TEXT: By Ryo Kamiya and Tsugihagi Honpo
  Tabletop Day 2013 Demo Version
  Players: 1 Narrator and 2-4 Players
  Play Time: 1-2 hours
  Materials: Paper, Pencils, Tokens
  Japanese Version Credits
  Original Japanese Version ©2006 by Ryo Kamiya 
  & Tsugihagi Honpo
  Planning: Ryo Kamiya, Emetaro Aiko, Radiwoheddo
  Game Design: Ryo Kamiya
  Authors: Emetaro Aiko, Kentaro Hayashi, Saint Marc
  Illustrations: Ike, hira, ‘emeth
  Special Thanks: Harry, Tukasa Hashima, IWAKO
  English Demo Version Credits
  English Translation: ©2013 by Ewen Cluney
  Demo Version Written by Ewen Cluney
  Editing: Mike Stevens 
  PDF Demo Layout: Morgan McLamb
  
   
  Originally released in Japan in 2006, Golden Sky Stories is a uniquely heartwarming, non-violent 
  role-playing game by Ryo Kamiya. In it players take on the role of henge (pronounced “hen-gay,” like a 
  happy chicken), animals that have just a bit of magical power, including the ability to temporarily take 
  human form. I was enchanted with the game from the moment I started reading it, and I’m very happy to 
  finally be able to share it with others in English.
   
  This special demo of Golden Sky Stories is a condensed and simplified version of the game. The 
  full version will offer more robust rules, more character types (raccoon dog and rabbit henge) with more 
  diverse abilities (six base powers and six possible weaknesses per character type, with the ability to choose 
  more abilities), example scenarios, advice, cultural notes, sample NPCs, a sample town, and more. This 
  more compact version of the game provides everything you need to get a taste, and we hope you’ll consider 
  giving the full game a try.
   
  As of Tabletop Day 2013, we’re gearing up to launch a Kickstarter funding drive that we hope will 
  fund the first print run of Golden Sky Stories. See our website at www.starlinepublishing.com for more 
  details, and visit Golden Sky Stories on Facebook. 
  About Golden Sky Stories
  The Setting of Golden Sky Stories
  A Small Town
   
  Only a single rail line passes through it. A two-car train comes every hour, and no more. In front of 
  the station are a row of shops not seen anywhere else. Many of the roads around the town are narrow, too 
  small for cars to pass. Some of them are mere dirt paths, used by cats and rabbits more than people.
   
  You can see open fields here and there. The rice paddies outnumber the houses. If you look into the 
  distance, you’ll see only mountains and trees. Narrow rivers flow from mountains, from ponds, gathering 
  into one big river. The water flows in, the water flows away.
   
  There are temples and shrines, empty and quiet. Bamboo groves filled with whispering wind. There 
  are endless fields of pampas grass, flower beds, fields of lotus flowers and clover. There are ponds with 
  lotus flowers, footpaths with blooming amaryllis, and stone walls sprouting morning glories. The moun-
  tains retain their caps of white snow, even when spring comes to the town.
   
  The sky seems endless. At night there are no streetlights. In this town the moon and the stars shine 
  brightly on the town.
   
  There are only a handful of traffic lights in the town. The tallest building is a three-story school.
   
  The town is full of sounds. The sounds of leaping fish, of playing children, of the mailman’s motor-
  cycle, of the print shop’s spinning machines. There are the sounds of dogs, cats, birds, and insects. There 
  are sounds of flowing water, blowing wind, and falling rain.
   
  Here, there are many things livelier than the people.
   
  Here, the other living things outnumber the people.
   
  This is the kind of town where you will create stories.
  2.
  
  Where Things Besides People Live
   
  There are a fair number of people in this town, and many other living things. They have lived among 
  the people since long ago. These living things that aren’t people exchanged words with them. You an in-
  habitants of this town. However, you are not human. You’re an animal. You are a henge. You are neither 
  an adult nor a child, but an animal who guides the town. There are many things you can’t do, but there 
  are just a few things you can do that people can’t.
   
  You don’t have the power to fight. You have just the tiniest bit of magical power. Well, sometimes it 
  can’t even be called magic; it’s more like the ability to create a truly small opportunity. However, that tiny 
  opportunity can change a person. And changing a person can save them.
   
  People are strong creatures. They build towns, they make tools, they build houses to protect them-
  selves and words to express their feelings. They’re the only living things that make stories to remind 
  themselves that there are henge like you.
   
  Still, sometimes people become weak. Sometimes because of their words, sometimes because of 
  their complicated hearts. People have the power to draw strength from within themselves, if only the 
  opportunity presents itself. People can’t create opportunities by themselves. You can help create that 
  opportunity. You’re not the only one who can help them, of course, but people can sometimes ensnare 
  themselves. Since you’re a henge and not a human, you can create the opportunities they need.
   
  When someone is at an important point in their lives, when they stand on a crossroads, be there for 
  them. It could become an important moment for you too.
   
  In this town, neither animals nor people are living alone.
  3.
  The Henge
   
  You are a henge. You are an animal with the power to take human form. You also have several pow-
  ers that humans do not possess. Of course, since you are at your core an animal, you first and foremost 
  live as one. You have no family registry, no house, no money, and no cell phone. You are ultimately an 
  animal, even if you are one that can take on human form. You get your food as an animal, and since you 
  appear fully clothed when you take on human form, you needn’t worry about such things.
   
  Of course, sometimes you might steal food while in human form, or display the weaknesses or pre-
  dispositions of your species. The older people of the town usually know that there are henge who take 
  human form living there. It’s not a big deal. Even if you show up with your tail and ears showing, they’ll 
  be nice enough to pretend they didn’t see. Granted, there are people who don’t know, and they might be 
  a bit shocked if they saw you. It’s important to act like your animal type, but you don’t need to look it up 
  in National Geographic.
   
