THE SHATTERED MARCHES: STARFALL Extracted from the Grand Tome for standalone reference. This heavy realm game is not yet implemented in the pass-and-play build. V. THE SHATTERED MARCHES: STARFALL ==================================================================== 1. IDENTITY AND AIM Starfall is the magnum opus of the series. It is a full realm game of politics, war, logistics, faith, ritual, catastrophe, and campaign continuity. It deliberately abandons the lighter series idea that the entire game state should be readable from the map alone. The map still matters enormously, but Starfall also lives in law, offices, governors, supplies, burdens, rituals in progress, treaties, characters, ruins, and campaign memory. Players: 3 to 5 recommended Time: 3 to 5 hours for a single session, 3 to 6 linked sessions for a campaign Complexity goal: very heavy 2. COMPONENTS Per House: - 6 Armies - 8 Levies - 5 Towers - 4 Shrines - 4 Wards - 4 Ley Anchors - 6 control markers - 4 character markers or standees - score markers for Crown, Dominion, Arcana, Providence - burden markers for Corruption, Heresy, Oathbreak, Debt, Star Taint - resource stores for Grain, Silver, Mana, Faith, Favor, Supply Shared: - 1 Starfall map - 1 Court sheet - 1 Catastrophe sheet - 1 Chronicle sheet - law cards or slips - omen cards or slips - objective cards or slips - ritual list and markers - treaty slips - unrest, famine, devastation, cult, breach, and relic markers 3. THE LEARNING MAP Use the following 18-region learning map for a first session. REGIONS 1 Starfall Keep, Keep, Ruin 2 Frostgate, Highland Fort 3 Blackpine, Forest 4 High Moor, Highland 5 Northwatch, Road Hub 6 Old Abbey, Holy Site Ruin 7 Dawnmere, Marsh Ruin 8 Greyfen, Marsh 9 Eastford, Farmland Crossing 10 South Barrow, Holy Site Ruin 11 Moonfield, Farmland 12 Redwall, Capital Fort 13 Thorn Coast, Coast 14 Ash Crossing, Road Ruin 15 Cindervale, Farmland 16 Weeping Barrow, Holy Site 17 Kingshade, Forest Road 18 Hallowmere, Marsh Holy Site SUGGESTED YIELDS Starfall Keep: Grain 0, Silver 1, Mana 2, Faith 0 Frostgate: Grain 1, Silver 1, Mana 0, Faith 0 Blackpine: Grain 1, Silver 0, Mana 1, Faith 0 High Moor: Grain 0, Silver 1, Mana 1, Faith 0 Northwatch: Grain 1, Silver 1, Mana 0, Faith 0 Old Abbey: Grain 0, Silver 0, Mana 1, Faith 2 Dawnmere: Grain 1, Silver 0, Mana 2, Faith 0 Greyfen: Grain 1, Silver 0, Mana 1, Faith 0 Eastford: Grain 2, Silver 1, Mana 0, Faith 0 South Barrow: Grain 0, Silver 0, Mana 1, Faith 1 Moonfield: Grain 2, Silver 0, Mana 0, Faith 0 Redwall: Grain 1, Silver 2, Mana 0, Faith 0 Thorn Coast: Grain 1, Silver 2, Mana 0, Faith 0 Ash Crossing: Grain 0, Silver 1, Mana 1, Faith 0 Cindervale: Grain 2, Silver 1, Mana 0, Faith 0 Weeping Barrow: Grain 0, Silver 0, Mana 0, Faith 2 Kingshade: Grain 1, Silver 1, Mana 0, Faith 0 Hallowmere: Grain 1, Silver 0, Mana 1, Faith 1 ADJACENCY Starfall Keep: Northwatch, Old Abbey, Dawnmere, Eastford, South Barrow, Ash Crossing Frostgate: Blackpine, Northwatch, High Moor Blackpine: Frostgate, Northwatch, Old Abbey, Moonfield High Moor: Frostgate, Northwatch, Dawnmere, Redwall Northwatch: Frostgate, Blackpine, High Moor, Old Abbey, Dawnmere, Starfall Keep Old Abbey: Blackpine, Northwatch, Starfall Keep, Greyfen, Moonfield Dawnmere: High Moor, Northwatch, Starfall Keep, Eastford, Redwall Greyfen: Old Abbey, Moonfield, South Barrow, Hallowmere Eastford: Dawnmere, Starfall Keep, South Barrow, Redwall, Thorn Coast South Barrow: Greyfen, Starfall Keep, Eastford, Thorn Coast, Ash Crossing Moonfield: Blackpine, Old Abbey, Greyfen, Cindervale Redwall: High Moor, Dawnmere, Eastford, Thorn Coast Thorn Coast: Eastford, South Barrow, Redwall, Ash Crossing Ash Crossing: Starfall Keep, South Barrow, Thorn Coast, Cindervale Cindervale: Moonfield, Ash Crossing, Weeping Barrow Weeping Barrow: Cindervale, Kingshade, Hallowmere Kingshade: Weeping Barrow, Hallowmere, Frostgate Hallowmere: Greyfen, Weeping Barrow, Kingshade 4. THE GRAND MAP For full campaign play, expand to 30 regions. Suggested grand map region groups: NORTHERN ARC Frostgate Glass Ridge Blackpine Northwatch Wolf March High Moor Kingshade CENTRAL RING Old Abbey Dawnmere Starfall Keep Greyfen Eastford South Barrow Ash Crossing Bell Hollow WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN ARC Moonfield Cindervale Weeping Barrow Hallowmere Thorn Coast Salt Cliffs Briar Reach EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN ARC Redwall Ember Ford Gloam Road Saint's Rest Iron Grain Chapel of Last Ash Hollow Crown Moorgate For full campaign play, each region should be assigned: - terrain - yields - homeland claim - infrastructure slots - unrest risk - special site tag if any 5. HOUSES HOUSE EMBERGLASS Favored track: Arcana Bias: Mana, Silver Passive: the first damaging ritual or successful siege assault you resolve each round gives +1 Arcana. Burden: after any ritual of risk 3 or more, gain 1 Corruption unless prevented. Unique decree: Glass Levy, cost 2 Favor, one Army gains +1 strength in its next battle and counts as supplied for that engagement. House-only ritual: Banner of Glass. THE BRIAR COVENANT Favored track: Providence Bias: Grain, Mana Passive: once per round, when governing a Forest or Marsh, remove 1 unrest there for free. Burden: you suffer -1 influence when contesting purely tax or military offices. Unique decree: Green Quiet, cost 1 Faith and 1 Favor, choose one Forest or Marsh you control, it cannot gain Cult Activity this round and counts as road-connected for one supply trace. House-only ritual: Thorn Covenant. THE REDWALL COMPACT Favored track: Crown Bias: Grain, Silver Passive: once per round, when building a road, tower, or granary, pay 1 less Silver. Burden: if you break a public treaty, lose 2 Crown instead of 1. Unique decree: Martial Grain, cost 1 Favor, one farmland provides +1 Grain this Revenue or one Army ignores starvation this round. House-only ritual: Iron Edict. THE ABBESSATE OF ASH Favored track: Providence Bias: Faith Passive: whenever you sanctify a site or relieve famine, gain +1 Providence. Burden: forbidden rituals cost +1 Faith and cause +1 Heresy if you attempt them. Unique decree: Pilgrim Relief, cost 1 Grain and 1 Faith, remove 1 famine or unrest in up to two adjacent controlled regions. House-only ritual: Bell of Penance. THE TIDEBOUND COURT Favored track: Favor and Dominion Bias: Silver, Favor Passive: once per round, treat one Coast or Road region you control as adjacent to another Coast or Road region you control for movement or supply. Burden: in inland Holy Sites, your sacrilege causes +1 extra Public Fear. Unique decree: Harbor Oath, cost 2 Favor, create a public passage treaty or gain +2 Silver if no one signs. House-only ritual: Tidemap Veil. THE WARDENS OF THE LAST GATE Favored track: Crown and Providence Bias: Mana, Faith Passive: once per round when building or restoring a Ward, gain +1 Providence or reduce Breach by 1. Burden: you gain 1 less Arcana from exploitative ruin actions. Unique decree: Vigil Muster, cost 1 Grain and 1 Favor, raise one Levy in a warded region without unrest. House-only ritual: Last Seal. 6. RESOURCES, BURDENS, AND TRACKS PUBLIC TRACKS Every House tracks: - Crown - Dominion - Arcana - Providence Suggested starting values: Crown 2 Dominion 2 Arcana 2 Providence 2 BURDENS Every House also tracks: - Corruption - Debt - Heresy - Oathbreak - Star Taint Suggested starting values: all 0 REALM TRACKS The realm tracks: - Star Pressure - Ward Integrity - Public Fear - Breach Level Suggested starting values for a new campaign: Star Pressure 2 Ward Integrity 6 Public Fear 1 Breach Level 0 RESOURCES Grain: feeds people and troops Silver: pays troops, builds works, buys influence Mana: fuels rituals and wards Faith: sanctifies, relieves, legitimizes Favor: court influence and elite goodwill Supply: physical stores assigned to armies, towers, capitals, and granaries Suggested starting resources for a learning game: Grain 5 Silver 5 Mana 4 Faith 3 Favor 3 Supply 2 stored at the House seat 7. SESSION SETUP For a four-player learning session: - Emberglass at Frostgate - Briar at Blackpine - Redwall at Redwall - Abbessate at Old Abbey or Weeping Barrow Each House places: - 1 House seat in homeland - 1 Tower in homeland - 2 Armies in homeland - 2 Levies in homeland - 1 governor marker in homeland - 1 additional control marker in one adjacent region Neutral setup: - unrest in Dawnmere, South Barrow, Greyfen, Starfall Keep - cult activity in Dawnmere - ward markers in Starfall Keep, Old Abbey, South Barrow - one relic face down in Dawnmere and South Barrow Prepare: - 6 Omens - 6 Events - 3 public Objectives 8. CAMPAIGN SETUP A standard campaign is 3 sessions: Chapter I, Embers Under Ash Chapter II, Fractured Oaths Chapter III, Last Law of the Marches Campaign start additions: - each House chooses one ambition - one random House gains an initial claim token to Starfall Keep - one Starfall-adjacent region begins with hidden instability - all Houses begin with no more than 1 Oathbreak Example ambitions: Restore the Crown Rule the Broken Realm Redeem the Wound Ascend with the Star Feed the Marches Bind the Roads 9. ROUND STRUCTURE Each round has 8 phases: I. Omen II. Court III. Revenue IV. Muster and Administration V. Main Action VI. Ritual Resolution VII. Catastrophe VIII. Upkeep and Scoring Recommended session length: 6 rounds 10. COURT PHASE Court represents offices, law, censure, patronage, and elite politics. Step 1: Reveal one law proposal. Step 2: Each House gains court influence equal to: Favor held + number of Capitals controlled + office bonuses - Oathbreak Step 3: In turn order, each House spends influence to: - claim offices - support or oppose law - initiate censure - call emergency session - sponsor petitions Step 4: Resolve offices. Highest bid wins. Ties go to higher Crown, then higher Favor. STANDARD OFFICES Lord Regent Gain +2 Crown immediately. Once per round, adjust turn order by one position. Marshal of the March One friendly Army each round may move +1. Gain +1 Dominion if you win a battle this round. Master of Tithes Gain +2 Silver in Revenue. Famine relief costs you 1 less Grain. Keeper of Seals Draft one treaty each round without spending a Main Action. Gain +1 Crown if at least one of your public treaties remains unbroken this round. Voice of Aurel Gain +1 influence next Court for each law you supported that passed. One public Objective that you fulfill each round grants +1 extra Chronicle Point at session end. Crater Custodian Once per round inspect one ruin or reduce one ritual's risk by 1. If Catastrophe rises because of your own action this round, gain 1 Corruption. LAW VOTE A law passes if support influence exceeds oppose influence. Ties fail. SAMPLE LAWS Tithe of Grain: all Houses gain +1 Grain, but Public Fear +1 if famine exists anywhere. Martial Restoration: the first battle each House wins this round gives +1 Dominion, but the first battle in each region adds 1 Devastation there. Sanction of Ash: forbidden rituals cost +1 Faith and give -1 Crown if used. Open Roads Edict: building roads costs 1 less Silver, and one supply trace per House may pass through one neutral region. Ward Priority Statute: restoring a Ward reduces Star Pressure by 1 in addition to normal benefits. CENSURE Spend 3 influence to censure a House with Heresy 2 or more, Oathbreak 2 or more, or atrocity this round. All players may support or oppose. If censure succeeds: target loses 1 Crown and 1 Favor censuring House gains 1 Crown 11. REVENUE PHASE Each controlled region provides printed yields only if: - it is governed or directly administered - it is not fully cut off from support - it is not exhausted by famine and devastation GOVERNANCE EFFECTS Direct Governance: gain +1 yield of one printed type Governor: normal yield Occupied: -1 total yield and +1 unrest if no Army remains there Neglected: no yield and +1 unrest DEVASTATION Each Devastation marker reduces total revenue from that region by 1. A region cannot produce below 0. FAMINE A Famine marker reduces Grain yield there to 0. INFRASTRUCTURE Shrine: +1 Faith Sanctum: +1 Mana Granary: +1 Grain Market: +1 Silver TAX LEAKAGE If you have more than 3 Neglected regions, lose 1 Silver and 1 Crown. 12. MUSTER AND ADMINISTRATION PHASE In turn order, each House may take up to 4 administration steps. RAISE LEVY Cost: 1 Grain Place 1 Levy in a controlled region with a House seat, Tower, or Capital. Maximum 2 Levies raised this way per round unless a law says otherwise. RECRUIT ARMY Cost: 2 Grain and 2 Silver Either replace 2 Levies in one region with 1 Army, or place 1 Army at your House seat if you have spare Army pieces. ASSIGN GOVERNOR Assign a governor marker or character to one controlled region. That region becomes governed. DIRECT GOVERNANCE Spend 1 Favor to make one controlled region directly governed. Maximum 4 directly governed regions unless modified by scenario or law. BUILD ROAD Cost: 1 Silver Place one road improvement on a link between adjacent regions you control or have public rights over. BUILD TOWER Cost: 2 Silver and 1 Grain Place one Tower in a controlled region with no enemy units. BUILD SHRINE Cost: 1 Silver and 1 Faith Place one Shrine in a controlled region, best in Holy Sites. BUILD WARD Cost: 2 Mana and 1 Faith Place one Ward in a Ruin, Holy Site, or Starfall-adjacent region. BUILD GRANARY Cost: 1 Silver and 1 Grain Region gains +1 Grain and may store 2 Supply. BUILD MARKET Cost: 2 Silver Region gains +1 Silver. MOVE SUPPLY Move up to 3 Supply along controlled roads and controlled regions. PURGE UNREST Cost: 1 Grain and 1 Favor or 1 Faith Remove 1 unrest. REPAIR DEVASTATION Cost: 1 Grain and 1 Silver Remove 1 Devastation in a governed, supplied region. 13. MAIN ACTION PHASE In turn order, each House takes 2 Major Actions per turn, then the next House acts, until all Houses pass. Major actions: - March - Forced March - Attack - Besiege - Build - Govern - Decree - Negotiate Treaty - Spy - Explore Ruin - Sanctify - Corrupt - Begin Ritual - Advance Ritual - Restore Ward - Character Mission - Tax or Requisition - Suppress Cult - Found Great Work MARCH Choose one force: - 1 Army - up to 2 Levies together - 1 Army with 1 attached character - 1 character alone Movement: Army 2 Levies 1 Character 3 Terrain costs: Farmland 1 Forest 1 Highland 2 Marsh 2 Coast 1 Improved road reduces one movement cost by 1, minimum 1 Entering an enemy occupied region stops movement and may trigger battle. FORCED MARCH Cost: 1 Grain or 1 Supply One Army moves 1 extra movement. It gains 1 Fatigue. ATTACK Declare battle against enemy force in the same region. You must have a legal war state or accept 1 Oathbreak for unlawful attack. BESIEGE If the target region contains a Tower, Fort, Capital, or Keep and you have at least 1 Army there, place a Siege marker. BUILD Take one build step as in Administration. GOVERN Change one region's governance mode or appoint a governor. DECREE Use one generic decree or your House decree. Generic decrees: Requisition: gain +2 Grain or +2 Silver from one controlled region, then add 1 unrest there. Pardon: pay 1 Favor, remove 1 unrest or 1 Oathbreak from a local governor scandal. Public Feast: pay 2 Grain, gain +1 Crown and remove 1 Public Fear in one region. Witch Hunt: pay 1 Faith or 1 Favor, remove 1 Cult Activity or gain 1 Heresy if no cult is found. NEGOTIATE TREATY Create or change a treaty. SPY Use a suitable character to steal, inspect, blackmail, plant unrest, or expose. EXPLORE RUIN Use a character or Army at a Great Ruin. Pay 1 Mana or 1 Faith. Choose: safe exploration, gain 1 Arcana and 1 relic or lore dangerous exploration, gain 2 Arcana and stronger reward, but increase Corruption and realm pressure SANCTIFY Use clergy at a Holy Site or Ruin. Pay 1 Faith. Choose: remove Cult Activity remove local Corruption place a Shrine reduce Public Fear by 1 at a key site gain +1 Providence CORRUPT Pay 1 Mana or 1 Silver, gain 1 Corruption. Then choose: add unrest weaken a Ward gain 1 Arcana bribe a governor BEGIN RITUAL Commit a caster, site, and components to one ritual. Most rituals need 2 or 3 preparation points total. ADVANCE RITUAL Add one preparation point to an existing ritual. RESTORE WARD Pay 2 Mana and 1 Faith. Restore or place a Ward. If in Starfall Keep or a Great Ruin, reduce Star Pressure by 1 or Breach by 1. CHARACTER MISSION One uncommitted character performs: investigate cult audit governor hunt relic preach relief smuggle favor train militia and so on TAX OR REQUISITION Gain fast resources from a region, but add unrest and possibly Public Fear. SUPPRESS CULT Use force or piety to remove Cult Activity. FOUND GREAT WORK Once per session per House. Cost: 3 Silver, 2 Grain, plus 1 Mana or 1 Faith depending on the work. Examples: Bell Tower Relic Archive Great Granary Marcher Hall Pilgrim Hospice Great Works grant immediate track gains and campaign legacy effects. 