The Waters
The day wears on…
The sun is reaching its height as as we come to to a wide, slow river, green with mountain waters. Lashing together some spruce logs, we build ourselves a makeshift raft and push it out into the current.
But within twenty minutes, we hear a sound that sends our hearts sinking. It is the unmistakeable roar of rapids ahead. We are too far from the banks to divert our path; the only way out is through. Summoning ourselves, we work together to navigate the foaming waters.
The Challenge
This is a game of quick thinking called ‘Splish Splash Switch’. Pass the paddle around the circle, and keep up when the direction reverses!
Set a stopwatch. Press start.
Clockwise starting with the Reader, travellers ‘paddle’ left or right by miming a paddle in that direction and saying SPLISH or SPLASH. The next traveller in that direction must then paddle in the same direction, saying the appropriate word, either SPLISH or SPLASH.
When they are ‘padding’ left, travellers say SPLISH.
When they are ‘paddling’ right, travellers say SPLASH.
At any time, any traveller may reverse the direction of paddling by calling SWITCH. If this happens, the traveller in the reversed direction must now continue the paddle in the appropriate new direction, either SPLISH or SPLASH.
For example, the Reader begins by saying “splish!” and paddling left. It is now the turn of the traveller to the Reader’s left, who also says “splish!” However, the next traveller to their left then says “switch!” The direction of paddling reverses, forcing the traveller to the Reader’s left to once again take their turn. They call “splash!” and paddle to their right. The Reader also calls “splash”, and play continues in the right-hand direction — at least, until someone else calls “switch”.
If a traveller hesitates for more than one second, says the wrong thing, or paddles the wrong way, they are eliminated.
The game ends when only two travellers remain in the game.
Stop the stopwatch immediately.
HELP FROM AN ITEM
If any traveller carries a FLASK and is eliminated, they may re-enter the game once.
Success. If only two travellers remain in the game and the stopwatch reads over one minute, the Challenge is passed.
Failure. If only two travellers remain in the game and the stopwatch reads under one minute, the Challenge is failed.
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————If the Challenge is passed, the elder of the remaining two travellers wins the Blessing of the Waters.
If the Challenge is failed, all travellers suffer the Curse of the Waters. Place the Waters’ card in a designated area reserved for Curses. If this is the party's third Curse, click here.
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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.
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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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————Clinging on for dear life, we thread the raft among the vicious waves. At last, as we near the far bank, our vessel crumbles beneath us. But we have made it far enough; clawing our way to shore, we walk on.