Succession

King Aldous IV is dead. The cause is mysterious. The succession is undecided.

Three councilors hold the power to name a new ruler — Lord Hector Vane, the Chancellor; Archbishop Valerius, Primate of the High Sanctum; General Brand, Warden of the Iron Gate. Each one has a private agenda, a secret vulnerability, and a demand that must be satisfied before they'll grant their seal.

You have eight segments — from Dawn to Midnight's Eve — to earn three seals before your rivals do.

How you play

Each segment, you choose a move:

• Whisper — work a figure's antechamber. Fast, repeatable, modest gains.
• Appeal — a formal audience. Safer than a Whisper, smaller reward.
• Scout — gather evidence on the King's death. You'll need it.
• Present Evidence — deliver a clue directly to a figure tied to the murder inquiry. High favor, but evidence is consumed.
• Deliver Indictment — name a suspect, a method, and a motive. If your triad is correct and the figure accepts it, the seal is yours.

The court is not neutral

Gaining favor with one councilor creates friction with their rival domain. The Chancellor's estates resent the garrison. The Archbishop's clergy distrust the treasury. The garrison fears the sanctum. Every move has a ripple.

Two rival claimants — Lord Aldric of House Montfort and Lady Vivienne, Duchess of the High Reaches — are working the same rooms. They slander. They whisper. They move when you move.

Your origin shapes the game

• Bastard Scion — starts with a scouted clue, but the Chancellor despises you from turn one.
• Disgraced Iron Knight — the garrison loves you, but the Archbishop won't hear your Whispers until you've appealed formally.
• Merchant Banker — you absorb slander well, but rivals rush to outbid your opening moves.

The mystery is real

The King died at a banquet. There are five suspects, five methods, five motives. Each court figure has a question they need answered before they'll commit their seal. Scout, triangulate, and indict — or let a rival frame the truth first.

Epilogue

When Midnight's Eve resolves, the councilors vote. Whoever holds the most seals is named. The game ends with a full epilogue — what each figure does next, what the court remembers, and what your origin cost you.