Table Map Collection

The Map is not the Terrain

Purpose

The tables are the collective attempts of several explorer groups to create a definitive map of the Neverending Forest. These maps are carved into wooden boards to act as a semi-permanent visuals for group to debate over.

They are also the end product in a collaborative drawing game where players, at minimum, draw basic shapes representing the forest from a bird's-eye perspective.

Document Structure

Clauses

Free Draw

In this setting, paper does not exist so great value is placed on explorers with great spacial awareness and memory retention for them to record once they return to base.
Before play can start, each player draws one geographical feature on a blank paper. Naturally, the more players there are, the more filled out a starting map would be. Just remember to be courteous to others and leave space for prompted expansions.

Exploration Base

The only requirement needed for the map is a base camp where the PCs are actually able to carve the landscape and whatever else they saw into the wooden boards.
On the map, one side of this shelter would have a clear shot to the rest of civilization so do not go too wild with 'totally' surrounding the base.

Resources

While the party is adventuring; there is an indefinite workforce, hired by a company, who work on projects and generally maintain the base.
Resources are less of a mechanic, than as a means of sowing potential plot seeds for the game to follow.
Each player describes a resource they want to be important to the campaign and, as a group, decide which one would be abundant; while the others are scarce.
Abundance: 3+
Scarcity: 1

Projects

Projects are another way to draw new structures, new areas or anything that the base would want or need (in-game) or would be useful as a campaign supplement.
Keep track of in-progress projects on a separate sheet. The duration of a project can either be decided by the group or roll for no. of turns and countdown by 1 per turn, until completion.
Always assume projects are a step forward, not backward.

References

Every table is carved from the recalled memories of those who managed to exit the Neverending forest. As a result, if the maps are ever used in a game, they may not be perfectly to scale; either because the areas shifted since last or from the explorers' imperfect recollection.

Such a mapping, however, is impossible due to the forest's shifting nature. Regardless, there are many valuable resources that are regularly exploited to be sold to mountain and coastal communities.

Publication Status

Stacks of table tops are kept in storage at a local base station in the green valley. Only dedicated map makers and active explorers are permitted to study them.

For purposes of further campaigning, it is suggested that any game to take place years in the future

Legal status

The usefulness of these maps are constantly under heavy criticism. In addition to the inherent unreliability of a person attempting to recall where they have been; many of the maps' inartistic depictions with regards to everything else, leaves some ambiguity on the carvers' intention.

Because of the ever shifting nature in the neverending forest, none of the maps ever appear to be correct all of the time. But it could just as well be because of an unpracticed hand.

Historical Details

Public Reaction

The wood itself is considered valuable. There are not a lot of forested areas in the rest of the four corners, so the very-rich seek to install wooden beams and panels into their homes as a show of wealth.

Occasionally, some thief or thieves would smuggle away an older piece (hoping nobody would notice) to sell abroad.

Legacy

Discussion

Discussion is a period to ensure that the map remains a collaborative effort. Each player has a turn to be the 'lead' who offers a single topic sentence or question for the others to respond. This is done to gather inspiration on how to use their turn before selecting a prompt. The lead might even employ voting, but they do not have to accept the results, though doing so might attract contempt.
Each discussion should be tied to the situations and dilemmas on the map, not on want to do next.

Discovery

Discovery is the process of players updating the map with their conflicts, plot hook opportunities and projects that modify the landscape. Parts of the map will be literal cartography and others will be symbolic. All these situations would be recorded on the map as small or simple icons.

Contempt

Contempt is a social mechanic where a player expresses disagreement against another instead of voicing objections or speaking out of turn. However, the person seeking contempt must justify their decision to the group. Each player can only have one contempt that is related to one of the other players.
It is a reminder of contention and can be diffused/spent:

1. to negate the vote of that person during discussions
2. to accelerate a project by one round, except for when it is a one-round project
3. to slow a project by two rounds
4. when that corresponding person does something that you greatly support, you can voluntarily give up your contempt

Note: Enacting contempt may trigger others to do the same. Though, players cannot take new contempt in response to contempt being used against them.

Term

Dry Season

There’s a large body of water on the map. Where is it? What does it look like?	1	There’s a giant, man-made structure on the map. Where is it? Why is it abandoned?
Where does everyone sleep? Who is unhappy with this arrangement, and why?	2	Where are you storing your food? Why is this a risky place to store things?
There is a disquieting legend about this place. What is it?	3	Alarming weather patterns destroy something. How and what?
Someone new arrives. Who? Why are they in distress?	4	What natural predators roam this area? Are you safe?
You see a good omen. What is it?	5	You see a bad omen. What is it?
What’s the most beautiful thing in this area?	6	What’s the most hideous thing in this area?
Tend to the earth. Start a project related to food production.	7	Summer is a time for conquest and the gathering of might. Start a project related to military readiness and conquest.
Introduce a mystery at the edge of the map.	8	An unattended situation becomes problematic and scary. What is it? How does it go awry?
You discover a cache of supplies or resources. Add a resource abundance.	9	Something goes foul and supplies are ruined. Add a resource scarcity.
There’s a community somewhere on the map. Where are they? What sets them apart from yours?	10	Evidence of a past atrocity is found. What is it? What happened?
A mysterious character convinces many to help with an elaborate scheme. What is it? Who else joins the endeavors? Start a project to reflect.	11	A mysterious character tries to tempt many into sinful or dangerous activities. Why do they do this? How do you respond?
Digging into the ground discovers something unexpected. What is it?	12	What important and basic tools does the party lack?
Someone from the explorer base came looking for you. Who? What are they looking for?	13	Two native groups are fighting one another. What provoked them?

