----====#### History of Cipher ####====----

Cipher is a simple yet captivating four-player game invented by the dracnari of
Gaudiguch. As far as can be determined, the game already existed in essentially
its current form less than a century after the founding of that Imperial
Protectorate. Although it is by no means common in the present-day Basin of
Life, the fact that it remains extant at all (albeit mostly in the dracnari
settlements of the southwest) is testimony to its appeal.

Games played in Gaudiguch generally fell into two categories: pensive,
philosophically steeped contests that were occasionally indistinguishable from
political or theological debate; and whimsical games that could be
spontaneously joined at a meal or social gathering, typically accompanied by
witty repartee and plentiful alcohol. Cipher definitely falls into the latter
category.

There are several theories to explain the name Cipher; probably more than one
of them has elements of truth, as it would be very much in the Gaudiguch spirit
to layer multiple meanings into even the name of a game. "Cipher" has been
purported to be an allusion to:

= secrecy or cryptic communication - possibly intended wryly, as the game is
merely a bit tricky to learn at first, not profound or intensely strategic
= the act of performing arithmetic, which is certainly done in small amounts
during play
= the shape of a zero, possibly related to the gold coins wagered during the
game
= an unimportant person, especially someone who obeys others' orders without
individual drive, like the "retainers" in the game
= a jovial, subtle mocking of the Grand Cipher of the Illuminati

---[ The volcano remembers the past, the lava forgets it. ]---

----====#### Equipment needed for Cipher ####====----

The three categories of equipment needed to play a game of Cipher are a pair of
dice, a set of sixteen "retainers", and gold sovereigns.

Many Gaudiguchians owned and crafted elaborate "Cipher sets", which included
meticulously carved retainer pieces and a pair of dice especially marked for
playing Cipher with. However, it's also a game that can be played spontaneously
with minimal equipment. A regular pair of dice can be substituted for the Cipher
dice, and the pieces representing the retainers can be improvised from available
materials if necessary.

--==## Dice ##==--

An official pair of Cipher dice is traditionally made from the bone of the
sandojin. The two dice are different from each other: one is called the Venture
die, the other the Reward die.

The Venture die has the following "Ventures" on its sides: Preach, Craft,
Labor, Debate, Race, Duel. (A normal die can be used in place of an official
Venture die, of course; the traditional assignment of numbers to Ventures goes
in the order shown, so that 1 means Preach, 2 means Craft, and so on.)

The Reward die has the numbers 1 through 5 on five of its sides and the word
"Cipher" on its sixth side. Occasionally a die will have a 0 or simple circle
instead of "Cipher" on its sixth side. (It's obvious how to use a normal die in
place of an official Reward die!)

--==## Retainers ##==--

Cipher is played with sixteen "retainers", figures that represent the races of
the Basin of Life. Each retainer has three scores, from 0 to 4, in the
following attributes: Allure, Nimbleness, and Vigor. These scores are a
permanent part of the rules of Cipher (they're listed in the Reference section
at the end).

Sometimes these scores would be carved subtly into the retainer (for example,
the base of the elfen figure might have a tiny "421" etched into it). The most
opulent sets of Cipher retainers are never found annotated in this way,
however, the theory being that someone who invests in a nicely crafted set of
retainer figures would have the rules of Cipher already burned into his mind.

Each of the sixteen retainer figures is traditionally made from a particular
gem (see the Reference section). In accounts of the game, in fact, some of the
races are occasionally referred to by the corresponding gems: for example, it
might be written that a player needing more Vigor retained "the bloodstone"
rather than "the orclach". The list in the Reference section describes the gems
from which the pieces are typically fashioned, along with possible rationales
for the particular assignments (although the game of Cipher is so old, and its
traditions so well-established, that the motivations proposed there are merely
educated guesswork).

