Sleepaway (OEF) (2019, Possum Creek Games)
Sleepaway (OEF) (2019, Possum Creek Games)
CREDITS
Editing
Joe DeSimone, Henry White, and Ruby Lavin
strangeness spread
Emily Cote
ladybugs
emma franklin
Writing Contributions
Kazumi Chin, Abe Mendes, Eric Mersmann, and Jeeyon Shim
4
DESIGN INSPIRATION
The core system of Sleepaway is based on Dream Askew &
Dream Apart by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. By
extension, it is powered by the Apocalypse World Engine, by
D. Vincent Baker and Meguey Baker.
Rituals are based on Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-
Granting Engine by Jenna Moran, and Pin Feathers/Cloud
Studies by Jeeyon Shim.
Lines and Veils were developed by Ron Edwards for the
game Sorcerer.
The heart of this game’s play is based on House of
Miracles by Kal Muste, from the Wayfinder Experience.
The value of ritual and the power of the underworld is
based on Secrets Of The Forbidden Isle by M Grant, from the
Wayfinder Experience.
The game wouldn’t be possible without endless
consultations and conversations with fellow staff, SITs, and
participants at the Wayfinder Experience, both for this game
and for all other games.
To the boisterous camper with colorful hair and a stolen
flower crown, the frail camper with a gleam of ambition in their
eyes, the hopeful camper who is definitely an alien from another
world, the cheerful camper who loves to cause problems, the
lanky camper full of new ideas, and the quiet camper with an
honest heart, thank you for your wisdom and strength in the
face of a cold world.
Also, thank you to the kindness of Alyssa, Charlie,
Chase, Jace, Jack, JJ, Jud, Kal, Kier, Lee, Maya, Reilly, Shae,
Wes, and Worsey, for embodying these characters and fighting
the Lindworm with me.
5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Credits.........................................................................................3
Author Bio...................................................................................4
Design Inspiration......................................................................5
Table of Contents........................................................................6
Part 1: How to Play......................................9
Introduction..............................................................................10
Required Materials....................................................................11
Getting Started..........................................................................12
The Conversation.......................................................................13
Playing the Game......................................................................14
Sidebar: No Complicity................................................................15
Safety Mechanics.......................................................................16
Sidebar: Using Lines, Veils, and Highlights.................................16
Your Character...........................................................................17
Setting Elements and Rituals...................................................18
Sidebar: Pronouns & Gender.......................................................18
The Lindworm............................................................................20
Part 2: Character Sheets...........................23
Creating the Summer Camp......................................................24
The Athlete.................................................................................26
The Counselor............................................................................30
The Crafter.................................................................................34
The Fresh Blood.........................................................................38
The Lifeguard.............................................................................42
The Ropeskeeper........................................................................46
The Songleader...........................................................................50
Part 3: Setting Elements............................55
The Field.....................................................................................56
The Woods.................................................................................58
The Lake.....................................................................................60
The Campers..............................................................................62
The Magic...................................................................................64
The Strangeness.........................................................................66
Character Sparks.......................................................................68
Part 4: Act Structures................................71
Channeling The Lindworm.......................................................72
Lindworm Tables.......................................................................74
The Oneshot..............................................................................78
The Surface................................................................................80
The Descent...............................................................................82
The Abyss...................................................................................84
Sidebar: After The Abyss.............................................................85
Part 5: The Strangeness............................89
Strangeness Spread....................................................................86
The Found-Again.......................................................................90
The Guide...................................................................................94
The Orchid.................................................................................98
The Murder of Crows...............................................................102
Our Lady Oubliette.................................................................104
The Slumbering Beast.............................................................106
The Underhill King..................................................................108
The Bones.................................................................................110
The Wolves...............................................................................112
Part 6: Rituals...........................................115
The Crossing Waves.................................................................116
The Daybreak Meadow............................................................117
A Moment of Identity.............................................................118
Spellcrafting............................................................................119
The Sneaking Path...................................................................120
Begging the Fates....................................................................121
Being Forgotten......................................................................122
The Roadkill Parade.................................................................123
The Underworld Duel..............................................................124
The Beast's Lullaby..................................................................125
The Pale Hunt..........................................................................126
Dead Cricket............................................................................127
part 1
how to play
INTRODUCTION
Sleepaway gives us long hazy days, chilled summer nights,
kids screaming and chasing fireflies, crackling campfires, and a
gaunt, cruel monstrosity forever hiding just out of sight, always
asking, “What do you do next?”
In Sleepaway, you play as a camp counselor at a not-
so-ordinary summer camp besieged by a Strange and ominous
cryptid. In the outside world, people grow increasingly
alienated from their own identities, trapped in a miasma of
advertising and corporate branding. Isolated from civilization,
this summer camp is a beacon of safety, a refuge for misfit kids
defined by their marginalization. As time pushes past and the
world grows older, this camp also shelters the survivors of the
Lindworm.
The Lindworm is a shapeshifter, or so the stories go;
a creature that flays the skin of humans and hides within. As
counselors of this summer camp, you’ve each been traumatized
by the Lindworm, in your own ways.
You remember little of that time.
Just that you don’t want anyone else to experience it
either, and you’ll keep this camp safe no matter what.
10 — How to Play
REQUIRED
MATERIALS
How to Play — 11
GETTING STARTED
1. Look over the required materials and gather those together,
generally around a table so you can all sit down.
2. Read the Introduction section aloud.
3. Read The Conversation aloud.
4. Read the Safety Mechanics section aloud, and discuss it
with all players.
5. Read the Playing the Game section aloud.
6. Everyone, pick up one of the Character Sheets and read
the Character introduction aloud. Choose a Character
Sheet to play for this game.
7. Read the Your Character section aloud. Then start
answering questions about your Character. Give them a
name and pronouns, with rawness and honesty.
8. Read Setting Elements and Rituals aloud. Then read
each Setting Element description aloud.
9. Each player chooses a Setting Elements Sheet to hold
and represent at the start of the game.
10. Draw a map of the Summer Camp on a sheet of blank
paper. Include both your Setting Element and any other
elements from the Summer Camp Sheet that guides your
creative process.
11. Read The Lindworm section, and follow the instructions
contained within.
12. Ask two of your Character Sheet’s questions to other
players at the table. Lead from that conversation into the
game itself.
12 — How to Play
THE CONVERSATION
Roleplaying is adopting the identity of a Character, usually one
who is different from you. Roleplaying may offer you a different
understanding of yourself and your relationship with the
world. When we gather friends and roleplay together, creating
fiction as a group, that is a roleplaying game—-like playing
make-believe.
Just like playing make-believe with friends, roleplaying
games are a conversation. The following description is from
Apocalypse World, the philosophical forebear to this game:
How to Play — 13
PLAYING THE GAME
Making a heartfelt connection in the dewy field, glimpsing
an unwelcome visitor in the woodline, stewing on unspoken
thoughts while sunlight beats us into stillness, speaking our
fears over the fire, fleeing the monster wearing a friend’s skin…
these may all be part of a game, moments of our conversation.
We add these moments by making Moves.
In this game’s conversation, you (the players) will
each take on the role of specific Characters. Whenever you
want to take action upon the world, or take your turn in the
conversation, you make a Move—sometimes through your
Character, sometimes in different ways. Moves push the story
forward, and allow us to act upon the world. The most common
Move you’ll ever make is “Take action, leaving yourself
vulnerable,” and “Invite the Lindworm to act upon the group.”
When in doubt, make a Move.
When you make your Move, name the Move you’re
making, follow what it says, and add that to the fiction. Use
other words to expand it.
Maybe your Move is the Campers’ “Introduce drama
and contention”; after you name it, mention how there’s a
crowd around the nurse’s office, and Merry is crying. Everyone
says that Merry’s crying because Amber (the staff’s favorite
Camper) attacked them with a knife. No Camper describes it
exactly the same. Each story is more gut-wrenching than the
last.
