ETEREA

ETEREA Rulebook

Table of Contents

Introduction

In ETEREA you are one of the Architects who will attempt the feat of recovering the keys, guarded by the six Bosses who govern the six dimensions: Water, Fire, Wind, Earth, Cosmos and Oblivion, in order to free the princess and save the entire universe.

ETEREA is a game divided into two parts. In the first, you must wander through the six dimensions trying to rebuild the Requirements, now swept away by the tyrants, in order to repopulate them. Doing so will allow you to acquire the Requirement cards and the Artefacts, indispensable for succeeding in the mission. To create the Requirements you will need careful planning in rolling dice and an accurate use of certain abilities or Vocations.

In the second part you must face the Bosses and recover the keys. In doing so you must build your set of dice, using what you learned in the first part, and launch yourself into the desperate attempt to defeat them in an unequal duel. But thanks to careful strategy, nothing will be impossible.

Beware of the time that runs out: you have only eighteen hours, one single day on ETEREA, after which everything will be lost.

Only one Architect will be able to succeed in the heroic action, but all may perish in battle, leading everything known to ruin.

Good luck, and may the glow of ETEREA go with you.

Component list as printed on page 2 of the booklet.

40 Vital Essence gems
4 Architect pawns (yellow, green, red, blue)
1 wooden time marker cylinder (Time marker)
144 Requirement tokens
24 Artefact tokens
24 Key tokens
6 white Elemental dice
6 red Builder dice
4 black Dimensional dice
48 Requirement cards
18 Resolution cards
6 Architect cards
6 Closed Dimension cards
18 Vocation cards
1 game board

Setup

Each player chooses an Architect pawn and takes the 36 Requirement tokens of the matching colour. Each player will have 3 tokens for each type of Requirement, and may not create more than that number of each type. If you have already created 3 Requirements of any type (for example Volcano) and need to create another, you may not do so; however, you may move your tokens between the various dimensions according to your needs, using the set of black Dimensional dice.
Distribute 4 Vital Essence gems to each player and place the remaining gems beside the board to form the supply. During the game you will have various ways to accumulate more; these will be indispensable when you face the Bosses, and the more you recover, the better your chances of succeeding. The maximum number of gems you may possess is 10; exceeding this limit is not possible under any circumstances. Remaining without Vital Essence gems is equivalent to defeat, and you are out of the game.
Take the 48 Requirement cards, separate them by dimension, shuffle each group and place them face down in the designated space to the right of the corresponding dimension.
Take the Artefact tokens, one per type per player, and place them, forming a stack, in the designated space to the right of the corresponding dimension. Artefacts will be indispensable for defeating the Bosses; to recover them you must take 2 Requirement cards of the corresponding dimension.
Place the Closed Dimension cards, one on each dimension.
Take the Resolution cards and, by mutual agreement, choose one according to the difficulty level of the challenge you want to face. Alternatively, shuffle the cards and let fate decide by drawing one. The Resolution cards specify which Keys and Artefacts you must recover in order to save Princess ETEREA. To recover an Artefact you must take 2 Requirement cards of the corresponding dimension; to recover a Key you must defeat the Boss of the corresponding dimension. When a player has recovered everything the card requires, they have saved the princess and are immediately declared the winner. At the top of the card you will find the message the princess has dedicated to the Architects who will attempt the mission.
Take the Architect cards and deal one to each player at random, placing it face up in front of you. This card determines which type of Architect you are and your basic abilities. Each Architect is associated with a dimension: when acting in that dimension you have advantages in creating Requirements and gaining Vital Essences, in contrast with the rival dimension, where you will have disadvantages. You also gain Vital Essences in a friendly dimension and, above all, you will have advantages and disadvantages when you meet certain Bosses; these will allow you to add dice to, or be required to remove dice from, the set you have built when you face them.

Architect Cards

The booklet prints the text of two Architect cards; the text of each card lists its effects in the three dimensions associated with it and its effects against two Bosses.

