ARCANA PROPHETIA: A Game About Fate Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Overview
• A Fated End
• Goal
• Set-Up
  • The Arcana
  • The Spread
  • Sigils & the Relic
  • Prediction Tokens
• The Arcana
• Game Flow
  • Phase 1: Predict & Reveal
    • What Should the Fates Pick?
  • Phase 2: Place & Add Chains
    • Acquiring Sigils
    • Chains
    • What do Chains do?
  • Phase 3: Effects then Sigil
    • Passive Effects (always)
    • Asymmetry in Effects
    • Moving & Placing Cards
    • Sanctify? Corrupt?
• The Full Experience
  • The Many Faces of Fate
  • Archsigils
  • Set-Up: Choosing the Starting Arcana
  • Set-Up: Placing the Sigils & the Relic token
• Building a Pantheon
  • Designer's Note
• Challenge & Difficulty
  • Fate and Fatalism
  • Balancing the Scales
• FAQ
  • What's the difference between ADJACENT, CORNERING, and SURROUNDING cards?
  • How does the Relic of the Dead God token affect where cards can be played and moved?
  • What happens if the Relic of the Dead God token blocks the only place where a new card can be placed?
  • An effect just occurred but I'm not sure who controls it!
  • I'm not sure how to resolve a particular card effect that seems to contradict the rules!
  • There are a few effects happening at the same time! In what order do I resolve them?
  • Why does this card's effect box have both the sun and moon inside it?
  • A card with Chain counters on it was moved, but its new space is still adjacent to its paired card! What happens to its Chains?
• Card Reference
  • Starting Card List
  • Remaining Aspects
• Quick Reference
  • Set-Up
  • Round Flow

Overview

Arcana Prophetia is a game of fantasy tarot that uses a deck of cards from a world where such an artifact often draws the attention of divine powers beyond mortal ken. Players are no mere fortune tellers - instead, the spread they lay out charts the final days of the realm.

In this divinatory conflict are the Fates and the Last Sovereign. The former seeks to drag the other gods into its primeval madness. The latter aims to cast a desperate ritual that might alter the course of the apocalypse.

A Fated End

While at its core a tight, competitive game, you'll find that Arcana Prophetia has strong narrative elements running through its heart. Chief among these is player asymmetry: the Fates start as an overwhelming threat, with the Last Sovereign on the back foot.

Although power - both narratively and mechanically - begins to shift in the middle of the game, this dynamic is central to the intended experience of Arcana Prophetia.

While the Last Sovereign can mount a stunning comeback, they are always the beleaguered underdog. To that end, both roles will feel very different, and players are likely to find themselves preferring one or the other.

The Fates play a game of deceptive area control and careful planning, whereas the Last Sovereign relies on astute observation and the ability to read their opponent's intentions.

Goal

Each game of Arcana Prophetia starts with ten cards. A card is played each round of the game, until only one is left unplayed.

The Fates want these cards to be Corrupted, while the Last Sovereign wants them to be Sanctified.

• Sanctified (Last Sovereign)
• Corrupted (The Fates)

Once nine cards are on the table, whoever has more cards aligned to them wins!

Set-Up

The Arcana

Each game, ten Arcana cards are used (but only nine are played). For your first few games, we recommend the following ten cards. (If you want to skip straight to the full game, head over to Page 17.)

(I) Hound, (II) Hope, (III) Standard, (IV) Forgotten, (V) Imperator, (V) Solar/Lunar, (VI) Errant, (VII) Reaver, (VIII) Chalice, (IX) Penitent

Make sure these cards are easily accessible by both players. Note the extra V!

Return the other Arcana cards to the box; you won't be using them this game.

The Spread

The cloth playing mat is the Spread - it is where the Arcana cards will be placed over the course of the game.

Place the Spread in the centre of your playing space, with the text facing the player who wants to play as the Last Sovereign.

Sigils & the Relic

The Last Sovereign takes the following components: the Relic of the Dead God, three Sigils, and the Sigil card.

