IMPORTANT RULES:

1. Special Abilities over-ride the normal combat rules. This means that it is always possible for somebody to show a special ability card which permits them to bend or bypass the normal flow of events. Example: Somebody could have the "Quick-draw" ability, which permits them to go first when using a gun, even if they have a low badge number. The rules of how the ability works will be written on the special ability card. See a Game-Master if an ability card is not clear.
2. All combat is obvious to all participants. There is no general "surprise" rule, although there is always the chance somebody has a special ability which permits them to do something like this.
3. You can choose how many Aura you reveal. The means that you might not reveal all your Aura for any given action, in order to hide how "powerful" you are.
4. Once you have "used" Aura for something during a combat round, you cannot re-use them later in that round. This means that Aura you use to defend (Dodge) with cannot be used later in the same round to fight back. A "round" is considered to be one cycle of Steps A, B, and C above. Conversely, Aura you use to attack with cannot be used later in the same round to defend. You must decide how to "allocate" your Aura each turn. At the beginning of the next round, if there is one, you have access to all your Aura again.
5. Common Combat Skills and Default Effects of Success. The three most common skills used in combat are Melee, Firearms, and Dodge. Melee is used for all hand to hand combat. Firearms is used for all ranged combat. Dodge is used for all defensive actions (i.e. avoiding damage). The default effect of a successful Melee or Firearms action is to do damage to an opponent. You can describe your attack more colorfully (e.g., I grab them, I trip them, etc). You will not, however, gain any special advantage for doing so unless you have a specific special ability allowing you to gain an additional effect.
6. If you are attempting to use a skill that you do not possess a "skill card" for, you may do so at an Aura number of Zero. This means that you can try just about anything, but will generally only succeed in things you are skilled at. This might come up quite often for three types of skills: Firearms, Melee, and Dodge. Anybody can fire a gun, or throw a punch, or try to get out of the way. However, unless they actually have a skill card for Firearms, Melee, or Dodge, it is at Aura number 0, and thus has a much lower chance of actually succeeding.
7. You may declare multiple combat actions during your turn. Each action is independent of the others, and may have a separate target. However, each action requires its own Aura declaration, so there is a practical limit to how thinly most people can stretch themselves. Each action is resolved separately during that player's turn.
8. You may not Attack and Run Away in the same round.

Other Stuff You Want to Know

Skills and Special Abilities
Not every skill or special ability is combat-oriented, although the same general system is used. To use a skill or ability, you show the card to your target, or the Game-Master (if there is no target), and declare what you are trying to accomplish. The card will state how the skill or ability works, and what the target should do. Example: The "Detect Lie" special ability might let you ask someone if the last statement he/she made was true or not. The card would inform the target to answer that question honestly. By default, all abilities are "obvious," that is, the target knows you used this ability on them, unless the card states otherwise. If you are ever the target of a special ability that is not obvious, then please role-play as if you did not know what just happened.

Some skills or special abilities may also require the user to reveal, temporarily "use," or even permanently "spend," a number of their Aura. Aura temporarily "used" are regained according to the text written on the card, typically after the effect is over. Aura permanently spent (indicated by "Cost:") are given to a Game-Master. Aura expenditures are on the honor system.

Aura
Most players will start the game with a certain number of colored beads, which roughly represent their character's personal "power” or Aura. These beads do NOT actually exist in-game. During the course of the game, you may gain or lose Aura (mostly lose:-), indicating a "change" in your character, but not without some sort of special ability or circumstance. Sometimes you will need to temporarily "use" or "set aside" a bead to activate a special ability. This represents the amount of "attention" you are focusing on that activity. Sometimes (when the word "Cost" is present) you will need to spend beads outright, giving them to a Game Master. Usually, you choose if, and how many, beads you reveal to other players. However, as always, special abilities and circumstances might exist which over-ride this rule.

Dross
Dross are items that have been invested with a certain amount of magical power. Any time an ability calls for the permanent expenditure of Aura, a character may chose to expend an equal amount of Dross instead. Once Dross has been used in this way, the magic is expended and the item is consumed. Some Dross items are worth more than 1. When these items are used to power special abilities or spells, all of the magic in them is consumed regardless of whether or not it was needed. In other words, a 2 point Dross item can be used to power a special ability that costs 1 Aura or 1 Dross, but the additional point of Dross is wasted and can not be used later. Dross may NOT be used to boost your Aura in any kind of challenge.