ARCHITETTO ACQUA (Water Architect)

Water dimension: cards that require 3 Requirements require only 2; cards that require 2 Requirements require only 1; for each card taken, gain 1 Vital Essence.
Wind dimension: for each card taken, gain 1 Vital Essence.
Fire dimension: cards that require 2 Requirements require 3; cards that require 1 Requirement require 2.
Water Boss: add 1 die to your set.
Fire Boss: remove 1 die from your set.

ARCHITETTO COSMO (Cosmos Architect)

Cosmos dimension: cards that require 3 Requirements require only 2; cards that require 2 Requirements require only 1; for each card taken, gain 1 Vital Essence.
Earth dimension: for each card taken, gain 1 Vital Essence.
Oblivion dimension: cards that require 2 Requirements require 3; cards that require 1 Requirement require 2.
Cosmos Boss: add 1 die to your set.
Oblivion Boss: remove 1 die from your set.

Note: the booklet illustrates only these two Architect cards; the other Architect cards are not printed in the booklet and are not transcribed here.

Take the Vocation cards, shuffle them and deal 3 face down to each player. Each player looks at their own cards and chooses the only one they wish to keep; this will be their Vocation ability for the entire game. Put the discarded cards back in the box; they will no longer be needed. Each Vocation card is different from the others, and each gives an ability that only you can use during the game. Choose your Vocation carefully, also according to the chosen Resolution card: you may gain an important advantage. The top of the card specifies where it has effect: when you are in the Dimensions, against the Bosses, or in both cases; it cannot have effect in a different situation. The effect of the Vocation is described below the heading.

The booklet illustrates two sample Vocation cards: Boss (each time you recover a Key, you gain 1 Vital Essence) and Dimensions (each time you open a Wormhole, you may reactivate an already used Requirement card, to be used during a later Turn). The full Vocation deck is not printed in the booklet and is not transcribed here.

Take the wooden cylinder and place it on number 1 of the time track to mark the first hour. The time track indicates how many hours you have to complete your mission; if this goes beyond the eighteenth hour, your task has failed and you are all out of the game. At the end of each game turn the cylinder moves forward one hour. Each time you pass from the fifth to the sixth hour, and from the eighth to the ninth, one of the dimensions of ETEREA will close (see Closing a Dimension): the first player rolls a white Elemental die and, according to the element that comes up, that dimension must be closed, placing on it the Closed Dimension card. If the element shown belongs to a dimension already closed, nothing happens. If only one dimension remains open, it cannot be closed.
Between the twelfth and thirteenth hours, all players may reactivate the bonus of an already used Requirement card, to be used during one of their own Game Phases. At the single passage between the fourteenth and fifteenth hours, all players receive one Vital Essence gem. During your Game Phase you may move time backwards or forwards thanks to the black Dimensional dice, except in the first four hours and the last four hours, those marked in red, where time may never go back or forward under any circumstances.
Decide which player will start the game; the first player at the start of each game turn is also the one who, when required, rolls the white Elemental die to decide which dimension must be closed.
Starting with the first player and proceeding clockwise, each player rolls a white Elemental die. The result determines the starting dimension of each player: that player places their Architect pawn on one of the four octagons at the corners of the dimension that came up, removing from it the Closed Dimension card. Several Architects may start on the same dimension, or all on different dimensions; fate decides.
For each open dimension, turn over the first two Requirement cards and place them face up in the designated spaces to the right of the corresponding dimension. Each card describes which Requirement you must create, which combination of dice is needed, and how many must be created to take it. Once a card has been taken, draw a new one from the face-down deck and place it in the free space. Remember that you may never take more than 2 cards per dimension, so choose carefully which to take, also according to their bonus. (See Requirement cards.)

Turn and Game Phases

A Turn is complete when all players have finished their Game Phases. At the end of each Turn the time is always moved forward one hour. The first player begins and ends their Game Phases, then play proceeds to the next player clockwise; when everyone has finished, the time marker is moved and the mission continues with the first player.

