S E N R U O - The Path of Gods
[ Archive of Posts (PHP) ]
Genre: Interactive Story, Romance, Martial Arts Fantasy
Story: A group of wanderers frees their friendship in a world of ambition.
Message: Sharing perspectives is the basis of cooperation and harmony.

CHAPTER 4 DEMO

Summary
The group walk along the dirt road and arrives at a tea house.
The keeper of the tea house tries to poison them but he failed.
The group finds that the Buliu Brothers are behind the scheme.

[ Demo (xls) ]
[ Flowchart ]

The flowchart is quite in-depth and well organized, but I am not quite sure what this is. The PHP archive was also a bit confusing. Is there a story to read on the website linked?

Episode 1 Scenes

Legend:
[L] = Location
[C] = Character
[E] = Event

Scene: The departing woman

[L] Woods, starting to rain
[C] Woman in white: nameless woman in veiled sedge hat
[E] Woman says 'Kai' and departs the first person character

Scene: Loading captives

[L] Dirt road next to a woods. Rain has stopped
[C] Kai: assistant of slave traders, unable to remember his past
[C] Buliu Brothers: slave traders
[C] Woman in green: herb gatherer, one of Buliu Brothers' captives
[E] Kai loads the captives onto an ox cart for the Buliu Brothers, everyone is submissive
[E] Not long after the cart starts moving, a traveller stops the cart
[C] Woman in red: a powerful traveller, stops the cart
[E] Traveller demands the captives be freed and fights Buliu Brothers.
[E] Kai is inspired to help during the fight.
[E] Buliu Brothers flees.

Scene: Unrewarded action

[L] Same dirt road with broken cart
[E] Captives quietly disperse, apathetic for being freed
[E] Traveller thanks Kai and intends to continue her way
[E] Kai talks to Traveller,
[C] Chio: the traveller in red
[E] Kai recognizes that Chio is not from the local region
[C] Lin: barefoot girl listening to the conversation
[E] Chio decides to make a fire and camp for the night

Scene: Conversation at camp fire

[L] Woods by the dirt road with camp fire
[E] Chio tells that she is travelling to look for sages to eventually become a sage herself
[E] Chio tells the two her encounters with sages, who are people with powerful skills and hidden identities.
[E] Kai suddenly says that he is a sage and catches Chio and Lin off guard. Chio dismisses that prank. Kai says Lin could be a sage. Lin laughs.
[E] Chio explains that before every meeting, a sage would give her a paper message with a riddle. It has been two months but she has not gotten the next message.
[E] The conversation stops when they hear an explosion over the woods. Burnt pieces of paper fall from the sky.
[E] Chio chases toward the explosion

Scene: Burning woods

[L] Middle of woods, with fallen and burning woods
[C] Monster: engulfed by fire, attacking
[C] Injured man: desperately avoiding the monster,
[E] Chio and Kai defeat the monster and save the man

Scene: Treating the wounded man

[L] Camp fire site
[E] Chio has been treating the man's wounds, everyone is exhausted
[E] The man regains consciousness, sees that he has been treated, but insists to leave
[E] Chio asks for the man's name, but the man refuses to tell.
[E] When Chio insists to know, the man replies that his name is Yao

Scene: Dying embers

[L] Camp site, the fire is burning out. Daybreak.
[E] Chio has not rested the entire night, and has not spoken since the man left
[E] Chio impulsively decides to continue her way to find the next sage.
[E] Kai calms her down enough to talk to her. Chio explains that she has been feeling lost since the last meeting with sage
[E] Kai tells her that eventhough she feels lost, she is still the most purposeful among them
[E] Lin weeps because she looks up to Chio
[E] Chio says that she would believe Kai is a sage if he says so. Chio collapses from exhaustion and falls asleep
[E] Kai decides to let Chio rest in the cart, and pulls it to the next town.

Scene: Dirt road

[L] Dirt road, cart is tied to Kai
[E] Kai puts Chio in the cart. Lin watches as Kai starts pulling it.
[E] The cart moves. Kai tells Lin to hop on also.

Episode 2 Scenes


Scene: Buliu Brothers meet the Keeper

[L] Teahouse
[E] Builu Brothers meet with the Keeper of the teahouse
[D] Keeper asks for his money
[D] Lu tells him that the woman has run away but they have found someone better...
[E] Keeper listens...