You can find Moves on your Character Sheet, on a
Setting Element sheet, or in a Ritual. You might find them
elsewhere too.
Some Moves are questions, written in italics and
preceded by “Ask:”. These are asked between players about
their Characters, and aren’t necessarily asked In-Character.
You know when you’re talking to someone and suddenly realize
something important that they’re feeling that they’re not
14 — How to Play
telling you? That’s what it is to ask
one of these questions.
There are three kinds of Moves:
no complicity
Strong, Regular, and Weak. Strong The power imbalance
Moves put your Character or other between staff and
Characters in a better position going campers at camp is
forward. Weak Moves leave you inherent to differences
worse off or in a more painful place. in age, experience,
Regular Moves offer mixed results. and capacity to
impart knowledge.
You can’t make Strong Moves all
This should be
the time because you must spend a consensual instead of
Token to make a Strong Move. You strictly hierarchical.
start game with zero Tokens. Your Characters are
To get Tokens, you must make good and devoted
Weak Moves or engage with other counselors; you may
fail or make mistakes,
Characters’ narratives by fulfilling
but you will not abuse
their Lure. Every Character Sheet or manipulate your
has a different Lure. You’ll each read campers.
your Character’s Lure aloud once The history of
you’ve made your Characters. summer camps in
the United States
is fraught with
colonialism and
institutional racism.
It’s vitally important
to act with awareness
if you’re not a member
of one of the impacted
communities. There
is no reason to name
your camp or any
aspect of it after a
bastardization of
an indiginous word.
It’s not respectful or
appropriate, and has
no place in this game.
How to Play — 15
SAFETY
MECHANICS
This is a horror game. It contains
body horror and explicit violence,
including against animals and
children. Sleepaway does its
absolute best to hold compassion for
any pain that might be brought into
the play space, and your conversation
ought to as well. Many tools exist to
help you do so. One such tool is called
Lines, Veils, and Highlights.
But that is just one possible set of
Using Lines,
safety mechanics. If there’s another
Veils, and
Highlights that works for your conversation,
When you start use that instead (or as well). At the
playing, your group end of the day, the purpose of all
collectively defines these mechanics is to ensure that
the areas and subjects everyone is given the tools to act
you are not interested compassionately and support one
in exploring (Lines),
another’s experiences. In the same
the areas you’re fine
with in game but don’t way you’d ask your friends before
want to contemplate talking about something potentially
too deeply (Veils) and upsetting, grant everyone the same
areas of horror you courtesy in this conversation.
actively want explored Some Lines are built into the
in game (Highlights).
game. Sleepaway refuses to be
No player owes an
explanation for any complicit in modeling toxic power
of these; however, it dynamics between campers and
is vitally important staff or exploitative racism against
that everyone is on indiginuous people through the use
the same page when of racist summer camp names and
defining Highlights. slogans.
16 — How to Play
YOUR CHARACTER
To play your Character, follow the tips
in your playbook. Think about their
behavior, and trust your instincts.
When you’re not sure what they’d do,
remember to keep them both fallible
and relatable. Let them mess up big I still remember the
time, failing their friends in a time summer the cicadas
of need or blurting out desperate were everywhere. I
painful secrets to all the wrong think I fell in love with
being alive that year.
people. But always remember that
they have a good reason for messing
up.
To make your Character, answer
all the questions on your Character
Sheet, including eyes, body, gender,
and anything about your history and
present. Then decide on a specific
name and set of pronouns. Remember
that these don’t need to be the name
or pronouns that your Character has
always used, or even those that they
use in spaces besides camp. These are
the name and pronouns that make
sense for now. Share them.
Read your Lure aloud. Make sure
everyone knows it.
How to Play — 17
pronouns &
gender SETTING
Your Character might ELEMENTS AND
be a man, sure, but
is he more Rusted RITUALS
Blade or Campfire?
Sleepaway, like the The world isn’t just our Characters.
summer camps it’s It’s also the misty lake with its
based on, doesn’t care splintered dock, the cool woods and
whether you’re cis, the whine of mosquitos, the sunny
trans, or something field. It’s all the campers, those
more tangled. Gender loveable weirdos. It’s the traditions
here is more abstract we’ve kept and those we’ve lost, and
and raw. Sleepaway
even the Strange Magics at the edge
cares how your gender
of all things.
shapes you, and what
pronouns you use at
Whenever it feels right, pick up
camp. To that end, one of the Setting Elements and
on the next page are have it support the game. While
a list of pronouns holding it, you control that aspect of
your Character might the world. Sometimes that Setting
use, borrowed from Element will be literal, sometimes
actual campers and it won’t. For example, you might be
staff the author has holding the Lake during a scene when
encountered. You no one’s near the Lake. That’s okay.
may invoke additional Setting Elements are also metaphors
pronouns if you’re for other feelings and moments
familiar with others. within the game. It’s possible to
drown without any Lake nearby—or
even any water—both in life and in
Sleepaway.
Setting Elements let you make
Moves beyond those available onyour
Character Sheet. These Moves add to
the conversation just like any other
Move. Setting Elements never have
to worry about Tokens.
18 — How to Play
Sometimes Setting Elements pronouns &
create Characters. These Characters gender (cont.)
• He/Him/His
should always have motivations and
• She/Her/Hers
desires that tie into that Setting • They/Them/Theirs
Element and its desires. • Ey/Em/Eir
A Ritual may be started • Xe/Xim/Xirs
whenever you choose. Some Moves • Je/Jem/Jeirs
or situations call for one. Rituals • Fae/Faer/Faers
pause the normal structure of the • Star/Star/Stars
• (any combination of
conversation and briefly replace it
the above)
with a new structure. The Ritual may • (any combination of
represent a game of Truth or Dare, the above), alternating
a romp through a meadow, a quiet • (any combination of
moment among friends, sneaking the above), based on
down a path, or crafting a powerful my presentation
• (any of the above), I
spell. When a Ritual is happening,
guess
only communicate using the Moves • (any of the above),
printed on the Ritual itself. End the for this week only
Ritual as it instructs you to do so. • (any of the above), or
they/them/theirs, but
only if you understand
my gender
• (any of the above),
but only technically
• Just my name
• Any and all
• Whatever feels right
to you
• Any that aren’t
intended as insults
• Use the pronouns
you use for yourself,
for me
• I’m not sure yet
How to Play — 19
THE LINDWORM
The Lindworm is the monstrosity that haunts our summer
camp. It is the bane of our existence, and will destroy everything
we’ve built if we’re not careful. It is the trauma of history, the
collective pain of a cruel society, and the violence inflicted upon
the marginalized and the vulnerable.
It is generally around 10 feet tall, with arms like tree
branches, papery flesh, and a mouth full of too many teeth. It
is a shapeshifter, and will steal people’s skin after flaying them
alive.
At the beginning of each session, someone in the group
must ask the space you’re in if the Lindworm is there, and if it
would like to play. Give it around thirty seconds to reply.
If it isn’t there, a player is secretly chosen to act for the
Lindworm for the session. Do this silently:
20 — How to Play
based on the Lindworm Card Action
tables on pages 74-77. For example,
if the Lindworm’s card is the Three
of Diamonds (cues: biting at skin /
anxiety / long scrape marks on a tree)
and the card sits on a specific player’s
Character Sheet, then it is clear that
the Lindworm’s action centers on
that player Character. Players should
interpret the Lindworm’s play as
brutally as possible, building from
some or all of the card’s cues.
Sometimes cards will appear
in specific places on the map, or
engage with the space in other
ways. Sometimes the actions of the
Lindworm can be explained as the
actions of the Strangeness. That’s
okay. Life rarely ties together neatly.
