DUALITY : THE MIRROR KINGDOMS
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"They say that in the twin cities there is no longer any way of
knowing who is alive and who is dead."
- Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
A game by David Donachie
Thanks to all of Game Chef 2008 Group Leo (Mike Sands, Rockodes, Almostgold, Simon Proctor and Jason Morningstar) and to Dale Horstman, for his fantastic artwork.
This game is also influenced by Italo Calvion's Invisible Cities, and Mervyn Peake's Ghormenghast.
Game Chef artwork choice : Dale Horstman
How many people can play? : 4, no more, no less
What materials do we need to play? : 1 copy of the character sheet per player + 1 more, a bunch of six sided dice, a pen, some slips of paper to write traits on, six tokens per player of one type (e.g. coins or glass beads) and a few extra tokens of some other colour in a separate pot or pile.
How long will it take? : Around 4 hours
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THE CITIES OF THE DEAD
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ERIDU : THE SUNLIGHT WORLD
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In the city of Eridu the people are bound by the observances of the dead. Each man and woman has the duty to ensure that the memories of their relatives are not forgotten. To this end they wear masks made in the shape of the faces of the dead, subsuming their personality in that of a chosen ancestor. The stories of the dead are written in books made from flayed skin, and in the late afternoons, when the sunlight filters through the ranks of clouds over the city they read from these books, committing the lives of the dead to memory.
Each morning the people come down from the high place of the city to the dark woods and thickets of the dead, to gaze upon their bodies and interpret the meanings hidden in their shiftings and stirrings. The shapes of the dead are interpreted by their similarity to the runes of Amaal, which are also written upon the walls of Eridu and in the groves of the tombs. It is also the custom at this time to gather the substances of the earth, rotted plants, roots, worms and ammonite stones. These are taken back to the city and brewed into a thick tar-like ink.
It is with this ink that the people paint the Amaal runes on their bodies as the sun sets, marking themselves with the signs adopted by the bodies of their ancestors. The ink brings with it hallucinogenic dreams, in which the people hope to share the minds of the dead.
Sometimes one of the people will awake from their dreams and remember the life of the dead, often more clearly than their own. These people say that the dead are transformed when they are placed into the earth, shedding their human forms as a snake sheds it's skin and emerging as animals. These animal spirits watch over the living, guiding their actions. It is these animal spirits that guide the shape of the Eridan's masks, each of which is patterned in the shape of an ancestor's inner spirit.
The city of the sunlight world is ruled by King Ligis from a tower in the centre of Eridu. His movements are always the same as those of his dead ancestors, and all time in Eridu is measured by the regularity of his movements. The sky above his tower is shunned, for it is furthest from the land of the dead, and the Eridans turn their eyes from it.
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UDIRE : THE WORLD BENEATH
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In the city of Udire the people are bound to the observances of the dead. The city is built in the midst of the roots, shadows and deep waters which give in their gaps and reflections glimpses of the other side. When the moon rises the people of Udire make their way to these windows, looking through them upon the movements of the dead. It is held in Udire that the dead are trapped in endless servitude, doomed to repeat the same patterns from moonrise to moonset, unless by their efforts the people can shake them from this cycle and restore them to life.
Each night the Udirians attempt to pass something of their vitality back to the dead. To do this they don masks patterned after the faces of the dead and dance a sacred dance which they believe will transfer their energy to the dead, perhaps to bring them back to life once more. The shapes of this dance are known as the runes of Amaal, and each family of the people seek to pass on to their dead the secrets of one branch of the runes.
When the dance is completed the Udirians return to their homes to muse upon what they have seen through the windows in the world and sing songs of the dance that will be danced the following night. It is at this time that the masks are constructed from the things of the world's edge; fallen leaves, wood, and growing things. When the masks are complete the Udirians name each with an Amaalian rune, which is also their name until the next is given.
When the moon sets the Udirians sleep, and dream of the world of the dead. They imagine that their spirits pass through the windows between the worlds, as their bodies cannot, and on the other side assume the forms of the dead, casting off their various and varies shapes for the dull servitude of human bodies. Sometimes when an Udirian awakes they remember the lives of the Eridans more clearly than they remember their own. From these dreams they have learnt the names of the dead, and take these names as their own.
