"Hmmm... elves! They'll make sure nobody gets rich off butchering their forests!"
Mopples stuck her tongue out playfully.
"And they are their forests now. Everyone else just wants the fortress!"
A yellow topaz pawn appears in your playing field, along with a scroll...
Who is this man? Only one knows...
THE MERCHANT [PAWN] - Draw 1 extra card per turn. Base Stats: Combat 2, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 2.
* [PASSIVE] No faction may be resident in Stormrivet at the end of a Round.
With all sides present and accounted for, new information fills your mind. On each of your playing fields a bundle of swords, a muscled human, a sheaf of wheat and a chest of gold appears in miniature. They then transform (respectively) into red, blue, green and yellow stones, smooth and rounded. They then disappear. It seems that you will be given and need to keep track of these tokens, representative of the resources available at your side's disposal.
The board will apparently allow you to trade these tokens like artefacts, and unlike artefacts they will survive the death of a Pawn (provided you have another to play with). You may exchange these tokens between each other freely, and at whatever exchange rate you feel is appropriate. The board will not enforce transactions.
You also receive a more detailed, instinctual understanding of how Stormrivet works, and that the board has given it certain special rules.
STORMRIVET
Every Faction has the chance to 'reside' in Stormrivet. While resident in Stormrivet, a Faction's side gains bonus Yellow Tokens each Supply Phase from rooting through the ruins. Multiple factions may be resident in Stormrivet
If lower Stormrivet is not uncovered, resident factions gain 1 Yellow Token per Supply Phase.
If lower Stormrivet has been uncovered, resident factions gain 3 Yellow Tokens per Supply Phase.
If a player controls multiple factions resident in Stormrivet, each gains Yellow Tokens separately (which are added to his pile).
The Mage, while a Pawn instead of a Faction, counts as resident and cannot be displaced until lower Stormrivet has been uncovered. He can (through magic!) still trade, attack and be attacked as normal. He does not gain Yellow Tokens, although resident factions under his control may (e.g. the zombies).
To become resident in Stormrivet, a faction must dig their way in by spending 5 Blue Tokens. Once inside, they gain the benfits of residency until they are kicked out. This must happen during the Action Phase.
A resident faction can only be displaced by another resident faction at a cost of 5 Red Tokens, so long as the attacking faction has 5 more Red Tokens than the defender (before spending the 5 Red Tokens). This must happen during the Action Phase.
An ejected resident must dig their way back in to gain residency (another 5 Blue Tokens).
A resident faction can leave of their own volition at no cost, although they must expend Blue Tokens to return.
To breach lower Stormrivet, a resident faction must expend 8 Blue Tokens (to dig their way down) or 8 Red Tokens (to fight their way past horrible creatures). Once lower Stormrivet is breached, all resident factions gain additional Yellow Tokens as above.
The Mage cannot dig/fight his way to upper Stormrivet. He must be freed by a player controlling any other Pawn except the Mage.
The precise victory conditions for each of your sides appears on scrolls provided to each player as well. Passive conditions are checked when active conditions are filled. Some "passive" conditions may require a lot of activity.
* [PASSIVE] The Mage must remain in play when the game ends.
* [PASSIVE] The Mage is released from entrapment.
- Required: A side controlling any non-Mage Pawn uncovers the lower levels of Stormrivet.
* [ACTIVE] The Mage raises a sufficient force of undead to hold Stormrivet.
Mage must have 20 Red Tokens.
* [PASSIVE] No factions opposed to the Mage must be resident in Stormrivet (e.g. the dwarves).
* [PASSIVE] The Magmanarian faction must survive until game end.
* [ACTIVE] The lower levels of Stormrivet must be breached, to permit looting of the treasures within.
* [ACTIVE] The Magmanarians must gather sufficient treasure to trade with.
16 Yellow Tokens is sufficient.
* [ACTIVE] The Magmanarians must establish a working relationship with the human traders.
Both sides must spend 4 Blue Tokens to establish a relationship. Thereafter each side may draw an additional Blue Token during the Supply Phase.
* [PASSIVE] The Human Outpost faction must survive to game end.
* [ACTIVE] A working relationship must be established with at least two other factions (that survive to game end).
To establish a working relationship, both sides must spend 4 Blue Tokens. Thereafter each side gains 1 additional Blue Token per Supply Phase.
* [ACTIVE] The Humans must gather or provide enough of a variety of goods to establish permanent trade.
Humans must have 5 Red, 5 Yellow and 5 Green Tokens at the end of play.
* [PASSIVE] The Humans must eliminate or out-survive any factions that oppose their residence in Stormrivet (e.g. the dwarves).
* [ACTIVE] The Humans must be resident in Stormrivet.
* [PASSIVE] The Dwarven faction must survive to game end.
* [ACTIVE] The Dwarves must be resident in Stormrivet.
AND EITHER
* [ACTIVE] The Dwarves must be the sole residents of Stormrivet.
* [ACTIVE] The Dwarves must have enough labour and food to reclaim Stormrivet.
Dwarves must have 8 Blue Tokens and 8 Green Tokens.
OR
* [ACTIVE] The Dwarves must gather enough treasure to make them rich.
