Spies and criminals contend to control the world's secrets.

Arcs:
1. Arcane Initiation:
The Order of St. Theresa is the most secret and powerful intelligence gathering organization in the world, dedicated to the Veiled God himself and to the preservation of the world against that which endangers it. To become a Theresan, one must pass many tests, of temptation and trust, of skill and survival, of intelligence and understanding, and of resistance and endurance. Most who serve St. Theresa never know it, but those who learn the truth of her organization are elite and dedicated, pulled from various secret societies, spy organizations, and religious orders. Players would be new initiates facing their final tests and first mission.

PCs:

Vignette: St. Theresa watches their intitiation and makes notes.
Vignette: A potential Theresan recruit is weeded out for having connections to the Sathers, then killed.

2. Family:
In Malhuin, a libertarian nation of immigrants and indigenous folk, organized crime syndicates have control of certain port cities. The Silin family, a Vesturian syndicate, controls Manahau, where they have captured a shipment from Demopolis, a Brightfire controlled city-state in Jesenya. Their agents from the Malhuene city Polohem have gone to Manahau to broker a deal, only to find the Silins have teamed up with the Idione family, their main rivals from Talune, suggesting a connection between Talune and Insieme (via Vesturia's possible alliance with Insieme). Players would be the Brightfire mobsters, local law enforcement, and various criminals and spies looking to survive escaping the city and capturing verifying information. Connects to Kyriarchy.

PCs:

Vignette: A member of the Circle of Tuth robs an old temple in Harkanheim in Starfall.
Vignette: Beggars with the Ragged Congregation witness without being noticed the assassination of a government agent in the streets of Kerupen.

3. Border Crossing:
Hannah's Men are a very old international smuggling operation who have built up a rivalry with the Order of Sather, a major cultish criminal guild. Hannah's Men have acquired a box of old documents and money from the Littany family that they have stolen and are smuggling across the borders between Anmalda and Ovanim in Dabusen. The Sathers have targeted them along the border. Players would be Hannah's Men and deep cover agents within their organization evading the Sathers at the border, as well as border agents and other dangers, all while realizing that what they have is more important than they thought.

PCs:

Vignette: A Staff of Justice investigates the death of a person who has no identification whatsoever, found in an inn in Pellforth.
Vignette: A Castory Knight sneaks a load of fine spirits through customs in Akazad with bribery and blackmail, discovering a dangerous secret in the process.

4. Who Watches:
The Watchmen are thieves and other criminals who operate outside the law but keep other criminals in check. In Fraxan in Ranu, they are currently working on stopping a shipment from the White Vendales, dangerous drug and poisons runners, from hitting the streets. In the process, they discover some dark secrets.

PCs:

Vignette: An indepenent assassin meets with a potential client who is too sketchy for their tastes.
Vignette: Street Sweeps run a scam on a lunarian merchant and find themselves being chased by hellish nightmare beasts.

5. Desert Run:
Ishmail Sands is an ancient pseudonymed sand pirate who sails the Great Golden Desert and surrounds on windboats. In the deep deserts, his crews have raided a camp they thought belonged to the Monsapple Trading Company but turned out to be a nest of foreign spies. Ishmail immediately calls in two of his people who he knows to be deep cover agents--one with the Order of the Chrysanthemum and one with Tara'hinian Intelligence--and tells them their lives are forfeit unless they can get him an amnesty from the Scion. He sends them with a few other pirates to Tara'hin, but on their way, foreign agents begin to track them. Connects to Golden Sun.

PCs:

Vignette: A Stormbringer dies sabotaging a Krev ship, but their sacrifice is noticed by a Washerwoman agent who finishes the job.
Vignette: An Idione hitman goes rogue and brings information about Insieme and Stolzen to the Galdish.

6. Game of Whispers:
A great whispering is triggered by a moment of revelation that the Theresans from the first Arc uncover. Players would be these agents uncovering the secret.

PCs:

Vignette: The whisper carries around the world.

7. Philosopher's Stone:
A philosopher's stone is an object of transmutation in alchemy. Though the most legendary ones turn lead into gold and give eternal life, other variations exist. They are rare and generally illegal in most economies, but not unheard of. In Orononi in Taggarus, a member of the Violet Hands steals one from a Diamond Bank vault, only to find themselves targeted by the Merchant Underground, the Diamond Bank, the local authorities, and the Gold Organization. Going to an alchemist contact with Hand Heart Eye, the Violet Hand must join them in gathering the right ingredients for a special potion.

PCs:

Vignette: A Groth Cartel chemist tries to make a deal with Horng, but he is slain and made an example of.
Vignette: Steel Legion soldiers hit goblin army camps with a series of explosions, trying to convince the Wathites and tohons to hire them.

