Dragon Dale Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
  • Before Your First Game
• Setup
  • Setup for Experienced Tribes
• General Flow and Goal
• Other End Game Conditions
• Newcomers
• About Encounters
• Territories
• Encounters - A Short Overview
• Flow of a Turn
• Step A - Start of Turn
• Step B - Main Actions
  • Explore and Movement in General
  • Boost and Empower
  • Special Action
• Card Notes
• Plan
• Gaining and Playing Insight
• Revealing Insight
• Step C - Tribe Effects
• Step D - Movement
• Step E - Reaction
• Step F - New Stance
• Before Your 2nd Turn
• Full Rules for Encounters
• Hidden Units
• Stances
• Dragon Might
• Encounter with the Dragon
• If You Dispel the Dragon
• Full Rules for the Dragon
  • Dragon Movement
  • Check If the Dragon Is Able to Move to You
• Encounter with the Dragon (Full Rules)
• Dragon Fury
  • Initiative
  • If You Dispel the Dragon (second version, as printed on the Dragon Fury page)
• Full Rules for the Fury Track
  • Movement
  • Over the Edge
• Fury Cards
• Dragon Might
• Full Rules for the Trees
  • Check Tree
  • Pay Costs According to the Tree
• Full Rules for the Encounters
  • Marshland
  • Mountain
  • Thicket
  • Root Tunnel
  • Fog Valley
• Dragon Territories
  • Outer Dragon Territory
  • Inner Dragon Territory
  • Rune Stone
  • Encampment
• Glossary

Components

Everything you need to head out into the wilderness.

• Board (2-sided: 2/3 tribes and 4 tribes)
• Fury track (2 puzzle parts)
• 2-tribe overlay (2 puzzle parts)
• Dragon Stone (board)
• 1 bag
• 4 tribe handbooks
• 13 order card stands
• 4 tribe boards
• 61 special action cards (16 for Druids, 15 per other tribe)
• 4 "1st Turn" / "Flow of an Encounter" cards (1 per tribe)
• 9 fury cards (small)
• 14 movement cards (small)
• 42 stance cards (square) (12 for Vikings, 10 per other tribe)
• 14 tribe tokens (8 for Dark Faery, 2 per other tribe)
• 1 dominance token
• 5 tops (with roots: "tree"; otherwise "wood")
• 5 "Rune stones"
• 1 "Dragon"
• 1 Active token
• 1 Ox (for Vikings)
• 72 insight tokens ("Insight"; 16 per tribe + 8 neutral), hidden and revealed
• 4 fury tokens
• 24 units ("units"; 6 per tribe), hidden and revealed
• 3 Cursed Roots (bases for trees)
• 5 Unaltered Roots (bases for trees)
• 3 Blessed Roots (bases for trees)

The component counts above are as printed on the draft's component sheet. The draft's text layer also holds "QUANTITY OF TOKENS TO BE PRINTED" placeholders for the tribe-token and fury-token sheets; they are not visible on the printed pages and are not reproduced.

Before Your First Game

Put the tokens into the miniatures as shown in the draft's illustration. Be careful not to put them in incorrectly, since they are hard to remove and might get damaged. Take care to turn the miniatures so that all miniatures of a tribe have the same top side. Even Dark Faery is not completely symmetrical.

Important: If you want to paint the miniatures, do so BEFORE putting in the tokens, as the wet paint would damage them!

Setup

This seems to be a good spot to make camp. See also the images on the next pages.

1. Use the correct side of the board for your player count. With 2 or 3 use the side pictured in the draft.

2. Only with 2 tribes: Additionally put the 2-tribe overlay on top of the northeastern part of the island. You've found the correct spot if the illustrations match up and the golden line connects as shown in the draft.

3. Assemble the Fury Track near the board.

4. Choose tribes and take the corresponding tribe boards. (Note the symbol for your tribe that matches the shape of your insight tokens.)

   • 4 tribes: Use the tribe which has its ENCAMPMENT closest to you. You may switch seats or turn the board. The symbol in the corner shows which tribe belongs there (the circle in the example image is the symbol of the Celts).
   • 2, 3 tribes: Draw randomly or choose based on which tribe appeals to you.

5. Determine starting tribe and give them the active token:

   • 2 and 4 tribes: Whoever was lost last.
   • 3 tribes: Check your ENCAMPMENT (the one closest to you). If it says "1st", you are the starting tribe.

   Playing order for the game:

   • 2 and 4 tribes: Playing order goes clockwise from the starting tribe.
   • 3 tribes: Playing order goes counter-clockwise from the starting tribe.

6. Put the Dragon Token in the first dragon space of the Domination Track (see below). Put 1 Tribe Token each, in reverse playing order, on the tribe spaces of the Domination Track. Don't use the [icon] space if playing with 2 tribes. (The [icon] is the tribe symbol on the Domination track that the draft does not name; it could not be identified from the page image.) The draft's Domination track diagram is labelled "highest dominance" at one end, "lowest dominance" at the other, and "3rd, 2nd, 1st in playing order" beneath the tribe spaces.

Each of you does the following with your tribe's components:

17. Separate your Special Action cards into 3 piles according to the text on the bottom of the card:

    • Library: Form a facedown pile with the highest numbered card on the bottom and card 1 on top. Place it where it says "Library" on the leftmost space of your tribe board.
    • Ideas: Form a face-up pile in the middle space of the tribe board. Of the cards that say "top," put card "A" on top of the pile, card "B" underneath.
    • Special Action: These cards are your available Special Action cards at the start of the game. You may put them in the rightmost space of your tribe board. Don't reveal them to the others.

    You may look through all your cards at any time. But do not alter the order of the cards in your Library! Other tribes may only look at the top card of your Ideas pile. If the card with (TOP) is in there, it always has to be on top of the pile. The other designations Library / Ideas / Special Action only affect setup.

18. Put your "1st Turn" card in front of you.

19. Place all your units in your ENCAMPMENT so that they are hidden (your tribe symbol is visible and not the illustration). You may look under your units anytime.

20. Sort your stance cards by unit type (shown on the back) and put each type in its own plastic stand. Turn them so that you can see the values on the card front, while all other tribes only see the card back. See the box "Optional: No Card Holders" below if they keep falling over.

21. Tribe setup:

    • Keep your remaining tribe tokens and your Cursed Roots near you.
    • Vikings: Place your Ox in your ENCAMPMENT. It cannot be hidden.