The Last Sovereign places the Sigil card in front of themselves, on the side that says "Sigil of the Dead God"; you will not use the other side for your first few games.

The printed text of the Sigil of the Dead God card reads:

Sigil of the Dead God Spend a Sigil to either: Sanctify a card.

• or - Move a card. You may only have one Archsigil or Sigil at any point in time.

Place the tokens on the Spread in the following positions: the Relic of the Dead God and the Sigils, as shown in the rulebook diagram.

Place the (VI) The Errant card on the Spread in the space shown above, already Corrupted. (Do not trigger its effect.)

Prediction Tokens

Finally, the Last Sovereign takes all of the Prediction tokens.

The Arcana

The key game pieces in Arcana Prophetia are its titular Arcana cards. Each card is double-sided, representing its two alignments: a Sanctified side and a Corrupted side.

Each Arcana card has a number and a name. All Arcana cards have special effects. A card's Corrupted effect always triggers whenever it is played, while its Sanctified effect only triggers when successfully predicted (see Page 9).

The Corrupted effect is marked with the moon icon. The Sanctified effect is marked with the sun icon.

Game Flow

Arcana Prophetia lasts nine rounds. Each round consists of the following phases:

1. Predict (& Reveal)
2. Place (& add Chains)
3. Effects (& Sigil)
4. Clean-up

Phase 1: Predict & Reveal

At the start of each round, the Fates chooses an Arcana card to corrupt, while the Last Sovereign tries to predict which card will be chosen.

i. The Last Sovereign selects a Prediction token and places it face-down in front of themselves.

ii. The Fates then selects an Arcana card that has not been played onto the Spread yet.

iii. The Last Sovereign reveals their prediction by flipping over their Prediction token.

If the number on the Prediction token matches that of the Fates' chosen card, the prediction was successful.

What Should the Fates Pick?

For your first game, don't worry too much! We recommend going ahead and starting with (IV) The Forgotten.

Phase 2: Place & Add Chains

The Fates now play their card. It enters the Spread in a valid space of their choosing.

The Spread is organised into rows (called Courts) and columns. Cards can be placed in and (via card effects or Sigils) moved to any empty space that is adjacent to a card already in the Middle Court.

Since this is the first round of the game, there is only one card in the Middle Court. The available spaces are hence (a), (b), and (c).

If this is your first time playing, the Fates should go ahead and place the card they chose in Phase 1 onto space (b).

Whether you place the card on its Corrupted or Sanctified side depends on the prediction made just now.

• If the Last Sovereign failed to predict the card, it is placed onto the Spread on its Corrupted side.
• If the Last Sovereign successfully predicted the card, it is placed onto the Spread on its Sanctified side instead.

Acquiring Sigils

Whenever a card is placed or moved onto a space with a Sigil token on it, the Last Sovereign takes the Sigil token and places it on the empty slot on their Sigil card.

If that slot is full, however, the Sigil is discarded instead! This allows a Fates player to deprive the Last Sovereign of their Sigils.

After a card is moved or placed anywhere on the Spread, check to see if any adjacent cards sum up to ten (10). Diagonals do not count.

Chains

Whenever two adjacent cards sum up to ten, they begin to form Chains. Chains accumulate whenever:

a. Cards are moved or placed on the Spread. b. It is the end of the round.

What do Chains do?

A pair of cards (that sum to ten) can become connected by up to three Chains. As Chains increase, the cards in the pair become more restricted.

• One Chain counter: They cannot be flipped.
• Two Chain counters: They cannot be flipped.
• Three Chain counters: They cannot be flipped or moved.

The only way to remove Chains is to snap them: whenever a card is moved to a new space, discard all Chains on it. (See Page 13 for rules on moving cards.)

Phase 3: Effects then Sigil

Finally, trigger any effects listed on the card just played. These effects occur in order, if present:

• Corrupted Effect: Trigger each effect in its Corrupted box (the one with the moon icon!)
• then (only if predicted successfully)
• Sanctified Effect: Trigger each effect in its Sanctified box (the one with the sun icon!)

