The Thief

As we freeze, consumed by doubt, one of us lunges forward. Snatching the treasure from the dead man’s hands, they hold it up to the light. But even as we look on, we see that the treasure has — somehow — become one of our fellow travellers’ possessions.

  • For their thief’s instinct, the first traveller to take the treasure gains the Bargain of the Thief.

    • The winning traveller must choose another traveller’s Item. They now take that Item and carry it instead.

HELP FROM AN ITEM

If the traveller who chose to take the treasure carries a KEY, they may claim the Thief’s Bargain as a Blessing instead.

  • Blessings and Bargains symbolise the support of a spirit of the Elder Wood. Both offer protection against death for the traveller who wins them.

    Blessings: When a spirit is pleased, it might grant its special protection to a particular traveller. Spirits who have bestowed a member of the party with their Blessing travel invisibly with them and will help to protect them when they reach the Heart of the Wood.

    Travellers who win a Blessing should place the Blessing behind their Character Card so that the spirit's name and number are still visible.

    Bargains: Sometimes, instead of granting its Blessing to a traveller, a spirit might instead offer a conditional protection called a Bargain. Bargains symbolise a trade between spirit and traveller; the spirit protects the traveller, but its influence affects the traveller's behaviour. The traveller must obey the Bargain rules written on the spirit's card so long as they possess the Bargain. In return, the spirit will convert its Bargain to a Blessing in the Heart of the Wood, thus helping the traveller survive.

    Travellers who win a Bargain should place the Bargain card face-up to one side of their Character Card, so that they can read the card's Bargain rules.

  • When a spirit is displeased by the party, it will lay its Curse upon them. Curses have dire consequences. The more Curses a party gathers, the more lives will be claimed in the Heart of the Wood. Furthermore, if a party incurs three Curses, the Wood's spirits will reject them and they will be forced to flee for their lives, ending the game.

    When you incur a Curse, place it in a designated area of the table so that all travellers are aware of it.

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