Psalty, the Singing Songbook
The psalmists of Israel, sung by a large blue book
A big blue songbook that loves to sing, and does not care whether you can.
Every stat is a checkable fact about the actual book, not a designer's mood. Bars are drawn against the highest value any book reaches.
The game's own explanation, as a reader sees it in the backpack.
STAMINA — Very high. A songbook is carried for years by a whole congregation, and this one has been sung through more than most.
CONTEND — High, and the lowest of his four. He argues by singing, and a song is meant to be joined rather than won.
DEFEND — High. The Psalms were sung in every kind of trouble and kept being sung, so a line from them is hard to dislodge.
POPULARITY — The highest of his four. A song learned in childhood is remembered for life, and this one is loved.
A large blue songbook with a warm voice, from children’s records and videos of the 1980s that taught the Bible by singing. Everything it sings is quoted Scripture. It waits at the end of a cave maze under the Nicaea waters, and a Psalms papyrus never let grow into the Confessions can become it.
By levelling up. A book that develops keeps what it knew and learns the rest on its new schedule.
| Lv | Move | Type | Cat. | Pwr | Acc | PP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shout for Joy | Spirituality | Argument | 80 | 100% | 15 |
| 1 | A Lamp to My Feet | Bible | Argument | 78 | 100% | 15 |
| 30 | Sing to Yahweh | Ecclesiology | Argument | 86 | 100% | 10 |
| 45 | Harp and Lyre | Spirituality | Argument | 90 | 100% | 10 |
| 55 | The Valley of the Shadow | Faith | Type shift | — | — | 10 |
| 65 | The Psalter They Still Sing | Spirituality | Argument | 88 | 100% | 10 |
| 75 | Everything That Has Breath | Spirituality | Argument | 98 | 100% | 5 |
How to read these. In Scholar’s Dream, books argue with each other. Each thing a book can do in a debate is a move, and most moves carry a real quotation — the words the book puts on the table when it uses that move.
Strong against lists the opposing books and arguments a move was written to answer. Used against one of them, it hits much harder than usual: ×2 means twice the normal force, ×4 four times. It is the game’s way of saying: this is the sentence that answers that argument. Open an entry to read why.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.”
Psalm 119:105 (WEB)
In the gameThe longest psalm is about one thing, the written word of God. Here it works as a lamp: enough light for the next step, in a place with no daylight.
“Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.”
Psalm 100:1-2 (WEB)
In the gamePsalm 100 is an invitation, and it is meant to be loud. It asks every land to come before God singing, and it does not ask for a good voice.
“Sing to Yahweh a new song! Sing to Yahweh, all the earth.”
Psalm 96:1 (WEB)
In the gameThe new song is not sung alone. Psalm 96 calls the whole earth to sing, then tells it what to sing about: salvation, and what God has done.
“Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre! Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!”
Psalm 150:3-4 (WEB)
In the gamePsalm 150 ends the Psalter with an orchestra: trumpet, harp, lyre, tambourine, strings and flute. Nothing in the list is left out for being too loud.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
Psalm 23:4 (WEB)
In the gamePsalm 23 does not say the valley is not dark. It says the walker is not alone in it. Greatly raises the user’s Defend.
“Let everything that has breath praise Yah! Praise Yah!”
Psalm 150:6 (WEB)
In the gameThe last line of the Psalter is the shortest summary of it. Every living thing is told to praise, and the book stops there.