Homefront

The homefront is what happens before, after, and between adventures. It's what happens in the village of Stonetop and its immediate surroundings. It's where you get to see the PCs living their lives, and the impact of the PCs' efforts.

Homefront play is often less focused and less intense than what happens while the PCs are on an expedition. You spend a lot more time in loose play, talking about what happens over days or weeks or months rather than what's happening right here and right now. And when you do zoom in on a homefront scene, the stakes are often quite small.

That's not to say the homefront doesn't matter. To the contrary, the homefront is the heart of the game. PCs in Stonetop undertake adventures on behalf of the village. They're protecting it from threats or securing resources for the folks who live there. The homefront provides context for everything the PCs do.

For the game to work, the players need to care about the village. Not just the PCs, the players. That means spending table-time getting to know it, getting invested in it. Let the players help you shape the village. Work with them to bring it to life.

Let them see how it changes with the passing of time. Show them how their decisions and actions matter, how they shape the village for better or for worse.

Bringing the village to life

If you want the PCs to care about the village, it needs to feel real. It needs to feel alive.

Following your principles will help you bring the village to life. As a reminder, they are:

• Follow the rules
• Begin and end with the fiction
• Address the characters, not the players
• Ask questions and build on the answers
• Be a fan of the player characters
• Embrace the fantastic and the mundane
• Exploit the setting guide
• Respect your prep
• Give your characters life
• Think offscreen, too
• Bring it home
• Let things breathe
• Let things burn

Follow the rules

Player moves—especially the homefront player moves—will introduce unexpected opportunities, challenges, and turns of events. Let those surprises illuminate the village and make it feel real.

Life is full of surprises. Your version of Stonetop should be, too!

Begin and end with the fiction

When players trigger a homefront move, ask how they do it. They Requisition the horses? Cool, who do they talk to and what's their pitch? They Muster the village?

What does it look like? A town meeting? A speech at the public house? Or what?

Show the results of player moves in your descriptions, and in your portrayal of NPCs. The PCs Requisition the horses?

Then describe folks hauling a cart themselves, glaring as the PCs leave town. A PC visits her sister after a Muster? Then portray the sister as tired and frazzled, and say how her shield and spear are by the door instead of hanging on the wall.

When the steading playbook changes, reflect those changes in the fiction, too. If Fortunes go up, describe the town's good mood. If you mark diminished, show how work isn't getting done. If Population goes up, discuss how the newcomers are settling in.

Show players how the game's mechanics change the village, and the village will feel dynamic and alive. Show players how their moves and their decisions affect the village, and they'll start to feel responsible for it.

Address the characters, not the players

Describe things from the characters' points of view. Direct questions to the characters rather than the players. Don't tell Brian that folks are scared of Vahid; say, "Vahid, you can tell you're making folks nervous—how so?" Focus on how the PCs experience the village, and the village will seem that much more alive.

Ask questions and build on the answers

Whenever you wonder something about the village or about daily life, consider asking the PCs about it.

Ask what they're up to as you frame the action. "Caradoc, what task or chore are you working on?"

Ask for details, to help paint the scene.

"What's cooking on the hearth?" "Vahid, what makes this place feel like home?"

Ask them to editorialize. "What's the worst part of this chore?" "What do you love most about Stonetop in spring?"

Ask about their lives. "Rhianna, what's your morning routine like?" "Do you usually eat alone, or what?"

Ask about NPCs. "Blodwen, who taught you how to weave?" "Rhianna, who do the farmers typically listen to?"

Ask about traditions and practices. "Caradoc, how does the village mark one's coming of age?" "Blodwen, how does Stonetop mark or celebrate the coming of winter?"

Ask about gossip, stories, and lore. "Vahid, what do folks say about Gorlas behind his back?" "Rhianna, when did someone last break the compact and fell a tree in the Wood? What happened?"

When a player asks something about the village, maybe turn the question back on them or direct it to another PC. "I don't know! Caradoc, given the lack of timber, what do people use for doors?"

Build on their answers, now or later. Ask follow-up questions. Treat their answers as if they've always been true. Call back to them in later scenes. Show the players that their answers matter, that they shape the village, and you'll find that they can't help but care.

Be a fan of the player characters

If you want the players to care about the village, then you need to care about their characters, about their personal lives and their relationships. Get invested in the Fox's secret crush, the Heavy's fraught home life, the Seeker's web of lies. Put the PCs' dramas on screen, and play to find out what happens.

Embrace the fantastic and the mundane

Spend time establishing what life in Stonetop is like. Talk about the weird stuff: the quiet power of the Stone, the faded grandeur of the Maker-ruins, the gloomy menace of the Great Wood. But talk about mundane stuff, too! Crops.

Weather. Livestock. Food and clothes.

Chores, crafts, and pastimes.

Talk about the village's culture and social fabric. The game asserts that Stonetop is egalitarian, that everyone contributes and everyone shares. But what that looks like is up to your group. So are all sorts of details about village life. Kinship. Child care.

Gender roles. Institutions and traditions.

Holidays and celebrations. Myths and legends. Etc.

There's a balance to strike, of course. Focus on stuff your group cares about. But don't assume that mundane stuff is unimportant.

Portray a rich and mysterious world, not just a mysterious one.

Exploit the setting guide

The Setting Overview handout and the Village of Stonetop entry (Book II, page

12) provide plenty of details that can help bring the community to life.

When you frame a homefront scene, skim the Impressions section. Pick one or two and incorporate them into the scene. It's spring? Set the scene in the fields, planting beans, the PCs coated in cold wet mud. A PC visits their sibling? Mention the smell of fat rendering on the hearth, the rushlights hanging up to dry. Two PCs want a private moment? Frame a scene at night, with one of them manning a watchtower and the other one stopping by.

Extrapolate from what's established, especially with things that strike you and the players as odd or anachronistic. The villagers don't fell living trees from the Great Wood. How does that affect construction and tools? Do houses have doors? Where do folks get wood for spears, bows, and arrows? They can't fell trees, but can they coppice them? Decide for yourself or (better yet) ask the PCs!

It's okay to change or ignore things. Exploit the setting guide, don't feel constrained by it. With that said, think about what you're changing and what ripple effects that change might have. Little details (like swapping Stonetop's whisky for mead) are safer to change than core assumptions (like the village's egalitarian culture).

Handling misconceptions

Elements of Stonetop's setting can be counterintuitive for players steeped in the tropes of more traditional fantasy RPGs. For example, you might find your players assuming that…

• locals pay each other with coin (coin is for outsiders; locals swap goods and favors, give gifts, owe each other, help each other out).
• folks need jobs to get by (you're expected to pull your weight, but folks help each other out; no one starves unless all are starving).
• the village boasts a variety of trades (there's only a few fulltime tradesfolk; most crafts are done by homemakers or other folk as they have time).
• there are shops (nope), a mill (nuh-uh), an inn (no), multiple taverns (heck no), etc.

Watch out for such misconceptions.

If a player mentions "needing coin," or says they run a shop, or otherwise reveals a disconnect between their assumptions and the default setting, then call attention to it. Don't just tell them they're wrong, talk it out!

"So, there aren't shops in Stonetop.

Like, folks come to you if they want salt or spices, but I think they'd just come by your house. We can say it's set up like a shop, if you like, but few folks here know what a shop is."

Respect your prep

In particular: write up threats and then use them in play. The town busybody might be an institution.

The bright kid who idolizes the Seeker?

A wildcard. The Stone itself? Probably a MacGuffin. Make binding decisions about these threats. Write impending dooms that involve the village and leave lasting marks upon it. Write stakes that involve NPCs that you and the players care about. And then put those threats on screen. See how the PCs react to them. Follow through.

Give your characters life

Populate the village with NPCs who are distinct and memorable, believable and compelling (see Creating NPCs for guidance, NPCs & Followers). Keep track of the NPCs you establish, and bring them back into play over time. Show how they change and grow, how they're affected by the PCs' actions.

The PCs don't have to like or get along with everyone in the village. Some of the villagers should be threats! But give troublesome neighbors some nuance, some reason the PCs can't just ignore them or run them out of town, such as:

• A sympathetic motivation
• A redeeming quality
• A skill that the village needs
• A family member who loves them
• A position of leadership/influence
• The respect/loyalty of other NPCs
• Something to hold over a PC (an oath, a secret, a familial bond, etc.)

Think offscreen, too

When the PCs head home at the end of an expedition, think about what's been happening back in the village. What have folks been up to? What's morale been like? What rumors and gossip have spread? What threats have escalated in the PCs' absence?

What projects have moved forward?

When the PCs arrive home, show the players what's been happening. Describe the tension in the watch-sentry's voice as the PCs approach, the haggard look in people's eyes. Mention how the fields have all been planted and now they're being harrowed.

Say how Macsen's health has worsened, or how the palisade is coming together.

Show players that the village changes while the PCs aren't around, and it will feel much more real, much more alive.

Bring it home

Make the village the foundation of the game. Get the players to help create and define the village and the NPCs who live there. Give them a chance to care. Then threaten the village, offer opportunities to make things better, and show how the PCs' decisions and efforts change the village, for good or for ill.

With that said: don't just show how the PCs are important to the village. Show how the village is important to the PCs. Explore relationships between the PCs and the NPCs they care about. Have those NPCs support and care for the PCs. Have NPCs thank the PCs for their efforts. Have NPCs apologize for falling short, and try to do better.

Make it clear that the village of Stonetop isn't just a home base, it's home. And make it a home worth protecting, a home worth fighting for.

Let things breathe

Your job is to punctuate the PCs lives with adventure. There should be stretches of time in which very little happens. Gloss over days, weeks, or months. Let the PCs work on long-term projects or just live their lives. Maybe a season passes with no more than some description and a little Q&A. Stonetop comes to life over time, as the seasons change and characters age and long-term mechanics start to kick in.

Your players might fight this, wittingly or not. They might want to set right out on another adventure, or relentlessly work on some mystery or problem. If you aren't careful, you'll spend dozens of sessions on a single season.

Don't be afraid to zoom out, remind them of their obligations, and show the passing of time. If you want to get to the next season, don't ask what they do for the rest of the summer. Instead say, "The next few weeks pass uneventfully, until the days get shorter and the leaves start to change.

What chores have eaten up your time these past few weeks?"

Let things burn

If you do your job, you'll end up with a village and a bunch of NPCs that the players care about. That you care about.

Do not protect them.

You have to be willing to let bad things happen to the village and to beloved NPCs. Stay within the boundaries of your group's content guidelines, but otherwise: take the gloves off. If the stakes aren't real, then the PCs' heroism isn't real, either.

Running the homefront

Homefront play is very loose. The PCs are often separated from each other, living their own lives and doing their own things.

You need to decide what to gloss over vs.

what scenes to play out.

Before the first adventure, you'll frame scenes that establish life in the village.

You'll then drop the hook for the adventure, and follow the PCs around as they react to it, make preparations for the expedition, and head out.

In the aftermath of an adventure, you'll shift back into homefront play. You'll show how the villagers react to recent events and the PCs return. You'll give each PC a chance to process the adventure and reconnect with NPCs. You'll play out scenes that naturally follow, and then transition to downtime.

During downtime, you'll zoom way out.

You'll describe time passing and drop into scenes only as needed. The PCs will make homefront moves like Bolster, Convalesce, or Level Up. Maybe they'll work on long-term projects or Make a Plan to do so. If enough time passes, the seasons will change.

Eventually, something will spur the next adventure. The PCs will identify something they want to do out in the world, or you'll introduce a threat that they feel compelled to deal with.

Throughout it all, you'll follow the core loop and make GM moves—especially homefront moves.

Before the first adventure

Start the first session of actual play at home in the village. Frame mundane scenes that paint a picture of each PC's daily life. Explore the PCs' relationships, with each other and with important NPCs.

Use these scenes to establish recent events and current concerns. Play out some daily dramas, but don't, like, resolve them.

Then, drop the hook for your adventure.

Follow the PCs around as they decide what to do about it. Figure out what's important to them, and push them out into the field. Portray how NPCs react to both the hook and the PCs' plans.

The whole First Adventure chapter sets you up to do this. Follow the procedures laid out in that chapter!

Aftermath

After each expedition, take time to:

1) Determine what's happened

2) Play out the return

3) See what follows

Don't skip this part! The PCs have been roughing it and putting themselves in danger on the village's behalf. Use their homecoming to demonstrate that their efforts matter, and to remind them of who and what they've been fighting for. Bring it home.

The same structure applies after a crisis at home abates. Figure out what happened and who was affected, play out an initial post-crisis scene, and then see what scenes naturally follow.

