THE SILT

VERSES
a game of folk horror
& monstrous divinity

gabriel robinson · jason cordova

T H E S I LT V E R S E S
RPG
Written by
Gabriel Robinson and Jason Cordova
Cover and interior art by
Ezra Rose
Graphic design and layout by
Ben Mansky
Edited and published by
Jason Cordova
Additional contributions by
Jacqueline Bryk, Megan Caldwell, Mike Martens,
B. Narr, James Smith, Michael Van Vleet, and
Jon Ware

Eternal gratitude and sacrifices are offered to Jon Ware and Muna Hussen
for creating The Silt Verses, for trusting us to develop their setting into a
roleplaying game, and graciously answering all of our obscure lore questions.
Whispered psalms are dedicated to Mike Martens,
Amanda Mullins, Brian Sago, James Smith,
Michael Van Vleet, Sarah Whealon and all of our playtesters for conspiring in
the shadows and uncovering new prayer-marks.
Roadside shrines are decorated for the entire Gauntlet community and the
TTRPG and audio drama communities for your enthusiasm and support.
The Silt Verses RPG is based on the audio drama by Jon Ware and Muna
Hussen, and is adapted with their permission.
The game’s mechanics are based in part on Apocalypse World by Vincent and
Meguey Baker, The Between and Public Access by Jason Cordova, and Ghosts of
El Paso by Daniel Qualls and Jason Cordova.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 4

Gameplay Basics 13

Play Structure 27

The Keeper: Basics 35

The Keeper: Advanced 52

The Campaign 67

Session One 73

Appendix 82
INT RODUCTION
 5 introduction

O V E RV I E W
The Silt Verses RPG is a tabletop roleplaying game of folk
horror and monstrous divinity, where strange gods haunt the
landscape and civilization is fueled by ritual sacrifice. In this
game, a group of conscripted agents called Custodians are
sent into isolated territories to deal with these monstrous gods,
terrifying angels, and other divine manifestations in order to
appease them, neutralize them, or otherwise engage with the
locals to find a solution to the threats they present.

The Custodians are sent on dangerous missions with little

resources and the threat of dire repercussions should they break
their contract. But something more sinister looms over their
operations—a secret organization conspires to manipulate them
for its own agenda. The Custodians must ultimately decide how
to confront this organization, all the while struggling with
their complicated relationship to faith and the strange gods of
their past who won’t let go of them so easily.

The Silt Verses RPG is based on the audio drama series by Jon
Ware and Muna Hussen, and further expands on the world
presented in the show. It also takes inspiration from folk horror,
weird fiction, and dystopian or post-apocalyptic media (see Media
Touchstones on page 84). You do not need to be familiar with the
audio drama to enjoy the game, and no prior knowledge of the
setting is necessary, but if you’re curious, the Silt Verses audio
drama reference (page 85) lists chapters and moments from the
show that we especially recommend. The Silt Verses RPG does
not seek to recreate the plot of the show, but rather encourages
players to explore the setting and make it their own.

The Silt Verses RPG is Powered by the Apocalypse, meaning

its mechanics are inspired, in part, by Vincent and Meguey
Baker’s Apocalypse World. It is also Carved from Brindlewood,
meaning the mystery mechanics and procedures are inspired by
Brindlewood Bay.
the silt verses 6

THE SETTING
T he story of The Silt Verses takes place in a world much like ours, but
with some extremely noticeable exceptions. Gods inhabit the world as
embodiments of a particular element or concept. Some are ancient, while others
are modern creations. Some haunt a particular landmark or natural object, while
others are widespread. There are said to be tens of thousands of known deities
worshiped throughout the Territories of the Ignathian Peninsula. Rural communities
tend to worship smaller gods in ways considered horrific or bizarre by more
“civilized” society. Residents of Glottage and other cities often worship in ways that
are safe, commercially-licensed, or tokenistic. These many deities may be broadly
categorized as falling under licensed faiths, forbidden faiths, and stray gods.

As poverty or desperation take The Custodians will explore a landscape

hold, folk may find themselves littered with abandoned buildings and
worshiping more specific and abandoned gods. The world has been
terrible things, falling into shaped and polluted by strange divinity
patterns of ritual and behavior at every level, leaving it broken-down,
impossible to escape from. blasted, and wild. This is largely a gloomy
Sacrifice is understood as a place of moors, rivers, valleys, farmland,
necessary thing, for all gods must forest, and marshland, of rain and mist.
be fed, and everyone must make Other landscapes—desert or snowy peaks
concessions for the greater good or grand vistas—are outside the scope of
of society. Transformation is also the story we’re trying to tell here. The sea
a key part of many faiths. Human is the purest, deepest thing we see, and it’s
forms can be painfully shaped dark and polluted and monstrous.
into bewildering and terrible
expressions of a god’s will— Modern technology exists in this world,
inevitably becoming something but it is usually in disrepair, inaccessible or
that is both more and less than highly localized, and inextricably linked
human and often monstrous, to a god in some form. Any scientific
dangerous, or impossible to reason discoveries and technological advances are
with—in the process. These similar to ours, except they often involved
“saints” and “angels” also haunt the rise of an inconvenient or outright
the landscape, and one faith’s destructive god, which in turn required
miracle is another’s nightmare. continued worship—and sacrifices.
 7 introduction

Above all, the levels of technology While these concepts are key to
in this world are socially and establishing the setting of the
geographically unequal. While game, there is plenty of room for
middle class neighborhoods in larger interpretation at your table. For
cities like Nesh may have dial-up example, characters in The Silt
internet, other towns have been nearly Verses audio drama use pay phones,
wiped out by unsustainable sacrifice. or get news from the radio. Do the
You will find abandoned vehicles Custodians have access to mobile
and homes, empty office buildings phones in your game? If so, what
and crumbling infrastructure almost off-shoot of the Saint Electric is
everywhere in some form. This associated with them? How might
dissonance and inequality is felt other faiths view this technology?
at every level, between a central What ritual contracts, sacrifices, or
government and rural territories, unintended complications might be
between widespread commercial a result of mobile phones existing in
faiths and stray, forgotten gods. this world full of strange gods?

FKMH
 9 introduction

TH E C U ST O D IA N S
dians,”
Verses RPG are tasked as “Custo
The player characters in The Silt investigate and resolve disturbances of
ies to
sent out into the rural territor stigation
s. As age nts of The Bureau for the Inve
stray and feral god ed to resolve
ay Deities, they are expect
and Assimilation of Str age ncie s to han dle —or
dangerous for other
localized problems that are too eve n ack now led ge dire ctly.
government to
too politically damaging for the dan ce pro vided
with little to no resources or gui
This is largely thankless work, gro up has the ir
ctions. Each member of the
beyond an initial report and dire rare ly by cho ice.
todians, though it is
own reasons for joining the Cus
into their
oners who have been drafted
Most Custodians are former pris “re form ed” wo rsh ipers of illegal
themselves as
ser vice as a means to redeem nt, and these
pant at all levels of governme
gods; however, corruption is ram vice by oth er officials
e been pressed into ser
Custodians may just as easily hav Some Custodians may actually be
e god.
who secretly worship the sam nationalists
wh o hav e lost loved ones to an illegal deity, or
volunteers—those of leg al gods.
united under a single pantheon
who want to see the Peninsula beh alf of one of the
porate stooges, sent on
Other “volunteers” may be cor pas s on gov ern me nt
interests and quietly
licensed faiths to protect their er so ma ny ove rt disc iple s and ex-
ging togeth
information. The action of brin a coup.
iou s fait hs is, for the Legislatures, a propagand
disciples of var
cial posters and
led as heroes —featured in offi
Publicly, the Custodians are hai e-fa ith wo rsh ipers, now
up of reformed fals
advertisements as a motley gro mo n gro und wit h dangerous
es, finding com
proudly ser ving their communiti pow of er
, and appeasing them with the
stray gods and their followers Cus tod ians are all
is far less glamorous. The
heartfelt dialogue. The reality or con seq uen ces far worse
t, and mig ht fac e debt, punishment,
und er con trac has also been
ir assignments. Each Custodian
should they fail to complete the t with gods—
ause of their complicated pas
chosen for this work, in par t, bec ir fait h is viewed as
alent stance towards the
the fact that they have an ambiv div init y thr oug hout the
fringe elements of
an asset when dealing with the
Territories.
y useful
, the Custodians are par ticularl
As far as the Bureau is concerned tool and as an indirect means to
anda
for this work, both as a propag ble. While
inco nve nie nt pro ble ms —b ut they are ultimately disposa
handle acr oss the ent iret y of the
sess jurisdiction
the Custodians supposedly pos wit h no tan gib le way to leverage
their own,
Peninsula, they are entirely on view the m as a
orcement is far more likely to
their status —and local law enf elim ina ted .
ly chased out or quietly
dangerous rival to be aggressive
the silt verses 10

THE CONSPIRACY
T he Bureau which sends the
Custodians on their assignments
is poorly funded, wildly disorganized,
In this tangled web of competing
powers, it’s hardly surprising
that a powerful and influential
and rife with corruption. The organization has found a way to
Peninsula, where they conduct their manipulate the Custodians for its
investigations, is a decentralized own agenda. During the course
collection of squabbling and of the game’s campaign, the
religiously-divided territories which Custodians will uncover clues about
pretends to be a unified nation-state. the nature of this organization, and
Local law enforcement agencies ultimately confront them. There
are rarely in formal communication are a number of such groups in this
with each other—in fact, they setting—government organizations,
are in frequent competition over corporations, research institutes,
crime scenes and resources which wealthy families—and options
fall outside any jurisdiction. Then to present each during the course
there are the Adjudicators—or their of a campaign. Importantly,
paymasters in the larger commercial this organization is not a central
faiths—who trust neither local law villain or mastermind. It is a threat
enforcement nor the officers of the because of its tremendous wealth,
Greater Glottage Police Force to political influence, military power,
handle a crime with the appropriate connection to a powerful god, or
discretion or the desired outcome. some combination of these things.

A H A U N T E D PA S T
I f you’ve listened to The Silt Verses audio drama, you might have noticed
that we don’t learn about the main characters all at once in a lengthy
introduction. Instead, they reveal themselves in layers, through intimate
conversations and flashbacks. Similarly, the Custodians come from many
walks of life, and their past is kept intentionally mysterious in the game at first.
They enter the story caught between the faith they once had and the contract
they are indebted to fulfill. We aim to explore their past, but only at the right
time—dramatically-speaking—and only when the game’s rules tell us to.
 11 introduction

As a player, you should try to avoid It’s sometimes impossible to avoid

speaking about your character’s past talking about the Custodians' pasts,
in detail—in character or out of regardless of the game’s intentions.
character—unless a specific mechanic In those cases, don’t fight it—say
in the game demands it (such as the what you need to say—but try
Journey Move or the Verse of History, to give the minimum amount of
both of which will be discussed later information needed to satisfy the
in this text). If a Side Character asks circumstance.
a Custodian about their past, they
should deflect or change the subject; if You should always strongly resist
a player asks another player about their talking about elements of the
Custodian’s past, they must remind them Custodian’s past suggested by a part
that they’re not allowed to say, but they of their faith sheet—it will be much
are open to using the Journey Move in more exciting and impactful to
order to get the character to talk. discover it during play!

a FEW POINTS to REMEMBER

The world of The Silt Verses is full of horrors, and while it has many
similarities to our own, this game has a very intentional focus for the story it
explores. It’s important to note that in the default setting of The Silt Verses
RPG, things like race, gender, sexuality, disability, or neurodivergence are
not a social barrier. As with the characters portrayed in The Silt Verses
audio drama, the source of conflict for the Custodians comes from their
complicated history with strange gods, personal conflicts with each other,
and the power structures they find themselves caught within—but not
necessarily from facing any sort of discrimination based on their identities.
When presenting gods, their manifestations, and their followers, keep in
mind that no matter how awful or perverse a particular faith is, it should
always have a clear logic and a human need underpinning it. There are
no purely “evil” gods or cults, though many faiths commit evil acts. All
participants in this world are human—initially, at least. The Silt Verses RPG
is much more interested in exploring why people are drawn to such groups,
the things they are willing to sacrifice for their faith, and the horrors they
may accept as normal, even divine, as they seek transcendence.
the silt verses 12

CONTENT WARNING
The Silt Verses RPG contains some dark subject matter which may not be
suitable for everyone, including intense themes of religious horror, human
sacrifice, graphic violence, body horror, cults, implied harm to children
and animals, family trauma and mental illness, government oppression and
police violence, war, and natural disasters. The section on safety tools will
address these issues in more detail.
All that said, you may decide that this game isn’t for you, and that’s fine!
There are other excellent mystery-horror games out there for you to read
and play which are lighter in tone, such as Brindlewood Bay, Monster of the
Week, and Public Access.
GAMEPL AY
BASICS
the silt verses 14

The CONVERSATION
& the MOVES
Gameplay in The Silt Verses RPG is mostly a conversation. One participant, the
Keeper, says how the world behaves; they frame scenes and present challenges to the
other participants, the players, who are responsible for saying how their character, a
Custodian, reacts. This is all largely done via a back-and-forth conversation between
the Keeper and the players; the narrative authority—who gets to say what—changes
from time to time, but it's always within the confines of the conversation.
The conversation ends when a player describes their Custodian doing something that
triggers a move. At that point, you read the text of the triggered move, do what it says
(usually rolling dice and interpreting the results), and then narrate that part of the
story, as needed. Once the move is resolved, you return to the conversation.
It won't always be as clean as that when you sit down to play—the Keeper may prefer
to shift the spotlight to another character in the middle of resolving a move, returning
later when it's dramatically interesting—but that is generally how the game should go.

