Hearts of Wulin: Academy of the Blade

This is for a four-session run of Academy of the Blade a stretch goal setting for Hearts of Wulin inspired by Revolutionary Girl Utena and many other shoujo-influenced mysterious school manga and anime, scheduled for 8pm US Eastern time on Thursdays in March. No familiarity with the game’s touchstones is rules or necessary (rules will be explained before and throughout the game). I will send out a group email about a week before the first session to confirm everyone’s intent to play and to provide set-up and invitation details. Two seats are being held for Jesse A. and Jon Grim. You are a student at a boarding school who must not only navigate intense duels, conspiracy, and the wrath of the student council, but also get ready for the dance, rehearse for the school play, and (just maybe) summon the courage to confess to your crush.

At the Academy Passerine, nothing is more important than the duels. Governed by the Academy’s bizarre dream-logic, a single duel can mean the difference between glory and irrelevance. Students can’t die in a duel, after all — the Academy doesn’t like letting its children go.

The higher your dueling rank is, the more power you have. If you’re strong enough, you can win yourself a nicer dorm room, a tailored uniform, freshmen scurrying out of your way if you even so much as glance in their direction. There’s a rumor that if the Champion stays undefeated for long enough, they can change anything-- from the walls of the Academy to their own heart.

System : Hearts of Wulin (Academy of the Blade variant playset)

Duration : Four 3-hour sessions

Breaks : Short breaks at the top of each hour-ish (5-10 minutes)

Venue : Zoom

Recording : With permission from all participants before and after the session

Attendance : Attendance to all sessions is strongly preferred but not required.

Safety : Lines & Veils, Script Change, X-card, Open Door Policy. Tools can be modified throughout the game to suit player needs.

This game will follow the Gauntlet Community Code of Conduct.

If you sign up and your availability changes, please remember to drop from the calendar posting and send me a heads-up. All-access sign-up opens on February 1, 6:00pm US Eastern.

Session 1: https://gauntlet-hangouts.firebaseapp.com/event-detail/-MQ-NET4M-SKxIuYfoWg
Session 2: https://gauntlet-hangouts.firebaseapp.com/event-detail/-MQ-NGnwt0JGO44MwFbb
Session 3: https://gauntlet-hangouts.firebaseapp.com/event-detail/-MQ-NIgVu1TawoEMi1uQ
Session 4: https://gauntlet-hangouts.firebaseapp.com/event-detail/-MQ-O3FSLMd6540vB5jd