Forged by Fates

by Marissa Kelly

Those two have traveled side by side to Hades’ realm and back. Together they have defeated horrific monsters, studied with the greatest philosophers, and offered their aid to kings and peasants alike. And on this eve of battle, I pledge my allegiance and trust to them my life, for no god dare deny the respect they are due. The safety of our home is best placed in their hands. I follow their lead, using whatever courage they have stirred within these old bones in this eleventh hour of our need.

—Phaidros of Acanthus

Young Earth

In a land full of life and wonder, where villages blossom in green valleys and magical creatures roam the dense forests, there is a cry for heroes, for this beautiful land is not without its share of evils and dangers. Peaceful lands are threatened, threats arise that confound the people, and the need for heroes is great in this time of Young Earth.

Gods, heroes, and monsters wander the world, shaping it in their images. Warlords and kings brandish their flags in times of peace and war, and civil unrest falls upon everyone in turn. Magical caves, legendary swords, and ancient rituals are commonplace for those inclined to seek out power. Those who dare tempt fate can be rewarded, but there are always strings attached…

The Gods

The gods are the embodiment of concepts, bitter and jealous creatures who succumb to vanity often and without remorse. Gods scheme and manipulate mortals to gain influence and power over earthly affairs, because the power of a god only remains strong while the people of Young Earth believe in them.

The gods earn power and status through earthly conquests and epic triumphs done in their name. Aiding or smiting heroes is always in their best interest, and they frequently tempt influential mortals with unspeakable power, unending armies, and unnaturally long life. They bestow supernatural gifts upon those who can serve them, and their names, best.

When not on Young Earth, the gods retire to their realms—physical places where they alone reside and few mortals dare enter. Only heroes have strength enough to undergo perilous quests to a god’s realm for glory, love, or to prove their worth. Those who succeed are rewarded with their heart’s desire, but also attract the attention of other gods.

Mortals

The typical citizen praises the gods and lives a modest life with little chance for social or economic advancement. Nobles rule the provinces, protect generations of farmers, merchants, and other townsfolk—and tax them heavily in kind. Many mortals resort to banditry and a life of crime because there are few other ways to survive.

The people of Young Earth are ruled by tradition, but they remain open-minded to new paths forward, especially when they see those paths modeled for them. Class and gender roles are established and traditional, but railing against them is usually rewarded. Destitute men rise from nothing to become great kings, courageous women show more skill on the battlefield than any man, and the masses generally praise them for it.

Mythical Creatures

Centaurs, mermaids, monsters, and demi-gods make up a minority population on Young Earth. Some, like the Cyclops, are one-of-a-kind, forced to wander the landscape alone as outcasts, while others have communities and command their own formidable armies. These mythical creatures have unfamiliar forms and cultures far different than you might find in a mortal city.

That said, mythical creatures have hopes, dreams, and fears just like any mortal. They may have different traditions and experiences, but humans can interact with them peacefully, often trading or sharing resources if both communities can maintain an alliance.

The Warrior Princess

The Warrior Princess was once a great warlord. Her banner struck fear into the hearts of all who crossed her path, and her armies nearly conquered the world. Though she has given up who she once was, she is still haunted by her dark and mysterious past.

The Warrior Princess now dedicates her life to atoning for her past cruelty by serving those in need and protecting the weak. She’s strong-willed and a skilled fighter, but her new life brings challenges beyond wielding a sword. She finds herself trying to serve and protect the very people who fear and hate her name. The crimes of her past and the ever-present temptation to take the easy way out make following this virtuous path a battle all of its own.

The Warrior Princess can never forgive herself, and alone she might return to her old ways... but she doesn’t face the journey alone. A Companion travels with her, the one person who believes in her, guides her, and stands by her side when times look most bleak.

The Companion

The Companion is an ambitious woman from a small village whose dreams of travel and adventure alienated her from her family. Though her rebellious nature makes her an outsider, she still embodies many of her village’s traditions, from her training in the arts and healing to her refined storytelling skills.

