Stars of Ilumeïa
Stars of Ilumeïa Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Constellations Across Cultures
Descriptions and depictions of the night sky can be found in almost every human society. In this sense, forms of astronomy existed and still exist in cultures all over the world. This is studied today by the dedicated sciences of "archaeoastronomy" and "ethnoastronomy." But for us humans, stars are more than just glowing points in the dark sky. When we look up at the night sky, they become lines, shapes, and groups joined together. People search for meaning and sense and for patterns. The Latin word "stella" for star is contained in our word "constellation." Stars are perceived as constellations, given names, and linked with legends. Astrologers predict a person's personal fate from the constellations at the time of their birth. The foundation for all of this, the starry sky, is different in the northern hemisphere than in the south of the Earth. So, for example, instead of our "Big Dipper," the southern hemisphere has the "Flying Emu."
In almost all cultures, people see constellations in close relation to faith or spirituality. The celestial bodies form optical and also emotional anchor points in the otherworldly world of the sky, which is otherwise not perceptible to humans through the senses. Stars, and especially constellations, are often regarded as signs of a divine order. They point to central parts of the creation story or stand for mythological figures. Some stand for both, such as the constellation Orion. According to ancient Greek mythology, it was created by the father of the gods, Zeus, to immortalize the brave hunter. Other constellations depict animals important to humans, which are useful partners or can be dangerous. When constellations migrate from one culture to the next, they are often assigned different mythological figures or different animals.
In the various cultures, people therefore interpret constellations in a variety of ways. But constellations are also useful in practical life. In the South Seas, Polynesian seafarers used constellations as a natural compass. They had to navigate their large wooden boats over huge distances. In the endless Pacific, the next island is often far beyond the horizon. The Polynesians navigated by star charts held in their minds. They kept their boats on course, for example, by orienting themselves to the rising and setting of stars or pairs of stars that point toward targeted islands. Or they used the seasonal zenith position of a star above a targeted island. The seafarers had gained this knowledge through observation and passed it down orally over generations. For navigation, these seafarers of Oceania did not rely on the stars alone. The Polynesians also made use of their extensive knowledge of bird flight routes, cloud formations, wave patterns, and changes in the color of the sea.
Background Story
In the distant galaxy of Ilumeïa there are extremely diverse life forms: scattered across countless planets live beings large and small, flying and swimming, warlike and peace-loving. All of them yearn for guidance from a powerful and benevolent deity somewhere in the vastness of space, one they will never see in the flesh, but whose messages they believe they can recognize in the star constellations of the night sky.
Over the millennia they have therefore developed and passed on traditions that are sacred to them. These prophecies tell of the wondrous things that will appear in the sky as an expression of divine power. The planets will follow, and reward, whichever deity fulfills their prophecies most precisely with their constellations.
You play deities competing for the favor of the population of Ilumeïa. To convince the many different beings of your supremacy, you create constellations as impressive as possible. When the prophecies on a planet are fulfilled by your constellations, it will turn to you and thereby increase your power. Which of you will be the most powerful deity of Ilumeïa at the end of the ages?
Game Material
- 50 prophecy cards — 5 sets of 10 cards, sorted by color
- 12 providence cards
- 216 star cards
- 4 helper cards (back: +100 victory points)
- 1 #1 card
- 64 energy/marker dice — 4 sets of 16 dice
- 1 large grey energy die
- 1 golden age marker
- 4 deity boards (fold them together and fix them with the included adhesive dots before the first game)
- 1 game board
- Solo mode only: 1 Obzqurion card (back: solo-mode helper)
Setup
A summary of setup is printed on the back of this booklet.
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Lay the game board in the middle of the table, with the multiplayer side (recognizable by its symbol) face up.
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Sort the prophecy cards by the 5 planets, recognizable by their symbols on the back. Randomly take 4 prophecy cards of each planet, shuffle them separately, and form a small face-down stack with them on the corresponding fields on the game board. The 5 sets of 4 cards marked with this small dot are recommended for a first game. All other prophecy cards go back in the box, since they will not be needed in this game.
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Place the grey energy die on its illustration in the field of the planet Lotzzz.
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Place the age marker on position I of the age track on the game board.
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Each of you chooses a deity board and lays it out in front of you.
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a. Take all the dice matching your color and place them next to your deity board. From this supply, place b. 1 die as a victory-point marker on the "1s" track of your deity board, c. 1 die as a victory-point marker on the "10s" track of your deity board, d. 5 dice as energy dice in the left ("available") energy field of your deity board, and e. 1 die each as a progress marker on the starting fields of the planets Amp-R, Lotzzz, and Vvibon on the game board.
The remaining 6 dice stay next to your deity board as your supply.
If you like, you can leave out the providence cards entirely (e.g. to simplify your first game).
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Shuffle the 12 providence cards and deal 2 of them at random to every deity. Read your two cards, but keep them secret and place them face-down next to your deity board for now. The providence cards that were not dealt out go back in the box, since they will not be needed in this game.
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Shuffle all the star cards and form a face-down draw pile with them.
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Determine which deity will begin: who among you last consciously looked up at the night sky and can tell about it? That person receives the #1 card.
Goal of the Game
As deities, create new constellations and thereby impress the beings on the planets of Ilumeïa. Combine star cards according to certain rules into constellations in order to fulfill the prophecies on the planets. As a reward you receive divine power, measured in victory points (VP), or advantages in the competition with the other deities. After 4 ages, the deity that has earned the most victory points with its constellations wins.
Constellations in Astronomy
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) divided the sky into 88 areas between 1922 and 1928. The goal was not to name fanciful images formed by imagined connecting lines between stars, but to create a division into areas with clear boundaries. These official constellations still have significance in modern astronomy independent of their cultural-historical background, because star catalogs and astronomical databases record which constellation a celestial object is located in, to make orientation easier.
Which constellations are visible in the night sky at any given time depends not only on one's location on Earth, but also on the season. The Pole Star and its surroundings, including the famous Big Dipper, can be seen year-round only from the northern hemisphere and never set. Over the course of the year the Sun moves along the so-called ecliptic through a number of constellations, some of which are known as the signs of the zodiac.
Bright stars that happen to appear, as seen from Earth, in a similar direction are arbitrarily grouped together by us into constellations. Sometimes stars that appear to be neighbors are in fact connected by gravity. They orbit each other in binary star systems or are held together as star clusters that formed from the same cloud. For example, two star clusters — the Hyades and the Pleiades — are located in the constellation Taurus and together form the Golden Gate of the Ecliptic. On the other hand, there are stars that only appear to be close to one another but are in truth very far apart, such as the two brightest stars in the constellation Centaurus: Beta Centauri is more than a hundred times farther from Earth than Alpha Centauri.
Because the Earth orbits the Sun, its position in space also changes over the course of the year. Nearby stars therefore appear to move on small ellipses over the year. This projection effect is called parallax, but it is so small that it does not affect the visual shape of the constellations. So-called fixed stars are therefore not fixed at the same distance in the firmament, but are distributed throughout the three-dimensional space of the Milky Way. Seen from any given planetary system, quite different constellations result.