Now you are ready to explore the Dragon Dale!

Optional: No Card Holders. The winds here can be treacherous! If your card holders keep falling over, you can instead place the order cards of your units as separate piles in front of you. Your "active order" is normally the card facing you in the card holder. If you've placed your cards in a pile, the active order is instead the TOP CARD of that pile. You may look at it anytime!

Setup for Experienced Tribes

You've been here before, you know what to do. Remember to skip these boxes if you are playing for the first time!

1. Use the board side for your player number.
2. When playing with 2, additionally use the 2-player overlay.
3. Assemble the Fury track near the board.
4. Choose tribes.
   • 4 players: ENCAMPMENT closest to you.
5. Determine starting tribe:
   • 2 and 4 tribes: randomly.
   • 3 tribes: ENCAMPMENT "1st".
6. Place tribe tokens on the Domination track: the last tribe in playing order has the highest dominance. Place the Dragon token above that.
7. Place 1 unaltered tree on each tree stump. Put any remaining trees near the board.
8. Place 1 Rune stone in each Rune stone territory.
9. Prepare the insight bag:
   • 4 tribes: put the 8 neutral insight tokens in the bag.
   • 3 tribes: put 4 neutral insight tokens (1 of each kind) and [number missing in draft] insight tokens of the unused tribe in the bag.
   • 2 tribes: put 4 neutral insight tokens (1 of each kind) and 8 random insight tokens of the unused tribes in the bag. Return any remaining insight tokens of unused tribes to the box.
10. Put 1 insight token of each tribe on all territories of the board that do not contain an exploration reward.
11. For each space of the fury track that shows a tribe symbol, put 1 insight token of that tribe next to that space.
12. Put any remaining insight tokens in the bag.
13. Put 1 tribe token of each tribe next to the start space of the fury track.

Each tribe:

17. Separate your action cards into 3 piles, according to the text on the bottom of the card:
    • Boost: Facedown, highest numbered card on the bottom and card 1 on top.
    • Supply: Faceup, only give card A to people that have not played before.
    • Hand: Hidden from the others.
18. Take your Flow of an Encounter card.
19. Place all your units hidden in your ENCAMPMENT.
20. Sort your order cards by unit and put them in different plastic holders, with the back towards the other tribes. Or as piles, in which case the top card is the active order. Choose the active orders for all of your units.
21. Tribe setup:
    • Vikings: Place your Ox in your ENCAMPMENT.
    • Dark Faery: Keep your remaining tribe tokens and Cursed Roots near you.
    • Druids: Leave out Archdruid Fynn's order card FOREST GUARDIAN. Keep your Blessed Roots near you.
22. Place the Fury tokens on the spaces that match their illustration with the illustration visible.

General Flow and Goal

There are some things you should know before heading out...

During your turn you do your actions, moving units around the board and working towards altering a tree. If it's your turn, you are called the ACTIVE tribe and all others are PASSIVE. Take the ACTIVE-token to remind you. You play your turns clockwise until a tribe is able to announce victory or another game end condition is triggered.

To announce victory, you have to have 4 victory points ("VP") at the start of your turn. In this case you win immediately. You gain VP by altering trees, conquering territories with Rune stones and besting the Dragon. Some of these can be lost.

Whenever you gain something worth VP, place it in your corner of the board so that it covers 1 VP space (unit or Rune stone symbol) or 2 VP spaces (tree symbol).

• An altered tree is worth 2 VP. Depending on the tribe, "altered" means felled and secured, cursed or blessed. DRUID/FAERY: Use the unaltered roots to mark these VP.
• A conquered territory with a Rune stone is worth 1 VP. You have "conquered" a territory if your units are alone in the territory. You only have this VP as long as you have conquered the territory. If an enemy tribe enters and is still present after an encounter, place the Rune stone back in the territory.
• The dispelled (defeated) unit is worth 1 VP, but you will lose this VP at the end of your next turn, because you'll have to return the unit to the board.

Other End Game Conditions

The game also ends immediately if:

• A - The Dragon token reaches the lowest spot on the Dominance Track.
• B - All trees on the board are felled.

In these cases whoever has the most VP wins. In case of a tie, the tied tribe that's higher on the dominance track wins.

Case B: The last felled tree is worth 2 VP; other wood that has not been secured is worth 0 VP.

Newcomers

If this is your first game of Dragon Dale, the Dragon does not consider you a threat, yet.

Everyone that plays Dragon Dale for the very first time gets to play with introductory TREE-altering cards.

• VIKINGS/CELTS: You start with the introductory version of the card "Reaching the Dragon Tree".
• MAEVE/DRUIDS: You start with the introductory version of your tree-altering cards.
• In general: After you use it, exchange it for the other card, and NEVER use the introductory card again in future games, for any tribe.

Furthermore, other tribes cannot affect your very 1st altered tree (fell, bless or curse it). Always apply these rules to any new players.

You are, of course, free to ignore these rules and use the regular cards from the start. But be warned: the Dragon will show you no mercy.

Newcomer boxes:

• Your first cursed tree cannot be felled. And your first Cursed Root cannot be discarded.
• Your first blessed tree cannot be felled.
• The wood from your first felled tree cannot be moved by another tribe.

About Encounters

Encountering other tribes is different here, than in other places. If you head out there, looking for a fight, you will face severe difficulties! Since communication is limited in this hostile land, you have very little control over what your people do when they encounter the other tribes or even the dragon. Learn to make the best out of the stances your units take! Only then will you gain the upper hand and win!

The most important thing that makes Dragon Dale very different to other games is how encounters are resolved. That's why we are giving you a quick overview of them first, before we go into detail on how you play your turn. See also "full encounter rules", p.XX.

Your units start the game hidden. This means the unit illustration is hidden underneath and not visible to the others. You may check anytime. Whenever a unit moves into a territory with an enemy unit, they are revealed and their tribes have to resolve an encounter.

Territories

A territory is a space on the board where you and other tribes can have any number of units. Most territory borders are shown with blue rivers. See examples below.

Territories with bright blue glowing borders are Dragon territories. The Dragon can only move into these. See examples below. These are "inner" Dragon territories (in the center of the board).

The land tries to make your traversal difficult. All territories have boxes with effects that you must apply ANYTIME that you move a unit. See example below.

Example notes from the draft: "These parts are just thematic illustrations and not territories." "These are 'inner' Dragon territories (in the center of the board)." "This one also has an exploration reward."