Though corrupted, the Fates' powers are still divine. Hence, the Fates will always get to trigger their chosen card's Corrupted effect.

Conversely, the Last Sovereign has limited power. As such, they only get to use the Sanctified effect of a played card if they successfully predicted it, and only after the Corrupted effect occurs first.

Each effect is executed by its corresponding player: the Fates controls how the Corrupted effect resolves; while the Last Sovereign controls how the Sanctified effect resolves.

Effects with the [If Predicted] keyword interrupt the card's usual resolution if the Last Sovereign predicted the card successfully.

For example, if (III) The Standard was predicted successfully, its [If Predicted] effect would mean the Last Sovereign chooses the column during the resolution of the Corrupted effect (instead of the Fates).

Meanwhile, effects that have the [Passive] keyword always apply.

Passive Effects (always)

Some [Passive] effects are conditional effects. These trigger immediately whenever their conditions are met.

If the card is Corrupted when that [Passive] effect's condition is met, the Fates controls how it resolves. If instead the card is Sanctified, the Last Sovereign controls how the [Passive] effect resolves. The colour of the Passive icon is a handy reminder for who controls it!

Finally, if the resolution of an effect causes another effect to trigger, resolve the first one fully. Then, resolve the second effect.

Asymmetry in Effects

The asymmetrical nature of Corrupted and Sanctified effects is one of the cornerstones of this game. The former effects always occur; the latter, less consistently.

While this sounds like a one-sided advantage for the Fates, these guaranteed effects provide both players a fixed set of effects they can plan (and hence predict!) around.

After resolving all card effects, the Last Sovereign can choose to spend their Sigil or Archsigil if they have one (the Archsigil is not used in your first few games; see Page 17).

To spend a Sigil, discard it from your Sigil card, then follow the card's listed effect(s). For your first few games, the Sigil of the Dead God is the only effect you have access to.

Moving & Placing Cards

Whenever a card is moved or placed due to a card or Sigil's effect, it follows the same movement/placement rules as before: the card must end its movement adjacent to a card already in the Middle Court.

Thus, you cannot move a card to a column's High or Low Court until that column's corresponding Middle Court has been filled.

Sanctify? Corrupt?

Two of the most important types of effects are those that Sanctify or Corrupt cards. You can think of these as upgraded, special types of flipping.

When you Sanctify a card, flip it to its Sanctified side, and then trigger its Sanctified effect.

Similarly, when you Corrupt a card, flip it to its Corrupted side, and then trigger its Corrupted effect.

Note that if a card cannot be flipped, it cannot be Sanctified or Corrupted. Also, you cannot Sanctify an already Sanctified card, or Corrupt an already Corrupted card.

Phase 4: Clean-Up

At the end of each round, perform the following:

i. Place a Chain counter on each pair of cards that sum up to ten. If a pair already has three such counters, do not add any more.

ii. The Last Sovereign must move the Relic of the Dead God to another empty space on the Spread (i.e., any space without a card or Sigil).

Check for effects that trigger at the end of the round. These are usually [Passive] effects; some simply resolve automatically, while others require either player to control their resolution. Remember that if the card is Corrupted, the Fates is (almost always) the one controlling these effects. Likewise if the card is Sanctified, the Last Sovereign controls its [Passive] effect (if there are any).

Once all such effects are resolved, the Last Sovereign moves the Relic of the Dead God.

The Relic of the Dead God

Cards cannot be moved or placed onto the space that the Relic token currently occupies.

Keep in mind the "Moving & Placing Cards" box on Page 13; it means that tactical use of the Relic allows the Last Sovereign to limit the spaces the Fates can play their cards onto.

Check if there are nine Arcana cards are on the Spread. If not, a new round begins.

Ending the Game

The game ends on the round where nine out of the ten cards have been placed onto the Spread. At the end of that round, count the number of Sanctified and Corrupted cards on the Spread.

If there are more Sanctified cards, the Last Sovereign wins. If there are more Corrupted cards, the Fates win! (In the unlikely event of a draw, the Fates win.)

