This is a sample entry from a new game I’m working on. It’s a solo journalling game about a traveler who is retracing the steps of a journey his lost lover took long ago. The player visits various locations tied to a postcard they received from that lover and journal about the experience they had.

The Gazing Pools of the Seven Daughters

Dispatch: The woman at the entrance told me that I would see what my heart truly desires if I look long enough into the waters of the gazing pools. She also took five gold coins from me for the privilege of getting out of the sun. At least it is cooler in here with all the water flowing. There are seven large pools (one for each of the seven daughters, I would suppose) and many smaller pools that all seem to pour into each other. I can’t see anything when I look into them, no matter how far over the edge I lean. I lean so far that I’m afraid I might accidentally fall in. Do you think if I did that I might find you in the depths? Could I hold you again? — Your Arrow

Travelogue: The Gazing Pools of the Seven Daughters is one of the most popular attractions in all of Cheshiyah. Travelers come from far and wide to gaze into the crystal clear waters and glance something of their fate. While it was once said to have been a gift from the Ninth Warrior King Andri to her daughters as celebration of their growth into adulthood, scholars have since discovered that the pools were actually used as a location for Andri’s various extramarital affairs. In spite of (or perhaps because of) this discovery, visitors continue to stare at the smooth surfaces of the pools in hopes of catching a peek at their fated true love.

Schedule: The Gazing Pools of the Seven Daughters is open during the Morning and Afternoon. If you drew this card in the Evening, you can use the Moments table and/or visit a connection. Use this card for the next available phase.

Reminiscence: When you peer into the still waters of the gazing pools, roll the die and incorporate the result into your journal entry about the experience:

• 6: You vividly recall a memory of him from so long ago that you forgot you’d forgotten it. Tears well up like a tide in your chest.
• 4-5: The thought of him here long ago brings you comfort like cool water on a hot day. You imagine him actually falling in and laugh.
• 2-3: The waters ripple as a nearby small child splashes the surface. You look at the young family and wonder if you could have been that.
• 1: You see nothing in the waters but the mosaic tile at the bottom of the pool.