In the doomed city of Y’htill, all is not well. The cities trade houses are locked into the dance, a cycle of intrigue, deceit, decadence and vendetta without end. Slights given at a debauched revel leads inexorably to a plot to assassinate a courtesan, while the success of a plot to shame a rival, can only be suitably marked with feasting
Intrigue leads to debauchery and debauchery leads to Intrigue, in a downward spiral of decadence.

Such chaos has a cost. Soon, the phantom of truth shall appear, and in his wake, the king in yellow shall rise.
Loss

The Last hours of Yhtill is a roleplaying game about loss. The loss of status, the loss of virtue, and the loss of ones grasp on reality. To achieve this, the game is split into two acts. In the first act, you work to build and advance your house in a city that is charging Pall Mall towards chaos.

In the second act, the game becomes more difficult, slowly eroding the characters, and all they have achieved.  While in the first act, the characters could work to build up the legacy of their house, in the second act, the characters can only attempt to maintain their houses legacy, against slow erosion by the rising tides of entropy.

Who Do You Play
In the last hours of Yhtill, you play either as a Protagonist or as the Prophet of Truth.  If you are playing as a protagonist, you portray a member of one of the Y’htill’s Merchant aristocracy. You are bonded to your fellow protagonists by oaths, familial loyalty and honour.  You character is chosen from amongst an number of playbooks, each of which represents one of the cities archetypes. Be that a Familial patriarch( or martiarch), a virtuous spouse, a hot blooded Bravo, or some other aspect of the family and it’ retainers. As a protagonist in Act One your character should…
•   Take offense and get even
•   Fall in love and lust easily
•   Do whatever it takes to build your House’s Legacy
In Act Two your character should…
•   Seek payment for every imagined slight, before time runs out.
•   Make increasingly bad decisions about love and sex
•   Do whatever it takes to maintain your House’s Legacy




One player must play the Prophet of Truth, whose job it is, to ensure the Yhtill’s decent into decedents and horror. As the Prophet you should follow the following principles:
•   Address the characters, not the players
•   Name every person
•   Make every monster strange and tragic
•   Ask questions and use the answers
•   Make the city live and breath and scream.
In the Act One, your agendas are to:
•   Portray the beauty and intrigue of Yhtill
•   Build the characters house, and the players investment in the house.
•   Play to find out what happens.
In the Act Two, you agendas are to:
•   Portray the surreal beauty of Carcosa
•   Fill the characters’ lives lives with tragedy and fear
•   Play to tear down what the characters have built

Here is where I am at with the basic moves.

Engage in Gossip:
This ability allows a character to discover social information. It provides forwards for Form a Conspiracy and Undertake a Seduction.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Preveggenza. On a 10+, ask the Phantom of Truth three questions about the social affairs of Yhtill, OR take a forwards for a future social move. On a 7-9, ask the Phantom of Truth two questions about the social affairs of Yhtill, but there is a complication. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides one thing that you learn, and if you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Preveggenza. On a 10, ask the Phantom of Truth two questions about the social affairs of Yhtill, OR take a forwards for a future social move. Regardless, there is a complication. Choose one from Group A. On a 7-9, ask the Phantom of Truth one questions about the social affairs of Yhtill, but there is a serious complication. Choose one from Group A and one from Group B. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides one thing that you learn, and if you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Group A
•   You discover a damaging rumour about yourself in the process suffer a harm .
•   One of the things you discover is a lie, and you do not know it.
•   Your gossiping is observed, and someone takes offense, there by becoming your enemy.
Group B
•   Your partner in gossip will not meet you face to face. She keeps a veil of gossamer between you. The room is filled with the scent of rot and lillies.
•   The chamber where you meet to gossip, is filled with small marble statues of animal and plants, to perfectly formed to have been carved, and a glow with an inner light.
•   Your partner in gossip has clearly not eaten properly in some time, they are gaunt and hollow looking.



Take Another's Measure:
This ability allows a character to discover martial information. It provides forwards for Engage in a duel and Cause a Brawl.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Preveggenza. On a 10+, ask the Phantom of Truth a question about an opponent AND take a forward for a future Martial moves. On a 7-9, ask the Phantom of Truth a question about an opponent. However, there is a complication. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides one thing that you learn.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Preveggenza. On a 10, ask the Phantom of Truth a question about an opponent. However, there is a complication. Choose one from Group A. On a 7-9, ask the Phantom of Truth a question about an opponent.  However, there is a serious complication. Choose one from Group A and one from group B. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides one thing that you learn.
Group A
•   You become convinced you cannot win. Suffer a harm.
•   A crowd gathers to watch the fight.
Group B
•   Your opponent or opponents will turn up to the duel or brawl, unmasked, shaming you and themselves.
•   There are small pallid mushrooms growing on every surface around your opponent.