The Milky Way and a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Andromeda are currently moving toward each other and will merge in a few billion years. This will scramble our night sky: while our Sun will long since have gone out, many new stars will flare up, and stars from Andromeda will pass by us as well. Perhaps "Stars of Ilumeïa" is not set in a fictional galaxy after all, but in the distant future of the merged Andromeda-Milky Way, also called "Milkomeda."
Basics
Properties of Star Cards
You must combine star cards according to given rules into constellations with certain properties. First, learn which properties star cards can have, individually and in combination.
In all 4 corners the stars are shown as small pictograms, which make it easier to arrange the cards in your hand. Use the small pictograms to order star cards in your hand. However, when you lay out a constellation, line the cards up at their full size.
The numbers beneath them indicate how many stars, comets, and flame stars are on the card, making counting easier. Star cards may in principle be rotated 180°.
Stars (S). Every star card shows 1 to 7 stars, connected by lines.
Flame stars (F). The somewhat larger, orange-yellow stars are flame stars. Note: since they are a special kind of star, flame stars are also counted whenever a question asks about the number or position of "stars."
Central stars (Z). This refers to a star at the position exactly in the middle of the star card, both horizontally and vertically. A star card can therefore have either exactly 1 or no central star at all.
Comets (K). A star card can show 0, 1, or 2 comets. There are 4 possible positions in which comets can be shown, and therefore 4 different directions in which they can fly.
Transitions (Ü). A transition is a connecting line between stars that reaches all the way to the edge of the card. Transitions form, so to speak, the "couplings" between 2 star cards. At such points, another star card that matches these transitions exactly must be attached. There are star cards with 1 to 4 transitions. When a question asks about the number of transitions on a single star card, all open transitions at the card's edges are counted. When, however, a question asks about the transitions in an entire constellation, a transition connecting 2 star cards counts only once, not twice.
End stars (E). These are stars that are connected to other stars by only 1 single line.
Diagonals (D). Lines that connect the central star with the stars at the corner positions of the star card are the diagonals. A diagonal always begins at the central star. So if a card shows a continuous line from one corner to the opposite corner, that line consists of 2 diagonals. A star card can show 0 to 4 diagonals.
Levels. All stars lie on 1 of 3 levels: on the middle level or on 1 of the 2 outer levels. Since star cards, and entire constellations, can be rotated 180°, there is NO "upper" or "lower" level. When determining whether stars lie on a certain level, it does not matter whether they are connected by a line or not: only their position is decisive.
Enclosed areas. If a particular area within a constellation is completely surrounded by lines, it forms an enclosed area. This can be on a single card or extend across several cards. The number of stars involved in it is irrelevant.
Example: this star card shows 5 stars, of which 2 are flame stars and 1 is a central star and 1 is an end star; it also has 3 diagonals, 3 transitions, and 1 comet.
Example: this constellation contains 15 stars, of which 3 lie on the middle level and 12 lie on the outer levels; it has 2 enclosed areas.
Rules for Creating Constellations
Creating a constellation means: laying the corresponding star cards from your hand face up on the table.
The following rules apply when creating constellations:
- Star cards are joined together into a constellation in a horizontal row, side by side. Attaching star cards above or below one another is not allowed.
- Star cards may only be used upright. They may be rotated 180° at any time while in hand, e.g. to make the transitions match, but not by 90° or any other angle.
- Star cards may not be laid overlapping or vertically offset from one another.
- Neighboring star cards must match each other exactly at their transitions (see above). Neither card may have a transition without an exactly matching counterpart. No card may be attached to the side of a card that has no transition on that side at all.
- A constellation must be closed off at both ends, i.e. no transitions may remain open. Both ends of a constellation must therefore be formed by star cards that have no transition on 1 side.
- There are some star cards with connecting lines that are not connected to each other. It is allowed for constellations to arise in this way in which not all stars are connected by lines.
- Once created, constellations may not be altered afterward. After a constellation is scored, its cards go onto the "constellations created" pile on the deity board of the deity that created it. Under certain circumstances, changes to that pile can happen later.
- The maximum number of star cards in a constellation is limited by the fact that the number of hand cards is limited to 10, or 11 (see Hand Card Limit).
See the example on the following pages of a constellation that fulfills the conditions named here as well as several prophecies, thereby generating victory points and other bonuses.
Providence Cards
If you like, you can leave out the providence cards entirely (e.g. to simplify your first game).
The providence cards each give you individual conditions that you can work toward secretly during the game. If you fulfill the conditions by the end of the game, you receive victory points for it.
At some point during the game you must decide, once, between the two providence cards you received during setup, and discard the other. You have the opportunity to do so at the end of each preparation phase.
The later you make this decision, however, the fewer victory points you will be able to receive at the end of the game for fulfilling the condition:
- in Age I: 14 VP
- in Age II: 10 VP
- in Age III: 7 VP
- in Age IV: 5 VP
When you make your choice, slide the providence card face-down under your deity board, at the designated spot, far enough from the left that the victory-point number corresponding to that point in time remains visible. Put the other card back in the box.
A ratio value on the providence cards indicates how often the sought-after feature can be found on the star cards of the base game (without expansions).
Prophecy Cards and Their Effects
On all the planets of Ilumeïa there are prophecies that you, as deities, try to fulfill. On the 5 planets Aggroksch, Bræck, Fluuvee, Meculog, and Onumira (see the planet descriptions below), these prophecies change every age. They appear on the prophecy cards.
Cards marked with a small dot are recommended for a first game.
At the top of the prophecy cards, in text and symbol form, is a description of the requirements that this prophecy places on new constellations — along with the planet that this prophecy belongs to. Cards with the solo icon are sorted out of the solo mode.
In the middle are the name of the prophecy and the card number (not relevant to gameplay).
In the lower part, in text and symbol form, is a description of the reward that the deity who wins this prophecy card receives — this is the reward type and any alternative victory points.
Because of the different kinds of rewards, 4 types are distinguished. Each of the 5 planets that have prophecy cards has cards of every type, but in different proportions, totaling 10 cards each. 4 cards of each planet are marked with a small dot as recommended for a first game, because their effects and conditions are relatively simple.
It is recommended to read aloud the effect of a prophecy card just won, for everyone to hear.
Ability. If you have won a prophecy card of this type, you must immediately choose between a permanent ability and victory points:
a. You can use the described ability from now on. Take the card to your deity board and lay it face up there, so everyone can see the ability. It is available to you from now on, permanently. If the described ability relates to the scoring of a constellation, you may also apply it to the scoring of the constellation you just created (but NOT to whether it may be created in the first place!). You may not apply it retroactively to previous turns.
Most abilities relate to your own turns, though some relate to the turns of other deities. Unless stated otherwise, abilities cost you nothing to use.
OR:
b. You can forgo the described ability and immediately record the stated number of victory points on your deity board. Take the card and then place it face-down next to your deity board until the end of the game.
Instant victory points. You immediately receive the stated victory points as soon as you have won such a card. Record the points on your deity board, take the card, and place it face-down next to it until the end of the game.
