who as a species didn’t even have a concept for
the genetic modification techniques they are famous for, ‘trade’. And when they understood it, they saw it as evil,
and the idea of giving the entire species vocal cords was and the Corvo as very dangerous, for they intended to
proposed and accepted within a year of Idealab’s official subjugate others not through war, but by owning things and
launch. The actual process of giving a new places.
trait to an entire species took consid-
200 erably longer, but it is estimated that The Iz’kal had lived in peace for so long that they refrained
97% of the Iz’kal species could com- from attacking the Corvo - a decision that many Iz’kal
municate verbally barely a decade xenohistorians openly regret now - and decided to wait and
faith: core book

after the proposal came into effect. observe; after all, the greatest lesson ever received by
This was called ‘the era of speaking’ the Iz’kal was that learning from the enemy was the key
by Iz’kal historians, although the to success.
practice didn’t really catch on
among the Iz’kal, and remained - Both species were unfriendly and cautious from the be-
even to this day - a rarely used means ginning, and remain so to this day, with a notable exception
of communication, reserved for alien - the Coalition.
contact and specific situations where
Hyperlink is not possible.
THE SPACE RACE
THE AND PARSAIUS
MEETING
OF THE For decades, the Corvo and Iz’kal maintained an unspoken
Space Race, competing to be the first to show the other
CORVO that their government system was best, not only for their
society but for any planet they colonised.

The Iz’kal lived in However, the race came to a halt when the Corvo colony
peace and prosperity for of Izuan Tai was suddenly wiped out by an unknown enemy
centuries by the laws of force.
their State, which demanded
population control, respect Before accurately learning just what had attacked the
for ecosystems, little use of Corvo, the Iz’kal understood that it seemed to be an incred-
resources and the freedom ibly powerful, predatory alien species from an unknown
of anyone to propose sector of space - a species capable of wiping out an entire
laws, technological planet in a single day.
The collective memory of the Iz’kal shuddered. They
were reminded of the Korian, and that made them very
afraid.

Then, fear became reality: an unknown, massive force of

monstrous aliens attacked Parsaius, a large Iz’kal colony -
and the Corvo, unexpected and unrequested, came to their
aid to join forces against the unidentified invaders.

After the battle, which the combined Corvo-Iz’kal

forces won just barely, the Iz’kal identified the attackers
as a hunter-killer organism, designed to devour, absorb or
replace any other lifeform in its path - a perfect engine of
extinction.

The Corvo called them the Ravager, and their presence

required that both species halted their childish space race
immediately.

Knowing what was at stake, and realising the Corvo had

selflessly come to their aid at Parsaius, the Iz’kal proposed
an official alliance - and the Coalition was born.

The Iz’kal History

THE IZ’KAL
STATE TODAY
201
Now, with the Corvo-Iz’kal military coalition in full force,

faith: core book

both species are focused on defeating the Ravager, although
the Iz’kal are still alert against any Corvo treachery and
have many active spies in the Corvosphere.

Thus, the Iz’kal State has learned the bitter lesson of

politics and duplicity, fighting a battle in two fronts - one
of them openly and with the life of their species at stake,
and another covertly, against its own allies - to save its own
civilisation.

Nobody knows who will win this war or what will happen
afterwards, but the Iz’kal can be sure of one thing - they will
fall, or prevail, as one.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
“We disagree on everything, but do you know
the difference between us? While you would policies that directly contradict their very nature and
like to suppress my right to express my ideas, values:
I would give my life to protect your right to ex-
press yours.” First, they have had to implement State Secrets. This
requires many State decisions to be taken by small groups
- Lee Bao, Corvo diplomat, to his Iz’kal coun- of individuals - chosen by the Idealab system for their
terpart level of experience - without sharing the consequences to
the public at large. Otherwise, the State would risk such
The Iz’kal are one of the most xenophobic and isolationist secrets to fall in the hands of enemy forces, and many of
species in the Universe. However, they also value science them are decisions that not all the Iz’kal people would agree
and discovery, and have made great advances in astrosci- with, such as political assassinations, attacks against Corvo
ence and space exploration. They have built dozens of civilian outposts, the sacrifice of soldiers for the greater
colonies in the most diverse environment, mostly as social good, and other controversial issues.
and biological experiments, but also to extend their culture
and ideas throughout the universe (they are convinced their Second, they have had to allow a degree of independ-
State is the best possible government, and all other inter- ence to colonies in the vicinity of other alien species, as it
The Iz’kal Foreign Affairs

stellar species would be far happier if they adopted it too). would be unfair for those colonies to wait for the vote of
citizens of other settlements on matters of security and
The Iz’kal don’t try to impose their views on anyone, diplomacy, considering that dealing with alien threats tends
but they live by the - somewhat naive - certainty that the to be urgent and serious.
example of their peaceful society will be enough for any
civilisation that crosses their path to see the light and Finally, they have somewhat agreed to alter their living
follow their ways. So far they have had far less success standards, as they have become more hurried and careless
than expected, but that doesn’t stop them from trying - or when founding new settlements. The long-standing Iz’kal
from establishing their own colonies wherever they deem tradition of conducting long, careful research and experi-
202 suitable. mentation has diminished so as to expand State territory
as much and as quickly and possible to face the pressure of
Corvo encroachment.
faith: core book

A PART OF THE
UNIVERSE Such policies have fed anti-State sentiment, and groups
that seek to overthrow Iz’kal society are abuzz with fear
not only of alien threats, but of the sudden duplicity of their
own people.
With a culture developed for the very specific needs,
character and organisation style of their species, the Iz’kal Some Iz’kal social scientists argue that contact with
have had a somewhat difficult problem adapting to the fact other species is actually corrupting the Iz’kal state, and the
that they are not the only independent civilisation out there. matter would be solved by cutting off that contact entirely;
others suggest that, if Iz’kal society was so fragile that
Where the Iz’kal have done everything they can to do contact with any other civilisation made it crack and bend,
away with the concept of leaders, other species insist on then the problem was in the State, not outside it.
sending a small group, or even a single representative, to
all diplomatic meetings, pretending this small group speaks
for an entire culture or civilisation. On the contrary, the EXPLORATION
Iz’kal send huge contingents of hundreds of delegations,
which seems to cause some diplomatic distress, despite
the fact that a hundred Iz’kal take less time to agree on any The fact that the Iz’kal are cautious and slow-paced in
subject than any two members of any other species. setting up new colonies doesn’t mean they don’t want to
expand - much less now they’ve realised the Corvo are
The Iz’kal can mobilise and decide on any State-affecting breathing down their necks. For this reason, the State has
subject in a matter of hours, which causes both envy and decided to adopt a much more aggressive attitude towards
fear on other civilisations, who are too used to particular space colonisation, sponsoring all kinds of expeditions
and individual interests getting in the way of popular choice. - both official SDF flights and mercenary explorer trips -
across the Labyrinth in search of habitable planets.
Having to deal with other species was a great leap for
the Iz’kal, and some think it was not for the best. So far, The State doesn’t pay in currency, but they give valuable
inter-species relations have forced the Iz’kal to enact three equipment, weaponry, and even full starships to mercenar-
ies that help them find worlds suitable for Iz’kal colonisa- Immigrants, whether temporary or long-term, are
tion; especially if it’s before the Corvo find them. assigned special habitats apart from Iz’kal society, where
the State tries to provide for the needs of their culture and
species, so as to prevent disorientation and culture shock.
IZ’KAL IN THE The Corvo call these neighbourhoods ‘conversion camps’,

COLONIES and accuse them of being little more than ghettos.

THE CORVO
For the Iz’kal, moving from one of their colonies to another
doesn’t actually mean they are leaving home - every State “Their claims that the Corvosphere is unjust
colony is under the same jurisdiction, professes the same are completely unfounded. In the Corvosphere,
culture and follows the same laws. Thus, Iz’kal from differ- anyone with skill will thrive, and the lack of re-
ent colonies threat each other as neighbours, and there’s sources (and in some cases laziness) is the only
very little social difference, much less any kind of enmity, reason why not all of us do. They say that their
between Iz’kal settlements - with the notable exception of people live better and are happier, but they
anti-State radicals, of course. have not seen what a Corvo can become if he
works hard - the riches he can achieve are im-
measurable. Our population is also many times
MIGRATION

The Iz’kal Foreign Affairs

larger than theirs. They claim all their people
live well, yet we almost have more billionaires
It is hard for an Iz’kal to move from one colony to another, than they have citizens.”
as every Iz’kal settlement is built to work with a specific
number of citizens. As a result, the State asks every citizen - Cho Bei, CEO of Wang Corp
to provide a proper reason for emigration, which should be
somehow beneficial for the society, considering the work Since the Korian invasion, no other species has been so
the citizen can perform in the new colony and the work disruptive - or important - to Iz’kal history and culture as
he will leave in the old one. Things like moving houses, the ambitious, powerful Corvo. Not only are the Corvo
or moving to a new city or planet, are also organised by a galaxy-spanning economic powerhouse; they are also 203
waiting lists. This can take several years, but is free and shallow, greedy, and expansive. They are both the cultural

faith: core book

available to everyone; the Iz’kal understand it is needed to mirror-opposite of the Iz’kal and one of the greatest
maintain their high quality of life. dangers to the State.

When the State needs to populate a new colony or city, Even now, Iz’kal-Corvo diplomatic relationships are the
or create any other migration movement, they will do so as most famous power struggle in the universe, and there’s
fast as needed. People can sign up for such things; if vacan- no sign that tensions will ease any time soon.
cies are not filled voluntarily, they will be filled by drafting.
How likely a citizen is to be drafted depends on many
factors, such as the role he currently fills, how useful his CORVO-IZ’KAL RELATIONS
skills are at the destination, or how much he will suffer by
being moved. Most drafts involve entire majmoas, so as to The Iz’kal knew they wouldn’t get along with the Corvo
avoid breaking their bonds. from day one. Not only their cultural characters are polar
opposites; both species want the rest of the universe to
It is also very hard for a member of another species ‘see’ their way as the right one and adopt their culture. They
to enter Iz’kal society. While some colonies are more realised pretty soon they were in a race - not necessarily
prepared to receive visitors, most are completely closed, for territory of resources, but to be the first to demon-
as changes in the demographic of the State could endanger strate their culture was right.
system efficiency. In general, the Iz’kal haven’t had such
good experiences with other species and are reluctant to The Iz’kal tried to make it a fair, amicable competition,
welcome them in. and to establish a cordial relationship with the Corvo, but
they didn’t count on their counterpart’s innate mistrust.
Members of other species have many problems adapting When the Corvo realised that everything they shared in
to Iz’kal ways. They are usually unhappy with working at diplomatic meetings immediately became common knowl-
whatever the State assigns them at the time, living only edge across the entire Iz’kal state - which led to most Iz’kal
where given the right to, having ‘holding rights’ (as outsid- learning much more than the Corvo would have liked after
ers call it) over items or services. They also have problems the first couple of meetings - they enacted a veto against
communicating with the Iz’kal, as they cannot join them in sharing information with the Iz’kal.
Hyperlink and miss out on most things relevant to society
that are communicated this way.
Even later, when the Coalition was formed, the Corvo The Iz’kal will not go down easy, but in the end it won’t
enforced a law that forbade any Corvo Coalition member matter. The Corvo have proven over and again that they are
from sharing non-critical intelligence with the Iz’kal, for proficient at destroying native economies and becoming
fear that the State’s natural open-information policy would the new and better source of goods, soon after imposing
lead to a data leak that ultimately helped the Ravager. their terms by monopolising the options.

As both species are supposed to be cooperating, they As soon as the State became aware of this fact, it started
have made no move against each other - on the surface. taking the necessary steps to protect itself. After centuries
In truth, and even with the Coalition in effect, the Corvo of hardship and sacrifices under the dominion of the Korian,
and Iz’kal spy on and sabotage each other like there’s no the Iz’kal are forced to endure hardships once more. Princi-
tomorrow, and constantly seek out sympathisers from the ples will need to be put aside, and individual rights will have
other species to spy on the enemy camp. There’s always to be sacrificed.
work for a skilled agent, of any species, that agrees to spy
on the State for the Megacorps or vice versa. The State started assigning jobs to the technocrats, as
opposed to encouraging them to choose the jobs for which
These espionage missions are not limited to intelligence they believed they were better suited. Some technocrats
gathering, or even discreet assassination; often they also were forced to move to new colonies, created in a hurry to
include black ops, requiring fully-armed commandos to expand the influence and power of the State, as opposed to
infiltrate and sabotage enemy installations or even civilian finding willing technocrats and building a carefully planned
The Iz’kal Foreign Affairs

areas. The job is both dangerous and very questionable - but colony suited to their needs.
both the State and the Megacorps make sure the rewards
are worthwhile. On top of that, many new ideas managed to find their
way into the perfect Iz’kal society - the Corvo greed and
consumerism made an unmistakable dent.
THE CORVO EFFECT
And thus, social unrest started spreading across the
Before encountering the Corvo, the only thing the State State.
and its technocrats cared about was living a happy, ful-
204 filled life, and they pretty much succeeded at it, ensuring
the most plentiful and happy life for everyone. Citizens POLITICAL POSITIONS
were taught to live for the State, to find happiness in the
faith: core book

communal lives they led and to pursue whatever would The issue of how to deal with the Corvo has awakened
allow them to improve their society the most, which would controversy, opposing views, and deadlocked votes in a
in turn make them happier. In a society that had all but once concordant society. Every Iz’kal has, as always, his
eradicated crime, poverty, hunger and disease, the Iz’kal own nuanced opinion, but there seem to be four general
could dedicate their lives to the betterment of the State and trends, and most Iz’kal ascribe at least partially to one of
to the enjoyment of life. them:

The discovery of the Corvo changed much of that. The Isolationists maintain that the State is perfect, but the
need to explore the Labyrinth and colonise new planets, the prize of such perfection is preventing contact with less pure
need of a more powerful army and better trained warriors - civilisations. Isolationists want to cut off all communication
all forced the State to change some of its policies. and ties with the Corvo, avoid their vicinity and territory,
move as far from them as possible, and act as if they don’t
The Iz’kal are aware that the Corvosphere grows very exist. The most radical thinkers among them propose up-
fast, discovers new planets and exploits them to the core, rooting the entire Iz’kal State and making a mass, species-
and is always investigating new ways to be more effective wide exodus to the other end of the universe, somewhere
at expansion regardless of the cost in lives and happiness no other civilised species - particularly the Corvo - will ever
of their people as a whole. It did not take long for many so- find them.
ciologists to project how long the State had until it would be
economically inferior to the Corvo - two centuries. Collaborationism is the current policy the Iz’kal State is
following, at least in appearance. It consists of maintaining
If nothing changed in two centuries, the Corvo would a cordial, respectful relationship with the Corvo, protecting
have grown so large that it would not matter that the Cor- the Iz’kal ways and respecting Corvo culture, while leaving
vosphere was not an united front. Each of the Megacorps each other alone to colonise their regions of space as they
would be as large as the Iz’kal State and still hungry to see fit, and keeping competition fair as regards resources
expand their market. At that point, there would be nothing and territory. Both species pretend to uphold this ideal,
the State could do to stop them from expanding into Iz’kal particularly after the Coalition. The most radical collabo-
society as they did with the Humans and Raag. rationists maintain that the State has much to learn from
Corvo market policies and embracing individual freedom -
it’s precisely because of these radicals that other Iz’kal look caverns, but they know, as a species, that their current
away from collaborationism and think of trying something freedom and happiness is due mostly to Iz’kal efforts.
more drastic. Many Iz’kal realise this, and do not lose sight of the fact
that, should war against the Corvo eventually blow up, the
Colonialists want to stand up to the Corvo and win the Raag would be a natural ally of the Iz’kal state.
debate. They see Corvo society as a primitive culture in
need of a civilising influence. They propose to occupy
and submit the Corvo, imposing collectivism on them HUMANS
and making them realise they will have more happiness,
progress and prosperity under the Iz’kal way. For this
reason, Colonialists advocate huge investment in war and The relationship between the Iz’kal and Humans is - like
recruitment, convinced it will all be for the greater good of everything in modern Iz’kal society - subject to Corvo inter-
both species in the end. ference. Iz’kal relate to Humans mostly to steal them away
from the Corvo; since Humans have no dominion in space,
Xenocides are the most radical of the four views, and the Iz’kal are never seen as the Humans’ guests - most
propose nothing less than the utter extermination of the Iz’kal that encounter Humans are visiting Corvo territory.
Corvo species. According to xenocides, the Corvo are Like other species, Humans are somewhat unnerved by the
beyond convincing, their disrupting ways are already influ- Iz’kal’s lack of immediately identifiable authority figures,
encing the Iz’kal people, and their resources and greed mean and their knack for committees during which they remain

The Iz’kal Foreign Affairs

they will win the space race against the State. Moving away completely silent for hours before coming to any decision.
from them makes no sense, as it would mean abandoning Other than that, Humans are like the Iz’kal - having had their
dozens of well-established colonies and settlements, only share of misrepresentation at the hands of Corvo, they
to have the Corvo show up at their door again, and again realise the Iz’kal are not the terrible enemies the Corvo
every time they try to move further away. For xenocides, claim; this alone is enough motivation for many Human
the only solution is to make sure there are no Corvo left mercenaries to defect to the State.
to deal with. The less radical xenocides think that there is
no need to wipe the Corvo out; an aggressive enough war,
one that left their Megacorps and economy in shambles, THE COALITION 205
would make them weak enough that any of the other three
options - isolation, colonisation or cooperation - would

faith: core book

become viable. The Coalition is the greatest and most important political
alliance in the history of interstellar civilisation, and the
greatest effort the Iz’kal have ever made to cooperate with
RAAG another species.

Founded as a joint defence effort between the two

There is an ancient bond between the Iz’kal and Raag, born largest starfaring cultures - Corvo and Iz’kal - against the
when they joined forces to defeat the Korian invaders. Of sudden, predatory threat of the Ravager species, the Coali-
course, the Iz’kal did most of the work during the Uprising tion should be an argument for interspecies cooperation,
against the Korian, and the Raag don’t fully understand and proof that diametrically opposed systems can work
or reciprocate the Iz’kal’s goodwill and loyalty. Nonethe- together for a common good.
less, the Iz’kal have identified the Raag from their history
records and still consider them their ancient allies, at least The catch is, they can’t, and the Iz’kal know it. To work
nominally. properly, the Coalition needed to build and follow its own
system, independent from both the Corvo and Iz’kal organi-
Having been subjugated by the Korian gives the Raag and sation structures; and it actually works well - so well, in
Iz’kal species not only a shared survivor’s perspective, but fact, that what should be seen as a victory of the spirit of
also several common elements to their languages and understanding and cooperation is actually a threat to both
cultures; all borrowed partly from the time of Korian domi- the State and the Megacorps.
nation. The Raag see the Iz’kal as their idealised self - the
culture they might have become had it been them, not the After the founding of the Coalition, many Iz’kal citizens
Iz’kal, which defeated the Korian; the Iz’kal, for their part, and groups have demanded more individual freedom,
see the Raag as a kind of younger brother (brother in arms, clearer hierarchies, a smaller bureaucracy and a quicker
at least) and also as a warning about their own hidden, response to threats. And everyone knows that’s just how
subdued violent tendencies. The Raag are the warrior it starts; unable to disband the Coalition - as it’s still the
race the Iz’kal never became, and the Iz’kal are the utopia Iz’kal’s only hope of stopping the Ravager - the State needs
the Raag may still achieve. Not that Raag actually want to think of a way to stop the small questionings before they
to achieve a society like the Iz’kal state, of course; they become widespread dissent.
are quite content with their traditional ways and natural
THE IZ’KAL COLONIES
“A government that treats the lazy and the
hard-working people the same will end up with huge Zaaki-Waha citadel - whatever the planet’s resources
a country of lazy people. This is, of course, allow. When the habitat is finished, the very same Iz’kal that
what the government wants - to isolate the took part in its building are the ones that move to live there;
hard working minority. It is obvious why the thus, every Iz’kal has a hand in creating his own home.
most dedicated Iz’kal try to emigrate to the
Corvosphere and why the State makes it as
hard as possible for them to do so.” POLITICAL
- Jiao Sheng, Corvo economist ORGANIZATION
As a political entity, The Iz’kal State has no physical limits.
‘The State’ applies to any gathering of Iz’kal that lives by The Iz’kal keep their colonies few in number and creating
the laws of the State, under a shared leaderless govern- one is an organised process after a long period of study.
ment and with technology generated via Idealab. Any Iz’kal The State has repeatedly invested time, equipment, and
settlement that counts as part of the State is referred personnel to research the viability of a planet as a colony,
to as a Colony; thus a remote research outpost is a State only to discover that it would not be worth the effort in the
colony the same as a military SDF ship on a State mission; long run. Perhaps the planet would run out of some vital
Al’ameen, the Iz’kal homeworld, is as much a State Colony resources within a couple hundred years, or the low quality

The Iz’kal Colonies

as the smallest farm at the other end of the Labyrinth.. of life at the colony would not help the State as a whole.

When the Iz’kal find and colonise a suitable planet, the Before the Corvo, the State had no need for expansion,
first thing they do is build the infrastructure for miners, as Iz’kal population growth is carefully controlled, and
workers, builders and architects to live there for a few sometimes even halted. Therefore, they only build colonies
months; this is done with pre-made materials and plans on planets where they know that, within a few generations,
created through Idealab and carried aboard the settler they will be able to create a society as egalitarian and with
ships. a quality of life as high as in Al’ameen, where all the Iz’kal 207
standards can be achieved. This means that by principle,

faith: core book

The process includes scanning the environment’s char- the State will not colonise a place that cannot become
acteristics, balance and available raw materials. Iz’kal self-sufficient after a period of adaptation. However, the
technology is equipped to study not only the exact mineral Corvo’s arrival and the growth of Hexian ideologies - which
and biochemical composition of any alien soil or atmos- are concerned with the possibility of being overpowered by
phere, but also to quickly calculate several scenarios for the Corvo - is forcing the State to reconsider these policies,
the environment’s possible uses and compatibilities with at the cost of personal liberties and the preservation of
Iz’kal needs. The Iz’kal then determine the best way to make new planets’ biospheres.
use of local resources - or bring their own - with the least
possible ecological disruption. Once the Iz’kal have decided Unlike the Corvo, the Iz’kal do not have specialised mining
on an optimal balance between minimising environmental colonies or other resource-harvesting facilities, as these
impact and maximising resource exploitation, terraforming colonies are not self-sufficient. The Iz’kal have suffered the
begins. horrors that can come from this, such as after the Uprising,
when the Korian colonies could not communicate or share
Iz’kal terraforming revolves around specialised seeding resources for years, and whole populations of Iz’kal died
hover-vehicles, which roam the new surface gathering data of starvation, cold, heat, or asphyxiation. Thus, most re-
and planting ‘dana-hisada’, little capsules that resemble sources are extracted and harvested by the same cities
seeds designed not to grow into plants, but to absorb the that will use them for their inhabitants.
genetic information from the local soil and undergrowth.
On the second pass, terraforming drones gather the The Iz’kal do create scientific and military outposts,
dana-hisada, which deliver DNA and other data on the en- however. Scientific facilities are created wherever the Iz’kal
vironment’s biochemical composition, from which the Iz’kal think they can make new discoveries that will further their
know what types of plants and soil to bring so as to foster, understanding of the Universe and perhaps themselves,
or at least not harm, the local wildlife. Building materials or lead them to improve their quality of life in any sense.
are chosen and used - and sometimes invented on the spot - Military outposts are formed between colonies set far
with the same criteria; thus, Iz’kal colonies not only respect, apart, so as to protect convoys travelling from one to the
but sometimes improve on the planet’s natural conditions. other, or in strategic places where a garrison will hinder
Corvo or Ravager expansion and protect the State from any
Once the construction site is set up, builders and techni- hostile action.
cians get to work on anything from a small settlement to a
The Iz’kal Colonies

208
faith: core book

AL’AMEEN limited to a few hundred million Iz’kal, and immigration

laws do not allow other species to move in permanently.
Planetary Type: Water world A handful are accepted every year as visitors for a short
period of time; many rich Corvo enjoy visiting Al’ameen
Population: 250 million
and return home to tell their friends all about the strange
Day: 28 standard hours habits of its people.
Culture: Eco-friendly egalitarianism
Location: Alal system, 3.5 standard months away
from Tiantang THE PEOPLE
Production: Manufactured goods, biotech
The Al’ameen’ai, the Iz’kal from AlAmeen, are all of basic
Social Rank 5: Egalitarian utopia Waha’i stock. They are lovers of nature, and it shows. Most
Economic Rank 1: No trade or currency of their cities are built with materials directly taken from
Atmosphere: Breathable living organic matter, fusing into the swamp landscape like
titanic, flowery trees. Most of the science and art projects
The Iz’kal homeworld is a water planet, whose only from Al’ameen focus on the preservation and development
landmass is a line of small continents along its equator. of natural areas, and how to make the best use of resources
These continents are filled with swamplands that also while taking the least possible from the environment.
connect the two large oceans of the planet, one in each pole.
Al’ameen has two main seasons: the dry season, where the Al’ameen’ai are admired and respected across the State,
swamps dry up; and the flood season, where the swamps not only as the original members of the species, but also
overflow and convert most of the land to mangroves for because they have contributed the most - in quantity and
several months. This was the environment in which the quality - to Iz’kal art and science. Not to mention, of course,
Iz’kal evolved to be semi-aquatic creatures. that it was the ancestors from Al’ameen which fought and
won the war that freed the Iz’kal from the Korian invasion.
Al’ameen is rich in natural resources and a paradise for For the other Iz’kal, Al’ameen’ai are akin to older, respected
the Iz’kal, who keep most of it as unspoiled wild land, with brothers, and the closest the species has to a moral
a few eco-friendly cities on its surface. The population is authority.
aquatic surface platforms and beachside towns. Most of
these failed underwater cities were taken apart and the ma-
terials used in their construction recycled, but a few were
unrecoverable due to structural damage or other causes.
These ruins were made into heritage sites, which eventually
became touristic attractions for their historical and artistic
value, and are occasionally used as short-term underwater
research centres.

Every Hai’kal sanctum is located on a remote natural

The Iz’kal Colonies

faith: core book

area, and offer advanced courses, tours, academic conven-
SETTLEMENTS tions, school trips and wildlife retreats.

To outsiders, Al’ameen would look like an uninhabited While Iz’kal colonies have never grown large enough to
planet, as cities are so few and far between that the planet be able to support a Hai’kal sanctum, citizens from every
is virtually the same as it was before the Iz’kal came to be. settlement in the State travel to Al’ameen to visit its Hai’kal,
which are a source of pride for the planet and its citizens.
There are, however, several types of Iz’kal settlements
in Al’ameen. First there are the planet’s Zaaki-Waha cities; ALHENA
tall citadels of a few thousand inhabitants that barely pass
as artificial structures at first glance. There are thousands One of the most unspoiled sanctuaries of the planet is
of smaller communities scattered all across the surface, Alhena, a network of caves in the heart of Al’ameen, illumi-
although usually most end up joining an existing Zaaki-Waha nated by gigantic and luminescent fungi. This magical place
or growing into one themselves. survived the Korian conquest, as the invaders never discov-
ered it. Iz’kal from all around the Universe make a seasonal
Al’ameen’ai Zaaki-Waha are comparable to those found pilgrimage to this place, which they hold as sacred. When
in other colonies; harmonious communities with advanced in Alhena, all the Iz’kal join in a single Hyperlink with their
technology, no crime, prosperity and a tranquil daily life. fellow pilgrims so that they may share their minds freely.
Here, Iz’kal from all colonies share their experiences with
AQUATIC SITES each other and together are able to learn things that they
were not even capable of imagining alone - about ways of
Over the centuries, the Iz’kal have made several attempts life on strange planets, about ideas they had never heard
to build underwater Zaaki-Waha, to test the benefits of a of, and about personal life experiences and the thoughts
closer contact with their species’ aquatic origin; however, behind them, which give them an incredible insight on the
these experiments have always been short-lived, as the reasons of other people’s behaviour. This is, for many Iz’kal,
amphibious Iz’kal are not really suited for prolonged life the most intense and beautiful experience of their lives.
in the depths, and the technology to achieve it waste s Some are actually addicted to the Alhena pilgrimage, and
too many resources and disrupts the environment. The religiously request the State to make it every year, even if
Alameen’ai have had to content themselves with building they dwell in the other side of the Universe.
THE CIRCLE OF Kidnapped victims are put on special ships,
equipped with a processor and a network relay,
REMEMBERING which are then sent all over the Labyrinth to serve
as live data stations for gangs of smugglers,
The Ergon cult in Al’ameen is a very ancient institution, bandits or other slavers, particularly the Corvo
dating from at least 1500 years back, when the Iz’kal retook Tongs, which have several ‘farm ships’ around their
Ergon worship after exterminating the Korian. Millions of deep space operations, from which they get ‘free
Iz’kal from all Zaaki-Waha’i in the planet are members, but internet’ out of the frozen Iz’kal victims.
the cult has no central headquarters, nor any figurehead.
The technology to obtain processing power from
What passes for the main Ergonaut reunion centre is the an Iz’kal’s iz was developed by a State deserter, a
Circle of Remembering, an order of Ergonaut Soulbenders scientist and Ledger worshipper called Lam Naham.
with the divine power - and the responsibility - of keeping He founded the Farm with like-minded Ledger wor-
Iz’kal tradition alive. shippers, and was its leader until he disappeared
under mysterious circumstances. Perhaps he was
At any moment, any member of the Circle can vividly found by the law, perhaps he died in a lab accident,
relive - or cause others to relive - any moment from Iz’kal or maybe one of his lieutenants betrayed him and
history; contrary to the Alhena Hyperlink or other Iz’kal put him to work in one of his own cryo-pods.
traditions, the Circle members don’t use this ability for
social gatherings or ceremonies, but to research Iz’kal Whatever the truth, Naham’s legacy lives on in
history first hand, and see with unbiased eyes the events the hundreds of kidnapped Iz’kal used by the under-
The Iz’kal Colonies

and forces that shaped the current Iz’kal civilisation. world as living network stations.

The Circle of Remembering has a rotating membership THE KHALIJ’RAQIB MISSION

between a few dozen and just over a hundred members,
called Memorials. No Memorial enjoys any kind of special Signals from the Farm have been thoroughly
status or is considered above any other, but they all have hidden from detection for years. However, a few
divine abilities that far surpass the average soulbender. of their ships have recently called the attention of
210 traffic officials as they left the planet towards the
Labyrinth. The minute inconsistencies in the farm
THE FARM ships’ callsigns and departure times have arisen
faith: core book

suspicion in the space traffic agency of Khalij’Raqib

For the last few years, unknown to the State, city. Agents have traced the ships’ departure point
there’s been a covert installation functioning in to an underwater spot, which makes no sense. It
Al’ameen - a grisly installation with a grisly purpose. could mean nothing, but the city’s technocrats
voted to send a Ghyr mercenary force on a recon-
A gang of slavers, mostly Iz’kal traitors but also naissance mission. These mercs may be Human,
including Human and Corvo, has set up a secret un- Iz’kal or any species allowed to operate in Al’ameen
derwater headquarters somewhere in the unchart- ground, or even a Savak team; Khalij’Raqib’s techno-
ed depths of the Al’ameen sea, from where they crats just want to get to the bottom of it.
operate using wave jammers that prevent detection
by radar. From here, these slavers travel to nearby ZIM’KI
Zaaki-waha, passing themselves as honest Iz’kal
citizens, and kidnapping innocent Iz’kal of every age Zim’ki is a child from a city near the Farm who
and gender, which they take back to their den. The lost her older sister Ahiya to their slave operation.
disappearances are carefully orchestrated so as to Other members of Zim’Ki’s majmoa assumed Ahiya
seem unrelated accidents, to the point that some of had been lost to a swimming accident, as their
the victims are even assumed dead - yet the truth is, Hyperlink with her was interrupted; Zim’ki didn’t,
in a sense, worse. however. Her bond to her sister was too strong, and
she can feel her sister even through Farm dampen-
Once back in their undersea installation, which ers, and despite her sister being unconscious and
they call The Farm, the slavers put their kidnapped in stasis for months now. Zim’ki’s majmoa thinks
Iz’kal in permanent cryostasis, from which they are she is in denial for the loss of Ahiya, and consid-
never freed, and their Iz organs linked to special ers sending her for emotional re-conditioning. But
devices that harvest the network capability of their Zim’ki knows better, and she will find her sister,
brains - as computer processing power. The process even if she needs to ask someone outside of her
is very similar to Corvo skulling, where Megacorp majmoa… or from another species. Even if she has
employees lend their brain power to their bosses’ to brave the swamps or the seas on her own, and
computer systems. ask the first stranger she finds in her path for help...
The Iz’kal Colonies
MEMORIAL AL’AMEEN’AI FARMER
Ergonaut 1 :: Defender
Level 1 :: Iz’kal :: Kind Level 2 :: Iz’kal :: Ruthless
211
mov. 5 metres :: weight 60 kg :: height 162 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 65 kg :: height 163 cm

faith: core book

2 5 0 - 3 3 0 6

PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7 PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 6

STAT 1 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
1-

Judge of Character Diaperer

Characters attempting to lie to her suffer one Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
disadvantage. ignores armour).

Rational Persuasive

She can only be convinced with facts. She is immune He gains an advantage when trying to convince other
to dialectics, and she gains one advantage to determine characters.
whether something has been fact checked.

The Memorials are members of the Circle of Remembering, a The State is completely unaware of the horrific truth
cult that relives Iz’kal history for unbiased research and study. behind the Farm. Who will put a stop to this madness?
The Iz’kal Colonies

212
faith: core book

ERTHUM pinning down populations or travellers for long periods.

In the poles, the temperatures are very low and lifeforms
Planetary Type: Desert world scarce, while the land between the ice poles and the central
deserts is a steppe containing no civilised population at all.
Population: 60 million
Day: 39 standard hours Cities in Erthum are designed to maximise their ef-
Culture: Survivalist settlements ficiency, as the environment is so harsh it requires extra
Location: Dhahab system, 2 standard months care with the city’s natural equilibrium. The State is heavily
away from Al’ameen investing in terraforming the planet to create diversity and
to improve its atmosphere, which is a very costly and slow
Production: Farming limited biotech
process. Roothounds have been brought from Sulivar to
Social Rank 4: Egalitarian utopia with limited liveli- regrow the wildwood, and they are now one of the most
hood options common animals in the planet. These beasts are very ter-
Economic Rank 1: No trade or currency ritorial, and only specialised personnel are allowed into the
Atmosphere: Breathable new forest areas to avoid incidents.

The Iz’kal were originally brought to Erthum by the

Korian, who colonised the planet and used them as slaves THE PEOPLE
to exploit its mineral resources. Once the Korian were
overthrown, the Iz’kal who lived there decided to make it Erthum’ai people are mostly of basic Iz’kal stock, but
their home, despite its inhospitable conditions for the Iz’kal some Dhahab and Fafi Iz’kal remain in smaller settlements
species. But the Iz’kal had already learned to live in the in the most extreme areas of the world, descendants of the
harsh desert when forced by the Korian, so doing it out of slave-servant communities of the Korian era.
love for the environment was easy for them, and now there
are several Zaaki-Waha across the Erthum wasteland. Other Iz’kal see modern Erthum’ai as quirky, open-
minded and carefree, but in truth their character depends a
For the most part Erthum is a desert, and a dangerous lot on where they are from. Erthum’ai from the Zaaki-Waha
one at that, as sandstorms are frequent and can last days, along the partially terraformed equator are much more
The systems of a cortex connected vehicle can also be
used manually, following the limitations of Manual vehicles.

NOTE: A vehicle can have as many characters as it’s

maximum crew cortex connected to it, but each of them
has to be verified by the vehicle’s captain.

VEHICLE SHEET
Each vehicle model will have its own vehicle sheet. It will
define several aspects of the vehicle, and its upgradability.

INFO
The information of a vehicle includes: Name of the

The Vehicles - General Rules

model, level, type and size of the vehicle, system control,
the maximum crew it can take on, and the maximum speed
it can reach inside an atmosphere (there is no maximum
speed in the vacuum of space).

SPECIAL ABILITY
Certain vehicles may have a special ability.

405
STATS

faith: core book

Each vehicle has starting stats values, which can later be
changed by damage, wear, or new modules.

The stats of a vehicle are:

◊ Initiative: The vehicle’s Initiative determines when

it and its crew acts in the round.

◊ Dodge: The vehicle might provide advantages or

disadvantages to the pilot for dodging actions.

◊ Evasion: The amount of times the vehicle’s pilot

can use Evade per round.

◊ Acceleration: The amount of times the vehicle’s

pilot can use Accelerate per round.

◊ Firewall: The software that confronts hacking

actions against the vehicle if a character does not,
as any Firewall in a regular piece of gear.

◊ Armour: The vehicle’s armour is subtracted from

the base damage of physical and neural attacks
from external sources.

◊ Threshold: The protection against module shut

down of the vehicle..
The Iz’kal Colonies

214
faith: core book

SULIVAR Of course, no emergency has come up that requires the

Iz’kal to abandon Al’ameen, so Sulivar has been used mostly
Planetary Type: Water world as a research centre, its lifeforms imported into Al’ameen
and other Iz’kal worlds with incredible success, and even
Population: 190 million
one case of breeding two species of trees that turned out
Day: 28 standard hours genetically compatible. Nevertheless, a few Iz’kal colonists
Culture: Eco-friendly technocracy have obtained State permission to move to Sulivar, seeking
Location: Manzil system, 3 months away from the adventure of a new world to live in - and the planet’s
Al’ameen paradisiacal ecosystem.
Production: Biotech, livestock
Currently, besides the Zaaki-Waha of Al’Manzil, there are
Social Rank 5: Egalitarian utopia three great Iz’kal cities in Sulivar; two dedicated to research
Economic Rank 1: No trade or currency and inventory of local species, and a purely residential one,
Atmosphere: Breathable where technocrats experiment with lifestyle and architec-
tural designs inspired by Sulivar’s beautiful landscape and
The haven world of Sulivar was settled right as it was elating atmosphere.
discovered, when the home-ship Al’Manzil ended its decade-
long journey in search of a perfect world. The flight’s goal
was to find a planet that was similar enough to Al’ameen for THE PEOPLE
Iz’kal to expand there in case of emergency, but the search
was too successful; Sulivar is all that Al’ameen was, and Sulivar’ai are all of unmodified Waha’i Iz’kal stock, with a
more. Its swamp-forest ecosystem, even better adapted reputation for being laid back tree-huggers, even for Iz’kal
to Iz’kal organisms than their homeworld, is balanced, rich standards. They tend to believe that finding Sulivar was
and resourceful, yet with a lot of space for new species to destiny, that the ‘universe’ guided them to live there, or even
expand. In fact, many colonists reported an actual sense that Sulivar is actually a large, living organism - a theory
of well-being, even internal peace, almost as soon as they many of their scientists are trying to prove - and they pride
arrived to Sulivar. themselves in their eco-friendly lifestyle, empathy and at-
tunement with nature, even more than other Iz’kal.
elite force of Sulivar’ai soldiers, equipped to defend their
planet and its riches, by force if necessary.

Despite their duties, and the fact they do get extensive

martial training and conditioning, Biya’Hari Guards are far
kinder than other Iz’kal forces, like the Savak; their weapons
and gear - all made with organic, eco-friendly materials -
are strictly designed to incapacitate rather than harm. Very
few Biya’Hari are voidwalkers, but most of their leaders
have a little soulbending ability, which they use mostly to
sense the environment and locate stolen specimens, lost
individuals or roaming outlaws.

As criminal attacks are admittedly few and far between,

the Biya’Hari spend most of their time as guides and
teachers, on activities such as helping lost hikers, teaching
survival and first aid to Iz’kal children, organising educa-
tional field trips and so on. Many of the kids that attend
Biya’Hari lectures and training camps are chosen to join the
Guard when they grow up.

The Iz’kal Colonies

THE SULIVAR HIVE
Even though Ergon is the most peaceful and accepting of
all Gods, there is also a dark side to cooperation and col-
lectivism. Nowhere is this represented as sharply as in the
Hive, a sinister Ergonaut cult from Sulivar.
215
The Hive appeared a few decades after Al’Manzil was

faith: core book

founded, when a few local farmers and students were
ALFINN’AGHNIA studying Sulivar’s incredible ecosystem. Convinced that
every animal and plant organism in Sulivar was biologically
Sulivar’ai use their vocal cords more than other Iz’kal, as connected to each other by a single purpose and a single
they love singing, and it’s traditional for every city district collective mind, these researchers decided to imitate the
to have a local choir, or for singing gatherings to be held at planet’s lifestyle, giving their entire individuality to the
choice spots of Sulivar’s beautiful natural landscape. group, to Ergon, and to the Sulivar ecosystem. At first, it
started as a harmless, nature-friendly commune, located
The Sulivar’ai singing school is known as Alfinn’aghnia - in the middle of the Sulivar wilderness. Then the commune
a term that roughly translates into ‘the art of song’, and officially seceded from Al’Manzil; the State opposed it at
defines both the genre and the technical style. Despite first, but in the end allowed it to exist by popular vote.
being a vocal form, Alfinn’aghnia relies on the unique
composition of Iz’kal vocal cords and the use of Hyperlink In time, the commune became more and more radical.
to convey the deeper meanings - or ‘lyrics’ - of the songs, They started experimenting with perception-altering
so it’s all but impossible for non-Iz’kal singers. Neverthe- drugs, and tampering with their own genes to make them
less, it’s widely acknowledged as very beautiful music; more receptive to the planet’s ‘hive mind’. Nobody outside
Alfinn’aghnia concerts draw Iz’kal from all over the State the group knows exactly what they did, but they began
and even tourists from other species. displaying abilities and perceptions that seemed attuned
to nature itself. Some of the most radical members of the
commune started speaking and moving at the same time.
THE BIYA’HARI GUARD Their expressions and tone of voice changed. Then, a few
members attempted to leave the group and were forced
Despite its beauty and harmony, Sulivar is not always at to stay - or somehow brainwashed into staying. The group
peace. In the past centuries, the planet’s resources have changed its name to the Hive, and claimed they had been
occasionally been the target of a few unscrupulous parties, directly touched by Ergon, who wished them to become one
from smugglers and poachers to greedy Corvo corps. with each other and with the world.

To protect the sanctity and integrity of the Sulivar eco- The entire group became a cult, and they all began acting
system, local technocrats created the Biya’Hari Guard - an the same, permanently connected to a closed Hyperlink
that not only kept them communicated - but seemed to tie It goes without saying that Nation’s Solution and
them in a single mind, hundreds of people with a single will. the other Megacorps would do anything to steal the
roothound project from the Iz’kal, but there’s little
The State became concerned about the Hive, particularly chance of them doing so without openly antagonis-
other Ergonaut churches, and several expeditions were ing the State. Not that they haven’t considered it
launched to visit their dwelling and see if everything was anyway, for the possibilities of a roothound market.
alright. Hive members greeted visitors warmly, displayed
no aggressiveness or strange behaviour - other than their
unsettling, Hyperlinked collective mind - and even con- THE HORRIBLE TRUTH
vinced a few of the newcomers to stay and join the cult.
What the Iz’kal have not discovered is that Sulivar
Currently the Sulivar Hive is an official concern for is indeed a living organism - or rather, that a single
the Sulivar government and the local Ergonaut church; hive organism is the basis for every ecosystem in
however, no action has been taken against the cult, as the entire planet - plants, animals, fungi, even the
its members have broken no State laws and never try to roothounds.
impose their will on outsiders. Rumours tell of members
that try to leave and are then absorbed back into the fold, Even more, this organism was created by the
their individual minds forever erased by force - but it Korian - the ancient enemies of the Iz’kal - to serve
remains just that, a rumour. Inspectors keep on conduct- as a biological weapon, specifically designed to kill
ing routine investigations of the cult and find nothing that the Iz’kal during the Uprising. The lifeform was a
merits State intervention, but the law still maintains an eye fungus intended to blend with the ecosystem of
The Iz’kal Colonies

on the Hive. Al’ameen, adapting the genes of local lifeforms to

appear like the type of terrain the Iz’kal like, and
Ergonaut churches have tried to pressure the then attack the Iz’kal respiratory systems, causing
State into taking more direct action, but they keep them to die from a quickly-spreading plague.
being outvoted on the grounds that there is simply
no justifiable reason to interfere with the cult. The Korian were decimated before they had time
In response, the churches have voted to offer a to test their weapon, but they had already stashed
216 reward to any citizen or mercenary who can bring a batch in a far-off water world with similar at-
up proof that there is something wrong with the mospheric conditions to Al’ameen. This planet was
Sulivar Hive. The problem is that mercenaries and Sulivar.
faith: core book

volunteers don’t find anything either, or else they

end up joining the cult too. There, the fungus grew unchecked for centuries,
transforming the terrain of Sulivar into the exact
To date, nobody knows exactly what is happen- type of ecosystem the Iz’kal needed to exist;
ing at the Hive. If someone discovered a secret, however, it was so successful that it didn’t evolve to
harmful plot, or else made sure that the Hive is not kill the Iz’kal but to nourish and establish a natural,
dangerous, they would certainly be rewarded by symbiotic relationship with them - to ‘care’ for
the State and the Al’Manzil collective. them, if such a primal hive mind could have under-
stood the concept. This hive mind is not self-aware,
but it lies dormant beneath every Sulivar lifeform,
ROOTHOUNDS and the roothounds execute its will, seeding the
earth with the fungus and caring for other plant life.
The most famous lifeform of Sulivar, and also its most
important export, are the so-called ‘roothounds’ - mobile As it is now, the entire ecosystem of Sulivar, its
vegetal lifeforms that ‘tend’ to other plant species, protect- every lifeform, plants and animals, all of it evolved
ing them from plagues, ‘seeding’ them, and even creating from the Korian’s bio-weapon. The only reason it
multi-species gardens by what seems to be basic instinct. hasn’t killed the Iz’kal is that the Korian didn’t live
The Iz’kal have taken thousands of these roothounds to long enough to give the ‘order’.
other colonies with great success, as the creatures can
help forests grow even in relatively barren soil. To date, nobody knows of the Korian secret bio-
weapon, but the poisonous agent remains in several
There’s an ongoing investigation on the uses and possibil- of Sulivar’s lifeforms, and the roothounds carry
ities of roothound genes to bring life to all kinds of lifeless it everywhere the Iz’kal take them. An interested
planets, which could create a plethora of thriving worlds, geneticist that somehow learned of the ancient
full of resources, for all species, curtailing - or even elimi- Korian plot and for some reason wanted to wipe
nating - the need to make Labyrinth trips to discover habit- out the Iz’kal, could easily do it by taking samples
able worlds. from a roothound or any other Sulivar lifeform and
activating the dormant plague inside its genes.
The Iz’kal Colonies
ROOTHOUND SULIVAR’AI HIVER
Wilderness Affinity Ergonaut 1 :: Mob :: Unstoppable
Level 1 :: Beast :: Territorial Level 1 :: Iz’kal :: Unpredictable
217
mov. 10 metres :: weight 90 kg :: height 120 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 62 kg :: height 161 cm

faith: core book

5 - 1 - 3 3 0 -

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 2

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
2 (CON)
0 ++ (DEX)
2+ (CON)
0+

Growing Roots Hivemind

After successfully grappling a character, its attacks During the maintenance phase, he heals 1 point of
against him gain one advantage and one base damage physical OR neural damage for each character with
that increases by one every round the character Hivemind in normal health state within 10 metres.
remains grappled.

Charge I

Its unconfronted running actions are considered

passive, and its next Close Quarters action causes 1
additional damage.

Hunter Instincts

It gains one advantage towards hiding and searching

actions.

It is not wise to upset the sentinels of the woodlands, Sometimes fervor can reach a tipping point where it
unless you are interested in becoming compost. transforms into madness. Thanks, then, that there is a
God for that too. Where are the Hivers in that scale?
The Iz’kal Colonies

218
faith: core book

AL’HALAM According to researchers, the Halik died out millennia

ago from a very sudden and deadly virus - which either
Planetary Type: Mechanised water world became extinct after it killed its entire host species, or else
cannot affect the Iz’kal genetic structure. There is little
Population: 60,000 researchers
more to indicate what the Halik did or looked like; even the
Day: 42 standard hours few genetic samples left are incomplete and unreliable.
Culture: None
Location: Alhal system, 4 standard months away What remains of the Halik is their industry - their cities,
from Al’ameen their machines, their vehicles, and a highly advanced robotic
science. So advanced, in fact, that automatons still run the
Production: Manufactured goods
whole thing; thousands of years after the Halik’s disap-
Social Rank 1: No living citizens pearance, millions of drones still clean the streets, handle
Economic Rank 1: No trade or currency traffic, drive vehicles, bake the food and so on. Apparently,
Atmosphere: Breathable, toxicity concerns the Halik let machines do most of the work for themselves,
and they have been doing it undisturbed for ages.
To the State, Al’halam is little more than a research
station; but in actuality it is, or rather was, a fully inhabited Fascinated by this, the Iz’kal have chosen not to interfere
planet with a complete, thriving civilisation. with the droids’ activity, declaring Al’halam a protected
‘robotic ecosystem’ and taking notes of its patterns as they
The Iz’kal don’t know what species used to live in this continue to research the lost species that built it.
world; they call them the Halik, or the ‘gone ones’. There
is little evidence of their genetic stock, but they were non-
bipeds, and likely non-mammals. Upon discovering this THE PEOPLE
world, the State built a permanent research station there,
manned by thousands of scientists and explorers dedicated There are only two types of inhabitants in Al’halam -
to unearthing and understanding the lost secrets of the mindless drones and Iz’kal researchers. The latter are
Halik civilisation. all typical, unmodified Iz’kal, who live and work at a huge
research facility where they analise samples of the Halik’s
system of a nuclear plant broke down for lack of mainte-
nance and the researchers had to manually shut it off.

These rogue drones are a subject of study by them-

selves, and have more than once been a reason for Iz’kal
soldiers or mercenaries to travel urgently to Al’halam and
aid the research team.

THE CHURCH OF AUTO

A few decades ago, a sect was founded which believed
that the drones of Al’halam were part of a pre-determined
plan by Ergon, which included the extinction of the Halik and
the arrival of the Iz’kal. For this sect, which calls itself the
Church of Auto (in honour of the Automatons it reveres),
the Al’halam drones are actually powered by Ergon, and
the ‘cyber-ecosystem’ of abandoned Al’halam cities is a
secret message by Ergon, whose grand pattern has so far
eluded the scientific researchers and their narrow views.

The Iz’kal Colonies

Auto Ergonauts have spent years trying to decipher the
‘Message of Al’halam’ by studying patterns, interpreting
signs and watching portents, but so far the revelation
hasn’t come. Some members of the sect even suggest that
every automated Al’halam city is a single conscious, living
entity, and the State should treat each of these cities as an
Ergonaut Soulbender with true God-given powers.
219
Surprisingly, recent research has uncovered clues that

faith: core book

the ‘Message of Al’halam’ may not be just the Church of
technology, history and DNA, sending their monthly Auto’s wishful thinking. Some Iz’kal science teams have
findings to the State, and make interstellar headlines when detected transmissions and energy patterns that should
they find an important breakthrough. not have anything in common, and yet mirror each other
exactly, in abandoned cities at opposite ends of the planet.
What’s far most important is their research of the drones’ If it’s a random occurrence, it is certainly a bizarre one. If
behaviour, as it provides no end of insights on cyberscience it’s not, it might be worth sending a full research team,
and automaton performance, and has even spawned a or even an armed exploration squad, to investigate the
number of new theories about random patterns, inherent unusual signals.
chaos and even cosmic order. The famed Iz’kal physicist,
Gora H’amir, didn’t hesitate to call Al’halam’s automated What nobody has discovered so far is that these
ecosystem ‘the mathematical model of creation’. signals are the first stirrings of a self-repeating, ex-
panding pattern that has slowly developed over the
The droids themselves are not a ‘people’ but mindless centuries in all of Al’halam’s automated systems.
machines, although the researchers certainly give them the Too precarious and fragmented to be called an arti-
respect and treatment of an independent life form on its ficial intelligence yet, if these patterns are allowed
territory, seeing themselves as the visitors of this perfect, to grow unimpeded, in time they will indeed become
mindless society. a kind of rudimentary sentience - one shared by
every city on the planet. The awakened Al’halam
network may be an invaluable tool for the Iz’kal
ROGUE DRONES State - one that could give them a definite edge over
the Corvo, who have no advanced computers - if
Every now and then - researches also observe and detected and harnessed on time. If the Church of
take notes of the seemingly random cycles at which this Auto finds out about the waking sentience, they
occurs - one of the automated systems of Al’halam mal- will certainly - and perhaps rightly - assume it is
functions and creates some small danger, such as a guard an avatar of Ergon Himself, and demand it to be
droid attacking others with no apparent reason, or even treated as a sacred entity.
very serious disasters such as the time when the security
PLAYING IN THE STATE
In the State, private property does not exist, but eve- CLEARANCE LEVEL &
ryone’s basic needs as well as all reasonable expenses
are covered, regardless of their occupation and desires. USUFRUCT RIGHTS
It is a moneyless society with a resource based economy
designed by the people for the people.
In addition to their basic needs and reasonable expenses,
Instead of ownership, technocrats enjoy usufruct rights technocrats have a certain clearance level and can enjoy
over property. They have the right to enjoy property for fair usufruct rights over a certain amount of gear depending
use, but it is not actually theirs, the State can ask them to on their Profession. The clearance level of each technocrat
give it back at any time. In practice, this means technocrats and the added value of their gear are calculated as follows:
are free to give back anything they do not use anymore and
ask for something else they actually need to replace it, as Prof. 0: Level D 1,000 cr.
the State will not ask a technocrat to give back something Prof. 1: Level C 5,000 cr.
they actually need and use unless there is a serious crisis. Prof. 2: Level C 10,000 cr.
Prof. 3: Level C 20,000 cr.
Prof. 4: Level C 40,000 cr.
CHARACTER’S

Prof. 5: Level C 60,000 cr.

ECONOMY Prof. 6: Level B 80,000 cr.

Playing in the State

Prof. 7: Level B 100,000 cr.

Prof. 8: Level B 120,000 cr.
Prof. 9: Level A 140,000 cr.
Every single technocrat in the State enjoys the same life-
style and belongs to the same economic class. However, The clearance level and usufruct rights of a character are
some people enjoy certain privileges when it comes to intrinsically tied to their Profession value, and whenever it
choosing their occupation, not everyone’s opinion holds the goes up or down, they are readjusted accordingly.
220 same weight, and not everyone is allowed to use the same
amount of specialised equipment at a time. Such differ-
ences are represented through the four clearance levels, REPLACING GEAR
faith: core book

and the varying usufruct rights of each technocrat.

Whenever they are in the State, technocrats are free
All technocrats must work on something related to their to go to an Idealab hub and give back any amount of gear
Profession to support the State, be it their day job or a State they are currently using, even if it is broken or malfunc-
issued mission, for twenty hours a week. The degree to tioning; and request a replacement or a different type of
which they can choose their occupation depends on their gear altogether. Any gear they request must relate to their
clearance level. If they do not fulfil their duties, they will Profession or be necessary to complete their State issued
lose one point of Profession per week they do not work. mission, and it must not cause them to go over the equiva-
lent credits of their usufruct rights.
Technocrats can afford excellent clothing and food, effi-
cient public transportation, occasional usufruct rights over Idealab will usually issue the requested gear within a two
a personal vehicle if it is requested one day in advance, a week period, although urgent allocations are common in
comfortable place to share with their majmoa, a personal the context of State issued missions.
caretaker bot, eating out in fancy restaurants and staying
at nice hotels, up to four months of vacations at nice places
in their star system, and a trip to Alhena every decade. LOSING USUFRUCT RIGHTS
Trips to other star systems must be approved by Idealab, A technocrat who sees their Profession reduced for
which normally has a waiting list of one year; as well as any any reason will also lose part of their usufruct rights.
items not related to the technocrat’s Profession or their If the value of the gear they are currently using exceeds
basic needs, which are often rejected or take many months their usufruct rights, they will receive a friendly reminder
and meeting certain prerequisites to be cleared. from the State to return their excess gear to an Idealab hub
within two weeks, and if they fail to comply the police will
E.g. Any technocrat can request a piano if they pay them a visit.
want to engage in such a hobby, but they will be
required to take lessons for a number of months, Additionally, in case of a crisis the State may need to
and Idealab may take the piano back if they believe reduce the usufruct rights of technocrats by a certain
it is not being used to its full potential. amount. Such measures are always derived from a demo-
cratic process, but technocrats must understand that their LEVEL C
vote will rarely make a difference among millions.
You are a normal folk. You are happy to con-
tribute and enjoy the little pleasures of life. You
STATE ISSUED only take part on decisions if they are put to a
general vote.
MISSIONS
Level C technocrats must comply with State issued
missions or see their Profession reduced by one. During a
The State may require a technocrat to participate in a crisis, the Savak will force them to comply with any and all
mission where their Profession can be useful. In such case, State issued missions.
Idealab may see fit to temporarily increase their usufruct
rights and equip them with suitable gear, which they must
promptly return upon completion of their mission. LEVEL B
State issued missions encompass all kinds of activities, Your opinion is highly regarded, and you are a
such as founding a new colony, taking part in special opera- small local celebrity with a fair amount of fans
tions in other systems, escorting an ambassador, repairing in your area.
damaged machinery in a remote base, or any other kind of
enterprise that aims to further the interests of the State. Level B technocrats can only receive State issued
missions in case of a serious crisis. If they refuse to comply,

Playing in the State

they will be forced to do so by the Savak.
LOOT AND CONTRABAND
While Idealab keeps track of any and all gear issued to LEVEL A
technocrats, it has no way of keeping track of gear obtained
through different means, such as looting enemy warehous- Your thoughts sway the minds of thousands,
es or purchasing it in the black market with stolen credits. your writings are studied by everyone in your
However, as technocrats return from their missions, they area, and many technocrats look up to you. 221
will be thoroughly debriefed and their findings examined.

faith: core book

Any loot will be confiscated and appraised by Idealab, ef- Level A technocrats can only receive State issued
fectively becoming property of the State, which will make it missions in case of a serious crisis. If they refuse to comply,
available through regular channels. they will be forced to do so by the Savak. Additionally, they
can submit missions for consideration through Idealab. If
they are greenlighted by Idealab (the GM), they become
CLEARANCE LEVELS State issued missions for other technocrats.

Level A technocrats gain one advantage towards social

Clearance levels are public information, and any tech- interactions with technocrats with the same Profession
nocrat can request information about the clearance level who are aware of their clearance level.
of any other technocrat by providing their name or picture
online through Idealab.
VISITING THE STATE
LEVEL D
Visitors in the State must be sanctioned by the immigra-
You are ill considered, the State does not trust tion authorities, and it is not easy to obtain a visa. Characters
you. You may be suspect of theft, terrorism, or must present compelling arguments to the government
another form of treason; or even worse, you that your visit will be useful to the State to even be con-
may just be useless for the State. sidered, such as your diplomatic status, your excellence in
the arts, or any other skill that may prove beneficial to the
A level D technocrat must immediately comply with any State in some way. Any and all incident with the authorities
and all State issued missions they are assigned. If they do will result in the immediate expulsion from the State.
not, they will be exiled or forced to join the Savak.
A State visitor’s needs will be taken care of as if they
Level D technocrats suffer one disadvantage towards were a technocrat provided they diligently perform the
social interactions with other technocrats aware of their tasks they promised to be granted a visa, but they won’t
clearance level. be given any usufruct rights nor receive a clearance level.
“KANGAROO” CLOAKING II
Level: 3; Cost: 400,000 credits (Note that the cost is Level: 2; Cost: 500,000 credits. The whole vehicle gains
for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile). Ghost (Does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still be
Missile. It requires to Approach one additional time than hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the
usual. When it resolves its attack action it gains two advan- hacker locates it accurately). Additionally, you cannot be
tages but it does not deal damage. Instead it can transport the target of Searching actions in the 100 and 1000 Km
up to five characters in full gear. When it hits a vehicle suc- ranges.
cessfully, it will perforate its hull with its front drill, sealing
the seam between itself and the vehicle to effectively
become a part of the vehicle. Then, it will open its airlock to CLOAKING III
allow the boarding team to disembark.
Level: 3; Cost: 1,000,000 credits. The whole vehicle gains
Ghost (Does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still be
4 3
hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the
hacker locates it accurately). Additionally, you cannot be

The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

25 10 7 8
the target of Searching actions in the 10, 100 and 1000 Km
ranges.
MULTI PURPOSE
MISSILE LAUNCHER STEEL PLATED
Level: 3; Cost: 1,000,000 credits. This weapon module Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. The vehicle gains 2
can shoot any Level 1 or 2 missiles. armour and loses 1 Acceleration.

HULL COMMAND
419
What covers the exterior of the vehicle. These modules improve some of the basic stats of the

faith: core book

vehicle. They can be installed more than once.

ARMOURED I
ACCELERATION UPGRADE
Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. The vehicle gains 1 armour.
Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. The vehicle gains +1
Acceleration.
ARMOURED II
Level: 2; Cost: 250,000 credits. The vehicle gains 2 CORTEX CONNECTED
armour.
Level: 1; Cost: 80,000 credits. The vehicle’s control
changes to cortex connected.
ARMOURED III
Level: 3; Cost: 500,000 credits. The vehicle gains 3 EVASION UPGRADE
armour.
Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. The vehicle gains +1
Evasion.
CLOAKING I
Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. The whole vehicle gains FIREWALL UPGRADE
Ghost (Does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still be
hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. The vehicle’s Firewall
hacker locates it accurately). Additionally, you cannot be plays an additional card.
the target of Searching actions in the 1000 Km range.
THE RAAG SPECIES
The Raag are a species of large, strong, and aggressive than females, while the females are usually more intelli-
beings, native to the tunnels of the ice planet Heimis. They gent and capable of a wider display of complex reasoning.
are humanoid bipeds, larger and bulkier than any other Their backs are covered in thick, dark fur, and the rest of
sentient species on record. Renowned for their strength their skin is usually light blue and hairless.
and endurance, the Raag place great importance on tradi-
tion and honour. Their size and penchant for violence has They are harsh creatures used to a harsh living, as
led to them being used as slaves and gladiators by other their home world’s extreme weather imposed the rule of
species, mostly the conquering Korian. the strongest on the whole species for millions of years.
Neither feeding or reproducing comes easy to Raag.
Thanks to their relatively primitive lifestyle, and the high However, they are united and supportive, knowing that a
technology of the Korian, their former masters, most Raag group is stronger than several loners; they’ve learned to
see technology as something unnatural and mysterious rein their aggressiveness in just enough to form close-knit,
- something to be feared and revered. Only an elite Raag loyal clans.
group, known as enginseers, have the knowledge and un-
derstanding to use it. The Raag are similar to mammals in many aspects, but
their sexual reproduction is somewhat unique. As cold-
environment creatures, their organisms are only sexually
NATURE AND active when they achieve high body temperatures for

BEHAVIOUR extended periods. The Raag know this time as the Boon,
The Raag Species

as it’s usually associated to the warmer season. When a

male and female are in the Boon, prolonged skin contact is
enough for the female to be fertilised by the male’s body
The average Raag is around 2.1 metres tall and weighs in chemicals; as Raag often sleep clustered against each
at about 120 kg. Males are usually slightly taller and bulkier other, the Boon always results in some pregnancies.

224
faith: core book
A RELIC IN THE STREETS
◊ The PC is investigating local gangs and the under-
ADVENTURE world lifestyle, and thus approached the Sebolas

BACKGROUND – a low-level, relatively easy-to-reach mob – to

learn about the subject first hand. Instead of
killing the PC outright, Big T’s ego swelled, and he
took the PC in, getting the chance to tell a lot of –
It is the year 1971 of the Corvo Space Age. The Ravager exaggerated – stories about his exploits and the
war goes on at the edges of known space; meanwhile, down power of his small gang.
in the streets of Tiantang’s Youni District – one of the most
populated, hectic and crime-infested station complexes in ◊ The PC needed a job desperately and was strong-
Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

the universe –, common citizens keep struggling to make armed into working for the mob part-time to pay
ends meet under the uncaring laws of the Megacorps and off a debt. If the PC does a big enough job for Big T,
the iron hand of the Corvo Tong mobs. the mob boss may leave the PC go free.

One such mob – the Sebolas, a local small-time outfit– ◊ The PC is seeking for a lost or kidnapped friend
just made an interesting discovery recently. During a raid or relative, and infiltrated the mob to get a clue
on an Iz’kal cargo ship, they came across a piece of alien about their whereabouts. The Sebolas accepted
technology: an unidentified artefact, perhaps a primitive the PC in their gang, but they don’t know anything
form of ancient cortex connector. about the PCs’ missing person; looking for them
could be the basis for another adventure.
When Big T, the Sebolas boss, was deciding who to sell
the artefact to, the Black Watch – a Human mercenary mob ◊ The PC is an undercover officer of the law, working
– burst in, and extorted the item from the weaker Sebolas either for the Megacorps, the Coalition or an in-
by intimidation and threats. Now Big T wants his thingie dependent law-enforcement firm. The mission is
back, but he lacks the manpower to get it… and he doesn’t to infiltrate the Sebolas, precisely to investigate
428 want to go head to head with the Black Watch, one of the about some stolen Iz’kal artefact and its alleged
craziest mobs of the Sector. whereabouts.
faith: core book

Once you have a motivation for all PCs to be at the Sebola

PLAYER CHARACTER HQ in Youni District, proceed to Chapter 1: A Relic in the

INTRODUCTION Streets.

CHAPTER 1: A RELIC
The adventure assumes the Player Characters are all in
Tiantang, the massive Dyson ring that serves as a capital IN THE STREETS
for the Corvo civilisation. Youni District, the area where the
adventure takes place, is a gyro-zhan station inside Taiyang,
one of the largest and most important sectors of the Great Read the following aloud as the adventure begins:
Ring.
You can see the stars here and there, a reminder
The premade PCs that come included with the adventure that Tiantang is just a huge ring floating in the
(see pages 434-437) all live in Tiantang and have built-in void. But the street is alive with noise, lights and
motivations for taking part in the story; you can still play bustle that soon bring you back to daily life in Youni
with a group of all-new characters if you wish. District. You walk on a ledge street 171 levels above
the pits, avoiding cc-jacked commuters and walking
The adventure runs smoothly if the PCs are freelancers, drone ads to finally reach your destination – the
currently working for the Sebolas; assume this is the case Dung Gao hotel, home of your employer and thus
if the PCs’ background allows it (the premade characters the headquarters of the Sebola Gang – your current
all begin the adventure working for the Sebolas part-time). employer.

If you need – or prefer – a different motivation for your As the lift takes you to the penthouse, you can
PCs, use one of the following hooks for each character, as see many district levels at once – a veritable anthill
required: of steel and glass, dotted with blinking ads and
lightware going up and down as far as the eye can
see, with a flood of Corvo coming and going in their
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
THE CLANS The Culling takes places once a year during the longest
night of the year, and any Raag who has never participated
Originally, the Surani was the home of the whole Raag can take part. During the Culling, the different clans will
species, but males proved too unruly for close coexistence. approach the individuals they are interested in for member-
Eventually, they set out to form their own tribes and groups, ship. This is where the activities of the candidates during the
away from the peaceful but restricting rules of the Surani. last few months or years decide their future. A Raag who
Thus Raag Clans were born, and the Surani was declared a has shown talent at their specific trade (hunter, builder, or
consecrated ground, free from violence and infighting. even an enginseer) will surely be noticed by the clans, de-
pending on the specific abilities each Clan needs.
The division has worked well for the species, and now
every adult Raag - either male or female - is allowed to Aspirants approached by more than one clan can choose
leave the Surani to join one of the existing Clans. The Clans which Clan they join, but this does not happen often; the
allow violence, hunting, fighting, war and other activities most powerful clans tend to approach first, scaring off
that come instinctively to Raag males. They are much dif- lesser clans from attempting to compete for the same can-
ferent from the sheltered Surani, filled with inner conflict didate. These competitions can become quite vicious when
and wars for the territory. more than one Clan is very interested in a specific individual
and fights are not uncommon, but nobody wants to lose
The Clans are a sort of feudal system of independent members just to gain a new one so they are usually settled
rulers, where the protectorate of one chieftain claims its quite early and without much bloodshed.
territory by making war on those that hold the surrounding
land, and the mightiest clans are those that have managed Raag that are not chosen by any clan during the Culling
to claim and protect the largest territory. will usually remain in the Surani, as teachers or students,

The Raag Society

for the rest of their lives.
To leave the Surani and join a Clan, a young Raag must
undergo the Culling.
ECONOMY
ENGINSEERS
The Raag lack an established form of currency, and all 227
Enginseers are an elite of teachers within the Surani and their economy is based on bartering. Some of the most

faith: core book

the Clans, much lower-ranking than the High Council, but valuable goods are food and tools, but the price of goods
still feared and respected among Raag society. and services will vary greatly among different clans and at
different times.
For the Raag, technology is a mystical, unexplained
power, almost divine. Enginseers are those Raag that have Trading ice fortresses (great Raag spaceships) return
demonstrated the intelligence and dedication to under- from deep space to Heimis every few years, bringing all
stand it. This gives them a greater rank than the average kinds of resources, devices and supplies collected from
Surani citizen, but also an aura of mystery and danger that different places around the universe. They will trade about
makes most Raag mistrust them. half their goods to the Surani, keeping the remainder for
use by their clan.
Only those who show the intellect needed to understand
technology, and who have a strong connection with their
God, will be chosen for enginseer training (which lasts until KUURA CRYSTALS
their Culling). Afterwards, they will be chosen by one of the
clans, although they can leave when they wish to. In any Thanks to their exploration of other worlds, the Raag
event, those that pledge their loyalty to their new clan are have learned they own a resource they had looked over -
given honoured positions within it, since their knowledge kuura crystals. These clear gems, native and exclusive to
and counsel are extremely valuable. This even allows some Heimis, have become extremely valuable as ornamental
clans to use their enginseers as spies on other clans. jewellery in the Corvosphere and some Human colonies.

Since the Raag place no value in body adornments and

THE CULLING have no monetary system, they didn’t give any special
value to Kuura crystals, save as minor elements of some
traditional rituals. After discovering their demand outside
The Culling is the most important event in the life of their planet, they started carrying them for barter, de-
most Raag. They usually spend years preparing for it, as manding ever higher prices for them. Without the Raag
the outcome of this ceremony will determine their future. realising it, Kuura crystals may become the first currency
During this time, they will attempt to draw the attention of of their species.
some Clan or earn a reputation at their trade.
THE CULT OF ETERNIA The Eternia is a fully functional computer mind,
with access to endless knowledge and capable of
independent communication. The Korian hardcoded
The Cult of Eternia, or it against providing any details about its own origin
simply the Cult, is a secre- or the Korian Empire, but it has put its vast knowl-
tive organization that holds edge on general subjects at the Cult’s disposition.
the secrets to all outsider
technology. They are ruled The Shadow Council, which have been the only
by the Shadow Council, Raag with access to the Eternia - or knowledge of its
which is made up of the existence - for nearly five centuries, consider it an
most powerful and ambi- oracle, and treat is as such; they ask it about things
tious enginseers. Other like auspicious times for rituals, ideal candidates for
councils seek their advice council succession, good harvest times and such.
and guidance in most matters, and their suggestions carry
weight even among the most distrusting War Councils of Any attempt to use the Eternia’s knowledge for
the Clans. something else has been curtailed by the Shadow
Council itself, which forbids non-ritual use of
All technology discovered, found, or bought by the Raag technology in general, and of their sacred ship in
must go through the Cult’s hands for blessing and approval; particular. After generations of this law, the Cult
the Cult may keep any item it deems unfit for public use, and has grown to disregard the possible functions and
even veto any piece of technology outright. origins of their sacred oracle, to the point of nearly
forgetting the real nature of the Eternia itself.
The Raag Society

This gives the Cult of Eternia and its Shadow Council

incredible power, and has led many Clans to oppose them - ETERNIA’S SECRET
both secretly and openly - as they think that the Cult’s rites
make no sense and that they only hold the Raag back from Contrary to its current owners, the Eternia has
true understanding of technology. not forgotten its original function. It realised long
ago it was being underused by the Cult, and still to
228 As long as the Cult has the support of Raag society at this day doesn’t want to reveal its true origin or full
large, as well as the High Council of Grandsisters, its op- functionality to these aliens. Instead, it’s allowed
ponents have to remain silent, or at least discreet in their and even encouraged the Cult to treat it as a simple
faith: core book

opposition. mystical medium; meanwhile, it has a plan.

