BY JACK HARRISON

You rest, fallen or discarded in the dirt. But your body

is not flesh, and you are not mortal. So, you wait.

Seasons pass in flashes—cold following heat, rain following

drought, death following birth—until one day, your
wait is over. Someone lifts you from the detritus,
inspecting you, feeling your weight in their hands.
They decide to keep you—becoming your Keeper.

Through them, you experience the world. You see them

undertake great quests or, perhaps, commit atrocious
sins, all with your aid. You almost forget the long time
spent in the dark until, inevitably, you return.

And rest, fallen or discarded in the dirt. You do not know

how long you will wait for someone new to arrive.

EDITION 2.0, JUNE 2020

SOUNDTRACK BY CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL ROBERTS
EDITING BY JARRED CRADER & FIONA MAEVE GEIST (MRC)
INSPIRED BY THE SKELETONS BY JASON MORNINGSTAR
HOW TO
PLAY
BEFORE YOU START

WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

4 An hour or two.
4 A quiet place to play, ideally one that can be darkened.
4 A journal, index cards or sheets of paper to write & draw on—

or a fresh set of printed sheets from the playkit.

4 Art materials and writing implements.

4 A way to play the soundtrack, available to download or to

stream at THEARTEFACT.NOW.SH
4 A way to track time, if not using the soundtrack.

SAFETY
This game is designed to be played alone, mitigating many of the
consent issues associated with playing games together.
However, as an intentionally solitary, somewhat melancholy
experience, it may not be the best thing to play when struggling
with feelings of loneliness.
If the game leaves you feeling isolated, or you are already
struggling, there are good online resources that might help.
Mind, a mental health charity, have a series of tips & support
options at BIT.LY/MIND-LONELINESS.
You can, instead, play the game as an epistolary—taking turns
writing parts of the game, potentially as a fun way to stay in
contact with distant friends. If so, consider the safety of the other
players—including appropriate content warnings.

3
GAME CONCEPTS

ITEMS
This game is about magical items, tools with incredible powers
and a sentience that grows as you play. Items do not die but can
be tarnished, broken, buried or otherwise lost and forgotten.

KEEPERS
An item cannot act alone—a KEEPER must seize it. Only then
can it travel around, seeing wondrous places and having grand
adventures.
Its agency is limited, shackled to its KEEPER, but it can influence
its situation through magic, communication and force of will.
Writing the story of each KEEPER, consider how they obtained
the item, how they treat it, what they achieve with it and how it
changes them and their destiny.

TIME & REST

Magical items outlive even the most venerable KEEPERS.
Through death, bestowal or carelessness, a KEEPER relinquishes
the item and your stint with them ends.
The sun turns, seasons pass and flesh & blood return to the
earth. The item is at REST—inert and waiting. You always
choose how much TIME passes while you wait.
Eventually, a new KEEPER will arrive.

4
TRAITS
TRAITS are characteristics describing a magical item. They might
be physical or magical properties or facets of its developing
personality.
Each ARTEFACT has a list of sensible TRAITS for that archetype,
but always feel free to make up your own.
Don’t worry about a TRAIT’S precise definition—they mean what
you want them to.

CHANGE
Playing the game, the item evolves and develops, shaped by its
experiences, TIME passing, and the KEEPERS who wield it.
At various points, you are asked to CHANGE SOMETHING about the
item. This usually means adding, removing or modifying:
4 A TRAIT.
4 A detail about the physical appearance of your item.
4 A detail about something in your world—a name, faction, etc.

4 A response to one of your ARTEFACT QUESTIONS.

A particularly momentous change may make it sensible to do

several of these things at once.
You can also make a change whenever you feel it’s appropriate,
even if you are not explicitly prompted.

5
GAME STRUCTURE

ACTS
The game takes place over three ACTS, forming your item’s story
as your game progresses. Each act has its own set of KEEPERS and
TIME options to choose from.

RESOLVING A KEEPER
After choosing a KEEPER, you complete a series of steps to tell
their story and explore the ways your item might change from
the experience. You can use these steps to tell a full, detailed
story, or keep things short with a brief outline of events.
1. First, you’ll describe the KEEPER, providing their name and
a few striking details. Think about how they acquired the
item—was it given to them or did they find it, discarded or
unguarded?
2. Then answer the two questions or prompts listed under the
KEEPER’S heading.

