Homeland
Imperious
How to make an Imperion
When making an Imperion you start out with one virtue and one vice. Imperions may only take one vice from either general, city, or division. No Imperion is uniquely hindered by how they were raised. You may take one homeland virtue and one general virtue, but never any more. You may take any number of division virtues. You may take one additional vice for an additional virtue.
Imperions background: So long as you are using talents in your game (not just a base game session) you must have if using trees half a tree in light savage, standard savage, or sheilds. If using talent points you must spend 7 points in exclusively one of the follow: Light savage, standard savage, or shields
Imperion General Virtues
Specialised background: Imperions are pushed into specialisations seen as someone who benefits the whole rather than singular individual. They are the masters of one.
Imperions with this Virtue have three skill points which they may only spend in a skill which they have two abilities for.
Basic Training: All Imperial citizens must perform basic training in order to be seen as a fit member of society. For as long as three years they are physically challenged and drilled in the uses of sword and shield.
Imperions with this virtue gain seven talent point which may used exclusively for one of the following: light savage, standard savage, or shields talent trees.
Natural Harmony: Imperions are naturally predisposed to working with others, it is a key part of their society even more so than others. Everything thing is seen as a communal burden rather than an individual one in their society.
An Imperion with this virtue when aiding another, you may trade them up to two dice rather than one.
Theophobic: Many Imperions are still raised on their stories of their creche mothers, of how they were constantly attacked, raided, and pillaged. The Imperions have a long-held belief that they abandoned by the gods. It isn’t that they don’t believe in the gods some do. However, many of them believe that the gods scorn them.
An Imperion with this vice many not see the holy man.
Creatures of Comfort: Having an Imperion by your side can make you feel a lot more confident. What is less known is how much Imperions want people by their side. Despite what many see as an overly machismo society, Imperions consider physical comfort, touching, and closeness very important. They are often deeply hurt by those who they consider friends shunning who their touch to those outside Imperious their closeness may seem… overly familiar.
If an Imperion with this vice ever has an opposed social roll, and he doesn’t have allies present their opponent(s) gain they steal ability. If his allies are present and they rebuff their peculiar socialising, opponents still gain the steal ability.
Core Division
Peerless Ally Core: No ally is more reliable than an Imperion soldier in combat. They strive to always be better, and more importantly always to be there for their allies in their time of need.
An Imperion with this virtue improves all cinematic rolls by ones for allies who stand next to them, to a maximum of six, don’t adjust dice. They lose this bonus if they move away from the Imperion.
For the greater good: Imperons see the whole as more important than themselves. To this end many core soldiers see themselves as the least important part of that whole. For them it is more important that Imperious continues, then their continued survival. As such they are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
Once per reel, an Imperion with this virtue may have an attack that would hit their ally hit them instead, reroll location.
Drilled into you: For the core, life is quiet literally regimented. For some people this would be in tolerable. For an Imperion it is conforting known what each day will bring.
Whenever an Imperion with virtue defends they defend all allies adjacent to them.
Warrior’s Instinct: Soldiers are trained to recognise flags, heraldry, and markings of every kind. This helps them discern ally from enemy and, battle hardened forces from untested braggards. For others immersed in a martial environment all of this can be unnecessary they simply watch and can see the true threat from the braggard through years of experience.
An Imperion with this virtue once per session you may ask the conspirator to reveal a person honour and fear, and if they have any combat talents, as well as what they are.
Literalists: A problem for core Imperions interacting with those outside the empire is their blunt and straightforward nature. Other guards, police, and other soldier may ask ‘do you understand’ core will announce, ‘leave now or punishment will be administered’. They are unwilling to think laterally, and dislike those who do so.
An Imperion with this vice receives two less skill rolls when investigating a crime scene individually. If part of a group regardless of if they participate or not, they reduce the number of skill rolls by one. This penalty is cumulative.
Intelligence Division
Peerless Ally Intelligence: There is no better feeling than standing next to an intelligence office, when someone says something foolish. They strive to show the superiority of Imperious and never let their allies look the fool.
Once per session an Imperion with this virtue may interlope into a drama without taking damage to their social stand or to that of their ally.
