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== Goal ==
== Archetypes ==


Each player is committed to both an ''Omniscient One'' and a ''Form of Essence''. Players will place essence on ritual sites corresponding to either the ''Omniscient Ones'' or ''Forms of Essence'' that were drafted during setup.
The game is designed to support tall, hybrid, or wide builds - meaning earning tribute from 2-3, 3-4, or 4-5 colours (respectively). Tall benefits from ''Primordial Idol/Decreed'' and efficient conversions, while wide prioritises prophecies from ''Rift Through Time/Channel'' and opportunistic essence placement.


When committing to an ''Omniscient One'', you gain an ability unique to that ''Omniscient One'' that can be used every cycle. When committing to a ''Form of Essence'', you may pay costs in that colour with a nearby colour (or vice versa).
== Bidding during Ritual Sacrifice ==


== Phase Structure ==
Cultists do not automatically provide value. Carefully consider what actions you will actually activate. New players often underbid, which can lead to essence scarcity and a later position in the next cycle's turn order.


A cycle consists of 3 phases:
== Placing essence on Ritual Sites ==


'''1) Ritual Sacrifice'''
Remember that you will not earn tribute unless you have essence in the row of your committed ''Form of Essence''. These placement windows can be short if you rely on Old Ways or Heralds, maybe lasting 2 cycles at most. ''Planar Influence'' requires planning to execute but can ignore the cycle. This placement flexibility also applies to ''Primordial Idol/Decreed'' if you unlocked the required leaves/stars.


Players manage their cultists in this phase, thus dictating their income and actions for the cycle. Turn order for the next cycle is determined here.
Cycle manipulation is a powerful tool here. With wise sequencing you can recall cultists after activating outer blue/orange actions, as many times as you can afford, then follow up with essence placement in nearly any colour.


'''2) Scheming'''
== Managing essence ==


Players place their cultists on action cards to perform actions, thus executing their strategy.
Each action costs at least 1 essence, so factor in the cultist you could have sacrifice to gain 1 more essence instead. You have to spend essence to make essence contribute to your tribute. Outer actions are powerful but require a proper network of cultists on the board - even ''Blood Rite/Convergence'' only pay for themselves if you spend essence to reach them.
 
'''3) End of a Cycle'''
 
Clean-up phase in which you set up for the next cycle. Move the cycle marker to the next cycle space shown on the tracker. If this would move past the VI space, the game ends.
 
== Ritual Sacrifice ==
 
Simultaneously bid the number of cultists you wish to sacrifice for the cycle. You place a bidding card from your hand faceup onto your bidding card stack. In turn order, you transfer cultists from your pool to your pyre equal to your bid to gain that much essence. Next cycle’s turn order is then determined as follows: the player with the highest bid goes 1st. If two or more players are tied, the player who is earliest in the current cycle’s turn order goes 1st. The remaining player positions are determined using the same rules.
 
== Scheming ==
 
In turn order, place your remaining cultists on revealed action cards one at a time. You must be able to pay the cost of the space you place your cultist on; otherwise, you sacrifice that cultist and skip your action''.'' Every cultist you place must be connected to the ritual site board or action cards you occupy. To reach an outer action card, you may bypass an inner action card adjacent to it by paying 1 essence matching that inner action card. When a player’s action is skipped, they may convert 1 essence in their pool to a nearby colour or a colour with a star you've unlocked.
 
== End of a Cycle ==
 
For cycles 1-5: Advance the current cycle token (clockwise) to the next action card in the inner ring and regain your cultists to your pool. If there are 3 bidding cards in your stack, draw all of those bidding cards into your hand.
 
== Scoring ==
 
Commitment tokens indicate the row and column of the ritual site board you use to count tribute to the ''Omniscient Ones''. After the 6th cycle, count your tribute as follows:
 
- For each colour, '''SUM''' your essence (including prophecies), unlocked leaves, and unlocked stars
 
- Count a colour '''IF''' you have essence in its ritual site along the column of your committed ''Omniscient One'' (count it twice '''IF''' you have 2 essence there)
 
- For each counted colour, count the sum '''UP TO''' the number of essence in ritual sites along the row of your committed ''Form of Essence''
 
 
The player with the most tribute is crowned the winner. If there is a tie, tiebreakers are:
 
1. Player with the most colours that count towards their tribute
 
2. Player with the most essence on their ritual sites
 
3. Earliest player in the next cycle’s turn order
 
If no player has offered any tribute, then the ''Omniscient Ones'' fail to answer your plea and all players lose.

Revision as of 17:09, 29 June 2026

Archetypes

The game is designed to support tall, hybrid, or wide builds - meaning earning tribute from 2-3, 3-4, or 4-5 colours (respectively). Tall benefits from Primordial Idol/Decreed and efficient conversions, while wide prioritises prophecies from Rift Through Time/Channel and opportunistic essence placement.

Bidding during Ritual Sacrifice

Cultists do not automatically provide value. Carefully consider what actions you will actually activate. New players often underbid, which can lead to essence scarcity and a later position in the next cycle's turn order.

Placing essence on Ritual Sites

Remember that you will not earn tribute unless you have essence in the row of your committed Form of Essence. These placement windows can be short if you rely on Old Ways or Heralds, maybe lasting 2 cycles at most. Planar Influence requires planning to execute but can ignore the cycle. This placement flexibility also applies to Primordial Idol/Decreed if you unlocked the required leaves/stars.

Cycle manipulation is a powerful tool here. With wise sequencing you can recall cultists after activating outer blue/orange actions, as many times as you can afford, then follow up with essence placement in nearly any colour.

Managing essence

Each action costs at least 1 essence, so factor in the cultist you could have sacrifice to gain 1 more essence instead. You have to spend essence to make essence contribute to your tribute. Outer actions are powerful but require a proper network of cultists on the board - even Blood Rite/Convergence only pay for themselves if you spend essence to reach them.

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