If a player uses a Strong Move,
they may soften the Lindworm’s
action. This doesn’t remove the
consequences, but allows you to
redirect them. If the Lindworm’s
action would kill someone and that
action is mitigated, someone must
still die.
Oh, one final thing:
Never roleplay as the Lindworm.
No matter what.
We once found a
deer jaw in a quarry,
covered in moss and
telling a story too grim
to listen to. I should be
more careful.
How to Play — 21
part 2
character
sheets
CREATING THE SUMMER CAMP
Follow these steps to create your Summer Camp. Make a map
on a piece of paper. Scrawl notes as you need.
Draw These:
O The Field At The Center Of Camp
O The Lake
O The Fire Pit
O The Oldest Tree In The Woods
O The Bunks
As A Group, Choose 2:
O Camp Cat
O Courageous Leaders
O Culture Of Honesty
O Economic Prosperity
O Minimal Camper Drama
O Long Administrative Memory
O Protected Property
O Easy Access To Public Transportation
O Understanding Parents
24 — character sheets
Each Player Details 1:
O Where the fire pit used to be.
O Where the frogs used to sing.
O Where the faerie houses used to
be built.
O Where the path used to go.
O Where you used to sneak away to
watch the sunrise.
O Where you realized you weren’t
straight.
O Where the oldest cabins are.
O Where the witch was spotted.
O Where kids kissed when you were
young.
O Where you confessed your
childhood crush.
O Where the great battles of youth
took place.
character sheets — 25
THE ATHLETE
“Always choose win!” yells the Athlete, both on the field and
in life. The Athlete is cold skill, emotion transformed into a
furthering of the desire to do even better in the world. Never
assume the Athlete doesn't care, even if they never show it.
Feelings come secondary to victory over the Lindworm, to
keeping everyone else safe, to giving everyone else the space to
process. Feelings are later. Win is now.
The Athlete is a storming individual. Their power is in
restrained fury, tragic heroism, and their physical ability.
26 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Sturdy Name
O A Dependable Name
O A Name That Hides Who You Are
O A Name That Can Be Used Like A Battering Ram
O Coiled Body
O Massive Body
O Tank Of A Body
O Blade Of A Body
character sheets — 27
choose your contraband weapon:
O Baseball Bat
O Broadsword
O X-ACTO Knife
O Explosives
O Axe with Barbed Wire
O Chainsaw
O Butterfly Knife
O Brass Knuckles
O Spiked Chain
describe it with 2:
O It (or something like it) was given by a mentor.
O Used to defend yourself from your fear.
O Proof of your heroism.
O Tied to self-destructive tendencies.
O Something everyone knows you by.
O Has your name carved into it.
O Has been used to protect others a thousand times.
tips:
• You’re not mindless, but that doesn’t mean you need to
think.
• Hold back your feelings until you can’t.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
28 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone respects you and your autonomy, they get
a Token.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Lash out at someone and injure them.
• Intimidate someone with a sudden display of emotional
intensity.
• Exert yourself past your limit.
character sheets — 29
THE COUNSELOR
Most people who work here are here for the friendships. But
not the Counselor. They’re just here to help the kids. Nothing
more and nothing less, and they’ll die before they let a single
kid get hurt. The world is harsh and cruel, and the Lindworm
has traumatized too many. The Counselor will do anything to
keep their kids safe.
The Counselor is a passionate individual. Their power is
in their heartfelt speeches, charming air, and the people they
surround themself with.
30 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Cheerful Name
O A Round Name
O A Name Made Up of a Single Letter
O A Name Good For a Small Bird
O Large Body
O Thick Body
O Curvy Body
O The Body Of Someone Who Wants To Love Being Alive
character sheets — 31
choose your favorite activity:
O Sitting around the campfire.
O Fishing for bass.
O Camp theatrical performances.
O Hiking up the old mountain.
O Digging up worms in the mud.
O Sand castles by the lake.
O Building fairy houses.
tips:
• Force yourself and your Character to make impossible
choices.
• Be openly authentic with your Character’s feelings.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
32 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone engages with a Camper as a fully realized
Character, they get a Token.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Ask a Camper to do something you can’t, leaving them
vulnerable.
• Look to the Campers for guidance.
character sheets — 33
THE CRAFTER
There is Magic in the world, the Magic of the secret places that
want to grow and thrive. All things are connected by this Magic.
Even the Lindworm, as horrific as it is, must be connected to
this order somehow. The Crafter is responsible for teaching arts
and crafts to campers, but is more importantly responsible for
cultivating their sense of Magic and connection to the arcane.
Crafters listen to the call of the universe, and respond with
their own creative expression.
The Crafter is a quirky individual. Their power is in the
subtle Magic of the world, information from the greater world,
and skill at creating new art.
34 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Unique Name
O A Tongue-Twister Name
O A Word That Is Normally Not a Name
O A Name Chosen to Confuse
O Round Body
O Body Built for Listening
O Lanky Body
O Uncertain Body
character sheets — 35
choose your craft:
O Augury
O Runemagic
O Hexes and Blessings
O Staring at Fire
O Embodied Spellcraft
O Dream Journeys
O Promises
O Protective Wards
tips:
• Act like you know more about what’s going on than you do.
• Remember that the Magic is subtle, not loud, and most
believe it doesn’t exist.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
36 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone questions your eccentric worldview, they
get a Token.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Listen to the Magic and follow what it says.
• Give a friend an honest compliment.
• Teach someone a small charm for good luck.
character sheets — 37
THE FRESH BLOOD
The Fresh Blood isn’t really fresh. They’ve gone to this camp
for longer than some of the administrators have worked here.
They’re fresh, however, in the sense that they only stopped
being a counselor-in-training (CIT) this year. For the first
time, they have to navigate their world anew. It is now full of
Strangeness, and they are surrounded by idols from their youth
who have turned out to be not gods, but instead just regular
people with regular lives and regular desires. The Lindworm has
always been a campfire story, but watching their once-mentors
and newfound friends prepare for it feels impossible.
The Fresh Blood is a naive individual. Their power is in
youthful energy, genuine love untouched by age, and a heartfelt
peer relationship with many of the campers.
38 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Common Name
O A Quiet Name
O A Name That Blends In Easily
O A Name Chosen to Not Raise Eyebrows
O Spry Body
O Lanky Body
O Chubby Body
O Body That's Still Figuring Itself Out
character sheets — 39
choose your natural talent:
O Superb fairy houses.
O Winning at Four Square.
O Sick flips on the rope swing.
O Well-timed puns.
O Expert set design.
O Creative T-shirts.
tips:
• Gleefully get in over your head.
• Ensure the campers have a role in the story besides objects
to be protected.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
40 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone acknowledges what they can learn from
you, they get a Token.
Ask: “Why doesn’t your Character just talk to them about it?”
Ask: “What can my Character do that will help?”
Ask: “What changed for your Character?”
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Get up to some mischief.
• Find something old and forgotten by the other players.
• Spot something everyone else overlooked.
character sheets — 41
THE LIFEGUARD
Some people might become lifeguards to avoid having to do the
hard work at camp. This Lifeguard is not one of those people. It
takes a special kind of strength to be willing to drop everything
and jump into the waves to save a kid you’ve never met before.
The Lifeguard is here to protect their friends and the camp,
weathering everything the universe could throw at them with
the same dogged smile.
The Lifeguard is an unbreaking individual. Their power
is in mutual aid, physical defense, and self-sacrifice.
42 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Short Name
O A Name That's Easy to Yell
O A Sharp Name
O An Honest Name
O Coiled Body
O Lithe Body
O Proud Body
O Stocky Body
O Built Like a Wall
character sheets — 43
choose an outside relationship:
O A little brother who misses you.
O A best friend who used to work here.
O A support game.
O An old house you think of as home.
O A family.
tips:
• Make strong choices to not help people when you should,
or vice versa.