Form a Conspiracy:
This move represents the first step in trying to achieve something in the dance. It represents how well planned an intrigue is. This is a necessary step in undertaking both Commiting Vile Murder, and Springing the Trap. It tells you such things as if your plot is discovered before the act, and if you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+ Eleganza. On a 10+, the trap is set. On a 7-9, your plans are laid, but there is a complication. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides what happens, and if you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Eleganza. On a 10+, the trap is set, but there is a complication. Choose one from group A. On a 7-9, your plans are laid, but there will be a grave cost. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. On a 6 or less, the Phantom of Truth decides what happens, and if you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Group A
•   One of your rivals, discovers your plan, they must be silenced before you resolve the conspiracy.
•   You scheme is un-refined, and relies on chance as much as skill. Reduces your roll on your next Commiting Vile Murder, or Springing the Trap, by one.
•   Your scheme is brutal and without finesse, you Risk Scandal by your activities.
Group B
•   One of your agents cuts of their own face after the plan is finalised.
•   You opponent robs you of satisfaction, committing suicide rather than granting you victory.
•   One of your opponent’s lovers commits suicide, to join your opponent in death.



Seduce Someone
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Eleganza. On a 10+, you advances are meet gladly. On a 7-9, The subject of your advances accepts them, but things do not go smoothly. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, your advances are refused.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Eleganza. On a 10+, the subject of your advances accepts them, but things do not go smoothly. Choose one from Group A. On a 7-9, the subject of your advances accepts them, but things are seriously complicated. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. On a 6 or less, your advances are refused, and it becomes public knowledge. You risk scandal.
Group A
•   The subject of your advance is married. Their spouse discovers the infidelity. You or your proxy must fight a duel with the husband, once the second move is resolved
•   The affair is witnessed by a servant who cannot be trusted.
•   The subject of you affections has another suitor, they declare vendetta against you
Group B
•   The female subject of your seduction returns in the next scene. She has become on of the Maidens.
•   During your coupling, you partner calls out to Hastur, as though that is your name.
Your lovemaking is discovered by the servants, who join you, in what becomes a wild orgy.
•   During your lovemaking, a clump of your partners hair comes away in your hand. They notice, but show no sign of caring.



Engage in Amour
In Yhtill, sex is the currency of affection, and the harms that the Dance does to the spirit can most easily be healed by the affections of another. This move allows for the healing of harm, but those who use this method may risk scandal.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, you find some shred of meaningful intimacy in your amour's embrace, remove all harm. On a 7-9, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is not unqualified. Choose one from group A, On a 6 or less, you are betrayed, you risk scandal.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is not unqualified. Choose one and removes two Harm. On a 7-9, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is fraught with danger. Choose one from Group A and remove one harm, in addition to this, choose one from group B. On a 6 or less, you are betrayed, you risk scandal.
Group A
•   You are betrayed, and Risk Scandal.
•   You, or your Proxy, are challenged to a duel.
•   One of your lovers relatives discovers the affair and declares a vendetta against you.
Group B
•   As you lay, looking out of the window, watching the twin moons glide across the sky, you see them pass in front the towers of the royal palace.
•   Your dreams are troubled by the yellow sign.
•   You lover smells like lillies and slow rot



Commit Vile Murder
This is a very personal approach to killing. When you set out to kill an NPC, outside the context of a duel, you never fail so long as your plans are well laid, or you have intimate contact with them, but you Risk Scandal and being sent to the Mountebank to achieve your aim.
Prerequisite: You must have reasonable narrative opportunity to kill your target, most commonly thanks to having succeeded in a Seduce Someone or Form a Conspiracy move.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, you successfully kill your target, but you Risk Scandal. On a 7-9, you successfully kill your target and Risk Scandal in the process, but there are complications. Choose one from group A. On a 6 or less, you kill your target but are sent to the mountebank and risk scandal in the process.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, you successfully kill your target and Risk Scandal in the process, but there are complications. Choose one from group A. On a 7-9, you successfully kill your target and Risk Scandal in the process, but things become strange and complicated. Choose one from group A and one from group b. On a 6 or less, you kill your target but are sent to the mountebank and risk scandal in the process.
Group A
•   The murder turns into a bloody mess, you suffer two points of harm in the process.
•   The murder spirals out of control, and by the time it is done, some innocent is also dead.
•   One of the victims’ relatives declares vendetta against you.
Group B
•   In the moment before their death, your target falls into a mirror. The glass bubbles and flows around them, trapping them within, still alive, beating their fists against the inside of the mirror, a look of abject terror on their face. They will be this way always.
•   When it is all done, you look back at the chaos and debris made in the struggle. A decanter of wine was up ended; the contents has spread out, forming some strange rune or sigil upon the floor.
•   Your target is unmasked.



