a year upon

a river

Ella Lim
 ’
This game belongs to:
a year upon a river
 Published by LostWays Club
lostwaysclub.com

Copyright © Ella Lim 2023

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person

or entity (including Google, Amazon or a similar organisation),
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, scanning or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without any prior permission in writing form from the
publisher.

ISBN 978 0 6458797 0 4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978 0 6458797 2 8 (Digital)

First published in 2023

Second printing in 2024
Printed in Australia on recycled paper with soy based inks

A catalogue record for this work is available from the

National Library of Australia

Cover illustration by Linnea Sterte

Typeset in Antiquarian and Garamond Oldstyle FC

 Contents
’

The River. . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Towns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

How to use this book . . . 13 Thistle Down. . . . . . 156
Beginning the game . . . . 14 Rueberry . . . . . . . . . . 160
Making a Character . . . . 16 Roost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
How to play . . . . . . . . . . 28 Hurst. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Running the Shop . . 32 Mersey . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Days off. . . . . . . . . . . 44 Kiawake. . . . . . . . . . . 176
Towns. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Ennerck . . . . . . . . . . . 180
End of the Year. . . . . 50 Arborea. . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Customers. . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Plenty. . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Hearts. . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Port Imes. . . . . . . . . . 192
Spades. . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Appendix. . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Diamonds. . . . . . . . . . 60 Animals & Plants. . . 204
Travelling . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Trades. . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Fishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Occupations . . . . . . . 210
Seasons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Item Reference. . . . . 212
Bloom. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 River words. . . . . . . . 214
Burn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Astrology. . . . . . . . . . 215
Brimming. . . . . . . . . . 106 Special Events. . . . . . 217
Brink. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Reference Card . . . . 221
Brisk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

7
 Welcome
to the River

8
9
The River
W elcome to the River; a flowing path born at the mountain’s
feet. In her high narrows, barely two boats fit lengthwise;
a furious pounding of water. From these rocky ravines, she threads her
way through the land, until she reaches the Great Sea. Quiet and slow-
moving in these lowlands, she provides homes for those who live upon
her waters and food for those who live beside her.

The River and her world are pleasant and lush. You’ll find bulrush and
thick reeds growing in the shallows, with stringybark trees and willow
leaning over the water. Wattle and bottlebrush
trees are dotted between, painting the River
yellow and red during the season of Bloom. The
riparian lands weave in and out of forests and
plains rich with long grasses and sturdy trees.
Small gatherings of houses can be found in
clearings. The River is the lifeblood of this world.
The animalfolk who live with the River – the
Riverfolk – come in every form, from ruffians to
gentlefolk.

10 The River
Traders come from the Great Sea and Beyond, ferries take passengers up
and down, mail boats deliver parcels and letters, animalfolk on the bank
harvest river plants, unload goods, fish from the wharfs, and oil the
decks of their boats. Everywhere, someone is busy.

Community runs strong along the River and strangers are welcomed
into gatherings or given beds and meals. The animalfolk here do not
judge and believe in second chances and new beginnings. The River is a
place where one can start over and create new fortunes.

The rhythms
The gods in this world are the mountains, the trees, the rivers, the
lakes, the sea and the rain. Each creates beauty or devastation in the
most unexpected ways. Here on the River, the animalfolk move to the
rhythms of the seasons and the weather, and you must too.

The seasons
The first season in the year is Bloom. The River thaws, begins to
run again and travel resumes. To celebrate, animalfolk gather dreams
and hopes for the coming year. Bloom brings colour back with the
blossoming of plants and trees.

In the season of Burn, the sun turns the world dry and brittle, sending
fires into the driest parts of the forest. Harvest begins. At the height of
Burn, the days run so long that the sun doesn’t set.

In Brimming, the thunderstorms from the warmed weather of Burn

send floods of water down the River, turning it into a roaring beast.
Harvests and trade are disrupted and travel plans are put on hold.

The River 11
When the floodwaters settle and the air begins to cool, the season of
Brink has arrived. Leaves fall from the trees and plants slip gently into
hibernation. The River slows down.

In the season of Brisk, the River freezes solid and the animalfolk rest,
reflecting on their year. Travel stops when the River freezes over, turning
it into a strange new place. At the solstice, the sun doesn’t rise.

During a season, each of the four weeks have a name which the
animalfolk refer to. During Brink, the first week is known as Reedsong,
while in Burn the first week is known as Bask. Each week is a
microseason, or small observations of the weather during those weeks.
Animalfolk will say something like, ‘I’m hoping to harvest the reeds
by the third day of Simmer,’ or ‘I go back to work on the first day of
Thaw,’ or ‘they’re supposed to arrive during Reedsong.’ Some even refer
to the first day of the new week using that week’s name: ‘Hushday,’
‘Thawsday,’ or the like.

The bookseller
Upon this River, you are a bookseller, carrying words and stories to
the animalfolk who call it home. This is your first year here in this new
world. The bookshop, built atop a wooden raft (a little precariously),
was loved and cared for by the previous owner and is now in your
hands. Whether it be by fortune, misfortune, luck, or random chance,
you now hold the keys to the Floating Bookshop. Throughout the
seasons, you’ll sell books, tend to the whims of customers, take part in
holidays, visit towns and perform endless maintenance on the shop.

How will you fare?

12 The River
 How to use
this book
’
The first few sections of this book – Beginning the game,
and How to play – explain the basics of the game, discussing
the mechanics of play and how an average day goes on the
River. Amidst this, The Bookseller and The Bookshop are for
creating your character and personalising the bookshop. You
will only have to do this once per game.

The next sections – Customers, Travelling, and Fishing – are

playing sections you can refer to when needed. Following these,
The Seasons contains information about each season – to be
referred to as you play through them – as well as information
about your days on the River, such as weather and selling.

If at any point you feel lost, an overview of the steps for playing
through the day can be found on page 42 and page 46.

The last section – the Appendix – is full of extra content should

you want more detail about the River and its world, fish species,
occupations of the Riverfolk and astrology. Toward the back of
the Appendix is a reference card that contains useful information
for play to minimise the amount you need to flip back and forth.
Beginning
the game
Fox Curio’s Floating Bookshop is a solo journalling game. Playing
involves writing down what your character does throughout their day,
guided by rolling dice and drawing cards to get prompts and scenarios
for your character to work through (This is explained in further detail in
the how to play section). The story is up to you. You can write as much
or as little as you like.

To play, you need a journal, a standard pack of playing cards (with

jokers removed), a six-sided die (d6) and a 20-sided die (d20).

14
Creating an animalfolk
When you come to the River, you are free to choose a new name for
yourself, or keep your own. Before opening the doors to customers,
you must first create your character (see page 18) This will be you
– the bookseller who staffs the counter and tidies up after raucous
cubs; however, if at any point during your game you no longer feel
the character is right, you are welcome to change them. It is up to you
whether your customers acknowledge the change of face.

Describing the bookshop

Next, describe the bookshop (see page 22). It is a small, patchwork
building, but it is your home and your place of comfort.
It has its quirks and its flaws. It will become a
welcome sight to the booklovers who live in the
towns, and bring excitement to the young ones
wanting to sit on the poofy couch and rest. When
you enter the bookshop for the first time, the
furniture is pushed up against the walls and the
shop is in some disarray. There is a floorplan on page
24 for you to design the layout of the bookshop.

15
 Making a
Character

16 Character
Character 17
 The
Bookseller
Choose a name: Choose a species:
Torrent, Rin, Corr, Meri, Adria, Beaver, water rat, shrew, harvest
Lyra, Reva, Myri, Kia, Tun, Tako, mouse, otter, mink, vole, hare,
April, Moss, Arn, Bea, Dern, bee, capybara, badger, rabbit,
Rye, Tay, Goz, Kari, Esta, Rillan, wallaby, weasel, duck, swan,
or another of your choosing. wren, owl, falcon, penguin,
platypus, echidna, frog, lizard,
Young, wise,
Age: optimistic, pessimistic,
snake, turtle, or another animal
of your choosing.
grey-furred, fresh or weary.

How did you come by the bookshop?

Choose one:
» » You inherited it from your parents, your grandparents or a
mysterious family member.
» » You bought it. You saw it advertised in the paper and it felt like the
right thing to do.
» » You applied for the job. The previous bookseller was missing and
the animalfolk were looking for someone else to fill the paws.
» » You found it. The shop was moored to a wharf and there seemed to
be no one inside. The townsfolk told you the bookseller had been
missing for a long time and as you seemed to know what you were
doing, they started to refer to you as the new bookseller.
» » It was given to you by your parents, a friend, a stranger or a
mysterious patron.

1818 Character
Who were you before? Choose one from either list.
You have always been a Or, you weren’t a bookseller:
bookseller: » » You were a traveller,
» » You came from a busy town wandering the land doing
further inland. Your bookshop odd jobs and relying on the
was pristine and orderly. kindness of strangers for a
You’ve been selling books for place to rest. Now you desire
a while now, and know the a place you can call your own
ups and downs of the trade. and where you can settle
» » You worked in a failing shop down for a year or two.
nestled in a quiet seaside town. » » You lived and worked on
The bookshop was dusty and the water (The Great Sea,
tucked away where no one or another river) and can’t
could find it. You’re ready for imagine sleeping without the
a fresh start somewhere lively. rocking of water. You have not
» » You worked in a family- yet met this River and you are
owned business of books. excited to do so.
It was stifling working with » » You have just finished your
your family and you’re ready studies and are unsure of what
to show them (and yourself) your future holds.
that you can run your own
bookshop.

What are books to you? Choose one:

» » Your friends since childhood, telling you stories and taking you
away on adventures.
» » Heavy and causes of back pain. They look nice on shelves but you
don’t feel the need to pick one up.
» » Enjoyable ways to pass time. You have a few favourite stories that
live deep in your heart.
» » Unimportant, plays and songs are more your thing.

Character 1919
 During which moon were you born?
Choose one, then choose a number between 1–20 for your birthday.
The following descriptions could be stereotypes that ring true or they
could be completely off the mark. Decide if your character matches the
description word for word, or if they are completely the opposite. Maybe
they are somewhere in between?

» » Blooming moon – Those born under a Blooming moon tend to be

shy and quiet but are full of potential. They are easy to trust and
share secrets with, and they thrive around others.
» » Burning moon – Those born under a Burning moon are warm and
passionate about life; about others; about the world. They can be
lazy, moving slowly at times but easy to fire up.
» » Brimming moon – Those born under a Brimming moon are fast-
moving, adaptable. They get caught up with ideas and swept away
by others and obsessions. They are fidgety and dislike sitting still.
They make excellent water guides, called ❦riverstriders.
» » Brink moon – Those born under a Brink moon are creative and
bold. They are particular about their home and comforts but thrive
when making things and creating. They are great painters, basket
weavers or writers.
» » Brisk moon – Those born under a Brisk moon tend to be brave
and strong but can come across as cold or indifferent on first
impressions. They make excellent ❦lanternbearers, warriors and
blacksmiths.

2020 Character
Choose three items for your character
that they always have:
» » A sweater in plain colours » » A well-loved knitted shawl
» » A collared shirt that is that always keeps you warm
nicely ironed and clean » » A ragged scar
» » A pair of large glasses » » A long coat with deep
that always seem to have pockets that swishes as you
smudges on them walk
» » Odd socks of varying » » A missing limb, ear, tail,
colours, patterns and lengths eye, wing
» » A flat-brimmed hat. It has a » » A crutch, wheelchair,
long ribbon. walking stick
» » A large floppy hat you have » » An eyepatch
to keep pulling up to see » » A bandana or neckerchief.
under You have several in different
» » Corduroy pants with holes colours for different
in the knees occasions.
» » Brightly coloured trousers » » A comfortable, old puffy
that are a size too big. You vest
roll them up so you don’t » » A well-worn jacket with
trip. ironed-on patches on the
» » A silver monocle with a long arms
chain » » A patchy pair of overalls
» » A gold, slightly dented
pocket watch

Character 2121
The Bookshop
Choose two quirks:
» » The floor slants slightly to the left.
» » The front door jams in cold weather.
» » During thunderstorms, the roof makes an ominous creaking noise.
» » There are some suspicious claw marks on the wooden floor.
» » In strong winds, a mournful singing can be heard. Possibly the
wind going through the windows … or …?
» » The back-left corner of the shop has a small hole close to the floor.
During warm months, you can hear tiny footsteps scurrying.
» » When you paddle it around the River, the raft drifts ever so slightly
to the right.

What items do you bring to put in the

shop? Choose three:
» » A porcelain teapot painted by your grandmother
» » A wind chime that sings sweet songs
» » A large knitted rug with swirling, hypnotic shapes
» » A photograph of a faraway land that your friends sent you
» » A tall potted plant that grows purple flowers in Bloom
» » A small statue of a smiling god
» » A couple of blue paper lanterns that float in the air
» » A string of fairy lights that hang around the shop
» » A skull of a three-horned beast
» » A large illustrated map of the land

22
22 Character
 » » A charm to ward off monsters
» » A woven doormat with the word, ‘Beware’
» » A tapestry depicting a beheading or a group of animals playing
with a ball that looks like a face. It’s hard to decipher.

What has been left from the previous

owner?
Choose three. (If you have played a year with a previous character,
make a list of three marks or items your previous character left in the
shop. Think back to your year in the bookshop. What changes did your
character make in the bookshop? This might be a patchy repair in the
roof, a stain they weren’t able to get out of the carpet, a letter they left in
the till, or a token left from a previous holiday.)
» » A large dent in the middle of the counter. Loose change and pencils
always roll into it.
» » A mug in the kitchen with the words ‘River’s Best Dad.’
» » A pinned note on the wall with a sketch of a map with an ‘x’ in the
middle
» » A book with a bookmark with the words ‘Must tell Ena her
grandson stopped by and has urgent news for her.’
» » A somewhat lewd drawing carved into the countertop
» » A pen that writes notes to you when you leave the room
» » A sturdy, faded blue jacket hung in the corner. In the pocket is a
small gold key.
» » A plant with large, round green leaves. It seems to move slowly
when you are not looking directly at it.
» » A rickety wooden chair in the corner with maroon cushions. It is
very comfortable if a little wobbly.
» » A red lantern with a half-melted candle in it. It fits in the palm of
your paw and when lit it floats above your head.

Character 2323
Bookshop
Floorplan
Design the layout of the bookshop. Your character is moving around the
furniture that has been left in the bookshop from the previous owner.
Place the furniture on the right into the floorplan. You can put the
items anywhere you wish. You can do this by photocopying the page
and cutting and pasting the furniture onto the grid, or by tracing the
furniture onto the grid. If, later in the game, you want to make drastic
changes (for example moving the bookshelves or the counter) to the
layout, you can close the bookshop and move the furniture in a day. If
you move the furniture when the shop is open, it takes two days and
customers get in your way and complain about the clutter.

24
24 Character
Character 2525
 PLAYING

26 How To Play
 On any given day, you can
choose to do one or more of the
following:
* *travel up- or downstream – pg. 64
* *open your shop and sell books – see the current
season pages
* *cook a meal and share it with a friend – pg. 202
* *explore town and stock up on supplies – pg. 152
* *join in the holiday festivities (if applicable, check the
current season’s calendar)
* *go fishing – pg. 70
simply sit on your raft and watch the scenery.
**

How To Play 27
How to play
N ow that you created your animalfolk and have described the
bookshop, you can open the bookshop for the first time.
The game begins in the season of Bloom, the start of a fresh year. Each
season has different variations of weather, earnings, orders and holidays,
and lasts twenty days. Once you’ve reached the end of a season, turn to
the next and read from the tables for the new season.

A full game takes place over the course of one year on the River, but
Fox Curio’s Floating Bookshop is not limited to a single year and you can
play through as many as you wish. The first year is when you will get to
know the River and her ebbs and flows; the second year and beyond are
when things begin to find a rhythm.

Prompts
The game moves forward by guiding you with a variety of prompts.
These prompts might relate to the types of customers who walk through
your door, the weather for a given day, or events that happen during
celebrations.

28 How To Play
They are either questions that your character must ponder, or stated
facts, such as a description of the weather or a mishap, which your
character must adapt to or figure out how to fix. Prompts are answered
in your journal.

Journalling
The journal is vital to the storytelling in the game. Your entries
represent your character writing in their journal as the day progresses,
noting down observations or interactions. You can write your entry as
the day or event happens – ‘It has just begun to rain …’ or ‘A large group
of animalfolk have just come through the door …’ – or after it has ended
– ‘I’ve just got back from the Harvest Feast …’ or ‘What a day it has been
…’ The choice is yours!

As you write in your journal, think about who your character is

and how they might respond to different situations. During a day of
bookselling, how might your character react if a mishap occurs or an
annoying customer bothers them? Are they cool under pressure and able
to keep a calm and assured attitude? Are they polite to the customer
but later grumble about them in their journal? Do they enjoy fixing
problems that pop up or view them as yet another thing demanding
their attention? Imagine your character in the situation and write about
their responses as if you were them.

Holidays are a change in routine for both your character and the
riverfolk. Is your character excited to have the day off? Is the atmosphere
in the town or on the River different on a holiday? Is your character
looking forward to joining the local celebrations or is the idea of being
around lots of animalfolk a chore? How do these celebrations differ to
the ones your character might have celebrated at home?

How To Play 29
During holidays, you might want to consider if your character carries
their journal around with them to write down their thoughts and
observations right away, or if they are more likely to sit down once they
get home to reflect on the happenings of the day.

You might record in your journal a scene from the celebrations – a

conversation your character had, a game they played, or a performance
they witnessed– as it takes place, or you might simply describe the
events in the past tense once they’ve arrived home at the end of the day.

If you feel stuck or

unsure what to write:
* *What is the atmosphere of the shop/town/River like today?
* *What smells, sounds, colours do you see today?
* *How is today different from a day back home?

The first day

Shuffle the deck of cards, place them face down
and open your journal to a blank page. You start
the first day with a balance of 100 coins and a full
inventory of 500 books. Choose a town (pg. 152)
to which your raft is moored; this is where you
start the game. As the River is still frozen solid
from Brisk, you will be in this town for the first
five days of the new year – until snowmelt.

Begin by writing a few sentences about moving

your belongings into the house, making up your
bed or making a first cup of tea.

30 How To Play
You can describe the state of the bookshop when you first enter or the
process of moving the furniture around. If you feel like it, write a few
sentences about how you are feeling being on the River and opening
your shop. Then, turn to Bloom (pg. 74) to begin your first day on the
River and take part in the celebrations for Rinse. As you play through
the days, mark them off on that season’s calendar. The calendar will tell
you about holidays, the moon cycle, and any weather events that affect
travel.

A day in the game

A day on the River is up to you. There is no set schedule to follow
and there are a number of ways you could choose to spend your time.
A week on the River is five days, but if you prefer a schedule, you can
run the bookshop for four days and take a day off on the fifth (taking
travelling days as needed).

On any given day, you can choose to do

one or more of the following:
* *travel up- or downstream – pg. 64
* *open your shop and sell books – see the current season pages
* *cook a meal and share it with a friend – pg. 202
* *explore town and stock up on supplies – pg. 152
* *join in the holiday festivities (if applicable, check the current
season’s calendar)
* *go fishing – pg. 70
simply sit on your raft and watch the scenery.
**

In your journal, you will keep the records of your customers and
earnings, as well as your adventures up and down the River.

How To Play 31
Running the
Shop
Beginning the day
To start a journal entry, begin by noticing the weather (This will be
revealed when you draw cards) and your character’s mood: are they
excited to begin the day? Is it dreary and cold outside which dampens
their mood?

After rolling for a daily task, how does your character feel about the
day? Maybe new stock has come in which makes them unhappy as it
means lifting many boxes, or maybe it is an exciting task to unbox them
all. Maybe the idea of climbing up to the roof to clean gutters scares
them, or maybe it gives them the chance to have a different view of the
River.

32 How To Play
As they open the bookshop and customers come in, how do they
perceive the customers? The customer prompts will guide how the
customer behaves, and it’s up to your character to decide how they deal
with them.

Weather and customer cards

At the beginning of your day (regardless of your plans), draw two cards
and read from the Weather table for the current season.

When you decide to open your shop, draw two cards and read from
the Weather table. The first card determines the type of weather, and
the second tells you the duration of that weather. For example: steady
rain all day. If the duration is not ‘all day’, you will need to draw an
additional card to see the weather for the remainder of the day.

For each result, the Weather table has a corresponding customer

forecast that tells you how many customers are expected to come in
today. Nicer weather means more customers are out and about. The
customer forecast determines how many cards you draw for customer
interactions:

Dead: No cards
Snail’s pace: 1 card
Quiet: 2 cards
Steady: 4 cards
Busy: 6 cards
Extremely busy: 7 cards

If you get two types of weather – rain in the morning followed by sun in
the afternoon, for example – use the customer forecast for the morning.
Place facedown the number of cards specified by the customer forecast.
These are your customer cards. You’ll flip them over soon.