• Keep coming back around, even if you should leave.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
44 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone asks for your help to stay afloat, they gain
a Token.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Shoulder a burden.
• Share genuine emotions with another.
• Provide useful advice.
• Tend to someone’s wounds.
character sheets — 45
THE ROPESKEEPER
The Ropeskeeper tends to the ropes course, the structure at the
heart of the Woods. They are an enigmatic staff member, one
who prefers the company of the wooden beams and tall trees to
the presence of other staff or, heavens forbid, actual campers.
Still, the Ropeskeeper is a vital part of the camp ecosystem
and helps hold the entire community together with their stoic
hermeticism.
The Ropeskeeper is a distant individual. Their power is
in quick movement, sudden shows of cold kindness, and the
forest itself.
46 — character sheets
choose your name:
O An Old Name
O A Name Said Thoughtfully
O A Carefully-Chosen Name
O A Name With Power Behind It
O Wideset Body
O Tense Body
O Wiry Body
O Nimble Body
O Scarred Body
character sheets — 47
choose the woods' impact:
O Overwhelms with natural beauty.
O Reveals spoken lies with birdsong.
O Honors pain with shared simile.
O Tells the truth with venerable silence.
O Keeps promises with sunlight.
tips:
• Interact with your Woods like you would with your own
internal thoughts.
• Don’t leave your Woods behind. But don’t get trapped in
your Woods, either.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
48 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone runs to your Woods to escape a problem,
they get a Token.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Lash out at someone by using the Woods as a weapon.
• Ask the Woods for advice.
• Communicate with silence better than words can.
character sheets — 49
THE SONGLEADER
by abe mendes
50 — character sheets
choose your name:
O A Name With a Pleasing Sound
O A Name Used Only Here
O A Name That's Fun to Chant
O A Full Name Never to be Abbreviated
O Delicate Body
O Fluid Body
O Stable Body
O Slow-Moving Body
O Body Built for Strong Hugs
character sheets — 51
choose your singing voice:
O Strong and grounded–like an anchor.
O Warm and welcoming–like an embrace.
O Playful and meandering–like a chase through tall grass.
O Intimate and honest–like a promise to a friend.
O Haunting and full–like the moon reflected in the Lake.
choose 2 songs:
O Group song no outside force could ever interrupt.
O Story song campers always listen to in quiet, rapt focus.
O Hiking song that always gives the tired and weak a boost of
energy.
O Traditional song that provides insight into the camp’s
history.
O Cyclical song that always brings the camp dog running.
tips:
• Describe your songs in terms of the imagery they evoke.
• Let your voice carry. But find places to lift up other voices,
too. Especially those of less developed Characters.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
52 — character sheets
lure:
Every time someone answers your voice with their own, echoing
your words, sentiment, or tone exactly, they get a Token.
Ask: “What does your Character most want to hear from mine right
now?"
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Illustrate the power of a song.
• Call out and wait for a response.
• Step out of the light and pass the melody to someone else.
• Hang your head over; hear the wind blow.
Ask: “How has camp lost its Magic for your Character?”
character sheets — 53
part 3
setting
elements
THE FIELD
The Field is young, bright, and full of life and victorious play.
It is here where young warriors play under the hot sun and
where happy-go-lucky teens fool around within the shade. It is
a place for doing, not for talking, and its heart is the rhythm of
movement and innocent joy.
The Field is a place overflowing with energy. It desires
decisive action, movement, fun, happiness, peace, fast travel,
and community coming-together.
The Field can be many fields in the Summer Camp, but
it is always the Field.
tips:
• Create invitations to play—with animals, with each other,
with the land.
• Reward action in whatever form it takes.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
56 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• A scene is set in the Field.
• Someone is frantic or hurried.
• The mist clings to the grass in the morning and it feels right.
moves:
• Provide insight and fresh eyes on another Setting Element.
• Invite a moment of healthy communication.
• Resolve tensions through play.
• Cause injury without meaning to.
• Create an Item that will help.
• Create a Staff Minor Character.
• Provide another Setting Element’s desire.
setting elements — 57
THE WOODS
The Woods are an old place, far older than the camp, and filled
with the aching pain only acquired from generations of trauma.
The Woods are dedicated to revealing, opening, and inspiring,
but are also apathetic and filled with the weight of its own
memories. If you treat the Woods with respect, it might respect
you. Live within the Woods, and you’ll become one of its own.
The Woods are a mournful place. It desires to be left
alone, to bring together, to heal, to talk, to reveal, and to live
independent of cruelty and misunderstanding.
If there is a Ropeskeeper, use their answers for
information here. They should start with the Woods. Otherwise,
answer those sections and write them down yourself.
tips:
• Act quietly, through framing scenes and asking questions.
• Explore the majesty of something that has an emotional
life independent from a human idea of feelings.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
58 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• A scene is set in the Woods.
• Something from the Woods emerges into the camp.
• The air is thick and misty and it feels right.
moves:
• Perform your Impact (as written by the Ropeskeeper if
present).
• Lead people together, even if they don’t want to see each
other.
• Create a Staff Minor Character.
• Reveal a new secret that must be grappled with.
• Express the Woods’ pain.
setting elements — 59
THE LAKE
The Lake is where secrets go to die. When it is present in the
story, it seems to cover up and distort truth by swallowing
it under the waves. Although the Lake is not an agent of the
Lindworm it can often work in the Lindworm’s favor, hiding its
influence and putting others in danger.
The Lake is a hungry place. It desires to conceal, to feed
on secrets, to smother, to kill, to grow beyond its banks, to
seduce, to lure, and to keep the truth hidden beneath its waves.
Anyone can start with the Lake except for the Lifeguard.
The Lifeguard never ends up with the Lake unless it makes
perfect sense.
tips:
• Create good reasons for someone to either literally or
metaphorically enter the Lake.
• Be filled with the alien, beyond what is expected.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
60 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• A scene is set by or in the Lake.
• The Lake has wisdom (or false wisdom) it must offer the
camp.
• The air is murky, misty, and it feels right.
moves:
• Work to keep a secret from being revealed.
• Push people apart, through coincidence or geography.
• Fabricate a falsehood.
• Create a Staff Minor Character.
• Feed the waves.
setting elements — 61
THE CAMPERS
The Campers are a diverse body of fools, fiends, and toadies,
who love nothing more than to get up to terrible mischief and
vex your existence. And you love every single one of them, oh
so much. The Campers are young and full of confusion, but are
also always capable of more than you’d expect. The Campers are
capable of helping you and each other, but can never understand
the stakes of the Lindworm.
The Campers are a group of kind souls. They desire
freedom, autonomy, space to make mistakes, parental guidance,
wisdom from elders, fun, jokes, and drama.
The Counselor never begins with the Campers, and should
avoid picking them up.
tips:
• Create lovable Campers, who even at their worst are
relatable, and reveal their anxieties and and capacities.
• Be helpful when expected to be useless, but fail when it is
reasonable to fail.
• Play, fight, bicker, run around, have feelings, and be honest.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
62 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• The Campers speak up as a group.
• A Camper should have their voice heard.
• The air is warm and it feels right.
moves:
• Show someone starting something new.
• Remind everyone what they’re fighting for.
• Reveal vulnerability through reflection.
• Create a Camper Character.
• Introduce drama and contention.
setting elements — 63
THE MAGIC
The Magic is a force, something that pervades all of existence
and inhabits the secret parts of the world where humans
haven’t been. To guide the Magic is a process known as Crafting,
something that can only be done carefully and precisely.
The Magic is only as violent as its users, but it can also be a
capricious and odd force. No one knows if the Magic is real, but
it feels like it is in its quiet and subtle ways.
The Magic is a tricky force. It desires stories, adventures,
heroes, villains, art, beauty, joy, and above all, improbable
coincidences.
