Base Game
View Law of Root

6.1 OVERVIEW

The Marquise de Cat occupies the Woodland and wants to turn it into an industrial and military powerhouse. Each time the Marquise builds one of her BUILDINGS—a workshop, sawmill, or recruiter—she scores victory points. The more of the same building she has on the map, the more points she scores. However, to fuel ongoing construction, the Marquise must maintain and protect a strong, interconnected economy of WOOD.

6.2 FACTION RULES AND ABILITIES

6.2.1
Crafting.
The Marquise crafts during Daylight by activating workshops.
6.2.2
The Keep.
The Marquise can place pieces in the clearing with the keep token, and other players cannot. (Pieces may be moved into it. If the keep is removed, there is no way to place it on the map again.)
6.2.3
Field Hospitals.
Whenever any number of Marquise warriors are removed from a clearing, the Marquise may spend a card matching that clearing to place those warriors in the clearing with the keep token instead of the Marquise's supply.

6.3 FACTION SETUP

6.3.1
Step 1: Gather Warriors and Wood.
Form supplies of 25 warriors and 8 wood tokens.
6.3.2
Step 2: Place Keep.
Place the keep token in any corner clearing. This is your starting clearing.
6.3.3
Step 3: Garrison.
Place a warrior in each clearing except the clearing in the diagonally opposite corner from the clearing with the keep token.
6.3.4
Step 4: Place Starting Buildings.
Place 1 sawmill, 1 workshop, and 1 recruiter. You may place them among the clearing with the keep token and any adjacent clearings, in any combination.
6.3.5
Step 5: Fill Buildings Tracks.
Place your remaining 5 sawmills, 5 workshops, and 5 recruiters on the respective Buildings tracks from right to left. (Leave the leftmost space of each track empty.)

6.4 BIRDSONG

Place wood tokens in each clearing with any number of sawmills, one wood per sawmill there.

6.5 DAYLIGHT

First, you may activate workshops to craft cards from your hand. Then, you may take up to three actions—plus one action per bird card you spend (not as part of an action)—in any order and number.
6.5.1
Battle.
Initiate a battle.
6.5.2
March.
Take up to two moves.
6.5.3
Recruit.
Place one warrior at each recruiter. You may take this action only once per turn.
6.5.4
Build.
Place a building.
I
Choose Clearing and Building.
Choose a clearing you rule. Choose whether you want to place a sawmill, workshop, or recruiter. You will place the leftmost building of its type from your faction board. You must be able to pay its cost (6.5.4.II) and place it (6.5.4.III). (6.5.4.II - Pay Cost.) (6.5.4.III - Place Building and Score.)
II
Pay Cost.
Find the chosen building's cost at the top of its column. Remove wood tokens equal in number to the cost from the chosen clearing, any adjacent clearings you rule, or any clearings connected to the chosen clearing you rule through any number of clearings you rule.
III
Place Building and Score.
Place the chosen building in the chosen clearing, and score the victory points listed on the space uncovered on your faction board.
6.5.5
Overwork.
Spend a card matching the clearing of a sawmill to place a wood token there.

6.6 EVENING

Draw one card, plus one card per uncovered draw bonus. Then, if you have more than five cards in your hand, discard cards of your choice until you have five.

7.1 OVERVIEW

The Eyrie Dynasties wish to restore their once-dignified kind to their former glory in the Woodland by retaking control of the forest clearings. During their Evening, the Eyrie score victory points based on the number of ROOSTS on the map. The greater their presence in the Woodland, the greater their gains. However, the Eyrie are bound by their DECREE, an ever-increasing set of mandated actions promised by their LEADER. Each turn, they must take all of the actions on their Decree, or else fall into TURMOIL.

7.2 FACTION RULES AND ABILITIES

7.2.1
Crafting.
The Eyrie craft before resolving the Decree during Daylight by activating roosts.
7.2.2
Lords of the Forest.
The Eyrie rule a clearing when tied for most combined warriors and buildings there, and they have at least one Eyrie piece there. lizard
7.2.3
Disdain for Trade.
Whenever the Eyrie craft an item, they ignore the listed victory points and instead score only one victory point. (They can still score extra crafting points from effects such as Master Engravers and the Legendary Forge.)

