Empedocle
A game created by Alexis Suard
Synopsis
Get Rid of your Hate and breake the Cyce of Empedocles opposing Love and Hate within the Earth World, consisting of four elements Air, Fire, Earth and Water.
Get rid of all your Hatred Shards (black tokens) and win the game.
Introduction
In antiquity, the philosopher Empedocles thought that the Universe was centered on the Terrestrial World consisting of four elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water) that unified together under the effect of Love and separated under the effect of Hate, in a perpetual cycle.
This vision of the World was then supplemented by the description of a Celestial World and the fifth element, the Ether, stable around the Terrestrial World.
Players are the strenghs that participate in the balance of the cycle (“kyklo” in Greek). At the request of the Great Architect, each seeks to break the cycle of Empedocles to stabilize the Earth world on the side of Love. For this, the forces must get rid of their Hatred.
Hatred disappears step by step every time a force manages to bring together the 4 elements of the Earth World. This force can then dispose of the Cylinder, bridge between the two worlds.
The forces can benefit from the Ether, capable of substituting itself for the elements.
Impatience can push one force to act before others but can also lead them all to their loss.
The competition rewards the strength that first manages to stabilize the Earth World and satisfy the Great Architect.
* EMPEDOCLE KYKLO version
In a 2 players game, each take two strengths
– place its strength near a starting element tile
Phase 1) Strife
– roll the dice of the Celestial World, unknown to all
– from the Lightning Stone and counterclockwise,
advance without boon its strength on a tile element counterclockwise (Air->Fire->Earth->Water->Ether then Air)
or on the whirl, if the tile is empty
use as much boon as necessary to move further
deposit a boon on each intermediate tile
pick up a boon from the final tile if there is one
– if a force goes on the whirl tile, roll the die, place it on the tile associated with the die,
take an element or a boon (the tile is blocked)
– If a player is already on this tile, he must roll the die to move his strength to another tile
Phase 2) Attraction
– take the elements in the ordre displayed on central tile according to the sides of the die
– a single player can combine the elements Air, Fire, Earth, Water
– take a boon if dice on the whirl tile
– unveil the bonus of the Celestial World die, take the bonus if a force is on the tile designated by the die
– per player, maximum 2 terrestrial elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water) and only 1 Ether
– exchange 2 terrestrial elements for 1 Ether or 2 Ethers for a terrestrial element if forced or by choice
Phase 3) Union
– if Air, Fire, Earth and Water are unified
give back an element of each
reject 1 Hatred on the Star of Serenity
take the Cylinder
place its force next to the tile in the direction of the next tile
End game if a player no longer has Hate
* EMPEDOCLE BOON ZEN version
With 2 players, add one or more Unknown Forces (fictional players)
Phase 1) Strife
– roll the dice of the Celestial World, unknown to all, if the Cylinder is in play
– choose the dice face (and possibly play a boon)
– possibly modify your die if you have played a bargain (face not already taken by another player) (from the Lightning Stone and counterclockwise)
– if identical dice, players are eliminated for the round
– If all on whirl face, lost game for all. END GAME.
– if only 1 side is on the whirl, roll the die, place it on the tile,
take the element or boon (the tile is blocked)
Phase 2) Attraction
– round table to keep or roll the dice (from the Lightning Stone and counterclockwise)
– if identical dice, players are eliminated for the round
– if all eliminated, reject 1 hatred if we have the cylinder
– take the elements in the order presented on central tile, according to the sides of the die
– take a boon if dice on the whirl tile
– unveil the bonus of the Celestial World die, take the bonus if the player’s die identical to this die
– a single player can combine the elements Air, Fire, Earth, Water
– per player, maximum 2 terrestrial elements (Air, Fire, Earth and Water) and 1 single Ether
– exchange 2 terrestrial elements for 1 Ether or 2 Ethers for a terrestrial element if forced or by choice
Phase 3) Union
– if Air, Fire, Earth and Water are unified
give back an element of each
reject 1 Hatred on the Star of Serenity
take the Cylinder
End game if a player no longer has Hate
* EMPEDOCLE BOON version (not ZEN!)
– same rules as EMPEDOCLE BOON ZEN with the following differences:
– if we have the Lightning Stone
do not take any element
take a boon at each turn at the end of the Strife phase
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