How To Play 33
Daily tasks
Next, you roll for a daily task. There are always things to do to keep
the bookshop running. These daily tasks are how you occupy yourself
during the day while customers come in and out. You complete these
tasks over the course of the day when you are not occupied with
customers. Roll d20 and read from the daily task prompts for that
season to find out your task for the day. In your journal, write about
how you go about this task in between customers. Is it bothersome?
Difficult? Do you enjoy it?

On busier days (represented by a large number of customer cards), you

may spend little time writing about your daily task as you focus on
customers. Mention your busy day and unfinished task when you close
up shop.

On quieter days maybe your journal entry focuses more on the daily
task than customers. Some tasks affect the number of customers that
come through the door. Remove or add a customer card as necessary.
It is up to you (and the story) if the task takes all day, or is something
that gets done quickly. If a daily task requires a tradesanimal to fix
something – like a firesmith, a shipwright or a clocksmith – turn to
the Appendix and read from the ❦Trades page (pg. 209). If you don’t
fix a problem – a leak in the roof, a clogged fireplace, etc – you must
keep up the consequences (no travel allowed, or remove customer cards,
etc) indefinitely until it is fixed.

During holidays
The animalfolk celebrate many holidays throughout the year and for
the hardworking riverfolk it is a chance to rest, remember and to enjoy
a feast. If you decide to skip a holiday (see the calendar on the current
season’s page for upcoming holidays) and open your shop, the customer
forecast will be at a snail’s pace, whatever the forecast associated with
the weather.

34 How To Play
Customers
During your day at the bookshop, you will encounter two types of
customers: those you interact with – represented by your customer
cards – and those who come in and out of your shop without much
disturbance (these make up part of the total customer count at the end
of the day). Your customer cards represent customers with whom you
have memorable or significant interactions, good or bad. You’ll add up
the total number of customers that came into your shop that day, the
customer cards being a small percentage of the total number.

After rolling for a daily task, flip a customer card and read the matching
prompt from the Customers table (pg. 35). The prompt provides a
guide to how they act and the sort of interaction you have with them.
Once you’ve read the customer prompt, roll d20 and consult the Book
Genre table (pg. 62) to find out what sort of book the customer is
looking for. This doesn’t guarantee that they will buy a book – maybe
they’re just browsing or trying to buy time while they rest their paws on
the couch. It is up to you if the customer purchases the book they are
looking for – maybe they buy the book as it’s your last copy, or maybe
they are disappointed with the books you show them and leave with
empty paws.

If it feels likely that a

customer will want
to look at more than
one book and it feels
natural to the story,
you can roll from the
Book Genre table
more than once for
a customer.

How To Play 35
You don’t need to come up with the title of the book(s) they look at
or purchase. In your journal, you can record the interaction you have
with the customer as you help them with the book, or you can simply
describe them, your observations and assumptions about them. Were
they rude? Did they shock you? Was it a delight to sell them a book? Do
you get a feeling that this will be an easy purchase or is it likely to drag
out?

Once you’ve recorded the interaction with the customer, set aside the
first customer card and continue flipping over customer cards and
journalling your interactions until you have flipped all cards specified
by the weather forecast. Keep the customer cards you’ve flipped over as
you’ll need them at the end of the day for bookkeeping.

’
‘The sound of a loud conversation can be heard down the wharf
and gets even louder as the speaker comes through the bookshop
door. Having not slept through the wailing winds last night, I don’t
feel like dealing with this customer who I can feel will be a bother.
I was right, and five minutes after entering, they ask to see every
book by that famed adventure writer. As I have stacks of their
work, this will take a while and I feel it will ultimately not be
worth my while.’

’
Repairs
From time to time, the bookshop will need repairs. If repairs are
needed, they will be indicated by the daily task you roll for the day.
Some repairs will inhibit travel or cause less customers to visit the shop
until the issue is fixed. In your journal, write how you go about fixing
the issue. The daily task will tell you what is needed. Do you have to go
to the post office to send a note?

36 How To Play
Do you need to use your spanner to fix the tap? Is it an easy fix or
something that takes many hours of work? If an issue can’t be fixed
right away – maybe you need to get supplies, or the repair animal needs
an extra day – think about how it affects the state of the bookshop. In
your journal, maybe mention how you and the customers react. Does
the constant dripping from the leak in the roof irritate you? How is the
temperature in the bookshop affected by the broken window? How does
the no travelling affect your plans?

Returning customers
The longer you run your shop, the more you’ll start to recognise
familiar faces coming through the door. If you flip a card that has come
up previously, it could represent a customer you’ve met before or it
could be an entirely new animal. Often, staying in one town for a long
time makes it more likely that you’ll see the same faces again and again.
In some towns, however, it might be more common to see new faces
each day. When you move to a new town, it might be a cue that each
card represents a new animal you’ve never met before. Or, depending on
an animal’s occupation or habits, you could meet the same customer at
different towns as they travel.

If a returning customer interests you, you can record details about them
using the ❦Customer profile template from the Appendix. For example,
‘Otter De lives in Hurst but sometimes travels to Rueberry for work; they
have two kids and are always tired.’

It might take a few visits from a customer for you to create a profile for
them; when and if you record a profile is up to you.

How To Play 37
Finding information
The customer prompts give you a hint into each animal’s backstory and
personality. When these customers come to the counter, you might ask
them questions – How was your day? How often are you in this area?
The weather is nice today, what are your plans? – and their responses
will give you more information. Write down the conversation in your
journal if you feel it is important.
You have free reign in deciding what the customer tells you. For
instance, you might find out where they live. The town you meet them
in could be their hometown or a holiday destination. If the latter, where
are they from? Do they travel with the seasons – in one town during the
Brimming season, in another for the Burn harvests?

Gaining hearts
When a customer shares important information with you, you can fill
in a heart on their customer profile. Hearts represent your friendship;
how close you are with them. The ❦Customer profile template
includes hearts you can shade in. Information worthy of a heart could
include a childhood story, a secret they are keeping, a doubt, a fear, or
something from their history. Casual conversation about their day or
the weather doesn’t grant a heart. When you reach three and six hearts
with a customer, they grant you a favour. You can call in favours
when something goes wrong in the shop; using a favour takes away any
monetary or material costs. When you gain two or more hearts with the
customer, sending them a letter from a post office will get a gift back in
response. See ❦Receiving parcels & letters in the appendix for more
information.

Recipes
If you strike up a friendship with a returning customer, you can form
a stronger bond with them by sharing a meal with them. See the
❦Recipes section of the Appendix for more information. Each town
along the River sells ingredients you’ll need for the recipes.

38 How To Play
Ending the day
A day has come to an end and it is almost time to turn over the sign
to ‘closed’ and lock the door. You are looking forward to your evening
meal and a chance to put your feet up. However, there are a few loose
ends that need to be addressed before that can happen.

Extra customers
The customer forecast for the day is only a guess. Before you close up
shop, roll d20 and read from the extra customers table on page 62.
This roll can add extra customers to your day. These customers might
be those making last-minute dashes to the bookshop as you are closing
up or animals caught out in the weather. If today was quiet, this table is
a chance for some extra business.

Draw and flip cards if prompted by the dice roll. Journal your
interactions with these extra customers, maybe noting how they are
hindering your closing up routine. Do they get in the way? Do they
slow you down by asking questions? Maybe you’re relieved to have extra
customers on a quiet day, or maybe these extra customers are the latest
during what has been a very busy day?

Now, you can close your shop. There is some last minute bookkeeping
work to do. In your journal, reflect on the day. Are you relieved that the
day has come to an end? Do you feel satisfied with the work today? Are
you looking forward to resting your paws? Were there some tasks you
didn’t quite finish? You will end your journal entry on a bookselling day
with the total number of customers, the amount of books sold and your
earnings.

How To Play 39
Total customers
This is the total number of customers – ones represented by the
customer cards plus the customers who have come and gone without
any hassle – that have come through your door when the bookshop is
open. Not all of these customers buy books, some just browse and are
part of the foot traffic. To calculate the total number of customers for
the day, count the customer cards you flipped today: add +10 customers
for every non-Royalty card and +20 for every Royalty card.

Total earnings
At the end of each day of business, roll d6 and consult the Total
earnings table for that season to determine the number of coins you’ve
earned. Deduct any purchases you’ve made from the earnings for the
day. Write down the result in your journal, and add it onto your total
balance (which starts at 100 coins). This way you can put down the
game and come back knowing your exact balance. You can also note the
total earnings for the day on the calendar.

Total books sold

To see how many books you sold today, roll d6 and consult the Books
sold table. Write down the number of books sold and subtract that
number from your total inventory. The bookshop can hold 500 books,
the maximum number for which the bookshop has room. There is an
upgrade available in Port Imes (pg. 192) that allows you to store an
additional 100 books.

When your inventory starts to run low, you can restock. Each season
lists a restocking price, some seasons are more expensive than others
due to the different weather conditions. Deduct the restocking price
from your balance and reset your inventory to 500. The following day,
the new stock will be delivered to you on the next trade boat. (Except
during Brisk, when trade stops for the season)

40 How To Play
If during Brisk your inventory runs out completely, you will have no
choice but to close your shop until you are able to order a restock in
Bloom. If this happens, take the time to explore the frozen River or
clean the shop or make snowanimals with the townsfolk.

Once you’ve tallied the numbers from the day, finish off your journal
entry with any final remarks and shuffle the deck of cards, ready for the
next day.

Closing early
If the weather changes for the worse in the afternoon or you need to
dash to a shop to pick something up, you can close your shop early. Play
through the customer cards that correspond to the weather that day,
but skip the extra customer roll at the end. Add up the total customers,
earnings and books sold as usual, but halve the numbers.

Running out of money

If you find yourself needing an item or service but have no funds, you
can trade books instead, deducting any books you trade from your shop
inventory. One book is equivalent to 1 coin.

How To Play 41
 Bookselling Order of Play
’
1. Setup: Draw two cards and read from the Weather table and
the customer forecast for that season, drawing additional cards as
required.
2. Draw the number of cards specified by the customer forecast
and place them facedown.
3. Roll d20 and read from the daily task for the current season.
Remove or add customer cards if the daily tasks prompt tells you
to do so.
4. Begin your day and your journal entry. Flip over the first
customer card and read the prompts from the relevant Customer
tables, then roll d20 and read from the Book Genre table for the
books they are looking for. Write about your goings-about in the
bookshop and record the interactions you have.
5. Continue to flip over the customer cards until you’ve flipped
them all.
6. End of day: Roll d20 and read from the Extra customers
table (pg. 62). Draw more customer cards if prompted.
7. Calculate your total customers for the day based on the cards
you’ve flipped: +10 for every non-royal card, +20 for every royal
card and record the amount in your journal. Roll d6 from the
Earnings and Books sold tables and record the results at the end
of your entry. Carry across the total earnings from previous days
you’ve accumulated at the bottom of your entry.
8. Shuffle the deck of cards.
3rd of Burn

Today is still and hot and everything feels

muggy. Opened the windows to try and get a
breeze in but the air doesn’t feel like it wants to
move today. First customer in today introduced
themselves as a fellow bookseller from a distant
town. I was so pleased to meet another bookseller
that I spent a good while talking to them. They
were very forthcoming with information and
even kindly bought a book I recommended.
Embarrassingly, the till stopped working as I was
trying to give them the change. After they left, I
tried to fix the till. A temperamental thing that
seems to choose the most irritating times to stop
working. Banging it with a paw didn’t work,
neither did tilting it and giving it a good shake.
Will have to pick up some gear oil at the next
town.

Total customers: 50
Books sold: 53
Earnings: 61 coins (Till total: 323 coins)
Days off
I f a day is simply too nice to spend inside, you can take the day off.
The hours you work and your days off are completely left to your
whims.

Holidays
Every season has a number of holidays that the animalfolk celebrate
together. On these holidays, you get the day off to join in the festivities
if you choose. By tradition, the Riverfolk take all holidays off, so if you
were to need repairs or an item from a shop, you would find all the
stores closed and all the tradesanimals busy.

Each holiday’s description has information about what happens during

the holiday and how you can participate, but there is plenty of space
for you to imagine extra scenes. The ‘to participate’ prompts are a
guide for the celebrations. In your journal, write your reactions to
the traditions and goings about. Do you feel like an outsider to the
celebrations? Are the traditions strange or comforting? What sounds do
you hear – laughter, song, chatter, woodfire crackle? What do you smell
– woodsmoke, baked bread, sweet blossoms? Who do you see at the
celebrations?

44 How To Play
Each holiday has three prompts (something that happens during the
holiday) to choose from. Write your thoughts about your chosen
prompt and how you react. If you wish, you can dedicate your entry to
the prompt instead of a full retelling of the celebrations.
During or after each holiday, you’ll receive a token to remember that
holiday – a memory to keep or an item to add to your bookshop. If the
token is an item, is it something you hang or place in the bookshop? Is
it something that you treasure and keep?

Fishing
The River runs strong and healthy, and in her clear waters, fish swim.
Fishing is a quiet task you might do on a slow day of bookselling or
simply if the weather is nice and your heart desires it. See page 70
for further information. Your raft is a wonderful fishing platform and
customers you’ve befriended may ask to join you.
When you catch a fish, you can choose to let it go or you can cook it for
your dinner. Remember to thank the River for her gift.

Travelling
The bookshop is moored in a town until you decide to travel. You move
your floating bookshop around with the currents and a wooden paddle.
There are many places to visit along the River. Moving between towns
takes a certain amount of time. The map on page 154 tells you how
long it takes to travel between the towns along the River. If travelling
takes more than a day to get to where you want to go, you will spend
the night on the River anchored in a safe place away from currents and
rocks. You can travel to and fro wherever you like, except in strong
weather. Before you pull up the anchor, make sure the weather won’t
be a problem and there are no mishaps obstructing your travel. See the
Travelling section on page 64 for more information.

How To Play 45
 Days Off Order of Play
1. Setup: Draw two cards and read from the Weather table
for that season, drawing additional cards as required. Check the
calendar to see if today is a holiday or for additional information.
2. Decide what you’re going to do – participating in a celebration,
wandering the town, travelling, fishing – and record your goings-
about in your journal.
3. End of day: Record the number of customers and earnings
as zero. Carry across the total earnings from previous days
you’ve accumulated at the bottom of your entry. If you made any
purchases, deduct the cost from your balance.

46 How To Play
7th of Brisk

Woke up to the first still day of Brisk. The

stillness after the storms is a relief, and the
River looks incredible under all the snow. I
think about opening the bookshop, but I really
want to spend the day outside. I also want to try
out the pair of skates I bought.
There’s quite a few animals out and about
today, young ones are throwing snowballs
at each other and shop keepers are out with
brooms and shovels moving the snow from
their doorways. Back at home, Brisk is grey
and awful, my least favourite season. Here it is
almost the opposite, and I think I could come to
love this season. I’m going to leave the journal
in the shop now and go skating.

Till: $0
Purchases: $4 for two smoking drinks
Till Total: $231
Towns
O ver the years, a number of towns have sprung up along the
River, each as vibrant and interesting as the last. In your travels,
you can visit these towns and experience their shops, characters and
traditions.

Each town has a shop that stocks unique items that can only be found
there. These shops also stock numerous useful items that you might
need to maintain the bookshop.

Townsfolk
The description of each town lists one or more townsfolk who live and
work there. They may work at a shop you visit or provide services to
you and your bookshop. If you flip a character card and decide it fits
their description, they might also occasionally drop in to buy a book or
just chat. When you’re out and about in town, these characters might
come and say hello or have some other sort of interaction with you.
Their descriptions include prompts for encounters you could have with
them.

48 How To Play
Purchasing items
If you need to fix your shop or want to cook a meal, you’ll first need
to buy supplies. To buy something, you need to have enough coins in
your purse. Simply record the purchase in your journal and deduct the
cost from your balance at the end of the day. If you purchase an item
and don’t use it immediately, you can keep track of it by listing it
underneath your entry for that day.

Ordering items from other towns

If travel is impeded by weather or your raft is in need of repairs, you can
order items from another town using the local post office. To do so, add
the cost of postage (snail, owl or express) listed in the current town’s
post office to the cost of the item, then wait the specified number of
days for the item to arrive.

Book orders
Each town has a crafter, writer or maker who sells special books that
aren’t available anywhere else. As a bookseller, you get access to these
books. Animalfolk further along the River often order these books for
their collection. Each season lists a selection of orders animalfolk would
like to fulfil. When you complete one of these orders, the customer will
pay the listed number of coins as a thank you for your hard work.

You can deliver a book directly to the customer if you’re in their

hometown, or you can send it in the post. Posting a book costs coins but
is one way you can get a book to your customer if travel on the River is
blocked by weather or floods. See the post office at the town (or nearest
town) for delivery costs.

How To Play 49
End of the
Year
T he Brisk
snowfalls have
ceased and the air begins
to consider it can be
anything other than
cold. The year has come
to an end.

50 How To Play
 Continuing on
If you are going to play further, brew a cup of tea and take a quiet
moment for yourself. Revisit your journal and your entries from the
year. Maybe tidy up the shop for the coming year?

Consider these questions:

* *What are you looking forward to next year?
* *Who has made a difference to you this year?
* *What is something wonderful and terrible that happened this
year?
Why do you feel as if you can’t leave yet?
**

Leaving the bookshop

If this is where you choose to end your time in the bookshop, reflect
on your year as you begin to pack up your belongings and take down
the tokens you’ve collected from the holidays. Brew a cup of tea and sit
on the couch. Flip back through your journal and the records of your
travels. Make note of the bookshop’s flaws and the marks your character
has left on it.

Consider these questions:

* *What will you miss about the River and the bookshop?
* *What was a highlight of your year?
* *Who will you miss most?
* *What was a low point in your year?
* *What’s one thing you’ve learned this year?
What do you plan on doing next?
**

How To Play 51
 CUSTOMERS

52 Customers
 ’
When you flip a customer card, it represents a notable
customer coming into the shop. Consult the prompts
on the following pages based on the suit and rank of the
card to see who this customer is and how they interact
with you and the shop. At the end of the day, shuffle the
deck before beginning the next.

Customers 53
Hearts
a. A group of schoolchildren. They are loud, boisterous and share
a big love for books. They leave a mess but are very charming.

2. An elderly couple. They move around the shop slowly and

stand in front of shelves you are needing to get to. Depending on the
weather, they may be cheery or complain loudly. When you get to
know them, they share a strange tale of the River of old.

3. A tradesanimal of sorts: carpenter, blacksmith, or weaver,

quiet but full of purpose. They wear brown or grey clothing and
an earthy scent wafts after them. They can give you advice on fixing
things. They are a beaver, badger, stoat or platypus. When you get to
know them, they gift you a contraption that will be of enormous help
to you.

4. A young animal. They ask you a curious question unrelated to

books. They are a frog, stoat, vole, bear or fox. When you get to know
them, they share their favourite book with you.

5. A traveller. Dressed in strange clothes, they tell you marvellous

stories of far lands. They are a turtle, fox, mouse, rat, bird, beetle or
snake. When you get to know them, they share sneaky adventures
they’ve had and show you trinkets.

6. An animal who has been swimming, on purpose or

accidentally. Either they have been diving for river rocks or grass,
they have been swimming for pleasure, or they fell in accidentally –
their canoe rolled, or they tripped on the River bank.

54 Customers
7. A warrior. They wear either a full suit of armour, or single items
like vambraces or a breastplate. They make a lot of noise as they
move around. They might be missing a limb, a leg, tail or arm. They
are polite but haughty.

. An important figure. They wear clothes of splendour and be

8either the harbourmaster, a captain, the mayor of the town or a
political figure. They are haughty or humble. They are a fox, badger,
swan, eagle or, otter. When you get to know them, they tell you about
their fears.

9. A bookseller. They are either an old friend, a mentor, a rival or

a new friend. They offer you strange books to sell, give advice on the
book trade or simply chat with you about the weather and ask how
you’re going.

10.A well dressed animal. Their clothes are finely tailored and well
looked-after, but they are pompous and make loud remarks about
your shop. They are a beaver, lizard, echidna, heron or fox. When you
get to know them, they make suggestions for things to fix or improve
around the shop.

j. A surprising face. Someone you weren’t expecting – an old flame,

a family member, an old friend, or an enemy.

q.A familiar face. A family member, a customer who has already

come in today, someone you glimpsed in town or a friend.

k. A strange face. A cloaked animal; a mysterious figure with a

hidden face. They don’t speak when they buy a book. They are a ???

Customers 55
Spades
a. A chatty animal. They talk incessantly about the weather, their
plans for the day, their opinions about townsfolk or their family
drama. They are a magpie, cat, frog, lizard, mouse, shrew or goose.
When you get to know them, they tell you juicy secrets about other
customers.

2. A ❦fisherfolk. They smell of fish but are polite and stay mostly
out of your way. They are an otter, snake, falcon, bear, frog or rat.
When you get to know them, they discuss the fish trade with you and
occasionally bring you gifts of fresh fish.

3. A shifty animal. They’re vague about what they want and pay
with strange, foreign coins that spark when rubbed together. They
never answer a question with more than two words and things seem
to go missing when they visit. They are an owl, marten, possum,
quoll or hare. When you get to know them, they tell you about their
ambitions to become a pirate, traveller, trader.