8. One Drop:
The leader of Urayme has been targeted for assassination by the Nightshade Coterie. Players would be members of the poisoning guild doing their work. Connects to Kyriarchy.

PCs:

Vignette: The Sather steals two Obiefune swords from a minotaur's armory, then sells one to a Theresan unknowingly.
Vignette: A Gentlewoman Adventurer buys the other Obiefune sword and goes on a quest to destroy it.

9. X Marks the Spot:
In Merukis, a foolish man brags about a treasure map to a Gift, the Scales of the Trout King, in the Island Bridge. He is immediately captured by the Night Fleet, who sets sail for the treasure. Players would decided if they are all members of one rival fleet (Merciless Brotherhood, Empire of Blood, Red Fleet, Fleet of Violets, or Crimson Fleet), with one of them secretly being a member of the Washerwomen, who go after the Night Fleet and seek the treasure.

PCs:

Vignette: One of the pirate crews not represented in the above game (whichever one isn't) arrives on the island too late and finds disturbing scenes.
Vignette: Two White Warders parlay in the night, trying to figure out if the other is an ally or not.

10. Eight-Pointed Star:
Deep cover agents in Agikaan, members of different spy organizations including the Theresans, the Washerwomen, the White Warders, Tara'hinian intelligence, Summer Court intelligence, Galdish intelligence, Obusingyean intelligence, Okaguan intelligence, Unbulese intelligence, tohon intelligence, and/or others must reveal themselves and unite to escape after some of them turn up dead. Connects to Kyriarchy and Gossamer Intrigue.

PCs:

Vignette: A member of the Brotherhood of the Lamp kills a Stolzene agent in the Wash.
Vignette: An Urod Dhoram smuggler sells arms to Horng's army and is betrayed and killed.

11. Her Eyes Be Upon You:
The Night Watch are a group of women vigilantes who protect other women in the night. In Mobanu in Palhur, a group of Night Watch women from various cities come together to hunt a serial rapist.

PCs:

Vignette: A Vimalan spy tries to get her son out of a Krev prison.
Vignette: A Kren'atanic spy murders a trollish chieftain.

12. Sable Veil:
The initiate class from the first arc must discover which high ranking Theresan is a traitor. Connects to Gossamer Intrigue.

PCs:

Vignette: St. Theresa consults a mysterious visitor.

13. Canting:
The Brotherhood is the world's largest criminal organization, led by the inmortal Midnight Canter. Their far flung enterprises include operations in Paalkheth in Ansulym. In this dread nation next to Furich Amol, the Brotherhood is seeking to block the rise of a fascist government--out of self-interest and nothing more--and maintain a stranglehold on the current ruling class. Players would be criminals of various sorts working together to achieve a series of objectives through criminal activity that will bring down a fascist politician, blackmail a corporate titan, and make them rich. Connects to [[KyriarchyGame][Kyriarchy].

PCs:

Vignette: The burial of a legendary thief.
Vignette: Runners in occupied territory rendesvouz with Therersans.

14. Mortal Connection:
Consensus is an ancient conspriacy to make mortals like Divines, a quasi-libertarian cult that has enormous power and influence, but often is hard to find or understand. They are one of the few organizations the Theresans collectively fear. Players would be Theresan agents trying to stop a Consensus plot to empower a dangerous Aeonian.

PCs:

Vignette: An Agikaani spy in the Chrysanthemum Empire defects to join Chrysanthemum.
Vignette: A Theresan refuses to spill who they are or who they work for even under the torturous care of a Bellican warlord.

15. Exchange:
In a Merukisi warehouse, a group of spies from a multitude of organizations gather to exchange information. Trouble follows. (Intentionally vague.) Players would be Theresans or other allied agents. Connects to Kyriarchy, Golden Sun, [{Conflicting Visions]], and Indigo and Jasper.

PCs:

Vignette: The Satherian Veil leaves the Merukisi scene and brings information to a watcher, buying more time as a rogue.
Vignette: A fey spy and an asterian spy in an asteroid mine share an important secret.

16. Spy Versus Spy:
The first arc's team of Theresans infiltrate Srisian intelligence itself and must steal information pertinent to the possible alliance of Srisia and Agikaan... and survive. Connects to Kyriarchy and Gossamer Intrigue.

PCs:

Vignette: St. Theresa and the Gentleman spar with words.

Conflicting Visions | Kyriarchy | Golden Sun | Fivefold Path | Holy Matrix | Autumnal Equinox | Aeonian Configuration | Black Velvet | The Old Stories | War of Daggers | The Frontier | Branches | Veil and Hood | Indigo and Jasper | Citizenship | Gossamer Intrigue | Setting