A Fontis is a source or spring of power — the fundamental origin from which a character draws their abilities and influence. Rather than traditional classes, Fontis represents the nature and wellspring of a character’s strength, whether it flows from martial discipline, arcane study, primal connection, divine favor, or something stranger.
Choosing a Fontis defines not just what a character can do, but where their power comes from and how it expresses itself in the world. Fontis can be broad or highly specific, and multiple Fontis may be combined or layered over time.
When choosing a Fontis, you must pay a number of Chapters equal to the number of Fontis selections your character has so far.
Sees behind the curtain of reality, into the eternal Mythos
The Chronicler is someone who sees behind the curtain. They perceive the eternal Mythos, viewing their life and world as a series of roles, scenes, and tales all derived from the eternal Mythos. This may make them seem insane or foolish to others, but they have long since chosen to ignore such opinions.
The Chronicler adds "Intuition" to their Ascendant Tags.
"The Mythos is the deepest tendency of existence, drawing events into patterns and shapes that play out, across all of time and space, the eternal cadence of original realities. Where possibilities harden into word and deed, and great heroes stand against the creeping death of errant form and will which hungers to usurp the Light of Life.
Stories want to be completed. They become something more than the sum of their parts and impose a force of ancient purpose upon those drawn into their sound and fury.
Destiny calls. All stories told. No fate to seal except your own."
As a Legendary Deed, the Chronicler can remove a detail from the current scene and capture it, storing it in their Legend (The player must record these Captured Details). When a detail is captured, even the memory of it is captured, so other characters do not recall it. The Chronicler can then deploy a stored detail into the current scene, which restores even the memory of its original context (Narrator Character's reponses to this memory may vary widely).
Deploying a captured detail costs nothing and can be done as an Instant Action. Capturing the detail is what costs the Legendary Deed.
Please cooperate with your Narrator so you do not destabilize the game or ruin everyone’s fun.
Accounts for every possible outcome
Some people react to the world. Others have already accounted for it.
The Contingency Fontis is the ultimate chessmaster — the one who never enters a room without already having three exits planned, who treats every conversation like a multi-layered trap, and who has contingencies for their contingencies. They don’t improvise. They simply reveal what they already set in motion.
Your maximum foresight increases by a number equal to 6 times the dice normally in your Wit Talents.
Interprets the hidden language of vibration
Those who walk the path of the Echo do not wield swords or spells in the traditional sense. They carry Runite — a rare metal born in the world’s first moments, still humming with the vibrations of creation itself. Through years of exacting training, Echos learn to feel the subtle tremors within the metal, interpreting changes in vibration, temperature, and reflection as clearly as others read words on a page.
Each Echo develops a unique Signature, a personal vibrational pattern that marks them among their kind. By touching refined Runite, they can send messages across distances, silence their movements, peer through reflections, or sense the intentions of those nearby. To the untrained eye, these effects are nearly imperceptible — little more than faint shifts in the metal’s appearance or temperature. To another Echo, they are unmistakable.
When you choose the Echo Fontis, you receive one Harmonic of your choice at no cost. This Harmonic is permanently available to you as part of your training with Runite.
Some Harmonics will require you to know the Signature of another Echo, and all Harmonics require you to at least be touching some refined Runite.
You may broadcast a vibrational message through your Runite, received by all Echos currently listening with this Harmonic. The message is encoded in the vibrational language of Runite and is only comprehensible to trained Echos.
You may send a targeted message directly to another Echo through their Runite, provided you know their Signature. The message is only perceptible to the intended recipient.
You may create a vibrational link with a long-term counterpart piece of Runite (such as a matched pair), allowing you to see from the perspective of one piece through the reflection of the other.
You emit inaudible vibrations through your Runite that counteract sound waves, rendering your movements silent for the duration of the effect.
You may temporarily fuse two pieces of Runite together at a molecular level. The fusion can only be undone by your Signature or a Signature you have previously authorized.
You may encode a short message into a piece of Runite that will “hum” the message to anyone using this Harmonic to listen. This can also be used to identify the Signature of the Echo who left the message.
You may finely tune the vibrations of Runite to mimic specific sounds or short sequences you have heard, allowing it to act as a playback device for distraction, communication, or illusion.
You may attune your Runite to the subtle vibrational shifts associated with different emotions in nearby individuals or crowds, allowing you to gauge emotional states, intentions, or potential threats.
You can detect abrupt alterations in your immediate environment—such as the approach of an enemy or the activation of a trap—through changes in your Runite’s vibration, temperature, and appearance.
The polished surface of your Runite, when properly attuned, can reveal the truth behind illusions or disguises in its reflection. This requires a trained eye to interpret correctly.