1 Determine what's happened

As the PCs head for home, take a few minutes to consider how things have been going while the PCs were away. Think about the following.

How long were the PCs gone? What have folks been up to or dealing with? How's morale been? Who's been worried sick, or resentful, or stepping up while the PCs were away? If the PCs were gone longer than expected, how did folks react to their delay?

If anyone on the expedition was wounded or didn't make it home, who will be most upset or affected by that?

What sort of work has been going on?

Refer to the Stonetop impressions (Book

II, Welcome to Stonetop) for ideas.

Did the PCs Requisition any town assets?

How did the lack of those assets at home affect people's lives (if at all)?

Before they left, did the PCs trigger any moves that took time to resolve (like Pull Together)? Resolve them now and think about how you'll show the results, or make note of when and how you'll resolve them later.

Did any threats advance towards their impending dooms? If so, how will you reveal those grim portents to the PCs?

Take notes! If the return home happens mid-session, take a break to gather your thoughts. Make a list of details you want to establish in the upcoming scenes.

It's the summer following the PCs' first adventure. They've gone back to explore the Green Lord's tomb. On the way home, Garet (one of Rhianna's crew) was mauled by a drake. They pushed on, trying to avoid crinwin, but Garet didn't make it; he's dead.

As the PCs near home, we take a break and I think about what's happened.

They've been gone for four days. Things were quiet when they left, except that Rhianna had been drilling the militia on readiness and told them to run some patrols while they were gone. I think they'll encounter one of those on the way home. Otherwise, folks would be doing typical summertime stuff.

The PCs didn't Requisition any town assets, and I've got no homefront threats with impending dooms. But before they left, Blodwen asked Seren to talk some sense into Tegwen, triggering Order Followers (Seren was Persuading on Blodwen's behalf). We didn't resolve it at the time, so I ask Blodwen to roll now. She gets a 4. Tegwen will not, in fact, be seeing sense.

I make a quick list:

• Garet had sister: Cerys (widow, kids Wini & Hewyl, 12 and 9) • Patrols in Wood, by the Stream • Haymaking, weeding, plowing the fallows • Seren's 4 to Persuade Tegwen

2 Play out the return

Frame the action with the PCs arriving back at the village, or at least on their last leg of travel. Say what time it is, what direction they're approaching from, what's obvious as they draw near.

Ask questions! What are they each thinking about or worrying about or looking forward to? Do they intend to keep any secrets about what happened on the expedition, or spin things in any way? Are they just trudging home, or putting on a bit of a show, or what?

Maybe have them meet an NPC before reaching the village proper. Such an encounter can help ease you all back into homefront play, and foreshadow the village's reaction to the PCs' return.

"It's early evening, four days after you left. The sun's low, casting long shadows through the Wood. You're almost home. So, what's on your minds? What are you all thinking about?" Everyone's answers are a bit somber, what with Garet's death and all.

Next, I frame a scene near the Stream, with a patrol trying to "ambush" the PCs. Rhianna spots them, calls them out into the open, and assigns one of them to go fetch Cerys.

Cerys arrives and we have an emotional scene where they tell her what happened. She breaks down crying, but eventually pulls herself together. There's some talk about funerals and wakes, and they decide to head up the switchback path to Stonetop, carrying Garet's shrouded form, singing a hero's funeral song as they go.

When the PCs get back to town, use the impressions of Stonetop (Book II, The Village of Stonetop) to set the scene. Think offscreen, too. Include details that point to what's happened while the PCs were away.

If the PCs are Returning Triumphant, then launch into what that looks like. Describe the news spreading, a crowd gathering, toasts, celebration! But also: say who hangs back, glaring, grumbling, still unhappy or just left out.

If the PCs' return would cause panic or reveal a calamity (for example, if they took the village's horses and lost them), then the village Meets with Disaster.

Describe folks gathering to hear the bad news, their fearful eyes, the worried mumbles or the wails of grief. But also: say who steps up, who supports the PCs, who tries to talk sense.

If the PCs return could be triumphant, or could cause panic, but it's not a given either way, then set it up as scene. Frame the action, portray your NPCs, and make a GM move. Maybe tell them the requirements ("You're all gonna need to keep your stories straight to make this Return Triumphant") or put them in a spot ("Folks are grumbling, on the verge of panic"). Ask, "What do you do?" and see if the PCs can pull it off.

Otherwise, just describe their return home and how folks react, however it makes sense to do so. Ask questions as needed and build on the answers.

From there, ask, "What do you do?" Play out the situation until all the PCs have gone their separate ways.

What with Garet's death and the party singing a funeral hymn, there's no way this counts as Returning Triumphant. But at the same time, Garet's death isn't going to cause panic to spread—he was a hunter who was killed by drakes in the Great Wood, a sad but normal death. So, I just set the scene and describe how folks react.

"You reach the top of the switchback as the sun is just about to set. You can see a few haystacks silhouetted out on the Old Wall, and folks trudging back into town. But a small crowd has already gathered near the top of the path. Seren the Eldest is there, leading folks in the mourning hymn. Sawyl and Morwenna are here, clearly relieved

to see Caradoc among the living. Rhianna, you spot others: Pryder and Rheinal, solemn and singing, Glenys holding Wynfor's hand, glaring at you. As you all make your way into town, towards the pavilion, other folks join you, taking up the hymn as they do."

I ask more questions about funeral rites. Blodwen says that they'd take the body to the pavilion of the gods, and someone would sit vigil with it all night, before a proper funeral pyre the next morning. Rhianna insists on keeping the vigil, so that Cerys can see to her kids. Vahid offers up a beautiful Lygosi song for the dead before heading home. The other PCs disperse as well.

3 See what follows

Once the PCs go their separate ways, frame a few more scenes and situations that play out over the next few days, before you transition to downtime. In particular, play out:

• Anything obvious, like a crisis to manage, a timely decision to make, or a conflict coming to a head
• At least one scene with each PC and their family, or whoever else is important to them
• Anything that you want to put on screen (in order to establish specific details, or make a GM move, etc.)
• Any other scenes that the players want to play out, with NPCs or with each other.

Some of these will intersect or overlap. If the Heavy had a big fight with her spouse before leaving on the expedition, then that's both an obvious scene to have and her "family" scene.

Actively manage the spotlight, hopping from PC to PC and scene to scene as you do this. Try to shift the spotlight every 15 minutes or so, to keep everyone engaged, even if that means shifting mid-scene. Try to do things roughly in order, but don't get hung up on it. Player engagement is more important than chronology.

Some of these situations will be full-on scenes: zoomed in, moment-to-moment, speaking in character. Others will be zoomed out, more loose play than actual scenes, with lots of Q&A and describing conversations rather than playing them out. Both are fine!

Everyone should get at least one scene with their family, or an NPC whom they value. These scenes help reinforce the PCs' ties to Stonetop. They create space for the PCs to process the adventure and to show how they've changed and grown.

They don't need to be happy or affirming; they can be all sorts of fraught. If a "family" scene is especially painful, though, then maybe set up a bonus scene where someone is actually supportive or at least kind to that PC.

The other PCs leave Rhianna at the pavilion with Garet's body, and we zoom out and talk about what's next.

I say that Rhianna's crew and many villagers head to the public house, to tell stories and toast Garet. Blodwen and Caradoc join them. Vahid heads home.

Caradoc gets a scene with Morwenna as they leave the public house. I reveal simmering tensions; she's a bit reserved and eventually Caradoc notices. He gets her talking, and she unloads about how worried she was and how she doesn't know if she can handle never knowing if her husband will come home and he's like "husband?" and finally has the nerve to kiss her and she kisses him back and its sweet and all but they don't actually address the issue, actually.

Blodwen puts off going home as long as she can. She's expecting some badness with her mother, Tegwen (and rightly so, as she rolled a 4 to have her follower Persuade her to be less terrible). I think that conflict will wait until the morning, though, so I switch to Vahid.

Vahid went home. He gives us a quiet little scene of him unpacking, settling in, puttering around and talking to his cats. He hasn't established any close ties to local NPCs, so I introduce someone interesting. The widow Maire stops by with some stew, some scritches for the cats, and some not-so-subtle flirting.

We cut back to Rhianna keeping vigil. Cerys eventually returns with the kids, to say goodbye to the uncle who was like a father to them. The kids cry and ask why, want to see his face, don't really understand. As they go, Rhianna speaks up. "Cerys, I… I'm so sorry. We'll make sure y'all don't want for nothing. Cold comfort, I know. But Garet was one of us. You're family." Cerys acknowledges this numbly and leaves.

That was rough, so I have Eira (from Rhianna's crew) come by later, maudlin and drunk, to share a drink and assure Rhianna that Garet's death wasn't her fault. For all the good that does.

Before this next scene, I check our content guidelines and remind folks to call time out if needed. You'll see why.

Blodwen wakes late to the smell of stew, and finds her mother cooking and oddly civil. When Tegwen asks her to "clean up out back," Blodwen realizes that her favorite old goat has been butchered. When she confronts Tegwen, her mother wields guilt like a weapon. "Well, we need to bring something to poor Cerys, what with her brother dying under your care. And you seemed to need your rest. So I picked one of the goats that had stopped giving milk." She then leaves Blodwen, numb and horrified, to clean up the remains of her pet.

From there, we jump to Garet's funeral. We describe what it's like, riffing off each other's ideas to help paint the scene and say how everyone's involved.

Blodwen's feeling pretty raw, so I frame a scene after the funeral, a chance for her to vent to Gwendyl and Seren (the other Initiates of Danu). She does, and at the end, I offer an opportunity. Seren says she could use a hand around the house, what with her old bones, and there's plenty of room for the goats, too. A teary-eyed Blodwen promises to give it some real thought.

Downtime

When you've played out all the scenes and situations that immediately follow the PCs' return, transition to downtime.

Take care of logistics. Update the steading playbook. Discuss what to do with loot.

Reset Inventory. Prompt folks to Level Up, if they can. If anyone needs to Convalesce, deal with that now.

Establish goals and intentions. Figure out what the players want to see in play. Figure out what each PC intends to do during this stretch of downtime.

Play out scenes or situations as needed.

Follow your gut, your prep, and the players' moves and interests. Establish a situation or frame a scene when…

• you need to, in order to resolve a player's move or actions; or
• you want to, in order to make a GM move or resolve the stakes of a threat; or
• your players want to (unless they're hogging the spotlight or impeding someone else's fun).

Try to include multiple PCs in each scene or situation. Then play it out until its done, or until it snowballs—into another scene, situation, or adventure!

Describe time passing as you do all of this. Include details like how the weather changes, what other folks are getting up to, what traditions or celebrations folks are observing. Ask the PCs what this time looks like for them, too!

When enough time passes, have the Seasons Change.

After the scene with Blodwen and the other Initiates of Danu, we zoom out into downtime. Everyone resets their Inventory and their HP, and clears their debilities. The PCs all have enough XP to Level Up, so they do that now.

The PCs returned from the Green Lord's tomb with some sweet loot, which they divvy up like so:

• Vahid takes the cracked flute (a minor arcanum)
• Vahid also keeps the spool of uncut table (?) silk; he'll try to find something to do with it
• The old bronze hatchets go to the smith, Taliesyn, for restoration; Caradoc, Rhianna, and Rhianna's crew will take them as personal possessions when they're ready
• Rhianna hangs on to the sphere of silver filigree for now, but she thinks of it as a village asset "Over the next few weeks," I say, "you all settle back in to daily life. The days are hot and muggy, with showers that just make it muggier. Cerys and her kids are sad, of course, but getting by. So… what does life look like for each of you now? How's it different from before?"

Caradoc says that he and Morwenna are openly courting now: holding hands, walks in the evenings, smooching, etc.

Rhianna continues the readiness drills she started in early summer. Her crew are back out hunting, alert for signs of crinwin. But they're also taking turns, helping Cerys and the kids with chores and food and whatnot.

Blodwen hasn't moved out, but she's avoiding her mother: grazing her goats, meals with Gwendyl or Seren, etc.

Vahid helps in the fields most days, and has dinner with the widow Maire every few nights. "But most nights, I head out to the Old Wall to work on mastering this flute!"

The "cracked flute" minor arcanum has a special move, "when you spend a few days practicing..." Vahid's already told us how and where he's doing that, so I tell him to roll +CHA (per the move). He gets a 10, so he marks progress (he needs 3). I ask him what it looks like, and he gives us a quick scene of him playing in the moonlight and on the last night, he swears he can see the wind in the grass, dancing to his tune.

"That only took a few days," says Vahid, "Can I try again?" I don't see why not, but I ask if there's anything that anyone else wants to get up to in the meantime.