The Game Phases differ depending on whether you are within the dimensions or must face the Bosses.

Game Phases Within the Dimensions

Move (mandatory)
Play a set of dice (mandatory)
Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)
Play a second set of dice, different from the first (optional)
Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)

1. Move (mandatory)

You must move to one single adjacent free octagon; you may never move onto an octagon occupied by another Architect. If there are no free adjacent octagons because they are already occupied by other pawns, only in this case must you remain still. It is very important to plan the appropriate movement for positioning your pawn: try to move to octagons that have free adjacent squares, since Requirement tokens will be placed on them, and a strategic positioning could even block the other Architects' play to your advantage. Requirement tokens may only be created on squares adjacent to your position.

2. Play a set of dice (mandatory)

Playing sets of dice is essential for creating Requirements and taking the corresponding cards, but it also allows you to evoke special abilities, open wormholes and, above all, modify Space, Time and Infinity. There are 3 different types of set: white Elemental, red Builder and black Dimensional.

Elemental dice (6 dice)

Elemental dice are needed to create some Requirements, to decide which dimensions to open and close, to open wormholes and to evoke other special abilities.

The faces of the Elemental dice are: Cosmos Star, Water, Wind, Earth, Fire and Oblivion Skull.

With this set you can create the following Requirements: Virus, Tree, Life, Volcano, Hurricane and Energy.

You may also create a WORMHOLE. Wormholes will serve you to open a closed dimension, to pass between two already open dimensions, and to enter the Boss zone. When you open a new dimension, you immediately place your pawn on a free octagon of your choice. If the Requirement cards for the dimension you have just opened have not yet been revealed, reveal them at this moment. Even when you pass onto an already open dimension, you may place your pawn on any free octagon.

To create a Wormhole you need 3 Skulls and 1 Star.

With this set you may also evoke the following abilities: Extirpation and Vital Essence.

EXTIRPATION removes all Requirement tokens around your pawn, including your own, returning them to their rightful owners. This move is indispensable when you need space to create Requirements on a dimension with no free squares, or to disrupt the work of your opponents.

To evoke Extirpation you need 4 Skulls.

VITAL ESSENCE allows you to gain one Vital Essence gem.

To evoke Vital Essence you need 5 Stars.

Builder dice (6 dice)

Builder dice are needed to create some Requirements and to evoke other special abilities.

The faces of the Builder dice are: Spark, Radiation, Stone, Moscovium (Element 115), Wood and Iron.

With this set you can create the following Requirements: Temple, Village, Monolith, Energy Shield, Magnetic Field and Space Station.

With this set you may also evoke the following abilities: Nuclear Reaction and Creation.

NUCLEAR REACTION allows you to immediately close any dimension of your choice, including the one where the evoking player's pawn is located. If there is only one open dimension, it cannot be closed. (See Closing a Dimension.)

To set off a Nuclear Reaction you need 5 Radiations.

CREATION allows you to create any Requirement of your choice, in any open dimension, on any free square. Only in this case are you not required to be present on the dimension you choose, nor to have a free square in the position adjacent to your pawn. You may create any Requirement, whether it is forged with the Elemental dice or with the Builder dice.

To evoke Creation you need 5 Sparks.

Attention: the complete list of possible combinations with the Elemental and Builder dice is printed directly on the game board.

Dimensional dice (4 dice)

Dimensional dice will be indispensable for completing your mission: with them you can modify Time, Space and Infinity. The faces are Time, Space and Infinity.

Modify Time

During your Game Phase you may move time backwards or forwards with the black Dimensional dice, except in the first four hours and the last four hours, those marked in red, where time may never go back or forward under any circumstances. Moving time backwards is indispensable: if time were to exceed the eighteenth hour, your mission would have failed and you would all be out of the game.

