STRATA

THE CITY
In many ways, it was beautiful. Hot, buzzing streets led between leafy squares with fountains. Yet the beauty came from order. The streets formed a grid, with the squares at the intersections. Nothing was out of place.

THE FAMILIES
Begin by thinking about a family. Imagine them as they arrive in the city. What is their name? What do they look like? Who are the two family members that matter most? What are their names? How old are they? Why did they come to the city? What do they want to find here? Dont define every family member. Simply think about one or two that matter and, during the game, invent additional relatives as you need them. And ask each other questions until you know these people, just a little.

THE VIBES
Now, for one family member, ask: What would they fill the streets with, if they could? What sounds? What sights? What emotions? What kind of people? Lets call this a vibe. It represents a feeling, a type of people, a culture, a set of values: everything you might experience in a city neighbourhood. Choose a coloured highlighter to represent your vibe.

THE STRATA

Everyone rolls a six-sided die. If two or more people roll the same number, they roll again, until everyone has a different number. The number you rolled is your stratum number. It represents your familys place within society. If you rolled the highest number, they are in the highest stratum of society. If you rolled the second-highest, they are in the second-highest stratum, and so on.

THE QUARTER
Everything that matters in the city is in the Quarter, a five-by-five grid of streets. Within the Quarter are four squares, which are open spaces where streets intersect. Each round, everyone gets a turn. If your family is in a higher stratum, you get priority over players with families in lower strata: you may choose to go before them or insist they go first. On your turn, you will: 1. Choose an area of the Quarter. 2. Name and describe that area. 2. Play a short scene there. 3. Roll dice. 4. Play out the rest of the scene. 5. Fill the area with a vibe, based on what you rolled. 6. Describe the area again.

CHOOSE AN AREA OF THE QUARTER

Roll a six-sided die. If you get five or less, choose that number of street segments, running in a straight line. (A street segment is a chunk of street, bounded on each end by a cross-street.) If you get six, choose one of the squares. And you can choose an area that has already been highlighted.

DESCRIBE THAT AREA

Imagine the area early in the morning, before it has filled with people. What is the area called? What can you see here? And what happens in this area: is it a market, a slum or something else?

Now, think about the area later in the day, when it has filled with people. It is time to find out what happens there.

PLAY A SHORT SCENE

The small house, at the end of the street, was where Nashida lived. Because the house was at a street corner, a beggar sat there, from dawn to dusk. Every day, she ignored him, until one day, something in his voice made her turn. Indira had come to the market to sell her wedding ring and replace it with a fake. It was a dark street, in which she jostled with bad-smelling labourers, but in her cloak she went unrecognised. When she came to the jewellers, which a friend had cautiously recommended, she saw the strange little man within and, for a reason she could not explain, froze. You will tell a short story that happens in the area. In it, two vibes (two cultures, two types of people) will meet. What will happen? How will they interact? Choose one of your family members to be in the scene. Choose another players family. They, too, choose a family member to be in the scene. (If you like, choose more than one player: each chooses a family member to be in the scene). Choose a player to describe the area and play peripheral characters. Now decide: Why is your family member in this area? What have they come here to do? (Or do they live here?) To begin, the player who is describing the area gives an initial description. Think about the following questions: What time is it? What can you see, hear and smell? What are the people doing? Now, play the scene. Describe what your family member does. If they came to the area to do something, describe them going about this business. If they live here, describe them leaving or returning home. Think about your vibe. Whatever it is, demonstrate it, promote it, spread it. At some point, your family member will encounter the other players family member (or the other players family members). Play out the interaction and see what happens. See how the two vibes mix.

If you get to a clash of values, then its time to roll dice. If you dont get to a clash of values, but an agreement or accommodation, then its also time to roll dice. Dont worry if the scene is short! These are brief encounters, moments in city life. Sometimes, when cultures meet, many things happen, but sometimdes, the meeting is short.

ROLL DICE
If the area is a square, roll a single die. (That is, a single die for the group, not a single die for each player.) If the area consists of street segments, roll one die for each segment. Take any dice that show your stratum number. Then roll any remaining dice again. Again, take any dice that show your strata number. Then roll any remaining dice one more time. For the last time, take any dice that show your strata number. Then the person in the highest stratum takes the remaining dice.

PLAY OUT THE REST OF THE SCENE

If you took the most dice, then your vibe prevails in the scene. If there was a tie, then the scene ends with a mixed vibe. With this in mind, play the end of the scene. Keep it short.

CHOOSE A VIBE FOR THE AREA

Look again at the number of dice you took: it shows how much of the area you control. If the area is a square, you rolled only a single die: whoever took that die controls the whole area. If the area consists of street segments, then the number of dice you hold shows you how many street segments you control. When you control part of an area, you choose the vibe for it. You will mark this vibe on the map, with a highlighter.

Now, you will often choose your own vibe to fill in an area. But. You can, in fact, choose any vibe for the area you control. You could choose someone elses vibe. You could mix your vibe with someone elses vibe. You could decide that, while your vibe covers most of the square, you will allow a small corner for someone elses vibe. Indeed, you can do anything that you can represent with highlighter pens. (If you want to fill the area with your vibe, but with dots of other vibes, then go ahead.) Why would you do this? Why not just fill the area with your own vibe? Perhaps, in the scene you just played, you saw the possibility of two vibes co-existing. Perhaps you are simply fair-minded: even though you dont like someone elses vibe, you will allow space for it. Perhaps you expect that, if you are generous to someone else, they will be generous back, and so the city can be filled cooperatively. In any case, the choice is yours. Think back on the scene. Think how the various vibes mixed. Then fill the area you control with any vibe you choose.

THE END
When everyone has had a turn, choosing an area and playing a scene in it, start another round. When every area of the Quarter is highlighted, the game ends.

NOTES
ON BEING IN A LOW STRATUM
If you are in a low stratum, the odds are stacked against you. The player representing the highest stratum will probably choose the vibe for most of the city. How should you deal with this? Here are some of your options. Accept it. Be content with controlling some of the city. Ally with another player. If you form an alliance, you can overpower someone in a higher stratum. Perhaps you can combine vibes or split the territory between you. Appeal to the highest stratum. In scenes, demonstrate your cooperativeness. Show how your vibe can complement or enhance the highest stratums vibe.

This, of course, depends on the vibes chosen and whether they can mix.

ON ENDING THE GAME

Towards the end of the game, you have a choice. Will you fill the grid, ending the game? Or will you attempt to take territory from someone else? If you represent a high stratum, your chances of doing this are good. Will you let the other vibes exist?