The Companion values all life and uses fighting techniques that focus on defense, but she is not one to be pushed around. She has always felt compelled to stand up for what’s right even when the odds are stacked against her. The Companion knows her friend has done horrific things in the past, but believes in what the Warrior Princess stands for now.

Joining the Warrior Princess was a life changing experience. Their talents complement each other, and they have much to learn from one another, but above all she believes in the good they can accomplish together. Her family back in her village means a lot to her, even if she doesn’t admit it, but her heart belongs to adventures and stories untold.

Setting Creation

As a Quick Start Adventure, Forged by Fates has everything you need to jump right into your first session. Before you start, discuss the broader setting with your group, perhaps even reading aloud the descriptions of the world, gods, and the Warrior Princess and Companion, so everyone is on the same page.

At the start of play, explain the current issue to your players and ask them to fill in one or two additional faces associated with it. These additional characters will provide new plot hooks and twists that tie your players more deeply to Young Earth.

Then ask your players to choose one of two available impending issues: Thieves of Pandora’s Box or Mother of a Monster. Have them fill in one or two additional faces for their chosen impending issue as well, rounding out the larger cast of characters with their suggestions.

Current Issue: A World in Turmoil

Resources are stretched thin and wars rage across the land. The people grow weary of battle, but Queen Killias grows greedier with each victory she claims. Killias hopes to one day be called “emperor,” and with the warlord Andras under her command, no kingdom can stop her from becoming a god-king of Young Earth.

Faces:

• Queen Killias, who wishes to make herself emperor of Young Earth
• Warlord Andras, a man of simple tastes who prides himself at being the best at what he does

Impending Issues

In addition to A World in Turmoil and the threat it poses, a number of other impending issues trouble the land.

Thieves of Pandora’s Box

At the dawn of Young Earth, the benevolent gods locked many unspeakable horrors in an enchanted box. Though guarded and protected for centuries by monks, it was recently stolen by an unknown force. Rumors of the theft have swept across Young Earth, but no one has claimed responsibility or made any demands. The monks blame the Amazons—the woman warriors always believed that the box would be safer in the forest with them, away from the prying hands of men. The Amazons deny responsibility. Whoever is to blame could plunge the world into darkness for a thousand years by opening the box, but the Amazons and monks may come to blows long before that happens.

Faces:

• Daria, high monk of the temple of Kent where the box was kept
• Fillia, a woman who left the temple of Kent years ago to become an Amazon warrior

Mother of a Monster

The sole survivor of one of the Warrior Princess’ early conquests, Nikias’ thirst for vengeance is her only comfort. Nikias pledged herself to a god of vengeance so that one day she could punish the one who wronged her.

Nikias dedicated her life to becoming as strong and clever as the Warrior Princess and will not stop until the Warrior Princess and everyone she cares about is ruined. Over the past month the Warrior Princess and Companion have felt someone’s eyes on them as they travel. It’s only a matter of time before Nikias strikes.

Faces:

• Nikias, the monstrous reflection of the Warrior Princess’ past, plotting to exact vengeance
• Miltos, the right hand companion of Nikias who has her heart set on amassing a following powerful enough to conquer kingdoms

Character Creation

In Forged by Fates, two players take on the roles of the Warrior Princess and the Companion, heroes of Young Earth who adventure together helping those in need. You can use the pregenerated characters at the end of this article, but both the Warrior Princess and the Companion are broad archetypes; players can create their own versions for your story with unique backgrounds and abilities.

Players can choose any gender (male, female, trans*, other) for their characters, but it’s important that both the Warrior Princess and Companion are the same gender. Forged by Fates is about exploring a bond between two same-gender characters as they journey across Young Earth.

Forged by Fates works best with Fate Core characters. Players select their aspects in accordance with their character type (the Warrior Princess or the Companion), choose skills from the modified list provided, and take stunts, stress tracks, and refresh per Fate Core.

Aspects

Both characters start with their own respective signature high concepts—The Warrior Princess and The Companion—and troubles—Mysterious Past and A Simple Life Is Not for Me. These phrases broadly describe how their characters interact with the world and are the same for every pair of characters.

After noting their high concept and trouble aspects, players decide what kind of signature weapon their character uses. Their signature weapon aspect should reflect something unique about the weapon like how it was received or a characteristic it possesses.