Some less lavish sets of Cipher retainers would be made completely from
obsidian instead of from the various gems; sometimes only the dracnari would be
made from obsidian and the others carved from stone or wood. Strictly speaking,
the figures themselves aren't necessary - any markers that bear the names of
the sixteen retainer races will work - but experienced players find themselves
able to assess the relative strengths of the players' retinues more quickly if
the retainer figures are made from the usual gemstones.

A note on the retainers: the sixteen races represented are those that were
present at the time Cipher was created, of course. Thus there's no viscanti
retainer, as the viscanti were created by the Taint, nor are there humans, as
the humans came to Lusternia with Estarra the Eternal. Furthermore, the race we
now call dwarves were known at the time as clangoru, the term "dwarves" only
coming into common use after humans arrived in the Basin of Life. The
nomenclature for the emerald retainer has resisted this change, however, and is
still called "clangoru" in the context of Cipher.

--==## Sovereigns ##==--

Typically each player must bring 50 gold sovereigns to a game of Cipher; these
200 sovereigns will be used to "keep score", and in fact each player will leave
with the sovereigns he earns. At the time, 50 sovereigns represented roughly a
day's pay for a Gaudiguchian worker of average skills; as more and more gold
has been mined over the centuries, though, wages and prices have risen, making
50 sovereigns a much more modest investment in a game.

If the players desire it for some reason, other markers can be used in place of
sovereigns, but the feel of actual coins and the prospect of winning or losing
gold, no matter how limited the amount, greatly improves the enjoyment of play.

---[ If the drac you're courting asks for something particular as a present,
and you lose a lover for lack of that something ... it's guaranteed you'll
carry that something with you for the rest of your life. ]---

----====#### The two phases of Cipher ####====----

A game of Cipher is divided into two very different parts: first the Enlistment
phase, then the Venture phase.

In one sense, the Enlistment phase is simply the setting-up phase; however it
is also the phase where strategy can be implemented. Similarly, all of the
scoring takes place within the Venture phase; however, for the most part it is
up to chance by the time the Venture phase begins, the real positioning having
been done in the Enlistment phase.

The rules will be explained in detail in the following two sections, but in
summary:

= During the Enlistment phase, the sixteen retainers are bid upon by the four
players, the winning bids combining to form the Treasury.
= During the Venture phase, the players' retinues - controlled by the dice -
take turns either working to earn gold from the Treasury or competing with
other retinues for the hard-earned gold of other players.

Whoever has the most gold at the end of the two phases wins the game, and all
players leave with the gold they earn in the game, for better or worse. Playing
with the most style, however, is also an important factor.

---[ Two wakabi aren't smarter than one - just more entertaining. ]---

----====#### The Enlistment phase ####====----

At the start of a game of Cipher, each player sets his 50 sovereigns in front
of him, and the sixteen retainer figures are placed together in a pouch; the
dice are not needed in this phase. One of the players, traditionally the one
who buys the first round of drinks, pulls the retainers out one by one. (This
convention is not completely arbitrary; a skilled Cipher player can sometimes
determine the identity of a retainer by touch, thus affecting the order in
which they are drawn to his potential advantage.)

Each time a retainer is drawn from the pouch, the players bid on his services.
Bids can be announced verbally or indicated by pushing the sovereigns towards
the center of the playing area. There is little structure to the bidding
procedure, save that each bid must be higher than the last. Eventually, nobody
is willing to increase the last bid; the player who made that bid puts the
corresponding amount of sovereigns into the Treasury (which can be any
convenient location) and places the retainer figure in front of himself.

Although according to the strict rules of Cipher only the amount of gold bid
matters, it is common for players to wheedle, threaten, bargain, ally, rant, or
otherwise attempt to improve their chances psychologically. Usually such side
comments are made in full knowledge that they will have little affect on the
auction, but drawing a hearty laugh from the other players is its own reward.

The services of all sixteen retainers are auctioned in this way. At the end,
each player places the figures he successfully bid for (his "retinue") in plain
sight in front of him, along with any leftover gold. Note that while each player
ends up with exactly four retainers in the vast majority of games, there is no
rule requiring it - the players are simply rarely willing to allow one player
to take the advantage of having five retainers.