ABILITIES
Abilities are the Custodian attributes that are applied to most die rolls in the game.
They each have a modifier from -3 to +3. The abilities are: Vitality, Focus, Insight,
Presence, and Communion.

1 Use VITALITY if the Custodian’s action involves strength, dexterity,

endurance, athleticism, or raw physicality.
1 Use FOCUS if the Custodian’s action requires a steady hand, a calm
disposition, or intense concentration; or if they are trying to avoid a fear-
based reaction.
1 Use INSIGHT if the Custodian is studying books, researching a problem,
examining a crime scene, or otherwise engaging their mental faculty.
1 Use PRESENCE if the Custodian is trying to charm someone, intimidate
someone, or capture someone’s imagination.
1 Use COMMUNION if the Custodian’s action involves divine forces;
the Keeper may decide that any action that is seemingly governed by a
different ability is actually governed by Communion because of the divine
nature of what is being undertaken, or because of the involvement with
gods in that specific scenario.
 15 gameplay basics

ROL LING DICE

In most cases, when you roll dice because a move has instructed you to do so,
you roll two six-sided dice, sum them, and then add the modifier from the
relevant ability. You then check the result against the text of the move. If a
move refers to a “hit,” it means a result of 7+. If a move refers to a “miss,”
it means a result of 6-. Moves also frequently have success tiers: a miss, 7-9,
10-11, and 12+.

ADVANTAGE
& DISADVANTAGE
When you have an advantage, you roll three dice, keep the two highest, sum
them, and then add the modifier of the relevant ability. You will most often
have an advantage because of the following:

1 A move gives you an advantage.

1 The Custodian is using an unmarked item from their Altar in their
action (see Anatomy of a Character Sheet, Altar page 25).

When you're at a disadvantage, you roll three dice, keep the two lowest, sum
them, and then add the modifier of the relevant ability. You will most often
be at a disadvantage because of the following:

1 A Condition negatively impacts your Custodian’s action (see Anatomy

of a Character Sheet, Conditions page 24).
1 The Keeper believes it's appropriate under the current circumstances.

If circumstances would cause you to both have an advantage and be at a

disadvantage during an action, they cancel each other out and you roll as
normal. Note, however, that advantage and disadvantage do not “stack,” nor
can one outweigh the other.
For example, if you have two Conditions, each of which would plausibly put
you at a disadvantage, and one faith sheet move that gives you an advantage,
you would simply roll as normal, without advantage or disadvantage.
the silt verses 16

WRITING A VERSE
The Keeper will be very hard on Custodians when describing adversity because
players have a powerful tool that allows them to resist: Writing a Verse (see
Anatomy of a Character Sheet, Writing a Verse page 25).
After a die roll, and after an outcome has been narrated, the player can choose
to change the course of history and instead Write a Verse about how things
actually happened.
Mechanically, they then raise their die result by one success tier (so, a miss
becomes a 7-9, a 7-9 becomes a 10-11, and a 10-11 becomes a 12+). We now narrate
a different result, and what was previously narrated does not occur.
An example:
Amanda’s character, Sedna, is attempting to escape the grasp of an immortal
saint, triggering an appropriate move. Amanda, understanding that Sedna’s
D

death is a distinct possibility, rolls her dice and gets a miss. The Keeper
describes how the saint catches Sedna in its claws and transforms her,
turning her into a monstrous saint as well. Amanda decides she doesn’t like
this outcome and writes the Verse of History, making her die roll a 7-9. This
time, per the move’s text, Sedna escapes but the saint leaves a mark in her skin,
which may become a problem later.
You may be asking yourself: “Why does the Keeper fully narrate a result they
know the player is just going to discard by Writing a Verse?” Answer: because it's
fun! Writing a Verse lets us glimpse different scenarios, play them out, feel them,
experience the anguish and terror, and then… do something different. It's sort of
like one of those old Choose Your Own Adventure books: part of the fun is making
the wrong choice so you can see the disaster that befalls your character (and
declaring that you're Writing a Verse is like putting your thumb on the page of those
old books, so you can go back and choose something else if things turn out poorly).
 the silt verses 18

MOVES
There are three types of moves in The Silt Verses RPG: basic moves, faith moves (a
“faith sheet” is what we call the custom part of your character sheet in this game),
and custom moves. This chapter focuses on the basic moves: the Veiled Move, the
Revelation Move, the Information Move, the Journey Move, and Answer a Question.
The Keeper chapters contain a more in-depth treatment of the moves.
There are references in this section to the phases of the game, such as the Journey
phase and the Investigation phase. Please see Play Structure on page 27 for more
details on phases.

Basic Moves

y
y

The Veiled Move The Revelation Move

When you do something risky or When you do something risky or face
face something you fear,
fear name what something you fear,
fear name what you're afraid
you're afraid will happen if you fail will happen if you fail or lose your nerve.
or lose your nerve, then roll with an The Keeper will tell you how it's worse than
appropriate ability. you fear. You can choose to back down or go
On a 10+, you do what you through with it. If you go through with it,
intended or you hold steady; roll with an appropriate ability.
describe what it looks like.
On a 10+, you do what you intended or you
On a 7-9, the Keeper will tell hold steady; describe what it looks like.
you how your actions would
leave you vulnerable, and you On a 7-9, you do it or hold steady, but
there is a complication or cost; the Keeper
can choose to back down or
describes what it looks like.
go through with it. If you go
through with it, the Keeper On a 12+, you do what you intended or you
describes what it looks like. hold steady, and the Keeper will tell you
On a 12+, you do what you some extra benefit or advantage you receive.
intended or you hold steady, Describe what it looks like.
and the Keeper will tell you The Revelation Move is a general purpose move
some extra benefit or advantage used when Custodians take risky actions or encounter
you receive. Describe what it something frightening or unnerving when a god is
looks like. involved and another move isn't more suitable. In
The Veiled Move is a general purpose move The Silt Verses RPG, you never know when a
used when Custodians take risky actions or god is nearby or may reveal itself, so the Revelation
face something they fear and another move Move is written to have more perilous outcomes for
isn't more suitable. The Keeper has final say the Custodians than the Veiled Move. The Keeper
on which ability is used for the roll. has final say on which ability is used for the roll.
 19 gameplay basics

The Journey Move

While traveling to another Assignment, when you and at least
one other Custodian share a scene where you discuss your
personal history or relationship to divinity, you each clear a
Condition. Then, stumble on a Clue; Custodians in the scene
should tell the Keeper what the Clue is and how they came across
it. The Clue cannot conclusively answer a Question by itself.
Alternatively, while alone, you may engage in your Personal
Ritual to clear an appropriate Condition.
Custodians can only participate in the Journey Move once per
Journey Phase.
This move serves the practical purposes of clearing a Condition and/
or revealing a Clue, but is principally designed to show the relationship
between two Custodians. It is also one of two major opportunities to explore
a Custodian’s past (the other being Personal Altar, see page 25). While
Custodians are formally discouraged from traveling alone per Bureau
regulations, a player may choose to disregard this by having their Custodian
pursue more dangerous approaches to investigation.

The Information Move

When you search for a clue, conduct research, or otherwise
gather information,
information describe how you’re doing so and roll with
an appropriate ability.
On a hit, you find a Clue. The Keeper will tell you what it is.
On a 7–9, there’s a complication—either with the Clue itself, or
a complication you encounter while searching. The Keeper will
tell you what the complication is.
On a 12+, you also find a Conspiracy Clue or otherwise learn
something fundamental about the Conspiracy (Keeper’s choice).
The Information Move is the main way a Custodian turns up Clues
necessary to resolve the dangerous Assignments. In rarer instances, it can
turn up clues related to the Conspiracy. It is written to cover all types
of information-gathering actions, and the ability used for the roll should
match whatever action is taken. For example, if a Custodian is gathering
information by sweet-talking a local law enforcement official, her player
would roll with Presence. If they are gathering information by silently
listening to a conversation they aren’t supposed to hear, her player would roll
with Composure. If they are digging through books at the local library, they’ d
roll with Reason. And so forth. The Keeper has final say on which ability is
used for the roll.
the silt verses 20

Answer a Question
This move is only available in the Investigation Phase; the Custodians must have gathered a
number of Clues equal to at least half the Question's Complexity.
When the Custodians have an open, freewheeling discussion about the answer to
a Question and reach a consensus, roll plus the number of Clues incorporated into
the answer or otherwise explained away, minus the question's Complexity.
On a 10+, the answer is correct and an Opportunity can be pursued.
On a 7-9, as above, but the Keeper will add an unwelcome complication to
the answer and/or pursuing the Opportunity will be more dangerous.
On a 6-, the answer is incorrect and the Keeper reacts.
On a 12+, the answer is correct as on a 10+ but the events are also connected
to the Conspiracy. Someone from the Conspiracy will reveal themselves to
the Custodians while they are pursuing the Opportunity.
The Keeper will introduce Assignments to the story—localized problems with stray gods that
endanger the community—and it’s the job of the Custodians to neutralize or appease those entities
to complete their Assignments. The way they do so is by first gathering Clues, then using those
Clues to answer a Question about the Assignment, which then unlocks Opportunities to resolve the
Assignment. As an example, here are the Questions and Opportunities for the Assignment called
The Hungering Roots:

Questions & Opportuni

How is the harvest god
ties
most vulnerable? (Compl
Resolve the Assignment by exity: 4)
destroying or neutralizing this
grow back. dangerous entity so it cannot

What resources does thi

s harvest god offer, if
Resolve the Assignment by appeased? (Complexity:
working with the growers to 6)
establish a more sustainable adapt their methods and
operation that does not thre
aten the community.
Where can this harves
t god be safely transp
Resolve the Assignment by lanted? (Complexity: 8)
breaking the god from its con
and showing the local residen fines, allowing it to grow free
ts how to coexist with it. ly,

Importantly, there are no canonical answers to these Questions; players are

expected to use their Clues to formulate an answer of their own—to theorize, if
you will—and then roll dice to see if they are correct.
One last note about Answer a Question: the roll can never be taken with advantage
or disadvantage. The success tier can be increased by invoking the Verse of
Prophecy, but only if every Custodian does so.
 21 gameplay basics

FAITH MOVES & CUSTOM MOVES

The proper way to think about the differences between the basic moves, faith moves,
and custom moves is that each represents a different level of fictional specificity. Put
more simply, the basic moves cover roughly 75% of all actions the Custodians might
take in the story; the faith moves are for narrower circumstances involving talents
that are unique to a particular Custodian, and account for about 20% of their actions;
and custom moves are for niche cases, usually for highlighting something specific to
a mystery, or a dramatic, one-time action, and account for less than 5% of all actions.
Faith moves can be found on their respective faith sheets.
Custom moves are found on the Assignment sheets (for Assignments that have them),
and can also be created as part of an advancement.
 23 gameplay basics

A natomy of a

CHARACTER SHEET
This section briefly details each part of the character sheet
and is addressed to players.
Name
You should circle any given name and surname you wish, or come up with your own.

Style
A Custodian’s personal style should reflect their basic outlook on life. Custodians
don’t always have to be dressed in a manner that matches their style. The options
included are meant to represent a modern world in decay, where tokens of faith or
representations of membership to a particular faith are common.

Personal Ritual
The Custodian’s Personal Ritual represents an activity or pastime which connects
them to their life before they became a Custodian. It is something they return to
as a way to center themselves in between encounters with monstrous divinities. No
two Custodians can have the same Personal Ritual.

End of Session
These questions represent roleplaying goals for the session. You can have four
questions marked, and the two questions on the list are always marked. For each
marked question you answer “yes” to at the end of the session, mark an XP. At the
beginning of a new session, you can unmark your two elective options and mark
two different ones, or leave either or both the same.

XP Track
When you mark all six boxes on the XP track, erase them whenever you wish and
mark an advancement (see Advancements, below). There are two ways to mark
the XP track: 1) by answering “yes” to an End of Session question and 2) when the
text of a move instructs you to.

Advancements
When you mark an advancement, immediately apply its effects to your character
sheet. When all advancements have been marked, your Custodian can no longer
collect XP or advance, but they are in play until forced to retire by the Verse of
Prophecy or until you decide to retire them (see Writing a Verse, page 25).
the silt verses 24

Abilities
These are the character attributes that are applied to most die rolls.
Use Vitality if your Custodian’s action involves strength, dexterity, endurance,
athleticism, or raw physicality.
Use Focus if your Custodian’s action requires a steady hand, a calm disposition, or
intense concentration; or if they are trying to avoid a fear-based reaction.
Use Insight if your Custodian is studying books, researching a problem, examining a
crime scene, or otherwise engaging their mental faculty.
Use Presence if your Custodian is trying to charm someone, intimidate someone, or
capture someone’s imagination.
Use Communion if your Custodian’s action involves divine forces; the Keeper may
decide that any action that is seemingly governed by a different ability is actually
governed by Communion because of the divine nature of what is being undertaken, or
because of the involvement with gods in that specific scenario.

Conditions
Conditions are traits that cause you to make die rolls at a disadvantage if they
would plausibly hinder your Custodian during an action. You can have up to three
Conditions. If you would ever take a fourth Condition, you instead mark one of
your Verses (see Writing a Verse). Conditions are removed as the result of moves or
when the Keeper instructs you to do so.