3. Then choose a memorable event or deed defining your item’s

time with the KEEPER. If they achieved great things together
choose from VICTORIES & VALOUR (29). If the item was
slighted or misused choose from NEGLECT & MISCHIEF (30).
4. As your item learns from experiences you may answer one of
your ARTEFACT QUESTIONS.
5. Finally, think about how the KEEPER ends their time with
your item. Where and how do they lose or relinquish it?

6
RESOLVING A REST
As you await the next KEEPER to claim your item you’ll REST
in darkness or with your eyes closed. The ACT tells you what
to think about while you wait. You can use the ambient
soundtrack or wait in silence with a timer listening to the
sounds around you.
Don’t worry if your mind wanders while waiting—your item’s
mind wanders too. Eventually the silence breaks and a new
KEEPER appears.

When you’ve completed your REST you might be asked to

choose an option from a table representing time passing.
If you want to explore or change the world around your item
choose from SHIFTS & CURRENTS (31). If you want to change
your item choose from DUST & RUST (32).

BREAKS
At this point stop to consider if you might like to take a break.
If you’re writing a lot of detail for each KEEPER consider playing
the game over a few shorter sessions rather than one long one.

7
STARTING TO PLAY

CHOOSE YOUR ARTEFACT

Choose an ARTEFACT (11) to create. Each is an archetype of a
sentient magical item. They have thoughts and desires and can
communicate, directly or otherwise, with their KEEPERS.
The available ARTEFACTS are:
THE WEAPON (12)
A tool of war: a blade, axe, or something stranger.
THE SHIELD (13)
A bulwark of protection: from towering scuta to deft bucklers.
THE INSTRUMENT (14)
Produces musical sounds, conventionally or otherwise.
THE ORNAMENT (15)
Jewellery, charms and trinkets: small but potent.
THE DECK (16)
A collection of worn cards, an oracle or something stranger.
THE FOOTWEAR (17)
Shoes: they are for going places, conventionally or otherwise.
THE STAFF (18)
A conduit for magic: a focus for arcane power.
THE TOME (19)
A receptacle of knowledge, lost or forbidden.
THE AUTOMATON (20)
A self-operating machine, responsive to orders.

8
CREATE YOUR ITEM
After choosing a ARTEFACT, answer the opening questions about
your item’s creation. Describe the person who made the item and
add three TRAITS (5) to describe its starting properties.
Draw the item, making your sketch large enough to easily record
changes as you play. Each ARTEFACT has different suggestions for
details you can add, but go with whatever inspires you.
Your drawing is primarily a tool for visual reference, not art. You
can always create a more artistic version when the game is over.

TAKE A BREATH
For the rest of this game you inhabit your item and perceive the
world through its strange, inhuman senses. When questions
in the game refer to ‘you’ they mean your item and its evolving
sentience.
This item is your character for the rest of the game.
When you have completed the instructions for your chosen
ARTEFACT and are ready to play, empty your hands, close your
eyes and take a moment to breathe.

CHOOSE YOUR FIRST KEEPER

Now open your eyes and choose the first person to take
ownership of you—your first KEEPER.
You’ll begin by turning to the first act, NEWLY FORGED (22).

9
ENDING THE GAME

THE FINAL KEEPER

Eventually you’ll reach the end of the third and final act.
Having resolved your final KEEPER, the item is left broken beyond
repair or abandoned in a cold, dark place forever.

CONVERTING ITEMS
You might reach a point where you wish to continue the item’s
story in a different game—for example, the next KEEPER could be
a player character in your D&D game (or any other system!).
To do this, you’ll need to convert the item into the new system.
This is typically a straightforward process, using your item’s
TRAITS to create special properties or actions available in the new
system. So ‘Flaming’ would become ‘3d6 fire damage’, and so on.
Don’t try to explain every detail—leave it a mystery to unravel.

EPILOGUE
Regardless of where you leave your item, it’s worth taking some
time to pause at the end of the game.
Take a final moment to sit in silence in the dark. Think about
how your item is remembered, if at all, through stories, art or
archaeological remains in a museum. Think about the KEEPERS
you left behind, and the twists and turns of their storied lives.
Then turn the lights back on, have a snack and stretch out as you
leave your item behind—concluding your time with this game.

