The Court of Nothing

"He is growing... mangoes?"

"Yes exactly! An entire orchard of them on his estate. Lord Silas has already started picking the first batch and they are exquisite"

"But mangoes are not native to our country. Papa has them imported at great cost..."

"Dear lady, through science, all things are possible. Lord Silas has promised me a selection from his next harvest. Perhaps I could introduce you? If you are interested, of course"

She hesitated, halfway between excitement and caution. Who was this young man? How did he already have Lord Silas' favor? Lord Martin Silas, who rarely spoke to anyone about his agricultural hobbies. But the possibility of exotic treats held sway over her heart.

"I think I would like that"

"Wonderful. I can escort you to him right now; he should still be in the gardens at this time of day."

They walked through the palace in silence for a time before the young man leaned towards her and said,

"By the way, what can you tell me about the man who visits the Queen every night?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Court of Nothing is a Solo RPG about trading and securing political favors in a fictional aristocratic court using only your conversational skills and a Queen’s referral. This game was designed from the ground up as a solo experience, uses a hybrid dice and card-based system, and can be completed in under twenty minutes with minimal preparation.

• Designed and created for the One-Page RPG Jam 2023
• Released under the Creative Commons license CC-BY-SA 4.0