Custom Moves
Unlike the basic moves on the Reference Sheet, a custom move can only be used if
you have it written on your character sheet. The custom move is one of the ways
you personalize your Custodian.
 25 gameplay basics

Writing a Verse
The next section is divided into two parts, between your character sheet
and faith sheet: The Verse of History and The Verse of Prophecy. You will
occasionally “Write a Verse,” in which case you mark a box from one of these
two sections (or, more rarely, a special option on an active Assignment). You
must then do as the marked text instructs before the current session ends.
The Verse of History represents the idea of your Custodian as a person of faith,
and explores how they came to have questions about their own faith and how
that ultimately led them to join the Custodians. The text involves flashbacks
to their early life, encounters with gods, their personal relationship to faith,
and key moments which influenced their trajectory in life. The entries can be
marked in any order.
The Verse of Prophecy comes from the god you are associated with. It
explores a new relationship to faith for your Custodian, should they embrace
this path. Whether returning to a god from your past or embracing a new
one, this Verse shows you growing strong in your faith again, but at a cost.
The text is always marked in order, and the last box heralds your Custodian’s
retirement from the game.

Altar
This section of the character sheet is where you note interesting and distinctive
items that can be found among your Custodian’s belongings while they are
constantly on the road. Your Altar may be something portable, or a special
location you return to when needed. Don’t worry too much about the logistics of
how you access your Altar, though—it’s more of an abstraction that lets us get a
glimpse of your character’s history and personality. This section also functions
as an equipment list, since anything from the Altar that might reasonably be on
a Custodian’s person in a scene, is. Items from your Altar can be marked to get
an advantage on a die roll associated with their use. Generally-speaking, they
cannot be unmarked, but marked items remain in your Altar for use in future
scenes, in which case they add to the fictional positioning of your Custodian’s
actions but do not convey a bonus to a die roll.
At the beginning of Session One, you and the other players will have an
opportunity to add items to your Altar. Think of this as a sentimental or
personally significant collection of some kind. It can be something portable
like a satchel, or a place you return to, like an abandoned temple—choose an
option from your faith sheet or write your own. After that, items can be added
as the result of moves or when the Keeper instructs you to do so.
 PL AY
STRUCTURE
the silt verses 28

The Silt Verses RPG aims to create a cinematic story. The game
structure supports this by distinguishing certain phases of play, and
outlines when and how certain parts of the game should happen. These
phases aren’t tied to any time frame , however, and the story will move
fluidly between them. When playing The Silt Verses RPG, remember
that the primary mode of play is the conversation between the players
and the K eeper. The K eeper frames up scenes (or players request them)
and the players describe what their Custodians do in response , with moves
being triggered and resolved in the process.

BEGINNING of SESSION
At the start of Session Two, and every play session after that, do the following:
I. The Keeper does a recap of all active Assignments.
II. The players mark new elective End of Session questions (or
leave either or both the same).
III. Resolve any moves that are resolved at the Beginning of Session.
IV. The Keeper introduces a new Assignment (if there are less than
three active Assignments).

INVESTIGATION PHASE
The Investigation phase accounts for the majority of gameplay. When an
Assignment is presented to the Custodians, they learn what Questions must be
answered, and then begin gathering Clues in order to answer those Questions.
Gathering Clues can involve any kind of information gathering: talking to people,
forensic inquiry, prayer, archival research, and so on. There may also be Dangers
and other obstacles to overcome during this process. Once enough Clues are
gathered, the Custodians can attempt to answer a Question. Answering a Question
correctly unlocks an Opportunity. Once an appropriate Opportunity is unlocked,
the players will be able to resolve the Assignment.
The Investigation phase should feel open-ended and, unless they have to deal with
something immediately dangerous, unhurried. The Custodians can continue their
investigations, trigger moves that are interesting to them, take actions that help
them answer “yes” to an End of Session question, resolve a Verse prompt, or simply
show how they act when exploring unfamiliar locations and interacting with locals.
 29 play structure

Pursuing Opportunities
Pursuing an Opportunity usually means finding a way to satiate or neutralize
whatever god is the focus of the Assignment, but it can be other things as well, such
as discovering new moves and resources that can be used for future Assignments.
Depending on the result of the Answer a Question move during the Investigation
phase, the Keeper will frame up a scene, or series of scenes, that will allow the
Custodians to exploit the Opportunity. If the Answer a Question roll went well
(10+), the Custodians will have the upper hand. If the roll was merely a hit (7-9),
the Custodians will be on the back foot.
the silt verses 30

J OURNEY PHASE
The Journey phase depicts the Custodians’ travel to a new Assignment, or travel
between multiple active Assignments. It’s a chance to show what the world is like,
and to show how the Custodians interact with each other. The Journey phase is
triggered when at least one Custodian travels from one Assignment to a different
Assignment. There are several goals in the Journey phase:
To memorialize the geographical transition between Assignments.
To paint a picture of the world via Journey Scenes.
To show the Custodians being vulnerable with one another and learning
more about their past (mechanically, this leads to the clearing of Conditions
and the uncovering of Clues that can be used in the upcoming Assignment).
This is accomplished through Journey Scenes, which are unique, standalone scenes
that take place outside the locales of Assignments. Each Journey Scene has two
types of prompts: Paint the Scene (to describe the world) and Recall a Time (to
narrate a personal flashback). Some Journey Scenes are only introduced once,
while others involve recurring visits to the same location. Some special Journey
Scenes may be tied directly to Assignments, or be introduced when triggered by
other parts of the game.
Before you continue reading this section, take a look at the
Journey Scenes sheet and read through several of
the options there. Once you’ve done that,
continue here.
 31 play structure

How Does It Work?

During the Journey phase, the Keeper will Once all prompts are answered and any
introduce the Journey Scene and share both Journey Moves resolved, the Journey
Paint the Scene and Recall a Time prompts phase ends and the Keeper transitions
to the players. This may be an ideal time to the group into the Investigation phase.
take a short break, so that the players can Each Journey phase should take
think about their prompts. approximately ten minutes of gameplay
After the players have narrated any Paint to complete. If the Custodians are
the Scene prompts, they may make the pursuing multiple Assignments, play
Journey Move with another Custodian, or, if moves fluidly between the Journey and
traveling alone, they may describe how their Investigation phases.
Custodian engages in their own Personal Note that it is possible for some
Ritual. If discussing their past during the Custodians to be in the Investigation
Journey Move, players may use the Recall phase at the same time others are in the
a Time prompt for inspiration, but they are Journey phase. This will happen when
free to discuss anything they wish. one or more Custodians stays behind
Journey Scenes are also an opportunity to to work on an Assignment while others
see another side of the Custodians as they are moving to a different Assignment.
take a break from the more immediate In this case, only the Custodians who
dangers of the Investigation phase. We are actually traveling to a different
might see them staring out the window Assignment can participate in the
as the group drives along, engaging in Journey Move, though all players,
their Personal Ritual, or having a private regardless of their Custodians’ location,
conversation while the others are resting answer any Paint the Scene questions
or stopping to gather supplies. that are part of the Journey Scene.
 the silt verses 32

Cinematic Gameplay
The landscape of this Journey Scenes are a chance for players to paint a picture of
place is only ruin. the world as seen through the eyes of their characters. Think
Follow the road down
about how The Silt Verses audio drama introduces us to the
through the foothills, world—instead of a sweeping introduction or a massive “lore
a latticework of silent dump” at the beginning, we experience the setting one scene
fields sodden with at a time, from the point of view of just a few characters. In
snow. Watch the the same way, The Silt Verses RPG is more concerned with
wind-farms creak, describing these dramatic and memorable moments than
their blades bearing attempting to simulate every aspect of the world.
rattling teeth. This idea of cinematic gameplay extends to who has narrative
authority in the game. In a traditional roleplaying game,
See the boundary-posts
most of the narrative authority, particularly authority over
stamped with the
prayer-marks.
the setting, is held by the game master (the Keeper in our
parlance); the role of the players is to simply inhabit their
Pass through the characters and say how they respond to things. The Silt Verses
villages shining with RPG rejects this by giving players the authority to describe
neon shrines to faceless the world at key moments. You might compare it to the writer’s
watchers. room on a TV show or movie—the director or showrunner has
There are so many
a lot of say over the general arc of the story, but the writers get
names for the hungry
to shape the details. That’s what playing The Silt Verses RPG
and endless things that
is like: it’s a collaborative experience.
haunt these territories The Journey Scene is the most direct and pronounced
- and so many more expression of this gameplay style, as it requires the players
that have already been to step out of character and narrate a scene that develops the
forgotten. broader world, not just the corner their character occupies.

END OF SESSION
This is a short upkeep phase that takes place at the end of each
session. Perform the following steps in order:
I. Collect Rewards if an Assignment was resolved.
II. Answer End of Session questions.
III. Resolve any Moves that are resolved at the end of
session, or answer any Verse prompts that remain
unresolved.
B.
I .A . S. D
 The Silt Verses

The next three chapters are presented as if the

game designers are speaking directly to the Keeper,
and so the tone and presentation is a bit less
formal than in other chapters.

YOUR ROLE
You’ll present the basics of an Assignment to the Custodians, who will
then begin an investigation, gathering Clues to help them answer relevant
Questions about the god or entity that is the focus of the Assignment,
and ultimately putting a stop to what it is doing. If you have played other
tabletop roleplaying games where the characters solve supernatural
mysteries, much of The Silt Verses RPG will feel familiar.
However, there are three significant differences with most of those games
you need to be aware of:

I. The Clues are not located in specific places, and, in fact, can be
found wherever the Custodians are looking.
II. You don't know the explanation to any of the mysteries surrounding
the story until the players do the Answer a Question move.
III. The various cases aren't the real threat—there's another,
more insidious danger, a Conspiracy by a government agency or
corporation. This organization has a hidden agenda that only
becomes clear over the course of multiple sessions of play.

In addition to presenting these stories and managing the Conspiracy, you are
generally responsible for portraying the world around the Custodians. This
means you give voice to all the various characters they interact with, you
describe elements of a scene when needed, you challenge them with dangers
and obstacles, and you show how the world reacts to the actions they take.
You have a lot of responsibility as the Keeper, but you don't have to be a
creative genius or improvisational wizard to run The Silt Verses RPG. The
Assignment sheets and the Conspiracy sheet not only help you keep the game
organized, but also provide you with loads of inspirational details; there are
many instances when it is the players' responsibility to describe the game
world rather than yours; and, if all else fails, you can take a break to think
about what should happen in the story, or even ask the players for their ideas.

36
 The Keeper - Basics

Finally, while everyone is responsible for making sure everyone else is having
a good time and maintaining each others' boundaries of safety and consent, it
is your responsibility before play begins to make sure the players understand
what kinds of subject matter might come up in The Silt Verses RPG.
This game deals with some very dark and unsettling themes—it's a game about
exploring those unknown places and confronting the entities that dwell there—
and you need to make sure players understand what they are getting into. If you
know your normal playgroup isn't likely to handle these subjects with care or
respect, you need to be honest with yourself about that (and possibly not offer
The Silt Verses RPG as an option on your regular game night).
If you're running The Silt Verses RPG at a convention or in some sort of public
space, like a Twitch stream, you need to exercise extra care when presenting
the game to players and/or viewers.

managing
PLAY STRUCTURE
Running the Beginning of Session & End of Session Phases
These are short, simple upkeep phases; just do the steps listed in the Play
Structure chapter and you’ll be fine. The main piece of advice we would give you
involves answering End of Session questions, which is: be generous. Sometimes
it won’t be clear if a player is able to answer “yes” to an End of Session question,
and so you might have to weigh in. Strive to be expansive and open-minded—
look for an opportunity to give the player credit for the End of Session question.
If you still can’t get to a “yes,” then say so, but tell the player what they might
have done differently in a scene in order to get that XP.

Running the Investigation Phase

It’s really important you follow the players’ leads when it comes to the
Investigation phase. This is their time to explore the game and story in
the way that is most interesting to them. They may want to continue their
investigations, or they may want to have lower-stakes scenes that serve to
develop their Custodian’s personality or personal agenda. Always be honest
about what is possible at any given time, but do your best to give them the
scenes they want. For example, the Custodians will naturally interact with each
other during an investigation, but longer and more intimate conversations
between characters would be better left for the Journey phase—after all,
there’s work to do and the investigation could turn dangerous at any time.

37
 The Silt Verses

After you have introduced a new It’s important you keep the spotlight
Assignment (provided there moving; spending too long on one
are fewer than three when the Custodian’s scene can make the other
Beginning of Session phase players get bored or feel resentful. Cut
starts), the best way to get in the middle of an ongoing scene to ask
things rolling is to simply go another Custodian what they’re up to. Get
around the table and ask: “What that second Custodian’s scene going and
would you like to do?” You then cut to another Custodian, or return
may want to frame up a scene to the original Custodian. The important
immediately after they give you thing is to just keep moving around the
an answer, or you might want to table; never spend more than five to ten
hold back and hear out the other minutes on a scene before cutting away to
players first, especially if the first check in with another character.
player requested a scene with One last note about the Investigation
another Custodian. Once a scene phase: the passage of time can be fairly
is framed, meaning you describe abstract here. The Custodians may spend
where it takes place and what’s hours of in-world time investigating one
going on when the Custodians Location, even days on an Assignment as
arrive, ask them: “What do they explore several Locations. They may
you do?” Things should pretty decide to travel between Assignments,
much take off from there: the even splitting into groups to cover more
conversation with the players ground. As long as you clearly delineate
begins, Custodians start taking between when the players are in the
actions, moves are triggered, Investigation phase and when the
and so forth. Journey phase begins, you should be fine.