  The merits and shortcomings that need to figure into your behavior are mostly laid out in the rules. 
  Furthermore, the animals who can become henge do not all have the same traits. There are cats who are 
  good at swimming, and foxes who are immune to the lure of fried tofu.
   
  Henge can take on human form. Naturally, they can understand human speech even as animals. 
  But what’s a little… actually very surprising to people is that they can also talk like humans while in 
  animal form. They can of course talk with animals of the same type too (but please make do with human 
  speech when talking to other kind of animals).
   
  Just why is it that henge can change? In the case of foxes it might be because they live so long. 
  However, for other kinds of henge age has nothing to do with it. To the henge themselves, the ability to 
  take on human form and other strange powers are something that just happens. It may be that all animals 
  can change and have strange powers, and they occasionally decide to use them to appear human are thus 
  are called henge. Whatever the reason, henge don’t trouble themselves over it. They are the mystery, and 
  they never give any thought to why they can change.
  
  4.
  The Game
   
  This is a game, and yet it isn’t. It isn’t a game where you fight with others. It isn’t a game where you 
  compete with others. It’s a game where everyone works together to create a story. If you can tell a good 
  story, everyone wins, and if the story is boring, then everyone loses. That’s the kind of game this is.
   
  The henge do not fight with weapons or magic. They don’t seek out or expose great secrets. They 
  don’t save the world. They don’t earn money. Stories about henge are simpler, but every bit as important. 
  They save people not through money or food, but with their hearts. Such stories are waiting for you in 
  this town.
   
  Small quarrels might happen during these stories from time to time. Someone might even get a 
  little bit hurt. But that doesn’t resolve the story. Please, try to forget about other games, just a little, and 
  play this one. Henge are special creatures, and yet they’re not. They have the ability to be of some small 
  help to ordinary people.
   
  You can create a unique tale for this world. Try to make it a story that’s warm and full of your own 
  feelings.
   
  There’s one more thing you need to remember. The most important thing is to take an active role in 
  the stories you participate in. Be active. Don’t just think; try things out. When you get used to something, 
  try out something new. Your stories will grow and become something wonderful.
  
  5.
  The Narrator
   
  In the explanation of the rules that follow, the word “narrator” is used a lot. The narrator is a person 
  who becomes the axis of the story’s progress. Think of being the narrator as like being “it” in tag or hide 
  and seek. Running or hiding can be fun, but isn’t it also fun to be the one doing the chasing?
   
  The narrator’s role is very different from that of his or her friends. However, just as you can’t play tag 
  without someone being “it,” this role is vital to bringing the story together. Many parts of it are difficult, 
  but even without participating as a henge, there’s still fun to be had.
   
  Still, don’t just leave the narrator role to one person all the time; take the initiative and become one 
  yourself every once in a while. You’ll no doubt come to understand things you didn’t before.
   
  Now, the narrator doesn’t get to participate in the story as a henge. However, he or she does set up 
  the larger framework of whole story. The narrator decides—in a general way—the story’s setting and con-
  tents, and the characters that will appear. The other participants don’t really get to decide on the overall 
  contents of the story. It’s something only the narrator can decide. Some people will find it fun to make 
  these decisions, while others will think it’s a bother.
   
  Since you have this book in your hands and you’re reading it, why not try being the narrator for your 
  friends? Try it if, rather than always participating in someone else’s story, you might want to have others 
  participate in yours. Please read on a little bit.
  Things You’ll Need:
   
  Before you play this game, there are a few things you’ll need to get ready.
  Narrator and Friends
   
  Golden Sky Stories is a role-playing game, a 
  game you play by talking and imagining with other 
  people. You’ll need one person to be the narrator, 
  who guides the story and presents the town and 
  its inhabitants, and two to four other participants 
  who will each play a henge.
   
  If you’re going to be the Narrator, you should 
  familiarize yourself with the rules and with the 
  scenario at the end of this PDF. If you’re not go-
  ing to be the Narrator, you shouldn’t read the sce-
  nario, but it wouldn’t hurt to read the rest. If you 
  are having difficulty understanding the game, we 
  recommend you try reading through “The Broken 
  Window,” a replay we’ve made available for free on 
  the Star Line Publishing website. 
  A Time and Place
   
  In order to play you’ll need to get everyone 
  together in the same place for a few hours. This 
  could be at someone’s house, at a game store that 
  has game tables for you to use, or most anywhere 
  else. Instead of a “place” per se it could even be in 
  an online chatroom.
  Henge Record Sheets
   
  On pages 8-15 of this PDF is a set of four 
  henge record sheets; you’ll need to print these out 
  for the players to use.
  Pencils
   
  Everyone will need a pencil in order to write 
  some things down on their henge record sheet.
  Tokens
  You’ll need some kind of tokens that can represent 
  Dreams (see p. 18). Glass beads, playing cards, or 
  poker chips are ideal. They should be in the center 
  of the table where everyone can easily pick one up 
  and pass it to someone else.
  
  6.
  Creating Your Henge:
   
  Before you can play, each player needs to create a henge that will be their other self as they play the 
  game.
  1. What’s Your True Form?
   
  First, choose one of the four available ani-
  mals to be your henge’s true form. Each animal 
  has different abilities, but it’s more important 
  that you pick one that fits the kind of henge 
  you want. Below are some basic explanations 
  of what the different kinds of animals are like: 
  • Fox (Kitsune): Among the animals, 
  foxes are the ones with authority closest 
  to the gods. Even within the town, they 
  stand the above other animals.
  • Cat (Neko): Cats are whimsical and 
  selfish animals. They can do many differ-
  ent things, but they have trouble making 
  friends.
  • Dog (Inu): Dogs are the animals who 
  get along with humans best. They are es-
  pecially good at making themselves use-
  ful to people.
  • Bird (Tori): Birds are among the most 
  mysterious of animals, and the furthest 
  removed from humans. They can do all 
  sorts of things with the sky and the wind.
   