---[ Sizzle, sizzle, join my band,
Be my tail and be my hand;
But have no duty while I dine:
Meat and drink I handle fine. ]---

----====#### The Venture phase ####====----

The second part of the game is played in turns. The players agree on the order
in which the players will take their turns. Usually each player plays after the
player to his right, although it's common for more complicated orders to be
agreed upon, for the purposes of making players drink alcohol when they make
mistakes in the order. The player to take the first turn is traditionally the
one who retains the dracnari, although this too can be changed on mutual
agreement.

Each turn consists of the player rolling the Venture die first, then
potentially (depending on what the result of the Venture die is) choosing
another player to involve in the venture, then rolling the Reward die. The
result will often involve taking some sovereigns from the Treasury or from the
second player; occasionally the second player will take some sovereigns from
the first player.

The complete rules are in the following two sections. In the sections following
them, several turns of the Venture phase of a sample game of Cipher have been
described, so that the rules can sink in that much more easily.

--==## Preach, Craft, and Labor ##==--

Half the time, the Venture die will result in Preach or Craft or Labor. For
these Ventures, no second player is involved; the player whose turn it is
simply has an opportunity to earn gold from the Treasury.

= If the Venture die results in Preach, the player adds up all of the Allure
scores of his entourage to form a total Allure score. The player then rolls the
Reward die.

Usually the Reward die will show a number between 1 and 5; when this happens,
the player takes from the Treasury twice that number of sovereigns as a result
of his preaching, but only if his total Allure score is at least as large as
that number of sovereigns. If his total Allure score is less than twice the
number showing on the Reward die, then the player earns nothing.

Sometimes the Reward die gives the Cipher result. In this case, the player
earns a number of sovereigns from the Treasury equal to his total Allure score,
no matter how large or small that score is.

= If the Venture die results in Craft, the player adds up up all of the
Nimbleness scores of his entourage to form a total Nimbleness score. The player
then rolls the Reward die to determine what his crafting has earned. The number
of sovereigns taken from the Treasury is calculated exactly as for a Preach
Venture, except everything is based on his total Nimbleness score (rather than
his total Allure score).

= If the Venture die results in Labor, the player adds up up all of the Vigor
scores of his entourage to form a total Vigor score. The player then rolls the
Reward die to determine what his laboring has earned. The number of sovereigns
taken from the Treasury is calculated exactly as for a Preach Venture, except
everything is based on his total Vigor score (rather than his total Allure
score).

Note: If there are ever fewer sovereigns in the Treasury than the player earns,
then the player simply takes all that remain. The game ends whenever the
Treasury is empty, and the player with the most sovereigns (including any left
over from the Enlistment phase) is the winner.

--==## Debate, Race, and Duel ##==--

The other half of the time, the Venture die will result in Debate or Race or
Duel. For these Ventures, the active player chooses a second player to be
involved in the venture; whatever gold either player earns will be taken from
the other player.

Note that the second player is always selected after the Venture die is rolled,
but before the Reward die is rolled.

= If the Venture die results in Debate, the active player chooses a second
player to debate. The active player adds up all of the Allure scores of his
entourage to form a total Allure score, and the second player does the same
with his entourage's Allure scores.

If the second player's total Allure score is greater than, or equal to, the
active player's total Allure score, then the active player's turn ends
immediately. Otherwise, the total Allure score of the second player is
subtracted from the total Allure score of the active player to form the Allure
difference. The active player then rolls the Reward die.

Usually the Reward die will show a number between 1 and 5; when this happens,
the active player takes from the second player that number of sovereigns as a
result of his debating, but only if the Allure difference is at least as large
as that number of sovereigns. If the Allure difference is less than the number
showing on the Reward die, then the player earns nothing.

Sometimes the Reward die gives the Cipher result. In this case, the *second*
player earns a number of sovereigns from the *active* player equal to the
Allure difference, no matter how large or small that difference is.

