The Triplets
Taking out our mask, we offer it to the children. “Oh!” cries the girl. “How did you know? We love playing make-believe.”
Leaping down from their perch, the three children hover before us. Now that they are close, we see that the air around them ripples with force, as if disturbed by the spirits’ very presence. Masks appear in their hands — crude and wooden things, gaudily painted.
The hooded child sighs. “Your true face... what kind of... face is it? I wonder... the face under the mask... is that... your true face?”
The Challenge
The Triplets want you to act out a story for them. Use their masks to tell a coherent fairy tale.
Shuffle and place the deck facedown in the centre.
Clockwise starting with the Reader, travellers take it in turns to flip over and reveal the top card of the deck. Using the revealed Elder Card as an inspiration/prompt, the travellers tell a story in instalments.
For example, if the Reader’s first revealed card is THE CRONE, the Reader might begin the story: “Once upon a time, there was an old, old woman who lived in a hut. But the old woman was sad, because she lived alone.”
The traveller to the Reader’s left then continues the story by turning over the next Elder Card. They add at least two sentences to the story before motioning to the next traveller to go.
Play continues in this way until every traveller has had at least one turn and the story comes to a satisfying close.
Success. The only goal of this Challenge is to tell a cohesive, pleasing story.
Failure. There is no way to fail this Challenge. Any story is enough for the Triplets.
When the story is complete, continue below.
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————As we bring our tale to a close, the children clap delightedly.
“Wonderful,” sighs the hooded child.
“Brilliant!” cries the beribboned girl.
“Great!” shouts the flat capped boy.
The Triplets are delighted by your story.
The traveller who took the last turn receives the Bargain of the Triplets.
Every other traveller receives the Bargain of the first Elder Card that they drew as a story prompt.
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————Suddenly, as if in response to a distant sound, the children’s gaze whips across the bog.
The girl tuts loudly. “Oh bother! Daddy’s seen that we snuck out. Let them go, before he comes and reaps their souls — or there will be no more games for any of us!”
The three children leap into the air. The colours of the Mire grow brighter — deeper — blurred. A fog descends, a cacophony of colour and —
We are standing on an island in the endless marsh. The world has returned to normal. The children are gone.
Re-form the deck before continuing.