DEMO SCENARIO

Prep
This is a scenario meant for players to try out the game for a session or two. It walks you
through setup and provides conflicts and story events. You can use this scenario at home
with your regular group or at conventions. Before you play, do the following:

• Print several copies of the character sheet

• Print several copies of the conflict summary sheet
• Print some copies of the sheet of Basic Abilities and Conditions
• Print some copies of the enemies sheet
• Print the Backgrounds, ideally on cardstock, and cut them out
• Print one advancement grid for each profession, plus the page of eidolons
• Optionally, print the demo maps sheet (or you can draw them at the table)
• Pack a bunch of six-sided dice (Like, LOTS), paper/index cards, pencils, erasers
• Bring a copy of these rules (printed or digitally)

Setup
First, give the players this quick overview of the setting.

This game is set in a steamtech world full of dangers and strife. A decade ago, a collection of
independent small nations called Enendia was largely occupied by the neighboring Kanissian
Empire. They called it a pre-emptive insurgence, due to the presence of a large unstable
portal to another world in the region. This portal led to a place called Beyond, where strange
creatures float within a seemingly endless field of asteroids.

Little did the Kanissians know that another portal would open in the same region, releasing
a malevolent force that corrupts and twists everything in its path. These twisted creatures,
known as the Torrent, overran many Kanissian and Enendian forces alike. The Kanissians
tried to fight back with a powerful ritual that went awry: it turned their queen immortal and
created a new threat, the unending legion of the unliving.

In the midst of this chaos, sheltered by hills and mountains, stands the Trillium Academy,
which trains students of all ages in various powerful disciplines in return for a promise of five
years of public service after they graduate. While the academy has long been a thorn in the
side of the nearby Kanissian occupational force, it managed to maintain its claim of
neutrality. When the Torrent came, and then the undead, the academy became responsible
for the protection of the nearby towns and farmsteads.

You are all students who have just arrived at the Trillium Academy from all over Enendia.
Let's see where from, specifically.

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Hand out the Background sheets, which are also character sheets, and let each player pick
one. Tell them that the Backgrounds are cultural; they can be any kind of sentient creature
they want with any of these Backgrounds.

The players should make up a name and one trait that describes something about their
character and their aspirations or personality. They can fill in other traits at any time.

Day One
During the first few days at the academy, teachers and older students show the PCs the
basics and help them settle in. Almost everyone is friendly; here are some example NPCs
you can either mention or, if you've got the time, play some small scenes with (the teachers
at the academy hold the title of Doyen):

• Doyen Borhart, Tigerfolk, fitness, firearms, and hand-to-hand instructor

• Doyen Inkwell, anthropomorphic badger (Muroid), machinery instructor
• Doyen Mbila, human, almost completely shrouded, scouting instructor
• Neru, large human/beyonder with butterfly wings and glowing eyes, scout student
• Hoppel, anthropomorphic rat (Muroid), kind, sweet, and cuddly, tinkerer student
• Esten, tall Kanissian human, bleak, dour and mostly silent, martialist student

However, there are also two human twins who like to hassle newcomers: Nachi and Nicha.
They are just incredibly arrogant. If you've got the time, play some interactions with them. If
not, just make up some choice comments they drop in the first several days. It's actually
most effective if the twins hassle other people that the PCs are sympathetic to.

In either case, remember that if the PCs bring out one of their traits during a character
scene, they get to mark its box for use later when they roll dice. The players can also add
another trait or two throughout this time or the following scenes, as they develop.

Day Five
Doyen Borhart runs all students through physical training this day, which involves running
around a long track through the nearby woods. The terrain is treacherous and filled with
ravines and caves, but as long as the students go at a reasonable pace and stay on track,
everyone is safe. Naturally, Nachi and Nicha are showing off by charging ahead and making
this a race. Ask the players if anyone would like to try and beat them.

This will take the form of a scene test. Any PC who tries to win describes their approach, and
you figure out together whether their skills from their Background would apply (for
example, Tigerfolk might chase and intimidate the twins, Muroid might sneak through a
shortcut, Shadowborn could mysteriously disappear and reappear down the track,
Beyonders are good at navigating difficult territory like these woods and can glide across
ravines, and Scarred just love competitive events and this race definitely qualifies).