= If the Venture die results in Race, the active player chooses a second player
to race. The active player adds up all of the Nimbleness scores of his entourage
to form a total Nimbleness score, and the second player does the same with his
entourage's Nimbleness scores. The number of sovereigns taken by one player
from the other is calculated exactly as for a Debate Venture, except everything
is based on the Nimbleness difference (rather than the Allure difference).

= If the Venture die results in Duel, the active player chooses a second player
to duel. The active player adds up all of the Vigor scores of his entourage to
form a total Vigor score, and the second player does the same with his
entourage's Vigor scores.

If the Reward die shows a number between 1 and 5, the number of sovereigns
taken from the second player is calculated exactly as for a Debate Venture,
except everything is based on the Vigor difference (rather than the Allure
difference).

However, if the Reward die gives the Cipher result, then the *active* player
earns a number of sovereigns from the *second* player (rather than the opposite
way around) equal to the Vigor difference, no matter how large or small that
difference is.

Note: If the player from whom gold is to be taken ever has fewer sovereigns
then the result of the Venture indicates should be taken, then the other player
simply takes all the sovereigns he has. This is traditionally accompanied by
numerous taunts about the poverty and lack of skill of the player who has just
lost all his gold.

---[ Learn the rules you're expected to live by, for Dracnoris' sake! How else
will you know you're having fun when you break them? ]---

----====#### A sample game of Cipher ####====----

In this section and the three following, an example of the first several turns
of a game of Cipher is given. The example starts after the Enlistment phase of
the game, since this is relatively straightforward, and demonstrates the rules
in the Venture phase of the game.

The four players have thus concluded the Enlistment with the following
retinues:

= Ssalabi has retained the dracnari, clangoru, faeling, and taurian.
= Chixesoro has retained the elfen, loboshigaru, krokani, and mugwump.
= Nothlia has retained the furrikin, merian, tae'dae, and trill.
= Shirestu has retained the aslaran, igasho, lucidian, and orclach.

The sample turns assume (for simplicity) that all four players spent all 50 of
their sovereigns in the Enlistment phase, so that they all begin with no gold
and the Treasury contains 200 sovereigns.

Since the dracnari is in Ssalabi's retinue, he plays first in the Venture
phase.

--==## First round of turns ##==--

Ssalabi rolls the Venture die and gets 'Duel'. He chuckles, since nobody has
any gold he could win in a duel anyway. With a flourish he announces that he'll
duel Shirestu. Ssalabi's total Vigor score is 8 (3 each for the dracnari and
taurian, 2 for the clangoru, and 0 for the faeling), while Shirestu's total
Vigor score is 11 (4 for the igasho, 3 for the orclach, and 2 each for the
aslaran and lucidian). Since his 8 is less than her 11, Ssalabi's turn ends
without even rolling the Reward die. Undaunted, Ssalabi brags about how he beat
Shirestu's igasho and orclach in a duel using only his drac. Other than
producing understanding nods about the nobility of the dracnari, he's mostly
ignored.

Next Chixesoro rolls the Venture die and gets 'Labor'. His total Vigor score is
7 (3 for the krokani, 2 for the loboshigaru, and 1 each for the elfen and
mugwump). Chixesoro rolls the Reward die and gets a 1. Since his 7 is at least
as big as 2 (twice the 1 he rolled), he takes 2 sovereigns from the Treasury.
The other players combine their voices to warn him that his immense early lead
will make him a target for the rest of the game. Chixesoro responds by clinking
the two sovereigns against each other loudly, trying to simulate the sound of
riches.

Nothlia goes next, getting 'Preach' on the Venture Die. Her total Allure score
is 11 (3 each for the furrikin, merian, and trill and 2 for the tae'dae), so
she breathes a little flame of delight, since she's guaranteed of taking gold
from the Treasury no matter what she rolls on the Reward die. As it happens,
she rolls 'Cipher'! As she takes 11 sovereigns from the Treasury, the other
players mock-adulate her loudly, waving their tails and calling her
'Nothnoris'. She seizes the opportunity by demanding Ssalabi's fire ale in
tribute. Of course Ssalabi has to accede, although he pours another quickly for
himself.

