Imperial Court

While in the Imperial Court, a PC has disadvantage on Presence Rolls made to take actions that don’t fit the imperial way of life or support the empire’s dominance.

The PCs can find imperial subjects, vassals, and supplicants in the court, each vying for favor, seeking proximity to power, exchanging favors for loyalty, and elevating their status above others. Some might be desperate to undermine their rivals, while others might even be open to discussions that verge on sedition.

Spend a Fear to present a PC with a golden opportunity or offer to satisfy a major goal in exchange for obeying or supporting the empire. The target must make a Presence Reaction Roll. On a failure, they must mark all their Stress or accept the offer. If they have already marked all their Stress, they must reduce their Stress track by 1d4. On a success, they must mark 1d4 Stress as they’re taxed by temptation.

Spend a Fear to tick down a long-term countdown related to the empire’s agenda by 1d4. If this triggers the countdown, a proclamation related to the agenda is announced at court as the plan is executed.

On a result with Fear, you can spend a Fear to have someone loyal to the empire overhear seditious talk within the court. A PC must succeed on an Instinct Reaction Roll to notice that the group has been overheard so they can try to intercept the witness before the PCs are exposed.