Wet Season

You find a body. Do people recognize who it is? What happened?	1	A small gang of marauders is making its way through local terrain. How many are there? What weapons do they carry?
Introduce a dark mystery among the members of a project.	2	Something goes foul and supplies are ruined. Add a resource scarcity.
Another group goes out to explore the map more thoroughly, and finds something that had been previously overlooked.	3	An old thing discovered on an earlier map starts to attract outsiders on pilgrimages. Discuss the problems these pilgrims are causing.
Encounter a friendly tribe of savages	4	Someone comes up with a plan to ensure safety and comfort during the coldest months. Start a project related to this.
Flooding destroyed a food source. If this was your only food source, add a resource scarcity.	5	Floods drive out your enemies. Remove a threatening force from the map and the area.
Disease spreads. Choose one: Spend the round quarantining and treating the disease. No project loss this round. Nobody knows what to do about it. Every resource is in scarcity (min 1)	6	A natural disaster strikes the area. What is it? Choose one: Focus on getting everyone to safety. Remove an abundant resource and a project fails. Focus on protecting your supplies and hard work at any cost. Several people die as a result.
How do party members react to the weather?	7	In preparation for the coming year, begin a huge project that will take at least 5 rounds to complete.
A project just isn’t working out as expected. Radically change the nature of this project without the time taken.	8	Someone finds a curious opportunity on the edge of the map. Start a project related to this discovery.
Consolidate your previous efforts and your borders. Projects located outside the base fail, and all remaining projects are reduced by 2 this round.	9	Alarming weather patterns destroy something needed by the party. What is it? How does the base interpret the loss?
A savage emissary arrives near the base, proposing trade. How do they react? Agree on something about this person.	10	A savage soldier is captured nearby with maps and other tools of reconnaissance. Start a project based on the base's reaction.
The exploration group becomes obsessed with a single project. Which one? Why? Choose one: They decide to take more time to ensure that it is perfect. Add 3 rounds to a project. They drop everything else to work on it. All other projects fail. If there are no projects, the party becomes obsessed with a grandiose vision. Discuss this vision, in addition to your regular action for the round.	11	Your party becomes obsessed with a particular taboo. Which one? Why? Choose one: They refuse to work until all signs of the taboo have been stripped away. Do not adjust project rounds this round. They believe that one project already in existence will save them. Add 3 rounds to a project die.
A grand funeral is held in the forest. Who or what was it for? What legacy is enshrined through this ritual?	12	Someone begins to construct a place to nurture young animals. Start a Project to reflect their endeavor.
A group of people arrive, wounded and scared. They seek shelter and belonging. How are they greeted?	13	A raiding party takes resources from a nearby base. One project fails.

Regardless of the in-game start date, start with the dry season. Every turn, the position of lead rotates between the players. They either freely choose from the lists of prompts or roll to narrow the choice between the two side-by-side options or take a suggestion from other players but the leads have final say.
Then, work your way to the options under the wet season.
Every player must have contributed to the map with at least one prompt from each season.

Type

Map, Survey

Medium

Wood

Location

Neverending Forest

Signatories (Organizations)

• Third Quadrant

Past Gameplay

Example Map Features
Shark fins snaking through a large river where they weren't before compliments another plyer's earlier river drawing.
A big "X" crossing out an established landmark suggests a negative development.
One player put an expansive seashore, open to a bright sunny heat, deep within the forest. Paradoxically, another said the canopy still appears to obscure this feature when viewed from on high, and the beach only appears when you are right on it. This made for an interesting dynamic.
A previous map from another party had an area with 2 concentric circles that the current group thought was a lake. But was actually an impact crater.
An impassable ravine was drawn to bisect the page during the first phase of a game. Nearing the end, when half the page was full, a group of hostiles had found a way to raid them across it. This created a last minute mystery they were not able to close before the game ended.
An undoubtedly modern device was drawn into this pre-modern setting leading to convoluted shenanigans to justify its existence.
In answering one of the 'omen prompts', one player erased a feature drawn by a previous player to reflect the forest's changing nature.
After several replays, one player sought to make it easier to acquire fitting boards to carve their maps on. So they inserted a species of misshapened trees that grow as panels that can be broken off.