4. A loud animal. They talk loudly to you or a fellow customer,

and try to strike up a conversation with you at inconvenient moments.
They are a raven, goose, frog or cockatoo. When you get to know
them, they tell you about their life.

5. A trio of young cubs or kits. They are sweet and sit in the
couches and chairs reading silently before eventually buying a book
each with single coins and buttons. They are foxes, mice, ducks,
echidnas, martens, rabbits or turtles. When you get to know them,
they bring in drawings of their favourite books when they visit you
and tell you about their adventures.

56 Customers
6. A travelling couple. They are young, middle-aged or elderly
and seem to have wandered in accidentally. They ask about local
recommendations for food and activities.

7. A heavily perfumed animal. As they walk around the shop, their

wafting perfume makes you sneeze. When you get to know them,
they tell you about their many children and their achievements.

8. An elderly animal. They are slow moving and ask you to hold
their many bags, But they always buy a book. They are a wallaby,
badger, fox, mouse or heron. When you get to know them, they tell
you about a long-lost lover they had back in the day and wonder
where the lover ended up.

9. A ❦riverstrider. They travel up and down the River carrying

goods and parcels, and know the waterways well. They are a stork,
water shrew, otter or lizard. When you get to know them, they tell
you secrets of the River – the site of a wrecked boat, the best place to
catch fish, where the best reed berries can be harvested.

10. A delivery. This animal carries a letter or parcel for you: a

complaint, a glowing review or a gift from an adoring customer.

j. An astrologer. They tell you about the stars’ movements and their
fortunes. They tell you about your fortune, too. They are a bear, owl,
rat, snake, frog or hare. When you get to know them, they give you
specific advice based on the stars.

q. An animal seeking shelter. Weary, they leave a large pack

blocking the door. If the fire is going, they warm their paws in front
of it. When you get to know them, they tell you of their travels and
the many misfortunes that have hampered them.

k. A trader. They are passing through on one of their trade runs

and speak excitedly about the wares they have aboard their boat.
They are a weasel, lizard, toad, beaver or swan. When you get to
know them, they tell you where the best wares can be bought.

Customers 57
Clubs
a. A salesanimal. Seeming disinterested in your books, they try to
sell you something. The item is extravagant and most likely useless for
your current lifestyle.

2. A family. They are either eager, excited or bored. The cubs make
funny comments about the shop in loud voices to their parents –
‘How many books do you think the bookseller has sold?’ or ‘with
this many books, they must be rich!’ – while the parents try to be as
non-disruptive as possible.

3. A booklover. They are very excited to be in the shop and ask you
a lot of questions. They are a fox, duck, kingfisher, frog or marten.
When you get to know them, they tell you shyly about a book they
want to write.

4. A seeker of knowledge. They are fascinated by the books in

your shop and eagerly ask about the most interesting ones. They keep
asking questions while you try and help other customers. When you
get to know them, they tell you the best advice they ever received.

5. A ❦lanternbearer. They keep the lights around town and the

wharf lit for boats, rafts and travellers. If it is early, they are biding
time until their shift. If it is late, they are gearing up to begin work.
They are an ibis, stoat, lizard, falcon, capybara or otter. When you get
to know them, they tell you strange, spooky tales of things they’ve
seen along the River.

6. A scholar. They travel to bookshops across the land to collect

books for their library. They tell you interesting things about rare
books they’ve found. They are a lizard, badger, beetle, mouse or owl.
When you get to know them, they tell you about their most prized
books and the interesting, terrible, wicked things in them.

58 Customers
7. A shopkeeper from town. They come in to chat with you but
also to find a book. They talk to you about how business is going.

8. A lost soul. They are unsure where they are supposed to be and
ask for books to help them figure things out. When you get to know
them, they tell you about a dream that has something to do with
plants.

9. A young couple. They are giggly, loud or very quiet. They walk
around the shop together and block your way constantly. When you
get to know them, they tell you how they met.

10. A shy animal. They avoid eye contact and don’t talk to you.
They startle you around corners, making you drop things, but they
do buy a lot of books. When you get to know them, they speak a few
quiet words to you about how much they like the shop. They are a
mouse, vole, hedgehog, weasel, bee or swallow.

j. An animal eating something. They leave a trail of crumbs and

sticky pawprints on displays. They ignore your attempts to ask them
to stop.

q. A stunning animal. They wear finery that is delicate and

beautiful. They draw looks from other customers but seem not to
notice. When they talk to you, they make you blush. They are a
jewelled lizard, swan, pine marten, rabbit or kingfisher.

k. A local legend. The townsfolk hold this animal in high regard

and gossip about them constantly – they can walk on water, they can
heal any wound, they can make the crops grow strong – but they are
polite and seem unremarkable to you.

Customers 59
Diamonds
a. A sad animal. They are melancholic and blow their nose often.
When you get to know them, they tell you a terribly sad tale about
their partner or their incredibly unlucky day.

2. An overly friendly animal. They seem to know a lot about you

and the bookshop already and surprise you with strange questions
about yourself and things you thought no one else knew. Despite this,
they seem harmless.

3. An animal with a large bag. They keep the bag close to them
at all times and don’t put it down. The bag makes a strange noise,
movement, or sound; has an unusual shape; or emits a weird smell.
They don’t mention the bag at all.

4. An oblivious animal. They seem unaware of their tail and it

constantly bumps shelves, you and other customers. They are a
raccoon, skunk, possum, squirrel or anteater. They are friendly but
oblivious. When you get to know them, they tell you about their
work helping others.

5. A gruff animal. They are a large animal who speaks in a deep

voice. They are somewhat shy and don’t seem to want to share much
about themselves. When you get to know them, they tell you wistfully
about their favourite childhood books.

6. A mischievous animal. They move books around between

shelves, taking things, knocking piles of books over and asking you
about books that don’t exist. They are a raccoon, weasel, mouse,
lizard or raven.

60 Customers
7. A dirty animal. They leave footprints and fur on the floor. When
you get to know them, they tell you about their interesting work that
has the unfortunate side effect of them getting dirty.

8. An artist of sorts: weaver, carver, knitter, painter, florist or

tailor. They bring in their creations and ask if they can sell them in
the shop. They are a wren, beaver, muskrat, owl, water rat or hare.
When you get to know them, they are very generous and bring you a
personal creation each time they see you.

9. A magical animal. They have a strange aura about them and wear
clothes with stars and strange runes. They levitate objects – including
their wallet and the books they are buying – onto your counter,
making everyone stare. When you get to know them, they bring you
magical charms that offer protection from everyday annoyances like
toothache, sunburn, and burnt toast.

10. A fortune teller. They offer to read your cards and give strangely
accurate advice that comes true in the coming weeks. They are
dressed in a long cloak that sparkles in the light.

j. An animal caught in the weather. They are dripping from the

rain, sweating from the sun or shivering with snow on their fur. They
seem unprepared and apologetic.

q. A complaining animal. They have a complaint about you,

your shop or the weather. They complain to you, another customer
or a friend they are with, but their grumpiness seems to stem from
something else. When you get to know them, they tell you about a
stressful life choice they must make.

k. A busy animal. They rush around the shop being a nuisance to

you and the other customers, but they always buy books. When you
get to know them, they tell you in a rare free moment about the many
things they are doing all at once – planning an event, caring for many
children, working, writing, creating something.

Customers 61
 Book Genre
Roll d20 after flipping over a customer card to find out what genre of
book the customer is buying or looking for.
1. Fantasy 11. Self-help/how-to/DIY
2.Science fiction 12. Travel
3. Action/adventure 13. Cookbooks/potion recipes
4.Mystery fiction/nonfiction 14. Crime fiction/nonfiction
5. Horror/thriller/paranormal 15. Comic or graphic novel
fiction 16. Fairytales/myths &
6. Historical fiction/nonfiction legends/ghost stories
7. Romance 17. Magic/spell books
8. Children’s 18. Poetry
9. Young animal 19. Philosophy
10. Autobiography/biography 20. Art & design/photography

Extra customers table

Roll d20 at the end of the day to see if any extra customers come
through the door:

* *1–10: No extra cards

* *11–15: Draw one extra card
* *16–19: Draw two extra cards
* *20: Draw three extra cards

62 Customers
 ’
‘An elderly badger wandered around the shop,
muttering darkly about miscreants and her pot
plants. She seemed in a terrible mood. When she
came to the counter, she had two spell books for
casting revenge spells. …I wonder who will bear
the brunt of these?’
Travelling
‘The River is hazy with smoke today, and with no
wind to blow it away, I am coughing and my eyes are
running. Hopefully the fires are a long distance away
from Rueberry, as I would hate to see the farmlands
catch fire.’

I f you’re ready for a change of scenery and want to meet some new
Riverfolk, it might be time to travel to another town. Travelling
takes time. See the map on page 154 for the number of days it takes to
travel between each town.

If you are travelling upstream, add one day to the travel time.

Any day you spend travelling, choose one question to answer from the
Journey prompts (pg. 66) in your journal as you make your way
down the River. When you come into the next town’s wharf, roll d6 and
consult the Arrival prompts for the current season. Write a sentence in
your journal with your observations.

64 Travelling
There are certain situations that prevent you from travelling. The ∅
symbol on the Weather table indicates weather that prevents travel.

You cannot travel when:

* *it is extremely windy or stormy
* *the River is frozen over in the season of Brisk
* *the River is flooded in the season of Brimming
* *it is foggy
* *your raft is damaged (the daily tasks will indicate this)

Travelling during Brisk

When the River freezes over in Brisk, boats and canoes are frozen in
place and travelling takes a different form. Animalfolk brush dust off
their sleds and skates and take to the ice on foot.

To travel during Brisk, you will need a bulrush jacket and a pair of ice
skates in order to travel, both of which can be purchased in town shops.
Make sure the weather is not restricting travel. Pack your things in a
backpack and set off along the ice. The travel times on page 155 still
apply. Answer a Journey prompt as you skate along, and then roll d6
for an Arrival prompt as you reach the town’s wharf.

If the weather takes a turn for the worse when you are in between
towns, you can shelter in midway tents, temporary shelters between
towns for travellers until the weather calms. You will most likely be
sharing a tent with other travellers who also got caught out.

Travelling 65
 Travelling

Journey prompts
Answer one question in your journal:

* *What is your first impression of the town? Does it look different

during the seasons/festivities?
* *What is your favourite thing about this town?
* *What is one thing that scares you about this town?
* *You see something big and mysterious on the Riverbank. What is it?
* *You glimpse some animalfolk sitting alongside the Riverbank. What
are they doing?
* *You hear some animalfolk singing on the Riverbank. What is the
song?
* *You see something strange in the River waters as you come into the
wharf. What do you think it is?
* *Something is out of the ordinary along this stretch of the River.
What is it?

66 Travelling
 Travelling

Arrival
Roll d6 from the season table as you pull into the town’s wharf:

Bloom
1. Blossoms cover the wharf and the water around the town.
2. A magnificent boat is docked in the wharf for two days and
the townsfolk gossip about who owns it.
3. A local market is on and the wharf is busy.
4. Fishing boats have brought in a big haul and townsfolk sort it
on the wharf.
5. Animalfolk sit along the wharf fishing, sketching, weaving
and making.
6. The wharf is currently being repaired due to a collision –
you’ll need to wait a day on the River before you can dock.

Travelling 67
 Travelling

Burn
1. Smoke spirals up from the forest behind the town. The
coming nights will be hazy.
2. Harvest is underway and the air is full of voices.
3. Animalfolk stand ankle-deep in the water or swim lazily
around the wharf.
4. A band is setting up near the wharf and will play a show
in the evening.
5. A tugball game is being held this evening and the River is
full of spectators. The town is busy with excited fans.
6. A market is being held along the wharf; animalfolk
wander about the stalls.

Brimming
1. A tree has fallen and blocked the riverpath to the wharf.
While the townsfolk are clearing it, you’ll need to wait on
the River for a day before you can dock at the wharf.
2. Plant debris surrounds the wharf and covers the water.
Animalfolk work to clear it away.
3. A food stall has been set up on the wharf and aromatic
smells waft from over the water.
4. A number of interesting boats and houseboats are
moored at the wharf.
5. The wharf is being repaired and you can’t dock for a day
while the carpenters finish their work.
6. A group of chattering animalfolk sit on the wharf and
cast fishing lines into the water.

68 Travelling
 Travelling

Brink
1. The wharf is full with colourful boats and canoes.
2. A tree has fallen and blocked the riverpath to the wharf.
While the townsfolk are clearing it, you’ll need to wait a day
before entering the town.
3. The wharf is being repaired and won’t be finished for
another day.
4.The wharf is eerily quiet and empty.
5. A local market is on; the air carries the sound of excited
voices and the smell of cooking food.
6. Leaves cover the River, the wharf and the town. Your
footsteps crunch through the leaves.

Brisk
1. Snow-animal figures have been built on the ice around the
wharf and decorated with stones and scarves.
2. An ice rink has been cordoned off near the wharf, and
animals spin around in merry circles.
3. The wharf has been covered by a snowdrift and the
lantern at the end is the only sign it’s there.
4. A slide has been made out of snow at the end of the
wharf and animals whiz down the slope.
5. The wharf is covered in beautiful lights that twinkle and
flicker.
6. The wharf is quiet and still; no sounds from the town can
be heard.

Travelling 69
Fishing
‘...Down by the wharf I find Earnest has thrown a line
into the water and is fast asleep on her stool. I find
a spot next to her and cast my line. It is a peaceful
morning with the sunlight throwing sparkles of light
into the water.’

S ome days just seem like the perfect days for fishing. You might
throw a line in the water on a slow day at the bookshop or as you
travel to another town. Town wharves also offer excellent places to fish.
Fishing is often a quiet, meditative time and while you wait for a bite,
does your mind wander? Record your thoughts in your journal if it feels
right. The River is a beautiful place to sit in silence.
What do you observe?

When you are ready to cast

your line into the water,
start by shuffling the deck
of cards. (If you are fishing
in the middle of your
bookselling day, skip this
step.)

70 Fishing
Begin to draw cards and place them face up in a line until you put
down a royal card. Each card represents one hour of time passing as
you wait, and the royal represents a bite on your line. Continue drawing
cards. These additional cards represent you reeling the line in. Keep
going until you get two cards of the same colour next to each other.

If you get two black cards, the fish slipped away.

If you get two red cards, you hooked the fish and managed to reel it in.

A list of the River’s fish can be found in the ❦Fish section of the
Appendix (page 204). The fish species that can be caught vary with
the seasons and weather. Choose a fish and answer the corresponding
question in your journal entry.

Passing time
While waiting for a bite, you might take your time: drawing a card,
writing some observations, drawing another card and waiting some
more. You don’t need to place down cards with speed. Imagine soaking
in the sun and sights as your float bobs in the water. Once the fish has
been hooked, however, things move faster. To represent this, you can
place down cards faster as you reel in your catch.

As you wait for a bite, notice the weather today and how the River
looks this season. The weather table will give you prompts as to the
temperature and type of day – sunny, breezy, rainy. If you are fishing
from a town wharf or along a town’s Riverbank, the arrival table has
prompts for the atmosphere. What sounds can you hear as you wait? Is
there lots of traffic on this part of the River today?

If many hours go past without a bite, it’s okay to reel your line in and
call it a day.

Fishing 71
 SEASONS

72 Seasons
Bloom Brink
Flowers blossom and turn The cooling of weather
the air sweet as the River brings relief and finds the
awakens from Brisk River slowing down
Holidays: Holidays:
* *Rinse * *Salmon Run
Skyflower Festival
** * *Gloomin
Weeping Day
**
Burn Brisk
Hot days and harvests The quietest season when
Holidays: snow and ice cover the
* *Reed Festival River
* *Harvest Feast Holidays:
* *Burn Solstice (Midnight * *Brisk Solstice (Darkfall)
Sun) Ice Dance
**

Brimming
Flooding brings chaos to
the river
Holidays:
* *Night Market
Breakneck Rapids Race
**

Seasons 73
B LOOM
T he season of Bloom is marked by snowmelt and green shoots.
Trees burst into blossom, colouring the Riverbank with
bottlebrush and wattle. Wildflowers sprinkle the grass and river lilies
bloom from the Riverbed to stretch their faces toward the warming sun.
Animalfolk who migrated away, return, and trade and travel resume.
The air feels warm and smells sweet with pollen and possibilities. The
River begins to feel lively again.

Bloom 75
Bloom
1∅ 2∅ 3∅ 4∅ 5
Rinse Snowmelt,
travel
resumes

6 7 8 9 10
Sunset at
5pm

11 12 13 14 15
 Blooming Skyflower
(full) moon Festival

16 17 18 19 20
Sunset at
7pm
 d

Seasonal signs
* *Clicks and creaks fill the air from river insects
* *Hayfever sneezes
* *The air smells sweet and lovely
* *Animals come into the shop with pollen-stained fur
Weeks Travel Status
First week: Thaw Travel becomes possible again
Second week: Birdsong from the 5th onward.
Third week: Sprout
Fourth week: Busk

Something that causes mayhem on the

River this season:
» » A rare type of flower that blooms once every ten years unfurls their
petals along the Riverbank. Their blooms appear after dark and any
who smell them are overcome with uncontrollable laughter that lasts
until daybreak.
» » Rumours spread of the bunyip (a strange creature made of many
animal features) wandering around at mothlight.
» » Tugball competitions start up again and the River is full of
animalfolk throwing balls to each other while paddling in small
canoes. The balls often end up landing in the wrong boats, hitting
innocent bystanders, or smashing windows.

Bloom 77
 Bookselling • Beginning of the Day

Weather
At the beginning of each day, draw one card; this represents the
weather. Draw another card; this represents the duration of that
weather. If the duration is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the
evening, draw a third card and read the weather from it.
That card represents the weather for the part of the day not covered by
the first card.
Example: The first card says it is warm and sunny, the second card says
it will last for the morning. A third card is drawn, which says steady rain
– it will rain for the rest of the day.

The number next to the customer forecast on the weather table (steady,
busy, quiet etc) represents the number of customer cards you draw.

Key
∅ No travel

’
Weather event
When you draw warm weather, fill in a circle. When all three circle are
filled, the next night, a large swarm of shimmering, luminescent insects
swim through the waters and turn the River turquoise for a night.

Warm days:

78 Bloom
 Weather Duration
Warm and sunny. Customer forecast: Extremely
A busy. (7)
All day

Warm, with a light breeze. Pollen drifts in the In the

2 air. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) morning
Sunny and windy. Pollen is thick in the air. In the
3 Customer forecast: Steady. (4) afternoon
Cold with steady rain. Customer forecast:
4 Steady. (4)
At night

5 Rain on and off. Customer forecast: Steady.

(4)
All day

Showers off and on, sunny. Customer forecast: In the

6 Steady. (4) afternoon
Sunny. The water is clear. Customer forecast:
7 Busy. (6)
All day

∅ Strong winds. Blossoms are blown away. The

8 water is rough. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3)
All day

9 Thunderstorm. The water is dark. Customer

forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
In the
morning
10 Warm. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) In the evening
In the
J Hail. Customer forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
morning
Q Sunny. Customer forecast: Extremely busy. (7) In the evening

K Blustery and warm. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) All day

Bloom 79
 Daily Tasks • Beginning of the Day

At the start of each day, roll d20 to determine what you need to do
today:

1. Boxes of new stock are sitting unopened, ready to be priced and

put up on shelves. What new titles interest you?

2. The windows are in need of some cleaning. Who or what has

made them dirty?

3. The shelves are in need of some dusting and tidying. Books that
have been moved around by customers need to be returned to the
correct shelves. Which book is furthest from its home?

4. The front window display needs a refresh. Create a new display;

it needs a theme – seasonal, holiday-related, or simply a random
theme of your choice.

5. You’ve been putting off the bookkeeping but it unfortunately

must be done. Calculate inventory if you haven’t done it for a while,
go through all your receipts and look through the recent numbers.
How have you been faring? Do you need to order a restock?

6. Blossoms have drifted in through the door and open windows,

covering the floor. You’ll need to sweep them up. Customers will get
in your way and tread the blossoms into the carpet.

7. Pollen in the air and on customers’ fur makes your eyes and nose
run all day. You need to burn some eucalyptus incense, or you will
be bothered by a runny nose all day.

80 Bloom
8. The second customer through the door apologises that they
bumped the outside tap. It has broken and water has started leaking
onto the floor. You’ll need a new washer and a spanner to fix it;
otherwise, you can call for a ❦plumber to come and fix it for you.
Draw one less customer card per day until you get it fixed.

9. Nook beetles have infested your shop. They eat paper, crawl
between pages and are generally a nuisance. You need BugOff spray
to get rid of them. Draw one less customer card per day until you
have done so.

10. It’s a fresh new year, so you decide to paint the walls of the
shop to reinvigorate the space. Maybe you just need to repaint a small
patch where a customer marked the wall. What colour do you choose?