Example: Staff of the River God or The Singing Sword

With those three aspects filled in, your heroic duo is ready to adventure! Players fill in their other two aspects during play, over the course of the first couple episodes. This allows the heroes to grow together and talk about what aspects would best complement each other.

Skill List

Forged by Fates uses a modified version of the skill list from Fate Core. The skills below have been renamed and recontextualized to ensure that they make sense for the setting. All other skills are from the base Fate Core list (Athletics, Burglary, Contacts, Crafts, Deceive, Empathy, Fight, Investigate, Physique, Provoke, Rapport, Resources, Stealth, and Will) and remain unchanged.

Ride (Drive)

Common travelers get from place to place by foot. But to get somewhere quickly or haul a cart of goods, horses are the way to do it.

Mythology (Lore)

Stories of divine intervention and miracles are common knowledge, but only a lucky few have witnessed them. Villagers may have knowledge of a god worshiped at their local temple, but only someone dedicated to study or fortunate enough to survive godly encounters can recall the stories and know the true signs of the gods and their meddling.

Archery (Shoot)

Castle guardsmen, some bandits, and archers of a great army typically possess some degree of aptitude with a bow. Not many other weapons can be used at great distances.

Survival

Forged by Fates uses Survival from The Fate Codex, Volume 1, Issue 2. Without modern medicine, wounds and illness often lead to death for ordinary mortals. This setting doesn’t feature magical healing, but Survival can justify or accelerate healing with makeshift medical tools like splints and bandages.

Stress, Stunts, and Refresh

Forged by Fates uses normal Fate Core stress tracks, stunts, and refresh.

NEW EXTRA: Favor of the Gods

Both the Companion and the Warrior Princess have attracted the attention of the gods. If a god convinced such heroes to serve them it would make them both more powerful. But one must not take a god’s involvement lightly, for they are quick to anger and their wrath is not easily ignored. Gods are dangerous, passionate, and individualized. They have wants, fears, and above all else, they harbor desires….

The Warrior Princess and her Companion each have a relationship with a god of Young Earth. This affiliation is tenuous and ever-changing, but the hero and the god are drawn to one another like moths to a flame.

After character creation, each player creates the god with which the other character has a relationship: the Companion creates the god affiliated with the Warrior Princess and the Warrior Princess creates the god affiliated with the Companion.

God Aspects

The gods of Young Earth have powerful aspects: dominion, demeanor, desire, and minions. These aspects work like character aspects. They can be invoked or compelled, and they are true. Dominion is what a god is a god “of,” demeanor refers to what a god’s personality is like, a god’s desire is what they want from the hero they are affiliated with, and their minions are their messengers and errand runners.

Dominion

Gods are the embodiments of concepts and ideas. They have the power to enhance and manifest elements related to their dominions. This aspect can be a phrase about a philosophy or concept or a single word that represents the god’s field.

Example: Rainmaker Mother, “Compassion Is Justice,” The God of War

Demeanor

What is the god’s natural disposition? How do they usually get what they want? Some gods may have dominion over a violent ideal, but come across as an intimate partner or childish fool. This aspect can be written as a catchphrase or an archetype.

Example: Seductive, Forceful Yet Friendly, Dangerous Prankster

Desire

What does the god want from the hero and why? A god could want the hero to be their champion on earth, or want the hero dead because the hero is a reminder of something they hate. This aspect represents the god’s intentions for the PC within the story.

Example: We Were a Great Team Once, Her Voice Will Be My Downfall, The Daughter I Always Wanted

Minions

Gods don’t have to act on their own; sometimes they have help. Animals, people, or flora may be imbued with the power of a god to observe, spy, or deliver a message. This aspect describes a physical thing or group of things that exist in the real world.

Example: Blue Flames, Watchful Ravens, Secret Cultists

Skills

Gods never roll unless they are manifest. If a god is talking to one of the heroes in her head or appearing in dreams, then that god can only invoke and compel aspects. But if a god manifests in front of the heroes, the god has the exact same skills as their affiliated PC, but every skill rank is increased by one.

