TEXT: The Quiet Year
  A game by Joe Mcdaldno
   
  Special thanks to the Patrons of the Seasons:
  Cheryl Trooskin-Zoller
  Dylan Nix
   
  Andy Moore
   
   
  Stephen Scapicchio
  
  Chapter One: 
  Gather
  As the facilitator, read this entire 
  book and complete the tasks outlined 
  in this chapter prior to inviting 
  others to join you at the table.
  What This Is
  This is a map-drawing game. You collectively explore 
  the struggles of a community, trying to rebuild after the 
  collapse of civilization. It’s a game about community, 
  difficult choices, and landscapes. When you play, you 
  make decisions about the community, decisions that 
  get recorded on a map that is constantly evolving. Parts 
  of the map are literal cartography, while other parts 
  are symbolic. Players work together to create and steer 
  this community, but they also play devil’s advocate and 
  introduce problems and tensions into the game.
  Supplies
  The Quiet Year requires 2-4 players and 2-4 hours.
  In addition, it requires:
  •	 A blank piece of letter-sized paper
  •	 Pencils, erasers, and an index card
  •	 Six dice (smaller is better)
  •	 20 Contempt Tokens (possibly stones or glass beads)
  •	 A deck of The Quiet Year cards
  •	 At least one copy of the summary card
  If you don’t have a deck of The Quiet Year cards, 
  instead use a deck of regular cards with The Oracle, 
  available at buriedwithoutceremony.com/thequietyear
  Preparing Your Space
  Some preparation is required before you are ready 
  to teach The Quiet Year to others. Begin by clearing 
  your table or play space of any unnecessary objects. 
  Aim for a minimal environment.
  Separate the deck into the four suits (representing 
  four seasons). Place each in a separate stack. Place 
  the blank piece of paper in the centre of the table - it 
  will become the map of your area. Around it, array 
  the remaining supplies: the pencils, dice, Contempt 
  tokens, summary cards, and index card.
  Write the following column headings on the long 
  edge of the index card, leaving plenty of space for 
  each: Abundances, Scarcities, and Names.
  A Fleeting Year
  A full-length game of The Quiet Year tends to run 
  3-4 hours including teaching time. If you’d prefer 
  to play a shorter game, you can do so with this 
  adjustment: before play, remove 4 cards from each 
  of the suits (which represent seasons). Make sure to 
  remove the King of Diamonds (Summer), and make 
  sure to keep the King of Spades (Winter) in the  
  cards you play with.
  
  Chapter Two: 
  Survey
  As the facilitator, you will read the 
  regular text of this chapter aloud 
  to the group, following the 
  instructions written in italics.
  The Opening Story
  Read aloud.
  For a long time, we were at war with The Jackals. 
  Now, finally, we’ve driven them off, and we’re left 
  with this: a year of relative peace. One quiet year, 
  with which to build our community up and learn 
  again how to work together. Come Winter, the Frost 
  Shepherds will arrive and we might not survive the 
  encounter. This is when the game will end. But we 
  don’t know about that yet. What we know is that 
  right now, in this moment, there is an opportunity  
  to build something.
  Explaining the Tools
  Let’s start by familiarizing ourselves with our tools.
  Point to the blank page. This is our map. Before playing, 
  we’ll establish some of the landscape. As we play, we’ll 
  update the map to reflect new discoveries, conflicts, 
  and opportunities. Parts of the map will be literal 
  cartography and other parts will be symbolic. We’ll 
  try to avoid writing words on it, though common 
  symbols are fine.
  Throughout the game, we’ll all be responsible for 
  drawing on this map. It’s fine to draw poorly or 
  crudely, but all of us are going to draw.
  Point to the dice. These are project dice. When our 
  community starts a project, we’ll place one on the 
  map to note how many weeks it will take to finish. 
  Each week, they tick down by one. When a die 
  reaches zero, the project is complete.
  Point to the Contempt Tokens. These are Contempt 
  Tokens. They represent any tension and frustration 
  that might arise in the community.
  Point to the summary card. This is a summary card. It’ll 
  remind us what to do each week of The Quiet Year, 
  and in what order.
  