Running the Journey Phase

The trickiest part of running the Journey phase is simply making sure the
players understand how it works. The word “Journey” is used a lot—Journey
phase, Journey Scene, Journey Move—and you’re going to be presenting
them with a number of different questions and prompts, and it can all get
a bit confusing. The best way to think about it (and you should help your
players understand it this way) is as a series of nested events: the Journey
phase leads to the Journey Scene, which then leads to the Journey Move.
Phase > Scene > Move.
Another thing that can help with the management of this phase is to take
a short break after you present the Journey Scene—players will feel much
more confident with the roleplaying demands of the Journey phase if they
have a few minutes to gather their thoughts.

38
 The Silt Verses

You might find a list of steps helpful for running this phase. The steps are:
I. The Journey Phase is triggered.
II. The Keeper presents a Journey Scene,
including the Recall a Time prompt.
III. Short break.
IV. The players respond to any prompts or
procedures contained in the Journey Scene.
V. Custodians who are in the Journey Phase can
participate in the Journey Move, if they wish.
Finally, you should strongly discourage players from taking investigation
actions in the Journey phase. Keep the Journey phase focused on worldbuilding
and the relationships between the Custodians, and remind players they can
stumble on Clues while doing the Journey Move, and so they don’t have to take
direct, investigatory actions.

know the signs

‘Prayer-marks’ are usually folk symbols carved or written in a place of

significance to invoke a god's intervention, written in the god’s hidden
language. This is ritual magic, rather than dynamic communication,
and while it can be used to attract a god’s attention, it’s no guarantee
that the worshiper will get what they want.

40
 The Keeper - Basics

anatomy of an
ASSIGNMENT
You’ll always have at least one Assignment to track at all times.
Assignments are managed using Assignment sheets that contain all
the important elements you need to run them. We recommend you spend
fifteen minutes or so reading an Assignment before you actually run
it, and if you can spend a little more time, all the better: the
Assignment sheet is a “toy box” of elements for you to run a session,
but it’s also a way of learning the setting—the setting of The Silt
Verses, and the specific setting of the Assignment in question.
What follows is a quick breakdown of each part of an Assignment sheet.
Some Assignments may deviate slightly from this structure or have
elements that are unique to that Assignment; we’re going to ignore that
stuff and just focus on the elements that are common to all Assignments.

Title: The title of the Assignment is never withheld from the players— tell
them what it’s called.
Introduction: This section features italicized text introducing the basics
of the Assignment. When you have to present a new Assignment during
the Investigation phase, you do so by simply reading this text aloud to the
Custodians. This section also frequently has one or more questions you pose to
the Custodians; the purpose of these questions is usually to give the Custodians
a story hook into the Assignment.
Questions & Opportunities: Questions represent mysteries the Custodians
are trying to solve. What does the entity in question want? Where can we find it?
How can we get it to come to us? Custodians solve these mysteries by gathering
Clues and triggering the Answer a Question move.
If the Answer a Question move is successful, the associated Opportunity is unlocked.
Opportunities usually involve resolving the Assignment (often by neutralizing
or somehow appeasing the problematic entity). In fact, the only way to resolve
Assignments is to successfully Answer a Question and then pursue its Opportunity.
If the Custodians encounter the entity that is the focus of the Assignment before
unlocking the Opportunity, they can battle it or even attempt to destroy it, but they
will never be rid of it completely—the subject of the Assignment slips away at the last
moment, comes back to life at a later time, or simply... reemerges.
Additionally, the inherent danger of pursuing an Opportunity is inversely
proportional to the Complexity of its Question. So, a Question with Complexity
4 is fairly easy to answer, but pursuing that Opportunity should be much more
dangerous than the one whose Question has Complexity 8.

41
 The Silt Verses

The Verses: Most Assignments have their own Verse, usually connected
to a prominent theme. A player can choose to mark this box when writing a
Verse instead of marking a box on their playbook so long as they are actively
investigating or pursuing that Assignment. This Verse prompt usually
requires all players to participate, not just the player who marked it.

The Entity: This section contains a description of the god or other entity
that is central to the Assignment. It will usually have information about what
it looks like, how it behaves, and what sorts of manifestations it shows. It
may contain a quote or witness account. Importantly, it contains information
about what will happen if the Custodians fail to complete the Assignment in
time. At the beginning of every session, review this part of the Assignment
sheet; if the Custodians have gone a few Journey/Investigation cycles without
pursuing the Assignment, think about how the subject of the Assignment
might make their lives more difficult.

Moments: These are colorful bits that you can sprinkle in wherever
needed. They reinforce the Assignment’s themes and, frankly, make you look
like a rock star Keeper whenever you drop them into a scene.

Dangers: These are obstacles associated with the Assignment, usually

allies or followers of some sort, but sometimes the god’s terrifying saints
and angels, or third parties interested in stopping the Custodians, such
as a company invested in a certain outcome. Importantly, this is not an
exhaustive list, but a jumping off point; use it to inspire your own creations
and improvisations.

Locations: These are places which might be connected to the Assignment

in some way. Each contains a short description plus a Paint the Scene
question to further develop them. A Paint the Scene question is a question
that is posed to all players; as the players answer it, they build up an image of
the place in everyone’s mind, and explore an idea associated with that place.
Locations can be highly localized, such as the warehouse which traps The
Hungering Roots, or spread over a much wider geographical area, such as the
locations along the river in Young Jolly Junk. Again, the list of Locations is not
exhaustive; use it to inspire your own creations and improvisations.

42
 The Keeper - Basics

Side Characters: These are the characters who might be connected

to the Assignment in some way. Each has three sensory details, a short
description explaining their possible role in the story, and a quote.
Sometimes Side Characters are connected to a certain place or circumstance,
as with the Skelton family in The Dusk Mother, and other times they are
free agents, meaning you can drop them in wherever needed, as with the
various town residents in The Sleepless Warden. Remember, the list of Side
Characters is not exhaustive—you can and should introduce characters not
considered on the Assignment sheet if it makes sense in the story.
Clues: These are uncovered during certain moves. When it’s time to
reveal a Clue, scan the list and pick the one that makes the most sense in
the moment or is the one you find most interesting, and work it into the
fiction. Clues are written to be diverse and flexible—you should be able to
find something that fits. Also, you can change the Clue or add to it as much as
you wish (just be careful your changes and additions don’t cause the Clue to
answer a Question by itself).
Consider the Clue, “A series of prayer marks in an unlikely location.” Here are
some different ways this Clue might be used:

A Custodian discovers a Clue while examining a corpse. What

appeared to be a series of cuts or streaks of blood on the corpse’s
flesh are actually, upon closer investigation, a series of prayer
marks.
A Custodian is chatting with a Side Character and notices a Clue.
While gesturing emphatically with their hands, the Side Character’s
sleeve shifts to reveal a wrist tattoo—an unusual, stylized pattern,
which forms a prayer mark.
A Custodian discovers a Clue while searching an abandoned farm.
Upon closer investigation, they discover that scratches in a fence
post left by livestock are actually a series of prayer marks.
A Custodian is searching the room of a Side Character and uncovers
a Clue: random drawings in the margins of a book, upon closer
inspection, turn out to be a series of prayer marks.
A Custodian is conducting an investigation in a prison cell and
discovers a Clue: chalk markings on the wall that, at first glance,
appear to be counting the days are actually a series of prayer marks.

43
 The Silt Verses

Let’s work through another sample Clue, “Decorative flower pots, small
offerings of animal bones visible among the stalks.” Here are some ways this
Clue might be used:

The Custodian is exploring the apartment of a Side Character while

the Side Character is out and discovers a Clue: a decorative flower
pot on the apartment balcony, which, on closer inspection, contains
small offerings of animal bones among the stalks.
The Custodian is meeting with a Side Character in their office, who
reveals a Clue. The Side Character has a small pot of flowers on their
desk, which, at a second glance, contains small offerings of animal
bones hidden among the stalks.
The Custodian discovers a Clue while investigating a greenhouse.
An entire row of flower pots, on closer inspection, contain small
offerings of animal bones placed carefully among the stalks.
The Custodian stumbles upon a Clue while examining a public
memorial shrine. Among the offerings left there by passers-by is a
bouquet of flowers, which, barely concealed under the cellophane
gift wrap, is a small collection of animal bones.
The Custodian is scoping out the grounds of a church at night and
finds a Clue: decorative planters under the church windows contain
small offerings of animal bones, carefully tied to the flower stalks.

As you can see, there are no real limits on how you can use a Clue. So long as
the Clue doesn’t automatically answer a Question, you can twist it, remix it,
and add to it as much as you want.

Rewards: Each Assignment sheet has a list of Rewards the Custodians can
claim if they resolve the Assignment. Each Custodian picks a single Reward,
marking it off when they do so; no Reward can be taken by two different
Custodians, though some of them are repeats, and some can be used by all
Custodians, such as Side Character Rewards.

44
 The Silt Verses

This section explains the general principles you should bear in mind when
running The Silt Verses RPG. You will occasionally find yourself in a situation that
isn't explicitly covered by the rules or where you need to make up something on
the fly. So long as you are following the Keeper principles, your improvisations
will come across as authentic and fair.

The Keeper principles are:

Play to find out what happens.
Make the world and everyone in it seem real.
Be a fan of the Custodians.
Sometimes, disclaim decision-making.
Explore a dreary, ruined landscape shaped by strange gods.
Show the underlying horror in society’s banal acceptance of the monstrous.
Present horror in a matter-of-fact way.
Evoke wonder, terror, and uncertainty in the presence of gods.

Play to find out what Make the world & everyone

happens: You have an Assignment in it seem real: Describe the world
sheet, a cast of Side Characters, a list in sensory-rich detail. You have some
of Clues, and a Conspiracy sheet, but help here: the Side Characters in an
none of it is set in stone. Be willing Assignment each come with three
to let the session unfurl on its own descriptive details and notes on how to
terms. If a player has a cool idea that play them, and key Locations have Paint
doesn't quite match what's on the the Scene questions to help enrich the
Assignment sheet, go with it. In fact, scene. Use these as a foundation for how
many parts of the game will explicitly you approach everything in the world.
challenge your preconceived ideas— Give characters not listed among the
such as the answers to Paint the Side Characters three descriptive details
Scene questions—so be flexible to bring them alive; think of your own
and ready to incorporate things you Paint the Scene question for a location
hadn't considered. that takes on sudden importance.

Be a fan of the Custodians: This doesn't mean “let them win.” It means
“give them challenges that make you root for them.” Flawed as they are, and bleak
as their circumstances are, the game aims to tell their story.

46
 The Keeper - Basics

Sometimes, disclaim decision-making: You are co-creating the

story with the players. Let them chime-in to flesh out the world, describe
things they see, and get invested in what's happening. Also, when you
aren't sure how to react to the result of a move, ask the table for advice.

Explore a dreary, ruined landscape shaped by strange

gods: The world we see is largely broken down, decaying, and grown
wild. Entire towns and regions have been polluted and warped by the
manifestation of gods. Towns should feel half occupied, full of abandoned
buildings and abandoned gods. The landscape of The Silt Verses is largely
one of rain and mist, of rivers, moors, valleys, forests, marshes, and
farmland. Any elements of commercial, modern technology should stand
out like a sore thumb—kitschy, ugly, already falling apart. The fact that
gods shape, pollute, and change this world should be felt in widely varied
levels of inequality; we should always feel the dissonance between a central
government and faraway cities that are equipped with televisions and
computers, and a rural landscape with rusted tractors and old cars.

Show the underlying horror in society's banal

acceptance of the monstrous: From the common knowledge
that “a god must feed,” to the darkly humorous observation that “we
get to choose the thing that devours us,” the world of The Silt Verses is
one of contradictions and hypocrisy at every level. The players and their
characters should feel this dissonance wherever they look, from the overtly
gruesome practices of rural worship to the creeping dread at knowing that
every modern convenience of city life was bought with equally horrifying
sacrifices, just made out of sight.

Present horror in a matter-of-fact way: The temptation to

present horror elements in a “scary” manner—perhaps with exaggerated,
Vincent Price-esque mannerisms—is very high. Unless you feel particularly
confident in your ability to be “scary” at the table, you should present
creepy things in a calm, measured, matter-of-fact way. That calm, plain
presentation will itself stand in contrast to the things being described,
which is its own kind of creepy. The players' imaginations will do the rest.
A few things you might lean on to achieve this are the ways that individual
faiths view their monstrous gods and angels as divine, no matter how
grotesque or horrifying, or the banal way that politicians might, say, pledge
to “reduce industrial-scale sacrifice by 7% during the next quarter.”

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 The Silt Verses

Evoke wonder, terror, and uncertainty in the presence of gods:

“Everyone wants a personal relationship with the divine, but none of us are really
equipped to handle the consequences.”—The Silt Verses audio drama, Chapter 3
In the world of The Silt Verses, gods inhabit the world and shape it in ways beyond
human comprehension. To try and understand them, let alone communicate with
and worship them, is to be changed. Recall some of the definitions of gods in this
setting, which can go a long way in presenting them at the table:

Gods speak in their own language, which must be learned to

comprehend them in the slightest.
A god must feed. When fed, it rejoices, and may offer blessings—
although its notion of a gift will likely differ from our own.
A god despises those things which stand in opposition to the
pure aspect of existence it embodies.
A god is driven to shape the devoted, and the world around it, in
its own image.

beware stray gods

Where any god’s power develops beyond the acceptable, due to certain
forbidden words spoken in its secret language, or egged on by the sheer
fanaticism of its followers, it may reshape entire towns or territories entirely
in its own image, dragging aspects of our reality into its haunt.

