6 TRIALS OF

THE WEAVERS
a game by tallywinkle
Writing, design, and layout by tallywinkle, 2022.

tallywinkle.itch.io
@tallywinkle

Title and Cover Art by Yuri Runnel.

Created for Mock Cover Jam 2, hosted by Yuri Runnel.

This work is based on Heroic Tales, designed and authored by David Garrett and licensed
for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

This work is also inspired by the Carta system, from Cat McDonald and Peach Garden
Games, and licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
license.

This game was inspired by other solo RPGs (especially Wendigo by David Garrett and
Headless Guide by Peach Garden Games), video games like Hollow Knight, and my love of
horror media.

Thank you to David Garrett and pancelor for playtesting & proofreading.

Thank you for supporting my game! I’d love to hear any thoughts and feedback - reach
out on twitter or leave a comment on the game’s itch.io page.

Fonts used: Avene Brush by Krisjanis, Caladea, Courier New, and Dicier by Speak the Sky.

Featuring art by Thomas Novosel and stock assets from Pixabay.

Designed using Affinity Publisher.

4
INTRODUCTION 6
CONTENT NOTES AND SAFETY 6
HOW TO PLAY 6
CHARACTER SHEET 9
PROLOGUE 10
PROMPTS AND TRIALS 11
ENDINGS 20

5
 INTRODUCTION
6 Trials of the Weavers is a solo journaling and exploration game. You find yourself
transported into the realm of the Weavers, facing 6 trials in order to escape, and
encountering plenty of horrifying things along the way. You, the player, will roll dice to
determine how well your character navigates the trials and obstacles that confront them.

CONTENT NOTES AND SAFETY

This game and its prompts contain references to various insects, spiders, body horror,
and general horror themes. If you ever encounter a card that makes you uncomfortable
for any reason, you can always draw a different card to replace it. While the dice will
determine whether your character succeeds or fails, you will always be in control of their
thoughts and emotions. Remember: this is your story. If you’re ever uncomfortable with
how the story is progressing, you can make any change you feel appropriate. You can
always set the game aside and take a break, or decide to stop playing altogether. Be sure
to check in with yourself as needed.

HOW TO PLAY
MATERIALS
• A journal, blank paper & pen, or notes app.
• A handful of six-sided dice (abbreviated d6).
• A standard deck of cards, jokers removed.

SET UP
1. Remove the ACE_HEARTS and the KING_CLUBS from the deck and set them aside.
2. Remove and shuffle the other face cards together: this is the trial deck.
3. Shuffle the remaining cards: this is the prompt deck.
4. Draw 5 cards from the trial deck and 5 cards from the prompt deck and shuffle
them together. Lay them out face down so you have a row of 10 cards.
5. Place the ACE_HEARTS at the start of your row and the KING_CLUBS at the end of your row. You
should now have a row of 12 cards in front of you.

ACE_HEARTS KING_CLUBS

TRIAL DIE
Select a d6 to represent your character's progress through the trial – this is your
character marker and trial die. Place it on the ACE_HEARTS. Begin with the 6 facing up. Each time
you fail a trial, decrease the trial die by 1. Each time you successfully complete a trial,
increase the count on the trial die by 1, to a maximum of 6.

6
YOUR CHARACTER
Your character is a persona entirely of your creation. Who are they? What do they look
like? How old are they? What kind of personality do they have? What are their interests?
Reflect on these questions either before or as you play.

TRAITS
Your character has three traits that reflect general approaches to tackling a trial: body,
mind, and spirit.
• Body — used when you primarily rely on your physical skills and abilities.
• Mind — used when you rely on pattern recognition, puzzle solving, or other
analytical abilities.
• Spirit — used when you primarily rely on your social skills and force of will to
overcome an obstacle.
Your character will have three dice assigned to one trait, two dice to another, and one die
to the last. Each trial requires the use of one trait to reflect your characters actions. Some
trials are set, but other trials may instead let you choose which trait to use.

GAMEPLAY
Your character (and their marker/trial die) will move from one card to the next as you
progress through the game. You will flip over the card, read the corresponding prompt
and/or complete a trial, until you reach the final card. Some cards consist of trials your
character must complete. Other cards may provide you with certain advantages,
disadvantages, or prompt you to reflect or journal about your character.