Encounters - A Short Overview

Each tribe chooses 1 of their present units to act and reveals their active stance. Each stance has an effect and an initiative value as shown in the example below.

The unit with the higher initiative has to apply its stance's effect first. If that didn't end the encounter, the other stance's effect is applied. They are not optional!

Since you only choose 1 unit, there is no advantage in numbers other than having more unit types to choose from, unless the stance explicitly says so.

You may pay up to 1 insight token to increase your initiative by the shown value. This means you are using your knowledge of your surroundings to your advantage. With most orders a matching insight token increases your initiative by 2; any other insight token increases it by 1.

[Fury symbol] instead of a number: This means you are able to use the Dragon's magical might! In that case your initiative bonus is the "+" value on the Fury Track next to the space your tribe token is on. The column is the one with the matching insight type at the top/bottom.

Tip: Only pay insight tokens if you really need to. You might still need it to alter a tree!

Draft example labels: "initiative if you are ACTIVE (during your turn)"; "initiative if you are PASSIVE (during all other turns)"; "matching insight if you are ACTIVE"; "matching insight if you are PASSIVE". The example card shown is GREAT HUNT (Hunters): "2 enemy units per HUNTERS that was revealed for this encounter are dispelled; or dispel [icon]." The example shows a bonus of "+2", since that is the value on the Celts side of the Fury Track level.

Flow of a Turn

Each day holds new hardships. Only a rigorous routine can help us through it.

On each of your turns go through the steps A-F as laid out on your tribe board. Some steps differ from tribe to tribe. You can find your unique actions on your tribe board and further explanations in your Tribe Handbook.

The steps are in order:

• A - Start of Turn: You may win the game, modify your units or check your insight tokens.
• B - Main Actions: The main phase of a turn. You may move your units, alter a tree, gain new abilities in the form of special action cards and more (p.XX).
• C - Tribe-Effects: Each tribe has their own unique abilities they may use (p.XX).
• D - Movement: The Dragon moves. Only in the turn of the tribe with the Dragon Stone (p.XX). A Fury card might be revealed or insight added to the bag.
• E - Reaction: The Dragon reacts to the behavior of your units; it may get angrier at you or calm down. Active and passive tribes, only if they were in an encounter (p.XX).
• F - New Stances: Your units adopt new stances. Active and passive tribes, only if they were in an encounter (p.XX).

These steps will be explained in more detail below. To learn the game, only read the paragraphs that apply to you and read the rest after everyone has taken their first turn!

Step A - Start of Turn

A new day and nothing has changed. Hopefully.

• Announce Victory: If you control at least 4 VP you may announce victory and win immediately.
• Dispelled Units: If you have any dispelled units, return 1 of them to your ENCAMPMENT OR discard 1 card to gain 1 insight token from the bag.
• Tribe Action: Each tribe has a unique 3rd action. Some allow you to check your insight tokens, some to modify your units.

Gaining Insight: When gaining an insight token, you may feel its shape and try to get one that helps you. Place gained insight tokens hidden (face down) next to your player board. You may look at its front at any time. Each tribe has a preferred insight type with the highest chances of drawing them. It's the one that most closely matches their tribe symbol.

Step B - Main Actions

Let's get to work!

Use 2 actions on your turn. All tribes have the same 4 actions to choose from: EXPLORE, PLAN, SPECIAL ACTION, IMPROVED BOOST. EXPLORE can only be done as your 1st action. PLAN only as your 2nd action.

The Dark Faery has a unique action, Poisoning the Tree. It can only be used as your 1st action.

Tip: For your first game, we recommend you read your "1st turn" cards (not out loud, only announce the actions!) and follow their instructions. Read the description in the following boxes for each action as you do it so that everyone knows how they work. Sometimes turns can get a little complicated, if you start a lot of encounters. Use the different sides of the Active-token to remind you whether you're doing your 1st or 2nd action.

Explore and Movement in General

Each day holds new hardships. Only a rigorous routine can help us through it.

Our trampled paths have vanished again. It's as if nature itself doesn't want us here...

To EXPLORE, carry out the following steps in order:

1. Choose 1 territory.
2. Choose whether you want to move your units into or out of the territory.

	MOVING IN	MOVING OUT
1.	Choose 1 or 2 territories adjacent to the new territory.	Choose 1 or 2 territories adjacent to the first territory.
2.	Move any number of your units, but at least 1, from each of the chosen territories into the new territory.	Move any number of units, but at least 1, from the first territory into the latter territories.

The following rules apply to ALL kinds of movement, whether from exploration, orders during encounters or special action cards! Apply all territory effects as described on the board and p. XX of this rulebook. This means you have to apply max. 2 effects to each unit that moves: the effect of the territory it leaves AND the effect of the territory it enters.

Each territory effect is marked with one of these key words:

• LEAVING: Apply the effect each time one or more units move OUT OF the territory.
• ENTERING: Apply the effect each time one or more units move INTO the territory.

If you moved a unit into a territory with an insight token of YOUR tribe, you gain that insight token. Place it next to your board the way it was: hidden (face down) or revealed (face up). You may look under your hidden insight token at any time. The territory is then "known" to you.

If you moved a unit into a territory with an exploration reward, as shown in the draft, resolve the effect BEFORE any encounters.

• HIDE: Hide all units that you return or move to your ENCAMPMENT. This effect also applies if you already have a unit there.
• Choose one of these effects:
  • Gain 1 insight token from the bag.
  • BOOST: Reveal the top card of your Library pile and move it to your Ideas pile.
  • [icon]: You may check any 1 [icon] (look at the token underneath) OR at the top card of the Dragon Movement pile ([icon]).

Do not apply these effects if you already have a unit in the territory.

Draft note: the icons in the "choose one of these effects" box and in the Hide tile are not named in the draft's text layer; they are shown as [icon] where they could not be identified from the page image.

Complete all movements and gain all of these exploration rewards. Afterwards, if a territory you moved into contains units from an enemy tribe or the Dragon, resolve the encounter(s) in an order of your choice for all of these territories, as described on p.XX. This means you get to first get the reward for exploring a territory, before you encounter someone. Use this to your advantage!

Boost and Empower

We are learning from our experiences in the wild. This will give us new options in the future.

BOOST and EMPOWER are effects that let you unlock new action cards.

