Love in The Time of Seið

Love
in the
Time
of Seið
Matthijs Holter & Jason Morningstar
T he old King has no male heir, and
his kingdom is crumbling. To the
east, the neighboring land of Garðariki
grows stronger and richer with each
passing year. The two kingdoms have
never been the best of friends, and ten-
sions are building along the border.
Now, the King has only one chance to
ensure the survival of his kingdom -
marrying his daughter to the Earl of
Garðariki...
ABOUT THIS GAME
This is a story game for five players. Each player controls one
character in a web of intrigue, with motivations, desires and
secrets that will force them to forge and break alliances of love,
power and magic. Chances are that many will meet a tragic end
- but this is up to the players to decide and explore during play.
The attitude you want to cultivate before and during this

game is one of trust, attention and cooperation. You must
believe that the other players can perform well, and that
their guidance is well-meant. This game is not for challenges
and competition.
Players will take turns creating scenes. When it is your scene,

your character is in the spotlight. Everyone else is in support
of you at that moment as a friend and Guide.
A Guide is sort of like a coach in improvisational theatre,

but without the cult of personality.
The goal of a Guide is to help the spotlight player shine and to

make the emerging story as compelling as possible. Sometimes,
that means jumping in with, well, guidance. We’ve codified this
guidance into specific phrases you can use when you see that
a player or scene could benefit from your friendly assistance.
While everyone will be supporting you, two players will
take on specific roles.
During each of your scenes, the player on your left will be in
charge of events that emerge from the scene - the Event Guide.
Events are written on location cards; each location has dif-

ferent events that may occur when a character visits.
The player on your right will serve as Theme Guide for you and
help interweave your characters Themes, which are unpredict-
able powers, fickle traits, and dramatic influences that will pull
you deeper into conflict and action.
Themes are controlled by other players - you never have

authority over your own character’s Themes.
4
A WARM-UP TUTORIAL
If this is the first time you play...
Run a short exercise to teach everyone the phrases. First, ex-
plain each phrase and answer questions. Then decide on a
familiar setting.
Learning the rules by trying them out before the game

means you can take lots of chances. Use this opportunity
to push the boundaries of what you think the group will
accept! Make them guide you!
Your setting can be something from a movie or TV show

you all know; as long as everyone has a feel for the genre
and characters it will be fine. It is disposable!
Take turns narrating stories or events in this setting. While

someone narrates, the others should listen actively for an
opportunity to use one of the phrases. Ask for more detail!
Throw something in! Tell them it won’t be that easy! Whenever
someone has had two or three phrases directed at them, and
acted/reacted accordingly, the turn passes to the next player.
By the end of the exercise, you’ve all both given and received
instruction.
Make sure everyone understands they’re always general

Guides for everyone else, regardless of role.
This exercise may feel silly or redundant, but being comfort-

able with the six phrases is the key to a good game. Give
it a try!
Once you’ve completed this exercise and everyone is comfort-

able with the phrases, you’re ready to play.
Let everyone look at the characters - you’ll do this in more
depth later; right now, just make sure everyone gets a quick
look. Read the setting on the character card out loud - the part
starting with “The kingdom is steeped in tradition”.
Explain what players will do on their turn, and the differ-
ent functions they will have: Main player, Event Guide and
Theme Guide.
5
PREPARING TO PLAY
If you’ve played before, or after your first time player
exercise...
Let everyone have a long look at the five characters. Make sure
everyone understands all the elements on the cards - questions,
themes, relationships with other characters. Each player se-
lects one character, names them, and puts the character stand
on the table in front of them.
Every time you play, the game will be different. Try out dif-
ferent characters, different location descriptions, different
play groups. See what happens!
Think through the Questions written on your character stand.

Find at least one potential answer to each question. Don’t get
too attached to any ideas, though!
Character selection usually goes smoothly, but if several

players want the same character, toss a coin.
The Questions are the closest thing to planning events, and

a cool way to surprise other players with plot twists and
secrets.
Put the location cards on the table, face up. Don’t read the
events written on the back yet - it’s more fun if they’re a sur-
prise for later. The first player to choose a location should also
define it, making a choice from among the three possibilities
provided on the card.
The player playing the Princess takes the first scene. Play
continues to the left.
6
WHAT TO DO
ON YOUR TURN
When it is your turn, that means your character is in focus;
everything revolves around them. We want to see how they
act, feel, and think!
The single most important principle for this game is: Lean
on the group if you want to. Stumped for ideas? In need of
a cool description or a new character? No idea how to set
the scene? Ask the group!
Decide where we will find your character. Give that location

card to the player on your left. As the Event Guide, this person
will control events written on the location card.
Set the scene, or have someone else do it.
When setting scenes, there are two basic approaches: Either

you just start describing where your character is and what
they’re doing and the Event Guide jumps in when appropri-
ate, or the Event Guide frames the scene. You decide which
approach to take - it’s your scene.
The player who initially describes the scene can choose to be

explicit about what they want to see in the scene: “I want to
see a love scene now!”, “Your motivation is that you want to kill
her”, etc. Play the scene by following your character’s motiva-
tions, desires, wishes, and needs. Feel free to introduce other
characters and ask fellow players to portray them as neccessary.
Everything you say in the game is true as soon as you say

it – provided others accept it. A statement is basically a
strong suggestion; if nobody decides to modify it or change
it by using one of the phrases, that means it’s true.
The player to your right, your Theme Guide, will introduce

your character’s Themes into the scene in the most interesting
and exciting ways they can.
Someone else can use the phrase “Stay with it!” if they feel
a scene is ending prematurely.
The scene ends when you feel it’s appropriate.
7
First and Last Scenes
If this is your character’s first scene...
On your first scene, we want some description and detail to vi-
sualize your character. The Theme Guide should make sure to
push your themes to the foreground; they’ll often foreshadow
later events, or give the group a hint about how this character
might develop.
For your first scene, imagine this is a movie. Show us some-

thing that’s essential about your character, and something
that’s mysterious or cool. Don’t hide the fun stuff from the
other players! Their characters don’t need to know every-
thing, but the players are your audience!
Embrace the Theme Guide’s early input and run with it!
If this is your character’s last scene...

This is your epilogue. Tell us what happens after everything’s
done. This might be just after the final scenes, or years hence.
Make it about your character, and your character’s plots and
issues - we’re finished with the big picture, we want to know
what happened after. If you have unresolved character ques-
tions, you might want to answer them in play now - show, don’t
tell.
As soon as two characters’ stories are clearly finished -
they’re dead, or in exile, or have turned into animals, or any-
thing else that makes it clear they’re not going to be very active
— the game goes into its final phase. Everyone gets their last
scene (the epilogue) and then the game is over.
A dead character has an epilogue as well, of course.
Sometimes you have an idea so good you have to confer

with the owner of an Event or Theme. That’s cool – but
keep it short! Give a suggestion, and let them run with it
if they want. Two things to avoid entirely are discussions
about finding the best alternative and situations where you
assume authority over another player completely. Throw
good ideas out there and accept whatever happens to them
- even if they are completely ignored.
8
Other Players' Scenes
When it’s not your scene, you have important things to do. You
are always a Guide, so you need to listen actively to the other
players, nudge them towards better play and tease out the best
story by using the six phrases.
If anyone wants a minute to think before starting a new

scene, let them! It won’t break the flow much, and can make
for much better scenes. Also, it’s cool to ask for input before
starting a scene.
If the player on your right has a scene...

...that means you’re the Event Guide, in charge of events in
this scene. Events are written on the back of the location card
you’ll be handed.
If a scene is going beautifully, don’t feel compelled to shoe-

horn in an Event. Just let it go if introducing it would cause
confusion or frustration.
An event labeled “first time” has to be played out the first time
anyone chooses that location. If someone has already visited
the location, pick the event you think will be the best from
those that have not yet been chosen. You’re in charge of pac-
ing! If you sense that things are slowing down, throw in the
event! If things are already cooking, let them unfold naturally.
Remember you’re not in the spotlight this turn, so whatever

you do, it should be to highlight, support or bring tension to
the spotlight character’s current scene and unfolding story.
If you just had your turn...

...that means you are the Theme Guide - in charge of pushing
Themes for the player to your left. Be on the lookout for ways
to introduce the Themes, whether as counterpoint, challenge
or supportive detail.
At any time...
If the spotlight player approves, jump in with your character!
Play a supporting character! Provide detail!
9
Phrases
There are six phrases, and anyone can use any of them at any
time. You are always a Guide! The additional responsibilities
of Event and Theme Guides do not free you from your respon-
sibility for jumping in with a cogent phrase when you see a
perfect opportunity.
These phrases are an important tool to use during the game.
They should be used as instruction to make sure the story flows,
that dramatic tension increases appropriately, that everyone
can vividly imagine the fiction. A phrase should be received ac-
cordingly; nobody is perfect, neither player nor instructor, and
acting on instruction is an act of courtesy and faith. If someone
throws you a phrase you don’t agree with immediately, try it
out anyway - if things don’t work out, the group will tell you!
The phrases, and some examples, follow:
More details!
...tells the player to provide more description of a person, object,
location or similar. This is what makes settings and characters
more real - little things like the dirt under someone’s finger-
nails, the frozen reeds by the river, the silver armband that’s
tarnished and scratched.
“The King runs up to the enemy soldiers and kills them, then
he runs across the bridge and...”
“More details! How does he kill them? What do they look

like?”
This way, we get to focus on a dramatic sequence that the

player was about to skip. We also humanize the soldiers,
making the event more grim and visceral.
“I walk through the forest.”
“More details!”
This way, we can get some setting color - perhaps it’s a cold
winter morning, and her breath turns to tiny icy vapors in
the wind as she pulls the wolfskin cloak tighter around her.
Stay with it!

...tells the player to make sure a situation or scene doesn’t end
prematurely. If someone tries to cut a tense scene and jump to
the next one, for example - call “stay with it!” Embrace tension.
Don’t wimp out!
“After she dies, we bury the old woman. End of scene.”
“Stay with it!”

10
The burial scene can be tense and emotional. Cutting it
short deprives the old woman, and everyone’s relationship
with her, of narrative significance. Staying with it makes
these things important and gives weight to the story.
“The princess flirts with the knight.” “Okay, he smiles and

then the king comes in.”
“Stay with it! Don’t let the king come in yet!”
This is a good moment to let the princess and knight be

alone together for a while. Perhaps the players feel slightly
awkward about playing it out at first, but that’s all right - it
will pass, and we need to see these two characters interact
sometime if the tension between them is to have any point.
Do it differently!
...tells the player that something feels like it’s jarring. Are things
suddenly going Monty Python? Or is the scene going nowhere?
Rewind and try again. You’re doing everyone a favor by being
quality control, making sure that uninspiring stuff doesn’t
enter the fiction you’re sharing. And you’re giving the other
player a chance to really shine, instead of having to stick to
the half-baked thing they just produced.
“In the sauna, everyone is naked. The king’s big, hairy testi-
cles are old and shriveled. As he walks, they bounce up and
down before the Earl’s face. He’s jealous of their weight...”
“Do it differently! Don’t play it for laughs.”
At the risk of sounding like the old guy in The Name of

the Rose, I think that too many silly descriptions and jokes
tend to derail the story. They’re often used to relieve ten-
sion at exactly the moment when the story needs tension.
Don’t let that happen.
“After the Earl gives his command, his soldiers just stand
there. They don’t pay him any attention.”
“Do it differently! We’ve already established that they’re

blindly loyal and efficient.”
A good way to enforce consistency of character and setting.

Don’t let things change for no reason.
“Do it differently” can, of course, be phrased in whatever way

your group is comfortable with - it isn’t meant to be critical or
confrontational, but rather to enforce the consensus on the
game’s tone. You can use phrases to push back – if the Event
guide instructs you to play a certain way, you can say “do it dif-
11
ferently! My character would never do that”. Do it differently
is hugely important. If you’ve established a healthy dynamic
around that phrase you can push as hard as you want to. You
can endow a character with motivations because they will tell
you when you go too far.
I’d like to throw something in!

...tells the player that you want to narrate a short interlude or
follow-up sequence. Make sure you don’t steal the scene - this
is just for a sentence or two.
“The princess leaves the child at the well. End of scene.”
“I’d like to throw something in! Just a short conversation be-

tween the children where they talk about the missing ring?”
Adding a bit of plot or exposition can be useful and fun.
How often phrases are used is entirely up to you and your

group. The most important thing is that you listen during
other players’ turns - use a phrase if it feels right, necessary
or fun. Don’t force it.
That might not be quite so easy!

...tells the player you want someone to draw a resolution card.
Find out what the character is trying to do, then ask the spot-
light player to select soneone else to draw a card and interpret
it.
“That might not be quite so easy” is a flag that you want
uncertainty introduced. You will probably use it a lot!
“I go to the strange cabin in the forest.”
“That might not be quite so easy!”
The group knows that the cabin is hidden, and the forest is
home to a group of outlaws. A good place for complications!
Time to draw a card!
“After bedding the girl, the Earl promptly forgets her.”
“That might not be quite so easy!”
It might be fun if the Earl had trouble forgetting this young

girl. What might be different about her? Or has he changed?
Let’s see what the cards say!
12
I need to clarify something!
...tells the player or group there’s something you’ve forgotten
or something you need help understanding. Good for complex
family intrigues where you’re not sure who’s related to who,
for example.
“The ghost tells the King about his aunt, and how her oldest
daughter was drowned at birth. He goes pale!”
“I need to clarify something. Who’s that daughter?”
Sometimes it’s easy to lose track of who’s related to who.

In this case, maybe that oldest daughter was supposed to
be the King’s future bride, meaning he was married to the
wrong woman.
“The messenger from the North leaves before sunrise. The

castle is in uproar!”
“I need to clarify something. He’s a spy? I don’t get it.”
If the players have different perceptions of what’s been es-

tablished in the fiction, it’s good to iron out any misunder-
standings.
13
BEING THE Theme Guide
Being in charge of Themes means you’re actively looking for a
cool way to incorporate them into the current scene, whatever
scene it is. Sometimes it’s just what is called a “lay-on” in im-
prov - set dressing, color, amplification. Sometimes it is what
the scene is about, and you have an idea so good you have to
confer with the Event owner.
Look for chances to make the character’s life interesting.
This means you want to provide adversity and unexpected situ-
ations, among other things. These can come from within the
character, or from outside.
Let’s take “The Gift” as an example. Say the Princess is on
a mountaintop meditating, the Seiðkona is climbing up the
mountain towards her, and there’s an eagle soaring nearby.
You’re the Theme Guide, and you feel like doing something at
this point. Here are four examples of things you might inject
into the scene:
Adversity coming from within the character...

The Princess’ meditations make her reach a new level of un-
derstanding - and she blacks out, toppling forward from the
ledge she’s sitting on.
Adversity coming from the outside...

While the Princess meditates, the eagle seems to stare straight
at her. There’s a mystic connection with the animal - is it a spir-
it? The eagle dives towards the Princess, aiming for her eyes.
Something unexpected arises from within...

The Princess gets a strange vision - she sees the Thrall quarters
burning.
Something unexpected comes from the outside...

The Seiðkona sees that the path between her and the princess
suddenly turns green with fresh grass that wasn’t there a mo-
ment before.
14
Themes— Some Examples
The Gift...
Say the Princess attempts to use her powers to heal a wounded
animal. You describe how the animal is healed, - but the force
flowing into it doesn't seem to stop; the animal gets jittery,
frightened, insane with new strength. It runs off into the forest,
bleeding from its eyes.
Rebellion...
The Princess is being chastised by her father, the King. The
Princess' player describes how she looks to the ground and
says "Yes, father". You describe how her heart beats hard and
fast, and how her fury builds. Perhaps you even describe how
she can't hold her tongue - she yells at him before his courtiers:
"You weak old man!"
Nature...
The Knight is out in the forest, singing a spring song to his
lover. You describe how a nature spirit, a little sprite, hears
the song and falls in love with him. It follows him for the rest
of the game.
Lycanthropy...
When the Knight is fighting a duel, you decide his beast nature
takes over - his fangs grow and he lusts for blood. You leave
it to the player to decide how the Knight acts on this bestial
impulse.
Treachery...
The Earl is talking to his men while they're playing cards. You
describe how his henchmen start cheating, as if his mere pres-
ence makes them more treacherous.
The Eastern Kingdom...

While the Earl is in deep discussion with the King, you play
a messenger arriving from the Eastern kingdom, bearing ill
tidings - a skirmish on the border has grown into a full-fledged
battle.
15
Using Resolution Cards
Perhaps you're used to games where each scene needs to have
some sort of resolution. That's not necessary in this game, so
if you don't draw a single resolution card the entire game, don't
worry. Use them if you feel like it, but don't force it.
This game works well if you take the time to slowly get into
character. Start the first scenes by describing the action
from the outside; tell us what the character looks like, how
they move, how they look at their surroundings. Talk a bit
about how they interface with the world – what do they
sense, how do they react visibly. See it as a movie, describe
it as in a novel. Later, you'll find that at some point you've
slipped under the character's skin.
When it comes to who controls the outcome from the reso-

lution cards, the person interpreting the card has maximum
authority. This only means that whatever they say is a strong
suggestion, which everyone's recommended to follow, or
modify with phrases. I've never seen anyone use "do it differ-
ently" here - "more detail" is a phrase you might end up using,
though. This is also a case where it's okay to mess with some-
one's character a bit - when you're drawing cards, it probably
means a character took a risk of some sort, and there might be
consequences dictated by the card. This is usually very clear in
the circumstances: If I say "I run away from the carnivorous
giant!", and you get a card saying "No, and..." - we all kind of
expect that I get chewed on at least a little.
Be as active as necessary when interpreting. If, for example,
you're in a fight with a secondary character that player X con-
trols, and I draw a card, I'll probably just give quick directions
to one of you and let you play it out. If, on the other hand,
you're swimming in a forest lake at night looking for a hidden
ring, I'll probably give very detailed descriptions and instruc-
tions for part of the scene after drawing a card.
16
CREDITS
Love in the Time of Seið is a game by Matthijs Holter & Jason
Morningstar. It is copyright 2010 by Matthijs Holter & Jason
Morningstar and all rights are reserved. If you would like to
do interesting things with this game, please contact us! We
would like to help.
Graphic design and layout by Jason Morningstar.
Illustrations by Victor R. Lambdin and E. Boyd Smith, from
Viking Tales by Jennie Hall (Rand McNally & Co, 1902) and
In the Days of the Giants by Abbie Farwell-Brown (Houghton,
Mifflin & Co, 1902) respectively.
This game was playtested by Jone Aareskjold, Mark “Troll
Man” Ben, Joel Coldren, Tor Kjetil Edland, Jessica-Marie Gid-
lund, Erlend Eidsem Hansen, Shane Jackson, Paul Jones, Maja
H. Kvendseth, Håken Lid, Clinton R. Nixon, Chris Northan,
Anders Nygaard, Dina Ramse, Roy “Ghostrider” Smallpage,
Smudger and Øivind Stengrundet.
Special thanks to Steve Hickey and Matthew Gagan for
thoughtful comments and advice, and to Brennan Reece for
his expert layout critique.
In case you were wondering, ð is a voiced dental fricative like
"th" in the English word "them".
18
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Matthijs Holter, born 1972, has a wife, three kids and spends
too much time thinking about games. He has previously pub-
lished Draug, a game about Norwegian folklore; Zombie Porn,
about the undead entertainment industry; Norwegian Style, an
anthology of games by Norwegian designers; and several other
things that you can find by googling him.
Find out more at Nørwegian Style: http://norwegianstyle.word-

press.com/
Jason Morningstar, born 1969, is the co-founder of Bully Pul-

pit Games, an award-winning small press company specializing
in distinctive roleplaying games. Dungeon Squad, a Creative
Commons-licensed game, has been translated into French and
Spanish and enjoys an enthusiastic following among the “old
school renaissance” community. Jason lives with his wife Au-
tumn in Durham, North Carolina.
Find out more at Fair Play: http://www.bullypulpitgames.

