If you like you can look at the (sketchy, incomplete) GM notes as well.

Tradition, Superstition, and the Status Quo

Traditions and Superstitions

(An OOC note: the Twin Silvers serve an important OOC function in Horizon, in that it is only polite to give players a heads-up when their characters are about to be assassinated so they can plan accordingly. Please bear in mind that characters who do not use the Twin Silvers are the lowest of the low in the Horizon underworld, and if discovered will be dealt with accordingly. Please also note that handing the Twin Silvers over to player characters in turnsheeting is a crappy thing to do: do it in session, or at least let them know that they receive them before they turnsheet.)

It's considered a dishonourable and unworthy act to kill someone without giving them the Twin Silvers, but there is no obligation to draw their attention to the fact that you've handed them the Silvers. It's fairly common to have a scene in a play where one of the villain's cronies is counting his ill-earned reward from his master at night, only to discover that the reward money includes the Twin Silvers just as the assassin is coming through the window. The Under-Chamber are especially down on important people (like the PCs) having hit men sent after them when they've not received the Twin Silvers; they have made it known that they will take action against anyone who does such a thing, and will protect the victims where possible. They've also made it known that if they find out you've thrown away your Silvers to get their protection they'll kill you themselves. In short, killing someone without giving them the Twin Silvers (or without giving them 24 hours to flee) puts you beyond the pale in the criminal underworld: it is the worst possible infraction, and if you are caught doing it your life will not be worth living.

Furthermore, it is dishonourable to give someone the Twin Silvers and then not act on it. If you give someone the Twin Silvers, try to kill them, but fail, that's perfectly understandable and you can have as many tries as you like until you get it right (so long as you do keep trying). Similarly, if you give someone the Twin Silvers and they skip town, and flee to a place far from your influence, that's fine: you've got the individual in question out of your hair, they're still alive, everyone's happy and the matter is considered closed (unless they are foolish enough to return). If, however, you give someone the Twin Silvers and then make no effort to eliminate them within the next twomonth (IE, in the turnsheet immediately after you hand over the Silvers), this is highly dishonourable - if people give out the Silvers spuriously, it weakens their significance, thus weakening the tradition, and thus putting everyone's lives in a little more danger. If you do this, the Twin Silvers you gave the individual in question are considered null and void, and you could well expect to receive the Twin Silvers from powerful gangsters keen to rid the underworld of pests like you.

To make this absolutely clear: giving someone the Twin Silvers is the point of no return. It's dishonourable to threaten someone by saying "Here, I'm giving you the Twin Silvers, but I'll take them away again if you do what I say", although it is acceptable to threaten someone by saying "Do this thing for me, or I will give you the Twin Silvers". The act of giving someone the Twin Silvers is not a threat. It is a promise.

Another good reason to give someone the Twin Silvers is the curious morality of the Ghouls, which has influenced Horizon's laws on murder; when your coroners can taste the nature of your death, discerning between murder, manslaughter, and assassination becomes all the more easy. Killings that take place under the aegis of the Twin Silvers are not considered murder by the Ghouls - after all, the recipient does have the option of skipping town. Ghouls tend to pursue killings in which the victim was killed without warning and given no opportunity to defend him or herself. Other killings are investigated by the Watchdogs. Being pursued by the Ghouls is terrifying, and Watchdogs are easier to bribe. Therefore, using the Twin Silvers before you kill someone to stop the Ghouls getting onto your case is a good idea.

One last thing: if the person who gives someone the Twin Silvers happens to die, then that is considered the end of the matter: it is unacceptable to assassinate their target without giving the target the Twin Silvers again. Those of you who receive the Twin Silvers but do not feel like running or hiding might want to take this into account.

The Emperor: Is universally despised, except for a few lunatic Imperialists.

The Gods and their cultists: The Gods are reviled, aside (of course) for the Intercessor. The Intercessor's main claim to benevolence is banishing all Gods (including himself) from the world and promisimg not to meddle any more. Individuals such as Versinya and Verachtlich lend a certain amount of credence to the idea that the Gods are all evil;

The Powers and their shamen: Are also widely feared, but more so by superstitious sorts. It's hard for sophisticated, modern sorts to regard the Sky and Land and Ocean as being alive; people will tend to scoff at the idea that the Powers are somehow alive and malevolently plotting against humanity, but at the same time will be swift to lynch folk who seem to be collaborating with the Powers. Ghouls are allowed to practice shamanism on the basis that the Intercessor's message seemed to be intended for humanity; the Church of the Intercessor is not entirely pleased about this.

