Serpentine: The Girl in the Maze Written by Steve Hickey Illustrated by Dale Horstman & B. James Young Created for Artists First! Iron Game Chef 2008 A game for 3 or more players. You will need: A deck of cards, blank paper, and (if possible) post-it notes ============== INTRODUCTION ============== + A girl on the verge of womanhood. + An evil monarch who desires her. + A maze that stands between her and her family. Serpentine is a game about an innocent girl, travelling through a strange world in order to save a loved one. Along the way, she'll face physical challenges, tests of wit, and the trials of making friends. Serpentine is played in three parts. In Part 1, the group creates the Girl and the important people surrounding her. One person plays the Girl, while the rest of the players take on the roles of the Maze's many strange Denizens. These roles swap as you play. In Part 2, the Girl explores the Maze - represented by a deck of cards laid out face-down on the table. Each card is either a Challenge the Girl must face or a magical place inside the Maze for her to explore. Royal Cards and Aces represent the important people in the Maze, and their cards are collected by the Girl. The game ends if the cards run out or the Girl collects nine Royal and Ace cards. These conditions trigger Part 3. In Part 3, you'll try to get a happy ending for the Girl by making as many friends as possible. Friends give you the power to affect whether the Girl: + manages to rescue her Loved One + is forced to stay in the Maze forever + becomes someone she hates, or someone she admires Dale Horstman's art triggered my ideas about Archetypes, Friends and Foes, and creating the maze from a deck of cards. B James Young's drawings clearly represent the Girl's strange journey. Thank you to Jane MacCarrol, Mike Sands, Andrew Kenrick, David Donachie, Mikael, The Bunyip, Ashok Desai, Sean Musgrave, Rich Forest, and Mr Teapot for their questions, ideas, and feedback. ============= REFERENCES Spirited Away, Mirrormask, Pan's Labyrinth, Alice in Wonderland, Labyrinth. ================================ PART 1: THE GIRL AND HER WORLD ================================ The Girl is mostly created through play, as players share information about themselves. For now, you just need to do two things. ============================== 1. DECIDE ON THE GIRL'S AGE As a group, discuss the last age you felt innocent. By innocent I mean on the edge of sexual awakening, and caught between being a child and an adult. From that, agree on an age for the Girl that feels right. ______________________ Who plays the Girl? The youngest player takes control of the Girl. Whenever the Girl fails a challenge, pass her to the next oldest person. Arrange the rest of your group in age order from youngest to oldest. They'll play the Denizens of the maze, including the Archetypes (see below). ...................... About my writing style Because players are split between 'The Girl' and 'Everyone else', I'm using a very specific writing style: + Whenever I say "You", I'm talking about the player of the Girl. I'm also assuming you'll be explaining the rules to everyone else. + Whenever I say "They" or "the Denizens", I'm talking about all the other players. + Whenever I say "I", that's me (Steve, the game designer) talking to you. So, I'll be explaining to you how you and they should play Serpentine. ____________________________ Playing the Girl When you're pretending to be the Girl, remember being a child. Remember how you thought, felt, and acted around other people. Talk like that, react like that. To play the Girl, be a kid again. ======================= 2. CREATE HER FAMILY Second, create the Girl's family. As this is a story, she'll have a problem with each member. Each player needs two scraps of paper. On one scrap of paper, everyone writes down the role (father, cousin, etc) of a real family member who they love. Put those face-up on the table. Everyone writes down one problem the Girl might have with a member of her family. This is either a real problem the player has, or an imaginary one. You should not tell anyone which one you've taken. Write this problem onto your other scrap of paper. Draw these out of a hat and randomly associate them with a family member. .............................. An Example Girl and her Family After a bit of discussion, the group decide that their Girl will be somewhere between 11 and 12 years old. There are three family members - father, mother, and brother. There are three problems - 'Cancer', 'Always having to look after them', and 'Won't let me do what I want'. ================= THE ARCHETYPES To escape the Maze, the Girl must confront and overcome Challenges in four areas of her life. These areas are represented by four important people, who make these conflicts personal. I call these people "Archetypes". + The Loved One: This is who the Girl ventures into the Maze for. + The Woman: She's the adult the Girl wishes and fears she'll become. + The Monarch: They rule the Maze, have taken the Loved One, and are fascinated by the Girl. They wish to keep the Girl within the Maze forever. + The Boy: A playful rogue the Girl meets in the Maze. A source of possibly disturbing male energy. Is he helpful or a threat? Now I'll go into more detail about each Archetype. ___________________________ Archetype: The Loved One The Loved One, represented by the Ace in your deck of cards, is who the Girl will go into the Maze for. Obviously, there must be a strong emotional reason to motivate that. An example would be, 'guilt at how she's treated them'. As a group, figure out what reason emotionally connects with all of you. Ask the following questions about the family members you've created: + Who do you care about most? + What's the Girl's problem with them? + What's the worst thing the Girl could do about that? + How is the Loved One taken into the fantasy world? + Why does the Girl feel she has to go after them? Through playing the game, you'll determine if you manage to save the Loved One. {Image: "The Loved One & The Woman, by Dale Horstman (1)} _______________________ Archetype: The Woman The Woman is represented by the Queen in your deck of cards. The Woman is the adult self the Girl will become. That self is created by the group's hopes and fears. ........................ The Woman You Wish To Be Each player should share a real quality they hope they'll have when they grow up. ............................ The Woman You Fear You'll Be Each player should share a real quality that they hope they'll never have. Through playing the game, you'll determine who the Girl grows up to be. _________________________ Archetype: The Monarch The Monarch rules the fantasy world the Girl's about to enter. They are also fascinated by or desire her. Despite being represented by the King in the deck of cards, the Monarch can be either female, male, or both. Either way, their desire is to control the Girl, keeping her within the maze forever and making sure she never grows up. It's common for male Monarchs to want to marry the Girl, and for female Monarchs to adopt them. As a group, answer these questions: + Why does the Monarch want the Girl's loved one? + Why do they want the Girl? .................. An Example Monarch The Beetle Monarch wants the Girl so she can teach him about humanity. He has taken her brother so that she'll have a brood-mate to associate with - because she'll be staying in the Maze for the rest of her life. Everyone should then contribute one visual or thematic idea about what the Maze looks like. These are called 'Motifs'. .............. Example Motifs Insects, Forests, Victorian culture. Motifs are used throughout the game, and give the Denizens more power in a Challenge. List your Motifs. {Image: "The King & The Boy", by Dale Horstman (2)} _____________________ Archetype: The Boy The Boy is represented by the Jack. He's a playful rogue who wants to accompany the Girl, but it's unclear whose side he's on. He's unreliable, pops in and out of the story, and represents male energy, playfulness, and sexual awakening. Each member of the group should answer one of the following questions, based on their real-life romantic partners or people they've had crushes on. + What makes the Boy ridiculous? + What makes the Boy irresistible? + What makes the Boy dangerous? + What makes the Boy masculine? + What makes the Boy infuriating? + What makes the Boy adorable? + What makes the Boy admirable? Try thinking of a name for the Boy.... If you can't, I'd call him "Jack". The Girl's developing relationship with the Boy determines her comfort with herself and others as an adult. ============================= THE GIRL'S CHARACTER SHEET {IMAGE: The Girl's Character Sheet - this contains the following items:} + Pictures of the 4 Archetypes (the Archetype Slots) + {Image: "The Loved One & The Woman, by Dale Horstman (1)} + {Image: "The King & The Boy", by Dale Horstman (2)} + 3 circles underneath each Archetype, to be ticked off each time you put a cards into an Archetype slot + A Friendship Track, which looks like this: +------+------+------+ | | | | X | | | | X | | | | +------+------+------+ Befriended Friend Neut. Foe Nemesis ========================== PART 2: LOST IN THE MAZE ========================== {Image: "The Girl is presented to The Beetle Monarch", by B. James Young (4)} Here's the whole game in under 25 words: Turn over a card. Talk to the Denizen you find there and face their Challenge. Move to the next card and repeat. Here's the game in a bit more detail ... You create the Maze by drawing cards from a deck of cards (with both jokers in it). Lay the cards face-down on the table, building the maze as you play. As the Girl moves through the maze, turn over a card. Each card will lead to either a magical encounter, or a Denizen who lives in the Maze and has a Challenge for the Girl. You'll explore this magical place or talk to the Denizen - and these are structured to finish on a high point and when everybody's ready. If you have to face a Challenge, you (the Girl's player) will do it. Challenges involve stuff like Truth or Dare, and solving puzzles. If you succeed, you'll be able to move the Girl further into the Maze. You may even win over a Friend. If you fail, you'll lose control of the Girl and face another Challenge. Serpentine's pretty simple, and now I'll take you through it step by step. If you're ever confused, there's a summary at the end of this book. To start with, I'll explain how to set up the entrance of the Maze. =========================== THE ENTRANCE TO THE MAZE Lay four cards face down in a T-shape, over one of the Emotional Terrain mats provided below. +-----+-----+-----+ | | | | | | | | | | | | +-----+-----+-----+ | | | X | | | +-----+ The bottom card of this 'T' (marked with an 'X') is the entrance to the maze. Turn this card face-up. At all times, the card you've just turned over represents where the Girl is. ____________________ Emotional Terrain The images on the two mats (below) help provide an emotional context for how the Maze looks and feels. Use them to help your descriptions. When the cards reach the edge of the mat, the Girl reaches a boundary in the Maze where things change. As a group, find another image or surface to put the cards onto, then continue building the Maze. Examples of Emotional Terrain maps include quilting, magazine pages, and photos. NB: When the cards reach an edge of the table, you reach an edge of the Maze. {Image: "Clouds & Forest", by Dale Horstman (4)} {Image: "Lightning & Ferns, by Dale Horstman (5)} ======================== INTERPRETING THE CARD Look at the card you've just turned over. If it's got a number between 2 and 5 you've met a Denizen, and should turn to the 'Creating a Denizen' section, below. If it's a number between 6 and 10 (inclusive), go to the 'Scenes of Wonder' section, next. If it's a Royal card or Ace, you've met an Archetype. Go to 'The Conversation' section, below. ..................... What if it's a Joker? Jokers represent the ability to see far across the maze. Every player picks one face-down card that hasn't previously been revealed, and turns it over. You all have a few seconds to memorise their