Wounds
By default, all characters can take four (4) wounds before going "down." Special abilities or item cards may modify this number. What happens to you when you are down depends on how you went down, and whom you are with. You are mostly helpless, so you can be killed the next combat round, if your opponent wishes, and nobody intervenes. If nobody kills you outright, you may or may not recover, depending on the type of wound, and if healing is available. See a Game-Master if you go "down."
Note: Healing is rare in this environment, so please do not rely on it.

Damage
By default, all guns do four (4) points of damage. All hand-to-hand attacks do one (1) point of damage. Special abilities or item cards may modify this number.

Name Badges
Every player will wear a name badge, displaying his/her "given" name, one or more keywords, any political titles, and his/her current Guild affiliation. This is the only public information available about most people at the start of the game. It is likely there is more information about you in your background, which you may choose to reveal at your own risk. The keywords are often visible descriptors or reputations. They may, however, also include Stigmas such as being a Guild Outcast or an Oathbreaker. Again, there may be more to you than meets the eye, so once the game starts, reveal secret information at your own risk.

The back of each badge contains a unique badge number, which should be revealed if you get into combat, or if somebody shows you an ability card permitting them to look at it.

Contingency Envelopes
In your character packet, you might find one or more sealed envelopes, with some sort of "opening criteria" written on the outside. Please pay attention to the conditions written on the envelope, and at the proper time, open the envelope, and respond appropriately to the contents. Examples of opening criteria: "Open at the start of the game," "Open when you meet Character X,""Open when you see the keyword 'Cold-Blooded Killer.' " Yes, you are correct if you guessed that some of the keywords on the name badges might trigger people to open their contingency envelopes.

Items and Item Cards
Your character might start the game with, or acquire during the course of the game, physical items, which you are presumed to be carrying upon your person. While you might have lots of personal props in conjunction with your costume, items which have game significance may be represented by item cards, which describe the item, how it might work, and any other keywords. By default, all items are transferable, which means they can be lost, hidden, or stolen.

By default, we will provide an item card for any significant item your character might have. If you show up with a cool prop to actually represent the item (called a "phys rep" or "physical representation"), then you may or may not need to carry the item card (just leave it in your character packet, so there are not "two" of the same item floating around). However, if the item card has any codes, or keywords on it, then you should attempt to attach it to your phys rep, since those codes probably have some game significance to whomever holds the item. See a Game Master if you are not sure.

Some item cards are marked with the keywords "OVERSIZED" or "AWKWARD." An OVERSIZED item may not be concealed casually, so the item card must be either worn or carried openly. An AWKWARD item is small enough to be concealed on your person, but large and clumsy enough that all other AWKWARD items you possess must be treated as OVERSIZED. In other words, you may hide one AWKWARD item, and all other AWKWARD items must be worn or carried openly.

Languages
English is considered the default language in this game. All characters automatically speak English. Your character should have a skill card for each language you know. When speaking in that language, you must hold up that card. Only people who can understand what you are saying (because they also speak the language, or have a special ability) may approach you.

Sample Combat

His grace, the Deacon of the Sunken Cathedral, is traveling home from the Night Market with some new incense. Along the way, he is confronted by two Jack Rollers, Corsair and Jemmy Greenteeth. They taunt the Deacon, all the while secretly being watched by Raven, a mysterious woman from the outer tunnels. Fed up with the Jack Rollers bullying, the Deacon attempts to give them a sermon on the evils of their ways. Corsair responds by immediately declaring combat.

Note: During an actual combat, any one player will probably not know the number of beads/Aura held by other players. For the purposes of this sample combat, "play along" with Raven, who secretly has 5 Aura.

A. Identify the Combatants
Corsair and the Deacon are both involved by default (Corsair started it, and the Deacon was his target). Jemmy immediately joins in, to back-up her partner. Raven also joins in, to protect the Deacon.

