1568
Introduction
The City is everything.  Long ago thanks to war among the people and the interference from the outer planes, there lies nothing left for humanoids but the City.  Along with the city there are small villages and outposts that are slowly springing up from colonists who bravely travel the magic-scarred wilderness known as the Outlands. 
The population of the City measures into the millions with sprawling streets and neighborhoods that span 4,500 square miles.  To keep this many people in check, the ruling class has been divided into houses which manage different districts with their own sets of local laws and guards to enforce these laws.  Each of the ruling families answer directly to the Prince who keeps them in check by rewarding and punishing families through the distribution of land and power.  The only other entities that hold any sway in the city are the church and the guilds.  They are allowed to deal with the public and the ruling families any way they wish, though they have to answer to the Prince as well. 
While the default setting for the game is medieval fantasy, it very well could be any time period, imaginary or real.  What matters is that the bulk of the gameplay revolves around the City and the intrigue between the families.  
Playing the Game
The players are each one of the top ruling families of the City.  Each game session represents a key event occurring within a five year period.  Each player takes control of a member of their house as they deal with the intricate parts of the five year event.  Just because the families are jockeying for power doesn’t mean players can’t and shouldn’t work together.  Each of the sessions should revolve around a major plot point such as an attack by denizens of the outer planes or riots caused by food shortages.   Players can still work to solve the crisis while working out ways to further their family agenda. 
Building your Family
At the start of the campaign, each player will fill out their family character sheet.  There are four categories for each family that represent different powers and influence in the city.  Each of these four categories is also used directly to design the playable characters for the family.  In many cases the higher the number the better but there are some factions with whom having a high number can be a liability.  
The four categories are: Reputation, Wealth, History, and Piety.  
Reputation:  This is the current standing that your family has in the city.  The flavor of the reputation is up to the player.  Are they well known for keeping their word or will they crush you and everyone you’ve ever known if you cross them? 
Wealth: Your family’s value in both asset and liquid form. 
History:  History stands for your family’s past and a higher number indicates renown of some type. 
Piety:  Piety is your relationship with the church and or your reputation for keeping up with religious traditions and values. 
At the start of the game, each player is assigned 8 points to distribute among the four categories.  Each category starts with one point already allocated.  Players may not remove this point.  
Each of these categories are used when attempting to influence or gain favor in the city or when attempting specific tasks.   Players roll 2d6 when attempting these tasks and then add the number from the appropriate category.   For example, if you’re attempting to influence the church and you have piety of 5, you would add 5 to your 2d6 roll.  However, certain factions will have different modifiers.  The same character may find it in their best interest to deal with the thieves’ guild in order to stop a rival from making a crucial trade.  The thieves’ guild works off wealth but hates the church, so you would subtract your piety from your wealth score and add that to your 2d6 roll.  This family has a wealth of two, so their roll modifier would be -3.  
Creating your Character
The starting stats also translate into how your main character is played.   Each of the 4 stats translates to your character stats: Reputation = Physical, Wealth= Learning, History= Social Grace, and Piety = Devotion. So a 4 in reputation translates to a 4 in physical.  The characters are a reflection of their family house as a whole.  Their personality is their own however.   
Each of these stats drills down to your skills.  There are four per category. You spend the points from your stats to each of these skills.  You can have a skill at zero if you wish.  Skills are used to overcome obstacles in the game.   Example, you have a 4 in Physical, you could have a 1 in each of the physical skills, or place all four points into strength.   Health is a special score.  It represents your ability to dodge or sustain damage without being hurt.   Every character starts with 10 hp and they receive one extra hp per point of health.  Health is explained further under Combat. 
Physical – strength, dexterity, stamina, health.  
Learning –general knowledge, specific knowledge, common man, nobility.  
Social Grace- rumors, family histories, tactfulness, wit.  
Devotion- righteousness, ceremony, indulgences, generosity.
The skills have been left open ended to allow both the GM and players freedom to use certain skills to solve problems.  The GM should allow for creativity but use caution.  Using the wit skill may very well allow you to outtalk a mugger but it probably wouldn’t work very well to deter a pack of wild dogs.  
