Card, Coin, Cube: Part 2 - A Wider Repertoire

Card, Coin, Cube: Part 2 - A Wider Repertoire is a book uncovered through use of Study-related Inquiries by Anivia Reman.

## History

Owing to the downtime afforded by travelling aboard the Galerider Rail, or come time to camp when travelling amongst the wilds, many adventurers have sought a means to entertain themselves, the Atral spellslinger Anivia Reman amongst them. Seeking out a greater diversity of unique and different table games played around Ahlus, she sought to expand her knowledge for sake of fun.

## Reading

### Completed by Anivia Reman

As was discussed in the first part of this series, for many upon the Soil and Stone of Ahlus, gaming pasttimes are dominated by plays of dice and playing cards, alongside that of Dragonchess and Three-Dragon Ante. Subsequently, they will not be discussed in any further detail within this text, and as such, anyone seeking out those details should instead ask after a copy of it.

#### Finding Formation

A strategy game played that requires only eight tokens to enjoy, *Finding Formation* is played on a three-by-three board that can be quickly shaped into sand or dirt, or sketched upon a scrap of paper, or created through use of minor illusionary magic for those skilled in doing so. Upon the board nine points are marked, with lines added to link them horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Each player, possessing four tokens or *Guards* of a distinguishable colour takes it in turns to place on at one of the points where the lines join - the so-called *Sentry Posts*. Once all eight tokens have been placed, the players take it in turns to reposition one of their *Guards* by moving it along a line to an adjacent empty point, with the victor being that which manages to create a 3-in-a-row formation with their Guards, be it horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Ironically, Byron V Tawnbert was forced to ban play of the game amongst his own patrolmen in Inverden, given that it was distracting them from their posts at which they were meant to be standing sentry.

#### King of the Plains

Invented by an individual, who, by their own confession had never visited the Plains of the Nomads, the Realm of Halholm, *King of the Plains* pits four players against each other, and against the *King*, a monstrous beast, which is controlled at random. Although originally designed with specifically shaped figures depicting Halhomite Riders and a huge therapod, as long as a group has four sets of four different stones, shells, coins and one distinct token, it can be played with near any substitute. A course of sixty spaces is drawn, typically with winding paths and multiple routes, available all working towards the same end goal. Each player has four riders, which all begin at the start of the course, and any given one can move a number of spaces equal to a dice roll towards the goal on each of the player's turns. It is up to the player whether they dedicate all this movement to a singular piece, or try and move all of their pieces simultaneously, for it is the player that gets all four of their riders to the end first that is the victor. Every fifteen squares is a safe haven, in which a Rider cannot be caught by the King, but they cannot stay in the haven for more than two turns in a row.

After each player has had three turns, the *King's* attention is drawn, and starts to give chase to the player's riders, moving at the end of each of the player's turns to a value equal to half that rolled on the Rider's dice. Any Rider that comes to occupy the same space as the *King* is consumed by the beast, and sent back to the start.

#### Marbles

Whether made from clay, stone or glass, games involving marbles are often associated with, and enjoyed by, children, and simple to partake in. By drawing a ring in the sand or dirt, a stage for play can be quickly created, with a pile of marbles placed at its centre. Taking turns, two players, or two teams of players flick their marbles at the target pile, the target being to eliminate a predetermined number of the target marbles, typically just more than half of the original number placed.

#### Naqala

Very popular throughout the Empire of Raq, whether played with seeds, pebbles, marbles or some other small pieces, *Naqala* is a game for two players through use of rows of pits on a board or playing surface, typically arranged in two sets of six to eight. The pieces are divided evenly between each each of the pits, and each player also makes use of a bowl - the *Amna,* placed to the right of their row*.* Taking turns, each player selects up the contents of one of the pits and deposits one in each of the pits, and their own *Amna*, but not their opponents, until they have no more pieces remaining in their hand. Play then transfers to their opponent, unless the depositing ends with either the final piece falling into the *Amna,* or into a empty pit on the player's side. In either case, the acting player takes another turn, and in the case of the latter, claims all of their opponent's pieces in the opposing pit to add to their bowl. Once one set of rows has no remaining pieces in play, both players count up the number of pieces in their *Amna*, including those that may remain on their side - that with the highest number wins.

The Ivory Emperor Hassimir, known as the Son, reportedly owned a *Naqala* set that used fine-cut diamonds as its playing pieces.

#### Perjurer's Pebbles

Playable by two or more players, Perjurer's Pebbles is a game of bluffing and luck alike, and utilises stones typically painted shades of red, orange, yellow, green, purple, grey and brown, usually in sets of six or nine of each colour. These stones are distributed in even numbers but of random colouration amongst the players, and placed within a pouch or earthenware or metal cup, out of sight of the other players. Amongst the mix is a single white or black stone of equal shape and size, and one by one, players take turns plucking a stone without looking from the container of the individual to their left, and are seeking to obtain three pebbles of the same colour - removing them from their pouch and placing them at the centre of the table in such case.

The ultimate goal is to eliminate all your pieces and not be left with the final stone. Other variations use pieces of wood marked with notches equating to differing values, but due to the ability to feel for the notches when selecting, this is generally rare.

#### Walrus Hunt

Although the oldest records of the game hail from the land of Courrakey, variations of *Walrus Hunt* under a variety of names are popular throughout Ahlus, and as such the game is functionally the same as *Fox and Hounds*, *Pesky Pixie*, *Wolves and the Sheep* and *Suyaad*, all forming a predator-prey type situation. While early records include no details pertaining to as such, the game has come to be played using one of the chequered playing boards from Dragonchess. One player plays as the Walrus, signified in one colour, which on one of the dark squares at one of the shorter ends of the board, while four Hunters are placed upon the dark squares on the opposing side, which can be controlled by either one player, or up to four, with each taking command of one of the tokens. Moving diagonally along the dark squares only, it is the objective of the Walrus to reach the opposing side, while the Hunters work to trap the Walrus by blocking all available movement options for them.

Usually the Walrus can move in any direction diagonally, forwards or backwards, whereas the Hunters can only move forwards (as in, away from their starting position), although variations exist that include increased movement options, including options to dive beneath (or burrow under, fly over, etc, depending on the setting) the Hunters, while the catchers gain methods to stun their quarry for a turn, which may take the form of a net, harpoon, spike trap, roar or elsewise depending on the setting.