7.3 FACTION SETUP

7.3.1
Step 1: Gather Warriors.
Form a supply of 20 warriors.
7.3.2
Step 2: Place Roost and Starting Warriors.
Place 1 roost and 6 warriors in a corner clearing that is not the starting corner clearing of another player and, if possible, is diagonally opposite from a starting corner clearing. This is your starting clearing. (This is updated from earlier printings for flexibility.)
7.3.3
Step 3: Choose Leader.
Choose 1 of the 4 Eyrie leader cards and place it in your Leader Card slot. Gather the remaining leaders face up near you.
7.3.4
Step 4: Tuck Viziers.
Tuck your 2 Loyal Vizier cards, showing their suit, into the Decree columns above your faction board as listed on your leader.
7.3.5
Step 5: Fill Roosts Track.
Place your 6 remaining roosts on your Roosts track from right to left.

7.4 BIRDSONG

Your Birdsong has three steps in the following order.
7.4.1
Emergency Orders.
If you have no cards in your hand, draw one card.
7.4.2
Add to the Decree.
You must add one or two cards to the Decree, revealing them from your hand and tucking them, but only one card added may be a bird card. You may add each card to any column, and each column can hold any number of cards.
7.4.3
A New Roost.
If you have no roosts on the map, place a roost and three warriors in a clearing with the fewest warriors where all those pieces can be placed.

7.5 DAYLIGHT

Your Daylight has two steps in the following order.
7.5.1
Craft.
You may activate roosts to craft cards from your hand.
7.5.2
Resolve the Decree.
You must resolve the Decree, starting with the leftmost column and moving right. In each column, you must resolve all of its cards, but in any order. For each card, you must take the action listed for its column, as follows. If you cannot fully take an action, you immediately fall into turmoil (7.7). (7.7 - Turmoil)
I
Recruit.
Place a warrior in any clearing with a roost whose suit matches the card suit.
II
Move.
Move from any clearing whose suit matches the card suit. (You must move at least one warrior.)
III
Battle.
Initiate a battle in any clearing whose suit matches the card suit.
IV
Build.
Place a roost in any clearing you rule whose suit matches the card suit and which has no roost.

7.6 EVENING

Your Evening has two steps in the following order.
7.6.1
Score Points.
Score the victory points listed on the rightmost empty space of your Roosts track.
7.6.2
Draw and Discard.
Draw one card, plus one card per uncovered draw bonus. Then, if you have more than five cards in your hand, discard cards of your choice until you have five.

7.7 TURMOIL

If you cannot fully take an action in the Decree (7.5.2) for any reason, you fall into turmoil. You must take the Turmoil action as follows in order. (7.5.2 - Resolve the Decree.)
7.7.1
Step 1: Humiliate.
Lose one victory point per bird card (including Loyal Viziers) on the Decree.
7.7.2
Step 2: Purge.
Discard all of the cards on the Decree except your Loyal Viziers.
7.7.3
Step 3: Depose.
Flip your current leader face down and set it aside, choose a new leader from those face up, and place on your faction board. Tuck your Loyal Viziers into the Decree spaces listed on your new leader.
I
A New Clutch.
If you must choose a new leader but none are face up, flip them all face up.
7.7.4
Step 4: Rest.
End Daylight and begin Evening.

7.8 LEADERS REFERENCE

The Eyrie have four leader cards, as follows.
7.8.1
Builder.
Loyal Viziers begin on Recruit and Move. Whenever you craft, you ignore your Disdain for Trade special ability (7.2.3). (7.2.3 - Disdain for Trade.)
7.8.2
Charismatic.
Loyal Viziers begin on Recruit and Battle. Whenever you take a Recruit action, you must place two warriors instead of one.
7.8.3
Commander.
Loyal Viziers begin on Move and Battle. In battle as attacker, you deal an extra hit.
7.8.4
Despot.
Loyal Viziers begin on Move and Build. Whenever you remove at least one enemy building or token in battle, you score one extra victory point (two in total, 3.2.1). (3.2.1 - Removing Buildings and Tokens.)

