Forge the Edge
common“Red iron, hammered by firelight.”
Recruit 1 free army unit (inactive) at any intersection in your network.
Book the Fourth
Rules of the Watch
the ordinances set down by the Ferrum
These forms are drawn from the Chronicle of the Ferrum, set down across the forty-six Watches. They describe how the seven peoples engage in the ancient dance — kingdom and alliance, war and Watch. Read what is needed. The chronicle waits.
The Gathering
the players assemble; the Watch is named
Before the Watch, there must be those who would stand it.
A new Watch begins when two to four rulers gather at a hall of their choosing. Each takes the name of one of the seven peoples and raises their banner. No two rulers may bear the same banner; the colors are sacred. When all are seated and a host has called the Watch named, the chronicle opens.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- 2 to 4 rulers per Watch (4 is the fullest table).
- Each player chooses one of seven peoples and a unique color.
- The Watch begins when the host calls it named.
The Founding
the first city, the first road
The first work of any Watch is to claim the land. Each ruler founds a single city and lays a single road from it. Then — in reverse order, that the late-comers may not be punished — each plants a settlement and a second road. From these are all greater things made.
The founding is binding. A city placed in poor land is a city for the rest of the Watch. The Ferrum advise patience.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Each ruler places: 1 city, then 1 road. Snake-order around the table.
- Then in reverse: 1 settlement, then 1 road.
- Cities and settlements must sit on hex intersections, never adjacent to another piece.
- The founding is free — no resources spent.
- After placement, each ruler draws 1 starting resource from every tile touching their settlement, and 2 from every tile touching their city.
The Reckoner's Ledger
what each thing demands — in stone, in grain, in gold
Every work of the Watch has a price. The ruler who reads the ledger first, reads the game.
Of settlements and cities
A settlement is a hall, a mill, a scatter of hearths — the founder's first claim to the soil. It yields one measure of every adjacent tile's resource per round, and counts for one victory point.
A city is a settlement grown — twice the yield, twice the prize. It counts for two victory points, replacing the settlement's one. Walls may be raised upon it; armies recruited within it. A ruler may hold no more than four cities in any single Watch.
Of roads and armies
Roads are cheap to lay and long to build. They bind a kingdom together and open the only paths by which armies may march. Five continuous segments earn the Warpath trophy.
An army is raised at a city, one unit at a time, and stands inactive until its ruler spends the cost to wake it. Active armies may move and strike; inactive armies defend where they stand. A stack may hold no more than five units, and may not be split.
Of walls and improvements
City walls are timber and stone raised against the Unbound. A walled city cannot be razed in a single blow — it stands at +3 to its defence when defended, and +1 by the wall alone when left empty.
An improvement is built upon a tile adjacent to one of your cities — a Granary for grain, a Mill for wood, a Quarry for stone. Each tile may bear only one improvement, and each belongs to the ruler who built it.
| Work | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement | 2 Grain · 2 Wood · 2 Stone | +1 VP. Yields 1 of every adjacent tile's resource per round. |
| City (from settlement) | 4 Grain · 2 Wood · 4 Stone | +2 VP (replaces the settlement's +1). Yields 2 of every adjacent tile's resource. |
| Road | 1 Wood · 1 Stone | No yield. Counts toward the Warpath trophy. |
| Army unit | 1 Grain · 1 Wood · 1 Stone | Recruited inactive at a city. +1 strength to its stack. |
| Activate a stack | 1 Grain or 1 Gold | Required to move or strike. Lasts the round. |
| Work | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Granary | 2 Grain · 3 Wood | +1 Grain per round from the improved tile to the owning city. One improvement per city. |
| Mill | 2 Wood · 3 Stone | +1 Wood per round to the owning city. |
| Quarry | 1 Wood · 4 Stone | +1 Stone per round to the owning city. |
| City Walls | 2 Wood · 3 Stone | +1 strength to the army garrisoned at the city. Inert if the city has no garrison — an unguarded city falls to any attacker. |
Of the chronicle
The three great decks of the Ironkeep — Warfare, Growth, Politics — are drawn at a cost as well. Each draw takes one card of the ruler's choosing, hidden until played. Pay either the gold price or the commodity bundle; never both.
| Deck | Gold | Commodity |
|---|---|---|
| Warfare | 2 Gold | 2 Wood · 1 Stone |
| Growth | 2 Gold | 2 Grain · 1 Wood |
| Politics | 2 Gold | 2 Stone · 1 Grain |
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Settlements and cities must sit on hex intersections, never adjacent to another of your pieces.