To BOOST, reveal the top card of your Library and place it into your Ideas pile, thereby unlocking it.

EMPOWER is an action you may take during your turn. To use it, look at the 2 topmost cards of your Library and choose 1 to place into your Ideas pile and apply the EMPOWER EFFECT. Put the other card back on top of your Library pile.

The EMPOWER EFFECT is shown as a symbol in the bottom right corner of the card. If there are two symbols divided with "/", choose 1 of the options:

• Insight symbol: Gain 1 insight token from the bag.
• [icon]: Exchange 1 of your insight tokens with one in the bag.
• Red fury symbol: Increase your FURY LEVEL: Move your token on the Fury Track up 1 space.
• Blue fury symbol: Decrease your FURY LEVEL: Move your token on the Fury Track down 1 space.
• [icon]: Move 1 card from your Library to your Ideas.

For more info on the fury track, see page XXX.

Only apply the boost effect 1 time per game; when you unlock the card!

Special Action

Let's put our plans into action!

Choose and reveal a card from your special action pile and discard it into your Ideas. Follow the instructions on the card from top to bottom. If you reach a "-"-effect you cannot or don't want to perform completely, ignore the rest of the card.

This action is how you play the card with the dark brown dragon border that lets you alter the tree, thereby bringing you much closer to winning. Each tribe's card works a bit differently, so read the corresponding page in your tribe handbook to learn how exactly you need to prepare to play it. It's extremely important that you know how to use that card and what costs you need to pay. You should read it before you gain insight from the bag so that you know which kind of insight to collect!

Different tribes gain their tree-altering cards at different points in the game. Collect insight and plan accordingly!

• You may ignore any effects that start with "You may" and carry on with the rest of the card.
• If an effect follows the structure "[pay cost] to [gain reward]", for example to "pay insight to move 1 unit", it is optional for you to pay the cost to gain the reward. You may ignore that effect and continue on with the next "-".

Note that cards with [icon] in the top left corner affect the Dragon's movement (the Dragon Movement symbol, a blue ring) or its Fury cards (the red fury symbol).

Draft example: the Celts card "Felling the Dragon Tree" is shown as the example card for this action.

Card Notes

• Cards with a bright border contain an effect that you can use outside of your turn. (Draft example: the Hunters card "Master Hunters".)
• Some cards include "Choose one"-boxes. In that case you can only use 1 of the "•"-effects. (Draft example: the Druid card "Druid's Dominance".)
• Ignore the Empower effect in the bottom left corner when playing a card. It only applies when you unlock the card by empowering. (Draft example: the Vikings card "Experienced Commander".)
• Reveal: Some cards' effects only work if you have a unit in a certain territory. You have to reveal that unit, if it's hidden, to show that you fulfill the condition.
• Encounter: All cards that move a unit or the Dragon may lead to encounters. Resolve these encounters immediately before resolving the rest of the card. On some cards this is explicitly written as a reminder.

Plan

Let's take some time to lay out our next steps...

Take all cards from your Ideas pile and add them to your Special Actions.

All other tribes may take advantage of this short time of peace: each other tribe may reveal 1 of their insight tokens to either BOOST or take 1 random card from their Ideas pile.

Gaining and Playing Insight

Everywhere we go we gain new insights into our surroundings. We will certainly be able to use them to our advantage!

To gain an insight token, draw 1 token from the bag, unless the origin is specified. You may gain any insight token, even those from other tribes. You may feel the shape of the token before taking it out. The insight type that matches the shape most closely is the type that has the highest probability of being drawn.

Take it and place it next to your tribe board. Do not hide it behind your stances. If it was revealed, it has to stay revealed. Insight tokens taken from the bag are hidden.

To pay an insight token, put an insight token that you previously gained into the bag. You can pay with any insight token, no matter which tribe it belongs to and no matter if it's hidden or revealed. Unless otherwise specified, you can only pay insight tokens that you have in your play area, not from the board, fury track or other tribes' play areas.

Draft note: a "Most common insight types" graphic shows the eight insight designs paired with their tribe symbols; it is not reproduced in text.

Revealing Insight

Nothing is lost, if we reveal what we know...

To reveal an insight token, turn it so that the type (its symbol) is visible. If an effect requires you to reveal an insight token in order to do something else, you must have hidden insight that you can actually reveal.

Unless otherwise specified, you can only reveal insight tokens that you have in your play area, not from the board, fury track or other tribes' play areas.

This means you can "pay" TWICE with each insight token: once by revealing it, and once more by actually paying it and putting it into the bag. So when you get the chance to "exchange 1 insight token," meaning you pay 1 and you gain 1, you can pay a revealed insight token to gain a hidden insight token.

There is almost no downside to revealing insight other than you not being able to reveal it for another effect. But don't forget that it might help the other tribes to know what kinds of insight you've got.

Step C - Tribe Effects

This is just who we are.

Each tribe has something different to do in their step C. This is detailed on their tribe boards and in their tribe handbooks.

Randomness with few cards (draft box): Under which cup is the prize? In Dragon Dale you'll often have to draw a random card from 2-4 cards. We recommend having another tribe draw the card for you (without looking at it), instead of shuffling each time.

Step D - Movement

It's moving through the trees! And even to some places where trees grew, once.

If you do not have the Dragon Stone, skip this step. Only the tribe with the Dragon Stone performs step D.

If you have the Dragon Stone and you have defeated the Dragon BEFORE YOUR CURRENT turn, return it to a random inner Dragon territory. To determine which, draw a Dragon Movement card and place it in the Dragon territory with the matching rune. Redraw if you get the card "stay".

Determine where the Dragon goes next. The Dragon always moves from one Dragon territory to another. Dragon territories have a glowing white border. Follow the steps below to move the Dragon:

The Dragon is in an inner territory:

• Draw a Dragon Movement card.
• Move it to the adjacent inner territory with a matching rune.
• If the rune of the current territory is revealed, reshuffle and draw again.
• Move the Dragon to a matching outer Dragon territory.

The Dragon is in an outer territory:

• Draw a Dragon Movement card.
• Check whether the rune is on an arrow. If yes, move along the matching arrow to another Dragon territory.
• If the rune is not on an arrow or there are no arrows, reshuffle and draw again.
• Move the Dragon to a matching inner territory.

Afterwards resolve encounters with all tribes in the Dragon's territory (even if it stayed). The active tribe decides the order.