11. The clocks in the shop all stop, making you open up shop late.
Go around and set the clocks to the right time. Halve the customers
totals and earnings at the end of the day.

12. A recent incident in the shop has dirtied the carpets and mats.
You’ll need to clean the rugs and mats; you can leave them on the
deck to air if the weather is nice, otherwise you’ll have to get creative.

13. The shop is looking a little dull so you decide to make

decorations to hang in the shop for an upcoming holiday. You make a
bit of a mess, and customers notice. Young ones offer to help you.

14. A game of tugball gets out of hand and a stray ball smashes
through a window. You’ll need a ❦glassmith to fix it. While you
wait, you’ll need to cover the window to stop drafts and insects from
coming in.

Bloom 81
 15. The deck receives much foot traffic and needs maintenance. Oil
the deck, if it is a nice day. Otherwise, oil the till and any clockwork
you have in the shop.

16. To highlight some interesting books, you make a display in

the shop. What’s the theme? Cooking books, books to take on
adventures, or similar.

17. Blossoms have covered the deck and the gutters overnight. You’ll
need to spend the day with the broom sweeping them off the deck
and out of the gutters.

18. You decide to do some research and read one of the new books
that have come in. What book is it and what is its genre? After you
read the book, you write a review to stick on the bookshelf. Did you
enjoy the book?

19. You decide to set up a sale in the shop to draw in customers.

Come up with a themed sale name and make posters for the front
windows. Draw one extra customer card for the next two days.

20. Design some merch for the shop. Spend the day coming up
with a fun logo to paint on some book bags. You make 20 and price
them for 10 coins each. Roll a die when you flip a customer card:
even, they buy a bag; odd, they don’t. Keep doing this until you’ve
sold out.

82 Bloom
 End of the Day •

Total Earnings Total books

Books sold
1. 32 coins Roll d6 and read from the
2. 75 coins table, then roll again and add
the number on the die to that
3. 83 coins amount.
4. 55 coins 1. 50
5. 42 coins 2. 40
6. 68 coins 3. 35
4. 30
Restocking 5. 60
6. 70
In Bloom, it costs 200 coins to
fully restock the shop.

Book orders
* *Mia in Thistle Down wants to order Raven: The Stories of a Hero
from Arborea. Reward upon delivery: 53 coins
* *Tam from Arborea wants to order The Breeze in the Brambles from
Roost. Reward upon delivery: 50 coins
* *Mave, the ‘Adventuring Gear’ owner from Roost, wants to order
Reedy to Cook from Ennerck. Reward upon delivery: 42 coins.

Bloom 83
Bloom Holidays

Rinse
The River has seen a lot of terrible secrets, but today her
job is not to judge, merely to carry it away.

1st day of Bloom

Location: All River

T he new year has come again, and with it the

softening of the snow and the ice that traps
the River. It is a fresh start, a chance for change. It
is tradition for animals to take a swim in the River
to rinse off the last year and cleanse themselves for
the coming year. The River has only just begun to
thaw and holes must be drilled into the ice in order
to reach water. It is a teeth-chattering, paw-numbing
experience.

After the swim, fires lit on the Riverbank are

blazing and hot, spicy drinks are passed around.
Animals huddle together and share their dreams.

84 Bloom
 To participate:
Take a swim in the River and ponder a dream you want to achieve
this year. Is there something – a habit, a mindset, a memory – you
want to wash away? After your swim, gather around the town’s
fire and warm up with a hot drink.

Something that happens during

this Rinse:
1. Someone hands you a hot drink after a swim. Unbeknownst to
you and the animal who passed you a drink, this will be the start
of a long friendship. Who is the animal who gives you the drink?
2. A townsfolk hands you a pot and a seed. They tell you that
some animalfolk like to commemorate each Rinse by planting a
seed and watering it with the water they swam in. The seed takes
the bad things you’ve rinsed off and turns it into energy to grow
strong. If the plant doesn’t grow, it’s a sign that the Rinse didn’t
work. Do you plant the seed?
3. The young ones play a game, supervised by adults, where they
try to stay in the water the longest. They dare some of the adults,
you included, to join them. It is a shiver-inducing challenge that
results in many blue paws. How long do you stay in?

d As a token of this holiday, you receive a bottle of the drink you

enjoyed after your swim.

Bloom 85
Bloom Holidays

Skyflower
Festival
It was an accident – a bumped elbow against a pink
flowering bush – but the mortals below had so much
fun with the falling flowers the gods decided to do it
every year.

Date: 24th day of Bloom

Location: All River

P ink flowers fall from the skyfields above.

They coat the River’s surface until she is
carpeted pink. (For days, until they are washed
away, pink petals coat your deck). No one knows
why the skyflowers fall, but it is considered good
luck. The flowers are picked out of the water and
made into sweet cordial that is drunk in excess.
The young ones make long skyflower chains and
crowns, handing them out to everyone. It is a
giddy, happy time.

86 Bloom
 To participate:
Drink skyflower cordial (but not too much) and join in the feasts.
Sing songs with the animalfolk and take a flower chain from a
young one.

Something that happens during

this Skyflower Festival:
1. You are invited to join a game of dizzy paddle, in which you
take a drink, get in a canoe and someone spins you around. You
then have to paddle through an obstacle course. The game often
ends in gasping laughter and huge cheers from those watching.
How do you go?
2. Animals are given an hour to write short plays that are then
performed (enthusiastically by the young ones) in front of the
townsfolk. Costumes are hastily made from skyflowers and words
are quickly written down. You are invited to join in a group, for
you, the bookseller, must have some good ideas for a short play.
What is your play about?
3. A game of spin the bottle takes place. When the bottle lands
on you, you must add a line to a silly song. See ❦Writing a song
for the Skyflower Festival for a partially written song to which
you can contribute. After the bottle has been spun 10 times, you all
perform the song. What line do you contribute to the song?

d As a token from the festival, you have a splitting headache

the next day.

Bloom 87
B URN
T he sun casts its bright eye over the land, baking the River and
animalfolk alike. To cool off, animalfolk swim in the River
and lie under the shade of willow. The surrounding land dries out;
everything becomes crisp and quick to spark. The water level drops
under the blazing heat. Flies buzz slowly over the water. The nights
become long as the sun sets later and later until it doesn’t set at all on
the solstice, turning life on the River into a delirious state.

Burn 89
Burn
1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10
Sunset at Reed Reed Living
8pm Festival Festival Art Festival
(Port Imes only)

11 12 13 14 15
 Burning Harvest
(full) moon Feast

16 17 18 19 20
Sunset at Burn Solstice
10pm (Midnight
Sun)
 4

Seasonal signs
* *Buzzing songs from insects drift through the warm air
* *Animalfolk are lazier and more relaxed on hot days
* *Coloured flags decorate boats and shops

Weeks Travel Status

First week: Bask Travel allowed all season
Second week: Simmer
Third week: Hearth
Fourth week: Harvest

Something that excites the River

this season:
» » The sound of joyous songs fills the warm air for days on end.
» » Animalfolk from the far-off mysterious lands of the Beyond visit
the towns of the River, bringing stories.
» » A giant rainbow fish is spotted in the waters. It sparkles in the
sunlight and lets the young ones ride on its back.

Burn 91
 Bookselling • Beginning of the Day

Weather
At the beginning of each day, draw one card; this represents the
weather. Draw another card; this represents the duration of that
weather. If the duration is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the
evening, draw a third card and read the weather from it.
That card represents the weather for the part of the day not covered by
the first card.
Example: The first card says it is warm and sunny, the second card says
it will last for the morning. A third card is drawn, which says steady rain
– it will rain for the rest of the day.

The number next to the customer forecast on the weather table (steady,
busy, quiet etc) represents the number of customer cards you draw.

Key
∅ No travel

’
Weather event
When you draw a thunderstorm, fill in a circle. When the third circle is
filled, the next day a bushfire begins to burn around the town. Join the
townsfolk to put out the fire.

Thunderstorms:

92 Burn
 Weather Duration
Warm and sunny. The water is clear. Customer
A forecast: Extremely busy. (7)
All day

2 Hot and breezy. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) In the morning

3 Hot and humid. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3) In the evening
Thunderstorm. The sky is black. Customer
4 forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
At night

Sunny, partly cloudy. Customer forecast:

5 Steady.
All day

Showers off and on, sunny. Customer forecast:

6 Busy.
All day

Sunny. The water glistens. Customer forecast:

7 Busy.
In the evening

8 Still and hot. Customer forecast: Steady. All day

Thunderstorm. The water is dark. Customer
9 forecast: Snail’s pace.
In the morning

Warm, partly cloudy. Customer forecast:

10 Steady.
In the afternoon

J Stiflingly warm. Customer forecast: Quiet. In the afternoon

Sunny with a light breeze. Customer forecast:
Q Extremely busy.
In the evening

Cloudy and cool. The water is grey. Customer

K forecast: Steady.
All day

Burn 93
 Daily Tasks • Beginning of the Day

At the start of each day, roll d20 to determine what you need to do
today:

1. Boxes of new stock are sitting unopened, ready to be priced and

put up on shelves. What new titles interest you?

2. The windows are in need of some cleaning. Who or what has

made them dirty?

3. The shelves are in need of some dusting and tidying. Books that
have been moved around by customers need to be returned to the
correct shelves. Where is the most misplaced book?

4. Customers enjoy a decorated window front and yours could use

a refresh. Create a new display; it needs a theme – seasonal, holiday-
related, or simply a random theme of your choice. Use any props you
can find in the shop. A customer offers something they are carrying
in their pack for the display. What is the item?

5. The third customer of the day lets out a loud shriek. Nook
beetles have infested your shop. They eat paper, crawl between pages
and are generally a nuisance. You need BugOff spray to get rid of
them. Draw one less customer card per day until you have done so.

6. Some young ones shopping after a swim have walked a trail of

water into the shop. You’ll need to mop up the puddles.

7. A loud fly buzzes through the door as your first customer leaves
but you can’t seem to find it. It irritates you all day.

94 Burn
8. The tiny fan in the shop breaks. Customers complain about the
heat and leave. You’ll need a spanner to fix it; otherwise you can
call for a ❦clocksmith to come and fix it for you. Draw one less
customer card per day until you get it fixed.

9. The till jams as you are serving the first customer and refuses
to open for most of the day. You’ll have to ask customers for exact
amounts to pay for their books. They grumble, but most manage it.

10. To celebrate an upcoming holiday, make decorations to hang in

the shop. If a friend stops by, they’ll be happy to sit down and help
you out.

11. The weather makes you close up early today. Why?

12. Instead of doing a task, you take the day to sit by your desk
with a cool drink between your paws enjoying the atmosphere.
What’s something that’s made you happy recently?

13. You decide to paint the shop walls to change things up. What
are you changing the colour to? Or, are you simply patching up marks
on the walls?

14. To highlight some interesting books, you make a display in the

shop. What’s the theme? Best places to go on holiday, caring for pets,
or similar.

15. You’ve been putting off the bookkeeping but it unfortunately

must be done. Calculate inventory if you haven’t done it for a while,
go through all your receipts and look through the recent numbers.
How have you been faring? Do you need to order a restock?

Burn 95
 16. The first customer of the day tells their friends about your shop
and by the afternoon a large number of animalfolk have come in.
Draw +2 customer cards.

17. The shelves need a refresh, so you spend the day rearranging
them. The sections and genres that are less popular should be moved
to the front. Which genres have been least popular lately? Customers
will – annoyingly – ask for the specific books you are moving around.

18. The raft needs some maintenance to keep it sailing smoothly.

If the weather allows, oil the decks, sweep up debris, oil your paddle,
coil up ropes. Otherwise, tidy the counter.

19. You make yourself a big jug of cool juice. A customer pours a
cup for themselves, thinking it is for everyone. They compliment it
and you spend the rest of the day making up different combinations
of drinks for grateful customers.

20. You decide to read one of the new books that have come in.
What book is it and what is its genre? After you read the book, you
write a review to stick on the bookshelf. Did you enjoy the book?

96 Burn
 End of the Day •

Total Earnings Books sold

Roll d6 at the end of the day: Roll d6 and read from the
1. 20 coins table, then roll again and add
2. 28 coins the number on the die to that
3. 42 coins amount.
1.
4. 59 coins 50
2. 40
5. 50 coins 3. 50
6. 63 coins 4. 30
5. 60
Restocking 6. 70
In Burn, it costs 250 coins to
fully restock the shop.

Book orders
* *Pino in Mersey wants to order The History of Tugball from Plenty.
Reward upon delivery: 55 coins.
* *Flint, the owner of the Port Bakery in Port Imes, wants to order
Love & Lemon Myrtle from Rueberry. Reward upon delivery: 60
coins.
* *Mia in Thistle Down wants to order Slugs, Snails and other Slimy
tales from Hurst. Reward upon delivery: 54 coins.

Burn 97
 Burn Holidays

Reed
Festival
A song played on a reed flute can create strong magic
that should not be underestimated.

7th and 8th days of Burn

Location: Riverwide (Except Port Imes)

T he River ❦reeds are at a perfect stage to

be harvested – soft enough for carving but
strong enough to stay rigid – and used to make
flutes. The first day of the Reed Festival is for
harvesting and carving, while the second is for the
animalfolk to showcase their songs and put on
performances.

Once the festival is over, young animals leave their

reeds in the pockets of those they fancy in the hopes
they return their feelings.

98 Burn
 To participate:
On the first day, harvest a reed from the Riverbank and carve
it into a flute. Townsfolk can help you if this is your first time
carving. (Remember, your blade points away from your paw to
avoid injury!) Then, on the second day, play your reed flute with
the other townsfolk and maybe join in a performance.

Something that happens during

this Reed Festival:
1. A townsfolk tells you the music from the flute sounds sweeter
if you carve something of yourself into the reed. They point to the
image of a hand they’ve carved into their reed, symbolising the loss
of motion in their hand. What do you carve?
2. As you carve your reed, the townsfolk talk about Reed
Festivals past. During one, something strange happened when the
reed flutes were played. What was it?
3. The young ones perform a ballad about an unfortunate
incident involving one of the townsfolk’s boat and their trousers.
The performance leaves everyone laughing. What was the
unfortunate incident?

4 As a token from the festival, you find a mysterious reed flute

in your pocket. Who gave it to you?

Burn 99
 Burn Holidays

Harvest
Feast
The freshly planted seeds push their shoots into the air
and fruit colours and ripen under the new sun. Fishing
lines grow heavy with plump fish and the crab pots
are weighed down with catch.

14th day of Burn

Location: Riverwide (Except Port Imes)

T o celebrate the year’s first harvest, a feast is

held. Each town on the River has a harvest
of sorts: most harvest crops (of which Rueberry has
the biggest harvest of them all), while some celebrate
the first big fish haul instead.

Before eating, the animalfolk perform a dance

asking the spirits to allow the River to rise again.
Everyone is affected by the dropping level of the
River so everyone joins in. The trick is to not
overdo the dance, as doing so could lead to a heavy
Brimming season.

100 Burn
The feast begins at midday and continues late into
the night. It is not uncommon for animals to eat
little the day before in order to make the most of
the food: leafy greens, snap peas, berries, honey-
crust bread, pastries, chilled soups, grilled fish,
sweet peaches.

Long tables are laid out in the middle of each town,

laden with dishes, while flower wreaths decorate the
towns themselves.

Burn 101
 To participate:
Join in the dance then fill a plate with food from the feast. The
town of Rueberry has the biggest celebrations as they are the biggest
growers on the River.

Something that happens during

this Harvest Feast:
1. Someone asks if you are free to join the Rueberry harvests on
the 16th of Burn. Do you join in? If so, see ❦Helping with the
Harvest.
2. There is a contest to see how many popping berries animalfolk
can fit in their mouths before the berries explode. The popping
berries have a lovely citrus taste, but also a tendency to pop at
random, covering those nearby in pink juices. Do you join in?
How many berries do you manage to fit in your mouth before they
explode?
3. Small golden rocks have been hidden along the River bed.
Everyone who wants to get wet dives for the rocks. Some have
numbers painted on them that earn the diver a prize: a painting, a
jar of jam. If you decide to participate, roll d6 to see if you find a
prize rock and a prize: 1–3: nothing; 4: a blackberry pie; 5: a jar of fig
jam; 6: a bag of crisp, tart apples.

4 As a token from this year’s Feast, you’ll receive a recipe of your

favourite dish from a kind animalfolk.

102 Burn
 ’
‘Ruff, the slightly blind badger who seems to
read only horror stories, mentioned that he
had brought his special stew to the Feast. Not
wanting to seem impolite, (he is one of my
favourite customers; he pays without question
and is always kind if a little scattered) I
tried the dish and immediately choked on the
revolting flavours. I told Ruff it was delicious
and tipped the dish out as soon as he left. I think
he must have mixed up the pumpkin with an
orange, which makes a disgusting combination
with rosemary and buttered potatoes.’

Burn 103
 Burn Holidays

Burn
Solstice (The Midnight
Sun)

The sun stretched; for this day only, she had the sky to
herself. Today, the world below was all hers to watch
over; to warm and bring to life.

18th day of Burn

Location: Riverwide

O n the solstice, the sun doesn’t set but instead

spins around the sky for a night. It is a
delirious time where animalfolk dare each other to do
increasingly silly things as exhaustion sets
in. The young ones challenge each other to
stay awake the longest and play increasingly
elaborate games in boats and along the
Riverbank. The older animalfolk make the
most of the long day to do extra work in
the fields and on the River, then sit back
and chat when the little ones curl up. It
is said that watching the midnight sun
with someone is one of the romantic
things you can do.

104 Burn
 To participate:
Join in a town’s celebration of the midnight sun. While the young
ones dare each other to stay up, there’s some competition between
the adults as well. Dare others and take part in a dare yourself.

Something that happens this

Burn Solstice:
1. The young ones play a game of hide-and-seek around the town
and in some of the moored houseboats. They ask you to join them.
Where do you hide?
2. Someone dares you to stay awake the whole night and still
open your bookshop the next day. Do you do it?
3. You are asked to read scary stories to the little ones. They hope
the scares will help them stay awake longer. What story do you tell
them?

4 As a token of the holiday, you spend the next day either in bed
or wishing you could.

Burn 105
B RIMMING
T he Brimming season brings chaos to the River. Heavy rains in
the mountains send waters rushing down the River, making her
surge. Strong currents sweep debris and unmoored boats away, and the
land is drenched. The River briefly becomes a roaring beast, and some
parts are impassable by boat. The riverside towns try to cling onto the
Riverbank and avoid being swept away.

Brimming 107
Brimming
1 2 3 4 5
Night
Market

6 7 8∅ 9∅ 10 ∅
∅ Flooding
begins

11 ∅ 12 ∅ 13 ∅ 14 ∅ 15 ∅
Breakneck Brimming
Race (full) moon

16 ∅ 17
Floodwaters
18 19 20
recede, travel
resumes
 ≠

Seasonal signs
* *The River’s current is strong and pulls away anything not securely
moored
* *The tumbling waters reveal jagged rocks and tree logs, stopping
travel
* *The floodwaters are loud; for most of the season, rushing water is
your background music

Weeks Travel Status

First week: Frogsong Travel is impossible from the
Second week: Flood 7th to the 17th due to flooding
Third week: Rush (unless you have purchased raft
Fourth week: Ease reinforcements). Travel to a town
to wait out the floodwaters.

Something that floods the River

this season:
» » The sad news arrives of the death of a beloved animal. Did you
know them? Did they visit the bookshop?
» » The floodwaters sweep the scent of rotting plants down the length
of the river.
» » Skittering insects washed from the mountains by the rain crawl
over every boat and house and generally become a nuisance.

Brimming 109
 Bookselling • Beginning of the Day

Weather
At the beginning of each day, draw one card; this represents the
weather. Draw another card; this represents the duration of that
weather. If the duration is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the
evening, draw a third card and read the weather from it.
That card represents the weather for the part of the day not covered by
the first card.
Example: The first card says it is cloudy, the second card says in the
afternoon. A third card is drawn, which says warm – it will be warm in
the morning and evening, becoming cloudy in the afternoon.

The number next to the customer forecast on the weather table (steady,
busy, quiet etc) represents the number of customer cards you draw.

Key
∅ No travel

’
Weather event
When you draw sunny weather, fill in a circle. When all three circles
are filled, the next day a cloud of butterflies fly over the River and settle
on any dry surface above the floodwaters. They are in various shades of
vibrant colours.

Sunny days:

110 Brimming
 Weather Duration
Cold with steady rain. Customer forecast:
A Steady. (4)
All day

Blustery and chilly. Customer forecast: Quiet.

2 (3)
In the morning

3 Warm. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) In the morning

Stormy. Thunder grumbles in the distance and
4 the sky is black. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3)
At night

5 Cloudy. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) All day

∅ Thunderstorm. The thunder is loud and

6 flashes of lightning can be seen in the distance. All day
Customer forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
7 Sunny. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) All day
Steady rain. The sky and water is grey.
8 Customer forecast: Quiet. (3)
All day

9 Cool. The breeze has a chill to it. Customer

forecast: Steady. (4)
In the morning

10 Cloudy and warm. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) In the afternoon

J Hot. Customer forecast: Extremely busy. (7) In the afternoon
Q Light rain. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) In the evening
K Heavy rain. Customer forecast: Snail’s pace. (2) All day

Brimming 111
 Daily Tasks • Beginning of the Day

At the start of each day, roll d20 to determine what you need to do
today:

1. Boxes of new stock are sitting unopened, ready to be priced and

put up on shelves. What new titles interest you?

