CHAPTER 18: REWARDS & REPUTATION

Rewards in Sonata come in two currencies. The first is concrete: experience, gold, items. The second is social: the party's standing in the Known World and whether the Vithurian Orchestra has taken notice. Both matter. Neither operates independently of the other.

This chapter covers how XP is earned and divided, how to generate and place treasure meaningfully, how magic items work once the party has them and what it takes to make or ruin them, and how reputation accrues — what the three tiers of recognition mean at the table, how to run the moment when an Orchestra agent makes contact, and when a song becomes possible.

EXPERIENCE

Experience points measure what the characters have survived, navigated, and accomplished. They do not measure how hard they tried.

The GM calculates XP and distributes it evenly among all surviving characters at the end of a session or adventure. Characters who died during the session receive XP for everything that happened before their death. A recently resurrected character receives their share normally from the point of their return.

XP comes from three sources: overcoming encounters, completing story goals, and downtime activities.

Overcoming Encounters

An encounter is overcome when the party navigates it successfully while genuinely at risk. That risk is the threshold. Defeating a band of mercenaries in a room with a locked exit qualifies. Setting off a spike pit trap with a thrown torch from safety does not. The danger — perceived or real — is what generates the experience, because that is what demanded something from the characters.

Overcoming an encounter does not require combat. Negotiating a hostile patrol to let the party pass is overcoming an encounter. Successfully evading a pursuit, disabling a trap while in range of it, and bluffing a Cadman checkpoint — all qualify. The question the GM asks is: were the characters at genuine risk, and did they navigate it?

Experience for defeating creatures is calculated from their Hit Dice, modified by special abilities. The base table:

HD or Level	XP Value
Less than 1−1	7
1−1 to 1	15
1+1 to 2	35
2+1 to 3	65
3+1 to 4	120
4+1 to 5	175
5+1 to 6	270
6+1 to 7	420
7+1 to 8	650
8+1 to 9	975
9+1 to 10+	1,400
11 to 12+	2,000
13+	3,000 + 1,000 per HD above 13

Special abilities increase the effective HD for XP calculation. These modifiers are additive — a creature with multiple special abilities may have a significantly higher effective HD than its base figure:

Ability	HD Modifier
AC 20 or better	+1
Blood drain	+1
Breath weapon	+2
Causes disease	+1
Energy drain	+3
Flying	+1
4+ attacks per round	+1
Above-average HP	+1
High intelligence	+1
Hurt only by magic or silver	+1
Spell immunity	+1
Weapon immunity or half damage	+1
Invisible at will	+1
Spells up to 2nd level	+1
Spells 3rd level or higher	+2
Magic resistance	+2
Ranged attacks	+1
Multiple attacks, 30+ total damage	+2
Paralysis	+2
Petrification	+3
Poison	+2
Wields magical items	+1
Regeneration	+1
Single attack, 20+ damage	+2
Swallows whole	+2
Fear or weakness	+2
Special defense (unlisted)	+1
Special magical attack (unlisted)	+2
Special non-magical attack (unlisted)	+1

The same framework applies to traps and hazards. A trap capable of killing an average 7th-level character is treated as a 7 HD creature for XP purposes. Award proportionate XP for proportionate danger.

Story Experience

Story XP is awarded whenever a prominent goal is completed. The cap: story XP for any given goal should not exceed the total XP earned from encounters along the way to completing it. This keeps story goals meaningful without making encountering danger irrelevant. A party that concluded a major contract through twenty sessions of difficult work earns more story XP than one that stumbled to the same ending in two.

Characters may also set personal goals. These require GM approval — the goal should be sufficiently dangerous and meaningful to warrant XP, and everyone who participates should receive a fair share. A personal goal that only one character pursues generates XP only for that character.

Downtime Activities

At the end of every season, characters can engage in different activities and earn XP equal to 10% of their total XP from the previous season. For more information, see Chapter 11 — Seasons & Downtime.

Levelling Up

When a character accumulates enough XP to advance, they gain all the benefits of their new level immediately. There is no training period requirement in Sonata unless the GM explicitly builds one into the fiction — a paladin whose patron temple is destroyed, a druid whose grove has been burned, and who has no access to a superior who can oversee their advancement, might reasonably find advancement blocked until that situation is addressed. This is fiction, not a standing rule. Apply it when it serves the story and remove it when it doesn't.

