so i just got this game and it looks awesome, though i have been unable thusfar to find a clear explenation on how expending skills work. at various places throughout the book it mentions that you can expend a skill to do something, particularly imagination....how does this work exactly? currently i have no idea and i have read the mechanics section multiple times now :( it probobly right there in front of me but i am quite blind at times

I don't remember anything about this "expanding skills" thing... Do you mean raising your Traits? You do that with Credits when you go up a Personal Grade.

Maybe you are confused about Focus? Or something like that?

for example on page 71 it says in reference to imagination that a character "may spend their turns to expend an amount of Imagination equal to half their personal grade"  what does it mean by expend, this is not the only place that this working is used

I don't have the book with me right now(It's in my room, and I am in the basement... Waaaay to far), but as far as I remember, all Iconic Traits can be expanded to create some special effect.(Protect your rep, Be brave...)

indeed, i know that to be true. what i need clarification on (or a page reference to) is how that actually works.

If you check the index under "Traits, expending" it will direct you to the detailed explaination on page 21.  In brief, expending a trait involves voluntarily lowering it one or more grade levels.

thankyou for the reply!!!