10
ARTEFACTS
THE WEAPON
A TOOL OF WAR: A BLADE, AXE OR SOMETHING STRANGER

You were tempered in the heat of a great forge by a legendary

smith—describe them, their materials and their smithy.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Embellish
your drawing with gems, notches and other curious details.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as comrades in
arms, thoughtless captors or something else?
4 Of all the places you’ve seen on your travels, one stands out

and you long to return. Where is it, and why?

4 You were once used to kill someone your KEEPER was madly in

love with. Describe the person they were forced to eliminate.

Did you love them too?
4 You dealt the killing blow to that brute. Now, the story is a

popular legend. What major detail do people get wrong in the

retelling?
4 You are immortal; you do not grow old. What preoccupation

of the KEEPERS is most strange to you as one that cannot die?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Flaming, Frost, Corrosive, Silent, Warding, Dimensional,
Vampiric, Fragrant, Spectral, Gelatinous, Warped, Blessed,
Vindictive, Fickle, Loyal, Curious, Knowing, Devious, Romantic

12
THE SHIELD
A BULWARK OF PROTECTION: FROM TOWERING SCUTA TO DEFT BUCKLERS

You were hammered in the heat of a great forge by a legendary

smith—describe them, their materials and their smithy.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Embellish
your drawing with crests, runes and other curious details.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as loving wards,
cowardly abusers or something else?
4 Of all the places you’ve seen on your travels, one stands out

and you long to return. Where is it and why?

4 You were once used to shelter someone your KEEPER was

madly in love with. Describe the person they defended. Did

you love them too?
4 You defended your KEEPER against that brute long enough for

them to best it. Now the story is a popular legend. What major
detail do people get wrong in the retelling?
4 You are immortal; you do not grow old. What preoccupation

of the KEEPERS is most strange to you as one that cannot die?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Immovable, Levitating, Balanced, Warding, Sprouted, Gigantic,
Blessed, Homely, Utilitarian, Mirrored, Brash, Peaceful, Fickle,
Loyal, Forceful, Knowing, Stubborn, Romantic, Discerning

13
THE INSTRUMENT
PRODUCES MUSICAL SOUNDS, CONVENTIONALLY OR OTHERWISE

You were carved out of exotic woods and fibres by a renowned

artisan—describe them, their materials and their workshop.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Embellish
your drawing with trinkets, inlays and other curious details.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as spirited
collaborators, heartless exploiters or something else?
4 Of all the places you’ve seen on your travels, one stands out

and you long to return. Where is it, and why?

4 You were once played to impress someone your KEEPER was

madly in love with. Describe the person courted, and the songs
played to woo them. Did you love them too?
4 You were there—your music filled the air and the brute was

outclassed. Now the story is a popular legend. What major

detail do people get wrong in the retelling?
4 You are immortal; you do not grow old. What preoccupation

of the KEEPERS is most strange to you as one that cannot die?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Beguiling, Cacophonous, Reviving, Splitting, Soothing,
Sustaining, Summoning, Remembering, Mathematical,
Enlightening, Sardonic, Cheeky, Curious, Devious, Sublime

14
THE ORNAMENT
JEWELLERY, CHARMS AND TRINKETS: SMALL BUT POTENT

You were crafted from the rarest gems and metals by a master
artificer—describe them, their materials and their fateful forge.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Embellish
your drawing with jewels, runes and other intricate details.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as possessive
magpies, compliant marionettes or something else?
4 The place you were created fills you with dread and you never

wish to return. What is the root of this primeval fear?

4 You were once given as a present to someone your KEEPER was

madly in love with. They felt it was improper and returned you
with a scornful retort. What made them feel that way?
4 You helped your KEEPER outsmart the brute and take him

down for good. Now the story is a popular legend. What major
detail do people get wrong in the retelling?
4 You are immortal; you do not grow old. What preoccupation

of the KEEPERS is most strange to you as one that cannot die?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Obscuring, Sensing, Protecting, Strengthening, Healing, Spectral,
Whispering, Summoning, Elemental, Kindling, Clockwork, Evil,
Tender, Beguiling, Tricksy, Mercantile, Loyal, Curious, Blessed

15
THE DECK
A COLLECTION OF WORN CARDS, AN ORACLE OR SOMETHING STRANGER
GUEST ARTEFACT BY JAMILA R. NEDJADI (@TEMPORALHICCUP)