TRIALS
As you navigate your way through the Weavers’ realm, your character will encounter a
total of 6 trials. Trials are divided into ROUNDS that represent a unit of effort from your
character. Each round begins with your character observing the scene, continues with
you determining your character’s approach to overcoming the trial, and ends when you
roll the dice. Your character’s actions may take as long as needed to serve the story —
neither a round nor a trial has a fixed duration.

Easy trials have a DIFFICULTY of 2.

Medium trials have a DIFFICULTY of 4.
Hard trials have a DIFFICULTY of 6.

Your ability to complete a trial is measured by your STAMINA . You start each trial with
two points of STAMINA .

To determine your character's progress in a round, roll a set of six-sided dice equal to
one plus the dice from whichever of your character's three traits are applicable (more
about traits in the next section). The description of each trial will indicate which trait
you should use. The result of your die roll determines the outcome of your choices: how
much progress you made overcoming the DIFFICULTY of the trial and how much
STAMINA you spent along the way.

7
 FAILURE NEUTRAL SUCCESS
Fours, fives, and sixes are successes; threes are neutral; and ones and twos are failures.
The result of your roll equals the total number of successes minus the total number of
failures. You reduce the DIFFICULTY of the trial by the net number of successes that
you generate.

Example#1: You roll a total of 4 dice for an easy trial. Your results are 6,4,4,1. Three
successes minus one failure equals a net total of two successes. This reduces the easy
trial’s DIFFICULTY from 2 to 0, and you complete the trial.

Example #2: You roll a total of 5 dice for a medium trial. Your results are 5,4,3,3,1.
Two successes minus one failure equals a net total of one success. This reduces the
medium trial’s DIFFICULTY from 4 to 3. Your character continues, starting from
the top of a new round.

If you end up with more failures than successes, though, you lose one point of STAMINA.
If, at the end of a round, you reduce the DIFFICULTY of the trial to zero OR you lose
your last point of STAMINA , then the trial is over. Regardless of whether you succeeded
or failed at the trial, your character presses on.

BEGIN TRIAL

Determine actions

Roll dice

Difficulty = 0? Y SUCCESS
N

N Stamina = 0? Y FAILURE

COMPLETING THE GAME

Once you reach the final card and your character completes their final trial, proceed to
Endings and read the entry corresponding to the value on your trial die.
8
 CHARACTER SHEET
NAME: PRONOUNS:

123 123 123

BODY MIND SPIRIT

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

NOTES

QUICK REFERENCE
DIFFICULTY
Easy trials = 2 DICE ROLLS
Medium trials = 4 1 2 = Failure
Hard trials = 6 3 = Neutral
4 5 6 = Success
STAMINA = 2
 PROLOGUE
One night as you lay in your small, rickety bed, in your small, secluded cabin, you
hear a tap, tap, tap on your window pane. You ignore it, trying to let sleep wash
over you instead.
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound persists. It must just be a branch rattling against the glass, you think.
The wind must be gusting tonight.
Tap, tap, tap.
You roll over, repositioning your blanket, when you realize that your blanket isn’t
your blanket anymore. It is worn and threadbare, with holes between the strands.
Large holes. Intricate holes. Almost like woven cobwebs. You look around, suddenly
wide awake. There is a loud silence where the tap, tap, tap was. You wait for it,
expecting it, but it doesn’t come.
As you get up to check the window, you feel a fogginess pulling at the edge of your
consciousness and you feel your vision shift. Something in your mind asks if you
are dreaming. You don’t think so, but you aren’t sure. As you unlatch and open the
window, the cool evening breeze fills your lungs. It wakes you, grounds you, brings
you back to reality. You breathe deeply, taking in the peaceful evening scene.

DO ���:
• Rub your eyes and yawn (assign 3 dice to your MIND trait)
• Raise your arms and stretch (assign 3 dice to your BODY trait)
• Close your eyes and continue to breathe deeply (assign 3 dice to your
SPIRIT trait)
Assign two dice to one of your remaining traits and one die to the other.

