Relic Environments Trilogy: Book I, Part 1.vi

from Book I, Part 1, Mystery Tramp Eclogues

Venn Diagram for Four Terms

You may be aware, the rules are simple,

each player representing one reality

and one variant.

The Character Device indicates which reality

you are in. Movement is decided in the cards,

enabling you to pass between realities.

The symbol may be spoken, to allow you

to damage the realities the cards contain.

A Universal Device affects all realities the same.

It is played face-down, and activated

when turned.

It can be activated between plays,

to deal with arising circumstances,

counting as Interrupt, taking place

before the resolution of the present reality.

A Personal Device may be carried

to help or protect you. It is played face-down

until activated when turned.

It cannot be played as Interrupt, although

if activated, it will reduce, or in certain circumstances

stop, all actions. It is linked to your Home Reality.

Remember, it can be played just once,

within a definition of time

you must state to the others beforehand.

 

A Reality Intervention Device may be played

in your own reality only,

to deal with interlopers and their actions.

It can be played between turns

to deal with arising circumstances,

counting as Interrupt, taking place

before the resolution of the present reality.

Shuffle the deck, and place it face-down

with your Character card above, to show

which reality you are in.

Each player takes five cards, and you may discard any

that may be detrimental to a present

or intended reality, before choosing again.

Discards remain out of play next to the deck.

Place any devices face-down by your reality.

You may carry a Personal Device, but all others

must remain within your Home Reality.

To activate, turn them face-up.

The devices are triggered when the circumstances

on the card occur, and the cards before you

may represent any combination of devices.

A Movement card details how far

and at what cost each variant reality.

An Attack card permits action against others

within a shared reality.

The actions may be played in any order.

However, following Mind Blast, you may wish

to move clockwise to the next reality.

When you play an Attack card, the damage

is usually figured as x + distance,

by which you calculate the number of realities

away from its home

the card has moved. The damage

must then be added on the card.

When a reality has taken twenty variants of damage,

it ceases to exist. At that point, remove all cards

from that reality,

whether on the table or in hand.

Any player caught in a Reality Collapse

is shunted back to their own reality,

should it still exist.

Be aware, that speaking the characters

Closure, Eject, or Cosmic Finger,

may affect both cards and players

moving between realities. In which case

the only card to remain effective is, Jump.

The last player in the one remaining reality

may then celebrate the uniqueness

of that reality, and their place within it.

I think that’s everything, or mostly.

The rules are simple enough, but often change

without warning. Now, if you’re ready to begin,

time is against us, and the others are waiting.