Stunts

All gods receive the same two stunts:

Curse or Blessing: Give a fate point to the PC on which you wish to place an appropriate blessing or curse aspect. The aspect lasts the rest of the session. This aspect has two free invokes.

Better Things to Do: When unopposed, a god can vanish or exit a scene free of cost.

NEW EXTRA: Cast the Die of Fate

More powerful than the gods are the machinations and whims of the Fates themselves; the Warrior Princess and Companion have their attention as well.

A previous adventure into the underworld left the three Fates indebted to the Warrior Princess and her Companion. To repay them, the Fates gave the heroes the gift of their sight. The heroes’ fatelines are intertwined with those of the gods, so the Fates only tell them the gods’ plan for the adventuring duo. How the Warrior Princess and Companion use that knowledge is up to them….

Determining the Fates

At the beginning of each session, each player takes two Fate dice of different colors and assigns one of two Fates, either Clotho or Lachesis, to each die. Once the dice are cast, find the result on the table below and read what Atropos, the third Fate, has revealed about the gods’ involvement that session.

Atropos reveals that the gods will...

		Lachesis
		-	0	+
Clotho	-	…bestow a gift.	…present a unique opportunity.	…drag you into another god’s affairs.
	0	…send a messenger with an omen.	…be watching you.	…leave words hanging in the wind.
	+	…visit you.	…use your friend.	…make you a promise.

Revealing the Gods

After the Fates have spoken, make these opportunities and prophecies come up in play. Write each opportunity on an index card after it’s been rolled and keep it in front of you. Look for opportune or dramatic moments for the gods to intervene in mortal affairs.

Here are some tips for bringing the Fates into play. If the gods...

…bestow a gift: The gods are fond of giving gifts to those they favor, although “gifts” may be more trouble than they’re worth.

The god knows that heroes excel in war time and so bestows the gift of battle, on the eve of the peace-giving ceremony, to help the heroes prove their worth.

…present a unique opportunity: Power and fortune require hard work, but the gods can show the way.

The god reveals that the Queen has fallen ill and her people await the appointment of a successor. None of her kin are worthy, and a hero’s counsel could influence her choice.

…drag you into another god’s affairs: One god is trouble enough, but those with the attention of multiple gods have leverage.

The god and Fareos, the god of Romance, have a wager about to whom the Companion’s heart truly belongs.

…send a messenger with an omen: Keep your eyes and mind open; omens are a complicated gift that have driven men mad.

A hooded figure speaks to a hero in a dream, “By the new moon your child will show their true face to the world.”

…are watching you: The heroes know they’re being watched by the god’s minions, but for what purpose? The gods have yet to show themselves.

Crimson hooded figures fade in and out of the crowd as the heroes pass through the village square.

…leave words hanging in the wind: Godly whispers signal the coming of something big and eventful.

As the Companion attends a royal wedding, the sweet words of a god tell her secrets about the bridegroom.

…visit you: The god takes a mortal form to pay you a visit because the distance between you was too great; the god needs to be closer to you.

To make a point, the god switches the skills of the Companion and the Warrior Princess for a day.

…use your friend: The god uses a friend to get to you. Heroes make friends on their travels, but without protection those friendships can be fleeting.

The Warrior Princess is in dire need while awaiting punishment from the king’s court and the god’s beautiful face is among the onlookers.

…make you a promise: The silver tongue of a god can be double-edged. Be grateful that you know their intentions, but do not be seduced.

The god promises that he will grant anything the Warrior Princess desires if she can end this battle in his name.

Opening Scene: Bandits in the Woods

The Warrior Princess and her companion never stay in one place for long. They travel through towns seeing if their help is needed, or go to places where they’ve heard trouble is already brewing.

The scene opens with the player characters on a beautiful forest path to the city of Ithasi when they hear a commotion up ahead: steel against steel and someone crying out for help. Bandits.

It becomes clear that these bandits aren’t after gold; they’re intercepting a royal messenger and his escort of two men. The messenger carries a military decree for a region-wide draft to fight the Cyclops.

