WAYBOUND / Four Factions 0.36

92 card designs, 52 named creatures and 16 outside-deck path references. Choose any two factions and one of two Companions per faction. All characters remain available. New matches offer full faction decks or a custom build. Each full faction deck has 20 Ally cards and 10 Tactics. All 35 Tactic designs remain available for custom decks. Alternate Cloudfencer and Thundercrest versions remain available for custom decks.

Current gameplay rules

WAYBOUND: THE LIVING ATLAS — FOUR FACTIONS 0.36

STARTING GUARD 5: All eight Companions start with Guard 5 in new matches. Force, Insight and abilities are unchanged. First-path stats remain as printed; an offensive path may trade Guard for Force. Existing saved matches keep stored stats. After choosing a first path, earn three additional Journey marks and pay 3 Charge to ascend once. Keep the path and its ability, damage, readiness, Route and marks; gain +2 Force and +2 Guard, with unchanged Insight, plus your ascended ability. If defeated before ascending, the retained path needs three fresh marks after recovery. An ascended Companion retains both stages after defeat. No fourth stage exists. See the ascended Companion reference for all eight abilities.

V0.32 PLAYTEST: These recovery and hostile Orchard rules apply to new matches; existing saved matches retain their stored rules.

VANTA / MYTHBOUND: Veilborn Ally, 4 Charge, Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 1. Riftfire Ambush: after exploring the Netherway and emerging exhausted, optionally deal 2 direct damage to one opposing Ally at the exit Route. Companions cannot be targeted. Normal ready-defender and once-per-turn exploration restrictions still apply. One copy in the Veilborn starter; maximum one per custom deck. Mythbound is the highest collecting tier, reserved as the rarest future booster tier. Booster odds are undecided; rarity does not confer extra rules or guaranteed power.

BALANCE UPDATE 0.36 — NEW FOUR-FACTION AND CUSTOM MATCHES
Ironmaw: Claim the Way awards 1 Renown for the first own-turn Challenge that defeats an opposing Ally, maximum 1 per turn in new matches. Defeating Companions, direct Tactics and Cleave spillover do not trigger it.
Veilborn: Nyxara's base Unseal costs 1 Charge; Passage Unseen costs 0; Unravel costs 1. Gate Sovereign remains 1 and Threshold Empress remains 0. Passage requires an open realm, does not ready exhausted characters and cannot move Rooted characters. Unravel targets opposing Allies only, never Companions. Wispweaver remains 1 Charge; Vesperant remains 2. Hexmantle retains its -1 Force curse.
Skyrunners: Ribbon Scout and Gale Courier have 2 Guard. Other stats and abilities stay unchanged.
Opening: the starting player cannot Explore on their first turn. The second player gets 1 extra available Charge on their first turn only (2 available at capacity 1). Capacity and future income do not increase; normal refill replaces remaining Charge.
Older saved games keep their own card definitions and rule edition: pre-0.36 saves retain Claim max 2, base Unseal 2, Passage 1 and Unravel 2. Start a new match to use the 0.36 changes. New-match setup offers full faction decks or custom builds.

FOUR-FACTION DIGITAL DRAFT
Choose any two factions and one of two Companions per side. Hearthbound/Skyrunners retain the tactical 20-Allies/10-Tactics recipes. Veilborn and Ironmaw each add two Companions, eight Ally designs, six Tactics and four path choices. All older characters and presets remain available. Custom deck parsing follows the selected faction. Old saved matches keep their own card definitions and faction pair.

The Netherway is one shared temporary fourth Route connected only to Lantern Crossing. Nyxara can open it once per turn for 1 Charge (Gate Sovereign: 1; Ascended: 0); Wispweaver opens it on entry; Unseal the Netherway and Stolen Horizon can also open it. Opening never extends an existing realm. It closes before the creator's next ready step: all occupants return to Lantern Crossing without readying; then the active player's normal ready step occurs. Mandatory closure and defeat returns override Rooted.
Either player can deploy or use legal card effects in the open realm. Normal movement uses its single connection, costs 1 and exhausts unless an ability changes that. Morrow's paid Between Worlds uses its normal move and stays ready; Riftcrown's normal entry stays ready. Ready opposing characters in the realm block Explore. Exploring scores normal Renown and Companion journey, then requires an immediate chosen exit to a NORMAL lane, exhausted. Damage and other state persist. Each character can Explore the realm only once during its owner's turn, even if later readied. The app pauses for the exit choice; save/resume preserves it.
Grinshade's defender may pay 1 unspent Charge after it is selected to defend. A seeded six-sided roll of 5-6 prevents Challenge damage; the attacker still exhausts. Once per Grinshade per numbered round. Unspent Charge remains available for this reaction until its owner's next refill; never add leftover Charge on top of capacity. The roll and result appear publicly in the log. The app pauses for defender choice.
Cleave snapshots the first Ally's remaining Guard before Challenge damage. Excess actual damage hits one other opposing Ally at that Route, chosen by its defender. No further spillover or second Challenge. Secondary damage does not trigger own-Challenge defeat rewards. Companions cannot be secondary Cleave targets and their defeats do not trigger Cleave.
Skara's Relentless offers a paid 1-Charge ready after its own Challenge defeats an Ally, once per turn; Eightfold Ravager allows twice. It cannot Explore that turn. Fang Sovereign earns 1 Renown for its own Challenge defeat of an Ally once per turn. Rauk's Siege Rhythm and Gorequill's Pack Momentum stack only to their printed caps and expire at turn end. Bloodhowl and Pack Bastion supply one nonstacking +1 Force aura to other friendly characters at their Route during your turn. Hex effects use the strongest reduction only, minimum total Force 0, and expire at the caster's next turn start.
The complete card reference supplies every card and path's specific rules. Automated win rates describe heuristic bots, not settled human balance. The new faction balance trial compares matched conditions; earlier faction and Companion reports are historical benchmarks for their stated editions.

GOAL AND DECKS
Finish your turn with at least 20 Renown to win. Choose your faction and the opposing faction, then one Companion per side from its two options. Full faction decks contain the fixed 30-card starter recipe: 20 Allies and 10 Tactics. Custom build lets either or both sides edit their faction list to exactly 30 cards, with no required Ally/Tactic ratio. Use up to three copies per identity; Vanta has an explicit maximum-one rule. Companions, Routes and path references are outside the deck. Ironmaw Claim the Way and the balanced opening rules apply as described above.

PLANNED STARTER PACKS
Beginner: Hearthbound and Skyrunners.
Intermediate: Hearthbound and Ironmaw.
Intermediate: Skyrunners and Ironmaw.
Advanced: Veilborn and Ironmaw.
These use the same full faction recipes as free selection. Tiers describe learning complexity, not faction power. Physical contents, pricing and availability are not finalized.

SETUP
Place Routes left to right: Windbridge, Lantern Crossing, Glass Orchard. Randomly choose the starting player. Each Companion starts ready at Lantern Crossing. Shuffle each deck and draw five. Once per player, you may replace the whole opening hand by shuffling it into your deck and drawing five again. Start at zero Renown and journey marks. Charge capacity starts at one.

START OF TURN
Ready your characters. Reset normal movement limits, Shift usage, temporary bonuses, Explore restrictions and the Companion's once-per-turn journey marking. On your first turn, capacity is one; each later turn increases capacity by one, up to six. Refill available Charge to capacity. Unspent Charge never carries forward.
Normally draw one card; the starting player skips only their first normal draw. If your hand is empty at the beginning of your turn, draw five instead of one, as many as possible. There is no extra sixth draw and no immediate refill when you play your last card. Ordinary drawing reshuffles the discard if the deck is empty; if both are empty, skip the draw. Star Chart uses a separate inspection rule below.

PLAYING CARDS
Pay a card's Charge cost. Allies enter READY at any Route, may act immediately, and have no character-count or lane-occupancy cap. A ready character can Explore, Challenge or make its one normal move, subject to the conditions below. Resolve all entry choices before taking another action.
Resolve a Tactic fully, then discard it. If an effect has no legal target, that part does nothing but its Charge is still spent. Effects that heal or move require explicit targets. Rooted prevents movement, including card-effect movement; healing remains legal.

NORMAL MOVEMENT
A ready character can make one normal move per turn to an adjacent Route, paying one Charge and EXHAUSTING. Moving into Windbridge costs zero but still exhausts. Swift and Trailblazer/Windguide free normal movement also still exhaust. Lightfoot is a specific exception: Reedrunner can pay one additional Charge on its normal move to stay ready. This does not allow a second normal move.
Explicit movement from a card or ability does not exhaust or ready the character and does not consume its normal movement limit unless stated. It follows the printed destination restrictions. Opposing players may occupy the same Route.

EXPLORE
Exhaust a ready character with positive Insight to gain that much Renown. ANY ready opposing character at the same Route blocks Explore, regardless of Force, Guard, damage or Insight. Exhausted enemies do not block. No current character has Elusive or another ability to bypass this restriction. Slipstream does not bypass it.
A successful Companion Explore earns one journey mark, at most once per turn. Glass Orchard grants +1 Force to every character there, on either side; it no longer heals. Windbridge still grants free normal movement into it, which exhausts.

CHALLENGE AND DEFENSE
Declare with a ready character against enemies at its Route. If exactly one opposing character there is ready, it defends automatically. If several are ready, the defending player chooses one. If none are ready, the attacker chooses any opposing character there.
Exhaust the attacker and deal its current Force as damage to the chosen defender. The defender does not exhaust or retaliate. Damage persists. Precision lets Glass Lynx choose WHICH READY defender intercepts. Slipstream lets Veilwing choose ANY opposing character there, including an exhausted one protected by ready defenders. Neither ability changes Route location.
Sheltering Glow: other friendly characters at Hearthshell's Route take one less Challenge damage. It works even if Hearthshell is exhausted. Multiple sources do not stack. Positive damage cannot be reduced below one; zero stays zero. It does not reduce Tactic damage. Hearthshell does not protect itself, but another Hearthshell may protect it.

DEFEATS
An Ally with damage at least its Guard is immediately discarded. A defeated Companion remains in the match: return it exhausted to Lantern Crossing, clear its damage, lose all journey marks and retain its chosen path. It remains exhausted through its next two owner turns and readies on the third. During recovery it cannot Explore, Challenge, move normally, transform or use active abilities. It remains targetable, passive abilities remain in effect, and another defeat restarts the two-turn recovery. The game announces this return. Ordinary defeats award no Renown.
Breach: Thornrush earns one Renown when its own Challenge defeats a READY opposing character, including a Companion. No bonus for an exhausted target. Stormwing's own Challenge defeats of Allies still award its printed one Renown. Reaching 20 during an action does not win until the end-turn check.

HEALING AND FORCE
Mend: 0 Charge, heal a friendly character by 3.
Shared Shelter: 1 Charge, heal each friendly character at a chosen Route by 2.
Span Repair: 1 Charge, heal a friendly character by 3 and optionally move it to an adjacent Route without exhausting.
Wickmender's Lantern Care: on entry, heal ANOTHER friendly character at its Route by 2. If none is there, it enters without healing.
Cindertusk's Kindled Fury: +2 Force while it has any damage. This bonus ends immediately if fully healed. Printed Guard is not reduced by damage.
Other characters' printed healing and movement abilities remain unchanged.

TACTICS DRAFT 1 — MAIN-PHASE PLAYS
Tactics are played during your own main phase; there is no reaction window during an opponent's Challenge or defender choice.
Cinderbolt / Starfall: 2 Charge, deal 3 damage to any opposing character at any Route, including a Companion. Damage persists, ignores Hearthshell's Challenge-only protection, and resolves defeats immediately.
Briar Verdict / Sever the Thread: 5 Charge, defeat any opposing Ally, regardless of Guard. Companions are not legal targets.
Turn Back / Back to the Clouds: 2 Charge, return an opposing Ally to its owner's hand. Clear damage, buffs, readiness and Shift state by removing the unit. It is not defeated or discarded. Replaying costs its normal Charge and creates a fresh ready unit, including normal entry abilities. Companions cannot be returned to hand. The normal end-of-owner-turn hand limit still applies.
Wildfire Passage / Empty the Horizon: 6 Charge, defeat all opposing Allies at one chosen Route. Your own characters and all Companions remain. A surviving ready Companion still prevents Explore; this does not guarantee an empty lane. Six Charge is attainable from your sixth turn. Sweep costs all available Charge at maximum capacity.
Direct removal and sweep award no Breach or Stormwing Renown, because those bonuses require the character's own Challenge. New offensive Tactics cannot be played with no legal target.
Briar Surge / Measured Gust: 1 Charge, give a friendly character +3 Force until end of your turn. Bonuses stack, expire on passing, do not ready or exhaust the character, and do not prevent Explore. A subsequent Challenge uses the bonus with normal defender choice. These are preparation plays, not reactions.
Stand Together: now 1 Charge; its ready effect still prevents Explore for the rest of that turn.
Guiding Glow / Tailwind: now 1 Charge for +2 Insight until end of your turn. Existing Explore blocking still applies.
Sudden Squall: now 1 Charge for 3 damage, still restricted to an opposing Ally at your Companion's Route.
Long Way Home / Open Horizon: now 1 Charge, move your Companion to any Route and heal 3; do not exhaust or ready it.
Lantern Signals: now 1 Charge, draw 2 and optionally move a friendly character one adjacent Route without exhausting or readying it. Rooted cannot move.
Trail Snack / Clear Skies remain 1 Charge to draw 2. Guststep remains 1 Charge for adjacent movement without exhausting or readying.

OPTIONAL FEATURED OPENING
Choose one featured Ally per guild to guarantee it within the normal five-card opening hand, also after a replacement hand. No extra card or copy is created. Normal play costs apply. Leave random for standard shuffled openings. Exported playtests identify this test setting.

STAR CHART — PRIVATE ENTRY CHOICE
When Duskquill enters, look at up to the top three cards of your current deck. Keep one in hand, put the others on the bottom in your chosen order, and then resume the main phase. The first bottom card listed is drawn before the second once the rest of the deck is gone. This effect does not reshuffle discard. With no cards in deck there is no selection. The opponent does not see the choices. Pending selections save and resume. Do not end the turn or take another action while this choice is unresolved.

SHIFT AND COMPANION PATHS
Prismarten may pay one Charge once during its controller's turn to switch Guide (0/2/2) and Striker (4/2/0). Keep damage, readiness, location and other restrictions; Shift does not heal, move or ready it. Reset usage on the next owner turn.
At three journey marks, an untransformed Companion can pay two Charge in its main phase and permanently choose one of its two paths. Keep damage, readiness, Route and journey marks. Use the chosen path's stats and ability and check defeat. Brindle: Hearthkeeper or Trailblazer; Vey: Windguide or Stormwing; Korr: Shellwarden or Bridgewright; Nima: Chartweaver or Stormdancer. The complete card reference contains all eight path definitions. Optional post-defeat Stormdancer movement must resolve before another action.

END OF TURN AND ROUND LIMIT
Take main-phase actions in any order. Defender selection during a Challenge is the current opponent-turn decision. Resolve damage, stat changes and defeats fully. At end of your turn, if you have at least 20 Renown, win before discarding. Otherwise discard down to seven, clear your temporary turn effects, then pass. After both players' turns in round 12, higher Renown wins; a tie uses Companion journey marks; a further tie is a draw.
The optional comparison setting prevents only the starting player's first-turn Explore. Record it separately; it is not the default.

DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL EDITIONS
These are current digital playtest rules. Earlier PDFs, card proofs and ordered print prototypes predate the new characters and rule changes. They are historical materials and are not a current printing package. New-match complete decks do not silently change an existing saved match's composition. Explicit match exports include deck and private state; share them after play.

Hearthbound / Companion / WB-001

Brindle — Companion

Cost 0 charge / Force 1 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

At three journey marks: choose Hearthkeeper (1,7,2; when you Explore, remove 1 damage from another friendly unit here) or Trailblazer (3,5,1; your first move each turn costs 0).

Skyrunners / Companion / WB-002

Vey — Companion

Cost 0 charge / Force 2 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

At three journey marks: choose Windguide (2,5,2; your first move each turn costs 0) or Stormwing (4,5,1; when you defeat an Ally, gain 1 Renown).

Hearthbound / Ally / WB-003

Lampkin

Cost 1 charge / Force 1 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / WB-004

Kitelet

Cost 1 charge / Force 1 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

No ability.

Hearthbound / Ally / WB-005

Burrowguard

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 4 / Insight 0

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / WB-006

Cloudfencer

Cost 2 charge / Force 3 / Guard 3 / Insight 0

No ability.

Hearthbound / Ally / WB-007

Lantern Scout

Cost 2 charge / Force 1 / Guard 3 / Insight 2

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / WB-008

Ribbon Scout

Cost 2 charge / Force 1 / Guard 2 / Insight 2

No ability.

Hearthbound / Ally / WB-009

Hearth Singer

Cost 3 charge / Force 1 / Guard 4 / Insight 2

On entry: remove 2 damage from a friendly unit.

Skyrunners / Ally / WB-010

Gale Courier

Cost 3 charge / Force 2 / Guard 2 / Insight 2

On entry: move another friendly unit one adjacent Route for free; ignore its movement limit.

Hearthbound / Ally / WB-011

Emberback

Cost 4 charge / Force 3 / Guard 6 / Insight 1

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / WB-012

Thundercrest

Cost 4 charge / Force 4 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

No ability.

Hearthbound / Tactic / WB-013

Mend

Cost 0 charge

Heal a friendly character by 3.

Skyrunners / Tactic / WB-014

Guststep

Cost 1 charge

Move one friendly unit one adjacent Route; ignore its movement limit.

Hearthbound / Tactic / WB-015

Trail Snack

Cost 1 charge

Draw 2 cards.

Skyrunners / Tactic / WB-016

Clear Skies

Cost 1 charge

Draw 2 cards.

Hearthbound / Tactic / WB-017

Stand Together

Cost 1 charge

Ready an exhausted friendly Ally; it cannot Explore this turn.

Skyrunners / Tactic / WB-018

Sudden Squall

Cost 1 charge

Deal 3 damage to an opposing Ally at your Companion’s Route.

Hearthbound / Tactic / WB-019

Guiding Glow

Cost 1 charge

A friendly character gains +2 Insight until the end of your turn.

Skyrunners / Tactic / WB-020

Tailwind

Cost 1 charge

A friendly character gains +2 Insight until the end of your turn.

Hearthbound / Tactic / WB-021

Long Way Home

Cost 1 charge

Move your Companion to any Route without exhausting it; heal it by 3. Does not ready it.

Skyrunners / Tactic / WB-022

Open Horizon

Cost 1 charge

Move your Companion to any Route without exhausting it; heal it by 3. Does not ready it.

Shared / Route / WB-023

Lantern Crossing — Route

Cost 0 charge

No additional effect.

Shared / Route / WB-024

Windbridge — Route

Cost 0 charge

Moving into this Route costs 0 charge; movement limits still apply.

Shared / Route / WB-025

Glass Orchard — Route

Cost 0 charge

All characters at this Route gain +1 Force. This Route no longer heals.

Hearthbound / Companion / RR-001

Korr — Companion

Cost 0 charge / Force 2 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

At 3 journey marks, pay 2 charge: choose Shellwarden or Bridgewright. Keep damage, readiness, location and marks.

Skyrunners / Companion / RR-004

Nima — Companion

Cost 0 charge / Force 1 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

At 3 journey marks, pay 2 charge: choose Chartweaver or Stormdancer. Keep damage, readiness, location and marks.

Hearthbound / Ally / RR-007

Bellburrow

Cost 3 charge / Force 2 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

On entry, heal 2 damage from one friendly unit.

Hearthbound / Ally / RR-008

Mossmason

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 5 / Insight 0

Rooted: this Ally cannot move while in play, including through card effects.

Skyrunners / Ally / RR-009

Cloudskipper

Cost 2 charge / Force 1 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

Swift: your first normal move each turn costs 0 charge. Normal movement restrictions still apply.

Skyrunners / Ally / RR-010

Stormling

Cost 3 charge / Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

No ability.

Hearthbound / Tactic / RR-011

Shared Shelter

Cost 1 charge

Choose a Route; heal each friendly character there by 2.

Hearthbound / Tactic / RR-012

Span Repair

Cost 1 charge

Heal a friendly character by 3; optionally move it to an adjacent Route without exhausting.

Skyrunners / Tactic / RR-013

Lantern Signals

Cost 1 charge

Draw 2 cards. You may move a friendly character to an adjacent Route without exhausting it. Does not ready it.

Skyrunners / Tactic / RR-014

Measured Gust

Cost 1 charge

A friendly character gains +3 Force until the end of your turn. Does not ready it or prevent Explore.

Hearthbound / Ally / OFF-001

Ember Prowler

Cost 2 charge / Force 3 / Guard 2 / Insight 0

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / OFF-002

Cloudfencer

Cost 2 charge / Force 4 / Guard 2 / Insight 0

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / OFF-003

Thundercrest

Cost 4 charge / Force 5 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

No ability.

Hearthbound / Ally / SP-001

Bramblehorn

Cost 3 charge / Force 5 / Guard 1 / Insight 0

No ability.

Hearthbound / Ally / SP-002

Stonehush

Cost 3 charge / Force 0 / Guard 6 / Insight 0

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / SP-003

Dawnquill

Cost 3 charge / Force 0 / Guard 1 / Insight 3

No ability.

Skyrunners / Ally / SP-004

Prismarten

Cost 3 charge / Force 0 / Guard 2 / Insight 2

Shift — Once per turn, pay 1 charge: switch between Guide (0/2/2) and Striker (4/2/0). Keep damage, readiness and Route.

Hearthbound / Ally / FA-001

Wickmender

Cost 2 charge / Force 1 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

Lantern Care — When played, heal another friendly character at this Route by 2.

Hearthbound / Ally / FA-002

Cindertusk

Cost 4 charge / Force 3 / Guard 5 / Insight 0

Kindled Fury — While this character has damage, it has +2 Force.

Skyrunners / Ally / FA-003

Reedrunner

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

Lightfoot — Once during your turn, pay 1 additional Charge when making a normal move to avoid exhausting. Adjacency and normal movement limits still apply.