Educated: Every Imperion is given a basic education, though many of them ignore this. Those wishing to be core, rough house with one another, and those destined for production happily play in the fields. However, those of notable intellect, and those who work hard in their studies are put into intelligence to continue those studies. Some will become civic planners, logistics officers, and some propagandists or spies. Regardless, the intelligence officer, has a greater degree of lateral thinking than most.
An Imperion with this virtue changes how they roll low skill rolls. If they have no dice in a skill they roll one dice instead, if they have one dice in a skill the roll two and take the higher of the two. (normally they would roll two dice and take the lower with no dice in a skill)
Liars and Listeners: Intelligence is best known for being spies, internal police, and all sorts of bogeymen of Imperious. While Intelligence officers regard these comments as handwringing nonsense, some reveal in them, and some know the truth and remain quiet. Intelligence is responsible for the policing, propaganda, and placation of Imperious.
An Imperion with this virtue gains three skill points that they may spend among, guile, deduction, socialise, academics, or stealth. Additionally, if investigating a crime scene alone they gain two extra skill rolls. If investigating a crime scene as part of a group they increase the number of rolls by one.
Hidden Devil: Those who hate Imperious, will cite their bluntness, lack of tact and machismo, while those who approve of them see them as truthful, forthright and honourable. This is why people cannot recognise the Imperion Intelligence office as they would the Imperion. Intelligence have a different set of values, they believe information above truth, perception before reality, and result before principle. Truth, justice, and security may be the way of Imperious, but it isn’t the Intelligence way.
An Imperion with this vice may never have more than five honour. They may never have more influence than they have fear.
Production
Peerless Ally Production: Nothing is worse than messing up on the job and having an Imperion production member means that is less likely to happen.
An Imperion with this virtue when aiding another allows that person the use of their talent tree if they have one for that skill.
Mass Production: Imperious works for a reason many people ignore. The thousands of people working diligently in the fields, mills, and workshops throughout its lands. Warehouses stocked with larders that would make king’s treasures look barren. Imperions believe they are working for a cause, as such they don’t tire in their work, they all believe they are part of something greater.
If an Imperion with this virtue is in a montage, they may instead of rolling choose to take the number of dots they have in a skill as their roll for each dice (this includes abilities). Let’s say an Imperion with this virtue had two dots in Atheletics as well as Physical and Wits as abilities. They could avoid rolling for a result of 4 on each dice for a total of 16.
Bloodless: For many Imperions life is a peaceful uneventful life, they wake, they wash, they work. This cycle is repeated every single day. Their days of people yelling at them to swing their sword, run fast, shield up are a distant memory. Just one of life’s hurdles before they came to this. But life isn’t always peaceful, and when that peace is shattered all that training was useless.
An Imperion with this vice pays one more to make any attack.
Relegated: Before you bring honour and glory to your name, your house, and Imperious itself, you must first go through the selection process. Every Imperion is educated and assessed, the strongest, most aggressive, and most resilient go to Core. The brilliant, verbally gifted, and mathematically inclined go to intelligence. Finally, the those with magical abilities are sent to garden… Then there is production despite being the backbone of Imperious, many feel they were relegated to this role. They weren’t the most physically able, charismatic, or mentally gifted, thus they are here in production.
An Imperion with this vice if in social combat if ever their opponent gains advantage via guile or empathy, they gain two dice instead. Additionally, if their opponent specifically intimidates them without threat to their person or friends but suggests they deserve their station in life, they also gain two dice via advantage.
The Houses of Imperious
Imperious has several different houses, a house’s position within Imperious determines the rank of the house. This is Important for multi house operations. For example, say there is someone of equal rank there, usually there would be arguments, however, house rank avoids that. Thus, a second house major would have a higher rank than a fourth rank major, when determining chain of command. However, they used to denote the different group families or clans that formed the original Imperious. Since the formation of the sixth house, which is now the fourth house that cultural aspect is almost completely removed. Not that those outside of Imperious knew about it.
First House:
Imperious, the centre of the Empire. Even though it is far inland and seems further and further away from the front line, its still the centre of management for the empire. Much of the day to day matters such as record keep, logistics, and troop movements still go through Imperious. Besides this it is the top contributor of troops to high conflict areas, raids on enemies, and simple patrols. Some suggest that they do this to keep a not so subtle eye of the rest of the Empire.