Finally Shirestu gets her turn, rolling 'Craft' on the Venture die. Her total
Nimbleness score is only 5 (3 for the aslaran but only 2 total among the
igasho, lucidian, and orclach). Uttering a spontaneous and somewhat profane
prayer to 'Nothnoris', Shirestu rolls the Reward die but gets a 4. Since her 5
is less than 8 (twice the 4 she rolled), she gets nothing from the treasury.
Ssalabi loudly challenges her to a duel and gets an eyeful of steam for his
trouble.

At the end of the first round of turns, Nothlia is leading with 11 sovereigns,
while Chixesoro has 2 sovereigns; neither Ssalabi nor Shirestu has any gold
yet. The Treasury has 187 sovereigns remaining in it.

--==## Second round of turns ##==--

Ssalabi begins the second round of turns by rolling the Venture die, getting
'Duel' again. He chooses Chixesoro to duel, which causes some raised eyeridges
(since he has an opportunity for more gold from Nothlia) and an indignant cry
from Chixesoro himself. Ssalabi reminds him that he was warned about being a
target, and he mutters discontentedly. Ssalabi's total Vigor score is 8 as
before, while Chixesoro's total Vigor score is 7 as before, making the Vigor
difference 1. Ssalabi rolls the Reward die and obtains a 1. Since the Vigor
difference is at least that large, Ssalabi gets to take 1 sovereign from
Chixesoro, humming a happy tune while the two women accuse him of cheating with
the dice.

Still muttering, Chixesoro takes his turn, getting a 'Race' on the Venture die.
With a triumphant cry he announces that he'll race Ssalabi in revenge.
Chixesoro's total Nimbleness score is 11 (3 each for the krokani, loboshigaru,
and mugwump and 2 for the elfen), while Ssalabi's total Nimbleness score is 8
(4 for the faeling, 2 for the taurian, and 1 each for the dracnari and
clangoru), yielding a Nimbleness difference of 3. Chixesoro rolls the Reward
die and gets a 2. Since this is less than the Nimbleness difference, he earns
the right to take 2 sovereigns from Ssalabi, but as Ssalabi has only 1 he
settles for that and a measure of gloating. Ssalabi pours himself another fire
ale in compensation, as Shirestu points out gratingly that Chixesoro would've
gotten more gold by racing Nothlia.

Now it's Nothlia's turn, who gets 'Debate' on the Venture die. She chooses to
debate Chixesoro, who starts to complain about being ganged-up-on until she
points out that he's the only other player with any gold at the moment.
Nothlia's total Allure score is 11 as before, while Chixesoro's total Allure
score is 7 (4 for the elfen, 2 for the mugwump, 1 for the loboshigaru, and 0
for the krokani), which makes the Allure difference 4. Despite the huge
advantage, things go bad for Nothlia when she rolls 'Cipher' on the Reward die!
With joyful sparks flying from his jaws, Chixesoro sweeps away 4 of Nothlia's
sovereigns.

Shirestu takes the Venture die now, rolling 'Labor'. Her total Vigor score is
11 as above, and so she's as pleased as Nothlia was earlier. She rolls a 5 on
the Reward die. Since her 11 is more than 10 (twice the 5 she rolled), she gets
to take 10 sovereigns from the Treasury.

At the end of the second round of turns, Shirestu is leading with 10
sovereigns. Nothlia has 7 sovereigns and Chixesoro 6, while Ssalabi has no gold
again. Ssalabi does point out with a sniffle that he had a sovereign once. The
Treasury holds the remaining 177 sovereigns.