Springing the Trap:
With this move, you make your target the subject of scandal, or destroy their business or political ambitions.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Convinzione. On a 10+, your plan is successful. Choose one from Group A On a 7-9, your plan is successful, but there are complications. Choose one from group and group B. On a 6 or less, your plan fails.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Convinzione. On a 10+, your plan is successful. Choose one from Group A, but there is a complication so also choose one from group B. On a 7-9, your plan is successful. Choose one from Group A, but there is a serious complication so also choose one from Group B and one from Group C. On a 6 or less, your plan fails.
Group A
•   Your target’s reputation is destroyed.
•   Your target’s Business is destroyed.
•   Your house gains a point of resource.
Group B
•   In the process of damaging your target, your own house suffers, loose a resource.
•   Your actions result in a vendetta being declared against you.
One of your friends is dismayed by your action, and becomes an enemy.
Group C
•   Your target, in his moment of disgrace, is dragged off into the sky by a flock of winged monsters.
•   The geometry of your families manse, no longer seem to make sense.
•   You witness the public suicide of a member of the royal household.

Expose Your Partner to Scandal:
You partner is thrown to the wolves, success means you avoid being dragged with them.
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Convinzione. On a 10+, your Lover is drummed out of society, while no scandal finds its way to you. On a 7-9, the gossip's tongues wage, but there are complications. Choose one from group A, On a 6 or less, you are betrayed, you risk scandal.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Convinzione. On a 10+, the gossip's tongues wage, but there are complications . Choose one from group A. On a 7-9, , the gossip's tongues wage, but there are complications. Choose one from group A and  choose one from group B. On a 6 or less, your lover makes their moves in the wonderfully, and escapes social stigma .
Group A
•   Your lover is cast out of society, but your name is dragged into it. You Risk Scandal.
•   You, or your Proxy, are challenged to a duel.
•   One of your lover's reputations is badly damaged, but they will recover in time. They cannot appear in the next three scenes, unless made the target of an assassination.
Group B
•   As a result of you betrayal, your lover commits suicide. Their body is discovered in your quarters, attatched to a clockwork driven device of gears and pullies, that have made her into a marionette .
•   You hear in whispered tones, the reports of your lover's fate. They were bricked into a wall, still alive by their father, for the shame brought on their house.
•   On the street, a young girl stops and points at you. She cries out, "His judgement is near". Everybody stares.



Engage in a duel:
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Eleganza. On a 10+, you kill your opponent. On a 7-9, win the duel, but at a cost. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, you lose the duel, and are sent to the Mountebank due to your injuries.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+Eleganza. On a 10+, you win the duel, but at a cost. Choose one from group A. On a 7-9, win the duel, but at a grave cost. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. On a 6 or less, you lose the duel, and are sent to the Mountebank due to your injuries.
Group A
•   You kill your opponent, but you are badly injured in the process. You are sent to the Mountebank.
•   You win the duel, but your opponent survives to fight another day, despite serious injuries.
•   You win the duel, but only through low cunning. You kill your opponent, but Risk Scandal.
Group B
•   A friend of your opponent declares vendetta against you.
•   You opponent robs you of satisfaction, committing suicide rather than granting you victory.
•   One of your opponent’s lovers commits suicide, to join your opponent in death.



Cause a Brawl
Act One:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. On a 7-9 you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, you lose brawl, and are sent to the Mountebank due to your injuries.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+convinzione. On a 10+, you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. However, your victory comes at a cost; choose one from group A. On a 7-9 you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. However, your victory comes at a serious cost; choose one from group A and group B. On a 6 or less, you lose brawl, and are sent to the Mountebank due to your injuries.
Group A
•   You drive off your opponents, but you are badly injured in the process. You are sent to the Mountebank.
•   You drive off your opponents, but one of them is killed in the brawl.
•   You drive off your opponents, but only through low cunning. You kill your opponent, but Risk Scandal.
Group B
•   The brawl is broken up by a manifestation of Carcosa.
•   The brawl is broken up by a woman weeping tears of blood.
•   An NPC ally dies in a meaningless and tragic manner during the fight; such and slipping and falling on their own dagger.