The city of the moonlight world is ruled by King Sigil from a deep well in the centre of Udire. He gazes constantly into a mirror in the heart of his castle, in which he divines the movements of the dead King. From these divinations all time in Udire is measured. The darkness below his well is shunned, because it is the furthest from the land of the dead, and the Udirians turn their eyes from it.
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ERIDU AND UDIRE
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In both the Sunlight and the Moonlight cities the dead have become the obsession of the living, to the point where it has become impossible to distinguish who are the living and who are the dead. It should be clear to anyone, other than the inhabitants of the twin cities, that this can only lead to the certain ruin of both Eridu and Udire.
In Eridu the hieresiachs of the Royal Temple, who are drawn from those orphans who do not know the names of their ancestors, strictly police the rituals that bind the people. Where words will not discourage lack of cooperation, they are happy to employ their maces. Under their rule three quarters of each day is devoted to the imitation of the dead, leaving only the sunlight hours around noon for the pursuit of farming and industry. Because of this the city of Eridu is sick and dying. Soon it will sink into the damp darkness of the graves it reveres, and nothing will be left of Eridu. The only hope for the city is for someone to turn aside from the observances of the dead and live a new life.
In Udire the same is true, though in the spirit world there are no brown robed priests to enforce the dedication to the world of the dead. In the moonlight city it is the addictive dreams of the dead, glimpsed through the limpid surfaces where the moonlight strikes the peat filled waters, that exert a hypnotic control over the living. Like the drugged paints manufactured in the limestone towers of Eridu these dreams have entranced the creatures of Udire into copying every movement and thought that they see on the other side. The medium for this addiction is the dance by which the Udirians hope to bring new life to the dead. The Elder Udirians that lead the dance are the closest thing that exists to government in the Moonlight city, since their King never leaves his well.
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A BROKEN MIRROR
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There are those who have awoken in Eridu and Udire and realised that behind their masks they are not the same as those around them, they have crossed over into a world in which they should not be. For each of the dead that finds themselves alive in Eridu, so one of the living finds themselves in Udire, a mirror of each other even as the two worlds have become their own reflections.
Those who have awoken behind the masks of the dead know that the barrier between the two worlds is almost broken. If it falls there shall be neither life nor death in Eridu, but only one nightmare of endless reflection. If the barrier is to be restored the mirror must be shattered and the symmetry of the dead and the living broken. Only those who have crossed over have the chance to do this, by choosing one path or the other, the dreams of the living or the thoughts of the dead.
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WAKING
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It is dawn, and you have awoken behind your mask to realize that you are not where you ought to be. You have crossed from the dream filled waters of Udire to the tree-shrouded streets of Eridu, and from Eridu's tombs to the dark roots of Udire. In both worlds you realize that you have taken on the role of your own reflection. As an Udirian you finally have a chance to bring your dance to the dead and shake them from their routines. As an Eridan you have taken the shape of your ancestor's spirt and have the chance to escape into freedom at last.
As a player you take the role of one Eridan / Udirian, who has crossed the mirror and found themself in the other world. Though there are two beings, one in each world, there is but one character, seen through two lenses at the same time. A root in Udire is a tree in Eridu. A tomb of earth in Eridu is a window of water in Udire. What you do in one world you also do in the other ... at least until the point where you choose to break from your reflection and pursue your own existence. If you can do that before you sleep again then the mirror may be shattered.
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CREATING YOUR CHARACTERS
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Your character sheet (provided at the end of this game) represents the two worlds of Eridu and Udire. The Sunlight world is contained in the top half, while the Moonlight world of Udire is in the lower half. In each half you will place four traits, representing the strengths of each part of your character. Hopefully you will be able to use these traits to swing the balance of yourself to one world or the other, even though all of creation is against you.
TRAITS FOR THE SUNLIGHT HALF
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Pick four of the following traits for the Udirian half of your character. For each one write down the trait and your chosen value on a scrap of paper and place that on the sunlight half of your character sheet, e.g.
...............
: MASK : Lion :
...............
* NAME : Choose a name for yourself. Your name is yours alone and marks your place in the world. Your name includes both your own birth name, and the name of the dead ancestor after which you pattern your life (see the appendix for example names). You must always choose a name, and your name should be your first trait.
* MASK : Your mask carries the form of your totem beast. Those with the masks of strong beasts are strong, while silent beasts gift their wearer with silence. When you attempt the physical it is your mask that denotes your strength.
