Duskara: Echoes in the Wind
Content for Duskara: Echoes in the Wind
Introduction
A Game of Distance, Memory, and Wind
Duskara: Echoes in the Wind is a duet roleplaying game for two players. It's a story of connectio...
What You Need to Play
Two players A way to record or write fragments (audio, voice notes, paper, email, shared doc) Si...
Play Duration
A complete story typically takes 8-12 Echo Cycles (4-6 cycles per player), which can be completed...
Themes
The persistence of memory Longing and legacy What it means to be known across distance Wind as v...
Safety and Boundaries
How to Play
Rituals of Exchange
Echoes in the Wind is a game played through fragments—short entries that may be letters, recordin...
Structure of Play
Each player takes on a role: The Sender creates the current fragment. The Receiver reads/listens...
The Fragment Can Take Any Form
A letter scratched into a shrine wall An audio recording buried in a wind archive A diagram sket...
Ways to Play
Live / In-Person Take turns writing entries and reading them aloud, or exchange physical notes/ar...
The Echoes of Duskara
A World Held in Wind and Twilight
Duskara is not Earth. It is not even Earth-like. It is a planet of brutal contrast—locked in plac...
Key Concepts of the World
The Twilight Belt: The only habitable zone, 200–300 km wide, where temperature and light permit...
Your Connection
The two of you were once bonded: Perhaps you trained together. Perhaps you were rivals. Perhaps ...
Inspirations
This game is inspired by: Letters across time in If Found, Firewatch, Dear Esther The soft apoca...
The Windcallers
Who You Were, Who You Are
You are both Windcallers—psychic mystics attuned to the breath of Duskara. You were trained to li...
Step 1: Name and Voice
Choose a name and describe how your Windcaller communicates. Do they speak plainly or ritually? ...
Step 2: Attunement
Choose one psychic attunement—your Windcaller's deepest resonance with Duskara. Weatherworking —...
Step 3: Origin
Define where or when your Windcaller speaks from. A known settlement (e.g. Aetherion, Lumina Cav...
Step 4: The Bond
Define your prior connection. Answer one or more of the following: What did I once promise you? ...
Step 5: The Burden
Every Windcaller carries a weight. Choose one or write your own: I broke the storm that should n...
The Echo Cycle
The Rhythm of Play
An Echo Cycle consists of: The Sender creates a fragment The Receiver reads/listens to it The Re...
Creating a Fragment
When it's your turn to send a fragment, follow these steps: 1. Choose Your Medium Decide what for...
Fragment Length
Aim for 150-400 words or 1-3 minutes of audio. Fragments should be substantial enough to advance ...
Spending Echo Tokens
You begin play with 3 Echo tokens. These represent moments of clear psychic connection across dis...
The Map of Duskara
What the Map Represents
The map in Echoes in the Wind is not a traditional geographic tool. It represents the psychic lan...
Generating the Initial Map
Before your first fragment, create the map together using the dice drop method: Step 1: Define th...
Changing the Map
As fragments progress, the map evolves: Adding Locations: When your fragment introduces a new pla...
When the Map Collapses
The map collapses—and the game ends—when one of the following occurs: More than half the locatio...
Storm Events
Conflict Resolution
Ending the Game
Agreed Endings
The Rite Is Complete: A ritual introduced early in play is finally finished across both Windcall...
Emergent Endings
The Fragment Unanswered: One player sends a fragment so perfect, so complete, that no response i...
The Wind Offering (Optional)
If you wish to create a formal ending, after the final fragment: Together, write one last collabo...
Appendix: Tools and Templates
Echo Tokens Tracker
ECHO TOKENS: ☐ ☐ ☐ Spent on: - ________________________ - ________________________ - ____________...
Fragment Checklist
Before sending a fragment, verify: It's grounded in a specific place and time It references or...
Card-Based Prompts (Optional)
If you're stuck for inspiration, draw a playing card from a standard deck: Hearts (♥) — Memory Fr...
Map Template
Draw this structure on a blank page: [DAYWARD] | ————————— | —————...
Sample Locations by Type
Ruins (1-2): The Hollowed Archive Echo's Fall Broken Spire Silence Keep The Forgetting Settleme...
Example of Play
Session Zero
Players: Alex and Morgan Windcallers: Isarn (Alex) and Saeli (Morgan) Initial Setup: Alex: "Isarn...
First Echo Cycle
Cycle 1, Fragment 1 (Morgan as Saeli): Audio recording, crackling with interference "Isarn. Test...
Second Echo Cycle
Cycle 2, Fragment 3 (Morgan as Saeli): Torn journal page, water-damaged Day 6. Structures confir...
Designer Notes
On Distance and Asynchrony
This game works best when played slowly. The pauses between fragments—whether minutes or weeks—cr...
On the Map's Mutability
The map's instability is intentional. It represents subjective experience, not objective geograph...
On Endings
Some of the most powerful endings happen quietly. You don't need a dramatic climax. Sometimes one...
On Echo Tokens
The token economy is tight by design. Three tokens isn't much. You'll need to let some mysteries ...
Windcaller Character Sheet
Name
Voice & Medium
How do you communicate? (poetry, diagrams, audio, sigils, song, etc.)
Attunement
Choose one: ☐ Weatherworking — shape storms, calm winds, invoke rain ☐ Thermal Sight — see heat, ...
Origin
Where or when do you write from? ☐ Known Settlement: _______________________________ ☐ Ruined Out...
The Bond
Answer one or more. You may write in fragments. • What did I once promise you? • What did we neve...
The Burden
☐ I broke the storm that should not have been broken. ☐ I swore never to forget. I have failed. ☐...
Echo Tokens
CURRENT: ☐ ☐ ☐ Spent: Regained:
Transmission Log
Quick Reference
Each Fragment Must
✓ Be grounded in place and time ✓ Reference the previous fragment ✓ Change something (map, truth,...
Echo Tokens (Start with 3)
Ask Direct Question (1) Contradict Memory (1) Invoke Shared Echo (2) Regain: Complete a ritual,...
Storm Events (Every 4 Fragments)
Roll 1d6: Ritual Failure Inverted Truth Scrambled Voice Collapsed Location Psychic Surge (+1 tok...
The Map
Generate with 3d6 each (1-2: Ruin, 3-4: Settlement, 5-6: Natural) Add locations as fragments int...
Game Ends When
Rite completed Map collapses Fragment unanswered Both agree story is told
Names and Locations
Given Names
Aelith, Ralvek, Saeli, Teshun, Veyna, Dhuvan, Isarn, Zohren, Thira, Lorik, Zoryn, Omet, Nyrel, Fe...
Family / Kin Names
Thornvale, Emberlyn, Luyareh, Ashenfall, Velkara, Zyltar, Vosir, Xorath, Myralis, Tynoria
Honorifics or Titles
The Last Listener Warden of Silence Flame-Touched The One Who Forgot Chimebound Keeper of Hollow...
Canonical Settlements
Twilight Belt: Aetherion (major hub) Harmattan's Reach Storm Watch Ridge Keep Night Side: Lumi...
Fragment Templates
1. Field Log
Windcaller Log #\044 — Aetherion Outskirts Sky Pressure: Rising Aurora Strength: Low Observed ano...
2. Letter
To the one who still listens, I walked the same ridge again today. The trees haven't grown back. ...
3. Ritual Fragment
Binding of the Fourth Breath — Fragment only [Line 1 missing] ...and then the chime is struck thr...
4. Dream Transcript
Dream #17 The floodplain glowed like glass. You were kneeling in the ruins, writing symbols on y...