The Moon Truce: Every two months, when the twin Moons are full, it is very unlucky to begin a fight with someone - unless it is a formal duel.

The Riverview Inn: The Riverview Inn is one of several buildings that sit on the bridge between the Steam and the Docks. The Riverview - and, indeed, the other establishments on the bridge - tends to be regarded as neutral territory by the criminal underworld. The Muldoon family, who own the tavern, have paid the right bribes to the right people to maintain this neutrality.

Duels: Duels in Horizon are pretty damn simple. You challenge yer opponent, you agree on the weapons to be used, you meet at the earliest convenient time and you fight. Alternately, your opponent backs down and acknowledges you the better fighter.

By and large, duels are only fought to first blood; duels to the death tend to only happen with the fighters involved really, really hate each other, or when there's a terrible accident. Furthermore, and please take note of this because this differs from certain other freeforms that have had duels as part of the setting, duels are not fought to resolve disputes unless the parties in the dispute agree to settle it with a duel. Duels are regarded as an honourable manner in which two gentlemen may settle their differences without endangering their interests too greatly; however, it's widely recognised that many people in the criminal underworld are neither honourable nor gentlemen.

For example: Louis the Bear of the Dockyard Rats and Big Wilhelm of Inmack's Boys, two drug barons, have been trying to force each other out of the dope market in the Trade district for ages. Meanwhile, Bribable Bill, a corrupt Watchdog who deals in drugs, has been muscling in on their territory; Louis and Wilhelm realise that if they don't settle their differences soon they'll end up destroying each other's business, playing into Bribable Bill's hands. They agree that their biggest, toughest, ugliest mooks will fight it out at the Riverview; the winner's employer will get the Steam monopoly. This is an entirely appropriate agreement and an entirely honourable duel.

Another example: Bribable Bill has been engaged in his own battle with Bad Cop Barry for leadership of a clique of corrupt Watchdogs. Bill says to Barry "Hey, come on now, we can settle this like officers and gentlemen: let us duel that we may settle this with honour." Barry spits in Bill's face and says "Pah! Screw your honour - there's room for only one hardman in the Doghouse, and I don't care howo dirty the fight gets! Keep your pals close, Bill, you don't wanna get knifed in a dark alley one of these days..." Barry in this instance is under no obligation to duel Bill, although his refusal may make him seem dishonourable to some; those corrupt Watchdogs who value honour may transfer their support to Bill, but those corrupt Watchdogs who admire ruthlessness could transfer their support to Barry.

A third example: After Bribable Bill has won control of his clique of corrupt Watchdogs and Barry lies dead in a ditch, Bill is celebrating when Charlie the Pimp comes up to him. "I challenge you to a duel!" screams Charlie. "Er, what?" says Bribable Bill. Charlie yells "Before this day is out we will fight a duel, and I will win control of the Trading District from you!" Bill strokes his beard. "You're drunk," he says to Charlie, "and you are a silly man. Try to take the Trading District if you like; my boys will see you broken in the gutter." In this instance, Bill loses no honour by refusing the duel; there is no ongoing dispute to be resolved here, merely a brash challenge from a man fortified by drink.

Last example: Terry the Thug and Bruno the Boxer both reckon they're the best fighters in Horizon. They challenge one another to a duel and Bruno kicks Terry's arse. This is an entirely acceptable duel, because it's purely about showing off one's combat prowess.

Beggars: In past times it was considered bad luck to mistreat a beggar, but at the same time bad luck to employ them; culturally speaking, this led to a situation where people felt vaguely uncomfortable around the homeless, unwilling to give them too much help but not wanting to get forceful with them and make them go away. It turned out that this "bad luck" was due to many Beggars being curse-flinging cultists of the Mutilated One; with the death of the Beggar King (and the apparent death of the Mutilated One who possessed him), the loathesome Beggar-cult was no more, and yet people still associated the homeless with them. As such, they are feared and hated, and nobody cares what happens to them so long as it's something bad.

The Status Quo

On the other hand, the Mayoral Legions are well-trained, and the Ministry of Friendship does an excellent job of playing the Four Nations off against one another - any decision to begin a second Siege would have to be unanimous amongst the Four Nations, and the Four Nations don't have much in the way of common ground except "The Empire's never, ever going to happen again." If Jurica, for example, unilaterally decided to move against Horizon, Irgar, Vegdarbarra and Lasinia would swiftly come to Horizon's aid. On the other hand, under certain conditions the Four Nations could well decide to invade Horizon and either impose martial law or burn the city to the ground. This is a distinct possibility if: