Dûhr: The Lesser Houses
Dûhr: The Lesser Houses
The monolithic city-state of Dûhr is a crucible of cultures, a center of commerce, and a titan of military might. Its Great and Lesser Houses rise and fall with the whims of its Family Royal, the Sovereign House Kythidûhr. Amidst the festivals of summer, House Kythidûhr announced its intent to elevate one of Dûhr’s Lesser Houses to Great House status. By autumn’s frosts, the Lesser Houses were deeply embroiled in a fierce battle for the coveted title, not with soldiers, but with suspicions and scandals. They attacked each other with aspersions and calumny, well devised and craftily exploited, to erode the social standing of their rival Houses and thereby remove them from contention.
Dȗhr accommodates 4 to 6 players. Each player is the master of a Lesser House of Dûhr, vying for Great House status. Players take turns using cards in their hand to trigger events, place suspicions and scandals on each other’s House, or activate their House’s unique ability to affect cards already placed. The accumulation of suspicion and scandal cards on a House erodes the populace’s favor for that House.
All Houses begin play favored and free of suspicions and scandals. When a House gains a total of 5 suspicion and/or scandal cards, it falls into disfavor with the populace. If a disfavored House has 3 or more revealed scandal cards, it becomes vilified. The game ends when the number of favored Houses remaining is 1 or none. Whoever has the highest score, based on the cards on their House and their secret agenda, wins. It is possible for a disfavored or vilified House to outscore a favored House and win the game!
Table talk, card trading, and deal-making are encouraged.
