How do I 'archive the state of the realm' ?
Take a snapshot of the cards in the realm. Players should literally take a picture of it on their phone! If you include this card in your deck, you should be prepared to take a picture during the game. Make additional notes as needed to track things like whether a unit has used its Pick Up and Drop ability for the turn, the controller of a Mesmerized minion, or if there's an ongoing effect on a minion like Power of Flight. Players are expected to make additional notes as needed to be able to recreate the state of those cards, if a picture alone is insufficient.
When I 'archive the state of the realm,' does that include cards outside the realm?
No! It does not include any other zone. The thing to focus on are literally the state of cards in the realm right now.
Do I archive global effects like Critical Strike?
No, since it's not an 'archived card,' but instead an ongoing effect that hasn't yet been applied. The test for inclusion in the archive is if the effect is currently applying to a card in the realm. E.g. Whether or not you've discarded a card for Wizard's Den would be included in the archive.
How do I 'return all archived cards to their recorded state' ?
Players should look at the picture they took, then return each card to where it was before, though banished cards can never be returned; sometimes knowledge is truly lost. Once Kairos enters the realm, cards will be tracked across zones solely for the purpose of his deathrite. He's that good of a librarian! If tracking a card across zones is not possible due to hidden information, e.g. shuffled into your deck, then the player may return the card from any zone (but never from banished).
When we 'return all archived cards to their recorded state,' do all changes happen simultaneously?
Yes.
Let's say the realm is archived, then I cast an artifact into my unit's hands, then my unit moves. Then Kairos dies. Does my unit bring its carried artifact when it returns to its recorded state?
No! Carried artifacts do move with their bearer whenever their bearer moves, but when you 'return to its recorded state,' that's not considered movement! It's a one-of-a-kind direct placement effect. Therefore, the artifact gets left behind, wherever it is. It's like we're rewinding time, not actually moving cards around.
When archived cards are returned to the realm, does that include tokens that were archived?
Yes! If a token was in the realm and archived, it will return to its recorded state when Kairos dies. If the token left the realm (and was thus banished), the token still returns to its recorded state, because there are always unlimited copies of tokens available to the players.
When we 'return all archived cards to their recorded state,' do all non-archived cards (e.g. cards that entered the realm after Kairos) remain unchanged?
Yes. They remain where they are, though if a recently played or moved site is in the way of a site that's returning to its recorded state, the site that's in the way will get banished! See below for more examples and details.
When we 'return all archived cards to their recorded state,' what if non-archived sites are in the way?
The site that's in the way gets banished! For example, the realm is archived, then Cloud City moves, then a Lone Tower site fills in the square where Cloud City was archived. Then Kairos dies. The Lone Tower is banished and Cloud City returns to its recorded state!
What about Earthquake or Rubble?
If Kairos archived the realm with Rubble in it, then Rubble will replace whatever sites are there when cards return to their recorded state, banishing any sites in the way! For Earthquake, imagine the following sequence: The realm is archived with sites on squares 3, 8, and 9. Then, a Lone Tower is played on square 4. Earthquake gets played, rearranging sites. Kairos dies. The sites now return to their recorded state. That means the sites that were originally on squares 3, 8, and 9 go back to where they were, all simultaneously. The Lone Tower does not change squares because it was not an archived card. If it's now in the way and in square 3, 8, or 9, it will get banished by the site that's returning there. Don't mess with the Archivist!
Can you give a complicated Kairos example?
Enjoy this one: I have an Kettletop Leprechaun on Gnome Hollows in square 8. You have a Cloud Spirit on Cloud City in square 3. The realm gets archived. Then: Cloud City moves to square 9 and you summon Bluecap Knockers there. I cast a Grim Guisarme into the hands of my Leprechaun, who moves to square 9. I cast a House Arn Bannerman into the Gnome Hollows. Then, Kairos dies. All of the following happen simultaneously: My Kettletop Leprechaun returns to 8; even though it's a and the Leprechaun has 3 due to the , remember that the 'return' effect is not and is not considered 'entering.' The is not an archived , and it remains where it is on 9. Carried artifacts whenever their moves, but returning is not a effect, so the doesn't automatically come with the Leprechaun. The and return to 3; this is not , and thus does not prevent it. The find themselves in and are . is a in on 9 now. Had been a on 3, it would have been as returned to that . When in doubt, always apply , but especially with Kairos!
What if Kairos dies on The Geistwood?
Since the deathrite effect and genesis effect will be triggered simultaneously, you may order them as you wish. If you resolve the printed deathrite first, archived cards will return to their recorded state, then the printed genesis effect will not resolve, since Kairos is banished. If you resolve the printed genesis first (as a deathrite due to The Geistwood), the realm will be archived, and then when the printed deathrite resolves, it would return to that very recently archived state, and Kairos would be banished.
Is the state of the Storyline archived? Does the Storyline get restored to its snapshotted state?
No! The Storyline isn't archived, and it simply continues to resolve normally after Kairos's deathrite. For example, I have Infernal Legion in the realm on square 8. Then I summon Kairos and the realm is archived. The Infernal Legion moves to square 3, and I summon Vatn Draconis. During my End Phase, I have simultaneous triggers for Infernal Legion and Vatn Draconis. I choose to order the storyline with Vatn Draconis first, then Infernal Legion. So I resolve Vatn Draconis's , which kills Kairos. Kairos's goes on the and resolves before the . When I archived the , the was empty. But that doesn't matter because the is different from the . We return cards to their recorded state, placing the back on 8, and then continue resolving the current , so the 's resolves when it's on 8, even though the was added to the when the Legion was on 3.
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