A SHARED LANGUAGE FOR RIVERS, FOG, AND FIELD NOTES
“The canoe goes smoother when the channels stay clear.”
This guide keeps Brinemarch consistent in how information is presented at the table. Tables, travel hazards, creatures, and hex entries should follow these conventions unless a section states otherwise.
The goal is instant recognition: what is flavor, what demands action, and what points elsewhere.
SYMBOL GLOSS
| Markup | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Immediate, felt consequence | Lose an item |
| Italics | Tone, fiction, or descriptive emphasis | The canoe tips |
| ALL CAPS | Major table or named subsystem | FEYWATER |
| [Brackets] | Defined object or term | [full ration] |
| {Braces} | Procedure or sub-procedure | {reaction}, {encounter} |
| (Parentheses) | Explicit arithmetic or quantities | (1 per PC) |
When in doubt, ask:
Does this help a tired referee run the game right now?
If it distracts, remove it.
If it must remain, define it once.
TEXT LAYERS
- Headers organize the page.
- Body text presents situations and pressures.
- Tables introduce change.
- Glosses clarify unusual terms.
Formatting should never compete with meaning.
WHITE SPACE AND RHYTHM
- One idea per block
- One breath per line
- One event per table entry
- Short sentences for consequences
- Blank lines between sections
If the eye has to hunt, the page has failed.
HOW WE WRITE TABLES
Table titles are in ALL CAPS.
The line beneath tells the reader when or why to use it.
Each entry follows this pattern:
- Tone phrase. Immediate change. What this looks like now.
Example:
- Good wind. Supplies stretch longer than expected.
Guidelines:
- Consequences are bold
- Tone leads, resolution follows
- Procedures appear only wh