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 or private. Anyone may take a Steading in a public Fold. A private Fold needs an invite code. You choose a fresh Warden name for each Fold. 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. Shades can fill the empty seats. 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. Shades are always visibly marked. They play by exactly the player rules: same Watches, same costs, same information. They get no hidden bonuses at any difficulty. They hold their place on the Roll but are skipped at the payout. Their 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. Withdrawal is permanent, and you give up any payout. Your Steading is Hollowed: a Shade takes your seat as it stands, with 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.