Cards · Rulebook-based, checked 12 Oct 2026
The Card System, Explained
Every side plays from its own deck economy. Knowing where each card lives — your hand, Draw Deck, Discard Pile, the Acquire Rows or an Event deck — prevents most first-game mistakes.
01 · Deck economy
Where cards live and how they move
| Card group | Who owns it | How it flows |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Deck (7 cards) | Every house and the Dark Arts player | Shuffled into the Draw Deck at setup; you draw five to start |
| Acquire Deck + Rows | Shared (houses) / Dark Arts player | Two face-up in each row; Learn or Bonus Spaces pull from here |
| Library Book Deck | Shared | Two revealed; visiting the Library takes one and refills immediately |
| Location Decks | House and Dark Arts, separate | Houses get 3 cards for Scrolls; Dark Arts draws theirs for the win target |
| Event Decks | White / orange / red | Drawn when the path marker lands on a matching Event Space; older zones retire |
| Discard Pile | Per player | Shuffles into a new Draw Deck when the old one empties |
Source: official rulebook, printed pp. 6–13, 16–23
02 · Reading a card
Effect timing and the reactive lightning mark
Instant
Resolves at the moment stated on the card. Do not bank it for later unless the card says so.
Conditional
Needs its condition met before it does anything. A condition that never arrives is an effect that never fires.
Turn-long
Stays available for the rest of the current turn, then expires with your discard step.
Source: printed pp. 12–13, 16–17 · Timing FAQ →
03 · Colour unlocking
White, orange, red — the Dark Arts path colours
White card effects are live from the start. Orange effects unlock the moment the Dark Arts Marker enters the first orange path space; red unlocks at the first red space. Entering the colour zone is the trigger — not an Event. Until an effect's colour is unlocked, the card still supplies its movement value; you simply skip the locked effect. Earlier colours never lock again.
Source: printed pp. 20–21 · Dark Arts turn →