The Full Experience

So the world ends; or it limps ever on.

And yet the wheel of Fate continues to turn, and the Loom Worm still gnaws through the tattered tapestry of time.

Behold! Beyond this point lies the full ruleset for Arcana Prophetia.

You should not read this until you've played a few games with the basic rules listed in the previous sections.

The gameplay introduced so far leaves out two of the most exciting parts of the game.

Now that you're more familiar with the core gameplay, you can (and should!) play with variable Fate identities and Archsigils.

The Many Faces of Fate

Even before its fall into corruption, the Fates was known as a chaotic, unpredictable god.

Out of its varied guises, a few appear often in human history.

When playing with the full ruleset, each game first starts with the Fates publicly selecting their Face for this session.

These are not one-sided buffs to the Fates; instead these Faces significantly change core aspects of the game, providing new tactical considerations for both players.

The text of the individual Face cards is not printed in this rulebook.

Archsigils

After the Fates selects their Face, the Last Sovereign publicly chooses an Archsigil. These represent the unique rituals that the Last Sovereign can enact in their quest to save the mortal realms.

Since this selection is made after the Fates has chosen their Face, an Archsigil card can be picked that 'counters' what the Fates' plans are expected to be.

Once chosen, the Last Sovereign replaces one of their three starting Sigil tokens with the Archsigil token.

Archsigils are acquired in the same way that Sigils are; when a card is placed onto a space with the Archsigil token on it, the Last Sovereign gains that Archsigil (if they don't already possess a Sigil.)

When they acquire the Archsigil, they flip their Sigil card to its Archsigil side, and place the Archsigil token on the empty slot there.

A reminder: The Last Sovereign cannot gain any new Archsigils or Sigils if they already possess one. This means that they can potentially miss out on an Archsigil if they are already holding onto a Sigil (and vice versa).

The printed text of the Communion Archsigil card, shown as an example on Page 18, reads:

Communion Spend this Archsigil to either Sanctify or move a card. You may place the Dead God token on a space with this Archsigil. If you do, you gain this Archsigil.

The text of the other Archsigil cards is not printed in this rulebook.

Set-Up: Choosing the Starting Arcana

In the basic game, Set-Up was fixed. In the full game, both players get to shape how the Spread looks before the game even begins.

After the Face and Archsigil have been chosen (see above), the Fates chooses the Arcana card that will start the game Corrupted.

Instead of starting with (VI) The Errant, the Fates should choose what card to preemptively corrupt based on their overarching strategy!

They then place that selected card onto the leftmost space in the Middle Court (i.e., the same position that (VI) The Errant was in).

Set-Up: Placing the Sigils & the Relic token

The Last Sovereign also has more choices to make during Set-Up! Instead of placing the Sigils in a row like before, the Last Sovereign may place their Archsigil and Sigils on any empty spaces on the Spread.

Note that each space may have no more than one Archsigil or Sigil on it.

After the Sigils have been placed, the Last Sovereign then places the Relic of the Dead God token on any remaining empty space.

Building a Pantheon

Once players are comfortable with the game, we recommend they try coming up with their own lists of ten Arcana.

Players can choose to take turns drafting Arcana, or discuss and settle on a list together. Simply pick one card per number, from I to IX. Then, add the Celestial arcana (V) The Solar/Lunar. This card is unique, and should be included in every list. You can find a full card list starting on Page 29.

You should end up with ten cards, with one of each number, except for the two Vs.

Designer's Note

The game splits the cards into smaller bundles of three cards per Arcana number.

This is to help players avoid situations where a pantheon misses certain key effects that both sides require. Since each number (from I to IX) has its own unique mechanical identity, as long as a pantheon includes all the numbers, a good mix of effects will be included.

Challenge & Difficulty

Fate and Fatalism

Arcana Prophetia is designed to be an asymmetrical game. The Last Sovereign is the underdog in the story, and their victory often comes about in the form of dramatic reversals in the last few moments of the game.

