The Garden Under the Reservoir

120-minute plan · 4 players · Make time and supplies count A lowering reservoir reveals a memorial garden. Its caretaker has gone down with a trolley while a premature refill order counts toward release. Content notice: Water and memorial grief. Everyone stays on marked firm stairs; no swimming or dangerous mud crossing is required.

GM overview

Start with two straps and a seven-turn window (five in the shorter game, where the schedule is already checked). Lowering and raising the trolley each consume a work turn; securing the tablet consumes a strap. A full dry-garden record also needs one strap and one survey turn. The valve action is a once-only extension of two turns, earned by checking sequence numbers. It costs a turn itself and only works before the cutoff. At one turn left, the low beds close and the full survey is unavailable, but the marked stair still permits departure. Omri returns with the group under every ending. Never portray a partial ending as rescuing a tablet that was not actually secured.

What is really happening

Omri mapped the submerged garden to recover its memorial during maintenance. The cleaning and refill notices have the same copied date but different sequence numbers. Confirming sequence 12 allows the valve keeper to extend the dry window before refill 13. Two rigging straps can secure the memorial and a mapping frame; using one for a visitor bench gives up the full survey.

Opening agreement and read-aloud

Agree on subjects to soften or skip. Each player names an ordinary skill and a reason to help. Evidence does not require a successful roll; uncertainty changes time, cost or obligations. Stone flower beds emerge below the reservoir rim. A trolley track follows a dry stair, and a refill bell hangs beside two notices bearing the same date.

Time and preparation

120 minutes: Correct the notice or recover only the names Opening agreement: 10 minutes Compare the schedule and resource priorities: 30 minutes Work below the rim on the chosen objects: 40 minutes Bring the trolley up and choose what remains: 30 minutes Closure and debrief: 10 minutes Verification costs a work turn. The bench-and-memorial plan deliberately avoids the valve and spends both straps; it cannot claim a complete garden record. Starting information: A dry-window work order Starting state: Dry access turns = 7; Dry rigging straps = 2; Maintenance sequence verified = false; Correct valve window held = false; Trolley positioned = false; Memorial secured = false; Garden plan copied = false; Tablet raised to rim = false; Low beds closed = false; Visitor bench secured = false With 4 players: share the roles of mapper, evidence keeper, speaker and timekeeper.

If the group gets stuck

If the stair-to-garden link closes, use office–valve–overlook–garden and return the same way to the inspection stair. If turns or straps run out, escort Omri out; describe only actually raised objects as recovered. A low-bed closure does not force unsafe retreat.

Reservoir rim

Read aloud: Rae points to the rope and leaves the broad mudflat untouched. GM: Give the work card and two strap counters. The optional bench improves viewing but consumes the survey strap.

Choice: Secure a visitor viewing bench

Ask: Spend a strap and give up the full mapping frame? Requires: Available. Spend 1 Dry access turns; Spend 1 Dry rigging straps. Visitor bench secured: true Result: Visitors have a stable viewing place; only one strap remains for recovery.

Choice: Open the supervised dry afternoon

Ask: Share the recovered names and complete garden plan under the corrected window? Requires: Correct valve window held is true and Tablet raised to rim is true and Garden plan copied is true. Result: Rae posts a supervised viewing schedule under the corrected order. Closure: A mapped afternoon above the water

Choice: Keep the memorial and clear access

Ask: Accept refilling with the names safe and the garden only partly recorded? Requires: Tablet raised to rim is true. Result: Omri places the tablet beside the rim path and returns the stair key. Closure: The names remain above the water

Schedule office

Read aloud: Fin sets CLEAN 12 beside REFILL 13. GM: Checking the sequence permits a real valve extension. Fin admits the copy error promptly; no villain needs to be found.

Choice: Compare the original sequence notices

Ask: Ask Fin to correct the copied date using the numbered order? Requires: Available. Spend 1 Dry access turns. Maintenance sequence verified: true. Reveal Two dates, two sequences Result: Fin signs sequence 12 before 13 and sends the corrected order.

Dry stair

Read aloud: The trolley fits between the rails with room to walk beside it. GM: Positioning the trolley costs a turn. The stair remains the retreat path after low beds close.

Choice: Position the trolley on the firm rail

Ask: Spend one turn bringing the trolley to Omri? Requires: Available. Spend 1 Dry access turns. Trolley positioned: true. Reveal A dry-window work order Result: The trolley settles beside the memorial bed.

Choice: Raise the secured tablet

Ask: Spend the last working turn needed to bring the names to the rim? Requires: Memorial secured is true. Spend 1 Dry access turns. Tablet raised to rim: true Result: The tablet reaches firm ground above the reservoir.

Sunken garden

Read aloud: Omri brushes one name clean and leaves the rest for a careful rubbing. GM: Securing the tablet needs the trolley and one strap. Surveying the beds consumes the other strap to hold the mapping frame; it does not substitute for recovering the tablet.

Choice: Secure the memorial tablet

Ask: Use one strap and one turn for the names? Requires: Trolley positioned is true. Spend 1 Dry access turns; Spend 1 Dry rigging straps. Memorial secured: true. Reveal Memorial and garden grid Result: The tablet is held on the trolley, still below the rim.