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Resolve the test: everyone who had a skill that applies rolls 2 dice and counts the higher
one, everyone else who raced rolls 1 die.

On a 5 and 6, that character beats the twins without a hitch. On a 3 or 4, they still beat
them, but there's a complication. Maybe a teacher disapproves of their methods, or they
scare or alienate other students with their zeal or approach. On a 1 or 2, they don't win and
something bad happens. Maybe they embarrass themselves by falling down a ravine and
landing in a mud pit, or they accidentally bump into other students and knock them off the
path, which would earn them some tough words from the teachers.

Feel free to play out the aftermath, giving either the twins or the PCs a chance to gloat.

Steambot Rampage
Over the next month, the new students are assessed and can choose a professional path.
Hand out the six professions and let each player pick one. The only thing they need to worry
about at this point are the stats and training shown in the Basics box for their profession
They don't have access to the abilities below the grid or the other boxes yet.

They should also each pick a passion from the list and write its effect on their sheet.

Their next scene takes place in the machinery shop. Everyone learns the basic of steamtech,
which includes working on steambots that need repair, but today the instructor, Doyen
Inkwell, is called away in the middle of class. There are two ways to bring this to conflict.

First, see if one of the players wants to impress the instructor. If so, have them make a skill
check to repair the large, defunct steambot in the corner of the room. If they get anything
less than a 5, the steambot is repaired but goes on a rampage.

If nobody wants to repair the bot or they succeed in the roll with a 5 or 6, the twins sneak
into the room and repair and/or reprogram the bot. In either case, the PCs are now faced
with a rampaging machine.

Hand out the summary sheets for conflicts and for basic abilities and conditions. Explain to
them that characters do maneuvers to gain strike and charge dice, then strikes to do
damage. They only have the basic maneuver and basic strike available at this point, but if
they get 3 charge dice, they can also use Power Attack with the strike.

Draw a little map with three interconnected areas:

workshop east, workshop west, and storage area. All
connections are Free (so they can freely move between Storage
them), but Enclosed (that is, they don’t connect to the
Air zone, which you can leave off the map for simplicity
this time around). Split up the characters evenly
between workshop east and workshop west. The Workshop Workshop
steambot starts in workshop west. Point out that West East
Movement is an Extra ability they can use to get around

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(and some of them have additional Extra abilities from their Backgrounds), which can be
taken each turn in addition to an action ability.

Write down a goal called “Collateral Damage Collateral Damage (6)

(6)” (on an index card or a strip of paper).
Point to the Basic Achievement ability as the
way to make progress on that goal and
eventually achieve it.

Tell everyone to put the number of action dice in their pool that’s shown in the Basics box of
their profession grid.

Now start the conflict against the steambot. It has the following stats:

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Rampaging Steambot Individual 10 2 C
Ability: Rampage

Ability Type Effect

Rampage Extra Every enemy in your zone gains 2 threat dice.

One of the PCs gets to go first (they can decide amongst them, or you can figure out who
seems most ready). They’ll do a maneuver (and maybe an Extra ability). Help them come up
with something to do, if necessary: getting tools together, grabbing a metal bar and trying to
trip the steambot, running around trying to get its attention, climbing up on higher ground,
etc. Then assign a style that matches and have them make their maneuver roll.

Next, it’s the steambot’s turn. Describe how it rampages around, smashing through things
and stomping after them (using its extra ability, which means every PC in its zone gains a
threat die). Then make its maneuver roll.

Each other PC then takes their action. Check to see if they could benefit from an Extra
ability, to move to where the steambot is or to gain an extra die or two.

When the first player is ready to make a strike, explain how that works. With Basic Strike,
they get one die for free and can add up to 6 strike dice (and maybe 3 more with Power
Attack). That won’t be enough to defeat Defense 10 – they will have to build up threat dice
together until the dice pool is big enough.

Also point out the goal and show how an achievement works a lot like a strike. And point
out that they can use their action dice for their own rolls or with the Support Reaction.

Now continue playing through the encounter. The steambot should use achievements to
add some dice to the Collateral Damage goal, making it contested (you can use this for

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balance, too – if the steambot turns out to be gaining dice too fast for the PCs to keep up,
have it focus on achieving the goal first rather than damaging the PCs).