8.1 OVERVIEW

The Woodland Alliance works to gain the SYMPATHY of the various creatures of the Woodland who are dissatisfied with their present condition. Each time the Alliance places a sympathy token, they may score victory points. The more sympathy on the map they have, the more victory points they score. Gaining the sympathy of the people requires SUPPORTERS. These supporters can also be put toward violent ends, inciting outright rebellion across the forest. When a revolt erupts, the Alliance will establish a BASE. Bases allow the Alliance to train officers, increasing their military flexibility.

8.2 FACTION RULES AND ABILITIES

8.2.1
Crafting.
The Alliance crafts during Daylight by activating sympathy tokens.
8.2.2
Guerrilla War.
As defender in battle, the Alliance will deal hits equal to the higher roll, and the attacker will deal hits equal to the lower roll.
8.2.3
The Supporters Stack.
To take various actions, the Alliance spends SUPPORTERS, which are cards on their Supporters stack. Supporters can only be spent for their suit and do not count against the Alliance's hand size. Supporters are face down, but the Alliance may inspect them at any time.
I
Capacity.
If the Alliance has no bases on the map, the Supporters stack can only hold up to five cards. If the Alliance would gain a supporter but the stack cannot hold it, that card is discarded. If any bases are on the map, the Supporters stack can hold unlimited cards.
8.2.4
Removing Bases.
Whenever a base is removed, the Alliance must discard all supporters matching the clearing of the base (including birds) and remove half of their officers, rounded up. If the Alliance has no more bases on the map and has more than five supporters, they must discard down to five supporters.
8.2.5
Sympathy Tokens.
The Alliance has 10 sympathy tokens.
I
Placement Limits.
A clearing can hold only one sympathy token.
II
Terms.
A SYMPATHETIC CLEARING is one with a sympathy token. An UNSYMPATHETIC CLEARING is one without a sympathy token.
8.2.6
Outrage.
Whenever another player removes a sympathy token or moves any warriors into a sympathetic clearing, they must add one card matching the affected clearing from their hand to the Supporters stack. If they have no matching cards (including no birds), they must show their hand to the Alliance, and then the Alliance draws a card from the deck and adds it to the Supporters stack.

8.3 FACTION SETUP

8.3.1
Step 1: Gather Warriors.
Form a supply of 10 warriors.
8.3.2
Step 2: Place Bases.
Place 3 bases on the respective spaces in your Bases box.
8.3.3
Step 3: Fill Sympathy Track.
Place 10 sympathy tokens on your Sympathy track.
8.3.4
Step 4: Gain Supporters.
Draw 3 cards and place them face down on your Supporters stack.

8.4 BIRDSONG

Your Birdsong has two steps in the following order.
8.4.1
Revolt.
Any number of times, you may take the Revolt action, as follows.
I
Step 1: Choose Clearing.
Choose a sympathetic clearing without a base that matches a base on your faction board.
II
Step 2: Spend Supporters.
Spend two supporters matching the suit of the chosen clearing.
III
Step 3: Resolve Effect.
Remove all enemy pieces from the chosen clearing. Then, place the matching base there, and place warriors there equal to the number of sympathetic clearings matching the base's printed suit. Finally, place one warrior in the Officers box. This warrior is now an OFFICER. (Remember to score one victory point per token and building removed.)
8.4.2
Spread Sympathy.
Any number of times, you may take the Spread Sympathy action, as follows.
I
Step 1: Choose Clearing.
Choose an unsympathetic clearing adjacent to a sympathetic clearing. If there are no sympathetic clearings, you may choose any clearing.
II
Step 2: Spend Supporters.
Spend supporters matching the suit of the chosen clearing. The number of supporters that must be spent is listed above the sympathy token.
a
Martial Law.
You must spend another matching supporter if the target clearing has at least 3 warriors of another player, including warriors they are treating as their own for rule (Mercenaries, hirelings, etc.).
III
Step 3: Place and Score.
Place a sympathy token in the chosen clearing. Score the victory points on the space uncovered on your faction board.

