Takshaka/Barghest

[soulping]

RULES:

• In this game you take control of a post-apocalyptic community attempting to build itself up over the course of one year, before the mysterious Frost Shepherds arrive to end the game. The goal is to rebuild the community through creative responses, and to survive!

• Every turn represents two months. The Frost Shepherds will arrive in the second winter - You need to be prepared!

• There will be eight seasons total.

• During each turn, a player draws a card. The characters discuss which response to answer, and turn in an answer. This answer will develop what happens to the community over the years.

• You can also submit an action for the community to take every round! This shouldn't be overly complicated*, and you can't magically make up resources - You'll need to rely on what you've got, and your answers to the cards.

• Drawing a card: Every card contains information and choices you can make. Here's an online card shuffler you can use.

Only draw the suit of cards that matches the season:
Hearts = Spring
Diamonds = Summer
Clubs = Autumn
Spades = Winter.

Do not repeat cards! If you get the same card twice, re-roll.

• Failure to build defences against the Frost Shepherds, improve the community or make all resources necessary for survival abundant by the last round will land you in trouble.

*If it is, you might not like where the action goes.

Your runner will be Cycles.

Comments

Round 1

[soulping]

[ Behold, a mighty fortress! ...or at least, the crumbled remains of what was, at one time, a fortress, probably. The ruins are located in a deep valley.

There is a nearby lake to the east, inhabited by a tame kraken.

Some farmlands to the north, though the land is poor and the food they produce is very little.

To the west are some natural salt deposits in the face of the valley, though they are difficult to reach. Prey animals inhabit the nearby area, but they are few and far between.

Your community has a small legion of spear-wielding warriors to defend it, but even without them your community is currently invulnerable...because there is literally nothing else in the area yet, so there's nothing to hurt you. Yet. This is where your band of survivors has settled to try and rebuild away from the danger of the Jackals. ]

A young boy discovers an underground bunker to the south, filled with canned food.
A thorough search of the fortress yields some old, broken farming tools.

Abundant Resources
• Invulnerability
• Food

Scarce Resources
• Prey animals
• Salt

Repairable Resources
• Old, broken farm tools.

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

Please use this shuffler to draw your card! Your current season is Spring.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

[ Include both your final answer to the cards, and the action you wish to use this round. ]

ROUND 2

[soulping]

The food from the bunker does not last forever, and your community lacks fishing poles to make use of the lake. The farming tools that were found have been repaired.

As the season comes to a close, the Jackals return to launch another attack on the community. They are successfully repelled, but the threat remains. Your invulnerability has been lost!

Abundant Resources
• Farming tools

Scarce Resources
• Prey animals
• Salt
• Food

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

The current season is Summer.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

ROUND 3

[soulping]

All members of the community work toward farming and ranching. The land yields to your efforts.

Abundant Resources
• Farming tools
• Food

Scarce Resources
• Prey animals
• Salt

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

The current season is Autumn.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

ROUND 4

[soulping]

The salt mines are successfully tapped and provide the community with bountiful seasonings. You begin efforts to raise and breed the local prey animals, and your hard work will surely pay off within a season.

Abundant Resources
• Farming tools
• Food
• Salt

Growing Resources
• Prey animals

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

The current season is Winter.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

ROUND 5

[soulping]

Some jerk was hiding an awesome hot spring in the hills! Luckily he was found out and now everyone can avail themselves of its soothing properties. This wave of calm and relaxation inspires them to make weapons. Wait, what?

Abundant Resources
• Farming tools/weapons
• Food
• Salt

Growing Resources
• Prey animals

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

The current season is Spring.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

ROUND 6

[soulping]

A veteran stumbles upon your community, and you take him in. He gratefully takes up the training of the farmers, teaching them valuable combat skills as well as how to craft more weapons from the metal they have found. This does cause them to neglect their crops, however, and your food supplies dip a bit.

Abundant Resources
• Farming tools/weapons
• Salt
• Metal

Growing Resources
• Prey animals
• Food

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

CARD DRAW

[soulping]

The current season is Summer.

ACTION / ANSWER TURN IN

[soulping]

ROUND 7-8

[soulping]

Fights break out over use of the hot springs and they are ruined. Your water resources take a temporary hit. However, you are still able to utilize the lake for your community's needs.

The days seem to blur together as autumn begins; everyone is too busy with their other tasks to get together for any one project, and before you know it there's a too-familiar chill in the air. Then one day, all goes black...

YOUR FATE IS UNCERTAIN. PLEASE PROCEED TO END GAME.