* ROOTS : Choose what you have taken from the earth. Roots, fossils, bones, soil, petrified wood and teeth are all things the Eridans collect from the ground around the tombs. The things you have gathered are tools, currency and gifts.
* JOB : Choose what it is you do during the bright hours of Noon. Perhaps you work in the rooftop fields growing corn, or in the fish ponds catching the armored fish. Perhaps you craft the drugged paints from the grave earth, or carve the masks from the trees of the tomb groves. By your job alone can you create a future for Eridu.
* MEMORIES : Choose the memories that you have learnt. What past life is described in your book of the dead. The things that your ancestor did are things that you too can do. What was the lifestyle of the dead one?
TRAITS FOR THE MOONLIGHT HALF
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Pick four of the following traits for the Udirian half of your character. For each one write down the trait and your chosen value on a scrap of paper and place that on the underground half of your character sheet, e.g.
...............
: FORM : Lion :
...............
* FORM : Choose your animal form. Perhaps you swim through the depths of Udire as a mermaid or a fish. Perhaps you entwine the roots of the dead world in your serpent coils. Perhaps you lead the drum beats of the dance as a Lion. Any animal of the earth and the waters and the moonlight is appropriate. When you attempt physical things your form is relevant.
* WINDOW : Choose which window you use to see the world of the dead. What is on the other side of it? The things it shows you have learnt and are the master of. It might be a workshop, or a library, a potion makers or a hierarch's home. Whatever thing it shows you can emulate.
* DANCE : Choose your dance. Is it fast or slow, joyous or sad, energetic or sensual? Your dance is always part of you. Whenever you act in step with the rythym of your dance you are stronger.
* BRANCH : Choose which branch of the Amaal your family teaches to the dead. Perhaps you try to teach them of moonlight, or of water, or of the sky, or the joy of birth. Whatever thing you choose you are knowledgable about.
* MASK : Your mask is the face of one of the dead that you hope to liberate. Your mask marks your place at the windows of the dead, and where in the dance you may place yourself. Your mask can make you a leader or a follower, a servant of the King or a musician.
AMAAL TOKENS
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When you have chosen your four traits and placed them in your sheet you should also take 8 Amaal tokens (such as glass beads) and place them beside your character sheet, you will use these to influence conflicts during the game. Each token represents one Amaal rune.
FINAL STEPS
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Once each player has finished creating their character you should place one more copy of the character sheet in the middle of the table, this represents the two cities themselves. Beside this character sheet place a bowl full of conflict tokens (any sort of bead, coin, or other small item that doesn't look the same as the Amaal tokens) for use during play.
You are now ready to begin
An Example of character creation
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Anna sits down to create a Duality character. She takes some slips
of paper and picks four traits for the Eridian half of her character,
who she decides is a man. First she must choose a name, and using the
appendix picks Ram Zahil Ishtarkin. She decides that Ram Zahil is a
physically strong man, and gives him the Mask of a Lion and a Job as
a digger of stones. Finally she has a choice of picking a set of skills
in the form of memories, or some magical items in the form of Roots.
She decides that Ram Zahil has the skills of an architect.
Anna places the following slips in the Eridu half of her character
sheet.
NAME : Ram Zahil Ishtarkin
MASK : The Lion
JOB : Digger of stones in the ruins
MEMORIES : Architect and builder of towers
Now Anna moves on to the Udirian half of her character. This half
is also called Ram Zahil in the world of roots. She chooses that this
Ram is also a Lion (though he doesn't have to be), a dance leader
with a strong and martial dance. She decides that on this day Ram is
wearing the mask of a soldier in the King's tower, a warrior, which
is where Ram's Window looks.
Anna places the following slips in the Udire half of her character
sheet.
FORM : The Lion
DANCE : Strong and martial
MASK : A soldier in the King's tower
WINDOW : The King's tower in Eridu
Finally she places eight Amaal tokens to one side of her character
sheets.
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A DAY OF FREEDOM
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Each game of Duality takes place during a single day in the twin cities. You have only one day to change the course of your destiny, and the destiny of the twin cities. When you next sleep you will return to your own world, and escape from the rituals of the dead will be impossible. If you cannot break the mirror before then the city is doomed.