If the PCs defeat the steambot and achieve the goal, great! If they lose the goal, the
instructors are going to be somewhat upset with them. And if they lose the entire conflict,
the steambot escapes the workshop and is let loose unto the surrounding area.

The Convoy
Let each player advance three times (a fast rate of advancement, because this is a demo).
Explain that they have to unlock new boxes by following the connections, starting from their
green Basics box and then along the boxes they unlock. This will likely give them one new
ability and some stat increases.

Several months after the fateful steambot incident, the characters are sent on a routine
patrol of a nearby road that connects several of the local towns. They are supposed to
relieve the previous patrol, which included the twins and their scouting instructor, Doyen
Mbila. As they make their way down the road, however, they hear screams and crashing
sounds. Over the road ahead, dark shadows are circling.

Further down the road, they see townspeople

cowering behind carts, several of them
overturned. One of the twins lies unconscious in Woods Air
the rubble of a wagon, and a gaunt figure with
very long fingers is approaching them.

Draw a map with five areas: Wagons in the

middle, connected to a ravine to the left, woods Ravine Wagons
above connecting to both, and caverns below
connecting only to ravine. Then draw an Air zone
off to the side. All areas except the caverns are
Open (they connect to the Air zone); the caverns Caverns
are enclosed and therefore doesn’t connect to (Enclosed)
the Air zone.

Now create two goals: “Protect the Townsfolk (12)” and “Save Nicha (10) [wagons]”. The
latter starts with two dice on the enemy side and is a localized goal; achievements toward
this goal can only take place in the wagons zone.

The PCs are facing off with three undead enemies: the ghoul that just knocked out Nicha is
in the wagons zone, a squad of Lykhora (winged wolves with multiple rows of triangular
teeth) is circling in the Air zone, and a swarm of Walking Corpses is streaming out of the
woods (their starting zone). If you have trouble remembering who’s where during the
conflict, you can use differently-colored dice or other little chits to represent characters as
they move around the map.

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The ghoul will attack anyone coming near. Once it feels like it’s going to lose, it’ll at least try
to kill Nicha (by winning the Save Nicha goal).

The Lykhora will circle above, then swoop down to attack (or to try and snatch up townsfolk
via an achievement toward the Protect the Townsfolk goal). When they use their Grab&Drop
power, the target PC will likely crash down at the beginning of their next turn; see Crash in
the Extra Ability section in the Conflicts chapter. Note that they can’t move between the Air
zone and the caverns, making that zone somewhat safer.

The Wandering Corpses will simply swarm toward the nearest PC and try to surround and
eventually eat them.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Ghoul Individual 8 2 D
Resistance: Phys 1, Vulnerability: Energy.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Lykhora Squad 5 3 D
Fly, Grab&Drop.

Ability Type Effect

Move into the Air zone, move from the Air zone to
Fly Extra
an adjacent zone, or remain in the Air zone.

Ability Type Cost Effect

If you move into the Air zone after using
Grab&Drop Power 2 CD this power, move one enemy character
with you.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Walking Corpses Swarm 2 5 D
Resistance: Phys 1, Vulnerability: Fire, Abilities: Surround.

Ability Type Effect

Add threat dice to one target in your zone in the
amount of wound circles you have left (to a
Surround Extra
maximum of 3). Optionally, spend a charge die to
inflict the Immobilized condition on that target.

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If the characters win this conflict, Nicha (or the townsfolk, if Nicha died) informs them that
they were escorting these civilians from the nearby town of Conwood, which has come
under siege by an army of the Unending Legion. Doyen Mbali and Nachi stayed behind to
fight off the undead while more people were being evacuated.

They were also transporting a prisoner, a powerful Bonecaster that they took captive in
Conwood. Just in this moment, the freed Bonecaster completes a ritual nearby: the bodies
of the zombies form a gigantic bird's body and head, and the wings of the Lykhora form two
massive wings. The PCs have just enough time to jump on the tail before the huge undead
creature, the Necrothan, takes flight.

If the characters lost this conflict, they are knocked unconscious and wake up on the tail of
the Necrothan in mid-flight, tied up. Let them have a character scene there, at the end of
which they can try to break free with a scene test. If that turns out badly for them, let them
start the conflict with a couple of threat dice each.