This organized group of bandits is led by Basileios in opposition to the forces of Queen Killias. Their farming village was forced to pay food reparations that bankrupted their town and left them starving after a fall crop went bad.

How will the players defeat the bandits? Will they help deliver the message or try to change the Queen’s mind?

Opening Aspects and Opposition

Opening Aspects: Forested Path, Alone in the Woods, Political Mission

Middle Scene: The Queen’s Request

However the characters decide to deal with the messenger and the bandits, just outside the woods they run into the Queen’s army. The Warrior Princess is quickly recognized and greeted warmly by Queen Killias herself.

The Warrior Princess owes Queen Killias a debt (Mysterious Past compel) and the Queen calls on her to keep her word. Killias drafted her army to take down the Cyclops that destroyed a town on the edge of her realm because her Warlord Andras is busy preparing his men for a much larger attack. Queen Killias asks the heroes for their help in slaying the Cyclops to ensure victory on both fronts.

Will the Warrior Princess and Companion agree to help the power-hungry Queen to save other towns from the threat of a Cyclops?

Opening Aspects and Skill Challenges

Opening Aspects: Army of Spectators, Political Pressure, Impending Battle

 

Final Scene: Wrath of the Cyclops

Whether the characters leave the Queen to her fate or agree to help, the Cyclops ambushes them with lethal force as they travel past a steep rock face. He attempts to destroy them and anyone they brought along for the fight. When the characters get close to defeating him, the GM may choose to have him concede (Fate Core System, page 167).

After his concession or as his dying breath, the Cyclops reveals that his will was not his own—a masked figure compelled him to attack the village. The Warrior Princess knows that if Queen Killias got wind of this masked figure setting the Cyclops on her territory she would use it to fuel her rapid expansion in the area.

Will the heroes track the masked figure immediately or will they come across evidence of the mysterious figure elsewhere?

Opening Aspects and Opposition

Opening Aspects: Mountainous Terrain, Bad Blood in the Air, Angry Cyclops

Plot Hooks and Adventure Seeds

The opening episode of Forged by Fates isn’t the end of their journey. The heroes may have stopped the Cyclops, but there are still people throughout Young Earth who need their help. And don’t forget the impending issues! Here are a few plot hooks and adventure seeds to keep the story going, varying the tone and pace of scenes after the initial adventure:

Masked Sorcerer

Rumors are spreading of a masked figure with the power to control monsters and beasts. They’ve been causing quite a bit of trouble for the Lords and Ladies of Young Earth. Survivors among the ruins of a scorched castle reveal that this figure is in search of a monster so ancient and terrible that it has faded from legend. Who is this mysterious figure and what is their plan? Their trail could lead to anyone—perhaps it’s someone close to the heroes, someone from their past, someone who wishes to upset the gods, or a god manifested.

Bride of War

A king hopes to avoid war by marrying off his unwilling daughter to a centaur war-prince. She has condemned the marriage as “unnatural” and pleaded with her father for a human suitor. The king knows that forcing his daughter into marriage is wrong, but fears that allowing war would be worse. The centaurs are willing to offer their prince to the union, but no one has yet spoken to him about the arrangement. How will the centaur prince react and should the princess put aside her feelings for peace?

Warm Hands, Cold Heart

A suave healer finds himself in a world of trouble when he steals the powers of a god. What happens when the god Shivaran comes looking for her mate and instead finds a mortal unable to return the stolen powers? Will the healer’s charm be enough to win over the Companion or the Warrior Princess and save him from Shivaran’s wrath?

Long Lost Sibling

Separated at birth, the Companion’s twin Mycas has led a relatively quiet life with a decent husband and well-mannered children, until now—a vengeful god meddled with Mycas’ life and turned the whole town against her, just to punish the Companion. When the heroes wander into town, the Companion is mistaken for Mycas and put on trial. Mycas manages to get word to the Companion and implores her to clear her name so she can go back to her peaceful life and forget all about this trouble her estranged sister caused her. Can the heroes clear the twin’s name without revealing their true identities?

Pregenerated Characters

If your players wish to play pregenerated characters, you can use the sample characters provided on the pages following.

NPCs:

Use these NPCs throughout your Forged by Fates campaign!