2. The windows in the morning light look grubby and need some
cleaning. Who or what has made them dirty?

3. The shelves are in need of some dusting and tidying. Books that
have been moved around by customers need to be returned to the
correct shelves. Where is the most misplaced book?

4. Customers enjoy a decorated window front and yours could use

a refresh. Create a new display; it needs a theme – seasonal, holiday-
related, or simply a random theme of your choice. Use any props you
can find in the shop.

5. Debris caught by the floodwaters has swept around the raft.

You’ll need to clear it away to prevent damage.

6. As you are working, you hear a loud noise. A large log has been
swept beneath the raft and put a large hole in the decking. You’ll need
a ❦shipwright to come and fix it for you. You’ll need to do some
DIY to temporarily patch it up, but you can’t travel until it has been
properly fixed.

7. Sort and reply to the mail – fan mail, complaints, suggestions.

What is the funniest letter you receive?

112 Brimming
8. The piping around the roof breaks. On rainy days, water gushes
from the roof and soaks customers as they walk through the door.
You can fix it yourself with a spanner and some pipes; otherwise,
you’ll need to get a ❦plumber to fix it for you. On days with rain,
draw two less customer cards per day until the problem is fixed.

9. Debris floats down the River. You put your net out and try
to clear some from the water. It is mostly leaves and sticks, but
occasionally useful items. What do you manage to find?

10. To celebrate an upcoming holiday, make decorations to hang in

the shop. Customers will get excited and offer to help you.

11. Bookkeeping needs to be performed. This includes calculating

inventory if you haven’t done it recently, going through all your
receipts and looking through the recent numbers. How have you been
faring? Do you need to order a restock?

12. To highlight some interesting books, you decide to make

a display in the shop. What’s the theme? Boating tips, caring for
houseplants, or similar.

13. A leak has sprung in the roof. You’ll need a ❦shipwright to

come and fix it for you. Until then, the dripping of water into the
bucket irritates you. You can’t travel until it’s been fixed.

Brimming 113
 14. You decide to refresh the layout of the shop. This could involve
simply moving a few shelves around or completely moving everything:
the counter, couch, bookshelves and all the rest.

15. Overnight a leak has sprung in the roof, directly above a

bookshelf. Spend the day rearranging the furniture in the shop to
avoid the leak. You’ll need a ❦shipwright to come and fix it for you.
You can’t travel until it’s been fixed.

16. The River’s waters are strong. You’ve never seen the River like
this before, and it’s mesmerising. In between customers, stand on the
deck and watch the waters go by.

17. The second customer of the day says something that occupies
your thoughts and distracts you for the rest of the day.

18. The raft needs some maintenance to keep it sailing smoothly.

If the weather allows, oil the decks, sweep up debris, oil your paddle,
coil up ropes. Otherwise, tidy the counter.

19. If the weather is nice, climb up and check the roof for leaks
and damage. This is the rainy season and a well-maintained roof is
necessary.

20. The couch in the corner and the rugs are getting dampened by
dripping animalfolk. You try to dry the furniture out: in front of the
fireplace if it’s cool, or moving them out onto the deck if it’s nice.

114 Brimming
 End of the Day •

Total Earnings Books sold

Roll d6: Roll d6 and read from the
1. 20 coins table, then roll again and add
2.45 coins the number on the die to that
3. 60 coins amount.
1. 50
4.55 coins 2.40
5. 68 coins 3. 30
6. 37 coins 4.30
5. 60
Restocking 6. 70
In Brimming, it costs 220 coins to
fully restock the shop.

Book orders
* *Calom, the maintenance shop owner in Mersey, wants to order
Fisher Fables from Port Imes. Reward upon delivery: 70 coins
* *Elma, the ‘Honey Darling’ shop owner from Arborea, wants to
order New Leaf from Thistle Down. Reward upon delivery: 55 coins

Brimming 115
Brimming Holidays

Night
Market
Fareo had never seen such magic before. The trinkets
in the merchant’s hands winked at him so irresistibly,
he felt as if he could not live another day unless he
possessed one.

4th day of Brimming

Location: Plenty

F rom the Great Sea and Beyond, merchants

come on strange vessels up the River
bringing their wares to sell at the annual Night
Market. On the giant lily pads that sprout in the
shallow waters around the town of Plenty, tents
and stalls are set up for one night to the excitement
of the Riverfolk. Food is fried in fragrant oils and
served on sticks. Enchanting songs weave through
the air. The evenings are still long from the Burning
sun, so the market often lasts late into the night.

116 Brimming
 To participate:
Wander through the stalls, buy an item or two from a stall and eat
some market food.

Something that happens during

this Night Market:
» » A fortune teller warns you that something shocking will
happen to you in the coming week. What is it? (For fortune
inspiration, see ❦Astrology.)
» » On a table, you see a trinket that reminds you of a fable your
grandparent told you. The object was said to have given you a
wish at the cost of a dream. Do you buy the trinket?
» » You come across some candles that, when lit, have the aroma
of your favourite thing. You buy half a dozen. What is their
scent?

≠ As a token of this holiday, you somehow spend 100 coins;

where and on what, you’re not sure. Deduct 100 coins from your
balance.

Brimming 117
Brimming Holidays

Breakneck
Rapids Race
The adrenaline from the race is amazing, Geya had
been told, but she had never felt more fear than she
did as the waters threw her boat around.

13th day of Brimming

Location: Riverwide

I n the heart of Brimming, the River is a roaring

beast and animalfolk who are brave and daring
race down her in small canoes. The races take place
when the River is the most unpredictable and ruthless,
and it is a dangerous event to take part in. Injuries
sometimes occur, and even terrible accidents!

118 Brimming
The Breakneck Rapids Races are comprised of three
different races:

* *The speed trial, in which the animal who makes

it through the flooded section of the River fastest
wins.
* *The Roost-to-Plenty, in which contestants
start at Roost and must make it to Plenty in the
fastest time. This race is the ultimate one – to
win it is a great honour.
* *The Cobble-Together race, in which
animalfolk, especially the young ones, form
teams and create boats from random materials
and race them in the calmer floodwaters. The
Cobble race is the most fun, and it often ends up
with everyone in the water. Trophies are handed
out to all who participate.

The races are a source of great excitement for the

animalfolk, as they are hugely entertaining to watch.
Bets are often placed and popular contestants have
banners made of them. The races bring in spectators
from nearby towns and the Riverbank is often full
of animalfolk.

Brimming 119
 To participate:
Find a good place along the Riverbank to watch the racers go by,
then participate in the Cobble-Together race. Perhaps some friends
join you in a team or you are invited into one. You’ll have to make
a boat from reeds, bark, cardboard and old inflatables.

Something that happens during this

Breakneck Rapids Race:
» » An unexpected face participates in the speed trial. Who is it?
» » The winners of the Cobble-Together race use something very
silly to stop their boat from sinking. What was it?
» » There’s a shocking twist in the Roost-to-Plenty race. The
animal who wins has a big setback in the beginning but
eventually pulls through to come first place. What happened
to them?

≠ As a token of this holiday, you come home with dripping wet

clothes and a small trophy.

120 Brimming
 ’
‘...Merrin, who visits the bookshop on rainy
days, invited me into her team for the Cobble
races. Her seven kits and I badly made a boat
from string and large pieces of cardboard that
could barely hold its own weight in the water.
Obviously it sunk right away when the smallest
one climbed aboard and so when the race
started, we all jumped into the water and I put
the smallest ones on my shoulders and pretended
to be the boat instead.
I’ll have to clear a spot for the trophy to sit on
my desk.’

Brimming 121
B RINK
T he season of Brink is heralded by cool weather, a relief after
the heat. As the weather begins to cool, nights on the River
become frosty. The trees and bushes turn orange and lose their leaves,
blanketing the water in red. Skim-ice can be found toward the end of
the season, signalling the coming freeze. Salmon make their way up
the River, bringing stories and songs from the Great Sea and Beyond.
Animalfolk who had come to the River for the warmer seasons begin to
pack their bags and head off in search of hotter climates. The ❦weeping
trees drop their teardrop leaves into the water at this time, giving Brink
the nickname, ‘the Weeping Season’.

Brink 123
Brink
1 2 3 4 5
Salmon Run
begins

6 7 8 9 10
Sunset at Gloomin Gloomin Gloomin Gloomin
6pm

11 12 13 14 15
Brink (full)
moon

16 17 18 19 Last
chance for
20
Sunset at restocking Weeping Day
5pm until Bloom
 Ø

Seasonal signs
* *Crunchy leaves blanket the deck and blow into the gutters
* *The mornings are covered by mist and frost
* *Animals begin to wear thick jumpers and scarves
* *The nights are cool enough for a fire
Weeks Travel Status
First week: Reedsong Travel allowed all season.
Second week: Frost
Third week: Fall
Fourth week: Quieting

Something that haunts the River this

season:
» » A giant catfish lurks in the deepest waters.
» » A shadowy spirit comes out after sunset and tricks travellers into
the water.
» » A mysterious voice – singing? Whispering? – can be heard, mostly
after dark. Animalfolk report they hear it up and down the River,
but only for a minute at a time.

Brink 125
 Bookselling • Beginning of the Day

Weather
At the beginning of each day, draw one card; this represents the
weather. Draw another card; this represents the duration of that
weather. If the duration is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the
evening, draw a third card and read the weather from it. That card
represents the weather for the part of the day not covered by the first
card.
Example: The first card says it is frosty, the second card says in the
morning. A third card is drawn, which says blustery – it will be frosty in
the morning, becoming blustery in the afternoon.

The number next to the customer forecast on the weather table (steady,
busy, quiet etc) represents the number of customer cards you draw.

Key
∅ No travel

’
Weather Event
When you draw heavy fog, mark off a circle. When the third circle is
filled, the next day a dense fog blankets the River, forcing travel to stop
and the animalfolk to stay inside until it lifts the next day.

Heavy fog:

126 Brink
 Weather Duration
Cool with light showers. Customer forecast:
A Busy. (6)
All day

2 Frosty. Customer forecast: Busy. (6) In the morning

Blustery. Leaves are tossed around. Customer In the
3 forecast: Busy. (6) afternoon
∅ Strong winds. Windows rattle. Leaves and
4 debris are thrown against the boats. Customer In the morning
forecast: Quiet. (3)
5 Freezing rain. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) All day
Warm. The water is clear. Customer forecast: In the
6 Busy. (6) afternoon
∅ Heavy fog. Objects seem blurry and
7 smudged. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3)
All day

Cold with a light breeze. Customer forecast:

8 Steady. (4)
In the evening

Thunderstorm. Customer forecast: Snail’s pace.

9 (2)
In the morning

∅ Fog. The River is silent and eerie. Customer

10 forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
All day

J Hail. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3) In the evening

Misty. Everything is soft and blurry. Customer In the
Q forecast: Steady. (4) afternoon
Blustery and warm. Customer forecast:
K Extremely busy. (7)
All day

Brink 127
 Daily Tasks • Beginning of the Day

At the start of each day, roll d20 to determine what you need to do
today:

1. Boxes of new stock are sitting unopened, ready to be priced and

put up on shelves. Which new titles are highly praised?

2. The windows are in need of some cleaning. Who or what has

made them dirty?

3. The shelves are in need of some dusting and tidying. Books that
have been moved around by customers need to be returned to the
correct shelves. What is the strangest book you find on the wrong
shelf?

4. Customers enjoy a decorated window front and yours could use

a change. Create a new display; it needs a theme – seasonal, holiday-
related, or simply a random theme of your choice. Use any props you
can find in the shop.

5. The chimney has clogged and you can’t light the fire until it’s
been fixed. Customers complain about the cold, and some even leave.
You’ll need a ❦firesmith to fix it for you. Draw one less customer
card per day until you get it fixed.

6. A customer bumps into the woodpile, sending logs rolling over

the deck. Customers keep getting in your way as you try to tidy them
up.

7. The deck has frosted over and is extremely slippery. You need to
melt the ice before opening the shop, which makes you late to open in
the morning.

128 Brink
8. Overnight, leaves have blown into the gutter and need clearing.
You try to do this in between customers. How successful are you?

9. Leaves blow through the door as customers come in, eventually

covering the shelves and floor. You spend the day sweeping them up.

10. The fireplace needs a bit of maintenance as it will get a lot of use
in the coming season. A customer causes this job to be a lot trickier
than you expected. How do they hinder you?

11. Papers and receipts have made a mess on your desk. As you are
tidying up, a customer makes you spill your tea over some important
papers. What did they do? And what were the important papers?

12. The potted plants that decorate the deck need some care –
watering, trimming or repotting.

13. A leak has sprung in the roof. You’ll need a ❦shipwright to

come and fix it for you. Until then, you can’t travel. The sound of
dripping irritates you all day.

14.You’ve been putting off the bookkeeping but it unfortunately

must be done. Calculate inventory if you haven’t done it for a while,
go through all your receipts and look through the recent numbers.
How have you been faring? Do you need to order a restock?

15. To celebrate an upcoming holiday, make decorations to hang

in the shop. The young ones will offer to help you and provide great
ideas.

16. The weather makes you close up early today. Why?

Brink 129
 17. Some young ones playing on the deck come in and sheepishly
tell you there’s a hole in the decking. You’ll need a ❦shipwright to
come and fix it. You can’t travel until you get it fixed.

18. To highlight some interesting books, you decide to make a

display in the shop. What’s the theme? Books to read by the fire, sad
books, or similar. Customers make comments about the books you
are trying to organise.

19. You wake up with a runny nose – you’ve probably caught a cold
from one of your customers. You can make ❦ginger tea if you have
the ingredients available; otherwise, you blow your nose frequently
throughout the day.

20. The book sections need to be reorganised. Maybe move the

least popular categories around to the front of the shop? Which
categories of books have been the least popular this season?

130 Brink
 End of the Day •

Total Earnings Books sold

Roll d6 at the end of the day: Roll d6 and read from the
1.20 coins table, then roll again and add
2. 45 coins the number on the die to that
3. 60 coins amount.
1. 50
4. 55 coins 2. 40
5. 65 coins 3. 25
6. 62 coins 4. 30
5. 60
Restocking 6. 70
In Brink, it costs 200 coins to
fully restock the shop.

Book orders
* *Meri in Roost wants to order Beekeeping for the Brave from
Arborea. Reward upon delivery: 30 coins
* *Heli, the owner of Sprout’s Grocery in Rueberry, wants to order
Keeping Crickets as Pets from Mersey. Reward upon delivery: 25
coins
* *Peako, the takeaway shop owner in Plenty, wants to order The
Adventures of Rickety Bee: The Gates of Murlo from Mersey. Reward
upon delivery: 35 coins

Brink 131
Brink Holidays

Salmon
Run
For most of a year, the salmon swum the salty, wild
waters of the Great Sea. But come the change of the
season, deep in their bones they felt a change, a need to
find a quiet river, a place to sing their salmon song.

1st day of Brink

Location: Riverwide

T he salmon that can be found in the River

during Brink are huge beasts, as tall as any
adult. They are sacred, mythical creatures that come
from the Great Sea, a faraway world that holds
much intrigue to the Riverfolk. Brink begins as the
salmon start to make their way up the River to their
sacred spot. The River is often referred to as the
salmon-road and during this time, you’ll see them
travelling up-river; large shadows below the water, or
the flash of scales catching the sun. If you’re lucky,
they may come closer to the surface where you can
converse with them.

132 Brink
 Some animalfolk have a tradition that involves
swimming up the length of the River with the
salmon, beginning at the Rivermouth where the
salmon first appear and ending at Thistle Down.
This is a big undertaking that takes all season and
that only the strongest swimmers can accomplish.

Those wanting to take part without swimming

the whole River can join when the salmon and
swimmers come past their towns. It is a humbling
thing to swim alongside the massive salmon on their
journey; to share travels with them is a wondrous
privilege.

To participate:
If you are able, join the swim when the swimmers reach the
town in which you’re staying. The swimmers pass each town
on the following dates: Port Imes: 1st; Plenty: 3rd; Arborea: 7th;
Ennerck: 8th; Kiawake: 9th; Mersey: 10th; Hurst: 13th; Roost: 15th;
Rueberry: 19th; Thistle Down: 20th.

Ø As a token from this Salmon Run, you find a giant scale floating on
the surface of the water. It is the size of a dinner plate.

Brink 133
Brink Holidays

Gloomin
By dark, the winged creatures have unfurled
themselves from their cages and taken to the air;
ravenous, wanting.

7th–10th days of Brink

Location: Riverwide

F or four nights during Brink, when the sun

sets, giant moths hatch from their
cocoons and swarm in the cool night air.
The moths are big enough to carry off any
animal and are drawn to any light source,
from the tiniest candle flame to a ship’s
lantern. During these nights, animalfolk
shut themselves in and extinguish any
lights. Shops shut early and towns are
empty before the sun sets. These are tense
times, and animalfolk are withdrawn and
scared during these days; however, they
find comfort in each other, with animalfolk
opening their homes to those who live
alone.

134 Brink
 During the nights of Gloomin, those who listen can
hear the scrabbling of claws against windows, the
rasp of wings and the tap of bodies against walls.

To participate:
Close your shop early or head home before the sun sets. Make sure
all your lights are hidden and your curtains are drawn. If someone
invites you into their home, you can spend the nights there or you
can welcome animalfolk into your own if it is safe enough.

Something that happens during

this Gloomin:
1. On the second night of Gloomin, after locking your door and
closing the curtains, you hear a knock on your door. Do you open
it? Who is it?
2. You invent a game using a broom and a basket. What is the
game?
3. Being stuck in the bookshop, you decide to sort through your
belongings and do some cleaning. You find some trinkets from past
holidays. Which one brings back fond memories?

Ø As a token of these dark nights, you gain a fear of giant moths.

Brink 135
Brink Holidays

Weeping
Day
With a great sigh, as the last leaf fell, the spirit
let go of its place in this world where it lived with
breath in its lungs and a beat in its heart.

20th day of Brink

Location: Riverwide

W hen the ❦weeping trees drop their last

leaves into the River, the animalfolk
remember their dead. It’s believed that the spirits
of the dead live in the weeping trees for a year after
passing, and when the leaves drop, they have moved
on from this realm. Candles are lit underneath
the trees while the families sit underneath their
branches, holding vigil while the last leaves fall.
Townsfolk join those waiting beneath the trees to
comfort and support them. Towns are decorated
with strings of the weeping leaves.

136 Brink
 To participate:
Join the gathered townsfolk beneath the weeping trees and watch
the leaves fall. Say a final goodbye to those who have passed
during the last year. If you know someone who has died, you can
remember them here. If not, you can support those who have lost.

Something that happens this

Weeping Day:
1. As the townsfolk sit beneath the trees, a ghostly figure is seen
walking behind the gathering. Does it bear any familiarity?
2. While sitting with the townsfolk, you find out a regular
bookshop customer died earlier that month. They loved books, so
you decide to place their favourite book at the base of the weeping
tree. What book is it?
3. You listen to the townsfolk tell stories of the dead. One story
is about a disastrous adventure in which a group of friends tried
to paddle into the Great Sea. As you listen, you realise the story
involves a relative of yours you didn’t realise had a connection with
the River. Who is the family member and what connection did
they have to those who died on the expedition?

Ø As a token of this holiday, you are handed a carved wooden

token of a salmon made by an animal to remember their friend.

Brink 137
B RISK
T he River slips into a quiet sleep as it heads into Brisk. The
rhythms of the growers, makers, and workers slow as they rest
for the year. The air freezes and a heavy blanket of snow soon covers the
trees. Ice forms over the River and all waterway travel is stopped. The
surrounding land is turned white and smooth, and sounds are quietened
in the chilly air. Animalfolk take the time to rest and make preparations
for the coming year.

Brisk 139
Brisk
1 2 3∅ 4∅ 5∅
River freezes
solid

6∅ 7∅ 8∅ 9∅ 10 ∅
Sunset at Make a Brisk
❦Starfall
12pm lantern for Solstice
the solstice
11 ∅ 12 ∅ 13 ∅ 14 ∅ 15 ∅
 Brisk
(full) moon

16 ∅ 17 ∅ 18 ∅ 19 ∅ 20 ∅
Sunset at Ice Dance
3pm Festival
 1

Seasonal signs
* *Everything becomes white and cold
* *The River undergoes a most dramatic change
* *Your breath mists in the air
* *Sounds are muffled in the snow

Weeks Travel Status

First week: Chill The bookshop can’t be moved
Second week: Hush after the 9th. Make your way to a
Third week: Blanket town where you can spend Brisk
Fourth week: Awaken at as River travel doesn’t resume
until Bloom. Despite the ice, you
can put a backpack on and skate
up the riverpath. To travel on the
frozen River, you need a pair of
ice skates and a bulrush jacket.