Rhianna says she wants to try and trade the silver sphere for something useful, like spare wagon parts or a donkey. That triggers Trade & Barter, on which she gets a 7 ("you can sell it now, but won't get it's full worth"). I frame a scene with Ulna, a merchant in town on her way to Gordin's Delve. Rhianna fails to haggle her up, and she opts against the trade. "Maybe we'll head up to Gordin's Delve ourselves," she says. "But not now."

I ask what the other two PCs are up to. Caradoc is content to spend time with Morwenna, and Blodwen just wants to avoid her mother. Okay!

We go back to Vahid. He spends another few nights practicing the flute, and this time he rolls an 8. That means he makes progress but summons an irate zephyr spirit. We have a delightful scene where the spirit and Vahid interrupt Caradoc and Morwenna on a moonlit "walk."

Vahid tries one more time, to finish unlocking the arcanum. He wisely asks Blodwen to help, as she can speak with spirits. She Aids him, and sure enough, they get an 11. Vahid can now summon a zephyr spirit, an andalau, and we have a joyful scene where Blodwen dances with the wind under the stars.

We zoom out and I say that the days are getting shorter and cooler, the fields are heavy with crops. Summer is drawing to a close. Vahid asks if he can work on one more of his arcana, the richly woven rug. It would involve him getting badly burnt, then spending weeks in study. That's doable in the fiction, but the other players are getting antsy and we're nearing the end of the session. I push back. "Let's hold off. That deserves some on-screen time and it's getting late. Besides, you've got chores and scribing to do and you're helping in fields, you can't just go maiming yourself on a lark, y'know?" Vahid relents, for now.

No one else has anything they want to do this summer, so we do the Seasons Change move. Vahid strikes us all as the most determined, so he rolls. He gets an 8, which means a seasonal gain and a threat. I plan to start the next session introducing that threat, and setting up the next adventure.

The next adventure

Downtime ends with the next adventure, which might be an expedition or a crisis, and either spontaneous or prepped in advance.

Expeditions

Expeditions involve the PCs making preparations, traveling towards a destination, having encounters, facing challenges, and eventually going home.

The PCs can always choose to launch an expedition, but they'll most often do so in response to a hook—some threat, opportunity, or requirement that you present to them, as the result of a player move or just because that's the GM move you chose to make.

Should the PCs propose an ill-conceived expedition, then push back. Remind them of their obligations. They have chores to do and obligations around town. Tell them consequences/requirements. Encourage them to wait for a hook or to seek one out.

After the PCs' first adventure, Rhianna wants to hunt down the crinwin that had been serving the swyn. "I know they were enthralled," she says, "but they're still a danger to us."

The crinwin scattered after the swyn's death, and I don't see how such a hunt would succeed. "Even if you went back to the tomb," I say, "you couldn't really track them—they're arboreal. You could spend a few days or weeks scouring the woods for signs, but without a solid lead you'd just be wasting time."

Expeditions should involve all the PCs, or at least have the blessing of all the players who are present. If only some of the group wants to go on an expedition, then you might…

• split the party, where some of the PCs go on the expedition while others work on projects at home;
• talk it out in-character, perhaps with PCs Persuading each other;
• discuss player-to-player how you all want to spend your game time, and what would be the most fun, and try to reach a consensus; or
• some combination of the above.

If you do split the party, make sure the PCs staying behind have interesting and meaningful things to do on-screen. Or plan the trip for a session they'll miss.

At the end of our last session, the Seasons Changed to autumn, Vahid got a 7-9, and I prepared a threat that I expected to kick off our next adventure.

Alas, Rhianna's player has to miss the next session, last minute. Rather than reschedule, Vahid's player suggests a quick, early-autumn trip to the Ruined Tower. "Just to explore the upper level, see if we can find any loot." It's a short trip and doesn't disrupt my plans at all, so I'm game. So is Caradoc. Blodwen's uninterested, but she's fine with staying home. She's got a mother to confront.

Vahid and Caradoc make preparations. I ask Caradoc how he tells Morwenna about this, which leads to a scene where she's not happy but Caradoc doesn't even notice. Then the two PCs head out!

Crises

A crisis means active, urgent badness in the village, here and now. A monster attacks. A house catches fire. Someone is murdered. Whatever it is, it's bad and it has the potential to get worse.

A crisis is usually a hard GM move, something you do when a player rolls a 6- or when the PCs ignore trouble. But a few player moves can generate crises even on a 7+. For example, when the Seasons Change to spring or autumn, a 7-9 says that "a threat to the steading makes itself known or gets worse," which could manifest as a crisis.

Resolve a crisis like any situation. Frame the action. Describe the environment. Add details as needed. Ask and answer questions. Portray NPCs. Make a GM move to put the crisis on screen. Ask, "What do you do?" Resolve their actions. Repeat. Play to find out what happens.

The village might Meet With Disaster.

Maybe the PCs prevent calamity and panic, maybe they don't. It might not even be possible. If the crisis starts with two farmers slaughtered in the fields, then calamity has already struck.

After a crisis, the PCs might immediately launch an expedition in response (per the previous page).

If they don't head out immediately, shift back to homefront play and deal with the aftermath. Figure out what happened, who was affected, and how.

Play out a scene immediately following the crisis as folks take stock. Play out some follow-up scenes, including a scene with each PC and their family or other close NPCs. Then transition back to downtime.

Rhianna's player is back this session and I still need to follow up on that 7-9 result from the Seasons Change move.

I frame the action in early autumn, a few days after Caradoc and Vahid got back from the Ruined Tower. "It's a cool, dark night, cloudy and breezy. What are each of you up to?"

We do a quick scene with each of them, ending with Caradoc on watchtower duty. I ask more questions, and we learn that Morwenna is still mad. He's braiding a leather bracelet as a peace offering.

I kick off the crisis with a monster move, the crinwin's mimic noises, words, cries for help. "You hear… voices? On the wind, and like, from the Wood? But that makes no sense. What do you do?"

Caradoc Seeks Insight and realizes that, yeah, crinwin are sneaking into the village. He raises the alarm! Rheinal dies in the fight, but they kill a bunch of crinwin and chase off the rest. The PCs manage to keep panic from spreading, so the village doesn't Meet with Disaster.

By the time the action ends, it's near dawn and folks are exhausted. We shift to homefront play. I describe the aftermath—children crying, wounds being seen to, Pryder weeping over his dad's body. Each PC gets a short scene, and the next morning, Rhianna and her crew try to track the crinwin. Alas, she gets a 6 to Seek Insight, and I reveal an unwelcome truth. They find a few bodies, dead of their wounds, but no nests and no clear trail. "Crap," says Rhianna, as we shift back to downtime.

Spontaneous adventures

An adventure might start mid-session, with no chance for you to prep. This can happen when…

• the players launch an expedition on their own initiative (to pursue a steading improvement, to unlock an arcanum, to investigate a site, etc.);
• a player's move prompts you to present a threat, an opportunity, or a requirement, and you present one that spurs an expedition;
• it's time to make a GM move, and you announce trouble or offer an opportunity or otherwise drop a hook, and the PCs act on it; or
• a player rolls a 6- or knowingly invites trouble, and your hard GM move manifests as a crisis or kicks off an expedition.

Don't panic. Run the game. Frame scenes. Manage the spotlight. Follow the core loop. Zoom out into loose play and identify the next scene or situation. Ask questions and build on the answers. Take a quick break if needed to collect your thoughts. Respect your prep, especially your threats. Exploit the setting guide, use it to improvise.

If you and the players want to cut to the action, then frame the next scene with PCs already on the adventure. Then, ask questions to establish what led them here and what's already happened. Have them

Outfit retroactively, and go!

If a spontaneous adventure doesn't wrap up by the session's end, cool. Now you have time to prep! See "Between sessions" on The Game Ongoing).

Vahid and Caradoc surprise me with their trip to the Ruined Tower, but no problem. They Chart a Course, and I use that move and Book II's entry for the Flats to plot out the trip. They head out, and I use impressions and questions from Book II, like, "What do wise travelers do to keep pack drakes away?" They arrive and we take a quick break. I look up the Ruined Tower, make some notes, and run the rest of the adventure from there.

In the second spring of our game, a "family" of "laborers" moves to Stonetop from Gordin's Delve. Vahid suspects that they're agents of Mutra the Teeth. Caradoc goes to spy on them, but rolls a 2 and I opt to capture him. "You hear something about Mutra being unhappy, and then there's a noise behind you and WHUMP everything goes dark."

It's getting late, so I hard-frame the next scene. "Rhianna, Vahid, Blodwen... it's morning the next day. You're trudging through the Great Wood. Blodwen, when did you notice that Caradoc and Morwenna were missing? Rhianna, how'd you figure out that the laborers took them? Vahid, how do you know that they're heading for the tomb?"

They answer my questions, retroactively Outfit, and hatch a plan. Vahid has his wind-spirit take Caradoc a message: "Make camp at the old greenhouse. We'll find you." We cut to Caradoc getting the message, then trying to trick his captors without getting Morwenna killed.

We end there, and I prep the rest of the adventure before the next session.

Prepared adventures

If you expect to start an adventure in the next (or an upcoming) session, then spend some time prepping it.

Like, if the players told you that they want to go on an expedition, then Chart a Course, pick out points of interest and legs of travel, etc. If you plan to drop an adventure hook, then identify the core threat or opportunity, figure out how you'll present it to the players, and prep the expedition itself. If you're going to drop a crisis, then figure out what it is, why it's happening now, when and where exactly it will start, who'll be in its way, etc. See Between sessions for guidance.

Spend some time preparing the start of the session, too. Do you want to kick things off with some pointed questions or love letters? Are there any scenes or situations you want to play out before diving into the action?

How many adventures per season?

As many as makes sense! Follow the fiction, the moves, and the wishes of your players. If the Seasons Change move results in threats abounding, the PCs might go on multiple expeditions to try to save the village. If the Seasons Change move generates no threats or hooks, they might have a few quiet months at home.

Ask your players what they want to see in the game, what they want to focus on. Make note of their wishes during the End of Session, and make decisions accordingly.

Remember, though: prep only what's useful and valuable to you. Don't spend time mapping out a detailed site until you're sure that the PCs are heading there. Prep what you need for the next session, then flesh the rest out as you go.

When the Seasons Changed to autumn and Vahid rolled a 7, that meant that a threat would make itself known or get worse. They made the roll at the end of a session, so I spent time prepping a crisis: the crinwin raid on the village.

That Seasons Change result also meant they got a seasonal gain. They picked a "trade opportunity," which I think will lead to an expedition to Gordin's Delve. But the coming crinwin attack will take up most (if not all) of the next session. So, all I do is prep the hook—Ulna, that merchant for Marshedge, will come back through Stonetop with news that the Delve is desperate for food.

For example, if a player rolls a 7 to Pull

Together (building a palisade), and picks a "cost, requirement, or challenge," you could decide that it's just a dispute among the workers. But if the group is antsy for adventure, you could have the foreman wander off into the Great Wood.

Likewise, if your group wants downtime to focus on improvements, but the Seasons Change says a threat presents itself, you can make the threat not especially urgent or actionable. Let things breathe, remember?

moves

When the PCs are in Stonetop (or on an expedition with NPCs from home), add these to your list of GM moves:

• Introduce someone interesting
• Reveal simmering tensions
• Present a want or need
• Show how others really feel
• Draw out their feelings
• Change a relationship
• Oppose their wishes
• Remind them of their obligations
• Start a conflict or crisis
• Play them against each other

bags under her eyes. Her dress is tied up and there's mud on the knees. Like she was garden-

"Before you even finish, there's a bit of a commotion. A small group of strangers is coming down the path from the West Road. Four of them, with a couple wheelbarrows piled with stuff. They've got the look of Delvers… and, gods above, that must be all of their worldly possessions there. Fion's already heading that way, what do you do?"

Introduce someone interesting

Put someone new in front of the PCs.

It could be a stranger from out of town, someone out of a PC's past, or just a local we've not yet met in play.

You might just draw attention to the new person and see if the players interact with them. Or you might introduce them such that it'd be weird or rude for the PC(s) to ignore them. You can also use this move to interrupt or end the current scene.

Remember to add the new character to the steading playbook, or wherever you track NPCs.

"Half an hour later, Cerys comes down to the Stream. She's, like, in her early 30s, dark hair, ing? Her eyes dart about, worried, looking for Garet you think. Rhianna, what do you do?"

Reveal simmering tensions

Use this move to set up a future conflict, either among NPCs or between NPCs and PCs.

"Tensions" don't necessarily mean that people dislike each other. Attraction, rivalry, poor communication, differences of opinion, misaligned expectations… these can all get tensions a-simmering.