A peaceful evening... Too peaceful. You realize that there isn’t a breath of wind in
the air. You turn around to head back to bed, and find yourself face to face with a
large insect standing in front of you. The creature has a humanoid body, but the
head of a spider. Dark, hollow eyes stare back at you. It greets you with what could
be a smile, whether friendly or menacing you are unsure. Your stomach fills with
dread as a spine-chilling voice fills your head.
We have come to collect what has been promised to us.
The creature gives you a look that makes your stomach drop – it can only be
referring to you. It is only then you notice other shadows behind this creature in
front of you. They are not alone, there are two others looking at you with those
same dark, empty eyes. Their gaze seems to pierce you to your very core.
A moment later, your vision goes dark.
When you come to, you are in an unfamiliar place, somewhere far from the comfort
of your room and a voice echoes in your mind:
It is time to begin.

10
PROMPTS AND TRIALS

11
 HEARTS HEARTS
A of Hearts: You find yourself at the head
of a dirt path that stretches out in front of
you. There are trees, but you’re not sure if
this is a forest. It’s dark, and hard to make
out other landmarks. Behind you is a
heavy mist, obscuring the way behind
you. You try to move backwards, but feel a
sort of resistance in the air. Presumably,
the only way from here is ahead. Bracing
yourself for what you might encounter,
you make your way forwards, your
footsteps making a chitinous crunch as
you walk.
2 of Hearts: You find some scraps of
bandages along with a needle and thread.
It looks like it could be the remnants of
some old med kit. It’s not much, but it’s
enough to put together something for
basic wounds. Gain advantage on your
next body trial (+2 dice on one roll).
3 of Hearts: You find a small alcove, away
from the skittering sound of insects. It
seems like a nice, quiet place for a break,
allowing you to regain some of your
strength and focus, and rest your tired
feet. Gain advantage on your next body
trial (+2 dice on one roll).
4 of Hearts: You find a lush, out of place
bush full of delicious-looking red berries.
The scent of them is intoxicating. You
can’t help yourself – you begin to eat
them by the handful, lapping up the juice
as you chew through the skin, stems and
all. Gain advantage on your next body
trial (+2 dice on one roll).
5 of Hearts: On the ground you find a
long, smooth, carved stick. It looks to be a
walking stick of some sort? Or perhaps
some kind of weapon. The head is
intricately carved with patterns that,
upon closer inspection, are reminiscent of
spider webs. Gain advantage on your next
body trial (+2 dice on one roll).
12
6 of Hearts: You discover an old, frayed
piece of paper that upon closer appears to
be some sort of map. You scrutinize it
closely. It’s hard to tell, but you think it
might be of the trails and caverns you
have been traversing. Gain advantage on
your next mind trial (+2 dice on one roll).
7 of Hearts: You find a small
underground spring with crystal clear, icy
water. You risk a drink as you realize that
you’re actually incredibly thirsty. It is
quenching and rejuvenating. You take big
gasping gulps, letting it dribble down
your chin. The water clears your mind
and helps you focus. Gain advantage on
your next mind trial (+2 dice on one roll).
8 of Hearts: You find a small rocky alcove
covered in moss. You figure you can spend
some time here to close your eyes and
rest, regaining some of your strength and
focus. Gain advantage on your next mind
trial (+2 dice on one roll).
9 of Hearts: You find a small notebook
full of sketches, notes, and drawings.
Some of them are indecipherable, but
others are deeply intriguing. What are
they about? Who wrote them? If you wish,
copy some of the pages you find into your
notebook. Gain advantage on your next
mind trial (+2 dice on one roll).
10 of Hearts: You find yourself making
your way through a rocky cavern. It’s
dark. Your eyes have adjusted to the
dimness but you can still barely see a few
feet in front of you. Ahead, you notice a
small faint patch of light on the ground.
You realize it is an opening and the night
sky is visible through this rocky crevasse.
A shooting star twinkles and falls as you
look up. You close your eyes and make a
wish. Gain advantage on next spirit trial
(+2 dice on one roll).
J of Hearts: Easy Trial (Body)
You come across a suspension bridge with cables that seem to be made of silk and
crosses a vast cavern. The wood of the bridge looks rickety and unstable, deteriorated
from age and weather. You aren’t convinced these boards are sturdy enough to hold your
weight. You can hear the chattering of insects in the distance. What could be down
below? You don’t want to think about it.