After the Dragon movement and potential encounters: If your tribe token is on a not yet revealed Dragon Fury card, you may reveal it.

"Stay" cards have special effects. Resolve these once the cards are revealed:

• No encounters are resolved. -1 Dragon dominance (cannot reach END) OR everyone gains 1 insight token. Whoever has the Dragon Stone chooses the effect.
• No encounters are resolved. -1 Dragon dominance if any tree is felled or poisoned (draft printed "felled of poisoned"). Otherwise everyone gains 1 insight token.

Step E - Reaction

The Dragon judges the behavior of the tribes. No matter if your units were scattered before they could enact their orders, you might have already made it angry...

This step is only relevant if you were involved in an encounter and have revealed order cards. If not, skip it.

All tribes: Adjust your Dragon Fury Level (the position of your tribe token on the Fury Track), even if you are passive:

• If you have no revealed stance cards, don't do anything.

Otherwise:

• Check the insight types of your revealed stance cards. If you are active, check the left side. If you are passive, check the right side. Compare those to the types at the top and bottom of the Fury Track.
• For each type that matches one of the types at the top, move up 1 space on the Fury Track.
• For each type that matches one of the types at the bottom, move down 1 space of the Fury Track.
• If you move out of the numbered spaces, first check if you would go back down again and move accordingly. If you still move out, apply the effect written on the space next to the end you moved out of. The active tribe chooses the order, if several tribes move out.
• If you move out on the top, you may bring chaos to the Dale and change the Fury tokens at the end of the Track! If you move out on the bottom, you lose sight of the Dragon's behavior and may reshuffle all Fury cards. In both cases you reset your Fury Level to 6 by placing your token on the starting space and reduce the Dragon's dominance.
• If additional orders are revealed by encounters following these adjustments, adjust your Fury Level accordingly.

Example: Adjusting the Fury Level (draft example): The Druids are the active tribe. After moving the Dragon and resolving all encounters, they now have to adjust their Fury Level. They had to reveal 1 order card during an encounter, "Flying Paws" (Forest Animals: "Move all your units into max. 2 free adjacent territories. Hide all of them."). As active tribe, they check the left side of the order card and find an insight symbol. Now they check the Fury Track. That insight symbol is located at the bottom of the Fury Track, so they have to move down 1 space. Their token is on the second-to-last space. They move down to the last space and collect the insight token in the same row.

Step F - New Stance

After encountering other being on the island, our units rethink their stances. (Printed as "other being" in the draft.)

ALL tribes have to give new stances to any unit that was in an encounter, even if it's not their turn:

• If you have no revealed stance cards, don't do anything.

Otherwise:

• Each tribe renews their stances differently, depending on if they are active or passive. This is described on your tribe boards. Do not show the new stance to the other tribes!
• Always choose or draw from the stances of that unit. A unit can never have the stance of a different kind of unit.
• After you have chosen a new stance, stand the cards back up again.

Once all stances are hidden again, the next tribe may start its turn.

Before Your 2nd Turn

You've taken your first steps, but there is still a lot to learn.

After every tribe has had their first turn:

• Flip your "1st Turn" cards to the side "Flow of an Encounter".
• Read any action descriptions that have not yet been done.

Normally you would have chosen the active stances for all your units during setup. But now that you have a better understanding of the rules, choose your stances before the starting tribe begins its 2nd turn!

Full Rules for Encounters

We are not alone.

An encounter happens when a unit moves into a territory with units from at least 1 enemy tribe or the Dragon. The tribe whose unit moved into the territory has to resolve an encounter with each other present tribe and the Dragon, if it's present. If the Dragon moves into a territory with one or more tribes present, all of them have to resolve an encounter with the Dragon.

To resolve an encounter, go through the following steps in order:

1. Choose which encounter to resolve first (between which tribes, or between which tribe and the Dragon). If you are the active tribe, you make this decision. If the Dragon is present, you have to encounter it before any tribe.
2. Reveal all units of both tribes in the encounter. See the box "hidden units", p. XX.
3. Choose 1 of your present units to act during this encounter. First the passive tribe (the tribe that is not taking its turn, right now), then the active tribe. It does not have to be the unit that moved into the territory.
4. Reveal the current stances, by tipping the card stands over. See "Stances", p. XX.

Draft example: It is the Druids' turn and they decide to move 1 hidden unit into a Rune stone territory. The Vikings already have 1 unit in the territory. The Vikings will lose the Rune stone after the encounter, if they do not dispel or move the Druid's unit out of the territory. The tribes now have to resolve the encounter. There are no other tribes present (neither is the Dragon). Therefore the Druids cannot decide to encounter anyone else first. Both tribes now reveal all their units. The Druids reveal ARCH DRUID FYNN and the Vikings reveal the RAVEN. These are the only units present and have to act.

5. You may pay 1 insight token to add to the Initiative of your stance (will be explained below). First the passive tribe, then the active tribe. Place the insight token next to your card (hidden, if it was hidden). Only discard it to the bag after the encounter ends.

Reveal insight and determine Initiative.

The Initiative of your order is visible on the bottom of your stance card: on the left if you are active, on the right if you are passive. For this it does not matter who moved, only whose turn it is!

The Initiative is either a value or dependent on the present units. ALWAYS only take units or the Dragon in the territory of the encounter into account for these! Also only the ones that belong to the tribes in the encounter.

Your initiative value is increased if you pay an insight token. By how much depends on whether it matches the insight type on the card:

• Doesn't match: Increase your Initiative by 1.
• Does match: Increase your Initiative by 2 or by the Dragon Might (see box "Dragon Might" on the next page).

7. Apply the effects of BOTH order cards in order of Initiative, highest Initiative first. In case of a tie, the tribe with the higher dominance first.

   Effects ALWAYS only apply to the units of the tribes in the encounter and in the territory. In case of movement effects you ALWAYS have to apply the territory effects (see p.XX).

   Do NOT apply the effect of the order with the lower Initiative, if:

   • The 1st effect ended the encounter.
   • No unit of the tribe with the higher Initiative remains in the territory.
   • No unit of the type that matches the stance card remains in the territory.

8. If there are still encounters to resolve, go back to step 1. Otherwise keep the revealed stances open; they will be replaced at the end of the turn.

The encounter with the Dragon is resolved slightly differently; see "Full rules for the Dragon" (p.XX).

Draft example: The tribes reveal their current stances. The Druids reveal the stance "MAGICIAN," and the Vikings reveal "SWOOPING ATTACK."

