The Helpless
The day wears on…
By afternoon, we have waded more miles than any of us can count. Our boots are soaked through by the time we stop to rest at a foul-smelling pond. As we linger, we see something dragging itself from the muck: a small child of no more than three months of age.
The child crawls toward us with surprising speed. As it appends itself to our leader’s leg, the babe’s desire becomes clear; the child simply wishes to be held.
Taking the babe in our arms, we try to comfort it.
The Challenge
Compete to hold the Helpless by playing a game of finger-twister!
Take the Helpless’ card and place it in the centre of the table.
In clockwise order starting with the Reader, travellers take it in turns to place one finger on the card and hold it there.
As the turns pass around the circle, travellers must add a second finger to the card, then a third, and so on. You can add any finger from any hand in any order.
When a traveller fails to place their finger or has a placed finger lose contact with the card, the game ends.
Success. If the game ends before all travellers have placed ten fingers, and no traveller had a placed finger forced from the card, the Challenge is passed.
Failure. If the game reaches ten rounds without a winner, or if any travellers lifts an already-placed finger from the card, the Challenge is failed.
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If the Challenge is passed, the last traveller to place a finger successfully wins the Challenge. They receive the Blessing of the Helpless.
If the Challenge is failed, all travellers suffer the Curse of the Helpless. If this is the party's third Curse, click here.
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When a spirit is displeased by the party, it will lay its Curse upon them. Curses have dire consequences. The more Curses a party gathers, the more lives will be claimed in the Heart of the Wood. Furthermore, if a party incurs three Curses, the Wood's spirits will reject them and they will be forced to flee for their lives, ending the game.
When you incur a Curse, place it in a designated area of the table so that all travellers are aware of it.
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————As the child babbles in our arms, the sun emerges briefly from the clouds above. Its piercing rays reveal that the babe is gone.