14. WAR AND BATTLE RESOLUTION War in Starfall is deterministic and stance-based. LEGAL STATES OF WAR - declared war - feud - suppression of rebellion or cult - crusade - retaliation against invasion - treaty-sanctioned intervention If you attack without legal state, gain 1 Oathbreak. UNIT STRENGTH Army 3 Levy in homeland 2 Levy outside homeland 1 Martial commander +1 Elite commander or relevant House bonus as stated Tower garrison +1 Fort or Capital defense +1 Starfall Keep defense +3 STANCES Assault Attacker +2 If attacker loses, attacker takes +1 casualty Hold Defender +2 Cannot pursue if victorious Feint Both sides +1 Cancel one enemy support bonus Encircle Attacker +3 if they outnumber defender If attacker wins, defender has one fewer retreat option Burn Attacker +1 If attacker wins, place 1 Devastation in the region Holy Sites or famine regions also cause Oathbreak and Public Fear Withdraw in Order Defender -1, but may retreat before taking normal casualty if not encircled SUPPORT One adjacent friendly Army with road access +1 One Tower or Fort support +1 One ritual support +1 One Shrine in Holy Site defense +1 if appropriate Maximum adjacent military support +2 FATIGUE Each Fatigue on a force gives -1 up to -3 total. TERRAIN Forest: defender +1 Highland: defender +2 Marsh: both sides -1 unless adapted House or guide Coast: Tidebound attacker from coast network +1 Holy Site: defender +1 if controller has Shrine Keep: defender +3 RESULT Difference 0: both take 1 casualty Difference 1 to 2: loser takes 1 casualty and retreats Difference 3 to 4: loser takes 2 casualties and retreats Difference 5 or more: loser takes 2 casualties, retreats, and gains a rout effect or disbands one Levy Casualty means remove one Levy or one Army. For longer play, you may track damaged Armies, but the default final draft uses full removal for speed and clarity. 15. SIEGES A siege begins when an attacker with at least 1 Army besieges a defended site. Sites: - Tower - Fort - Capital - Starfall Keep Defender base values: Tower +1 Fort or Capital +2 Keep +4 Besieger options on later turns: - Tighten Blockade - Assault Walls - Bombard or Ritual Breach - Starve Out - Negotiate Surrender - Lift Siege TIGHTEN BLOCKADE The region yields no Revenue to the defender if no supply road remains. ASSAULT WALLS Resolve battle with attacker -1 if no breach exists. BOMBARD OR RITUAL BREACH Spend 1 Mana and 1 Silver or use a relevant ritual. Gain 1 breach progress. At 2 breach progress, reduce wall bonus by 2. At 3 breach progress, walls give no bonus. STARVE OUT If the defender lacks grain or supply, they must lose units, gain unrest, or surrender. RELIEF FORCE A friendly outside force may attack the besieger. If successful, siege ends. 16. SUPPLY, FAMINE, AND DEVASTATION SUPPLY A force is supplied if it can trace through friendly controlled roads and regions to: - House seat - governed Capital - Granary - stocked Tower or Fort Tracing length: 3 regions normally 5 along improved roads 6 if modified by office or law UNSUPPLIED FORCE First round unsupplied: gain 1 Fatigue Second round: lose 1 Levy or 1 Army Third round: retreat or disband FAMINE A region with famine: - yields no Grain - gains 1 unrest each Upkeep if still uncontrolled or unrelieved - harms Crown if left unattended DEVASTATION Each Devastation reduces revenue by 1 and makes rebuilding harder. Devastation persists into later sessions unless repaired. 17. GOVERNANCE Every controlled region must be one of: - Direct Governance - Governed by Governor - Occupied - Neglected DIRECT GOVERNANCE Best yield, best Crown value, limited by administrative reach GOVERNOR Stable but character-sensitive OCCUPIED Useful after conquest, weaker yield, harsher on Providence NEGLECTED No yield, more unrest, cult and rebellion risk GOVERNOR TYPES Noble, Clerical, Military, Magistrate, Root Warden, Abbess or Prior Poor governance leads to: - embezzlement - defection - brutality scandal - tax loss - rebellion - cult bloom 18. INFRASTRUCTURE ROADS Improve movement and supply. Long road chains help Dominion and practical rule. TOWERS Can be upgraded narratively into: Watchtower Stronghold Sanctum Granary Tower Beacon Tower SHRINES Produce Faith and support sanctification. WARDS Reduce ritual risk, reduce catastrophe harm, help stabilize ruins. LEY ANCHORS Link ruins, sanctums, and capitals. Linked anchor chains are strong but can increase Corruption risk when abused. GRANARIES Store Supply and improve Grain. MARKETS Improve Silver. 19. RUINS AND RELICS RUIN STATES Dormant Studied Stabilized Sanctified Exploited Breached Blighted DORMANT Printed yield only STUDIED Gain +1 Arcana when controlling it STABILIZED Gain +1 Arcana and anti-catastrophe use once per session SANCTIFIED Gain +1 Providence and +1 Faith Exploiting a sanctified ruin later causes Heresy EXPLOITED Immediate reward of Arcana, relics, or Mana But increase Star Pressure or weaken Wards BREACHED Dangerous active wound BLIGHTED Nearly lost site, severe penalties SAMPLE RELICS Bell Fragment Crown Nail Ash Reliquary Glass Thorn Saint's Fingerbone Black Ledger 20. LAW AND OFFICES Use 2 active laws in a learning game, 3 in full play. If a new non-persistent law would become the fourth, the oldest non-persistent law is repealed. More law examples: Bell Tax for Relief Ruin Access Charter Marcher Levies Act Censure of Heretics Open Pilgrim Roads Siege Restriction Canon Offices can be lost by: - censure - death - Heresy 3 or more - loss of homeland capital 21. DIPLOMACY AND TREATIES Treaties must state: - who signed - what is promised - how long it lasts - any penalty for breaking Common terms: truce passage rights mutual supply marriage alliance anti-cult league ruin-sharing compact ward pact support for office Breaking public treaty: +1 Oathbreak -1 Crown Sacred treaty adds +1 Heresy 22. RELIGION, CULTS, AND HERESY Cult Activity spreads from: - neglected regions - breached ruins - high Public Fear - corrupt actions - some Omens and Events At 1 Cult: ritual risk +1 At 2 Cult: +1 unrest and no easy direct governance At 3 Cult: Cult Rising state, severe penalties Heresy rises from: - forbidden rituals - desecration - false saints - sacred oath breaking - some relic abuse Penance: 2 Faith and one clergy action removes 1 Heresy. 23. RITUAL SYSTEM Every ritual has: - school - cost - preparation - risk - legal site - effect - backlash A ritual is prepared by committing a caster and site, then advancing preparation. When preparation is sufficient, resolve in Ritual Phase. Risk is the key limiter. Higher risk rituals are stronger but drive Corruption, Star Pressure, or worse. Ritual schools: Wardcraft Warfire Divination Sanctification Tethering Summoning Forbidden schools, Blood Geometry, Eclipse Craft, Ascension 24. RITUAL CATALOGUE WARDCRAFT Seal the Moor Vein Cost 2 Mana 1 Faith Prep 2 Risk 1 Site Marsh or Ruin Effect remove 1 Breach and place 1 Ward Raise New Bell Cost 3 Mana 1 Silver Prep 3 Risk 2 Site Holy Site or Tower Effect place permanent Bell marker, future sanctifications nearby reduce Public Fear by 1 Warden's Net Cost 2 Mana Prep 1 Risk 1 Site controlled region Effect enemy rituals targeting adjacent regions cost +1 Mana until next round WARFIRE Scorch the Northern March Cost 3 Mana 1 Silver Prep 2 Risk 2 Site Tower or Great Ruin Effect target enemy region within 2 road steps, defender -2 next battle there or siege breach +1 Banner of Glass Cost 3 Mana 1 Silver Prep 1 Risk 2 Site friendly Army region Effect one Army +1 strength and ignores first Fatigue in next battle Cinder Rain Cost 4 Mana Prep 3 Risk 3 Site Great Ruin or Keep-adjacent Effect place 2 Devastation and 1 rout on target enemy region or reduce siege defense by 2 Backlash Star Pressure +1 and Corruption +1 DIVINATION Read the Broken Sky Cost 2 Mana Prep 1 Risk 1 Site Ruin Tower or Highland Effect inspect next Omen and next Event, reorder if you hold Crater Custodian Hear the Bellless Dead Cost 1 Mana 1 Faith Prep 1 Risk 1 Site Holy Site or Ruin Effect reveal cult or breach in up to 2 regions, gain 1 Favor or 1 Arcana Star Counting Cost 3 Mana Prep 2 Risk 2 Site Keep or Sanctum Effect reduce next ritual risk by 2 for your House this round SANCTIFICATION Bell of Penance Cost 2 Faith 2 Mana Prep 2 Risk 1 Site Holy Site Effect remove 1 Corruption from your House or 2 unrest from one region, Public Fear -1 Ashen Procession Cost 2 Faith 1 Grain Prep 1 Risk 1 Site road-connected