- A settlement may be upgraded to a city only by its owner.
- Roads extend from your own cities, settlements, or other roads — never across water.
- No more than 4 cities and 5 settlements per ruler at any time.
- Each tile may bear only one improvement; improvements are permanent.
- Hand limit: 3 cards. Played cards return to the bottom of their own deck — there is no discard.
- 2 Gold may be exchanged for 1 Grain, Wood, or Stone on your own turn, without limit.
The Turn of the Wheel
production, building, drawing
Each ruler takes a single turn in order. On their turn they may build what their treasury allows, draw from the great chronicle (see chapter VI), move their armies, propose alliance, or forge oaths. When they have done what they will, the next ruler rises. When all have taken a turn, the round closes — and the wheel turns: each tile produces for every adjacent piece.
A ruler may hold no more than three cards in hand at any time. Cards held longer than that must be sacrificed back to the deck.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- One turn per ruler per round, in seated order.
- On your turn: build, draw cards, move armies, declare diplomacy.
- Round-end: tiles produce for every adjacent piece (city ×2, settlement ×1).
- Hand limit: 3 cards. Excess cards are returned to the bottom of the deck.
The Forging of Alliances
of oaths, and the breaking of them
Between any two peoples, an alliance may be sworn. It is offered on the offerer's turn and bound only when the other accepts. Once sworn, neither may attack the other. Their armies pass freely through one another's roads. A private channel of correspondence opens between them — known to the Ferrum but read by no one save the two.
If an alliance holds for five full rounds, both rulers receive an Alliance Trophy — a public mark of honor worth two victory points. To break the alliance is to lose that trophy from both sides. The chronicle of correspondence remains, but is sealed.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Alliances are mutual; both rulers must agree.
- Maximum two alliances per ruler at any time.
- Allies may not attack each other; armies cross each other's roads freely.
- After 5 consecutive rounds: both earn the Alliance Trophy (+2 VP each).
- Breaking is a turn action; trophy is lost by both. Stranded armies retreat to nearest own city.
- Chat history is archived, not wiped, when the alliance ends.
The Arts of War
armies, fortification, and the moment of attack
An army is recruited at one of your cities and stands inactive until you spend the cost to wake it. An active army may move along your road network, or strike. There is no formal declaration of war in Thairen — there has not been since the Sundering. If you are not allied with a rival, you may attack them.
Combat is calculation, not chance. Compare effective power — stack strength plus terrain bonus. The greater wins. Both sides lose units equal to the smaller force's effective power. Ties favor the defender. Walls and cities matter: a stack inside a walled city is +3 to its effective power. Assaulting a city or settlement costs the attacker one extra unit besides — streets and walls bleed the attacker even in victory.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Maximum army strength: 5 units per intersection. Stacks may not be split.
- Activation cost: 1 grain or 1 gold for the entire stack.
- Effective combat power = stack strength + terrain bonus.
- Terrain bonus: field +0, settlement +1, city +2, walled city +3.
- Higher effective power wins. Both sides lose units equal to the lesser power. Ties go to the defender.
- Assault tax: attacking a city or settlement costs the attacker 1 extra unit, win or lose.
- An active army that moves and strikes deactivates afterward.
The Great Chronicle
cards drawn from three deep wells of knowledge
Beyond the work of the wall, every ruler may draw upon the chronicle itself — fortunes and follies set down across the Watches by those who came before. Three decks are kept in the Ironkeep: Warfare, Growth, and Politics. Each ruler may draw from any of the three on their turn at the prescribed cost (see The Reckoner's Ledger for draw costs); what they draw is theirs alone, hidden from the table until played.
