Power in the UG and Conflict between Denizens

1. Power is apparent: Wearing your heart on your sleeve
Denizens are defined by their Legend, literally by what people of the RG say and believe about them. The strength of that faith takes the form of empowering abilities and shimmering tokens which are made visible in the UG. For Players the form these tokens take is usually a Tarot Card, so much so that a "Card" has become shorthand for one of these symbols of power. Cards each have a dominant color that represents their level of power. The Cards a Denizen carries and their color represent what they're capable of. Beyond the tokens a Denizen will have a type of Aura, the form of which varies by each Cousin, whether that means strings of beads, astral wings, wispy spirits fluttering around them, or black butterflies. These auras too have a color and represent the accumulated power of the Cousin. Mechanically it's the average color of their cards.
2. Power is limited: I use Infinity+1
Using a Card in the UG is expressing the associated legend. It can go as far as people believe it can go, but the belief of people only goes so far and rules from the HighGround reinforce these limitations, especially as they concern interacting with the RealGround. Each Card may be utilized at full power 3 times within a game and at a rank lower without much limitation. The rule for using Cards at any level however is that being used a third time in roughly the same way will cause the power to go stale and turn the Card Gray temporarily. Using a power reverberates as an imagined or remembered story in the RG and while the third time's the charm, the fourth time is basically pointless if you're not changing your strategy somehow. In conflicts between Denizens, using a Card and failing will cause it to go stale if circumstances haven't changed.

3. Power is particular: I can see through mirrors as long as they're broken mirrors.
Cards have simple concepts to start but each must note their restrictions and their limitations, especially as a legend grows. As cards rise in rank they tend to become more specialized.

• A Gray card may be capable of creating a vague "blessing".
• A Green card would focus to something like "Good Luck and good circumstances".
• A Blue card has requirements for utilization: "only for those who pray to me" or "only after they've done a "good" thing".
• A Violet card will require more: an offering or other showing of faith by the target, being within the temple grounds, standing under a full moon, it being a particular time of year, or some sort of loophole by which the power may be undone.

It is possible for the wielder of a powerful Card to eschew its associated requirements, but that would limit them to whatever rank they can justify.

4. Players are always the exception:
Players can eschew the rules for utilizing Cards by burning willpower. As humans from the RG they are capable of having conviction in their own ability and manipulating their perspective of themselves. This manifests in the ability to empower their cards and make their own cards. This is temporary but will still reverberate in the RG.

Mechanically:
A Player may burn 3 willpower to activate a pre-existing Green Card, 6 for a Blue, or 9 for a Violet even when they don't fulfill the requirements for activation or the card has gone Stale. A Player may create a Gray Card at will. These Gray cards may be temporarily boosted to the level of Green for 5 willpower, to Blue for 10 willpower, and Violet for 15 willpower. The same amount may be spent to temporarily boost a weaker card to the higher tier.

5. Conflicts between Cousins: Narrative Combat

For a Denizen, accumulated faith is equivalent to their very life. The color of their cards and their aura represent their place in the UnderGround as a whole. Their continued reinforcement of their Legend is vital to their existence. Luckily just by living and taking action they reinforce themselves in the minds of the RG's Citizens. They do not exist in a vacuum however, and sometimes their paths cross.

When Cousins fight in the UG, Citizens who know the stories will imagine how a conflict would turn out, considering which of the legendary figures are greater, or wiser, or which would win if they fought to the death in a featureless white room. These Clashes are decided by believably. Whoever wins in the hearts and minds of the Citizenry is effectively the victor.As a result of the conflict, hierarchy is established. The victor thus earns renown and the loser faces consequences: owing fealty to the victor or finding a new Weaknesses on their Aura or their Cards.

Mechanically:
Cousins are beings of idea and story and conflicts between them are not usually decided by numbers or the roll of a die. Conflict isn't even always a fight. It can take the form of any challenge. Representing the Citizenry, the other players and the Storyteller will judge each round as to which would likely win. By default a series of 3 clashes occur wherein the combatants each play a Card and then evaluate the result. The first two rounds provide setup and create circumstance and the last clash decides the ultimate victor. If there is an impasse regarding which side would win a round among the audience., the holder highest ranked card in the round is the victor. If the cards are all of the same rank, then both sides will roll 2d10 and whoever rolls higher wins.

Consequences:
If a Cousin is actually destroyed in the clash their legend immediately suffers. So long as the people continue to believe in them they can return, but a Denizen who is destroyed finds one of their Cards loses a "Rank" as they fade into insignificance. They are also likely to have returned with a new general weakness as their method of destruction will have found its way into their legend among the city's populace. If all a Cousin's cards turn Gray, they are obliterated. They may return eventually, but for the moment the populace of the RG will be convinced they never existed or have finally died.