positions. You then turn the cards face-down again. =================== SCENES OF WONDER {Image: "Houses on an Insect above a Jungle", by B. James Young (2)} These are opportunities to get to know the Girl in more relaxed situations. They can involve meeting magical creatures, witnessing mysterious events, exploring strange places, and figuring out the truth. _____________________________ Creating a Scene of Wonder If the card is Black then the Scene of Wonder is an encounter or a situation that requires a decision. If the card is Red then it's an opportunity to explore. Invent some Denizens, objects, and scenery. These should provide an opportunity that could also be a threat. The more mysterious, the better. NB: I've listed some examples, below. You can use them or treat them as inspiration. Relate the Scene of Wonder to a Motif. The same number on the card means you should weave in the same Motif. .................................... Example Situations (Spades or Clubs) + The Girl meets a party of insects at the edge of a flood. The insects have a raft and invite her to cross the river with them. If she goes, will they hurt her? Will they take her somewhere she doesn't want to go? + The Girl finds a giant tree, hung with cages of wood and scrap metal. Victorian scientists in the cages plead for help. Should she help them? Perhaps she should flee before she is noticed? Why are they in the cages? Are they dangerous or potential friends? + The Girl finds a large, furry monster, roaring as it fights a curious assortment of hand-sized insects. + The Girl is confronted by a mirror-image of herself. + The Girl finds someone who has forgotten who they are. + A hundred gnomes are building something. Nearby, someone is making a strange noise. .......................................... Example opportunities (Hearts or Diamonds) + A hidden garden + A silver fountain in a clearing + So many butterflies you can't see the way + Grass that complains when you step on it + The end of a rainbow + A city on the back on an enormous insect + The man who thinks he's invisible but isn't _______________ Assign Parts These situations should suggest Denizens who will be involved. The Denizens decide who wants to play which part. They can also play the Girl's Friends. Each Denizen gets to decide what their Denizen really wants. Are they friendly or hostile? Are they working for the Monarch or not? NB: The Denizens share this information with each other, but not with the Girl, before the scene starts. If the situation doesn't really suggest any characters, they can simply play the Girl's Friends who are travelling with her. ____________________ Act out the Scene The Denizens speak and act in-character, to establish themselves and the situation. When you're ready, have the Girl enter. From there, play out the conversation. The Girl can react however you want. For instance, if she discovers a monster fighting a gang of insects, she can: + run away, fearing both monster and insects + save the monster, and befriend it + discover it's a misunderstanding, and leave everyone happy + fight the monster and become a hero to the insects. The rules for ending a Scene of Wonder are simple. For Black cards, when each Denizen feels the Girl has convinced or influenced them, they either put their hand over their heart or hold out a closed fist (depending on how they feel about the Girl), and fall silent. When all the Denizens are silent, they each explain in one sentence how the Girl affected them. You use that information to decide and describe what happens. For Red cards, every player including you plays out the scene until they feel touched, inspired, awed, gladdened, or some other appropriate emotion. When you feel that, put your hand over your heart. When you all have your hands over your hearts, you end the scene. _________________ Wrap things up Reflect on what you learned about the Maze in this scene. Write a short description of this onto a post-it. Stick the post-it onto this card. If you return here, you'll find the aftermath of these events. You can also write down a fact about the Maze, and stick it onto the back of a card you haven't turned over yet. NB: These facts should relate to what happened in the Scene of Wonder. By 'fact', I mean things like "castle", "path leading to woods", "swamp", or places that Denizens are fleeing from. These hint at the future of the story, and foreshadow the events that'll happen on that card. Now, go to the 'How to move through the Maze' section, below. ===================== CREATING A DENIZEN Cards with numbers between 2 and 5 (inclusive) represent Denizens of the maze. The same number means it's the same denizen. For instance, the 2 of Spades might represent a Challenge of Trust (see below) with the insect guide, Grrrzzz't. Later, if you turned over the 2 of Hearts, you'd meet Grrrzzz't again, and have an opportunity to Befriend it. Denizens have a number of character traits equal to the number on their card. When the Denizen is first introduced, they only have to come up with two of the following traits: + A name + The Denizen's duty in the Maze + Their relationship with the Monarch + Something related to one of the Motifs .................. An Example Denizen Drawing the 3 of Diamonds, the group decides to create a Victorian scientist ('Victorian Culture' is one of their Motifs). They name him Professor Randolph St. James Talkmuch. {Image: "Professor Talkmuch at work", by B. James Young (3)} After that, they can introduce one to three traits whenever the Denizen reappears. Don't plan them - just let the traits emerge from your conversations. NB: Traits don't affect anything; they're just a guide. The initial status of a Denizen is a Foe. That means they can be friendly towards the Girl, but they'll still oppose her progress through the Maze. {Image: DENIZEN SHEET - a page with 4 little character sheets} + Each sheet has a list of traits, and their Status towards the Girl ........................ Re-encountering a Friend Later in the game, you may turn over a card that has the same number as someone you've already Befriended (see below). Take that card and Replace it with a face-down-card-turned-sideways and resolve the Challenge or Scene of Wonder with your Friend assisting you. This means a Denizen player will join you temporarily to complete the challenge. Face-down cards that have been turned sideways stay face-down until the end of the game. NB: If a card with your Friend's number is already face-up in the maze, you can't take it as the Girl passes over it. Royal cards and the Ace represent challenges involving the Archetypes. They don't need Traits - you defined them in Part 1. You can now talk to the Denizen or Archetype. {Image: "The Denizens & The Woman You Fear", by Dale Horstman (3)} =================== THE CONVERSATION Play out the conversation between the Girl and the Denizen or Archetype. This is either the first time they've met or a subsequent encounter. Don't assign a Denizen to a specific player. Everyone can contribute ideas and lines of dialogue. Sometimes, Denizens have split personalities or two heads - in which case it's great to have everyone contribute! When you feel you've reached a natural climax point - for instance, you've said something dramatic, or there's been a revelation - either hold your hands over your heart or extend a closed fist (whichever feels appropriate), and say nothing further. Only one of the Denizens needs to do the same. If you want to say something else, you can drop your hands and continue. However, if you do this you entitle the other side to draw one extra card in the upcoming Challenge. ================= THE CHALLENGES Once both sides are holding their hands in front of their hearts and are silent, you're ready to initiate the Challenge. Look at the Suit on the card: + Spades mean it's a Challenge of Trust, and you'll have to complete a Truth or Dare + Clubs are a Challenge of Movement - you'll have to move around + Diamonds are a Challenge of Wits - you'll have to solve a puzzle + Hearts represent a Challenge of Friendship. You'll have to talk to the Denizen, and win a game of rock-paper-scissors to Befriend them. If the card is an Archetype, go to the appropriate Archetype section and look at the Suit there. If you fail or refuse any of these Challenges, go to the 'How to resolve Challenges' section. __________________________________ The Challenge of Trust (Spades) The Spade is an upside-down heart. This suit concerns tricky self-revelations and probing into your own nature. How much do you trust those around you? This challenge is a game of Truth or Dare. You choose to either answer a question truthfully, or take a dare. If you choose Truth, the Denizens all agree on a question to ask you. If you answer it, they must agree that your answer was honest in order for you to succeed. If you choose Dare, the Denizens create a Dare requiring you to trust them. Example Dares include: + Obstacles: Create an obstacle course in the room. Blindfold yourself then choose a partner to guide you through. + Falling: One of the Denizen players will stand behind you, and catch you as you fall backward. If you refuse to answer the Truth, you can try the Dare (and vice-versa). If you refuse both, go to 'How to Resolve Challenges', below. ____________________________________ The Challenge of Movement (Clubs) The word 'Club' implies movement. But this is the movement of childhood games. Can you recapture your innocence? NB: Some of these games may be risky. Have your friends close by to catch you. The Denizens offer you a choice between two of the following Challenges: + Swampy Ground: Cross the room by climbing on furniture. Travel across one piece of furniture for every number on the card. + Treasure Hunt: Give the Denizens something precious to you, and leave the room. They'll hide it, and when you return say if you are 'Hot' or 'Cold'. You have a certain amount of time to find it. + Mysterious Machine: The Denizens secretly decide on a common household machine. One Denizen starts making a repetitive movement that is part of that machine, and then the other Denizens join in with related movements. You must figure out what the machine is, and then either join it or operate it. + Climbing: Pretend that your first two fingers are a person's legs. Using only their legs, climb your little person from the floor to a place designated by the Denizens. No jumping, and no falling more than twice your little person's height! + The Human Knot: Everyone puts their arms out and joins hands with two different people on the opposite side of the circle. Untangle this knot without letting go of the hands you're holding. ___________________________________ The Challenge of Wits (Diamonds) Diamonds are mirrors, treasures, and lenses that distort. Can you keep your focus and figure out the truth? The Denizens offer you a choice between two of the following Challenges: + 20 questions (20 minus number on card) + Botticelli: The Denizens secretly select a person (real or from the fantasy world). Guess who it is, within (20 minus number on card) questions + 3-card Monte: Fail once, you lose one Victory Point (see 'Rewards of Success'). Fail twice, you lose both + Leave the room. The Denizens change one thing that's visible from where you were sitting. Guess what it is + Close your eyes while the Denizens swap two cards in the maze, putting them in different places. Guess which ones were swapped _______________________________________ The Challenge of Friendship (Hearts) Hearts are symbols for our emotions, our ability to feel for others. The Denizens of the Maze serve the Monarch, but are they happy about that? Can you make friends in this strange place who'll help you on your quest? What follows is a "social combat" system, where you'll try to change the attitude of the Denizen so you can Befriend them. NB: You can't Befriend Archetypes. Once you've played out the conversation to a natural climax point, both sides agree whether each others' climax points were Friendly, Neutral or Antagonising. This is called your "style". Place the card you're trying to Befriend on the 'Foe' slot of the Friendship Track. The objective of this