Some cards lift kingdoms. Some break them. Some are kept secret to the end, revealed only at the moment of victory's declaration. What follows is the Ferrum's full catalog, drawn for the reader's instruction.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Three decks: Warfare, Growth, Politics.
- Hand limit: 3 cards (revealed hidden VP cards do not count).
- Played cards return to the bottom of their own deck — there is no discard pile.
- Hidden VP cards must be revealed on your own turn to count toward victory.
The Warfare Deck
Of soldiers, sieges, and the iron of clans. Drawn most often by those who would defend the wall — and by those who would test it.
commons
Drill Sergeant
common“Bread for the bellies, boots in the dirt.”
Activate up to 2 of your inactive armies at no grain cost.
Burn the Ford
common“Let them swim.”
Destroy any one road on the board.
Intrigue
common“A poisoned stew, a drunken watch.”
Pick one enemy active army. It cannot move or attack on its next turn.
rares
Saboteur's Torch
rare“A single spark in the thatch.”
Destroy any one opponent's improvement (granary, mill, or quarry).
Decimation
rare“Every tenth man, by the old law.”
Pick an opponent's army stack. It loses 2 units outright.
Call to Arms
rare“The horn in every valley.”
All of your inactive armies activate this turn at no grain cost.
legendarys
Turncoat
legendary“Gold speaks louder than banners.”
Take 1 active unit from any enemy army stack and add it to one of your own armies (up to the 5-strength cap).
Salt the Earth
legendary“Nothing grows where the wagons burned.”
Pick any tile on the board. It becomes desert permanently — no adjacent piece will ever produce from it again.
hidden victorys
War Spoils
hidden victory“Chests hauled back from a burning city. No one writes down what was taken.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
Hero's Tribute
hidden victory“Bards will sing of this name. You'll let them.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
The Growth Deck
Of land, harvest, and the long labor of building. The Highkin and the Stoneborn favor it; the Wandersfolk know its roads best.
commons
Road Building
common“The path appears where hands dig.”
Build 2 free roads in your network.
Unfair Trade
common“The wagons return, lighter for them, heavier for you.”
Each opponent gives you 1 random resource from their stores.
Master Mason
common“Stone remembers the hand that shaped it.”
Build 1 free improvement (granary, mill, or quarry) on any eligible tile.
Gold Rush
common“A glint in the river stones.”
Gain 2 gold.
rares
Bumper Crop
rare“The granaries creak at the seams.”
Immediately gain resources equal to your normal round-end production.
Crown's Due
rare“The ruler takes his share.”
Take 4 resources of your choice from the opponent with the most VP.
Pioneer's Claim
rare“A flag, a fence, a new hearth.”
Build 1 free settlement in your network (road-connectivity applies as normal).
legendarys
Commercial Empire
legendary“Every port flies your flag.”
Name a resource. Each opponent gives you ALL of that resource from their stores.
The Great Collapse
legendary“Coin weighs nothing when the granaries burn.”
Every opponent's resource stores are halved (rounded down).
hidden victorys
Golden Harvest
hidden victory“A year's yield kept off the ledgers. The taxman finds only chaff.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
Seed of the Ancients
hidden victory“A cultivar older than any king, planted in rows no map records.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
The Politics Deck
Of envoys, gold, and the hidden word. The court of the Realms of Men is its first home, but no people are without its art.
commons
Favor
common“A quiet word, a heavy purse.”
Pick an opponent. Take 4 of any one resource you name from their stores.
Spy
common“A letter in the wrong saddlebag.”
Steal 1 random card from an opponent's tech card hand.
Civil Unrest
common“Torches in the market square.”
Pick an opponent's city or settlement. It produces nothing next round.
Bribed Guard
common“Gold changes hands in the guardhouse.”
Pick an opponent. ALL of their active armies deactivate.
rares
Treason
rare“An oath read aloud, and broken by noon.”
