Hello my lovely witches,

I've talked about it in the last update but I'm revisiting The Mending Circle to improve it and prepare it for a possible physical edition. To get there I want to improve two areas of the game that I think would benefit from some extra love:

1. If the players don't pay attention the scenes might stretch out and the story might meander a bit
2. Setting up the story with the Augury can be a lot of fun but also take up multiple hours

In the last devlog I talked a bit about some slight changes to address the first issue. Today I want to write a little about the second issue:

My approach for an accelerated setup process is to provide players with quickstart kits. The idea is that such a kit contains everything you need to jump right into play. To figure out how these kits could look like I wanted to sit down and write one. With that said, here's the first draft! I'd love any and all feedback you have:

Small Town Blues

To start a session with any quickstart kit, do the following:

1. Define the setting together by picking from the given options and answering any questions in the section.
2. Each player picks one of the available witches or creates their own.
3. All players take a look at the quest together, familiarizing themselves with the Torn, the Wound and the Calamity.

After that start with the opening montage and begin free play.

Any time during free play you can look to the people and places lists in the quickstart kit for inspiration.

Many items throughout the quickstart (both during preparation and during free play) feature connecting questions. Whoever picks the element (or the current Weaver if no particular player chose) gets to answer one of the associated questions. Alternatively they can ask the question aloud to the table for one of the other players to pick it up and answer it.

Names separated with a slash (/) are considered different options. Feel free to pick whichever one feels apt when you introduce the element into the game. As always you are free to come up with your own names if you are inspired or it feels appropriate.

The Setting

Life here, in this small, rural town is simple and straightforward. The days go by slowly and the nights are filled with the sounds of nearby nature. This is a community that values conformity, because everyone that sticks out is good for gossip. Many enjoy the the slower pace, the remote locale and the friendly chatter. Others feel stuck here, searching for a way out, or at least some kind of distraction.

Pick a place and answer its question together:

1. Menice, a sleepy, alpine town that fills up with tourists during wintersports season.
   • What is the local winter holiday celebration famous for?
2. Lumburg Point, gentle summers and chilly winters at the rugged atlantic coast.
   • What do the witches of Lumburg Point do to calm the ghosts of lost sailors?
3. Stagville, surrounded by endless fields of grain under a wide open sky.
   • What makes the night sky over the fields particularly magical?
4. Mae Sameong, built into the green, tropical mountains that are peppered with temples, palm trees and monkeys.
   • At night, what can you sometimes hear the elephants sing about?
5. Halden Creek, a former industrial town that is slowly eroding after the big plant closed down. Shuttered storefronts, empty houses and no real prospects.
   • In what surprising way is the town now better off, that the plant has closed?
6. Puerto Parecis, a tightly clustered village nestled in a deep valley along the winding Tija river.
   • How can you tell that life in Puerto Parecis is closely tied to the river?

The Witches

This quiet, rural region is host to very few witches. Many of them keep to civilization's edges, enjoying the remote and quiet life surrounded by nature. When the noise of humanity quiets down, the spirits and whispers of the wild grow stronger. It is here that Mother Nišaba, open-armed has called for your help.

Each player picks a witch (and their name) or creates a new one from scratch:

1. Edith/Ez, the Witness. You live a few towns away in a small, remote cabin. You enjoy the straightfword, rural life, being by yourself and working on your art projects in peace. Still you are known to many witches in the area for your strong connection to Mother Mercedes, the tranquil.
   • What loss made you value the quiet and move here?
2. Vickie/Vinnie, the Curious. You truly enjoy life on the road. For yeaers you've been travelling the country with your cheeky ferret familiar and your weathered, old car. You have met many people and been to many places, but you've never been here before.
   • Why is your freedom to travel so crucial to who you are?
3. Meero/Maya, the Hearth. You are unassuming but you run a quirky, social space or event series in and around town. You built a place for where the weirdos and misfits of the region can congregate and find a little company in a world that values conformity.
   • Why are you so determined to give back to this community?