With 3 Time symbols, move the clock backwards or forwards by 3 hours.
With 4 Time symbols, move the clock backwards or forwards by 4 hours.

Modify Space

Modifying Space serves to move freely, onto an unoccupied space, on any open dimension. It is not possible to enter a closed dimension. It also serves to enter the Boss zone and to move from one Boss to another non-adjacent one.

To carry out these actions you need 3 Space symbols.

Modify Infinity

Modifying Infinity allows you to move your Requirement tokens, previously placed, to any free square on any open dimension, even if it is not the dimension on which your pawn is located. It is not necessary to have free squares around your pawn in order to move Requirements.

Attention: if moving Requirements allows you to take a Requirement card, you may NOT take it until your pawn is on the dimension of the card you wish to take.

With 3 Infinity symbols you may move 1 Requirement token.
With 4 Infinity symbols you may move 2 Requirement tokens.

Dice rolling rules

Choose a dice set and roll it. You may choose to set aside one or more dice; it is mandatory to always set aside at least 1 die, even if this is not useful for your purpose. After choosing which dice to set aside, roll the remaining dice and follow the same procedure: set aside at least one die. Proceed in this way until you have set aside all the dice, then proceed to build the Requirement you have created or to perform the ability you have evoked. The same rolling rules are also used when you face the Bosses.

Example: your intention was to create a Life in the Water dimension, but you managed to set aside these dice: Water, Wind, Earth, Skull, Skull and Skull. In this case you did not succeed in creating Life, but you do have the possibility of creating a Virus. You may place a Virus token, even if it was not requested; this may be useful later on.

3. Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)

In this phase you may play the bonuses of the Requirement cards you have taken; these are always shown at the top right of the card. All bonuses that refer to a dice roll always refer to the dice set you have just rolled. There is no limit to the number of cards you may play, but each may be used only once: after playing a card's bonus, it is turned face down and set aside. During the game there will be the possibility of reactivating the bonus of an already used card; the cards you have taken also count toward the number of dice you may use when facing the Bosses.

You may also play 3 Requirement cards simultaneously, without activating their bonus, to gain 1 Vital Essence.

There are 8 different types of bonus; each group of Requirement cards contains one of each type per dimension. The complete list and their effects follow:

WORMHOLE (black circle): immediately open a wormhole. (Applies only in the dimensions.)
SHIELD: reduce by 1 the damage inflicted by a Boss. (Applies only against Bosses.)
SET REROLL (circular arrow marked SET): you may reroll the entire set, cancelling the effect of the previous roll. (Applies everywhere.)
FOUR-DIE REROLL (4 dice): reroll 4 dice, one reroll per die. (Applies everywhere.)
CHOOSE 2 FACES (two dice): change the face of 2 dice of your choice. (Applies everywhere.)
ADDITIONAL PHASES (clock with 1): play all the game phases again; this does not cancel the previous ones. (Applies everywhere.)
1 REQUIREMENT (circle with 1): place one new Requirement token of your choice on a free space. (Applies only in the dimensions.)
2 REQUIREMENTS (two circles with 2): place 2 new Requirement tokens of your choice on 2 free spaces. (Applies only in the dimensions.)

4. Play a second set of dice (optional)

You may play a second set of dice, but it must be different from the one played earlier in phase 2. This phase is optional; if you do not need it, you do not have to roll a second set. For example: if in phase 2 you rolled the white Elemental set, in this phase you may not roll it again; you may instead roll the red Builder set or the black Dimensional set.

5. Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)

Play the bonuses of Requirement cards as described in phase 3. This time, bonuses that involve a dice reroll refer to the set just rolled in phase 4.

You have now completed your phases and the game proceeds with the next player. When all players have finished their phases, the Turn ends, time moves forward one hour, and play continues from the first player.

Requirement Cards

Requirement cards are a fundamental part of the game: thanks to them you can take Artefacts, which are indispensable for defeating the Bosses, and, depending on how many you have, they determine how many dice make up the set you build to defeat the Bosses themselves.