8.5 DAYLIGHT

You may take the following actions in any order and number.
8.5.1
Craft.
You may activate sympathy tokens to craft a card from your hand.
8.5.2
Mobilize.
Add a card from your hand to the Supporters stack.
8.5.3
Train.
Spend a card whose suit matches the clearing of a base on the map to place a warrior in the Officers box. This warrior is now an OFFICER.

8.6 EVENING

Your Evening has two steps in the following order.
8.6.1
Military Operations.
You may take actions, as follows, up to your number of officers, in any order and number.
I
Move.
Take one move.
II
Battle.
Initiate a battle.
III
Recruit.
Place a warrior in any clearing with a base.
IV
Organize.
Remove one Alliance warrior from an unsympathetic clearing to place a sympathy token there, then score the victory points listed on the space uncovered on your faction board.
8.6.2
Draw and Discard.
Draw one card, plus one card per uncovered draw bonus. Then, if you have more than five cards in your hand, discard cards of your choice until you have five.

9.1 OVERVIEW

The Vagabond plays all sides of the conflict while going on quests to increase his renown throughout the wood. Each time the Vagabond improves his RELATIONSHIP with another faction, or removes a warrior belonging to a faction hostile toward him, he scores victory points. He can also complete QUESTS to score victory points. To move and act effectively the Vagabond must manage his pack of ITEMS, expanding his selection by exploring the forest ruins and providing aid to other factions.