Choice: Copy the full garden plan

Ask: Use the other strap and a turn for the mapping frame? Requires: Low beds closed is false and Correct valve window held is true. Spend 1 Dry access turns; Spend 1 Dry rigging straps. Garden plan copied: true. Reveal Memorial and garden grid Result: Omri copies the beds before the low path closes.

Refill valve station

Read aloud: The keeper’s finger rests between twelve and thirteen. GM: The keeper can extend verified sequence 12 once, before cutoff. Staff handle the mechanism; players present the schedule and choose how to spend the window.

Choice: Ask the keeper to hold maintenance 12

Ask: Use the one available extension before the cutoff? Requires: Maintenance sequence verified is true and Correct valve window held is false and Dry access turns at least 2. Spend 1 Dry access turns. Dry access turns: +2; Correct valve window held: true Result: The keeper grants two additional dry turns; no second extension is available.

Stone overlook

Read aloud: The beds form a flower when seen from above. GM: The overlook connects the valve path and garden by firm paving. A blocked stair-to-garden connection can be bypassed through this path, without crossing mud.

Connections and changing routes

Reservoir rim ↔ Schedule office: Read the work board. Available. Reservoir rim ↔ Dry stair: Use the marked stair. Available. Schedule office ↔ Refill valve station: Follow the keeper’s path. Available. Dry stair ↔ Sunken garden: Guide the trolley down. Available. Sunken garden ↔ Stone overlook: Climb the firm terrace. Available. Stone overlook ↔ Refill valve station: Take the upper service path. Available. Dry stair ↔ Schedule office: Return by the inspection stair. Available.

Rae — Rim marshal

Goal: Keep everyone on firm access Offers: Two straps and an escorted retreat. Will not accept: No one crosses the exposed mud. Voice: “The stair is narrow because it is known.”

Fin — Schedule clerk

Goal: Correct the copied date Offers: Original sequence numbers and a valve request. Will not accept: Cannot invent another whole maintenance day. Voice: “Twelve comes before thirteen, even on the same date.”

Omri — Garden caretaker

Goal: Save the memorial and as much of the garden record as time allows Offers: Trolley, names and a mapping frame. Will not accept: Leaves when the firm route must clear. Voice: “One name carried safely is better than a perfect map lost here.”

Ames — Dry-stair guide

Goal: Bring the trolley and caretaker back on firm access Offers: The cleaned rail and the alternate inspection stair. Will not accept: No route across the soft exposed mud. Voice: “Follow the rail, even when another way looks shorter.”

Discovery card: A dry-window work order

Give only when revealed in play. Two straps. Position trolley: one turn. Secure memorial: one turn and one strap. Copy garden plan: one turn and one strap. Raise trolley: one turn. Low beds close at one turn remaining. Player task: Plan a sequence with a retreat and allocate both straps. GM answer: Tablet and survey need both straps. The bench trades away the survey but still permits memorial recovery.

Discovery card: Two dates, two sequences

Give only when revealed in play. CLEAN: sequence 12. REFILL: sequence 13. Copied date on both: today. Keeper note: verified maintenance can hold two additional turns once, if requested before the cutoff. Player task: Explain which operation precedes the other and request a bounded extension. GM answer: Verify before holding 12. The hold adds two but costs the action turn, so net one.

Discovery card: Memorial and garden grid

Give only when revealed in play. The tablet carries the names. The surrounding beds make the garden plan. One strap holds each object’s working frame. Mark separately: tablet secured [ ]; garden copied [ ]; tablet raised [ ]. Player task: Track three distinct accomplishments without collapsing them into one. GM answer: All three plus a held window support the dry-afternoon ending; tablet raised alone supports the memorial ending.

State sheet

Dry access turns: 7 (clock, minimum 0, maximum 9) Dry rigging straps: 2 (resource, minimum 0, maximum 2) Maintenance sequence verified: false (knowledge) Correct valve window held: false (flag) Trolley positioned: false (flag) Memorial secured: false (flag) Garden plan copied: false (flag) Tablet raised to rim: false (flag) Low beds closed: false (flag) Visitor bench secured: false (flag)

Event: The low beds close

Trigger: Dry access turns at most 1 The keeper closes the low-bed work area. The marked stair remains available for departure; no new full survey may begin. Low beds closed: true

At any place: Check the retreat work order

Count the turns and secured objects before continuing? Requires: Available. Reveal A dry-window work order The group accounts for the remaining straps and the firm retreat.

At any place: Escort everyone to the rim

Leave unfinished recovery behind and clear the marked stair? Requires: Available. Rae escorts Omri and the group up the firm route; unraised objects remain below.

Ending: A mapped afternoon above the water

Requires: Correct valve window held is true and Tablet raised to rim is true and Garden plan copied is true The names and full plan reach the rim. The corrected maintenance order permits a supervised dry afternoon before refilling. Next: Who should add a missing memory to the copied plan?

Ending: The names remain above the water

Requires: Tablet raised to rim is true The memorial stands on the rim. Water will cover the beds again; the full garden plan remains incomplete. Next: Where can the names be read comfortably throughout the year?

Ending: A safe return with unfinished work

Requires: Available Omri and the visitors return on firm stairs. Anything not already raised stays in the garden for a later maintenance window. Next: What precise preparation would improve that next visit?