  Explaining the Deck
  ♥
  ♦
  ♣
  ♠
  Spring
  Summer
  Autumn
  Winter
  Point to the four suits in turn, and explain that they 
  correspond to the four seasons. Taking the stack of spades, 
  show everyone the King of Spades. 
  When this card is drawn, the game will be over. It 
  could come at any time during Winter.
  Shuffle the spades, and place them face-down on the table. 
  Shuffle the clubs, and place them on top. Repeat with 
  diamonds, and finally with hearts. As you shuffle each 
  suit, remind the group of its season.
  Who We Are
  We all have two roles to play in this game. The first is 
  to represent the community at a bird’s eye level, and 
  to care about its fate. The second is to dispassionately 
  introduce dilemmas, as scientists conducting an 
  experiment. The Quiet Year asks us to move in and 
  out of these two roles.
  We don’t embody specific characters nor act out 
  scenes. Instead, we represent currents of thought 
  within the community. When we speak or take 
  action, we might be representing a single person or 
  a great many. If we allow ourselves to care about the 
  fate of these people, The Quiet Year becomes a richer 
  experience and serves as a lens for understanding 
  communities in conflict.
  We’ll also be presented with opportunities to 
  introduce new issues for the community to deal with. 
  This will often happen when we draw cards or use the 
  Discover Something New action. By dispassionately 
  introducing dilemmas, and then returning to our 
  other role as representatives of the community, we 
  create tension and make the community’s successes 
  feel real. If there’s an issue you struggle with in real 
  life (like whether violence is ever justified), introduce 
  situations that call it into question.
  Sketching Terrain
  Before the game begins, we must establish some facts 
  about the community and what its surroundings are 
  like. We begin with a brief discussion (taking two 
  minutes at most) of the general terrain and habitat 
  of the area. This can be as simple as someone saying, 
  “how about a community in a rocky desert?” and 
  everyone else nodding in agreement. At this point, 
  each of us should introduce one detail about the local 
  terrain. When we introduce our detail, we then sketch 
  our contribution onto the map. These sketches should 
  be rough and simple, leaving lots of blank space for 
  additions during play. The community itself should 
  be fairly large on the map, perhaps occupying a third 
  of the sheet. Unless otherwise stated, assume that our 
  community has 60-80 members.
  As an example, a group might decide to set their 
  game in a forest. The first player introduces the detail: 
  “Alright, the forest is full of young, spindly trees.” 
  The next player adds, “And it’s nestled within a steep 
  mountain range.” The third player adds, “We’ve taken 
  up residence in an old mining camp.” The final player 
  says, “And the trees in this area have all been clearcut.” 
  As details are added, the players draw them on the map.
  Everyone should introduce a detail and draw it on the 
  map before proceeding.
  Starting Resources
  Next, we each declare an important resource for the 
  community, something which we might have in either 
  abundance or scarcity.
  Some examples are:
  •	 clean drinking water
  •	 a source of energy
  •	 protection from predators
  •	 adequate shelter
  •	 food
  Choosing a resource makes it important, if it wasn’t 
  already. If you pick ‘gasoline,’ it becomes something 
  that your community wants and needs.
  As a group, we now choose one of those resources 
  to be in Abundance. It gets listed on the index card 
  under Abundances, and whoever called it now draws 
  an abundance of this resource on the map. The other 
  resources get listed as Scarcities, and the players who 
  called them draw their absence or scarcity on the 
  map somehow. Remember that symbols and symbolic 
  representations are fine, but words should be avoided.
  Have everyone declare a resource and decide which one is 
  in Abundance. Update the map to reflect before proceeding.
  
  Chapter Three: 
  Rules
  Pass the book around the table, 
  letting everyone take turns 
  reading these sections aloud to the 
  group. Once you have finished 
  this chapter, begin play.
  Drawing Cards
  As there are 52 cards, there are 52 weeks. We 
  won’t necessarily get to play all of them - the Frost 
  Shepherds could arrive any time during Winter.
  Most cards have two options to choose from, 
  separated by an ‘or…’ divider. Pick the option that you 
  find the most interesting and fitting, and read the text 
  aloud. The card might ask you a question, bring bad 
  news, or create new opportunities. Many cards have 
  specific rules attached to them, which are written in 
  bold text. If you drew the card, it’s up to you to make 
  the decisions that the card requires.
  If a card asks you a question, think about whether your 
  answer could be represented on the map somehow. If 
  it fits, update the map to reflect this new information. 
  For example, if the card asks you about the sleeping 
  quarters for the community, you might end up 
  drawing a row of tents near the edge of the forest.
  The Week
  The basic unit of play in The Quiet Year is the week. 
  Each week is a turn taken by one player, with play 
  proceeding clockwise around the table. Weeks should 
  take an average of 2-3 minutes to complete.
  During each week, the following things happen: 
  •	 The active player draws a card, reads the relevant 
  text aloud, and resolves it. They follow all bold text. 
  •	 Project dice are reduced by 1, and any finished 
  projects are updated. 
  •	 The active player chooses and takes an action 
  (Discover Something New, Hold a Discussion,  
  or Start a Project).
  
  Discover Something New
  One of the action types is Discover Something New. 
  Introduce a new situation. It might be a problem, 
  an opportunity, or a bit of both. Draw that situation 
  onto the map. Drawings should be small and simple: 
  smaller than an inch, finished within thirty seconds.
  Whenever things seem too controlled or easy, 
  we can use this action to introduce new issues 
  and dilemmas. When individual characters get 
  introduced, we’ll give them names, and record those 
  names on our index card.
  Some example situations:
  •	 There’s a dried-up well located at the edge of town.
  •	 Mangy wolves have been slinking around the woods.
  •	 There’s a broken-down waterwheel a mile upstream.
  •	 Strange wailing noises come from the forest at night.
  •	 A self-declared prophet arrives.
  Working on Projects
  Unless your card specifically told you otherwise (in 
  bold text), the next step is to reduce each project die 
  on the map by 1. If a project reaches 0, the die gets 
  removed and the project is completed. Whoever 
  started the project gets to tell everyone how it turns 
  out, and update the map to reflect its completion.
  If a project finishes early (because a card says that “a 
  project finishes early” in bold text), it is instead the 
  responsibility of the active player to tell everyone how 
  it turns out and to update the map.
  If your card’s bold text had you place a project die on 
  the map just a moment ago, that die doesn’t reduce 
  during this week. It’s just now getting under way.
  When a project gets completed, it is assumed that it 
  went successfully and is beneficial to the community. 
  In some cases, it might make sense to have an 
  investigative project end with a hope dispelled. Even 
  in these cases, the completion of a project should 
  always feel like a step forward, not backward. This 
  doesn’t always mean that the whole community is 
  happy with the results, though.
  Start a Project
  The final action type is Start a Project. You choose a 
  situation and declare what the community will do to 
  resolve it. There is no consultation about this idea - 
  the community simply begins work.
  Some example projects:
  •	 We’re converting the mineshaft into a cold  
  food storage.
  •	 We’re killing those wolves.
  •	 We’re going to sacrifice a newborn on the night of 
  the full moon, to appease the Windwalkers.
  As a group, quickly decide how many weeks the 
  project would reasonably take to complete (minimum 
  1 and maximum 6). Remember that you are a small 
  community. It isn’t easy or quick to build a house 
  or repair a waterwheel. Do you have the necessary 
  tools and expertise to do this? Be generous with your 
  assumptions, but do remember that scarcity and 
  difficulty are the norm. If a project would reasonably 
  take longer than six weeks to complete, it will need to 
  be completed in stages.
  Place a die on the map wherever the project is taking 
  place, with the die face matching the number of 
  weeks it will take to complete.
  Hold a Discussion
  Another of the action types is Hold a Discussion. You 
  can choose to open with a question or a declaration. 
  Starting with you and going clockwise, everyone 
  gets to weigh in once, sharing a single argument 
  comprised of 1-2 sentences. If you opened with a 
  question, you get to weigh in last. If you opened with 
  a declaration, that’s it for you.
  A discussion never results in a decision or summation 
  process. Everyone weighs in, and then it’s over. This 
  is how conversations work in communities: they are 
  untidy and inconclusive affairs.
  Each discussion should be tied to a situation on the 
  map. When a discussion ends, mark the situation it is 
  attached to with a small dot.
  Some example conversations include:
  •	 Should we retaliate against the bikers? (Or, if 
  leading with a declaration: We should abstain  
  from retaliation or violence.)
  •	 Could we use the school-bus as a sleeping area  
  for the village children?
  It’s important that we stay concise. If any of us feel 
  like we have more to say on a topic, we can always 
  hold another discussion about it at a later point.
  
  Contempt
  If ever you feel like you weren’t consulted or honoured 
  in a decision-making process, you can take a piece of 
  Contempt and place it in front of you. This is your 
  outlet for expressing disagreement or tension. If 
  someone starts a project that you don’t agree with, you 
  don’t get to voice your objections or speak out of turn. 
  You are instead invited to take a piece of Contempt.
  Contempt will generally remain in front of players 
  until the end of the game. It will act as a reminder 
  of past contentions. Its primary role is as a social 
  signifier. In addition, you can discard it back into the 
  centre of the table in two ways: by acting selfishly and 
  by diffusing tensions.
  If you ever want to act selfishly, to the known 
  detriment of the community, you can discard a 
  Contempt token to justify your behaviour. You 
  decide whether your behaviour requires justification. 
  This will often trigger others taking Contempt 
  tokens in response.
  If someone else does something that you greatly 
  support, that would mend relationships and 
  rebuild trust, you can discard a Contempt token to 
  demonstrate how they have diffused past tensions.
  Updating Resources
  At the start of the game, we’ll have one resource in 
  Abundance and at least that many in Scarcity. These 
  lists serve as guides for interpreting the health of the 
  community. Throughout play, we’ll update these lists 
  to reflect changes in our circumstances, whenever 
  we feel that it is appropriate to do so. Maybe the 
  completion of a project alleviates a Scarcity or creates 
  an Abundance. Some weekly cards will alter these 
  lists as well.
  Balancing the Actions
  Discover Something New lets us introduce new 
  situations and dilemmas into the game. Hold a 
  Discussion lets us all talk about the state of the map 
  and the community. Start a project lets us solve our 
  problems and grow. By respecting this division of 
  purpose, we make sure each week involves making 
  important decisions. 
  It’s important that we respect the purpose and 
  balance of the three types of action. We shouldn’t use 
  Discover Something New to skirt our problems by 
  conveniently encountering the very supplies we lacked. 
  We shouldn’t Hold a Discussion about situations we 
  haven’t even mentioned or introduced yet.
  Pacing
  At the beginning of the game, we’ll only have a basic 
  sketch of the landscape. From this humble place, a 
  rich tapestry will emerge. How, and at what pace?
  The cards of Spring will ask us a lot of questions, 
  which will establish more about the landscape and 
  the inner workings of our community. We should use 
  Spring to become familiar with the mechanics and 
  structure of the game. There won’t necessarily be a lot 
  of tension or conflict during Spring, and this is fine. 
  In Summer, larger threats and greater progress will 
  both emerge. We’ll begin to define our community 
  through our actions, and some seeds of discontent 
  will likely be sown. In Autumn, danger and failure 
  become more visible and serious. This will be the 
  most trying season. In Winter, the community will 
  continue its work and preparations, and as players we 
  will contend with the dramatic irony of knowing that 
  the Frost Shepherds could arrive at any moment.
  If ever the map feels lacking or the community seems 
  to have domesticated the world around it, we can 
  introduce new dilemmas. What happens when a child 
  murders his mother? What happens when someone 
  screws up and it costs us a food supply?
  You’re ready to start, now. Play to find out what happens.
  Restraint
  In playing The Quiet Year, we must refrain from 
  free-wheeling discussion about what to do next. 
  There are specific mechanics in the game for 
  discussing community issues and demonstrating our 
  displeasure. When we play, we won’t speak out of 
  turn or attempt to circumnavigate these mechanics. 
  These rules work to demonstrate how difficult it is 
  to engage the entire community in conversation, 
  and how tensions and disagreements tend to linger 
  across weeks or even months.
  We’ll also be careful to avoid character narratives. In 
  The Quiet Year, characters will likely emerge who 
  we identify with. They’ll have names. They’ll be tied 
  into interesting situations on the map. The game will 
  falter, however, if we try to use these mechanics to tell 
  a story about any one of these individuals. As much 
  as possible, we should keep the focus of the game 
  on the community’s wants and needs, and the ways 
  that decisions get made about them. We should use 
  named characters to support that larger, bird’s eye 
  view - and not the other way around.
  
  Parsing
  Should you feel that someone has misinterpreted the 
  rules, pause them. Find the relevant section of the text 
  and read it aloud. As much as possible, call attention 
  to how the rules function, rather than why you think a 
  specific player has misused them. Allow players to be 
  the ultimate arbiters of their own contributions.
  Dividing the Community
  Sometimes, factions arise within the community and 
  clash in such a way that no resolution seems possible. 
  Circumstances might lead the community to divide 
  itself into two camps, perhaps as a large project. The 
  rules function exactly the same, but player voices might 
  now represent members of neighbouring communities. 
  Contempt can arise both within and between the two 
  communities. Discussions can be held about mutual 
  issues and also the issues specific to each camp.
  Indoors
  If your game is set in an underground or indoor 
  environment, some creative interpretations may be 
  necessary for certain cards. For example, ‘weather’ 
  might refer to air circulation and ground tremors.
  Chapter Four: 
  More
  As the facilitator, be familiar with 
  these sections. During play, you 
  may reference and read sections 
  from it whenever they seem 
  relevant or important.
  Weird Artifacts
  The Quiet Year takes place after the collapse of 
  civilization, which likely means that the landscape is 
  apocalyptic and strange. Players may differ in their 
  preferences concerning how much ‘strange’ they want 
  introduced into the game. This is especially true for 
  advanced technologies, post-apocalyptic mutations, 
  and supernatural elements. It’s a good idea to keep 
  the ‘strange dial’ fixed once the community is midway 
  through Summer. Use the game setup and Spring to 
  establish whether strange elements exist in the game, 
  and then the rest of the year to build on those answers.
  The Shepherds Arrive
  During play, it’s best to leave the Frost Shepherds an 
  elusive mystery - perhaps hinting at what they might 
  be, but never directly answering.  The game ends 
  abruptly when the King of Spades is drawn. The card 
  is read aloud, and the game immediately concludes. 
  Once the game is over, it is fine to talk about what 
  the Frost Shepherds might have been, what their 
  arrival might have meant for the community, or any 
  of the other situations that were faced throughout 
  their year. With the game over, the limits placed on 
  communication and discussion are suddenly lifted.
  