Force-break ALL of one opponent's alliances. If they held the Alliance Trophy, they lose it.
Revolt
rare“The peasants have decided.”
Pick an opponent's settlement. It is destroyed (intersection freed, settlement slot returned).
Black Plot
rare“Secrets kept in dark ink.”
Every opponent loses 3 random cards from their hand (cards cycle to the bottom of their decks).
legendarys
Pariah
legendary“No court will seat them. No banner will ride with them.”
Pick an opponent. They may never form alliances again for the rest of the game. All their current alliances are broken.
Usurpation
legendary“The crown changes heads. The city changes hands.”
Pick an opponent's city. It is destroyed along with its walls and any adjacent improvements — no combat required.
hidden victorys
Royal Favor
hidden victory“A pact sealed in the back of the throne room. No witnesses.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
Masked Benefactor
hidden victory“Gold arrives nightly in plain sacks. No sender's name, no questions asked.”
+1 VP when revealed on your turn. Hidden in hand until then.
The Horde of Ulgareth
the Watch's burden, shared
Ulgareth does not wait for the rulers' games. Seven moons after a Watch begins, the wheel turns past one of its old hinges and the Unbound spill from the Ashenwaste. The Ferrum sound the great horn, and every ruler's active armies are committed as one — all hands on the wall.
But before any sword is drawn, a Harrow is drawn. Seven calamities ride with the Horde — a grain field salted to dust, five roads lost to ash, a city demoted to a settlement, three stacks choking in the smoke. One Harrow fires with each landing, no matter how the defense goes.
Those who stand largest on the line are honored. Those who stood thinnest must surrender a city. If Ulgareth breaks the wall three times, the realm falls — and the ruler with the highest chronicle claims a Pyrrhic crown.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Landfall every 7 rounds. The track counts down from 7 moons.
- At landfall a random Harrow card is drawn and its effect resolves first, no matter the defense.
- Every ruler's active armies commit automatically — no bidding. Total defense is compared to Horde strength (total cities on the board).
- Defense holds (defense ≥ strength): the ruler who committed the most active armies gains +1 VP. If tied, each tied ruler draws one free tech card of their chosen deck.
- Defense breaks (defense < strength): the ruler who committed the fewest active armies must forfeit one of their cities — they choose which. The city is reduced to a settlement; walls and adjacent improvements are destroyed. If several rulers are tied for the thinnest line, each must forfeit. A ruler with no cities surrenders nothing.
- Every committed army deactivates after resolution. The track resets. The next landfall comes seven moons hence.
- If three landfalls succeed, the Watch ends in pyrrhic ruin.
The Seven Harrows
the calamities that ride with Ulgareth
Seven Harrows form the deck Ulgareth carries. One fires each landing and then rotates to the bottom; every Harrow shows itself at least once before any repeats.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- The Blighted Earth — a random grain tile is scorched to desert, permanently.
- The Ashen Wind — five random roads across the realm burn.
- The Great Desolation — a random non-desert tile becomes desert, permanently.
- The Cracked Seats — a random settlement is destroyed; its slot is returned to its owner.
- The Broken Crown — a random city is demoted to a settlement. Walls and any adjacent improvements are destroyed.
- The Black Lung — three random army stacks are destroyed entirely.
- Creeping Rot — a random tile improvement is destroyed.
The Declaration of Victory
the chronicle's last entry
Fifteen victory points end a Watch.
A ruler may declare victory only on their own turn, only when their visible total — pieces, trophies, revealed hidden cards — reaches fifteen. Until then, the chronicle remains open.
If the Horde has been allowed to devastate Thairen three times, the Watch ends regardless. The highest VP among the rulers claims a Pyrrhic victory — a name the Ferrum will record without comment.
An Ordinance of the Ferrum
- Victory threshold: 15 visible victory points.
- Declaration is a turn action — only on the declaring ruler's own turn.
- Hidden VP cards must be revealed to count toward the declaration.
- If three Horde invasions succeed: the Watch ends; highest VP wins (Pyrrhic).
recorded by the Ferrum