As a hard move, either decide right now that tensions exist, and/or make it clear that the simmer is close to a boil.

"Her expression shifts to a forced smile. 'The… Ruined Tower, how… exciting.' And, like, her voice is cold. She is not happy, but she's trying not to show it. Do you think you notice?"

"Tegwen is just glaring daggers at Seren, y'know? And Seren's just blithely ignoring it, playing it off like she doesn't notice, and you think she's taking longer than she needs to, just to rile Tegwen up. She actually winks at you when she catches you watching. What do you do?"

Present a want or need

Someone asks for help, or clearly needs it, or makes their wishes known. Someone's in a bad place, but doesn't know how to ask for help. Someone confronts the PCs and makes demands.

Use this move to give your characters life, to reflect steading debilities in the fiction, to bring it home. Use it to reveal what it'll take to Persuade an NPC. Use it to prompt hard choices. Use it to kick off adventures.

"'We… we need to get after them! Now! Just let me get my spear.' But when Rheinal tries to stand, he's wobbly and his eyes are unfocused. What do you do?"

"It's not much warmer inside. Cerys and the kids are all wrapped in blankets, and the hearth is banked low. They've all got that gaunt look, and little Hewyl's got a bad-sounding cough. What do you do?"

"Nia runs off to play, and Lewela's like, 'Mother stopped by. Which is always fun. She was asking after you. Got me to promise that I'd suggest you stop by and check in on her. So I'm suggesting it.' She shrugs, sips her tea. What do you do?"

Show how others really feel

Reveal the inner lives of your NPCs, in a way that provokes a response or adds tension to a scene. Make it clear that someone is angry, or disappointed, or sad or scared or worried or all the above. Have someone declare their love. Have an NPC show a PC genuine affection, appreciation, or respect.

As a hard move, make the feelings ugly, strong, intractable. Maybe they're new, or maybe the PCs just never knew about them, but they're a problem.

"When you turn back, Andras is like, slack jawed and staring at Blodwen as she goes. Then he realizes you're looking at him and blushes. What do you do?"

"She doesn't say anything. She's just standing in the doorway, arms folded. She glances at the bandages on your arms, the scratches on your face, and just sighs and shakes her head. Even you can tell she's unhappy. What do you do?"

"Rheinal waits until you're done, and then he's like, 'I… heard about what you did out there, for my boy.' He pulls out this beautiful ermine fur, holds it out. 'It ain't much, but… I wanted to say thank you.' What do you do?"

"Lowri's eyes don't waver. 'You're a clever guy, Vahid, and sometimes useful. But you are trouble. And you are not one of us. I ain't dying for you. And if you try anything with Eira, I will slit your throat in your sleep. Got it?'"

Draw out their feelings

Have an NPC invite or prompt a PC to open up, to talk, to process what they're going through. Or have an NPC show them kindness or concern, and ask what they do. Invite the player to portray a compelling character, and give your characters life by showing that they really do care about the PCs.

The hard version of this move looks like a confrontation or intervention. An NPC sits them down and draws out their feelings like poison from a wound. Or at least they try to, and we see how the PC reacts.

"Eira raises her drinking horn, and slurs, 'Ta Garet, ya poor basstard. We'll missya.' Minutes pass. Then she lolls her head towards you. 'Hey. Rhhhanna. Hey. You know, you know iss not your fault, right? Right? Iss not your fault.' She's staring right at you, waiting. What do you do?"

"Gwendyl takes one look at your face and drops what she's doing and just wraps you in this great big hug. 'Shh, it's all right. There, there.' What do you do?"

"A 6? Hmm, okay! Macsen like, stares for a few seconds, and finally he's like, 'I suspect she'll be home soon.' And he steps aside, inviting you in. You go? Cool. Once you're inside, he turns, folds his arms, and gives you that stare again. 'So, Caradoc. What exactly are your intentions towards my daughter?'"

Change a relationship

A loved one grows distant. A friendship is lost. A peer becomes a rival. A couple calls it quits. Etc.

The relationships involved can be PC-to-NPC or between NPCs. The change can be big and dramatic, or subtle, or anywhere in between.

If the change means that an NPC will now be a source of ongoing trouble, write them up as a threat.

"Actually, Blodwen… over the next few weeks, you notice Tegwen and Elios talking a lot. Well, Tegwen's talking, mostly, but Elios does a lot of nodding. Which is odd, cuz those two never agree on anything."

"'I… I can't do this anymore. Can't keep waiting. Waiting for you to come home. Waiting for you to leave. Hoping for you to, gods, for you to get yourself maimed so you can't do this anymore. Because you will keep doing this, as long as you can. We both know it. I can't ask you not to. But… I just can't. I'm sorry, that can't be my life.' And she shoves the bracelet into your hands and runs away, crying."

Oppose their wishes

Have NPCs object to the PCs' plans, or get in the way, or need to be convinced.

Or have them do things on their own, something the PCs don't want them to do, and see how the PCs respond.

As a hard move, have someone with actual clout put their foot down and be unwilling to change their mind. The PCs can either accept the decision, or try to go around them.

"'What in Tor's name do you think you're doing?' It's Glenys, stomping towards you, one of the sanctified stones in her hand. 'I won't have your sorcery just out where anyone can stumble on it!'"

"'No. I forbid it! You're no hunter, you're just a silly girl who thinks she's special. And who would take care of your goats? Not me! Come on.' And she grabs at your wrist, presumably to drag you home. What do you do?"

"Fion clears her throat, and everyone turns. 'No matter what else, they walked four days to get here. They don't lack for courage. They asked for hospitality, and a chance to earn their keep. I will not just send them packing cuz you got a bad feeling about them, Rhianna. Let 'em fix up Teagan's old place, I say.' And most of the others are nodding, like it's decided. So, what do you do?"

Remind them of their obligations

Point out something that needs doing or that is expected of them. Have an NPC make explicit demands on their time. Warn them of what might happen if they ignore their responsibilities. Show them the consequences if they do.

Use this move to make sure the PCs earn their keep and remain active in the community. Use it to limit their options and to let things breathe, ensuring that time passes between adventures. Use it to embrace the mundane and portray the richness of the world, by highlighting the concerns of daily life.

"Sawyl's got a pile of backed-up work, and he looks tired as hell. 'Oh, good, you're up. Gimme a hand with these, will you?' He hasn't noticed your gear or your traveling clothes. What do you do?"

"I mean, you can, but harvest is coming and there is so much work to do in the fields. If you spend the next few weeks studying that plaque, you'll be missed. And folks are already grumbling about you. What do you do?"

Start a conflict or crisis

Bring simmering tensions to a boil. Have two NPCs start screaming at each other or come to blows. Have someone call out a PC, loudly and in public. Have panic spread.

Or: have a house catch on fire, a monster attack the village, a dead body turn up, the granary collapse, etc.

As a soft move, show the PCs the start of the conflict or crisis and give them a chance to do something about it. As a hard move, don't let the PCs learn about it or otherwise be able to act until things have gotten bad.

"There's a commotion over in the corner. 'Oh you son of a…' and, Rhianna, your crew is like holding Glaw back from Iwan, and Iwan's got his new buddies around him, and he's just sneering back like he wants Glaw to come at him, what do you?"

"Vahid, they're just not listening. Too many people have seen Padrig's body, and it's pretty grisly, and there's like a dozen conversations happening at once. Kids are crying and people are panicking and you just can't make yourself heard. I think we just Met with Disaster, folks."

Play them against each other

Set up a triangle between two PCs and an NPC. Have the smith ask the Judge to do something about the Fox. Have the Seeker's wife tell the Blessed what the Seeker is up to. Have the midwife gossip about the Heavy with the Fox.

Or, point out one PC's questionable actions to another PC, and ask what they think or do about it. Give them a chance to interfere (or Interfere) with each other.

As a hard move, maybe have an NPC make an ultimatum about a PC. Or pick that moment for an NPC to betray one

PC's trust to the others.

"Blodwen… I know you fancy him. No, stop, I don't mind. I mean, of course I mind a little, but I made my choice. Just, some advice. Tell Caradoc how you feel. That boy is many things, but observant is not one of them."

"Elios fixes you with those sad eyes. 'I sure don't want your job, Rhianna. But if you don't do something about Vahid, and Caradoc, and get those boys in line, then folks are going to stop listening to you. Including me.' What do you do?"

Use other moves, too!

Just to be clear, you can and should use your standard GM moves during homefront play. Announce trouble ("Isn't it odd how Iwan is, like, charming and has friends now?"), ask provocative questions ("Who's going to be most opposed to this plan, do you think?"), use up their resources ("You're eating through your stores, lose 1 Surplus"), offer an opportunity ("You've got a couple of months, what do you each get up to?"), etc.

Use your threat moves, too! If there's a plague (an affliction), maybe have it worsen or quicken ("The sick house is soon past capacity and more folks fall ill every day"). If the Stone has become a MacGuffin, maybe have it draw attention to itself ("It glows for a few nights, until it shoots like a dozen lightning bolts into the clear summer sky… probably visible all the way up in Gordin's Delve, maybe even in Barrier Pass").

The steading playbook

The village of Stonetop gets its own playbook, reproduced starting on page

154. You'll use this document to track

Stonetop's:

• Stats and tags
• Resources and fortifications
• Current debilities
• Improvements (and progress towards them)
• Communal assets
• Important NPCs

The steading playbook is a living document, shared by the group and changing throughout the game.

Other steadings

Other steadings have stats and details similar to Stonetop's, which you can find in Book II. Use those stats should the PCs end up Trading & Bartering in another steading, Mustering or Deploying its people, or having them Pull Together.

With that said: only track Fortunes and Surplus for Stonetop, the PCs' home. If the PCs end up calling a different steading home for a few seasons, then you would want to track Fortunes and Surplus there.

Fortunes

The Fortunes stat reflects the morale and social cohesion of the village, the favor of the gods, and just "how things are going."

Fortunes start at +1, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Fortunes are high, people are (generally) happy and generous with each other.

The future seems bright.

When Fortunes are low, people are (generally) grumpy or despairing. They talk of dark times ahead. They start looking to themselves and their own rather than the community at large.

Fortunes go up when the PCs Return Triumphant or complete certain improvements. They go down when the village Meets with Disaster. Fortunes might go down when the PCs Muster, Requisition, or have the village Pull Together.

Players roll +Fortunes to Requisition. More importantly, they roll

+Fortunes when the Seasons Change to see what the season has in store for the village and the PCs.

After the players roll for Seasons Change, Fortunes reset to +1 (or +0 if the steading is malcontent). This means that changes to Fortunes themselves are passing, applying to only the next season.

Surplus

Surplus reflects stores of food and trade goods. It represents crops in the granary and in household larders, livestock ready for slaughter, whisky that's ready to drink, fur that's ready to trade or be fashioned into garments.

Surplus isn't a stat that's rolled; it's a resource that Stonetop accumulates, consumes, and spends. The village starts with 1 Surplus; there's no upper limit.

The steading generates Surplus each summer and autumn, and consumes Surplus each winter. PCs can gain more Surplus through trade, by going on an expedition to hunt big game, or as a seasonal gain. The PCs might spend Surplus to trade for other assets or to have folks Pull Together on a project.

Should the PCs wish to Trade & Barter with or for Surplus, 1 Surplus is Value 2 (see Value and coins, Value and coins).

Size

Each steading has a Size tag, which describes the scale of its infrastructure: its permanent buildings, the size of its fields, the number of inhabitants it can comfortably support.

The tag is mostly descriptive, but it affects how much Surplus is consumed each winter, as well as the Muster, Pull Together, and Trade & Barter moves.

The possible values for Size are:

Hamlet (<50 people): Consume 1d2

+Population Surplus each winter; Muster, Pull Together, and Trade & Barter with disadvantage

Village (150-350 people): Consume 1d4

+Population Surplus each winter

Town (500-1500 people): Consume 2d6

+Population Surplus each winter; Muster, Pull Together, and Trade & Barter with advantage

City (2,500+ people): Tracking Surplus is out of scope for such a big place; Muster, Pull Together, and Trade & Barter with advantage Stonetop starts as a village, home to about

300 souls. If things go very poorly in play, it could shrink and become a hamlet. If the PCs complete enough improvements, it can become a town. Becoming a city is beyond the default scope of the game.

Population

The steading's Population reflects the number of able bodies living there, relative to its Size.

Population starts play at +0, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Population is -1, buildings stand empty and key jobs go undone. Labor and free time are in short supply.

As Population rises above +0, quarters become more cramped and folks start living in makeshift homes. Some folks sit idle, looking for meaningful work.

