carry the lanterns over — the river rises to know you
the river takes what moves · the cold takes what stays
a tale of the Long Night · tnaapp
HOW TO PLAY
Hold anywhere / hold Space or an arrow — you wade toward the other bank. Release — you stand your ground; the river cannot take what is still. Each lantern carried over is +1 — and the river rises a little to meet you. Watch the water breathe and cross on the exhale; a pale shiver on the surface means a swell is coming — stand until it passes. Standing in the water, the cold climbs; it lets go on the banks. M mutes.
THE STORY
There is no bridge at the bottom of the valley; there is only the ford, and you. Each dusk the lanterns gather at both shores — every light convinced its home lies on the other side — and one at a time, held high, you carry them over. The river is patient, black, and learning: with every crossing it rises a little to meet you, reaching for the one thing you keep dry. It takes nothing that stands still. But the cold takes everything that stands too long.