I’m continuing to keep my focus narrowed in on my Cairn hack, since it’s close to completion. This week’s edits have concerned the Fatigue, Time and Distance sections.
With the Time section I decided to kill my darlings and go clear over clever. This means that I have axed my cute system for measuring time, described in a past newsletter, and instead tried not to re-invent the wheels (how many cliches can I fit into this post, eh?).
Anyways, you can see my more simple time system below, along with the distance system, too, which has also been simplified some. I’ve also introduced the concept of the Great Road. I’m imaging all the point crawls I make for this (and possibly that everyone else makes) being modular and able to ‘click’ together, using the Great Road as the connecting piece.
Sand & Stars
(Desert survival x Cairn, Ashcan here [link])
Time & Distance
Time
Eight moons orbit the skies above the Great Desert. Each of these moons is visible for approximately four hours at a time. Because of this, days and nights are measured in four hour intervals known as Moons.
The Great Sun beats down on the Desert for four consecutive Moons each day. This is followed by four consecutive Moons of night.
During daylight hours red moons cross over the desert sky. The first of them is the Child. This is followed by the Fool, then the Judge and, finally, the Hangman.
The Great Sun sets during the Hangman’s Moon. The white moons then rise and fall in the dark.
After the Great Sun is set, the first moon to appear is The Weeping Moon. This is followed by the Mouse, then the Snake and finally The Lovers.
The Great Sun always rises as the Child passes over The Lovers.
The Great is most cool when The Lovers, The Child, The Hangman or The Weeping Moon are present.
The Desert is most hot when the Fool or the Judge are present. The Desert is most cold when the Mouse or the Snake are present.
Insert Diagram
Distance
Travel in the Great Desert occurs mainly along the Great Road, an enormous, winding and seemingly never ending road that connects all major settlements in the known world. Many smaller paths and roads branch off the Great Road, but none are as wide or as hospitable.
Distance in the desert is measured in lak. When travelling on the Great Road walking speed is 1 lak per hour. When travelling anywhere else, walking speed is 3 lak per hour.
Beast drawn carts travel at a speed of 2 lak per hour. They can only travel on the Great Road.
Typical riding beasts can travel 5 lak per hour on the Great Road and 2 lak per hour anywhere else.
Sand & Stars is designed to be played using point crawl adventures. Point crawls should always list the amount of lak between various points and clearly identify with points are accessible by the Great Road.
Happy trails!