Challenge is to get to the end of the track. The Girl will The Denizens will try to get here try to get here +------+------+------+ | | | | X | | | | X | | | | +------+------+------+ Befriended Friend Neut. Foe Nemesis You will play a variant of rock-paper-scissors, with each hand gesture corresponding to a style. Reaching out an Open Hand is "Friendly". Closing your hand but holding your Thumb Out to the side is "Neutral". Holding out a Closed Fist is "Antagonistic". ......... Who Wins? Friendly, Open Hand BEATS Antagonistic, Closed Fist. Antagonistic, Closed Fist BEATS Neutral, Thumb Out. Neutral, Thumb Out BEATS Friendly, Open Hand. + If you win using your style - move the Denizen 2 places + If you lose using your style - your opponent moves the Denizen 2 places + If you're blocked using your style - your opponent moves it 1 place + If you win - move the Denizen 1 place + If you tie - leave the card where it is. NB: If two conditions apply, use the one higher on the list. If you haven't won or lost yet, play another phase of the conversation and another round of social combat. If you win, the Girl Befriends that Denizen. Pick up their Hearts card and take it into your hand. Replace that card in the Maze with an new face-down card turned on its side. These replaced cards are *not* turned face-up if you ever move the Girl over them again. If you reach the 'Nemesis' slot, the Hearts card is returned to the Maze and that Denizen's attitude is permanent soured against you. ___________________________________ The Challenges of The Boy (Jack) + Heart: Write and send an email or text to a friend of the opposite sex, saying how much you like them + Spade: Let a member of the opposite sex tell you one thing they think you should know about yourself + Diamond: Flirt with someone + Club: Hug someone for longer than you're both comfortable with. ______________________________________ The Challenges of The Woman (Queen) + Heart: List 11 reasons you're proud of who you've become. If you undercut yourself at any point, you must start all over again + Spade: Share one secret about yourself that either you've never told anybody, or you're scared of + Diamond: Go out of the room. While you're is away, the Denizens agree on a change to a social rule. This is either active (the Denizens will do it all the time when the Girl comes back in), or reactive to an extremely common thing. (PROVIDE EXAMPLES) The Girl must knock, re-enter the room, and figure out the change that has been made. {Image: "A Disturbing Tea Party", by B. James Young (1)} + Club: Demonstrate your ideal grown-up self - how you speak, move, and relate to others. _______________________________________ The Challenges of The Monarch (King) + Heart: Let the player you're friendliest with in this game ask you to do any one thing that can be achieved in the next minute. You must do it or fail + Spade: Let the Denizens make one change to the way you look. Keep that change for the rest of the game + Diamond: Share the biggest problem in your life. Each of the Denizens will propose one solution. Listen without interrupting, then immediately take one action on one of those suggestions + Club: The Denizens have a conversation. No matter what they say or do, you must mimic all of them, down to their voices and postures. If anyone laughs, they are out. If you're the last one, you succeed. ________________________________________ The Challenges of The Loved One (Ace) + Heart: Call a member of your family, or a friend, and tell them you love them. + Spade: Let a Denizen call a member of your family and say any one thing they want about you + Diamond: Share the biggest obstacle keeping you from connecting to your family. Each of the Denizens will propose one solution. Listen without interrupting, then immediately take one action on one of those suggestions + Club: Imitate the best qualities of your same-sex parent or guardian, down to their voice and posture. .................... An Example Challenge Drawing the 3 of Diamonds, the Girl has a conversation about the fascinating interior properties of insects with her new acquaintance, Professor Randolph St. James Talkmuch. One of the Denizen players puts their hand over their heart after describing the beauty of the thorax, while the Girl's player puts her hand over her heart after sharing that she finds insects frightening and doesn't like to walk barefoot over grass. Now that the scene has reached a climax point, the players look at the suit on the card. It's Diamonds, so they must engage in a Challenge of Wits. The Denizens offer the Girl's player a choice between 3-card monte (representing trying to catch one particular insect in a swarm flying around the room) or changing one thing in the room and seeing if she notices (representing an inspection of an insect's innards). The Girl's player chooses the inspection, and leaves the room. The Denizens change the hands on the room's clock, so it's an hour later. When the Girl's player returns, she easily figures this out - it's an obvious change! Referring to the 'Rewards of Success' section, she sees she's earned two Victory Points. Now to figure out how to spend them. ============================ HOW TO RESOLVE CHALLENGES If you fail a Challenge, or refuse to do it, you have two options: (1) play a card, or (2) Sacrifice a Friend. Each Challenge card has a number or face on it. This is its Challenge Number. NB: Royal cards and Aces have a Challenge Number of 11. _________________ 1. Play a card The Girl can draw cards to overcome these challenges automatically. You can draw on a number of cards equal to the number of empty circles underneath the Archetype slots on The Girl's character sheet. You can draw multiple cards and add them together. NB: The more cards you draw, the closer you get to the end of the game. The Denizens can oppose the Girl if there are any Motifs left, or there's a Denizen who's become a Foe. The Denizens can choose to cross off a Motif. If so, they draw a card and add its number to the Challenge number. The Denizens then narrate the destruction of that Motif, which