Dedicated to my amazing partner & best friend.

Eternal gratitude to my playtesters:

Abel, Francesco, Alexandre Santos,
Karen Brouard, & Martina Wolff.

This work is based on The Wretched

(found at http://loottheroom.itch.io/wretched),
product of Chris Bissette and Loot The Room,
and licensed for our use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

THE WRETCHED™️ is a trademark of Chris Bissette.

The Wretched and Alone logo is © Chris Bissette,
and is used with permission.
 Rites of Vengeance
Written and designed by:
Reverend Uncle Bastard

Cover by:
Johan Nohr

Edited by:
Fiona Geist (MRC)

Produced by:
Jarrett Crader

Printed by:

Online dice-roller to replace the Jenga tower:

https://maxkaemmerer.github.io/wretched-and-alone-d100-dice-roller/

1
Ingredients for The Ritual
A pen, a journal, a D6, ten small totems (cubes, beads, pebbles,
coins), a deck of playing cards with both jokers and a Jenga tower.

If you lack a Jenga tower use a bag containing 35 identically

shaped tokens (34 of one colour and one of a different colour). If
using tokens, instead of pulling from the tower, draw from the bag
instead. If you draw the unique token, treat it as if the tower
collapsed. Coins work: use 35 identical coins, mark one with an X
in marker.

1. Remove the deck's A♥ (The Awakening), Black Joker (The

Demon), and Red Joker (The Teacher).

2. Shuffle the remaining cards and place them face-down on

the table in front of you, this is your Grimoire Deck.

3. Without looking at them, take the top 10 cards of your

Grimoire Deck, shuffle The Awakening (A♥) into them and
place them back on top.

4. Without looking at them, take the bottom 10 cards, shuffle

The Demon (Black Joker) into them, and place them back
on the bottom.

5. Place The Teacher ( Red Joker) on the table near the

Grimoire deck.

6. Build The Tower. Roll the d6, pull that many pieces and
place them on top. The Tower represents your mind's
stability. For tokens, draw and discard them instead, if you
draw the unique token put it back.

Note: All tables are optional, you may roll on them (once for each
column), choose inspirational entries during play or ignore them
and create entirely from your imagination.

2
 Find a quiet place
free of disturbances,
it is time to begin.

3
Your Story
Once you had a normal life: A routine, connections, belongings.

Then one day it all shattered.

You will never forget the date

... or what you lost

... or who is to blame.

You suffered, severed from purpose. Your anger grew hungrier. You
sought and found an answer.

There is only one way to live with the remembering. Your

voracious anger must be sated on the one who is to blame. But
satisfying your hunger's depth surpasses human means, only a
truly unearthly rage can mete out sufficient punishment.

The Demon's power is the only way.

So you sought The Teacher... to teach you The Ritual.

The Teacher finally agreed to guide you, warning it takes weeks to

prepare for The Ritual. It will cost you, change you and is more
dangerous than you can possibly imagine. The Demon's power is
only for the truly desperate.

The Golden Rule: You started The Ritual seeking its power. If its
costs or changes range outside your comfort levels, you can decide
at any time to Abandon The Ritual. Simply close this book and
stop or turn to Abandon The Ritual (page 19).

You may do this any time, for any reason.

4
The Teacher
Open your journal and write a short entry describing The Teacher.
Do not mention your tragedy's details... yet. The Ritual demands
your anger's cause and its target's slow revelation as its power
builds. Mention when your tragedy happened -- but no more
details beyond that.

 Do you know The Teacher? How are you connected? Do you

know them well? Did you always know they could open
doors and invite things in?

 Or a stranger? How did you find them? Did someone

recommend them?

 What motivated you to trust The Teacher with something

this dangerous? Faith? Naivety? Desperation? Did The
Teacher provide a glimpse of their power?

 The Teacher asks you to pledge to unquestioningly obey all

their instructions. Can you? Do you mean it? Do you think
you can follow through? What could they ask that you
would be unwilling to do?