Each day is divided into four phases, Morning, Noon, Afternoon and Evening. Each player will play through one scene in each of these four phases in turn, with each player completing a scene in Morning before any player moves on to Noon, and so on. In each scene you will play one half of your character, while the player opposite you will play the other. The other players will play the forces of opposition in both worlds, including (possibly) their own characters. Evening is an exception. You do not have to play a scene in evening if you don't want to. When everyone who wants to play in Evening is done the game ends and the fate of the characters, and the two cities, is decided.
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MORNING and MOONRISE
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In the morning your family will travel to the tombs and windows of the dead to seek their guidance for the day ahead. You alone realise that what they call death, you call living. Will you go with them or will you break away and try to persuade others of the truth? If you go what will you learn from the Amaal you see? Will it be something that persuades others of the error of their ways? Perhaps you wish only to collect your thoughts, your mask, and the things of the earth.
In Eridu the hieresiachs enforce the pilgrimage to tombs, and prevent any from stepping beyond them. In Udire it is the hypnotic call of the moon's windows that draws you there.
Key Traits : Eridu - Roots, Udire - Window
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NOON and NIGHT
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In the hours about Noon the Eridans are engaged in their jobs; farming their fish, tilling the soil, crafting pages and potions. This is the perfect time to sneak away and go where you should not. The sun is bright in the sky and the paths out of the city are open. Will you also turn your hands to the work that you have always done, or will you reject it as mere empty ritual? Will you climb the King's tower, destroy the tombs, or attempt to flee the city when all others are distracted?
In Udire too it is time for work, the work of the dance. When the drums beat in the earth your spirit is drawn into their rhythms. Will you follow the steps where you are strongest or try to disrupt the dance? Will you slip away to the royal well, or the depths beyond the city when everyone else is heedless? Will you try to tell others the truth when everyone is together?
In Eridu the people are about and busy, always watchful of those struck down by maddness or folly. In Udire it is the call of the dance that is the hardest foe to overcome.
Key Traits : Eridu - Job, Udire - Dance
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AFTERNOON and MOONSET
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In the afternoon the people of Eridu read from the books of their ancestors, memorising and rehersing the lives of the dead. You alone realise that they have killed their own lives. Will you read the words with them, or will you rant against the dying of Eridu? Will you instead change the words so that the link with the dead is broken? If you love your family this is when you can find them alone and in one place. If you try to read the words as you should will you fail because it was your opposite half that learnt them?
In Udire too it is a time to gather, when the masks are made and the songs are sung. If you take a new name you may forget who you are. Will you sing in tune or out of it? Will you return home or be elsewhere? Will you use your root and branch to turn your family song against the rest of Udire?
In both cities the afternoon is the time of togetherness. Your family is with you and you were with them. If you wish to be elsewhere they will chase you. If you wish to break the mirror then they will resist you.
Key Traits : Eridu - Memories, Udire - Branch
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NIGHT and DAWN
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As the Moon and Sun alike touch the horizon sleep is almost returned and your day of freedom is nearly ended. If you are not yet in captivity, and you have not broken the mirror, then time is running out. Soon the drugged inks and hypnotic dreams will claim you, and you will be dragged through the mirror once more.
This is the time for desperate action, before all is lost. All the opposition of the previous day, whether it be hieresiachs, patriarchs, family, dreams or drugs, conspire to return opposition to the slumber where it will do no harm.
Key Traits : Eridu - Mask, Udire - Mask
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PLAYING A SCENE
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When it is your turn to play a scene, first choose which half of your character you are playing (Sunlight or Moonlight). The person opposite you across the table (if in doubt about who is opposite, choose the leftmost option) will take control of the other half, who experiences the same part of the day in the opposite half of the world. Both of you will play the character together, seen through the lenses of the two worlds.
Start by setting the scene, saying where your character is in their city, and what they are doing. Often this will follow obviously from what you (or another character) did in their last scene. Your opposite number can add to this through their control of the opposite side of your character, whose actions will mirror your own until you diverge from the appointed ritual.
Note that though the other players can embellish various details with reference to the other world the primary action takes place in the city you have chosen. The exception being when you and your other half can talk in some way, through visions, or windows, or at the tombs of the dead. In that case feel free to converse with the person playing your other half.
Now try to break with tradition in some way. Refuse to participate in ritual, attempt to flee the city, or try to persuade others of the folly of their ways. Your other half should also say what they are doing. To help you break the mirror they should say that their half is following tradition for some reason, or perhaps breaking them in a different way from you. When you do this the other players will have the world conspire to stop you. We call this a conflict. Both sides should do their best to force a conflict, you to escape the bonds of the dead, the other players to stop you.