6. Weaknesses: a clove of Garlic a day keeps the vampires at bay.
Denizens are more than just their powers, and the weaknesses that define a Legend are just as important to the story as their strengths. Weaknesses may be General or tied to individual Cards. Like Cards, these Weaknesses will appear somehow on the person of a Denizen in a symbol that most that know the story would find recognizable. General Weaknesses appear on the Denizen's Aura. Card specific weaknesses appear in on their Cards themselves.
These can be conceptualized in several categories

• Forbiddance: Some Denizens may not perform a particular action: crossing running water, making physical contact with a human, harm a member of the clergy.
• Bane: Some Denizens are susceptible to damage from a particular substance or circumstance. This greatly slants the odds against them in conflicts between Denizens if their opponent has their Bane and it doubles damage against their physical manifestations.
• Curse: Some Cousins have some curse on them causing suffering, weakness, or binding.
• Obligation: Some Cousins are bound to serve or obey, whether that's to heed the word of an avatar of Vishnu, to listen to any named a Saint, to follow official city laws and regulations, or to obey whoever holds their pearl of wisdom.

Weaknesses are acquired in three main ways: losing a Game against another Denizen, the story shifting among the populace, or as a direct result of a "Curse" Card. Weaknesses are lost in similar ways. They may empower themselves (usually gaining new Cards) enough to grow out of the Weakness, the populace may just forget about the weakness allowing it to fade from the Denizen's appearance, and finally they may find a wielder of sufficiently powerful Blessing.

Players are again the exception.
They may spend Willpower to temporarily ignore a Weakness with a cost proportional to the Color of their Aura for General Weaknesses, or of the Curse card they were struck with: 5 for Green, 10 for Blue, 15 for Purple. Unless their Legend is markedly influenced as part of a Game, the Weakness will likely return.

7. Example: The North Wind and the Sun
The North Wind and the Sun fought over who was stronger and decided to put it to the test. The challenge would be who could remove the cloak of a traveler moving along a particular road. They would clash three times, and whoever succeeded in removing the cloak would be the strongest.

• The North Wind used her card, a Blue card of Authority over the wind to blow as hard as she could. The Sun chooses not to respond and not to play any card. The man held his cloak tightly and has stopped to stand against the blustering wind.
• In the second clash the North wind uses a Green card of Authority over Cold to numb the man's fingers. The Sun responds by using a Blue card of Authority over Light to shine up ahead and urge the man forward. The man is shivering and clutching tightly, but advancing again.
• The North Wind uses her Blue card of Authority over wind again and blows against the traveler. The Sun waits and then uses a Blue card of Authority over Warmth and Heat, warming the man as he steps into the sunbeams. The traveller ultimately removes his own cloak as he takes steps into the sunlight.
• The Sun is declared the winner. The North Wind must acknowledge she is weaker. Her Card of Authority over Cold takes on a new weakness: a Forbiddance. She can no longer chill anyone standing in the bright rays of the sun. Her power over Cold took the form of a pair of icy blue arm bands. After the battle they have bronze wires wrapped around them that end in a dangling charm imprinted with the Sun.

8. Rule for Players: Guidelines for building a Persona
A Persona is a part of the Player and a human may acquire their Persona in one of three ways:
The would-be Player may lose their Reflection as it morphs into a Shadow and have to find and merge with it.
They may find an Urban Legend (or be found by one) and merge their Reflection with that, adopting its legend.
They may be met by a Higher Power and be granted their blessing. This choice naturally shapes the Legend of your Persona, how dependent you are on public opinion, and how different your Persona is from yourself in the RG. With that said, there are several steps to designing the Persona.

Determine which method of becoming a Player you took. Note the additional benefits that come with your Origin.

Next, come up with the basic Legend about your Persona. What do the Citizens of Jujiro believe about it.

From there select Cards that appropriately suit the Legend. These represent defining characteristics of the Legend. This is done in 3 steps.

-Pick from the listed Archetypes. This determines your first 2 Cards. They will start at Green. Come up with the specific focus of each Card.
- Other players at the table then select your third Card. The Citizens of the RG alter the stories as they tell it and as the legend changes, so does the Reflection. This Card also starts at Green, and the Player still directs its Focus.
-Finally the Player may select one last Green Card or upgrade one of their three cards to Blue.If a card is upgraded to Blue then come up with the additional requirements for activation.
-If the Player has the Mantled origin, select an additional Green Card and two Weaknesses.
-If the Player has the Exalted origin, select a Rule card from your Patron and take the Obligation Weakness relating to your Patron.

With the Legend and the Cards in place, determine the overall appearance of your Persona, their Cards, and their Aura. As a Player you may choose to freely change your appearance or hide your cards. Remember that appearances are realities in the UG, so if you don't represent a Card you possess, you cannot use it.