TREASURE

Treasure is anything the party acquires that has value.

Coins and gems are the obvious form. Art objects, silks, rare commodities, land deeds, titles, blackmail material, a set of maps the right person would pay handsomely for — these are also treasure, and often more interesting than coin, because they require decisions about what to do with them.

The vast majority of treasure is not in circulation. It predates the market or exists outside it. Second Era artifacts in a ruin were not acquired through trade. A religious house's treasury is not for sale. A merchant lord's private collection is not on any list. What the party finds tends to be things that were set aside, hidden, or fought over — which means getting it to market, if they want coin instead, is often its own problem.

Placing Treasure

Random treasure generation — using the type tables below — is a tool, not a methodology. Roll for random encounters and wandering creatures. Design the significant hoards.

The principle for designed treasure: what would this creature or this person actually have? A Cadman supply cache has military equipment, coins in the army's standard denominations, and possibly sealed orders. A dead wizard's laboratory has research materials, components, and instruments — probably some of which are valuable to other wizards and nearly worthless to anyone else. A cult's treasury has offerings in whatever form its membership brings: coins from wealthy converts, heirlooms from families who gave everything to join, objects that were sacred to whatever faith the cult displaced.

Treat a designed hoard as a clue about what happened in this place. The same logic that applies to the Three Clue Rule in Chapter 15 applies here — a room's contents are evidence pointing toward a conclusion the party might reach or ignore. A room full of identical gold coins says nothing. A room with a fortune in mixed currencies spanning three different eras, an inventory written in a hand that matches the mercenary leader the party is hunting, and a child's shoe says something. Both reward the party with money. Only one rewards them with information and a reason to care about what they found. When designing significant hoards, ask not just what was here but what it reveals about who put it here and why.

Random treasure generation. When generating treasure for wandering creatures or procedural stocking, use the treasure type assigned to the creature in the bestiary (Book III). Cross-reference the type letter with the tables below to determine what rolls apply:

Lair Treasure (intelligent creatures protecting a hoard):

Type	Copper	Silver	Gold	Electrum/Platinum	Gems	Art Objects	Magic
A	25%: 1d3×1,000	30%: 1d10×200	40%: 1d6×1,000	35%: 3d6×100	60%: 10d4	50%: 2d6	30%: Any 3
B	50%: 1d6×1,000	25%: 1d3×1,000	25%: 1d10×200	25%: 1d10×100	30%: 1d8	20%: 1d4	10%: Armour or Weapon
C	20%: 1d10×1,000	30%: 1d6×1,000	—	10%: 1d6×100	25%: 1d6	20%: 1d3	10%: Any 2
D	10%: 1d6×1,000	15%: 1d10×1,000	50%: 1d3×1,000	15%: 1d6×100	30%: 1d10	25%: 1d6	15%: Any 2 + 1 potion
E	5%: 1d6×1,000	25%: 1d10×1,000	25%: 1d4×1,000	25%: 3d6×100	15%: 1d12	10%: 1d6	25%: Any 3 + 1 scroll
F	—	10%: 3d6×1,000	40%: 1d6×1,000	15%: 1d4×1,000	20%: 2d10	10%: 1d8	30%: Any 5, no weapons
G	—	—	50%: 2d10×1,000	50%: 1d10×1,000	30%: 3d6	25%: 1d6	35%: Any 5
H	25%: 3d6×1,000	40%: 2d10×1,000	55%: 2d10×1,000	40%: 1d8×1,000	50%: 3d10	50%: 2d10	15%: Any 6
I	—	—	—	30%: 1d6×100	55%: 2d6	50%: 2d4	15%: Any 1

Individual and Animal Lair Treasure (carried, or scattered in unintelligent lairs):