Second House:
Balca, the home of the grain sea. Balca represents the majority of food production for the Empire, at least for the interior. While each region can produce its own food Balca produces harvests that have kept Imperious running through the leaner years. More importantly for some it produces almost all of the alcohol for the region, providing Imperious with a plentiful supply of beer, ale and kvass. Though their contributions cannot be disputed other houses criticise it for a number of non Imperion practices, their openness to outsiders, exclusively manganous relationships, and tendency to solve disputes through wrestling, boxing, and other unarmed combat.
Third House
Coda makes up much of the logistics, organisational, and educational parts of the Empire. Coda is also the second arm of production and is the central hub for the interior, processing much before it is sent out again. They are also known for their alchemy as well as being the centre for scientific advancement within the Empire. Most Imperious educational programs are developed here also. Finally, one of the reasons that it is so disliked is much of internal operations or the secret police are run through here. Those Imperions embedded through out Imperious reporting peoples activity back to Imperious via Coda.
Fourth House:
The fourth house has no single city managing a surrounding region. Instead the fourth house is made up all of the Conquered lands. It was believed that they would simply take some land south, and claim a city as a central hub, perhaps Fortilia as it was known to house pirates and raiders there. However, their new foreign Ur’Tigh general took a large swath of land so much that the Tartilian Empire attempted to regain this land that they weren’t managing. The role of the former sixth house now fourth house is to be a bulwark against bandits, pirates, and raiders throughout the Empire. However, many consider this a self-perpetuating existence due to how much land they took. The various groups that have piecemeal resisted Imperious can no longer do so in such a fashion. Resistance grows due to this massive expansion and has caused problems inside and outside of Imperious.
Fifth House:
Sao Lous is the Imperial Navy headquarters. Taken in the expansion before last many believed that Sao Lous could have been the Empires down fall. The landlocked nation of Imperious didn’t have much experience with the seas. While their port remained safe on the open sea, they had a significant disadvantage. This however is when Imperious did what they did best, out producing people, making ships at an unprecedent rate. Not everyone enjoyed the experience of the ‘pirate coast’. Many new captains joined Imperious and helped them defeat the various pirate alliances. Now the iron fist coast is the safest among the three empires. Imperial sea tactics remain much as their captains do eccentric, erratic, and effective. It is still building ships at an impressive rate however, the captains which once flocked to Imperious for a chance getting back at the pirates aren’t coming anymore.
Sixth House:
Torism’s role historically was to be the centre for new recruitment and to bolster the army of Imperious. Many outsiders trained here to become a part of Imperious. However, this happens less and less so due to the fourth house expansion. The people of Torism bitterly resent this. However, this has made Torism become stricter in their training and more ruthless. This pride and resentment has cause their troops to be some of the most dangerous in the empire, known for their ruthlessness and indomitability. Though, many believe that having a Torian detachment can be as much a liability as a benefit due to their inability to integrate into the command of other houses. Always attempting to seek glory to advance their house name, which ironically is keeping them down.
The Garden
The Garden as it is colloquially known is the home of the magic users in Imperious. In Imperious magic users are all sent to the garden an area walled off within the walled city for the protection of both those inside and those outside. Sorcerers who cannot control their powers are sent there, the powerful magi of Imperious study there, and anyone of any magical ability is sent there. Some see this as kindness others as cruelty. To be able to return to normal life an imperial mage must prove their control, loyalty, and destructive capability usually in that order, to be able to return to their homeland. Until then they are kept in a beautiful gilded cage, as some would put it. While inside they must still work, while much of the alchemy is done in Coda, magic infusion is done here in the Garden. They study and research magic abilities and have helped in some alchemic developments. Some people from other lands with magical ability seek Imperious out for this reason because they fear persecution in their homeland. The life of a gilded cage, work, full bellies and fellow travellers sounds far superior to vagrancy, hunger, and ‘mob justice’.
True Imperious
Truly Imperion: Imperious is many things to many people, first it was an insult taken as a name now… It’s a philosophy, a state and an empire, for those outside the empire this causes headaches, those inside, it is no different than any other word with more than one definition, ask an Artizilian what run means. However, within True Imperions, the outside seems mad. Barzonian courting rituals, Porter haggling, or frankly anything an Argothian would do. Why not be direct ask to be with someone, why must they argue about objects they don’t need, or why are they holding a funeral for a living person? To a True Imperion the world outside is bizarre and only the guiding principles of Imperious will bring it order.