--==## Third round of turns ##==--

The third round begins with Ssalabi rolling yet another 'Duel' on the Venture
die. As the others recommence their imputations of Ssalabi cheating with the
dice, he chooses to duel Nothlia, explaining that he's already bested everyone
else (which earns a snort from Shirestu). Ssalabi's total Vigor score is 8 and
Nothlia's total Vigor score is 6, so the Vigor difference is 2. Ssalabi rolls
'Cipher' on the Reward die! Because it's a Duel and not a Debate or Race, this
means that Ssalabi takes 2 sovereigns (the Vigor difference) from Nothlia. He
gasps and demands his fire ale back from the 'false goddess', but the others
point out he already has two.

Chixesoro rolls 'Race' on the Venture die and chooses to race Shirestu. His
total Nimbleness score is 11 and Shirestu's total Nimbleness score is 5; the
Nimbleness difference of 6 is so large that any result on the Reward die,
except 'Cipher', results in a win for Chixesoro. He rolls a 4 and thus takes 4
sovereigns from her.

Rolling the Venture die, Nothlia gets 'Duel'. Her total Vigor score of 6 is
smaller than anyone else's total Vigor score, so no matter whom she chooses to
duel, her turn ends immediately. As she passes the dice to Shirestu with
melodramatic pleas for pity, Ssalabi allows that he should be able to hold a
third fire ale with his tail, if only he were given the chance.

The Venture die comes up 'Preach' for Shirestu. Her total Allure score is 6,
and she rolls a 3 on the Reward die. This is perfect, since her 6 is exactly
twice the 3 she rolled; she takes 6 more sovereigns from the Treasury.

At the end of this third round of play, Shirestu is again leading with 12
sovereigns, just ahead of Chixesoro's 10. Nothlia is reduced to 5 sovereigns,
and Ssalabi is "finally out of his egg", as a drac would say, with 2
sovereigns. The Treasury holds 171 sovereigns.

---[ A story is always most interesting to the one whose steam carries it.
]---

----====#### Basic Cipher strategy ####====----

Most of the strategy in a Cipher game involves the Enlistment phase, of course,
since the Venture phase is largely controlled by the dice. Here are some tips
for the Enlistment phase:

= There are two basic types of retinues: balanced, where all three total scores
are about 8; and unbalanced, where one score is targeted during the Enlistment
phase and elevated to 10 or more.

Balanced retinues do fine with any Preach, Craft, or Labor venture. They tend
not to make huge gains with Debate, Race, or Duel ventures, though the
occasional small gain is there for them. On the other hand, they might not be
targeted as often for other players' debates, races, and duels.

Unbalanced retinues are not too bad with Preach, Craft, or Labor ventures; the
one high attribute will offset the other two unless those scores are quite low
indeed. A retinue with total scores of 10, 8, and 6, for example, is quite
strong with respect to Preach, Craft, and Labor ventures. It's a case of "feast
or famine" where Debate, Race, and Duel ventures are concerned. You're more
likely to be challenged by other players in the venture corresponding to your
low attribute, but you'll have a better chance of gain when the Venture die
cooperates with you on your own turn; in addition, you're more likely to be
able to target a specific opponent, such as the one with the most gold at that
time.

Of course, these considerations depend on what the other players' retinues look
like. If your retinue has a total Allure score of 6, you might still be safe
from constant debating if someone else's has a total Allure score of 4!

= Don't try to simply retain all the strongest pieces. Since you only have a
limited amount of gold to build your retinue with, balance will be important. A
weaker retainer can be quite valuable, if it shores up your retinue's weakness
in one of the three attributes, or bolsters the attribute you want to
concentrate on.

= The retainers with high Vigor scores often tend to be weak in the other two
attributes. However, remember that Duels *never* result in the player you
challenge taking your gold. This makes Vigor slightly more valuable than the
other two attributes, which slightly increases the value of retainers like the
igasho or the orclach.