Population can go down when:

• The steading Meets with Disaster
• The steading runs out of Surplus in winter.
• Fictional events dictate that they do (for example, if a plague kills a few dozen folks).

Population can go up as the result of a seasonal gain, or to reflect fictional events (like refugees settling in the village).

Players roll +Population to Muster or Pull Together. But the steading also consumes extra Surplus each winter based on its Population.

Prosperity

Prosperity represents the goods that circulate in the steading, the number and variety of tradesfolk, and how often merchants pass through town.

While Surplus represents how much food and trade goods are in the town, Prosperity reflects the quality and variety of food and household goods, tools and weapons, finery and little luxuries.

Stonetop's Prosperity starts play at +0, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Prosperity is low, essential trades are lacking or done poorly. Roofs leak. Goods and tools are shabby, old, or just plain unavailable. A merchant might stop by once per season, if that.

As Prosperity increases, there are more full-time tradesfolk, more visits from merchants, more specialized tools. Homes are cozier. Goods are finer, herbs are more potent, and iron is stronger.

PCs can increase Prosperity by completing the Expanded Trades or Market improvements. If they want to raise it even higher, or raise it through some other means, then sit down with them and Make a Plan.

Players roll +Prosperity when they Trade & Barter to acquire or sell special items. Prosperity also impacts the PCs' gear and inventory, affecting:

• How many small items they get when they Outfit
• How many uses they get from ◇ supplies
• How many HP they regain when they Recover in the field
• The x piercing value of their iron weapons

Resources

A steading's Prosperity is closely tied to its resources. On the steading playbook, these are listed to the right of the current

Prosperity. At the start of play, Stonetop's resources include:

• Farming (beans, potatoes, oats, and barley)
• Hunting/trapping (fur, meat, hides)
• Distilling (whisky)
• Stone (collected from Old Wall)
• Cistern (filled with rain & snow)
• Tradesfolk (a midwife, a potter, a publican, a smith, a tanner)
• Trade with Gordin's Delve (for metal, tools)
• Trade with Marshedge (for textiles, herbs, glass)

Should Stonetop lose access to one or more of these resources for a season or so, then mark the lacking debility. If Stonetop permanently loses one or more of these resources, its Prosperity will go down as well.

Defenses

Defenses represent the martial prowess and readiness of the steading: how well-trained and well-armed the residents are, how many veteran warriors live there, how wellorganized they are. Refer to a steading's Defenses to help decide how quickly and effectively they respond to an outside threat.

Defenses starts play at +0, and can range from -1 to +3.

When Defenses are low, there are few competent warriors in the steading. Arms and armor are limited and/or in poor repair. Folks tend to panic, and are easy to catch off guard.

As a steading's Defenses increase, there are more and more capable warriors, with better training, more experience, and/or better arms and armor. Folks are braver and more vigilant.

When a PC sends a steading's people into danger or rallies them against an attack, the player rolls +Defenses to see how it goes (see Deploy, Player moves).

In Stonetop, every able-bodied adult is expected to train with the militia, maintain their spear and shield, and take shifts on the watchtowers. If Stonetop's militia suffers significant losses, then mark the diminished debility. If those losses are permanent (for example, death and dismemberment, not just injury), then Defenses goes down, as well.

To increase Defenses, the PCs should complete the Weapons of War or the Well-trained Militia improvements. Other improvements provide a bonus in certain circumstances. If the PCs want to raise Defenses even higher, or raise it via some other means, then they can Make a Plan.

Fortifications

Each steading has a list of fortifications and other resources that contribute to its Defenses. On the steading playbook, these are listed to the right of the current

Defenses. At the start of play, Stonetop's fortifications (etc.) include:

• The village militia
• The Ringwall (low, stone)
• A trio of watchtowers
• Iron-tipped spears and wooden shields in every home
• Some bows

Debilities

During play, the steading can suffer debilities much like a PC can. There are three steading debilities:

• Diminished, by injury, sickness, doubt. Players have disadvantage to Deploy, Muster, or Pull Together
• Lacking, due to shortages, hoarding, distrust. Treat Prosperity as if it's 1 lower than it is.
• Malcontent, from fear, anger, and/ or despair. Fortunes reset to +0 each season, instead of +1 Improving the rolls, and folks need Persuading more often than usual There's a space on the steading playbook to mark each debility.

Debilities both reflect the fiction and dictate it. If something happens that results in the village's capacity being reduced by injury, sickness, or doubt, then have the players mark diminished to reflect that. If they mark diminished because a move tells them to, then that means injury, sickness, and/or doubt plague the steading.

Steading debilities last until a move like Return Triumphant says to clear them, or until the fiction changes such that the debility no longer applies.

Steading improvements

The steading playbook includes a number of potential improvements that can be unlocked in play. Each has a list of requirements and benefits that the steading gains upon completion.

Requirements

The requirements for each improvement vary from clear and obvious ("Impressing a band of Hillfolk") to the seemingly impossible ("Some method of making water flow uphill"). If the players don't know how to go about meeting such a requirement, Make a Plan with them.

The PCs can complete requirements for an improvement in whatever order makes sense; they don't have to go in order unless an improvement specifically says they do.

Some improvements require individuals with specific skills, like "an exceptional engineer/foreman" or "a veteran warrior, able to command a crowd." This might be a PC, or an NPC who already lives in Stonetop.

Otherwise, they'll either need to recruit someone from abroad or wait for such a person to move to town.

When an improvement requires Surplus or other materiel, it's used up or otherwise committed to the improvement. The Palisade improvement requires "lots of timber… (Value 3)." You can't use that timber for other projects without dismantling some or all of the palisade!

Many improvements involve Pulling

Together one or more times. See page

536 for details.

Benefits

Once the PCs meet all the requirements for an improvement, the steading gains the listed benefit(s).

Many improvements include a benefit of "increase Fortunes by 1." This is a one-time gain; when Seasons Change and Fortunes reset, this benefit no longer matters.

Some improvements provide a passive, ongoing bonus to stats like Prosperity or Defenses.

Other improvements provide new player moves, triggered by a particular action or event. Many such moves are triggered when the Seasons Change (in general, or to a specific season); you might want to note these on the front of the steading playbook, as a reminder.

The benefits for each improvement are mostly mechanical, but don't forget about the fictional impact! If the PCs unlock the Aurochs Hunting improvement by cooperating with the Hillfolk, then they've not only gained a new move and resource, they've improved their relationship with the Hillfolk!

Losing improvements

Once an improvement is completed, assume that basic upkeep is done by the community as a whole. For example, once the Palisade is built, assume that the steading keeps it in good repair.

Some improvements have additional, ongoing costs, like the requirement to spend

1 Surplus every spring to maintain Weapons of War. If the PCs fail to pay that cost, they lose the improvement. Make a Plan with the PCs if they want to get it back.

You can and should threaten or harm improvements the same way you can threaten anything else the PCs care about. If they don't do something to save it, then it will be lost and they'll lose its benefits. Again, Make a Plan with the PCs if they want to get it back.

Other improvements

The improvements listed in the steading playbook aren't the only ones possible. You can find others in various entries of Book II, revealing them to the players as appropriate. Likewise, you might have an idea for an additional improvement yourself, or the PCs might propose one. Make a Plan to establish the requirements, and work with the players to establish an appropriate benefit and any ongoing costs.

The steading playbook includes a space for additional improvements. Record them there.

Assets

The steading playbook includes a section for recording assets that are owned by the residents of Stonetop in common. At the start of play, this includes:

• A pair of hardy draft horses
• A pair of horse-drawn plows (iron)
• A pair of carts (plus horse harness)
• A wagon (plus horse harness)

If the PCs want to take any of these assets on an expedition, they must first Requisition them.

There are also blank spaces where you can add new assets that the PCs acquire for the village. For example, if the PCs arrange to trade 1 Surplus for a sleigh (Value 2) that the villagers can use in winter, you'd add it here.

This section also includes boxes in which to record silver or gold coins. These start blank, but should the PCs acquire coins during play and turn them over to the village as a whole, you'd record them here.

See Value and coins for more on coins.

Residents & neighbors

The last two pages of the steading playbook are for tracking NPCs. Whenever you or a player introduces a new NPC, make note of them here: their name, pronouns, profession, and any notable traits and relationships. See NPCs & Followers for guidance on creating NPCs.

A game of Stonetop can easily involve dozens of NPCs, and space on the steading playbook is limited. As such, you might opt to use a digital tool for tracking NPCs, such as:

• A relationship map that visually organizes PCs, NPCs, and how they're connected to each other
• A spreadsheet, with a row for each PC or NPC, and columns for traits and relationships
• A wiki or database, with entries for each PC and NPC and links between them to record relationships Even if you use the steading playbook to track all the established NPCs, you'll probably need to keep your own notes elsewhere for each NPC—especially if that NPC is a threat.

Seasons Change

The Seasons Change move creates the long-term rhythm of the game. It breaks up downtime. It requires the PCs to care about the steading's Fortunes and Surplus. It makes many of the steading improvements important and valuable to pursue.

Making the move

The Seasons Change during downtime.

When you've played out any activities, scenes, and situations you and the players are interested in, skip ahead in time and re-solve this move.

Aim to resolve the move towards the end of a session if you can, so that you can prep the next session based on the results. If you can't, cool, just be willing to improvise!

Rolling

Each season indicates who rolls for the move (whoever is most hopeful rolls in spring, whoever is most content rolls in summer, etc.). "Whoever" refers to the PC, not the player. If you really can't decide, pick randomly.

Whoever rolls also makes any choices required by the move. They can ask for input, but the final decisions are theirs.

Each season involves rolling +Fortunes, which results in some combination of seasonal gains, threats, and (in winter) the need to consume additional Surplus. More on that later.

After the roll, reset Fortunes to +1 (or +0 if the village is currently malcontent).

Generating Surplus

In summer, the village generates 1d4-1 Surplus (from pickled spring vegetables, surplus winter potatoes, summer fruits, whisky maturing, game, etc.). If they also get a seasonal gain, the player can wait to pick it until they see how much Surplus they generate.

When the autumn harvest is complete, the village gets another 1d4 Surplus (crops, garden produce, game, mature livestock, etc.). Harvest is a process that takes most of autumn. If something significantly disrupts it, have the player roll for Surplus with disadvantage and/or a -1 penalty. If the harvest fails entirely, they don't get any Surplus (and they Meet With Disaster).

Improving the rolls

PCs cannot Aid each other on either the +Fortunes roll or on rolls to generate Surplus. The move assumes that everyone is doing their part already.

PCs can Bolster for a coming season and spend the Preparation on the roll(s), but doing so should requiring a significant sacrifice to the gods (like 1 Surplus at least), and/or having the village Pull Together to make special preparations.

Handle other moves on a case-by-case basis, based on the fiction and what the whole group feels is right and fair.

Winter

In winter, the village consumes 1d4 +

Population Surplus. If Stonetop has shrunk to a hamlet, it consumes only 1d2

+ Population. If it has grown to a town, it consumes 2d6 + Population. If there's not enough, then Surplus drops to 0, the village Meets with Disaster, and the player picks a consequence.

Reflect such consequences in the fiction.

Name specific folks who die or leave or grow infirm. Play out the scene where the granary's roof falls in. Make it clear how the smith's death will impact the village.

(Note: the village is already Meeting with Disaster; these consequences don't trigger it again.)

If the player opts to have their PC die, leave, or retire, then let them have an epilogue in this session or the next. Ask the player to make a new PC between sessions.

After consuming Surplus (and handling any fallout), the Fortunes roll indicates how the rest of the season plays out.

On a 10+, have each player pick an NPC, then work as a group to figure out how and why their relationship with the PC has improved. Play these changes out as scenes or just describe them in brief (in addition to any other downtime activities and scenes you play out).

On a 9 or less, the village must consume more Surplus by winter's end or suffer the consequences above. The PCs will likely try to prevent this (see Playing the Game for ways they can generate Surplus). On a 6-, they've also got to deal with threats to the village. Expect an eventful season.

Seasonal gains

On a 7+ in spring or autumn or a 7-9 in summer, the rolling player gets to pick a seasonal gain. On a 10+ in summer, they get to pick two. The choices are:

• Population boom: A number of youth come of age, and/or outsiders settle here. Increase Population by 1 (max +3).
• Tor's blessing: Fine weather abounds. Take +1 to Pull Together this season, and any time you roll the Die of Fate for weather, roll twice and take your pick.
• Unexpected bounty: A sudden influx of wild game, trade profits, or some other resource generates 1 Surplus, now.
• Trade opportunity: At some point this season, someone offers to trade something valuable at a good price or something unique/ unusual at a reasonable price. Pay what they're asking and it's yours.
• Interesting news: There's an opportunity to improve your fortunes, knowledge, or relations, and/or to make progress towards a steading improvement.
• Valuable insight: You learn something that gives you a chance to address a threat that's been plaguing the steading.