You see tendrils of silk hanging off the edges, something you could perhaps grab onto if
worse comes to worse. You hope it doesn’t come to that. You see glowing eyes in the
distance, watching you. You must traverse this bridge, keeping your balance as you
cross and avoiding plummeting if you fail.

Q of Hearts: Medium Trial (Body)

You make your way into a large cavern. Your eyes take a moment to adjust to the
darkness around you; the room has no apparent light source, but still seems to be dimly
lit.
You look around, taking into the room. Silk web glistens, translucent and barely visible in
the dim light. The details are intricate. So breathtakingly complex and mesmerising. The
webs fill every corner of the room, stretching across the stone walls and the ceiling. As
your gaze drifts upwards, you see one of the Weavers, hollow glowing eyes peering down
at you from atop a cliff’s edge. A moment later, they are gone. You look around once
more; the only way forward appears to be up. Turning around, the entrance to the cavern
has disappeared, replaced with more rock and cobwebs. You must traverse the wall of
webs, climbing your way to the top without falling or getting trapped in the silk.

K of Hearts: Hard Trial (Body)

You enter a cavernous room filled with a large spider web. It is so large you don’t
recognize it as a spider web – it’s almost the size of a house.

As you make your way through this new environment, your leg touches a tendril of silk
and you lurch, tripping because your leg is stuck. Firmly stuck. The more you try to
wiggle it free, the more firmly it seems to be stuck. Small spiders start to crawl along the
web and start spinning silk around your calf, holding it more firmly. A horrific noise
comes from somewhere distant. Your stomach twists – is that something that is coming
for you? You must find a way to escape the silk ties before something… or
someone… returns.

13
 DIAMONDS DIAMONDS
A of Diamonds: You find a small lantern,
no larger than a light bulb. It has a
comfortable handle and upon closer
inspection it is filled with fireflies. Despite
its small size, it gives off a comfortable
glow. Gain advantage on your next trial
(any skill; +2 dice on one roll).
2 of Diamonds: You find yourself walking
into a large, cavernous room. The walls
stretch upwards to a ceiling you can’t see.
There are levels and levels of windows, of
hallways leading to places unknown.
What is this place? Who could live here? If
these were built by termites, you hope
you don’t end up encountering them…
3 of Diamonds: Cocoons hang from the
trees around you like ornaments. They
are of all sizes, as small as a bug or as big
as a human. You see one close to you
pulse and wiggle, like whatever is inside
is trying to come out. Your stomach does
a somersault and you feel strongly that
you don’t want to know what is inside.
4 of Diamonds: You stumble across a
small alcove. Hundreds, maybe thousands
of caterpillars cover the floor. Big, fuzzy,
fat little fellows of all different colours.
You are just thinking that these little bugs
look comfortingly cute compared to what
you’ve encountered thus far when
suddenly a claw-like hand reaches out
from the darkness nearby and snatches a
handful. You hear a horrible squelch as
the creature places the caterpillars into
its mouth and begins to chew. Horrified,
you move along quietly, hoping it doesn’t
notice you.
5 of Diamonds: There is a low rumble
ahead, like a train slowly making its way
along the tracks. As you get closer, you see
a row of ants marching perpendicular to
your path. Huge ants. The size of cars.
Their antennae move to-and-fro as they
walk. You approach and the trail turns to
look at you, pincers flexing and eyes
narrowing. You dart out of the way,
looking for another way forward.
14
6 of Diamonds: A pond stands in front of
you, the surface as still as glass. The moon
reflects on the surface like a beacon.
Dragonflies flit around you, hovering just
inches above the water. You walk to the
water’s edge and look down at your
reflection. The scene brings a memory to
the surface. What is it about? Why does
the memory make you feel
uncomfortable?
7 of Diamonds: The leaves of the trees
around you are eerily translucent, the
veins of the leaves visible like cobwebs.
They look like stars hanging off of the
trees. Looking closer, tiny spiders cover
each of the leaves. They pay no mind to
you, simply moving around the leaves in
tiny circles. You watch them for a little
while, fascinated, before moving on.
8 of Diamonds: You find a small garden
full of bright, vibrant flowers. Their
elegance is startling in contrast to the
grim, drab environment around you.
Nevertheless, you feel a sense of peace
and serenity as you gaze at them. Gain
advantage on your next spirit trial (+2
dice on one roll).
9 of Diamonds: Take a moment to reflect
on the person who means the most to
you. You remember a moment where they
went out of their way to do something
meaningful for you. Who are they and
what did they do? Gain advantage on your
next spirit trial (+2 dice on one roll).
10 of Diamonds: Closing your eyes and
furrowing your brow, you take a few deep
breaths before giving yourself a mental
pep talk to keep your feet moving through
this hellish place. “Pep talk” might be
generous, but it still gets you going. What
do you say to yourself? Gain advantage on
your next spirit trial (+2 dice on one roll).
J of Diamonds: Easy Trial (Mind)
You approach what appears to be some sort of village. The house are of all shapes and
sizes, an eclectic collection. You hear soft, rhythmic footsteps patrolling. Around the
streets you see what appear to be praying mantises. They walk with authority, holding
themselves tall as their gaze scans for anything out of place. Before you can be spotted,
you immediately duck behind a nearby building, holding your breath. You know it isn’t
going to be easy to get through this without being noticed, but you don’t want to think
about what might happen if you do get noticed. You must successfully pass the patrols
without drawing attention to yourself.