You were created by one with invincible will, great magical skill,
and a desire to laugh in the face of destiny – describe them.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Create
bewitching patterns, strange imagery, and other mystic details.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS? As gifted heroes,
doomed seekers or something else?
4 At least one of your cards was taken from you, and you were

changed. What card was it and what new form has it taken?
4 You were once used to cruelly change the fate of someone

your KEEPER was madly in love with. Describe the person they
betrayed. Did you love them too?
4 You were once used to strike a bargain with an unstoppable

foe, now the story is a popular legend. What haunting truth

can never be known?
4 You are immortal; fate will never touch you. What do you wish

you could tell your KEEPERS about the true nature of destiny?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Haunting, Weird, Knowing, Quirky, Meek, Wild, Unperturbed,
Stoic, Intoxicating, Ancient, Excitable, Fragile, Delirious, Wise,
Deceptive, Sorrowful, Frantic, Talkative, Mesmerizing.

16
THE FOOTWEAR
SHOES; THEY ARE FOR GOING PLACES, CONVENTIONALLY OR OTHERWISE
GUEST ARTEFACT BY W.H. ARTHUR (@ARYL_ETHER)

You were crafted with exquisite materials by a fabled cobbler –

describe them and their workshop. Add a TRAIT that lets your
KEEPERS reach places otherwise inaccessible.

Then add two more TRAITS describing your item and draw it.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 Do the two of you always agree with each other? What is your
relationship like – siblings, rivals, or something else?
4 You reminisce about the taste of soil from a specific place and

you wish to revisit there. Where is it and why?

4 You were stolen while your KEEPER was being intimate with

someone they were madly in love with. Describe the lover, the
thief, and the story of how you were retrieved.
4 Your KEEPER was snared in a nefarious trap set by the brutes,

but with your help they escaped. Now the story is a popular
legend. What do people get grievously wrong in the retelling?
4 The pair of you are immortal, and you always have each other.

What is most strange to you about the bonds of mortals?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Swift, Winged, Heavy, Stealthy, Swashbuckling, Polished, Vegan,
Comfortable, Sturdy, Resilient, Striking, Heeled, Stylish, Bouncy,
Bickering, Mismatched, Insulated, Gripping, Elegant, Dynamic

17
THE STAFF
A CONDUIT FOR MAGIC; A FOCUS FOR ARCANE POWER
GUEST ARTEFACT BY ANNA BLACKWELL (@BLACKWELLWRITER)

You were formed through a mysterious ritual by a powerful

wizard—describe them, the nature of their magic and the ritual.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Adorn your
drawing with crystals, teeth, and other curious fetishes.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as teachers,
students or something else?
4 Of all the places you’ve seen on your travels, one stands out

and you always long to return. What is it, and why?

4 You were used to cast a spell so powerful its mark can still be

found. What was the spell? CHANGE SOMETHING to reflect it.

4 You have seen the true nature of magic but refuse to reveal its

secrets to your KEEPERS. What are you afraid they would do

with the knowledge?
4 Mortals puzzle over the meaning of their short lives but you

see your own purpose with crystal clarity. What are you driven
towards? Have you ever had cause to question your purpose?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Introspective, Unstable, Burning, Horrific, Scholarly, Distracted,
Curious, Detached, Glowing, Delicate, Enthusiastic, Elegant,
Illusory, Cryptic, Otherworldly, Mischievous, Anxious, Cold

18
THE TOME
A RECEPTACLE OF KNOWLEDGE, LOST OR FORBIDDEN
GUEST ARTEFACT BY KARIN MESSERVEY (@SWEETNAWFUL)

You were penned in the stale air of a library by an obsessed sage

—describe them, their subject of expertise and their grand study.
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it and list its
chapters. The lore contained within changes as you play.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as students,
ingrates or something else?
4 On your travels you learned something about the world that

could not be found in your records. What was it?

4 Your secrets were once shared with someone your KEEPER was

madly in love with. Describe them. How did they react?