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 The Keeper - Basics

KEEPER REACTIONS
You will frequently be asked to define and narrate complications resulting
from a die roll, or otherwise “react” to a situation. Generally-speaking, a good
reaction is one that complicates a Custodian’s life in an interesting way and
follows logically from the established fiction.
If you can't think of a natural reaction based on what's happening in the fiction,
choose a reaction from the list below, modifying as needed.
Separate the Custodians.
Kill a Side Character.
Inflict a Condition.
Put a Custodian in danger.
Describe a Custodian being killed.
Remove an item from their Personal Altar.
Have a rival group or an official show up.
Reveal that a god is involved.

Separate the Custodians: The Custodians will usually want to stay

together, so complicate their lives by separating one or more of them from the
group. Are the Custodians looking around a creepy old farm? Perhaps one of
them gets locked in a shed. Are they exploring an unfamiliar town in the middle
of a festival? Have them get separated in the crowd. Are they snooping around
a secret chapel of an outlawed faith? Maybe a shadowy figure locks one of them
in the basement. The important thing is that whatever happens next to the
separated Custodian(s) should be fascinating or perilous.

Kill a Side Character: Nothing will get the Custodians’ (and players')
attention like having a Side Character turn up dead, especially if it's in a
gruesome manner. This reaction is particularly effective if the Custodians are
starting to get close to resolving an Assignment, and the death of the Side
Character in question would complicate things. Note that this is a very strong
Keeper reaction, and really only appropriate as the result of a missed roll.

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 The Silt Verses

Inflict a Condition: Put a Custodian in danger:

This is a trusty, go-to Keeper “Danger” can mean physical danger
reaction for nearly any situation. or something else. Is a Custodian
A Condition is a one-word sneaking into a private library?
adjective or short phrase, and Perhaps a hallowed saint roams
it should follow directly from among the shelves at night and
whatever just happened in corners them. Are the Custodians
the fiction. For example, if a hotwiring a car to escape a rural town
Custodian got slammed into quickly? Maybe a neighbor unleashes
a wall by someone fleeing a their terrifying “hounds” that have
crime scene, you might give been transformed by a family deity
them the Condition: Bruised. If of the hunt. Is a Custodian trying
they just had a very frustrating, to pressure a local authority with
questions that are a little too direct?
condescending conversation with
Maybe the authority takes offense,
a local authority, you might give
and has a word with the organization
them the Condition: Aggravated.
who holds the Custodian’s contract,
If they have indulged in one of the
complicating their next Assignment.
more potent psychotropic teas circumstances.
commonly available, you might give
them the Condition: Hallucinating.
A Condition can be cleared by the Describe a Custodian being
use of the Journey Move, or because killed: Kill a Custodian! It's totally
you think it's appropriate given the fine. Make it gruesome, if you want.
circumstances. The players can always Write a Verse
to get a fictional do-over. Note that
this is a very strong reaction that is
Remove an item from only appropriate as the result of a
their Altar: Just like missed roll, and even then only if it was
inflicting a Condition, this is a adequately telegraphed as a possibility
very dependable, go-to reaction beforehand, such as in the Revelation
for many situations. Essentially, Move, or in a conversation between
if they were using something the Keeper and player that preceded
from their Altar, have them the roll. This reaction is never
lose it—it breaks, is stolen, is appropriate as the result of a missed
misplaced, etc. Information Move roll.

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Have a rival group or an official show up: The Custodians are

never the only group with an interest in gods. Local residents or followers of
the god might not take kindly to the Custodians interfering in their business.
This is an important genre convention in folk horror, and should be used
liberally. The idea is that a prominent local, usually a long-time resident, a
policeman, or religious leader shows up and issues an ominous warning—if
ignored, they will find a way to interfere with the Custodians’ investigation in
some way. They may even seek to turn other locals against the Custodians.
Note that we use the term “official” very loosely here—anyone with authority
over the situation will do. An inquisitive hotelier at the front desk can be just as
troublesome as a surly policeman at a traffic stop.

Reveal that a god is involved:

“There are times when you might be feeding a god and not even know it.”
—The Silt Verses audio drama, Chapter 2
In a world with tens of thousands of gods, most of them highly localized, and
many others stray or forgotten, it’s only a matter of time before the Custodians
will unknowingly stumble across the haunt of a god. As the Custodians explore
abandoned locations and start digging up secrets, they will encounter gods.
Some gods hear and answer prayers in forms beyond human comprehension.
Some are starving for attention, worship… and sacrifice. This can be a go-to
reaction when a player rolls a miss, especially when their Custodian is heading
into danger or exploring the unknown.

trust no one

Every faith has its lures. Sweet-faced young acolytes who are
sent out into the world, to hand out the flowers, whisper kind
enticements, and lead the faithless into the sacrificial grounds.

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 THE
KEEPER
advanced
 The Keeper - Advanced

This chapter contains advanced tips and techniques

for being a Keeper in The Silt Verses RPG. Nothing
in this chapter is strictly necessary to run
the game, but the advice here will enrich the
experience for both you and the players.

teaching
THE SETTING
You might be wondering how much you or your players need to know
about The Silt Verses before you start playing this game. It’s something
we, as the game creators, spent a fair amount of time thinking about.
Ultimately, through discussion and playtesting, we figured out it’s
simply not that important. We have run the game for groups where
the players were familiar with The Silt Verses audio drama beforehand,
groups where the players had literally never heard of The Silt Verses
before we started playing, and groups where some folks in the group
understood the setting better than others. In all cases, familiarity with
The Silt Verses (or lack thereof) had little appreciable impact on the
play experience.
All of which is to say: don’t sweat it too much. The Session One
procedure gives you enough to get things started, the character sheet
and faith sheets do a good job of “teaching” the setting to players
as they read through them, and your Assignment and Conspiracy
sheets will help you with the various setting elements you’ll need to
run the game. Also keep in mind that the audio drama itself leaves
lots of negative space in the setting, and filling that negative space is
what we’re here to do when we play this game—you’re going to make
your own version of this world, so don’t worry if you get a few details
“wrong” as you play.
To the extent you want to explain the setting to your players in a
little more detail, let the Introduction chapter of this book be your
guide. If you or your players want to do a “crash course” on the audio
drama before you start playing, we recommend listening to Chapter
Three and Chapter Seven—the former because it mirrors the sorts of
investigations the Custodians do in this game, and the latter because it
highlights the capitalist horror and satirical elements of the setting.

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the veiled move vs.

the revelation move
The Veiled Move and the afraid of, you should do your best
Revelation Move will be rolled for to incorporate it. Doing so sends
the majority of non-investigation a signal to the player that this is a
actions requiring a die roll, and collaborative storytelling process,
so you need to have a good and they’ll be eager to give you good
understanding of how they work, stuff to work with in the future.
how they differ from one another, The Revelation Move has a slight
and when to trigger them. wrinkle: after the player says what
The first thing you need to be they’re afraid of, you must tell them
aware of is that these moves how it’s worse than they fear. Again,
do not have miss conditions in when saying how things are worse,
their text. Should a player roll a you can disregard what the player
miss, they most likely fail in the suggested if what they suggested was
action they were taking, but not too soft, but do your best to riff off
necessarily—it’s up to you whether what they give you. Another important
they fail or succeed. In either aspect of “telling them how it’s worse”
case, you will perform a Keeper is being honest about how it’s worse. If
reaction. In general, this Keeper it’s possible for the Custodian to sustain
reaction should be stronger than a serious injury, tell them that. If it’s
the complication or cost they possible for a Custodian to be killed,
might have incurred on a 7-9, and tell them that. They have the option of
it should flow logically from the backing down after you say how bad
established fiction. it’s going to be but before they actually
Another thing to understand roll. The player is going to feel cheated
here is that these moves are a if they roll, get a miss, and then you
negotiation between you and the narrate their Custodian being killed
player. The player tells you what when you didn’t previously tell them
they are afraid will happen if they this was a possibility.
fail or lose their nerve. You are free One final thing about the Veiled Move
to disregard what the player has and the Revelation Move: they trigger
offered when considering how to whenever a Custodian is facing
react—especially if the player’s something they fear. This is a passive
suggestion is soft or nonsensical— use-case (and thus easy to forget),
but if they have given a good, but a very important one for a game
genuine answer to what they are that has horror elements.

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The Custodians will witness things that are shocking or horrifying,

especially when it comes to gods and saints, and depending on how they
handle themselves in that moment, things could get very sticky for them.
Trigger the move to see if they can keep it together (in most cases, they
will be rolling with Focus).
You might be wondering how a Custodian can back down or try a different
way when the move was triggered passively. It’s a good thing to wonder
about, and the answer for how to handle it will depend a lot on the specific
circumstances. It could be that backing down is not possible or that there
is no good alternative option, in which case simply make that clear to the
player. Generally-speaking, it probably means the Custodian has to abandon
the moment, or give up the thing they were trying to accomplish in the first
place. Consider this possibility, as well: they might have to react in a way
that isn’t frightened. Perhaps it’s an opportunity to show what a badass they
are by taking some kind of direct action in the face of their fear.
A note about “saying how it’s worse than [they] fear:” just go for it. If the
Custodian is trying to run away from a saint and they say they might fall
down and injure themselves if they fail, feel free to say: “It’s worse than
that—the saint catches up to you and tears your guts out, killing you.”
Remember: the players have total control over whether their character
actually dies via the Verses, so just go big when it comes to the stakes—it’s
more fun that way.
The tricky thing is if the player goes big themselves by putting death on
the table when they say what they are afraid will happen if they fail or lose
their nerve—what then? Well, in the case of the Revelation Move, you
must still say how it’s worse than they feared, but in this case, “worse”
might mean long-term effects after the character is dead, such as how it
affects their surviving family members or the community. If you’re unsure,
ask the table for their input.
A related note: sometimes players tell us they felt like they didn’t have a
choice when it came to Writing a Verse—that if the alternative to doing so
is character death, of course they’re going to do it. Our answer to that is
twofold: 1) they did have a choice: The Silt Verses RPG embraces an ethos
that players have ultimate control over when their character dies, and
choosing to have them die rather than Writing a Verse is a valid choice if
it’s dramatically interesting, and 2) their agency took place earlier in the
move (in the case of the Revelation Move) when they were given a chance
to back down or try a different approach.

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answer a question
The text of the move says, “When the Custodians have an open,
freewheeling discussion...” but, in practice, this discussion is being had
by the players, not the Custodians, and you have a role to play, too. You
should feel free to offer your own thoughts, challenge the assumptions
being made, and interrogate theories that fail to account for certain
Clues. If a player is being demure during this process, cut in and ask them
for their opinion on things. If a player is dominating the conversation,
go around and confirm with the other players that they agree with what
the dominant player is suggesting. Importantly, you need to guide the
conversation to a consensus so a die roll can take place.
Another important job you have during Answer a Question is to invite
the players to add critical context to the discussion of Clues. The Clues
they have gathered will frequently seem disjointed or incongruent with
one another—that’s by design, so they can be used flexibly. Encourage
the players to add the context necessary to make the Clues fit their
theory. For example, if the Custodians found a severed finger, and
their answer depends on the whereabouts of a Side Character called
Elena, they need to account for how the finger might be connected to
Elena if they want that Clue to count against the Complexity in the die
roll. Perhaps Elena is missing a finger, but very likely no one thought
to look at Elena’s hands. During Answer a Question, it’s ok for a detail
like this to be added to the fiction. And so, a player might suggest
that Elena was always seen wearing gloves, and that might be how
she hides her wound. You should encourage this kind of “ret-conning”
of the established fiction so the players can arrive at an answer that
incorporates as many Clues as desired.
Now let’s talk about what happens after you know the result of the
Answer a Question roll. If the result is a hit, let the players know their
Custodians can now pursue the associated Opportunity (unless it’s a
threshold Question that simply unlocks other Questions, in which case
just reveal those new Questions). Find out what each player is interested
in doing—some might want to pursue the Opportunity right away, while
others might want to work on something else. In any case, it’s probably
a good time to take a short break so you can think about what the next
round of scenes will look like, and how dangerous any potential pursuit of
Opportunities might be.

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What if the Answer a Question roll

is a miss? This is when things can
altar
get really interesting. The answer If an object is particularly
is likely wrong, of course, but also: memorable in the story, or
you get to react. I love the reaction if a Custodian goes through
Kill a Side Character on a missed the trouble of acquiring
Answer a Question roll, especially if something strange or
the Side Character is one that was rare, and these things are
critical to their thinking. But you not otherwise part of a
could also just put the Custodians in procedure that causes it to
a particularly dangerous situation— be added to their Altar, tell
it’s a great opportunity to review them they can do so. Be
Dangers to see what you might advised that power gamers
be able to throw at them. There’s might try to take advantage
also a question of whether and of this and repeatedly ask
how the Custodians can attempt you about adding items to
the Answer a Question roll again. their Altar. Gently remind
The answer is yes, they can make them they are not allowed
another attempt, but not until you to make such requests, and
have reacted as a result of the initial that the decision for adding
missed roll and they have dealt with things to their Altar outside
that reaction. of the prescribed ways is
Some notes on spending Clues: entirely yours.
Clues are spent if used to Also: players tend to forget
successfully Answer a Question, about or overlook their Altar,
and cannot be used to answer especially in the first couple
another Question (although they sessions. You will need to
still function as important context remind them about this part
for the Assignment). Clues are not of the game until they get
spent on an unsuccessful Answer a the hang of it. If a die roll
Question, and can be used on the is coming up—especially
re-attempt, or for another Question one where the stakes are
on that Assignment. If a threshold high—ask the player how
Question has an either/or answer, something from their Altar
a wrong answer means the other might be helpful so they can
option is the correct answer, and the get an advantage (or negate
Clues are spent. a disadvantage).