Something that warms the River

this season:
» » Lanterns hang from trees on the Riverbank.
» » The animalfolk share stories of faraway lands and good company.
» » Anticipation for a new year fills the hearts of the Riverfolk.

Brisk 141
 Bookselling • Beginning of the Day

Weather
At the beginning of each day, draw one card; this represents the weather.
Draw another card; this represents the duration of that weather. If the
duration is in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening, draw
a third card and read the weather from it. That card represents the
weather for the part of the day not covered by the first card.

The number next to the customer forecast on the weather table (steady,
busy, quiet etc) represents the number of customer cards you draw.

Key
∅ No travel

’
Weather event
When you draw a snowstorm, fill in a circle. When the third circle is
filled, the next day a massive snowstorm forces everyone inside for the
entire day.

Snowstorms:

142 Brisk
 Weather Duration
∅ Snowstorm. The wind howls against the
A windows. Customer forecast: Dead. (0)
All day

2 Cold but clear. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) In the morning

Cold and cloudy, light breeze. Customer
3 forecast: Snail’s pace. (2)
In the evening

Cold and sunny. Everything glistens.

4 Customer forecast: Steady. (4)
In the afternoon

Snow. Everything is quiet. Customer forecast:

5 Quiet. (3)
All day

6 Light snowfall. Customer forecast: Steady. (4) All day

Cool and sunny. Customer forecast: Steady.
7 (4)
In the evening

∅ Heavy snow, no visibility. Customer

8 forecast: Dead. (0)
All day

Thick snow. Customer forecast: Snail’s pace.

9 (2)
In the morning

∅ Sleet and strong winds. No visibility.

10 Customer forecast: Dead. (0)
At night

Bitterly cold. Icicles hang from the trees and

J bushes. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3)
In the afternoon

Q Sleet. Customer forecast: Quiet. (3) In the evening

Cold and windy. Customer forecast: Snail’s
K pace. (2)
All day

Brisk 143
 Daily Tasks • Beginning of the Day

At the start of each day, roll d20 to determine what you need to do
today:

1. You decide to spend the day reading one book that has interested
you or has been recommended by a customer. What book is it and
what is its genre? After you read the book, you write a review to stick
on the bookshelf. Did you enjoy the book?

2. The windows are in need of some cleaning. Who or what has

made them dirty?

3. The shelves are in need of some dusting and tidying. Books that
have been moved around by customers need to be returned to the
correct shelves. Where is the most misplaced book?

4. To occupy yourself during these quieter weeks, you decide to

redecorate the front window with a theme – seasonal, holiday-related,
or simply a random theme of your choice.

5. The door handle to the shop freezes shut. Customers can’t get
through the door, so you need to defrost it or find another way to get
books to customers today.

6. You discover the chimney has become clogged as you try to light
the fire in the morning. Customers complain about the cold and leave.
You’ll need a ❦firesmith to fix it for you. Draw one less customer
card per day until then.

7. Thick snow has covered the deck overnight. The first customer
offers to help you shovel the snow away. Do you accept their
assistance?

144 Brisk
8. The gutters start to leak under the weight of the snow. Giant
icicles form from the dripping water and threaten to skewer
customers as they walk in through the door. You can fix it yourself
with a spanner and some pipes; otherwise you’ll need to get a
❦plumber. Until it’s fixed, snap off the icicles each morning to avoid
casualties.

9. Today, instead of doing a task, you sit and enjoy the atmosphere
with a cup of tea.

10. A snowball is thrown at the window during a boisterous game,

breaking the glass. Customers complain about the cold and leave.
You’ll need a ❦glassmith to fix it for you. Draw one less customer
card per day until then.

11. You can’t manage to light the oil lamps in the shop, so for a day
the shop is dark. The customers grumble but everyone gets by. Light
some candles if you have some.

12. The cold weather makes the till stop working for a day. If you
have gear oil, you can fix it right away. Draw one less customer card
if you can't fix it. Annoyingly, it starts working perfectly again the
next morning.

13. The weather causes you to close up shop early. Why?

14.The mail has stacked up into a big, teetering pile. Sort and reply
to the mail today – fan mail, complaints, suggestions. Which are the
best and the worst letter you receive?

Brisk 145
 15. Snow brought in by customers has melted on the floor and
soaked the rugs. You’ll need to find a way to dry them out inside if
the weather outside is bad.

16. The woodpile has become a bit disorganised and covered in

snow. It will need restacking and drying out. A customer or a friend
comes around and offers to help you.

17. ❦Dusters (small, furry, round creatures) have come in from

the cold to nest in the shop. They scurry away from you and knock
things over. Try to tempt them out using food or find a way to trap
them and remove them.

18. You spill the last of your lantern oil trying to light the lanterns
in the morning. The shop is dark until you buy some more. The
customers squint at book titles and ask for your help. Draw one less
customer card until fixed.

19. To highlight some interesting books, you decide to make a

display in the shop. Choose a theme for the display: tips for home
renovations, creative ways to liven up birthdays, or similar.

20. You decide to refresh the layout of the shop ready for the
new year. This could involve simply moving a few shelves around or
completely moving everything: the counter, couch, bookshelves and
all the rest.

146 Brisk
 End of the Day •

Total Earnings Books sold

Roll d6 at the end of the day: Roll d6 and read from the
1. 20 table, then roll again and add
2. 10 the number on the die to that
3. 16 amount.
1. 50
4. 27 2. 40
5. 30 3. 35
6. 25 4. 30
Restocking 5. 60
6. 70
Not available during Brisk.

Book orders
* *Art (one of the Warblers) in Plenty wants to order The River-
Wader’s Handbook (Updated and revised) from Hurst. Reward upon
delivery: 65 coins
* *Nim, who runs Stream Supplies in Kiawake, wants to order
Beyonders: The History of the Beyond told by Twelve Travellers from Port
Imes. Reward upon delivery: 73 coins
* *Kurto from Ennerck wants to order River Bends from Plenty.
Reward upon delivery: 40 coins
* *Eunice from Hurst wants to order The View From Up Here from
Kiawake. Reward upon delivery: 68 coins

Brisk 147
Brisk Holidays

Brisk
Solstice (Darkfall)
Tonight the night sky needs the animalfolk to make
their own starlight

10th day of Brisk

Location: Riverwide

T o celebrate the longest night, animalfolk gather

to light up the dark. Animalfolk spend the nights
before the solstice making their own lanterns. Then, the
festivities begin with a lantern parade around town or along
the Riverbank. The parade ends at a large bonfire. Hot, hearty
soups and apple tarts with sugared pastry are served around
the fire.

This holiday is about shedding bad habits, thoughts, feelings

and memories from the past year to make space for new
things in the coming year. Animalfolk throw pinecones into
the fire with a thing they want to shed, leave behind.
The fire roars into the early morning, with those who are still
awake gathering around the coals to roast nuts, bread and
sugared berries.

148 Brisk
 To participate:
Make your own lantern to bring on the parade (see ❦Lantern-
making). Be creative! You can make it out of paper, a tin can,
a hollow reed. Join in the parade. Enjoy soup and warm tarts.
Choose a memory, thought or feeling that no longer serves you
and throw a pinecone with it into the fire.

Something that happens during

this solstice:
1. In the skies above, coloured lights dance. The lights weave a
special pattern in the skies. There is something magical about the
way they move. What do they remind you of?
2. The most amazing lantern at the solstice this year is a golden
fish that opens its mouth to shine light. It swims about the parade,
shimmering and shining. What are your favourite lanterns from
this solstice?
3. A magician joining in the celebrations offers to enchant
everyone’s snow creations. Animalfolk have made snow figures of
friends, butterflies and tugballs. When enchanted, the snow figures
join in the dance, the butterflies flutter through the air and the
tugball spins through the air. What snow creation do you make?

0 As a token of your participation, you feel lighter, freer and

with more optimism for the future.

Brisk 149
Brisk Holidays

Ice Dance
Festival
As the icy days wear on, the animalfolk gather to
bring song and cheer into the chilled air

17th day of Brisk

Location: Riverwide

W hen the River freezes solid, it is a new place

to explore. The young ones put on skates
and grab sleds to race down the ice. Musicians pull
out their instruments and play music for the skaters to
dance to. Animalfolk spin on the ice with partners or
alone, joining in traditional dances upon the River ice.
Those who take a break to rest
their paws make snowanimals,
rolling balls of snow to
make heads and placing
twigs for arms. Flickering
candles line the edge of the ice,
creating shimming reflections on
the surface. As always, a feast is laid
out for all to warm their paws
and fill their belly.

150 Brisk
 To participate:
Find someone to dance with, or dance alone, or simply enjoy the
music. Grab a warm drink and a plate.

Something that happens during

this Ice Dance:
1. You are invited to go sledding, but don’t have a sled of your
own. You improvise and pick something from your shop to use.
What is it?
2. One of the traditional dances tells a story of how the River
fell in love with the mountain gods. Does the story end happily or
tragically?
3. The musicians ask you for a song request. You decide to
request a song you’ve heard on the River this year: maybe the
skyflower song, a song from the Reed festival, the Night Market,
a River song sung by fisherfolk, or something else. What song do
you request?

0 As a token of this holiday, you have a song from the dance stuck in
your head the next day.

Brisk 151
 TOWNS

152 Towns
A long the River, there are three regions which divide
the towns. In the upper course, the land undulates
in hills and gullies. Mountains can be seen in the distance
and thick, lush forest covers the land. In the middle course,
the land around the River is flat and open; small plants and
medium-sized trees grow here. During heavy rains or the
Brimming season, the River swells and the land is covered
in water. In the lower course, clusters of reeds and lily pads
are more common in this stretch of the River. The land is a
mixture of open land and thick forest.

Upper course:
* *Thistle Down
* *Rueberry
* *Roost
* *Hurst
Middle course (floodplains):
* *Mersey
* *Kiawake
Lower course:
* *Ennerck
* *Arborea
* *Plenty
Port Imes
**

Towns 153
 x

154 Towns
 Distances
Thistle Down–Rueberry: 1 day
Rueberry–Roost: 2 days
Roost–Hurst: 2 days
Hurst–Mersey: 3 days
Mersey–Kiawake: 2 days
Kiawake–Ennerck: 2 days
Ennerck–Arborea: 1 day
Arborea–Plenty: 3 days
Plenty–Port Imes: 2 days

’
If you are travelling upstream, add one day to
the travelling times.

Towns 155
Thistle
Down
K nown for the academics and inventors
that live and study in the town, Thistle
Down is a bustling place. Above the cobblestone
paths, colourful flags fly from buildings and lively
conversations can be heard through open doors.
Thistle Down’s early scholars carved symbols
into the buildings, the meanings of which are
widely debated to this day.

Location: Upper course

Notable locations: the Thistle Down School, the

Ancient Library of Wonderment and Wisdom, the
Lavish Theatre

156 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
Being higher up than the other During the solstices (page 104
River towns, Thistle Down often and page 148), the townsfolk
receives early snowfalls in mid- bring out two large, old statues.
late Brink. On frosty mornings The faces are long faded and
a light snowfall will cover the quite hideous. Their significance
ground. has slipped from the memories of
those living. The adults question
the necessity of the statues and
the young ones squeal with fear
when they see them; however, it
is part of tradition and while they
are detested by the townsfolk,
it wouldn’t feel like the solstice
without them.

Towns 157
Townsfolk Von
Turtle, they/them
Mia
An unhappy fellow, Von walks
Weasel, she/her
around with a perpetually
Mia lives amidst the bulrush on
gloomy look upon their face.
the edge of town. She is one of
They ignore any positive thing
the gatherers of the bulrushes in
that happens to them and instead
and works with the fluff to create
focus on the bad things, moaning
blankets, jackets, pillows. A jacket
about items that break after a
made by her will always keep you
single use, woeful weather and
warm. She often has pieces of
sickness. They will add miserable
fluff stuck to her.
comments to conversations,
saying things like, ‘it’s unlikely to
happen,’ or ‘we shouldn’t wait for
Special books better weather, it is unlikely to
stop raining.’
* *New Leaf: Starting Afresh –
34 coins

‘A mistranslation of some symbols led to

treasure hunters digging up much of the
garden surrounding the theatre, leading to a
unplanned redesign.’

— The History of the Theatre

158 Towns
Thistle Rushdown
Down Clothing
Bulrush jacket – 120 coins
Shops (Available in Brink & Brisk).
A puffy jacket filled with
bulrush fluff. Keeps one
Appleford’s Food extremely warm. Allows you
Store to travel on the river in Brisk.

Cream – 20 coins
Cheese – 15 coins
Bag of potatoes – 8 coins Thistle Down
Bag of carrots – 4 coins
Ginger – 19 coins
Post Office
Send postcards to family,
Chestnuts – 15 coins. One
send orders to customers or
bag, ready to be cracked
receive parcels.
* *Snail mail (10–20 days) – 5
coins (Not available in
The Bake House Brisk or Brimming)

Chestnut sweet buns – 3 * *Owl mail (4–6 days) – 10

coins (12 coins during
coins. Pack of two.
Brisk)
Caramel sweet buns – 3
coins. Pack of two. * *Express boat (1–3 days) –
15 coins (Not available in
Honey slice – 7 coins. Made
Brimming or Brisk)
with honey from Arborea.
When sending a letter, you
Curry pie – 10 coins
will receive a reply. See
❦Receiving parcels &
letters.

Towns 159
Rueberry
G rown from the rich soils that surround it,
Rueberry was built by those who moved
from the Great Seas to farm the abundant land.
Giant wildflowers grow between the buildings and
tower over the heads of the animalfolk, casting
welcome shade in the heat of Burn. Vast growing
fields stretch far behind the town.

During the harvest seasons of Burn and Brink,

the town fills to the brim with animalfolk before
emptying in the cooler seasons when the growing
fields sleep. Those who stay in the town yearlong
live in whimsical, handcrafted houses, each as
different as the family that lives within. Rueberry’s
orchards are popular attractions. When the farm
work is done, canoe ball is played extensively in the
River.

Location:
Upper course

Notable locations: Dreaming Frog Tavern, the

Floating Fields, Kern’s Fortunes and Misfortunes

160 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During Bloom and Burn, giant During the Harvest Feast (pg.
wildflowers grow over the town, 100), the young ones take some
painting it in colour and casting of the petals from the giant
most of it in shade. Those with wildflowers and paddle them
pollen allergies are advised to around the River like boats,
wear face coverings. creating spots of colour.

During Burn and Brink, the During Burn, a special harvest

harvest is in full swing. The town holiday is held. To participate, see
is full of new faces who have ❦Helping with the Harvest (pg.
come to help with the harvest 219).
and the air is loud with many
voices. The wharf is in constant
motion as cargo boats take
produce and drop off workers.
Carts full of vegetables and
barrels full of apples line the
streets as animalfolk sort them
for storage and preservation. The
young ones run around clutching
sticky fruit in between their
paws, ignoring the grown-ups.

Towns 161
Townsfolk Heli
Sugar glider, she/her
Manuka
Heli owns Sprout’s Grocery.
Wallaby, she/her
Sprout was a relative of Heli’s
Manuka spends her days sitting
and she inherited the business
on a worn wooden bench in
when Sprout disappeared under
town. She sits on the same seat,
mysterious circumstances. Heli
rain or shine, and has become a
teaches dancing classes on the
fixture of the town. She comes
fifth day of every week and likes
out of her house at 9am every
taking care of small creatures.
day and goes back inside at 4pm.
She dreams one day of opening a
Townsfolk will bring her food
dance school.
and gifts and join her on their
breaks.

Special books
* *Love & Lemon Myrtle – 30
coins

‘In early Bloom, lilting music can be

heard across the fields as the farmers
play music to the growing seeds.’

— History of Rueberry

162 Towns
Rueberry Rueberry Post
Shops Office
Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
Sprout’s Grocery receive parcels.

* *Beetroot – 10 coins * *Snail mail (10–20 days) – 3

coins (Not available in
* *Parsnips – 10 coins Brisk)
* *Cheese – 45 coins
* *Wildflower cordial – 33 * *Owl mail (4–6 days) – 6
coins coins (8 coins during
Brisk)
* *Bag of apples – 17 coins. When sending a letter, you
Merry variety.
will receive a reply. See
* *Lemon myrtle leaves – 20 ❦Receiving parcels &
coins
Globe lettuce – 5 coins letters.
**

Moss & Thicket Jammin’

* *Mystery seed – 20 coins. * *Blueberry jam – 40 coins.
Plant one in a pot and in * *Apple jam – 35 coins.
20 days, it will grow into * *Orange & wattle
a flower. Three colours: marmalade – 30 coins.
purple, white (glows in the
dark) or orange.
Plant pot – 40 coins
**

Towns 163
Roost
A wandering town, Roost lives on the
Riverbank during Bloom, Burn and
Brink. Where it goes seems to be a secret that
only townsfolk know. The town is made up of a
collection of tents of all shapes and sizes that change
every time the town reappears. Only a small number
of animalfolk are permanent residents of the town.

Each night a communal fire is lit at mothlight and

any passing animalfolk are welcome to join, cook
over the fire or simply warm their paws. In the
evenings, stories and songs are shared. As the town
travels so frequently, the townsfolk often bring back
news from Beyond and the Great Sea that other
Riverfolk have yet to hear. Each time the town
returns, many animalfolk gather to welcome the
townsfolk back and catch up on news. The earthy
scent of the communal campfire wafts downriver
and is a sign for many that Roost has returned.

Location: Upper course

Notable locations: Ki’s Haunted Tent, Flower’s

Sandwiches, the Tent of Living Stories, the Box with
Teeth

164 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
This town can be visited during During Weeping Day (pg. 136),
the seasons of Bloom, Burn and the townsfolk carve the names
Brink. During Brimming and of the dead and hang them in the
Brisk, the area where the tents ❦weeping trees. The trees in and
would be pitched lies empty. around Roost are covered with
hanging tokens that tap against
The first few days of Bloom and each other in the breeze during
Brink are the busiest for the this time.
town and its wharf as animalfolk
catch up with friends and gossip.

‘For a wandering soul such as Melo,

Roost was the only home they ever
came to love.’

— Tales of Roost

Towns 165
Townsfolk Calico
Possum, she/her
Meri
A lost soul trying to find her
Heron, they/them
way, Calico has been travelling
A mystical animal, Meri speaks
with Roost for a few years. She
in a soft voice. They carry
was born deaf and communicates
around tarot cards and enchanted
with sign language and by
animalfolk often ask them to
writing notes. She is unsure of
read their cards. Meri is widely
her future and what her calling is.
travelled and a popular choice for
In the meantime, Calico creates
story nights.
wonderful little glass companions

Special books that keep the wearer safe.

* *The Breeze in the Brambles –

20 coins

166 Towns
Roost The Food Tent
Shops * *Ginger – 30 coins
* *Chilli berries – 20 coins.
Pack of three.
Adventuring Gear * *Calming tea blend – 40
coins. When consumed, the
* *Ice skates – 150 coins. drinker feels calmer and
Allows you to travel on the things aren’t so bad.
River during Brisk.
* *Focus tea blend – 40
* *Candles – 10 coins. Pack coins. When consumed,
of three. this helps the drinker do
tasks they would rather
not.
Cari's Charms * *Broth – 20 coins
* *Hearty stock – 35 coins.
* *Keep Busy charm – 120 A fragrant stock made
coins. Grants you an extra from fresh vegetables and
+1 customer card. Single ground spices.
use only.
* *Keep Well charm – 140
coins. Removes the effect
of a daily task that causes
an inconvenience. Single
use only.

Towns 167
Hurst
O riginally built by small animalfolk, Hurst
is a squat, friendly town. Large animalfolk
often bump their heads on doorways and slouch inside
buildings. To make up for this, the town has many open
and spacious areas for gathering. The many chairs and
benches in these spaces are often filled with animalfolk
resting their paws or snacking on treats from the many
food stalls that visit. Hurst is home to some of the
best swimming spots on the River and young ones are
often brought there to be taught how to swim. Strange
symbols and words are carved on many of the rocks
on the Riverbed, and finding such stones makes for an
excellent diving trip.

Location: Upper course

Notable locations: the Bathing Ponds, Chestnut Bakery,

the Stained Walkway, Checker Square.

168 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During Burn, the waters around A popular swimming race is
the wharf are filled with young held during Burn Solstice (pg.
ones learning to swim. 104). During this time, flags and
markers sit in the water around
Hurst. Animalfolk wear floaties,
swimming caps and striped
swimsuits.

‘The Stained Walkway, while a rather

alarming name, is named from the wattle
syrup disaster of the Harvest Feast ten years
ago.’

— Visiting Hurst

Towns 169
Townsfolk Special books
Eunice
* *Slugs, Snails and other Slimy
Hedgehog, they/them. Wears a tales – 50 coins
monocle.
* *The River-Wader’s Handbook
Eunice works in the post office (Updated and revised) – 43
and is perpetually busy. They coins
know all the ups and downs of
River travel, as they need to know
how fast mail can move to its
destinations.