You may manipulate the vibrational frequency of Runite to adjust its opacity, ranging from completely opaque to as transparent as glass. This can be used for surveillance, concealment, or signaling.
By increasing the frequency of vibrations within your Runite, you can cause it to generate heat. This can be used for warmth, to cauterize wounds, or as a weapon.
You can sense the direction and approximate distance of movement around you by interpreting subtle shifts in the vibrations of your Runite. Useful for tracking, hunting, or evasion.
By tuning into the vibrations of your Runite, you can “feel” your way through your surroundings, even in total darkness or when blinded, gaining information about terrain and obstacles.
You can use your Runite to detect the elemental composition of objects or environments, such as identifying types of minerals, water purity, or the presence of toxic gases through subtle vibrational and temperature changes.
Awakens sleeping light within jade
A Glimmer is one who has learned to draw forth the latent power sleeping within jade — the mineralized seafoam of an ancient cataclysm when floodwaters and upheaving earth reshaped the world. To a Glimmer, jade is not merely stone, but a present echo of the eternal forces that first formed and continue to form existence. By carving and shaping it, they coax forth memory, resonance, and awareness long buried in the green depths.
You are experienced with carving and working Jade into a variety of forms. You may touch jade and spend 1 Spotlight (Story Refresh) to learn one historical fact about it: a previous possessor, the location where it was refined (if refined), or a significant event involving its use or presence.
The unseen that walk beside you...
You are not alone. Something — or several somethings — linger just beyond the edge of sight, tethered to you by bonds of death, tragedy, or unfinished business. These unseen companions do not speak in words, but their presence is felt in the small, impossible ways the world bends around you.
You can hear and speak with the dead. The spirits around you carry messages from beyond, and with time and focus you can coax answers from those who have passed. This connection is always present, though the dead are not always cooperative or coherent.
The spirits are not mindless servants. They have their own hungers, grudges, and unfinished stories. When you ignore or mistreat them, or when their desires conflict with your own, the environment around you may begin to reflect their displeasure in quiet, eerie ways. The bond between you and your unseen companions is intimate, complicated, and never entirely safe.
Each time you take this feature (you can take this feature multiple times), you gain another unseen spirit bound to you. These spirits can only complete Sustained Actions — they are not capable of ordinary or regular actions. By default, they can only perform sustained actions that you yourself are capable of performing given time and focus.
These spirits are limited to interacting with the normal residence of the character they follow. They are not able to interact with things regularly outside of that residence. Over days or weeks of remaining in one place, the spirits slowly reshape the environment you call home. Doors may creak open to rooms that weren't there before. Objects may shift or multiply. The air may grow colder in certain corners, or warmer. The changes are subtle, cumulative, and entirely unnoticed by anyone who does not already know the truth of your condition.
As a Legendary Deed, you may ask one of the spirits bound to you for a favor within the scene you currently occupy. They will agree to this favor, and can roll your Impression Talent for any actions they take as a result. If the favor requested is ongoing, the spirit remains for no longer than the current Scene.
Embodies conviction made manifest
The Hero is the living embodiment of conviction made manifest. They do not merely believe in something greater than themselves—they bind their entire being to it, letting that ideal shape every strike, every word, every sacrifice. Whether the cause is just or tragically misguided, the Hero’s power flows from an unshakeable commitment to what they hold as the highest good. This single-minded dedication can inspire entire nations… or lead them into ruin.
You gain an Ascendant Tag that names your chief value or ideal. You also gain access to the Blade of Ages Exalt as a Legendary Deed Option.
Let out a cry that echoes with your ideal. Erase all 1st and 2nd Severity Harm from allies within the current Scene.
Through sound and gesture, the Hero can grant one or more of their Criticals to an ally in the scene. When the Hero spends one Critical to use this benefit, they may bestow one or more of their remaining Criticals upon a single ally. That ally may use the granted Criticals at their next normal opportunity to spend a Critical.
Thrives through living webs of connection
A Mycel is one who has become symbiotically bound to a fungal colony that now lives within their body — whether this connection was chosen willingly or occurred through unfortunate circumstance. The colony does not seek to dominate or replace its host’s will. It simply exists alongside them, content to share the same flesh and follow the same path. To a Mycel, the world is laced with hidden threads of mycelium and spore, and the colony within them acts as both interpreter and companion. While the presence of the fungus can be deeply unsettling to others — and sometimes even to the host themselves — the colony wishes its host no harm and offers strange forms of aid born from its alien nature.
When you choose the Mycel Fontis, you gain the ability to speak to fungus. Additionally, you may spend 1 Spotlight (Chapter Refresh) to use your Essence Talent in place of your Intuition Talent on any roll that would normally require Intuition.