Archetypal Denizens

	Usual Description	Core Cards
Ruler	Denizens that are closely tied to authority over something typically nature or some example of excellence.	Authority Avatar
Fortune	Patron spirits over households or crafts, or malevolent spirits of destruction	Bless/Curse Guide
Guardian	Primarily defined by protection of a place or people.	Boundary Empower
Reapers	Denizens who act as psychopomp for the dead and dying	Reap/Rest Transport
Beasts	Denizens who hunt the UG and RG to grow in power	Devour Manifest
Haunts	The unquiet dead or malicious spirits who inspire fear in the citizens of the RG	Nightmare Authority
Monster	Defined not by consumption but by violence, often represent stories of serial killers or snatchers	Nightmare Manifest


Common Cards:

Card	Range of Effect
Authority	Shape or control the subject of the card. Ex: a particular space, element, object, an part of nature, or animal. Scale is proportionate to ranking.
Avatar	The state of the wielder of the card is tied to a place, an object, or a geographical feature.
Bless/Curse	This empowers or curses them based on the state of their subject. The subject either benefits or suffers. This is a highly variable card that encompasses strokes of luck, healing, misfortune, and sickness.
Guide	The wielder can create a subtle influence in an individual providing an indirect form of communication for provision of knowledge or wisdom.
Boundary	The wielder can wall off an area or provide Defense to an entity with a Difficulty Rating proportional to the level of Card. When applying in the physical world a green barrier requires a DC of 16, Blue 22, and Violet something epic. When granting Defense a Green card grants a +2, Blue a +5, Violet an epic defense.
Empower	A specific kind of action by the target is empowered depending on the rating of the card. When applied to the physical world Green guarantees a roll of 16. Blue guarantees a 22. Violet is epic in scope.
Devour	Enables the wielder to benefit from dispersing another Denizen, allowing them to temporarily use one of their Cards a rank higher than its usual value, A Devoured Denizen loses 2 ranks from among their Cards.
Reap/ Lay to Rest	Enables the wielder to entrap or provide release for a dying human's soul or ghostly Cousins. Each soul taken this way provides significant empowerment, recharging one of the Cousin's Cards. For unwilling targets the wielder must have a card a rank higher than the target. Variations of the Card may focus on other varieties of Cousin.
Transport	Enables the wielder to embody their legend through some form of motion, whether that's flight, supernatural speed, manifesting a mount or vehicle, or instantaneous transmission.
Manifest	Create a physical form with strength proportional to the rank. When applied to the RG, this card creates a body in the RG for a Cousin. This form has stats proportionate in strength and visual detail to the rank of the card. Green having stats at rank 3. Blue having stats at rank 6. Violet having stats at rank 9.
Nightmare	Warps reality for the targets, creating environmental effects from creeping shadows, to finding knives where they weren't before, to slowing down their movements. Scale is proportional to the cards.
Judgement	Declare judgement for some action on the part of the target. Your conclusion becomes a part of their appearance in the UG and thus becomes an impression in the RG. Consequences follow in proportion to rank.
Creation	Create a permanent object that exists in both the UG and the RG with a value and quality proportional to rank. At the higher ranks may be used to bring a new Denizen into the UG. If empowered by a Gold or Silver Card may bring new life into the RG.
Knowledge	Acquire some wisdom or knowledge ranging from the local circumstances or ancient secrets depending on rank.
Command	Force your target to act. This only works on a target of lesser rank than the card for extended commands, but may offer an immediate command to one of the same rank as the card if it's not self-destructive.
Subtlety	Deception and stealth. May obscure the truth of oneself to any with the same rank or lower of the wielder in the UG and in the RG may grant invisibility or otherwise hide one's presence.
Enchant	Alter the internal experience of a target. This ranges from inspiring emotion to generating out of body experiences based on the scale of the card.
Transform	Transform an object, target, or oneself. This ranges from the subtle to the dramatic based on the rank and can additionally function as Empower or Manifestation as though one rank lower.
Rule	A specific form of Authority that limits the behavior of Denizens or alters the relationship between the planes in a specific way. Rule cards are always Silver.

Colors	Significance
Gray	A Gray card has little power and can at best create small sensory effects or impressions for people in the RG. It represents a legend that few believe or have heard of. It also is the color of a card created by a player before they have a chance to empower it. A Gray aura is a fleeting effect and a Cousin who is Gray has a very transient existence, though they're extremely common.
Green	A Green card can be used to affect the RG in subtle ways that are not particularly supernatural. It represents a story that's recognizable and at least halfheartedly believed. A Green aura represents the most common class of Denizen in the UG.
Blue	A Blue card can create effects that are out of the ordinary in the RG and larger scale impacts in the UG. It represents a well known legend that may actually change people's behaviors. A Blue aura represents a longstanding member of the UG with a decent reputation.
Violet	A Violet card can create blatantly supernatural effects in the RG or act in the UG on a large scale. This card represents a legend that affects many people's daily lives. A Violet aura represents a devoted following and likely a shrine or church dedicated to the Cousin. They are likely to act as local rulers in UG or intermediaries for the Higher Powers.
Silver	Silver Cards carry authority to control behavior of the Denizens themselves. These each have a rule that cannot be broken within the range of their dominion, which in some cases is as wide as a City Ward. They are be handed down by an Authority or they may exist independent of any Denizens, generated by the strongly held belief of Citizens of the City A Silver aura represents empowerment from either a HigherPower or the current attention of the populace.
Gold	Gold Cards are symbols of Authority. They represent privileged perspective and control of a Domain that extends through the layers from the Highground to the RG and Underground.