Echoes and Descent
Chloe dropped her tray on the table, slapped a notebook next to it, and plopped down into a seat. Wince tried to reach around her to grab the notebook, but she picked it up before he could.
"Storyteller eyes only!" She shook a finger in his face. "Or I'll kill you off again."
"Please don't. It's annoying."
"And you need to come early tonight, to make your new character."
History
Echoes and Descent is a game first designed by Joanna Rath in 1936. Rath was a folklorist who was inspired by Citali Zeni's interactive fiction novels. Looking for a way to interest young people in mythology, she devised a game that combined dice rolls with a choice board to allow multiple players to experience an adventure through folklore and ancient history. The opening of the game referred to the characters hearing echoes from the past which carried them backward through time.
It was picked up by Golden Thread Games, and over the following seven years, a small team reworked the game to allow players to create their own adventures. The choice board was replaced with a Mythology Guide Book, instructing players how to create their own adventures, which was narrated by a Descent Master (or DM), who played the role of the voice which summoned players into the past. Originally, the company intended to merely call this roll the Echo, but when it was discovered that players frequently shortened the title to Echoes, the name was changed.
Rath, still at the heart of the design team, liked the Mythology Guide Book because it allowed her to go more in depth about the mythology included in the game, and soon players were asking for more. In 1946, the Mythology Guide Book transformed into the Player Guide Book, with information re-categorized in a way that allowed DMs to more easily mix-and-match folkloric elements in creating their stories. A new section gave advice for players to take on the role of a hero past, allowing all players to be more actively engaged with the folklore. This release also brought back a more robust dice rolling system which raised the stakes of the story by simulating a level of unpredictability.
Echoes and Descent players are officially no longer living through someone else's story, but working together to create their own. We have accomplished what we set out to do--folklore is no longer a dusty skeleton, but a vibrant, breathing lifeform.
Over the last 15 years, Golden Thread expanded the game with The Mermish Mythology Guidebook and The Astro-Mythology Guide Book, written by Rath, as well as the Sprite Mythology Guide Book, written by Autumnsnow Emberfrost. Golden Thread has already hinted that they intend to partner with other folklorists on future volumes. There is also a rumor that a new edition of the game is soon to be realeased, with some changes to the rules.
Popularity
You've never heard of Joanna Rath? Rath was Swift and Newell before Swift and Newell existed!
Echoes and Descent has boomed in popularity in the Western Islands, though it is only just beginning to grow elsewhere in the world. Rath herself is nearly as popular as her game, with fans likening her to world-famous historical fiction author duo Hermes Swift and Olive Newell. Swift and Newell themselves say they were unfamiliar with the game until they began writing together, but have offered their overwhelming support of it, and even posed with Rath at conferences. Rath says she is thrilled to see so many young people excited about history and mythology, and that she hopes fans will share the same amount of love with Emberfrost and any future folklorists who work on the project.
Educational Use
In the last couple of years, Echoes and Descent has become increasingly popular in schools. Faraday Academy of Magic is investigating the use of the game to teach content, while several other schools have introduced afterschool groups that meet once a week to play. Teachers have praised the game for helping students build co-operation skills, brave social anxiety, and develop long-term friendships.
Content
Echoes was originally kind of a time-travel concept, right? So our junior year, I wrote this campaign where the bad guy kept trying to re-write history and we basically used it as a weekly review for our class.
Rath's original intent for the game was to make mythology interesting to learn about. This idea has convinced some teachers to use the game or even to create their own versions that they can incorporate in their classes to engage students in the content. By using class content to solve problems within a fictional story, many students develop a deeper understanding for the material. Other teachers have led students to examine how their decisions in the game have led to plotline and character development.
Social Skills
"What if I try out for the track team and I'm not good enough?"
Mr. Cloverwind leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. When he answered, he talked about the game. "I noticed last session that Rafros attacked with his axe. Usually he's doing magic. Why the change?"
"I dunno. I guess I got tired of always being in the back."
"Well, you're not as strong as some of the others. You could have gotten killed."
"So?"
"So... it was worth the risk?" Mat nodded. Mr. Cloverwind smiled. "What does that tell you about trying out for the track team?"