Now the Druids have an Initiative of "3" (left side of the card) and the Vikings of "3" (right side of the card). The Vikings are the passive tribe and may decide first whether they want to spend insight to increase their Initiative. They decide to spend an insight token to increase their Initiative to "5." The Druids do not have any insight to spend; their Initiative stays at "3." The Vikings reveal and pay their insight. They have the higher Initiative ("5" vs. "4" as printed in the draft; see note below) and resolve their effect first.

Draft note: the draft's example text gives the Druids' Initiative as "3" in one sentence and "4" in the closing comparison ("5" vs. "4"). Both values are transcribed as printed; the final comparison does not follow from the preceding sentence and should be checked against the final edition.

They may boost (take a card from the Library) and then dispel the enemy unit. ARCH DRUID FYNN is a unit and is therefore affected by the effect. He gets dispelled, ending the encounter. The Vikings are once again alone in the territory. As such, they keep the Rune stone, which is worth 1 VP.

Hidden Units

Stay unseen and you will get much further than if you stomp around.

The plastic miniatures represent your units. At the start of the game all your units are "hidden," except the Vikings' Ox. This means the tribe symbol and not the unit illustration is visible on the top of the miniature.

• Revealing units: To reveal a unit, turn it so that the unit illustration is visible.
• Hiding units: To hide a unit, turn it so that the tribe symbol is visible.

Hiding units is not only about keeping information from the other tribes. There are several special action cards that you can only use on your hidden units. And some of the Celts' stances profit from being hidden at the start of an encounter.

Stances

We will not be able to speak with our troops for some time. Think well on which orders you give them.

The behavior of your units is governed by their stance cards. Each unit has an "active stance"; it's the stance that's visible to you on the card facing you.

Draft example card: "GREAT HUNT" (Hunters), with labels: "effect"; "initiative if you are ACTIVE (during your turn)"; "initiative if you are PASSIVE (during all other turns)"; "matching insight if you are ACTIVE"; "matching insight if you are PASSIVE". The card text reads: "2 enemy units per HUNTERS that was revealed for this encounter are dispelled; or dispel [icon]." The draft's example bonus is "+2", since that is the value on the Celts' Fury Track level.

You are only allowed to change the active stance of a unit after that unit had an encounter (at the end of that turn). So you might even want to trigger an encounter, just to change the active stance of a unit!

All effects of the cards ALWAYS only affect units or the Dragon in the territory of the encounter! And only those of the tribes in the encounter.

For a detailed explanation of the keywords, see "Glossary" on p. XXX.

Dragon Might

We can use not only our surroundings to our advantage, but also the magic that flows through it from the Dragon!

The Fury Track shows what the Dragon currently thinks of you. The higher you go, the more angry it is with you. On the lower levels it is indifferent or perhaps almost friendly. And since the Dragon's magic flows through every part of the island, you are sometimes able to use it to give you an edge in encounters.

Check the side of the table that shows the insight type you used. Find the level where your Tribe Token is. The modifier shown there (between +2 and +6) is the bonus you may add to your Initiative.

Draft example: "If the Druids pay an insight token, they receive the Initiative bonus of the column where the insight token and row where their Tribe Token is."

Encounter with the Dragon

The Great One approaches.

The Dragon is not a unit! Only effects that specifically target the Dragon apply to it.

Tip: Orders with red, filled-in brackets affect the Dragon!

If you encounter the Dragon, follow the same encounter steps, with the following changes:

• The Dragon's stance is the Fury card from the space on the Fury Track your Tribe Token is on.
• If it is still face down, reveal it when you would reveal the enemy tribes' order. (Before choosing if you want to play an insight token.)
• The Dragon's Initiative is the number next to the card +/- the value on the card. Some cards do not have a value; then it's just the value next to the card.
• After your encounter, the Fury card stays revealed in its spot, and is not changed in Step F - New Stance.
• The Dragon's dominance spaces are next to those of the tribes (at the top of the board), but it's still part of their stance. At the start of the game, the Dragon's dominance is higher than the tribes'. If you need to decrease it, move it to the next space, past the token of the tribe highest in dominance. To increase it, move it back up. If it ever reaches the lowest space, the game ends (see p.XXX).

Draft example: The Celts encounter the Dragon. Their Tribe token is on space 7 of the Fury Track. They reveal the Fury card underneath, "BANNING," as it was not revealed before. The Dragon's Initiative is the number next to the card (7) plus the value shown on the card (+1). So the Dragon has an Initiative of 8. They now resolve the encounter. Afterwards, the Fury card stays revealed.

If You Dispel the Dragon

We've slain the beast! But what is this? Our trophy is already fading away!

• Place the Dragon as 1 VP in front of you.
• Take the Dragon Stone and the Dragon Movement cards. The Dragon will enter play again in step D - MOVEMENT of our NEXT turn (see p.X). Then you don't have it as VP anymore.

Full Rules for the Dragon

These rules have already been touched on in different areas of this rulebook. At this point we are collecting all of them for easy reference.

Reminder: The Dragon is not a unit! Only effects that specifically target the Dragon apply to it. These effects are highlighted by red, filled-in brackets on the stance cards.

Dragon Movement

If we can learn its patterns, we can avoid it entirely.

The Dragon ALWAYS stays in Dragon territories, marked with the Dragon territory symbol. There are no card or other game effects able to break this rule.

Its movement can be affected by cards with the matching symbol. Other than that it only moves during step D - MOVEMENT of the tribe with the Dragon Stone.

The Vikings' and Celts' cards "Reaching the Dragon Tree" allow you to actively move the Dragon into your territory. Use (the draft's sentence is cut off at this point; the remainder is not printed in the draft).

Check If the Dragon Is Able to Move to You

If the Dragon is currently dispelled, it can't move to you.

Otherwise: The Dragon has to be able to move directly to you with a single move, to reach you. If you draw the card "STAY" at any point during the movement, the Dragon stays in its current territory.

The Dragon is in an inner territory:

• The Dragon moves into an adjacent inner Dragon territory that matches the symbol on the drawn card.
• If the Dragon is already in a territory with a matching symbol, reshuffle all cards and draw a new card. The Dragon now moves into a matching outer Dragon territory.