Skyrunners / Ally / FA-004

Glass Lynx

Cost 3 charge / Force 3 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

Precision — When Challenging, you choose which ready opposing character defends. If none are ready, choose any opposing character at this Route.

Hearthbound / Ally / FA-005

Hearthshell

Cost 3 charge / Force 1 / Guard 6 / Insight 0

Sheltering Glow — Other friendly characters at this Route take 1 less Challenge damage, minimum 1 for positive damage. Does not stack. Works while exhausted. Does not protect itself.

Hearthbound / Ally / FA-006

Thornrush

Cost 3 charge / Force 4 / Guard 3 / Insight 0

Breach — When this character defeats a ready opposing character through a Challenge, gain 1 Renown. Includes Companions. No bonus against exhausted targets.

Skyrunners / Ally / FA-007

Veilwing

Cost 3 charge / Force 3 / Guard 2 / Insight 0

Slipstream — When Challenging, choose any opposing character at this Route, bypassing ready defenders. Does not bypass Explore blocking.

Skyrunners / Ally / FA-008

Duskquill

Cost 2 charge / Force 1 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

Star Chart — When played, privately look at up to the top 3 cards of your deck. Put one into your hand and the others on the bottom in either order. No discard recycling for this effect.

Hearthbound / Tactic / TC-001

Cinderbolt

Cost 2 charge

Deal 3 damage to an opposing character at any Route. Can defeat a Companion under its normal return rule.

Skyrunners / Tactic / TC-002

Starfall

Cost 2 charge

Deal 3 damage to an opposing character at any Route. Can defeat a Companion under its normal return rule.

Hearthbound / Tactic / TC-003

Briar Verdict

Cost 5 charge

Defeat an opposing Ally at any Route, regardless of remaining Guard. Cannot target Companions.

Skyrunners / Tactic / TC-004

Sever the Thread

Cost 5 charge

Defeat an opposing Ally at any Route, regardless of remaining Guard. Cannot target Companions.

Hearthbound / Tactic / TC-005

Turn Back

Cost 2 charge

Return an opposing Ally at any Route to its owner’s hand. Its damage and temporary effects clear. Replaying costs its normal Charge. Cannot target Companions.

Skyrunners / Tactic / TC-006

Back to the Clouds

Cost 2 charge

Return an opposing Ally at any Route to its owner’s hand. Its damage and temporary effects clear. Replaying costs its normal Charge. Cannot target Companions.

Hearthbound / Tactic / TC-007

Wildfire Passage

Cost 6 charge

Defeat every opposing Ally at one Route. Friendly characters and all Companions remain. Ready opposing Companions still block Explore.

Skyrunners / Tactic / TC-008

Empty the Horizon

Cost 6 charge

Defeat every opposing Ally at one Route. Friendly characters and all Companions remain. Ready opposing Companions still block Explore.

Hearthbound / Tactic / TC-009

Briar Surge

Cost 1 charge

A friendly character gains +3 Force until the end of your turn. Does not ready it or prevent Explore.

Veilborn / Companion / VB-001

Nyxara

Cost 0 charge / Force 1 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

Unseal — Once during your turn, pay 1 Charge to open the Netherway. Does not exhaust Nyxara.

Veilborn / Companion / VB-002

Morrow

Cost 0 charge / Force 2 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

Between Worlds - Once during your turn, pay 1 Charge to move from Lantern Crossing into the open Netherway without exhausting. Counts as its normal move; must be ready and not have moved normally.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-003

Riftcrown

Cost 4 charge / Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 2

Realmstrider - Its normal move into the Netherway does not exhaust it. Normal movement cost, readiness and once-per-turn movement limit still apply.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-004

Vesperant

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

Foretold Return - After another friendly character explores the Netherway, it may emerge at Vesperant's normal Route and heal 1. It stays exhausted. No effect while Vesperant is in the Netherway.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-005

Wispweaver

Cost 1 charge / Force 0 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

Stitch the Veil - When played, open the Netherway if it is closed.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-006

Grinshade

Cost 3 charge / Force 3 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

Uncertain Form - When chosen to defend a Challenge, you may pay 1 Charge and roll a six-sided die. On 5-6, prevent that Challenge's damage. Once per round per Grinshade. The attacker still exhausts.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-007

Seamling

Cost 1 charge / Force 1 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

Veilborn / Ally / VB-008

Null Harrier

Cost 2 charge / Force 3 / Guard 2 / Insight 0

Beyond the Mask - While in the Netherway, this character has +1 Force.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-009

Hexmantle

Cost 3 charge / Force 1 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

Fading Hex - When played, give an opposing character at this Route -1 Force until the start of your next turn. Hex penalties do not stack; use the strongest.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-010

Rift Cantor

Cost 3 charge / Force 1 / Guard 3 / Insight 2

Voices Between - After this character explores the Netherway, draw 1 card. Once per turn.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-011

Unseal the Netherway

Cost 1 charge

Open the Netherway. Play only while it is closed.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-012

Passage Unseen

Cost 0 charge

Move a friendly character from Lantern Crossing into the open Netherway without exhausting or readying it. Does not consume its normal move. Rooted cannot move.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-013

Whispers Beyond

Cost 1 charge

Draw 2 cards.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-014

Unravel

Cost 1 charge

Return an opposing Ally at any Route to its owner's hand. It loses damage and temporary effects. Replaying costs normal Charge and resolves entry abilities. Cannot target Companions.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-015

Void Lance

Cost 2 charge

Deal 3 damage to an opposing character at any Route, including the Netherway. Companions follow their normal defeat-and-return rule.

Veilborn / Tactic / VB-016

Stolen Horizon

Cost 3 charge

Choose an opposing non-Rooted Ally in a normal lane. Open the Netherway if closed, then move that Ally there and exhaust it. Does not extend an existing realm. Cannot target Companions.

Ironmaw / Companion / IM-001

Rauk

Cost 0 charge / Force 1 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

Siege Rhythm - During your turn, after another friendly character Challenges at Rauk's Route, Rauk gains +1 Force this turn. Maximum +2 per turn.

Ironmaw / Companion / IM-002

Skara

Cost 0 charge / Force 2 / Guard 5 / Insight 1

Relentless - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, you may pay 1 Charge to ready Skara. It cannot Explore this turn. Once per turn. Eight-legged predator with oversized interlocking fangs.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-003

Gorequill

Cost 3 charge / Force 2 / Guard 4 / Insight 0

Pack Momentum - During your turn, after another friendly character Challenges at its Route, this character gains +1 Force this turn. Maximum +3 per turn.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-004

Snapmaw

Cost 2 charge / Force 4 / Guard 1 / Insight 0

First Bite - Its first Challenge during the turn it enters has +1 Force for that Challenge.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-005

Ridgebreaker

Cost 5 charge / Force 5 / Guard 5 / Insight 0

Cleave - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, deal excess damage to one other opposing Ally at that Route, chosen by the defender. No further spillover. See timing guide.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-006

Bloodhowl

Cost 4 charge / Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

Hunting Chorus - During your turn, other friendly characters at this Route gain +1 Force. Multiple Hunting Choruses and Pack Bastion do not stack.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-007

Shardsprinter

Cost 1 charge / Force 2 / Guard 1 / Insight 0

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-008

Craggnash

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 3 / Insight 1

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-009

Spineknuckle

Cost 3 charge / Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 0

Grim Recovery - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, heal this character by 1.