Teacher Nature Feature Teacher's motivation

1 Friend Arrogant Tall & slender Greed
2 Stranger Blunt Wheelchair Seeks power
3 Co-worker Strange Non-binary Experience
4 Relative Nurturing Elderly Hidden agenda
5 Priest Distant Attractive Knowledge
6 Therapist Intense Scarred Being controlled

5
The Location
The Teacher explains The Ritual requires an isolated location.

Write a short entry in your journal describing The Location:

 How is The Location isolated from prying eyes, the law, or

others who might interrupt The Ritual before completion?

 What are you bringing with you to survive for weeks or

months of isolation with The Teacher? Where is your food
and water coming from? You might risk occasional
shopping or hunting trips, but the less you leave the site the
more powerful The Ritual.

 Do you bring anything for comfort? To remind you of why

you are filled with rage? Is there something you will never
leave behind?

 How are you getting there? How far is it? Have you been
there before?

Location Terrain Feature

1 Outdoors Desert Extreme weather
2 Hotel/Motel room City Scary neighbours
3 RV Forest Dangerous wildlife
4 House/cabin/cottage Mountains Noises at night
5 Abandoned building Coast Notorious reputation
6 Cave/Tunnel Prairies Former crime scene

6
The Ritual
Begin preparing for The Ritual:

1. Each day starts by rolling the D6. Draw that many cards
from the Grimoire Deck. Read The Grimoire (page 8) for
each card drawn, discarding them after reading unless
instructed otherwise. If The Grimoire instructs you to pull
from the tower, place the pulled block atop the tower once
it is pulled (or discard tokens if drawn from the bag).

2. At the end of each day:

a. If The Awakening (A♥) is on the table, roll the die.

On a 6, remove a totem from the card. Then roll the
die again. If the result exceeds the number of
totems, turn to The Teacher Is Gone (page 17).

b. Open your journal and write an entry about the

results of consulting with The Grimoire.

3. Repeat these steps each daily, until the game ends.

The Ritual ends four ways:

1. The tower falls (or you draw the unique token). Turn to The
Ritual Fails (page 18).

2. You remove The Awakening's (A♥) final token. Turn to

Completing The Ritual (page 20).

3. You Abandon The Ritual (page 19).

4. The Grimoire instructs you to end the game.

7
The Grimoire
Clubs ♣ - The Tragedy
A♣: How will you utilize The Demon's powers to make your
anger's target suffer? What kind of curse or suffering do you wish
to inflict as punishment for the tragedy?

 If The Teacher ( Red Joker) is not on the table, discard this

card and pull twice from the tower.

 If The Teacher ( Red Joker) is on the table, do not discard

this card. Place it beside The Teacher. From now on when
rolling to remove a totem, you succeed on a 5 or 6.

K♣: Some nights you dream the tables are turned, and your target
seeks to make you suffer. What suffering do you fear most at their
hands?

 Do not discard this card. Place it on the table. If this is the

fourth king, The Ritual Fails (page 18).

Q♣: You remember the day before all this suffering began. What
were you doing? Could you have seen it coming? Could you have
avoided this tragedy? What would you do differently?

J♣: You have a dream of completing the ritual and watching your
tragedy's cause suffering your wrath. Is watching satisfying? Do
you feel any regret?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

10♣: If The Ritual is successful, would you do this again? Are

there others who deserve to suffer? If yes, remove a totem from
The Awakening (A♥).

8
9♣: You keep seeing your anger's target in your vision's periphery.
What do they look like? How does this make you feel?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

8♣: If The Demon offered peace instead of vengeance, would you

accept? Could you? If you could, remove a totem from The
Awakening (A♥). Otherwise pull from the Tower.

7♣: Who are you hiding The Ritual from? How would they react?
Would they punish or disown you? Expose you?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

6♣: What retribution did you attempt before this desperate magic?

5♣: You have doubts about your path, is there anything your
transgressor could do to make you abandon The Ritual? That they
could do to give you peace?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

4♣: Was the one who caused this tragedy a friend, or stranger? How
did fate lead your paths to cross?

3♣: Why does revenge require The Demon's power? Is your

vengeance's target powerful? Or are you unwilling to use your
hands to cause harm?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

2♣: Did the tragedy hurt you, or someone you love? Describe what
or who was lost setting the tragedy in motion?

9
Diamonds ♦ - The Teacher
A♦: At one point The Teacher performed a ritual bonding the two
of you. What was it? Why haven't you written about it yet? What
taboo was broken providing its power? Can you be sure it worked?
How?