Type	Copper	Silver	Gold	Electrum/Platinum	Gems	Art	Magic
J	3d8	—	—	—	—	—	—
K	—	3d6	—	—	—	—	—
L	—	—	—	2d6	—	—	—
M	—	—	2d8	—	—	—	—
N	—	—	—	1d6	—	—	—
O	10d4	5d6	—	—	—	—	—
P	—	10d6	—	1d20	—	—	—
Q	—	—	—	—	1d4	—	—
R	—	—	2d10	10d6	2d4	1d3	—
S	—	—	—	—	—	—	1d8 potions
T	—	—	—	—	—	—	1d4 scrolls
U	—	—	—	—	90%: 2d8	80%: 1d6	70%: Any 1
V	—	—	—	—	—	—	Any 2
W	—	—	5d6	1d8	60%: 2d6	50%: 1d8	60%: Any 2
X	—	—	—	—	—	—	Any 2 potions
Y	—	—	2d6×100	—	—	—	—
Z	1d3×100	1d4×100	1d6×100	1d4×100	55%: 1d6	50%: 2d6	50%: Any 3

Coin weights: 50 coins of any denomination weigh 500 g (about 1 lb).

Gemstones

Gemstone base value is determined by rarity:

1d100	Base Value	Class
01–25	10 gp	Ornamental
26–50	50 gp	Semi-precious
51–70	100 gp	Fancy
71–90	500 gp	Precious
91–99	1,000 gp	Gem
00	5,000 gp	Jewel

Uncut stones are worth 10% less than the base value for their class. Cut stones have a 10% chance of being exceptional or inferior — roll 1d6 if a stone merits this check:

1d6	Result
1	Increase to next higher base value; re-roll, stopping if result ≠ 1. Maximum increase: five steps.
2	Double base value
3	1d6 × 10% above base value
4	1d4 × 10% below base value
5	Half base value
6	Decrease to next lower base value; re-roll, stopping if result ≠ 6. Minimum value: 2 sp.

Common ornamental stones: agate, azurite, hematite, lapis lazuli, malachite, freshwater pearl, and turquoise. Semi-precious: bloodstone, carnelian, citrine, jasper, moonstone, onyx, quartz. Fancy: amber, amethyst, jade, jet, white or golden pearl, tourmaline. Precious: alexandrite, aquamarine, violet garnet, black pearl, golden topaz. Gems: emerald, sapphire, star ruby, white, and black opal. Jewels: diamond, clear emerald, jacinth.

Art Objects

Roll 1d100 when art objects are indicated:

1d100	Examples	Base Value
01–10	Common item, rare commodity	1d10 × 10 gp
11–25	Fur, rare commodity	3d6 × 10 gp
26–40	Tapestry or painting	1d6 × 100 gp
41–50	Carved ivory or wrought silver	1d10 × 100 gp
51–60	Wrought electrum	2d6 × 100 gp
61–70	Wrought gold	3d6 × 100 gp
71–80	Jade or coral	4d6 × 100 gp
81–85	Wrought platinum	5d6 × 100 gp
86–90	Silver set with gems	1d4 × 1,000 gp
91–95	Electrum set with gems	1d6 × 1,000 gp
96–99	Gold set with gems	2d4 × 1,000 gp
00	Platinum set with gems	2d6 × 1,000 gp

After determining base value, roll 1d10 for workmanship: on 1, value is −50% (re-roll, stopping if result ≠ 1); on 8, +25%; on 9, +50%; on 10, double (re-roll, stopping if result ≠ 10). Results 2–7 are unremarkable.

Selling Treasure

Liquid treasure — coins — is spent directly. Everything else requires a buyer.

The market for art, gems, and non-standard goods depends on the settlement. A village fence can move small quantities of low-value goods. A trade city like Wightport or a Cadman administrative centre has merchants sophisticated enough to appraise and purchase most things, though at 40–60% of base value unless the party has the leverage or contacts to negotiate better. Truly exceptional pieces — a masterwork painting from the Second Era, a jewel from the Elder Council's treasury, an artifact with documented provenance — are worth their full value only to specific buyers who want them specifically.

Magic items have almost no standard market. The XP value in gold pieces (XP × 100 gp) is a rough ceiling for what a wealthy patron might pay for a genuinely useful item, but the ceiling assumes a motivated buyer who understands what they're acquiring. Most of the time, a magic item is worth more to the party as a tool than as a sale.