Sent to Mountebank
Act One:
Roll 2D6+preveggenza. On a 10+, your treatment is successful, but you need rest and cannot take part in the next scene. On a 7-9, your treatment was successful, but there were complications. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, the treatment does you little good, suffer a consequence, a harm and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you cover.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+preveggenza. On a 10+, your treatment is successful, but there were complications. Choose one from Group A. You need rest and cannot take part in the next scene. On a 7-9, your treatment was successful, but there were serious complications. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. You need rest and cannot take part in the next scene.  On a 6 or less, the treatment does you little good, suffer a consequence, two harm and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you cover.
Group A
•   Your wounds may not be serious, but they are numerous. Suffer two harm.
•   Your recovery takes far longer than normal. You cannot act in the next two scenes.
•   Your recovery is not without consequence. Select one physical consequence and mark it off.
Group B
•   The only mountebank availible is a drunkard, and whoever took you to them suffers one harm, from anxiety over your treatment.
•   You wake screaming from unconsciousness, afraid of something you know is coming but cannot name. You stab the Mountebank to death with your stiletto in your blind panic. 
•   Your face heals with terribly scarring, which obliterate some previously distinctive feature.



Risk Scandal
Act One:
Roll 2D6+Reputazione. On a 10+, society accepts your actions as well played steps in the dance, the whispers about your actions are filled with jealousy and awe. On a 7-9, society for the most part accepts your actions as well played steps in the dance, but there are complications. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, your reputation is damaged and you must avoid society until things die down. Suffer a social consequence and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you avoid scandal.
Act Two:
Roll 2D6+ Reputazione. On a 10+, society for the most part accepts your actions as well played steps in the dance, but there are  complications. Choose one from Group A. On a 7-9, society for the most part accepts your actions, but there are serious complications. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. You need rest and cannot take part in the next scene. On a 6 or less, your reputation is damaged and you must avoid society until things die down. Suffer a social consequence and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you avoid scandal.
Group A
•   Select an NPC who has previously been an alley, they turn against you.
•   You avoid society until things die down. You cannot act in the next two scenes.
•   The sling and arrows of Yhtill's gossip land true, there will be consequences for your reputation. Select one social consequence and mark it off.
Group B
•   Upon your return to society, you (or a male in your household) are challenged to a duel.
•   You experience terrible nightmare about the lake becoming roiling cloud. Your family find you outside in the street naked and raving.
•   You develop a skin condition, the slowly makes your flesh become pallid and insensitive to pain. It is like the flesh of a corpse.

Engage in Amour

Act One:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, you find some shred of meaningful intimacy in your amour's embrace, remove all harm. On a 7-9, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is not unqualified. Choose one from group A, On a 6 or less, you are betrayed, you risk scandal.


Act Two:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is not unqualified. Choose one and removes two Harm. On a 7-9, while you find some intimacy in your amours embrace, it is fraught with danger. Choose one from Group A and remove one harm, in addition to this, choose one from group B. On a 6 or less, you are betrayed, you risk scandal.

Group A

• You are betrayed, and Risk Scandal.
• You, or your Proxy, are challenged to a duel.
• One of your lovers relatives discovers the affair and declares a vendetta against you.

Group B

• As you lay, looking out of the window, watching the twin moons glide across the sky, you see them pass in front the towers of the royal palace.
• Your dreams are troubled by the yellow sign.
• You lover smells like lillies and slow rot

Sent to Montebank

Act One:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, your treatment is successful, but you need rest and cannot take part in the next scene. On a 7-9, your treatment was successful, but there were complications. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, the treatment does you little good, suffer a consequence, a harm and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you cover.

Act Two:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, your treatment is successful, but there were complications. Choose one from Group A. You need rest and cannot take part in the next scene. On a 7-9, your treatment was successful, but there were serious complications. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. You need rest and cannot take part in the next scene.  On a 6 or less, the treatment does you little good, suffer a consequence, two harm and you may not appear in the next two scenes as you cover.