An Imperion with this vice cannot take any dot beyond abilities in Wisdom, Etiquette, or Style. Additionally, they may make eccentricity rolls to attempt to determine other people’s cultural practices, at a two dice penalty. An Imperion with this vice may only have one dot in eccentricity when creating their character.
Death Before Dishonour: For a True Imperion there is only one goal ever in their mind further Imperious. They have other desires, interests and objectives, but if they ever believe they can further Imperious they take a backseat. True Imperions believe so long as Imperious lives so do they, if their deeds are great enough they will be recorded and perhaps sung of. As such True Imperions do not fear death they only fear one thing, dishonour. For them it is worse to be branded weak, a coward or worst of all a traitor. For them it is death before dishonour.
An Imperion with this virtue, when in a cinematic if they must make a conviction check they may reroll any reel dice, including if that still no longer has a reel dice due to exhaustion or another reason.
The Peerless Ally: Imperions are reliable allies. Some say this is simply a face they put on for propaganda for their ever-expanding empire. However, when you are in need, you remember who answered your call. True Imperions take this more serious than most.
An Imperion with this virtue may twice per session allow any ally to use a once per session virtue, talent, or ability again.
Live up to the name: Imperions are seen as Imperious. They are arrogant, proud, and defiant. In the past they were surrounded by enemies, their society completely changed as a result. They became militaristic. Family, nobility, and old grudges were aside for the sake of survival. According to legend one raider called them imperious and they took that as their name from then on, an insult as a mark of pride.
An Imperion with this vice cannot use empathy in a drama. They cannot gain advantage from guile.
Balca
Rubes: Some believe that Balca was absorbed not annexed. Wanting the security of Imperious, they openly accepted all their demands. They are now seen as the second house, and historically have provided the majority of the food for the Empire. This practice continues at least for the Imperion interior. Still with the spread of the Empire, Balcan grain finds its way even to the coast. The combination of their willingness to capitulate and their focus on production and citizen welfare has lead to a degree of stereotyping.
If an Imperion with this vice is in a social combat and their opponent gains advantage via guile or empathy, they gain two dice instead. Additionally, they want to believe people and are naturally caring.
Hardy: One aspect of Balcan culture may have been appropriated by Imperious itself, as well as to a lesser degree some other interior cities. Wrestling, more accurately friendly roughhousing, Balcians are renowned for their physical nature. Bear hugs, friendly punching, and wrestling of all kinds. This has caused some problems for them outside of their homeland as both men and women participate, and many are not accustomed to their level of enthusiasm.
An Imperion with this virtue gains an additional dice to any roll when rolling for injury in a cinematic. Additionally, during the will to fight phase, they may tag athletics for themselves and grace for others. When rolling for injury recovery in the what just happened phase they gain an extra dice.
Relentless: Balcans are known for their relentless nature, working hours on end, and drinking so they can wrestle, or… wrestle. Just to go back to it in the morning. They are inexhaustible. They will work without rest if needed. They take pride in their work and their work ethic.
An Imperion with this virtue gains an additional dice to any roll when in a montage. Additionally, once per session if exhausted they may reroll all their empty reel dice.
Heart on the sleeve: Balcains are obvious with their feelings, blatantly so. They are an inherently honest people, there is no reservation in them, when they are angry they will yell at each other. When they are happy they will drum their bellies. When it is a time of morning men will openly weep and women will beat on their chests. All of this may make them a good people, it does not make them a good poker player.
An Imperion with this ability when in a drama reveals their token before making their argument in the first round. In the second round they must spend two action points to hide their token. In the third round they may hide their token as per normal.
Coda
The Dishonourable House: Like Blaca Coda was annex by Imperious in the ‘the first march’. Unlike Balca they agreed to annexation only with a cavalcade of stipulations, all of these were accepted. Conspiracy theories abound from that, and the lack of information as to what these stipulations were, only make them wilder. However, dishonesty has a cost, and that cost is that you assume everyone around you is similarly selfish, dishonest, and untrustworthy.
An Imperion with this vice cannot recover injuries during the will to fight phase from others’ assessments. Additionally, when calling for aid they must spend one influence in addition to honour to call for aid.