One-time effect. If you have won a prophecy card of this type, you must immediately choose between the one-time effect (for immediate or later use) and victory points:
a. If you choose the one-time effect, take the card to your deity board and lay it face up there, so everyone can see the described effect. This effect is available to you from now on for one-time use, at any point during one of your own turns. If the described effect relates to the scoring of a constellation, you may also apply it to the scoring of the constellation you just created (but NOT to whether it may be created in the first place!). You may not apply it retroactively to previous turns. When you use the effect, flip the card to its back side until the end of the game. You may not use it again.
OR:
b. You can forgo the described effect and immediately record the stated number of victory points on your deity board. Take the card and then place it face-down next to your deity board until the end of the game.
Final scoring. Prophecy cards of this type bring you a bonus at the end of the game (see Final Scoring) if, at the time of final scoring (NOT at the moment you win the card!), you fulfill the stated conditions. In most cases you must then look through your pile of star cards from constellations you have created and count particular features. When you win such a prophecy card, lay it face up next to your deity board, so everyone can see the described effect. On some of these cards, "before final scoring" is noted. Effects of these cards are carried out at the corresponding point in time (see Final Scoring).
Game Sequence
The game is played over 4 rounds, called ages. The age marker shows the game's progress at the bottom right of the game board.
Each age consists of 3 phases:
- Preparation Phase
- Action Phase — take 3 star cards from the draw pile / take 1 star card from the display / create 1 constellation / pass (a turn without energy) 3A. Cleanup Phase (after ages 1 through 3) / 3B. Final Scoring and Providence Card Scoring (after age 4)
After the last age, final scoring and providence card scoring are carried out.
In each age you take your turns in clockwise order. In the preparation phase and in the action phase, the deity holding the #1 card always begins. In a multiplayer game, the #1 card is passed on during the cleanup phase (see Final Scoring section).
1. Preparation Phase
Carry out the following steps in order:
- Renew the star card display: reveal 8 star cards from the draw pile and lay them out near the game board.
- Reveal the prophecies for the coming age: reveal the top prophecy card of each of the 5 stacks lying on the game board, and lay it face up on top of its stack.
- Give all deities new star cards as follows: 3.1 Deal 4 star cards at random from the face-down draw pile to everyone. Take the 4 star cards you received into your hand and check which of them might be useful to you, also with an eye to the prophecies on display. It will happen during the game that you receive additional star cards through the effects of prophecy cards or through turns without energy (see Hand Card Limit), or that you may keep star cards from the previous age due to progress on Vvibon's scoring track (see the Vvibon planet description). In such cases these cards are added to the 4 you were dealt and give you a larger selection. 3.2 You MUST all now choose 2 of your star cards and place them on the shared discard pile (regardless of how many star cards you have). 3.3 After that you MUST take 1 star card from the display, or the top star card from the draw pile, into your hand.
- At this point you must, once during the game, decide on 1 of your two providence cards. This determines the number of victory points you can win with it at the end of the game.
2. Action Phase
In the action phase, you all take your turns in clockwise order. The following describes, from the perspective of a single deity, how a turn proceeds.
Your Turn and Possible Actions
As long as you have energy available, you MUST carry out exactly 1 action on every turn. 1 action costs you 1 energy: you must push 1 energy die on your deity board from the left ("available") to the right ("used") for it.
As a rule, then, you push 1 energy die into the "used" field on every turn. If, at the end of your turn, you no longer have any available energy dice, you must immediately discard a certain number of remaining star cards (see Hand Card Limit). You can then no longer take actions this age, and instead, whenever it's your turn, take turns without energy until the end of this age (see Hand Card Limit).
As long as you have available energy dice, you have the following 4 possible actions to choose from. Except in a turn where you choose the option Pass, you may also, in addition to your action, perform the 4-for-1 card exchange and/or renew the star card display, once each (see Hand Card Limit).
A) Take 3 star cards from the draw pile. You take the top 3 star cards from the face-down draw pile into your hand. Watch your hand card limit (see Hand Card Limit).
It is always true in this game: whenever a star card would need to be taken from the face-down draw pile but it is empty, the shared discard pile is shuffled and used as the new draw pile. If, in very rare cases, no new draw pile can be formed for lack of star cards, the game ends immediately. Final scoring and providence card scoring then follow (see Final Scoring).
B) Take 1 star card from the display. You take any 1 of the 8 star cards lying face up in the display into your hand. The card you took is immediately replaced from the draw pile, so that 8 star cards are always on display. Watch your hand card limit (see Hand Card Limit).
C) Create 1 constellation. You create a new constellation by laying the corresponding star cards from your hand face up in a row on the table. Observe the conditions a constellation must fulfill (see Rules for Creating Constellations). Show your new constellation to everyone this way. You do not have to use all the star cards in your hand; you simply keep any remaining star cards in your hand without showing them to the others.
Your newly created constellation is scored immediately and can bring you bonuses in various ways. You compare (best done with the help, and under the watchful eyes, of the other players) the constellation against all the requirements of the prophecies of all planets (for the various prophecies and their scoring, see the planet descriptions below). Accordingly you advance your marker on the scoring tracks of some planets, immediately record victory points on your deity board, or may take the face-up prophecy card from the stack of the corresponding planet on the game board. The order in which you process the prophecies of the different planets is not fixed. Sometimes, however, this order can be important in order to receive higher bonuses.
If you collect more than 99 victory points, flip the helper card to its back side ("+100") and continue counting on your deity board starting from 0.
During scoring you may use 1 or more dice to claim prophecies on the planets B'neph and Primos (see their planet descriptions) and thereby receive the respective bonuses. This claiming is itself NOT an action and is therefore permitted in addition to the action Create 1 Constellation.
Example: a constellation fulfills several prophecies at once. If the 4 prophecy cards shown lie on top of the stacks of their planets and you create the constellation shown, you would be very successful with it. Granted, this is a contrived example that would occur only very rarely in the game. More often, a constellation fulfills only 1 or 2 prophecies. But here you can clearly see how 1 well-assembled constellation could fulfill quite a few very different prophecies at the same time. Important: this constellation fulfills all the conditions (see Rules for Creating Constellations), so that it may be created at all.
This example constellation consists of 7 star cards and contains 29 stars, of which 2 are flame stars, 6 are central stars, and 2 are end stars; it has 9 diagonals, 4 comets (of which 2 are enclosed and 2 are not enclosed), 9 transitions, and 3 enclosed areas. 11 stars lie on the middle level and 18 stars lie on the outer levels.
Abilities and one-time effects that you gain during scoring are available to you from that point on. If the described ability or one-time effect relates to the scoring of a constellation, you may also apply it to the scoring of the constellation you just created (but NOT to whether it may be created in the first place!). You may not apply the ability or effect retroactively to previous turns.
If you receive an energy die during scoring, it is available to you from that point on. However, you may NOT use it in the same turn for another action, since your turn only comprises 1 action. For claiming a prophecy (see the B'neph and Primos planet descriptions), you may use newly acquired energy dice immediately, though.
It is permitted, and will often happen, that your newly created constellation fulfills several prophecies at the same time (see example above). In that case you may carry out the corresponding scoring steps, or take the corresponding prophecy cards, in any order you like. The order can matter here, because the various bonuses can affect each other.