Players who seek a more measured, chess-like experience can make a simple adjustment to the game. Simply remove the Celestial arcana (V) The Solar/Lunar from your starting set of cards.

The Fates will still play nine cards onto the Spread, meaning that the last card is guaranteed to be predicted correctly by the Last Sovereign. This turns the last round into an exercise in tactical planning for both sides.

Balancing the Scales

While the Fates are favoured to win, the game is the most fun when each match is tense and dynamic - when it's not certain to whom victory will go until the closing round.

However, because so much of the game relies on reading your opponent, perceived challenge can vary quite a lot even in a playgroup.

The game hence provides several levers to customise the challenge each role provides.

If the Last Sovereign is feeling less like an underdog protagonist and more like a conquering hero, consider reducing the number of Sigils they are given.

After following the usual set-up rules, return up to two Sigils to the box. A truly confident Last Sovereign might even consider removing their Archsigil too.

Conversely, if the Fates seem a little too vicious and inevitable, you can weaken their grip on the mortal plane by having the starting card begin Sanctified instead.

If the Fates still prove too strong, they can choose to start with up to two additional cards on the Spread, also already Sanctified.

FAQ

What's the difference between ADJACENT, CORNERING, and SURROUNDING cards?

• ADJACENT cards are those that are directly (orthogonally) next to the target card.
• CORNERING cards refer to those diagonally next to the target card.
• SURROUNDING cards refer to all cards both orthogonally and diagonally next to the target card.

How does the Relic of the Dead God token affect where cards can be played and moved?

It can be used to occupy spaces that could otherwise be used to place or move cards.

Remember that whenever a card is placed onto the Spread, or moved whilst on the Spread, players must ensure that: cards are placed in or moved to a space that is adjacent to a card already in the Middle Court.

Since the Relic token is not a card, the placement restriction above does not apply to it. Furthermore, if the token is in the Middle Court itself, it does not fulfil the condition for the purposes of moving or placing other cards.

Crafty Last Sovereign players can hence use the Relic to restrict the available spaces the Fates can move or play cards onto.

What happens if the Relic of the Dead God token blocks the only place where a new card can be placed?

While uncommon, it is possible that the Spread ends up such that there is only one valid space for new cards to be placed.

If such a scenario occurs, the Last Sovereign cannot place the Relic token in that "last space". They must instead choose a spot such that there is always at least one valid space when placing the new card (in Phase 2).

Note that this only refers to that new card; there is no need to accommodate the movement of cards that are already on the Spread (such as via card effects or Sigils).

An effect just occurred but I'm not sure who controls it!

You can follow a general rule of thumb: whenever there is any doubt to a card or effect's resolution, check where the effect comes from.

If it's from a Corrupted effect, the Fates usually controls it. If it's from a Sanctified effect, the Last Sovereign is likely its controller.

In cases where that is ambiguous (e.g., a [Passive] effect), check the card's alignment.

As usual, if the card is Corrupted, the Fates decide. If the card is Sanctified, the Last Sovereign controls it.

I'm not sure how to resolve a particular card effect that seems to contradict the rules!

As a general principle, card effects override the rules. When in doubt, follow your table's intuition for how the effect works, and if doing so contradicts a rule, follow the card text - and your intuition - instead.

If that doesn't resolve the issue, check the FAQ or rulebook.

Finally, and only if still uncertain, follow the Rule of Fate: resolve it in the way that provides the greatest benefit to the Fates.

There are a few effects happening at the same time! In what order do I resolve them?

As a general principle, if multiple card effects trigger simultaneously, always resolve all Corrupted effects first, then Sanctified effects.

In the unlikely scenario that more than one Corrupted or Sanctified effect was triggered, then the Fates and Last Sovereign choose the order in which those resolve, respectively.

Remember that any time you resolve an effect, resolve it fully before moving on to the next one. An "effect" is simply any statement on a card that changes with the game state.

Ultimately, we recommend players resolve rule and timing confusions in any way that makes intuitive sense for your table.

Why does this card's effect box have both the sun and moon inside it?