170 Towns
Hurst Maintenance
Shops Shop
* *Gear oil – 45 coins. Keeps
gears turning smoothly.
Hurst Post Office * *Washer - 12 coins. Helpful
in leaky situations.
Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
receive parcels.
* *Snail mail (10–20 days) – 2 The Corner Shop
coins (Not available in
Brisk or Brimming) * *Fire lettuce – 5 coins. A
red leafy lettuce excellent
* *Owl mail (4–6 days) – 4 for salads.
coins (7 coins during
Brisk) * *Spiced acorn cider – 5
coins. Warm and nutty.
* *When sending a letter, you * *Smoking drink – 2 coins.
will receive a reply. See Warms your paws and
❦Receiving parcels & causes smoke to come out
letters. of your nose.
* *Chestnuts – 22 coins. One
bag. Ready to be roasted!

Towns 171
Mersey
M ersey is a floating town, made up of
a collection of buildings on ❦reed
platforms connected by wooden planks. To get
around, the townsfolk hop across to each platform
with long sticks or use small paddleboards. Lines
of washing flap in the breeze and plants grow along
the verandahs. The buildings in Mersey are mostly
squat, delicate structures with round windows.

Location: Middle course (the floodplains)

Notable locations: the Lightsmith Workshop, the

Afternoon Tea House, the Washway Laundry.

172 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
Because the town floats, it is During the Brisk Solstice (pg.
largely unaffected by flooding 148), townsfolk dress up like
during Brimming; however, in the ghost, Torrena. It’s common
strong flood years, the whole to see animalfolk wearing antlers
town moves to calmer waters. and capes.

During Brisk, a wandering ghost

appears in and around the town
after mothlight. She bears antlers
draped in ghostly flowers and
wears a long flowing cape. This
apparition stands on the ice or
next to doorways and glows
softly. She is said to be Torrena;
either once a River spirit, a
drowned daughter, or a secret
princess.

Towns 173
Townsfolk Special Books:
Pino
* *The Adventures of Rickety Bee:
Harvest mouse, she/her. Wears a The Gates of Murlo – 18 coins
vest regardless of the weather.
* *Keeping Crickets as Pets – 22
Pino runs the grocery shop with coins
her wife, Geri, and always seems
out of sorts and slightly flustered.
Geri keeps the shop tidy.

‘Those who are unused to the sway of the

River must be aware of the dangers of
falling in as they hop about the platforms.
Bring an extra change of clothing when
visiting.’

— Mersey: The Floating Town

174 Towns
Mersey
Shops
Mersey Post Mersey General
office Supplies
Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
* *Eucalyptus incense – 20
coins. For clearing runny
receive parcels. eyes and noses.
* *Snail mail (13–25 days)
– 6 coins (Not available
* *BugOff Spray – 30 coins.
For Nook beetle treatment.
during Brisk or Brimming)
* *Pipes – 60 coins
* *Owl mail (7–8 days) – 10
coins (12 coins during
* *Candles – 11 coins. Pack of
five, wattle scented.
Brisk)
When sending a letter, you
will receive a reply. See
❦Receiving parcels &
O. Kay’s Grocery
letters. * *Wheat flour – 5 coins
* *Jar of pickles – 8 coins
* *Cream – 10 coins
* *Wattle cordial – 19 coins.
Gilli’s Fish shop A golden yellow colour.

* *Fresh fish fillet (seasonal) * *Bag of apples – 12 coins.

– 25 coins Pink Salmon variety.

Towns 175
Kiawake
Built on the Riverbank, this town sits on ❦reed
poles high above the water. One must climb a set
of stairs to reach the houses and shops atop the
poles. Kites tied to railings and the tops of houses
spin in the breeze. Woven curtains and tapestries
cover the doorways of homes and shops.
From high up at the houses and shops, you get
a marvellous view of the River and the land she
is a part of. This vantage point gives townsfolk
an excellent view of any visitors paddling up the
River.

Location: Middle course (the floodplains)

Notable locations: Traveller’s Roost Tavern,

Kirk’s Flying Devices, the Starfilled Observatory.

176 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During Brimming, the waters During the Brisk Solstice, the
rise up the poles to sit just below townsfolk make floating lanterns
the lowest platform, leaving the that catch the air and float above
town unaffected by the floods. the lantern parade. They are
Instead of climbing the stairs to a specialty of Kiawake and a
enter the town, you simply moor marvel of the town’s makers.
your raft next to the buildings
and walk into the town.

‘Excited young ones stand on their tippy toes

on the highest platforms to watch for the first
supply boats of the year when the ice thaws;
the promise of new paints and toys....’

— Kiawake: Things to do

Towns 177
Townsfolk Gason
Owl, he/him
Carr
A very busy fellow, Gason is a
Frilled neck lizard, they/them
postowl. He knows everything
Carr runs the takeaway shop
about the residents of the town
in town. They come across as
and is usually the first to greet
grumpy and grumbly on the best
a newcomer. If you need to
of days but are known to give
ask someone for directions or
returning customers extra chips.
shortcuts through town, Gason
is your owl. On his days off,
Special books he referees tugball games. His
daughter, Jem, runs the post
* *The View from up Here, by T. office in Rueberry.
Leaf – 48 coins

178 Towns
Kiawake Flippers
Shops Takeaway
* *Fish and chips – 12 coins
* *Fish cakes – 10 coins.
Kiawake Three cakes with a spicy,
creamy sauce.
Post office
Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or Stream Supplies
receive parcels. * *Gear oil – 50 coins
* *Snail mail (8–19 days) – 5 * *Pipes – 40 coins
coins (Not available in
Brisk or Brimming)
* *Owl mail (3–6 days) – 9
coins (11 coins during
Brisk)
Grocery Shop
When sending a letter, you * *Reed flour – 4 coins
will receive a reply. See * *Reed bread – 13 coins.
❦Receiving parcels & Has a lovely, nutty flavour
Rice – 8 coins. One bag.
letters. **

Towns 179
Ennerck
T he buildings of Ennerck are made from
the rich mahogany wood that grows in
the forests in this particular area of the River.
Thick crops of ❦reeds grow on the Riverbank
and cloak the town with their earthy scent.
In good growing seasons, the reeds grow as
high as the trees in the forest. These reeds are
harvested by ❦reeders in the town and made
into beautifully woven baskets, reed flutes, and
building materials. Ennerck is the main processor
of reeds on the River and you’ll find reed
structures around the town and beautiful carved
decorations on the houses.

Location: Lower course

Notable locations: the Singing Square,

Merwin’s Magical Cloaks and Other Disguises,
Kinderwood Forest.

180 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During Burn, reed harvests During Gloomin, the townsfolk
are in full swing. Animalfolk put up reed barriers over
stand paw-deep in water or on windows and doorways.
rafts gathering reeds from the
River. On the bank, groups of
animalfolk sort the harvested
reeds and begin weaving. The
sounds of knives against reed
stalks is a constant during Burn.

‘When the giant reeds grow in the Burn season,

they are granted honorary townsfolk status.
The young ones name each one and paint
swathes of colour around the stems.’

— Reed Stories

Towns 181
Townsfolk Tella
Otter, she/them
Kurto
A River courier, Tella isn’t seen
Beaver, he/him
much around town. However
Surly and unpleasant, they are
in the warmer seasons, they
snappy and grumpy to others.
are a common face on the
Townsfolk whisper that a lover
River, steering their boat with
broke Kurto’s heart years ago
passengers and goods aboard.
when he had to move away from
Despite their job on the water,
the River. The lover was supposed
they like to complain about the
to come live in the River with
weather, often grumbling under
Kurto, but instead left without
their breath.
a word. Now, Kurto works on
boats and builds wonderful
cricket houses.

Special books
* *Reedy to Cook: 100 Fragrant
Recipes for Cooking with
Reeds – 53 coins

182 Towns
Ennerck Ennerck Post
Shops office
Send letters to family, send
orders to customers or receive
Reed Emporium parcels.
* *Eucalyptus incense – 20 * *Snail mail (13–25 days) – 6
coins (Not available during
coins. Packet of 10 sticks.
* *BugOff Spray – 55 coins. A Brisk or Brimming)
blend of oils that get rid of * *Owl mail (7–8 days) – 10
nook beetles. Can be used as coins (12 coins during
prevention and treatment. Brisk)
* *Basket – 100 coins. A tightly * *Express boat (1–4 days) – 12
coins. (Not available during
woven handmade basket
that can carry anything. Brisk or Brimming)
* *Reed Flower tea – 15 coins. When sending a letter, you will
receive a reply. See ❦Receiving
Pack of 10 tea bags.
parcels & letters.

Riverst Grocery
* *Stock – 40 coins. A hearty Skipper Pye’s
liquid made from vegetables
and spices. * *Lantern oil – 70 coins.
Burns clean and bright.
* *Reed flowers –10 coins. * *Spanner – 130 coins.
Adds a lovely, cinnamon-like Useful in all maintenance
flavour to dishes. situations.
* *Rice – 7 coins. One bag. * *Reed raft reinforcements
* *Reed flour – 7 coins – 250 coins. Allows
* *Bag of apples – 15 coins. downstream travel during
Red Waltz variety. Brimming.

Towns 183
Arborea
A n old, giant tree, severely damaged in a
violent Brimming storm, stands hollow
on a meander in the River. Inside can be found a
sprawling town. Buildings sit in tiers along the walls
and cover the floor of the tree. Sunlight streams
through the gap at the top of the trunk and sends
dappled light over the town. Protected by the thick
bark, this town is always warmer than it is outside,
making it a cosy refuge during Brisk.
Surrounding Arborea is a lush forest of wattle,
bottlebrush and myrtle. The Beefolk that make
up a large part of the town’s population make
delicious honey and sweet nectars that are renowned
Riverwide.

Location: Lower course

Notable locations: Treebark Library, the River

Brew House, Jedda’s Charms: For Healing and
Protection.

184 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During the nights, particularly The townsfolk of Arborea love
the long nights of Brisk, Arborea decorations, and the town is
is lit up inside with lanterns and extravagantly colourful and
candles that cause a warm glow dressed up during holidays.
to spill out of the tree trunk.

During Bloom and Burn,

Arborea is surrounded by yellow,
red and white flowers from the
wattle, bottlebrush and myrtle
trees.

During Bloom, Burn and Brink,

a local market is held on the
fifth day of each week (the 5th,
10th, 15th & 20th of the season).
Makers from surrounding
towns put up a stall to sell their
handmade goods. Animalfolk
carry sweet cakes in their paws,
clutch large paper bags and are
often excited and bright. Draw
+2 customer cards when selling
in Arborea on the 5th, 10th,
15th or 20th of Bloom, Burn or
Brink.

Towns 185
Townsfolk Lark
Stoat, they/them
Tam
A lantern-bearer, they know the
He/them, bear. Missing one eye.
ways and the secrets of the River.
A large fellow, Tam cuts an
They wear a long black cloak
intimidating figure but is kind
and when seen after mothlight,
and treats all with respect. He
they cast a sinister shadow. They
helps the beefolk harvest honey.
have startled many travellers and
When asked about his eye (how
townsfolk by suddenly appearing
rude, by the way), he is always
out of the darkened trees. They,
vague and changes the story each
as far as the Riverfolk know, have
time.
never spoken a word.

Special books
* *Beekeeping for the Brave – 35
coins
* *Raven: The Stories of a Hero
– 42 coins

‘The beefolk of Arborea know the forests better

than anyone; they know the way the wind
moves through the leaves, when the trees
exhale and inhale, the timbre of the flowers’
voices....’

— The way of the Beefolk

186 Towns
Arborea Arborea
Post office
Shops Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
receive parcels.
Honey Darling
* *Snail mail (12–23 days) –
* *Myrtle honey – 60 coins 5 coins (Not available in
* *Lemon honey – 60 coins Brisk or Brimming)
* *Wattle honey – 60 coins * *Owl mail (5–8 days) – 7
* *Mead – 34 coins. Made coins (11 coins during
from seasonal honey, it is Brisk)
the colour of afternoon. When sending a letter, you
will receive a reply. See
❦Receiving parcels &
Branch Grocery letters.

* *Lemon myrtle leaves – 15

coins
* *Wattle tea – 20 coins. River Supplies
* *Myrtle jam – 38 coins. A * *Spanner – 105 coins.
golden preserve. Useful in all maintenance
* *Bag of chestnuts – 20 situations.
coins
* *Washer - 10 coins. Helpful
* *Chilli berries – 10 coins. in leaky situations.
Pack of three.
Chestnut flour – 6 coins
* *Candles – 20 coins. Pack of
** 15, myrtle scented.

Towns 187
Plenty
Location: Lower course

Notable locations: the Underwater Theatre, the

Cursed Flame, the Floating Gardens.

G iant lily pads grow in the shallow water,

upon which sits the town of Plenty. Plenty
is a roughly made town, originally meant to be a site
for temporary homes during the fishing season, but
instead it has been lived in for many years. The lily
pads sway with the movement of the water, giving
the town a slight rocking motion not dissimilar to
being on a boat. You’ll find fishing nets woven into
buildings and fishing hooks hammered into wooden
boards. The buildings of Plenty have been patched
up time and time again, each time more creatively
than the last. Fishing is the lifeblood of Plenty and
boats come and go frequently carrying loads of fish.
When the wind picks up, the clink of rope and sail
against the many masts in the wharf is the usual
soundtrack.

188 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
Plenty is unaffected by the The fisherfolk of Plenty celebrate
flooding of Brimming as the lily the freezing of the River (3rd of
pads move up and down with the Brisk) as the fishing season ends,
water. and this is when they can rest
their weary bodies for a season.
During Bloom, ❦river stars A large party is held and many
bloom around Plenty and along drinks are consumed.
the Riverbank. They twinkle in
the sunlight and glow softly in
the evening.

‘The interesting architecture of Plenty is often

unconventional, but the use of materials one
would not usually associate with building is
inspiring, if not brave.’

— The Architecture of Plenty

Towns 189
Townsfolk Palin
Platypus, he/them
Jerry & the Warblers
Palin is known for his strange
Frogs, he/him (all)
hat fashion, and is often seen
Jerry is a popular musician whose
about town wearing elaborately
music is widely regarded. The
decorated headpieces with
band lives and practises in Plenty,
feathers, flowers, rope and ribbon.
and if you are lucky you’ll hear
Some townsfolk make fun of his
them practising. The Warblers
hats but he always keeps a smile
consist of four frogs: Germone
on his face and greets everyone
(bass), Art (drums), Chrisk
warmly.
(keyboard) and Jerry of course.

Special books
* *The History of Tugball – 50
coins
River Bends – 20 coins
**

190 Towns
 Plenty Post office
Plenty Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
receive parcels.
Shops * *Snail mail (10–20 days) – 8
coins (Not available in
Brisk or Brimming)
Lily’s Lilies * *Owl mail (3–6 days) – 12
coins (14 coins during
* *River lily cordial – 18 Brisk)
coins. A light pink liquid
that is lightly sparkling. When sending a letter
to family or friends, you
* *Bouquet of River lilies will receive a reply. See
– 25 coins. Livens up a
room and fills it with a ❦Receiving parcels &
lovely scent. letters.

* *River lily honey – 50

coins. A delicately sweet
honey with a fragrant Plenty To
aroma
Takeaway
* *Fish and chips – 9 coins.
Riverboat The classic River favourite.

Equipment * *Fish cakes – 10 coins.

Three cakes with a spicy,
* *BugOff spray – 30 coins. creamy sauce.
Gets rid of those pesky * *Fish dumplings – 12
beetles. coins. Four plump
* *Lantern oil – 20 coins. dumplings drizzled with a
spicy sauce.
Burns cleanly and brightly.
* *Spanner – 110 coins. * *Fillet of fish – 27 coins.
Useful in all maintenance Crumbed with Port Imes'
situations. breadcrumbs

Towns 191
Port Imes
T he town closest to the Rivermouth, Port
Imes receives all the boats with goods from
the Great Sea and Beyond. It is a bustling trade
centre that processes many shipments of spices, tea,
vegetables and cloth daily. Boats leaving the port
take goods further upriver or head back to the Great
Sea. You’ll hear many different languages spoken in
the loud chatter of the crowds as they wander. In the
town can be found goods that are sold nowhere else
on the River.

Location: Lower course

Notable locations: the Fountain of Fortune, Burr’s

Dumplings, the Tree of Many Faces.

192 Towns
Seasonal changes Holiday traditions
During Brisk, when the ships During the Brisk Solstice
and boats are trapped by ice, the (pg. 148), the townsfolk light
animalfolk work on repairs and fireworks that dance through the
improve their vessels. In good air and create swooping, swirling
weather, the taps of hammers and patterns against the bright sky.
voices of sailors repairing sails
fills the otherwise quiet port. Port Imes does not take part in
the Reed Festival or the Harvest
Feast, but instead has it's own
holiday, the Living Arts Festival
(pg. 220).

‘The Tree of Many Faces offers many a

surprise. When an ear is pressed to the lips of
one of the faces, one can hope a secret or word
of advice may be whispered.’

— Visitor's guide to Port Imes

Towns 193
Townsfolk Farron
Echidna, he/them
Brady
A magician with a terrible
Falcon, he/him
memory, Farron dresses
The portmaster for the bustling
exclusively in purple clothing and
town, Brady is often seen running
earrings. He creates potions for
around the port, organising
the local apothecary and can be
everyone and everything coming
found wandering the surrounding
in and out. He knows every trade
forest with herbs and leaves
vessel that comes or goes and the
clutched in his claws. He is a
goods they each bring in. Despite
collector of rare magical plants
all that, he still finds time to chat
and often has bites and scratches
with travellers, locals and traders.
along his arms from the plants.

Harti
Duck, she/her
Special Books
Harti has many children, and * *Fisher Fables – 30 coins
is often seen with one or two * *Beyonders: The History of
under her wings. She looks tired the Beyond told by Twelve
and frazzled. When she has a Travellers – 55 coins
rare moment to herself, she can
be heard throughout the town
singing heartbreaking songs in a
lovely, sweet voice.

194 Towns
Port Imes Port Bakery
Shops
* *Custard tart – 10 coins
* *Apricot housecakes – 10
Ime’s General coins. A pack of two.
Supplies * *Oat bread – 20 coins. A
wholesome loaf.
* *Lantern oil – 80 coins. * *Honey bread – 18 coins. A
Refills all your lanterns. round, sweet loaf.
* *Gear oil – 30 coins * *Myrtle & cheese bread –
* *Chestnut coffee beans 22 coins
– 70 coins. A rich, sweet
blend from faraway places.
* *Ice skates – 150 coins. Port Imes Post
Allows travel during
Brisk. Office
Send postcards to family,
send orders to customers or
Riverbank receive parcels.
Furniture * *Snail mail (10–20 days) – 4
coins (Not available in
* *Extra shelves – 400 coins. Brisk or Brimming)
Increases your maximum
inventory by another 100 * *Owl mail (3–5 days) – 7
coins (10 coins during
books. Can be purchased
Brisk)
twice.
* *Record player – 500 * *Express boat (1–2 days)
– 13 coins (Not available
coins. Plays music for
during Brisk or Brimming)
your customers to enjoy
When sending a letter, you
while browsing. Draw an
will receive a reply. See
additional customer card
❦Receiving parcels &
every day. Single purchase
letters.
only.

Towns 195
Other
Locations
Lightkeep
At the edge of the treacherous and rocky Rivermouth, a small house
flashes its light at any passing boat or raft. The light illuminates the
dangerous shore, and in the Brimming season, the furious rapids that
run over them.

The Great Sea

A strange, almost mythical place, the Riverfolk regard the Great Sea as
a dangerous place; rough, vast and more unpredictable than their River,
ready to swallow anyone whole. They listen to stories of the Great Sea
with wide eyes and awe. Any traveller who comes to the River from the
Great Sea is regarded as a mighty adventurer.

Beyond
The land of Beyond is one of sand and scorching suns. It is a place far,
far away from the River. Not much is known of Beyond and any details
the River folk find is eagerly shared.

196 Towns
 ’
‘As this is the furthest I’ve ventured down the
River, a customer yesterday suggested I should
walk down to the Rivermouth. After closing the
bookshop, I wandered through town and out
along the banks until it turned to sand. As I
stood and watched the waves from the sea meet
the waters of the River, I realised this was the
first time I had seen the sea since I had left it.
My heart felt strange and I turned away.’

Towns 197
 APPENDIX

198 Appendix
Contents
Customer profiles 200
Appendix I Recipes 202
Appendix II Animals & Plants 204
Appendix III Trades 209
Appendix IV Occupations 210
Appendix V Item Reference 212
Appendix VI River words 214
Appendix VII Astrology 215
Appendix VIII Special events 217

Appendix 199
 Customer profile
’
Name:
Age:
Hometown:
Occupation:

Observations:

Drawing or a description:

200 Appendix
 Customer profile
’
Name:
Age:
Hometown:
Occupation:

Observations:

Drawing or a description:

Appendix 201
 Appendix I
Recipes
Each recipe sets the scene for a different sort of interaction, whether it
be idle dreaming over jam sandwiches or rowdy banter after a bowl of
chilli stew. When you prepare a recipe and share it with someone – a
friend, customer or even enemy – you'll spend time with them and
learn more about them. You can cook at any time of the day, during a
boring bookselling day, or on a day off. In your journal, describe your
cooking process (do you make a mess? Is it a success or a disaster?) and
then describe the shared meal. Where do you eat the meal – on the deck
of the bookshop, along the Riverbank in the sun, at a table in a town?
What do you learn about the animal you share the meal with?