Since you may only carry out 1 action per turn, you can only ever create 1 constellation, i.e. as a rule your turn ends after the scoring of your new constellation. Before or after that, however, you may use one-time effects or abilities, and/or carry out the 4-for-1 card exchange as well as renewing the star card display (see Hand Card Limit).
When the scoring of a constellation is complete, place all its star cards, in any order, face up on top of the pile for your created constellations on your deity board, where they are collected for final scoring (see Final Scoring). You may look at and examine your own pile at any time.
If, after your action (possibly including a claim) and after triggering all effects, you have no available energy left, you MUST immediately discard your remaining (though possibly not all) star cards and take turns without energy until the end of the age (see Hand Card Limit).
D) Pass. If, on a new turn, you do not want to take any actions even though you still have energy dice in the left ("available") field, you may pass. Then you MUST push ALL remaining energy dice to the right, to "used." In addition you MUST then immediately discard your remaining star cards and take turns without energy until the end of the age. Exactly how that works, and which star cards you may be allowed to keep, is explained under Hand Card Limit.
Passing is its own action that uses up all remaining energy dice. You cannot therefore pass at the end of a turn after other actions, since passing constitutes its own turn. You may also not, on the turn in which you pass, carry out the 4-for-1 card exchange or renew the star card display (see Hand Card Limit).
The game continues with the next deity clockwise.
End of an Age
The end of an age is signaled when ALL deities have no more available energy. However, all deities must take the same number of turns in this age: therefore some deities may need to take further turns (possibly more than once), in rotation, until the age actually ends. During this it will often happen that deities take turns without energy (see Hand Card Limit) because they have already used up all their energy or have passed. As a result they receive additional star cards, which give them an advantage in the next age.
After that, for all deities, the cleanup phase follows after ages 1 through 3, or final scoring follows after age 4 (see Final Scoring).
Discarding Remaining Star Cards and Taking Turns Without Energy
When, after your action (possibly including a claim) and after triggering all effects, you have no available energy left — OR when you have chosen the Pass action and therefore pushed all energy dice to the right onto "used" —
you MUST immediately discard remaining star cards from your hand onto the shared discard pile. However, this does not necessarily mean you must discard ALL your hand cards: after reaching the 2nd and 4th fields on the Vvibon progress track, you may always, when discarding remaining star cards this way, choose 1 or 2 card(s) respectively to keep and take with you into the next age (of course only if you have any star cards left to spare).
You can, however, still receive star cards until the end of the age in other ways: whenever it is your turn again before the end of the age, you take a turn without energy.
In a turn without energy, you take the top star card from the face-down draw pile, which you additionally take with you into the next age.
In a turn without energy you may not, beyond this, carry out any actions, any 4-for-1 card exchange, or any renewal of the star card display. If you have acquired an ability that grants you bonuses (including victory points) based on the achievements of other deities, you may accept these even without available energy.
Hand Card Limit
You may only hold a certain number of star cards in your hand. The limit is 10 cards at the start of the game, but increases to 11 once you reach the 5th progress step on Vvibon (see the Vvibon planet description).
If you exceed your limit by 1 or more star cards, you MUST immediately discard enough hand cards onto the shared discard pile until you are back at your permitted maximum again. Which of your star cards you discard (old or newly drawn) is up to you. Only after that may you continue with your turn. The 4-for-1 card exchange and the renewal of the star card display (see below) are also not allowed again until you are no longer exceeding your limit.
The hand card limit, and the associated obligation to discard excess cards, applies at all times during the game, not only on your own turn, since it is possible that a particular effect gives you cards even though it is not currently your turn. It is furthermore irrelevant how you came to exceed your limit — whether passively, on receiving new star cards during the preparation phase, in a turn without energy, or through an effect, or actively, through an action in which you take star cards: in every case you must always immediately discard the excess cards.
4-for-1 Card Exchange
At any time during your turn in which you carry out an action other than Pass, you may discard 4 star cards of your choice from your hand onto the shared discard pile and immediately take 1 new star card in return, either from the display OR the top star card from the draw pile. This is not an action and therefore costs you no energy.
You may only do this 4-for-1 card exchange once per turn. You may carry it out right at the start of your turn (i.e. before your action), or during or after your action. You may not, however, carry out the 4-for-1 card exchange in a turn without energy (see above).
You may not carry out the 4-for-1 card exchange if you currently exceed your hand card limit (see above). In that case you must first discard cards until you no longer exceed your limit.
Renewing the Star Card Display
At any time during your turn in which you carry out an action other than Pass, you may discard 3 star cards of your choice from your hand onto the shared discard pile and then immediately carry out a complete renewal of the star card display, by placing all 8 star cards on display onto the shared discard pile and replacing them with 8 new ones from the draw pile. This is not an action and therefore costs you no energy.
You may only do this once per turn. You may renew the star card display right at the start of your turn (i.e. before your action), or during or after your action. You may not, however, renew the star card display in a turn without energy (see above).
You may not renew the star card display if you currently exceed your hand card limit (see above). In that case you must first discard cards until you no longer exceed your limit.
3A. Cleanup Phase
At the end of ages 1 through 3, carry out the following steps:
- Empty the star card display by placing the 8 star cards, in any order, onto the shared discard pile.
- Remove prophecy cards that are still face up on their stacks because they were not won by any deity during the past age, and take them out of the game.
- Reset all markers on the scoring track of the planet Lotzzz to the starting field. The grey energy die, however, stays with the deity that currently owns it (see the Lotzzz planet description).
- Advance the age marker by 1 field.
- Push all energy dice on your deity boards back from the right ("used") to the left ("available"). Do NOT change the position of your victory-point markers.
- Pass the #1 card clockwise (not in solo mode).
Then the game continues with the preparation phase of the next age.
3B. Final Scoring and Providence Card Scoring
After the fourth and final age has ended, final scoring is carried out for all deities in the following order:
- Whoever has a card noting "before final scoring" carries out its effect first. If, in rare cases, the order of the deities matters here, the deity holding the #1 card begins.
- Then all deities who have acquired 1 or more final-scoring cards (NOT the providence card!) score them (see Prophecy Cards and Their Effects). Usually this requires searching through the pile of your own created constellations for star cards with certain features. Further instructions on the prophecy cards must be observed here if applicable. Record the victory points thus earned immediately on your deity boards.
- Only in a game with exactly 3 deities: the 2 deities who each held the #1 card for only a single age receive 3 victory points each as compensation. The back of the #1 card is a reminder of this.
- Finally, everyone reveals their providence card and reads it aloud. Whoever fulfills the condition named on their own providence card receives the victory points that correspond to the point in time at which they decided on that card. For this, the victory points that were visible on the providence card according to how far it was inserted under the deity board are added up. This results in 5, 7, 10, or 14 victory points.
Winning the Game
The deity that now has the most victory points wins, and at the end of the ages is worshipped as the mightiest deity on all the planets of Ilumeïa.
In the event of a tie in points, it is determined which of the tied deities has more star cards among its own created constellations. Should there also be a tie here, these deities share the victory.
Game Variants
- If you want to simplify the game somewhat, you can simply leave out the providence cards.