The Dragon is in an outer territory:

• The arrows have priority. The Dragon moves into the matching outer territory.
• The matching symbol is not on an arrow: reshuffle all cards and draw a new card. The Dragon now moves into a matching inner Dragon territory.
• The outer Dragon territory has no arrows: reshuffle and draw a new card. It specifies in which inner Dragon territory the Dragon moves.

Encounter with the Dragon (Full Rules)

If we learn how to overpower it, we don't have to hide anymore.

Either if the Dragon moves to you or you move to the Dragon, follow these steps to resolve the encounter:

1. The active tribe decides which encounter to resolve first.
2. Reveal your present units.
3. Choose 1 of your present units to act.
4. Reveal the active stance of that unit.
5. Reveal the Fury card your Tribe Token is on, if it was face down. It stays revealed after this encounter. The Dragon's Initiative is the number next to the card +/- the value on the card (if there is one).

Draft example: The Dragon moves into a territory where 1 unit of the Celts is present. They now have to resolve the encounter. The Celts reveal their only present unit, QUEEN ALANIS. They cannot choose another unit to act and reveal the ALANIS order card (see the draft's card example, continued on the next page).

6. You may pay 1 insight token to add to the Initiative of your order. Place it revealed next to your stance.

   • Doesn't match: Increase your Initiative by 1.
   • Does match: Increase your Initiative by 2 or by the Dragon Might.

7. Apply the effects of BOTH cards (stance and Fury) in order of Initiative, highest Initiative first. In case of a tie, higher dominance first.

   Effects ALWAYS only apply to the units of the tribe in the encounter and in the territory. In case of movement effects you ALWAYS have to apply the territory effects.

   Do NOT apply the effect of the stance with the lower Initiative, if:

   • The first effect ended the encounter.
   • No unit of the higher Initiative remains in the territory.
   • No unit of the type that matches the stance card of the lower Initiative remains in the territory.

8. If there are still encounters to resolve, go back to step 1. Otherwise keep the revealed stances open; they will be replaced at the end of the turn.

Draft example: The Celts are passive, because the Dragon moved into the territory. ALANIS has an Initiative of "3." She reveals the Fury card on the Fury Track that her Tribe token is on and determines the Dragon's Initiative as "8" ("7" plus "+1" from the card). Even when paying an insight token, she won't be able to surpass the Dragon's Initiative and decides not to spend any insight. The Dragon now applies the effect of its Fury card and places all units of the Celts in the territory with the Dragon in their ENCAMPMENT. Because there are no units of the type that matches the revealed stance card left, the encounter ends.

Dragon Fury

The Dragon is restless. If we disturb it, it will attack!

You must apply all effects of the card to your own units, if the Dragon would resolve its order.

Initiative

The Dragon's Initiative is the number next to the space of the Fury Track your token is on. This number may be altered by the Fury card. If there is no number on the Fury card, it isn't altered.

"Total number of conquered Rune stones" means you have to count ALL Rune stones that are conquered by any tribe at the time.

If You Dispel the Dragon (second version, as printed on the Dragon Fury page)

• Place the Dragon as 1 VP in front of you.
• Reduce the Dragon's dominance by 1 (might trigger end of game).
• Take the Dragon Stone and the Dragon Movement cards. The Dragon will enter play again in step D - MOVEMENT of your NEXT turn. Then you don't have it as VP any more.

Draft note: the draft prints two "If You Dispel the Dragon" boxes; the one under Encounter with the Dragon (above) does not include the dominance reduction, and this second box does. Both are transcribed as printed.

Full Rules for the Fury Track

The Dragon's might, what it thinks of us and the magic flowing through the island; it's all connected.

Movement

The Dragon judges us.

A space on the Fury Track is the whole area that contains the base Initiative number and the area where the card lies. That's where you place your tribe token and insight tokens at the start of the game.

When an effect contains the red fury icon, you've angered the Dragon and need to move up on the Fury Track. Move your tribe token 1 space up. The blue icon means you've calmed the Dragon with your action; move your tribe token 1 space down. This happens when you EMPOWER with certain cards, or when you play certain cards.

Also in step E - Reaction, you have to adjust your Fury Level as described on p.X.

If you move your tribe token onto a space with your insight token, gain it.

Over the Edge

If your tribe token moves onto one of the spaces with text at the upper or lower end of the table, you have to fulfill the effect written on the end of the table.

Chaos: If you went over the top, you've lured the Dragon into a blind rage. You can use this to send it against your foes.

Pay 1 insight token or randomly exchange the "4" token at the top and bottom of the Fury Track (as printed in the draft). Reduce the Dragon's dominance. Reset your Fury by placing your tribe token on the starting space ("6").

Lost in Dreams: You've come so close to the Dragon that your people are getting lost in its magical dreams. Some wander off into the wilderness.

For all territories: Pay 1 insight token or hide all Dragon Fury cards, shuffle them and place them back on the Fury Track without revealing any. Reduce the Dragon's dominance. Reset your Fury by placing your tribe token on the starting space ("6").

Fury Cards

Most of the time it just seems to want to eat us.

The cards on the Fury Track (Dragon Fury cards) are revealed in two ways:

1. During step D - Dragon Movement
2. During an encounter with the Dragon.

Step D - Dragon Movement (printed "Drag Movement"): After you have moved the Dragon and resolved any resulting encounters, the tribe with the Dragon Stone may reveal the Fury card under their tribe token on the Fury Track.

During an encounter with the Dragon: Reveal the Fury card during the encounter. Reveal only the card of the space your tribe token is on.

Some of the cards contain an Initiative modifier. Add or subtract it to the Dragon's Initiative during your encounter. All cards contain the effect description that you need to apply if the Dragon gets to act during the encounter.

Draft example: the card "REFLECTION" (move all your units into 1 adjacent free territory) shows a "-1" modifier. If you reveal that card, you subtract "1" from the Dragon's Initiative.

Dragon Might

The Dragon's magic empowers us, if we have enough insight!

To the right and left of the table is the Dragon Might scale. If you've played a matching insight token during an encounter and your order card shows the Dragon Might symbol next to that insight type, this means you get to add your Dragon Might to your Initiative. The might of the Dragon flows through you, then, and you get to use it to your advantage.

Check the column that shows the insight type in the space next to where your tribe token currently is. The "+X" value there is what you may add to your Initiative. (The draft shows the insight types as icons: two on the left side of the scale and two on the right.)

Experienced: This may change during the game.

Full Rules for the Trees

These aren't just normal trees. They are imbued with ancient magic.