Ironmaw / Ally / IM-010

Emberlash

Cost 2 charge / Force 2 / Guard 2 / Insight 1

Scent of Victory - During your turn, after another friendly character's Challenge defeats an Ally, this character gains +1 Force this turn. Once per turn.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-011

Bloodrush

Cost 1 charge

A friendly character gains +3 Force until the end of your turn. Does not ready it or prevent Explore.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-012

Run Them Down

Cost 1 charge

Ready an exhausted friendly Ally. It cannot Explore this turn.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-013

Pack Provision

Cost 1 charge

Draw 2 cards.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-014

Jawbreaker

Cost 2 charge

Deal 3 damage to an opposing character at any Route, including the Netherway. Companions follow their normal defeat-and-return rule.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-015

Shatter the Line

Cost 5 charge

Defeat an opposing Ally at any Route, regardless of remaining Guard. Cannot target Companions.

Ironmaw / Tactic / IM-016

Stampede

Cost 6 charge

Defeat every opposing Ally at one Route, including the Netherway if open. Friendly characters and all Companions remain. Surviving ready enemies still block Explore.

Veilborn / Ally / VB-017

Vanta

Cost 4 charge / Force 3 / Guard 4 / Insight 1

Riftfire Ambush - After Vanta explores the Netherway and emerges exhausted, you may deal 2 damage to one opposing Ally at his exit Route. Cannot target Companions. Normal exploration restrictions apply.

Companion paths

Hearthkeeper

Brindle / F-G-I 1 / 7 / 2

After Explore, heal one damage from another friendly unit at the same route.

Trailblazer

Brindle / F-G-I 3 / 5 / 1

First normal move each turn costs zero.

Windguide

Vey / F-G-I 2 / 5 / 2

First normal move each turn costs zero.

Stormwing

Vey / F-G-I 4 / 5 / 1

Own Challenge defeats of Allies earn one Renown.

Shellwarden

Korr / F-G-I 2 / 7 / 1

After its own Challenge resolves, heal 1 damage from itself.

Bridgewright

Korr / F-G-I 2 / 5 / 2

After the first Ally played this turn enters at its Route, heal 1 damage from this Companion.

Chartweaver

Nima / F-G-I 1 / 5 / 2

After Explore, optionally pay 1 charge to move another friendly unit to an adjacent Route.

Stormdancer

Nima / F-G-I 3 / 4 / 2

After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, optionally move to an adjacent Route for free.

Gate Sovereign

Nyxara / F-G-I 1 / 6 / 2

For Nyxara. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. Unseal costs 1 Charge (0 after Ascension).

Curse Oracle

Nyxara / F-G-I 3 / 5 / 1

For Nyxara. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. After exploring, give an opposing character at her normal exit Route -2 Force until the start of your next turn. Hex penalties do not stack; strongest only.

Riftstalker

Morrow / F-G-I 4 / 4 / 1

For Morrow. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. After exploring the Netherway and emerging, you may deal 1 damage to an opposing Ally at the exit Route.

Echo Pilgrim

Morrow / F-G-I 2 / 5 / 2

For Morrow. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. After exploring the Netherway, heal Morrow by 2.

Siegebreaker

Rauk / F-G-I 4 / 6 / 1

For Rauk. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. Rauk gains Cleave: excess damage after its own Challenge defeats an Ally hits one other opposing Ally there, chosen by the defender. No chain spillover.

Pack Bastion

Rauk / F-G-I 2 / 7 / 1

For Rauk. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. During your turn, other friendly characters at this Route gain +1 Force. Does not stack with Hunting Chorus or another Pack Bastion.

Eightfold Ravager

Skara / F-G-I 4 / 4 / 1

For Skara. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. Replace the base Relentless limit with twice per turn. Each use costs 1 Charge and still prevents Explore that turn.

Fang Sovereign

Skara / F-G-I 5 / 5 / 1

For Skara. At 3 journey marks, pay 2 Charge to choose this path. Keep damage, Route, readiness and marks. Retain the base ability unless replaced. After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, gain 1 Renown. Once per turn. Retain base Relentless.

Ascended Companions

After choosing a first path, earn three additional Journey marks, then pay 3 Charge to ascend once. Keep the chosen path, damage, readiness, Route and Journey marks. Gain +2 Force and +2 Guard; Insight is unchanged. Defeat preserves forms but removes all marks and restarts recovery. Before ascending, defeat resets the requirement to three fresh marks. No further stages.

Atlasheart

Hearthbound / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

After this Companion Explores, heal every friendly character at its Route, including itself, by 1. Stacks with Hearthkeeper's chosen-target heal.

Living Rampart

Hearthbound / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

Other friendly characters at this Route take 1 less Challenge damage, minimum 1 for a positive hit. Does not stack with Sheltering Glow or another Living Rampart. Works while exhausted; does not protect itself.

Horizon Regent

Skyrunners / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

After this Companion's first Explore on each of its owner's turns, draw 1 card.

Starweave Sage

Skyrunners / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

When making its normal move, you may pay 1 additional Charge to stay ready. Adjacency and the once-per-turn normal movement limit still apply.

Threshold Empress

Veilborn / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

Nyxara's Unseal costs 0 Charge. Its once-per-turn limit and the closed-Netherway requirement still apply.

Phantom Sovereign

Veilborn / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

After exploring the Netherway and emerging exhausted, deal 1 damage to every opposing Ally at the exit Route, before resolving the chosen path's optional effect. Does not damage Companions.

Crown of Ruin

Ironmaw / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

This Companion's own Challenges deal +1 damage against ready defenders. This is Challenge damage and can contribute to Cleave excess.

Dreadfang Matriarch

Ironmaw / +2 Force, +2 Guard; keep chosen path and Insight

The first time on each of its owner's turns that this Companion's own Challenge defeats an opposing Ally, regain 1 Charge, up to capacity. Companions, Tactics and Cleave spillover do not trigger it.

Characters and story

Open the three-form Brindle character and motion showcase. Narrative draft 0.4; signature names add no new card abilities.

The Atlas is a living network of floating islands. Routes remain stable when travelers remember and share them. A pale phenomenon called the Unwritten is erasing connections between places, leaving doors that open onto nowhere and signposts that remember the wrong road. Brindle and Vey set out to reconnect the Atlas before its scattered communities forget one another.

Brindle

The keeper who must learn to leave.

Patient, observant and quietly funny. Repairs things before admitting they are broken. Carries a home-shaped shell lit from within.

Wants: Bring every missing traveler home.

Flaw: Confuses being needed with being loved.

Conflict: Wants every traveler to have a place to return to. Fears that leaving Lantern Crossing will mean failing those who depend on him.

Relationship: Vey interrupts his routines, then teaches him that departure can be an act of care.

Voice: Warm, practical, short sentences; notices who has gone quiet.

Story beat: A rescued Lampkin chooses to lead, and Brindle learns to follow without taking over.

Signature presentation: Carry the Hearth / Explore. Lantern light passes from his shell toward the route marker; the scoring cue appears after the gesture.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Vey

The fastest traveler who is afraid to stay.

Inventive, daring and charming. Gives directions as stories. A teal-and-cream glider with gold-veined wing membranes, red sash and brass map case.

Wants: Reach a place nobody has named.

Flaw: Treats speed as a substitute for trust.

Conflict: Wants to find the route beyond every map. Fears becoming responsible for someone who cannot keep up.

Relationship: Brindle gives Vey a home without demanding that Vey stop exploring.

Voice: Quick, vivid, playful; goes unusually still when sincerely afraid.

Story beat: Vey returns for a slower traveler and discovers that arriving together can matter more than arriving first.

Signature presentation: Find the Opening / Move. Crouches, catches a current, and looks back before the route transition settles.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Lampkin

A small light that refuses to go out.