- If you do not want the properties and effects of a planet with prophecy cards (e.g. the often interactively aggressive cards of Aggroksch) in your game, you can, before the game begins, simply exchange the corresponding card stack for a mix of other prophecy cards.
- Does the shape of a constellation sometimes remind you of something? Make it a house rule, for fun, that every deity must give their own constellations a fitting name!
The Planets and Their Prophecies
On every planet of Ilumeïa, astrologers await the appearance of certain celestial constellations that were announced to them in their prophecies. When a deity fulfills the condition(s) named in a prophecy, it is rewarded with various bonuses. On 5 planets the prophecies change every age, which is shown using the prophecy cards. On the other 6 planets, by contrast, the prophecies always stay the same and are shown on the game board.
In general: whenever the conditions of a prophecy ask for a number with the qualifier "exactly," that number must be met exactly in the constellation in question. When a question asks about the number of a certain feature at a certain position (e.g. "at least 2 enclosed" comets), it is irrelevant whether further identical features exist at other positions (e.g. comets outside an enclosed area) or not.
A) Planets Without Prophecy Cards
These 6 planets place the same requirements on new constellations in their prophecies in every age. The game board tells you what is required to achieve the respective rewards of these planets. Before the game begins, all deities must place 1 die of their color each on the starting fields of the scoring tracks on the planets Amp-R, Lotzzz, and Vvibon. These dice are not energy dice, but serve as progress markers (see Setup). The following examples show situations during the turn of the deity playing the red color.
Suzur. The insectoid beings of Suzur are impressed by comparatively simple constellations already, but in return grant the deity only a small advantage each time. The Suzurians maintain good relations with the planets Primos, Amp-R, and Vvibon, and therefore let themselves be influenced from there.
Whenever you create a constellation, you receive 1 victory point from Suzur, regardless of the number of star cards used, the number of stars, or other factors. If you have claimed the corresponding prophecy on Primos, or reached the corresponding progress on Amp-R or Vvibon, you receive 1 additional victory point per constellation for each of those, so at most 4 in total.
Lotzzz. Over the course of history the giants of Lotzzz have devoted themselves entirely to expansion. On this rocky planet only power, size, and quantity are of social relevance. Accordingly their religion is entirely focused on granting worship only to the deity that can create the most impressive images in the night sky. Their favor is correspondingly fickle, because as soon as a new deity accomplishes a greater work in the night sky, they immediately turn to that one and forget their previous favorite.
Whenever you create a constellation that consists of more star cards than the progress marker currently at the front of the track shows, and at least 5 star cards, you move your marker forward on the field showing the number of star cards just used. You immediately take the grey energy die from the deity board of the deity currently leading in this scoring track (or, at the start of the game, from the game board) and place it in the "available" area of your deity board, regardless of whether it had already been used or not. As long as you own it, you may use it like one of your own energy dice. Claiming prophecies on the planets Primos and B'neph, however, is not allowed with the grey energy die.
Progress markers are only moved when the constellation you just created represents a new record high, not when it uses a smaller or equal number of star cards. Therefore each field of the scoring track has room for only 1 progress marker.
If you already own the grey energy die and then reach a new record on Lotzzz again (whether in the same age or a following one), you push the grey energy die back to the left, to "available." If you had not yet used it at that point, no effect is triggered. The same principle applies to the effect of the prophecy card "They Will Fear You" if you already own the grey energy die and trigger that effect.
At the end of every age, all progress markers standing on the scoring track are reset to the starting field. The deity that owns the grey energy die does NOT lose it as a result, however. This simply makes it easier for the other deities to overtake them in this scoring in the future and thereby get hold of the grey energy die. At the start of a new age, then, a constellation of just 5 star cards is again enough to obtain the grey energy die.
Amp-R. The planet Amp-R does not rotate on its own axis. Its population lives only on the hot, sun-facing side and switched, eons ago, to a purely energetic form of existence in order to escape the hardships of the surrounding inferno. Amp-R-ians feed on the ever-present light and have an abundance of energy, which they can also pass on to the deities they worship. To impress them spiritually, however, a deity must place brightly shining flame stars that can be perceived even against the perpetually bright sky of Amp-R. Amp-R traditionally maintains good relations with Suzur.
For 1 step of progress on this planet's scoring track, a constellation must be created that contains at least the stated number of flame stars. The fields must be passed through step by step from bottom to top. No fields may be skipped, even if the current constellation contains more flame stars than required for the next step.
Every time your progress marker advances, you take 1 energy die of your color from the supply and place it in the "available" area of your deity board. It is available to you from now on, permanently, just like the energy dice you received at the start of the game.
When you reach the third field of the scoring track, you additionally receive, from now on, 1 extra victory point from the planet Suzur for every constellation you create. This effect cannot be applied retroactively, but can already be applied to the constellation you just created. On the fourth field of the scoring track you gain not only 1 energy die, but also, one time only, 3 additional victory points, which you may record immediately on your deity board. Likewise, on the fifth field you gain 5 victory points in addition to the energy die. After that you can receive no further bonuses from this planet.
Progress markers on Amp-R are NOT reset at the end of an age.
Vvibon. The Vvibonian shamans are deeply connected to nature and worship many deities at once. However, they believe those deities to be in permanent competition, vying for the greatest influence on their planet. A deity that fulfills the local prophecies faster than others can expect great rewards. The requirements of the prophecies, however, always become more demanding in a naturally occurring ratio.* Primos and Suzur are friendly with Vvibon and let themselves be influenced by the Vvibonians.
For 1 step of progress on this planet's scoring track, you must create a constellation that contains at least the number of stars named there. The fields must be passed through step by step from left to right. No fields may be skipped, even if the current constellation was created with more stars than required for the next step.
If you create a constellation that contains at least the number of stars named for the next step, you move your progress marker exactly 1 field to the right. You then immediately receive the corresponding bonus, some of which take effect immediately, others only later in the game. The steps that grant victory points are graded from top to bottom in the order in which this field is reached.
Progress does not erase previously earned bonuses, but adds to them. The effects of newly reached progress steps cannot be applied retroactively, but can be used within the same turn.
Progress markers on Vvibon are NOT reset at the end of an age.
The rewards in detail (see also the icon key on the last page):
At the first step of progress there is no bonus. At the second and fourth steps, you may from now on, when discarding remaining star cards, keep 1, and then 1 more, of them from your hand to take into the next age (see Discarding Remaining Star Cards and Taking Turns Without Energy). At the third, sixth, and ninth steps you may immediately record victory points, depending on the order in which this step is reached. The fifth step raises your hand card limit to 11. Once the seventh step is reached, you receive, from now on, 1 additional victory point from the planet Suzur for every constellation you create. At the second-to-last step, you may from now on claim prophecies on the planet Primos even if the number of stars required there is exceeded or undershot by 1.
The Fibonacci sequence is the infinite sequence of natural numbers that begins with the number 1 twice, and in which every following number is the sum of the two numbers preceding it.
Primos. Primos is the only planet that orbits its star alone. The Primosians have therefore long been proud of their uniqueness. This basic idea permeates their entire worldview: for example, their mathematics is based on numbers that are divisible only by 1 and by themselves. They only ever accept deities who fulfill their prophecies with a certain number of stars in the constellation. Primosians value good contact with their neighboring planets and can influence Suzur and B'neph in favor of a deity. The peaceful diplomacy of Vvibon impresses them and sometimes makes them forget their strict rules.