= A good rule of claw is that a retainer costs about twice as many sovereigns
as its total attribute score (see the Reference section at the end). So you
might expect to pay 16 sovereigns for the aslaran, 8 for the clangoru, 12 for
the dracnari (although the drac is always in high demand!), and so on. Don't
forget, however, that the last retainer or two can sometimes be had very
cheaply, if other players are out of gold by them.

= All else being equal, think about making your retinue have *even* numbers for
its total Allure/Nimbleness/Vigor scores, since the Treasury most often gives
out gold in even numbers. Increasing a score from 7 to 8 is useful no matter
what situation arises in the Venture phase; but increasing a score from 8 to 9
doesn't help with Preach or Craft or Labor ventures, except when 'Cipher' is
rolled on the Reward die.

= Being the player to go first isn't really that much of an advantage: there's
no chance at the very beginning to win gold in debates, races, and duels, and
you might be the only possible person for someone else to challenge, if you're
the only opponent with gold. On the other hand, retaining the dracnari is
always noble and stylish.

In Venture phase, the only choices to make are whom to Debate, Race, or Duel,
so strategy is limited. Balance between whom you can get the most gold from and
who's in the lead at the time; don't forget that alliances, revenge, threats,
bluffs, and the hope for gratitude after the game is over are perfectly
legitimate factors to consider!

---[ It's always necessary to formulate a strategy before any significant
undertaking. Without a strategy, you might be blamed for failure; but a
strategy is always right, and so the world must be to blame. ]---

----====#### Cipher rules variants ####====----

Since Cipher is a game that has been played for centuries, it's remarkable that
the rules and traditions are as stable as they are. However, inevitably some
variations have been made to the rules, and some of these variations might even
be more common in one area than the original rule. In fact, the existence of
rules variants can complicate the analysis of accounts of Cipher games in the
historical record. Here are some of the more common variants of Cipher rules:

= Instead of starting with 50 gold sovereigns each, players begin with some
other predetermined amount, such as 60 or 100 sovereigns; or the maximum can be
discarded altogether, permitting players to bid as high as they can afford!

Note that larger bids means a larger Treasury, which can lead to longer games;
sometimes other rules have to be modified to prevent the games from lasting too
long.

= In some circles, any gold the players have left over from the Enlistment
phase is put away, rather than counting towards who wins - only the gold earned
during the Venture phase is counted, in this variant.

Alternately, any gold left over from the Enlistment phase is simply thrown into
the treasury before the Venture phase begins, thus negating any advantage from
being too miserly with one's retinue.

= Some Cipher players don't like the fact that debating, racing, and dueling is
often impossible or pointless in the early rounds, since most of the gold is in
the Treasury. According to one variant, if any of the four players holds no
gold, then someone who rolls Debate or Race or Duel on the Venture die can opt
to switch to the corresponding venture that earns gold from the Treasury
(Preach or Craft or Labor, respectively). Another variant is stricter, allowing
this option only when all three other players hold no gold.

= It is possible to play Cipher with more or fewer than 4 players. However, the
finely tuned balance of the rules is disrupted, because the total retinue scores
will be lower or higher, respectively, making it too hard or too easy to earn
gold from the Treasury. Several modifications to the rules of Cipher have been
proposed to try to restore this balance, but none is particularly effective.

---[ Variety is the dance in the flame. ]---

----====#### Reference: retainer scores (by race) ####====----

In the following table, 'A' stands for the retainer's Allure score, 'N' for
Nimbleness, and 'V' for Vigor; 'T' stands for the sum of the three scores,
which doesn't have a direct impact in the rules of Cipher but can be helpful in
assessing the retainer's value during the Enlistment phase.

Race A N V T
----------- - - - -
aslaran 3 3 2 8
clangoru 1 1 2 4
dracnari 2 1 3 6
elfen 4 2 1 7
faeling 4 4 0 8
furrikin 3 4 0 7
igasho 1 0 4 5
krokani 0 3 3 6
loboshigaru 1 3 2 6
lucidian 2 1 2 5
merian 3 2 1 6
mugwump 2 3 1 6
orclach 0 1 3 4
tae'dae 2 0 4 6
taurian 1 2 3 6
trill 3 2 1 6

---[ Never ask a merian to do a trill's task, or a trill a merian's ... except
in Cipher. ]---

----====#### Reference: retainer scores (by attribute) ####====----

The information in the following tables is the same as the information in the
previous one, but simply organized by attribute rather than by retainer.

