First contact · three civilisations
You are the first diplomat to meet the Solar Ring Commonwealth, and nothing you say means anything yet. Watch what the envoy does, send one or two symbols, and read the reply. Every answer leaves an observation behind — and those observations are the only evidence you are ever given.
Entry 01 · Round 1
The negotiation opens at 70 rapport and 50 credit, and the observation log tells you only what can be seen: the delegate mirrors open palms, both forearms rise to an even height.
Ten symbols sit below, numbered and unexplained. Pick up to two, and send.
Entry 02 · The lexicon
The Observation Lexicon is your own notebook. Every symbol holds up to four competing guesses at once, so a reading you are unsure of does not have to displace the one before it.
Here the circle is down as “welcome”, the triangle as “look here”, and the square carries two rival readings — “trade?” and “an object” — still unresolved.
Entry 03 · Round 3
A small light-vessel is offered between both parties. Rapport has climbed to 86 and credit to 75, so the earlier guesses were not far wrong.
An expression is one or two symbols and no more. Star and ring are loaded into the sequence, the counter reads 2 / 2, and Send is finally lit.
Entry 04 · The reply
Your intent lands clearly, it gets through, they pause unsure of your meaning, or you give offence. This one was precise: rapport +12, credit +21.
Getting through raises rapport and earns credit. Reach 100 credit to close the negotiation; fall to 0 credit, or let rapport drop below 20, and it collapses. There is no round limit.
Entry 05 · Tide Council
Close one negotiation and the next civilisation opens. The envoy is drawn in a different colour, the scene is a carved shell brimming with seawater — and the opening you learned on the Solar Ring gets you “they pause, unsure of your meaning”.
Three civilisations, each with its own readings for the same ten marks. The lexicon starts empty again.