  Once you’ve picked your henge’s true form, get 
  the sheet for the henge type you selected.
  2. What Are Your Weaknesses?
   
  Animals have various weaknesses. All 
  animals have them, so there’s no such thing 
  as an animal without any. These weaknesses 
  mean there are more things they can’t do, and 
  that they’ll fail at things you might not expect.
   
  Please select one of the weaknesses from 
  your animal type to be your henge’s weakness 
  and check the box next to it. However, in ex-
  change for that weakness your henge gets the 
  corresponding power next to it. Please be sure 
  to read the descriptions carefully before you 
  choose.
  3. What Are Your Attributes?
   
  Please divide 8 points between the four 
  attributes. Each one has to be at least 1, but 
  no more than 4. As a rule of thumb, 2 is av-
  erage, 1 is low, and 3 or more is exceptional. 
  Adult is the only attribute that can be 0.
  • Henge represents the strength of 
  your henge’s special powers, and his or 
  her knowledge of the gods and the other 
  henge of the town. It also indicates your 
  status among your henge friends.
  • Animal measures your henge’s 
  strength, stamina, agility, senses, etc. It 
  is everything to do with physical strength 
  and animalistic power.
  • Adult is how well you can hide your 
  feelings, read the feelings of others, use 
  machines, act with finesse, and so forth. 
  This is very high for human adults. You 
  can choose to make your Adult attribute 
  0, but you cannot use technology at all or 
  any other skills under this attribute. 
  • Child represents how well you can ex-
  press your emotions, wheedle your way 
  into getting what you want, get others to 
  protect you, and just plain having fun. 
  Once you’ve decided on how to arrange your 
  henge’s attributes, write them down on the re-
  cord sheet under “Attributes.”
  
  7.
  4. What Kind of Human Do You Become?
   
  Next, it’s time to decide the human form your henge can take. Unless they use a special power, 
  a henge can only take one specific human form. You’ll need to decide the age, manner of dress, and 
  overall appearance of that human form.
   
  A henge’s gender always stays the same when he or she takes human form, but there is no such 
  limit on age. A dog might be very old in dog years, yet change into a high school or college age human, 
  while a fox that has lived for centuries could look like a small child. However, in order to easily deal 
  with humans, it’s best for henge to look like they’re between the ages of 8 and 18. If you want your 
  henge’s human form to fall outside that age range, you should ask the narrator for permission.
   
  Unless a henge has a weakness that makes demands on his or her clothing style, he or she will 
  wear clothes that fit the current era, or at least clothes that won’t cause undue fuss when walking 
  around the town. (Though henge can change clothes after transforming…) Also, if the narrator allows, 
  henge can wear stuff besides clothes and shoes. This could be a cap, accessories, or a simple prop.
  Once you know what you want, write it down on the record sheet under “Human Form.” However, if 
  you write too much, you could have a hard time keeping track of it. Pick what to write so that it’s what 
  you need to convey to the narrator and your other friends.
  5. Finishing Up
   
  Now it’s time to decide your name, gender, and age. You’ll most likely have figured out your char-
  acter’s gender along with his or her human form, and have a good idea as to his or her age, but there 
  are some guidelines for names, noted below.
  Henge Names
   
  As henge are basically animals, they have simple names. In Japanese these should be 
  names written in katakana or hiragana. Here are several examples. Some have notes on what they 
  mean in parentheses. If you’re stuck, you can just pick one from the list, or make up something 
  similar. Of course, it’s your story so if you want to play as a cat named “Patches”, that’s just fine. 
   
  Ami, Buchi, Buu, Cha, Gin (“silver”), Grey, Haa, Hachi, Hachiko (famous dog), Hanabi 
  (“fireworks”), Hina, Hiro, Hoshi (“star”), Ichigo (“strawberry”), Jiro, Koro, Kuma (“bear”), Kuro 
  (“black”), Kuu, Maki, Mao, Maru (“round”), Mayaa (“cat” in Okinawan), Mii, Mikan (“tangerine”), 
  Mike (mee-kay; “Calico”), Mona, Moro, Naru, Nene, Nono, Nori, Nya (“meow”), Piyo (“tweet”), 
  Pucchan, Pochi (cliché dog name), Poyo, Riru, Runrun, Ruu, Sakura (“cherry blossom”), Shippu, 
  Shiro (“white”), Shirokuro (Checkers/Black and White), Shuu, Sora (“sky”), Taiga, Tama (cliché cat 
  name), Taro, Tora (“tiger”), Ume, Uni, Uno, Wata (“cotton”), Yuno
  With that, your other self is com-
  plete. Listen to the narrator, and 
  enjoy your stories.
  
  8.
  Fox
   
  Of the animals, foxes are the closest to the gods, and in the town they occupy a position higher than 
  any of the other animals. As a result, foxes are the most skilled at influencing other henge, but they’re 
  lacking when it comes to moving about themselves. They are not the best choice for those who wish to be 
  proactive. Many foxes think much of themselves, wear strange clothing, and because of the many secrets 
  they hold, keep their distance from people.
   