A vessel bearing the Way of God
A Pilgrim is one who has set their soul upon the Way of God. Their power flows not from force or hidden compact, but from Indictum — the Eternal Pattern, the Song of Creation, the sustaining Word of God. From the impact of Indictum proceed Lodictum and Virdictum in perfect unity: order and strength, structure and life. Through willing conformity to the Way, the Pilgrim allows these two to remain joined within them. As they walk in obedience and love, the living Presence of God increases in their heart, restoring what Maldictum would divide. Where others grasp at power by separating strength from its true Pattern, the Pilgrim becomes a vessel in which order and life are reconciled. Their authority is never their own; it is the undivided Presence of God, growing in those who have given themselves to the Way.
You gain access to Tier 1 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 1 Divine Spell by spending one Spotlight (Chapter Refresh). Indictum is added to your Presence Tags.
This person has learned of God’s Way by observation, obedience, and possibly by revelation of Watchers. They have a calling on them which is not of their own priority and which they do not know now, but will become clear as time goes on. Write “Purpose” in your Dormant Tags.
You may select 3 Tier 1 Cognitions.
Requires the Baseline Ability.
You gain access to Tier 2 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 2 Divine Spell by spending one Familiarity.
Requires Tier 2 Divine Spellcasting.
You gain access to Tier 3 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 3 Divine Spell by spending one Familiarity.
Requires Tier 3 Divine Spellcasting.
You gain access to Tier 4 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 4 Divine Spell by spending one Chapter.
Requires Tier 4 Divine Spellcasting.
You gain access to Tier 5 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 5 Divine Spell by spending one Chapter.
Requires Tier 5 Divine Spellcasting.
You gain access to Tier 6 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 6 Divine Spell by spending one Chapter.
Requires Tier 6 Divine Spellcasting.
You gain access to Tier 7 Divine Spells. You may acquire a Tier 7 Divine Spell by spending one Chapter.
Walks the border between quiet civility and savagery
The Ranger does not protect civilization from within its walls. They walk its borders.
Wherever the low-hanging fruits of quiet order take root—whether a handful of homesteads carved from the wilderness, a trading post growing into a town, or the outer districts of a rising city—the Ranger stands between that fragile order and the savagery that would consume it. They do not fight for glory, recognition, or the comforts of the communities they shield. Their work is solitary, often unseen, and rarely thanked.
They are self-reliant by necessity. The Ranger carries what they need, repairs what they can, and moves through the unknown without the safety of numbers or the luxury of supply lines. They watch the things that prey upon the civilized: creatures that see settlement as easy prey, raiders who view order as weakness, and darker forces that stir when the world grows too structured and soft. The Ranger does not wait for threats to reach the gates. They meet them in the spaces between.
It is a thankless role. There are no songs sung for the one who returns alone after ending something the townsfolk will never know existed. The Ranger expects none. Their only measure of success is the continued existence of the quiet civility they will never fully claim for themselves.
The Ranger can perceive their surroundings as though bathed in the light of a full moon under a clear night sky. As an Instant Action, the Ranger can spend 1 Spotlight (Moment Refresh) to grant this perception to one ally within Close range for the duration of one Moment.
The Ranger gains Superior Potency when defending against any effect that attempts to beguile, foil, or overthrow the mind or senses.
D6 results of 1 count as critical for the Ranger.
Commands loyal rooks in unbreakable formation
A mysterious individual with a deep affinity for intelligent dark birds — ravens, crows, magpies, and other dark, intelligent, mysterious birds. These birds are friendly and cooperative, acting as eyes, messengers, and scouts.
When you choose the Rook Fontis, you gain the ability to command ravens, crows, magpies, and other dark, intelligent, mysterious birds. These birds will follow basic instructions such as “take this coin to Jerry over there,” “fly over that area and come back,” or repeat a single word such as “Murderer” or “Danger.” Commands using this basic ability must be given through gestures or verbal commands. You can also communicate very simple ideas and emotions with the birds.
One who should have drowned, but didn't
A Saltwake is someone who perished at sea and yet lives. Whether they washed ashore days later, clawed their way out of the depths, or simply woke up on a distant beach with salt in their lungs, they carry the sea with them. The ocean claimed them once. It has not forgotten.
You do not need to breathe. Add Saltwake to your Presence Tags.
You gain Superior Potency on Rolls made while swimming or navigating at sea. You are not harmed or affected by the cold.
As a Legendary Deed, you may call upon the sea to aid you. This can manifest as a sudden current, a thick fog, or the arrival of sea creatures. The exact effect is negotiated with the Narrator.
While at sea, if you are Shattered, you may spend one Spotlight (Chapter Refresh) to not be Shattered.
You have a swimming speed two times your walking speed, as you will yourself through the water without needing to actively use your body to swim.