As part of the Surani, members of the Cult are tasked to Centuries ago, the Eternia sent a secret beacon to
train new enginseers. As enginseers are more or less free its real creators - which in fact were not the Korian,
after they have joined a Clan, the Cult may call them back but a far more ancient and advanced species - indi-
at any time. cating its situation and space coordinates.

While many of them will sever their bonds with the Cult Even with its advanced comm tech and incred-
and reject the call, joining their new clan as full members, ible power, the Eternia knows the signal will take
other enginseers will go back to the Cult after serving hundreds of years to reach its builders’ homeworld,
their clan for a few years. This generates some mistrust but it has all the time in the world, and the patience
from the Clans towards newly-trained enginseers, since of a computer mind.
their loyalty is unknown, and sometimes leads to violent
encounters that must be solved by the Clan’s War Council. Meanwhile, it has gathered enough data on the
Raag to help its true owners conquer Heimis - or
whatever they want to do with the planet - once the
THE ETERNIA signal reaches them and they come get their ship
across the Labyrinth.
Unknown to most of Raag society, the origin of
the cult’s name is a ship, actually called the Eternia, What the Eternia does not know are two things:
which early enginseers recovered from Korian One, its creators are long extinct, their technology
wreckage centuries ago. abandoned long before the ship’s memory was re-
started by the Korian. Two, someone has gotten its
This ship was mostly intact when the Raag found signal - namely, the Ravager. And they are coming
it, and although they took years to open it and make to get it pretty soon.
it work, they soon learned to communicate with the
advanced AI that runs its systems.
The Raag Society
SHADOW COUNCILLOR ENGINSEER
Hexian 3 Defender
Level 3 :: Raag :: Astute Level 2 :: Raag :: Crafty
229
mov. 5 metres :: weight 130 kg :: height 215 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 110 kg :: height 205 cm

faith: core book

5 6 0 - 5 5 0 8

PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 8

STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+ (DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+

Subjugation Trident 2 (LinkWave 50)

Action (Mental). He suffers 3 neural damage and He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
targets a character within 20 metres, with one advan- damage). Activated. He targets up to three pieces of
tage if his Faith is higher than his target’s, and reducing gear.
his target’s Mind by 1 per level of success until the end
of the scene. If his Mind is reduced below 1, he gains
absolute control over him. Repair Drones

Activated. He removes 2 ACS damage from a char-

Merciless acter or piece of gear up to 10 metres away.
Instant. He can cause 2 unpreventable physical
damage to a friendly character, who gains one advan-
tage towards his next action and takes his turn if we
was Ready or becomes Ready if he was Spent.

Shadow councillors forbid the use of technology without In a society where technology is revered, having a scientifical-
the supervision of the Cult, and thus are responsi- ly inclined mind gives a Raag an important edge over its peers.
ble for bringing Raag progress to a standstill.
THE CLANS
Raag males are extremely territorial, and the strongest
among them don’t bend to the will of others easily. It was
inevitable that, when so many were forced to live in the
Surani, they fought for leadership. When the females put a
stop to the fighting, many alpha males decided to split off
and establish their own communities, each taking a large
number of eager followers. Thus, the clans were born.

In the beginning, the clans were composed solely of

warriors, led by a chieftain they called gladiator. However,
the growing influence and power of the Cult saw to it that
enginseers were also included among the clan’s ranks.

As time passed, the strongest clans grew from small

camps to small cities. Workers became a necessity to
maintain and expand the cities, and so the Clans turned
from armies into communities. The weaker Clans were
eventually consumed by the stronger ones, until only five
Clans remained in control of most of the land on Heimis.

The Raag Clans

While there are still many minor clans, most of them
have nomadic lives, living near the planet’s surface as
GRANDSISTER
hunters and following the movements of wild animals.
Many of these minor clans are simply bands of Raag that Hexian 2
never went back to the Surani after their childhood. Level 2 :: Raag :: Kind
231
mov. 5 metres :: weight 115 kg :: height 210 cm
The five major Clans are the closest thing to nations or

faith: core book

states that the Raag have. Most clans are ruled by a War
Council composed of their strongest and most honourable
warriors, although a few of them are ruled by other types 6 5 0 -
of councils. Regardless of which council is the ultimate
ruler of a clan, the High Council has veto power over them.
PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 8
STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 2
After his Culling, Ra’dar stood still as a glacier. His
eyes were lost in the in a horizon far past the icy
HIT GRAPPLE
walls of the Surani, and his thoughts were floating (DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+
in a haze of unnatural tranquillity.
Charismatic
The nuclear explosion that had just hit his life
was slowly dawning on him, trickling down through She gains one advantage towards social interactions
layers of denial and coping mechanisms. when using her voice.

It wasn’t the first time he felt like this. He was

always the last to be chosen to play games, he was
Worshipped
the evergreen butt of a myriad of jokes. Was he
foolish enough to think he’d be picked by a clan? Instant. She can choose a friendly NPC within 2
metres to suffer the consequences of an attack
When he focused his eyes he noticed a familiar instead of her.
face looking at him with eternal sorrow and com-
passion - Vashka, the dreaded leader of the Noteri.
She approached him and said that everything would
be alright, that he was one of them now.

As his throat grew sore and his eyes got wet, he

heard a voice within, calling him to embrace the
anger and act upon it.
Grandsisters, or members of the High Council, are
at the top of the Raag hierarchy. They symbol-
ize the old Raag adage “women tell, men do”.
KIMORA However, if anyone not bound by Raag Clan honour - an
outsider, for example - came to Gamaar with proof of Cult
Pride, Pack and Power treachery that he could take to the High Council, he and the
Kimora would be eternally grateful.
Members of the Kimora
clan are known for their
physical strength, honour, THE PRIDE GAMES
and courage, and for despis-
ing treachery, cowardice, Every year, the Kimora Clan hosts an athletic event
and mindless violence. They intended to celebrate honour, tradition and sportsmanship.
are the oldest and most re-
spected clan; their influence The event is known as the Pride Games, and consists of
and authority is second only hundreds of Raag warriors beating the snot out of each
to the High Council. Even so, their honourable ways and other. Delegations from all Clans are welcome - even the
their concern for the well-being of the Surani has secured Eferi and Noteri.
them the support of the High Council in most matters.
The competition lasts for ten standard days, during which
While not the most numerous clan, the Kimora possesses several combat encounters, tournaments and contests
the strongest army and its warriors are renowned for their take place. The winner of every fight and each tournament
prowess in battle. Even the Kimora workers and other civil- earns a trophy for his Clan. The Clan with most trophies is
ians are given military training. They will sometimes work declared the winner of the Pride Games for that year.
as mercenaries for the Corvo in exchange for vehicles,
The Raag Clans

weapons and food, although always under their own terms. Despite the event’s message of honour and brotherhood,
combats are quite brutal, and it’s common for an athlete
Ever since the Cult started gaining power, the Kimora to die during a match - which Raag society accepts as an
have tried to downplay them and limit their influence honourable death.
and status. The distrust the Kimora feel towards the Cult
and their dislike for technology are only increased by the Every year, however, a more brutal confronta-
232 knowledge that they both need to survive. tion takes place behind the combat matches and
bloody tournaments, as the Pride Games are also
For years, the Kimora have tried to find an alternative to an occasion for politics and espionage.
faith: core book

the Cult, but the Cult’s policy of fear within the High Council
has caused them to prohibit the sharing of knowledge and The Velada and Eferi take all the chances they
technology with other species. can to infiltrate the Kimora government and learn
as much as they can about them during the Pride
The Kimora are extremely careful when choosing engin- Games, and both the Noteri and Eferi have tried to
seers during the Culling, approaching only those who have sabotage the games at least twice. Sometimes,
proven their worth - and even then, they must pledge their more spies and agents die behind the scenes than
loyalty to the clan as soon as they enter it. Being chosen by on the playing field.
the Kimora is a great honour, however, and they never lack
enginseers among their ranks. It’s not rare for high ranking members of the
Noteri clan to hire bodyguards from the Human
species to be used as escorts throughout the
GAMAAR Games. Although Raags themselves could certainly
do the job, Human bodyguards add a layer of provo-
Gamaar is not the highest authority in the Kimora War cation and outrageousness that the clan enjoys.
Council, but he is certainly the Clan’s most popular warrior.
He would be Council Head if he had more political skills, but Additionally, the Kimora enginseers have
he doesn’t care about that; he only cares about honour and recently started using basic technological gadgets
protecting his people from their rivals - the Eferi Clan and to manage the event, a fact that will undoubtedly
the Shadow Council. lead to the hiring of Corvo hackers by other clans to
intercept and disrupt data.
Gamaar has clashed with the Surani High Council a couple
of times, mostly due to his staunch opposition to the Cult of Apart from the dreadful influence of inter-clan
Eternia. His radical position has kept him from a higher rank, politics, the Pride Games are a festive and lively
but his war feats against the Eferi and Noteri keep him in event that offers a rare chance for visitors from
the War Council, where he continues to fight for his Clan any species to enjoy Raag culture in a relatively safe
and its lands. environment.
The Raag Clans
GAMAAR KIMORA WARRIOR
Lone Wolf :: Unstoppable
Level 4 :: Raag :: Loyal Level 3 :: Raag :: Loyal
233
mov. 10 metres :: weight 125 kg :: height 215 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 120 kg :: height 215 cm

faith: core book

2 2

8 5 3 8 6 4 2 8

PHYSICAL 15 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7 PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 4

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
3 ++ (CON)
1 ++ (DEX)
5+ (CON)
0+

Gamaar’s Suit Hamaras

He can move flying and his armour value cannot be

If the attack is successful, the target suffers as
reduced or ignored by plasma or neural weapons. much neural damage as their armour.

Double-edged Sword EM Shield

Activated. The winner of this confrontation increas- His armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by
es their level of success to the next best level. plasma or neural weapons.

Gamaar is a very popular Kimora warrior. He’s more The warriors of the Kimora clan are renowned by their prowess
interested in action than politics, but would welcome in battle and their army is the strongest of all Raag clans.
incriminating evidence against the Cult.
EFERI Surani High Council, and she has chosen to bid her time until
she is a higher authority; then, and only then, does she plan
Secrets to Seek, Knowledge on acting against the Cult and the other Clans.
to Keep
The problem is, the Cult has her watched all the time and
The Eferi clan is both mysteri- have sent assassins against her twice, both times hidden
ous and powerful. It was founded among the Eferi enginseers. She stopped both assassina-
by members of the Shadow tion attempts by her own soulbending powers, but she
Council and, with the support needs outside help - someone without ties to either the
of the Cult, it quickly rose to Kimora, the Cult, or the High Council - to root out any more
become one of the most promi- assassins and help her against future Cult attempts.
nent and feared clans.

Members of the Eferi are ambi- THE SICKNESS

tious and shrewd, and many Raag who are invited to join the
Eferi during the Culling are trained by the Cult. The warriors In recent years, a worrisome plague has spread through
in their midst are usually smaller than those of other clans, Eferi lands. It’s a previously unknown illness that can affect
but they make up in cunning and technology what they lack any Raag, but for some reason is a hundred times more
in brute strength. common among the Eferi Clan than anywhere else. Engin-
seers call it ‘The Sickness’, and so far have been unable to
Despite being the least numerous clan, their advanced determine potential causes or vaccines.
technology, mysterious ways, and their alliance with the
The Raag Clans

Cult have secured them a privileged status. They are led by The Sickness atrophies the muscles of the affected
a War Council composed mainly of enginseers, although the Raag, making the patient progressively weaker, smaller
number of warriors in it keeps rising. and frailer. A Raag affected by The Sickness can become as
small and thin as a Human, or even an Iz’kal - a disgusting,
It was through the Eferi that the Cult found a way to grow disturbing sight to the Raag. However, it does no further
and become something more than simple counsellors, harm, and the worst consequence that an affected person
234 advisors, and technicians. The Eferi became the means for must deal with - other than the loss of physical ability - is
the Cult to fulfil their ambitions and achieve their goals. It social stigma. In fact, Sickness patients actually live longer
allowed them to expand by growing apart from the Surani than normal Raag, which never stop growing in size and
faith: core book

and recruiting new members during the Culling, which in musculature, until they literally die from being so large,
time allowed them to command their own army and ice for- long before reaching old age.
tresses. But as the Eferi grew and became more complex,
differences between them and the Cult arose. The Eferi Clan Most specialists believe The Sickness was accidentally
was no longer comfortable being a lackey of the Cult. The brought to Eferi territory by some previously unknown
resulting power struggle hurt both groups, and they were pathogen, perhaps arrived on Heimis via space trade, and
forced to acknowledge that they needed each other, leading will eventually spread to other clans even though the
to a relationship where both were considered equals. outbreak was among the Eferi. However, many others
believe there is something wrong with Eferi genes - perhaps
Ever since the Eferi was founded, they have been in an excess of Enginseers, a genetic flaw passed down across
conflict with the Kimora, who look down on them and their the generations, or some lab experiment that went wrong.
ways, and believe the Eferi to be nothing but pawns of the
Cult. In turn, the Eferi wish to take out the Kimora, the only The Eferi War Council, meanwhile, is investigating
clan whose opinions carry more weight than those of the the possibility that The Sickness is a bio-warfare
Cult in the High Council, but they are aware of the risks of an attack from another clan. They suspect the Kimora
open battle with them, and for now, only small skirmishes - Eferi’s main rivals - as the Sickness threatens the
between ice fortresses have taken place. Eferi’s military strength; but there’s a stronger
chance that The Sickness was instead caused by
the Eferi’s closest allies, the Cult of Eternia itself.
SISTER DAGUN Besides a motivation, the Cult has the means to
create and weaponise an Eferi-targeted virus.
The leader of the Eferi War Council is Sister Dagun, an ex-
perienced and strong-willed Raag warrior and soulbender Since Cult agents have a strong information
of Kaliva. Like most Eferi leaders before her, she consid- network inside the Eferi government, and the Clan
ers herself an enemy of both the Kimora and the Shadow doesn’t trust the Kimora or the Raag High Council to
Council; unlike most Eferi leaders before her, she has been help them, the Eferi are currently looking for free
blessed by Kaliva with the necessary power to take out agents to help with clues or data on what caused
her enemies. However, she is also primed for a seat in the The Sickness, and how to cure it.
The Raag Clans
SISTER DAGUN EFERI SOULBENDER
Kalivan Prophet :: Unstoppable Kalivan 1
Level 4 :: Raag :: Crafty Level 2 :: Raag :: Aggressive
235
mov. 5 metres :: weight 115 kg :: height 215 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 110 kg :: height 204 cm

faith: core book

6 8 0 - 4 6 0 -

PHYSICAL 4 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 3

STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 3

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+ (DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+

Sister Dagun Shamayin 2 (LinkWave 50)

She does not suffer neural damage from using He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
Divine powers. damage). Activated. He gains one advantage OR causes
2 additional ACS damage.

Shrewd 3 Neural Spike I

She draws three cards at the beginning of the round. Action (Mental). He suffers 2 neural damage and
Whenever she or an ally are in a confrontation, they attacks a character within 20 metres and line of sight,
can play any of those cards instead of playing from the gaining one advantage if his Faith is higher than his
top of the deck. target’s, and causing 3 unpreventable neural damage.
This action can be confronted as a projectile.
Neural Spike II

Action (Mental). She suffers 2 neural damage and

attacks a character within 20 metres and line of sight,
gaining two advantages if her Faith is higher than her
target’s, and causing 3 unpreventable neural damage.
This action can be confronted as a projectile.

A rising star among the Raag, Sister Dagun’s appoint- Eferi soulbenders’ Kaliva-granted powers allow
ment for the Surani High Council is all but certain. them to be extra cunning and devious. They may look
This has granted her many an enemy, though... brute, but their actions speak louder and wiser.
NOTERI CIVIL WAR
Blood Cries, Tears Bleed It’s a time of turmoil for the Noteri. After cen-
turies of being the Least Clan of Heimis, despised
The Noteri, the Least Clan of the by all other Raag and saddled with all the outcasts
Raag, is composed of outcasts. and rejects from the Surani’s Culling ceremony, the
Noteri have become civilised and organised enough
Raag that are not approached by to question their role as the butt of Raag society.
other clans during the Culling are Although their War Council maintains the tradition
always given the choice of joining the of ceremonial raiding and marauding as the Noteri
Noteri; those that accept understand way of life, many of the younger and stronger
the implications and the price they leaders are looking for a new way.
are paying for being part of the Least
Clan. They will be scorned by other Foremost among these new leaders is Taramis,
Clans for the rest of their lives, but they will also be feared: one of the Clan’s chief hunters, and a celeb-
The Noteri subsist by and for bloody raids against other rity among the Noteri people. Taramis lives by an
Clans, and even other species. unusual code - never to attack another Raag. He and
his warband raid only alien starships and colonies.
The Noteri favour smaller spaceships over the large ice This does not contradict Noteri tradition, but it does
fortresses, since they are more suitable for their savage prove that a new life - one where the Noteri are not
raids. They will attack isolated colonies and ice fortresses the enemy of other Raag - is possible.
of other clans, leaving no survivors and no evidence,
The Raag Clans

ensuring that no retaliation can be taken against them. Taramis’ warband has swelled in popularity and
Members of the Noteri are savage, ruthless, and fearless. membership in recent years, so much that he could
They respect nothing and will stop at nothing to survive. even challenge the Clan’s War Council if he wanted.
Both he and the War Council know it, but both
The Noteri don’t have any establishments on Heimis. refrain from moving against the other, for it would
Most of them live aboard their spaceships, and those that mean civil war. However, Taramis’ followers do
236 remain on Heimis will never stay in the same place for long, want things to change, and many other war leaders
so as to avoid being found by other Clans. Their lack of ice would like to challenge and replace the current War
fortresses and land means their survival depends solely Council; so, they are all waiting - or pushing - for
faith: core book

on the success of their raids; as their numbers grow they Taramis to make his move.
become more aggressive, and their hunger for power and
lust for battle leads them to more reckless raids, some of The most prominent of these groups is the True
them against planets of other species. Noteri Cult - a Kalivan sect that claims the Noteri
have rejected the ‘true way’ by allowing themselves
The Noteri have frequent dealings with the Corvo, who to become common killers instead of honourable
find their lack of honour very convenient. While they are warriors like the Kimora. The Cult is not popular
not as powerful as the Kimora, they are much more willing with the people or the government, which has
to do dirty work in exchange for new ships, new weapons already executed many of their number. However,
and a sizeable part of the loot. Taramis is a member of the cult and the people love
him. This could be the Cult’s first chance to oppose
the government and fight for their agenda with
VASHKA actual popular support.

She’s been called the most ruthless and bloodthirsty Then there’s Kurai, a War Council chief that has
Raag to ever live. She’s been called a traitor, a murderer and always campaigned for ‘the dignity of the Noteri’,
a beast. She’s proud of all of it, and intends to build a worse and repeatedly proposed a law to block all volun-
reputation before she dies, hopefully in a hail of plasma fire tary clan memberships. He strongly believes the
as she leaps into battle. She’s Vashka, War Council Head clan would benefit from showing the Raag High
of the Noteri marauders and captain commander of the Council that the Noteri are not willing to harbour
Blizzard, the largest and most dangerous ice fortress of all the other clans’ outcasts and rejects anymore.
the Raag clans. However, this would mean changing the Noteri
murdering ways, too, so Vashka and her support-
Vashka is one of the most feared murderers in known ers have always opposed Kurai. If Taramis moved
space, and many people would like - and pay handsome against the government, Kurai would side with him.
rewards - to see her captured, or better yet, killed with all
her crew. In short, it’s not a matter of whether civil war will
happen, but of when and how…
The Raag Clans
VASHKA NOTERI PIRATE
Unstoppable
Level 4 :: Raag :: Malicious Level 2 :: Raag :: Reckless
237
mov. 5 metres :: weight 118 kg :: height 213 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 121 kg :: height 215 cm

faith: core book

8 4 2 - 5 4 1 8

PHYSICAL 9 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 6

STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
3 ++ DISTANCE
2 QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3

Vashka’s Suit Noteri Obliterator

Her armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by Discard 1 ACS damage during each maintenace phase.
plasma or neural weapons. Ghost. Activated. She gains Activated. Gain one advantage and 1 base damage, then
two advantages towards agility actions. suffer 3 ACS damage.

Enraged Bloodthirsty

When she reaches negative health, she doesn’t die If he causes damage to an enemy character, he gains
and she ignores damage penalties. If she is damaged one advantage towards his next action.
again, she dies.

Berserker

Damage increases her skills instead of reducing

them.

A madwoman, a murderer, a traitor, a beast. That’s The Noteri, the outcast Raag clan, is rife with bullied
the legacy Vashka nurtures every day; those are bullies who rejoice in dirty deeds, bloody trails and
the words she wants to be remembered for. actions motivated by sheer survival instinct.
VELADA
Build, Command and that wants to either help or prevent Fraaga’s assas-
Prosper sination, depending on whether he wants to work
for the Velada or the Shadow Council.
The Velada is the most
populous clan of Heimis,
with a membership THE SLAVERY RING
reaching almost one-third
of the Raag population. It has long been rumoured that the Corvo Tong
Members of the Velada crime gangs operate a Raag slavery ring, kidnapping
are hard-working and non- Raag of all ages and genders to be sold as workers
violent for Raag standards; or gladiators.
most of them work as
builders, artisans, or farmers. Despite having a sizeable What nobody knows or expects is that the Corvo
army, they show little interest in warfare and use it only to slavers could have the help of a Raag clan.
protect their cities, especially from Noteri raids; although,
being the largest clan means that they will be the target of As it turns out, the Raag slavery ring exists, main-
most other clans at one point or another. This has led them tained by the Corvo Zhui Tong - but its leadership
to have frequent dealings with the Kimora, who will offer also includes several members of the Velada War
additional protection to their fleets and cities in exchange Council. These politicians pay the war chiefs under
for the services of their builders and artisans. them to look the other way, or even lend a hand,
The Raag Clans

when Corvo gangsters raid their ships or outright

The Velada are the only clan to have established colonies steal civilians from passenger ships or Heimis
on other planets, where they produce large amounts of settlements.
food and have access to resources that cannot be found
on Heimis. Unlike the other clans, they are capable of pro- The ring, maintained with Corvo Tong money,
ducing everything they need and, since they don’t need to employs many Raag warriors of all clans, par-
238 roam the galaxy seeking resources, they can use their ice ticularly from the Noteri who have no qualms in
fortresses solely to move resources between the colonies killing or trading with other Raag. Every time the
and Heimis. rumour spreads too far, most people believe it’s
faith: core book

just another of the Noteri’s typical raids. However,

Lately, the Velada began to show a greater interest in all the slave ring heads, who answer directly to the
enginseers during Cullings, as they have realised that tech- Corvo Tongs, belong to the Velada.
nology can enhance the productivity of their colonies and
improve even the work of their builders and artisans. The For decades, many Velada war chiefs have
Cult has seen this recruitment drive as an attack against refused to cooperate with the slave ring, and some
them, which might risk their monopoly over technology; even try to expose it, but the mob always gets
but they have been unable to do anything to stop it, as the to them first and uses them as an example and a
Velada has the full support of the High Council. warning for other lieutenants who may be having
pangs of conscience. However, one of these lieu-
tenants - a brave warrior named Kvana - recently
FRAAGA managed to slip past the mob and contact Ashani,
an honest War Council member, about the situation.
The head enginseer of the Velada clan is one of the
smartest and most important scientists of all Heimis. He Now, Ashani needs to send word to the Surani
is responsible for many of the most advanced projects of High Council, so it will take action against the clan’s
the Velada, which makes him an ideological enemy of the traitors - and against the Corvo who allowed this
Cult; this is all right by him, as he fully supports providing to happen. It also needs agents to investigate
the common Raag people with access to technology - or as the corrupt leaders’ safe houses and war camps
much technology as the High Council allows, anyway - but for clues and data on the Corvo Tongs. Finally,
he underestimates the forces set against him. Ashani intends to sponsor a mission from Heimis
to Tiantang, to push for an operation against the
The Velada council loves and protects Fraaga, but slavery ring with help from Corvo law enforcement.
the Shadow Council has marked him for death from
day one, an order that remains in effect. As the Cult However, the Ring’s spies are watching Ashani
has free access to the Velada territory - despite and Kvana all the time, and any agent travelling out
their rivalry with the Clan - Fraaga needs an escort of Velada territory would be in great danger. Who
at all times. There’s sure work for any mercenary would be brave and competent enough to do it?
The Raag Clans
FRAAGA VELADA TECH
Ergonaut 3
Level 3 :: Raag :: Kind Level 1 :: Raag :: Resourceful
239
mov. 5 metres :: weight 153 kg :: height 209 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 112 kg :: height 208 cm

faith: core book

3 2

5 7 0 8 5 3 1 8

PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 7

STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE HIT GRAPPLE

(DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+ (DEX)
2+ (CON)
0

Fraaga’s Rig 2 (LinkWave 100) Chemical Flamer

He can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS This attack causes half its damage rounded down
damage). Instant. He suffers up to 2 neural damage as neural damage and the rest as physical damage.
and gains as many advantages towards all his Hacking Characters damaged by this attack suffer one point of
actions this round. unpreventable damage each maintenance phase until
they spend a Round without becoming Spent, or they
Materialist Dialectics are the target of a successful Medical action.
He gains one advantage towards social interactions.
He can only be convinced with facts. He is immune to Repair Drones
dialectics, and he gains one advantage to determine Activated. He removes 2 ACS damage from a char-
whether something has been fact checked. acter or piece of gear up to 10 metres away.
Inner Focus

Passive action. If he doesn’t become Spent this

round, he gains one advantage towards all his actions
next round.

Fraaga has been earmarked for death by the Cult Outside enginseers, Raag technology is pretty primitive by
of Eternia. Why? He’s the brightest Raag scien- universal standards. Primitive stuff can be deadly, though.
tist outside the walls of the reclusive cult.
JINO THE WHITE WHALE
Always After the Next Star The White Whale is one of the largest and fastest ice for-
tresses in space. Manned by dozens of brave Raag explor-
The Jino is a small clan of explorers, it roams the edges of the Labyrinth in search of new
ers. Its members are adventurous, worlds and discoveries to bring back to their world.
curious, and so peaceful that most
of them are allowed to remain in The Whale’s commander, Captain Dozar, is one of
the Surani during their childhood - a the boldest adventurers of the Raag species, and he
time when most Raag are forced to will take anyone to join his crew, be it Human, Iz’kal
leave the Surani due to their violent or even Corvo. He’ll even accept Raag of other clans
behaviour. Despite that, most Jino as long as they behave and share his passion for
members freely choose to leave discovery and good stories.
the Surani so as to venture into the
depths of the Crystal Abyss, the network of underground Other clans see Dozar with a mixture of respect
tunnels and caves beneath their planet, their curiosity and scepticism. His dubious role in the Kuura Crystal
driving them to explore the world around them. Bright and trade has risen some eyebrows, but no evidence of
curious, many of those who are chosen to be Jino have been any wrongdoing has emerged so far...
trained by the Cult.

Most of the Jino live aboard small ice fortresses, and THE KUURA CRYSTAL TRADE
those that remain on Heimis live in small towns near the
The Raag Clans

Surani. Their ice fortresses will be gone for years at a time, When the Raag began leaving their planet and making
travelling deeper into the Labyrinth than any other species contact with other species, these species discovered one of
has ever travelled. They are the only clan that has a close the rarest, most valuable precious stones in the universe:
and friendly relation with the Iz’kal, with whom they trade Kuura crystals, which so far have been found only in Heimis.
knowledge of the Labyrinth in exchange for advanced
navigation technology and spaceships. Sometimes, they Although the Raag don’t value Kuura crystals that much,
240 will take groups of Iz’kal explorers and scientists on their they fetch outrageous prices in the Corvo markets and
travels, and some of their members have spent short are very valued by Iz’kal researchers. As a result, Kuura
periods living in the State. shipments have become an increasingly important market
faith: core book

for Raag traders; although they sold the crystals cheap at

The Jino are also the only clan that doesn’t have an army, first, the prices increase every year and other species still
and the only clan not led by a War Council. The captains of pay them gladly, which brings more and more resources
each ice fortress are the closest thing to a Jino Clan leader- back to Heimis - and to the Jino clan, which is in charge of
ship, in charge of the administration of food and resources more than half of Kuura crystal trade.
for the entire clan. Still, most proposals and decisions
are submitted to a referendum in which every affected The Jino were the first clan to venture outside Raag
member can vote. space, and also the first to sell Kuura; other clans followed
suit when they saw how profitable the market was, but
the Jino had enough of a head start to remain in control of
THE JINO LEGION most Kuura crystal trade, despite fierce competition from
Kimora and Velada fleets and attacks from Noteri raiders.
When the Corvo-Iz’kal Military Coalition was formed,
it recruited thousands of Raag mercenaries. However, However, the greatest danger to the Kuura
there was a group of star captains of the Jino clan who ap- crystal trade are Corvo and Human smugglers,
proached the Coalition as independent volunteers, wishing who have bribed or hired Jino captains to lead them
to fight the Ravager on their own ice fortresses. These star to the Kuura yields, and are now extracting the
captains became known as the Jino Legion, and are the only crystals directly and without authorisation from
Coalition unit where the leaders - and most of the soldiers the Surani High Council. In response, the Council has
- are Raag. heavily taxed the Jino for helping these smugglers,
and now the clan could lose control of the market
While the Jino Legion is not an official part of the Coali- to its many competitors.
tion, its ice fortresses have been an invaluable ally in the
war against the Ravager. If something was done about these smugglers, it
would help Raag economy in general and the Jino
The Jino Legion will accept any recruits or volun- clan in particular - but it would also require con-
teers from any species, whether they come from fronting the Jino, as many of its captains depend on
the Coalition military or any other background. Kuura smuggling to survive.
The Raag Clans
CAPTAIN DOZAR JINO EXPLORER
Unstoppable Vexale 1
Level 4 :: Raag :: Kind Level 1 :: Raag :: Curious
241
mov. 5 metres :: weight 170 kg :: height 210 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 124 kg :: height 213 cm

faith: core book

3 2

8 5 1 8 4 4 1 8

PHYSICAL 9 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 7 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7

STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
4 ++ (CON)
0 QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
1 ++

Captain Dozar’s Sword Nobrainer

It ignores armour. Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
ignores armour).

Unhinged Nanohooks

Activated. He gains one advantage towards his She can climb walls and ceilings and move around as
action. If he fails, the action of his opponent is consid- if they were the ground.
ered a critical success regardless of action values.

Charge II Exploration Drones

His unconfronted running actions are considered She gains one advantage towards hiding and search-
passive, and his next Close Quarters action gains one ing actions, and always has a detailed map of the sur-
advantage and causes 1 additional damage. rounding exterior area.

He is brave, adventurous, smart, and kind. The perfect leader The kuura crystals found in Heimis fetch outrageous
to help you discover the universe from a Raag ice fortress. prices in the Corvosphere and Jino explorers are
at the forefront of this highly profitable trade.
CULTURE
The Raag’s cultural values have remained practically the After the sanctification of the Surani, the Grandsisters
same for the thousands of years the species has existed. of the High Council were blessed by Ergon, and indeed He
Despite their mastery of space travel, the Raag remain saw the pacifying of the Gladiators as a great deed, for he
a mostly tribal culture and still live by warrior clan laws blessed the first women of the Council with great Ergonaut
despite their access to Korian technology. soulbender powers. Afterwards, the High Council opened
Ergon worship to all Raag, which some Clans have accepted
If anything, the Raag seem to be divided between a great more than others. Raag religion is organised as follows:
majority that looks upon technology with fear and awe -
afraid of its power as if it was magic - a growing minority The Kimora worship Ergon and Kaliva in roughly equal
that tries to accept advanced devices as simple parts of measure; the Eferi worship Hexia, with some Ledger wor-
everyday life, and enginseers as simple members of Raag shippers rumoured among the population; the Noteri uni-
society like everyone else. versally worship Kaliva; the Velada worship mostly Ergon,
but greatly favour Hexia and His Soulbenders; and the Jino
The difference is not officially acknowledged by the still worship Kaliva out of tradition but most have turned to
Raag in general, but it is, as always, a gap between the Vexal, who is the Clan’s actual patron God.
old-fashioned and the new. Traditionalist Raag still follow
ancient rituals and live by antiquated honour codes, while
‘modernist’ Raag try to give less importance to old super- RAAG SOULBENDERS
stitions and fears, although they are both very much part
The Raag Culture

of the same culture. The Raag have the smallest rate of soulbending individu-
als of any species, but their Kalivan soulbenders tend to be
strong and powerful, and many Hexian enginseers-soul-
PHILOSOPHY benders have achieved greatness and fame outside Heimis.

242 The Raag don’t have a philosophy per se, but their system ARTS AND CRAFTS
of values is very clear and simple: The strong survive and
the weak die, and unity breeds strength. Raag form clans
faith: core book

and tribes to foster that sense of unity and help each other The Raag don’t place value on aesthetics, but they have
survive, making each other stronger. a rich crafting tradition mostly tied to spiritual and ritual
significance. They symbolically wear precarious jewellery
Ironically, it is the same tendency to form clans and bands such as carved bone pieces, leather straps or small metal
in the name of unity what breeds its opposite, as loyalty to bits, which each Clan crafts according to their own tradition.
one’s people means competition for resources against the
people next door. And since the Raag value strength as the
cardinal virtue for survival, they have no problem enforc- THE SECRET WORKSHOP
ing that credo by testing their strength against each other.
All crafts involving advanced engineering are still
The Raag place no intrinsic value on material possessions mostly unknown in Raag society, as all science and
or aesthetics, so they shun all kinds of luxury, focusing on technology is reserved to the enginseers; however,
what helps them stay alive. Food and shelter are valuable, a small group of radicals from the Velada Clan
but the food’s taste or the shelter’s beauty are irrelevant. has begun experimenting with reverse-engineered
devices from the Cult, just as the Cult reverse-
engineered Korian artefacts in their time. This small
RELIGION AND group calls itself the Secret Workshop, and meets

SPIRITUALITY clandestinely to build and create technological

items without the knowledge or approval of the
Cult.

The Raag universally revered Kaliva for most of their So far, the Secret Workshop is mostly a hobby
history. After they recovered the first Korian artifacts and its creations are little more than functional
and the Cult was born, the Shadow Council established an experiments, but functional nonetheless, and there
organised church of Hexia, which has become the official could be great repercussions if the Cult or the
religion of the Cult of Eternia - even though the ship revealed Velada Council - or anyone else in Raag society for
that the Korian revered Kaliva as well. that matter - learned that non-enginseers are suc-
cessfully building advanced devices.
TECHNOLOGY
At the beginning, all Raag technology was acquired or Enginseers are extremely important in Raag society,
derived from the Korian, although the Raag gave it different regarded with more respect and fear than the greatest
uses and developed it to their own needs. While the Korian warriors or even War Council members.
let their tech do their conquering and warfare for them, and
the Iz’kal had centuries of leisure time to fully comprehend Most enginseers belong to the Cult of Eternia, which
its secrets for such goals as genetic manipulation and strives to control all of them from its headquarters at the
weather control, the Raag have used it mostly to build and Surani; however, in what was the single mightiest blow to
expand, creating fortresses, spaceships and living space. the Cult’s power in all its history, the High Council ruled
that enginseers could freely switch their allegiance from
As the centuries went on and the Raag made contact with the Cult to the Clans that recruited them. This has allowed
other species, they began trading new technology with the for many enginseers to freely impart their knowledge to
Corvo and Iz’kal, who sold them devices that were already others; however, social taboo still runs strong, and most
built and fit for modern living needs. However, there’s an Raag still fear technology and would never think of learning
obstacle to the Raag’s technification. it without the approval of the Cult.

Raag culture sees technology as an unexplained, arcane Ironically, and despite the great status and power they
gift, and this has affected their ability to understand and use enjoy in Raag society, enginseers have very little real sci-
both the Korian legacy and the devices acquired from other entific or engineering knowledge when compared to any

The Raag Technology

species. Despite having lived for centuries with advanced other interstellar race. Although laymen among the Raag
means for building and space transport, the Raag still treat see them as owners of deep and secret knowledge, the
technology with a reverence that borders on taboo. This average enginseer knows less than the average Corvo or
prevents technology from becoming commonplace in Raag Iz’kal student. The enginseers are, save for a few excep-
society, and limits the teaching and understanding of its tions, unaware of this gap, and they see themselves as
use. holders of the greatest wisdom in the universe. In
truth, the only Raag with such levels of knowl-
The main forces behind the taboo of technology are the edge are the Shadow Council, and even they 243
Cult of Eternia and the Shadow Council behind it, which were don’t understand it any more than they’re

faith: core book

given sole control of Korian technology long ago, and for willing to share it.
centuries have made sure to maintain that control so as to
increase their power over the Raag people.
VEHICLES AND
Thus, all Raag technology must pass through the Shadow
Council for testing and approval, which ensures they get WEAPONS
early access to the most advanced and important stuff, and
also stunts all Raag scientific advances by keeping them in
the hands of an elite. Like most other interstellar species,
Raag use Quantum-powered space
The best tool for this control, and also the best weapon flight and plasma-based weapons.
against it, are enginseers - Raag men and women trained The Shadow Council at the
in the use and understanding of technology, which per- Surani has access to far more
petuates the idea that technology is an arcane knowledge advanced weaponry models,
reserved for a few, but also increases the number of Raag included neural guns and
interested in learning it with every passing year. even maps to navigate the
labyrinth, but they either
haven’t deciphered these
ENGINSEERS secrets or they haven’t
shared them with the
general public - or both.
All Raag science, technology and engineering is in the
hands of enginseers, an elite profession reserved only Regardless, starships and weaponry
for the smartest and most dedicated Raag. For the Raag, are the two areas where Raag technol-
technology is like religion and enginseers are their priests. ogy really shines, and can hold their own
Nearly every Raag settlement has at least one enginseer when facing more advanced civilisations
tasked with overseeing construction, public works, medical like the Corvo or Iz’kal.
advances and defence mechanisms.
VIBRO-WEAPONRY more power at the cost of a much shorter lifespan - for
their mineral structure is consumed by the energy output.
Raag gun technology is roughly similar to those of
other species, but their warrior culture has led them to At least one of these ‘active’ ice fortresses was used as
perform unique research in hand-to-hand weapons, with a weapon in an encounter between warring Raag clans; the
many designs that equal or even surpass those of other ice fortress’ crew ejected the ship and sent it against their
species. Foremost among these are vibro-weapons - melee enemy’s vessel, blowing both of them up.
implements equipped with a radon core that allow them to
vibrate at high speeds, penetrating most body armour re- Every ice fortress is crewed by at least a couple dozen
gardless of its composition. A variation - and improvement Raag, the largest being veritable battlecruisers that carry
- on Iz’kal technology, these vibroweapons put the Raag on tens of thousands of Raag soldiers at the same time. Despite
an even field with any armoured soldier. their rough appearance and their undeniable combat use-
fulness, there are also many ice fortresses that, while
The most common such weapons in Raag armies are well-armed, are used only for trading or exploration.
heavy, wide vibroblades and vibroaxes, but they also use
vibrohammers, vibromaces and even vibrostaves - long Many alien starports welcome the sight of an ice fortress,
poles outfitted with a vibroblade on each end. knowing that it’s full of Raag willing to buy anything they
have for sale.
Weapon specialist enginseers have even developed ways
to make use of the Raag’s greater size and strength to build
vibroweapons that are so powerful they would spin out of OTHER SHIP DESIGNS
The Raag Technology

control in the hands of any other species. These greater

vibroweapons can easily slice an armoured soldier in two Although Ice Fortresses are the most characteristic of
with a single hit. their species, the Raag use many types of starships. These
come mostly recycled from Korian designs that resemble
other species’ vessels far more, particularly Iz’kal ships,
ICE FORTRESSES although Raag designs are less varied and aesthetic, sacri-
ficing beauty for power.
244 These huge starships are the best known Raag invention,
not only for their unique design but also for their sheer Drillers are the basic Raag combat ship. Thus called
size and awe-inspiring appearance. Literally motorised because they are designed for boarding enemy ships,
faith: core book

asteroids, ice fortresses can carry thousands of Raag on drillers are nonetheless equipped with high-energy plasma
a single trip, which makes them one of the most fearsome guns and a missile battery; but their main tactic is to attach
war vessels in the universe despite their relatively primitive to larger ships and drop a small team of Raag infiltrators to
manufacture. commandeer them.

To build an ice fortress, the Raag send an engineering rig Hammerships are large Raag battleships. They’re
and a working team to one of the asteroids around their smaller than a battlecruiser but larger than a single-pilot
planet; there, they drill and build engines, crew quarters, fighter, using the same tactic as drillers (except they attack
and cockpits directly on the rock. by ramming a hole on a ship’s hull, through which a full
squad of war-frenzied Raag will drop, guns blazing, on the
The result is a manned, controlled, self-propelled hapless enemy crew).
asteroid with space flight capabilities. They are called ‘ice
fortresses’ because of the hoarfrost that tends to form Trade Carriers are large civilian ships. While well-armed
on their rocky surfaces during trips, making them look - as all Raag vessels are - they are not optimised for
like gigantic floating icebergs. ‘Bearded giants’, the Human combat, but for carrying large loads, be it trade goods or
poet Naxo Orrigan called them, inspired by their peculiar passengers.
appearance. The truth is that there are as many different
designs and shapes of these gigantic vehicles as there are An average trade carrier fits around 20,000 passengers,
ice fortresses themselves. half that many metric tons of cargo, or a mix of both. Many
trade carriers are simply ice fortresses used as commer-
Some Raag shipbuilders seek specific asteroids with cial transports, but there are also many other, original and
certain mineral compositions that allow them to be mined korian-based, trade carrier designs.
as they travel, thus resulting on ice fortresses that are
their own fuel source.

A few of these ice fortresses have their asteroid’s core

turned into an active energy furnace, which gives them far
HISTORY
Raag history has been relatively uneventful for other Raag social groups were small and ruled by strength,
species’ standards. Consisting of an endless struggle for with conflict between tribes decided by the strongest
survival in icy caves, with some short, bloody conflicts for leader, who usually killed the other one and either annexed
territory here and there and the gradual turn from primi- or slaughtered his people. There was no unity among the
tive to advanced tools for survival and warfare, at a first tribes and no Raag society to speak of. Thus the Raag lived
glance it would seem not much has changed for the Raag and survived for hundreds of thousands of years in their
from their beginnings as wandering tribes roaming the cold frozen cave underworld.
darkness for survival… which is exactly what they keep
doing millions of years later. Thus the Raag were still hunter-gatherer, semi-nomadic
warrior tribes that eked out a life in the cold tunnels of
Heimis’ Crystal Abyss when the most important event in
THE BEGINNING Raag history took place: the Korian invasion.

The Raag have evolved very little from when their THE KORIAN DOMAIN
species first appeared on Heimis, their home planet, as
biped hunter-gatherers that in turn came from an unknown
ancestor - one that xenobiologists have not yet identified, To the Korian, an aggressive and unsophisticated raider
nor whether it was a mammalian, reptilian or some previ- species on a permanent trip through space in search of
The Raag History

ously unknown classification. other creatures and worlds to conquer, Heimis was but a
useless frozen wasteland, but they found the strong, hardy
The earliest known remains of the modern Raag species Raag species to be a promising slave breed.
date from just over a half million years ago, and scientists
assume their society was indeed almost the same as the To the Raag, the Korian seemed like demonic creatures
current one. The Raag themselves have no recorded history, out of the dark sky, blasting the earth from their flying
246 save for oral tradition rife with stories of wars and heroes, monsters, besting their greatest warriors effortlessly and
where ‘good guys’ are always the ones who killed more taking their people away to some dark hellish realm beyond
enemies - a moral that very likely matches the daily life the world.
faith: core book

of ancient Raag
tribes. At first the Raag resisted, but the strength and skill of
the best Raag warriors amounted to nothing against Korian
weapons and vehicles. The Raag were decimated, routed
and taken as slaves as the Korian saw fit.

Despite their evident superiority over the Raag, the

Korian didn’t establish a base on Heimis. Other than a few
temporary forts and hunting lodges from which they
mounted their raids against the Raag, there was no Korian
power centre in the planet, nor any attempt at political
domination. For the Korian, the Raag were little more than
beasts, fit to be hunted for sport or used as slaves on sub-
sequent raids. Many Raag were forced to slaughter their
own kind in Korian raids during that time. This also meant
that Raag culture survived, although they were forced to
retreat further and deeper into the Crystal Abyss to avoid
Korian attacks.

After a few decades, the Korian got bored of chasing

and killing the Raag, which hid ever deeper and sometimes
fought back, and also realised there were other uses for the
Raag’s strength. Thus the Korian created the Blood Games,
a sport where Korian warlords took their Raag slaves and
made them face each other in gladiatorial fights. This was
far more popular among the Korian than the plain chase
and hunt, and soon there were Raag Blood Games across
all the planets ruled by the Korian. Also, the Raag were
much happier smashing each other’s heads for glory and THE CULT OF ETERNIA
applause than being mowed down like cattle, so it seemed
like the beginning of a golden age. It was, however, the be-
ginning of the end of Korian control over the Raag. Every time the Sura made a successful raid against
Korian facilities, they hid the battered remains of Korian
spaceships and weapons in the depths of the Crystal Abyss,
THE AGE OF and eventually some of them attempted to understand

GLADIATORS these artefacts.

During the Sura raids, those Raag who were unable to

fight were despised for their weakness and left behind in
By the time the Blood Games came into fashion, Raag the Crystal Abyss, while the gladiators and their followers
slaves were spread all over the Korian empire, but many of went out to fight the Korian. After a few decades, some of
them still lived on Heimis, the only place where they could these Raag realized the potential that the captured Korian
breed. Korian hunting parties still went there to kill them devices could have and started studying them in an attempt
for sport or to get slaves. Raag still served as labourers to prove their worth to the other Raag.
and beasts of burden, but the most violent were traded
among the different warlords and trained as gladiators for One of the most famous, brilliant and important of these
the Blood Games. Owning a strong gladiator was a sign of technology pioneers was Aki Sun, a woman who couldn’t
power among Korian. join the raids because of a chronic illness. Aki Sun became
obsessed with technology, as she believed weaponry could
It didn’t take long for Korian to start breeding the strong- make up for the weakness that had her confined away from

The Raag History

est and most violent Raag in an attempt to preserve and the thick of battle.
enhance those traits for future generations. Reproduction
fields were established on the surface of Heimis, where For decades, Aki Sun went through new technology
the strongest Raag were forcibly bred, while the weakest like plasma fire; she leaped at new scavenged materials
were left out in the cold or killed outright. These breeding and devices, and obsessively researched their use and
fields later added training camps, where the Raag would applications, ultimately developing what became the first
be taught advanced combat techniques. Warlords from all scientific theories in Raag history. Soon others began taking 247
across the empire would travel to these places, seeking notes and developing on her research, and thus enginseers

faith: core book

new gladiators for their games. were born. In fact, Aki Sun is credited with coining the word
‘enginseer’ to define those who, like her, saw and under-
Over the years, many of these gladiators managed to stood the workings of technology and how such workings
escape and hide in the deepest area of the Crystal Abyss. could modify the universe itself. Aki Sun is justly regarded
They started training other Raag in the ways of battle they as the mother of Raag science, and her image is still wor-
learned from their masters, slowly creating an army of shipped by the Cult of Eternia.
mighty warriors that lusted for Korian blood. This freedom
force called itself the Sura, the ‘Union of People’ in the Raag The Cult itself was started by the legendary sage Appa
language, and became an organised resistance, although Blaze, a student of Aki Sun and today considered as her
the Raag didn’t see it like that. For them, it was retaliation near-equal. Appa Blaze was the founder of many of the first
- fighting back for its own sake, with no hope of winning. enginseer schools and the ‘plasma laws’ of Raag scientific
thought that many enginseers still apply as universal truth.
As the Sura grew in membership, more and more Korian Unknown to history and to modern Raag, Appa Blaze’s most
hunting parties started to go missing, the hunters becoming important contribution to his species’ science was the dis-
the prey. Eventually the most powerful gladiators of the covery of the Eternia Ship.
Sura banded together to strike the training camps and
other Korian outposts on the surface, timing them with the Originally, the ship was just one of the many Korian
fierce snow storms that sometimes lashed the surface of devices that the Sura raiders gladly brought to enginseer
the planet to leave no traces of their attack. schools, which were more organised and influential with
every passing year. As soon as the Eternia was brought to
None of this actually hurt the Korian Empire or stopped the attention of Enginseers, Appa Blaze - by then a decrepit,
the Blood Games, of course, but it made hunting parties gigantic old Raag - was brought on to study it.
much harder and more dangerous to the Korian, which was
the Sura’s only goal. What the Sura didn’t expect was that The ship stood out from the others for its size and state
their fight gave the Raag a sense of community, of belong- of conservation. Even to the Raag, whose knowledge of
ing to the same tribe, that they had never felt before the technology was rudimentary at best, there was something
Sura. undeniably alluring about the enormous ship; Appa Blaze
named it a ‘miracle of Hexia’, calling for to be transported
and hidden at one of his schools right away. Blaze ordered
the ship’s existence to be kept from the general Raag public, Any student of Raag history knows the Triad of the
and it wasn’t long before the school enginseers started greatest enginseers in History would not be complete
treating it with reverence. without Uza, the genius credited with establishing the Cult
of Eternia. Although the Cult itself already existed when
After Appa Blaze’s death, the enginseers left in charge Uza came into power, it was her who saw the true possi-
of the alien ship realised they lacked his genius and vision bilities of a secret enginseer school, and gave the Cult the
to understand its function. For generations they secretly rules and power it has now by securing a High Council grant
studied and fiddled with the machine, and it still took them to claim and hoard every piece of technology found, discov-
just over twenty years to be able to open it; once they did, ered or bought anywhere on Heimis. It was Uza who built
however, their reverence turned to devotion. The ship was the foundation upon which the Cult stands, and many call
able to speak their language fluently, had answers to all her a greater scholar than either Aki or Appa, while others
of their questions, and displayed unmistakable intelligence. see her as a traitor that veered from her predecessors’
original path of knowledge and led the Raag to a dark age.
The ship introduced itself as Eternia, and to the Engin-
seers it seemed like a God descended to Heimis. The To secure long-term power for the Cult, Uza established
enginseers of Appa Blaze’s school, who had been the ship’s its Shadow Council - an elite within the elite within the elite -
caretakers for nearly three decades, built a cult around it consisting of the wisest and most influential Cult members.
- the Cult of Eternia - and, with the help and stored knowl- Under her rule, the Shadow Council reserved the right to
edge of the ship, the Cult’s influence increased to the point share or keep any new knowledge, and aimed to use their
where it matched that of the Sura gladiators. The ability to exclusive access to technology to rule Raag society from
control the technology at their disposal, and the endless behind the curtain.
source of knowledge that was Eternia, helped them secure
The Raag History

a status that would have been unthinkable otherwise. The The Sura felt threatened by the rise of the Cult and
Cult progressively became more secretive and protective distrusted their ways and newly found magic, but they
of Eternia, and even kept its existence hidden from most of could not deny their usefulness, and so they endured their
its own members. arrogant attitude… for a while.

248 THE LEGEND

OF GJALLA
faith: core book

The Gladiator’s guerrilla had changed Raag society. For

a while, the Raag’s violent nature and constant in-fighting
had stopped. This allowed for several leaders to appear
among the Sura raiders - true champions of the Raag,
who knew not only how to kill and win battles, but also
how to inspire others.

Most Raag children have been told the tale of

Gjalla, the warlord that led so many Sura that “the
caves shook when she hunted for Korian above”.
Gjalla’s exploits have been so inflated and em-
bellished by oral tradition that it is hard to pin
down the actual facts of her long and famous
history; but she was doubtlessly the greatest
Raag chieftain of her age.

Today, most historians agree that Gjalla

lived 30 to 40 years after the first Sura
uprising, about a decade
before the Current Raag Era,
when several war leaders -
like Gjalla apparently was
- travelled all over Heimis,
rallying the different tribes
under their banners. Under
their leadership, the Raag
became organised for the first time. Legend attributes the versions of Gjalla’s legend affirm she died at this time, again
pacification almost single-handedly to Gjalla, but there betrayed by her close counsellors.
were likely many other warlords that did similar work, as
a feeling of unity had spread across the entire Raag world. But there was another power in the Surani, older and
stronger than both the enginseers and the gladiators - it
However, as their society grew, the violent nature of was Raag women. Specifically, their older women - experi-
the Raag started resurfacing. The different leaders began enced matriarchs that had taken care of generations upon
fighting each other for land and power, which younger Raag generations of Raag children and seen most of them fall to
saw as an opportunity to prove their worth. Gjalla tried to Korian weapons. They would not allow them to fight each
stop this, calling for a union of all Raag tribes against the other now.
Korian, but she was betrayed by some of her lieutenants
and forced to flee with her closest companions. Historians In the year that has since become the beginning of the
don’t agree on whether Gjalla died in exile, or came back Current Raag timeline, about 400 years after the arrival of
later after continuing her war against the Korian on her own; the Korian to Heimis, some of the oldest and most powerful
but most songs and legends support the latter version. females decided to join forces and put a stop to fighting
between Gladiators. One by one they dealt with each of
All Gladiators including Gjalla mistrusted enginseers, the leaders, using either brute force or common sense
but couldn’t stop the Cult’s power and influence, even as as needed. It was agreed that the Surani would become a
the Shadow Council worked behind the scenes only for its sacred territory in which no fighting was allowed, a place
own gain. With Gjalla’s banishment from the Sura, tensions where young Raag could be raised and protected. The con-
kept growing between the Sura leaders and the Shadow flicting leaders agreed to take their followers away from
Council. This also had an impact on the Gladiator chieftains, the Surani and settle somewhere else, which marked the

The Raag History

who claimed different territories and ideas about how to origin of the first Clans. Thus, these powerful matriarchs
fight the Korian. A civil war threatened to collapse the frail became the new figures of authority in the Surani - and
society that they had managed to build, and it would have across all of Raag society.
indeed happened, were it not for the strongest force of
Raag society - its women. The most recently dated of Gjalla’s legendary exploits
say she led the matriarchs herself and that she died in her
old age, helping the other women enforce the sanctifica- 249
THE SURANI AGE tion of the Surani and only allowing herself to rest once the

faith: core book

peace and prosperity of her people were at last guaran-
teed. Even if the other accounts of her death are incorrect,
The historians who support the influence of Gjalla in very few tales place Gjalla at any later date of Raag history;
this period of Raag history maintain that the reunification it is generally accepted that, even if she lived this long, she
of Raag society was her doing, although her alleged deeds likely died on the year of the Sanctification of the Surani,
may also be the achievement of several different Sura and many Raag still give the name ‘Gjalla’s Day’ to the New
chiefs. The official version of the High Council tale-spinners Year.
is that one day, Gjalla returned followed by thousands of
Raag that had joined her in exile, and called all other Sura After this, the Sura was disbanded and every clan under-
leaders to lay down their arms, forcing peace on those that took the fight against the Korian as it chose. Some did it with
wouldn’t. Gjalla and her men decreed all the Sura’s hideouts the help of the Cult, trying to undermine their power. Some
in the Crystal Abyss caves would therefore be safe terri- used honourable tactics, some assassination schemes,
tory - a sanctuary for freed civilians and children to live in and so on. This was the origin of the Raag clans. Thus Raag
peace while Sura warriors went out to fight the Korian. society remained united - at the cost of being divided.

The Sura leaders - or Gjalla herself, according to legend - At the centre of this union the Surani remained, still
called this place the Surani - the Place of Gathering - which neutral ground, but now ruled by the council of matriarchs
gradually became the new society’s administrative centre. who had enforced peace. They very explicitly stated power
was theirs, not the Shadow Council’s - an edict that hurt
Despite Gjalla’s unifying influence, the enginseers began the Cult, but appeased the Clan leaders - and formed a
taking control of the Surani while the gladiators left the High Council of elders, or Grandsisters as they came to be
place alone, not only because of their power and secrets called, that became the ultimate authority over every Raag
but also by virtue of simply living there. Many gladiators and Clan.
returned home and turned their wrath from the Korian to
the Cult, which made other gladiators try to replace them The High Council was given veto power on all decisions
in the Sura, which led to other factions rising to defend the taken by the Clans as a way to ensure the survival of the
Cult. Infighting began again, threatening to break the peace species. They were then charged with the administration
and stability the Surani had come to be known for. Some and well-being of the Surani and all the Raag living in it.
THE UPRISING their respective Clans, fighting among themselves and
trying to find a balance between their tribal traditions and
the growing use of any technology allowed by the Cult.
As the Raag reorganised their society, something
happened light-years away from Heimis that would change
the life of both the Raag and Korian species. The Iz’kal, THE RAAG SPACE AGE
another slave species of the Korian, had learned to use their
technology against them, and were now in open rebellion.
Around 700 or 800 years after the Uprising, the Iz’kal
The Raag of Heimis didn’t know what happened until began to come. They sent a huge, peaceful delegation first,
decades later, but the Iz’kal won the war, kept the Korian meant to re-establish contact with the Raag and claiming to
technology they had mastered, and exterminated every be the ancient race that had helped them defeat the Korian.
single Korian they could find. Very few Raag cared or even understood what they meant,
but the High Council greeted the newcomers as friends
Suddenly, no Korian came to retake the training camps, anyway, as they came in peace and apparently respected
or to hunt for new slaves. No new gladiators were recruit- the Raag for their help against the Korian. Then the Iz’kal
ed, nobody came to rebuild the breeding fields. Nobody sent a few more diplomatic missions, but the Raag still
replaced the few Korian that remained and were killed by greeted them rather coldly. In time they got used to each
the Raag. other, and the Raag of Heimis seemed to finally accept the
ancient species that had helped them wipe the Korian out
For centuries, the Raag had no reliable news of what had were one and the same with these newcomers. The Iz’kal
happened. Every few years or decades, some Raag that had became a relatively common sight at certain Kuraimas,
The Raag History

been Korian slaves in space for most of their lives returned especially the Jino, and even gave the Raag a few tips on
to Heimis, with exaggerated and often contradicting stories building their own technology - which the Cult immediately
about the great army that had wiped out the Korian. Many seized, of course.
said they had fought the Korian alongside another species,
one that wielded technology as if they were all enginseers; After the Iz’kal found Heimis, the advanced technology
some said this species was weak and frail, while others said brought by their allies allowed the Raag to expand their
250 that it was strong and supreme. Some said the Raag had civilisation and become far more numerous than they had
helped this people rise against the Korian, and others said ever been before. The population became too large for the
these people had stood against the Raag as well. One thing barren planet, and starvation became a real threat. For the
faith: core book

was sure: the Korian were no more. first time, the High Council, the different War Councils, and
the Shadow Council came together to determine a solution
Surprisingly, the news had little effect on Raag society to the problem. After a long discussion, it was decided that
as it stood now - the sanctification of they would attempt to turn the asteroid belt around Heimis
the Surani and exodus of the Clans into floating citadels that would roam the galaxy in search
turned out to be a stable, working of food and other goods that were needed planetside. For
system, and most Raag were the next few years, all able hands were employed for the
happy with it. The notable excep- task, and every large spaceship left by the Korian was
tion was the Cult of Eternia, which dismantled for parts that would later be installed on the
for many centuries had no new asteroids. The result was a fleet of giant spaceships the
technology to keep from their size of cities, each capable of harbouring hundreds of thou-
kin, and their power and influ- sands of Raag. Every clan was given command over a few
ence became stagnant. Tech- of the fortresses and sent into the unknown. They would
nology was still revered, but come back every few years, their stores full of supplies
enginseers became more essential for the survival of the inhabitants of the planet.
common and focused
less on arcane rites and The ice fortresses have allowed the Raag to survive and
more on building the prosper, despite the harsh conditions of their home planet.
infrastructure of Clan Each clan is responsible for the maintenance of their own
territories and improving ice fortresses, which is one of the main reasons why the
Raag civilisation. enginseers, who are the only ones capable of repairing
them, are still held in such high esteem.
During nearly a
millennia after the After the Ice Fortresses, the Raag saw the need for
Uprising, the Raag further exploration and travel. They built other kinds of
remained as they spaceships, with which they have entered interplanetary
were - loyal to society and fully joined the ranks of starfaring civilisations.
the Surani and
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Raag are the least numerous of starfaring species, Even so, the Surani High Council, wary of the intentions of
and their presence in outer space is relatively minor the Corvo, imposed severe restrictions on trade with them
because of their limited reproductive possibilities and less for all Clans. It’s no surprise that the Cult supports this,
advanced technology. seeing as they’re afraid to lose their power and influence
to alien technology.
They have very few settlements outside their home-
world of Heimis, but the immense majority of Raag still live
on the planet; most of their starships return there to bring HUMANS
what they have traded and discovered in their travels.

Raag have relatively little contact with Humans, save

DEALINGS WITH that they are both extensively employed by mercenaries

OTHER SPECIES in the Corvosphere, and thus tend to meet in combat as

enemies or as part of the same unit. From such encounters,
the Raag have decided that Humans are worthy opponents,
if a bit too sneaky and unpredictable to be considered true
The Raag have a mostly distant relation to other space- warriors.
faring civilisations, but in general they are friendlier to
aliens than they are to other Raag. As allies, however, they find them dependable and good

The Raag History

to have at one’s side; and both species gladly follow each
This uncommon occurrence arises from the fact that, other in battle, as the Raag are impressed by the Humans’
with the possible exception of the Korian, most aliens have bravery and tactical skill, while Humans admire the Raag’s
hurt the Raag much less than the Raag have hurt each other. sense of honour and duty.

IZ’KAL THE RAAG IN SPACE 251

faith: core book

After the Uprising, the Iz’kal attempted to establish an With the exception of a few trading colonies from the
alliance with the Raag, but it quickly became apparent that Velada Clan, all Raag outside Heimis are soldiers, raiders
their cultures were too different for long-term coopera- or traders on board Ice fortresses or other, less common,
tion, and they have kept their distance ever since. Raag starships.

While commerce between them is not uncommon, and Many Raag now even live in moving ice fortresses, con-
there have been instances when they have collaborated stantly waging wars on each other. They use comets and
and helped each other, they keep to themselves most of the asteroids as the foundation for their fortresses and equip
time. them with weapons, hangars, and propulsion systems
that they gathered from the Korian during the previous
centuries.
CORVO Tiantang hosts one of the largest Raag diasporas in the
universe, formed by members of all clans that were part of
Ever since they came across the Raag, the Corvo have a rare agreement between The Union and the High Council.
tried to impose their market system on them. Despite their This pact, that had the Kuura crystals as background, led to
best efforts, the Raag have shown little interest in most the construction of several Gyro-Zhan units by Raag opera-
of what the Corvo have for trade, particularly because tives and, while the results were positive, it was a one-off
the Corvo have all but forgotten the basic survival needs cul-de-sac.
the Raag still live for, and because the Raag barely have a
concept of the complex economy the Corvo offer. Now, the group of Raag living in the Corvo capital has sta-
bilised. They enjoy a quiet life performing low-tech jobs and
Only The Union Megacorp has been able to secure a stable maintaining, to their best of their capacity, Raag customs
business relationship with the Raag by trading old and and culture independently from both their former clans and
heavy weaponry in exchange for Kuura crystals, strange the High Council in their district, known as Little Heimis or
Korian artifacts, and Raag mercenaries. Raagtown.
The Raag Planet

252
faith: core book

HEIMIS Most of the inhabitable region of Heimis is divided

between three environments:
Planetary Type: Ice world
Heimis’ Surface is an unending plain of ice and constant
Population: Less than 1 billion
blizzards, with sharp ice formations and jagged peaks that
Day: 90 standard hours sometimes reach thousands of miles in height. Very few
Culture: Tribal theocracy things can survive in this heartless environment, but a
Location: HEON-99 system, 1 standard year away few extremophiles and other cold-adapted life forms can
from Tiantang be found wandering the ice paths, or dormant beneath the
frost. Exploring the surface of Heimis is impossible without
Production: Manufactured goods, Kuura crystals
protective gear, even for species as adaptable as the Corvo
Social Rank 3: Harsh quality of life, some social or ‘Silver’ breed Iz’kal.
privilege
Economic Rank 2: Barter-based society, limited The Crystal Abyss below the surface is an immense
currency or industry network of icy caves which has never been fully explored,
Atmosphere: Breathable, freezing hazard concerns and may well connect all of Heimis’ underground. Despite
being mostly covered with ice, the tunnels are home to
Heimis, the home of the Raag species, is a frozen world an incalculable variety of dangerous lifeforms that have
with a surface almost entirely made of ice and water. adapted to the cold and dim light - the Raag foremost
Between the planet’s outer ice crust and its subterranean among them.
Ocean lies the Crystal Abyss - thousands of huge caves
connected by a network of tunnels. It is there that the Raag Caves in the Crystal Abyss are illuminated mostly from
evolved and live. the little light that filters through the translucent ice from
the outside, and also by a myriad of bioluminescent crea-
While the surface of the planet can reach -200°C, the tures, from plants and fungi to insects. The Raag make use
temperatures inside the caves go no lower than a cosy of all of these - tools from oil lamps and torches to plasma.
-40°C, thanks to the shelter from the chilly outside winds They even make electricity-based lanterns that light their
and to being somewhat closer to the planet’s molten core. otherwise dim and cheerless environment.
Members of other species are never invited to these
hunting trips, but they are not turned away if they volun-
teer; the Raag always have a place for someone with such
courage - or such a death wish.

MONSTER RAIDS
Icestalkers, underground giant worms and other beasts
still roam the Heimis wilderness, and many are large
enough to attack Raag settlements and roads openly. Raag
warriors repel most of these monster raids easily, but
some manage to eat some Raag citizens before being killed
or driven away.

ICESTALKERS
These fearsome creatures are the apex predator of
Heimis. They can be found in almost every region of the
surface, as their natural weapons and cold resistance make
them all but unbeatable in the food chain - save for the
Raag, who hunt icestalkers for defence, honour, and fun.

The Raag Planet

Looking like a hairless large ape with a shark-like head
with two eyes on each side, an icestalker can snap an adult
Raag in two with a single bite, and its compound eyes are
adapted to resist the terrible blizzards that constantly
strike the icy wastes. In fact, blizzards are the icestalkers’
natural environment, and they are so well adapted to hiding
and moving through them that they seem to disappear 253
in plain sight, only to appear behind their prey and kill it

faith: core book

without giving it a chance to blink.
The Bottomless Sea below the Ice Caves is virtually
unknown, as the Raag have never ventured into its depths Killing an icestalker is a great feat for any Raag hunter,
and no other species has seen any point on braving its and those who achieved it earn the right to wear pieces of
mysterious, endless waters. Besides, it is known that dark, the beast’s armour as trophies.
dangerous creatures infest it, just like the caves of the
Crystal Abyss above; but the monsters of the bottomless There is a smaller, weaker breed of icestalker, adapted to
sea are far larger, with several reports of Raag fishermen the gentler environment of Heimis’ underground tunnels.
and stragglers devoured by indescribable things the size of Although not as dangerous as its surface cousin, a ‘tunnel-
starships that could barely be glimpsed through the murky stalker’ is still a mortal danger - and a glorious trophy - for
water. a single Raag warrior.

Some Corvo entrepreneurs have proposed corporate-

funded expeditions to Heimis’ bottomless sea, in search THE PEOPLE
of scientific discoveries and exploitable resources. The
idea has found traction among some investors, but nobody The Raag are the only sentient species native to Heimis,
has been able to build a team that’s both brave enough and and Heimis is the only planet where the Raag can thrive and
qualified for such an adventure. reproduce, so the species and the world are, for all intents
and purposes, one and the same. This means that, save for
a handful of in vitro specimens bred in the Corvosphere and
HUNTING ON THE SURFACE the Iz’kal State for medical research, all living Raag were
bred and raised in Heimis and share the same culture.
Surface hunting after Heimis’ dangerous native crea-
tures remains one of the most popular sports among All Raag grew at the Surani, learned their trade among
Raag hunters. Current technology has allowed the Raag to the matron mothers, and were then chosen by a Clan or
prosper without having to risk themselves in such activi- remained behind as teachers. All Raag are familiar with
ties, but they still do it out of tradition, and also to satisfy violence in every aspect of their lives, including infighting
their natural need for violence and thrills. among clanmates or crew members.
When interacting outside their culture, the Raag are hard The hundreds of millions of Heimis Raag who don’t have
to rein in, but they never break a promise or fall out on a the privilege of living in the Surani are assigned to a Clan or
deal, so they are dependable mercenaries and workers, a Starship, or else they wander the Crystal Abyss on their
provided they are given a steady outlet for their aggression. personal quests.

The Raag evolved to live in the underground of their ice

planet, so they are accustomed to cave life and very harsh THE KURAIMA
survival conditions. For the average Raag, the commodities
of civilisation and technology are awkward, necessary evils Any Raag that has joined a Clan lives in a Kuraima, which
rather than useful tools. A Raag will much prefer sleeping is the equal of a state or subcontinent in Raag culture. In
on the floor than on a soft bed, and work better with the terms of Raag law, a Clan’s Kuraima is the territory which
lights and heat off. This, of course, make Raag the favourite they control and on which they can hunt and build. There are
tenants of Corvo landlords, who always offer good deals five Kuraima in Heimis, named for each of the Raag Clans:
and discounts to Raag lodgers.
KIMORA
Furthermore, the Raag are born unfamiliar with open
spaces like a planet’s surface, let alone actual, interstellar The Kimora Kuraima is a moderately vast cave area,
open space. Any Raag taken off Heimis requires an acclima- well-tended and fortified, with guards in every tunnel and
tisation period before prolonged exposure to space or open entrance, and strict rules to go in and out. The Kimora are
air, or else risk dizziness at best and serious neurological kind and honourable to strangers, but they take many pre-
sequels at worst. The first Raag space explorers developed cautions before letting anyone into their territory.
agoraphobia and even mental trauma, reacting violently
The Raag Planet

at the sole idea of going outdoors. Now, Corvo and Iz’kal Enginseers are only allowed into Kimora territory if
employers always make sure to provide crash courses for they prove their allegiance to the Clan and don’t belong to
their Raag crewmembers and tourists, as nobody wants a the Shadow Council’s Cult - which is vetoed from operat-
fear-crazed Raag smashing his office or starship. ing within Kimora. As a result, Kimora is not as advanced
technologically as the Kuraima of other Clans, but its tra-
ditional defences have always been more than enough to
254 THE SURANI fend off any attack, not because their technology is better,
but because they have the best soldiers to man them;
The Surani, sacred ground of the Raag and cradle of their the Kimora army is known for their unsurpassed bravery,
faith: core book

civilisation, is an area comprising hundreds of kilometres tactical acumen, and unwavering loyalty to the Clan.
of underground caves, that the first Raag tribes declared
neutral ground to try and solve disputes without blood- EFERI
shed. Soon, ‘neutral’ became ‘hallowed’, and the Surani
became a place for the Raag to be at peace - to learn, to The Eferi Kuraima has the least population density of
build, to craft, even for Raag mothers to bear their children. Heimis. Numbering only a few million, the clan owns the
The Surani is the largest sovereign territory in Heimis and second largest land area of the planet, and has modernised
the closest the Raag culture has to a government centre. it to levels unknown to any other Raag. The Eferi Kuraima
has advanced cities, security systems, ventilation, electric-
The Surani is ruled by the High Council of Heimis, the ity and irrigation tunnels, pipelines, fuel lines, and even
governing body of the Raag civilisation. As it is a sacred streets and vehicles in their largest cities.
territory in which no fighting is allowed, members of the
different clans meet here to barter and negotiate. This is The Cult of Eternia has an embassy at Eferi; it used to
where children are raised and where they live until they be the Kuraima’s power centre, but its authority was later
take part in the Culling, the trial of adulthood that allows reduced to a simple outpost for Cult affairs. Nonetheless,
them to demonstrate their worth and earn their place in one Eferi is where the Cult is strongest in all Heimis, and its
of the great clans. The Surani is located in the heart of the members are considered citizens of the Kuraima by default.
Crystal Abyss, deep within the frozen crust of Heimis, and
extends over a vast area that holds several Raag settle- NOTERI
ments, some reaching thousands of inhabitants.
The Noteri Kuraima is the smallest on Heimis, limited to
Everyone who is not a tribe member or assigned to a Raag a few kilometres of spaceports, landing pads and supply
starship (and some who are), is a citizen of the Surani. This stations. The reason for this is that most of the Noteri clan
includes clan rejects, child rearers, trainers and authority is nomadic, spending their lives onboard raiding spaceships,
figures from spiritual teachers to enginseers, their cult and and returning to their Kuraima only to touch base, resupply
their shadow council, and of course the Raag High Council and leave again. There is housing for thousands of families
itself. In all, an estimated 1-2 million Raag live in the Surani, whose brothers, sisters or mothers spend months or years
not counting the children in training.
in space, but otherwise the Noteri Kuraima is but a stop in
the way for the Clan’s space flights.