Holy Site Effect relieve famine in 1 region and gain +1 Providence Canon of Last Mercy Cost 3 Faith Prep 3 Risk 2 Site Holy Site adjacent to famine or cult Effect remove up to 2 cult and 1 famine across adjacent regions, gain +2 Providence TETHERING Lay Ley Anchor Cost 2 Mana 1 Silver Prep 1 Risk 1 Site Ruin or Tower Effect place 1 Ley Anchor Bind the Third Bell Cost 3 Mana 1 Faith Prep 2 Risk 2 Site Bell marker and Ruin within 3 links Effect Ward Integrity +1 and one ritual per round through that chain costs 1 less Mana Quiet the Crater Cost 5 Mana 2 Faith Prep 3 Risk 3 Site Starfall Keep Effect Star Pressure -2 and Breach -1 Backlash caster gains 1 Star Taint SUMMONING Call the Ash Choir Cost 2 Mana 1 Faith Prep 2 Risk 2 Site Holy Site or Ruin Effect temporary spectral garrison +2 defense in one region this round Oathbound Retainers Cost 2 Mana 1 Silver Prep 1 Risk 1 Site homeland or governed capital Effect raise 1 free Levy without unrest Wake the Barrow Guard Cost 3 Mana Prep 2 Risk 2 Site burial site Effect target region gains +3 defense for this round FORBIDDEN Blood Geometry Cost 1 Mana and sacrifice 1 Levy or place 1 Devastation in friendly region Prep 1 Risk 3 Effect any one ritual this round gains +2 preparation or resolves immediately Backlash Corruption +2 Heresy +1 Open the Hollow Sky Cost 5 Mana Prep 3 Risk 4 Site Keep or Blighted Great Ruin Effect gain +3 Arcana, cancel one enemy ritual, and enable Starbound ending Backlash Star Pressure +2, Breach +2, Public Fear +1, Star Taint +1 Invest a False Saint Cost 2 Faith 2 Mana 1 Favor Prep 2 Risk 3 Site Holy Site Effect gain +2 Providence and +2 Crown immediately Backlash if exposed later, lose 3 Crown and gain 2 Heresy 25. CHARACTERS Every character has: - name - role - tags - skill ratings - loyalty - wounds - traits - ambition Suggested skills: Command Scheme Rite Stewardship Piety No dice are required. A character succeeds if they clearly meet the threshold of the action. If they are close, they succeed with consequence. If they fall well short, they fail or need more support. Wounds: at 2 wounds, character becomes Scarred and loses 1 skill at 3 wounds, character dies or retires unless saved by special action Advancement: at session end, characters who achieved major acts may improve 1 skill, gain a title, or gain a trait 26. CATASTROPHE SYSTEM Realm tracks: Star Pressure Ward Integrity Public Fear Breach Level Tier thresholds: Tier I, low danger Tier II, unstable Tier III, crises spreading Tier IV, emergency Tier V, ending brink Every Catastrophe phase: 1. if two or more Great Ruins are unwarded, Star Pressure +1 2. if Public Fear 6 or more, cult spreads to one unstable region 3. resolve each active breach 4. resolve famine spread 5. check threshold event 6. if Tier V and ending condition is met, start ending clock Breach region effects: +1 unrest if Ruin, also +1 Cult or +1 Devastation if no Ward or Shrine there, Public Fear +1 globally if regional breach reaches 3, region becomes Blighted Ward Integrity 0 effect: Star Pressure +2 all Great Ruins gain 1 breach Public Fear +2 27. OBJECTIVES, SCORING, AND SESSION VICTORY PUBLIC OBJECTIVES Use 3 for a session. Examples: hold Starfall Keep at end of round restore two Wards this session pass two laws build a Great Work suppress cult in three regions control two capitals keep Public Fear at 3 or lower for a full round hold three Holy Sites trigger no Oathbreak this round HOUSE AMBITION Each House chooses one at campaign start and may also use it in a single session. SESSION SCORING At session end: 1 Chronicle Point for each 2 Crown 1 Chronicle Point for each 2 Dominion 1 Chronicle Point for each 2 Arcana 1 Chronicle Point for each 2 Providence Subtract: -1 for each 2 Corruption -1 for each 2 Oathbreak -1 for each 2 Heresy -1 for every 3 Devastation in your regions -1 if your House seat is occupied Then add Objective and Ending bonuses. Highest Chronicle Points wins. 28. CAMPAIGN CONTINUITY After each session record: - region controllers - devastation - famine - wards - shrines - roads - towers - anchors - active laws - active offices - relics - burdens - resources carried over, suggested cap 3 of each - surviving characters and their scars or titles INTERLUDE ACTIONS Each House gets 2: - arrange marriage - cleanse corruption - hide relic - train heir - repair devastation in homeland - rebuild one road - pardon one Oathbreak - hunt a traitor - secure church endorsement - smuggle wealth 29. ENDINGS OF THE REALM CROWN RESTORATION One House has Crown 8 or more, controls the Keep, and Ward Integrity 5 or more. ARCANE REGENCY One House has Arcana 8 or more, controls 2 Great Ruins, and has an anchor chain touching the Keep. MARCHER COMPACT At least 3 Houses maintain active public treaties, Public Fear is 4 or lower, and no House has Oathbreak above 2. ECCLESIAL DOMINION One House has Providence 8 or more, controls 3 Holy Sites, and Heresy is contained. STARBOUND ASCENSION One House has Arcana 10 or more, Star Pressure 8 or more, has resolved a forbidden ritual, and holds the Keep or a Blighted Great Ruin. TOTAL SUNDERING Ward Integrity 0 and Breach 7 or more, or Star Pressure 10 or more without stabilization. 30. LEARNING SCENARIO Use: 4 Houses, Emberglass, Briar, Redwall, Abbessate 18-region map 6 rounds 2 active laws maximum no private treaties no hidden ambitions ritual schools limited to Wardcraft, Warfire, Sanctification, Divination no succession module no monstrous return module This still gives: war law ritual governance catastrophe faith 31. EXAMPLE ROUND Current state: Redwall controls Redwall, Eastford, Moonfield. Briar controls Blackpine, Greyfen, Old Abbey. Emberglass controls Frostgate, High Moor. Abbessate controls Weeping Barrow, South Barrow. Starfall Keep is neutral but warded. Dawnmere has cult and one breach. Public Fear 4. Star Pressure 5. Ward Integrity 5. OMEN Ash Winter: Marsh movement costs +1. Famine relief gives +1 Providence. COURT Law proposal, Ward Priority Statute. Briar and Abbessate support. Redwall opposes. Emberglass abstains. Law passes. Redwall wins Marshal. Abbessate wins Voice of Aurel. REVENUE Redwall gains Grain and Silver. Briar gains Mana and Faith. Emberglass gains Mana and Silver. Abbessate gains Faith. ADMINISTRATION Redwall builds road Moonfield to Eastford. Briar removes unrest in Greyfen with House ability. Emberglass prepares Scorch the Northern March. Abbessate builds a Shrine in South Barrow. MAIN ACTION Redwall marches toward the Keep. Briar sanctifies Old Abbey. Emberglass advances ritual. Abbessate suppresses cult. Later cycle: Redwall attacks and occupies the Keep. Briar explores Dawnmere safely. Emberglass casts Banner of Glass on its army. Abbessate performs Bell of Penance. RITUALS Scorch the Northern March resolves on Eastford. Bell of Penance lowers Public Fear and cleanses Corruption. CATASTROPHE Because key ruins remain warded and the law supports wards, Star Pressure does not increase. Dawnmere breach adds more cult. UPKEEP Redwall gains Dominion for battle and stable homeland. Abbessate gains Providence for relief. Briar gains Arcana from studied ruin. Emberglass gains Arcana for war ritual. 32. STRATEGY NOTES Starfall is won through structure, not impulse. A House that wins battles but cannot govern often collapses. A House that governs well but ignores catastrophe may feed a stronger rival. A House that chases Arcana without respect for law or fear may win a terrible victory and still lose the campaign. The best Starfall tables treat the realm itself as another player. It pushes back. ==================================================================== VI. FINAL NOTES ON THE SERIES ==================================================================== Torchfall, Bannerfall, Crownfall, and Starfall are not four unrelated systems wearing the same names. They are one setting seen at four distances. Torchfall is the watchfire on a road. Bannerfall is the claim that turns a border into a realm. Crownfall is the contest for public legitimacy and magical infrastructure. Starfall is the question of what kind of world survives. TEACHING ORDER 1. Torchfall 2. Bannerfall 3. Crownfall 4. Starfall That order mirrors the history of the Marches: the roads relight, the towers rise, the crown is contested, the realm is decided. END OF THE GRAND TOME OF THE SHATTERED MARCHES ==================================================================== VII. EXPANDED AUTHORIAL ADDENDA AND CANON CLARIFICATIONS ==================================================================== This section is the deliberate merge layer. It folds in the best clarifying instincts of the leaner authorial pass without sacrificing the greater scope of the omnibus. Treat this entire section as canonical extension and clarification rather than optional commentary. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.A. THE PEOPLE OF THE MARCHES -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Marches are not fought over by abstractions. They are inhabited. Farmers in Moonfield mark flood years by the color of spring mist over the old stones. Cliff fishers along Thorn Coast say there are nights when the sea reflects a sky no one living has seen. Woodcutters in Blackpine leave a strip of cloth on certain standing stones when winter comes early. In Redwall, toll records are copied twice, once for the lord and once for the gods, because generations of war taught the clerks that numbers vanish when armies do. In Greyfen, there are houses built on piles that predate the Fall, and old women there still tell children not to answer voices that speak from water before dawn. The people of the Marches remember the old kingdom unevenly. In some places Aurel is still spoken of as if it might return if the correct bloodline, relic, law, and bell could be gathered in the right sequence. In other places the old kingdom is treated as a cautionary tale about central pride. This matters because every game in the series sits on a human question: what kind of rule will ordinary people actually endure? The answer changes from game to game. In Torchfall, the people are present as urgency. Roads matter because villages need warning fires. In Bannerfall, they are present as land worth holding. In Crownfall, they become the silent audience of legitimacy. In Starfall, they are fully mechanical through famine, unrest, faith, governors, law, fear, and the consequences of devastation. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.B. THE CHURCH OF ASH AND ITS ENEMIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Church of Ash is the largest organized religious body in the Marches, but it is not monolithic. Its abbesses disagree, its saints are contested, and its local houses often survive by compromise. Some monasteries believe the buried light must be contained forever. Some believe it must be purified. Some privately suspect that even speaking of mastery is already a form of heresy. Important distinctions: Ash Orthodoxy The mainstream belief. The star wound is a danger that must be endured through rite, labor, mercy, and watchfulness. Bell Traditionalists A stricter current within the Church that believes the old bell network, not noble authority, was the true spine of the realm. They are more sympathetic to the Wardens. Mercy Houses Abbeys and hospices that care less for doctrinal finesse and more for keeping people alive. They are politically weak but loved. Star Mercy Sect A suspicious and often condemned current that teaches the buried light may be turned toward healing or revelation if approached without pride. Sometimes this is sincere mysticism. Sometimes it is the front end of a crater cult. Rural Saint Orders Village-level patterns of belief that can cooperate with the Church or embarrass it. They often claim local bones, wells, groves, or battle mounds as holy. Open crater cults, false saints, and ruin whisperers are the enemies most feared publicly, but in practice the Church is just as frightened by half-legitimate deviations among people it cannot afford to alienate. This is why Faith in Crownfall and Providence in Starfall are not simple "good" meters. Sanctity is power, but sanctity also judges. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.C. AESTHETIC LANGUAGE OF THE SETTING -------------------------------------------------------------------- When imagining the setting or briefing an artist, think in the following language: Materials: ash wood, black stone, iron-red wall, bell bronze, cracked slate, old lime plaster, weathered vellum, candlewax, salt rope, glass lenses, ward iron, frost silver Color and light: mist blue, ember gold, wet green, storm grey, pale silver, shrine red, moon white, smoke black, old brass Textures: wind-cut stone, sodden reeds, soot, moss, cracked enamel, frayed banner cloth, rust flakes, thaw mud, candle smoke on painted saints Mood: weathered nobility, frontier hardship, sacred unease, disciplined ruin, practical survival under supernatural pressure The Shattered Marches should not feel like clean fantasy. It should feel inherited, burdened, and beautiful in a hard way. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.D. REGION GAZETTEER, EXTENDED -------------------------------------------------------------------- STARFALL KEEP The Keep is the question mark around which all other claims arrange themselves. In bright weather it is black and severe. In bad weather it almost vanishes into cloud and wet stone. Its inner ring still uses doors and passages whose original purpose is not publicly known. Some chambers were made for war. Some for ritual. Some, if the oldest notes are to be believed, for listening. FROSTGATE Frostgate is a military answer to a mountain question. It was built for lines of defense, signal discipline, and controlling who descends from the north. The air there is thin and iron-cold. The road stones crack blue in certain winters. People born at Frostgate are thought blunt by southerners and merely practical by themselves. BLACKPINE Blackpine is forest, but not merely forest. Its trees are resin-dark, its clearings are full of old markers, and there are places where burial, worship, and warning were clearly once the same act. Briar agents move here like they are walking through kinship. Everyone else moves like an intruder whether they admit it or not. HIGH MOOR High Moor looks simple to the arrogant. It is open, broad, and easy to imagine as a place where strength should plainly tell. In practice it punishes overextension, weak supply, and anyone who confuses space with safety. NORTHWATCH Northwatch is where the road-thinking of old Aurel still feels alive. It is not glamorous. It is correct. Officers and wardens favor it because it answers questions of passage cleanly. OLD ABBEY Old Abbey is one of the greatest examples of the setting's central wound. It is a holy ruin, not a dead ruin. Its script is broken but meaningful. Its silence is active. Sanctifying it feels righteous. Exploiting it feels dangerous even when beneficial. DAWNMERE Dawnmere is a basin where the residue under the land seems to gather in soft and beautiful ways before becoming cruel. Mist hangs there wrong. Light behaves strangely near its waterline. Some players will inevitably be tempted to treat it as a raw magical battery. The setting is designed to ensure that this is both effective and morally expensive. GREYFEN Greyfen is about patience, drainage, hidden paths, and the difference between a place you can pass through and a place you can hold. It belongs to tables that like subtle positional play. EASTFORD Eastford is grain, crossing, commerce, and inevitability. If your group tends to romanticize the strange and supernatural, Eastford is the reminder that bread, carts, and fords win kingdoms. SOUTH BARROW South Barrow is burial, memory, relic hunger, and ward inheritance. It is one of the strongest sites in the whole setting because it sits so close to both faith and arcana. It should never feel generic. MOONFIELD Moonfield is exposed wealth. It is where wars come to eat. REDWALL Redwall is order under pressure. It is a fort-city that speaks in ledgers, inspections, and hard lines. It is excellent at survival and often terrible at softness. THORN COAST Thorn Coast is leverage. It is weather, salt, smoke, ship light, cliff towers, and the knowledge that a place slightly outside the old center can still decide the center's fate. ASH CROSSING Ash Crossing belongs especially to Starfall's larger map logic. It is a route place, a hinge place, and exactly the kind of site that only matters properly once logistics, ritual, and movement all matter at once. WEEPING BARROW A holy and funerary place where the dead are too close to politics to remain decorative. KINGSHADE A dark roadland where memory clings to trees and where military logic and folklore overlap. HALLOWMERE A wet holy place, difficult to classify, and therefore powerful in games that care about both sanctity and terrain. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.E. COMMON SAYINGS OF THE MARCHES -------------------------------------------------------------------- These can be used as flavor text, scenario epigraphs, or simply as tonal anchors. "The bells do not warn the guilty. They warn the living." "Never count one road if the marsh knows two." "Redwall keeps books because stone forgets." "A ruin is a promise made by the dead." "When Frostgate goes quiet, send riders." "The sea lies more politely than the crater." "Light the road before you argue about the crown." "Every House says it means to save the Marches. Count grain before you believe them." "Greyfen takes boots and gives back lessons." "The buried light answers quickly to fools." -------------------------------------------------------------------- VII.F. CALENDAR OF THE MARCHES -------------------------------------------------------------------- If your group wants more world texture, use this calendar language. Thawwake Late winter turning to spring. Roads worsen before they improve. Merebloom Wet season. Fen and marsh routes change. High Sun Campaign weather. Most open wars begin here. Ash Harvest Late summer, grain and taxes dominate. Bellfall Autumn processions, relic moving, law sessions. Frostwake Hard season. Strongholds matter most. For Starfall campaigns, simply naming the current season can help the table remember why roads, hunger, or certain rites matter more. ==================================================================== VIII. TORCHFALL EXTENDED FOLIO ==================================================================== This folio preserves Torchfall as an elegant small game while making it more complete for repeated play. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.A. CANON START MATRIX -------------------------------------------------------------------- Two players: Start opposite each other on the ring. Three players: Seat one empty outer watchpost between each player as evenly as possible. Four players: Use any four distinct outer watchposts, but for the cleanest first play avoid giving both Blackpine and Frostgate to opponents while leaving both Thorn Coast and Redwall occupied by opponents as well. That setup can make the center race too immediate for first-timers. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.B. TORCHFALL FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Can two Wardens occupy the same watchpost? Yes. Wardens do not block one another in the base game. Q. Does a Beacon control adjacent roads? No. Only Torches control roads. Q. Can I light a Beacon if my route touches an enemy Warden? Yes. Wardens do not interfere with routes. Q. Can I use Rekindle to move two Torches? No. One action, one Torch removed, one Torch placed. Q. If I already have the largest connected network, do I still score it again next turn? Yes, if you still uniquely have it and it is size 4 or more. Q. Can Ashspire be lit from any connected route? Yes. It is a normal watchpost for purposes of Light Beacon. Q. If my network is broken during my turn, do I still score for its previous size? No. Check the board only at end of turn. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.C. TORCHFALL MAP VARIANT, THE BROKEN RING -------------------------------------------------------------------- For a slightly more tactical Torchfall, remove one outer-ring connection between two neighboring watchposts. The map now has one break in the ring, making the center more important. Recommended removed road: Greyfen Watch to Blackpine Watch This variant is useful if your group finds the base ring too forgiving. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.D. TORCHFALL MAP VARIANT, THE LONG SIGNAL ROADS -------------------------------------------------------------------- Add one extra long road: Frostgate Beacon to Redwall Post Or: Blackpine Watch to Thorn Coast Signal This increases surprise tempo and makes Rekindle even stronger. Use only one extra long road. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.E. TEACHING SCRIPT FOR TORCHFALL -------------------------------------------------------------------- If teaching Torchfall to new players, say it this way: "You have a Warden, Torches for roads, and Beacons for claimed watchposts. You take two actions each turn. You move, place Torches, light new Beacons, and occasionally shift an old Torch with Rekindle. You score for lighting Beacons, for owning Ashspire, and for having the biggest connected Torch road network. Nothing is hidden. The game is about timing and route shape." That script is enough for most first plays. -------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII.F. SCENARIO SEEDS FOR TORCHFALL -------------------------------------------------------------------- Storm Night Ashspire scores only every other round because visibility is bad. Compensation: the first player to Light Beacon on two consecutive turns gains +1 Renown. The Bell is Broken Ashspire begins lit but neutral. It does not score Renown. Instead, the first player to connect three other lit Beacons wins +1 Renown immediately. Smoke on the Coast Thorn Coast Signal and Greyfen Watch count as if connected for movement only, representing a temporary smoke line. This makes the western edge much sharper. ==================================================================== IX. BANNERFALL EXTENDED FOLIO ==================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.A. BANNERFALL START RECOMMENDATIONS -------------------------------------------------------------------- For two players, opposite starts are strongly recommended: Frostgate versus Thorn Coast or Blackpine versus Redwall For three players, the cleanest starts are: Frostgate, Redwall, Blackpine or High Moor, Thorn Coast, Moonfield For four players, use: Frostgate Redwall Blackpine Thorn Coast for the cleanest beginner experience. These preserve space and make the first few turns readable. -------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.B. BANNERFALL FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Can I Conjure from a Tower if I have no Banners on the board? Yes. Control comes from Towers as well as Banners. Q. Can a Tower be downgraded more than once in the same turn? No. Once downgraded, it is no longer a Tower. Q. If Blink passes through a region with an enemy Banner, do I fight there? No. Only the final destination matters. Q. Can Fireball target diagonally or by visual closeness? No. Only legal adjacency matters. Q. Do I gain mana from Ruins controlled by Towers? Yes. Any control piece works. Q. If I Fortify my last Banner in a region, do I still control that region? Yes. The Tower controls it. Q. Can I Conjure into Starfall Keep if adjacent and empty? Yes. -------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.C. OPTIONAL ADVANCED BANNERFALL MODE -------------------------------------------------------------------- If your table wants Bannerfall to sit a little closer to Crownfall without becoming Crownfall, use all of the following together: Advanced House Twist Each player chooses one twist from the optional set and it remains fixed for the game. Season Marker At the start of the game reveal one season: Ash Wind, Fireball costs 1 less once per player per game Long Roads, the first Blink each round is free Hard Winter, Fortify costs 1 less mana if your table has added mana costs to Fortify as a house rule Ruin Bloom, first player each round to newly control a Ruin gains +1 bonus mana Longer Victory Play to 10 Crown instead of 8. Use this mode only after several base games. -------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.D. CANONICAL BALANCE NOTE FOR BANNERFALL -------------------------------------------------------------------- If your table finds that Fireball overwhelms the game, do not rewrite the spell first. Instead test these changes in order: 1. Ensure the map is being used with the canonical adjacency. 2. Ensure players begin only with Home Towers and no extra Banners. 3. Ensure players are remembering that Fireball must originate from a Tower. 