Games

This is a list of some popular Vitan games and passtimes.

Card Games

Anaxi cards come in four categories: rooks, crows, sparrows and hawks. They are related to hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. Some still use "symbol cards," particularly old-fashioned galdori, but most human and wick decks are bird-related these days, possibly due to Silas Hawke's influence.

Rooks

Played like the traditional game of "hearts".

Wild Nines

Played like "crazy eights", with only slightly more emphasis on bluffing and hoarding nines.

Passtimes

Kingdoms

contributed by Tristaanian

A galdori game that is basically set up and played like chess, only the rook is shaped like a clock tower (and it's called a clock tower, or tower), the knights are stylized chroven, the bishops are now representations of the King and Queen of Anaxas, and there is a male and female Everine figure for the king and queen in normal chess. The pawns are called sevens (for Seventen soldiers). The goal is to protect both Everine figures, but as long as one is left standing, then a player can still win.

Clock Tower

contributed by Tristaanian

A children's game that is sometimes also enjoyed at parties with adults. Any number of players must stand in a circle together. One player leads with a "tick," the next player "tock," and that is repeated one more time. The fifth player must make a chime noise once, signaling one o'clock. Then the next four players alternate the tick-tock noises. The next two players must chime, signalling two o'clock. This goes on until the tenth hour, and then starts over again. Each player is obviously responsible for remembering what time it is and whether they need to tick, tock, or chime. If a player is wrong, they must sit down and are out of the game. The last one standing is the winner.

Example:

• Player 1: Tick.
• Player 2: Tock.
• Player 3: Tick.
• Player 4: Tock.
• Player 5: Ding! (or whatever chime noise they want)
• Player 6: Tick.
• Etc.

Catch The Kenser

contributed by Alstair Murdoh

Originating amongst the Anaxi wicks, this children's game is now popular amongst all races. The main point of this game is to catch each other and yell that you've caught the kenser. Normally one child is dubbed the Loose Kenser, and he has a few seconds to run and hide. The other children will try to the child and make sure he/she does not reach a pre-designated safe zone. If he succeeds, they choose a new Kenser and the game starts over. If they are caught, they are out of the game.

Piikii Piiki in a Tree

contributed by JaderGader

This game is a bit like hide-and-seek with a twist. Instead of one person seeking and everyone else hiding, it is the reverse. One person hides and everyone else searches for them. Whenever one person finds the hider (or the Piikii), the finder has to squeeze in with them. Each person to find them has to squeeze in in succession, until the last person finds them, and that round is over. The first finder becomes the next round's hider. Called "Piikii Piikii in a Tree" because, if you've ever seen a bunch of them in a tree, the more of them there are in a given place, the harder it is not to notice them. Lots of whispering and giggling ensues with each added hider.

Kalu Dancing

contributed by Sinith Del Ilil

A hypnotic twist of dancing and slow acrobatics, it usually consists of two "Kalu's" in the middle of a circle singing rhythmic songs with drums and Toe Strings. It is an ancient game which combines both aspects of strategy and a child-like game of tag. Some wicks have developed a much faster version of Kalu as a street fighting style with a focus on defense, but it's frowned upon by galdori society. Usually this is done in the temple in order to pay tribute to Hulali with Mugrobi hymns while some of the trickier positions of Kalu are actually ancient sign language to the Mona. Whereas the Anaxi would have the Moonsong, the Mugrobi would have Hali-Kalu, the religious form of Kalu. Hulali is a laid back god of mirth, thusly would best be worshiped in a game-like setting. Though knowing one or two moves of normal Kalu is not unheard of (particularly their stretching), finding a true master at Kalu is rare and Hali-Kalu is reserved only for the priests.