com/fairplay/
19
Play Materials
On the following pages you’ll find the materials you need for
play. Please feel free to photocopy these.
The five characters each have an information sheet that pro-
vides some background. Each lists Themes, starting relation-
ships, and three questions that can be answered during play.
The upper end of each sheet can be folded into a little table tent,
showing all the other players your character and her Themes.
There’s a space on each side for writing your character’s name.
After the characters are Location cards - eight of them. Each
has three suggestions for the specific Location’s mood for your
game, and each has five Events on the back.
Finally, there are eight resolution cards that can be drawn
whenever someone says “I don’t think it will be quite so easy.”
Put these aside as they are used, then reshuffle.
The book is set up so that, if you wish, you can cut these
materials out for immediate use.
20
Themes: The Gift & Rebellion.
The Princess,
The Princess,
Themes: The Gift & Rebellion.
Y ou try to be an obedient daughter - but your will is strong, and often at odds with the rest
of the world. You love the Knight passionately. You are getting lessons in magic from the
Seiðkona, in hopes of becoming a seiðkona yourself one day - you have The Gift. Your power is
strong but capricious and highly unpredictable.
• The Knight is the love of your life.

• The Earl isn’t the man you love at all. He frightens you.
• The Seiðkona is your mentor and friend, whom you can tell everything.
• The King is your father, a remote and weary man. You loved him when you were little.
What do you want out of life?

What is your true Gift?
What will you do with it?
T he Kingdom is steeped in tradition, suffused with unspoken and unwritten rules. Children
learn that the eyes of the Ancestors are always on them - and if the old laws are broken,
the Ancestors will punish their entire family. Adults understand that breaking with tradition
means breaking with friends, family and King.
Among the Ancestral Laws, these are some of the most important: Honor and obey your father.
Worship the ancestors with sacrifices. Marry only within the Kingdom. Protect your guests, if
necessary with your life. Only women can use seið. Only men can use swords.
Male names: Eskil, Alf, Bergfinn, Brand, Einar, Eyolf, Finnvid, Geitir, Gyrd, Harald, Hogni,
Isleif, Karl, Lyting, Mord, Nafni, Osvif, Ragnar, Saxi, Steinthor, Tjorvi, Yngvar.
Female names: Alfdis, Astrid, Bera, Droplaug, Grima, Gunnhild, Hedinfrid, Hrefna, Ingun,
Jarngerd, Kadlin, Melkorka, Nidbjorg, Osk, Runa, Skuld, Unn, Valgerd, Yrsa.
PHRASES for the Princess
More details!
...tells the player to provide more description of a person, object, location or similar. This is what
makes settings and characters more real - little things like the dirt under someone’s fingernails,
the frozen reeds by the river, the silver armband that’s tarnished and scratched.
Stay with it!

...tells the player to make sure a situation or scene doesn’t end prematurely. If someone tries to
cut a tense scene and jump to the next one, for example - call “stay with it!” Embrace tension.
Don’t wimp out!
Do it differently!
...tells the player that something feels like it’s jarring. Are things suddenly going Monty Python?
Or is the scene going nowhere? Rewind and try again. You’re doing everyone a favor by being
quality control, making sure that uninspiring stuff doesn’t enter the fiction you’re sharing. And
you’re giving the other player a chance to really shine, instead of having to stick to the half-baked
thing they just produced.

...tells the player that you want to narrate a short interlude or follow-up sequence. Make sure
you don’t steal the scene - this is just for a sentence or two.

...tells the player you want someone to draw a resolution card. Find out what the character is
trying to do, then ask the spotlight player to select soneone else to draw a card and interpret it.
“That might not be quite so easy” is a flag that you want uncertainty introduced. You will prob-
ably use it a lot!

...tells the player or group there’s something you’ve forgotten or something you need help un-
derstanding. Good for complex family intrigues where you’re not sure who’s related to who,
for example.
Themes: Nature & Lycanthropy.
The Knight,
The Knight,
Themes: Nature & Lycanthropy.
Y ou are a spy in the pay of the Earl, serving in the court of the King. Your dalliance with the
Princess was unexpected and her falling in love with you is a ... problem. You really love
the Seiðkona, and dreams of running away with her to some faraway country. You are a skilled
hunter, efficient and quick. You are also a werewolf.
• You’ve bedded the Princess now and again.

• The Earl is your secret master. You owe him something.
• You love the Seiðkona, and see her face in the night.
• You’re the old King’s aide-de-camp, spying on him for your master, the Earl.
One animal you hunt is special - Why?

What do you owe the Earl?
What did you leave behind in far Garðariki?
PHRASES for the Knight
More details!
Stay with it!

Don’t wimp out!
Do it differently!


ably use it a lot!

for example.
Themes: Treachery & The eastern kingdom.
The Earl,
The Earl,
Themes: Treachery & The eastern kingdom.
Y ou want to cement your relationship with the King through the Princess, who is being
instructed by your lover and personal seiðkona in the dark arts. Your spy, the Knight, is
helping to position you to undermine the King’s power and set him up for a challenge. You are
middle-aged, fat, and wily. You can make powerful and deadly poisons.
• The Princess: is a silly young thing, a pawn in your game.