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The Silt Verses
 The Keeper - Advanced

CONDITIONS
Just as players will forget about their Altars in the beginning, you will forget
about Conditions. Conditions are an important part of the gameplay loop, and
you should be doling them out liberally. You can combine Conditions with other
Keeper reactions after a die roll, or you can simply give a Custodian a Condition
because it makes sense, whether there was a die roll or not. Importantly, the
players won’t mind. They will want to engage with the Journey Move, but if you
haven’t given them enough Conditions, they won’t have much justification for
it, and so do your part and hit them with lots of Conditions—one or two per
Custodian per session is about right.
Conditions can be big or small; they can reflect major events in the story or
minor, fleeting moments. If you feel a Condition is warranted in a scene but
aren’t sure what to call it, ask the table for their input.
The following are sample Conditions divided by type.

EMOTIONAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL: Unnerved, Scared, Shocked, Disturbed,

Angry, Irritated, Lovestruck, Saddened, Melancholy, Embittered, Jealous,
Envious, Isolated, Obsessed with [person or thing], Furious with [person or
thing], Sad about [person or thing], Volatile, Desire to Lash Out, Gloomy,
Shaken to the Core
PHYSICAL: Sprained Ankle, Concussion, Smoke Inhalation, Festering Wound,
Claw Marks, Bruised Ribs, Clumps of Hair Torn Out, Scratched Face, Smashed
Thumb, Nearly Drowned, Chilled to the Bone, Intoxicated, High, Exhausted,
Drained, Severed Hand, Limp, Vertigo
SUPERNATURAL: Cursed, Hexed, Haunted, Something is Following Me,
Seeing Unnatural Shapes, Magically Blinded, Ensorcelled, Blackened Veins,
Strange Reflection, Rats are Whispering to Me, Sensitive to Sunlight, All
Water Tastes Foul, I See Dead People, Drawn to Graveyards, Translucent Skin,
Glowing Eyes
Note: If a Custodian has a Condition that is permanent, such as Severed Hand
(this is a somewhat extreme example, but bear with us), clearing the Condition
doesn’t mean the hand is magically reattached; rather, it means the Custodian
has learned to live with it enough so that it doesn’t impose a disadvantage on
die rolls.
Now let’s go a bit deeper on why Conditions are an important part of the gameplay.

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 The Silt Verses

Conditions complicate the lives of the Custodians

One of your most important jobs is to challenge the Custodians with
dangers and obstacles, and Conditions are your best tool for making sure
the players feel the pressure associated with those challenges. Here are
some ways Conditions can complicate the lives of the Custodians:
Die rolls might be taken at disadvantage. When
we’re running the game, we check a character’s Conditions
before each die roll to see if disadvantage applies. For example,
a Custodian with the Condition: Sprained Ankle will roll at
disadvantage when trying to run away from an angel. A Custodian
that is Unnerved will make the Revelation Move at disadvantage
when they’re trying to keep their cool in the presence of a
monstrous saint.
Certain actions might be foreclosed altogether.
For example, a character with the Condition: Broken Leg can’t run
away from the aforementioned angel.
The player might have to Write a Verse. If they
already have three Conditions, a fourth forces them to Write
a Verse, thereby pushing them one step closer to retiring the
character.
A character might be targeted by a particular
Danger. When we’re thinking of ways to challenge the
Custodians, or if we just need something really dangerous to
happen in a scene, we’lll look at the active Conditions to get some
ideas. If, for example, a Custodian has the Condition: Marked by
the Hungering Roots, the god that is the focus of that mystery
might send an intoxicated follower after them. If a Custodian has
the Condition: Person of Interest, the police might be following her
wherever she goes.

Conditions activate a core gameplay loop

Because of the way Conditions can negatively affect the Custodians’
lives, their players will want to clear them. The most efficient way to clear
them is by having an intimate scene with another Custodian during the
Journey phase, thereby triggering the Journey Move. That Journey Move
then leads to clearing Conditions and finding a Clue. All of that together
is one of the core gameplay loops in The Silt Verses RPG: Conditions lead
to intimacy, which then leads to Clues and character development.

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worship is dangerous

Sainthood doesn’t come unbidden. People summon such changes

onto others—or bring it upon themselves.

Conditions provide roleplaying inspiration

Not all Conditions are negative; some, in fact, are a great source of
roleplaying inspiration. Players are always looking for things written on
their sheet that might tell them how to play their character. Conditions
are terrific in this regard. An example from a Brindlewood Bay campaign
one of the authors is running as of this writing: a Maven, normally mild-
mannered and demure, found a bloody driftwood crown. The Keeper
gave them the Condition: The Driftwood Crown to memorialize what
felt like an important moment, and it turned out to be a major inflection
point for the character. The player now uses it all the time to show their
character’s burgeoning weirdness. In fact, that Condition will never get
cleared, even though holding it might eventually push the Maven to
retirement, because the player loves to roleplay what The Driftwood
Crown means to their character.

Conditions memorialize key events in the story

One of the more subtle ways Conditions operate is to help memorialize
key events in your story. If, for example, a Custodian made an offering
to appease the Hungering Roots but, in doing so, angered their own
god, the Trawler-Man, you might give them the Condition: Ire of the
Trawler-Man. What does the Condition mean? Who knows, we’ll figure it
out as we play. In the meantime, it’s a great way of acknowledging and
remembering that scene.
And now let’s go over some ways to incorporate Conditions into the
gameplay…

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 The Silt Verses

As a Keeper reaction
Keeper reactions are your best opportunity for giving out Conditions,
especially when the dice come up 7-9. A common complaint about Powered
by the Apocalypse games is that it’s difficult to think of complications on a
7-9, but in The Silt Verses RPG, it can be as easy as giving the Custodian a
Condition. For example, a Custodian has been doing research in the library
all day; when their Information Move comes up 7-9, you can give them a
Clue and a simple Condition like Frustrated or Exhausted to represent how
long it took them to find it. If a Custodian is chasing down a Side Character
trying to flee the scene and they get a 7-9 on the Veiled Move, you can
explain the way they’ll be vulnerable is the Condition: Drained.
Conditions can also function as a reaction on a missed roll, especially where
a somewhat softer outcome is needed. For example, in the fairly low stakes
environment of a fancy corporate soiree, you might give a Custodian who
gets a miss on their Information Move the Condition: Gossip Item.
Please note that Keeper reactions aren’t necessarily connected to die rolls.
A Keeper reaction can happen anytime the players look to the Keeper
to find out what happens next in the story. Thus, you don’t need a hard
mechanical justification for giving a Custodian a Condition—you can do so
just because it feels right in the moment (the reverse is also true: you can
say a Condition is cleared simply because it makes sense in the story, no
Journey Move needed).

"How are you feeling?"

Our favorite tactic for giving out Conditions is to simply ask a player “How
are you feeling?” after a particularly poignant or intense scene. After
they describe their character’s feelings, we give them a Condition based
on what they said, or have them write their own Condition inspired by
the feeling. This approach has the added benefit of inviting the player to
explore their Custodian’s inner life.

Get the players involved

A principle of play is that the Keeper sometimes disclaims decision
making, which means they turn things over to the players. You can do a
specific version of that with Conditions: “I think a Condition is appropriate
here, but I’m not sure what to call it. What do you all think it should be?”
This is a great way of getting players invested in the outcome.

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fictional positioning
Fictional positioning is a concept you should learn not just for The
Silt Verses RPG, but for all your roleplaying game endeavors. Many
of us grew up playing games that emphasized the power of numbers
and procedures: +1 to hit, ThAC0, natural 20, 5d6+1, initiative order,
“exploding” sixes, rounds, turns, and so forth. Fictional positioning is
the idea that the words we speak at the table and the words we write
down on our sheets have just as much power as the hard mechanical and
procedural aspects of the game.
Consider this: a Custodian is infiltrating a factory; she’s wearing an
identification badge like the ones being worn by the factory workers.
Because she is wearing the badge, she doesn’t have to make a die
roll everytime she enters a new space at the factory, because the
badge signals she belongs there. The badge is an example of fictional
positioning. There are no numbers attached to it, nor are there any
procedures that have to be performed at the table when the badge is put
on: it has power simply because of what it does in the fiction. Or consider
this: a Custodian has suffered a broken leg and is trying to escape from
a monstrous saint trying to kill her. There is no die roll that will allow her
to run away (though she can certainly try something different) because a
broken leg makes such an action impossible. The broken leg is negative
fictional positioning.
Fictional positioning is very important for the Altar and Conditions. After
an item from an Altar is used to take advantage on a die roll, it is marked,
meaning it can no longer be used to get a mechanical bonus, but it is not
erased from the character sheet because it can still be used for fictional
positioning. A Condition may or may not incur a disadvantage, but it
is always there so long as it is written on the character sheet, and that
means it has to be addressed before an action is taken to see if that action
is even possible (such as in our broken leg example, above).

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assignments
The Silt Verses RPG is not an episodic game, and Assignments are not meant to be
“monster of the week” mysteries. You will often have three active Assignments at
any given time. Custodians can certainly choose to focus on a single Assignment,
but there are always other dangers out there, and a bigger conspiracy looms in the
background.
Related to that, Assignments are not static. Part of your job is to think about what
the characters and monsters in the Assignments are doing when the Custodians
are not focused on them. Take some time between sessions to consider the active
Assignments and the Conspiracy, what they’re up to, and how things might start
to connect. Each Assignment sheet has a section called “If the Custodians fail to
complete the Assignment in time...” which is a great place to start when thinking about
this stuff. Remember: the god that is the focus of an Assignment is dangerous, and
until the Custodians have answered a Question that unlocks an Opportunity to resolve
the Assignment, it cannot be defeated.
Let’s talk about resolving Assignments. There are two things you need to keep in
mind: 1) the gods that are the focus of an Assignment cannot be captured, killed, or
otherwise defeated unless an Opportunity to do so has been unlocked; and 2) once
the Opportunity is unlocked, resolving the Assignment is not automatic. Make sure
players understand both of these points.
To the first point, it does not matter if the Custodians have the god in question
cornered or otherwise are in a strong—even logical—position to neutralize it if
an Opportunity to do so has not been unlocked by answering a Question; the
creature will always escape. It might seem weird or unrealistic for that to be the
case, but The Silt Verses RPG is a game, and games have rules. Furthermore,
the Assignment can only be resolved in the manner indicated by the unlocked
Opportunity (though you should certainly be flexible when interpreting those
Opportunities).
Secondly, resolving the Assignment is not automatic. Once an appropriate Question
is answered, the Custodians have earned the Opportunity to neutralize the god or
creature that is the focus of the Assignment. They will have to take necessary follow-
up actions to resolve the Assignment, and those actions might stretch out over the
course of several scenes or even a whole session, depending on the circumstances.
They might have to engage the god in combat, attempt to trap it in their lair,
perform a ritual to subdue it, defeat its minions in order to reach it, etc. This is an
important aspect of the game because some faith sheets have a greater emphasis
on action rather than investigation, and the actual process of defeating the god is
when those Custodians get to shine.

64
 The Keeper - Advanced

running the silt verses rpg as a

ONE-SHOT
The Silt Verses RPG is designed to be played over multiple sessions, but
sometimes you only have one session, perhaps because you are running it at a
convention or as a short diversion for your regular group. Our advice is that you
simply play the game as it was meant to be played; some aspects of the game,
like the Conspiracy or the Journey phase, won’t have much salience in a one-
shot, but that’s ok because, to some degree, you’re just showing the system off,
perhaps in the hope of more sessions being played in the future. We recommend
following the Session One procedure at the end of this text and, no matter
where things stand in the investigation, going straight to Answer a Question
when you have about thirty minutes of playtime remaining. That should give
you enough time to solve the core mystery and then frame up a scene or two to
play out the resolution of the Assignment. If the players roll a miss on Answer a
Question, encourage them to each Write a Verse in order to make the solution
correct (which is also a great chance to see how the Verse mechanics work).

approved by

the Bureau of Investigation &

Assimilaton of Stray Deities

65
THE CAMPAIGN
A tabletop roleplaying game campaign is a series of interconnected
play sessions that constitutes an overall story for your game,
one that usually culminates in a final, dramatic confrontation or
challenge. In most roleplaying games, a campaign can theoretically
last forever: the characters can keep advancing, and new villains and
problems arise to replace the ones that have been resolved. The Silt
Verses RPG is somewhat different in that it has distinct campaign
arcs, each of which can constitute the entirety of your story, or can
be strung together for a longer overall campaign. This initial release
of The Silt Verses RPG comes with one campaign arc, The Institute, but
others will be released in the future.
You have two tools available to you for running a campaign arc
in The Silt Verses RPG: the Conspiracy sheet and its associated
Confrontation sheet. The Conspiracy sheet is used to manage the
overall campaign arc, whereas the Confrontation sheet contains
information for a special type of Assignment used when the
Custodians are ready to confront the conspirators working against
them.
As you read through this chapter, you might come to believe that the
campaign elements are more than you can handle, or that you’re going
to get something wrong. We’re going to show you how to use and manage
the various campaign elements, but at the outset: you’ve totally got
this. Working with the campaign materials is fun, and there are no
wrong answers. Just keep the following ideas in mind:

Pay attention. Manage the Think often and revise often. You The players want
conversation, adjudicate have time between play sessions. you to succeed.
moves, run your Assignments, Think about what it all means. This is the most
do reactions—all the things What do the villains central to important thing.
from the previous chapters— the Conspiracy want? How might the The players are
but also: pay attention. Assignments be connected to their there to have
What sorts of things are goals? How does each Custodian’s a good time,
resonating with the players? past fit into the picture, and anything
Are there Side Characters particularly their strained you do, so long
or Dangers the players seem relationship to their faith? Take as it’s honest
to enjoy? Did you have a notes if you think it would be and in keeping
big “whoa!’’ moment during helpful, but more than anything with your Keeper
a session? Pay attention to just ponder. Come up with theories principles from
what’s working and consider about what you think is going on, the previous
how you might weave those but leave room for revision based chapter, is going
details into the broader on things that get revealed from to be great in
campaign. session to session. their eyes.