Shy amber-furred lantern mice. Their chest lights brighten when they feel safe enough to lead.

Wants: Help one lost traveler find the next safe step.

Flaw: Mistakes being small for being unimportant.

Conflict: A Lampkin wants to guide lost travelers but worries its light is too small to matter.

Relationship: Bellburrow recognizes the doorway the Lampkin remembers; Brindle listens without hurrying.

Voice: Quiet questions become confident observations when someone waits.

Story beat: A Lampkin remembers the blue doorstep at Bellwether when every official map has forgotten it.

Signature presentation: The Next Step / Explore. A tentative step becomes steady as its chest light reveals the next marker.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Burrowguard

Build the shelter before the storm.

Methodical badger-like builders, with slate-plated shoulders and shovel forepaws. Usually appear gruff while doing something kind.

Wants: Make a shelter nobody has to earn entry to.

Flaw: Treats every retreat as failure.

Conflict: Their instinct is to hold a safe position even when the route itself is changing.

Relationship: Mossmason respects its preparations but asks it to guard travelers rather than an empty building.

Voice: Gruff, practical instructions; kindness arrives through actions.

Story beat: A Burrowguard leaves a perfect shelter unfinished to protect a moving group.

Signature presentation: Hold the Threshold / Challenge. Forepaws brace and shoulders drive forward; damage follows contact, without graphic injury.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Lantern Scout

A familiar path can hide a new answer.

Small long-eared woodland climbers wearing woven lantern belts. Keep precise records of travelers, not just landmarks.

Wants: Record who reached a destination and who is still missing.

Flaw: Overtrusts familiar records.

Conflict: They must learn when to trust a stranger over a familiar signpost.

Relationship: Ribbon Scout trades temporary trail markers for its careful traveler lists.

Voice: Precise observations, followed by the question others forgot to ask.

Story beat: A Scout follows a stranger’s accurate account instead of a familiar but misleading sign.

Signature presentation: Check the Footprints / Explore. Ears turn toward a traveler, then a lantern reveals tracks the signpost omitted.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Hearth Singer

Every home has a song worth remembering.

Round, soft-feathered songbirds with copper throat markings. Remember the sounds of every hearth they have visited.

Wants: Keep a community’s voices present after its road disappears.

Flaw: Feels that a new song betrays an old one.

Conflict: Singing old songs preserves memory, but grief makes it hard to compose a new one.

Relationship: Bellburrow remembers sounds of individual homes; the Singer turns those fragments into a shared chorus.

Voice: Musical repetition with simple, direct reassurance.

Story beat: A Singer composes a new verse for a community that cannot remember its old song.

Signature presentation: A Song Carried Home / Entry healing. Copper throat markings brighten; two short notes precede the chosen target’s healing cue.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Emberback

A fire carried carefully can warm a whole road.

Large gentle salamander-like quadrupeds with dark basalt backs and low ember seams. Deeply aware of their own strength.

Wants: Make its strength safe enough for frightened travelers to rely on.

Flaw: Hesitates until the moment for action nearly passes.

Conflict: They hesitate to confront danger because they fear hurting the very place they protect.

Relationship: Thundercrest pushes it to act; Emberback teaches Thundercrest to control the landing.

Voice: Few words, spoken slowly; always gives someone a safe place to stand.

Story beat: An Emberback trusts its control enough to confront danger near fragile crystal trees.

Signature presentation: Banked Ember / Challenge. Ember seams brighten along the shoulders; a restrained forward push ends in a careful settling stance.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Kitelet

The first gust is the hardest.

Tiny triangular-winged gliders with oversized ears. Enthusiastic novices who rehearse landings more often than takeoffs.

Wants: Complete a first crossing without hiding its fear.

Flaw: Pretends an accidental landing was the plan.

Conflict: Wants to prove independence but must learn to ask for a safe landing spot.

Relationship: Cloudskipper teaches landing judgment; Vey makes asking for help feel ordinary.

Voice: Breathless optimism and small, honest corrections.

Story beat: A Kitelet asks Cloudskipper for help finding a landing, then teaches the next novice.

Signature presentation: First Safe Landing / Explore. One wing trembles before a clean hop and a precise landing beside a route marker.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Cloudfencer

Hold the gap; let the others cross.

Lean cloud-crane sentries with long legs and crisp blue feather crests. Precise, competitive and fiercely fair.

Wants: Ensure the creature behind it gets across.

Flaw: Lets competition replace purpose.

Conflict: Winning a confrontation can become more important than protecting the traveler behind it.

Relationship: Stormling admires its precision; Burrowguard shares its protective instinct.

Voice: Formal, concise and fair, even in a contest.

Story beat: A Cloudfencer gives up a winning contest when a frightened traveler needs the passage.

Signature presentation: Make Room to Cross / Challenge. A measured sidestep and wing sweep redirect the opposing creature away from the crossing.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Ribbon Scout

A ribbon is a promise to come back.

Lithe hare-like scouts marking temporary routes with teal ribbons and brass tokens. Exuberant until someone goes missing.

Wants: Leave a trail that a slower traveler can follow.

Flaw: Confuses being first with being useful.

Conflict: Wants to be first into the unknown; must learn that a useful discovery is one others can follow.

Relationship: Lantern Scout checks its routes; Cloudskipper tests the landing points.

Voice: Quick invitations and promises about the way back.

Story beat: A Scout returns to repair a broken ribbon trail rather than pursuing the next discovery.

Signature presentation: Leave a Way Back / Explore. A ribbon settles on a discovered marker; the scout looks back before the score cue.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Gale Courier

The message matters more than the messenger.

White-and-turquoise avian couriers with cylindrical map cases. Dependable, brisk and unexpectedly sentimental.

Wants: Deliver a message to its intended recipient, not merely an address.

Flaw: Uses the schedule to avoid difficult choices.

Conflict: Must choose between delivering quickly and stopping for a traveler whose route has disappeared.

Relationship: Vey admires its routes; Bellburrow helps identify recipients whose doorways were erased.

Voice: Brisk delivery language with unexpected tenderness.

Story beat: A Courier interrupts a delivery to bring its waiting recipients back into the world’s memory.

Signature presentation: Delivered Together / Entry movement. Taps the map case and indicates an adjacent route; the chosen other unit’s movement cue follows.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Thundercrest

Courage should arrive before the thunder.

Powerful storm-feathered raptors with violet crest tips. Loud in celebration, focused when someone is in danger.

Wants: Arrive before danger closes a crossing.

Flaw: Names the threat before listening.

Conflict: Acts before listening; must learn to distinguish a threat from a frightened stranger.

Relationship: Nima asks what it actually saw; Emberback shows how to control powerful movement.

Voice: Bold declarations that become careful questions as it matures.

Story beat: A Thundercrest listens to Nima and recognizes a frightened stranger before charging.

Signature presentation: Before the Thunder / Challenge. Crest rises in anticipation, then a single wing drive opens space; no lightning damage is added.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Korr

A bridge needs both shores.

Determined slate-and-copper pangolin apprentice who learns to ask for help.

Wants: Build a crossing that remains useful when he is not there.

Flaw: Rejects help to prove he deserves to be a builder.

Conflict: When a span breaks, Korr tries to rebuild it alone rather than let others see the apprentice beneath his confidence.

Relationship: Mossmason anchors a shore; Brindle teaches that accepting care does not reduce responsibility.

Voice: Concrete construction metaphors; admits uncertainty only after inspecting the joint.

Story beat: Korr discovers that his first completed bridge survives because someone else supplied the missing support.