4 Your magic failed to correct your KEEPER’S greatest regret.

Now the story is a popular allegory. What lesson do people

take out of this tale?
4 You have concocted an intricate plan inspired by your

contents. What compulsion do you encourage in the KEEPERS

to accomplish it, knowing it may take eons?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Beguiling, Warding, Summoning, Reviving, Divine, Eldritch,
Planar, Enlightening, Cataclysmic, Eager, Sardonic, Fickle, Loyal,
Curious, Knowing, Devious, Melancholic, Discerning

19
THE AUTOMATON
A SELF-OPERATING MACHINE, RESPONSIVE TO ORDERS
GUEST ARTEFACT BY JASON PRICE

You were the lifelong creation of a renowned inventor – describe

them and their workshop. Did they work freely or under duress?
Add three TRAITS describing your item then draw it. Show how
it can move independently and defend its KEEPER.

ARTEFACT QUESTIONS
4 Over time you gain a name or honorific. What is it and why?
4 How do you come to think of your KEEPERS—as masters,
friends or something else?
4 Of all the places you’ve seen on your travels only one made

you feel as if you belonged there. Where is this place and why?
4 You were once ordered to kill someone your KEEPER was

madly in love with. Describe why they could not do it without

you. Did you feel any regret?
4 Your actions in battle once led to your KEEPER’S downfall.

Now the story is a popular allegory about placing trust in

machines. Why did people believe you acted intentionally?
4 You often struggle to make sense of your KEEPER’S behaviour.

Which of their activities or emotions do you work to relate to?

SUGGESTED TRAITS
Humanoid, Uncanny, Imposing, Compact, Ramshackle, Flying,
Crawling, Rolling, Aggressive, Stoic, Romantic, Melancholy,
Curious, Obedient, Rebellious, Loyal, Logical, Wise, Naive

20
KEEPERS &
TIME
ACT I: NEWLY FORGED
KEEPERS
I. NEWLY FORGED

Choose a KEEPER from below and resolve them following the

process on PAGE 4—summarised here:
1. Describe the KEEPER and your acquisition. 4. Answer an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
2. Answer the KEEPER’S questions. 5. Consider how the KEEPER loses you.
3. Choose one from tables: (29) or (30). 6. Move to TIME to wait for a new KEEPER.

A FOLK HERO
THEY ARE WHOLESOME, HELPFUL AND A LITTLE NAIVE
4 Describe the isolated village they work to protect.
4 How did you help them protect their home in a time of crisis?

A YOUNG NOBLE
THEY ARE WEALTHY, EDUCATED AND FASHIONABLE
4 Describe the landed family that they are descended from.
4 How were you used in the nobles’ cutthroat politics?

A ROGUE WITHOUT MASTER

THEY ARE DARING, CHARISMATIC AND TALENTED
4 What marks them as a soul unburdened by servitude?
4 How did you help them pull off their boldest stunt yet?

A REVOLUTIONARY LEADER
THEY ARE INSPIRING, REBELLIOUS AND DRIVEN
4 Describe the unjust social order they wish to overthrow.
4 How did you help them achieve their first major victory?

22
TIME
I. NEWLY FORGED

Choose the amount of TIME you must wait until your next
KEEPER arrives. Follow your chosen option’s instructions.

As you REST think about the silence and solitude of

abandonment.

NO TIME AT ALL A DAY

Proceed. REST for five seconds.
Do not stop to REST.

A WEEK A MONTH
REST for ten seconds. REST for twenty seconds.

A YEAR A DECADE
REST for forty seconds. REST for one minute.

After completing your REST choose a new KEEPER.

If you have already chosen two KEEPERS from this act move on to
II. A TIME OF GLORY to choose your next.

Otherwise choose from those remaining in this act.

23
ACT II: A TIME OF GLORY
KEEPERS
II. A TIME OF GLORY

Choose a KEEPER from below and resolve them following the

process on PAGE 4—summarised here:
1. Describe the KEEPER and your acquisition. 4. Answer an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
2. Answer the KEEPER’S questions. 5. Consider how the KEEPER loses you.
3. Choose one from tables: (29) or (30). 6. Move to TIME to wait for a new KEEPER.

A RIGHTEOUS CHAMPION
THEY ARE HAUGHTY, PASSIONATE AND STEADFAST
4 Describe their religious order goals.
4 How did you help them complete an epic quest?

AN ALL-CONQUERING WARLORD
THEY ARE FEARED AND ADORED IN EQUAL MEASURES
4 Describe their empire and the armies they rule it with.
4 How did you help them establish their mighty dominion?