PLAYING AN OPPONENT
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When it's not your turn you, and the other out of turn players, take the parts of everyone else in the scene. You may play the character's family, their hieresiach, a royal guard (or guards), a patriarch, or anyone else you can think of. You may play the same characters from scene to scene, or different ones as the play demands. Remember that whoever you play will appear in both Eridu and Udire, though distorted differently in each
Your job is to help force the conflict in the scene. Enforce the status quo, honour the dead, keep to the rituals and stop anyone who does not.
You may end up playing your own character in a scene when it's not your turn too, because they naturally come together with the character whose scene this is. In this case your character may get involved in the conflict as well, but it is still your job to oppose the lead character.
An Example of a scene
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It is Morning, and Anna's turn to have a scene. She chooses to play
the Udire half of her character, and slides the Eridu half of her
character sheet to Cath, who is the player opposite her. Bob and David,
who are to Anna's left anf right, will play the opposition.
Anna opens the scene by describing how Ram Zahil awakes with the Moon,
confused and shocked at being in this Lion body. Her family are hurrying
to the surface of Udire to gaze through the windows of the dead, and
she is already late. Meanwhile, Cath says, the other Ram is waking in
a similar way in Eridu, examining his human hands in the sunlight, and
marvelling at his human shape.
Bob says that Ram's mother (in both worlds) comes to chide him up,
worried that he will not get to the dead in time. He nags Ram in her
voice saying "Do you want the Patriarchs to catch you lurking here,
they would have our heads! We must go to the window by the broken stones
before the moon has fully risen and the other world cannot be seen!"
David adds in some details about the rest of Ram's family leaving their
den and darting off through the dark waters, leaving them alone.
"I refuse to go" Anna says as Ram. She says that Ram will not listen to
his mother, afraid of what might happen if he sees his own world in
the mirror. His mother is shocked but he insists. She says she wants
to break the mirror in this scene, and Cath agrees that the other Ram,
still shocked by the light, allows himself to be led to the tombs of
the dead.
The conflict is on.
PLAYING A CONFLICT
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A conflict gives you the chance to free your city from it's bondage and also the chance to free yourself from your other half, by moving more fully into one world or the other. Each conflict is either an attempt to free yourself, by refusing to act as ritual demands, for example, or by physically fleeing the city, or an attempt to free everyone, by persuading others that they are doing the wrong things for example, or by confronting the King. It is easier to free yourself alone than it is to free everyone.
Be clear what you are trying to do, and how you are opposed. You and your other half should describe what you wish to do, the other players will supply the opposition.
Be clear on how you are trying to do what you want to do. Depending on what and how, up to two of your traits, one on each half of your character sheet, may be relevant. For example if you are trying to sneak into the tower of the King of Eridu then your Sunlight Memories of an architect, and your Moonlight Form of a cat will both be relevant. Only one trait from each side can be the relevant one, if more seem appropriate, pick one. If none look relevant, then none are.
Now choose to risk one or more traits from each half of your character sheet (risk them by taking them off your character sheet, and placing them to one side for a moment). The more traits you risk the more likely you are to succeed. You can risk up to three traits from each half, with both players agreeing what will be risked but the active player having the deciding word, and you must choose to risk at least one from each half. If you risk a relevant trait then you gain a shift (see below). You also gain another shift if you risk a key trait for this phase. You will roll one dice for each trait you risk.
At the same time as you are choosing what to risk the other players are choosing how hard your opposition is trying to stop you.
If you are merely trying to free yourself :
The opposition roll 3 dice against you. They may choose to increase these dice by spending their Amaal. For each Amaal they spend they roll another dice. The spent token is taken from the player's pile placed on their character sheet, on the side appropriate to the world you are playing again. Once spent a token cannot be used again. The other players do not have to spend tokens at all, and cannot spend more than four between them on any one conflict.
If you are trying to free your city as well :
The opposition roll 6 dice against you. They may choose to increase these dice by spending Amaal, just as above. Each player who does so should also take one Conflict token from the pot in the middle of the table and place it on the appropriate side of their character sheet, along with the Amaal they have spent. They only get one Conflict token regardless of the number of Amaal they spend.
