♟️ Playing the Game -

Players should expect to be involved in negotiations and conflict among their alliances and House. The narrative setup is intended to provoke Players to ask questions such as; ‘What if I, or one of my House is the new heir?’ ‘What if we’re not?’ ‘What if we send the true heir to apprentice the Babayaga on accident?’

The game proceeds with that ambiguity. The Baba, who will be played by a Control team member, will use her influence with the apprentices and spread her machinations throughout the game. This, mechanically, will become a pseudo third alliance. Some apprentice candidates may choose to turn, following Baba, while others may wish to remain loyal to their own House. Those that do, even so, could be treated with suspicion by their teammates.

The rhythm of the game, i.e. ‘weeks until Baba reveals the true heir,’ is treated as abstracted spans of time rather than a traditional game ‘turn’ and are referred to as ‘Rounds’ throughout this handbook to reinforce that distinction. Some of the game’s functions are designed to occur predictably throughout that time, such as; ‘At day break in the fourth round,’ or, ‘Before Noon in round five.” There will be a Control team role called, ‘The Narrator,’ who will facilitates the progression of the game’s narrative across the eight weeks (rounds) over which it takes place. Within that time, Players will be given the opportunity to forward their agenda, affecting the game’s progression by travelling around Jarlsland and initiating gambits of politics or war. Most of these opportunities will take the form of voluntary mechanics and involuntary responsibilities, assigned to particular roles.

All actions may be subject to opportunity cost. Where there are several things a Player might be doing at any one time, they must always choose between them in order to meet the deadline for any. The Control team will normally give a deadline to any Player's machinations but there is no limit to what a Player may try to accomplish in one, given round or timeframe apart from their own time management. Players are encouraged to plan ahead, create a scheme and push towards it, planning for hurdles and unexpected turns in advance.