B. Declare your Actions
Each player flips up their name badge, revealing the numbers. From highest to lowest, they are:

Actions are declared from lowest to highest, so Jemmy declares first, then the Deacon, then Corsair, then Raven:

• Jemmy - declares she will try to grab the Deacon. Jemmy shows her “Melee, may use Aura in hand-to-hand combat” special ability card. She does not show any special “Grab” ability. If Jemmy is successful, she will only do her normal damage and will gain no actual "grab" advantage in the combat.

• The Deacon - declares he will whack Jemmy with his staff, and reveals a special ability card: "God Protects Those Who Protect Themselves - may use Aura in hand-to-hand combat."

• Corsair - declares he will stab the Deacon with his Rapier and reveals a special ability card "Melee, may use Aura in hand-to-hand combat."

• Raven - declares she will side-kick Corsair, and reveals a special ability card "Martial Arts, +3 damage in hand-to-hand combat."

Nobody has to declare they are Dodging, since this is assumed, even if they don't have the skill or any Aura devoted to it.

C. Resolve your Actions
The actions resolve, from highest name badge number to lowest:

• Raven - Raven and her target Corsair hold out, and then reveal beads. Raven reveals 4 beads, and Corsair reveals 3 beads and the Dodge ability. Raven’s 4 beats Corsair’s 3, so Raven successfully kicks Corsair for 4 points of damage (the default hand-to-hand damage is 1, plus 3 for the Martial Arts ability). This is enough to normally knock Corsair down, but he reveals a special ability card "Extra Tough, can take +1 wound", so he is still up, and will get his action.

• Corsair - Corsair and the Deacon reveal beads. Corsair reveals 2, as does the Deacon, who also reveals the Dodge ability. Since ties go to the pacifist, Corsair misses the Deacon with his rapier.

• The Deacon -The Deacon and Jemmy reveal beads. The Deacon reveals 1, and Jemmy reveals 0, because she does not have the Dodge ability. The Deacon whacks her on the head, inflicting 1 wound. Jemmy can take 4 wounds, so she is still up, but mighty upset.

• Jemmy - Jemmy and the Deacon reveal beads. The Deacon reveals 0, but he is still considered Dodging at Aura level 2 this round from his earlier encounter with Corsair. Jemmy reveals 4 beads and the Melee ability. Jemmy grabs the Deacon and reveals another special ability – Troll Strength (+1 damage in hand to hand combat). The Deacon simply takes 2 damage (since Jemmy has no special “Grab” ability). He still has two wounds left (because the default is four) so he is still standing. If he wanted to, and had the Aura, The Deacon might have avoided this by holding out more beads, and boosting his Dodge higher than 2.

Nobody is backing out yet, so the combatants go to round two:

A. Identify the Combatants
Same combatants.

B. Declare your Actions
The players declare their actions:

• Jemmy - declares she will squeeze the Deacon.

• The Deacon - declares he will attempt to escape from Jemmy’s grasp and run away.

• Corsair - declares he will draw a flintlock and shoot Raven. He reveals a Firearms special ability card ("You may use your Aura with ranged attacks").

• Raven - declares multiple actions: she will kick both Jemmy and Corsair.

C. Resolve your Actions
The actions resolve, from highest name badge number to lowest:

• Raven - Raven secretly splits up her 5 Aura against her two opponents, 4 against Corsair and 1 against Jemmy, and all three (Raven, Corsair, and Jemmy) reveal their beads. Raven reveals 4 and 1, Corsair reveals 3, and Jemmy reveals 0 (because she still doesn't know how to Dodge). Raven successfully kicks both of them for 4 points of damage apiece (the +3 Martial Arts still applies). This inflicts Corsair's 5th wound, and Jemmy's 4th, knocking them both down.

• Corsair - Corsair was knocked down and loses his action. This is a good thing for Raven, because Corsair had one more Aura left with which to use Firearms, and Raven had no Aura left with which to Dodge.

• The Deacon - The Deacon starts to run away, becomes aware that he is no longer in any danger, and voluntarily aborts his action.

• Jemmy - Jemmy was knocked down and loses her action. This is a good thing for the Deacon, who could not have Dodged enough to beat Jemmy's 4 Aura and Melee skill.

Note that Corsair and Jemmy are now helpless, and at the mercy of Raven. If she does not kill them (she doesn't), they may recover with the help of others, or at the Game-Master's discretion.

Combat is over, since nobody wishes to (or is able to) continue to the next round.