At the name level — the threshold at which most classes establish strongholds, attract followers, and shift from operating in the world to operating on it — accumulated treasure finds its primary purpose. A fortified tower adequate for a small garrison runs 5,000 to 15,000 gp, depending on location and materials. A proper keep with walls, a great hall, and outbuildings capable of attracting the followers that name-level characters draw runs 30,000 to 75,000 gp. A full castle with multiple towers, a bailey, and the infrastructure to function as an administrative center costs 100,000 gp or more and typically takes years to complete.

These figures explain the scale at which the treasure tables are calibrated and the scale at which the Vithurian Endowment arrives. A company that has reached name level through hard contracts, accumulated a reputation the Orchestra considered worthy of documentation, and received its endowment has the foundation of a stronghold — not the stronghold itself. The work of completing it, staffing it, and defending it is the next campaign, not the conclusion of this one.

MAGIC ITEMS

Magic items rarely announce themselves. A sword with a +1 enchantment looks like a sword. A ring of protection looks like a ring. The party discovers what an item does through use, experimentation, identification magic, or paying a sage who knows.

Some items are cursed. Cursed items also look mundane and do not reveal their nature under divination — a Detect Magic shows an aura, not the curse. Many cursed items function normally until the moment of crisis, then reveal themselves. Once a curse activates, the item stays: it reappears in the bearer's possession if discarded or thrown away, clinging until Remove Curse or equivalent magic is applied. Trading or selling a known cursed item intentionally is an evil act, and one that enemies or the Orchestra will note.

Wearing and Using Items

The body has limits. Exceeding the limits of a category makes all items in that category cease to function until the excess is removed:

Arms: 1 pair of bracers, plus 1 phylactery or talisman

Body: 1 suit of armour or 1 robe (not both)

Clothing: 1 amulet, brooch, periapt, scarab, or talisman

Face: 1 pair of eye items or lenses

Feet: 1 pair of boots or slippers

Fingers: 2 rings (one per hand)

Hands: 1 pair of gauntlets or gloves (combines with finger slots)

Head: 1 hat, helm, phylactery, or talisman

Neck: 1 amulet, medallion, necklace, periapt, scarab, or talisman

Shoulders: 1 cloak (combines with body slot)

Waist: 2 girdles or belts

Mismatched items worn on the same slot stop functioning entirely; mismatched items designed to be paired (boots, gloves) produce unpredictable results.

Activating most magic items takes a full round. Weapons and armour confer their bonuses automatically on use; special properties within them must be discovered and are then activated at will.

Random Magic Item Generation

When "Any X" appears on a treasure table, roll 1d100 on the following category table, then on the appropriate sub-table in Book III:

1d100	Category
01–20	Potions and Oils
21–35	Scrolls
36–40	Rings
41	Rods
42	Staves
43–45	Wands
46	Books and Tomes
47–48	Jewels and Jewelry
49–50	Cloaks and Robes
51–52	Boots and Gloves
53	Girdles and Helms
54–55	Bags and Bottles
56	Dusts and Stones
57	Household Items and Tools
58	Musical Instruments
59–60	Miscellaneous Curios
61–75	Armour and Shields
76–00	Weapons

Determine magic items before the session where they appear. Creatures carrying or wearing items benefit from them — a troll with a ring of regeneration is a different encounter than a troll with a ring in its pocket. Don't generate treasure after the encounter ends.

Identifying Potions

Potions are identified through sampling — a small taste or skin contact sufficient to give the GM a basis for describing colour, smell, and taste. The character hasn't consumed a full dose. This gives a clue, not a certain answer. Two potions of the same type made by different casters look and taste different; two potions that look identical may not be.

Potions last 4 + 1d4 turns unless stated otherwise. Mixing two active potions or consuming a second potion while the first is still in effect requires a roll on the potion incompatibility table — results range from both working normally to explosive catastrophe. Consult Book III for the full table.

Crafting Magical Items

Spellcasters gain the ability to craft items as follows: wizards and priests may scribe scrolls at 7th level and brew potions at 9th (priests) or 7th (wizards). Crafting other magical items becomes available at 11th level for both.

The full crafting rules are in Chapter 13 alongside the enchant an item spell and permanency. The summary:

Scrolls require a quill, appropriate paper or parchment, and specially prepared ink whose components the GM determines. Each component reflects the spell being scribed. The process takes 1 day per spell level. Base success chance: 80%, −1% per spell level, +1% per caster level. A failed check produces a cursed scroll — the caster doesn't know it. The first time they or someone else casts from that scroll, something goes wrong. What goes wrong is a GM decision made before the scroll enters play, not improvised at the moment of casting.