Scene: On the road

[L] Dirt road
[E] Kai is pulling cart and feeling great
[E] Lin wakes up, Kai teaches her to pull cart
[E] Chio wakes up and listens
[D] Kai asks Chio whether she thinks Yao is a Sage
[D] Chio says no, because Yao is too weak
[E] Chio fetches fruit with her whip
[D] Kai comments that life is so easy for Chio
[D] Chio is interested in Kai's background and asks about his past
[D] Kai retells his memory of a woman leaving him
[D] He remembers that they visited a shrine in the forest
[D] Kai says that the shrine houses a god that protects the people of the forest
[D] Chio says that is bs. Kai asks why.
[D] Chio says that if that exists, it would have protect the people from Buliu Brothers
[E] Lin hears something on the plains. Group sees vultures.

Scene: Resting at Teahouse

[L] Teahouse by dirt road
[E] Teahouse is under-staffed
[D] Chio thinks of leaving Kai behind
[D] Kai thinks of leaving Lin behind
[E] Teahouse is about to close when an old woman arrives
[D] Old woman recognizes something about Kai
[D] Old woman says that sometimes the past is better left fogotten
[E] Old woman is poisoned. Chio is also poisoned but she chases out.
[E] Kai stays to save the old woman. Lin follows Chio.

Scene: Chio chases Keeper

[L] Forest
[E] Chio catches the Keeper, Keeper confesses that it is the Buliu Brothers' plan
[E] Chio chases the Buliu Brothers. They fight to a draw. Keeper hides.
[E] Chio is at disadvantage.
[E] Lin sees the situation and pretends that Kai is nearby. Buliu Brothers flee
[E] Chio collapses.
[E] Keeper sees that Lin lied and tries to finish Chio. Lin gets in the way.
[E] Keeper kicks Lin away. Chio whips Keeper and stands up. Keeper flees.
[E] Lin and Chio return to the Teahouse

Scene: Old woman saved

[L] Teahouse
[E] Lin prepares water for old woman to heal
[E] Kai searches the Teahouse for clues and finds the book
[E] According to the book, the keeper has never hired a waitress

Scene: Dialog between Chio and Kai

[L] Teahouse: Room with Kai and Chio
[E] Chio sees Kai's scars when he takes a bath
[D] Chio feels bad for putting people around her in danger
[D] Kai says that is better than he trying to do it alone
[D] Chio asks about what they should do with Lin
[D] Kai says that they would let Lin decide

Scene: Dialog with Old Woman

[L] Teahouse: Room with Lin and Old Woman
[D] Lin asks where the Old Woman is going
[D] Old woman speaks about looking for her granddaughter
[D] Lin asks whether the granddaughter is wrong for leaving home
[D] Old woman says it was her fault for letting her go
[E] Lin blows off the light

Scene: Keeper looking for Buliu Brothers

[L] Forest shrine, night
[E] Keeper is lost in the forest, he is calling for the Buliu Brothers
[E] Keeper walks into an abandoned area marked as a sacred space
[E] Keeper finds the woman in green alone in the shrine and decides to catch her
[E] Woman in green wakes up, but it is too late. Keeper ties her up.
[E] Keeper suddenly hears a young girl scolding the woman in green for being such a useless guardian
[E] Keeper guesses it is Lin again but sees no one.
[E] The woman in green disappears. Keeper freaks out and begs for forgiveness.
[E] An arm emerges from the ground and pulls the Keeper under.

Senruo as a Card Game

Objectives
Create a card game that simulates an interactive story.
Capture the same thoughts a player goes through playing the story.


Key Concepts
o Two players.
o Player 1 simulates the group with Kai.
o Player 1 tries to unite the people against and disable the Senruo Governors
o Player 2 simulates the Senruo.
o Player 2 tries to divide the people and wake up Senruo Governors
o Drawing of cards simulates the part of the game that is variable
o Decks simulate prepration and specialization
o Placing of card simulates committing to an action that takes up a time slot


Concept: Action Cards
o A player can hold up to 5 action cards. The rest are kept in a deck
o Everytime a player uses an action card, the card returns randomly in the deck
o A player can only play one action card each turn


Initial Action Cards
o 1 set for each player

Attack: Start a fight with the opponent's characters at the same location
Move: Move any number of your characters at the same location to another location.
Explore: Draw a card from the deck of legends
Train: upgrade, add, or discard a skill
Intervene: Stops the opponent from placing an event card, if you have a character at the event
Strategize: Reshuffle your action deck and draw up to 5 action cards, or Reshuffle a combat deck and draw up to the number allowed by the HP of the character

o The deck of legends contains additional actions, skills, characters, and events