The Crafter begins with the Magic, but should put it
down quickly.
tips:
• Push for odd coincidences and unexpected events that slam
disconnected plot elements together.
• Never discover whether or not Magic is real.
• You help weave the story into something cohesive. Utilize
that.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
64 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• The story needs a little tying together.
• There’s some electricity in the air and it feels right.
moves:
• Act through something unaware.
• Provide unexpected tools.
• Create a Villain Minor Character.
• Create a Savior Minor Character.
• Provide a moment of impossibility when needed most.
setting elements — 65
THE STRANGENESS
The Strangeness are the old creatures of the world who arrived
to this barren Earth long before we did, and carry with them
the rats and pests and squirming pieces of faraway lands. They
have blood on their hands but they do not allow it to phase
them, preferring instead to dwell on what could’ve been. The
Strangeness knows about things they shouldn’t, and have many
secrets and truths to offer—if you’ll listen. Sometimes, the
Strangeness is just a possum that keeps walking after getting
hit by a car. Sometimes it is an entire commune beneath the
hills, with their own laws and a god made of broken concrete.
They are not the Lindworm, but perhaps they can help.
Read the Act instructions for whether or not the
Strangeness should be in play, or if there’s something more
explicit (such as a Strange Setting Element, found later in this
book).
tips:
• Be subtle at first, so subtle that people don’t realize you’re
playing as the Strangeness.
• Imply something larger that no one can understand.
• Imagine something more bizarre than you started with.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give..
66 — setting elements
Pick up when:
• The world is alien and uncomfortable and it feels right.
moves:
• Foreshadow Strangeness.
• Decide something about the world.
• Offer an unexpectedly useful Item, without your presence
being known.
• Hint at a secret that changes everything.
• Quietly push people in weird directions.
• Cause injury under mysterious circumstances.
• Create a Minor Character with ominous intentions.
setting elements — 67
CHARACTER SPARKS
by Kazumi Chin
Using Sparks
68 — setting elements
Hearts Diamonds Clubs Spades
Loving Helpful Observant Gloomy
2 Give someone Offer more Notice strange Complain that
my heart. than I can give. things. you're bored.
Popular Divisive Secretive Cursed
3 Be liked by Lead a critical Tell someone my Be followed by
most everyone. faction. plans. bad luck.
Peaceful Organized Joyful Introverted
4 Find meditative Refuse a change Love more than Spend time
space. of plan. most. alone.
Depressed Vulnerable Destructive Simmering
5 Stay in bed all Reveal the pain Blow something Attempt to
day. I feel. up. harm someone.
Dreamy Mystical Humorous Questioning
6 Get lost in Lead others Be the center of Be unsure
thought. in Ritual. attention. about it.
Alluring Political Alien Selfish
7 Lead others Raise Misunderstand Break someone's
astray. consciousness. humans. trust.
Lonely Independent Frantic Tormented
8 Hang out all by Do everything Be unable to Become easily
myself. myself. communicate. frustrated.
Excited Driven Mocking Cold
9 Fixate on a Take advantage Viciously bully Refuse to engage
single desire. of others. someone. in activities.
Fiery Lucky Wrathful Morbid
10 Light something Gain something Hold a deep Talk about death
on fire. special. grudge. and dying.
Heroic Assertive Dramatic Rebellious
J Charge towards Hate something Tell exaggerated Challenge power
danger. loved. tales. structures.
Protective Kind Judgmental Forthcoming
Q Smother others Sacrifice to keep Gossip and Say what
with love. others happy. spread rumors. others won't.
Vengeful Confrontational Decisive Inspirational
K Harm those Start Make a strong Urge others
who harmed. a fight. decision. to action.
Energetic Adventurous Artistic Creative
A Exceed Get into Create some- Invent some-
containment. some trouble. thing heartfelt. thing useful.
setting elements — 69
part 4
act
structures
CHANNELING THE LINDWORM
It is the monster that makes the world bleed, with arms like
tree branches and far too many teeth. There is always someone
to profit from the suffering of children. The Lindworm is a
shapeshifter, a skin-crawler, something that can steal the skin
of a human, flaying them alive, and live inside of it. It doesn’t
need to, of course.
There’s just something so fun about the way naked
tendons dance before falling still.
You do not roleplay as the Lindworm. No one roleplays
as the Lindworm. Instead, you decide the Lindworm’s actions
from its deck, channeling the Lindworm’s ghost hovering over
the table.
When it’s time for you to decide the Lindworm’s
actions, everyone closes their eyes. Wait a moment and then
open yours. Choose one of the top 3 cards from the deck, and
place it in a way that makes the Lindworm’s meaning as clear as
you can—in front of a specific person or sitting atop the deck
to indicate its general atmosphere.
Afterwards, knock on the table and then close your eyes
as well.
72 — act structures
tips:
• The Lindworm enjoys playing
with its food.
• The Lindworm avoids Hearts
cards unless it has no choice.
• The Lindworm prefers choosing
cards with the symbol of the
current Act on it.
• The Lindworm has no goals or
desires beyond making people
hurt. This is just a game to it.
• The Lindworm first kills animals.
Then adults. Then children. Then,
finally, the Characters. Always in
that order.
• Ask nothing. Allow the cards to
speak and destroy.
• The Lindworm is infallible and
unrelatable.
CARD TABLES
For the list of the Lindworm’s
Actions, please refer to the tables
on the following pages. Each one
provides multiple interpretations, so
that your group can work together to
create meaning in whatever manner
Nighttime is its
best suits the story you’re telling.
own world during
the summer, full of
mysterious song and
deep shadows. It feels
like you could just
start walking, and
never stop.
act structures — 73
Hearts
74 — act structures
Diamonds
Fog, Obscuring,
Q People missing within the heavy mists.
act structures — 75
Clubs
Mistakes, Manipulation,
8 Campers have started playing with animal bones. Who?
76 — act structures
Spades
Their body is my plaything: Destroy a Minor Character
2 card who isn’t a Camper. That Character’s body is now the
Lindworm’s form. (Do not roleplay as the Lindworm.)
You run in circles like mice in a cage: Divide the map in two.
3 It requires a Strong Move to cross the division.
My children hunt:
Q Add the Wolves Setting Element.
act structures — 77
THE ONESHOT
objectives:
• Introduce the Characters, the setting, and those
relationships with one another.
• Keep asking questions.
• Make aggressively strong choices.
• Help each other fall in love with the Characters.
• Invoke the Strangeness.
• Put your Characters in bad situations.
• Leave questions unanswered.
78 — act structures
Oneshot Scene Prompts
• A hike in the Woods during sunset—what do you need to
confess?
• Swimming in the Lake after the kids have gone to bed—
what haven’t you told each other?
• Helping to resolve an argument between two Campers—
what’s wrong in the air?
• A meal, at which the Magic is felt—how does it make its
presence known?
• One Staff takes another to fix up an injury—how does the
conversation become emotional?
• The Strangeness manifested during a game of four square—
what form does it take?
• You’re making the rounds after check-in, because two
Campers are missing, when you hear giggling in the
Woods—what form of Strangeness have your Campers
become entangled in?
• A body has been found in the Lake—when was the last time
the camp director had been seen?
act structures — 79
THE SURFACE
A Sleepaway campaign can be one of the most
rewarding ways to play the game. The shortest
possible campaign you can play with Sleepaway
is three sessions—one for each act; the Surface,
the Descent, and the Abyss. The Surface is where
the story begins for Campaign play. It is when
tensions begin to rise, the world just starts to
creep you out, and the Strangeness is alluded to.
Objectives
• Introduce the Characters, the setting, and those
relationships with one another.
• Set the stage for the interpersonal conflicts that will shape
the story.
• Help each other fall in love with the Characters.
• Keep the story feral and wild.