Dwarves must have 24 Yellow Tokens.
* [PASSIVE] No faction may be resident in Stormrivet at the end of a Round.
Unlike on the previous board, the game's factions are openly visible at the start of the game and each Pawn starts bound to its native faction. There may be other factions unseen that can be found in drawn cards. You place down your pawns and watch as the board comes to life...
In a sleepy trading post at the edge of a forest and before a ruined fortress, an ambitious young human has plans for glory. Horus has, at least for now, the ear of his fellow villagers, and his sights are set upon the fortress.
Breaking camp and heading up the mountain, a party of dwarves prepare for heavy mining and furious battle in the name of the former Mayor of Stormrivet, a guileful dwarf who has lured these brave souls in search of the vast wealth of Stormrivet and keen to restore the fortress in his own image.
Silent and unseen, a band of elven archers watch from the treeline, well aware of the damage to the forest caused when Stormrivet was active. With their new ally in hand, they seek to keep the fortress silent and its greedy forges dark.
As the dwarves climb the mountain on one side, a handful of meandering magmanarians follow the promises of their artist-companion, seeking tasty gemstones for their bellies as their leader has hopes of seeing Stormrivet's legendary engravings and perhaps of helping his companions come to appreciate art themselves.
And finally, beneath the mountain in sealed workshops and mines lies an unexpected hive of activity as dozens of mute dwarven corpses labour for the glory of their master, Ustuth Menglek, who bides his time and builds his army for when freedom comes.Ustuth Menglek (The Mage) [PAWN] - Initiating "Puzzle" actions is 1 card cheaper. Base Stats: Combat 1+3, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 3.
ZOMBIES [FACTION] - The living dead, raised by unholy dwarven magic. These minions serve as both army and labour, tending the mushroom gardens in the cool lightless soil or fashioning wares from the riches of Stormrivet's sealed mines.
Ruler (Pawn) Benefits: +3 to Combat.
Player Benefits: For every 4 Red Tokens in play, draw either a Green or Yellow Token during the Supply Phase (if eligible, you may mix and match multiple tokens).
Faction Stats: Combat 3, Intrigue 2, Puzzle 2. Costs 6 Cards to play.
Resident in Stormrivet
1 Yellow Token
The Artist [PAWN] - Every time you place an artefact, draw a card. Base Stats: Combat 1+1, Intrigue 1+1, Puzzle 3+1.
MAGMANARIANS [FACTION] - A band of perambulatory animated magma moulded into the shape of men. Although by nature a docile and sedentary people, these magma men are capable workers if they can be turned to the job. They could be powerful allies in battle, if you could ever get them to move.
Ruler (Pawn) Benefits: +1 to Combat, Intrigue and Puzzle.
Player Benefits: Draw 1 Blue Token each Supply Phase.
Faction Stats: Combat 3, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 3. Costs 6 Cards to play.
1 Blue Token
Horus (The Smith) [PAWN] - Artefacts cost 1 less card to place. Base Stats: Combat 2, Intrigue 1+2, Puzzle 2+1.
HUMAN OUTPOST [FACTION] - A small outpost of woodsmen and traders on the verge of the forest by Stormrivet. These creatures are resourceful, and can turn their hands to all manner of tasks.
Ruler (Pawn) Benefits: +2 to Intrigue. +1 to Puzzle.
Player Benefits: During the Action Phase, humans may convert Blue Tokens to Red, Green or Yellow Tokens at a 2:1 ratio (i.e. 2 Blue Tokens for 1 R/G/Y Token).
Faction Stats: Combat 2, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 2. Costs 6 Cards to play.
The Mayor (The Thief) [PAWN] - Initiating "Intrigue" actions is 1 card cheaper. Base Stats: Combat 2+2, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 2+1.
DWARVES [FACTION] - This expedition of dwarves has come to Stormrivet in search of wealth and glory. As well as being hardened soldiers, this band of dwarves are also forgemen and smiths capable of producing more equipment for battle.
Ruler (Pawn) Benefits: +2 to Combat, +1 to Puzzle.
Player Benefits: Can convert Yellow Tokens to Red Tokens on a 1:1 basis during the Action Phase.
Faction Stats: Combat 3, Intrigue 2, Puzzle 2. Costs 6 Cards to play.
The Merchant [PAWN] - Draw 1 extra card per turn. Base Stats: Combat 2, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 2.
ELVEN SCOUTS [FACTION] - A handful of elven rangers, dedicated to protecting the innocent trees of this region. Experts in stealth and guile, the Scouts are also adept foragers and hunters and can readily provide food.
Ruler (Pawn) Benefits: +3 to Intrigue
Player Benefits: Draw 1 Green Token each Supply Phase.
Faction Stats: Combat 2, Intrigue 3, Puzzle 2. Costs 6 Cards to play.
1 Green Token
Lower Stormrivet is Sealed.
Round OneThe
Supply Phase is underway. All parties receive 5 Cards, except Mopples who receives 6. Any default tokens are supplied, and a card count is provided for convenience.
Varian 5
Valer 5
Ramespi 5
Kwong X 5
Mopples 6