 Do not discard this card. Place it beside the tower. The

next time you should pull from the tower, you may discard
this card instead.

K♦: If The Teacher ( Red Joker) is on the table: The Teacher grows
more wild-eyed and unstable every day. If The Ritual's strain
breaks them, what do you fear they will do?

If the Teacher ( Red Joker) is not on the table, put them back:
When you woke up this morning, The Teacher returned. How are
they different? Do you trust them?

 Do not discard this card. Place it on the table. If this is the

fourth king, The Ritual Fails (page 18).

Q♦: Something about The Teacher reminds you of someone you

knew. Who? What reminds you of them?

J♦: You sacrificed something valuable convincing The Teacher to

perform The Ritual with you. What? What has its loss cost you?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

10♦: One night you attempted a minor ritual alone. What were you
attempting? How did it backfire? How were you punished?

10
9♦: You discover The Teacher hid something from you. What was it
and how did you find out?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

8♦: Have you told The Teacher why you seek revenge? If so, how
did they react? If not, have they pressed for an explanation?

7♦: The Teacher once threatened to abandon The Ritual. Did you
cause this or did The Demon send them a warning?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

6♦: How did The Teacher learn magic? Did they willingly tell you
this or did you discover it by other means?

5♦: When you first met, The Teacher told you which of your
weaknesses would cause you to fail. Do you fear they were right?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

4♦: The Teacher tells you about another time they performed The
Ritual. What went wrong? What price did The Demon exact?

3♦: Who warned you about The Teacher? What were you warned
about? Do you believe them?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

2♦: How did The Teacher convince you they could perform The
Ritual? Do you still have doubts?

11
Hearts ♥ - The Ritual
A♥: For the first time, a shiver of dark power passes through you:
The Awakening, The Ritual's true beginning. The Awakening
manifests bodily. How did this transformation feel? Do you feel
stronger or more afraid?

 Pull from the tower.

 Do not discard this card. Place it beside the tower with

D6+4 totems on it.

What manifests? Where does it appear?

1 Strange sigils Hands
2 An unblinking eye Face
3 Scars Back
4 An unhealing wound Arms
5 Movement under the skin Legs
6 Written message Chest

K♥: Your patience is wearing thin, how do you try to convince The
Teacher to start finalizing The Ritual?

 Do not discard this card. Place it on the table. If this is the

fourth king, The Ritual Fails (page 18).

Q♥: Something in your preparations went wrong — what?

J♥: The Ritual demands you harm another. Can you?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

12
10♥: How does The Ritual protect you from The Demon? What
symbols, ingredients, or chants are necessary?

9♥: Do you feel that you are ready for The Ritual? Does The
Teacher? Why are you waiting?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

8♥: The Ritual requires specific timing. Does it revolve around a

holiday, the moon, astronomical alignment or something else?

7♥: The Ritual demands your physical sacrifice. What part of

your body do you give it? How did you decide? Is it enough?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

6♥: You and The Teacher perform a minor ritual. What? Why?
Remove a totem from The Awakening (A♥).

5♥: The Ritual demands absolute faith. What are your doubts?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

4♥: You dream of The Ritual. Does it work? If not, what happens?

3♥: Something about The Ritual is giving you pause? What? Can
you overcome it?

 If the A♥ is on the table, pull from the tower. If The

Teacher (Red Joker) was removed from the table, pull
again.

2♥: The Ritual's preparations involve intense meditation and

physical activity. What are your daily routines?

13
Spades ♠ - The Demon
A♠: The Demon appears to you in dreams. What does it offer to
abandon The Ritual? Are you tempted?

 Do not discard this card. Place it beside the tower. The

next time you are told to pull, you may discard this card
instead.

K♠: The Demon senses your attempts at manipulation. How does

it use its powers warning you to stop?

 Do not discard this card. Place it on the table. If this is the

fourth king, The Ritual Fails (page 18).

Q♠: You are learning about The Demon from a dusty old book.
Describe it. What does it tell you?

J♠: You learned The Demon's true name. What is it? Remove a
totem from The Awakening (A♥).

