Institutions are organizations and long-term enterprises that the party invests in. Businesses, cults, gangs, charities, and more are all forms of Institutions.
To found an Institution, the party must have access to the bare minimum resources they need to begin operations. Alternatively, they may invest in Institutions that already exist. As they invest more money, the Institution grows and provides yet greater benefits to its investors. Treasure invested in an Institution will only award XP once the project has completed.
| Cost | Time | Minimum Market Class | ||
| Tier 1 | Inconsequential | 1500d | — | Hamlet |
| Tier 2 | Petty | 3000d | 1-Clock | Village |
| Tier 3 | Notable | 7500d | 2-Clock | Town |
| Tier 4 | Influential | 15,000d | 3-Clock | City |
| Tier 5 | Infamous | 30,000d | 4-Clock | Metropolis |
If a settlement is too small to allow an Institution to grow, it can be relocated to a larger Market Class. Relocating an Institution costs the same as upgrading it by 1 Tier, but only requires a 1-Clock to complete.
Relocated Institutions may leave behind auxiliaries or splinter branches in their old locations.
Benefits
Institutions provide the party with specific benefits consummate with its Tier. Though they may be money-making ventures, the party should not expect to see direct cash income from an Institution. Instead, the Institution makes its resources available to the party in exchange for their continued support. Larger, more powerful Institutions have more resources at their disposal.
Challenges
Each Span, a Hazard Die must be rolled for every Institution the party is invested in to assess its current fortunes.
Threat
A crisis must be resolved before the Institution can return to normal operation.
Exhaustion
Maintenance costs are due. The Institution provides no benefits until 1% of its total value has been paid.
Expiration
The Institution is struggling. Make a Luck Roll.
| Worst Possible | Disaster! The Institution instantly collapses |
| Pretty Bad | Setback. The Institution decays 1 Tier |
| Middling | Maintenance costs are due. The Institution provides no benefits until 1% of its total value has been paid |
| Pretty Good | The Institution splinters into a rival organization |
| Best Possible | The Institution is temporarily disorganized. No benefit for 1 Span |
Locality
The Institution is growing. If the cost for the next Tier has been paid, its clock advances 1 tick.
Clue
An opportunity related to the Institution arises.
Retirement
In general, the party is not presumed to be running the day-to-day operations of the Institution. They are the investors, not necessarily the proprietors. As an Institution grows, it may become necessary to seek out trusted intermediaries to run it more closely.
Characters who reach Level 5 may choose to retire from adventuring and become the personal directors of an Institutions they have founded. Doing so locks the Institution at its current tier and establishes it as a permanent faction. It no longer needs to make Hazard Rolls and may still aid the party with its resources.
An Institution can support the retirement of a number of characters equal to its Tier.