• Foreshadow the Strangeness.
• Become the architects of your game.
80 — act structures
Connect these four types of cards together freely, based on
physical or spiritual proximity. Whenever the Lindworm makes
a play, attach that card to the Corkboard and interweave it with
the other cards. The end result is ideally a psycho-emotional
reflection of the interconnected relationship between the
players, the game, and the conversation as a whole, which
means there’s no way to do it wrong.
act structures — 81
THE DESCENT
Objectives
• Allow emotional relationships and dynamics to explode in
your faces.
• Let Minor Characters die, and mourn their deaths in turn.
• Terrify your friends, shaking them to their core, and be
terrified in turn.
• Ask questions about the setting, and begin to answer them
together.
• Don't save anything for later.
• Take pauses with flashbacks.
• Engage with the Strangeness.
82 — act structures
If Your Character Dies
The Descent can last for a very long
time. During the span of play, it will
inevitably happen that Characters
will die. You can always choose for
your Character die, but sometimes
your Character will die without your
comfort or expectation. When your
Character dies, you have two main
options:
1. Choose one of the Late-Game
Character Sheets, such as the
Found-Again, the Guide, or
the Orchid, and create a new
Character.
2. Have no new Character at all, and
take a more authoritative role
with a Setting Element or two.
If you have access to them, Strange
Character Sheets such as the Moth
Maiden or the Cataract Squire
can also be utilized, bringing your
character back to life.
act structures — 83
THE ABYSS
Objectives
• Resolve your interpersonal conflicts, genuinely.
• Don’t forget that your Characters are wholly realized
people, not just Lindworm fighters.
• Trim away the excess, leaving only the core of your story.
• Discover the themes that make your game tick.
• Do not fear death.
• Do not roleplay as the Lindworm.
• Be the architects of your own game.
scene setting
Start each scene with one Location or Motif notecard. Once
you have a scene tied to that theme, remove it from the board,
ripping apart any string tying it to anything else. Then flee to
the next card along one of the strings as it falls away. Any Items
or Characters you can pick up will be invaluable. If there is a
Spades card there, that means the Lindworm will act again with
that action. Get to as many scenes as you can, gathering allies
and having conversations. Rescue any setting details you can.
Cope with any new ones.
If a set of scenes becomes isolated from the rest, those
scenes wither and die.
Once you’re trapped in a corner and you can’t jump to
any other scenes, you must fight the Lindworm.
84 — act structures
Ending The game
When you end the game, everyone
alive has the final staredown against
the Lindworm. Turn out all the
lights, leaving just enough to see by.
Set the mood correctly.
Place all of the cards played by
the Lindworm in the center of the
table, and remove all unplayed cards. after the abyss
Then take all the items and visited Sometimes you want
scenes and put them in the center of to keep going after ev-
the table in a separate pile. Do not erything’s gone to Hell
place any Camper Characters in this and back. That’s good!
pile. Although my personal
playstyle and philoso-
Going around the table, each
phy encourages me to
player should take one of their cards use that as a chance to
and destroy it. Declare how some take a break from the
aspect of it helps them live and keep setting of Sleepaway
moving forward. and explore other sto-
The other players, in reaction, ries (or even play a
should fold in half or otherwise new session of Sleep-
away, with new Char-
mark one of the Lindworm’s cards acters and new ap-
and explain why that strength is a proaches to the game),
weakness. I also understand the
If you run out of index cards desire to keep going
before the Lindworm has run out forward. If you think
of playing cards, start using your there’s more story to
tell, you’re welcome
Character Sheets or anything else
to go back to the De-
that can be your strength against the scent and play in that
pain. Remember to never roleplay space. Remove Moves
the Lindworm. that reference the
The Lindworm wins if you Lindworm and instead
must resort to destroying Camper focus more heavily on
Characters in order to survive. the variety of Strange-
ness in the game.
All the players win otherwise.
After that is up to you.
act structures — 85
part 5
the
strangeness
strangeness character
THE FOUND–AGAIN
The Found-Again was once a staff member at the camp, long
ago, before the Lindworm arrived. With its arrival, for one
reason or another, this poor unfortunate staff had no choice
but to flee, and hide deep within the secret places of the world.
Now they’ve returned, nervous and unprepared for a world
that has rapidly changed without them.
The Found-Again is a lost individual. Their power is
in nostalgia, a fresh perspective, and a connection with the
Strangeness.
The Found-Again can only be played if your previous
Character has died.
90 — the strangeness
choose your name:
O A Name Previously Invoked in The Conversation
O A Slightly Old-Fashioned Name
O A Familiar Name
O A Simple Name
O Unkempt Body
O Injured Body
O Body Touched by Magic
O Body With Nowhere Else to Go
the strangeness — 91
choose where you've been:
O Beneath the mountain, in a cruel king’s court.
O Beneath the waters of the Lake, trapped.
O Beneath the frozen dirt, tended to by a kingdom of ice.
O Beneath the world, with a massive Slumbering Beast.
O Beneath the skies, wandering free and friendless.
tips:
• Give the group what it’s missing, but also leave empty the
space left by your previous Character.
• Underline how different things are now.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
92 — the strangeness
lure:
Every time someone else starts a flashback scene, they get a
Token.
Ask: “How did our Characters make it through this last time?”
Ask: “What will your Character do if you survive all this?”
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Lash out, using your words as a weapon.
• Find something that had been lost.
• Remind someone of a fact of the camp that people forgot.
the strangeness — 93
strangeness character
THE GUIDE
by abe mendes
94 — the strangeness
choose your name:
O An Aspirational Name
O A Referential Name
O An Inherited Name
O A Name Chosen Only Recently
O Brisk Step
O Leisurely Step
O Springy Step
O Uneven Step
the strangeness — 95
choose what of yourself you saw in the
lost wolf:
O Ever-Present Alertness (What are you watching for?)
O Insatiable Hunger (What need drives you?)
O Fierce Loyalty (What might you overlook in those you trust?)
O Reckless Courage (Why so incautious?)
ask 2 to 2 players:
• How do you remind me of my past self?
• In what way have you rejected my guidance?
• When I was lost, how did you help me find my way?
tips:
• Speak of the future often, drawing connections between it
and the past and present.
• Act like it’s no big deal that you set off on a trip with some
kids and came back with an actual wolf as well.
96 — the strangeness
lure:
Every time someone offers the Lost Wolf a little more trust
than they had previously, they get a Token.
Ask: “If you knew luck was on your side, what route would you take
forward?”
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Take a load off someone, but shoulder the weight yourself.
• Light the way home for friend and foe alike.
• Let the wind lead you to where you need to be.
the strangeness — 97
strangeness character
THE ORCHID
by kazumi chin
98 — the strangeness
choose your name:
O A Brooding Name
O A Lunar Name
O A Wandering Name
O A Name the Strangeness Gave You
O Slim Body
O Starved Body
O Tired Body
O Heavyset Body
O Hunched Body
choose 2 gifts:
O The Hunger
O Moonlight
O The Coming Storm
O Renewal in Decay
O Culling the Bones
O Uncanny Likenesses
O Haunting Mists
O Tree-Speech
O Unearthing
O The Thrush's Call
O Dark Comforts
the strangeness — 99
choose 1–2 terrors & fascinations:
O A Daring Smile O Very White Teeth
O Open-Ended Questions O Over-the-Shoulder Glances
O Intense Touches O Always Watching
O Emerging from Darkness O Melodious Laughter
O Impeccable Skincare
tips:
• Tell the other players of your past so they can incorporate
it into the story.
• Share with deserving others the power of the Strangeness.
• Make your Character fallible and relatable.
regular moves:
• Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.
• Attempt to lend a helping hand.
• Share a quiet moment with someone.
• Use your Gifts with unexpected consequences.
• Let someone see you at your most vulnerable.