68
 69

THE CONSPIRACY SHEET

The Conspiracy sheet is your main tool for managing the campaign
arc. We’re going to focus on the Conspiracy sheet that comes
with the game, The Institute; future Conspiracies might deviate
somewhat in structure and content, but the basic ideas will be
the same. You will need a copy of The Institute: Conspiracy Sheet
on hand while reading this section.

INTRODUCTION
The Institute starts with a basic introduction: who are they and
how do they fit into the broader setting. This section also includes
some quotes you can use for any of the Agents or important Side
Characters. Most importantly, this section contains a note about why
the Institute wants to exploit the work of the Custodians.

FOUR LAYERS
The Conspiracy is divided into four layers, with each successive
layer representing the Custodians getting closer to confronting
the Institute. Each layer of the Conspiracy is unlocked after
the Custodians uncover a certain number of Conspiracy Clues (see
Conspiracy Clues, following). Please note that the number of
Conspiracy Clues needed to unlock each layer is a running total,
and that opening a new layer doesn’t mean the previous layer is
closed—you can bounce between any unlocked layers freely when
thinking about how to react in a scene.

1 LAYER ONE: END OF SESSION SCENE

Comic book movies usually have scenes that play after the credits roll.
These stinger scenes are meant to keep viewers excited about where the
story will go next. The end of session scene functions in the same way
in The Silt Verses RPG: we get to be audience members for a moment, to
get excited for what’s coming next. Importantly, the scene is something
we get to enjoy completely out of character—the Custodians have no idea
what’s happening.
While Layer One has a prescribed scene that happens at a specific time
in the campaign arc, there’s nothing stopping you from doing more. As
the campaign develops, create your own stinger scenes to deepen the
story, explore the lore of the setting, increase the weirdness level,
and/or to get your players excited about the next session.
Layer One also asks you to start making notes about where you think
the campaign is headed—in particular, your initial theories about
the weapon the Institute is developing. There are no right or wrong
answers here; just think on it and make some notes.
2 LAYER TWO: THE HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE
Layer Two is where the overall campaign narrative starts to deepen in
a real and noticeable way. This section contains important historical
notes about the Institute, any of which can be revealed to the
Custodians as the result of a 12+ on the Information Move, or as a
Keeper reaction. How do you reveal this information? Well, there aren’t
any right or wrong answers here; do whatever follows logically from the
fiction. Maybe a Side Character reveals one of the historical details
in a conversation with a Custodian, or perhaps the Custodians find a
classified file that contains the information.
Layer Two also gives you access to a new Keeper reaction: Show that
the Institute has been interfering with the work of the Custodians.
As with revealing the historical details, there’s no right or wrong way
to go about this. Maybe the Custodians witness members of the Institute
entering a Location they just left, or perhaps a Side Character warns
the Custodians of the Institute’s interference. You’re in good shape so
long as you follow the fiction and keep things dramatic; the purpose
of this reaction is to show the Custodians that there is something
bigger going on, that the work they’re doing has caught the attention
of nefarious forces.
Finally, Layer Two asks you to note some Side Characters you’d like
to see return during the Confrontation, as well as to revise your
notes about the weapon the Institute is developing. This is a great
opportunity to start thinking about the campaign as a coherent whole,
and how elements that appear early in the arc might return later on.

3 LAYER THREE: AN ASSIGNMENT BECOMES AN ASSET

Layer Three represents an escalation of the danger posed to the
Custodians by the Institute. Principally, an active Assignment becomes
an asset of the Institute, meaning it can no longer be resolved. When
considering which Assignment to turn into an asset, keep a few things
in mind: First, you don’t have to decide right away—you can make the
choice at any time after Layer Three is unlocked. Second, try to pick
an Assignment the Custodians have been ignoring; if you choose an
Assignment the Custodians are on the verge of resolving, the players
might feel cheated. Finally, consider memorializing this event with an
end of session scene showing the Institute absorbing the Assignment
into its plans.
Let’s go a little deeper here: what does it actually mean for an
Assignment to become an asset of the Institute? In some cases, it will
be fairly obvious: in The Hungering Roots, the Institute might take
over the grow facility or transplant the harvest god into one of its
own facilities; in The Dusk Mother, the Institute might capture the
Dusk Mother’s angel and begin experiments on it, or the Skelton family
might be recruited as field agents. For other Assignments, it won’t be
so obvious: The Floating Market, for example, may depend on whether
the threshold Question has been answered or whether other dangers have
presented themselves to the Custodians.

70
 71

In all cases, you’re going to have to use some creativity, and you’re
going to have to consider how your story has developed up to this
point. What is the Institute up to? How might any given Assignment fit
into their plans? Which Side Characters or Dangers might be actively
targeted or recruited by the Institute? Which gods, saints, and angels
might be of particular interest?
Layer Three, keeping with the theme of enhanced danger posed to the
Custodians, also unlocks a new Journey Scene: Escaped Test Subject.
Additionally, you are invited to note more Side Characters you’d like
to see return during the Confrontation.

4 LAYER FOUR: THE CONFRONTATION

Unlocking Layer Four means you are nearing the end of the campaign
arc. You can now present the Confrontation after all active
Assignments are resolved (see The Confrontation Sheet, following).

AGENTS
This section of the sheet contains characters you can use as
antagonists in the campaign arc. They are structurally identical
to Side Characters or personified Dangers—a few descriptive
details, their role in the story, and a quote—but they are
not Side Characters or Dangers, meaning they are not subject
to rules or moves that affect Side Characters or Dangers.
Generally-speaking, Side Characters, Dangers, and Agents are all
mechanically distinct from one another, and game elements that
affect one don’t necessarily affect the others.
This part of the sheet also has a place to put notes about the
asset from Layer Three.

CONSPIRACY CLUES
Conspiracy Clues are revealed as the result of a 12+ on the
Information Move, or as a Keeper reaction because you think it
would be dramatically interesting to reveal one (we like to reveal
at least one Conspiracy Clue per session). Conspiracy Clues serve
two purposes: to show that the Conspiracy in question is operating
in the background, and to act as a timer, since the various layers
of the Conspiracy unlock after a certain number of Conspiracy Clues
is uncovered. Conspiracy Clues are not used to answer Questions.
One thing to note about The Institute: the first Conspiracy Clue
is always the same, and is noted near the top of the sheet, after
the introduction.
THE
CONFRONTATION SHEET
The Confrontation sheet is your tool for
running
the final confrontation that unlocks in
Layer Four
of the Conspiracy. Apart from the fact
it contains
space to incorporate the theory you’ve
been
developing throughout the campaign, it
functions
similarly to an Assignment sheet, and all
previous
guidance for running an Assignment appl
ies to the
Confrontation.
SESSION
ONE
 the silt verses 74

SESSION ONE
P rocedure
The following is a step-by-step guide to running your first session of The Silt Verses
RPG. The times listed with some of the steps are estimates—don’t fret if you’re taking
longer to complete each step. Text in italics is meant to be read aloud to the players.

Step One: Read the Text

As the Keeper, you should read the rulebook in its entirety. Skim the other materials so
you have a basic familiarity with them. Importantly, you should decide which playbooks
you will make available to the group and which Assignment you’re going to start
with (we recommend The Hungering Roots). Consider watching an actual play; the
publisher of the game has videos on his YouTube channel showing how the game works.

Step Two: Gather Play Materials

You will need:
At least three six-sided dice (more is better).
Index cards and a marker for making name tents.
A pencil for each participant.
A copy of the character sheet for each player.
A copy of each faith sheet.
At least one reference sheet, but one per participant is better.
Your chosen Assignment sheet.
A Conspiracy sheet.
At least one Journey scene.
If you’re playing online, you’ll need virtual equivalents of all of the above, but you
don’t need to go fancy; Google sheets and PDFs work very well.

Step Three: Gather Participants

The Silt Verses RPG works best with one Keeper and three players. One Keeper and
two players or one Keeper and four players also work well. Avoid playing The Silt
Verses RPG with five or more players.

Step Four: Player & Keeper Introductions (2 min.)

Going around the table, each participant should state their name, their pronouns, and
anything else the group might find interesting about them. You can skip this step if
you’re playing with a group of friends who know each other well.
 75 session one

Step Five: CATS (3 min.)

CATS is an acronym that stands for Concept, Aim, Tone, and Subject Matter. It is
usually presented by the Keeper and helps establish some basic expectations for how the
game is going to proceed. It’s also a low-stakes way for the Keeper to get accustomed to
being in the spotlight. Read the following to the players:
Now I’m going to do CATS. CATS is an acronym that stands for Concept, Aim, Tone, and
Subject Matter. The purpose of CATS is to establish some basic expectations for what this
game is about and what we’re going to be doing during this first session.
1 Concept: The Silt Verses RPG is a tabletop roleplaying game of folk horror and monstrous
divinity, in which a group of indebted Custodians are sent into isolated territories to deal
with stray gods and terrifying divine manifestations which threaten the nearby community.
The Custodians investigate these entities and the manifestation of their powers, and will
then seek methods to appease them, neutralize them, or otherwise engage the local community
to find a solution. The Custodians gradually become aware of a looming conspiracy that
overshadows their work, as a powerful organization seeks to take advantage of them to fulfill
its secret agenda. The Custodians will ultimately decide how to confront this organization,
all the while struggling with their complicated relationship to faith and the gods of their past
whose power threatens to consume them.
The game’s mechanics are based on Apocalypse World and Brindlewood Bay, but you
don’t need to know anything about those two games before we play.
1 Aim: The aim of the characters in the story is to pursue investigations surrounding these
stray gods and powers, and come to terms with their complicated past with a particular god,
deciding if they will continue on that path and be further changed by the power that god
provides.
Our aim as players is the same, but also to learn more about these characters’ fraught pasts and
uncertain futures, as well as to paint a vivid picture of our version of the Silt Verses setting, a
responsibility we all share. The aims for today’s session are to create and introduce our characters,
learn the basics of how the game works by playing it, and then have a debrief period at the end.
1 Tone: The tone of The Silt Verses RPG is dark, strange, and unsettling. It presents a
world where monstrous horrors are viewed as miraculous and divine, and systemic cruelties as
routinely accepted by society. It exaggerates difficult themes of our world by showing them as
literal gods, and this can verge on the absurd—but this is not intended to become a parody. A
little bit of levity or humor from time to time is ok, but we will always strive to return to that
dark, gloomy landscape the characters exist in.
1 Subject Matter : Cosmic horror, graphic violence, ritual sacrifice, intense body horror,
grotesque religious imagery, cults, religious trauma, harm to children and animals, family
trauma, government corruption and oppression, police violence, war, and natural disasters
are all things that may come up frequently in this game. We’ ll talk about safety tools in just a
moment, but in the interest of setting expectations right now, you should know that this game
deals with intense and often dark subject matter.
the silt verses 76

Step Six: Safety Tools (5 min.)

You can use whichever safety tools your group is most comfortable with.
We recommend you use the Open Door Policy, the X-card, and Lines &
Veils. You can Google each of those for more information (add “safety
tools” and “TTRPG” to your query). The scripted portion of this step
assumes you are using the three suggested tools.
No game is more important than the people playing it. We’re going to paint a
dark, unsettling landscape of the The Silt Verses setting, but we’re going to do
it in a way that respects everyone’s boundaries of safety and consent. In order to
do that, we’ ll be using three safety tools in The Silt Verses RPG: the Open Door
Policy, the X-card, and Lines & Veils.
The Open Door Policy is very simple: you can leave the game for any reason and
you don’t have to explain yourself. Just let us know you have to go; no one here
will ask any questions about it.
At this point, you should point to the X-card.
The X-card is here in case something in the game makes you feel uncomfortable
in an un-fun way. Just tap or hold up the X-card and we will stop play in order
to change whatever just happened in the game. As the Keeper, I may ask for
clarification on what is being X-carded, but I will never ask why. We’ ll resume
play once the change is made.
Finally, we’ ll be using Lines & Veils. Lines are things that we are not going to
have in the game, period. Veils are things that we’re ok with being in the game
but we prefer not to roleplay them, or we simply want to keep them offscreen.
Importantly, even though I earlier listed a number of dark subject matters that
come up in The Silt Verses RPG, you can still include one or more of those things
as part of Lines & Veils. As I said before, no game is more important than the
people playing it.
One more thing—during the game we will treat our group’s Lines and Veils as a
living document, meaning you can add to the list later if you need to. We will also
make a point of reviewing Lines and Veils each session.
I will start by sharing my personal Lines & Veils right now. You can tell me your
own Lines & Veils privately during a break and I will then convey them to the
group anonymously when we’re back together.
Here you should tell the group what your Lines & Veils are. The authors
of this game, for example, always list “sexual violence” as a Line and
“violence towards small children” as a Veil. Remind the group before your
first break that they can share their Lines & Veils with you privately and
that you will then convey them to the group anonymously.
 77 session one

Step Seven: Character Creation (15 min.)