Q of Diamonds: Medium Trial (Mind)

Chattering words fill your ears. Talking over each other in a vicious cacophony that you
can barely make out words. You look all around, but their source is nowhere to be found.
If not for this buzzing in your brain, you might think you were alone.
Suddenly one voice breaks through, saying clearly: “Want to play hide and s-s-s-seek?”
“We would love to find you,” says a second. “We love finding.”
“Yesssss, yessss,” comes the first voice again. “Do your best, but we will surely find you.”
You look around wildly, trying to find somewhere to hide, feeling a sense of urgency fill
your body. You know you don’t have much time. You must successfully hide from the
creatures in this game of hide and seek.

K of Diamonds: Hard Trial (Mind)

In front of you appears a figure. It appears suddenly, so suddenly you’re not sure if it was
actually just there all along but you didn’t notice it until now. You stop, about two arms
lengths away. The figure blocks your path. The figure is hidden in shadows and you can’t
make out their appearance other than humanoid, but you suspect once again this is one
of the spider creatures. Eyes look at you in the darkness, glowing like the moon.

You look in front of you and see three items carefully laid out on a table: a needle, a spool
of thread, and a thick, red fabric. You feel the eyes of the figure on you as you approach
the table. Upon closer inspection you can see that it is a needle made of bone, and that
this isn’t any old thread – it is a spool of silk. You inspect the deep red fabric. There
appears to be some patterns already sewn into the fabric. You notice finally a scrap of
paper next to your implements: some sort of instructions? It’s barely decipherable, full of
scratchy handwriting and bizarre symbols. You must solve the puzzle and successfully
complete the sequence, sewing the fabric correctly in order to proceed.