• The Knight is your spy, loyal because of what he owes you.
• The Seiðkona is also loyal to you - and she’s your lover.
• The King’s power is crumbling. Soon you can challenge him.
What happened to your previous wife?

What have you promised the seiðkona?
How has handling poisons effected you?
PHRASES for the Earl
More details!
Stay with it!

Don’t wimp out!
Do it differently!


ably use it a lot!

for example.
Themes: TSexuality & The Gods.
The Seiðkona,
The Seiðkona,
Themes: Sexuality & The Gods.
Y ou are lover to both King and Earl and are playing your own power game - to be the power
behind the throne, whatever throne that might be. You are the magical instructor to the
Princess - who, in the future, might be Queen - and you are entirely unaware that the Knight,
who has a puppy-dog crush on you, is a spy. You aren’t beautiful, but can still have any man you
want. You can help others with your potions and spells, but always at a price.
• The Princess is your pupil, and will be queen someday.

• The Knight is a handsome young man, nothing more.
• The Earl is one of your lovers, and a strengthening player in the game of power.
• The King is also one of your lovers, and a weakening player in the game of power.
What have you promised the Princess?

Who is the child you sometimes see in visions?
Who do you really love?
PHRASES for the Seiðkona
More details!
Stay with it!

Don’t wimp out!
Do it differently!


ably use it a lot!

for example.
Themes: Ancestors & Law.
The King,
The King,
Themes: Ancestors & Law.
Y ou want the best for your daughter, but must create an alliance. You are suspicious of the
Knight, who was seconded to you as an aide-de-camp by the Earl, but not for the right rea-
sons. You love the Seiðkona passionately and secretly, and hate the Earl. You are aging, but used
to be strong as a bear. You can invoke the strength of dead kings by visiting the burial mounds.
• You love your stubborn daughter the Princess, but she needs to be tamed by someone.
• You’re unsure of your new aide, the Knight - what does he want with your daughter?
• The Seiðkona is your secret lover.
• You hate the Earl. But you must keep him close, for the sake of the kingdom.
Where is the Queen?

What have you promised the Ancestors?
Who or what did you destroy to become King?
PHRASES for the King
More details!
Stay with it!

Don’t wimp out!
Do it differently!


ably use it a lot!

for example.
The Queen’s Garden The Frontier
Where the past yet lives Where war is in the air
First Visit: A ghost, tied somehow to one of the First visit: One of the character’s Themes sug-
character’s Themes, whispers a secret beneath gests that they are a traitor to the kingdom.
the vine-choked moonlight.
Any time: A half-burned document is discov-
Any time: One of the character’s Themes is ex- ered, with the character’s signature and seal
tinguished in their heart forever. affixed to it.
Any time: Lost in the garden, the character Any time: We learn that one of the character’s
briefly stumbles into the past or future. Themes is overwhelmingly strong among the
eastern kingdom’s elite.
Any time: The character meets another, by de-
sign, to settle a disagreement permanently. Any time: A border skirmish escalates into
something more serious. Is it war, or worse?
Any time: Something hurriedly buried in the
garden is accidentally discovered. Any time: Lights crackle on the high peaks, a
message from the Gods.
The Swamp The Thrall’s Quarters

Where a corpse moulders Full of foreigners and foreign chatter
First visit: The Gods speak through one of the First visit: We learn that the Thrall-keepers have
character’s Themes, pointing the way to the grim abused their power in a way related to one of the
discovery of a sunken corpse. character’s Themes.
Any time: We find out that the body was sunk Any time: We discover that the Thralls know
by the character. secret things connected to one of the character’s
Themes.
Any time: We learn that the body is related to
the character by blood. Any time: An enemy in disguise seeks to destroy
the character.
Any time: We find out that one of the charac-
ter’s Themes is the reason the body was sunk. Any time: The thralls have an object that the
character cannot live without.
Any time: The Gods speak again, demanding
the character enact harsh and swift justice. Any time: A Thrall begs the character to inte-
vene on their behalf in some dangerous dispute.
The Frontier The Queen’s Garden
Choose one: Choose one:
Lonely mountain trails above the snow-buried The garden is an overgrown thicket, long aban-
pass are marked with ominous and frequently doned to the weeds, where secret meetings hap-
moved boundary stones. pen beneath rotting trellis and creaking gazebo.
The frontier is a bustling port of call for every The garden is a magnificent hot-house bursting
ne’er-do-well, criminal, and merchant prince the with strange plants - poinsonous mushrooms
world over and where families are divided by an and hallucinogenic herbs.
arbitrary line.
The garden is a picture-perfect showcase with
At the uncertain border, a pair of ugly fortesses not a leaf out of place, toiled over endlessly by
squat across a silt-choked glacial river from one an army of servants.
another like petulant children.
Turn over for Events
The Thrall’s Quarters The Swamp