  Chapter Five: 
  Examples
  These two examples are designed to 
  illustrate how the game works and 
  the mechanics interact with one 
  another. It should be referenced 
  to clear up any confusion that 
  might arise.
  Kate: I’m into the coast. Let’s go with that. For 
  details: maybe our community is built right next to a 
  wide inlet.
  Kate quickly sketches an inlet, and draws some crude 
  waves to indicate which part is water.
  Raj: I’d like it if there was a lighthouse, and maybe a 
  small storehouse attached to it.
  Raj sketches a three-quarter view of a lighthouse, and 
  puts a small rectangle next to it, depicting the storehouse.
  Lisa: Alright, that leaves me. I want the area just 
  inland of the lighthouse to be swampy and full of tall 
  grasses. That’s where the inlet leads.
  Lisa draws some wavy lines and light shading to indicate 
  bog, and draws a couple grass clumps. Having finished 
  sketching the initial landscape, she moves on to read the 
  Starting Resources section.
  Lisa: Remember that these resources we name might 
  be in Scarcity or in Abundance.
  Raj: I choose fish.
  Lisa: I’m going with drinkable water as mine.
  Setting Up: An Example
  Lisa, Raj, and Kate sit down to play The Quiet Year 
  together. Lisa is facilitating the game, and has already 
  prepared the supplies as instructed in Chapter 1. She 
  invites Raj and Kate to sit down with her.
  Lisa: Alright. Thanks for agreeing to play this game 
  with me. I’m excited! I’m going to start with reading 
  some text to you, and then we’ll collaborate on a few 
  setup activities.
  Lisa reads The Opening Story aloud, and then pauses 
  for a moment to let it sink in. She then moves through 
  the Explaining the Tools section, following the italicized 
  instructions and reading the regular text aloud. She 
  reads aloud Who We Are, and then Sketching Terrain 
  (including the examples). Lisa simply reads this verbatim.
  Lisa: Alright, so where are we situated? What ideas 
  do you two have?
  Raj: My first thought is that it’d be interesting to put 
  ourselves next to the coast. Somewhere wet and windy.
  Lisa: I think that’s great. I’d also be into setting it in a 
  thick wooded area, like a mountain forest. Kate?
  Kate: And I’ll go with textiles, if that’s good with 
  both of you.
  Lisa: That’s great. Fish, drinkable water, and textiles. 
  Of those three, which one do we have in Abundance?
  The players all agree that it’d be most interesting to have 
  an Abundance of textiles, and a Scarcity of both fish and 
  drinkable water. What a peculiar situation for a coastal 
  community! The three choices get recorded on the index 
  card. Kate draws a little cross-hatched blanket next to the 
  storehouse, to indicate an Abundance of textiles. The blanket 
  and the storehouse are almost the same size, which is totally 
  fine. Lisa draws an empty water glass next to the inlet, to 
  represent a Scarcity of drinkable water. Raj draws a fish 
  skeleton in the water, to indicate a Scarcity of fish.
  Lisa: Alright! We’ve got our community established 
  at this point. We’re around 60-80 people, living on 
  the coast, rich in textiles, but without fish or drinkable 
  water. There’s some intriguing stuff here. Now we 
  turn to chapter three in the book, where we take turns 
  reading sections of the rules aloud. A few pages of 
  that, and then we’ll be set to play. Who wants to read 
  first?
  Kate takes the book, and begins reading the section titled 
  The Week. She then passes the book around the table.
  