9.2 FACTION RULES AND ABILITIES

9.2.1
Crafting.
The Vagabond can exhaust hammer to activate its pawn as a crafting piece, ignoring the once-per-turn limit (4.1.1). If the Vagabond crafts an item, he may immediately take it, face up. (4.1.1 - Cost.)
9.2.2
Lone Wanderer.
The Vagabond pawn is not a warrior (so he cannot rule a clearing or stop another player from ruling one). The Vagabond pawn cannot be removed from the map.
I
Full Removal.
Whenever an enemy player uses an effect that says it removes all enemy pieces from a clearing (such as Alliance revolts, Favor of the Mice cards, Conspiracy bombs) with the Vagabond, the Vagabond damages three items.
9.2.3
Nimble.
The Vagabond can move regardless of who rules his origin or destination clearing (4.2.1). (4.2.1 - You Must Rule.)
9.2.4
Defenseless.
As defender in battle, the Vagabond is defenseless (4.3.5.II) if he has no undamaged sword. (4.3.5.II - Defenseless.)
9.2.5
Items.
The Vagabond's capabilities depend on the items he acquires. Instead of a Crafted Items box, he has a Satchel and various item tracks. Items on the Vagabond's faction board can be face up or face down. The Vagabond EXHAUSTS face-up undamaged items, flipping them face down, to take many actions.
I
Item Tracks.
Whenever a tea, coin, or sack is face up in your Satchel, place it in an empty matching track space if able. If a tea, coin, or sack on a track is flipped face down, place it in your Satchel. Each track can only hold 3 items of its type.
II
The Satchel.
When gained, boot, sword, crossbow, torch, and hammer are placed face up in the Vagabond's Satchel.
9.2.6
Maximum Rolled Hits.
In battle, the Vagabond's maximum rolled hits (4.3.2.1) equals his undamaged sword, face up or face down, in his Satchel.
9.2.7
Taking Hits.
Whenever the Vagabond takes a hit (4.3.6), he must damage one undamaged item, moving it to his Damaged box. These items are damaged. If no undamaged items remain to damage, the Vagabond ignores any remaining hits. (4.3.6 - Step 6: Deal Hits.)
9.2.8
Dominance Cards and Coalitions.
The Vagabond cannot activate a dominance card for its normal victory condition (3.3.1). Instead, in games with four or more players, the Vagabond can activate a dominance card to form a coalition with another player, placing his score marker on that player's faction board. (The Vagabond no longer scores points.) That player must have fewer victory points than each other player except the Vagabond forming the coalition, and that player cannot be in a coalition. If there is a tie for fewest victory points, he chooses one tied player. If the coalitioned player wins the game, the Vagabond also wins. (3.3.1 - Activating.)
9.2.9
Relationships.
Your faction board shows a Relationships chart, which has four spaces on the Allied track and one Hostile box. It holds a relationship marker for each non-Vagabond faction.
I
Improving Relationships.
You can improve a relationship with a non-Hostile faction by taking the Aid action.
a
Cost.
Aid a non-Hostile faction the number of times listed between their current Allied space and their next Allied space during the same turn. (A given Aid action counts toward only one improvement in relationship.)
b
Effect.
Advance that faction's relationship marker one space right on the track. Score the victory points listed in the new space.
II
Allied Status.
If a relationship marker reaches the final space on the Allied track, you are now ALLIED with the faction shown by that relationship marker. (Their warriors trust you!)
a
Aiding Ally.
Each time you Aid an Allied faction, score two victory points.
b
Moving with Ally.
When you move, you may force warriors of one Allied faction to move along with your Vagabond pawn to your destination clearing. (When you move alone, such as with the Harrier's ability, you cannot move Allied warriors.)
c
Attacking with Ally.
At the start of battle as the attacker, you may treat the warriors of one Allied faction in the clearing of battle as your own. The maximum hits you can roll equals the number of their warriors there plus your total undamaged sword. You cannot treat Allied warriors as your own when attacking the same Allied faction.
d
Taking Hits with Ally.
In a battle where you treat Allied warriors as your own, you can take hits by removing them. However, if you take more hits by removing Allied warriors than by damaging items during the same battle, that Allied faction becomes Hostile (9.3.3) at the end of the battle. This rule overrides the condition for becoming Hostile in 9.3.3. (9.3.3 - Step 3: Get Quests.)
III
Hostile Status.
If you remove a warrior of a non-Hostile faction, move their relationship marker to the Hostile box. This faction is now HOSTILE. Then, if this happened in battle during your turn, check for Infamy scoring (9.3.3.1).
a
Infamy.
Score one extra victory point for each piece of a Hostile faction you remove in battle during your turn, except the warrior that made the faction Hostile. (Add this to points scored for enemy buildings and tokens.)
b
Moving into Hostile Clearings.
You must exhaust an extra boot to move (even if forced) into a clearing with any warriors of any Hostile faction.
c
Aiding Hostile Factions.
You cannot move a relationship marker out of the Hostile box by using Aid, but you can still Aid a Hostile faction to take crafted items.
d
Coalition with Hostile Faction.
You can form a coalition (9.2.8) with a Hostile faction. If you do, move their relationship marker to the Indifferent space. (9.2.8 - Dominance Cards and Coalitions.)
9.2.10
Forest Movement.
Your Slip (9.4.2) allows you to move in and out of forests. Other Move actions only let you move out of a forest into an adjacent clearing, not into a forest. (9.4.2 - Slip.)

9.3 FACTION SETUP

9.3.1
Step 1: Choose Character.
Choose a character card and place it in your Character Card slot.
9.3.2
Step 2: Place Pawn.
Place your Vagabond pawn in any forest.
9.3.3
Step 3: Get Quests.
Shuffle your quest deck, draw 3 quest cards, and place them face up near you.
9.3.4
Step 4: Populate Ruins.
Take the 4 ruins from the map, and take the sack, boot, hammer, and sword items marked with an "R." Place one beneath each ruin and then shuffle each ruin stack. Then, return each stack to an empty ruin slot on the map.
9.3.5
Step 5: Take Starting Items.
Take the items marked with an "S" listed on your character card. Place any listed tea, coin, and sack items face up on the respective tracks of your faction board. Place all other listed items face up in your Satchel. Return any remaining "S" items to the box.
9.3.6
Step 6: Set Relationships.
Take a relationship marker for each non-Vagabond faction and place them all on the Indifferent space of your Relationships chart.

