Kai Wuoyi: Tales of Nine

History

For cultures where useless conversation was discouraged, or for times when merchants had nothing left, Wouraiya's travelers had to come up with games. Good dice were expensive, carvings required a respective craft, and slips of paper were cheap. Old IOUs and notes from closed banks became notes. The cards were named after famous travelers and given names in the Travelers' Tongue. Precursors had as few as four or as many as twenty cards. Eventually the variants were coagulated and formal rules were set.

Execution

The two players have identical decks of nine cards each and play four at a time. Each card has one unique function/gimmick, be it assault or support. When one card fails, another takes its place. The goal is to eliminate all but one of the opponent's cards. All the players' cards are shown in full view of each other, and each of their actions is public.

Components and tools

Each player has a deck of at least nine cards: the Roller, Stroller, Drainer, Trainer, Fisher, Wisher, Healer, Stealer, and Sucker. Variants include additional cards (such as the Reducer and Seducer), but the game itself is composed of two decks of the same nine cards, as agreed by the competitors.

Participants

Traditionally, the game used two players, but any number of players with a the same deck can play the same game. In most games with more than two players, each player defends from the player from his right and attacks the player of his left.

Observance

Each city has a suburb hub where travelers are free to mingle, and each hub will invariably have a Kai section for those who aren't quite exhausted by the day's work. While not government-sanctioned, Ak'tawo has an internationally-recognized tournament every five years. Travelers who don't keep track of the years count and measure time via tournaments, and so the tournament became a key milestone for business contracts, both national and international.

Primary Related Location

Ak'tawo: King's Jewel, Wlitowa's Glory