Potions require a laboratory (wizards) or a consecrated altar (priests) and ingredients the GM specifies. Brewing takes a number of days equal to the ingredient cost divided by 100 gp. Base success: 70%, −1% per 100 gp of ingredients, +1% per two caster levels. Failure produces an unintentional cursed potion — the caster doesn't know. The failed batch looks and smells like a successful brew. Decide the failure mode before the potion leaves the lab.

Other magical items require: a flawless vessel crafted by a master (100 gp minimum, typically 1,000–10,000 gp); preparation with rare material components (500 gp minimum); a laboratory of adequate size and isolation; Enchant an Item cast on the prepared vessel; and the relevant spells cast into it within 24 hours of each other. Each spell cast into the vessel requires a secret saving throw from the GM; a failed throw means that particular enchantment didn't take, though the caster doesn't know until they use the item under pressure. After final enchantment, a success check (base 60%, +1% per caster level, 1% per special process) determines whether the item works as intended, is accidentally cursed, or fails entirely.

The GM's role in crafting is to know the failure state before play reaches it. A cursed item that hasn't been decided yet is not a cursed item — it's a deferred problem. Decide what the item does wrong, and when it shows, at the time of crafting.

Recharging

Charged items — wands, rods, staves, certain rings — can be recharged by preparing the item with Enchant an Item and casting the appropriate spells into it. Each recharging attempt requires a saving throw from the item itself (using the caster's saves, modified by Wisdom); failure crumbles the item to dust. Items recharged repeatedly become progressively more fragile.

Destroying Magical Items

Breaking the vessel ends the enchantment. Attacking a held magic item uses normal attack rules, but the item receives a bonus to its saving throw equal to its enchantment level (+1 to +5). Most items destroyed this way release their stored magic in some visible form — a flash, an odour, a sound. Powerful items may do more. Decide what before the fight begins, not after the saving throw fails. The death of a legendary sword should mean something; that meaning needs to be in the GM's notes before it becomes relevant.

Lyre Medal (Vithurian)

A paired lyre cast in silver, the two instruments interlocked at the neck, worn as a pendant or pinned to clothing, issued by the Vithurian Orchestra to the named subjects of commissioned works following the premiere. It's not for sale. Not transferable in any meaningful sense — a medal worn by someone other than its intended recipient carries no benefit and is recognized as misappropriated by anyone who knows the Orchestra's practice.

The medal carries no enchantment detectable by Detect Magic. Its function is social and institutional rather than arcane.

In any settlement where the Orchestra is recognized — everywhere outside Val Cadma-administered territory — the medal functions as a letter of introduction granting the bearer Tier Three reaction modifiers in any interaction where reputation is relevant, regardless of the bearer's actual current tier. This is not because the medal overclaims, but because the medal accurately represents what the bearer was at the moment of the premiere, and NPC communities that respect the Orchestra extend that recognition on the Orchestra's authority rather than the bearer's current standing.

The medal does not override reputation degradation in the bearer's immediate operating region, where witnesses to recent events override institutional documentation. It is most valuable when the bearer is operating in unfamiliar territory where their recent history is unknown.

Losing the medal — through theft, carelessness, or deliberate removal — does not affect the reputation tier. The Orchestra keeps records. A replacement can be requested through any Orchestra agent contact; the replacement process takes several weeks and involves a conversation that the agent will frame as administrative, and that is also an assessment of the circumstances of the loss.

REPUTATION

The Vithurian Orchestra does not find every mercenary company worth its ink.

Reputation in the Known World accumulates through deeds that others witness, survive, and choose to repeat. It is a social phenomenon — tracked by the GM, experienced by the party as changing conditions in the world around them. How hirelings respond to a job offer. What price a fence quotes without negotiation. Whether a minor noble speaks to the party personally or sends a steward.

Track reputation changes on the same working list as faction agendas from Chapter 15. The adversary roster records what the major actors want right now; reputation tracks what they know about the party. Both shift in response to what the party does, and both should be updated at the end of each session.