If they pick a "population boom," ask or decide what the source of the boom is. If folks are growing up, include marriages and coming-of-age rites in the coming season. If outsiders are moving here, consider where they're from, why they've come, where they're living now, how well they're fitting in. Show off tensions that stem from cramped quarters, youthful ambitions, old ways vs. new. Name a few of the notable new faces and feature them in upcoming scenes.

If they pick "Tor's blessing," make a point of describing the weather this season.

Ask the PCs how they/their neighbors are taking advantage of the weather. Ask what offerings or rites of gratitude they're making to Tor. Maybe put a sticky note on the Random Weather tables in your GM playbook, to remind yourself about the "roll twice" benefit.

If they pick an "unexpected bounty," the village has already gained 1 Surplus; the PCs don't need to actively claim it in play.

Ask the player where the Surplus came from (game, trade, a lucky find, etc.). Ask follow-up questions to flesh out the specifics (the type of game, the nature of the trade and the merchant who made it, what they found and where, etc.). Call back to these details throughout the season, or tie them into larger events.

If they pick a "trade opportunity," ask the player what they hope to get out of this choice. With that in mind, either…

• identify something the PC wants (more Surplus, a special item, an arcanum, etc.) and then figure out who might offer it; or…
• pick a community you'd like to feature (Barrier Pass, the Hillfolk, etc.), look up their entry in Book II, and pick one of the listed Trade Opportunities for that group.

Decide how the opportunity presents itself.

Does someone come to town with goods in hand? Or does someone bring word of the opportunity to Stonetop? The more effort or risk involved, the better the deal should be.

If they pick "interesting news," identify something valuable to the PCs, something they'd want to acquire or that would get them closer to achieving a goal (like a steading improvement). Ask the player if they had anything in mind.

Now, think of something that would put that valuable or goal in reach, and how the PCs could learn of that opportunity.

If they pick a "valuable insight," choose an established threat to the village. Why haven't the PCs done anything about it yet? What information would allow them to address it (a vulnerability, the location of its lair, its motives, etc.)? Think about how that information could be revealed to the PCs.

"A threat to the steading…"

On a 7-9 in spring or autumn, or a 6- in summer, either introduce a new threat to the steading or have an existing threat advance towards impending doom.

The threat you pick can be internal or external, imminent or distant, uncaring or actively malevolent. It might be either supernatural or mundane. But it must represent a threat to Stonetop, now or in the future if it goes unchecked.

Decide how you'll make the threat (or its escalation) known to the PCs. Will it manifest as a crisis in the village? Will a hunter stumble across it in the Wood? Will someone have a portentous vision or dream?

In spring or autumn, consider tying the threat to the seasonal gain. Like, maybe the same merchant who brought an unexpected bounty of grain, herbs, and textiles also brings news that Daedra the Red's gang have taken up resdience in the Ruined Tower. Or maybe that troublesome hagr attacks someone down by the Stream but it leaves a clear, muddy trail back to its lair (a valuable insight).

Threats abound

On a 6- in spring, autumn, or winter, "threats abound." Make things bad. A monster attacks the village, with little or no warning. Multiple threats advance towards impending doom. Simmering tensions boil over. The weather is bad, crops fail, infrastructure crumbles, etc.

You don't have to do all these things, but you can. The season should be one of crisis and peril.

Putting the results in play

Pick threats and opportunities based on the results of the Seasons Change move, the established fiction, the needs of your game, and the wants of your group.

As you make your decisions, consider:

• Are there any threats barreling towards their impending dooms?
• Does your game need more threats, or do you have enough already?
• If there's a seasonal gain, which one did the player pick and why?
• Is there a particular threat that the PCs want to deal with, or a goal that they want to work towards?
• Are your players looking forward to an expedition, or would they prefer a relatively quiet season at home?

Like, say that the Seasons Change to summer and the player rolls a 6- (a threat). If spring had multiple adventures, and the players say that they'd like some downtime this summer, then pick a threat that's real but not immediately urgent or actionable, like giant spiders at the northern edge of the hunters' range. Or pick an internal threat, like a conflict between the Disciples of Aratis and the newly arrived Hillfolk refugees.

Then, let's say that they roll a 10+ in autumn (a seasonal gain) and pick "trade opportunity." If the group is itching for adventure, maybe some Hillfolk offer a few horses if the PCs rescue their kids from the Ruined Tower. But if the group wants to keep plugging away at the homefront, maybe a merchant comes through with a few cartloads of timber that they're willing to trade for Surplus.

Tor's blessing covers the whole season, and an unexpected bounty has already happened. But for threats and other seasonal gains, it's your call when and how to present them.

For example, you might…

• describe the threats/gains right after the Seasons Change roll; or
• play out a few scenes in the new season, and then put the threat or gain into one of those scenes; or
• introduce interesting news in early autumn, prompting the PCs to go on an adventure, and reveal a threat when they get home; or
• let the PCs spend most of spring working on projects, and reveal a valuable insight at the end; or
• ask the players to each describe one good day in winter, before threats start to abound and everything goes to hell; or
• something else along those lines.

Use your discretion to set a pace that you and your group are happy with, but be careful not to undermine the players' choices. Like, say they get a 10+ in summer and pick "Tor's blessing" and "population boom" because they want to Pull Together on a project. Don't delay that population boom until summer's end where it's too late to help. Talk to your players about what they expect and what they want to see in the game, and respect their wishes.

It's the end of our first session, and we've just finished making and introducing characters. The group kept focusing on the recent crinwin raids, the abducted children, and the effect this has had on the village. The village starts with 1 Surplus and Fortunes +1.

The group decides that Vahid is the most hopeful (he recently had a breakthrough on his Sanctifying Mark arcanum). He rolls a 7 and picks "unexpected bounty" for the gain. But a threat is also going to make itself known or get worse.

Following the procedure in the First Adventure chapter First Adventure, I decide that the real threat is a swyn. It dominated the crinwin and is having them "collect" children. I prep an adventure hook: a trapper (Rheinal) and his son (Pryder) will be out trapping abundant game (the unexpected bounty), when crinwin attack them and drag off Pryder.

During the first session of play, I ask some setup questions (including a love letter for Blodwen), we play out a few scenes to establish everyone's normal lives, and then I drop the hook: someone is shouting for help from the switchback path leading up from the Great Wood…

The PCs do in fact go after the crinwin, tracking them to a Green Lord tomb. They kill the swyn, send the crinwin running, and Return Triumphant with the kids in tow. There's some small-town drama, but the rest of spring is otherwise peaceful. They end the season with 2 Surplus and Fortunes +2.

SEASONS CHANGE EXAMPLES

The long hot days of summer settle

upon the land, and the group decides that Rhianna (of all people) is most content. She rolls an 11, and the group talks about which two gains to pick.

"Can we roll to see how much Surplus we get?" asks Rhianna. They sure can. She rolls 1d4-1 and gets a 1. "Hmm. Okay, let's take another unexpected bounty, and Tor's blessing. I want to start drilling our militia this season."

We reset Fortunes to +1, and the village heads into summer with 4 Surplus.

We talk about what life in Stonetop looks like in summer, about the fine weather, and how that's affecting folk's lives. Rhianna convinces folks to pursue the Well-trained Militia steading improvement, focusing on readiness. This costs 1 Surplus and effectively eats up the village's (and most of Rhianna's) free time for the season.

Vahid reminds Rhianna of her promise to go back to the Green Lord tomb and explore it some more. They do! A missed roll to Seek Insight has me advance towards impending doom and they find signs that the crinwin are still around and their numbers are growing. They reach the tomb, find some valuables, encounter some guardian Fae, and head home. Garet gets mauled by a drake, and dies on the way.

They end the summer with 3 Surplus and Fortunes at +1.

Autumn comes and Vahid is

deemed the most determined. He rolls an 8, a gain plus a threat. "Can we roll for Surplus before we pick?" he asks. No, that roll comes at the end of the season. "We're doing okay for Surplus anyhow. And we've got some loot. Let's go with a trade opportunity!"

For a threat, the crinwin are an obvious choice but I'm not keen on another trip into the Great Wood. During the End of Session, a couple players wished to see more of the world. So, the threat will be a crinwin raid on the village and the opportunity will be in Gordin's Delve.

Alas, Rhianna's player misses our next session. Instead of the crinwin raid, we do a short trip to the Ruined Tower and more of Blodwen's family drama.

The following session starts with the crinwin raid. The recent drilling pays off and they drive the crinwin away. At the end of that session, the merchant Ulna comes back through town with word that the Delve is more desperate for food than usual. The PCs decide to take 1 Surplus and some loot to trade.

Rhianna Muster's the village before they go, reducing their Fortunes to +0. But the trip is successful, and they Return Triumphant laden down with tools, parts, ore, etc. Fortunes goes back to +1.

There's some downtime, and the harvest is soon complete. Vahid rolls 1d4 and gets a 1. Yikes. They're heading into winter with 4 Surplus.

Winter grips the land, and the group decides that Caradoc— heartsick over Morwenna calling things off—is the weariest. He rolls 1d4 + Population (+0) and, oof, rolls a 4. That uses up all their Surplus.

I ask the group why they think they lost so much, and we say that early winter hammers the village with heavy storms and deep deep snow, followed by bitter cold. "But we're okay, right?" asks Blodwen. "We're out of Surplus but we have enough?"

That's true for now, but Caradoc still needs to roll +Fortunes. On a 10+, yeah, they'd be fine. The rest of the winter would be mild and each PC would get to improve a relationship (maybe Caradoc and Morwenna would get back together, or Blodwen would resolve things with Tegwen, or whatever). On a 6-, they'd be in trouble—not only would they need more Surplus, but threats would abound. I'd probably have the crinwin continue to raid the village while bravos from Gordin's Delve came down to extort Stonetop for food it didn't have.

As it happens, Caradoc rolls a 9. The village needs to consume another 1d4+0 Surplus or they'll Meet with Disaster and suffer an additional consequence. "But why bother rolling?" asks Caradoc. "We're already at 0." Ah, but they have until winter's end to come up with the extra Surplus "Oh!" He gets a 2.

"So where do we get more Surplus? In winter?" Well, there are some cave bears with a den not far from town…

Player moves

These moves become relevant during homefront play, or at least when the PCs are dealing with lots of folks from home.

Some might also apply when the PCs travel to another community.

The PCs are planning a bear hunt to feed the village through winter. Before they go, Blodwen wants to do a rite, to ask Danu for protection and forgiveness for killing the bears. She just intends to add color, but Rhianna says "Seeking the favor of the gods? That's Bolster, right?"

It's only Bolster if Blodwen dedicates a week or so to the ceremony. Vahid points out that a week's delay won't make much of a difference. "And it's not like folks are going to begrudge us these rites. Not if they want to eat." Fair enough.

I ask Blodwen what the rite looks like. "We isolate ourselves for a few days, in silence and fasting. The night before the hunt, we go down to the Stream to wash away our guilt in the cold water." Neat! And I say that each PC who participates (plus Rhianna's crew as a whole) holds 1 Preparation, to spend as they wish on the upcoming hunt.

After suffering a nasty burn, Vahid spends a few weeks studying the now-visible runes on his "richly woven rug" arcanum, and meditating upon it.

If it's unclear whether the player's efforts could apply to a given roll, discuss it with the table. Be generous and don't try to cheat the player out of the benefit of their efforts, but at the same time, don't let anyone be a weasel. If they Bolstered by sparring and exercising for a week, don't let them spend their Preparation on a Die of Fate roll for the weather, even if they say "I think Tor would be pleased with my efforts." When in doubt, poll the table. If anyone objects, the Preparation can't be spent.

The last step to unlocking the rug is to let himself be burned by a terrible flame, without crying out. He'll be Defying Danger, for sure.

"I've been getting ready for this for like a month," says Vahid. "Isn't that Bolster?" Nope. That time was spent meeting one of the arcanum's requirements. Bolster will require another week spent making preparations. "Yeah, sure, let's do that."

He talks to Blodwen, who agrees to be there when he does this and dress his wounds. Then he spends a few days practicing self-control with his hearth fire, getting lots of little burns. I have Maire stop by and get all worried, but he deflects her concerns for now.

At week's end, Vahid has 1 Preparation. He and Blodwen build a bonfire by the Stream, and Vahid walks through it, trying to not cry out. He rolls +CON to Defy Danger, gets a 6, and happily spends his Preparation to make it a 7. He's badly burnt and will have some lasting scars, but he masters his fear and unlocks the arcanum.