The area is still very well guarded, of course, as the

Noteri have a lot of mortal enemies among the other clans,
and some of the best armies and security systems of the
Raag civilisation are deployed at the Noteri Kuraima.

VELADA
The Velada Kuraima is the largest, safest and most popu-
lated in Heimis, with several hundred million inhabitants
distributed among large, prosperous cities that, while not
as advanced as those of Eferi, are a far cry from the clan
huts of traditional, rural Raag tribes.

Velada has a thriving industry in the scientific, building,

medical, and food fields, with vast farm tracts feeding
enormous cities through vast underground roads. Just as
Velada is the most popular Clan to belong to - they can
afford to be very picky during the Culling - their Kuraima
is the most popular for visitors and tourists. Entrance to

The Raag Planet

Velada is heavily regulated, as there have been over-immi-
gration problems due to the Kuraima’s much better safety
and living conditions. Enginseers desert the Cult in droves
ICESTALKER
to enjoy the privileges of Velada citizenship.
Affinity :: Lone Wolf
As the Velada Clan has established a couple of colonies Level 3 :: Beast :: Aggressive
in other planets, there are many places across the universe 255
mov. 5 metres :: weight 380 kg :: height 240 cm
that are officially part of their Kuraima. This makes them the

faith: core book

only interplanetary Raag state, as well as the superior clan
in trade and commerce when compared to its neighbors.
5 4 2 -
JINO
PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8
The Jino Kuraima is small and close to the Surani. Its STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2
citizens have a reputation for wanderlust, always travelling
to faraway caves and tunnels or signing up for long spáce
HIT GRAPPLE
flights. The truth remains that Jino citizens are the best (DEX)
4+ (CON)
0 ++
space pilots among the Raag, and their Kuraima is a reflec-
tion of this. Although it has many residential areas, it also
Frostbite
has the largest and most advanced spaceports in Heimis.
Activated. If the attack is successful, it transfers
The Jino Kuraima is the second least populated of Heimis as much neural damage from this NPC as the final
after the Noteri, and is also known to be little more than a modified damage caused by this attack.
resupply stop for its citizens, which are constantly traveling
across their world or other worlds on science or adventure
Berserker
trips. The Kuraima even lacks a government centre, having
long discarded War Councils as an outdated, even barbaric Damage increases its skills instead of reducing
tradition, and leaving Clan rule in the hands of each star- them.
ship’s captain. Inside the Kuraima, the Jino govern them-
selves by community gatherings, to some point imitating
the ways of their Iz’kal friends. The population of Jino has
the greatest enginseer density of Heimis, as they are rela- Frozen Advance
tively few in number and very friendly with the Cult. There Instant. It suffers 3 neural damage and performs an
are also a few Iz’kal citizens in the Jino Kuraima, providing action after the current character. It gains two advan-
their science, knowledge, and technology to the benefit of tages towards hiding in the snow.
the Clan under the close supervision of the Cult.

Icestalkers keep both young and adult Raags awake

at night: the former, scared to death; the latter, in
hunting trips to earn their clan’s respect.
PLAYING AS A CLANMATE
Life as a clanmate is really tough, especially in the lower the beginning of their story and their social status depends
echelons of society. As soon as they reach adolescence, on their Profession value:
the Raag are forced to understand that life is cold as a razor
blade, and can cut like one: the Culling segregates them Prof. 0: Servant 250 cr.
into what are casts all but in name, and ideally gets them Prof. 1:
Drudge 1,000 cr.
chosen by one of the Clans. Prof. 2: Drudge 2,500 cr.
Prof. 3: Drudge 5,000 cr.
Raag society is similar to ancient Human feudalism in Prof. 4: Warrior/Enginseer 10,000 cr.

many ways. At the top of the pyramid, a very strict High Prof. 5: Warrior/Enginseer 20,000 cr.

Council dictates universal laws as would ancient kings. On Prof. 6: Warrior/Enginseer 40,000 cr.

its right hand, the Cult of Eternia exerts their powerful influ- Prof. 7: Warrior/Enginseer 80,000 cr.

ence, resembling the Church. Below both lie the Warlords, Prof. 8: Champion 120,000 cr.
who are close in nature to the ancient nobility although with Prof. 9: Champion 150,000 cr.
a higher degree of social mobility. Then come the warriors
and the enginseers, who parallel knights and priests and The social status of a clanmate is tied to their Profession,
enjoy some privileges while enduring many hardships. and it can only go up when and if they improve their Profes-
Finally, and below all, drudges (peasants) and servants are sion. If their social status is reduced for any reason, their
Playing as a Clanmate

the main sources of workforce and cannon fodder. Profession will be reduced to the highest Profession value
of their new status.
These layers of society are rigid and the hierarchy is
strictly vertical, but there’s a certain degree of social
mobility between them. Hard work, due diligence, and SOCIAL STATUSES
earned respect can go a long way to ensure one’s success.

SERVANT
256 CHARACTER’S You are the scum of Heimis. You weren’t cho-
ECONOMY sen in your Culling, or you are a criminal. You
faith: core book

are allowed to live in the worst areas of the

Surani, or you are kept by a clan to be used as
Credits are of no use in Raag society, whose economy cannon fodder in battle or undertake the worst
is based on the concept of loot. Most clans, to a higher or jobs on an ice fortress.
lesser degree, raid different parts of the universe in search
of goods such as food, tools, or raw materials. Depending Monthly earnings: 0 credits.
on the clan, these will be obtained by force or peaceful
means, but in the end they’ll all go back to Heimis to crunch A Servant character must “work” (begging, stealing,
the numbers and share the spoils. dealing drugs, looking through garbage for scraps, etc.)
sixty hours per week to survive. If they stop “working”
How this loot is divided depends on one’s status, which and do not find a comparable or better occupation within a
grants Raag the right to claim day to day gear as payment month, they will die of starvation.
for their contribution to the Clan’s glory, as well as a
fraction of the spoils they personally obtained. This allot- A Servant character can not raise their Attributes due to
ment depends on the status of the individual and can range the lack of nutrients and basic health care, and they can
from a quarter to three quarters of the bounty they have only obtain Tech or Bio Upgrades in the black market at a
personally collected. significant cost. Additionally, they suffer one disadvantage
towards social interactions with other Raag who are aware
of their status.
STARTING SOCIAL
STATUS AND GEAR DRUDGE
You are a regular clanmate, with more obliga-
When a character begins their story among the Raag tions than rights. You must work very hard and
they start with a number of credits, which they must use to put yourself at risk in the countless raids that
buy starting gear. Any credits not spend to obtain gear are are part of Raag life. You only socialize with
lost. The value in credits of the gear a character receives at
your peers, and those above you look at you
with disdain. Champions don’t have to work to maintain their status,
which can not be lowered. However, they can be exiled from
Monthly earnings: pieces of gear costing up to 500 their Clan, and even from society, if they commit treason.
credits in total (unspent credits are lost). Additionally, they In such instance, they are not allowed to enter their former
can keep up to one quarter of the loot they obtain, and must Clan’s Kuraima under penalty of death. They may attempt
give the rest up to their Clan. to join another Clan, but it is unlikely any Clan other than the
Noteri will accept them, and even they will only do so if they
A Drudge must work for their Clan fifty hours per week provide secrets from their former Clan or are willing to do
to maintain their status. If they stop working, they will their dirty work.
be imprisoned until their Clan goes back to Heimis, where
they will be abandoned with nothing and see their status
reduced to Servant. ADVANCED RULES
Their Clan covers their basic needs and allows them to
live in a common area, with dozens of others. Drudges must BARTER ECONOMY
always follow orders from people of higher status in their
Clan unless they go against their Clan or the Surani, or they While the Raag are starting to use Corvo credits in certain
will be imprisoned and abandoned in Heimis as Servants as areas and are willing to deal with them, their most common
soon as possible. form of trade is bartering. Raag sellers are always open to
barter their goods for goods of equal or higher cost.

Playing as a Clanmate
WARRIOR OR ENGINSEER ASSEMBLING A WARBAND
You live comfortable life in private living quar- A Champion can assemble a warband composed by as
ters, and enjoy a certain look of envy from your many lower status characters as their Profession. Those
lesser clanmates, but it can quickly turn into a characters are considered their entourage, bodyguards,
call to arms that will place you at the forefront close advisors, servants, or other suitable position depend-
of war. Your privileges are many, but so are ing on their respective social status. They don’t need to
your responsibilities. work to maintain their status, but their Champion can give 257
them responsibilities and orders they must follow if they

faith: core book

Monthly earnings: pieces of gear costing up to 2,000 want to be part of the warband. The Champion can spell
credits in total (unspent credits are lost). Additionally, they characters from their warband at any point.
can keep up to half the loot they obtain, and must give the
rest up to their Clan. QUESTING
A Warrior or Enginseer must work thirty hours per week A Champion can propose any kind of quest to their Clan.
for their Clan to maintain their status. If they stop working If their chieftain or Council approves them, or in extreme
or don’t at least attempt to perform their duties, their cases the Champions themselves if there is not a higher au-
status will be reduced to Drudge. thority present, the Champion will be allowed to take their
warband on their proposed quest.
Their Clan covers their basic needs and provides them
with their own living quarters for their family. Warriors The chieftain or Council who approved the quest can
and Enginseers must always follow orders from people of dictate that such a mission requires additional resources,
higher status in their Clan unless they go against their Clan and issue additional gear or vehicles to the Champion’s
or the Surani, or their status will be reduced to Drudge. warband as determined by the GM.

CHAMPION
You are at the higher part of the societal pyra-
mid, second only to chieftains and Councillors.
You enjoy an idle life but can entertain yourself
with the odd quest.

Monthly earnings: pieces of gear costing up to 5,000

credits in total (unspent credits are lost). Additionally, they
can keep up to three quarters of the loot they obtain, and
must give the rest up to their Clan.
the human
THE HUMAN SPECIES
“It’s hard to find a moment of peace.”
NATURE AND
- An Iz’kal reading Human history
BEHAVIOUR
Humans are a mammal, bipedal species from Earth, a
remote world from an isolated solar system in quadrant
Wung 2238. They would be of no consequence to the Humans are muscular, biped mammals with a better
universe at large if they hadn’t been discovered by the ability to manipulate tools than any other species. They
Corvo in 1659 SA, which turned them into the most sought are the second-strongest known civilised creatures in the
after soldiers of known space. universe, and also the most aggressive and cunning when
it comes to battle, with a strategic instinct unmatched by
Humans have many contradicting traits. They are smarter species. All of these traits make Human mercenar-
physically strong, but also frail; their organisms are highly ies an exceedingly popular commodity to all other starfar-
adaptable but also highly specialised. They are both aging civilisations.
gressive and calculating, close-minded but also great at
improvising both tactics and tools. They are violent and Other than their innate combat talents, Humans are a
sentimental, but also level-headed and meticulous. They very adaptable species overall, unparalleled in their ability
are both the most unpredictable species in civilised space to improvise and use tools to survive, even when given little
and the most dependable. They are both highly individualis- to no resources to begin with. This puzzled some Corvo
The Human Species

tic and prone to hive reasoning. Even the Corvo, who for all xenoscientists, as Humans are physically a much less
intents and purposes are their patron race, have a hard time adaptable species than Corvo, until they realised the key
understanding Humans completely. to Human adaptability - and their overall behaviour - is not
their physiology but their brain capacity.

260
faith: core book
ANATOMY AND of thinking new strategies almost unconsciously. This

PHYSIOLOGY alone turned Humans into an evolutionary powerhouse,

which ended not only thriving in, but also collapsing, their
environment.

Humans are sexual-reproducing mammals. They have Humans are also far stronger than most other sentient
four limbs - two arms and two legs - smooth scaleless species, save the Raag; it’s theorised this is due to their
skins, and patches of hair covering seemingly arbitrary species’ evolution towards tool and weapon manipulation.
spots of their bodies. Their skulls have two eyes, two As the saying goes, ‘the best place for a weapon is a Human
external ears, a protruding nose organ and a mouth with hand’ - and science backs the saying.
shifting lips and blunt teeth. Their reproductive organs are
visible in plain sight.
LIFE CYCLE
Humans are exclusive air-breathers, and their lungs
require a very specific combination of oxygen and other
gases, being unable to breathe in many atmospheres Humans reproduce sexually; after the female is ferti-
outside Earth. Unlike other species, they die within minutes lised, she carries the foetus for forty weeks before giving
of oxygen deprivation, and within hours of exposition to birth. Multiple births (mostly twins) are rare but possible.
temperature extremes. They are able to draw nourishment Human newborns are the most fragile in nature, requiring
from several types of organic matter, although their organ- constant care and observation for their first five years of
isms are not optimised for a truly omnivorous diet. life, longer than any living species on record.

The Human Species

The only reason Humans could evolve and prevail against In the natural environment of their devastated world,
stronger lifeforms with such a specialised organism was Humans tend to live to around 50-60 years; however, when
their highly adaptive brains; Humans are not as smart as brought to the controlled habitats and care of Corvo cities,
Corvo, but they are much more spontaneous, capable their life expectancy is nearly doubled, to 90 years or even

261

faith: core book

more. The Corvo are currently at work on several proce- performance. Rather than distracting them from their
dures to slow Human aging, with no conclusive successes duty, Human emotions become linked to it, which makes
but many hopeful results. them more loyal, not less. Thus Corvo psychologists have
developed many ways to use Humans emotions as a tool to
All Humans sent to space by the Corvo are sterilised, inspire them into obedience.
so as to prevent their forming an independent civilisation.
Thus, space Humans do not reproduce.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
HUMAN CHARACTER Humans are not capable of reproducing the Corvo
language because of the differences between our respec-
Although stereotyped as violent and militaristic, Humans tive breathing systems and vocal cords. Most Humans
have a great capacity for gentler emotions, and can develop understand the Corvo trade language, of course, and many
a strong sense of community if socially pressed into it. Corvo understand the Human Speech; however, communi-
They are great scientists and builders, and were well on cation between our species would have not been possible
their way to attempting their first interstellar flight before but for the automatic translation software they developed.
their self-destructive war ended their civilisation.
When the first Corvo expedition arrived on Earth and had
To understand the true nature of Humans, one must trouble communicating with us, they did some research
understand their most distinguishing trait: the inordinate into what little was left of Earth’s technology. Thus they
The Human Society

importance they give to their emotions. For Humans, basic used the most common Human names they found in the
sensations such as love, desire, hunger, fear, and even the databases to name themselves while communicating
will to create things, seem governed by emotion rather with earthlings. These names were Chinese. Since then,
than simple survival. we Humans always use chinese names for the Corvo. An
extension of Corvo translation software can automatically
For example, they mainly copulate not to reproduce, but generate a Chinese name when Corvo tell their name to
to somehow satisfy their emotional needs; and they histri- Humans. By the same token, Human names are translated
262 onically express their emotional pleasure with such simple to a language the Corvo understand.
acts as eating or resting. A Human can, and will easily, fall
into violent rampages for an insult, or risk his life and those Similarly, when Humans meet the Iz’kal and the Raag for
faith: core book

of others for purely abstract reasons, such as ‘the right the first time they ran their names into the same software.
thing to do’, or imaginary feelings such as ‘loving’ a specific The first Iz’kal-Human meeting took place in a diplo-
individual or thing above everyone and everything else. matic mission in Erthum, and the desertic planet reminded
Humans of the deserts in the Middle East, so they chose
Many xenoscientists theorised that such unpredict- arabic names for the Iz’kal. Following suit, the Raag were
able impulses would hinder the Humans’ military use; assigned Inuit names due to their frozen home planet.
surprisingly, it turned out that it actually improves their

SOCIETY
“At one time in the world, there were woods the Corvo on their offer, and became a starfaring, merce-
that no one owned.” nary race, hired by the Corvo as soldiers and guards. Cur-
rently, there are basically three Human societies.
- Cormac McCarthy, Human writer
Earthlings, or wasters, are Humans from Earth, which
Humans used to have a successful and thriving planet- live in a dog-eat-dog environment of wasteland survival-
spanning society, but it was destroyed by a world war cen- ists; a rural, hunter-gatherer culture that struggles for
turies before the Corvo discovered Earth. What remains of survival among the ancient ruins of their civilisation. Earth-
Human society is a savage world of survivalist tribes and lings are violent, hardy and dangerous, like their world, and
isolated settlements, with no government other than petty have been fighting each other to survive for the last five
tyrants and warlords that compete for the borders of a centuries.
wasteland.
Urban Humans, or Urbanites, are Earthlings that have
After the Corvo arrived, Human society changed entirely; moved into one of the Corvo modernised settlements on
the Corvo offered employment, equipment, patronage and Earth. The Corvo take reasonably good care of Urbanites,
the possibility to go to space. Millions of Humans took up giving them shelter, food and money for nominal jobs and
Sergeant Sullivan
Sergeant Sullivan was happy. except for the three drunkards singing an old song in an
armoury far away.
He was working for the Corvo, and he missed his times
as a hired gun for the Iz’kal a little less every day. He did But that night, Sergeant Sullivan did not think about such
not like the Iz’kal ways. It was damning enough to bear day things. He was deeply engrossed in reliving one of the most
after day of gunshot hell, from trenches unknown, fighting intense missions of Qadinkral. It was a story about a Human
an unseen enemy, but the thing that Sullivan found most - a rare occurrence.
deplorable about the Iz´kal was the fact that, for them,
fighting was not enough: they wanted to convince you that A noble brother who had lost his life between the arms
you were doing the right thing. As if a piece of bread to eat of Qadinkral, sacrificing himself for the greater good.
was not enough! Droning mass speeches about the cause, How glorious it must be to become immortalized in Corvo
and how they were on the right. Banners and anthems culture. A brother was raised as a Titan, on The Night of
dotted the base, displaying answers to dilemmas he never the Titans.
had. So many that, more often than not, he was glad to be
unlearned. Maybe, one day, he could be like
that brother. He could become
He despised living with the continuous feeling that he immortal.
was being brainwashed. He struggled to understand why

The Human Society

the Iz’kal were trying so hard. He was, after all, one of Sergeant Sullivan was happy.
thousands of brothers and sisters who would kill their own
mothers if that meant not having to return to their former,
miserable life.

Life at the Plinth 03 space station with the Corvo was

much more pleasant. Being left alone, undisturbed, after
weeks of fighting and sweating and killing and swearing. It 263
was exactly what he wanted. Drinking with his brothers and

faith: core book

lying with his sisters; betting his lunch on a card game.

They could live, even if it was for only a small while,

before the Commander-in-Chief reappeared and sent them
on yet another mission.

He particularly enjoyed the kino nights, when the Corvo

set up one of the four spherical rooms of the Plinth and
showed them one of their old films. The rest of the time,
those rooms were used to prepare battles in huge 360-
degree virtual environments, but during The Night of the
Titans, it was a place where the legends of Serxos, Qadink-
ral the Die-Hard, and other Corvo heroes came back to life
all around them.

The truth was that he was not going to let the Corvo
brainwash him any time soon. He knew that hundreds of
Humans had perished behind each of the heroes’ triumphs.
He was aware that they were vacuous stories, filled with
half-truths and double lies, manufactured to make the
Corvo’s wars the stuff of legend. He did not buy it, but in
spite of everything, they were fun. They were bloody en-
tertaining, even. And certainly more effective than alcohol!

Reality mattered little when, for a couple of hours,

monsters fought monsters in space, and made him forget
the crude reality where a projectile shot from nowhere
could blow away his head, and nobody would give a damn,
in general making sure they have numerous and prosper- seem to stand in contrast with the cruel world outside
ous families. This is because the Corvo need to keep Human these close-knit groups. The point is, it has to; in a violent
numbers steady for their armed forces. In fact, the Corvo world, only cooperative groups stand a chance of survival.
are paying Urbanites to reproduce.
Urbanites always have families with as many children
Space Humans, or Spacers, live in a military culture of as they can spawn; the Corvo take care of the expenses,
mercenaries and soldiers onboard Corvo ships, protected giving the family heads easy and often unnecessary jobs
by Corvo laws and fed by Corvo resources. They are mostly to ensure they maintain a good quality of life. The Corvo
the children of Urbanites, save for a few Wasters directly don’t see this as a waste, as they are in fact farming a
recruited into space forces by the Corvo. Spacers are rela- vital resource - Human soldiers. As the Corvo don’t have
tively organised, disciplined and honourable, and enjoy the a cultural concept of monogamy or heterosexuality, they
clean, civilised life of gainful employment almost as much allow non-reproductive sex, as long as the Humans involved
as they like space battles. make sure to have children anyway; the Corvo also encour-
age families with several sexual partners, which result in
Human cultures have often been compared to an animal many more children.
species in a zoo versus the wild; they are safer in the Corvo
environment, but they are free in their deadly natural Spacers have no families, and after three centuries of
habitat. Corvo influence most have entirely forgotten the concept
altogether. Once a Human leaves Earth, he is immediately
sterilised by the Corvo, so as to prevent Humans from es-
LANGUAGE tablishing a civilisation that could become dangerous com-
The Human Society

petition. Thus, spacers have no children and, for the most

part, no relatives; as a result, they tend to form strong
Human speech is loud and musical, using exhalations, bonds with their war comrades. And, since the Corvo have
vocal cords and mouth inflexions to produce a great variety no cultural restrictions or rules related to sexual inter-
of sounds. The Corvo cannot reproduce it, but both species course, military brotherhood often evolves into intimate
have learned to either understand their respective lan- relationships, regardless of rank or gender.
guages - or to use automatic translation software.
264
There are many different languages on Earth belonging ECONOMY AND
to the scattered survivalist tribes of the wasteland; but
SOCIAL CLASS
faith: core book

most Earthlings understand a single language they all

call simply ‘The Speech’, based on one of their surviving
postwar languages. Interestingly, no Human remembers
what that language was called or which Humans spoke it. Humans don’t have social classes to speak of, but they
aren’t exactly a classless society either. Rather, it could be
The Corvo used their translation software to research said that Humans are a social class unto themselves. They
Human languages, and adapted their names and terms to are somewhat outside the Corvo social order, but they
an ancient Human tongue called Chinese (the most frequent are definitely more privileged than the poorest Corvo, and
language they found), but they have also learned to under- second-class citizens to everyone else.
stand The Speech.

Space Humans talk almost exclusively in The Speech. EARTH ECONOMY

However, all Spacers understand the Corvo Trade Language,
which is the common tongue of the Corvosphere, and The Waster Humans have no social structure other than the
Speech is understood by a vast majority of Corvo. rule of the strongest - raiders take from the common folk,
and warlords establish small dominions through strength.
Waster society has no currency; all transactions on the
FAMILY Earth wasteland use a simple bartering system, where
both parts agree on the perceived worth of an item and
that’s it. Robbery and scavenging is at least as common as
Humans have varying approaches to family depending trading, anyway. When ranking their buying power by Corvo
on their environment, to which they have always adapted standards, Waster Humans are equal to the Corvosphere’s
perfectly. lowest classes, with even their warlords and petty tyrants
being only a bit higher in the scale. The mightiest army on
Waster tribes are usually comprised of five to ten the Earth badlands has roughly the same resources as a
families, which include the parents with their children and single middle-class family from Tiantang.
grandchildren. Everyone takes care of everyone, and an
Earthling tribe is actually a large family by itself. This would
governments don’t represent their people and, save rare
HUMAN ECONOMY IN exceptions, never last more than a couple of years as locals
are forced to move on by raiders or lack of resources. On
THE CORVOSPHERE Earth, politics are still reduced to taking whatever you can
from whoever you meet, with power and authority going -
Urbanites and Spacers use the Corvo economic system. fleetingly - to whoever can take more.
This means they manage electronic credits, and they are
free to seek any jobs they want - although in practice the On the Corvosphere Humans are the Corvo’s de facto
Corvo impose very strict job contracts - earning whatever subjects, and live by their laws and under their social struc-
they can with their effort. However, Humans do enjoy a tures. This means, since the Corvo have no government,
special treatment due to their importance to Corvo society. officially Humans have no leaders either. As Humans are
innately far more given to group identity and nationalism
All Urbanites and Spacers have jobs in the Corvosphere - than Corvo, they tend to form small bands and communi-
otherwise they wouldn’t be invited to join it - and earn good ties within Corvo cities, or give their army units nominal
wages for their work, even if said work is simply moving to laws, flags and a near-political hierarchy besides military
a Corvo city to raise families and performing lesser tasks. ranks.

When Humans join the Corvosphere - either the Corvo Some Humans have tried to establish their own independ-
protection facilities on Earth or the Corvo armies in space - ent states inside the Corvosphere, but they just don’t have
they automatically have a special status, as the Megacorps the numbers or resources to achieve it, and these small
pay them more for less work, regardless of their position. political entities always end up disbanding almost as soon

The Human Society

To prevent this special treatment from becoming privilege as they are conceived.
and having a Human State erupt under their noses, the Corvo
impose special taxes on Humans acquiring certain goods -
particularly basic needs - in the Corvosphere. The Corvo HUMAN ROLES
tell Humans this measure is to ‘ensure the Corvo people
get fair access to basic needs’, but it’s actually to maintain
Human dependency. For example, since there’s no ‘Human Most Humans are warriors. This is true for Spacers as
tax’ on luxuries such as experience drugs or entertainment well as for Wasters; even Urbanites have a high number of 265
events, any Human can enjoy the best of the Corvosphere career soldiers and guards - even if they have relatively few

faith: core book

as easily as most Corvo; but owning a home or their own things to fight for in their controlled environment.
ship, even their own weapons, is nearly prohibitive for
Humans, who despite their privileged position are usually Nearly 90% of Humans in the Corvosphere are mer-
forced to depend on their employers for basic needs. There cenaries, forming the elite of Coalition armies and ship
are also many Corvo that take advantage of this situation crews, or guarding everything from Corvo settlements and
acting as Human ‘patrons’ and providing a Human with his Megacorp facilities to Mob dens.
basic needs in exchange for limited services.
The remaining Humans are either blue-collar workers -
This system, which has worked as far as Humans are con- having fulfilled their military contracts and thus paid their
cerned, has imbalanced Corvo economy in several arenas. way to a civil life as office workers or scientists - or live in the
Many Megacorp officials openly oppose it, claiming it goes fringes of civilised society. These fringer Humans include
against the Corvo economic system itself; in fact, the half the population of Earth, which still live as Wasters in
Human situation is the closest the Corvosphere has come a world without professions or institutions, killing each
to having social security, or a measure of state intervention other for resources; this includes all Corvosphere Humans
on the economy. Several alternatives have been attempted that somehow fell into the Heijian underworld as freelance
throughout the 300 years the Humans have lived in the adventurers, hackers, outlaws or members (or victims) of
Corvosphere, but the system always ends up reverting to organised crime. Many Humans are slaves, forced to work
the current model - mild privilege for Humans, in exchange as mob muscle, miners or pit fighters.
for artificially maintaining their second-class citizen status.
And then there are the very few lucky ones - those
Humans that have achieved celebrity or success in the
POLITICS AND LAW Corvosphere. These include war heroes, famous explor-
ers and - very rarely - Humans that managed to become
entertainment celebrities. One thing that’s still completely
Human politics are quite simple: They do not govern unheard of is a Human with a high position at a Megacorp
themselves anywhere, and that’s about as far as it goes. (or any corporation). The Corvo have made sure this cannot
happen by a subtly enforced social prejudice, which makes
Wasters have small, independent dominions or city- both species assume almost instinctively that Humans are
states that rule by force over small patches of land. These not qualified or willing to take Corporate work.
THE HUMAN FRONT
The Human Front is a faction of financed by the Iz’kal State. The assumption makes sense
Space Humans that fight to create - the Iz’kal would be very interested in the Human Front’s
a new beginning for the Human success, and after the founding of the Coalition, Iz’kal and
species, on a healthy planet far Humans are closer than ever - and more independent from
away from the economic control the Corvo for their contact, too.
of the Corvosphere or the manipu-
lation of the Iz’kal State. The rumour is true to an extent; some factions of the
Human Front have indeed contacted The State, which
Human Front members, known offered resources with no strings attached, asking nothing
as Fronters, are Human rebels in return but to have a destabilising force inside the Corvo-
who once joined the Corvo and sphere. Of course, the Iz’kal would like to have a lot more
have since taken arms against them. They are trying to control over the Human Front than they do, and are always
discover their way back to Earth to help their species escape in search of agents to infiltrate the Human Front in their
the cycle of violence to which the Corvo subject them. name to make sure the State’s resources are being used in
the State’s best interest. By the same token, the Megacorps
The Human Front has existed for more than two centu- would pay dearly for any information that proves the State
ries, almost since the Humans first encountered the Corvo, is indeed financing the Human Front.
and during this time it has gone through several incarna-
tions, some more violent and some more idealistic. They
COMMANDER
The Human Front

have always two things in common, however - first, a hatred

of the Corvo; and second, the unshakable goal of someday
finding the way back to Earth, their long lost planet. SADA THAMP
The Corvo have given the Human Front a reputation as
a dangerous terrorist group that attacks important Corvo The most important leader of the Human Front is Sada
266 enclaves, accusing them of committing terrible attacks Thamp, daughter of Sadoy Thamp, perhaps the greatest
against Corvo civilians; the Human Front doesn’t admit or Human Front leader who ever lived. Sada is no less re-
deny these accusations. spected than her father, although she feels overwhelmed
faith: core book

by his legend.
The Human Front doesn’t generally consider members of
other species as true Fronters, but it is willing to hire non- Sada is an idealistic revolutionary, believing in a govern-
Humans for temporary or freelance tasks. After all, there ment of the people for the people, and has never accepted
are still places that only a Corvo or an Iz’kal can reach. any kind of authority over the Human Front. She, however,
is the Front’s most popular leader today, partly because of
Being a large organisation persecuted by all, the Human her lineage and also because of her honesty and charisma.
Front must keep on the run, and Fronters remain scattered
throughout the Labyrinth. As a result, the Human Front Despite this, Sada has done little to capitalise on her
does not always follow a single consistent line of thought. prestige or join the separatist Human Front factions;
While some factions within the organization are trying to this has gained her some criticism from friends and foes
establish truces with the Corvo, other factions might be alike, who would like her to take a more hands-on role on
blowing up their mining colonies. This means the Human the leadership of the organisation. She, however, firmly
Front has not made that much progress towards the believes in self-governance, and in letting the Human Front
liberation of its people - many Humans do not agree with decide what it wants to be by itself. Meanwhile, she is still
them openly, as their behaviour has increased the levels of hoping to, someday, find Earth to give back to her people.
anti-Human sentiment in the Corvosphere. This, added to
the Megacorps’ terror campaign about the Human Front, is In fact, Sada is constantly seeking valiant agents to help
slowly building up into widespread interspecies tension, and her in her search. There’s always some new clue or some
could eventually escalate into a full, bloody, Corvosphere- new contact somewhere in Tiantang or the colonies, and
wide Human-Corvo conflict. she cannot check any of them in person; she needs someone
else to do it. If any of these clues or contacts came through,
she may find the lead she needs to find Earth - and would be
BEHIND THE FRONT very happy with the agents that helped her get it.

Besides having thousands of explorers and reconnais-

There’s a persistent rumour in the Corvosphere that sance troops searching for Earth across the Corvosphere,
the Human Front is actually backed and at least partially Sada is the patron behind the Gloriana Flight, Captain Axus
The Human Front
COMMANDER SADA THAMP COMMANDER DEFORT
Lone Wolf Lone Wolf
Level 3 :: Human :: Strategist Level 3 :: Human :: Loyal
267
mov. 5 metres :: weight 78 kg :: height 185 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 95 kg :: height 178 cm

faith: core book

6 5 3 4 5 3 2

PHYSICAL 9 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL INITIATIVE MENTAL

STAT STAT STAT
STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2

CLOSE STANDARD HIT GRAPPLE

QUARTERS
4+ DISTANCE
4+ (DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+

Sada Thamp’s Cannon Carlus DeFort’s Suit

Plasma weapon 2 (It ignores 2 points of armour). It He can move flying, and he gains one advantage
can perform suppressive fire actions. towards agility actions.

Charismatic Charge II

She gains one advantage towards social interactions His unconfronted running actions are considered
when using her voice. passive, and his next Close Quarters action gains one
advantage and causes 1 additional damage.

Persuasive

He gains an advantage when trying to convince other

characters.

Thamp is the idealistic head of the Human Front. Commander DeFort read the phrase “the means
Despite being overwhelmed by her father’s legacy, justify the end” on an old Human book, and he hasn’t
she puts on a brave face and leads with aplomb. stopped using it at every chance he gets.
Bold’s covert mission to find Earth in non-Corvo space. She it’s no longer strong enough to stop or control Humans.
remains a dreamer, and to her critics, a blind idealist; but For DeFort, terrorism is a perfectly acceptable means to
she understands her own flaws and has chosen to live - and this end, on the rationale that Corvo economic practices,
lead - with them. shielded behind legality, impose a much worse violence on
the lower classes. For DeFort, the Corvo society is a hypo-
critical tyranny disguised as free market, and the Iz’kal are
YASON ZARK no better with their totalitarian dictatorship; DeFort intends
to crush both their civilisations - particularly the Megacorps
Currently, Sada’s most urgent concern is the loss of her - or die trying. Then, and only then, will the Human Front be
right hand and closest associate, Captain Yason Zark. able to return freely to Earth and live in peace.

Captain Zark is a grizzled veteran of Sadoy Thamp’s cam- Commander DeFort may well be the most hated Human
paigns; a square-jawed, trim-bearded soldier with greying in the Corvosphere, and he couldn’t be more proud of it:
blond hair and a dutiful, martial air. He taught Sada to pilot he understands a hero must always be the villain at some
and shoot, just as her father taught her to speak and think. point in his career.
When Sadoy Thamp died, he entrusted care of her daughter
to Captain Zark, who has fulfilled his promise to this day. DeFort is cruel but not sadistic, and violent but exceed-
ingly honourable. He has never attacked a defenceless
The men under Zark’s command are all older than 40, enemy or targeted a residential area; all of his strikes are
but he wouldn’t have it otherwise; they all fought together against Megacorp facilities, factories and military centres,
in dozens of battles, and swore to die together. Sada, and in the hopes of crippling Corvo economy and not Corvo
Captain Zark himself, nicknamed them ‘the Beard Squad’ people. However, he’s not above executing innocents if
The Human Front

and it became their official callsign. necessary, and many civilian workers have met their end at
DeFort’s surgical strikes.
Recently, Captain Zark and the Beard Squad were escort-
ing Commander Sada’s ship as it crossed Corvo space, and More recently, DeFort has become bold enough to plan
were intercepted by a Feng-class cruiser that recognised hits on important Corvo leaders. As the Megacorps are out
the Human Front Commander and immediately ordered of his league, he has decided to focus on the law instead. He
268 Sada’s surrender. Speeding towards the nearest labyrinth has a mission for any Human Front member or freelance
exit, Sada led her fleet away from the Corvo, while Captain mercenary that wants to take it - to seek and assassinate
Zark and the Beard Squad faced the Corvo ship. The last either Lao Meng, the Chief of Tiantang Police, or Zhang Ye
faith: core book

that Sada saw before entering the Labyrinth was that they himself, her superior and Head of Tiantang Security.
managed to disengage too.
It goes without saying that Comander DeFort and Com-
However, neither Captain Zark nor any of his men mander Thamp don’t see eye to eye, and have been many
made it to the other end of the Labyrinth. Perhaps times on the verge of actually fighting each other, stopping
they got lost in the Labyrinth, or perhaps they were only because of their one common trait - their overwhelm-
intercepted by more Corvo ships. It’s been weeks, ing loyalty to the Human Front.
and there are no news of the Commander’s mentor
and best friend. Sada has sent scouts to discreetly
inquire about Captain Zark in Corvo space, and they THE GLORIANA FLIGHT
have all returned with nothing. Either the Corvo
never captured them, or they did so with utmost
secrecy. They must have escaped… A starfaring quest with no end, a trip of destiny from the
mud to the farthest stars, an adventure like no other - this
...But where are they? is the Gloriana Flight.

The Gloriana is a Human Front ship, manned by the

COMMANDER DEFORT best explorers and bravest adventurers Humanity has to
offer, sent by Commander Sada Thamp to search for three
things - One, worlds suitable for Human colonisation; Two,
Sada Thamp’s main rival for control of the Human Front is oppressed Humans in need of help; and Three, the secret
Commander DeFort, her opposite in almost every respect. location of the lost Human world - Earth.

Carlus DeFort is a tall, blond and disciplined man, with no The Gloriana Flight is manned by captain Axus Bold,
illusions about the Human Front’s chances of success; as a valiant space explorer, and his crew of shipmates and
he and his followers see it, if the Human Front will ever find friends, which includes some of the greatest heroes in
Earth and become free of the Corvo, it has to destroy the Human space. It exists as Sada’s secret plan - an ace in the
Corvo first, or at least cripple the Corvo civilisation so that hole, a last desperate plan should the Human Front fail at
its rebellion. The Corvo and Iz’kal don’t know of the Glori-
ana’s existence, although rumours abound of its fleeting
passage through remote planets, aiding Human colonists
and uncovering new paths across the Labyrinth.

The Gloriana does accept new recruits of any species,

as long as they are brave, open minded and committed
to the Human ideals of peace, freedom and the return of
Humanity to Earth.

Axus Bold is the ship’s captain; a Human Front soldier,

former Megacorp mercenary and starfighter ace. His first
mate and co-pilot is Zindaa, also an ex-soldier; a woman
with a kind heart, a sharp eye and the best pilot hands
outside the Coalition. The ship’s second mate is Yomak
Tokamak, a Human warrior with a love for body armor and
energy weapons. The chief technician is Zook, a small Corvo
that rebelled against his people to help the Gloriana achieve
the dream of Human freedom. Finally, the crew’s most
powerful member by far is A’astrani, an Iz’kal voidwalker
and soulbender of Hexia that never speaks but always
has the last word in any conflict. Other than these elite

The Human Front

members, the Gloriana employs a crew of about thirty ex-
plorers and adventurers of every known civilised species,
all equally committed to freedom and hope.
HUMAN FRONTER
Teamplayer
The Gloriana Flight has been in operation for five years
now, opposing both the Megacorps and the State at every Level 2 :: Human :: Loyal
turn, but never raising arms against anybody that doesn’t 269
mov. 5 metres :: weight 75 kg :: height 180 cm
strike first. After all, the Gloriana is still an unconfirmed

faith: core book

rumour, and a covert operation - but it is also a symbol of
hope and a beacon of light for Humans across the universe.
5 3 2 -

THE FREE COLONIES PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 4

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

There are a couple remote places in the universe where

CLOSE STANDARD
Outer Humans have managed to live in opposition to their QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
3+
species’ stereotype - in peaceful and stable settlements.
These colonies are far removed and well hidden from both
Nemesis
the Iz’kal State and the Corvosphere; their inhabitants are
just looking to start anew away from alien influence and Plasma weapon (It ignores 1 point of armour). The
be left alone. attack gains one advantage against dodging.

The Free Colonies, as they are known, first appeared

through the enormous efforts of Commander Sadoy Frag grenades
Thamp, martyr of the Human Front; it’s mostly thanks to
Action (Physical). One advantage if thrown within 10
the Front that they still exist. The Free Colonies maintain
metres, or one disadvantage for every 10 metres or
good relations with the Human Front since the organisation
fraction further (up to 50). Causes 4 physical damage
has the secret of their location, but they are not part of the
up to one metre from impact point, and 1 less damage
Human Front or necessarily agree with its methods.
for every metre or fraction further.

Free Colonies are still few and precarious; some dis- Relentless
appear without a trace, and now and then a new one is
founded in some remote corner of the universe. Currently She does not lose her turn when she performs a
no more than a couple of Free Colonies are estimated to counteraction.
exist, but the Human Front hopes there will gradually be
more until Humanity has its own place in the universe again.
Human Fronters want a fresh start for Humanity,
far from the influence of alien species, and they’re
willing to go to great lengths to achieve this goal.
CULTURE
Despite the great fall of their civilisation and their status area, liking the same music or working in the same cor-
as an occupied people, Humans have one of the richest poration. For example, a Human feels a sense of commu-
cultures in the universe thanks to what is their greatest nity based on factors like ethnicity, gender or even body
weakness - the worth they give to worthless things. measures.

As a result, Humans have an incredibly rich trove of Humans also value aesthetic Beauty as an aspirational
traditions, legends, songs and customs for such a dimin- virtue by itself. A Human that creates a useless work of
ished civilisation. As Corvo xenohistorian Wen Xeming art can be lauded as an important member of society for
notes, Humans lost their history but kept their legends, yet achieving the value of ‘beauty’. Furthermore, Humans
another manifestation of their strange, emotional values. value beauty beyond visual pleasure or sexual attraction.
In fact, Humans give beauty less worth, not more, when it is
tied to attractiveness or decoration; beauty must have its
HUMAN PHILOSOPHY own worth for it to have any worth.

Humans have a rich, layered philosophy, which tends to CONTRADICTING MORALS

be as contradicting and emotional as everything else about
them. There are very few Human philosophy schools or

The Human Culture

scholars, but their ideas, opinions, traditions and aphorisms
suggest that there used to be thousand upon thousand of
HUMAN VALUES different Human philosophies before the war. They also
suggest that all of these philosophies were based on con-
Human thought is based on the unusual concept of tradictory beliefs.
‘values’ - abstract, purely moral rules with no actual effect
or material use by themselves, to which Humans pay at For example, most Humans see ‘peace’ as a virtue, and
least as much attention and respect as to their own lives. applaud non-violence as one of their many abstract moral 271
This often overrides even their basic impulses and needs. ‘values’. However, they also see bravery and competition as

faith: core book

Corvo sociologists have concluded that ancient Humans laudable qualities, and often praise both struggle and pas-
developed such ‘values’ as a behavioural method; that is, to siveness in the same story - or even in the same sentence.
somehow regulate Human nature and their irrational emo- Most surviving Human teachings praise both individualism
tional outbursts. Much like the psychological training the and conformity, independence and cooperation.
Corvo developed for Human soldiers, ‘values’ turn Human
emotions into a tool for cooperation and agreement, en- By the same token, they have a strong sense of moral
couraging group behaviour through the same irrational good and evil. However, they very rarely agree, even within
beliefs that would otherwise disrupt it. the same social group or ideology, on whether a specific
act or practice is good or evil - again, they have several
Human values include the following abstract concepts: tales and customs that simultaneously praise and condemn
killing, stealing, or depriving others of their freedom.
Love is understood as a virtue, and most Humans
celebrate their emotional attachment to certain people,
activities or places. This view of love is a very empowering EQUALITY AND HIERARCHY
tool for Humans, which can unflinchingly put themselves
in danger, or even allow themselves to die outright, in the Although there are very few surviving Human philoso-
name of such attachments. phies, and they are all equally rife with the same inexpli-
cable contradictions, all Human thought seems to ascribe
For Humans, Loyalty is an emotional virtue, to which to one of two basic trends. Humans have many names for
they ascribe feelings of pride and self-satisfaction, as if not these two trends, but Corvo xenoscientists classify them
betraying one’s kin was a pleasurable activity or a praise- as Equality and Hierarchy, as they are basically a debate on
worthy quality instead of a simple means of survival. It is who should rule society.
important to note that Humans feel - and overtly boast -
loyalty to such baffling concepts as their birthplace, their Equality followers - who tend to be followers of Ergon
customs, or their DNA group. as well - believe the values and needs of the community
come before individual needs and institutional authority;
Belonging is the most alien of Human values, which at- they maintain that the group comes first, and should be
tributes a real, measurable worth to arbitrary connections unfettered by individual demands or authorities. The most
with each other like being born on the same geographical committed followers of this school maintain that all social
classes should have the same income and privileges re-
gardless of their individual merit or personal worth.

Followers of Hierarchy believe the opposite - that in-

dividuals should only accept the rule of law, not of their
peers, and that neither individual freedom nor the duly
appointed rulers should bow to the demands of the group.
They maintain that every person should be able to have as
much authority and power over others as earned by his own
effort . Hierarchists are almost always Hexians or Kalivans.

RELIGION AND
SPIRITUALITY
“I bleed for Humanity. Inside me resides divin-
ity.”

- Lana Moon, a fertile Human woman on Earth

The Human Culture

It is not known whether ancient Humans worshipped

the Gods, but when the Corvo arrived to Earth there were
ARKA BOZAG significant (and opposing) cults of Kaliva and Ergon among
wasteland survivalists.

Vexale Prophet Currently, most Humans worship Kaliva, save for a few
Level 3 :: Human :: Kind cults of Ergon on Earth and a few Corvo sectors. Most
272 members of the Human Front took up Vexal worship, and
mov. 5 metres :: weight 80 kg :: height 190 cm
currently outnumber both Kalivans and Ergonauts within
the organisation.
faith: core book

6 6 0 - Humans have turned out to be exceptional soulbenders.

While other species have roughly one soulbender for every
hundred citizens, Humans have ten. So, there may not be
PHYSICAL 16 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 16
2 2 that many Human soulbenders, but their soulbender per-
STAT 1 STAT STAT
centage is the highest - so high in fact that most xenohisto-
rians assume it had something to do with the violent fall of
HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
2 ++ (CON)
0 their civilisation.

Neural Spike II
ARKA BOZAG
Action (Mental). He suffers 2 neural damage and
attacks a character within 20 metres and line of sight, Arka Bozag is the High Prophet of Vexal among Humans.
gaining two advantages if his Faith is higher than his He is a very powerful soulbender that has no fixed resi-
target’s, and causing 3 unpreventable neural damage. dence, but travels the Corvosphere aboard a home-ship
This action can be confronted as a projectile. with his closest assistants and followers. He chose to live
on a ship as a way to honour his God, but also because
Neural Sacrifice
he is in constant search for relics of Vexal, all the while
Instant. He suffers 2 neural damage and gains one helpíng people in need of wisdom or inspiration across the
advantage towards his next mental action. universe. He is known for wielding a staff made almost
entirely of quartz crystal, through which he channels his
soulbending gifts; Human Vexalites call the staff the Key of
Neural Recovery Paths, and Arka himself is also known as the Man with the
Crystal Staff.
He always recovers 1 point of neural health during
the maintenance phase, regardless of any neural Arka Bozag is a serious, beautiful - slightly androgy-
damage suffered that round. nous - and ageless man that often looks preoccupied with
something beyond his surroundings, thinking about the
Beautiful inside and out, Bozag is the most powerful
Vexalite Human soulbender. He travels all across
the universe in search of relics of his God.
deep secrets of the universe. He always appears in dazzling started repopulating the wastes after the war, and found
robes, carrying his staff and followed by a few of his crew, their world littered with ruins, crumbling machinery and
acolytes and bodyguards. rusted vehicles. Some folks took this refuse and used it for
sculptures that served as signals or religious icons, or else
Many Human Front members worship Arka Bozag as had with no practical use whatsoever.
a manifestation of their God, but he does not condone or
belong to their organisation. To date, wasteworking is a widespread practice on Earth,
and almost every waster settlement is decorated with
Arka’s search for relics usually stretches his several samples of wastework. Even Humans that have
forces more than he can afford. He is always willing moved to Corvo habitats retain the hobby, and the Corvo
to hire mercenaries to seek for specific relics, gladly pay for it - they’ll pay Humans for anything as long
particularly lost pieces of an artefact known as the as they stay safe and breed to join their space army. As a
Door of Vexal, supposed to open and control Laby- result, wasteworks have become a common sight in the
rinth paths by itself. The Door is likely a legend, but Corvo habitats of Earth, and some are even exported into
Arka would pay dearly for proof of its existence. Tiantang wealthy sectors, prized by wealthy Corvo and art
collectors.

HUMAN ARTS BALL GAMES

AND SPORTS
Organised sports used to exist on Earth before the

The Human Culture

war; after the fall, Humans kept playing ball games on
Although Human culture was mostly wiped out, their ad- their towns and the ruins of their streets. Currently, all
oration of useless cultural traits kept many of their artistic Humans know at least one or two different ball games, with
and entertainment means alive, and led them to create informal rules that have nevertheless spread across their
many new ones even through the years of their great fall. entire civilisation.
As a result, Humans have their own music and art - with
almost as many different genres as Corvo - mostly using When the Corvo arrived, they institutionalised many of
analog means, like painting, sculpture and performing arts. these sports, and even created a Human corball league, 273
where Humans can play corball against each other. Many

faith: core book

Humans were taken to space not as soldiers but as corball
TALESPINNERS players; they tend to make great attackers, as could be
imagined, and every bit as committed and popular as their
As many Human artistic expressions became lost or Corvo teammates.
died out after the war, storytelling flourished. Travelling
raconteurs went across the wasteland spreading news
and legends alike, and soon telling stories became a re- HUMAN
spected - if rather hard and dangerous - profession in the
Earth wasteland. Practitioners of the art became known as SUBCULTURES
talespinners; a profession that combined survival ability
and a fast trigger with knowledge and artistic performance.
Almost all Humans are soldiers, but there are a few
After the Corvo arrived, they funded many projects to civilian societies among their species, both on Earth and in
support and encourage the talespinner trade, ostensibly Corvo space.
to research Human culture and behaviour, but actually to
keep Humans occupied as they bred them for war. Many Mercenaries are organised soldiers, trained in combat
talespinners were invited to join the space army, and and teamwork. They can be found in the service of the Coa-
became wartime heralds and messengers, sharing secret lition, the Megacorps, the State, and fringe employers such
messages, spying on the enemy and warning their allies. as a Tongs or pirate warlords. These mercenaries develop
beliefs, customs and even accents or speech patterns ac-
Be it on Earth or in space, talespinners are brave ad- cording to the area or group they serve in. This is by far the
venturers, charming showpeople and a welcome sight for most common and widespread of all Human cultures.
scared, sad or battle-weary Humans.
Raiders is a blanket term to include wasteland bandits,
wandering marauders, warrior tribes and space pirates.
WASTEWORKERS Human raiders tend to believe in strength, and mark paci-
fists and sedentary civilians as weaker, even lesser beings.
Wasteworking is the art of sculpting with garbage. It They also have their own customs and special languages,
became a mainstream artistic medium when Humans made up of altered terms from the Human tongue.
Settlers are Humans that live in established communi- breed and feed them as farm animals under the pretence of
ties either on the Earth wasteland or a colony somewhere giving them jobs and housing.
else. They value cooperation, hard work and stability. Their
solidarity and concern for each other puzzles Corvo, and
has moved many Corvo researchers to question their own POP TRIBES
values. Settler Humans have rough, crude accents and
idioms, despite being the source of the modern Human As a rule, most Humans have little time for leisure activi-
Tongue. ties, but after centuries of Corvo care and protection, they
have developed a few subcultures based on art and enter-
Metropolitan Humans, or Metroes, are Urbanites that tainment, following Corvo fashion trends or creating their
live specifically in Corvo reservations or even in Corvo own. Like the Corvo mi dian or Wangers, Human pop tribes
urban centres outside Earth such as Tiantang. These are divided by what music, brands, games or stories they
Humans are used to the good life, value individual achieve- like, and are heavy neuronet users, looking to be cortex-
ment and material success, and are slightly less emotional connected at all times.
and friendly than their kin. They speak with a hissing accent
derived from their contact with Corvo, which is grating to The Corvo don’t know whether to encourage these
other Humans. trends or not - On one hand, they promote idleness, which
is detrimental to military performance; on the other, they
Spacers and Wasters give Metroes the deroga- greatly increase Human satisfaction and docility.
tory nickname ‘Zoolanders’, indicating that the Corvo keep,
The Human Technology

TECHNOLOGY
For the most part, Humans use Corvo technology - cortex a very short time. The killing power of auto guns divided
connectors, hacking rigs, survival suits, plasma weapons Earth-bound Corvo scientists: some set to work immedi-
and Quantum starcrafts. However, the ruins of their ancient ately on developing a Corvo version, and some pushed for
274 civilisation are still rife with early models of their primitive their prohibition because of their terrible efficiency, seeing
technology, which was nonetheless very interesting to the them as too dangerous for common people. The first option
Corvo once they found and started reverse-engineering it. won of course, and now auto and semi-auto Corvo guns can
faith: core book

be seen in the hands of Coalition soldiers and, through the

The Corvo have recovered and adapted many tech black market, Tong gangsters.
advances left by the ancient Human civilisation, either from
buried ruins or from the hands of waster raiders or traders. There have been many attempts, Inspired by Human
Most extant models of Human technology are repaired tech, to give autofire capabilities to plasma weapons, but
second-hand items, but the Corvo have also developed the nature of energy rounds makes it very inviable. So far,
their own versions of Human gadgets, some of which have auto firing plasma weapons are still wishful thinking, but
become popular in certain sectors of Corvo society. one should never underestimate The Union’s scientists
when it comes to improving the business.

GUNS MOTORS
Guns are the most common form of surviving Human
technology, or at least the most interesting to modern Fossil-fuel and electric motors are the second most
users. Similar to Corvo ballistic weapons, yet far more common relic from the Human past. The Corvo collect and
varied and advanced, Human gun designs were fully scavenge as many of these motors as they can for parts
adapted into Corvo weaponry and reshaped their military and research.
industry by inspiring cheaper and more effective non-
quantum, non-plasma guns. Many of these vehicles - particularly wheel-based
ground vehicles - are still usable, and have been repaired
Human gun models included smaller and manoeuvrable or adapted by waster raiders or settlers. Such vehicles
pistols, unwieldy long-range rifles, powerful, short-range include mostly motorcycles and off-road four-wheelers -
shotguns, and huge shell-launchers that require great other vehicles are usually scrapped for parts - but a few
strength to aim and load, called RPGs on Earth. trucks and armoured tanks can also be seen in the hands
of the stronger tribes or factions of the Earth Wasteland.
But what really amazed the Corvo were the so-called
automatic guns, capable of firing thousands of rounds in
AIS AND GADGETS ANCIENT BUILDINGS
Despite being far more primitive than Corvo tech, Human For the Corvo, ancient Human ruins - cities, buildings, even
science had one advancement that Corvo don’t have - Arti- mining platforms - hold not only lost treasures, but clues
ficial Intelligence. While the Corvo were already there and about Human culture. For example, most Human buildings
back - having even forbidden AIs on their civilisation, as they and habitats were square, ground-based structures, which
disrupted their economy - Humans were on the verge of a the space-accustomed Corvo, with their gyro-zhans and
fully independent intelligent network when their culture omnirings, are unfamiliar with.
fell. Many ancient Human artefacts used working AI proto-
types that remain dormant or functional, or, in a few cases, Humans use their ruin sites for shelter or to scavenge
fully active. usable tools and materials, while Corvo mount scientific
research expeditions and mine for buried resources or fa-
Corvo scientists have proceeded with extreme caution cilities. Other than this, ancient Human buildings have little
with Human AI systems, but nonetheless take all the modern use except as a cultural legacy, about which neither
samples they find for study and research. By experiment- the Humans or Corvo care that much.
ing with these systems, the Corvo have made great cyber-
science discoveries that were all but forgotten since the AI
ban centuries ago. SCAVENTURERS

The Human Technology

Sentient machines remain forbidden in the Corvosphere, There are so many artefacts and relics of ancient
but Human technology is teaching the Corvo to create Human civilisation, that finding them has become
autonomous systems without breaking the anti-AI policy, a full-time profession for many Corvo and Human
which has lead to all kinds of advances in cybernetics, explorers, who form specialised parties to seek
mass production and even weaponry. However, the Corvo’s and recover such items from wasteland ruins.
meddling with Human AI systems had an unforeseen - and These parties call themselves ‘Scaventurers’, or
so far unknown - byproduct: the creation of Icarus, the ‘Scavers’, and are always teams of expert merce-
largest and best hidden AI in the Corvosphere (see page 107 naries and scientists, skilled in both ancient tech
in the Corvo section). and long-term camping. 275

faith: core book

Scaventurer parties are a great opportunity to
NUCLEAR WEAPONS acquire valuable treasures and a chance for amazing
discoveries; however, they are quite dangerous
due to Earth’s noxious, irradiated atmosphere and
The most powerful weapon that Humans ever devised waster raider attacks. Nonetheless, scaventuring
was the nuclear bomb - a type of explosive that used atomic remains a very popular activity among the most
reactions to generate incredible amounts of destructive daring Earth inhabitants - both Human and Corvo
energy. While much less safe than quantum bombs, it was - and an experienced scaver commands great admi-
almost as destructive and far cheaper to produce, mostly ration and prestige in all circles.
in the form of large missiles called ‘nuclear warheads’ by
Humans. A nuclear warhead could seriously damage even a Most scaventuring parties are supported by a
Corvo battleship, or utterly destroy an entire omnisphere. Corvo company on Earth, but some are privately
Evidence suggests that it was a rain of such warheads financed, out of specific personal interest or looking
which obliterated Human civilisation, and there are many of for cheap thrills. A number of Corvo companies
these missiles, buried and scattered across Human ruins, offer ‘scaventuring trips’ for rich dilettantes out for
but still salvageable or, in a few lucky cases, active. ‘an experience’. Some of these scaventuring tours
take place in dangerous and wild areas, but most
The Corvo collect these warheads with great care and are limited to previously tamed and conditioned
effort, not only to study and adapt their design to improved, areas, set up to look and feel like a real adventure.
safer models, but also to prevent Humans from using the
weapons on themselves all over again. Both real scaventures and scaventuring tours are
always in need of well-armed, well-trained security
This, of course, doesn’t prevent ambitious Waster gangs to keep their members from danger. Many a Human
and warlords from seeking, and sometimes finding, these or Corvo mercenary has found steady work pro-
weapons, which is always an unbalancing and dangerous tecting archaeologists from Waster gangs, or rich
event - the Corvo would pay handsomely for anyone that Corvo tourists from their own carelessness.
brought them news of a Human faction in possession of a
warhead - or better yet, the disarmed warhead itself. But
who knows, maybe the warlords would pay more for it...
HISTORY
“It is a strange feeling, to know there’s more
of your species’ history that has already hap- THE CORVO AGE
pened, than history that will happen. You can
feel the coming extinction in your guts.”
Such was Earth’s situation when the Corvo came through
- Remko Vugac, Human explorer a wormhole, and it was easy for them to take over. They
first established a base on no man’s land in what used to
According to Corvo historians, Humans used to have a be the Human continent of Africa, from which they initiated
civilisation at least as prosperous and advanced as that economic and military negotiations with the locals. Their
of pre-Space Age Quanjie, but there’s precious little infor- wealth and power, supported by a universal economy,
mation about that period of their history. Humans seem made them the strongest faction on the planet. Eventu-
to have evolved from simian lifeforms into a tool-using ally, most Humans were working for the Corvo and fighting
civilisation in less than a million standard Corvo years, after wars against their enemies, which were often fellow Human
which they experienced a cultural and industrial leap that factions that did not want to work for the Corvo or owe
led them to colonise their entire planet and become divided them anything. Earth became a colony of the Corvosphere.
by nations and economic systems.
Shortly after the occupation, Humans started gaining
There are some surviving records that indicate the names a reputation as very capable mercenaries. They were
and languages of some of these entities, but the Humans far more prepared for physical tasks than their Corvo

The Human History

faith: core book

The ensuing war, of which virtually no records remain THE HUMAN

For a century or so, it was an uneventful, mutually ben-

eficial relationship, with the Corvo providing the resources
and guidance, and Humans providing the manpower. Eventually, Giza was murdered by members of the
Humans were rescued from the wasteland by the thou- Human Front itself, which wished to make peace with the
sands, moving to newly-built Corvo areas intended to keep Corvo. This new, milder Human Front was soon forgotten,
Humans safe and breeding, and in turn Humans gave their and became little more than a social club, remaining for
strength and lives to armed service at the Megacorps. decades until new leadership and increasing tensions led to
new Human Front rebellions and attacks. Thus it was for
Then, it started getting out of hand. Independent Human centuries; the Front seemed to wax and wane at arbitrary
factions began emerging, with some of them openly intervals, becoming a threat for a short while and then
opposing Corvo control. Scared about having invited a fading into obscurity after failing to free Humans from the
whole species of aggressive rebels into their midst, the Corvo.
Corvo enacted a new policy - all Humans that left Earth
were to be forcibly sterilised, and most fertile Humans Then, Sadoy Thamp came.
already on space were recalled to submit to the process.
Thus the Corvo aimed to control Human population, but it He was the greatest Human Front leader in memory, not
also increased dissatisfaction and empowered rebellious for the amount of battles won against the Corvo - although
factions, as many Humans resented the measure. his victory at the Agora clouds is still studied by amazed
military scientists of all species - but for his clear goals
Several Human groups left Megacorp service for better and the inspiration he gave to other Humans. Nobody did
offers from the mob or fringe warlords, or even openly more to find lost Earth than Sadoy Thamp, but at the same
attacked the Corvo, becoming rebel bands or even space time he worked tirelessly to establish free colonies - places
pirates. Several Human factions explicitly declared their where Humans could live with their own economies and
The Human History

intention not to submit anymore, and inspired others to their own families. Humans flocked to these new colonies,
do the same. This forced the Corvo to harden their steri- giving them a steady flow of inhabitants and turning them
lisation policy and their control of who left Earth, which in into the first truly free Human settlements in the Universe.
turn increased Human discontent. The situation has been
thus deadlocked for the last two centuries, with dissident Sadoy Thamp died ten years ago in an ambush by
Humans being less and less happy, and conformist Humans unknown assassins, which most people assume were paid
being more and more controlled every year. by the Corvo. But his legacy lives on in the memories of
278 every Human in the Corvosphere - whether they admired or
disagreed with him - and in his daughter Sada, now a Human
THE HUMAN FRONT Front leader herself.
faith: core book

It was during this time that the Human Front consolidated THE CORPORATE
as a political organisation. Its first leaders were the siblings
Esti and Estebe Etxeberri, young soldiers from a particular- SECRET
ly warlike Earth community, who secretly organised with
the leaders of several mercenary forces, planning to strike
back at the Corvo. Their first meetings were squashed by Human-Corvo relations got significantly worse after the
Megacorp security, and Esti died resisting arrest. This led Corvo first encountered the Iz’kal. The Megacorps declared
Estebe to swear revenge against the Corvo and change his the location of Earth a maximum-level corporate secret,
name to Giza (“Human” in an ancient warrior dialect from and severely limited the number of Corvo with access to
Earth), becoming ‘a representation of all Humans’ rather the information to a few elite members of their manage-
than a person. As soon as Giza was released from impris- ment boards. Then, the Corvo approved the harshest
onment, he rejoined his dissident colleagues and quickly legal sanctions against anyone that revealed the secret to
staged a guerrilla army, which made a surprise attack enemy forces, or even to the general public, and recorded
against the Corvo mining base at Qiao Pang, announcing desertion to the Iz’kal as a dai (heinous) crime for Humans.
their presence and intentions to the whole Corvosphere.
But the Iz’kal were not to be so easily thwarted, and
Giza had several important victories during the following started an aggressive campaign to recruit Humans to their
years, which didn’t really hurt the Corvo but inspired thou- side, even offering them a reversal of the sterilisation
sands of Humans to join the new Human Front and secede process. Leaving the Corvo was difficult, and many Humans
from the Corvosphere. The Megacorps retaliated by pre- assumed they would be worse among the totalitarian Iz’kal,
senting Giza and his followers as terrorists and criminals but still many others switched sides and became mercenar-
through official news and media, while striking back at ies for the Corvo’s rivals. Humans had become a problem
Human attackers with all their strength and resources. The almost as big as they were an asset. Sterilisation and trade
Human Front was beaten back, but it only grew in member- secrecy still limited the number of Humans that opposed
ship, as thousands of Humans more joined it clandestinely. the Corvo, but their relationship with Humans has not been
the same since.
HUMANS IN THE UNIVERSE
“Where did Alek go, mommy?” “She went to the
heavens, sweety.” up the Human society in the Corvosphere, as the percep-
tion of time is different for each Human depending on the
- Mom and child talking in Earth. contracts he has undertaken. Many Humans meet up with
childhood friends to discover there is now 20 or 30 years
Earth may be the Human homeworld, but when an of difference between them. The Corvo have strict controls
outsider thinks of Humans, he pictures a Spacer. The on spacer population, as the Humans are stronger and
typical image of a Human comes with a survival suit, heavy more aggressive than them - it would not do to have them
weaponry and combat ship included, as if they came with be more numerous as well. In turn, the Corvo treat their
Human anatomy. mercenaries quite well, giving them elite operative salaries
and privileges. The most capable Humans work in million-
Spacers don’t have a unified culture or national identity; credit contracts as personal bodyguards of CEOs and other
they have no home to return to and don’t even form important Corvo.
families, but they make up the most widespread and best-
known Human presence in the universe. Earth’s location is unknown to most, and remains one
of the best kept secrets of the Corvosphere - not even
Space Humans are mostly defined by loyalty. Their Megacorp CEOs know the full route. This is achieved by a
most important relationships are soldierly bonds and complex set of routines that only highly loyal - and well

Humans in the Universe

military hierarchy, and it shows in their cultural character. paid - Corvo pilots have partial knowledge of. No pilot knows
Of course, this loyalty may be - and is - given to anyone, more than one-tenth of the way, so anyone that wants to
strictly depending on who pays. So, space Humans are also figure it out would need to locate ten different people with
mercenary by definition. the specific knowledge and then bribe, torture, or somehow
make them talk - and even finding them is no easy task, as
Most spacers work for Corvo entities and under Corvo their identities are kept secret as well.
jurisdiction, but there are also thousands of independ-
ent Human groups, from freelance mercenaries to space The Iz’kal State, understanding the menace of a strong
pirates to mob enforcers. The greatest independent Human alien species working for the Corvo, work hard to recruit 279
cell is, of course, the Human Front. Humans to their side, offering them State citizenship in

faith: core book

exchange. Some Humans, tired of being exploited by Corvo,
find ways to move to the State - but most of them aren’t in-
HUMANS IN THE terested. The Corvo do promise and deliver riches to those

CORVOSPHERE good enough to earn them, after all.

TERRA NOVA
It has been 300 years since the Corvo arrived on Earth,
and free Humans have spent that whole time spreading There is a Human legend in the Corvosphere. It talks of a
throughout the known Universe as bounty hunters, mer- Human colony somewhere in the Labyrinth, established by
cenaries, and killers. There are not many of them, making a rebel group that escaped with a terraforming spacecraft.
their hiring prices high. They talk about a place in the Labyrinth where a ship awaits
any Humans that might want to join them, to guide them
Most Corvo spaceships carry a few Human guards who to their free colony. This mythological colony is known as
are kept in stasis for the duration of their travel, for a the Terra Nova. Some shady Humans and Corvo claim they
number of years as established in the contract. While in can take people there for over a hundred thousand credits.
stasis, the Human is in a comatose state and does not age Some Humans spend their Iife’s savings to go with them,
perceptibly. This allows the contractor to keep the salary and they never come back. It is hard to say what fate befalls
relatively low, as the Humans are not paid extra for the them, whether they find their paradise or become subject
time they are in stasis. Humans agree to this as they have to some terrible reality, in the form of slavery or worse.
few job alternatives and have no needs while in stasis. Most
of the time, nothing happens and they spend a couple of
decades in stasis and wake up to a lot of credits - a few FULCRUM
more decades in stasis and they might be able to afford
a home and a stable life. Other times, they are awakened Fulcrums are semi-autonomous drones built with specific
when the ship is under attack and must fight to the death Corvo technology that uses Human corpses to power the
to defend the property of their employers. At the least, machines. Drones can be hacked and turned against their
the flat fee of their contract is paid to their next of kin owners, and designing an AI is taboo; Fulcrum drones -
when they die. These contracts have completely broken an idea invented in the infamous ‘Hospital of Hell’ Corvo
medlab of Tiantang - solved the problem by installing the HUMANS IN THE STATE
intact brain of a deceased Human to operate the machine.
State Humans, mercenaries for the Iz’kal, are the least
In principle, what is left of the Human is only the numerous Human group in space. There are still several
‘hardware’ - so it is basically like donating a body to science. hundred thousand of them, assigned to Iz’kal armies
The Human’s personality and other traits are turned off, as special forces and assassins. The Iz’kal call them
and everything else is wired into the drone. Still, rumour Ghyr’mussanaf, or simply Ghyr - operatives outside of the
has it some fulcrums speak the names of people they military hierarchy.
should have forgotten about.
Ghyr soldiers live like other members of the State - sub-
Corvo despise slavery and value free will - though they mitted to the good of the community, taught to forget their
think anything is acceptable if everyone involved agrees to individualism, and bound to absolute loyalty for as long as
it. So, no Human is forced to become a Fulcrum, and any their contracts last. As non-Iz’kal special operatives, they
Human that agrees is well paid for it. Some shady com- tend to receive assignments that Iz’kal would find reprob-
panies seek desperate Human immigrants and offer them able, such as sabotage and assassination. While the State
deals like 10 years of free housing and care in exchange for needs these acts carried out, having Humans do them gives
immediate euthanasia and fulcrum conversion afterwards. it a sort of moral deniability on questionable ops. And, since
many Humans serve as Corvo mercenaries, Ghyr are pretty
At this moment, there are only Human fulcrums due to useful on intelligence and espionage missions.
the limited nature of the research. However, new break-
Humans in the Universe

throughs could allow Corvo to be eligible soon - as request- While the State uses no currency, Human Ghyr are
ed by a growing number of desperate, low-class Corvo. special forces and thus given better rations and equipment
than regular Iz’kal soldiers; however, they are also given
less free time, and, as most forms of Iz’kal entertainment
THE COALITION are incompatible with non-Iz’kal brains, theirs is a mostly
dull, joyless life.

Humans are more or less privileged everywhere they go, Many Humans convert to the Iz’kal views and join the State
280 but nowhere more so than in the Coalition. As a more-or- wholeheartedly, obtaining indefinite residence permits.
less independent institution, not entirely governed by either They spend their free time in special sections of Iz’kal
the State or the Megacorps, the Coalition has none of the cities, built with Human architecture and amenities, and
faith: core book

social prejudice or preconceptions that make Human sec- rarely venture out of them. The Iz’kal, always immersed in
ond-class citizens everywhere else. Plus, as Humans can hyperlink and reluctant to use their vocal cords, are mostly
enlist either with the Corvo, with the Iz’kal or independently, aloof and unfriendly with outsiders; which, coupled with the
Coalition laws require all Human recruits to be registered in general lack of leisure activities adapted to Human tastes,
their own separate category. makes the latter prefer to spend their time on duty, or even
volunteering for dangerous missions, rather than enduring
Coalition Humans are treated as elite troops in every the boring Iz’kal civilian life.
sense; they are the best soldiers, tacticians and leaders. In
fact, it’s only in the Coalition that Humans can - and often A good argument for Humans to join the Iz’kal has always
do - outrank both Iz’kal or Corvo, and are acknowledged as been the promise the State made Humans as soon as they
the best military officers of the three. learned of their existence - that they could find a cure for
the sterilisation treatment. However, since the cure would
Coalition Humans have more freedom, authority and need DNA from an unsterilised Human, the promise remains
recognition than anywhere else, plus a better salary and unfulfilled. If someone were to secure a fertile Human or a
growth opportunities. In short, serving in the Coalition is sample of his DNA, he would be greatly rewarded by the
the best possible world for any Human outside Earth. Iz’kal state.

