9. META-RULES (GM-less Play)

9.1 The Engine as Arbiter

In ITSOS, there is no Game Master. The Labyrinth itself acts as the arbiter of reality. Players use the Discord Engine to determine narrative shifts and the Spawn Tables to manifest encounters.

How to Facilitate

• Trust the Tables: If a table roll feels out of place, find a way to make it fit. The Labyrinth’s logic is often alien and unpredictable.
• Savage Interpretation: When a rule is ambiguous, choose the interpretation that creates the most interesting friction for the Seeker.

9.2 Rule of the Triad (Anchors)

A Seeker may only have 3 Anchored POIs active on the grid at any time (plus the Celestial Garden).

• Establishment: To Anchor a POI, you must spend a Camp action there.
• Overwrite: If you find a 4th POI and wish to Anchor it, you must choose one of your existing 3 Anchors to “Fade”—it immediately becomes unmapped.

9.3 Safety & Mercy

• Natural 10: Always SUCCESS. The Discord Value does not increase.
• Natural 1: Always FAILURE. The Discord Value does not decrease.
• The Tie: In contested rolls, a tie results in Seeker Failure.
• Safety First: If a manifestation or narrative turn makes a player uncomfortable, re-roll or skip it.
• The Mercy Rule: IF THE DISCORD VALUE IS STUCK AT 9 FOR MORE THAN 3 TURNS, THE NEXT ‘NO’ RESULT (OR NARRATIVE FAILURE) RESETS THE VALUE TO 5 IMMEDIATELY.