15
 SPADES SPADES
A of Spades: “Help…” You hear the weak
sound of someone calling out. You
cautiously approach and discover
someone who is trapped in a web. A
human. Someone else like yourself; it
might be comforting but instead it puts
you on edge even more. Their features are
gaunt and pale and their face looks
vaguely familiar to you. Do you recognize
them? Do you say anything to them? Do
you try to rescue them or leave them to
their fate?
2 of Spades: The ground is rough and
uneven, covered in knotted roots. It’s hard
to find your footing as you walk.
Inevitably, you place your foot wrong,
twisting your ankle and causing you to
trip and fall. Gain disadvantage on your
next body trial (-2 dice on one roll).
3 of Spades: You want to stop and take a
rest, take a break, stop moving. But
everywhere you look, the ground is
covered, crawling with insects. You spot
what appears to be a clear spot and risk a
seat, immediately regretting it as you feel
something squirm and crawl up your leg.
Gain disadvantage on your next body trial
(-2 dice on one roll).
4 of Spades: You’ve been running, trying
to get away from something unknown,
something in the dark. Finally, you think
you’ve approached safety – either way
you can’t keep going. Winded, you need to
take some time to catch your breath. Gain
disadvantage on your next body trial (-2
dice on one roll).
5 of Spades: Your footsteps crunch on the
ground as you walk, on a layer of dead
bugs. It’s hard to make out what kind. You
look down and see roaches, ants, termites,
and worms. The moment you look down
they come alive, crawling everywhere.
You shriek and jump, shivers running up
your spine. A moment later, the vision
passes, and they are gone. Gain
disadvantage on your next spirit trial (-2
dice on one roll).
16
6 of Spades: Eyes peer at you from the
darkness around you. Dim, lifeless eyes –
not a hint of light in them. After a moment
they begin to move and you realize they
aren’t eyes at all – they are wings.
Enormous moths that begin to fly,
surrounding you. You can feel the beating
of their wings near your skin. Gain
disadvantage on your next spirit trial (-2
dice on one roll).
7 of Spades: Hopelessness and despair
begin to fill your mind. You wonder: what
is the point of all of this, anyways? Would
the Weavers really let you go if you
successfully complete their trails? After
all, that seems a bit counter-intuitive. If
you’re strong enough to succeed, it would
only make sense they would want to keep
you for themselves… right? Gain
disadvantage on your next spirit trial (-2
dice on one roll).
8 of Spades: The sound of crickets
chirping fills the air around you, a
constant hum in the darkness. It was
something that used to be comforting to
you, reminiscent of warm summer nights,
but now it is eerily unnerving, setting you
on edge. Gain disadvantage on your next
mind trial (-2 dice on one roll).
9 of Spades: Your frazzled brain feels like
it’s running a mile a minute and you can’t
focus for anything. The exhaustion is
starting to catch up to you. And yet, you
don’t think you’ll ever be able to sleep
again. Gain disadvantage on your next
mind trial (-2 dice on one roll).
10 of Spades: You realize you’ve been
walking in circles. Has this trail somehow
been looping you back to the same place?
Paying close attention to your
surroundings, you notice a rock, a tree, a
bush that you are sure you’ve seen before.
Except the path hasn’t branched, you
haven’t changed course once. You feel
utterly disoriented. Gain disadvantage on
your next mind trial. (-2 dice on one roll).
J of Spades: Easy Trial (Spirit)
You feel panic and fear swell in your chest. It is bubbling, building up, and you know it is
going to spill over soon. What if you never leave this place? You will surely die here,
won’t you? Will you ever see your family or friends again? Your breathing speeds up and
your heart pounds in your chest. The sound of insects skittering echoes on the inside of
your skull and you feel like you’re going to fall apart. You must try to focus and calm
yourself before the panic takes over completely.

Q of Spades: Medium Trial (Spirit)

Insects begin crawling all over your body. You feel them crawling on your arms, your
legs, in your hair. Everywhere you look there are tiny creatures moving along your skin.
They are coming out of your ears. You feel something in your throat and open your
mouth to find a cockroach crawling out. Your entire body convulses and you must do
everything in your power to control yourself, to stay calm, to not scream. You are not
sure if this is real or not, but it hardly matters. It feels real. You must try to remove the
insects from your body, whether by willing them away and breaking the reverie, or
by other means.

K of Spades: Hard Trial (Spirit)

The sound of buzzing fills your ears. A large, black mass begins to form before you. Small
at first, the creature grows larger, and larger, soon bigger than you, bigger than a human
should be. As the light passes through its form, you realize that you are looking at the
shadow of a giant spider. You whirl around and in front of you she stands, her long spider
legs stretched around you and her mouth opening wide as if to swallow you whole. You
turn back around and shut your eyes. It isn’t real it isn’t real it isn’t real, you try to repeat
to yourself, but you can hear it behind you, chittering, weaving its silk, preparing to catch
you in her web. You must attempt to break free, convincing yourself this isn’t real.