Ask “Does your Character feel okay with mine being here right
now?”
tips:
• Show kindness to people who need it.
• Push too far and punish too harshly, from cruelty or
misunderstanding.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
choose 2 desires:
O Mock
O Avenge
O Deliver Auspice
O Study
O Confuse
moves:
• Carry something into the clouds.
• Answer a question with another question, in a mocking
tone.
• Lie about the past.
• Reveal something too late to prevent.
• Ironically punish the sins of another.
Also known as: Frau Faste, The Snow Queen, Who?, Dolores.
In Winter, this is all still here, but forgotten. The camp,
the Lindworm, and the Queen of Winter. She strides through
the barren wood and across the frozen water, draped in furs
ripped from mink and fox and raccoon and other creatures
who, were it summer, would be playing in verdant woods. The
chilly breeze whispers forgotten secrets, and you huddle closer
to the fire. An ice-cold mountain stream promises that you can
forget all of this if you let yourself sink a bit further. If you
acclimate to the cold. You can get used to anything. It’s not that
cold if you dive in all at once.
tips:
• Hint at secrets divulged in winters past.
• Speak lovingly about forgetting and being forgotten.
• Lavish promises onto your Favorite.
• Insist that pleasant falsehoods are correct and true, and
forget the truth.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
choose 2 desires:
O Be Forgotten
O Be Attended
O Coddle the Forgotten
O Bury the Truth in Ice
moves:
• Choose a new Favorite.
• Answer a question with an obvious lie.
• Point out the pain of remembering.
• Encase a memory in ice.
• Make a Minor Character forgotten.
• Offer an empty delight in lieu of what is demanded.
• Exacerbate an existing isolation.
tips:
• Play with subtlety, and do not awaken until it is time.
• Offer disorienting dreams and unexpected visions of other
worlds, other times, and secret truths.
• Once awoken, turn your dreams into reality.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
choose 2 desires:
O Dream
O Destroy
O Create
O Burn
O Unite
O Fly Alone
O Fly With Others
tips:
• Hold the players to institutional rules that don’t match
with expectations of traditional society.
• Embody a Strangeness version of masculinity.
• Remind others of death.
• Ask compelling questions and build on the answers others
give.
choose 2 desires:
O Return to Glory
O Fight All
O Confront the Weak
O Rip Love Away
O Conquer
O Assert Power
moves:
• Bring forth those left behind.
• Offer an impossible bargain.
• Force a sacrifice.
• Keep something beneath the mountain.
• March forth from the hills with vengeance in your heart.
• Answer a question for a price.
tips:
• Negotiate with your group a level of comfort with body
horror. Once determined, go as hard as hell with that body
horror.
• Act as a perspective for the Lindworm’s cruelty, hunger, and
fascination with bodies.
• Ask compelling questions and both build on and destroy
the answers others give.
choose 2 desires:
O Gnaw
O Crawl
O Subvert
O Reveal Fragility
O Tear Away
moves:
• Telegraph the incoming threat of death.
• Sow discontent and discomfort.
• Lash out, killing Minor Characters and breaking Items.
• Take action, causing disgust and horror.
• Place the main Characters in an impossible choice.
• Begin the Ritual for the Roadkill Parade.
tips:
• Negotiate with your group a level of comfort with eldritch
horror. Once determined, go as hard as hell.
• Express and vocalize the pain and anger the Lindworm has
caused, and wrongly apply that anger to the Characters.
• Ask compelling questions and both build on and destroy
the answers others give.
choose 2 desires:
O Howl
O Chase
O Dig In
O Torment
O Break
moves:
• Expose a secret that cuts at the heart of the camp.
• Sow discontent and malice.
• Lash out physically, killing Minor Characters and breaking
Items.
• Invite the Lindworm to act upon the players.
• Place the main Characters in an impossible choice.
• Begin the Ritual for the Pale Hunt.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe with an unexpected metaphor: Wide-
mouthed bass; Gray skies; Calm water; Light rain; Heavy rain;
Storming skies; Furious water; Flashes of lightning; The boat
itself; Dampness.
• With a single phrase and an action, storm forward against
the waves.
• Lose an Item Card to the Lake. Soak it in water.
• Lose a Character Card to the Lake. Soak it in water.
• Get a Token.
• Make a Strong Move without spending a Token.
116 — rituals
THE DAYBREAK MEADOW
The only time a camp is truly at peace is in the early morning,
when the mist clings to the grass and the air is still cold and
just starting to warm. If you were watching over campers, they
fall asleep peacefully in the grass. The tensions of the late night
dissipate, and any who stand in the Daybreak Meadow become
lost in the sensation of relief—that the long night is over, that
the day has arrived regardless, a moment of respite in a Strange
and shuddering world. Soon the camp will awaken again, and
some normalcy will return. But for now, there is the Field.
This Ritual is perfect for a moment of peace, where the
Lindworm cannot act. There is no reward for completing this
Ritual besides feeling a bit more positive about your place in
the universe.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor: Mist in
the Field; Scattered birdsong; Dew in the grass; Tiny bugs; Wet
shoes; Cold air; Cautious sunlight; Small creatures dancing in
the bushes; Berries in the bushes; The confused badger onlooker.
• With a single phrase and an action, act how you do in the
Field.
• Have your Character say aloud an impulsive feeling or good-
news confession.
• If the weather is nice, invite the other players to come
outside with you.
rituals — 117
A MOMENT OF IDENTITY
Sometimes Campers gather in secret places and talk about
their feelings, in darkness or behind the Staff’s backs. This
isn’t a space for the Staff, but is instead a hidden moment for
Campers to grow as people. Someday soon they’ll be older, and
they’ll have learned much of the world. But for now, they are
the Campers.
This Ritual is for when you want to develop some
Camper Characters further, in a space not defined by the core
conflicts of the game between other Characters. For this Ritual,
each player must put aside their normal Characters and pick up
a Camper Character from the Corkboard.
Moves:
• Say “Never have I ever...” followed by something you’ve
never done. Everyone who has done that groans.
• Ask someone “Truth or Dare!” Then either ask them a
question or give them a dare. Neither answer nor action
should be described.
• Compliment someone on their appearance (eyes, lips, hair,
hands, ears, neck, legs, etc.)
• Reveal something profound about yourself like you’re
answering a Truth.
• Get mad at someone and express it through a snide
comment.
• Make a strong decision about yourself and vocalize it.
118 — rituals
SPELLCRAFTING
Anyone can craft a spell. Certainly, the Crafter is the best at
it. But all have much to learn. The crafting of spells begins
perhaps alone, perhaps as a group. It is a slow, careful process,
both the creation of art and the action of Ritual. The Magic
is not forceful but is instead subtle, its presence felt through
quiet actions and silent gifts. You would be easily forgiven for
assuming the Magic doesn’t exist. Many do. And perhaps, out
in the world of concrete and steel, it doesn’t exist. But for now,
there is the Magic.
This Ritual is done with a piece of paper that you can
draw on freely to create your Magic spell.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor:
Incense; Crystals; Crayons; Pens; Personal objects; Pieces of
fabric; Fire; Your breath; The breath of others; The sensation of
one object against another.
• Draw a line or portion of the symbol on a piece of paper.
• Write a word on the piece of paper.
• Burn the paper, or dabble water on the paper.
• Scatter salt on the paper.
rituals — 119
THE SNEAKING PATH
There’s plenty of reasons to get from one place to another
in a hurry, in a way no one will find you. The Woods connect
the unexpected, tying together your secrets and helping the
paths make sense when they need to. The Sneaking Path winds
through the Woods, connecting two disconnected parts of the
camp, in a way that the kids don’t really know about. It’s private,
and it’s free from the outside. Soon you’ll have to emerge from
the other side, and see yourselves in the evening light. But for
now, there are the Woods.