If you pick one of the above witches, take the appropriate playbook, copy the relevant info above and fill in the remaining blanks as you desire. Then answer the question for your witch aloud. If you feel inspired and your have the time you might want to go through the questions step on your playbook as well.

The Quest

Mishka's been struggling for quite a while now. Her life just didn't go as she had planned. She became a mom much earlier than she had ever planned. And raising a child all by herself wasn't how she imagined it either. Now she's spending all her energy just to keep all her plates spinning but she just feels so drained, overwhelmed, stuck. It's just a matter of time before the first plate hits the floor with a crash.

Each player, beginning with the starting Weaver, answers a different question:

1. Torn: Mishka, a young, struggling single-mother with distracted eyes and an exhausted posture. She's wearing old hand-me-downs personalized with simple accessories.
   • How does the Torn's situation remind you of your own upbringing?
2. Wound: Absence. Someone important is not present, creating a vacuum or imbalance.
   • How have you dealt with the absence of someone important in your life?
3. Calamity: Breakdown. Mishka will have a public crisis and lose custody over her child.
   • Why does the danger of this Calamity cut particularly deep for you?

When you meet Mishka, she's out grocery shopping with her child in tow. Unfortunately the little one is unhappy and crying up a storm.

People

Feel free to introduce these people during free play in whatever way makes sense to you. If you do, pick one of the questions to answer:

1. Anna, Mishka's mother is an unhappy woman in her 50s.
   • Why is she so critical of Mishka, especially of how she raises her child?
   • What makes her so unpredictable that she has trouble holding down a job?
   • Why does she blame herself for losing her husband?
2. Max, is an overly inquisitive 8 year old that deeply loves dinosaurs.
   • What did Max and Mishka used to do for fun?
   • Why is he having trouble in school?
3. Kenny/Kasem, a former school-mate and current coworker of Mishka.
   • Why did he and Mishka not talk much while they were in school togehter?
   • How is his family a source of strength for him?
4. Peter, Mishka's uncle, a quiet man in his late 50s.
   • In what way is he yet another burden for Mishka?
   • Why does he prefer to keep to himself most of the time?
   • Why is he almost constantly broke?
5. Thu/Tessa, Mishka's former teacher, an enthusiastic woman in her 40s.
   • What potential did she see in Mishka that now seems lost?
   • Where does she get her relentless optimism from?
6. Sarah/Shalini, Mishka's best friend who has moved to the big city.
   • What deep and enduring passion does she share with Mishka?
   • Why is she back in town for a short time, even though she hates it here?
   • What has always made her feel like an outsider here?

Places

Introduce these places during free player whenever you need or want to. When you do pick one of the associated questions to answer:

1. Broadacre Street 82B, a slightly shabby house with an unkept garden.
   • What brings the people that share the house together?
   • Why does Mishka feel tied to this place?
2. Red River, a cheap, dingy but well-frequented bar/pub.
   • What games do the patrons play to distract themselves?
   • Why does Mishka despise this place?
3. Crossing, an old bridge at the edge of town.
   • What memory draws Mishka to this threshold?
   • What do people throw off the bridge for good luck?
   • In what quiet way can you see the gentle care of the mothers here?
4. West Overlook, a quiet and remote hangout spot surrounded by nature.
   • What is particularly beautiful about the view from here?
   • Why does Mishka sometimes take the circuitous route to gather here?
   • Why is this spot still a bit of an insider secret?
5. Starry Night, a cozy restaurant or café tucked into a quiet street corner.
   • What delicious specialty can you get here?
   • Why is Mishka no longer visiting the Starry Night as much as sheused to?
6. Stef's Gas and Repair, The singular gas station and auto shop at the road out of town.
   • What is Mishka's favorite time to visit? And why?
   • What is Stef's known to sell besides gasoline?