17
 CLUBS CLUBS
A of Clubs: You recall a recurring
nightmare you’ve had. It has haunted
your dreams for weeks now, months even.
You tried to dismiss it, brush it off, but it
persists. What is in the nightmare? What
do you see before you that reflects it?
2 of Clubs: When you were a child, your
mother used to tell you a bedtime story,
the same one most nights. You know you
asked for it often, despite the fact it
sometimes gave you nightmares.
However, you struggle to remember it
now. Parts of it come back to you when
you think hard enough. What was it
about? What about it sent chills down
your spine?
3 of Clubs: Ahead of you on your trail,
you see the figure of a person standing
just off the path. You feel relieved to see
someone else down here – you’ve been
thoroughly alone. The relief is short-lived
as you realize that it’s not another person
at all. Silk tendrils are attached to their
hands, their shoulders, their head. Their
head lifts to look at you, jilted, with
hollow eyes. They open their mouth,
seemingly to speak, but instead a stream
of ants pours out, rushing from their eyes,
mouth, and ears. You hurry away,
disgusted, not wanting to spend another
moment next to them.
4 of Clubs: You have always had a fear of
insects. How strong is it – mild discomfort
or more of a phobia? Is it one bug in
particular that makes you squirm or
insects in general? You have a strong
memory of the first time you felt this fear
as a child. What happened?
5 of Clubs: A beam of moonlight softly
lights a grassy meadow. The space is in
stark contrast to what you’ve seen
elsewhere in this universe. The meadow
is filled with fireflies, their glow floating
softly
You take some time to relax, enjoying a
moment of peace. What memories come
to mind as you rest?
18
6 of Clubs: Who or what exactly are those
creatures that appeared in your home,
sending you to this terrifying place? The
“Weavers” – have you ever heard that
name before, or is it new to you? What do
you think was promised to them? Why
are they so interested in you?
7 of Clubs: You see ahead a small
structure that is elevated off the ground,
hanging from the trees. It appears to be
some sort of hut completely made of
leaves; as you get closer you can see that
they appear sewn together with silk.
There are many of them, you realize as
you get closer. Fascinatingly intricate
homes hanging like ornaments from the
trees.
8 of Clubs: You follow the dirt path to a
large opening lit with dim streetlights.
You see small stones lining the path; upon
closer inspection you realize that you’re
in a graveyard. You notice a nearby
concrete bench and you sit to take a
moment to pay your respects. Who are
you thinking about in this moment?
9 of Clubs: You’re starting to feel like you
might not make it out of here, wherever
‘here’ is. You feel a wave of despair wash
over you, and one person in particular
comes to mind. Who do you wish you
could say one final goodbye to, if this is
really the end? What would you say to
them?
10 of Clubs: You know that no matter
what you do, the only way out is forward.
You know in your gut, in the pit of your
stomach, that you can’t leave this place.
Wherever here is, it’s in a different realm.
You’ve been walking for so long that
you’ve started to lose track of time. The
terrain around you changes with the blink
of an eye, with no rhyme or reason. What
does the area around you currently look
like? Does it remind you of anything?
J of Clubs: Easy Trial (Any Skill)
Webs. Webs. Everywhere. Huge webs, big enough to trap a human. The tendrils of silk
are thick, as thick as your forearm. And the designs of the webs are incredibly intricate,
detailed, gorgeous. It’s as if they were a work of art, rather than a deadly trap. You are
transfixed as you gaze at them. You soon realize that these monstrous webs block the
only visible way forward. You must find a way forward, through the webs, without
getting caught in them yourself.

Q of Clubs: Medium Trial (Any Skill)

Movement catches your eye in the darkness. Again, and again but when you look nothing
is there. Out of the corner of your eye you see… yourself? No. It’s gone so quickly that
you aren’t sure what you saw anymore. Is there some sort of mirror nearby, you wonder?
You peer into the darkness once again, curious, and come face to face with yourself. You
start, jumping backwards, and not-you smiles, moving forward. You move backwards
instinctively, trying to get out of their way. They mirror your movements, but it is rigid,
unnatural, and it makes you feel sick. No matter which way you try to go, they block you
off, stopping you from passing. You must find away to defeat… yourself? Whatever
this creature is…

K of Clubs: Hard Trial (Any Skill)

Before you stand the Weavers: all 3 of them. You recognize these humanoid spider
creatures from earlier in the night, back in your room, what feels like a lifetime ago…
They gaze at you from the darkness, with their eerie glowing eyes, and you feel utterly
exposed, as if your skin was peeling away, your bones were hollow, and your soul was on
display.