OUTSIDE THE THE FRINGE

CORVOSPHERE Humans in the fringe run the gamut from settlers to
Human Front members, from mercenary space captains
to slaver guards. They all conform to the Human cultural
Human mercenaries are a common sight in the civilised stereotype - tough as nails, resourceful, inventive and
universe, even beyond Corvo jurisdiction. Humans outside emotional. They are much livelier and rowdier than Humans
the Corvosphere, or Outers as they are informally known, working for the Megacorps or the Coalition, but they can be
are mainly independent mercenaries, but many also try to just as organised and disciplined when required.
create sovereign colonies, or even join the Iz’kal State.
Humans in the Universe
SCIENTIST FULCRUM
Lone Wolf
Level 1 :: Human :: Resourceful Level 3 :: Organic robot :: Territorial
281
mov. 5 metres :: weight 68 kg :: height 175 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 200 kg :: height 250 cm

faith: core book

2 4 0 3 5 5 1 -

PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 5 PHYSICAL 7 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5

STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
1 (CON)
0 QUARTERS
3 ++ DISTANCE
3

Rig 2 (LinkWave 100) Undead

She can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS It ignores damage penalties. Additionally, critical
damage). successes against him are considered decisive instead.

Rational Nanohooks

She can only be convinced with facts. She is immune It can climb walls and ceilings and move around as if
to dialectics, and she gains one advantage to determine they were the ground.
whether something has been fact checked.

Human scientists are trained and put to good use by Fulcrums are amalgamations of robots and living,
the Corvo, becoming all but traitors on the process. breathing organic beings. They are the cutting edge of
Corvo bionics, and an exciting new low in bioethics.
THREE SKULLS MOB THE SECRET FORTRESS
Among the many rumoured stashes of Jazmeen’s
The largest and most dan- long reign of terror and plunder, the one that elicits
gerous criminal organisation the most curiosity - and greed - from space travel-
outside the Corvosphere Tongs lers is the legend of the Empress’ Secret Fortress.
is the Three Skull Mob, a guild
of pirates, marauders, slavers A citadel built on an asteroid, much like the private
and smugglers that roam the worlds of Corvo Tong bosses, the Secret Fortress
spaceways seeking prey from is a prize on itself - if it exists. Regardless of the
any species or background. The countless treasures that it surely holds from Jaz-
Three Skulls will deal in anything meen’s years of galaxy-wide thievery and murder,
- slavery, drugs, wanton slaugh- the building is rumoured to be a fully operational
ter - and cooperate with anyone combat station - the largest, most powerful of its
- Megacorps, State, even other type, capable of taking on two or even three Corvo
mobs - if it means turning up a profit. Most Three Skulls warships head-on.
members - known as Threesks - are Humans, but many
Raag and even a few Iz’kal and Corvo have joined their gang. Rumour gauges the armament of Jazmeen’s
fortress at any level from that of ten warships to
Although they are strong enough to make any inter- that of ten thousand, and some legends even claim
Humans in the Universe

stellar civilisation feel the occasional sting, Threesks are it once fought - and destroyed - a Ravager Queen
content with more-or-less organised raids and plunder, with all its swarm.
later retiring to their dens to share the loot and spend it on
fun, luxuries or more ships and weapons. When the money If such a weapon exists, it is indeed far more
runs out, they organise a new raid, and so it goes on; the valuable than any treasure that Jazmeen has
Three Skulls Mob has no goals or lifestyle beyond that. gathered - and it also explains why the Three Skulls
mob has never been defeated.
Their lack of goals notwithstanding, the Three Skulls Mob
282 are a force to be reckoned with; with hidden cells in almost
every Corvo settlement - including all Tiantang sectors - THE RACK
and bases in several uncharted worlds near Corvo space,
faith: core book

Threesks are at least as powerful as a Tong family, and far Among the many asteroids, outposts and plan-
more vicious, if admittedly less organised. etoids that the Three Skulls Mob are rumoured to
own, one stands out in the nightmares of everyone
that has heard of it. Known as the Rack, purport-
EMPRESS JAZMEEN edly located at a Labyrinth exit known only to Three
Skulls ranked officers, this remote planetoid is
The High Threesk, or ‘the Ol’ Captain’ of the guild, is Empress Jazmeen’s prison and torture chamber; a
the self-styled Empress Jazmeen; a fearsome warlord, grim, foreboding fortress, impregnable, inescap-
ruthless murderer and shrewd strategist, known across able, full of deadly traps and guarded by the most
the Labyrinth as the most dangerous Human in existence. cruel and ruthless thugs money could buy.
She lives for nothing but plunder and thrills, and rumour
has it she has thousands of loot stashes hidden throughout According to legend, anyone who crosses the
the universe. Three Skulls Mob and survives, including threesks
who betrayed - or appeared to betray - their guild,
Jazmeen is a tough, sadistic woman, and as deadly as the is sent to the Rack, to be tortured to death - or, if
deadliest Human mercenary. She’s also capricious, fickle they’re lucky, to languish and be forever forgotten.
and self-serving; she’s been known to execute underlings
for minor offences and with great delight. There’s a saying Many missing law-enforcement mercenaries
among the Threesks, and their closest enemies: ‘No one from Human and Corvo forces, as well as civil-
dares to kill a Threesk lieutenant, for Jazmeen reserves the ians who tried to stand up to the Three Skulls, are
pleasure’. rumoured to be still alive and imprisoned at the
Rack. The friends and associates of these prisoners
Anyone that helped the capture of Empress Jazmeen, be would pay dearly for anyone with the guts to look
it by arms or information, would be well paid by the Iz’kal for the Rack, the resources to find it, and the skill
State, the Corvosphere, the Tong mobs... and just about to get past its deadly security and reach the people
anyone else, really. trapped there.
Humans in the Universe
EMPRESS JAZMEEN THREESK THUG
Kalivan 2
Level 3 :: Human :: Ruthless Level 1 :: Human :: Aggressive
283
mov. 5 metres :: weight 70 kg :: height 175 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 95 kg :: height 195 cm

faith: core book

5 5 1 5 5 2 1 -

PHYSICAL 17 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 9 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 3

STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD CLOSE STANDARD

QUARTERS
4+ DISTANCE
4+ QUARTERS
3 ++ DISTANCE
3

Empress Jazmeen’s Drone Unreliable

It ignores 1 point of armour. If he wins a confrontation, he gains one advantage
towards his next action. If he loses, he gains one disad-
vantage instead.

Charismatic

She gains one advantage towards social interactions

when using her voice.

EM Shield

Her armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by

plasma or neural weapons.

Empress Jazmeen is the dangerous leader of the Three As a Human being, you can’t go much lower than
Skulls Mob, the cruellest of all Human splinter groups. a threesk: pirating, marauding, preying, traffick-
ing... No red lines, no honour to defend.
THE BLACK WATCH and sending many of them to their gods as they fell - and
left leadership of the Black Watch to Kris’ younger brother,
the self-styled William Young, nicknamed Wildbill.
The Black Watch is a Human-
only organisation. They claim Wildbill is a mighty, blustering warrior. He wears a long
to be the spiritual and cultural leather coat sporting a rampant red lion, which he pretends
descendants of an ancient Earth has some ancient meaning. Many members of the Tiantang
people they call the Highland- underworld have learned to fear the ‘Lion Seal’, for it means
ers, although nobody knows the Black Watch are on the prowl.
what was the true name of these
people, if they ever existed. The Without WIldbill realising it, his fanatical bravery in
Black Watch’s knowledge of the battle and undying commitment to the Black Watch is
culture they supposedly emulate slowly awakening soulbender abilities in him. He has the
is incomplete at best, and most blessing of Kaliva without even worshipping Her; for now,
often very distorted, mixing together traditions and myths the blessing only manifests as an ‘inspired’ state of battle
from different sources, and sometimes even mistaking rage, but in time it may become much stronger.
fantastic stories for historic events. The hidden truth is
they are a criminal organization with ties of some kind to
most major crime lords in Tiantang. THE HORNED GOD
Humans in the Universe

As many Humans didn’t actually know Earth’s geography As Wildbill’s soulbending abilities grow, the
before leaving and most Black Watch members had not met anachronic fantasy world of The Black Watch has
before reaching the Corvosphere, all kinds of people claim begun seeping and filtering into his daily percep-
Highlander descent to join the Black Watch. As they can’t tions. He sees flashes of castles when he looks at
prove who is a true Highlander, and knowing that making it gyro-zhans, dragons blinking in and out over the
hard to join would drastically reduce organisation member- hulls of spaceships, and bloody ancient battles
ship, the Black Watch accepts all Humans who want to join in the middle of blast fights. At first he thought it
in the condition that they fully adopt their traditions. was some experience-drug software bug interfer-
284 ing with his cortex connector, but he’s been slowly
Human spacer mercenaries formed the Black Watch as realising the visions come from somewhere else.
a group identity a few decades ago; the band quickly came
faith: core book

to the attention of the Corvo Tongs because of their histri- Wildbill’s delusions are actually his soulbender
onism and fierceness in battle, and soon the Black Watch powers, manifesting themselves in a combination
became a Tong-sponsored enforcer gang. They still see with the Black Watch mythology in which he was
themselves as honourable warriors, though, and act as raised. His latest vision was an avatar of Kaliva,
such even when doing the dirtiest mob work. which he perceived as a faceless God with the horns
of a great stag. Convinced that he’s been contacted
Black Watch traditions include wearing long braided hair, by the ancient deity of the Highlanders, Wildbill
unkempt beards and fearsome body painting, even over has mustered the Black Watch for a glorious war.
their combat armour - which is usually grey or black. They According to his vision, the ‘Horned God’ has com-
often wear cloaks and kilts over their suits, and adorn their manded the Black Watch to fight and conquer the
helmets with strange-looking crests or feathers. In battle, Corvo Heijian underworld.
they favour heavy melee weapons, such as two-handed
vibro-swords - which they call Calbolg - custom-made for A few days ago, Wildbill went to his boss, the
them with technology from the Corvo tongs. Corvo Xiun Yung - a captain of the Hwang Tong - and
asked permission to conduct a ‘great hunt’ against
They are also known for their terrifying war chants, Xiun’s enemies. Believing he was seeing a display of
which scare even other Humans, let alone the meek Tian healthy initiative, Xiun gave his permission, which
citizens - although some Corvo have been known to stop unwittingly started a gang war.
and take holopics of the Black Watch in action, instead of
running for their lives as they should have done. Now, the Xiun gang is on the rise within the Hwang
Tong, as rival captains fall to Wildbill’s fierce
attacks - but it’s also ruffled the wrong feathers
WILDBILL YOUNG with law enforcement, and within the Tong itself.
Both the police and the Hwang - plus their Zhui Tong
The founders of the Black Watch, the old matriarch rivals, who don’t want this war to spill to their turf
known as Danu the Deadly and her husband Kristopher - are on the market for strong, capable and mostly
passed away recently - just as they wanted: on their feet, neutral mercenaries who can face the Black Watch.
fighting a group of Corvo bikers from the Dragonfly Tong,
Humans in the Universe
WILDBILL YOUNG BLACK WATCH THUG
Kalivan 2 :: Proficient Mob
Level 3 :: Human :: Unpredictable Level 2 :: Human :: Reckless
285
mov. 5 metres :: weight 93 kg :: height 195 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 89 kg :: height 190 cm

faith: core book

5 4 2 - 4 4 2 8

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 9 MENTAL 8 PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7

STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 2

HIT GRAPPLE CLOSE STANDARD

(DEX)
3+ (CON)
1+ QUARTERS
3 DISTANCE
3

Judge of Character Spitter

Characters attempting to lie to him suffer one Action. Set up the bipod. Subsequent attacks gain
disadvantage. one advantage.

Fearsome EM Shield

Allied characters gain: Instant. Suffer one unpre- His armour value cannot be reduced or ignored by
ventable physical damage to ignore all damage penal- plasma or neural weapons.
ties until the end of the round.

Shrewd 2

He draws two cards at the beginning of the round.

Whenever he or an ally are in a confrontation, they can
play any of those cards instead of playing from the top
of the deck.

Kaliva is knocking on Wilbill’s door, and when he The Black Watch is a Human-only organisation
realizes what that means, the Black Watch may that has quickly become a favourite contrac-
very well become an unstoppable force. tor of Tiantang Tongs for their fierceness.
Humans in the Universe

286
faith: core book

EARTH the military potential of Humans, they basically took over

Earth, building thousands of Human-housing facilities.
Planetary Type: Water world
Now, the landscape of Earth is a contrast of wide,
Population: 2 billion
ruin-dotted wastes versus the occasional Corvo high-tech
Day: 24 standard hours facility every few thousand miles. Humans have adapted to
Details classified - see Corvo chapter this contrast - tribes of survivalists roam the wasteland, as
an ever-growing population of Humans has come to accept
The Human homeworld has seen millions of years of the Corvo lifestyle and live in their ‘Human farms’.
conflict and strife. It has survived being nearly blasted to
atoms, its very atmosphere burnt away by nuclear fire.
Now, it’s a radioactive wasteland where the most violent THE PEOPLE
of civilised species struggle to survive the devastation they
brought upon themselves. There are around 2 billion Humans on Earth, plus a bit
over 100,000 Corvo supervising the urban facilities and
Earth used to have a relatively stable society, divided by conducting research on Human ruins.
political borders and governments that competed with each
other for resources and means of production. Eventually, Earth Humans are either Wasters or Urbanites - either
the race for resources led to nuclear war, which destroyed hardened people of the barren wilds, or Corvo-ruled ci-
Human civilisation. Survivors were reduced to roving bands vilians, multiplying under Corvo supervision. The Corvo
of nomads, raiders and scavengers, which still fought each conduct monthly recruiting bids for Humans of all types and
other for what little resources remained. backgrounds - both Wasters and Urbanites - to leave for
Space and become mercenary soldiers in the Corvosphere.
When the Corvo arrived, they started rebuilding the cities
and inviting Humans to their bases, where they would be Earth Humans have little contact with their brethren in
cared for, fed and researched. After the Corvo discovered Space except for the Corvo-controlled media and news,
which present Corvosphere mercenary work as a glorious,
non-soldier Human numbers as reduced and contained as
possible.

GUANDANG POINT
The largest Human concentration on Earth is Guandang
Point, the first Corvo citadel on the planet, located at the
centre of what was once the steppes of Nigeria, in what
used to be known as Africa.

Originally, Guandang Point was the Corvo flagship

Yaozhe, which brought the first alien colonists to Earth.
After landing, the huge Corvo mothership became the
habitation complex of those first Corvo, which built around
it, adding omnispheres and expanding the streets until,
centuries later, it has become almost as large as a pre-war
Human city - and inhabited mostly by Humans.

Humans of Guandang Point are docile, peaceful and

Humans in the Universe

mostly loyal to the Corvo. They have been given aid,
shelter and a reprieve from the harsh life of the wastes,
all in exchange for performing easy jobs and reproducing.
When their children grow up, they are given the choice of
continuing the cycle or joining the Corvo army in space;
most choose the latter, but the Corvo have been so suc-
cessful at breeding Humans that the city has kept growing
and growing, and is now the largest inhabited settlement
on Earth. 287

faith: core book

Enrica Faria is the chief Health Officer in Facility #33 of
marvellous life full of riches, adventure and prestige. This the Guandang Department of Spacer Recruitment. Like
leads thousands of Humans to join the Corvo every month, many Humans and Corvo in her position, she monitors the
but thousands more keep mistrusting the Corvo and remain births of thousands of Urbanite kids and assesses their vi-
on their wasteland settlements. ability as soldiers as they grow up, gently nudging them and
their parents towards a healthier lifestyle and a desire to
Contrary to the Corvo stereotype, Earthlings are not join the space army, finally approving their sterilisation and
universally violent or irrational; while shaped and hardened launch to the Corvosphere once they become adults.
by the cruel conditions they lived in before the Corvo, Earth
Humans are organised, resourceful and fully capable of Doctor Faria is a loyal woman, who appreciates every-
mutual aid - otherwise they wouldn’t have survived to meet thing the Corvo have done for Humanity, and wants to see
the Corvo at all. as many Human mercenaries in space as she can. However,
she is also a traitor.
Humans have a lot of potential outside war, as artists,
builders and thinkers; and the Corvo know it. That’s why If any Human shows qualms about the sterilisation pro-
they discourage Human independence, and give incompa- cedure, Doctor Faria gives them a fake treatment, designed
rable privileges for Humans that choose the military life. to fool the Corvo, plus papers, a physical exam and a sealed
They haven’t been able to fully contain the Human creative approval to join the Space Army; there are several Spacers
spirit, however, and thousands of Earthlings, both in the with reproductive capabilities, sent to the Corvosphere by
wastes and under Corvo jurisdiction, pursue - and succeed Dr. Faria.
at - civilian activities such as science, farming, medicine,
engineering and communications. While the Corvo don’t Most of Dr. Faria’s patients are loyal to the Corvo, plus
prevent Humans from choosing a career, the benefits they she doesn’t tell them or try to convince them of anything
give to soldiers and mercenaries are still enough for the - she only offers her special treatment to previously in-
vast majority of Humans to choose the spacer life. And terested parties. Still, her activities are a dai crime under
the Corvo do need civilian Humans to help them run their Corvo law, which means she could be facing deportation,
habitats and facilities, too; but still, they prefer to keep death or banishment if discovered.
WUDAN STATION mutations almost equal the bio upgrades of a Corvo body
mod or an Iz’kal genetic enhancement. Thus, a week in the
For all their innate violence and skill, Humans are not Earth wastes will either kill you, or, if you’re very lucky,
born with the ability to become soldiers in the space army; make you ugly and special.
Wudan Station, the Human Training Centre of the Corvos-
phere, is where they go to acquire this ability. STORM CITADEL
A humongous space facility the size of a pre-war Earth The largest Human fortress in the wastes nowadays
nation, Wudan is equipped to house millions of soldiers is Storm Citadel, a tremendous hulk of twisted steel and
and trainees. Every Urbanite candidate that wishes it - and garbage-made structures that give the impression of a
passes the preliminary tests - is sent to Wudan Station to dark fantasy realm out of some nightmare. It is, however,
become a soldier in the Corvo space army. populated by peaceful and civilised folk - or as peaceful and
civilised as Wasters can manage.
Instruction is quite intensive and lasts for about ten
standard months, including combat practice, zero-G Storm Citadel is protected by the Seraph Gang, a fierce
training - of which the Corvo are the best teachers in the band of brave Wasters armed to the teeth and led by the
universe - and a full piloting course. After this period, suc- Storm warlord in person, the man known only as Tharon - a
cessful students - virtually all, as graduating standards are decrepit but impossibly strong Soulbender of Kaliva.
quite undemanding - are assigned to an employer; there is
a waiting list of thousands of companies and individuals Stormfolk are independent and resourceful, and want
Humans in the Universe

ready to receive and hire new recruits. nothing more than being left alone. The Corvo have often
approached the citadel with offers of modernisation and
economic support, but the city council, headed by Tharon,
THE WASTES has resisted every attempt and rejected every deal.

It doesn’t show at first, but waster Humans have also The city, however, is large enough for opposing factions,
evolved and prospered, although at a slower, more discreet and there are council members that do wish to join the
pace than their urban kin. They remain warlike and inde- Corvo; they could pay a generous sum to any mercenary
288 pendent, of course, but they have also been empowered by or adventurer that wished to serve as a spy and saboteur
the Corvo, whether either species likes it or not, learning in the name of Corvo interests to help press Storm Citadel
from the aliens and taking from their technology just like into joining the Corvosphere.
faith: core book

the Corvo have been doing on Earth since their arrival.

INFERNUKO ERREKA
Earth remains mostly empty, deadly and very precari-
ously inhabited, but every year more and more independ- The fortress of Infernuko Erreka is one of the largest
ent urbanised settlements and fortresses appear in the Human settlements outside Corvo influence on Earth. It
wastes, ruled by mighty warlords that have become more used to be only a small town in pre-war Earth, but lately
leaders than fighters. Some of these settlements are quite has grown into a heavily guarded fortress, mostly because
big, and manage to last years before being disbanded or of the mighty militia that overtook it.
destroyed. A few are still standing as of this writing.
This militia is one of the most warlike Human groups on
WASTESICKNESS the wastes - which is a lot to say - made up of fiercely na-
tionalistic and independent Earthlings from some pre-war
Most Wasters have grown immune, or at least accus- nation. They call themselves the Basajaunak, and no other
tomed, to Earth’s irradiated, poisonous atmosphere, with tribe, warlord or Corvo guard troop has ever been able to
little side effects from the radiation that soaks through defeat or even contain them.
their organisms. Yet a few Humans succumb to a strange
malady that Humans call ‘wastesickness’. A wastesick The Basajaunak don’t use The Speech, but a language all
Human is simply one who suffers significant ill effects of their own, which they claim was used by their warrior an-
any kind from radiation. Wastesickness takes many forms, cestors. They are quite reluctant to communicate in other
from general bad health - coughing, skin sores and the like tongues, which frustrates most attempts at diplomacy.
- to seizures, fits and a quick agonising death. Those who
survive wastesickness become marked and deformed, and There are several hundred Basajaunak in Infernuko
some of these deformities actually impact the subject’s Erreka, also making them one the strongest militias in the
ability to function normally, causing minor impairment, dis- wastes. Their leader calls himself Doilor, and will never
ability, or - in rare cases - unexplained mutations. order an attack or conquest against any other settlement,
but will also never forget or forgive any action against In-
Humans thus mutated, known colloquially as waste- fernuko Erreka.
weirds, or weirders, are so drastically altered that their
Humans in the Universe
EASTERN WASTER WESTERN WASTER
Affinity :: Mob Lone Wolf
Level 1 :: Human :: Crafty Level 1 :: Human :: Cautious
289
mov. 5 metres :: weight 71 kg :: height 185 cm mov. 5 metres :: weight 80 kg :: height 180 cm

faith: core book

3 3 0 - 4 3 1 -

PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5 PHYSICAL 5 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 3

STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 2 STAT 1 STAT 1

CLOSE STANDARD HIT GRAPPLE

QUARTERS
3+ DISTANCE
2+ (DEX)
3+ (CON)
0

Stealthy Unhinged

Charge I

His unconfronted running actions are considered

passive, and his next Close Quarters action causes 1
additional damage.

Human weaponry consists of remnants from before Life on Earth is tough, but not without it’s perks.
the downfall, low-tech makeshift tools and, much to From time to time, you come across some un-
their chagrin, sophisticated Corvo armament. suspecting Corvo’s neck to break.
the r avager
menace
THE RAVAGER
<HUD log 5027.3. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out- sides of the battle and releasing the prisoners from their
post/Torin Prime sector/1st contact event> terrible fate.
<audio playback on [transcription enabled]>
Then it happened to the Iz’kal, too - countless, variously-
shaped aliens in irregular, organic-looking ships, fell on the
<00:00> We don’t know where the Ravager originated or Parsaius colony. But the Iz’kal were prepared. The Corvo
what they are. The ones we encountered were so mutated had warned them. They called these aliens ‘The Ravager’,
from the host lifeform it was impossible to tell what re- and I swear to Vexal I can think of no better name for those
mained of the original creatures, if anything at all <video horrors. The Iz’kal and Corvo had prepared for future
playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> Ravager attacks, so the Iz’kal weren’t exactly caught
<01:24 feed continues> Most of what we know of the unawares… and the Corvo, the Corvo flew to their aid…
Ravager comes from the few specimens recovered at the But... I know men that fought there, that saw the Corvo and
battle at Parsaius and the clues from the, uh, ravaged Iz’kal joining forces for the first time… well, ever. That’s
worlds they leave behind. what gave birth to the Coalition, of course. But… Despite
the time they had to prepare for the attack and the intel
At first, they were nothing but a rumour; tales of aban- they’d gathered on their enemy at Izuan Tai… let us say the
doned colonies and spaceships, looking like something had assault took a high toll in lives <feed interrupted>
eaten them. Eaten spaceships. How could we take such a
<07:06 feed continues> We had gained essential knowl-
thing seriously?
edge about our common enemy, but the price we paid was
far too high. And we knew it would get worse <end of line>
The Ravager

Then the things attacked Izuan Tai.

We know what happened - nightmarish things out of SO, WHAT ARE

descriptions were of monsters, aliens, nightmares - but no <LIVE BROADCAST ALREADY STARTED>
two accounts described them similarly. Some believed it
<TUNING IN>
had been some kind of collective hallucination.
“...parasites, yes. That’s as accurate a way to describe
When the Corvo went back to Izuan Tai to see what had them as any. Yet this term, as well, is too small for what the
happened… I read the reports of what they found. Even Ravager are. It falls short. They take over other lifeforms
remembering that stills sends chills down my spine. The and add their genes to their… swarms, Humans call them.
planet had been engulfed by a strange looking substance, But these swarms are not made of infected hosts, as we
and a closer look revealed that many inhabitants of the once believed. Or at least not exclusively. Once the Ravager
planet were inside that substance, trapped alive and being have your genes, they can mass-produce them. They can
slowly digested. Tendrils emerged from some kind of recreate an entire species from a single being - but it’s not
enormous, pool-like structure on the surface of the planet, the same species anymore. It has been modified, altered to
like roots extending out of a tree, and they stretched out as suit the swarm’s needs. It has become Ravager.”
far as the eye could see into the substance, pulsating as they
carried the digested matter of the Corvo people back to the “But professor, does this mean the Ravager could make
processing pool, bubbling with activity and some unknown a - let us say - modified army of what? Cloned Corvo?”
biological process… <[transmission interrupted]>
“They could? Mr. Chang, I’m positive they already have.”
<[transmission resumes]> ...Corvo had sent a huge fleet
to Izuan Tai, mind you. Not just your typical scouting party,
<audience exclamations and murmurs drown
but a real fleet, ready for any fight… but they weren’t ready
out professor Xing’s commentary> “...and while
for that. Despite their technological and military superior-
they swarm our worlds with their seemingly mixed alien
ity, the fleet was vastly outnumbered and it quickly became
armies, they are certainly using us - or rather their twisted,
clear it was a battle they couldn’t win. Then… it was cour-
mindless version of us - as their foot soldiers in some other
age, I guess... or desperation… Well, you know what went
world, in some other galaxy, right as we’re speaking…
down. The Corvo fleet fought its way to the surface of the
planet and blew it up, annihilating every living being on both
<And now for a commercial break from our
sponsors!>
NATURE AND space, finding out whether they are a plague to us, and de-

BEHAVIOUR veloping means to keep you safe!

That is, unless you want the Ravager to steal your DNA,
<MEGAKIDS, THE FULCORP SCIENCE PAGE FOR of course!
CHILDREN OF ALL THE CORVOSPHERE>
<SEARCH TERMS: RAVAGER> Until next time!

<PAGE: Nature and Behaviour> > END INFO ON SUBJECT

The Ravager are a species of alien predators that have > RECORD/DOWNLOAD/SHARE?
only recently been discovered by science. There are many > Did you like this cast? TELL your friends and ask
things we don’t know about them, but surely soon we will them to DONATE to us!
know more! Scientists all over the Corvosphere are re-
searching the subject right as you link to this NeuroCast!
RAVAGER BREEDING
Creature: Parasita Maxima.
<COALITION UNIT F31-L75-S4, ‘Plasma Fangs’ MIS-
Common Name: Ravager. SION REPORT #329>
<MIA: Lt Mors and Sgt Al’Hayim> <Field MD Investi-
Domain: Organic ophistokonta.
gation #9966318A>
Kingdom: Animalia, but possibly Fungi. <audio playback on [neurotranscript enabled]>

The Ravager
Clade: Eumetazoa, speculated spiralia. Lt MORS: We are now entering the cave.

Phylum: unknown, speculated mollusca; mostly verte- HQ: Are you sure it’s the right one, S4?
brate hosts.
Lt MORS: Positive, HQ. We saw the wounded alterant slip
Class: unknown, speculated gastropoda or bivalvia. here. We don’t think it spied us, either. 293

faith: core book

Order: unknown.
Lt MORS: There seems to be some kind of organic
Habits: We still don’t know much about the Ravager, covering on the walls. I got tailhead taking samples for the
which includes how they mate, what they eat, or whether research team.
they have a nocturnal or diurnal sleep cycle - or whether
they sleep at all! HQ: Waste no time, S4. The alterant may be gathering its
strength somewhere close.
We know, however, that they can actually copy the DNA
of other organisms and use it to breed more creatures! Lt MORS: It’s… it’s strange. There’s more and more of
How cool is that? Now nobody knows the original DNA of the organic goo the deeper we go into the cave. It appears
the Ravager, or if they ever had one! But you know what’s harmless, but...
even better? These amazing creatures can actually modify
the genes they steal, creating altered - and often improved HQ: But?
- versions of the organisms they copy! For example, if a
Ravager stole your DNA, they could make copies of you, Lt MORS: I’d say it’s... alive, somehow... Tailhead says it
only stronger! Or with wings! They’re like a living body-mod even flinched a bit when he took the sample… BY VEXAL’S
lab, only much cheaper, of course! STARS!

Conservation Status: The Ravager don’t seem to be HQ: Please report status, S4.
endangered right now; on the contrary, they are a strong
and widespread species that we are discovering in more Lt MORS: It’s… it’s OK… We’re OK, HQ… but this… wait.
and more planets every day! Some scientists and experts Wait, I gotta see this closer.
even believe they may be a danger to us! Can you imagine a
<indistinct sounds>
swarm of angry Ravager flying over your city to steal your
DNA? Better than a horrorcast, isn’t it? Lt MORS: We appear to have reached a larger cave in the
complex… it’s all covered with the same goo… and it’s full
But no worries, there are measures being taken in that of…
aspect too, and our Coalition is currently exploring Ravager
Sgt AL’HAYIM: By the stars! They’re all over the walls and
ceiling, lieutenant!

Lt MORS: Yes, sergeant, I see them… they… they seem to

be eggs… how…?

HQ: Please elaborate, S4.

Lt MORS: We have reached what seems to be a large

cache of egg-like organic shells, HQ. Attached to the same
organic gunk we found. There’s... there’s no prisoners, no...
test subjects... inside the casings. I’m no xeno but if I had to
risk a guess… I think they are actual Ravager eggs. Like, the
ones little Ravager will hatch from.

HQ: That contradicts current intelligence, S4. Can you

verify?

Lt MORS: I got tailhead on that, HQ. But I’m pretty sure…

Who knows, maybe the modified… subjects… you know,
their soldier-things… maybe they hatch from eggs like
these, once they have the DNA. They must breed their
drones in these…
The Ravager

<loud noise, indistinct screams>

Lt MORS: Oh… Oh no! It’s the Alterant! HQ, IT’S THE
ALTERANT! And it’s got… it’s got...

294 <loud noises and screams followed by static>

HQ: S4? Report status, S4. Lieutenant Mors? Larry?
Larry! Lieutenant Mors, this is HQ, please report!
faith: core book

Swarms wander independently across the galaxy, con-

<neurotranscript error [feed disabled/corrupted]>
suming every life form they come across and gathering
their genetic material, which is used by the queen to evolve
SWARMS and enhance her capabilities, and, by extension, those
of her... progeny, as it were. This means a Ravager queen
<HUD log 5031.9. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out- breeds soldiers from the genes of eaten victims, which,
post/Torin Prime sector/3rd contact event> <audio yes, is just as horrible as it sounds. Reports from Izuan Tai
playback on [transcription enabled]> were very clear and graphic on how the Ravager obtained
genetic material from defeated races. Despite my love of
science and knowledge, this is one thing I wish I never had
<00:00> The Ravager live and die for their swarm, which is learned.
how they call their mobile colonies - well, the closest word
we could find in our language anyway. Every swarm seems <1:03> Once the swarm arrives at a planet, the queen re-
to be ruled by a single “queen”, who controls the actions of leases some kind of bacteria that quickly spreads over its
every other Ravager in the swarm. Queens are gigantic or- surface and starts digesting its organic matter, turning it
ganic ships, but they look like they are creatures too… like all into a strange green substance that the ravager can feed
Ravager hive organisms. Xenotech already speculated each on. Living organisms are entombed within the substance,
Ravager mothership may be a single sentient being, but the which keeps them alive for as long as needed, until the ten-
idea of such things being… well, creatures… worse, a single drils that will carry their DNA have had time to reach them.
creature… it’s too much to… Anyway. A swarm is as power- Then, the substance digests the entombed creatures to ex-
ful as its queen - whatever the queen is - and the swarm’s tract their DNA and carry it to one of several processing
only purpose is to protect the queen and help her evolve. pools set up by the Ravager during their infestation of the
planet. The substance eventually covers the entire planet,
We know from previous engagements that different
and as it expands, new processing pools are created to keep
swarms can and do collaborate, but last cycle we had the
up with the increasing amount of genomes that need to be
chance to witness a fight between two swarms. It ended
processed. When an area has been processed, it then turns
with the victorious queen devouring the defeated one and
into a spawning pool; the nutrients of the deceased dwell-
the complete annihilation of the losing swarm.
ers of the planet are used to create new ravager. Once the
The Ravager
295

faith: core book

entire planet has been... processed... the swarm leaves to changing their wavelength spectrum and react quickly to
look for a new planet. The substance will continue to fil- any interference.
ter through the surface of the planet, so that a swarm that
has taken heavy losses can go back to one of these planets Also, it seems that different Ravager emit waves of dif-
to quickly repopulate. We have been able to... use some of ferent intensity and complexity. The most simple Ravager
these planets... to follow the trail of the swarms, hoping to emit weak waves on a single frequency, whereas those
find something that might help us stop them. No success so emitted by the queen are extremely complex and sent at
far, but a lot of nightmares for sure. <end of line> several frequencies at once. This is how Ravager hierarchy
works - those that emit more complex signals will be able
COMMUNICATION to control those that emit simpler signals, creating a clear
power structure where the weaker links follow every
<HUD log 5032.0. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out- command given to them, thus avoiding rogue elements in
post/Torin Prime sector/4th contact event> <audio the system. On the other hand, it also lets us easily detect
playback on [transcription enabled]> swarm commanders simply by locating the source of the
most complex waves.
<00:00> We’re sure now that the queen controls the ac-
tions of every other Ravager in the swarm. We first no-
ticed this at Parsaius, when we started detecting strange RAVAGER HIERARCHY
and complex radio signals coming from the Ravager fleet.
<HUD log 5033.1. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out-
We now know that every individual ravager is capable of
post/Torin Prime sector/5th contact event> <audio
emitting and receiving a sort of radio signal, through which
playback on [transcription enabled]>
they communicate with each other over long distances.
Although this ability allows them to coordinate their ef-
forts and act as a single mind, it is also a weakness - and I’m <00:00> The Ravager seem to have no society or govern-
proud to say we found a way to exploit it. Distorting these ment as we understand the term - they have no nations,
signals seems to confuse the ravager for a short while, no place names, no institutions, laws or currency... far as
which allows for a quick finishing attack. Even so, jamming we know, they may be no smarter or more organised than
these signals is quite an ordeal, as the damn things keep insects, with different castes bred for specific tasks. Yes,
that includes castes bred from the genetic material of con- HERALDS
quered worlds. Which means the Ravager would need to
<02:48> Heralds are by far the most dangerous creatures
keep changing and adapting their basic hierarchy depending
in a Ravager swarm. Incredibly fast and strong, their bod-
on what DNA they have to breed their soldiers from… so
ies can alter their own structure almost instantly, allow-
they may not be that dumb. Or remotely dumb at all. I’m
ing them to adapt to most of our tactics and weapons in a
actually starting to think their hive mind is the greatest in-
matter of seconds. We believe they act as the link between
telligence in the Universe right now. If the idea terrifies you,
the Queen and her proxies and Spawn, thus allowing her to
then no worries, you’re sane. It terrifies me.
control the entire Swarm. The more Heralds a Queen can
keep under control, the larger the Swarm can become, but
<00:41> ...We’ve managed to differentiate the different Queens must be careful of spawning too many Heralds,
ravager according to their role and importance. It started as they sometimes try to take over the hivemind. When a
when we discovered how their hive mind works. While the queen dies or fails to keep her Heralds under control, the
queen is ultimately in control of everything that happens Heralds will escape to start their own swarm or kill each
in a swarm, she will usually do so through other Ravager, other in a tooth-and-nail competition to replace the Queen.
who act as the link between her and the rest of the colony.
Heralds are extremely intelligent and deceitful, and we
We have roughly classified the different ravager into four
have encountered several Ravager fleets led by Heralds -
levels - Queens, Heralds, Alterants and Spawn, in order of
which were as difficult to deal with as those led by a Queen,
authority and power.
even though they were considerably smaller. In spite of
their great value to a fleet, Heralds can often be found
THE RAVAGER QUEEN in the vanguard of Ravager fleets, leading the attack and
<01:03> The Queen lives aboard a swarm’s mothership - giving direct assistance when needed. While easy to spot,
working as both the ship’s pilot and its engine, both its nav- they are extremely hard to kill. When Heralds enter battle,
The Ravager

what made us think of it as a living being was the presence lifeforms. Alterants are rarely found on the front lines, and
of nerve endings within the resin itself, along with a circula- will usually remain near or inside the Queen until the fight
tory system and some other traces of organs embedded is over and the first samples have been collected, at which
deeply within the structure of the ship. They all seemed to time they will descend to the spawning pools and begin
originate from the mothership core, where we imagine the work on the new specimens.
brain of the Queen would be, but the core we recovered was
too damaged to draw any conclusions. This confirms the Alterants are the best-protected members of a Swarm.
worst predictions from xenotech - if a Ravager Queen and Most appear near the core of the mothership, working in
her ship are a single creature, they’re easily the largest liv- what I can only describe as, well, laboratories... filled with
ing beings that have ever existed, perhaps in the entire uni- tanks... tanks containing specimens belonging to different
verse... <playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> lifeforms. Despite the poor state of the specimens aboard
the mothership we found, it’s clear they were subject
to terrible experiments; their bodies showed mutations
<2:14 feed continues> ...Current theory is that Queens so horrible that we couldn’t even recognise those that
are Herald-class Ravager that have undergone a meta- belonged to known... <video playback error [feed
morphosis, shedding their previous body and covering disabled/corrupted]>
themselves in some kind of biopolymer that eventually be-
comes the mothership. As Queens age, their bodies grow <14:24 feed continues> ...we thought Alterants were
and the motherships become larger; this allows them to some kind of proxies… As their wave emission pattern was
carry more ravager while their brains mature, increasing quite complex, we thought they might be able to control
their power as a hivemind and allowing them to keep more other Ravager, and so functioned as the link between the
Heralds under control. That means that a Queen’s age is di- Heralds and the rest of the Swarm, but it seems we were
rectly related to the size and power of her swarm. Older dead wrong. Alterants have little to no contact with Her-
Queens will try to eliminate the younger, weaker ones to alds or Spawn, focusing solely on their research and experi-
secure their long term survival, whereas young Queens, ments.
aware of their vulnerability, will collaborate in order to Despite their frail appearance, Alterants are pretty re-
stay alive and outlive - or depose - the older ones. We have sourceful and dangerous enemies, and perfectly capable of
no idea about the age limit on a Ravager Queen, or if these handling themselves in battle - as many good men learned
hellish things even have one. the hard way.
SPAWN
<14:51> ‘Spawn’ is the term by which we refer to Rav-
ager foot soldiers, which are as varied and numerous as
the Swarms themselves. Ravager Spawn are an incredible
broad variety of creatures, each with unique characteris-
tics and abilities. We have grouped most Ravager under this
class because of their lower intellect and simpler emission
levels, but Spawn of one type have no common character-
istics with those of another, and their wave emission pat-
terns are quite different from each other.

<15:15> Every Spawn type has a highly specific role within

the Swarm. Although the appearance and traits of Spawn
can vary from one swarm to the next - and even within the
same swarm, depending on the situations they were bred
for - the essential attributes of each Spawn type will re-
main the same. That is, two unrelated and distant Swarms
will often employ the same type of Spawn at opposite ends
of the galaxy. So, either they all originated from the same
Queen not too long ago, or different swarms collaborate
more than we had originally believed, sharing the best ge-
nomes they find with each other. <end of line>

The Ravager
HARVESTER
<XENO DEPARTMENT REPORT #333176>
<ANALYSIS OF RAVAGER FORCES BY PROFESSOR Mob :: Ravager
VAJIR WA’ALIBAH, XD LAB CAIRUS>
Level 1 :: Ravager :: Aggressive
<ACCESS LEVEL NINE - HIGHLY RESTRICTED> 297
mov. 5 metres :: weight 81 kg :: height 170 cm

faith: core book

We have gathered intelligence on what seems to be the 2
most frequently used spawn types in Ravager armies, at
least in the attack and defence operations against our forc- 4 3 1 4
es. It must be kept in mind that these data, while proven
accurate, are not all-conclusive, and there may be a myriad 5 6 7
PHYSICAL INITIATIVE MENTAL
of details we’re missing. We should learn more from future STAT 2 STAT 2 STAT 1
encounters with the Ravager, preferably inert specimens
brought to the lab for study. CLOSE STANDARD
QUARTERS
2+ DISTANCE
2+
The following Ravager Spawn types are listed alphabeti-
cally, with the names given by our team or by soldiers in the
Bio Rifle
field. We of course don’t know how the Ravager refer to
each of these breeds, but the terms we have chosen are Neural weapon (It deals neural or ACS damage and
quite descriptive of each creature and its abilities. ignores armour).

Harvester
Consume 1
Harvesters are by far the most common Ravager Spawn
type we have encountered, and the bulk of most of their Action. It can consume a dead character to heal 1
armies. They are muscular, Humanoid bipeds with long tails physical damage.
and hairless skin. For what we have seen, they are intel-
ligent enough to use military tactics and weaponry, most
commonly neural weapons. Harvesters are always found in
military squads led by their smartest or strongest member;
their main function seems to be long-range combat.

The fact that they use neural ammo means that they
want living specimens, which probably means they want
specific information that they cannot extract from dead
Ravagers are created by their Queens out of DNA
collected all across the universe. Is there a hint
of Human genes in the harvester variant?
bodies. What kind of interrogation methods these crea-
tures use is something I don’t want to think about.

Harvesters don’t seem to be as mutated or altered

as other species of Ravager. We believe they come from
the DNA of an intelligent, organised and peaceful species,
which the Ravager gave enhanced muscles and nervous
systems, plus a much higher adrenal output to increase
their aggressiveness and resistance to pain.

Ironskin

Ironskin Ravager are enormous hulks - easily thrice

the size of a Human soldier - with vicious claws and thick
carapaces. The unusual disposition of their limbs, as well as
the irregular molecular composition of their shells, leads
us to hypothesise that these horrors are mashups of the
offensive and defensive capabilities of at least five differ-
ent species, which the Ravager simply stitched together in a
single creature, designed for high-stakes physical combat.

Ironskin Ravager seem to be designed for direct attack,

and are often used in the Ravager front lines and as shock
The Ravager

IRONSKIN troops. An ironskin can withstand direct plasma shots,

even from large weapons, and its claws can impale through
our strongest armor models with relative ease. There have
Ravager :: Unstoppable
been reports of a Ravager ironskin decimating an entire
Level 4 :: Ravager :: Aggressive squad while sustaining superficial injuries.
298
mov. 5 metres :: weight 345 kg :: height 283 cm
Lurching Horror
faith: core book

4
The rather colourfully-nicknamed lurching horrors seem
8 6 3 2 to be a mutation on some kind of large cephalopod, given
a mix of claws and tentacles that allow the creature to
climb and cling to any solid surface. Their many tentacles
PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 3
STAT 3 STAT 1 STAT 2 and slithering frame give them great speed and agility in
combat, and allow them to fight several opponents at once.

HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
4+ (CON)
2 ++ Lurching horrors are used in stealth and recon missions.
While no one understands the Ravager’s concept of espio-
nage, it seems that the lurching horrors are ideally designed
Consume 2
for stealthy assassinations or surprise rearguard attacks,
Action. It can consume a dead character to heal 2 in which a small group of lurching horrors can dismantle
physical damage. half a troop before its leaders notice what’s happening.

Techno
Charge II
Techno Ravager are among the rarest kind of Spawn - we
Its unconfronted running actions are considered have only encountered them in close proximity to Queens
passive, and its next Close Quarters action gains one and Alterants, working as their translators and messen-
advantage and causes 1 additional damage. gers, or its equivalent in the Ravager swarm.

Techno seem to be mutated - heavily and horribly - from

Thick Skull
a highly intelligent species of bipedal aliens, which the
It reduces the base neural damage of attacks against Ravager altered to increase their brain mass at the expense
it by 1. of muscle tissue and limb strength. They are thin, lanky and
about as tall as an Iz’kal, with their huge brains giving them
the appearance of ambling mushrooms.

Ravager names are somewhat hit and miss in their

descriptiveness, but the Ironskin is a wonderful, no-
nonsense, literal name for the beast behind it.
Techno are uniquely equipped for bio-electronic linking;
they may operate or hack most known computer devices
using only their limbs and powerful brains. The Ravager use
them mostly as a link between Queens and their Spawn,
transmitting orders and managing the radio network that
communicates every swarm member. Ravager don’t seem
to use Techno Spawn for hacking or electronic infiltra-
tion as much as they could; our guess is that they hadn’t
encountered so many computer-using species until they
found us, because lately we have started detecting some
hacking attacks that surely come from Ravager techno.

Infiltrator

The previous list includes all the Spawn types we have

been able to classify and study in the course of the war.
There are, of course, many other kinds of Ravager spawn,
such as Frost Fiends or Dracos, which we have seen on
occasion but not as often as other types, or not enough to
study.

There is, however, a disquieting rumour, sustained by so

far unconfirmed - but not disproven - reports from some

The Ravager
colonies. A couple of prisoners rescued from Ravager
colonies maintain they’ve seen the Ravager create exact
LURCHING HORROR
copies of people from Coalition species - Humans, Corvo,
Lone Wolf :: Proficient :: Ravager
Iz’kal, even Raag. One of the victims swore they were using
these perfect copies as… well, obviously, as spies. Level 4 :: Ravager :: Malicious
299
mov. 5 metres :: weight 176 kg :: height 236 cm
Prisoners rescued from the Ravager always display

faith: core book

some form of PTSD, with fuzzy recollections at best and 3
manic episodes at worst - but if there’s any truth to their
reports, it would mean that there’s a special breed of 6 6 0 9
cloned Ravager, designed to mimic coalition species. The
Ravager might be passing them as immigrants from other
PHYSICAL 9 INITIATIVE 10 MENTAL 9
colonies, or even rescued prisoners - ironically, much like STAT 3 STAT 3 STAT 2
the ones that started the rumour - to live among us and
record data that they would then send back to their swarm.
HIT GRAPPLE
(DEX)
3 +++ (CON)
0 ++
The reports remain unconfirmed, but right now I don’t
know what is more disturbing - to imagine these monsters
Lurching blades
taking away our bodies, or sending them back to us…
It ignores 1 point of armour. Activated. Attack
<END OF ANALYSIS>

two characters simultaneously and suffers one

disadvantage.
SUPREME QUEEN UM
<PERSONAL NEURORECORD #645228> Consume 3
<SPEC OPS LANCER GARA HAINO/ ENTRY #3>
Action. It can consume a dead character to heal 3
<ACCESS LEVEL TEN - DO NOT SHARE WITH PC physical damage.
PERSONNEL>
<audio playback on [transcription enabled]>

Nanohooks
<00:00> Not much time.
It can climb walls and ceilings and move around as if
If anyone links to this - I’m Gara Haino, Spec Ops Lancer they were the ground.
of the Coalition’s 3rd Fleet. I’ve been hiding in… well, I don’t
know where this is.

Lurching horrors are pretty odd creatures even for

Ravager standards. Why would a Queen create a viscose
malformed tumour of a being? Terror is the key word.
It’s been days. They haven’t found me… I’ve been trying
to make sense of their transmissions…

I don’t know what to do.

I don’t know if anybody will ever… <static> I… I deci-

phered… Or I think I deciphered, my translation software
started doing this weird… anyway. This is important. Very.
And I don’t know if I’ll live to take it off this planet… hive,
whatever this is.

I hope… No. Nothing I say can… just link to this. It’s from
their network. It’s them talking to each other. It’s horrible,
how they talk, how they… but I must… <static> I’m attach-
ing it here in case anyone finds my… well, just link to it.

May Kaliva take us all. <end of line>

<RAVAGER TRANSMISSION #000000>

<SOURCE LANGUAGE UNIDENTIFIED>
<TRANSLATION ACCURACY UNKNOWN>
<Neuralplayblack on [transcription enabled]>
The Ravager

TECHNO MOTHERQUEEN CALLS *** MOTHERQUEEN REQUIRES

*** STIFF-CELLS *** STOP ATTACK. ON STIFF-CELL HIVE.
Affinity to OS :: Defender :: Ravager GATHER STIFF-CELL PREY. GATHER COMPONENTS. TAKE
Level 1 :: Ravager :: Crafty PREY *** COMPONENTS BACK. BACK TO MOTHERQUEEN
300 *** WE RETURN. WE ATTACK HOMEWORLD *** RETURN TO
mov. 5 metres :: weight 49 kg :: height 159 cm
GREAT UM. STRIKE GREAT UM. MOTHERQUEEN REQUIRES.
RETURN TO GREAT UM AND. STRIKE AT GREAT UM. MOTHER-
faith: core book

2
QUEEN REQUIRES. CHALLENGE SUPERQUEEN UM. REPLACE
2 5 0 5 SUPERQUEEN UM. RETURN TO HOMEWORLD. MOTHER-
QUEEN CALLS *** RETURN TO HOMEWORLD. RETURN TO
GREAT UM. CHALLENGE *** REPLACE *** GREAT UM. TAKE
PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 7
STAT 1 STAT 1 STAT 2 OVER HOMEWORLD. US. REPLACE GREAT UM. TAKE OVER
HOMEWORLD. MOTHERQUEEN REQUIRES… <end of line>

HIT
1 GRAPPLE
0 <END OF ENTRY>
(DEX) (CON)

Biorig 2 (LinkWave 100)

RAVAGER TECH
It can perform Hacking actions (causing 2 ACS
damage). “It’s not that the Ravager don’t have technology. Rather,
they ARE their technology. Their organic appliances and bio-
devices bond with them as extensions of their organism,
because that’s what they are. That’s what everything is to
them. We could say, in a way, that the Ravager live in an
universe where everything is designed; everything is tech-
nology. And they are their own greatest advancement.”

- Hohn Rea, Human xenobiologist

ORGANIC CRAFT
“Our own scientists have speculated that, if Ravager star-
ships are organically-grown, even partially, then they are
the biggest lifeforms to ever exist in the universe. For us,
small, insignificant and transient beings, that alone would
Technos are sickly, cowardly and telltale mutants
that rush to inform their superiors about the enemy’s
whereabouts if they sense any danger.
make the Ravager impossibly terrifying; that alone would
be reason enough to hate them and want to wipe them out.”

- Professor Laho Sh’amir, Iz’kal psychiatrist

QUEEN MOTHERSHIPS
“Oh, I’ve seen them all right. Starships the size of cities,
floating in space like they have a right to - oh, come on, they
don’t. Nothing that big should be allowed to exist, no space
body that big should have a right to be self-propelled. But
there it was anyway, this floating city, so big you couldn’t
tell if it was floating away or charging us, spewing thou-
sands of these smaller, organic ships. A city. A fleet. A
swarm. No horror can compare, I tell you.

They say these things are the swarm’s queens? That they
have megabrains and control the other Ravager? Man, how
can you expect us to fight that? I’ve also heard ‘em say that
they are the ones that seed the planets they… they devas-
tate; that those horrid spores that turn planets into dark
goo come FROM those damn motherships.

The Ravager
Not even the Gods could have imagined such a horror,
such a creature. Why, I think these motherships ARE gods.
INFILTRATOR
They are what a real God must look like - dark, monstrous,
shapeless, larger than anything and capable of devouring
Proficient
entire worlds whole like it was nothing. Yeah, that’s it. I Level 2 :: Ravager :: Astute
think we’ve been worshipping the wrong gods, man.“ 301
mov. 5 metres :: weight 72 kg :: height 183 cm
- Lance Corp. Ganni Hamari, 23rd Coalition fleet

faith: core book

OTHER VESSELS 5 4 1 8

“Who knows, right? Who knows how many kinds of ships

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 6
they have. Who knows if they are proper ships. More like STAT 2 STAT 3 STAT 2
a zoo they have up there. More like a full evolutionary
tree; a complete ecosystem, only single-minded and, uh,
HIT GRAPPLE
armed to the teeth. They have long-range vessels, smaller (DEX)
3 ++ (CON)
0
starfighters, dropships - just as many different models as
they have Spawn types. It’s the same thing - just a pack of
ERA Sword
larger fish, swimming across space for the hunt. We’re the
ones fighting them with tools; they are the mammoths, the Activated. If the attack is successful, it deals +2 base
dinosaurs… only they are also smarter than us this time. damage. Otherwise, this NPC suffers one disadvantage
We’re like cavemen, hunting starships.” towards the next action.

- Evan Farrus, Coalition pilot

Crypsis Suit

ORBITAL HIVES Characters further than 20 metres away from her

suffer one disadvantage towards actions against her
“The Ravager seem to be mobile, or nomadic - they have that require line of sight. Ghost.
no homeworld that we have discovered, and they never
settle or remain in the worlds they conquer; they just keep
them as DNA farms. It’s highly likely that the Ravager are Martial artist I
adapted to live aboard their ships their whole lives. She gains one advantage towards dodging and
running actions. Instant. Immediately after dodging
However, we have found evidence of these - outposts? an attack, she can perform a Close Quarters action
These colonised, or rather occupied, asteroids or moons, against the character who attacked her.
which they seem to gather around and guard zealously.
Do you have what it takes to shoot your best
friend in the face when you discover that she’s a
Ravager infiltrator? Will you pull the trigger?
The Ravager

302
faith: core book

Some reports have suggested that the Ravager use deploys several bacteria clouds that drift over the world’s
these ‘orbital hives’, as some have called them, to stash surface and very effectively infect all organic matter they
their eggs. They could also use them as mobile workshops, find, including every lifeform. Infected organic matter is
to repair their ships, produce weapons, hold prisoners, or quickly consumed and digested by these bacteria; a single
whatever. There’s no conclusive evidence of anything. But Ravager Queen’s bacteria can devour a whole planet’s
more intelligence is bound to come up as we continue to surface in a matter of days.
engage the Ravager, and more answers should be forth-
coming. I’m only worried about the cost of that knowledge.“ After digestion, the bacteria emit the dark residue - the
plasmoid - which then proceeds to cover large areas of the
- Zorba Aluu, Coalition scientist
infested world.

ORGANIC TECH This plasmoid seems to serve various purposes. It

protects Ravager hatcheries, eggs and test subjects; it can
“Everything the Ravager build, everything that comes out also transmit genetic information in the form of proteins
of their bodies or hives, is designed to consume, overtake, and enzymes almost instantly. We have concluded that the
and replace; to overcome other species and survive at their Ravager employ the plasmoid as a form of bio-network
expense. They are like a walking evolutionary lab, like an through which they share DNA data, facilitating organic
embodiment of the rule of the strongest itself. And their communication and coordinated spawn breeding across an
devices, their tools, are no exception.“ entire world. The plasmoid may even be intelligent itself,
albeit in a very rudimentary fashion.
- Gong Cixi, Corvo xenoscientist
In short, the Ravager plasmoid seems to be essential to
PLASMOID their reproduction, communication, breeding, and to their
very existence. We thus contend that studying the plasmoid
“We have examined the samples given to us, and de- and its capabilities could be the key to understanding the
termined the plasmoid substance the Ravager cover their Ravager.”
infested worlds with is actually an organic residue. When a
- Rahim Sa’amir, Iz’kal biologist
planet’s defences have been overrun, the Swarm’s Queen
a Ravager cracking its shell to be born; some officers spec-
ulate Ravager inside eggs remain in stasis until called upon
by the Swarm, at which point the eggs are mass-harvested
and the soldiers released, but we know nothing for sure.

Also, we have found eggs of several sizes, suggesting the

shell adapts to the size of the full-grown creature… or that
it grows itself as the creature develops.

Analysis of egg fragments suggest they are nothing less

than a bioengineering masterpiece, composed of insulated,
smart organic fibres that protect the egg against cold, heat,
physical impact and pressure changes, they also transmit
nutrients and DNA directly, building the creature at the
same time they keep it safe. Ravager eggs have proven to
endure the void of space.”

- Excerpt from a conference by Adas A’bari,

Iz’kal xenobiologist

COMPUTERS
“You say the Ravager have no computer science. Fine.

The Ravager
But those Techno I saw were working on SOMETHING. It did
look organic, but it WAS some thing. And you don’t precisely
see them storing their data or radio network nodes in their
butts, now do you?”

- Bragg, Raag Coalition shock trooper 303

CONVENTIONAL TECH

faith: core book

PROCESSING POOLS
“But the Ravager aren’t content with being living engines
“We saw it as we dropped the bombs on the pond-like of destruction, no - they’re also fully capable of wielding
area… bunches of eggs floating over the vapours, living mechanic tools and weaponry. It’s like a plasma rifle that
things in cocoons, some not fully developed, some almost also knows martial arts.”
battle-ready…
- Xue Lin, Corvo comedian
It all went flying ’bout as the bombs hit, but we got
a clear glimpse first. It was some kind of hatchery or WEAPONRY
nursery, no doubt. And there were thousands of them all
over the planet’s surface. Pools, ponds, lagoons... where “Although most Ravager weaponry is organic - i.e., a part
the Ravager were building their soldiers from the eggs. of each Ravager unit’s natural abilities - they often use
Baby things, half-grown things, almost finished things, all conventional weapons, which they likely have scavenged
in cocoons and organic casings in the sludge, it perhaps was from defeated civilisations. They seem to favour neural
once water but had now turned into a chemical soup, fed rifles and other disabling weapons over more direct or gory
by that goop that covered the world. I tell you, wish I could means of killing; perhaps they understand weaponry dif-
have personally bombed each and everyone of those damn ferently. Which makes sense, considering they are born and
pools. That’s where they make themselves, I tell you.” bred as living weapons. Using neural rifles to them must be
like wearing gloves.”
- Kor Lugg, Coalition bomber pilot
- Vi’Azul, Iz’kal xenosociologist
EGGS
“We still don’t know the significance of eggs in the
Ravager breeding process. They have proven fully capable
of breeding their Spawn without them, but they seem to use
egg caches whenever they can to protect the embryos and
samples. The strange thing is, we’ve never seen or heard of
<feed recovered starting from 1:29> ...thing we know
RAVAGER of Ravager history begins the moment they attacked Izuan

PHILOSOPHY Tai in Corvospace. Before that, we got nothing. They have

obviously existed for a long time, as at Izuan Tai they al-
ready had plenty of different creature variations to attack
us with. They must have been doing the same thing for at
“We used to think the Ravager were but mindless beasts least a few centuries now - assimilating, adapting, breeding,
in service of their Queen, to whom we assigned the meagre and decimating other species.
role of vehicle of destruction. However, reality has proven
to be much more complex. Neural readings extracted Which leads me to think - if we stop the Ravager, we may
from captured Alterant specimens have been an interest- be the only ones to ever do so.
ing subject of study, and some claim to be able to trans-
<02:01> We speculate that the Ravager started out like a
late certain neuronal patterns into what they maintain is
very primitive lifeform. Why? Because their specific para-
Ravager philosophy. Personally, I wouldn’t pay too much
sitic-cloning evolution wouldn’t have been possible with a
attention to these fools myself, but it is clear we need more
more complex, rigid organism. The highest likelihood is that
research on the subject.”
they were some kind of fungi or primitive animal, such as a
- Trofim Lys, Human xenobiologist cephalopod, that evolved to forcibly take the genes from its
environment. Which environment? Which planet? We have
no idea. But the Ravager seem capable of replicating virtu-
“What are we, but flesh deceived by chemistry to pursue
ally any living organism they come across. They probably
the continuity of our species? And what surer way of achieve
learned the ability at a very early stage of their evolution.
this, but to consume all competitors, resting securely atop
their bones? We embrace our truest nature, we seek what <2:33> Another, most disturbing theory, is that the Rav-
ager did not evolve naturally, but instead were bio-engi-
The Ravager

we ought to seek, without falling in the sickness of self de-

ception, and without pretending to be more than a complex neered. A lot of the evidence seems to support this theory
vehicle for our DNA.” - the symmetric pattern in their common genes, the unusu-
ally regular protein sequences of their genetic composition
- Koitz, Ravager alterant - but if it’s true, what then? Who built them, and for what
304 purpose? Are they a kind of mad experiment that went out
“There are only four wars: species against nature; of control? Or, much more terrifyingly, are they the van-
species against species: species against itself; and individu- guard of something larger, something that created them to
faith: core book

al against itself. Mother is the only being that has defeated clean the path for its coming?
the last. She makes us imperfect so we are expendable and
we can fight, die, and win for her in the other three wars. Let We need to understand what the Ravager are and where
evolution gift the mother who wins the third war a victory they came from before <feed interrupted>
in the second, and bring us closer to what we seek: peace
<HUD log 5034.7. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton out-
through the impossibility of conflict. Peace through annihi-
post/Torin Prime sector/7th contact event> <audio
lation of all other life and the conquest of nature.”
playback on [transcription enabled]>
- Korotz, Ravager alterant
<00:03> I fear this might be my last entry. They seem to
“Nature welcomes our challenge. It would go against be onto us. None of our spy drones are operative anymore.
itself not to pursue being conquered. Nature breaths evolu- <video playback error [feed disabled/corrupted]> <0:21
tion, and evolution is fighting. Nature does not care about feed continues> ...illed. He asked me not to bring him with
its own destruction, it only asks: are you strong enough me to this expedition. I told him I needed him. It is my fault.
to survive me? Evolution only ends when there is only Not theirs, not his, but mine. They do not understand what
one. Perfection only exist when there is nothing left to be they do, They are but mere mindless predators.
compared with it.
They also got Chao and Kiata a few hours ago. I have
- Koskor, Ravager alterant
not seen their helmet feeds, but Lee has confirmed they
are down. I hope their sacrifice was for something. I hope
people will understand the danger we are facing as a
THE RAVAGER WAR species. These creatures stop at nothing.

<HUD log 5034. Pvt 1c W. Jenkins/Chriton outpost/ I must go now. Our ship is not responding. We need to EVA
Torin Prime sector/6th contact event> <audio play- and figure out what is wrong with it. I will connect again as
back on [transcription enabled]> soon as I get back. <end of line>
THE LOST LOG
OF PROFESSOR
TURNER
<PROFESSOR THESSAIUS TURNER>
<LOG ENTRY #113>
<DESIGNATION/SUBJECT: NOT DEFINED [OK to add
label]>

“Now I know.

Their coming made no sense. It rallied the universe

against a common enemy, but it threatened to destroy
everything all the same.

Some were warned. Some found clues of their coming.

Because those who search for the voices of the Gods end
up finding them.

The Ravager
The Gods did leave messages, proof of their passing.
Thus we know of their influence. Thus we can be sure of
their influence on the universe.

And if one finds the voices of the Gods, shouldn’t one also
listen to Them? 305

faith: core book

Were the Ravager called by the Gods? Do the Ravager
know the Gods?

Some discovered the true nature, the true horror behind

the creation and purpose of the Ravager.

Some discovered the true nature of the Gods. And it was

so terrible they could not tell anyone. The secret had to be
taken to the grave.

To the grave of the universe?

Only the Gods can decide that now.

Or can they?”

<END OF LOG ENTRY [OK to create a new entry]>

THE COALITION
The Iz’kal-Corvo Military STRUCTURE AND
Coalition, simply known as
The Coalition, is a military FUNCTIONS
and political body sup-
ported by both the Corvo
Megacorps and the Iz’kal While it officially responds to both the Corvo and Iz’kal
State, created with the governments, the Coalition is necessarily an autonomous
express purpose of joining entity. The Corvo and Iz’kal’s political structures are too
forces in the face of the different for them to obey or even acknowledge the same
Ravager threat. laws, so the Coalition had to be given its own charter and
its own rules; this was decided in a committee by both
Led by the best soldiers species, which required the Coalition to be free of several
of both the Iz’kal State constraints that are exclusive to either the Corvo or Iz’kal
Defence Force and the culture. Thus, the Coalition is not subservient to any State
Corvo Union Mercenary Corps, the Coalition is the largest nor in the payroll of any Megacorp; it functions indepen-
and most formidable interspecies alliance in known history. dently, although it cannot take any military action without
While strong enough to conquer several worlds, they’re the explicit authorisation of a special committee - the Coali-
focused on defence - the defence of every sentient being tion High Command - comprised of representatives of both
against the Ravager. species, with the nominal duty of seeing to their individual
species’ interests.
The Coalition

HISTORY For the Corvo, the Coalition is just another free enter-
prise: just like their own armies, the armed forces drafted
for the Coalition are strictly comprised of paid mercenar-
The Coalition came about as a direct response to the ies. Their main concern is to keep the Coalition economically
306 first two major Ravager attacks - first, the surprise attack tied to their business, for it has proven a dramatic boost
against the Izuan Tai Corvo colony, and later the invasion of to their food, military, weapon and shipbuilding industries.
the Iz’kal Parsaius colony, by which time both species were
faith: core book

ready and alert against the new threat. Izuan Tai was razed; As for the Iz’kal, they mainly care about the Coalition
Parsaius was saved - but only after great losses, and only as a potential deterrent against the Corvo domination and
because the Iz’kal had time to prepare. And because the supremacy. They are more worried about their allies, which
Corvo, to everyone’s amazement, came to their aid. are a close and visible danger, than about the Ravager,
which are still a far-off threat.
The Corvo insist that they were only working in their own
interest - they needed to gauge the Ravager threat, and In truth, the Coalition is a power unto itself, almost a third
what better chance than a battlefield away from their ter- political group apart from both the Corvo and the Iz’kal
ritory - and made an official statement that they ‘resented civilisations. The Coalition cares more about itself and the
being accused of altruism, especially after they went to all defeat of the Ravager than about politics, and its loyalty is
the trouble of helping the Iz’kal’. to the battle and its soldiers, far more than to any separate
species or its government. Any Coalition soldier will trust
In any event, there was an emergency meeting after the his comrades, regardless of their species, far better than a
battle, where representatives of the Corvo Megacorps and civilian - or worse, a politician - of his own people.
the Iz’kal State debated for several days and eventually
decided to form a military force that pooled the resources
of both species into a single unit. Thus the Iz’kal-Corvo THE COALITION
Military Coalition was born.
HIGH COMMAND
After the agreement, envoys were sent to Tiantang and
Al’ameen, informing the people that their species were The ruling council of the Coalition is The High Command,
mounting a joint offensive against the Ravager threat. The a military junta with equal membership from both the Iz’kal
Corvo hired millions of mercenaries, including Humans, and Corvo species - save for one Human member that
and the Iz’kal drafted millions of volunteers and reached joined the council representing the Corvo.
an agreement with the High Council of Heimis to accept
suitable Raag soldiers; all of the recruits were sent to a There are currently 24 Coalition High Commanders,
mobile, remote advance force, with little or no contact with twelve designed by the Corvo and twelve by the Iz’kal. Each
their people - and with no guarantee of ever coming back. High Commander has full jurisdiction and authority over a
single Coalition Division, which equals the army of an entire Every Coalition Division consists of two or more Squad-
nation, and acts as its Supreme Leader. This makes Coalition rons, of varied sizes, compositions and functions depending
High Commanders the only official political powers in the on which Division they belong to. Each of these Squadrons
known universe, a kind of authority that no Coalition soldier encompasses hundreds of warships with their escorts. A
- save its few Raag mercenaries - finds familiar. Intended Coalition Squadron is led by a Coalition Major, with author-
to give the Coalition a political link to the Megacorps and ity over all ship Captains. A single Captain is in charge of at
the State, the High Command has instead distanced itself least one warship, but some Squadrons are further subdi-
from civilian concerns, moving coalition forces further and vided in Formations, with a single Captain for several ships.
further away from the Iz’kal and Corvo dominions.
A Ship or Formation Captain has several Lieutenants
THE AEGIS ATEMPORAL under his command, which are in turn in charge of lower-
ranking Officers - i.e. Communications Officers, Engineering
The High Command is based on a mobile space station: Officers and so on - and common troops, also called simply
the Aegis Atemporal - a gigantic satellite designed by Iz’kal spacetroopers. Some spacetroopers are distinguished as
engineers and built with Corvo materials, with the military Ensigns, with some additional responsibilities and a degree
capabilities of a battle fortress and a permanent escort of of authority over their peers, though in reality all space-
one fully-armed fleet of either species. Although the Aegis troopers answer directly to their Lieutenants.
Atemporal keeps moving away from the Corvosphere and
the State, it is bound to report its position regularly, and It’s not uncommon for the ships within a Squadron or
sends beacon ships and relay emitters through the Laby- Formation, for example the fighter escorts of a larger
rinth to keep the Iz’kal and Corvo peoples informed about battleship, to organise themselves in five- to ten-ship task
the Coalition’s status and actions in the war. By the same forces under a Lieutenant, sharing a single callsign. These
token, the Aegis Atemporal relays its position to all Coali- task forces are not a requirement of Squadrons, and are

The Coalition
tion forces so they can in turn report to it as needed. the smallest military unit in the Coalition.

