Procession by Tyler Magruder * * * Text is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license Images are Procession ofMonstrous Figures by Wendel Dietterlin, the Younger, released into the public domain by The Met Collection. * * * When the sun reaches the highest point during the hottest day of the summer, amidst a seemingly unending drought, the villagers of Edmund Valley know to expect the arrival of the Procession. Uncountable strange creatures march from one horizon to the other, passing right through the middle of the town. No one knows where the come from or where they go, but as they pass through they leave behind a number of blessings that change the town for the better. This is a short game that can be played with one or more players. The only required materials are a deck of playing cards, though a pencil and paper are encouraged if you wish to write down notes. * * * Begin by choosing three things your community lacks. One should be a material lack, one should be an entertainment lack, and one should be a social lack. Then describe two or three landmarks or people that are important to your Edmund Valley. These details will set your game apart from all other games you or other people might play. You will only use one suit of cards for this game (it does not matter which one), so remove all cards from your deck besides a single suit. Remove the two jokers as well. Shuffle your remaining cards. Each turn you will draw a card, then find the matching miracle in the following pages. Read the miracle, and then decide how that miracle manifests in your version of Edmund Valley. * * * Ace With a twinkle in their eye, a grin on their lips, and a cooking pot on their head hiding everything just described, a creature wiggles their fingers and up from the ground arises a new, beautiful landmark. Two With a whisper in each ear, a two-headed creature speaks wisdom to a young member of Edmund Valley. Three Cackling creatures dance around the town, bringing back a measure of joy to the people. The entertainment lack is filled. Four The ground trembles as a gargantuan creature ambles through the town, and in their wake plants and other beautiful things sprout. * * * Five A cart without wheels rolls past and as it tumbles and flips through the town, off it spills a wealth of something the town needs. The material lack is filled. Six A creature with powerful lungs, or perhaps just a strong gust of wind, passes through the town in a blur, and when they are gone not a single mote of dust and soot remains in Edmund Valley. Seven The fascination over the passing of these strange creatures brings the people of Edmund Valley together. The social lack is filled. Eight With a head shaped like the moon, a creature absconds with the cruelest person in town. * * * Nine A song sung by all the creatures fills the ears of everyone that hears it, and they soon come to realize they know how to play that song on any instrument they touch. Ten As they waddle past, bow-legged creatures toss out a seemingly-infinite supply of goods. The town now has a wealth of one particular useful thing. Jack After performing a bizarre ritual around a landmark, it now emits a comforting glow that protects residents of the town from harm. Queen A creature hands a significant person their oversized hat. Whenever they wear it, they can also perform a small miracle of their own. * * * King The first drop of rain falls, and as it lands the creatures all move at impossible speed until they are gone beyond the horizon and none remain. Clouds form overhead and a deluge of rain washes over Edmund Valley. The drought has ended, and so has the Procession. When you draw the king, the game is over, no matter how many cards you have remaining. Perhaps next year more cards will be drawn, and the Procession will last longer.