A BANDIT KING
THEY ARE SARDONIC, RUTHLESS AND RESPECTED
4 Describe their outlaw kingdom’s seat of power.
4 How did you help them ascend to their crooked throne?

A MONSTER HUNTER
THEY ARE SHARP, FEARLESS AND IMPOSSIBLY STRONG
4 Describe the highly competitive guild they belong to.
4 How were you used to defeat a legendary beast?

24
TIME
II. A TIME OF GLORY

Choose the amount of TIME you must wait until your next
KEEPER arrives. Follow your chosen option’s instructions.

As you REST think about the weight of every passing day, growing
imperceptibly with each sunset.

A MONTH A YEAR
REST for twenty seconds. REST for forty seconds.

A DECADE A CENTURY
REST for one minute. REST for two minutes.
Choose once on DUST &
RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS.

CENTURIES A MILLENNIUM
REST for three minutes. REST for four minutes.
Choose once on DUST & Choose once on DUST &
RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS. RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS.

After completing your REST choose a new KEEPER.

If you have already chosen two KEEPERS from this act move on to
III. THE RUINATION to choose your next.

Otherwise choose from those remaining in this act.

25
ACT III: THE RUINATION
KEEPERS
III. THE RUINATION

Choose a KEEPER from below and resolve them following the

process on PAGE 4—summarised here:
1. Describe the KEEPER and your acquisition. 4. Answer an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
2. Answer the KEEPER’S questions. 5. Consider how the KEEPER loses you.
3. Choose one from tables: (29) or (30). 6. Move to TIME to wait for a new KEEPER.

A PAIR OF TREASURE SEEKERS

THEY ARE OPPORTUNISTIC, ARGUMENTATIVE AND SHORT-SIGHTED
4 Describe how they operate despite their mutual distrust.
4 Which one of them ends up with you and at what cost?

AN ARCHIVIST-COLLECTOR
THEY ARE OBSERVANT, AUSTERE AND MANIACALLY ORGANISED
4 Describe the archives they oversee and where you’re stored.
4 Which of your former KEEPERS are they keen to study?

A DOOMSDAY CULT
THEY ARE SCORES OF ACOLYTES WITH BURNING EYES & FIERCE PURPOSE
4 Describe their leader and the cataclysm they wish to trigger.
4 How were you used to complete their sinister, wretched ritual?

A FOOLHARDY WARRIOR
THEY ARE OPTIMISTIC, ENERGETIC AND HOPELESSLY OUTMATCHED
4 Describe the forces of evil conspiring against them.
4 How did you intentionally lead them to their doom?

26
TIME
III. THE RUINATION

Choose the amount of TIME you must wait until your next
KEEPER arrives. Follow your chosen option’s instructions.

As you REST think about the layers of dirt, sand and bone that
accumulate upon the world you know, now buried and forgotten.

A DECADE A CENTURY
REST for one minute. REST for two minutes.
Choose once on DUST &
RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS.

CENTURIES A MILLENNIUM
REST for three minutes. REST for four minutes.
Choose once on DUST & Choose once on DUST & RUST
RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS. and SHIFTS & CURRENTS.

AN AGE AN EPOCH
REST for five minutes. REST for six minutes.
Choose once on DUST & RUST Choose three across DUST &
and SHIFTS & CURRENTS. RUST or SHIFTS & CURRENTS.

After completing your REST choose a new KEEPER from those

remaining in this act.
If you feel you’ve spent ten minutes at REST across the entire
game, or if your story is ready to end, this KEEPER is your last.

27
TABLES
VICTORIES &
VALOUR
VALIANT ACTS, VANQUISHED EVIL AND INSPIRING MANOEUVRES.

Choose an option from below, answer questions and CHANGE

SOMETHING (5) as you grow notorious, proud or legendary.
• A TRAIT. • A response to an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
• A detail about the physical appearance of • A detail about something in your
your item. world—a name, faction, etc.

