Perilous Frontier: Fistful of Drachmas

Genre: Mix in equal parts True Grit, Otoyomegatari, and travelogues. Serve.
We are using Fate Accelerated, and the free SRD can be found [1]. Fudge dice roller is [2].
In play, highlight Aspects with brackets, like so [ ]. Use O for stress and FPs, replacing them with X when used.

The Assignment

By Her Majesty’s Command,
A 100 DRACHMA REWARD
FOR ARMED ROBBERY, GRAVE DIGGING, KIDNAPPING, POSSESSION AND DISTRIBUTION OF UNREGISTERED ARMS,
MURDER, INTERCEPTION OF MAIL, AND FRAUDULENT VISAS
JEANNE-LOUISE D’VILLENUEVE

THIS IS TO GIVE NOTICE,
The above reward of
ONE HUNDRED DRACHMAS
will be paid to any Persons who will give such information as results in the apprehension or destruction of this aforenamed Blackguard, and a further
TEN DRACHMAS
will be paid to any such who provide information resulting in the apprehension of each of her confederates,
or generally aid the investigation of her crimes

Where the aforenamed is a woman of 30 or so years of age, 5 feet and 4 inches tall, of wild mein, with bright blonde hair most scandalously unbound save for a single hairclip. It is reported that this marauder is a deserter of the former rank of CHEF D’ESCADRON from the Aquitanian Republic’s Armée d'Orient. Her apprehension may also be rewarded by the Republic of Aquitaine. Some claims have also been made that this criminal is a witch, but such superstitious balderdash is surely nothing but uncontrolled tongue wagging.

The Reward above will be paid by INSPECTOR LEE, who is authorized by the STRATEGOS SOHRAB and the Taewang’s HIGH COURT to do the same.

The Perilous Frontier

From the snowcapped Eastern mountains the Mykolan lance struck at the young phoenix of Gyerim, and feeling the prick of it she reared up and spread her mighty pinions in anger against a great coalition of enemies. It was not the first war to grace these lands, nor the last, but it was without a doubt the most ferocious yet. Over a million people died as massive armies surged back and forth across the plains of Pannonia, the rolling hills of Aquitaine, and the low countries of Anjou-Traansvaal.

This is not a story about that war.

As the dust settles, having vanquished and subdued her enemies, Basilissa Ionnina Allamanikoi turns her eye once more upon the North, beyond the mountains of Kush, to the endless steppe of Turan.

The nomads of the steppe still ride where the wind takes them. Villagers still eat, pray, and love just as their forefathers did centuries ago. Imperial soldiers still watch the horizon from battlements that have seen thousands of soldiers before them. Some call Turan a lawless place, for the banks and the courts and the factories have not yet come with the railroads slowly stitching its way North, but the steppe has a law all its own. You are that law. This is the Perilous Frontier.

Technology

The War of the Triple Alliance saw the first mass use of breach loading rifled artillery, heliographs, ironclads, metal cartridges, steam engines, railroads, telegraphs, and other such innovations in the context of warfare by the great powers. In the civil sphere, electricity is being harnessed, like fire and the horse before it, to do work. The general technological sophistication of the setting runs the gamut of the latter half of the 19th Century. Everything you'd expect to find in a Western.

Yeah yeah, whatever, what are the guns like?

All kinds of weapons can be found in Turan. Though most of the great powers, the Commonwealth of Vilna-Kuyaivan aside, maintain restrictive arms regulations the nature of the Perilous Frontier often requires a relaxation of these civil standards and the tolerance of such behavior as the formation of unregulated militias. Black powder revolvers and single-shot paper cartridge breachloaders like the Dreyse or Chassepot coexist alongside muzzle-loading rifles and pistols and various melee weapons. Even ancient weapons like the composite warbow or lance remain a prominent sight, kept alive by sport, tradition, and various martial disciplines despite being retired from the battlefield by the fyrelock. Advanced repeating rifles using cased bullets are still rare, generally only found as military issue or in the hands of noblemen.

In mechanical terms what arms your character has does not matter. However, if you have a weapon that could be described as special, an advanced firearm or a bow for example, it is advisable to take it a stunt or aspect depending on how it affects - or what it says about - your character. Or both at the same time.

Your Characters

Your characters are Akritai, a long standing tradition of border warfare; equal parts lawman, civil official, soldier and marauder. Centuries ago, the akritai were border lords and chieftains of allied tribes trusted to raid across the border. While generally unsupervised, these borderers were seconded to generals on campaign the various organs of the state when the situation called for their particular skills. Nowadays the akritai is a catch-all referring to a broad variety of Imperial deputies on the undeveloped northern border, along the steppe. No two akritai are the same, coming from all different walks of life and many from different nations entirely, but all have the same extraordinary character which tends to fit badly with “civilized” life.

You may also choose to be an officer sent by the Aquitanian Republic to such a delicate scenario as a former officer running around causing trouble for another nation. Remember to be extra starch-collared and froggy.

Name:
High Concept: [ ]
Trouble: [ ]
Fate Points: O O O
Stress: O O O
Aspects
[ ] , [ ]
Approaches
Stunts
Refresh: 3

Example

Name: Inspector Lee Jinhyun
High Concept: [The World's Greatest Inspector]
Trouble: [Surrounded by Conspiracy]
Fate Points: O O O
Stress: O O O
Aspects
[Loyal Only to Justice] , [Given the Dragon Subduing Mace]
Approaches
Clever (+3), Careful and Forceful (+2), Quick and Sneaky (+1), Flashy (+0)
Stunts
Dragon Subduing Mace: Because I have the Dragon Subduing Mace, I gain a +2 to Forceful when attempting to destroy an inanimate object.
The Fair Judge: Because I was The Fair Judge, once per session I know just where to find the right informant.
Refresh: 3