permanently removes it from the fiction. They can also use a Denizen who's become a Foe. Add all of the Foe's card numbers to the Challenge number of the card. Then change the Denizen to 'Neutral' status, and place its cards between the Girl and the Denizens. NB: This only applies to Denizens the Girl has Befriended and then Sacrificed (next) To win, your cards must equal or beat the total Challenge number. Describe how the Girl overcomes the Challenge using the suit(s) on that card (trust, friendship, movement, or wit). If you failed again, either draw another card, Sacrifice a Friend (next), or accept your failure - in which case go to "The Price of Failure" (below) If the card you've picked won't beat the Challenge, you can keep the card for later. ________________________ 2. Sacrifice a Friend Play all cards you own that have your Friend's number on them. Add them up. Is that number equal or greater than the Challenge number? If so, you succeed. Change that Denizen's status from 'Friend' to 'Foe', and give all their cards over to the Denizens. If not, you can play a card (see above), Sacrifice another Friend, or accept your failure - in which case go to "Price of Failure" (below). But you still have to change your Friend's status to 'Foe' and give all their cards to the Denizens. ========================= THE REWARDS OF SUCCESS If you succeed in a challenge, you gain two Victory Points. You can spend them as follows: COST BENEFIT 1 - change status of a Denizen from 'Foe' to 'Neutral', or from 'Neutral' to 'Friend' 1 - draw a card for later use 1 - buy a card to place in the Maze (see below) 1 - make 2 Maze cards touch (creating a "secret door" that connects the two cards) 2 - look at 1 face-down card in the Maze ======================= THE PRICE OF FAILURE If the Girl fails a challenge, something happens to her or her friends. Choose to either: + Change the status of one of your Friends to a Foe. Give all their cards to the Denizens, or + Draw a card and place it face-down on an Archetype slot. Cross off one of the circles underneath. You also lose control of the Girl. Give her character sheet and cards to the next oldest player. You now become one of the Denizens. ............... A Special Case When the oldest person in the group fails, you must draw a face-down card from the deck and place it in one of your Archetype slots on the character sheet. If you have no more available slots then the game ends. The Girl's new player indicates the path the Girl will take back through the Maze to find another face-down card. It costs you one move to follow any path you've already explored to any accessible face-down card in the maze. If you wanted, you could travel right across the maze to the other in a single move. However it's not that simple! During this trip, you'll have to defeat a 'Wandering Challenge'. The Denizens will draw a card from the deck and lay it face-up somewhere on the pathway you've chosen. This represents another challenge you'll have to succeed or fail at. Right now! NB: If the card is a Scene of Wonder, use its Suit to create a Challenge (one without a Denizen attached to it). Later in the game, you can return to the Challenge you failed, but you can't re-attempt it. YOu'll just pass over it on your way to the next face-down card. ...................... Two more Special Cases + If you fail the first Challenge, at the Maze's entrance, don't draw Wandering Challenge. Just initiate a Crisis (see below) instead. + If you fail an Archetype Challenge, pick up its card and put it face-down in the appropriate Archetype slot. This leaves a blank space in the Maze, which means it's impassable. You'll have to go around it. ================================ BUILDING THE REST OF THE MAZE As mentioned, when you succeed in a Challenge, you can add new cards to the Maze. However, you must follow two rules. 1. The new card must touch an entire edge of an existing card. (In the diagrams below, I've represented new face-down cards with an 'X') Yes No +-----+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ | | | | | | | | | X | | | | X | | | | | | | | +-----+-----+ +-----+ +-----+ +-----+ No | | | X | | | +-----+-----+ | | | | | | +-----+ 2. The new card cannot be placed next to an existing face-down card ... ... unless you spend a Victory Point to make them touch. Yes No +-----+ +-----+ | | | | | X | | X | (unless you spend | | | | a Victory Point) +-----+-----+ +-----+-----+ | | | | | | | | X | | | X | | | | | | | +-----+-----+ +-----+-----+ There are no other restrictions to where you can place a new card. _______________________________ How to move through the maze The Girl moves through the maze one card at a time, in straight lines, making 90° turns. You can't move her diagonally. Turn the card you've just moved her onto face-up. Go back to the 'Interpreting the Card' section, and figure out if this is a Scene of Wonder or a Challenge. _____________ The Crisis If the Girl is ever completely blocked - she has no legal moves and no legal places to put cards, then you must: + Draw a face-down card and put it on an empty Archetype slot + Play out a scene with that Archetype, ending on a climax point that demonstrates your failure to make progress with that Archetype, and + Place 2 more cards anywhere on the maze. Ignore the 'Cards can't be placed next to existing face-down cards' rule. After doing all that, move the Girl. ================================== PART 3: "AND THEY ALL LIVED ..." ================================== The end of the game is triggered if you run out of cards in the deck. Finish resolving the next card you move to. The game also ends if you collect nine Archetype cards (either face-up or down), or if you've filled the Archetype slots with a mix of nine Archetype and Denizen cards. The endgame is also triggered if the oldest player controls the Girl, fails a Challenge, and adds the ninth card to the Archetype slots. ================================= ADJUSTING YOUR ARCHETYPE CARDS You now get an opportunity to adjust the cards in your Archetype slots, to try and manoeuvre towards the best ending for the