In either case, the PCs get to heal: all wounds are recovered, all dice are removed. They also
get to advance three more steps before they get to the next section (they sure learned a lot
from this battle).

Flight of the Necrothan

The Necrothan is being controlled
Head Air
by the Bonecaster, a shade
wrapped in a cloak with glowing
eyes, which has secluded itself in
a cage of bones atop the
Necrothan's head. It's headed for Breast
Conwood, and the PCs need to
find a way to bring it down.
Left Wing Right Wing
Make the following map: a tail,
on which the PCs start, connected Abdomen
to an abdomen. The abdomen
connects to the breast above and
a wing on each side, and the
breast also connects to the wings
and to a head atop of it. The Tail
connection between the breast
and the head is Locked for now
by the Bonecaster's cage (nobody can go or attack through the connection). And of course
there's an Air zone.

As the conflict starts, the Bonecaster realizes that it has stowaways (or that its prisoners are
free). It conjures up skeletons from the body of the bird, rising out of the flesh to face the

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PCs. There is a squad of skeleton archers on each wing, a swarm of skeleton warriors on the
abdomen, and a giant skeleton rising up on the breast.

Create the following goal: "Break into the Bone Cage: 16". This will allow the PCs to get
through the barrier (it opens the connection to the head). Once they do that, the players
can attack the Bonecaster (which does not take turns until the goal is overcome). Defeating
it automatically destroys all the skeletons.

The wings also count as a hazard each, because it's treacherous for PCs to stand on them as
they move up and down (but not for the skeletons): Defense 10, strike 2D, area. This means
rolling a strike with two dice against any PC standing on a wing during the hazard phase
(after all characters have acted in a round). Destroying the hazard (which can be attacked
like a regular enemy and only has one wound, per default) means that that wing is cut off
from the Necrothan. Any PCs on that wing at that time will be moved to the Air zone, while
any skeletons on that wing will tumble to the ground and count as being defeated. Don't
inform the players of these or the goal's consequences beforehand.

If both wings are cut off, the Necrothan goes on a downward dive; it will crash right outside
of Conwood after four more rounds (use a die to count down the rounds). This is the second
way (other than the goal) that the PCs can bring the Necrothan down -- the Bonecaster and
the skeletons will be destroyed in the crash. But the instant the second wing is cut, the
Bonecaster unsummons the bone cage and comes out to face the PCs.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Skeleton Warriors Swarm 6 3 C

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Skeleton Archers Squad 6 2 D
Archery (can use Basic Strike with a Range of 1).

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Giant Skeleton Individual 12 2 D
Resistance: Phys 1.

Remember that the Bonecaster only comes into play when (and doesn't take turns until) the
PCs achieve the goal of breaking through its barrier, or cut off both wings.

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 Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank
Bonecaster Individual 5 4 C
Abilities: Doomfinger, Channeling. Starts the conflict with two charge dice.

Ability Type Cost Effect

Inflict the Doomed condition on an
Doomfinger Power 2 CD
enemy in your zone.

Ability Type Cost Roll Gain

Channeling Maneuver 1 CD 5D 1-2 None, 3-6 CD

If the PCs should lose the conflict, they slide off the Necrothan close to Conwood and fall
into a lake just outside the city. From there, they'll swim ashore and start the next scene as
they dry off and march toward town. With the Bonecaster and the Necrothan still alive,
they've missed a chance to prevent the damage they'll do to Conwood.

Conwood Under Siege

After the Necrothan comes down one way or another, the PCs arrive at Conwood.

First, have everyone advance three more steps. This should completely unlock everything on
their profession grids for use in this final conflict (don't go to Specializations in the demo,
though you can use those later if you decide to play these characters more).

Then, let's give them a nice big map for this finale:

Spiral
Air
Tower

Rooftops
Town Burning
City Gate Market
Center Ruins

Residential Town Hall Temerity Butcher's

Ruins (Enclosed) Park Row

Cavern Sewers West Sewers East

(Enclosed) (Enclosed) (Enclosed)

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The city has fallen to utter chaos. Columns of smoke rise up all around. Screams and the
sounds of destruction provide a constant backdrop to the occasional sight of undead
monsters or fleeing victims. The PCs start at the City Gate.

