### **Description**

Those who master the art of **Inquire** understand that information is the most dangerous weapon. They can turn idle chatter into leverage, peel back falsehoods, and connect threads others overlook. This tree represents the gradual honing of questions into scalpels, and networks into webs that no secret escapes.

Whether as spies, interrogators, or social chameleons, these specialists move unseen in the flow of information, their power rooted in what they know—and what they can make others reveal.

### **Overview of Tiers and Progression**

- **Tier 1 (Inquire 1+)**: Learn to dig deeper and notice unintended truths.
- **Tier 2 (Inquire 2+)**: Develop pressure tactics and access to rumor networks.
- **Tier 3 (Inquire 3+)**: Wield secrets like weapons and leverage trust.
- **Tier 4 (Inquire 4+)**: Become an apex extractor of information, bypassing obstacles and sensing secrets at a glance.

## Abilities
**Cost:** Each tier costs **Tier × 3 Marks**, spent from **Inquire or other leading Social skills**.  
**Advancement:** You must unlock **Tier 1** before accessing later tiers.

### **Tier 1 Abilities** _(Inquire 1+)_
| **Name**              | **Type**    | **Action/Duration**                     | **Roll (if active)**                          | **Description**                                                                                                  |
| --------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Probing Question**  | **Effect**  | Uses the same action as the social roll | Attaches to any social roll using Inquire     | Mark one die as **Effect**. If the marked die succeeds, you learn something the target didn’t intend to reveal.  |
| **Blend Into Gossip** | **Effect**  | 1 Scene (gathering information)         | Attaches to Cunning + Inquire (or Streetwise) | Mark one die as **Cooperative**. If it succeeds, allies who act on your leads in the same scene gain **+1 die**. |
| **Targeted Inquiry**  | **Passive** | Always on                               | —                                             | When focusing on a single specific topic, gain **+1 die** to all Inquire rolls until you switch focus.           |
### **Tier 2 Abilities** _(Inquire 2+)_
|**Name**|**Type**|**Action/Duration**|**Roll (if active)**|**Description**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Push Too Far**|**Effect**|Uses the same action as the social roll|Attaches to Inquire vs. Spirit + Focus|Mark a die as **Corrupted**. If it succeeds, the target is forced to reveal the truth but suffers 1 **Slight** toward you.|
|**Rumor Net**|**Active**|10 minutes downtime or 1 Scene|Cunning + Inquire or Streetwise|Once per scene, declare the existence of a relevant rumor. Extra successes let you pinpoint **who spread it or where it leads**.|
|**Line of Questioning**|**Passive**|Always on|—|After asking **three questions** in one scene, the target suffers **–1 die** to resist further questioning.

### **Tier 3 Abilities** _(Inquire 3+)_
| **Name**                | **Type**    | **Action/Duration**                     | **Roll (if active)**                              | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| ----------------------- | ----------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Expose the Lie**      | **Effect**  | Uses the same action as the social roll | Presence + Inquire vs. Deception + Cunning        | Mark a die as **Persistent**. If the marked die succeeds, call out the lie and the liar suffers 1 **Slight**. You may later cash in the Persistent die for **+1 success** when pressing them further. |
| **Interrogator’s Edge** | **Active**  | 1 Action                                | Presence + Inquire + Intimidation (combined pool) | Combine Inquire and Intimidation into one roll. On success, deal **2 Slights**. If margin ≥ 3, the target cannot regain composure this scene.                                                         |
| **Information Broker**  | **Passive** | Always on                               | —                                                 | You may “bank” secrets as leverage. Once per scene, trade one secret to shift an NPC’s attitude by one step in your favor.                                                                            |

### **Tier 4 Abilities** _(Inquire 4+)_
|**Name**|**Type**|**Action/Duration**|**Roll (if active)**|**Description**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**Perfect Extraction**|**Meta**|1 Action (social encounter) or 1 Hour (downtime)|Automatic success|Once per session, guarantee success when extracting the truth from a target.|
|**Master of Secrets**|**Passive**|Always on|—|You instinctively know **who in a room has the most valuable information**, even without asking questions.|
|**One Step Ahead**|**Active**|Retroactive declaration; counts as 1 Scene of prior effort|Cunning + Inquire|Declare you have already “asked around.” On success, bypass one information-based obstacle entirely.|