Each deck of Requirement cards contains eight cards per dimension. It is important to remember that you may NOT, under any circumstances, take more than 2 cards per dimension. When you take the 2 cards of the same dimension, you must immediately take the Artefact of the corresponding dimension and set it aside. When you take a Requirement card from the board, immediately replace it by turning a face-down card over onto the free space.

For each Requirement card you possess, whether or not its bonus has been played, you will have one die to add to the set you build to face the Bosses. For example: if you have taken and set aside 9 Requirement cards, your set of dice for facing the Bosses will consist of 9 dice.

To take a Requirement card you must place, on the corresponding dimension, the number of Requirement tokens shown in the top left corner of the card. For example: to take the Temple Requirement card of the Water dimension, you must place 2 Temple tokens on that dimension. Tokens are placed on the squares adjacent to the octagons; each space may hold only one token.

Closing a Dimension

When a dimension is closed, whether because of the timer or because of a player's action, all the Requirement tokens placed on it must be removed and returned to their rightful owners. The Architect pawns on it must immediately be moved, at the discretion of their owners, to another open dimension, onto any free octagon; and the Closed Dimension card is placed on the dimension just closed.

If you are the one deciding, rather than the random roll of the die, you may also close the dimension where your pawn is located. Used strategically, this will allow you to move to another open dimension without using further Game Phases.

It is not possible, under any circumstances, to close a dimension if it is the only one open.

Obviously, whichever dimension has been closed can be reopened by creating a Wormhole.

Entering the Boss Zone

You may enter the Boss zone by creating a Wormhole or by using the Dimensional dice to modify Space. To enter this zone you must have set aside at least 8 Requirement cards; otherwise your entry is denied.

Caution: once you have entered the Boss zone, it is no longer possible to leave it, so take the utmost care not to forget that you must have the Artefacts necessary to defeat the Bosses who will give you the Keys needed to succeed in the mission. For example: the Resolution card asks you to recover the Fire Key, which is guarded by the Fire Boss; to defeat it you need the Water Artefact. If you entered without this Artefact, you cannot beat it and you have automatically failed the mission.

Game Phases in the Boss Zone

Move (optional)
Play the black Dimensional set of dice (optional)
Build and play your set of dice (mandatory)
Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)

1. Move (optional)

To move from one Boss space to another you must first have defeated the Boss of the starting space. In this phase you may move to an adjacent Boss if this is useful for your Resolution card; if instead you must move to a non-adjacent Boss, you must go through phase 2.

If you wish, you may still move onto the space of an adjacent Boss even if you do not need to recover its Key to complete the mission; but in this case you must nonetheless face it.

2. Play the black Dimensional set of dice (optional)

You may roll the black Dimensional set of dice to move to a non-adjacent Boss space. To carry out this action you need 3 Space symbols.

You may also roll the black Dimensional set of dice in order to send time backwards or forwards:

With 3 Time symbols, move the clock backwards or forwards by 3 hours.
With 4 Time symbols, move the clock backwards or forwards by 4 hours.

3. Build and play your set of dice (mandatory)

In this phase you must build your set of dice to face the Boss. For each Requirement card in your possession, whether or not its bonus has been played, you will have one die to add to the set you build. In doing so you must take at least 3 white Elemental dice, 3 red Builder dice and 1 black Dimensional die; the remaining dice that make up the set are your choice.

You are now ready to face a Boss. At the bottom of each Boss is specified the combination of dice and the Artefact you need to defeat it and recover the relevant Key.

For example: to defeat the Fire Boss you need the Water Artefact, 3 Water symbols, 3 Iron symbols and 1 Space symbol.

Caution: as written above, if you do not have the required Artefact, you cannot face the Boss.

Caution: you must not face a Boss again if you already possess its Key; only in this case are you exempt from combat.