Trees on borders are part of both territories that share that border.

Altering trees is worth 2 VP and works as described in the tribe handbooks. In general, all tribes need to have a certain unit in a territory with a tree and be able to pay varying amounts of insight.

Check Tree

The trees are all different and ever changing. If we learn something, we need to put it to use.

Look at the symbols underneath 1 tree (of your choice, unless specified). Do not reveal it to the others.

Experienced: After you reveal the underside of a tree, no matter if you were able to pay the costs or not, randomize ALL unaltered trees. This means switching their positions randomly until no one knows which shows which symbol(s) anymore.

Pay Costs According to the Tree

Reveal the symbols underneath the tree. You have to pay insight according to the symbols and fulfill any other requirements.

UNALTERED tree	ALTERED tree (CURSED/BLESSED)	ALTERED tree (FELLED)
Cost: – 1 insight of a certain type OR – 2 insight of the same type. If the tree has a "+1" next to it, this means you have to pay 1 additional PREM (as printed). For "2 insight of the same type" this means you have to pay 3 of the same type.	They are NOT affected by the "+1" but might have these conditions: [tribe-specific icon]: A [unit icon] of yours has to be present to pay the cost. [card icon]: Pay all 4 different types of insight. Reminder: A cursed tree cannot be blessed and a blessed tree not cursed!	A felled tree cannot be altered again.

Draft note: the table's icons for the two cursed/blessed conditions are not named in the draft's text layer and are shown in brackets where they could not be identified from the page image. "PREM" in the unaltered-tree cost is printed as such; it appears to be a slip for the insight token.

Full Rules for the Encounters

It's not that far, but this peninsula is so wild that we can't just march through.

(The draft's heading for this page reads "Full Rules for the Encounters"; its body is the reference for territory effects, reproduced here as printed.)

A territory is a space on the board where you and other tribes can have any number of units. Most territory borders are shown with blue rivers. See examples below.

Territories with bright blue glowing borders are "Dragon territories." The Dragon can only move into these. See examples below.

All territories have boxes with effects that you must apply ANYTIME you move a unit. See example below.

Draft captions: "These parts are just thematic illustrations and not territories." "These are 'inner' Dragon territories (in the center of the board)." "This one also has an exploration reward."

Important keywords:

• LEAVING: Apply the effect each time one or more units move OUT OF the territory.
• ENTERING: Apply the effect each time one or more units move INTO the territory.

Marshland

LEAVING: Discard 1 card OR pay 1 insight token.

If you can do neither, you cannot leave. If an effect forces you to leave, discard the unit instead.

Mountain

ENTERING: Max 2 units per movement.

There can be more than 2 units in the MOUNTAINS, but only 2 may enter at a time.

Thicket

LEAVING: Max 2 units.

Each time units move out of the THICKET, you can only move max. 2.

Root Tunnel

BEFORE LEAVING: Move 1 unit into any other ROOT TUNNEL.

Example: The movement effect you are using says "Move 1 unit." You want to move a unit out of a ROOT TUNNEL territory. First, you have to move one of the present units into another root tunnel. Only then do you move a unit due to the effect. This means you are actually moving 2 units.

If you have only 1 unit in a ROOT TUNNEL territory, it can't leave, because of this effect: first you have to move the only unit out, and have none remaining that can be moved out. A single unit will be lost in the ROOT TUNNELS, wandering endlessly.

The [exclamation mark] symbol is there to remind you that a single unit can't leave on its own.

Fog Valley

LEAVING: Min. 2 units, only in different territories. Hide units.

When moving out of this territory, your units have to move into different territories. At least 2 units have to leave at any time. If you only have a single unit in the FOG VALLEY, it cannot move out! When moving out of the territories, hide any revealed units.

The [exclamation mark] symbol is there to remind you that a single unit can't leave on its own.

Dragon Territories

These are all territories with a white glowing border. (Draft note: the Territories section on p.10 describes these borders as "bright blue glowing"; the Flow of a Turn and this page say white. Both are transcribed as printed.)

Outer Dragon Territory

These are all Dragon territories outside of the inner 3 Dragon territories.

Inner Dragon Territory

These are the inner 3 Dragon territories. All of these have this rule:

ENTERING: Max 1 unit per movement into any inner Dragon territory.

Entering the inner Dragon territories is really difficult. This means you cannot even send units into 2 different inner Dragon territories.

On the 4-player board the trees are on the territory border. This means they are part of BOTH adjacent territories!

Rune Stone

Never known, never free.

If you conquered a RUNE STONE territory (no enemy tribe is present), take the Rune stone from that territory and place it on one of the VP spaces near your ENCAMPMENT. It is worth 1 VP. If an enemy tribe moves into the territory, resolve the encounter. If the enemy tribe is still present after the encounter, you have to return the Rune stone.

Encampment

The ENCAMPMENTS have dashed glowing borders and this rule:

• LEAVING: Max. 2 units.
• ENTERING: Only your units.

It takes some time to get ready and head out, so only 2 units may leave per movement, same as THICKET.

Only your units may enter your ENCAMPMENT. Hide units once they return to your encampment.

Glossary

• active: You are active if it's your turn. (See also "active order.")
• active stance: The stance a unit will follow in its next encounter. Your units' stances are always visible to you. If you place your stances in piles, it's the top card of the pile. You may check it at any time.
• adjacent territory: A territory with a shared border.
• altered tree: Felled, blessed or cursed. In the case of "felled," this does not refer to wood, but to the spot where the tree used to be: the tree stump.
• boost: Take the top card from your Library pile. Place it in your Ideas pile. If your Library is empty, instead decrease Dragon dominance.
• end encounter: The encounter ends immediately; all present units stay where they are. No other orders are executed. Stances with this have blue, round brackets (red in the case of Druids).
• conquered: A territory is conquered by you if there is a unit of yours in the territory, but no unit from other tribes and not the Dragon.
• discard: Place discarded cards in your Ideas pile. You may always look through your Ideas and even change the order. But if a card marked "Ideas (TOP)" is in your supply, it must be on top of the pile for the enemy tribes to see.
• dispel: Dispelled units are fleeing and lost in the wilderness. Place them revealed next to the board until they can return. Dispelled units are never hidden. Orders with this have spiky, yellow brackets if they dispel enemy units, and spiky, red brackets if they can dispel the Dragon.
• dragon territory: Territories with a white glowing border.