9.4 BIRDSONG

Your Birdsong has two steps in the following order.
9.4.1
Refresh.
Flip two exhausted items face up for each tea face up on the Refresh track, not counting tea that you flip face up in this step. Then flip up three more exhausted items.
9.4.2
Slip.
You may move into an adjacent clearing or forest without exhausting any boot, even for moving into a Hostile clearing (9.3.3.2). This move ignores all effects that prevent movement out of a clearing (such as the Corvids' snare).

9.5 DAYLIGHT

You can exhaust items to take the following actions, in any order and number. (If you exhaust a coin, tea, or sack on a track, move it to the Satchel.)
9.5.1
Move.
Exhaust one boot to move (plus boot if the destination has Hostile warriors). (You cannot move into a forest. If in a forest, you may only move into an adjacent clearing.)
9.5.2
Battle.
Exhaust one sword to initiate a battle. (Check your relationship with the defender.)
9.5.3
Explore.
Exhaust one torch to take one item under a ruin in your clearing, reveal it, and place it face up in your Satchel or on its respective track. If you take an item, score one victory point. If you remove the last item from a ruin, remove the ruin.
9.5.4
Aid.
Exhaust any one item and give a card matching your clearing to a player with faction pieces there (even Hostile). If you do, you may take one item, if any, from their Crafted Items box, and place it face up in your Satchel or on its matching track. (Check your relationship with their faction.)
9.5.5
Quest.
Choose a quest whose suit matches your clearing, and exhaust the two items listed on the quest. Place the quest in your play area as a completed quest. Then, you may either score one victory point per matching completed quest (including this) or draw two cards from the deck. Finally, draw a new quest and place it near the map.
9.5.6
Strike.
Exhaust one crossbow to remove an enemy warrior from your clearing. If that enemy has no warriors there, you may instead remove one of their other faction pieces there. (Check your relationship with that player's faction.)
9.5.7
Repair.
Exhaust one hammer to move one damaged item to the Satchel, keeping the item on its current side. (Face-up coin, tea, and sack immediately move to their tracks.)
9.5.8
Craft.
Craft a card by exhausting one hammer per crafting icon it has. Your clearing must match all of the card's crafting icons. If you craft an item, place it in your Satchel or its respective track (9.2.5). (9.2.5 - Items.)
9.5.9
Special Action.
Take the action listed on your character card by exhausting any items it lists.

9.6 EVENING

Your Evening has four steps, as follows.
9.6.1
Rest.
If you are in a forest, move all damaged items to your Satchel and flip them face up. (Face-up coin, tea, and sack immediately move to their tracks.)
9.6.2
Draw Cards.
Draw one card, plus one card per coin face up on the respective track.
9.6.3
Discard Cards.
If you have more than five cards in your hand, discard cards of your choice until you have five.
9.6.4
Check Item Capacity.
If you have more items total in your Satchel and Damaged box than your item limit—six plus two per sack face up on the respective track—remove items from your Satchel and Damaged box until you have items equal to your item limit, and remove them from the game permanently.

9.7 PLAYING WITH TWO VAGABONDS

If you have The Riverfolk Expansion, you can play a game with two Vagabonds by following these rules.
9.7.1
Setup.
Use both sets of "R" items and place two random "R" items in each ruin slot. If you are using the Standard Setup (5.1), randomly determine which Vagabond sets up first. (5.1 - Standard Setup)
9.7.2
Share Quests.
Either Vagabond may complete any of the three face-up quests. Do not add extra quest cards during setup.
9.7.3
Taking Items from Ruins.
When a Vagabond explores a ruin with two items, or the Hundreds raze a ruin (14.4.1) with two items, that player may look at those items and take one of their choice. (By taking two Explore actions, the Vagabond could take both items from one ruin.) A player cannot take an "R" item if they have the same type of "R" item on their faction board. (If the Vagabond explores but does not take an item, he does not score a victory point, but the torch is still exhausted.) (14.4.1 - Raze.)
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