There are three tiers of recognition, and most companies never cross the second.

Tier One: Known

The party has a name in certain circles. People in specific cities or specific trades have heard of them — not in detail, not with reverence, but enough to place them. A hireling who has worked for them before will mention it to potential companions. A guard captain who heard a rumour about the job they did in Wightport will give them a few more seconds of consideration before deciding they're not worth the trouble.

At this tier, the Orchestra is aware that the party exists. An agent may have a file entry — a name, a summary of completed contracts, nothing more. The party hasn't earned an investigation yet; they've earned a record.

This recognition shifts NPC reaction rolls by +1 in regions where the party is known, and only in interactions where the NPC in question cares about reputation. A Cadman soldier is unaffected. A guild the party previously worked for is not.

Tier Two: Established

The party has done something notable — a contract whose consequences were felt beyond the immediate client, an action that shifted the balance between factions, a deed that people in the field are still talking about. An Orchestra agent has assessed them. The assessment may be favourable, neutral, or complicated, but it was made.

At this tier, the Orchestra is actively monitoring. An agent knows who the key members are. There is a dossier. If the party operates in regions the Orchestra covers, they can expect that certain doors open more easily and that certain employers know something about their track record before a meeting begins.

The reaction shift at this tier is +2 in relevant circles and extends to more categories of NPC — merchants, guild officials, minor nobles who pay attention to mercenary reputation because their interests depend on it. It also extends liability: a company that is established has something to lose. Betraying a contract, taking work against their previous employers' core interests, or being publicly associated with a disaster draws consequences proportionate to the visibility.

Tier Three: Acclaimed

The party has done something the Orchestra considers worthy of documentation — an act significant enough that it will outlast them, that other companies will measure themselves against it, that the Known World's record of who did what and what it cost will include their names.

A song is possible here. A song is not certain. The Orchestra has its own politics, and those politics include questions about whether the party's deed is the kind of story that serves the Orchestra's understanding of what the Known World is and should become. A massacre that ended a threat is not automatically a song. A sacrifice that held something together when it should have fallen might be. The Orchestra chooses its subjects.

At this tier, the reaction shift in relevant circles reaches +4. More significantly, certain contacts and opportunities are not available to anyone below this tier. A sovereign who needs something handled and can't be seen making the request. A Chronicler who will share information no one else receives. A weapons merchant with stock that doesn't appear on any visible list.

This tier also means enemies. A company acclaimed by the Orchestra is a statement. Factions that oppose what that company represents, or that want the story the Orchestra is choosing to tell to be different, have reasons to act.

Losing Standing

Reputation declines when public behaviour becomes irreconcilable with what the reputation claims.

A single catastrophic public failure — a contract betrayal with witnesses, an atrocity that cannot be attributed to enemies, a disaster that the company demonstrably caused — does not immediately drop a tier. What it does is create a gap between what the company's reputation says they are and what recent evidence suggests. NPC reaction modifiers drop by 2 in circles where the failure is known while the tier formally holds. If the company does nothing to address the gap within a reasonable period — completing a significant contract cleanly, making restitution, or otherwise producing evidence that the failure was exceptional rather than characteristic — the tier formally drops.

Tier regression requires deeds proportionate to the original standing, not merely to the current lower tier, to reverse. A company that fell from Tier Three to Tier Two because of a public disaster cannot regain Tier Three by doing the kind of work that originally earned Tier Two. The Orchestra's agents and the NPC network that tracks mercenary reputation are aware of the difference between a company that built something and a company that rebuilt after losing it. Both are viable careers. They are not the same career.

Behaviour that triggers the Orchestra's active disapproval — selling a known cursed item, a sustained pattern of atrocity, actions directly contrary to the values the commission documented — can result in the Orchestra withdrawing recognition entirely. This is rare and has never been reversed. A company that has had a commission withdrawn does not return to Tier Two. They operate under the specific social condition of having been found unworthy of what they were given, which NPC communities that respect the Orchestra treat as more damaging than never having been commissioned at all.

How Reputation Travels

Reputation moves through trade networks and word of mouth, which means it moves at the speed of news and with the distortions that implies.

