Folds, Shades & Leaving
Scales
| Scale | Wardens | Season | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duel | 2 | 4 days | Pure strategy. Nowhere to hide. |
| Skirmish | 3–6 | 7 days | Unstable two-against-one dynamics. |
| Standard | 7–12 | 14 days | Real politics. Trackable enemies. |
| Grand Fold | 13–20 | 21 days | Bloc warfare. Factions or death. |
Joining and starting
Folds are public (anyone may take a Steading) or private (invite code). Your Warden name is chosen fresh per Fold — but your account, your record, and your Marks follow you everywhere. A Fold starts when full, or when the host sounds the horn with at least two Wardens; empty seats can be filled with Shades. At the bell, everyone's clocks start fresh with a full bank of Watches.
You may hold Steadings in any number of Folds at once. Nothing crosses the wall between them — no resources, no armies, no favors. Each Fold is its own world.
Shades
A Shade is a Warden with no player behind it, always visibly marked. Shades play by exactly the player rules — same Watches, same costs, same information, no hidden bonuses at any difficulty. They hold their place on the Roll but are skipped at the payout: Marks pass down to the humans beneath them.
Leaving
- In a Duel you may concede: the Fold ends at once with your opponent ranked first. Conceding is honorable — you keep your place and its payout.
- At Skirmish scale and up you may withdraw: permanent, forfeits any payout, and your Steading is Hollowed — a Shade takes your seat as it stands, holdings, armies, and sworn oaths included. Nobody's war evaporates because their enemy got bored.
- Withdrawal is not held against your record. Oathbreaking before withdrawing still is.