Temperance
Balance, Moderation, Negotiation, Patience, Stoicism, Boundless Chill, The Golden Mean Fallacy, Habit, Watering Down Your Drinks
Temperance eats a lot of vegetables. Temperance has a gym membership. Temperance washes the bedsheets with the laundry. Temperence pays their bills on time. Temperance has their shit together.
Temperance is often confused for abstinence. “Temperance” movements in the past have pushed for the total prohibition of alcohol, for example: but that’s not a very good example of moderation1.
Anyways, that’s kinda given Temperance the impression of being something of a wet blanket, when — at worst, they’re just being practical. More of a warm blanket: because I’m something of a nerd, I believe that developing good habits through sustainable, thoughtful routines is a route to lasting happiness.
Relax, take your time, make a little bit of forward progress every day.
Friends & Foes
The Bartender Therapist is always there, wiping a glass, always willing to lend an ear2. Their advice tends to be phrased in the form of questions.
The Foreign Diplomat is here to be very friendly and upbeat as they advocate on behalf of a distant, powerful, foul-tempered, unpredictable, violent entity who doesn’t have your best interests at heart3.
The Scorpio is a particularly dangerous foe, because, while they’re ruthless in their campaign for power and influence, they’re also thoughtful, careful, organized, and take good care of their subordinates. They command virulent loyalty among their followers, and they have an awful tendency to befriend or employ their enemies: it is a terrible shame they’re fighting against you.
The Lode Balancer believes that maintaining a perfect balance in the cosmos is vitally important. Unfortunately, the thing that they believe that’s out of balance is something that would be considered monstrous to remove a lot of, say, for example, “humans” or “cities”4.
The Bonsai Gardener is unbelievably ancient and has been shaping the flow of society for eons — by pruning large parts of society that don’t adhere to their vision.
Hooks
Your players have been dispatched as diplomats to a distant nation to try their best to head off a war.
Your players must use all of their fanciful powers and skills to solve a series of basic, mundane tasks like “fixing the sink” and “paying the bills”.
Locations
The Scales are a part of the dungeon carefully balanced around a fulcrum: if the stuff on one side is heavier, it’ll sink.
Which is different from The Scales, a gargantuan mountain range in the shape of an ancient dragon.
Not at all like The Scales, a currency exchange service that somehow manages to have the same exact stall in every city in the world, staffed by the same exact staff member.
The Scales, on the other hand, is a legendary music academy that only accepts one student out of every thousand applicants.
Then there’s The Scales, a tavern for lizardfolk, featuring a hot rock sauna and shrimp skewers.
Let’s not forget The Scales, a collection of objects considered unusual in size.
Or The Scales, a fish shop with the fattest, happiest, friendliest cat you’ve ever met living inside. If you ask the staff, they’ll sell you anchovies to feed him.5
Treasures
The Balance Patch is one of a set of hundreds of sticky patches, coming in “lighter” or “heavier” variants. When applied to an object, they make it lighter. Or heavier.
The Silver Tongue is a viscous silver potion that, when consumed, coats the tongue and the inside of the mouth — granting, temporarily, near supernatural levels of persusasion.
Names
Libra, Pendo, Trutina, Chastity, Harmony, Patience, Prudence, Constance, Clement, Amity