To fulfill a prophecy on Primos, you must create a constellation that contains exactly a certain number of stars. Whenever you succeed in doing this, you have the option (but not the obligation) to claim the fulfillment of the respective prophecy. To do so, immediately after creating the constellation, place 1 of your energy dice from the left field ("available") onto the field with the corresponding number of stars. This energy die stays there until the end of the game, meaning it is no longer available to you for your actions and cannot be retrieved from Primos. This claiming of a prophecy on Primos (and/or on B'neph) is the only case in which you may use additional energy dice, in 1 turn, after the energy die used for the action. Claiming retroactively on later turns is not allowed. Record the victory points won this way immediately on your deity board.
All prophecies on Primos can be claimed by every deity. However, each deity may claim any single prophecy only once. Several dice, but no 2 of the same color, may therefore lie on any one field. Both prophecies that yield the same victory points may be claimed separately.
Most prophecies bring you victory points. You immediately record the stated number of victory points on your deity board when claiming. 2 prophecies on Primos have other effects:
If you fulfill and claim the prophecy with a constellation of 2 or 3 stars, you receive 13 instead of 8 victory points from now on for a prophecy claimed on B'neph. If you fulfill and claim the prophecy with a constellation of 5 or 7 stars, you receive, from now on, 1 additional victory point from Suzur for every constellation created. The effects of these prophecies cannot be applied retroactively, but can be applied to the constellation you just created.
Energy dice already used in the respective age, and also the grey energy die from Lotzzz, cannot be used for claiming on Primos, unless an acquired ability allows this.
Once you reach the eighth progress step on Vvibon, you may claim prophecies on Primos even if you exceed or undershoot the required number of stars by 1. In rare cases this can result in 2 simultaneous claiming opportunities on Primos, of which you may use only 1.
B'neph. It truly takes extraordinary celestial constellations to cause a stir on B'neph. But because the population of this remote planet is very wealthy and known throughout the galaxy for its generosity, their favor can offer deities considerable advantages. They maintain good contact with Primos and Bræck and sometimes pay great attention to their astrological assessments.
As on the planet Primos, the conditions of the 4 prophecies on B'neph must not only be fulfilled, but must also be claimed.
If you fulfill one of the various conditions with your current constellation, you may (but need not) immediately, upon creating a constellation, occupy the corresponding field with 1 of your energy dice from the left field ("available") and thereby claim the prophecy. You then immediately record 8 victory points on your deity board.
The 4 prophecies require exactly 7 comets of any kind, exactly 4 end stars, exactly 8 stars on the middle level, or exactly 6 central stars. Note: the required values must be met EXACTLY.
If you have fulfilled the prophecy "Guardian of Freedom" from Bræck and play that prophecy card, you may exceed or undershoot the required number by 1 when claiming. If you fulfill several conditions at once and use several dice, you can claim several prophecies with 1 constellation.
The energy die you use for claiming stays there until the end of the game, meaning it is no longer available to you for your actions and cannot be retrieved from B'neph. This claiming of a prophecy on B'neph (and/or on Primos) is the only case in which you may use additional energy dice (as markers), in 1 turn, after the energy die used for the action. Claiming retroactively on later turns is not allowed. Energy dice already used, and also the grey energy die from Lotzzz, cannot be used for claiming on B'neph, unless an acquired ability allows this.
Unlike on Primos, each prophecy on B'neph can only be fulfilled by 1 single deity. Therefore each field has room for only 1 marker die.
If you have claimed the corresponding prophecy on Primos, you receive, from now on, 5 additional victory points from B'neph, i.e. 13 instead of only 8.
B) Planets With Prophecy Cards
On these 5 planets, a different prophecy is expected to be fulfilled in every age, as stated on the topmost prophecy card of the corresponding stack on the game board. During the preparation phase of every age, the top prophecy card of all 5 stacks is revealed (see Preparation Phase).
After a card has been won and therefore taken away, it is NOT immediately replaced, i.e. in every age, exactly 1 prophecy is shown on each of these planets, which may then be fulfilled, and thereby won, by a deity. If a prophecy is not fulfilled during the course of an age, and the card was therefore not taken from its planet's stack, it must be removed during the cleanup phase of that age (see Cleanup Phase).
Meculog. On the planet Meculog, machines displaced all biological life forms long ago. For the robots, numbers and mathematical ratios are important. A deity that wants to win the favor of these machines must fulfill correspondingly mathematically shaped prophecies and act especially calculatingly, particularly toward the end of the ages.
Bræck. Freedom is the driving force behind all decisions on Bræck. On this planet, which orbits its star on a very irregular path, all rules, fixed sequences, and restrictions are considered unnatural. Deities are therefore favored there who break the conventions of the sky, and are rewarded for such deeds, since the inhabitants alter the laws of astrophysics through prayer.
Onumira. Thanks to their wealth, the population of Onumira can devote themselves entirely to art and aesthetics. For their favor they often expect particularly beautiful celestial forms from the deities, which for example must be symmetrical or fulfill other, more aesthetically shaped conditions.
There are some prophecies on Onumira that demand symmetry from the constellations. Here only the exact positions of the stars and their connecting lines are relevant. Flame stars are treated like normal stars, and comets are not considered at all. The deities must, however, observe the stated mirror axis, which always runs horizontally or vertically through the middle of the star card. A constellation consisting exclusively of stars on the middle level can also be symmetrical when mirrored along the middle level.
Fluuvee. The water-beings of the planet Fluuvee live and feel with the current that permanently surrounds them: coming and going, becoming and passing away — everything is in flux. They therefore particularly value divine signs that speak of balance and rapprochement. Whoever wins their favor may also hope that this will balance the power relations in the cosmos.
Aggroksch. The Aggrokschians are truly unpleasant company. They are constantly in conflict and seek to gain advantage from it. A deity that wants to fulfill the prophecies of this planet must show strength. It will benefit especially from the spiritual energy of Aggroksch when it comes to attacks against other deities.
State of Research: Is There Extraterrestrial Life?
Either possible answer to this question can seem unsettling. Modern telescopes now allow us to analyze the composition of distant worlds and search for so-called biosignatures. These are chemical fingerprints of substances and processes that, as far as we know, only arise through living beings. One research focus is on exoplanets that orbit other stars and resemble Earth to a greater or lesser degree. However, by focusing so narrowly, we may be overlooking exotic life forms that exist independently of planets or are not even carbon-based.
There are repeatedly sensational reports, for example about the exoplanet K2-18b, which shows indications of biosignatures and might have liquid water beneath its thick atmosphere. More precise analyses of the observational data, however, also allow other interpretations and raise further questions. Instead of a water world, K2-18b could also harbor a life-hostile ocean of lava. And could the detected biosignatures perhaps arise without living organisms after all?
The search for extraterrestrial life therefore remains exciting. Whether or not extraterrestrial civilizations exist, we are, in any case, alone because of the speed of light as a universal speed limit. Interstellar communication, let alone travel to other planetary systems, is practically impossible.