  Three Weeks of Play
  It’s mid-Summer, and Raj is now the active player. He 
  begins by drawing a card from the top of the deck. It’s the 
  7 of Diamonds (Summer). There are two options written 
  on it. He doesn’t choose: “An unattended situation becomes 
  problematic and scary. What is it? How does it go awry?”
  Raj: “Introduce a mystery at the edge of the map.” 
  Alright, a young boy is out searching around in the 
  bog, and discovers a weird skeleton. He pulls it out 
  of the mud with the help of his friends. It’s sort of 
  like an alligator, except its limbs are articulated in too 
  many places and it’s got too many eye sockets. 
  A mutant, maybe?
  Raj spends about 25 seconds drawing a weird animal spine 
  over by the bogs. His picture is less than half an inch wide. 
  He glances at The Summary card momentarily. The next 
  step is to reduce project dice. There are two dice sitting 
  on the map, set to 3 and 2. Each of those dice is linked to 
  a project that the community is working on. Raj knocks 
  them both down by 1.
  Raj: For my action, I’m going to Hold a Discussion. 
  I’ll lead with a question: “When we’ve finished the 
  boat repair project, will we resume our scouting 
  endeavors? Or is that too dangerous now?”
  Lisa knocks the remaining die from 2 to 1. The boat repair 
  will be finished next week.
  Lisa: Okay. For my weekly action, I’m going to Start a 
  project. We’ve been afraid of these marauding pirates 
  for a while now, and some defences would be good. So 
  we’ll train some sentries and arm them with whatever 
  we found in that army jeep. How long will this take?
  The players quickly agree that this seems like it’d logically 
  be a 2 week project. Lisa places a die marked “2” next 
  to the jeep icon, because that seems like a fitting place to 
  ‘anchor’ the project. Once again, there is no room to protest 
  the launch of this project, though Raj and Kate both have 
  the opportunity to take Contempt. Neither do so.
  Finally, it’s Kate’s turn. She draws the 2 of Diamonds 
  (Summer), and chooses one of the two options.
  Kate: Alright: “Someone new arrives. Who? Why are 
  they in distress?” I think a lone man washes up on the 
  shore, starving and delirious. He’d been held captive 
  on one of the pirate ships, and managed to escape only 
  by diving overboard and swimming toward the shore. 
  We greet him with what little food we can spare.
  Kate draws a little stick figure man. The next step is to 
  reduce the project dice on the board. The boat repair project 
  finishes and the sentries project has 1 week remaining.
  Everyone gets to weigh in once, with a single response.
  Lisa: I think that recon will keep us safe in the long 
  run, so it’s worth a bit of short-term risk.
  Kate: No. If we incite the wrath of another pirate 
  fleet, it could spell ruin for our community.
  Raj: I think we should focus energy on establishing 
  coastal sentries, but keep our boats in safer waters.
  Raj marks the docks with a dot, to indicate the discussion. 
  That concludes the week. It’s Lisa’s week next, and she draws 
  the 9. She chooses one of the two options to read aloud.
  Lisa: Uh oh, guys. “A project fails. Which one? Why?” 
  The boat is more important in the long run, I think. 
  So the ‘sun shrine’ project gets nixed. Several 
  people decide that we can’t spare the heavy canvas 
  or the wood that we were using to build it, so they 
  disassemble whats been done.
  Lisa removes one of the dice from the map. Raj and Kate 
  don’t get to talk about Lisa’s decision, because it isn’t their 
  turn and this isn’t a discussion. They do have the option 
  of taking Contempt, though, which Kate does. She doesn’t 
  feel honoured by the actions of those community members.
  Lisa: Alright, I started that boat project, a month 
  ago now. How does it turn out? Well, we managed to 
  patch the crack in its hull, and furthermore seal the 
  whole underside. It’s seaworthy again.
  Lisa updates the map by drawing a pristine boat picture, 
  next to the previously-crossed-out boat picture.
  Kate: And now my action. I’m going to Discover 
  Something New. Once we get the boat out into the 
  water again, we discover that a strange sea plant is in 
  bloom, submerged just below the water’s surface. It is 
  spiny and fuchsia. Nobody’s sure what to do with it yet.
  She draws a few squiggles in the water to represent this 
  mysterious new plant. This concludes her turn. Each of 
  these turns took 2-3 minutes to complete. This entire 
  example spans 7-8 minutes of play.
  For more on The Quiet Year, including a small 
  collection of quickstart Charted Areas maps, visit 
  www.buriedwithoutceremony.com/thequietyear
  