“Do you know where lost dreams go, my pet?”

The voice is somehow both grating and soothing, like the horror of nails on a chalkboard
wrapped in a comfortable nostalgia of your childhood. You want to move, but you can’t
will your feet to move. You feel your heart rate rising as you stand still, transfixed by
their many eyes, staring deep into your soul.

They continue, “Every time you wake, every time you feel the tendrils of that dream
slipping away from you, unable to grab onto it, we have taken them from you. We keep
them safe, tucked away, so that we can later weave them into something of our own
creation.” A smile, a horrible smile spreads across the Weaver’s faces.

The pit in your stomach grows. You aren’t sure what that means, but your mind’s instinct
is to fill with dread. The middle Weaver raises their hand and gestures with a flourish in
the air. A moment later, you see the remnants of nightmares long forgotten manifesting
themselves in front of you.

Describe what horrors have been taken from your nightmares. You must find a way to
navigate around this dream-creature, whether by hiding, finding a different path
forwards, or some other means, while staying calm.

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ENDINGS

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ENDING #1
The sound of insects fills your brain, so loud that you can’t remember what it was like
without it. Or perhaps there was never a time without it, never a before. There has only
been now, with your mind full of this buzzing, this scratching, these whispers. You have
always been here, in this place. You have always been a part of the hive. Any memories
you had about your old life, your cabin, your family, your friends… all of that is a distant
memory, fading away faster by the second until you forget them altogether.

Your vision distorts and splits, as if you were looking through a stained glass window,
and then it grows. Your field of view is suddenly wider, so much wider than it was before.

In front of you stands the Weavers once more. This time it is a comforting sight. You feel
no fear in your body, only familiarity, as if you were greeting an old friend.

Welcome, they smile. We knew you were one of us.

They stand in front of you with outstretch arms, and you walk to them, to your new
home. You welcome it.

You have never known anything else.

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ENDING #2

Webs, countless spider webs. They have become so common to your eyes that you don’t
even see them anymore. It takes you a moment to realize that you are no longer walking
and your feet are no longer moving. They have been tethered, woven in place by sturdy,
sticky silk. It wraps firmly around your ankles. Slowly, the silk begins to weave its way up
your legs, around your waist, and up your torso. The more you resist, the more you
wiggle, the faster the web moves, encompassing your skin like a cocoon. No matter what
you do, how hard you try, you can’t break out. This time there’s not a chance.

A voice whispers in your ear: “Don’t be afraid. You won’t feel any pain.”

Your pulse quickens and you feel yourself shaking for what you know is coming. This
promise does nothing to calm you. Instead, a fresh shot of panic runs through your veins.
You can’t move, your entire body is now immobilized. You feel suffocated. You close your
eyes, preparing for the worst. As the silk starts to cover your face, wrapping around your
head, your neck, you exhale, accepting your fate.

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ENDING #3

As you complete your final trial, relief fills your body. You feel a weight lift from your
chest. You feel lighter on your feet somehow, like you’re floating just off the ground. Your
vision begins to fade and the world around you becomes faint, but you’re content in the
knowledge, in the certainty that you’re free.

You’re free: free of this place, free of these trials, free of these creatures.

You return to your home, your secluded cabin, to your bed, to your comfortable sheets, to
your routines. You feel a spark of gratitude at the mundane. It’s so good to be back.
Everything is back to normal, just as it always was, and you begin to wonder if perhaps
the whole thing was all a dream.

But every time you see a spider in your cabin, a chill runs up your spine. You are always
careful to leave them alone, keep your distance, and they do the same. You heard once
that killing spiders is bad luck. And pushing your luck with the spiders is the last thing
you wish.

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