Solo Mode
Designed by Mark Veit
In solo mode you play a duel against the dark god Obzqurion, who, just like you, creates constellations in order to impress the population of Ilumeïa. You win if you have more victory points than Obzqurion at the end of the game.
Obzqurion has, in principle, no hand cards. He therefore also has no hand card limit and no 4-for-1 card exchange. For each of his turns he must spend exactly 1 energy. He has no access to the star card display and cannot renew it either.
Knowledge of the multiplayer rules is assumed for these solo rules. For simplicity, rules identical to the multiplayer game are marked "as usual," and rules that differ from it are marked "unlike usual."
Setup
- Lay out the game board with the side for solo play (recognizable by the symbol on the age track) face up.
- Remove the 6 prophecy cards with the solo icon (3 each from Aggroksch and Fluuvee) from the game. Shuffle the rest as usual, separately, to form face-down stacks of 4 corresponding prophecy cards each on the 5 planets.
- Place the grey energy die on its illustration in the field of the planet Lotzzz.
- Place the age marker on position I of the age track.
- Choose a playing color for yourself and for Obzqurion and lay out the corresponding deity boards. Cover the field for created constellations on Obzqurion's deity board, which is not needed in solo mode, with his card (either the image side or the helper side on the back).
- Equip both victory-point tracks on your deity board and Obzqurion's, as usual, with 1 die each, and the left field "available" with 5 dice of the corresponding color. Equip the separate starting fields of the progress tracks on Amp-R and Vvibon with 1 die each. On Lotzzz, dice go into the shared starting field as usual. The remaining 6 dice each form the supplies, as usual.
- Shuffle the 12 providence cards and draw 2 for yourself. Handle these entirely as usual (including deciding on 1 of the cards and scoring it). Obzqurion, on the other hand, does not use providence cards and has no access to them.
- Shuffle all the star cards and form a face-down draw pile with them.
- Obzqurion receives the #1 card, since he will begin.
Game Sequence
Basically the game sequence in solo mode is as usual. It is played over 4 ages, each consisting of 3 phases (see Game Sequence). You alternate taking turns. The #1 card, however, stays with Obzqurion, since he begins in every age.
1. Preparation Phase
- Renew the star card display as usual.
- Reveal the prophecies for the new age as usual.
- Obzqurion receives no new star cards at this point. Only you receive new star cards, as usual: 3.1 Draw 4 star cards from the pile and add them to any cards you may have been allowed to keep from the previous age. 3.2 You MUST discard 2 star cards. 3.3 You MUST take 1 star card from the display or from the draw pile.
- Once during the game you must, as usual, decide on 1 of your providence cards.
2. Action Phase
For you, the action phase proceeds as usual (see Action Phase), i.e. your 4 possible actions, their costs, carrying out turns without energy, the option of the 4-for-1 card exchange and renewing the star card display, remain unchanged, as do the rules for your hand card limit.
Different rules apply to Obzqurion:
Obzqurion knows no different action options. His turns always proceed the same way. The energy dice on his deity board serve, in a sense, as a round counter: as long as he has "available" energy, you MUST, at the start of each of his turns, push exactly 1 energy die to the right, to "used." After the turn in which he uses his last energy, special rules apply to him (see below). If he owns the grey energy die from Lotzzz, he MUST use it up first.
Obzqurion has, in principle, no hand cards. Instead, you draw new cards for him from the face-down draw pile on each of his turns, and gradually attach them to constellations whenever the opportunity arises. The number of cards drawn depends on the chosen difficulty level (see Difficulty Level).
You arrange Obzqurion's star cards into constellations in up to 3 rows of cards stacked on top of each other. These rows must always be started, on the left, with a star card that has a transition on only 1 side. Starting from these starting cards, you MUST, following certain rules (see below), attach newly drawn star cards on the right side and extend the constellations in this way, until they are completed according to the usual rules (see Rules for Creating Constellations). Subsequently rotating, removing, exchanging, or otherwise altering already placed cards, as well as inserting further star cards in between, is not allowed.
On Obzqurion's turn, you first draw 1 star card from the face-down draw pile and proceed according to the following rules. Keep in mind that, as usual, you may generally rotate star cards 180°. The rules are to be applied in priority order from top to bottom.
- If you draw a star card that can, according to the rules (see Rules for Creating Constellations), be legally attached to the right of 1 of Obzqurion's displayed rows of cards, you MUST attach it there.
- If you draw a star card that could be attached to several rows of cards, you MUST attach it to the longest one. If several rows of cards are of equal length, you MUST attach it to the one positioned further up.
- If you could attach a star card in 2 orientations (i.e. rotated 180°), you MUST attach it in the orientation in which you drew it from the pile.
- If, in very rare cases, a decision must be made between several possible courses of action, you MUST choose whichever is best for Obzqurion.
- If you draw a star card that has transitions on only 1 side, and which cannot be attached to an already displayed row of cards according to the previous rules, you MUST start a new row of cards with this card, provided the maximum of 3 rows of cards has not yet been reached. This is therefore how you must proceed at the start of the game, and whenever no star card is yet displayed for Obzqurion at all. If 3 rows of cards are already displayed (regardless of how many cards they contain), you MUST place the drawn card on the discard pile.
- A constellation of Obzqurion's may comprise at most 10 star cards. If a row of cards already has 9 star cards laid out in a row, you MUST complete the constellation with the last star card you attach there. If that is not possible, you may not attach it there, but may instead attach or lay it out elsewhere, or, if that too is not possible, must discard it.
- If you draw a star card that you cannot attach or lay out according to these rules, you place the card on the discard pile.
Then you draw the next star card from the draw pile and proceed with it in the same way.
Obzqurion's turn ends as soon as 1 of these 3 circumstances occurs:
- Obzqurion has completed and scored a constellation (see below).
- Obzqurion has attached or laid out 3 star cards.
- Obzqurion has reached the maximum number of star cards to be drawn. This limit is defined by the chosen difficulty level (5 to 7 cards, see Difficulty Level). For this count, it does not matter whether you were able to attach or lay out the drawn star cards for Obzqurion or had to discard them, since only the number of cards drawn matters.
If a constellation for Obzqurion is completed this way, it is scored immediately (see below). You then place the corresponding star cards on the shared discard pile, since Obzqurion does not need to keep completed constellations. If a constellation was completed from the topmost or middle row of cards and its cards were therefore removed, you MUST shift the other rows of cards up and forward as needed, so that the lower row(s) is/are always free.
Obzqurion scores constellations differently than usual, and accordingly wins victory points in a different way:
Obzqurion fulfills the prophecy of a planet with prophecy cards. If his just-created constellation fulfills 1 or more prophecies that are placed on prophecy cards, he receives, for each, a flat 7 victory points instead of the printed effect or bonus of the card. The lower half of prophecy cards that Obzqurion wins is therefore not relevant in solo mode. Prophecy cards won by Obzqurion can therefore be taken directly out of the game.
Obzqurion fulfills the prophecy of a planet without prophecy cards.
- From Suzur, Obzqurion receives victory points as usual (possibly plus bonuses from other planets).