The Thralls live in a squalid converted dungeon, A steaming no-man’s-land of dead-end creeks
a rat-infested hell filled with miserable pits and and quicksand, the swamps are the last refuge
greasy nooks. of the desperate outlaw.
The Thralls enjoy bright and cozy dormitories The swamp is a font of ancient magic, her moss-
next to the kitchens, decorated in the peculiar choked elms and ravenous beasts lit by strange
styles of their homelands. lights in the night.
The Thrall quarters form an entire neighbor- The swamp, the border between the demesne of
hood in the village below the manor, where the King and Earl, is a lonely place where the poor-
Thralls keep their own mysterious custom. est of the poor congregate.
Turn over for Events Turn over for Events

The Guest House The Lover’s Bower
Where strangers rest above The cave by the waterfall
a secret passage
First visit: The character will see evidence of a
First visit: One of the character’s Themes comels lovers’ meeting. We suspect but don’t know for
them to do something antisocial. sure...
Any time: We discover that the purpose of the Any time: The character is followed here by
secret passage is related to one of the character’s someone who desires them.
Themes.
Any time: Somebody is pregnant.
Any time: We learn that the character was
among those who dug the secret passage. Any time: We see something from the charac-
ter’s past - the first time they visited this cave,
Any time: The character’s current need can be with someone unexpected.
met here - for a terrible price.
Any time: This location changes, physically.
Any time: The character comes to seal the pas- What is destroyed or hidden? What is created
sage forever, invoking one of their Themes. or revealed?
The Burial Mounds The King’s Hall

More is buried here than ancestors Ominous and Foreboding
First visit: The character will encounter some- First visit: The character sees something related
one unexpected communicating with the ances- to a Theme, which evokes memories of the hall’s
tors. past.
Any time: The character will be confronted by a Any time: One of the character’s Themes threat-
long-dead relative with a terrible demand. ens the physical structure of the hall.
Any time: The ancestors gather to tell the char- Any time: The character finds an unexpected
acter a secret from the past. object in a hidden place within the hall.
Any time: Something dreadful stirs and awak- Any time: The hall is suddenly warm and full
ens. of people. Why?
Any time: One of the character’s Themes threat- Any time: A clandestine meeting is disrupted.
ens the sanctity of the burial mounds.
The Lover’s Bower The Guest House
The cave is sumptuous, decadent, and well cared The guest house, home to the Earl, is attached
for by a very discrete society within the aris- to the King’s manor, and its guests stay under
tocracy. the watchful eyes of both retinues.
The cave is a rough bedchamber indeed, all sod- The guest house, home to the Earl, is a mag-
den straw and mist from the boiling waterfall nificent palace that puts the King’s own manor
that covers the cries of eager lovers. to shame.
The cave is dry and mysterious, itself once a The guest house, home to the Earl, is a comfort-
burial place of the oldest of the ancestors. able enough cottage in the village beneath the
castle, and her master guards it well.
The King’s Hall The Burial Mounds

The Hall and its High Seat are ancient. Swords The mounds stand high above the farmland,
of dead kings line the walls. It is practically a raised by ancient hands reaching toward the sky.
tomb, and everyone dreads being there. From the tallest, one can look across the valley
at the castle’s highest tower, eye to eye.
The Hall is little more than a sod hut, iron-hard
timbers supporting cut turf in keeping with an- The mounds are worn down with time, and it
cient tradition. takes a keen eye - or someone steeped in dark
arts - to find them amid the pine thicket of the
The Hall is a boarded-up ruin. The kingdom’s King’s parkland.
business is conducted in the King’s bedroom,
when it is conducted at all. The mounds dominate the swamp that sur-
rounds them, and the wicked things that slum-
Turn over for Events ber and moil within them are best left alone.

Yes, and... Yes, but...
The character succeeds, and The character succeeds, but

achieves more than she ex- something completely un-
pected. Perhaps even a bit too related goes wrong for the
much…. character or someone she
cares about.
Yes, but... Yes, but only if...
The character succeeds, but The character can get what

the consequences of the suc- she wants – but only if she
cess are completely different chooses to make a certain
from what was expected. sacrifice.
Help is needed... No, but...
The character ends up un- No, but… The character

derstanding that she needs fails, but another positive
the help of someone not thing happens instead,
currently in the scene to unrelated to what she was
achieve this aim. aiming for.
No, and... Yes, but...
The character fails, and some- The character succeeds,

thing unrelated also goes but there’s a tiny detail that
wrong. doesn’t go quite as planned.
Character Synopses
THE SEIÐKONA (Themes: Sexuality; the Gods) is lover to both King and Earl
and is playing her own power game - to be the power behind the throne, what-
ever throne that might be. She is magical instructor to the Princess - who, in
the future, might be Queen - and is entirely unaware that the Knight, who has
a puppy-dog crush on her, is a spy. She isn’t beautiful, but can still have any man
she wants. She can help others with her potions and spells, but always at a price.
Questions: What did she promise the Princess? Who does she really love? Who
is the child she sometimes sees in visions?
• Princess: This is your instructor, who you can tell everything.