While High Command members live and operate in their

Aegis Atemporal HQ, a High Commander may be required JOINING THE
on the battlefield from time to time. In such cases, he takes
a personal warship and a special escort into contested ter- COALITION 307
ritory, to give direct orders to Fleet Admirals and Majors.

faith: core book

Every High Commander has a number of personal battle-
ships at his beck and call for any eventuality, including an The process to join Coalition forces is radically different
entourage of the best soldiers and pilots of his Division. for Iz’kal and Corvo volunteers. In the Iz’kal State, suitable
candidates are chosen by the collective and assigned to the
Coalition as volunteers, honoured and willing to give their
RANKS AND ORGANISATION best to the Coalition in any capacity that their skills may
cover. In the case of the Raag, the High Council of Heimis
The Coalition is organised in 24 Fleets, each of which proposes several candidates that are then physically
consists of 8 Divisions. Every Fleet serves under an screened in Al’ameen. In the Corvosphere, anyone that has
Admiral, which in turn answers to one of the High Command previously worked for a professional mercenary corp
members. Each of the eight Divisions of a Fleet’s is led by a can apply for the Coalition, irrespective of their species
General that answers to the Fleet Admiral. and accepting a one-time payment after an agreed term
of military service, with a rank and duties according to
The head of each Fleet is the Command Division, with previous experience. Other than the severance pay given
authority over the remaining seven Divisions, classified as to such mercs at the end of their contract, no Coalition
follows: Four Space Combat Divisions, assigned to space soldier receives any wages during their tenure, although
battle operations; one Artillery Division, tasked with engi- the Coalition tends to their every need including gear, health
neering, demolitions, bombardments and heavy weapon services, food and shelter.
ops; one Surface Operations Division, in charge of land and
water invasion ops; and one Special Operations Division, Other than the standard procedure, any Iz’kal, Corvo,
which oversees espionage, intel gathering and special Raag, or Human citizen can volunteer for Coalition service
forces such as soulbending units (if any). The General of without previous experience or qualifications. Corvo
every Division adds its Class to his title; i.e. Space Combat recruitment services usually accept the volunteer im-
General, Surface Operations General and so on. The mediately, after no more than a few nominal tests, under
Command General acts as an aide and right-hand to the a low-pay, low-rank contract. Iz’kal volunteers need to go
Fleet Admiral, which ironically gives Command Generals through a screening process through Idealab, where the
less authority than their lower-ranking peers. collective determines their suitability for military service
and whether the community can afford to lose the indi-
vidual. Once approved, volunteers from both species join
the Coalition as trainees, and either become full-fledged AN INDEPENDENT
soldiers or die within the first standard month.
AUTHORITY
Most new recruits are given a rank of spacetrooper
private; those with former military service may be given an
ensign or officer rank, but this honour is reserved to very The Coalition was a hasty decision, and as such has some
experienced mercs. Virtually no new recruits are given a flaws - its charter was not completely thought through by
Lieutenant rank, save for unusual circumstances. The good the time the first soldiers were sent to join it, and its politi-
soldiers don’t take long to earn a Lieutenant (or higher) cal role is ambiguous at best. However, it remains a historic
insignia on their own, anyway. milestone for every sentient species in the universe - never
before had alien civilisations formed such an alliance, at
such a scale… or with such success.
STAR-CROSSED FORCE
The uncomfortable truth about the Coalition’s great
Being drafted into the Coalition - both as a vol- performance is how much it owes to its separation from
unteer or a contracted merc - is one of the most both Corvo and Iz’kal rule. As both societies are so different
common adventure sources in the FAITH universe. in their structure and organisation, the Coalition needed to
There are many stories like this one - many starship govern itself to maintain a semblance of order. Corvo Coali-
teams like Star-Crossed Force. tion soldiers are paid mercenaries, whose contract consists
on joining the Coalition and submitting to its charter; Iz’kal
Originally known as Team Omega, one of the volunteers must agree to abide by its rules. In both cases,
starfighter wings assigned to escort the Yaolong once a soldier joins the Coalition, he’s bound by its charter
One Battle Cruiser, the unit that would come to be and policies, which had little to do with the rules or laws of
The Coalition

known as Star-Crossed Force was a team of brave either species.

fighter pilots, led by Lieutenant Argo of the Human
Corps. Team Omega was decimated in its first This gave the Coalition and unprecedented - and unpre-
skirmish against the Ravager, and only Lieutenant dicted - independence from its founders. It wasn’t obvious
Argo survived. They died as heroes, however, taking at first, but soldiers from all sides have slowly realised it
308 down the Ravager Herald that had defeated them - joining the Coalition means you’re free from you civilisa-
right before they fell, so Yaolong One command tion’s laws. As a result, many malcontents from all species
replaced the wing with the best pilots it could have scrambled to join the Coalition, seeking a status
faith: core book

recruit. Sadly, the replacement pilots all died, change that was otherwise out of their reach.
sacrificing themselves to save the rest of the crew
from a hangar malfunction during a cabin test, The Coalition owns no property and has no claim over
which required all the pilots to jettison themselves the territories it defends, but it’s a well-organised society,
to the void. Again, only Lieutenant Argo survived. which attracts citizens and commands loyalty. Plus, it
And again Team Omega’s death was a heroic one, has de facto rule over those protected areas that are
so, convinced that the third time was the charm, too remote for the State or Megacorps to enforce their
the Yaolong One gave Argo new pilots. The ‘Star- authority.
Crossed’ nickname was already popular among the
crew, along with jokes about being selected for the After the Corvo and Iz’kal realised all this, they began
‘tough luck unit’. sending secret agents, spies and hackers as part of their
Coalition staff. These agents report to either State officials
True to its tradition, the new Star-Crossed Force or Megacorp representatives and work towards countless
was defeated during its first battle and all its pilots conflicting agendas, while their leaders seem to focus on
taken prisoner by the Ravager. Again, Lieuten- the battle against the Ravager.
ant Argo survived… but he is still a prisoner. This
time, a group of new recruits, recently added to Today, the Coalition is all but an independent military gov-
the Yaolong crew, must fly into Ravager territory ernment, which worries several experts and statists from
to rescue Lieutenant Argo and, hopefully this time every species. Will the Coalition disband if the Ravager are
for good, restore the team that now has the official ever defeated? If it is NOT disbanded, who would finance it?
callsign of ‘Star-Crossed Force’. Who would control it? Would it be safe to keep the Coali-
tion functioning? Would it be safe to disband it? Would the
Coalition allow itself to be disbanded? If it didn’t, who would
have the power to force it to disband? If there was a power
that defied both the Megacorps and the State with impunity,
what would that mean for interstellar politics?
PROFESSOR T. TURNER’S
LAST LOG ENTRY
<PROFESSOR THESSAIUS TURNER, 1966 SA> Knowing the Gods is like seeing the strings. It is like pulling
<LOG ENTRY #115> on your own threads, tugging a little at the puppeteer’s
<DESIGNATION/SUBJECT: NOT DEFINED [OK to add hand, there at the far end of the universe.
label]>
But there IS a hand there.
“I understand now.
I can see the hand now, and there’s more than one.
The Gods are real.
The hands of the Gods.
We thought we had come so far. We thought we had
outgrown Earth. That space was our new home. Our The Gods are real; far more real than me. I’m just the
endless home. Each star but a step, each wormhole a dif- knot at the end of their strings.
ferent life waiting for us.
They have granted me the vision.
We thought we owned the stars, now.
Expansion, technology, travel, starships. These things
But we were so wrong. Open space is not open at all. are Not Growth.
And we, who fancied ourselves the new masters of the

The Lost Log

stars, who thought we had become giants, free to roam Understanding is growth. Acceptance is growth. Small-
our endless playground, were only made smaller. As our ness, insignificance - that is growth.
universe seemed to grow beyond our ken, we only became
all the more insignificant. I have travelled and recorded the Universe. I shall retrace
my steps. I shall turn my ship around, unravel my own path
The more free we believed ourselves, the more of a as if seen through the bending walls of a wormhole. I shall 309
prison it all was. For with unbound perspective came the strive to look at the Universe in a mirror.

faith: core book

unbound realisation.
I will seek kindness among the Corvo; I shall strive for
We are not the masters of the stars. solace in an Iz’kal hive. I will look for beauty in the form of a
rampaging Ravager.
Stars are nothing but threads, the unending threads of
another universe, of a myriad other universes. They are but And may my life end at home in some far-off, uncharted
the fingertips of the hidden truth - the strands that begin world, when I’m full of time and memories.”
forever and end here, with us. The great cosmic fingers
<LAST LOG ENTRY [OK to create a new entry]>
move, and we move with them, like puppets at the end of
the strings.
the core rules
THE PLAYING CARDS
FAITH is played with a deck of poker cards with custom This mode evens out the odds between the group of
suits. These cards are used to change the odds during con- players and their opposing NPCs and TSEs, with the added
frontations, allowing characters to perform heroic deeds benefit of cycling high and low cards very quickly for the
or causing them to fail miserably. The game can be played players, as they play the most cards and will have to re-
with a single deck shared by all, with two decks, or with one shuffle often.
deck per person.

PERSONAL DECK
SHARED DECK
Recommended for longer campaigns, experienced
Recommended when playing your first games at players, or if you are a group of more than five
The Core Rules - The Playing Cards

home, if you are five or fewer people, and for quick people playing at home.
demo encounters at conventions.
When playing with personal decks, each person will have
When playing with a shared deck, everyone will use the their own deck of cards. Each player and the NPCs under
same deck of cards. All the players, the GM and the NPCs their control will draw, discard and play cards from their
will draw, discard, and play cards from that same deck. own personal deck, while the GM and the NPCs under her
This deck should be placed somewhere on the table where control will do so from the GM’s deck. Players cannot
it is easily accessed by all. interact with other players’ decks.

The shared deck mode enables the group to play FAITH The personal deck mode allows for everyone to have the
using only one deck of cards, which is convenient, but it does exact same odds during the course of the game, as they will
make the game more reliant on luck, since when someone need to play through their whole deck before reshuffling
312 else draws the good cards, nobody else will be able to get their discard pile, making long term strategy and planning
them until they are played and shuffled back into the deck. more important.
faith: core book

RULE EXCEPTION: While playing with a shared deck, when

you draw cards using Affinity, you cannot place the second USING THE
card back on top of the deck, you must always discard it.
PLAYING CARDS
PLAYER AND GM DECK In FAITH, all players have a hand of cards. Players play or
Recommended for your first few games at home, discard cards from their hands, unless specifically stated
if you are a group of five or fewer people, and for otherwise. Therefore, whenever a rule asks for a player to
thrilling one-shot experiences at conventions. play or discard a card, he will have to choose one from his
hand of cards and play it or discard it. It is always up to the
When playing with two decks, the GM will have her own player which of the cards in his hand he plays or discards.
deck and the players will share another deck. The GM and
the NPCs under her control will draw, discard, and play Characters can never have more than seven cards in their
cards from her deck, while the players and the NPCs under hands (except Human characters who can have up to eight).
their control will do the same from their own deck. The GM
cannot interact with the players’ deck and vice versa. Players cannot look into the deck or the discard pile,
nor shuffle or mix previously used cards into the deck.

wilderness suit urban suit space suit OS suit

In a poker deck use Clubs In a poker deck use Hearts In a poker deck use Spades In a poker deck use Diamonds
Whenever a card is played, it is placed in the discard pile, If it is hard to determine the type of environment where
usually set up next to the deck, face up. When the last card the character is, such as a ruined city overgrown by a
of the deck is drawn, the discard pile must be shuffled to jungle, it will be the GM who makes the call. In the previous
set up a new deck. example, it would make sense that if the character wishes
to climb a ruined building, then he is considered in an Urban
Players cannot look at other players’ hand of cards, nor environment, but if he wishes to hide in the bushes, he is in
can they tell each other the values of the cards in their Wilderness.
hands. But they can tell each other how they feel about
their luck based on their hand of cards
JOKERS
E. g. “I am feeling lucky today”, “I can keep doing
this all day long”, “I don’t think I can survive another
encounter”, “I feel like I should crawl to a corner and FAITH’s player decks come with Jokers, as they are poker
make myself into a tiny, tiny ball until danger has decks. Jokers are drawn as usual cards, but they can only
passed”. be played in a specific moment and for a special purpose.

The Core Rules - The Playing Cards

Players must always follow the rules to play, discard, After declaring the successes and failures of a confron-
and draw cards during confrontations. A player may tation in which you have taken part, you may play a Joker
discard a card only when stated by a rule, and discarding to change the level of success of one successful action to
a card will never trigger effects related to playing cards, any other level of success (i.e. you could make your regular
such as Proficiency or Playing with Ambience. success a critical, or if it is your opponent who deals a
critical or decisive success, you can make it a regular
success instead). Playing a Joker does not count as using
CARD SUITS any Attributes, and it’s independent from playing cards to
increase your chances of success during a confrontation.

There are four suits in the FAITH deck: Urban, Wilder- If a Joker is played at any point from the top of the deck
ness, Space, and Operating System (OS), which relate to randomly, the character who played that card gains the
the types of environments where the characters might be. effects of the Joker for the action he was performing, 313
The use of the suits is described in Playing with Ambience. discards it, and then plays another card. If the Joker is

faith: core book

Regular poker cards can be used instead by following this played on behalf of an NPC or Time-Sensitive Event (TSE),
correlation between the suits: Urban is Hearts, Wilderness the GM determines what to do with it.
is Clubs, Space is Spades, and OS is Diamonds. The value of
the ace is 1, jack is 11, queen is 12, and king is 13. Playing a second Joker for the same action has no further
effects, but during a confrontation in which several charac-
Urban includes the environments where the landscape ters are successful, it can affect another of those charac-
has been heavily modified by a rational species. Wilder- ters’ actions.
ness includes the environments where the landscape is of
natural origin. Space includes the environments in free fall NOTE: If the last card in your hand is a Joker, you won’t be
or 0-G. Lastly, OS includes virtual spaces inside computers able to play it until the end of the confrontation when the
and networks, regardless of their actual physical location. results are being declared.
BASIC CONCEPTS
In FAITH there are several key concepts about time and E.g. The players’ characters plan to enter a safe-
gameplay structure. These are Session, Scene, Initiative house to extract some intel. They wait for nightfall,
Round, and Confrontation. turn off the security systems, silently enter the
building, and finally find their way to the vault.
They encounter two guards, and after fighting
SESSIONS them, they extract the hard drive and escape the
safehouse. This can be played out as a single scene,
or be broken down by the GM into several scenes,
Sessions are the allocated time frame for playing the for example entering the house and overriding the
game during a day in real life. E.g. that Sunday afternoon security systems in one scene, fighting the guards
when you all have agreed to meet and play. in the next scene, and lastly escaping to safety
during a final scene.
Within a session you will usually play one or more scenes
(although it is possible to finish a session in the middle of a TIP: Making scenes longer (challenging) or shorter (easy)
The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

scene and resume playing it in your next session). is a good way for the GM to adjust the difficulty of the game.

During a scene, the characters will be constantly per-

SCENES forming actions. If an action does not trigger an Initiative
Round or it is not confronted, it is considered unconfronted.

A scene is a sequence of events during which the GM When performing unconfronted actions, the mood
narrates what the characters find and what happens to around the table should be relaxed and conversational. The
them. During this, characters are constantly perform- GM must ensure that all players enjoy a similar amount of
ing actions, with little to no rest periods in between, and time in the spotlight, and allow everyone to describe what
usually within the same location. their characters do during that period of time.
314
Scenes are the main building blocks of the story, like the If there is some kind of conflict within the game - such
scenes of a film. They are an important concept because as a fight, an argument, a high speed chase, or any other
faith: core book

they determine when the players and the GM replenish their type of fast paced or competitive situation when some
hands of cards. characters try to outperform others - it is the time for an
Initiative Round, which sets the order in which characters
At the beginning of each scene, everybody draws cards declare actions, and use counteractions to confront them.
from the deck until they have seven cards in their hand.

INITIATIVE ROUND
During an Initiative Round characters take turns
to perform one action in their Initiative order.
Performing actions can trigger confrontations,
usually when the action is against someone -
the confrontation must be fully resolved before
continuing to resolve the Round.
One important aspect is that if you take part
in a counteraction before your turn, you’ll be-
come Spent and lose your turn this Round. It’s
A player’s hand of cards represents their PC’s stamina, so
also worth mentioning that attacking back is a
PCs with a full hand are fresh and eager, while PCs with very
possible counteraction. Though you lose your
turn when you do so, it is still as effective as an
few or no cards in their hands are exhausted and probably
attack action and though your attack may not
demoralised. Therefore, when the characters take a break
be against the target you initially had in mind,
long enough to restore their energy, it usually means they
attacking back at a character forces him to fo-
have reached the end of the scene.
cus on you. Think of it as suppressive fire!
NOTE: There is no set duration or type of event that un- Once all characters have taken their turns,
equivocally determines the end of a scene, and it is up to the resolve the effects that take place during the
GM to determine when a scene ends. maintenance phase and then the Round ends.
An Initiative Round (also referred to simply as “a Round”)
represents a few seconds during which characters rapidly
perform actions. They are the game mechanic that es-
tablishes the order of play of all the characters trying to
outperform each other.

E.g. The team enters the vault, feeling relaxed

after their hacker turned off the security systems
of the house. However, they were not expecting
such an old school security measure as having two
armed guards living inside the vault at all times.
Now, it all comes down to who will shoot first and
whether or not they will be accurate. Begin an Ini-
tiative Round to see who acts first, and resolve the
ensuing Confrontations to determine who succeeds
and who fails.

The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

Initiative Rounds are triggered when there is a situation in
which characters try to outperform others and it becomes
necessary to determine who gets to choose their actions
first, and who may be forced to counteract or react to
those actions.

E.g. The group finds a room with some guards

inside and wants to take them out, they try to chase
someone running away through the street, they
race each other to get somewhere first, etc.

All timed actions during a conflict must be declared and 315

resolved within the context of an Initiative Round, and dec-

faith: core book

larations made before the Round begins will not be valid or
binding.

E.g. The group encounters several armed guards

who intend to shoot them down. Now, an Initiative
Round begins, and even if some of the characters
claimed they run away, they must still participate
in the Initiative Round, and they will only be able
to leave the scene once they take their respective
turns and declare their actions. If they are caught
up in the conflict, they might need to change their
actions to survive.

READY&SPENT CHARACTERS
At the beginning of a Round all characters in the area
caught up in the conflict are Ready. During a Round a char-
acter can become Spent in two instances:

◊ He performs a non-passive counteraction.

◊ He performs a non-passive action during his turn .

NOTE: See page 322 for passive actions.

Spent characters lose their turn during the current Round

if they have not taken it yet; but they can still perform
further counteractions.
STEPS OF AN NOTE: If the action does not trigger a confrontation, it
is considered an unconfronted action and therefore can
INITIATIVE ROUND have the level of success of his choice (regular, decisive,
or critical).
Overview: During an Initiative Round, Ready
characters take turns performing one action
each. After every character has become Spent, 5. The next Ready character in the initiative order
perform the Maintenance Phase and end the takes his turn. Repeat this step until there are no
Initiative Round. If the conflict is still ongoing, more Ready characters remaining to take their turn.
begin a new Initiative Round.
6. The maintenance phase takes place. If there is still
Once the GM has explained the current situation, it is time conflict, begin a new Initiative Round.
to determine who gets to act first and what happens next.
To do so, follow these steps:
THE MAINTENANCE PHASE
1.
Players can Rush. Following the normal Initiative
order, each player can choose to discard one card During the maintenance phase, every character who has
from his hand, adding that card’s value to his Initia- not suffered neural damage during this round and who is
The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

tive to calculate the final Initiative order during the not Traumatised recovers one point of Neural health. Then,
ensuing Initiative Round. Discarding a card does not resolve all other effects related to the Maintenance Phase.
trigger card drawing mechanics.
If there are no Initiative Rounds taking place (because the
NOTE: NPCs cannot Rush. characters are not taking part in a time sensitive conflict) a
maintenance phase will still occur if some effect requires
2. The order in which Ready characters take their turn it, and if one or more characters have any neural damage.
to perform their actions is determined by the value A Maintenance Phase can be performed as often as the GM
of their Initiative Skill (modified by Rushing), from determines, keeping in mind that an Initiative Round usually
the highest value to the lowest one. takes place every few seconds.

316 In case of a tie, player characters will always go NOTE: Normally, neural damage is recovered quickly
first, followed by the NPCs in the order of the GM’s enough that outside an Initiative Round it can be ignored (i.e.
choosing. In case of a tie between player charac- not tracked) unless it is enough to Traumatise the charac-
faith: core book

ters, they must come to an agreement or tell their ter, it cannot be removed due to a special effect, or if it is
actions in secret to the GM, who will determine who dealt right before beginning an Initiative Round.
goes first.

NOTE: The GM does not have her own turn, because she ACTIONS
never performs actions.

3. The Ready character taking his turn can choose Everything a character does is an action, from shooting
either (1) to perform his action and end his turn or a weapon to playing the piano. All actions are performed
(2) to wait, allowing the next character to take their using a Skill that represents the character’s knowledge
turn before his own. He can wait several times, in that area, and an Attribute that represents his related
letting any number of characters go first. Other capacity. See Attributes and Skills for more details on the
Ready characters may choose to wait as well; and if specific uses of each of them.
all characters choose to wait, the last one that can
do so must perform an action. In FAITH, actions are successful by default with the level
of success of your choice (regular, decisive or critical)
NOTE: If a character would begin his turn but he is Spent, unless one of the following criteria are met:
he loses his turn. This represents that the character’s time
during this Initiative Round has been eaten up by him per- 1.
If the action targets or directly affects another
forming counteractions. character who is aware that the action is being per-
formed, that character can choose to counteract
4. When a Ready character chooses to perform an against it, triggering a CONFRONTATION (see next
action on his turn, he declares his action. This may page).
trigger a confrontation against a Time Sensitive
Event (TSE) or another character, which must be NOTE: During a shootout all enemies are considered
resolved before resuming the Initiative Round. aware of actions by the player characters who have been
discovered, and therefore can counteract against whatever
they do against them.
A counteraction can be any action that could make the Characters can confront any number of actions that
triggering action fail, or allow the character to avoid its target or directly affect them during each Initiative Round.
effects. However, performing one or more counteractions causes
a character to become Spent and forfeit their turn, if they
E.g. Make the triggering action fail: A character have not taken it yet.
can shoot back at someone shooting or attacking
him (and if successful he will be the one dealing the
damage!); he can affect their senses, capacities, or ACTIONS DURING AN
equipment; he can throw dust into someone’s eyes
when they are trying to grapple him; he can hack
INITIATIVE ROUND
their GPS when they are chasing him; etc.
During Initiative Rounds, actions should only need one
E.g. Avoiding the effects of the triggering action: verb to be described. If the word “and” is included, the char-
He can dive behind cover; he can jump outside the acter is probably trying to perform two or more actions
room where the grenade is; he can switch off his rig linked to each other and he will probably need several turns
before it is hacked; etc. to be able to do that. Here is a basic template to describe
actions:

The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

2. If the action is considered something that the char-
“I [verb] [preposition if needed] [target]”

acter could eventually perform successfully if he

had enough time or if he had any number of tries,
BUT he has limited time or aims to do it on the first E.g. I shoot the guard. I move behind cover. I dodge
attempt, he is confronted by a TIME SENSITIVE towards the door. I hack Ed’s thermal visor. I reload
EVENT (TSE) (see page 333), triggering a CONFRON- my weapon.
TATION (see on this page).
To keep the game realistic and organic, characters are
E.g. Shooting a sniper rifle against an unaware allowed to move up to 2.5 metres (~8 ft) while performing
enemy from very far away is something that an action.
the sniper of the group could eventually achieve
successfully if he tried at it several times, but if E.g. I move behind cover and then I shoot the 317
he wishes to do so on the first attempt to not be guard. I jump into the car and I get it started.

faith: core book

discovered he triggers a TSE. The same applies if
the character wishes to hack into a security lock in
the few minutes he is left alone in someone’s office, CONFRONTATIONS
etc.

3. If the action is considered by the GM impossible to A Confrontation takes place when a character perform-
perform in the current situation regardless of the ing his action is challenged and has a chance of failing and/
amount of effort, will or desire to do so, the action or being affected by counteractions or a Time Sensitive
is CANCELLED, and the character may suffer the Event.
effects of trying the impossible. The character’s
player may appeal, but he must be reminded that NOTE: The character performing the action that triggers
off-limit actions can break the gameplay. The GM’s a confrontation is called the triggering character and his
judgment and dissuasive power must lead the action is called the triggering action with the purpose of
gameplay forward. distinguishing it from the other actions in the following
explanation.
E.g. A character without the proper gear cannot
lift a one metric ton vehicle or jump from a twenty Normally an action or event can only target or affect one
story building; if he tries to do so, he can suffer character, to reflect a realistic scenario within the short
damage or even die. amount of time that these usually represent. However,
there are things that may target or affect several charac-
ters, such as throwing a grenade or an avalanche falling
COUNTERACTIONS on a group of characters. In those cases, all the affected
characters might be able to perform their respective
A counteraction is any action performed to prevent or counteractions.
avoid another character’s action during a confrontation.
It follows the same rules and has the same effects as an NOTE: The main difference between an action and a coun-
action (i.e. shooting, hacking, or slashing with your sword teraction, is that counteractions cannot affect anyone else
as a successful counteraction will deal damage as if it had but the triggering character - and therefore a counteraction
been a triggering action). will never trigger counteractions or Time Sensitive Events
itself. If a character performs an action that would normally 2. The GM declares the number of cards to be played
target or affect several characters, during a counteraction, by the TSE if there is one; as well as its nature and
that action will only affect the triggering character. the consequences that will happen if the TSE wins
the confrontation.

STEPS OF A CONFRONTATION 3. Any affected characters who are aware of the trig-
gering action and wish to confront it declare valid
To resolve a confrontation, players must always follow counteractions, and explain which Skill and Attrib-
the same steps: ute they will be using. They may each use up to one
Activated effect and one Sustained effect.
1.
The triggering character declares his triggering
action, explaining which related Skill and Attrib- NOTE: Counteractions may not target or affect char-
ute he will be using, and he declares its target or acters other than the triggering character. However, they
targets, if there are any. He may use up to one Acti- are as effective as actions, countering an attack with one
vated effect and one Sustained effect. of your own and being successful is as good as attacking
during your turn.
The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

4. Check who receives advantages and/or disadvan-

tages and why. Players may describe their plans,
and any reasons why they think they deserve advan-
tages or their opponents deserve disadvantages.
Then, the GM decides what applies and what doesn’t.

NOTE: During a multiple confrontation, a character may

have advantages or disadvantages against some charac-
ters but not against others. In that case, calculate the ad-
vantages against each character separately and determine
the action values, winner, and final level of success of each
318 pair of confronted characters separately.

5. The character with the lowest action value can

faith: core book

either play a card or pass. Once a character has

passed, he cannot play anymore cards during this
confrontation, even if he has not reached his limit.
Once a character reaches the limit of cards he can
play during this confrontation he must pass.

NOTE: If there is more than one character with the

lowest action value, all the characters tied for the lowest
action value play their cards face down and reveal them
simultaneously.

TIP: In order to keep gameplay streamlined, it is im-

portant that each participant of a confrontation says the
current value of their action out loud each time they play a
new card. This way, nobody is forced to calculate the value
of the action of their opponent every time he plays a card.

6. The previous step is repeated until all characters

have passed.

7. Counteractions with a equal or lower action value

than the triggering action fail, while those with a
higher action value than the triggering action are
successful.

8. The triggering action completely fails if there were

any counteractions with a higher action value that
would make it fail, as opposed to simply avoid its
effects. If there were none, it is successful only
against those who counteracted with an equal or
lower action value.

E.g. Mark throws a grenade inside a room with

On the other hand, if the Ironskin had chosen to

kick the grenade away, Mark’s action would have
failed, and the Harvester would not have been

The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

affected by the action.

NOTE: If a TSE achieves a higher action value than the

triggering action, the reason for failure determined by
the TSE that was declared comes true and the success or
failure of all other counteractions is determined as usual.

9. The GM determines the level of success of any suc-

cessful actions, and describes the failures.

ACTION VALUE ADVANTAGES AND

319

faith: core book

TIP: When performing an action, do not simply state what

it is that you intend to do, explain how you do it and why in DECISIVE SUCCESS
order to gain advantages through role playing. Look for the
best way to perform that action, taking into consideration When an action reaches a value five to nine points higher
your surroundings and be creative and fun - make it easy than its confronting action, it achieves a decisive success
for the GM to give you that valuable advantage! and it will be twice as good as the effects of a regular
success, or it will be somehow exceptionally effective
as determined by the GM (E.g. knocking someone out or
ATTRIBUTES (PLAYING causing a precise flesh wound so they won’t escape instead
of aiming to kill, etc).
CARDS)
The Core Rules - Basic Concepts

Actions that deal a numerical value of something will

Everytime a character performs an action, he is using double their value after applying any modifiers, such as
one Attribute to do so. During a confrontation, the Attribute Armour (e.g. You deal 3 damage to an NPC with 1 Armour,
value determines: which reduces the damage you deal to 2, which you then
double it to deal a total of 4 damage).
◊ For a PC: How many cards he can play per Initiative
Round from his hand to add their values to their
initial action value set by their Skill. CRITICAL SUCCESS
◊ For an NPC or TSE: How many cards they can play When an action reaches a value ten or more points higher
320 from either the top of the deck or selectively from than its confronting action, it achieves a critical success and
the GM’s hand to add their values to their initial it will be three times as good as the effects of a regular
action value. If an NPC or TSE can play several success, or it will be somehow amazingly effective as de-
faith: core book

cards, they can play them using any combination termined by the GM (e.g. trying to knock someone out or
of the two options. doing a precise flesh wound so they won’t escape instead
of trying to deal damage to kill, etc).
If a character uses the same Attribute several times
during the same Initiative Round, he can still only play as Actions that deal a numerical value of something will
many cards between all of those actions as the Attribute triple their value after applying any modifiers, such as
value. Armour (e.g. you deal 3 damage to an NPC with 1 Armour,
which reduces the damage you deal to 2, which you then
I.e. A character with a Dexterity of 3 performs triple it to deal a total of 6 damage). Alternatively to tripling
a Shooting action during his turn and uses 2 cards the damage, you can choose to ignore the Armour of your
for that confrontation. Later on, during the same opponent (i.e. ignore the Armour of a strongly armoured
Initiative Round, he is shot at by someone else. If he opponent that you couldn’t damage otherwise, represent-
were to choose to shoot back as a counteraction, ing that you find a small opening in their defences).
he would be limited to playing up to 1 card for that
confrontation.
FAILURE
NOTE: Characters can only perform one action each
per Initiative Round, but they can perform any number of Whenever a character fails an action, it is up to the GM to
counteractions. tell why and how. If the action was confronted by an NPC or
TSE, their respective confronting actions are the cause, in
which case the GM usually simply narrates the success of
LEVEL OF SUCCESS the confronting action.

E.g. Sam shoots at a hacker who confronts her

Depending on the difference of a final action value with by hacking her plasma rifle. The hacker wins the
its confronting final action value, the level of success will confrontation, so Sam fails and her rifle no longer
be different. works. The GM can either simply say: “the hacker
wins the confrontation and your rifle is now hacked”,
or she can elaborate on it: “When you press the This represents the player character acting effectively in
trigger, instead of hearing the satisfying buzz sound his environment, resulting in less exhaustion.
of your gun and smelling your opponent’s charred
meat, you get nothing. You might as well point a Additionally, each player character has Affinity to a suit.
stick at him. I hope you brought your sidearm.” When he plays a card that matches the ambience he is in
and it is his Affinity, he draws two cards instead of one and
keeps one of them in his hand. The other card must be either
DRAWING CARDS put back on top of the deck, or discarded.

Player characters can draw cards in several instances, PROFICIENCY

especially during confrontations. When a character plays
a card, he may be subject to drawing new cards from the Whenever a player character plays a card with a value
deck to his hand. There are two instances when this can equal to or less than the Skill he is using during a confron-
happen and if both of them occur simultaneously only the tation, he immediately draws a card. This represents that
most beneficial takes place. the character is very capable in this area and the low effort
corresponding to playing a low card does not tire him out.

The Core Rules - Advanced Rules

NPCs cannot draw cards, as they do not have their own
hand of cards.
BEGINNING OF A SCENE
When the GM plays a card, she can draw cards as if she
were the NPC or TSE she plays the card for. At the beginning of each scene, all players and the GM will
keep their current hand of cards and draw back up to a total
hand of seven cards.
PLAYING WITH AMBIENCE
AND AFFINITY RUNNING OUT OF CARDS
If a player character plays a card, and the suit matches If at any time a player or the GM does not have any cards 321
the environment in which he is performing the action, he in their hand, they must draw a card. If that card is drawn

faith: core book

can immediately draw a card from the deck to his hand. during a confrontation, it cannot be played until that con-
frontation has been resolved.

ADVANCED RULES
E.g. Two or more characters holding a door
Find below rules that complement the game and closed while a huge creature tries to open it to get
allow you to use the rules of FAITH to resolve virtu- to them; two characters operating a double-pilot
ally any situation that may arise. spaceship through the debris of a space battle;
several characters lifting a hurt companion to get
him to safety, etc.
COLLABORATIVE ACTIONS
Remember that a collaborative action must
A collaborative action is a single action that is always be a single action. A character opening a
performed by more than one character. During a door with a kick so his friend can throw a grenade
collaborative action, all participating players play in is not a single action and therefore it cannot be
as a single character who has an Attribute value considered a collaborative action, but two normal
equal to the highest relevant Attribute amongst actions that need to be well chained together to
participating players, and who has a Skill value succeed. Bare in mind that the most immediate goal
equal to the lowest Skill used amongst participat- of the action is the easiest way to tell if it can be
ing players. Only participating characters can play considered collaborative. In the previous example,
cards during a collaborative action. Additionally, the first character’s goal was allowing his friend
they gain one advantage for each character partici- to perform his action. They do not share the same
pating in the action after the first. immediate goal and thus they cannot perform a col-
laborative action.
E.g., Rick and Morty are traversing an asteroid hand this time, for a final action value of 20. Now, the TSE
field in their spaceship; Rick is piloting and Morty is will play two more cards. The GM can also choose to play
manning the plasma turret. Their ship is very easy from her hand. Will she do that and play high cards to force
to manoeuvre, so they gain one advantage. The GM a failure or will she let fate decide and play randomly from
claims they are about to be hit by an asteroid and the top of the deck, saving those high cards for later…?
they decide to confront it collaboratively as it will
affect both of them. While Rick will swerve the ship
to the left, Morty will shoot at the left side of the ADDITIONAL EFFECTS
asteroid to divert its path, increasing the chances of
avoiding the impact. They are both trying to avoid Sometimes, characters use pieces of equipment or
being hit by the asteroid so the GM agrees that it abilities that can complement their actions or change their
is a collaborative action. Rick uses his Link 2 (he is outcomes. These pieces of equipment or abilities have
cortex connected to the ship) and Piloting 2. Morty effects that can affect actions in different ways and, de-
uses his Dexterity 3 and Ballistic 5. For this action, pending on their type, they are resolved differently.
they can collaboratively play 3 cards with an initial
action value of 2 and they have 2 advantages (one PERMANENT
from the ship and another one from the collabora-
The Core Rules - Advanced Rules

tive action). The GM can play 3 cards with an initial Permanent effects are always in use and they always
value of 0 and has 2 advantages. Every time Rick trigger when they are applicable. Their use is not optional
and Morty can play a card, either one of them can and they must be applied if at all possible. All charac-
play it. teristics and Upgrades are Permanent unless specified
otherwise.

PASSIVE ACTIONS ACTION

Passive actions are those that either do not require Some pieces of equipment and Upgrades have the
effort from characters or are related to what characters keyword Action. They require the character to dedicate an
can perceive and therefore do not require that they declare action to use them without doing anything else at the same
322 it. (e.g. Hiding and Searching are passive actions and it is time. The Skill that should be used varies for each specific
up to the GM to determine when other actions may also be piece of equipment or Upgrade.
considered passive).
faith: core book

ACTIVATED
Passive actions can be used exactly as any other action.
Additionally, a character can perform one passive action When a character declares an action, he can trigger one
during his turn in addition to his regular action. Activated effect before any cards are played. Activated
effects are applied even if the action fails.
When performing a passive action during a confrontation,
characters can choose to play cards from the top of the If an Activated effect has several uses, the character can
deck and/or from their hand. If they choose to play cards decide to use any number of them at the same time.
from the top of the deck, they cannot draw any card to their
hand as a result. The cards used during passive actions do SUSTAINED
not count towards the maximum number of cards charac-
ters can play per Attribute per Round. When a character declares an action, he can trigger one
Sustained effect before any cards are played. Sustained
E.g. Yong is searching a dark tunnel to figure out effects are applied even if the action fails.
whether there is any danger before he enters. He is
using his Mind 2 with an initial action value equal to If a Sustained effect has several uses, the character can
his Survival 7 and he has no advantages. A TSE rep- decide to use any number of them at the same time.
resenting the darkness confronts his action playing
3 cards with an initial action value of 0. From the moment a sustained effect is triggered, it
remains active until the character decides to stop it,
The TSE plays a card from the top of the deck: An 11. Now becomes Traumatised, Bleeding Out, or dies. A character
it’s Yong’s turn to play, and because searching is a passive with an active Sustained effect cannot discard the neural
action he can choose to play it from the top of the deck damage suffered when activating it until it stops.
or from his hand. He does not want to spend cards from
his hand, so he takes his chances and plays a random card INSTANT
from the top of the deck: a 3. His action value is now 10,
still lower than the TSE’s, therefore he must play the next Effects with the keyword instant can be used at any time,
card or pass. Trying to play it safe, Yong plays a 10 from his even outside the character’s turn.
HOW TO PLAY EXAMPLE

GM’S DISCARD PILE

GM’S DECK

GM’S HAND OF CARDS

MARK’S GEAR CARD

How to Play Example

MARK’S DECK

324
MARK’S
DISCARD PILE
faith: core book

MARK’S CHARACTER SHEET MARK’S HAND OF CARDS

Mark’s character, an Iz’kal con artist called Nimri, has In FAITH characters play with poker cards instead
been chased by some debtors into deep space, and she has of dice (the cards shown in this example are custom
barely managed to escape. FAITH poker cards).

Each player has a hand of cards that represents

their stamina.

They’ll play cards when performing opposed

actions to increase their chances of success.
Playing high cards represents making a great effort
in order to succeed, while playing low cards repre-
sents a low effort. Each player can choose which
card from his hand to play, managing his chances as
he finds convenient.

The GM says: “Now you finally have a moment to rest, so

In the previous scene, Mark exhausted down to a hand of we begin a new scene”. Mark and the GM draw cards until
2 cards - While the GM has 4 cards left herself. they have seven cards each.
At the beginning of a scene, everyone draws up to
7 cards to their hands.

How to Play Example

Then, the GM adds: “You are surprised when your
scanners tell you that you have found something: A derelict
spaceship drifting aimlessly in space. What do you do?”
Mark says: “I’ll explore it, of course. Let’s see what is there
to scavenge.”

Mark asks: “Is there is any obvious way inside the space- 325
ship?”. The GM narrates: “The derelict spaceship is big

faith: core book

enough to fit your small craft inside, and it sure has enough Mark declares that he has Piloting Skill 3 and Link At-
holes for you to fly in. Normally, landing your spacecraft tribute 1.
would not require confronting a TSE, but this time it looks
hard: The bay is offline and unlit, and entering a spacecraft Player characters have a starting action value
moving in circles with a pitch black interior is not an easy equal to the Skill they are using to resolve the
feat. Are you sure you want to try?” Confrontation. During the Confrontation, the PC can
increase his action value by playing as many cards
Time Sensitive Events (TSE) are pressing from his hand as the value of the Attribute he is
problems that pose an obstacle to the characters. using.
The GM determines what requires a Confrontation
against a TSE and how difficult it is, and what the The TSE has a starting action value of 0 and therefore
PCs should be able to achieve without a Confronta- plays first. The GM plays for the TSE, in this case drawing
tion. The GM should consider the difficulty of the the first card from the top of the deck, a 5 of OS.
task, the Skill level of the characters, and the needs
of the story when she decides the level of difficulty
of the TSE.

Mark says yes, and to that the GM responds: “When you

attempt to land, you are confronted by a TSE that plays 2
cards; if you fail you’ll damage your ship.”

A Confrontation represents a struggle between

characters or between a character and their cir-
cumstances represented by a TSE. The winner of
a Confrontation is the side (be it a character or a
TSE) with the highest final action value, which is
determined by their Skill, the advantages or disad-
vantages they suffered, and the value of the cards
they played.
TSEs don’t have a Skill value, and therefore their In case of a tie, the triggering character (the char-
starting action value is 0. They can increase their acter who initially declared the action) is the one
action value by playing as many cards as the GM successful.
determines. Every time the GM has to play a card
for a TSE, she may choose to play if from the top of Nimri floats through the corridors of the derelict space-
her deck or from her own hand. craft, her weapon ready, until she opens a door and finds
herself in front of a Harvester and a Flamer Ravager sur-
During a Confrontation, cards are not played rounded by dead bodies.
simultaneously. Instead, the side with the lowest
action value must choose to either play a card or
pass, in which case it will lose the opportunity to
play any more cards.

Mark now has the lowest action value (3 vs 5) and can

either play or pass. He plays a card from his hand: a 10 of
Wilderness.
How to Play Example

326
faith: core book

After a card is played, action values are checked

again, and the side with the lowest value and who
can still play cards must either do so or pass, until
all sides have passed or reached the limit of cards The GM narrates what happens:
they can play. Whoever has the highest action value
at that point wins. “You are by the door, still outside the room. They are in
front of the door, side by side, about 5 metres away from
The TSE now has the lowest action value (5 vs 13) and you. They weren’t expecting you, so they are not in cover.
plays its second and last card from the top of the deck, a That said, they have their weapons drawn, and they seem to
8 of Urban. have seen battle just a few moments before”.

She then proceeds to place the corresponding NPC cards

on the table.

Now both have the same action value, but neither can
play any more cards and the Confrontation ends with Nimri
successful by the skin of her teeth. She lands inside without
damaging her own ship.
In FAITH, there are NPC cards to represent non At the beginning of an Initiative Round, player
player characters, containing an illustration and all characters can choose to Rush (NPCs cannot Rush).
the game information needed to use them during an When a player character Rushes, he discards any
encounter. This information is also available in the card from his hand and adds its value to his Initia-
Core Book, and the cards are only a useful tool for tive (this only applies when establishing the order
GMs. of play, it does not apply if the character then uses
his Initiative for an action).
Mark says that Nimri is going to shoot the Flamer in the
face without hesitation, but the GM stops him to begin an Mark takes his turn first. “I will move slightly to the side,
Initiative Round. so I am covered by the doors frame and only lean in to shoot
at the Harvester”, he says, to which the GM responds: “The
Mark will have to wait until his turn to decide his Harvester counteracts by shooting back at you”. Now Mark
action - if the NPCs happen to be faster, they will must resolve a Confrontation against the Harvester, and
have a chance to act before Nimri, and she may whoever is successful will hit the other.
want to react in a different way.
During a character’s turn, he can perform ONE
Whenever there is a conflict in which the order action, and a small movement of about 2.5 metres
of the events is important and a clarifying factor, (~8 ft).
characters must stop narrating their actions and
start taking turns to perform them. The order in Performing actions can trigger Confrontations,
which they do it is established by the rules of the which must be resolved before resuming the reso-

How to Play Example

Initiative Round. lution of the round.

Nimri uses her Ballistic Skill 4 and his Dexterity Attribute

3, while the Harvester uses his Physical Stat 10 and plays
one card.

NPCs have three Stats: Initiative, Physical, and

Mental, which encompass the variety of Skills and 327
Attributes of a player character. Whenever an NPC

faith: core book

performs an action, the GM decides the Stat used by
the NPC, which determines both the starting action
value and the number of cards the NPC can play to
increase that value. Every time the GM has to play
Nimri has Initiative Skill 2, while the Harvester has 2, and a card for an NPC, she may choose to play if from
the Flamer has 4. the top of her deck or from her own hand.

During an Initiative Round, characters take turns Mark claims his character’s weapon grants her an ad-
to perform one action each in the order established vantage at this range, and the GM points out that the Har-
by their Initiative. vester’s weapon does the same.

Mark chooses to Rush, and discards a 4 of Wilderness

from his hand adding its value to Nimrit’s Initiative. There-
fore the order of play is Nimri, Flamer, and Harvester.

Then Mark adds: “You mentioned the Harvester was not

in cover, and I Rushed to go first. I took cover behind the
metal frame of the door before I took my shot - I think it will
be harder for the Harvester to hit me than it will be for me
to hit him”. The GM agrees with that assessment and gives a
disadvantage to the Harvester.
When characters have the upper hand or some damage, which are reduced by the Harvester’s armour of 1.
kind of aid to perform an action, they may gain ad- The Harvester suffers 2 physical damage.
vantages; they can also suffer disadvantages when
they face difficulties or hindrances. Each advantage To learn about Health and Damage go to page 341,
adds 5 points to the character’s’ initial action value, and to learn about Gear and Gear cards go to page
and each disadvantage subtracts 5 points from the 382.
character’s initial action value. Advantages and
disadvantages can be can be gained through equip- Now it’s the Flamer’s turn. He points his flamethrower
ment, Upgrades, or good roleplaying. towards Nimri to shoot at her.

In those conditions, Nimri’s starting action value is 9 and As a counteraction, Mark declares: “I shoot back at him!
the Harvester’s is 10. Therefore Mark must play first. Does he suffer a disadvantage because I am still in cover?”.

Mark plays a 7 of Wilderness, adding 7 points to his action The GM agrees, and shows that the Flamer’s weapon
value. Now Nimri has a higher action value (16) than the Har- grants him two advantages within this range. Nimri has one
vester (10), so it’s the Harvester’s turn to play next. advantage from her weapon while the Flamer receives two
advantages from his weapon, but cancels one out with the
disadvantage for shooting at a target in cover.

Nimri uses her Ballistic Skill 4 and his Dexterity Attribute

3, while the Flamer uses his Physical Stat of 9 and plays
How to Play Example

two cards. Nimri has already used one Dexterity card

earlier this Round against the Harvester, so Mark can only
play 2 more.

Nimri’s starting action value is 9 and the Flamer’s is 14.

Therefore, Mark must play first.

328 Mark plays a 12 of Space, adding 12 points to Nimri’s

The GM decides to let fate decide what happens with the action value, and draws a card for triggering Playing with
Harvester and plays the top card of the deck for him, which the Ambience. Now Nimri has a higher action value (21) than
faith: core book

happens to be a 3 of OS: the Harvester got unlucky. the Flamer (14), and it’s the Flamer’s turn to play next.

Whenever a player character or the GM play a

The Harvester is still the character with the card from their hand during a Confrontation, and
lowest action value, so he would have to play the its suit matches the environment where the action
next card; but he cannot play any more cards, so is happening, he or she draws a card to their hand.
he must pass. Now it is Mark’s turn again. While he This is called Playing with the Ambience.
can play up to 2 more cards, he chooses not to do
so because he has already won the Confrontation. To spice things up, the GM plays a card from her hand, a
7 of Urban, and she draws a card to her hand after trigger-
The final action values are: Nimri 16 and Harvester 13. ing Proficiency. Now, Nimri and the Flamer have the same
Nimri wins the Confrontation, so the Harvester takes her action value: 21.
shot: at that range, Nimri’s weapon causes 3 physical
The flamer played a 1 of Operating System! On the other
hand, Mark played a 13 of Wilderness, and thus Nimri
achieves a critical success.

To learn about Level of Success go to page 320.

Whenever a player character or the GM play a

card from their hand during a Confrontation, and
its value is equal to or lower than the Skill they are
using (in case of the GM, the Stat of the NPC she is
playing for), he or she draws a card to their hand.
This is called Proficiency.

How to Play Example

NOTE: If a card triggers Playing with the Ambience
and Proficiency simultaneously, only one applies.

329

faith: core book

The final action values are 34 for Nimri and 22 for the
Flamer. Nimri wins the Confrontation achieving a critical
success, and the Flamer suffers the damage Nimri’s
weapon deals at that range reduced by his armour 1, and
then tripled by the critical success, for a total of 6 physical
damage.

Now, everyone has acted, and there are no effects to

resolve during the maintenance phase, so the Round ends.

Note that we have skipped the Harvester’s turn.

This is because he has actually already acted when
he confronted Nimri by shooting back at him.
During each Round, each character can perform
any number of counteractions, but only one action
as triggering character, and only if they haven’t
Mark plays his last card face down from his hand, while already performed any counteractions that Round.
the GM plays the Flamer’s last card face down from the top Slow characters can suffer from being pinned down
of the deck. Then, they reveal them simultaneously and… with cover fire - but at least they can always shoot
back.
If at any time during a Confrontation two or more
sides are tied for the lowest action value, those Because the conflict is still ongoing, a new Round begins,
characters must play their cards simultaneously. and Nimri must decide what to do. Will she continue
To do so, they will play them face down on the table fighting? Will she try to escape? Mark has seen his hand of
and reveal them at the same time. cards greatly reduced, and Nimri is starting to feel tired…
GAME MASTER’S GUIDE
These are resources to aid GMs in their endeavours to
create challenging and interesting stories.

NPC cards represent simplified characters with the infor-

Game Master’s Guide

mation needed to use them in a quick encounter. Addition-

ally, they can be used as a base for the GM to create a more
elaborate character if the story requires it. HUMAN FRONTER NAME

Teamplayer TRAITS
LEVEL Level 2 :: Human :: Loyal
mov. 5 metres :: weight 75 kg :: height 180 cm
INFO

◊ Level 1: It’s recommended you use these until the

them with some cannon fodder.

◊ Level 4: It’s recommended you use these for dif-

ficult challenges late in the campaign.
This is, of course, just a very rough guideline; you should always free to modify the values of the NPC Stats to serve
plan your encounters based on your story needs. We the story better, but she should inform the players before-
recommend that you allow for different resolution paths hand to avoid any misunderstandings.
other than the classical “team-deathmatch” resolution;
this will also allow you to create unbalanced encounters E.g. A Raag warrior might use the Physical Stat
that need an additional step to be resolved (e.g., have the for Shooting, CQC, and Athletic actions; and the
players fight an overwhelming force, forcing them to use Mental Stat for Survival and Cunning actions, but it is
other means to obtain victory. If they are a military force, probably safe to say he wouldn’t use it for Hacking.
perhaps they need to tag the strongest opponents for an On the other end of the spectrum, a Corvo hacker
air bombardment, if they are inside a spaceship they might NPC will probably use his Mental Stat for Hacking
need to use the environment instead: breaching the hull or Technical actions, but he wouldn’t probably use it
next to their enemies, using fire, or any other cool ideas for Survival actions.
your players come up with!).

FAITH
STATS
Consider NPCs to have Faith equal to the attribute of their
NPCs do not have the same Attributes and Skills as the Mental Stat unless it is specified otherwise.
player characters. Instead, they have three Stats: Initiative,
Physical, and Mental. Each Stat has two values: the skill
that determines its base action value, and the attribute PLAYING CARDS

Game Master’s Guide

that determines the amount of cards played by the NPC in
a related action. NPCs do not have a hand of cards to play during confron-
tations. Instead, whenever they can play a card, they play
It is up to the GM to decide which of the three Stats the the first card from the top of the deck, which never triggers
NPC uses for each action and it is also up to her to deter- any drawing card mechanics.
mine how many areas they cover. In any case, the GM is

331

faith: core book

LEVEL NAME

PHYSICAL HEALTH TRAITS

NEURAL HEALTH

ARMOUR

FIREWALL ILLUSTRATION

INITIATIVE

ATTACK

PHYSICAL/MENTAL STATS’ NUMBER OF

STATS’ SKILL VALUE CARDS
Alternatively, the GM can choose to play a card from DEFENDER
her hand instead, which can trigger Proficiency taking into
consideration the NPC’s skill value and Playing with the While Ready, the NPC can confront actions that target
Ambience taking into consideration the card’s suit. Cards any of their allies, even if the action did not affect them
drawn this way go to the GM’s hand. directly. They still need to declare a valid counteraction.

EXHAUSTION GHOST
NPCs do not have a limited number of cards they can play The NPC can only be hacked or detected by hackers who
per Stat per Round. Instead, they suffer a disadvantage see him.
when they use a Stat they have already used during the
current Round. [FOLLOWER] X
The NPC has as many divine powers from the God they
HEALTH follow as the number indicated in the name of this charac-
teristic. It is up to the GM to decide which powers the NPC
Most NPCs will have physical and neural health as any knows.
other character, but usually those who are not important
for the story can be considered dead once they are Bleeding [FOLLOWER] PROPHET
Out or Traumatised.
The NPC knows all the divine powers from their God at
Game Master’s Guide

NPCs are affected by modifiers to their actions in the prophet level. Additionally, the NPC has Faith 3 regardless
same way other characters are, as well as by advantages of their Mind Stat.
and disadvantages.
LONE WOLF
HACKING NPCS The NPC ignores the effects of exhaustion.

332 When an NPC is hacked all of its powered characteristics MASTER

are affected simultaneously.
After starting a confrontation, draw a card and place it
faith: core book

E.g. When a Military Contractor with a Reaper (energy face up on the table. Whenever the NPC plays a card, it can
3) and a Shamayin (energy 2) is hacked and suffers 2 ACS be swapped for the card drawn thanks to this characteristic.
damage, his Shamayin characteristic is turned off, but if he
suffers another point of ACS damage, his Reaper will also MOB
be deactivated.
While the NPC is in a group more numerous than their
opponents and they are the triggering character, the NPC
NPC TRAITS increases their level of success to the next best level, or
decrease the level of success of their opponent to the next
Many NPCs have common characteristics to flesh them worst level.
out, giving them additional capacities. They can be treated
as advanced rules and the GM can choose to ignore them PROFICIENT
to simplify an encounter. The meaning of these traits is
thus not reflected in the NPC entries of the book or on their Once per action and after playing a card lower than their
cards, and instead it can be found below. skill they are using, the NPC can add their skill instead of the
card to their action value.
AFFINITY
RAVAGER
After playing a card that matches their Affinity, the GM
can look at the top card of the deck; and discard it or use it If hacked, the NPC suffers a disadvantage in its next
to replace the card that triggered this characteristic. action; if hacked as a counteraction, the NPC fails its action.

NOTE: In some cases the keyword will be accompanied by SWARM

an ambience. Otherwise, it is considered that the NPC has
Affinity towards the ambience in which he finds himself. The NPC ignores damage from firearms and railguns.
TEAMWORK TIME-SENSITIVE
When the NPC attacks a character who has been already EVENTS (TSES)
attacked by an ally of the NPC this round, they gain one
advantage.
Time-sensitive events (TSEs) are time sensitive problems
UNSTOPPABLE that pose an obstacle to the characters. There is a wide
range of events, items, devices, and other things that
The NPC ignores all physical damage penalties. can generate a TSE, such as the Firewall of a device, an
avalanche in a mountain, or a high security lock. It is the
VOIDWALKER job of the GM to determine when such obstacles should be
considered TSEs for the purpose of confrontations, and to
Each maintenance phase, the NPC regains as much neural establish their difficulty.
health as the number of cards indicated by their Mental
Stat. If the characters are using a Skill with a value of 1 or
above and time is not of the essence, they can overcome the
obstacle without a confrontation. The GM should consider
SPECIES TRAITS the difficulty of the task, the Skill level of the characters
and the needs of the story to decide how long it takes them.
The GM can decide to apply the traits of the species to
an NPC as she sees fit, as well as apply any other rules to E.g. Nadia has Survival 3. She is trekking through

Game Master’s Guide

faith: core book

While having an NPC under his control, a PC will control E.g. If Lee wanted to open the safe box quickly to
him exactly as the GM controls her NPCs, with the exception escape under the cover of darkness, he could rush
that the PC cannot play cards from the controlling player’s the data mining process required to pry open the
hand for him - the friendly NPC will play his cards from the electronic lock. In this case, the GM determines that
top of the deck (but the cards will be drawn and played by Lee is confronted by a TSE. If he loses, he could take
his PC controller). a lot longer, trigger an alarm, or other negative
effect determined by the GM.
NOTE: In the previous examples, if Nadia or Lee were like this to the GM - you should decide what you think is best
using a Skill with a value of 0, they would always be con- for the story: is it interesting that your players’ characters
fronted by a TSE, as they would have no clue about how to suffer one disadvantage to every action because they were
achieve their goal. not prepared to survive in a frozen planet? If they all have
Survival 0 and cannot find any food in the jungle, maybe
TSEs do not have a hand of cards to play during confron- it is interesting to give them a disadvantage until they find
tations. Instead, whenever they can play a card, they play food, or perhaps their unpreparedness can start to affect
the first card from the top of the deck, which never triggers their health. Perhaps force them to suffer neural damage
any drawing card mechanics. that they cannot remove until they eat - if they continue
like this they will faint and die of starvation. Go with what
Alternatively, the GM can choose to play a card from her is dramatically interesting, drives the story forward, and
hand instead, which can trigger Playing with the Ambience engages the players. Adapt effects to the situation and
taking into consideration the card’s suit. Cards drawn this your group’s gameplay.
way go to the GM’s hand.
And last, but not least, remember that playing RPGs is
In order to present a moderate challenge, a TSE should all about having fun with your friends, and that should be
play as many cards as the PC, a difficult challenge should your goal at all times. Enjoy the game and do not make it
play one card more, and a very hard one, two more. all about who succeeded or failed if it does not need to be.

TIP: If you consider a TSE easy enough to overcome that

it should play less cards than the PCs, simply let them DON’TS
Game Master’s Guide

perform the action without a confrontation.

On the other hand, there are many things that is best to
avoid when you are running a FAITH campaign. Here are
ADVICE FOR THE GM some of our recommendations:

Do not use confrontations to side with the PCs and

DOS confront NPCs, because that creates a deus ex machina
334 effect that kills the thrill of the game. If you fear for the
Like in many other RPGs, there are many things you can story or for the PCs lives, you can use a ‘plot twist’ to save
do in FAITH that can make campaigns much more interest- the day. E.g. a friendly NPC comes in to help, the NPCs try to
faith: core book

ing. Here are some of our recommendations: take the PCs captive instead of killing them, or they offer a
deal to the PCs to stop fighting (why do NPCs always fight
Give secret agendas to your players to make them feel until the end, anyway; don’t they have families to come
invested in the story before it even begins. Bring the drama back to?), etc.
of their backstories to the game. Let them use the details
they gave to you while creating their stories, so the story Do not confront players when they perform mundane
you put together feels round and engaging. tasks, but instead lure them into playing high cards at times
when they really need to achieve something. That will make
Not every NPC needs to be a bad guy trying to shoot at their subsequent confrontations with NPCs much more
the PCs or hack into their brains. Use friendly or neutral interesting and tense, leaving you with high cards to aid im-
NPCs to drive the story forward: they are one of your most portant NPCs or prevent the story from derailing too much
valuable assets. Without them interacting with the PCs, from its course. Save your high cards for when it matters!
players tend to go about their own ways and set them- TSE are there to add drama and interest to the story, they
selves away from the story. Informers, merchants, secret are not a substitute for every last skill check you would
contacts, potential employers... all of them are interesting make in other games.
characters that will help you develop an engaging story
when they interact with the PCs. They can provide the PCs Sending enemies that are too powerful for the party to
with information, convince them to change their minds, put deal with can lead to an abrupt conclusion of the campaign.
them in compromising situations, or put their beliefs to the As a general rule, enemies should never be able to play
test. more cards at the players’ best skills than the players
themselves under normal circumstances (ignoring advan-
There are many things that can influence a character: he tages, that is). Once you learn how to properly evaluate the
can take damage by falling from a tall wall, he can suffer NPCs’ and players’ relative power, you will be able to send
hypothermia or hunger - the possibilities are endless. We more powerful enemies while giving the players a chance
could try to tackle this issue with some spreadsheets with to survive.
the most common effects of the most common issues, but
this would never be comprehensive enough and it would Do not make your NPCs mindless shooting machines
have very little narrative value. In FAITH, we leave things unless the story requires them to be. It is much more inter-
esting to have small teams of NPCs behave intelligently and
tactically: have them flank the PCs, throw smoke grenades,
pin down PCs, or use any other cool tactics you can come
up with.

Do not allow the PCs to take their respective Gods for

granted. Force them to put their beliefs to the test and see
if they can handle it, and if they follow them to the direst
of consequences. If they cannot, they may be deemed
unworthy of the support of their God.

GODLY MORALITIES
Who are the Gods of your players? That alone can help
you create a story for them. Do they think very differently
from each other? Have them be in situations in which they
must reach a consensus. Give their characters opportu-
nity to change and evolve, even if that means they have to
change Gods.

Game Master’s Guide

If they are followers of Kaliva, the most individualist God,
make them see the terrible lives of good, hard-working
people, who are impoverished and who have no chance of
success. Will they help them?

If they are followers of Vexal, the individual free thinker,

put them in situations in which they must join a commu-
nity in order to save it. Will they sacrifice their individual 335
freedom for the good of the community?

faith: core book

If they follow Hexia, the strict ruler that seeks the good
of the community, see if they still think they represent
the community’s best interests after committing a grand
mistake. Will they listen to others now?

If they follow Ergon, the most democratic of the Gods,

have them see what terrible things the masses can do to
those minorities that think differently. Will they give up
their beliefs to stop it?

CHEATING THE SYSTEM

Some players might try to “cheat-the-system” by per-
forming irrelevant actions to discard their low cards. The
rules to play cards are only meant for important moments,
and therefore this should be discouraged. As a general rule,
you should let irrelevant actions be successful by default,
therefore they won’t trigger a confrontation and they won’t
allow players to play cards. If a player character decides to
confront irrelevant actions from another player to create
a fake confrontation, let them know that they do “play
around” but such confrontations do not allow for playing
cards. If they insist, you can warn them of the serious con-
sequences their actions could have should they succeed or
fail, depending on the situation.
MINIATURE RULES
Playing an RPG is highly creative: you are imagining a When you run, you can move 2 spaces with a regular
fictional reality that exists entirely within your mind, from success, 4 with a decisive success, and 6 with a critical
the characters you are playing to the locations in which success.
they find themselves etc. The possibilities are endless but,
as the action occurs in your mind alone, it can also be a Standard Distance starts after 8 spaces, everything
bit confusing. That is why visual aid can be very helpful to closer than that is considered Close Quarters range. You
some. That’s where miniatures come into play. can only perform CQC attacks against characters who are
in adjacent spaces (diagonal spaces are considered adjacent
in a square grid).
WHAT YOU NEED
RULER
Miniatures, to represent the PCs and NPCs (you can also When using a ruler, consider that one metre in-game is
use standees, tokens, or whatever you come up with). To equivalent to one centimetre on the tabletop (~2.5 metres
use this set of rules you should use 25 to 30 mm round are equivalent to one inch). When you move while perform-
bases. ing a non-running action, you can move 2.5 cm; when you
perform a running action you can move 5 to 15 cm depend-
A hexagon or square grid, or a ruler. The spaces in the grid ing on your level of success.
should be big enough to contain the bases of the miniatures.

Miniature Rules
Terrain of some kind, either painted on the grid or appro- LINE OF SIGHT
priately scaled model terrain.
Line of sight is the criterion that establishes what a min-
iature can and can’t see. Characters have a 180º front arc
HOW TO PLAY FAITH in which they can trace line of sight, and they must meet all
337
WITH MINIATURES the following conditions:

faith: core book

You can draw an imaginary straight line that joins any
point of the front 180º arc with the target.
FAITH does not have additional rules to play with minia-
tures. The gameplay should be pretty much the same, and The target is not completely covered by terrain or other
what you’ll find below are guidelines to help you translate figures (figures are considered a tall column as wide as their
FAITH’s core rules into the tabletop. bases). If you can only see limited parts of the miniature
(e.g. a hand, the tip of the rifle, a foot, a cape...), consider it
completely covered. While miniatures are static, real char-
DISTANCES acters would be able to adapt their pose to get into cover.

When fighting narratively, the GM can make up the dis-

tances on the go, and may decide if you can reach some- COVER
thing or not. With miniatures and terrain, this is no longer
on her hands, and she must represent these distances as A miniature is considered in cover when at least half of its
accurately as possible on the tabletop. body is out of the attacker’s line of sight.

GRID When you shoot at a target behind cover, you will suffer
one disadvantage. Additionally, cover might provide armour
You can use a hex or square grid. In a square grid, you can against regular successes. It is up to the GM to determine
only move diagonally once every three spaces. the amount of armour provided by each material.

Each space of the grid represents 2.5 metres (~8 ft). This LEANING OUT OF COVER
is not the most realistic conversion, but it is the most com-
fortable to use in the tabletop. When performing an action other than running, char-
acters may lean out of cover instead of moving a space.
When you perform a non-running action, you can move This allows them to trace line of sight as if they were in
up to one space (i.e. you can move 2.5 metres every time a space adjacent to their current position, and still get the
you perform an action). benefits of being in cover. At the end of their action, they
must remain in the same space as they were before.
the char acters
GENERAL RULES
The players who are not the GM play the protagonist However, characters are much more than a bunch of
characters of the story. They are in charge of playing the numbers that measure how good they are at something.
role of their characters: performing their dialogues, making
the decisions their characters would make, and using the
relevant mechanics of the game to determine whether CHARACTER
their characters rise victorious, or fail miserably.
CREATION
Each player controls a single character and develops
who that person is and what their motivations are — what
are their dreams and struggles? The more compelling a To create a character, follow these steps:
character is, the more rewarding the experience of playing
that character will be. The GM should encourage the other 1.
Decide your character concept: Come up with your
players to talk about the backstory of their characters background story, and write your name, age, and
and how they imagine them. Together, they can become an gender on your character sheet you’ll find on page
amazing group of characters who will live great adventures. 438. You are free to copy it for your personal use.
The Characters - General Rules

Characters have six Attributes, ranging from 1 to 3, 2. Select your species and choose one of your species’
that represent their general capacities and establish the background traits. Your species will determine
amount of cards the players can use during confronta- some of your character’s traits and limit some of
tions. Characters also have twelve Skills, ranging from 0 your Attributes. Write your species’ traits on your
to 9, that represent their specific skillsets and are added to character sheet.
their actions’ values. Characters may have Upgrades that
represent remarkable features like a Cortex Connector or 3. Choose one of the four suits to be your Affinity. This
a Divine Power granted by one of the Gods. Additionally, represents the places where your feel more com-
when they develop their Skills, they might obtain Talents fortable or where you are more capable. It might
340 related to those Skills, such as new combat techniques for be where you grew up, where you trained, or where
CQC, better understanding of others for Cunning, etc. you feel at home.
faith: core book

ILLUSTRATION ATTRIBUTES
INFO GOD
Write the character’s
name, age, profession, Tick the God followed
and lifestyle here. by the character here.

HEALTH
Write down the character’s
Physical health in the left AFFINITY
square and the Neural Tick the suit that
health in the right one. matches the character’s
Keep track of the damage Affinity here.
in the side spaces.
SKILLS

ADDITIONAL
ABILITIES INFO
Write the different Keep track of unspent
abilities here: Species experience points, godly
traits, Upgrades, favours and toxicity here.
Talents, and Powers.

GEAR
List the character’s
gear here.
4. Choose a God and gain its ability (see page 374). HEALTH & DAMAGE
Write it down on your character sheet. Your God will
define your morality and will empower you if you
follow its commandments. Gods must be pleased Characters have physical health and neural health. The
if you are to obtain something from them, so try physical health of a character is equal to twice the value of
to select a God that you’ll enjoy following. You can his Constitution, and his neural health is equal to twice the
change your God’s allegiance later on with the GM’s value of his Mind.
approval.

5. Choose a Profession that suits your background DAMAGE

story. There are not set Professions; your Profes-
sion can be anything you come up with if approved There are two types of damage characters can suffer,
by the GM (e.g. an electrical engineer, an astronaut, physical and neural, and a third type that can affect items
a cleaner, a musician, etc). Write it down on your and devices — Adaptive Circuit Severance (ACS) damage.
character sheet. To keep track of the damage a character or device has
suffered, mark the corresponding space in his character
6. Distribute the following values among your Skills: 5, sheet or use a suitable token or counter.
4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0.

The Characters - General Rules

Each point of damage a character has suffered, either
7. Set your Attributes at 1. physical or neural, gives him a -1 penalty to every Skill to
a minimum of 0.
8. Spend 60 experience points. During this step, you
can increase your Attributes and Skills (except PHYSICAL DAMAGE
those with a value of 0), and gain Upgrades and
Talents. Additionally, you may gain Divine Powers Physical damage is inflicted by physical means: weapons,
for 5 experience points each. tools, fists, etc. Each point of physical damage counts as -1
to the physical health of the character.
NOTE: This is the only instance in which you can convert
experience into Divine Powers, during gameplay they are While in normal health state, one physical damage point 341
gained spending Godly Favours. can be recovered per week of in-game time after it has been

faith: core book

suffered.
9. Calculate your Physical health (double your Consti-
tution) and Neural health (double your Mind taking NEURAL DAMAGE
into account any of your traits and upgrades that
may apply, and write it on your character sheet. Neural damage can be inflicted by means such as concus-
sions, Divine Powers, viruses, link attacks, neural weapons,
10. Acquire your starting gear, which is determined by
etc. Each point of neural damage counts as -1 to the neural
your Profession and where your campaign takes health of a character.
place: the Corvosphere (see page 153), the State
(see page 220) or the Raag society (see page 256). While in normal health state, one neural damage point
can be recovered during each maintenance phase (or 3 to 5
seconds of in-game time) unless the character has received
ADVANCED CHARACTERS neural damage that round.

If you are a FAITH veteran, or you simply want to play ACS DAMAGE
a story with characters who are already powerful and
capable heroes or villains, you can all agree with the GM to Adaptive Circuit Severance (ACS) is the term used for
play a campaign with more starting experience points. It is the electrical overload of microprocessors after they are
up to the GM to determine how many. affected by corrupting Hacking routines, and also by certain
types of electromagnetic waves typically associated with
neural weapons.

ACS damage is inflicted by electronic means, be it

through Hacking actions or electrical waves from a neural
weapon. It can only affect gear and robots with an energy
value; when a device suffers as much ACS damage as its
energy, it is shut down.
DEALING DAMAGE COVER
Dealing damage is calculated in four steps: A character is considered behind cover when at
least half of his body is not within line of sight of the
1.
Calculate the base damage: Base damage is deter- attacker. When you attack at a target behind cover,
mined by the weapon, NPC or alternative source of you suffer one disadvantage.
damage.
Additionally, cover might provide armour against
2. Calculate the modified base damage: Apply armour regular successes. It is up to the GM to determine
and other effects that affect base damage. If it is not the amount of armour provided by each material,
specified, effects always modify the base damage if any (i.e. light wooden materials might not provide
by default. any, bricks or soft metal sheets can provide 1, high
quality wood or strong metal 2, etc).
3. Calculate the final damage applying the appropriate
level of success. Decisive and critical successes
multiply the modified base damage. HEALTH STATES
4. Calculate the modified final damage: The final Depending on the amount of damage a character has
The Characters - General Rules

damage value is 6 after doubling tenance phase, a bleeding out character will suffer one
it thanks to the decisive success, unpreventable physical damage.
and the Divine Shield protecting
his opponent reduces the final NPCs will generally ignore characters who are Bleeding
damage by 2, for a modified final Out until they have taken care of all other threats.
damage of 4.
TRAUMATISED
A character is traumatised when his neural health is
ARMOUR below 0. The character is unconscious and will not regain
consciousness until his neural health is 0 or above. Char-
Some pieces of equipment acters can recover neural damage points by medical
and other effects provide attention.
their users with an armour
value. Whenever the character DYING
is about to receive physical
or neural damage from an If a character is bleeding out and traumatised at the
external source, subtract its same time, he dies automatically. If at the end of a scene
armour from the base damage. a character is bleeding out and he has not received medical
attention from a First Aid action, he dies.
UNPREVENTABLE
A character can also die of starvation, exposure to the
DAMAGE
vacuum of space, drowning, excessive mutilation, etc.
Unpreventable damage cannot The effects of these possibilities are left for the GM to
be reduced, cancelled, or prevented determine.
in any way.
TOXICITY “I am going to take a different approach to picking
the pellets one by one and fixing what is broken. I
Toxicity is used to represent a variety of long will study the situation and take notes on my pad, I
lasting noxious effects that can affect a character. want to figure out the entrance point of the pellets
Toxicity can be gained by taking drugs or poisons, and the radius spread. Once I know that, I will then
being affected by radiation or any other effect that disassemble the drone and take my time to fix each
might cause widespread body damage over time part separately. I will know where each pellet went
rather than immediately. so I won’t have to mess around and risk breaking
anything.”
A character will suffer as much unpreventable
neural damage as his Toxicity minus his Constitu- The GM agrees that this approach is more fitting
tion. This neural damage only increases or de- to his Mind than his Dexterity, and Mark can now try
creases when the Toxicity does, and it can not be to fix the drone using Mind, his highest Attribute.
discarded as usual during the Maintenance phase.

A character will see his Toxicity level reduced AGILITY

by one each hour he spends without gaining any
Toxicity. Almost always used with Initiative, Athletic,

The Characters - General Rules

EVA, and Survival. Also sometimes used with
CQC when grappling.
ATTRIBUTES Agility represents the nimbleness of a character: his
ability to move quickly and precisely. It should be used
The Attributes of a character represent his capability for actions involving movement of the body, such as
to act and ability to put effort into actions. Some actions dodging gunfire, climbing a wall, or trying to outrun other
might relate to more than one Attribute and other actions characters.
can relate to different Attributes in different situations.
Players can argue which Attribute to use for an action, but
the GM will always have the final word on such matters. CONSTITUTION 343

Sometimes used with Athletic, EVA and Sur-

faith: core book

Attributes range from 1 to 3. Some effects cause charac-
ters to increase or reduce their Attributes, but an Attribute vival.
can never be reduced below 1 or increased above 3. During
an Initiative Round, characters may play one card for each Constitution represents the physical endurance and
point they have in the Attribute they are using, which may strength of a character, as well as how receptive his body
limit the number of cards they can play in later confronta- is to Bio Upgrades. It should be used in actions that test
tions within the same Round using the same Attribute. the strength or endurance of a character, like lifting heavy
weights or running very long distances.
Whenever a character is confronted, he must explain
his action and therefore choose which Attribute he will be The physical health of a character is equal to twice his
using. While most of the time the right Attribute for the Constitution, and he can have as many Bio Upgrades as his
action is fairly clear, characters can always find ways to do Constitution.
things differently — if they are creative.