Cheesy parsnips they were younger and got up to

some mischief.
* *Parsnips
* *Cheese Fish cakes
* *A chilli berry
Share with a friend and they’ll * *Fresh fish, bought or caught
tell you a story about how they * *Bag of potatoes or rice
let someone down. * *Jar of pickles
Share with a friend and they’ll
tell you their favourite place on
Chilli stew the River.
* *A chilli berry
* *Two different vegetables Ginger tea
* *Broth or stock
Share with a friend and they’ll * *Lemon myrtle leaves
tell you a raucous story of when * *Ginger

202 Appendix
When drunk, it clears your nose pastries, or a bag of apples for
and throat. Share with a friend sweet pastries
and they’ll share something Share with a friend and they’ll
shocking about themselves. tell you how they are really
feeling today.
Hearty soup Pudding
* *Broth or stock
* *Cream * *A flavouring of your choice:
coffee beans, river lily cordial,
* *A vegetable or honey.
Share with a friend and they’ll
tell you a time when they found * *Flour
courage. * *Cream
Share with a friend and they’ll
tell you about someone they
Honey cakes admire.
* *Honey
* *Flour Roasted Honey
Share with a friend and they’ll Chestnuts
tell you a heartfelt story.
* *Bag of chestnuts
* *Honey
Jam sandwiches * *A fire to roast them over: a
fireplace, a bonfire…
* *Bread Share with a friend and they’ll
* *Jam or marmalade share a regret with you.
Share with a friend and they’ll
tell you about their dream career. Salad
Pastry pockets * *Reed flowers
* *Bread
* *Flour * *Greens
* *Cheese * *A flavour of cordial for the
* *Ginger dressing
* *Bag of carrots for savoury Share with a friend and they will
share a secret with you.

Appendix 203
 Appendix II
Animals & Plants
Fish catch one, you are reminded of
a time when you had to hide
something: an emotion, an item, a
Blue suncatcher
Can be caught during Bloom, part of yourself.
Burn and Brimming
These fish can be found in warm Rainbow skip
patches of water. When you catch Can be caught during Brink
one, you are reminded of warm Triangle-shaped fish, they swim
memories on the River. in shallow waters in groups. They
come in a multitude of colours
Ice kin and patterns. When you catch
Can be caught during Brisk one, you are reminded of a friend.
The only known species of fish
that do not hibernate or get stuck Red-bellied jewel
in the ice during Brisk. They are Can be caught year round
solid white. When you catch one, Year-round visitors to the River,
you are reminded of a time when these fish are known for the
you were warm. blood-red scales along their
bellies. When you catch one, you
Murroa reflect on your time on the River.
Can be caught all year round
A dark-coloured, narrow, spiny
fish, murroa are often mistaken
for river weed. They sit between
the weeds and wait for smaller
fish to swim near. When you

204 Appendix
River gulper
Can be caught during Bloom and
Burn
These fish have long whiskers
and shimmery patterns. When
you catch one, you think about a
customer that had a lasting effect
on you – negative or positive.

Stream spinner
Can be caught during Bloom and
Burn
They like the shade of trees and
leap out to grab reed berries or
fruit from their branches. They
make flashing patterns as the sun
reflects off their scales. When you
catch one, you are reminded of a
time where you felt joyful.

Water-beater
Can be caught during Bloom,
Burn, Brimming and Brink
These fish grow big and heavy.
They catch insects off the surface
by beating their tail against the
water. Their splashing will often
startle lone riverstriders. When
you catch one, you are reminded
of a time when you were scared.

Appendix 205
Animals towards the River for food. The
young moths’ main food are
fireflies and any light shining
Dusters
Small, black furry creatures that during the nights attracts the
like to live in the dark, dusty moths, forcing the Riverfolk to
depths of houses. They seek shelter and extinguish any light.
warmth in the colder days and After a few nights of feasting, the
create a nuisance once they have giant moths take flight and leave
made their way inside a house. the River. The Riverfolk breathe
They can munch on paper and a sigh of relief, until the next
socks and are always seen in generation of giant moths hatch
groups of two or more. the following year.

Galosh beetles Nook beetles

Galosh beetles are large, shiny A constant irritation for the
insects that live on the Riverbank. Riverfolk, particularly those who
When the water level recedes, are booklovers, Nook beetles
they crawl on the mud to crawl through windows and
scavenge for food. They get their cracks in the walls to chew paper.
names from the gumboot-shaped They emit a shrill chirping noise
indentations they leave behind as that irritates all who hear it. The
they sift through the mud. Young beetles travel in large numbers;
animalfolk like to catch them and if you see one beetle, there are a
race them against other beetles. hundred hiding elsewhere.

Giant moths Salmon

The size of two badger lengths, Not much is known about the
the giant moths are grey, salmon’s lives in the Great Sea
furry monsters that terrorise or what they do in their sacred
the Riverfolk. They hatch spot, but each year at the exact
from cocoons hidden in the time, the Salmon come to
surrounding forests and swarm the River. They are as long as

206 Appendix
ships. The salmon keep mostly
to themselves, but they will
occasionally come to the surface
Plants
Giant lilies
and converse with the animalfolk. Taking many years to reach full
They speak a melodic language size, a giant lily can grow up to
and tell magical stories of salt and 10 metres wide. The mature lily
sea monsters. pad is deep green and as thick
as a tree. The giant lilies are rare
Scurry crabs in the upper and middle course
An elusive River crab, Scurry of the River, but common in
crabs live in the shallow waters the lower course. Animalfolk
under rocks and fallen logs. The carefully tend to young giant lilies
young crabs are a dark green as they provide many benefits
colour which turns into iridescent when fully grown. The lily pads
red when they reach adulthood. make excellent natural platforms
They like to nip at toes and and are used as resting stops,
tails that stray too close to their marketplaces, homes and small
burrows. When roasted over a islands.
fire, the crabs are very tasty and a
favourite dish on the River. Reeds
The River’s reeds are thick, green
grass-like plants with red stripes.
When flowering, they have
unassuming clusters of maroon
flowers. Reeds have endless uses
for the Riverfolk. They are used
to make bridges and houses,
musical instruments and boats
and canoes.

Appendix 207
River lilies flowers is used to sweeten baking
There are many varieties of river or as a preserving agent in bottled
lilies, each with their own scent fruit.
and petal shape. The lilies grow
in every colour except blue and Thimble grass
green. They grow in shallow Thimble grass grows along the
waters and when they blossom, Riverbank in warm, shallow
they fill the air with sweet and waters. The plant is made up of
alluring scents. Young fish swim round, yellow stems that release
underneath the flowers and eat a sweet taste when chewed.
the insects attracted by the aroma The seeds of the grass resemble
of the flowers. thimbles and children use them
as hats for their toys. This
River stars shape means they can float on
The River Star is a tiny green top of the water and travel long
plant that grows in slow-moving distances to root.
water. It produces small, white,
round flowers that appear on the Weeping trees
River’s surface. The River Stars Related to willow trees, the
grow during Bloom and cover weeping tree is a large, sprawling
the surface of the water. From tree with long branches that
a distance the flowers look as if create a curtain around the
they are stars in the sky. trunk. When one grows beside
the River, it dangles its branches
Skyflowers into the water. Weeping trees are
Skyflowers are pink star-like recognisable by their teardrop
flowers that fall from the leaves. The trees have deep
skyfields. The flowers give off an spiritual significance and are
intoxicating smell. When made sacred to the Riverfolk, especially
into cordial, the drink can make during Brink.
one very dizzy and silly if drunk
excessively. The nectar from the

208 Appendix
 Appendix III
Trades
When you have a problem – a leak, a broken window, a faulty tap – that
needs to be fixed, you can call on the services of the good tradesanimals
of the River. If you need a tradesanimal, send a note through the post
office (this is different from a letter as the post office clerk will get in
contact with the tradesanimal for you) and the tradesanimal will come
the next day. This means unfortunately having to put up with the
problem for at least a day!

When you enlist the help of a tradesanimal, roll a die: odds: the problem
is fixed that day; evens: the problem will take another day of work.
Keep rolling once each day until the problem is fixed and deduct the
cost listed below from each days’ earnings.

Plumber Glassmith
70 coins per day 50 coins per day
Fixes taps, sinks, drains, piping. Fits new panes of glass in
windows.
Shipwright
80 coins per day Clocksmith
Fixes broken decks, paddles, 50 coins per day
roofs, rudders. Fixes clocks and other objects
with gears, including the till.
Firesmith They dabble in fixing general
60 coins per day appliances as well.
Unclogs the chimney and cleans
out the fireplace.

Appendix 209
 Appendix IV
Occupations
A partial list of occupations held Lanternbearer
by animalfolk on the River: Someone who travels a stretch of
the River lighting the wayfinding
Blacksmith lanterns on the Riverbank and
Someone who works with steel wharves. The lanterns are guides
and iron. They craft anchors, for travellers both on and beside
knives and metal things on ships. the River. Those who bear
lanterns are tough and brave.
Firesmith
Someone who cleans fireplaces Magician
and chimneys. They can also One who knows the way of
build incredible fires; to sit magic. They help animalfolk
around a fire built by a firesmith with their charms and spells
is a treat. and create amazing displays for
entertainment.
Fisherfolk
An animal who spends days on Postmaster
the water bringing in catches. An animal who runs a post office.
They use small fishing nets, They know the trade routes on
fishing poles and crab pots. the River, and also know of any
They are knowledgeable of the obstructions that might slow
waterways and where the fish like down mail runs.
to hide.

210 Appendix
Plumber
A tradesanimal who fixes
anything to do with pipes, sinks,
drains and bathrooms.

Reeder
Someone who harvests the reeds
in Burn and prepares them for
thatching. They are also skilled
at carving the reeds into music
instruments, staffs and paddles.

Riversift
A riversift walks along the
Riverbank and collects any
interesting debris to be resold.

Riverstrider
Someone who travels up and
down the River carrying goods
or passengers. Reading the water
and currents are second nature
to them, and this makes them
skilled navigators.

Shipwright
Someone who does maintenance
on boats, houseboats, ships and
canoes. They also build ships, but
these are more rare on the River.

Appendix 211
 Appendix V
Item Reference
Useful items
Flowers Incense
Bulrush jacket Ennerck Mersey
Thistle Down Plenty Ennerck

Candles Ice Skates Plant pot

Roost Roost & Seeds
Mersey Port Imes Rueberry
Arborea

’ Lantern Oil Spanner

Maintenance Ennerck Ennerck
Plenty Arborea
BugOff Spray Port Imes Plenty
Mersey
Ennerck
Pipes Washer
Plenty
Mersey Arborea
Kiawake Hurst
Gear Oil
Hurst Raft
Kiawake Reinforcements
Port Imes Ennerck

212 Appendix
Food items Chilli berries Jam
Roost Rueberry
Arborea Arborea
Apples
Mersey
Ennerck Coffee beans Lettuce
Port Imes Hurst
Bread
Cordial Rice
Kiawake
Port Imes Mersey Ennerck
Plenty Kiawake

Broth Fish Fillet

Stock
Roost Mersey
Roost
Plenty
Ennerck
Cream
Flour Sweet treats
Thistle Down
Mersey Mersey Thistle Downs
Kiawake Port Imes
Ennerck
Chestnuts Arborea
Tea
Thistle Down
Roost
Arborea Ginger
Ennerck
Hurst Thistle Down
Arborea
Roost

Cheese Vegetables
Honey Thistle Down
Thistle Down
Rueberry Arborea Rueberry
Plenty Hurst

Appendix 213
 Appendix VI
River words
Floodplain – an area that is
susceptible to flooding.

Meander – a bend in the River.

Mothlight – a time of night

when it is dark enough that
moths come out (the smaller, non-
lethal variety).

Riverpath – a term that describes

the River as a means of travel.

Salmon-road – another term for

the River.

Skim-ice – when thin sheets of

ice begin to form over the water.

Wind-spit, or spit – when the

wind is so strong it blows water
flecks into your face.

214 Appendix
 Appendix VII
Astrology
Blooming moon Brimming moon
This is a time of growing, of This is a time when things
beginning again. You must be come out, secrets are revealed,
careful to not get too carried limits are tested and truths are
away or you’ll find your spoken. For creatives, this can be
plans failing. Things started – a productive time during which
relationships, projects, goals, creativity feels endless. However,
resolutions – have an excellent one must be careful not to overdo
chance of taking hold and it this season, as burn out and
sticking. exhaustion can be a result from a
busy Brimming moon.
Burning moon
A Burning moon is a volatile Brink moon
time. Things can simmer and Those who have had a busy year
become hot and heavy. For some, or had a rough time should feel
though, this is a time when things things start to slow down during
warm up: a chance comes about, the Brink moon. This is a chance
something succeeds, or things fall to breathe. This may be a time
into place. Those who take this of clarity, a chance to take stock
season quietly may feel an urge to and evaluate your choices. Those
try something new. who have been busy throughout
the year may find slowing down
a shock, but should take it as a
chance to look after themselves.

Appendix 215
Brisk moon
The time of rest and recovery
continues. Make sure to stay in
contact with friends and family
through this time, as it can be
a season of solitude. This can
be welcome if your year has
been busy, so take time to enjoy
it. You may find things cool
off or come to an end during
this moon cycle; relationships,
jobs, friendships, anger or
opportunities. If something leaves
your life, take time to thank it
and reflect on what it has taught
you.

216 Appendix
 Appendix VIII
Special Events
Lantern-making
Making lanterns for the Brisk Solstice is a tradition that allows
animalfolk to show off their creative skills. Here are some prompts for
making your own lantern:

Choose a shape: circular, conical, pear, rectangular, fish-like,

dragon-like.
Choose a number of openings: many, one, two.
Choose a binding material: twine cord, plaited string.

’
Receiving parcels & letters
When you send a letter to a family member or friend, you receive a reply
in twice the number of days it takes for a letter to reach its recipient
in your current location. For example, if you send a letter via owl mail
from Ennerck, you will receive a reply in 14–16 days time – eight days
for your letter to be delivered, and another eight days for the reply to
reach you. Mark on your calendar the day you expect a reply, and you’ll
receive a parcel or letter on that day.
If you send a letter to someone with whom you have 2+ hearts, they’ll
send you a gift along with a response to your letter. Roll a dice or
otherwise randomly choose an item from one of the shops in the town
you’re currently in. This is the gift you receive.

Appendix 217
A song for the Skyflower Festival
During the Skyflower Festival, spin the bottle is played. When the
bottle lands on an animal, they must come up with a line for a song.
During this festival, the bottle lands on you and this is the song so far:

‘Oh, the skyflowers have fallen,

And made tasty drinks for us all-en,
They’ve turned Beck’s cheeks all rosy
Until he kissed poor old Rory
The taste of the sweet cakes and cordial
Makes us stay up until morning …’
(Your line here)

’
Starfall
On the night before the Brisk Solstice, the stars fall from the sky. The
stars were once earthly beings who longed to see the universe. Their
wishes were granted by earthen gods and as part of the bargain, the stars
must return to the earth once a year. Where they go once they land on
the earth, and what they do is unknown.
To the animalfolk in the world below, the stars fall from the sky
in beautiful, shimmering trails. Very rarely, a star will fall near an
animalfolk and they have the honour of meeting a star.
The night becomes dark and ominous while the stars are away, so the
animals celebrate the Brisk Solstice and light the night themselves.
When the sun sets the next day, the animalfolk look up to find the stars
have returned to the sky.
During Starfall, make a warm meal or drink and watch the stars fall
from the sky.

218 Appendix
Helping with the harvest
If you want to help with the harvests on the 16th of Burn, make
sure you are in Rueberry on or before this date.

During the harvest, the animalfolk greet you early in the morning
for a shared breakfast in which the farmers, gatherers and harvesters
eat together before a big day in the fields. You’ll notice some familiar
faces of customers, and they’ll come and greet you. After eating, you
head to the fields where you get to choose between harvesting fruit in
the orchard, picking berries in the fields or uprooting potatoes. Chat
to the animalfolk around you; they will be Riverfolk who have come
up to help or travellers who have come from far, and each has lived an
interesting life. Harvesting involves a lot of back and forth between the
storage huts near the fields to unload.

Something that happens during the

harvest:
» » An animal comes up with an ingenious way to transport your
hauls to the shed. It involves one animal crawling and makes you
all giggle. What is it?
» » You discover a surprising connection to one of the animalfolk
you are harvesting with. What is it? For example, your mother
went to school with their brother or your grandfather was their
grandmother’s best friend.
» » You notice something in the fields or surrounding forests – a
flower, a scent, colours, insects – that you don’t see on the River.
What is it?
At the end of the day, everyone gathers back around a fire where food is

Appendix 219
cooked and hungrily eaten. Songs are played and those who know the
words sing along. It is an exhausting day, and the next day your body
will be sore.

4 As a token of your help, you get to take home a sack of various

vegetables from the day.

’
Living Art Festival
Date: 9th to the 12th of Burn
The Living Art Festival in celebrated in Port Imes in place of Harvest
Feast and the Reed Festival. Buckets of paints are opened and the
animalfolk paint the town. For a few days, the Port is transformed into
colourful works of art. Everyone takes part in the festival – tourists and
townsfolk alike – dressing in smocks and bringing out their favourite
paintbrushes. Murals are created along the wall of shops, swirling
patterns are painted into the pathways and words are drawn on the
corners of buildings. Then, the magical folk in the town enchant the
paintings, causing them to come alive: flying dragons, leaping sea
monsters, flickering patterns. Eventually, the magic fades away and the
art disappears at the end of the festival.

Something that happens during the

festival:
» » The theme for this year's festival is ‘dream places’. You paint your
dream place, a home, a job etc. Is it what you are doing now? How
badly do you want it?
» » A living painting swims its way into the Floating Bookshop. For
some reason, it doesn't disappear when the festival ends. What is
the painting of?

220 Appendix
 ’ Reference Card ’

Book Genre table 11. Self-help, How-to, DIY

1. Fantasy 12. Travel
2. Science Fiction 13. Cookbooks/Potion
3. Action/Adventure novels Recipes
4. Mystery fiction/nonfiction 14.Crime fiction/nonfiction
5. Horror, thriller, 15. Comic or Graphic novel
paranormal fiction 16. Fairy Tales or Myths &
6. Historical fiction/ Legends
nonfiction 17. Magic/spell books
7. Romance 18. Poetry
8. Children’s 19. Philosophy
9. Young Animal 20. Art & Design,
10. Autobiography/biography Photography

Customer cards Things to do

Dead: No cards
Snail’s pace: 1 card
* *Travel
Quiet: 2 cards
* *Open up shop
Steady: 4 cards
* *Cook
Busy: 6 cards
* *Visit a town
Extremely busy: 7 cards
* *Join in the holiday festivities
* *Go fishing

Weather Sunny days

Extra customers
Events table
Warm days Heavy fog Roll d20 at the end of the day:
* *1–10: No extra cards
Thunderstorms Snowstorms * *11–15: Draw one extra card
* *16–19: Draw two extra cards
20: Draw three extra cards
**
Credits
Writing, design and layout by Ella Lim
Edited by Melody Watson
Illustrations by Linnea Sterte (Cover illustration and main season
illustrations) & Ella Lim (All others)
Playtested by MarbleLlama, Gene Virgilio, Ashley Giddings,
Mackenzie Grover, Bert van der Laan, Peter Thew, David Harris

Acknowledgements
Thank you to Melinda Alice Reddick for your generous support, may
the River Lilies bloom for you and the currents carry your raft safely.

Thank you to Vee for mentoring me through the process of writing this
game, truly I could not have made this game what it is without your
support.

Thank you to the folks at AIRTalks for your thoughts and suggestions
throughout the designing process.

Supported by 539 booksellers during Zine Quest 4

This game was made on the lands of the Muiwanina people who are the
Traditional Owners and Custodians.

222 Credits
Inspiration:
The Diary of a Bookseller, by Shaun Bythell
Wanderhome, by Jay Dragon
Stardew Valley, by ConcernedApe
The Redwall series, by Brian Jacques
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing [TV series]

Rules inspiration:
Wanderhome, by Jay Dragon
The Last Tea Shop, by Spring Villager

Credits 223
lostwaysclub.com
225
 You are a bookseller,
taking words and stories
to the animalfolk along
the River.
Your days are filled with customers,
both charming and bothersome.
Take part in holidays and the ebbs
and flow of river life, travelling up
and down to the various towns.

A solo journalling
game

ISBN 978-0-6458797-0-4

9 780645 879704 >

226