- If a new constellation of Obzqurion's fulfills the conditions for claiming 1 or more prophecies on Primos and/or B'neph, and the corresponding fields have not yet been occupied according to the usual rules, you MUST carry out this claim (these claims) for him and immediately credit him with the victory points won this way. You must therefore check, for every new constellation of Obzqurion's, whether a claim is possible. Unlike usual, and in contrast to your own play, Obzqurion carries out claims generally with dice from the right field ("used") on his deity board. If no die is available there, the claim cannot be carried out. If several claims are possible at the same time but not enough used energy dice are available, claims on B'neph must be given priority over those on Primos.
For progress on the scoring tracks of the planets Amp-R, Lotzzz, and Vvibon, the usual, printed criteria and rules also apply to Obzqurion.
- When Obzqurion's progress marker is advanced on Vvibon, he receives, in part, different bonuses than you. When his marker reaches a field on his scoring track that shows a die, you MUST take 1 die from his supply and place it in the left field ("available") on his deity board, which is then available to him from now on. On the shared fields of both scoring tracks, the printed bonuses are awarded to you and Obzqurion according to the usual rules, whereby, for victory-point fields, the order in which they are reached is decisive.
- On Amp-R, Obzqurion wins the same bonuses as you for progress on his scoring track, except that he only receives 1 die from his supply for the 3 lower steps (instead of for all 5), which you then place in the left field ("available") on his deity board.
- On Lotzzz, Obzqurion competes with you as usual for the grey energy die. The same usual rules and restrictions for the use of the grey energy die apply to him.
The end of an age is signaled as soon as both you AND Obzqurion have no more energy. As usual, you and Obzqurion must take the same number of turns in every age.
Discarding remaining star cards and turns without energy. When you have no more energy left, the usual rules for discarding remaining cards and taking turns without energy apply to you (see Discarding Remaining Star Cards and Taking Turns Without Energy). Different rules apply to Obzqurion in this case: when he uses up his last energy die in an age, you MUST, at the end of that turn, place all of his already-displayed star cards (i.e. unfinished constellations) onto the discard pile. As long as you yourself still take further turns, you MUST carry out his own kind of turn without energy for him each time: on each of Obzqurion's turns without energy, draw star cards from the draw pile for as long as needed until you can attach or lay out 1 star card for him OR until you reach the maximum number of cards to be drawn. On a turn without energy, however, Obzqurion may not complete a constellation. If you could attach a star card to one of his constellations that would thereby complete it, you may not attach it there, but may instead attach or lay it out elsewhere, or, if that is also not possible, must discard it without replacement. Obzqurion carries star cards laid out this way into the next age.
3A. Cleanup Phase
At the end of ages 1 through 3, follow steps 1 through 5 of the cleanup phase as usual (see Cleanup Phase). Any unfinished constellations of Obzqurion's that arose from his turns without energy remain laid out and are carried into the next age.
3B. Final Scoring and Providence Card Scoring
Since Obzqurion uses neither final-scoring cards nor providence cards, you only need to carry out their scoring for yourself after age 4. Then compare your victory points with Obzqurion's:
- Obzqurion has more victory points than you: You have lost. Your opponent banishes you forever to a dark cave on Lotzzz, and so your name will already be forgotten by the next age.
- You are tied in victory points: A fragile draw. For now you try to rule Ilumeïa in a balance of power, but representatives of all the planets gather on Primos for a conference and press for a swift, final decision in another duel.
- You have 1 to 5 more victory points: You have won narrowly. Apart from the tiny insect-beings of Suzur, no one is truly satisfied with your show of power.
- You have 6 to 10 more victory points: You have won. The population worships you, but not wholeheartedly. In the garden of heavenly beauty on Onumira, therefore, no statue will be erected for you.
- You have 11 to 20 more victory points: You have won. Your deeds are spoken of respectfully on the planets, yet in secret writings many seers and shamans doubt your abilities. The six-winged sparrows of Vvibon whistle songs about your impending downfall...
- You have 21 to 30 more victory points: You have won. Everywhere you are honored, fairly contentedly, at occasional celebrations, but awe of your deeds slowly fades like an iceberg in the vast ocean on Fluuvee.
- You have at least 31 more victory points: You have won. You will watch over the planets of Ilumeïa forever!
Difficulty Level
The difficulty level is controlled by how many star cards you draw for Obzqurion on each of his turns at most (see Action Phase):
- Easy: at most 5 cards
- Normal: at most 6 cards
- Hard: at most 7 cards
Epic variant: in addition to the highest difficulty level, Obzqurion may attach or lay out 4 star cards per turn instead of 3. In addition, if he has only 1 energy available at the start of his turn, he may take exactly 1 star card from the display to complete a constellation. In this case, begin Obzqurion's turn as follows: check, in order, sorted by the length of his unfinished constellations and starting with the longest, whether there is a card in the display with which the respective constellation could be completed. Examine the display row by row and from left to right, and take the first star card that allows a completion. Then carry out normal scoring of the new constellation. A mere extension is not allowed. Only carry out Obzqurion's usual card-drawing process if no completion would be possible this way.
Icon Legend
The rulebook and game components use pictograms for the following recurring concepts: star(s); 1 star on any outer level; star card(s); both outer levels; hand card(s); middle level; star card display; victory point(s) (VP); flame star(s); make progress; central star(s); visible / player's choice; end star(s); invisible / random; created constellation(s); 1 other deity; transition / transitions; all other deities; diagonal(s); in the lead; enclosed area(s); deities with more VP than you; comet(s), also in combinations, e.g. a diagonal with its associated flame star; marker die; available energy die; used energy die; spend energy = push to the right; regain energy = push to the left; grey energy die from Lotzzz; take star card(s) from the draw pile; take star card(s) from the display; create a constellation; pass; hand card limit; take; allowed / valid / complete / fulfilled; forbidden / invalid / none; discard / remove; results in / leads to / brings; age; #1 card; prophecy card(s); providence card(s); instant victory points; ability; one-time effect; final scoring.
Summary
A condensed setup and turn-sequence reference is printed on the back cover for quick play reference; the full rules above take precedence.
Setup: 1. Lay out the game board. 2. Place 5 stacks of 4 prophecy cards each on the game board. 3. Place the grey energy die on Lotzzz. 4. Place the age marker on the age track. 5. Lay out the deity boards. 6. Place dice: 2 victory-point markers and 5 energy dice on the deity boards, 3 progress markers on the game board, 6 remaining as supply. 7. Deal 2 providence cards each. 8. Prepare the star card draw pile. 9. Assign the #1 card.
Game sequence:
- Preparation Phase — renew the star card display (8 cards); reveal prophecy cards on the 5 planets; distribute new star cards (deal 4 each, plus any kept cards; discard 2 each; take 1 from the display or draw pile); (once per game) choose a providence card.
- Action Phase — take turns in rotation; exactly 1 action to choose per turn (= 1 energy), namely: take 3 star cards from the draw pile, take 1 star card from the display, create 1 constellation, or pass. 3A. Cleanup Phase (after ages 1-3) or 3B. Final Scoring and Providence Card Scoring (after age 4).
Solo mode: see the Solo Mode rules above.