Parley

Parley is when two opposing side (whether a group or an individual) formally discuss their differing goals. The side requesting the Parley is considered the Initiator. The side agreeing to the Parley is considered the Grantor. The convention of requesting to Parley with opposing elohim is respected by all when not actively involved in War or human events either side is actively involved in. Requesting a Parley during War requires Swaying the highest Rank/Power elohim. To initiate a Parley outside of War, no Strike may have been attempted by any characters.

Once the Parley has been granted, the two parties will select up to 3 Delegates to represent them in the Parley. After Delegates have been selected, they approach and the Parley begins, consisting of 3 Stages: Introduction, Response, and Conclusion.

Parley Stages: Introduction, Response, Conclusion

Stage Flow: Perceiving, Interacting

First, the Delegates of each side will take up positions 7” away from the other side. Non-Delegates will remain at least 7” behind where the Delegates stand after the approach. These distances can be closer when the situation and setting dictate. As the parties are taking up their positions, each Delegate who desires to can make 1 attempt to Perceive the other side.

Once the Delegates are in place, the Parley will begin. At the beginning of each Stage one Initiator Delegate will be able to make 1 more attempt to Perceive information and then one Initiator Delegate will attempt a Social Interaction. After that, the Grantor side will get to follow the same process.

The Delegate should act out or describe how they intend for their Interaction to unfold. While words are the most common element focused on, nonverbal behaviors such as tone and demeanor can also play a strong role in determining how a sentiment is received. The Host may determine that Boon or Bane is warranted depending on how reasonable, relevant, plausible, and persuasive the Delegate is.

To determine the Adjustments for the Interaction, compare the attempting Delegate’s Skill in the Attribute used to the matching Composure of the other side. The other side’s Composure is the average of all of that side's Delegates Composures in that Motive (add their relevant Composures together then divide by the number of Delegates and round down). Relative Tiers are not considered. Instead, Area Presence considering the Magnitudes of all elohim from both sides, not just the Delegates, will affect the Adjustments for each Interaction. Each level of Area Presence adds 1 Adjustment in favor of the side commanding the Presence.

A Delegate assuming or remaining in Defensive Stance during a Stage does gives them the +3 bonus to Perceive and will give them +2 to their Social Composures. However, also results in a 2 Adjustment penalty to that character's Social Skills as well as giving a 1 Adjustment penalty to Interactions made by other allied Delegates during that Stage. It is difficult to be persuasive while you or those with you are cautious and guarded.

Using Haven/Asylum will remove the Ministering Spirit from being a Delegate if none of the opposing Delegates are of sufficient Tier to be unaffected. If only some of the Delegates would be affected, the Host will determine an appropriate result.

Gaining Terms 

• Supreme Success =  2 Major Terms and 2 Minor Terms

• Superb Success =  1 Major Term

• Success =  1 Minor Term

• Near Success =  no Terms gained

• Failure =  opponent gains 1 Minor Term

As Delegates press their case, they may win the ability to choose Terms of War that will give one side an advantage once War begins, should the Parley not be completely won by either side. A Success with an Interaction awards 1 Minor Term, while a Failure awards the opponent 1 Minor Term. A Near Success does not award any Terms. A Superb Success awards 1 Major Term and a Supreme Success awards 2 Major Terms and 2 Minor Terms.

Winning the Parley 

If after at any point during the Parley one side causes the other side to be Persuaded, the Parley concludes and that side has lost. The losing side will not pursue War with the victorious side.

The Initiator makes their Interaction first which means they can bring to a degree that would cause them penalties in the middle of a Stage. It is possible for the Grantor to become Persuaded by a Supreme Success and lose the Parley immediately without getting to respond.

Mutually Concluding the Parley 

Sometimes both sides can readily agree and no persuasion is necessary. If both parties can agree, the Parley can be concluded at any point. Likewise, the Parley can be concluded by mutual agreement to proceed to War. If this happens, War will ensue and it will be as if the Parley had been completed and the current state was the final results. Members of both sides will start with any Influence their side accumulated, Terms of War can be declared, and War can begin.

Breaking Parley

Any side can choose to break the Parley at any point. This is generally a sign of either fear, weakness, or disregard of the other side. The side breaking the Parley has lost their composure in some way, be it anger, fear, frustration, impatience, or even attempted subterfuge. As a result, any Social Interactions targeting the side who broke the Parley will have Boon equal to the number of Stages that were not completed during the first Cycle of the resulting War.

Non-Delegates seen or Detected past a line perpendicular to their Delegates or within 7” of their Delegates will break a Parley. Delegates equipping or manifesting a weapon, or any character attempting to Strike an opponent will immediately break a Parley. Using or maintaining any Spiritual Effects in the Instrument/Article or Presence Families, newly targeting an opponent with Purge/Undoing, Bind/Bondage, or initiating Barrier will also break a Parley. Maintaining a pre-existing Bind/Bondage or Barrier will not break a Parley. Singing any Songs will break a Parley. Also, an elohim Expressing their Glory will break a Parley.

Terms of War

If no side has won the Parley by its end, there will often be a War afterward. Both sides will form battle lines 7" from the center line of the Parley. As with the Parley, if this distance is not practical due to location, the Host will adjust as needed. Characters choose their starting positions from the Parley line, going from highest to lowest Rank/Power using Honor/Prestige as a tie breaker.

While the Parley may not have totally avoided War, it may result in the War coming to a quicker resolution. If either side earned any Terms of War, they will get to declare them now. The side with the least Influence will declare one Term of War first and the parties will alternate declaring a Term of War until both parties have declared all the Terms they earned during the Parley. All Major Terms are declared first and then both parties can begin declaring their Minor Terms.

The following list are some examples of Terms of War. However, feel free to be creative and cooperate with the Host to make other Terms of War that are fitting in the situation.

Major Terms

• Melee Start (1-2" from Parley line)
• Mid-Range Start (4-5” from Parley line)
• Distant Start (9-12” from Parley line)
  
• No Strikes during first Segment
• No Spiritual Effects during first Segment
• No Songs during first Segment (Minstrels can choose Songs during their second Segment as if it were their first)
• Champion Battle (1 Major Term plus an additional Minor Term if there is at least a 3 Rank/Power difference between the strongest possible Champions. 1 additional Major Term if there is at least a 1 Tier or 7 Rank/Power difference between the Champions. If the difference is in favor of the opposing side, the Champion Battle could be a Minor Term instead.) 
• Offset an opposing Major Term

Minor Terms

• Start with 1 Strike/Maneuver Readied (1 character)

• Start with 1 Spiritual Effect active (1 character)

• Start with 1 Song active (1 character)

• Adjust Starting Range by 3”  (1 character)

• No Social Interactions targeting a specified human during the first Segment (or additional Segments if chosen repeatedly).

• Offset an opposing Minor Term