Signature presentation: Test the Span / Challenge. Taps the crossing with a forepaw, braces the plated shoulders, then makes one deliberate push.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Nima

Listen to the light.

Violet-and-ivory moth navigator who learns to trust shared memories.

Wants: Make a chart travelers can trust even when memories disagree.

Flaw: Mistakes a beautiful pattern for a complete truth.

Conflict: The Glass Orchard holds two incompatible memories of one route. Nima must choose between a tidy chart and a truthful uncertainty.

Relationship: Thundercrest protects time to observe; Vey contributes routes Nima cannot see from one vantage.

Voice: Measured descriptions of light, followed by patient questions.

Story beat: Nima publishes a chart containing conflicting accounts, then asks the travelers to reconcile them together.

Signature presentation: Read the Afterlight / Explore. Antennae orient toward a fading trace; violet wing markings align with a remembered route.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Bellburrow

The sound of home, remembered.

Patient copper-throated mole who remembers Bellwether's doorways.

Wants: Keep the sound of a lost home available to its returning travelers.

Flaw: Repeats memories so faithfully it struggles to notice change.

Conflict: Bellwether’s survivors need a new home, but Bellburrow keeps calling them back to the exact doorway that vanished.

Relationship: Lampkin remembers the doorstep’s appearance; Hearth Singer gives its doorway rhythm a new verse.

Voice: Low, patient phrases; repeats a remembered sound before naming it.

Story beat: A Bellburrow recognizes a home by the rhythm of its door latch, even after its name vanishes.

Signature presentation: Doorway Echo / Entry healing. Copper throat bell resonates once; a warm pulse reaches the chosen friendly unit before the healing cue.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Mossmason

Hold the road. Let others cross.

Steadfast moss-covered stone tortoise who holds a safe crossing.

Wants: Offer one reliable foothold when everything else is moving.

Flaw: Believes leaving any task to another means abandoning it.

Conflict: Holding a crossing protects the group, but Mossmason must trust someone else to continue the work beyond its reach.

Relationship: Korr connects the crossing it holds; Burrowguard protects the travelers approaching it.

Voice: Few steady words; answers urgency with a practical commitment.

Story beat: A Mossmason holds one shore steady while Korr learns to connect it to another.

Signature presentation: Become the Crossing / Challenge. Feet remain planted; stone shoulders shift and moss compresses during a short protective brace.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Cloudskipper

Every crossing begins with a leap.

Agile ivory flying squirrel mapping safe landing places.

Wants: Discover landings other creatures can safely reach.

Flaw: Underestimates the risk for travelers without its agility.

Conflict: A landing that is easy for Cloudskipper proves dangerous for a novice following its markers.

Relationship: Kitelet makes it explain its judgment; Ribbon Scout preserves the route for others.

Voice: Playful descriptions that become precise warnings near a dangerous gap.

Story beat: A Cloudskipper abandons a spectacular leap to show Kitelets the safer approach.

Signature presentation: Mark the Landing / Move. Leaps in a shallow arc and touches down before a small landing-marker cue fades.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Stormling

Courage carries others forward.

Confident cobalt ram who learns to listen before charging.

Wants: Prove that courage can make passage safer.

Flaw: Commits before checking who is in the way.

Conflict: A blocked passage looks like a threat until Stormling learns that the creature holding it is frightened, not hostile.

Relationship: Cloudfencer teaches restraint; Thundercrest understands the temptation to arrive dramatically.

Voice: Direct, eager statements; learning to pause before the last word.

Story beat: A Stormling learns from Cloudfencer that restraint can be part of courage.

Signature presentation: Wait, Then Commit / Challenge. Plants a hoof, lowers its horns, pauses to check the route, then drives forward once.

An animation/story name for an existing action; it adds no ability, damage, healing or scoring.

Wickmender

Nobody gets left in the dark.

Helps everyone except himself. Reopen the lost infirmary.

Wants: Reopen the lost infirmary.

Flaw: Helps everyone except himself.

Conflict: Must accept protection instead of treating every journey as a solo rescue.

Relationship: Cindertusk carries the doors he cannot lift.

Voice: Nobody gets left in the dark.

Story beat: Offers his own lantern to a frightened traveler.

Signature presentation: Lantern Care / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Rummage through moss pack, then send warm throat-light into a healing paw.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Cindertusk

These scars still have work to do.

Confuses endurance with refusing help. Rebuild the road he burned during a rescue.

Wants: Rebuild the road he burned during a rescue.

Flaw: Confuses endurance with refusing help.

Conflict: Healing his body means confronting the memory behind his scars.

Relationship: Wickmender sees a patient where Thornrush sees a legend.

Voice: These scars still have work to do.

Story beat: Carries the infirmary doors back to their threshold.

Signature presentation: Kindled Fury / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Old bark scars brighten as he braces for a heavy Challenge.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Reedrunner

There’s always another crossing.

Treats every journey as a race. Deliver a message across the missing road.

Wants: Deliver a message across the missing road.

Flaw: Treats every journey as a race.

Conflict: Must slow down for a passenger who cannot keep up.

Relationship: Glass Lynx teaches him to watch before leaping.

Voice: There’s always another crossing.

Story beat: Returns for the traveler he initially outran.

Signature presentation: Lightfoot / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Crouch, spring across a lane, and land balanced when extra Charge is paid.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Glass Lynx

Watch the gap, not the crowd.

Trusts patterns more than strangers. Find the constellation erased with the road.

Wants: Find the constellation erased with the road.

Flaw: Trusts patterns more than strangers.

Conflict: Must revise a perfect map when kindness produces an unexpected route.

Relationship: Reedrunner challenges her predictions; Duskquill studies their gaps.

Voice: Watch the gap, not the crowd.

Story beat: Chooses a living witness over an immaculate chart.

Signature presentation: Precision / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Crystal whiskers align toward one ready defender before a short pounce.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Hearthshell

Rest here. I’ll hold the road.

Protects places even when people need him elsewhere. Keep the infirmary’s lantern alive.

Wants: Keep the infirmary’s lantern alive.

Flaw: Protects places even when people need him elsewhere.

Conflict: Must choose between guarding ruins and building a new refuge.

Relationship: Wickmender asks him to bring his shelter to the travelers.

Voice: Rest here. I’ll hold the road.

Story beat: Leaves the old waiting room for the first time in years.

Signature presentation: Sheltering Glow / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Lower the shell, brace four feet, and extend a warm halo toward an ally.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Thornrush

Then I’ll make a way.

Mistakes caution for fear. Earn a place among the pathbreakers.

Wants: Earn a place among the pathbreakers.

Flaw: Mistakes caution for fear.

Conflict: Learns that opening a road also means protecting those behind him.

Relationship: Cindertusk is both his hero and the target of his impatience.

Voice: Then I’ll make a way.

Story beat: Stops mid-charge to carry a fallen traveler.

Signature presentation: Breach / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Scrape a forehoof, flare the thorn mane and launch a fast shoulder-led charge.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Veilwing

You watched the gate. I watched the wind.

Withholds truths to keep others safe. Protect the recipient of a dangerous sealed letter.

Wants: Protect the recipient of a dangerous sealed letter.

Flaw: Withholds truths to keep others safe.

Conflict: Must decide whether delivering the truth endangers the people it should help.

Relationship: Reedrunner wants to deliver the letter Veilwing has hidden.

Voice: You watched the gate. I watched the wind.

Story beat: Brings the message through a passage no guard watched.

Signature presentation: Slipstream / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Bank behind a wind veil and sweep past interceptors toward the chosen target.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Duskquill

A map is a question with good handwriting.