1 Ba seph non

2 Ab ta loch

3 Me pha gal

4 Az bol ith

5 Go gor met

6 Sa lor ios

10♠: Are there still sects worshipping The Demon? Where? Or is it

largely forgotten?

14
9♠: The Demon sends a spirit to communicate with you. Where
does it appear? What does it look like? What does it tell you?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

8♠: The Teacher tells you about The Demon's weakness. What is it?
Remove a totem from The Awakening (A♥).

7♠: You are reading about The Demon. What is its history? What
stories are told? What destruction has it wrought?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

6♠: When is The Demon first mentioned? Is it biblical or more

ancient?

5♠: Who first worshipped The Demon? What was sacrificed

appeasing it?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

4♠: What is The Demon's earthly domain? Is there an associated

element, emotion or state of mind?

3♠: You have a vision of The Demon during meditation. What is its
true form? Does it speak?

 Pull from the tower. If The Teacher ( Red Joker) was

removed from the table, pull again.

2♠: The Demon has been known to adopt a human form. What
does it look like?

15
Black Joker - The Demon Arrives!
If drawn, The Demon breaks into the world before The Ritual
completes. Roll the D6.

If the total fails to exceed the totems remaining on The

Awakening (A♥), The Demon arrives unexpectedly catching you
unaware, The Ritual Fails (page 18).

If the total ties or exceeds the totems remaining on The

Awakening (A♥) you manage to flee before The Demon arrives.
Write a final journal entry about your failed attempt's aftermath.

 What warned you of The Demon's imminent arrival?

 What cost did The Demon exact for disturbing them? Did
you or someone else pay? What happened to The Location?
Was it destroyed or damaged?

 Where do you hear about the strange occurrences after you

fled? Newspaper? TV? barroom gossip?

 How were you changed? Do you still seek retribution, or

have you made peace with your loss?

The Warning The Cost News Source

1 Strange weather You lose a sense Newspaper
2 Dream of an angel The Teacher is injured TV
3 The Teacher Innocents hurt Radio
4 Gut feeling Location is destroyed Barroom gossip
5 Vision Natural disaster Call from friend
6 Writing on your body You are maimed Internet

The game is over...

16
The Teacher is Gone
Remove The Teacher ( Red Joker) from the table continuing the
current day — unless you choose to Abandon The Ritual (page 19)
without The Teacher's assistance.

 Did you see them leave?

 Did they say anything? Leave a note?

 Do you know why? Were they angry? Frightened? Doubtful?

 Do you think they'll return?

 Are you going to continue The Ritual alone? Have you

learned enough?

17
The Ritual Fails
You are unable to complete your journal due to death or
incapacitation. Write a final journal entry from the perspective of
whoever found you.

 Who found you? What drew them here?

 When you were found, was The Location damaged or

destroyed? Or left untouched? What was strange or
unexpected? Were there symbols or unexplained
phenomenon?

 What condition were you found? Dead? Catatonic? Mortally

Injured?

 How do they rationalize what happened?

Who found you? What drew them? Your condition?

1 Police Strange lightning Dead
2 Ambulance Fire Comatose
3 Investigator Anonymous call In shock
4 Relative Screams Mortally wounded
5 Friend Earthquake A ghost
6 Stranger Loud noises Nonsensical

The game is over...

18
Abandon The Ritual
You have abandoned your quest. Write a final journal entry
explaining why and what your future holds.

 Why did you abandon The Ritual? Was the cost too high? Is
the threatened change excessive? Have you stopped
trusting The Teacher?

 Are you still intent on revenge? If so, how? If not, what

changed? Are you able to forgive?

 Are you planning to rebuild your old life? How will you
reconnect to it? Or are you planning a new life? What
would it look like?

The game is over...

19
Completing The Ritual
You have successfully summoned and bound The Demon! Open
your journal and write an entry about how you use The Demon's
power.

 Are you going to carry out your revenge? How will you
instruct The Demon to torment your enemy? How do you
feel knowing they will suffer?

 Or have you changed your mind? What else could you ask
for? Could they offer you peace or absolution? Some other
power or reward compensating for your loss?
Forgetfulness? Money?

 How will your life look afterwards? Will it change? Will

you reconnect with your old life? Can you live with what
you've done? Has The Demon given you what you need to
move on?

The game is over...

20
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