• Knight: You love her, and see her face in the night.
• Earl: She’s loyal to you - and she’s your lover.
• King: She’s your secret lover.
THE KING (Themes: Ancestors; Laws) wants the best for his daughter but must
create an alliance. He is suspicious of the Knight, seconded to him as a knight and
aide-de-camp by the Earl, but not for the right reasons. He loves the Seiðkona
passionately and secretly, and hates the Earl. He’s aging, but used to be strong as
a bear. He can invoke the strength of dead kings by visiting the burial mounds.
Questions: Where is the Queen? What has he promised the Ancestors? What
did he destroy to become King?
• Princess: Your father is a weary man. You loved him when you were little.
• Knight: You’re this old king’s aide-de-camp, spying on him.
• Earl: His power is crumbling. Soon you can challenge him.
• Seiðkona: One of your lovers, and a secondary player in the game of power.
THE PRINCESS (Themes: The Gift; Rebellion) tries to be an obedient daughter
- but her will is strong, and often at odds with the rest of the world. She loves the
Knight passionately. She is getting seiðr lessons from the Seiðkona, in hopes of
becoming a seiðkona herself one day - she has The Gift. Her power manifests
itself sometimes, not always when and how she expects it.
Questions: What does she want out of life? What is her gift? What will she do
with it?
• Knight: You had a brief dalliance with her.

• Earl: She’s a silly young thing, a pawn in your game.
• Seiðkona: She’s your pupil, and will be queen someday.
• King: You love her, but she needs to be tamed by someone.
THE KNIGHT (Themes: Lycanthropy; Nature) is a spy in the pay of the Earl,
serving in the court of the King. His dalliance with the Princess was unexpected
and her falling in love with him is a problem. He really loves the Seiðkona, and
dreams of running away with her to some faraway country. He’s a skilled hunter,
efficient and quick. He is also a werewolf.
Questions: One animal he hunts is special - how? What does he owe the Earl?
What did he leave behind in Garðariki?
• Princess: This is the love of your life.

• Earl: He’s your spy, loyal because of what he owes you.
• Seiðkona: A handsome young man, nothing more.
• King: You’re unsure of your new aide - what does he want with your daugter?
THE EARL (Themes: Treachery; the Eastern kingdom) wants to cement his
relationship with the King through the Princess. His lover and personal seiðkona
is instructing the Princess in the dark arts. His spy, the Knight, is helping to
position him to undermine the King’s power and set him up for a challenge. He’s
middle-aged, fat, and wily. He can make powerful and deadly poisons.
Questions: What happened to his previous wife? How has his poison affected
him? What has he promised the seidkone?
• Princess: This isn’t the man you love at all.

• Knight: This is your secret master. You owe him something.
• Seiðkona: One of your lovers, and a major player in the game of power.
• King: You hate this man, but you must keep him close.

Love in The Time of Seið

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Love

The attitude you want to cultivate before and during this

Players will take turns creating scenes. When it is your scene,

A Guide is sort of like a coach in improvisational theatre,

The goal of a Guide is to help the spotlight player shine and to

Events are written on location cards; each location has dif-

Themes are controlled by other players - you never have

Learning the rules by trying them out before the game

Your setting can be something from a movie or TV show

Take turns narrating stories or events in this setting. While

Make sure everyone understands they’re always general

This exercise may feel silly or redundant, but being comfort-

Once you’ve completed this exercise and everyone is comfort-

Think through the Questions written on your character stand.

Character selection usually goes smoothly, but if several

The Questions are the closest thing to planning events, and

Decide where we will find your character. Give that location

When setting scenes, there are two basic approaches: Either

The player who initially describes the scene can choose to be

Everything you say in the game is true as soon as you say

The player to your right, your Theme Guide, will introduce

The scene ends when you feel it’s appropriate.

For your first scene, imagine this is a movie. Show us some-

If this is your character’s last scene...

A dead character has an epilogue as well, of course.

Sometimes you have an idea so good you have to confer

If anyone wants a minute to think before starting a new

If the player on your right has a scene...

If a scene is going beautifully, don’t feel compelled to shoe-

Remember you’re not in the spotlight this turn, so whatever

If you just had your turn...

“More details! How does he kill them? What do they look

This way, we get to focus on a dramatic sequence that the

“I walk through the forest.”

Stay with it!

“Stay with it!”

“The princess flirts with the knight.” “Okay, he smiles and

“Stay with it! Don’t let the king come in yet!”

This is a good moment to let the princess and knight be

“Do it differently! Don’t play it for laughs.”

At the risk of sounding like the old guy in The Name of

“Do it differently! We’ve already established that they’re

A good way to enforce consistency of character and setting.

“Do it differently” can, of course, be phrased in whatever way

I’d like to throw something in!

“I’d like to throw something in! Just a short conversation be-

Adding a bit of plot or exposition can be useful and fun.

How often phrases are used is entirely up to you and your

That might not be quite so easy!

“That might not be quite so easy!”

“After bedding the girl, the Earl promptly forgets her.”

“That might not be quite so easy!”

It might be fun if the Earl had trouble forgetting this young

“I need to clarify something. Who’s that daughter?”

Sometimes it’s easy to lose track of who’s related to who.

“The messenger from the North leaves before sunrise. The

“I need to clarify something. He’s a spy? I don’t get it.”

If the players have different perceptions of what’s been es-

Adversity coming from within the character...