(Note : If you wish the process of freeing the twin cities to be easier you can
drop the automatic dice from 6 to 5)
An Example of a conflict
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Ram Zahil is breaking the mirror, refusing to go to the windows in
Udire while his Eridian half follows tradition. Anna looks for traits
that could help him do this. She declares that Ram will force his mother
out of the house using sheer strength, declaring his FORM as relevant.
Cath looks over the traits in the Eridu half of the character sheet and
suggests that the JOB of a digger is also relevant, because it makes him
strong. No one disagrees.
Now Anna and Cath choose what traits to risk. Anna decides that, to
get the best chance of freedom, the two players should roll different
numbers of dice. For this reason she decides to risk three traits, while
Cath risks two. She risks her FORM, WINDOW and DANCE, while Cath risks
her JOB and MEMORIES. Anna will have 3 dice and 2 shift in the conflict
(1 shift from the relevant trait, and 1 from WINDOW being a key trait)
while Cath has 2 dice and 1 shift.
Since this is a conflict to free Ram Zahil only the opposition will roll
3 dice for free. Bob decides to try and produce some serious opposition
and puts two Amaal on the Eridan side of his character sheet (he plans
to play in Eridu next), while David places one. They will have 6 dice
in the conflict, which they allow Bob to roll.
Now on to the dice rolling ...
ROLLING DICE
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Now it is time to roll dice. Three players will roll, you, your other half, and one of the opposition (it doesn't matter which of the opposing players roll). Each dice which rolls a four or more scores a success.
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Add your successes and your other half's and compare them to the opposition
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* If you have more successes than the opposition :
You succeed at whatever you were trying to do in both worlds, you and
your other half say how it happens. If you were trying to free your city
then take a Conflict token from the pot and place it on the current
half of the city character sheet in the middle of the table. The
* If you have less successes (or tie) with the opposition :
You fail in whatever you wre trying to do in both worlds. The opposing
players describe how you fail. If you risked a relevant trait you also
discard one of your unspent Amaal
* If you have less than half the successes of the opposition :
You fail badly. As well as describing how you fail the opposing players
may pick one of your risked traits and throw it away. They should say
how that happens too. If you risked a relevant trait you also discard
one of your unspent Amaal, just like above.
(note, the opposition must try to discard traits in a way that makes
your character more balanced)
* If you have no successes :
You fail disasterously. As well as describing how you fail the opposing
players may pick one of your risked traits from each side of your sheet
and throw them away. They should say how that happens too. If you risked
a relevant trait you also discard one of your unspent Amaal, just like
above.
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Also compare your successes with your other half's successes
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* If you have more successes than your other half :
Take one of the traits your other half risked and move it to your side
of the character sheet. Describe how you broke free of your other half.
* If you tied with your other half :
Each of you chooses one of the traits the other risked, the two traits
swap sides on the character sheet. Describe how fate or mischance caused
your two halves to mimic each other.
* If you rolled less successes than your other half :
The opposite player chooses one of the traits you risked and moves it to
the other side of the character sheet. Describe how your other half
broke free of you.
SHIFTS
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You gain shifts from risking relevant traits, and from risking the key traits for each phase. Each shift can be used after all the dice are rolled to add or subtract 1 point from a single dice. This can turn failures into successes and vice-versa. You can use more than one shift on the same dice if you choose.
AFTER YOUR SCENE
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When your scene is done play passes to the player to your left, who repeats the process of choosing a city to play in and sets themselves a scene.
An Example of dice rolling
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Anna, Cath and Bob all roll dice.
Anna's 3 dice come up a 6, 2 and 1
Cath's 2 dice come up a 3 and a 2
Bob's 6 dice come up a 6, 4, 4, 3, 2, and 2
Anna and Cath together have a miserable 1 succeses, while Bob has 3,
which would both beat and double them, causing a risked trait to be
discarded! Anna and Cath need to use their shifts to avoid this.
Two of the three shifts can be used to turn Bob's 4's into 3's, which
makes them failures. The last could be used to turn Cath's 3 into a 4,
giving them one more success and winning the conflict. However doing
this will cause Anna and Cath to tie on successes, which means no
traits will be moved. They conclude that this is still better than
losing however!
With the shifts spend Bob has 1 success and Cath and Anna have 2, so
they win the conflict. However they have tied with each other so they
merely swap traits. Anna gives Cath her WINDOW and Cath gives Anna her
JOB.