  However, as fox henge have much to do, can be decades or centuries old, and tend to run all over 
  the place, they tend to be important as leaders. It is their place to calmly think things through, and some-
  times to give everyone an adult opinion on matters.
  Oracle (6)
   
  You can make someone sleeping nearby 
  have whatever kind of dream you like, and they’ll 
  think it was their own dream. If your Henge at-
  tribute is higher than the person’s Adult attri-
  bute, you can make them hold back on doing 
  something they were planning, or go ahead with 
  something they were holding back on. Howev-
  er, to use this power you must precisely explain 
  the contents of the dream to the narrator. If the 
  narrator finds the dream problematic or contra-
  dictory, he can ignore its intended effect.
  Fox Fire (6)
   
  This makes it appear as though there’s 
  a ball of fire on the tip of your tail. However, 
  you can only use this power in the evening or 
  at night, and only while your tail is out. For the 
  rest of the scene you can use it to make peo-
  ple who see it flee in fear or draw closer out 
  of curiosity. If they can make an Adult check 
  that beats your Henge attribute, they can react 
  however they like, but if you win, you can make 
  them run away or draw closer as you please.
  Invisibility (8)
   
  You can make your body transparent. Oth-
  ers can only see the fox if they can beat her 
  Henge attribute plus 3 with a Henge check. 
  This lasts until you decide to turn it off or the 
  scene ends.
  Fairy Rain (12)
   
  You can cause a light rain to fall in the im-
  mediate area. This rain will come down regard-
  less of whether there are any clouds, and it can 
  come day or night. While in this rain, henge can 
  take human form at no cost and they can use 
  Wonder and Feelings interchangeably (i.e. they 
  can use Feelings for powers and Wonder for 
  checks) This lasts until the end of the scene.
  Base Powers
  
  9.
  Strange
   
  You speak and dress in a way that’s out 
  of touch with the times, or just looks con-
  spicuous 
  and 
  flamboyant. 
  Because 
  you 
  stand out so much, you can’t really hide, 
  and if you try to walk around town in hu-
  man form, you’ll draw everyone’s attention. 
  Bluff
   
  You are always exaggerating your abilities. 
  You must spend 2 points of Feelings just to be 
  able to spend Feelings to raise your attributes in 
  a check.
  Float (4)
   
  You can float through the sky at a leisurely 
  pace. You can move through the air at about the 
  speed a person can walk, and getting up that 
  high gives you a +2 bonus to checks for search-
  ing for things. The effect lasts until the end of 
  the scene.
  Present (8)
   
  You can give a human an object with a spe-
  cial power in it. Pick any one power of yours or 
  from one of your friends to put into the object. 
  If they use it properly, they can use that power 
  (using their Wonder and/or Feelings). You can 
  decide what form the present takes and how it’s 
  used, but it shouldn’t be too big or be useful for 
  anything else.
  Weaknesses
  Additional Powers
  
  10.
  Cat
   
  Cats are whimsical, selfish animals. They’re quick to act, with little regard for words or for 
  danger. They can sneak in quietly, read people’s hearts, quickly hide themselves, and so on. They’re 
  talented at acting alone and finding things and thoughts that are hidden.
   
  On the other hand, cats aren’t very good at making friends. They’re poor at forming bonds with 
  people. They tend to pretend not to notice people, unless they’re really in trouble, in which case they’ll 
  help… Such is the role of cats.
  Kitty (0)
   
  You are an ordinary cat, the kind people 
  see everywhere. Even when you are in your 
  animal form, you will not Surprise people who 
  see you, and they will not find your presence 
  strange.
  Fuzzy (4)
   
  By taking a friendly attitude and rubbing 
  against someone, you can remove the fetters of 
  a person’s heart. While you stay close to some-
  one during a scene, that person’s Adult attribute 
  drops to zero.
  Peek Into Hearts (6)
   
  You can read the heart of another. This 
  mainly lets you hear what someone is saying in 
  their head, not what they’re feeling or what’s 
  true. Still, it lets you find out what someone’s 
  real intentions are from their heart rather than 
  their mouth.
  Cat Paths (10)
   
  You can use paths that only cats can see 
  to appear and disappear unexpectedly. This lets 
  you enter or leave a scene when and where you 
  want, regardless of whether it’s already in prog-
  ress. This even works if you’re doing something 
  different in another scene taking place at the 
  same time.
  Base Powers
  
  9.
  Cat Tongue
   
  There are a lot of things you can’t eat. 
  You can’t have hot (temperature-wise) things, 
  citrus fruits, squid, or raw onions. If you eat 
  any of these things by mistake, you’re au-
  tomatically affected by a level 7 Surprise. 
  Feigned Innocence (4)
   
  This lets you hide your true character and 
  put on an excellent act. Declare that you’re 
  using this power before you make the check. 
  When you use it, you can use whichever attri-
  bute you like for a check, rather than one desig-
  nated by the narrator or the rules.
  Weaknesses
  Additional Powers
  Can’t Swim
   
  You’re one of those cats who can’t swim 
  and hates water. If you enter a bathtub, pool, 
  or a large body of water, you’re automatically 
  affected by a level 7 Surprise.
  Acrobatics (4)
   
  You can move as though you’re practically 
  flying. When it comes to athletic stuff, as if you 
  made a successful Animal check, you can pull off 
  things that seem impossible. (Except, of course, 
  for swimming).
  
  12.
  Dog
   
  Dogs are the best at getting along with humans. More than any other kind of henge, they think 
  like people.
   
  Dog henge can do all sorts of things. A dog’s special abilities are for protecting people close to 
  them. They can take someone’s place, put a friend at ease, and howl to drive off a stranger, all to pro-
  tect someone important to them. Of course, for a dog, the most important thing is finding that special 
  person.
   