  A
  What group has the highest status in the community? 
  What must people do to gain inclusion in this group?
  or...
  Are there distinct family units in the community? If so, 
  what family structures are common?
  2
  There’s a large body of water on the map.
  Where is it? What does it look like?
  or...
  There’s a giant, man-made structure on the map. 
  Where is it? Why is it abandoned?
  3
  Someone new arrives. Who?
  or...
  Two of the community’s younger members 
  get into a fight. What provoked them?
  4
  What important and basic tools 
  does the community lack?
  or...
  Where are you storing your food? 
  Why is this a risky place to store things?
  5
  There is a disquieting legend about this place. What is it? 
  or...
  Alarming weather patterns destroy something. 
  How and what?
  6
  Are there children in your community? If there are, 
  what is their role in the community?
  or...
  How old are the eldest members of the community? 
  What special needs do they have?
  7
  Where does everyone sleep? Who is unhappy 
  with this arrangement, and why?
  or...
  What natural predators roam this area? Are you safe? 
  8
  An old piece of machinery is discovered, 
  broken but perhaps repairable. What is it? 
  What would it be useful for?
  or...
  An old piece of machinery is discovered, cursed and 
  dangerous. How does the community destroy it?
  9
  A charismatic young girl convinces many to help her 
  with an elaborate scheme. What is it? Who joins her 
  endeavors? Start a project to reflect.
  or...
  A charismatic young girl tries to tempt many into 
  sinful or dangerous activity. Why does she do this? 
  How does the community respond?
  10
  There’s another community somewhere on the map.
  Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
  or...
  What belief or practice helps to unify your community?
  J
  You see a good omen. What is it?
  or...
  You see a bad omen. What is it?
  Q
  What’s the most beautiful thing in this area?
  or...
  What’s the most hideous thing in this area?
  K
  A young boy starts digging in the ground, and 
  discovers something unexpected. What is it?
  or...
  An old man confesses to past crimes 
  and atrocities. What has he done?
  Spring
  
  A
  A contingent within the community demand to be heard. 
  Who are they? What are they asking for?
  or...
  A contingent within the community have acted on their 
  frustrations. What have they damaged, and why did they 
  damage it? Is it permanent?
  2
  Someone new arrives. Who? Why are they in distress?
  or...
  Someone leaves the community. 
  Who? What are they looking for?
  3
  Summer is a time for production and tending to the 
  earth. Start a project related to food production.
  or...
  Summer is a time for conquest and the gathering of 
  might. Start a project related to military readiness and 
  conquest.
  4
  The eldest among you dies. What caused the death?
  or...
  The eldest among you is very sick. Caring for them 
  and searching for a cure requires the help of the entire 
  community. Do not reduce project dice this week.
  5
  A project finishes early. 
  What led to its early completion?
  or...
  The weather is nice and people can feel the potential 
  all around them. Start a new project.
  6
  Outsiders arrive in the area. Why are they a threat? 
  How are they vulnerable?
  or...
  Outsiders arrive in the area. How many?
  How are they greeted?
  7
  Introduce a mystery at the edge of the map.
  or...
  An unattended situation becomes problematic and scary. 
  What is it? How does it go awry?
  8
  Someone tries to take control of the community by force. 
  Do they succeed? Why do they do this?
  or...
  A headstrong community member decides to put one of 
  their ideas in motion. Start a foolish project.
  9
  A project fails. Which one? Why?
  or...
  Something goes foul and supplies are ruined. 
  Add a new Scarcity.
  10
  You discover a cache of supplies or resources. 
  Add a new Abundance.
  or...
  A Scarcity has gone unaddressed for too long!
  Start a project that will alleviate that Scarcity.
  J
  Predators and bad omens are afoot. You are careless, and 
  someone goes missing under ominous circumstances. 
  Who?
  or...
  Predators and bad omens are afoot. What measures do 
  you take to keep everyone safe and under surveillance? 
  Do not reduce project dice this week.
  Q
  A project finishes early. Which one? Why?
  If there are no projects underway, boredom leads to quarrel.
  A fight breaks out between two people. What is it about?
  K
  Summer is fleeting. Discard the top two cards off the top of the deck and take two actions this week.
  Summer
  