Now Anna and Cath say what happened. Ram Zahil grabs his mother and
throws her from the house, refusing to go down to the windows just as
she wanted, But in Eridu the other Ram suddenly realizes where he is
being taken and does the same, throwing his mother to the ground and
fleeing into the half-empty city!
Cath gives the Eridu half of Ram back to Anna, and play passes to Bob
The game continues ...
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ENDING THE GAME
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When the Sun and Moon have set the mirror between Eridu and Udire will be restored. Each character who has not broken with their other half will return to the endless nightmare of the twin cities, and the cities themselves will grind on to their eventual destruction. Your actions during the game, however, have the chance to change that.
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THE FATE OF YOUR CHARACTER
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The first step is to decide the fate of your own character. First count the number of traits on each side of your character sheet and multiply that number by 5. Then add the number of tokens (Amaal or Conflict) to that total to get a score for each half of your character.
* If your total score for both halves is less than 25 :
You have been so weakened by your attempt to break the mirror that you
have no strength left to resist. When night falls you will return to your
own body. You have failed
* If the total on each half of your character sheet is the same :
You have not broken the mirror. You have returned to the dream
* If the total is different, but by 6 or less points :
You strove hard for freedom, but you did not achieve it. Even if you have
physically fled the city you will find yourself drawn back. When Morning
comes you are back in your own body and the cycle will repeat. Perhaps you
will have another chance ... perhaps not
* If the difference between sides is more than 6 :
You have broken the mirror! You are free of your other half forever. The
half of you with the majority score takes on a life of their own in their
own world, the other half fades away. What you do with that life may depend
on the fate of your city however ... read on
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THE FATE OF THE TWO CITIES
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The second step is to decide the fate of the two cities. Were they overthrown by revolution? Were they awakened to their long mistake? Were they destroyed like a reflection in a broken mirror? Or do they continue on relentlessly towards death?
First, count the total number of conflict tokens in both halves of the city character sheet, and add the number of characters who freed themselves.
* If the total is less than six :
The revolution has failed. Even if some characters freed themselves they
failed to free their cities. Life, or death, will continue as it always
has.
* If the total is over six, but each city has the same number of tokens :
There has been great revolution and change, but it has happened the same
in each city, as with a reflection cast in a mirror. All the character's
efforts have been in vain and the twin cities continue on.
If neither of these is true, consider the conflict tokens on each half in turn, and add the number of freed characters from that city to the total.
* If the total is more than 3 on each city :
The mirror is shattered and the two cities are free at last
Both cities have freed themsevles of the other, but links remain between
them that will make them healthy rather than dead. The people of Eridu can
learn from the dance, while the people of Udire can gain names and faces
of their own.
* If the total is more than 3 on only one city :
That city is freed, launched towards life and growth. The other city fades
into the light and shadows as if it had never been.
Whatever the fate that results all the players should describe it together, including the fates of their own characters in the mix.
And then the game is done
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EXAMPLE NAMES
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Here are some suitable names for Eridian characters. Note that each takes two personal names and a family name. The first personal name is the name of their revered ancestor, the second their own. Often many members of a family will have the same first name, since they follow the same ancestor.
MALE PERSONAL NAMES | FEMALE PERSONAL NAMES
----------------------------+-----------------------------
|
* Awi | * Adorina
* Anlel | * Awita
* Ashur | * Aurya
* Asor | * Arbella
* Awidan | * Baila
* Awinam | * Damrina
* Bardeen | * Eilina
* Barseen | * Elibrat
* Hawil | * Ishtar
* Mardeen | * Larsa
* Mekha | * Nineveh
* Marduk | * Mardina
* Nardeen | * Panna
* Ram | * Simta
* Shar | * Shamreta
* Zahil | * Shamura
For familynames pick a personal name for the first ancestor and add '-kin' to the end. So an example of a full name
Anlel Ram Shamurakin
This is Ram of the family Shamurakin, who follows in the steps of their dead kin Anlel.
For more names see http://www.nineveh.com/Assyrian Names Project.htm
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CHARACTER SHEET
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Each character sheet consists of two small trays with the following images in the bottom. You could use a plastic lid, or fold a tray out of paper.
this half represents Eridu, the sunlight world
this half represents Udire, the moonlight world