Concept: Legend Deck
o The Legend Deck contains additional cards. This deck is drawn by both players
o When a Card from the Legend Deck is played, it returns to the Deck of used Legends, face up
o When the Deck of Legends is empty, the Deck of Used Legends replenishes the deck


Action cards in the Legend Deck:
o 3 cards each:

Hunt: Force one of opponent's characters to fight your character
Evade: Escape from a fight and move to another location
Rally: Rallies a group of people and associates them to your side
Settle: Turns a group of people into a settlement and associates then to your side
Develop: Turns a settlement into a city and associates it to your side
Hide: Escape from a fight if a city exists
Rest: Replenish 1 HP for 1 character at the location
Harvest: If you have a group of people, settlement or city, replenish 1 HP for each character at that location
Festival: If you have a city, fully replenish all characters at that location
Befriend: Associate a group of people, settlement, or city with your side
Rise up: Give a group of people an identity, allowing them to join a fight
Hearsay: Disassociate an opponent from a group of people, settlement or city
Assist: Move and use additional characters for a fight not directed to them


Character Cards

Chio: Belongs to Player 1 by default
Kai: Belongs to Player 1 by default
Lin: Belongs to Player 1 by default

Songji: Belongs to Player 2 by default
Songji's Summons: Fight for Player 2 after summoning
Senruo Grandmaster: Belongs to Player 2 by default. Only fights in Senruo Territories

Yikume: Fights for Player 1 until the fight is against Songji
Kuyin: Fully heals a character for Player 1 for 1 action turn, stays with Player 2. If Player 1 gets Kuyin's Grandma, Kuyin stays with Player 1
Yaonong: Fights for the one that has the card for 1 fight
Nanhong: Fights for the side Yaonong is in
Buliu Brothers: Fights for the one that has the card for 1 fight
Sage(s): Fights for Player 1 for 1 fight. Does not fight for Player 2
Senruo(s): Fights for Player 1 for 1 fight if Yikume is in group. Stays with Player 2
Senruo Governors: Fights for Player 2 for 1 fight. Does not fight for Player 1


Skill Cards in the Legend Deck:
o Can be used during a confrontation

Event Cards in the Legend Deck:
o Event cards ramp up the intensity of the game.
o Each Event card doubles as an action card with opposing effect
o When an event card is used, it is placed face up on the table and stays there
o The player needs to choose whether to use the card as an action or an event card
o Each card is associated with a location.
o Each location can only have one card from each type

Tomb x3:
= This simulates Player 1's knowledge about Senruo
o This card can only be placed at a location without a tomb or a stronghold
o Must be placed at a location with Yaonong
o All characters with Yaonong at the location replenishes 1 HP
o After the end of the third revelation, Yaonong will stay with Player 1

Sage Meeting x3:
= This simulates Chio's meeting with Sages
o Cannot be placed at a Senruo Stronghold
o Must be placed at a location with Chio
o Fully heals Chio when placed
o A Sage card can only be placed at each of three moments:
1) When you have at least a group of people
2) When you have at least a settlement
3) When you have a city
o After the end of the third meeting, Sage will stay with Player 1

Redemption x3:
= This simulates Player 1 forgiving the Buliu Brothers
o Must be placed at a location with Player 1 and Buliu Brothers
o Replenishes 1 HP for Buliu Brothers
o After the third time, Buliu Brothers will stay with Player 1

Liberation x3:
= This simulates Kai's learning to erase seals
o Can only be placed at a location with Kai
o Associates the location to your side
o After the 3rd time, Kai gains the skill to release Senruos

Bell Merchant x3:
= This simulates Bell Merchant teaching Lin
o Only placed at a location with Lin
o If placed at a city, fully replenish all characters at that location
o After the 3rd time, the player with Lin has the ability to intervene any event with Senruo powers, as long as Lin is not KO'ed

Senruo StrongHold x3:
= This simulates Songji reconnecting the strongholds
o This card can only be placed at a location without a tomb or a stronghold
o Cannot be place at a location where a Sage had met Chio
o Fully recharges the player's senruo characters at the location
o After the 3rd time, Senruo Governors will stay with Player 2

Mesmerize x3:
= This simulates Grandmaster exercising seduction skills
o This card can only be placed when Player 1 has a character in Senruo territory
o The target of seduction loses 1 HP
o After the 3rd, Grandmaster gets the skill to convert any opponent character fighting in Senruo territory for the fight

