The Wildman
The sun skates across the sky, chased by streams of oppressive grey cloud. The threatened snowfall fails to come, and we make it to our intended campsite well before dusk.
But even as we set down our packs, a chilling howl echoes through the trees. It is a pack of wolves; in the purpling dusk, they surround our camp. But at their head moves not a wolf but a man, naked and rippling with muscle.
The wolf-man speaks to us in a tongue we do not know, before drawing something from the skin on his back. It is a pack of cards. Pushing forward, the wolf-man sits with us and motions for us to join his game.
With the wolf-man’s comrades at our backs, we have no choice but to play his game.
The day wears on…
The Challenge
The pack leader wishes us to play a version of Crazy Eights.
Shuffle the deck. Deal four cards facedown to each traveller.
The remaining deck is placed in the centre.
Flip over the top card and place it next to the pile. If the first card is an eight, reshuffle the deck and try again.
Clockwise starting with the Reader, travellers take it in turn to try to play cards on top of the face-up card in the centre. Played cards must be of same number value or the same suit as the current top face-up card. Play then continues with the new face-up card as the top card.
Any card with a number value of eight is a wild card. Eights can be placed down on top of any card at any time. The next card placed must be either the same suit as the eight, or an eight itself.
If a traveller cannot play any card from their hand, they must pass their turn and draw a card from the facedown deck.
The game ends when any traveller has no cards remaining in their hand, or if an illegal play is made.
Success. If no eights remain in any traveller’s hand, and the Challenge is passed.
Failure. If any traveller still holds an eight, or an illegal play is made, the Challenge is failed.
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————If the Challenge is passed, the traveller with no hand wins the Blessing of the Wildman.
If the Challenge is failed, the party incurs the Curse of the Wildman. Take this spirit's card and place it in a designated area on the table so everyone can see it. If this is the party's third Curse, click here.
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Suddenly, the wolf-man leaps to his feet. Snatching up the cards, he howls to the moon, the wolves’ own voices rising in chorus about him. Then, leaping into the dark, both man and beasts are gone.
Re-form the deck before continuing.
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