Before we begin character creation, I Another thing to know is that these characters
want to share a few more details about the are to remain mysterious. We should avoid
setting. These characters—the Custodians— talking about their pasts—both in and out of
are a group of specialists sent out into the character—unless we are prompted to do so
rural territories to investigate and resolve by the game’s rules. The reason we do that is
disturbances of stray and feral gods. This because we want to learn about these characters
is largely thankless work, with little to as we play.
no resources or guidance provided beyond It’s just like listening to The Silt Verses
an initial report and directions. Each audio drama, or watching a good TV show:
Custodian has been chosen for this work, we don’t learn everything about the characters
in part, because of their complicated past at once; the information is given to us in
with gods—the fact that they have an pieces, at dramatically impactful moments
ambivalent stance towards their faith is in the story, often through flashbacks and
viewed as an asset when dealing with the meaning ful conversations between characters.
fringe elements of divinity throughout the
Territories. Each member of the group With that said, I’m going to give you a quick
has their own reasons for joining the summary of each Faith Sheet so you can decide
Custodians, though it is rarely by choice. which one is most interesting to you. The
They are all under contract, and might Custodians all have the same Character Sheet,
face debt, punishment, or consequences far but they also have a Faith Sheet, which is
worse should they fail to complete their where their unique abilities and story prompts
assignments. Finally, each Custodian has will come from.
a complicated past with a particular god— Here you should give a short summary
and will have to choose if they continue for each of the Faith Sheets you have
along that path and become changed by the selected. Text for each of the six starting
powers their god awakens in them. Faith Sheets is included below.

THE TRAWLER MAN is the iconic river god of The Silt Verses audio drama,
notorious for his terrifying transformations of tide and flesh. Throughout the game you’ ll
pursue your goals by making sacrifices to the river and discovering new wonders it gifts you
in return. Play as a follower of the Trawler Man if you want to act boldly and recklessly,
explore what it means to follow an outlawed faith, and explore themes of strange shifting
tides and body horror.
THE SAINT ELECTRIC is the most widely known commercial god, powering most
modern technologies in one form or another. Throughout the game you will channel the
Saint’s divine currents to apply raw power to situations, manipulate mechanical objects,
and use the front of a recognized lawful deity to avoid unwanted attention if need be. Play
as a follower of the Saint Electric if you like coming up with your own unique solutions to
challenges, exploring the technological side of the setting, and examining the horrors society
accepts “ for the greater good.”
the silt verses 78

THE CAIRN MAIDEN is a god of death, but perhaps not in the way you would
think. She waits patiently in ruined places for her followers to come to her and meet at
last in their final resting place. Throughout the game you will alter fate in dramatic
ways, staving off death and walking the path between worlds. Play as a follower
of the Cairn Maiden if you want to lean deeply into themes of death, fate, and
transformation, and enjoy influencing the world in powerful and mysterious ways from
the shadows.

THE WAXEN SCRIVENER is a god of knowledge—specifically of collecting

knowledge and letting it be forgotten again. Throughout the game you will use
ritual ink to uncover prophecies through your writing, sometimes even writing things
into being. Play as a follower of the Waxen Scrivener if you like to be an unsettling
practitioner of the arcane, oppose the technological world, and alter reality in dramatic
ways through your rituals.

THE POX MARTY R is a god of self-sacrifice whose monks heal others by literally
taking their suffering upon themselves, viewing each affliction as a blessing to learn
from. Throughout the game you will take on the illnesses of other characters to give
yourself advantages, and draw on the connections you have with Side Characters
everywhere you go. Play as a follower of the Pox Martyr if you want to explore themes
of body horror, self-sacrifice, and community, and if you like to support other characters
with your abilities.

THE WATCHER IN THE WINGS is a god who thrives on spectacle, feasting

on the drama and tragedy of human lives as they unfold. Throughout the game you will
charm and sway other characters with your presence, and dramatically alter reality
itself through your performances. Play as a follower of the Watcher in the Wings if you
enjoy playing charismatic characters and want to shape the world in dangerous and
unpredictable ways.

Give everyone a chance to decide which faith sheet they want to play with. Once everyone
has made their decision, they can begin filling out their character sheets.
The steps are:
I. Pick a Name
II. Pick elements for the character’s Style
III. Pick a Personal Ritual
IV. Add 1 to one of the starting Ability scores
V. Mark two End of Session Questions
the silt verses 80

Step Eight: Introduce Characters &

Populate Altars (10 min.)
Now that you’ve all made your characters, let’s introduce them. Going around the table,
everyone please introduce your character by Name, Style, and Personal Ritual. You
can also tell us what your faith sheet moves do. I’ ll remind you that you should avoid
sharing any details about your character’s backstory at this time.
After everyone does this, continue with:
Now we’re going to go around again and everyone is going to read aloud the color text
at the top of their faith sheets. After you read your color text, the rest of us are going
to name one object or piece of equipment we think your Custodian would have on their
Altar based on what we know about them so far. You can veto any idea you don’t like,
or ask for a revision. You’ ll write down each item in the Altar section of your character
sheet.

Step Nine: Break (10 min.)

Now that we’ve met the characters, we’re ready to play! Let’s take a ten-minute break;
I’ ll introduce the first monstrous Assignment when we return. Also: don’t forget to find me
and tell me your Lines & Veils!

Step Ten: Before We Begin... (3 min.)

Before we begin, let me tell you some new Lines & Veils.
Communicate any Lines & Veils that were told to you on break.
Also, I want to tell you that even though this is a game set in the world of The Silt
Verses , we aren’t trying to recreate the story of the show. We’ ll do our best to recreate the
setting, but we’ ll also be telling our own story which may be very different from the show,
and that’s ok. I’ d also like to point out that in this setting, things like race, nationality,
gender, sexuality, disability, and neurodivergence are not a social barrier. As with
the characters portrayed in The Silt Verses audio drama, the source of conflict for our
characters comes from their complicated relationship to faith, their personal history with
terrifying gods, and the power structures they find themselves caught within—but not
necessarily from facing any sort of discrimination based on their identities.

Step Eleven: Present the Assignment (5 min.)

If there are no other questions, let’s begin!
Here you should read the opening matter of your selected Assignment (the
italicized portion at the top), as well as the Questions & Opportunities.
 81 session one

Step Twelve: Regular Play (90 min.)

At this point you’ll begin regular play following the guidelines and advice you
learned earlier in the book. Start with the Investigation phase. Keep a few things
in mind if this is your first time playing The Silt Verses RPG:
There’s no rush. Do each step of each phase in a very deliberate way until you get
the hang of it.
Don’t worry about getting things wrong. You’re probably going to forget
Conditions and Altars the first time you play. It will take the players a session or
two to master the Verse of Prophecy and the Journey Scene. That’s all fine: just
take it slow and do your best.
Focus on teaching the gameplay basics: when to use each move, how the dice
work, what the Ability scores mean, Advantage and Disadvantage, and so forth.
You might only get into the Investigation Phase. That’s fine, and maybe even
preferable since the Journey Phase has a different feel and can be handled better
during session two, after everyone’s had some time to process things.
Take a five minute break at some point.

Step Thirteen: Debrief (10 min.)

Have a short debrief period at the end of the session. You can use any debrief technique
you wish; we prefer a technique called Stars & Wishes because it is positive and uplifting.
Let’s do a debrief technique called Stars & Wishes. Stars are things you enjoyed about the
session: characters, scenes, bits of description, something from the gameplay—anything you
liked can be a Star. Wishes are things you hope to see next time: exploring a part of the
game we didn’t get to today, following up with a character about something, having a scene
with a certain character, and so forth.

Step Fourteen: The Conspiracy Scene if applicable, 2 min. ( )

This is when you will narrate the end of session scene from the Conspiracy sheet if
you unlocked Layer One of the conspiracy.

Step Fifteen: Homework (1 min.)

Encourage the players to review their playbook before the next session. In
particular, they should read through the section called The Verse of History and
think about what that means for their Custodian.

Session Two and Onward

Begin the session by doing a light recap of the active Assignments: remind the
players about any Clues uncovered and where things stand. Continue regular play
from there. Save ten minutes at the end for a debrief.
the silt verses 82

appendix i
ON THE NATURE OF GODS
The Silt Verses setting is built on some basic concepts of what gods are and
how they interact with the world. You may find it easier to introduce players to
the setting and present a consistent version of the world if you keep some basic
principles in mind. The following is quoted from A Book of Gods and Territories,
a lorebook supplement by the creators of The Silt Verses audio drama .

The Farragol Institute—one of the most powerful advisory boards across

the surface of the Territories, dictating which faiths are legitimate and which
are not—offers a formal, eight-point definition of a god:

It may be noted that the commercial regulation of worship over the

centuries has rendered many of these rules obsolete, or at the very least
contradictory.
For instance, the Saint Electric is one of the most popular modern deities
amongst the Peninsula’s populace, but few citizens attempt to communicate
with her directly. Instead, prayer-marks calling for her favor are stamped en
masse onto her circuit boards, toasters, radios, and televisions alike—and
the Saint’s sacrifices are carried out discreetly in her power plants, wind
farms and hydroelectric dams, far from her people’s sight.
Beyond these very basic definitions, nothing is ever certain.
As a common example, the word ‘angel’ is commonly used to refer to a
servant of a god that appears to have been created whole-cloth from
the elements or the dead world. Meanwhile, ‘Saint’ or ‘Immortal Saint’
is used to refer to those human beings who are reshaped—voluntarily
or forcibly—to better represent some aspect of a god’s obsession.
Transfigured animals, however, may be referred to using either term, and
are sometimes called both at once.
Miracles, revelations, sacrifices, mysteries, messiahs—all of these terms
may be defined according to the experiences of different faiths or local
communities.
 83 appendix

A god makes its haunt in a place beyond our

capabilities.
A god enters into our world through the tenuous
places; ruins, lonely locations, abandoned
wildernesses.
A god speaks a language that is entirely its
own, and which must be learnt in order to
communicate with it.
A god is pure in its intent. It obsessively embodies
a particular element, locality, or aspect of
existence, and despises those things which
stand in opposition to its purity.
A god must feed. When fed, it rejoices, and may
offer blessings—although its notion of a gift will
likely differ from our own.
A god comes when it’s called.
A god lashes out violently when it’s left to starve,
but may eventually diminish or perish as a result
of neglect.
A god is driven to shape the devoted, and the
world around it, in its own image.
the silt verses 84

appendix ii
MEDIA TOUCHSTONES
The main inspiration for the setting of The Silt Verses RPG is, of course,
the audio drama itself. If you want to dig even deeper, we recommend
the episode transcripts, interviews and additional material by the show’s
creators at www.thesiltverses.com.

I Am in Eskew, an earlier audio drama also by the creators of The Silt

Verses, has also been an important influence on The Silt Verses RPG, and
could be considered an extension of The Silt Verses setting as it shares
similar themes and commentary.

Jon Ware, the main writer of The Silt Verses, has also mentioned that some
important inspirations for the show include: Til We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis,
True Detective Season 1, Gyo by Junji Ito, Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban,
Ovid’s Metamorphoses and classical transformation myths in general.

More broadly, The Silt Verses RPG takes inspiration from folk horror, weird
fiction, and dystopian or post-apocalyptic media. You will likely find your own
inspiration for the more satirical elements of the setting by simply reading
the news. Some other pieces of media that have inspired the atmosphere,
setting elements or mechanics of The Silt Verses RPG include:

Disco Elysium (2019 video game)

Heart: the City Beneath (2020 tabletop roleplaying game)
Old Gods of Appalachia (2019 audio drama)
Parasite (2019 film)
Station Eleven (2021 TV series)
The Wicker Man (1973 film)
 85 appendix

appendix iii
THE SILT VERSES AUDIO
DRAMA REFERENCE
The Silt Verses RPG is based on the entirety of the audio drama, and every
chapter is full of details that will show you more about the setting. If you’re
new to The Silt Verses and want a quick “crash course” before you play, we
recommend the following two episodes in particular:
Chapter 3: Then I’ll Speak of Champions. This episode mirrors
the type of investigations the Custodians will carry out, and the
commentary on the nature of gods is key to the setting.
Chapter 7: It Carries Few, It Drowns Many. This episode
highlights the capitalist horror and satirical elements of the show,
and offers a glimpse of a modern world fueled by human sacrifice.

Faith Sheets
The following episodes of The Silt Verses feature specific gods
associated with the faith sheets:
The Trawler Man: featured throughout the show, but
especially Chapters 1-2, 5-6, 8.
The Saint Electric: mentioned in Chapters 1-2, 12 and 13.
The Cairn Maiden: Chapter 17.
The Waxen Scrivener: Chapter 2.
The Pox Martyr: Chapter 11 and Chapter 19.
The Watcher in the Wings: Chapter 20.

Conspiracies
The Institute: partially inspired by the research facility in Chapter 19.