  A dog’s role is to be a bridge between the other animals and people. Your other friends can’t help 
  but think like animals, so try to help them understand what people think and feel.
  Doggie (0)
   
  You are an ordinary dog, the kind people 
  see everywhere. Even when you are in your 
  animal form, you will not Surprise people who 
  see you, and they will not find your presence 
  strange.
  Sticking Close (4)
   
  When you come to like someone, you can 
  help them calm down. When you use this pow-
  er, one character will receive Feelings equal to 
  the strength of your Friendship attribute -1.
  Petting (6)
   
  Being petted makes you happy. When 
  someone is in the same scene as you and pets 
  you, you can gain Feelings equal to the strength 
  of your Friendship attribute. You can’t just de-
  cide to use this power; you need someone par-
  ticipating in the scene to actually pet you.
  Substitution (8)
   
  When it looks like someone is in danger, 
  you can take their place. If you use this power, 
  you can enter a scene even if you weren’t par-
  ticipating in it before and put yourself in the 
  line of fire. If it does turn out to be something 
  dangerous, the narrator may have you get hurt 
  and receive thanks for this act of sacrifice.
  Base Powers
  
  9.
  Honest
   
  You’re a very honest dog who just can’t 
  lie. Throughout every story, you can’t tell 
  lies at all, not even lies that would be kind. 
  Sorry(8)
   
  You’re such a good kid that for the most 
  part, if you apologize, you’ll be forgiven. If you 
  use this power, people will forgive you for pret-
  ty much any non-fatal mistake as long as you 
  apologize, but your words and attitude must be 
  properly apologetic.
  Weaknesses
  Additional Powers
  Clumsy
   
  You’re not very good at doing things ef-
  ficiently or taking care of yourself. Your Adult 
  attribute has to be zero, and you can only use 1 
  point of Feelings on a given Adult check.
  Perserverance (4)
   
  You have the ability to persevere through 
  pretty much anything. If you use this, you can 
  ignore Surprise. (You must declare that you are 
  persevering.) Also, you can use this power to per-
  severe through your own Weaknesses.
  
  14.
  Bird
   
  Surveying the land below from high in the sky, birds are the most mysterious of henge, and the 
  most distant from humans. Their outlook is a little different even from other henge, and they have 
  their own peculiar way of thinking. Birds can fly through the air with ease, and they can make others 
  fly.. 
   
  Despite these abilities, they have many weaknesses. They’re very forgetful, they have difficulty 
  walking, and they have more trouble understanding people than most.
   
  When a bird flies through the air, it makes people take notice, even if the bird had no such inten-
  tion. That is the role of the birds.
  Little Bird (0)
   
  You’re an ordinary little bird, the kind of 
  animal that people see all the time. Even when 
  you are in your animal form, you will not Sur-
  prise people who see you, and they will not find 
  your presence strange.
  Wings (2)
   
  You have wings that let you freely fly 
  through the sky. You can also carry things that 
  are smaller than yourself. Furthermore, when 
  you are running away or searching for things, 
  add 2 to your attribute. However, you cannot 
  use this power when you are in full human 
  form. This effect lasts until the end of the scene
  Wind Song (4)
   
  You can call on the wind to blow how you 
  wish. If you use this power, you can make the 
  wind blow in an unnatural direction, such as 
  making a piece of paper in the air move how 
  you want. You can cause sudden, powerful gusts 
  too, but not so strongly as to damage things like 
  a typhoon.
  Gift of Wings (8)
   
  You can make it so that a human or anoth-
  er henge can fly. You can only use this on people 
  and henge with whom you have a connection. 
  Whoever you use this, one can effectively use a 
  bird’s “Wings” basic power by spending 2 Won-
  der or Feelings until the end of the scene.
  Base Powers
  
  9.
  Bird Brain
   
  You tend to forget things very quickly. You 
  cannot do knowledge-related Adult or Henge 
  checks at all. Even if you as the player remem-
  ber things, your bird henge will forget.
  Trust the Wind(4)
   
  You go into action putting your trust into 
  luck, and come out on top. When you use this, 
  you gain 3 points of Feelings.
  Weaknesses
  Additional Powers
  Chatter
   
  You are quick to tell people what you 
  know. At the conclusion of each story, you must 
  tell everyone with whom you have a connec-
  tion what you’ve found out (except the town, of 
  course).
  Listen Up (4)
   
  You can inform your friends of things you’ve 
  realized or seen even when they’re far away. When 
  you use this, you can relay information even to 
  people who are not appearing in the same scene. 
  You can also use this to cheer up people who are 
  in another scene from far away.
  
  How to Enjoy Your Stories
   
  Golden Sky Stories is a game for short, simple stories. Where some role-play-
  ing games are made for epics spanning dozens of 6-hour game sessions, in this game we 
  come together to experience short, sweet and personal stories that last an hour or two. 
  Stories and Scenes
   
  A story is organized into several “scenes,” and by progressing through scenes, the story begins, 
  develops, and comes to an end. Only the narrator knows how many scenes are prepared for a given 
  story. Try to do the very best you can in each scene.
   
  When the time or place changes, the narrator can bring a scene to a close and move on to the 
  next. Only the narrator can end a scene, but before the narrator creates a new scene you can say, “Be-
  fore that I’d like to have a scene about such-and-such.”
   
  If everyone splits up to search for something, or otherwise acts separately, there will of course be 
  scenes where you don’t get to appear. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing for you to do however; you still 
  get to award Dreams to other players.
   
  In this game stories are essentially about helping out someone who is in trouble (though the nar-
  rator may present other kinds of stories at times). You meet someone with a problem. You learn of their 
  difficulties or worries, and you find some way to resolve them. Henge have powers that can help them 
  solve problems that might arise during a story, and sometimes these powers can even help them to be 
  loved.
  16.
  
  Things You Can Do During Scenes
   
  A story starts with its first scene. When this first scene begins, the narrator sets out when and 
  where it takes place, and will probably name which henge can appear in the scene. (Usually all of them 
  can appear.) From there you do can any of the following seven things in each scene:
  1. Get Wonder and Feelings
   
  At the start of the story each henge has a 
  Friendship rating of 4, and they’ll get to increase it 
  later. At the start of each scene henge gain points 
  of Wonder and Feelings equal to their Friend-
  ship. In subsequent scenes you keep any unspent 
  Wonder and Feelings and add them to the addi-
  tional points you get. For example if a henge has 
  6 Wonder and 10 Feelings and has Friendship of 
  7, at the start of the next scene they’ll go up to 13 
  Wonder and 17 Feelings.
   