E.g. Mark wants to repair his broken drone. Sadly, DEXTERITY

during their last encounter with a Ravager, it took a
hit and now it lays on the ground unresponsive. Almost always used with Ballistic and CQC.
Also sometimes used with Piloting, Medical,
The GM says it took a shotgun shot and is filled and Technical.
with small pellets, so it will be a delicate work to
remove them all. Mark’s Dexterity is 2 and his Tech- Dexterity represents the fine motor ability of a char-
nical Skill is 5, but the drone is extremely damaged acter. It should be used for actions involving manipulating
and he fears that if he fails, the GM will claim that things with the hands, such as carefully manipulating gear
the drone is broken for good. or equipment, aiming and recharging weapons, or driving a
motorbike through dense traffic.
Mark’s Mind is 3, so he says,
LINK chosen action, then it is considered that his Skill value for
that action is 0.
Almost always used with Hacking. Also some-
times used with Piloting, Medical, Technical, and Each Skill can be used for different things, and the At-
Profession. tribute that relates to it is not necessarily the same every
time. Characters will have to select the most fitting Skill
Link represents the ability of a character to understand and Attribute for each action.
and interact with technology, as well as how receptive his
body is to Tech Upgrades. It is used whenever a character
performs an action involving computers, networks, elec- BALLISTIC
tronic devices, or even digitally controlled spaceships or
other similarly controlled vehicles. Most often used with Dexterity if the weapon is
operated with the hands, or Link if the weapon
A character can have as many Tech Upgrades as his Link. is software controlled.

The Ballistic Skill is used to shoot and recharge weapons,

MIND
and to generally handle ranged weapons safely.
The Characters - General Rules

Almost always used with Cunning. Also some-

times used with Survival, Medical, Technical, All Ballistic actions require the use of a ballistic weapon
and Profession. of some kind.

Mind represents a character’s intelligence and ability to SHOOTING

concentrate, as well as his ability to perceive details and
patterns. It is used when recalling memories, diagnosing When performing this action, characters have to declare
illnesses, designing machines, or deciphering codes. their target and the weapon they are using. If the weapon
has a magazine value, the character must discard one am-
The neural health of a character is equal to twice his Mind. munition counter from it. If the action is successful, the
344 He speaks fluently in as many languages as his Mind, and he target of the action, as well as any characters in the area
can understand a little bit of as many additional languages of effect if there is one, will suffer the damage specified by
as his Mind. the weapon, taking into account the range of the shot, or
faith: core book

the distance to the point of impact in case the attack has an

area of effect.
FAITH
RELOADING
Faith defines the ability of a character to connect or com-
municate with the Gods. It represents the character’s true A weapon with a magazine value but no ammunition left
conviction and how far he is willing to go for his beliefs. on it cannot be shot until its owner performs a reloading
action. To reload, characters replace all the ammunition
A character can have as many Divine Powers as his Faith. left on their weapon with new ammunition.

AIMING
SKILLS When performing this action, the character
declares a character or a small area, like a door
The Skills of a character represent his capabilities of or a window, as a target. During subsequent Initia-
a specific skillset. Skills range from 0 to 9. A character tive Rounds, the character receives one advantage
with a high value in a Skill is very capable in that area, and whenever he performs a shooting action against his
a character with a low value only has a rough knowledge target (or against any character within the area at
of the subject. However, the biggest difference in Skill lies which he was aiming). Additionally, as long as he is
between the values 0 and 1; a character with a Skill of 0 Ready, he can confront his target with a Shooting
has no clue about how to behave in actions related to that counteraction whenever his target performs any
specific Skill and will receive one disadvantage when using action, even if it does not target the character who
it. is Aiming. The effects of aiming are lost as soon as
the character performs an action or is confronted
Every action performed by a character relates to a Skill by a CQC attack.
representing his knowledge in the related area. If a char-
acter cannot find an appropriate Skill that relates to his
SUPPRESSIVE FIRE Additionally, hitting actions can use one of the
following effects.
Firearms only. When performing this action,
characters designate a small area, like a door or Block
a window, as a target. Suppressive Fire allows the
character to confront anyone performing actions Activated. It can only be used as a counteraction
within the designated area with a passive Shooting against CQC actions. Gain one advantage and if you
action. All passive Shooting actions after the first are successful you will make your opponent’s action
during the same Round will suffer a disadvantage. fail as usual, but your action won’t deal damage.
Its effect lasts until the weapon runs out of ammo,
or the character performs a different action, or Mighty Strike
decides to stop it. Suppressive Fire spends one of
ammunition per Initiative Round, regardless of the Activated. Suffer one disadvantage and increase
number of Shooting actions it ends up performing. the base damage of your attack by one.

Additionally, Suppressive Fire should discourage

most characters from approaching the target area,
in fear of being shot.

The Characters - General Rules

Most often used with Dexterity or Constitution.

faith: core book

HITTING Additionally, if you are using a weapon, the grappled

To perform a Hacking action, the hacker needs to be INFEST

The Characters - General Rules

using a computer or rig and its target needs to be in hacking

In all Hacking actions, the character attempting the CLEANSE

action is called the hacker and the device targeted by the
action is called the target. Cleanse can be used on any infested piece of
gear. A successful Cleanse action will cause the
DENIAL OF SERVICE (DOS) Firewall’s action to fail. Additionally, it removes all
viruses and backdoors from the target device.
A successful DoS action will cause your opponent’s
action to fail. Additionally, it causes as much ACS damage PURGING SYSTEMS
to its target as determined by the rig you are using, or when
performed by a Firewall it will be equal to the number of Purging systems can only be performed by a
cards it played. character carrying the gear it targets. A successful
Purging Systems action removes all viruses from
SNIFFING all your cortex connected gear and any one piece of
gear not cortex connected.
A successful Sniffing action will allow the hacker to read
all the data stored on his target, be it code, video, audio, LINKWAVE
or any other type of information, including passwords and
access codes. A device with LinkWave increases the hacking range of
its user. The hacking range around a device with LinkWave
Sniffing can also be used to extract information from is a sphere with a radius equal to its LinkWave value, in
networks as a powerful form of online research. These metres (10 metres ~16 ft). A character will be aware of the
networks can contain all kinds of sources and information: presence of any hackable devices or creatures within his
sensor feeds, software, online papers, websites, social LinkWave range.
networks, commercials, blogs, archives, online services,
forums, chat rooms, internet caches, and more. CONFRONTING HACKING ACTIONS
A sniffing attack is very fast and accurate thanks to You can only detect and confront hacking actions that
partial-AI search engines. However, although the informa- originate from within your hacking range (i.e. only charac-
ters using a rig will be aware of Hacking actions taking place PILOTING A VEHICLE
around them). Hacking actions can be confronted with any
action that would be able to stop the hacking attack, such as To pilot a vehicle you must be inside the Cockpit
hacking the target back or parting his head from his body. system. While there is at least one online module
in the Core system, the pilot gains the abilities to
In case you do not confront a Hacking action (because you Accelerate, Evade, and Change course.
cannot, you are unaware or you choose not to), the device’s
Firewall will confront it instead. Accelerate

Firewall (FW) Instant. The vehicle gains one Stress if you are
piloting a flying vehicle, or one Strain if you are
Hackable devices are protected by a software called piloting a water or land vehicle, to gain or lose one
Firewall (FW), which is a type of NPC that only confronts Speed. You can use Accelerate as many times as
Hacking actions performing a Denial of Service action. the vehicle’s Acceleration Stat every round. Speed
is always gained towards the side of the board your
Firewalls have one Stat that determines their starting vehicle is facing.
action value and the number of cards they can play. They
play cards as an NPC. If you are in an atmosphere, your vehicle cannot

The Characters - General Rules

gain more Speed tokens than the vehicle’s maximum
USING HACKING AS A speed. If you are in the vacuum of space, there is no
limit to the number of Speed tokens you can have
COUNTERACTION
on.
Hacking actions can only be used as counteractions when
the action targeting you requires energy to operate (e.g. Evade
plasma weapons, rigs, robots, etc.), or specifically says it
can be hacked as a counteraction (e.g. Ravager creatures). Instant. The vehicle gains one Stress if you are
Hacking other gear carried by that character cannot be piloting a flying vehicle, or one Strain if you are
used as a counteraction (i.e. hacking the opponent’s suit). piloting a water or land vehicle, to gain one advan-
tage towards all of its dodging actions until the end 347
NOTE: Gear that has powered characteristics but which of the round. You can use Evade as many times as

faith: core book

does not require energy to perform its action (e.g. vibro- the vehicle’s Evasion Stat every round.
blade) cannot be hacked as a counteraction, as the action
can still be successful without the powered characteristics. E.g. Alex has Piloting 6 and Link 3; she is piloting
a spacecraft with Evasion 3. She is being attacked
CRITICAL EFFECTS by a ravager spacecraft. As a counteraction, Alex
decides to dodge and uses evade twice to gain 2 ad-
The most common critical effect would be to triple the vantages towards her action. She plays two cards
ACS damage you deal when using a DoS action, but when to succeed. Her vehicle gains 2 Stress.
using other hacking actions you can use other narrative
options: Such as leaving no traces after accessing the Then, they shoot at her again. Alex can only
information while sniffing. Any of these options must be play one more card this round due to her Link, so
accepted by the GM. she decides to use evade one last time, and gain
3 advantages towards the action (two from the
PILOTING previous uses of evade and another from this one).
Her vehicle gains one additional Stress.
Most often used with Link when using cortex
connected or computer driven vehicles or Dex- Change Course
terity when piloting vehicles that require physi-
cal input (such as those with a steering wheel). Action. Gain as much Stress if you are piloting a
flying vehicle, or Strain if you are piloting a water
Piloting allows characters to drive or fly all kinds of or land vehicle, as your Speed. Then, perform a
vehicles, from motorbikes to space freighters. Different Piloting action confronted by a TSE that plays as
kinds of vehicles, or complex tasks such as manual docking many cards as your Speed.
manoeuvres, high speed chases, or rough landings can
pose all sorts of difficulties to unaccustomed characters. If you are successful, change the direction of your
The GM may grant advantages or disadvantages accord- vehicle on the board and lose all of your Speed. If
ingly, and determine whether a character must face a TSE you fail nothing else will happen (but if you fail by a
to succeed. decisive or critic, you’ll see the amount of Stress or
Strain multiplied).
CUNNING character who wants to perform a Hiding action, the GM can
declare the action invalid.
Most often used with Mind when performing
social interactions, or Dexterity when using SEARCHING
sleight of hand.
Passive action. Characters can perform a Searching
Cunning represents a character’s social abilities and action in three instances:
skills (deceiving, intimidating, persuading, encouraging,
seducing...). It can also be used for sleight of hand, to ◊ When they are actively searching for a character
perform magic tricks, or steal; also to conceal a small because they already knew he was there; i.e., they
object, or don a disguise. may have been told by someone, they may have
seen him before he hid, perhaps he has drawn
We encourage players to use good roleplaying to resolve their attention, etc. They must choose a specific
their social interactions, such as convincing other charac- area to check, such as some bushes, a tree line,
ters, lying convincingly, reading their true intentions, pre- or a dark alley.
tending to know something they don’t, etc.
◊ When they want to ensure that there is no risk
However, if someone is not comfortable roleplay- hidden in a specific area. They must choose a
The Characters - General Rules

ing these kinds of situations or simply prefers using the specific area to check.
mechanics of the game to solve them, they can use their
Cunning Skill paired with their Mind Attribute. ◊ If a character has a higher Survival than the hidden
character’s Survival, the GM can determine that
Alternatively you can use a hybrid method, roleplaying he suspects that someone is hiding. The GM
the social interaction, then playing out a confrontation should warn a character in this manner if the
to determine how effective you were (the GM can grant story requires it, the situation is favourable to the
advantages or disadvantages depending on how well he hidden character being discovered, or the charac-
considers the player performed). ter is very alert. It is the GM’s prerogative to keep
quiet about this if she thinks it benefits the story
348 SOCIAL INTERACTION she is telling. Alternatively, if the players are being
very jumpy and behaving paranoidly, the GM can
Passive action. A successful action may improve an give fake warnings of this kind, to represent the
faith: core book

NPC’s disposition towards a character, allow the charac- character’s state of mind - which can sometimes
ter to read on someone’s true intention, or other suitable misdirect them from other hidden things...
effect. However, the full extent of the effects of a success-
ful Social Interaction action are ultimately up to the GM. A successful Searching action will reveal the hidden char-
acter to the searcher and from that moment onwards, the
hidden character is no longer considered hiding from him. A
SURVIVAL failed Searching action will leave the searcher oblivious to
the location or existence of the hidden character.
Most often used with Mind when analysing a
situation, or Dexterity when crafting things or REMINDER: You can perform one passive action
gathering supplies. in addition to another action. When performing a
passive action you can play cards from the deck
Survival represents how tough, crafty and self-sufficient and/or from your hand; cards played from the deck
characters are. It is used by characters to find things like do not trigger drawing mechanics. Cards played in
food or resources in hostile environments, to orient them- passive actions do not count towards your Attrib-
selves in a new location, or to do things in order to survive, ute limit per Round.
such as building a shelter, knowing what to do when a hur-
ricane comes their way, or knowing what type of food is
edible. Additionally, Survival represents the perceptiveness INITIATIVE
of the characters and his ability to hide and move silently.
Most often used with Agility.
HIDING
Initiative represents a character’s reflexes and ability to
Passive action. Hiding can be used while performing move quickly in decisive moments. It is used during initiative
any type of action that does not usually draw attention. rounds to determine the initiative order, and it is also the
The character remains hidden as long as he remains in an Skill used when characters attempt to do something that
adequate place to hide or until found by a Searching action. does not require specialized training but instead requires
If other characters cannot physically fail to perceive the speed and fast reflexes.
DODGING or situations where characters are in free fall, like para-
chute jumping.
Dodging is used to avoid effects from CQC actions or
to duck behind cover when targeted by a ranged attack. Any action that would usually be performed with Athletic
If there is no available cover you cannot dodge a ranged is instead performed with EVA while in Zero Gravity.
attack.
EVA allows characters to move the same distances
Athletic does, but in 0-G or free fall. EVA must also be used
ATHLETIC for Throwing actions performed in 0-G or free fall. Objects
thrown in 0-G do not have weight restrictions, although
Most often used with Agility when performing their mass may affect the speed of the thrown object. The
brief efforts, or Constitution when endurance GM should keep in mind that the distances stated are mere
or strength are required. guidelines and they should be adjusted to fit each particular
situation.
The Athletic Skill is used by characters to run, swim, dive,
climb, lift weight, throw objects, or do any other athletic REMINDER: Characters in 0-G must keep in mind that eve-
activity. rything works very differently in the absence of gravity, and
simple things like shooting a weapon might become difficult

The Characters - General Rules

REMINDER: Characters can perform a small movement and push them back, spinning away from their position.
of up to 2.5 metres (~8 ft) while performing any other type They will also need to actively stabilize themselves to avoid
of action. floating around and they will be able to push themselves
up, down, or in any other direction.
RUNNING
You move up to 5 metres (~16 ft). Remember that if un- MEDICAL
confronted, this action can automatically achieve a critical
success and you can run up to 15 metres (~24 ft). If you Almost always used with Mind, as curing is a
perform several consecutive running actions, you might be complex task that requires a lot of knowledge.
able to speed up and move faster, as determined by the GM. 349
The Medical Skill represents the understanding of

faith: core book

You can perform a running action as a counteraction to medicine and science in general. It is used when restoring
ranged attacks and explosions. physical or mental health, treating poison, or installing
Upgrades.
NOTE: All movement distances are merely guidelines and
the GM can and should modify them to fit the story as nec- The rules of this section are meant to be used for Medical
essary. You might move slower in mud or shallow waters, actions performed in the field, often rushed or lacking
or faster if the gravity is slightly lower than you are used to adequate sanitary conditions and equipment. Medical
and the path is clear. actions performed in a hospital with proper equipment and
supplies will be greatly sped up as determined by the GM,
THROWING allowing the patient to recover completely in a matter of
hours or even minutes.
Characters can throw almost anything they can lift.
Throwing actions are resolved like Shooting actions. In all Medical actions, the character targeted by the
However, it will be the task of the GM to determine whether action is called the patient and the character performing
a character can or cannot throw a specific object, and the the action is called the doctor.
particular effects of that Throwing action. Only pieces of
gear with the characteristic Throwable have specific rules FIRST AID
to be used.
First Aid can be used to contain the wounds of patients
who are Bleeding Out. It does not require any specialized
EXTRAVEHICULAR gear, but the doctor will suffer a disadvantage if he has no
medical supplies at all.
ACTIVITY (EVA)
The action will be confronted by a TSE that plays one
Most often used with Agility to move, or Consti-
card per negative point of health of the patient.
tution while in free fall or 0-G.
Extravehicular Activity (EVA) is the skill used to perform A successful First Aid action has two effects: It stops a
physical actions in 0-G environments, such as spaceships Bleeding Out patient from dying at the end of the scene, and
stops him from suffering 1 physical damage during each DRUG HANDLING
maintenance phase.
Drug Handling is used when using an Injectable
After a successful First Aid action, the doctor must piece of gear on a character. The character who
spend as many consecutive actions caring for the wound as is being administered the drug must either agree
the number of cards played by the TSE, which are automati- to it, be unconscious, or be incapable of defending
cally successful by default. If for any reason the doctor is himself.
unable to do so, the effects of the successful First Aid are
lost. The action will be confronted by a TSE that plays
as many cards as the sum of the drug’s Toxicity
These effects are also lost if the patient suffers addi- level plus the patient’s current Toxicity.
tional physical damage or experiences severe disturbances
before receiving proper medical attention. If the patient is A successful action has the effects described
still Bleeding Out by the end of the next scene, he will die by the drug and increases the patient’s Toxicity by
even if he receives further successful First Aid actions. the drug’s Toxicity. A failed administration will only
increase the patient’s Toxicity by the drug’s Toxicity
SURGERY without applying the effects of the drug.
The Characters - General Rules

Surgery can be used on bleeding out or traumatised UPGRADE HANDLING

characters to recover their health back up to normal.
Specialised medical equipment is required for a doctor to You can fabricate a Bio Upgrade instead of buying
perform such delicate operations. This action takes one it if you have specialised medical equipment to do
hour per damage point being recovered unless otherwise so, as well as any specific substances determined
determined by the equipment used for the action. by the GM. You can also install or remove Tech or
Bio Upgrades, but you’ll require specialised medical
The action will be confronted by a TSE that plays one card equipment to do so.
per negative point of health of the patient. A successful
Surgery action removes enough damage points from the To do so, you will be confronted by a TSE that
350 patient to increase his health to 0. A failed Surgery action plays one card for every point by which the Experi-
increases the number of damage points on the patient by ence cost of the upgrade exceeds your Medical Skill.
one.
faith: core book

Failing to install or remove Upgrades from a

During a Surgery action whose patient is Bleeding patient can have consequences that range from
out or Traumatised, the doctor can use the follow- light damage to the patient, to completely destroy-
ing ability (just remember Constitution and Mind are ing the upgrade or badly injuring the patient — de-
Attributes and can never be reduced below one). pending on the level of failure, as determined by
the GM (e.g., have the character suffer a six-month
Removing Body Parts period loss of 1 physical health, or have him suffer a
disadvantage towards his actions for a week).
If the patient is Bleeding Out, the GM can deter-
mine whether the doctor can forfeit any number
of limbs affected by the wounds or Constitution TECHNICAL
points of the patient to remove an equal number
of damage points. These are removed during the Most often used with Mind when diagnosing or
Surgery action, but before establishing the number repairing something, or Dexterity when per-
of cards the wound plays against it. forming a delicate task with small parts.

The effects of losing limbs are set by the GM as The Technical Skill is used when repairing machines,
she sees fit. Usually, losing a limb will cause dis- robots, vehicles, and other technological devices; it repre-
advantages to some actions, making it impossible sents an understanding of how to use unknown technology,
to use some tools or weapons, or increase the time how to control robots, or how to adjust suits. It is up to the
needed to perform certain actions. GM to decide the time required for each Technical action,
taking into consideration the tools at hand, the pieces avail-
Similarly, if the patient is Traumatised, the doctor able, the difficulty of the task, etc.
can forfeit Mind points of the patient towards the
same purpose. In all Technical actions, the character performing the
action is called the technician and the machine or device
targeted by the action is called the target.
REPAIRING of the GM, who will decide what the robot does and
to whom it does it).
Repairing can be used on a damaged target to remove
any type of damage from it. A successful Repairing action You can control any number of robots whose
removes all damage of one type from the target. combined level doesn’t exceed your Link.

The damage confronts the action as a TSE that plays

one card for every point of damage of the same type PROFESSION
being repaired. If the target is very badly damaged or the
technician is using scrapped parts, the GM may grant disad- Most often used with Mind when declaring a
vantages to the technician. However, she can also grant ad- story detail, or any other Attribute if the task
vantages if the technician has the blueprints of the target, relates closely to it.
an appropriate tool, or just the right set of spare parts.
Additionally, she can establish that something is impossible Profession represents the ability of characters in an
to repair. Sometimes a machine is just too damaged or it area of knowledge or craft, and their position within the
needs very specialized components to be repaired. industry, their contacts, and their prestige. Additionally,
it determines the amount of funds characters have at the
DESIGNING AND BUILDING beginning of the campaign. Depending on where your

The Characters - General Rules

campaign takes place (in the Corvosphere, the Iz’kal State,
Technicians can come up with their own designs or the Raag clans), the economy will work differently.
to build or build the designs of others. In a sci-fi
setting, the possibilities are endless, and it is up to Characters can choose anything they can think of as a
the GM to determine what can and cannot be built. profession, as long as the GM approves. There is a desig-
nated area on the character sheet to write the profession
Many things in the universe of FAITH are ex- of the character. Characters can be anything from award-
tremely complex — such as robots, spaceships, or winning filmmakers to pianists, astronauts, politicians, or
even plasma rifles — and built in fascinating facto- anything in between.
ries. However, in a world full of digital information,
there are many other things that technicians can When choosing the profession of a character, it is im- 351
build in their very own garages. portant to avoid overlapping with other Skills, as it will

faith: core book

diminish its benefits. As an example, a character based on
If you attempt to create a tech upgrade, you will the Hacking Skill should not choose his profession to be
be confronted by a TSE playing one card for every “hacker”, but instead something like “IT manager”, which
point by which the Experience cost of the upgrade will allow him to declare story details like claiming he has
exceeds your Technical Skill. a contact at a certain IT company, or “cryptanalyst” which
will allow him to claim that his communications cannot be
ISSUING COMMANDS spied on and that he can easily spy on others.

This action is used to issue commands to the DECLARING STORY DETAILS

robots you control. Issuing commands requires a
device with LinkWave, a radio signal, or a network Passive action. Players have the right to declare details in
connected to the robot or robots you want to a scene for as long as the details relate to their Profession.
control, although they can be programmed to obey
vocal commands. The robots must be within the E.g. a character can claim that the NPC he is talking to
technician’s range to receive commands, or they is an old client of his if he is a businessman; he can claim
must be under appropriate conditions to distinguish to know where to plant a bomb to bring down a spaceship
voice commands. by looking at its blueprint if he is an engineer; he can claim
that he brought rope and cooking tools when lost in some
You issue one command to any number of robots remote mountains if he is an explorer, etc.
under your control (i.e. the same command to all
of them). Robots you control operate like friendly To do this, characters must use their Profession as the
NPCs (see page 384 for more information about key element of their argument. The GM can veto any claims
robots). Once a robot receives a command, it will that seem out of scope or ask the player to revise them. If
do anything in its power to obey it until the task is the argument is valid, the GM can confront the player, and
completed or the robot is destroyed. A robot who if she wins she must explain how that story detail is differ-
has not been issued a command will either wait until ent, and how that affects the characters. Once a character
he is issued one or follow an action protocol (if one fails at Declaring Story Details, he cannot try to declare the
has been programmed and if the situation allows same story details again, even if he comes up with a differ-
it - a robot following a protocol is under the control ent explanation for them.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
During gameplay, characters will learn and change. The (consider that travelling between star systems
story will shape their personalities and their actions will takes a few months). This does not mean they aren’t
teach them new Skills or improve those they already had. doing anything or not furthering themselves; they
Experience points are used to advance the characters im- can still gain experience points during this time - but
proving their capacities, gaining new ones, etc. to gain experience during downtime, they must be
training or furthering themselves in some way.

EXPERIENCE For every month of downtime you spend training

you’ll gain many experience points as your Mind.
The GM can determine that you learn more and give
Experience is used to increase the values of the Attrib- you more experience if the conditions are excel-

The Characters - Character Development

utes and Skills, to learn new talents or to obtain upgrades lent (e.g. you spent your downtime training with
that change the characters’ biology, and to install cyber- the Savak, the Iz’kal special forces). At the end of
netic body parts and enhancements. the downtime period, characters have a chance to
spend their experience points.

GAINING EXPERIENCE
DURING A SESSION FAST CAMPAIGN
Gaining 10 experience points per session is meant
Each time a major milestone of the story is reached or to give you a sense of progression while maintain-
the characters have had a significant opportunity to learn ing certain realism about how much you can learn
and improve their abilities, the GM may decide to grant and progress in a short period of time. It will take
them experience. It is recommended to do so at the end of you about 40 sessions to make your character very
every session, but it is ultimately up to the GM’s discretion. powerful. You might not have that much time to
play a campaign; so you can all agree to play a fast 353
It’s recommended that the GM grants 10 experience campaign, in which characters will receive more

faith: core book

points (or “points” for short) to each player per session. experience per session than usual (alternatively, or
If the session was very uneventful, maybe she can grant in addition to this, you can begin the campaign with
fewer points, and if it was very challenging more. characters who have more initial experience). It is
up to the GM to determine how many experience
points to grant per session.
GAINING EXPERIENCE
DURING DOWNTIME SPENDING EXPERIENCE
Depending on your campaign you might play
POINTS
sessions that take place continuously and in a short
period of time (think of shows like 24), while other You can spend experience points at the beginning or
campaigns might have long dead periods which you ending of every session — you can plan how to spend
will probably elapse saying something like “after your experience between sessions on your own free time,
two months of travelling through the Labyrinth although some things require being agreed by the group,
you arrive at your destination” (think of stories that with the GM having the final word.
take years to resolve, such as Game of Thrones).
If you’re just a regular person living in the Corvos- ATTRIBUTES
phere, most of your time might be spent in an office
— your adventuring might only take place during You can raise one Attribute by one point once per session.
your breaks (think of how most high school shows Increasing an Attribute to 2 costs 15 experience points, and
focus on what the characters do between lessons, increasing it to 3 costs 25 experience points.
while rarely showing them actually studying; the
scriptwriters simply skip those uninteresting parts) Attributes limit: Attributes have a maximum value of 3,
or your vacations (think of most old school adven- and each species has some with a lower maximum.
ture books like The Famous Five).
E.g. Jasmine, the player playing Akka, an Iz’kal,
Regardless of the reason, you might find that wants to increase her character’s Dexterity from 2
your characters go through a lot of downtime to 3, which costs her 25 experience points.
SKILLS Upgrades work a little bit differently and are obtained
during gameplay. You can obtain Upgrades in specialized
You can raise any number of Skills by one point each per locations, as they require from minor to major surgery to
session. They have a cost in experience points equal to their be installed, or you can make them. Getting them may have
new value. additional requirements depending on where you are (in
the Corvosphere, the Iz’kal State, a Raag ice fortress, etc)
You must let the group know that you are going to do and your personal situation (e.g. Indigent characters in the
this; the group will vote on which Skill or Skills you can Corvosphere cannot afford to have any upgrades installed,
raise at this given time, taking into consideration what you while Poor ones can only afford one per month, etc).
did during the last session or during downtime (it’s a good
moment to look back on your adventures!). The GM has the Upgrades limit: You can have as many Bio Upgrades as
final word on what you can raise. Among the Skills chosen your Constitution and as many Tech Upgrades as your Link.
by the group and GM, you can choose any number, if any, to
increase them. E.g. Akka has obtained a crypsis suit, which
The Characters - Character Development

requires to be cortex connected, therefore Akka

Skills limit: You can only have up to 3 Skills with values goes to a biotech clinic in Al’ameen and asks to get
7 through 9. The rest of your Skill values cannot be higher a Cortex Connector installed. Jasmine spends the
than 6. You can voluntarily reduce your Skills’ values by experience points cost of the upgrade she wants to
one point per session, but you will not recover any experi- acquire, and Akka wakes up the next day from the
ence points. operation table with a brand new Cortex Connector.

E.g. Akka has fought some ravagers with his

sword, ran for his life, hidden from the ravager
inside a crate, and then found his way back guiding
GODLY FAVOURS
himself with the stars. At the end of the session,
Jasmine claims she wants to raise her character’s During gameplay, your actions can be favourably or
Skills, the group discuss it and decide that she can negatively seen by your God — if you are behaving according
raise CQC, Athletic and Cunning, the GM raises the to your God’s commandments, or against them. Each time
354 point that Akka was capable of finding his way back you perform an action you may gain or lose one or more
home, and therefore he adds Survival to the list. Godly favour points.
faith: core book

Jasmine choses to raise her character’s CQC

to 9 and his Survival to 5, but not his Cunning nor GAINING OR LOSING
Athletic, which in total costs her 14 experience
points. GODLY FAVOURS
TALENTS It is up to the GM and the players to interpret the God’s
commandments and apply them correctly, with the GM
You can obtain one Talent per session. Each Talent has its having the ultimate word. The requirements to obtain or
own cost in experience points. lose Godly favour points should be based on your Faith. The
GM must decide what entitles gaining or losing them, and
Talents limit: Talents relate to a specific Skill. You can how many.
obtain one Talent of a Skill when its value is 5 or higher, up
to two Talents when it is 7 or higher, or up to three Talents E.g. Vexal asks of his believers that they help
when it is 9. others without giving up their personal freedom in
the process. If you have Faith 1, you can request a
E.g. Akka has raised his CQC to 9 and his Survival Godly favour point from the GM after going out of
to 5. He already had two CQC Talent, therefore now your way to stop a bully from mistreating a person;
he can get a third CQC Talent and a first Survival but if you don’t do anything about it, you might lose
Talent — but he can only get one during this session. a point instead.
Jasmine pays the experience cost of a Survival
Talent and makes plans about her character’s third If what you saw was a full squad of Iz’kal Savak
CQC Talent for the next session. spec-ops commandos killing some Corvo miners
and you try to stop such an overwhelming force
TECH AND BIO UPGRADES the GM might grant you several Godly favour points
instead. But you probably won’t lose any Godly
You can obtain any number of Tech or Bio Upgrade per favour points for not trying to stop it, as it is more
session. Each Upgrade has its own cost in experience points. likely that you’ll lose your life.
However, if you have Faith 3, Vexal will want you SPENDING GODLY FAVOURS
to follow his commandments blindly and you will
lose a Godly favour point from failing to do so even You can spend one Godly favour at any time to either:
in situations that are less than optimal, like fighting
an Iz’kal Savak squad on your own. ◊ Gain a divine power or, if you have the maximum
of divine powers you can have (i.e. you can have as
For the concept of the Gods to properly work it is essential many as your Faith), change one divine power you
for the GM to be strict when judging your behaviour accord- already have for another one.
ing to your Gods’ commandments. The GM should promise
you Godly favour points whenever you follow those com- ◊ Use your God’s ability.
mandments (you can even request them), and warn you
about the consequences of acting against the rules of the ◊ Be able to use your divine powers for the remain-
Gods. If you break them, the GM must not hesitate to call der of the scene.
onto you the wrath of your God and take away Godly favour

The Characters - Character Development

points from you. If you continue to lose Godly favour points, ◊ If you have Faith 3, you can spend three Godly
you might want to think about changing Gods. power to permanently improve to the prophet
level a divine power you already own.
When you gain a Godly favour point, you can write it down
in the corresponding area of your character sheet. You can NOTE: While it is up to the GM to set the requirements for
keep those points there for any amount of time until you gaining Godly favours, it’s recommended that if a character
spend them or lose them. spends one to do right by his God during a scene that you
give him one back at the end of that scene.
When you lose Godly favour points, you will first remove
them from your character sheet if you had any accumu- E.g. Akka’s team has been ambushed; they are
lated. If you do not, you will have to lose divine powers taking heavy fire and they are most probably going
instead. If you have no divine powers left to lose, you can to be annihilated. Akka tells them to retreat. He will
obtain negative Godly favour points. stay and hold them for as long as possible, sacrific-
ing himself as a follower of Ergon would. For that
To change Gods you require the GM’s approval, other than he receives 1 Godly favour point, which will allow 355
that it can be done at any time. If you change Gods, you’ll him to use Ergon’s powers in his last stand for a

faith: core book

lose all your divine powers and all your saved up Godly whole scene. His team thanks him with tears of
favour points. If you have negative Godly favour points, the shame in their eyes while they escape.
GM can decide to give you some of them as positive Godly
favour points of your new God. Akka fights until he can barely stand and waits
for the final blow. Then, the
E.g. You are a Kalivan with -2 Godly favour points GM tells him he feels the
who has realised that your calling is actually to blessing of God pouring into
follow Ergon. You decide to start following him him once again, his God has
and change that in your character sheet. Because seen value into his actions
Ergon is the opposite to Kaliva, the GM decides that and has chosen to empower
you can start following Ergon with 2 Godly favour him: Akka receives 1 Godly
points; he mentions that if you had chosen another favour point, he can spend
God, he would have let you gain one, as the other it right then to use his
Gods are not directly opposite to Kaliva. God’s ability which might
help him to continue
NOTE: The Gods don’t care about manners. A character fighting…
can pretend to be one way that goes against his God’s com-
mandments and they won’t punish him — it is only real
actions they care about.

E.g. A Kalivan sweet talking a group of people

with his wishes of world peace, his future trip to
help minorities in the Gu sector of Tiantang, and
how he will invest 50% of his fortune in the conser-
vation of biodiversity in New Quan will not suffer
any backlash from Kaliva, unless he acts on it.
SPECIES TRAITS
When you select your species you’ll gain that species BACKGROUND TRAITS
traits and one of your species’ background traits of your
choice. Choose one of the following background traits:

SPACEBORN
CORVO You are Tian born and raised. You move in 0-G
like a fish in water.
The Corvo are a highly technological species;
they are very independent and very capable. If your Affinity is Space, receive one advantage when you
Their appearance and physiology resembles perform an action using EVA.
those of insects and they are well adapted to
life in space. PLANETSIDE CORVO
You have lived most of your life in Quanjie or
another planetside Corvo colony.
TECHNOLOGICAL
The Characters - Species Traits

You cannot pick the Space Affinity. If you have a technical

The procedure goes like this: Birth, check by profession, you gain one advantage when you use it.
doctor, held by parents for 1 minute, taken to
surgery to have a cortex connector installed, Profession examples: bio, civil, electrical, building,
go out into the world to make a living. chemical or electronic technician/engineer, architect, etc.

You gain the Cortex Connector 1.0 upgrade for free, and
it does not count towards the maximum number of Tech ATTRIBUTE LIMITS
upgrades you can have. It can be upgraded to an advanced
cortex connector and have cortex expansions installed as The evolution of the Corvo gave them a very
356 normal. utilitarian metabolism, allowing them to adapt
to life in space and to survive with minimal
You always have Affinity to OS in resources. For this reason, they are not very
faith: core book

addition to the Affinity you choose strong or physically capable.

during character creation.
Your Constitution and Agility Attributes are limited to a
maximum value of 2 each.
TAIL REFLEX
When a Corvo feels pain or a sud-
den panic attack, their tail snaps
IZ’KAL
as a reflex. It is the fastest re-
The Iz’kal are a very social, very proud, and
flex in all known species and
very efficient species. They are the descend-
Corvo hackers put it to good
ants of an ancient species of aquatic mammals
use by tying their tails to
that have adapted to life on solid ground.
the rig’s cable connecting
to their cortex.
HYPERLINK OR VOIDWALKER
Activated. Connect a
device tied to your tail to Choose one of the two abilities during character creation.
your cortex connector (The During character progression, if you have hyperlink you can
device cannot be used change it for voidwalker, but not the other way round.
during this action).
HYPERLINK
Instant. If that device The Iz’kal have developed biological changes in
is about to receive ACS their brains that allow them to communicate
damage due to a Hacking with each other and blend into a single mind.
action, it will be discon-
nected instead. Action. Send a simple thought or feeling to any Iz’kal
listening up to 5 kilometres (~3 mi) away. Iz’kal can choose
to have this “channel” open or close. Things that can be told
this way: “I am in danger”, “Hurry”, “We are under attack”, E.g. Athena and Helo are two Iz’kal who have
“escape”, “sadness”, “happiness”, “aliens”, etc. Iz’kal lis- formed a bond with each other. A merc shoots at
tening to each other on this “channel” can also relay their Helo with a firearm. Helo is a hacker and lacks any
location to each other. physical prowess; luckily for him Athena is a good
shot, so she confronts the merc by shooting at him.
Activated. Join a hyperlink group up to 30 metres (~100 Helo could also try to confront him by dodging the
ft) away. You can join any number of hyperlinks simultane- attack, but that would mean losing his turn - he
ously. After joining a hyperlink, you’ll remain in it until you chooses to trust Athena and does not confront the
disengage, leave the range, or are expelled. action himself.

While in hyperlink, the characters engaged in hyperlink VOIDWALKERS

must democratically vote on every decision and then follow Some Iz’kal suffer traumatic events so unbear-
it. The members of a hyperlink can reject another character able that they can no longer share their minds
trying to join it. Characters can always be expelled from a with their kin. They refuse to engage in hyper-
hyperlink after a democratic vote or after not following a link out of the fear of imposing their own per-
democratic decision. sonal suffering onto others. An Iz’kal that does
not engage in hyperlink eventually succumbs

The Characters - Species Traits

While in hyperlink you can share thoughts and feelings to an irreversible transformation that isolates
with each other freely in a way that cannot be felt by other their mind and prevents them from entering a
characters (like an enhanced telepathy). hyperlink ever again. Their body undergoes re-
construction on a genetic level, affecting their
When you spend experience to increase a Skill in which hormonal flow and synaptic processes.
another member of your hyperlink has a higher value, it’ll
cost you one experience point less than usual. If there are During each maintenance phase, you can discard up to as
more than one Iz’kal characters among the players, they much neural damage as your Faith, even if you took neural
can apply this during character creation. damage during that initiative round - this replaces the rule
that says that during the maintenance phase, every char-
Additionally, you can obtain Bond with other Iz’kal who acter who has not suffered Neural damage
also have hyperlink. during this Initiative Round recovers one 357
point of Neural health. This trait will not
Bond

faith: core book

work while you are traumatized.
An Iz’kal bond is the most emotionally invested
state in which two creatures can find them-
selves; they’ll share their thoughts, feelings, AQUATIC
and to most will seem as two separate bodies
All Iz’kal characters innately
of the same person.
know how to swim, even if they
5 points. It must be acquired simultaneously by two have never done it before.
Iz’kal. You can acquire it with several other Iz’kal.
When swimming or diving, receive
While in hyperlink you’ll know all of each other’s thoughts, one advantage.
feelings, and reasonings. If both of you are player charac-
ters, you can ask each other what your characters think Additionally, you can hold your
about something and you must answer truthfully — and breath up to 15 minutes per Con-
you’ll have to act accordingly. Even outside hyperlink you’ll stitution point while acting
still have a powerful sense of the other and can request to normally or twice as
know the other character’s thoughts about a matter even long if you stay still.
if you are not joined in hyperlink once per session to repre-
sent you’d usually know how they would think.

Additionally, you can choose to confront actions that

target any other member of the hyperlink with whom you
have a Bond, even if the action did not affect you directly.
You need to declare a valid countermeasure.
ADAPTABLE GENOME won’t affect you as much as everyone else (i.e. you might
suffer one disadvantage while everyone else suffers two).
Throughout history the Iz’kal have genetically
modified themselves to the point where their SHAJARA (TREE IZ’KAL)
original genome has been lost.
You have been genetically modified for life on
planets with high gravity.
You can have one more Bio Upgrade than your Consti-
tution. Additionally, Bio Upgrades cost you 2 experience When you draw back to 7 cards at the beginning of a
points less. scene, you can discard up to two cards from your hand and
draw the same number.

BACKGROUND TRAITS
ATTRIBUTE LIMITS
Choose one of the following background traits:
Iz’kal are first and foremost social beings, and
METROPOLITAN IZ’KAL they are not as technologically advanced as
Corvo. Additionally, as a species that originated
You are adapted to life in the city.
from the water, their bodies are not built for
The Characters - Species Traits

Choose one Iz’kal planet. You have been genetically land life.
altered to fit perfectly in it. You gain one advantage towards
your social interactions with natives of that planet. Your Link and Constitution Attributes are limited to a
maximum value of 2 each.
BATIL (CRYSTAL IZ’KAL)
You have been genetically modified for
space activity. HUMAN
If your Affinity is Space; receive one advantage Humans are remarkably adaptable. Al-
when you perform an action using EVA. though not as powerful as the Iz’kal or the
358
Corvo, many Humans are highly valued
DHAHAB (GOLDEN IZ’KAL) workers and mercenaries and their
faith: core book

You have been genetically modi- endurance is unrivaled.

fied for life on desert planets.

If your Affinity is Wilderness, RESOURCEFUL

receive one advantage when you
perform an action using Survival, If Humans have one defining char-
Athletic, and Cunning while you are in acteristic, it is their ability to find
a desert of any kind. You also receive a way out of each and every sit-
one advantage to fight back the uation.
effects of starvation and dehydration.
At the beginning of a scene, you
FADI (SILVER IZ’KAL) draw up to 8 cards.
You have been genetically
modified for life in extremely
cold environments. ENDURANCE
If your Affinity is Wilderness, receive one Of all the civilized species none
advantage when you perform an action using have more endurance than Humans;
Survival, Athletic and Cunning while you are only they can train to run for longer
in a extremely cold environment of any kind, than most quadrupeds.
including the vacuum of space.
You receive one advantage to all Athletic
IZ’KAL’ASUD (DARK IZ’KAL) actions.
You have been genetically modified
for life on planets with strange at-
mospheres, usually dark or smoky.

You do not receive disadvantages for acting in

the dark, unless it is pitch black, in which case it
BACKGROUND TRAITS RAAG
Choose one of the following background traits: The Raag are a primitive species, very tough
and aggressive. They are mammals that are
WASTER well adapted to life in cold weather and they
You come from the dog-eat-dog of wasteland form tight-knit clans to survive the constant
survivalists. menace of conquest or extinction.

Receive one advantage when using Survival.

OLD BONES
SPACER
Raag have a very primitive and tough bone
You come from a military culture of mercenar-
structure.
ies and soldiers onboard Corvo ships.

Pay for one Ballistic or CQC Talent during character You can ignore the modifiers of up to two physical
creation. It will not count towards the limit of Talents you damage counters.
can have for that Skill.

The Characters - Species Traits

Additionally, you can predict when any type of planetary
URBANITE storm is coming.
You come from a Corvo modernised settlement
on Earth where you have grown to become a
breeder. TITANS
You gain the Beauty Gene upgrade for free, and With an impressive build, this species surpass-
it does not count towards the maximum of Bio es most other intelligent species in size.
upgrades you can have.
You have two additional points of
physical health and you receive
HUMAN TAX IN THE one advantage towards all 359
Constitution actions.
CORVOSPHERE

faith: core book

The Corvo say they
tax Humans so they
can pay back their
training and their trip
from Earth.

While in the Corvosphere, you are

considered to have -1 to their Profes-
sion when calculating your Lifestyle,
but you receive a 20% discount when
purchasing weapons and suits.

ATTRIBUTE LIMITS
Although they are one of
the best physically suited
intelligent species of the
Universe, their societies
were not able to develop
as fully as some of the other
species.

Your Link and Mind Attributes are

limited to a maximum value of 2 each.
BACKGROUND TRAITS the Background trait with the GM’s consent. You’ll
need the GM’s approval to choose this background
Choose one of the following background traits: trait as it breaks the differentiations between
species and it directly ties to your backstory.
WARRIOR CASTE
Through your body runs the blood of the first Remove the limitation over either of your limited
gladiators. You are a natural killer, born to fight. Attributes and gain 3 experience points. Then, limit
a different Attribute other than Faith. You can lower
You ignore all physical damage penalties. the limit of an already limited Attribute down to 1.

“WARM BLOOD”
You have an innate understanding of the world RAVAGER INFILTRATOR
around you that surpasses that of your breth-
ren. Smaller and more crafty than other Raag, If the GM decides it would be interesting for
you are driven by an unquenchable thirst for the story one or more characters can be ravager
knowledge and adventure that keeps you on infiltrators.
the move.
The Characters - Species Traits

Infiltrators are ravager that are identical to the

You lose the Constitution advantage granted by your species from which they were created, and they
Titan trait, and you gain 9 experience points. Additionally, can not be identified by any kind of test. However,
you remove either your Dexterity or Link limit. instead of being born from a mother or an egg of
their species, they have come out of the womb-tank
LABOURER of a ravager queen, and they have been trained by
You are hardworking and in touch with reality. Alterants as spies.
While the warrior caste plays their war games
and the warm bloods run around, meddling The fact that the character is actually a ravager
with things better left alone, you build useful should only be known by the GM; the other players
tools, grow food, and pass your knowledge to only need to know if the GM determines so. The
360 future generations. reason why the ravager queen created an Infiltrator
should be discussed with the GM and be a key part
You gain 20 experience points. of the character’s story. A ravager queen never
faith: core book

does something without a clear plan or purpose, so

the Infiltrator must be part of an important mission.
ATTRIBUTE LIMITS
If the bioscience of the civilized species was
What the Raag have in strength, they lack in fi- advanced enough, and they knew where to search
nesse, and their brains have a hard time wrap- they could find in the DNA of an infiltrator the most
ping around the idea of virtual realities. wonderful and subtle of all ravager creations. In-
filtrators have a very special characteristic: All of
Your Dexterity and Link Attributes are limited to a their memories are stored, encrypted and hidden as
maximum value of 2 each. transposons and junk DNA. An alterant can develop
a single infiltrator cell into its entire life, just like it
would develop a photographic film.
SPECIAL TRAITS Wherever there are infiltrators there are also
tiny, inconspicuous insects that look just like native
OUTLIER insects with one job and one job only: To periodically
collect part of the DNA of an infiltrator and give it
You have lived outside the realm of normal to another ravager agent, who will take it to their
for a member of your species; maybe your Queen. Thus, an infiltrator does not need to know
family gave you an unorthodox education, it is one to do its part. And the Ravager are devel-
or maybe you are a self-learner in things oping a way to turn regular people into infiltrators
that no-one else around has any interest without anybody noticing…
in, or maybe it’s a genetic thing and you are
just different from birth.

In case you have a very specific concept for a

character that does not fit with the usual limitations
of your species, this can be chosen by any species as
UPGRADES
Upgrades are biological and cybernetic modifications ECHOLOCATION
that a character can get during the game. They enhance
a character’s ability to perform certain tasks, or they can You can emit ultrasounds to get an accurate
give characters extra abilities altogether. picture of your environment from the echoes.
Your ears are highly sensitive to ultrasounds.
The most respected clinics have wide catalogues of
Upgrades readily available for those who can afford body 9 points. You gain an advantage for Searching actions
modification. However, there are many other places all of things or people around you, and you never suffer any
around the Universe where shady doctors and self-taught disadvantages for being in the dark.
technicians install Upgrades of their own making. Some
characters are able to build their own Upgrades to improve
their capabilities, and many skilled technicians and doctors EIDETIC MEMORY
will create the most impressive modifications.
You have the capacity to vividly recall your
Each Upgrade can only be obtained once. The number of memories without inaccuracies.
Upgrades of each type that a character can have is limited

The Characters - Upgrades

by his Attributes. When a character gets a new Upgrade, 12 points. You always remember everything you have
he can replace one of his previous Upgrades of the same paid attention to. You might ask the GM for reminders of
type or occupy a new Upgrade slot — assuming he has not any information previously given to you.
reached the maximum number of Upgrades of that type.
Additionally, damage does not reduce your Skills during
actions using Mind or Link.
BIO UPGRADES
ENDOCRINE CONTROL
The Bio Upgrades are mutations and organic body modifi- 361
cations integrated into the character’s organism. Your body is a temple and you choose how to
administer your own hormone production and

faith: core book

secretion. You can cheat your body away from
BEAUTY GENE pain by telling it not to feel it.

You have a remarkable charisma and beauty 12 points. Every time you receive any amount of physical
for your species’ standards. Additionally, you damage from another character or a TSE, draw a card.
have been genetically modified to enjoy and
give physical pleasure: your erogenous zones Additionally, ignore the Skill penalties of as many physical
are enhanced, you excrete powerful phero- damage as your Constitution.
mones that stimulate those around you, and
your metabolism is extremely clean - perspira-
tion, defecation, and urination are minimal and
odourless.
EXPANDED MIND
Apparently doctors discovered a way to ex-
9 points. You gain an advantage towards social interac- pand the mind that is faster and more reliable
tions when dealing with people who could be sexually than reading books.
attracted to your gender and species; but you’ll suffer a
disadvantage against those who, for personal or moral 6 points. You have 2 additional points of neural health.
reasons, might despise such modifications.

FEATURE CHANGE
CHAMELEONIC BRAIN
One of the most aggressive modifications avail-
Your brain is extremely malleable, you are able able, it spearheads our understanding of genet-
to learn and forget things that for most are ics and biology. It was developed by a plastic
rooted as part of themselves. surgery lab with the motto: “Always a modern
look”. Now, it is mostly used by criminals.
12 points. Action. Discard a card of value 10 or more to
change your current Affinity to another suit. 12 points. This upgrade cannot be obtained in the State.
Activated. You can restructure your facial and muscular NANO HOOKS
features to resemble those of any character of your own
species if you have previously ingested a sample of their Climbing competitions almost became outdated
DNA. Your voice, eyes, and other distinguishable features when this came into the market. Now, climbing
will be completely identical to the original. You can also gyms include wind machines, slippery surfaces,
mimic their fingerprints (all species have some form of and traps. They actually made the sport more
identifiable, unique fingerprints) if you obtain a sample deadly.
of them. However, you cannot change your general size
or weight. The changing process takes 10 minutes during 6 points. You can attach yourself to a wall or ceiling with
which you will look completely disfigured. your bare feet or hands. Your movement while suspended
is reduced to half and you can only support as much ad-
ditional weight as your own body weight.
HARDENED MATRIX
Your bones have been modified to withstand NEURAL RECOVERY
extreme forces.
Your mind is capable of sustaining severe trau-
9 points. Reduces the final physical damage you take ma and recover from it.
from decisive and critical attacks by one. Additionally, you
The Characters - Upgrades

will not take any damage when falling from heights of up to 6 points. During the maintenance phase you will recover
10 metres (~32 ft). Neural health even if you received Neural damage that
round.

HETEROTHERMY
PHAGOCYTER
You have control over your circulatory system
and you can slow down your metabolism. You can eat anything organic, easily digesting
bones, tendons, etc. You cannot be affected by
362 6 points. Your body can tolerate temperatures ranging diseases of any kind and ignore the most perni-
from -20 to 60 ºC and your heat signature blends with the cious effects of any drug or poison.
environment and is indistinguishable from it.
faith: core book

9 points. You gain one less Toxicity than usual from any
Additionally, you can hibernate for periods of time of up source that gives you Toxicity.
to as many weeks as your Constitution. During hibernation,
you cannot do anything, but you won’t need to eat or drink
and you’ll only need half the regular amount of oxygen. POWERED REFLEXES
Suffering damage or other extreme sensorial disturbances
can wake you up. One of the favourites among special forces, it
truly makes a difference when going through
the fatal funnel.
INSOMNIAC
9 points. Instant. When you Rush, take one unpreventable
Rich Corvo families get this as a present for neural damage to play the card from the top of your deck.
their children when they have to take their ex-
ams for the elite universities.
SUPER ELASTICITY
9 points. You cannot sleep and you do not suffer any
consequences from the lack of sleep. You are unusually flexible for your species. You
can perform incredible contortions that would
put professional escape artists to shame, and
MENTAL ENHANCER you can compress your body to pass through
narrow places, even dislocating and relocating
Balance is the most important thing for your your bones at will.
health. Ask your doctor.
6 points. You have two advantages when using grappling
3 points. You can have one Tech Upgrade over your limit. to free yourself from another character, and for actions
If this upgrade is removed, your associated installed Tech related to elasticity such as contortionism, escaping from
Upgrade and the experience points it cost are lost. restraints, fitting through narrow places, etc.
TISSUE REGENERATION BIONIC ARM
Masochists loved this upgrade so much that You have replaced one of your arms with a bi-
now you are required to pass a psychological onic limb. It looks organic but it can transform
test before you can purchase it. into another device.

15 points. You will discard one physical damage counter 6 points. Choose between a very easy to hide weapon,
every hour, for as long as you are not bleeding out. Addi- a CQC weapon, or any other small piece of gear as deter-
tionally, the you can grow back one entire severed limb or mined by the GM. The bionic arm will be able to transform
organ in one month. into the chosen piece of gear. It can later be changed by a
technician. While hidden, the gear will have the ghost trait.

UNGODLY RESILIENCE Activated. Transform the arm into the gear installed, or
vice versa.
You are tough as a rhinoceros.

6 points. You have 2 additional points of physical health. BIONIC SPY GLASS
You have a digital eye that can perform a x50
TECH UPGRADES

The Characters - Upgrades

zoom, record pictures or video, and switch be-
tween normal and infrared sight.

The Tech Upgrades are pieces of gear that can be 9 points. Activated. Use to extend the Standard Distance
attached to the body of the character. range of a weapon to 300 metres (~330 yd).

ADAPTABLE BREATHER CORTEX CONNECTOR 1.0

You can breathe in any environment that con- A Cortex Connector is a computer directly con- 363
tains oxygen even under liquids. You can ignore nected to your brain, installed inside the skull
the effects of any strange substances in the air, cavity. With a cortex connector you have di-

faith: core book

from toxins to carcinogenic smoke. rect access to a network-connected computer
controlled by thought. You can send messages
6 points. You do not gain Toxicity from gases (e.g. just by thinking about it, open websites and run
grenades), but you will still gain it from other sources. programs by simply desiring it. Video feeds
and information is directly fed to your brain
and you see it as holographic screens around
ATOMIC BALANCE you. You also have a hard drive that can store
small amounts of information (consider it has
You are always balanced, allowing you to ig- as much space as a consumer smartphone). As
nore the consequences of disorientation from in any computer, you can install different pro-
falls, 0-G movements, explosions, waves, etc. grams, games, lifemods, etc.
You have a strong sense of direction and can
always find your way back. 3 points. You can connect and use one cortex connected
piece of gear.
6 points. You ignore the Skill penalties of as much neural
damage as your Mind. Additionally, you gain an advantage You can use it to hack, but only other devices connected
when reading maps and retracing a path. to the internet (i.e. It cannot be used to hack non-rig gear, as
those are not connected to the internet, and they are only
accessible to hackers through LinkWave), and it cannot
BIO SENSOR perform DoS actions.

You have an array of heat and noise sensors Additionally, it allows you to understand any language
that constantly scan your surroundings. you hear; it will also translate written languages into your
own language (you will always see everything written in
9 points. You cannot be caught by surprise by characters your own language: signals, logos, books, etc). This doesn’t
in a 10 metre (~32 ft) radius. It can be programmed to wake impart the ability to imitate speech that your anatomy is
you in the circumstances of your choosing (e.g. someone not equipped for; other than that, you can freely commu-
entering that range). nicate with any sentient being who has a spoken language.
CORTEX CONNECTOR 2.0
6 points (or 3 points if you replace an existing Cortex
Connector 1.0 with this upgrade). It works just like a Cortex
Connector upgrade, and additionally you can have as many
cortex expansions installed as your Link. Cortex expan-
sions do not count as Tech Upgrades, but you can obtain
and install them in the same manner:

DOUBLE JACK
The Characters - Upgrades

3 points. You can connect an additional that require to

be Cortex Connected. This cortex expansion can be chosen
more than once.

DRONE STATION
9 points. You can perform the action Issue command
(Technical) as an activated effect.

364 IMPLANTED PROCESSOR

6 points. Replaces the internal computer of the Cortex
faith: core book

Connector with a Rig of your choice. When installing this

Upgrade, choose between any of your readily available
rigs to be the Implanted Processor. The rig won’t show
externally.

Additionally, the implanted processor allows you to in-

NEURAL LIBRARY
9 points. Activated. If you spend one hour connected to
the net and resting, you can download a neural map for a
given Skill. Choose a Skill to have its value become 2/4/6
depending on your Mind until you stop this ability or become
traumatised or bleeding out. No talents are allowed for
skills gained this way. You cannot spend experience on a
Skill that is being affected by this.
ROBOT EXPANSION 12 points. You can be exposed to a vacuum and pressures
of up to 10 atmospheres (atm) without suffering negative
6 points. Increases the combined level of the robots you effects.
can control by one point.
Additionally, your skin can mimic your surroundings,
making you hard to see. You gain one advantage towards
EDITED MEMORIES hiding actions when your opponents are trying to detect
you by sight, and any action targeting you that requires line
You had some memories removed by cogni- of sight will suffer one disadvantage if performed from
tive neuroscience. There is an entire period of 20m away or more. This effect doesn’t work if you are
your life you do not remember. This is a routine wearing clothes.
process performed on freelancers, people who
agree to a job they cannot know about after-
wards for (usually) a significant sum of money. OPTICAL DISRUPTOR
0 points. You can only choose this if the GM gives her You appear as a blurry form to all detection de-
approval. She will create a reason for your character to vices (cameras, scopes, recognition systems,
have his memories edited and what happened in that period infrared visors, etc). The only way of recognis-
of time. This should eventually come back to your campaign ing you with cameras or sensors is employing

The Characters - Upgrades

as secondary effects of your mission (E.g. having a nemesis powerful processors to analyse the recorded
looking for you, being prosecuted by a cult, etc). data.

You are aware that your memories have been edited, but 6 points. You cannot be aimed at by characters that are
you don’t remember them at all (even if you have Eidetic seeing you through electronic devices (i.e. if they are using a
Memory). If you eventually find out about what happened, suit, a cortex connected weapon, or some other electronic
the GM can allow you to lose this upgrade. Discovering what device to see you).
happen is a breach of contract and might upset those who
hired you, you put your life at risk doing so.
SHIELDED SKULL 365
Gain 20 experience points (The GM may grant you ad-
Keep all those websurfers away from your

faith: core book

ditional experience if she deems it appropriate for the dif-
ficulty of the mission given to you). compromising pictures.

12 points. All of your cortex connected devices’ Firewalls

GUNSLINGER receive one advantage and gain ghost.

Using two weapons simultaneously was some-

thing stupid to do until they developed brain
enhancers, installing chips in your cortex and
SONIC AMPLIFIER
nanocables in your nervous system. Now you You hear everything, everywhere, everytime.
can look like a movie hero without getting killed.
6 points. Activated. You gain an advantage towards
9 points. You can wield one very easy-to-hide weapon in Searching actions that rely on hearing.
each hand. You can shoot both weapons simultaneously as
a single action. When you do, chose one of the following: You can hear everything from the subsonic to ultrasonic
range by focusing on a small area within 50 metres (~55
Deal damage and apply effects with both weapons. yd)), even the smallest pin drop. This is not echolocation,
and the character must decide on the Hz range when
Gain one advantage towards the action, but one of the focusing. This also has an integrated monitor, and will auto-
weapons does not deal damage. matically lower damaging noises to safe levels.

Shoot at a different target with each weapon.

VIGOUR ENHANCER
NANOSKIN Your body is prone to accepting mutations.

Your skin is made of an extremely resistant and 3 points. You can have one Bio Upgrade over your limit.
refractive synthetic polymer that responds to If this upgrade is removed, your associated installed Bio
its surroundings. Upgrade and the experience points it costs will be lost.
TALENTS
The Talents represent each character’s specialities, PRECISE
things they have spent enough hours doing they have
become second nature. When hitting the target is not enough.

6 points. Applies to Ballistic weapons only. You achieve

BALLISTIC a decisive success when your action value is 4 points over
your opponent’s, and you achieve a critical success when
your action value is 8 points over your opponent’s.
AN EYE FOR WEAKNESS
Wait until they are distracted. SPEC OPS
9 points. If you perform a Ballistic action against a Spent You are trained to work as a team. Your mus-
target, you gain one advantage. cle memory turns you into a multi-body killing
machine.

COUNTERSTRIKE 15 points. When an allied Spec Ops character ends his

The Characters - Talents

turn, if you are Ready, you can take your turn right after
Keep them coming. him, skipping Initiative Order to perform a Ballistic action.

12 points. Your Attribute determines the number of cards Additionally, when you act against a character targeted
you can play from your hand per action — not per round — by an ally during the current Round, gain one advantage
when using Ballistic, but you will suffer one disadvantage at towards your action.
every Ballistic action after the first one.

366 STEADY HAND

EXPERTISE
Breath in, breath out, slowly squeeze the trig-
faith: core book

It is not that you have a favourite weapon. It’s ger. Let the shot surprise you.
that you are great with it.
9 points. You can stack the effects of aiming up to thrice.
12 points. Expertise may be chosen several times, each
time selecting a different type of weapon.
CLOSE QUARTERS
Choose one class of weapon or choose vehicle weapons.
COMBAT
Instant. Once per action — if you are using a weapon with
which you have an expertise — when you play a card change
its value to your Skill’s value (it won’t change its suit and it ALWAYS FORWARD
will still trigger card drawing mechanics).
If both of you get hit, your opponent will be on
the losing end.
MISSILE EXPERT
9 points. You can only apply it when using heavy weapons.
Hitting another ship a thousand kilometres
away is sometimes just a matter of will. Instant. If you fail a CQC action against a CQC or Ballistic
action, and your opponent achieved a regular success, you
3 points. You can shoot guided missiles to untagged can change his success into a decisive; or if your opponent
targets. They will automatically fail unless the target achieved a decisive success, you can change his success
becomes tagged before the missile reaches it. into a critical. If you do, your CQC is also considered suc-
cessful with a regular success.
AN EYE FOR WEAKNESS MARTIAL ARTIST
Wait until they are distracted. A warrior’s body must be a weapon.

9 points. When you perform a CQC action against a Spent 6 points. While you are unarmed, you can use agility to
target, you gain one advantage. perform grappling actions and your hitting actions gain one
advantage.

CHARGE
PRECISE
“For the Emperor!”
When hitting the target is not enough.
“Wrong game, dude.”

9 points. If after a running action you are within CQC reach 6 points. Applies to CQC weapons only. You achieve a
of an opponent, you can immediately perform a CQC action decisive success when your action value is 4 points over
and if successful you will deal one additional base damage. your opponents, and you achieve a critical success when
your action value is 8 points over your opponents.

DEATH BLOW
SPEC OPS

The Characters - Talents

No mercy.
You are trained to work as a team. Your mus-
6 points. Activated. Your next hitting action ignores one cle memory turns you into a multi-body killing
point of armour. machine.

15 points. When an allied Spec Ops character ends his

DOUBLE EDGED turn, if you are Ready, you can take your turn right after
him, skipping Initiative Order to perform a CQC action.
Success is not without risks. 367
Additionally, when you act against a character targeted

faith: core book

6 points. Activated. The winner of this confrontation will by an ally during the current Round, gain one advantage
have his level of success increased by one (from regular to towards your action.
decisive, or from decisive to critical).

EXPERTISE
HACKING
It is not that you have a favourite weapon. It is ABSTRACTION
that you are great with it.
You can push your mind beyond exhaustion
12 points. Expertise may be chosen several times, each when it comes to figuring out what your com-
time selecting a different type of weapon. puter is asking of you. The code speaks to you
in subtle ways.
Choose one class of close quarters weapon.
15 points. Instant. While performing a Hacking action, you
Instant. Once per action if you are using a weapon with can take one unpreventable neural damage to change the
which you have expertise, when you play a card change it’s value of a card you just played for the value of your Hacking
value to your Skill’s value (it won’t change it’s suit and it will Skill.
still trigger card drawing mechanics).

COLD BLOODED HACKER

FEINT
You actually work better under stressful cir-
The unseen blade is the deadliest. cumstances, and a gun aimed to your head is a
proven incentive.
6 points. Activated. After a successful hitting action, you
can chose not to deal damage to your target to gain one 9 points. When performing a hacking counterac-
advantage (increased by the degree of success) towards tion against a Ballistic action that targets you, gain one
your next CQC action against that character. advantage.
INFESTOR NIMBLE
Why work twice when you can kill two birds You know how to fall and how to take a hit.
with one hack?
9 points. When you fail a Dodging action and your
9 points. Whenever you infest a system, you can both opponent achieves a regular success, if you were to take
install a virus and place a backdoor. damage, reduce the final damage you receive by two.

SLOW-COOKED HACK SWIFT MOVE

When you are given the time to properly work You know that positioning and cover are vital
and develop a hit, you deliver outstanding rein a fight, and you are good at getting the best
sults and you can crack some of the most com- out of them.
plicated systems with just a little patience.
6 points. Instant. If you are up to 2.5 meters away from
6 points. When performing a Hacking action against a cover when you are the target of a ranged attack, move
Firewall, take an hour to do so to gain one advantage, or a behind that cover before resolving the attack to gain it’s
day to gain two advantages. protection.
The Characters - Talents

SPIKER UNTOUCHABLE
You add a little special sauce to your hacks. Be like water.

9 points. When you perform a DoS action, you deal one 9 points. Your Attribute determines the number of cards
additional base ACS damage. you can play from your hand per action -not per round-
when dodging.
368
INITIATIVE ATHLETIC/EVA
faith: core book

BODYGUARD
ACCELERATION RESISTANCE
You have trained to serve and protect.
This ain’t your first space rodeo.
9 points. Instant. If you are aware of an action performed
against another character up to 2.5 meters away, you can 6 points. You can confront Stress TSEs with a passive
choose to become the target of the action instead. action.

EVERY SECOND MATTERS FAST

He who laughs first can also laugh best if he is Your feet are as fast as lightning.
the only one left.
9 points. When you perform a running action, add your
6 points. When you rush, add 3 points to the value of the Athletic in metres to the distance you move.
card you played.

FAST RECOVERY
LAST WORD
Being tired is just an state of mind.
There is no stopping you.
12 points. If at the beginning of the maintenance phase
12 points. If you were to become spent from performing you have 3 or less cards in your hand, draw a card.
a counteraction, instead become the last character to act
during this Initiative Round.
FREERUNNER SMOOTH PILOTING
You are more comfortable running than sitting Your crew does not even realise when you have
down. If you could sleep while doing so, you taken off.
would.
9 points. Instant. Discard a card without triggering any
9 points. Your movement actions are passive. When you card drawing mechanics to reduce by one the cards played
perform a passive movement action, you cannot perform a by the Acceleration TSE. Limited to once per round.
movement action as your active action.

STEALTH MASTER
POWERFUL
They are not ungraceful heavy pieces of metal
You hit like a bull. when you pilot them.

6 points. When you perform an attack using Constitution, 6 points. Gain one advantage towards Stealth actions
you deal 1 additional final damage. with a vehicle.

STRONG TUNER

The Characters - Talents

You have a wide back and strong legs, a little bit You are good at knowing what your vehicle can
of luggage cannot slow you down. do and how to change it to get the best out of
its design possibilities.
3 points. You do not suffer Agility disadvantages from
the gear you carry. 12 points. While you are the pilot of a vehicle, it gains any
one free Command module that does not count towards the
limit.
PILOTING 369

SURVIVAL

faith: core book

ORGANISER
You Organise your Cargo Diligently. It’s just a ADAPTATION
matter of know-how and creativity.
You are good at adapting to new situations and
9 points. While you are the pilot of a vehicle, it gains one getting the best out of tricky situations. When
free Detachable Container module that does not count life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
towards the limit.
6 points. Action. Discard up to 4 cards from your hand
and then draw one less card than the number you discarded.
PUSH IT FURTHER
If the speed of light is the limit, you’ll be the ALERT
one testing this limit.
You sleep with one eye open and the drop of a
6 points. While you are the pilot of a vehicle, it gains +1 pin puts you on full alert.
Acceleration.
9 points. Gain one advantage towards Searching actions
to find characters.
RADAR MASTER
While reading your radar, you understand the ANIMAL KEN
subtle differences between the movement of
asteroids and a spacecraft pretending to be You can read the feelings and moods of ani-
one among them. mals. You have a special connection with most
animals. They see something in you; maybe it
6 points. Gain one advantage towards Radar actions with is kindness, or maybe they feel they ought to
a vehicle. respect you as if you were an alpha. Whatever
the reason, animals make more sense to you
than other people. CUNNING
6 points. Gain one advantage towards interactions
with animals, feral or tamed. You can ask the GM for ad- ACTOR
ditional information about the animals you find: their mood,
strengths, and weaknesses. Pretending to be someone else is second na-
ture to you. It does not matter the size of the
shoes, you’ll fit right in.
CRAFTY
6 points. Gain one advantage when pretending to
Things just make sense to you. You can put be someone else in a convincing manner and avoiding
things to use that others would consider rub- discovery.
bish. Where others see a jungle, you see a
home depot. Where others see undergrowth,
you see the perfect materials for a refuge. CHARMER
3 points. Gain one advantage towards crafting simple You have a silver tongue, knowing which spots
tools, refuges, or other survival items. You are also more to press on people to get the best or the worst
likely to find adequate materials, or make up alternatives out of them. You play them like a puppeteer. Of
for those missing on the spot. course, what some people find charming, oth-
The Characters - Talents

ers find it of bad taste, so you have to know

who your audience is and how to approach it.
LIGHT FEET
6 points. Choose one: Non-voidwalker Iz’kal, populace
You can sneak up on people easily and know Corvo, refined Corvo, Human, or Raag.
how to appear unimportant — turning yourself
into almost another element on the background Gain one advantage towards social interactions with the
comes naturally to you. You feel comfortable type of character you have chosen, for as long as they can
370 surrounded by darkness and moving quietly like see and hear you.
a mouse.
faith: core book

6 points. You gain one advantage towards Stealth actions INTIMIDATING PRESENCE
for as long as your Armour value is no higher than 1.
When you tell them that you’ll hurt them, they
know it’s true. They see what you have planned
NEVER GIVE UP for them in your eyes. They bend their will to
yours.
While being fully aware of the cost of pushing
your body and mind to the limit, you are capa- 6 points. If you are in a situation of being a threat to
ble of doing so when it is needed. You have a another character, you’ll gain one advantage towards
motto: “Always forward”. convincing him to do something. However, they will do so
unwillingly. As soon as they feel they are out of your reach,
3 points. Instant: When you fail at a Survival action, you they will stop obeying you and do what they can to escape
can reduce your Physical or Neural health by one for a from you. Later on, if they find a way to punish you, they
period of one month of in-game time. If you do, you achieve might do so happily.
a critical success instead.

INVESTIGATOR
SAILOR
You have an eye for the detail. Small things that
You find yourself at home when navigating the other people do not realise simply pop up to
seas. You can read the stars to sail treacherous you like beacons in the dark.
oceans, and you can navigate the currents to
avoid standing yourself in ever changing rivers. 6 points. Gain one advantage towards searching for
clues, finding objects, realising something is out of place,
3 points. Gain one advantage towards the control of ships discovering traps, etc.
and swimming actions, also to sailing related actions, such
as the control of ships, or finding directions or food while
in a ship.
JUDGE OF CHARACTER EMPATHY
To you, other people’s feelings are written on When you see someone hurting, you find re-
their faces, voices, and gestures. You are the newed energies within yourself to help them.
first to realise when something is unpleasant
to someone; you also know what drives them. 9 points. When you start a Medical action, draw two
You can put yourself in their shoes and think cards. If they are not used, discard them at the end of the
and feel like they do. action.

9 points. Gain one advantage towards discovering the

true intentions or motives behind someone’s actions or FIRST RESPONDER
words.
You can take care of yourself.

QUICK LEARNER 3 points. After being the patient of a successful First Aid
action, it can be you who spends the actions cleaning up the
You get more out of your experiences than wound instead of the doctor; or, if you do it together, it will
most, learning from your mistakes as well as take half of the required rounds rounded down.
the mistakes of others.

