Created by Christine Ursiny
1. The Game: Bond or Die
Welcome to The Eyrie, the cutthroat military academy where you and your fellow Aspirants have formed a Fated Bond with an ancient magical creature. This RPG is focused on high-stakes teamwork under pressure to graduate; you must survive the brutal, lethal trials of The Reckoning and work together to expose the dark secrets of the oppressive Staff.
2. Character Creation: Set Up
Step 1: Roll for Your Identity
Roll on the table below to determine your: Descriptor, Species/Skill, and Sector.
| Roll 1D6 | 1-2: Descriptor (Your Personality) | 3-4: Creature (Your Power) | 5-6: Sector (Your Academy Niche) |
| 1 | Rookie (Terrified, but fast) | Great Wyrm (Fire Breath, Burn) | Wing Leadership (Command & Tactics) |
| 2 | Washed-Up (Skeptical, but wise) | Gryphon (Piercing Shriek, Shatter) | Archives Guard (Security & Surveillance) |
| 3 | Unhinged (Aggressive, reckless) | Sky-Lion (Air Magic, Soar) | Scouting & Recon (Stealth & Intelligence) |
| 4 | Ambitious (Political, slick) | Drake (Heavy Armor, Shrug Off) | Healer/Scribe (Lore, Medicine & Support) |
| 5 | Reluctant (Relatable, empathetic) | Shadow Serpent (Illusion, Vanish) | Weapons Master (Gear & Melee Combat) |
| 6 | Grizzled (Experienced, damaged) | Tempest Owl (Lightning, Stun) | Logistics/Wartime Engineer (Supply & Defense) |
Step 2: Set Your Stats (The Bond)
You have two opposed stats. Both start at 3.
| Stat | Focus | When to use this stat… |
| RIDER | Discipline, Cunning, Control | Lying, persuading rivals, carefully piloting your creature, remembering academic lore, or solving puzzles. |
| BEAST | Instinct, Raw Power, Speed | Mauling, flying recklessly fast, using elemental magic, shrugging off damage, or terrifying enemies. |
3. Action Resolution
When you attempt an action and the outcome is uncertain and has real consequences, the Game Master (GM) will tell you which stat to use, and you roll a single.
- Succeed: If your roll is equal to or under the stat, you succeed!
- Fail: If your roll is over the stat, you fail!
The “Expert Edge” Rule (Specialized Skills)
If you use one of your character’s unique strengths, you get a significant edge:
- Creature Skill: If you invoke your Creature’s unique Species Skill (Burn, Shatter, Vanish, etc.), you may treat your BEAST stat as 4 for this single roll (even if it is lower or higher).
- Sector Niche: If you use an action directly related to your Sector (Weapons Master with gear, Archives Guard spotting a trap), you may treat your RIDER stat as 4 for this single roll (even if it is lower or higher).
4. The Shifting Bond (The Core Mechanic)
Your stats are never safe; they shift based on your successes and failures. Keep the two numbers balanced!
| Trigger | Effect on Your Stats | The Story Behind the Shift |
| Pride (Success) | Move 1 point from BEAST to RIDER | You succeed flawlessly through intellect and showboating. Your ego grows; you rely more on cunning. |
| Guts (Failure) | Move 1 point from RIDER to BEAST | Your plan fails, and panic or instinct takes over. You ditch tactics and rely on raw, animal survival. |
| Voluntary: Yell at your Creature | Move 1 point from RIDER to BEAST | You willingly give in to anger or fear, forcing your creature to obey. You gain wildness, but lose control. |
| Voluntary: Flashback to Study | Move 1 point from BEAST to RIDER | You interrupt the action to recall an academic insight, bringing logic to the chaos. You rein in your wildness. |
The End of the Line: When a Stat Hits 6
If either stat reaches 6, you have gone too far and are out of the game!
- RIDER reaches 6: You become corrupted by self-serving ambition. You betray your squad to join the oppressive Staff.
- BEAST reaches 6: You have completely Lost the Bond. Your creature flips out and rejects you. You are expelled (or killed).
5. Quick Q&A:
| Question | Answer |
| When do I roll? | Only when the outcome is uncertain and a failure would create a consequence (danger, lost time, etc.). |
| What happens if I fail? | The GM will give you a Narrative Setback (losing time, attracting Staff attention, your creature suffers a temporary trouble). A Stat Shift only happens if that failure triggers Guts (forces a panic response). |
| How does the Expert Edge work? | If you use your special skill, you treat your stat as 4 for that one roll. This is the simplest way to gain a powerful, reliable advantage without rolling extra dice. |
| Why is a high stat bad? | A high stat makes you better at those actions, but puts you closer to the End of the Line. A BEAST of 5 is an unstoppable force, but one failure could mean they lose their creature forever. |
| Who controls the creature? | You do! It’s an extension of you. If you want to fly carefully, that’s RIDER. If you want to use elemental fire, that’s BEAST. |