4 A stronghold of great importance was attacked by a dreadful,

monstrous horde. How did you help your KEEPER drive off the
fearsome assailants?
4 Your KEEPER deafeated their sworn, bitter rival in a duel.
Where did the contest take place and why was their
animosity so severe? How did you help them win?
4 A great warrior was trapped in an impossibly tall tower by an
evil sorcerer. Why did your KEEPER owe them their life, and
how did you help free them?
4 A long-standing feud between two prominent factions
was resolved. How did you help your KEEPER convince the
fractious leaders to come to the negotiating table?
4 A mythical beast or immortal guardian stood watch over an
ancient treasure. With strength or trickery—and your help—
your KEEPER overcame them. What were they protecting and
why did your Keeper need it so badly?
4 Your KEEPER uncovered an insidious conspiracy in their
people’s ruling class. With your help they exposed the devious
scheme. What was the price for speaking truth to power?

29
NEGLECT
& MISCHIEF
TREACHEROUS ACTS, TRAGIC LOSS AND DEMEANING MISUSE.

Choose an option from below, answer questions and CHANGE

SOMETHING (5) as you become hardened, jaded or vindictive.
• A TRAIT. • A response to an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
• A detail about the physical appearance of • A detail about something in your
your item. world—a name, faction, etc.

4 You were locked in a vault while poorly-made counterfeits

were sold to hoodwinked adventurers. What fault in the
design made these copies fail at a crucial moment?
4 You were thrown carelessly atop a huge heap of treasure.
There was another sentient item within the hoard. What did
you learn from this other intelligence and did you get along?
4 You were put on display to decorate a wall. You rested there
for a long time, unused. What was the room like? Were you
kept clean & shining or did the dust and grime pile up over
the passing years?
4 Powerful magic has a toll. You corrupted your KEEPER,
causing malaise, sickness and, eventually, death. Was this
ruination intentional?
4 You intentionally deceived or refused to help your KEEPER,
leading to their demise. What took place and why did you
act in that way?
4 You were broken, split or torn into two pieces by your
KEEPER, intentionally or otherwise. How did this happen and
how were you made whole again?

30
SHIFTS &
CURRENTS
THE SUN TURNS, EMPIRES RISE AND FALL AND HEROES FADE TO MEMORY.

Choose an option from below, answer questions and CHANGE

SOMETHING (5) to reflect the world reshaping around you.
• A TRAIT. • A response to an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
• A detail about the physical appearance of • A detail about something in your
your item. world—a name, faction, etc.

4 Time reframes the actions of one of your KEEPERS, once

considered a selfless hero, as immoral or mercenary. What
happened and what actions are twisted or reinterpreted?
4 You are collected and catalogued by a municipal institution.
Through excessive bureaucracy and pen-pushing you are lost
in their arcane system. Where do you eventually emerge?
4 You are obtained by a travelling merchant ignorant of your
true power and rest undisturbed amongst their chests for a
long time. What is the strangest place you visit as they make
their extensive circuits across the known world?
4 A descendant of one of your favourite KEEPERS grows into a
twisted mirror of their ancestor, perverting their legacy for
their own selfish needs. Who are they and what do they do?
4 You are swallowed by a passing sentient ooze—translucent
and hungry. Where does the strange creature make its home,
and what else of note churns with you in its viscous form?
4 Your name passes into common speech as a phrase, with a
meaning somehow connected to your history. What is the
expression and what does it come to mean?

31
DUST
& RUST
MUCK AND MURK, TARNISHED METAL AND SLOW, INEVITABLE EROSION.

Choose an option from below, answer questions and CHANGE

SOMETHING (5) as you grow wiser, unstable or fade away.
• A TRAIT. • A response to an ARTEFACT QUESTION.
• A detail about the physical appearance of • A detail about something in your
your item. world—a name, faction, etc.

4 Gold and silver dull. Iron rusts. Colours fade to a sepulchral

grey. What would your creator say if they saw you now?
4 A colony of small creatures nest close to where you rest. You
become obsessed with their daily routines and little politics
watching generations pass. Describe them. Do you see their
downfall or are you recovered by a KEEPER?
4 Whether by frost, corrosion or something stranger a
prominent setting or rune is damaged irreparably. How does
the damage affect one of your properties?
4 The yawning silence is deafening and you struggle to keep
your mind calm and clear for such extended isolation. Can
you stay composed or does something snap?
4 A vital part deteriorates and no amount of restoration
can return you to your former utility. How does this
fundamentally change your primary purpose?
4 A sapling grows around you and, with time, becomes a
mighty, gnarled tree. How does your magic shape the tree,
reflecting your inner nature?

32