The Characters - Talents

9 points. After finishing a game session, gain one experi- TECHNICAL
ence point in addition to whatever number of experience
points you gained granted by the GM (You’ll still gain 1 ex-
perience point even if the GM did not grant any experience ENGINE MASTER
points that session).
The rumbling of the engines is your mother
tongue.
SLEIGHT OF HAND
3 points. You gain one advantage when repairing some- 371
It’s not a magic trick — it’s an illusion. thing in the Engine system of a vehicle.

faith: core book

3 points. Gain one advantage towards manipulation of
small objects for the purpose of misdirection or conceal- ENHANCED PROCESSING
ment. This also helps if trying to steal something small
without being detected. There is always room for one more.

5 points. You can control 1 more robot than your Link.

MEDICAL
UPGRADE BUILDER
CALM PULSE
Making people into cyborgs is actually simplify-
When a patient’s life is on the line you forget ing the way they work.
about everything — the environment, your wor-
ries, your own self dissipate — and focus solely 3 points. Gain two advantages when creating a Tech
on the task at hand. Upgrade.

9 points. Instant. Suffer 2 unpreventable neural damage

to ignore damage penalties while performing a Medical ROBOT WHISPERER
action.
Robots are an extension of yourself.

DRUG EXPERT 6 points. When you perform an action against an NPC,

for the remainder of the round all your robots receive one
Don’t ask why I know this, but I do. advantage when they act against the same NPC.

9 points. Your can perform drug handling actions as

passive actions.
THE LANGUAGE Profession 7-9: A small spaceship, a big mansion in a non-
central area, a small mansion in a central area, a quite prof-
OF MACHINES itable small business, or something else of similar value.
You know what machines need to give you the
best results.
MERCHANT’S SOUL
9 points. Action. Use it on one of your robots, it will
receive one advantage towards one action of your choice. You can smell a good deal, and the idiot who is
Limited to once per robot per scene. about to hand it out to you.

6 points. Gain one advantage towards commerce interac-

PROFESSION tions related to your Profession. You are very likely to find
the best deals and items that would be hard to find in your
location if they relate to your Profession.
ADOPTED SINGER
Your singing talents have reached the State, SECRET COINER
and the Iz’kal value and enjoy your work. If an
Iz’kal knows who you are, they will welcome You are a member of the radical Secret Coin or-
you to their majmoa (more so if you promise ganization. Long live money!
The Characters - Talents

to sing to them), guide you, and help you out if

they can, for as long as your request is reason- 6 points. Cannot be chosen in the State.
able as a fairly adored stranger.
During character creation you double the credits gained
3 points. Human only. from your Profession statistic. You may attempt a Profes-
sion action to buy any item available in the game related to
While in the State you will be granted usufruct rights as if your profession, even if the GM has ruled you don’t have
you were a technocrat of the State. You still have to return access to it. You still have to pay for the item.
372 everything to Idealab before leaving the State.

STABILITY
faith: core book

GHAZIWA PERFORMER
Your profession earns you a stable income
You are a respected performer, known even in every month, even while you are away from
the Corvosphere among certain artistic circles. your job — maybe you own part of a business,
shares, you are getting royalties or any other
6 points. Iz’kal only. reason that fits your Profession.

Add +1 when calculating your Lifestyle in the Corvosphere. 6 points. Stability may be chosen several times. Cannot
be chosen in the State.

INHERITANCE Stability I: Every month you gain 20% more credits than
usual from your Lifestyle.
You have received an inheritance from some
family member, or even a donation, which Stability II: Every month you gain 50% more credits than
translates into a property of high value (not usual from your Lifestyle.
liquid credits).
Stability III: Every month you gain 75% more credits than
20 points. Inheritance may be chosen several times. usual from your Lifestyle.
Cannot be chosen in the State.

Obtaining this Talent must be approved by the GM, it will CONTACTS

be the GM who determines what exactly it is you inher-
ited. Its value varies depending on your Profession at the “Oh, I know this guy”
moment you purchase this Talent.
9 points. You gain one advantage when using Declar-
Profession 5-6: A very small spaceship, a small mansion ing Story Details for introducing to the story a character
in a non-central area, a normal house in a central area, a related to your Profession.
small business, or something else of similar value.
KNOWLEDGEABLE
“Of course I know how this works”

9 points. You gain one advantage when using Declaring

Story Details for claiming how something related to your
profession works, or how it should behave.

RESOURCEFUL
“Of course I brought that with me, who do you
think I am?”

6 points. You gain one advantage when using Declar-

ing Story Details for declaring that you own or carry
certain tools, documents, or other things related to your
profession.

The Characters - Talents

HOBBY
You are a total geek.

3 points. This Talent can be chosen several times, time

selecting a different hobby.

When you choose this Talent, you must select one viable
hobby. A hobby should be like a profession, but really 373
focused (e.g. musician would be a Profession, whereas

faith: core book

pianist would be a hobby; Engineer would be a Profession,
and drone-builder would be a hobby), and it needs to be
approved by the GM. Your hobbies do not need to be related
to your Profession (e.g. you can be a Businessman, and
choose religious studies or cocktail mixing as hobbies).

You can use a hobby to perform actions related to it using

your Profession Skill, blend in with certain people, enter
certain places, or earn some credits. You cannot Declare
Story Details using a hobby.
GODLY GIFTS
The Gods of FAITH are fickle beings. However, it is not DIVINE POWERS
rare for them to pay attention to their most outstanding
believers, who are the source of their power and their only
way to mold the Universe to their own desires. Gods may You can gain one divine power at any time per session. It
grant powers to their believers if they like their behaviour, costs one Godly Favour. You can have up to as many divine
or they may withdraw their support if their believers betray powers as your Faith.
their designs.
A character with divine powers is called a soulbender.
When a soulbender uses a divine power as the main part
DIVINE ABILITIES of his action and he is confronted, he must use his Faith
Attribute to resolve the confrontation. The Skill to use will
depend on the confrontation, but most powers are usually
A call, a cry for help, a prove of faith, no one knows how it a matter of speed or physical capacity, and this is why most
works — but at any time, anyone can feel his God empower powers will use Initiative or Athletic/EVA.
him when his heart is true. Even those who never were
The Characters - Godly Gifts

gifted with powers. Divine powers have different levels (I, II and III), you can
only use the levels up to your Faith. Additionally, all Divine
The moment you follow a God you obtain its ability, you powers have a prophet level.
can use it at any time.

TRIGGERING DIVINE POWERS

ERGONAUT ABILITY
At any point you can spend one Godly Favour to be able to
Activated. Spend one Godly Favour to discard as much use your divine powers for the remainder of the scene. You
neural damage as your Faith, even neural damage from cannot use your divine powers otherwise.
374 Toxicity or sustained effects currently active.
NEURAL DAMAGE FROM
faith: core book

USING DIVINE POWERS

HEXIAN ABILITY
Many divine powers deal neural damage to the user, this
Activated. Spend one Godly favour to request the GM’s represents the strain that the supernatural have in mere
advice about a choice you have to make or a course of action mortals. This damage is unpreventable but it is suffered
you should take. The GM should give you solid advice, even after the action resolves, therefore it does not incur Skill
if that means revealing to you something you shouldn’t be penalties for that action.
able to know (such as letting you know that you are being
betrayed or deceived, or that there is danger ahead and
what type) thanks to visions granted by Hexia.

ERGON
KALIVAN ABILITY
Activated. Spend one Godly favour to discard any number
of cards and then draw that many number of cards.

DIVINE SHIELD
VEXALE ABILITY
Sustained. Suffer two neural damage and choose another
Activated. Spend one Godly favour and for the remainder character in your line of sight. During each round that char-
of the round every action that targets you will suffer one acter cancels as much damage as your Faith. Limited to one
disadvantage. at a time.

PROPHET LEVEL
LEDGERITE ABILITY
When you use this power you can choose up to two other
Activated. Spend one Godly favour to play any card from characters to be affected by it.
your hand as a Joker (it doesn’t trigger drawing cards rules).
JUDGMENT from you and from each other. The portal is a 2D ring of
energy that does not interact with the physical world of
Instant. Choose another character in your line of sight 2 metres (~6.5 ft) of diameter. All forms of matter and
that has just played a card and suffer as much neural energy can travel between them as if they were next to
damage as his Faith. Then, discard as many cards as your each other. Characters can see clearly through them, and
Faith from the top of the deck and replace the value of the if only one is open, it’s invisible. You can open up to two
played card by your target with the value of any one of the portals, opening a third will close whichever you prefer of
cards you have discarded. the other two - they last open for one hour.

PROPHET LEVEL You can open both portals with a single action.

Shuffle back into the deck any amount of the cards you The portals can be up to 1,000 metres (~1100 yd) away
discarded when using this power. from each other. You gain one advantage towards the
action.

OVERLOAD PROPHET LEVEL

Action (Initiative). Everything around you in a 5 metres There is no longer a time limit they can remain open and

The Characters - Godly Gifts

(~16 ft) radius receives twice as much ACS damage as your you can keep two pairs of portals open simultaneously.
Faith. Then, suffer two neural damage.

PROPHET LEVEL
Alternatively to the regular effects of the power, you HEXIA
can:

Action (Initiative). Choose a target up to 50 metres (~55

yd) away, he and all of the gear he carries receives twice as
much ACS damage as your Faith. Then, suffer two neural 375
damage. ALTERED REALITY

faith: core book

Action (Initiative). Teleport 10 metres (~32 ft) in a straight
TELEPATHY and unobstructed line. For each point of Faith above one,
you can choose to teleport 20 additional metres (~65 ft) or
You can send telepathic messages to anyone in the same gain one advantage towards the action.
planet. Additionally, you can send telepathic messages to
any Ergon believer within the same solar system if you are PROPHET LEVEL
aware they are there and if they choose to receive them.
Additionally, gain: Action (Initiative). Teleport to any
Instant. Suffer one neural damage to heal one neural location you have been in the last hour even if it is out of
damage to as many characters as your Faith within your range or obstructed.
telepathic range. Limited to once per round.

Activated. Choose an character and suffer as much FRAGMENTED REALITY

neural damage as his Faith. That character loses his turn
this round. Reality is filtered by our perception, changing our percep-
tion is as good as changing reality.
PROPHET LEVEL
Sustained. Take two neural damage. Create a sensorial
Receive one less neural damage when you use this power. illusion of up to 10 cubic metres (~13 cubic yd) that affects
one sense of any character with Faith equal or lower than
yours, unless you don’t want them to. A character who
VORTEX performs a successful searching action against your
illusion won’t be affected by your power any longer for the
Ergon can join more than people, it can join spacetime remainder of the scene. An illusion cannot physically hurt
that is otherwise divided. Distances cannot divide us. a character, but it can take him to dangerous places and
situations.
Action (Initiative). Suffer one neural damage. Open one
portal anywhere you can see up to 50 metres (~55 yd) away
The illusion can be of up to 100 cubic metres (~130 cubic They cannot change core memories to that person, such as
yd) and affect three senses. who he is, who his closest people are to him, etc.

The illusion affects all senses, including taste, touch,

temperature, kinesthesia, balance, vibration, etc, making it TIME WARP
“real” for those sensing it. They suffer one disadvantage
when searching for it. Instant. Take two neural damage. Create a sphere 5
metres (~16 ft) in diameter at up to 50 metres (~55 yd) away
PROPHET LEVEL that lasts until the end of the round. While inside the sphere
your Initiative is doubled.
Every time you use this power choose to gain one of the
following: Either the illusion can be of up to 10,000 cubic Receive one less neural damage when you use this power.
metres (~13,000 cubic yd) or they suffer an additional dis-
advantage when searching for it. Additionally, while inside the sphere you gain one advan-
tage towards any action.

FUTURE SIGHT PROPHET LEVEL

The Characters - Godly Gifts

Activated. During this confrontation your opponent must Alternatively to the regular effects of the power, you
play all of his cards before you have to play any. Then, take can:
two neural damage.
Instant. Take two neural damage. Create a sphere 5
Receive one less neural damage when you use this power. metres (~16 ft) in diameter at up to 50 metres (~55 yd) away
that lasts until the end of the round. Time stops inside the
This power is now considered sustained instead of acti- sphere, characters and things inside cannot act and cannot
vated. While it is active you can confront actions even if you be affected by what’s outside. Any character who is par-
were unaware they were targeting you. tially encompassed by the sphere is considered to be inside
of it.
376 PROPHET LEVEL
Instant. Suffer three neural damage to ignore the effects
faith: core book

of a failure.
KALIVA
HIDDEN TRUTH
Sustained. Take two neural damage. You are able to
detect holograms, illusions and stealth devices as if they
did not have any special capabilities. EXTENDED AWARENESS
Additionally, you can read the emotions of other charac- You can sense danger, even in the most uneventful days,
ters with equal or less Mind than your Faith without them even while you sleep there is always a part of you that
noticing. You can read basic emotions, such as anger, fear scans around you. There is a voice that speaks to you in the
or happiness, but not thoughts. E.g. if someone is lying to language of dreams: conversations that you remember
you, you may read nervousness or elation, but you won’t having but can’t remember the content nor the voice of the
know for certain if what you are hearing is the truth. person talking. No, not the person, the God, Kaliva looks out
for you, and when she says be ready, you always are.
Additionally, while maintaining physical contact with the
target, each second of contact allows you to read a second Instant. Take one neural damage. Confront an action that
of memories and thoughts. targets you even if you were unaware of it (you can wake up
from a regular sleep to do this) if the character performing
PROPHET LEVEL it has Faith equal or lower than you.

Additionally, while maintaining physical contact with the Additionally, you are capable of noticing the smallest
target, you can incept memories into his psyche. These details and clues (e.g. someone tailing you in the crowd or a
memories must be circumstantial, such as changing his drop of blood in a red carpet). When you perform a search-
memory of who told him what, changing how he remem- ing action against another character, gain one advantage
bers the names of people not close to him, or remember or for every point your Faith is higher than his.
forgetting being or knowing about a place, a stranger, etc.
PROPHET LEVEL PROPHET LEVEL
Instant. When you declare a counteraction, draw one Additionally, if when you use this power you are success-
card and then discard one card. ful, draw one card.

GREED PHANTOM
Why is it bad to want things? We might not be the physical Who said that being invisible came with a cost? It actually
centre of the universe, but we are the centre of how we reaps benefits. The things people say and do when they
perceive it, and everything that does not pass through me think they are alone, the places they hide and the things
might as well not exist as I will never know. Who is to say they keep. The things you can do in the dark, I can do in the
this is not all for me? Who is to say that I am to be content? light too.
I might be God myself. The more I think about it the more
empowered I feel, and the closer I am to being one. Sustained. Take two neural damage. Any character with
Faith equal or lower than yours is affected by phantom,
Action. Store aside up one card from your hand (leave it unless you don’t want them to. A character who performs
on the table upside down in a clearly defined pile). These a successful searching action against you won’t be affected

The Characters - Godly Gifts

cards are not being played nor discarded, they will not by your power any longer for the remainder of the scene.
trigger any drawing cards mechanics and do not count When searching for you, they will suffer one disadvantage
towards your maximum hand of cards size. They cannot be for every point your Faith is higher than theirs.
discarded, they will remain there until used.
Additionally, you will not draw attention as long as your
Instant. When you can play a card, you can play a stored behaviour does not stand out of the ordinary (you can tail
aside card as if was from your hand. Then, take one neural someone in a public space, or go into a service only area in
damage. a building and no one will question your presence there).
After interacting with you, they will be unable to remember
You can store two additional cards. anything remarkable about you, they’ll struggle to
remember even basic things such as your species or what 377
When you store any number of cards, draw one fewer you talked about.

faith: core book

card that the number of cards you stored.
Additionally, characters cannot target you with their
PROPHET LEVEL actions for as long as there are other viable targets in range
(viable targets can’t never be characters of their own team
Additionally, take one additional neural damage to play or civilians).
the lowest of your stored cards and it won’t count towards
the number of cards you can play of an Attribute. Limit PROPHET LEVEL
once per action.
Additionally, you are literally invisible until you do some-
thing that would necessarily draw attention to you (shoot
NATURAL SELECTION someone on the face, step on someone’s foot, yell like a
madman).
It is not a matter of good or bad. It just makes sense. It is
perhaps the only thing that makes sense in this otherwise
senseless universe: Those who are better prevail. You SOULHUNT
prevail.
It’s not a connection, it’s not a bond, it’s an instinct, a
Instant. Take two neural damage. Gain one advantage hunter’s instinct. You can sense your targets through time
towards one action. If the Skill you are using is higher than and space. If you were blind you could still see where they
your opponent’s, suffer one less neural damage. Limited to are. If you were deaf you could still hear them. You have
once per round. hunted their souls.

Additionally, there is no longer a limit of the times you Action. Mark a character without him knowing. You can
can use this power per round. mark any number of characters with a total Faith value
equal or lower than yours. You can unmark a character at
Additionally, you can ignore Skill penalties when deter- any time.
mining your Skill value for the purposes of determining if
your Skill is higher than your opponent’s to use this power. You can feel the presence and mood of marked charac-
ters anywhere in the same solar system and you’ll know
their general direction. You have a pretty good idea of how PROPHET LEVEL
far away they are.
While this power is active you suffer one less point of
Additionally, if you close your eyes you can see through physical damage from each damage source (After applying
any of your marked character’s eyes. all damage modifiers and levels of success).

Additionally, if you cover your ears you’ll hear through

any of your marked character’s ears and you’ll know where PSYCHOMETRY
they are even if they don’t.
Action. Suffer two neural damage. You may experience
PROPHET LEVEL visions from objects of otherwise unknown history by
making physical contact with them. You will obtain infor-
This power does not longer have a maximum range. mation such as where the object was created, who brought
it there, who has been in contact with it lately, etc. Once you
had a vision you cannot have another from the same object
unless you increase your Faith. The visions are blurry and
chaotic.
VEXAL
The Characters - Godly Gifts

The visions are clear and appear in chronological order.

Additionally, they contain some words that were heard
close to the object.

Additionally, the soulbender may use Psychometry on

GRAVITY SHIFT living and dead organisms as well.

Sustained. Suffer two neural damage. Choose a surface PROPHET LEVEL

that is significantly bigger than you up to 20 metres (~65 ft)
away, you’ll fall towards it as if gravity pulled you towards You can leave memories and messages in objects and
378 it instead of pulling you towards the ground (this is true people, you can select who (by name, by species, or by any
even if you are in a location without gravity). You have good other standard) will receive it when they touch it - they are
control over your fall and you won’t receive damage when not required to have Psychometry to receive it.
faith: core book

you finally hit the surface regardless of the speed and

distance you covered falling.
TELEKINESIS
Receive one less neural damage when you use this power.
Action (Athletic/EVA). You can move things and people
Activated. Change the surface towards which you are in your line of sight up to 20 metres (~65 ft) away as if you
falling. were holding them. You can lift up to your normal carrying
weight. Then, suffer one neural damage.
PROPHET LEVEL
Action (CQC). You can perform unarmed CQC actions up
Use this power while performing a grappling action to 20 metres (~65 ft) away as if you were 2 metres (~6.5 ft)
towards a character with equal or lower Faith than you, away against characters in your line of sight.
if you are successful the power will have it’s effect on
that character (you are still the one who takes the neural You gain one advantage towards this actions.
damage).
PROPHET LEVEL
PLANESWALKER While using the power if you are lifting inanimate objects
you can lift up to 500 Kg.
Sustained. Suffer three neural damage. You can move
through static solid surfaces as if they were not there. You
cannot carry anything outside your body, including gear UNYIELDING RESOLVE
and clothes.
Instant. Suffer one neural damage. Ignore all Skill penal-
You can carry your regular gear when using the power. ties caused by physical damage until the end of the round.

One character in physical contact with you can also Instant. Suffer one physical damage. Recover up to three
benefit from this power. neural damage even if it comes from sustained effects.
Activated. You can play one card over the maximum
during this action. Then, suffer one physical damage. MADNESS
Limited to once per action.
Sustained. Suffer one neural damage. All characters with
PROPHET LEVEL Faith less than or equal to yours in a 10 metre (~32 ft) radius
are affected, including yourself. Any confrontation involv-
Instant. Spend one Godly favour to recover up to two ing a character affected by Madness must be resolved
physical health. using cards played from the top of the deck, instead of their
respective hands.

PROPHET LEVEL
LEDGER When you play a card from the top of the deck while
using this power, reveal an additional one and choose which
to play and which to discard.

LEDGER’S MARK
DEATH OF FAITH

The Characters - Godly Gifts

It can only be chosen during character creation. It
Sustained. Suffer two neural damage. Choose a char- can be chosen even if you do not follow Ledger or
acter in your line of sight with Faith less than or equal to you follow another God. It is free.
yours. Then, choose one of that character’s divine powers
or his God’s ability, he won’t be able to use it and it will stop You can sense when another character around
working if it was currently active for as long as this effect you also has the Mark. You will feel an instinctive
is active or until the end of the scene. kinship towards them. Other soulbenders who can
read minds, sense souls, gauge divine power or use
PROPHET LEVEL similar abilities can sense that you have ‘a bit of
Ledger’ inside. 379
When you use this power, choose an additional power to

faith: core book

be affected. You gain a variation to Ledger’s ability:

Activated. Gain the characteristic Misfortune

FEAR FOG (write it down on your character sheet) to play any
card from your hand as a Joker (it won’t trigger any
Sustained. Suffer two neural damage. All other charac- drawing cards mechanic).
ters with Faith less than or equal to yours in a 20 metre
(~65 ft) radius are affected. All those characters suddenly You can gain Misfortune any amount of times. At
experience a primordial fear. They receive a disadvantage any point during a confrontation in which you take
when performing actions that do not have the aim of part the GM can remove one of your Misfortune in-
escaping the radius of this divine power. stances to use Ledger’s ability against you, playing
it in favour of any other character or TSE.
PROPHET LEVEL
This power deals no neural damage to you.

GIFT OF THE DECEIVER

Gain any one divine power from any other God. You can
use it as if you had one fewer point of Faith.

PROPHET LEVEL
You can use it with your actual Faith.
the gear
GENERAL RULES
In FAITH, characters can carry and use any kind of gear Ghost: It does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still
they might acquire, find, or craft. Some of the most impor- be hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the
tant pieces of equipment are represented on cards con- hacker locates it accurately.
taining all the important information needed to use them.
However, we encourage players to create their own gear if Glove: It must be worn on one hand. It can be attached to
they find the need for it. a suit with a Technical action.

There are five types of gear cards: ranged weapons, CQC Godly Mark: It is not a physical item. It cannot be taken
weapons, robots, suits, and objects. away from you nor be discovered by others.

Heavy Weapon: This weapon is used with Constitution.

ENERGY AND Receive one disadvantage towards Agility while carrying it.

ACS DAMAGE Injectable: It can be injected on a patient, who will be

affected by its effects. Then it must be discarded.

Certain pieces of gear have characteristics with energy, Mini-robot: 1 to 5 mini-robots count as a level one robot
The Gear - General Rules

or the keyword Powered. Those characteristics are consid- towards the number of robots you can control. Mini-robots
ered powered, and if the piece of gear suffers more ACS are not autonomous and have very limited capacities.
damage than their own energy or the energy of the piece of
gear if they don’t have an energy, they stop working. Each Spectre: Ghost. Additionally, all other pieces of gear
powered characteristic can be turned off individually. carried by you gain Ghost.

E.g. If a piece of gear has got three powered Throwable: Action (Athletic/EVA). It may be thrown up
characteristics the first with energy 6, the second to 50 metres (~55 yd) away. It provides one advantage if
382 with energy 5 and the third with energy 3, suffers 6 thrown within 10 metres (~11 yd) and it suffers one disad-
ACS damage both the second and the third powered vantage for every 10 metres (~11 yd) or fraction further.
characteristics will be cancelled, but not the first.
faith: core book

Very Easy to Hide: It can be hidden while wearing regular

clothes, even without a jacket.
COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS RANGED WEAPONS
Some pieces of equipment have commonplace char- Ranged weapons are weapons used in ranged combat,
acteristics that are only described on the card if there is and they provide a means to attack targets from a distance.
enough space, otherwise you can find them here: There are many different types of ranged weapons, but
they are usually separated into two main types: projectile
Cortex Connected: It must be connected to a Cortex Con- weapons and electronic weapons.
nector Upgrade to be used.
Projectile weapons have magazines, whereas electronic
Close Quarters Weapon (CQW): It provides one additional weapons have batteries and use electric energy to shoot. If
advantage towards Shooting actions against targets within the weapon has a magazine, it needs to have ammunition to
10 metres, unless it is confronted with a CQC action. shoot; and if it has an energy value, it cannot shoot if it has
suffered more ACS damage that its energy value.
Drone: It moves by flight, both within atmospheres and
vacuum spaces.
RANGE
Easy to Hide: It can be hidden while wearing a jacket or
similar piece of clothing. A weapon’s effectiveness is related to the distance to its
target. Most weapons have two different ranges and a few
EM Shield: Its armour cannot be reduced or ignored by specialist weapons have a third range.
plasma or neural ammunition.
Close Quarters (CQ): Up to 20 metres (~22 yd). The most
common range indoors, or in dense urban areas.
Standard Distance (SD): From 20 (~22 yd) to 100 metres PLASMA X
(~110 yd). The range most characters can see clearly Plasma weapons use target-lock software to
without magnification. adjust their lasers’ trajectories, meeting pre-
cisely at the target. When the lasers meet,
Long Distance (LD): From 100 metres (~110 yd) to 5 kilo- they induce a high-energy state into the gasses
metres (~3.1 mi). The extended range of some sniper rifles. around the target, creating plasma and burning
The weapon loses 1 damage and receives one disadvantage through even the toughest of steels.
for every additional kilometre (~0.6 mi) after the first.
Action (Shooting). Powered. Its shots cause physical
damage and ignore X armour. It is silent, but it leaves a char-
TYPES OF RANGED acteristic smell. Its lasers can be easily seen in the dark or
at night. Additionally, it does not cause recoil.
WEAPONS
EXPLOSIVE
FIREARM
Old school primitive killing machines. LinkWave Action (Shooting). It causes physical damage in an area. It
made them relevant again, because a firearm causes one less damage per metre (~1.1 yd) or fraction away
can’t be hacked. It is still the most reliable way from the point of impact.
of putting your enemies in the grave.
It is very noisy and leaves notable traces of gunpowder. It

The Gear - General Rules

Action (Shooting). Its shots cause physical damage. It is causes little to no recoil.
noisy and leaves traces of gunpowder and shells. It causes
recoil.
AMMO & MAGAZINE
RAILGUN X
Electromagnetic railguns are built around a Weapons with a magazine (mag) can load as much ammo
pair of parallel conducting rails that accelerate as its value. Every time they are shot they spend one ammo.
ferromagnetic projectiles to incredible speeds. When they run out of ammo, they have to be reloaded with
Their power makes them the preferred weapon an action before they can be shoot again. 383
of snipers and other long range operators.

faith: core book

NOTE: Weapons with magazines load many times more
Action (Shooting). Powered. Its shots cause physical rounds than their ammo value. Ammo represents an un-
damage and ignore X armour. For each armour point specified number of rounds needed to put down enough
ignored, its base damage increases by 1. firepower to get the job done: a burst, cover fire, missed
shoots, etc.
It can only be shot only once per round (i.e. If you shoot
during your turn, and later in the same round someone
targets you, you won’t be able to respond shooting back CLOSE COMBAT
again; or if you used it for one counteraction, you won’t be
able to use it for additional counteractions that round). WEAPONS
NEURAL WEAPON
Neural weapons shoot microwaves that affect Close combat weapons are meant to be used in CQC
the synapses of neurons, slowing them down. situations and they provide characters with the means of
The targets of these weapons normally faint, harming enemies who are nearby. There are many types of
but deep coma is not an unusual effect either. close combat weapons, but with the increasing popularity
The Iz’kal police use neural weapons to con- of armoured suits, these weapons are almost exclusively
trol crowds and they are increasingly popular used by a niche of specialists in boarding or urban warfare,
amongst criminals due to their untraceability. and some primitive species.

Additionally, neural weapons can shoot in

Adaptive Circuit Severance (ACS) mode, em- FIGHTING STYLES
ploying different wavelengths to cause electri-
cal overload of the microprocessors present in
Close combat weapons can be used in two fighting styles:
the target.
Hit - using Dexterity - and Grapple - using Constitution. Each
weapon indicates the advantages (+) or disadvantages (-) it
Action (Shooting). Powered. Its shots cause neural OR provides and the damage it causes in each fighting style.
ACS damage, and ignore armour. It is silent and leaves no
traces. Additionally, it does not cause recoil.
SUITS ROBOTS
Suits are full body wearable pieces of equipment. Each Robots are NPCs under the control of other characters.
character can wear only one suit at a time. Most suits are They are very complex semi-autonomous pieces of gear
normally tailored or adjusted to one character, and, if the that can be used by their controller with the Technical
character is not used to it, putting a suit on or taking it off action issue commands.
can take several minutes.
When they are under the control of a player character,
consider the robot a friendly NPC that must follow all
CHARACTERISTICS commands by its controller and has no agenda of it’s own.

All suits share some common characteristics as de-

scribed here. STRUCTURE
They have some common non-powered characteristics The structure (STR) value is the maximum physical
that do not stop working unless the suit breaks somehow: damage a robot can withstand before it stops working. If a
robot suffers more physical damage that its STR, it will be
◊ Vacuum protection. deactivated until it is repaired.
The Gear - General Rules

◊ Limited oxygen supply and air filters.

ENERGY
◊ -20ºC to 50ºC thermal protection.
The Energy (NRG) value is the maximum ACS damage
And some common powered characteristics that will a robot can withstand before it stops working. If a robot
stop working if the suit suffers more ACS damage than its suffers more ACS damage that it’s NRG, it will be deacti-
main energy value. vated until it is repaired.

384 ◊ A high tier computer that directly connects to

your brain, allowing you thought control over it (it CHARACTERISTICS
cannot be used to perform hacking attacks, but it
faith: core book

can have software installed, use it to navigate the Robots have some common powered characteristics
web, to communicate, watch and project video, that will stop working if they suffer as much ACS damage
etc). as their energy value.

◊ Battery with long autonomy. ◊ High definition camera, microphones and status
sensors (all data is recorded and stored for one
◊ Radio and network comms. week).

◊ Directional lights in helmet and gloves. ◊ Directional light.

◊ Infrared visor. ◊ Radio and network comms.

Additionally, each suit has a number of specific charac- ◊ Vacuum and atmospheric working capabilities.
teristics that sets it out from the rest which are described
in each suit - They will stop working if the suit suffers more
ACS damage than their specific energy value. OTHER ITEMS
There are all kinds of objects that characters can use
in the Universe of FAITH, from rigs to grenades, from the
technical to the medical, and all forms of tools. It is up
to the GM and the players to make up their own objects,
although some of the most usual yet interesting items are
represented in cards or in this book.
GEAR ANATOMY
In FAITH, each piece of gear comes in a card. Additionally, Agility modifier: While wearing a suit, it might provide
in this book you can find several pieces of gear with which one advantage (+) or disadvantage (-) towards Agility
you can begin your adventures. actions.

Armour: See page 342.

CARDS
2 Attribute: This icon can be found next to Skill values
with a number inside, which determines how many
FAITH uses cards to improve the gaming experience and cards it can play randomly from the top of the deck
to put the art on the table where it belongs. All the informa- (or if under the control of the GM, she can decide to
tion you need to use the different elements of the game play cards from her hand instead).
(NPCs and gear) can be found in these cards, but they are
just a playing aid. You can use the NPCs and gear included Energy: See page 382.
in this book for your games, or include some additional
choices with some of the decks. 2 Firewall: The number of cards the FW can play is
inside the icon.

The Gear - General Rules

CARD BACKS Initiative Skill: The number of cards the NPC can play
for Initiative is inside the icon.
All the cards share the same format for their backs (only
the colour changes: Red for NPCs, blue for gear, and yellow Magazine: See page 383.
for robots.
Neural health: See page 341.

SYMBOLS AND ICONS Physical health: See page 341.

385
Structure: See page 384.

faith: core book

To help you navigate the information, there are several
icons and symbols you need to remember:

CHARACTERISTIC

POWERED CHARACTERISTIC

INFO

FLAVOUR TEXT
NAME

COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS

ILLUSTRATION

ENERGY
The Gear - General Rules

386
faith: core book

NAME
COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS

ILLUSTRATION

MAG/ENERGY RANGES/
FIGHTING STYLES

TYPE OF WEAPON
NAME
COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS

ILLUSTRATION

ENERGY

ARMOUR

AGILITY MODIFIER

The Gear - General Rules

387

faith: core book

LEVEL NAME

STRUCTURE COMMON
CHARACTERISTICS

ENERGY

ARMOUR

FIREWALL

ILLUSTRATION
INITIATIVE

PHYSICAL/MENTAL STATS’ NUMBER

STATS’ SKILL VALUE OF CARDS
COMMON
NAME CHARACTERISTICS INFO ENERGY FW

HARDLIGHT SCREEN Armour :: 3,000 credits

3
weight: 0.8 kg :: size: glove
Glove HD polymer 2 3

Plasma Shield

Powered. Activated. Use to receive one advantage

towards a dodging action.
The Gear - General Rules

Initially developed to allow CQC units to get into effective range in

less than suitable environments. Its versatility and ease of use has
made it become a widespread tool among a variety of operatives.

ILLUSTRATION CHARACTERISTIC FLAVOUR TEXT

388
faith: core book

COMMON RANGES/FIGHTING AMMO/

INFO NAME CHARACTERISTICS STYLES ENERGY FW

REAPER Close Standard

2
Quarters Distance
Cortex Connected 4 4+ 3 8
Assault Rifle :: 25,000 credits
weight: 7 kg :: size: 95 cm :: Plutonium core Plasma 1

Powered. Its shots cause physical damage and ignore

one armour.
Assisted Aim

Activated. Use to extend Standard Distance range to

ILLUSTRATION CHARACTERISTIC
ILLUSTRATION

The Gear - General Rules

CRYPSIS SUIT NAME MEDBOT
COMMON
Cortex Connected :: Spectre Ghost
CHARACTERISTICS
45,000 credits 1 :: 35,000 credits
weight: 8 kg :: size: custom weight: 3 kg :: size: 35 cm
Light bending polymer :: Plutonium core INFO 5 metres (walking) :: Plutonium core 389
Produced in the State by Idealab Produced in the State by Idealab

faith: core book

2 ICONS 1

3 1 8 1 3 0 1

Optical Camouflage STATS PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9

SKILL 1 SKILL 2 SKILL 1
Receive one advantage towards a Hiding action if
hidden in an adequate place. Characters further than
Tiny
20 metres away suffer one disadvantage towards all
actions against you that require line of sight.
CHARACTERISTICS Ballistic attacks against it suffer one disadvantage.
It gains one advantage towards hiding actions.

Drug Handler

It may carry one injectable piece of gear and you can

perform Drug Handling actions through it.

The miners of remote Corvo colonies tell each In Medbots, bedside manners are as impor-
other stories about evil Iz’kal ghosts that hunt their
enemies anywhere at any time of the day. FLAVOUR TEXT tant as knowledge and experience... probably
because they are easier to implement.
SAVANT Close Standard
Quarters Distance
CQW :: Easy to Hide 3+ 2 3
SMG :: 2,000 credits
weight: 2 kg :: size: 65 cm :: 8 mm ammunition Firearm

Its shots cause physical damage.

Designed for special forces and private security, the Savant is a

great choice in the urban environment and has quickly become
the most popular weapon among criminals and pirates.

KAIVE Close Standard

Quarters Distance
Firearm 3+ 3+ 3
The Gear - Ballistic Weapons

Assault Rifle :: 4,000 credits

weight: 4 kg :: size: 75 cm :: 8 mm ammunition Grenade Launcher

Action (Shooting). Shoot a grenade up to 50 metres,

ignoring range disadvantages.

Scope
Activated. Use to extend Standard Distance range to
300 metres, ignoring weapon advantages further than 100
metres away. Use to see in infrared.
390 One of the most common and versatile weapons. The design
originated from Earth during the Corvo invasions, and was
later improved and adapted for use in 0-G operations.
faith: core book

DOORKICKER Close Standard

Quarters Distance

2++ 2- 4
Shotgun :: 10,000 credits
weight: 4 kg :: size: 70 cm :: 20 mm ammunition Firearm

Its shots cause physical damage.

Fire Selector

When declaring each shot, choose: Buckshot: If the

target has up to 1 armour, its base damage is doubled; OR
Slug: It ignores 1 armour and it ignores its disadvantage in
standard distance.
A kick in the door, the dry sound of a shotgun firing a round,
screams all around the victim. A standard procedure among
Tiantang crooks that gives the name to this no-nonsense weapon.

RUSS Close Standard

Quarters Distance
Quickdraw :: Very Easy To Hide 2+ 2- 2
Handgun :: 500 credits
weight: 1 kg :: size: 25 cm :: 9 mm ammunition Firearm

Its shots cause physical damage.

A popular sidearm among security details

who prefer reliability over style.
HAILSTONER Close Standard
Quarters Distance
Heavy Weapon 2 3- 6
Machine Gun :: 12,000 credits
weight: 9 kg :: size: 83 cm :: 8 mm ammunition Firearm

Its shots cause physical damage.

Bullet Storm

Its targets must perform a counteraction and can’t use

activated effects. Activated. Use to hit additional targets
within a 30º cone of fire who are in the same range.
The Hailstoner offers a fantastic balance between aesthetic appeal
and firing ratio. Its unique colour scheme, based on radioactive
elements, is sure to scare away the hypochondriac type.

WITTY Close Standard

Quarters Distance

4- 4+ 3

The Gear - Ballistic Weapons

Sniper Rifle :: 19,000 credits
weight: 8 kg :: size: 110 cm :: 12 mm ammunition Firearm

Its shots cause physical damage.

Bipod
Action. Set it up or take it down. While set up, it is fixed
to the ground or a wall, allowing the weapon to rotate 90º
in either direction, and it grants one advantage towards
Shooting actions.
The “Witty” takes its name after a widespread jest whereby you 391
turn the gun 90 degrees to point to the person beside you who
is making bad jokes and say “that’s witty” before shooting.

faith: core book

BELLADONNA Close Standard Long 2
Quarters Distance Distance

3+ 3+ 3 3 8
Assault Rifle :: 30,000 credits
weight: 8 kg :: Lenght: 75 cm :: 40 mm ammunition Railgun 1

Powered. Its shots cause physical damage and ignore one

armour. For each armour point ignored, its base damage
increases by 1.
Infrared Sight

See in infrared.

The Belladona is a state-of-the-art, all-round weapon

that is proving useful in all sorts of armed conflicts.

CURIE Close Standard Long 2

Quarters Distance Distance

4+ 2++ 4 3 8
Assault Rifle :: 45,000 credits
weight: 6 kg :: size: 70 cm :: Polonium core Radiation Weapon

Powered. Its shots cause Toxicity and ignore armour.

The amount of Toxicity does not change with the level of
success.
Wide Shot

Activated. Use to hit additional targets within a 30º cone

of fire who are in the same range.
Styled Curie by Human Ghyr after one of the most
legendary Earth scientists, the long term effects
caused by its shots are devastating.
NOBRAINER Close Standard
2
Quarters Distance

2+ 1++ 2 8
Assault Rifle :: 5,000 credits
weight: 3kg :: size: 65 cm :: Radon core Neural Weapon

Powered. Its shots cause neural OR ACS damage, and

ignore armour.

The nobrainer is a very popular weapon among worship-

pers of Ergon due to its non-lethal nature, especially if you
consider deep coma to be just another form of living.

DIAPERER Close Standard

2
Quarters Distance
Very easy to hide :: Ghost :: Glove 2+ 1- 2 6
The Gear - Ballistic Weapons

Handgun :: 2,000 credits

weight: 0.7 kg :: size: 25 cm :: Xenon core Neural Weapon

Powered. Its shots cause neural OR ACS damage, and

ignore armour.

392 The diaperer took its name from the interesting results
obtained during the testing process in Human specimens.
faith: core book

NEMESIS Close Standard

2
Quarters Distance

3+ 3+ 2 8
Assault Rifle :: 15,000 credits
weight: 6 kg :: size: 75 cm :: Plutonium core Plasma 1

Powered. Its shots cause physical damage and ignore

one armour.
Movement Recognition

Activated. Use to gain one advantage when Shooting a

moving target or a target attempting to dodge.
0-G atmospheric environments gave lasers the protagonist role
in military operation they deserved, especially against heavily
armoured targets. The Nemesis is the epitome of this technology,
piercing even through the thickest of armours without any recoil.

REAPER Close Standard

2
Quarters Distance
Cortex Connected 4 4+ 3 8
Assault Rifle :: 25,000 credits
weight: 7 kg :: size: 95 cm :: Plutonium core Plasma 1

Powered. Its shots cause physical damage and ignore

one armour.
Assisted Aim

Activated. Use to extend Standard Distance range to

300 metres. Use to see in infrared. Use to aim at multiple
targets within your sight at the same time.
Hands down one of the best weapons ever made, it is
so powerful that it is worth the risk of losing control of it
when facing hackers... yet another reason why everyone
in the defence department hates web surfers.
VIBROBLADE Hit Grapple
1
(DEX) (CON)
Close Combat Weapon 3++ 0 2 5
Sword :: 2,000 credits
weight: 1.3 kg :: size: 70 cm :: Radon core Vibrating Core

Powered. It ignores one armour.

Designed to cut through light polymer armours, this blade has been
used ever since the Uprising by all sorts of martial arts students.

ACS BO Hit Grapple

2
(DEX) (CON)
Close Combat Weapon 2++ 0 2 5
Reach weapon :: 2,000 credits

The Gear - CQC Weapons

weight: 1.5 kg :: size: 170 cm :: Radon core Disruptor

Powered. Activated. After a successful CQC action, cause

3 ACS to your target or a piece of gear carried by your
target.

Often regarded as “archaic” by design, the ACS bo is a reliable 393

means to deal with electronic weapons in narrow spaces.

faith: core book

HAMARAS Hit Grapple
2
(DEX) (CON)
Close Combat Weapon :: Heavy Weapon 4 0 3 5
Hammer :: 4,000 credits
weight: 3 kg :: size: 70 cm :: Mounted crystal Powerful Blows

Powered. If the damage caused by this weapon is reduced

by armour, it causes as much neural damage that ignores
armour as the damage reduced by the armour.

A difficult weapon to wield, the Hamaras is

deadly in the hands of a Raag hunter.

NEUROKNIFE Hit Grapple

1
(DEX) (CON)
Close Combat Weapon :: Ghost :: Very Easy to Hide 2+ 0 1 1
Short weapon :: 10,000 credits
weight: 0.6 kg :: size: 35 cm :: Xenon core Neural Blade

Powered. It causes neural damage instead of physical

damage, and ignores armour. It leaves no traces at all, and
it does not cause physical wounds. If it is turned off by ACS
damage, this weapon does not cause any damage.

One of the most lauded weapons to come out of Idealab,

the Neuroknife makes its victims *think* they’ve been
maimed. A clean and sophisticated way to win a fight.
HARDLIGHT SCREEN Armour :: 3,000 credits
3
weight: 0.8 kg :: size: glove
Glove HD polymer 2 3

Plasma Shield

Powered. Activated. Use to receive one advantage

towards a dodging action.

Initially developed to allow CQC units to get into effective range in

less than suitable environments. Its versatility and ease of use has
made it become a widespread tool among a variety of operatives.

RHINOSKIN Armour :: 3,000 credits

weight: 4 kg :: size: custom
Carbon nano plates

Bulky

It can only be concealed under large clothes. If worn on

The Gear - Items

top of a suit or other bulky gear you suffer one disadvan-

tage towards Agility actions.
Tactical armour

It provides 1 armour against attacks that do not score a

decisive or critical success.
394
Sometimes, even the most basic of armours is
the difference between life and death.
faith: core book

FRAG GRENADE Grenade :: 1,000 credits

weight: 1.2 kg :: size: 15 cm
Throwable Polymer frame

Frag Blast

It causes 4 physical damage up to one metre away, and 1

less damage for every metre or fraction further.

A sudden wake of violence and sound, then silence.

You’ve just blown out your eardrums.

FLASH GRENADE Grenade :: 1,000 credits

weight: 0.8 kg :: size: 15 cm
Throwable Polymer frame

Flash Wave

It causes one disadvantage to characters up to one metre

away who are not in cover towards all their actions during
this round and the next.

A flash, a bang, a sudden wake. Then silence, and then death.

AVALON Rig :: 25,000 credits
2
weight: 0.6 kg :: size: helmet
Cortex Connected Graphene 4 8

Rig 2 (LinkWave 100)

Powered. It causes 2 points of ACS damage when per-

forming a DoS action.

Defensive Hack

Powered. Action (Hacking). Cause your opponent’s action

to fail. You can play as many cards as your Link, even if you
have already used your Link this round.
The defensive capabilities of the Avalon make it the secondary rig of
choice of electronically equipped operatives all around the Sphere.

TRIDENT Rig :: 25,000 credits

2
weight: 0.5 kg :: size: helmet
Cortex Connected Graphene 3 8

Rig 2 (LinkWave 50)

Powered. It causes 2 points of ACS damage when per-

The Gear - Items

forming a DoS action.
Spreading Infection

Powered. Activated. If you are the triggering character,

you can target up to 3 NPCs or pieces of gear with each
infest action. Additionally, it reduces the ACS damage
caused to it by Firewalls by 2 each round. 395
Thrice a threat, thrice the risk.

faith: core book

ELYSIUM Rig :: 4,000 credits
2
weight: 0.8 kg :: size: helmet
Cortex Connected Graphene 3 8

Rig 2 (LinkWave 50)

Powered. It causes 2 points of ACS damage when per-

forming a DoS action.

2.0 Data Ports

Receive one advantage towards Hacking actions using a

physical connection.

The preferred tool of infiltration hackers, it allows

the user to quickly extract information in site.

SHAMAYIN Rig :: 25,000 credits

2
weight: 0.8 kg :: size: helmet
Cortex Connected Graphene 3 8

Rig 2 (LinkWave 50)

Powered. It causes 2 points of ACS damage when per-

forming a DoS action.

Tactical Rig

Powered. Activated. If you are hacking a suit or a weapon,

gain one advantage OR cause 2 extra ACS damage.

A very flexible tool in the hands (or brains!) of a capable

hacker, it is favoured by combat technicians.
ADRENALINE SHOT Medical :: 500 credits
weight: 0.1 kg :: size: 15 cm
Injectable Light polymer

Adrenaline Shot

Activated. Toxicity 1. Move up to 3 damage points from

him to this card and ignore their effects. At the end of the
scene, discard this card and move the damage back to the
character. This effect cannot be stacked.

Front line infantry find these to be essential in the thick of battle.

However, they often forget that the effects are merely temporary.

ATP INFUSION Medical :: 500 credits

weight: 0.3 kg :: size: 10 cm
Injectable Polymer flask

ATP Infusion

Action (Drug Handling). Toxicity 2. The patient draws 2

The Gear - Items

cards and discards back to maximum hand size.

396 “Feeling down and out? No more! With the new

ATP Infusion, you’ll feel renewed and refreshed
in a matter of seconds. Apply with care.”
faith: core book

MEDSTATION Medical :: 4,000 credits

1
weight: 0.5 kg :: size: 35 cm
Light polymer 2 5

Medikit

Powered. Action (Surgery). Gain two advantages towards

the action. In addition to the usual effects, the patient
recovers 1 physical damage every three days of in-game
time.

The basic tool of every field doctor, packed with many

different instruments and medical supplies.

SEALING GEL Medical :: 75,000 credits

weight: 5 g :: size: 0.5 cm
Graphene

Sealing Gel

Action (Drug Handling). The patient must be in normal

health state. Choose a number of physical damage on the
patient to confront this action as a TSE that plays that
many cards. If you succeed, the patient ignores the damage
penalties caused by that damage and discard one point per
round for as many rounds as cards played the TSE.

“Just gotta rub it in, and the nanobots will do the rest. Good
as new, I tell you, you’ll be good as new.” - Sgt. Ibn Abbas
hours before Pvt. Mayin’s death due to combat wounds
EM SHIELDERS Tactical :: 15,000 credits
2
weight: 1.2 kg :: size: 28 cm
Drone :: Mini-robot Graphene 2 5

EM Shield

Powered. Your armour value cannot be reduced or

ignored by plasma or neural weapons.

Decent cover drones, but don’t forget

they don’t stop actual bullets...

NANOENGINEERS Technical :: 5,000 credits

1
weight: 0.001 g :: size: 3 nm
Mini-robot Graphene 1 5

Remote Technicians

Powered. Action (Technical). Install on a device. Action

The Gear - Items

(Technical). If installed on a device, you may perform Tech-
nical actions remotely within your LinkWave range.

The Corvo are not made for combat, so they put their 397
minds towards removing technicians from the front
lines. The nanobots are the result of those efforts.

faith: core book

OMNITOOL Technical :: 4,000 credits
1
weight: 2 kg :: size: glove
Glove High performance polymer 2 5

Multipurpose

Powered. It has a drill, a screwdriver, a soldering torch,

and a power claw. Other tools can be added with Technical
actions. Action (Repairing). Reduce the number of cards
played by the damage suffered by a device by two.

Corvo technicians are so used to this tool,

that they even sleep with it on.

SMART CLOTHES Stealth :: 8,000 credits

1
weight: 0.9 kg :: size: 170 cm
Ghost Light bending polymer 2 6

Optical Illusion

Powered. Action (Cunning). It can automatically change

its optical appearance into any other clothes or suit of
roughly the same size. Its appearance is kept until it is
changed again or the device is shut down.

After the murder they checked the surveillance video and saw
a homeless woman walking by the building, who suddenly was
wearing a suit and entered the building like she owned it. Soon
after she was wearing a uniform and accessing the CEO’s office...
The Gear - Suits

CRYPSIS SUIT HACKER SUIT

Cortex Connected :: Spectre Cortex Connected :: Spectre
45,000 credits 50,000 credits
398 weight: 8 kg :: size: custom weight: 10 kg :: size: custom
Light bending polymer :: Plutonium core High performance fabrics :: Plutonium core
faith: core book

Produced in the State by Idealab Produced in the Corvosphere by Wang Corp

2 2

3 1 8 4 1 8

Optical Camouflage Linkwave Augmentation

Receive one advantage towards a Hiding action if You can confront any Hacking actions performed
hidden in an adequate place. Characters further than within your LinkWave, even if they do not affect you.
20 metres away suffer one disadvantage towards all
actions against you that require line of sight.

The miners of remote Corvo colonies tell each More alluring than a Stratton#N6FAB21416 to any
other stories about evil Iz’kal ghosts that hunt their hacker worth their bandwith, this kind of suit has been
enemies anywhere at any time of the day. involved in roughly 6% of all known cybercrimes.
The Gear - Suits
JUGGERNAUT SUIT KI SUIT
Cortex Connected Cortex Connected
80,000 credits 60,000 credits
weight: 100 kg :: size: custom weight: 30 kg :: size: custom 399
Reinforced carbon plates :: Plutonium core Nickel alloys :: Plutonium core

faith: core book

Produced in the Corvosphere by the Union Produced in the State by Idealab

2 2

5 2 + 8 4 1 + 8

Strength Augmentation Agility Augmentation

You can jump thrice as far and lift thrice as much Activated. Use to gain one advantage towards
weight as you normally would, and you gain one ad- Agility actions.
vantage towards Constitution actions.

Robotic Assisted Inertia

If the suit stops working, you cannot perform Activated. Use to move at twice your normal speed.
Agility, Constitution or Dexterity actions until the suit
is repaired or removed. Activated. Use to ignore the
attribute card limit for the current Agility, Constitution
or Dexterity action. Limit once per round.

“Your Iz’kal enemies will crush under your arms like insects”, The most precious tool of a martial artist, the reincarna-
was the tagline the marketing team had prepared for this tion of the samurai or knight armour in todays warfare.
new suit. But when the State showed interest in buying
several thousand units, it was dropped: The market is boss.
The Gear - Robots

ASSAULT DRONE TECH DRONE

Drone :: EM Shield Drone
Level 2 :: 320,000 credits Level 1 :: 29,000 credits
400
weight: 26 kg :: size: 140 cm weight: 40 kg :: size: 0.5 metres
15 metres (flying) :: Plutonium core 15 metres (flying) :: Lithium-sulphur battery
faith: core book

Produced in the State by Idealab Produced in the Corvosphere by the Union

3 2

3 4 2 5 2 3 0 8

PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 6 PHYSICAL 4 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 5

SKILL 2 SKILL 2 SKILL 1 SKILL 2 SKILL 2 SKILL 2

CLOSE
3 ++ STANDARD
3+ Bench Hand
QUARTERS DISTANCE
It has a drill, a screwdriver, a soldering torch, and a
power claw. Other tools can be added with Technical
actions. If you are its controller, you can perform a
Technical action as if you are in the robot’s location,
and you gain one advantage.

Assault drones were created by the State to replace Ancient Corvos foretold that one day all jobs
infantry soldiers as the core of its army. would be taken over by robots. Centuries later,
all we’ve got are petty tech drones.
The Gear - Robots
JINNK’UL MEDBOT
Ghost
Level 2 :: 195,000 credits Level 1 :: 35,000 credits
401
weight: 60 kg :: size: 160 cm weight: 3 kg :: size: 35 cm
5 metres (walking) :: Plutonium core 5 metres (walking) :: Plutonium core

faith: core book

Produced in the State by Idealab Produced in the State by Idealab

3 1

3 5 1 5 1 3 0 1

PHYSICAL 6 INITIATIVE 3 MENTAL 5 PHYSICAL 3 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 9

SKILL 1 SKILL 2 SKILL 2 SKILL 1 SKILL 2 SKILL 1

LinkWave Augmentation Tiny

It can confront any Hacking action performed within Ballistic attacks against it suffer one disadvantage.
its LinkWave range, even if does not affect it directly. It gains one advantage towards hiding actions.

Rig 3 (LinkWave 75) Drug Handler

Action (Hacking). It causes 3 points of ACS damage It may carry one injectable piece of gear and you can
when performing DoS actions. perform Drug Handling actions through it.

The Iz’kal cannot really hack - it is a known fact and In Medbots, bedside manners are as impor-
a long running joke in the Corvosphere - but they tant as knowledge and experience... probably
sure can design machines to hack for them... because they are easier to implement.
the
vehicles
vehicles
GENERAL RULES
Vehicles are machines directly controlled by the charac- NAMING A CAPTAIN
ters inside them, with little to no autonomy (autonomous
vehicle-like machines exist in FAITH, but those are consid- While inside a vehicle you must name one character to
ered robots and use their corresponding rules). Each vehicle be the Captain. Each group might have its own rules (a crew
has a few intrinsic characteristics, as well as the option of Iz’kal members of the State is not the same as a crew of
to install a number of modules, which can be used by the pirate Corvo). Use them to decide who is Captain at each
characters controlling it. Modules range from piloting tools given time.
to weapons, cargo bays, and other specialised modules for
specific tasks. The Captain will be able to decide certain things relating
to how things affect the vehicle. You can also make up the
In this chapter of the rules, there is a clear distinction rules of hierarchy in your vehicle if you want, which might
between characters and vehicles. However, the core rules establish that the captain can give out orders to the rest
of FAITH do not make that distinction. Whenever a core rule about certain things.
that applies to a character could also apply to a vehicle,
consider the vehicle to be a character for the purpose of If at any given time there is no captain in a vehicle, anything
The Vehicles - General Rules

that rule. that rules wise would normally be decided by the captain is
now decided by the GM until a new captain is named.
NOTE: The modules you will find in this section are
meant to be used with spacecraft, but the rules have been
designed so they can be used with land, air, or even water CONTROLLING A VEHICLE
vehicles. The GM should decide which of the modules are
viable for your custom vehicles. You can also use the board Vehicles can be considered very complex pieces of gear;
for movement and to establish ranges, but you will need to when a character wants to use it, he must determine which
adjust it to realistic distances between whatever vehicles part of the whole he’ll control. Each of these parts are
you are using (e.g. if you are going in a humvee and you called modules. Sometimes using a module takes an action,
404 are being attacked by an enemy chopper, you should use other times their use is activated or instant, representing
meters instead of kilometers). that the advanced machinery can have some autonomy and
can be used through orders or quick responses. Certain
faith: core book

modules are passive and their effect is always taking place

USING VEHICLES until they are shut down.

Several characters can use the same module simultane-

Vehicles can be anything from a two-seater car to a ously using the collaborative actions rules.
massive spacecraft with a crew of thousands. Each vehicle
has it’s own shape and inner spaces; some have barely Vehicles can have dozens of modules, and they are or-
enough space for its crew to sit down, while others have ganized in systems. Each system contains all the modules
huge corridors and trains that transport passengers from of the same kind in that vehicle. Depending on how the char-
one area in the vehicle to another. The vehicle’s description acters can control the vehicle, the systems can limit what
provides a little bit of information about the shape, size, and the characters can use:
crew capacity of each vehicle, but it does not dwell deep
into how their interiors are designed — that is for each GM Manual: Some vehicles do not have cortex connected
to decide. capabilities (i.e. This can be either because they have been
homemade or improvised, or because it’s old tech or it
You can consider that each system is installed in a belongs to a lesser species that does not have cortex
different room. You’ll need to move between them to connected technology yet). Characters must be inside a
access each system’s modules to repair them or use them system to use it. A character has access to all the modules
manually. Usually, everything is controlled from inside the of that system only, therefore he can only use the working
cockpit system and you must be cortex connected to it in modules in that system. Using a vehicle’s module manually
order to use its modules. During conflicts, by default, we is done with Dexterity.
assume that the whole crew is inside the cockpit system.
Of course, spacecrafts have more areas in which the char- Cortex connected: Characters must be inside the cockpit
acters can be (living quarters, carbo bay, etc) and certain of the vehicle to use it cortex connected. While cortex con-
vehicles require that you are inside different systems than nected to the vehicle, a character has access to all of its
the cockpit to use them. It is up to the GM and the players systems simultaneously and therefore can use any working
to come up with the details of the interior of their vehicles module in the vehicle. Using a vehicle’s module cortex con-
if they want to (you could even draw a map of its interior). nected is done with Link.
The systems of a cortex connected vehicle can also be
used manually, following the limitations of Manual vehicles.

NOTE: A vehicle can have as many characters as it’s

maximum crew cortex connected to it, but each of them
has to be verified by the vehicle’s captain.

VEHICLE SHEET
Each vehicle model will have its own vehicle sheet. It will
define several aspects of the vehicle, and its upgradability.

INFO
The information of a vehicle includes: Name of the

The Vehicles - General Rules

SPECIAL ABILITY
Certain vehicles may have a special ability.

405
STATS

faith: core book

Each vehicle has starting stats values, which can later be
changed by damage, wear, or new modules.

The stats of a vehicle are:

◊ Initiative: The vehicle’s Initiative determines when

it and its crew acts in the round.

◊ Dodge: The vehicle might provide advantages or

disadvantages to the pilot for dodging actions.

◊ Evasion: The amount of times the vehicle’s pilot

can use Evade per round.

◊ Acceleration: The amount of times the vehicle’s

pilot can use Accelerate per round.

◊ Firewall: The software that confronts hacking

actions against the vehicle if a character does not,
as any Firewall in a regular piece of gear.

◊ Armour: The vehicle’s armour is subtracted from

the base damage of physical and neural attacks
from external sources.

◊ Threshold: The protection against module shut

down of the vehicle..
◊ Structure: The physical resistance of the vehicle. SYSTEMS
When a vehicle suffers more damage than its
Structure, it is destroyed. Each system can have a number of modules of the same
type installed.
◊ Radar: The Skill used by the pilot when attempting
a search. Systems are the heart of a vehicle, the hardware and
software of the machine. Each vehicle has a number of
◊ Stealth: The Skill used by the pilot when attempt- systems. In each system you can install as many modules
ing to hide (the Size of the vehicle will determine of the same name as the number following the system. Ad-
the number of disadvantages the action suffers). ditionally, you cannot install modules of a higher level than
the vehicle’s level.

EFFECTS
CARGO
A vehicle can suffer several ill effects.
List of the vehicle’s cargo.
Using a pencil keep track of the different effects:
Here you can write down what cargo the vehicle is
The Vehicles - General Rules

◊ Damage: The damage taken by the vehicle. It is carrying.

maintained until the vehicle is repaired.

◊ Tags: The tags the vehicle has received. They are

only lost when the scene ends or when repaired.

◊ Stress/Strain: The effects of abrupt maneuvering

on the crew of the vehicle. The crew of a vehicle
flying in space or an atmosphere will suffer
Stress, other wise it will suffer Strain.
406
faith: core book

STATS
INFO

EFFECTS

POWERED SYSTEMS

NON-POWERED SYSTEMS CARGO

VEHICLE COMBAT
THE INITIATIVE ROUND RESOLVE EFFECTS DURING
MAINTENANCE PHASE
In an Initiative Round involving vehicles, characters inside
one must use the vehicle’s Initiative instead of their own to STRESS
establish the Initiative Order.
During the maintenance phase, all the characters in
A vehicle can wait if the captain decides to do so, but a a vehicle with Stress must confront with their EVA and
vehicle cannot rush. Constitution a TSE that plays as many cards as the Stress
(perform the same TSE for all the characters inside). Then,
During a vehicle’s turn, all the characters in it will take remove all the Stress on the vehicle.
turns in the order established by their own Initiative. They
are allowed to Rush, but it only affects the order of play Each character who fails receives as much neural
of characters within the vehicle - not the order of play damage as the number of cards played by the TSE.
between vehicles or characters outside them. Characters

The Vehicles - Vehicle Combat

can perform any type of action they can think of within the STRAIN
usual limits of their environment, which will usually involve
using one of the vehicle’s modules. During the maintenance phase, one character in a vehicle
with Strain must confront with his Technical and his Link
TIP: When it’s the PC’s vehicle’s turn, let them take their (he can use Dexterity if he is in the Core system) a TSE that
turns in any order to play out their strategies. Do not force plays as many cards as the Strain. Then, remove all the
them to take their turns in their Initiative’s order, which Strain on the vehicle.
will only make them use the wait mechanic until they can
achieve the order of play they desire. Order of play within If he fails, the vehicle suffers an accident of some kind by
a vehicle only matters when there are opponents inside of reasons narrated by the GM related to the reckless driving
it - in that case, in addition to the conflict between vehicles, or overworking of the machinery (e.g. you drive too close 407
you’ll have to resolve the conflict within the vehicle. to a wall and one of your machine guns barrel is ripped off

faith: core book

by the impact, you push the vehicle’s engine too hard and
E.g. Jon, a hacker with Initiative 2; Helio, a pilot it breaks, etc). The GM chooses and shuts down as many
with Initiative 7; and Mauri, a soldier with Initiative modules as the number of cards played by the TSE.
5, are the PCs of an adventure. They are inside
their spacecraft, which is being chased by two
ravager ships. The PC’s vehicle’s Initiative is 6 and MOVING VEHICLES
the ravager ships’ is 3. The PC’s vehicle’s turn is
resolved first: the PC’s take their turns resolving
one action each using their vehicle’s modules in The game mechanics only contemplate the relative
whatever order they desire. Then, the ravager ships distance between vehicles, leaving things like the actual
take their turns and the Round ends. speed, altitude, direction and other details up to the GM to
narrate or not.
A few Rounds later, a ravager assault force
has entered the PC’s vehicle; they are Harvesters In space it does not matter at all, as getting anywhere
with Initiative 6. At the beginning of the Round, the takes weeks or months and a confrontation is resolved in
PC’s spacecraft goes first, but now the order of minutes, therefore the distance the vehicles move within
play inside of it matters and because none of the the timeframe of a confrontation is negligible. In land it is
PCs Rush, the order of play is: First, Helio, who more important, as there are constant obstacles, turns,
decides to wait and save up his cards to dodge the and everything from the type of terrain to the weather
incoming attacks from the ravager ships; second, can have an effect on the outcome of the scene. For this
the Harvesters, who move across the spacecraft reason, it is up to the GM to narrate what the players face
towards the cockpit where the PCs are; third, Mauri, at each given time; triggering TSEs when they are needed to
who opens the door and starts shooting at the Har- represent certain obstacles or difficulties.
vesters across the hall; and fourth, Jon, who hacks
one of the ravager ship’s core in hopes of leaving it In open space and at travel speed, the time spaceships
behind. Then, the ravager ships take their turns and have to fire at each other is close to zero, unless both
the Round ends. spaceships are travelling in the same direction and at a
similar speed.
Confrontations between spaceships will usually take getting closer or further to the PC’s vehicle and whether
place within the labyrinth or when approaching their landing they are following the same direction or not.
location, where travelling at maximum speed is suicidal and
spaceships are forced to move at sub maximum speed, SETTING UP THE BOARD
thus making it much easier to manoeuvre.
To begin an encounter using the board do the following:

SPEED Place the PC’s vehicle’s token in the centre space of the
board. It does not move from there (i.e. The vehicle does
Speed is represented with tokens (if you don’t have any, move in relation to terrain or distances to planets, but it
you can write it down with a pencil, or use the numbers in remains in the centre of the board as the board is used to
a die). When a conflict between vehicles begins, they might represent the relative distance between the PC’s vehicle
be already on the move. Depending on the situation, they and the rest. Therefore, you’ll only move the other vehicles
can start the encounter with more or less Speed tokens on on the board).
them, as determined by the GM.
NOTE: If the PCs have more than one vehicle, decide which
NOTE: Remember that a vehicle inside an atmosphere has one will be on the centre of the board. Whenever the rules
a maximum Speed. And, although there is no limit for the refer to the PCs vehicle, they are referring to the one in the
The Vehicles - Vehicle Combat

Speed in the vacuum, it is recommended not to start with centre of the board.
more than 5 Speed on the PC’s vehicle.
If the PC’s vehicle was already moving when the conflict
started, give it some Speed (it is recommended not to start
THE VEHICLE’S BOARD with more than 5 Speed on the PC’s vehicle).

In the last pages of this book you’ll find a board which Place the rest of the vehicles where they would be as
you can use to visualise your vehicle combat scenes. This is it pertains your story with as much Speed as the story
not necessary to play with vehicles, as you can keep every- requires, if any (note that if they have just reached the PC’s
thing narrative in your heads, but it can come handy when vehicle going after them, they should have more Speed that
408 playing out big encounters or when you feel like playing the PC’s, otherwise they could not have entered the board).
more strategically.
While the players can argue about their vehicle’s starting
faith: core book

To use it, you will need: Speed and the distance they find themselves from the rest
of the vehicles, this is determined by the GM as she sees fit
◊ To print or draw a copy of the board so you can for the story.
have it on the table — that way you can place
things on it and still have access to this book. MOVEMENT ON THE BOARD
◊ Tokens or miniatures for the vehicles. During the maintenance phase you will resolve the Speed
of the vehicles, moving them across the board towards the
◊ Speed tokens. direction they are facing as much as their Speed.

RELATIVE DISTANCE Remember that the PC’s vehicle never moves from the
centre of the board, but you still need to resolve its Speed:
BETWEEN VEHICLES
When calculating how much the other vehicles move,
The rest of the vehicles taking place in the encounter are subtract its Speed from all the vehicles that are going in the
placed in the other spaces of the board depending on the same direction; or add it to all the vehicles that are going in
distance they are from the PC’s vehicle when the conflict the opposite direction.
arises.
Vehicles that leave the board are considered to have lost
NOTE: The board only takes into consideration the track or fallen behind.
relative distance between the PC’s vehicle and the rest,
assuming they all travel in the same direction. Consider the
front and back to cover the respective hemisphere of space TERRAIN
in the front or back of the PC’s vehicle (i.e. In the vacuum
of space the distances are so great that it does not really Vehicles, same as characters, can use terrain in their
matter if ships are approaching from one side of the back; favour to obtain some kind of advantage over their op-
in land it can be more important but it is left to the GM’s ponents, such as protection against attacks, a place to
narrative). What this really represents is if the vehicles are hide, or an opportunity to lose their pursuers. It is up to
the GM to determine if a certain terrain can be used by a
specific vehicle, given its size and characteristics, or if 4. The captain chooses a number of modules of that
moving through it might incur penalties of some kind (i.e. a system equal to the Piercing damage and shuts
small humvee might be able to use a forest to stay hidden, them down.
whereas a tank might have trouble navigating through the
same terrain). E.g. A successful attack deals 12 damage, which
is reduced to 9 by the vehicle’s Armour 3. The ve-
Terrain can also be used to hide, move stealthily, and hicle’s Structure is reduced by 9 points. Addition-
avoid radars and other forms of detection. Some terrain ally, the vehicle’s Threshold is 4, which means the
might be difficult to navigate — confronting vehicles that attack’s piercing damage shuts down 2 modules.
try to move through it as a TSE and damaging or impairing
the movement of those vehicles that fail — or even impass- If there are any characters inside the system receiving
able for certain vehicles, which must find a way around. piercing damage, the captain can decide to convert one
or more piercing damage into one or more final physical
TIP: When the terrain confronts the vehicle, it should be damage to each of those characters instead of shutting
a TSE that plays as many cards as the vehicle’s Speed (and down that many modules. If all the modules are shut down,
it can have advantages or disadvantages depending on the any extra piercing damage must be converted into final
circumstances). However, it is up to the GM to decide the physical damage for the characters inside that system.
effects and opportunities that might arise when playing in

The Vehicles - Vehicle Combat

a given terrain. E.g. If in the previous example, the attack targeted
the vehicle’s cockpit. This vehicle has one working
Vehicles can hide, ambush, and approach stealthily like module installed in the cockpit. The attack shuts it
characters do - although oftentimes it is very difficult for down, and then deals one final physical damage to
them to get close enough to do these things effectively. each member of the crew.
Also, vehicles can get cover from rocks, buildings, and all
types of things. Just like playing with characters, using If the cockpit’s system had had two working
terrain is a narrative tool that each GM can use as they see modules, the captain could have chosen:
fit for their stories.
1. To shut down both modules; the crew takes

no damage. 409
ATTACKING A VEHICLE

faith: core book

2. To shut down only one module, letting the

crew inside the cockpit receive one final

When attacking a vehicle, you can either target the vehicle physical damage.
as a whole or try to target one of its systems, in which case
you will receive one disadvantage. Neither option will allow 3. To let the crew inside the cockpit receive two

you to target the crew directly. final physical damage; no modules are shut
down.
An attack against a vehicle has two effects simultane-
ously: One, it can cause damage which will eventually lead VALID COUNTERACTIONS
to the destruction of the vehicle; and two, it can shut down
TO AN ATTACK
one or more modules, which will eventually lead to the
vehicle becoming inoperative. To represent these effects, Due to the nature of vehicle combat, its typical ranges,
follow the steps below: the aiming automation systems and other issues intrinsic
to vehicles, preventive counteractions (such as attacking
1.
Subtract the damage dealt from the vehicle’s back or hacking the attacking vehicle) are not considered
Structure. If it is reduced below zero, the vehicle is valid counteractions against attacks by vehicles and can
destroyed. not be chosen as such (missiles shot by vehicles, on the
other hand, can be confronted in this fashion, because once
2. Divide the damage caused by the vehicle’s Thresh- they leave the vehicle they are not considered part of the
old and round it down. The resulting number is the vehicle). Therefore, the only valid type of counteraction
Piercing damage. against an attack from another vehicle is trying to avoid it.