  However, when the story’s final scene ends 
  (the narrator will tell you when the final scene is 
  starting), you can’t save any of your Wonder or 
  Feelings for the next story. Because of that, you 
  shouldn’t be stingy with these points; try to use 
  them as many points of Wonder and Feelings as 
  you can before the story ends.
   
  The Narrator’s Wonder and Feelings
   
  The Narrator and the characters they con-
  trol do not have a Friendship rating, so you may 
  be wondering how they get points to spend. The 
  answer is simple: the Narrator has a budget of 
  Wonder and Feeling for each scene. They get 10 
  Wonder and Feelings if their characters are hu-
  man, and 20 if their characters include henge 
  or other beings with special powers. Unlike the 
  players’ henge, the Narrator does not keep left-
  over Wonder or Feelings from one scene to the 
  next.
  2. Talking and Taking Actions
   
  These are the most important things you 
  can do during scenes. You are participating not 
  as yourself, and you need to speak and act as an 
  animal, as a henge. Stories progress through the 
  speech and actions during scenes. In order to re-
  solve problems and worries, it’s important to talk 
  to and work to heal the people involved.
   
  Henge are not called merely for power in a 
  fight or briefly looking cool. They must use sym-
  pathetic affection and kindness for mutual un-
  derstanding through talk and suggestions. Try to 
  speak and act kindly and affectionately so that 
  other participants, including the narrator, will be 
  pleased. Remember, even if a henge is acting or 
  speaking for his or her own sake, he or she can 
  still help and heal others. Also, rather than acting 
  on your own, you should actively talk to the peo-
  ple the narrator presents and your friends’ henge.
   
  However, speaking of things one can nor-
  mally do, henge do have Weaknesses. Partici-
  pants need to keep their henge’s Weaknesses in 
  mind as they act and speak. The description of 
  each Weakness explains how it affects the rules, 
  but there are many that add things you can show 
  through words and actions.
  17.
  
  3. Award Dreams
   
  You can do this regardless of whether or 
  not you’re participating in a scene. You can give 
  “Dreams” to the henge of other participants based 
  on their actions and dialogue. “Dreams” let you 
  show your appreciation to others when they do or 
  say things you find appealing. Receiving Dreams 
  lets participants boost their Friendship score, 
  which lets them get a good supply of Wonder and 
  Feelings. Without that, it may become difficult to 
  satisfactorily finish the story.
   
  All of the participants can award Dreams, ex-
  cept for the one doing the thing in question. Watch 
  what the other participants do and say, and when-
  ever they do or say something you think is neat, 
  you can give them a Dream. For one bit of speech 
  or action you can give only one point of Dreams. 
  Since each person can give one point of Dreams 
  for one thing that happens, you can potentially get 
  one point of Dreams each from everyone else.
  Admittedly, it can be difficult to know what’s “neat” 
  enough to give Dreams. You can award Dreams ac-
  cording to your own sensibilities, but please keep 
  the following two points in mind:
  • You thought something said or done was 
  cute.
  • You thought something said or done helped 
  or healed someone.
   
  Furthermore, it’s up to each participant to 
  figure out how he or she will perceive speech and 
  actions. Even if everyone else is giving Dreams for 
  something, you can still refrain. Likewise, even if 
  no one else awards Dreams for something, you can 
  still award one if you feel you should. Don’t follow 
  what everyone else is doing, and don’t give or with-
  hold Dreams just because someone has a lot of 
  Dreams or only a little. In other words, you should 
  give Dreams based on your own feelings.
   
  Keeping track of all of the Dreams being giv-
  en and received by writing down numbers would 
  be troublesome, and sometimes it’d be too easy to 
  forget. As noted in the section on initial prepara-
  tion, you can use some kind of tokens or cards to 
  keep track of Dreams.
  4. Action Checks
   
  Although it goes without saying, despite be-
  ing fictional characters in a story, your henge won’t 
  succeed at something just because you say they’re 
  going to do it. Of course, if it’s something anyone 
  can obviously do, or something that animal can ob-
  viously do, you can have your henge do it just by 
  saying so. But there are things that aren’t like that, 
  right?
   
  For example, if something happens far away, 
  you don’t know for sure whether a cat’s ears or a 
  dog’s nose will help them notice it. In a situation 
  where something unexpected happens, whether 
  you can react calmly cannot be settled just by say-
  ing you did. Even a bird would have a hard time 
  flying to where she wanted in a typhoon. When 
  someone is trying to do the opposite of what you 
  want to do, you can’t just say “did it” without in-
  dicating who did it. The same goes for when you 
  have a contest and need to determine a winner.
   
  That’s why you have attributes. We can de-
  termine whether or not you can accomplish some-
  thing based on your attributes. This is called a 
  “check.” When the time comes for a check, the 
  narrator announces which attribute it will use, and 
  what total result is required. If your attribute is 
  equal to or higher than the required number, you’ll 
  succeed. In other words, you’ll accomplish what 
  you wanted. Also, when you’re competing against 
  someone else, compare each other’s numbers. If 
  it’s the same, it’s a tie. Otherwise whoever has the 
  higher result wins, even if it was only by 1 point. 
   
  However, there are lots of times when you 
  can’t succeed just with that, right? When you need 
  to put in some extra effort, or when other people 
  are there to cheer you on, you can do better than 
  you might think. This is where Feelings are impor-
  tant. All kinds of Feelings can help you succeed 
  where you might not otherwise.
  18.
  
   
  If you spend Feelings equal to the 
  amount you’re short of the required number, 
  you can increase your attribute for that check 
  only. You can spend as many points of Feelings 
  as you like on a single check, but you can only 
  use as many as you currently have. Basically, 
  you can’t borrow points ahead of time, or get 
  them from friends (unless a Power lets some-
  one transfer or grant points of Feelings).
   