Girl. NB: I say "You", but in this section I really mean all of you. All of the players get to discuss the ending that they want. The goal is to Befriend Archetypes, so you'll get the best possible endings for the Girl. Work through the following process for one Archetype before moving to the next: ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ Separate the face-up and face-down cards that you've collected and put on the Archetype slots throughout the game. Put your face-up cards on the Friendship Track, starting in 'Foe', and working your way back through 'Neutral' and 'Friend'. You can go all the way up to 'Befriended'. If you drew Archetype cards from the deck and saved them for later, you can use them now to improve the Disposition of ANY Archetype. You can also save them for later, to buy an extra chance to Befriend them. Turn the remaining cards face up. You'll probably have Archetype and Denizen cards in there. Make three piles: (1) Archetypes - split these into: (a) ones you failed a challenge with (b) ones you drew out of the deck without knowing (2) cards that have the same number on them as a Denizen you've Befriended (3) everything else. Discard pile number (3), the cards that aren't Archetypes or Denizens you have Befriended. Take the Archetype cards you failed a Challenge with, and place them face-down covering the cards that are already on the Friendship Track. You can go all the way down to (and including) 'Nemesis'. {To insert: AN EXAMPLE DIAGRAM} Each Befriended Denizen card gives you the opportunity to flip over one face-down card in the Maze. + If it's not an Archetype, discard both cards. + If it is an Archetype, claim it (and discard the Befriended Denizen card). Place the Archetype card you just claimed face-up onto the Friendship Track. These cards improve your relationship with the Archetype, so start by covering the lowest face-down card and move up the track towards 'Befriended'. Now you get an opportunity to initiate a Challenge of Friendship with each Archetype you want to. NB: If they're already Befriended, don't initiate a Challenge. ============================ BEFRIENDING THE ARCHETYPE Play out a single round of the Challenge of Friendship with each Archetype you want to. NB: Deal completely with one Archetype before moving on to the next one. If you have cards that will let you buy an extra round of the Challenge, use them if you want. You can also Sacrifice a Friend to buy an extra round. If the Girl has won a round and there are still Motifs available, the Denizens buy another round of the Challenge. They cross a Motif off the list, and narrate how that element of the Kingdom is destroyed in the conflict between the Girl and the Archetype. They can only do this once per Archetype. ================ THE EPILOGUES The fate of the Girl depends on where the Archetype ends up on the Friendship track. + Befriended = Best possible outcome in that area + Friendly = Good outcome + Neutral + Foe = Bad outcome + Enemy = Worst possible outcome Now you'll need to answer questions about the Girl's journey through the Maze. It's similar to what you did in Part 1, only now the questions are about: + Whether the Girl becomes the Woman you wish her to be or fear she'll be + Whether the Girl is able to feel positively towards members of the opposite sex, or not + Will she be able to leave the Maze or be forced to stay? Will she grow up into an independent adult? + Does the Girl rescue the Loved One? Can she heal their relationship? _______________________ Archetype: The Woman + Did you demonstrate the qualities of the woman you wish to become? + Did you demonstrate the qualities of the woman you're afraid you'll become? + How do you reconcile those two things? + How many Challenges did you refuse to face? Why? What does that say about you, the Girl, and the Woman she'll become? + Where did you end up on the friendship track? What type of woman will the Girl grow into? ___________________________ Archetype: The Loved One + Do you feel the Girl resolved her problem with the Loved One? + Did you save them? Are they still trapped in the fantasy world? + Where did you end up on the friendship track? Did the Girl succeed or fail in her quest? Has her family life improved? _________________________ Archetype: The Monarch + Does the Monarch still want to keep the Girl? + How many Motifs does the Monarch have left? This illustrates how much of their kingdom has changed, or remains, after the Girl's visit. + Where did you end up on the friendship track? Has the Monarch let the Girl leave? If not, what happens to her? If so, has the Girl managed to grow into an adult and take control of her own life? ______________________ Archetype: The Jack + Do you meet them in the real world? + Is the Girl afraid of or secure around masculine energy? + Where did you end up on the friendship track? How have the Girl's experiences in the Maze changed her relationships with members of the opposite sex? _______________ The Denizens + How many Friends do you have left? + How many did you Sacrifice? =================== LEAVING THE MAZE As a group, use this information to decide how the Girl's adventures end. You can interpret these fates either literally (it's all about what happened in the Maze), or metaphorically (what happened in the Maze really reflects what happens as the Girl grows up). Find a balance between these that works for your group. Thank everyone for playing. Discuss what you learned about each other (if you want to). What did you learn about yourself? Have a good night. ========= THE END ========= ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ - ++ =============== RULES SUMMARY =============== 1. You need a deck of cards with both jokers still in it. 2. Lay four cards face-down in a T-shape. 3. Turn the bottom card of this 'T' face-up. This is the Girl's current location. 