NOTE:
This game is currently in development.
The materials are incomplete and inconsistent.

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Welcome! 

You found a place to live? You know a good market to get food, yeah? Got a job? Between gigs? Ah, you’re practically homegrown, then. This city is home to hundreds of thousands of people. Our city -- now your city -- is the biggest, most diverse in the world. If folk leave their place, they come here. That’s just how it is. You can walk down any street and hear ten different languages being spoken. You’re in one neighborhood, every other storefront is a noodle shop run by someone from the southern countries. Turn the corner, now the air is thick with smells of the spiced meat of the northern nomads. This city is the intersection of every culture in the world. If you can’t get it here, it doesn’t exist.

But now the bad news, and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this: in this city, you’re no one special. At least, no more special than anyone else. Even if you are one in ten thousand, there’s at least a dozen other people just as “special.” But hey, there’s something to be said for anonymity, for a certain amount of invisibility. You don’t make any waves, you can make serious coin in this town. You lay low, there’s nobody telling you what to do. You can stick to the shadows between the streetlamps; that’s way better than everyone up in your business.

But if you want fame and notoriety, if you want to make your mark and get credit for it, that’s another story. It can be done. Sure. You’ve heard of Rolnar the Undaunted? Kisra Ptozlon, the Duchess of the Fourth Ward? Lord Wizard Jurlyn? You think they were born into renown and power? You think they showed up one day with their name on everyone’s lips? They worked at that. They paid their dues. You want to make a mark on this city, you can’t just sit back and wait for the opportunity to come to you. There’s ten other people waiting to grab it. You got to go grab it first.

What is City of Whispers?

City of Whispers is a fantasy roleplaying game taking place in a city invented by the players. It emphasizes three aspects of the genre:

• Connection to the city: Your characters establish connections with individual neighborhoods and factions and people. As you encounter threats and undertake risky actions, the greater the connection to the city, the more effective you will be.
• Intrigue between the characters: Characters are entrenched in city politics and know secrets about their fellow citizens. The lengths they go to preserve those secrets can have an impact on their relationships and interactions.
• Zooming in and out between faction-level and street-level action: There are distinct moves for factions. Players control not only their characters at the street level, but also make decisions for their factions to affect the contours of city politics.

What is this game about?

City of Whispers is a game of medieval-style fantasy that takes place entirely in a single large city. This isn’t the epic adventure of Lord of the Rings, but instead intimate machinations of city politics, faction intrigue, uneasy partnerships, and backalley negotiations. Violence is rare, but hangs over the city like a dagger waiting to fall.

Concept City-dwellers in a magical fantasy setting dealing with danger both political and personal	Aim Explore the city; Overcome danger; Increase your standing in the city; Keep the secrets that need keeping -- all through uneasy or tense partnerships with the other characters
Tone Largely dictated by the players, but leaning urban and merciless and conspiratorial; some physical danger and stress; occasional humor	Subject Matter Exploring the city’s grim secrets and iniquitous aspects; Managing political affiliations; Facing ethical challenges in the face of survival and standing