4. Raise victory to 10 Crown before changing spell costs. Only after those checks should you consider changing Fireball's cost. -------------------------------------------------------------------- IX.E. BANNERFALL EXAMPLE MIDGAME -------------------------------------------------------------------- Blue controls Frostgate Tower, Northwatch Banner, Dawnmere Tower, and High Moor Banner. Gold controls Redwall Tower, Eastford Banner, Thorn Coast Banner. Green controls Blackpine Tower, Old Abbey Banner, Moonfield Banner. Blue's turn begins. Blue gains 1 base mana and +1 for Dawnmere. Blue has 4 mana. Blue wants the Keep and a 5-region chain. Action 1, Conjure into Starfall Keep from Northwatch. Action 2, Blink March from High Moor through Eastford into South Barrow, because the path is legal and only the final destination resolves. South Barrow is empty, so Blue occupies it. Blue now controls Frostgate, Northwatch, Dawnmere, High Moor, Starfall Keep, South Barrow. At end of turn Blue gains: +1 Keep +1 two Ruins, Dawnmere and South Barrow +1 connected realm of 5 or more Blue gains 3 Crown. This example demonstrates why Blink is a tempo spell rather than merely a mobility spell. ==================================================================== X. CROWNFALL EXTENDED FOLIO ==================================================================== -------------------------------------------------------------------- X.A. HOUSE PLAYSTYLES -------------------------------------------------------------------- EMBERGLASS Best when it chooses one pressure corridor and turns it into an anvil of damage, damaged Towers, and war-school inevitability. Emberglass players often lose by over-researching and under-building. BRIAR Best when its network grows in a way that looks passive until it suddenly creates repeatable Arcana and stable territory. Briar loses when it chases flashy center fights before it has structure. REDWALL Best when it turns space into certainty. Strongholds, stable lines, and deliberately chosen objectives matter more than opportunistic leaps. TIDEBOUND Best when it refuses to play the same board geometry as everyone else. Tidebound should threaten from edges, pivot through outer regions, and use Travel not as flair but as positional accounting. -------------------------------------------------------------------- X.B. CROWNFALL FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Does a Beacon Tower both extend spell range and count as a Tower for Fireball or Summon Host? Yes. Q. If a Damaged Tower is repaired by Bastion Sigil, does it lose its role? No. It remains the same role. Q. Can an Archmage travel through enemy-controlled regions with Gatewalk? Gatewalk ignores map movement and checks only valid controlled ley nodes in the same network. Q. Do Watchtowers support through enemy-controlled regions? No. They support only adjacent regions as defined by map adjacency. Q. Can a Ward token stack with Stronghold defense? Yes. Q. If my network is broken mid-round, do I still keep mana already gained? Yes. Income was already collected. Q. If I have the Keep and a Ruin in my network, do I score both Arcana steps? Yes. The second Arcana point is for the more complete network condition. -------------------------------------------------------------------- X.C. ADVANCED OMEN POOL -------------------------------------------------------------------- Use these to expand the public Omen deck. Ash Wind The first War spell each player casts this round costs 1 less. Bell Echo The first Ward each player places this round remains until the start of that player's next next turn instead of the next turn. Ruin Bloom The first player to newly control a Ruin this round gains +1 mana immediately. Coastal Pull Tidebound or any player controlling Thorn Coast may treat one outer-edge March as +1 movement this round. Cracked Roads The first Blink each round cannot pass through Starfall Keep. Long Dusk Objectives tied to outer regions count for +1 additional Crown if fulfilled. Use at most 8 Omens total in a deck unless your group wants high volatility. -------------------------------------------------------------------- X.D. ADVANCED OBJECTIVE POOL -------------------------------------------------------------------- Add any of the following to the Objective deck: Sanctum Chain Control 2 Sanctums connected in one active network. Bell and Banner Control a Ruin and an adjacent outer region with a Tower. Broken Gate Destroy an enemy Tower this round. Ward the Heart Control Starfall Keep and have a Ward token there. Outer Dominion Control at least 4 outer regions. Four Corners Control any 4 regions that form a ring path without owning the Keep. High Arcana Resolve two Cast actions this round and still keep your network connected. -------------------------------------------------------------------- X.E. CROWNFALL OPENING TEMPLATE -------------------------------------------------------------------- If teaching Crownfall, recommend the following opening discipline to all players: Round 1: one expansion action one structure action one mana or research action This keeps the first round from degenerating into random central aggression and helps new players feel the intended rhythm. ==================================================================== XI. STARFALL EXPANDED CODEX ==================================================================== This codex enlarges Starfall into a more self-contained final text by adding more laws, events, relics, great works, interlude actions, and glossary material. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.A. ADDITIONAL LAWS -------------------------------------------------------------------- Granary Charter Each House with at least one Granary gains +1 Grain in Revenue. Rite Registry All rituals of risk 3 or more require either Crater Custodian approval or cost +1 Favor. Hospice Mandate The first famine relief each round costs 1 less Grain and grants +1 Providence. Marcher Toll Standard Every House controlling at least 2 improved roads gains +1 Silver. Suppression Ordinance Suppress Cult actions using force grant +1 Dominion but also +1 Public Fear if done in Holy Sites. Relic Accounting Houses openly displaying relics gain +1 Crown. Hidden relics do not count. Abbey Exemption Building Shrines costs 1 less Silver. War Levy Mandate Raise Levy may be used one extra time per round, but each additional Levy beyond the first two adds 1 unrest somewhere in your realm. Emergency Bell Right Once this round, any House may move one character along up to 3 connected roads for free. Crater Silence Decree Forbidden rituals cost +1 Mana and +1 Heresy, but Ward restoration reduces Star Pressure by 1 additional point. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.B. ADDITIONAL EVENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------- Use one event at the start of a round after Omen, or one event every two rounds for lower chaos. Broken Pilgrimage Place 1 unrest in every Holy Site lacking a Shrine. Frost Before Harvest Farmland Grain -1 this round unless a Granary is present. Sea Fires Coast regions gain +1 Silver this round, but Public Fear +1 if Tidebound is in the game and holds 2 or more coasts. Dead Bell Discovered Place one relic at a random or chosen Holy Site Ruin. Governor Scandal One House with the most governed regions must either lose 1 Crown or place 1 unrest in two governed regions. Bright Halo The first sanctification each House performs this round gives +1 extra Providence. Ash Rain Every battle that uses Burn this round causes one extra Devastation. Root Rising The Briar Covenant, if present, gains +1 Favor. Otherwise place 1 Cult in one Forest or Marsh. Open Vault One Great Ruin may be explored this round without the normal Mana or Faith entry cost. Quiet Night No Catastrophe drift from unwarded ruins this round. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.C. ADDITIONAL RELICS -------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bell Shard of Northwatch Once per session, treat a sanctification as if cast in an adjacent region. Salt Ledger of Thorn Coast Gain +2 Silver when you sign a public treaty. If you break that treaty, lose 1 extra Crown. The Root Crown In a Forest or Marsh, one governor there counts as if directly supported by clergy for cult suppression. The Glass Nail One War ritual each session costs 1 less Mana. Gain 1 Corruption the first time you use it. The White Ash Reliquary Sanctifying a Ruin grants +1 extra Providence. Exploiting that same Ruin later gains +1 Heresy. The Marshal's Spur One Army each round may ignore 1 Fatigue during battle. The Wound Compass You may inspect one hidden instability or one face-down relic at any time once per session. The Funeral Banner If carried by a character in a battle, losing that battle causes no Oathbreak or Public Fear from retreat. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.D. GREAT WORKS, EXPANDED -------------------------------------------------------------------- Bell Tower Cost 3 Silver, 2 Grain, 1 Faith Gain +2 Providence immediately. Campaign effect: once per session reduce Public Fear by 1 if you control this site. Relic Archive Cost 3 Silver, 1 Grain, 1 Mana Gain +2 Arcana. Campaign effect: may hold one extra relic openly. Great Granary Cost 2 Silver, 3 Grain Gain +2 Dominion. Campaign effect: this region stores +3 Supply and ignores the first famine effect each session. Marcher Hall Cost 3 Silver, 2 Grain Gain +2 Crown. Campaign effect: one extra governor assignment each session. Pilgrim Hospice Cost 2 Silver, 2 Grain, 1 Faith Gain +1 Crown and +1 Providence. Campaign effect: famine relief from this region costs 1 less Grain. Glass Foundry Cost 3 Silver, 2 Mana Gain +2 Arcana. Campaign effect: the first damaged Tower you repair each session costs 1 less Mana or Silver. Root Sanctuary Cost 2 Grain, 2 Faith, 1 Mana Gain +2 Providence. Campaign effect: one Forest or Marsh you control begins each session with 1 unrest removed. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.E. INTERLUDE ACTIONS, EXPANDED -------------------------------------------------------------------- Arrange Marriage Create a public or private marriage alliance. Gain +1 Favor. In campaign play, this may modify succession modules if used. Cleanse Corruption Pay 1 Faith and 1 Mana. Remove 1 Corruption from your House or one of your characters. Hide Relic Store one relic off-map. It cannot be stolen by normal effects, but grants no passive benefit until restored. Train Heir Give one heir or chosen young character +1 to a selected skill track for campaign purposes. Repair Homeland Devastation Remove 1 Devastation from a homeland region. Rebuild One Road Restore or improve one road link at half normal cost. Pardon One Oathbreak Spend 1 Favor and 1 Faith. Remove 1 Oathbreak. Hunt a Traitor Attempt to remove scandal or a corrupt governor. On success, remove one governor crisis marker or one blackmail. Secure Church Endorsement Gain +1 Faith and +1 Crown if Heresy is 0 or 1. Smuggle Wealth Gain +2 Silver immediately. Gain +1 Oathbreak. Study the Wound Gain +1 Arcana and inspect the next Omen or event. Gain +1 Corruption. Quiet the Villages Pay 1 Grain and 1 Faith. Remove 1 unrest from two regions in your homeland cluster. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.F. CHARACTER TITLES -------------------------------------------------------------------- At the end of a session, a character may gain one title if they clearly earned it. Examples: Warden of Ash Breaker of Bells Marshal of the Bitter Road The Fenwise Keeper of the Third Seal Bride of the Last Canon The Hollow-Eyed Steward of Eastford Abbot of the Broken Mile The Red Auditor Titles have no automatic mechanical effect unless your table wants them to. Their main purpose is memory and campaign story. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.G. STARFALL FAQ -------------------------------------------------------------------- Q. Can I control a region without governing it? Yes. Control and governance are separate. A newly taken region is often occupied before it is properly governed. Q. Do I lose all benefit from a region if it is devastated? Only the amount reduced by Devastation. Total yield can never go below zero. Q. Can a House deliberately ignore famine in a minor region? Yes, but it risks unrest, Crown loss, and sometimes Public Fear. Starfall is designed to make neglect possible but expensive. Q. Can I attack without declared war? Yes, but if no legal state justifies it you take Oathbreak, and sometimes other penalties. Q. Is every ritual public? Prepared rituals are public in the base game. If you want more uncertainty, use a later hidden module, but the default final text is public preparation. Q. Can I stack multiple governors in one region? No, not unless a scenario or Great Work says otherwise. Q. Are roads required to control a region? No. Roads affect movement, supply, logistics, and broader stability, not basic control. Q. Can I use a relic and then hide it in the same round? Only if a rule, action, or interlude explicitly allows it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- XI.H. STARFALL LEARNING PRINCIPLES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Teach Starfall in this order: 1. map and resources 2. governance and revenue 3. armies and battles 4. Court and laws 5. rites and Wards 6. Catastrophe 7. campaign memory Do not teach all rituals at once. Do not start with private treaties. Do not begin with the succession or monstrous modules. The game is enormous enough already. ==================================================================== XII. MASTER GLOSSARY ==================================================================== Anchor A ley anchor, part of magical infrastructure in Crownfall and Starfall. Arcana One of the public power tracks, representing magical mastery, ruin leverage, and ritual accomplishment. Ashspire The center watchpost in Torchfall. Beacon A lit claim marker in Torchfall, and also a Tower role in Crownfall. Breach A local rupture of warded reality, tracked regionally and globally in Starfall. Crown A public track representing political legitimacy and recognized sovereignty. Damaged Tower A Tower that has suffered one structural defeat in Crownfall. Devastation Long-term physical and economic destruction in Starfall. Direct Governance A high-attention form of administration in Starfall that improves yield and prestige. Dominion A public track representing military and territorial control. Fatigue A penalty from forced movement, battle, supply failure, or terrain stress in Starfall. Favor Court influence, noble support, and elite goodwill. Governed Region A controlled region in Starfall that has a governor or direct governance assigned. Great Ruin A major magical site in Starfall. Heresy A burden representing spiritual or doctrinal stain. Home Beacon A player's starting lit Beacon in Torchfall. Home Tower A player's starting Tower in Bannerfall or Crownfall. Ley Network A connected chain of magical nodes in Crownfall or Starfall. Mana Magical resource used for spells and rituals. Neglected Region A controlled but improperly administered region in Starfall. Objective A public scoring condition. Oathbreak A burden representing publicly broken law, oath, or treaty. Omen A public round modifier. Providence A public track representing stewardship, sanctity, relief, and moral order. Rekindle Torchfall action that repositions a Torch. Ruin A magical or sacred broken site. In Bannerfall and Crownfall these are high-value regions. In Starfall they are part of the deeper catastrophe and ritual systems. Sanctum A Tower role in Crownfall and also a general magical building concept in the setting. Star Pressure The main global tension value in Starfall. Stronghold A Tower role in Crownfall emphasizing defense. Supply Logistical support for forces and regions in Starfall. Torch A road-control marker in Torchfall. Unrest Local instability marker in Starfall. Ward A protective seal. In Crownfall, a short-term defense token. In Starfall, part of the containment network and catastrophe system. Watchtower A Tower role in Crownfall that supports adjacent battles. ==================================================================== XIII. MASTER TABLE AIDS ==================================================================== Use these shorthand aids when staging the games. TORCHFALL TURN 2 actions score Beacons, network, Ashspire BANNERFALL TURN gain mana 2 actions score Keep, Ruins, connected realm CROWNFALL ROUND Omen Income 3 actions per player end-round scoring STARFALL ROUND Omen Court Revenue Administration Main Actions Ritual Resolution Catastrophe Upkeep and Scoring ==================================================================== XIV. CANON CLOSING ==================================================================== This merged tome is the single complete written source for the Shattered Marches as developed here. Torchfall is complete. Bannerfall is complete. Crownfall is complete. Starfall is complete. From this point onward, the Marches belong to play.