Lore keeper and preservationist of formal knowledge
A Scholar is the quintessential formal knowledge professional — a lore keeper, preservationist, and master of recorded information. They treat books, scrolls, tablets, and archives not merely as objects, but as vessels of living memory that can be accessed, preserved, and replicated with precision.
You may touch a store of knowledge — such as a book, scroll, tablet, or other record — and instantly gain the knowledge stored within. This grants you a reliable mental record you can refer to at will, along with all the benefits of having read it. However, if there are benefits other than the raw information itself (such as magical effects, hidden powers, or special insights), this ability does not grant them.
Don't hate the player, hate the game
The Scoundrel has seen how the world actually works.
Civilized order is not held together by strength or virtue. It runs on stories — the fragile agreements people make with themselves about safety, fairness, loyalty, and belonging. The Scoundrel understands that these stories can be rewritten with the right word, the right silence, or the right image placed in front of the right eyes. They do not need to force doors open. They simply know which ones are already unlocked by trust, habit, and the desperate need to believe.
To the Scoundrel, the behavior of people is a system — one that can be read, tested, and played like an instrument. Words, gestures, and images are the tools they use to strike the right notes. A carefully chosen phrase can redirect blame. A well-timed gesture can disarm suspicion. An image planted at the right moment can collapse years of careful reputation. The Scoundrel does not invent these mechanics. They simply stopped pretending they did not exist.
Some use this understanding to prey on the order around them, feeding on its blind spots and self-deceptions. Others turn the same tools against those predators, using manipulation to expose, disrupt, or redirect. Either path requires the same knowledge: that perception is the weakest point in any system built by people.
They have looked too long at the seams of civilized life to pretend the game is not being played. The Scoundrel moves through it anyway — not because they believe in the stories, but because they know exactly how fragile they are.
Verbal Agility: The Scoundrel gains the Awakened Tag "Language".
You may choose one tag and add it to your Presence tags.
Through sound and gesture, the Scoundrel can grant one or more of their Criticals to an ally in the scene. When the Scoundrel spends one Critical to use this benefit, they may bestow one or more of their remaining Criticals upon a single ally. That ally may use the granted Criticals at their next normal opportunity to spend a Critical.
Dominion over beasts and magical animals (Credit: First Legendary Beast Master)
The Tamer Fontis grants dominion over creatures that are not yet Beings — animals, beasts, and magical animals who lack full consciousness and sentience. The Tamer’s power is rooted in dominance, their ability to bring these lesser creatures under their will. The Tamers cultivate their beasts and work to raise their beastial nature to its peak.
When you choose the Tamer Fontis, you gain the ability to speak to beasts and magical animals. You can communicate with them using simple language, gestures, and intent, understanding their responses in return.
Charges forward as the living spearhead
The Vanguard is the living embodiment of martial professionalism. They are the career soldier who has survived a dozen campaigns, the sellsword whose blade is always for hire but never for free, the grim-faced castle guard who has stood watch through more winters than they care to count. Where others fight for glory, faith, or desperation, the Vanguard fights because it is their craft — and they have become very, very good at it.
They can spend 1 Spotlight (Chapter Refresh) instead of Familiarity in order to advance in the Familiarity Frame of a Weapon (Daggers, Polearms, Long-Blades).
The devil's bargain...
A Wraith is someone who has struck a bargain with an unknowable patron. Whether driven by malice, delusion, or desperation, they have entered an arrangement they cannot fully comprehend. They are both deceived and predatory, seeking power to overcome someone or something else. The cost of this power is not always visible at first, but it is always present.
Your patron grants you the ability to communicate with them at any time. They always hear you, though they do not always answer. In addition, when you take this Fontis, choose two features from any existing Fontis selections. These features may come from different selections.
For the cost of one Chapter, you may acquire one additional feature from any other Fontis. Each time you do so, a narrative integration is triggered. The foreign power does not integrate cleanly. It is bolted on rather than grown from within. The soul is shattered by this mechanical, external imposition. You become a Lost character.
This is precisely what the Divine avoids. God does not bolt power onto a person from the outside. He makes the source of power—Himself—within the person, through willing and knowing conformity to His Way. It is done in love. There is no love in the motives of the Wraith. Its gifts are cold, efficient, and ultimately corrosive to the self that receives them.
The Wraith remains subject to the will of their patron. When they resist or disobey, a Narrative Integration is invoked. The consequences (one additional Lag) of this integration accumulate. The Wraith cannot escape the weight of these consequences until they either surrender the power granted by their patron or cease their disobedience.
Tier 1 Desecrated Spells (1 Familiarity)
You may acquire a Tier 1 Desecrated Spell by spending one Familiarity.
False Presence (1 Familiarity)
You may choose one tag and add it to your Presence tags.