Waits for certainty before choosing. Discover what the Atlas omitted.

Wants: Discover what the Atlas omitted.

Flaw: Waits for certainty before choosing.

Conflict: Must restore a road without knowing why it was erased.

Relationship: Glass Lynx predicts the stars; he studies their silences.

Voice: A map is a question with good handwriting.

Story beat: Selects an imperfect route before the final lantern fades.

Signature presentation: Star Chart / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Unfurl star feathers; keep one light while the others settle under the deck.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Ember Prowler

A little spark can show the way.

Rushes into danger before checking who can follow. Scout a safer route around the burnt crossings.

Wants: Scout a safer route around the burnt crossings.

Flaw: Rushes into danger before checking who can follow.

Conflict: Must learn when a bold attack opens passage and when it leaves companions behind.

Relationship: Thornrush recognizes a fellow impatient pathfinder.

Voice: A little spark can show the way.

Story beat: Marks a safe path with embers instead of starting another blaze.

Signature presentation: Forward Spark / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Lean forward and launch a quick low Challenge.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Bramblehorn

One opening is enough.

Commits everything to the first opening. Break the barricade trapping a forgotten village.

Wants: Break the barricade trapping a forgotten village.

Flaw: Commits everything to the first opening.

Conflict: Needs allies to protect him after a decisive strike.

Relationship: Hearthshell offers the shelter his thin armor lacks.

Voice: One opening is enough.

Story beat: Waits for the defender’s choice before lowering his horns.

Signature presentation: Thorn Charge / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Gather weight on the hind legs and drive branching horns forward.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Stonehush

Stay. Breathe. I’m here.

Mistakes never moving for never failing. Hold a crossing until the last traveler is safe.

Wants: Hold a crossing until the last traveler is safe.

Flaw: Mistakes never moving for never failing.

Conflict: Must trust another guardian long enough to leave a threatened lane.

Relationship: Wickmender reads his silences as carefully as his wounds.

Voice: Stay. Breathe. I’m here.

Story beat: Yields his post to help rebuild the infirmary.

Signature presentation: Quiet Vigil / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Plant a broad defensive stance and let moss settle around the feet.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Dawnquill

Someone has to name the dawn.

Chases discoveries without protecting the return journey. Record the first sunrise from the restored road.

Wants: Record the first sunrise from the restored road.

Flaw: Chases discoveries without protecting the return journey.

Conflict: Needs a clear lane and allies willing to guard it.

Relationship: Duskquill helps distinguish useful discoveries from beautiful distractions.

Voice: Someone has to name the dawn.

Story beat: Shares her map before claiming credit for the find.

Signature presentation: Dawn Reading / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Lift luminous quills toward the horizon during a successful Explore.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Prismarten

There is more than one way through.

Changes plans to avoid committing to one. Find a role that serves the travelers rather than a fixed title.

Wants: Find a role that serves the travelers rather than a fixed title.

Flaw: Changes plans to avoid committing to one.

Conflict: Must choose the right moment to guide and the right moment to fight.

Relationship: Glass Lynx teaches precision; Reedrunner teaches improvisation.

Voice: There is more than one way through.

Story beat: Keeps a promise even when changing stance would be easier.

Signature presentation: Shift / Presentation cue for the card’s existing rules; no additional ability.. Turn the prism markings from soft guiding light to sharp directional highlights.

Narrative and motion direction do not add gameplay rules.

Nyxara

Unseal - Once during your turn, pay 1 Charge to open the Netherway. Does not exhaust Nyxara.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Unseal / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Morrow

Between Worlds - Once during your turn, pay 1 Charge to move from Lantern Crossing into the open Netherway without exhausting. Counts as its normal move; must be ready and not have moved normally.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Between Worlds / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Riftcrown

Realmstrider - Its normal move into the Netherway does not exhaust it. Normal movement cost, readiness and once-per-turn movement limit still apply.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Realmstrider / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Vesperant

Foretold Return - After another friendly character explores the Netherway, it may emerge at Vesperant's normal Route and heal 1. It stays exhausted. No effect while Vesperant is in the Netherway.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Foretold Return / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Wispweaver

Stitch the Veil - When played, open the Netherway if it is closed.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Stitch the Veil / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Grinshade

Uncertain Form - When chosen to defend a Challenge, you may pay 1 Charge and roll a six-sided die. On 5-6, prevent that Challenge's damage. Once per round per Grinshade. The attacker still exhausts.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Uncertain Form / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Seamling

A small tear in reality, learning how to want.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Instinct / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Null Harrier

Beyond the Mask - While in the Netherway, this character has +1 Force.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Beyond the Mask / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Hexmantle

Fading Hex - When played, give an opposing character at this Route -1 Force until the start of your next turn. Hex penalties do not stack; use the strongest.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Fading Hex / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Rift Cantor

Voices Between - After this character explores the Netherway, draw 1 card. Once per turn.

Veiled and otherworldly.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Restore the lost realm.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Voices Between / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Rauk

Siege Rhythm - During your turn, after another friendly character Challenges at Rauk's Route, Rauk gains +1 Force this turn. Maximum +2 per turn.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Siege Rhythm / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Skara

Relentless - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, you may pay 1 Charge to ready Skara. It cannot Explore this turn. Once per turn. Eight-legged predator with oversized interlocking fangs.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Relentless / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Gorequill

Pack Momentum - During your turn, after another friendly character Challenges at its Route, this character gains +1 Force this turn. Maximum +3 per turn.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Pack Momentum / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Snapmaw

First Bite - Its first Challenge during the turn it enters has +1 Force for that Challenge.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: First Bite / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Ridgebreaker

Cleave - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, deal excess damage to one other opposing Ally at that Route, chosen by the defender. No further spillover. See timing guide.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Cleave / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Bloodhowl

Hunting Chorus - During your turn, other friendly characters at this Route gain +1 Force. Multiple Hunting Choruses and Pack Bastion do not stack.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Hunting Chorus / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Shardsprinter

The smallest hunter is usually the first to arrive.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Instinct / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Craggnash

It remembers every road by the taste of its stones.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Instinct / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Spineknuckle

Grim Recovery - After its own Challenge defeats an Ally, heal this character by 1.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Grim Recovery / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Emberlash

Scent of Victory - During your turn, after another friendly character's Challenge defeats an Ally, this character gains +1 Force this turn. Once per turn.

Driven by the hunt.

Wants: Find a way forward.

Flaw: Every strength invites a counter.

Conflict: Protect the pack while breaking through.

Relationship: Travels with its chosen Companion.

Voice: Faction draft

Story beat: The Atlas opens a new crossing.

Signature presentation: Scent of Victory / See card rules. Faction draft animation pending

Presentation only

Vanta

His wing constellations reveal paths between worlds.

Watchful and curious; he studies travelers before deciding whether to trust them.

Wants: Find the missing constellation that once guided his kin.

Flaw: His curiosity can lure him into exposed crossings.

Conflict: Every rift he guards tempts him to abandon the world beyond it.

Relationship: Nyxara opens the thresholds Vanta scouts; Morrow knows his silent warning signs.

Voice: A low resonant trill; his wing markings answer before he does.

Story beat: A green constellation unfolds over a broken bridge, and Vanta steps from the violet mist.

Signature presentation: Riftfire Ambush / After exploring the Netherway and returning exhausted. Wing stars ignite green; a violet breath lance reaches the chosen opposing Ally.

Optional 2 direct damage to one opposing Ally at the chosen exit Route; excludes Companions.