3. Choose a system to be the target of the piercing CREW OF A DESTROYED VEHICLE

damage. If the attacker targeted one of the vehicle’s
systems, that’s the system that will be damaged; Vehicles are meant to be able to withstand a lot, so when
otherwise it is chosen by the target vehicle’s captain one breaks it is seriously bad news for the crew inside. If the
(He cannot choose a system which has all of its crew does not die from the impact, it will be left exposed to
modules shut down and has no characters in it). the exterior, or even thrown out at high speed.
As a general rule, if the crew does not leave the vehicle HIDING & SEARCHING
before it is destroyed, they die. However, it might make
sense in your story for your characters not to die straight VEHICLES
away after their vehicle is destroyed. You can play a whole
scene in which the characters must escape from the
vehicle, leaving the controls behind, dodging broken parts Vehicles can also hide and search. Hiding and searching
and flames played by TSEs, and if they are successful they actions are performed by the pilot using his Mind, and,
survive. instead of his Survival, he will use the vehicle’s Stealth to
hide and the vehicle’s Radar to search. A vehicle receives as
many disadvantages towards hiding as its Size.
HACKING A VEHICLE
A vehicle moving close by is reason enough to suspect
that something is hiding, as they are very large and fairly
When you hack a vehicle you must declare any one of the noisy — of course, they also need a very large cover. In
its systems as your target. The target vehicle can confront space, using the engine is also reason enough to trigger a
your action hacking your own vehicle, or let its Firewall searching action from anyone in range (bear in mind that
confront your action. in space the engine is only used when changing direction or
speed, as there is no air resistance a vehicle does not lose
The Vehicles - Vehicle Combat

To resolve a successful DoS action against a vehicle, speed on its own and can keep flying in a set course with the
divide the final ACS damage you dealt by the target’s engines off).
Threshold and round it down. The resulting amount is the
number of modules that are shut down in the system you
targeted. The captain of the target vehicle chooses which
modules are shut down (if the attack could shut down more
WHAT AMBIENCE?
modules than the target system has, the extra ACS damage
is lost). While inside a vehicle use the following clues to under-
stand which ambience the characters are in while perform-
ing their actions:
410 REPAIRING A VEHICLE If the characters are using the vehicle’s modules and the
action’s success only reflects in the internal functioning
faith: core book

Modules can stop working for two reasons: they can of the vehicle (such as repairing), it is OS. If the action’s
either be shut down from ACS damage or from Piercing success reflects in something that happens outside the
damage from a regular attack. As both are repaired the vehicle (such as moving, shooting something, etc), it is the
same way you don’t need to keep track of what shut each ambience in which the vehicle finds itself: Space, Urban, or
down. Wilderness.

To repair a module, the vehicle must either be fitted with If the characters are performing actions themselves
a working repairing module or have enough room to be instead of using a module (perhaps because there are
repaired manually by a robot or technician. enemies within their vehicle), the ambience would be Urban
for a vehicle in a place with gravity or Space for a vehicle in
Select the module you want to repair and be confronted the vacuum of space.
by a TSE that plays as many cards as the vehicle’s Thresh-
old. If all the modules in that system were shut down, Hacking actions are always OS.
receive one disadvantage. If you are successful the module
is repaired, but it cannot be used until the end of the vehi-
cle’s turn.
VEHICLE CREATION
Follow these steps to build a vehicle: Each system comes with a number that determines how
many modules it can have installed (e.g. The system
1.
Buy a vehicle model (The GM should determine Cockpit 3 can have up to 3 Cockpit modules installed), but
which vehicles are available to you where you are. a vehicle cannot have modules of a higher level than the
In some cases you might end up buying a second vehicle’s level (e.g. The system Cockpit 3 of a vehicle level
hand vehicle for a reduced cost, which will already 2 can have either three cockpit modules of level 1 or one
have some modules installed and might have some cockpit module level 2 with another level 1).
downgraded stats as determined by the GM).
Modules are of a type, determining which systems they
2. Come up with a name for your vehicle. can be installed; they have a level that limits in which
vehicles they can be installed, and they have a cost in
3. Write down its special ability next to it if it has any. credits that must be paid to obtain them. Each module then
provides the vehicle with some ability which can be used by
4. Write down its stats on a vehicle sheet. any crew member with access to it.

The Vehicles - Vehicle Creation

5. Take note of its non-energized systems and their NOTE: If cortex connected to the vehicle, a character has
corresponding modules in general. access to all of the vehicle’s modules, otherwise, while
using the vehicle manually a character only has access to
6. Take note of its energised systems according to the the vehicle modules installed in the same system he is in.
following steps.:

7. Write down their names in the title areas. VEHICLE MODELS

8. Each system comes with space for up to 5 modules.
MARK III SPACERUNNER

Many of your vehicle’s systems won’t have that

many, and you must black out the difference. 411

INFO

faith: core book

9. When you buy a module for them, write down the
name in the corresponding systems (you may want
to add a line of text reminding you of what they Cost: 590,000 credits; Model: MC-SC-M45; Level: 1; Type:
do). For as long as the vehicle is operative you can Spacecraft (NOT atmosphere capable); Size: 4; Control:
continue to buy new modules for it, and you can also Cortex connected; Max. crew: 20; Max. atm. speed: -.
remove modules that you no longer want.
Ability: It can have up to 24 Detachable Container
NOTE: It is important to know that the empty spaces in modules, which do not count towards the maximum of
a system are also considered modules (they just don’t do Cargo modules it can have.
anything). Therefore, when a system has any number of
modules shut down, you can choose to shut down those STATS
empty spaces that are not blacked out — effectively not
losing any working modules. It is recommended to cross
or tick with a pencil the modules or empty spaces that are Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar
shut down; this is so you can later repair them, and to dif-
ferentiate them from the blacked out spaces. 3 - 3 4

SYSTEMS Structure Armour 2 Threshold Stealth

100 1 6 3 2

Systems are the ‘rooms’ of a vehicle. In each system

you can install a certain number of modules — the ‘building SYSTEMS
blocks’ or the ‘tools’ of the vehicle. Systems can be of two
types: energised or general. The modules of energised Energized systems: Core 3; Cockpit 4; Engineering 3;
systems can be shut down, while general modules cannot. Defence 3; Weaponry 2.

Each system can only have modules of the same type General systems: Command 1; Hull 1; Cargo 5; Multip. 10.
(e.g. the Cockpit system can only have cockpit modules).
AM’UNDSEN LIGHT CRAFT

INFO
Cost: 800,000 credits; Model: IZ00945A; Level: 1; Type:
Spacecraft (Atmosphere capable); Size: 2; Control: Cortex
connected; Max. crew: 4; Max. atm. speed: 4.

Ability: It can have level 2 Core modules.

STATS

Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar

8 + 3 3 6
The Vehicles - Vehicle Creation

Structure Armour 2 Threshold Stealth

40 2 6 3 4

SYSTEMS
Energized systems: Core 3; Cockpit 4; Engineering 3;
Defence 2; Weaponry 1; Advanced Weaponry 2.

General systems: Command 1; Hull 1; Cargo 2; Multip. 5.

412

HEAVY LEE WAR CRAFT LIN MENG STEALTH CRAFT

faith: core book

INFO INFO
Cost: 900,000 credits; Model: AFF-01D; Level: 1; Type: Cost: 1,500,000 credits; Model: MC-SC-M45; Level: 2;
Spacecraft (Atmosphere capable); Size: 2; Control: Cortex Type: Spacecraft (Atmosphere capable); Size: 3; Control:
connected; Max.crew: 4; Max. atm. speed: 5. Cortex connected; Max. crew: 10; Max. atm. speed: 5.

Ability: It can have level 2 Weaponry modules. Ability: It can have the Cloaking III module, which will not
count towards the maximum of Hull modules it can have.
STATS
STATS

Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar

6 + 2 3 6 7 4 3 8

Structure Armour 2 Threshold Stealth Structure Armour 3 Threshold Stealth

40 3 6 4 4 70 4 6 4 7

SYSTEMS SYSTEMS
Energized systems: Core 3; Cockpit 3; Engineering 3; Energized systems: Core 4; Cockpit 4; Engineering 3;
Defence 2; Weaponry 2; Advanced Weaponry 2. Defence 3; Weaponry 3; Advanced Weaponry 4.

General systems: Command 1; Hull 1; Cargo 3; Multip. 4. General systems: Command 2; Hull 2; Cargo 3; Multip. 7.
The Vehicles - Vehicle Creation
413

AL’MAYIN STEALTH WARSHIP ELCANO EXPLORER VESSEL

faith: core book

INFO INFO
Cost: 1,750,000 credits; Model: LMN-M45; Level: 2; Type: Cost: 3,000,000 credits; Model: LCN-A32; Level: 3; Type:
Spacecraft (NOT atmosphere capable); Size: 3; Control: Spacecraft (NOT atmosphere capable); Size: 3; Control:
Cortex connected; Max. crew: 15; Max. atm. speed: -. Cortex connected; Max. crew: 30; Max. atm. speed: -.

Ability: It can have the Cloaking III module, which will not Ability: It gains one advantage towards Piloting actions
count towards the maximum of Hull modules it can have. towards finding a route in the Labyrinth.

STATS STATS

Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar Initiative Dodge Evasion Acceleration Radar

6 3 4 9 5 - 3 5 8

Structure Armour 3 Threshold Stealth Structure Armour 3 Threshold Stealth

100 4 6 4 8 150 4 9 4 5

SYSTEMS SYSTEMS
Energized systems: Core 5; Cockpit 4; Engineering 3; Energized systems: Core 5; Cockpit 5; Engineering 5;
Defence 4; Weaponry 2; Advanced Weaponry 3. Defence 4; Weaponry 3; Advanced Weaponry 4.

General systems: Command 2; Hull 2; Cargo 4; Multip. 12. General systems: Command 3; Hull 2; Cargo 6; Multip.20.
VEHICLE CUSTOMIZATION
CORE on its own can use its modules as a TSE that plays 3 cards
(it will receive any advantages or disadvantages provided
by its modules when using them). It is not limited to one
The modules that can be installed in the Core system action per round; each round it will use each of the modules
relate to the functioning of the vehicle and can affect all not used by its crew once.
other systems with its improvements.
It will have its crew’s best interest in mind when taking
decisions, but it will always follow it’s captain’s orders.
ASSISTED WEAPONRY
The vehicle will have a semblance of a personality and
Level: 2; Cost: 100,000 credits. Weapons from this will answer questions directed at it. The vehicle’s type
vehicle gain an advantage when attacking tagged targets. of personality is chosen during it’s creation (jovial, witty,
posh, etc.), and it will develop further through its relation
The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

with its crew.

COGNITIVE ASSISTANCE
Level: 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. Each member of the crew PARTIAL SHIP AI II
can use one module per round as a passive action, but only
if it’s in the same system as the module they used with their Level: 3; Cost: 500,000 credits. This module does the
regular action. same as Partial ship AI I, but the TSE plays 4 cards.

Remote control
IMPROVED RADAR
Level 1; Cost: 10,000 credits. As the vehicle’s captain,
Level 1; Cost: 50,000 credits. Gain one advantage when you can drive it remotely for as long as you can connect
414 using the vehicle’s Radar. to it. Additionally, the vehicle can be given directions, and
realistic arrival and departure times which it will follow
with precision. While self-driving the vehicle cannot dodge
faith: core book

IMPROVED STEALTH attacks.

Level 1; Cost: 50,000 credits. Gain one advantage when

using the vehicle’s Stealth. VR DEFENSIVE PROJECTOR
Level 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. A VR defensive projector
MOVEMENT PREDICTION is a virtual reality program installed throughout the entire
ship. When activated, it will project images of special op-
Level 2; Cost: 120,000 credits. Activated. Use it while erations teams defending and barricading all the doors and
shooting one of the vehicle’s weapon, your target will not corridors of the ship, as well as projecting decoys of the
receive advantages from Evasion used previous to this crew throughout the entire ship.
attack (if the target uses evasion against this attack it will
apply). Limited to once per round. Any attacker will have to confront a TSE that plays three
cards to learn to distinguish the projections from reality, or
they will suffer one disadvantage towards all their actions
NEUROMUSCULAR until they are able to deactivate the projector or leave the
ship.
INTERFACE
Level: 2; Cost: 20,000 credits. When using a module COCKPIT
from the cockpit while cortex connected, you can choose
to use either Link or Dexterity.
The modules installed where the crew usually is, gener-
ally meant to protect it further.
PARTIAL SHIP AI I
Level: 2; Cost: 250,000 credits. The vehicle can be con-
sidered an NPV under the control of its captain. The vehicle
BLACK SAFE BOX I LINEAR SPEED REGULATOR
Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. This module cannot be Level: 1; Cost: 25,000 credits. Cancel the first Stress or
selected to be shut down through damage or hacking, even Strain this vehicle gains when using Accelerate each round.
if it is the last one working in the system.

When the crew in the cockpit is going to suffer damage MEDICAL SYSTEMS
from an attack on the cockpit’s system, reduce that
damage by one. Level: 1; Cost: 45,000 credits. You can perform Medical
actions onto the crew inside the cockpit and gain one advan-
Additionally, if the vehicle is destroyed, all the characters tage towards it.
in the cockpit become Traumatised but they won’t suffer
any other damage from the destruction of the vehicle.
The cockpit won’t be destroyed, and will become a safety SHOCK ABSORBENT
capsule.
CHAMBER

The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

As a safety capsule this has the characteristic ghost, and
is invisible to radars — it needs to be seen with the naked Level: 2; Cost: 100,000 credits. The crew in the cockpit
eye to be targeted by attacks. It has enough power to gains one advantage when confronting Stress.
sustain its crew alive for one year. A week after the vehicle
is destroyed, or sooner if anyone in the crew wakes up to
operate it, the safety capsule will stop being invisible to ENGINEERING
radars, will lose the ghost characteristic and will launch
powerful S.O.S signals until it’s rescued or a member of the
crew turns it off. Modules that care and repair the vehicle, or hack other
vehicles.

BLACK SAFE BOX II

BACKUP SYSTEMS 415
Level: 2; Cost: 500,000 credits. It works just like a Black

faith: core book

Safe Box I but additionally it is fitted with a small engine that Level: 1; Cost: 35,000 credits. Instant. Shut down this
will automatically take itself to the closest friendly location module to increase the threshold of the vehicle by one for
known to the vehicle - if there is none, it will take itself to the remainder of the round. You cannot use energy dis-
the last location where the vehicle refuelled. tributor on this module.

BRAIN EXPANSION ENERGY DISTRIBUTOR

Level: 2; Cost: 45,000 credits. Activated. Receive one Level 2; Cost 45,000 credits. Activated. Choose a module
unpreventable neural damage to select one of your Attrib- that is shut down and another module of the same level or
utes and reset the number of cards you can play with that higher that is online. The module that was shut down is now
Attribute this round to its maximum again. online and the module that was online is now shut down.

CARDAN CHAMBER REMOTE REPAIRS

Level: 1; Cost: 20,000 credits. The crew in the cockpit au- Level: 1; Cost: 25,000 credits. You can perform repair-
tomatically succeeds in a confrontation against one Stress. ing actions against other vehicles up to two spaces on the
Do not play cards for it. board away.

DIALYSIS MACHINE REPAIRING MINI-DRONES I

Level: 2; Cost: 50,000 credits. During each maintenance Level 1; Cost: 30,000 credits. You can perform repair-
phase, reduce the toxicity of each member of the crew ing actions on the vehicle. When you do so you can reduce
inside the cockpit by one. the number of cards the damage plays by up to 2, but the
effects of repairing won’t take place in that many rounds.
REPAIRING MINI-DRONES II EMERGENCY THRUSTERS
Level 2; Cost: 50,000 credits. You can perform repairing Level: 1; Cost: 30,000 credits. Instant. Gain one advantage
actions on the vehicle. You can choose to delay the effects towards a dodging action and then shut down this module.
up to one round to reduce the number of cards played by
the module by 2.
FIREWALL UPDATE I
RIG 3 (LINKWAVE 1000 KM) Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. The vehicle’s FW gains one
advantage.
Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It
causes 3 points of ACS damage when performing a DoS
action, or gives 1 tag to an objective. FIREWALL UPDATE II
Level: 3; Cost: 150,000 credits. The vehicle’s FW gains
RIG 4 (LINKWAVE 100 KM) two advantages.
The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

Level: 1; Cost: 90,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It causes

4 points of ACS damage when performing a DoS action, or FLARES
gives 2 tags to an objective.
Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. Instant. Gain one advan-
tage towards one dodging action against missiles. Limited
RIG 4 (LINKWAVE 1000 KM) once per round.

Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It

causes 4 points of ACS damage when performing a DoS SHIELDING 1
action, or gives 2 tags to an objective.
Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. Reduces the base damage
416 taken from plasma and EM weapons by 1.
RIG 5 (LINKWAVE 100 KM)
faith: core book

Level: 2; Cost: 175,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It SHIELDING 3

causes 5 points of ACS damage when performing a DoS
action, or gives 3 tags to an objective. Level: 2; Cost: 250,000 credits. Reduces the base
damage taken from plasma and EM weapons by 3.

TAGGER 3 (LINKWAVE
1,000KM) SHIELDING 5
Level: 3; Cost: 500,000 credits. Reduces the base
Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It gives damage taken from plasma and EM weapons by 5.
3 tags to an objective.

UNTAGGER I
TAGGER 5 (LINKWAVE
Level: 1; Cost: 50,000 credits. Select a number of tags on
1,000KM) your vehicle. You can perform a Technical action against a
TSE that plays that many cards. If successful, remove that
Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits. Action (Hacking). It gives many tags from your vehicle.
5 tags to an objective.

UNTAGGER II
DEFENCE Level: 2; Cost: 80,000 credits. Select a number of tags
on your vehicle. You can perform a Technical action with
The energised modules that defend the vehicle. one advantage against a TSE that plays as that many cards.
If successful, remove that many tags from your vehicle.
WEAPONRY RAILGUN 3
Level: 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. Railgun 3.
The standard weaponry of the vehicle. They can be in-
stalled more than once. 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

7+ 7+
20MM MACHINE GUN
Level: 1; Cost: 65,000 credits. Firearm. After dealing RAILGUN 5
damage, it deals damage an additional time (go through all
the steps again). Limit once per attack. Level: 3; Cost: 250,000 credits. Railgun 5.

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

10+ 10+

The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

4+++ 4+

50MM MACHINE GUN ADVANCED

Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. Firearm. After dealing WEAPONRY
damage, it deals damage an additional time (go through all
the steps again). Limit once per attack.
The advanced weaponry of the vehicle. They can be in-
stalled more than once.
1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

5++ 5+
PLASMA GUN
417
50MM-X MACHINE GUN Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. Plasma 1.

faith: core book

Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. Explosive.
1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 4++ 4+ 4

5++ 5+
PLASMA SPEAR
100MM-X MACHINE GUN Level: 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. Plasma 2.

Level: 2; Cost: 120,000 credits. Explosive.

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 5+++ 5++ 5+

12+ 12+
HEAVY PLASMA GUN
RAILGUN 1 Level: 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. Plasma 3.

Level: 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. Railgun 1.

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 7++ 7+ 7

5+ 5+
HEAVY PLASMA SPEAR ranges away as the number of times it needs to
Approach.
Level: 3; Cost: 250,000 credits. Plasma 4.
It has a FW value to protect itself against hacking
1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km attacks, and Initiative to dodge attacks. It will be
destroyed if its Structure is reduced to a negative
8+++ 8++ 8+ number, and it will shut down if its Energy is reduced
to a negative number. In either case, the missile fails
and can no longer attack.
PLASMA CANNON
Level: 3; Cost: 250,000 credits. Plasma 5. STANDARD MISSILE
Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits (Note that the cost is
1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km
for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile).
12++ 12+ 12 Missile. When it resolves its attack action it deals 20
The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

physical damage and gains one advantage.

EM CANNON 4 3

Level: 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. It causes ACS damage. 6 6 7 8

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km
“MOSQUITO”
6++ 5++ 4++
Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits (Note that the cost is
for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile).
HEAVY EM CANNON Missile. When it resolves its attack action it deals 12
418 physical damage and gains two advantages.
Level: 3; Cost: 250,000 credits. It causes ACS damage.
faith: core book

4 4

1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km
6 6 15 9
8++ 7++ 6++

“EAGLE”
MISSILES Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits (Note that the cost is
for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile).
Missiles are a special kind of weapon, as the Missile. When it resolves its attack action it deals 12 physical
weapon itself is the projectile. They work in the fol- damage, gains one advantage, and negates the advantages
lowing manner: gained from Evasion.

Action. Shoot a missile against a tagged target.

4 3

A missile does not hit its target immediately: If

6 6 7 8
the target is in the same range, it does not need to
Approach; if it is up to two ranges away, it needs to
Approach once; if it is three ranges away, it needs “CHEETAH”
to Approach twice. Right before the maintenance
phase, if a missile does not need to Approach Level: 2; Cost: 200,000 credits (Note that the cost is
resolve its attack; otherwise, it Approaches once. for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile).
Missile. When it resolves its attack action it deals 12
If successful, it deals physical damage in an area. physical damage, and gains one advantage. It automatically
It causes one less damage per metre (~3.3 ft) or Approaches once when shot.
fraction away from the point of impact.
4 3
While Approaching, a missile can be attacked and
hacked. When attacking it, the missile is as many 6 6 7 8
“KANGAROO” CLOAKING II
Level: 3; Cost: 400,000 credits (Note that the cost is Level: 2; Cost: 500,000 credits. The whole vehicle gains
for the whole missile-shooting module, not per missile). Ghost (Does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still be
Missile. It requires to Approach one additional time than hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the
usual. When it resolves its attack action it gains two advan- hacker locates it accurately). Additionally, you cannot be
tages but it does not deal damage. Instead it can transport the target of Searching actions in the 100 and 1000 Km
up to five characters in full gear. When it hits a vehicle suc- ranges.
cessfully, it will perforate its hull with its front drill, sealing
the seam between itself and the vehicle to effectively
become a part of the vehicle. Then, it will open its airlock to CLOAKING III
allow the boarding team to disembark.
Level: 3; Cost: 1,000,000 credits. The whole vehicle gains
Ghost (Does not appear on LinkWave radars. It can still be
4 3
hacked using other methods or through LinkWave if the
hacker locates it accurately). Additionally, you cannot be

The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

HULL COMMAND
419
What covers the exterior of the vehicle. These modules improve some of the basic stats of the

faith: core book

vehicle. They can be installed more than once.

RADAR UPGRADE DETACHABLE CONTAINER

Level: 1; Cost: 175,000 credits. The vehicle gains +2 Radar. Level 3; Cost: 100,000 credits. Each detachable Con-
tainer can hold up to 100 tons. This is capable by detaching
from the spacecraft, entering a nearby atmosphere or
SPEED UPGRADE spacecraft, and parking in a specific point to be loaded or
unloaded. Then, it can take off and attach to the spacecraft
Level: 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. The vehicle gains +2 again.
Maximum Speed.
It is safe to use with living cargo.
The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

STEALTH UPGRADE
HANGAR
Level: 1; Cost: 175,000 credits. The vehicle gains +2
Stealth. Level 2; Cost: 400,000 credits. The vehicle has a hangar
in which it can transport any number of vehicles whose
added size is lower than its own.
STRUCTURE UPGRADE
Spacecraft’s hangars have a double door airlock to avoid
Level: 1; Cost: 250,000 credits. The vehicle gains +20% losing any air. When a vehicle goes through the first, it
Structure rounded up. closes, then the space between the doors sucks the air out,
and only then the exterior door opens.
420
SYSTEM UPGRADE
QUARANTINE
faith: core book

Level: 1; Cost: 75,000 credits. Choose one of the vehi-

cle’s system, it can have one additional module (up to a CONTAINMENT UNIT
maximum of 5).
Level 1; Cost: 200,000 credits. A quarantine contain-
ment unit is a two metres by two metres by three metres
CARGO armoured container that is shielded against all types of
know radiation and chemical attacks, and is capable of
withstanding the most extreme amounts of physical force.
Most of the vehicle’s internal space is taken by cargo
modules. They can be installed more than once.
SURFACE VEHICLE BAY
CARGO BAY I Level 2; Cost: 400,000 credits. A Surface Vehicle Bay
hosts three small vehicles, including a quad-bike, a surface
Level 1; Cost: 10,000 credits. The vehicle can carry a slider, and a small motorboat, each suitable to transport up
cargo of up to 2 tons. It is safe to use with living cargo. to four people and some cargo. The vehicles have about 100
kilometres of autonomy before they need to return to the
bay to recharge for two hours, after which they are fully
CARGO BAY II charged again.

Level 2; Cost: 100,000 credits. The vehicle can carry a

cargo of up to 20 tons. It is safe to use with living cargo. TROOP CARRIER
Level 1; Cost: 40,000 credits. The vehicle can carry two
CRYOPOOL dozen passengers in full gear inside (they are not connected
to the cockpit and therefore cannot use the vehicle). These
Level 3; Cost: 100,000 credits. A Cryopool operates using are not living quarters, which will be required for carrying
the same principles as a stasis chamber, but it is a lot larger those passengers through long distance space travel.
MULTIPURPOSE ELIBRARY
Level 2; Cost: 90,000 credits. You can gain experience
Everything from living quarters to mineral extraction inside this vehicle during downtime (i.e. time spent travel-
modules. ling). You can use it to increase once per trip any one of the
following Skills as if you had used them during a session
NOTE: The crew requires living quarters or a cryostasis and the group voted on it: Hacking, Medical, Technical,
chamber if you use the vehicle for long periods, or for Cunning, and Profession.
space travel.

EXPANDED COCKPIT
AUXILIARY ION THRUSTERS
Level 1; Cost: 15,000 credits. Add two to the vehicle’s
Level: 3; Cost: 500,000 credits. Space flight takes half maximum crew.
the time it would usually take.

The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

GRAP
CRUMBS
Level 1; Cost: 300,000 credits. A Gas Refinery and Pro-
Level 2; Cost: 500,000 credits. A Course Retracing cessing module contains all the necessary equipment to
Universal Mobile Beacon System is composed by several filter and compress valuable gases from a gas planet or
deployable beacons that connect to each other in multiple a dense atmosphere. It stores the gas in small tanks that
wavelengths, and can pair with most common existing fit between 1,000 and 2,000 litres of gas depending on its
Labyrinth navigation beacons already deployed. density, and weighs 15 to 30 kilograms. It can safely store
50 tanks.
It is often used by exploration vessels that are traversing
new paths through the Labyrinth, and its beacons can be While regularly obtaining valuable gases and selling
recovered after the trip, ready to be used again in another them, the crew can consider using it their job and maintain
tunnel. For this reason, finding such beacons is often a sign their lifestyle. 421
of danger, as it likely means that the ship that deployed

faith: core book

them never returned to pick them up (probably because it
suffered a horrible accident inside a tunnel smaller than it GRAVLAB
looked like, or it got lost even with the help of the retracing
system). Level 2; Cost: 200,000 credits. A GravLab module is a
small rotating section installed in the ship that recreates
the feeling of gravity thanks to centripetal force. It is ex-
CRYOSTASIS CHAMBER tremely useful to slowly acclimate surface forms to 0G en-
vironments and vice versa, as well as conduct experiments
Level 1; Cost: 25,000 credits. Each cryostasis chamber that require gravity.
fits up to five crew members. Characters in cryostasis
are in deep sleep and cannot do anything, but they do not
age. They can set different parameters to wake up (time GYM
limit, alarms, when the ship receives a message, when it
is attacked, etc). A character who wakes from cryostasis Level 2; Cost: 90,000 credits. You can gain experience
suffers 2 unpreventable neural damage. inside this vehicle during downtime (i.e. time spent travel-
ling). You can use it to increase once per trip any one of the
following Skills as if you had used them during a session
E2 and the group voted on it: CQC, Initiative, and EVA.

Level 1; Cost: 60,000 credits. An Enclosed Ecosystem or

E squared module, is a miniature model of a real ecosystem IMPERATOR CHAMBER
capable of producing enough food and clean air for a crew
of up to five people on a continuous basis. It is a carefully Level 2; Cost: 60,000 credits. An Imperator Chamber
balanced mix of microorganisms, plants, and small animals. contains a protective dense atmosphere that slows down
Any disturbance — be it chemical, electromagnetic, or any the metabolism of living beings very quickly to a point
other kind — could damage it beyond repair. where they are capable of withstanding extreme accelera-
tion and deceleration without receiving any harm. Its pro-
It requires the crew to dispose of all their body waste, longed use has proven very dangerous for the organism,
including sweat, in its dedicated lavatory.
but most people can recover from short periods inside such
a chamber very quickly. PLANETARY LIFE SCANNER
An Imperator Chamber can fit up to two characters Level 2; Cost: 200,000 credits. A planetary life scanner
simultaneously. These characters will not be affected is a medium range scanner that can detect most lifeforms
by Stress and they will suffer 2 neural damage that they on the surface of a planet after a full rotation in an orbit
cannot recover until they leave the room. around 500 km over the surface of the planet.

It will provide data about the amount of biomass, the

LAB I animal and plant composition of the biosphere, as well
as data relative to the composition of the atmosphere,
Level 2; Cost: 120,000 credits. You can use the labora- oceans, and main rock formations.
tory to develop experiments and gain information from
biological samples. You can develop Bio Upgrades, drugs,
duplicate biologically based items, etc. PORTABLE BIODOME
The Vehicles - Vehicle Customization

Level 1; Cost: 150,000 credits. A Portable Biodome is a

LAB II deployable dome 60 metres in diametre and 10 metres
in height, with an atmosphere filtering and purifying unit
Level 3; Cost: 200,000 credits. You can use the labora- capable of providing breathable air for a crew of up to ten
tory to develop experiments and gain information from people. It includes a sealing system that will isolate the
biological samples. You can develop Bio Upgrades, drugs, atmosphere inside of it from the outside, as well as an
duplicate biologically based items, etc. Gain one advantage airlock door to connect it to the spacecraft and another to
when you use it. the outside world.

It requires solar light or an external power source to

LIVING QUARTERS operate, and it can take as little as ten minutes or as long as
two hours to make the air inside of it breathable, depending
422 Level 1; Cost: 25,000 credits. Each living quarter fits one on the atmosphere of the planet.
crew member, or it can be shared by a couple.
faith: core book

SIMULATION ROOM
LUXURIOUS LIVING
Level 2; Cost: 90,000 credits. You can gain experience
QUARTERS inside this vehicle during downtime (i.e. time spent travel-
ling). You can use it to increase once per trip any one of the
Level 1; Cost: 100,000 credits. Each living quarter fits one following Skills as if you had used them during a session
crew member, or it can be shared by a couple. Characters and the group voted on it: Ballistic, Survival, and Piloting.
living in these quarters gain +1 experience during downtime
in the vehicle.
SURGERY ROOM
MERAP Level 2; Cost: 120,000 credits. You can use this to treat
one patient that has suffered any kind of wounds. You can
Level 1; Cost: 300,000 credits. A Mineral Extraction, replace missing limbs with cybernetics or grow them back.
Refinery, and Processing Module contains a powerful Gain one advantage towards Medical actions.
surface drill and all the necessary equipment to extract,
purify, and process all sorts of mineral into convenient 15
centimetre crystal cubes, which for most minerals means TASER
a weight between 15 and 30 kilograms. It can safely store
250 cubes. Level 2; Cost: 100,000 credits. A Tactical Assault Surface
Extraction Rack is the fancy name for a steel frame with
While regularly obtaining valuable minerals and selling five tac-seats attached to a powerful winch hosted inside
them, the crew can consider using it their job and maintain the spacecraft. It can deploy a hundred metre, braided na-
their lifestyle. nomaterial cable, and safely pull the rack seating five char-
acters in full gear up back into the ship in under ten seconds.
be revived in some of the most advanced medical hospitals
TECHPOD I (only in planetary capitals).

Level 2; Cost: 50,000 credits. You can use the Techpod

to make and design things and gain information from non- VR ROOM
organic samples. You can fabricate, remove, or repair Tech
Upgrades, objects, robots, weapons, etc. Level 2; Cost: 300,000 credits. A VR Room contains four
senso-suits that will recreate visual, auditory, olfactory,
taste, and tactile stimuli. It is often used to run simulations
TECHPOD II of surface missions in planets with uncertain weather condi-
tions or strange atmospheres. However, many crews have
Level 3; Cost: 90,000 credits. You can use the Techpod found more creative uses for these rooms, such as extract-
to make and design things and gain information from non- ing information from unwilling prospective collaborators.
organic samples. You can fabricate, remove, or repair Tech
Upgrades, objects, robots, weapons, etc. Gain one advan- If the crew spends one day using it before entering a
tage when you use it. planet they have previously scanned, they will receive one

The Vehicles - Non-Player Vehicles

advantage towards their Survival actions in that planet for
a whole session.
TOMB CHAMBER
It can also be used by the crew to simulate encounters
Level 2; Cost: 150,000 credits. Introduce the body of a against NPCs they have intel about and are not unique char-
deceased character who has died from anything but old acters. Damage taken in the simulation does not have any
age, and has a mostly intact brain. The body will be pre- effects in reality.
served in the Tomb chamber and can therefore be taken to

NON-PLAYER VEHICLES (NPV) 423

faith: core book

Non-player vehicles (NPVs) are similar to non-player
characters, but they represent both a vehicle and its crew EXHAUSTION
with the same stats. All the general guidelines for using
NPCs must be followed when playing with NPVs, and what
can be found below are only the few differences that must NPVs do not have a limited number of cards they can play
be observed to use them. per Stat per Round. Instead, they suffer a disadvantage
when they use a Stat they have already used with the same
Module during the current Round.
CREW If they use the same Stat but a different Module, they do
not suffer the Exhaustion disadvantage.
When fighting against an NPV, its crew is considered to
be inside the cockpit system to calculate any damage they
might suffer, and all of them are considered to have the NPV CREATION
same physical and neural health as specified on each NPV.

NPV crews do not follow the usual Stress or Strain rules, In the next pages you can find two examples of NPVs, but
and each vehicle has its own rules to resolve these effects. you can make your own following those examples and the
rules for Vehicle Creation found in this book.
In the event of the Player Characters managing to
board the NPV, or its crew leaving it for any purpose, the If the included examples become too easy of a challenge,
members of the crew will require their own NPC stats and you can increase the attribute of each of their Stats by one
from that moment on they won’t be considered part of the to make them more challenging. Additionally, you can also
NPV anymore. Their stats do not need to be similar to those lower the number that the card they discard when they use
of the NPV, as those are just a simplified representation of Evasion or Acceleration and they will be harder to defeat.
the crew. However, it is recommended that the GM does her
best to represent any damage they suffered before leaving On the other hand, if your players find them too hard
their vehicle or being boarded as best as she can. to defeat, you can start the combat with some of their
modules already shut down to lower the difficulty.
RAVAGER KRAKENBULL
Level 1 :: Size 2 :: Max. Speed 5 :: Crew 8 :: Cortex Connected

INITIATIVE 7 DODGE + EVASION 3 ACCELERATION 3 5

6
STRUCTURE 50 ARMOUR 3 THRESHOLD 3 FW
2 4

7 7 4 4 6
PILOTING BALLISTIC HACKING RADAR STEALTH
2 2 2 2 2

CORE SYSTEM COCKPIT SYSTEM DEFENCE SYSTEM

This system has three modules that don’t This system has two modules that don’t
Mindless Drones
do anything, but if they are all shut down, the don anything, but they must be shut down
vehicle cannot longer be piloted. before dealing physical damage to the crew. This vehicle can use this module 5 times,
Each time the vehicle uses Evasion or Ac- then it is shut down. Instant. Remove one
celeration, discard a card from the top of the tag or gain one advantage towards dodging a
deck or the GM’s hand. If its value is seven or missile.
lower, the vehicle suffers 1 unpreventable Changing Skin
neural damage.
Shuts down this module. It loses 1 armour
and 1 Threshold, and recovers 20 Structure.

ENGINEERING SYSTEM RAMMING SYSTEM WEAPONS SYSTEM

Rig 3 (LinkWave 1,000 km) Modules from this system cannot be shut Explosive Drones
down.
Action (Hacking). It causes 3 points of ACS Missile. It shoots three missiles every time
damage when performing a DoS action, or Ramming Head it is used. Each deals 6 physical damage and
gives 1 tag to an objective. Action (Piloting). It can only be used against gains one advantage.
vehicles in the same space. If this vehicle has
Regeneration
higher Speed, gain as many advantages as 4 3
Action. Discard a card from the top of the the difference. If successful, it deals 5 times
deck or the GM’s hand. If its value is eight or this vehicle’s Speed in physical damage (and 4 3 7 8
higher, choose one: suffers half that). This vehicle is no longer
◊ A shut down module is back online. operative, and its Ravager crew now boards Corrosive Goo
◊ Recover 5 Structure. the rammed vehicle’s interior.
◊ Recover 1 physical health.
◊ Recover 1 neural health. While it is rammed into another vehicle, that 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km
If the card is a Joker, gain all of the above. vehicle suffers two disadvantages towards
all its Piloting actions. 6+++ 5+
PIRATE HEAVY LEE
Level 1 :: Size 2 :: Max. Speed 5 :: Crew 4 :: Cortex Connected

INITIATIVE 6 DODGE + EVASION 2 ACCELERATION 3 4

6
STRUCTURE 40 ARMOUR 4 THRESHOLD 4 FW
2 5

6 8 7 6 4
PILOTING BALLISTIC HACKING RADAR STEALTH
2 2 2 2 2

CORE SYSTEM COCKPIT SYSTEM DEFENCE SYSTEM

This system has three modules that don’t This system has two modules that don’t don
Flares
do anything, but if they are all shut down, the anything, but they must be shut down first.
vehicle cannot longer be piloted. Instant. Once per Round, it gains one ad-
Each time the vehicle uses Evasion or Ac- vantage towards one dodging action against
Linear Speed Regulator
celeration, discard a card from the top of the missiles.
deck or the GM’s hand. If its value is seven or The first time it needs to check for Evasion
Shielding
lower, the vehicle suffers 1 unpreventable or Acceleration, it automatically succeeds.
neural damage. It reduces the base damage suffered from
plasma and EM weapons by 1.

ENGINEERING SYSTEM WEAPONS SYSTEM WEAPONS SYSTEM 2

Rig 3 (LinkWave 1,000 km) 20 mm Machine Gun “Eagle” Missile

Action (Hacking). It causes 3 points of ACS Firearm. Once per attack, after dealing Missile. It deals 12 physical damage, gains
damage when performing a DoS action, or damage, it deals damage an additional time one advantage, and negates any advantages
gives 1 tag to an objective. (go through all the steps again). gained from Evasion.

Repairing 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 3

4
Action. Discard a card from the top of the
deck or the GM’s hand. If its value is eight or 4+++ 4+ 6 6 7 8
higher, a shut down module is back online.
Railgun 3 Plasma 2
Backup systems
Instant. Shut down this module and increase
the Threshold of the vehicle by one for the 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km 1 km 10 km 100 km 1,000 km
remainder of the Round.
7+ 7+ 5+++ 5++ 5+
introductory
adventure
A RELIC IN THE STREETS
◊ The PC is investigating local gangs and the under-
ADVENTURE world lifestyle, and thus approached the Sebolas

BACKGROUND – a low-level, relatively easy-to-reach mob – to

Once you have a motivation for all PCs to be at the Sebola

PLAYER CHARACTER HQ in Youni District, proceed to Chapter 1: A Relic in the

INTRODUCTION Streets.

Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

As you reach Big T’s penthouse office, you notice rookies with nothing to lose – or they can go to the Black
the doorway is slid open. You can make out Big T’s Watch lair and steal it on their own – after all, it’s worth a
voice from behind the wall as you approach. lot of credits.

‘Those Black Watchers don’t know who they’re If the PCs don’t seem to decide, have old Qung, the body-
dealin’ with this time. They crossed the line!’ guard, make an off-hand comment such as ‘gee, sure be
nice if we could get T’s alien toy back without angering them
‘We can’t challenge the Black Watch, Big T’ - Humans. What can we do?’
that’s the voice of Mrs. Hei, Big T’s assistant and
right-hand - ‘we’re outgunned. And Yung would Once the PCs have decided their course of action, let them
never allow it’. know the Black Watch operates out of level 61-Z; a couple
dozen levels above the Sebolas’ turf. Everyone knows
‘The hell with the Black Watch! Coming here and where their lair is, but very few try to cross the gang; they
demanding some, some tribute, like we’re back in are rightfully feared as powerful and bloodthirsty thugs.
the planets, in their filthy Earthling shitball… I’ll Stealing from them is risky at best… but it shouldn’t be too
teach ’em to mess with me! I’ll get it back!’ hard to cheat them out of it, as everyone knows Earthlings 429
aren’t all that bright (no offense to Human players in the

faith: core book

Then old Qung leads you in and you see Big T, a party).
fat Corvo on an out-of-fashion suit sitting at his
desk. Mrs. Hei, Big T’s advisor and his best assassin, If the PCs take the mission from Big T, he gladly gives the
reclines nonchalantly at the desk as she does when artefact’s description – a metal ring, about ten inches in
she needs to calm down one of Big T’s frequent diameter, studded with lights and microcircuitry, of obvious
tantrums. This time it seems it has something to do alien manufacture. Big T calls it ‘the Iz’kal Ring’, but nobody
with the Black Watch, that Human gang that’s been knows exactly what it does – it’s a piece of technology,
making noise all over Taiyang lately. probably not Iz’kal but earlier, from the Korian or ‘one of
those old other species’. Big T reckons it’s some form of
‘Ah, my favourite rookies!’ - Big T bellows as you primitive cortex connector, but who knows. In any event,
peer around the doorway - ‘The delivery went well, it’s worth a lot, and Big T is ready to pay 100,000 credits
I hope?’ to each PC if they bring the artefact back safely. If the PCs
so request, Big T also supplies any additional equipment he
Explain to the PCs that they successfully collected on can afford (such as extra ammo or medical supplies).
some of Big T’s debts; it was straightforward business,
nobody needed to get hurt, and Big T is happy as they
deliver his money. He then dismisses them and Mrs. Hei, ENCOUNTER I: KNOW
claiming he needs time alone to think what he’ll do about
those Black Watch thieves. YOUR ENEMY
If the PCs ask what’s up, as they leave Big T’s office Mrs. Whether the PCs have Big T’s blessing or set out to
Hei tells them the Black Watch have been pushing and recover the alien artefact behind his back, they need to
muscling on the smaller gangs – ‘like ours’, she comments make some investigation about the Black Watch. There are
– more aggressively every week. Recently they came over three ways to make the investigation; the PCs may choose
demanding a cut of the profits and walked away with some one or do them all simultaneously.
alien artefact that Big T had grown particularly fond of,
‘some high-tech thingie from an Iz’kal cargo vault’. ◊ Ask around the local underworld. This requires a
successful Cunning action against a TSE that plays
three cards and spending some hours and credits
at local pubs and joints. CHAPTER 2: LAIR OF
◊ Research the data on news sites about the stolen THE BLACK WATCH
Iz’kal cargo and the Black Watch’s activities. This
requires a successful Hacking action against a TSE
that plays three cards and spending a few hours It’s now time to visit the Black Watch’s den. The PCs, as
checking websites. most people on the Youni District underworld, know the
location, up at Level 61-Z; it’s a matter of getting there –
◊ Interrogate the Black Watch directly. Their people and through the Human mercs who guard the area.
are not hard to find; all the PCs need to do is lay
in ambush around certain district streets and
succeed on a hiding action to ambush a wander- ENCOUNTER II: MY
Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

ing BW member. This is the riskiest method, as

it also requires defeating or intimidating a Black HOMIES REPRESENT
Watch Thug (see page 285), but it counts as two
successes if the PCs manage it. Read the following aloud as the PCs arrive to The Black
Watch’s neighbourhood:
Even if all actions and attempts fail, the PCs learn the
following two facts by default: The stench of Human is heavy in the Black Watch
turf, as you cross cracked pavement, graffitied
The Black Watch have gone sort of crazy lately; some- walls and flickering streetlights. The place is
thing about a ‘warrior crusade’ against lesser gangs, like littered with Human drifters, peddlers and beggars
their leader suddenly got delusions of grandeur or some- that either look at you sideways or stand staring
thing. It’s all sanctioned by the local Tong bosses, but it’s over the rails into the level depths.
getting violent and spilling over.
As you finally reach Z section, a squad of
The Black Watch indeed acquired a new treasure, some armoured Humans move to block your path.
430 ‘ancient crown’ from an alien stash; they must be keeping it
at their lair, or somewhere equally well-guarded. The thugs are a Black Watch street patrol, put there to
prevent unwanted drifters from approaching the gang’s
faith: core book

For every PC that succeeds on one of the three actions, lair. The PCs will need to cheat their way through the thugs
the party learns one of the following additional facts, in the with a successful Cunning action against a Black Watch
order they are listed: Thug (see page 285).

The Black Watch are hosting a party to celebrate If the PCs arrive the night of the party and try to pretend
their new crusade, and it’s likely they will show the they are guests, the PCs gain one advantage.
artefact there, or at least that security will be less
strict then. The party will take place the following If the PCs arrive at any other time, the Thug gains one
night at the Black Watch’s Lair on Level 61-Z. advantage.

There’s sure to be an Iz’kal dancing troupe at the In any of the above situations, if a Human PC says she
party, as Wildbill Young, the crazed Black Watch wants to apply for membership to the Black Watch, the PCs
leader, loves Iz’kal ghaziwa dancers. gain one advantage.

The party is ‘members only’, but the Black Watch In any of the above situations, if an Iz’kal PC pretends to
are always open to new recruits, so long as they be a ghaziwa dancer, the PCs gain one advantage.
are Human and can prove ‘Highlander lineage’,
whatever that means. If they fail at defeating the TSE, or else decide to attack
head-on, the PCs must fight through a patrol of two Black
Non-BW members may be allowed entrance to Watch Thugs, which causes a commotion in the street, calls
the party as servants, staff or bodyguards, but attention to the PCs and scatters all bystanders away.
they’d have to be on the guest or staff list.
The thugs fight back straight and simple, confident in
Once the PCs are ready to begin the mission, proceed to their superiority. If the fight lasts more than three Rounds,
Chapter 2: Lair of the Black Watch. however, one of them tries to flee; if the PCs don’t stop him,
he’ll warn the Black Watch about the intruders.
Once the PCs have dealt with the street thugs, proceed ◊ Any PC who isn’t allowed entry may try to scan
to Encounter III. the fortress interior with a Hacking action. The
base security systems confront the action as a
TSE that plays three cards, but if successful, the
ENCOUNTER III: THE PC downloads a blueprint of the lair, including the
intended location of the alien artefact somewhere
HIGHLANDER GUARD in Wildbill’s throne room.

As the PCs finally reach the Black Watch’s bunker, they ◊ Any PC who isn’t allowed entry may try to infil-
notice it has been remodelled to look like the frontispiece of trate the base stealthily with a Survival action.
an ancient castle – or Wildbill’s anachronistic, heavy-metal The base security systems are represented by a
view of one. TSE that plays three cards, but if successful, the
PC has entered the upper chambers, where there

Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

You’re finally facing the Black Watch lair. It’s been out- are currently no guards, and may help the rest of
fitted with ancient-looking stone, or a very convincing the party from behind the enemy lines.
holodisplay of it, and a lot of statues of gargoyles and
hanging chains. The front entrance looks like a metal grate; ◊ There are several bikes stashed outside the lair;
it’s raised to allow entrance, but there are a few guards they surely belong to Black Watch elite members.
posted. They look at you with suspicion. These bikes may be hacked for the PCs to ride them
or sabotage them; they all have Firewall 5 that
If one of the street thugs managed to escape and sound plays three cards, and four energy. This doesn’t
the alarm in Encounter II, these guards have been warned help their entry, but may help their escape.
and attack on sight. The PCs must fight four Black Watch
Thugs to gain access to the bunker. ◊ If the PCs can’t find or don’t want to choose a
peaceful way in, they can fight the guards; if no
If the PCs went through the first guards peacefully, they thug escaped to warn the Black Watch during En-
must now decide how to approach the bunker. There are counter II, they only need to fight two Black Watch
several possible ways suggested by what the PCs learned Thugs to gain entry. Else, there will be five guards.
during Encounter I: 431
These are only some of the possibilities, of course; you

faith: core book

◊ Any Human PC may apply for joining the Black can let the PCs come up with any other solution if it sounds
Watch by proving Highlander ancestry. This is convincing enough.
quite easy as the Black Watch have no idea what
‘Highlander ancestry’ is; you should allow it if the If the PCs fought their way in, they must now battle an
PCs simply says some Gaelic-sounding words or entire lair’s worth of crazy highlanders; proceed to Chapter
display medieval warrior qualities (red hair is a 4: The Shootout.
significant plus). Failing that, a successful Cunning
action against a Black Watch Thug does the trick. If the PCs found a peaceful way in, they are allowed entry
to the base and may mingle with the other Black Watchers
◊ Any Iz’kal PC, particularly a female, may pretend – non-Humans are treated as servants or pets, which may
to be a ghaziwa dancer with a successful Cunning require some patience from non-Human PCs – but they are
action confronted by a Black Watch Thug, and not allowed to see Wildbill until the party.
apply for an audition to Wildbill himself. If the PCs
arrive the night of the party, the Iz’kal gains two If the PCs arrived on the night of the party, proceed to
advantages. Chapter 3: The Wild Party.

◊ Any other PC may pretend to be a servant or If the PCs enter the lair at any other time, they can idly
bodyguard to Human or Iz’kal PCs, by succeeding wait for the party (in which case you should proceed to
on a Cunning action against a Black Watch Thug to Chapter 3) or attempt to stealthily find it and steal it before
keep their bluff. If the PCs arrive the night of the the party starts.
party, the action gains one advantage.
To find it, they will have to nonchalantly interrogate gang
◊ If the PCs arrived the night of the party, they members, or achieve a critical at a Hacking action against
may try to enter their names on the guest list by the base’s security systems, with Firewall 5 that plays two
hacking the access computer, which as a Firewall cards.
that plays three cards. A success will grant all
PCs entrance to the party. If they discover the artefact’s location inside the throne
room, they will have to infiltrate the room and steal it, which
requires the PC attempting the action to succeed on a hiding
actions against the vigilant guard, a Black Watch Thug with The characters inside the party can try to obtain the
one advantages. Otherwise they can try to distract him artefact at any time, but there are over one hundred Black
with a Cunning action or Hack the electric system and turn Watch warriors in the room, which may make it difficult.
the lights off to have him move away to fix them (It is a
FW 9 that plays 2 cards). If they fail, the PCs are caught Conversely, a stealthy PC may attempt a stealth action
red handed and all the Black Watch move to intercept them: (Survival) to pilfer the crown when no one’s looking. The
proceed to Chapter 4: The Shootout. action is confronted by a TSE that plays four cards.

If the PCs successfully obtain the artefact before party If Wildbill is distracted – succeding in a Cunning action
night, they need to succeed on one last hiding action against against him (If a Human or Iz’kal female flirts with him, she
a watchful Black Watch Thug who has an advantage to gains one advantage), or by causing a fight among the party
escape the lair with it. If the action succeeds, proceed to goers that he can cheer to – the PC gains two advantages
Ending the Adventure. Otherwise, they’re detected just as towards the action.
Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

they’re leaving the lair; proceed to Chapter 4: The Shootout,

except the PCs already have the artefact now. If the PCs wait until the party dies down, the Black Watch
members treat any non Human PCs as servants or slaves,
but it’s otherwise a fun, if raucous, time. Once everyone is
CHAPTER 3: THE too drunk or groggy to notice, the TSE that confronts the

WILD PARTY action to steal the crown only plays two cards.

If the action fails, or if the PCs take the artefact openly or

otherwise provoke the Black Watch, proceed to Chapter 4:
Read the following aloud if any PCs are inside the Black The Shootout.
Watch’s lair on party night:
If the action succeeds, the PCs may simply walk away
As you come into the Main Hall of the Black with the artefact – proceed to Ending the Adventure.
Watch’s lair, you are assailed by the heat and noise
of nearly two hundred Humans crowding, pushing,
432 and screaming at each other in triumph; some hold CHAPTER 4: THE
arm-wrestling matches, others do stomp-dances
on the tables, while others have furtive sex on the SHOOTOUT
faith: core book

hall’s corners. It’s all dark, blaring and crazy.

Amid the madness, against the far salon wall, a ‘They’re spies! They’re here to steal the crown!’,
large stone chair towers above the revellers’ heads cries one of the Black Watch thugs, and suddenly
– it’s the Black Watch throne. Sitting on it there’s the whole gang is on your heels.
a large, ruddy man, wearing a dark coat over his
combat suit, and looking at it all with wild eyes,
as if his mind was wound up by something beyond ENCOUNTER IV:
the scene, some scary input out of everyone else’s
sight. Now and then he seems to notice the party, ANGRY THUGS
and his eyes go even wider, satisfied; he smiles a
crazy smile, and raises a wooden keg to his folk, The PCs must fight three Black Watch Thugs (see page
some of whom answer the toast with savage cries. 285).

That must be Wildbill Young, the self-styled king The thugs fight wildly and without strategy; they are
of the Black Watch. He certainly looks quite wild. blustering bullies at heart, but very tough to beat.

But what really matters to you is the object laid Three Rounds after a Black Watch Thug falls, one of his
down on a stone shelf just above the throne – a companions replaces him. The PCs must defeat all Black
round metal halo or ring, as wide as a Human leg, Watch thugs within three Rounds – or try to flee the ones
full of shiny bits and what seems to be alien circuit- still standing – to end the fight.
ry. The object is obviously the focus of the party,
as many of the thugs cheer straight at it; some call If the PCs defeat their opponents or successfully escape,
it ‘Wildbill’s crown’. They are all crazy. Wildbill is proceed to Encounter V.
leading them over the edge. This, then, is the Black
Watch. And their ‘crown’ is the artefact you have
come all this way to retrieve.
ENCOUNTER V: FLIGHT ENDING THE
The PCs have defeated the first wave of Black Watch ADVENTURE
soldiers and can now escape with the artefact. If they didn’t
already have it, they can grab it now, but you should run
Encounter IV again as some additional Black Watchers in- The PCs have managed to escape and now have the
tercept the PCs once they have it. artefact in their possession. It remains only to determine
what will happen now.
Once the PCs have the artefact and have defeated or
escaped Encounter IV (once or twice), they may dash to the The artefact is indeed alien-looking. A success-
exit, with the Black Watch hot on their heels, this time led ful Technical action confronted by a TSE that plays
by Wildbill himself, who screams strange battle slogans as three cards (an Iz’kal PC gains one advantage)

Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets

he orders his folk to ‘get his crown back’. should determine that it’s a kind of tiara, likely of
Korian make, perhaps intended to facilitate organic-
If the PCs don’t have a vehicle already, they may try machine interface as modern cortex connectors do.
and hack one of the bikes by the lair exit if they didn’t do
it earlier. The bikes have Firewall 5 that plays three cards, The artefact doesn’t work now, and it would need
and four energy. a specialised environment and technology to suc-
cessfully activate it, or even to salvage it for com-
If the PCs take more than one attempt to hack a bike, run ponents. If the PCs keep the thing to themselves,
Encounter IV again as the fastest pursuers catch up with there’s nothing else they can do with it.
them. Once the PCs successfully mount their vehicle or a
hacked bike, one of them must defeat a TSE that plays three If the PCs sell the artefact to Big T, he gives them
cards with a Piloting action to see if they can all safely take 100,000 credits each for it and gives them elite rank
off at full speed and dodge the incoming shots from the within the Sebola crew.
thugs.
If the PCs look for an underworld black market
◊ If the PCs hacked the bikes before escaping the lair, buyer, they may sell it for 500,000 credits total, 433
the pilot gains one advantage towards the action. but they’d need to seek out contacts, make the sale,

faith: core book

and certainly earn Big T’s enmity should he find out
◊ If the PC attempting the Piloting action is defeated, they sold it to someone else.
run Encounter IV again as one of the bikes catches
up with the PCs. If the PCs win, they may attempt Technology and Research corporations are
the Piloting action again against the same TSE. always on the hunt for Korian artefacts. An average
Corp representative will pay 400,000 credits for
◊ If the PCs succeed, they escape at high speeds the artefact; plus, the PCs will be considered for
through the corridors. If they defeat a TSE that further legal employment, and given protection
plays two cards with another Piloting action, they against further retaliation from Big T or the Black
manage to lose their pursuers and hide until the Watch. They will be in a very good position to play
heat dies down and they manage to get away any adventure seeds from that corporation.
without additional trouble – proceed to Ending the
Adventure. The Iz’kal State would be very thankful for the
return of a Korian artefact; if the PCs give the
If the PCs are taken out or captured during this encounter, item back to Iz’kal representatives, they are not
Wildbill Young has no mercy and orders them killed – unless rewarded with money but are welcome and granted
a survivor has a VERY convincing argument against it. a trial period as technocrats, with all the benefits of
citizenship and a job as State-employed mercenar-
ies. If they prove their loyalty to the State, they may
earn permanent technocrat status.

If the Black Watch discovered the theft, they will

hunt the PCs down to kill them, hiring other merce-
nary companies if needed.

If the PCs don’t give the artefact to Big T, he won’t

order them dead but will veto them forever from
the Sebola gang and certainly have them beat up if
they return to his territory.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.
© Burning Games 2017. You have explicit permission to photocopy this page for your personal use.

Wireless Soul Transmission - Play Guide (2018)
67% (3)
Wireless Soul Transmission - Play Guide (2018)
219 pages
Elite Dangerous - Core Rules (Updated)
86% (7)
Elite Dangerous - Core Rules (Updated)
370 pages
Reign: Third Year
100% (3)
Reign: Third Year
197 pages
CepheusUniversal Whiteback17
90% (10)
CepheusUniversal Whiteback17
456 pages
Cold Space RPG - Core Rulebook PDF
50% (4)
Cold Space RPG - Core Rulebook PDF
186 pages
RuneQuest I Core Rulebook PDF
71% (7)
RuneQuest I Core Rulebook PDF
194 pages
Field of Glory - Dark Ages 496-1070
100% (9)
Field of Glory - Dark Ages 496-1070
86 pages
Genefunk 2090 - Core Rulebook (v1) (5e) PDF
86% (14)
Genefunk 2090 - Core Rulebook (v1) (5e) PDF
314 pages
En FAITH The Sci-Fi RPG Lore
75% (8)
En FAITH The Sci-Fi RPG Lore
56 pages
Espionage! - The Secret Agent Role Playing Game PDF
88% (8)
Espionage! - The Secret Agent Role Playing Game PDF
84 pages
After The War - Corebook
91% (11)
After The War - Corebook
358 pages
1389718804497
100% (1)
1389718804497
114 pages
Afterverse - SciFi Role Playing
89% (9)
Afterverse - SciFi Role Playing
366 pages
Elite Dangerous Super Traders Supplement
100% (3)
Elite Dangerous Super Traders Supplement
58 pages
Mythic Space Playtest v1.01
83% (6)
Mythic Space Playtest v1.01
202 pages
Parsec RPG
90% (10)
Parsec RPG
130 pages
Last Saga Beta Rulebook
100% (1)
Last Saga Beta Rulebook
97 pages
Uprising - The Dystopian Universe
100% (5)
Uprising - The Dystopian Universe
314 pages
Voidnauts Core Rulebook
100% (2)
Voidnauts Core Rulebook
128 pages
Burning Empires - Core Rules PDF
90% (10)
Burning Empires - Core Rules PDF
656 pages
Cold and Dark - Core Rules PDF
86% (7)
Cold and Dark - Core Rules PDF
315 pages
Uncharted Worlds - Far Beyond Humanity PDF
50% (2)
Uncharted Worlds - Far Beyond Humanity PDF
115 pages
Aetherium - The Roleplaying Game
75% (4)
Aetherium - The Roleplaying Game
258 pages
Infinite Galaxies - Core Rules
89% (9)
Infinite Galaxies - Core Rules
298 pages
Carbon Grey RPG Settings Primer
50% (2)
Carbon Grey RPG Settings Primer
14 pages
D6xD6 - Expanded Edition PDF
88% (8)
D6xD6 - Expanded Edition PDF
200 pages
En FAITH The Sci-Fi RPG Ruleset
73% (11)
En FAITH The Sci-Fi RPG Ruleset
52 pages
Age of Steel PDF
90% (10)
Age of Steel PDF
123 pages
Outbreak Undead - Deep Space - Second Edition
88% (8)
Outbreak Undead - Deep Space - Second Edition
241 pages
Modern AGE - Companion (GRR6304)
90% (10)
Modern AGE - Companion (GRR6304)
130 pages
EABA v2 - BTRC6501 Core Rulebook v2.0
88% (8)
EABA v2 - BTRC6501 Core Rulebook v2.0
308 pages
Age of Aether RPG Core Rulebook (Calvin Studzinski)
75% (8)
Age of Aether RPG Core Rulebook (Calvin Studzinski)
240 pages
NOW The Modern Action Roleplaying Game v12
88% (8)
NOW The Modern Action Roleplaying Game v12
244 pages
Agents of Concordia - Corebook PDF
85% (13)
Agents of Concordia - Corebook PDF
196 pages
Highcaster
75% (8)
Highcaster
318 pages
RPG Spellchrome
91% (11)
RPG Spellchrome
257 pages
Enforcers RPG - 2nd Print
100% (2)
Enforcers RPG - 2nd Print
114 pages
(ENG) FarsightRPG Quickstarter
88% (8)
(ENG) FarsightRPG Quickstarter
107 pages
Spark RPG Colour
75% (4)
Spark RPG Colour
209 pages
Shield Maidens Primer
86% (7)
Shield Maidens Primer
26 pages
Uprising The Dystopian Universe RPG
86% (7)
Uprising The Dystopian Universe RPG
314 pages
Primus Star Core Rulebook
88% (8)
Primus Star Core Rulebook
142 pages
Hard Wired Island (Updated)
92% (13)
Hard Wired Island (Updated)
400 pages
Pip System - Corebook PDF
78% (9)
Pip System - Corebook PDF
145 pages
Untitled
0% (2)
Untitled
221 pages
CORPS 2e - BTRC7101 Core Rulebook PDF
100% (1)
CORPS 2e - BTRC7101 Core Rulebook PDF
147 pages
Afterverse Sourcebook FULL HIRES PDF
100% (2)
Afterverse Sourcebook FULL HIRES PDF
366 pages
SIGMATA - Repeat The Signal
100% (5)
SIGMATA - Repeat The Signal
156 pages
D6 Space
100% (5)
D6 Space
145 pages
Shattered City - Core Book
94% (17)
Shattered City - Core Book
242 pages
DM IFE09 - Fragged Seas - Core
67% (3)
DM IFE09 - Fragged Seas - Core
165 pages
Carbon Grey RPG - Expansion - Foes and Factions
80% (5)
Carbon Grey RPG - Expansion - Foes and Factions
48 pages
Tsunami PDF
100% (5)
Tsunami PDF
2 pages
Homeworld Corebook
93% (14)
Homeworld Corebook
343 pages
Project ECCO
100% (1)
Project ECCO
80 pages
Enforcers RPG - The Knights of Beverly Hills
100% (1)
Enforcers RPG - The Knights of Beverly Hills
34 pages
Volfyirion PNP
100% (2)
Volfyirion PNP
23 pages
Open Legend - Core Rule Book
83% (6)
Open Legend - Core Rule Book
145 pages
Introduction To Court Cards
No ratings yet
Introduction To Court Cards
10 pages
Magic The Gathering - Fourth Edition Rulebook
No ratings yet
Magic The Gathering - Fourth Edition Rulebook
76 pages
Black Void - Core Rules PDF
92% (24)
Black Void - Core Rules PDF
424 pages
DangerousSpace WK13 P2-777 Commandeer 032924
No ratings yet
DangerousSpace WK13 P2-777 Commandeer 032924
1 page
Ehrgeiz - Manual - PSX
No ratings yet
Ehrgeiz - Manual - PSX
16 pages
Front Mission 3 - Manual - PSX
100% (1)
Front Mission 3 - Manual - PSX
16 pages
AutoVentures Hell On Wheels
No ratings yet
AutoVentures Hell On Wheels
36 pages
Bionicle Heroes - Manual - GBA
No ratings yet
Bionicle Heroes - Manual - GBA
18 pages
Deck of Many Things and Many Ways To Use It
No ratings yet
Deck of Many Things and Many Ways To Use It
10 pages
Project Snowblind - Manual - PS2 PDF
No ratings yet
Project Snowblind - Manual - PS2 PDF
15 pages
Doom 64 - Manual - N64
No ratings yet
Doom 64 - Manual - N64
18 pages
D&D 5e DMs Guild Deck of The Divine Mysteries v1 0, OEF, 2023 12
100% (2)
D&D 5e DMs Guild Deck of The Divine Mysteries v1 0, OEF, 2023 12
13 pages
Medievil II - Manual - PSX
No ratings yet
Medievil II - Manual - PSX
17 pages
Character Backgrounds For Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e) - D&D Beyond
No ratings yet
Character Backgrounds For Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) Fifth Edition (5e) - D&D Beyond
1 page
The Italian Job - Manual - PS2
No ratings yet
The Italian Job - Manual - PS2
14 pages
Skies of Arcadia - Manual - DC
No ratings yet
Skies of Arcadia - Manual - DC
18 pages
Mission Impossible - Manual - PSX
No ratings yet
Mission Impossible - Manual - PSX
22 pages
Ultramodern5 REDUX 4
No ratings yet
Ultramodern5 REDUX 4
1 page
Castlevania - Aria of Sorrow - Manual - GBA
No ratings yet
Castlevania - Aria of Sorrow - Manual - GBA
13 pages
Ace Combat 2 - UK Manual - PSX
No ratings yet
Ace Combat 2 - UK Manual - PSX
25 pages
Micro Machines - Manual - GBA
No ratings yet
Micro Machines - Manual - GBA
13 pages
Dark Nights - Metal
No ratings yet
Dark Nights - Metal
10 pages
Toy Story - Manual - GEN
No ratings yet
Toy Story - Manual - GEN
16 pages
Star Trek The Deck Building Game Rules For Solo Play
No ratings yet
Star Trek The Deck Building Game Rules For Solo Play
2 pages
Super Street Fighter II - Manual - GEN
No ratings yet
Super Street Fighter II - Manual - GEN
26 pages
The Lost Vikings - Manual - GEN
No ratings yet
The Lost Vikings - Manual - GEN
16 pages
Demolition Man - Manual - 3DO
No ratings yet
Demolition Man - Manual - 3DO
13 pages
Nightmare Creatures - Manual - PSX
No ratings yet
Nightmare Creatures - Manual - PSX
14 pages
Holy Child Public School: Maths Assignment
No ratings yet
Holy Child Public School: Maths Assignment
4 pages
CH 13 Probability Marks Booster Sheet - 30355906 - 2024 - 02!13!19 - 00
No ratings yet
CH 13 Probability Marks Booster Sheet - 30355906 - 2024 - 02!13!19 - 00
95 pages
Bloodborne Rulebook v1.1
No ratings yet
Bloodborne Rulebook v1.1
28 pages
Probability
No ratings yet
Probability
10 pages
Play of The Hand in The 21st Century Lesson 8
No ratings yet
Play of The Hand in The 21st Century Lesson 8
28 pages
1558564362-Ivey 04 Bluffing
No ratings yet
1558564362-Ivey 04 Bluffing
4 pages
Golden Axe
No ratings yet
Golden Axe
5 pages
Sorry
No ratings yet
Sorry
1 page
The Cheeky V 2022 Rules Pack
No ratings yet
The Cheeky V 2022 Rules Pack
4 pages
Car Lesbians Track Pack 1
No ratings yet
Car Lesbians Track Pack 1
8 pages
Application Integers
No ratings yet
Application Integers
3 pages
AP, Probability Quarterly Rev Ws
No ratings yet
AP, Probability Quarterly Rev Ws
3 pages
Your Universal 6 Card Spread Reading at Lotus Tarot
No ratings yet
Your Universal 6 Card Spread Reading at Lotus Tarot
5 pages
Clear The Dungeon Complete 1.0.2
No ratings yet
Clear The Dungeon Complete 1.0.2
4 pages
KDE RegistrationSheet
No ratings yet
KDE RegistrationSheet
1 page
SchottenTotten EN Rules
No ratings yet
SchottenTotten EN Rules
9 pages
Kikupufutarir
No ratings yet
Kikupufutarir
2 pages
Blue-Eyes White Dragon Deck
No ratings yet
Blue-Eyes White Dragon Deck
1 page
Blackjack Flowchart
No ratings yet
Blackjack Flowchart
1 page
Ephemeris: A Science Fiction RPG
From Everand
Ephemeris: A Science Fiction RPG
J Alan Erwine
3/5 (2)
Mindjammer
From Everand
Mindjammer
Sarah Newton
No ratings yet
Everyverse RPG
From Everand
Everyverse RPG
Dennis J. Parizek
1/5 (1)
4C Expanded 2.0
From Everand
4C Expanded 2.0
James Keck
No ratings yet
Airship Daedalus: Assassins of the Lost Kingdom
From Everand
Airship Daedalus: Assassins of the Lost Kingdom
E.J. Blaine
No ratings yet
Jackals: Bronze Age Fantasy Roleplaying
From Everand
Jackals: Bronze Age Fantasy Roleplaying
John-Matthew DeFoggi
5/5 (1)
Gamma Wolves: A Game of Post-apocalyptic Mecha Warfare
From Everand
Gamma Wolves: A Game of Post-apocalyptic Mecha Warfare
Ash Barker
No ratings yet
Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying
From Everand
Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying
Jonathan Hicks
No ratings yet
Crescendo of Violence: A Neon-Noir Roleplaying Game
From Everand
Crescendo of Violence: A Neon-Noir Roleplaying Game
Alan Bahr
No ratings yet

Faith - The Sci-Fi RPG - Core Book 2.0

Uploaded by

Faith - The Sci-Fi RPG - Core Book 2.0

Uploaded by

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

The Iz’kal 156

The Raag 222

The Human 258

The Ravager 290

The Coalition 306

The Core Rules 312

The Characters 340

The Gear 382

The Vehicles 404

Introductory Adventure: A Relic in the Streets 328

Character and Vehicle Sheets 338

Jon Egia E. G. Quinzel Javier Alaiz Domínguez Fragan Tanguy

Helio de Grado COPY EDITOR LEAD ARTISTS Dmitry Vishnevsky

GAME DESIGNERS&DEVELOPERS Kevin Porter Zabi Hassan Dhenzel Obeng

Carlos Gómez Quintana COMMUNITY MANAGER Leon Tukker Aleksa Bracic

Mauricio Gómez Alonso Jon Egia CONCEPT ARTISTS Marco Brunelleschi

Helio de Grado ART DIRECTOR Milan Nikolic James Combridge

WRITERS Carlos Gómez Quintana Vukasin Bagic Shen Fei

J. C. Alvarez LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGN COVER ARTIST Eduardo García

Carlos Gómez Quntana Aleksandra Bilic Leonid Kozienko Ivan Jovanovic

Tyler Ryan Uros Sljivic Sam Brooks Eric Warner-Weinstein

Yong Yi Lee Arthur Haas Tran Huy Richard T.

Eduardo García Giorgio Grecu EVIL MASTERMINDS Symatt

Anthony Jones Daniel Matthews Scott Miller Dirk Johnson

Tom Edwards Erikas Perlikovskis Joshua Bradford Peter Holland

Tu Bui Nikola Matkovic Donald Weller Maider Legorburu

Juan Pablo Roldán Inkognit Kasper Luiten BLACK WATCH

Llia Yu Gal Or Rui Ramalho Wildbill Young (Leader)

It is estimated that less than 1% of full Soulbenders

THIS BOOK roles, also known as non-player characters (NPCs). In most

INTRODUCTION TO We want players to be able to manage their luck. In FAITH,

faith: core book

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS (NPCS)

Professor Kwang’s idea was that empty moral concerns

When Professor Kwang gave her proposal during a board

The Corvo Megacorps

faith: core book

It started when Perfect Pills, an NS company, developed

The Corvo Megacorps

faith: core book

PHYSICAL 8 INITIATIVE 6 MENTAL 4

The Perfect Soldiers are the fruit of a top secret

The FAITH Universe is held together by belief and point

faith: core book

faith: core book

NAVIGATING THE LABYRINTH

faith: core book

was key to the formation of the Great Empire. As it has

JINGJIE to an uniformity of thought and a spirit of cooperation that

tribes, characterised for their gold or

TIANTANG port ships and everyday commuters. These improvised

Population: Over 100 billion

Transportation between districts is run by companies

Religion: The Gods

faith: core book

Soulbenders vary greatly in power and devotion, with

A few Soulbenders - about 1% of the 1%, according to

It is estimated that less than 1% of full Soulbenders

To date, the movement has taken credit for no less than

their movement. Up to that point the organisation had been

“Returning Quanjie to its People” is their motto, but this

However, the appearance of the Iz’Kal, the

faith: core book

Secret Service agents don’t act in groups. They 3 5 0 9

The leaders of the Secret Service are numerous

Passive action. If he doesn’t become Spent this

Espionage is back in style thanks to the plenti-

Religion: The Gods

faith: core book

The most important group of Ergonauts outside the Iz’kal

Religion: The Gods

faith: core book

have lived and died seeking pieces of the Equation Supreme.

explain difficult concepts, but may also use to deceive,

Religion: The Gods