4. Determine whether you've encountered a Challenge (2-5), a Scene of Wonder (6-10), or an Archetype (Royals, Aces) (a) If it's a Challenge or an Archetype, go to Step 6 (b) If it's a Scene of Wonder, go to Step 5 5. Is the Scene of Wonder card Black (a situation requiring a decision) or Red (an opportunity to explore)? (a) Denizens decide who will play which part (b) Denizens free-play, to establish the situation and characters. (c) Weave the relevant Motif into the scene (d) The Girl enters. Continue the scene. (e) Bring the scene to a climax + For Black cards, each Denizen indicates when and how the Girl has convinced or influenced them + For Red cards, every player indicates when they've been emotionally affected + Use this information to narrate the outcome (f) Add a description to this card (g) Add a description to an upcoming card 6. Determine who you’ve encountered. (a) If it’s a number card, then it's a Denizen (b) If it’s a Royal card or an Ace, it’s an Archetype (c) If it’s a Joker, every player picks one face-down card that hasn't previously been revealed, and turns it over. Memorise their positions, then turn them back face again. (d) If it's a Denizen you've already Befriended (see below): + Add the card to your collection of Friends cards + Replace the Maze card with another face-down-card-turned-sideways 7. Play out a conversation with the Denizen or Archetype. (a) Create traits for the Denizen through conversation (b) If it’s the first appearance of a Denizen, set their status to ‘Foe’. 8. When you reach a climax point, clench your fist and say nothing further. (a) The Girl can say another great line if she thinks of one, but she must draw a card and put it face-down on an Archetype slot (b) If the Denizens think of another great line, they must let the Girl draw a free card in the upcoming Challenge. 9. When both sides are silent, look at the card’s suit to determine the Challenge. (a) Hearts are the Challenge of Friendship (b) Spades are the Challenge of Trust (c) Clubs are the Challenge of Movement (d) Diamonds are the Challenge of Wits (e) Archetypes use the appropriate Archetype Challenge. 10. For all challenges other than Hearts, follow the instructions in each section. (a) If this is a Challenge with a Denizen you've already Befriended, a Denizen player will join you temporarily to complete the challenge (b) If you fail, go to Step 12. 11. For Hearts, follow these steps: (a) Each side draws one card (b) Calculate disposition (c) Put the Denizen on the Friendship track in the Friendly, Neutral, or Foe slot (d) Play out conversation – see Step 7 (e) Decide whether your climax point was Friendly, Neutral or Antagonising. This is your ‘style’ (f) Play rock-paper-scissors (g) Determine who won, factoring in their style (h) Adjust the Denizen’s position on the Friendship track (i) If you’ve won, go to (j). If you’ve lost, go to Step 12. If the challenge is still undecided, go back to (d) (j) Take the cards that determined Disposition into your hand. Archetype cards can be put face-up in the appropriate slot. (k) Take the card you’ve just Befriended into your hand. Replace that card in the Maze with a new face-down card turned on its side and go to Step 14. 12. If you failed the Challenge, or refused to do it, you have two options: (a) Play a card. + The Girl can draw on a number of cards equal to the number of vacant Archetype slots on her character sheet + You can draw multiple cards and add them together + Determine if the Denizens will oppose you. If so, go to Step 13 + To win, the card must be of equal or greater value than the Challenge + Describe your success using the suit (trust, friendship, movement, or wit) + If you failed, go to Step 12(b) if you want to Sacrifice a Friend, or Step 15 if you accept your failure + If you don’t use a card, keep it for later (b) Sacrifice a Friend. + Play all cards associated with a Friend. + Add them together. Is that number equal or greater than the Challenge? + If not, you can play a card (see above), or Sacrifice another Friend + If so, you succeed. Change your Friend’s status to 'Foe' + Give all the cards associated with that Friend over to the Denizens. + If you failed, go to Step 15 13. If there are any Motifs left, the Denizens can oppose the Girl. (a) They draw one card for this Challenge. + Add its number to the Challenge number + Cross off a Motif + Narrate its destruction – this removes it from the fiction (b) They can use a Denizen who's become a Foe + Add all of its card numbers to the Challenge number + Change the Denizen to Neutral status + Place its cards between the Girl and the Denizens. 14. If you succeeded, spend your Victory Points to: (a) change Denizen status from 'Foe' to 'Neutral', or 'Neutral' to 'Friend' (b) draw a card and keep it for later use (c) look at 1 face-down card in the Maze (d) make 2 Maze cards touch (e) place a new card anywhere in the Maze, as long as: + the new card touches an entire edge of an existing card + the new card isn’t placed next to an existing face-down card. 15. If you failed, do the following: (a) You choose to either change the status of one of your Friends to a Foe (giving their cards to the Denizens), or draw a card and place it face-down on a free Archetype slot (b) If it was an Archetype Challenge, place its card face-down in that slot. (c) Give the Girl’s character sheet and cards to the next oldest player. (d) The new player indicates a pathway through the maze to another face-down card. (e) The Denizens draw a card and lay it face-up on this pathway. (f) Attempt this 'Wandering Challenge' using the Challenge process (go to Step 9), then travel to the new face-down card you selected. 16. The Girl moves in a straight line, making 90° turns, to the next available face-down card. 17. If the Girl can make a legal move, flip the card face-up, and return to Step 4 to determine who you’ve encountered. 18. If the Girl can’t make a legal move and no legal places to put cards, this triggers a Crisis. (a) Draw a face-down card and put it on an empty Archetype slot. (b) Play out a conversation reflecting that failure with that Archetype + End on a climax point that’s negative for that Archetype (c) Place 2 more cards anywhere on the maze, ignoring the rule that 'A new card can't be placed next to an existing face-down card'. (d) Return to Step 16.