This Ritual allows you to navigate from one scene to
another without drawing the ire of the Lindworm. It leads
from a Location where a scene has already occurred to another
Location. Once used, tie a string in a new color between these
scenes.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor:
Beautiful bugs; Branches underfoot; Mushrooms on a tree; A
Squirrel; Cicadas; Birdsong; Dappled light on the ground; The
sensation of being surrounded by life; A small creek with a
bridge; Dirt beneath your shoes.
• Hush everyone—they’re too loud!
• Spot someone unexpected, engaged in something equally
unexpected.
• Listen to the advice of the Woods.
120 — rituals
BEGGING THE FATES
The Murder of Crows calls out to you, and you know the destiny
that lies in store. You can see it as clear as the sky, and it clings
to you like the clothes on your back. What else is there to do
when faced with certain and inevitable death but to beg the
world for help? Maybe someday you can find someone kind and
benevolent enough to help from the kindness of their heart.
But for now there is the the Murder of Crows.
This Ritual allows for both the gaining of wisdom for
the future, and navigating the threatening dual nature of the
Murder of Crows.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor: The
mocking call of crows; The dizzying nature of heights; Tangled
string on dead tree branches; Three of an object; Black feathers.
• The Murder of Crows asks a question about the past, with a
painful answer.
• The Murder of Crows presents an agonizing choice.
• The Murder of Crows reveals the future that won’t come to
pass.
• Make a Weak Move without gaining a Token.
• Make a strong decision and stick to it.
• Ask the Murder of Crows a question about the future, which
any three players answer.
rituals — 121
BEING FORGOTTEN
by eric mersmann
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor: The
taste of pure sugar on your tongue; Numbness in the tips of your
fingers, toes, and ears; The void where a memory is missing; The
gentle clink of silver against china; The curl at the edge of her
smile.
• The Favorite loses a memory shared with another Character.
Say it aloud for the last time.
• A Character loses a memory shared with the Favorite. Say it
aloud for the last time.
• The Favorite removes a card from the Corkboard. Fold it as
small as you can and put it in a pocket.
• Take a thread from the Corkboard and tie it in a bow around
a finger.
122 — rituals
THE ROADKILL PARADE
A single clatter of metal on bone, repetitive and exhausting
in its timbre, announces the arrival of the Roadkill Parade.
The outpouring of vermin clog the group with their mass of
writhing bodies, flesh and meat and skeleton rubbing up
against one another in a grand shuffle of cruel cadavers. The
overwhelming sensation of this rippling sea of flayed bodies,
testaments to the Lindworm’s grand work in motion, is disgust
at the realization that the twitching muscle of the massive stag
at the center of the macabre spectacle is exactly the same as
your own muscles, only exposed and honest. Perhaps you’ll be
able to be strong enough to survive. But for now, there are the
Bones.
Use this Ritual when you want the plot surrounding the
Bones to come to a head.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, in as much detail as the group is
comfortable: The stag in the center; A badger flayed alive; A
very familiar cat; Endless possums; The screams of a child; The
choking feeling in the air; The itching feeling under your skin;
The Lindworm in the distance.
• Make a Weak Move.
• Lose an Item card to the Bones. Rip it up with your mouth.
• Lose a Character card to the Bones. Rip it up with your
mouth.
• Fill your body with tension, and then let out a strangled
scream/roar/yell/cry.
rituals — 123
THE UNDERWORLD DUEL
The flames of the torches beneath the hills grow stronger as
the fauns and ghosts cavort through the shadows. A rhythm
begins, cruel and ready for war, and for once, the King rises
from his throne, rusted blade drawn. If you can win, then
perhaps he can give you what you need to defeat the Lindworm
once and for all. But his victory could release a threat far
worse than the nightmares that haunt the surface world. Your
friends are nearby, cheering you on, unaware of the depths of
the consequences. Soon you will see your campers again, and
know your sacrifices were worth it. But for now, there is only
the Underhill King.
Use this duel when you wish to fight the Underhill King,
alone.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor: The
clang of metal against metal; Flickering torches; The dreams of
those who slumber; Ghosts; Fauns; The king in his glory; The
smell of fruit; Low-hanging roots; The roar of battle.
• The duelist loses an Item card to the Underhill King. Rip it
up.
• The Underhill King removes a Character, Location, or Motif
card from the Corkboard. Rip it up.
• Strike a dramatic pose.
• Cut a thread on the Corkboard.
124 — rituals
THE BEAST'S LULLABY
In your dreams, the world shakes, rattles, rumbles and roars
as the grass and rocks of the tallest point on the tallest
mountain begins to stir, and the Beast's back begins to arch.
The campground is thrown into chaos as a knobbled hill erupts
with talons and flame, as the Beast's limbs begin to thrash.
How do you keep the thrice-eldest asleep? Some say with a
song. You stand at the precipice of the awakening of the doom
of the world. The future holds many threats, but for now, there
is only the Slumbering Beast.
Use this duel when you need to get wisdom from the
Slumbering Beast, and keep it asleep. It occurs while all of you
sleep, perhaps passing out from exhaustion while fleeing the
Lindworm.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, with an unexpected metaphor: Your
body as it stirs in your sleep; The eyes of the beast; The scales
of the beast; Rumbling hills; Flames; The cataclysm; What its
awakening means to you.
• The Slumbering Beast cuts a thread on the Corkboard.
• The Slumbering Beast consumes a Motif card on the
Corkboard. Burn it.
• Sing a fragment of a lullaby.
• Take a moment and talk about a dream you've had, perhaps
in real life, perhaps as your Character.
rituals — 125
THE PALE HUNT
A low, haunting howl echoes through the trees. The howl is
picked up by another call, elsewhere in the darkness. Another,
another. The calls resound, burning their way into your bones.
The conscious, thoughtful part of you suspects it might be just
coyotes. In the animal part of your brain, you know the truth.
There are only the Wolves.
Use this Ritual when you want the plot surrounding the
Wolves to come to a head.
Moves:
• Choose 1 to describe, in as much detail as the group is
comfortable: The sound of blood pumping; The jerky movements
of the wolves; Howling wolves; The Lindworm in the distance;
The feeling of cold air against your skin.
• Make a Weak Move.
• Make a Weak Move.
• Lose an Item card to the Wolves. Rip it up with your mouth.
• Lose a Character card to the Wolves. Rip it up with your
mouth.
• Fill your body with tension, and then let out a strangled
scream/roar/yell/cry.
126 — rituals
a thematic respite
DEAD CRICKET
by Jeeyon Shim
You are all playing campers bunking in the same cabin together.
Through adolescent rituals of staying up too late, sharing
deep secrets, playing ridiculous games walking between your
quarters and the mess hall, all of you have drawn very close to
each other over the course of the week. You all feel you would
die for each other.
There are two camp games you need to know in order to
play Dead Cricket.
The first is the eponymous Dead Cricket, which works
like this:
rituals — 127
Act I: Stay Very Still
There is no turning back now. You could try to recreate the
events that led you and your friends to this field, but none of
it matters. You can feel your own body betraying you with the
subtle sounds of its existence. You can feel the grass beneath
you warm beneath your weight. You can feel its footsteps, soft,
inexorable, approaching you. You wait for it to find you.
128 — rituals
1. Who, as a player, last attended summer camp? Everyone
identify that player out of character.
2. Find a cabin. This can be a literal cabin, especially if you are
playing this game at a camp setting; it can also be a player’s
bedroom, or a car during a road trip, or anywhere that feels
nested and safe and warm with companionship.
3. Settle in to roleplaying as your characters. Goof off, tease
each other, whatever feels natural to do to create rapport
and camaraderie.
4. Whoever last went to summer camp will initiate a round of
Hot Seat. All players will take a turn being in the Hot Seat,
and ask and answer questions in character.
rituals — 129