Group A
•   Your wounds may not be serious, but they are numerous. Suffer two harm.
•   Your recovery takes far longer than normal. You cannot act in the next two scenes.
•   Your recovery is not without consequence. Select one physical consequence and mark it off.

Group B
•   The only montebank availible is a drunkard, and whoever took you to them suffers one harm, from anxiety over your treatment.
•   You wake screaming from unconciousness, afraid of something you know is coming but cannot name. You stab the Montebank to death with your stiletto in your blind panic. 
•   Your face heals with terribly scarring, which obliterate some previously distinctive feature.

Engage in a duel

Act One:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, you kill your opponent. On a 7-9, win the duel, but at a cost. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, you lose the duel, and are sent to the Montebank due to your injuries.

Act Two:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, you win the duel, but at a cost. Choose one from group A. On a 7-9, win the duel, but at a grave cost. Choose one from group A, and one from group B. On a 6 or less, you lose the duel, and are sent to the Montebank due to your injuries.

Group A
•   You kill your opponent, but you are badly injured in the process. You are sent to the Montebank.
•   You win the duel, but your opponent survives to fight another day, despite serious injuries.
•   You win the duel, but only through low cunning. You kill your opponent, but Risk Scandal.

Group B
•   A friend of your opponent declares vendetta against you.
•   You opponent robs you of satisfaction, committing suicide rather than granting you victory.
•   One of your opponent’s lovers commits suicide, to join your opponent in death.


Cause a Brawl
Act One:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. On a 7-9 you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. Choose one from Group A. On a 6 or less, you lose brawl, and are sent to the Montebank due to your injuries.

Act Two:
Roll 2D6+[skill]. On a 10+, you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. However, your victory comes at a cost; choose one from group A. On a 7-9 you drive off your opponents, suffering one harm. However, your victory comes at a serious cost; choose one from group A and group B. On a 6 or less, you lose brawl, and are sent to the Montebank due to your injuries.

Group A
•   You drive off your opponents, but you are badly injured in the process. You are sent to the Montebank.
•   You drive off your opponents, but one of them is killed in the brawl.
•   You drive off your opponents, but only through low cunning. You kill your opponent, but Risk Scandal.

Group B
•   The brawl is broken up by a manifestation of Carcosa.
•   The brawl is broken up by a woman weeping tears of blood.
•   An NPC  ally dies in a meaningless and tragic manner during the fight; such and slipping and falling on their own dagger.

The Last Hours of Yhtill.

Prologue
 
Yhtill is a game about downward spirals and their eventual conclusion in tragedy.  It is about inevitability, and it is about the king in yellow.
The Last Hours of Yhtill is a Hack  of apocalypse world that draws on the king in yellow, a short story by Robert W. Chambers, that deals in part with the fictional cities of carcosa and Yhtill, and an entity names the King in Yellow. The Last Hours of Yhtill is about the coming of The King in Yellow to the city of Yhtill, and the cities transformation into Carcosa.
The Last Hours of Yhtill uses Apocalypse world to drive the Characters and the setting into a downward spiral of intrigue and decadence, while the MC introduces elements of the weird and the horrifying.

Core Concept: A game of Two Acts
Like the fabled play, The King in Yellow, The Last Hours of Yhtill is a game of two acts. The system drives the play through the first act and into the second. The games system changes significantly between acts.

The first act emphasises the self-destructive nature of humanity using agenda’s to push the players to enter a downward spiral of intrigue and decadence, while the using advancement system and moves reward them pushing deeper into this cycle.  They can build power and influence, at the cost of everything becoming more chaotic.

In the second act, moves change and conspire with the agendas of the game to ensure that things only get worse for the characters, as the king in yellows approaches. Their influence is destroyed, their agency corrupted, and their grip of reality eroded, as everything they worked for is washed away in the fog rising from the lake of Hali.

Core Concept: The Clock Tower
The Last Hours of Yhtill starts 26 hours before the cities fall. These are not literal hours, but rather scenes. At the conclusion of a scene, the clocktower ticks forwards one hour, pushing the game closer to the appearance of the king in yellow. Certain moves, allow a player to advance the clock towers progress, in exchange of a benefit or success.

When the clock tower strikes thirteen for the first time, the Phantom of truth arrives, and announces the coming of the king in yellow. This ends the first act and begins the second act.

When the clock tower strikes thirteen for the second time, the king in yellow arrives, ending the game. Yhtill becomes Carcosa, and the king rules all, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.”