Caradoc bangs the alarm bell, yelling, "Crinwin! At the east wall! Awake! Crinwin from the east!" He's rallying the village against attack, so he rolls +Defenses to Deploy. It's too late to keep the crinwin out, but on a 10+, folks will be up and armed, with homes shuttered and children tucked away, the warriors gathered at a spot of Caradoc's choosing.

Alas, he gets a 7. The steading has the "readiness" tactic (from Well-trained Militia) and Caradoc is raising the alarm, so this counts as a position of strength; Caradoc picks the consequence. He opts for "it's less effective than you expected."

"Cries go up through the village. Folks stumble out in their nightshirts, spears and shields in hand, and good thing too, because the crinwin are among them. A number of small skirmishes start, and a crinwin is clambering up the tower towards you, Caradoc, what do you do?"

"Rhianna, Odrain's at his door, harried by three crinwin. Eira chops one down from behind. Rheinal and Pryder are fending a few off at the pavilion. But if this keeps up, you'll be taking casualties soon. What do you?"

She bellows, "GRANARY! FORM UP ON THE GRANARY NOW!" She's Deploying (using Stentorian, The Marshal to gain advantage). A 10+ will mean the militia safely rallies at the granary, getting a chance to organize a response. (And on a 6-, I think I'll have a crinwin tackle Rhianna mid-yell!)

But she rolls an 8, so it works with a consequence. The villagers are no longer acting from a position of strength, so this time I pick. "Rheinal doesn't make it. He hangs back to cover Pryder, and like four crinwin dogpile him in a spray of blood. But the militia forms up in front of the granary, in good order, the crinwin circling warily. What do you do?"

"Okay, here's the plan," says Rhianna. "Half of us stay to guard the granary. We send out six groups, each with a hunter and four shields. We sweep the village. You hear someone call for help, remember, they mimic voices. Stay tight, stay cautious. No one plays hero. Got it?"

This is definitely Deploy, and Rhianna's having her crew of hunters Aid. I ask if she'd rather they grant advantage or a position of strength. She opts for the advantage and, hey, she gets a 12!

"It's a long, tense night, but when dawn arrives, the crinwin are long gone. There are a few injuries, but nothing bad. Rheinal's your only real casualty."

The next spring, the crinwin are still a problem. Rhianna Musters the village and sends out patrols. That's Deploy, and a 10+ will both keep the crinwin at bay and give the PCs a lead on their nests. Alas, she rolls a 5 and I advance towards impending doom.

"The third patrol, led by Lowri, doesn't come back until after sunset. 'Found 'em,' he mutters. 'Great big nests, more than I ever seen. But they got Leuca, Padrig, and Caron. It... it was bad, boss. It was bad.'

After killing the hagr and rescuing Rhianna's crew, the PCs stagger back to the logging camp. They set a watch order and settle in, and we end the session.

Caradoc is currently level 5. After the End of Session move, he's got 16 XP— just enough to Level Up. "Yeah, but," I say, "this isn't home and it certainly isn't a stretch of downtime. You'll need to get back to Stonetop before you Level Up."

The PCs wrap things up at the logging camp. We play out their return home and a few follow-up scenes. Then we shift to downtime. Everyone has enough XP to Level Up, so we do that now.

Blodwen is level 5 with 19 XP. She loses 16 XP (5 x 2, +6), leaving her at level 6 with 3 XP. For her new move, she takes "Suck the Poison Out" (a move that "Requires level 6+"). Level 6 is an even number, so she also increases the max Stock of her sacred pouch by 1 (it's now 6). She's happy with her instinct ("Preservation"), but she changes her appearance from "fresh faced" to "hale and hearty." The past year of adventures and hardship have scoured some of the softness from her.

After the disastrous patrol in early spring, Rhianna decides that the village needs a palisade (a steading improvement) to help protect against the crinwin. One of the requirements is "lots of timber, 20-25 wagonloads (Value 3)." She asks how they'd get that much timber from the Foothills, and we Make a Plan.

The Foothills entry in Book II actually has a pre-made plan for this, on Crew. I summarize it on an index card and give it to Rhianna, adding the need to wait for summer (they can't spare 20 able bodies from the fields in spring).

O You need to wait until summer O You need ~20 able-bodied workers, a wagon, & two horses working for a season O You must talk to a few town leaders, and get their support O You risk accidents and attacks O You must Pull Together, costing 1 season, 1 Surplus, and 1 Fortunes "Do I need to wait until summer before talking to the leaders?" No, of course not. "Cool. Who do I need to talk to, exactly?" I turn it over to the table and ask who needs to be convinced. They identify Fion, Gwendyl and Seren, Owain (gulp), Elios, Taliesyn, and Thecla.

Rhianna arranges a sit-down with them all and makes her pitch, rolling an 8 to Persuade. They'll back the plan but only if she recruits the workers herself AND they provide a plan for protecting the village while so many fighters are gone. Rhianna nods. "Fair enough. I'll have to chew on that."

Vahid wants to lay down a perimeter of sanctified marks around the village, in order to help keep the crinwin at bay. "I'll carve marks in like two-dozen field stones, and add them to the Ringwall." Clever!

The sanctifying mark arcanum doesn't require a roll by itself, but it does turn part of Vahid paler each time he makes one. And folks are somewhat distrustful of his weird magic. So I write down the following requirements:

O You'll need to obtain two-dozen good stones O It'll take a month or so to finish

O You'll risk (more) suspicion and distrust, accusations of sorcery O A noticeable part of your body (your choice) will grow pale, then a shocking white Vahid nods. "For the first part, is that really hard to do? We've got no shortage of stones in town. I'll just tell the kids what I'm looking for and make a game of it." Yeah, that makes sense. I tell him to mark that requirement as done.

He says that his hands fade to be a shocking white as he works over the month. And to avoid suspicion, he starts a habit of walking the Ringwall every dawn, quietly placing a newly warded stone each time. "Seems like Defying Danger with INT to me." He agrees, but rolls a 6. Just a few days into this new routine, I oppose his wishes and have Glenys confront him, waving one of the sanctified stones around, yelling about sorcery and clearly not happy.

It's the morning after the raid, and folks are exhausted, scared, on edge. They've tossed the crinwin corpses off the north-facing bluff, and they're building a pyre for Rheinal. I announce trouble and say that his widow, Sianna, drops to her knees and starts keening. "You can see the fear and the despair catch in people's eyes, as the reality of what happened sinks in. What do you do?"

Blodwen goes to comfort Sianna (and Pryder, who's joined her). Rhianna starts thinking about how to deal with this. But it's Caradoc who steps up. He gives a moving speech, assuring everyone that Rheinal didn't die in vain, how he wouldn't want them to live in fear, and so forth. That feels like Defying Danger with CHA, to me (the danger being that panic spreads), and what do you know, he nails it. A 12!

Folks nod and murmur and soon enough they're singing that same hero's song they sang at Garet's funeral, and building a pyre, and the village does not, in fact, Meet With Disaster.

The next spring, Rhianna Musters the village (reducing Fortunes from +1 to +0, but increasing Defenses to +1). She then sends out patrols, with her crew providing Aid. Nonetheless, she rolls a 5! One of the patrols, led by Lowri, finds a huge set of crinwin nests but they barely escape—and three of the villagers don't. "It… it was bad, boss. It was bad."

Rhianna starts doing damage control, pulling the survivors aside for a private debrief. "Sure, go ahead," I say. "But the village has Met with Disaster. They left three dead neighbors behind, and a number of folks saw them limp home. News is gonna spread." Fortunes goes from +0 to -1, and I give the players a zoomed-out account of the patrol.

When they step out of Rhianna's house, I present a want or need, and describe the crowd that's gathered, including Leuca's and Padrig's families, faces drawn and afraid, murmuring nervously, expecting the worst. "What do you do?"

"We know where the nests are," says Caradoc. "Can't we just gather up the militia, march in there, and burn 'em?"

"You can, but you'll be Deploying twice— once to get the militia out there, and once for the actual assault. And if you roll a 6on either, it'll be bad. Like, 'mark diminished and also Meet With Disaster' bad.

And you're already at -1 Fortunes, so I'd pick a consequence. Probably -1 Population because of, y'know, deaths."

"No," says Rhianna. "Too risky. It's got to be us. Vahid... what tricks do you have that can help?"

The PCs are planning a trade mission to Gordin's Delve, but crinwin attacked just a few weeks ago and Rhianna and her crew have failed to hunt them down.

"We can't leave the village undefended," says Rhianna. "I step up drills, double up the watches, and I think I'll have an armed guard patrol every night while we're gone." I note that this sounds like a Muster. "Yup! And don't I have a special move for that?" She sure does; Logistics gives her advantage to Muster. "Can I also have my crew Aid? Like, have them patrol the Wood?"

"Uh, sure," I say. "But since you already have advantage, how about this: if you roll at least a 7, and pick 'the muster holds,' then the village will be safe from crinwin while you're gone." Rhianna likes the sound of that. She reduces the villages Fortunes to +0 and rolls +Population (+0) with advantage.

She gets a 10! She picks "the muster holds together even without your presence" (of course), and "1 or 2 individuals show real promise." She says she's looking for someone to run things in her absence, and maybe a new member for her crew.

I don't have anyone established in mind, so I look at the list of Stonetop names and say "Uh... let's say Andras catches your eye to replace good old Garet. And, oh, Elios. He's someone you can leave in charge while you're gone."

"We need to send out larger patrols," says Rhianna. "Keep the crinwin away from the village. Maybe find their nests, and burn them." I tell her that doing so will trigger Deploy, and she might need to convince a few folks to go along with it.

"Sure, that makes sense. And if we're going to Deploy, we should Muster first. Get that +1 to Defenses. I'll go around and talk to Elios, Eira and the crew, probably Fion. Ugh, Owain, too. I'll lay out the plan: start up drills again, and nighttime patrols, and in a couple weeks we can start patrolling the Wood."

I nod, and say that if she successfully Musters the village, she won't need to convince folks to Deploy. She reduces Fortunes to +0 and rolls to Muster with advantage (from Logistics). She gets an 8. "Well, the whole point is to get that +1 to Defenses, so I'll pick that one." And, yeah, I say that everyone she talks to is onboard, even Owain, and soon enough, they're ready to send out patrols.

Rhianna has recruited about 20 folks to go cut timber for the summer, but they only agreed if she sent her crew up with them. "Okay, here's the plan," she says. "They'll use a wayside as a camp, fill the wagon, and send it home. By the time the wagon gets here and back, they'll be ready to load up another shipment. Repeat. And my crew can work in pairs: two out hunting, two resting, two on watch or patrol."

I remind her that this will cost 1 Surplus and 1 Fortunes (because so many folk will be away from home for so long). She updates the steading playbook and rolls +Population, with a +1 bonus for Tor's blessing and advantage from Logistics. Alas, she still gets a 5.

I decide to announce trouble. "Weeks pass. The first few shipments come down without a hitch. But the fourth shipment comes back early, light on timber with Reese—y'know, Llewellyn's kid—and like three others, all shameful and scared looking. And Andras is

in the back, unconscious and pale with this nasty, crudely bandaged wound."

Rhianna asks what the hell happened, and I reply in Reese's shaky voice. "Something's... out there. In the hills. I ain't seen it myself, but Terrwyn did. And Elios! A beast with three eyes, and a big horn, and... well, folks won't work no more. Eira and your boys been tracking it, but, well, it got Andras. She had us draw lots to see who'd bring him home, and, well, we got lucky."

The PCs sort things out with the logging camp. They kill the hagr, appease the shaksa, and poor Cadi (who stirred up the damn thing, along with Iwan) is the only one who got killed. Still, they've lost a few weeks and folks are spooked, so I tell them the requirements. "If you stick around to manage things for the summer, you can try to finish on time. You'd have to Pull Together again, but it won't cost any additional Surplus or Fortunes. You do it?"

Rhianna agrees, and rolls, and this time gets an 8. "Ugh... I just really want this to be done, and Fortunes is already +0. I guess there's a consequence. What is it?"

I tell her that she doesn't notice, but Iwan's been acting differently. "Weird, even. Like, not shaken up or remorseful about his part in this at all. He's almost, I dunno, happy? Excited? Regardless, you're too busy to notice and anyhow, who pays Iwan any mind?" (And I make a note to turn Iwan into a threat, a wildcard to start but he might escalate to become a villain.)

The Seasons Change to autumn and Rhianna is keen to get the palisade built. They've got the timber (from the summer's logging camp), a competent engineer (Vahid), and plenty of supplies from last year's trip to Gordin's Delve. The only step left is to Pull Together.