Allure
------
4 points elfen, faeling
3 points aslaran, furrikin, merian, trill
2 points dracnari, lucidian, mugwump, tae'dae
1 point clangoru, igasho, loboshigaru, taurian
0 points krokani, orclach

Nimbleness
----------
4 points faeling, furrikin
3 points aslaran, krokani, loboshigaru, mugwump
2 points elfen, merian, taurian, trill
1 point clangoru, dracnari, lucidian, orclach
0 points igasho, tae'dae

Vigor
-----
4 points igasho, tae'dae
3 points dracnari, krokani, orclach, taurian
2 points aslaran, clangoru, loboshigaru, lucidian
1 point elfen, merian, mugwump, trill
0 points faeling, furrikin

Total
-----
8 points aslaran, faeling
7 points elfen, furrikin
6 points dracnari, krokani, loboshigaru, merian,
mugwump, tae'dae, taurian, trill
5 points igasho, lucidian
4 points clangoru, orclach

---[ Don't suggest to a clangoru that he's less skilled than other races, to
an aslaran that he's more skilled than other races, or to a dracnari that he's
even comparable to other races. All you'll get is insufferable preaching,
insufferable vanity, or insufferable philosophy. ]---

----====#### Reference: gemstones of retainer figures ####====----

As mentioned earlier, in the higher-end Cipher sets each retainer is
traditionally made from a particular gemstone:

= The aslaran retainer is traditionally made from beryl, no doubt because of
the gem's golden color.
= The clangoru retainer is traditionally made from emerald, possibly because
these stones can only be found in the deepest mines.
= The dracnari retainer is traditionally made from obsidian, a clear homage to
the race's affinity to volcanic regions. Ironically, of all the materials used
to make the retainer figures, obsidian is the only one not considered a
precious gemstone by modern jewelers.
= The elfen retainer is traditionally made from moonstone, either as a
reflection of the race's pale skin or in recognition of their bonds with the
moon.
= The faeling retainer is traditionally made from onyx, reflecting the race's
beauty and their connection to the night.
= The furrikin retainer is traditionally made from garnet, perhaps because the
gem's many facets mirror the many different forms taken by the progeny of Lord
Bollikin.
= The igasho retainer is traditionally made from diamond, no doubt because of
its strength, and partially because of its colorlessness as well.
= The krokani retainer is traditionally made from ruby, the gem's scarcity
possibly a statement about the rareness of the race itself.
= The loboshigaru retainer is traditionally made from sapphire, its
connotations of loyalty and friendship indicating the pack instincts of the
race.
= The lucidian retainer is traditionally made from amethyst, in all probability
because the gem's startlingly clear color is evocative of the lucidian form
itself.
= The merian retainer is traditionally made from coral, a clear reference to
the race's oceanic origins.
= The mugwump retainer is traditionally made from jade, for the sake of the
gem's amphibian-like coloration.
= The orclach retainer is traditionally made from bloodstone, a salute to the
race's prowess in combat.
= The tae'dae retainer is traditionally made from pearl, clearly because the
stone's whiteness matches the race's fur, although the difficulty in fracturing
a pearl like most crystals could be a secondary compliment.
= The taurian retainer is traditionally made from turquoise, a choice believed
to reflect the race's volatility, as the gem is well-known to change color when
danger is imminent.
= The trill retainer is traditionally made from opal, because of its beauty and
feather-like textured sheen.

---[ Gems are good for trade, great for Cipher, greater still for wooing, and
wonderful for enhancing your beauty. But in the absence of jewelry, a gout of
fire rarely fails to attract attention. ]---