That means that the card's Corrupted and Sanctified effects are identical. Both effects hence use the same box. This only affects the card's UI, and not its gameplay.

For example, if (VI) The Errant was played this round and had been successfully predicted, then its Corrupted Effect would trigger: the Fates would flip a card, then move another. Then, since it was predicted correctly, its Sanctified Effect would also trigger: the Last Sovereign would also flip a card, then move another one.

A card with Chain counters on it was moved, but its new space is still adjacent to its paired card! What happens to its Chains?

As long as the card moves, all Chain counters connected to it are removed.

If it then ends that movement such that it sums to ten again, a new Chain counter is placed on it after that movement. This "resets" the number of Chain counters on the card.

When are Chains placed?

There are two windows to check if Chains need to be added:

1. After any card is placed onto, or moved whilst on, the Spread.
2. At the end of each round.

This means at the end of a round where a pair of cards sum to 10, there should be two Chain counters on them. The first Chain is from when they first formed the pair, and the second is from the accumulation at the end of the round.

Remember that once a pair of cards have three Chains counters on them, they are 'locked in'; they cannot be moved or flipped, and you do not need to add any more Chains to them.

Can I Corrupt/Sanctify a card that is already Corrupted or Sanctified?

No. You cannot Corrupt a card that is already Corrupted. You hence cannot use its Corrupted Effect.

Likewise, you cannot Sanctify a card that is already Sanctified and hence cannot use its Sanctified Effect.

What happens if a Sigil or card effect Sanctifies a card that has an [If Predicted] effect?

Nothing happens! The effect specifically only triggers if it was successfully predicted at time of play. Flip the card over as per normal, but its [If Predicted] effect does nothing.

Do I get to trigger a card's Corrupted or Sanctified effect whenever I flip it?

No. Merely flipping a card does not cause its Corrupted or Sanctified effect to trigger.

You would need to explicitly Corrupt or Sanctify a card, such as by using the effect of (IX) The Penitent or a Sigil, in order to trigger the Corrupted or Sanctified effect.

If I flip (II) The Vow in response to an opponent Corrupting/Sanctifying a card, do they still trigger the original effect?

No. The effect of (II) The Vow completely replaces the original effect to Corrupt or Sanctify the initially targeted card.

In other words, the initially targeted card does not count as having been Corrupted / Sanctified in the first place. Hence, its effects will not trigger.

If I play or move (III) The Aftermath into the last empty space of a column and fill it, does it trigger its own effect?

Yes. The passive effect of (III) The Aftermath checks for itself.

Hence, playing or moving (III) The Aftermath such that it fills a column will trigger its effect causing all cards in that column to be flipped.

Can I use the effect of (VII) The Sword to remove or add an Archsigil?

No. The Corrupted effect of (VII) The Sword can only remove a regular Sigil from a space adjacent to itself.

Likewise, its Sanctified effect can only be used to add a regular Sigil. No extra Archsigils!

Does (VIII) The Feast remember or retain the effects of multiple cards across rounds?

No. The best way to think about (VIII) The Feast is that it can only copy a single card on the Spread at any given time (except that its number remains as VIII).

At the end of the round, if the Fates pick a different card on the Spread, (VIII) The Feast loses its current copied effect and gains the new one instead.

Card Reference

Starting Card List

(1): I - The Hound [Passive] After one or more Chains are placed on this card for the first time each round, move another card.

(2): II - The Hope [Passive] While there are fewer/more than five cards on the Spread, this card cannot be flipped.

(3): III - The Standard Choose a column with cards in it; flip all cards in that column. [If Predicted] You choose the column instead.

(4): IV - The Forgotten [Passive] At the end of the game, flip this card. Flip another card. Flip another card.

(5): V - The Imperator Swap this card with a surrounding card. Then, swap this card with a surrounding card. Swap this card with a surrounding card.

(*): V - The Solar / Lunar (The Celestial Arcana, Always Included) Flip or move another card. Flip or move another card.