Developing the City
There should be a number of smaller factions in the City.  At the beginning of the game, each player creates several organizations or groups that make up the various power bases of the City.  Each player will create an organization that is allied with one of the other players.   Players will need to have some discussion and coordination during this.  The player who creates each of these groups has a Favor from that group, but they are allies of the faction of the player for whom they are formed.  (eg if Alice creates the Weaving Guild for Bob, the Weavers are one of Bob's supporters, but the Weavers also owe Alice's faction a Favor.  It should be noted that Bob does not owe Alice a favor, only the guild).
Each player should also create one faction that is opposed to the City in some way.  Examples could be wasteland survivors who want to take over the city, planer creatures, revolutionaries, and so forth.
Favors 
One of the strongest tools available to all characters are the favors granted by other (NPC) factions of the City.  These may be able to be called upon to muster active support for a particular thing a player wants to accomplish with the help of that group (or, alternately, to blunt the use of that group by another faction which is trying to do something detrimental to that player).  Most favors are specific to an individual, though sometimes, a connection between two groups will last for a long period of time.  
After a favor has been called, the disposition of the group towards the individual or group to whom the favor was granted will need to be re-determined.  Results will range from "We are still close allies" to "This settles us and we are free of this burden" and all steps in between.  After calling in a favor, roll 2d6 and add your family’s reputation score.    
Resolving a relationship Roll Results
2-4: The guild or organization is done with you.  Their debts are paid and they have no desire for future interactions. 
5-7:  Their debts are settled however they will probably work with you in the future. 
8-10: Your dealings have left you strong allies.  +1 on your roll the next time you attempt to acquire a Favor from that specific guild. 
11+ : +2 on the next time you attempt to acquire a Favor from that specific guild. 

Dealing with Guilds and Organizations
The game incorporates role playing and the use of your family stats.  If you were attempting to make friends with an organization and perhaps gain a favor you would do it during the course of the game.  The player would declare their intentions with the GM and it can be roleplayed however the group wishes.  When it comes time to acquire the favor the player rolls and adds their applicable category.  Going back to the example given under “Building Your Family” the character attempts to influence a bishop to help him declare another family in disfavor with the church.  The character rolls 2d6 and adds their piety score.  
Receiving a Favor Roll Results
2: You have angered the organization with either your request or the way it was phrased.  You are escorted away and told not to return for some time. 
3-8:  You are heard but the organization declines you this time.
9+:  The organization decides to grant your Favor. 
Creating Guilds and Organizations
Favors are an important plot point to the game and acquiring and using them can have huge impact on the story.  Fleshing out these organizations is rather simple.  When you create a group, decide what they like and what they hate.   The Thieves’ guild for example has a love for money but a strong hatred of the righteous.  So on their sheet you would simply write Thieves’ Guild: + wealth, - piety.  Perhaps you are attempting to run for an office and you want the Historian’s Guild to write up a small pamphlet about your family’s philanthropy.  You could do Historian’s Guild: +reputation, +history.  
Combat
Combat is handled by a 2d6 roll with either the attacker’s strength or dexterity score added to the roll.  Attacks are against the defender’s health score plus any armor score they have from equipped armor.   A character with a health of 4 and a shield of 2 would have a defense score of 6. If the attacker overcomes the defender’s defense score, they hit.  Damage is equal to the applicable stat being utilized to attack.  
Weapons and Armor
Weapons and armor can be of any type to add flavor to the game but they all have the same base effects.  Weapons, both melee and ranged give a +2 to hit.  Characters will add the applicable stat, strength for melee and ranged for dexterity.  Armor consists of shields, helms, and suits.  Each give a plus 2 to defense score.  However, players can ONLY equip two pieces of armor without penalty.  Wearing three pieces gives a -1 to strength and dexterity.  
The death of a character will result in the loss of one point of the family’s reputation.   The player is then allowed to create a new member of the family using the NEW stats that reflect the loss of reputation.  Reputation can go into the negatives. 
Between Sessions
After each session families are allowed to reassign 2 of their points among Reputation, Wealth, History, and Piety.  If the player lost a character during the session, they do not regain the lost point automatically.   
The only way for a character to regain a point or earn a new point is to do something outstanding for the city and to receive public acknowledgement from the Prince.