Educated: Unlike most Imperions, Codains deeply value education and academia. Many end up taking major role in intelligence. Codains have a culture where information is seen as power. These values sometime clash with the other interior cities. However, when it comes to outsiders they will often let the Codains speak for the empire.
An Imperion with this virtue changes how they roll low skill rolls. If they have no dice in a skill they roll one dice instead, if they have one dice in a skill the roll two and take the higher of the two. (normally they would roll two dice and take the lower with no dice in a skill)
Alchemic Masters: Long before Imperious abandoned the gods, before the druids were spitting salves into wounds, the Codains were learning the ways of alchemy. Its practices allowed them to perform ‘miracles’ with surprising regularity.
An Imperion with this virtue gains two extra skill rolls for identifying chemicals at a crime scene. When making a roll involving alchemy they gain an extra dice.
Pride comes before the fall: Codains have been noted for their intellect undoubtedly. However, the problem with a Codain is they always believe they are the smartest person in the room. Sometimes they are but when they aren’t they can be in for a rude shock at best and at worst, it can be lethal.
An Imperion with this vice need not spend social standing to enter a public debate or argument. However, if they lose that debate or argument they lose double the entry cost. Additionally, in exposes, it costs them one more of any of the standard costs to use social status.
Torism
Bitter Sheath: Until recently everyone believed the houses of Imperious were set in stone. Each new house would come after the last. Recent shake ups however, have shown that is not the case. The region now known as the Conquered lands with several towns and a few cities all belong to a single house, the fourth house. The former position of Torism, now the sixth house. This has led them to hate the fourth house, especially the foreign general that leads them.
An Imperion with this vice receives one less dice if one the defence in the first round of a drama. Additionally. if they did not begin a combat their first dice on the cinematic real is reduced by three.
Warrior Pride: Unlike Coda which was annexed, or Balca that surrended, Torism was conquered. Though Torism is a part of the interior and taken in ‘the first march’ its citizens take pride in that they didn’t lay down and surrender unlike other interior houses. This earned them great respect from Imperious. In the early years of Imperious many of the core soldiers came from here in addition to Imperious itself.
Once per session an Imperion with this virtue may if hit in a cinematic attempt to ignore the blow. They must make a conviction roll equal to the damage dealt to them, if they pass, they ignore that damage.
Blade Master: ‘Fear the shield not the sword’ Imperion aphorism. This saying is about Imperion military doctrine and how they use the shield as a weapon, and the obvious threat is the real one. There is an aphorism that is thought to have come from Torism ‘No flesh is stronger than steel’ meaning no one is stronger than a blade, no matter how tough you are. Torism never followed the same doctrines as other Imperial soldiers focusing on using the sword rather than shield.
An Imperion with this virtue has the restriction of Imperion background changed. Having light savage, standard savage or shield talents replaced with the following: light savage, light finesse, standard savage, or standard finesse replacing all instances of the previous. Additionally, when wielding a sword and shield, it costs one less to use either when attacking.
Brutally Stubborn: Anyone could have seen during ‘the first march’ that Torism stood no chance, or perhaps that is the way it seems in retrospect. Whatever the case Imperious wasn’t going to stopped by a single do or die battle, that much is clear. Many Torains believe that were they alive back then they still would have fought even knowing this. It was this virtue that endeared them to Imperious.
An Imperion with this vice must use the same skill twice in a drama if able. If they choose conviction in round one, they must choose conviction again in round three, or intimidate in round one they must use intimidate in round three, and so on.
New Imperious
How to make a New Imperion
Fourth house background: So long as you are using talents in your game (not just a base game session) you must have if using trees half a tree in light finesse, standard finesse, or sheilds. If using talent points you must spend 7 points in exclusively one of the follow: Light finesse, standard finesse, or shields.
When making a New Imperion you start out with one virtue and one vice. New Imperions may take vices from New Imperious or their division. No New Imperion is uniquely changed by their training, they may only take one vice and one virtue from their division. New Imperions may not take general Imperion virtues, instead taking virtues from New Imperious. You may take one additional vice for an additional virtue.
Homeland: New Imperions come from both the interior and new frontier. Those from the interior cling to their traditions. No True Imperious may be new Imperion. If you take a virtue from either Balca, Coda, or Torism you must also take a vice from there. New Frontier Imperions are still developing their identity, as such they only have one virtue or vice they may take from homeland in the conquered section, this will be specifically for new Imperions.