"It'll take a month or so, and 1 Surplus," I tell them. They just got an unexpected bounty, so they spend that Surplus. And the "month or so" doesn't cut into harvest, it just prevents folks from working on other projects or Mustering.

Rhianna goes to roll, but Vahid is the engineer and I think he's the one who should make the move. "Can I Aid, though? Vahid might be the engineer, but I'm good at bossing folks around." She sure is, and she sure can. Vahid gets to roll with advantage.

On a 10+, I'd maybe use Keep Company to create a montage of the palisade going up. And on a 6-, I'd probably have the crinwin attack, stealing supplies and tools and throwing things into chaos.

But Vahid gets a 7, and picks "an unforeseen cost, requirement, or challenge." I still consider a crinwin attack, but that's more of a crisis than a challenge. Instead, I use "distrust of the PCs" (an affliction) from my homefront threats, and have it cause stubbornness.

"Folks get to work and in just a week, the palisade starts to take shape. That's when Glenys shows up, with Owain and Tegwen and a few others in tow. 'So we're just going to wall ourselves off from the world? And for what? The crinwin climb trees, don't they? How's this gonna keep 'em out? It's foolishness!' Others grumble along and nod, and work stops, folks waiting to see what happens. What do you do?"

Value and coins

"A fair price" means trading things with the same Value, but it might not be a 1-to-1

A Value 3 item is generally worth:

• A handful of gold coins
• A year (or so) of skilled labor
• A good, trained horse or mule
• A precious item (ruby ring, gold torc, etc.)

A Value 4 item is generally worth:

• A ◇ purse of gold coins
• A dozen or so good horses
• A "priceless" item (huge flawless gemstone, a ◇ gold statuette, a ◇ bejeweled scepter, etc.)

*Exotic trade goods are +1 Value A ◇ purse of coins contains about 10 handfuls. A handful of coins is about 10 individual coins, and so a purse contains around 100 coins.

One silver coin is roughly worth a purse of coppers (or about 100 copper coins).

And one gold coin is roughly worth a purse of silvers (around 100 silver coins, or an absolute pile of coppers.)

Coins are rarely used between the residents of Stonetop; they're mostly used for trade with outsiders.

"Hey, before we head out, can I get, like, a lantern?" asks Caradoc. "It's Value 0, so I can just have it, right?"

No, he can't. It's a special item, not on the inventory sheet, so he has to roll to Trade & Barter. He rolls +Prosperity (+0) and subtracts the Value of 0, and gets an 11. "I think Sawyl keeps a couple lanterns in the shop, you ask him for one?" He does. "Take it," Sawyl says. "Go save those kids."

After facing the swyn, Rhianna wants some bronze arrows (Value 0). She rolls to Trade & Barter and gets a 9. I pick "something close, but not quite right."

"You can't find bronze arrowheads, but you can scrounge up a few bronze pots that folks don't need. Taliesyn can recast them into arrowheads, but he's always so busy, it'll be next season before he gets to it. Or you could Persuade him to prioritize your work." She's happy to wait. "Cool, what little favors or promises do you end up making, in exchange for the bronze scrap and Taliesyn's time?"

Blodwen wants more bendis root before they head back to the Green Lord's tomb. "Don't you grow that in your garden?" asks Rhianna. She does, but only 1d4 uses each spring. She's all out.

She rolls to Trade & Barter, subtracting the bendis root's Value 1, and gets an 8. "Glenys has some," I say, "but isn't keen to give it up. It's the last batch in town, and she doesn't want to waste it. Or encourage this trip back to the tomb. Do you try to convince her otherwise? And if so, what do you offer in exchange?"

Blodwen pleads her case and offers a bezoar in trade (also Value 1). She rolls a 7 to Persuade, and so Glenys reveals something costly, tricky, or distasteful that could convince her. "She thinks this trip is just foolish curiosity. Which it is, right? But if she thought there was some lingering, unnatural evil out there, and that you were secretly going back to deal with it, she'd let you take the bendis root for sure. I don't think she'd even want the bezoar. What do you do?"

The PCs have brought 1 Surplus worth of food and whisky (Value 2) to Gordin's Delve. "This is a trade opportunity, so that 1 Surplus will get you three Value 2 items that are commonly available here. Plus you can each pick a commonly available Value 1 item, too." I give them the list (from the Gordin's Delve entry in Book II, page

193).

They pick some spare wagon/cart parts (Value 2). Rhianna asks if they can get, like, a whole bunch of iron tools, spears, and hatchets (Value 0) as one of their Value 2 items, and I'm fine with that. "What about a donkey?" she asks. That's still a special item, and she has to roll. She rolls +1 for the Delve's Prosperity, -2 for the donkey's Value, and with advantage because this is a town.

On a 10+, I'd say that sure, the donkey can be one of their Value 2 items. But she gets a 7, so I decide it'll cost more than usual. "The cartwright's got a donkey. You can't take it as one of your picks for the Surplus, but he'd sure take that silver filigree sphere for it. What do you do?"

What to prep

If you know that an upcoming session will involve the homefront, there's plenty that you can prepare in advance.

If the PCs are heading home, review the Aftermath section. Take some time to think through:

• What's happened while the PCs were gone?
• How is the village likely to respond to their return?
• How will specific NPCs respond to their return?
• What scenes or situations are likely to follow, including at least one with each PC and their family?

Make note of any outstanding player moves that you need to resolve before the PCs get home (like a Pull Together that they triggered before they left). Maybe ask the player to roll the move between sessions so that you can work the results into your prep.

If you're heading into a stretch of downtime, then review the "Downtime" section. Try to identify:

• Logistics that need to be dealt with
• Moves that the players have said they want to make
• Projects you expect the PCs to undertake

If your group is amenable, try to hash these things out between sessions. Like, message everyone and remind them to Level Up if they can, or ask what they want to get up to in the next session. Maybe have the players resolve certain moves between sessions (like Trade & Barter or even Seasons Change), if the results of that move would impact your prep.

If the PCs intend to pursue a long-term project (like a steading improvement, unlocking an arcanum, etc.), then look over the requirements. If any of them seem unclear, Make a Plan in advance, drafting up a list of requirements.

If you owe the players something from the Seasons Change move, like a threat making itself known or some interesting news, then figure out the specifics and think about how you'll introduce them in play. If you expect this to prompt an expedition, then prep for that or at least as much of it as you expect to use in the next session.

Look over your threats and update them if needed. Ask yourself:

• Do any of them have stakes that you can/want to try to resolve? How could you put that in play?
• Have any of their grim portents come to pass while the PCs were focused elsewhere? How will you reveal that in play?
• Are there any GM moves you want to make with these threats? What would that look like in play?

Review your End of Session notes, particularly the wishes each player made.

Flip through the "village of Stonetop" entry (Book II, The Village of Stonetop). Pick a few impressions or other details you want to feature, and/or some questions you want to ask.

Consider writing love letters to kick off the session and quickly establish things that have happened since the last session.

Use all of the above to create a "to-do list" for the next session, including:

• Player moves that need to be resolved (including any love letters)
• Decisions the players need to make
• Questions you want to ask the PCs
• Details that you want to establish
• Scenes you want to frame
• GM moves you'd like to make Put these items in roughly the order you expect them to come up, grouped however makes sense to you. Put tick boxes next to each item. During play, tick off the items as you introduce them. But stay loose! You might not get to them all, and some might cease to be relevant as the session plays out.

For any scenes or situations you expect to frame, write down the details you think will help during play: when and where, activities, impressions, questions, GM moves, lines of dialogue, etc.

Think about how you can involve PCs in each others' scenes, or create interesting

PC-PC-NPC triangles.

If you plan to introduce any new NPCs, create them now to whatever level of detail you find valuable.

If you expect the next session to feature any established NPCs, review your notes on them or just think about how you portray them. Think about how they'll act in the upcoming session. Add details to their description if needed, or change established details if it feels right. Maybe stat them up as monsters, as threats, and/or as followers.

The first adventure is over! The PCs have killed the swyn, driven off the crinwin, and rescued the kids. At the end of the last session, they decided to head home. We'll play out their return in this coming session.

They'll get home five days after they left. Folks have been worried, right on the edge of despair, but they've also been getting on with spring chores. There are no outstanding player moves to resolve, and no threats that advanced while the PCs were gone.

The PCs will Return Triumphant, but two of the kids have been touched by their time with the swyn. I imagine a general celebration, with Glenys and Owain quickly souring about their kids being "not right."

Thinking about follow-up scenes, I'm spoiled for choice with Caradoc (flirting with Morwenna, working with Sawyl, visiting grandma). Same with Blodwen (talking to Gwendyl and Seren, checking up on Pryder, dealing with Tegwen). Rhianna has deep ties to the village but not much close kin left, so I imagine that her crew serves as family (and she'll want to build up some Loyalty with them anyhow). Vahid, I'm realizing, doesn't have any close NPCs, so I think I need to work on fleshing that out.

I don't expect the next session to have much downtime. If we do have some, I'll just zoom out, ask folks about the shift back to "normal" life, and then have the Seasons Change to summer. They can Level Up between sessions.

I don't expect the PCs to undertake any long-term projects before the Seasons Change, and I don't owe them anything from last season.

I update my threats and look over the ones that remain. Tegwen (Blodwen's mother, a wildcard) might try to put Blodwen in her place and insist that she start thinking about a husband ("Old Garet certainly seems interested"). I think that "Distrust of the PCs," an affliction, is likely to come up and I think its stakes ("Can Rhianna regain Owain and Glenys's respect?" and "Will Glenys ever forgive Caradoc?") would be fun to try and answer. But maybe not this session?

At the end of the last session, Caradoc wanted to see how he chafed at going back to his mundane life after this big adventure. Rhianna wanted to flesh out her crew and their families. Vahid wanted to commune with the Mindgem about the Green Lords tomb and all that they've learned. Blodwen (a glutton for punishment) wanted to deal with her mom, but also to explore that whole "Pryder is beloved of Danu" thing.

I look through the "Stonetop" entry in Book II, and pick out some impressions and activities for spring. I also note some good questions to ask as the PCs settle back into daily life, like, "What about this place makes it feel like home?" or, "What game or pastime is unique to Stonetop?"

I ponder a bit and make a rough to-do list for the session:

Approaching home

• Keep Company on way home?
• En route: traps & snares sprung, game gone uncollected
• Anti-crinwin charms strung up by the Stream, swaying in breeze
• Folks trudging in from the fields and gardens; somber & on-edge

Return Triumphant

• Excited cry as PCs are spotted
• Crowd gathers in celebration
• Tearful reunions: Rheinal hugs Pryder, Glenys scoops up Wynfor
• Wynfor's weird, unfocused gaze
• Rheinal toasts the PCs; cheers!
• Morwenna embraces Caradoc, happy, proud; stops short of a kiss
• Tegwen basks in Blodwen's glory

Put them in a spot

• Glenys: demands to know what's wrong with Wynfor
• Owain blames Rhianna for his daughter's condition ("none of this would've happened if you weren't a coward last winter!")

"Family" scenes

• Rhianna celebrating with her crew; bit of a crowd gathered; Garet talks up the PCs, talks smack about Owain
• Blodwen with Seren & Gwendyl: debrief, discuss what's to be done about the kids
• Caradoc with his grandma; a rare moment of lucidity ("Why, look how you've grown.")
• Vahid: How did you end up living in this house? What makes it feel like home? Which of your neighbors is friendliest?

Potential GM moves

> Offer an opportunity: Vahid has time to talk to Mindgem; get info dump about Green Lords, etc.

> Remind them of their obligations:

Sawyl is proud of Caradoc, but there's work to do, boy!

> Play them against each other:

Eira & Lowri talk about "creepy

Vahid;" Rhianna overhears

> Show how others really feel: Rheinal gives Blodwen a gift when she checks on Pryder

> Present a want: Owain wants Blodwen and Gwendyl to "fix" his daughter

> Announce trouble: Caradoc sees

Glenys shouting at Wynfor, very frustrated with him

> Provide unwanted (?) advice:

Tegwen approaches Garet while he's talking to Rhianna, invites him to woo Blodwen The only new NPC here is Caradoc's grandma, so I do a little work to prep her (mostly, questions to ask Caradoc about her). I'm not too worried about portraying Pryder or Wynfor or anyone from Rhianna's crew (as they've been part of the past few sessions already), but I review my notes on Tegwen, Rheinal, Glenys, Owain, Seren, and Gwendyl.

I've probably got way more than I'll use in one session, but that's fine. I'm sure that some of these notes will still apply in the next session/season as well!