The Wind
The day wears on…
The breeze picks up through the morning, rising to a gale by noon. Clouds race overhead, spitting rain. Trees creak, while ravines whistle strangely with the wind. Too late, we understand. We are walking into a hurricane.
Quickly, frantically, we plot a faster route to a new camp. Against the driving wind and rain, we attempt to push forward to safety. But within moments, we are turned about. We can barely even hear each other above the screaming wind.
We must communicate and get our bearings quickly, or the hurricane will claim more than our route.
The Challenge
Attempt to keep your bearings over the Wind’s interference by playing a modified game of telephone.
Shuffle the deck. The Reader draws an Elder Card at random.
Examining their card privately, the Reader silently selects a single, one-syllable ADJECTIVE that best describes their card. Then, without looking, they draw two additional random cards from the deck.
Without looking at the new cards, the Reader shuffles the cards and passes all three cards to the traveller to their left, whispering their one-syllable adjective to that traveller.
Judging by the Reader’s whispered adjective, the new traveller silently decides which card they think the Reader chose. Then, discarding the other two cards into a pile separate from the deck, the new traveller draws two new unseen cards from the deck and shuffles them together without looking.
Like the Reader did before, the second traveller now hands the three cards to the traveller to their left, whispering a single adjective that pertains to the card they selected. However, this adjective must now be TWO syllables.
The game continues as above, with each traveller giving an adjective of one more syllable than the last — i.e. the third traveller gives an adjective of three syllables, and the fourth four.
The game ends when the final chosen card is passed to the original Reader again. The last traveller does not need to draw a random second and third card before passing to the Reader.
Success. Reveal the Reader’s hand. If the original Elder Card that the Reader chose is among the cards, the party has kept its bearings and the Challenge is passed.
Failure. Reveal the Reader’s hand. If the original Elder Card that the Reader chose is not among the cards, then the party is lost and the Challenge is failed.
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————If the Challenge is passed, the fickle Wind chooses a random traveller to bestow with its Blessing. Deal out as many Elder Cards as there are travellers, then replace one with the Wind. Deal one card at random to each traveller. The traveller who receives the Wind wins its Blessing. Discard the other dealt cards.
HELP FROM AN ITEM
If any traveller who carries a FLUTE, they may claim the Wind’s Blessing automatically.
If the Challenge is failed, the hurricane hits with full force. Every traveller that owns a Blessing must discard one. The party also suffers the Curse of the Wind. Take the Wind’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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————Finding makeshift shelter beneath an overhang, we make camp. The storm rages into the night.
Whether the Challenge is passed or failed, the hurricane delays your journey:
Re-form the deck and shuffle it
Add a random Elder Card to the top of the Path.
Re-form the deck before continuing.