STARFLUNG

MISSIVES

You are two people who care for each other deeply,
seperated by distance and duty.
One of you has been pulled into the interstellar war, fighting
on the front lines, while the other remains on the station.
Your only means of communication are short messages,
flung through encrypted relays across the stars.

SETUP
This is a game for two players, played across a few days or weeks.
One of you will play the Stationer, living a life of relative freedom on
the station, while the other will be the Soldier—fighting on the front
lines of the war.
You will start by each creating your character, giving them a name, a
goal and deciding together how they are related.
Feel free to suggest ideas about connections & tensions you might see
in your character’s shared story, but don’t settle on much beyond an
outline at this stage. You’ll be defining more about the characters and
their relationship as you play.
To create your characters, roll or choose on the following tables.
The first few are universal, but the goals are unique to your role.
 NAMES
marta, janus, irfan, terezia, ruslan, natalia, orval, eli, rashmi
delphine, aulat, lantha, ged, sayla, alakor, leina, zai, kroda
mallard, tucker, connor, o’neal, hicks, strom, cassius

YOU TWO ARE...

1. siblings, close in age but not in personality.
2. school rivals turned firm friends.
3. found family who came up together.
4. teenage sweethearts with a sprawling, messy family.
5. newlyweds with a baby on the way.
6. exes who still meet for coffee once a week.

THE LAST DAY YOU SPENT TOGETHER...

1. you received some heartbreaking news.
2. you got steamed and did something reckless.
3. one told the other a dangerous lie.
4. you ticked something off your bucket list.
5. you both said things you now regret.
6. you sung and danced with your family.

STATIONER GOALS SOLDIER GOALS

1. Find someone new to love.
2. Keep things just as they were.
3. Fix things with _______.
4. Make my business a success.
5. Bring you back to me.
6. Join you on the front lines.
1. Run away from my problems.
2. Get out and go home.
3. Prove myself to _______.
4. Get revenge for _______.
5. Honour our traditions.
6. Earn our way to a better life.
 PLAYING THE GAME
Split a standard deck of cards with the jokers removed into black &
red suits, then shuffle the two piles. The Stationer takes the Hearts &
Diamonds, and the Soldier takes the Clubs & Spades.
One of you starts by drawing a card and finding the corresponding
prompt on the following pages. You’ll then write a letter to the other
character, using the prompt as you like. This can be the first letter your
character has written since you last saw each other, or a response to a
conversation that’s already started.
Your letters can be as long or short as you like.
After that first letter, take turns writing a letter in response to the
previous one—drawing a card and using the prompt in your writing. If a
prompt says ‘they’, ‘them’ or ‘theirs’, it means the other character.
Numbered cards will give you a detail to evoke in your letter.
Faces & Aces introduce some kind of event in your characters life. You
can choose how much of that event you wish to reveal in your letter.
You can also choose not to send a letter at all, describing the event to
the other player instead.
Talk with the other player about the the story you’re telling, and what
you think it might be interesting to explore. Don’t be afraid of a little
dramatic irony. Set boundaries & course correct as you need to. Suggest
tough choices and complications that might arise. The story you tell
will be better if you step out of your characters once in a while.

The game ends when you feel you’ve

reached a natural stopping point.

Based on Say What You Mean by Riley Rethal.

 STATIONER PROMPTS
♥ HEARTS ♦ DIAMONDS
LOVE IN STATIC LIFE IN MOTION
A♥ A♦
You find an old diary of theirs. You Days pass without thinking of them.
can’t help yourself reading a few pages. Who were you thinking about instead?
K♥ K♦
You have lunch with someone close to You gain the support of someone
them. A secret is revealed. powerful & charismatic.
Q♥ Q♦
You find an old message from them You share a moment of tenderness
that reminds you of carefree days. with someone unexpected.
J♥ J♦
Something they left behind is ruined You do something they always warned
or broken. You must dispose of it. you against. It goes poorly.
10♥ 10♦
The thing you miss the most. Someone moving on.
9♥ 9♦
The future you used to talk about. Our favourite store, closed down.
8♥ 8♦
The first big argument you had. Children, growing up.
7♥ 7♦
The tradition you’ve maintained. A new trend that makes you feel old.
6♥ 6♦
The game you played together. Blooming flowers.
5♥ 5♦
A simple pleasure, once shared. An artist you discovered.
4♥ 4♦
Our favourite place to eat. Redecorating.
3♥ 3♦
The first time you met them. What you want for them.
2♥ 2♦
The last thing you said to them. What you want for yourself.
 SOLDIER PROMPTS
♣ CLUBS
GLANCING BACK
A♣
You’re granted shore leave, but you
choose not to go home to see them.
K♣
You’ve mastered something you used
to practice with them.
Q♣
You hear a surprising story about them
from a mutal friend.
J♣
Your communications are jammed
and you can’t send any messages.
10♣
The thing you miss the most.
9♣
Something your parents told you.
8♣
Reflecting on a disagreement.
7♣
The tradition you’ve maintained.
6♣
Something you’ve grown beyond.
5♣
The home comforts you cherish.
4♣
The meal you’re craving.
3♣
The way you remember them.
2♣
The last thing you said to them.
♠ SPADES
MARCHING FORTH
A♠
You had to do something terrible
today. You’re not sure you can go back.
K♠
You receive a commendation for your
excellence in service.
Q♠
You bond with a new recruit—you’re
up all night talking about your lives.
J♠
You almost died today. Two of your
fellow soldiers weren’t so lucky.
10♠
The worst thing about your barracks.
9♠
Mess hall gossip.
8♠
The games you play to pass the time.
7♠
The officer you can’t stand.
6♠
The enemy, up close.
5♠
Distant worlds, strange terrain.
4♠
Starlight through the glass.
3♠
What you want for them.
2♠
What you want for yourself.