  If both sides are using Feelings to com-
  pete, they keep raising their attributes un-
  til someone can’t or won’t use any more. Of 
  course, if you’re sure you can’t win, you can 
  just not spend any Feelings and accept defeat. 
  Surprise checks can use any attribute to over-
  come.
  Action Check Guidelines Table
  Required Number
  Guideline
  2 or Less
  You probably don’t need to 
  do a check.
  3-4
  Well, I’m sure you can get 
  by.
  5-6
  You can get by, if this is 
  something you’re good at.
  7-8
  Normally, this’ll be impos-
  sible.
  9+
  No way!
   
  Just remember, creating stories isn’t 
  about winning or losing, or even about having 
  the story go how you want it to. Checks are 
  an important rule, but if you worry too much 
  about what they do, you might forget some-
  thing more important.
  
  6. Take Human Form
   
  This is another mysterious power that all henge possess. Since henge are still animals, it’s because 
  they have this power that they can show themselves to humans. Henge can change instantly, so fast that 
  the time it takes for someone to blink, or a little bit of cover is sufficient. If you think you need to change, 
  do it whenever you think is right, without hesitation.
  In order to change, you need to use Feelings or Wonder. You can use some of each, but regardless, the 
  amount you need depends on the time of day and the form you want to take. Also, even if a scene takes 
  place immediately after the one before it, you still need to pay the Feelings and Wonder for changing at 
  the start of each scene. Be careful of the time of day and the situation in each scene.
  Also, you can always use all of the Powers on your record sheet, regardless of what form you’re in, except 
  those that specifically say otherwise. The same goes for Weaknesses too, so please be careful.
  5. Use Wonder
   
  Henge possess mysterious powers that let them do things humans cannot. By using these powers, 
  they can accomplish various things that humans can’t.
  In order to use these Powers, you need the energy of Wonder gained from your friendships with others. 
  Think back to when you first created your henge and picked out an animal type and weaknesses. At that 
  point you should have gotten Basic Powers, plus an Additional Power paired with your Weakness. The 
  numbers in parentheses next to the names of the powers are how many points of Wonder you have to 
  spend if you want to use them. Since some powers require a check too, be careful of how they work and 
  how many points of Feelings you have when you use Wonder.
  You can use as much Wonder as you like, but you can only use as much as you currently have. Basically, 
  you can’t borrow Wonder ahead of time, or get any from your friends (unless a Power lets someone trans-
  fer or grant points of Feelings).
  Time of Day
  Form (Except Birds)
  Form (Birds)
  Morning/Daytime +4
  Completely Human +4
  Completely Human +4
  Evening +0
  Tail +2
  Small Wings +2
  Night +2
  Ears and Tail +0
  Wings that Look Like They Can 
  Be Used to Fly +0
   
  The table above gives the cost of transforming. The cost is a combination of the time of day and the 
  form you want to take. The time should be self-explanatory, but let’s explain the form part.
   
  Taking on a completely human form is rather expensive. However, you can reduce the cost by let-
  ting the tail or the tail and ears of your true form show through (and if you reveal your ears and tail in the 
  evening, you can transform for free). Which form you will use probably depends on where you are and 
  who you’re dealing with. For example, if a fox were to go around in broad daylight with her tail showing (6 
  points), she’d likely stand out. On the other hand, if she’s meeting a friend at dusk or on a road at night, 
  showing her ears and tail shouldn’t be a problem. However, please note that unlike other kinds of henge, 
  birds can reveal their wings rather than their ears or tails when they change.
   
  One more thing: If you’ve taken human form, you can revert to your animal form instantly. You 
  don’t have to use any Feelings or Wonder for this. If you’re confronted with a situation that you can’t deal 
  with as a human, you might want to do this, assuming anyone around knows you well enough to know 
  about your true form. Regardless, whenever you change into human form again, you’ll have to use more 
  Wonder or Feelings. 
  20.
  
  Increasing Friendship
   
  Between scenes each participant will have the opportunity to increase their henge’s Friendship. 
  Friendship automatically goes up by 1 at the end of each scene, and you can spend 10 Dreams to in-
  crease your Friendship by 1. Be sure to increase your Friendship as much as you can; the Dreams you 
  get aren’t good for anything else.
  Connections
   
  The “Friendship” mechanic is a simplification we made in order to keep this demo version as 
  quick as possible while still preserving the awarding of Dreams. In the full version of the game henge 
  have “connections” to and from other characters, which in turn determine how many points of Won-
  der and Feelings they gain per scene. Since henge have connections from other characters, including 
  characters the narrator controls, in the full game you also give Dreams to the narrator whenever his 
  or her characters make the game more enjoyable. That in turn lets the narrator increase characters’ 
  connections to the henge. Connections also tie intimately into the rules for Memories and Threads, 
  which are useful tools for games that span multiple sessions.
  Ending A Story
   
  At the end of the story your henge’s Friendship goes back to 4, and they lose any unused Wonder, 
  Feelings, and Dreams.
  21.
  
  Scenario: Cop Out of Water
   
  This is an introductory scenario for you to try out Golden Sky Stories with. Only the Narrator 
  should read past this point.
  Narrator Characters
  - Mr. Kawamura, a Policeman on Vacation 
  (Adult 4, Child 0, Animal 3, Henge 0)
  - Mrs. Kawamura, his wife (Adult 3, Child 1, 
  Animal 1, Henge 0)
  - Kenta, a Mischievous Boy (Adult 1, Child 2, 
  Animal 2, Henge 0)
  Story Summary
   
  Mr. Kawamura is a policeman from Tokyo. He’s one of the very best police officers in the country, 
  but he’s so focused on upholding the law and controlling crime that he has a hard time switching off and 
  relaxing. Even so, he got married recently, to a forensics expert he met through his job. By pulling some 
  strings with the police chief, the new Mrs. Kawamura was able to force her husband to take a proper 
  vacation, and they’ve come to her hometown for two weeks.
   