  A
  The community becomes obsessed with a single project. Which one? Why? Choose one:
  •	They	decide	to	take	more	time	to	ensure	that	it	is	perfect.	Add 3 weeks to the project die.
  •	They	drop	everything	else	to	work	on	it.	All other projects fail.
  If there are no projects underway, the community becomes obsessed with a grandiose vision. 
  Hold a discussion about this vision, in addition to your regular action for the week.
  2
  Someone returns to the community.
  Who? Where were they?
  or...
  You find a body. Do people recognize who it is? 
  What happened?
  3
  Someone leaves the community after issuing a
  dire warning. Who? What is the warning?
  or...
  Someone issues a dire warning, and the community 
  leaps into action to avoid disaster. What is the warning? 
  Start a contentious project that relates to it.
  4
  The strongest among you dies. What caused the death?
  or...
  The weakest among you dies. 
  Who’s to blame for their death?
  5
  The Parish arrives. Who are they? Why have they
  chosen your community, and for what?
  or...
  A small gang of marauders is making its way 
  through local terrain. How many are there? 
  What weapons do they carry?
  6
  Introduce a dark mystery among 
  the members of the community.
  or...
  Conflict flares up among community members, 
  and as a result, a project fails.
  7
  A project just isn’t working out as expected. 
  Radically change the nature of this project
  (don’t modify the project die). When it resolves, you’ll 
  be responsible for telling the community how it went.
  or...
  Something goes foul and supplies are ruined. 
  Add a new Scarcity.
  8
  Someone sabotages a project, and the project fails 
  as a result. Who did this? Why?
  or...
  Someone is caught trying to sabotage the efforts of  
  the community. How does the community respond?
  9
  The community works constantly and 
  as a result a project finishes early.
  or...
  A group goes out to explore the map more thoroughly, 
  and finds something that had been previously overlooked.
  10
  Harvest is here and plentiful. Add an Abundance.
  or...
  Cold autumn winds drive out your enemies. 
  Remove a threatening force from the map and the area.
  J
  A project finishes early. Which one? Why?
  If there are no projects underway, restlessness creates animosity, and animosity leads to violence. Who gets hurt?
  Q
  Disease spreads through the community. Choose one:
  •	You	spend	the	week	quarantining	and	treating	the	disease.	Project dice are not reduced this week.
  •	Nobody	knows	what	to	do	about	it.	Add “Health and Fertility” as a Scarcity.
  K
  A natural disaster strikes the area. What is it? Choose one:
  •	You	focus	on	getting	everyone	to	safety.	Remove an Abundance and a project fails.
  •	You	focus	on	protecting	your	supplies	and	hard	work	at	any	cost.	Several	people	die	as	a	result.
  Autumn
  
  A
  Now is the time to conserve energy and resources. 
  A project fails, but gain an Abundance.
  or...
  Now is the time for hurried labour and final efforts. 
  A project finishes early, but gain a Scarcity.
  2
  A headstrong community member takes charge of the 
  community’s work efforts. A project fails, and then a 
  different project finishes early.
  or...
  A headstrong community member tries to take control of 
  the community. How are they prevented from doing this? 
  Due to the conflict, project dice are not reduced this week.
  3
  Someone comes up with an ingenious solution to a big 
  problem and as a result a project finishes early. 
  What was their idea?
  or...
  Someone comes up with a plan to ensure 
  safety and comfort during the coldest months. 
  Start a project related to this.
  4
  All the animals and young children are crying and 
  won’t stop. Hold a discussion about this, 
  in addition to your regular action for the week.
  or...
  A great atrocity is revealed. What is it? Who uncovers it?
  5
  Winter elements destroy a food source. If this was your 
  only food source, add a Scarcity.
  or...
  Winter elements leave everyone cold, tired, and miserable. 
  Project dice are not reduced this week.
  6
  The time has come to consolidate your efforts and your 
  borders. Projects located outside the settlement fail, 
  and all remaining projects are reduced by 2 this week.
  or...
  Someone finds a curious opportunity on the edge of the 
  map. Start a project related to this discovery.
  7
  What is winter like in this area? How do community members react to the weather?
  8
  Winter is harsh, and desperation gives rise to fear mongering. Choose one:
  •	Spend	the	week	calming	the	masses	and	dispelling	their	violent	sentiments.	The week ends immediately.
  •	Declare	war	on	someone	or	something.	This counts as starting a project.
  9
  Someone goes missing. They’re alone in the winter elements. Choose one:
  •	The	community	organizes	constant	search	parties	and	eventually	the	person	is	found.	Project dice are not reduced this week.
  •	No	one	ever	hears	from	that	person	again.
  10
  In preparation for the coming year, the community begins a huge undertaking. 
  Start a project that will take at least 5 weeks to complete.
  J
  An infected outsider arrives, seeking amnesty. They have some much-needed resources with them. Choose one:
  •	Welcome	them	into	the	community.	Remove a Scarcity, but also introduce an infection into the community.
  •	Bar	them	from	entry.	What	Scarcity	could	they	have	addressed?	How	does	its	need	become	more	dire	this	week?
  Q
  You see a good omen. What is it?
  K
  The Frost Shepherds arrive. The game is over.
  Winter
  
  Reference Cards
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Quiet Year.pdf