(6): VI - The Errant Flip a card. Then, move a different card. Flip a card. Then, move a different card.

(7): VII - The Reaver Flip all surrounding cards; you can only play this card in the High or Low Courts (if possible). [If Predicted] You choose where this card is played instead. (It must still be in the High or Low Courts if possible.)

(8): VIII - The Chalice [Passive] This card cannot be moved. (Swapping counts as movement.) [If Predicted] You choose where this card is played instead.

(9): IX - The Penitent Corrupt another card in this card's row or column. Sanctify another card in this card's row or column.

Remaining Aspects

(1): I - The Stag Move another card to an adjacent space. Move another card to an adjacent space.

(1): I - The Visage [Passive] After the Last Sovereign fails to predict a card/you successfully predict a card, move this/another card.

(2): II - The Vow [Passive] Whenever another card would be flipped, Sanctified, or Corrupted, the Fates/Last Sovereign may flip this card instead.

(2): II - The Rebirth The Corrupted effect of the next card played gains "After this card is played, if it was not successfully predicted, Corrupt a card." The Sanctified effect of the next card played gains "[If Predicted] Sanctify a card."

(3): III - The Herald [Passive] After this card changes Courts for the first time each round, Corrupt/Sanctify another card.

(3): III - The Aftermath [Passive] After a card is played or moved such that this card's column becomes filled, flip all cards in that column.

(4): IV - The Watcher Choose a Court; at the end of the next round, flip all cards in that Court. [If Predicted] You choose the Court instead.

(4): IV - The Pattern Choose either the High or Low Court; move each card in that Court to another Court (if possible). [If Predicted] You control those moves instead. (The Fates still chooses the initial Court.)

(5): V - The Conqueror Move a card that has not already been moved this round. If the move causes that card to form Chains, repeat this effect. (This can trigger multiple times.) [If Predicted] You control the Corrupted effect instead; it only repeats if it causes Chains to be removed, instead of added.

(5): V - The Crown [Passive] This card also forms Chains with IV and VI.

(6): VI - The Vagrant [Passive] At the end of each round, swap this card's position with another card's.

(6): VI - The Staff Move a card. Then, move an Archsigil or Sigil to a space adjacent to that card. [Passive] At the end of each round, if a Sigil (not Archsigil) was spent to move this card, gain that spent Sigil.

(7): VII - The Golem Flip all other cards. [If Predicted] If this was the last card played this game, Sanctify a card.

(7): VII - The Sword Remove a Sigil on an adjacent space. Flip a card. Add a Sigil to an empty cornering space; this effect can only occur once per game.

(8): VIII - The Offering Choose a space; the next card played must be placed there (if possible). If that card is not successfully predicted, Corrupt a card. [If Predicted] You choose the space instead; if that card is successfully predicted, Sanctify a card.

(8): VIII - The Feast [Passive] At the end of each round, if this card is not on the Spread, the Fates chooses a card on the Spread; this card becomes a copy of that card, but retains this effect and the number VIII.

(9): IX - The Inquisitor Corrupt a card. The next card played must be placed onto a space with an Archsigil or Sigil on it (if possible). Sanctify an adjacent card.

(9): IX - The Shroud If this card is in the third column, Corrupt another card. If this card is in the third column, Sanctify another card.

Quick Reference

Set-Up

i. Fates selects a Face ii. Last Sovereign selects an Archsigil iii. Fates chooses and places a card in the Middle Court's first space (on its Corrupted side) iv. Last Sovereign places their Archsigil, Sigils, and the Relic token onto any empty spaces

Round Flow

1. Predict (& Reveal) a. Last Sovereign makes prediction b. Fates selects card c. Last Sovereign reveals prediction

2. Place (& add Chains) a. Fates places card onto Spread b. Place Chains

3. Effects (& Sigil) a. Fates resolves card's Corrupted effect b. Last Sovereign resolves Sanctified effect * c. Last Sovereign may spend a Sigil

   * = if correctly predicted

4. Clean-up a. Place Chains b. Last Sovereign moves Relic