  Not long after he arrived, he found a boy named Kenta out playing after what would be curfew back 
  in Tokyo. Mr. Kawamura confiscated Kenta’s soccer ball and left it at the local police station, but Kenta 
  himself managed to slip away before Mr. Kawamura could haul him anywhere. Over the course of the 
  story the henge will get involved and hopefully untangle this little mess.
  First Scene
  Location: At the Park
  Time: Evening
   
  As always, when you start a scene the players’ henge get points of Feelings and Wonder. For this 
  demo version they get Feelings and Wonder equal to their Friendship rating.
   
  Begin by reading the following to the players:
   
  You’ve come to the park in town to play with your henge friends. The sun is setting, and the sky is a 
  beautiful, blazing orange. You can hear the lazy call of cicadas in the distance.
   
  Ask the players what forms their henge are taking. Since this scene takes place during the evening 
  they can take a partially human form with their ears and tail showing for free, or spend 2 points of Wonder 
  and/or Feelings to hide their ears, or 4 points to hide their ears and tail to look fully human. (See p. 20 for 
  the full rules for transforming.)
   
  Then ask the players what their henge are doing. Let them just role-play for a while, and get ac-
  customed to pretending to be magical animals. When a player does something that makes the game more 
  fun, give them a Dream, and remind the players to do the same. Most players will need a little encourage-
  ment to get started awarding Dreams.
   
   
  Once the henge have had some time to play around a bit, it’s time to bring Kenta into the story. 
  He’s up in a tree, sulking because Mr. Kawamura took his soccer ball. At first Kenta doesn’t want to talk 
  or come down. The tree is rather large, and has many sturdy branches; tell the players they can climb 
  the tree if they get an Animal check result of 4. This means they can climb up if they have their Animal 
  attribute at 4, or if they spend enough Feelings to make up the difference between their Animal attribute 
  and the required result of 4. For example a henge with Animal at 2 could spend 2 Feelings to get up to 
  4 for this check. (See p. 18 for the full rules for making checks.) The players might be able to come up 
  with another way to get up to where Kenta is; for example a bird henge could spend 2 Wonder to use their 
  Wings power to fly up there.
  Wonder and Feelings
  For this story the Narrator has 10 Wonder and 
  10 Feelings per scene.
  Time Needed
  1-2 Hours
  
  Second Scene
  Location: In Town
  Time: Evening
   
  Assuming the henge decide to confront Mr. Kawamura, they pretty easily find him walking around 
  town, observing things and taking notes.
   
  Mr. Kawamura is a policeman accustomed to following the exact letter of the law at all times, and 
  using his exacting investigatory skills to get to the bottom of any mystery. That’s why he took issue with 
  Kenta being out after curfew (not realizing that in the countryside, they don’t bother with curfews), and 
  why, unless the henge are very careful, he’ll get suspicious about why there are talking animals, children 
  with tails, or just who these children are that are also out after curfew.
   
  Of course, if the henge are anything at all like how they typically are, they’ll leave more than enough 
  clues about what they really are. Ironically once he gets past the shock of the existence of the supernatu-
  ral, Mr. Kawamura is perfectly fine with that—as animals they are not breaking any laws—but he insists 
  on being told the truth. Whether because they’ve persuaded him to give the soccer ball back or just be-
  cause he thinks the henge are children who won’t tell him where they live, he’ll likely insist they go to the 
  police station next.
  Third Scene
  Location: Police Station
  Time: Night
   
  The town has a teeny tiny police station and only two police officers, who mostly just walk around 
  and help people out. When the group arrives there it’s empty, except for a note saying that if anyone wants 
  some tea the water heater is full and there’s a tin of tea on the bottom shelf of the cupboard.
   
  Mr. Kawamura gives Kenta his soccer ball back, but insists on escorting him home. Unless the 
  henge have admitted to being henge, (there’s no rule henge must follow about keeping themselves a se-
  cret, but some might consider it a matter of pride or personal) he’ll try to get them to tell him who their 
  parents are, and doggedly follow them if they try to leave. They should sort things out eventually, so that 
  everyone concerned goes home for the night.
   
  Once the scene ends, tell the players that the next scene will be the last one, so they should feel 
  free to spend their Wonder and Feelings, since they won’t be able to keep those points for later.
  Final Scene
  Location: At the Park
  Time: Day
   
  This last scene is a sort of an epilogue, a chance for the players to role-play a bit more with each 
  other and the characters they’ve met over the course of the game. The next day Kenta joins the henge in 
  the park to play (and he brings his soccer ball of course).
   
  Mr. Kawamura shows up, along with his wife. Mrs. Kawamura grew up in this town, and she was 
  friends with some henge when she was little (perhaps even one or two of the henge here if they’re old 
  enough, like perhaps the Fox). She apologizes to everyone for her husband being so crazy, and asks them 
  to help him actually relax during his vacation.
   
  Let everyone role-play a bit more as the henge try to figure how to help the Kawamuras enjoy them-
  selves, until you’re ready to bring this session to an end.
   
  In any case, he eventually relates how Mr. Kawamura came and took Kenta’s soccer ball, and asks 
  them for help getting it back. When they decide to go look for Mr. Kawamura you can end the scene and 
  get ready to start the next one. Once you bring the scene to a close, each player gets to increase their 
  henge’s Friendship by 1. Anyone who has 10 Dreams can spend them to raise their Friendship by another 
  point.
   
  Depending on what the henge decide to do, the story may take a different course from what we’ve 
  laid out here. That’s fine! But you may have to improvise what scenes follow. Just remember that this is a 
  game about people and henge who are basically good-natured, but sometimes have misunderstandings.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Collections/Anime & Cartoon RPGs/3) Common Tropes & Themes/Travel Adventure/Golden Sky Stories/Golden-Sky-Stories-Demo.pdf