4. Play the Bonuses of one or more Requirement cards (optional)

In this phase you may play the bonuses of the Requirement cards you have taken, following the rules described in phase 3 within the dimensions.

Caution: you may play 3 Requirement cards simultaneously, without activating their bonus, to gain one Vital Essence gem.

Combat Rules

Roll the set of dice you have built, following the normal dice rules: set aside 1 or more dice; it is mandatory to always set aside at least 1 die.

After choosing which dice to set aside, roll the remaining dice and follow what is described above: set aside at least 1 die.

For each die set aside that is not useful for the combination needed to defeat the Boss, you suffer one damage, whether or not you have defeated the Boss. For each damage suffered you lose 1 Vital Essence gem at the end of combat. Remaining without Vital Essences is equivalent to your defeat; the other players continue the game normally. If, by defeating the last Boss, you are left without Vital Essence gems, you are defeated even if you have recovered all the Keys.

Caution: if you have completed the combination of one of the 3 colours and still hold dice of that same colour, you must not continue to roll them; instead you must remove them from your hand. These dice do not count as damage suffered. The dice set aside earlier, however, do count as damage suffered.

Example: you must defeat the Fire Boss, and you have 9 Requirement cards, so you build your set with 9 dice: 4 red, 4 white and 1 black. You roll them all at once and a Water and an Iron come up: they are useful, so you set them aside. You roll the remaining dice again and 2 Water come up, which you also set aside. At this point the white dice combination is complete. You still have one white die in hand: it is not rolled again but removed from your hand, and it does not count as damage. You now roll the dice you still hold (red and black): nothing useful comes up, but you must still set one of them aside, and this counts as a damage suffered. Continue rolling the remaining dice, following the rules, until you have set all of them aside.

Bosses

The six Bosses guarding the Keys are:

KUKULKAN: father of dawn, carrier of life and death, shaper of matter, counterweight to Phanes, purveyor of knowledge and tyrant of the skies.
PHANES: primordial divinity that emerged at the dawn of the universe, supreme exponent of the panspermia of all known worlds, conqueror of the emerged lands.
LEVIATHAN: deformed son of the princess, last of the brothers, exiled at birth to wander the depths of the galaxies, feeding on the souls of the damned.
AGNI: undisputed master of fire and of perpetual light, invincible warrior and choleric guardian of the gates of the celestial abysses, beloved despot and slayer of demons.
NEBULA HORSEHEAD: twin of Sagittarius A, creator of galaxies, assassin of exhausted stars, dominator of the infinite, the princess's favourite son.
SAGITTARIUS A: firstborn of ETEREA, twin brother of Nebula, devourer of galaxies and bringer of the mirror universe of all damned beings, manipulator of time and space.

Saving Princess ETEREA and Winning the Game

The first Architect who manages to recover all the Keys and Artefacts required by the Resolution card will have freed Princess ETEREA, saving the entire Universe, and will be immediately declared the winner.

If all the Architects fail the mission, ETEREA will be lost forever.

ETEREA Symbol Legend

Printed on the last page of the booklet.

Requirement tokens: Hurricane, Virus, Life, Energy, Tree, Volcano, Magnetic Field, Monolith, Temple, Village, Energy Shield, Space Station

Artefacts: Infinity Amphora, Primordial Axe, Aulos of the Winds, Sphere of Time, Winged Sceptre, Hammer of Light

Bonuses and game terms: Wormhole, Shield, Set Reroll, Additional Phases, Dice Reroll, Dice Face, 1 Requirement, 2 Requirements, 5 Requirements, Vital Essence gem, Key, Reactivate card, Damage inflicted, Damage suffered, Card, Artefact, Closed Dimension

Dice faces: Cosmos Star, Water, Wind, Earth, Fire, Oblivion Skull (Elemental); Spark, Radiation, Stone, Moscovium (Element 115), Wood, Iron (Builder); Time, Space, Infinity (Dimensional)