Assimilate x3:
= This simulates Yikume fitting in with Player 1
o It must be placed at a location with Yikume and at least another character of Player 1
o All characters of Player 1 at the location replenishes 1 HP
o After the 3rd time, Yikume will stay with Player 1

Bloodlust x3:
= This simulates Yikume returning to Senruo
o It must be placed at a location with Yikume
o Once placed, allows Yikume to fight Songji
o Fully heals Yikume
o After the 3rd time, Yikume will leave Player 1 and go to Player 2

Calamity x3:
= This simulates Grandmaster's patience
o This card can only be placed if there are groups of people, settlements or cities
o When this card is placed, it forces your group of people to attack and conquer another group of people.
o After the 3rd time, Player 2 may trade a Senruo for the destruction of a location if Player 1 does not intervene
o When all locations are destroyed, Player 2 may trade a Senruo to hunt for Player 1's characters

Animosity x3:
= This simulates the hate between Yaonong and Yikume
o This card can only be placed at a location with Yaonong
o Once placed, if Player 1 has both Yaonong and Yikume, one of them returns to the Legend Deck
o After the 3rd time, Yanong and Yikume cannot be on the same side

Deadly Conflict x3:
= This simulates hate in general
o This can only be placed at a location
o When this card is placed, the next fight can end only if a character is KO'ed
o Once the character is KO'ed, it is put in the Legend Deck
o After the 3rd time, the situation applies to all subsequent fights, and the KO'ed character is considered dead and does not recirculate.

Paper Message x3:
= This simulates discovery of Nanhong Headquarter
o This can only be placed at a location with Yaonong or Nanhong members
o Once placed, the player can see the cards of the other player
o After the 3rd time, the city of Nanhong Plateau may show on the map
o The player that controls the Plateau can always move during their action turn

Victory Conditions
A player wins if the opponent has no character to control or has no method to revive their characters.


Combat Cards
Each character has its own deck of combat cards. Combat cards contain active and passive skills. Normally, the player draws 3 combat cards from the character's deck for the character. The cards are placed faced up. Each turn, the player can use at most one active skill or return one card to the deck. After using a skill or returning the card, the player draws a card from the deck to replenish that card.

When a character takes damage, the player receiving damage chooses one card to return to the deck. This makes that character has one less card faced up. When a character has no card faced up, the character is KO'ed. A normal fight ends when one side has a character KO'ed or received the minimum damage required to declare defeat.

Once a fight ends, characters that do not stay with a player return to the Legend Deck. If the fight is a Mortal fight, the KO'ed character is dead and goes to a different pile that cannot be reused.


Minifigures / Tokens

Minifigures are used to mark the location of characters on the location cards, special features of a location, and whether a location belongs to Player 1 or Player 2. Minifigures of both player may coexist at a location. Moving a character to a location does not automatically start a confrontation.

A Token marks the highest number of Event cards of the same type used. At Event Level 1, a player may end a fight in defeat when his side has received 1 damage. At Event level 2, a player may end a fight when 2 damages are received. At Event level 3, a player may end a fight when 3 damages are received.

Combat System of the Card Game

Concept
o When a fight begins, each character has three cards facing up
o The players take turn placing cards that counter the attacks of the opponent
o When a player has used all cards facing up, the players redraw for each slot
o When a player has a card facing up but no card that can counter, the player's character is hit
o When a character is hit, the players redraw for each empty slot
o A character is KO'ed when it has lost all of its slots.
o When a player has multiple characters, the player can select a card from any

Concept Graphics
o Red: location where the move counters
o .. A card with no red dot does not defend
o Green: location where the move attacks (that the opponent must counter)
o .. Card 8 has two green dots. The defender must defend both slots
o .. A card with no green dot does not attack
o .. A green dot can be used to neutralize an attack, ..
o .. but that allows the opponent to attack again without countering
o Yellow: Indicates a move with special effects (e.g. Poison, Flee, Enslave,)



Example
o Suppose Player 1 has Cards 1,2,3 and Player 2 has cards 6,7,8.
o Player 1 attacks with Card 1.
o Player 2 counters with Card 6.
o Player 1 counters with Card 2.
o Player 2 counters with Card 8.
o Player 1 does not have a counter, but he must play Card 3.
o Player 1 gets hit
o Player 2 draws two cards, Player 1 draws three cards.
o It is Player 2's turn to counter Card 3