In the region where a deed occurred, reputation is current. In adjacent nations connected by active trade routes, the same reputation applies at one tier lower, and only after sufficient time has passed for the news to travel — roughly one to three months for significant events, longer for events that did not involve commerce or major political consequences. Across the Inner Sea or in nations without regular trade contact with the region of origin, reputation arrives at two tiers lower, if it arrives at all, and with enough distortion that the specific deed may be unrecognisable in the retelling.

This means a company with Tier Two standing in Solara that relocates to Bal'mekh for an extended operation is effectively rebuilding from Tier One until their Solaran reputation catches up or until they do something in Bal'mekh that speaks for itself.

Val Cadma and its administered territories are a specific case. The Orchestra has no formal standing in Cadman-controlled regions, and Orchestra-derived reputation carries no mechanical benefit with Cadman NPCs. Church intelligence does maintain awareness of who the Orchestra has recognised — a commissioned company operating in Norderenn is a company the occupation administration knows is considered noteworthy by an institution that has refused Cadman influence. Whether this makes them a target or simply a point of interest depends on the local Archbishop's current priorities.

A Vithurian lyre medal, worn visibly in Cadman-administered territory, is not illegal, but noticed.

The Orchestra in Play

The Orchestra's agents do not introduce themselves. A contact is made through a third party, through a coded message, or through circumstances that make the encounter seem accidental. Run these agents as people with their own agendas — they are not there to reward the party; they are there because the party has become relevant to something the Orchestra cares about.

If the party is being assessed for a song, they will not know it. The agent observing the situation will be watching for specific things: whether what they did was as consequential as the rumours suggest, whether they did it for reasons the Orchestra can articulate in music, and whether there was a cost. Mercenaries who claim their deeds were motivated by profit alone don't get songs; the Orchestra understands profit, but they write about the reasons a person chose one profit over another when both were available.

When a song is written, it happens offscreen, and the party hears about it from someone else — a hireling who mentions they've heard a tune in a tavern that sounds familiar, a rival company that knows the title, a noble who quotes a line. The Orchestra does not present songs directly to its subjects. The song enters the world and spreads on its own terms.

For full details on Orchestra structure, agents, investigation protocols, and the politics of who receives documentation and who doesn't, see Book II, Chapters 7 and 8.

The Vithurian Endowment

When the Orchestra commissions a work, it does not merely document. It pays.

Each named member of the immortalised company receives an endowment of 10,000 gp, delivered by an Orchestra agent within two months of the premiere. The payment arrives in mixed currencies — whatever is most negotiable in the region where the company is currently operating — accompanied by the silver lyre medal that marks a subject of a Vithurian commission.

The sum is calibrated deliberately. It is enough to begin something — the foundation of a tower, the first year's wages of a keep's garrison, the purchase of land from a minor lord who needs coin more than territory. It is not enough to finish anything significant without further work. The Orchestra is not retiring the company, but acknowledging that what they built their reputation from has value, and that the next phase of their career has a foundation it would not otherwise have.

The medal is covered above under the Lyre Medal entry.

Companies whose membership changed significantly between the deeds that attracted the commission and the premiere receive endowments proportionate to their contribution, at the GM's determination. A character who died during the campaign and was genuinely part of what made the story worth telling should have their endowment held for their heirs, if any, or donated to a cause consistent with their alignment in the Orchestra's estimation. The Orchestra makes this determination without consulting the surviving members, which is either a graceful handling of a difficult situation or an overreach, depending on who is asked.

Duskhold Weapon Masters

A character wearing the Pendant of Two Hammers is recognised as a Duskhold Weapon Master by warriors throughout the Known World. The pendant is consecrated to its owner; the recognition is immediate in any professional military or Boroite context.

Reaction rolls: +2 when interacting with warriors, soldiers, mercenaries, and Boroite communities.

Henchman and hireling morale: +1 for henchmen and hirelings who are themselves warriors or soldiers and who know their employer holds the title.

Social NWP checks: The GM may apply a situational bonus on Leadership, Intimidation, or equivalent checks where the title's reputation carries weight.

The pendant: A non-owner who wears the pendant suffers a pain effect for as long as it is worn — −4 to all attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks. No damage. No lasting injury. The effect ends the moment the pendant is removed. The pendant's full entry appears in Book III.