Virtues of New Imperious
The threat within: Being part of the Fourth House means living in occupied territory. Though both Sao Lous and Torism were conquered they have largely come to accept the Imperion way of life. In the conquered lands some resent Imperious, and some still resist them. As such that has the Imperions of the New frontier on edge, ready for fight at any moment.
An Imperion with this vice if in a cinematic with a Conquered who is a threat/enemy must put them down before the end of the first reel or lose one influence and honour. If there is more than one downing the most threatening one becomes the goal.
The threat without: Despite winning so much territory and being able to hold back every single Barzionian army, no armistice or surrender was ever declared. Only decades long agreement to cease hostilities. However, surprisingly well armed and armoured ‘bandits’ attack farms, homesteads, and other Imperion territory to this day. Making many believe that all they are looking for is one weakness.
An Imperion with this vice if in a cinematic with a Tartilian who is a threat/enemy must put them down before the end of the first reel or lose one influence and fear. If there is more than one downing the most threatening one becomes the goal.
Acceptance of the Other: Not all Imperions hate the so called conquered. Some enjoy seeing other cultures, and many of them see them as a backward people abandoned by their empire, and they are dutybound to help them. For Imperious to succeed they must raise up these people so they too can join the way of glorious Imperious.
An Imperion with this virtue when in Drama on the defence against Conquered they gain an additional dice. Once per session you may use this ability to gain this bonus against a non-Imperion.
Rejection of the Rancid: Not all Imperions enjoy the duty of ‘safeguarding’ these new lands. For some hardliners, the perception is these dregs are a burden on all of Imperious, sapping resources in every way. Taking grain from the larders, while enjoying education and security provided by Imperious. All while Imperion soldiers die for them, while the spit on their swords. Not only are they taking precious Imperion lives, they are also poisoning the homeland with ideas of individualism, liberty, and religion.
An Imperion with this virtue when in Drama on the offense against Conquered they gain an additional dice. Once per session you may use this ability to gain this bonus against a non-Imperion.
Imperious, Imperious, Imperious
For many having the different definitions of Imperious causes more than a few headaches. However, Imperions see these things as all interlinked and cannot have one without the other. As such here are some of the definitions.
Noun
The philosophy of Imperious, a doctrine or way of life. Imperious must be brought to this land if they are to survive.
The Empire of Imperious; capital Imperious
City of, the capital of Imperious: A walled city which is a major hub.
Ruler of, The rank given to the general of the first house, in command of all the empire.
Adjective
Domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing:an imperious manner; an imperious person.
urgent; imperative: imperious need.
The Philosophy of Imperious
The philosophy of Imperious is that of militant collectivism. A philosophy born from constant struggle where feudalism failed due to constant death of the leadership, and failure to provide protection to fiefdom. This philosophy believes that the gods abandoned the people of this world long ago, and as such we must collectively help each other as there is no one else to call on. It stipulates that the only way to solve problems is collectively as no problem is able to be solved individually as they fall to the forces of chaos throughout the world. This belief system believes, that all men must join this system of organisation of their own free will or they will be consumed by chaos.
Imperious doesn’t believe in slavery or forced labour, nor to they believe in prisons. As such their legal code within this philosophy can seem alien, cruel, or unjust. All crimes are to be punished immediately, theft for sating a need is punishable by whipping, where as theft for desire results in the removal of a finger joint. For unjust murder, beheading or sword through the heart, for questionable murders it is suicide by sword to remain honourable, or beheading. Finally, for justified murder, if it determined that it was just but they acted dishonourably they will be brained or cut with the mark. If they acted honourably they are lorded as an agent of Imperious. Additionally, group justice is considered within this. A commander of a group may be punished on behalf of the groups actions, as such commanders keep their people control and those below them do the same.
This philosophy also has broader points of collective responsibility, if one is a part of this philosophy they owe others with in it. There are also rules to structure one’s society. Many scholars outside of Imperious say that writing around it is deliberately impenetrable. They say this is confuse outsiders and for the true desires of this philosophy to only be known to believers of the philosophy. One thing is true, there are many cultural practices which perhaps once unique to the interior cities which have been codified into these philosophies.