Hi Rory, I am starting to play but I am having trouble to find the application fee. Does the application fee is collected right away? For example if it's an ally do I lose in that minute or it will only be collected if I lose or make something that upsets the society.
I think calling it an "application fee" makes it sound more arduous than it is (I call it a "complication" in The Almanac of Sanguine Paths, which is more fitting to its purpose – but "application fee" still suits Dead Letter Society thematically.)
The fee is a complication added to one of your Assets, showing some sort of hold that the Society has over it. You don't lose the Asset, but it is a little more burdened than when you originally made it.
If you have an ally, for example, the Society could know about them (so in a future prompt when you're asked to Develop or Forfeit an Actor you could bring that fact to bear -- what did the Society do?). Or it could be someone the Society is hunting for, or wants leverage with, and you are the vector for that.
I like to think of the application fees as "What wouldn't I like a secret society to know about me/have access to of mine?" and work along those lines. It's all fine if the Society is benign – it could be a genuine force for good in your game – but what if it isn't? (Or what if someone else gets access to the Society's secrets and uses them against you. )
Treat the Asset as what it is, but with an extra complicating sentence that you'll use while journalling. :)
I hope that helps! :)