Echoes and Descent has also been used to teach students social skills and other "soft skills." By taking on the roles of fictional characters, students are able to make choices in risky situations with low stakes consequences. They are also able to create characters they relate to or characters who they aspire to be, giving them a safe space to "try on" different versions of themselves. Many students who struggle to socialize strengthen their abilities to communicate with both their peers and the adults around them. Students who play together learn to work as a team and encourage each other, building their own confidence and that of their teammates along the way. And adults can compare students' real-life anxieties and struggles with the conflicts they face in the game, helping students to understand and evaluate their own choices. Students who grow into the DM role themselves practice leadership skills. Games can even provide a safe space for second-language learners to practice their abilities. In short, they help students develop the maturity, the creativity, and the resiliance needed to conquer their fears and achieve their goals for the rest of their lives.
You've never heard of Joanna Rath? Rath was Swift and Newell before Swift and Newell existed!
Echoes and Descent has boomed in popularity in the Western Islands, though it is only just beginning to grow elsewhere in the world. Rath herself is nearly as popular as her game, with fans likening her to world-famous historical fiction author duo Hermes Swift and Olive Newell. Swift and Newell themselves say they were unfamiliar with the game until they began writing together, but have offered their overwhelming support of it, and even posed with Rath at conferences. Rath says she is thrilled to see so many young people excited about history and mythology, and that she hopes fans will share the same amount of love with Emberfrost and any future folklorists who work on the project.
Educational Use
In the last couple of years, Echoes and Descent has become increasingly popular in schools. Faraday Academy of Magic is investigating the use of the game to teach content, while several other schools have introduced afterschool groups that meet once a week to play. Teachers have praised the game for helping students build co-operation skills, brave social anxiety, and develop long-term friendships.
Content
Echoes was originally kind of a time-travel concept, right? So our junior year, I wrote this campaign where the bad guy kept trying to re-write history and we basically used it as a weekly review for our class.
Rath's original intent for the game was to make mythology interesting to learn about. This idea has convinced some teachers to use the game or even to create their own versions that they can incorporate in their classes to engage students in the content. By using class content to solve problems within a fictional story, many students develop a deeper understanding for the material. Other teachers have led students to examine how their decisions in the game have led to plotline and character development.
Social Skills
"What if I try out for the track team and I'm not good enough?"
Mr. Cloverwind leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. When he answered, he talked about the game. "I noticed last session that Rafros attacked with his axe. Usually he's doing magic. Why the change?"
"I dunno. I guess I got tired of always being in the back."
"Well, you're not as strong as some of the others. You could have gotten killed."
"So?"
"So... it was worth the risk?" Mat nodded. Mr. Cloverwind smiled. "What does that tell you about trying out for the track team?"
Echoes and Descent has also been used to teach students social skills and other "soft skills." By taking on the roles of fictional characters, students are able to make choices in risky situations with low stakes consequences. They are also able to create characters they relate to or characters who they aspire to be, giving them a safe space to "try on" different versions of themselves. Many students who struggle to socialize strengthen their abilities to communicate with both their peers and the adults around them. Students who play together learn to work as a team and encourage each other, building their own confidence and that of their teammates along the way. And adults can compare students' real-life anxieties and struggles with the conflicts they face in the game, helping students to understand and evaluate their own choices. Students who grow into the DM role themselves practice leadership skills. Games can even provide a safe space for second-language learners to practice their abilities. In short, they help students develop the maturity, the creativity, and the resiliance needed to conquer their fears and achieve their goals for the rest of their lives.
Echoes was originally kind of a time-travel concept, right? So our junior year, I wrote this campaign where the bad guy kept trying to re-write history and we basically used it as a weekly review for our class.
Rath's original intent for the game was to make mythology interesting to learn about. This idea has convinced some teachers to use the game or even to create their own versions that they can incorporate in their classes to engage students in the content. By using class content to solve problems within a fictional story, many students develop a deeper understanding for the material. Other teachers have led students to examine how their decisions in the game have led to plotline and character development.
I love this so much. It's as much an article about the heart of the game as the game itself, and I think that's important. Your author's note just emphasises that. :D
Explore Etrea
Thanks, I'm a big advocate for using games in the classroom. The section on education is a combination of stories I've heard from other teachers and my ow experiences.
*own experiences