Eigengrau

**Eigengrau** is a customary card game known in most places throughout Nevra, but it is most commonly practiced by both adults and children for leisure and entertainment inside of Kaizone.
Being passed down by tradition and spread throughout multiple villages via Kaizone, and is quite famous. Almost about anyone in the area would be up for a game if you asked them.

Mostly enjoyed for the punishment rounds at the end, where the winner can choose one of the participants who had lost and force them into doing something for their own desire and humor. This gives the game a little twist, partly why the game is so adored.

### **Rules**

The rules of the game are simple.
Four or more players are needed, and one dealer. The dealer shuffles and slips one of the four Joker cards into each person's deck.

Receiving their even amount of cards without knowing which ones they bear, the players take turns drawing a card from their own stack and handing it to the dealer to place it right-side up on the table. This is repeated until a player sets a Joker card down. The first player to set or slam their hand down on to the Joker gets to keep it, out of the deck, along with being able to keep the rest of the dealt cards. The person who had the Joker stolen from them is deemed "dead", unable to continue playing and is exiled from the game.

This process is repeated until all of the Joker cards are in someone's possession. The final four who own the Jokers face off, exchanging cards with the dealer until all Jokers are thrown down and stolen by one of the four.

The player who ends up with all four jokers in their possession wins, and is deemed "God" of the game. The winner can choose one of the losing participants and make them do one request of theirs, whether it be a benefit to them or just for plain humor. However, this last bonus is completely optional, and is up to the winner to decide if they want to do engage in it or not.

### **Symbolism**

*Eigengrau* is German for **"intrinsic gray"**. Also called *Eigenlicht*, which means **"intrinsic light"**.

*"...Dark light, or brain gray, is the uniform dark gray background that many people report seeing in the absence of light."*

The name being symbolic itself, the game actually holds a darker meaning, suggested from the players supposedly being "killed" off one by one by the supposed "God". The references to the color gray is to match the everlasting, dark, and murky sky along with the blinding cold winds.

The "Winner" is symbolized as the apocalypse, and the players who have lost symbolize all of the dead souls. The game at the end is meant to spark motivation out of fear.

Ultimately, it symbolizes that there is nothing that can be done without hope and the will for change, and without so, you will slowly fade away or be overtaken by many of the world's horrors. It is moral lesson is repeated throughout the village.

### **Card Appearance**

The cards for this game have a very unique design.
The Spades, Diamonds, Hearts, and Clubs are all replaced with a different colored, supposedly bleeding rose.

Red replacing Spades, Black replacing hearts, White replacing Diamonds, and Gold replacing Clubs. There are 10 pairs of four of each for every deck, counting the four silver Joker cards.

## Trivia

* It is a village tradition, and is known by many of the protagonists.
* It is sometimes used for trading, and settling deals.
* It is, in fact, inspired off of the card game, *"Slapjack"*, but with a darker and more unique twist.
* It is one of the only known card games in Nevra.
* It is the only card game that has a specific design of cards meant just for and only for playing the game, perhaps to hold it's mystery and symbolism.