Setup

Choose the player count, then tick steps off as you go. Ticks are kept on this device.

First game

Starting hand: 7
Jesters in Tavern: 0

Shared piles

Shuffle the 40 remaining suited cards together to form the Tavern. In solo play, keep both Jesters aside.
For three or four players, add the player-count number of Jesters to the Tavern. One- and two-player games use none.
Leave space beside the Tavern for a shared face-up discard pile and in front of the castle for the current enemy and attack cards.

Each player

Deal each player the maximum hand size shown in the table. Keep your hand hidden.
The person who most recently committed regicide takes the first turn; play proceeds clockwise.

The castle

Remove all Jacks, Queens and Kings from the deck. Stack Kings face down, Queens face down on top, then Jacks face down on top; reveal the top Jack as the first enemy.