Create the following goals: "Evacuate Citizens: 16", accessible everywhere. "Rescue Nachi: 6
[Cavern] [Looming]", limited to the Cavern because that's where Nachi is being held.
"Looming" means that if the PCs don't fulfill this goal by the end of the conflict, Nachi is lost.
If Nachi is freed, they heal (either now or later, at your discretion) one wound of a PC before
leaving with the evacuation team. Finally, "Stop the Spreading Fire: 6 [Temerity Park]
[Looming]". If they don't achieve this goal by the end of the conflict, the rest of the city
burns to the ground.

Put a countdown die showing an 8 on the Rooftops. Tell the PCs that in the distance, they
see Doyen Mbali fighting a human-sized, incredibly fast, cloaked opponent. Reduce the die
by one at the beginning of each round after the first. If it reaches 0 before the PCs show up
to help, Doyen Mbali is killed. If the PCs reach the rooftop before then, they take over the
fight with the nightlord and Doyen Mbali, heavily wounded, retreats to help with
evacuations: add progress dice to the Evacuate Citizens goal in the amount that's left on the
countdown die.

There is a hazard in the Burning Ruins: Burning Inferno, Defense 15, action: strike 5D,
targets: all, Damage: Fire, Finisher. See the Hazards section in the Enemies chapter for
details.

Lykhora are flying over the city (currently in the Air zone), occasionally charging to the
ground to snatch up a civilian. If ignored, they'll work on the Evacuate Citizens goal.

The Spiral Tower offers one-way access to the Air zone (via jumping down). Anyone but
Beyonders will crash after this, but it allows them to quickly get to any non-Enclosed zone. If
a player comes up with the idea to jump onto a Lykhora with a maneuver from the tower,
you can allow them safe landing instead via the Special style for the maneuver.

There are Walking Corpses in both East Sewers and West Sewers, but hidden underneath
the water. They enter the conflict the first time a character moves into their zone.

Add skeleton archers to the residential ruins and a toxic ghoul to the town center. If it ever
looks like the PCs aren't challenged enough, make up your own monster to add to the mix:
just give it a type, defense, and wounds, and describe it. You can also grant it one or more of
the abilities of other monsters you've encountered.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Toxic Ghoul Individual 6 2 D
Resistance: Phys 1, Vulnerability: Energy, Abilities: Poison Breath.

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 Ability Type Cost Effect
Inflict the Poisoned condition on all
Poison Breath Power 2 CD
enemies in your zone.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Skeleton Warriors Swarm 6 3 C
Archery (can use Basic Strike with a Range of 1).

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Lykhora Swarm 5 3 D
Abilities: Fly, Grab&Drop.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Walking Corpses Swarm 2 5 D
Resistance: Phys 1, Vulnerability: Fire, Abilities: Surround.

Ability Type Effect

Add threat dice to one target in your zone in the
amount of wound circles you have left (to a
Surround Extra
maximum of 3). Optionally, spend a charge die to
inflict the Immobilized condition on that target.

Enemy Type Defense Wounds Rank

Injured Nightlord Individual 12 1 C
Abilities: Drain. This nightlord has only 1 wound remaining because of Doyen Mbali.

Ability Type Cost Effect

Move up to three threat dice from
Drain Power 2 CD
yourself to an enemy in your zone.

And that's it! Depending on how the conflict went, the PCs have saved none, some, or all of
Conwood, its citizens, Nachi, and Doyen Mbali. If you have time, allow your group a scene or
two, or maybe just a montage where everyone chips in, of the aftermath. In the end, the
PCs return to the academy, where they will soon graduate and begin their five years of
public service.

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 APR Demo Maps (0.1) (cut up before use at the table)
Steambot Rampage:

Storage Flight of the Necrothan:

Head Air

Workshop Workshop
West East

The Convoy: Breast

Woods Air Left Wing Right Wing

Abdomen

Ravine Wagons

Tail

Caverns
(Enclosed)

Conwood Under Siege:

Spiral
Air
Tower

Rooftops
Town Burning
City Gate Market
Center Ruins

Residential Town Hall Temerity Butcher's

Ruins (Enclosed) Park Row

Cavern Sewers West Sewers East

(Enclosed) (Enclosed) (Enclosed)